We're gonna cover fantasy football all season long here at Bird's Nest by answering five questions every week about various fantasy-related topics. FLESH FOR FANTASYYYYYY. Let's roll.
1. How does Matt Schaub's injury affect the rest of the Texans offense? Despite the fact that it'll be Matt Leinart and his puffy vest at quarterback from now on (Schaub is done for the year with a broken foot), the Texans could still manage to put up points and win just enough games to get murdered in the first round of the playoffs. Their fantasy playoff schedule is particularly favorable, with Carolina and Indy as the matchup in Weeks 15 and 16 (typical playoff weeks for fantasy). That means that Arian Foster and Ben Tate will still be able to get their numbers. In fact, Schaub's injury will force Houston to rely even more heavily on those two running the ball. Also, the Texans have a fantastic offensive line -- meaning that Leinart should have time to throw, and even someone as useless as Leinart can hit open wideouts when given enough time. The Texans have already survived the losses of Andre Johnson (due back after the bye) and Mario Williams this season. Perhaps they've got a few more surprises in store. But yeah, don't pick up Leinart. He's awful.
2. MATT CASSEL'S GONE TOO! Man, another injured QB. Brutal. It's November and we're already in the midst of a full-blown late season injury run. You know how crummy teams start piling up players on IR as the season drags to a close? That's starting to happen. I guarantee you that Mike Vick doesn't finish the season in Philly. If the broken ribs don't do him in, something else will. Once a team's spirit is broken, the injuries begin to mount up. So expect both the Eagles and Chiefs to go into the tank from here on out.
3. Why is Ryan Grant still allowed to run the ball? I have no idea. He's awful. James Starks is clearly the better back in the Green Bay offense, and he's the only one who seems to get positive yards on the ground. Running Ryan Grant is like sacrifice bunting -- just a horrible idea.
4. Is Matt Stafford coming back down to earth? He had a rough game against the Bears and I have to think that the broken finger he suffered against the Broncos had something to do with it. The fact that the Lions have such a lousy running game only exacerbates the problem because it's forcing Stafford to throw way too many passes. However, four of the Lions' last seven games come against losing teams, with the Raiders and Chargers arriving just in time for the fantasy playoffs. If you can weather the next few weeks, perhaps he'll reward you in the end.
5. LANCE BALL. Yeah, I wouldn't get too excited about him if I were you. That is not a sustainable offense.
