LestersLegends.com

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It was a thrilling 15th week of NFL action. Here are my Week 16 picks.
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Week 15 Results:  8-8
Week 15 Lock Picks:  2-0
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Previous Lock to Win Picks: NE (W), PIT (W), SD (W), GB (W), NYG (L), NYJ (W), DAL (W), SF (W), ATL (W), BAL (L), CHI (W), CIN (W), DEN (W), SEA (W), NO (W)
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Previous Lock to Lose Picks: MIN (W), CAR (W), INDY (W), SEA (W), NYJ (W), STL (W), JAX (L), MIA (W) CLE (W), OAK (L), KC (W), PHI (W), NYG (W), TENN (W), TB (W)
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Regular Season Total: 155-69 (.692)
Regular Season Lock Picks: 26-4 (.867)
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Week 16 Locks:
Lock to Win:  Washington Redskins
Lock to Lose (can’t be same game as above):  Buffalo Bills
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Week 16 Picks:
Houston over Indianapolis
Denver over Buffalo  (Loser Lock)
Cincinnati over Arizona
Tennessee over Jacksonville
Kansas City over Oakland
New England over Miami
New York Giants over New York Jets
Pittsburgh over St. Louis
Washington over Minnesota  (Winner Lock)
Carolina over Tampa Bay
Baltimore over Cleveland
San Diego over Detroit
Dallas over Philadelphia
San Francisco over Seattle
Green Bay over Chicago
New Orleans over Atlanta
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These are heads-up picks. We’re doing a picks with the spread contest on Yahoo!. If you want to get in on the action, leave me a message in the comment section with your e-mail or send one to me at ryan@lesterslegends.com.
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There were some unusual heroes on Sunday. There always are. Let’s take a look at them and see if they are worthy of your fantasy rosters.
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Lance Ball, RB, Denver Broncos:  Ball ran for 64 yards on 11 carries with a touchdown. He also caught two passes for 41 yards. He’s not a solid option for Week 16.
Ruling:  Don’t Sweat ‘em.
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Jackie Battle, RB, Kansas City Chiefs:  Battle ran for 37 yards and a touchdown on ten carries. He caught one pass for seven yards as well. Thomas Jones still led the team in carries though. If you need a plug-in for Week 16 though, he may not be a bad option against Oakland.
Ruling:  Get ‘em.
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Khalil Bell, RB, Chicago Bears:  Bell ran for 65 yards on 15 carries and caught five passes for 43 yards and a touchdown. He had more touches than Marion Barber and could be worth adding if you were relying on Barber or in need of a running back.
Ruling:  Get ‘em.
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Danario Alexander, WR, St. Louis Rams:  Alexander caught all three of his targets for 52 yards and a score. They got better play out of Kellen Clemens than they have from Sam Bradford, but their offense just isn’t good enough to use anyone other than S-Jax.
Ruling: Don’t Sweat ‘em.
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Dezmon Briscoe, WR, Tampa Bay Buccaneers:  Got extra playing time with Arrelious Benn out with a concussion, and scored for the second time in three weeks, but he’s not a quality option.
Ruling: Don’t Sweat ‘em.
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Nate Burleson, WR, Detroit Lions:  Burleson caught seven passes (11 targets) for 81 yards and a TD. He bounced back after a MN letdown. He should be owned in most fantasy leagues.
Ruling:  Get ‘em.
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Jabar Gaffney, WR, Washington Redskins:  If he’s available in your league, Gaffney should be gotten. He caught six passes last week for 92 yards and a score and followed it up with six more catches (nine targets) for 85 yards. Oh, and he plays the Vikings’ next week.
Ruling:  Get ‘em.
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Lavelle Hawkins, WR, Tennessee Titans:  Hawkins caught eight passes (ten targets) for 88 yards. I’d look elsewhere though.
Ruling: Don’t Sweat ‘em.
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Darrius Heyward-Bey, WR, Oakland Raiders:  DHB caught eight passes (nine targets) for 155 yards and a touchdown. He’s in the midst of another hot streak and should be on fantasy teams for the finale.
Ruling:  Get ‘em.
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Greg Little, WR, Cleveland Browns:  Little exploded for 131 yards and a score on five catches (nine targets). I like him next year, but I can’t trust him next week.
Ruling:  Don’t Sweat ‘em.
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Andre Roberts, WR, Arizona Cardinals:  How many times does Roberts have to perform well for me to trust him? He had 111 yards in Week 13 and scored the past two weeks. Still, I couldn’t use him in the title game.
Ruling:  Don’t Sweat ‘em.

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Brent Celek, TE, Philadelphia Eagles:  Celek caught five passes (six targets) for 156 yards and a TD. He won’t replicate that monster game, but he’s a solid TE1 option if you’re in need at the position.
Ruling:  Get ‘em.
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Jared Cook, TE, Tennessee Titans:  Cook caught nine passes (11 targets) for 103 yards. He didn’t catch a pass in his previous two games so he’s a big risk in Week 16.
Ruling: Don’t Sweat ‘em.
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Jeremy Shockey, TE, Carolina Panthers:  Shockey scored for the second straight game.  He had just 45 total yards in those two games. He’s not a good fantasy option in most leagues though.
Ruling: Don’t Sweat ‘em.
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Also check out:

• Week 16 Fantasy Football QB Rankings
• Week 16 Fantasy Football RB Rankings
• Week 16 Fantasy Football WR Rankings
• Week 16 Fantasy Football TE Rankings
• Week 16 Fantasy Football K Rankings
• Week 16 Fantasy Football DEF Rankings
• Week 16 Fantasy Football Sit/Start Advice
• Week 16 Fantasy Football Sleepers
• Week 16 NFL Picks

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Last Week’s Results:  7-9  (Just about everybody let him down)
Season Results:  135-89 (.603)
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My six-year old son wants to see how he does over the course of the season picking the NFL winners. Here are his Week 16 picks. Click here to see my picks.
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Pittsburgh over Carolina
Dallas over Arizona
New England over Buffalo
New York Jets over Chicago
Baltimore over Cleveland
Tennessee over Kansas City
San Francisco over St. Louis
Miami over Detroit
Jacksonville over Washington
San Diego over Cincinnati
Houston over Denver
Indianapolis over Oakland
Green Bay over New York Giants
Tampa Bay over Seattle
Philadelphia over Minnesota
Atlanta over New Orleans

Click here to enter this week’s contest to win a cool fantasy football t-shirt.
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Week 15 Results:  12-4 (HOU, MIA, TB, NO let me down)
Week 15 Lock Picks:  2-0

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Previous Lock to Win Picks:  SF (L), GB (W),  NE (W), NO (W), ATL (W), PIT (W), BAL (W), KC (W), MIN (W), NYG (L), TEN (L), NYJ (W), SD (L), TB (W), OAK (W)
Previous Lock to Lose Picks:  DET (W), ARI (W), CLE (W), JAX (L), CAR (W), STL (L), CIN (W), HOU (W), DAL (W), CIN (W), SEA (W), BUF (W), DEN (W), MIA (L), GB (W)

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Regular Season Lock Picks:  23-7 (.767)
Regular Season Total:  142-82 (.634)

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Week 16 Locks:
Lock to Win:  Dallas Cowboys
Lock to Lose (can’t be same game as above):  Minnesota
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Week 16 Picks:
Pittsburgh over Carolina
Dallas over Arizona  Winner Lock
New England over Buffalo
New York Jets over Chicago
Baltimore over Cleveland
Tennessee over Kansas City
St. Louis over San Francisco
Miami over Detroit
Jacksonville over Washington
San Diego over Cincinnati
Houston over Denver
Indianapolis over Oakland
New York Giants over Green Bay
Tampa Bay over Seattle
Philadelphia over Minnesota Loser Lock
New Orleans over Atlanta
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These are heads-up picks. We’re doing picks with the spread on Yahoo. If you want to get in on the action, leave me a message in the comment section with your e-mail or send one to me at contact@lesterslegends.com.

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Also check out:

• Week 16 Get ‘em or Don’t Sweat ‘em Waiver Wire Advice
• Week 16 Fantasy QB Rankings
• Week 16 Fantasy RB Rankings
• Week 16 Fantasy WR Rankings
• Week 16 Fantasy TE Rankings
• Week 16 Fantasy K Rankings
• Week 16 Fantasy DEF Rankings
• Week 16 Fantasy IDP Rankings
• Week 16 Start/Sit Advice
• Week 16 Fantasy Sleepers

Before we get started, check out my Week 17 NFL picks.

Putting the final piece of your fantasy football puzzle together

We’ve already looked at the players who could struggle this week (click here for article). Now I’ve uncovered some guys you can plug in if you are dealing with an injury or tough match-ups.

Kyle Orton, QB, Denver Broncos
If you are in a league that plays the season out, Orton is a decent option for Week 17. He takes on Kansas City, who’s in the bottom half with 22 passing TDs allowed. Brandon Marshall was quiet last week against the Eagles, for look for him to break out as the Broncos vie for a playoff spot.

Vince Young, QB, Tennessee Titans
The Titans playoff hopes were dashed by the Chargers last week, but VY is still playing for next year. Luckily for him, he gets to close out with Seattle who has one of the league’s worst passing defenses giving up 262.7 passing yards per game and 26 passing TDs.

Alex Smith, QB, San Francisco 49ers
Smith is another resurection project that should finish the season on a high note. He takes on the lowly Rams, who have allowed 246.1 passing yards per game and 21 TDs.

Jay Cutler, QB, Chicago Bears
Cutler will try to salvage a forgettable 2009 season with a big game against the Lions, who are 31st with 274.9 passing yards allowed, and dead last with 31 passing TDs given up.

Before we get started, check out my Week 16 NFL picks.

Putting the final piece of your fantasy football puzzle together

We’ve already looked at the players who could struggle this week (click here for article). Now I’ve uncovered some guys you can plug in if you are dealing with an injury or tough match-ups.

Alex Smith, QB, San Francisco 49ers
Alex Smith has a chance at fantasy immortality as he takes on Detroit’s league-worst pass defense. They have allowed 268.6 yards per game and 23 passing TDs. Smith 10 TDs in his last five games.

Jerome Harrison, RB, Cleveland Browns
If Harrison’s record-setting performance didn’t ensure him of a heavy workload this week, I will openly question Mangini’s sanity. I don’t see him coming anywhere near what he did last week, but he should be able to produce against the league’s 28th ranked run defense that’s allowing 148.9 yards per game along with a league-worse 20 rushing TDs.

Jason Snelling, RB, Atlanta Falcons
I don’t want to hear about Michael Turner for the rest of the year. Twice they rushed him back. If they just let his ankle heal, he’d be exploiting the Bills’ league-worst run defense. They have allowed 165.6 yards per game and 18 TDs. Snelling should be a force in the fantasy football championship.

Beanie Wells, RB, Arizona Cardinals
Beanie is really beginning to his his stride with 189 yards (226 total) and 2 TDs in his last two games. He faces a terrible Rams run defense that is 27th in the league with 140.4 yards allowed. They have also given up 19 rushing scores.

Terrell Owens, WR, Buffalo Bills
T.O. has struggled for the better part of this season, but Atlanta’s porous secondary brings some relief. They rank 30th with 265.9 yards allowed, and have given up 24 passing TDs.

Before we get started, check out my Week 16 NFL picks.

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

Brett Favre, QB, Minnesota Vikings
Tony Romo is breathing a little easier now that he got the December monkey off his back. Meanwhile, Favre’s got a little heavier with the loss to the Panthers. Despite the Saints’ loss, they are off in the distance for home field advantage. Meanwhile the Eagles are charging hard. Brad Childress is starting to panic a bit, as Favre admits he was almost pulled last week. All of this does not make me comfortable when choosing a starting QB for the fantasy football championship game.

For you numbers hounds (like myself), Favre is averaging 199.8 yards in his last 11 December games with 11 TDs to 17 INTS. When it’s been below 40 degrees he averages 197.6 yards with 5 TDs and 9 INTs. The game is at Chicago this week.

Matt Forte, RB, Chicago Bears
On the flip side for the Vikings, their run defense allowed their first 100 yard rusher since 2007 when Jonathan Stewart torched them on Sunday Night Football. Their defense responded in a big way after the Cardinals loss, shutting down Cincinnati. The Bears offense is so dysfunctional. I see a long day for Forte, who had just 61 total yards when he faced the Vikings in Week 12.

Jamaal Charles, RB, Kansas City Chiefs
Charles has looked like Chris Johnson Lite the past six weeks. This week he’ll face a stiffer test when he takes on the emotional Cincinnati Bengals, who did a nice job limiting LT last week. The Bengals rank third in the league with 85.2 rushing yards allowed per game, and have allowed just 8 rushing TDs.

Reggie Wayne, WR, Indianapolis Colts
I was premature calling for the Colts to rest up some of their players. We’re a week closer to the season wrapping up, and the likelihood improves. Even if Wayne plays the whole game, he’ll have to face Darrelle Revis. Peyton is more than comfortable going to Dallas Clark, Austin Collie, and Pierre Garcon if Wayne can’t get any separation.

Derrick Mason, WR, Baltimore Ravens
Mason had seven catches for 62 yards and a score the last time he faced Pittsburgh (Week 12). The Steelers managed to escape their slugfest against Green Bay with a victory to keep their playoffs hopes alive. This time they tangle in Pittsburgh. I’m expecting a knock em down, drag em out affair where the weather could play a key role.

Other guys I don’t love this week:
QB: Jay Cutler, Kyle Orton, Joe Flacco
RB: LT, Marion Barber III, Maurice Morris, Knowshon Moreno, LeSean McCoy
WR: DeSean Jackson, Calvin Johnson, Dwayne Bowe, T.J. Housmandzadeh, Jerricho Cotchery
TE: Todd Heap, John Carlson, Kevin Boss