By Dan O’Shea
The story of Week 5 in the NFL had a lot to do with the Austins – Miles Austin and Austin Collie. Two wide receivers who were on no one’s draft list entering the season, and probably were not even on anyone’s watch lists until Week 4, probably will be the two biggest pick-ups going into Week 6.
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Miles Austin had a stunning 250 yards receiving and two touchdowns for the Dallas Cowboys in an overtime victory against the Kansas City Chiefs, and Indianapolis rookie Austin Collie reeled in 97 yards worth Peyton Manning passes for two TDs.
Most people are liking Miles as the better of the two unknowns, though his QB Tony Romo is still looking a bit off this year. Meanwhile, Manning is having a Manning-like year for the Colts and with Marvin Harrison gone has really found a balance among several receivers, Collie included. I like Collie to have better games week-to-week in the long run.
The Austins kick off our Fantasy Fix Action Ratings for this week:
Player: Miles Austin, WR
FFAR: PICK UP
Comment: Still only 35% owned in Yahoo! leagues as of late Tuesday. Where is everyone – hung over from Columbus Day parties? He probably just had his biggest game of the year against a bad team, but should see more action.
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Player: Austin Collie, WR
FFAR: PICK UP
Comment: An even easier find, just 16% owned. Won’t have huge games, but seems to be consistent target for Manning.
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Player: Brandon Jacobs, RB
FFAR: TRADE
Comment: A first-round running back in most leagues and maybe the latest (after Marion Barber and Willis McGahee, to name two) to see an upstart run off with his touches. In Jacobs’ case, the upstart is Ahmad Bradshaw, who is getting the flashy play calls while Jacobs is pummeling the line. QB Eli Manning’s strong season also has cut into his load.
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Player: Joe Flacco, QB
FFAR: TRADE
Comment: Started this season with a hot hand, surprising on team with three solid running backs. But he has been less effective the last two weeks, and Baltimore seems to be running more again.
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Player: Chad Henne, QB
FFAR: PICK UP
Comment: 241 yards passing and two TDs for a Miami team that used at least four different “quarterbacks” Monday night to beat the Jets. Miami’s love of the Wildcat offense suggests limited chances, but Henne made a strong case against a top-rated defense.
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Player: Fred Jackson, RB
FFAR: DROP
Comment: Marshawn Lynch is back and getting more of the touches for Buffalo, taking them away from a guy who looked like a solid prospect at the season’s start. Plus, the Bills are just bad and not giving anyone much chance for fantasy points.
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Player: David Tyree, WR
FFAR: SKIP (for now)
Comment: The one-time Super Bowl hero who was dumped by a Giants team that was perceived to not have enough WRs (that’s how bad things were for him), Tyree signed this week with Baltimore. Only worth watching for now, but stay tuned.
Expert Wire
* Bleacher Report has St. Louis QB Marc Bulger listed as a waiver wire hottie. The Rams are so bad, and may even have to deal with Rush Limbaugh owning them, but this might actually be a good idea as top WR target Donnie Avery has begun to perform well after a slow start, and tight ends Randy McMichael and Daniel Fells and WR Danny Amendola are string to pick up the pace, too. Also, Bulger got a vote of confidence from his coach.
* Fantasy Football Toolbox (a new resource for us) has analysis of the Calvin Johnson injury. The highly-rated WR is still looking for some big games, and it doesn’t sound like he’ll be hampered by the injury. Starting QB Matthew Stafford is still questionable, but former stud Dante Culpepper did a nice job filling in last week.
* The Talented Mr. Roto mentions another interesting WR pick-up for this week: Jeremy Maclin, the rookie out of Missouri, had a quiet 142 yards receiving and 2 TDs. (That’s better than Austin Collie, but Maclin doesn’t have “Austin” in his name anywhere, so it didn’t work for this week’s opening.)
Fantasy Basketball
I promised a deeper discussion this week, so here’s a few names to look for in deeper rounds who may end up surprising everyone this year.
Rajon Rondo, PG: He certainly doesn’t qualify as a sleeper anymore, but will still be a fitth- or sixth-rounder in many leagues and may end the season more like a second-rounder. Boston is going to be pretty unbeatable this year, and Rondo has the tools to be another Jason Kidd, but perhaps a more prolific scorer.
Kirk Hinrich, PG: Interesting play here for a guy who may not even get drafted in small leagues. I like him as a final-round bet. Hinrich could get some consistent points as a sixth-man and occasional starter.
Greg Oden, C: Fell down the charts last year, but has been having a good pre-season. He’ll have to win his playing time, but a good late-round option who could surprise and end up among the top-rated centers.
Jordan Farmar, PG: The LA Laker is part of what might be a three-headed monster (along with Derek Fisher and Shannon Brown) that is assigned to feed Kobe the ball and occasionally take shots, but Farmar’s my pick to jump out over the aging Fisher and the flashy, streaky Brown. If he plays well enough, his expiring contract suggests he could end up getting traded into a true starting role with another team, a move which also would elevate Brown’s value.
David Andersen, C/PF: This journeyman, a seven-footer, is probably not making too many lists, but with Yao Ming injured, he could end up starting at center and otherwise getting good playing time in Houston. Take him in the final round, which will either impress your friends or have them rolling on the floor laughing. But, center is probably the shallowest fantasy position and he could prove a solid secondary option.
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Dan O’Shea’s Fantasy Fix appears in this space every Wednesday. Tips, comments, and suggestions are welcome. You can also read his about his split sports fan personality at SwingsBothWays, which isn’t about what it sounds like It’s about.
Posted on October 14, 2009