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Hello my fantasy football friends. This St. Louisan has a big smile on his face today. My Rams are looking pretty at 4-2, the Cardinals just won the first game of the World Series and the Mizzou Tigers improved their record with a big win over K-State. In this article I will review the first half of the St. Louis Rams season.
Coach Scott Linehan has come in and shaken things up a bit in the Gateway City. We actually have a defense now, effective special teams and an offense that doesn't turn the ball over. Its obvious that it didn't take Linehan very long to correct those areas that plagued this franchise during the Martz regime.
At QB Bulger is playing the best football of his career. It took him a few weeks to get comfortable in the new offensive scheme but the results are paying off. He hasn't thrown an interception this season and over the last few weeks his td totals are still on par compared to the Martz era. Expect Bulger to continue being a big-time fantasy player for the rest of the season. Thanks to the new offense, Bulger isn't taking as many hits as he did in previous years, which should prevent Bulger from getting injured this season. Right now, Bulger is a top five QB and should be for another five years or so.
Owners who invested a high first round pick on Steven Jackson are finally getting the results they expected. Linehan is committed to the running game and will continue to pound the ball with Jackson every game. Expect Jackson to be in contention for the running title this season. Thanks to the improved defense, the Rams no longer have to abandon the running game. In years past the St. Louis defense gave up points early and often which forced the offense to play catch up for the rest of the game. Because that is no longer a concern, bank of Jackson getting 20-30 carries a game with a few catches. He is now a elite back who you can build your backfield around.
At wideout the Rams are as good as ever. Isaac Bruce is still very productive and Torry Holt is the best receiver in the game. ESPN and crew continue to overlook Holt but don't as foolish as they are. Steve Smith might be flashier but game in and game out there isn't a receiver on the planet that is as productive as Holt. Fantasy owners should hold onto this star receiver for another three plus years. Kevin Curtis has been a slight disappointment but has been producing as of late. Pay attention to his production for the remainder of the season. If his numbers fail to increase significantly, you should no longer expect him to be the incumbent to the number two receiver spot in the future. This is a put up or shut up season for Curtis, and if he fails to impress, the Rams will look elsewhere in the future. Klopenstein has showed promise but the tight end has not been utilized as much as the coaching staff promised in the pre-season.
Jeff Wilkins has been a stud kicker this season and should continue to produce for the rest of the season. Because the offense is clicking, do not expect anymore four or five field goal games from Wilkins for the remainder of the season. He should get his usual two or three field goals to go along with 2-4 extra points.
Leonard Little has been steady this season and has showed no signs of a letdown for the rest of this season. This is his contract year and big bucks are on the line. Look for Little to post ten plus sacks this year and rack up a good amount of tackles. Anthony Hargrove was a highly touted sleeper this season but thanks to him going AWOL, his lost his starting job and was sent packing to Buffalo. The defensive tackles have helped the run defense but currently neither of them are producing enough points to be starters in your fantasy league. Rookie Victor Adeyanju has taken over the other end spot and has showed some promise. He has a non-stop motor, who could turn out to be a solid defensive end. His pass-rush skills are a little raw but with some seasoning he could turn out to be a late round steal for the Rams.
At linebacker the Rams have a few solid backers who should continue to help your team. Will Witherspoon turned out to be a very good signing in the off-season and should be in your starting lineup each week. Pisa the Hut, has been plagued by injuries, but has a lot of skill. Thanks to having this week off, he should be ready to play at full speed for the rest of the season. Expect a big turnaround from him in the second half of the season.
Atogwe and Fahkir Brown have been pleasant surprises this season. Brown gets a solid amount of tackles each week, along with a high amount of pass deflections. He has proven to be a steady point producer each week. Atogwe, provides plenty of punch in run defense and has showed good ball skills. This combo should continue to provide enough points to be a quality starter for the rest of the year. Tye Hill needs to continue his development before he will push his way into the starting lineup. With as well as the corners have played this year, the earliest Hill will be a starter for this team will be at the beginning of next season. It would be wise to keep him on your practice squad until there is word he has won a starting job in next years training camp.
Well boys and girls, I must bid farewell. Good luck with the rest of your season and remember this peace of advice from Ric Flair pertaining on the sacrifices one must take to be a top fantasy owner; "You're gonna bleed, you're gonna sweat and you're gonna pay the price!! Whooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!"
EFSports Fantasy Football
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