Take It To The Bank- NFL Week 11
By Brett Malamud
Here’s some tips as your fantasy football playoff race heats up in week 11:
The Coop Troop
Starting Oakland Raiders wide receiver Amari Cooper this week will be vital to your team’s success, and I’ll even name him my Start of the Week. Cooper has been an extremely reliable option at wideout thus far, and the last few weeks are proof of that. In his last three weeks, Cooper has been targeted 31 times. This number makes it very intriguing to play him, considering the recent success of Raiders quarterback Derek Carr (who should be started as well). The Detroit Lions defense have given up at least 73 yards to seven out of the nine top receivers they’ve faced this season, so Cooper is expected to have a big day.
Amari Cooper is a must start this week against the Lions (Via Getty)
Remember him?
It’s been a while since Danny Amendola was a reliable fantasy wide receiver option. You’d have to go back to his days in St. Louis to compare the hype that he’s been getting this week. Amendola will have the opportunity to return that level after the losses of pass catching running back Dion Lewis and wide receiver Julian Edelman. This obviously gives a major boost to a player like tight end Rob Gronkowski, who will certainly see an increase in targets. I’m looking at Amendola to step up though, especially after having 10 catches last week. I’d definitely play Amendola as a flex this week.
Tony’s Back
This week marks the return of Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo to the starting lineup. Not much to say here. He’s going to have a nice day against a struggling Miami Dolphins team.
Don’t(e) Play Donte
Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Donte Moncrief is my buyers beware player of the week this week. Of the five touchdowns that Moncrief has this week, every one has been from quarterback Andrew Luck, who is prepared to come back in mid-December. The last time that Matt Hasselback started for the Colts, Moncrief had just one catch. Plus there’s the fact that the Falcons have been great against opposing wide receivers. I’d keep Moncrief on the bench, as you probably have a better option.
Brett Malamud is an English Rhetoric Major at Binghamton University. He is the co-founder of dabuzzza.com. His favorite athletes are Derek Jeter and Todd Bertuzzi. You can follow him on twitter at @brettnyy
Take It To The Bank- NFL Week Four
The injury bug has taken its hit on fantasy football lineups everywhere. Here’s some guys to replace them, including a guy who you should probably look into trading for (if the person who owns him will even give him up). Here’s week four’s installment of Take it to the Bank:
Can’t Catch Karlos
With LeSean McCoy out, Rex Ryan turned to running back Karlos Williams, who led the Buffalo Bills with 110 yards and a touchdown on 12 carries. He’ll be back there again this week at home against the New York Giants and is going to have another big game.
Karlos Williams has done a great job taking over for LeSean McCoy (Via Miami Herald)
Rueben’s Revival
Speaking of the Giants, week three saw the reemergence of wide receiver Ruben Randle. We all knew what he could do at his best, but it took a few weeks for Randle to get back to himself. He finished last week with seven catches, 116 yards and a touchdown. Don’t expect this kind of performance every week, but every now and then, Randle will go off.
Me and Julio Down By The Schoolyard
Up to this point, the league’s top wide receiver has been Atlanta Falcons wideout Julio Jones. In three weeks, he’s had 34 catches for 440 yards and four touchdowns. Not bad, huh? This is the guy to break the bank on if you’re looking to make a blockbuster trade in your league. Fantasy owners, keep riding Julio, who has no intentions on having any ordinary appearances.
CJ2K15?
Arizona Cardinals running back Chris Johnson came out and looked like the Chris Johnson of old. Not the guy we saw with the New York Jets. Nope. Johnson looked like he was back on the Tennessee Titans, carrying the ball 22 times for 110 yards and two touchdowns. Johnson also had a 40-yard catch that almost went for a touchdown. While I’d only take Johnson in deeper leagues, Cardinals head coach Bruce Arians has said that Johnson will start this week no matter what the status of Andre Ellington is. It’s a situation worth monitoring over the next few weeks.
Brett Malamud is an English Rhetoric Major at Binghamton University. He is the co-founder of dabuzzza.com. His favorite athletes are Derek Jeter and Todd Bertuzzi. You can follow him on twitter at @brettnyy
NFL Week Five Predictions
By Brett Malamud
This week sees two undefeated teams in action, as well as one winless team. The stakes are high for some teams that need to start winning games, or see their season plummet to hopeless end. Here’s the week five predictions:
Byes: Raiders, Dolphins
-Vikings (2-2) at Packers (2-2), Thursday @ 8:25 PM EST
The message coming from Aaron Rodgers was quite simple: R-E-L-A-X. That’s what he said before going out and throwing four touchdowns in the Packers win against the Bears last weekend. The Vikings had Teddy Bridgewater start for them last week against the Atlanta Falcons and he was fantastic, throwing for 317 yards and rushing five times for 27 yards and a touchdown. He was carted off of the field with a sprained ankle but Vikings Head Coach Mike Zimmer has remained completely optimistic that Bridgewater will start in Green Bay on Thursday. If he plays or not won’t factor into my pick though. I’m taking the Packers. Verdict: Packers
-Bears (2-2) at Panthers (2-2), Sunday @ 1:00 PM EST
On the other side of that Aaron Rodgers performance last week was the Bears, who allowed the Packers to score on their first six possessions. However, the Bears still piled up 500 yards of offense. Jay cutler was picked off twice, but that shouldn’t be a problem against the Panthers defense. Carolina has allowed 75 points without forcing a turnover over the last two weeks. I’m going with my gut and taking the Bears here. Verdict: Bears
-Browns (1-2) at Titans (1-3), Sunday @ 1:00 PM EST
The Browns enter week five coming off of their bye in week four. In their first three games this season, Cleveland has decided each of them via a last second field goal. The Titans come into this matchup riding a three game losing streak. Their offense has done nothing of late and ranks 29th in the league in passing yards. The Browns will face a stretch where they’ll face the Titans, Jaguars and Raiders in three of the next four weeks. Look for them to start the hot streak here. Verdict: Browns
-Rams (1-2) at Eagles (3-1), Sunday @ 1:00 PM EST
The Eagles were taken down in San Francisco last week, suffering their first loss of the season. LeSean McCoy struggled throughout and ran for just 17 yards on 10 carries. The Rams went up 21-0 midway through the second quarter against the Dallas Cowboys back in week 3. They saw that deficit erased, and were defeated 34-31. Austin Davis has improved each week, and threw three touchdowns against Dallas. I don’t see that here though, as the Eagles should bounce back strong. Verdict: Eagles
LeSean McCoy looks to bounce back this week (Via AP)
-Falcons (2-1) at Giants (2-2), Sunday @ 1:00 PM EST
The Giants were unrecognizable last week in Washington on Thursday Night Football. Eli Manning suddenly came back to life and threw four touchdowns, three of which were caught by TE Larry Donnell. The next task will be facing the Atlanta Falcons, who come in off a tough loss in Minnesota. The Falcons were abused by the Minnesota offense, led by rookie QB Teddy Bridgewater. I believe the trend continues, and that the G-Men pull out another win. Verdict: Giants
-Buccaneers (1-3) at Saints (1-3), Sunday @ 1:00 PM EST
Who would’ve thought that the Saints would start their season at 1-3? I took them to win the Super Bowl! Their offense ranks third in the league and yet they’ve had some unlucky bounces. The Buccaneers finally won a game last week in Pittsburgh but I just can’t see them competing with a team like the Saints. You never know though… Verdict: Saints
-Texans (3-1) at Cowboys (3-1), Sunday @ 1:00 PM EST
The Texans enter week five fresh off a win against the Buffalo Bills. They returned another interception for a touchdown pass, giving him more TDs this year than Arian Foster and Andre Johnson combined. Meanwhile, the Cowboys manhandled the Saints on Sunday Night Football. If there’s any defense that’ll scare Tony Romo into making bad decisions, it’s this one. But I see Romo staying content and leading the Cowboys to the victory. Verdict: Cowboys
-Bills (2-2) at Lions (3-1), Sunday @ 1:00 PM EST
I like this matchup a lot. The Lions currently are ranked first in the league in defense. The Bills are ranked 10th. This matchup could be a wild one throughout. In the end though, I think Detroit comes out on top. Verdict: Lions
-Ravens (3-1) at Colts (2-2), Sunday @ 1:00 PM EST
The Ravens defeated the Ravens last week, in a game that saw Steve Smith with two touchdowns. You can bet that Indy will have their eyes on Smith this week. Andrew Luck is going to be the reason why the Colts win this one, a week after he threw for 393 passing yards and four touchdowns. Verdict: Colts
-Steelers (2-2) at Jaguars (0-4), Sunday @ 1:00 PM EST
The Jaguars proved again that they’re the one of worst teams in the league. They dropped to 0-4 after facing a beating in San Diego. They kept up in the first half, but came out flat in the second half. The Steelers lost a tough one to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last week. They’ll probably win on the road this week, but will need to pick up the pieces if they want to compete this season. Verdict: Steelers
-Cardinals (3-0) at Broncos (2-1), Sunday @ 4:05 PM EST
Here’s my matchup of the week. My favorite defense in Arizona travels to the Mile High City to face the Denver Broncos. Both teams have had two weeks to prepare for this game, a week after they both faced the bye week. Peyton Manning has been good, but not great (there’s no chance that would’ve matched his performance of last season). But he faces a team that completely shut down the 49ers back in the second half of their week three matchup. The two week break also allowed Manning to work with WR Wes Welker, who returned two weeks ago from suspension. I think Manning hands the Cardinals their first loss of the season on Sunday. Verdict: Broncos
-Chiefs (2-2) at 49ers (2-2), Sunday @ 4:25 PM EST
The Chiefs dismantled the Patriots on Monday Night Football. They head into this matchup with their defense pumped up to face opposing QB Colin Kaepernick. The Niners quarterback did not throw an interception last week against the Philadelphia Eagles, but was a mess back in week two. This inconsistency could come back to hurt the 49ers as the season goes on. I’m taking them in this one though. Verdict: 49ers
-Jets (1-3) at Chargers (3-1), Sunday @ 4:25 PM EST
The Jets head out west after being defeated by the Detroit Lions last week. The secondary did not look good against Lions QB Matt Stafford. This week they’ll face Philip Rivers, who took it to the Jacksonville Jaguars last week and threw for 377 yards and three touchdowns. I think that Rivers wins this one. Verdict: Chargers
-Bengals (3-0) at Patriots (2-2), Sunday @ 8:30 PM EST
The Patriots play for the second week in a row on national television and hope that this time goes much better than the last time. New England was embarrassed by the Kansas City Chiefs last week on Monday Night Football. Tom Brady was pulled in the fourth quarter for backup Jimmy Garoppolo. The Bengals come into this one off of the bye week, and hope to continue their success. They took care off Joe Flacco, Matt Ryan, and Jake Locker. Now they turn their heads to then man they call Tom Terrific, who I believe won’t be so terrific for the second week in a row. Verdict: Bengals
-Seahawks (2-1) at Redskins (1-3), Monday @ 8:30 PM EST
This could either be a really good game, or a really bad game. The Seahawks travel to our nation’s capital to face the Washington Redskins. Washington, led by quarterback Kirk Cousins, will have a tough task, especially after last Thursday’s meeting with the New York Giants. The Seahawks took down Peyton Manning and the mighty Denver Broncos during week two, in a rematch of last year’s Super Bowl. The only loss that Seattle has so far came in San Diego, in a highly contested game. This week it should be more of the same, and the Seahawks should roll on. Verdict: Seahawks
2014 NFL DRAFT
The NFL Draft starts at 8:00 PM EST tonight. You can follow the draft coverage here
| Pick | Team | Player | Position | College |
| 1 | Houston Texans | Jadeveon Clowney | DE | South Carolina |
| 2 | St. Louis Rams (From WSH) | Greg Robinson | OT | Auburn |
| 3 | Jacksonville Jaguars | Blake Bortles | QB | Central Florida |
| 4 | Buffalo Bills (From CLE) | Sammy Watkins | WR | Clemson |
| 5 | Oakland Raiders | Khalil Mack | OLB | Buffalo |
| 6 | Atlanta Falcons | Jake Matthews | OT | Texas A&M |
| 7 | Tampa Bay Buccanners | Mike Evans | WR | Texas A&M |
| 8 | Cleveland Browns (From MIN) | Justin Gilbert | CB | Oklahoma State |
| 9 | Minnesota Vikings (From CLE) (Via BUF) | Anthony Barr | OLB | UCLA |
| 10 | Detroit Lions | Eric Ebron | TE | UNC |
| 11 | Tennessee Titans | Taylor Lewan | OT | Michigan |
| 12 | New York Giants | Odell Beckham Jr. | WR | LSU |
| 13 | St. Louis Rams | Aaron Donald | DT | Pittsburgh |
| 14 | Chicago Bears | Kyle Fuller | CB | VA. Tech |
| 15 | Pittsburgh Steelers | Ryan Shazier | LB | Ohio State |
| 16 | Dallas Cowboys | Zack Martin | OT | Notre Dame |
| 17 | Baltimore Ravens | CJ Mosley | LB | Alabama |
| 18 | New York Jets | Calvin Pryor | S | Louisville |
| 19 | Miami Dolphins | Ja’wuan James | OT | Tennessee |
| 20 | New Orleans Saints (From ARI) | Brandin Cooks | WR | Oregon State |
| 21 | Green Bay Packers | Ha-Ha Clinton Dix | S | Alabama |
| 22 | Cleveland Browns (From PHI) | Johnny Manziel | QB | Texas A&M |
| 23 | Kansas City Chiefs | Dee Ford | DE | Auburn |
| 24 | Cincinnati Bengals | Darqueze Dennard | CB | Michigan State |
| 25 | San Diego Chargers | Jason Verrett | CB | TCU |
| 26 | Philadelphia Eagles (Via CLE) (From IND) | Marcus Smith | DE | Louisville |
| 27 | Arizona Cardinals (From NO) | Deone Bucannon | S | Washington St. |
| 28 | Carolina Panthers | Kelvin Benjamin | WR | FSU |
| 29 | New England Patriots | Dominique Easley | DT | Florida |
| 30 | San Francisco 49ers | Jimmie Ward | S | Northern Illinois |
| 31 | Denver Broncos | Brandon Roby | CB | Ohio State |
| 32 | Minnesota Vikings (Via SEA) | Teddy Bridgewater | QB | Louisville |
Draft Day Trades:
- Bills acquire No. 4 Pick (Sammy Watkins) from Browns for No. 9 pick (Anthony Barr), plus 2015 1st & 4th round picks
- Browns acquire 8th pick (Justin Gilbert) from Minnesota for 9th pick (Anthony Barr)
- The Cardinals traded No. 20 (Brandin Cooks) to New Orleans for No. 27 (Deone Bucannon) and their third-rounder, Pick No. 91.
- The Browns traded Pick No. 26 (Marcus Smith), and their third-rounder, Pick No. 83, to move up to No. 22 (Johnny Manziel)
- Vikings acquire the 32th pick (Teddy Bridgewater) for the 40th pick and 108th pick
Amid all of the hype for other players this season, expect Clowney’s name to be called first at the NFL Draft (Via Jeff Blake/US Presswire)
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Brett Malamud is a Computer Science Major at Binghamton University. He is the co-founder of dabuzzza.com. His favorite athletes are Derek Jeter and Todd Bertuzzi. You can follow him on twitter at @brettnyy
NFL All-Arrest First-Team Offense
By Nick Vespasiano
The NFL has seen many arrests in recent years, many for ridiculous reasons. This begs the question, what if all of those arrested players were on the same team? Presenting the NFL All-Arrest First Team offense:
QB – Michael Vick: Dogfighting
Mike Vick was arrested back in 2007 and sent to prison for 23 months for dogfighting as a member of the Atlanta Falcons. To this day his reputation among NFL fans is mixed. Pretty interesting how fans will turn on someone like Vick while embracing someone like Ray Lewis (who killed a guy). It was hard not to choose Daunte Culpepper for this spot but the Vikings “love boat” is already on the list.
In recent years, Michael Vick has taken a stand against dogfighting. (Via AP)
RB – Marshawn Lynch: Hit-and-run, felony gun charges, DUI
Super Bowl champion, Marshawn Lynch has been arrested three times. The first was in 2008 as a Buffalo Bill when he hit a woman in his Porche and drove off. Thankfully she was ok and he lost his license. In 2009, still a Bill, Lynch was arrested and sentenced to probation in California when police found a loaded gun in his car. Finally, as a Seattle Seahawk in 2012, lynch was arrested on suspicion of DUI. Lynch gets the first RB spot for getting arrested three separate times for three different things.
RB – Dion Lewis: falsely reporting a fire, reckless endangerment
Plenty of running backs get arrested, most recently Ray Rice for assaulting his fiance (they still got married!). I hadn’t even heard of former Philadelphia Eagle Dion Lewis but his 2012 arrest was the most unique of the RB’s. He and his brother, both drunk, pulled the fire alarm on their hotel when they got locked out. He was charged with falsely reporting a fire and reckless endangerment but somehow the charges were dropped.
FB – Corey Macintyre: exposure
Of all the arrested FB’s, this guy takes the cake. In 2009, the former Buffalo Bill allegedly “fondled himself” outside the window of a 59-year-old woman at 8:30 in the morning. The charges would eventually be dropped.
TE – Matt Spaeth: public urination
Tight ends (excluding Aaron Hernandez) seem to be more well behaved than other positions. But former Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Matt Spaeth was cited for disorderly conduct in 2009 for publicly urinating outside a restaurant near Heinz Field. Spaeth’s teammate, kicker Jeff Reed tried to interfere with the police and got himself arrested as well.
WR – Randy Moss: careless driving
In 2002, the former Minnesota Vikings wideout struck and pushed a traffic officer half a block in Minneapolis. Police allegedly found marijuana in his car but he was never charged. Moss pled guilty to careless driving, costing him $1200 and 40 hours community service. Not the first or last of his antics but definitely the most notable of his career.
WR – Plaxico Burress: criminal possession of a weapon and reckless endangerment
Who can forget when in 2008 Plaxico Burress shot himself in the leg accidentally in a New York City night club? A member of the New York Giants at the time, Burress was charged with two counts of criminal possession of a handgun and reckless endangerment after the gun tucked in his jeans went off. He had no license for the gun. Burress was sentenced to two years in prison and two years of supervised release. He was also suspended for the Giant’s last four games and released after the season ended.
OT – Bryant McKinnie: indecent conduct, disorderly conduct, and lewd or lascivious conduct
Bryant McKinnie was one of four members of the 2005 Minnesota Vikings involved in the “love boat” incident. The party on Lake Minnetonka involved two boats, 16 other Vikings, prostitutes from Atlanta and Florida, and 90 people in total. Without going into too much detail, McKinney apparently had himself a good time. He ended up paying a $2,000 fine, completed 48 hours community service, and forfeited one game’s worth of pay.
OG – Eric Steinbach: boating under the influence
Only six NFL guards have been arrested since 2000. Former Cincinnati Bengal Eric Steinbach was cited for drunken boating back in 2006. The fifth Bengal to be arrested that year and the only drunken boater on the list, Steinbach drove through an idle zone on the Ohio River in Kentucky before being pulled over and failing several field sobriety tests.
C – Kenyetta Jones: assault, battery on a law enforcement officer, obstruction, trespassing
While a member of the New England Patriots in 2003, Kenyetta Jones poured scalding hot water on his roommate, giving him second and third-degree burns. He was released by the Patriots and went on to play in the Arena Football League. In 2008, he tried to urinate on the dance floor of a St. Petersburg night club which ended in his being charged with battery on a law enforcement officer, obstruction, and trespassing after police tried to remove him.
OG – Jeremy Bridges: assault and battery, communicating threats
Just before 2007 training camp, as a member of the Carolina Panthers, Jeremy Bridges was arrested for pointing a gun at a woman in a strip club parking lot. He was suspended 60 days, given a year probation, a $500 fine, and 60 hours community service. The very next year, while he and his wife celebrated their anniversary at a restaurant, Bridges bought a bottle of Dom Perignon champagne and proceeded shake the bottle and spray other customers. When asked to leave he allegedly got physical with a bouncer and was arrested on a $2500 bond.
OT – Andre Smith: attempting to board an airplane with a loaded gun
In early 2013, Cincinnati Bengals tackle Andre Smith tried to get on a plane at the Atlanta airport with a loaded handgun. I don’t know what’s worse, not knowing you can’t bring guns on airplanes or thinking you could get away with it. He claims he didn’t know the .380 pistol was in his bag before going to the airport yet somehow he didn’t bother checking. He was released from jail on a $3,000 bond.
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Nick Vespasiano is a senior English major at St. Olaf College and aspiring sports writer. He was raised in Minnesota, favorite teams are the Vikings, Wild, and Twins. Favorite athletes are Randy Moss and Jaromír Jágr.
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