With this upcoming week in fantasy being an extremely important one for many, owners will be making the decision of who to start, sit and add to their fantasy rosters. There are a tremendous amount of players around the league projected to have big weeks, but what about the sleepers? Three specific players come to attention for week nine:
Michael Vick will be on the “National Stage” this week when he goes into New Orleans on Monday night. The Eagles will be attempting to break their three-game losing streak against the Saints. With that said, the pressure is exceptionally overwhelming for Vick this week, and with all the speculation around him losing his starting position, he will be on a mission to produce big numbers. He’s facing a Saints defense who is ranked 30th against the pass, letting up an average of 306 yards per game. This is a significant number to think about because of the threat DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin bring to the table for the Eagles. Also, let’s not forget Vick’s danger when escaping the pocket, which could play a vital role against the Saint’s 31st ranked rushing defense. I’m predicting a monstrous week for Michael Vick, given the circumstances. If you own him, start him.
Josh Freeman and the Buccaneers are approaching week nine with a shockwave of confidence after arguably blowing out the Minnesota Vikings on Thursday Night Football. Freeman is coming into this week’s matchup against the Oakland Raiders with over 1,000 yards passing, nine touchdown passes and only one interception in his last three games. Although his completion percentage is lacking, he is proving to be a sleeper quarterback for this week and the weeks to come. Freeman and the Bucs will be marching into Alameda County Coliseum looking to turn to the passing game. With Vincent Jackson and Mike Williams coming along as premiere receivers for the team, expect Freeman to target them multiple times throughout the game. And don’t forget about Doug Martin, whose run game is starting to ignite. If he can turn it up against the Raiders, this will open up the passing game even more. I’m predicting over 300 yards passing and at least two touchdown passes for Josh Freeman this Sunday. Take him off the bench in week nine and start him.
Randall Cobb over the last four games, has caught a total of 26 passes for 339 yards. Along with this surprising statistic for Cobb, he has also recorded three touchdowns in that span. With Greg Jennings out of the receiver picture for the time being, and Jordy Nelson dealing with hamstring issues, Cobb has turned into the “go-to” receiver for Aaron Rodgers. During this fantasy season, he has been one of the biggest sleepers of 2012. He is now, without doubt, turning heads. When the Packers head into Lambeau this Sunday against the Arizona Cardinals, look for Cobb to add at least one more touchdown to his breakout streak. If you need a fill in, or a change in week nine at the receiver position,Cobb is most definitely a reliable player to turn towards.
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