Welcome to the 2015 Fantasy Alarm Game Recaps! Nobody watches more NFL football than yours truly, mostly because it is impossible to do so. Each week I’ll open up my notepad to all of our Fantasy Alarm readers so that you guys can go beyond the box score to get the information you need to win your league.
The one thing we can count on in fantasy football is that it will be consistently….consistent. See what I did there? I said earlier this year after what seemed to be a dismal Week 2 that some weeks will just be…bad. In fact each season will have three or four weeks that defy almost everything we in the fantasy community believe in. Backup TEs catching TD passes, teams not running the ball against a team that can’t stop the run, missed extra points, injuries and anything else that can derail a lineup. This week we saw all of it.
The thing about these types of weeks is that somebody still has to win. That is why I am always preaching consistency. Even when things go wrong, if you build your seasonal and DFS lineups around players with limited downside you will still be able to pull out victories. The longer you play this game the more you come to expect the unexpected and thus the less it affects you. I know that a lot of you are still scratching your head wondering how it all went wrong. So allow me to break down each game and try and make sense of it all for you.
Here are the Week 10 Fantasy Football Game Recaps:
18 – Detroit at Green Bay – 16
What a horrible piece of crab of a football game this was. Neither team deserved to win but the Packers should be especially embarrassed for this display. It’s fair to say that we have to reevaluate the fantasy value of Aaron Rodgers, Randall Cobb and James Jones moving forward.
Although his second half kickoff return set up the Lions' first TD of the game, Ameer Abdullah is a distant RB3 for Detroit at this point. There is no need to hold him on your roster if you were still doing so.
This was the first Lions win at Green Bay since 1991 – a span of 24 games.
Lions placekicker Matt Prater missed two extra points, giving him three misses on the season. These misses are directly responsible for allowing the Packers an opportunity to tie and win the game late in the fourth quarter.
Calvin Johnson had his hands on the Packers' onside kick but let it slip out of his hands for a Green Bay recovery. The Packers Mason Crosby then missed what would have been a game winning field goal, taking Megatron off of the hook.
It’s time for Mike McCarthy to take back play calling duties for the Packers' offense. This side of the ball looks as lost as ever lately and has really been deteriorating all season long.
Randall Cobb had his hands on what would have been a 62-yard TD reception but allowed it to completely slip out of hands and fall incomplete.
James Starks had a fumble that would have put the game on ice for the Lions but was overturned after review showed his elbow was down. The Packers then went down and scored the TD that could have tied the game had the Packers been able to convert the two point conversion.
As if the day couldn’t be any worse for the Packers, they lost starting LT David Bakhtiari to a knee injury.
6 – Dallas at Tampa Bay – 10
The problem with building your team the way the Cowboys have, is that you have a bunch of superstar players who have serious character flaws. This team gives up for long periods of time and only gives max effort when the game is on the line which by that time is too late, or so it has been this season.
Please sell your “Cowboys are still technically alive for the NFC East” nonsense somewhere else. They are much closer to having the No. 1 overall pick in the draft next year than they are to a playoff spot.
Dan Bailey missed a 48-yard field goal attempt late in the first half Sunday. This was defining because on the Cowboys' final drive they were about 10-15 yards away from what could have been a game winning FG attempt but had to air it out since they were down four points.
Oh and let’s please acknowledge that Jameis Winson went from goat to hero all because of Jeff Heath’s penalty that nullified Winston’s goal line fumble. The penalty set the Bucs up at the one-yard line and Winston ran it in on a bootleg on the very next play.
Good luck holding your breath for Austin Seferian-Jenkins playing again anytime soon. Supposedly he has not been cleared for contact still despite the fact that he has been practicing for three weeks now. I am more prone to believe the report that came out last week saying that the delay is directly related to ASJ not being comfortable with his injured shoulder and holding himself out.
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27 – Carolina at Tennessee – 10
The Panthers are 9-0 this season, the first time in franchise history they have started this well. But they have also won 13 regular season games in a row now, the longest streak in the NFL.
For years I have been vocal about the energy in Cam Newton’s game. He is an entirely different player when playing with passion and/or a purpose and it shows up in the stat lines as well. The good news here is that the undefeated season will spur Cam to play with that emotion week in and week out at least until that streak is snapped. I am going to be using him in DFS quite a bit now as the more inspired he is, the more he’ll run and force good things to happen.
Remember when Cam Newton fought Josh Norman in a training camp practice back in August? That seems like a long time ago and now it is these two who are leading their team to a tremendous season thus far.
Dexter McCluster had a very impressive 25-yard TD run early on in this game but he also lost a fumble later. With new head coach Mike Mularkey leading the Titans, I don’t find it at all necessary to have McCluster on your fantasy roster.
They were trying to make a lot of comparisons between Marcus Mariota and Cam Newton during the broadcast Sunday. Although I like Mariota a great deal, he hasn’t showed me that he has the patience or intelligence to be an elite level passer just yet. If that part of his game does develop and it should under a new coaching regime, only then would I make the comparison of him to Cam Newton.
Titans WR Justin Hunter was carted off the field with a significant ankle injury and will miss the rest of the season.
37 – Chicago at St. Louis – 13
The Rams have finally covered up the slick concrete surface that is in front of the stands of their home field before this game. This was in response to the season ending injury suffered by 49ers RB Reggie Bush three weeks ago.
The Bears pretty much exposed this Rams defense Sunday. Notice that most of the damage was done by the likes of Zach Miller and Jeremy Langford each of which took short passes and turned them into big plays. The Rams excel at coverage and pass rush. So by allowing them to over pursue and draw the coverage away with the likes of Alshon Jeffery and Marquess Wilson, they open up the middle of the field for momentum generating plays.
Jeremy Langford joined Gale Sayers and Walter Payton as the only two Chicago Bears RBs in history to have 100 receiving yards while scoring both a rushing and receiving touchdown.
After a successful first drive of the game in which he scored a six-yard touchdown, Todd Gurley was completely shut down by what has become a pretty solid run defense for the Bears this season. Gurley was due for a game like this and at his current price in DFS it is getting hard to use him while still building a quality lineup around him.
Wes Welker played a lot more than I thought he was going to this afternoon. He only had 3-32 but did receive six targets on the day. I see what they are trying to do with Welker and though I am not a big PPR WR on a small volume passing offense type of guy, I will admit there is some minimal value there. Sorry but that is the best that I could do.
The Rams lost RG Jamon Brown to what was later announced as a broken bone in his right foot. He will likely be placed on IR and miss the rest of the season.
14 – New Orleans at Washington – 47
A lot of you asked me about the health of Saints WR Willie Snead Sunday. I can assure you that Snead played the whole game and to my knowledge never was limited due to injury. He was limited with a knee injury all week but was on the field quite a bit Sunday. Snead had a short catch called back due to a penalty and other than that only received one target in the game.
Believe it or not I am still satisfied with this performance out of Benjamin Watson. Am I disappointed? Absolutely. But the Saints offense did as many of us thought they might and lay a giant egg here on the road. The fact of the matter, though, is that Drew Brees does look for and target Watson on a good amount of pass attempts. When the offense does better this will mean more fantasy points. I am confident the Saints offense will be just fine once they are back in their friendly confines again.
As many of you know I have been a big supporter of both Kirk Cousins and Matt Jones this season. I did not play Cousins Sunday and advised many of you against it as well, which was a mistake. Although I think the kid is solid, this game will be quite likely his best of his career. Kudos to you if you used him and a bummer for me that I didn’t.
I did, however, have some shares of Matt Jones Sunday which should surprise no one. As I said last week, Jones is a talented back that has shown great flashes this year. But his drawback right now is that he loses confidence as a runner when things are not going well. Notice that after his long receiving TD, he all of the sudden started using that stiff arm again and making moves to get to the outside.
Speaking of the screen pass that turned into a 78-yard TD from Cousins to Jones. That was the longest scoring pass play by a Redskins RB since 1972.
On the first drive of the second half, Jones said he saw cash money lying on the ground next to WR Pierre Garcon’s feet. He notified Garcon about it and Garcon picked it up and put it in him pants until the Redskins got back to the sidelines. Nobody has any idea where the money came from nor who it actually belonged to.
20 – Miami at Philadelphia – 19
This was a very competitive game with incredibly similar opponents. It all came down to the Eagles missing a field goal, losing their starting QB and the backup throwing a costly red zone interception that gave Miami the lead.
Jay Ajayi is a must pickup for anybody with Lamar Miller and even for those who don’t own Miller but are desperate for RB help. He has some fresh legs right now and you can tell by the way he can start and stop so efficiently yet still get to top speed. I don’t see any true RB controversy here in Miami but have seen coaches constantly want to pull back on the Lamar Miller reigns before.
The Dolphins are the first NFL team since 1980 to give up a safety in three consecutive games.
Miami made some changes to their secondary, the biggest of which involved deactivating the once shutdown CB Brent Grimes. The move seemed to be paying off until they also lost Brice McCain to a knee injury leaving them painfully thin in the defensive backfield.
Dolphins LB Jelanie Jenkins also left this game with an ankle injury and did not return. It is rumored to have been a high ankle injury which would likely cost him at least 2-4 weeks.
If any of you put in a single dollar worth of free agent dollar bids in on Brent Celek this week I will personally come to your house and slap you across the face with my slipper right in front of your family.
Sam Bradford got knocked out of the game with a shoulder injury. It turned out to be a grade two AC joint in his left shoulder which will likely cost him at least a couple of weeks. Bradford also was diagnosed with a concussion as a result of the same play.
If Mark Sanchez has to start for the Eagles that will likely be a very good thing for Jordan Matthews. Matthews averaged seven targets, five receptions, 75 yards and scored six touchdowns in eight games with Sanchez last season.
Ryan Mathews was knocked out of this game with a concussion in the third quarter and did not return.
9 – Cleveland at Pittsburgh – 30
The Browns are not even close to resembling an average NFL team. The fact that they have a legitimate argument to say that Johnny Manziel deserves to be their starting QB tells you all that you need to know. This team is 2-8 and ran the ball a total of 14 times Sunday.
Manziel is awful and this will not change. Go ahead and believe in him for his 372 yards he put up Sunday, but don’t forget that he still turned the ball over twice and threw another interception that was nullified due to penalty.
On the positive side for Manziel he survived what I think was the worst facemask I have ever seen. Steelers LB Arthur Moats grabbed ahold of Manziel’s facemask and literally spun his entire head around. It was incredible to watch live as I truly thought I may have seen a murder there on the football field. Manziel did not seem any worse for the wear, though, popping right back up and not missing a beat.
Manziel did have a rushing touchdown also that was overturned after a review showed that he was down on the half-yard line. The Browns botched that drive up miserably as they do with most things.
Cleveland WR Andrew Hawkins was knocked out of this game after suffering his second concussion in his last three games. Hawkins was taken to the hospital where the team said he will remain overnight for observation.
I know all of you want to know what happened to DeAngelo Williams Sunday so let me explain. When Landry Jones left the game after just four pass attempts, the entire construction of the Steelers offense changed as well. Ben Roethlisberger was not comfortable handing the ball off whatsoever and those of us who watched the game saw him nearly fall over once and fumble twice in trying to do so. Because of his sore foot, all that he could do was step back in the pocket and fire which is exactly what he did. This is incredible disappointing obviously, because of just how good the matchup was. But moving forward I am not worried about Williams' fantasy value as long as he stays healthy.
Steelers kicker Chris Boswell had a 26-yard field goal early on in this game but the Browns got flagged for a personal foul which resulted in a first down. Ben Roethlisberger hit Antonio Brown for a four-yard TD on the first play after that to go up 14-3 over the Browns.
22 – Jacksonville at Baltimore – 20
It’s a rare occurrence when the clock reads 0:00 at the end of the fourth quarter and the team that has the lead does not win the game. A facemask penalty on Ravens LB Elvis Dumervil moved the ball up 15 yards and gave the Jaguars one last play. That play turned into a 53-yard field goal by Jason Myers which gave the Jags their third win of the season.
Allen Hurns had a very solid week posting 5-62-1 this afternoon. But he also made a huge mistake in allowing Lardarius Webb to step in front of him on a first half interception. Hurns was wide open but instead of coming back to the ball and shielding the defender he allowed Webb to step in and grab the ball away.
The Jaguars lost DT Sen'Derrick Marks to an elbow injury late in the first half. Marks was scheduled for an MRI late on Sunday and we should have results by Monday afternoon.
I may be exhausted, hungry and generally cranky right now but I was just asked on Twitter (@Jeff_Mans) a few minutes ago if Julius Thomas was droppable at this point. My response was something along the lines of “Why do you even have him in the first place?” I am sorry for being so feisty but how many times do I have to say that Thomas was a fluke for the Broncos for 20 games and that he shouldn’t have been drafted in fantasy leagues in the first place. When you don’t listen, I get pissed.
I don’t care how few points the Ravens have lost their seven games by, it doesn’t mean they are any better than their record indicates. This is a bad football team that is getting worse the further we get in the season.
It was clear that Kamar Aiken is the new WR1 for Joe Flacco and the Ravens right now. He has good size and is getting better at adjusting to the ball and making plays when the pass is contested. I would be comfortable with Aiken as my WR3 in a deep league or a FLEX play on a weekly basis.
The Ravens lost center Jeremy Zuttah late in this game due to a shoulder injury.
30 – Minnesota at Oakland – 14
Adrian Peterson logged 26-203-1 Sunday, including a game icing 80-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter. This was Peterson’s sixth time rushing for over 200 yards tying him with O.J. Simpson for the most all-time.
Stefon Diggs only had two targets on the day but caught both for a total of 46 yards. The Vikings' passing game is really non-existent most weeks as their recipe for success is an opportunistic defense that sets them up in short fields to run the ball into scoring situations. Diggs will have good weeks but he’ll also break our hearts some weeks like he has in the past two.
Cordarrelle Patterson has not worked out as a wide receiver but he and Marcus Sherels have made quite the return team combo here in Minnesota. Patterson ran a kickoff back 93 yards for a touchdown Sunday that really changed the momentum of the game and gave the Vikings their first lead.
There was a hilarious moment in this game when a drunken fan jumped on the field and was running around evading security. Then Vikings safety Antone Exum Jr. decided to take matters into his own hands and bone tackled the sucker and drove him into the dirt. That dude didn’t know what had happened to him.
I feel like the Raiders try and throw the ball in highly unnecessary situations. They had some success early in the game running to the edges with Latavius Murray but then after trying to punch it up the gut were stifled by Vikings DT Linval Joseph. After that they just sort of gave up on using the run game despite it being a one score game until late in the fourth quarter.
27 – New England at N.Y. Giants – 26
I had this game pinned all wrong and that is really on me. The Giants play the Patriots tough every single time and I am so angry at myself for thinking they would lay down.
The Patriots' backfield situation played out just how we figured it would with LeGarrette Blount leading the charge while James White popped in from time to time in obvious passing situations. This will be a matchup-dependent situation that I will break down further on the SiriusXM Fantasy Alarm Show this week.
Julian Edelman was on fire to start this game but then one play changed it all. Edelman was tackled awkwardly on a first half catch which turned out to be costly. Edelman broke a bone in his foot in what is commonly referred to as a “Jones Fracture” for which he will have surgery on Monday. Edelman’s 2015 fantasy season is over as he may be able to return at some point in the playoffs but that is it. Danny Amendola takes over the Edelman role and will be an absolute must get on the waiver wire this week.
The Patriots have scored a point in 35 consecutive quarters which is an all-time NFL record.
LeGarrette Blount had a four-yard touchdown run nullified by an offensive holding penalty.
Odell Beckham Jr. made some great catches but he is also reckless when holding the football. Several times in this game I saw him holding the ball with just one hand while trying to gain extra yards after the catch. He also should have had a game clinching touchdown in the fourth quarter but it was nullified by review when it showed he moved the ball into one hand and then dropped it. While I find the NFL rules on what is and isn’t a catch ridiculous, he should know better and can’t be handling the ball like that.
Giants center Weston Richburg had his left leg rolled up on and had to be helped off of the field. He did not return and will be reevaluated on Monday.
Giants LB Mark Herzlich also sustained a calf injury and had to be replaced for the rest of the game.
29 – Kansas City at Denver – 13
To know how bad this game was for the Broncos just understand the words: Peyton Manning was benched in favor of Brock Osweiler. Manning broke the all-time NFL record for passing yards on a four-yard swing pass to Ronnie Hillman then struggled to get much more than that. The thought on Manning is that his injuries are what is limiting his performance of late. While I am sure that Manning is not 100 percent these days, the reasons for that are the same as we fear is going on with his performance. Manning is old and has worn down once again this season after starting out just fine. Notice how after the bye week he had a good game despite limping into the bye. I’m not going to stick the fork in him yet, but his days of being a legitimate fantasy asset are over.
I thought Osweiler looked pretty good out there Sunday but that was against mostly backups and after watching Peyton Manning struggle for nearly three quarters. His escapability is a welcome blessing for an offensive line that is beat up and struggling.
Emmanuel Sanders was active Sunday but got leveled pretty good in the second quarter. He was evaluated for a concussion and although he was cleared, he didn’t return. Andre Caldwell was the next man up behind Sanders and actually caught a late TD from Osweiler.
Broncos safety T.J. Ward was ejected from this game after punching WR Jeremy Maclin after Maclin laid him out on a block on Charcandrick West’s 80-yard TD catch and run.
As we saw here Sunday, Charcandrick West is the center of the Chiefs offense and that can sustain fantasy production even against elite defenses.
The Chiefs really didn’t do much right other than put pressure on Manning and take advantage of the five turnovers. Cairo Santos hit five of his six field goal attempts to be the real hero for the Chiefs' offense Sunday.
39 – Arizona at Seattle – 32
The Cardinals at one point had a 19-point lead and led 22-7 at halftime. But the loss of Cardinals LG Mike Iupati, who had to be ambulanced out of the stadium with a neck injury, really swung the momentum. With Iupati out, the Seahawks' defense was able to gobble up the Cardinals up front which led to a couple Carson Palmer turnovers that got them back in the game.
The loss of Iupati also hurt what was becoming a good night for Chris Johnson and the Cardinals running game. But head coach Bruce Arians stuck with the running game despite a lack of success and his faith paid off massively in the end with Andre Ellington’s game sealing 48-yard TD run.
Michael Floyd is proving to be a big asset for Palmer and the Cardinals offense these days. He grabbed a pair of TDs Sunday night before being knocked out of the game with a hamstring injury. Monitor his status this week leading into another big game at home against the undefeated Bengals.
The 30 first downs the Cardinals collected were the most against the Seahawks since 2010.
The Seahawks' defensive struggles have hampered them offensively as well. When other teams score on them, they have to play catch up and that is a very uncomfortable situation for this team. The running game volume just isn’t the same and that leads to some underwhelming stat lines for Marshawn Lynch.
It was absolutely delightful to watch the Seahawks get called for so many penalties at home on a nationally televised game. Seattle was whistled for 17 penalties tonight, 14 of which were enforced for a total of 131 yards. The Cardinals were also called for nine penalties for 71 yards tonight but its nice to finally see the Seahawks not get away with murder like usual.