FANTASY FOOTBALL WEEK 15
BENCH/START WRAP-UP
December 18, 2007
Welcome to our weekly look back at our Bench / Start calls. Each week
we hold ourselves accountable for our good and bad recommendations. It
is easy to make predictions, but it is tough to stand behind them. Let's
not beat around the bush. Week 15 was a pretty solid week all around for both bench and start calls. We hope
some of these calls helped you win a game or two this weekend. Without
further ado, let’s get to the weekly fantasy football Bench / Start Wrap-up.
Nostradamus (a.k.a. psychic)
Start:
Adrian Peterson, RB, MIN – Rush: 20/78 TD: 2 (1,8)
Rec: 1/17 TD: 0 Peterson killed fantasy teams last week by barely registering positive fantasy points. If you happen to still be alive in your fantasy playoffs, you have to go with Peterson again. He is a threat to break a game open any week. We suspect that he will rise to the occasion again next week and show what the best rookie in football looks like.
Carson Palmer, QB, CIN – We predicted that Palmer would deliver his first TD pass since week 12 and he did just that. It was a beautiful 52 yard strike to Chris Henry. That long TD was enough to give you big play bonus points in most leagues that use that scoring system. Palmer also had no turnovers and 251 yards passing. This was a very solid effort from Palmer. If you started Palmer, you were glad you didn’t own Tom Brady or Tony Romo this week.
Jamal Lewis, RB, CLE – Lewis continues to impress in 2007 with 174 yards of total offense. This was a great game from a good back in some bad conditions. If you are riding Lewis to your league title, you had better get ready to saddle him up again in week 16.
Kurt Warner, QB, ARI – Look for
good weather last week and you found some good performances. Kurt Warner was one of the better fantasy QB performers of the week. Warner threw for 233 yards, 1 INT, 1 FUM, and 3 TDs. Warner is always a turnover risk, but as long as he keeps putting scores on the board he is a good option at QB.
Matt Hasselbeck, QB, SEA – Hasselbeck only had 1 turnover while he threw for 274 yards, rushed for 11, and threw a TD pass. This was a solid effort from Hasselbeck. The Seattle running game has been below its usual standard, but Hasselbeck has thrived in 2007.
Bench:
Robert Royal, TE, BUF – Royal was coming off a 47 yard and 2 TD performance. This week Royal had a bomb of a game with only 1 reception for 9 yards. We hope you had Royal far away from your lineup.
Roddy White, WR, ATL – White has been on absolute fire coming into week 15, but a funny thing happened on the way to this week’s game. White lost his Head Coach and that threw off the fragile chemistry that White had developed with his QB. As a result, White only had 1 catch for 4 yards.
Jerry Porter, WR, OAK – Porter was a good bench call with only 4 receptions for 32 yards. You didn’t need him in your league in almost all formats.
Farmer's Almanac (a.k.a. not so bad/not so good)
Start:
None this week
Bench:
Robert Ferguson, WR, MIN – Ferguson had only 2 catches for 79 yards. If he would have either had more catches or more yards, he would have been a busted bench call. As it stands, he was a so-so bench call. Thank goodness for our bench call that he got tackled on the 1 and let Adrian Peterson run the ball in.
Carolina Panthers Starting QB – Matt Moore came in and played pretty well. He didn’t turn the ball over and he threw for 208 yards. This gets him in the so-so bench calls of the week. If Moore would have scored, he would have really put a dent in our bench call.
Weather Forecast (a.k.a. oops better luck next time)
Start:
Bernard Berrian, WR, CHI – Berrian was a bad start, but he was OH-so-close to being a good start. On the Bears’ final play of the game, Berrian was open for a long TD bomb. Kyle Orton throw was to Berrian’s left and toward the sideline as opposed to throwing the ball over Berrian’s right shoulder. The play ended up being an interception instead of a TD. Sometimes it can be just that close!
Starting Bears QB – Keep in mind that we said this was a risky start, but we were trying to stick our necks out this week for an unusual start call. Kyle Orton didn’t meet the challenge. Orton was close to having a nice TD pass on the last play the Bears had on offense. Orton threw a pick instead of the easy long TD pass and as a result the Bears lost and our start call busted all in the same moment. 184 yards and 1 INT doesn’t get the job done.
Chester Taylor, RB, MIN – Taylor only had 38 yards of total offense. Brian Urlacher had a huge game and he was a major factor in slowing the Vikings rushing attack down.
Bench:
New York Jets Defense – It should be noted that the Jets got a huge assist from Mother Nature on this one by playing in a blizzard. However, the Jets did shut down the Patriots and their defense was good enough to win the game. The Jets had 1 INT, 1 Sack, 1 blocked punt, 1 TD scored, and they only allowed 14 points. If the Jets D could play in a blizzard every week, they could be a defense to keep an eye out for!
Kolby Smith, RB, KC – Smith didn’t break 100 yards rushing, but his total yardage was over 100. As a result, Smith was a decent start. Smith played pretty well against a typically stingy Titans D. We give credit to Smith because he made it happen against a tough match-up.
