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11 Fantasy Takeaways From Week 9: Doug Martin And Other Stuff

by Scott Engel | 5:51 pm, November 5th, 2012

Each week, RotoExperts.com will be bringing you 11 immediate reactions from the weekend that was. Whether it’s a waiver commodity you need to jump on early, or an emerging trend you need to know about, they’ve got you covered.

This week, Scott Engel tells us about Doug Martin. Okay fine, some other things too.

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1.Doug Martin Has Arrived, Again

Doug Martin has arrived, again: If his Week 8 performance didn’t convince you Martin was for real, his 251-yard, four TD outing against the awful Raiders defense signaled Martin is here to stay as a spectacular fantasy performer. Don’t look to sell high or start making deals to trade him away. Most fantasy owners would kill to have his type of production and potential, so be very happy with what you have. Some fantasy players have a tendency to go into “it’s only downhill from here” mode when their players blow up. Avoid such tendencies.

2.Calvin Johnson Is Back, Sort Of

We heard that Calvin Johnson was going to be “limited” to a third down role if he played yesterday at all. That was the rumor that made the rounds on Sunday morning, causing many panicky fantasy owners to bench Johnson. Johnson went off for 111 receiving yards in the first half alone. Such a rumor was likely planted by a coaching staff. Lies have a way of getting out via other channels besides the head coach.

3.Chris Johnson Loves Garbage Time

Chris Johnson loves garbage time: Johnson has gained a tendency to pad his numbers when the Titans are decisively behind. Most teams pass when they are behind, but not the Titans. They get 80-yard TD runs from their frustrating RB when they are hopelessly out of it. Johnson did finish with 141 rushing yards and has gone over 100 yards against Houston and Chicago this year. So keep rolling with him, because he can always break the big one when the Titans are sure to lose, which will be frequently. Seriously, Johnson has been putting up good numbers regularly, stick with him.

4.Don't Believe Anything Carolina Says

Never believe what you hear from a coach’s mouth. We heard that Jonathan Stewart was going to get the bulk of the workload, and he ended up with 10 carries. DeAngelo Williams and Cam Newton scored rushing TDs. How can you tell an NFL coach is lying? His lips are moving at a press conference.

5.Tennessee Has A Horrible Defense

Any team that allows the 2012 version of Jay Cutler to throw three TD passes should have its entire defense cut at once. Don’t start thinking Cutler is all of a sudden starting to turn things around. More stinkers are on the way.

6.Andre Johnson Lives!

Houston WR Andre Johnson has been consistently frustrating his owners this season. But a matchup with the Bills is often a cure for what ills a WR, and Johnson caught eight passes for 119 yards. Don’t trust Johnson to keep rolling at a high level. Sell now if you can, since he still has a lot of name value.

7.Darren McFadden Is Finally Injured

We had eight weeks of a healthy Darren McFadden. They were mostly disappointing weeks. But he was still healthy. In Week 9, he suffered the seemingly inevitable injury, a high ankle sprain, which puts him out of action for an unknown period. Backup Mike Goodson also injured his ankle. So we won’t know who fills in for McFadden just yet, but get ready to add Marcel Reece and/or Taiwan Jones.

8.Mikel Leshoure, Goal Line Stud

Mikel Leshoure is a goal-line force: Leshoure finally had a breakout game, rushing for three short TDs against the Jaguars. At his best, Leshoure is a very good inside and short-yardage runner. He finally appears to be fully healthy, and has no major competition for carries. You can confidently start him every week as a RB2.

9.Where Art Thou, Hakeem Nicks?

This was supposed to be the week when a mostly healthy Hakeem Nicks would show his true form. Instead, he caught one pass for 10 yards. Eli Manning is not playing well; he’s out of rhythm and out of sync. You can’t use Nicks until you start to see Manning turning things around. He also may not be in full game shape quite yet, so I’ll reserve him until I see him looking like the real Hakeem Nicks again.

10.Stick With RG3

It was frustrating to watch Robert Griffin III throw for 215 yards with no scores, plus seeing a TD run and pass called back because of penalties. The Redskins receiving crew seems to get worse by the week. But RG3 did pad his numbers with 53 rushing yards, and that is why you continue to start him every single week. Even when the passing numbers are mediocre, the rushing numbers in combination will usually prevent you from seeing single fantasy figures.

11.Russell Wilson Likes Home Field A Lot

Seahawks QB Russell Wilson threw three TD passes with no interceptions against Minnesota. In four home starts, Wilson has thrown nine TD passes with no interceptions. The rookie QB has looked poised and crisp at Century Link Field, and his receivers seem to perform better in front of the home crowd. With more byes ahead, keep Wilson in mind as a plug-in when Aaron Rodgers is off next week. The Seahawks host the Jets.

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