The Scoop

By Dalton Del Don

Death, taxes, San Diego getting a punt blocked in the first five minutes of a game…Arian Foster is on pace to finish with 2,358 total yards and 20 touchdowns. That’s especially remarkable when you consider he’s also on pace for just 317 carries…Playing on the road without Antonio Gates and his top four wide receivers while dealing with one of the worst offensive lines in football, Philip Rivers still managed a decent 12.8 YPA with four touchdown passes Sunday against the Texans. Peyton Manning has a strong argument as well, but it’s hard not to call Rivers the MVP of the league right now…Ryan Mathews has lost three fumbles this season on 102 touches. He lost that many over 553 carries while at Fresno State. And make no mistake, in between injuries, Mathews has been outplayed by Mike Tolbert…With more than five minutes left and the score 27-23, Norv Turner decided to go for two, which was even crazier than Derek Jeter winning another Gold Glove award.

Speaking of Gold Gloves, while the egregious Jeter issue has been rightfully hammered by the sabermetric community, I haven’t heard one argument about what I view as clearly the biggest oversight this year – Andres Torres not winning. Quite simply, Torres was the best defensive player in all of baseball this season, yet he wasn’t awarded despite voters having three outfield spots to choose from. Only Brett Gardner had a higher UZR than Torres this season, but he played the vast majority in left field, and while Torres was amazing in left field (53.7 UZR/150) and right field (33.4 UZR/150), he played mostly in center field. And realize AT&T Park is one of the trickiest outfields in baseball. I get that he’s hardly a household name in what amounts to a popularity contest, but Torres had 67 extra base hits in just 139 games and was the best position player on the team that won the World Series. Carlos Gonzalez is a below average fielder! That even those who are supposed to “get it” missed the boat here (not one single voter for the Fielding Bible Awards, which features Rob Neyer, Bill James, etc. picked Torres in their top-five OFs, yet Tom Tango’s Fan Poll had him as the No. 2 center fielder, so this isn’t a disconnect regarding advanced stats. People who watched him play concur) makes it far more maddening than the clueless coaches and managers predictably getting another one wrong.

While not quite as crazy as this “Price Is Right” bid, this “Wheel of Fortune” contestant is no joke.

Larry Fitzgerald entered Week 8 with just 331 receiving yards on the year but has averaged 6.5 catches, 89.5 yards and one touchdown over the past two games, and it’s no coincidence that has coincided with Derek Anderson seeing significant action at quarterback. Anderson might be the least accurate QB in the league, but he’s unafraid to take shots downfield and has resurrected Fitzgerald’s fantasy value. He was targeted 10 times last week, and the opportunity to buy Fitzgerald low has likely passed…Can everyone do me a favor and remind me not to draft Chris Wells next season? Thanks…Playing through a badly sprained ankle, Percy Harvin hauled in nine catches for 126 yards Sunday, alleviating concerns he’d be unproductive with Randy Moss out of town. Harvin clearly benefited from Brett Favre having to throw 47 times, but he was highly impressive even hobbled and should be a mainstay in fantasy lineups from here on out (assuming his latest headache problem is minor). Harvin is second in the NFL with 276 yards after the catch (Miles Austin leads with 288 YAC), and he’s done so despite not being in the top-20 in targets.

This buzzer beater is legit.

With DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart out, Mike Goodson has been named Carolina’s starter for Week 10. He has just 38 career rushing attempts (2.6 YPC) and plays for a bad Panthers offense that will be forced to start Jimmy Clausen at QB, but Goodson should approach 20 touches, as he’s plenty useful as a receiver. Tampa Bay has allowed 5.0 YPC this year, which is the second highest mark in the NFL, so the matchup is favorable. Goodson is a worthy flex play in Week 10…During the three games Steve Smith has played this year in which Jimmy Clausen saw significant action, he’s averaged 2.0 catches, 14.0 receiving yards and zero touchdowns. Smith hasn’t scored since Week 2, and with Matt Moore out for the season, Carolina will be relying on Clausen (or possibly Tony Pike) for the foreseeable future. An NFL-high six balls have been intercepted on passes intended for Smith this season. He’s borderline droppable in fantasy leagues.

This story is pretty crazy.

Peyton Hillis totaled 220 yards and scored two touchdowns in Week 10 against a Patriots team that entered having yet to allow a 100-yard rushing game to any back this season. Hillis has scored in seven of eight games this season, and it’s clear the bye week let him fully recover from his thigh injury, as he looked explosive and powerful in the dominant performance. Pro Football Focus ranks him as the second best blocking back in the league as well (Ahmad Bradshaw is No. 1), so there isn’t a weakness in his game. Brandon Lloyd has been fantastic, but Hillis has been the best waiver wire add in fantasy leagues this season…BenJarvus Green-Ellis has the higher ceiling because of his touchdown potential, but Danny Woodhead clearly has a higher floor each week…New England receivers have done Tom Brady no favors this year, dropping an NFL-high 23 passes collectively.

I didn’t know this was even possible.

Although it didn’t succeed, I applaud Tampa Bay’s aggressiveness going for the surprise onside kick in the third quarter. The Bucs touched it about 9.9 yards after the kick, so it nearly worked…Mike Williams is second in the NFL with seven broken tackles and not a single pass intended for him has been picked off…The Buccaneers are on pace to record just 12 sacks this season (the lowest in NFL history is 10)…While people keep mentioning how unfortunate it is that Tampa Bay was out of timeouts and therefore unable to challenge the spot during LeGarrette Blount’s crucial 4th and 1 run late in the fourth quarter from the two yard line, ultimately it was moot, because if the refs had allowed further progress, then the ruling would have become a fumble. The Bucs can’t have it both ways (the forward progress stopping after he reached the first down but right before the Falcons knocked it out of his hands).

I feel bad for the kid, but seriously, what was he thinking?

At the beginning of the year, I kept changing my mind on which Bears receiver to target, but I never once even imagined the correct answer being “none.” How can a Mike Martz offense with Jay Cutler at QB not produce a single weekly fantasy starter at WR or TE? It’s insane…Steve Johnson’s five game scoring streak ended Sunday, but he racked up 11 catches for 145 yards, as he continues to be Ryan Fitzpatrick’s favorite target (his 14 looks tied for the third most in the league in Week 9). Johnson is averaging 8.0 catches and 113.3 receiving yards over the past three games, and he’s scored six touchdowns over the past six contests. Even though Fitzpatrick has taken a step back recently, he’s attempted a whopping 99 passes over the past two games, and that type of high volume should remain a constant thanks to Buffalo’s horrendous defense. Johnson can’t be called a nice complement to Lee Evans any longer, because he’s emerged as the Bills’ No. 1 receiver.

I guess the “updated” version makes it better?

Brandon Marshall was held to just five catches for 30 yards last week, and he still has only one touchdown this season. He’s reached 75 yards receiving in just two of eight games, and his current 11.9 yards per catch mark is outside the top-50 in the league. Marshall is seeing constant double and even triple teams, and while he still has plenty of value, especially in PPR formats, he can no longer be considered a top-10 fantasy wide receiver. The switch from Chad Henne to Chad Pennington might help in the red zone since the latter is more accurate, but on the other hand, the offense could become even less explosive…Joe Flacco has a 14:0 TD:INT ratio over his last seven homes games…The Ravens didn’t punt once during their victory over the Dolphins.

How to get out of jury duty.

Over the last three games, LaDainian Tomlinson has rushed 48 times for just 156 yards – good for 3.3 YPC. Considering all three of those opponents rank in the bottom seven in rush defense, it’s concerning. While Tomlinson was a good story over the first half of the year, still benefits from running behind one of the best lines in the league and remains active as a receiver, no one should be surprised by the decline in performance, as he recently surpassed the 3,000 carry mark for his career. I’d rather own Shonn Greene from here on out…How does Santonio Holmes get caught from behind by a linebacker?…Matthew Stafford’s latest shoulder injury is once again serious, and he appears unlikely to play another snap in 2010. He’s not soft, but at this point it’s safe to worry about his durability. A franchise player simply can’t miss 19 games over a two year stretch. It’s two steps forward and then another back for the Lions. Shaun Hill becomes a decent fantasy option in deep leagues as a result…After he buried a field goal in overtime, the fact it was a game-winner was news to Nick Folk.

Seattle is typically one of the toughest places to play, so it was pretty impressive to see the Giants jump out to a 28-0 lead with more than nine minutes remaining in the second quarter, regardless of Seattle’s injury issues…During their four losses this season, the Seahawks have been outscored 125-27.

This guy is an absolute lunatic.

Austin Collie will be missed, as he’s caught an insane 84.6 percent (44-of-52) of his targets this year, easily leading the league…Pretty crazy that Michael Vick currently leads the NFL in QB rating…The only tight end I’d rather own over Jacob Tamme is Antonio Gates, and even that’s questionable considering his health concerns…What a ridiculous backdoor cover by Indy, thanks to a shaky personal foul call on 4th and 18 when Peyton Manning was going to get sacked either way. A horrifying way to lose my “best bet” of the week…I can’t get enough of this Andy Reid (or should I say Ried) video. Dude is already three bills with a full stache at age 13!

The most field goals ever attempted in a season was 49 back in 1971. Sebastian Janikowski is on pace to attempt 52 this season…Oakland forced its first turnover in the red zone over their last 26 games Sunday…Solomon Wilcots talking about Thomas Jones and Jamaal Charles: “Both guys are different but eerily similar.” My head hurts.

So sad to see Joe Morgan leave ESPN’s Sunday night booth. Always keeping an open mind and willing to fully embrace improved statistics and new ways of thinking, he will truly be missed.

I’m beginning to think this Dallas team may not live up to expectations this season…After recording only two catches for 17 yards in Week 9, Miles Austin has failed to surpass three receptions or reach 40 receiving yards in three of the past four games. It’s been a small sample, but Dez Bryant appears to have emerged as Jon Kitna’s favorite target, with Jason Witten commanding plenty of looks as well. Austin shouldn’t be benched in fantasy leagues by any means, although he’s been a boom-or-bust option so far (he’s totaled 571 yards in four games and just 86 yards in the other four contests), but he’s certain to disappoint relative to his preseason ADP. Still, with Dallas fielding one of the worst defenses in the league and a poor rushing attack, the Cowboys are going to be throwing a lot, and Austin’s talent is real (although his seven dropped passes are the most in the NFL this season)…James Jones sure looks like a future star if ever given the opportunity…After Dallas blocked a field goal and a Cowboy touched it (later ruled “illegally kicking”), Al Michaels said: “It doesn’t matter who comes up with the ball.” Umm, yes it did – has he never seen the Leon Lett play? Only the Cowboys could somehow lose 27 yards of field position after blocking a FG.

In my home league, my friend Jeff has a team that consists of Aaron Rodgers, Arian Foster, Michael Turner, Darren McFadden, Ahmad Bradshaw, Terrell Owens, Brandon Lloyd and Jacob Tamme (he also lost Jermichael Finley and even has Seabass at kicker to boot). He currently has a losing record. Not only should all tie breakers come down to overall points in fantasy football, but I also suggest making the final playoff spot rewarded to the remaining seed with the most points scored, which is fairer than win/loss record and relying on your virtual defense.

Troy Polamalu is used to being on the other end of hits like this…It’s been downright shocking to watch Terrell Owens dominate while approaching age 37, and it makes the recent poll listing him as the most overrated player in the NFL laughable…With about 30 seconds left in the first half, Ben Roethlisberger spiked the ball after a big 24-yard gain instead of using one of his two timeouts (or calling a play at the line of scrimmage). Predictably, the loss of down hurt, as the Steelers ended up having to kick a field goal on fourth down and entered halftime with two timeouts in their pocket. I will never understand this.

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