Week 4 Fantasy Football Sit'em, Start 'em: Michael Vick Is This Week's Star

Fantasy Football Friday

October 01, 2010

By Contributor Colin Kirschner. 10/1/10. 10:40 AM.

Obviously each week you are going to start the likes of Chris Johnson, Adrian Peterson and Peyton Manning.  Here is a look at some of the players you might be torn about. . .

All stats reguarding percent owned started, and points are for ESPN standard 10 team scoring leagues. (OPP,ST%, Owned%)

Start’ em:

QB Michael Vick, Eagles (WAS, 63, 100) - He is second in scoring among all positions, one point respectively behind  Manning, and he hasn’t even started every game!  Vick has been looking to pass first and looked good doing it—750 yards, 60% completion percentage, six touchdowns and zero interceptions.  I’ve noticed he has started to use his whole body and not just his arm when he throws.  He is clearly playing confidently and will charge at Washington’s pass defense, which is ranked 31st in the league. 

QB Chad Henne,  Dolphins (NE, 13,69)  - If you have someone like Tony Romo (60,100), Henne could be a solid start for you this week.  Both the Patriots and Dolphins have young and talented secondaries that are still learning.  Tom Brady slicing-and-dicing could force Henne into another 300-yard game and a couple touchdowns.  Last game at home against NE Henne had 335 yards and two touchdowns. 

RB LaDainian Tomlinson, Jets  (@BUF, 64,100) – Looks like he wants to be there and win.  Had 15 carries last week for 75 yards, five more than sidekick Shonn Greene.  The Bills pass defense is their strength so I think the Jets will keep Sanchez as comfortable as possible by running the ball.  The Bills are giving up 140 yards rushing yards a game. 

RB Darren McFadden, Raiders  (HOU, 73,100) – Three straight 100-yard games.  He is playing out of his mind right now, even if it was the Titans, Rams, and Cardinals thus far.  I like to look at those games as pop quizzes and he passed them with flying colors.  I see him passing this test this week against a strong run defense along with being a big part of the passing attack this week against the Texans. 

RB Justin Forsett, Seahawks (@STL, 30,92) – The Ram’s are giving up 133 yards on the ground right now.  This kid is underrated, very much like his team, Forsett had 130 yards and two touchdowns in last year’s Week 12 win.

WR Donald Driver, Packers (DET, 57,100) – Plays very well career wise against the Lions – 249 yards and two touchdowns last year alone.  Driver plays well at home as well, and it is still the Lions for the time being.

WR Malcolm Floyd, Chargers (ARI, 46,100) – Floyd and quarterback Phillip Rivers are really starting to get into a rhythm—6 catches for 97 yards and a touchdown last week.  Twenty-six targets through three weeks ranks him tenth overall in targets.   Rivers is clearly looking Floyd's way and faces a struggling secondary.

WR Santana Moss, Redskins (@PHI, 63,100) – Moss is one of the top receivers points wise right now with 31 points through three weeks.  He is sixth in the league in targets at 30 and is clearly quarterback Donovan McNabb’s primary target. 

Quick fact: McNabb targeted Moss eight times last week; three of them were attempts of 40 yards or more.

WR Austin Collie, Colts (@JAC, 56,100)  - After last week’s performance—12 receptions 171 yards and two touchdowns—you cannot ignore this kid.  He is fifth in the league in targets with 32, and Jacksonville is ranked 29^th in pass defense.  He might not have the CD player on repeat but he will give a solid encore performance this week.

TE Dustin Keller, Jets (@BUF, 52, 56) – He showed his ability to line up on the outside one-on-one with a defensive back last week.  After doing so, he torched him for a 24-yard touchdown.  Keller went on to have a stellar game with 98 yards and two touchdowns.  He has proven that he can line up anywhere on the field, like Dallas Clark and Antonio Gates, and he confuses defenses when the Jets use him in motion. Sanchez is looking his way inside the red zone and the bills have given up back-to-back 100-yard games to opposing tight ends.

Sit’em:

Joe Flacco, Ravens (@PIT, 45,95) – The Steelers defense is clearly back in the groove with Polamalu back in the lineup.  The black and gold will be in "Mean Joe’s" face all game, forcing him to check down constantly or force a turnover.  I believe Flacco is a good quarterback that has shown he can be great and at times, amazing.  But right now he just is not playing that way.  Bear in mind however, some tough matchups in the first two weeks on offense against the Jets and Bengals.  Bench him if you can this week.

RB Shonn Greene Jets (@BUF, 61,97) – He has seen less carries the past two weeks, including only ten last week compared to LT’s 15.  I don’t see him seeing that many carries this week to be any fantasy value, even in a PPR league.

WR Steve Smith, Panthers (@NO, 90,100) – I can’t believe I am telling you to sit him because Smith has got it done his whole career without a true winning quarterback.  But, this week against a havoc-wrecking defense pressuring rookie quarterback Jimmy Clausen, I don’t see him catching too many balls. 

WR Mike Sims-Walker, Jaguars (IND, 65,97) – Along with his team’s offensive line being inconsistent, Walker has been inconsistent himself—zero receptions in Week 1, 10 in Week 2, and two last week.  The only player I would even think of starting from the Jaguars would be running back Maurice Jones-Drew, but not even he is playing like a top five fantasy pick at the moment.

TE Owen Daniels, Texans (@OAK, 16, 78) – Until he shows he is 100% and is consistently getting looks each week Daniels is sitting.

Sleepers:

RB Donald Brown, Colts (@JAC, 8, 81) – I really like this kid’s ability.  He runs between the tackles and makes plays out of the backfield as a receiver.  I see the Colts getting up early in this one and letting the young back get some repetitions.

WR Louis Murphy, Raiders (HOU, 21,56) – With quarterback Bruce Gradkowski under center, Murphy has been his most consistent target raking in 11 of his 16 targets this year. The other Raiders starter, Darius Heyward-Bey has 26 targets on the year with only 10 receptions.  Bottom line is Murphy and Gradkowski clearly have a better chemistry— 210 yards and a touchdown in two games —and are the pulse to the Raiders passing offense.  Going up against the worst pass defense in the entire league, I’m willing to put a wager down that Murphy will slip over the top a few times for "Bruce Almighty".

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Tags : NFL