Fantasy Football
BY Staff Reports
Monday, November 26, 2012
11/26/12 at 4:07 AM
Our contributors Matt Doyle, James Royal,
Jason Collington and Matt Clayton hand out
advice throughout the fantasy football season.
1. Dez Bryant does it again for a second straight week. Eight catches for 145 yards and two touchdowns is what Calvin Johnson was doing last season when he was considered the best in the game. Bryant is turning his season around and will be up at the top of the rankings next year. That is, unless, something happens. I hope he keeps his head together.
2. Speaking of receivers, it's nice to see a breakout game by former OU star Ryan Broyles. Against one of the NFL's best defenses, Broyles caught six balls for 126 yards. He can catch whatever is thrown to him and he is separating pretty well with that reconstructed knee.
3. Who is this Chris Givens guy? Going into this season, a lot of people, me included, couldn't believe the Rams didn't get some playmakers for Sam Bradford. Givens has come out of nowhere to help out. Earlier this season, he had five straight weeks with a 50-plus yard reception. His longest against the Cardinals was 37, but he is separating himself and might become the No. 1 receiver on this team going into next year.
4. Trent Richardson has been overshadowed by Doug Martin, but he is grinding out a pretty good fantasy season. For four straight weeks he's carried the ball at least 24 times. If he keeps on this pace, he will likely break a tackle and get those highlight-reel touchdowns.
5. People who have Larry Fitzgerald on their team have had a rough season. This week a quarterback named Ryan Lindley took the job of feeding Fitzgerald and company. Fitzgerald, the best wide receiver in the game, had three catches for 31 yards.
- JASON COLLINGTON
Put on your radar (for 2013)
Montee Ball, RB, Wisconsin
It's never too early to start thinking about fantasy football in 2013, especially if you have my team. That's why we are changing focus, looking ahead to players you should consider for next year.
We'll start with Wisconsin running back Montee Ball who set an NCAA record on Saturday, scoring his 79th career touchdown. Entering Saturday's game against Penn State, Ball had 72 career rushing scores - including 17 this season - to go with six receiving touchdowns.
Despite the success in college, can Ball succeed in the NFL? When you consider what happened to Marcus Lattimore (another knee surgery for the South Carolina running back) and the uncertainty of underclassmen entering, Ball is certainly the most proven back who will be available in the 2013 draft. Ball is a trim 210-215 pounds, has some lateral agility and definitely has the ability to be a between-the-tackles runner, which is important in the NFL. Wherever he's drafted, Ball has the potential to put some decent numbers given his ability to make people miss and continue to gain yards after initial contact.
- MATT CLAYTON
