Dr. Pigskin: Week 10
Hope everyone had an enjoyable Week Ten. We are fast approaching fantasy football playoffs, so every game matters (got to love sports cliches). Sometimes the difference between a win or a loss depends on taking the risk to start/sit the right player week in and week out. I say, take a risk, go with your hunch, do not just sit there and play the “better guy.”
Perfect example: This week Eli Manning goes up against Baltimore. If he is your guy, your stud, your horse, just take a step back and analyze the situation. The Raven defense has been very stout this year so Manning will not have the opportunities he usually does to throw. Both teams will try to establish a running game and the clock will be moving fast. Look at Tyler Thigpen or even Ryan Fitzpatrick this week. They have better match-ups and will be in situations where I see them putting up more fantasy points than Manning.
Only an idiot would start Thigpen over Manning, right? As long as I am a winning idiot, I don’t care what I am labeled! Just give it a thought.
Let’s take a look at this past week’s best and worst performances.
Studs
Jay Cutler, QB, Denver Broncos: He threw for 447 yards and three scores in a gutsy effort on the road. How’s that for heavy lifting?
Kurt Warner, QB, Arizona Cardinals: The Cardinal bench is now molded to the shape of Matt Leinart’s ass. While Warner continues to pick apart defenses week after week, Leinart is busy perfecting the beer bong. Who needs job skills, when you have life skills?
Adrian Peterson, RB, Minnesota Vikings: Is there a more explosive back in the league? All-Day had 192 rushing yards, 33 receiving yards, and a touchdown.
Thomas Jones, RB, New York Jets: Jones stole three touchdowns from Brett Favre, as the Jets stomped the Rams. TJ also had 149 yards on the ground. Get that man some more accessories!
Eddie Royal, WR, Denver Broncos: Eddie Money continues to outshine Brandon Marshall. Royal had 164 yards, 93 of which came on one play for his only TD of the day.
Anquan Boldin, WR, Arizona Cardinals: It is good to see Boldin has recoved from that nasty hit a few weeks back. He caught two touchdowns this week to bump his season total to 10.
Duds
Aaron Rodgers, QB, Green Bay Packers: Rodgers put up poor numbers, but that was to be expected against a tough Minnesota defense.
Jake Delhomme, QB, Carolina Panthers: I can not imagine a quarterback winning a game with a 72-yard, four-interception performance unless they played the Raiders. Well, he did.
Brian Westbrook, RB, Philadelphia Eagles: The Giants bottled up the superstar and held him to a combined 69 yards.
Chris Johnson, RB, Tennessee Titans: The Bears stacked the box against the Titans and forced Kerry Collins to beat them through the air. This resulted in basically no output from Johnson. In related news, LenWhale White still managed to score a TD.
Steve Smith, WR, Carolina Panthers: The fiery wide out can not be happy with only nine yards. Maybe somebody should punch him in the face.
Braylon Edwards, WR, Cleveland Browns: This guy has all the talent in the world, yet he drops more balls than Terrell Owens. Whoops! How about going to some old school stick ‘em?
Calls of the Week
My call of the week at QB is to bench Eli Manning of the New York Giants at home against B-More. The G-Men face a very strong Raven defense this week and I believe their plan of attack will be on the ground. Look for limited opportunities for Manning to make big plays through the air. There are better options available for this weekend (Tyler Thigpen and Ryan Fitzpatrick should both put up better numbers).
My call of the week at RB is to bench LaDainian Tomlinson of the San Diego Chargers in Pittsburgh. If you are deciding between LT and another quality back this week, you may want to consider the unthinkable and bench Tomlinson. I figure the Chargers to be trailing most of the game at Pittsburgh, forcing Philip Rivers to throw a lot. Tomlinson has been inconsistent this year, and I just think he has a down week.
My call of the week at WR is to start Michael Jenkins of the Atlanta Falcons at home against Denver. With Matt Ryan leading the Atlanta offense against the a horrible Denver defense, he will be able to put up some gaudy numbers. Look for Jenkins to be quite involved in the game plan, especially if Denver chooses to double Roddy White.
Sleeper of the Week
My sleeper of the week is QB Tyler Thigpen of the Kansas City Chiefs at home against New Orleans. I like the matchup this week against the Saints. Thigpen seems to have grasped the offense and almost pulled an upset against the Chargers last week. The Saint secondary is suspect and Thigpen finally has a good rapport with the receivers. Larry Johnson should be back, so that will take some of the pressure off the young QB. Look for Thigpen to pile up the numbers — I am thinking 275 yards and two scores, at least.
Good luck!
