GLENDALE AZ - DECEMBER 12: Runningback Knowshon Moreno #27 of the Denver Broncos rushes the football past Joey Porter #55 of the Arizona Cardinals during the NFL game at the University of Phoenix Stadium on December 12 2010 in Glendale Arizona. The Cardinals defeated the Broncos 43-13. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
Fantasy Football Start 'Em Sit 'Em Week 15: Kyle Orton Will Not Start
The Denver Broncos' Kyle Orton and Brandon Lloyd continued to frustrate fantasy owners for a second week. Owners should re-think starting both this week against the Oakland Raiders.
Fantasy Football Start 'Em Sit 'Em Week 15: Kyle Orton Will Not Start
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Fantasy Football Start 'Em Sit 'Em Week 15: Kyle Orton Will Not Start
In today's Denver Broncos-Oakland Raiders tilt, who should fantasy owners start and who should sit?
Start Em
Darren McFadden, RB, Oakland - McFadden has a favorable match-up against the porous Broncos rush defense, which he torched for 165 yards and three touchdowns in their earlier game. Against the Jaguars last week, McFadden had three total touchdowns (two rushing, one receiving).
Knowshon Moreno, RB, Denver - While the rushing yards haven't always been there since the second half of the season, Knowshon Moreno has more than made up for it with his inclusion into the passing game. He's averaging 92.4 yards on the ground and 44.0 yards in the air over the last five games. With rookie Tim Tebow starting at quarterback, Moreno should become the key pivot on offense. This may make the Raiders focus more on the running back, but don't sit Moreno.
Sit Em
Kyle Orton, QB, Denver - Tim Tebow's taken all of the first team reps this week and Orton has barely thrown the ball. Sources indicate the decision has already been made to start Tim Tebow.
Broncos DST - This is a no-brainer as this team has the second-worst rushing defense in the league. This defense has been avoided all season long.
Sit Only If Better Option Available
Brandon Lloyd, WR, Denver - Teams have treated Lloyd like a true No. 1 receiver recently and Kyle Orton's precipitous drop in production hasn't helped matters. With the rookie Tebow likely to start, this may not be a good week to look for Lloyd to make a return to fantasy prominence.
Oakland DST - The Raiders are 4-0 in division competition, but the defense has allowed 30-plus points in three of its last four games. Facing a rookie quarterback will help this defense.
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Fantasy Football Week 15: Chargers' Vincent Jackson Racks Up Fantasy Points Against 49ers
Patient fantasy football owners who stuck with San Diego Chargers wide receiver Vincent Jackson finally received the payoff they wished they had all season. Jackson, under NFL rules was suspended after signing his tender with the Chargers, dominated the San Francisco 49ers last night.
In the Chargers 34-7 victory, Jackson was Philip Rivers' target seven times and made five receptions. He had 112 yards and three touchdowns. That's good for 29 points in an ESPN.com league. With games against the Cincinnati Bengals and the Denver Broncos to finish the regular season, Jackson will be a good play during the playoffs.
Quarterback Philip Rivers also delighted fantasy owners as a result of Jackson's play. Rivers had those three touchdown passes and 273 passing yards. His 22 points were second behind Jackson's last night. Unlike Kyle Orton, Rivers shows no signs of letting up during the final weeks of the season.
The Chargers' defense was a good play last night, limiting the Niners offense to seven points. Safety Steve Gregory contributed a 41-yard interception return.
over 2 years ago Update 0 comments
over 2 years ago Update 0 comments
Fantasy Football Rankings: Downgrade Broncos Kyle Orton, Brandon Lloyd Against Raiders; Start Knowshon Moreno
If the last two weeks of play have been any indication, fantasy owners should re-think starting the Denver Broncos' Kyle Orton and Brandon Lloyd. Over his last two games, Orton has been 28-of-69 for 283 yards and three interceptions. His net fantasy points for those games against the Kansas City Chiefs and the Arizona Cardinals is zero. He gained two points against the Chiefs and then earned -2 points against the Cardinals. Three interceptions will kill a quarterback's fantasy production, not to mention his team's chances at actually winning the game.
Because of Orton's diminished returns the last two weeks, his top target, receiver Brandon Lloyd, has also suffered in production. With 31 and 32 yards in each of his last two games, Lloyd has produced only six points all together. Jabar Gaffney out-produced Lloyd against the Cardinals with 48 yards (4 points), but any Broncos receiver is a risky proposition to start now that Kyle Orton looks as though something is wrong with him.
But the good news for fantasy owners is that running back Knowshon Moreno has put together five straight fantasy games of 15-plus points. While he didn't follow up his 161-yard rushing performance with another 100-yard performance, Moreno had a touchdown and 81 yards on the ground. He caught five passes for 32 yards as well. Despite the Broncos offense sputtering with Kyle Orton at the helm, Knowshon Moreno is a top fantasy option for the rest of the season.
Fantasy football owners may want to look for different options at quarterback and wide receiver if they have been starting the Denver Broncos’ Kyle Orton and Brandon Lloyd. Orton has played nothing like the quarterback who had four straight games of 20-plus points earlier in the season, nor is he the one who put up 27 and 25 points in games after the bye week. Brandon Lloyd has been the victim of Orton’s decline in play as well as being taken seriously as a No. 1 wide receiver threat.
According to ESPN.com’s fantasy rankings, Kyle Orton is the No. 19 quarterback this week and has a projected 13 points (241 yards and one touchdown pass). That may be overly optimistic on their projections system. Orton is going into hostile territory after two bad games and has a sore arm. This doesn’t sound like a good combination.
His Oakland Raiders counterpart, Jason Campbell, put up 20 points against Jacksonville last week and will have the security of running back Darren McFadden. McFadden put up a monster 38 points last week and will face the Broncos rushing defense, one of the worst in the league. He did have 165 yards and three touchdowns in the Raider’s blowout victory over the Broncos earlier this season. That game he had 43 points. Under no circumstances should anyone sit McFadden.
The Broncos’ Knowshon Moreno has produced most of the team’s offense lately and he’ll be counted on heavily this weekend. He has averaged 17 points over the last five games and should be good for that amount for a sixth time in a row.
The surprise player this week could be Oakland tight end Zach Miller, who had been exceptional earlier in the season but then couldn’t stay healthy for several weeks. He put up six points after a 68-yard game last Sunday and will be a good choice for Jason Campbell to find this weekend.