Eric Sorenson
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Every week 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 (November 29th) with the Fantasy Sports Writer’s Association Hall of Famer.
What QB’s do you like in Week 13? “I’m preaching starting your studs. Don’t go too crazy in terms of chasing fantasy points. So, Ben Roethlisberger has a bad matchup on paper against the Giants. I don’t care. He is awesome at Heinz Field so start him. I’ve been telling you to start Colin Kaepernick for about three weeks, I’d keep starting him. Matt Ryan’s got a good matchup this week. Philip Rivers has a good matchup this week.”
Which need to sit? “The quarterbacks you want to keep on your bench, the guys you don’t want to chase the points with: Ryan Tannehill, Blake Bortles. There’s one team you don’t mess with at the quarterback position and that’s the Denver Broncos. You don’t want Blake Bortles this week. Andy Dalton without A.J. Green, it’s not a good combination. He needs to be on your bench.”
It sounds like Jordan Reed won’t play Sunday, which Redskins do you like? “Arizona fans will like this. [I’m benching] a lot of Redskins and Rob Kelly is one of them. The Cardinals have allowed an average of 6.2 fantasy points a game to running backs this year in their last five home games. That’s insane.”
What’s your take on Jeremy Maclin in K.C.? “At this point he’s droppable. Tyreek Hill has looked really good. Maclin has a groin [injury]. Those things can linger. To be honest with you Brad, what has [Maclin] done? He was a mediocre fantasy wide receiver at best and doesn’t deserve a spot on your roster right now unless you’re in a really deep league or a dynasty league.”
Is A.J. Green still worth rostering? “I hold on to him. He’s too good to drop because what if he comes back in Week 15 and you’re in your playoffs? What if he comes back for Week 16 in your Super Bowl and you dropped him?! I’m in one league where he got dropped and I picked him up because why not? Why not just hold on to him? If he’s not going to play, well, it’s no skin off my back. I just used a roster spot for a guy I otherwise would have probably not started anyway. So, if he’s been dropped, grab him. Until we hear A.J. Green is out for the year he needs to be on rosters.”
Who are some good starts this week at wide receiver? “I’ve been a big fan of Tyrelle Williams over the last five or six weeks, play him with a great match up. Last week all the Seahawks killed you. They killed you but I’m playing Doug Baldwin this week because the matchup is very good against Carolina. I mentioned you play Nuk Hopkins. I like Sammy Watkins as a flex this week because he only had three targets but he caught them all and he had 80 yards. I expect his snap count will increase and he’s got a good matchup in Oakland.”
What’s your honest opinion on Brock Osweiler this season? “My honest opinion (laughing)? He’s honestly been terrible. When DeAndre Hopkins, one of the best and most athletic receivers in the National Football League, has been relegated to essentially a bench player in fantasy…that’s hard to do! Osweiler, at this point, was a waste of about $70 million on Houston’s part. If I was a fantasy owner with Nuk Hopkins…I’d much prefer that Brian Hoyer is there, although he is injured. Osweiler has not been able to get the job done.”
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