The Talented Mr. Roto: And now for these brief announcements
I've always liked announcements.
Maybe it dates back to high school, when our vice principal would get on the loudspeaker to make announcements and that was three minutes I didn't have to study. (Not a great student, was I. As evidenced by my Yoda-like grammar).
But I've always sort of liked the formality of them, the information they provided, the simplicity. And whether it is Alex Rodriguez opting out, Joe Girardi coming in or Reese and Jake announcing that they want privacy for their new relationship (which is why they are going public with it in People magazine), announcements are all the rage.
So I've got a few of my own. First, you can now be my cyber friend. The good people at ESPN (beta!) have introduced their version of MySpace/Facebook/insert-trendy-social-networking-site-here with ESPN Fan Profiles. And I am nothing if not a company man.
So, if you dig what I do, come on by. I'll blog on there, throw some better pictures up than the cheesy one currently there, answer some questions, post some older stuff I like along with other stuff I have written. Like, if you missed what I wrote for ESPN The Magazine last week, it'll be there. Or my review of "The Sopranos," which is among my favorite things I have written. It's still evolving, but I'm looking forward to being on it a lot. Join me here: myespn.go.com/MatthewBerry.
Second, lost in my Patriots/Redskins rant from my Monday TRUM was the fact that the World Series is over. So, I present the last e-mail on the subject.
Mike (Columbus, OH): Berry I have to question what exactly it is that you're talented at because your fantasy advice is [horse manure] and your extraneous sports chat is lame. You should keep your "talent" private between you and all of those mancrushes you have with that east coast bias of yours. Without being a longtime fan, it's easy to see the Rockies are a real deal team with real personality and character. Have fun watching them go down in history for 25 of 26, and lay off the ASU comments. I'm sure you'll be replaced by ASU alumni before you know is. Mike, ASU '04
TMR: For the record, the Red Sox won the series 4-0. Brad Hawpe set a record for striking out in a World Series. Aaron Cook was the only Rockies starter to go six innings. I left your e-mail exactly as you sent it, Mike, but I assume you mean "it" instead of "is" at the end. My kingdom for an angry letter from an ASU grad that has correct grammar and spelling!
Third: I made a terrible mistake in yesterday's TRUM. Eagle-eyed Matt from New York caught it.
Matt (New York, NY); Hey, TMR, love your blog but I gotta take issue with something you wrote: "For those of you who managed to escape your childhood without watching 'Diff'rent Strokes,' the Gooch was the bully who tormented Arnold (Gary Coleman) at his school, and numerous references were made to him." Dude, the Gooch was a girl. Maybe you missed that episode, or maybe you've blocked it from your memory the way I've blocked out the "bike store" episode from mine.
TMR: Totally forgot that, but you are correct, sir. Gooch was a girl. Making the Belichick comparison all the more apt. And great call on the "bike store" episode. There might not be an episode of TV I remember more than that one. Super, super creepy. Gordon Jump? Arnold's friend Dudley with no shirt on? The best use of "what you talkin' about?" in the show's history. Forever etched in my mind.
Let's get to fantasy now.
Here's some guys who have recently seen a spike in value and who might be available in your league.
Ryan Grant, RB, Packers: A funny thing happened on the way to DeShawn Wynn making me look smart for picking him this week as a sleeper. He got injured early in the game, left and then Ryan Grant took over. Two first names is always a crowd-pleaser, as is the 111 total yards he had and fact that he has already been named the starter for Week 9's game at Kansas City. The Chiefs aren't Broncos-bad against the run, but you can run on them.
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Justin Fargas, RB, Raiders: It's not easy to run against the Titans. Which Lamont Jordan found out when he got only 16 yards on 12 carries. In fact, since hurting himself against Miami, he hasn't scored double-digit fantasy points in any one game. And that was after accomplishing the feat in three straight games to start the season. Fargas, meanwhile, got the same 12 carries against the Titans and turned them into 61 yards. He also had 36 yards on three receptions, for a total of 97 yards. The Raiders are very good at running the ball, they get Houston at home on Sunday and I like Fargas for 12-team leagues where you play a flex, especially if you have a bye-week need.
Chris Henry, RB, Titans: Everyone is talking about LenDale White but it's worth noting a few things. One, LenDale White is not the healthiest cat around. Two, Henry now has a touchdown in two straight games. I've written about him before but he's no longer flier material. Forty-eight yards on only four carries is impressive, even if it was against Oakland.
David Patten, WR, Saints: He has 15 receptions in his past three games. He had at least 100 yards receiving in two of his past three. He's not Devery Henderson. Pick a reason, any reason, but there's a lot to like about Patten, not the least of which are these additional facts: The Saints are 23rd in the NFL in scoring defense. They give up a lot of points. Which means they have to throw. And throw they do. Only three teams in the NFL have attempted more passes this year than the New Orleans Saints.
Adimchinobe Echemandu, RB, Texans. With Ahman Green continuing to be banged up and Ron Dayne ineffective, this guy could be your starter on Sunday against the terrible Raiders run defense. Who is he? Well, here's what Gary Kubiak said about him in the Houston Chronicle: "First off, I liked what I saw … You never know with those kids until you give them a chance, and we took a chance by letting Samkon [Gado] go and giving this kid a chance and he stepped up and played well in a tough environment."
Here are some guys who have seen a spike in value and who might be available in shallow leagues or leagues where you play with morons.
Selvin Young is somehow available in a decent amount of leagues and he shouldn't be. We all know the value of a Denver running back and Travis Henry is not only banged up, but has the potential to be suspended for the rest of the season. Young had 120 total yards on Monday night and it could have been over 160 if not for a questionable holding call. Even better? The Broncos play Detroit next.
Another name that is still out there is Michael Bennett of the Buccaneers. He hasn't gotten a lot of touches since joining the team but he has gained 45 yards on five carries and had a score in his last game. … If you have a bye-week need at quarterback, you could do worse than Sage Rosenfels of the Texans, who will most likely get the start against Oakland. … The other Adrian Peterson has to get a shot eventually, doesn't he? Cedric Benson continues to be terrible and eventually, Lovie Smith has to give up the dream. … The Rams are on a bye but with the news that Steven Jackson has a bulging disk problem now, it's probably time to pick up Brian Leonard again, who gets New Orleans and San Francisco out of the bye. … Finally, D.J. Hackett should finally be back this week and Seahawks get Cleveland this Sunday.
Here are some players on whom you should keep an eye but not pick up unless you are in a deeper league or have roster space to waste on a flier.
He didn't get a lot of time on Monday night, but Selvin Young's backup in Denver will be Andre Hall and if we have learned anything from the darkness of Mike Shanahan's soul, it's that all Broncos running backs need to be on your fantasy radar at all times. … DeDe Dorsey was a trendy preseason pick because he was Joseph Addai's backup, but now he's in Cincinnati. And with both Rudi Johnson and Kenny Watson banged up as of this writing, it's possible (a long shot, but possible) that Dorsey is getting the rock against Buffalo. And the Bills, as you may have heard, are not so good. … I'm not buying Will Heller, the tight end in Seattle who had two scores, but if you're bye-week desperate, the Seahawks are playing Cleveland this week. … Speaking of tight ends, one that I like every time I see him is Minnesota's Visanthe Shiancoe, who had 50 yards and a score last week. Basically, if anyone but Tarvaris Jackson is playing quarterback for the Vikings, Shiancoe's worth a gamble in deep leagues.
Matthew Berry -- The Talented Mr. Roto -- is ESPN's Sr. Director of Fantasy, in charge of content. He was just as surprised as you to find out it's a real job. He is a four-time Fantasy Sports Writers Association award winner and the only writer in the industry with wins in multiple sports (NFL, MLB, NBA). Be sure to check him out every Sunday morning on "ESPNEWS Fantasy Insider" at 11 a.m. ET and then on ESPN.com's "Fantasy Football Now," which is live starting at Noon ET.
