Category: NFL

Baltimore D Struggling

The Baltimore defense gave up 29 points and recorded only one sack Sunday afternoon against the Dallas Cowboys.

Analysis: Baltimore’s top three offensive opponents this year(Philly, NE, DAL) have scored an average of 28 points per game on the once great Raven defense. This Baltimore defense is 26th in the NFL in rushing yards allowed per game and 20th in sacks. The unit still does produce its fair share of turnovers but they are just not getting to the quarterback this year. The loss of Terrell Suggs hurts but the loss of Jarret Johnson should not go unnoticed either.

Baltimore visits Houston in week seven and it just may be the right time to look for better fantasy options. It’s one thing to rack up the fantasy points against Brandon Weeden and Matt Cassel and it’s another thing to do so against actual NFL quarterbacks. I’m not saying drop the Baltimore D because they do match up well in the coming weeks against the Browns and Raiders but there may be better options out there for you.

Passing On Josh Gordon

Josh Gordon caught 3 balls for 99 yards and a score Sunday against the Bengals.

Analysis: Josh Gordon now has 3 touchdowns and 181 receiving yards over his last two games. While these are impressive numbers, he will not sustain anything close to that level of production. Those 181 yards came on just 5 receptions and 12 targets. Very, very few wide outs can score on just 25% of their targets. We must also consider that Brandon Weeden is not the quarterback you want to rely on for helping your fantasy wide outs put up monster numbers.

Josh Gordon may be available in just about every league out there but he isn’t even worth your time. He has yet to record a 4 reception game in his six games this year, he has yet to have a 10 target afternoon and he’s the second most targeted wide out on his team next to Greg Little. Picking up Josh Gordon is a recipe for disaster when there are far better options out there for you. Nate Burleson has 19 receptions in his last three games and even Kenny Britt is still available in a few leagues out there.

Streaming Defenses- Week 6

The New England Patriots have been playing solid defense this year while their offense gets all of the attention.

Analysis: The Patriot D isn’t a great unit but they are significantly more athletic this season. Expect New England to get an early lead on Seattle in week six and expect a solid performance from their defense in the process. Seattle won’t be able to keep up with the Patriots. The Seahawk offense ranks 27th in yards per game, 28th in points per game and 31st in passing yards per game. Simply put… Seattle will make offensive mistakes as Russell Wilson will try to keep up with the high powered Patriot offense which leads the NFL in points per game.

The Patriots don’t have crazy good numbers in the sack department or in interceptions but they do lead the NFL in fumbles forced and fumbles recovered. The unit may not be special but they have only had one down fantasy game this year to Baltimore. The defense is available in well over half of fantasy leagues and they are the choice to stream in week six.

The Dilemma- Brandon Bolden

In most years adding a Brandon Bolden to your fantasy roster would be a no-brainer but it isn’t that simple.

Analysis: Brandon Bolden has carried the rock 30 times for 191 rushing yards over the past two weeks. That is 15 carries per game but there are plenty of reasons why his touches may drop off in the coming weeks. Aaron Hernandez is close to game action and his involvement in the New England offense cannot be underestimated. Hernandez is a near elite weapon and add him to Welker, Lloyd and Gronkowski and there are only so many touches Bolden will receive. We must also consider that feature back Stevan Ridley is the Patriot workhorse and it doesn’t appear that his carries will be the first to go.

Bolden is available in seventy percent of leagues but his role in the Patriot offense is extremely uncertain. It makes the most sense to sell high and try to trade Bolden while his value is still high. His fantasy stock isn’t going to increase much more than it is at the moment yet in a week it could all be gone.

Buying Low- Kendall Wright

Kendall Wright was one of the most heavily targeted wide outs Sunday which led to yet another solid game from the rookie.

Analysis: Kendall Wright was targeted 11 times for 9 receptions and 66 yards Sunday against the Vikings. Wright now has a total of 20 receptions over his past three games on 30 targets between multiple quarterbacks. He may not be ready to produce consistently in standard leagues but he just may have a place in PPR leagues considering his reception total and his two touchdowns in his last four games.

Kenny Britt is struggling with an ankle injury and he has yet to post a solid game this year. Add that to the fact that the Titan ground game is garbage and you have yourself a rookie wide out getting ready to post some productive numbers. Wright is available in over eighty-five percent of leagues but his stock will be rising in the coming weeks. He leads all rookies in receptions with 27 this year and is justifying his 20th overall draft selection. Keep in mind that he has a week six matchup with the Steelers on Thursday.