Week 15 Fantasy Headlines: R. White, Cruz, Rice, Martin & Other Studs Disappoint A. Peterson Marches Closer to 2K Yards M. Ryan & J. Jones Help Falcons Blank Big Blue Cousins Lifts Redskins With a 300-Yard Game Kaepernick Burns Patriots With 4 TD Passes Freeman, Martin and Bucs Offense Bomb Big Time R. Wilson Runs For Three Scores Another 50-Point Outing For the Seahawks Lions Crash & Burn Against the Cardinals A. Rodgers Bounces Back; Bombs the Bears Chiefs Fail To Score On NFL's Worst Defense Another 100-Yard Game for K. Moreno Game Summaries & Fantasy Commentary: Thursday Night Game: CINCINNATI BENGALS 34 (8-6) PHILADELPHIA EAGLES 13 (4-10) Final Fantasy Focus -- Cincinnati Bengals: BenJarvus Green-Ellis (25-106-1 rushing and 0-0-0 receiving), who notched his fourth 100-yard rushing game in the last five weeks, was the lone bright spot on a Cincinnati offense that looked out of synch most of the evening. Andy Dalton (13/27 for 127-1-0 passing and 8-18-1 rushing) failed to exploit a sagging Philadelphia Eagles secondary, struggling with his accuracy and looking tentative at times. Dalton also was sacked six times by an Eagles defense that gave us a long-overdue display of its true pass-rushing prowess. The "Red Rifle" salvaged his lackluster fantasy outing with a rushing touchdown. A.J. Green (6-57-1 on 10 targets) caught Dalton's only scoring strike of the evening -- it was Green's first end-zone visit since Week 11 -- and the two just missed hooking up again on a potential touchdown grab. By the way, Green was the only Bengals receiver to catch a pass. Jermaine Gresham (6-63-0 on nine targets) topped the team in receiving yards. He and Dalton also just missed hooking up on a touchdown reception; Gresham made the catch in the end zone late in the game but couldn't get both feet down in bounds. Andrew Hawkins was targeted just one time while Marvin Jones received four looks. On defense, Cincinnati allowed 13 offensive points, amassed one sack, one interception and four recovered fumbles (one was returned 25 yards for a touchdown by Wallace Gilberry). Fantasy Tip: I suspect some of the struggling Cincinnati fantasy stars were looking past the Eagles to their big Week 16 AFC North showdown with the Pittsburgh Steelers at Heinz Field. Unfortunately, that matchup against the Steelers looks like a tough one for Dalton, Green, Green-Ellis and Gresham. When the two teams squared off back in Week 7, the Steelers easily contained all ...

Cincinnati 34, Philadelphia 13 Bengals In spite of the score, Andy Dalton has regressed over the past three weeks, thus hindering fantasy owners who thought they had unearthed a solid fantasy sleeper. In this game the second year signal caller struggled to accumulate a meager 127 yards and one touchdown pass. Up next for Dalton is stiff Pittsburgh pass defense. Hopefully you have better options. Eagles Nick Foles is yet another rookie quarterback developing before our very eyes. However the production of the Philly passing game was severely hindered by seven Eagles turnovers. By game's end Jeremy Maclin had emerged as the team's leading wide receiver with 74 yards. Hard to rely on these paltry numbers with a fantasy championship in the balance. So much for plug and play status of rookie Bryce Brown. In this game Brown contributed to the turnover woes of the Eagles with a fumble of his own that resulted in Bengals TD. With LeSean McCoy likely returning for the next two games, Brown will be relegated to a secondary role. New York 0, Atlanta 34 Giants Taking his first start at running back, David Wilson looked awesome early in this game picking up 44 yards on his first five carries. For some reason the Giants didn't trust the rookie in a full-time role as newly signed Kregg Lumpkin nearly matched Wilson's rushing attempts. Further inhibiting Wilson's outing was the Giants falling behind 24-0 in the early third quarter. Wilson's week 16 status is contingent on Ahmad Bradshaw's return. Falcons Michael Turner is a risky start every week due to his high dependency on touchdowns. However, we can't argue with production as he just keeps doing it. Turner is a plug-and-pray in fantasy lineups next week against Detroit. Green Bay 21, Chicago 13 Packers With Greg Jennings locked down by Charles Tillman, it was James Jones prospering with three touchdowns along with Randell Cobb's 115 yards. Jones has been a conundrum all season with very sporadic production. Do not feel bad if you sat him this week, and I wouldn't blame you for sitting him next week. Alex Green is the lead ball carrier in the Green Bay backfield with 13 rushing attempts. However, the RBBC is alive and well as Ryan Grant, DuJuan Harris and John Kuhn all took carries. No Packers runner is recommended. Bears Matt Forte proves he is a solid RB1 value when the Bears are absent Michael Bush. With a plus matchup forthcoming with the Arizona Cardinals, Forte is a solid RB1 so long as ...

Every year in August and September, you will read hundreds of different viewpoints regarding the outlook of fantasy players you are considering drafting. You might read four or five articles before something sticks out in your mind that ultimately leads to you pulling the trigger on draft day. Every manager can look back and see where they missed and when they made the right selection. Either way, there is going to be some regret, which just happens to be the key word for the day. Don't Regret Drafting Darren McFadden in the first round. Yea, I know, another year and another stretch run where he is likely lost for the all-important playoff weeks. Even the guy you thought was his handcuff isn't around to produce for you. Well, let me tell you, he was worth the risk. He was the clear featured back on a team that needed to make him the focal point of the offense. With his talents, it was a relative sure thing that he would finish as a Top 10 back as long as he stayed healthy. There are simply not many situations where you find such a talented player in a situation to thrive. Well things didn't work out. But, guess what, in years to come there will be plenty of featured backs going in the first round of fantasy drafts that don't have the talent of McFadden. Taking Aaron Hernandez one round earlier than your competition. Of course, you can never blame yourself for a player getting injured. Some players may be more prone to injuries than others, but some amount of luck always plays into whether a player stays healthy for the duration of the season. Hernandez dominated in training camp, and would have led the New England Patriots in receptions in 2012. Remember the role Wes Welker played in the offense at the beginning of the season? The Patriots knew they could get away with it because Hernandez was creating plenty of mismatches to make him the focal point of the short passing game. Maybe, just maybe, as I mentioned in my article a week ago, Hernandez can get to a point of health to create those mismatches for the stretch run of the season to help managers who drafted him benefit from his immense talents. Drafting Philadelphia players at their fair values. If you reached for an Eagle, I would have to ask you why you did so. But, if you took players such as LeSean McCoy, Michael Vick, DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin at or around their ADP (average draft position), please don't beat yourself up. Nobody could of seen this big of a demise coming. ...

Each season I make a list called the "Never Again" list. This is a list of players, many of whom have exceptional, game-breaking talent but have had a big problem living up to their own hype for various reasons. Owners have taken a leap of faith with many of these players over the years, and their hearts have been broken multiple times because of it. Seasons have been lost because of these chronically under-performing players. Never again, my friends. 2012 Never Again List Darren McFadden If this article had a picture to go with it, it would surely be of Darren McFadden. If there was a "Never Again" museum it would have to have a large statue of McFadden in the front of it. The story on McFadden has always been that he's an amazing talent, if only he could stay healthy. Looking at his 2012 season, though, half of the games he's played in have been good, the other half stinkers. The Oakland Raiders abandoned their previous zone-blocking run scheme this year and it has had a negative impact on McFadden's stats. He's already had three games this season where he's rushed for less than 33 yards, four games, if you count the game he was injured in Week 9, where he only ran for 17 yards. He's already missed two games this season and may miss his third this weekend. In McFadden's five-year NFL career, he's already missed 21 games, four games a year on average. Before, there was always the lure of how amazing he could be, if he could only stay healthy. Taking a long look at his up and down season, though, even when healthy, he's been underwhelming half the time. It's time for owners to write McFadden's name again on the "Never Again" list. This time in pen, please, not in pencil. Jeremy Maclin One of the running themes of this list are players who can't stay healthy. Anyone who has owned Maclin over the years knows that he's on the injury report almost every single week. Even if he's healthy, there's always a chance he can disappear and not produce like he did last week with his zero catch performance against the horrid Washington defense. Or like he did in Week 4 when he had one catch for seven yards. Or how about against the New Orleans Saints a couple weeks ago where he had two catches for 28 yards? To be sure, Maclin still has a lot of talent. He has had three games this season where he's gone for more than 90 receiving yards, catching a touchdown in all of them. Unfortunately, the dangerous mix of having a shaky quarterback situation in ...

Another week is in the books, and for me that means back to the trading table. We're in the middle of prime trading season right now, as owners have a good grasp as to what kind of teams they've been dealt. For me, these next 3-4 weeks are always the most crucial to building my roster. By Week 10 I usually have a good idea of what my team is going to look like for the end-of-the-year run. That's not to say I won't make any more deals, but I like to have the meat of my team in place so I'm not scrambling later on. So the next couple of weeks will be critical when it comes to acquiring the right players at the right time. Hopefully some of my advice will help out and put you in position to make a run at a fantasy title in a couple of months. Now here are the players I'm advising to buy low and sell high on after Week 5. Buy Low Maurice Jones-Drew, RB, Jacksonville -- Remember during the preseason when Blaine Gabbert looked good and some were getting excited? Then level-headed folks like me had to remind everyone that the preseason is nothing more than a glorified practice. I beg people all the time not to pay attention to preseason football, especially when it comes to quarterbacks. Defenses don't game plan, corners aren't pressing receivers, quarterbacks aren't forced to go to their second and third reads, etc. It's so hard to judge a quarterback based on how he looks in preseason. How hard? Ryan Leaf was once the highest-rated passer during the preseason. Now with the Jaguars offense struggling, it may seem odd that I'm recommending going out and getting Jones-Drew. However, if history is any indicator, when Jacksonville's offense hits rock bottom, Jones-Drew's workload increases. What Jones-Drew did last year on that pitiful offense was remarkable. In my opinion that was one of the most impressive seasons ever by an NFL running back given what Jones-Drew had around him. I'm not expecting a repeat performance of 2011, but Jones-Drew is one of the few backs in the NFL that still gets most of his team's touches. When the Jaguars are totally outclassed like they were on Sunday against the Chicago defense, that might not matter, but it's a big factor when Jones-Drew plays less formidable defenses. Looking ahead, Jones-Drew gets to face weaker rush defenses in the Oakland Raiders, Green Bay Packers, Detroit Lions, Indianapolis Colts, Tennessee Titans, Buffalo Bills and New York Jets over the next two months. So while the ...

Not a great start to the season last week for Vinnie's picks but he looks to rebound with some winners in Week 2. This week's lines are from usatoday.com (as of Thursday night). Houston @ Jacksonville (+7) The Texans took care of the Dolphins pretty handily last week and they have another cupcake matchup this week against the Jaguars. The Jags gave up 120+ yards and two TD's to the Vikings last week and things won't get better this week against one of the best rushing teams in the league. I expect the Texans offense to have their way again this week. Look for Arian Foster and Ben Tate to combine for around 150 yards rushing and a couple more TDs. Jags QB Blaine Gabbert seems to have improved this year and almost led the team to a win last week against the Vikings but the defense ended up giving it away in the last seconds of the game. After that heart breaking loss, I don't expect them to put up much of a fight this week. Gimme the Texans minus the points. New Orleans @ Carolina (O/U 51) The Saints simply didn't show up last week against the Redskins. Rookie sensation Robert Griffin III had a field day, throwing for over 300 yards and two TDs. Drew Brees also threw for over 300 yards along with three TDs but he completed only 46% (24-for-52) of his passes and had two interceptions. Look for Brees to bounce back to his normal self and cut down on the mistakes in Week 2. The Panthers had one of the worst rushing defenses in the league last year and by the looks of it, they have not improved much this year. They gave up 95 yards rushing to Tampa Bay rookie RB Doug Martin. Saints RBs Mark Ingram, Pierre Thomas and Darren Sproles should put up good numbers. Cam Newton has to have a better game this week (he can't do any worse). Look for Steve Smith and Greg Olsen to carry the offense. The Saints should have no trouble scoring Sunday and the Panthers will be playing catch up all day. Coupled with two bad defenses, Vinnie expects a ton of points to be scored. Gimme the over. Baltimore @ Philadelphia (-2.5) The Ravens looked great Monday night against the Bengals. The coaches have taken the training wheels off QB Joe Flacco and will let him run the show. They ran a no huddle for part of the night and Flacco excelled. Look for the Ravens to continue this up tempo offense. The defense pressured Bengals QB Andy Dalton all night, sacking him four times. Safety Ed Reed also showed he has something left, taking an ...

Washington 7, Buffalo 6 Redskins The highlight of this matchup was the preseason debut of RGIII. After a slow start, on the Skins 3rd possession Griffin hooked up with Pierre Garcon twice, including a 20-yard screen pass for a touchdown. Based on this one performance it was clear the "French Waiter" is Griffin's favorite target as the Skins newest playmaker accumulated three receptions for 58 yards a one TD. As promised by head coach Mike Shanahan, the Skins started running back Evan Royster who remained in the game alongside the starting unit. Royster put together a rather pedestrian performance highlighted by a fumbled handoff from Griffin on Washington's second series. Royster was eventually replaced by 2nd year man Roy Helu who also had a lackluster performance. Given Shanahan's strong ties to the RBBC it would be hard to rely on any Skins RB at this juncture. Bills Oddly reminiscent of last season, the Bills offense came out of the gates very slow. However, the absence of Fred Jackson, and the limited role of CJ Spiller accounts for the Bills' shortcomings. Fitzpatrick was able to hook up with Stevie Johnson for a 20-yard touchdown, only to be called back after an illegal formation (it speaks to Buffalo's poor performance when the only highlight is a negated touchdown). Falcons 17, Baltimore 31 Falcons The Falcons have been promising all offseason that they are going to "throw the football", and they delivered in spades. Matt Ryan opened the game on fire hooking up multiple times with both Roddy White and Julio Jones. Jones capped off the opening drive with a back of the endzone TD. Early indications have every member of the Falcons' aerial attack in store for a productive fantasy season. Starting running back Michael Turner was relatively ineffective looking sluggish. Turner was later replaced by backup Jacquizz Rodgers who was a much more efficient runner showing mobility and strength including scoring the Falcons second TD in a goal line situation. Turner's fantasy value continues to slide. Ravens The Baltimore offense began the game very anemic as their first 1st down didn't come until the 2nd quarter. Rice had little room to run on the opening series, but didn't play after that. It's never a good sign when the starting lineup stays in the game into the 2nd quarter of preseason game one. On the bright side, the Ravens would put together a long scoring drive capped off by a touchdown from tight end Ed Dickson. Wide receiver ...

Whatever illness came over Jeremy Maclin in 2011 certainly affected his performance early in the season, but it did not affect the Philadelphia Eagles. They were just a square peg in a round hole mess from the beginning. This only added to the early season issues for Maclin. Outside of a big performance in Week 2 against Atlanta, he was limited to 33 catches for 441 yards and just two touchdowns over eight games before getting hurt in Week 10 against Arizona. However, Maclin was a catalyst in the Eagles' four-game winning streak to end the season, and I expect him (and the Eagles) to take over from where they left off in 2011. The expectations entering last season were over the top and unfounded based on a few big free agent signings. It's what caused me to cautiously avoid the Eagles last year. Football is the ultimate team sport, so it takes time to build chemistry. The 2011 Eagles were a walking disaster, but the 2012 Eagles will grow from that experience. There's a lot of potential buy-low candidates on this squad, but Maclin stands out from the rest. LeSean McCoy gets the most fantasy buzz, Michael Vick gets the most talk among all of them, and DeSean Jackson's antics keep him in the headlines over Maclin. While a bounceback for Jackson is a realistic possibility, it will only benefit Maclin. Jackson is the home run threat defensive coordinators don't want beating them, McCoy is the focal point of the offense, and that doesn't even account for Vick. Maclin becomes the beneficiary of the ‘you cannot cover everybody' theory while also serving as a more reliable bailout for Vick. That developing 1,000-yard 10-touchdown receiver you saw in Maclin in 2010? He's still there, and this is the year to get him.

undefinedundefinedundefinedundefinedundefinedundefinedundefinedundefined The wasteland of NFL news is upon us. Performances at organized team activities have been overblown, free agency has dried up, and now we wait for the endless Bounty-gate details to go away and for training camp to start. Where does one now turn during the doldrums of the football offseason? Fantasy magazines are hitting the store shelves, online mock draft rooms are filling up, and quickly the hype of this year's "can't miss" candidates will begin to gain steam. Expert articles on a multitude of websites will drive the price of some of your favorite potential sleepers into the stratosphere where you, the ultimate value seeker, doesn't dare dabble. So, where does one turn when your private thoughts in February of "really liking Ryan Mathews next year" turns into constant articles and blurbs boasting him as the next great RB1 and potential Top 5 pick? Well, while you wait patiently for those "hype trains" threads in the FantasySharks Main Tank, you need to turn your attention to the post-hype specials. Those players that you may have liked the previous offseason, but whose training camp and preseason promise propelled their average draft positions just before your drafts? Remember how smitten and how happy you were after your draft? You were as excited as Jo Jo the Idiot Circus Boy until Week 3 when you realized you bought into the hype and should have gone with your original gut. That's when folks like us have to forge ahead and turn the fryers back on and throw the wings in. So, with that image of Tommy Boy in your mind, what are you going to do? Play the role of a spurned lover and turn your back on those players that shattered your season? Heck no. You're going to pick up the pieces and move forward. With a keen eye on value, you're going to eschew the flavor of the preseason month and look for those post-hype specials. Yes, the ones that broke your heart, but with average draft position values now that should force you to reconsider and try to make it work. We're in this together. After all, it's a brand new season. QB - Michael Vick, Philadelphia It was only last year Vick was boasting a first-round average draft position and some lost souls were even considering him as the top overall pick. Remember, Vick had reached his optimum potential in Andy Reid's offense and nothing was going to stop him! The naysayers spoke of his fragility then puffed out their chests ...

Philadelphia Eagles receiver Jeremy Maclin is expected to be active against the Miami Dolphins Sunday.