The Hive – Week 14 edition
Welcome back to The Hive!! Un-flippin-believable. Week 14 already! Some leagues have already started their playoffs, and for most this is the final week to secure a spot in the dance. I have nailed down playoff spots in 4 of my 5 leagues, and I am in a win and I am in situation in the 5th league, so no complaints here. Time to bring home the bacon!
How we rank `em!
Giddyup! – YEEEHAW!!
SINS! – solid if not spectacular
Hellno! – Get it? Got it? Good.
Chicago
@
Washington
Thursday
5:15pm PST
Chicago
Giddyup! – Lance Briggs, Charles Tillman
SINS! – Brian Urlacher, Adewale Ogunleye, Brandon McGowan, Danieal Manning
Hellno! – Alex Brown
Washington
Giddyup! –
London
Fletcher, LaRon Landry
SINS! – Rocky McIntosh, Andre Carter,
Shawn
Springs
Hellno! – Fred Smoot
Game notes: I really don’t know what to make of this one, as neither team has shown any consistency this season. For the Bears I would start Briggs with the utmost confidence this week. And now that Ced Benson is gone and the Bears actually have a running game I would think Fletcher and Landry, and to a lesser extent McIntosh would be the IDP stars for the home team.
Miami
@
Buffalo
Sunday 10am PST
Miami
Giddyup! – Jason Allen, Jason Taylor
SINS! –
Channing Crowder, Michael Lehan
Hellno! – Zach Thomas, Cameron Worrell
Buffalo
Giddyup! – Angelo Crowell, Terrance McGee
SINS! – John Digiorgio, Jim Leonhard, Aaron Schobel
Hellno! – Keith Ellison
Game notes: Dear Lord, I beg of you please deliver me from having to even see the highlights of this game. May you bless me with some sort of brain ailment that will allow me to forget the existence of this game, and this game only, forever and ever amen.
St Louis
@
Cincinnati
Sunday 10am PST
St Louis
Giddyup! – Will Witherspoon, OJ Atogwe
SINS! –
Ronald Bartell, Corey Chaveous
Hellno! – Tye Hill
Cincy
Giddyup! – Landon Johnson,
Madieu Williams
,
Leon
Hall
SINS! – Jonathan Joseph, Justin Smith
Hellno! – Deltha O’Neal
Game notes: This game could actually be quite entertaining. Not a lot to see here on the IDP side of things, but I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the recent progress of Bengals rookie CB Leon Hall. If you are in a CB required league he should not be on your wire, and you will see another example of why this weekend. Kid is a player. Also the Bengals give it up like a chubby girl at prom in the department of DB scoring, so OJ Atogwe is a fantastic start this week.
Dallas
@
Detroit
Sunday 10am PST
Dallas
Giddyup! –
Demarcus Ware, Terrance Newman
SINS! – Bradie James, Roy Williams, Jacques Reeves, Greg Ellis
Hellno! –
Anthony Henry
Detroit
Giddyup! –
Ernie Sims, Fernando Bryant
SINS! –
Paris
Lenon, Gerald Alexander, Kenoy Kennedy
Hellno! – Boss Bailey
Game notes: Play Terrance Newman this week. That is all.
Oakland
@
Green Bay
Sunday 10am PST
Oakland
Giddyup! – Kirk Morrison, Michael Huff
SINS! – Thomas Howard, Hiram Eugene, Derrick Burgess
Hellno! – Stu Schweigart
GB
Giddyup! – Nick Barnett, Atari Bigby (play him while you can!), Aaron Kampman
SINS! – KGB, AJ Hawk
Hellno! – Nick Collins
Game notes: For the Raiders I have a hard time recommending the slumping Thomas Howard, though his ability against the pass makes him a sensible start unless you have superior options. I really like Huff this week though, he should be on Donald Lee as well as having to make many clean up tackles down the field as Favre will likely shred my boys like he usually does. If I seem unusually chipper about my team going on the road for a certain defeat, it just might be because my Raiders defecated all over the playoff hopes of the Chiefs and the Broncos in the last two weeks. Eat it Chefs and Donkeys! As for the Packers there are rumors flying that a starting safety spot is about to be given to rookie Aaron Rouse, and that would likely come at the expense of Hive favorite Atari Bigby. Bigby is terrible in coverage and Nick Collins is a better real life football player than he is an IDP. If you have Bigby in a league where you only start one DB and you are playoff bound, I would advise having a solid backup in place. Word to the wise.
Tampa
Bay
@
Houston
Sunday
10am PST
TB
Giddyup! – Jermaine Phillips
SINS! –
Derrick Brooks, Barrett Ruud
Hellno! – Gaines Adams
Houston
Giddyup! – Demeco Ryans
SINS! – Mario Williams, Morlon Greenwood, Von Hutchins
Hellno! – no one you would normally consider
Game notes: For the Bucs I don’t know what to make of Barrett Ruud falling off like this, but I certainly don’t trust him right now. He is on my bench in favor of Shaun Phillips in one league and some tard in my work league cut Michael Boley, so I have replaced Ruud with Boley in that league. Most of you are not lucky enough to find a Boley on your wire, but if you are sick of Ruud sucking and you can go nab say Justin Durant I would go do it now. This is the home stretch, don’t become attached to a player in a redraft league just because of what he did earlier in the year. Of course now that I said that he will tackle Ron Dayne 22 times on Sunday. Haha! For the Texans it’s all about Demeco, though Mario Williams is finally coming around. Bravo!
Carolina
@
Jacksonville
Sunday 10am PST
Carolina
Giddyup! – Jon Beason
SINS! – Panthers DB’s
Hellno! – Julius Peppers
JAX
Giddyup! – Justin Durant, Daryl Smith
SINS! – Jags DB’s
Hellno! – Reggie Hayward
Game notes: Jags will roll here, and I would not bother yourself with the disappointment that is Julius Peppers this week. He wont get to Garrard. I love the 2 rookie LB’s in this game, Beason for
Carolina
and Durant for the Jags. Those of you who followed my preseason rookie commentary know that these are two of my favorite IDP’s from the 2007 class, and the world is seeing why. Neither should not be on your wire. Period.
Pittsburgh
@
New England
Sunday
1:15pm PST
Pitt
Giddyup! – James Harrison, James Farrior
SINS! – Ike Taylor, Anthony Smith
Hellno! – Lamarr Woodley
NE
Giddyup! – none
SINS! – Ellis Hobbs,
Asante
Samuel, Mike Vrabel, Adalius Thomas, Ty Warren
Hellno! – Junior Seau
Game notes: Anthony Smith actually guaranteed a Steelers win here. Ballsy. Stupid, but ballsy. I think
New England
will come out on fire after two close calls and a lot of negativity about the team in regards to last week. Outside of Farrior and Harrison there isnt much I like here in the way of IDP’s.
New York
Giants @ Philadelphia Sunday 10am PST
NY
Giddyup! – Antonio Pierce, Osi Umenyiora, Michael Strahan
SINS! –
Justin Tuck
Hellno! – Gibril Wilson
Philly
Giddyup! – Omar Gaither, Trent Cole
SINS! –
Eagles DB’s, Takeo Spikes
Hellno! – Jevon Kearse
Game notes: Osi had 6 sacks last time these two teams met, and you have to think the Eagles will make it a priority to stop him. I don’t think it will work, but they will try! Gibril
Wilson
isn’t looking good fir this week, make other plans at DB. For the Eagles I think Cole will get to Eli, and Reuben Droughns makes an easy target to tackle for Gaither and the rest of the LB crew.
San Diego
@
Tennessee
Sunday 10am PST
SD
Giddyup! – Shaun Phillips, Antonio Cromartie
SINS! –
Shawne Merriman, McCree/Hart
Hellno! – Drayton
Florence
Tennessee
Giddyup! – Kyle Vanden Bosch, David Thornton
SINS! – Keith Bulluck, Nick Harper
Hellno! – Ryan Fowler
Game notes: For the Bolts it looks like Cromartie and Jammer will start at corner, and
Florence
hits the bench. Cromartie is a high risk/high reward kind of an IDP, and I like him this week. Phillips has been on a tear, I expect that to continue. For the Titans Big Albert Haynesworth is back, which statistically this season means its great news for Kyle Vanden Bosch and terrible news for Keith Bulluck. Plan accordingly.
Minnesota
@
San Francisco
Sunday
1:05pm PST
Minny
Giddyup! – EJ Henderson
SINS! –
Ced Griffin
,
Chad
Greenway
Hellno! – Ray Edwards, Antoine Winfield
SF
Giddyup! – Pat Willis, Michael Lewis, Nate Clements
SINS! – Derek Smith, Marques Douglas, Walt Harris
Hellno! – Brandon Moore, Keith Lewis
Game notes: Pat Willis and EJ Henderson will both need a vacation after this one. Two teams that run, and run, and run, and that means mad tackle opportunities for the LB’s here. The recently red hot Michael Lewis should stay that way for the Niners as well. Interesting to see that Vikings DE Ray Edwards was suspended for steroid use this week. You’d think he could have mustered up some better numbers considering he was on the juice! Apparently he and Merriman have a different dealer. And I would think twice about using Winfield even if he plays. I’d make him show you he can make it through a game before I put him in my lineup at such a crucial time of the season.
Arizona
@
Seattle
Sunday
1:05pm PST
AZ
Giddyup! – Antrel Rolle, Karlos Dansby, Darnell Dockett
SINS! – Gerald Hayes, Rod Hood, Oliver Celestin
Hellno! – Cards DE’s
Seattle
Giddyup! – Lofa Tatupu, Julian Peterson
SINS! – Darryl Tapp, Marcus Trufant, Pat Kerney
Hellno! – Brian Russell
Game notes: Matt Hasselback is Antrel Rolle’s daddy. He will pick on Rolle all day long as he has done in the past, and Rolle should have a great tackle day because of it. Dansby is playing great, and you have to wonder if the Cards are kicking themselves for not making a move to get Pat Willis in the 07 draft. The combo of Dansby and Willis would have been absolutely ridiculous, but I digress. For the Hawks keep on riding Lofa until the wheels fall off, and I like Julian Peterson to cause some havoc this week as well.
Kansas City
@
Denver
Sunday
1:15pm PST
KC
Giddyup! – Jared Allen
SINS! – Napoleon Harris, Pollard/Page
Hellno! – Derrick Johnson, Donnie Edwards
DEN
Giddyup! – DJ Williams
SINS! – Champ Bailey, Hamza Abdullah, Ian Gold, Nate Webster
Hellno! –
John Lynch
Game notes: As of press time Derrick Johnson intends on being out for personal reasons, and Donnie Edwards is questionable at best with a bad hammy. I’d stay away from both players. And if I here one more “He went to Jared!” joke on ESPN or any other sports network I will shoot my TV, Elvis style. Great TD catch and all, but enough already! For the Broncos keep on rolling with DJ Williams, and I don’t really see anyone else as a must start.
Cleveland
@ New York Jets Sunday
1:15pm PST
Cleveland
Giddyup! – D’Qwell Jackson, Sean Jones, Leigh Bodden
SINS! – Leon Williams, Brodney Pool
Hellno! – Orpheous Roye, Eric Wright
NY
Giddyup! – David Harris, Kerry Rhodes
SINS! –
Eric Barton, Darrelle Revis, Andre Dyson
Hellno! – Shaun Ellis
Game notes: For
Cleveland
D’Qwell
Jackson
has been playing like a man possessed since he came back from injury, and I expect that to continue. Still no Eric Wright for the Browns either, but lucky for them they face an inept Jets passing attack that will be without the guy that Wright would normally have to cover, Jerricho Cotchery. I would still play Bodden, as it looks like Coles is a go and that will be Bodden’s guy on Sunday. For the Jets, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it, which means you keep starting David Harris for the rest of the season. And with DA’s recent interception party I really like Kerry Rhodes this week as well.
Indianapolis
@
Baltimore
Sunday
5:15pm PST
Indy
Giddyup! – Bob Sanders, Gary Brackett
SINS! – Marlin Jackson, Robert Mathis
Hellno! – no one you would normally consider
Baltimore
Giddyup! – Ray Lewis
SINS! – Ed Reed, Dawan Landry, Bart Scott
Hellno! – Terrell Suggs
Game notes:
The Ravens were jobbed on MNF. Other than that they are doing great! All I know is that I would like to spend my Sunday evening watching someone other than
New England
, Indy or
Dallas . This game really doesn’t do anything for me. In fact I am far more excited about the Monday Night game, which is far more interesting to me from a fantasy perspective. As far as the IDP’s in this one, be wary of Bart Scott, who will be playing with a broken hand (and likely a lighter wallet). This could limit his effectiveness.
New Orleans
@
Atlanta
Monday
5:30pm PST
NO
Giddyup! – Josh Bullucks, Will Smith
SINS! – Scott Fujita
Hellno! – Brian Simmons
ATL
Giddyup! – Michael Boley
SINS! – John Abraham, Deangelo Hall, Keith Brooking, Chris Houston, Lawyer Milloy
Hellno! – Jamaal Anderson
Game notes:
This game will surprisingly have a ton of fantasy impact for a lot of you out there, and on both sides of the ball. I think Bulluck has another solid week, and this is the week to bust out your Falcons DB’s, as the Saints will be passing more often than not in my opinion. If you were wanting to dust off John Abraham, this would be the week to do it, as the Saints OL is ungood.
Good luck to all this week, and see you next week for the 1st playoff edition of The Hive!