Rankings or Gut Feeling?

[rotoquest]

As someone who is playing fantasy football for the first time, I find myself scurrying through many websites for their rankings each week. I have usually been trying to play the best rankings every week, but there is always a player on the bench that I have a gut feeling about that seems to play well. For instance, I am sitting fitzgerald & bowe this week because of bye's, and after waver pickups these are my options for wide receiver 1 & 2:

1. Darrius Heyward-Bey
2. James Jones
3. Michael Crabtree
4. Greg Little

I have them ranked according to what the weekly rankings suggest, and maybe my gut feeling is just gas, but I feel that greg little is going to breakout this week. So my question is do fantasy owners go with rankings pretty much all the time, or do they like to go with their gut feelings?

[doomedn00b]

well, DHB for sure I'd say. He's going against Cleveland and Campbell seems to have taken a liking to him. James Jones is merely a "meh." When Green Bay gets far enough ahead of St. Louis, if possible, they'll start to run the ball to kill the clock. Assuming Detroit stays in tip-top form and pulls ahead of SF, Crabtree could be targeted in a catch-up effort. I'd have to say DHB and Crabtree personally. my $.02

[Dolfan19]

i just use rankings as guidelines. everyone has different rankings, and it is definitely not an exact science trying to predict who will score on any given week. so, i'm looking at the rankings, and then going with my gut. if you think Little will breakout, then go for it. you would probably be more upset if he put up great numbers on your bench then if he put up a 4 as your starter.

[RedHopeful]

i just use rankings as guidelines. everyone has different rankings, and it is definitely not an exact science trying to predict who will score on any given week. so, i'm looking at the rankings, and then going with my gut. if you think Little will breakout, then go for it. you would probably be more upset if he put up great numbers on your bench then if he put up a 4 as your starter.

Likewise. FWIW, I'm also starting Little in several leagues over 'higher ranked' players.

[latraffic]

i just use rankings as guidelines. everyone has different rankings, and it is definitely not an exact science trying to predict who will score on any given week. so, i'm looking at the rankings, and then going with my gut. if you think Little will breakout, then go for it. you would probably be more upset if he put up great numbers on your bench then if he put up a 4 as your starter.

Totally my approach as well.

[Purple1]

i just use rankings as guidelines. everyone has different rankings, and it is definitely not an exact science trying to predict who will score on any given week. so, i'm looking at the rankings, and then going with my gut. if you think Little will breakout, then go for it. you would probably be more upset if he put up great numbers on your bench then if he put up a 4 as your starter.

Totally my approach as well.

This sums it up perfectly. I always tend to feel better about things like this regardless of the outcome when I make the decsion as opposed to listening to an "expert's" advice or going off someone elses rankings. FF is always more fun when your rooting for they guys YOU like and want to see do well.

I'm actually gonna play Little this week in both my leagues due to injurys/byes and lack of a better option right now. I'm hoping he turns out to be a decent bye week filler the next 2 weeks. His match ups look good @ Oakland coming off the bye week and Seattle at home after that so fingers crossed.

[rotoquest]

Thanks for responding and I'm glad to read that people do go with their gut feelings because I will be starting Little this week. Only New England has given up more passing yards this year than Oakland. However on the the flipside, Cleveland shut down CB Joe Haden will probably not play this week, and look for oakland receivers to flourish because CB Sheldon Brown is horrible, and the middle of the defense is extremely susceptible to the pass. So I will also start Darrius Heyward-Bey.