Eric Sorenson
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Every Wednesday during the season NFL Network and NFL.com Senior Fantasy Analyst Michael Fabiano joins Sports360AZ.com’s Brad Cesmat to share his insight on building and developing your fantasy team for success.
Here are some hi-lights from our most recent conversation (December 23rd) with the Fantasy Sports Writer’s Association Hall of Famer.
Biggest fantasy overachievers in 2014? “One of the overachievers has been Russell Wilson who is now third in fantasy points among all players, had played very, very well despite bad match ups it’s exactly what he had against the Cardinals last week. Le’Veon Bell: remember in the pre-season when he came out with that quote about LeGarrette Blount seeing goal line work and people would freak out about it? Best running back in fantasy football. Another player, overachiever–how about Odell Beckham? He missed the first four weeks of the season and he’s already got 1100 yards and 11 touchdowns and everyone is going to be clamoring to draft him in the second round, maybe the first-round next year. Odell Beckham definitely comes to mind. So does Antonio Gates. Listen, Antonio Gates was dead and buried. I buried him. I thought Ladarius Green was going to be the guy who was going to emerge as a sleeper this season…12 touchdowns later Antonio Gates has more fantasy points than Jimmy Graham…the NFL is a bit unpredictable at times.”
What’s your advice on keeper leagues: skew younger or older when stashing players for 2015? “There are so many rules in keeper leagues…I’m in a keeper league where I can only keep a player for two years after I draft him and then I lose the round that I drafted the player in. I’ll give you an example. So if Peyton Manning was my first-round pick…I’m throwing him back in the pool. That’s too much of a cost for me in the re-draft. But if I have Russell Wilson and I only lose an eighth-round pick for him I’m definitely keeping Russell Wilson over a Peyton Manning. There are veteran guys though, who you definitely want to hold on to. A lot of those guys are at running back. Guys like Matt Forte who is inching closer and closer to 30 but at a thin position he is becoming more valuable. I always say that the goal for every fantasy owner in keeper leagues should be to win this year coming up. Dynasty leagues is a little bit different. Dynasty leagues you’re looking at youth a lot more because you don’t drop players. Your roster is what your roster is and that’s the nice dynasty aspect of it. It’s more like regular football. You’re targeting younger guys.”
Better play this week: Andy Dalton or Cam Newton? “Cam Newton. Two games in a row with over 22 fantasy points. Five touchdowns in his last two games against Atlanta. The good thing about that game is that it’s Week 17 game that means something so you’re not going to have to worry about anybody getting rested or sat in the second half. Cam Newton is a good play this week.”
Tony Romo or Philip Rivers? “See, this one’s tough. Romo is obviously the better play. He’s got a great matchup. You’re going to have to keep tabs on the news throughout this week because Romo is the no-brainer there. Rivers doesn’t have a great matchup against Kansas City but if the Cowboys decide to play their starters but that doesn’t mean we’re going to play them for four quarters well then maybe you’re going to have to go with Rivers. This is why I don’t like Week 17 championships because you could potentially lose a guy who’s gotten you this far by no fault of your own.”
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