LestersLegends.com

.
When I put my early 2011 fantasy football wide receiver rankings together I struggled deciding between Larry Fitzgerald and Dwayne Bowe for the final spot to round out the top five. When my friend asked me if we had a draft tomorrow if I would really take Fitz over Bowe. I stuck with my rankings, but decided to explore it further.
.
I have always been a huge Larry Fitzgerald fan, both for his ability on the field and the way he carries himself off of it. Even with the warning signs heading into last year (Kurt Warner’s retirement, Anquan Boldin’s departure) I ranked him number three heading into the season.
.
He didn’t have a bad season by any means, as Fitz caught 90 passes for 1137 yards and six touchdowns. It was his fourth straight 1000+ yard season (would have been six if he wasn’t limited to 13 games in 2006), but it was a far cry from what he’s done recently. The previous five seasons saw Fitz top 1400 yards on three occasions and record double-digit touchdowns on four.
.
Meanwhile Dwayne Bowe went gangbusters. Bowe finished with fewer receptions (72) than Fitz, but had a little more yardage (1162). The major difference was in touchdowns scored. Bowe led all receivers with 15 scores, trailing only Arian Foster (18) for the league lead. He had three more scores than the next two receivers (Greg Jennings and Calvin Johnson). They were also the most in the league since Randy Moss’ record-setting 2007 campaign (23).
.
There are some concerns with Bowe. Charlie Weis is gone. Bowe had just 16 touchdowns in his first three seasons in the league. His 1162 yards were a career high. Conditioning has been a concern in the past, with is worrisome without OTAs.
.
Bowe is in a contract year though so he has plenty of reasons to stay in shape.
.
Choosing Bowe over Fitz mainly comes down to Arizona quarterback situation. If the Cardinals trade for Kyle Orton or Kevin Kolb then I would most likely switch the two. There are no guarantees that they will land either of them so I’ll stick with Bowe over Fitz for now.
.
Who do you like heading into the 2011 season?
.
.

Also check out:

• 2011 Early Fantasy Football QB Rankings
• 2011 Early Fantasy Football RB Rankings

.
I’m sure you’ve heard by now that Matt Cassel underwent an appendectomy. There is talk that he may try to gut it out and play through the pain. Given the Chiefs’ ties to Bill Belichick, I caution you that it is likely just gamesmanship. The Chiefs will likely play it safe and rest Cassel this week despite facing the Chargers in a key AFC West showdown.
.
Regardless if he plays, he’ll be in quite a bit of discomfort. He’d also be facing San Diego’s top-ranked pass defense (186.3  yards allowed per game). He simply cannot be in your fantasy lineup. Since the Chiefs have such a tough draw, I would not recommend using Brodie Croyle if he gets the nod.
.
You likely weren’t going to use Cassel against the Chargers anyway so let’s get to the other decisions. What should you do with Dwayne Bowe, Jamaal Charles, Thomas Jones, and Tony Moeaki?
.
With Cassel likely out, I expect a heavy dose of the run. The Chargers have been effective stopping the run as well, ranking fifth with just 95.3 yards per game, but Kansas City is not an ordinary team when it comes to running the ball. They lead the league with 175.2 yards per game. I like both Jamaal Charles and Thomas Jones to continue putting up big numbers.

Tony Moeaki has been good enough at times, but he is not an option that I would want to roll with in the fantasy playoffs against the top-ranked pass defense with a backup quarterback. That’s just too big of a risk.
.
What about Dwayne Bowe? I had him as my top-ranked receiver for the second straight week, and I’m beginning to think that was a jinx. He got shut down last week by Champ Bailey and the Broncos. Then his quarterback has surgery. Clearly he can’t be the top option anymore this week, but he still has to be in your fantasy lineup. He’s just too good to sit.
.

Also check out:

• Sneaky Week 14 Fantasy Football Pick-ups
• Week 14 Get ‘em or Don’t Sweat ‘em Waiver Wire Advice
• Week 14 Fantasy QB Rankings
• Week 14 Fantasy RB Rankings
• Week 14 Fantasy WR Rankings
• Week 14 Fantasy TE Rankings
• Week 14 Fantasy K Rankings
• Week 14 Fantasy DEF Rankings
• Week 14 Fantasy IDP Rankings
• Week 14 Start/Sit Advice
• Week 14 Fantasy Sleepers

The Chiefs were 25th in total offense, but finished just outside the top ten in rushing offense thanks to Jamaal Charles’ Chris Johnson impersonation from Week 10 on. Of course, they muddied his fantasy waters by bringing in Thomas Jones. I don’t expect the team to be much better, but there will be some viable fantasy options once again.

Fantasy Playoffs Schedule:   Moderate
They have a couple of tough games against San Diego at home in Week 14 and in Tennessee in Week 16. Between that they get to take on the Rams in St. Louis.

Five Star Fantasy Options
None

Four Star Fantasy Options
Jamaal Charles – The way  he finished the season averaging 143.1 total yards (121 rushing) and a TD over the last eight games was fantasy gold last year. I would have had higher expectations for Charles if Thomas Jones wasn’t brought int.

Three Star Fantasy Options
Thomas Jones – He’s not the primary ball carrier, but Charles has just 257 career carries. There is no proof that he can carry the load for a full season. If he goes down, Jones’ becomes a legit RB2. He has value in flex leagues because he’ll likely get the ball in the red zone.

Dwayne Bowe – Bowe was a major disappointment last year as he quickly became entrenched in Todd Haley’s doghouse. He has the potential to breakout, but do temper your expectations until he proves he’s taking the right mental approach.

Two Star Fantasy Options
Matt Cassel –  With Charlie Weiss on board, I expect more out of Cassel. That depends on the protection his line gives him. He has two RBs that can catch the ball out of the backfield, as well as Bowe and Chris Chambers, who re-emerged last year. He has the potential to be a solid QB2 this year.

Chris Chambers – Almost as improbable as Jamaal Charles’ finish was Chambers. He had nine catches for 122 yards and a score in seven games with San Diego. He took off with the Chiefs catching 36 passes for 608 yards and 4 TDs in nine games.  His upside is limited, but he gives you good depth at WR.

One Star Fantasy Option
Dexter McCluster – He could be this year’s version of Percy Harvin. He’s super athletic and can do a variety of things on offense. Consistency will likely be an issue.

Chiefs Defense/Special Teams – The Chiefs have some nice games on their schedule such as Browns in Week 2, the Bills in Week 8, the Raiders in Week 9, the Seahawks in Week 12, and the Rams in Week 15. They had just 22 sacks and 15 INTs last year so they should probably go undrafted. You can pick them up for a spot start if they show improvement.

Click here for additional 2010 NFL Team Previews.

Image courtesy of Icon SMI

OK, it’s not technically the end for Kansas City WR Dwayne Bowe, but he will be out for four weeks after testing positive for performance-enhancing drugs. This failed test could also ensure that he won’t be back with the Chiefs next year as he already was in Coach Todd Haley’s doghouse earlier this year.

Bowe is set to return in Week 15 against the Browns. While it would be hard to use him in the fantasy playoffs after a month-long hiatus, it is the Browns. He finishes up against Cincinnati. No way I’d gamble on Bowe in the fantasy championship against the Bengals.

If you can afford to sit on him for four weeks I suggest you do so for that Browns game. If you can’t, start shopping the waiver wire. Here are some possible replacements.

Mike Wallace, Pittsburgh Steelers
Kevin Walter, Houston Texans
Patrick Crayton, Dallas Cowboys
Laveranues Coles, Cincinnati Bengals
Pierre Garcon, Indianapolis Colts
Donnie Avery, St. Louis Rams
Chris Chambers, Kansas City Chiefs

Happy Birthday Denny!

Before we get started, click here for my Week 11 NFL Picks.

I’m going to look at the matchups each week and pick five fantasy starters that could be in for a tough week. Here’s a look at players who could struggle this week.

Matt Ryan, QB, Atlanta Falcons
Matt faces the Giants on the road this week. The G-Men are coming off a bye and will be trying to stop the bleeding of a four-game losing streak. Ryan will likely be without Michael Turner to keep the Giants honest. It could be a long day for Ryan, who historically has struggled against the NFC East.

Games against NFC East:  3
QB Rating:  70.4 (lowest against any division)
Yards per game:  203.3 (second lowest behind NFC North)
TD/INT:  5-5
Fantasy Points per game:  13.36

Thomas Jones, RB, New York Jets
Jones travels to New England to take on the Patriots following their embarrassing loss to Indianapolis on Sunday Night Football. Bill Belichick almost always takes away a team’s best weapon, and Jones is that. They held him to 54 yards on 14 carries in their first meeting. In his last five meeting against the Patriots, Jones has averaged just 65.4 total yards and scored just one TD.

Joseph Addai, RB, Indianapolis Colts
With all of the RB injuries this past weekend, you probably don’t have the luxury to sit a guy like Addai, even if he faces Baltimore’s tough run defense on the road. I know it won’t make up for the Colts leaving Baltimore, but the Ravens would like nothing more than to spoil the Colts’ quest for a perfect season. He’s had mixed results against the Ravens over the past couple of years. In two games he has three total TDs, but just 33.8 total yards and averaged just 2.3 yards per carry.

Brandon Marshall, WR, Denver Broncos
With Kyle Orton (ankle) either out or limited as the Broncos collide with the Chargers for first place this weekend, Marshall’s value takes a huge hit. Chris Simms is a big step back from Orton, and San Diego has been better than average against the pass. It’s not like Marshall has a good track record against the Broncos, even with a capable QB. In his last five games against them he has a solid 83.4 yards per game against them, but just one TD. Four of those games came with Jay Cutler at the helm, who is an upgrade over Orton, let alone Simms. In his earlier game against the Chargers he was held to 49 yards on five catches.

Dwayne Bowe, WR, Kansas City Chiefs
Just when he was getting on a roll (71.8 yards average over his last five games with 2 TDs), Bowe gets to face Pittsburgh. Though Troy Polamalu will likely miss the game, Tyrone Carter played well in his last start for Ryan Clark. The Steelers held Chad Ochocinco to 29 yards last week and will look to bottle Bowe up as well.

***UPDATE:  Dwayne Bowe suspened four games for postive PED test***