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 4:
RIGHT
Joe Flacco, QB, Ravens
I had Flacco ranked seventh on my QB rankings this week and he finished up sixth. I also had him as my top DFS QB of the week and although the numbers weren’t staggering, he was the second best price per dollar at the position next to Matt Ryan this week.
Devonta Freeman, RB, Falcons
Tevin Coleman, RB, Falcons
Every single day last week Ted Schuster and I begged people to not go crazy on their treatment of the Falcons backfield situation. Coleman is a fast player but he’s not the better fantasy player at least not yet. Sure enough, if you got too excited after his three TD Monday night game then you likely ignored us and started Coleman this week. Bad move my friends.
Jamaal Charles, RB, Chiefs
Spencer Ware, RB, Chiefs
The Falcons weren’t the only backfield situation that needed sorting out this week. The return of Jamaal Charles presented a dilemma for fantasy owners on who to start. Even though neither of these guys really made an impact, the endorsement of Ware over Charles was the right move or Fantasy Alarm Nation this week.
Matt Jones, RB, Redskins
I had a real good week with running backs. There are a lot of names that I could have put here but Jones was the one that many others seemed to miss on this week especially in the daily game. Jones is a good player and is one of very few full time RB’s in the NFL. That alone deserves some attention and when you factor in a plus matchup like it was against the Browns, it becomes a no-brainer to me.
Julio Jones, WR, Falcons
I put Julio in here for a couple of reasons. For starters, telling people to play Julio Jones or other superstars like Antonio Brown is not my (or any other fantasy analysts) job. These calls should be the simple ones. Yet, I saw a ton of other fantasy analysts patting themselves on the back about recommending Julio in DFS this week. Well, I had him in two of our DFS NFL Optimal Lineups and I am certain there isn’t another analyst out there that did that for their customers. #FantasyAlarmNation
Michael Crabtree, WR, Raiders
I’ve literally been recommending and playing Crabtree in cash games for the entire season so far. Ted said before the season started that Crabtree was the better receiver in Oakland. Our ownership on him has preceded any of the praise and love he will likely receive this week as the bandwagon forms behind him.
Brice Butler, WR, Cowboys
The only reason I put Butler here is because I have been on this guy for three years now. He’s had flashes either in the spring or at certain points of the season each year. But the opportunity to start here with Dez Bryant out was just what the doctor ordered. A five catch, 41 yard performance isn’t something to write home about but the TD helped fantasy owners and if Dez misses more time this could be the beginning of a nice run for the young WR.
Zach Miller, TE, Bears
A lot of people had Miller as their sleeper TE this week so this was far from a earth moving prediction. Brian Hoyer loves to throw to his TE’s and the Lions are atrocious at guarding TE’s. This information will be useful to all of us as we move forward this season.
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Others I Was Right About
Drew Brees, QB, Saints
DeMarco Murray, RB, Titans
Carlos Hyde, RB, 49ers
Jordan Howard, RB, Bears
Brandon Marshall, WR, Jets
Michael Thomas, WR, Saints
Jordan Reed, TE, Redskins
WRONG
Russell Wilson, QB, Seahawks
I will be wrong on Russell Wilson until the day that I die. I really didn’t like the matchup or the brace on his leg that I figured would limit his mobility. But none of it matters. The guy just produces non-stop. You would think that I would eventually just give in and play Wilson but I am sure that day will never come. You can’t love everyone, unless of course you are Jon Gruden.
Todd Gurley, RB, Rams
I am glad that I don’t have any shares of Gurley in my seasonal leagues this year but that is more out of luck than anything else. I had Gurley as my #1 RB going into the season but its obvious that just isn’t going to happen. I am glad that he caught some passes against the Cardinals but one week after the Bills slaughtered the Cards on the ground, Gurley could barely get over three yards per carry.
Justin Forsett, RB, Ravens
Terrance West, RB, Ravens
This is one RB situation that I did get wrong. For this week I never suspected that Forsett would be inactive so I had him on at a low end RB2 all week long. Obviously that didn’t work out especially when West goes off for 100+ yards and a touchdown.
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Larry Fitzgerald, WR, Cardinals
By far my biggest miss of the week but one I blame squarely on Carson Palmer. He had a serious case of tunnel vision on John Brown on Sunday and completely ignored the best matchup on the field which was Fitzgerald against Lamarcus Joyner. I had Fitzgerald as a WR1 and as one of my top plays in DFS this week. That one really stung.
Golden Tate, WR, Lions
My how a week changes everything. I was preaching about buying low on Tate at this time last week and even used him in daily fantasy football lineups as well. After hauling in just one catch on Sunday and being benched for half of the game I am not so sure that I would buy low on Tate anymore. This was not a good call in any way, shape or form.
Rob Gronkowski, TE, Patriots
Yep, I said that you have to start your studs including Gronkowski even though he only ran two routes a week before. Clearly that was the wrong decision but one that I will probably make 80 out of 100 times.
Others I Was Wrong About
Ben Roethlisberger, QB, Steelers
Isaiah Crowell, RB, Browns
Cameron Artis-Payne, RB, Panthers
Steve Smith, WR, Ravens
Mike Wallace, WR, Ravens
Jimmy Graham, TE, Seahawks
Dennis Pitta, TE, Ravens
INDIFFERENT
Cam Newton, QB, Panthers
Well, I was correct in thinking that the Panthers were going to lose the game and that Cam would not perform very well. But I am a complete idiot for also including him as one of my DFS QB plays this week. I didn’t have enough shares to really hurt me but if I would have faded him it would have likely worked out much better for me.
C.J. Anderson, RB, Broncos
Anderson certainly got the touches (19) that we were looking for but wasn’t able to do much with them overall. The touchdown helped fantasy owners but I thought that we’d see a much bigger game out of C.J. this week than what we got.
Jeremy Hill, RB, Bengals
I had the game flow of this game pegged and even broke it down line by line on the SiriusXM show. Hill got the touches that I thought he would but I did figure him for more production out of those carries as well.
Kelvin Benjamin, WR, Panthers
Another Panthers player that I thought would be better but wound up saving his day because of a late touchdown. If Cam Newton hadn’t been knocked out of the game I really think that Benjamin would have had another TD.
Terrelle Pryor, WR, Browns
I was in full fade mode last week on Pryor and for the first quarter of the game I thought that I was completely wrong. But Pryor was a non-factor in the second half and even though he had a touchdown in the game, there wasn’t anything close to the production that many thought they were getting with him this week.
Hunter Henry, TE, Chargers
Henry easily could have been put into the “right” pile as he was the fourth best fantasy TE this week. Still, four catches for 61 yards and a TD is a solid outing but I thought he would be able to do a bit more with this matchup. I am not complaining, just thought it could be more.