Week 11 Offensive Preview: All About The Fatties

 Posted by at 3:00 PM  1 Response »
Nov 182011
 

The Raiders success on offense this Sunday in Minnesota relies on the massive shoulders of the offensive line.  The big boys up front dominated the Chargers defensive line last Thursday night, providing big holes for Michael Bush and a solid pocket for Carson Palmer.  But it’s a horse of a different color waiting for them in Minnesota: a big purple horse wearing number 69.

 

Match-ups To Watch

LT Jared Veldheer vs.  DE Jared Allen

Jared Allen leads the Vikings front seven.  He is a tenacious, relentless pass rusher, and leads the NFL with 13.5 sacks.  His motor never stops, he has a wide range of pass rush moves and has embarrassed even the league’s best tackles.  He can electrify the loud raucous crowd in Minnesota with one play, and it’ll be up to 6’8” left tackle Jared Veldheer to slow him down.  Don’t expect him to shoulder the burden alone, Hue Jackson will have tight ends Kevin Boss or Brandon Myers stay in and pass block on some plays, and he may also chip Allen with a back.  The other way to slow Allen down is to attack him directly in the run game.

RB Michael Bush vs. Vikings’ Front Seven

The Raiders will go with Michael Bush again this week, and he should be running behind that left side right at Jared Allen.  Defensive tackle Kyle Williams is a load up front, so expect him to draw a lot of double teams from Cooper Carlisle and Samson Satele. The Vikings are excellent against the run, allowing only 93 yards a game, so it’ll be strength versus strength on Sunday.  However, this is the first time this year Vikings unit has faced a rushing team in the top seven.

QB Carson Palmer vs. Vikings’ Secondary

Carson Palmer torched the Chargers secondary with the deep ball.  The Vikings are 30th in the NFL against the pass, and will be without veteran CB Antoine Winfield.  Minnesota used a lot of 2-deep zone against GB on Monday Night, and expect to see some of that early to try to neutralize the Raiders speed.  Palmer needs to be patient, go through his reads and has to be okay with hitting some of the underneath routes.  If he gets enough time, he should be able to pick apart this Vikings defense, even without Jacoby Ford and Darren McFadden.

 

X-FACTOR

Darrius Heyward-Bey

With Jacoby Ford out Sunday Heyward-Bey will need to step up.  He has only one catch since Carson Palmer became the starting quarterback.  Heyward-Bey will be matched up against Vikings corner Cedric Griffin, a favorable match-up even with the poor production the last two games.  Look for a big bounce back game from Heyward-Bey on Sunday.

 

PREDICTION

Raiders 30, Vikings 20

I think the Raiders defense slows down Adrian Peterson and the offensive line keeps Carson Palmer’s jersey clean enough to attack that Vikings secondary.


Raiders’ Week 11 Fantasy Outlook

 Posted by at 2:21 PM  1 Response »
Nov 182011
 

Quarterback

Carson Palmer is a name that is generating a lot of buzz this week, partly because of his solid stat line in Week 10 (299 yards, 2 TD passes, 1 INT). It also has to do with the fact that a lot of quarterbacks are injured in fantasy land (Matt Schaub, Matt Cassel, Michael Vick). Facing off against a depleted Vikings secondary this week, Palmer is a recommended start this week. The Vikings placed cornerback Antoine Winfield in injured reserve and will be counting on Benny Sapp. Unfortunately for Sapp, he will most likely going up against one of the hottest receivers in the NFL in Denarius Moore. With a plethora of options in the passing game, fantasy owners should be able to count on Palmer against a weak Vikings’ secondary this week.

Running Backs

Michael Bush has been a force in the running game, scoring double-digit fantasy games in three straight games. While Darren McFadden has been seen out of his protective walking boot, he has been ruled out for week 11. Fantasy owners can look forward to a full load of work for Bush. Clearly, Bush is running with authority and is making a case to be a full-time starter for the Silver and Black next year or elsewhere. Take advantage of his production while you can. Taiwan Jones is the change-of-pace back, but it’s very hard to trust him. He has shown spurts of breakaway ability, but his chances are limited. Additionally, Jones is struggling in pass-protection, making him an even riskier play as the coaches might want to employ Bush on all three downs.

Wide Receivers

Denarius Moore lit it up last week vs. the Chargers to the tune of 5 receptions for 123 yards and two TDs.  Moore is the best fantasy option when it comes to the Raiders’ wide receiving corps in terms of being the safest option as well as the one possessing the most upside. Consider him a WR2 play this week with the upside of a WR1. Held without a catch for the past two games, Darrius Heyward-Bey is a droppable candidate this late into the season. Sure he may be able to turn things around, but it’s a risky proposition. Acquire depth elsewhere as you make the push towards fantasy playoffs. The same can be said about Jacoby Ford who is battling an injury.

Tight Ends

Kevin Boss showed signs of life last week catching two passes for 32 yards. He could develop into a nice option for CP3, but fantasy players should take a wait and see approach when it comes to Boss and the other Raiders’ tight ends. The Raiders just haven’t used the tight end as a weapon in the passing game.

Kicker

Fantasy owners who own Sebastian Janikowski have been frustrated as of late due to his injury. According to Contra Costa Times, Janikowski did not practice Thursday and Hue Jackson called him 97.2% healthy. Roll the dice with Janikowski or look into the availability of Rob Bironas of the Titans. When his team is playing well and Chris Johnson is running well  it gives him both the opportunity for PATs and field goals.

Defense/Special Teams

Don’t be tempted to play the Raiders’ defense or special teams this week even if they are facing the Vikings. The Vikings have played their opponents tough (disregard their last game vs. Packers game as it was a blowout). The Raiders’ defensive unit has been tough to rely on, giving fantasy owners negative points in three games this year. Also, the loss of Ford in the return game makes them a risky start as the Vikings have an emerging offense led by the poise of Christian Ponder and the dangerous Adrian Peterson and Percy Harvin.

Raiders’ Week 10 Fantasy Outlook

 Posted by at 3:47 PM  No Responses »
Nov 102011
 

Quarterback

There’s absolutely no way you should play Carson Palmer this week. He’s averaging 3 INTs a week and his yardage certainly isn’t making up for that. He threw for 3 touchdowns last week, but the INTs nearly balance out the point gain. The only reason he should start on your Fantasy roster is if it’s 10 minutes before kickoff, you have no backup and your usual starter is on a bye. Otherwise, no Palmer for you!

Running Backs

From all appearances, DMC will be out again this week. If you didn’t pick up Bush or Jones, then you didn’t miss too much. Bush had an impressive showing in comparison to previous weeks. He had 96 yards and his first touchdown of the season. That being said, the Chargers are fairly tough against the run, but Bush is going to have the majority of work in this game. Jones, however will get a few touches, but it most likely won’t translate into fantasy points. Consider Bush a strong RB2 this week after back-to-back strong showings.

Wide Receivers

What in Al Davis’ name happened to Darrius Heyward-Bey? DHB was fifth in the depth chart vs. the Broncos and by all accounts we can only assume that it was for disciplinary reasons. Or worse, the other two WRs, Jacoby Ford and Denarius Moore, caught on to the scheme faster than DHB during practice. In either case, the Oakland WR corps is bound to be a jumbled mess. Moore saw the most targets with 12, while Ford did the most with his targets (6) for 105 yards and a touchdown. Ford made for a popular waiver-wire add this week and deservedly so. He is an explosive playmaker and shows great rapport with CP3. Consider Ford a strong flex option this week and it’s wise to use the wait-and-see approach with the other pass catchers this late in the fantasy season.

Tight End

Kevin Boss should not be deployed even in the deepest of fantasy leagues. He failed to catch a pass vs. Denver and recorded two catches combined in Oakland’s last three games. We can conclude that the Raiders will utilize newly-signed TJ Houshmandzadeh out of the slot to catch short passes to move the chains, rendering Boss to blocking duties.

Kicker

Sebastian Janikowski is officially listed as Questionable (Rotowire) for Thursday’s tilt with San Diego. While he has a strong leg for fantasy purposes, we strongly advise that you pick up a replacement for this week and beyond.

Defense/Special Teams

I like many of you out there was burned by this defense last week vs. the Broncos. There was no excuses for last week’s showing and the defense as a whole should be ashamed of their performance. Tim Tebow looked like world-beaters and the newly-installed read-option playbook was effective. This week this unit gets a Chargers team. Avoid the Raiders’ defense at all costs this week. Sneaky alternatives this week include the Browns defense vs. the Rams and the Jags defense playing against the Colts.

Studs and Duds From Week 9

 Posted by at 2:02 PM  No Responses »
Nov 082011
 

Since I’ve already blasted Hue Jackson and Chuck Bresnahan, we’ll keep this to the players who didn’t perform on Sunday.

Studs

Lamarr Houston – One of the few Raider defenders who showed up on Sunday. He’s becoming a force on the defensive front. The Broncos couldn’t block him and instead ran away from him with great success.

Michael Bush – He isn’t McFadden, but he is still good. He grinds out positive yardage every time he gets the ball. He doesn’t quite have the burst to run away from the defense, but he is good at finding running lanes and agile enough to get through them. He should have had more carries on Sunday, maybe if he does the Raiders grind out a victory after being up by ten points.

Carson Palmer – Three interceptions, but good enough to be a stud. Keep in mind he still only has three weeks in the offense. He looked crisp enough and made a few laser throws. He was audibling at the line and commanding the offense. For a debut it wasn’t bad. Keep in mind that one interception was a tip (although a bad throw) and the other came in garbage time. A good debut for Palmer.

Jacoby Ford – I guess we found Palmer’s favorite receiver. He needs to focus more on ball security as he nearly lost a fumble. Burning Champ Bailey is still an accomplishment and Ford did it more than once.

 

Duds

It’s tempting to just put defense here, but let’s take a look at a few of the worst offenders.

Jarvis Moss & Kamerion Wimbley - Tebow ate you for breakfast with the play fake. Sure, he faked the whole defense, but it was your job to have contain. Those big runs on a read option shouldn’t happen.

Darryl Blackstock & Aaron Curry – Raiders got burned by Willis McGahee. That’s what happens when the primary two linebackers fill the wrong gaps in the running game. McClain takes a lot of heat (me included), but the Raiders missed him on Sunday.

Michael Huff – I can’t say with certainty it was Michael Huff’s blown zone coverage that lead to a couple touchdowns, but it sure looked it. He is nursing an injury, but that shouldn’t be an excuse for totally missing a zone assignment. Tebow burned this secondary and being the second highest paid player in it you are going to get your fair share of the heat.

Raiders’ Week 9 Fantasy Outlook

 Posted by at 9:21 AM  No Responses »
Nov 052011
 

Quarterback

This position, in regards to Fantasy, is less of a crap shoot than it was two weeks ago, but there’s still no way to confidently say play Palmer over other QBs in the NFL. Palmer’s play against the Chiefs was not an indication of his future play because he was unprepared and didn’t have his go-to: Darren McFadden. He was just trying to clean up Boller’s mess. This week he still won’t have McFadden, but he will have T.J. “Who’s-Yo-Mama” Houshmandzadeh with whom he practiced during his “retirement.” Housh will give Palmer a reliable target that he’s comfortable with and can go to on third downs, or any other down for that matter. It would irresponsible to give a definitive “go!” for starting Palmer on your team this week. On the bright side, Tebow will make him look like a pro-bowler again.

Running Back

All of you who have been reaping the benefits of McFadden’s success have probably been drinking yourself to sleep after seeing him leave practice in a boot. Leave the kool-aid alone though because he’ll be back. Until then you can play Michael Bush and/or Taiwan Jones. While neither will get tons of yards, they’ll still get decent numbers, especially Bush. Palmer may go more to the air since he’s got his training-mate on the team now, but the Raiders’ success has been built on the run. Luckily, the Broncos will be unprepared since it’s unclear if the game will be more passing or rushing. Play Bush, he should get 20 carries. The key to winning with regard to your Fantasy team is just remembering to sit McFadden and play someone who will actually run.

Wide Receivers

Darrius Heyward-Bey is the only receiver worth owning in terms of fantasy production. The addition of Houshmandzadeh to the mix really muddies the water for Jacoby Ford and Denarius Moore. If you’ve been stashing Moore this year, it’s OK to cut him loose now unless you are in a keeper league. Houshmandzadeh was quoted saying that there are a lot of fast guys on the team but they’re not as polished as route-runners. While he is definitely positioning himself within the team, there is a morsel of truth to that. Moore and Ford stretches the field in a way they play and cannot be counted on for consistent production. Coming off a bye, we’re hoping that DHB has built some sort of rapport with Palmer and he is proving doubters wrong. Right now he is considered to be a low-end WR2 and strong WR3.

Tight End

Kevin Boss can make a sneaky play this week for owners truly desperate for a TE. Oakland is squaring off against a Broncos defense who have been pretty stout thus far to opposing tight ends, but coming off a bye, the Raiders could play at a maximum effort to keep pace in the AFC West. The addition of Houshmandzadeh definitely hurts his value, as they both operate in the middle of the field. Boss is definitely a player worth keeping an eye on to see how Carson Palmer utilizes him.

Kicker

Sebastian Janikowski hasn’t been able to practice this week and Dave Rayner may get the call again. Avoid this situation if you can. Some strong plays this week include Matt Bryant who is squaring off against the Colts indoors.

Defense/Special Teams

While the Raiders defense has ranked towards the bottom in most statistical categories this year, this is a defense with value this week vs. Tim Tebow. The Raiders defense has played better than their stats suggests with Richard Seymour leading the way. Tebow is turnover prone and he is susceptible to the pass rush. Seymour alone could match his season sack total of five in this game, to double his output for the season. And yeah, I don’t need to tell you that Ford is returning kicks for this game. It’s added incentive for you to play them this week.

 Older Entries  Newer Entries