Brady wasn't so "terrific" on Sunday.
As it turned out last week, Pittsburgh Steelers offensive players were not a “full go”, as out Week 14 Start/Sit column suggested. The Cleveland Browns gave most of the Steelers offensive weapons fits, and a poor weather game made for ugly results in a 13-6 Cleveland victory.
Which was more unlikely heading into that game; the Steelers laying an egg on offense, or the Browns winning? Regardless, it was a blown call, and we’ll strive to make up for it in Week 15, as your playoff lives may depend on it.
Take a look at our other calls for Week 14, with some brief analysis, as we gear up for the next week in fantasy football.
The record: 7-8
Start: 2-3
Sit: 4-1
Sleeper: 1-4
Winners
Rashard Mendenhall, RB Pittsburgh Steelers (Start)
This wasn’t a glorious win for us, but Mendy was the only Steelers player worth starting last week. He didn’t score or top 100 total yards, but his yardage still got him close to being worthy of a Flex spot, and if you used him as a RB2, his numbers likely weren’t the reason for your team’s death.
Don’t expect it to get any easier for him and the rest of the Steelers, as they face a rising Green Bay defense next week.
Chad Ochocinco, WR, Cincinnati Bengals (Start)
Ochocinco was the lone bright spot for the Bengals passing attack, as he caught just three balls for 27 yards, but made a beautiful play on a 15-yard touchdown. His numbers weren’t elite by any means, but he still made for a decent start in a Bengals loss.
Tom Brady, QB, New England Patriots (Sit)
The Carolina Panthers pass defense was every bit as stifling as we imagined, as Brady tossed just one touchdown, while being held under 200 yards passing, in addition to throwing a pick. Needless to say, this was a good week to have him on your bench.
Mark Sanchez, QB, New York Jets (Sit)
We made the call well before the final word came in on Sanchez’s status, and it was a good one. f you did start Sanchez this week, you were probably sorry for it.
Cedric Benson, RB, Cincinnati Bengals (Sit)
We gave ourselves a break on giving Rashard Mendenhall the starting nod, simply because of all the Steelers offensive players, he actually did produce something. Benson, on the other hand, failed to score this week and didn’t eclipse 100 rushing yards. He still had decent numbers, but for the elite RB1 he’s supposed to be, he just wasn’t worth the start. You should have known better with him facing the Williams Wall, anyways.
Greg Olsen, TE, Chicago Bears (Sit)
Olsen caught just two passes for 14 yards against a tough Green Bay Packers defense, making him a good sit call this week. We knew Olsen would have issues with Green Bay’s solid coverage linebackers, and when Jay Cutler is in a funk, you tend to stray from weapons on his team.
Willis McGahee, RB, Baltimore Ravens (Sleeper)
McGahee established himself once again as a reliable Flex play, while putting up good RB2 numbers against an inept Detroit Lions run defense. He scored twice and had 70+ rushing yards, making him a quality sleeper pick.
Duds
Ryan Fitzpatrick, QB, Buffalo Bills (Start)
Fitzpatrick did manage to score a touchdown, but was unable to take advantage of a nice match-up with the Kansas City Chiefs vulnerable secondary. We had such great hopes for the noodle-armed Buffalo starter, but now suggest he be placed all waivers.
Rock Cartwright, RB, Washington Redskins (Start)
Quinton Ganther was named the Skins’ starter after this column was written, so forgive us for not have ESP and calling Cartwright’s demotion before it happened. If it means anything, we do like Ganther going forward, especially in a match-up with a Giants run defense that can be beat next week on Monday night.
Jeremy Shockey, TE, New Orleans Saints (Start)
Shockey couldn’t take advantage of the tight end-friendly Atlanta Falcons like we’d hoped, but he did catch four passes for 46 yards. Considering his weak role in the past 4-5 weeks, that was actually a good day.
Brady Quinn, QB, Cleveland Browns (Sleeper)
Quinn doesn’t get any brownie points (pun intended) for coming out with a win for Cleveland, as he was fairly horrid all night long last Thursday. We like his value as a low-end QB2 with some nice glimpses of real talent, but chalk last week up as a total fantasy loss.
Bruce Gradkowski, QB, Oakland Raiders (Sleeper)
Gradkowski wasn’t terrible last week, but he didn’t produce the necessary numbers he needed to make him a fine sleeper, and he left the game with a potentially season-ending injury.
Brandon Jacobs, RB, New York Giants (Sit)
He was nearly a good sit call, as he rushed for just 60 yards and lost a fumble that (in retrospect) was the difference in the Giants loss. However, his second rushing score in as many games made him a quality RB2.
Shonn Greene, RB, New York Jets (Sleeper)
Greene did produce 41 yards on just six attempts, but wasn’t a big enough factor to earn his sleeper pick, while also putting a fumble on the ground. He will likely struggle to reach 10 carries on a consistent basis, as Thomas Jones is rolling, and the Jets are now integrating Danny Woodhead into the offense a bit more.
Lee Evans, WR, Buffalo Bills (Sleeper)
Evans caught just one ball in Week 14, making it four straight games with two or less grabs. Evans officially is barely a WR4, and is a strong candidate to be dropped if you’re making a serious run in the post-season. Greg Camarillo, Malcom Floyd, and Josh Morgan all look to be better/safer options going forward.
