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Week 12 – More Injury Troubles

November 21, 2012 By Leave a Comment

This 2012 season has been no bargain for fantasy GMs, with an epidemic of injuries to key players, especially as of late. Weeks 10 and 11 have been a nightmare scenario, taking out several top QBs, RBs, and now a standout TE who is as valuable as any player in the league. The trade deadline in your league may have passed, and the implications of these injuries have become even more severe as we approach fantasy postseason weeks. Here is what you need to know:

In as a replacement for Michael Vick, rookie Nick Foles failed to impress, and RB LeSean McCoy also went down to injury, leaving the Eagles with very few options on the offensive side of the ball. Other Eagles players will suffer as a result, so be conservative in expectations for DeSean Jackson, Jeremy Maclin, and others.

Steelers QB  Ben Roethlisberger will remain out of commission for at least a few more weeks, and those who thought Byron Leftwich would be a viable backup were disappointed as he too suffered a rib injury in Week 11. Third stringer Charlie Batch isn’t quite as attractive an option.

The Steelers Will Suffer Without Big Ben

Jay Cutler missed Monday night’s matchup with the 49ers and Brandon Marshall owners are lamenting. Matt Forte’s value may increase as a result, as a consolation prize to his owners, who are probably dealing with some other injuries as well.

Blaine Gabbert, who isn’t generally part of the fantasy discussion, suffered an injury of his own, opening the door for Chad Henne, who had a surprising big day, against a top rated Houston D nonetheless. Henne looks to be one of the most popular waiver wire pickups this week for owners dealing with injured QBs, as he should be the guy going forward in Jacksonville, at least temporarily.

After Alex Smith suffered a concussion last week and failed to pass testing for clearance this weekend,  Colin Kaepernick stepped in with a breakout performance against a solid Bears defense on Monday night  and may have sparked a quarterback controversy in San Francisco. Smith owners might be wise to pick up Kaepernick just in case.

The Broncos’ veteran RB Willis McGahee, should be out for the rest of the fantasy year after suffering a break and an MCL injury in his knee. He had been a pleasant surprise top 15 RB, balancing Peyton Manning’s air attack in Denver. Obviously the injury has implications for Manning and his receiver corps of Demaryius Thomas, Eric Decker, and Brandon Stokley, but owners looking to replace McGahee should consider backup Ronnie Hillman, who has looked good on carries all year, thanks to a solid O-line who will give him ample opportunity for yardage up the middle.

McGahee had been a fantasy surprise before his injury

Perhaps the biggest injury news of the week came in garbage time during the Patriots’ blowout of the Colts in New England. Rob Gronkowski suffered a broken forearm that might put him out for the remainder of the fantasy season just after becoming the first TE ever to score 10+ TDs in 3 consecutive seasons. This is a huge blow for the star’s owners, but a boon for those with Aaron Hernandez, whose value will skyrocket if he can shake his own nagging injury. WR Julian Edelman may see an expanded role – he is worth a look, especially if Hernandez isn’t at 100%. Owners missing Gronk might be able to stop the bleeding with Ben Watson or Mercedes Lewis, both who have been much more involved in their respective offenses as of late, and should be available on waivers.

The Pats will have to survive without the NFL's strongest TE

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End of the 1st Quarter: Adjust Your Gameplan

October 3, 2012 By Leave a Comment

After Week 4 in the NFL, we have reached the quarter-way marker through the fantasy season. Where does your team stand? Are you 4-0 and bragging about early season dominance, or 0-4 and sobbing gently in bed at night?

Maybe you had the foresight before the season to draft impact rookies like RG3 or Trent Richardson who have so far rewarded owners who took a chance. Maybe you were lucky enough to get a top 3 pick and snag Arian Foster, or pick up Matt Ryan at a bargain. If this is you, congratulations, you are probably rocking and rolling.

Then again, maybe you are facing one of the following scenarios and have had a tough time trying to get wins:

Busts: Did you, like many other eager owners, burn a valuable first round draft pick on Chris Johnson? Frustrated that even Brandon Weeden has more fantasy value than Mark Sanchez so far?

Injuries: Are you in trouble with Hakeem Nicks’ persistent injury keeping the star WR on your bench as he tries to get healthy? What will you do now that Santonio Holmes might miss multiple games too?

There are plenty of excuses to make for a poor first quarter of the season, but it’s time to turn it around. Here are a few strategies to help right the ship, correct the course, and lead you to more points and less headaches:

Browse the free agent market:

Brian Hartline (WR – MIA) – Ryan Tannehill might not be an elite passer, but he has managed to connect with Hartline early and often this season. Nobody drafted this guy, snatch him up and give him a shot if he is still available.

Jackie Battle (RB– SD) – Ryan Mathews returned from his preseason injury to start weeks 3 and 4, but Battle has been an unsung hero for the Bolts, not only getting touches and grinding out yardage, but catching passes and scoring a few touchdowns in the process .

James Jones (WR – GB) – The nagging groin injury keeping Greg Jennings down means JJ will see a lot more targets alongside Jordy Nelson in the Packers’ passing offense. He may be hanging around waiting for a loving owner to take him home for the next few weeks.

Owen Daniels (TE – HOU) – Although the Texans are a run-first offense, Daniels is the go-to target for Matt Schaub, and he has gotten hot, scoring a pair of touchdowns in weeks 3 and 4. If you don’t already have a Jimmy Graham or Rob Gronkowski, you need Daniels’ help.

Trade your way to the top:

If you are sitting on a deep running game and are lacking a quality QB or a stud WR, search through your competitions’ rosters for someone who has the exact opposite problem. Fantasy football is highly competitive, but successful owners work together to fill needs when the outlook gets bleak. Don’t be scared to involve a third owner for a multi-team trade to help everyone get the player they need. You may be making your competition slightly stronger, but you must do what it takes to get your own roster right if you want to have the chance to win.

Cross your fingers and wait it out:

If you think you have all the right pieces and things just haven’t come together for you yet, or if you’ve already tried everything else to no avail, you can always just attempt to weather the storm. Your dud RB might have a big week and spark a resurgence in his game, or your desperate waiver wire pickup could break out as a new fantasy star. Stranger things have happened.

Don’t forget to check out www.scoutpro.com for the fantasy tools you need to gain the competitive edge, and stay tuned to our blog for more tips and insights on the world of fantasy football. 

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Draft Day Strategy

August 14, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Draft day is just around the corner! The competition has been planning for months, following free agency, coaching changes, and training camp closely to develop their ideal draft order. Is your draft strategy all set and ready to go? If not, pay attention to these 3 crucial tips on how to draft successfully for the 2012 season:

Tight Ends are a hot commodity entering 2012, but there is no urgent need to rush into taking a TE in one of the first few rounds. There are definitely elite TE fantasy options, like Rob Gronkowski or Jimmy Graham who have earned first or second round discussion, but only these few guys can stand with the RBs and WRs in terms of pure point production. The position is being featured more prominently in a number of NFL offenses, and is much deeper than ever before. Thanks to the abundance of players like Antonio Gates, Vernon Davis, and Jason Witten, owners can wait a little longer without worrying too hard over landing a solid TE.

The Running Back situation in 2012 is hard to decipher. On the surface, there appears to be a big drop off between top tier players like Arian Foster, Ray Rice, LeSean McCoy, or Chris Johnson (provided he can bounce back) and the rest of the pack. There is uncertainty surrounding a number of RBs like Adrian Peterson, Jamaal Charles, and Maurice Jones-Drew for various reasons. Furthermore, major questions remain about guys like Marshawn Lynch (was last year a fluke?), and Darren McFadden, DeMarco Murray, Matt Forte and Fred Jackson are all coming back from serious injuries, and Ryan Mathews’ preseason injury shows that durability is a big question for many RBs. Owners with first, second, or third overall picks can prioritize the running game when drafting this year to ensure they have top flight talent, but everyone else should consider finding an edge at another position.

Ray Rice will be a top-producing RB this season.

Be on the lookout for upside in the later rounds. Every year, a few guys picked up off the waiver wire or free agent market break out and end up among the top point producers in the league. Likewise, more than a fair share of draft picks end up as busts, falling to waivers themselves. Take some risks with unproven players who you think have big potential. Often times, zigging when everyone else zags can make an owner highly successful. Nail it, and your whole league will be jealous of your amazing fantasy prowess.

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Tight End Frenzy

June 19, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Last season, the Patriots’ Rob Gronkowski led a class of tight ends that revitalized the position’s role in many teams’ offensive schemes as he set a new NFL record for touchdown receptions by a TE with 14. His numbers made him not only the top ranking player at his position, but put him right there near the top of the list of all receivers in fantasy leagues.

If you aren’t fortunate enough to snatch Gronk in this year’s draft, there are plenty of other great options in the strong group that will be on display in the 2012 season:

Aaron Hernandez is the dynamic other half of the Patriots impressive dual-tight end look. Hernandez provided Tom Brady with another great option in addition to Gronkowski and the dependable Wes Welker. Of course, his value is diminished a bit by having to share the spotlight, but he is still sure to have ample opportunity to deliver big plays for the Pats.

Jimmy Graham leads all TEs in receptions, racking up more than 1,300 receiving yards and scoring 11 TDs in 2011. If it weren’t for Gronkowski, he would be the clear cut #1 TE for this year’s fantasy rankings. He still may end up being the best if he manages to maintain his high level game, especially with Robert Meachem gone.

Jason Witten had a mediocre campaign last season, coming up short up 1,000 receiving yards and only 5 TDs. He is more talented than he sometimes gets credit for, and is still one of the more durable options in this category, having started every game for the last five seasons. Also, Tony Romo loves him. Like every year, the optimism for Dallas is high, and so it should be for Witten too. He will be a solid contributor.

Jermichael Finley was plagued by dropped-ball syndrome and hurt by the emergence of Jordy Nelson last season.  Going into 2012, those problems will spark doubts, but there should be no questions about his awesome skill set. Finley is looking for a bounceback season, and he may break out since he is now reached the magical point of a full season removed from his knee injury.

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Not So Obvious

May 31, 2012 By Leave a Comment

This week’s blog takes a look at a few players, some likely and others less so, who could break out as the top performer in their respective position this upcoming fantasy season:

QB: Tom Brady – Many experts are pegging Aaron Rodgers ahead of Brady as the #1 in the game’s most prolific position. Some may even select Drew Brees and Cam Newton higher than the two-time super bowl MVP. The Patriots look to be a powerhouse on the offensive side of the ball again in 2012, adding a deep threat in Brandon Lloyd and bringing Josh McDaniels back as the Offensive Coordinator. Couple that with the resigning of ultra-reliable Wes Welker and the emergence of Rob Gronkowski as one of the game’s premier TEs, and Brady could end up running away from the competition as the #1 QB this year.

RB: Ryan Mathews – He has only been in the league for two years, but despite not playing a full 16 games in either season, it feels like Mathews has gained the experience necessary to become an elite RB in any fantasy league. In the past, he was somewhat limited on carries, making his first 1,000 yard season very impressive. This year, Mike Tolbert has been shipped out, putting the spotlight directly on Mathews. Pair his natural talent with Robert Meachem, arguably the best run-blocking WR and the newly signed FB Le’Ron McClain, and the Chargers fans may be reminded of the kind of running game they enjoyed in the days of Ladanian Tomlinson’s tenure in southern California.

WR: Dez Bryant – While it is hard to imagine anyone leapfrogging Megatron as the #1 WR this year, Bryant, entering his third season, is primed to explode. While opponents facing Calvin Johnson now have adjusted and will be highly focused on containing him, Bryant, following his first full healthy offseason working closely with Tony Romo, enjoys the company of Miles Austin to distract defenses. He definitely has the complete skill set; if he puts it all together he could be the best WR contributor this year.

TE: Vernon Davis – The aforementioned Gronk and Jimmy Graham are the likely #1 and 2 in either order on paper, but VD is just as much a physical freak and will have a chance to really thrive this year.  Adapting well to Jim Harbaugh’s blue collar offense that elevates the role of the TE, Davis came on strong late in the year last season. Now, having future Hall of Famer Randy Moss and the dynamic Mario Manningham outside will allow plenty of room for Davis to work the middle, opening up the 49ers offense for big plays through the highly athletic TE.

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