Throughout the 2011 season, Tyler Loechner and Alex Miglio will select Twitter questions and answer them right here at PFF Fantasy. Although you’re bound to have your questions answered almost immediately from the staff on Twitter, we will choose a handful of good questions each week and give them more in-depth answers. Here are this week’s questions and answers:Loechner – This is a tough call after Wallace, but I’m going with Holmes and Moore. Holmes has been a relative disappointment so far this season, with just 10 catches for 131 yards and one touchdown. His -1.2 PFF grade is low as well, but it can be blamed largely on his poor blocking thus far. He has only been targeted 16 times in three weeks, a pace that will naturally pick up in the coming weeks. The Ravens have a -1.4 pass coverage rating and CB Jimmy Smith is expected to be sidelined with an injury. Holmes is primed to breakout and his slow start shouldn't discourage you yet.
Denarius Moore has scored a touchdown in consecutive weeks (rushing TD last week), and has played in about 75% of Oakland’s snaps in those two games. Moore did see his targets drop from eight to six the past two games, but he actually ran more pass routes in week 3. While his 4 reception, 37 yard game against the Jets might be more realistic than the 146 yards he posted in week 2, keep in mind the opponent. Oakland plays New England this week, who have surrendered a league-worst 377 passing yards a game. Oakland is a run-first team, as they should be with Darren McFadden, but Moore will see plenty of opportunities on Sunday. Teams have thrown the ball at least 40 times a game against the Patriots this season with great success.
If you are iffy about playing Moore, Manningham is still a solid option. On a week-to-week basis, I would play Manningham over Moore. This week, though, with Manningham recovering from a concussion and Moore’s favorable matchup, Moore gets the nod.
N.Burleson,J.Gaffney,D.Nelson,M.Sims-Walker,Jacoby Jones,Jerome simpson…..pick 3….thanks – @EU_CHARGERS
Miglio – Burleson had been rising up my rankings until Titus Young stole a big chunk of targets the past couple of weeks — six in each game, to be exact. Still, you seem to be stuck with a pretty bad wide receiver corps. I would likely go with Burleson, Nelson, and Gaffney; though it is really a crapshoot for you. Good luck…you’ll need it!
Whose got more upside going fwrd this season at TE, graham or keller? – @philmartin42
Loechner – These two tight ends are much closer in value than everyone assumes. After three games, Graham and Keller are tied for second in the league with 22 targets. Graham has 14 receptions for 235 yards and two touchdowns. Keller has 16 receptions for 249 yards and two touchdowns. It doesn’t get much closer than that, folks.
To answer your question, I believe Graham has more upside for the remainder of the season. He plays on a much more explosive offense and has an elite quarterback. Nishant Shailendra did a study on Jimmy Graham’s value this off-season from a dynasty perspective, but the information still applies.
New Orleans passes the ball 66% of the time while New York has been airing it out 63% of the time. Typically, the Jets have a more balanced attack, and I expect them to turn to the run more as the season progresses. While Keller should remain a TE1 option for the remainder of the season, Graham has more upside because of where he plays.
In dynasty PPR who do you like more Dwill [DeAngelo Williams] or [Frank] Gore? – @Tybeeman1
Loechner – That’s a rough position to currently be in. I'm very pessimistic about both players for over a year now. Gore has an abysmal 2.5 yard per carry average on 59 attempts (fourth most among running backs) this season. DeAngelo Williams has been worse though, averaging 2.3 yard per carry average on 27 carries. While both have been stars in the past, I believe their best days are behind them. Gore and Williams rank third to last and second to last in PFF ratings among running backs, with only Reggie Bush behind them.
I’m not thrilled about it, but I’ll take Gore here. For one, Gore is still the workhorse on his team. So far this season, Williams has taken a backseat to Jonathan Stewart (Stewart:112 snaps, Williams: 95 snaps). In the past, Gore has been used a little more in the passing game, giving him a slight advantage in PPR leagues as well.
With Cam Newton succeeding in Carolina, the Panthers seem content with passing the ball – a lot. Williams has become less and less important in Carolina and hasn't been playing up to his usual standards. In Gore’s case, despite his struggles, the 49ers are still leaning on him.
Both Gore and Williams have proven they can be RB1 material. So far this season, both have been major disappointments and the future looks bleak. Both running backs have prior health issues and both have seen their production slip; but Gore is still the centerpiece in his offense while Williams is taking a backseat. The most promising thing about Williams is his monster contract – Carolina is unlikely to get rid of him anytime soon.
sidney rice> decker ros ? non ppr sidney rice> j stewart ros? non ppr [sic] – @atcdav
Miglio – Absolutely, I would say Sidney Rice is a head above Eric Decker for the rest of the season. I like Decker, but Rice is a much better talent, even if he does have Tarvaris Jackson throwing to him. Depending on the matchup, Rice is a WR2/3 for the rest of the season, whereas Decker has to compete with Brandon Lloyd and Eddie Royal for targets when the latter returns from injury.
As for your second question, I believe it is deceivingly close — Jonathan Stewart has clearly been the better back in Carolina, despite DeAngelo Williams’ giant contract. Will that result in more playing time? If Carolina cares about winning, it should. To put it into perspective, Stewart is blowing away the competition in PFF with a 131.9 elusive rating – 12 points better than the next man, Fred Jackson. Where does Williams rate? Dead last with a 0.0 rating. They could not be more polar opposite in quality of play so far this season.
The problem is that Stewart is stuck in a timeshare with DeAngelo, no matter what the proportion — they are not going to let that giant contract sit on the bench. Rice has great upside, but Stewart is a great player in a more valuable position. I would say this is a tossup based on positional need. In other words, if your WR corps needs more help, then Rice is the better option. The same is true in reverse for Stewart.
Who do you like better this week? Grossman or Matt Ryan – @cmb5695
Miglio – I like Matt Ryan to bounce back against the Seattle Seahawks. Their defense has been better than expected — currently 10th in passing defense — but they gave up 298 yards to Ben Roethlisberger in their only true test of the season thus far. Seattle has a good rush defense, and I am betting they will keep the aging Michael Turner at bay, meaning Matty Ice will be chucking the ball a good amount. With Roddy White, Julio Jones, and Tony Gonzalez to throw to, I think Ryan will have a great day.
That is not to say Grossman will not, but I currently have him ranked lower than Ryan. Sexy Rexy gets a great matchup against St. Louis, but he fell flat against Dallas. I expect Shanahan to try to pound the ball on the ground, giving Grossman less opportunity for fantasy points.
What's the anticipated floor/ceiling for Stevan Ridley? Worth dropping F Davis (other TE is Olsen) to stash him? – @heronrookery
Loechner – While I don’t love the idea of rostering two tight ends, it can be done in deeper leagues. In this case, I like the idea of having Davis/Olsen and playing the matchup rather than taking a flier on Ridley.
Consider this: Ridley has played only 13 snaps this season, and the Patriots have run the ball just 34% of the time. There is so much guesswork involved with the Patriots in fantasy-land, but one thing is certain: Tom Brady is going to pass the ball.
Ridley is behind Danny Woodhead and BenJarvus Green-Ellis and despite his 6.4 YPC average thus far, I don’t expect him to have enough playing time this season to make an impact. Keep an eye on him as the season progresses, but it will drive you insane if you get too hopeful about a New England running back.
You think titus [Young] takes over burleson this year? – @npkuzmick
Miglio – If last week's game is any indication, it is a possibility — Young was targeted six times to Burleson’s three. Burleson, however, continues to play more snaps. Young represents a playmaker with big upside, whereas Burleson is strictly a possession receiver. If Stafford’s trust in Young continues to grow, so could his playing time. It must make Stafford smile every time he thinks about the weapons he has on offense.
whos on your fantasy football teams? – @NFLguru1239
Loechner – I thought you’d never ask! In the official Pro Football Focus Fantasy League over at My Fantasy League, my roster includes some of my favorites. I have Matt Schaub, Stevie Johnson, Maurice Jones-Drew, and Rob Gronkowski leading the charge. Johnson and Gronkowski were two of my favorite players this off-season and I own them in several fantasy leagues.
Milgio – Speaking of the PFF Fantasy league, who has two thumbs and the lead? That would be me. I was able to draft Matthew Stafford, my favorite breakout player, despite the entire league knowing I was gunning for him. I also happen to have Steve Smith, which has been a boon for me. Guys I tended to draft across leagues include: Stafford, LeGarrette Blount, Jimmy Graham, Reggie Bush, Rob Gronkowski, and Larry Fitzgerald. I also grabbed Kenny Britt and Jamaal Charles in a couple of leagues, but it’s mostly working out for me.
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