Week 9 presents an interesting dilemma for reader Andrew of Skokie:
Hey Fantasy Phil, I have been offered a trade. I am giving Torry Holt and Thomas Jones for Brian Westbrook and Donald Driver.
Here are my RBs and WRs: LaMont Jordan, Warrick Dunn, Jamal Lewis, Laurence Maroney, Thomas Jones and Wali Lundy; Torry Holt, Darrell Jackson, Reggie Wayne and Matt Jones.
Thanks for the help!
Andrew, it doesn’t get much tougher than this. Do you go for high risk/high rewards or do you believe that slow and steady wins the race?
I believe you go for the gusto, otherwise why play? But Jones is a little too expensive.
At first glance, it looks like Westbrook is worth the trade. The Eagles’ all-purpose runner averages 5.2 yards per carry to Jones’ 3.8, and coach Andy “The Walrus” Reid admitted this week that he hasn’t been calling enough running plays lately.
But Jones has carried the ball 140 times to Westbrook’s 97 attempts, and Jones’ 18 catches are just 20 fewer than those of Westbrook. Also, Westbrook couldn’t stay healthy for an entire season if you covered him in bubble wrap–his knee and ankle have been bothering him, according to recent reports.
So what’s the bottom line? Make a counter offer. Pair Jordan, Lewis or Lundy (whose value is high) with Holt, then bask in the glory of your new lineup: Westbrook, Jones, Jackson and Wayne.
Now I have a question for you: Why on Earth are you holding on to Matt Jones?
SMACK CORNER
The fact that comedian C.J. Sullivan is my next trash-talking foe must mean that my Fantasy Phil Phillies (4-3-1 in the RedEye Celebrity Fantasy Football League) have become laughable. Or is the joke on the 3-4-1 Slide Whistlers?
C.J.: Hope you’re prepared for another tie. I like to keep about 45 points on the bench every week. And how many times can you avoid the Whistlers?
Phil: You kind of want to avoid a heckling contest with a comedian.
C.J.: The listeners of “Visitors Locker Room” on fearlessradio.com will surely have to hear about the duck-and-cover tactics of the Phollies.
Phil: Your Rex Grossman is going to be thwarted against Miami by the ghost of Dan Marino. I know he’s not dead, he just plays a corpse on his pregame show.
C.J.: Oh, he’s dead, just wait ’til his teleprompter goes out. Have you decided on which Archie robot you’re gonna start? I can’t see Peyton doing well in NE.
Phil: Ha! It’s hard to sit Peyton, especially since he got that last lick in during the ESPN commercial, but Eli against Houston is hard to resist.
C.J.: This is the week Deuce McCallister realizes he hasn’t torn his ACL yet.
Phil: Funny man (and by that I mean funny looking), you can say what you want about Deuce. A trade is in the works. Dah, dah, dah, dah, duh-dah … Soxman!
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plthompson@TRIBUNE.COM
