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

10/01/14

Jets Fans, Don’t Panic Just Yet…

By Jack Allen

On Sunday afternoon, the Jets fell to the Lions 24-17, putting them at 1-3 with not too many promising signs. Quarterback Geno Smith turned the ball over in the 4th quarter when they needed him most. Matt Stafford picked apart their secondary, and to top it off, Geno Smith cursed at a fan as he walked off the field.

In years past, it might have been very unrealistic for a playoff chance in the AFC East after starting the season with a 1-3 record. Could this year be different? Currently at the top of the division sits the Buffalo Bills. They came roaring out of the gate with two wins before falling 23-17 in Houston on Sunday. All of a sudden, the Bills dropped to an even 2-2, and EJ Manuel was shown his way to the bench. Kyle Orton will be under center for the time being, giving the Bills nothing more than pure uncertainty. Next is the Miami Dolphins, who are also 2-2 after quarterback Ryan Tannehill led the team to a thumping of Oakland on Sunday and a win at home against New England back in week one. Between those weeks, they fell to both Buffalo and Kansas City. Miami once again looks like a possible playoff team but could very well be bound for another disappointment, based on previous seasons.

Now on to the unexpected blunder in New England. The Patriots got absolutely demolished in Kansas City Monday night as they fell 41-14 in an embarrassing affair. Simply put, they did nothing right. Tom Brady threw 14-23 with a TD, and 2 INTS. He also fumbled twice. The Patriots struggled to beat the winless Raiders at home, but escaped with a 16-9 victory.

Now back to the New York. In years past, if the Jets started 1-3, it was automatically time to panic. I had previously thought that the Jets need to start Michael Vick if they’re serious about winning now (see my previous article). Due to a lack of a clear-cut favorite in the AFC East, I agree with Rex Ryan in keeping Geno Smith as the starting quarterback. The Jets have time to keep trying with him, and will continue to work towards the future. Despite a bad start, they still have a chance of climbing the rest of the pack for the AFC East title. So before all the Jet fans get anxious and worried about their spot right now, just relax. They’ve been in the situation before and it’s not an unrecoverable one. The journey continues as the Jets fly into San Diego for a Sunday afternoon, 4:25 p.m. (EST) showdown. It should be a good one in Southern, California watching Smith battle against a proven quarterback in Philip Rivers.

Jets head coach Rex Ryan has continued to believe in Geno Smith and has kept him as the starting quarterback (Via UPI)

Jack Allen is a writer for dabuzzza.com. He is a fan of the New York Mets, New York Islanders, New York Knicks, New York Jets, Seattle Seahawks, Seattle Mariners, Queens Park Rangers, and West Virginia Mountaineer football and basketball. His favorite athletes are David Wright, John Tavares, Geno Smith, Allen Iverson and Charlie Austin. He is a very passionate and determined fan. You can follow him on twitter @JackAllen99.

08/11/14

AFC East Preview

By Jack Allen

If you ask me, I believe the AFC East is a constantly improving division. Starting with the New England Patriots (Division winners for the last 6 years) under future Hall of Fame head coach Bill Belichick they’ve dominated the AFC East for pretty much the last 14 years. With three Super Bowls (2001, 2003, and 2004) are the overwhelming favorite for this division as of right now. They might have one problem, with an aging Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski just coming back it could be a problem staying healthy. It’ll take a lot to keep them off the field, but don’t forget Tom Brady could soon be wearing down.

Tom Brady is still an elite quarterback but could he be losing steam? (via ibtimes)

As for the New York Jets, under 2nd year QB Geno Smith I believe they have enough to clinch a Wild Card birth in the AFC. Rex Ryan and his defense can lead this young team in the NFL playoffs. Im not sure how far they can go, but it will be an exciting year in East Rutherford. Im going to say it comes all the way down to Week 17 in Miami to possibly sneak in to the playoffs. With new faces like Eric Decker, Chris Johnson and Jonathan Babin it should be an exciting season.

Down in South Florida they have a very nice thing going that I think needs some time to develop. Last season in week 17 they had a win and in game at home against their divisional rival NY Jets. Nothing went right in a disappointing 20-7 loss. The Dolphins will give themselves a chance and play the Jets at home in a similar way they did last season and blow it again. Ryan Tannehill seems to have developed nicely, but not too many other threats on the football field. Should be an interesting year in Miami.

Ever since 2001 the Buffalo Bills have had no divisional titles, a 26-54 record within the AFC East and no playoff appearances. For the first time, in recent memory they look to have to hope. With a good defensive line, a young talented quarterback in EJ Manuel, and their new draft pick Sammy Watkins. Are they ready for a run yet? I say not just yet, but this team will not be a good one to have on your schedule. I project them at 6-10, but I say due to some inexperience they lose some close ones. Not so much now, but the future is looking bright in Western New York.

Prediction:
1). Patriots 11-5
2). Jets 9-7
3).Dolphins 8-8
4).Bills 6-10

05/08/14

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