Over the past few years during the NFL season, Ted Schuster and I have been doing a segment on the SiriusXM radio show called “Right, Wrong or Indifferent.” Basically what this means is a scorecard for all of the predictions, rankings and recommendations we gave out during the previous week for fantasy football.
I feel very strongly about users (readers, listeners, customers, etc) holding fantasy analysts responsible for the information and advice they pass along. To be honest, its way too easy for us to disguise our analysis on a week in and week out basis because there are thousands of excuses to be made. After all, we aren’t the ones playing the game, right? Well, nah, eff that. We need to be held accountable. If we aren’t then its too easy to become soft and not pay as much attention or not watch the games that we are trying to make sense out of. You guys deserve better.
Thus, I will be putting our radio segment down on paper and posting it right here each week on the Fantasy Alarm site. I encourage you to help be hold myself (and Ted!) accountable for the information that we provide. Now be careful here because if you are going to try and come at me with blame for something I didn’t say or take my thoughts out of context than I reserve the right to fire back at you. And you had better believe that I will. Just stick to the actual things that I say and we should have no problems.
This is a good spot to post your submissions for our Haterade segment on the SiriusXM show as well. Just light me on fire in the most negative way possible in the comments section, on the Fantasy Alarm Forums or on Twitter (@Jeff_Mans).
Here is my Right, Wrong & Indifferent for Week 10:
RIGHT
Ben Roethlisberger, QB, Steelers
After a total clunker last week and going up against the NFC leading Cowboys, there were many who doubted the Steelers offense going into this week. This has happened several times already this season where the Steelers look terrible only to bounce back big the following week. It’s dumbfounding how people continue to fall for this and miss great opportunities like this one.
Marcus Mariota, QB, Titans
Using Mariota in cash games this week proved to be lifesaving. The second year QB absolutely destroyed the Packers defenses and single handedly kept our Playbook PRO subscribers above water this week. My favorite salary saving technique is to use the QB playing opposite the obvious top selection in a given week. You usually can get that player at a great discount and know that he will have to throw a bunch in order to keep up with the game flow.
C.J. Prosise, RB, Seahawks
It wasn’t like I was all over Prosise this week but Ted and I both gave out Prosise’s name enough this past week to qualify him as a win for the week. To me, this was a straight up game flow play as I really didn’t think that the Seahawks would win the game. Prosise was the highest scoring RB this week who did not get into the endzone.
Jerick McKinnon, RB, Vikings
Matt Asiata, RB, Vikings
I made a vow after last week that no matter how tasty the matchup appeared, I would not use or recommend another Vikings running back. This was difficult because both McKinnon and Asiata fit the ideal value play mold in DFS this week given a low salary and inferior opponent. But, I stayed true and it paid off as none of us (hopefully!) fell into the quicksand that is the Minnesota Vikings running game.
Dion Lewis, RB, Patriots
I just wanted to remind you all that drafting, picking up, holding and hoping that Dion Lewis would at some point come back to rescue you was a terrible idea. Sure, Lewis will at some point be active on gameday for the Patriots and maybe he will even have a good game one day. But it was a ridiculous premise that Lewis was going to somehow rekindle what he was for a very brief time in 2015.
Jordy Nelson, WR, Packers
I had a very interesting conversation on Sunday where a good friend of mine said that Devante Adams was the Packers number one receiver. Ah, no. Adams is having a very good season for sure but Jordy has been a powerhouse this season. He leads the league in touchdown receptions and is the seventh highest scoring wide receiver in fantasy football this season.
Tyreek Hill, WR, Chiefs
My value play receivers in the DFS NFL Playbook were hit and miss this week which is pretty much the way that it goes with low priced options. But of all the screenshots of winning lineups that I saw this week, Tyreek Hill was a regular fixture in those lineups. I wish that I had used him more than I did but anytime our subscribers can hit for big gains in a week is a win for me.
J.J Nelson, WR, Cardinals
If I had a nickel for every time I have had to endure the hype surrounding an undersized, come out of nowhere fantasy WR that a coach had promised big things for then failed, I would be retired by now. Nelson is the kind of receiver who will have a big game then disappear for a few weeks before blowing up again later on. It’s best to just stay away from these players and concentrate on ones that can bring you more consistent efforts.
Delanie Walker, TE, Titans
Walker was a natural fit as a combo for Marcus Mariota this week. I only wish that I had used him more than I used that pathetic piece of crap Travis Kelce. Walker was a mismatch for the Packers defense that doesn’t have the linebackers or safeties to keep up with speedy TE’s who can find the seam.
Cameron Brate, TE, Buccaneers
Another week of being higher on Cameron Brate than pretty much every other person on the planet. Ever since Vincent Jackson went down, Brate has been Jameis Winston’s second favorite target in the passing game. Best of all is that he is still available in 65% of fantasy leagues and is cheap as dirt in DFS week after week.
Others I Was Right About
Aaron Rodgers, QB, Packers
Robert Kelley, RB, Redskins
Doug Martin, RB, Buccaneers
Antonio Brown, WR, Steelers
Corey Coleman, WR, Browns
Antonio Gates, TE, Chargers
Ladarius Green, TE, Steelers
WRONG
Jay Cutler, QB, Bears
Oh boy. Jay Cutler was a disgrace on Sunday and I’m embarrassed at how much I liked him going into this matchup. I am happy that I moved away from the idea of using Cutler in cash games because that would have been a disaster. Still, I had way too much Cutler exposure and he single handedly sunk some otherwise good GPP lineups this week.
Russell Wilson, QB, Seahawks
I’ve said it before and I am sure that I will say it again. I am always wrong about Russell Wilson. I didn’t expect much from him this week against the Patriots and I certainly don’t expect that kind of production to continue the way that it did last season. Go ahead and jump on the Wilson bandwagon again. I’ll leave you plenty of room by staying away once again.
Darren Sproles, RB, Eagles
Ryan Mathews, RB, Eagles
I didn’t like Sproles much at all this week and in fact, if it wasn’t for Ted Schuster I probably would have him in my “right” category. But as a whole, our site gave out Sproles at a solid starter all week and none of us had Ryan Mathews as being on the spectrum of fantasy production this week. Much like I have declared with the Vikings, stay as far away from these Eagles running backs as you possibly can.
Jonathan Stewart, RB, Panthers
I really liked Stewart against the Chiefs this week. The Chiefs entered the week surrendering the third most yards per attempt on the ground and the Panthers have been using Stewart as their workhorse once again. He got the touches but didn’t have the success that I had hoped for and was vultured once again in the red zone by Cam Newton.
Alshon Jeffery, WR, Bears
Good grief, Alshon. It’s one thing to have a bad game but why did you have to torture us like this? Jeffery had 30 yards on the Bears first drive then did next to nothing the rest of the day. He did have a 35 yard grab that could have went for a TD if not for a shoestring tackle by the Bucs secondary. The play was called back though because of holding on the Bears. Now, it comes out that Jeffery has been suspended for four game by the NFL for violating their policy against performing enhancing drugs.
Willie Snead, WR, Saints
All week I was steadfastly against Snead against the Broncos. He was to be matched up against the only good and healthy corner the Broncos had left in Chris Harris. I was good with Michael Thomas on the outside against Bradley Roby but both Snead and Brandin Cooks were fades for me this week. So, of course Snead goes on to grab two touchdowns and become the 10th highest scoring WR of the day.
Sammie Coates, WR, Steelers
Once again I take a chance on the longball threat of Sammie Coates and once again he fails me miserably. Last week he simply dropped every pass thrown his way. This week he went out and got benched in favor of Cobi Hamilton. I don’t know where Coates’ season goes from here but I need to stop buying into him and having to write his name in this space every week.
Travis Kelce, TE, Chiefs
I know better than to trust Kelce in any format of fantasy football. The Panthers don’t guard the TE position very well but a lot of that was probably due to the injuries to LB’s Shaq Thompson and Luke Keuchley. Kelce did grab a two point conversion but overall it was a very disappointing effort from him this week.
Others I Was Wrong About
Drew Brees, QB, Saints
Chris Ivory, RB, Jaguars
Devonta Freeman, RB, Falcons
Doug Baldwin, WR, Seahawks
Mike Evans, WR, Buccaneers
Randall Cobb, WR, Packers
Martellus Bennett, TE, Patriots
INDIFFERENT
Colin Kaepernick, QB, 49ers
I’ve been on the Colin Kaepernick train since July even when everybody was telling me how much better Blaine Gabbert was for Chip Kelly’s system. I didn’t go near him in DFS this week but I did have him in both forms of my week 10 rankings this week.
David Johnson, RB, Cardinals
I had David Johnson as my number one running back in both seasonal and daily fantasy rankings this week. But I said all week and capped it off on the show on Friday that DJ was going to let us all down given how great this matchup was. Johnson was still the sixth highest scoring RB of the week which lands him a spot here in the indifferent pile.
Kelvin Benjamin, WR, Panthers
Benjamin had one of the best CB matchups of the week and thus I was all in on him. He actually had a pretty good game going 7-84 before committing the fatal fumble that gave the Chiefs the game. If you factor in the 17 yard reception that he had called back it could have been even better.
Davante Adams, WR, Packers
I was told this weekend that I don’t like Davante Adams. This was news to me as I could have sworn that I’ve been defending Adams against the world for the last year and a half. But now that he is racking up the numbers, the bandwagon jumpers are trying to elbow the few of us who have been on board the whole time out.
Zach Ertz, TE, Eagles
Ertz was my favorite value play TE this week and he found his way into many of my DFS NFL lineups. A 6-55 effort though was not what I was hoping for. Still, the low salary and the awful week that TE’s put up allowed him to post the 10th highest fantasy points of the slate. Not good but far from a disaster all things being considered.