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WR Matchups to Exploit/Avoid (1 Viewer)

laughinboy_2000

Footballguy
OK, so this is the first installment of WR match-ups to Avoid/Exploit. I hope everyone enjoys it and we can have some fun with it.

Let me repeat something I posted yesterday:

1. Let me assure everybody, I'm NOT going more than three deep in my WR matchup to avoid/exploit. Normally going two or maybe three deep if I feel somebody is being overlooked.

2. I am by no means a professional, but I would like to think I have a lot of football knowledge.

3. I may give everyone an occasional sleeper to look at, but I would hope people would understand that's exactly what it is, a sleeper pick. If anyone reads the "Offensive Sleepers" portion on the FBG page, sometimes they are right on the money with those picks and sometimes they are not. That's basically how mine should be considered.

Some other things I would like to point out. I basically followed MOP’s format in this article, but I will be changing the format as the season goes along. Any suggestions you guys have would be welcomed. If you guys have any questions about matchups, just let me know, and I’ll give you my opinion.

So without any further ado….

- St. Louis @ SF:

Both of these QB’s struggled last week and I think BOTH offenses may be in trouble this year. The loss of Orlando Pace last week is not good for the Ram offense. They were actually moving the ball last week against the Panthers and then when he got hurt, the entire offense stalled and Carolina took advantage. For the 9er’s they just looked awful and I’m not sure other than Frank Gore who is going to move the ball this year for them.

Holt/Bruce: Holt’s knee did not seem to be an issue last week and is by far the best WR on the Rams offense. All the talk about the new weapons and whether it would take away targets to Holt were answered with a resounding NO. Holt was targeted 12 times and caught eight of them. I expect Holt to have his first 100-yard game and a TD. He’s a must start this week. Bruce gets no respect. The guy constantly goes out and grabs 5-6 passes posts 70-100 yards and the occasional TD. A TD this week against the 9ers should not shock anybody.

SF WR’s: Yikes, who is Smith going to throw the ball to this year? D-Jax was targeted 10 times last week, but only caught four of them. Vernon Davis was virtually invisible, and that leaves Arnaz Battle who was their most productive option on offense catching five passes for 60 yards and scoring a rushing TD on an end around from the one-yard line. I would avoid all SF receivers at this point, but if you are hard pressed, I would roll the dice with Battle. He’s a sneaky play this week IMO.

- Buffalo @ Pittsburgh

The offense for the Steelers this year is going to be fun to watch. No more of this smash mouthed run the ball down team’s throats. The Steeler’s HC had promised to open up the offense and they did just that as Big Ben tossing a career high 4 TDs against the Brownies! Buffalo meanwhile was dreadful on offense and Losman struggled getting the ball to his main man Lee Evans.

Santonio Holmes/Ward: Holmes is ready for a break out season folks, and I think he can do some damage against a suspect Bills secondary. He only got targeted three times last week, but he did convert a beautiful 55-yard TD bomb in double coverage. I can see 70+ yards and a score from Holmes this week. Ward led all Steeler receivers in targets with six, and also caught a TD. He usually posts solid numbers against the Browns and should have a fine day with 100+ yards and a TD.

Lee Evans: If the Bills are going to have a shot (and I don’t think they do…) they are going to have to at least DOUBLE the amount of targets Evans got last week (5). Evans is a deep threat and you can better believe the Steelers will have an eye on him. I would consider other options if you got some. Evans has a chance for 70+ yards and a TD if he’s lucky.

- Green Bay @ NYG

Too bad Eli can’t play because this had the makings of a shootout between the younger Manning and one of the all-time greats in Favre.

Donald Driver/Jones: A so-so start for Driver last week against a solid Philly pass D catching six passes for 66 yards. The most important part though was Driver looked healthy, and a healthy Driver means big numbers this week against the G-men’s banged up secondary. Expect 100+ yards and two TDs. Rookie sensation James Jones continues to take advantage of the Greg Jennings injury situation and could post 50-80 yards recieving and a TD. I think the reciever of the day though is going to be Driver.

Plax Burress/Toomer/Shockey: It’s a shame that Manning went down last week, because Plax looked great Monday night against the Cowboy’s. So let me get this right. Some fat stuffed doughboy looking dude is going to be throwing passes now? You have no choice but to downgrade Plax here as well as all the other WRs on the Giants. Look for Burress to end up with 70+ yards and a TD… Maybe. I can’t recommend playing the guy despite his three TD effort last week.

- Atlanta @ Jacksonville:

You mean these teams actually have WRs? I don’t see much value in this game from the WR position folks, so let’s try to sort this out.

ATL WRs/Alge Crumpler: Crump is BY FAR their best option offensively, but the problem is Joey Harrington is throwing him passes. I can see four catches for 40+ yards and a TD this week, and even THAT is stretching it a little. I expect ATL to pound the rock with Dunn and Norwood.

Dennis Northcutt: Are you serious? Dennis freaking Northcutt? Is this the same guy who sucked out loud in Cleveland? The answers to these questions are Yes, Yes, and Yes. He was targeted nine times last week and caught four of them for 57 yards. He seems to be the fave of QB David Garrard. I would not recommend starting him, but he’s worth a roster spot… I think?

- Cincinnati @ Cleveland:

Ah, this is going to be ugly. Did you see how much trouble the Browns had covering Steeler receivers? And now they have CJ and Housh coming to town? The ONLY thing that could possibly hold back these two is if the Bengals decide to run the ball with Rudi. For the Browns, I don’t care what people say, it’s time for Brady Quinn to arrive so we can see what he can do on the field.

Chad Johnson/Housh: OK, Chad we all know your going to score this week. But please for the love of God, you’ve got to have a better celebration than what you had last week. Johnson will do his usual 120+ yards and a TD. All Housh does is catch passes and convert opportunities. He’s approaching Reggie Wayne territory. He’s a must start and will go over 100 yards and score at least once.

Braylon Edwards/Winslow: It’s a shame this guy is stuck on the Browns, he’s got some serious talent. The Bengals D can be had so I expect Braylon and Winslow to be solid this week as they will likely have to be playing catch up and throwing the ball a ton. Consider starting Braylon and Winslow. Consider starting Winslow and Edwards.

- Houston @ Carolina:

I REALLY like the way Houston looked last week, and the Matt Shaub to Andre Johnson show has officially arrived. Meanwhile, Jake Delhomme and Steve Smith are going to be fun combo to watch as long as they can stay healthy.

Andre Johnson: Everyone from what I’ve read thinks this might be a tough match-up for the Texans. However, the Panther secondary is very young and inexperienced and I think Shaub and AJ can exploit this in a BIG way. Johnson’s size is going to create problems in the Panther secondary. You can expect another 120+ yards and a TD this week from AJ.

Steve Smith: Uh oh, Smittee has gone on record that he wants 2000+ yards and 15 TDs this year? If he can average 125+ yards and a TD each week, he may have it. Of course that’s not going to happen, but he’s a great start this week against the Texans. Anything less than 100 yards and a TD would be a disappointment. And what’s this business about Drew Carter catching TDs?

- Indy @Tenn.

Mark my words, this game will be a little closer than people think.

Marvin Harrison/Reggie Wayne: Start both of these guys, but understand that Harrison goes crazy when they play the Titans. Last year in week 13 Harrison caught seven passes for 172 yards and a TD. Interestingly enough, Wayne struggled last year only catching six passes for 81 yards and one TD against the Titans through two games. I expect Harrison to do the damage this week by going over 100 yards and scoring at least once. I would NEVER say bench Reggie Wayne, but temper your expectations.

Tenn WRs/Bo Scaife: I cannot and will not recommend a Titan this week other than TE Bo Scaife. The Titans are going to run the ball, and then run it some more, and then run some more after that.

- NO @ TB:

Wow, 10 stinking points last week for Brees and company? Say it ain’t so. This will be an interesting game to watch for the Saints this week, to see if the offense can get rolling.

Colston/Henderson: I can only hope the Saints O was just rusty last week and can get it going this week. They were a fun team to watch last year. Colston actually looked good IMO last week despite what his numbers looked like. Colston should be able to put up solid number to the tune of 80+ yards and a TD, but to say I’m not worried about the Saints O, I would be lying.

Joey Galloway: Isn’t this guy like 40 years old or something? He’s their best option on offense right now, and I don’t see him slowing down. Don’t be surprised to see 100+ yards and a score from Joey G making him an excellent WR2. Manning exposed their passing D last week so the Bucs should have some success through the air.

- Dallas @ Miami:

I hope Dallas fans had fun watching the G-men make Tony Romo look like Joe Montana last week. The Fins are a little better defensively, and I expect them to put much more pressure on Romo.

TO/Witten/Crayton: These guys were open way too much last week. That will change this week as I suspect defenses will key in on TO and Witten. The wild card out of this bunch I feel is Crayton. We could see our first big game out of him if he sees single coverage. TO won’t see 100 yards this week, but will find pay dirt.

Chambers/Booker: This will the fins best way to attack the Cowboys. If they want to win this game, Trent Green is going to have to air it out to keep up with the Cowboy's scoring ways. The Cowboy secondary has injury concerns and Chambers and Booker should find ways to get open and produce. One of these WRs will have 100+ yards receiving, but I just can't decide which one. Flip a coin and tell me.

- Seattle @ AZ:

To this day, I just don't understand why the Cards want to run the ball when they have talents like Fitz and Bolden. Meanwhile I for one was disappointed in the Seattle offense last week. When their best receiver gets three targets and ZERO catches, you have to fix it quickly. I expect Branch to be very involved this week.

Branch/Engram: Need another reason to start Branch this week? How about the Hawks #2 WR Hackett injuring his ankle last week. There is officially now no excuse for the Hawks not getting Branch. If Hackett can't go, Engram would get some looks as well, but I’d steer clear of him. Branch and SA will be doing the scoring in this game.

Boldin/Fitz: These guys are studs, and if the Cards want to win these guys need to be involved. Yes the coaches are preaching the running game, but this will loosen up coverage on Fitz and Boldin. I know Leinart looked awful as did the entire offense, but I just don't see it continuing. Boldin and Fitz rebound this week, BIG. I see them upsetting Seattle and winning the game outright.

- Detroit @ Minn.:

This should be a good game. The hard nosed Viking D against the high scoring ways of Mike Martz and the Lions.

Bobby Wade/Rice/Williamson: Please don’t torture yourself and try to figure out the receiver situation in Viking land. My best guess is Bobby Wade will get the most targets, but what he does with those is beyond me?

RW/CJ2/Furrey: Was anybody else disappointed in the 4 catch 20 yard performance from Roy Williams? Quick trivia question. When was the last time RW scored a TD against the Vikes? If you said 2004, you have way too much football knowledge. RW just has never played well against the Vikes. I’m not saying you need to bench him, I’m saying temper your expectations for the guy. I do think that Furrey and CJ2 will out produce RW. Just a gut feeling though. Furrey and CJ2 are solid WR3's this week.

- Oakland @ Denver:

Call me crazy, but I like the move to Culpepper for the Raiders. Yea I know he is going to turn the ball over, but he will also put up some solid yardage and the occasional TD. For the Broncos, mark me down as a Brandon Marshall believer. The guy has some sick hands folks.

Curry/Porter: I hope people are not going too crazy about Curry’s 10 catch performance. Yes it was nice to see, but if he’s matched up against the best CB in the league Champ Bailey, I can promise you he’s not going to get you half that many catches this week. This may open up some room for Porter to do some damage. It will be interesting to see who CPepp favors the most. My best guess is whole bunch of dump off passes to Lamont.

Walker/Marshall: Cutler has quite the combo here as both Walker and Marshall can score on just about any play. The two combined for an amazing 23 targets last week against the Bills so the opportunities are there. Walker and Marshall are solid plays this as the Broncos should be able to roll up some points this week.

- NYJ @ Baltimore:

Is this really going to be a Kellen Clemens vs. Kyle Boler match-up? What did the fantasy world do to deserve this?

Mason/Williams/Clayton: The one guy I like out of this group is Demetrius Williams. I liked what I saw from this kid in the pre-season and last week. He was targeted nine times last week and at 6’2, he provides a nice option at the goal line for whoever is the QB. Mason had a solid game as well last week and could find pay dirt this week against a bad Jets secondary.

Coles/Cotchery: This is a good set of receivers for the Jets as I like both of these guys a lot. Unfortunately, they will likely have a new QB in Clemens and have to face an angry Ravens D that allowed Carson Palmer to light them up last week. I can’t recommend starting either one of these guys, but again if you have to, Coles is the better option.

- Kansas City @ Chicago:

Wow, both of these QBs looked awful last week. I hope nobody actually started anybody offensively on either one of these teams. If you did, my sincere condolences.

Bowe/Parker/Gonzales: Please oh please oh please don't start anybody in this group. Gonzo has a chance to produce a couple of yards, but I know you guys saw what they did to Phillip Rivers last week right. The Bears are MAD and they are going to be in attack mode all game long. One thing for sure though, if there was ever a week to start Rex Grossman, this is your week!

Berrian/Moose: It’s no secret folks, the KC defense is bad, VERY BAD. I’ve said it from the beginning of last year. Rex is awful against good defenses (aka the Chargers last week) but absolutely goes crazy against bad defenses. Rex will have plenty of time to sit in the pocket and find Berrian and Moose open all over the field. This is the week you start your Bear fantasy players. Berrian should be golden for 100+ yards and a TD. Moose will get involved to the tune of 75+ yards, with a small possibility of a TD.

- SD @ NE:

This has the ingredients of a great football game. I see some serious fireworks in this game with tons of fantasy potential.

Vinnie Jax/Gates/Tomlinson: All three of these guys will very active on the field. I know VJ had an off game last week, but I’m attributing that to the Bears defense. Don’t know quite sure how big the injury to Gates’ is but if he is limited in any way, shape, or form, VJ’s value goes up. Speaking of Gates, if he’s OK I can see him duplicating last weeks performance of 100 yards and a TD. And then there’s that guy LT out of the backfield. He should be automatic for 100 total yards at least five catches, and a couple of scores.

Moss/Welker/Stallworth: OK, everybody settle down and put down the Randy Moss kool-aid. He had an awesome game last week, but they are NOT playing the J-E-T-S JETS JETS JETS again this week. This is a much better defense, and although I do think Moss finds the end zone this week, 80-90 yards and TD is what I see from him this week. Welker played very well in his first action in a Pats uniform, and could be a possible sleeper this week in PPR leagues. He was targeted nine times last week and caught six balls and a TD. Brady has no problems throwing him the ball. I’m having a hard time understanding what Stallworth’s role will be like in this offense, so he rides the pine until he can show some form of life.

- Washington @ Philadelphia

This is always an entertaining game, as these two teams just don’t like each other. Both of these offenses struggled last week so it’s hard to grasp how they will perform this week.

Moss/Randle-El/Cooley: In order for there to be any value here, Campbell has to learn how to complete passes to HIS team and not THE OTHER team. The one guy to me to watch out for this week is Moss. He loves Primetime games and usually has some ridiculous stats like 7 catches for 150 yards, two TDs. However, he did not do much last year against the Eagles so 50-60 yards and a TD IMO would be my expectation. Anything more that that is gravy! I also think Cooley will be way more involved in the game. His one catch performance is just not going to cut it. I see the coaches getting him involved a lot more. Why have I not mentioned Randle-El until now? Because I think he may have been a one week wonder. If I see another performance like last week, I may change my mind.

Brown/Avant/Curtis/Westy: Anybody else see that sick catch by Avant last week? He could have some nice value in this offense, but McNabb needs to be more accurate with ALL of his receivers. The Skins secondary is decent with Landry and Taylor laying vicious hits on receivers. Nabby though is due for a good game and passed for 257 yards and two TDs last year against the Skins. I can see the same type of stats this week with TDs to Reggie Brown and Westy. Curtis and Avant need to show me a bit more to get in my lineup.

 
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Very nice job with the matchups. :shrug:

I would add though that Manning is not officially out. In fact, all the talk here in NY on the sports radio shows is that Manning will be ready on Sunday. Based on everything I've heard, I'd be surprised if he isn't in there.

 
I love the length of the analysis/thread. Will print it out for the commode and come back with more thoughts. But it looks like a keeper. :shrug:

 
Very nice job with the matchups. :goodposting: I would add though that Manning is not officially out. In fact, all the talk here in NY on the sports radio shows is that Manning will be ready on Sunday. Based on everything I've heard, I'd be surprised if he isn't in there.
Interesting, I would definately change my opinion about that game if he starts. Last I've heard is that he's out.
 
- Dallas @ Miami:

I hope Dallas fans had fun watching the G-men make Tony Romo look like Joe Montana last week. The Fins are a little better defensively, and I expect them to put much more pressure on Romo.

TO/Witten/Crayton: These guys were open way too much last week. That will change this week as I suspect defenses will key in on TO and Witten. The wild card out of this bunch I feel is Crayton. We could see our first big game out of him if he sees single coverage. TO won’t see 100 yards this week, but will find pay dirt.

Chambers/Booker: This will the fins best way to attack the Cowboys. If they want to win this game, Trent Green is going to have to air it out to keep up with the Cowboy's scoring ways. The Cowboy secondary has injury concerns and Chambers and Booker should find ways to get open and produce. One of these WRs will have 100+ yards receiving, but I just can't decide which one. Flip a coin and tell me.

I like the idea of Booker having a good week, after last week everybody seems to think Chambers is the only option. Last year I think Booker out produced Chambers. I don't see Booker any more than a WR#3 and not sure Chambers can be trusted week in and week out, only 1 week so far, one snow flake does not make a storm. I like Booker as a sleeper this week and could produce all year as Green is an upgrade from last year and the run game may have problems all year.
 
I like the idea of Booker having a good week, after last week everybody seems to think Chambers is the only option. Last year I think Booker out produced Chambers. I don't see Booker any more than a WR#3 and not sure Chambers can be trusted week in and week out, only 1 week so far, one snow flake does not make a storm. I like Booker as a sleeper this week and could produce all year as Green is an upgrade from last year and the run game may have problems all year.
You are correct, Booker outproduced Chambers last year, as Chambers had career lows in all catagories.
 
Good stuff. :confused: I always enjoy the rips. Good ones on Jax., Minn and KC. They deserve it for putting out such an inferior product.

 
OK, so this is the first installment of WR match-ups to Avoid/Exploit. I hope everyone enjoys it and we can have some fun with it.

Let me repeat something I posted yesterday:

1. Let me assure everybody, I'm NOT going more than three deep in my WR matchup to avoid/exploit. Normally going two or maybe three deep if I feel somebody is being overlooked.

2. I am by no means a professional, but I would like to think I have a lot of football knowledge.

3. I may give everyone an occasional sleeper to look at, but I would hope people would understand that's exactly what it is, a sleeper pick. If anyone reads the "Offensive Sleepers" portion on the FBG page, sometimes they are right on the money with those picks and sometimes they are not. That's basically how mine should be considered.

Some other things I would like to point out. I basically followed MOP’s format in this article, but I will be changing the format as the season goes along. Any suggestions you guys have would be welcomed. If you guys have any questions about matchups, just let me know, and I’ll give you my opinion.

So without any further ado….

- St. Louis @ SF:

Both of these QB’s struggled last week and I think BOTH offenses may be in trouble this year. The loss of Orlando Pace last week is not good for the Ram offense. They were actually moving the ball last week against the Panthers and then when he got hurt, the entire offense stalled and Carolina took advantage. For the 9er’s they just looked awful and I’m not sure other than Frank Gore who is going to move the ball this year for them.

Holt/Bruce: Holt’s knee did not seem to be an issue last week and is by far the best WR on the Rams offense. All the talk about the new weapons and whether it would take away targets to Holt were answered with a resounding NO. Holt was targeted 12 times and caught eight of them. I expect Holt to have his first 100-yard game and a TD. He’s a must start this week. Bruce gets no respect. The guy constantly goes out and grabs 5-6 passes posts 70-100 yards and the occasional TD. A TD this week against the 9ers should not shock anybody.

Bulger didn't look so good last week and they lost Pace. That has a big impact on the passing game as much as anything.

SF WR’s: Yikes, who is Smith going to throw the ball to this year? D-Jax was targeted 10 times last week, but only caught four of them. Vernon Davis was virtually invisible, and that leaves Arnaz Battle who was their most productive option on offense catching five passes for 60 yards and scoring a rushing TD on an end around from the one-yard line. I would avoid all SF receivers at this point, but if you are hard pressed, I would roll the dice with Battle. He’s a sneaky play this week IMO.

I like DJAX this week...10 targets last week, I didn't read where he was dropping balls. He will develop good chemistry with Smith as the season progresses

- Buffalo @ Pittsburgh

The offense for the Steelers this year is going to be fun to watch. No more of this smash mouthed run the ball down team’s throats. The Steeler’s HC had promised to open up the offense and they did just that as Big Ben tossing a career high 4 TDs against the Brownies! Buffalo meanwhile was dreadful on offense and Losman struggled getting the ball to his main man Lee Evans.

Santonio Holmes/Ward: Holmes is ready for a break out season folks, and I think he can do some damage against a suspect Bills secondary. He only got targeted three times last week, but he did convert a beautiful 55-yard TD bomb in double coverage. I can see 70+ yards and a score from Holmes this week. Ward led all Steeler receivers in targets with six, and also caught a TD. He usually posts solid numbers against the Browns and should have a fine day with 100+ yards and a TD.

Lee Evans: If the Bills are going to have a shot (and I don’t think they do…) they are going to have to at least DOUBLE the amount of targets Evans got last week (5). Evans is a deep threat and you can better believe the Steelers will have an eye on him. I would consider other options if you got some. Evans has a chance for 70+ yards and a TD if he’s lucky.

- Green Bay @ NYG

Too bad Eli can’t play because this had the makings of a shootout between the younger Manning and one of the all-time greats in Favre.

Donald Driver/Jones: A so-so start for Driver last week against a solid Philly pass D catching six passes for 66 yards. The most important part though was Driver looked healthy, and a healthy Driver means big numbers this week against the G-men’s banged up secondary. Expect 100+ yards and two TDs. Rookie sensation James Jones continues to take advantage of the Greg Jennings injury situation and could post 50-80 yards recieving and a TD. I think the reciever of the day though is going to be Driver.

Plax Burress/Toomer/Shockey: It’s a shame that Manning went down last week, because Plax looked great Monday night against the Cowboy’s. So let me get this right. Some fat stuffed doughboy looking dude is going to be throwing passes now? You have no choice but to downgrade Plax here as well as all the other WRs on the Giants. Look for Burress to end up with 70+ yards and a TD… Maybe. I can’t recommend playing the guy despite his three TD effort last week.

- Atlanta @ Jacksonville:

You mean these teams actually have WRs? I don’t see much value in this game from the WR position folks, so let’s try to sort this out.

ATL WRs/Alge Crumpler: Crump is BY FAR their best option offensively, but the problem is Joey Harrington is throwing him passes. I can see four catches for 40+ yards and a TD this week, and even THAT is stretching it a little. I expect ATL to pound the rock with Dunn and Norwood.

Dennis Northcutt: Are you serious? Dennis freaking Northcutt? Is this the same guy who sucked out loud in Cleveland? The answers to these questions are Yes, Yes, and Yes. He was targeted nine times last week and caught four of them for 57 yards. He seems to be the fave of QB David Garrard. I would not recommend starting him, but he’s worth a roster spot… I think?

Yes

- Cincinnati @ Cleveland:

Ah, this is going to be ugly. Did you see how much trouble the Browns had covering Steeler receivers? And now they have CJ and Housh coming to town? The ONLY thing that could possibly hold back these two is if the Bengals decide to run the ball with Rudi. For the Browns, I don’t care what people say, it’s time for Brady Quinn to arrive so we can see what he can do on the field.

Chad Johnson/Housh: OK, Chad we all know your going to score this week. But please for the love of God, you’ve got to have a better celebration than what you had last week. Johnson will do his usual 120+ yards and a TD. All Housh does is catch passes and convert opportunities. He’s approaching Reggie Wayne territory. He’s a must start and will go over 100 yards and score at least once.

Braylon Edwards/Winslow: It’s a shame this guy is stuck on the Browns, he’s got some serious talent. The Bengals D can be had so I expect Braylon and Winslow to be solid this week as they will likely have to be playing catch up and throwing the ball a ton. Consider starting Braylon and Winslow. Consider starting Winslow and Edwards.

- Houston @ Carolina:

I REALLY like the way Houston looked last week, and the Matt Shaub to Andre Johnson show has officially arrived. Meanwhile, Jake Delhomme and Steve Smith are going to be fun combo to watch as long as they can stay healthy.

Andre Johnson: Everyone from what I’ve read thinks this might be a tough match-up for the Texans. However, the Panther secondary is very young and inexperienced and I think Shaub and AJ can exploit this in a BIG way. Johnson’s size is going to create problems in the Panther secondary. You can expect another 120+ yards and a TD this week from AJ.

Not as optimistic as you this week.

Steve Smith: Uh oh, Smittee has gone on record that he wants 2000+ yards and 15 TDs this year? If he can average 125+ yards and a TD each week, he may have it. Of course that’s not going to happen, but he’s a great start this week against the Texans. Anything less than 100 yards and a TD would be a disappointment. And what’s this business about Drew Carter catching TDs?

- Indy @Tenn.

Mark my words, this game will be a little closer than people think.

Marvin Harrison/Reggie Wayne: Start both of these guys, but understand that Harrison goes crazy when they play the Titans. Last year in week 13 Harrison caught seven passes for 172 yards and a TD. Interestingly enough, Wayne struggled last year only catching six passes for 81 yards and one TD against the Titans. I expect Harrison to do the damage this week by going over 100 yards and scoring at least once. I would NEVER say bench Reggie Wayne, but temper your expectations.

Tenn WRs/Bo Scaife: I cannot and will not recommend a Titan this week other than TE Bo Scaife. The Titans are going to run the ball, and then run it some more, and then run some more after that.

- NO @ TB:

Wow, 10 stinking points last week for Brees and company? Say it ain’t so. This will be an interesting game to watch for the Saints this week, to see if the offense can get rolling.

Colston/Henderson: I can only hope the Saints O was just rusty last week and can get it going this week. They were a fun team to watch last year. Colston actually looked good IMO last week despite what his numbers looked like. Colston should be able to put up solid number to the tune of 80+ yards and a TD, but to say I’m not worried about the Saints O, I would be lying.

Bounce back game for the air attack

Joey Galloway: Isn’t this guy like 40 years old or something? He’s their best option on offense right now, and I don’t see him slowing down. Don’t be surprised to see 100+ yards and a score from Joey G making him an excellent WR2. Manning exposed their passing D last week so the Bucs should have some success through the air.

- Dallas @ Miami:

I hope Dallas fans had fun watching the G-men make Tony Romo look like Joe Montana last week. The Fins are a little better defensively, and I expect them to put much more pressure on Romo.

TO/Witten/Crayton: These guys were open way too much last week. That will change this week as I suspect defenses will key in on TO and Witten. The wild card out of this bunch I feel is Crayton. We could see our first big game out of him if he sees single coverage. TO won’t see 100 yards this week, but will find pay dirt.

TO is the #1 WR in FF, and will have the most consistency of anyone all season.

Chambers/Booker: This will the fins best way to attack the Cowboys. If they want to win this game, Trent Green is going to have to air it out to keep up with the Cowboy's scoring ways. The Cowboy secondary has injury concerns and Chambers and Booker should find ways to get open and produce. One of these WRs will have 100+ yards receiving, but I just can't decide which one. Flip a coin and tell me.

Neither of them. Eli>>>>>>Green

- Seattle @ AZ:

To this day, I just don't understand why the Cards want to run the ball when they have talents like Fitz and Bolden. Meanwhile I for one was disappointed in the Seattle offense last week. When their best receiver gets three targets and ZERO catches, you have to fix it quickly. I expect Branch to be very involved this week.

Branch/Engram: Need another reason to start Branch this week? How about the Hawks #2 WR Hackett injuring his ankle last week. There is officially now no excuse for the Hawks not getting Branch. If Hackett can't go, Engram would get some looks as well, but I’d steer clear of him. Branch and SA will be doing the scoring in this game.

Boldin/Fitz: These guys are studs, and if the Cards want to win these guys need to be involved. Yes the coaches are preaching the running game, but this will loosen up coverage on Fitz and Boldin. I know Leinart looked awful as did the entire offense, but I just don't see it continuing. Boldin and Fitz rebound this week, BIG. I see them upsetting Seattle and winning the game outright.

- Detroit @ Minn.:

This should be a good game. The hard nosed Viking D against the high scoring ways of Mike Martz and the Lions.

Bobby Wade/Rice/Williamson: Please don’t torture yourself and try to figure out the receiver situation in Viking land. My best guess is Bobby Wade will get the most targets, but what he does with those is beyond me?

RW/CJ2/Furrey: Was anybody else disappointed in the 4 catch 20 yard performance from Roy Williams? Quick trivia question. When was the last time RW scored a TD against the Vikes? If you said 2004, you have way too much football knowledge. RW just has never played well against the Vikes. I’m not saying you need to bench him, I’m saying temper your expectations for the guy. I do think that Furrey and CJ2 will out produce RW. Just a gut feeling though. Furrey and CJ2 are solid WR3's this week.

I expect Shaun McDonald to get 5-6 targets again this week

- Oakland @ Denver:

Call me crazy, but I like the move to Culpepper for the Raiders. Yea I know he is going to turn the ball over, but he will also put up some solid yardage and the occasional TD. For the Broncos, mark me down as a Brandon Marshall believer. The guy has some sick hands folks.

Curry/Porter: I hope people are not going too crazy about Curry’s 10 catch performance. Yes it was nice to see, but if he’s matched up against the best CB in the league Champ Bailey, I can promise you he’s not going to get you half that many catches this week. This may open up some room for Porter to do some damage. It will be interesting to see who CPepp favors the most. My best guess is whole bunch of dump off passes to Lamont.

Walker/Marshall: Cutler has quite the combo here as both Walker and Marshall can score on just about any play. The two combined for an amazing 23 targets last week against the Bills so the opportunities are there. Walker and Marshall are solid plays this as the Broncos should be able to roll up some points this week.

- NYJ @ Baltimore:

Is this really going to be a Kellen Clemens vs. Kyle Boler match-up? What did the fantasy world do to deserve this?

Mason/Williams/Clayton: The one guy I like out of this group is Demetrius Williams. I liked what I saw from this kid in the pre-season and last week. He was targeted nine times last week and at 6’2, he provides a nice option at the goal line for whoever is the QB. Mason had a solid game as well last week and could find pay dirt this week against a bad Jets secondary.

Demetrius has the "it" factor

Coles/Cotchery: This is a good set of receivers for the Jets as I like both of these guys a lot. Unfortunately, they will likely have a new QB in Clemens and have to face an angry Ravens D that allowed Carson Palmer to light them up last week. I can’t recommend starting either one of these guys, but again if you have to, Coles is the better option.

- Kansas City @ Chicago:

Wow, both of these QBs looked awful last week. I hope nobody actually started anybody offensively on either one of these teams. If you did, my sincere condolences.

Bowe/Parker/Gonzales: Please oh please oh please don't start anybody in this group. Gonzo has a chance to produce a couple of yards, but I know you guys saw what they did to Phillip Rivers last week right. The Bears are MAD and they are going to be in attack mode all game long. One thing for sure though, if there was ever a week to start Rex Grossman, this is your week!

Berrian/Moose: It’s no secret folks, the KC defense is bad, VERY BAD. I’ve said it from the beginning of last year. Rex is awful against good defenses (aka the Chargers last week) but absolutely goes crazy against bad defenses. Rex will have plenty of time to sit in the pocket and find Berrian and Moose open all over the field. This is the week you start your Bear fantasy players. Berrian should be golden for 100+ yards and a TD. Moose will get involved to the tune of 75+ yards, with a small possibility of a TD.

- SD @ NE:

This has the ingredients of a great football game. I see some serious fireworks in this game with tons of fantasy potential.

Vinnie Jax/Gates/Tomlinson: All three of these guys will very active on the field. I know VJ had an off game last week, but I’m attributing that to the Bears defense. Don’t know quite sure how big the injury to Gates’ is but if he is limited in any way, shape, or form, VJ’s value goes up. Speaking of Gates, if he’s OK I can see him duplicating last weeks performance of 100 yards and a TD. And then there’s that guy LT out of the backfield. He should be automatic for 100 total yards at least five catches, and a couple of scores.

Moss/Welker/Stallworth: OK, everybody settle down and put down the Randy Moss kool-aid. He had an awesome game last week, but they are NOT playing the J-E-T-S JETS JETS JETS again this week. This is a much better defense, and although I do think Moss finds the end zone this week, 80-90 yards and TD is what I see from him this week. Welker played very well in his first action in a Pats uniform, and could be a possible sleeper this week in PPR leagues. He was targeted nine times last week and caught six balls and a TD. Brady has no problems throwing him the ball. I’m having a hard time understanding what Stallworth’s role will be like in this offense, so he rides the pine until he can show some form of life.

- Washington @ Philadelphia

This is always an entertaining game, as these two teams just don’t like each other. Both of these offenses struggled last week so it’s hard to grasp how they will perform this week.

Moss/Randle-El/Cooley: In order for there to be any value here, Campbell has to learn how to complete passes to HIS team and not THE OTHER team. The one guy to me to watch out for this week is Moss. He loves Primetime games and usually has some ridiculous stats like 7 catches for 150 yards, two TDs. However, he did not do much last year against the Eagles so 50-60 yards and a TD IMO would be my expectation. Anything more that that is gravy! I also think Cooley will be way more involved in the game. His one catch performance is just not going to cut it. I see the coaches getting him involved a lot more. Why have I not mentioned Randle-El until now? Because I think he may have been a one week wonder. If I see another performance like last week, I may change my mind.

Brown/Avant/Curtis/Westy: Anybody else see that sick catch by Avant last week? He could have some nice value in this offense, but McNabb needs to be more accurate with ALL of his receivers. The Skins secondary is decent with Landry and Taylor laying vicious hits on receivers. Nabby though is due for a good game and passed for 257 yards and two TDs last year against the Skins. I can see the same type of stats this week with TDs to Reggie Brown and Westy. Curtis and Avant need to show me a bit more to get in my lineup.
Nice thread LB, look forward to you writing this all up because I can simply quote and write my thoughts within the material...makes things a lot easier. :thumbup:

 
Great analysis, the only issue I have is the Indy WRs, there is no Pacman Jones in the secondary this year, I have higher hopes for the all around passing game against the Titans this time around.

 
Great work laughinboy! :thumbup: I like the write up, it's always nice to see another point of view when you have tough decisions. Heck I can just let you and MOP set my roster every week. (joke)

It just goes to show you how far and above the rest of the league the Colts are when 6 for 81 and 1 TD is considered struggling for Wayne!

 
Nice work :goodposting:

Tenn WRs/Bo Scaife: I cannot and will not recommend a Titan this week other than TE Bo Scaife. The Titans are going to run the ball, and then run it some more, and then run some more after that.
Disagree here for one reason...the Colts will score and score quickly thus causing the Titans to play behind. I do not expect Tenn. to put up the running numbers they did last week, especially with Bob Sanders at safety. Chris Brown had several long runs and Sanders will eliminate that.Am I starting any Titan WR's? NO. But in my start 2QB league, I may need to look at VY because he will need to make plays.

 
OK, I know people would have issues with the low numbers from Wayne but you need to look at how he has previously performed.

-2006 - 6 catches 81 yards and 1 TD through two games.

-2005 - 5 catches for 98 yards and 2 TDs through two games.

He just has not put up stats against these guys.

 
Do you like Berrian over R. Moss this week?

I to start two out of these three WRs.... Berrian, R. Moss, Galloway.

Already starting Walker.

 
Atlanta @ Jacksonville:You mean these teams actually have WRs? I don’t see much value in this game from the WR position folks, so let’s try to sort this out.ATL WRs/Alge Crumpler: Crump is BY FAR their best option offensively, but the problem is Joey Harrington is throwing him passes. I can see four catches for 40+ yards and a TD this week, and even THAT is stretching it a little. I expect ATL to pound the rock with Dunn and Norwood.Dennis Northcutt: Are you serious? Dennis freaking Northcutt? Is this the same guy who sucked out loud in Cleveland? The answers to these questions are Yes, Yes, and Yes. He was targeted nine times last week and caught four of them for 57 yards. He seems to be the fave of QB David Garrard. I would not recommend starting him, but he’s worth a roster spot… I think?
I agree that the Jags WR stink out loud. The one guy you might want to watch out for in TE-required leagues is Marcedes Lewis. He looks like he's finally starting to catch on.
 
Do you like Berrian over R. Moss this week?I to start two out of these three WRs.... Berrian, R. Moss, Galloway.Already starting Walker.
This is more of an Assistant Coach forum question. This thread is not going to be a WDIS thread. It's strickly a WR matchup to Exploit/Avod thread. I would say Berrian and Moss will both EXPLOIT their matchups this week to the tune of each having one TD. As for who to plug into your lineup, ask some people in the Assistant Coach who they think you should start. Good luck :goodposting:
 
Atlanta @ Jacksonville:You mean these teams actually have WRs? I don’t see much value in this game from the WR position folks, so let’s try to sort this out.ATL WRs/Alge Crumpler: Crump is BY FAR their best option offensively, but the problem is Joey Harrington is throwing him passes. I can see four catches for 40+ yards and a TD this week, and even THAT is stretching it a little. I expect ATL to pound the rock with Dunn and Norwood.Dennis Northcutt: Are you serious? Dennis freaking Northcutt? Is this the same guy who sucked out loud in Cleveland? The answers to these questions are Yes, Yes, and Yes. He was targeted nine times last week and caught four of them for 57 yards. He seems to be the fave of QB David Garrard. I would not recommend starting him, but he’s worth a roster spot… I think?
I agree that the Jags WR stink out loud. The one guy you might want to watch out for in TE-required leagues is Marcedes Lewis. He looks like he's finally starting to catch on.
Northcutt... wow... love the deep dive on this one. I won't be picking him up and starting him. But this the sort of stuff ppl need... esp later in the year.
 
When is 6 for 81 and a TD "struggling"?
Umm.. You need to read the post again. That was through two games with the Titans, not just one. For me personally, I see a 50-70 yards and no TDs from Wayne. JMO.
What are your projections this week for Fitzgerald and Boldin? Catches, yards, TDs?
I'm hoping the coach figures out they need throw a bit more to win games. This is one game I like both Boldin and Fitz.Fitz: 8 catches for 110 yds, 1 TDBoldin: 6 catches 90 yards, 1 TDThis all depends on whether they let Edge carry the ball 25+ times and how accurate Leinart can be.
 
OK, so this is the first installment of WR match-ups to Avoid/Exploit. I hope everyone enjoys it and we can have some fun with it.

RW/CJ2/Furrey: Was anybody else disappointed in the 4 catch 20 yard performance from Roy Williams? Quick trivia question. When was the last time RW scored a TD against the Vikes? If you said 2004, you have way too much football knowledge. RW just has never played well against the Vikes. I’m not saying you need to bench him, I’m saying temper your expectations for the guy. I do think that Furrey and CJ2 will out produce RW. Just a gut feeling though. Furrey and CJ2 are solid WR3's this week.

Roy also has basically only played them twice since 2004 as well. Last year he got hurt in the 1st quarter (in the first couple minutes I believe) and his other game was descent with 6 catchers for 73 yards. In 2005 he was hurt the first game and then only had 4 catches for 34 yards. However the game before that, against Minnesota, he exploded for over 100 yards and 2 scores. The fact is Detroit is going to have to pass Sunday and I'll take my chances that Roy will get the rock.

Still great post though, thanks for taking the time to do this.
 
laughinboy_2000 said:
ceo3west said:
Very nice job with the matchups. :mellow: I would add though that Manning is not officially out. In fact, all the talk here in NY on the sports radio shows is that Manning will be ready on Sunday. Based on everything I've heard, I'd be surprised if he isn't in there.
Interesting, I would definately change my opinion about that game if he starts. Last I've heard is that he's out.
So it looks like Manning will play, but I have my doubts as to how well. He's hurt and the Packer secondary did a great job against McNabb and company. Burress and Shockey have a chance to find some pay dirt, but I would not expect more than about 80 yards or so from them.
 
Not bad........but 1 suggestion would be to put the game matchups in a larger font and/or different color so that they stand out better. I know.....nitpicky, but it would make for an easier read.

Atlanta @ Jacksonville:

 
Not bad........but 1 suggestion would be to put the game matchups in a larger font and/or different color so that they stand out better. I know.....nitpicky, but it would make for an easier read.

Atlanta @ Jacksonville:
This is exactly the kind of feedback I appreciate. I'll see what I can do.
 
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OK, so this is the first installment of WR match-ups to Avoid/Exploit. I hope everyone enjoys it and we can have some fun with it.

Let me repeat something I posted yesterday:

1. Let me assure everybody, I'm NOT going more than three deep in my WR matchup to avoid/exploit. Normally going two or maybe three deep if I feel somebody is being overlooked.

2. I am by no means a professional, but I would like to think I have a lot of football knowledge.

3. I may give everyone an occasional sleeper to look at, but I would hope people would understand that's exactly what it is, a sleeper pick. If anyone reads the "Offensive Sleepers" portion on the FBG page, sometimes they are right on the money with those picks and sometimes they are not. That's basically how mine should be considered.

Some other things I would like to point out. I basically followed MOP’s format in this article, but I will be changing the format as the season goes along. Any suggestions you guys have would be welcomed. If you guys have any questions about matchups, just let me know, and I’ll give you my opinion.

So without any further ado….

- St. Louis @ SF:

Both of these QB’s struggled last week and I think BOTH offenses may be in trouble this year. The loss of Orlando Pace last week is not good for the Ram offense. They were actually moving the ball last week against the Panthers and then when he got hurt, the entire offense stalled and Carolina took advantage. For the 9er’s they just looked awful and I’m not sure other than Frank Gore who is going to move the ball this year for them.

On the San Fran St Louis both offenses could struggle this year? The Rams will throw for no more than 200 yards and run for about 80 and Steven Jackson WILL give up the ball this week. Look for Patrick Wills to knock Jackson off his feet near the line of scrimmage and get assigned to taking Bulgers head off. The Arizona Defense is a whole lot better than you think, and the Niners are about 1 year and a player or two away from being prolific on defense. St Louis is still an offense to be feared and respected, even with Pace out they are capable of matching any teams offensive production outside of Indy. The problem this week is the 9rs just beat the Cards who they couldnt hang with last year and will come into the Dome with the belief that Rams are a much weaker team than the Cards, wich in fact is correct.

If you followed all the developments from around the league since last season and speciffically the developments of the 9rs and Cards you could have seen the "D" train comming, particularly the 9rs adding Clemmons, drafting Willis and making solid upgrades through out. Be shocked but the Cards over Seattle 31 to 10 and the Niners over over the Rams 27 to 14.

Bulger 200 yards passing and 2 td's

Jackson 80 yards rushing - 30 yards receiving and one receiving TD.

Holt 65 yards Receiving and 1 TD

Bruce 25 yards receiving

TE - 60 yards

Rams WR3 everything else.

Smith 250 plus passing 2 TD's and 15 yards Rushing

Battle 70 yards and TD

Djax 60 yards

Davis 35 yards

Gore 120 yards rushing 1TD, 50 yards Rec and 1 TD

NFC west at the end of year:

1. Cards

2. 9rs

3. Seachickens

4. Rams
 
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:wub:

Berrian will have a HUGE game!

Chris Chambers should be able to SHRED that soft Dallas secondary..

Welker should be good for about 100 and a TD this sunday night..Chargers will focus on Moss, forgetting about the little guy running over the middle.

 
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- Houston @ Carolina:

I REALLY like the way Houston looked last week, and the Matt Shaub to Andre Johnson show has officially arrived. Meanwhile, Jake Delhomme and Steve Smith are going to be fun combo to watch as long as they can stay healthy.

Andre Johnson: Everyone from what I’ve read thinks this might be a tough match-up for the Texans. However, the Panther secondary is very young and inexperienced and I think Shaub and AJ can exploit this in a BIG way. Johnson’s size is going to create problems in the Panther secondary. You can expect another 120+ yards and a TD this week from AJ.

Steve Smith: Uh oh, Smittee has gone on record that he wants 2000+ yards and 15 TDs this year? If he can average 125+ yards and a TD each week, he may have it. Of course that’s not going to happen, but he’s a great start this week against the Texans. Anything less than 100 yards and a TD would be a disappointment. And what’s this business about Drew Carter catching TDs?
I don't know that I would call the Panther secondary very young. All of their starters have been in the league for between three to five years. And they are not particularly small either. They range from six foot to six foot one and 200 to 205 pounds. Andre goes what six three and 220 but are there really many corners that andre doesnt have the size to exploit?
 
Tye Hill is out for the Rams...Lenny Walls and Ronald Bartell are the starting corners, upgrade Darrell Jackson. If he holds on to the ball this week he could have a big game.

 

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