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 6th) with the Fantasy Sports Writer’s Association Hall of Famer.
There is buzz out there about Dez Bryant and the Saints. Should he be added this week? “Nah. Not for me. There are better wide receivers. I mean, the first guy I’d be targeting this week is Marquez Valdes-Scantling if he’s still out there. I told people to pick him up last week and start him because I liked the matchup. Des has been sitting around all season. It’s the same situation with Le’Veon Bell. It’s the same situation. He’ll go to a team that already has a clear-cut number one wide receiver. The Saints have a talented number two there in Tre’Quan Smith. They also have one of the best pass-catching backs in the league in Alvin Kamara. I just don’t see it as a good fantasy fit.”
You mentioned Valdes-Scantling—are the Packers wide receivers good plays every week? “These guys are catching passes from the best quarterback on the planet as far as I’m concerned in Aaron Rodgers. Valdes-Scantling is running the same amount of routes as Davante Adams and catching passes from Rodgers in an offense that can score points. There’s no reason this guy shouldn’t be owned already and if he’s out there, grab him now.”
Is there another under-the-radar wide receiver out there you like? “Keep tabs on Maurice Harris. Last week had a big game. The best game of his career and led the Redskins in targets. They just lose Paul Richardson for the season and he is running about 77 percent of his routes out of the slot. Now he’s playing the Buccaneers who are terrible against slot receivers. If you need a wide receiver this week, assuming Jamison Crowder is inactive again, he could be a nice under-the-radar play for you.”
With Dalvin Cook coming back is it time to move on from Latavious Murray? “If I have Dalvin and I have Latavious I probably want to keep Murray if that were the case. The one thing that would be awful would be for Dalvin to re-injure himself and you’ve cut Murray so now you’re in trouble. Calvin has one of the best fantasy playoff schedules among running backs. Very favorable so if you have Murray and Dalvin’s not on your team and you want to pick up a hot free agent because the Vikings are on a bye this week, I get it.”
Better long-term quarterback investment for the playoffs: Russell Wilson or Andy Dalton? “I’d rather have Russell Wilson. I mean, Andy Dalton has taken a hit. His number one wide receiver is out and this week and if A.J. Green was active, Andy Dalton would be a very good streamer. The Saints defense has given up fantasy points to quarterbacks hand over fist. But you’ve got A.J. out. Jon Ross is banged up. Dalton is only averaging one passing touchdown a game when Green doesn’t play. I’d rather have Russell. Even with his struggles, it was good to see him running the ball a little bit in Week Nine because he was on pace to put up the worst rushing totals in his career which I don’t understand because that’s a big part of his game. I don’t know why he’s been relegated to becoming a pocket passer. I don’t get it. He’s been a pretty big fantasy disappointment. Very uneven in terms of his production.”
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