Author: TJ Streett

Right Wing Depth- Joffrey Lupul

Joffrey Lupul recorded an assist, four shots and over nineteen minutes of ice time Thursday against Montreal.

Analysis: If you are a Toronto fan then you have to love what Joffrey Lupul is capable of. Although he has not had a twenty goal season in three years, Lupul has been productive despite missing some significant time. Lupul has only played in 77 games over the last two years but in that span he has scored twenty-four goals while playing just fifteen minutes per game. Expect to see at least seventeen minutes of ice time if not more from Lupul this year in Toronto and with it some solid time on the power play. Keep in mind that Lupul spent over four minutes on the power play with Phil Kessel Thursday night.

With Lupul available in about ninety percent of leagues you have some time to decide team need and see who is injured. With right wingers like Ales Hemsky and Martin Havlat who always seem to miss time and with Havlat already set to miss the opener, Lupul should get a look from some serious fantasy owners during the course of the season.

Streaming Defenses- Week Five- Vikings

The Vikes have played relatively well on defense this year despite their 0-4 record. They have yet to lose by more than a touchdown and the most points they have given up in a game this year is 26 against Detroit in overtime. This stream is not a stretch even though they are still available in about ninety percent of leagues.

Analysis: Minnesota is home against the struggling Arizona Cardinals in a must win game this week. Kevin Kolb has fumbled the ball four times and has thrown four interceptions this year, so the possibility for turnovers is there. Kolb also hasn’t topped a quarterback rating over 70.0 in his last two starts. Arizona’s offense is a middle of the road team in rushing yards, passing yards and points per game but their downfall this year has and will be turnovers. They have fumbled the rock ten times, third most in the league but they have only lost three of them. The Cards have also allowed twelve sacks on the year, eighth most in the NFL. On the other side you have the Vikings who have twelve sacks, tied for fifth most in the NFL. Give me the Vikes to stream this week and you can have the Bengals, who are “projected” to do very well this week against Jacksonville. I say Andy Dalton turns the ball over twice on the road and a very game Jacksonville squad plays some Jack Del Rio football.

Last Call On Eric Decker

Now with four touchdowns on the year it has become apparent that Eric Decker cannot be ignored by anyone in the fantasy world.

Analysis: Eric Decker already has twenty receptions on the year with four scores. Even when the Denver receiving corps gets healthy, Decker isn’t going away. He does indeed benefit from the poor Denver defense and a lack of a running game… but this is fantasy football so who cares? Decker does have thirty-seven targets on the year so his reception total is not a fluke. He’s being targeted early and often by Kyle Orton and with games with San Diego, Detroit and Oakland over the next five weeks the Broncos will be slinging the rock a ton. Keep in mind that Decker’s bye is in week six after this coming week at home against the Chargers. Decker has reached fifty receiving yards and five receptions in three of his four games this year, he’s not just a one game stud. It’s a safe bet he won’t keep racking up the touchdowns but he will be a reliable source of targets/receptions going forward.

Tight End Depth- Ben Watson

Ben Watson recorded six receptions for forty-eight yards and a score Sunday against the Titans.

Analysis: Ben Watson now has two touchdowns in four games this year and his stock is on the rise. Watson was targeted nine times Sunday on his way to his third forty-five plus yard day of the 2011 season. Watson now has a staggering nineteen targets over his last two weeks for a total of eleven receptions. He’s going into a bye this week and now is the perfect time to pick up this underrated stud.

Watson is only owned in eight percent of ESPN leagues and with the bye week you should be able to add him to your fantasy stable with relative ease. Watson’s recent performance on the field should come as no surprise as Watson amassed 763 receiving yards last year and sixty-eight receptions. If the ground game continues to struggle in Cleveland, Ben Watson may become more than servicable depth at tight end in fantasy leagues.

Nikita Filatov Fantasy Value

After fitting in with the Columbus Blue Jackets as well as Jamarcus Russell does with cheeseburgers, Nikita Filatov is ready to make an impact on the NHL with the Ottawa Senators.

Analysis: Nikita Filatov will be getting top six forward minutes this year and if he’s lucky he just may wind up on the first line with Jason Spezza and Daniel Alfredsson at some point. Filatov wasted the past three seasons with the Blue Jackets but still at age twenty-one Filatov is primed for his break-out campaign. He’s a pure goal scorer and with top six minutes he’s good for 25 goals and at least 25 assists this year. If Ottawa can stay healthy they just may make a playoff run in the east.

The shots on goal, ice time and points should all be there for you in deep leagues but the big question will be his plus/minus. I wouldn’t expect anything worse than a minus seven to ten but he and the Senators just may surprise us all this year. Filatov is certainly worth taking a chance on deep into drafts over some of the rookies that may not see enough ice time to make an impact in the fantasy world.