Let's just get this out of the way right now, I completely and totally whiffed on Dwayne Bowe, but so did everyone else who covers the NFL. So, you are either in the playoffs or you are in the consolation game and wondering where your season went wrong. Well, it started with drafting Pierre Thomas, Kevin Kolb and Randy Moss and it finished with one-week wonders picked up on the waiver wire like Nate Washington or Anthony Armstrong. Who you ask? Exactly!
On a side note, the Denver Broncos fired Head Coach Josh McDaniels on Monday and promoted RBs coach Eric Studesville to interim Head Coach. What this means in fantasy terms is really just puzzling. Studesville's rushing attack ranks in the bottom ten in the league in yards-per-carry average (3.80), rushing touchdowns (8, which including those from Tim Tebow) and 20-yard rushes (3). The Broncos are tied for fourth in the NFL in fumbles on rushing attempts (8). I don't see anyone's value changing as of right now, but that could also change after we see how Studesville handles things in his first game at the helm.
Winners
Michael Vick: My man Vick came through again, as predicted by the way, with 302 passing yards, 48 rushing yards and three endzone visits. I almost feel bad for rocking my Dog Fighter and Ron Mexico jerseys all week… almost. (Yes, those are really my jerseys)
Matt Schaub: Schaub finished 5th in fantasy QB points this weekend and it came on the heels of 50 percent of his owners benching him. In one of his best weeks of the season, Schaub posted 337 yards passing and two touchdowns and hopefully he helped propel the brave owners into their playoffs.
Marshawn Lynch: The guy is owned in just 37 percent of all leagues; and of that 37 percent, he is starting in just nine (9) percent of leagues. So, the four people brave enough (or desperate enough) at RB to start him were rewarded with three TDs and 83 yards rushing this weekend. It was against the Panthers, so don't run out and pick him up for a playoff run.
Adrian Peterson: AP had a monster game with Brett Favre on the bench as he racked up 107 yards rushing and three scores against the Bills helpless run defense. Favre is supposed to return for week 14, which isn't good news for Peterson. But, then again, the Vikings play the Giants and that puts him on the Sit 'em bubble for me.
Reggie Wayne: Wayne hauled in 14 passes for 200 yards and a score in week 13. Wayne has been either a boom or bust play this season with his production ranging from 200 yards all the way down to 34 yards. He is a must-play as the season winds down since the Colts are in real danger of missing the playoffs if they don't turn this around in a hurry.
Sidney Rice: Another player on the Vikings that was actually helped with the loss of their starting QB. Rice finished the game with five receptions for 105 yards and two touchdowns, but his value is still a big question mark as Favre is supposed to return in week 14.
Ben Watson: Watson dusted off his fantasy relevance and came through with 10 catches for 100 yards and a TD. This won't happen again as the Browns QBs are still Colt McCoy and Jake Delhomme.
New York Giants defense: The Giants put on a clinic this weekend against the Redskins as they racked up four sacks, four recovered fumbles and two INTs, while allowing just seven points. I hate to say it, but the Giants are a team I want no part of heading into the final weeks of the season.
Losers
Mark Sanchez: The Patriots pass defense entered their Monday night contest ranked dead last in the NFL, allowing 288.5 YPG in the air. Because of that Sanchez was being projected high by many sites. All he did was go out and throw for 164 yards with no TDs and three INTs. I am not a Sanchez fan because of the 12 games this season, four of them have resulted in fewer than 200 yards passing.
Kyle Orton: Well, his coach didn't get fired because of Orton alone, but this weekend sure didn't help. Nobody told Orton I had him on the starter list as he threw for an empty 117 yards. I've been saying all season long that it was only a matter of time before Orton went all Kyle Orton on me and burned me, and it finally happened.
Chris Johnson: The Jaguars had a gameplan of stopping Johnson, and that is just what they did. The #1 overall pick in almost any format finished the game with 53 yards rushing and 14 yards receiving, which netted his owners roughly 7-8 fantasy points.
Mike Tolbert: You know what the problem with counting on a FB that is playing the RB position is? Sooner or later people will figure him out and he will finish with 16 yards rushing and 47 yards receiving when you need him most. The six receptions helped those in PPR leagues, but even with them he still scored about nine fantasy points and that is not worth playing him.
Dwayne Bowe: Bowe was held catchless in this one and we all know that x * 0 still equals zero! Not much more you can say other than ouch.
Dez Bryant: The rookie was looking like a solid WR3 in most formats as he had the confidence of his QB. But, Bryant ended his season with a fractured fibula after catching one pass for 14 yards.
Kellen Winslow: I don't know why so many fantasy sites had Winslow projected as the #1 TE this weekend, but they did. He is averaging just 3.8 catches and 38.9 yards-per-game this season and finished this one with three catches for 26 yards. I don't own him in a single one of the 25 leagues I play in.
Chicago Bears defense: Another one of my picks that didn't get the memo, the Bears allowed 20 points to the Lions and only managed to amass two sacks on the day. The did win, but that doesn't help fantasy teams at all.
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