2014 Fantasy Football: Start 'Em/Sit 'Em WEEK 5
A helpful look into who should be in your line up or riding your bench this week.
Always remember one of our biggest rules here at FFChamps.com:
Commandment #10: Thou shall ALWAYS start thy Studs
Weekly Review:
Every major fantasy football site gives you a start 'em or sit 'em article every week to try and help you with you line up selection. Unfortunately we can't always get it right. Some calls looks genius, and others not so much. Each week I will review the past week of my start and sit selections to let you know how well it went. I (like every else in this industry) won't always get every call right every week, and I will share all the results with you so you know where I was right and where I was wrong. Here is the criteria I will use to say when the players from the previous week were a GOOD CALL or a BAD CALL.
For the Start 'Em:
QB - Any quarterback who finished in the top 16 will be a Good Call.
Any quarterback outside the top 16 will be a Bad Call.
RB - Any running back who finished in the top 36 will be a Good Call.
Any running back outside the top 36 will be a Bad Call.
WR - Any wide receiver who finished in the top 48 will be a Good Call.
Any wide receiver outside the top 48 will be a Bad Call.
TE - Any tight end who finished in the top 16 will be a Good Call.
Any tight end outside the top 16 will be a Bad Call.
For the Sit 'Em:
QB - Any quarterback who finished out of the top 16 will be a Good Call.
Any quarterback in the top 16 will be a Bad Call.
RB - Any running back who finished out of the top 36 will be a Good Call.
Any running back in the top 36 will be a Bad Call.
WR - Any wide receiver who finished out of the top 48 will be a Good Call.
Any wide receiver in the top 48 will be a Bad Call.
TE - Any tight end who finished out of the top 16 will be a Good Call.
Any tight end in the top 16 will be a Bad Call.
WEEK RESULTS: (YTD)
Good Calls: 11 (62)
Bad Calls: 13 (39)
QUARTERBACKS:
STUDS
Peyton Manning Denver Broncos vs Arizona Cardinals
Drew Brees New Orleans Saints vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Aaron Rodgers Green Bay Packers vs Minnesota (Thursday Night)
Matthew Stafford Detroit Lions vs Buffalo Bills
Start ‘Em
Joe Flacco Baltimore Ravens @ Indianapolis Colts:
Joe Flacco is currently a top 12 quarterback in fantasy football. I’ll repeat that, Joe Flacco is currently a top 12 quarterback in fantasy football. Odd to see his name ahead of the likes of Tony Romo, Peyton Manning, Russell Wilson, and Cam Newton but he’s there. Flacco has a touchdown pass in every game this year and already has 2 300+ yard passing performances. He had 3 such games all of 2013. Gary Kubiak’s offense seems to fit Flacco better than his previous offensive coordinator’s and the addition of Steve Smith is definitely a huge piece on the plus side for Flacco. This week Flacco and the Ravens get to take on the Colts who are a bottom 10 team vs the quarterback. They are letting opposing signal callers pass for an average of 260 yards and 2 touchdowns per game on them. While they’ve only allowed one 300 yard passer (Nick Foles week 2), the Colts have let 3 of 4 starting quarterbacks post 22+ points on them. One of those being Blake Bortles in his first NFL action ever. While I normally am not a Flacco supporter in the fantasy world, he is a great start this week and if he continues to play consistently he should have a bench spot in almost every league.
Ben Roethlisberger Pittsburgh Steelers @ Jacksonville Jaguars:
Big Ben is playing like Ben Roethlisberger circa 2009. He's failed to reach 17 points in a game just one time in four chances. He's thrown for at least 1 touchdown in 3 of the 4 games, and has surpassed the 300 yard mark in 2 of the 4 attempts. He's got one of the best receivers in the league in Antonio Brown, while having a great running game behind him with Le'Veon Bell emerging as a top back in the NFL this season. This week Roethlisberger gets the privilege of facing the worst team in the league at stopping quarterbacks, the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Jaguars have looked like complete garbage at stopping quarterbacks this year, especially the last 2 weeks. They've faced Andrew Luck and Phillip Rivers the last 2 weeks and allowed a combined 747 yards, 7 touchdowns, and 0 interceptions, while letting Luck and Rivers complete 76% of their pass attempts. Ben has 11 games of 350+ passing yards since 2010, that's as many as Tom Brady and more than Aaron Rodgers (6). The Jaguars are a team you can always use the opposing quarterback in your line up against, and when they have the track record and skill set of Roethlisberger, they better be starting for you.
Russell Wilson Seattle Seahawks @ Washington Redskins (Monday Night):
Wilson has looked great so far in the young season. He's only turned the ball over once in his first 3 games, and have thrown for 2 touchdowns in each contest. He's also failed to pass for over 200 yards just once, which was week 1 when he threw for 191 and Marshawn Lynch played like a man possessed so Wilson could throw on the cruise control in a sense. Now Wilson has had more than 2 full weeks to prepare for a Washington defense that made Eli Manning look like Joe Montana in their last game. Manning put up 300 yards and 5 total touchdowns with just 1 interception. To put that into even more perspective, before facing the Redskins, Manning has just 5 total touchdowns in weeks 1 through 3 combined. The Redskins are one of the worst in the league allowing over 23 points/game to quarterbacks, while only forcing 2 turnovers in 4 games. Add in the fact that Wilson seems to thrive in the Monday night spotlight where he is 3-0 with 193 yards/game and boasts 7 touchdown passes with 0 interceptions. Wilson should continue his tremendous 2014 campaign in D.C. in the final game of week 5.
Sit ‘Em
Andy Dalton Cincinnati Bengals @ New England Patriots (Sunday Night):
In the real world the Bengals are 3-0 are look like one of the better teams in the NFL with Andy Dalton leading them to wins over division rival Baltimore on the road, and taking down the high-powered Atlanta Falcons. In the fantasy world, Dalton is a disappointment. We all give Tony Romo crap every week, wondering if he will improve and put up more points, but we haven't heard that about Dalton this year, yet Romo has thrown for more total touchdowns (4 vs 2), and has at least 1 touchdown pass in ever game this year while Dalton failed to throw 1 week 3 against the Titans at home. Even guys like Derek Carr, Brian Hoyer, Ryan Tannehill, Jake Locker, and Austin Davis have scored more fantasy points this season than Dalton. Now Andy gets to take his Bengals to Foxboro for a primetime showdown with the Patriots. Are they the same Pats we've seen the last few years? Offensively, no. Defensively they have been pretty spectacular. They are a top unit at stopping quarterbacks, and they have forced more interceptions (6) than they've allowed passing touchdowns (3). Dalton has faced the Patriots once in his career. While Cincinnati ended up winning that game, Dalton didn't do much to help throwing for just 212 yards with 1 pick and no scores. The Patriots love the spotlight. They Patriots love to play at home. The Patriots will dominate Dalton.
Kirk Cousins Washington Redskins vs Seattle Seahawks (Monday Night):
What a difference a week makes. Week 3 in Philadelphia Cousins looked like he had a strangle hold on the starting quarterback job, even when RGIII was to return. Cousins threw for 677 yards with 5 touchdowns and just 1 interception in less than 2 full games of work when the whistle sounded to end the NFC east rivalry. Then taking on the Giants on Thursday night of week 4, Cousins just dropped the ball, literally. He looked horrendous. The Redskins as a team turned the ball over 6 times. 5 of those came from the hand Kirk with 4 picks and 1 fumble. Now the Seattle Seahawks come into the nations capital fresh of their bye week, well rested and looking to keep momentum going after taking down the Broncos in OT in their last game. While Seattle has given up an average of 21 points/game to opposing quarterbacks, they've faced Aaron Rodgers, Phillip Rivers, and Peyton Manning in those contests. Cousins isn't even in the same sport as those guys, let alone the same league. If the Seahawks can holding Rodgers to under 200 passing yards, and can force turnovers from 2 of those 3 men, just imagine how Cousins will look on Monday night. Cousins may have extra time to prep for the scary Seattle defense, but the Seahawks have even longer to prepare for Cousins. Nothing good can come of this situation for Kirk. Let him ride the pine this week for sure.
Kyle Orton Buffalo Bills @ Detroit Lions:
Originally E.J. Manuel was in this slot, then the Bills decided to change up their quarterback situation. I don’t blame them. Manuel just doesn’t look like a pro quarterback. He may have some nice throws or reads every so often, but that won’t make you a reliable starter in this league. Kyle Orton is a seasoned veteran, it’s not like a rookie coming in for his first action, so it could be worse Buffalo fans. The fact that Orton comes into his first game in a Bills uniform to take on the top, yes the TOP, team at stopping quarterbacks from scoring fantasy points is definitely disheartening to fantasy owners who may have needed a QB for the week. The Detroit Lions are playing defense on a level that Detroit fans have probably never witnessed. They are in the top 5 in passing yards allowed (815), passing touchdowns allowed (4), and given up just 23 total rushing yards and 0 touchdowns to QBs on the ground. It all works out to under 15 (14.8) points/game for quarterbacks facing the Lions this season. In their 2 home games this year the Lions saw Eli Manning and Aaron Rodgers combine for 325 yards, 2 touchdowns, and 2 picks while also scoring themselves a safety. Don’t let the Lions name fool you, these aren’t you father’s Detroit Lions. These Lions have a nasty roar and a ferocious bite.
RUNNING BACKS:
STUDS
LeSean McCoy Philadelphia Eagles vs St. Louis Rams
Jamaal Charles Kansas City Chiefs @ San Francisco 49ers
Matt Forte Chicago Bears @ Carolina Panthers
Marshawn Lynch Seattle Seahawks @ Washington Redskins (Monday Night)
Start ‘Em
Rashad Jennings New York Giants vs Atlanta Falcons:
Two weeks ago Jennings put on a clinic with 176 yards and a touchdown against the Texans. While he followed that up with just 13 carries for 55 yards against the Redskins, there a few things to keep in mind. First the game in Washington was on Thursday night just 4 days after Jennings touched the ball 34 times. Secondly the Redskins are one of the best teams at stopping running backs. Before they faced the Giants, the Skins didn't allow a single rushing touchdown to an opposing running back while only giving up 155 yards on the ground, 3rd best in the NFL. Finally Eli was on fire and they weren't taking the ball out of his hands. However this week Jennings gets a great match up with the Atlanta Falcons. The Falcons are still one of the worst in the league at stopping running backs. They just allowed Matt Asiata and Jerrick McKinnon of the the Monnesota Vikings blow them up to the tune of 213 yards on the ground, another 37 through the air, and 3 total touchdowns. Need I say more? Oh and don't forget Jennings has had 10 days to rest up before this weeks contest. He will be fresh, and he will be putting up a ton of points for your fantasy squad this week.
Chris Ivory New York Jets @ San Diego Chargers:
Rex Ryan said he would play the running back with the hot hand at the start of the season, even though most people believed Chris Johnson would be the main piece in the Jets back field. In 4 week Chris Ivory has as many, or more, rushing attempts in every game as Johnson except week 1. Ivory has also outscored Johnson in fantasy points in each week other than 1 as well when Johnson put up 11 points to Ivory's 9 last week against an extremely tough Detroit defense. The San Diego Chargers are a defense that is much easier to run on than the Lions were last week. The Chargers finally allowed their first rushing touchdown last week to the Jaguars Toby Gerhart (his first of the season too by the way), but have already allowed running backs to catch 4 touchdowns against them, most in the NFL. Ivory has caught all 5 of his targets this season for 55 yards. The Chargers are a team that will score a lot of points, so the Jets will need to hold the ball as long as possible, which handing off to Ivory will help accomplish. And even if San Diego gets out to a lead, Ivory is the type of player who can make a huge play from not much to work with. Definitely a great flex start this week.
Bishop Sankey Tennessee Titans vs Cleveland Browns:
Sankey was thought by many to be the best rookie running back heading into 2014. At least the one rookie who would be getting the most opportunity this season. Unfortunately Sankey has disappointed fantasy owners through the first 3 weeks of the season with just 19 touches for just 98 total yards with no touchdowns. Week 4 saw Sankey begin to come into his own. He may have only gotten 6 rushing attempts against the Colts last week, but those 6 rushing attempts lead the Titans. He finally got his first touchdown as a pro as well. The downfall was how fast the Colts jumped out to a lead which obviously put Sankey's opportunities to a minimum while the Titans played from behind from the very beginning. This week Sankey has a great shot to continue showing his coaches and fantasy owners why he should be the main man in Tennessee. The Cleveland Browns were off last week, but are still one of the worst team at stopping running backs. They've given up at least 1 touchdown on the ground in every game so far in 2014, while allowing just under 30 fantasy points/game. Sankey should keep rolling this week, and if he gets on a run, could be the guy we all dreamt of him being when we drafted him this past summer.
Sit ‘Em
Donald Brown San Diego Chargers vs New York Jets:
Boy did Donald Brown disappoint his owners last week. He got just 14 total touches with both Ryan Matthews AND Danny Woodhead out. Brown got 36 touches the week before! Plus he was facing the lowly Jaguars, who, still got blow out just nothing was contributed by the Chargers backfield. Brown and Brandon Oliver combined for 110 total yards on 27 touches. While Brown got 14, Oliver was just 1 touch behind him with 13 and seems to be getting worked more into the San Diego offense. If Brown could muster just 4 fantasy points against a Jags team that allowed an average just under 26 points/game, what do you think he will do when the best team vs the running back comes into Qualcomm Stadium this week? The Jets are allowing just 7 points/game to opposing running backs while being 1 of 3 remaining teams that haven’t allowed a touchdown, either rushing or receiving, to a running back through 4 games (the Bills and Chiefs are the other 2). Things will definitely get worse this week for Brown. Let him ride the pine.
Alfred Morris Washington Redskins vs Seattle Seahawks (Monday Night):
Morris is playing like his rookie year of 2012, and is virtually a lock to be in your starting line up every single week. This week however will be a difficult task on multiple levels. The Seahawks come into the nations capital for a Monday Night tilt with the Redskins and bring their top 5 rush defense with them. Seattle hasn’t allowed a running back to eclipse 40 rushing yards on them yet this season (38 by Montee Ball week 3 is tops against this unit thus far),and the only touchdown they have allowed was a short plunge by the Packers John Kuhn week 1. We also have to factor in Kirk Cousins extremely poor performance on Thursday night. He let the Giants force him into 5 turnovers, so what do you think a much better Seattle defense can do to him? The Seahawks will stack the box and dare Cousins to take on Richard Sherman, Earl Thomas, and the whole legion of boom to beat them. Morris is a tough guy to sit, and probably won’t make this list again in 2014, but against a team that hasn’t allowed more than 6 fantasy points in a game to opposing running backs, sitting Morris this week may be the best move you make for your starting roster.
Montee Ball Denver Broncos vs Arizona Cardinals:
Ball has been a major disappointment this season, I mean not LeSean McCoy disappointing, but still bad for where he was drafted and his expectation coming into 2014. He was replacing a back who rushed for over 1,000 yards and finished as the 5ht best fantasy back in the NFL in 2013. Ball is on the Broncos, who, haven’t been scoring like 2013 but are still a top tier offense in the league. He’s only scored 1 touchdown this season, and he just 1 game with more than 60 rushing yards. The Cardinals are a top team at stopping running backs from accumulating fantasy points, allowing just 11points/game. They’ve allowed just 1 back to gain more than 40 rushing yards against them, and have let 2 backs put up double digit fantasy points (Ryan Matthews with 12 and Rashad Jennings with 10). The Broncos are coming off a bye week so Ball should hopefully come out improved, but the Cardinals also had off this past week and will be ready for what Denver throws there way.
WIDE RECEIVERS:
STUDS
Demaryius Thomas Denver Broncos vs Arizona Cardinals
Dez Bryant Dallas Cowboys vs Houston Texans
Calvin Johnson Detroit Lions vs Buffalo Bills
Brandon Marshall Chicago Bears @ Carolina Panthers
A.J. Green Cincinnati Bengals @ New England Patriots (Sunday Night)
Julio Jones Atlanta Falcons @ New York Giants
Antonio Brown Pittsburgh Steelers @ Jacksonville Jaguars
Jordy Nelson Green Bay Packers vs Minnesota Vikings (Thursday Night)
Start ‘Em
Brian Quick St. Louis Rams @ Philadelphia Eagles:
The Philadelphia Eagles were bad against wide receivers last season, and a quarter of the way through 2014 they look like nothing has changed. They are allowing the third most receptions (58), sixth most yards (751), and second most touchdowns to wide outs (5). They have let 3 players (Allen Hurns, Pierre Garcon, and DeSean Jackson) to have over 100 receiving yards AND a touchdown against them. Oh, and all 3 guys did it in Philadelphia. This weekend the St. Louis Rams and Brian Quick visit South Philly. Quick has been a great surprise in the fantasy world emerging as the top dogs on the Rams receiving chart. He’s averaging just under 10 points/game and that’s with a 3rd string quarterback throwing him the ball. Quick has at least 62 yards receiving in every single game this year and has found the end zone once. The Rams had an off week to prep for the Eagles while Philadelphia is coming off their first loss of the year and are facing much scrutiny because of how their offense underperformed. Quick is definitely more valuable in a PPR league (his 16 catches are 13th most in the NFL), but against such a sorry secondary in Philadelphia, Quick should have a great game and put up numbers to help you win this week.
Percy Harvin Seattle Seahawks @ Washington Redskins (Monday Night):
Did you happen to see what the Giants Victor Cruz did to this Redskins secondary last week? Sure he didn't get into the end zone (The Larry Donnell Show didn't help Cruz in the touchdown department at all), but he caught 6 of his 10 targets for 108 yards. A side from getting the most targets on the team, Cruz was constantly open and beating coverage. Percy Harvin is the same type of receiver as Cruz. Possession guy with good hands, speed, and not afraid to go anywhere on the field to catch a pass. The one thing Harvin has over Cruz? He rushing and return ability plus he's more explosive. While the Redskins have extra time to prepare for the Seahawks because it's a Monday night game, and Washington last played 10 days ago on Thursday night, the Seahawks are coming off a bye week with even more time to get ready for this game. Harvin has faced the Redskins 3 times in his career and is averaging 7 catches for 76 yards with an additional 18 rushing yards/game and 2 total touchdowns.
Vincent Jackson Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ New Orleans Saints:
Rookie Mike Evans seemed to be coming into his own as the short season was progressing, but now he is out with a groin injury for the next few weeks and that means just one thing for Vincent Jackson. More targets. Jackson hasn’t reached 75 yards in a game yet in 2014, a mark he surpassed 17 times in 32 games from 2012-2013. While he was off to a slow start this year, he is definitely getting more love from Mike Glennon being the quarterback than Josh McCown, and has caught a touchdown in the last 2 games. The Buccaneers head into New Orleans this week in a game that should put up a fair amount of points. After finishing 2013 as the 4th best defense in the league, the Saints looked primed to be even better in 2014 especially in the secondary. The Saints have allowed the most catches to wide receivers this season (61) and are giving up 26 points/game to boot. Of the 15 receivers to have caught a pass against the Saints this season, 10 of them have surpassed 60 yards or scored a touchdown. Vincent Jackson has played 5 games vs the Saints while averaging 94 yards/game and scoring twice. Play V-Jax this week!
Sit ‘Em
DeSean Jackson Washington Redskins vs Seattle Seahawks (Monday Night):
I’m all out on the Redskins this week. They looked like they had real continuity 2 weeks ago vs the Eagles, then looked horrific at home when the Giants visited last Thursday. The Seahawks obviously have one of the best defenses in the NFL overall, but when it comes to throwing the ball is anyone scarier than the legion of boom? The answer is no, no there is not. They’ve allowed just 1 touchdown this year to wide receivers, one Aaron Rodgers threw to Randall Cobb way back in week 1. Jackson was hyped up heading into 2014 after setting career highs in basically every receiving category last season. He signed with the Skins and he and Pierre Garcon looked to be a top WR duo on paper. On the field, they aren’t. Jackson has one 100 yard game and 1 touchdown this season, both coming against his former Eagles team 2 weeks ago. The TD came on an 81 yard bomb so if we take away that one explosive play from him this year he hasn’t gotten into the end zone once, and is averaging just 4 catches and 31 yards/game. It won’t get better for him this week against the Seahawks. Sit him or enjoy watching your points NOT accumulate on Monday Night.
Eric Decker New York Jets @ San Diego Chargers:
What I love about Decker is that he is the only true receiving threat on the Jet squad. Other than that I’m not high on Decker. He’s got a less-than-average quarterback throwing him the ball. He’s seemed to be hurt in every single game so far this season. He’s only putting up 7.5 points/game in 2014. And this week he has to travel to San Diego to take on a Chargers team that is one of the better teams at stopping wide receivers. The Chargers have allowed just a single 100 yard receiver in 4 games and just 1 receiving touchdown (tops in the league) this year. They’ve held Percy Harvin of the Seahawks and Sammy Watkins of the Bills to a COMBINED 3 catches for 24 yards without a touchdown! Maybe you chance Decker in a PPR league since he does get targets (8 per game not counting the Bears game he left early), but I wouldn’t play him in any scoring system this week. Save Decker for next week when he has a revenge game against his former Broncos team.
Torrey Smith Baltimore Ravens @ Indianapolis Colts:
It’s apparent that the other Smith (Steve Sr.) is the main man in Baltimore. Torrey has just 21 targets this season, which is exactly half of Steve’s targets (42). It’s also just 3 more than running back Justin Forsett’s and tight end Dennis Pitta, who has been out the last 2 weeks is still ahead of Torrey with 22. Torrey has just 8 catches for 138 yards in 4 games this year. He surpassed both those number in the first 2 games last season (11 for 177). He’s also put up 5 or LESS fantasy points in 3 of 4 games this year. This week the Ravens travel to Indianapolis to take on a Colts defense that seems weak on the surface, and they are against virtually ever position. Ever position except wide receivers. The Colts have allowed just 2 wide outs to catch more than 5 passes against them, and have not allowed a single 100 yard receiver through 4 games. Smith may be the first to pass the century mark vs this Colts secondary … Steve Smith that is. Torrey should remain on your bench for the foreseeable future and will probably become expendable before the season is over.
TIGHT ENDS:
STUDS
Jimmy Graham New Orleans Saints vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Julius Thomas Denver Broncos vs Arizona Cardinals
Rob Gronkowski New England Patriots vs Cincinnati Bengals (Sunday Night)
Start ‘Em
Delanie Walker Tennessee Titans vs Cleveland Browns:
I became a big Walker fan as the 2013 season closed out. In the 2014 season he set himself some lofty goals in the receiving game and he is well on his way to reaching and surpassing them. He is the favorite option in the Titans passing game having the most targets on the Tennessee roster with 32. He had a career high 14 targets vs Dallas earlier this season, and has managed to get into the end zone in 3 of the Titans 4 games this year. The Browns are a bottom 10 team against the tight end allowing just under 10 (9.6) points/game. Walker should not come out of starting line ups until he is on a bye or if, god forbid, he gets injured. If you waited on a tight end in your draft, or was able to get Walker off the waiver wire, great job.
Garrett Graham Houston Texans @ Dallas Cowboys:
Dallas sucks at stopping tight ends. I mean lets just call a spade a spade. They are the worst in the league against tight ends and its not even that close. They allow 19 points/game to tight ends. The Cowboys have allowed the most receptions (37-the only team that’s allowed 30+ catches to TEs), most yards (395-only one other team has allowed 300+ yards to TEs), and most touchdowns (6-one of only 6 teams to allow more than 3 TDs to TEs, and the only to allow 6). They’ve let a tight end get into the end zone in both their games on the road this year. So basically give Garrett Graham a look and a start if you’re hurting for a tight end.
Travis Kelce Kansas City Chiefs @ San Francisco 49ers:
I’ve been recommending you pick up Kelce off the waiver wire after week 1. If you ended up grabbing him, congratulations! If not, hey, you snooze you lose. Kelce has been getting better as the year has gone on. He’s scored a touchdown in his last 2 games, and has increased his yardage output in every game but 1 thus far. I know the 49ers are a better team at stopping the tight end than most, however, so was New England before Monday night when Kelce put up 93 yards and a touchdown (the first TD allowed by the Patriots this year to tight ends). The only tight end the 49ers have faced that is a top 10 tight end this year is Martellus Bennett. Bennett is the only TE to score a touchdown vs the 49ers. Kelce is the first look in the pass game who isn’t coming out of the Chiefs backfield. Don’t sit him based on the match up. Kelce needs to be in your line up this week!
Sit ‘Em
Coby Fleener Indianapolis Colts vs Baltimore Ravens:
The Ravens are the best at stopping tight ends in the NFL. They have allowed just 12 receptions all season (best in the league), which is a miniscule 3 per game. The have also allowed the fewest yards to tight ends (141), and haven’t let a tight end get into the end zone yet either (just 1 of 7 teams that can say that still). The Colts do have the most potent offense the Ravens will face so far in 2014, but the tight ends in Indianapolis aren’t on par with the talent Baltimore has seen in Greg Olsen, Jordan Cameron, and Heath Miller. Fleener has been playing well recently, catching a touchdown in each of the last 2 weeks, but he hasn’t been able to eclipse 50 yards receiving yet in 2014. He is also not even the top tight end on the Colts roster, that title belongs to Dwayne Allen. Allen has 1 more catch, 36 more yards, and 1 more touchdown than Fleener this season and that’s with Allen not getting a single target in 1 game this year. I’m ok with Allen still starting if you temper expectation, but don’t even think of of putting Fleener in your line ups this weekend.
Jermaine Gresham Cincinnati Bengals @ New England Patriots (Sunday Night):
We all saw how Travis Kelce abused the Patriots on Monday night. Actually the entire Chiefs team abused the Patriots. While they gave up their first touchdown to a tight end and let Kelce become the first tight end to put up more than 55 yards on them, many would think Gresham would be a good start this week. The Bengals have a high-powered offense and a solid offensive line, but I’m still not putting Gresham in my starting fantasy line up. Besides the fact that the Pats remain one of the better teams against the tight end, Gresham just isn’t getting the looks from Dalton even with Eifert being out. Gresham isn’t even ranked in the top 50 tight ends, and has just .9 more fantasy points than Eifert and that’s with 2 more games under his belt. If Gresham is on your roster, dump him like a crazy chick after a first date.
Zach Ertz Philadelphia Eagles vs St. Louis Rams:
Ertz plays on a great offense. An offense that was slowed down, and basically stopped by the 49ers last week. Ertz has put up a combined 5 points the last 2 weeks. 5 points after putting up 21 combined weeks 1 & 2. The Eagles need to get Ertz more involved in the offense, but with an offensive line that’s beat to hell, Ertz and the other tight ends have been doing more blocking that catching the past few weeks. Lane Johnson returning to the right tackle slot this week will help free up Ertz somewhat this week which is the good news. The bad news? The Rams team the birds face this week are very good at stopping tight ends. They have faced some good tight ends too in Jason Witten and Kyle Rudolph. They have not allowed a 50-yard receiver yet, and have let just 1 touchdown to a tight end (Rudolph week 1). 7 points is the top performance by a tight end against the Rams this year. Ertz and the Eagles are the best offense the Rams will have faced to this point, but you can play a better tight end this week while Ertz starts to get on a roll again.
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