Geeks of the Week: Week 13

Week 13 is upon us and for some leagues that means this could be the last week of the regular season. Hopefully you have already clinched a playoff spot and you can begin to think about your playoff rosters. So far your season has been successful but if you lose in the first round than you can expect that bitter taste to stay in you mouth for the whole winter. Let’s see if we can look at the next couple of weeks to see which teams will have an easy time and which teams will find things difficult.

Let’s get the teams that will have a tough time scoring out of the way first. The first team that comes to mind is the Cleveland Browns. You may want to think twice before inserting Braylon Edwards or Kellen Winslow into your lineup because the Browns play Pittsburgh, Baltimore and an improving Tampa Bay defense in weeks 14-16. Pittsburgh and Baltimore are top 10 defenses. Also, the Kansas City passing game got a boost when Trent Green came back but that doesn’t mean that you should welcome him back too. That’s because the Chiefs will face some pretty solid pass defenses in Baltimore, San Diego and Oakland. All three are ranked in the top 14, including Oakland who ranks first.

Now for the good news. These teams should be able to put up some points. Chester Taylor that could lead you to the promise land because the Vikings play some lightweights during the fantasy playoffs. The Lions, the Jets and the Packers will look to stop the Vikings. All three rank in the bottom half of the league at stopping the run. The Seahawks, and all fantasy owners around the world, welcomed back two of their key offensive studs in Matt Hasselbeck and Shaun Alexander and the Seahawks will welcome the Cardinals and the Niners in weeks 14 and 15. Arizona has the 30th ranked defense and the Niners have given up touchdowns in bunches. The given up 33 touchdowns for the year, which is the most amount the NFL.

Here are a few players that you might want to take a look at plugging into your starting lineup this week to either turn around your luck or keep your success going! They may not be the top names in fantasy football, but most are the ‘in between’ guys that you might have to make a tough decision on. The good fantasy owner is able to pick these players out from a crowd and stick them in their lineup for fantasy success!

Matt Leinart – After a bumpy ride in the middle of the year, Leinart is beginning to really come into his own. Leinart has averaged 22 fantasy points a game over the last two weeks, including topping 400 yards last week. He’s got plenty of weapons to choose from including getting Larry Fitzgerald back in the lineup. This week Leinart goes up against the Rams. The Rams have allowed 16 passing touchdowns this year and we expect another couple this week from the high powered Cardinals offense.

Laurence Maroney – Even though he continues to split carries with Dillon, Maroney has been more than able to hold his own. Maroney had a tough outing against the mighty Bears last week, but he should find things a bit easier this week against the less than mighty Lions. The Lions give up 131 yards a game on the ground. The Patriots have 11 rushing touchdowns already this year and will look to Maroney to add to that total.

Deuce McAllister – Despite being on a pass happy team, McAllister still has been a very productive fantasy player. He now ranks as the 16th fantasy running back and has scored 4 touchdowns in the last four games for the Saints. The Saints play the Niners and although the Niners only give up 116 yards a game on the ground, they’ve allowed 12 rushing touchdowns which is the second most in the NFL.

Marvin Harrison – There was a time when Marvelous Marvin would be a no-brainer must start, but Harrison has slipped this year and now ranks as the 16th fantasy wide receiver his lowest since 1998. You might be tempted to sit Harrison but not this week. The Colts play the Titans and we expect Pac Man Jones to be preoccupied with Reggie Wayne. That should allow Harrison to feast on the Titans secondary that ranks 24th in the league.

Donald Driver – The Packers are the 9th ranked passing offense and Driver is a big reason why. He’s Brett Favre’s favorite target and the good news is that Favre is having a pretty solid year. The Packers play the Jets this week to complete their competition against the AFC East. Driver is averaging 77 yards against the AFC East and has 2 touchdowns. The Jets are average against the pass but we expect a high scoring game at home for the Packers.

Vernon Davis – Davis has missed most of the year with a broken fibula, but he’s recently returned to the Niners lineup. San Francisco really could use another weapon in the passing game and Davis could be what they need. The Niners go up against the Packers. The Packers are rebuilding their defense but they still need improvement because they rank 30th. They give up 230 passing yards a game and they’ve allowed a league high 21 receiving touchdowns.

Jacksonville – The stars could be aligning for the Jacksonville defense. Ronnie Brown won’t be playing this week so that leaves Joey Harrington to lead the Dolphins against the Jags. That’s good news for the Jaguars because Harrington likes to throw interceptions and the Jaguars already have 15 interceptions, 4th in the league.

Geeks of the Week: Week 12

Injuries.....that little three syllable word that strikes fear into the hearts of fantasy football owners. This past week was a sobering one for many in the fantasy football world. Let’s take a moment to analyze a couple of the big injuries and what we can do about it.

Donovan McNabb – The year’s biggest injury occurred to McNabb this weekend. McNabb tore his right ACL and is out for up to 12 months. HC Andy Reid is going to have to choose from Jeff Garcia or AJ Feely. Whichever quarterback Reid decides on won’t be able to put up the kinds of numbers that McNabb did. In fact, we think that this injury downgrades the Eagles receivers but it also means that the Eagles will rely heavily on RB Brian Westbrook. Last week, Westbrook’s production increased when McNabb went down and we think that trend will continue throughout the year.

LaMont Jordan – Jordan tore his MCL and he too will be out for the rest of the year. Justin Fargas will be asked to step in and become the starting running back. The Raiders haven’t run the ball well this year and they will be without starting tackle Robert Gallery, but this is a chance to grab a starting running back. After week 12, when the Raiders face the Chargers, they will face a few defenses in Houston, Cincinnati and St. Louis that have trouble stopping the run. Fargas could give you a quality start in one or two of those games.

Marques Colston, Kevin Jones – Both players suffered ankle sprains and are considered questionable going into this week’s game. We consider it unlikely that they will play this week and they both could be out a couple of weeks. You might want to grab their backups as there could be some points to be had from them. Devery Henderson filled in superbly last week when Colston went down grabbing 9 passes for 169 yards. Arlen Harris looks to be the guy to fill Jones spot and although we don’t like the Lions schedule (they play Miami, Minnesota, New England and Chicago), Harris may get you a couple of TDs down the stretch.

Here are a few players that you might want to take a look at plugging into your starting lineup this week to either turn around your luck or keep your success going! They may not be the top names in fantasy football, but most are the ‘in between’ guys that you might have to make a tough decision on. The good fantasy owner is able to pick these players out from a crowd and stick them in their lineup for fantasy success!


QB – Eli Manning – Manning and the Giants travel to Tennessee to take on the Titans. The Titans are exactly what the slumping Manning needs. They have given up 18 passing touchdowns, second most in the league. Manning hasn’t done well the last two weeks but he was up against the Bears and the Jaguars, two of the better defenses in the league. We think that this is a must win for the Giants and Manning will lead them to a victory with a 250 yard 2 touchdown performance.

RB – Frank Gore – Gore has been on fire this year and he now ranks as the 6th fantasy running back. He has over 1000 yards already and he looks to add to that total this week against the Rams. The Rams rank 31st versus the run giving up an average of 153.2 yards a game. We think that Gore might get 153 by himself and we think that he could find the endzone this week, something that he needs to do more if he wants to be considered one of the greats.

RB – DeAngelo Williams – Williams is back from an injury that sidelined him for a couple of weeks. He got a chance to be the feature back when DeShaun Foster suffered a hyper extended elbow and he didn’t look back. Williams rushed for a season high 114 yards. Foster may not play this week, but even if he did we think that Williams is ready to handle a full work load against a Washington defense that gives up a little more than 121 rushing yards a game.

WR – Joe Horn – Mr. Horn has been on a tear lately. He has 4 touchdowns in his last four games. The Saints are going to need him more than ever with the injury to Marques Colston. The Saints travel to Atlanta to tangle with the slumping Falcons. The Falcons now rank 29th against the pass and dropping. The Saints have the number one passing offense in the league and if they want to stay there they are going to need a big game from Horn.

WR – Braylon Edwards – Braylon has quietly moved up the fantasy rankings this season to now rank 25th for wide receivers. In his last three games he has either 100 yards or he’s scored a touchdown. This week the Browns entertain the Bengals and their high octane offense. Expect to see plenty of passes being tossed about and if week two is an indicator, Edwards should be very involved. Edwards had 110 receiving yards in that game. Oh by the way, Cincinnati ranks dead last against the pass giving up 254 yards a game through the air.

TE – Jeremy Shockey – Shockey was the lone bright spot Monday night against the Jaguars. He was able to catch 7 passes for 82 yards on 13 targets. We expect the Giants to get back on track against Tennessee and Shockey is clearly the number two option in the passing game. His 5 touchdowns are second on the team.

Def – Carolina – The Carolina defensive front harassed the Rams Marc Bulger to the tune of 7 sacks. This week they travel to Washington. Expect the pressure to continue only this time they will be attacking Jason Campbell. Campbell will be making only his second start of his professional career. The Redskins receiving corps has been very disappointing, and they are without Clinton Portis. It will very difficult for the Redskins to move the ball against the 10th ranked Carolina defense.

Geeks of the Week: Week 11

And down the stretch they come! That’s right fantasy footballers, it’s that time of year when you’re going to make that final push to either make the playoffs or secure your divisional crown. Many fantasy leagues start their playoffs in weeks 13 and 14, so now is the time that you want to comb through your roster and weed out any players that might have cooled off since the start of the season.

Taking a quick look at things right now, you’re going to find a few big name players that you may want to either sit on the bench, trade or dump in the final weeks of the season. These are some players that started the season off on a hot streak, but have cooled off considerably and may not get you many fantasy points the rest of the season. It’s sometimes easy to pick out the hot players, but projecting cold streaks is where the skill comes in and separates the average fantasy footballer from the consistent winner!

The biggest name in this bunch is Giants QB Eli Manning. Manning, the younger brother of fantasy stud, Peyton, has taken a turn for the worse this season, after starting it with a hot hand. The younger Manning hasn’t topped 200 yards passing since week 5 and he's only averaged 1 touchdown a game the last four weeks. The offense has suffered some key injuries with Amani Toomer lost for the season and Plaxico Burress is less than 100 percent with back spasms. The outlook for the future shows some very tough matchups. The schedule has Jacksonville (5th in passing defense), Dallas (9th), Carolina (17th), Philadelphia (8th) and New Orleans (7th). You may want to think about dealing Manning now, since his name will still carry some significant value.

Another couple of players you’re going to want to take a very close look at are Jets teammates Chad Pennington and Laverneous Coles. Both of these teammates started off the season hot. Coles started the season off red-hot, averaging 103 yards receiving in the first four weeks of the NFL season. The last five week has seen Coles numbers drop dramatically with him averaging only 44.6 yard receiving per game. Pennington has seen a similar falloff in numbers. Through the first three weeks of the season, the former Marshall QB had thrown 5 TD passes and only 1 interception. In the last five weeks though, Pennington has thrown only 4 TDs and 7 interceptions. Is this the quarterback that you want leading your team on a playoff run? We don’t thinks so!

Here are a few players that you might want to take a look at plugging into your starting lineup this week to either turn around your luck or keep your success going! They may not be the top names in fantasy football, but most are the ‘in between’ guys that you might have to make a tough decision on. The good fantasy owner is able to pick these players out from a crowd and stick them in their lineup for fantasy success!


QB – Tom Brady – Brady has had a rough couple of weeks, throwing 1 TD and 5 interceptions in his last two games. He will be facing the Packers this week and they may be the cure for what ails him. The Packers rank 26th in the NFL when it comes to defending the pass from a fantasy perspective. The give up a league-high average of 242 yards per game and have also given up 14 passing touchdowns. Expect Brady to get out of his funk and score you some quality points this week.

RB – Kevin Jones – Jones has been one of the pleasant surprises of this fantasy season with 7 total touchdowns, rushing and receiving. We think you’ll be pleased with his production this week as he will be facing the Cardinal defense. The Cards have been deficient at defending the run this year and currently rank 25th in the NFL in run defense from a fantasy perspective, giving up over 124 rushing yards per game along with 10 rushing touchdowns. Look for Jones to heat up the Lions offense as it travels to Arizona.

RB – Julius Jones – Jones has been carrying the load for the Cowboys this season, but we have seen his production tail off in the last four weeks. During that timeframe he has only averaged 60 yards rushing per game and has scored only 1 TD. We are expecting him to bounce back this week though, as he will face the Colts and their 31st ranked fantasy rushing defense. The Colts are giving up a league-high 159 yards on the ground to go along with 10 rushing TDs.

WR – Joey Galloway – Galloway has seen an upswing in his number in the past couple of weeks, catching 9 balls for 184 yards and 2 TDs in the month of November. Rookie QB Bruce Gradgowski has been relying on this former Buckeye and it has been paying off. We think the chemistry between Gradgowski and Galloway will continue this week vs. a Redskins pass defense that gives up the most fantasy points through the air and has given up a league-high 17 passing TDs. Expect Galloway to post some good numbers for you and possibly find the endzone this week.

WR – Larry Fitzgerald – Larry Fitzgerald has been a fantasy disappointment this season, mostly due to injury. He returned from a shoulder injury last week to catch 6 balls for 80 yards. We are expecting more of the same this week as he faces a Lions defense that is ranked 29th in the NFL from a fantasy perspective when it comes to defending the pass. The Lions give up nearly 215 yards passing per game and have given up the 3rd most passing TDs in the league with 15.

TE – Todd Heap – Heap has been one of the most consistent tight ends in the league this season. He will be facing an Atlanta defense that has just tanked against the pass this season. The Falcons have given up 9 passing TDs in the past four weeks after giving up just 2 in the first 5 weeks of the season. Look for Heap to be one of Steve McNair’s main targets again this week as they will be facing a banged up Falcons defense that will be missing both John Abraham and Patrick Kearney.

Def – Miami – The Dolphins defense has been tough the past couple of weeks, surrendering only 21 points, intercepting 3 passes and sacking the QB 3 times. They will be facing a Vikings offense that has been struggling lately. The Vikings have only scored 20 points the last two weeks against two teams (Niners and Packers) who aren’t known for the defensive prowess. Look for the Dolphins to shut down the Vikings in Miami.

Huddlegeeks Weekly Radio Segment: Week 10

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Geeks of the Week: Week 10

It’s already week ten in the NFL and there are several key divisional games that could go a long way in determining what teams make the playoffs and what teams stay home. It’s the Jets against the Patriots, the Eagles look to rebound versus the Redskins, and a big NFC West match up of the Rams and Seahawks. Each of these games are important to all of us fantasy players too.

In addition to the games above, there were several developments that you should keep an eye on. The Chiefs head coach, Herm Edwards, now says that he’s not sure who will be the starter once Trent Green is healthy enough to play. You could have a quarterback controversy there in a week or two. In Jacksonville, they’ve ended any controversy by naming David Garrard the starter as long as he plays well. There were also a couple of key injuries last week with running back Willis McGahee suffering a broken rib that could keep him out for a couple of weeks. Wide receiver Bernard Berrian injured his ribs as well and will be out for 2-4 weeks. Keep an eye of Rashied Davis because we think he might be able to be the downfield threat for Chicago while Berrian is out.

Once the playoffs start in your league it’s all about which teams have the better match ups. Here are a couple of teams that we think should have an easier time of it down the stretch. Houston plays NYJ, Oakland and Tennessee in weeks 12 – 14. Green Bay plays the Jets, SF and Detroit starting in week 13. On the flip side, you might want to avoid any Cleveland players since they face Kansas City, Pittsburgh, Baltimore and Tampa Bay starting in week 13. Cadillac Williams and Joey Galloway may also struggle late in the year since the Bucs play Dallas, Pittsburgh, Atlanta, and Chicago starting in week 12.

Here are a few players that you might want to take a look at plugging into your starting lineup this week to either turn around your luck or keep your success going! They may not be the top names in fantasy football, but most are the ‘in between’ guys that you might have to make a tough decision on. The good fantasy owner is able to pick these players out from a crowd and stick them in their lineup for fantasy success!


QB – Steve McNair – McNair should be very motivated this week as he faces his old team the Titans. You know he wants to show his old team that they made a mistake for letting him go. McNair has been averaging 18 fantasy points over his last two games and he goes up against a Titans defense that has already given up 14 passing touchdowns, ranking them T28.

RB – Anthony Thomas – Thomas will get a chance to start for at least the next two games while Willis McGahee heals up. Last week, Thomas rushed for 95 yards and a score after McGahee went down. This week the Bills visit the Colts and their 32nd ranked rushing defense. We expect the Bills to try to exploit this matchup and Thomas should get 20+ carries. He should be available as a free agent pickup in just about every league. Get him quick before he gets picked up.

RB – Fred Taylor – Taylor still ranks as the number 15 fantasy running back despite losing playing time to rookie Jones-Drew. The Jags have become a run first team and now rank 6 in rushing offense. The Jags entertain Houston this week and we expect to see plenty of Fred Taylor going against a Texans rushing defense that ranks 25th. Taylor is much better at home averaging almost 15 fantasy points a game versus 9 on the road.

WR – Donte Stallworth – After a red hot start to the season, Stallworth has plummeted to a wide receiver ranking of 52. The drop in ranking is because of injuries, but now he’s healthy and going against a very weak Redskins defense at home. The Eagles offense looks to explode and the bye week gave Stallworth another week to heal up. Expect plenty of points as the Redskins passing defense ranked 30th goes against an Eagles passing attack that ranks 2nd.


WR – Mushin Muhammad – The Bears need Muhammad to step it up with the injury to Bernard Berrian. Muhammad responded with a touchdown last week and we expect a solid performance this week when the Bears travel to New York to meet the Giants. The Chicago passing offense ranks 9th and goes against a Giants passing defense that ranks 16th. Muhammad looks to rekindle some of his magic from week 3 when he caught 9 passes for 118 yards.

TE – Heath Miller – The Steelers have been a disappointing team this year but they can still put up points and their passing offense ranks 5th. The Steelers play host to the Saints who have averaged over 21 points against the AFC North this year. We expect a high scoring game and Miller seems to be heating up. Miller caught a season high 5 receptions last week against a stiff Denver team. Look for Miller to build on last week’s successes in this back and forth contest.

DEF – Denver – The Raiders looked just plain awful last week on Monday Night Football. Oakland has 21 turnovers and an astounding 44 sacks. We expect the Broncos to tack on a few more of each this week when they visit Oakland. To make matters worse, the Raiders rank dead last in offense only averaging 227 total yards a game. We wouldn’t be shocked if the Raiders posted another goose egg this week, which is usually a bonus for fantasy defenses.

Huddlegeeks Fantasy Football Week 9 Radio Segment

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Week 9 Analysis

Huddlegeeks Fantasy Football Week 8 Radio Segment

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Week 8 Analysis

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Geeks of the Week: Week 9

Jason Clarke

It’s now week nine of the NFL season fantasy football fans. That means it’s the time of the year in which you need to start making your playoff run or start working on your draft strategy for next season. For many, this is the time of the year where you will reach the trading deadline for your respective league. If you are riding a wave of success, this means that you can possibly hold another team over the barrel for a player that they covet. If you are struggling, that means you might be able to pull off one good trade that can get you back into the mix of the playoff hunt.

There are a few players out there that haven’t performed that well in the first half of the season, but could be poised for a productive second half. Taking a look at the remaining NFL schedule can give you a significant edge in trying to find these mid-season diamonds in the roughs.

Matt Jones, for instance, has had a very tough first half of the 2006 season, dealing with hamstring and groin injuries. Jones is starting to get healthy and the Jaguars have a very favorable second half schedule. He may be a player that you can target that may not cost you much in a trade.

Muhsin Muhammad is also another wide receiver you may be able to pry from a disappointed owner. Muhammad only has 2 TDs through seven games, averaging less than 60 yards receiving per game. Now that opposing defenses are more aware of Bernard Berrian, Muhammad could see Rex Grossman looking his way more often in the second half of the season. He’s another player that you may be able to get on the cheap.

Here are a few players that you might want to take a look at plugging into your starting lineup this week to either turn around your luck or keep your success going! They may not be the top names in fantasy football, but most are the ‘in between’ guys that you might have to make a tough decision on. The good fantasy owner is able to pick these players out from a crowd and stick them in their lineup for fantasy success!


QB – Tony Romo – Romo received the starting nod for the Cowboys last week and showed why Bill Parcells was itching to put him in the lineup. Romo gives the Cowboys an added dimension of mobility that Drew Bledsoe never gave to them and he knows to get the ball to the team’s playmakers. He will be facing a Redskins defense that gives up nearly 240 yards passing per game and is second in the league in passing TDs given up with 14. Look for Romo to have another productive start in this big NFC East matchup.

RB – Jamal Lewis – Lewis has been a bit of a fantasy disappointment this season, but had a productive game in week 8 against the Saints. We think he will continue that success against a Bengals defense that ranks 25th against the run from a fantasy perspective. When you take into account that 3 of Lewis’ top 9 rushing performances have come against the Bengals, it makes sense that he will put up some solid fantasy numbers for you this week.

RB – Laurence Maroney – The Patriots might have aired it out vs. the Vikings on Monday night football, but don’t expect them to do the same against the Colts this week. The Colts rank 30th in the league at stopping the run from a fantasy perspective and give up a league-high 167.9 yards rushing per game. Look for both Maroney and Corey Dillon to put up some great fantasy stats, with the edge going to one of the best rookie running backs out there in Maroney. We’re expecting somewhere around 100 yards and a TD out of him, so make sure to stick him in your lineup this week.

WR – Eddie Kennison – Kennison fits the definition of a wily veteran to a Tee. He has been able to establish some chemistry with new starting QB Damon Huard over the past five weeks, averaging over 70 yards receiving a game with 2 TDs. Look for him to continue his success against a Rams defense that ranks 17th in the league from a fantasy perspective, having given up 9 passing TDs over 7 weeks.

WR – Marques Colston – Marques Colston is a fantasy diamond-in-the-rough if there ever was one. This, nearly undrafted player is the 5th leading fantasy football receiver through 8 weeks of the season and is second in the NFL with 6 touchdown catches. He torched a top ranked Baltimore defense for 2 TDs last week and we expect him to continue his solid production against a Tampa defense that is starting to struggle and ranks 17th against the pass from a fantasy perspective.

TE – Owen Daniels – Daniels is a rookie tight end that is catching the fantasy football world on fire. Daniels currently ranks as the 7th best tight end in fantasy football and has scored 5 TDs in the last 6 weeks! He will be facing Giants defense that is ranked 20th against the pass from a fantasy perspective and has been hurt by injuries at the linebacker position. Look for Owens to continue his fantasy success and take advantage of the Giants defense.

DEF - Jacksonville Jaguars – The Jaguars are starting to put the clamps down on defense, holding an explosive Eagles team to only 6 points last week at home. This week they will face a Titans team that averages just 16 points a game and has scored 14 or more points only three times this season. Expect the Titans to shut down the Titans ground game and force rookie QB Vince Young into some obvious passing situations in which they could force some turnovers.