This week’s top-75 fantasy football rankings are coming from you live and in-person on the road to Iowa! Due to travel conditions, I literally correspond to you from the great expanse that is Interstate 80, home to the world’s largest truck stop, the Prairie Lights bookstore, the Amana Colonies, and the World Wrestling Museum. Ahhh! The fresh scent of Midwest in Fall.
And apart from the brown passing farmland, barren trees, roadside pumpkin butter and apple preserves vendors, and too much weekend time spent with the rake, Fall also means football, as we are all well aware, and football means fantasy, and fantasy means decisions.
This week features byes for fantasy’s two top running backs, Arian Foster and Ray Rice, as well as fantasy’s top receiver, AJ Green, and the bash’em tandem of Bills backfield mates, CJ Spiller and Fred Jackson. In other words, lots of holes need filled. To that end, I have given extra attention to the back end of my rankings, searching for who I think may be the best fill-in plays this week based on matchup or other circumstances.
MY MISSION STATEMENT
What frustrates me above all else are so-called fantasy advice columns that fit into one of two categories:
1) They refuse to stray from conventional wisdom, often until it’s weeks too late to save or help your season or
2) They only offer rankings commentary on the “big-name” guys that everyone knows to play anyway. Gee, Adrian Peterson will have a bounce back week and I shouldn’t bench him for Danny Woodhead? Thanks!
Each week I will examine what I consider to be the most pressing issues facing fantasy owners. I will try to focus only on issues that you may actually be concerned with, namely: marginal flex players, tough matchup decisions, and above all else, how to assimilate new information from the previous week. This is a column of the people, by the people, for the people. And as long as I’m offering oaths, I promise to always tackle the difficult questions as I see them, not be chained by conventional wisdom, and not allow traditional or draft-position bias to affect my weekly rankings.
Week 8 Top 75
1. Jamaal Charles
2. Matt Forte
3. Adrian Peterson
4. Percy Harvin
5. LeSean McCoy
6. Brandon Marshall
7. Ryan Matthews
8. Demaryius Thomas
9. Alfred Morris
10. Victor Cruz
11. Chris Johnson
12. Rob Gronkowski
13. Calvin Johnson
14. Willis McGahee
15. Darren McFadden
The “Big” Boys
Is it obvious we’re on a bye? Wow. The name that stands out the most from the bye-shortened list is Willis McGahee, but I love his matchup against New Orleans. I’m starting to sound like a broken record: play everyone against the Saints. Chris Johnson had his best week of the season so far, and probably will stay that way when we look back at year’s end. Still, he has another nice matchup and Tennessee has figured something out. The Seahwaks aren’t the Bears, but I suspect they took a long hard look at what Charles Tillman and the Lovie-Cover-Two did to take away Calvin Johnson. Seattle has big, physical corners, too. Two Vikings in the top-5? After last week, it seems imperative to place Peterson there, but I think the Buccaneers are actually more vulnerable in their secondary.
16. Marshawn Lynch
17. Mike Wallace
18. Roddy White
19. Reggie Wayne
20. Frank Gore
21. Wes Welker
22. Doug Martin
23. Reggie Bush
24. Trent Richardson
25. Jordy Nelson
26. Marques Colston
27. Julio Jones
28. Eric Decker
29. Stevan Ridley
30. Michael Turner
Falcons, A-hoy!
It seems like I’m all-in on the Atlanta offense, but I’m really not. The matchup isn’t great. If you have them, you’re playing them, but still. Gore comes off a huge week, and may be too low on this list, but I think Arizona will make Alex Smith beat them. If they’re smart, anyway. Decker- play anyone against New Orleans. There, I said it again. I like New Orleans-Denver to be a bit of a shootout, and Colston has been Brees’ best receiver of late, though don’t sleep on Lance Moore. I’m not sure what to do with Trent Richardson, I keep hearing conflicting reports. After last week’s debacle, nothing would surprise me. Still, another good matchup... would be a shame to see it wasted.
31. Darren Sproles
32. Miles Austin
33. Larry Fitzgerald
34. Vincent Jackson
35. Aaron Hernandez
36. Antonio Brown
37. Desean Jackson
38. Rashad Jennings
39. Randall Cobb
40. James Jones
41. Jeremy Maclin
42. Hakeem Nicks
43. Vick Ballard
44. Jimmy Graham
45. Heath Miller
Situational Situations
I was really low on Jimmy Graham last week because of concerns over him playing, and lo and behold, he didn’t suit up. Same thing this week. Did anyone ever think they’d miss Kevin Kolb? Larry Fitzgerald owners certainly do. This just in: use the 49’ers defense this week. I think the Packers have another big week, I’m probably too low on all of them. I think Vincent Jackson doesn’t, I may be too high on him. I like Antonio Brown and Heath Miller quite a bit against a bad Washington secondary at home. Both are strong plays this week. Nicks traditionally owns Dallas, let’s see if he’s back up to speed injury-wise. Ballard has a great matchup and, as of now, I’m assuming Donald Brown is out one more week.
46. Denarius Moore
47. Dwayne Bowe
48. Steven Jackson
49. Steve Smith
50. Dez Bryant
51. Kenny Britt
52. Brandon Lloyd
53. Mikel LeShoure
54. Daryl Richardson
55. Lance Moore
56. Vernon Davis
57. LaRod Stephens-Howling
58. Malcom Floyd
59. Jonathan Dwyer
60. Jason Witten
Reasonable Replacements
I still like Daryl Richardson quite a bit, but the gig remains Jackson’s for now. Lance Moore may be too low, here. He has been consistent. I am really, really scared about Vernon Davis. So much so that I dropped Dwyer in a league I am set at running back to pick up tight end help. I still think Kenny Britt is the Titans receiver you want. Get ready for the run on tight ends...
61. Josh Gordon
62. Jeremy Kerley
63. Antonio Gates
64. Kyle Rudolph
65. Martellus Bennet
66. Brandon Gibson
67. Brian Hartline
68. Phillip Tanner
69. Felix Jones
70. Shonn Greene
71. Andre Brown
72. Dustin Keller
73. Joel Dreesen
74. Chris Givens
75. Montario Hardesty
Hold on a minute...
Yes, that’s the order I’d prefer to have the Dallas running backs in. Even if Jones plays, does he finish the game? What is his workload? I actually have the Kerley vs. Gates decision in a league for my flex position, and I am going with Kerley. Cleveland is one of the best in the league against tight ends, allowing less than 6 fantasy points per game to the position. Meanwhile, Kerley is seeing increased snaps every week and looks to be easily the best Jets receiver available. Josh Gordon. All he does is catch bombs. I may be too low on Shonn Greene, but the Dolphins have been stout against the run and hey, he’s still Shonn Greene.
Best of luck! As always you can follow me @petethegreekff
