It's
a refreshing time--mid-fall, that is. The leaves have fallen, there's a
crisp scent in the air, and the NFL season is in full swing. Let's not
forget to mention that mine and Matt's Green Bay Packers (yes I said it, you didn't hear that we own them now?) are a league-leading 8-0. I'm sorry lifelong Bears fan,
did that hurt you? Disgruntled Ditka lovers aside, the upcoming weeks
of fantasy football will be teeming with lesser-name players breaking
out, and it's my job to help you strike gold.
The Names
Laurent Robinson, DAL:
2010's dud is 2011's stud. This website didn't exist in the 2010
preseason, but if it did, you woulda' seen me touting Robinson like
crazy. And boy, I couldn't have been more wrong about the 26 year old
receiver. With last year's failure in mind, I'm hoping these next few
weeks will make up for it. If you haven't heard, Miles Austin will be
missing his fair share of time with a hamstring injury. That puts Robinson
in the #2 slot with Dez Bryant in the #1, and guess who's gonna be open
a lot when Bryant is double covered? Robinson has 2 touchdowns in as
many games, so pick him up quickly, because he'll soon be a hot fantasy
commodity.
Vincent Brown, SD: Had
you even heard of Brown before last week? If your answer was yes, then I
guess there's a decent chance that you're lying. Well my non-paying job
here at ReclinerQB.com had me doing research on him early on,
and my stance on him since August hasn't changed--eventually this
rookie wide receiver should be owned in most fantasy leagues. Let's be
honest, Patrick Crayton isn't lighting up the field, and given the
choice between the mediocre 32 year old and the young guy with upside
the Chargers won't go with the veteran. Brown shined with Malcom Floyd
not playing Sunday, and with Floyd ruled out again against the Raiders,
he could have another nice game. I'm not saying he's a 2011 stud, but a
couple more 70+ yard games with a TD thrown in here and there and you've
got yourself a decent play.
Brandon Marshall, MIA:
"But Zach, Brandon Marshall isn't a sleeper! We all know he's a solid
receiver!" Yes, this is true. However, while he isn't a sleeper in the
true sense of the word, I believe Marshall will be top 5-10 at his
position the rest of the way, something he hasn't quite done yet. His
numbers in his first 4 games--before Chad Henne's injury--and the last 4
have been nearly identical (only 2 fantasy points different). While
looking at the numbers it seems like you know what you're gonna get with
Marshall, I see a huge ceiling for his stats. Quarterback Matt Moore
has targeted Marshall and average of about 10 times per game, and Moore
is only gonna get better. It sounds cliche, but you do the math.
Jake Ballard, NYG:
What I predict out of Ballard's career isn't stardom or Pro Bowls, it's
a consistent "steady-eddy" performance that boosts him into the top 10
tight ends. He's not flashy or fast, he isn't a hybrid tight end like
up-and-coming stars Jimmy Graham and Jermichael Finley. What he is,
however, is a tight end who's a great blocker, a solid route runner, and
catches every dang ball that Eli Manning guns his way. The only number
you need to know about Ballard's 2011 campaign is 238. That's actually
238%. His fantasy production has been 238% more over the 2nd quarter of
the season than the 1st. It's a small sample size, but that's
incredible. All Ballard does is produce...pick him up.
Chris Ogbonnaya, CLE:
The first running back of the group and it's one that has 136 rushing
yards in his career! No, this isn't me trying to be funny, I'm serious. I
get that you probably doubt him after his outstanding 1 fantasy point
last week, and he does play Baltimore and Pittsburgh 4 times over the
rest of the season. However, 2 of these match-ups come in weeks 16 and
17, and week 17 is usually irrelevant in fantasy football leagues. He'll
be the man if Peyton Hillis and Montario Hardesty miss more time, and
if Colt McCoy keeps regressing the Browns might actually try running it
more. No, this won't be the 2nd coming of Jim Brown, but Ogbonnaya could
be somewhat valuable off your bench.
Honorable Mentions
If they aren't owned already, pick them up now:
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Or email me at msuhoopz62@att.net
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