Claim or Defame? QB Edition Options

[Jason Wood]

It's time for a little fantasy exercise I'm calling CLAIM or DEFAME.

Two weeks into the season and some fantasy owners are pulling their hair out over the disappointing performance of some of their draft choices. This happens each and every year, but the trick is to figure out which early season duds are going to bounce back and become studs versus those who simply are going to fall well short of preseason expectations.

* If a player got off to a rough start but still looks likely to bounce back...you want to CLAIM him via some savvy trade talks with your league mates.

* If a player struggled early and no longer looks viable as a fantasy starter...you want to DEFAME him but not before you offload his services to an unsuspecting league owner who foolishly holds out hope said player will rebound.

Quarterback Edition

The following fantasy QBs are currently well short of their preseason rankings and ADP. Which, if any, do you think are worth CLAIMING?

* Ben Roethlisberger, PIT (QB15)
* David Garrard, JAX (QB18)
* Matt Hasselbeck, SEA (QB21)
* Marc Bulger, STL (QB23)
* Derek Anderson, CLE (QB24)
* Carson Palmer, CIN (QB33)

[rzrback77]

It really comes down to cost, but I'll be willing to guess that most owners of those QBs would not sell for what I would offer so I'll vote defame all.

[gbill2004]

Garrard is garbage.

Hasselbeck will improve once he gets his receivers (Engram and Branch) back in week 5.

Bulger is garbage.

Derek Anderson will be benched by week 8 in favour of Brady Quinn.

Carson Palmer is worth a pickup I think - with the WRs he has, he just has to get better.

This post has been edited by gbill2004: Sep 16 2008, 09:02 PM

[Routilla]

It's time for a little fantasy exercise I'm calling CLAIM or DEFAME.

Two weeks into the season and some fantasy owners are pulling their hair out over the disappointing performance of some of their draft choices. This happens each and every year, but the trick is to figure out which early season duds are going to bounce back and become studs versus those who simply are going to fall well short of preseason expectations.

* If a player got off to a rough start but still looks likely to bounce back...you want to CLAIM him via some savvy trade talks with your league mates.

* If a player struggled early and no longer looks viable as a fantasy starter...you want to DEFAME him but not before you offload his services to an unsuspecting league owner who foolishly holds out hope said player will rebound.

Quarterback Edition

The following fantasy QBs are currently well short of their preseason rankings and ADP. Which, if any, do you think are worth CLAIMING?

* Ben Roethlisberger, PIT (QB15)
* David Garrard, JAX (QB18)
* Matt Hasselbeck, SEA (QB21)
* Marc Bulger, STL (QB23)
* Derek Anderson, CLE (QB24)
* Carson Palmer, CIN (QB33)

CLAIM DA. The Browns just lost DE Robaire Smith and their depth against the run is going to be an issue. That being said opposing teams should not have a hard time scoring points against them. The Browns offense is really just together for what would have been their 3rd pre-season game. I think DA and Edwards begin to find their rhythm shortly and they will need it with their DEF giving up over 375 yards per game.

This post has been edited by Routilla: Sep 16 2008, 09:03 PM

[Jason Wood]

Based on what I think I would have to pay and owners willingness to part ways, I would claim Hasselbeck and Palmer. In Palmer's case, there's no way he's not going to put up some monster numbers IMHO. Housh and Ocho aren't going to continue to be that bad, they have no running game and the defense is terrible. Plus Chris Henry comes back for the final 12 games, which should really open up the vertical attack. In Hasselbeck's case, he's completely unloved right now and, as others have suggested, gets Branch and Engram back in a few weeks. I don't view either guy as fantasy starting material on a weekly basis, but think both are solid QB2s that can be had on the relative cheap right now.

[Sam Quentin]

* Ben Roethlisberger, PIT (QB15)

The rest of that group has bust written all over them

[Bri]

half that list played in Hurricane Ike's leftover storm this past weekend
IIRC at Titansonline.com it read that the Titans-Bengals game reportedly had winds of 30-40mph with gusts up to 60mph fairly often.

[Sigmund Bloom]

In Palmer's case, there's no way he's not going to put up some monster numbers IMHO. Housh and Ocho aren't going to continue to be that bad, they have no running game and the defense is terrible. Plus Chris Henry comes back for the final 12 games, which should really open up the vertical attack.

Cincy's offense is beyond inept right now, if they don't improve, that's the way he doesn't put up some monster numbers. Palmer and Chris Perry are playing their hearts out, but the way that line (isn't) blocking, I don't know how these guys will stay healthy. Palmer can't find the WRs downfield if he doesn't have time. Plus, this whole team has had an implosion vibe around it, and I don't know if you want any part of that.

Not that Palmer isn't a risk worth taking, because he's an excellent player, but I would only give modest value for him, something out of the top 50-75 players.

[VonRomig]

If you are going to trade away a QB after only two weeks, you are in panic mode.

If you are trading to get one of these QBs, who are you giving up? Are you grabbing a QB in a slump with one of your RBs or WRs in a slump?

No one is going to give away a stud RB or WR for a slumping QB... so you have to give a slumping RB or WR to get him. That just means that both parties are betting on which slumping player is going to bounce back and which one is going to continue downward.

It would be best to wait a while longer before you start to panic. This goes for both sides, the owner of the slumping QB and those with the slumping RBs and WRs.

Owners who trade during the first series of games are not Sharks, they're gamblers.

Besides, history shows that changes in players' rising and falling are seen as in the first half, last half of the season... not after two games. Try this thread after week 6 or so.

Von

[Bri]

If you are going to trade away a QB after only two weeks, you are in panic mode.

If you are trading to get one of these QBs, who are you giving up? Are you grabbing a QB in a slump with one of your RBs or WRs in a slump?

No one is going to give away a stud RB or WR for a slumping QB... so you have to give a slumping RB or WR to get him. That just means that both parties are betting on which slumping player is going to bounce back and which one is going to continue downward.

It would be best to wait a while longer before you start to panic. This goes for both sides, the owner of the slumping QB and those with the slumping RBs and WRs.

Owners who trade during the first series of games are not Sharks, they're gamblers.

Besides, history shows that changes in players' rising and falling are seen as in the first half, last half of the season... not after two games. Try this thread after week 6 or so.

Von

with the bye week an assumed zero, we already know 25%(23?) of a players score this FF season. 3 of 13 weeks

[packersfan]

It's time for a little fantasy exercise I'm calling CLAIM or DEFAME.

Two weeks into the season and some fantasy owners are pulling their hair out over the disappointing performance of some of their draft choices. This happens each and every year, but the trick is to figure out which early season duds are going to bounce back and become studs versus those who simply are going to fall well short of preseason expectations.

* If a player got off to a rough start but still looks likely to bounce back...you want to CLAIM him via some savvy trade talks with your league mates.

* If a player struggled early and no longer looks viable as a fantasy starter...you want to DEFAME him but not before you offload his services to an unsuspecting league owner who foolishly holds out hope said player will rebound.

Quarterback Edition

The following fantasy QBs are currently well short of their preseason rankings and ADP. Which, if any, do you think are worth CLAIMING?

* Ben Roethlisberger, PIT (QB15)
* David Garrard, JAX (QB18)
* Matt Hasselbeck, SEA (QB21)
* Marc Bulger, STL (QB23)
* Derek Anderson, CLE (QB24)
* Carson Palmer, CIN (QB33)

I expect Roethlisberger to live up to his preseason ADP. He has the talent and the weapons offensively to succeed at a high level.

I think Hasselbeck bounces back once Engram and (hopefully) Branch return. He just needs WRs he can trust. Right now, he has none.

Palmer is simply FAR too talented in my opinion to play this poorly all season long. He may not be a Top 5 QB but with his talent and the talent he has at WR he should be a Top 10 QB when it's all said and done.

I think Bulger finishes in the 18-20 range so only a moderate improvement for him.

I am not impressed at all with Garrard. He's a guy who needs everything perfect in order to do well. If it isn't, he can't lift the team as a passer. He does have some great matchups down the road but he really looks like a marginal QB to me so I wouldn't be surprised to see him finish in the 18-20 range or in the low 20s.