Fantasy Phenoms is proud to host Week 8’s Twitter Fantasy Football Roundtable! As the host site, it was our task to find 3 sleepers from around the fantasy landscape that could be great in Week 8. Last week's host, Bryan Fontaine, provided three busts for this weekend. As for our colleagues, each were assigned a position to focus on and select one sleeper and one bust, as part of our season-long rotation. Heed the advice or not, enjoy the opinions, and while you are at it, check out each of their fine sites.
The Picks-
RB- DeAngelo Williams CAR at ARI- DeAngelo Williams has shown why he was a consensus top 5 pick in Fantasy Football drafts the past 2 weeks scoring 49 fantasy points combined versus the struggling defenses of Tampa Bay and Buffalo. Williams has been able to produce even with the struggles of QB Jake Delhomme but the stout Cardinals defense led by Darnell Dockett is up next. The Cardinals have the best rush defense in the league currently and they are fresh off shutting down the Giants attack of Bradshaw and Jacobs. Williams will find the sledding tough in Arizona; the Cardinals are only allowing an average of 67.5 yards rushing and 3 rushing TD in 6 games. If you don’t have the luxury of a better option with the bye week, temper your expectations for Williams in Week 8.
QB- Matt Ryan ATL at NO- Aside from the Week 2 outburst from Kevin Kolb and the Eagles, the Saints have put the clamps down on opposing quarterbacks through 6 games this season. Matt Ryan is coming off a sub-par game at the Cowboys in which he was picked off twice and was not able to exceed 200 yards passing. Michael Turner (3.4 yards per carry) has struggled to regain his 2008 form, and teams are forcing Ryan to beat them through the air more often. The Saints already have 13 interceptions, and quarterbacks are only managing a 54.6 QB rating so far. Expect the Superdome to be rocking for a primetime appearance on Monday Night Football, and Matt Ryan will struggle to get anything going.
WR- Roy Williams DAL vs. SEA- This pick is more about what Roy Williams hasn’t done so far this season after the lofty preseason projections as the successor to Terrell Owens in Big D. Williams is fresh off a one catch for 16 yard performance against the struggling Falcons defense, and in just two weeks time has seen the emergence of a new #1 WR in Miles Austin. Austin seized the job from Williams in Week 5 versus the Chiefs, and nearly duplicated his efforts last week. You likely drafted Williams to be one of your starting WR, and it might be time to consider putting him on your bench permanently until he can show some semblance of his former self. He was projected to have between 800-900 yards receiving and 6 TD in the preseason, he may be lucky to have half of that at seasons end. Seattle has a decent pass defense, and Tony Romo will continue to trust Austin in key situations.
Sleeper – David Garrard JAX at TEN – Garrard is coming off back-to back weeks with 0 TDs and even threw 2 INTs against St Louis in week 7. This week he gets back on track against a Tennessee defense that has allowed opposing QBs to throw 12 TDs in their last 3 games, including 3 by Garrard in week 4. Tennessee is getting back Vincent Fuller this week but still looks to be without the services of Courtland Finnegan. Look for Garrard to get close to, or attain, 300 yards and at least 2 scores this week.
Bust – Matt Ryan ATL at N.O. - Ryan has thrown 2 TDs in each of the last 3 games, but will have a hard time doing that against a very tough New Orleans defense that has only allowed 4 passing TDs while picking off 13 passes. Look for the Saints to put a lot of pressure on the second year QB and make it difficult for him to go downfield. But that won’t be all. New Orleans has virtually shut down all opposing TEs, so Ryan won’t have it easy trying to fall back on Mr. Dependability; Tony Gonzalez. Look for other options at QB unless your backup is Derek Anderson, JaMarcus Russell or Alex Smith.
It's hard to believe I'm calling Matt Forte a sleeper, but seeing as he's behind Willis McGahee and Darren Sproles in running back scoring in PPR leagues, he has definitely not paid off on the top five draft investment most fantasy owners made in him. Though this week there should finally be a nice measure of production for Forte as he faces the 31st ranked run-defense in the league, Cleveland, who allows 170.6 yards per game. The Browns are also next-to-last in running back TD's allowed with ten. Ryan Grant had his best game of the year last week in a 31-3 blowout against the Browns totaling 148 yards rushing and a score. I expect Forte to at least match those numbers and then some as Cleveland visits Soldier Field on Sunday.
Bust- DeAngelo Williams CAR at ARI
I was slow to come around on the Arizona defense, but the stats don't lie. Darnell Dockett is playing as well as any defensive lineman in the league and the inside linebacking duo of Gerald Hayes and Karlos Dansby are eating up running backs and making play after play in the opponents' backfield. This week, the struggling Carolina Panther offense comes to town and you can bet the Cardinals are going to focus completely on stopping the Panthers running game and trying to turn the Panthers into the Jake Delhomme turn-over circus. Carolina is last in interceptions thrown with fourteen. The Cardinals are first in least rushing yards allowed per attempt (3.0) and rushing yards allowed per game (67.5). Williams is a hot runner right now but he gets cooled off in the desert this week.
For many owners, Avery has teetered on the edge of mediocrity for much of the season and is a questionable start each week. He has only scored twice and has tallied over 50 yards just two times as well. However, this week his Rams take on Detroit and their woeful defense which means that St. Louis has a very good chance of getting their first win of the season on Sunday. Marc Bulger had a solid game against Jacksonville until running head on into Indianapolis last week and I expect him to rebound nicely which means nothing but good things for his number one receiver.
Bust- Steve Smith – NYG at PHI
Smith has been one the best wide receivers in the league throughout the first half of the season and has quickly become Eli Manning’s favorite target. He ranks behind only Andre Johnson and Hines Ward in receiving yards and is turning heads left and right. However, this week he faces off against Philadelphia (in Philly) against one of the top secondaries in the league. Asante Samuel and Sheldon Brown will throw him for a loop and make it a tough day for the Giants’ new go-to receiver.
Sleeper- Brandon Pettigrew DET vs. STL: The Rams are bad. This isn't news. Pettigrew was held catchless in his last game, but that was without Calvin Johnson and Matthew Stafford. Megatron practiced on Thursday and Stafford has also been practicing. The Rams give up 10 fantasy points per game to tight ends. If you have an injury (Finley) or a bye (Miller) give Pettigrew a shot. Just overlook that whole Lord Voldemort thing.
Bust-VernonDavis SF at IND: After breaking a 49ers tight end record for most touchdowns in a game it will be hard to sit Davis. And he is just a tight end so I wouldn't rearrange my whole lineup to sit him, but the Colts allow a measly 3.2 fantasy points per game to tight ends. If you got VD on the waiver wire, first I would seriously get your waiver wire disinfected, and if you already had a stud tight end, go with him.
Sleeper- HOU at BUF- After a weak start against the run, the Texans have allowed just 2.4 yards per carry to opposing backs in the past four games. That's particularly bad news for the Buffalo offense, because current starting quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick has completed just 45 percent of his passes and averaged only 120 yards in his two games. Those numbers were enough while Mark Sanchez and Jake Delhomme were combining for eight interceptions in consecutive Bills victories, but he's not going to carry an offense that will need to keep up with high-powered Houston. Fitzpatrick endured three two-interception outings as Cincinnati's starter last season, and one of them just happened to come against the Texans. Look for a low score from Buffalo with pretty good sack and turnover potential.
Bust- SF at IND- The Niners were pretty stingy with points through the first four games, a stretch that included the Vikings needing a kick return and Favre’s last-second perfect toss from 40 yards out to reach 27. Most of this defense’s fantasy points, however, were racked up in the Week 4 shutout of the Rams, which featured two defensive touchdowns and five of the team’s 13 sacks. San Francisco has given up 69 points in its past two outings and now faces a Colts defense that makes everyone look bad. Drop the Niners for someone else this week, if you haven’t already.
WR- Brian Hartline MIA at NYJ- First off, Ted Ginn has all but lost his stating gig as WR 1 for Miami. This means that Davone Bess and Greg Camarillo will be moving up the depth chart, while Brian Hartline becomes an intriguing situation. The rookie from Ohio State has been getting more involved with the offense, and showed big-play potential last week against the Saints. With the Jets likely to focus mainly on stopping the Wildcat, Hartline may get a number of opportunities to make a big play or two. Add the fact that Jets’ CB Lito Shepard is a possible scratch and you have a very enticing sleeper with six NFL teams on a bye this week.
RB- Beanie Wells ARI vs. CAR – I have been preaching patience since Week 1 with this rookie, knowing full well that Arizona planned to gradually incorporate Wells into the offense. A few weeks ago, I said that the time was now (meaning then) to pick up or trade for Wells before his value sky-rocketed. Last week, he scored, finally, and hit double-digit fantasy points versus the Giants no less. The value isn’t in orbit just yet, but after a match-up against the league’s 26th ranked rush defense (although1st in passing defense), time is running out to steal Wells on the cheap.
TE- Donald Lee GB vs. MIN – Something about this game tells me it’s going to be a shootout. It’s Favre versus Rodgers at Rodgers’ place, Lambeau Field. This may very well be a game of match with these two QBs, and I’d start any Viking or Packer with two hands this week. Lee may see the most looks he has had all year and with Jermichael Finley missing another practice this week, Lee may be the only viable TE target Rodgers has. If you have Finley, or are suffering from the heavy bye week, scoop Lee as a rental for Sunday.
