The Scoop

By Dalton Del Don

Jamaal Charles totaled 238 yards on just 26 touches Sunday, and he’s now averaging a whopping 6.5 YPC. He’s getting a highly impressive 3.4 YPC after contact, has yet to commit a single penalty this season and is a superior blocker than Adrian Peterson and Chris Johnson, so there’s a legitimate argument Charles is the best running back in football. Nothing has fundamentally changed with his fantasy prospects recently, as Thomas Jones will continue to frustrate his owners, but Charles is on pace to finish the year with 1,959 total yards on just 272 touches. If he were ever given a full workload, the history books could be rewritten…Buffalo may be 0-7, but this team is no doormat, especially with the vastly improved passing attack. Those who took Kansas City in their survivor pools were extremely fortunate, to say the least. Check out the game’s crazy WP graph…Tamba Hali might be the best defensive player few people know about, as he’s been playing out of his mind this season. His 36 quarterback pressures are the second most in the NFL.

The run blocking has taken a major step back, but what’s up with Jonathan Stewart? He’s looked like a top NFL back over the past two years, and now supposedly fully healthy for the first time ever, he’s just not breaking tackles like in the past. Of course, it’s probably safe to say at this point that offseason surgery has had a lingering effect, and Carolina’s offense has been a huge problem. If DeAngelo Williams is out again in Week 9, I’d still roll with Stewart in fantasy leagues…The Rams are a surprising 4-4 thanks not only to Sam Bradford, but their defense has allowed just two rushing scores while yielding only 6.4 YPA and recording 23 sacks. It’s been one of the most improved units in all of football in 2010.

Really interesting read about the late night wars between Jay Leno and Conan O’Brien.

Troy Smith’s final stat line looked strong, but that was quite a vanilla game plan. Of course, San Francisco fans have a low bar to clear when it comes to getting excited about QB play, so might as well see what he can do while Alex Smith is dealing with a bum shoulder (and maybe even after Smith is healed)…Fun fact: Frank Gore has been targeted (59) more than Wes Welker (56) this season…Brandon Lloyd already has more receiving yards this year than he did over the past four seasons combined. Lloyd is on pace to finish with 1,757 receiving yards, which would be the third highest mark in NFL history. Remarkable.

Over the last four games, Calvin Johnson has racked up 24 catches for 387 yards and seven touchdowns. His talent and the high expectations are finally being matched by his production on the field. Johnson’s eight receiving scores are tied for the most among all wide receivers this year, and it was encouraging to see him have a nice rapport with Matthew Stafford, who returned to the lineup in Week 8. Johnson’s shoulder is still bothering him, and he’s an injury risk moving forward, but there isn’t a more talented receiver in football, and he should continue to dominate in the red zone. He must be considered a top-three fantasy WR…Donovan McNabb struggled again Sunday, completing just 56.7 percent of his passes with one touchdown against a vulnerable Detroit secondary, which resulted in him getting benched in favor of Rex Grossman in a six point game with two minutes left. Varying explanations have been given as to why, and none of them make any sense, mainly because the alternative was Grossman. Still, McNabb has posted a 7:8 TD:INT ratio over eight games, and he’s fortunate none of his four fumbles have been lost. He’s also taken 22 sacks and has produced a QB rating below 80.0 in seven of eight contests. McNabb has yet to throw multiple touchdowns in any game this year and put simply, he’s been one of the least effective quarterbacks in 2010…It doesn’t get much dumber than Washington jumping off sides when Detroit was lined up to kick a field goal on 4th and 1 at the Redskins’ 7 yard line in the third quarter Sunday.

This is a ridiculously crazy ending to a CFL game. And while you’re watching, note that Montreal was favored by 4.5 points.

Entering Week 9, the Jets hadn’t allowed a single point in the first quarter this season. That is until a failed fake punt on 4th and 18 from their own 20 yard line led to a Green Bay field goal…It was definitely an impressive performance by the Packers’ defense, especially considering the Jets were coming off their bye, but Santonio Holmes dropped what would have been a sure 40 yard touchdown, which was a killer. It was on a short cross and not a tough catch, but that said, I like buying low on Holmes right now in deep leagues.

One was an absolute gift that should have been intercepted, but Terrell Owens recorded two more touchdowns Sunday, giving him five over the past four games. His 85 targets are the most in the NFL, and there’s little reason not to expect that to continue considering the Bengals’ declining defense and mediocre rushing attack. Owens is defying the odds remaining so productive at age 36, but it’s clear he’s got plenty left in the tank…Davone Bess leads all wide receivers with eight broken tackles this year.

This state house candidate had himself quite a weekend.

While it may not seem like David Garrard is having a good season, over his last three games (not counting the one he left with a concussion midway through the second quarter) he’s posted a 9:1 TD:INT ratio. He’s also completed 79.4 percent of his passes, got 9.5 YPA and also produced two TDs on the ground over that span. After the team’s upcoming bye, Jacksonville gets home games against the Texans and Browns (and they also have a highly favorable playoff schedule), so Garrard is suddenly a factor in fantasy leagues. The Jaguars’ poor defense and inability to run block are both positives for Garrard’s value…Jason Witten was targeted 12 times during Jon Kitna’s first start for the Cowboys on Sunday, and he’s likely to be relied upon heavily moving forward. With Dallas Clark joining Jermichael Finley on IR and Zach Miller and Vernon Davis both banged up, Witten could easily be considered the No. 2 tight end in fantasy leagues right now…Having allowed zero before Sunday, Doug Free gave up two sacks against the Jaguars, leaving Jake Long as the NFL’s only left tackle yet to allow a sack this season…Make no mistake, the Cowboys have one of the worst defenses in the NFL.

At this point, it’s only news when Charlie Sheen doesn’t get drunk, naked and harass some poor girl.

It’s comical the Chargers had yet another punt blocked for a safety less than two minutes into Sunday’s game…Kenny Britt clearly has the talent to be a No. 1 WR for years to come, but the hamstring injury he suffered in Week 8 appears to be significant. The team is hoping it won’t land him on IR, and while he’s worth holding onto if you have the roster space, those in a crunch should probably just cut bait. The subsequent claiming of Randy Moss off waivers suggests the Titans aren’t banking on Britt returning to action anytime soon…Speaking of Moss, he’s on pace to finish with just 626 receiving yards this year. Getting claimed by Tennessee is a pretty good real life situation with the Titans a playoff contender and entering the team’s bye week, but they have attempted just 26.1 passes per game this season, so it’s hardly an ideal landing spot for Moss’ fantasy value. He also deserves a downgrade for berating that catering company, which isn’t cool at all…Seyi Ajirotutu is a deep sleeper for those desperate for wide receiver help in Week 9.

LeGarrette Blount totaled 129 yards and two touchdowns on 24 touches Sunday. He’s averaging 5.2 YPC during his rookie season, exhibiting a nice blend of power and speed that will make it increasingly more difficult to keep him off the field. He’ll continue to lose work to Carnell Williams during passing situations, but Blount simply has to be Tampa Bay’s primary ballcarrier at this point. He looks like a future star…It’s pretty clear Derek Anderson currently gives Arizona its best chance of winning.

Over the last four games, Tom Brady has gotten just 6.6 YPA with four touchdowns, averaging a paltry 211.0 passing yards over that span. The offense has been dramatically different with Randy Moss gone, as defenses have been able to defend a less than 100 percent Wes Welker with ease, and a hobbled (and aged) Deion Branch hasn’t been the answer. With no downfield threat, New England plans to win games like they used to, which has certainly worked in the record column, but it’s bad news for Brady’s fantasy value. He’s still a top-10 option, but he’s no longer in the top-five…With a little more than three minutes left and 1st and goal at the 1 yard line with the Pats up 21-18, Bill Belichick had Brady run back-to-back QB sneaks in which he clearly tried not to score, effectively taking the game down to the two minute warning. It would have been interesting to see if New England would have gone for it had BenJarvus Green-Ellis not scored on third down. It’s crazy no other coach is willing to think outside the box like Belichick. He’s playing chess while the rest are playing checkers…After leading the NFL with 48 sacks last season, the Vikings haven’t recorded one in any of their past three games and are tied for a league-low with six on the year.

“Eastbound & Down” hit a lull during those two Don Johnson episodes, but it totally redeemed itself with the penultimate episode last week, which killed me. The opening with Adam Scott was a home run, and Stevie Janowski is simply one of the best characters ever.

After failing to score a touchdown in Week 6, the Raiders have somehow scored 92 points over the past two games, thanks to Darren McFadden continuing to look like one of the best running backs in football, and Jason Campbell suddenly playing well. Since posting a lower QB rating in Week 6 than JaMarcus Russell ever did, Campbell has gotten 10.9 YPA with a 4:0 TD:INT ratio…The Seahawks have a winning record and are currently alone in first place in the NFC West, but they have been outscored 104-43 on the road this season.

Prop 19 didn’t pass, but I have a sneaking suspicion which way Tim Lincecum voted.

After gaining just seven yards on seven carries before suffering a concussion, Chris Ivory’s momentary fantasy value could soon come to an end. Both Reggie Bush and Pierre Thomas could return after the team’s Week 10 bye…Facing a mediocre Saints secondary that was banged up physically in a dome environment in primetime, it was surprising to see Ben Roethlisberger post such a pedestrian line. Expect him to bounce back with a big game this week in Cincinnati.

I still can’t believe the Giants won the World Series. Even as a homer, I never saw it coming. As crazy as that outcome was, the subsequent celebration took it up a notch!

He may not have been totally 100 percent, but Donald Brown was badly outplayed by Mike Hart on Monday night – it’s too bad Hart suffered what looked like a serious ankle injury…It sounds like Austin Collie may actually have a chance of returning to action in Week 9, which would be a remarkably quick recovery…One interesting prop bet my friend who lives in Vegas hammered was Pierre Garcon’s over/under last week, which was 57.5 yards. That seemed incredibly low considering the opponent and how decimated the rest of Indy’s receiving corps was…Making his first career start, Jacob Tamme wasted no time, catching a touchdown in the first quarter of Monday’s win over the Texans. He finished with six catches for 64 yards, and while that came in a favorable matchup, Tamme immediately becomes a viable weekly TE option in fantasy leagues because of Peyton Manning. With a depleted receiving corps, Tamme is going to remain involved in the Colts’ offense moving forward, and there are few better setups in the league…Since throwing for 497 yards and three touchdowns in Week 2, Matt Schaub has gotten just 6.8 YPA with a 6:4 TD:INT ratio over five games. He’s taken a major step back compared to last season…I realize complaints like this have become repetitive, but what was Houston thinking punting down 13 points with six minutes left Monday night? On what planet does that decision give them their best chance of winning? Even if they fail on fourth down, a subsequent field goal by Indy still leaves it a two score game. NFL coaches really need to grow a pair and quit playing for the friendliest loss. It’s an epidemic that needs to stop.

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4 responses to “The Scoop”

  1. i am jack's fantasy football team Avatar
    i am jack’s fantasy football team

    great column — as always

  2. RotoScoop Avatar
    RotoScoop

    Thanks – appreciate it.

  3. Robby Avatar
    Robby

    1. Loved the WP graph – I’ve never seen one of those before.

    2. Best part about the DUI article is how he got pulled over the 2nd time – excessive honking!!!

    3. I normally love stuff like that but the Belichick move sounds pretty stupid to me. Risking keeping it at 3 points or only 6 when you can go up 10 doesn’t seem like a risk worth taking.

  4. RotoScoop Avatar
    RotoScoop

    Robby – I’m actually not sure I agree with the Belichick move in this case either (I just love how out of the box he is). Having a better chance of going up 10 seems more important than 70 seconds, I agree.

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