Every Thursday on 1500ESPN’s Fantasy Football Pants Party, Anthony Maggio and Bo Mitchell field their Ballsy teams—a full fantasy lineup comprised only of players available in at least half of ESPN leagues. Each week Zoneblitz.com will publish a preview, with Maggio’s top-rated at each position among the Ballsy-eligible players.

 

Carson Palmer vs. SD

The Chargers were the ninth friendliest defense to fantasy quarterbacks a year ago, though to their credit they got better as the season went on. The opposite could be said for Palmer, though he faced a litany of tough defenses the second half of the year. With Michael Floyd ready to challenge Fitzy as the No. 1, John Brown coming on as a legit third option, and Ellington a great pass-catcher out of the backfield, I like Palmer’s chances at multiple scores in this one.

 

Ahmad Bradshaw at DEN

I’ve been driving the Bradshaw bandwagon, which is actually a repurposed ambulance, all preseason. Trent Richardson still starts this game for Indy, but I’m betting on Bradshaw to look better and do more with less than T-Rich. I do have Bradshaw ranked 40th at RB so I’m not super high on him, but there’s not a lot of RB waiver wire fodder at the moment.

 

Doug Baldwin vs. GB

Baldwin was a catch and 10 yards shy of his career highs set as a rookie in 2011 last year, while grabbing a career high five touchdowns. The loss of Golden Tate doesn’t exactly portend to a bigger workload this season with presumably a healthy Percy Harvin, but that hasn’t taken the shine of Baldwin as a fantasy sleeper this season.

And considering four of his five scores came in Seattle, where he faces a Packers defense that allowed the fourth most fantasy points to wide receivers last year on Thursday, Baldwin has a great opportunity to cash in on his sleeper status right out of the chute.

 

Ladarius Green at ARI

First, a bit of context. In the fantasy points allowed world, the difference between worst and second worst against quarterbacks, running backs, wide receivers and kickers, respectively, was no more than one full point. It was a 0.65 average between worst and second worst for all of them. Tight ends, however, bucked the trend considerably. The Cardinals were worst in the league last year, and the second-worst Minnesota Vikings allowed a whopping FOUR fewer points per game to tight ends. So yeah, Arizona was pretty bad. It’s why Antonio Gates is comfortably inside my top 10 this week at the position, and why Green is my Ballsy pick. While the passing of the torch is going to be an extended process and leave Green as a fringe play most weeks, I’m happy to roll with him in an offense that lacks receiving weapons when the opponent lacks a clue on how to stop his position.

 

Greg Zuerlein vs. MIN

Greg the Leg was 20th among fantasy kickers last season, but that put him less than a point per week behind the 12th-ranked Jay Feely. In other words, he was usable in a pinch. And since a little over 60% of his points came at home and he faces a Vikings team that allowed the eighth most fantasy points to kickers in 2013, he should be a solid starter this week.

 

Steelers DEF vs. CLE

The Steelers defense isn’t what it used to be, but at home against a Cleveland team under yet a new regime for the first time without its top offensive weapon for the season and a quarterback still working his way back from a shredded knee…well, you get the picture. I’ll take me some of that if I’m playing the waiver wire for my defense each week.

 

 

For even more Ballsy picks of the week, listen to 1500ESPN’s Fantasy Football Pants Party.