Fantasy Football, Week 8: Blount Objects

This week I thought I’d do something a little different.  I’ll still give you some waiver pickups and emergency fill-ins, but I’m not going to be posting nearly as much analysis or stats for each guy; the main focus of this column is going to be the fantasy values of Jaguars players, so let’s start with them.  What I’m going to do is tell you who is worth having in how big of a league.  There aren’t that many, but here we go:

David Garrard, QB and Trent Edwards, QB – Garrard should only be on your roster if you play in a league that starts two QBs.  He’s not worth having in a single-QB league unless you’re in a league with 14 or more people.  In a league where QB get six points, Garrard could be worth having as a backup but absolutely nothing more.  I wouldn’t be shocked if he loses his starting job at some point this season, and if he does Edwards would have the exact same value.

Maurice Jones-Drew, RB – This one’s easy:  MJD is a low-tier RB1 or a great RB2.  I don’t see the YPC going up a ton due to the woeful passing game and defense, but he’s still an every-down stud.  He should be on a roster in all leagues.

Deji Karim, RB and Rashad Jennings, RB – I paired them together, but they’re not exactly the same.  If MJD went down I have a feeling these guys would split carries pretty evenly.  Karim has a little more value due to his health right now, but if they’re both healthy I’d give the edge to Jennings, as he would likely play a little more in the passing game and get goal line carries.  Karim has a lot more value in leagues that count return yards.  These guys are strictly handcuffs at best, and they likely shouldn’t be on rosters in leagues with less than 12 teams.

Mike Sims-Walker, WR – MSW has been kind of a disappointment, but he’s still worth having.  He’ll have good games and bad games, but he’s a decent enough WR3.  If your league has 10 or more teams, he should be on a roster.  In PPR leagues he’s rated about the same.

Mike Thomas, WR – Thomas has been a bit more consistent than MSW, but Thomas has more value in PPR leagues and also in return yardage leagues due to his status as the punt returner.  He’s a WR3 at best, and if you have less than 10 teams he shouldn’t be on a roster.

Marcedes Lewis, TE – Lewis started the season great, but has been plagued by the dropsies lately.  I wouldn’t want Lewis as my starter unless I played in a league with 14 or more teams, but he’s a solid TE2 in other leagues.

Jaguars D/ST – STAY AWAY!  The only league the Jaguars D/ST should be on a team in is a 32-team league.  They’re not even worth a matchup play.

Josh Scobee, K – Scobee has been great all year, and though he’s had games where he’s lacked opportunities, he’s rock-solid.  Worth having in all leagues.

Now for some free agents:

QB

Matthew Stafford, QB, DET – Stafford is supposed to be back at the helm for Detroit after the bye, and he plays a Washington defense that had been getting crushed in the passing game before playing Jay "Interception Machine" Cutler.  Stafford is likely the best QB out there, and with Romo going down this week this is a guy to target.

Ryan Fitzpatrick, QB, BUF - Fitzpatrick is usually an afterthought, but he's been a fantasy football miracle so far.  Remember Tyler Thigpen in the Chan Gailey offense a couple years ago?  That could easily be Fitzpatrick this year.  He's got 11 TD in four games as the starter in Buffalo, and though he'll turn the ball over some, he's worth having on your roster.

Josh Freeman, QB, TB – Though the Bucs certainly aren’t the best team in the NFC like coach Raheem Morris suggested, they ARE a solid team, and part of the reason is because of Freeman.  He looks like a legitimate starter, and he could eventually be a star.

Jon Kitna, QB, DAL – Need a QB for this week?  Kitna is your man.  Though the Cowboys have been horribly disappointing this year, they’re still loaded with weapons, and Kitna has enough talent to get the ball to the playmakers.  As we’ve seen on a weekly basis, the Jaguars defense has difficulty stopping anyone, and Kitna shouldn’t have a problem putting up solid numbers this week.  It’s not a stretch to say he could have a solid rest of the season, so don’t sleep on him if you need a QB.

RB

LeGarrette Blount, RB, TB – Blount seems to have taken over, at least temporarily, the "lead" back duties in Tampa Bay.  Cadillac Williams is still getting passing game snaps, so Blount is more of a two-down back, but he could also get goal line carries, though watch out for Earnest Graham.  Blount isn't going to save your season, but he's a nice addition to your roster.

Danny Woodhead, RB, NE – I know I mentioned Woodhead last week, but if he’s still a free agent make sure he isn’t after this week.  Woodhead took the majority of the snaps for New England this week, and though he didn’t do a ton with them, the Patriots were playing a San Diego team near the top in total defense.  Woodhead is definitely worth having, and there aren’t many RB on the wire you can say that about.

Chester Taylor, RB, CHI – I mentioned him last week as strictly a handcuff, but now Taylor will be getting the goal line carries for the Bears, as Matt Forte has been horrible in short-yardage.  This makes Taylor worth having as a potential flex option as well, as he’s good in the passing game also.

WR

Mike Williams, WR, SEA – I hope you grabbed Williams last week, because his breakout looks legit.  21 catches in the past two weeks makes him a WR3 going forward, and he can definitely help your team.

Lee Evans, WR, BUF - While Buffalo isn’t exactly an offensive juggernaut, chances are they will be throwing in most games. Evans is still the guy in Buffalo, and while he can be hit or miss, he'll put up some good games.  He's a WR3.

Steve Johnson, WR, BUF – Like Evans, Johnson is a beneficiary of Fitzpatrick slinging the ball all over the field.  With the Bills' horrible defense, I'd expect the passing game to continue to be the focus of the offense.  Johnson has scored in four straight games and ran a route on almost every dropback by Fitzpatrick Sunday.  He’s worth a flier.

TE

Brandon Pettigrew, TE, DET – With Stafford returning, Pettigrew’s value, which was already solid, goes up a bit more.  With so many TE injured, the lesser guys become more and more important.  Pettigrew has been pretty consistent this year, and now he’s got his QB back.  He’s like a "lite" version of Zach Miller (OAK) from last year.

In order, I’d rank these players as follows:

1.  Mike Williams

2.  Matthew Stafford

3.  Ryan Fitzpatrick

4.  Lee Evans

5.  Steve Johnson

6.  Danny Woodhead

7.  LeGarrette Blount

8.  Josh Freeman

9.  Jon Kitna

10.  Brandon Pettigrew

Need an emergency (literal emergency) starter this week?  Think about these guys:

QB:  Jon Kitna, DAL; Matt Cassel, KC

RB:  Mike Hart, IND; Mike Goodson, CAR

WR:  David Gettis, CAR; Danny Amendola, STL; Dexter McCluster, KC; Nate Burleson, DET

TE:  Tony Moeaki, KC; Tony Scheffler, DET

D/ST:  Cowboys D/ST; Rams D/ST