Fabiano’s Fantasy Focus Week 8, Volume I

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Each week NFL Network and NFL.com Fantasy Football Editor Michael Fabiano joins Sports360AZ.com’s Brad Cesmat to share his insight on building your fantasy team for success.

Here are some hi-lights from our most recent conversation (October 24th) with the Fantasy Sports Writer’s Association Hall of Famer  as Week 8 has arrived.

Who’s been the biggest fantasy disappointment at the halfway point of the season? “C.J. Spiller. No question about that. This is a guy who was drafted in the first round in every single league. At this point he’s scored double-digit fantasy points I believe once or twice at the most and we really underestimated Fred Jackson’s presence in that backfield. He’s been the guy. Spiller’s been banged up with that ankle…you could also talk about Trent Richardson as a potential bust.”

What’s the latest on the Cowboys backfield situation, particularly DeMarco Murray? “Right now it seems like he’s coming back and that’s a welcomed report for a lot of Cowboys fans and for fantasy owners, as well. If DeMarco plays for the Cowboys, he plays for your fantasy team. The Lions have not been good against the run this season. So, with six teams off and injuries galore…if you have DeMarco Murray on your roster and the matchup is right, you gotta play him. DeMarco was really good. DeMarco was very good before he went down with that injury.”

At the midway point of the season, where are teams hurting the most from a fantasy perspective? “Running backs who you drafted in the middle to late rounds, most of them are not bearing fruit right now. Most of them have been pretty average or disappointing. Rashard Mendenhall. He’s done nothing this season and been extremely disappointing. Maurice Jones-Drew, who was drafted in the second or third-round. He’s done nothing…Lamar Miller who, boy, I was 100% wrong on him. I like his talent…but he’s not getting the football enough to really make an impact in fantasy.”

Who from the waiver wire has made the most impact from a fantasy perspective through the first half of the season? “This is going to be close but I’m going to give you the Chiefs defense. Typically, we don’t talk a lot of defenses on our show but listen to these numbers: the Chiefs defense has scored 122 fantasy points. That would make them the eighth-best quarterback and the second-best running back. That would make them the best wide receiver by over 20 points and the best tight end by over 18 points…this is another example of why you don’t draft a defense too early because this happens every single year where a defense you’re not expecting to bust out does have a great season.”

To hear the rest of the interview click here.