Posts tagged Brandon Marshall at FanHouse

Before you move any further, make sure to check out Part 1, if you haven't done so. I explain things in the intro. For our purposes on this post, however, there's no need to twiddle the thumbs. Let's dive in:

Wide Receiver

How about that Sunday night game for the Denver receivers? Last time around, they completely schooled the Chargers secondary. Now Eddie Royal has tons more experience under his belt, and Brandon Marshall is still just as talented. Both of them are in line for an obscene stat-line in what should be a shootout.

Only illegal formations by his teammates can stop Megatron. Yes, start Calvin Johnson in all formats. He's just too good to sit.

I'd avoid Reggie Wayne, Marvin Harrison and Anthony Gonzalez, because of the fact that Jim Sorgi should be under center for the majority of the afternoon for the Colts. It's just too much of a gamble to try and predict where the touches go for Indy.

I'm a Bears fan, and I have absolutely no idea how they can do anything to remotely stop Andre Johnson. He's likely to go berserk. Again.

The AFC and NFC Pro Bowlers were announced a short while ago, and why make some pointless comment you are sure not to laugh at when we can just give you the rosters instead? Here goes.

Each week in the NFL, there are players that impress and players that distress. One week a certain quarterback might toss four touchdowns and run around with his finger in the air while the next he's laying on his back, holding his facemask as the other team returns one of his three interceptions for the game-winning score. With that in mind, here's Studs and Duds.

Here's Week 15 at a glance, where we point out the horses destined for the Kentucky Derby and jeer those headed to the glue factory. (Disclaimer: This will only be for the Sunday games, since you probably can't even remember the Thursday games at this point.)

Studs

Andre Johnson, WR Houston (11 catches, 207 yards, 1 TD) -- Is it really a question? When Andre Johnson has his quarterback, Matt Schaub, behind center, he is the best receiver in the league. He's better than Anquan Boldin, Brandon Marshall, Randy Moss and, sigh, that dude that loves/hates Jason Witten. Today, facing the Texans' toughest opponent of the season, Johnson snagged a 65-yard catch to help his total stockpile. The Texans won, and while they still won't make the playoffs, they're showing that in the coming years they are a force to be reckoned with.

It's playoff time! FanHouse fantasy positional rankings are compiled in order to provide answers to lineup questions. These are assuming most leagues use Fleaflicker's standard scoring structure. If you need clarification, you need more players ranked, or have funky league rules, feel free to shoot us an email question.

Diving right into this week's all-too-important receiver rankings, the clear choice was to keep Larry Fitzgerald on top. Yup, he has a history of sealing fantasy titles in the crucial weeks of the season. And this week he gets to go against a subpar Vikings pass defense that can be exploited.

This is it for Reggie Wayne. His owners (like myself) are at wits end, but we'll all rest easy as he's in line for a huge day against the laughingstock of the NFL Lions. Patience will once again pay off for all those who stuck with the Colts' struggling offense in the early part of the season, as I fully expect Peyton Manning to also reward Wayne's buddies Marvin Harrison and Anthony Gonzalez.

Not much shakeup in the Top 10, but there is one thing to note before you dismiss Terrell Owens this weekend. Since joining the Cowboys, in five games against the Giants he has 430 receiving yards and six TDs. So, you get my drift ... he's a "must" start. Lastly, you'll notice the Jets receivers plummeting in these rankings. Well, there's a reason, and that it is they both have been terrible lately. Seriously, you should find other options.

And now with the rest of the ranks.

1. Larry Fitzgerald, MIN
2. Steve Smith, DEN
3. Reggie Wayne, DET
4. Anquan Boldin, MIN
5. Brandon Marshall, @ CAR

The Kansas City Chiefs had to be feeling pretty good about themselves nine minutes into Sunday's game with the Broncos. Jay Cutler had just gifted them a touchdown with a pass into coverage which Maurice Leggett picked off and took for six points. That made it 10-0 Chiefs and a replay of Week Four's 33-19 win looked like it was in the cards.

Cutler wouldn't let it happen, though. He was 30-of-36 with 270 yards and two touchdowns after that interception and did most of his best work late in the game when an injury to Peyton Hillis cost the Broncos any semblance of a running game. Cutler completed eight passes, including the winning touchdown to Brandon Marshall, on a 12-play, 95-yard drive that bridged the end of the third and start of the fourth quarters.

Then, backed up on their own one-yard line on third-and-10 with just under four minutes to play, Cutler hit Marshall for 19 yards for a first down. He followed that with an 11-yard strike to Tony Scheffler on another third down to ice the game and, barring a complete collapse, the AFC West for the Broncos.

Cutler is the reason why. Hillis was the sixth Bronco back to go down to injury this season and that's put a lot of pressure on the quarterback. He's inconsistent and brasher than he has any reason to be, but Cutler's put up strong performances often enough to keep a poor defense and mediocre running game from stopping the Broncos run to the playoffs.

The playoffs are either upon us or one week away in the majority of fantasy football leagues. With this in mind, Fantasy FanHouse is examining what you can expect from the fantasy relevant players on each team.

Denver Broncos

The opposing defenses: vs. KC (25th against pass, 31st against run), @ CAR (12th against pass, 18th against run), BUF (14th against pass, 17th against run)
The skinny: It's usually hit or miss with Jay Cutler and this offense. Just when you think they're a lock to have one of those monster afternoon's they crap out on you. However, with the division title on their taste buds and a mild schedule on the horizon...it should be all systems a go. That's right load up your Bronco's and put your faith in them. No longer a dark horse, the new flavor of the month Peyton Hillis just might be the key factor/ingredient this offense has sorely needed. Stay tuned.
The must-starts: Jay Cutler, Brandon Marshall, Eddie Royal, Peyton Hillis
The likely start: Tony Sheffler, Matt Prater
The spot-start: None
The no-starts: Selvin Young, Tatum Bell, Brandon Stokley, Darrell Jackson
The D/ST: They haven't stopped anyone all season long and so there's no reason to believe they'll start now.

I guess we can slow down on all that New York-New York Super Bowl talk, huh? A week after getting manhandled by the Raiders, the Broncos came east and did the same to the Jets, ending the New York side's five-game winning streak and putting a cap into the premature notion of the Big Apple relocating to Tampa come February.

It was a disturbing return to the early part of the season for the Jets. Abysmal play calling by offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer marked those rougher times and returned for an unwanted encore at the Meadowlands today. Thomas Jones carved up the Bronco defense in the first half but Schottenheimer insisted on calling empty backfields, passes on short yardage plays and, disastrously, a pitched reverse to Jerricho Cotchery. That final one led to a fumble and touchdown for the Broncos in the first quarter and set the tone for a frustrating day.

Even more troubling than the return of evil Schottenheimer, though, was the complete no-show by the Jets defense. Peyton Hillis gashed the normally stout Jets for nearly six yards a carry and Jay Cutler continued to expose the Jets secondary as Darrelle Revis and a band of clowns masquerading as NFL defensive backs. Brandon Marshall was held to five catches for 55 yards, but Eddie Royal, Brandon Stokely, Tony Scheffler and Daniel Graham combined for 20 catches, 277 yards and two touchdowns.

As Oakland continues to toil along at its four-win-per-season pace, there's at least one player Raiders fans can be proud to call one of of their own.

The player? Cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha, who continues to slide under the radar as one of the game's best defensive backs. Football people in the know recognize Asomugha as an underrated player, hidden in the never-ending chaos that is Raiders football, but Denver head coach Mike Shanahan has taken the underrated label even farther. To an all-time level, actually.

From Adam Schefter of the NFL Network:

"He is the most underrated football player in the history of the game," Shanahan said of Asomugha. "I can't believe this guy hasn't been to the Pro Bowl or people don't talk about him all the time. He is off the charts and as good as it gets. He doesn't get the attention for the way he plays consistently. He is the most underrated football player that I have ever seen in my coaching career."

FanHouse fantasy positional rankings are compiled weekly by the staff in order to provide answers to possible lineup questions. These are assuming most leagues use Fleaflicker's standard scoring structure. If you need clarification, you need more players ranked, or have funky league rules, feel free to shoot us an email question.

There's very little dispute that Anquan Boldin is a beast and/or arguably the best week-in-week-out fantasy receiver on the planet. If you ever miss his name amongst the top five in the weekly rankings, one of us forgot to drink our coffee or we drank too much. That said, every now and then it's safe to switch things up a little bit.

Yup, that's why for this week -- and maybe this week only -- the top spot is going back to Andre Johnson. He's been rather quiet for the past few weeks after his torrid pace in October, however, Sunday should be a 'Dre day. It just seems about time that he breaks out of his mini-slump... if you can even call it that. Also back to prominence this week? Look for Terrell Owens to finally snap his eternal funk. Yes, I like that Tony Romo is back and this game is at home. I just smell the popcorn.

The other usual suspects grace the top of our rankings, as usual. Essentially toss each name into a hat and pull them out for your random order. Yup, you just know what you're getting from the elite receivers... usually. Sorry about Steve Smith last week. Hmm.

Aside from the Boldin and Larry Fitzgerald tandem, keep an eye on Eddie Royal and Brandon Marshall, who should torch the Raiders. Yes, I know all too well about Nnamdi Asomugha facing up with either Marshall or Royal, but I'm not scared. My deep, deep sleeper - check in on Joey Galloway against the Lions. I mean, check in on his health, too, but who can't embarrass the Lions these days?

Speaking of the Lions - isn't it time we just admit that even if he catches only two passes a game, Calvin Johnson is a fixture amongst elite fantasy receivers? Yes, we can, thank you. Let's hit the ranks...

1. Andre Johnson, @ CLE
2. Anquan Boldin, NYG
3. Terrell Owens, SF
4. Greg Jennings, @ NO
5. Reggie Wayne, @ SD

FanHouse fantasy positional rankings are compiled weekly by the staff in order to provide answers to possible lineup questions. These are assuming most leagues use Fleaflicker's standard scoring structure. If you need clarification, you need more players ranked, or have funky league rules, feel free to shoot us an email question.

Larry Fitzgerald has more talent than Anquan Boldin, and generally puts up numbers which illustrate this. Obviously, their numbers are never drastically different, but that makes sense because neither is their talent. We just usually always rank Fitzgerald higher, and it's become habit. The past few weeks, though, we've seen enough from the two to realize it's time to break the mold. Boldin is a much more valuable fantasy player at this point. The reason is irrelevant.

Both players are studs and have a ridicuously easy assignment this weekend in Seattle. Expect the Cards to throw all day, and the two studly wideouts will be an integral part of the offense, as usual.

More analysis after the rankings.

1. Brandon Marshall, at ATL
2. Anquan Boldin, at SEA
3. Larry Fitzgerald, at SEA
4. Reggie Wayne, vs. HOU
5. Marques Colston, at KC