Huddlegeeks Fantasy Football

Huddlegeeks 2007 Predraft Preview Part 2

2007-04-10T21:43:00.000-04:00

The Geeks crack the hood open on the upcoming 2007 Fantasy Football season with a pre-NFL Draft podcast. Listen to who the Geeks think were the top players to change teams this offseason and what their possible impact could be for the upcoming 2007 NFL season.

2007 Pre-Draft Preview Part 1

Huddlegeeks 2007 Season Predraft Preview Part 1

2007-04-10T21:40:00.000-04:00

Geeks of the Week: Week 16

2006-12-22T09:50:00.000-05:00

By – Jason Clarke

Week 16 is finally upon us, fantasy football fans! For many, this week signifies the week of your Fantasy Football Super Bowl! That’s right, if you’re still playing this week, it means you drafted well, paid close attention to the waiver wire, maybe pulled a successful trade or two and probably had a little bit of luck sprinkled in your season. However you did it, you should give your self a little pat on the back for getting this far.

If you are still active in your league, you probably have one of the following players on your roster. Here’s a quick list of some of the top fantasy producers this season.

Ladanian Tomlinson – Tomlinson is having his best season as a pro – and that is saying a lot, since this fantasy stud puts up great numbers on a yearly basis. He really took off in the second half of the season, scoring 19 TDs in the last 7 weeks!

Drew Brees – Brees was probably one of the bigger surprises of the season, by leading the rejuvenated Saints out of the doldrums and into playoff contention. After week 15, Brees leads all passers in the NFL with 4,420 passing yards to go along with his 25 passing TDs.

Marques Colston – Colston is, no doubt, the biggest waiver wire pick up this year for fantasy owners. Colston went from almost not being drafted to being a 1,000 yard receiver through 15 weeks of the NFL season. What is more impressive is that Colston has played injured the last couple of weeks and has missed two games this season due to a nagging ankle injury.

Chad Johnson – Johnson started the season off slow, scoring only 2 TDs through the first eight games of the Bengals season and averaging only a little over 60 yards receiving during that span. Since then, Ocho Cinco, has been on a tear, averaging over 133 yards per game with 5 TDs in the second half of the season.

Antonio Gates – Gates is another player who rebounded from a slow start in 2006 to find himself at the top of the heap of fantasy tight ends at week 16. Gates only had 13 receptions through 4 weeks of action (3.25 per game) while he was getting used to playing with new QB Phillip Rivers. In the last ten games for the Chargers, Gates has hauled in 56 receptions and 6 TDs, to show he is still the top tight end in fantasy football.

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 - Jay Cutler – Cutler has performed well since taking over the starting job from Jake Plummer late in the season. The young QB out of Vanderbilt has thrown 2 TDs in each of his first three starts while only throwing 3 interceptions. He could be in store for his best week yet, as he will face the Bengals pass defense that gives up over 140 yards passing per game to go along with 21 passing touchdowns. The Broncos are in a must-win position and look for them to pull out all the stops at home this week with Cutler.

RB – Ladell Betts – Betts has been an absolute terror for opposing defenses for the last month of the season. In his pas four games, Betts has averaged over 137 rushing yards per game with 1 TD scored. You can expect more of those type numbers as the Redskins will face a Rams defense this week that gives up over 147 yards per game and 16 rushing TDs on he season. Betts has been a critical waiver wire pickup and we suggest you keep him in your lineup this week.

RB – Ron Dayne – Dayne is another running back that has come on dramatically in the past few weeks. Over the past 3 games, Dayne is averaging 92 yards rushing per game and has scored 3 TDs. He shouldn’t have much of a problem continuing that success this week as he will face the Colts run defense that is last in the league at stopping the run. Opponents are averaging 5.4 yards per carry against he Colts and have rushed for a league-high 18 rushing TDs. Dayne is another late season pickup that is paying major dividends for the conscientious fantasy owner that plucked him off the waiver wire.

WR - Braylon Edwards – Edwards has shown a bit more consistency since Derek Anderson has been taking snaps at QB for the Browns. In the games that Anderson has played, Edwards has averaged 63 yards receiving and a TD per game. He should be primed for success this week as he will be facing a Tampa Bay pass defense that has given up a league high 25 passing touchdowns while intercepting only 7 passes on the season. When you factor in the fact that Joe Jurevicius may be out or limited due to a concussion, Edwards makes for an attractive starting option for fantasy owners this week.

WR – Larry Fitzgerald – Fitzgerald has been very solid since returning from his early season shoulder injury. Since getting back on the field, Fitzgerald has averaged over 80 yards receiving per game and has scored 2 TDs. He and QB Matt Leinart have been developing a nice chemistry and that should continue to develop against the 49ers who are third in the league with 23 passing touchdown given up. Opposing quarterbacks average over 222 yards per game passing against the Niners and we think Fitzgerald will get a good number of those yards this week.

TE – Jerramy Stevens – While Stevens may not have caught many balls this season, he has made the one he has caught count. Since coming off the PUP list in week 6, Stevens has managed to catch 4 TD passes for the Seahawks. With Darrell Jackson expected to miss another game, Stevens could have another productive game on his horizon since the Chargers give up and average of 50 yards per game to opposing tight ends.

DEF – New England – The Patriots are in the top ten as far as rushing and passing defenses are concerned and will be facing a Jacksonville team that has had trouble hanging onto the ball lately. The Jaguars turned the ball over 4 times last week in the loss to the Titans and will find things much tougher this week against he Patriots. The Pats are the second ranked fantasy defense and have only given up 19 total TDs on the season while holding opponents to under 14 points per game.

Huddlegeeks NFL Draft Headquarters Unveiled!!!

2006-12-19T10:19:00.000-05:00

Huddlegeeks is proud to announce the launching of our 2007 NFL Draft Headquarters:

Over the next 3-4 months, Huddlegeeks will shift it's focus to the NFL offseason and how that activity will affect your fantasy team in 2007. You will be able to find everything from Mock Drafts, to Player Profiles to Draft Position and much more in this section. Check it out NOW!

Week 15 Disappointments

2006-12-18T09:48:00.000-05:00

Off the top of our heads, some of the guys we expected more out of this week.

Chester Taylor
Drew Brees
Bernarnd Berrian
Roy Williams
Matt Jones
Steve McNair
Steve Smith
Larry Johnson
Tatum Bell
Carolina Defense
Miami Defense

If you were expecting big production out of these guys/teams this week, you were left wanting!

Huddlegeeks Radio Segment: Week 15, Part 2

2006-12-17T10:02:00.000-05:00

Listen to the Geeks take of Week 15 Fantasy Football Action!

Week 15 Analysis

Huddlegeeks Radio Segment: Week 15, Part 1

2006-12-17T10:01:00.000-05:00

Listen to the Geeks take of Week 15 Fantasy Football Action!

Week 15 Analysis

Geeks of the Week: Week 15

2006-12-15T08:41:00.000-05:00

It’s playoff time! All the hard work in August until now has paid off. There is no room for error because if you lose you’re done. Getting a win isn’t going to be easy since that guy who quit submitting his lineup back in week 7 as been eliminated. You will be going up against other teams that want the trophy just as bad as you. So let’s figure out how we can escape these next couple of weeks and take home the hardware. Hopefully you’ve targeted some players that have favorable matchups during the playoff weeks. Here are the favorable matchups for this week.

Rushing:

Rudi Johnson vs. Indianapolis – the Colts rank dead last in the league against the rush, allowing over 176 yards rushing per game.

Jamal Lewis vs Cleveland – Lewis seems to always have an easy time against the Browns and the Browns just let Willie Parker run for over 200 on them last week.

Chester Taylor (if healthy) vs New York Jets – the Jets give up almost 140 yards a game on the ground and are third in the league with 14 rushing TDs allowed.

Shaun Alexander vs San Francisco – The Niners have allowed 16 rushing touchdowns which is second most in the league.

Passing:

The Indy receivers vs Cincinnati – this game should be an entertaining high scoring game and we expect plenty of passing against the Bengals last place passing defense.

Terrell Owens vs Atlanta – the Falcons have had plenty of problems at cornerback which has resulted in allowing over 234 yards passing a game.

Marques Colston vs Washington – Colston looks healthy again and the Redskins have given up a league high 25 touchdowns.

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 – Rex Grossman – Grossman could have gotten benched with another lackluster performance last week, but instead he quieted the critics with a mistake free 200 yard 2 TD performance. This week the Bears entertain a Tampa Bay team that’s already thinking about next year. Tampa’s pass defense is worse than the Rams. In fact, they’ve allowed 23 passing touchdowns, which is the third most in the league. You can see that the swagger is back for Grossman and we are anticipating another 200+, 2 TD game from him.

RB – Rudi Johnson – This is the first time we’ve had a player listed as a Geek of the Week in back to back weeks. Last week Johnson had one of his better games topping 100 and scoring twice. Can he do it again? We think so because he’ll be running against the worst rushing defense in the league, the Colts. The Colts allowed a whopping 375 yards on the ground last week to the Jaguars. Johnson is tied for fourth with 10 rushing touchdowns and the Colts are dead last in the league allowing 17 rushing touchdowns. Johnson faced the Colts last year in week 11 and he scored twice and we think that he can do it again this year.

RB – Brandon Jacobs – This is a scoring only league special. Jacobs has been a little quiet lately and we think that is about to change this week against the Eagles. Philadelphia is 29th in the league against the run. Jacobs has scored 8 of the Giants 9 rushing touchdowns and we think that he will find the end zone in this game. Jacobs has gone two games without scoring, something that has only happened one other time this year. We are expecting a typical game from Jacobs, 30 – 50 yards rushing and at least 1 touchdown.

WR – Roy Williams – Williams has been held without a touchdown for the last five games, but the Lions play Green Bay this week and that should be music to fantasy player’s ears. In week 3, Williams was able to scorch the Packers defense, as he scored once and had 138 yards receiving. The Packers haven’t gotten any better against the pass ranking 28th giving up an average of 232 passing yards a game and they’ve allowed 24 touchdowns, second most in the league. We expect the Lions to lean heavily on the passing game this week due to the injury to Kevin Jones and that means plenty of targets for Williams.

WR – Bernard Berrian – After a hot start to the season, Berrian has cooled off some and he’s been fighting through a rib injury. Last week he claimed he was just about 100 percent and the stats showed it as he found the end zone. We think he will continue to build on that this week against Tampa Bay. Berrian is healthy again, Grossman is confident again and Tampa Bay gives up almost 2 passing touchdowns a week. Looks like a recipe for success to us! In the first five weeks of the season, when Berrian was healthy, he averaged 82 yards a game and had 4 touchdowns. We think he could finish the season just as strong.

TE – Tony Scheffler – Scheffler was an unknown quantity until Jay Cutler took over the starting job in Denver. Since then Scheffler and Cutler have hooked up for 2 touchdowns. We think that they can continue the chemistry this week when they travel to Arizona. Arizona is 30th against the pass and they’ve averaged 2 defensive passing touchdowns over the last four weeks. Things should only improve as Cutler gets more comfortable in his starting role.

DEF – Miami – The Miami defense is really rolling right now. They rank as the second overall defense and they are coming off of a shutout against the Patriots. This week they travel to Buffalo. Buffalo has surrendered a whopping 38 sacks which is seventh most in the league. Miami is pretty stingy giving up points too. They only allow an average of 17 points a game, fifth lowest in the league. When these two teams tangled back in week 2 Miami allowed only 16 points. We foresee plenty of pressure on JP Losman which should result in several sacks and maybe an interception or two.

Huddlegeeks Radio Segment: Week 14

2006-12-10T10:21:00.000-05:00

Listen to the Geeks take of Week 14 Fantasy Football Action!

Week 14 Analysis

Geeks of the Week: Week 14

2006-12-07T11:19:00.000-05:00

By – Jason Clarke

Playoff!!?? Yes, it’s that time of year where fantasy footballers either start their first week of playoffs or make a final push to get into the postseason. Nobody wants to be that fantasy franchise that is sitting on the outside, looking in come playoff time. In these next few weeks, the lineup decisions you will make on your team will be critical to your success and could be the big difference in you taking home the hardware or planning for next year.

Let’s take a look at a couple players that could be in store for a good three week stretch during the fantasy football playoffs.

While Rex Grossman’s recent struggles have been well documented, he could have a real chance at turning things around during the last three weeks of the season. The Bears and Grossman will face the Rams, Buccaneers, Lions and Packers in the last four weeks of the NFL season. Out of those four teams, only the Rams possess a fantasy pass defense that will be a challenge for Grossman, as they currently rank as the 9th best fantasy pass defense in the NFL. All other opponents rank no higher than 27th in our rankings and have given up a combined total of 65 passing TDs on the season!

The Vikings have been plodding along all season in mediocrity, but fantasy owners have to be pleased with the production of Chester Taylor as the teams feature running back. Taylor is currently the 5th leading rusher in the NFL and backing up our preseason predictions of him being a top ten fantasy running back. He could have a significant chance of greatly improving his stats in the last 4 weeks of the season, if he can fight through a nagging rib injury. Taylor will face the Lions, Jets, Packer and Rams in the last four weeks of the NFL season. None of those teams rank in the top half of the league when it comes to stopping the run from a fantasy perspective, so Taylor has a real chance at making a big impact 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 – Vince Young – The rookie QB from Texas has been on a roll lately, scoring 5 touchdowns, rushing and receiving over the past 2 weeks while rushing for 147 yards. We think that roll will continue this week as he will be heading into Houston to play in front of his hometown crowd that lobbied hard for the Texans brass to draft him earlier this year. Young should have some extra motivation in this game because of this, but the fact that Texans give up nearly 228 yards passing a game and 17 passing TDs on the season shouldn’t hurt things!

RB – Rudi Johnson – Rudi has been on a little bit of a slide lately, rushing for 100 yards only once in the last 6 games. We think you will see his production spike this week since he will going up against the Raiders defense, at home. The Raiders are near the bottom of the league in rushing defense, giving up nearly 133 yards per game on the ground to go along with 9 rushing TDs. The Raiders do excel at pass defense, so look for the Bengals to attack the Raiders weakness, which is their porous rushing defense.

RB – Brian Westbrook – Westbrook has been a very steady fantasy running back this season, despite starting the season with a bothersome foot injury. His combination of rushing and receiving skill has made him the 3rd best running back in fantasy football , as of week 13. He should be able to continue that success this week as the Eagles will face the Redskins, who rank 25th in overall fantasy defense, giving up over 351 yards per game and a total of 28 TDs. Look for Westbrook to attack the Skins defense on the ground and through the air.

WR – Darrell Jackson – Jackson is currently leading all NFL wide receivers with nine TD receptions on the season. Despite the addition of Deion Branch and Nate Burleson in the offseason, Jackson has continued to be Matt Hasselbecks favorite target in the redzone. Jackson and the Seahawks will be going up against a Cardinals defense this week that has it’s issues when it comes to defending the pass, ranking 25th in fantasy pass defense. The Cardinals give up over 234 yards passing per game, to go along with 14 TDs on the season. We see this game as an opportunity for the Seahawks offense to get back on track and we expect Jackson to be a big part of it.

WR – Donte Stallworth – Stallworth has been and up and down fantasy performer. When he is healthy, he is up. When he isn’t, he’s a non-factor. Stallworth had a superb game last week vs. the Panthers, catching 4 balls for 111 yards and a TD. His hamstrings seem to be OK for week 14 and he’s going up against a Redskins defense that is the 30th ranked passing defense in the league, giving up a league-high 23 TDs on the season. Expect new starting QB, Jeff Garcia, to look Stallworth’s way often after their success together last Monday night.

TE – Alge Crumpler – Cumpler is always one of the top tight ends in fantasy football, since he is Michael Vick’s favorite and most reliable target. The Falcons and Crumpler will be facing the Buccaneers defense this week, which are the owner of the 31st ranked fantasy pass defense in the league. The Bucs are tied for the league lead in passing touchdowns allowed with 23 and have only intercepted 6 passes on the season. We see Vick having a bigger passing game this week, with Crumpler being the main focus of his efforts through the air.

DEF – Tennessee – The Titans haven’t been the model of a fantasy defense for most of the season in 2006, but have been inspired the last couple weeks by the play of the offense. They will be going against a Texans offense this week that is the 28th ranked fantasy offense in the league, scoring only 22 TDs on the season. They will also be facing a struggling QB in David Carr who has thrown only 1 touchdown to go along with 3 interceptions in the last SIX weeks! Look for the Titans to bottle up Carr and force him into a few sacks and interceptions.

Huddlegeeks Radio Segment: Week 13

2006-12-03T10:25:00.000-05:00

Listen to the Geeks take of Week 13 Fantasy Football Action!

Week 13 Analysis

Geeks of the Week: Week 13

2006-11-29T08:11:00.000-05:00

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

2006-11-22T09:48:00.000-05:00

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

2006-11-16T11:00:00.000-05:00

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

2006-11-12T10:56:00.000-05:00

Listen to the Geeks take of Week 10 Fantasy Football Action!

Week 10 Analysis

Geeks of the Week: Week 10

2006-11-10T10:13:00.000-05:00

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

2006-11-05T10:22:00.000-05:00

Listen to the Geeks take of Week 9 Fantasy Football Action!

Week 9 Analysis

Huddlegeeks Fantasy Football Week 8 Radio Segment

2006-11-05T10:21:00.000-05:00

Listen to the Geeks take of Week 8 Fantasy Football Action!

Week 8 Analysis

Huddlegeeks Fantasy Football Week 6 Radio Segment

2006-11-05T10:18:00.000-05:00

Listen to the Geeks take of Week 6 Fantasy Football Action!

Week 6 Analysis

Geeks of the Week: Week 9

2006-11-02T09:51:00.000-05:00

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.

Geeks of the Week - Week 5

2006-10-05T08:06:00.000-04:00

Week 5 of the NFL season is upon us and along with it brings many surprises on the fantasy football landscape. Former fantasy studs have been reduced to liabilities in your lineup and fantasy no-names are slowly becoming household names to die hard fantasy players. This has to be one of the biggest years in recent memory for formerly obscure players bursting onto the fantasy football scene.

For example, those who selected Aaron Brooks and Randy Moss on draft day thinking they had a lethal QB/WR combination, probably have a very sour taste in their mouths since neither player ranks in the top 50 of fantasy rankings for their respective positions. But the lucky fantasy owners who drafted Bears quarterback Rex Grossman and wide receiver Bernard Berrian find themselves with two players who are currently rank in the top five of fantasy rankings for their respective positions. Grossman is currently tied for second in the league with eight touchdown passes and Berrian is tied for first with 3 TD catches. Who would have thunk it!?

The running back position is not without its surprise players either. Many fantasy owners selected Tampa Bay’s Carnell Williams in the first round of their fantasy drafts thinking they could ride a Caddilac to fantasy success. But if you turn to actual fantasy production, you’ll see that Williams is waddling in fantasy obscurity, being ranked in the same neighborhood as journeyman running backs like Kevin Faulk, Travis Henry and Mack Strong, respectively. While Williams is struggling, Frank Gore, who had an average draft position of 76 in drafts this preseason, is the second-highest scoring back in the league right now.

Just these couple of examples shows that in fantasy football, just like in life, there are no sure things. You have to be prepared when you team doesn’t produce as well as you thought. Always keep your eye on the waiver wire and keep you mind open to trades for ways to help your team through the tough times!

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 – Bryron Leftwich – Leftwich is currently ranked at the 7th best quarterback in fantasy football and has a great matchup this week as he faces the N.Y. Jets. The Jets currently rank 20th in the league in fantasy pass defense, giving up just under 240 yards per game passing. Look for Leftwitch to hook up with his oversized wide receivers in this game and bring you some quality fantasy points.

RB – Joe Addai – Addai and Domonic Rhodes have been splitting carries for the first four games of the season with Rhodes having the slight edge 59 to 46. While we think both backs will be a good start this week against a struggling Titans defense, we are giving the edge to Addai. The Titans rank dead last in the NFL in run defense, allowing 177 yards per game on the ground and will be missing big defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth, who is serving a suspension. Opponents have also rushed for a league high, eight touchdowns on the Titans. Look for Addai to add to this total and maybe see his most action of this young season.

RB – Frank Gore – After getting off to a hot start, Gore has run into some problems with ball security and a rib injury. Niners coach Mike Nolan came out this week and showed support for his running back and vows to stick with him through this tough spell. We expect Gore to bounce back this week against a Raiders defense that ranks 21st in the league at stopping the run from a fantasy perspective. Gore may be able to break off a long TD run this week since the Raiders give up an average of over 145 rushing yards per game. Owners in leagues that reward for longer TDs may want to note this statistic!

WR – Isaac Bruce – Bruce had a nice week last week, catching 7 balls for 100 yards and a TD. We thought Bruce was ready for a bounce back year and, so far, we have been correct. Bruce should have continued success this week while facing a Packers defense that ranks 29th against the pass from a fantasy perspective and has allowed 7 TD’s through the air thus far. The Rams offense seems to be getting back on track after putting up 41 points against the Lions last week. While this game is going to be played outdoors, we still like the fantasy potential of Bruce this week.

WR – Amani Toomer – Toomer has been a pleasant surprise to fantasy owners so far this season, with 3 TD catches through 3 games. He will be facing a Redskins secondary that has been banged up and currently ranks 28th against the pass from a fantasy perspective and has given up 8 TD’s through the air. Plaxico Burress had a rough outing in the team’s last game and quarterback, Eli Manning could start looking Toomer’s way more often, since he is the more consistent receiver catching the ball. Expect good yardage and another TD out of this 11 year veteran in this important division matchup.

TE – Heath Miller – Miller has been up and down so far in this young season. After recording over 100 yards receiving and a TD in his first game this season, the second year tight end posted only 4 catches for 45 yards in his next two outings. We expect to see his cathes and yardage total increase this week as the Steeler will face an aggressive Chargers defense. Expect Steeler’s quarterback, Ben Roethlisberger to look Miller’s way when the Chargers turn up the heat on him.

DEF – New Orleans Saints – The Saints have been the surprise team of the season so far, sitting at 3-1. They will be facing a Tampa Bay team that will start rookie QB Bruce Gradgowski at quarterback. The Bucs have the worst rushing offense in the league, averaging only 43.3 yards per game on the ground. . Expect the Saints to try to confuse the rookie into mistakes and turnovers all day after they shut down the Bucs running game in the early going.

Huddlegeeks Fantasy Anlaysis - Week 4

2006-10-05T08:05:00.000-04:00

Listen to the Geeks take of Week 4 Fantasy Football Action!

Week 4 Analysis

Geeks of Week 4

2006-10-05T08:02:00.000-04:00

As we head into week four of the NFL season, fantasy owners can start truly evaluating what type of team you have and what direction your team is headed in. You have now been through the first round of bye weeks and probably already suffered a key injury (or two). It's either time to stand back and admire what a great job you did drafting or time to shake up your roster a bit and make some moves that could change the fortunes of your team. A good fantasy owner shouldn't have too much of a falloff when these things happen. Staying abreast on the latest new and NFL information will allow you to make wise free agent pickups and trades that work in your favor.

Hopefully, when you drafted, you drafted for not only starting talent, but also depth on your bench for when the tough times hit. You should have the backup to your stud running back and you should have drafted a sleeper or two in the later rounds that is paying some dividends. You should also be aware of names like Greg Jennings, Maurice Colston, Ron Dayne and Michael Robinson as players that may still be available on your waiver wire that could really help you team and solidify your reputation as a team to be reckoned with. These are some early, in-season moves that can separate the good teams from the also-rans and provide a launching pad for fantasy success later in the season.

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 - Charlie Frye - Frye has been one of the big surprises of the fantasy football season so far, ranking as the 7th best fantasy QB overall in 2006. His legs and guts give him an edge on other QB's as he has scored three rushing touchdowns through three games in this young season. He will be facing a Raiders defense that is surprisingly ranked 3rd against the pass in the Huddlegeeks team fantasy rankings, but we're going against the grain on this one. The reason the Raiders rank so high against the pass is because teams have been running all over them on the ground. Look for the Browns to try to establish the run, but for Frye to use his arm more this week and have his first game in which he throws multiple touchdowns.

RB - Julius Jones - Jones hasn't had a 100 yard game yet this season, but he is clearly the No. 1 RB in Dallas. He will be facing a Titans defense that is the worst in the league at defending the run from a fantasy perspective, giving up an average of over 163 yards on the ground per week. Look for Jones and the Cowboys to do a lot of damage on the ground since their receiving corps figures to be without Terrell Owens this week. Jones could be poised to have a huge game this week and you should have him in your lineup if you want to win!

RB - Chester Taylor - Taylor has been pretty consistent so far this year. Consistent, but not spectacular. We expect him to be a little closer to spectacular in this game as the Vikings will be facing a Bills defense that currently ranks 20th in team fantasy rankings when it comes to stopping the run. Expect Taylor to get plenty of carries behind his massive offensive line. Taylor currently leads the NFL in rushing attempts with 75. Rushing behind that big line, against a weak rushing defense, Taylor should be able to produce his second 100+ yard game of the season.

WR - Troy Williamson - Williamson has been the deep threat in the Vikings offense so far this season averaging 15.6 yards per catch. Expect Brad Johnson to look Williamson's way often, since the Bills start a pair of inexperienced players at the safety position. Even thought the Bills rank 12th in passing defense, we think the Johnson will be able to find Williamson deep on at least one big play.

WR - Terry Glenn - With Terrell Owens not expected to suit up this week, Glenn should be a definite starter in any league. The Cowboys are going against a Titans team that currently ranks 23rd against the pass and gives up an average of over 222 yards per game through the air. Look for Glenn to be the focal point of the Cowboys passing game and put up some quality fantasy points for you this week.

TE - Eric Johnson - With the injury to rookie tight end Vernon Davis last week, Johnson will be the clear No. 1 tight end for the Niners. Look for Johnson to be QB Alex Smith's safety valve against an aggressive Chiefs defense. Johnson had a fine game last week after Davis left the game (7 rec. 87yds. 1 TD) and should be able to produce some points for you this week when he will carry the full load.

DEF - San Diego - The Chargers will be facing a Ravens offense that hasn't looked good as expected so far. Look for them to expose the Ravens offensive line that has some questions to it and get to Steve McNair repeatedly. The Charges only give up a little over 173 yards per game, total, and we don't expect they will give up much more than that, even though they playing on the road.

Geeks of the Week: Week 3

2006-09-20T15:31:00.000-04:00

Well, week two of fantasy football action is in the books for the 2006 season and fantasy owners are beginning to brag about that sleeper they drafted who is paying off big time or they are scratching their heads wondering why they drafted that big time bust. With two weeks in the books you can begin to see some trends with your players. You can begin to make the decision if your players will keep up the pace if they are surprises or if they can turn it around if they are off to a slow start.

Every year we have players that surprise the fantasy world and this year is no exception. We doubt too many people would have Chad Pennington scoring more fantasy points then Tom Brady, but Pennington is currently outscoring Brady 47 to 29. How about the fact that Michael Turner is outscoring Edgerrin James? Can these guys keep up the pace or is this just a two week hot start? Only time will tell. However, some players look like they are here to stay. Players like Frank Gore, Chester Taylor and Donte Stallworth have all taken advantage of the opportunities given to them and have excelled.

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 - Michael Vick – Vick has been able to get out of the pocket and create his own space this year. This has allowed him to take off and run if there isn’t an open receiver. He’s got 175 yards and a score on the ground to go along with 3 passing touchdowns. The Falcons travel to New Orleans for a big Monday night game and we think that he’ll have a special game in front of the national audience.

RB - Kevin Jones – Jones has gone up against two of the better defenses in the league and he hasn’t found the endzone yet. This week he goes up against the Packers who have the 30th ranked defense in the league. Look for Jones to continue to catch the ball out of the backfield; he’s already caught 11 passes in two games. We think this is the week that we see Jones find the endzone and combine for over 100 yards.

RB - Ronnie Brown – This is a must-win game for the Dolphins and they welcome in the hapless Titans into Miami. The Titans have given up the second most fantasy points on defense which should mean that we see a healthy dose of Ronnie Brown. Brown scored 2 touchdowns in week 1 but not too many yards. In week two he increased his yards per carry to 4.7 but didn’t get you any touchdowns. Against the Titans he should be able to do both.

WR - Donte Stallworth – We knew that Donte was eventually going to be the number one receiver in Philly, but he’s exploded on the scene. He has 222 yards and 2 touchdowns in just two games. Can he keep it up, should you sit him this week? Philly is going against an improved Niners defense but they have still given up the second most passing touchdowns in the league and the McNabb to Stallworth combo keeps it going for another week. Keep him in your lineup.

WR - Derrick Mason – Cleveland’s defense is ailing. They have suffered several key injuries in their secondary and they’ve had teams passing on them at will. This should allow Mason to exploit a depleted secondary. Mason has had 17 targets in two games so the McNair to Mason hookup is building. Baltimore has had its way with the Browns and we expect that to continue.

TE - Chris Cooley – Cooley hasn’t done much this season and has been a real headache for fantasy owners this year, but the Redskins play the fantasy equivalent of an aspirin this week; the Texans. The Texans rank dead last in fantasy points allowed and they’ve given up the most passing touchdowns in the league with six. The Redskins desperately don’t want to start out 0-3 and they need to get Cooley more involved. Look for a red zone score from Cooley.

Carolina D – The Panthers face an elimination game against Tampa Bay this week. The Bucs offense hasn’t scored a touchdown yet this year and their quarterback already has thrown 6 interceptions and been sacked 4 times. The Panthers have six sacks but only have one turnover this year but that was against better competition. Look for the Panthers to keep pressure on Tampa Bay and don’t be surprised if they force several turnovers.

Huddlegeeks Fantasy Analysis - Week 2

2006-09-17T10:39:00.000-04:00

Listen to the Geeks take of Week 2 Fantasy Football Action!

Week 2 Analysis