Nobody needs to be told
starting Peyton Manning, Jamaal Charles, or Calvin Johnson is
a good idea. Duh, right? You can’t have studs at every position,
though, unless you’re in the shallowest of leagues. This
is where the Shot Caller comes in. Need help deciding which bargain
basement QB to use and which to ignore on Manning’s bye
week? Let’s talk. Looking for solutions at running back
because Charles is a game-time decision? Look no further. Need
to know which of your unproven targets to start and which to sit
since you ignored Megatron and went Jimmy Graham-RB-QB in your
first three rounds? You get the idea. Past results may not guarantee
future success, but ignoring them entirely can ruin your Sundays
in a hurry (maybe even your Mondays and Thursdays). Read on for
a little history and, hopefully, a little sage advice.
Note: Fantasy points
based on FF Today’s standard scoring system.
Bye Weeks: Arizona, Cincinnati,
Cleveland, Denver, Seattle, St. Louis
Colin Kaepernick and the 49ers may have
to post 30 points if they're going to beat the Eagles in Week
4.
Grab a Helmet
Colin
Kaepernick v. PHI: Back before Week 1, when we were all
undefeated and eager to watch our recently drafted studs make us
look brilliant, I tabbed San Francisco’s dynamic triggerman as the
first official start recommendation of the year. Alas, madness immediately
ensued and almost nothing’s gone according to plan since. Anyone
else need a reboot on this most unusual of NFL seasons? What better
person to press CTRL-ATL-DEL with than Kaepernick? He’s currently
the ninth best QB despite a horrific Week 2 performance against
Chicago and will be facing a Philly defense that’s making opposing
QBs look statistically stellar in every way but the one that matters
(wins and losses). It’s a war of attrition when you face the Eagles,
but the Niners have the horses to keep pace come Sunday afternoon
at Levi’s Stadium. Expect huge stats from Kap and maybe even the
first “L” for Philly.
Ryan
Fitzpatrick v. BUF: No, I’m not just cutting and pasting
from that Week 1 Report in a desperate attempt to reverse the course
of recent history. I’m doubling down on my favorite journeyman QB/beard
rocker for Week 4 because A) six QBs are on bye; B) he’s playing
his former Buffalo mates; and C) he freaking deserves it! Fitz suffered
through a nightmarish first half against the G-Men last Sunday (89
yards and two picks), but rebounded in the second stanza to finish
with 289 yards, a TD toss, and also a rushing TD, an overlooked
specialty of his. In other words, it was a typical Ryan Fitzpatrick
performance, marked by depression-inducing lows, dizzying highs,
and pretty much everything in between. It was also worth nearly
28 fantasy points, meaning Houston’s stopgap signal caller is now
12th overall at the position. Aaron Rodgers sits behind him at #13.
#imjustsaying
Blake
Bortles @ SD: Caveat #1: He’s only played 30 minutes
of meaningful NFL football. Caveat #2: He’s only played it – and
will continue to play it – for the Jacksonville Jaguars, just one
small step above the bottom-feeding Raiders, IMHO, on the NFL food
chain. If you can get past the fact he’s a hopelessly inexperienced
QB playing for one of the league’s most hopeless teams, however,
there’s a lot to like here. Bortles took over for Chad Henne to
start the second half last week and tallied 223 passing yards, two
scores, two picks, and 30 rushing yards for good measure. Double
those numbers and he’d have been Week 3’s highest scorer by more
than eight points. Yes, I realize that’s a fantastical extrapolation,
but it should at least grab your attention. Bortles passes the eye
test, folks, and might be just the guy to invigorate a catatonic
offense.
Grab a Clipboard
Ryan
Tannehill v. OAK (in London): If Roger Goodell et al.
are serious about selling American football in the UK, they sure
have a funny way of showing it. Miami v. Oakland wouldn’t draw
much interest in Miami or Oakland, let alone thousands of miles
and several time zones away in England. Tannehill hasn’t been
the most disappointing QB to date (we’re looking at you, Tom Brady
and Andy Dalton), but he’s been unimpressive enough to make Joe
Philbin squirm when asked to identify his starting field general
earlier this week. It’s still Tannehill, by the way, according
to those in the know and despite Philbin’s cagey response, but
the third-year man’s grasp on the job is exceedingly tenuous.
If he turns in another dodgy performance against the Raiders at
Wembley Stadium, things could get bloody uncomfortable for Tannehill
and anyone who pinned their fantasy hopes on him in 2014.
Mike
Glennon @ PIT: Save for a certain defending national
champ way out on the Panhandle, football-loving Floridians haven’t
had much to get excited about the last several seasons, either
at the NCAA level or the NFL level. With that performance last
Thursday night, the Bucs seem to have set football back in Tampa/St.
Pete, specifically, about 30 years. I grew up watching those Yuckaneer
teams clad in creamsicle orange with the Bucco Bruce helmets and
they regularly played as bad as they looked. They never played
or looked as bad, however, as they did against the Falcons last
week. If Atlanta hadn’t taken their foot off the gas, they might’ve
scored 70. That’s not an exaggeration. Glennon gets the start
for an injured Josh McCown this Sunday and I already feel sorry
for him and for anyone who’s decided he’s a viable bye week alternative.
Don’t risk it, people.
Geno
Smith v. DET or Alex
Smith v. NE (Monday): Both of the quarterbacking Smiths
are in the top 15 at the position so far this year, but I’d
put the chances of them ending up there at season’s end
in the 20-30% range. And that might be overly optimistic. Though
similarly statured and athletically gifted, neither QB has quite
been able to put it all together and become the foundation his
franchise needs him to be. Alex has had way more time (and is
on his second franchise), so it’s unrealistic to think he’ll
be anything other than a game manager at this point. Geno, conversely,
only has 16+ games under his belt, but already has one more 20-INT
season on his resume than Alex does. Translation? He’s a
turnover machine. Turnovers won’t kill you in fantasy ball,
but they’ll probably get you demoted. Avoid both in Week
4.
Running Backs 
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