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Fantasy Football 2011: Is Jackie Battle a One-Week Wonder?

15 October 2011

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Jackie Battle carved up the Colts for 119 yards on 19 carries (6.3 ypc) with another 21 yards on a pair of catches. It wasn’t one or two long runs that did the damage. Eleven of his carries went for four or more yards. He was able to move the chains and pick up seven first downs.
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I know what you’re thinking. He was playing the Indianapolis Colts. A team ranked 31st with 145.2 rushing yards allowed per game. A team that historically struggles against the run. Fantasy football owners wonder if he can do it again.
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Unfortunately there isn’t a track record for Battle. Even with his 19-carry game he has ran the rock just 70 times in his NFL career. It was only his second game with double-digit carries and the first since the last game of the 2007 season.
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He doesn’t even have a decorated collegiate career that we can draw from. He had one season with the Houston Cougars that he ran for 15 touchdowns, but only ran for 943 yards playing alongside Kevin Kolb.
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One thing is for sure though. The Chiefs can move the ball on the ground. Despite the loss of Jamaal Charles they rank seventh in the league with 127.4 rushing yards per game and eighth in the league with a 4.6 yard per carry average. That’s in spite of a 2-3 record and having allowed nearly twice as many points as they scored.
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Just don’t expect Jamaal Charles production from him. At 6’2″, 238 pounds he’s a totally different back. He also has some tough match-ups coming up.
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While he has two meetings, including Week 16, with the Raiders who currently rank 22nd with 122.8 yards allowed per game and another with Denver who ranks 23rd at 123.4 ypg, he has some tough draws.
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Battle faces the Chargers, Patriots, Steelers, Bears, Jets, and Packers who can shut down a rushing game with their stout defense or take it out of the game with their potent offense.
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Thomas Jones just doesn’t have it any more. Dexter McCluster isn’t a full-time back. That leaves Battle. He could have some tough weeks, but the big back should be owned in all leagues and should have the occasional big game.
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| Posted by LestersLegends | Categories: Fantasy Football, NFL | Tagged: Fantasy Football, Jackie Battle, Kansas City Chiefs, NFL |

Fantasy Football: 2011 AFC West Running Back Situations

4 June 2011

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We’ll wrap up the AFC running back scene by heading out west.
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Jamaal Charles is the best in the West. He showed 2009 was no fluke by running for 1467 yards with five touchdowns. He added another 468 yards and three touchdowns on 45 receptions. Charles is expected to carry an even bigger load for the Chiefs this year, which puts him in the conversation for the number one overall pick in fantasy drafts. He will likely be a top four pick in most fantasy leagues. Thomas Jones will still be in the picture, and while he is much more than just a handcuff to Charles, I do expect his production to decrease.
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Darren McFadden finally delivered last year erupting for 1157 yards and seven touchdowns. He added 47 catches for 507 yards and three more scores. He is a bit of a risk as he has missed 20.8 percent (ten of 48) games in his young career. Hard to argue with his production as a bona fide RB1. He will likely be the sixth to tenth running back selected. Michael Bush is a free agent, but the Raiders are likely to make a play to keep him. Given Run DMC’s injury history, Bush is a high-end handcuff.
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Knowshon Moreno has had some moments, but many (myself included) think he will take a big step forward with John Fox on board. If he can stay healthy, he can easily build upon the 1151 (779 rushing, 372 receiving) total yard and eight (five rushing, three receiving) touchdowns. The Broncos will likely add to their backfield once free agency opens up. Obviously who they bring in will determine Moreno’s fantasy worth, but he looks like a solid RB2.
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In San Diego you have a pair of running backs that should provide fantasy goodies. Ryan Mathews had a disappointing rookie season, and should be much better in 2011. He will likely be the 15th-20th running back taken in fantasy drafts. I’d prefer to get him as my RB3 given his injury history and the presence of Michael Tolbert, who is a low-end RB3 or high-end RB4. Darren Sproles will likely part ways with the Chargers when the lockout ends.
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| Posted by LestersLegends | Categories: Fantasy Football, NFL | Tagged: AFC West, Denver Broncos, Fantasy Football, Kansas City Chiefs, NFL, Oakland Raiders, San Diego Chargers |

Fantasy Football: 2011 AFC West Quarterback Situations

14 May 2011

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San Diego’s Philip Rivers is easily the class of the division. It doesn’t matter who who is throwing too. Vincent Jackson holds out and only plays four games? Ho hum. Rivers throws for 4710 yards. Antonio Gates has nine touchdowns in the first eight games and then misses six of the next eight games? Big deal. Rivers throws 30 TDs (13 INT). Rivers remains a top tier QB1.
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Kansas City got 3116 yards and 27 TDs (7 INTs) from Matt Cassel and added the 6’4″ Jonathan Baldwin to his arsenal. He should take some of the pressure Dwayne Bowe, who exploded for 1162 yards and 15 TDs last year. Bowe had just one touchdown in the last five games while averaging 55.4 yards. The Chiefs also added Rodney Hudson to help their offensive line. Cassel is a solid QB2 going into the 2011 season.
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John Elway is on board with Tim Tebow as the Broncos’ quarterback. Tebow will have his ups and downs, but should be a solid QB2 thanks to his ability to run the football. He had six rushing touchdowns last year. New coach John Fox has Kyle Orton on top of the depth chart, but he could be traded once the lockout is lifted. If he beats out Tebow, he will also be a solid QB2. I just assume at some point Tebow would get a chance to start.
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Then there is the Raiders. Jason Campbell is the starter, but he’s not much of a fantasy option. He topped 240 yards just twice. He had one or fewer touchdown passes in ten of the 13 games he played in. I would look elsewhere for my backup fantasy quarterback.
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| Posted by LestersLegends | Categories: Fantasy Football, NFL | Tagged: AFC West, Denver Broncos, Fantasy Football, Jason Campbell, Kansas City Chiefs, Kyle Orton, Matt Cassel, NFL, Oakland Raiders, Philip Rivers, San Diego Chargers, Tim Tebow |

Why Jamaal Charles Should Be The Number One Pick in 2011 Fantasy Football Drafts

14 March 2011

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Obviously the state of the NFL is in complete turmoil. Will there be a season? Hard to say, but we have to still prepare like there will be one. We continue our series of analyzing the number one pick in 2011 fantasy football drafts with Jamaal Charles. Charles finished second in the league last year with 1467 yards. He did so while sharing carries with Thomas Jones, who actually had 15 more carries than Charles. Jones ran for 896 yards. Jones’ 3.7 yards per carry paled in comparison to Charles’ 6.4 ypc, which was second in the league to Michael Vick. It’s mind-boggling why Jones got more work, but rest assured that won’t be the case in 2011.
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Charles was also effective catching the ball out of the backfield, adding 468 yards on 45 receptions. He had 40 catches in 2009 for 297 yards. With more touches in 2011, Charles can challenge for the league lead in total yards.
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Initially there were questions as to whether Jamaal could hold up for a full season. The bulk of the damage Charles did in 2009 came in the second half when he had fresh legs. Charles more than put those questions to rest. In his last 24 games Charles has averaged 127.5 total yards per game. He’s every bit as explosive as any running back in the league, sporting a career 6.0 ypc. Charles tied for sixth with ten 20+ yard runs. Despite basically playing only half a season in 2009 he was tied for eight with nine 20+ yard runs.
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The knock on Charles is his lack of touchdowns. He combined for eight (five rushing, three receiving) last year and nine (seven rushing, one receiving, one kick return) in 2009. Four of his five rushing touchdowns last year where from the five yard line and in proving he’s capable of scoring on tough runs. I expect him to continue to excel near the goal line, thanks in part to his versatility in the passing game and the emergence of Dwayne Bowe. I also think he will break more long touchdown runs next year.
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Personally I wouldn’t take Charles with the number one pick, but there is certainly a case to be made, especially if he receives 300+ carries.
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| Posted by LestersLegends | Categories: Fantasy Football, NFL | Tagged: fantasy football drafts, fantasy footbball, Jamaal Charles, Kansas City Chiefs, NFL, Thomas Jones |

What to do about Matt Cassel’s Appendectomy?

9 December 2010

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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.
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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.
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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?
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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.
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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.
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