Jason Avant (PHI, WR) 9%
Last week you were given fair warning to pick up the sticky-handed and shifty slot receiver. Despite a matchup against the No. 1 ranked defense against the pass and a Top 5 defensive unit overall, it was surely the slot receiver that was going to have a lot more freedom with Washington keeping a tight rein on both DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin.
Avant tallied almost 100 receiving yards on the afternoon. With
Atlanta
is currently lurking at No. 27 against the pass – a stark comparison against the very good Redskins defense (No. 1 against the pass) that ran
Over the course of a season, that’d suggest that the team is happier to let the opposition take the short pass and catch them out on the deeper ball. That’s slot receiver country.
The difference to Avant’s value is mainly
The thing to remember is that not only is Avant the second-most targeted in the red zone for Philadelphia, but he also puts up decent numbers against defenses that are soft underneath – with or without Jackson – but Atlanta might not have the lion’s share of the time of possession, either.
Matt Ryan is out with turf toe. Coach Mike Smith has already called it that Chris Redman will start this week against the Eagles. That’s a tall order. Redman isn’t a bad quarterback necessarily, it’s just that I believe that the
A lot of offensive opportunities then, coupled with an increase in workload and a decent matchup against a soft defense. Mr. Avant, come on down!
TB D/ST (TB, DEF) 14%
Yes, yes, yes – I know we try to look at “players 10% owned or less” (TM pending), but for a D/ST 14 percent is definitely a low ownership percentage and given you have 32 of them to choose from? Even in a 16-team league there is a better than good chance you can acquire them.
Why
Jim Bates was relieved of his duties on Nov. 24th and Morris has once again taken control of the defensive reins. The results?
But even better than having Morris back in the driving seat – defensively as well as overall – comes in the form of their Week 13 opposition… the poor quarterback play of the Panthers. CAR quarterback Jake Delhomme has been managing to do his best once more to help a fellow quarterback out (Jay Cutler) using only the powers of poor decision making and interceptions. Just the four this past week for Delhomme and with a fractured finger on his throwing hand, it looks like Matt Moore will be getting the nod this week against the Bucs. Just for fun though, see if you can name the six quarterbacks with a WORSE completion passing percentage than Delhomme. Answers at the end of this section!
With Moore’s career stats at 69-of-123, 793 yards, 3 TDs, 6 INTs – I can’t see there being too much improvement overall no matter who ever they put under center …
Answers:
rookies Matt Stafford and Mark Sanchez, the clueless Cleveland duo of Derek Anderson and Brady Quinn, the recently replaced Kerry Collins and – naturally – JaMarcus Russell.
Josh Morgan (SF, WR) 4%
Earlier in the season I tried to dispel the misnomer that
Alex Smith played as part of a Utah Utes team that was a conference juggernaut under the tutelage of Urban Meyer. Meyer – currently with the Florida Gators – uses three wide receivers in a spread offense with various options, built off the west coast offense philosophy. We got to see a bit more of this in some of the play calling by
He’d already shown flashes in his rookie year last year as well as preseason that he could be a successful NFL wide receiver. With Vernon Davis and Michael Crabtree starting to spread the field of play and Frank Gore keeping opposing defenses honest, then a resurgent Smith could well make full use of his abilities this weekend against Seattle after performing well against Jacksonville last week.
And speaking of
Kenny Britt (TEN, WR) 14%
Since Vince Young has been under center? Since Justin Gage has damaged his back? Britt has compiled 170 yards on 11 receptions with one touchdown in two games. Gage will be back practicing this week, but no one plays immediately coming off a back injury that broke a couple of bones in his back.
Britt doesn’t do much after the catch – 3.2 yards after the catch (YAC), but check out Larry Fitzgerald & Sidney Rice’s YAC, he’s THAT kind of receiver – but at 6-foot-3 and 218 pounds, he doesn’t really have to. He’s a receiver that will get up there AND come back down with the pigskin. He outsizes the Indianapolis cornerbacks by three and five inches (Kelvin Hayden and Jerraud Powers, respectively) and if you saw the Colts/Texans game you’d have seen the Indianapolis secondary having at least some problems competing with both Andre Johnson and Kevin Walter (five for 67, and seven for 73 & BOTH 6’3″ and the same weight – give-or-take 4 lbs).
Provided Chris Johnson can put up half the numbers he normally does and provided Vince Young can stay as cool, calm and collected as he did last week (and wekks previously, to be fair) then Britt is in line to put up 50 – 70yds and a score this week.
Dishonorable Mentions:
Marshawn Lynch (BUF, RB)
Given his suspension – he was probably taken between the second and fourth rounds in your draft, maybe lower depending on the other managers and their nerve. Either way? By Week 13 you were looking for a lot more of Lynch than we’ve gotten. We knew there were offensive line issues, but if that were the only problem then you have to ask yourself what Fred Jackson is eating – and where can we get some? “Beast Mode?” “Beastly Mode” is more like it … three carries for six yards for Lynch, with a longest run of six yards Fred Jackson managed 73 yards on 15 carries and two scores. Even Ryan Fitzpatrick got 50 yards rushing!
Vince Young (TEN, QB)
An 18-play drive, converting three FOURTH downs – including the touchdown pass with no seconds remaining. Any confidence issues he did have I think it’s safe to say – after the last few weeks – he has laid to rest. Both he and Alex Smith are probably the comeback stories of the season.
Dennis Dixon (PIT, QB)
Sunday night televised game? Division rivals? Playoff competitors? Tough defense? For his first full start I have to tip my hat to
New Orleans
(NO)
Talking of quarterback performances? You can’t not mention