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Sports Outlaw's Scott Henkel brings you a weekly look at the fantasy football stock exchange known as Ballin' or Fallin'.
Scott evaluates quarterbacks, runningbacks, wide receivers, tight ends, and defenses from across the NFL and lets you know if the player or team is on the rise or falling. If a player or team is Ballin' their stock is on the rise. If a player or team is Fallin' they are losing stock.
Are your players on his list? Find out each week in Ballin' or Fallin'!
1st Down or 4th & Forever: Vol. 4
Alright sports fans here we are! The BEST part of the year; FOOTBALL SEASON! And with that is the ushering in of another great feature Sports Outlaw offers it’s readers, “1st Down or 4th and Forever”.
Since there are so many players to track and so little time for you to track them, we found the guy on our staff with no life at all to do all the dirty work for you. From high atop the Rocky Mountains Sports Outlaw’s Scott “The Ram” Henkel brings his biting commentary each and every week letting you know if that player in the news is a diamond in the rough or a fossilized piece of dinosaur poop.
Here’s the way it works:
A “1st Down” rating means this guy is either going nuts or showing signs of busting out of the straight jacket. Either way he’s someone you need to keep your eyes on in your fantasy football league or make a move on and start em’.
A “4th and Forever” rating means this guy was getting some love either in the pre-season or is a one week wonder and is now ready for the bench or the waiver wire. I believe the chant goes a little something like this, “OOOOOVER RAAAATED!! Clap, clap, clap-clap-clap-clap!!!”
So let’s start lighting fires and breaking hearts:
1st Down
Runningbacks:
Ronnie Brown: He’s been carrying some teams (like mine) with his back to back double threat performances. Cam Cameron took his head out of his butt and is using this guy the way all owners that drafted him hoped he would. The Fins still stink but it is having no affect on his weekly output. Ronnie has been a ruthless scoring machine in all formats. If he keeps this up he’s going to lead the league in total yards from scrimmage. Ow, and him running over Huff on his way to the endzone is one of the single coolest plays in pro-football.
Ronnie Brown…..1ST DOWN!!!!
Joseph Addai: Addai showed us some of what was to come this season. He’s racking up yards between the tackles and on the stretch play, scoring tds, blocking well, and catching the ball on release patterns. All this from a guy who plays second fiddle to our generations greatest quarterback (save your Brady arguments for another day, he’s in the same league). Consistently high rushing production on a passing team says something about Addai and his place in the Colt arsenal. He’s a baaaaaaaaaaad, man.
Joseph Addai …..1ST DOWN!!!!
Wide Receivers:
Larry Fitzgerald: Fitz has been giving me fits this season. He’s quite possibly the most complete wide receiver in the game today and he’s been shut out of huge performances earlier this season. Granted, if it wasn’t for a fellow Pro-Bowler lining up opposite him he might have had this kind of game against someone OTHER than my Stillers. But I digress. Still no tds and Wiz is still showing his penchant for running the ball again, and again, and again. BUT, when he can’t run the ball he’s showing the quarterback carousel can help out number 11 and his production this year. Fitz is a solid play every week especially against staunch run defenses.
Larry Fitzgerald…..1ST DOWN!!!!
Santonio Holmes: Now THIS is what owners and Steeler fans were waiting for!! Given the chance to shine as the undisputed go-to-guy Holmes lit up the Birds secondary in a losing effort. Just about everyone who drafted Holmes did so on the hope that this year he’d emerge as a dominant wideout. This performance is something to give those marble-kidney’d gamblers hope. You have seen the future. And it is good.
Santonio Holmes…..1ST DOWN!!!!
Quarterbacks:
Brett Favre: He should be shooting shuffleboard, wearing shorts with dress socks, and bitching about kids these days. But “Favre-ther Time” continues to quiet nay-sayers and break records I thought would be unbreakable. If you drafted him you are reaping one hell of a value pick. The key this year is his lack of picks. Playing catch with the other team has been his biggest drawback as a fantasy football starter for years. This year, 2 picks and 8 tds. Wow. Keep on rolling old man! It’s nice there are a few players still older than me keeping the dream alive!!!
Brett Favre…..1ST DOWN!!!!
John Kitna: Yeah, that’s right. John Freaking Kitna gets the second week 4 1ST DOWN!!!! He might very well be the goofiest looking quarterback in the post Bernie Kosar era. But I have to give the goof some sunlight after winning against the Bears and keeping at the helm of the Lydo….I mean the Lions resurgence. It was a tough road but things are turning around for him. He’s also lighting things up for fantasy owners who were dogmatic enough to take him despite a string of disappointing seasons.
John Kitna…..1ST DOWN!!!!
4th and Forever:
Runningbacks:
Jamal Lewis: Thought his career was back after rolling the Bengals, eh? Nah. Sammie Morris rolled them, too. And so will every other runningback in the NFL. So dust him off the next time he faces a bottom 5 rush defense otherwise forghetaboutit.
Jamal Lewis…..4TH DOWN!!!!
Wille Parker: Man that hurt to write. This was a bit of a hyped game and you knew Wizzy, Grimm, and the boys were going to clog the run at all costs against the Steelers. But Fast Willie had 19 carries and only averaged 1.9 yards per touch. Not so good. I’m not going to say the Cards are a run stopping juggernaut and think Willie should have been able to muster a better performance than this one. Regardless of this week’s performance he should still be in your line-up every week. But when a guy sucks, I have to call it.
Willie Parker…..4TH DOWN!!!!
Wide Receivers:
Nate Burleson: 2 receptions for 10 yards. And your qb threw for over 200 yards? Now from a guy who’s never done anything that’s one thing. But Burelson has shown he’s a talented guy and now has a full year under his belt in the system. The clock is ticking for a starting job here as Hackett is out of the boot. Cue the tv series “24” music.
Nate Burleson…..4TH DOWN!!!!
Torry Holt: Big Game is turning into Fishing License. Is this a function of turning 31 and playing 9 seasons in a high flying offense or just that the Greatest Show on Turf isn’t what it once was? It does appear to be a combination of the two. Holt is still average but doesn’t seem to merit much more than a second wr start. Keep in mind grasshoppers, fantasy football is about today and tomorrow. Do not draft or start because of yesterday.
Torry Holt …..4TH DOWN!!!!
Quarterbacks:
Trent Dilfer: Anyone scrambling for him on the waiver wire with the looming news of Alex Smith being done for the season should re-evaluate and take a look at this: 12-33, 128 yards, 2 picks, 1 fumble, and 5 sacks. In a standard system he scored you 0.4 points. Erg. Run away, run far away.
Trent Dilfer…..4TH DOWN!!!!
Donovan McNabb: You started him, didn’t you? I bet you did. I would have started him against the Gints, too. 31 passes for 131 yards…..sounds like what he did last week in the first quarter. Adding insult to injury (not sure I should have that word this close to Donovan’s name, might be bad luck) he threw no touchdowns and was sacked 12 times. I say bring back the retina burning uniforms from week 3! They looked like Big Bird but at least they played well
Donovan McNabb…..4TH DOWN!!!!
This Week’s Cop-Out:
O.K, all one of my readers gave me crap about not writing an article for week 3….thanks again for the support Mom. So this week’s cop-out goes to me. Excuses are like butts. Everyone's got one and they all stink. So no excuses from the Ram.
So that’s my opinion. If you don’t like it, sound off in the comments section below and don’t bring the weak sauce! If you like it, praise me for the bear trap tight logical thinker that I am. Thanks for your opinions either way. Until next week, see you in the forums!
-Scott “The Ram” Henkel
Since there are so many players to track and so little time for you to track them, we found the guy on our staff with no life at all to do all the dirty work for you. From high atop the Rocky Mountains Sports Outlaw’s Scott “The Ram” Henkel brings his biting commentary each and every week letting you know if that player in the news is a diamond in the rough or a fossilized piece of dinosaur poop.
Here’s the way it works:
A “1st Down” rating means this guy is either going nuts or showing signs of busting out of the straight jacket. Either way he’s someone you need to keep your eyes on in your fantasy football league or make a move on and start em’. A “4th and Forever” rating means this guy was getting some love either in the pre-season or is a one week wonder and is now ready for the bench or the waiver wire. I believe the chant goes a little something like this, “OOOOOVER RAAAATED!! Clap, clap, clap-clap-clap-clap!!!”So let’s start lighting fires and breaking hearts:
1st DownRunningbacks:
Ronnie Brown: He’s been carrying some teams (like mine) with his back to back double threat performances. Cam Cameron took his head out of his butt and is using this guy the way all owners that drafted him hoped he would. The Fins still stink but it is having no affect on his weekly output. Ronnie has been a ruthless scoring machine in all formats. If he keeps this up he’s going to lead the league in total yards from scrimmage. Ow, and him running over Huff on his way to the endzone is one of the single coolest plays in pro-football.
Ronnie Brown…..1ST DOWN!!!!
Joseph Addai: Addai showed us some of what was to come this season. He’s racking up yards between the tackles and on the stretch play, scoring tds, blocking well, and catching the ball on release patterns. All this from a guy who plays second fiddle to our generations greatest quarterback (save your Brady arguments for another day, he’s in the same league). Consistently high rushing production on a passing team says something about Addai and his place in the Colt arsenal. He’s a baaaaaaaaaaad, man.
Joseph Addai …..1ST DOWN!!!!
Wide Receivers:
Larry Fitzgerald: Fitz has been giving me fits this season. He’s quite possibly the most complete wide receiver in the game today and he’s been shut out of huge performances earlier this season. Granted, if it wasn’t for a fellow Pro-Bowler lining up opposite him he might have had this kind of game against someone OTHER than my Stillers. But I digress. Still no tds and Wiz is still showing his penchant for running the ball again, and again, and again. BUT, when he can’t run the ball he’s showing the quarterback carousel can help out number 11 and his production this year. Fitz is a solid play every week especially against staunch run defenses.
Larry Fitzgerald…..1ST DOWN!!!!
Santonio Holmes: Now THIS is what owners and Steeler fans were waiting for!! Given the chance to shine as the undisputed go-to-guy Holmes lit up the Birds secondary in a losing effort. Just about everyone who drafted Holmes did so on the hope that this year he’d emerge as a dominant wideout. This performance is something to give those marble-kidney’d gamblers hope. You have seen the future. And it is good.
Santonio Holmes…..1ST DOWN!!!!
Quarterbacks:
Brett Favre: He should be shooting shuffleboard, wearing shorts with dress socks, and bitching about kids these days. But “Favre-ther Time” continues to quiet nay-sayers and break records I thought would be unbreakable. If you drafted him you are reaping one hell of a value pick. The key this year is his lack of picks. Playing catch with the other team has been his biggest drawback as a fantasy football starter for years. This year, 2 picks and 8 tds. Wow. Keep on rolling old man! It’s nice there are a few players still older than me keeping the dream alive!!!
Brett Favre…..1ST DOWN!!!!
John Kitna: Yeah, that’s right. John Freaking Kitna gets the second week 4 1ST DOWN!!!! He might very well be the goofiest looking quarterback in the post Bernie Kosar era. But I have to give the goof some sunlight after winning against the Bears and keeping at the helm of the Lydo….I mean the Lions resurgence. It was a tough road but things are turning around for him. He’s also lighting things up for fantasy owners who were dogmatic enough to take him despite a string of disappointing seasons.
John Kitna…..1ST DOWN!!!!
4th and Forever:Runningbacks:
Jamal Lewis: Thought his career was back after rolling the Bengals, eh? Nah. Sammie Morris rolled them, too. And so will every other runningback in the NFL. So dust him off the next time he faces a bottom 5 rush defense otherwise forghetaboutit.
Jamal Lewis…..4TH DOWN!!!!
Wille Parker: Man that hurt to write. This was a bit of a hyped game and you knew Wizzy, Grimm, and the boys were going to clog the run at all costs against the Steelers. But Fast Willie had 19 carries and only averaged 1.9 yards per touch. Not so good. I’m not going to say the Cards are a run stopping juggernaut and think Willie should have been able to muster a better performance than this one. Regardless of this week’s performance he should still be in your line-up every week. But when a guy sucks, I have to call it.
Willie Parker…..4TH DOWN!!!!
Wide Receivers:
Nate Burleson: 2 receptions for 10 yards. And your qb threw for over 200 yards? Now from a guy who’s never done anything that’s one thing. But Burelson has shown he’s a talented guy and now has a full year under his belt in the system. The clock is ticking for a starting job here as Hackett is out of the boot. Cue the tv series “24” music.
Nate Burleson…..4TH DOWN!!!!
Torry Holt: Big Game is turning into Fishing License. Is this a function of turning 31 and playing 9 seasons in a high flying offense or just that the Greatest Show on Turf isn’t what it once was? It does appear to be a combination of the two. Holt is still average but doesn’t seem to merit much more than a second wr start. Keep in mind grasshoppers, fantasy football is about today and tomorrow. Do not draft or start because of yesterday.
Torry Holt …..4TH DOWN!!!!
Quarterbacks:
Trent Dilfer: Anyone scrambling for him on the waiver wire with the looming news of Alex Smith being done for the season should re-evaluate and take a look at this: 12-33, 128 yards, 2 picks, 1 fumble, and 5 sacks. In a standard system he scored you 0.4 points. Erg. Run away, run far away.
Trent Dilfer…..4TH DOWN!!!!
Donovan McNabb: You started him, didn’t you? I bet you did. I would have started him against the Gints, too. 31 passes for 131 yards…..sounds like what he did last week in the first quarter. Adding insult to injury (not sure I should have that word this close to Donovan’s name, might be bad luck) he threw no touchdowns and was sacked 12 times. I say bring back the retina burning uniforms from week 3! They looked like Big Bird but at least they played well
Donovan McNabb…..4TH DOWN!!!!
This Week’s Cop-Out:
O.K, all one of my readers gave me crap about not writing an article for week 3….thanks again for the support Mom. So this week’s cop-out goes to me. Excuses are like butts. Everyone's got one and they all stink. So no excuses from the Ram.
So that’s my opinion. If you don’t like it, sound off in the comments section below and don’t bring the weak sauce! If you like it, praise me for the bear trap tight logical thinker that I am. Thanks for your opinions either way. Until next week, see you in the forums!
-Scott “The Ram” Henkel
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