FanEx Sports: Tips for EasyScore Pick’em Games – NFL Week 15

Week 15 of the NFL season is fast approaching and it’s time to take home some cash in the QB Throwdown, RB Rushing Roulette and WR Downfield Threat. Each EasyScore Pick’em game focuses on one position and gives you three tiers from each position to choose from. So in the end you’ll have three players on your team, either QBs, RBs, WRs, TEs or even Kickers!

Here are my three teams for this week:

 

QB Throwdown

Tier 1:

• Aaron Rodgers, Drew Brees, Matthew Stafford, Cam Newton, Tony Romo

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Drew Brees: Brees is only second to Peyton Manning in yards passing per game. He’s had nine games of passing over 300 yards and that’s what you need in the Pick ‘Em game, yards. The Rams defense has been playing well, but hasn’t faced the likes of Brees this season.

 

Tier 2:

• Robert Griffin III, Matt Ryan, Andrew Luck, Ben Roethlisberger, Colin Kaepernick, Russell Wilson, Michael Vick, Joe Flacco

Matt Ryan: Ryan has been a dud this season after losing Julio Jones and Roddy White for most of the year, but White has returned and we are already seeing the benefits of his presence. Ryan passed for 292 yards against the Saints and then 311 against the Bills. Last week he played well, but yardage was down up in frozen Lambeau field, but this week Ryan gets to head back to the dome against reeling Washington.



Tier 3:

• Alex Smith, Jake Locker, Jay Cutler, Eli Manning, Andy Dalton, Terrelle Pryor, Ryan Tannehill, Tom Brady

Tom Brady: The loss of Gronkowski is a tough one for the Patriots, but with Shane Vereen and Danny Amendola healthy I believe Brady can keep things going and after the Broncos lost they control their own destiny for home field advantage throughout. The Dolphins just gave up 349 yards passing to Ben Roethlisberger and Brady just threw for 400+ against a Browns team, which hadn’t given up over 260 passing yards all season.

 

Rushing Roulette

Tier 1:

• Jamaal Charles, Matt Forte, Adrian Peterson, LeSean McCoy, Marshawn Lynch, Reggie Bush, Frank Gore, DeMarco Murray

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

LeSean McCoy: There are some good choices in this tier to be sure. I like Jamaal Charles a lot for obvious reasons, but I’m leaning Shady McCoy because of the tremendous workload he receives week in and week out. And with Adrian Peterson most likely out I don’t see the Vikings moving the ball that well, even against the Eagles poor defense. That should keep Shady running the ball against a team that’s giving up 110 rushing yards to running backs per game over the last seven games.

 

 

Tier 2:

• Eddie Lacy, Arian Foster, Giovani Bernard, Alfred Morris, Chris Johnson, Rashad Jennings, Darren McFadden, Andre Ellington

Eddie Lacy: This one comes down to Alfred Morris and Lacy for me. I like Morris to get a lot of work against a poor Falcons run defense, but I’m worried about a Washington team that is in a tailspin right now. Lacy tweaked his ankle last week, but looks like he’ll be ready to go against the Cowboys who are giving up 112.7 rushing yards per game to running backs.

 

Tier 3:

• Lamar Miller, Le'Veon Bell, Darren Sproles, DeAngelo Williams, Maurice Jones-Drew, Zac Stacy, Johnathan Franklin, Chris Ivory

Zac Stacy: The Rams, even when behind have been giving Stacy plenty of work. The Saints have been keeping opposing running backs out of the end zone, but are still giving up 91 rushing yards per game. The Rams will try to control the clock with Stacy as much as possible in this one.

 

Downfield Threat

Tier 1:

• Calvin Johnson, Dez Bryant, Jordy Nelson, T.Y. Hilton, A.J. Green, Brandon Marshall, Larry Fitzgerald, Vincent Jackson

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Calvin Johnson: You don't tug on Superman's cape. You don't spit into the wind. You don't pull the mask off that old Lone Ranger and you don't call Calvin Johnson old if you want to win. And unfortunately for the Ravens that’s exactly what Ravens’ rookie Matt Elam did when asked about playing Megatron. This will be fun.

 

Tier 2:

• Victor Cruz, Antonio Brown, Alshon Jeffery, Terrance Williams, Josh Gordon, Santonio Holmes, Hakeem Nicks, Justin Blackmo

Josh Gordon: How can you go against a player on a record hot streak? I’m not going to test fate in this one. Gordon is averaging 193 yards receiving over the last four games. That’s not a typo. The Bears are depleted in the secondary and Jason Campbell is not afraid to throw it to Gordon in double coverage. Just ride the wave.

 

Tier 3:

• James Jones, DeSean Jackson, Nate Washington, Brandon LaFell, Rueben Randle, Roddy White, Mike Wallace, Pierre Garcon

DeSean Jackson: The Vikings have arguably the worst secondary in the league and are giving up 191 yards per game to wide receivers. Jackson and Nick Foles were able to hook up for a touchdown in the snow bowl last week, just think about what they can do on the artificial grass and air of the Metrodome.