Buzz On Broad

Full Holiday Weekend Roundup

While you were all out shopping (hopefully everyone stayed safe), the holiday weekend was a pretty big weekend in Philly sports.  Between the Sixers weekend game, Operation Hat trick, and the Eagles, there is plenty I'm sure you missed. Here is a quick wrap-up from the holiday weekend:

Sixers Weekend

On Saturday night, the Sixers tipped off against the Oklahoma City Thunder.  The Sixers were defeated 116-109, with a strong performance by Thad Young, as well as Evan Turner. In the loss, Thad registered a team high 29 points, with 15 rebounds (6 OFF, 9 DEF) and 4 assists. While Turner dropped 29 points, with 5 rebounds and 4 assists.  The Sixers played a strong game, but couldn't handle Kevin Durant and the Thunder. Durantula led the OKC with 37 points, while his partner in crime, Russel Westbrook dropped 30 points.

On Sunday night, the Sixers defeated the Phoenix Sunds in a nail biter, 104-101.  Sunday's game showed that Sixers Jrue Holiday is a star in the making.  Jrue registered a career high 33 point performance and added 13 helpers.  

The Sixers hit the court on Tuesday night at the Wells Fargo Center to tip-off against the Dallas Mavericks at 7:00pm. (CSN, 97.5 Fanatic)

Eagles Injury News

5 Quick Tips That Could Put You in Fantasy Playoffs

The following tips may put you (or keep you) in a position to not only make the playoffs in your fantasy league, but to also be a contender for the championship. Remember, half of your fantasy season lies on the waiver wire, so choose wisely. These tips are in no particular order, they're just food for thought:

1. Pick up Plaxico Burress- with Big Ben still out, the QB position has been tossed to Charlie Batch. Batch is going to need a real veteran presence, as well as someone to take some heat off of Mike Wallace. Also, Antonio Brown has been ruled out for today's game. Expect a solid performance out of Burress today, and more importantly, for weeks to come. If you need a WR2 or Flex position, Burress could be your guy.

2. Trust in the Patriots- The Patriots are on fire right now, which comes as a surprise to no one. What you may find surprising is the production out of their Defense and new-found fantasy star Julian Edelman. Their Defense has put up well over 20 points in the past two weeks (in most leagues) and have been solid all season (every league). As for Edelman, he's got a pair of touchdowns from the past two weeks and has also averaged +20 points a game (in leagues that count special teams yardage) over the past two weeks. Expect the Patriots Defense to stay at this high level and expect Edelman to be productive, since Gronk is out for a while.

3. Pick up Colin Kaepernick- The current predicament that the 49ers are in is a good one to have. They have a very consistent QB in Alex Smith, and the chance to really do some great things with 2nd year QB Colin Kaepernick. Kaepernick put on a dominant performance against the Bears Defense, and it seems he has more upside potential than Smith, since he is much more versatile. With Kaepernick having a great arm and being extremely mobile, he is a great fantasy play for both passing and rushing yards. Even if you don't need a good QB, pick him up so no one else gets him.

4. Don't drop Darren McFadden- As someone who has had Run DMC for three years running, I know the pain that the inevitable injury brings. However, McFadden is expected to return soon, maybe even in time for fantasy playoffs. Keep that fact in mind when looking at your roster and don't get too nervous just yet. Another fun fact: the Raiders aren't completely out of a playoff spot yet, so they will continue to fight for a spot. This means that when McFadden comes back, they're going to need him to play. I repeat: DO NOT DROP DARREN MCFADDEN!

5. Don't bench your all-star players based on a few bad weeks- I understand that a couple bad performances can tempt you to bench an all-star player, but it's not worth it. Last week I benched Andre Johnson because of his past performances, and of course, he had a ridiculous game. That one play lost me the game, and possibly a playoff spot. This is why you don't bench a player with that type of potential. Stick with those players that you used a high draft pick on and stay hopeful.

These are just some tips for everyone to think about. Hopefully they help in turning you into a fantasy stud. Good luck, and remember, in Brady/Belichick we trust.

Love/Hate for Week 10

The Buzz on Broad Fantasy team is back after an admittedly long hiatus. There's a lot to talk about so let's just get into it. We're starting off with our Love/Hate segment for week 9 (spoiler alert: Doug Martin isn't on this list...too easy)

QB:

Love- Even with the loss of Carl Nicks, the offensive line of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers was able to stay strong last week, giving Doug Martin a monster week. More importantly, they were able to protect their QB, Josh Freeman. Freeman came just short of throwing for 250 yards but did manage to throw for 2 TDs. This is mainly because The Muscle Hamster was busy bodying the entire Raiders Defense by himself. Because of that, expect the Titans D to play Martin very close, which will in turn, open up the pass game for Freeman. With the way Freeman has been connecting with both Vincent Jackson and Mike Williams, the Titans don't stand a chance. Freeman is a great play this week.

Hate- Despite completely annihilating the Titans last week through the air, Jay Cutler is in big trouble this week. He faces a top defense in the Texans with this matchup, and the league's sack leader in JJ Watt. I understand that the Cutler-Marshall connection has faced little opposition until this point, but it's going to run into some problems this week. I'm not arguing that Cutler's playing well, or that he's going to put up some points; I'm just saying beware of the points you're going to lose having him. I think Cutler getting sacked 5 times is completely possible, and in most league that's -10 points. Add a fumble or two, you're down another -2 or -4. Let's say 2 picks as well, that's another -4. That's a total of -18 points, even with being pretty modest about the way the Texans D could perform. I'm advising strongly against Cutler, at least for this week.

RB:

Love- Age and past injuries are quickly catching up to Ahmad Bradshaw. Bradshaw has had a foot injury for most of the season, which has kept him out of Wednesday's practice and limited him in Thursday's practice. That being said, Andre Brown is the RB I'm really looking forward to this week. A couple weeks ago, Brown was one of top 10 most dropped RBs in fantasy leagues. However, he has scored a TD in his past three games, making him a viable flex option. Brown is tied at 3rd in Most Rushing TDs with 6, behind only Arian Foster and Doug Martin. He also faces one of the worst run defenses in the league- The Bengals. So, see if you can pick Brown up this week; I believe in him so much that I'm going to start him in my league.

Hate- There's a few reasons why I hate this next guy, but let's start with the basics. Steven Jackson has only 1 rushing TD this season. He is statistically worse than many RBs in the league at rushing, including Montario Hardesty (this says a lot seeing as how he backs up the beast, Trent Richardson). Now, the Rams face the 49ers this week who have one of the top run defenses. As you can tell, the odds are already stacked up against Jackson. One of the other major problems is that the Niners also have an explosive offense. I predict that the Niners will score early and often, forcing the Rams to throw and thus taking Jackson almost completely out of the game.

WR:

Love- Seeing as how Peyton Manning currently has the highest passer rating in the NFL, it's only fitting that I pick one of his receivers this week. His favorite end zone target, Eric Decker, is currently tied for 3rd most receiving touchdowns in the league with seven. Decker is also top 20 in receiving yards as well. Finally, the broncos face a fairly soft defense this week in the Panthers. They're going to have a hard time shutting down Demaryius Thomas, let alone Eric Decker and the rest of the receiving corps.

Hate- This guy can't seem to catch a break. Dwayne Bowe is a massively talented athlete, as well as the top receiver on the Chiefs' offense. However, the chiefs can't seem to get their QB problem fixed. Their QBs seem to always be hurt or just playing horribly, Bowe's production mirrors this almost too perfectly. As if that weren't bad enough, the Chiefs have to face the Steelers this week. The Steelers went through a bit of a slump, but they're back and stronger than ever. If they limited Eli Manning to 125 yards and no TDs last week, imagine what they can do to the Cassel/Quinn combination. More importantly, imagine what that means for Bowe.

TE:

Love- In my opinion, Sunday's matchup between the Saints and the Falcons is going to be the biggest shoot out yet this season. Both teams have great tight ends. I tried to pick one, but I couldn't, so I'm picking both (This is my segment and I'll do whatever I want). Let's start with Tony Gonzalez, aka the man who changed the tight end position. He's been posting great numbers with Matty Ice slinging the ball to him, hasn't he? Also, historically he takes complete advantage of the Saints D, which really isn't hard these days anyway. Then we have Jimmy Graham, who is arguably the best tight end in football right now. Graham is extremely consistent and is obviously fully healed after that ankle injury. Also, unlike Gronk and other tight ends in the game, he doesn't have anyone to compete with at his position. If you're lucky enough to have either of these guys, just be thankful and start them.

Hate- Damn, if only tight ends got points for blocking. Brent Celek has been forced into a really bad situation. First, the Eagles may have the worst offensive line in the league right now, since the majority of their starters have fallen to injury. Second, the Eagles can't seem to get their offense going either way, so he's also not seeing many passes his way. If you have Celek, you should just chalk up the tight end position as a loss and look for another option.

D/ST:

Love- Wanna hear a joke? Philip Rivers' season: end of joke. I'm not really sure what happened to the promising San Diego Chargers, but it doesn't look like they can be saved now. They got the smack down laid on them by Peyton Manning a few weeks back and they haven't been the same since. The fact that I love the Buccaneers this week is less about their average defensive play and more about the awful offensive play of the Chargers. Expect some decent production from the Bucs.

Hate- The Bengals defense is going to get completely exploited this week. They have one of the worst run defenses in the league, while the Giants have a great running back combo with Bradshaw, Brown and Wilson. The Giants will exploit this weakness and it will open up the pass game for Eli Manning. The Giants will start to put up major points and the Bengals won't be able to stop them, stay far away.

Bold Predictions- 1st Edition

I’ve decided to take a bye week from the Love/Hate. In order to switch it up a bit, I’m going to do a Bold Predictions segment. There will be one prediction from each game; I know this is a bit late but stay with me here.

 

Tennessee vs. Buffalo- Ryan Fitpatrick will throw 0 (yes, zero) picks today and will also throw for 4 TDs.

 

Cleveland vs. Indianapolis- At home, in the Dome, Andrew Luck will thrive. Utilizing his favorite weapon, Reggie Wayne, Luck will throw for 350+yards, 2 passing TDs and at least 1 Rushing TD.

 

Green Bay vs. Saint Louis- Steven Jackson will get his first rushing TD of the season, along with a 100 yard game. Yea, I said it.

 

Arizona vs. Minnesota- The un-established run game of the Cardinals will find itself today, and actually be fairly productive (lets say 100-125 yards) against a stud Vikings defense.

 

Washington vs. New York- The Giants defense will finally put RG3 in check, limiting him to under 200 passing yards and a minimal amount of rushing yards (sub 50).

 

New Orleans vs. Tampa Bay- A MASSIVE shootout will incur, Mike Williams will be favored over Vincent Jackson and Lance Moore will dominate on the Saints’ side.

 

Dallas vs. Carolina- Felix Jones will turn it on today in the absence of Demarco Murray, earning 2 rushing TDs. Also, the Cowboys Defense will have a field day with a thus far struggling Cam Newton, picking him off 3 times.

 

Baltimore vs. Houston- Houston goes on a loss streak (2 games) after going 5 undefeated. This will be due to the fact that Arian Foster will be kept in check, causing Schaub to throw more. This in turn will finally lead to a multi-TD game for Andre Johnson.

 

Jacksonville vs. Oakland- Darren McFadden has a breakout day, rushing for 150+yards and, what the hell, 3 TDs. Also, Blaine Gabbert performs so poorly that he actually gets pulled out of the game.

 

New York Jets vs. New England- Tebow has a more productive day then Sanchez, statistically speaking. Rex Ryan finally reaches his breaking point, and in an act of pure desperation, throws Tebow to the wolves against a Patriots Defense that already had him figured out.

 

Pittsburgh vs. Cincinatti- Andy Dalton keeps the great season going, throwing for over 350 yards and 4 TDs. Also, I’m going with a win from Cincy today.

 

Monday night: Detroit vs. Chicago- Matthew Stafford gets sacked more times than Cutler, Cutler actually DOESN’T get sacked. I know,  it seems Cutler leads the league in getting sacked, but this Lions Defense is barely surviving at this point.

 

 

 

Week 7 Waiver Wire Pick Ups

Some notes before I get into the free agents finds for this week: I thought there was a couple interesting story lines, especially for the quarterbacks.

-          After a slow start Aaron Rodgers exploded for six touchdowns on Sunday Night against the Texans. He is now ranked as the Second overall quarterback in terms of AVG points per game in ESPN standard league. See what one game can do for you!

-          Is Matt Ryan human? Or is he dancer? The quarterback failed to throw for two touchdowns for the first time all season, but I think he will get back on the track to “elite” ness

-          RGIII rushed for 138 yards and had 3 total touchdowns. While there were some injury concerns going into the game this performance solidifies Griffin as a must start at all times. Hold on to your backup though, because his playing style could easily have him injured again.

-          What to make of the Red Head Gunslinger, Andy Dalton… Yes he has thrown for a ton of yards and touchdowns this year, but he has also thrown an interception in each game.

-          Speaking of Stafford. While he did throw for over 300 yards and a TD, as well as jog in a close rushing touchdown, he has been disappointing through the air thus far. Any Eagles fan who watched the first three quarters of Sunday’s game can attest for this. He looked rattled and sloppy, often overthrowing wide open receivers. For whatever reason he turned it on in the fourth quarter, but I would like to see more consistency.

-          Philip Rivers stinks. In real life, fantasy, any level of dream in Inception, whatever. Just in case you thought Vick was turnover prone, Rivers was responsible for 6 turnovers this week!

-          Remember the early season concerns about Wes Welker and his playing time? Well, since week 2 Welker has gained over 95 yards in every single game, including four straight over the 100 yard mark. With Aaron Hernandez coming back from injury it will be interesting to watch Welker’s production. I don’t see it changing.

Now to get to the Free Agents for Week 7: Well there aren’t many new names bursting into the scene. But, it never hurts to add depth for a bye, injury, or just a speculative shot in the dark.

 

QB

Josh Freeman vs New Orleans

Freeman has been rather quiet since his breakout season two years ago. However, he threw for 328 yards and 3 touchdowns last week, and now gets a matchup against the Saints. The Bucs will have to keep pace with Drew Brees, and I think the connection between Freeman and Vincent Jackson can only go up throughout the year, further improving Freemans stats.

Christian Ponder vs Arizona

The second year quarterback has been steady all year. Don’t expect career numbers. but he has the potential to throw 200 plus yards and two scores every week.

RB

Daryl Richardson vs GB

It looks like there is an unofficial timeshare between Richardson and Steven Jackson. Jackson seems like he has been in the league forever, and he definitely has some tread on the tires. Jackson has yet to reach 100 yards rushing or break pay dirt ALL SEASON. Richardson has the potential to reach flex play territory if he continues to improve and get carries.

Felix Jones @ CAR

Felix Jones is the epitome of a change of pace running back. He will never truly live up to the potential he had coming out of the draft. But with DeMarco Murray being injured and likely missing this weeks game @ Carolina he is worth the add. Heck, any running back that has the possibility of touching the ball 10-12 times is worth an add in today’s pass happy league.

 

William Powell @ MIN

Last week I wrote that Larod Stephens-Howling was the man to own in the Cardinals atrocious backfield. Well, it looks like I was wrong as Powell gained 70 yards on 13 carries compared to Howlings 11 for 22 yards. There may not be great potential here, especially this week against a stout Vikins run defense, but any running back that gets the majority of carries for their team is worth a look.

WR

Josh Gordon @ IND

The Cleveland Brown rookie WR has shown big play ability the past two weeks, with two touchdowns coming from over 40 yards. He doesn’t receive enough volume to be considered a must start at the moment but he is slowly becoming a top target for Brandon Weeden. Right now he is more of the Devery Henderson variety: Play him and hope for a long touchdown, but don’t be surprised if you get a giant goose egg.

TE

Brandon Meyers vs JAX

The low key Raiders TE has at least 55 yards in 4 of 5 games this year (10^th in the league with 290 yards. That’s more than Antonio Gates, Jimmy Graham, Dennis Pitta, and Jermichael Finley). The only problem is he hasn’t scored a touchdown all year. This has to change at some point.

 

Any questions or advice for your Fantasy team just tweet us @BuzzonBroadFF

 

Love/Hate for Week 6

QB:

 

Love- Don’t believe the hype surrounding the Seahawks Defense this week. Yes, they have been very tough on opposing QBs this season, but they really haven’t played any great QBs so far, considering that Aaron Rodgers isn’t playing at the top of his game. This is why I love Tom Brady this week. Brady’s been very sharp so far, throwing only 1 pick this season. Also, Aaron Hernandez has been practicing this week. Whether Hernandez comes back or not, expect a solid performance from Brady and a reality check for the Seahawks Defense.

 

Hate- Head injuries are a serious matter in today’s NFL, and with the shot RG3 took last week, it wouldn’t be a surprise to me if the Redskins decide not to let him play this week. Besides all of that, he’s facing a very stout Vikings Defense, anchored by Jared Allen. Allen, who will have little trouble putting pressure on Griffin, could possibly even get a sack or two. Even if RG3 does play, expect him to be very limited and expect his rushing yards to be down.

 

RB:

 

Love- Jamaal Charles is coming into this game against an inconsistent Buccaneers Defense. He only has 2 TDs so far this season, but (thanks to New Orleans) he’s averaging over 100 yards per game. Since Brady Quinn will be under center this week, Charles should get some extra carries until Quinn feels comfortable. Also, expect some extra looks for Charles in the pass game. All of these factors should lead to another 100 yard game and hopefully another TD.

 

Hate- Say what you want about Miami, they really have their Run Defense under control. They’ve allowed just over 60 yards rushing per game to opposing RBs, and even with a supposedly healthy Steven Jackson, I doubt it’s going to change this week.  This is due to the fact that Jackson is scoreless this entire season, and out of his last 14 games, he only has one score. For the sake of fantasy football, let’s hope Jackson bounces back at some point after this game.

 

WR:

 

Love- With Andrew Luck turning it up, it’s no surprise that Reggie Wayne is my love for this week. He’s coming off of a monster week and has a favorable matchup against a banged up Jets secondary. With Revis Island turning into the island from Lost, and Antonio Cromartie getting put in some receiving packages (wtf?), expect Wayne to put on an encore this week.

 

Hate- One huge game doesn’t mean that a player is going to have big numbers every week. In case you didn’t know, I’m referring to Brian Hartline. I get it, he’s Tannehill’s go to guy, but Cortland Finnegan and the rest of the Rams Defense is playing great football right now. Also, Reggie Bush seems to be at one hundred percent again, which means that they’re going to want to rush even more. I’m sorry, I just don’t believe in Hartline based off of one game.

 

TE:

 

Love- Call me crazy, but I think that this could finally be a breakout week for Jermichael Finley. He’s facing the league’s top defense this week, but with Cushing out, someone has to be unaccounted for. The Packers’ receiving core is deep, giving the Texans enough problems. With Rodgers finally stepping up, I would expect him to connect with Finley for a solid game.

 

Hate- Although his production has been very high thus far, Martellus Bennett is facing his toughest opponent: the 49ers. They’re still fired up about the NFC championship last year, so they’re coming into this game with a mission to destroy. I would expect a lot more blocking from Bennett than anything, considering his size and the talent of the 49ers on their defensive side.

 

D/ST:

 

Love- The Bengals have been playing very well on defense, and they’re facing an opponent that they’ve already played this season.  They’re going to have Trent Richardson’s run game already figured out and stopping him from receiving won’t be a problem either. With Weeden throwing more balls to defenders than he does to his receivers, we can expect plenty of turnovers and a low score from the Browns.

 

Hate-  No brainer here. Who’s facing the most explosive throwing offense in the league this week? The Raiders. Who’s pass defense is ranked 28^th in the league? The Raiders. Finally, what defense is ranked last in most fantasy scoring systems? You guessed it, the Raiders. You may want to just completely drop them from your team and never look back, even if it means not having a defense for a week.

 

Fantasy Football Week 6 Free Agent Pick Ups

If you don't play Fantasy Football, at least admire this photo of a cute puppy in Tim Tebow's arms.

 

Brandon Weeden- Cleveland Browns

The Browns tend to get down early and often. The result is Weeden throwing for practically the whole game. The 28 year old rookie already has two 300 yard games and two multi touchdown games. With Cutler, Newton, and Brees on bye weeks he could be worth a shot.

Christian Ponder- Minnesota Vikings

He won’t put up monster numbers, as the Vikings have a run first, conservative offense, but he’s worth a pickup for a bye week fill in. He faces the Redskins this week who are giving up almost 30 points per game, so a 200 yard 2 touchdown game for Ponder is within reach.

Tim Tebow- NY Jets

Speaking of a conservative Christian…..Sure, Mark Sanchez didn’t look terrible on Monday night, but I just get the sense that the Jets could turn to Tebow with another loss or two. Say all you want about his hideous mechanics and lack of accuracy, his rushing numbers make him a capable fantasy starter. If you are weak at quarterback and are looking for some help down the line he could be worth the add.

Alex Green- Green Bay Packers

The Packers running game has not been great lately. As a matter of fact the Packers haven’t had a 100 yard rusher since 2010. But Cedric Benson’s possible season ending injury thrust Alex Green into the spotlight, and there is reason for optimism. Green picked up 55 yards on 9 carries on Sunday. Most of his yards were on a 41 yard carry, which displayed his burst and big play ability.

LaRod Stephens-Howling – Arizona Cardinals

The Cardinals 31^st ranked rushing attack and Injuries went on a date to see the new Taken movie starring Liam Neeson. They had a few drinks afterwards, fooled around in the back of the 31^st ranked rushing attacks  2006 PT Cruiser,  and next thing you know they gave birth. The child’s name was LaRod Stephens Howling. Sometimes all you need is an opportunity.

With injuries to both Beanie Wells and Ryan Williams, Stephens Howling will be called upon to shoulder the load.

James Jones- Green Bay Packers

Jones has 4 total touchdowns in the last two games and with Greg Jennings and Jermichael Finley banged up he should continue to get targets.

Robert Meachum- San Diego Chargers

Many thought Meachum would have a breakout year in San Diego. He had a horrible start to the season, actually going catchless in two games. However, he finally found a rhythm with Rivers this week as he hauled in two touchdown passes. If you are weak at WR, or need a bye week filler, he could be someone of interest.

Devery Henderson- New Orleans Saints

If you are gambling man Henderson is what you are looking for. The fastest hunk of junk in the waiver wire galaxy is the prime example of a boom or bust player. Before this week Henderson had a combined 6 catches for 74 yards. This week: 8 grabs for 123 yards and a 40 yard TD. Henderson could be even more interesting if your league awards bonus points for long touchdowns.

Greg Zuerlein- St. Louis Rams

I know he’s a kicker but still…. Four 50 yarders in the past 3 weeks….Including a 60 yarder! The next Sebastian Janikowski?

Week 5 Injury Buzz

Week 5 Injury Report

QB

Jake Locker (Out) vs MIN

RB

Matt Forte (Probable) vs Jacksonville

Forte was a question mark heading into Monday night’s game against the Cowboys. Forte did play, but was most likely left out of your fantasy lineup. This week against Jacksonville he should be started in all formats. His ankle should be a bit stronger and I fully expect him to post good yardage totals against the Jags 30^th ranked run defense. However, the Bears should continue to give Michael Bush a decent amount of work, especially near the goal line, so there is ceiling to Forte’s production at the moment.

Reggie Bush (Probable) vs Cincinnati

Bush also gave it a go last week despite week long injury concerns. The Dolphins did not involve Bush as much as previous weeks, but I expect him to carry the full load against the Bengals this week.

Ben Tate (Questionable) vs NYJ

If you own Tate it might be a good idea to sit him. The late Monday Night game combined with a lack of involvement in the offense does not sound promising. This game should be the Arian Foster show.

Rashard Mendenhall (Probable) vs PHI

Mendenhall will play against the Eagles, however, the Steelers might take it easy on him. He should be on your bench for this week, but going forward the Steelers will definitely look to get him up to speed since their 30^th ranked rushing attack as been dreadful.

Peyton Hillis (Out) vs BAL

The anticipated timeshare involving Hillis and Charles is in the rearview mirror. After a slow start and then this injury, Hillis will have to overtake Shaun Draughns for the number two spot on the Chiefs depth chart.

Brandon Bolden (Questionable) vs DEN

After a breaking out party against the Bills last week Bolden was added in many leagues. This injury will delay any hopes of using him on your team. Either way, you never know who will get the carries week to week in this Patriots offense.

Brandon Jacobs (Questionable) vs BUF

The big bruising back should play this week, but is third on the 49ers depth chart behind Frank Gore and Kendall Hunter. Don’t expect much more than the occasional goal line carry.

WR

Greg Jennings (Out) vs IND

Greg Jennings is officially ruled out for this week’s game. The lingering groin injury here just adds to the slow start for Jennings. If you own him, and James Jones is still available I would add him immediately. With Aaron Rodgers throwing him the ball and Jennings missing time, Jones has the talent to put up big numbers.

Kenny Britt (Questionable) vs MIN

The hunch is that Britt will not play on Sunday. Even if he plays the Vikings defense has been too good this season to  even consider starting him.

Torrey Smith (Probable) vs KC

Smith was a full participant at practice on Thursday so he should be started with confidence. Clearly, Smith is now the number one Wide Receiver option this offense.

Laurent Robinson (Out) vs CHI

Injury or not, the largely disappointing Robinson should be dropped or buried deep on your bench.

Lance Moore (Out) vs SD

Moore, one of Drew Brees’ favorite options, will not be available on Sunday. Jimmy Graham, Marques Colston, and Darren Sproles should benefit from his absence.

Hakeem Nicks (Out) vs CLE

Nicks (knee) might be another week away from suiting up. This is nothing new for Nicks, as the talented receiver has been plagued by injury throughout his career. With Ramses Barden also out, Domenik Hixon could receive even more targets after a good game last week.

Santonio Holmes (Lisfranc- IR)

A disappointing injury for Holmes and the Jets. Some advice: All Jets position players can be securely benched or dropped if necessary. Until further notice.

TE

Coby Fleener (Questionable) vs GB

Fleener practiced on Friday so he should be able to play in this game. He could be a sneaky play here because the Colts will be leaning heavy on the pass playing against the high octane Packers. A touchdown and 50 yards is not out of the question.

Aaron Hernandez (Questionable) vs DEN

While he did some light running at practice on Friday the feeling is that he won’t play on Sunday. It might be a safe bet to sit him this week and let another week of recovery bring more certainty.

Rob Gronkowski (Questionable) vs DEN

Gronkowski practiced on Friday, so he should be in the Patriots lineup as well as any fantasy owner.

DEFENSE

The Kansas City Chiefs

No they are not really injured, but they have given up at least 35 points in 3 games this year.

 

Don't forget ! If you have any Fantasy questions or just need some line up suggestions, tweet us @BuzzonBroadFS

It's a Love Hate Relationship

 

Love/Hate for Week 5:

 QB:

 Love- Ok I get it, picking Matt “Matty Ice” Ryan may seem like a cop out, but I can’t help it. Matt Ryan has really turned it on this season, going from a mid Tier 2 QB to a full-blown elite Tier 1 QB.  In the vast majority of fantasy leagues, Ryan is among the top three QBs in scoring. He has 11 TDs so far and he’s averaging close to 300 yards a game passing. Add this to the fact that he’s going up against the second worst pass defense in the league (Redskins), and you have another star performance out of Matty Ice. I think Roddy White said it best in reference to the Falcons’ offense, during an interview with Michael Irvin this season: “Pick your poison, because we gon’ kill you either way”.

 Hate- This week’s hate goes to the, thus far, unimpressive Peyton Manning. Let’s face facts here, the Broncos have yet to live up to the preseason hype, standing at 2-2 this season. Regardless of a 37-6 victory over the Raiders last week, I’m still not impressed; the Raiders have an awful defense that still hasn’t fully recovered after the loss of CB Nnamdi Asomugha. Manning is facing an arguably improved Patriots Defense, and his archrival, Tom Brady. Brady leads the rivalry 8-4 and as I eluded to earlier, this isn’t the same Manning as we’ve seen in the past. Although the Broncos do have a solid defense, Brady can’t be stopped. If a shootout occurs, Manning and the Broncos offense will fall far behind.

 RB:

 Love- What isn’t wrong with the Chiefs’ Defense, besides Eric Berry? Expect Ray Rice to crush this defense on Sunday, both rushing and receiving the ball. Obviously Rice is one of the best backs in the league period, but he’s also a great receiving back, so the Chiefs will have an extremely hard time trying to stop whatever attack he brings. This is a team that’s allowing an average of 34 PPG, so expect Rice to get in on that action on the ground and through the air.

 Hate- One-dimensional offenses stand zero chance against top-ranked, veteran defenses. Such is the case this week as the Jags take on the Bears. Maurice Jones-Drew cannot do it all by himself, regardless of how much the Jags might need him to do so. The Bears will apply pressure early and often, frazzling Blaine Gabbert and forcing him to go to his only sure thing: MJD. If this is something I can predict, I’m sure the Bears Defense can do the same.  I love MJD in this league, but I hate him this week- save him for another day. 

WR:

Love- Andre Johnson has gotten off to a fairly slow start (besides his one 60yd TD reception), but expect him to pick it up against a banged up Jets Secondary. The Jets defense has a decent run defense and although there's only so much pressure a team can put on Arian Foster, it may be enough to get Johnson some extra targets. A few one on one deep shots against Antonio Cromartie should favor Johnson well, Schaub just needs to be persistent in his attempts.

Hate- With Jamaal Charles really heating up and the Ravens' Defense firing on all cylinders, it's easy to see why I would hate Dwayne Bowe this week. This is something I'm really not too happy with as he's my WR2, but it happens. Bowe has proven himself to be the best receiver on the Chiefs' offense, as well as Cassel's favorite target. However,with consecutive lack luster performances, Brady Quinn is looming heavily over Cassel's shoulder. This could potentially change everything for Bowe (although it really shouldn't)...proceed through this game, and the rest of the season, with precaution.

TE:

Love- We go back to the very game we just left: Ravens vs. Chiefs. Dennis Pitta has proven to be a solid target for Joe Flacco thus far. Also, despite a top run game, Flacco does seem to be throwing more often and spreading the ball more, as he should with that strong of an arm. Unless the Chiefs are willing to put Eric Berry on Pitta (as they did with him against Antonio Gates), expect solid yardage and a few end zone looks, with at least one TD, from Pitta.

Hate- Slowly but surely, the defense of the Eagles is improving every week. Combine this with the return of Rashard Mendenhall this week and you have my personal hate: Heath Miller. Big Ben has given Heath plenty of targets and even a couple TDs, but the Eagles will have no problem stopping that this week with the help of Demeco Ryans and Mychal Kendricks. Also, as mentioned, Mendenhall comes back this week. I'm not saying he's going to be a huge part of the offense this week, I'm just saying that working him in will take away some throwing attempts from Big Ben, and subsequently, targets from Miller.

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