Every week I’ll review the Weeks heroes, the weeks zeroes, and make sure your up to date on the performances that you need to know about.
QB: Fantasy Hero- Aaron Rodgers, Packers
21-for-29, 283 yards, 5 TDs, 0 INTs
The completion percentage (72.4 percent) was fantastic. The yardage total was impressive. The lack of an interception was magnificent. The touchdowns? Superlative The guy has been remarkable from start to finish this season an it’s going to be hard to argue with given him the real, and the fantasy, MVP this season.
QB: Fantasy Zero – Kellen Clemens, Rams
9-for-24, 91 yards, 0 TDs, 0 INTs
Given the matchup with the Steelers, maybe it shouldn’t be seen as such a bad thing that he didn’t reach 100 yards passing or throw for a score. At least he didn’t throw an interception. You had to be mental to start him anyway.
Numbers to Know Cam Newton only completed 12 pass for 171 yards. At this point though, you know it doesn’t matter with him, right? Newton threw three touchdown passes in the game and also ran the ball six times for 65 yards an another score. In two games against the Bucs he has four passing scores and four rushing scores.
Matthew Stafford threw for 373 yards and three touchdowns in Week 16. Moreover, he didn’t toss an interception and he also completed 29 of 36 passes. That’s about as efficient an effort as you are going to find.
Tim Tebow had a rushing scores, and 34 yards on the ground, and he had a passing scores and 185 yards through the air. However, his four interceptions were two more than the two he entered the game with.
Joe Webb threw five passes with two of them going for touchdowns. Webb ran the ball five times with one of the runs going for a score. Three touchdowns total for a guy who was only the player of record for 10 plays is pretty darn good don’t you think?
RB: Fantasy Hero – Arian Foster, Texans
23 carries, 158 yards, 1 TD / 3 catches, 16 yards
Foster is a monster each time he takes the field. The best thing about his work though is that he seems to be doing it so effortlessly (just watch how he glides through holes). Foster was the fantasy MVP last year when he averaged 101 rushing yards a game and caught 66 passes. He won’t be the MVP this year, but he’s averaging 94.2 yards a game on the ground and has 53 receptions for the Texans.
RB: Fantasy Zero – Ben Tate, Texans
6 carries, (-1) yard
Ugh. With the good comes the bad, life is all about balance you know. Foster was the good leaving Tate for the bad – or should I say hideous. As I’ve said all along, though few listened, Tate is always a risky play because he simply doesn’t get a large enough workload. After seven carries for 26 yards in Week 15 he went out and had about as bad a day as a running back possibly could in Week 16.
Numbers to Know Kahlil Bell ran the ball 23 times for 121 yards, and he also caught four balls for 38 yards for the Bears. That means over the last two weeks that he has averaged 93 yards on the ground and five receptions for 41 yards for the Bears.
Reggie Bush was injured in Week 16 but he still carried the ball 22 times for 113 yards. I can’t believe I’m typing this, but Bush has averaged 130 yards a game on the ground over his last four outings an in each of those games he has gone for at least 100 yards.
Toby Gerhart carried the ball just 11 times in place of an injured Adrian Peterson, but he went off for 109 yards. That effort was his third in four games of at least 90 yards on the ground though he still doesn’t have a rushing score since Week 12 – his lone of the season.
Evan Royster carried the ball 19 times for 132 to become the third Redskins back to rush for more than 100-yards in a game this season (Roy Helu, Ryan Torain). Royster entered Week 16 with 17 carries for 83 yards on the season.
WR: Fantasy Hero – Jordy Nelson, Packers
6 catches, 115 yards, 2 TDs
Nelson had caught just five passes in Weeks 14 & 15, and he had only one score from Week 12-15. In Week 16 he ended any doubt that he could function as the Packers top wide receiver if Greg Jennings is unable to go. Nelson is over 1,100 yards on the season to go along with 12 touchdowns. Not bad numbers for a “#2” wide receiver.
WR: Fantasy Zero – Laurent Robinson, Cowboys
1 catch, 5 yards
This is what happens to third receivers. They can go on a hot streak like Robinson did, but the truth of the matter is that he is a wide receiver #3 on his own team (toss in Jason Witten, and Robinson is often the fourth option on passing plays). The injury to Tony Romo certainly didn’t help here, but you couldn’t keep expecting Laurent to post WR2 numbers when he was seeing 60 percent of the snaps of Dez Bryant and Miles Austin.
Numbers to Know Arrelious Benn has caught only six balls for 54 yards his past four games, and that includes his anemic one catch, four yard effort in Week 16 against the Panthers. He made his one catch count though as it went for a four yard score.
Victor Cruz led wideouts with 164 yards receiving in Week 16. He managed that total thanks to a 99 yard touchdown grab as he caught only three, yes three, passes in Week 16.
James Jones caught four balls for 50 yards. Whoppie. However, two of those receptions went for touchdowns making Jones, and teammate Jordy Nelson, the only two wide receiver who scores twice through the air.
Reggie Wayne caught eight balls for 106 yards and a score in Week 16. The result was his first set of back-to-back scoring games on the year, a seasons best reception total, and just his third 100-yard receiving effort of the campaign.
TE: Fantasy Hero – Jared Cook, Titans
8 catches, 169 yards, 1 TD
After catching nine balls for 103 yards in Week 15, Cook improbably went nuts in Week 16 for an even better effort. With 696 yards on the season, Cook has racked up 39 percent of his season total in his last two outings. How is that for a playoff hero?
TE: Fantasy Zero -Owen Daniels, Texans
1 catch, 4 yards
Let’s face it, Daniels has been a huge disappointment this season. I know he’s been hurt a lot of the time, but he’s only scored three times on the year, isn’t going to reach 60 receptions (he has 54), and he has flat out disappeared when you’ve need him most with three receptions for 33 yards the past two weeks. Disappointing.
Numbers to Know Jermichael Finley had three receptions for 20 yards an a score on the Packers first drive in Week 16. So he had one of those massive efforts in Week 16, right? Not even close. He didn’t catch a single pass the rest of the game.
Evan Moore caught five balls for 35 yards an a touchdown for the Browns. He’s now caught a touchdown or gone for 55 yards in each of his last three games.
Brandon Pettigrew caught nine balls for 80 yards in Week 16, and he added his second score in three weeks. After being held to less than 40-yards for 6-straight games Pettigrew has gone for at least 49 yards in each of the last three weeks.
Kellen Winslow caught six balls for 63 yards in Week 16. As a result he has 68 receptions for 707 yards, his third straight season of at least 65 receptions and 700 yards. Remove his injured ravaged 2008 effort and it would be 5-straight such seasons.
Ray Flowers can be heard daily on Sirius/XM Radio on The Fantasy Drive on Sirius 210 and XM 87. Ray’s baseball analysis can be found at BaseballGuys.com and his minute to minute musings can be located at the BaseballGuys’ Twitter account.
Coffin Corner: A look inside the numbers as you gear up for battles with clubs from the NFC.
Marshawn Lynch faces a Niners’ defense that has not allowed a single rushing touchdown this season as the unit has become the first in the history of the NFL not to allow a rushing score in the first 14 games of a season. Can Lynch extend his franchise record touchdown scoring streak to 11 weeks facing that unit? Since Week 9 of the season Lynch also has an NFL leading 748 rushing yards. Will he become the first back to rush for more than 100-yards in 37 games against the Niners?
Cliff Avril has forced five fumbles, recovered two fumbles (including one that resulted in a 24 yard touchdown), and has nine sacks in his last eight games.
Jason Babin has eight sacks in his last three games including at least two in each of the three games.
Drew Brees needs 305 passing yards to set the all-time NFL passing record (5,084 held by Dan Marino). He’s led the Saints to a 9-2 record against the Falcons with a 100 QB Rating.
Chris Clemens of the Seahawks has 11 sacks in his last 13 games.
Josh Freeman has averaged 210 passing yards and two scores the last two times he has faced the Panthers.
Brandon Jacobs ran for 100 yards an a score the lone time he’s faced the Jets.
Steven Jackson is 34 rushing yards from a 7th straight season of 1,000 yards. He’s also averaging 114.9 yards a game from scrimmage over his last 84 games. This week he faces the toughest run defense in the AFC, the one that belongs to the Steelers.
Jabar Gaffney has all of three catches for 34 yards in his two games against the Vikings. He should blow past those numbers this week as he has averaged six receptions and 91 yards a game over his past four outings.
Tony Gonzalez was a non entity in Week 15. Look for that to change in Week 16 as he faces a Saints teams that he burned for eight receptions, 110 yards and a score in their last matchup.
Frank Gore may not get 20+ touches this week for the Niners, but he has his two biggest career running games against the blue and green of the Seahawks – 212 yards on November 19, 2006 and 207 yards on September 20, 2009.
Ryan Grant isn’t a great play this week because of a healthy and crowded Packers backfield, but he does have a ton of success against the Bears in his career (596 rushing yards and five scores in six games).
Rex Grossman faces a Vikings club that is the third worst in pass defense at 260.4 yards a game. Even better for Grossman though is the fact that the Viking porous pass defense has been beaten for 31 touchdowns.
Percy Harvin has five receiving scores in his last five games.
Eli Manning has thrown for 14 touchdowns in the 4th quarter, tied for the most in history. He’s also thrown for a Giants franchise record 4,362 yards on the year, and in his only start against the Jets he passed the pigskin for two scores.
Clay Mathews has 11 sacks in his last 14 games against NFC North competition.
LeSean McCoy has been killing everyone in the league with his high scoring magic, and the Cowboys aren’t immune to that. The last two times McCoy has faced the ‘Boys he has run for 334 yards and two scores. McCoy is flat out amazing.
Lance Moore has five touchdowns in his last four games, and he also had a huge game the last time the Falcons visited New Orleans with six receptions, 149 yards and two scores.
Cam Newton has 30 scores on the season (17 passing, 13 running), the most by a rookie in league history. The last time he faced the Panthers he passed for one score and ran for three others.
Julius Peppers had a sack an a fumble recovery the last time he faced the Packers.
Adrian Peterson hasn’t had any success in two outings against the Redskins rushing for 63 yards and one score on 15 carries.
Brandon Pettigrew might find the sledding tough going this weekend facing a Chargers club that has allowed only 55 receptions to the tight end, the fourth lowest mark in the league.
Jason Pierre-Paul has a sack in each of his last four games. He also has 18 sacks in his last 20 games.
Christian Ponder has thrown for seven scores in his last three games including at least two each week. On the year the Redskins have allowed 17 passing scores in 14 games.
Laurent Robinson has scored nine times in his last eight games while Dez Bryant has scores in four of his past five games.
Tony Romo has thrown for 20,283 yards in his first 75 NFL starts, the third most yards through that game mark in the history of the NFL. The Eagles are allowing only 213.8 yards a game passing this year, but they have been beaten for 25 scoring passes.
Matt Ryan has thrown for 544 yards and seven touchdowns his last two games. The last time he faced the Saints he threw for 351 yards and two scores, an in six career matchups he’s averaging 263 passing yards a game.
Alex Smith has completed 68 percent of his passes for 379 yards, three scores and no interceptions in his last two games against the Saints.
Pierre Thomas has five touchdowns in his last four games against the Falcons.
Michael Turner ran for 96 yards the last time he faced the Saints, an in seven career matchups he’s averaged 83.3 yards a game on the ground.
Brian Urlacher has an interception in his last two outings against the Packers.
Michael Vick passed for 279 yards and ran for another 50 the last time he faced the Cowboys. He also passed for two scores and didn’t thrown an interception.
DeMarcus Ware has seven, seven, sacks in his last two games against the Eagles.
Beanie Wells is six yards short of becoming the first Cardinal with 1,000 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns. The Bengals are allowing 99.6 yards a game on the ground and have permitted 12 rushing scores.
DeAngelo Williams has four rushing scores in his last four meetings with the Bucs. Jonathan Stewart has five scores in his six games against the Bucs.
Mike Williams had five receptions for 93 yards in his last game against the Panthers.
Jason Witten loves to see the Eagles on the schedule. He’s spiked the ball in the end zone four times in their last four meetings.
Roddy White has scored seven times while averaging 64 yards a game against the Saints in 13 matchups.
Charles Woodson has five interceptions in 11 games against the Bears as a member of the Packers.
Random Start of the Week
(That one player you would never consider starting but for some reason he might be worth a look if you’re desperate.)
Kahlil Bell, Bears
I might be the only person who doesn’t seem to think that starting Bell is a strong play this week, so maybe I’ve got it all wrong. I look for the Bears to be destroyed by the Packers who will be out to reassert their dominance after last weeks dismal outing. If that’s the case, the Bears likely won’t run much, but that also means that Marion Barber likely wouldn’t see much time on the field because he isn’t a very good pass catcher (he’s also a bit beat up physically). I consider Bell as a flex play option in 12 team leagues.
Ray Flowers can be heard daily on Sirius/XM Radio on The Fantasy Drive on Sirius 210 and XM 87. Ray’s baseball analysis can be found at BaseballGuys.com and his minute to minute musings can be located at the BaseballGuys’ Twitter account.
Start–Peyton Hillis, RB (CLE)–Hillis ran the ball well last week finishing the game with 26 carries for 99 yards and one touchdown. That was his best showing of the season, despite not reaching 100 yards rushing. The Browns will likely have to run the ball a lot in this game if they want to keep the score close, so expect Hillis to receive volume carries this week against the Ravens.
Sit–Joe Flacco, QB (BAL)–Flacco threw for just 158 yards in the Ravens last meeting with the Browns in Week 13 and this week should be no different. You just can’t trust Flacco at this point in the season.
Denver Broncos at Buffalo Bills–1:00 pm
Start–Demaryius Thomas, WR (DEN)–Thomas has now scored three touchdowns in the Broncos last three games and is by far Tim Tebow’s favorite target in the Broncos passing game. Expect Tebow to exploit the Bills lousy pass defense and get the ball into his best playmaker’s hands early and often in this matchup.
Sit–Ryan Fitzpatrick, QB (BUF)–After a great start to the season for Fitzpatrick he has now shown nothing but inconsistency week in and week out. This week he faces off against a solid pass defense that should limit his production. Go with a different option here.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Carolina Panthers–1:00 pm
Start–Jonathan Stewart, RB (CAR)–Although it has been tough all season deciding who was going to get the majority of the carries week to week in Carolina, this week it should be Stewart. The last time the Panthers faced the Buccaneers in Week 13 Stewart finished with 99 total yards and one touchdown, so look for another performance along those lines.
Sit–Josh Freeman, QB (TB)–Freeman hasn’t thrown for over 200 yards in each of his last three games which is not something you want to see from your fantasy quarterback and despite a good matchup, it doesn’t appear it will get any better. Go with a different option here.
Minnesota Vikings at Washington Redskins–1:00 pm
Start–Rex Grossman, QB (WAS)–the Vikings defense is the worst defense against the quarterback giving up an average of 19.7 points per game to opposing quarterbacks. With how good Grossman has been throwing the ball as of late, expect another big game from him.
Sit–Toby Gerhart, RB (MIN)–Despite having solid production even with Adrian Peterson in the lineup, Gerhart is not a solid play this week. The Redskins will force the Vikings to pass the ball a lot, which will limit his fantasy production.
Jacksonville Jaguars at Tennessee Titans–1:00 pm
Start–Tennessee Titans Defense/Special Teams (TEN)–Every defense that gets to face off against the Jaguars defense is a solid start in my book and this week it’s the Titans turn. Look for a big day from the Titans in this great matchup.
Sit–Chris Johnson, RB (TEN)–Although the Jaguars have been dreadful, the do rank just outside the top 10 in points against running backs. With Matt Hasselbeck probably out this weekend, that may also hurt Johnson’s fantasy value this week.
St. Louis Rams at Pittsburgh Steelers–1:00 pm
Start–Rashard Mendenhall, RB (PIT)–Coming off of a down week against the 49ers Mendenhall will be ready to get back to par this week, especially if Ben Roethlisberger is out. Expect a big game form Mendenhall facing off against a bad run defense.
Sit–Brandon Lloyd, WR (STL)–With Kellen Clemens throwing Lloyd the ball it is hard to be optimistic. While I expect him to be active in the Rams’ offense, I don’t expect them to get anywhere near the end zone against the Steelers defense, so scoring will be virtually impossible.
Arizona Cardinals at Cincinnati Bengals–1:00 pm
Start–Cedric Benson, RB (CIN)–Benson will look to follow in the footsteps of Peyton Hillis and Frank Gore and run all over the Cardinals this week. Benson has been a solid running back for the majority of the season and I expect him to finish out the fantasy season with a bang.
Sit–Jermaine Gresham, TE (CIN)–Gresham has been very unreliable this season and this week should be no different. The Cardinals pass defense is starting to show up each week, which will probably keep the Bengals offense running the ball often in this one.
Miami Dolphins at New England Patriots–1:00 pm
Start–Matt Moore, QB (MIA)–In Week 1 the Patriots game up 33 fantasy points to Chad Henne on 416 passing yards and two touchdowns. This week Moore gets to face that awful secondary in a must-start if you are a Moore owner.
Sit–BenJarvus Green-Ellis, RB (NE)–Green-Ellis has been very inconsistent in terms of fantasy for the majority of the season and with a fantasy title on the line, it is hard for me to roll the dice with him against this matchup. Go with a different option here.
Oakland Raiders at Kansas City Chiefs–1:00 pm
Start–Kansas City Chiefs Defense/Special Teams (KC)–The Chiefs totally shut down the Raiders in their last meeting forcing both Carson Palmer and Kyle Boller to throw three interceptions a piece. This week should be much of the same as the Chiefs look to force the Raiders to pass the ball often and force turnovers.
Sit–Darrius Heyward-Bey, WR (OAK)–Heyward-Bey is coming off of a great game last week in which he recorded eight receptions for 155 yards and a touchdown, but this week is a whole different game. The Chiefs were able to shutdown the Packers passing game last week and should do the same to the Raiders this weekend.
New York Giants at New York Jets–1:00 pm
Start–Dustin Keller, TE (NYJ)–Keller is coming off of a good game last week in which he finished with three receptions for 73 yards, which was his best outing since Week 3. Look for Mark Sanchez to look his way often in this matchup.
Sit–Brandon Jacobs, RB (NYJ)–With Ahmad Bradshaw fully back in the mix, Jacobs will now return to minimal duties. Don’t use him this week, especially in this matchup.
San Diego Chargers at Detroit Lions–4:05 pm
Start–Kevin Smith, RB (DET)–Although he was rather ineffective last week, this week should be a different story. The Chargers defense can be passed on, which will open up chances for Smith in both the passing game and the rushing game, so if you are in need of a No. 2 running back Smith is a good start.
Sit–Malcolm Floyd, WR (SD)–The Chargers offense is kicking on full cylinders right now, but Floyd’s production is very inconsistent. If the Chargers want to win this game they will have to establish a running game with Ryan Mathews, so expect them to run the ball more than normal, which will hamper Floyd’s production this week.
Philadelphia Eagles at Dallas Cowboys–4:15 pm
Start–Jeremy Maclin, WR (PHI)–Maclin finally looks to be fully healthy after missing time with hamstring and shoulder injuries over the course of the season and is matched up against the Cowboys, who may be without Michael Jenkins for Saturday’s game. Expect a big game out of Maclin in a must-win for the Eagles.
Sit–Dez Bryant, WR (DAL)–The Eagles secondary has been playing solid as of late, and there are too many mouths to feed in the Cowboys passing game. Expect Tony Romo to continue to spread the ball around to all his targets limiting Bryant’s fantasy production.
San Francisco 49ers at Seattle Seahawks–4:15 pm
Start–Frank Gore, RB (SF)–Gore had a tough go at it last week when he faced off against the Steelers, but this week gets a better matchup, facing off against the Seahawks. The Seahawks have been giving up decent production to running backs as of late and I expect Gore to do the same this week.
Sit–Marshawn Lynch, RB (SEA)–The 49ers defense has yet to give up a rushing touchdown this season as they continue to impress in their breakout season. Don’t expect much from Lynch this week.
Chicago Bears at Green Bay Packers–8:20 pm (SUN)
Start–Kahlil Bell, RB (CHI)–Last week Bell had a breakout game outplaying teammate Marion Barber and this week Matt Forte is once again out. With Bell’s versatility in the passing game, look for him to have another solid game as he is used in Forte’s role in the offense.
Sit–Ryan Grant, RB (GB)–The key to beating the Bears is by throwing the ball, which the Packers know how to do well. This will limit Grant’s touches this week as the Packers try to bounce back from their first loss of the season.
Atlanta Falcons at New Orleans Saints–8:30 pm (MON)
Start–Lance Moore, WR (NO)–Moore is coming off of a two touchdown performance form a week ago and will look to continue his hot streak. He has now totaled five touchdowns in the last four weeks and continues to be a go-to target for Drew Brees. Expect a good game from Moore this week in a favorable matchup.
Sit–Michael Turner, RB (ATL)–Turner has been bothers by a groin injury the last few weeks, which has definitely taken a toll on his fantasy production. This week he faces off against the Saints, who are beatable on the ground, but they score so many points that they force teams to throw the ball which will limit his production. Go with a different option here.
Matthew Beck is a Fantasy Sports Columnist for Rotoinfo.com. If you have any questions or comments feel free to e-mail him at matthewbeck@rotoinfo.com. Also follow him on Twitter @MatthewRBeck for up-to-date Q&A and fantasy information.
Coffin Corner: A look inside the numbers as you gear up for battles with clubs from the AFC.
The Colts are 9-0 at home against the Texans, though that was thanks to Peyton Manning. However, Dan Orlovsky has completed 63.7 percent of his passes for 571 yards and four scores this season. The Texans though are tough against the pass – they are ranked second in the NFL allowing just 181.1 yards a game and have 18 interceptions versus 15 touchdowns allowed.
The Texans are 4-0 against the AFC South this year and had won their last 4-straight on the road. In his only road start this season T.J. Yates completed 26 passes for 300 yards and two scores. The Colts are ranked 24th against the pass this season.
Cedric Benson needs 41 yards rushing to reach 1,000 for a third straight season. The Cardinals are middle of the pack against the run allowing 117.4 yards a game, though they have permitted 14 rushing scores in 14 games.
Dwayne Bowe is 14 yards away from his second straight 1,000 yard effort and the third of his career. He’s had a fair amount of success against the Raiders averaging five catches and 69 yards a game, though he’s only scored two times in nine games.
Tom Brady is 214 yards from a career best in passing yards (4,806). In his last game against the Dolphins he passed for an insane total of 517 yards. He has won 10-straight games in December. He’s also won 10-straight at home vs. the AFC East.
Reggie Bush has run for at least 100-yards in each of his last three games. He also leads the NFL with 406 rushing yards in December leaving him 27 yards short of his first 1,000 yard season. He’s also run for six touchdowns in his last seven games. The Patriots have allowed 12 rushing scores this season while they are the 19th ranked run defense.
Michael Bush has run for 236 yards the last two times that he has faced the Chiefs. The Chiefs have had a hard time stopping anyone on the ground this season allowing one rushing score per game and 130.4 yards on the ground, the 8th worst mark in the league.
Elvis Dumervil has at least half a sack in seven straight games for the Broncos. Teammate Von Miller has seven sacks in six road games this year.
Arian Foster has destroyed the Colts in two career matchups running for 333 yards. As a unit the Colts are the 5th worst run defense this season allowing 138.7 yards a game and 18 rushing scores – the second worst mark in football.
Joe Flacco has faced the Brown seven times in his career, and though he’s thrown for only eight scores in that time he’s led the Ravens to a 7-0 record.
Dwight Freeney has 15.5 sacks against the Texans. Robert Mathis has 12.5 sacks against the Texans. That’s a career-high for both players.
A.J. Green is seven receptions and four yards behind bettering Cris Collinsworth’s Bengals rookie record for receptions (67) and yards (1,009). Green is dealing with a shoulder issue but he faces a Cardinals’ pass defense that is ranked just 22nd in the NFL in holding down wide receivers.
Shonn Greene is 59 yards from his first 1,000 yard effort. He also is averaging 96.7 yards a game on the ground in December while rushing for an AFC leading four scores. The Giants have allowed 14 rushing scores in 14 games on the year.
BenJarvus Green Ellis has three rushing scores in his last three games against the Dolphins.
Barring a setback, Matt Hasselbeck (calf) will start this week against the Jaguars. In three outings against the Jags he’s thrown for 750 yards and eight touchdowns.
Darrius Heyward Bay went for eight catches and 155 yards last week. The last time he faced the Chiefs he caught five balls for 89 yards.
Peyton Hillis ran wild against the Ravens the last time he faced them carrying the ball 22 times for 144 yards an a score. The Ravens are allowing 90 yards a game on the ground this season, the best mark in the AFC, so don’t expect a repeat performance.
Maurice Jones-Drew is 58 rushing yards from his career best (1,391 yards). In 11 career outings against the Titans he’s averaged 81.5 yards a game, and the last time he faced them he ran for 87 yards.
Chris Johnson (ankle) is 70 yards away from a 4th straight 1,000 yard rushing effort. In 11 career home games against the AFC South he has averaged 95.4 yards a game. He’s also averaged 93.7 yards a game in seven matchups against the Jaguars.
Stevie Johnson has racked up 198 receiving yards in his last two games. In his lone career game against the Broncos he was held to one catch for three measly yards.
Brandon Marshall has 1,000 receiving yards in his last five seasons. The last time he faced the Patriots he caught seven balls for 139 yards.
Ryan Mathews has run for 90 or more yards in 4-straight games while Mike Tolbert has run for a touchdown in 3-straight games. The Loins’ run defense has permitted just 10 rushing scores this year though they are the 6th worst run defense in football in terms of yards allowed.
Evan Moore will get more playing time with Ben Watson hurt, and Moore also scored the last time he faced the Ravens. However, the Ravens are the second toughest defense for tight ends to rack up points against this season.
Matt Moore has averaged 250 yards and two scores in his last three road starts. This week he faces a Patriots defense that has allowed an average of 1.5 passing scores a game, not to mention 296.7 yards through the air (the worst mark in football).
Ed Reed has 10 interceptions against the Browns in his career. That’s the most he has against any team.
Ray Rice ran all over the Browns last time taking the all for 204 yards on the ground. Averaging 5.6 yards a carry in December, Rice has averaged 98 yards a game on the ground against the Browns in his career (seven games).
Philip Rivers is the third QB in league history to have 4-straight seasons with 4,000 yards passing (the others are Peyton Manning and Drew Brees). He faces a Detroit team this week that held him to just 142 yards and one score in his lone career matchup against them. Considering that he is literally averaging more than twice that yardage total this season – 286.8 yards a game – expect a much better effort in Championship Week.
Mark Sanchez has thrown for 15 touchdown passes in seven home games this season. He needs 283 passing yards to set a career best (3,291 yards). The Giants are allowing an average of 257.5 yards a game through the air, the 4th worst mark in football.
C.J. Spiller is averaging 5.8 yards a carry in his past three December games. This week he daces a Broncos club that is allowing 4.1 yards a carry.
Tim Tebow is 7-2 as a starter this season and he has scored 14 touchdowns (10 passing, four rushing). He’s also 5-0 with eight touchdown passes and no interceptions on the road this season. He’s playing in Buffalo this week.
Demaryius Thomas leads the NFL with 329 receiving yards in the month of December. The Bills are allowing an average of 149 yards a game to wide receivers this season.
Hines Ward is nine reception away from 1,000. Only eight men have reach that total. Teammate Antonio Brown is 16 yards from his first 1,000 yard effort.
Wes Welker has averaged 105.4 yards a game in his career against the Dolphins.
LaMarr Woodley needs one sack to be come the first Steeler in history with four seasons of double-digit sacks.
Random Start of the Week
(That one player you would never consider starting but for some reason he might be worth a look if you’re desperate.)
Anthony Fasano, Dolphins
Starting any receiving option against the Patriots isn’t necessarily a bad thing given that they allow more passing yards than any other club in football. Fasano only has one score in the last four weeks, an only once has he caught more than three passes, but he’s averaged 47 yards a game in seven career matchups with the Pats. He’s also coming off a strong game against them which included five receptions for 82 yards. One caution – he missed Wednesday’s practice with a head injury, so make sure he is healthy enough to play in Week 16.
Ray Flowers can be heard daily on Sirius/XM Radio on The Fantasy Drive on Sirius 210 and XM 87. Ray’s baseball analysis can be found at BaseballGuys.com and his minute to minute musings can be located at the BaseballGuys’ Twitter account
Whoa, he’s on a list of people who did something good? Granted, it was against the Colts. One win does not make a team good again, though. Saw 59 snaps.
