Fantasy Football Question guys...

by FemaleFanatic85 on Sep 9, 2009 12:51 PM EDT Comment 28 comments

Ok, so I figured I'd get your minds off of all the worries out there for our beloved team and ask a Fantasy Football question. It has to deal with my receivers.

My two lock-ins are Randy Moss (I hated grabbing him but my league is large and if I didn't, I would be losing out) and Anthony Gonzalez. For my third WR, should I start Ted Ginn Jr., Earl Bennett, or Domenik Hixon? I read websites stating that all three are decent starts.

Also, I have Reggie Bush and Brian Westbrook as starters. I'm not worried about Westbrook but I am about Bush. The only reason I still have him in is because Pierre Thomas is hurt. The other two options I have to replace him are Fred Jackson and Jerome Harrison, though I believe he's still questionable as well.

What do you think I should do?

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Definitely Hixon, and you might be screwed at RB.

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"You miss 100% of the shots you don't take. --Wayne Grezky" --Michael Scott

by Brian Galliford on Sep 9, 2009 1:05 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Yea

my draft didn’t go as planned this year, especially at RB. But I think Westbrook will be ok against the Panthers, especially up the middle since they have a few players hurt. And like I said, Pierre Thomas is injured AND they’re playing the Lions. So Week One may be ok.

Wearing my Bills jersey to the Eagles-Bills game in Philly probably wasn't the smartest thing I've ever done. But then again, that's why they call me die-hard.

by FemaleFanatic85 on Sep 9, 2009 1:22 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Westbrook just had surgery, he should be fine for the opener but if you were being cautious, sitting him for week 1 isn’t a terrible idea.

I would go with Hixon. Manning has a bunch of unproven youngsters and Hixon to throw to.

No weekend spent pantsless is a wasted weekend.

by sireric on Sep 9, 2009 1:07 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Take this with a grain of salt...

…because I don’t really play fantasy football, but the Saints are playing the Lions. I don’t care what Jackson did to the Pats last year, he’s gonna have a tough time on Monday. Also, Harrison isn’t a great option because they’re playing the Vikes and those big ol’ Williams boys haven’t gotten suspended (yet). Bush ought to have some room to make some things happen.

by WhyBillsWhy on Sep 9, 2009 1:07 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

So Hixon then?

I mean, he is pretty much the starter so that’s where I was leaning too. And I don’t really think I can sit Westbrook since I don’t have any other fill in options for him. My RB’s are terrible!

Wearing my Bills jersey to the Eagles-Bills game in Philly probably wasn't the smartest thing I've ever done. But then again, that's why they call me die-hard.

by FemaleFanatic85 on Sep 9, 2009 1:24 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Your RBs aren’t that bad. Westbrook, Thomas and Bush should provide decent points, and depending on what the Browns do with Lewis, Harrison could be a starter down the road.

Honestly I would be more concerned about your WRs. The Giants and Dolphins are run first offenses, and Ginn and Hixon aren’t going to put up huge numbers very often. Bennett might not be bad but after watching a few Bears preseason games it looks like Cutler locks in on Hester the same way he did Marshall in Denver, not sure how many chances Bennett will see.

No weekend spent pantsless is a wasted weekend.

by sireric on Sep 9, 2009 1:46 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Well..

It’s only my 3rd option at WR I worry about. I already have Moss and Gonzalez.

Wearing my Bills jersey to the Eagles-Bills game in Philly probably wasn't the smartest thing I've ever done. But then again, that's why they call me die-hard.

by FemaleFanatic85 on Sep 9, 2009 4:05 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Answer:

You can’t overlook that fact that Earl Bennett and Cutler played together at Vanderbilt.

That being said, you have to go with Hixon until Bennett can prove his results on the field.

Regarding RB, go with Westbrook and Fast Freddy Jackson. Pierre Thomas is gonna play and that means Bush and Harrison are second teamers. Jackson will get more touches than them both.

(can they keep calling it rebuilding if nothing ever gets built? Maybe they should call it "going back to sucking real bad so we can work our way up to mediocrity at best in a couple years.)

by Slick Shifty on Sep 9, 2009 1:50 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

We need a fantasy football open thread.

Twitter: helping to make anti-social people anti-socially social.

by TheAfghanTwilight on Sep 9, 2009 2:09 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Why not make it this one? We can offer FF85 advice and seek our own.

Buffalo Rumblings. On Twitter.
"You miss 100% of the shots you don't take. --Wayne Grezky" --Michael Scott

by Brian Galliford on Sep 9, 2009 2:11 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Actually, I was thinking about doing a weekly FanPost on fantasy news/projections b/c that’s really the only thing you guys don’t already do. Not sure I’ll have the time to throw one up this week though.

So easy Marshawn Lynch can do it.

by thatguy34 on Sep 9, 2009 2:13 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Haha – well, hold off on that until Friday, because K will have you covered. Hello, Fantasy Football Fridays! :)

Buffalo Rumblings. On Twitter.
"You miss 100% of the shots you don't take. --Wayne Grezky" --Michael Scott

by Brian Galliford on Sep 9, 2009 2:32 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Welp, scratch that idea.

So easy Marshawn Lynch can do it.

by thatguy34 on Sep 9, 2009 2:37 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Really didn’t wanna say Hixon. And even now, I only say it through my teeth. No, you know what? Screw it.

I’d start Bennett. As Slick said, Cutler and Bennett went to Vanderbilt together and have reportedly developed a nice rapport so far in Chicago. I don’t really get Eric’s “locked on to Marshall” comment – Eddie Royal had 91 catches last year.

Plus, I never hinge fantasy points on Eli Manning and he’s facing a Haynesworth-led Redskin defense. And the Giants had the #1 rushing offense last year and even though Derrick Ward is gone, that’s unlikely to change much this year.

For running backs, even though Pierre Thomas is unlikely to play, Bush is still likely to split carries with Mike Bell. Fun fact from the TMR:

Last season, Reggie Bush played five games in which Marques Colston was injured. He averaged 19.4 touches per game. There were also five games in which Bush and Colston both played together. In those games, Bush averaged 12.2 touches a game.

Unless you get points in your league for return yards, I’d start Freddy Jackson. Pretty unlikely that he splits carries with the guy behind him.

So easy Marshawn Lynch can do it.

by thatguy34 on Sep 9, 2009 2:12 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

I don’t really get Eric’s "locked on to Marshall" comment – Eddie Royal had 91 catches last year.

There were times that it looked like Cutler simply locked into one guy. In Denver that was Marshall, with the Bears, granted preseason games, he seemed to be throwing to Hester even when he was double covered. Denver also used a much more pass oriented offense then I think the Bears will use.

No weekend spent pantsless is a wasted weekend.

by sireric on Sep 9, 2009 2:52 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I don’t really get Eric’s “locked on to Marshall” comment

BTW, sorry. That probably wasn’t the nicest way I coulda phrased that.

Personally, I don’t necessarily think he’s locking onto one guy. He just believes he can throw the ball into any spot, regardless of coverage – which is why he throws so many interceptions.

For accuracies sake, I had to use team pass attempts instead of individual QB pass attempts because I doubt I could find targets based on the QB that was playing for Detroit or Houston at the time. Anyway, Cutler had 616 pass attempts last year. Denver had 620 total pass attempts. Brandon Marshall, unofficially, had 183 targets – so 29.5% of the time, Cutler was targeting Marshall. Eddie Royal had 129 targets – roughly 21% of Cutler’s attempts. Brandon Stokley had 85 targets – 14% of attempts. And Scheffler and Daniel Graham combined for 110 targets – about 18%.

In comparison, Larry Fitzgerald accounted for 24% of Arizona’s attempts, Reggie Wayne accounted for 22% of the Colts 585 attempts, Andre Johnson accounted for 30% of the Texans 555 attempts, Randy Moss accounted for 23% of the Pats 534 attempts, Megatron accounted for 30% of Detroit’s targets, Greg Jennings accounted for 26% of Green Bay’s attempts, Roddy White accounted for 34% of Atlanta’s targets, Steve Smith accounted for 31% of Carolina’s attempts, and (for fun) Lee Evans accounted for 21% of the Bills 479 attempts.

So, while 30% is on the high side, I wouldn’t say Cutler is “locked on” to one guy, after you compare Marshall’s targets last year to other top tier WRs.

So easy Marshawn Lynch can do it.

by thatguy34 on Sep 9, 2009 3:26 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

great research, I stand corrected.

No weekend spent pantsless is a wasted weekend.

by sireric on Sep 9, 2009 10:33 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I know what you mean though. There were times that it seemed like Cutler just waited on Marshall to get the slightest bit open before forcing the ball to him. I guess it wasn’t as often as it seemed. Maybe Marshall was one of those crazy WRs who pouted when he didn’t get passes thrown his way and Cutler made specific attempts to keep him under control. I don’t like to speculate like that, but it doesn’t seem at all far fetched. Either way, I wouldn’t expect any specific reciever to go without targets in Chicago. If anything, you could argue that Bennett might just be too far down the food chain to get many passes thrown at him. I would expect Olsen and Hester to be the number one read on more passes than Bennett, and Forte to get plenty of checkdowns. I like him, but I think the Vandy legend has grown his sleeper reputation a little larger than it should …. and I drafted him him in the Rumblings league.

by kaisertown on Sep 10, 2009 12:32 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

There were times that Cutler absolutely forced the ball to Marshall over and over. I had him in all three of my leagues last year and it was awesome when Cutler would foolishly think he could get it to him. I couldn’t believe some of the passes Cutler tried to “sneak” into Marshall….

~K
"As the governor of Louisiana once said, the only way Chris Kelsay can lose his job is if he got caught in bed with a dead girl or a live boy."

by Kurupt on Sep 10, 2009 1:34 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I’d start Reggie Bush and wouldnt look back. He’s playing against Detroit ….. at home ….. and it doesn’t like like Pierre Thomas will play. Bush scores more TDs than people realize, especially at home.

As dor the WRs, I’m not sure what to tell you. Earl Bennett has a tough matchup against a great secondary in Green Bay, but that game might turn into a shootout. Hixon is at home and I doubt that anybody other than him and Steve Smith see too much time at WR this early in the year. Ted Ginn in a dome is an interesting option too. I’d start Hixon, but I would be as back and forth in the decision making as everybody else seems to be.

by kaisertown on Sep 9, 2009 2:34 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Yea

I have a lot to think about now. I think I’m sticking with Bush and Westbrook. I have a feeling he will play well against Detriot. I mean, how can I not? Also, as much as I love Freddy J, I can’t trust our OLine to open up enough holes for him yet.

For my 3rd WR spot, I’m still up in the air. Ginn could be a breakout player and the Falcons don’t have the best D. BUT will Miami get him the ball enough to make him relevant? I really like Bennett and that’s why I grabbed him off the wires. Cutler may be a crybaby but he can handle the ball. BUT Bennett is still unproven, and that scares me for week one. Plus, GB’s D, as we all have seen firsthand, is no joke. Finally, I like Hixon. He probably will see more looks than any other WR on the team. BUT I haven’t been sold on Eli as of late and the whole “being a ground team” makes me hesitant to start him. So it looks like I’m going to have to go with what my gut tells me and just pick one. Maybe close my eyes and point?

Wearing my Bills jersey to the Eagles-Bills game in Philly probably wasn't the smartest thing I've ever done. But then again, that's why they call me die-hard.

by FemaleFanatic85 on Sep 9, 2009 4:14 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Got a coin to flip?

I think think you’re good at RB. Moss and Gonzalez are solid (to say the least!), and as a 3rd WR, I think Bennett is worth a gamble. As someone mentioned above, the Dolphins and the Giants are run first offenses. The Bears didn’t grab Cutler to hand the ball off, so I think Bennett will get more opportunities than the other two WR’s. Plus, GB is pretty good so the Bears may need to play catch up at some point in this game. Which means p-a-s-s-i-n-g.

But I can understand if you want to flip a coin between Ginn and Bennett. Pennington is no slouch, I just like Cutler’s gunslinger mentality better.

Get the Bills back to the big game!

by Blitz on Sep 10, 2009 10:44 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I'd go with Ted Ginn Jr.

The only Giants WR I like this year is Steve Smith. On the other hand, Ginn Jr. is going into his 3rd year (usually when wrs make the biggest jump in terms of production), and is the clear #1 WR in Miami. I know Miami is still going to be a run-first team, but so are the Giants. And Ginn Jr. is the lesser of two evils. Plus the Falcons secondary is decent at best.

by Renegade23 on Sep 9, 2009 3:33 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

If you have a flex spot

instead of a 3rd WR spot, I would start Fred Jackson over Ted Ginn.

Also – do you get pts for receptions?

by Renegade23 on Sep 9, 2009 3:34 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I don’t have flex spots and I only get yards for points I believe.

Wearing my Bills jersey to the Eagles-Bills game in Philly probably wasn't the smartest thing I've ever done. But then again, that's why they call me die-hard.

by FemaleFanatic85 on Sep 9, 2009 4:08 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I’d dump Harrison and pick up Mike Bell. And I’d start him against Detroit (assuming Thomas is indeed out). If your league is PPR, Bush might be the better play, but if not, I’d roll the dice with Bell. He’s going to get 15-20 carries, IMO, and when NO is up by 4 TD’s in the 2nd half, they’re going to be handing off to him a lot. He’ll be the goal line back too.

I’d probably start Hixon at WR. I definitely wouldn’t start Bennett just yet. You need to see how he’s going to fit into the Bears offense first. I hate Ted Ginn as a fantasy player, so I can’t envision ever owning him, let alone starting him. Hixon is penciled in as the Giants #1 right now, and he has proven to be a pretty good deep threat, so I’d definitely go with him….

~K
"As the governor of Louisiana once said, the only way Chris Kelsay can lose his job is if he got caught in bed with a dead girl or a live boy."

by Kurupt on Sep 10, 2009 1:39 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Start

I would start Jackson at RB. He will get a lot of touches rushing and receiving.

For WR, Ginn Jr.

Picking up Mike Bell is a decent option, but I would still go with Jackson. Just one extra reason to root for him all night on Monday.

Why not Bobby April?

by nickdaniels on Sep 10, 2009 9:12 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

You’re right about Ginn possibly having a breakout year. I have that feeling too. He was my original choice of the three. But consider the quarterbacks and their styles. Eli Manning is a lot more apt to go down the field, while Chad Pennington is a short passing QB. In a fantasy league where you score points for receptions, Ginn might be a better choice. However, if yards are the main category, Hixon may be the smart money. That’s something I’d consider. Well, good luck with whatever choice you make.

by Dyl on Sep 12, 2009 1:55 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs