Once again taking on the task of identifying those over performers and under performers from the previous week of fantasy football is Ryan Hallam, creator of Fighting Chance Fantasy. So, join Ryan as he takes us through the Week 8 Studs and check back tomorrow as he takes a look at the Week 8 Duds. And if you have any questions for him, email rhallam@brunoboys.net for Week 9 fantasy football advice.
Note: All point projections read in this recap are from standard scoring leagues (non-PPR) and are projections made by the Bruno Boys staff
QUARTERBACK - STUDS
Aaron Rodgers (Green Bay Packers) – He might not have come out on top in the second meeting between he and Favre, but Rodgers certainly held up his end of the bargain. Rodgers continued his Pro Bowl season, as he was 26 of 41 for 287 yards with three touchdowns. He also ran the ball five times for 52 yards to add more points to his total. While projected for 18 points, it was a great day for Rodgers as he scored 28.
Hallam’s Take: Much like last year, Rodgers’ statistics aren’t really translating to great success for the Packers, but fantasy players could give a damn about who wins and loses these games. Rodgers is having another great fantasy season, and I feel that he isn’t given the credit that he deserves. He is certainly a top-5 fantasy quarterback and should be for a long time to come. If the Packers could ever get a real quality running game going and a better offensive line, Rodgers could be among the top three.
Brett Favre (Minnesota Vikings) – He didn’t have to throw a lot, but Favre came through big time in a big game, something he has become well known for. Favre was booed throughout the game by the Lambeau faithful, but it didn’t seem to phase him. He was 17 of 28 for 244 yards and four touchdown passes. Expected to tally 16 points, he scored big again with 25.
Hallam’s Take: It can’t be a surprise that Favre came up huge in this game. Time and time again, he is at his best when the spotlight is on and that is a quality that you just can’t teach. However, I would not be the least bit surprised if Favre faded a little down the stretch again, at least from a fantasy perspective. He has again become an every week starter at this point of the season, but just keep an eye out for future struggles.
Mark Sanchez (New York Jets) – Sanchez fared much better in his second game against the Dolphins, though the Jets still didn’t get the win. A big time running team, the Jets certainly showed faith in their rookie quarterback against a big time division rival. Sanchez was 20 of 35 for 265 yards and two touchdowns. He, also, ran the ball four times for six yards and another score. Sanchez was one of the bigger surprises of the week with 24 fantasy points, as he was looked upon for just nine.
Hallam’s Take: When you can figure out when Sanchez is going to have a great game and when he is going to be a dud, please let me know because I can’t figure him out. But, that’s par for the course when it comes to a rookie quarterback. Even with this game, I would be very hard pressed to start Sanchez unless you are in a two-quarterback league.
RUNNING BACK – STUDS
Chris Johnson (Tennessee Titans) – Johnson is doing all he can to live up to his lofty draft status heading into the year, as he had another huge game this past Sunday. He remains one of the best options at running back, and if Vince Young is able to succeed at all, that can do nothing but help Johnson. He ran the ball 24 times on Sunday for 228 yards and two scores and caught two passes for 11 yards. Johnson was the high fantasy point scorer for the week with an impressive effort of 35 points when he was projected for just 18.
Hallam’s Take: Around draft time, it seemed that Johnson was being discounted a little because of the worry about LenDale White taking some of the goal line carries. About now, that concern is completely gone. Johnson is one of the best young running backs in the NFL and is as explosive as they come. He regularly breaks long runs, and he is very rarely caught from behind once he gets into the second level of the defense. Johnson should be treated as one of the top three to five runners in all of fantasy.
Matt Forte (Chicago Bears) – Maybe it took a game against the lowly Browns to get things straight for the Bears’ running back, but he certainly looked like the guy he was in his rookie season. Forte ran the ball 26 times for 90 yards and scored two touchdowns. He, also, caught two passes for another 31 yards. Forte was one of the higher ranked running backs heading into the weekend with a 17-point projection, but he crushed that as he put up 24.
Hallam’s Take: OK, I know it was against the Browns, but it is great to see Forte being successful, and it appears he may finally be ready to round turn the corner and return to stud status. Hopefully, if you drafted Forte, you didn’t do anything crazy like trade him away. He might not reach his rookie season numbers, but I see him being one of the better backs in the second half of the season when the weather gets bad and games are won and lost on the ground. Keep Forte in your lineup no matter what. Duh, right?
Ryan Moats (Houston Texans) – We often say that opportunity and injury change player’s fantasy value in a big hurry, and Moats’ day on Sunday was a perfect example of that. Once relegated to the bench with little value, Moats came into the game early on Sunday and ran wild. He carried the ball 23 times for 126 yards and three touchdowns. Moats, also, hauled in two passes for an additional 25 yards. With Steve Slaton expected to get all of the carries, it is no surprise that Moats wasn’t on the weekly projections, but Moats was a huge surprise with his 32 fantasy points.
Hallam’s Take: It was quite a surprise that Slaton was given such a fast hook after his latest fumble and wasn’t brought back into the game at all. Now, the question is what does the future hold for the Texans backfield? Without hearing anything official, I am going to say that Slaton is back in there next week, but I believe that Moats will now at least get a handful of carries in each game, and if he continues to play this well, he could be more and more involved. I wouldn’t freak out and drop someone great for Moats, but if you are in a league with no starting runners in free agency, I would make a move on the guy just in case this is a long term thing.
WIDE RECEIVER - STUDS
Braylon Edwards (New York Jets) – From the outhouse to the penthouse, Edwards shows up on the studs’ list, one week after being a dud. It was an impressive game for the Jets through the air, and even though he hasn’t been with the team long, it is obvious that Braylon is at least mostly comfortable with the game plan now. He caught four passes for 74 yards, and a touchdown, giving him 13 fantasy points when he was projected for just eight.
Hallam’s Take: Just when you thought that the magic from the first game that he played for the Jets had disappeared, Edwards had another great game for the team. He still has not returned to his 2007 form, and to be honest, he may never be that guy again. At this point, he seems to be a low end WR2 or a really good WR3, but given his talent and his inconsistency his value could go in either direction in a hurry. Keep him in your lineups going forward unless you have a great receiving group.
Percy Harvin (Minnesota Vikings) – It might be receiving, it might be returning kicks, hell, it might be running the football, but rookie Percy Harvin just has a knack for finding the end zone, and he did it again in Week 8. This week it was through the air, as Harvin had five catches for 84 yards and a score. I thought his projection was very fair when it was set at eight points, but he blew by that and put up 14 fantasy points.
Hallam’s Take: He might not always score in the most traditional of ways, but it is undeniable that Harvin is a solid fantasy player. He has been hindered by a shoulder injury for weeks, but he is playing through it and doing quite well. I am absolutely driving the Percy Harvin bandwagon, and I personally invite you all to climb aboard with this young stud.
Jeremy Maclin (Philadelphia Eagles) – Don’t kid yourself, Maclin is here, and he is for real. It wasn’t a huge week, but he did have a nice four catch, 47-yard game, and he added in a touchdown to get him on the studs list. Maclin put up ten fantasy points, which was exactly double the five points that he was projected for.
Hallam’s Take: It is a great time to be a rookie wide receiver in the NFL, and it’s not just because of Harvin. Ever since he was inserted into the starting lineup, Maclin has been making plays and is no doubt the starter on the other side of DeSean Jackson. If by chance he is still available in your league, please go pick him up now, or else if possible try to deal for the guy because he will be a fantasy stud down the stretch.
TIGHT END - STUDS
Kevin Boss (New York Giants) – It hasn’t been a very good season for Boss, but for one week he certainly got the job done. The Giants’ tight end brought in three passes for 70 yards and a touchdown in what was his best game of the season. I can’t say I disagree with the projection of only four points from him, but he was great on Sunday as he scored 13 points.
Hallam’s Take: During their Super Bowl run a couple of years ago, it looked like Boss would step right into the role that Jeremy Shockey held for years in New York. A season and a half later, it is obvious that Boss does not have the skills of his predecessor, and honestly, he doesn’t seem to be a part of the game plan. He had only topped 50 receiving yards in one game before this past Sunday, and he hasn’t had more than four catches in any contest. Boss is a bye week replacement at best, and likely shouldn’t be on a roster unless you are in a league with more than 12 teams.
KICKER – STUDS
Steven Hauschka (Baltimore Ravens) – Even against the tough Broncos’ defense, Baltimore was able to put up a good number of points, and that translated to fantasy success for Hauschka. He was able to hit field goals for 43 yards, 35 yards, and 31 yards, as well as three extra points. It was a great game for Hauschka as he scored 12 points, when he was projected for just six.
Hallam’s Take: Considering the way that the Ravens are scoring points, Hauschka has turned into a pretty decent option. Hauschka is a lower end starter in a standard league, but is able to have one of these weeks here and there. There might be better options than him, but they likely aren’t available on the waiver wire.
DEFENSE/SPECIAL TEAMS - STUDS
Baltimore Ravens D/ST (2 Stars) – I know that the Ravens have not been what they once were on defense, but they are still one of the better defenses in the league. I can understand that they weren’t ranked high as the Denver offense has been putting up decent points, but they far exceeded expectations. The Ravens allowed just seven points to Denver, recorded two sacks, and even recovered a fumble. It wasn’t a totally dominating effort, but it far exceeded the two star projection that they were given.
Hallam’s Take: I know that they haven’t been performing like they had in the past, but it is tough to ever rank the Ravens as only a two star performing defense. I know the Broncos had two weeks to prepare for the game and their offense has been good, but Baltimore still has plenty of playmakers on their defense.
Week 9 Rankings: QB | RB | WR | TE | K | DEF (click to read)
Week 9 Start & Sit: START ‘EM | SIT ‘EM (click to read)
Week 9 Waiver Wire Advice: PICK THEM UP | CUT THEM LOOSE (click to read)
————————
Don’t forget to head over to our Fantasy Football Message Board and sign-up for a FREE FORUM account. By doing so you will be able to talk fantasy football all season long.
