What we are talking about:
Cam Newton
His dance, and that mom's letter
Jeremy Hill
Can't start him, can't drop him
T.Y. Hilton
Now is a good time to trade him away
I'm going to try to get Cam Newton on my roster for the rest of the fantasy season.
Not because I want to make a political statement about dancing. Well, maybe a little bit. I mean, the time it takes a person to write an open letter to a professional athlete might be better spent, oh I don't know, actually talking to your child. Is Cam not supposed to celebrate after a touchdown because you don't want to talk to your kid? It's easily explainable.
You know that Tennessee mom spent, what, a good six hours writing that letter about Newton? And I shudder to think about the amount of time she has spent Google-ing herself and refreshing her Twitter feed in the aftermath. I'm pretty positive she's been the toast of her Bunco group after the notoriety. That is the most offensive part of the whole thing.
I've kind of dug the way Cam has handled the whole thing. He acknowledged she's entitled to her own opinion and that he was going to still be Cam. Which is great. And brings me back to the point of why I want him on my fantasy team.
Cam has always played with that chip on his shoulder, as if he wants to go out and prove the world wrong. Now you publicly call him out for his celebrations (both Tennessee soccer moms and Tennessee Titans alike)? Oh man, I think we might have unleashed a new version of Superman.
I mean, we always benefit because Superman does the right thing. But he could pretty much wipe out the entire planet if he wanted to. It wouldn't even take much effort. (Well, not Batman. Nobody stops Batman.) So we probably don't want to tick this guy off. Maybe we just kind of let him do his own thing without calling him out. Does Superman take a few liberties with his super powers? Sure. But just be cool.
The same goes for Cam here.
Cam has always been kind of a ball hog before, as he has often called his own number at the goal line. I feel that range of "(expletive) it, I'm keeping this ball" will extend from the goal-line all the way out to the 50. So all of you who have to go against Cam in fantasy are going to suffer down the stretch because some lady didn't want to talk to her child.
And since we're on the subject of phony controversy. I'm glad Andy Dalton came to his senses and realized he overacted greatly to J.J. Watt. That was a close one. I would have been bummed out on Dalton forever had he really felt that way. Although, Dalton would have ended the discussion forever had he just said, "Sure, J.J. just call me Scut Farcus."
But seriously J.J., I was kind of offended by that joke as a comedian. It was terrible. And J.J. was so pleased with himself, too. I almost want the Texans to win this week just to see the lame joke he comes up with.
"We wanted to make Ryan Fitzmagic go abracadabra and disappear!"
Oh shoot, he's totally going to use that, isn't he?
All right, let's get to the fantasy football.
And without further ado ...
The Bengals have allowed the fourth-fewest points to quarterbacks. But I don't give a (expletive). Carson Palmer is my man.
Palmer has six games with at least 300 passing yards this year. He's one 300-yard game off the all-time club record held by Kurt Warner and Neil Lomax.
The Lions have allowed the third-most fantasy points to quarterbacks this year. Derek Carr has scored more than 23 fantasy point in three of his last four.
Fun fact: the Raiders have not won in Detroit since they were the Los Angeles Raiders. The Oakland Raiders have never won in Detroit. So there's always next year, Raiders.
Blake Bortles gets the start for me every week. Prior to Thursday night, he's thrown at least two touchdown passes in five consecutive games. He only threw one against the Titans, but I'm still sticking with him.
Tony Romo is supposed to be back. He's got the Dolphins who have allowed the seventh-most points to quarterbacks this season. This was good, too.
Mark Sanchez is a dangerous play. But the Bucs have allowed 19 touchdown passes this season; third-highest total in the league.
Tom Brady is leading he NFL in passing yards per game (338.1), TD-INT ratio (8.00) and passer rating (111.1).
This is such a trap game for Jay Cutler. But we kind of thought that last week, too, right? Plus revenge! Revenge! REVENGE!!!!
Jameis Winston has a rushing TD in his last three games. The last rookie quarterback with such a streak was RGIII. All right, forget I said (wrote) anything.
ImageCesaro vs. Roman Reigns was actually pretty good. It was a lot like watching "Gotham". We all know how these characters are going to end up, but they are telling compelling stories in the mean time. But in all seriousness, Reigns looks great against capable opponents. He won't pull up a lesser wrestler to new heights, but he can hoss with guys like Cesaro and Brock Lesnar.
Image Please let Dean Ambrose be the one who turns on Reigns at Survivor Series. Or preferably the night after on RAW. Ambrose (and the Shield, really) were huge corporate suck-ups at one point. (Though that would mean the announce team remembered some backstory for once.)
Charcandrick West has been a great replacement for Jamaal Charles in Kansas City. He's averaged more than 100 scrimmage yards per game with four touchdowns in four games. Follow him on Twitter, too.
Karlos Williams is the second player in NFL history to score a touchdown in each of his first six games. The other person to do so was Robert Edwards.
Lamar Miller has seven touchdowns in five weeks, and the Cowboys have allowed a lot of fantasy points to running backs this year.
I'm too dumb to move off Darren McFadden this week. He's got a great matchup and he's going to get back at it.
Latavius Murray is a nice play against the Lions, who have been torched by running backs this year.
Jeremy Langford is still good to start this week. I have a feeling Matt Forte isn't going to rush back any time soon.
Is anybody else feeling Frank Gore's matchup this week against the Falcons? It's pretty nice.
ImageHoly snakes, the 24-hour (actually 31 hours!) basketball hoops tournament will one day be my March Madness. I kept waking my four-month old up all night, so I wouldn't feel like such an ass for staying up super late to watch basketball. It's a rough couple of months when we're without baseball and college hoops, but we made it. And UNLV's Derrick Jones Jr. is sick.
DeAndre Hopkins has been targeted a league-high 123 times this season. I don't care who the starter is for the Texans, you roll with Hopkins.
Sammy Watkins has a nice matchup against the Patriots. The Bills haven't had Tyrod Taylor, LeSean McCoy and Watkins on the field together a lot this year. But they should this week.
Let's keep it going with Clemson receivers. Oh wait, Martavis Bryant is on a bye. How about Adam Humphries as a Danger Zone pick? I don't blame you.
Mike Evans has carried the Buccaneers the same way Rob Lowe has carried "The Grinder" over on FOX. I actually like that show.
The Chiefs have allowed the second-most points to receivers this year. Start Steve Johnson. If you need an emergency WR, how about Dontrelle Inman?
Amari Cooper is on pace to nearly double the rookie output of Calvin Johnson in 2007. You might have heard this, but the Raiders could have drafted Calvin.
If you think the Raiders will struggle on the road, realize they have scored 119 points on the road so far. That's 26 more than they scored on the road all of last year.
Seriously, the Raiders could have had Calvin Johnson. Instead they took JaMarcus Russell. So one went on to be Megatron, the other went on to weigh a mega ton.
ImageLeave it to John Oliver and "Last Week Tonight" to put the perfect spin on the daily fantasy sports drama that is going on out there. I'm almost compelled to keep HBO because of LWT. But since the best stuff is on the web anyway, what's the point? I have Netflix and Amazon Prime. I mean, there is going to be a day soon when cable/satellite is as foreign as a house phone, right?
Rob Gronkowski said he didn't have a Snapchat account because he would have too many girls sending him photos. And Tom Brady broke his phones, too.
Jimmy Graham has not scored a touchdown in any of his last six games. The longest drought of his career. But that only means he's due, right?
Some other great TE starts include Travis Kelce and Jordan Reed.
I'd be worried about Eric Ebron. The matchup with the Raiders says start your tight end. But it's been the No. 2 tight end for four consecutive weeks.
Image I remembered a music video again! I have pretty geeky taste, I think with selections of Blink 182, the Dandy Warhols and Guns N' Roses. This week, I'm going to go with Britney (female dogs)! It's not the one you probably have stuck in your mind. Instead, it's this one, my favorite Britney song; "Toxic." But apparently, that wasn't good enough for the Franchise, who has the unenviable task of editing this column. Here's his choice. Which hopefully won't sum up my feelings for starting Darren McFadden.
ImageAnd a big thank you to Paul Heyman and Tommy Dreamer who retweeted this promo I cut on "NFL Fantasy Live." It's a rather humbling experience when guys you looked up to as a kid start to reach out to you for something foolish I did on the show. So that was a nice start to my day.
ImageAnd please, watch "Madden NFL Live" on NFL Network. You're missing out on great (expletive) like this if you don't.
Take this for what it's worth; Aaron Rodgers was 0-2 with two TDs and two picks against Mike Zimmer-coached defenses in Cincinnati, but Rodgers went 2-0 last year against Zimmer and the Vikings, with five TDs and no picks.
I'd start Rodgers in traditional leagues because you kind of have to. But I would steer clear of him in daily fantasy leagues.
Andy Dalton has not played well in prime time. But I don't like him this week because the Cardinals have allowed the ninth-fewest points to quarterbacks.
Joe Flacco was a great start last week, but not so much this week against the St. Louis FC. Don't let what Cutler did last week fool you. Cutler is special this year.
Kirk Cousins has yet to win back-to-back starts in his career. But he's only had three opportunities to do it. Safe to say, though, it's not coming against the Panthers.
Has there ever been a worse quarterback swap than Sam Bradford for Nick Foles? It's so bad, I can't even think of an analogy that would be worse.
The last quarterback not named Peyton Manning to start for the Broncos was Tim Tebow in the 2011 AFC Divisional Playoff loss at New England. One week after Timmy hit Demaryius Thomas on that 80-yard TD to beat the Steelers. Seriously, why did the Broncos get rid of that guy?
Assuming Matt Hasselbeck starts this week, the Falcons will have faced five backup quarterbacks this year. I know this seems like they should be a lock, but they did lose to Blaine Gabbert. BLAINE GABBERT.
Image That Divas drama at the end of RAW, though. I'm not sure I would have gone with the Reid Flair angle (you'll have to Google the history on that one), but that was kind of deep. But at least it gives the characters some motivation other than, "I'm jealous of you and I want to fight you." It seems like wrestlers always have their person (expletive) out there on Front Street for a lot of angles. I mean, Vicky Guerrero was humiliated for years.
Chris Ivory has struggled over the Jets' last four games. After averaging 115 YPG in his first four, he's now averaged 45.8 in his last four.
Jeremy Hill has gotten on my last nerve. Actually, I have to kind of blame Hue Jackson. He took his head coaching audition way too seriously on Monday.
But you know damn well I haven't dropped Hill from my fantasy team. How could you? There is still a chance he could end up as the No. 1 guy. At least that's what I tell myself.
Justin Forsett has averaged 6.9 fantasy points in his last two games. He's had fewer than 70 rushing yards in four straight, and just two touchdowns in his last 12.
I really thought James White was going to be the one Wisconsin running back who would break through. Yeah, so much for that.
Speaking of Wisconsin running backs, I really hope the Chargers just ditch the hope Melvin Gordon is going to contribute during his rookie season.
James Starks is going to start for the Packers this week, and Eddie Lacy will get the second series. Man, if Mike McCarthy hadn't done so much to ruin the Packers I'd almost dislike him. But keep doing you, Mike.
Image Speaking of people turning on the Bears, President Obama did an interview with Bill Simmons this week. Love that the President wouldn't get pulled into the Simmons vs. Goodell beef. But then the long-time Bears fan said that he felt a lot like Aaron Rodgers. Thanks Obama.
Rodgers has lost three consecutive games. The last reigning MVP to lose three consecutive games? Peyton Manning. Of course he did. Rodgers is the modern-day Manning. Replete with the injury excuses explaining his poor decision-making.
Randall Cobb has only one career touchdown reception against the Vikings in five games. And he's never topped 65 receiving yards.
Anybody remember when James Jones was a thing for the Packers?
T.Y. Hilton is another one of those receivers who doesn't score enough touchdowns to be in the WR1 discussion. I feel like Matt Hasselbeck will favor Andre Johnson.
Hilton would be a great guy to try to trade if you have the chance. He's scored 10 points twice in his last nine. He's had more than 100 receiving yards once in his last 11 games. And the lack of touchdowns, too.
Jeremy Maclin is another guy with strong name recognition, but I would expect the Chiefs to run the ball a lot against the Chargers.
I'm not sure who the Panthers identify for Lake Norman this week, but I'm going to keep DeSean Jackson on the bench just to be on the safe side.
Patrick Peterson did not surrender a catch to A.J. Green in one head-to-head meeting. He was targeted three times in that game in 2011.
Danny Amendola got an awful lot of targets from Brady once Julian Edelman went down. But I'm not quite there yet with him. Keep an eye on Keshawn Martin. Remember, Amendola does the majority of his work out of the slot. Edelman lined up inside in the "Z" role, which is out wide and off the line so he can go in motion. That's what Martin would do.
Image Super bummed to hear about the ending of "The Soup." It really is one of my favorite shows. Joel McHale is one of the top five TV hosts right now (I will come up with the list in the near future), so I know he will be all right. Coincidentally, I will be attending my first taping of "The Soup" on Friday. Wait, am I the one who got it canceled?
Everybody waited around for Antonio Gates to get back from suspension and he returned with a splash. He's done next-to-nothing since.
The Chiefs have also been very good against tight ends this year. I know Gates has history against KC. But his point production has been history this year, too.
Dude, has Zach Miller made Martellus Bennett a thing of the past? I feel like Marty B will be back at some point. I don't feel like it's this week.
ImageIs D'Angelo Russell is the biggest bust in NBA history? The Lakers are going to rue the day when they passed up Jahil Okafor for him. I was ready to root for a Duke guy!
Brock Osweiler, Johnny Football, Mark Sanchez, Case Keenum and Blaine Gabbert will all start at quarterback this week. Let's not get too worked up about how much celebrating Cam Newton does. Leave our star QBs alone!
For the record, you can submit your fantasy questions to NFL Fantasy Live or me on Twitter. But realize, NFL Fantasy Live has 300K followers. Me? Just 14. See, the odds are better I will answer your question, so hit me up both via Twitter or via Facebook (if you're RG3). And if you follow me on Sundays, I'll quote "The Wolf" from "Pulp Fiction" and then it's game on! Although, it's tough to catch me on Facebook. Twitter is your go-to." Plus seriously people, I'm not taking your tweets after Midnight. I'm into the #HashtagWars via @Midnight. I've started to mute people who ask me questions at that time.
