Week 13 Fantasy Football MarketWatch: Victor Cruz & The Back End Blossomers
1. Mark Sanchez has been a top ten fantasy quarterback through 12 weeks.
WTF? That’s right. The 20th QB off the board in ESPN leagues this year has been outscored in fantasy points by only nine other quarterbacks. When you look at all of the Sanchize’s numbers you notice that his completion percentage and quarterback rating have improved in each of the last two seasons, and his 2010/2011 interception rate has been a very acceptable and regression-proof 2.7%
Admittedly, a lot of his success is the result of a pretty easy schedule. In the last seven weeks he has gone up against a team that currently ranks in the top ten of most fantasy points allowed to opposing quarterbacks. But assuming his accuracy continues to improve and his turnover woes don’t trend back in the direction of his rookie season, Sanchez could keep this up.
Instead of being an afterthought again, next year Sanchez should be drafted in that 8th/9th round range where people who elect not to get an elite QB grab a couple of guys to rotate in and out of their lineup based on the matchup. I can already imagine how much fun I’ll have choosing between Tim Tebow and Mark Sanchez each week.
2. From Week 7 on Michael Bush is second among RBs in fantasy points per game.
WTF? Since Darren McFadden went down we’ve watched Bush fill his shoes more than adequately. But did you know only Arian Foster has been better than Bush in that time frame?
I considered the idea that Bush’s career path might play out a lot like Michael Turner’s when he leaves Oakland as free agent to be the starter elsewhere next season. But Bush will be two years older and will have roughly 400 more carries (aka at least a full season’s load) under his belt than when Turner became the lead back in Atlanta. Bush could certainly have some short-term success with his new team, but it’s probably not reasonable to expect him to become a top 30 pick for the next three to four years.
3. Victor Cruz, Jordy Nelson, and Laurent Robinson have been the league’s best WRs since week 8.
WTF? On a per game basis, those three have scored more fantasy points than anyone other receivers. What do they all have in common? They are all on teams with a strong quarterback and a big, physical, deep threat WR1 lined up opposite them. Moreover, they’ve all outscored their respective WR1’s for the season.
Another guy who fits this description is Pittsburgh’s
Antonio Brown. He’s been mentioned in this space extensively so I won’t go on too much about him, but he should be owned in every league.Young guys like
Vincent Brown, Brandon LaFell, and Titus Young are all worth watching as they play on teams with that combo of a strong quarterback and a deep threat WR1. All three are on my 2012 sleeper radar.By the way,
Miles Austin is questionable at best this week, and Robinson is still available in over 40% of ESPN standard leagues. If for some reason he’s still out there in your league and you’re playing for a playoff spot, he’s a must add and a must start.Written by Brett Talley exclusively for thefantasyfix.com. Brett is a law student in Dallas who thinks the Miami D is a strong play for those looking for a D to help them get in the playoffs. For a team that struggles against the pass and shuts down the run, Carson Palmer and Michael Bush is something they can handle. You can tell him how dumb that call is and/or ask him for fantasy advice on Twitter @therealTAL.
(November 27, 2011 – Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images North America)
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