“If he dies,he dies.”
That’s one of the most famous lines ever uttered in a movie. And if you don’t know who said it, shame on you, because clearly you aren’t a Rocky fan as every warm blooded American should be. So for those of you who have never seen a Rocky movie, I’ll explain.
The quote is from Rocky IV, where Rocky is motivated to fight Russian superfighter Ivan Drago in Russia to avenge the death of Rocky’s best friend Apollo Creed (who is played by Carl Weathers and is the guy in the new Bud Light commercials holding the playbook) at the hands of Ivan. So the line “If he dies, he dies,” is in reference to Apollo Creed getting punched to a literal death, and while Creed is lying on the mat Ivan is telling reporters, if he dies, he dies.
The reason I bring up this quote is to describe the feeling I think the entire Minnesota Vikings organization, a majority of NFL analysts, the public, myself, and even Brett Favre has. That feeling being to just throw him out on the field to keep his consecutive game streak alive regardless of whatever injuries he may currently have. if he just happens to get the shit kicked out of him to the point where he can’t speak coherently or ends up in a wheelchair, well, then that’s just how it is. No remorse. So “If he dies, he dies,” is a very apt description for what I think the majority of the world feels about Brett Favre.
With all that being said, that doesn’t let you know whether you should start Brett Favre or not.
Well, if anyone was taking a vote if they thought Brett Favre could be counted on this coming week to put up good numbers, you can write me down for the choice that says “No, not a chance in hell. He won’t even make it through the whole game.” I imagine the rest of fantasy football nation would concur; as they would also agree that you shouldn’t play him the rest of the year, assuming he isn’t in a wheelchair after playing the Giants this coming Sunday.
But let’s move on from Favre and look at other guys who if you own, you can’t trust them.
Ryan Mathews (Running Back, San Diego Chargers): So here’s Mathews story so far this year. Chargers move up in the first round to draft him, thinking he’s going to easily replace LT. No doubt Mathews goes somewhere in the middle of the second to the middle of the third round in most fantasy drafts based upon all the hype surrounding him. He has an OK preseason, 78 rushing yards in Week 1, 26 yards in week 2, gets injured and doesn’t play week 3. Next thing you know he’s in a time split with Mike Tolbert, never gets more than 64 yards rushing in a game (week 6 against St. Louis), only scores 2 total touchdowns, gets injured and is out weeks 11 and 12, and starts but doesn’t touch the ball in week 13. So his stat line this year is 87 carries, 382 yards, 2 touchdowns. Not exactly 2nd or 3rd round production, which unfortunately sucks for those who have owned him. If you’re in the playoffs, and you own him, I’d seriously consider dropping him and trying to find someone else who you may be able to plug in when teams are benching their starters in weeks 16 and 17.
Austin Collie (Wide Receiver, Indianapolis Colts): Collie put up fantastic and unexpected numbers the first 6 weeks of the season, then was injured, missed 1 game, played well against Houston in week 8, got concussed versus Philly in Week 9, and hasn’t made an impact beyond that. The latest news has him most likely out this week and maybe even further depending on how he progresses through the concussion. Now, if you have other receivers, you have most likely been playing them, and hopefully that has worked. But there might be some of you who are #1, #2, #3, or #4 seeds in the playoffs who own Austin Collie and could use an extra threat down the stretch to win the championship, who will actually be playing in the games. That being said, it would be tough to drop him, especially if he comes back healthy down the stretch when you know the Colts will be throwing and throwing, trying to secure a playoff spot themselves.
Randy Moss (Wide Receiver, Tennessee Titans): I know, never in a million years would you think that Randy Moss would be a guy you can’t trust. You’ve been trusting him for years and years, and he’s been rewarding that trust with thousand yard and 20 touchdown seasons. Unfortunately, Moss has travelled to the land of obscurity, fallen into the black abyss of older receivers who may have had their last hurrah, but we just can’t believe it. So if you’ve been holding onto Randy Moss, praying to the fantasy football gods that he would give you at least one good game, you can stop praying, cause it isn’t going to happen. It’s time to jump the ship if you haven’t already. I recommend you drop him like a bad habit and pick up someone else if you think you have a better option out on the waiver wire.
Devin Hester (Chicago Bears): Listen, he’s a big name on a playoff team, with tremendous skill and lots of upside. But there comes a time when you realize he really just is a return man with a small set of receiving skills. If you look at his stats so far this season, 32 catches, 371 yards, 2 touchdowns, those aren’t even good flex numbers. If he is unowned in your league, he is for good reason, so don’t even think about picking him up. If you own him, I’d drop him like a bad habit.
Cadillac Williams (Running Back, Tampa Bay Buccaneers): If you haven’t noticed, Williams has been supplanted by LeGarette Blount as the starting running back in Tampa, and he has no plans of relinquishing that role back to Williams (witness Blount’s 103 yards against the leagues 3rd best run defense in the Atlanta Falcons). So if you are in a league that starts 3 running backs, he’d be a stretch for that, just like he’s a definite stretch for even a flex position. No doubt there is a better back available out on the waiver wire (James Starks from Green Bay, Anthony Dixon from San Francisco 49ers come to mind). I’d feel more comfortable with them than Cadillac.
Ryan Torain (Running Back, Washington Redskins): We definitely no Portis isn’t coming back, and James Davis and Keiland Williams have stepped up in Torain’s absence. Recent reports have Torain practicing this week, but I would keep a very close eye on that hamstring, as we all know what can happen with a tender hammy (just ask Portis, who came back, rushed for around 30 yards, then ended up on injured reserve and out for the rest of the season). He would be a hard one to trust, especially with 2 other backs wanting to get some carries. If you have better options, play them instead, especially in Torain’s first game back, if he makes it back. If you see him still sitting the bench after week 14, I’d strongly consider dropping him.
Mike Goodson (Running Back, Carolina Panthers): Goodson had himself a good showing, filling in for DeAngelo Williams who is out for the season , and Jonathan Stewart, who had a concussion. Unfortunately, with Stewart’s performance the last two weeks, it appears that Stewart has reclaimed his role as the starting back. Of course, this doesn’t mean Goodson won’t get carries, as someone has to back Stewart up, but I wouldn’t trust Goodson as my number two back anymore. I think he’s still a solid flex, but, if you think you have a better option, I wouldn’t blame you.
Zach Miller (Tight End, Oakland Raiders): Those who read this blog know that a couple of weeks ago I said that Zach Miller should be a top 5 tight end the rest of the year. I will now go on record by stating that I was way off on that. From weeks 8 through 13, Miller had 5 catches for 28 yards and no touchdowns. Obviously not top 5 numbers. The blame goes to two things; foot injury and the dedication to a running game. Unfortunately for Miller, I don’t see either of those things changing, particularly the run game. So for the rest of the season, and you can quote me on this, Miller will barely be a top 20 tight end. And that’s a shame, as he’s a talent at the tight end position. If I own Zach Miller, I would seriously consider picking up someone else if he was my only tight end, and if I had a backup, I’d rather start that guy.
Heath Miller (Tight End, Pittsburgh Steelers): It’s very simple with Heath Miller. He’s concussed, it’s the end of the season, the Steelers are in the driver’s seat to win the division, so if the Steelers can keep him on the bench until his concussion symptoms subside, they will. That means if you were banking on Miller to make a contribution, I’d think again. Dropping him for say a Greg Olsen, who surprisingly seems to be available in a lot of leagues, might be a good idea.
Justin Forsett (Running Back, Seattle Seahawks): It’s a real shame that Forsett never really got his chance this year. He had a good run the end of the 2009-2010 season, and looked primed to make a huge impact this year. But Pete Carroll apparently wasn’t satisfied with the talent Forsett had, so he traded for Marshawn Lynch, who , prior to this past Sunday against Carolina, had done nothing of note. Clearly Lynch is the guy and Forsett has been relegated to mop up duty and the occasional carry here and there (although he did have 6 carries for 60 yards this past week, for a 10 yard per carry average, but apparently Peter Carroll likes to ignore those kind of stats). He’s a maybe flex most weeks, and to be honest, if I had someone even slightly more reliable, I’d go with that guy instead of Forsett. Wouldn’t blame you if you even dropped him.
Reggie Bush (Running Back, New Orleans Saints): I love Reggie Bush. He’s such an electrifying talent, but unfortunately, the broken leg has slowed him down. In the two weeks since his return, he hasn’t done much, which is slightly alarming. Throw in the way Chris Ivory is running the ball, and Bush won’t be seeing the ball very much the rest of the season, unless it’s through the air, and that’s even a hit and miss, as there are just so many dynamic options to throw the ball to on that team. He might be worth a flex, as he’s most likely still trying to get back into game shape, and he did look better in a couple of runs this past week. But I really wouldn’t trust him to do much down the stretch.
Beanie Wells (Running Back, Arizona Cardinals): Wells hasn’t had more than 75 yards rushing in one game this year. He has only 2 total touchdowns so far this year. Tim Hightower has been playing much better than Wells. All that adds up to Beanie disappearing in an offense that is already atrocious at best. I don’t even think he’s worth a flex unless he has a spectacular matchup. I’d keep up on the lineup for that reason if you have better options you can use instead, but if you are out of running backs to fill in for him on your roster, go pick someone else up.
Dustin Keller (Tight End, New York Jets): It might be a surprise to see Keller’s name in this article as a guy you shouldn’t trust, but hold off judgment until you hear my reasoning. Keller hasn’t scored a touchdown since he scored 2 in week 4. That’s 9 straight weeks without a touchdown. Any top tight end in the league, as Keller is perennially ranked in the top 10 every week, should have at least a touchdown every couple of games. Add to that the emergence of Santonio Holmes (he’s been just destroying defenses, particularly on the slant route) and the re-emergence of Shonn Greene as a viable running and receiving option, and you have a decrease in the amount of plays that will go Keller’s way. Don’t get me wrong, he has tons of potential, which you saw at the beginning of the season, but it isn’t coincidence that his production dipped in week 4, which coincided with the return of Holmes. You’re probably still going to start him, especially if you are an eternal optimist, but I myself might consider other options if I had them.
Jon Kitna (Quarterback, Dallas Cowboys): I’ve always been a fan of Kitna. Thought he was a good quarterback who always ended up starting for bad teams (Cincinnati Bengals before the Carson Palmer era, Detroit Lions, and the Seattle Seahawks prior to the Matt Hasselbeck era). And he stepped into a situation in Dallas that was a mess. But he’s always made the most of each stop in his career, putting up good numbers. He was doing the same until recently, where his production has decreased with Jason Garrett as head coach. Garrett appears to want to run the ball a lot, which is good, as the Dallas offensive line can’t pass protect. Now with the season ending injury to Dez Bryant (fractured ankle), that’s one less target to throw to and one more reason for Garrett to keep on running. I wouldn’t look for Kitna to do anything worthy of note the rest of the season, so if you’ve been starting him thinking he’ll pick up some real good numbers, I wouldn’t trust him at all the rest of the season.
Brent Celek (Tight End, Philadelphia Eagles): The struggles of Brent Celek have been chronicled long and far this season, so I won’t pile on too much. Suffice it to say, Vick loves throwing down the field or checking down to LeSean McCoy, so Celek is basically the last option on every pass play. If you haven’t dropped him, you have to be the most positive, eternally optimistic person in the world, but enough is enough. Get rid of him, now!
Feel free to post your comments or e-mail mattymccall@gmail.com if you want to make a comment directly to me or ask a question. Thanks for reading!
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