By Sam Spiegelman
*Superstars* (5-2) 125 vs. Cliff Holliday (2-5) 123
In the closest content on the week, *Superstars* was able out edge out a two-point victory over Cliff Holliday, but you can really thank Cliff for the win. The 2-5 Cliff Holliday opted to start Josh Cribbs and Mr. Ben Watson Sunday instead of finding an actual wide receiver and starting Kellen Winslow. Talk about your Monday morning quarterback. I see why Cribbs seems like an appealing option; there’s no one else even on your team. Mohammed Massaquoi, Julian Edelman, B-Twice – that is not a backup wide receiving core. I don’t even know if they could make it rain for that matter. It’s time to cut ties with these wideouts and look for a new bench; otherwise these five losses are going to become a usual thing. Superstars, on the other hand, went with his regulars, and survived the disappointing efforts. Rashard Mendenhall and Stone Cold Miles Austin both came up small this week – a first for Mendenhall and the trend for Austin. Expect a rebound performance from the running backs, especially after Knowshon’s breakout day against the Raiders. For Austin, it’s time to ride the pine; Deon Branch and Danny Amendola seem to be better options with Jon Kitna taking snaps in Big D.
Top Guns (3-4) 123 vs. Smack Daddy (6-1) 173
Two teams clearly going in opposite directions; Top Guns, losing its third consecutive game while Smack Daddy earned its fifth straight win. All eight players scored in double figures, four of which topping the 25-point marks. The team is thriving off this season’s sleepers – Ahmad Bradshaw is the NFL’s leading rusher; Ryan Torrain has showed the world why Mike Shanahan brings him to every team he coaches and Aaron Hernandez emerging as a favorite target for Tom Terrific. With the star power of Drew Brees, S-Jax and the Marshall Plan, it’s not a real brain-buster as to why this team is so successful. The same cannot be said, however, for Top Guns, who has compiled three straight losses after a 3-1 start to the season. Ray Rice’s disappointing season, Jahvid Best’s cool down, Maurice Jones-Drew’s up-and-down year and Ryan Mathews letdown have really led to struggles finding consistency in the running game. With the loss of Tony Romo, the team will have to lean on the Sanchize to try and get you out of the hole. I just can’t see that materializing. Unless you can use your RBs as trade bait for a start quarterback, this might be the end for you, Top Guns.
The X Factor (5-2) 203 vs. Viper (4-3) 153
If I told you The X-Factor would oust Viper by 50 points after Week 4, you’d question my credibility as a fantasy expert. The X-Factor was just earning his second win on the season, inching back to .500, while Viper sported a 4-0 record atop the South Division. Talk about a turnaround. The X Factor’s four consecutive wins now puts him in a tie in the North Division, due mostly to the emergence of Percy Harvin, the biggest Vikings benefactor of the Randy Moss acquisition. It doesn’t hurt that Jason Witten has finally shown up or that Hines Ward finally has a real quarterback throwing him the ball. Having Reggie Wayne and LT returning in Week 8 is a sign of the depth of the team, which puts them as a Super Bowl contender. For Viper, it seems to be a problem of finding the right starters on a weekly basis. Brandon Lloyd had such a hot start to the season, but as soon as he cooled off, Steve Johnson all of a sudden puts together a 44-point afternoon. With Peyton returning, the quarterback position can b e solidified. However, injuries to Joseph Addai and Donald Driver remain question marks, and I’m not sure your reserves can get the job done in this league.
Bubby’s Bombers (2-5) vs. Big Dawgs (5-2) 216
Two hundred sixteen points by Big Dawgs was the highest total by any team in League Holliday in Week 7. The credit must be given to the NFL, however, for allowing this week to be the bye week for about half of his starters. With Stump the Schaub, Andre the Giant and Braylon Edwards maxin’ and relaxin’, the opportunity for Marques Colston, Dwayne Bowe and Ochocinco came; and they relished in the opportunity. The wide receiving core combined for 112 points, good for about half of the scoring output on the team. While Colston may still continue with his up-and-down season, Bowe and Ocho seem to be viable options each week as their teams elect to air it out, which makes Big Dawgs a strong contender moving forward. The receivers for Bubby could make the difference for his team as well…if they were playing. Michael Crabtree’s impressive back-to-back weeks took a turn for the worse this past Sunday, and for some reason Evan Moore appeared as a superior option to Dez Bryant. Bogus decision-making like that will only help you lost games bro. With Beanie Wells beginning to take a hold of the Arizona gig, Bryant coming to his own, B-Jax getting more involved in the Packers offense and Santonio returning from his bye week, you’ll have a plethora of options to try and revive your season. Just promise me Eric Moore, or was it Evan Moore, stays on the bench.
Big Cats 171 (2-5) vs. B-Train (4-3) 167
A close one between Big Cats and B-Train really came down to who had their best players in the lineup this week. While each team put up an impressive amount of points, their benches did just as well as a job. Big Cat’s 171 points were not to be outdone by the 161 scored by his reserves, but fortunately for him he survived. Carson Palmer looked like 2006 Carson Palmer, totaling 59 points off a 400-yard, three-TD effort. The only doughnut came from starting Mike Thomas, who probably did appear to be the best bet considering the wide receiver quandary haunting this team. However, running backs are a position of strength; use that depth to try and grab a receiving stud…if you want to make a run that is. B-Train’s run hit a bump in the road as perhaps two or three mistakes cost him his fifth win. I can never doubt the decision to start Philip Rivers over Eli Manning, but I can easily condemn using Visanthe Shiancoe over Hakeem the Dream. At a game over .500, the talent on your team should be enough to help you earn a spot in the playoffs, but some research could do you some good.
Dad Holliday (3-4) 164 vs. PITT (1-6) 113
Getting to take your shot against PITT is always something to look forward. The team has dropped five straight and remains a mainstay at the bottom of the East Division. The 113 points is just around the average number of points his lineup produces each week, which is of course worst in League Holliday. Aside from Big Ben doing his best to carry both his team and PITT’s team, the rest of the lineup scored just 71 points. In other words, those seven players equaled the production of Dad Holliday’s three wideouts – and he started Jabar Gaffney. Nonetheless, getting by without starting Kenny Britt is impressive, and he can now stand to start him in the coming week as he tries to escape the 3-4 hole. There are a lot of question marks on this team, especially concerning the consistency. However, if Aaron Rodgers and Greg Jennings can keep on keeping on, I’m saying there’s a chance…sort of.
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