QB: Philip Rivers: 385 yards, 4 PaTD, 3 INT – Rivers looked awful early in the game, as two of his first quarter passes were intercepted and returned for touchdowns. He really ratcheted up the intensity as the Chargers tried to mount a late comeback, throwing three touchdown passes in an 11 minute span during the second half. Rivers obviously isn’t the fantasy superstar that he used to be and this great game came against a notoriously bad pass defense, but it was encouraging to see him put up some video game-type numbers this week.
RB: Willis McGahee: 163 yards, 2 TD – McGahee absolutely killed it as the Broncos tried to run out the clock, notching two touchdowns in the second half. His yards per carry was solid even without the 60-yard touchdown run, and I think he’s a must-start against bad run defenses going forward.
WR: Vincent Jackson: 141 yards, 3 TD – Jackson narrowly beat out Falcons’ rookie Julio Jones (164 yards, 2 TD) for this week’s wide receiver MVP award. Most of Jackson’s damage came in the fourth quarter when the Packers were playing very conservative defense, but his fantasy owners don’t care. I actually think this gigantic game plus Jackson’s injury history make him a perfect sell-high opportunity, so look around your league and extend some trade offers.
TE: Rob Gronkowski: 101 yards, TD – Both Gronk and fellow Patriots’ tight end Aaron Hernandez found the end zone against the Giants as the duo are proving that their respective successes are not mutually exclusive. Gronkowski finished the day with 15 targets, or two higher than the highest wide receiver this week (Brandon Lloyd). Clearly New England quarterback Tom Brady likes having Gronkowski as a safety valve.
Defense/Special Teams: Arizona Cardinals: 13 points allowed, 4 Sacks, INT, ReTD – It took several minutes of extra time, but the Cardinals became the week’s top scoring fantasy defense when rookie Patrick Peterson returned a Rams punt 99 yards to the house. Even before that game-winner, the Cardinals’ normally atrocious secondary had put up decent numbers. This game showed us that contrary to their week eight domination of the Saints, the Rams’ offense is actually pretty miserable. The team defense that plays them each week remains a good option for fantasy purposes.
Last Friday’s Predictions
As always, there were some good recommendations (McGahee, Victor Cruz) along with some bad ones (Beanie Wells, Matt Cassel). But the most important thing to note was Darrius Heyward-Bey’s total absence from the Raiders’ game plan. I had put Heyward-Bey in the #ThumbsUp! section, as I expected his numbers to improve as he got used to new quarterback Carson Palmer. Boy, was I wrong. DHB didn’t catch a single pass and was targeted only once. If Palmer is going to pass the way he did on Sunday (332 yards, 3 PaTD, 3 INT), then it’s clear that at least one of the Raiders’ wide receivers will have value. Selecting the correct receiver may be tough, but I have my money on Denarius Moore (as you’ll find out in the Waiver Wire Pickups section).
Of the three players in #ThumbsDown, none had especially good days. Ryan Fitzpatrick (191 yards, PaTD, 2 INT) was the worst, as the Jets’ defense seemed to have his number all afternoon. Until a garbage-time touchdown pass and two-point conversion with three minutes left in the fourth quarter, Fitzpatrick was stuck on three fantasy points, which is truly horrible for a quarterback. Fitzpatrick’s favorite target Stevie Johnson (84 yards) escaped for one long catch, but was otherwise shut down by Jets’ cornerback Darrelle Revis. Rashard Mendenhall (55 yards, TD) had a rough night against the Ravens front seven, but managed a short fourth quarter touchdown to salvage his fantasy value.
Waiver Wire Pickups
Roy Helu (RB, Washington Redskins) – I’ve included him in this section before, but he’s still available in a lot of leagues. He was the owner of one of the most interesting week nine stats, with 17 targets from Redskins’ quarterback John Beck. Those 17 looks were good enough to lead the NFL this week, and it’s clear that the Redskins like him more than Ryan Torain in the passing game. Washington’s offense has looked horrific the past few weeks, and I foresee a lot of losses in their near future. That means lots of passing, and it also means they’ll continue to give their rookie back chances as they try to gauge his value.
Denarius Moore (WR, Oakland Raiders) – He only finished with four catches for 61 yards, but it’s the high number of targets that make him a good pickup after week nine. The Raiders’ new quarterback Carson Palmer threw the ball his way 12 times in Sunday’s loss to the Broncos, twice as many as the next most-targeted player, Jacoby Ford. Obviously their rhythm isn’t quite there yet, but Palmer and Moore have all year to get in sync. You should stash Moore on your bench before he blows up, then reap the benefits for the second half of the year.
Laurent Robinson (WR, Dallas Cowboys) – Robinson caught what was essentially the game-winning score for the Cowboys, and finished the day with five catches for 32 yards. Those numbers don’t seem remarkable, but he makes a decent pickup after the news that Miles Austin’s latest injury will sideline him for up to a month. Keep in mind that Robinson already has two 100-yard games this year.