Week 12 Line-Ups and Projections

CBS League:

The Scary One (6-1)

QB Aaron Rodgers

RB Kevin Smith

RB Ben Tate

WR Steve Smith

WR Laurent Robinson

WR Denarius Moore*

TE Aaron Hernandez

K Dan Bailey

D Seattle

*Monitoring progress of WR Jeremy Maclin, if he's ready by Sunday, I will start Maclin instead of Moore.

This team took a major hit this week as Fred Jackson was placed on IR with a broken fibula. With Beanie Wells still limited in production and C.J. Spiller's production value up in the air, I'm fairly thin at running backs and there's very little left in free agency in this league.

Projection: Too close to call, projection has me tied with opponent 107-107.

Fleaflicker League:

Portland Beavers (4-3)

QB Matthew Stafford

RB LeSean McCoy

RB DeMarco Murray

WR Marques Colston

WR Laurent Robinson

TE Brandon Pettigrew

K Robbie Gould

D Cincinnati

Sadly, I've done poorly in this league, as I should have started Robinson over Damian Williams last week. I lost by like 2 points to a ghost ship. I've just made too many mistakes over the past few weeks, like when I benched Matthew Stafford that week the Lions played Denver, fearing his injury would flare up. Right now, I'm a game out of making the play-offs and my opponent this week might just take me out of it entirely.

Projection: L 115.25-136.35

ESPN League:

Spring Hellions (4-6)

QB Philip Rivers

RB Steven Jackson

RB DeMarco Murray

WR Antonio Brown

WR Roddy White

WR Victor Cruz

WR Laurent Robinson

TE Brandon Pettigrew

K Sebastian Janokowski

D Pittsburgh

Again, if you're just now reading this, this is the very first league I joined in Week 2. I made several rookie mistakes in the early weeks. But now, with my waiver gems, I'm riding a 3 game winning streak. Far cry from the play-offs but I'm playing for pride and hopefully finish above .500 here.

Projection: W 138-122

Yahoo League:

Los Angeles Riots (4-3)

QB Eli Manning

WR Laurent Robinson

WR Roddy White

WR Michael Crabtree

RB Darren Sproles

RB Ben Tate

TE Tony Gonzalez

K Dan Bailey

D Houston

I started this league out to a terrible 0-3 start, but now I'm on a 4 game winning streak, and having Robinson emerge has been a big help. Now, I face off against the #1 team in this league, as my opponent has started off 7-0 and has beaten me once before. Actually I think she mopped the floor with me our first meeting. I'm just hoping to make the score more respectable and maybe even pull off the upset. I'm tied for 4th place in this league so I'm fighting for my postseason here.

Projection: L 83.83-100.58

NFL League

Vegas Vegans (6-1)

QB Philip Rivers

RB Maurice Jones-Drew

RB DeMarco Murray

WR Calvin Johnson

WR Victor Cruz

WR Laurent Robinson

TE Tony Gonzalez

K Mason Crosby

D Cincinnati

I always think this is what my ESPN league should have looked like, as I had my chance to draft Calvin Johnson and Maurice Jones-Drew, but for some reason, I went with Roddy White and Steven Jackson instead. White didn't have the same start as Johnson, and Jackson had been injured at the start of the season. I'd like to think this was my second chance, as I made Johnson and Jones-Drew my first 2 picks. This team is currently in the lead of this league and I hope I can hold onto it.

Projection: W 132.82-125.90

So, there you have it. I find myself putting my faith in Philip Rivers once again, hoping that Kevin Smith can stay healthy and continue his hot streak, for Ben Tate to hang onto Arian Foster's coattails and I obviously have a lot of faith in Laurent Robinson.

Those are my teams going into Week 12. I wish everyone luck, enjoy the games and Happy Thanksgiving!

Week 11 Results

I went 4-1 in Week 11, and I made an error in that one defeat that put me outside of the playoff race.

Yahoo:

Los Angeles Riots

Riots were projected to win 89.93-82.34

Actual Score: Riots won 96.46-62.98

CBS:

The Scary One

The Scary One was projected to win 118-71.

Actual Score: The Scary One won 81-62

ESPN:

Spring Hellions

The Hellions were projected to win 153-83

Actual Score: Hellions won 121-70

Fleaflicker:

Portland Beavers

The Beavers were projected to lose. I did not see the projected score in time.

The Beavers did lose, 84.85-86.65. I made the mistake of starting Damian Williams over Laurent Robinson. The other issues were that Matthew Stafford threw a couple of interceptions, Greg Jennings went down in injury and LeSean McCoy couldn't score a final TD in the end of Sunday Night Football. But, fantasy football is all a game of chance. Unfortunately, this loss now threatens my playoff chances.

NFL

Vegas Vegans

The Vegans were projected to win 127-100.

The actual score: The Vegans won 87.86-80.74

My Week 11 Line-Ups

Yahoo League:

Los Angeles Riots 3-3

QB Eli Manning

WR Roddy White

WR Laurent Robinson

WR Damian Williams

RB Michael Bush

RB Marshawn Lynch

TE Tony Gonzalez

K Dan Bailey

D Jacksonville

Projected Score: Riots W 89.92-82.34

This is the league where I started 0-3 and now I'm trying to win my 4th straight. I'm about maybe half a game out of the play-offs. I know Roddy White is a risk, but I can't ignore that he's been targeted like 86 times. True, he's dropped a lot of passes, but the few times I benched him, he'd actually play great. I'm just going to ride it out with him. I decided to start Damian Williams (I've been burned by him weeks ago), but he's really starting to emerge in the Titans offense and I'm hoping that with the news that the Texans lost Matt Schaub, this will motivate the Titans to go all out. Also, I do believe my opponent is a ghost ship, as he hasn't changed his line-up in weeks and he is currently missing a starting TE and hasn't taken A.J. Green out.

CBS League:

The Scary One 5-1

QB Aaron Rogders

RB Fred Jackson

RB Brandon Jacobs

WR Steve Smith

WR Laurent Robinson

WR Denarius Moore

TE Aaron Hernandez

K Dan Bailey

D Jacksonville

This was the league where I started off to a nice 4-0 before running into the game where Beanie Wells was hurt, Darrius Heyward-Bey became non-existent and the Raiders defense ultimately failed me...plus, the other guy having Philip Rivers, Vincent Jackson and Ray Rice gave me my first loss. But I'm happy for the guy, he was 1-3 and needed the victory more than I did. Now, he's currently fighting for division lead so good for him. I got lucky when I was able to claim Moore off waivers since Maclin may be out this week. And I made room for Jacobs since Wells is still dinged up and Ben Tate is on bye.

ESPN League

Spring Hellions 3-6

QB Carson Palmer

RB Steven Jackson

RB DeMarco Murray

WR Roddy White

WR Laurent Robinson

WR Victor Cruz

WR Denarius Moore

TE Aaron Hernandez

K Sebastian Janikowski

D Jacksonville

Projected Score: Hellions W 152-83

If you're just reading this blog, know that this year is the first time I've ever played fantasy football and this was the first league I joined. I've done poorly, I know, but I am currently on a 2 game win streak. This is also the league I play with my friends so this is all just for fun. My opponent and good friend, Cody, still needs to set his line-up so that projected score will most likely change.

Fleaflicker

Portland Beavers 4-2

QB Matthew Stafford

RB LeSean McCoy

RB DeMarco Murray

WR Greg Jennings

WR Damian Williams

TE Brandon Pettigrew

K Robbie Gould

D Jacksonville

Projected Score: Unknown, the projections cleared after the Thursday night game. But I do remember my opponent was favored to win.

NFL League:

Vegas Vegans 5-1

QB Carson Palmer

RB Maurice Jones-Drew

RB DeMarco Murray

WR Calvin Johnson

WR Victor Cruz

WR Mario Manningham

TE Aaron Hernandez

K Mason Crosby

D Jacksonville

Projected Score: The exact projections also cleared after Thursday Night Football, but I see a chart that has the Vegans favored to win 125-100.

What I've learned from the Jets-Broncos game

A: Hate him or love him, Tim Tebow is 4-1 since taking over for Kyle Orton.

B: Until Willis McGahee completely recovers, Tim Tebow is the ONLY reliable Bronco as of now.

C: Denver is pretty much a ground n' pound team, and not in a pretty way. Like I said above, Tebow is the only one doing the pounding.

D: Because of C, I cut Eric Decker. When I have guys like Laurent Robinson, Victor Cruz, even Roddy White...guys who will actually see 10 targets in a game...why would I even play Decker at this point? Or any other Bronco WR or TE.

E: McGahee owners, it was common sense...a hamstring injury and 4 days rest. I own McGahee in 2 leagues and I benched him with the utmost confidence that he was not going to deliver 10 points.

F: My friend Rickey gave me the best advice...don't ever live by Projections...so for everyone who believed Mark Sanchez would pick the weak Denver secondary apart...always look for the better options. I myself have been hit with QB matchup bombs...Matt Cassel at Oakland...Matt Hasselbeck at Indianapolis...don't go into the week fully believing a QB can tear through a weak secondary. I said earlier I have Eli Manning and Mark Sanchez and I know the Eagles secondary may be a little scary, but I'll trust in Eli. We'll see if that one pays off Sunday night.

So, if Tim Tebow is still available in your league, get him. He's a fighter who never gives up, even in that poor game against Detroit, he kept on going until the end. He may never be John Elway, in fact, a far cry from that...but he'll get you fantasy points by hook or by crook. And more importantly, get him and keep him away from your rivals. 16 points can make or break you at this point in the season.

Delay in Line Up Updates

I usually try to post my line-ups on Thursdays due to Thursday Night Football, however, I have Willis McGahee on NFL and Fleaflicker but I don't trust his hamstring, so I'd rather bench him and see what happens. I have several other healthier players in better match-ups. I also picked up Lance Ball on ESPN but unless he was named starting RB, I'm just going to bench him as well. I have Mark Sanchez on Yahoo, but I also have Eli Manning in that league, so even though Sanchez vs. the weak Denver secondary looks promising, I just expect an all out aerial assault against the Eagles on Sunday Night, so I'll go with Manning. I dropped Eric Decker on all leagues. I know he's Tebow's only WR but when Denver is running the ball 90% of the time, Decker's numbers will probably pale in comparison to Victor Cruz and Earl Bennett, both who have QBs who actually pass the ball.

My line-ups should be ready by Saturday.

To anyone reading this, use McGahee and Ball at your own risk.

My Week 10 Fantasy Results

I went 5-0 in my Fantasy Leagues.

NFL:

Vegas Vegans

Projected: W 126.70-99.18

Actual: W 105.46-58.18

Fleaflicker:

Portland Beavers

Projected: W 112.75-102.69

Actual: W 96.15-87.05

ESPN:

Spring Hellions

Projected: L 134-153

Actual: W 146-123

CBS:

The Scary One

Projected: W 117-92

Actual: W 106-77

Yahoo:

Los Angeles Riots

Projected: L 84.91-95.07

Actual: W 119.24-103.00

NFL League: I moved into 2nd place.

Fleaflicker: I'm in line to reach the play-offs.

ESPN: Playing for pride and to get a decent winning streak going

CBS: Tied for first place.

Yahoo: After starting 0-3, I am now 3-3 and a game out of making the play-offs.

Week 10 Breaking News!!!

Philadelphia Eagles:

WR DeSean Jackson missed a team meeting on Saturday and therefore, he will be inactive. Will Jason Avant step up? It's your call.

Washington Redskins:

QB Rex Grossman will start for Washington. Time to start the Miami Dolphins defense for this week? Again, your call!

My Week 10 Fantasy Football Line-Ups

Yahoo

Los Angeles Riots 2-3

QB Eli Manning

WR Roddy White

WR Eric Decker

WR Laurent Robinson

RB Darren Sproles

RB Michael Bush

TE Tony Gonzalez

K Dan Bailey

D Houston

Projected score: Riots will lose 84.91-86.40, and my opponent still needs to set his defense.

CBS

The Scary One 4-1

QB Aaron Rodgers

RB Fred Jackson

RB Ben Tate

WR Steve Smith

WR Jeremy Maclin

WR Eric Decker

TE Aaron Hernandez

K Dan Bailey

D Miami

Projection: The Scary One will win 111-97.

ESPN

Spring Hellions 2-6

QB Philip Rivers

RB Steven Jackson

RB DeMarco Murray

WR Eric Decker

WR Roddy White

WR Victor Cruz

WR Laurent Robinson

TE Aaron Hernandez

K Sebastian Janikowski

D Jacksonville

Projection: Hellions will lose 134-153

Fleaflicker

Portland Beavers 3-2

QB Matthew Stafford

RB LeSean McCoy

RB DeMarco Murray

WR Greg Jennings

WR Julio Jones

TE Owen Daniels

K Robbie Gould

D Cincinnati

Projection: Beavers will win 112.75-102.69

NFL

Vegas Vegans 4-1

QB Philip Rivers

RB Maurice Jones-Drew

RB DeMarco Murray

WR Calvin Johnson

WR Victor Cruz

TE Tony Gonzalez

RB Willis McGahee

K Mason Crosby

D Jacksonville

Projection: Vegans will win 126.70-99.18

Week 9 Recap

I normally have my Recaps on Crimson Monkey but everything has been in a rush with the shortened week. Please check out the Crimson Monkey weekly update for Week 10's predictions.

I went 6-8 on my predictions.

New York Jets 27

Buffalo 11

I said Bills since the Jets have a bad run defense and I expected Fred Jackson to capitalize on that. That obviously didn't happen. This loss may be devastating for the Bills, as the play-off race is starting to tighten up and the Bills may find themselves on the outside looking in.

Seattle 13

Dallas 23

I said Cowboys. A little concerned that the Cowboys didn't crush the Seahawks like I had projected. For one, I sensed some problems with their red zone offense.

Tampa Bay 16

New Orleans 27

I said Saints. Even though the Bucs lost, Josh Freeman still threw for more yards than Drew Brees. I find that funny, even in their losses, Freeman still leads in passing yards. If only the Bucs would put up more points to go with those yards. The other issue that is killing Tampa Bay...the penalties.

Atlanta 31

Indianapolis 7

I said Falcons. This one was a no-brainer. Julio Jones looked great, way better than Roddy White.

Miami 31

Kansas City 3

I said Chiefs. I don't know what exactly happened...Matt Moore looked like Dan Marino, Reggie Bush returned back to his college form, Anthony Fasano became a one-game elite tight end...where has this Dolphins team been? Or does the Kansas City defense just make any offense look stellar?

San Francisco 19

Washington 11

I said 49ers. Things just don't look great for Washington. What is it with the Redskins? Are they the bog of the NFL? I've seen so much talent go into Washington...Clinton Portis, Brad Johnson, Bruce Smith, Deion Sanders, Mark Brunell, Jason Campbell...the list goes on...talent goes into the Washington facilities and come out looking like a shadow of their former selves. Once they leave (Campbell), they look great once more. Maybe that'll happen to John Beck should they release him after the season.

Cleveland 12

Houston 30

I said Texans. If the Browns ever find a consistent running back and bolster their run defense, they may be a contender. Until then, they will never be able to compete with teams like Houston.

Denver 38

Oakland 24

I said Raiders. So many things went wrong. For starters, why did I have the Raiders defense as my fantasy defense again? I didn't expect McGahee to play on such a level after his hand surgery. I didn't expect Tim Tebow to play football his way. I didn't expect Darrius Heyward-Bey to literally be benched in favor of Jacoby Ford, Denarius Moore and T.J. Houshmandzadeh. I didn't expect Hue Jackson to treat this game like a preseason game and experiment with his offense. I don't blame Carson Palmer for the 2 game skid. I don't think Heyward-Bey did anything wrong to merit being benched. I place this defeat entirely on Hue Jackson and his staff. If this is a sign of how things run in Oakland...it's time to look for a new head coach and staff. And release Heyward-Bey. He deserves better than to be treated like a #5 receiver.

Cincinnati 24

Tennessee 17

I said Bengals. The sad thing is, even without Kenny Britt, the Titans could be competing for a wild card spot if Chris Johnson would actually contribute! There has to be a more efficient way to deal with hold outs and their lack of production when a new deal is met because this is nearly inexcusable. If the Titans had any warning that this is what CJ would give, they would have went with Jevon Ringer from Game 1. And I say, why not give Ringer a shot? As for the Bengals, I know I was hard on Mike Brown months ago, but it appears that he has his team on track. They may not win a Super Bowl in his lifetime, but he may have paved the road for them to do so.

New York Giants 24

New England 20

I said Patriots. Tony Dungy said not long ago that the Patriots defense is what will keep them from succeeding in the postseason. Right now, the way the offense has slumped, the defense may keep them out of the postseason. A foot race with the Bills for the wild card seems like a reality if this slump continues. As for the Giants, I do believe we're seeing Victor Cruz solidify his place with New York while we might also be seeing Mario Manningham's exit.

St. Louis 13

Arizona 19 (OT)

I said Rams. Maybe Sam Bradford should have sat this game out, because I think A.J. Feely could have won this game. And things look ugly for the Cards without Kolb and a banged up Wells. At least Patrick Peterson looks like a fine addition to the Arizona special teams.

Green Bay 45

San Diego 38

I said Chargers. Had it not been for those crucial interceptions, I think the Chargers could have had the Packers down. It just takes one great offense that can play mistake free to beat the Packers. And even though San Diego lost, at least Philip Rivers proved that he can still be an elite quarterback.

Baltimore 23

Pittsburgh 20

I said Steelers. I didn't expect Joe Flacco and Torrey Smith to do so well against the Steelers pass defense. There's not much more I can here, as this was a great game.

Chicago 30

Philadelphia 24

I said Eagles. I did not expect the Bears to have the ability to play man-on-man defense against the Eagles, nor keep Vick from scoring a touchdown. They still had problems stopping McCoy, but if playing man-on-man means sacrificing the run defense, the Bears look like they can take that gamble. As for Reid and the Eagles, their next step...figure out how to beat the man-on-man defense. Step one: Get Brent Celek further involved.

So, that's how I did with Week 9.

Week 9 Fantasy Results

I'm still mad over Hue Jackson's decision to act like it's a preseason game and experiment with his receivers instead of working everyone in like a normal football coach. Regardless, I barely went 4-1 in my Fantasy Football leagues, no thanks to Jackson.

NFL

Vegas Vegans were projected to win 103.24-53.26

I thought I was playing a ghost ship. My opponent actually made some scary adjustments.

Vegans won 100.10-91.04.

Fleaflicker

Beavers were projected to win 124.68-68.65

Beavers won 84.55-54.6

ESPN

Spring Hellions were projected to win 149-145

Hellions won 136-126

CBS

The Scary One was projected to win 113-87

The Scary One lost 88-138.

Yahoo

The L.A. Riots were projected to win 91.66-82.21

The Riots won 81.30-79.80

So, I went 4-1 and I took my first loss in my CBS League. Aside from the fact that Heyward-Bey did not collect any points, I also had the Raiders defense, which cost me points. And Beanie Wells did next to nothing, while I had Pierre Thomas on the bench. My opponent had the Packers defense, Philip Rivers, Vincent Jackson, Anquan Boldin and Ray Rice.

So, I am going to bench Heyward-Bey in all my leagues until Jackson shows any sign that he knows what he's doing. I don't even trust Jacoby Ford or Denarius Moore at this point. The only sure players I'd trust in Oakland are Michael Bush and Darren McFadden when he returns.

My mistakes and upsides of Week 9

Well, as of right now, I'm on pace to win 3 out of 5 of my leagues, no thanks for Hue Jackson or his idiotic call of pretty much benching Darrius Heyward-Bey.

Other bad moves I made this weekend in Fantasy Football.

NFL: I started Chris Ogbonnaya over Willis McGahee.

Fleaflicker: I didn't start Julio Jones. Guess who I did start?

CBS: I'm on the verge of losing my first game in this league, as I started Beanie Wells over Pierre Thomas. It's funny because I didn't think McGahee was well enough to be a factor, while I thought Wells would be in good health.

Yahoo: Starting the Oakland defense.

ESPN: Not starting Antonio Brown. I didn't like this week's match-up against the Ravens but I thought that Breaston, Cruz, DBH and White had better chances of putting up bigger numbers.

My best moves:

ESPN: Starting Breaston over Baldwin, Rivers over Schaub and Murray over Battle.

NFL: Starting Julio Jones.

Yahoo: Starting Eli Manning over Matt Schaub.

Well, at least I'm getting better at this.

Thanks a lot Hue Jackson

Anyone else get burned this week when it appeared that Darrius Heyward-Bey was a sure shot against the Denver pass defense?

5 leagues...5 zeros.

And I didn't quite understand what was going on, as I was able to watch that game. After reading about how Carson Palmer thought highly of Darrius, I thought maybe they developed a rapport during the bye week and it'd generate wonderful numbers for my leagues.

Then I see Jacoby Ford collect some receptions and a touchdown.

Then, Denarius Moore.

Then, Michael Bush gets a touchdown pass.

Then, Marcel Reece gets a touchdown pass.

I thought, okay, I'm sure Hey Bey will be in the mix.

Then Chaz Schilens???

I'm almost ready to throw my remote at the television. Where is Heyward-Bay???

The Denver Broncos not only hang onto the Raiders, they surpass them on the score board. Watch critics go "Maybe Tim Tebow isn't that bad!"

Maybe he isn't.

But the Raiders are.

And then I stumble onto this article.

Head Coach Hue Jackson said he wanted to see what the other wide receivers can do...

.........................................................................................................................................................................

THIS ISN'T THE PRESEASON, JACKSON!!!

That's what the preseason is for! You had 4 preseason games to see what Moore, Schillens and others had to offer.

This was a regular season game.

This was your chance to take the lead in the AFC West.

What kind of moronic move is this? To intentionally bench your leading receiver?

This just isn't about me or my fantasy football leagues. This is for the fans of Oakland, for the late Al Davis, for everyone who bleeds black and silver. And I'm not even a Raiders fan, and I felt for them today. Seriously Jackson, you pull this amateur move and you have this loss coming.

Do the Yankees sit down Derek Jeter?

Do the Lakers sit down Kobe Bryant?

Do the Bruins sit down Tim Thomas?

NO!

I guarantee if Jackson pulls anymore crazy stunts like this again, and the Raiders will not be in the postseason.

Kansas City wanted to work Jon Baldwin in the mix last Monday. Did they sit down Bowe? No, they alternated with Steve Breaston.

And if this is the kind of scheme that Jackson will play with his passing game, then I'm about to chalk up the Raiders receivers the same way I look at the Washington backfield. Unreliable.

I'll leave the link for the article. But I do not agree in Jackson's logic. As I said, you do this during the preseason, not when the division lead is on the line!!!

My Week 9 Fantasy Football Line-ups

Okay, I don't mean to jinx myself but I am currently projected to win all 5 of my league games this week. Although I imagine I will lose 1-2, depending on injuries and that I'm rolling the dice on Chris Ogbonnaya in one league.

NFL league:

Vegas Vegans 3-1

QB Philip Rivers

RB Chris Ogbonnaya

RB DeMarco Murray

WR Darrius Heyward-Bey

WR Victor Cruz

WR Julio Jones

TE Tony Gonzalez

D Oakland

K Mason Crosby

Projected score: Vegans 103.24-53.26

I have Maurice Jones-Drew and Calvin Johnson on bye. I don't trust Willis McGahee coming back so soon and I believe my opponent might be a Ghost ship so I can afford to try out Ogbonnaya here.

Fleaflicker:

Portland Beavers 2-2

QB Matt Cassel

RB LeSean McCoy

RB DeMarco Murray

WR Greg Jennings

WR Darrius Heyward-Bey

TE Owen Daniels

D Oakland

K Robbie Gould

Projection: Beavers 124.68-68.65

I'm stuck with Cassel at quarterback during Matthew Stafford's bye.

ESPN

Spring Hellions 1-6

QB Philip Rivers

RB Steven Jackson

RB DeMarco Murray

WR Steve Breaston

WR Roddy White

WR Victor Cruz

WR Darrius Heyward-Bey

TE Aaron Hernandez

D/ST Dallas

K Sebastian Janikowski (pending his injury)

Projection: Hellions 141-119, but I know my opponent needs to adjust his line. A few moves and he could easily be the projected winner.

*UPDATED projection at noon, Sunday: Hellions 149-145. My opponent, Alex, did what I expected him to do, starting Julio Jones and Knowshown Moreno. But with Hakeem Nicks out, Victor Cruz's projection jumped from 14 to 22.

Save for Murray and Hernandez, the other players face favorable match-ups.

CBS

The Scary One 4-0

QB Aaron Rodgers

RB Fred Jackson

RB Beanie Wells

WR Jeremy Maclin

WR Darrius Heyward-Bey

WR Eric Decker

TE Aaron Hernandez

D Oakland

K Dan Baily

Projection: The Scary One 113-89

I know I said I was done with Tim Tebow and the Denver Broncos passing game, but Decker was the only #1 WR and Top Targeted player left on waivers. In the past few weeks, I think I've had Ryan Torain and Jabar Gaffney start on this team and I'm still undefeated. I trust Decker can put up some decent numbers or be involved in Tebow's 4th quarter outbursts enough to be relevant. I have Steve Smith out on bye.

Yahoo

Los Angeles Riots 1-3

QB Eli Manning

WR Roddy White

WR Darrius Heyward-Bey

WR Jon Baldwin

RB Darren Sproles

RB Michael Bush

TE Tony Gonzalez

D Oakland

K Dan Bailey

Projection: Riots 91.66-82.21

I was very lucky that Michael Bush was still on waivers, as I have McFadden in this league. I was also very fortunate that someone was kind enough to drop Eli Manning 2 weeks ago.

So, there you have it. I'm sure everyone can see just how much I have invested in Darrius Heyward-Bey, considering I'm starting him in all 5 of my leagues this weekend.

ESPN is just for fun. I'm on good pace to reach the play-offs on CBS. I'm currently in a 4-way tie for first place on NFL. I'm also on track to collect the wild-card on Fleaflicker. Yahoo, I'm in 8th place and the other teams have better players, so I'll just play for fun.

I find it interesting that Fleaflicker has a wild-card round, therefore allowing 6 teams into the play-offs, while the others only have a 4 team elimination tournament.

And I found that draft picks really do set the course for the season. I won't include my ESPN league since I just drafted horribly, but I believe Philip Rivers was my first pick. Yahoo, I think I took McFadden first. Fleaflicker, I think I drew McCoy first. NFL was Calvin Johnson. And CBS, I had the third draft pick and got Aaron Rodgers.

Well, take care and I hope everyone does well for Week 9!

Possible Free Agents and Releases for 2012?

Over the past few weeks, I've been wondering about who will go where next season. And then I came across an article from the Bleacher report.

Some of it is possible.

Chris Johnson could leave Tennessee. The way CJ has played this year, I wouldn't be surprised.

Kyle Orton will most likely be released from Denver. His contract is up after this season. I am not sure what team would want him as a starter. At the most, a mentor and caretaker QB for a team that drafts a top prospect QB. Let's face it, that could be Matt Hasselbeck's role in Tennessee until Jake Locker is ready.

Reggie Wayne may or may not leave Indianapolis. This all depends on the status of Peyton Manning. Despite seeing a few more targets from Curtis Painter, it's clear that Painter prefers Pierre Garcon. If Manning returns, then Wayne would certainly find himself back at #1 WR. But if Manning cannot come back...Wayne would most likely go to a team that could get him one final Super Bowl ring.

Peyton Hillis will most likely leave the Cleveland Browns if a new deal cannot be reached. I don't think Cleveland is willing to pay Hillis what he wants, plus, being unhealthy and failing to produce great numbers really isn't a good bargaining chip for Hillis versus Matt Forte and Fred Jackson, both of whom are half of their team's offense and really putting up a good case for long term contract renewals.

Brandon Marshall could get released or traded by Miami. The way Marshall has played and acted, that seems about right. Threatening to get ejected from games, dropping vital passes, almost seem like he wants out. And who would blame him?

Tim Tebow may get released by Denver. Former head coach Josh McDaniels loved him. I don't think current head coach John Fox will agree. I still believe John Elway is scheming to get Andrew Luck in the draft. Regardless, Tebow just doesn't fit the plan in Denver.

Donovan McNabb will most likely be released by Minnesota. The Christian Ponder era began during the Chicago game. McNabb should call it a career and work for ESPN. But chances are, he'll be a caretaker QB for one last time somewhere else.

Chad Ochocinco clearly doesn't belong in New England. He's been quiet all year long, but that's because there's too many players on the Patriots totem pole. He could end his career with a team that is thin at receivers. Maybe Buffalo. Maybe join McNabb in Miami for Project Has Been.

Peyton Manning...to be determined.

Tony Romo...who has drawn as much criticism and hatred as Tim Tebow. I wouldn't be surprised if Jerry Jones doesn't take Romo and throw him at the Colts or Dolphins in an effort to get to Andrew Luck.

Other notable free agents:

Jason Campbell, Oakland Raiders. With the recent addition of Carson Palmer, his future in Oakland now looks dim.

Matt Flynn, Green Bay Packers. Green Bay and New England's former back-up QBs have a history of prosperous years, and Flynn has impressed me in preseason.

Chad Henne, Miami Dolphins. I'd say the 2012 NFL Draft will determine whether he has a job in Miami or not.

Charlie Whitehurst, Seattle Seahawks. This year's Max Hall...maybe he has a future in the Arena League.

Drew Brees, New Orleans. There is no way New Orleans will let go of the man who brought them their Super Bowl title.

Matt Forte, Chicago Bears. This could get ugly. He wants to be paid. The Bears organization seems to be stalling. I smell a holdout, a franchise tag or even if he gets his money, we might have a Chris Johnson on our hands. Fantasy Football, beware of Forte in 2012!

Ray Rice, Baltimore Ravens. Baltimore should give him what he wants so he will return.

Steve Johnson, Buffalo Bills. Believe it or not, I'm getting reports the Bills may not give him what he wants and are prepared to let him go. If that happens, I would almost expect Johnson to wind up with the Jets or Patriots.

Dwayne Bowe, Kansas City Chiefs. I believe they're grooming Jon Baldwin to be Bowe's successor in KC, and they just signed Breaston months ago to be the #2 WR. Bowe may be one of the biggest free agency signings in 2012. Could he go to a place like Minnesota to work with Ponder?

Wes Walker (New England), Marquis Colston (New Orleans), Mike Wallace (Pittsburgh) and DeSean Jackson (Philadelphia) should all see contract renewals next year. I'd be very surprised if one of them is let go.

Mario Manningham, New York Giants. I'm starting to see that Victor Cruz is pushing to be #2 WR in New York. Eli Manning clearly loves him.

Vincent Jackson, San Diego. With things unraveling in San Diego, I wouldn't be surprised if Jackson skips town the moment their season is over. If Bowe doesn't end up in Minnesota, he'd be my next idea for Ponder's new target. Scary thought, what if Bowe and Jackson end up in Minnesota...

Fred Davis, Washington. The Redskins would be downright stupid if they let Davis go. He's clearly Chris Cooley's replacement and the only threat on their offense at this moment.

Also beware of Fred Jackson of the Buffalo Bills. He too wants a new contract and we've already seen what happens when running backs get their gigantic paychecks...Chris Johnson...and DeAngelo Williams.

Final thoughts: I see a mad dash to sign Matt Flynn, Dwayne Bowe, Vincent Jackson and possibly Steve Johnson. Orton, McNabb and Tebow may end up babysitting rookie QBs for a while, if at all. I like Jason Campbell and I can see him going to Seattle. Flynn may end up in Washington or Denver.

Final Fantasy Football tip: Keep track of whose contracts end in 2012-2013...we've seen the production of hungry players with Fred Jackson and Matt Forte...who knows who will be starving for money in 2012!

Top Targets going into Week 9

I felt like experimenting with my Yahoo league last week by starting Torrey Smith. Even though he is the #2 WR on the Ravens roster, he is not #2 on receptions. So this week, I'm playing the target game. I will list the top 3 targeted players on each team. Keep in mind, this is just the top targets, they don't match up with how many receptions they actually make or yardage they collect. If a player is currently out on injury, I automatically add the next man in line.

NFC East:

Dallas Cowboys:

TE Jason Witten 64

WR Miles Austin 42

WR Dez Bryant 38

New York Giants:

WR Hakeem Nicks 62

WR Mario Manningham 45

WR Victor Cruz 42

Philadelphia Eagles:

WR Jeremy Maclin 54

WR DeSean Jackson 50

WR Jason Avant 43

Washington Redskins:

TE Fred Davis 50

WR Jabar Gaffney 48

WR Santana Moss 44* OUT

WR Anthony Armstrong 18

AFC East:

Buffalo Bills:

WR Steve Johnson 60

WR David Nelson 43

RB Fred Jackson 33

Miami Dolphins:

WR Brandon Marshall 68

WR Davone Bess 46

WR Brian Hartline 33

New England Patriots:

WR Wes Welker 82

TE Rob Gronkowski 47

WR Deion Branch 46

New York Jets:

TE Dustin Keller/WR Plaxico Burress 46

WR Santonio Holmes 42

RB LaDainian Tomlinson 28

NFC West:

Arizona Cardinals:

WR Larry Fitzgerald 57

WR Early Doucet 49

WR Andre Roberts 31 (note: only caught 13 of them, and TE Jeff King has been targeted 16 times and still made more yards than Roberts)

San Francisco 49ers:

WR Michael Crabtree 46

TE Vernon Davis 31

WR Josh Morgan 19* OUT

RB Frank Gore 19

Seattle Seahawks:

WR Sidney Rice 40

WR Doug Baldwin 38

WR Ben Obomanu 34

St. Louis Rams:

WR Denario Alexander 39

WR Brandon Gibson 37

TE Lance Kendricks 32

*Note: Expect Brandon Lloyd's targets to quickly rise

AFC West:

Denver Broncos:

WR Eric Decker 57

WR Eddie Royal 26

TE Daniel Fells 24

Kansas City Chiefs:

WR Dwayne Bowe 63

WR Steve Breaston 34

RB Dexter McCluster 26

*Note: In just one game, WR Jon Baldwin made more yards than McCluster

Oakland Raiders:

WR Darrius Heyward-Bey 49

WR Denarius Moore 35

RB Darren McFadden 23

San Diego Chargers:

WR Vincent Jackson 51

WR Malcolm Floyd/RB Ryan Mathews 36

RB Mike Tolbert 35

NFC North:

Chicago Bears:

RB Matt Forte 51

WR Devin Hester 44

WR Johnny Knox 35

Detroit Lions:

WR Calvin Johnson 74

TE Brandon Pettigrew 60

WR Nate Burleson 44

Green Bay Packers:

WR Greg Jennings 58

TE Jermichael Finley 37

WR Jordy Nelson 35

Minnesota Vikings:

WR Percy Harvin 44

TE Visanthe Shiancoe 43

WR Michael Jenkins 40

AFC North:

Baltimore Ravens:

WR Anquan Boldin 62

RB Ray Rice/TE Ed Dickson 49

WR Torrey Smith 33

Cincinnati Bengals:

WR A.J. Green 59

WR Jerome Simpson 43

TE Jermaine Gresham 41

Cleveland Browns:

WR Greg Little 51

TE Ben Watson 44

WR Mohamed Massaquoi 37

Pittsburgh Steelers:

WR Antonio Brown 62

WR Mike Wallace 57

TE Heath Miller 41

NFC South:

Atlanta Falcons:

WR Roddy White 70

TE Tony Gonzalez 52

WR Julio Jones 42

Carolina Panthers:

WR Steve Smith 73

TE Greg Olsen 53

WR Legedu Naanee 45

New Orleans Saints:

TE Jimmy Graham 74

RB Darren Sproles 66

WR Marques Colston 42

Tampa Bay Buccaneers:

WR Mike Williams 63

TE Kellen Winslow 58

WR Preston Parker 35

AFC South:

Houston Texans:

TE Owen Daniels 48

WR Andre Johnson/WR Jacoby Jones 37

RB Arian Foster 34

Indianapolis Colts:

WR Reggie Wayne 71

WR Pierre Garcon 69

WR Austin Collie 48

Jacksonville Jaguars:

WR Mike Thomas 57

WR Jason Hill 43

TE Marcedes Lewis 36

Tennessee Titans:

WR Nate Washington 48

RB Chris Johnson 35

WR Lavelle Hawkins 32

And that is the top 3 most targeted players per team. Remember, this is only targets, this isn't a reflection of actual production. Lavelle Hawkins may have seen 32 targets, but he's really #5 down the production ladder of Tennessee. Also, you get a better glimpse of where some running backs are in each offensive scheme, and what teams ignore their tight ends. You will also see who quarterbacks clearly love.

In my case, I knew that Torrey Smith is actually 4th on the Baltimore ladder, and yet, I still wanted to see how he fared against a poor Arizona defense. He had a vital reception that set up the win, but other than that, it was Boldin, Rice and Dickson who really feasted on the Arizona defense.

Remember to prepare for Week Ten!

	Thursday Night Football kicks off next week with the Raiders vs Chargers so plan accordingly!

A Look Back: Dallas and Denver

I'm still a little miffed over the Dallas vs Philadelphia game, partly because I had DeMarco Murray in 3 of my leagues. Oddly enough, I'm not a fan of Dallas, nor am I a fan of Tony Romo. But looking back at last Sunday Night's game, what annoyed me was that Murray clearly had an edge over the weak Philadelphia run defense. What went wrong was that Dallas decided to take it to the air against Philadelphia and match Michael Vick. And look what happened!

Interception.

The Eagles defense is clearly starting to form vital team chemistry and I think we're all forgetting that the Eagles have 3 of the most dangerous corners in the league. I'm not sure who to blame, as I don't entirely place fault on Tony Romo nor Rob Ryan. If anything, it's on Dallas head coach Jason Garrett. Why try to match the air attack?

Look back at Week 4 when the San Francisco 49ers played the Eagles. Did Jim Harbaugh have Alex Smith go on all out air assault? No. They let Frank Gore and Kendall Hunter beat the Eagles on the ground, despite being down a few scores. But they kept hammering at the ground and the Eagles were powerless to stop them. Add a few key Vick turnovers and there's your 49er upset.

I can look back even further, to Super Bowl XXXII when the Broncos played the Packers. Green Bay's passing unit was far superior to Denver...with Brett Favre, Antonio Freeman, Robert Brooks and Mark Chmura. Did Denver have John Elway try to fire back with Ed McCaffrey and Shannon Sharpe? No, they stuck to the Terrell Davis ground 'n pound tactic and if it had not been for Terrell Davis, the Broncos would not have won that game.

The good ground game keeps the opposing fiery offense off the field. Which is what Dallas's plan should have been this past Sunday. Not throw Romo to the wolves.

Denver vs. Detroit

I'm not a fan of Tim Tebow. But in Detroit's loss, I can't place 100% of the blame on him either. Knowshon Moreno is not that great and his 60 plus yards against the Lions pretty much proved that. It shows just how vital Willis McGahee is to the Denver organization. Tim Tebow is basically a first year quarterback, and he's going to make first year mistakes. The other thing I have to add is, whether it's Kyle Orton, Tim Tebow or even Brady Quinn, I never expected much out of Denver this year to begin with. I had them pegged as a 3-13 team, no matter who was under center. If John Elway really is trying to steer the Broncos to a number one pick, he didn't have to try that hard.

The other thing is, it was against Detroit, which is still a very scary and dangerous team. This was a mismatch to begin with.

I would honestly let Tebow finish out the season, with 9 weeks left, the Broncos play 7 teams with questionable pass defenses. The only two bad scenarios I see are a game against the New York Jets and then San Diego Chargers in the final 2 weeks of this month.

As for Week 9, if you have Matthew Stafford or Cam Newton out and someone's already taken Matt Cassel off waivers, consider using Tim Tebow at your own risk. Even during his bad game against Detroit, he still made me 14 points...which is 2 more than what Matt Hasselbeck made against the Colts!

Week 9 alerts

Quick note to all Fantasy Football players out there, there is a possibility that Hakeem Nicks may not play at New England, which should mean that Victor Cruz will get the start. So, if you have Victor Cruz, I'd heavily advise to start him against that weak Patriots pass defense. Why not throw Mario Manningham into the mix as well?

Also, I've read that Giants running back Ahmad Bradshaw has a stress fracture in his foot. There is still a possibility that Bradshaw would play, although I would be surprised he'd risk further injury. Until that is further accessed, I'd advise grabbing Brandon Jacobs while you can, in case anything else happens to Bradshaw.

Willis McGahee of the Denver Broncos has been in limited practice and there is a possibility that he may play against the Oakland Raiders. Therefore, if you added Knowshon Moreno off waivers, just take note of the McGahee status. I personally think he's trying to come back too early, but, that's his decision to come back.

And finally, speaking of the Raiders-Broncos game, all signs point to Darren McFadden sitting out this Sunday, so if you have Michael Bush, I highly suggest getting McFadden's handcuff and starting him!

Week 8 Fantasy Football results

Well, as predicted, I did go 3-2 on my leagues.

ESPN:

Spring Hellions were projected to lose 120-148. Hellions still lost but it was 141-147. I benched Victor Cruz. Never again.

Yahoo:

L.A. Riots were projected to win 87.62-63.64. The Riots won 78.46-60.72. I still won but I'm done using Redskin players not named Fred Davis.

CBS:

The Scary One was projected to take its first loss, 103-112. The Scary One won 103-97. Tebow's 4th quarter outburst and San Diego's defense were enough to keep me undefeated.

Fleaflicker:

The Portland Beavers were projected to win 112.5-75.55. Beavers actually lost 95.3-117.25. I made the mistake of starting John Beck over Matt Stafford.

NFL:

The Vegas Vegans were projected to win 137.54-112.96. Vegans actually squeaked out 82.96-78.26, with Philip Rivers playing well enough to get me my winning points.

ESPN, I'm 1-6 and playing for pride. Yahoo, it was my first win of the season. NFL, I'm barely in place to make the play-offs. Fleaflicker, I'm 2-2 but I'm not sure I can catch up. And CBS, I'm the only undefeated team in a league of 12 teams.