Week 15 recap

Some random fantasy thoughts while savoring my first playoff victory in a few years (yes!) ...

- Just when we thought Jerome Harrison had been overtaken by Chris Jennings in the pecking order of Browns running backs, Harrison goes and busts out one of the greatest rushing performances the game's ever seen - 34 carries, 286 yards, 3 TDs against Kansas City. The shame of it is the chances of anyone actually starting Harrison in Week 15 are slim to none (let me know if you did). Harrison becomes perhaps the most unlikely must-start we've ever seen this week against Oakland. You'll also want Cedric Benson (and maybe even Larry Johnson as a flex) in your lineup against a downtrodden Chiefs D.

- DeAngelo Williams' early-game ankle injury was a killer, especially because Jonathan Stewart was able to rack up 109 yards and a TD on the ground against a tough Vikings D. We may have seen the last of Williams for this year, which at least would clear the way for Stewart

- Thank you, Roy Williams for the 1 catch and 14 yards in a critical week. Miles Austin was targeted a whopping 10 times more than our boy Roy.

- Hopefully you weren't scared off by all the "Randy Moss is a quitter" talk and benefited from his 5 catches, 70 yards and a TD on Sunday. The next two weeks against Jacksonville and Houston are looking very appealing for Mr. Moss.

- Beanie Wells is coming into his own at just the right time. He had his best day as a pro (110 yards, TD), and I'm expecting an encore against St. Louis.

- No TDs for Chris Johnson - what's up with that??? It's gotten to the point that 159 total yards is just not enough from this guy.

- Vincent Jackson picked the perfect time to shine (108 yards, 2 TDs) - the first time he's scored since Week 9. He could do some more damage on Christmas night against a Titans secondary that was getting torched with regularity not that long ago.

- Steven Jackson continued playing hurt, leading the team in rushing (82 yards) and receiving (41 yards), but I fear it's going to catch up to him against a Cardinals D that's typically pretty good at bottling up the run. It doesn't help that the Rams have almost no passing game to speak of.

- It will be tempting to start Michael Turner against the Bills' porous defense, but how can you insert him in your lineup in good conscience after Sunday's 1-carry, 7-yard disaster against the Jets?

- The Raiders decided to hand the ball off to Michael Bush 18 times on Sunday against Denver, and he rewarded them with 133 yards and a TD. That's surprising, not because Bush doesn't have the talent (he does), but because he had gotten only 22 carries in the past 5 games combined. Bush could repeat that feat or better it against the Browns if he gets a similar workload.

- DeSean Jackson continued his torrid play (6 catches, 140 yards, TD) and should be a staple of fantasy lineups at this point.

- That's the Aaron Rodgers we know and love (26-for-48, 383 yards, 3 TDs). Now do it again this week against the Seahawks, buddy.

- Speaking of the Seahawks, John Carlson caught his second TD in as many games and could do it again this week vs. Green Bay, if you trust a guy whose QB is Matt Hasselbeck (1 TD, 4 INTs, 45.2 passer rating Sunday).

- And speaking of tight ends, Todd Heap caught two TDs, his first trips to the end zone since Week 2. He's still a part of the Ravens' passing attack, so don't forget about him in Week 16.

Sit 'Em: Week 15

- RB MATT FORTE at Baltimore: Even if you've somehow managed to limp into the playoffs with Forte as one of your two starting RBs, you know that outside of a handful of games against the league's worst teams, he's been nothing more than average. And he'll be just average against a Ravens D that hasn't allowed a 100-yard rusher since Week 9. If you have a better alternative, bench the Bear.

- RB LeSEAN McCOY vs. San Francisco: Instead of being the second coming of Brian Westbrook, Shady has been darn near worthless the past few weeks. Besides, FB Leonard Weaver has been the bigger playmaker and gets the carries at the goal line for the Eagles. Don't expect much from McCoy against the league's fifth-ranked run defense.

- WR PERCY HARVIN at Carolina: The rookie sat out last week with migranes, and the trend (thankfully) in the NFL this year has been to be cautious with these kinds of ailments. Harvin was limited in practice Friday, and while the odds seem to favor him playing, he could end up a late scratch. With the Vikings playing the Sunday night game, that could wreck your plans this playoff weekend. Are you willing to take that risk?


LAST WEEK'S PICKS

- Beanie Wells surprised everybody with 15 carries for 79 yards and a TD, maybe surpassing Tim Hightower on the depth chart in the process.

- Steve Breaston had another 1-catch game. Warned you.

- Santana Moss had 4 catches for 58 yardszzzzzzzzz.

Start 'Em: Week 15

- QB KURT WARNER vs. Detroit: You may be considering benching Warner after last week's stinkbomb in San Fran. Don't. As ESPN.com reminds us, Warner suffered through a six-turnover game in Week 8, and he followed it up with a stretch of 12 TDs vs. 1 turnover in the following 4 games. Plus, it's the Lions. Don't overthink this.

- RB KNOWSHON MORENO vs. Oakland: The rookie's had 19, 21 and 23 carries in the past three weeks. With that type of workload, Moreno should repeat the kind of success he had against the Raiders earlier this year (90 yards, TD).

- WR ROBERT MEACHEM vs. Dallas: Don't let last week's so-so game (4 catches, 57 yards) dissuade you from starting him this week. Meachem's become an important part of the Saints' offense, and I don't think the Cowboys' secondary can keep him out of the end zone.

LAST WEEK'S PICKS

- Jamaal Charles had his best game of the year against Buffalo: 20 carries, 143 yards, TD; 7 catches, 38 yards.

- Ryan Grant had his second-best game of the year against Chicago: 20 carries, 137 yards, 2 TDs.

- Kenny Britt had 2 catches for 75 yards and no TDs. Can't win 'em all.

Photo by The Associated Press

Fired for playing fantasy football

Lots of us play fantasy football with our co-workers. It's our only way of breaking up the monotony of life in a poorly-lit cubicle or dulling the sting of layoffs, paycuts, furloughs and other unpleasantries.

But did you know you could get fired for it?

That's what happened to these four guys at Fidelity Investments in Texas. Turns out an inter-office communication about Trent Edwards' suckiness tipped off management to a $20 office league. An investigation ensued, and four league commissioners got canned for violating a company policy that prohibited gambling.

Seems like a pretty harsh overreaction to something that goes on in thousands, if not millions, of workplaces around the country. Shame on you, Fidelity.

Full disclosure: How my fantasy teams did

Since I spend a lot of my time giving readers fantasy advice, I know a lot of you are wondering how MY teams are doing this year.

So here goes.

First of all, I'm in three leagues. And in two of them, I failed to make the playoffs this year. It's sad, I know. And frustrating. But those are the breaks in this game. I feel like I know what I'm doing and put a good squad together in each of these leagues, but a few bad breaks, one or two mistakes and a little bad luck can leave you on the outside looking in come playoff time. Even if you're a fantasy expert.

Let's start with the league where I had the most success:

LEMBO SLAYERS (8-6 record, 3rd place, 2nd in points scored, 1st in points allowed, clinched playoffs)

SEASON RECAP: It's a 10-team league I'm in with a bunch of my co-workers, and I've made the playoffs in each of its three years of existence. With a win last week, I became the only member to clinch the playoffs in all four seasons, and I successfully dethroned two-time defending champ John Lembo, the inspiration for my team's name. As you can see, my record would probably be a lot better if it weren't for all the points scored against me - a whopping 971, almost 300 MORE than the team that finished in first place. But I digress. Bring on the playoffs.

BEST PICKS: When I drafted this team I was a little unsure about taking Chris Johnson with the sixth overall pick. He's been brilliant, probably fantasy's 2009 MVP, and he single-handedly helped me clinch a playoff spot last week. Taking Andre Johnson in the second round and Aaron Rodgers in the third were both tremendous moves. When you hit home runs with your first three picks, there's no reason not to make the playoffs. My choices of Kevin Boss, Ahmad Bradshaw and Devin Hester were also helpful at various points.

BEST PICKUPS: I got the Giants' Steve Smith in late September and the Chiefs' Jamaal Charles in early November, and both are starters for me down the stretch and in the playoffs.

WORST PICKS: I was worried about Roy Williams as my No. 2 WR, and rightfully so. He's been a bust. I expected huge things out of Chris Cooley, but he got hurt and they didn't happen. I wanted more from Kevin Smith. And I thought Matt Cassel would be better - luckily I only had to play him once.


SARASOTA SPARTANS (6-7, 8th place, 6th in points scored, 10th in points allowed, missed playoffs)

SEASON RECAP: As you can see I had incredible luck, getting the fewest points scored against me in the 10-team league. But I just didn't score enough on a weekly basis. We were all jumbled together in the middle of the standings - 5 teams finished 6-7 and missed the playoffs; the two teams went 7-6 and the one that went 6-6-1 made the playoffs.

BEST PICKS: Michael Turner (1st round) and Greg Jennings (3rd) were solid starters, though they didn't quite live up to my expectations. Philip Rivers (4th round) was a good choice at QB. Taking Rashard Mendenhall in the 12th round was good, even though I dropped him and picked him up again later.

BEST PICKUPS: Got Smith (Giants) and Charles again off waivers. Also picked up Heath Miller, Cadillac Williams and Austin Collie and used them to some effectiveness at various points. And I got Ray Rice in a four-player trade (Rice/Steve Breaston for DeSean Jackson/Donald Brown) that worked out pretty well.

WORST PICKS: Marion Barber (2nd round) didn't play like a second-rounder for me. LenDale White (6th round) did nothing for me. Got stuck with Roy Williams again as my No. 2 receiver. And Donald Brown, Ted Ginn and James Davis didn't materialize as breakout players for me, although I was basically taking fliers on them in the very late rounds.


ACE IN THE HOLE (6-7, 7th place, 9th in points scored, T-2nd in points allowed, missed playoffs)

SEASON RECAP: Another frustrating finish as I missed the playoffs by a game and had a ton of points scored against me every week. This is the big-money PPR league in which I share a team with my dad, and we've missed the playoffs the last 3 or 4 years. Injuries to Frank Gore, Clinton Portis and Chris Cooley really hurt us, as it's a pretty deep league and it costs $5 a transaction, so you can't just go dropping and adding guys as you please.

BEST PICKS: Taking the Eagles defense in the 10th round actually helped us out quite a bit. Tony Romo and Eli Manning both had big games from time to time (we just didn't always start the right guy). Same goes for Gore, Anquan Boldin and the Panthers' Steve Smith, although injuries to all those guys killed us throughout the season.

BEST PICKUPS: We thought getting Portis off waivers was a steal earlier in the season, and it did work out for about 1 game before he got hurt. Hakeem Nicks was a nice pickup. Jermichael Finley had a few decent weeks.

WORST PICKUPS: It's all about one man: Matt Forte with the third overall pick. We were completely disgusted with him and his team all year. I'll admit he was a bit of a stretch that high in the draft, especially with Maurice Jones-Drew available. But I never envisioned him being this mediocre. He's had about three fantasy-worthy games this year - against the Lions, Browns and Rams. That's unaccceptable for a first-round pick. He single-handedly sunk us.

Hot Pickups: Week 15

FIVE STARS (Out of five)

WR DWAYNE BOWE, Chiefs: Surprised? I could see that. But if you haven't been paying attention, Kansas City's budding (only?) star is back from a four-game suspension this week, just in time for a plum matchup with Cleveland. If he's on your waiver wire, help yourself.


FOUR STARS

RB CHRIS JENNINGS, Browns: A Cleveland back is one of my Hot Pickups for the second straight week. Jerome Harrison was supposed to have a big game last week against the Steelers, but he was sick and ineffective. In stepped Jennings (20 carries, 73 yards), who scored the first TD by a Browns running back this season. Let's consider this a do-over: Give Jennings a shot against the awful Chiefs defense.


THREE STARS

RB QUINTON GANTHER, Redskins: The former practice-squadder enjoyed a career day against Oakland (14 carries, 50 yards, 2 TDs; 3 catches, 43 yards). He's easily moved past Rock Cartwright on the Skins' depth chart and faces a reeling Giants defense this week.

RB MAURICE MORRIS, Lions: Mo-Mo hasn't done much of anything all year, but with Kevin Smith shut down, he's in line to get a lot of work against a Cardinals run D that just got punished by Frank Gore.

Week 14 recap

- Thanks, Aaron Rodgers, for not throwing ONE STINKING TD PASS in a critical week for fantasy. Ryan Grant (20 carries, 137 yards, 2 TDs) did all the heavy lifting for the Packers against the Bears.

- Peyton Manning, on the other hand, didn't disappoint (4 TDs) and could have been even better if not for 3 INTs.

- Speaking of stepping up, how about that Brandon Marshall? A PPR player's dream: an NFL-record 23 receptions, including 2 TDs, and 200 receiving yards. The surprising part? It was only the second time he's had double-digit receptions all year.

- Give Andre Johnson (193 yards, 2 TDs) a game ball, too.

- And while we're at it, a round of applause for Chris Johnson (186 total yards, 3 TDs), a one-man fantasy wrecking ball all season.

- Pat yourself on the back for drafting/picking up/starting Jamaal Charles (143 rushing yards, TD, 7 catches for 38 yards). And rejoice in next week's date with the Browns.

- Cedric Benson was surprisingly effective against Minnesota's defense (96 yards on 16 carries), and the purported timeshare with Larry Johnson (3 carries, 4 yards) never materialized. Benson is a safe play next Sunday at San Diego.

- Rickey Williams enjoyed his fourth 100-yard rushing game in the past 5 weeks and scored his 11th TD of the year.

- Who is Quinton Ganther? A former practice-squad RB from Utah who scored 2 TDs for Washington, that's who. Expect to see more of him in the coming weeks as the Redskins' RB roulette continues.

- Another 'Skin deserves a look, too: It's TE Fred Davis, who has 4 TDs in his past three games and who next faces the Giants, who had no answer for Philly's Brent Celek (5 catches, 64 yards, TD) this week.

- Speaking of answers, Randy Moss owes each of his fantasy owners one after that "performance" (1 catch, 16 yards, fumble, general disinterest in playing football on Sunday).