New NFL Team Rankings

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1. Denver- Even with a loss the Broncos still retain the number one spot. They’ve won in standout fashion in all their games thus far this season.
2. Seattle Seahawks- The Seahawks played better than I expected in their Thursday win over the Cardinals. Prior games they were not as sharp on both sides of the football.
3. New Orleans- The Who Dat nation is coming off a bye week. We will see how healthy Jimmy Graham is on Sunday
4. San Francisco- For the first time in quite awhile Colin Kaepernick let go of his apprehensions to tuck and run the football against the Titans. It provided a nice spark to an offense that has had its struggles.
5. Kansas City- As a regular season team Kansas City is rolling. But when playoff time comes and the Chiefs have to face a 6th seed such as Baltimore or even the Jets who will you be picking?
6. Green Bay- The injuries that Rodgers has dealt with at wide receiver and running back no other quarterback can compare to. Defensively they’ve stayed sharp even with Clay Matthews out.
7. New England- With Gronk back the offense won’t be lagging much longer.
8. Indianapolis- Stacking the Colts wins over the Seahawks, Broncos, and 49ers just goes to show that they can beat anyone in the NFL. Their losses against Miami and San Diego also show that they are a vulnerable team. The running game has to show some life soon or a string of losses could be upcoming for Indy, especially with Reggie Wayne out for the season.
9. Cincinnati- If it was not for a collapse in week one against the Bears the Bengals could be sitting at 6-1. Quietly they’re winning tight games and have a two games lead over the Ravens.
10. Dallas- In a poor NFC East the Cowboys should end up securing the division. At 4-3 they have to finally step up and get some separation from the rest of the division.
11. Chicago
12. Baltimore
13. San Diego
14. Carolina Panthers
15. Detroit Lions
16. NY Jets
17. Washington Redskins
18. Pittsburgh Steelers
19. Philadelphia Eagles
20. Arizona Cardinals
21. Miami Dolphins
22. Tennessee Titans
23. Atlanta Falcons
24. Houston Texans
25. St. Louis Rams
26. Cleveland Browns
27. Buffalo Bills
28. Oakland Raiders
29. NY Giants
30. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
31. Minnesota Vikings
32. Jacksonville Jaguars

Week Seven Fourth Quarter Killers

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The Seattle Seahawks and Arizona Cardinals kick things off in week seven tomorrow night. It’s vital to have all types of aspects ready to go for your lineups. Key stars mixed with best shots to outdo their normal fantasy numbers is the recipe for a win. Athletes that can outdo their fantasy numbers can come from teams trailing big—-fourth quarter garbage stats. Here are some athletes that can shine largely in the fourth quarter.

Ryan Tannehill
Buffalo has been decimated with injuries defensively and at the quarterback position. Miami is coming off a bye week and will look to get back on the winning track. During Miami’s three wins sometimes it would take Tannehill until the fourth quarter to really thrive. I wouldn’t be shocked for Miami to be down slightly in the fourth before Tannehill wakes up and brings the team back with a big performance.

Cam Newton
Unlike other quarterbacks with a big lead, Cam Newton’s stats usually grow. It’s as if he is trying to make up for the lackluster performances he has had in other games. Against the Giants and Vikings, Newton had a big part of his fantasy success days in the second half with a sizeable lead. The Rams are still a very vulnerable team that Cam Newton should be able to finally have back to back solid games.

Josh Gordon
Gordon has cracked the top ten fantasy receiver lists on several occasions and might be making himself a permanent fixture in those rankings. Last year he was getting behind secondary’s with ease and was just a big play receiver. This year Cleveland has mixed in all types of routes that are getting him more involved with the offense on every down. He is a big receiver that is looking for that big contract…..and will get it. This weekend’s game against the Green Bay Packers may be closer than people think, but Gordon should continue to have a high impact.

Andre Johnson
The Chiefs defense has been gaining steam as the season goes further, while the offense seems to be regressing. An odd mix but it’s working and the Chiefs have not had to play from behind except for a few minutes against Tennessee. Houston’s quarterback woes are not going to go away in a matter of days, which does not bode well for either Matt Schaub or TJ Yates keeping this game competitive. Where there will be a fantasy green light will be with Andre Johnson. The aging receiver already has forty four caught balls and near 450 yards receiving. He should churn up some more late in this game.

Reggie Wayne
Everyone is talking about the second year quarterback in Andrew Luck having a chance to face the quarterback he replaced in Peyton Manning and vice versa. What about Wayne facing his old quarterback that threw him the football all but two years of his career? Wayne will be the key guy to watch for offensively against a Denver team that allowed 48 points to Dallas and then 190 yards receiving to Justin Blackmon a week ago.

Others: Justin Blackmon, Nic Foles, Tony Romo, DeSean Jackson, and Michael Floyd

Upgrades/Downgrades for Situational Starters, Roster Depth, and Flex Positions

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Upgrades

Kembrell Thompkins
Thompkins has slowly become a viable weekly fantasy starter over the last four games. Since the New York Jets game he has been a go to target for Tom Brady. With Danny Amendola leaving Sunday’s game with an apparent concussion, Thompkins may continue to be Brady’s top target until Gronk is back.
Eddie Lacy
Who would of thought the Packers would be able to run the football with a platoon of running backs? They’ve been getting it done with Starks, Franklin, and Lacy all season long. With injuries to the Packers receivers they’ll likely turn to it even more. If Lacy stays healthy you have to consider him a top twelve fantasy back now.

Larry Fitzgerald
Fitzgerald fantasy owners were patient with him while he played through a hamstring injury. His explosiveness returned Sunday as he ran for a 70-plus yard touchdown and was involved in the passing game at a higher level. Hopefully his hamstring won’t be a reoccurring issue. When close to 100 percent Fitzgerald is a top fifteen fantasy wide receiver.

Justin Blackmon
How a guy misses four games, plays two, and is right in the thick of things for top wide receiver stats is beyond me. And Blackmon has done this with Chad Henne and Blaine Gabbert as his quarterbacks. It’s looking like Blackmon’s last season at Oklahoma State with how he is performing on a weekly basis on the field.

DeMarco Murray
Murray’s shown to be a Darren McFadden type even when he returns from an injury. His level of play declines after an injury during the season. He has to be dropped from an RB1 to an RB2 and maybe lower if his performance suffers.

Others: Knowshown Moreno, Keenan Allen, Trent Richardson, Nick Foles, Terrance Williams, and Andre Ellington

Downgrades

Le’Veon Bell
Bell had a quality first game as a Steeler with two touchdowns against the Vikings. But his yards per carry is not where you would like it to be. Unless the Steelers are inside the five yard line there is little fantasy value for Bell right now. Going into week seven of the fantasy season you can’t have high question marks like Bell that you’re unsure of. Until that breakout game comes yardage wise he has to be downgraded.

Chris Johnson
Have we seen any long runs from CJ2K yet? No. It’s a sad fate for top prominent backs a few years after their top campaigns. Shaun Alexander, Larry Johnson, Priest Holmes, LT, etc. the list goes on. Yet fantasy owners will keep drafting Johnson as an RB2 thinking he can get that magic back. It’s over. His flex spot has to be considered up in the air even unless you’re in a deep fantasy league.

Colin Kapernick
The apparent lack of receivers to get open is starting to create a weekly imprint to Kapernick’ overall performance. He isn’t having the same rhythm on series to series that he did a year ago. I don’t believe it’s because of a sophomore slump either. He just doesn’t have the capable weapons on the outside for him to throw a comfortable football. Vernon Davis had well over 60 percent of Kapernick’s passing yards Sunday. Michael Crabtree can’t get back on the field soon enough.

Others: Doug Martin, Greg Jennings, Ben Tate, and Anquan Boldin

UPGRADES/DOWNGRADES FOR ROSTER FLEX, BENCH DEPTH, AND BORDERLINE STARTERS

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Upgrades

Terrelle Pryor Pryor is showing enough with his legs to warrant fantasy consideration as a borderline starter. Hold the inserts into your starting lineups just a tad bit more. He’ll need to show consistency for four complete quarters before he gets the bump up. As of now though he is an adequate fill in if needed for bye week or injuries with an asterisk on the uptrend. Bilal Powell Powell appears to be entering that fantasy realm where Alfred Morris was a year ago. A back that shouldn’t be a top ten to twelve fantasy running back but may crack it because of the system he is in. He has a great offensive line and a system that flourishes off the running game. The best games for Powell are ahead of him. Antonio Gates While Jimmy Graham treads to astronomical territories for tight end statistics, Antonio Gates is having a comeback year. I was one that didn’t believe Gates would get back to this type of level. After two consecutive years of down numbers it appeared his injury woes and age would continue his downfall. Similar to the way Tony Gonzalez kept at it, Gates has as well. He has transformed from a smooth effortless tight end to one that uses his size and nimbleness to outwit defenders. Jerome Simpson The Vikings didn’t bait to trade for Josh Freeman and still landed him. Sounds like a move they did years back to land Brett Favre. No one can perform under the scrutiny and non-belief of your abilities as were the situations with Freeman in Tampa Bay. I love the fact that the Vikings are not inserting Freeman right away this Sunday. He gets a chance to breathe in soak in this new opportunity. Something the Raiders did not do when they acquired Carson Palmer via a trade two years ago. Freeman doesn’t have to be an all-world quarterback in Minnesota. If Christian Ponder and Matt Cassel could find success with the Vikings than Freeman can as well. With confidence Freeman had Vincent Jackson and Mike Williams as fantasy studs. The same should happen with Simpson and Greg Jennings. Others: Alshon Jeffrey, TY Hilton, James Jones and Vernon Davis

Downgrades

Mike Wallace Wallace was never a high catch per game fantasy juggernaut. Miami’s offense isn’t predicated on any main strengths. They seem to be winging it every series hoping for success. I don’t like that recipe as the season stretches on. The Fins’ need to find a neutralizer of go to plays and players to perform them. Wallace can be that guy but it appears that Tannehill and Wallace need an offseason to get on the same page. Based on Wallace’s targets per receptions it’s obvious these two need to build a stronger connection. Larry Fitzgerald I’m not knocking Fitzgerald’s skillset but he is on a team that strangles his talents. If you’ve watched Arizona this year, Carson Palmer is under extreme duress every passing down. It’s to the point that Palmer will likely be sidelined with an injury before the end of this month. It has happened a couple of times as a Bengal and even last year as a Raider. Pocket passers need protection to succeed and Arizona doesn’t have the line or running game to sustain that. Fitzgerald has to be downgraded after four straight games of poor yardage totals. Danny Woodhead Kudos to Ken Whisenhunt for implementing a quick strike passing attack. Plays have been implemented to ensure Philip Rivers gets rid of the football much quicker than he has in years past. That philosophy is going to take a hit with Ryan Matthews now out for at least a month. Woodhead showed in New England that he can’t handle twenty or more plays on the field. Quite frankly Ronnie Brown’s in the Chargers system based more on his mental strengths for pass protection than he is as a rusher. That means Woodhead has to try and be a feature back for the next month. His effectiveness as a pass catcher has to diminish quite a bit now and may be levied off for the rest of the season. Doug Martin Of all rookie quarterbacks to get starts over the last two to three years I believe Mike Glennon is right near the bottom from a talent standpoint. You have the Buccaneers organization mired with controversy. They had a locker room MRSA virus outbreak that affected two players. On top of that the team seems to be rebelling against head coach Greg Schiano. No team has performed worse offensively than the Buccaneers. Discounting one drive against the NY Jets the offense has done absolutely squat against the Patriots, Buccaneers, and Saints. With Glennon in, even more attention can be placed on Martin. The workload may prove to be too much for the second year back. Others: Eli Manning, Dwayne Bowe, Tavon Austin, and Marshawn Lynch

Time to Make a Move: Buy Low and Sell High Players

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Are you the type of fantasy owner that likes to ride their team out? Advancements you do come strictly via the waiver wire as you’re too stubborn to ponder a trade. If so, you’re riding a thin line to improve as your prospects of growing to more of a complete team are being over ruled by your deficiencies to seek out a trade. A buy low and sell high philosophy is always a great strategy in business and works in the fantasy sports world as well.

Sell High

Philip Rivers
In years past it used to be the Chargers poor starts to seasons that turned heads negatively. This year they spun things positively thanks to a new regime with Mike McCoy and Ken Whisenhunt. From a personnel standpoint not much has changed besides signing Danny Woodhead and the drafting of Keenan Allen. It’s the scheme. For the first five games yards have come aplenty for the Chargers. But they’ve never put together a true complete game, even against Philadelphia, as their defense was torched. The success the offense is having now I do not believe will continue. That will cause Rivers to press and diminish his fantasy value when the turnovers appear. Malcolm Floyd is already out, and Mathews left Sunday’s game with what appeared to be a concussion. Danny Woodhead and Ronnie Brown won’t cut it as tail backs. How long can the ageless wonder Antonio Gates remain at full strength? There are too many lingering questions for me to be sold on Rivers having a complete turn around season.

Hakeem Nicks
There are owners in your fantasy league that will take a New York Giants alleged stud receiver. Dating back to the days of Amani Toomer the Giants have been a boom team for receivers over the last ten to fifteen years. With Eli Manning still gunning each week the expected receivers to thrive remain Hakeem Nicks and Victor Cruz. Rueben Randle’s emergence can’t be overlooked. He is becoming a vital threat each week and digging into the stats of Nicks and Cruz. Cruz is of heavy value to the Giants with a new contract. Nicks on the other hand is continually plagued by injuries. Get what you can for him before his on the field play slides or he ends up injured.

Larry Fitzgerald
Fitz’s yardage numbers are on the decline yet again. After an impressive week one he posted three consecutive weeks of 80 yards or less. This past Sunday he failed to eclipse over 40 yards receiving. There are numerous problems reappearing for the Cardinals offense. They’re based around a poor offensive line and lack of running game. Carson Palmer’s protection has began to erode since week one and it’s causing a dip in big plays. I don’t see the Cardinals fixing their woes anytime soon and that’s a recipe for another poor Fitzgerald season.
Others: Matt Ryan, Doug Martin, Knowshown Moreno, and DeSean Jackson

Buy Low

Cam Newton
Momentum is a catalyst that Cam Newton cannot grasp early in a season. Yesterday he had the Panthers in Cardinals territory several times. On the first Panthers drive Newton had the Panthers inside the Cardinals five yard line, only to see Steve Smith drop a touchdown. A few series later the Panthers went for a fourth and one by throwing the football. It was also dropped—this time by Brandon LaFell. Pinpointing the Panthers offensive woes solely around Newton is a huge mistake. This team needs their playmakers to perform better. Arizona is always a tough team to play on their home field. While the Newton “send him to the bench” chants reign, now is the time to get yourself a steal before he re-arises on the fantasy quarterback boards.

Pierre Thomas
New Orleans is not going to have Drew Brees pull back from the center and hand the football off thirty to thirty five times a game. With the low amount of carries the Saints average Pierre Thomas can be sought for pennies. He has great flex value and even RB2 value in deeper leagues. Out of the backfield he is a constant threat in the Saints short pass attack plans. He scored a couple touchdowns Sunday doing just that.

MJD
Everything is against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Performance has been despicable and even Vegas has created a comedy of the Jaguars. Tabbing them as the biggest underdog ever for their game against Denver. Contrarian views in sports is an ability one has to foresee after all the unexpected events that continually happen. I won’t go to the extreme of saying Jacksonville will win three games, but I do think their offense will grow vastly over the next four weeks. MJD has been a premier back in the NFL for quite some time. Reach out to the MJD fantasy owner and get a bargain steal now.
Others: Joe Flacco, Russ Wilson, and TY Hilton

Team Rankings Post Week Four

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1. Denver Broncos- Rolling, rolling and destroying teams as they do so.
2. Seattle Seahawks- Grit when playing from behind on the road is another big step for this team.
3. New Orleans- Even I was shocked at how well the Saints played against Miami. It was their best performance of the season. They just seem to be getting better by the week.
4. New England- Brady is at it again. They have the look of a team that’s going to be tested when it matters though.
5. San Francisco- The Super Bowl Champs responded well on Thursday night. But that was against the Rams. They’ll face a much tougher opponent Sunday
6. Houston Texans- Tough losses happen. How a team responds separates the solid teams from the greats.
7. Chicago Bears- Detroit would be a tough opponent for anyone on their home field. I’m not discrediting one loss by bumping the Bears too far down.
8. Kansas City Chiefs- They sit at 4-0 but I think this will be the highest they reach as far as team rankings on the year.
9. Green Bay Packers- Eddie Lacy is back and the Packers return after a bye week. They’ll be a top ten to fifteen team all season.
10. Baltimore Ravens- Based on their division they’re a team that can finish 10-6 or even 9-7 and still be a top twelve team. The past has proven an overall record isn’t the only thing that matters. They’re still searching for an identity offensively. But the Ravens defense is young, fast, and will grow as the season stretches.
11. Indianapolis
12. Detroit
13. Atlanta Falcons
14. Dallas Cowboys
15. Cincinnati
16. Tennessee
17. San Diego
18. Carolina Panthers
19. Miami Dolphins
20. Arizona Cardinals
21. Washington Redskins
22. Cleveland Browns
23. Philadelphia Eagles
24. Buffalo Bills
25. NY Jets
26. Minnesota Vikings
27. Pittsburgh Steelers
28. NY Giants
29. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
30. Oakland Raiders
31. St. Louis Rams
32. Jacksonville Jaguars