Weekly Fantasy Roundup

The Bad Guy (formerly Waiver Wire Master) is a fantasy sports expert and will be writing a column once a week (Wednesdays or Thursdays) with whatever expertise he feels like giving us. Feel free to rip his garbage picks or praise his good calls. Last week things didn't go so well, let's see what he's got for us this week. Enjoy!


From the desk of the The Bad Guy:

Not so Obvious Starts of the Week

QB Kyle Orton (Bears): Mr. Neckbeard himself makes for a pretty interesting start this week, as Chicago could struggle to run the ball against the Vikings’ 4^th ranked rush defense. Kevin Williams, Jared Allen, and the rest of the Minnesota’s defensive line are sure to cause problems for rookie RB Matt Forte. The Bears will look to their QB to lead them downfield and put points on the board. Devin Hester has made a name for himself at WR over the past couple of weeks, giving Orton another reliable weapon to look for in the Bears’ passing game. After putting together an insane 4^th quarter drive last week in Atlanta that gave Chicago the lead in the final seconds, (only to have the defense blow it) look for Orton to come out fired up and lead the Bears to victory in Week 7.

Prediction – 220 Yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT, 1 Fumble Lost (15 pts)

QB Matt Schaub (Texans): If you are ever going to give Mr. Schaub a shot to start for your team, this is the week to get him in your lineup. He has thrown for over 300 yards in each of his last two games, and we should see this 300 + yard trend continue against the Lions’ 30^th ranked pass defense. Houston’s offensive line has been playing much better of late, allowing only one sack in Schaub’s previous two starts. Turnovers are inevitable when it comes to this former 3^rd round pick though (he has thrown seven interceptions in only four starts) but Matthew Rutledge Schaub should do more than enough to make up for his mistakes, and put up monster numbers none the less.

Prediction – 320 yards, 2 TDs, 2 INT (20 pts)

RB Deangelo Williams/Jonathan Stewart (Panthers): After a disappointing Week 6 loss at Tampa Bay where Williams and Stewart were held to a dismal 39 combined rushing yards, look for these young studs to bounce back strong and put together very nice all-around efforts against a D allowing more than 100 rush yards per game. Carolina will look to control the clock and run all over New Orleans, keeping Drew Brees and co. off the field and making sure the Saints DONT Go Marching In (the end zone). Get these guys in your lineup in what is certain to be a high scoring affair – they should be as money as Deangelo’s bling.

Prediction – Williams – 70 Yards, 1 Rush TD, 3 Rec, 25 yds (15.5 pts)

Stewart – 70 Yards, 1 Rush TD (13 pts)

RB Ryan Grant (Packers): Last week’s call to start the Baltimore RB duo against the Colts didn’t go too well, but I’m going to give Ryan Grant a shot to show that I was right about the Indi rush D. The Green Bay running back has struggled so far this season, averaging a very mediocre 3.4 yards per carry and failing to find in the end zone in his first 6 games, but look for him to get things going against a Colts defense allowing more than 160 rush yards per game. Grant ran the ball a career high 33 times last week at Seattle, a sign that is he completely over the nagging hamstring injuries that were bothering him earlier in the season. The Packers’ schedule gets a lot tougher after Week 7, so time is running out for Grant to show that last year’s season wasn’t a fluke. If he doesn’t breakout this week against the Colts, you might want to think about leaving him on your bench in the future.

Prediction – 120 Yards, 1 TD, 2 Rec, 10 yds (19 pts)

WR Torry Holt (Rams): Some of you may say that Holt is a fantasy stud and is an obvious every week starter, but this seven time Pro Bowl WR has been borderline horrible up to this point (and for your sake I hope you haven’t been starting him). Holt has been averaging 4 catches and 42 yards per game in 2008, numbers no where near what you thought you would be getting when you drafted him in the 3^rd or 4^th rounds of your drafts. Throw out everything you have seen up to this point though - Holt will go off in Week 7 against Dallas - you heard it here first. The Cowboys’ secondary is in shambles: Safety Roy Williams remains out after fracturing his forearm in Week 2, CB Terrance Newman is out again after undergoing surgery for his sports hernia, and CB Adam “Pacman” Jones has been suspended for at least four weeks following his latest altercation. What does this all mean? It means this is the week Torry Holt shows you why you drafted him where you did.

Prediction – 8 Rec, 115 Yards, 1 TD (17.5 pts)

WR Kevin Walter (Texans): My love for Houston’s offense is so deep this week that it finds its way all the way over to the Texan’s #2 WR, Kevin Walter. The Chicago native has been more than decent with Schaub under center, averaging 6 catches, 87 yards, and a TD in the last two games that the Houston QB has started. Walter should be able to post similar numbers, if not better, against a very weak Lions secondary in Week 7. He makes for a strong play as a #3 WR, and you could even get him in as a flex in shallower leagues. With defenses needing to focus almost all of their attention on Andre Johnson, look for Walter to take advantage of single coverage and play a major role in the Houston passing game.

Prediction – 5 Rec, 80 Yards, 1 TD (14 pts)

Points are based on standard scoring leagues