Author: TJ Streett

Stock Rising- Alex Smith

Alex Smith threw 5 touchdown passes Sunday against the Oakland Raiders.

Analysis: Smith has thrown at least 2 touchdown passes in each of his last five games. He has 14 passing touchdowns to just 2 interceptions in that five game span. He’s on fire and will make it very difficult on fantasy owners in the coming weeks.

Up next for Smith is the Colts at home in week sixteen. The Indy defense is 15th in the NFL in passing yards against, 15th in sacks and 20th in quarterback rating against. Smith will be in San Diego the following week. The Chargers are 29th in passing yards against, 21st in sacks and 30th in passer rating against.

In week sixteen Drew Brees is in Carolina, Matt Ryan is in San Fran and Russell Wilson has the Cardinals at home, so difficult quarterback decisions will have to be made. At the moment Alex Smith is available in 20-30% of fantasy leagues.

Jennings/Hartline Updates

Greg Jennings and Brian Hartline are red hot as we head into the last two games of the season.

Analysis: Greg Jennings put up 163 yards on 11 receptions with a touchdown today against the Eagles. Jennings has averaged 7.6 receptions, 10.6 targets and 98 receiving yards in his last three games. Cordarrelle Patterson is explosive and hyped but he is only averaging 6 targets per game in that same three game span. Matt Cassel has been the quarterback responsible for most of those big numbers in recent weeks. Cassel has averaged 297 passing yards in that three game span as he appears to have it figured out once again, but who knows for how long? The reality is Matt Cassel is playing well and Jennings is one heavily targeted wide out these days. Greg Jennings is available in 10-50% of fantasy leagues.

Brian Hartline has been a solid fantasy performer all year but in recent weeks his play is starting to stand out. He’s averaged 6 receptions, 9 targets and 81 yards in his last four contests, he also has 2 touchdowns in that span. Ryan Tannehill is averaging 39 passing attempts in his last four games which is good news for Brian Hartline and Mike Wallace owners. Hartline is available in 25-60% of fantasy leagues.

Streaming Defenses- Week 15

Week fourteen is officially over and now it is time to take a look at our “team to stream” in week fifteen.

Analysis: This week we will take the Jacksonville defense at home against the Buffalo Bills. The Jaguars are on a three game win streak and much of it can be attributed to their improved defense. Jacksonville has 8 sacks and have forced 6 turnovers in that three game span. They are far from a dominant unit but they have been playing very well as of late.

The Bills on the other hand struggle mightily on the road(1-5). EJ Manuel is only completing 52% of his passes on the road and his road passer rating is just 57.2. Manuel has 9 passing touchdowns to his credit to go along with 10 turnovers in nine games this season. The Bills have averaged just 11 points per game in their last three road games. Overall for the season the Bills rank 23rd in total yards, 25th in points and 24th in sacks allowed. The Jacksonville D/ST is available in 99% of fantasy leagues.

Another team of note this week is the Miami defense at home against the Patriots. Miami is 5th in the NFL in sacks and 5th in interceptions while New England has struggled in recent weeks with Houston and Cleveland.

Crabtree/Hunter Worth The Risk?

Michael Crabtree and Justin Hunter are in two different situations yet they are both intriguing fantasy options.

Analysis: Michael Crabtree now has 6 receptions on 12 targets through two games this year. He looks healthy but his fantasy numbers will come down to quarterback play. Colin Kaepernick only has 16 passing touchdowns in 13 games this year. Carson Palmer, Ryan Tannehill and Alex Smith have all thrown for more passing yards and touchdowns this season. Crabtree is a great addition for the Niners this late in the campaign but the receiving yards and touchdowns may not be there. Crabtree is available in 20-70% of fantasy leagues.

Justin Hunter now has 4 touchdowns on 18 receptions this year(Garcon 3TD/89Rec). He also has two 100-plus receiving yard games in his last three contests. Hunter does have 19 targets in that three game span but it is difficult to trust a wide out with only 18 receptions on the year. At 6’4″ with 4.4 speed Justin Hunter has WR1 potential but he needs time and more importantly another quarterback. Hunter is available in 90-99% of fantasy leagues.

Week 14 RB Recap

There are a few running backs available in leagues across the country that must be considered as we head into the last three weeks of the season.

Analysis: Bobby Rainey is available in 8-50% of fantasy leagues. Today against the Bills he carried the ball 22 times for 127 yards and a touchdown. He tacked on 3 receptions on 4 targets. Rainey is flying a bit under the radar but he is a must start. He has averaged 22 carries per game over the last four weeks and has 4 total touchdowns in that span. He isn’t a fringe or flex option at this point, 22 carries per game is legit. Up next for Rainey is the Niners in week fifteen.

Who knows how severe the Adrian Peterson injury is but Toby Gerhart is now a must own. The Vikings do not have a reason to put Peterson at risk the next few weeks in a lost season. Peterson could be traded during the offseason which is even more incentive to take extreme caution. Today, Gerhart rushed for 89 yards on 15 carries and a touchdown in Baltimore. Gerhart’s career yards per carry average is at nearly five per… he can play. He’s available in 80-99% of fantasy leagues.