I can talk about many mind-blowing things here: the finale of "Breaking Bad", the walk-off wild pitch no-hitter in baseball, or what really shocked me: the Ravens didn't attempt a running play from the 4:29 mark of the second quarter until less than 6:00 remained in the fourth quarter against Buffalo. The Ravens have completely lost their offensive identity. It's not like they were losing by 50, they were behind by one score for the most part. Ray Rice wound up with five touches and Bernard Pierce had four. Yuck. You're still starting Ray Rice but if you're being honest with yourself, he's really a flex play right now until Baltimore can figure things out. Now let's go to the rest of Targets & Touches.
Targets Analysis
Victor Cruz benefitted from the absence of Brandon Flowers Sunday, totaling 16 targets from Eli Manning. The Giants offense is a train wreck right now. There's no one on the team you can play in fantasy outside of Cruz, and I'm not that excited about him the rest of the way. Let's put Cruz's career in proper perspective. Cruz is an all-or-nothing player, and I'm not convinced there's a lot more "all" from him while this offense is that bad. The best news for him is that the Giants have a soft schedule coming up, so he has a chance to gain consistency. But there's going to be a few weeks where he'll be great and single-handedly win you games. There will be others where you say "Boy he just killed me today." And there will be more of the latter than the former. I'm not saying bench him, I'm not saying do anything rash. I'm simply saying put him in the right spot on your team for "all or nothing" guys.Â
Exhale deeply if you own Torrey Smith. With 12 targets also on Sunday, he finally had his 2013 breakout game. And with the running game going nowhere, he's now the top playmaker for the Ravens over Ray Rice. He's still a good No. 2 fantasy WR for you as he's going to continue to see all the targets. It's clear the Ravens are going to rely more on Joe Flacco's arm than Rice and Pierce's legs.
Jerome Simpson is a curiosity. He was easily the most-targeted WR on the Vikings with 11, compared to four from Greg Jennings. While Jennings had two touchdowns, it's clear Matt Cassel has a rapport with Simpson, and that can't be overlooked. Simpson's worth a roster spot on your bench and needs to be monitored closely. He's now had two 100-yard games this season and with the byes in full swing, he could be a valuable flex replacement for you.
How about a pair of Bears? Martellus Bennett is now officially a top-five fantasy TE for me. His 12 targets Sunday are just an example of his growing involvement in the passing game. He's just behind Jimmy Graham, Jordan Cameron, Julius Thomas and Vernon Davis. Alshon Jeffery is coming on really strong. Sure, plenty of his 11 targets happened in garbage time but Jay Cutler was looking for him a bunch throughout the afternoon against Detroit. Sunday was Jeffery's third game this season with at least eight or more targets. He's starting to emerge in the Bears passing game, and while he's not someone you can start yet, he may get there before long, so pick him up if you can. Remember, initially he was projected to be an early first-round pick in the NFL draft but slid to the second round a year ago.
Touches Analysis
It's Reggie Bush's world right now. But for how long? He had 22 touches Sunday, compared to 11 from backup Joique Bell, who fumbled late in the victory over the Bears. As long as Bush is healthy, it's his offense. This is where I make a bit of a left turn in regards to him. Trade him. Right now. His value will never be higher than it is coming off this performance. Can you trust him for the rest of the season? He's had three injuries already and at least one to his knee. Every time he carries the football I hold my breath. I can't be confident I'm going to have him and be able to count on him week in and week out for the rest of 2013. RB's are in high demand, and you can flip him in a deal right now for an ace WR and probably get a decent RB in return as well.
Le'Veon Bell is now a No. 2 RB in fantasy. His touches Sunday (20), far outweighed those of the next closest to him, Felix Jones, who had 3. Bell wasn't impressive from a YPC standpoint (3.6), but getting the goal-line carries turned his NFL debut into a successful one. There's no one to challenge him in the Steelers backfield, and I love guys who have the running game all to themselves. That's Bell, and he won't be challenged by anyone the rest of the season.
Jason Smith hosts NFL Fantasy Live on the NFL Network and writes fantasy and other pith for NFL.com. Talk to him on Twitter @howaboutafresca, and listen to his Fantasy Podcast with Michael Fabiano and Elliot Harrison every week on nfl.com. He only asks you never bring up when the Jets play poorly.
