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www.metro.us Thursday, October 24, 2013
FANTASY
The King is out
ADAM LEVITAN, LIVING THE FANTASY
Rangers’ Lundqvist misses time Rangers goaltender Henrik Lundqvist, who was a finalist for the Vezina Trophy last season, missed last night’s game with Philadelphia with an unknown injury. The team was reluctant to disclose details, with head coach Alain Vigenault saying it was a “minor issue” that had been “nagging” the three-time All Star for some time. “If this would’ve been a playoff game, he’d probably would
METRO’S FANTASY GURU BREAKS IT ALL DOWN. Henrik Lundqvist GETTY IMAGES
have been playing,” Vigenault told reporters yesterday before the game. “It’s something that’s day-to-day that we think we can nip it in the bud.” Cam Talbot got the first start of his career in net against the Flyers. METRO
NFL news Shane Vereen (wrist) is eligible to return in Week 11 and it looks like he’s on pace to do just that. As the passing back in New England’s offense, he’s a good bet to be a difference-maker down the stretch for fantasy owners. Vereen, who piled up 21 touches and 159 total yards in Week 1, was going to have a ginormous year if not for the injury.
SPORTS
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WINNERS KNOW THE SCHEDULE There are a lot of small edges worth grinding out in fantasy football. Matchups are a big and often overlooked edge. Each week, we grapple with who to start based on a lot of factors including health, current form and usage. But, the opponent is often the most important one. Guys playing against Seattle or San Francisco are far less likely to produce than guys going against Washington and Jacksonville. Dream slate. One place to look for buy-low ideas is in the schedule. And, that makes Chris Johnson an ideal target right now. When the Titans come out of their bye, they’ll face the Rams, Jaguars, Colts, Raiders, Colts, Broncos, Cardinals and then the Jaguars again in fantasy’s Super Bowl week. It doesn’t get any better than that for the artist formerly known as CJ2K. Finally softening. The Cardinals have wildly underperformed in Bruce Arians’s typically quarterback/wideoutfriendly offense. That’s
Larry Fitzgerald should be primed for a breakout in the coming weeks. / GETTY IMAGES
going to change in the second half. During the first seven weeks, Carson Palmer and friends faced four of the best defenses around in Seattle, San Francisco, Carolina and New Orleans. Starting this week, they get the Falcons and then will regroup with a bye. After that, it goes Houston, Jacksonville, Indianapolis, Philadelphia and St. Louis. Larry Fitzgerald, whose hamstring is improving, is a guy to trade for as he’s coming off a 2/19/0
line in Week 7. Hold and deliver. Some lucky folks out there are 7-0 or 6-1 and coasting toward a playoff berth. If that’s the case, we can try to buy low on players with good schedules deep in the year. C.J. Spiller fits as he isn’t usable while playing extremely limited snaps on a gimpy ankle, but should be 100 percent for the schedule following Week 13-16: vs. Atlanta, at Tampa, at Jacksonville and vs. Miami.
Match game •
Make sure to start these borderline wide receivers this week. •
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Anquan Boldin, 49ers — Boldin isn’t a great weekly play because he can’t outmuscle everyone. But he can intimidate the hapless Jaguars this week.
Boldin / GETTY IMAGES
Jarrett Boykin, Packers — Boykin is a waiver darling who can do it again with tight end Jermichael Finley out with a serious neck injury and wide receiver James Jones doubtful. After one catch two weeks ago, he had eight for 103 yards and a score last week.
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Michael Floyd, Cardinals — Floyd plays Atlanta’s No. 23 pass defense this week, which has gotten lit up by the Bucs’ Mike Glennon and Jets’ Geno Smith in their last two games. Floyd has 16 targets and nine catches for 136 yards combined the last two games.