Second round draft picks usually don’t have to wait until week 15 to make an impact in the pros. Unfortunately for LaMichael James, he did have to wait this long because of the fantastic depth ahead of him on the 49ers at running back. James will get his opportunity this week and if you don’t have space for him on your roster, he should at the very least be on your watch list.
As should the rest of these guys…
First impressions are often very misleading in fantasy. At first glance, it appears starting Michael Turner against a Giants run defense that allows the 9th fewest fantasy points to running backs, is a bad idea. However, a Giants team that has many holes in their secondary, won’t be focused on Turner. New York will be scrambling to cover Roddy White, Julio Jones & Tony Gonzalez, leaving Turner with a favorable number of defenders in the box. That’s why I’m giving Turner the Green Light to be in all fantasy lineups this week. The same can’t be said for Reggie Wayne and Ryan Fitzpatrick.
Ryan Grant’s return to Green Bay highlights this week’s edition of Fantasy Insomnia. We’re also keeping an eye on San Francisco’s first-round pick AJ Jenkins, who is getting his first crack to suit up in a meaningful game. Most waiver wires have become a barren wasteland, so make sure to put all these sleepers on your watch list:
Ryan Grant (GB / RB) – owned in 1% / 3% of ESPN / Yahoo leagues – Incumbent James Starks will miss multiple weeks with a knee injury, leading to Grant signing with the Packers this week, only a year after leaving them. Running backs coach Alex Van Pelt called Grant “a pounding back” which implies he is likely to see work in short-yardage situations or around the goal-line. Grant’s competition at running back, Alex Green, is not very effective between the tackles, which helps Ryan’s cause. Grant shouldn’t have a difficult transition period, since he last played for Green Bay in 2011.
The playoffs are in full swing and every start-sit decision is crucial. This week, we give permanent green-light status to a rookie QB, consider benching one of Buffalo’s unappreciated running backs, and throw up the red light for one star running back.
Green Light: Russell Wilson
It has been a pleasure to watch Russell Wilson develop this season. With 15+ fantasy points in each of the last 5 weeks vs CHI, MIA, MIN, NYJ and DET, he’s proven that owners don’t need to flex him out against good defenses anymore. Critics cautioned he would struggle in the pros because he wasn’t tall enough to see over the offensive line. Yet somehow, Wilson has gone through the season with just eight interceptions, while getting just 1.4% of his passes knocked down at the line of scrimmage (the league average is 1.9%).
Taking on an Arizona Cardinals defense that has allowed the third fewest fantasy points to quarterbacks this season appears to be a daunting task. Not for Wilson. In seven road starts, he has eight TDs and eight INTs. Yes, that means he has zero interceptions at home and 11 touchdowns to boot. With Sunday’s game coming at home in Seattle, I’m giving Wilson the full green light. Read the rest of this entry »
With trade deadlines having come and gone, there are now only two ways to affect your fantasy team – waiver wire additions and start’em/sit’em decisions. I’m here to help with the latter. Sean Tomlinson has the former covered right here.
We’re going to break these decisions down into three categories. Green Light status means this player should absolutely be in your lineup under all circumstances. Yellow Light means you can use this player if necessary, but you should try to avoid it. Red Light status means stay away from this player at all costs.
Feel free to post any start’em/sit’em questions you may have in the comments and I’ll give you my two cents worth
Internal competition, injuries, and bitterness over contract disputes all come into play in this week’s edition of Fantasy Insomnia as we search for deep sleepers you’ll want on your watch list…
In this, our last trading post of the year, I’d like to start by congratulating all those who tried to carry out any of the suggestions laid out here. Owners that only build through the draft and the waiver wire are severely limiting the potential of their team.
We had some good times in the trading post – escaping the sinking ship named Darren McFadden and jumping on board the Doug Martin train a little earlier than most. However, those were countered by some very remorseful Sundays. Trading for Larry Fitzgerald and Eli Manning are two pieces of advice that continue to haunt me and my teams to this day.
Enough about the blunders of the past – with trade deadlines sounding all over the continent, it’s time to get down to business…
