Friends and Family Matters

Chad Henne(notes) and Mark Sanchez(notes) put on a show in the first Dolphins-Jets matchup this season.

Two owners in the Yahoo! Friends and Family League are banking on an encore.

With six NFL teams on bye, including fantasy juggernauts Pittsburgh, New England and Cincinnati, Henne and Sanchez are among the many players being spot-started this week in the 14-team expert league.

We’ll take a hard look at the two young quarterbacks’ chances as well as some of the other deep options being turned to as bye week replacements. The group’s outlook is more promising than that of last week’s class, which was headlined by Bobby Wade’s(notes) 9.6-point return.

Malcom Floyd(notes)
Matchup: Oak
PLUS league usage: 9-percent owned, 5-percent started
Owner: Me
Replacing: Cedric Benson(notes)

Chris Chambers(notes) is running out of time. Only Darrius Heyward-Bay has a lower reception rate than Chambers, who has eight catches on 30 targets. The streaky veteran could turn things around, but Malcom Floyd is waiting in the wings if he can’t. Norv Turner is already on record as saying he wants to get the 6-foot-5 Floyd more involved going forward. As the possible No. 2 receiver in a pass-heavy heavy offense, Floyd is more than just bye-week filler.

Dennis Northcutt(notes)
Matchup: Stl
PLUS league usage: 7-percent owned, 3-percent started
Owner: Jeff Erickson
Replacing: Santonio Holmes(notes)

With the Lions allowing the second-most points per game in the league (31.3) and the Rams allowing the third most (30.1), this matchup has all the makings of a shootout. Per usual, Northcutt figures to see plenty of single-man coverage if Calvin Johnson(notes) (knee, game-time decision) takes the field, and it doesn’t hurt his chances that Matthew Stafford(notes) (knee, game-time decision) is expected to start. Deep-league owners looking to invest in this game should consider Northcutt, but be sure to also take a hard look at Rams rookie Danny Amendola(notes).

Chad Henne
Matchup: @NYJ
PLUS league usage: 19-percent owned, 6-percent started
Owner: Jeff Erickson
Replacing: Carson Palmer(notes)

If Matt Millen and Steve Young are done sweet talking him, Henne should be ready to go on Sunday against the Jets. The second-year quarterback had his coming out party against Rex Ryan’s defense in Week 5, completing 20 of 26 passes for 241 yards and two touchdowns. Erickson would be happy with something similar, but expect to see plenty of Ronnie Brown(notes) hitting the A-gap in this one as the run-first Dolphins look to test the Jets’ Kris Jenkins(notes)-less interior line. (Side note: How Justin Fargas(notes) was given only eight carries last week was bewildering, even for the Raiders.) Most of Henne’s production in the first meeting came late when his team was playing from behind, and with the Dolphins looking to run the ball as much as they can get away with, Henne owners should be hoping for that scenario to present itself again.

Mark Sanchez
Matchup: Mia
PLUS league usage: 47-percent owned, 14-percent started
Owner: Chris Chase
Replacing: Tom Brady(notes)

Sanchez’s ownership rate is difficult to justify, seeing how he hasn’t passed for more than 172 yards since Week 1 and has thrown multiple touchdown passes in just one game all season. That said, this week looks as good as any to start him. A running game will be tough to come against the Dolphins’ fourth-ranked rush defense, so the Jets could find themselves having to rely on the rookie’s arm. Helping the cause, Jerricho Cotchery(notes) (hamstring) is expected to play, giving Sanchez another downfield weapon to go along with Braylon Edwards(notes) and David Clowney(notes). It’s only happened once so far, but a multi-TD game through the air from Sanchez this week wouldn’t be a shock.

James Jones(notes)
Matchup: Min
PLUS league usage: 7-percent owned, 3-percent started
Owner: Me
Replacing: Chad Ochocinco(notes)

Speaking of shock, Jones is this week’s headliner. Brad Evans covers all the bases on what’s to like about the Packers’ deep threat, who is the team’s undisputed No. 3 wide receiver with Jordy Nelson(notes) (knee) out.

2-for-1

For the third time in four weeks, a trade has happened in the Friends and Family League. This one involved my team.

I traded Braylon Edwards and Heath Miller(notes) to Chris Chase for Roddy White(notes).

I offered this deal to Chase for a couple of reasons. First, I was just looking to deal Miller, who I would have to drop this week due to byes and Brian Westbrook’s(notes) injury if I was going to have a full starting lineup. Second, I saw that Chase had lost Cooley (ankle) and was in need of a replacement, and with Vernon Davis(notes), I could afford to spare Miller.

I’ve been an Edwards apologist all season and still am. I think a healthy Cotchery will only help Edwards’ rest-of-season production. That said, I was pretty thrilled to score White in the trade and lose the headache.

After the deal, I asked Chase to share some of his thoughts on the swap.

“When your team is 1-6, there’s not much reason to not make a trade,” Chase said via email. “What am I clinging to, my 14-percent winning percentage? Any shake up is a good shake up. “With Chris Cooley(notes) hurt I needed tight end help and hopefully Heath Miller will continue to produce. Roddy White was my second best player (which should tell you all you need to know about my squad), but he clearly wasn’t good enough to help me win games. The hope is that Braylon will get in a groove with Manchez (maybe they can bond over their love of hot dogs) and make this worthwhile. If not, well, I doubt my team can be any worse.”

Working the Wire

The following section catalogs the transactions made in the Friends and Family League following each week of the regular season. Every owner has a $100 free agent acquisition budget for the year to be used on players clearing waivers

The move: Dalton Del Don dropped Zach Miller and added the Arizona defense for $20.
The logic: In the immediate future, the Cardinals defense has a primo matchup against Jake Delhomme(notes) and the Panthers. Looking long term, the Cardinals have a fairly fantasy friendly schedule for the rest of the year that includes two games against the Rams and matchups with the Lions and Titans. The price tag is steep, but Del Don shouldn’t have to worry about a defense until next fall.

The move: Michael Salfino dropped Bryant Johnson(notes) for Danny Ware(notes).
The logic: Between an ankle injury and a cracked fifth metatarsal, it’s safe to say Ahmad Bradshaw(notes) is banged up. This is a nice maneuver by Salfino to pick up the Giants’ insurance plan, and as a Bradshaw owner, it’s a move I wish I would had the bench space to make myself. Ware will have significant value if either Brandon Jacobs(notes) or Bradshaw was to miss any time.

Other adds: Floyd, Baltimore defense, Donald Lee(notes), Jason Hanson(notes), Denver defense, Neil Rackers(notes), Marcedes Lewis(notes), Henne, Dallas defense, Nate Washington(notes), Northcutt, Jay Feely(notes), Buffalo defense, Davone Bess(notes), Sanchez, Houston defense, Matt Prater(notes), Kenny Britt(notes), Todd Heap(notes), Zach Miller, Miami defense.

Other drops: Oakland defense, Carolina defense, Jermichael Finley(notes), John Kasay(notes), Ted Ginn Jr.(notes), Ryan Succop(notes), Mewelde Moore(notes), Sean Ryan(notes), Kevin Faulk(notes), Cleveland defense, Ladell Betts(notes), Wade, Jerious Norwood(notes), Laveranues Coles(notes), Louis Murphy(notes), La’Ron McClain, Jason Elam(notes), Chaz Schilens(notes), Patrick Crayton(notes), Matt Hasselbeck(notes), Leon Washington(notes).