Nobody needs to be told starting Aaron Rodgers, Jamaal Charles,
or Calvin Johnson is a good idea. Duh, right? You can’t
have studs at every position 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 Luck’s bye week? Let’s talk. Looking for solutions
at running back because AD 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 Brown and went RB-QB-Gronk 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: Cleveland, New Orleans, NY Giants, Pittsburgh
Marcus Mariota in Week 11: The Jaguars
have given up the sixth-most fantasy points to quarterbacks.
Grab a Helmet
Marcus Mariota @ JAX (Thu): Quarterbacks
officially hate me. For the second consecutive season, my decision
to wing it with average to below-average talent at the position
has blown up in my face right when it matters most. Owing to injury
(Sam Bradford), demotion (Nick Foles), or both (Josh McCown), I’m
now fighting for my playoff life in our two-QB league with Matt
Hasselbeck and whomever I’m able to grab off the waiver wire
this week. Stop laughing. Guess we’ll see if all that WR/RB
depth was really worth it, huh? And to think I could have just played
the homer way back on draft day and nabbed Mariota (slaps forehead).
He’s been predictability inconsistent (most rookies are) and
isn’t doing anything with his legs (puzzling, at best), but
he’s still averaging a healthy 21.7 points/game. That’s
better than Matt Ryan, Matthew Stafford, Russell Wilson, and fellow
rook Jameis Winston.
Mark
Sanchez v. TB: Now that Ken Whisenhunt has been canned
in Nashville, I’m secretly hoping one of two things happens: A)
the new Titans coach wants nothing to do with a “non-traditional”
QB and trades Mariota to Philly; or B) Chip Kelly gets canned in
Philly and ends up in Music City. Either way, the Kelly/Mariota
reunion in the big leagues would make my Sundays exponentially more
interesting (GO DUCKS!). Until then, we’re stuck watching Sanchez
attempt to orchestrate Kelly’s Philly attack. Again. It could be
worse, actually (see Bradford, Sam), and Sanchez looked pretty good
in relief last Sunday…right up until he threw a soul-crushing, game-losing
pick in the end zone. It’s just who he is, I guess, but he’s at
least as talented as Bradford and a whole lot more mobile, so who
knows? If he were available, I’d be grabbing him off the waiver
wire.
Case Keenum @ BAL: Instead, I’ll
probably grab this guy. Sounds pretty desperate, right? Stay with
me here. The four worst passing defenses in the league, on a total
yardage basis, are Cleveland, Pittsburgh, New Orleans, and the New
York Giants, otherwise known as the four teams on bye in Week 11.
Of the remaining 28 clubs, Baltimore gives up more points/game (25.0)
to opposing QBs than any other. That’s really saying something;
moreover, when you consider they shut down Peyton Manning in Week
1 and later faced Michael Vick and Colin Kaepernick, not exactly
Murderer’s Row material. So, no matter how you feel about
Keenum under center, you have to at least admit he’ll be blessed
with a terrific matchup. Plus, there’s this little blessing:
He’s not Nick Foles. The lead-footed former Eagle was disastrous
behind the iffy Rams line, but Keenum possesses way more mobility,
so…stranger things, right?
Grab a Clipboard
Jay Cutler v. DEN: You know,
stranger things have happened like Jay Cutler setting fire to
a stout Rams defense by leaning heavily on Jeremy Langford, a
running back making his second start, and (the other) Zach Miller,
a tight end whose previous career high of 79 receiving yards occurred
way back in 2010 with Jacksonville, before he missed three consecutive
seasons because of injury (2012, 2013, and 2014). OK, so it’s
not really a surprise Smokin’ Jay was wildly successful,
regardless of his supporting cast. He’s always had that
type of talent and few are better when he’s at his best.
It’s just that he rarely is, even when properly motivated.
He should be Sunday against the team that once jettisoned him
and his new head coach. However, that team also happens to sport
the league’s stingiest defense. Don’t bet on successive
superior outings for the always mercurial Cutler.
Kirk Cousins @ CAR: It wasn’t
the best fantasy performance of his relatively brief career, but
last week’s 324-yard, four-TD effort against the Saints
was easily Cousins’ most efficient as a starter. The often
vilified turnover machine, who many feel is just keeping a seat
warm in D.C., even managed to post the rare 158.3 QB rating on
the afternoon. That’s as high as the rating scale goes,
of course, and it’s only been done 65 times in NFL history.
Somebody could theoretically make it 66 this coming weekend, but
I’m 99.9% sure it won’t be Cousins. Instead of Rob
Ryan’s now former “defenders,” he’ll be
facing a salty Panthers stop unit holding opposing hurlers to
a league low 69.1 QB rating. They’ve also intercepted 14
passes thus far and that’s usually a Cousins specialty.
Congrats on the clever Week 10 start but Washington’s triggerman
belongs on your bench Sunday.
Teddy Bridgewater v. GB: In
case you hadn’t noticed – and judging by the lack
of buzz surrounding them, very few of you have – the Vikings
are out front in the NFC North. Like, all alone out front. That
wouldn’t mean much if it were Week 5, but we’re heading
into Week 11. How have they done it? Think plenty of defense,
boatloads of Adrian Peterson, and a timely (untimely?) tailspin
by their neighbors to the east. That’s exactly who they
get this Sunday in a game that could go a long way toward deciding
the eventual division champ. Bridgewater’s 2015 figures,
unfortunately, have been conspicuously pedestrian, so expecting
him to rise above “game manager” status in Minny’s
biggest game to date seems unrealistic. He has just one 300-yard
effort and one multiple-TD performance to his credit so far. Even
worse, they occurred on the same day (Week 7 at Detroit).
