By Vidur Malik

notjustagame23@gmail.com

As the playoff time begins, it’s important to solidify your backups in case your starters get some late-season rest. This will probably be the case for those of you who have Frank Gore on your team, as he hasn’t been at full-strength for a while.

Fortunately, his backup Kendall Hunter should provide some production, and you should consider picking him up. The Niners already locked up the NFC West and are now playing for playoff seeding, so even though their games are still meaningful, Gore doesn’t necessarily need to have big days these last few weeks. He’s been the team’s workhorse for several seasons now, but Hunter showed he is a capable runner himself this season.

Hunter’s stats aren’t impressive (82 carries for 322 yards and two touchdowns), but he has made the most of his chances during his rookie season, and when Gore was struggling early this year, there was even talk of Hunter cutting into Gore’s carries. Gore ultimately proved he could handle a starter’s workload, but Hunter has still gotten consistent reps and has caught 11 passes for 149 yards, demonstrating that he can use his quickness as a receiver as well.

Hunter has probably not made many headlines on the national scene, but you should capitalize on that and pick him up if he is available in your league. Chances are Gore will not receive 20 carries a game, and any reps he doesn’t get should go to Hunter. He’s solidified himself as the No. 2 running back in San Francisco, and his value should be at its peak now that the 49er starters could rest in preparation for the playoffs.

One of the most challenging aspects of the fantasy playoffs is figuring out which starters to bench. If Gore is on your team, read up on his updates and pick up Hunter as insurance. If Gore looks like he’ll play, you’ve still got one of the league’s best on your team. If he doesn’t play, you’ll put yourself in the best position to get points he would normally pick up by starting Hunter.

By Vidur Malik

notjustagame23@gmail.com

On its best day, the Baltimore Ravens can be the most dominant, intimidating group of players in the NFL. There’s no arguing that.

But if you take a look at the losses they’ve piled up this season, you could also make the argument that the Ravens are the most bizarre, puzzling team in the league as well.

Their 22-17 loss to the Seattle Seahawks last week cemented that. I started Baltimore’s defense thinking it would shut down the Seahawks and give me a double-digit point total. At the end of the day, I had a whopping 1 point from the Ravens D.

It’s almost unfathomable that a defense like Baltimore’s couldn’t even come up with one interception or fumble recovery. After all, the Ravens scored 32 fantasy points against the Jets in week four and 22 in week one against the Steelers.

The Ravens aren’t too inconsistent to bench altogether, but if you’ve got their defense, make sure you have a backup D that you don’t mind starting regularly. If they could only score one point against the Seahawks – a team the Ravens should shut out – you never know who they’ll give up points to.

It’s now safe to say that the Ravens defense isn’t a lock to score points every week. They can still be incredibly good, but you can’t start them without giving it a second thought anymore. The New England Patriots are playing a Kansas City Chiefs team that struggles offensively, so even though their pass defense is atrocious, you might want to think about picking them up if they’re available and you need a backup defense. The Cleveland Browns are playing the offensively challenged Jacksonville Jaguars, so they could be a good acquisition as well.

It’s sad to admit, but the Ravens probably won’t bring you double-digit points every week. When they do show up, they’ll get you more points than some of your offensive starters, but when they don’t, they could very well contribute one measly point to your total. Plan ahead for that possibility.

By Zack Cimini

notjustagame23@gmail.com

No matter if you were a WWF fan or not, everyone has heard of the Bushwhackers. They had a famous routine as wresters, and had proper chemistry with each other. In the aspect of fantasy football, a couple of Bush’s shot up the fantasy radar spectrum with monster week nine’s.

In the case of Reggie Bush, you expected him to be more of a threat as a Dolphin. That has yet to be seen on the level people would of liked. Limited carries in a non featured role, has relegated him to a fantasy bench spot. Lately though the Dolphins are mixing him in to more and more offensive schemes. Plays that allow him to get in the open field, and utilize his skills the best.

Quick draws and getting him out in the flat, have boded well for new Dolphin signal caller Matt Moore. Moore has become more comfortable with a few starts as a Dolphin under his belt, and that’s led to better offensive proficiency.

After Bush’s 142 combined yards with a touchdown Sunday, many would like to ponder at least inserting him as a flex option. I’d say hold your horses just yet. Kansas City allowed Miami to blow them out at home, and seemed to have hit the bottom of their emotional roller coaster from the previous week’s Monday Night victory.

Bush still only had thirteen carries. Yardage wise he is likely good for eight to ten points a game, but counting on a touchdown from him is shaky. There are probably better options on your roster that you can depend on.

Over in Oakland, ones misfortune with Darren McFadden has become another owner or a protective owners satisfaction with Michael Bush. Bush has come in and done what he typically does. Fill in decently, and perform at the caliber of a starting running back. Why, no other team tried to sign him in the off-season is unknown.

A big back, Bush has solid speed to complement his size. With McFadden out again this week for Thursday, you can go ahead and reinsert Bush without flinching. The Raiders have one of the better run games in football, and are going to feed whomever the workhorse feature back is.

We may even see Bush’s workload rise due to Palmer’s continuous struggles thus far. Six interceptions in just six quarters of action. The heat is on the organization after pulling the trade they did for Palmer, and they may want to execute a game plan that alleviates Palmer’s decision making.

By Vidur Malik

notjustagame23@gmail.com

Chances are you’ve gotten a lot of points out of your starting quarterback so far this season.

If you’ve got Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers or Drew Brees, you’ve enjoyed weeks of sky-high point totals, but that could change.

400-yard passing games aren’t quite as prolific as they were earlier this season, and offenses will probably become a lot more balanced for the rest of the season. Four out of the first five weeks of the 2011 season saw at least one quarterback go over 400 yards, but no passer has eclipsed that total the past two weeks.

That doesn’t mean your quarterback won’t give you great fantasy numbers, it just means you’ll have to get used to a 300-yard passing day out of your quarterback, which is not too shabby. It also means that defenses will start contributing more points to your team.

As defenses seem catch up with offenses, think about picking up another defense as a backup or to start. Houston’s defense limited the Titans to just a touchdown last week and are playing the Jaguars offense on Sunday, so look for the Texans to have another great defensive week. Buffalo is playing a Redskins team that has been struggling as of late, and should be a good pickup if its defense is available in your league.

Trends come and go in an NFL season, and it’s important to follow them for your fantasy team to stay competitive. Right now, that means looking at which defenses could put together a few weeks of good play. The elite-level quarterbacks will always put up big numbers, but if you’ve got a mid-level passer on your team, you need to get points from other spots on your roster. Now that offenses are starting to quiet down, defense is a great source of production.

By Vidur Malik

notjustagame23@gmail.com

The numbers that the NFL’s top quarterbacks are putting up this season are almost mind-boggling.

That can only be a good thing for your fantasy team.

But just like actual NFL teams, your squad’s backup quarterback is also extremely important.

Even though Aaron Rodgers, Tom Brady, Drew Brees and the top passers in the league are claimed, you can still acquire a “game manager” quarterback for a rainy day.

The “game manager” term is one a quarterback would probably hate to have, but if he can be an effective one, he can carry his team – and maybe your team – far.

These quarterbacks probably won’t throw more than 20 times a game, and three touchdown passes would be considered a great day for them. But if they do their job well, they won’t throw many interceptions and will give their teams a chance to win every game.

Obviously, these quarterbacks aren’t going to give you 400 yards and four touchdown passes a game like your starter might, but if your star has a bye week or gets hurt, they can be a reliable option for as long as your main guy needs to be benched.

Consider guys like Alex Smith, Jason Campbell and Curtis Painter if you need another quarterback. Chances are they’ll be available in your league, and both have done a great job of limiting turnovers. What they might lack in statistics, they can make up for with mistake-free play.

It might seem strange to pick these guys up, as during the beginning of the season you might have considered them to be among the bottom of the talent pool, but they’ve done a great job of leading their teams down the field. Smith has surprised people with his smart play and is coming off of a great game against Tampa Bay, in which he threw three touchdown passes and had no interceptions. Campbell has been an underrated passer throughout his career and can also run when needed. Though his Colts are winless, Painter has done an admirable job of keeping his team in games and seems to have made a connection with receiver Pierre Garcon, which can give your team points.

All three quarterbacks are going to be in charge for at least the rest of this season, and whether or not you need another quarterback on your team, it would be smart to consider giving them a spot. Having an elite quarterback can go a long way for a fantasy team, but making sure you’ve got a dependable backup is crucial too.  

By Vidur Malik

notjustagame23@gmail.com

One of the most baffling cases of low production from a fantasy superstar has been that of Chris Johnson.

He was probably among the top three picks in your draft, and with a new contract in the books going into the season, it was easy to assume he would run like the 2,000-yard rusher he was a few years ago.

After putting up atrocious numbers in the first three weeks of the season, during which he rushed for 98 yards on 46 carries and no touchdowns, he somewhat redeemed himself by gaining 101 yards on 23 carries in a 31-13 win over the Cleveland Browns in week 4.

Does this mean Johnson is getting back to form? Will he be a big-play threat for the rest of the season?

At this point, it’s tough to confidently say yes to both those questions. That’s obviously not the news you want to hear if he’s on your team, but after seeing what he’s done in the first four weeks of this season, you should make sure you’re confident in the other running backs on your team or pick some up off the waiver wire.

The Titans are going up against the struggling Pittsburgh Steelers this week, so Johnson may be able to go over the 100-yard mark again. The Steelers gave up 155 rushing yards to Texans running back Arian Foster, who gained 5.2 yards per carry in Houston’s 17-10 win. With Johnson’s speed, he could very well run for a similar yards-per-carry average, so there’s a good chance he’ll do well this week.

But the fact that we even have to question whether he will have a big day is cause for concern. In years past, this would never have been an issue. There are very few players in the league who are threats to score at any given moment in a game, and Johnson is still one of them, so you might not want to give up on him just yet, but keep an eye out for other backs if you want to upgrade your overall production at that position.

Stevan Ridley of the New England Patriots could be a good option. He rushed for 97 yards and a touchdown on 10 carries in a win over the Oakland Raiders on Sunday, so there’s a good chance he’ll continue to get carries. You might also want to consider Roy Helu of the Redskins and Ricky Williams of the Ravens if you really need an addition.

One quarter of a season is not enough time to declare a player’s season over, but it is enough time to get a sense of whether you should be worried about a player’s production. Johnson is way too talented to be replaced, but it would be smart to consider adding running backs to your team in case he puts together another string of bad games.