Arian Foster had the biggest Saturday on the ground. Something will have to give when he meets Baltimore next week.
In the last few weeks, we have seen the day of the fumble, and the day of the missed field goal. This Saturday could be seen as the day of the botched challenge. While Jim Schwarz’s gaffe may have severely damaged his team’s chance of winning, the two foolish challenges of Marvin Lewis cost him only a pair of timeouts in a game that was out of reach for the Bengals.
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Bengals-Texans
The Bengals were simply outclassed on both sides of the ball. As such, it can be hard to take a lot from what happened and apply it to your free fantasy football league. For the Bengals, their performance confirmed my opinions on the 2012 fantasy football rankings. Even allowing for the quality of the defense they faced. Cedric Benson scored, but he only ran for 14 yards on 7 carries. He will of course face easier opponents next year, but you don’t like to see that type of performance from someone you will pick in the Top-50 for 2012.
AJ Green, often matched up against Jonathan Joseph, only managed 47 yards on the day. But it was the pass interference that he drew after burning his man that set up the only score for Cincinnati. The Bengals will play a tougher slate of opponents in 2012 but Green’s place among the leaders for 2012 fantasy football is not in doubt.
The Texans also have a tougher road ahead, but for TJ Yates and company, that road leads to a date with Baltimore in a week’s time. And those that are attempting playoff fantasy football games should note, that the Ravens are a bigger threat to quarterbacks than to ball-carriers. So if you planned on starting Yates, who made some nice throws, including a touchdown that Andre Johnson should have caught, isn’t likely to better the 160 and 1 he put up against Cincy. Speaking of Andre, though he put up 90 yards this week, he is also hard to start next week in playoff fantasy football contests. He doesn’t yet look completely healthy.
Arian Foster, however, remains eminently startable in most sorts of playoff fantasy football competitions. Yeah, the Ravens are good, but like I said, they are better at defending the pass. Arian Foster ran for 153 yards against the mediocre Bengals. He should get close to 100 against a better Baltimore D. And if the Texans are ahead,(possible, these teams are closer than you think) there will be enough carries for him to get the job done. When you consider what other running backs will be available, I see no reason not to start Arian Foster next week. Did you see him on Saturday? He looked like he could be safely started against the 85 Bears.
Calvin Johnson was unstoppable this week. Who will take flight round?
Lions-Saints
The matchup between the Lions and the Saints was everything we all wanted it to be. The Saints, albeit given a large assist by two horrendous calls,(inadvertent whistle taking back a Lions TD, and the worse spot since Big Ben’s Super Bowl touchdown in 05) outlasted the Lions, running and passing all over that Lion defense.
I was big on two gambles for Saints players. One worked: Robert Meacham scored and pulled down 111 yards, rewarding all those who picked him up in a playoff fantasy football game. The other didn’t. Though Chris Ivory matched Darren Sproles in rushing yards, Sproles scored twice and Ivory failed to reach the endzone. Between the two and fellow ball-carrier Pierre Thomas, the Saints chalked up over 160 yards on the ground. However, these guys are going to San Francisco next week. A collection of good-enough backs won’t do as much without the line opening up those gaping holes. And that means they will be splitting a much smaller pie. Unless you knew that one of the backs would be getting the bulk of the carries, and which, it is tough to use any of them in playoff fantasy football.
Far more people will be interested in using the members of the Saints passing game next week. But against the Niners, the many targets of Drew Brees are a tough sells. With the way that Brees spreads the ball, it is tough to pick one of them to have a big day. Even Jimmy Graham, who was an easy selection in round one, and came through with 55 yards and a touchdown, is no gimme in round two, now that there is a field of quality tight ends in play.
For the Lions, there is no next week. There is only next year. And nothing that happened on Saturday should have surprised you. Another 380 yards isn’t going to bump Matthew Stafford into the top-3 for 2012. And two-late game interceptions aren’t going to dislodge him from the top-5. Two scores and over 200 receiving yards might have moved Calvin Johnson into the top spot for next year, if he wasn’t so firmly entrenched there already.
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