Week 16 Fantasy Mailbag Q&A: Finders, Keepers, Losers, Weepers

In Week 16, there is little more I can do to help you...this season. A select few of you are still alive for the big bucks. The vast majority of you are preparing for the offseason, hence the title.

Q: I picked up the following players this season: Sidney Rice, Alex Smith and Josh Cribbs. I have a spot to keep one of them. Which one should I keep? - Terry

A: Most people will wait and see if Brett Favre returns for a second tour of duty with the Vikings before pulling the trigger on keeping Rice. He has busted out in a major way, but it is hard to know how much of it was him and how much of it was Favre. Alex Smith is an intriguing possibility as a keeper, since he seems to be playing his way back into the 49ers’ future plans. However, keepers should be about retaining guys that will be exponentially harder or more expensive to get next season. Josh Cribbs is a player I am paying a lot of attention to. He was not drafted in my league this year. Not only will that never happen again, he will fetch a premium because of his highlight reel games. His ability to single-handedly take over games--both fantasy games as well as the real-life versions--makes him a commodity and the fact that you plucked him off the waiver wire should mean his keeper price is at a minimum.

Q: This season has been a real downer. I drafted the following players: Leon Washington, Kevin Smith, Chris Henry (may he Rest In Peace), and Jake Delhomme. I can still keep Leon Washington or Kevin Smith. Got any advice? - Todd

A: Wow...that is a rough season. I have good news for you though: Leon Washington is going to have an insane 2010. First of all, Rex Ryan believes in this guy. He envisions Mark Sanchez and Leon Washington being the focal points of his offense. Thomas Jones will be another year older and even though Shonn Greene is most definitely going to get carries, Leon Washington will most likely be the top dog next season--assuming he comes back to the Jets at all (he is a free agent, along with Thomas Jones.) Kevin Smith’s injury is going to possibly keep him out of the preseason and might even cause him to miss the beginning of next season. Both backs are going to have good 2010 campaigns in my opinion, but Leon Washington has the most upside in my opinion.

Q: Ken, I had Larry Fitzgerald against Detroit, Reggie Bush against Dallas, Brett Favre against the Panthers, and Knowshon Moreno against the Raiders. All of them had ridiculously mediocre days and I lost. Why should I ever play fantasy again? - Dennis

A: Dennis, thanks to the magic of playoff seeding, I went up against Andre Johnson two weeks in a row (final game of regular season and then in 1st round). Let me know when you find the answer to that question.