The Holy Grail – Week 8 WRs
Teams on bye week: Falcons, Bears, Packers, Raiders, Jets, Buccaneers
MUST START
1 Calvin Johnson vs Den – Champ wouldn’t be able to cover him in his prime let alone past it.
2 Nicks vs Mia – I take chances in my WR ranks and he gets the nod because he is due for a huge game soon. Miami is the right matchup for it to happen.
3 Wallace vs NE – You have to think with the extra week to prep for the Steelers that Belichek will make it his goal to take Wallace out of the game. Regardless , he doesn’t have the personnel to execute his defensive gameplans.
4 Welker vs Pit – He is on fire this year , breaking yardage records and dominating the PPR landscape. Pit may contain him a bit , but you never sit him regardless.
5 Steve Smith vs Wash – Newton has really brought life back into a career that was floundering. You can’t help but feel happy for him.
6 Colston vs Stl – He is dominating everyone right now , and the Rams will be no different.
7 Vjax vs KC – Say what you want , but I am gonna keep rolling him out there; especially against a team as beatable for big plays as Kansas City.
8 Bowe vs SD – Same game as the above , worse QB but he still plays as a high end WR1 in almost any matchup.
9 Dez Bryant vs Phi – He has already surpassed Miles Austin as Romo’s most trusted wideout. He looks for him between the 20’s and in the Redzone. At his age and with his skill set he could dominate the position in the years to come.
10 Steve Johnson vs Wash – Had a week off and should come back ready to shine. He is so hard to cover and is all over the field. Fitz loves him and so do I.
The Holy Grail – Week 8 QBs
Teams on bye week: Falcons, Bears, Packers, Raiders, Jets, Buccaneers
MUST START
1 Brees vs STL- Much like Graham , there is no other choice for the top spot this week. The stats plus the matchup make this easy.
2 Vick vs Dal – The bye week gave him time to get his legs fresh and recover from the beatings he has been taking. Dallas swarms to the ball , but Vick scores 20 in a bad game.
3 Cam vs Min – What a stud this guy turned out to be as he continues to augment his passing stats with great rushing stats.
4 Brady vs Pit – Would be higher if not for the electric nature of the position this year. Cam, Vick , Brees all have their own claims to the top spot each week and Brady has the misfortune of playing against Pitt.
5 Rivers vs KC – I am loading up on him in Salary Cap games. He is still an elite QB and KC is the perfect matchup for him to show it.
6 Eli vs Mia – Nicks will explode this week and the ‘Fins will have no answer for Bradshaw or Jacobs. Giants will put up a big number.
7 Ben Roethlisberger vs NE – Will have plenty of chances to put up big TD numbers against this horrible defense.
8 Stafford vs Den – Slips a bit in my rankings because of the injury questions – still a must start if healthy b/c of the offense and the upside.
The Holy Grail – Week 8 RBs
Teams on bye week: Falcons, Bears, Packers, Raiders, Jets, Buccaneers
MUST START
1 Arian Foster vs Jax – After last week , nobody else deserves the top spot.
2 AP @ Car – Great week last week but tweeked an ankle. He claims he is fine so he should be no lower than this.
3 Rice vs Ari – Horrible week last week , but the Cards should be the perfect medicine for the Ravens to bounce back.
4 Fred Jackson vs Wash – I am shaking my head thinking about this guy , I don’t want to write about him because I never drafted him.
5 Mccoy vs Dal – He is a stud plain and simple as he plays such a huge role in that offense. Nice time for a bye week for that team , gets moved a bit further down because Dallas defends the run great.
6 Gore vs Cleveland – Gore is back and picking up steam. The Browns will provide no challenge for him this week, at least in theory.
7 Mathews vs KC – Great matchup , plus Tolbert most likely isn’t suiting up. Expect a monster game.
8 Bradshaw vs Mia – Jacobs is whining , but that’s nothing new. Bradshaw should be fresh off a bye and the Dolphins will have no answer for anything the Giants do on offense.
The Holy Grail- Week 8 TEs
Teams on bye week: Falcons, Bears, Packers, Raiders, Jets, Buccaneers
MUST START
1 Graham @STL – Great matchup , great player , great stats , move on.
2 Gates @KC – Word is the foot responded well which is great to hear since he came back and scored. Great matchup this week puts him at 2 on my list.
3 Witten @Phi – The Eagles had 2 weeks to prep for this game. Romo is going back to the rib support jacket and that means more conservative play calling from the Cowboys. Murray will get his share and Witten will be the security blanket that Romo has come to know and love.
4 Aaron Hernandez @Pit – He is a freak at the position , a hybrid WR/TE and that makes him an exciting start each week. He does get nicked up a bit here and there , but right now he is healthy and playing and if it’s PPR he is a surefire must start.
5 Fred Davis @ Buf – The Bills have a hard time covering anybody. With Moss , Cooley and Hightower all seriously injured , Davis may end up with 15 targets this game.
6 Vernon Davis vs Cle – He looks to get back on track this week after a needed break. He tends to follow up down weeks with good weeks. The Browns are not this good vs the pass , so something has to give. Start him with confidence this week.
7 Daniels vs Jax – AJ will be a GTD and my gut feeling is that he is not going to suit up. Daniels has been consistently average this season and is due for TD. Dickson was open all over the field last week , but Flacco missed him a ton. Schaub is better than Flacco so start Daniels and feel good about it.
8 Gronk @Pit – You can argue that he is too low , and that may be the case , but in reality after the first few must starts everyone is about the same value. Davis and Daniels get the nod for me because they have better matchups and less competition for some QB love in PPR settings.
The Holy Grail- Week 7 WRs
MUST STARTS
1 Calvin vs Atl – Oh, Hey amazing player on all my teams. Thanks for being you.
2 Miles Austin vs Stl – Romo to Austin for 2 Tds this week , lock it down he will be a monster.
3 Bowe vs Oak – Cassel to Bowe has been a theme for the last couple of weeks and it will continue this week as he looks strong and fast; which is scary , not like Michael Myers scary , more like Amityville scary because it’s based on a true story.
3 Wallace vs Az – See the Big Ben blurb , realize Rodgers-Cromartie is now on the Eagles. Put those together and Wallace is a monster. I couldn’t decide between him and Bowe so they both get ranked 3rd.
5 Dez Bryant vs Stl – If you can’t tell I’m high on the Romo to Dez to Miles to Witten arrangement they will have going on this week – it reminds me of a 4 way marriage or whatever it is the Mormons call it; Romo is the Daddy.
6 Steve Smith vs Wash – He is due for a score and 100 yards , he is guaranteed at least one of those two things , and if he gets both he becomes a top 3 play. So I think 6 is a great spot for him this week.
7 Marshall vs Den – Looked unstoppable last week against Revis of all people. Champ is shutting people down this season for Denver so far but Marshall is a wack job so that gives him an edge.
8 Colston vs Ind – After last week how could he not be in the top 10 in a PPR blog during such a deep bye week. Even if he spells his first name wrong; Seriously: Marques? CMON MAN.
9 Vincent Jackson vs NYJ – He is healthy and he is built like Marshall who dominated the Jets last week.
The Holy Grail- Week 7 QBs
Teams on bye week: Bills, Bengals, Patriots, Giants, Eagles, 49ers
MUST START
1 Rodgers vs Min – Aaron is the #1 fantasy qb in the game and it is not even close. Minny can stop the run , but can’t stop the pass ; 300 yards and 3Tds is practically his floor every week.
2 Brees vs Ind – Indy can’t stop anyone on defense and Brees has been torching teams this season. With Colston back and Graham becoming the premier TE in the NFL you have to like his 30 plus point upside every week.
3 Romo vs Stl – The Rams are putrid on both sides of the ball. Bradford is going to be out which means run, run, pass, punt all game for this struggling team. You have to wonder how long before the buzzards start circling around Spagnulo. Romo goes off this game start all the Cowboy WRs.
4 Stafford vs ATL – Falcons are getting torched on defense this year and Roddy White looks like he got one too many targets last year as he clearly isn’t reaching the level he held in 2010. Best is out , and may be out for a while but Morris is a capable receiver and that just means Stafford will throw it more to his other check down options such as Pettigrew. Maybe Burleson rejoins the WR corp with the Best injury freeing up some targets elsewhere.
5 Cam Newton vs Wash – I said it last week and I will say it every week: Unless he rushes for at least 1 TD a week his passing numbers are going to be supremely average. That being said he is almost a good bet to run one in every week , but against a good tackling team like Washington he will need to use his arm more. All that being said , read and digested Cam is a must start on any fantasy team right now which is completely shocking to me.
6 Ben Roethlisberger vs AZ – Arizona is putrid in the secondary since they traded Rodgers-Cromartie and Ben will be throwing it to whomever he wants whenever he so chooses. Antonio Brown makes for a decent play this week as all of the Steelers have a chance at some big numbers with Ben being the beneficiary of his WRs running loose all game.
7 Rivers vs NYJ – Vincent Jackson is back at full strength and Gates will be returning this game. Mathews is coming into his own and Tolbert offers a shockingly versatile skill set to complement this offense. Revis had trouble guarding Marshall last week because of his size and speed and Jackson is built almost exactly the same. Do not be afraid to start any of your chargers this week , even though the Jets still demand respect. Gates is the only one I urge caution on , for the obvious reasons.
The Holy Grail – Week 7 TEs
Teams on bye week: Bills, Bengals, Patriots, Giants, Eagles, 49ers
MUST START
1 Graham vs Indy – Simply put the best TE in fantasy football this year.
2 Witten vs Stl – Keeps on chugging , keeps on putting up numbers , keeps on being a must start.
3 Finley vs Min – Only stays this high because of all of the TEs on a bye this week. He is getting lost in that offense , but still is due for a huge week soon.
4 Fred Davis vs Car – Cooley injured and Beck starting increases Freddy’s value for the rest of the season. Grossman was clearly losing steam and Beck will do better by default. Nice matchup against a bad defense.
5 Daniels vs Ten – Great matchup and set up for a big game. Considered flip flopping between him and Freddy but regardless they hold about the same value and in a deep bye week are must starts at the postion unless you own one of the top 3.
6 Pettigrew vs Atl – About as consistent as they come. The Best injury opens up more offensive targets and chances for guys like Pettigrew. I own him a ton so at least I can find a silver lining with Best out.
7 Tony G vs Det – Consistently producing this year and turned a lot of pundits (including me) right on their ear. It’s good to see one of the great ones still producing this late in the game , keep it up Tony!
SOLID STARTS
8 Olsen vs Wash – Not a great matchup , but he deserves a start almost every week for what he means to that offense. Cam could and prob should use him a bit more , but there is no arguing with the fact he clearly is on the right team for fantasy purposes.
9 Benjamin Watson vs Sea – This is more a gut play than anything. He has a penchant for random explosive weeks and this could be one of them. ZZZ Sleeper
10 Gates vs NYJ – Keep your expectations in check because of his health. But there are a TON of people itching to get him back in their lineup this week and I can’t argue against it.
11 Keller vs SD – Keeps sucking after his early season successes. I demand to know whose fault this is? Anyone want to chime in and tell me why Keller, who has as much speed and talent as any TE in the NFL can’t be a consistent producer? Anyone?
12 D Clark vs NO – I saw what he did last week , just in time for me to write him off. He won’t be a consistent producer at all and you can mark that down. Well I guess he will be consistently inconsistent this year which really makes him consistent. My brain hurts now , moving on.
SOME QUESTIONS
13 Cook vs Hou – The Houston front 7 has been surprisingly good this year. Flacco beat them last week like I believed he would but Dickson did not do much. Cook is lumped into the middle of the pack , but because of his big play ability and what he could mean for the Tennesse passing attack he gets the nod over some similarly valued TEs.
14 Dickson vs Jax – Great matchup and a great buy this week on fanduel.
15 Winslow vs Chi – The Bears are getting toasted by opposing TEs this year , Winslow’s problem is he is playing on 68 year old knees.. but he is a “warrior” – just ask him , he’ll tell you.
16 Kendricks vs Dallas – He has been coming on of late. But coming on for Kendricks means about 4 catches for 50 yards , when people are getting excited for that you know you haven’t lived up to the hype.
17 Boss vs KC – If every play was a fake punt he would be the number 1 TE in fantasy. Palmer helps his long term value , I love the guy.
I SCREWED UP MY DRAFT
18 Heath Miller vs AZ – Nice matchup , but the problem is it’s a nice matchup for every single other offensive player on the Steelers. For that reason I don’t start Miller this week.
19 M Lewis vs Bal – Will be better when the schedule lightens up and Gabbert will only improve from playing tough defenses like this each week.
20 Shockey vs Wash – I actually like him to make a play or 3 this week and if you are desperate he gives you some decent upside.
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I am just glad I didn’t have to write about Scott Chandler this week!
anyway , keep the questions coming @iconfantasyJoe and we are going to start doing a weekly mail bag!
I am putting together some free and some money Salary Cap Tourneys where you guys will get to play against me!
More details early next week – gotta love #fantasyfootball
Rest of the Grail Coming Tomorrow!
Win BIG MONEY Playing Fantasy Sports!
Related articles
- The Holy Grail- Week 7 RBs (iconfantasysports.wordpress.com)
The Holy Grail- Week 7 RBs
Teams on bye week: Bills, Bengals, Patriots, Giants, Eagles, 49ers
MUST START
1 Rice @Jax He is the premier NFL fantasy PPR back. In weeks he doesn’t score he still gets 20 because of his work in the pass game. Jacksonville is a bad defense that was propped up by an easy schedule and Mendenhall dominated them last week. Rice is the safest play to give you a huge game with a high ceiling and a safe floor.
2 Mcfadden vs KC – He got it going early last week and was a broken tackle or two away from some other big gainers. Campbell getting hurt early sapped some life out of the offense even though Boller did a respectable job filling in. Carson Palmer should be above average there and keep defenses from loading up on DMC, not that it would matter as his talent usually wins out.
3 Foster @Tenn – Tennessee has only given up 1 td on the ground this year , but gives up over a 100 rushing yards a week. Foster has only scored 1 TD this year and will finish the season with 10 plus rushing TD’s. Something has a chance to give this week for both teams giving Foster some really big upside.
4 Forte @TB – Describing him in one word – Consistent. He does it all for that offense and has exceeded most everyone’s expectations coming into this season. TB defense is very vulnerable and Forte is a PPR pass catching beast which gives him the nod over more explosive runners like AP.
5 AP vs GB – Ponder starting can’t be worse than Mcnabb. He always offers huge game potential and is the most talented runner in the NFL. Why write too much about a guy who is going to start every week in any format on every fantasy team, so let’s move on.
6 Chris Johnson vs Hou – Houston giving up 4.6 YPC and 6 rushing TDs so far. If CJ doesn’t go big here you may be looking at the beginning of the decline of a back that lit up the NFL just two short seasons ago. I think he performs good this week.
7 Turner @ Detroit – A 3 TD candidate going into every week. Doesn’t catch passes , but his TD potential is enough to make him a must start during a big Bye week.
8 Mendenhall vs AZ – After last week it is safe to say Mendenhall is ready to be what I thought he would be this year. A lock for 100 and at least 1TD a week. Arizona has given up 8 ground TDs this year , yea that’s bad and that makes him a must start.
The Holy Grail – Week 6 TEs
Teams on bye week: Broncos, Titans, Chiefs, Cardinals, Chargers, Seahawks
MUST START
1 Finley vs Stl – He is equally as talented , or even more so than any other TE in fantasy and out of all of them he is due for the biggest game.
2 Graham @TB – Brees clearly loves him and he is producing with volume targets and receptions.
3 Witten @NE – There are going to be a lot of mouths to feed there this week , but due to the sheer nature and scoring potential of the game this week , he is a top of the line start.
4 A. Hernandez vs Dal – He is another week removed from his knee ailment and was targetted heavily last week. He dropped a sure TD pass which no doubt was the result of some rust from not playing for a few weeks. The rust will be shaken and he will take another step toward regaining his early dominant form.
5 Vernon Davis @ Det – They are going to need to pass in order to win against Detroit. Davis has been on the come up since his meeting with Harbaugh. If he ever played with an elite QB this guy would be the #1 Te every year.
6 Gronk vs Dal – He scores this week after two weeks of not finding the endzone.