Opinion Corner: Football more than fantasy

When it comes to the NFL, there are so many things that we as fans get attached to.

There are the weekly office pools, wagers, and fantasy football. But every once in a while, situations arise that result in us forgetting about fantasy, and have us thinking of the realities off of the field.

Prior to week 3, Torrey Smith of the Ravens lost his brother. How does Smith respond? He pulls in 127 yards and two touchdowns. Even Pittsburgh Steelers players were probably cheering for Smith to dominate against the Patriots.

In Indianapolis this week the Colts revealed that head coach Chuck Pagano will be hospitalized for 6-8 weeks to battle leukemia. Keep coach Pagano in our prayers these next few weeks and pray for a full recovery.

As Smith and the Baltimore Ravens did in week 3, the Colts have no choice but to step onto the field and execute their game plan to perfection.

With coach Pagano facing the toughest battle of his life, look for the Colts to come out emotionally charged Sunday against the Green Bay Packers. Will they win? Probably not, but they will put up a fight and there will be a Colts player that can help you with some roster moves this week. If Reggie Wayne is on your bench, he’s a good replacement for Miles Austin, Calvin Johnson, or Vincent Jackson who are on their bye week.

Another wide receiver that may be on your bench that will help fill the holes in your starting lineup is Danny Amendola of the St. Louis Rams. Amendola is Bradford’s number one option and will have another week in which he’ll receive a large number of targets. For those in a PPR league, he’s definitely a start this week.

Sidney Rice of the Seattle Seahawks is another strong start this week. If he’s buried on your bench, or available on waivers, make a move for him. The Seahawks travel to Carolina where the Panthers defense is a fantasy football manager’s dream.

The Panthers allow the 24th-most yards in the league and number one receivers and running backs should be able to find the end zone.

For those in deep leagues, Andre Roberts would be a good move for this week. Roberts is coming off of a great game and has the potential to have another solid outing. Larry Fitzgerald will continue to receive most of the targets, but this results in him demanding most of the Rams secondary’s attention, which will open up more space for Roberts.

If you’re looking to replace a quarterback on a bye week, make a move for Andy Dalton. The Cincinnati Bengals are at home against the Miami Dolphins who gave up over 300 yards and three touchdowns to Kevin Kolb last week. Dalton comes into the game with a great fantasy football line from last week and should continue to impress.

Depending on how deep your league is, other quarterbacks that may be on the waiver wire that could help out those of you who have starters sitting this week, are Jay Cutler and Alex Smith.

Cutler is yet to have two strong outings in a row this season and the Jacksonville Jaguars will definitely allow him to have his first back-to-back solid games. The Jaguars 20th-ranked pass defense teamed up with their struggling offense will allow Cutler many opportunities to make big plays this week.

Alex Smith and the 49ers are at home against the Buffalo Bills Sunday. Smith has only thrown one interception in three games this year and has five touchdowns. If you’re still not sold on Smith for this week, consider this: the Bills come into the game having allowed nine touchdown passes, which is tied for third-most this season.

Last week I advised to bench Phillip Rivers (assuming he’s on someone’s roster). This week, however, he deserves to suit up and start in some of your leagues, or get picked up off of waivers.

The Chargers are facing the 0-4 Saints, who have allowed seven passing touchdowns (tied for fifth-most in the league). The Saints will get their first victory, but it won’t come easy as Rivers and company should put up decent fantasy numbers.

With Peyton Manning coming into the season with a lot of uncertainty, there are a few leagues where he was drafted as a backup. If he’s on your bench, start him this week.

Manning and the Broncos travel to New England, which might be one of the last Manning vs. Brady matchups. There’s no doubt that Brady will put up big numbers and Manning will continue to show football fans that he is still an elite quarterback.

Another player featured in the Patriots and Broncos game that deserves to be starting in our fantasy leagues is Willis McGahee. McGahee’s start has as much to do with the defense respecting Manning’s pass attack as it does with his strength as a back.

Another back that is worthy of a start this week is Cedric Benson. The Colts run defense is nothing to fear, not even for the Packers. Aaron Rodgers should secure a comfortable lead by mid-third quarter, if not earlier, and Benson should benefit with the majority of the carries from then on.

A tough decision this week is starting Rashard Mendenhall. Mendenhall is expected to make his first start of the season this Sunday against Philadelphia.

After their first four games, the Eagles allow under 92 rushing yards per game, and have allowed just one rushing touchdown. The Steelers run game has been absent, and the Steelers are desperate to get a rushing attack going.

If your other options are backs that have disappointed so far like MJD, or Darren McFadden, then start Mendenhall. If you have other capable options, go with them before making a decision on a player who is coming back from a major injury.

If you don’t have the horses in the stable to put together a decent starting lineup, you’ll have to make some trades if you’re desperate for a win.

DeSean Jackson was one of the most traded players at Fantasy Moves this past week and his stock is currently at a fair value. Buyers can argue that he hasn’t been consistent in over a year and that one good game doesn’t warrant a high price.

Another player that was heavily sought after this week was Lance Moore. He was targeted 15 times against the Packers and has had two solid games so far this season.

Good luck this week, and if you need any trade, waiver, or who to start, or sit, advice, send one of our trade mediators at Fantasy Moves an email at moves@fantasymoves.com.

Jessy Sandhu is the founder of www.fantasymoves.com. Follow him on Twitter @FantasyMoves

Tags: sports, nfl, football