Week 16 pickups

I had just finished reading all the thank you notes for naming Quinton Ganther as my Super Sleeper Pick of the Week. Anyone who started him felt genius. Just like me. I smiled in an awe-shucks, bashful kind of way as the compliments rolled in. Nervous about the Redskins-Giants matchup, I looked for the next running back surprise.

Make that two.

Maybe I was over confident. Or perhaps still stunned by my team’s first-round upset win over a very stacked team. Or maybe I had some bad information. (yes, I think I’ll point fingers). But this may top all bad picks. Ever.

I’m talking about the smash-and-dash duo of Chris Jennings and Arian Foster.

There are two factors I didn’t anticipate: 1) Jerome Harrison and 2) Foster’s fumble. Ok, maybe I should have seen the fumble coming. Those are slippery balls in Houston. But Jerome Harrison? Seriously? Where did he come from? Wasn’t it supposed to be Chris Jennings’ day? I went against my “no Browns policy.” For the second time, that’s the last time that I do that.

If you started Jennings, please accept my apologies. I did too. He earned me one point. As bad as he was, Foster was worse. Two points worse, amassing an embarrassing -1 points in the playoffs. So, the net score of two of my three running backs was zero.

All I needed was a 500-yard performance from Ben Roethlisberger. The Steelers’ unconventional onside kick helped too. Thanks, Mike Tomlin.

On to the Fantasy Super Bowl!

Pickups

Here are a few notes as you finalize your lineups. I’ve included a few sleepers too, but please claim at your own risk.

Maurice Morris – The journeyman RB put up huge numbers last week (126 yards, 1 TD) in Kevin Smith’s absence. While I don’t expect a repeat performance, he should have respectable numbers, especially since Jerome Harrison can’t steal his carries. Good sleeper pick.

Michael Bush – Another good running back coming off an impressive performance vs. Denver (133 yards, 1 TD). With Justin Fargas hurt, Oakland is down to two backs.

Vince Young – VY is an interesting pick. The Titans will likely run the ball against a tough San Diego pass offense. But this could mean more rushing yards for the QB who arguably has the best running game among his peers.

Have a question for Erin? E-mail her at erskelley@yahoo.com. Also, tune in to Erin's fantasy advice on Sports Radio 610 every Friday morning, or during the Texans pre-game show every Sunday at 9:30.