The Hive week 13 Dec 1, 2007

The Hive – Week 13 edition

Welcome back to The Hive everyone. I’d like to start off by paying respect to one of my favorite players, the late Sean Taylor. I truly believe he was developing into the most complete safety in football, if not one of the best players in the game today. I am saddened to know we will never see how his career plays out. I am automatically attached to any player on my dynasty team, and Taylor has resided on mine for the last 2 seasons, so I have followed his progress extensively, and he was easily having his best season in 2007. Though the football impact is obviously secondary at a time like this, I can’t help but wonder how the Redskins will recover as a franchise from this loss. Taylor will be hard to replace, both from a playmaking standpoint and from a leadership standpoint. I’m no Skins fan, but as a Sean Taylor fan and a Clinton Portis fan I will be pulling for Washington big time this weekend. I think we will see a lot of inspired performances from Taylor ’s Hurricane family all over the league this week, as the many NFL stars that hail from the University of Miami will have their fallen brother on their minds and in their hearts.

How we rank `em!

Giddyup! – YEEEHAW!!

SINS! – solid if not spectacular

Hellno! – Get it? Got it? Good.

*No coverage of Thursday night game*

San Francisco @ Carolina Sunday 10am PST

SF

Giddyup! – Pat Willis, Nate Clements, Walt Harris

SINS! – Michael Lewis, Derek Smith, Marques Douglas

Hellno! – Keith Lewis, Bryant Young

Carolina

Giddyup! – Jon Beason, Julius Peppers

SINS! – Chris Harris, Carolina CB’s, Thomas Davis, Mike Rucker

Hellno! – Kris Jenkins

Game notes: I look for the rookie LB’s, Willis and Beason, to shine for their respective teams. If I were in a CB required league I would be pretty hot to play Harris and/or Clements, but in a regular IDP league the two stud rookies are the only IDP’s I would be hot to play. Peppers has a great matchup, so of course I will tell you to start him, and at this point all of his owners should be mentally ready for him to disappoint you once again. Commonly spoken phrases among Peppers owners include: “!&%&$!@ Peppers!” “I passed on Kampman for THIS??” and “Get me the Dewar’s, Peppers crapped the bed for my money league team again!”

Jacksonville @ Indianapolis Sunday 10am PST

Jax

Giddyup! – Justin Durant, Daryl Smith, Sammy Knight

SINS! –  Rashean Mathis

Hellno! – Jags DL’s

Indy

Giddyup! – Bob Sanders, Gary Brackett

SINS! – Marlin Jackson, Kelvin Hayden, Antoine Bethea, Robert Mathis

Hellno! – No one you would normally consider.

Game notes: I’m really hoping this isn’t my local game in the morning. Not that I don’t think it will be a good game, but I just couldn’t possibly care less about these teams. Sure I will check the box score to see how Wayne is doing for my dynasty team, and I am very excited to see how Justin Durant does this week, but outside of that I really don’t care for either of these teams. From an IDP perspective, the only guys that you normally start that I would have reservations about would be Jackson and Hayden, as the Jags don’t throw to their WR’s much, and Garrard has zero picks on the season. You can probably do better at DB this week.

San Diego @ Kansas City Sunday 10am PST

SD

Giddyup! – Shaun Phillips, Cooper/Wilhelm

SINS! – Shawne Merriman, McCree/Hart

Hellno! – Luis Castillo

KC

Giddyup! – Jared Allen, Derrick Johnson, Donnie Edwards

SINS! – Napoleon Harris, Bernard Pollard, Jarrad Page, Tamba Hali

Hellno! –  Patrick Surtain

Game notes: This should be a grind it out kind of a game, so I look for nice scoring for the LB’s on both sides of the ball. Donnie Edwards will probably be on fire against the team that thought he was washed up, I look for a nice line out of him this week.

New York Jets @ Miami Sunday 10am PST

NY

Giddyup! – David Harris

SINS! – Kerry Rhodes, Eric Barton, Kenyon Coleman, Darrelle Revis

Hellno! – Andre Dyson

Miami

Giddyup! – Jason Taylor

SINS! – Channing Crowder, Jason Allen, Cameron Worrell

Hellno! – Joey Porter

Game notes: This might be Miami ’s best shot at a win for the rest of 2007. The Jets are BAD, and they will be without one of their only playmakers on offense, as it looks like Cotchery may get shut down for the last month of the year. David Harris will be studly here, and this is one of those weeks where Jason Taylor should go absolutely nutty.

Detroit @ Minnesota Sunday 10am PST

Detroit

Giddyup! – Ernie Sims

SINS! –   Paris Lenon, Shaun Rogers, Kenoy Kennedy, Gerald Alexander

Hellno! – Cory Redding

Minny

Giddyup! – EJ Henderson, Ced Griffin

SINS! – Ray Edwards, Chad Greenway

Hellno! – Antoine Winfield

Game notes: If you play Antoine Winfield this week you have a stronger stomach than me. Even if he goes he could gimp up and exit early. I wouldn’t mess with him, though the matchup will tempt you if he isn’t on the inactives list in the morning.

Tampa Bay @ New Orleans Sunday 1:15pm PST

TB

Giddyup! – Jermaine Phillips, Ronde Barber

SINS! – Tanard Jackson, Bucs LB’s, Phillip Buchanon

Hellno! – Gaines Adams

NO

Giddyup! – Will Smith, Roman Harper, Josh Bullucks

SINS! – Scott Fujita

Hellno! – Jason David

Game notes: This one will be up in the air until we know if Garcia can go for New Orleans . Regardless I love the starting safeties on both teams this weekend, and I like Bullucks as one of the top plays this week if Garcia cant go. If the erratic Luke McCown gets the nod, I expect some picks, and the playmaking Bullucks will benefit. Tanard Jackson is a sneaky play this week against Brees and company if you are say, a Gibril Wilson owner in need of a last minute pickup.

Seattle @ Philadelphia Sunday 10am PST

Seattle

Giddyup! – Lofa Tatupu, Julian Peterson

SINS! – Seattle DB’s, Seattle DE ’s

Hellno! – no one you would normally consider

Philly

Giddyup! – Trent Cole

SINS! – Omar Gaither, Takeo Spikes, Eagles DB’s

Hellno! – Jevon Kearse, Darren Howard

Game notes: I will likely get stuck with this game, as I live in the Pacific Northwest and I don’t have a satellite. Yay! Not! I hate the Seabags, and with McNasty injured the only player I give a damn about fantasy wise in this one is Deion Branch. IDP wise I have a feeling about Trent Cole this week. I think he goes nuts.

Atlanta @ St Louis Sunday 10am PST

Atlanta

Giddyup! – Michael Boley, John Abraham

SINS! –   Keith Brooking, Deangelo Hall, Chris Houston, Lawyer Milloy

Hellno! – Rod Coleman

STL

Giddyup! – Will Witherspoon, OJ Atogwe

SINS! –   Tye Hill, Corey Chaveous, James Hall

Hellno! – Pino Tinoisamoa

Game notes: Yawn. No one cares about this game, not even the fans of the two teams. Move on.

Houston @ Tennessee Sunday 10am PST

Houston

Giddyup! – Demeco Ryans, CC Brown

SINS! –   Morlon Greenwood, Von Hutchins

Hellno! – Mario Williams

Tennessee

Giddyup! – Nick Harper, Keith Bulluck

SINS! – David Thornton

Hellno! – Chris Hope

Game notes: Now here is a game that is a hell of a lot more interesting all the way around than it was in 2005. CBS AFFILLIATES – I COMMAND YOU TO AIR THIS GAME IN MY MARKET TOMORROW!! That probably wont work. I need a satellite. As for the game, Keith Bulluck owners have to be praying that the Titans continue to be without Albert Haynesworth. With Haynesworth healthy the Titans D is ten times better than it is without the Big Headstompah, and Bulluck doesn’t have to do as much. With Albert gone the last couple weeks we have seen some more 2006-like numbers for Bulluck, which is much appreciated on my IDP dynasty team!

Buffalo @ Washington Sunday 10am PST

Buffalo

Giddyup! – Terrance McGee, Angelo Crowell

SINS! – Aaron Schobel, John DiGiorgio

Hellno! – Donte Whitner

Washington

Giddyup! – London Fletcher, Andre Carter

SINS! – LaRon Landry, Rocky McIntosh

Hellno! – no one you would normally start

Game notes: This will be a truly emotional game for both sides. Injured Bills TE Kevin Everett and current slot WR Roscoe Parrish both played with Taylor at The U, and the Skins will obviously be experiencing one hell of an emotional roller coaster ride. As far as the IDP’s are concerned it will be interesting to see how Landry fairs at SS without his all pro teammate at FS.

Cleveland @ Arizona Sunday 1:05pm PST

Cleveland

Giddyup! – Leigh Bodden, D’Qwell Jackson, Sean Jones

SINS! – Brandon McDonald , Leon Williams

Hellno! –Andra Davis

Arizona

Giddyup! – Karlos Dansby, Antrel Rolle

SINS! – Calvin Pace, Rod Hood, Oliver Celestin

Hellno! – Eric Green, Bert Berry

Game notes: This should be a big game for fantasy teams everywhere, including mine. I own either Anderson or Warner in most of my leagues, and I have the Anderson/Edwards duo in my dynasty league. Niiiice. On the defensive side of the ball I think both teams will see lots of scoring from the DB’s. Another sneaky DB pickup this week is Oliver Celestin, who takes over for Adrian Wilson after Wilson was put on IR.

Denver @ Oakland Sunday 1:05pm PST

Denver

Giddyup! – DJ Williams, Ian Gold, Elvis Dumervil

SINS! – Tim Crowder, Nate Webster, Champ Bailey, Hamza Abdullah

Hellno! – John Lynch

Oakland

Giddyup! – Kirk Morrison

SINS! – Thomas Howard, Michael Huff, Stu Scweigart, Derrick Burgess

Hellno! – Jay Richardson

Game notes: With 2 of the worst run defenses in the game going head to head, the LB’s on both sides should be golden, and I love Williams and Morrison in particular. Look for Dumervil to get back on track, the Raiders OL is much better, but still vulnerable on that side to speed rushers.  

New York Giants @ Chicago Sunday 1:15pm PST

NY

Giddyup! – Antonio Pierce, Osi Umenyiora, Michael Strahan

SINS! – Justin Tuck, Aaron Ross

Hellno! – Gibril Wilson

Chicago

Giddyup! – Lance Briggs, Charles Tillman

SINS! –  Brian Urlacher

Hellno! – Nathan Vasher

Game notes: The loss of Gibril Wilson for this week could not come at a worse time for the Giants, or his fantasy owners. Hope the week off does him good, but any kind of foot or toe injury can be a real problem for a DB. For the Bears I think Briggs has a studly game this week, he will be in against the run and he will be all over Shockey as well.

Cincinnati @ Pittsburgh Sunday 5:15pm PST

Cincy

Giddyup! – Madieu Williams, Landon Johnson

SINS! – Justin Smith , Leon Hall, Jonathan Joseph

Hellno! – Dhani Jones

Pittsburgh

Giddyup! – Ike Taylor, James Harrison

SINS! – James Farrior, Anthony Smith

Hellno! – Troy Polamalu

Game notes:  This one could get real ugly, real quick. Hopefully the Bengals can make a game of it, for the viewer’s sake. Ike Taylor is a nice sleeper DB this week, he usually shines against Ocho Cinco as far as IDP stats are concerned. All I know is they better have fixed that field since the last game. That was an atrocity.

New England @ Baltimore Monday 5:30pm PST

NE

Giddyup! – Adalius Thomas

SINS! – Asante Samuel, Ty Warren

Hellno! – Rodney Harrison

Baltimore

Giddyup! – Ray Lewis, Dawan Landry, Ed Reed (yes THAT Ed Reed!)

SINS! – Bart Scott, Terrell Suggs

Hellno! – Kelly Gregg

Game notes:   Another week, another slaughter? I think so this time around unless the Ravens defense and special teams can muster up 3 or 4 TD’s, cuz Kyle Boller isn’t doing squat. This should be a solid IDP week for the long forgotten Ed Reed, who should at a minimum get a handful of tackles against the Pats high octane passing attack. If you were ever going to start the guy, it might as well be this week.

Well, that about wraps it up for lucky week 13 of IDP action! Good luck to those of you whose playoffs start this week, and good luck to those of you making the playoff push! See you next week!