Fantasy Football Today - fantasy football rankings, cheatsheets, and information
A Fantasy Football Community!




 Log In  | Sign Up  |  Contact      






Colby Cavaliere | Archive | Email |
Staff Writer


The Shot Caller's Report - Quarterbacks
Your Guide To Fantasy Lineups: Week 9
10/30/14
QBs | RBs | WRs

With a bevy of bye weeks, and a multitude of must win games, fantasy owners will be scrambling to put the optimal line-ups out there in Week 9. Even with half the season in the books, there can be some surprise winners and losers on a weekly basis. Let’s see if we can identify the guys who might help, and avoid the ones who might sink us!

Note: Fantasy points based on FF Today’s standard scoring system.

Bye Weeks: Chicago, Buffalo, Detroit, Green Bay, Atlanta, Tennessee

Colin Kaepernick

Kaepernick's best fantasy performance of the season came against the Rams in Wk 6 (343 yds, 3 TDs).


Grab a Helmet

Colin Kaepernick v. STL: Before running into the Denver buzzsaw two weeks ago, Kaepernick was coming off one of the best games of his career in a 31-17 win on the road against this same St. Louis team. In his last 3 games against the Rams, Kaepernick has passed for 785 yards with 6 touchdowns and no interceptions. The Rams have the personnel and scheme to keep Kaepernick from killing them with his legs, but coming off the bye week, and the improved health of Vernon Davis, the 49er offense will be the healthiest they’ve been all year. Something else to consider, the rocket armed QB has five 30+ attempt games so far in 2014. He only had 4 such games all last season. On a week where as many as four frontline starters are on a bye, Kaepernick is a strong QB1 option.

Alex Smith v. NYJ: With only nine touchdowns in seven games, it’s hard to view Smith as a potential fantasy starter. On pace for an Elvis Grbac, circa 1999-like season, Smith hasn’t dazzled, but he’s brought a sense of calm to a Kansas City squad that started 0-2. Smith is doing what Andy Reid is asking of him, completing short passes, using his athleticism as an asset and keeping games close with mistake-free football. With enough volume, Smith makes a decent spot start, especially this week against a Jets defense that gives fantasy points away to quarterbacks like that weird old lady in your neighborhood who gives out gross candy on Halloween. Smith is a great streaming option, with the potential for a multi-touchdown 250-plus-yard week.

Joe Flacco @ PIT: Lost in the madness of Pittsburgh’s offensive onslaught last week, was the defense who continued to be burnt, toasted, roasted, and sautéed by the Colt’s offense. The deep ball is something the Pittsburgh defense is particularly poor at defending, and that just so happens to be Flacco’s specialty. Averaging a robust 11.8 yards per competition, Flacco should have the time to hit a few deep balls against the Steelers. Aside from his five-touchdown game vs Tampa, Flacco has been mediocre on the road, but in an important division game, look for Joe to buck his trend and be a fantasy asset this week.

Grab a Headset

Michael Vick @ KC: He may be starting for the Jets, but he shouldn’t be starting for you if you can help it. Remember, this is a team that in the last 10 years has been forced to start the likes of Greg McElroy, Brooks Bollinger and Quincy Carter as fill-ins. While Vick is much more decorated and is still a threat on the ground, he simply hasn’t been a good quarterback in quite some time and is a downright detriment if your league penalizes heavily for turnovers. Arrowhead is still a wicked place to play and he’s shown nothing in his spotty work thus far this season. If he truly had much left, the Jets would have gone to him weeks ago. They have no choice to start him, but you do. Vick’s legs will keep him from being a total loss, but I don’t envy a fantasy owner that has to rely on Vick this week.

Colt McCoy or Robert Griffin III @ MIN: The Colt McCoy experience is 1-0 in the nation’s capital, and it looks like he may get a second look against the Vikings. I’d be surprised if RGIII suits up this week with a looming bye, but regardless, I’d avoid this fantasy situation at all costs if I could. McCoy is a career third-stringer, and RGIII would be coming off another major injury to his lower body. Couple these facts with the way the Minnesota defense has rallied these last three games (15.6 ppg), and this is a fantasy situation to avoid. Obviously RGIII would be the better start if he gets the call, but at best he’s a QB2 even during this week’s bye crunch.

Derek Carr @ SEA: For a rookie on a poor team, Carr has been a pleasant surprise so far in 2014. He’s making the players around him better (and that’s saying A LOT on this Oakland team) and not turning the ball over very frequently. He’s going to win a desperate fantasy owner a game down the stretch with a big game, but unfortunately it won’t come this week. Seattle’s defense isn’t playing at the same level as last year, but has done a good job at home against three of the league’s best in Rodgers, Manning and Romo. Look for an extra aggressive game plan against the rookie signal caller with more man coverage concepts and blitzes, as Carr isn’t much of a threat to run (58 yards in one game, and 9 total in the other six games). This is a supremely tough spot for the rookie, making him no better than a mid-tier QB2 this week.

Running Backs