Week 4 Three G's

Detroit will have the league’s best record at the midpoint of the regular season. Yep, that comes from a Packers fan. They can win on the road (@TB Week 1, @MIN Week 2). They can score points (27, 48, 26). They are not the Lions of old (broke 13-year losing streak in Minnesota). Their schedule shapes up nicely as well, with an injured Cowboys team next week followed by three home games before traveling to Denver. Could it be possible that they will be 8-0 headed into their bye week? I actually think they go 7-1, but either way, look out for those Lions!

QB

1.       Gimme: Tom Brady—He may be on his way to an NFL MVP. Oakland is not the same without Nnamdi in the secondary. Oh, and the Patriots won’t mind taking last week’s loss out on the up-and-coming Raiders.

2.       Game-Changer: Eli Manning—He looked really, really bad in the preseason and in week one, but he has picked up his game the last two weeks. That includes a matchup last week against the stud cornerbacks in Philly. Arizona is ranked 26^th in fantasy points given up to opposing quarterbacks.

3.       Gamble: Jason Campbell—New England might be up big in this game by halftime, so Oakland is going to be forced to throw the ball, though they’d much rather run it. Campbell has actually looked like a starting NFL quarterback this season, and the Patriots give up a ton of passing yards.

Week 3 Three G's

I am not a complete fantasy football idiot. If I was, I wouldn’t have had the courage to start writing these articles, and you wouldn’t believe a word I say. You still may not believe me, but I redeemed myself in week two by going 3-0 in my fantasy leagues, scoring the most points in two of them. I also happened to hit on 12 of 16 of my week two picks, though I was 9 yards off in my Rex Grossman prediction. Week three shapes up like this:

Week 2 Three G's

Don’t you hate it when you wake yourself up just before your alarm goes off in the morning? I do that on a regular basis, but a recent occurrence of this event was unique. A very minor and random facet of a dream led me to spit onto my pillow, and thus on myself. Good morning. Maybe it had something to do with my fantasy football weekend because I definitely spat on myself there. At least I hit on several of my “Three G’s” last week. Here are my picks for Week 2:

Week 1 Three G's

Opening night is upon us, and all of your preparation is about to come to fruition. You’ve tweaked and re-tweaked your opening weekend roster, but just in case there’s still work to be done, take a gander at this week’s Three G’s:

QB

1.       Gimme: Aaron Rodgers & Drew Brees—You never considered benching either of these guys, but they may even exceed your expectations in week one. They are two of the top quarterbacks, playing on opening night in primetime. Even though I’m a believer in Green Bay’s defense, expect a shootout in this one.

2.       Game-Changer: Kevin Kolb—Kolb played well early in 2010 before injuries allowed Vick to take over. I don’t like him as a fantasy starter for the whole season, but this week he plays Carolina. I foresee a reoccurring theme with anyone playing Carolina.

3.       Gamble: Kerry Collins—How old is this guy? Seventeen seasons and a retirement and un-retirement into his career, he finds himself in the best situation yet. Peyton is doubtful for week one and I don’t think he will play even though it’s a division opponent. I expect Houston to lead for most of this game, and Indy is a pass-first team even without Manning at the helm.

What are the Three G's?

When I thought about creating this blog and offering fantasy analysis, I struggled with forming the concept for my in-season weekly article. I wanted to create something original and try to customize the advice to fit the individual player. To do this, I decided to also create a Twitter account (@SackofCheese) so that my followers can ask for fantasy advice for their specific teams throughout the week and leading up to kickoff. Please feel free to contact me there or through the comments section of the blog at any time.

Secondly, I will post a weekly article highlighting three players from the positions of QB, RB, WR, and TE, as well as three D/ST. I’ll be referring to them as The Three G’s, which is not to be confused with your wireless network. I’ll also throw a kicker in at the end in the form of, well, a kicker. Read on to find out more.

1.       “The Gimme”—Like a two-foot putt, you should be able to count on this guy. He’s not going to be available on the waiver wire, but you better not consider benching him for the week if he is on your team. He’s set to have a formidable week.

2.       “The Game-Changer”—He might not be available on the waiver wire in all leagues, but you might find him on your bench. He can usually be counted on for decent numbers, but this is the week he could lead you to victory.

3.       “The Gamble”—If you are playing a standard league, he is probably available. He is essentially my ‘pickup of the week’ at his position. He could boom or bust this week, but if you’ve got room in your lineup, you might find yourself in the midst of an explosion.

“Kicker of the Week”—If you need a kicker to fill a bye slot, or are looking to rotate kickers each week to maximize points, this is your guy. He should be available on the waiver wire unless your leaguemates read the weekly article before you did.