Week 9 NFL Thoughts

            We’re still banning ourselves from picking all but one game this week, but we’re once again running some extended pre-game thoughts you can chew on before 1pm (Eastern) tomorrow.

This Might Be the Most Crowded “Least Valuable Fantasy Player” Field Ever

            For grins and giggles, let’s run through the candidates as chosen from anyone who on average, was chosen within the first 30 picks in Yahoo fantasy leagues.

1. LeSean McCoy (average pick 1.4) – He’s been healthy, but has only scored one touchdown during his first seven games of the year.
2. Adrian Peterson (3.5) – I don’t think we need to revisit his story again.
3. Eddie Lacy (5.6) – Lacy is on pace for 856 rushing yards, which isn’t what you’re looking for with the fifth pick.
4. Calvin Johnson (6.2) – This one is injury related, but Megatron should have ample opportunity to redeem himself if you were able to keep your team in playoff contention while he’s been absent.
5. A.J. Green (12.5) – Ditto.
6. Montee Ball (12.8) – If you drafted your team the old fashioned way, there’s a good chance Ball was your second round pick. He was mediocre before getting hurt, and now will be second on the depth chart after Ronnie Hillman has taken the Broncos offense to another level.
7. Zac Stacy (28.4) - Drafted near the end of the third round, Stacy can be found on numerous waiver wires across the country. After averaging less than four yards per carry in 2013, we should’ve seen this coming.
8. Doug Martin (30.4) – Widely considered a bounce back candidate this season, Martin has been an unmitigated disaster. Selfishly, he’s my choice for this award as I invested in him in not one, but two leagues this year.

         This debate would be much more fun if Peterson wasn’t involved, as he clearly dominates the category. Regardless, it hasn’t been a fun year of fantasy football.

Cardinals (+2.5) over COWBOYS

            We really should sit Romo for this game to ensure we have him healthy for the stretch run. Arizona runs some of the best blitz packages in THE NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE, and we’re asking for a season ending injury if toss Romo out there. I’d play Weeden, pound the rock with Murray, and hope Carson Palmer throws four interceptions.

Manning vs. Brady Never Gets Old

            The modern day equivalent of Bird vs. Magic, it’s important to treat every match-up between these two future Hall of Famers as their last. We like Denver to win Sunday not because of Manning, but because of the Broncos dynamic pass-rush duo. We saw how much trouble the Patriots had with the Chiefs earlier this season, and Denver can offer up a similar threat with Von Miller and DeMarcus Ware.

Ben Roethlisberger is the Most Underrated QB in Football

            Big Ben has two Super Bowl rings, won another AFC title, and just became the first person on planet Earth to throw for over 500 yards in two NFL games. He’s a damn good quarterback who doesn’t get nearly enough credit from anyone except Jim Nantz.

We Don’t Like any Double Digit Underdogs This Week

            If I had to choose one this week, I guess I’d give St. Louis a fighting chance in San Francisco.

I Have No Idea Who is Going to Make the Super Bowl

            Parody has been a big deal for a long time now in the NFL, but I can’t remember a season where there was one dominant team and about ten others with a punchers chance at making a Super Bowl run. The playoffs will truly be a complete crapshoot.