By MATT DOYLE Staff Writer on Sep 9, 2011, at 2:30 PM Updated on 9/09 at 2:30 PM
FANTASY WORLD
The playoffs are ready to culminate or already have concluded for virtually all fantasy leagues.
If you are lucky, you ...
Well, there is someone out there who feels I am worthy enough to dole out fantasy football advice – and accept it.
Greg ...
*** Thursday night NFL games are great for fans that cannot get enough of the game on Sunday afternoons and Sunday and Monday ...
For 13 years, you could depend on Peyton Manning running out of tunnel on a weekly basis and playing for the Indianapolis Colts.
For the majority of those 13 years, you could depend on Manning putting up quality numbers to help your fantasy teams on a weekly basis.
For the first time in his career, Peyton’s place on a weekly basis this fall will be the sidelines and not the field.
Manning’s neck surgery likely will force him to miss the season. Obviously, it will impact the Colts on the field from the bottom line win-loss standpoint. From a fantasy standpoint, no Manning means a multi-million dollar impact.
CNBC’s Darren Rovell reports Manning's loss could shift money from 10 percent of the people who would win their league because of Manning and his counterparts, Reggie Wayne and Dallas Clark, who also suffer with his absence. Assuming there's about $650 million of fantasy football prizes on the line, that 10 percent could mean a shift of $65 million from people who had Manning, Wayne and/or Clark to people who didn't take him.
I drafted Manning in the seventh round of a league earlier this week to be my backup QB. I assumed Manning would miss some time, maybe 4-6 weeks. But I assumed he would return and possibly give me a trade chip come November to bolster my team. Now, because of the rules set up by Yahoo, I can’t dump Manning because he is on the “can’t cut list” Yahoo leagues utilize.
Manning’s situation is fine transition for this week’s three things to watch:
***As I blogged back in July, injuries are the big X-factor for this fantasy season thanks to the lockout. There were too many torn Achilles in the preseason, presumably because players’ conditioning wasn’t at the levels they should have been due to no team-administered offseason programs. Arian Foster’s hamstring issue in Houston is not only a concern for this week, but for the weeks ahead. Pity the poor soul who drafted both Foster and Manning back a few weeks ago.
***How will Chris Johnson function? The Tennessee running back finally got the big-money contract he demanded. Now can he perform with a new quarterback, new coach and new offensive philosophy? If he can continue to have those big-yardage scoring plays he’s been noted for, his fantasy owners won’t complain.
***Kevin Kolb – factor or fiction? Viewed as the heir apparent to Donovan McNabb in Philadelphia before Michael Vick reemerged back in pro football, Kolb now gets the chance to become a full-time starter in Arizona. He has the chance to succeed and become a fantasy starter with stud receiver Larry Fitzgerald on his team.
Player to start this weekend: Washington RB Tim Hightower. Forget the fact that Rex Grossman is his QB and realize he is going against a banged-up Giants defense. Hightower should get at least 22-25 touches.
Player to sit this weekend: Cincinnati RB Cedric Benson. He just completed a five-day stay in prison for off-the-field transgressions. On Sunday, he will feel like he’s back in jail against an underrated Cleveland defense.
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