- Titans quarterback Jake Locker continued his impressive start to the season, completing 75% of his passes for 149 yards and three touchdowns. Locker did injure his hip in the game so it remains to be seen how much time, if any, he’ll miss. But he could be a stable QB2 for dynasty leaguers.
- Jets running back Bilal Powell also continued his good season, averaging almost five yards a carry. The problem was the Jets got behind early so he only had 16 carries for the game. Powell has an impressive 4.4 YPC for the season and should continue to start. He probably won’t be the starter long-term, though, so his value may never be higher.
- Jets tight end Kellen Winslow was Geno Smith’s favorite target with nine targets, six catches and 79 yards. It’s too bad Winslow is already 30 and has a sketchy injury history.
- On the Tennessee side, there still doesn’t appear to be a clear-cut favorite in the receiving game. Nate Washington had nine targets while Kendall Wright had eight. Until one of those show some consistency or develops a rapport with Locker, neither one should be highly valued in dynasty circles.
- Titans linebacker Zach Brown continues to have a good season with six more tackles, a sack and a tackle for a loss. At just 23, Brown should be a part of Titans defense for many years to come.
Monthly Archives: September 2013
Dynasty Recap – Week 4 – Bills slip by Ravens 23-20
- Bills rookie receiver Robert Woods had a team high eight targets with four catches. Woods isn’t a flashy receiver but could continue to be fellow rookie E.J. Manual’s favorite target. If so, Woods is a great dynasty stash.
- Meanwhile, the Bills ran the ball 55 times in the game. Lead back C.J. Spiller had to leave because of injury which allowed Fred Jackson to take over lead duties. Jackson actually ended up being more effective with over five yards a carry. But make no mistake, Spiller is still the man and is set up for long-term success. Provided he can stay healthy.
- On the other side of the field, Joe Flacco might be airing it out more if the Ravens are going to fall behind. He had 50 pass attempts and finished with 347 yards, two touchdowns and five interceptions.
- Subsequently, Torry Smith had 12 targets to go with his five catches and 166 yards and a touchdown. It looks like Smith will continue to be boom or bust with no help on the way.
- Ravens linebacker Daryl Smith, taking over for Ray Lewis this year, had 12 tackles and has three games of 10+ tackles in a row. If he remains this consistent, Smith could be the answer in Baltimore for the foreseeable future.
Dynasty Recap – Week 4 – Browns beat Bengals 17-6
- It might be time to look at Brian Hoyer as an option in Cleveland. Hoyer went 25/38 for 269 yards, a 7.1 YPA and two touchdowns with no interceptions. You never know if Cleveland might roll with Hoyer for the future.
- Meanwhile, Cleveland running back Willis McGahee can safely be avoided. He had 15 carries for 46 yards for a 3.1 YPA. The 31-year old wont’ be around next year.
- Meanwhile, Cincinnati running back Giovani Bernard looks like the real deal again. He had 10 carries (compared to six for BenJarvus Green-Ellis) and six catches on seven targets.
- Cleveland linebacker Craig Robertson had 10 tackles. The 25-year old is one of the young, athletic linebackers that Cleveland will use in waves to get to the quarterback. Robertson isn’t any more special than some of the others in Cleveland (D’Qwell Jackson, Barkevious Mingo) but he could pick up some tackle scraps.
- Speaking of Barkevious Mingo, he continued his streak of at least one sack per game. He also added two tackles for a loss. Mingo is a good, young linebacker that should be on your dynasty radar.
Dynasty Recap – Week 4 – Lions hold off Bears, 40-32
- Bears receiver Alshon Jeffery had a break out game with five catches, 107 yards and a touchdown. The 23-year old has the size and showed flashes of the skill. It’ll be up to Jay Cutler and the Bears to get him the ball. Now would be the time to make a move for Jeffery.
- Furthermore, Bears tight end Martellus Bennett continues to string together good games and had eight catches for 90 yards. As long as the current Bears regime is in place, Bennett will get his.
- On the other side of the field, Detroit tight end Brandon Pettigrew had his best day of the year with seven catches and 54 yards. Don’t believe it though as Pettigrew has routinely teased fantasy owners. Hopefully, Detroit can replace Pettigrew with someone more consistent when he becomes a free agent after this year.
- Lions linebacker Stephen Tulloch had his best game of the year with 14 tackles, a sack and a tackle for a loss. Re-signed before the 2012 season, the 28-year old Tulloch will continue to be a reliable dynasty fantasy starter for 3-4 years.
Dynasty Recap – Week 4 – Chiefs down Giants, 31-7
- The Giants as a team continue to look bad. Eli Manning threw for less than 50% with a 5.9 YPA. Manning needs improvement on his line and running game before he gets back to sea level.
- Additionally, the Giants played from behind most of the game which eliminated the running game. David Wilson only had 13 carries which won’t be productive for anyone. If he doesn’t get a chance to prove himself, he’ll never fulfill his full potential.
- The lone bright spot for New York was Victor Cruz and his 16 targets and 10 catches. Re-signed in the off-season, Cruz is set up to be a dynasty stud for many years to come.
- Chiefs tight end Sean McGrath had five catches for 64 yards and a touchdown. This is just a preview of what Travis Kelce can do if he ever gets healthy.
- Chiefs receiver Donny Avery only caught two balls on 10 targets. Any illusions about Avery contributing to the offense should cease. Kansas City should continue to look for a second receiver.
- Chiefs linebacker Tamba Hali was the linebacker du jour with two sacks and a tackle for a loss. With the exception of Derrick Johnson and his tackles, there is no consistent linebacker in Kansas City to roll with.
Dynasty Recap – Week 4 – Vikings get first win over Steelers, 34-27
- Pittsburgh running back Le’Veon Bell made his debut and looked good. He only averaged 3.7 YPC on 16 carries but had four catches for 27 yards. His role should only increase throughout the year.
- Minnesota quarterback Matt Cassel had a stellar day with a 64% completion percentage, 10 YPA, two touchdowns and no interceptions. Minnesota will still search for a quarterback to groom but Cassel could have value this year in an effort to audition for a job next year. Just don’t be in a hurry to ride him to a championship.
- Pittsburgh wide receiver Antonio Brown continues to snag the most targets for Pittsburgh. With 13 more to go with 12 catches, there is no doubt Brown is bottom-tier WR1 for dynasty purposes and more ideally a WR2.
- Pittsburgh rookie receiver Markus Wheaton saw five targets today, a season-high. As Wheaton develops, he’ll get more looks. He’s a good buy-low candidate.
- Minnesota linebacker Chad Greenway had his best game of the year with 10 tackles, a sack, an interception and a pass defended. At 30, Greenway is most likely on the downside of his career and could make great trade bait for a contending dynasty team.
Dynasty Recap – Week 4 – Cardinals stun Bucs, 13-10
- The debut of rookie quarterback Mike Glennon was uneventful for Tampa Bay. He went 24/43 for 193 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions. He should get better as the season progresses.
- Bucs running back Doug Martin had a pedestrian day with 27 carries for only 45 yards. Martin’s had a very up and down year but should continue to be relied on with a rookie quarterback.
- For Arizona, rookie running back Andre Ellington continues to provide a spark with a 7.3 YPC on the few carries he had. The better news is he was targeted six times and caught three of those. Ellington appears to be the running back in Arizona to hold in dynasty.
- Arizona wide receiver Michael Floyd made some news with 10 targets and five catches for 87 yards. Those numbers should continue to improve throughout the season. Now, if Arizona could just get an offensive line…
Dynasty Recap – Week 4 – Colts destroy Jaguars, 37-3
- BREAKING NEWS – Blaine Gabbert is still not good.
- FOLLOW UP – Trent Richardson may not be either after averaging 3.0 YPC. Maybe Jim Brown was right?
- Luckily, Colts receiver T.Y. Hilton had more targets (9-6) and catches (5-3) than Darrius Heyward-Bey. It appears the Colts finally realized the error of their ways.
- Colts tight end Coby Fleener had five catches for 77 yards and a touchdown. He continues to take full advantage of the injury to Dwayne Allen.
- Colts linebacker Robert Mathis had three more sacks. Depending on your situation, Mathis is a valuable commodity that could either help you to a championship this year or one you could trade for an asset. His 7.5 sacks through four games is impressive in any league.
- One bright spot for Jacksonville continues to be Paul Posluszny. He had nine more tackles and a pass defended. At just 28, Poz is a LB1 in any league and should be for 3-4 more years.
Dynasty Recap – Week 4 – Seattle escapes Houston, 23-20 (OT)
- The Texans made a point to give it to Arian Foster who had 27 carries and six receptions. Backup running back Ben Tate had only seven carries and one catch. Don’t be deterred – Tate will still get his. Now would be a perfect opportunity to pick him off for your dynasty team next year.
- On the other side of the field, neither of Seattle’s young running backs saw the field a lot either. Robert Turbin had just three carries while Christine Michael had nothing. There doesn’t seem to be a consensus in Seattle as to who is the heir apparent to Marshawn Lynch. Be cautious with both.
- No Seattle receiver has separated themselves as far as targets. Golden Tate and Sidney Rice each had five, while Doug Baldwin had four. That is a situation to avoid for now and later.
- Houston Tight End Garrett Graham had five catches on six targets. While three years younger (27) than incumbent Owen Daniels (30), Graham won’t get nearly as many looks unless Matt Schaub attempts 49 passes every game.
- Houston linebacker Whitney Mercilus busted out with 2.5 sacks. The 2012 first rounder started the season as the starter and should be looked at on the waiver wire if you’re low on sacks.
Dynasty Recap – Week 4 – 49ers bounce back against Rams, 35-11
- San Francisco finally went back to Frank Gore and, lo and behold, it worked! He went off for 153 yards. It’s hard to see Gore not being around to see his contract through 2014. Marcus Lattimore dynasty owners might have to wait.
- Vernon Davis didn’t have a spectacular night but still caught a touchdown. It continues to boggle the mind that the 49ers don’t utilize him more in the passing game. It also doesn’t bode well for the chances of young tight ends Vance McDonald and Chris Harper to be productive under the current regime.
- Rams quarterback Sam Bradford is going to pass the ball. A lot. He had 41 attempts last night with four receivers getting eight targets or more. Now, if they could just catch them…
- On the flip side, the Rams will NOT be running the ball this year. See our report in the daily dynasty update.
- 49ers linebacker Michael Wilhoite stepped in for Patrick Willis last night and had seven tackles. With the 49ers ability to pick up linebackers and develop them into IDP studs, keep an eye on Wilhoite.
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