Fantasy Football: Titan Sized Staff Predictions – Week 4
By Jason Peters
Welcome back to another edition of Titan Sized Staff Predictions for Fantasy Football. Before we dispense with the wisdom once again, we’ll look back and see how we did with last weeks picks, then it’s on to week 4!
Week 3 Recap: Standard ESPN Scoring
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David Fleming:
Start Em: Tony Romo – 5 fantasy points
Sit ‘em: Demaryius Thomas – 1 fantasy point
Sleeper: Brandon Pettigrew – 4 fantasy points
Waiver Wire: Andre Brown – 24 fantasy points
Matt Ward:
Start Em: Trent Richardson – 10 fantasy points
Sit Em: Michael Turner – 14 fantasy points
Sleeper: Donald Brown – 9 fantasy points
Waiver Wire: Donnie Avery – 2 Points
Jason Peters:
Start Em: Matt Stafford – 18 fantasy points
Sit Em: Ryan Mathews – 5 fantasy points
Sleeper: Kevin Smith – 0 fantasy points
Waiver Wire: Mohamed Massaquoi – 1 fantasy point
On to Week 4!
Start Em
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Matt: Vincent Jackson vs. Washington Redskins – If you have played fantasy football very long – you know that Vincent Jackson has always been a maddening player to own. He will blow up with huge games and follow with nothing. This week, Vincent Jackson is coming off of a poor performance against Dallas, and he is going up against a weak Redskins secondary. Vincent Jackson is getting plenty of consistent targets from Josh Freeman, and this is likely to be a high scoring affair against the RG3-led Redskins. Look for 100+ yards and at least one TD.
Jason: Ray Rice vs. Cleveland Browns – Ray Rice has had a great year so far, averaging 5.8 yards per carry and posting 3 TD’s in 3 games. This week, he faces a Cleveland defense that has had trouble with the run. The 2012 Browns have allowed over 120 rushing yards a game to lesser talents in the previous weeks( not counting LeSean McCoy in Week 1), and Ray Rice should be poised to take advantage of the defensive weakness.
David: Jordy Nelson vs. New Orleans Saints – Nelson has been extremely disappointing three games into the season, totaling 13 receptions for 167 yards and 0 TDs. Drafted on average in the 3rd round, fantasy owners are becoming increasingly alarmed with the inconsistency of the Packers offense. All this being said, the Packers have faced the 49ers, Bears, and Seahawks, all very good defenses. This week Nelson faces a poor Saints defense that is allowing the most yards per game of any team in the NFL, as well as 34 points per game. After the debacle on Monday night against the Seahawks, Rodgers will be looking for a punching bag to relieve his anger, and it will most certainly be the struggling secondary of the Saints.
Sit Em
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Jason: Shonn Greene vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Greene had a respectable outing week 1, posting 94 yards and a touchdown, and showing his owners some unexpected love. However, the early success faltered quickly as he rushed for 23 yards and 40 yards the following two weeks. This week he is facing the best run defense in the league in the Bucs, and he will undoubtedly struggle. Add to this fact that the Bucs have one of the worst passing defenses in the league, which Sanchez and Rex Ryan will look to exploit, and it spells a bad week for Greene.
David: Trent Richardson @ Baltimore Ravens – Richardson has looked solid his last two games, scoring TDs in both contests; however, he faces the Ravens in Baltimore this Thursday night. Although the Ravens have already surrendered 5 rushing TDs this season, tied for 2nd most in the league, they will be focusing all of their energy on stopping the talented rookie running back. Look for Baltimore to load the box with 8-9 defenders all game, daring rookie QB Brandon Weeden to beat them through the air.
Matt: Tony Romo vs. Chicago Bears – Tony Romo is normally a good fantasy QB option. Love him or hate him – he puts up stats and he has plenty of weapons to throw the ball to. This week Tony Romo is going to be throwing the ball against a stingy Chicago defense that bottled up the St. Louis Rams last week and made the Green Bay Packers look pedestrian in week 2. There are some issues on the O-line for Dallas, and Romo will likely be running for his life for the entire game. I expect 200-250 yards and a TD, but possibly multiple turnovers due to the pressure.
Sleeper of the Week
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David: Josh Freeman vs. Washington Redskins – 4th year quarterback Josh Freeman has looked pedestrian through his first 3 games in 2012, only topping 200 yards once. He has thrown 4 TDs to 3 INTs, and the Bucs have struggled to move the ball through the air. Thank goodness for the Washington Redskins though. They have allowed the 2nd most passing yards per game and the most passing TDs so far (10). If Freeman can’t get it going this week against the hemorrhaging Redskins secondary, you may not find another starting week for him all season.
Matt: Cedric Benson vs. New Orleans Saints – Benson has never been a superstar talent, and I am normally not crazy about starting a running back for the Packers. However, Jamaal Charles absolutely dominated the New Orleans defense last week, and the Packers will want to keep Drew Brees and the potent Saints offense off the field as much as possible. Benson is not a must-start every week – but I look for him to go for 100+ yards and at least 1 TD.
Jason: Daniel Thomas vs. Arizona Cardinals – The Cardinals have been an impressive team this year, going 0-3 and developing a superior pass defense along the way. Thankfully for Thomas owners, their run defense isn’t quite as potent. While not terrible, they are merely average, allowing just over 110 yards a game. With Reggie Bush injured in Miami, Thomas looks to take over as the featured back. Lamar Miller will steal some opportunities, but look for Thomas to get the bulk of the load.
Waiver Wire Pickup of the Week
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Matt: Jermaine Gresham (owned in 20.5% of ESPN leagues) – Not sure why Gresham never gets much attention, but he is far too good to be owned in so few leagues. Gresham is a great pass-catching option for the Bengals, and he is getting plenty of targets. Bye weeks begin this week, which takes out Heath Miller and Coby Fleener. If you are looking for a fill-in option, Jermaine Gresham should be owned in all leagues.
Jason: Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Owned in 2.8% of ESPN leagues) – The Buccaneers have been a surprise under Greg Schiano, and nowhere has this been more evident than in the defense. While they may give up a fair number of passing yards, their run defense is the staunchest in the league, and through 3 weeks they have 6 interceptions, 2 fumbles recovered, and a defensive touchdown. Scoring 12 points in week 1 and 1 points in week 3, they are one of the better defenses available in fantasy leagues.
David: Ramses Barden (Giants WR, owned in 0.7% of ESPN leagues) – So other than a really cool name, what does Ramses Barden really bring to the table? Well, how about a 6’6”, 225-lb frame. Barden exploded last week with 9 catches for 138 yards on 10 targets. With Nicks constantly battling injuries, and Cruz drawing all of the defensive attention, Barden could continue to produce for a quarterback that’s not afraid to sling the ball into tight windows. Barden won’t wow you with his speed or route running, but he presents a better option as the 3rd wide receiver than either Hixon or rookie Rueben Randle.
Now of course none of this would be as fun for any of us if you didn’t let us know what you think about our picks, or curse us for a blown recommendation, so be sure to note the following Twitter-related contact info:
Follow Jason Peters @TitanSizedJason
Follow Matt Ward @titanchaps
Follow David Fleming @dfleming22
We love when you hit us up, so feel free to send anything you want our way, and good luck to everyone in Fantasy Football Land.