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Dissenting Opinions: Shady dealings

Group-think can be an especially scary thing when it comes to fantasy football rankings. After all, the unpredictable nature of the NFL game is part of what makes fantasy football so popular, and why some people like to say that the NFL acronym stands for "No F****** Logic." But when one of our Yahoo fantasy football analysts veers particularly far away from the rankings consensus, our curious nature begs for an explanation. So, with that in mind, I've identified two players from our Week 16 rankings that our Yahoo analysts love/hate significantly more than the rest of us, and have asked them to explain their reasoning. I'll kick things off with a couple of my outliers::

[Join FanDuel.com's $2M Week 16 fantasy league: $25 to enter; top 17,475 teams paid]

Love him: Andre Johnson, Hou, WR - Funston WR rank No. 21  (Yahoo No. 28)

Johnson is expected to play this week coming off a concussion. And there's a decent chance he'll be paired with QB Case Keenum, as Ryan Fitzpatrick and Tom Savage are done for the year. Not only do I appreciate Johnson this week because of a matchup against a Baltimore defense that has allowed the second-most fantasy points to the WR position. But I also like the Keenum-Johnson connection, one that averaged 100 yards per game in the eight contests that Keenum took up behind center for the Texans last season. Johnson also scored all five of his touchdowns of '13 in a two-game span when Keenum was the starter. Keenum's (lack of) arm strength leads him to focus in on that short-to-intermediate range that Johnson so often inhabits (Keenum targeted Johnson an average of 11.75 times per contest, including two games in which he targeted him 17 and 21 times, respectively!)

Is another crash landing in this Eagles' future? (Getty)
Is another crash landing in this Eagles' future? (Getty)

Hate him: LeSean McCoy, Phi, RB - Funston RB rank No. 25  (Yahoo No. 16)

Are there any McCoy owners actually playing in a fantasy championship this week? I know, after McCoy finished with just 6.5 fantasy points last week, I was bounced from my fantasy playoffs in the league I owned him. I considered myself lucky to even be there after McCoy posted just five fantasy points the previous week. Talk about a playoff dog. But, really, McCoy has been a bust all year, as his four touchdowns on the season are barely better than the total of three his backups (Chris Polk and Darren Sproles) combined for against Dallas on Sunday night. Considering how a bad season has suddenly taken a turn for the worse, how can you feel good about rolling him out this week against a Washington defense allowing the third-fewest fantasy points to RBs, a unit that held Shady to just 22 rushing yards on 20 carries back in Week 3.

DALTON DEL DON

Love him: LeSean McCoy, Phi, RB - Del Don RB rank No. 10 (Yahoo No. 16)

There's no question he's been a major disappointment this year, but McCoy is still on pace to finish with 1,293 rushing yards. He had two touchdowns stolen from him last week by Chris Polk, but realize Polk played a total of three snaps against the Cowboys, so that was something of a fluke. Washington has defended the run well this year (thanks partially to its schedule), but Philadelphia is more than touchdown favorites in a game with an over/under north of 50 points, which is a nice setup. I didn't think I was being overly aggressive ranking McCoy as the No. 10 RB this week but apparently I was.

Hate him: Chris Ivory, NYJ, RB - Del Don RB rank No. 24 (Yahoo No. 29)

He's averaged just 46.0 yards from scrimmage over the past six games, scoring once in that span. Ivory ran for just 25 yards last week against a Titans defense that has allowed the most rushing yards to running backs in all of football (and 150+ more than the next worst team). He now gets a New England defense that's yielded the second-fewest rushing scores (five) in the NFL this season during the crucial Week 16. I'd stay away.

BRAD EVANS

Love him: Matt Asiata, Min, RB - Evans RB rank No. 17 (Yahoo rank No. 22)

Truthfully, Asiata is a pedestrian runner who, in terms of straight-line speed, makes Tom Brady look like Usain Bolt. He excels in pass protection and is a trustworthy receiver, but beyond that, he's a very average talent. Still, he's a strong candidate to crack the RB top-20. His Week 16 opponent, Miami, has unhinged defensively down the stretch. Since Week 10, the Dolphins have allowed 4.88 yards per carry and the 10th-most fantasy points to RBs. On 14-16 touches, I'm confident Asiata tallies 75-85 total yards with a touchdown.


Will Benjamin drop the ball in Week 16?
Will Benjamin drop the ball in Week 16?

Hate him: Kelvin Benjamin, Car, WR - Evans WR rank No. 25 (Yahoo No. 17)

Undoubtedly, Benjamin has been a consistency king this season. Drops have plagued him at times, but his long frame, plus strength and deceptive speed have won many downfield battles. This week, however, Joe Haden rides into town. The decorated corner is dealing with a shoulder injury, but indications suggest he will suit up Sunday. Since Week 9, Haden has allowed a catch rate and QB rating under 50 to his assignments. Even when sidelined early last week against Cincinnati, his cohorts finished the job against A.J. Green, holding the wideout to just 49 yards. The Panther could experience a similar fate.

[Week 16 rankings: Quarterback | Running Back | Receiver | Tight End | Kicker | DST]

ANDY BEHRENS

Love him: Joe Flacco, Bal, QB – Behrens QB rank No. 11 (Yahoo No. 14)

Over Flacco's last five games, he's delivered nine total touchdowns (including two on the ground) and he's tossed only one pick. This week he's facing a Houston defense that's allowed the seventh-most passing yards in the league. It's a messy week at quarterback beyond the top-tier, so if I were streaming the position I'd be happy to roll with a guy who can reliably give me 250-plus yards and two TDs. Meanwhile, you're all adding shares of RG3, a lost quarterback facing an opportunistic Philly defense.

 Hate him: Donte Moncrief, Ind, WR - Behrens WR rank No. 60 (Yahoo No. 42)

Which of Moncrief's zero receptions on zero targets was your favorite last week? OK, sure, he very nearly scored on a deflected pass in the end-zone, off a throw that was intended for someone else. But the point is, he's not seeing any opportunities. We all appreciate his talent, but the rookie has been completely shut out in four games this season (no catches, no yards), and he's only topped 40 receiving yards once in the last six weeks. It's easier to argue that he shouldn't be ranked at all than to argue for a top-30 spot. Yes, T.Y. Hilton gave us an injury scare last week (hamstring), but it doesn't sound as if his situation is at all serious.

SCOTT PIANOWSKI

Love him: Travis Kelce, KC, TE - Pianowski TE rank No. 3  (Yahoo No.  7)

The Chiefs are slowly but surely recognizing that Kelce has to be a featured part of the offense. He's posted a 12-169-1 line over the last two weeks, on 15 targets - numbers that make him the No. 3 tight end over that period. The Steelers are the eighth-easiest defense for tight ends to score on this year, and that's come despite a fairly benign set of opponents at the position. On Sunday, Zeus should be loose.

Hate him: Anquan Boldin, SF, WR - Pianowski WR rank No. 45 (Yahoo No. 33)

It's nothing personal with Boldin, but how can you trust anyone tied to Colin Kaepernick these days? Boldin is on a 9-95 gutterball the last three weeks, and while the Seahawks defense accounted for two-thirds of that mess, there was also a modest 54-yard game at Oakland. And heck, we can't forget that Boldin is 34. Maybe he's wearing down in the latter stages of the season.