Fantasy Healthball

Top Ten Reasons to Buy Fantasy Healthball

1. Because the last time you exercised it was because your 8th grade gym teacher made you run a lap for being late to class.
2. Because you picketed in their parking lot when you heard your local “Krispy Kreme” was closing.
3. Because right now you just feel “fat and happy” but you want to avoid some nasty health impacts as you get older.
4. It has been called “funny,” “entertaining,” “a quick read packed with information you need to know,” and “a great health program for football lovers.” – and those are just the things our mom’s said about it!
5. If you don’t, you’ll have no idea what a “Pantry and Refrigerator Exorcism” is!
6. If you are a “fantasy football widow,” this is a great way for him to get something more – great health – out of all those hours he spends in front of the computer!
7. You’ll find over a dozen great and healthy recipes to try out while tailgating before the big game.
8. Because you want to live a healthy long life and you are tired of being low energy and slow-feeling all the time.
9. Proceeds from every book go towards diabetes research and prevention.
10. Because you love football and you want to be healthier – simple as that!
 

Pick up a copy for you or a friend here!  — Fantasy Healthball

 
There is no need to keep players that aren’t performing
In fantasy football, only the best players get your spot in the lineup. Therefore, this late in the season, there is no need to still hold on to that one player that you hope will still breakout into a star. Also, this means that even if you have a decent player on your team, if you aren’t going to play him you should seriously consider replacing him. Having a good backup doesn’t help your team in the playoffs. If he doesn’t have a chance of starting because you have an all-star at his position, then you should look to see if you can pick-up someone who will have a chance to start. Now, we understand that having a good backup can be great if your starter gets injured but, it’s playoffs time, so you don’t need to worry so much about back-ups. 

 
Matchups are essential in deciding if you should pick-up a player
Now that it has come down to the last couple of weeks in fantasy football, matchups are crucial; especially when you want to pick someone up. Early in the season, the matchups didn’t matter as much because every player was going to play against good teams and bad teams. Although, now that there are only a few weeks left you can clearly see if your player has good matchups or bad matchups (e.g. if you are picking between starting one of two quarterbacks on your team, look at the defense each one is playing and how they are against the pass.  Also, look at weather conditions, if the opposing defense has any key injuries, etc.)  But, like we said in an earlier blog, you want to still play your top players. So, this only applies to players that you are thinking about dropping/adding.

You can play Fantasy Healthball into the playoffs as well.  Been noticing that your little round belly is starting to shake like a bowl full of jelly?  A little too much couch and not quite enough exercise?  Click here to learn about Fantasy Healthball and the playoffs.  Match your healthpoints against the weekly points from your fantasy football opponent to see if you get a win or a loss for the week.  Put together a string of victories as you march to the Superbowl.  Drop us a line for more advice or with questions.  — Fantasy Healthball  (the book)

Here are the top 5 busts this season to date:

5. Reggie Wayne: WR, Colts, Healthball Pre-season Rank: 16; NFL: 2; Yahoo: 9; Actual Rank 35.
While Wayne’s underperformance isn’t that shocking considering that he hasn’t had a good quarterback throwing to him this season. Even so, his numbers should be higher.  He carried a Top-Ten Pre-season ranking from both NFL and Yahoo, and before last week, he hadn’t gotten a touchdown since week 1. As the main receiving threat on the Colts, that is unacceptable.

Why? Why? Why?

4. Rashard Mendenhall: RB, Steelers, Healthball Pre-season Rank:  9; NFL:  6; Yahoo:  6; Actual Rank 25.
Mendenhall was drafted in the first round of a lot of drafts this year.   He was ranked Top-Ten by Healthball, NFL and Yahoo.  And he has turned out to have the numbers of a backup running back. Now, he is hampered a bit since the Ravens and Bengals are in his division and rank #3 and #5 overall vs. the run. Even so, Mendenhall is on pace for 400 fewer yards than last season.   Not what we were expecting from a Top-Ten pick.

3. Mike Williams: WR, Buccaneers, Healthball Pre-season Rank:  9; NFL: 17; Yahoo: 11; Actual Rank 42.
Williams’ start of the season was horrible, averaging 4.52 points per game during the first 5 weeks. However, he still has the most receiving yards on the team. Unfortunately, that is not much of an accomplishment as the Buccaneers have only managed 4 wins this season. He was drafted by most teams to be their number 1 wide receiver and he is not even owned in around 20% of leagues. Williams will need to have a strong finish to justify his lofty pre-season ranking.

2.  Phillip Rivers: QB, Chargers, Our Projected Rank 4; NFL: 3; Yahoo:  4; Actual Rank 12.
With multiple receiver injuries this season, Rivers hasn’t received much help. But, when he has worse numbers than quarterbacks like Mark Sanchez, there is a huge problem! He has the most interceptions in the league. In fact, he has fewer touchdowns than interceptions this season and you can’t pin that entirely on the wide receivers. Rivers is a huge bust this season, but he doesn’t earn our top spot on this list…

1.  Chris Johnson: RB, Titans, Our Projected Rank 3; NFL:  4; Yahoo 4; Actual Rank 20.
Johnson was one of the top five players drafted in almost every draft this year, and his numbers match that of a 3rd round running back. He’s coming off of a 2,000 yard season, and he’s hoping he’ll scrape up a 1,000 yard season this year. He also has only 2 touchdowns this season. With two games against the woeful Colts defense, which has the 31st rushing defense in the league, you would think Johnson could have 2 touchdowns in each of those games. Johnson has had a miserable campaign, and his owners are wishing he would have just held out the entire season.

There is still plenty of time to play some Fantasy Healthball this season.  When it comes to your health, you don’t want to be a bust!  Here is how to play in a nutshell.  Match your healthpoints against the weekly points from your fantasy football opponent to see if you get a win or a loss for the week.  Put together a string of victories and watch your health improve.   Drop us a line for more advice or with questions.  — Fantasy Healthball  (the book)

DEFENSE!

As for your fantasy team, most fantasy football owners don’t care much about their defense as long as their current defense is doing decent. However, you might want to still switch your defense one week if they are playing a very good offense. Here is a list of our top defense pick-ups in case you want to switch up your defense one time. This list was devised based on availability, the strength of their remaining schedule, and (of course) quality of the defense.

Cincinnati Bengals: The Bengals have the 8th most points out of any defense and they are owned in about 61% of Yahoo leagues (44% in NFL Fantasy league). Now, we know that is a little high. But, if they are available in your league you should seriously consider picking them up. The teams for the Bengals to play are with the Ravens twice, the Browns, the Steelers, the Texans, the Rams, and the Cardinals. That is a pretty diverse group of teams to face. But a lot of those matchups are very manageable for the Bengals. The Ravens and Texans are tough. But, the Browns have the third worst offense in the league, the Rams are in the bottom ten, and the Cardinals have a below-average offense. As for the Steelers, the Bengals proved last week they can play with them defensively. Basically, the Bengals have some good matches upcoming for them and they have proven to be a good defensive team. Pick them up if they are available to you.

Denver Broncos: The Denver Broncos have scored the 11th most points out of any defense and they are only owned in about 8% of Yahoo Leagues (5% in NFL Fantasy). This is proves that people don’t pay attention to defenses; otherwise most leagues would pick up the Broncos. Their success is impressive, especially because their division hosts two top-ten offenses in the league. Unfortunately, the strength of their remaining schedule is above average. They face the Vikings, Bears, Patriots, Bills, and Chiefs. Defenses have proven they can get high numbers against the Vikings, Bears, and Chiefs. So, picking them up for those games is recommended.

Tennessee Titans: The Titans have the 13th most points of all the defenses and they are owned in about 21% of Yahoo Leagues (less than 10% of NFL Fantasy leagues). Their success is no surprise considering they have a decent defense and the two worst offensive teams in their division. The Jaguars and the Colts have the worst total yards per game in the league and they are both in the bottom 3 for points per game as well. The Titans play both of them in their remaining games. Their full schedule is: Falcons, Buccaneers, Bills, Saints, Colts, Jaguars, and Texans. We recommend that you at least pick up the Titans when they face the Colts and Jaguars. The other games will be tough for them, but their defense is good enough where they can still pick up solid points.   — Good luck on D.  Your team…and you!  -  Fantasy Healthball  (the book)

Fantasy football is no different.  Good strategies are essential to winning.  We’ve offered many in the past (like when to drop your underperforming players and how best to set your lineup)and here are a couple more: 

Trade Them While Their Hot, and Trade for Them While Their Cold
As the trade deadline for most fantasy football leagues gets closer and closer, trades are becoming more common. Fantasy football managers are realizing they have holes in their team and they need to trade to fill those holes up. The general rule that you should trade players while their hot, and trade for them while their “cold” will help you. If a player is heating up, most managers will not trade him. Or, the manager will distort the value of that player by offering him for one of your top studs. If you can, you want to avoid trading for players who are heating up because they will be very hard to get. Likewise, you should trade for players who are underachieving, but have high potential. You would want to do this because you hope the manager will give him to you for a lower value than he’s worth. An example of this is wide receiver Mike Williams and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Williams is definitely one of this year’s biggest underachievers. However, he has one of the most targeted receivers in the league. So, you might want to try to trade for him to see if his owner is willing to give him up cheaply.

Score Big on Tight Ends, Defenses, and Kickers
These three positions seem to be the lowest looked at players in free agency. There has been countless times where we have seen top 5 caliber talent from these positions sitting in free agency. The reason is that a lot of fantasy owners don’t care much about these positions if they feel they drafted a good one. Now, the reality is that there are always breakout players in these categories and lots of times they are just waiting to be picked up in free agency. Unless you have a stud in each of these positions, we recommend that you constantly look at free agency to see if there are some gems waiting for you.   — Fantasy Healthball  (the book)

Tim Tebow, Denver Broncos, Quarterback. Tebow has been averaging about 20 points per game in his last three starts. That alone makes him worth picking up. He should get better as he gets more games under his belt and that means his fantasy points could remain strong or improve.  With his ability to get points while running and passing, if you need a quarterback Tebow should be one of the first people you look for. He is owned in about 58% of Yahoo leagues and less than half of the NFL fantasy leagues. 

HELP for your roster spot!

Javon Ringer, Tennessee Titans, Running Back. Even though Ringer is the second string running back, he still got 10 points last week. Now, we don’t expect him to do that every game, but he had the most receptions on the team last week. Also, Chris Johnson is struggling and that will greatly help Ringer get more carries. With only 29% of Yahoo leagues owning him (6% in NFL fantasy leagues), Ringer will most likely be available in your league and he’s worth the look.

Doug Baldwin, Seattle Seahawks, Wide Receiver. Baldwin rebounded from his 0 point game two weeks ago with 7 points last week. Now, we know that isn’t anything to get excited about. But, he got over 19 points 3 weeks ago and he seems to be the best receiver on the team other than Sidney Rice. If he can stay consistent, he will be a great asset to your fantasy football team. He is owned in about 29% of Yahoo leagues and under 10% in NFL fantasy leagues.

Jake Ballard, New York Giants, Tight End. Ballard has averaged over 8 points per game in the last 3 weeks. That is good enough for a starting tight end on any lineup and certainly good enough to be a backup. His targets have been increasing since week 3 and can surely grow more. If you are in need of a tight end, there are not many options and Ballard is definitely one of the better choices. He is owned in about 29% of Yahoo leagues and under 10% in NFL fantasy leagues.  And we like him not just because he could be a distant relative of Fantasy Healthball co-owner Jim Ballard!

If you haven’t yet started playing Fantasy Healthball, now is the time to start.  Here is how to play in a nutshell.  Match your healthpoints against the weekly points from your fantasy football opponent to see if you get a win or a loss for the week.  Put together a string of victories and watch your health improve.   Drop us a line for more advice or with questions.  — Fantasy Healthball  (the book)

Friend or Foe?

We are 8 weeks into the NFL season, and if you have been playing Fantasy Healthball, you are already certainly noticing an improvement to your health.  Maybe you have dropped a few pounds, maybe as many as 10.  Your calories per day have likely dropped.  Your days without any exercise has certainly dropped.  And, 8 weeks in, you may be looking over your fantasy football team and wondering who to drop too.  Is it finally time to let go of some of those fantasy players you may have drafted but just aren’t putting up the scores.  How do you know if it is time? 

There are always players that underperform and knowing when to drop them can be tough.  Yet, it is extremely important if you want to become the top team in your league. There are many ways to approach this, but the way we do it starts out by identifying the position your underachiever is.
 
Quarterback: If your underperformer is a quarterback, then your main reason for dropping him should be if there is a better quarterback in free agency. There is a limited amount of quarterbacks in the NFL and dropping quarterbacks are usually rare. Also, there are usually not many good quarterbacks in free agency in the middle of the season. You should only drop your underperformer if the player in free agency is getting consistently more points than your player. Try to avoid dropping your quarterback for another that had only one good game. Look for consistency, and you are more likely to have a better pick-up. 
 
Running Back: If your underachiever is a running back, then you should be very cautious dropping him. Especially in the deeper leagues, running backs that get consistent points are very valuable. The main reason why you should drop a running back, other than getting injured, is if there is another running back taking his place on his team. Other than that, you should usually keep your running backs. 
   
Wide Receiver/Tight End: Unlike quarterbacks and running backs, wide receivers and tight ends are very replaceable. If your underachiever is a wide receiver or tight end then it is very common to drop them. Although, we recommend that you don’t drop a player just because they have a bad game. Even elite wide receivers and tight ends are sometimes inconsistent. But, if your wide receiver or tight end has multiple bad games, you should seriously consider dropping them. Picking up wide receiver and tight ends while their hot, and dropping them while their cold is a very effective strategy to use. Now, there are always exceptions such as Plaxico Burress. Burress averaged about 3 points per game in weeks 4-6. Yet, in week 7 he got over 20 points. With players like that there is nothing you can do but do your best to judge what they’ll do next. You can do this by looking at the amount of receptions, amount of balls in the red-zone thrown to them etc. 
 
Kicker/Defense: Kickers and Defenses are also very replaceable. There are usually good kickers available throughout the season because teams rarely look to see if any kickers are doing well. Even so, kickers are very hard to predict as to when they’ll do well. If you feel there is a substantially better kicker in free agency, take him. Otherwise, as long as your kicker is getting solid points you shouldn’t fret if another kicker has 4 more points than him. Defenses however are a bit more challenging. If you have an elite defense you should never drop them and usually never consider starting another defense when they don’t have their bye-week. However, if you don’t have an elite defense, another strategy is just to pick up a different defense each week depending on their matchups. Defenses are all about matchups, so if you have a defense that is underachieving make sure it is not due to harder matchups earlier in the season. — Fantasy Healthball  (the book)

5. Ryan Fitzpatrick – Buffalo Bills, Quarterback. Fitzpatrick was undrafted by a lot of fantasy teams at the start of the season. This was mainly due to no one knowing how much of a TREMENDOUS season the Bills were going to have. Fitzpatrick was ranked 24^th best quarterback by us at the start of the season. Now, he is the 12^th best quarterback and he is in the top five for most touchdowns of any quarterback this season.

4. Matthew Stafford – Detroit Lions, Quarterback. Stafford was ranked to be about the 15^th best quarterback before the season started. (We ranked him to be 16^th best quarterback). However, he is now in the top five for total points out of any player this season. He is also third in passing touchdowns this year for any quarterback. The Stafford-Johnson connection that he has set up is one of the best in the league and Stafford has proven all of the doubters wrong.

The "Sixth" Breakout Star Can Be YOU!

3. Wes Welker – New England Patriots, Wide Receiver. Welker was ranked about 16^th best wide receiver before the season started. Now, he has more points than any other wide receiver in the league! He is first in receiving yards, and second is receiving touchdowns. He is averaging about 18 points per game as a wide receiver! Some people expected him to do well this season, but no one could have expected him to make this kind of impact.

2. Fred Jackson – Buffalo Bills, Running Back. Jackson is other part of the Bills offense with Fitzpatrick and he has helped them become one of the top teams in football right now. He was ranked 28^th overall for all the running backs by us. Now, he’s has more points than any other running back in the league! He has the second most rushing yards in the league and he is tied for the second most rushing touchdowns in the league. Jackson averages over 20 points per game as a running back and has proven to be a true star this year.

1. Cam Newton – Carolina Panthers, Quarter Back. Newton is the definition of a breakout star: he was ranked extremely low (he was unranked by us) and yet he has the third highest total points in the league. His methods may be unorthodox, but he scores and he has shocked the nation with the numbers he puts up. He is tied for the second most rushing touchdowns in the league, as a quarterback! Newton has had a tremendous start, and we expect his future will be bright in the NFL. 

We hope you too are “over-performing” when it comes to your health this year.  The days are getting shorter which, for many, will make it harder to keep up your exercising and motivation.  If you haven’t started playing Fantasy Healthball yet, now is the time to start developing some good habits so life is easier when it starts getting into winter.  Don’t hibernate and pack on the pounds this winter.  Instead, use the winter to get into your best summer shape ever.  We have everything you need from nutrition advice to exercise advice to a great fantasy-football-based game to keep you motivated and your spirits high.  It is time for you to be a “Breakout Star!”  — Fantasy Healthball  (the book)

Darrius Heyward-Bey – Oakland Raiders. Bey has had a combined 26 points in the last two weeks. He’s been inconsistent this season. However, in the two weeks he has put up double-digit points. If he continues this trend every week he’ll surely be worth the pick-up. He’s owned in about 42% of Yahoo leagues and went from next to nothing to 41% in NFL Fantasy this week.

Earnest Graham- Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Running Back. Graham is the starting running back this week now that Legarrette Blount is out. Since Blount is out 1-2 weeks, Graham will only temporarily have success. However, with Bye weeks here it’s useful to have another starter-quality running back. We recommend you take advantage of this opportunity. He’s owned in about 46% of Yahoo leagues and 15% of NFL Fantasy.

"Pick" up in Week 6

Jason Campbell – Oakland Raiders, Quarterback. We talked about him in our last blog and apparently most people didn’t listen. He’s owned in about 36% of Yahoo leagues this week (22% in NFL). But, he did have a solid 17 point game last week. He shouldn’t be your best quarterback, but he is an above-average backup that’s definitely worth picking up.

Colt McCoy – Cleveland Browns, Quarterback. McCoy has gotten very consistent points this season. He averages over 17 points per game. He’s similar to Campbell where he is also not every week starter material. However, he is a good backup and good enough to help you if your starter gets hurt. He is owned in about 33% of Yahoo leagues and 16% in NFL.

Jermaine Gresham – Cincinnati Bengals, Tight End.Gresham is owned in about 59% of Yahoo leagues and 42% in NFL. Yes, that is a little high on this list. However, if you don’t have him, he will definitely give you great depth at tight end. He consistently gets solid points and he has hit double digits in 2 games this season. All in all, he is an integral part of the Bengals offense and we expect him to keep up his numbers.

Jabar Gaffney – Washington Redskins, Wide Receiver. Gaffney has been the ideal consistent backup this season. Not once has he scored less than 6 points this year. Now, that may not seem like a lot. But, with so many wide receivers being inconsistent, having one backup that is always consistent is nice to have. He’s owned in about 21% of Yahoo leagues and only 4% in NFL Fantasy.

Fantasy Healthball - If you haven’t yet started playing Fantasy Healthball, now is the time to start.  Here is how to play in a nutshell.  Match your healthpoints against the weekly points from your fantasy football opponent to see if you get a win or a loss for the week.  Put together a string of victories and watch your health improve.   Drop us a line for more advice or with questions.  — Fantasy Healthball  (the book)

Quarterbacks:
Matt Hasselbeck – Tennessee Titans. If you need a quarterback this week, he should be in one of the first people you look at. He’s owned in about 59% of Yahoo leagues (was in the 20′s in the NFL league and recently jumped up to 45% owned). He’s also facing the Steelers this week. Yes, the Steelers are known for their incredible defense. However, the Steelers’ defense has numerous injuries this week. Also, Hasselbeck is averaging over 21 points per game this year. So, if you can pick him up, you should. There are hardly any other good quarterbacks that will be available to choose from.

Jason Campbell – Oakland Raiders. Campbell is owned in about 27% of Yahoo leagues (13% in NFL league). So, you should be able to pick him up if Hasselbeck is not available. Campbell is facing the Texans this week. This isn’t a great matchup since the Texans have given up the 23rd most fantasy points to quarterbacks this season. However, Campbell is averaging over 17 points per game this year. So, Campbell isn’t a fantastic choice, but he is a good fix if you are in desperate need for a quarterback.

Running backs:
Isaac Redman – Pittsburgh Steelers. This seems to be the biggest running back story for this week. If Mendenhall starts for the Steelers, then Redman will probably not get a lot of carries or points. However, if Redman does start, then he could be a great sleeper for this week. Redman is facing the Titans this week, which should be alright for Redman. Redman is also impressively averaging 4.9 yards per carry this season. Roethlisberger is banged up, so that should provide more reason for a big rushing attack for the Steelers. Redman is owned in about 45% of Yahoo leagues (18% in NFL league, up from next to nothing). Since Mendenhall is a game-time decision, we recommend you add Redman and make sure he is starting for the Steelers. If he is, definitely play him.

Stevan Ridley – New England Patriots. Ridley is owned in about 48% of Yahoo leagues (28% in the NFL league, also up from practically zero). Yet, this number should be higher considering his potential for this week. Ridley scored 16 points last week and he just seems to keep getting better. He is facing the Jets this week. Since the Jets have given up the 6th most fantasy points to running backs this season, Ridley should do great.

Wide Receivers:
Jacoby Jones – Houston Texans. Since Andre Johnson is out this week, Jones will get the opportunity to get lots of points. Since Jones got 185 combined yards in the two games last season when Johnson was out, we expect Jones to do similarly this season. Jones is also facing Oakland, who has given up the 6th most fantasy points to wide receivers this season. Jones is owned in about 41% of Yahoo leagues (3.6 in NFL). If you can pick him, you should because his matchup is all the makings of an amazing fantasy day.

Michael Crabtree – San Francisco 49ers. Crabtree led the team in receiving and most looks last week. This is promising and we expect the same thing this week. Crabtree is facing the Buccaneers, who have given up the 9th most fantasy points to wide receivers this season. Crabtree is owned in about 41% of Yahoo leagues (48% in NFL league).

Fantasy Healthball - If you haven’t yet started playing Fantasy Healthball, now is the time to start.  Here is how to play in a nutshell.  Match your healthpoints against the weekly points from your fantasy football opponent to see if you get a win or a loss for the week.  Put together a string of victories and watch your health improve.   Drop us a line for more advice or with questions.  — Fantasy Healthball  (the book)