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Warden Report
Time to prepare for the playoff chase
Posted: Friday November 16, 2001 1:25 PM
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Shaun Alexander may not have the starting job in Seattle much longer, making him a great trade target. Otto Greule/Allsport |
By Ryan E. Houston, Special to CNNSI.com
A win this week is vital to your playoff chances. With only four to five more chances to rack up victories, these last few games could make or break your season. Now is the time to ride your horses to the finish line and prepare your rosters for the playoff run. Here are a couple of things to consider:
Consider trading Shaun Alexander:
I know the guy has been dominant in recent weeks, but with Ricky Watters coming back into the mix and Mike Holmgren's inability to make a sound decision, I would strongly consider a move. Obviously it comes down to what you could get for him, but I would highly recommend a move, if the deal presented itself.
Prepare for playoff bye weeks:
The last thing you want to do is get your Week 15 matchup and have studs like Brian Griese, Rod Smith and Mike Anderson on your bench and nobody worth a damn to take their spots. Make sure you have depth for a run and are prepared for those games ... just in case.
Improve your squad:
Seek out a deal and solidify your roster. The award of trading your fourth or fifth wide receiver along with your fourth running back for a second running back is what makes good teams great. You would be surprised what people will do at this time of the year as they get ready for their playoff push.
Make sure you have your stud's backup:
This is of vital importance down the stretch if, God forbid, you have a stud go down. Guys like Lamont Jordan, James Allen, Olandis Gary, Travis Minor, Dorsey Levens and many others could find considerable playing time if the primary back went down to injury. If you have the room on your roster, stash them away.
Know your league rules:
It is very important that you have a firm grasp of when the waiver wire and trade deadlines are. If your league does not allow any (waiver or trade) acquisitions after Week 12, you better make sure your team has two kickers and two tight ends on your roster. Imagine the horror of having your only TE or K injured and not being able to pick one up for the big game. OUCH!
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| Quarterbacks:
Start 'em |
1.
Jeff Garcia
2. Brett Favre
3. Daunte Culpepper
4. Kurt Warner
5. Donovan McNabb
6. Peyton Manning
7. Brian Griese
8. Aaron Brooks
9. Rich Gannon
10. Jay Fiedler
11. Kerry Collins
12. Jake Plummer
13. Elvis Grbac
14. Charlie Batch
15. Tony Banks
16. Tom Brady
17. Tim Couch
18. Brad Johnson
19. Jim Miller
20. Matt Hasselbeck |
| Quarterbacks:
Sit 'em |
1.
Doug Flutie
2. Chris Chandler
3. Vinny Testaverde
4. Steve McNair (Ques.)
5. Chris Weinke |
| Running
backs: Start 'em |
1.
Marshall Faulk
2. Ahman Green
3. Ricky Williams
4. Corey Dillon
5. Shaun Alexander
6. Curtis Martin
7. Jerome Bettis
8. Stephen Davis
9. Anthony Thomas
10. Garrison Hearst
11. LaDainian Tomlinson
12. Mike Anderson
13. Duce Staley
14. Ron Dayne
15. Lamar Smith
16. Antowain Smith
17. Jason Brookins
18. Warrick Dunn
19. Maurice Smith
20. Eddie George |
| Running
backs: Sit 'em |
1.
Tyrone Wheatley
2. Charlie Garner
3. Mike Alstott
4. James Jackson
5. Stacey Mack |
| Wide
receivers: Start 'em |
1.
Terrell Owens
2. Marvin Harrison
3. David Boston
4. Tim Brown
5. Isaac Bruce
6. Bill Schroeder
7. Randy Moss
8. Troy Brown
9. James Thrash
10. Qadry Ismail
11. Jimmy Smith
12. Kevin Johnson
13. Joe Horn
14. Cris Carter
15. Ike Hilliard
16. Marty Booker
17. Rod Gardner
18. Keyshawn Johnson
19. Torry Holt
20. Amani Toomer |
| Wide
receivers: Sit 'em |
1.
Eric Moulds
2. Rod Smith (Ques.)
3. Jerome Pathon
4. Wayne Chrebet
5. Curtis Conway |
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Onto the cheatsheets....
Five things you need to know for week 10:
1. Freddie Jones will not play. According to several reports out of San Diego, Jones got his second opinion and will be relegated to sideline duty this week against the Raiders. His replacement: Steve Heiden.
2. Rod Smith hasn't practiced this week. He, I repeat, he, swears he will play this week. Watch this situation closely. I know many of you count on him every week, but I would be a bit hesitant to plug him into my starting lineup until I hear the active/inactive report Sunday morning.
3. Denver tight ends should have a field day. Considering the team is still struggling to find a No. 2 WR option, the TE duo of Dwayne Carswell and Desmond Clark are putting up some fairly solid numbers. If Rod Smith doesn't play, they will basically be filling the No. 1 and 2 WR options with Keith Poole a close third. Pick them both up if you get a chance.
4. Lamar Smith's last chance? It has been a rough year for Smith owners and the situation isn't getting any better. This week is the type of game Smith should dominate. The Jets are ranked No. 23 against the run and Smith should get a ton of opportunities. If Smith fails to "get off the porch" this week, look for Travis Minor to start getting an increased role in the offense.
5. The following fantasy players are listed as out: Terry Allen RB, Rob Johnson QB, Terrell Davis RB, Edgerrin James RB, Cameron Cleeland TE, Ricky Watters RB, Stephen Alexander TE.
Note to self: Expect strong second half from Stephen Davis.
Mike Holmgren vs. Alex Rodriguez vs. Ken Griffery Jr.
Mike Holmgren reminds me a lot of two other former Seattle homeowners: Alex Rodriguez and Ken Griffey Jr. The similarities are quite astonishing when you consider:
1. None of them have made the playoffs since leaving.
2. All three of them have second-guessed themselves since leaving.
3. All three left winning teams to join bad teams.
4. All three have more money, but less to show for it.
5. The teams they all left have rebounded nicely since they left.
Remember the old slogan: The grass isn't always greener on the other side!
Are you kidding me?
Nobody wants to say Edgerrin James it out for the year and the Colts coaching staff keeps denying these reports. Let's face it: Two different doctors recommend you sit for the rest of the season...its probably time to sit!
Yankee Doodle ...
Miami Dolphins came to town,
A-ridin a division lead;
They put a helmet in Peyton's jaw,
and called it victory!
Surprises and disappointments
Charlie Garner blew it. He did very little to show coach Jon Gruden that he deserved the ball more and more each week. Despite Tyrone Wheatley being out, Garner put up very dismal numbers and did nothing to earn the starting job outright. Wheatley returns this week so Garner should be back to spot duty. Oh how the mighty have fallen!
Duce is back. Something has to be said about the Eagles pounding of the Vikings. What was even more devastating is they continued to run Duce wild despite being up by 30-plus points!
Don't you get a feeling that Terrell Owens is telling everyone in the media to shut up and watch? Ever since his Mooch comments he has been dominating. Actually he has been doing that all year and it should continue this week against a below-average Panthers team.
Have you seen the list of WRs who are having a better season than Randy Moss:
1. Rod Smith, Broncos
2. Terrell Owens, 49ers
3. Marvin Harrison, Colts
4. David Boston, Cardinals
5. Qadry Ismail, Ravens
6. Troy Brown, Patriots
7. Jimmy Smith, Jaguars
8. Tim Brown, Raiders
9. James Thrash, Eagles
10. Curtis Conway, Chargers
11. Kevin Johnson, Browns
12. Marty Booker, Bears
13. Joe Horn, Saints
14. Isaac Bruce, Rams
15. Cris Carter, Vikings
16. David Patten, Patriots
17. Bill Schroeder, Packers
18. Johnnie Morton, Lions
19. Laveranues Coles, Jets
20. Keyshawn Johnson, Buccaneers
21. Amani Toomer, Giants
22. Torry Holt, Rams
23. Peerless Price, Bills
24. Randy Moss, Vikings
Yikes! Peerless Price, Curtis Conway, James Thrash? Who woulda thought?
| INSANEX Experts League Update |
| Team |
Owner |
Record |
Points |
| Fantasy
Asylum |
Ryan
"The Warden" Houston |
8-1 |
917 |
| Trade
Rumors |
Shawn
Bryant |
6-3 |
884 |
| Footballguys |
Clayton
Gray |
6-3 |
839 |
| Jackpot
Sports |
Mark
Bond |
4-5 |
766 |
| Wild
Card Sports |
Brian
Kreklau |
4-5 |
749 |
| CNN/SI |
James
Quintong |
4-5 |
727 |
| The
Winning Formula |
Dave
Cooper |
4-5 |
713 |
| Komments.com |
Greg
Kellogg |
4-5 |
684 |
| FanEx
Football |
Terry
Cannon |
4-5 |
671 |
| Prognosticator |
Tony
Holm |
1-8 |
649 |
| For all the details check out the INSANEX
page on FantasyAsylum.com. |
Asylum Improves to 8-1! A healthy Faulk is going to really help down the stretch and Ricky Williams really needs to step up if I have a realistic shot. The injury to Rod Smith will hurt bad if it proves to be serious. This week I face the Jackpotsports squad who is still fighting for a playoff spot. Should be a good matchup.
I think James will agree his team is in a slump. The Lamar Smith demise has been hurting him the last few weeks and his lack of depth at the WR spot continues to hinder his ability to make a run. I expect a big run from James Q. in the coming weeks with Culpepper, A-Train and Duce leading the pack.
The TradeRumors squad has been dominating despite not having Edgerrin in the lineup. Unfortunately it doesn't appear Edge will be back. They are basically down to Shaun Alexander and Mike Anderson at the RB. Fortunately they have Jeff Garcia and Owens to carry them and that should be enough down the stretch.
Until next week, enjoy!
Ryan Houston is the co-owner of FantasyAsylum.com. His column "The Warden Report" can be found there along with other great tools to help increase your Fantasy Football knowledge. Follow The Warden and James Quintong of CNNSI.com as they do battle in INSANEX -- The Insane Experts League, only on FantasyAsylum.com. The Fantasy Football Institute for Insane Fans! Get Committed...To Winning!
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