What Happened to the Houston Texans' Defense?

The Houston Texans' 1-3 start is not where the team, nor most fans, envisioned they'd be after the first month of the NFL season. Unfortunately, that is exactly the case, and fantasy football owners who jumped on the Texans' defense are left scratching their heads and wondering just what in the world went wrong. Even […]

Expect a Blowout Win From the Green Bay Packers on Sunday

Despite the loss of stud wide receiver Jordy Nelson, the Green Bay Packers are sitting pretty atop the NFC North win an unblemished 4-0 record. The Pack have looked marvelous in almost every facet of the game so far, and look for that to continue when they host the St. Louis Rams in Week 5. […]

What to Make of Antonio Gates' Return for the San Diego Chargers

Antonio Gates is set to make his 2015 debut after serving a four-game suspension for violating the NFL's Policy and Program for performance-enhancing substances. So what should fantasy owners make of his return? Gates has forever been the favorite target of quarterback Philip Rivers. But Rivers has also found a reliable weapon in Ladarius Green, […]

Jeremy Hill (RB, CIN) - Fantasy Football Risers

It's time for me to admit that the Cincinnati ground game is looking a little more like a committee than I would have liked. That being said, you can't argue with Jeremy Hill's three touchdown performance on Sunday. Despite Giovanni Bernard eating into Hill's workload, the team is still leaning on Hill and has openly said […]

2015 Fantasy Football Week 5: Risers and Fallers From Week 4

Week 5 is upon us, and things are getting REAL. Teams are starting to separate from the pack, both upwards and downwards. We've got four weeks to react to now, and while the phrase "any given Sunday" is definitely proving itself accurate, some trends are definitely taking shape. While Week 3 was an insane points […]

Carlos Hyde (RB, SF) - Players Showing Warning Signals

If I had told you that Carlos Hyde would make a list about players to be concerned about after his massive week one performance you likely would have told me I was losing my mind. Yet here we are three weeks later and Hyde hasn't found the endzone or had more than 51 yards in […]

Lamar Miller (RB, MIA) - Players Showing Warning Signals

The Miami Dolphins have been the most disappointing team of the 2015 NFL season. This was a team that was expected to make major strides on both sides of the ball after bringing in a slew of new players that were assumed to be upgrades. Lamar Miller, one of the constants in Miami over the last […]

DeMarco Murray (RB, PHI) - Players Showing Warning Signals

If it weren't for an unexpected hamstring injury that caused him to miss a game, DeMarco Murray likely would have been on last week's list as well. Unfortunately for him, it doesn't appear as if skipping a week did him any favors. Not only is Murray lacking touches but he's not exactly setting the world […]

C.J. Anderson (RB, DEN) - Players Showing Warning Signals

Welp, it finally happened. A Denver Broncos running back finally broke off the big touchdown run we were waiting for...except it wasn't C.J. Anderson. Ronnie Hillman exploded for a 72-yard touchdown on Sunday which I believe is both a blessing and a curse. The Broncos have struggled to find any semblance of a rushing attack all […]

Why the Baltimore Ravens Will Beat the Cleveland Browns in Week 5

After a disastrous 0-3 start, the Baltimore Ravens got a season-saving win against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 4. Despite the loss of wide receiver Steve Smith, the Ravens used their ground game and defense to slow down the Steelers' high-powered offense, even though the absence of Ben Roethlisberger definitely helped their cause. Still, the […]

The Cat’s Pajamas: Lions’ TE Brandon Pettigrew Looks to Play On Sunday

While Matthew Stafford—complete with backwards cap and all—might be just arrogant enough to claim he’s the proverbial “cat’s pajamas,” this week, the title belongs to none other than Brandon Pettigrew. Why? Well, though little’s been accomplished in the numbers column, after a heartbreaking Monday night loss to the Seattle Seahawks on a blown-call, Detroit’s looking […]

Week 5 Wide Receiver Depth Charts for Fantasy Football

Wide receivers are one of the most critical components, and a core building block, for all fantasy football teams. This is especially true in PPR formats, where fantasy owners are rewarded for every catch that a wide receiver makes. We are here to help you plan your wide receiver draft strategy, and to target the […]

Checkdown or Bust: Cardinals CB Patrick Peterson Approaching ‘Shutdown’ Status

With cornerbacks like Richard Sherman providing enough soundbites for journalists to meet their season-long quotas in a mere matter of minutes, oftentimes, stellar players slide under the radar. Simply put—this season, at least—Arizona Cardinals’ cornerback Patrick Peterson is one of those players. Sure, the Cardinals put up their first loss of the season against the […]

Leonard Hankerson has Solidified Himself as a Reliable Fantasy Option

BALLER MOVE: Add in 10- and 12-Team Leagues OWNERSHIP: 29% Fleaflicker ANALYSIS: Just as the Falcons' offense has exploded, Leonard Hankerson has begun to surpass Roddy White on the depth chart. Since Week 2, Hankerson has 15 receptions on 25 targets for 225 yards and two touchdowns, while White has just two catches on five targets […]

Thursday a Potential Redemption Day for Texans’ QB Ryan Mallett

“Laying the hammer down” is one of those idiomatic power phrases reserved for the likes of Thor and Tim “The Tool Man” Taylor. In spite of what Texans’ quarterback Ryan Mallett’s surname might suggest, he doesn’t belong in the aforementioned group of macho men. However, Texans’ head coach Bill O’Brien couldn’t disagree more. In fact, O’Brien […]

Larry Donnell Takes a Giant Step in the Right Direction

It’s been an interesting year for the New York Giants. With good reason, Eli Manning’s facial expressions have been as diverse as his team’s up-and-down successes. Starting off the season with two consecutive fourth-quarter collapses, many had written the Giants off as early bust. However, after two impressive victories over the likes of the Washington […]

Ram Down: LB Alec Ogletree Out for the Long Haul

This season has been an up-and-down affair for Rams’ fans. From threats of moving the team to Los Angeles to beating the Seattle Seahawks on opening day, they’ve seen more than their fair share of drama. Today, continuing along with same undulating trend of emotional highs and lows, anyone and everyone involved with the Midwest […]

Eric Ebron May Miss Several Weeks With Knee Injury

Detroit Lions tight end Eric Ebron has been having a great season thus far, especially compared to his rookie season. Through just four games he already has 15 catches for 179 yards and two touchdowns; all of last year combined he only recorded 25 catches for 248 yards and one touchdown. Unfortunately, the increased playing […]

Time to Walk the Plank With Buccaneers' Mike Evans?

Straight out of College Station, both the NFL and fantasy football owners had high hopes for Mike Evans. After an impressive rookie campaign, it’s safe to say that the lanky wide receiver has lived up to the hype. However, this year, things have been different. Starting his sophomore season with hamstring issues has very much […]

Duke Johnson Can Be a Difference Maker off the Waiver Wire

BALLER MOVE: Add in 10- and 12-Team Leagues OWNERSHIP: 57% Fleaflicker ANALYSIS: The Browns seem to have finally realized Duke Johnson's ability as a pass-catching back. After not catching a pass through the first two weeks, Johnson has reeled in 15 receptions in the past two weeks, including a 9-85-1 line this past weekend against the […]

Keith Mumphery to See a Lot of Playing Time for Texans

Houston Texans fifth-round draft pick Keith Mumphery is expected to see a lot of playing time on Thursday Night Football against the Indianapolis Colts. The wide receiver will be asked to step up in a big way with Cecil Shorts (shoulder injury) and Nate Washington (hamstring injury) both doubtful for the game. The Texans could […]

Jimmy Graham has Subpar Week 4 Performance

What is tall, frequently complains and needs to perform better consistently? If your answer was Jimmy Graham, you are perfectly correct. After an impressive Week 3 performance which saw Graham nab seven catches against the loathsome Chicago Bears, many fantasy owners felt Graham had turned a corner, finally nestling into his role in Seattle. However, […]

Cecil Shorts III is Your PPR Injury Stash Special of the Week

BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team PPR Leagues OWNED IN: 9% of Fleaflicker Leagues ANALYSIS: Cecil Shorts III has never been a spectacular, big play receiver but what he has going for him is consistency. Over the last four seasons, he’s averaged nearly 4.5 catches per game and has been left without a catch in […]

Andre Ellington Expected to Play vs. Lions

The Arizona Cardinals and head coach Bruce Arians fully expect running back Andre Ellington to return to action for the team's week 5 contest against the Detroit Lions on Sunday. Ellington has missed the last three weeks with a sprained PCL. Arians claims Ellington could played in week 4 against the St. Louis Rams, but […]

Charles Sims Earns Permanent Role With Bucs

Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Charles Sims may be behind Doug Martin on the depth chart as of right now, but he has earned a permanent role as a "jack-of-all-trades" with the team. Through the first four games of the season Sims has seen 128 snaps, 59 percent of those snaps were running pass routes, […]

College Football Rankings: NCAA Fierce 40 Poll Week 5

Fierce 40 - Top 40 College Football Teams as of Week 5 Check out all of RotoBaller's NCAA College Football articles, including top 40 team rankings and NFL draft rankings. A lot of big names dropped games this week and the rankings are getting tighter at the top!   Rank, Team, Record, Result Last Week […]

NFL Survivor League Picks – Survivor Pool Targets & Avoids (Week 5)

The first quarter of the season ended with Seattle narrowly escaping in a game that never should have been that close. If the Seahawks lost, many people would have been knocked out of their survivor pool. For my picks; the Browns lost to the Chargers because God hates Cleveland and the Cardinals were shockingly upset by Todd Gurley […]

Running Backs Sending Out Warning Signals Going Into Week 5

The running back position has been absolutely brutal this year. Whether it's ill-timed injuries or just plain under-performing, backs as a whole have once again been the most frustrating position to monitor. That brings us to the first RB-centric edition of our Warning Signals piece. If you've been following the first few editions you'll notice […]

Tavon Austin Is A Sneaky Waiver Wire Add

Another week, another Rams WR leads the passing game. Tavon Austin was excellent at Arizona, catching six balls for 96 yards and two scores while leading all WR in Week 4. He seven targets were enough to lead the team as the Rams only chucked the ball 24 times. The Todd Gurley Show was the […]

Scramble to Add Michael Vick in Week 5

BALLER MOVE: Add in 14+ or 2QB Leagues OWNED IN: 19% percent of Fleaflicker Leagues ANALYSIS: Vick’s first start with the Steelers wasn’t pretty, but I didn’t expect much. Being thrust into the starting role on a short week is incredibly tough. Especially so for Vick, who wasn’t signed until the end of August. Now he […]