Week 3 – Waiver Wire Pickups

 

Giddy up!

Giddy up!

Happy football Sunday!  Not to toot our own horn, but last week The Machine crushed it with our Fantasy advice.  Tyrod Taylor threw for 3 tds (and rushed for 1), and both David Johnson and Larry Donnell scored.  You’re welcome, America.  Let’s look at who’s still out there that can help your team this week.

Dexter McCluster, RB Tennessee (5% owned in Yahoo! leagues)

Tennessee, like most of the league, has a running back by committee approach, with Dexter sharing time with Bishop Sankey and Terrance West.  But Dexter has carved out a nice little niche as the pass catching running back.  In a PPR league, he makes a lot of sense this week.  He’s got a great match up against the Colts.  Sankey and West aren’t exactly lighting it up, which equals more opportunities for the shifty McCluster.  If you’re one of those teams already plagued with RB injuries (Andre Ellington) or on a team whose coach doesn’t like black people (Demarco Murray) Dexter could fill in.

Blake Bortles, QB Jacksonville (11%)

Tampa Bay Buccaneers v Jacksonville JaguarsFor the reasons we like Tyrod last week, we like Blake.  It’s all about matchups, and there is much to like about Bortles this week.  First, he’s going to be throwing a lot.  The Pat are 13.5 point favorites and will probably cover.  This means the Jags will abandon the run early and throw the ball.  Second, New England’s secondary is weak, which will allow Blake to rack up yards.  Third, Bortles is coming into his own.  He played great last week against Miami – a team with a much better defense than New England – throwing for 273 yards, 2 tds and 0 ints.  A repeat of those numbers this week isn’t out of the question.  We like him better than guys like Alex Smith, Joe Flacco, and Carson Palmer this week.  Fourth, see below.

Rishard Matthews, WR Miami (28%)

Tannehill's secret weapon.

Tannehill’s secret weapon.

Matthews has put together two solid weeks, and he’ll look to make it three today against Buffalo.  His problem is that he’s (at best) the #3 WR, behind Jarvis Landry and Devante Parker.  However, if he keeps balling like this, they’ll have to find room for him.  Devante Parker is still not 100%, which slides Matthews up to #2.  We like him as a 3WR/FLEX today against a Bills D that gave up 466 passing yards last week.

Crockett Gillmore, TE Baltimore (45%)

New kid on the block.

New kid on the block.

If you asked yourself, “who the fuck is Crockett Gillmore”, you’re not alone.  But he has established himself as a TE1 through two weeks.  Averaging 5 targets a week, Crockett has become a reliable passing option for Joe Flacco.  He grabbed 2 tds last week.  Jason Witten’s status is iffy this week, so you’re looking for another option at TE, Crockett’s a good play.

BONUS PICK:

Rueben Randle, WR Giants (28%)

Rueben RandleHere’s a sneaky play.  Yes, the Giants already played this week, but if you got a spot on your bench, make room for Randle.  With Victor Cruz’s status still uncertain, and with Preston Parker cut (thank you), Reuben will see plenty of action as the #2 receiver behind Odell Beckham, Jr.  Rueben is streaky, but he pulled it together this week, catching all 7 of his targets for 116 yards and a touchdown.  He will quickly be added in leagues next week, but because you read The Machine, he’ll already be on your team.

Even when Blake loses, he wins.

Even when Blake loses, he wins.

WEEK 3 PICKS / LOCKS / SURVIVOR

What's that saying about Jersey girls being trashy?

What’s that saying about Jersey girls being trashy?

The PICKS
Roid Rage Ginger King Dr. Mike Big Daddy Vegas Vinny
20-11-1 18-13-1 10-21-1 14-17-1 15-16-1
WAS NYG NYG NYG NYG
STL  PIT PIT PIT PIT
MIN  SD SD MIN SD
HOU  HOU HOU TB HOU
NYJ  NYJ NYJ NYJ NYJ
CAR  CAR NO CAR NO
JAX  NE NE NE NE
CIN  CIN BAL BAL BAL
CLE  CLE CLE OAK CLE
TEN  TEN INDY INDY INDY
ATL  ATL ATL ATL DAL
ARZ  ARZ ARZ ARZ ARZ
SEA  SEA CHI SEA CHI
BUF  BUF BUF BUF MIA
DEN  DEN DEN DET DEN
GB  GB GB GB GB
Lock-it-up-of-the-Week
Roid Rage Ginger King Dr. Mike Big Daddy Vegas Vinny
1-1-0 2-0-0 2-0-0 0-2-0 0-2-0
ATL  PIT PIT ATL NYJ
Survivor Pool Pick
Roid Rage Ginger King Dr. Mike Big Daddy Vegas Vinny
SEA **DEAD** **DEAD** **DEAD** **DEAD**

 

footballlocks.com

footballlocks.com

Week 2 Scorecard

Week 3 TNF Staff Picks

Safe. Boring. Money.

Safe. Boring. Money.

The PICKS
Roid Rage Ginger King Dr. Mike Big Daddy Vegas Vinny
11-4-1 11-4-1 6-9-1 8-7-1 9-6-1
WAS  NYG NYG NYG NYG

Week 2 Scorecard

Week 2 – Waiver Wire Pickups

Fantasy FootballWeek 1’s in the books, and already, things are getting crazy.  Key injuries (Dez) and busts (CJ Anderson) may already be affecting your team.   Time to throw in the towel?  Ginger, please!  Fantasy championships are won by savvy waiver wire pickups.  And, depending on how hung over we are, we’ll hook you up with weekly waiver wire grabs.  Now, on to the show.

Tyrod Taylor, QB, Buffalo (% owned in Yahoo! league, 13%)

If he beats the Pats today, they will build a statute for him and he'll become Mayor of Buffalo

If he beats the Pats today, they will build a statute for him and he’ll become Mayor of Buffalo

This weird thing happens every year in Buffalo.  Stop me if you’ve heard this before. Bills start out hot (“this is our Year!” mutters a drunk Buffalonian from beneath a pile of wings).  Last year’s failures are forgotten.  Bills have a big statement win (in September).  Chris Berman trots out his “Nobody circles the wagons” shtick.  The whole City gets filled with excitement…and then [note: Bills fans stop reading] the Bills go 2-6 down the stretch and New England wins the AFC East.  Seriously, this happens every year.

BUT, according to Roid Rage, this year it’s different.  This year really is THE YEAR.  He has the excitement and innocence of a puppy…I just don’t have the heart to break his spirit (and I’m certainly not going to stand in the way of his Rex Ryan back tat).

Having said that, we like what we’ve seen from Tyrod.  He was solid last week against the Colts, throwing for nearly 200 yards with a touchdown and 0 ints.  He also added 41 rushing yards.  You know Rex will be fired up to play the Pats at home.  That means plenty of gimmick plays for Tyrod (yes, the read option is a gimmick).  There are points to be had against the Pats secondary…who gave up over 350 yards to Big Ben last week.  We like Tyrod to lead the team in rushing, and lead the Bills to the Super Bowl (edited by Roid Rage).  If anything, he’s worth a spot on your bench ahead of guys like Joe Flacco and Andy Dalton.

Lance Dunbar, RB, Dallas (17%)

Forget Terrance, Lance will be the main benefactor with Dez out.

Forget Terrance, Lance will be the main benefactor with Dez out.

Yes, yes, yes, we know, Terrance Williams was the biggest pick up of the week, with Dez out for 4-6 weeks.  But don’t overlook Lance.  In fact, you should pick him up right now, because that 17% is going to change quickly.  Care to guess who led the Cowboys in receptions and yards last week, even with Dez in the game?  Lance, who was targeted 8 times, caught all 8 balls for 70.  A no brainer pickup, especially in a PPR league.

David Johnson, RB, Arizona (32%)

You're up, rookie!

You’re up, rookie!

The pride of Northern Iowa, rookie running back David Johnson is in a prime position to see plenty of action.  With oft-injured Andre Ellington injured again, Johnson will slide right in to split carries with Chris Johnson, who is days away from being on the wrong side of 30.  David only caught one ball last week, but he made the most of it, taking it to the house for a 55 yard touchdown.  He’ll get more chances to shine in the upcoming weeks.  Low risk, high reward pickup, especially in PPR leagues.

Larry Donnell, TE, NYG (39%)

Safe. Boring. Money.

Safe. Boring. Money.

Larry’s problem (for now) is that he’s splitting time with Daniel Fells.  He will win that battle, and become Eli’s main safety valve.  Larry burst onto the scene last year with 63 receptions, good for a tie for 9th place among TE.  We like him to finish in the Top 10 again in this year, not bad for only being owned in 39% of leagues.

Go Bills!

Go Bills!

WEEK 2 PICKS / LOCKS / SURVIVOR

ALWAYS. BE. CLOSING.

ALWAYS. BE. CLOSING.

The PICKS
Roid Rage Ginger King Dr. Mike Big Daddy Vegas Vinny
11-4-1 11-4-1 6-9-1 8-7-1 9-6-1
KC DEN KC KC KC
CAR CAR HOU CAR CAR
TB NO NO NO NO
SF PIT SF SF SF
MIN DET DET MIN DET
NE NE BUF NE BUF
ARZ ARZ ARZ ARZ ARZ
CLE TEN TEN TEN TEN
CIN SD SD SD CIN
STL STL STL STL STL
ATL ATL NYG NYG ATL
BAL BAL BAL BAL BAL
MIA MIA MIA MIA MIA
PHI DAL DAL DAL DAL
SEA SEA GB GB GB
NYJ INDY NYJ INDY INDY
Lock-it-up-of-the-Week
Roid Rage Ginger King Dr. Mike Big Daddy Vegas Vinny
1-1-0 1-0-0 1-0-0 0-1-0 0-1-0
KC PIT ARZ MIA STL
Survivor Pool Pick
Roid Rage Ginger King Dr. Mike Big Daddy Vegas Vinny
ARZ NO **DEAD** NO NO

THE ODDS

2015 WK 2 odds

footballlocks.com

Week 2 TNF Staff Picks

The LINE:  DENVER @ KANSAS CITY (-3)

The PICKS
Roid Rage Ginger King Dr. Mike Big Daddy Vegas Vinny
*11-4-1 *11-4-1 *6-9-1 *8-7-1 *9-6-1
KC DEN KC KC KC

Roid Rage is doubling-down on the Chiefs and picking them as his ‘Lock-it-up-of-the-Week’

Week 1 Scorecard

WEEK 1 PICKS / LOCKS / SURVIVOR

NFL Kickoff

Odds courtesy of footballlocks.com

Odds courtesy of footballlocks.com

The PICKS
Roid Rage Ginger King Dr. Mike Big Daddy Vegas Vinny
*0-0-0 *0-0-0 *0-0-0 *0-0-0 *0-0-0
*0-0-0 *0-0-0 *0-0-0 *0-0-0 *0-0-0
NE PITT NE NE NE
GB  GB CHIC GB GB
KC  KC KC KC HOU
NYJ  NYJ NYJ NYJ NYJ
BUF  BUF INDY INDY INDY
MIA  MIA MIA MIA MIA
JAX  JAX JAX JAX CAR
STL  SEA SEA SEA SEA
ARZ  ARZ NO ARZ ARZ
SD  SD DET SD DET
TENN  TENN TB TB TENN
CIN  CIN CIN OAK CIN
BAL  DEN BAL BAL DEN
DAL  NYG NYG NYG DAL
PHI  PHI ATL ATL ATL
SF  MIN MIN MIN MIN
Lock-it-up-of-the-Week
Roid Rage Ginger King Dr. Mike Big Daddy Vegas Vinny
*0-0-0 *0-0-0 *0-0-0 *0-0-0 *0-0-0
*0-0-0 *0-0-0 *0-0-0 *0-0-0 *0-0-0
KC  DEN MIA OAK HOU
Survivor Pool Pick
Roid Rage Ginger King Dr. Mike Big Daddy Vegas Vinny
GB  GB SEA GB ARZ

Week 1 TNF Staff Picks

Football is back!  The road to the Big Red Sports Machine Against the Spread Pick’em Challenge….uh, and Super Bowl 50….starts now!

sb50

WEEK 1 TNF
Favorite Spread Underdog
 at New England 7 Pittsburgh

NE: Roidrage, Vegas Vinny, Big Daddy, Dr. Mike

Pitt: Ginger King

Your 53-Man Roster Deadline Fantasy Football Ranking Update….

….because: BIG RED SPORTS MACHINE!! That’s why!

Pretty, pretty, pretty good!

Pretty, pretty, pretty good!

2015 Rankings: Quarterbacks
Composite Rage Ginger
1 Aaron Rodgers 1 1
2 Andrew Luck 2 2
3 Peyton Manning 3 3
4 Drew Brees 4 4
5 Tom Brady 6 5
6 Russell Wilson 7 6
7 Ben Roethlisberger 5 10
8 Matt Ryan 8 8
9 Matthew Stafford 11 7
10 Tony Romo 9 12
11 Eli Manning 12 9
12 Cam Newton 10 13
13 Philip Rivers 15 11
14 Ryan Tannehill 14 14
15 Colin Kaepernick 13 17
16 Jay Cutler 16 15
17 Andy Dalton 17 16
18 Carson Palmer 18 19
19 Joe Flacco 19 18
20 Alex Smith 20 20
21 Teddy Bridgewater 23 22
22 Nick Foles 25 21
23 Sam Bradford 21 25
24 Tyrod Taylor 22 29
25 Blake Bortles 24 28
26 Derek Carr 29 23
27 Marcus Mariota 27 27
28 Robert Griffin III 31 24
29 Johnny Manziel 30 26
30 Ryan Fitzpactrick 26 30
31 Jameis Winston 28 31

League winner

League winner

2015 Rankings: Running Backs
Composite Rage Ginger
1 Jamaal Charles 1 1
2 Le’Veon Bell 2 2
3 Marshawn Lynch 4 4
4 Eddie Lacy 3 5
5 Adrian Peterson 6 3
6 C.J. Anderson 5 7
7 DeMarco Murray 8 6
8 Matt Forte 7 8
9 Jeremy Hill 9 11
10 LeSean McCoy 11 9
11 Justin Forsett 10 10
12 Latavius Murray 15 12
13 Mark Ingram 13 14
14 Melvin Gordon 14 16
15 Lamar Miller 12 20
16 Andre Ellington 20 13
17 Alfred Morris 16 17
18 Carlos Hyde 17 18
19 Joseph Randle 18 19
20 Frank Gore 29 15
21 C.J. Spiller 21 23
22 Jonathan Stewart 19 28
23 Ameer Abdullah 24 24
24 Shane Vereen 28 21
25 T.J. Yeldon 23 27
26 Giovani Bernard 25 25
27 Rashad Jennings 31 22
28 Christopher Ivory 22 32
29 Ryan Mathews 26 29
30 Doug Martin 30 26
31 Joique Bell 27 35
32 Todd Gurley 32 31
33 LeGarrette Blount 33 33
34 Arian Foster 40 30
35 Danny Woodhead 37 34
36 Devonta Freeman 34 38
37 Tre Mason 39 36
38 Tevin Coleman 35 42
39 Alfred Blue 38 40
40 Bishop Sankey 36 42
41 Isaiah Crowell 42 39
42 Andre Williams 44 41
43 David Cobb 41 46
44 Reggie Bush 50 37
45 Duke Johnson 43 47
46 Roy Helu 46 45
47 Knile Davis 49 43
48 Charles Sims 45 50
49 DeAngelo Williams 53 44
50 David Johnson 47 51
51 Fred Jackson 51 48
52 Chris Polk 48 55
53 Darren McFadden 56 49
54 Jay Ajayi 55 54
55 Daniel Herron 52 57
56 Jonas Gray 54 56
57 Darren Sproles 57 53
58 James White 58 52
59 Jeremy Langford 59 58

'nuke

‘nuke

2015 Rankings: Wide Receivers
Composite Rage Ginger
1 Antonio Brown 1 1
2 Demaryius Thomas 2 4
3 Odell Beckham Jr. 3 2
4 Dez Bryant 4 3
5 Julio Jones 5 5
6 Calvin Johnson 6 6
7 A.J. Green 7 7
8 Alshon Jeffery 8 8
9 Mike Evans 9 12
10 Randall Cobb 10 11
11 DeAndre Hopkins 11 10
12 Ty Hilton 12 9
13 Brandin Cooks 13 14
14 Jordan Matthews 14 16
15 Emmanuel Sanders 15 13
16 Golden Tate 16 20
17 DeSean Jackson 17 22
18 Sammy Watkins 18 19
19 Keenan Allen 19 18
20 Allen Robinson 20 35
21 Brandon Marshall 21 23
22 Julian Edelman 22 27
23 Steve Smith 23 26
24 Eric Decker 24 31
25 Amari Cooper 25 17
26 Andre Johnson 26 15
27 Martavis Bryant 27 21
28 Roddy White 28 29
29 Jeremy Maclin 29 25
30 Vincent Jackson 30 28
31 Larry Fitzgerald 31 33
32 Torrey Smith 32 39
33 Charles Johnson 33 38
34 Kendall Wright 34 49
35 Nelson Agholor 35 44
36 Brandon LaFell 36 30
37 John Brown 37 34
38 Pierre Garcon 38 40
39 Eddie Royal 39 50
40 Davante Adams 40 51
41 Mike Wallace 41 24
42 Anquan Boldin 42 37
43 Marques Colston 43 41
44 Breshad Perriman 44 47
45 Terrance Williams 45 52
46 Jarvis Landry 46 32
47 Victor Cruz 47 36
48 Michael Floyd 48 43
49 Kenny Stills 49 42
50 Marvin Jones 50 53
51 Steve Johnson 51 48
52 Percy Harvin 52 54
53 Devante Parker 53 56
54 Donte Moncrief 54 55
55 Rueben Randle 55 45
56 Dwayne Bowe 56 57
57 Brian Quick 57 46
58 Kevin White 58 58

Safe. Boring. Money.

Safe. Boring. Money.

2015 Rankings: Tight Ends
Composite Rage Ginger
1 Rob Gronkowski 1 1
2 Jimmy Graham 2 3
3 Travis Kelce 3 2
4 Greg Olsen 4 6
5 Martellus Bennett 7 4
6 Jason Witten 6 7
7 Julius Thomas 5 8
8 Tyler Eifert 8 12
9 Zach Ertz 12 9
10 Delanie Walker 11 11
11 Jordan Cameron 18 5
12 Kyle Rudolph 13 10
13 Owen Daniels 9 17
14 Austin Seferian-Jenkins 14 15
15 Dwayne Allen 15 14
16 Larry Donnell 17 13
17 Josh Hill 10 23
18 Jordan Reed 16 20
19 Heath Miller 21 16
20 Ladarius Green 19 19
21 Antonio Gates 24 18
22 Charles Clay 20 22
23 Vernon Davis 23 21
24 Eric Ebron 22 25
25 Coby Fleener 25 24
26 Benjamin Watson 26 27
27 Jacob Tamme 27 26
28 Mychal Rivera 28 28
29 Rob Housler 29 29
30 Richard Rodgers 30 30
2015 Rankings: Defense & Special Teams
Composite Rage Ginger
1 Seattle Seahawks 1 1
2 Buffalo Bills 2 3
3 St. Louis Rams 3 4
4 Houston Texans 5 2
5 Arizona Cardinals 4 5
6 Kansas City Chiefs 6 8
7 Denver Broncos 9 6
8 Carolina Panthers 10 9
9 New England Patriots 13 7
10 Baltimore Ravens 7 14
11 Cincinnati Bengals 11 12
12 San Francisco 49ers 14 11
13 Green Bay Packers 12 13
14 Pittsburgh Steelers 18 10
15 New York Jets 8 21
16 Philadelphia Eagles 17 16
17 Chicago Bears 19 15
18 Detroit Lions 16 18
19 Miami Dolphins 15 22
20 New Orleans Saints 23 17
21 New York Giants 22 19
22 Tampa Bay Buccaneers 24 20
23 Cleveland Browns 20 24
24 Tennessee Titans 21 26
25 Indianapolis Colts 25 23
26 Washington Redskins 26 25
27 Jacksonville Jaguars 27 27