Courtesy of: Buccaneers.com
Today is my birthday. It is also my Grandmother’s birthday. It’s a special connection we’ve always shared, being “birthday buddies”, and one I’ve been blessed to celebrate year after year. In June, we lost my Grandmother to an incredibly hard fought battle with Cancer, making this the first time in my 32 years that I’ll be unable to physically share this day with her. I’m saddened by the thought that I can’t see her today, or hear her wish us both a Happy Birthday, as she always did; but I’m warmed by the memories of all the conversations we shared on this day over the years.
My Grandmother was a special person for more reasons than could ever be explained in a fantasy football column. However, one specific trait of hers that is relevant here was her love of sports. I’m not sure how many of you out there have been able to share insightful conversation and spirited debates with your Grandmother over the merits of the infield shift or a box-in-one defense, but I’m proud to say I have. She was a baseball lover at heart (and the biggest Baltimore Orioles fan I’ve ever known), but over the years, she broadened her horizons to include college basketball and Baltimore Ravens football as well.
When I began my writing career (I use the term because while I don’t think I’ve achieved anything yet that resembles a career, she always thought I would), my Grandmother was one of the first to subscribe to the blog I created and she especially enjoyed my thoughts and opinions on our Orioles, Ravens, and Terps. The first piece I wrote here at The Sports Column was about the resurgent Orioles and why Baltimore fans seemed skittish about embracing their success. It was a passionate piece of mine, but also a bit of a tribute to the biggest fan around.
A cheerleader of mine since as far back as I can remember; my Grandmother’s support was something I always cherished (even if I wasn’t great at showing it). Her passion for sports was only trumped by her passion for our family; an attribute I’m grateful to have developed myself. That character trait is something we both shared, along with our birthdays, and one I hope to pass on to my kids as well.
This intro isn’t my typical humor-splashed metaphor for how real life and fantasy intertwine, but instead a much deserved tribute to someone responsible for many of my sports related memories. And that is the connection between life and sports that on this day, rings truest to my heart. Today is me and my Grandmother’s birthday…Happy Birthday to us.
And now onto the fantasy football advice that she would be yelling for me to give you at this point. Last week was another solid week for the fantasy 6-pack so let’s get into it.
3 I Like
QB, Tony Romo (15 proj. pts)- The Saints defense has been playing well as of late…but so was the Broncos defense when they arrived in Dallas and the two teams put on a Madden-esque show for the viewing public. This matchup feels a lot like that one. A primetime game between two high octane offenses on a fast track. I see this game as a shootout, and while it hasn’t always been pretty, Romo is very quietly having his most productive and efficient year of his career. He’s currently sitting on a 20/6 TD/INT ratio and while they continue to figure out how best to utilize their run game, the Cowboys will continue to let Romo throw short, long, and everywhere in between. I think 20 standard fantasy points this week is a conservative estimate.
RB, Mike James (7 proj. pts)- Since taking over the lead running back duties for an injured Doug Martin, James is second in the league in yards after contact. He put his durability to the test last week against a strong Seattle defense and gashed them for over 150 yards on the ground. While the jump-pass TD was a fluke, the hard-nosed running was not. This week, the Bucs take on the Miami Dolphins who happen to be giving up the 3rd most fantasy points per game to opposing running backs and rank last in giving up yards after contact. The matchup is ideal for James to continue his breakout.
WR, Victor Cruz (15 proj. pts)- It’s been a strange year for Cruz owners. The explosive wideout hasn’t been very explosive at all this season, only scoring in two games and topping 100 yards in 3. Despite the big games, he remains on pace for over 90 receptions and 1,300 yards however, so it’s hard to say he’s having a bad year. But the facts are that Cruz has been relegated to single digit fantasy points for 4 straight games. That streak ends this week. After a bye week to plan for the second half, I think the Giants will come out this week and do their best Philly impression on the Oakland Raiders. Cruz will find the end zone in this one at least once and top the 15 points he’s projected for before the end of the 3rd quarter.
3 I Don’t
RB, Zac Stacy (18 proj. pts)- Don’t get me wrong, I like Zac Stacy as a solid, dependable running back in a year when those are hard to come by. But I think the Stacy love is going a little too far here. 18 projected points against a Colts defense that has only given up 18 points to an opposing running back once this year? And that running back was Frank Gore. No offense to Zac Stacy, but he is not Frank Gore. I think Stacy is a solid running back 2 or flex option this week, but I don’t think he gets to 15 points because I don’t think he scores.
WR, Demaryius Thomas (15 proj. pts)- It’s hard to not like a wide receiver on this Peyton Manning led Broncos team, but this week I’m just not feeling Thomas. In his career against San Diego, Thomas has not been able to typically do what he does best, get yards after the catch. The Chargers have held him to just 32 such yards in 5 games, something that has seriously limited his upside. By contrast, fellow wideout Eric Decker has had back to back good games in San Diego, catching nine passes for over 160 yards and a pair of scores. I think Decker, and the always reliable Wes Welker, will score in this game, leaving Thomas on the outside looking in.
WR, Andre Johnson (17 proj. pts)- Coming off a huge game with young QB Case Keenum, Johnson appears to be right back on top of the heap among WRs. It’s clear there is a serious connection between the two and once it started working last week, the Texans decided to stick with it. It won’t be as easy this week however, as Houston faces a Cardinals defense that ranks 6th in the league in fantasy points given up to opposing WRs. I think Johnson will face some serious defensive attention in this game, leaving other options like DeAndre Hopkins and Garrett Graham to pick up the slack. I think Graham is a good play this week, while Andre comes up a bit short of his projections. He’s still a must start, but I’d tone down the MVP talk.
Last Week: 4-2
Year To Date: 33-13
