Category: NFL

Last Call On Fred Davis

Washington tight end Fred Davis has caught twelve balls for 175 receiving yards over his last two games and you can expect even more from the former USC Trojan in the coming weeks.

Analysis: Going into the season the Skins were counting on Chris Cooley and Santana Moss to be the go-to-guys in the passing game and with extended injuries to both it has become apparent that Fred Davis is now the man in Washington. At least for the next month Fred Davis is a mid tier TE1 in all fantasy football formats. He’s available in twenty percent of ESPN leagues and seventeen percent of CBS leagues and this is your last call on Davis. He’s amassed nineteen targets over the last two weeks and he has four eighty plus yard games in his six contests this year. Fred Davis is a free agent at the end of the year and wherever he winds up he’s going to put up solid numbers and make tons of bank.

Only Jimmy Graham has racked up more yards over the last two weeks and with the recent injury to Santana Moss, the Skins will rely heavily upon the soon to be free agent.

Deep League Help- Demaryius Thomas

Demaryius Thomas caught three balls and one touchdown in his first game back from an Achilles injury.

Analysis: With Brandon Lloyd in St. Louis, Demaryius Thomas’ outlook for the remainder of the 2011 season looks promising. Thomas led Denver with ten targets Sunday against Miami which is impressive since Tim Tebow only passed the ball twenty-seven times. Obviously, with Tebow at quarterback Demaryius Thomas is not a reliable option but in deeper leagues he will be valuable. Thomas is 6’3″ 230 pounds and has elite straight line speed, he immediately becomes Denver’s biggest threat at wide out and of course in the red zone.

Demaryius Thomas is not valuable in PPR leagues but in deep standard leagues his potential touchdown numbers and big play ability certainly merits a look. Tebow is not the ideal quarterback for any fantasy wide out but his scramble ability can lead to some big gains down field and Thomas will certainly be the beneficiary. Going forward, Thomas will be the most valuable fantasy wide out in Denver and in deeper leagues can provide depth and solid touchdown potential.

Montario Hardesty Is A Must Add

Peyton Hillis suffered a hamstring injury Sunday against the Raiders and it is unknown if he will play in week seven against Seattle.

Analysis: Montario Hardesty is available in over eighty percent of fantasy leagues nationwide and it’s time to pick the youngster up. Hardesty has averaged over ten carries per game over his last three contests and expect that number to rise this coming week. Hardesty has also caught ten balls in that span which is somewhat surprising.

Peyton Hillis has dealt with contract issues, strep throat and now a hamstring injury this year. Hillis is not a RB1 or a RB2, his play down the stretch last year was awful and it’s time to accept these facts. Hardesty needs to be owned in 100% of fantasy leagues, 100% of Peyton Hillis owners need to pick Hardesty up. Wherever there are carries, there are fantasy points to be had. As it appears now, Montario Hardesty is in line for a solid amount of carries regardless of the Hillis injury.

Add a hamstring injury to a “feature” back only averaging 3.5 yards per carry this year and you’ll have an active backup in Montario Hardesty going forward.

Last Call On Michael Crabtree

Michael Crabtree amassed 77 receiving yards on nine receptions Sunday against Detroit.

Analysis: Michael Crabtree is only owned in 62% of ESPN leagues and 57% of CBS fantasy leagues. With a staggering fifteen targets Sunday, Crabtree is now a must own in all leagues. He may not have a touchdown on the year but depth wide outs don’t need to, they just need to be targeted enough to put up some points while your big guns are either out with a bye or injury.

The Niners are headed into their bye this week and that actually may work to your benefit if you are looking to pick up an available Michael Crabtree. After the bye the Niners do not play a good defense until week twelve in Baltimore and even with the Ravens they do not have great cornerbacks. The Niners will get Braylon Edwards back sometime soon but Michael Crabtree is now the man in San Fran.

Key Stat: Keep in mind that stud tight end Vernon Davis has only eleven targets over the last three weeks to Crabtree’s twenty-nine.

Selling High- Jackie Battle

Nineteen carries for 119 rushing yards will grab the attention of all fantasy owners, especially since Jackie Battle is available in ninety-nine percent of fantasy leagues.

Analysis: The 119 rushing yards is a nice little stat but when you consider that Jackie Battle did this against the Indianapolis Colts, well then… it’s a different story all together. The Colts rank 31st in the NFL in rushing yards allowed per game at 145.2, so don’t expect Jackie Battle to put up RB3 numbers the rest of the year. Take a look at some of his remaining match ups- Oakland(twice), San Diego, New England, Pittsburgh, Chicago, the New York Jets and Green Bay. Either he won’t be getting enough carries due to the log jam in the KC backfield or the Chiefs will be playing catch up a lot going forward this year. That’s not good news for a back who isn’t much of a receiving threat.

If you do decide to pick Battle up, the smart play is to sell him high and sell him now. You cannot rely on any KC back at the moment and Jackie Battle is not an exception.