Fantasy Wednesday Must Have Made a Wrong Turn at Albuquerque
By Matt Snyder
It’s Thursday, but it’s still fantasy Wednesday. Try to figure that one out.
Possible Starters
These are the guys on your fantasy roster that you either should start or consider starting.
- RB – Jahvid Best – Best had a poor fantasy week last week, but he was limited to only seven carries because of a turf toe injury. The Packers are pretty middle of the road on run defense, and he’s saying that he looks good to play, but I’d be hesitant to start him if you have another solid option. Besides, it’s Detroit at Green Bay. What good can happen? Week 4 outlook: fair.
- WR – Calvin Johnson – I’m about ready to call Calvin out. The Lions need him to make plays, and he just hasn’t done that so far. His three week fantasy average is under 8 points per week, which isn’t what you need out of your #1 WR. He’s the best offensive player the Lions have, so I wouldn’t give up on him yet. Week 4 outlook: still gotta start him.
- K – Jason Hanson – He had four points last week. Doing well, but not many opportunities. Week 4 outlook: fair.
Reaches
These were lineup spots that should be filled by someone else.
- QB – Shaun Hill – The Packers rank third in pass defense (in terms of yards allowed) and Hill hasn’t shown the ability to make plays on his own. Combine this with the fact that the Lions are never any good at Lambeau Field, and you have the makings of a terrible week. Week 4 outlook: poor.
- WR – Nate Burleson – Nate said he expected to play against Green Bay earlier in the week, but he did not practice on Wednesday or Thursday. He’s listed as questionable on the injury report. Week 4 outlook: poor.
- TE – Brandon Pettigrew – He had 44 yards, which is decent, but he didn’t score so his point total wasn’t great. Hill targeted his TE’s more than anyone else (nine times each), so there may be some viability here. Still difficult to choose between the two. Week 4 outlook: fair.
- TE – Tony Scheffler – Scheffler scored himself twelve fantasy points against the Vikings thanks to 60 yards receiving and a TD, but it’s still hard to know which TD will get the targets on any given week (maybe they both will?) Week 4 outlook: fair.
- DEF – Detroit – The defense racked up 8 fantasy points, which isn’t terrible, but it is terrible if you have them on your fantasy team. The Detroit defense ranks 22 in the NFL total fantasy points, and even worse in real points. Week 4 outlook: poor.
| Player | Pos. | Price | Earnings | E/P |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jahvid Best | RB | $235.11 | $82.25 | 34.98 |
| Brandon Pettigrew | TE | $81.14 | $25.80 | 31.8 |
| Tony Scheffler | TE | $80.46 | $24.30 | 30.2 |
| Calvin Johnson | WR | $179.43 | $31.15 | 17.36 |
| Jason Hanson | K | $81.79 | $12.00 | 14.67 |
| Nate Burleson | WR | $119.75 | $3.75 | 3.13 |
| Matthew Stafford | QB | $220.29 | $3.80 | 1.72 |
| Kevin Smith | RB | $73.25 | $0.00 | 0 |
Jahvid Best and the two tight ends are must haves, especially the TEs. Hill has shown that he likes to look for them, and they’re priced relatively low. If either of them score, they’ll give you a nice gain.
Kevin Smith may see his first game on the active list, so watch his price if he sees game action. If he somehow finds the end zone he could see a nice short term gain on his stock price.
I wouldn’t consider buying anyone else, unless Calvin Johnson finds his Megatron suit or Jason Hanson kicks like a hundred field goals.