When it comes to fantasy football, and the NFL for that matter, unpredictability is the norm. You never know when a player can get injured, you never know when a player/team can have a bad day or you never know when lightning can strike in a bottle with an unknown player (Victor Cruz anyone?).
For Robert Griffin III owners, last weekend was one of those unpredictable weeks. After dominating in his first four games, RGIII had a tough go of it against a good Falcons team.
The rookie sensation, who was held to his lowest fantasy output of the season, was knocked out of the game on a vicious hit by Falcons’ linebacker Sean Weatherspoon while scrambling for extra yardage. Following the play, RGIII owners — and Redskins’ fans — all took depth breaths as the Washington star rolled around on the FedEx Field turf for several minutes.
Shortly after the hit, RGIII was helped up and exited the field. He was later diagnosed with a concussion.
After going through a series of tests earlier in the week, it was determined that Griffin would be cleared to return to practice on Wednesday. The Redskins signal-caller did so and is now expected to start on Sunday against Minnesota, which is a big boost for Mike Shanahan’s team.
So what does all this mean? Well, it means that when playing fantasy football, you need a little luck. You also need to be prepared for injuries.
I haven’t spent much time talking about how important it is to have key reserve players at certain positions in case injuries do arise, but a good bench is always a plus. Unfortunately, injuries are a part of the game, and they will strike your team sooner or later, so try to be one step ahead of the opposition in case your team loses a star player.
I drafted Colts rookie Andrew Luck late in my fantasy draft, but chose to grab Alex Smith off the waiver wire and drop Luck after Week 1 due to the offensive talent on the 49ers club. Was it a good decision? It hasn’t mattered to me so far because I have New England quarterback Tom Brady in the lineup every week. But, if something were to happen to Brady, I have a stable QB in place that I could count on if need be.
Hey, I’m not surprised by the success of Luck early on, but he’ll have his ups and downs as the year goes on. With Smith, at least I know I have a player that has weapons and plays for a winner. And that depth makes me feel real good about one of the most important positions in fantasy.
Bye Weeks: Carolina, Chicago, Jacksonville, New Orleans
Let See the Field:
Atlanta Falcons Defense: There’s one word to describe the Oakland offense: horrible. Even though the Raiders have a serviceable quarterback in Carson Palmer and an electrifying playmaker at tailback in Darren McFadden (one of my fantasy tailbacks), the Raiders have had a hard time scoring against good defenses. Look for that trend to continue against a Falcons D that is one of the league’s better units.
Robert Griffin III, QB, Washington: Griffin III returned to practice Wednesday in a limited role, and he is expected to be the team’s starting QB when it hosts Minnesota Sunday. RGIII has been one of the most productive fantasy players in the league, so get him in the lineup.
Andrew Luck, QB, Indianapolis: The Colts’ offense is getting better and better with each passing game and Luck is the centerpiece of that improvement. Last week versus the Packers, Luck completed 31 of 55 passes for 362 yards and two touchdowns. He also had six carries for 24 yards and a score on the ground in the team’s upset of Green Bay. He should be a good start against New York this week if you need a bye week replacement, or if you need a spark at QB.
William Powell, RB, Arizona: Buffalo hasn’t been playing any defense lately, and Powell and LaRod Stephens-Howling are the team’s running backs heading into Sunday’s game. If you need a bye week start, Powell may be worth a look.
Randall Cobb, WR, Green Bay: If you are looking for a bye week replacement, or a keeper league star in the making, look no further than Cobb. The explosive wide receiver/kick returner has found a niche in Green Bay’s offense, and he’s really blossomed in the absence of Pro Bowl wideout Greg Jennings, who has been sidelined due to a groin injury and is questionable again this week. Cobb could have a big day in Houston working in the slot.
Rashard Mendenhall, RB, Pittsburgh: Mendenhall finally returned to action last week after his season was ended prematurely due to a knee injury a year ago. In the win over Philadelphia, Mendenhall had 13 carries for 68 yards and added another three catches for 33 yards and a score. The Titans have been dreadful defending the run this season so get Mendenhall active.
Show the Splinters:
Donald Brown, RB, Indianapolis: Just when it looked like Brown could become a serviceable fantasy piece, it was announced that he’d be out a while due to torn knee cartilage suffered in the closing moments of the Colts win over Green Bay. Brown’s running stats have increased over the last three weeks, and he finally looked like he was finding a role in Indy’s offense, but all that has to be put on hold due to the injury.
Ryan Fitzpatrick, QB, Buffalo: If you have Fitzpatrick as a backup, it wouldn’t be wise to start him this weekend against Arizona. Buffalo’s starting left tackle (Cordy Glenn) and right guard (Kraig Urbik) are still sidelined and the Cardinals are a talented defensive team.
Alex Green, RB, Green Bay: Green has been a hot pickup off the waiver wire after word came down that starting tailback Cedric Benson would be out for several weeks. But is Green really worth a start against a very good Houston defense? He’s only rushed for 68 yards on 14 carries in two seasons, and he’s never been the target of a defense, especially a good defense. If they Packers are to beat Houston, they will need to pass, so Green might be better off on the bench for this week.
Monitor
A.J. Green, WR, Cincinnati: Green has been dealing with a knee injury but he is expected to play versus Cleveland. You may want to monitor his status.
Hakeem Nicks, WR, New York Giants: Nicks got a little work in at practice on Thursday and is hoping to be able to suit up against San Francisco on Sunday. If he’s able to play, you may want to get him active.