Fantasy Football Recap Week 7
Week 7 was another exciting for fantasy owners as we head into Week 8 in the NFL with several shootouts and big games that led to points galore. This fantasy football game we play is about as nerve racking and unpredictable as ever, and as fantasy owners here are some overall league trends you can appreciate or not. Offense, offense, offense. There are 31 teams in the NFL that currently average 293 yards a game or more with the lone exception, the Jacksonville Jaguars averaging a mind-boggling 235. 8 yards per game which is nearly sixty yards less than the 31st ranked team on offense, the Arizona Cardinals. Five teams currently average over 400 yards a game, with four of them being in the NFC (New England being the exception). The 24th ranked team in yards per game, the Carolina Panthers average 335.5 yards a game which would have been considered slightly above average a handful of years ago. The point is that fantasy contributions can come from anywhere—whereas before there were teams that simply didn’t hold any fantasy value on the roster. So, do your homework. Here’s some cliff notes for Week 8.
- Get Rashad On Your Squad
The offensively-challenged Jacksonville Jaguars star running back Maurice Jones-Drew will be out against Green Bay in Week 8. Rashad Jennings is now ready to be freed from waiver prison. Can’t say he will run rampant over the Packers but is a for-sure good flex play. Jennings has a track record of filling in nicely for MJD, he’s a big bruising type back that is developing in the passing game. Jones-Drew may be out for awhile, so fantasy manage accordingly.
- A Howling in October?
I mean is there a more tortured fantasy backfield than the Arizona Cardinals? Still, take note of LaRod Stephens-Howling’s 104- yard effort against the stingy Minnesota Vikings defense. William Powell was thought to be the more likely usurper of the former Beanie Wells-Ryan Williams job but coach Ken Whisenhunt has always shown that he likes what LSH brings to the offense. He is definitely worth a waiver add for Week 8 but temper expectations because the San Francisco 49ers visit Arizona. If he can rush for 50-60 yards in this contest, ladies and gentlemen you may have found something for the remainder of the season.
- Pondering Your Future?
There was a Darius Heyward-Bey sighting in Week 7 against the Jacksonville Jaguars (4 catches, 85 yards). The fact that DHB is playing weeks after being carried off on a stretcher is just short of miraculous. Not ready to say he is going to return to WR2 status, but definitely someone to re-monitor if left out on the wire.I didn’t think Christian Ponder would pass for 50-odd yards, 2 picks and still win, but that’s exactly what happened in a 21-14 win over the Cardinals. I have a rule whenever marginal fantasy quarterbacks go under 100 yards, that’s its time to add to the wire, not mine it.
- Freeman: 12th in QB Fantasy Points in Standard Leagues
In his place, I can definitely recommend Josh Freeman, who is playing out of his mind right now (66 points in ESPN standard leagues the last two week). Four quarterbacks in fantasy have put together back-to-back 30 point performances in ESPN standard leagues; Rodgers, Brees, Manning and Freeman. 748 yards and 6 touchdowns in two games will do that for you; after Minnesota's average pass defense he's got Oakland, (22nd) San Diego, (25th) and Carolina (19th) as his next three secondaries to torch. Offensive coordinator Mike Sullivan has decided to throw the ball the big guy, Vincent Jackson, and these two will probably be a Top 10 tandem by the years end. If Freeman can go for 250 and 2 touchdowns on the national stage Thursday night in Minnesota, then a lot more fantasy attention will come his way.
Another guy from that draft in 2009, Mark Sanchez will be a decent bye-week option. Matt Hasselbeck is another veteran that I could see filling in on your team at quarterback; his receiving options are underrated. These guys won't be on the wire for long, so happy hitting!
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