Fabiano’s Fantasy Focus Week Four, Volume I

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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 (September 23) with the Fantasy Sports Writer’s Association Hall of Famer.

What one player is at the top of your list as a must-start this week? “Andrew Luck. I’ve had a love affair with this guy ever since he came out of college and I said at the beginning of the year he is going to be the quarterback to break into the top three: Rodgers, Peyton, Brees and so far he’s been better than all three of them. He’s a must-start guy. I don’t even use him in Start ‘Em or Sit ‘Em anymore because he’s so obvious. He’s been that good. He’s been 12 points better than the second best player in fantasy football this year. This is his year, Brad and this is a guy you drafted in the fourth or fifth-round. What a steal. DeMarco Murray now is a guy you’re starting every week. He’s a guy who’s been better than I thought he was going to be. If the Cowboys want to win, they have to run. Especially this week against Drew Brees.” 

Are you reaching a break point with Keenan Allen? “Has there been a bigger disappointment at wide receiver this year? Maybe Larry Fitzgerald but Keenan Allen is a guy you’re going to play this week because of the matchup this week [Jacksonville] but if he doesn’t produce this week, then it’s time to push the panic button.”

What do you make of the Ravens’ cluttered backfield through three weeks? “That backfield in Baltimore should have been solved by now but then this whole Ray Rice situation happened now you’ve got three guys there. It was supposed to Bernard Pierce in week one and it was Justin Forsett. Then it was supposed to be Justin Forsett in week two and it was Bernard Pierce. Then it was supposed to be Bernard Pierce and it was Lorenzo Taliaferro so I honestly can’t tell you who’s going to be the guy. I still think the Ravens want it to be Pierce, I really do. They know he’s a good fit for the zone blocking scheme. He would have been the starter last week if he was healthy so if I had to pick one running back out of that backfield it would be Bernard Pierce. But, Taliaferro needs to be picked up in all leagues…when a running back comes out, has 91 yards, a touchdown and double-digit fantasy points you have to at least take a flier on him off the waiver wire.”

I have Matthew Stafford and Carson Palmer: how long until I make a change? “Stafford is a great play this week [at New York Jets]. Palmer at this point, unless you’re in a deeper league, I’d cut him. Pick up Kirk Cousins if he is available off the waiver wire. I don’t know when Palmer is coming back and Matthew Stafford was a bust last week. 4.5 fantasy points at home. I mean, who saw that coming? But he’s really, really good on the road against the AFC recently and the Jets are awful against the pass…so I’m expecting Stafford to bounce back and give you 250 [yards] and two touchdowns this week.”

I’m looking to pick up a defense who are some good Week 4 options on the waiver wire? “The Chargers are a really good play this week against the Jaguars. The Steelers are a good play. They’re at home against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers so that’s another defense you can utilize. The Saints against the Cowboys…Atlanta was great last week and now they’re playing a rookie quarterback in Teddy Bridgewater so maybe they’re a good option, as well. Streaming defenses…that’s a crapshoot.” 

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