Pure Fantasy Week 5

Week Five: Chuckstrong and the Feel-Good Folly

Hey guys, guess what?! My advice was as close-to-perfect as it's ever going to get last week!

Just to pat myself on the back:

Fred Jackson and CJ Spiller bombed, like the rest of the Bills. The wanna-be dynamic duo rushed for 29 and 24 yards, respectively.

Chris Johnson (and more appropriately, his offensive line) came back down to earth against the Vikings in Week 5 following his only good game in Week 4. He ran for a pathetic 29 yards behind the most porous O-line this side of Dallas.

Julio Jones rebounded against the Redskins, catching 10 passes for 94 yards and a TD.

Brian Hartline also fell down to earth considerably, going from 12 catches, 253 yards and a touchdown in Week 4 to four grabs for 59 yards in Week 5.

James Jones grabbed four passes for 46 yards and 2 touchdowns. That's 20+ points in fantasy terms.

I warned you not to rely on Chargers RB Jackie Battle, and Ryan Mathews went off against the Saints. Battle slowly disappeared from the game until Ronnie “Wildcat” Brown was getting more time than him.

I'm not going to get many chances to say this, so I'm going to take advantage of the opportunity and say: “I told you so.” Ooh, I'm getting chills just typing those words. Probably for the last time ever...

Pure Recap:

For those of you unaware, Indianapolis Colts' head coach Chuck Pagano was sadly diagnosed with leukemia in September, prompting an impromptu leave of absence while he undergoes treatment. In their first game sans their head coach, the Colts turned in one of the more rousing come-from-behind victories in my memory, overcoming a 21-3 halftime defecit to beat the heavily favored Green Bay Packers. Rookie QB Andrew Luck nearly outplayed veteran star Aaron Rodgers, going 31-55 for 362 yards and two touchdowns while rushing for 24 yards and a score, and Reggie Wayne had one of the best, and certainly the most emotionally charged, games of his career. Wayne, who has known Pagano since his collegiate days, sported an orange mouthpiece and gloves (orange is the color commonly used in support of leukemia awareness) and caught a whopping 13 passes for 212 yards and a touchdown.

But be wary, fantasy owners. Don't overvalue Luck and Wayne following these performances against a less-than-stellar Packers D. Yes, their stats are stellar. But the “feel-good game” is a trapfall for fantasy owners, and for the teams themselves. When teams feel like a win would honor a fallen teammate, coach, or owner, they have routinely been inspired to play beyond their normal ability. Look at the 2011 Raiders, nearly one year ago to this day, who upset the mighty Houston Texans following the death of Al Davis. They went to a surprising 3-2, much like the Colts of today now sit at 2-2, which is exceeding expectations. However, the Raiders then sustained many sobering injuries en route to finishing a paltry 8-8. Anybody not named Michael Bush was useless in fantasy after Run-DMC went down in Week 6.

To sum up, if I were you, I'd be putting Luck and Wayne on the trade block. Chances are, they're going to calm down after the emotion of their hero-win for the Chuckstrong cause wears off.

I'd also like to extend my thoughts and prayers to Pagano and his family. Stay Chuckstrong.

Pure Advice:

Packers RB Cedric Benson suffered a potentially season-ending injury against the Colts, possibly derailing a very promising season (and also sending me into desperation mode in one of my leagues, I might add). As such, pick up backup Alex Green if possible. Don't expect much; there's a reason Benson was the only back Mike McCarthy trusted to carry the ball. But pick him up just in case.

Just to expand upon what I touched upon in the Pure Recap, try and pawn Andrew Luck and/or Reggie Wayne, especially if you have depth at their position. This is selling high at its finest. For example, if you are in need of a running back, and have Andrew Luck sitting the bench while Matt Ryan takes care of business, try and dump Luck off to a team in need of a QB, trying of course to get a Ahmad Bradshaw-caliber running back in return.

Pulling a Dos Equis guy here: I don't usually recommend Jets offensive players, but when I do, I suggest WR Jeremy Kerley. After Santonio Holmes went down for the season, Kerley has emerged as the #1 target in the Big Green Apple, and actually produced against an elite Texans D, catching five passes for 94 yards. Not a bad option in my opinion.

The Lions are begging for a running back to assert himself, and 2011 starter Jahvid Best is returning from a long concussion-induced absence. Mikel Leshoure and Kevin Smith have their own arguments to make regarding the starting position, but Best may be...well...the best man for the job after lackluster performances by both backs.

Need a tight end? Kyle Rudolph of the Minnesotta “How are they 4-1?” Vikings is QB Christian Ponder's favorite red-zone option, snatching four touchdowns so far this season.

I've been watching Belichick's Patriots ever since Drew Bledsoe's career died against the Jets. And I've never seen them run the ball like this season. Stevan Ridley and Brandon Bolden are the most fantasy-reliable backs in the Boston backfield since Corey Dillon...and even then, they have him beat out. Keep starting them, but be careful about Ridley—his fumbles aren't going to make Big Bill happy, so he might have his opportunities cut down. Papa spank...

This season has seemed to me like a return to fundamentals. Offenses are simplified and the most successful teams in the league (Texans, 49ers) are employing an old-school run first, defense-wins-championsips mentality. The Bears' defense, for instance, is looking like it could win you a fantasy championship all by its lonesome. It has scored more touchdowns in the past two games (4) than Ray Rice has scored this entire season (3).

Watch a lot of Christopher Walken Youtube clips this week. It's good for the soul. I personally recommend his “You're all welcome!” scene in 1990's fantastic King of New York crime drama. “You guys got fat while everybody schtarved on the street!”

Check back next week to see if my advice panned out. Godspeed, and happy fantasizing.