Fantasy Football News 2010/2011

[HacheMan]

Bad Britt
Really Kenny Britt? Really? You have a history of poor work habits. You've had some minor run-ins with the law. You've been in and out of Jeff Fisher's doghouse for the better part of your two-year career. So just when things are starting to go well, when you've caught a touchdown pass in four straight games, when you're making it hard for the coaching staff to keep you off the field, you go and get into a fight at a nightclub?

It's not just the simple fact that Britt shouldn't be up late partying on a Thursday night when he has practice the next day. It's not that he could end up arrested if allegations that he jumped into a fight prove true. The problem is that Britt's coaches and teammates can't trust him, and this incident merely highlights that fact.

With Justin Gage (hamstring) now back, Britt is fading into the background. He can't be used in fantasy in Week 7 even if he is surprisingly active. And that's a shame because Britt is an elite-level NFL talent as we have seen. Update: Britt will be active Sunday but will not start. Fisher said he will continue to investigate the incident.

Don't let your squad fade away in Week 7. Check out the Rotoworld News Page all morning for the latest information on all the game-time decisions. Also, be sure to use the rankings from Gregg Rosenthal in combination with Evan Silva's matchup column and you'll be good to go.

If you're looking to start over, you can get a new team via SnapDraft right now. Here's my team for this week.

And here is the latest injury news as we dive into Week 7:

<BIG>1 P.M. GAMES</BIG>
BROWNS at SAINTS
* Pierre Thomas (ankle) remains out. Consider Chris Ivory a RB2.
* Colt McCoy will start as Jake Delhomme (ankle) and Seneca Wallace (ankle) remain banged up.
* Mohamed Massaquoi (concussion) is out. Brian Robiskie and Josh Cribbs are the starting wideouts.
* Peyton Hillis (thigh) is over the hump with his quad issue. He's a full go.

REDSKINS at BEARS
* Chris Cooley (concussion) was slapped with a questionable tag, but passed all his tests and will almost certainly start.

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49ERS at PANTHERS
* Vernon Davis (knee) practiced at 100 percent this week despite a Monday MRI. With all the byes and injuries this week, Davis is the top tight end option.
* Steve Smith (ankle) is remarkably a full go just three weeks after a high ankle sprain. Do not hesitate to put him in your lineups with Matt Moore back under center.

RAMS at BUCS
* Mardy Gilyard (hamstring) is not expected to play. It upgrades hot waiver add Danario Alexander.
* Earnest Graham (hamstring) is a game-time decision. If he sits, LeGarrette Blount and Cadillac Williams will get a couple more short-yardage chances.

EAGLES at TITANS
* Kerry Collins is set to start in place of Vince Young (knee, ankle). It downgrades the entire Titans offense.
* Justin Gage (hamstring) is back but is not a fantasy option. Damien Williams is coming on quickly.
* DeSean Jackson (concussion) is out for this week and quite possibly Week 9 as well (the Eagles have a bye in Week 8). Jeremy Maclin and Jason Avant will start.
* Riley Cooper (concussion) is back. He flashed major playmaking ability at training camp and is a deep sleeper to keep an eye on while Jackson is out.
* Kevin Kolb will start. Michael Vick (ribs) is available for backup duties.
* The Kenny Britt situation is detailed above. He should be on fantasy benches.

BENGALS at FALCONS
N/A

STEELERS at DOLPHINS
N/A

BILLS at RAVENS
* Todd Heap (head/neck) is still recovering from those Brandon Meriweather hits last week, but expects to play. However, even against Buffalo's brutal pass defense, Heap is just a mediocre TE2.

JAGUARS at CHIEFS
* David Garrard (concussion) is out.
* Trent Edwards (thumb) is a true game-time decision and we are expecting Todd Bouman to get the start. The Chiefs are an excellent spot start as a team defense while Mike Thomas and Mike Sims-Walker are only for the extremely desperate.
* Chris Chambers (finger) is a full go but was a healthy scratch last week.

<BIG>4 P.M. GAMES</BIG>
CARDINALS at SEAHAWKS
* Steve Breaston (knee) is a game-time decision. Even if he plays, we prefer a "wait and see" approach considering Max Hall is under center.
* Early Doucet (sports hernia) is also a game-time decision and not a fantasy option.

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PATRIOTS at CHARGERS
* Antonio Gates (toe) is tentatively expected to start, but has to be considered a true game-time decision. Owners should have a late-game tight end like John Carlson or Donald Lee at the ready in case Gates is inactive.
* Nate Kaeding (groin) is out. Kris Brown will kick and is a decent K1 option.
* Malcom Floyd (hamstring) will not play. Legedu Naanee (hamstring) also remains out, meaning Patrick Crayton and Craig Davis are the likely starters. Consider both desperation plays, with Crayton as the safer option.
* Fred Taylor (toe) remains out. BenJarvus Green-Ellis and Danny Woodhead will split backfield duties.
* Julian Edelman (concussion) is a game-time decision, but will not have a major offensive role either way.

RAIDERS at BRONCOS
* Darren McFadden (hamstring) is going to give it a go, but his role is unclear. Look for Michael Bush to still get plenty of work, leaving McFadden as a low-end RB2 option.
* Jason Campbell (knee) is fully expected to start. Bruce Gradkowski (shoulder) still is not ready, leaving Kyle Boller as the backup.
* Eddie Royal (groin) is a game-time decision. If he sits, Demaryius Thomas becomes a viable flex play, with Jabar Gaffney kicking into the slot.

<BIG>SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL</BIG>
VIKINGS at PACKERS
* Percy Harvin (hamstring) is a full go for all his various responsibilities.
* Donald Driver (quad) is going to play but he likely will not be at full strength. He is a weak fantasy option.

<BIG>MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL</BIG>
GIANTS at COWBOYS
* Hakeem Nicks popped up on the injury report late in the week with fatigue. But he guarantees he is going to play despite a questionable tag. We believe him. Start Nicks as a WR1.
* Dez Bryant (ankle) is going to play but he is still running behind Roy Williams.

SURVIVOR PICK OF THE WEEK
Not sure why anyone would want my survivor pick. We've swung and missed on three straight weeks in this space, an embarrassing feat that really should not even be physically possible. But I've been informed that people want my pick so they know what not to take, which makes perfect sense. So here it is. If I was still in survivor, I would be taking the Chiefs at home against the Jaguars. Chiefs off a loss, Jaguars on a short week without their starting quarterback.

So this means you should stay far, far away from those Chiefs.

MY TOUGHEST DECISION OF THE WEEK
Thanks to all the fantasy-friendly offenses on bye weeks, I really didn't have many tough decisions at all this week. It's a chance for my bench players to stretch their respective legs, which I view as a good thing. If my guys are riding the pine for too long, we could have some chemistry issues in the locker room.

So, my toughest decision came down to Lance Moore vs. Louis Murphy for the final spot in a 12-team league that features two flex spots. The league gives out half of a point per reception.

If Bruce Gradkowski were starting, this would be a no-brainer in favor of Murphy. But with Jason Campbell set to start at less than 100 percent against elite corner Champ Bailey, I chose to roll the dice with Moore. It's a gamble because Moore played just 22 snaps last week and has three catches in his last two games. But someone is going to make big plays for the Saints against the Browns and Moore has a knack for finding the end zone (six touchdowns in his last 10 regular season games).

 

[HacheMan]

PT Cruiser Stalled

This was largely an unhappy Sunday for fantasy owners invested in Pierre Thomas. It began early in the day, when a FOX Sports report suggested that Sean Payton might be ready to hand over feature back duties to Chris Ivory even after Thomas returns from his ankle injury.

Then, late on Sunday night, the outlook became even less sunny when Thomas told the New Orleans Times-Picayune that "I'm still hurt," and said that "I don't know when [the ankle's] going to heal."

The one positive development on the Thomas front is that Ivory (15 carries, 48 yards) didn't do anything to outright seize the feature back role this week. However, the early word certainly doesn't look good for Thomas returning to action in Week 8.

Here's the rest of the key news from the Week 7 infirmary:

DeAngelo Williams, foot: Williams was in clear pain when he left late against the 49ers, but as of late Sunday night it was unclear if the injury was anything of consequence. Jonathan Stewart (14 carries, 29 yards) would be the obvious beneficiary if Williams is out, but the Carolina rushing attack is not currently close to what it was last year.

DeSean Jackson, concussion: According to FOXSports.com's Adam Caplan, Andy Reid said in his post-game press conference that Jackson is due back after the Eagles' Week 8 bye. He'll still have some tests to pass before that return becomes concrete, but it's sounding like Jackson has made encouraging progress from the brutal hit he took from Dunta Robinson last week.

Alex Smith, shoulder: According to CSN Bay Area's Matt Maiocco, Smith has a "significant" sprain of the AC joint in his left (non-throwing) shoulder. He's headed for an MRI on Monday, and it's very possible that a highly ineffective David Carr (5-for-13, 67 yards, INT) will get the start in Week 8.

Louis Murphy, clavicle: Murphy left in the third quarter with an aggravation of his previous clavicle injury, and though it was unclear as of Sunday night whether he would be available for Week 8, it's very evident that this is becoming an area of concern. Perhaps an even bigger area of concern: Murphy (two catches for 29 yards on Sunday) has averaged just under 25 yards per game the last four weeks.

Max Hall, concussion: Hall was removed in the third quarter after taking a shot to the head, leaving his Week 7 stat line at an atrocious 4-for-16 for 36 yards. Ken Whisenhunt has committed to Hall as his starter if healthy, but as bad as he looked on Sunday, he won't be a viable option in two-QB leagues even once medically cleared to play.

Vince Young, knee/ankle: Young progressed enough to be Kerry Collins' backup on Sunday, and with Jeff Fisher telling The Tennessean that VY "ended up being much better than we thought," it sounds like Young could be ready to return in Week 8 – assuming that Collins' strong play on Sunday didn't earn him another start.

Reggie Bush, leg: According to Profootballtalk.com, Bush's status for remains a question mark heading into Week 8. Regardless of whether or not he plays, Bush wouldn't be a viable fantasy option against the Steelers.

Todd Heap, shoulder: Heap was dealing with a right shoulder stinger following his two-TD effort in Week 7, but this doesn't sound like a significant cause for concern. He may be limited in practice this week, but the early guess says he should be fine for Week 8.

Matt Ryan, back: Ryan's back got knocked in an uncomfortable direction on a second-half hit, but he was able to return to the game after briefly departing. He should be all systems go following Atlanta's Week 8 bye.

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Russell Okung, ankle: Seahawks coach Pete Carroll told the Seattle Times that Okung's ankle injury is "the same type of injury" that sidelined him from Weeks 1-3. It's bad news for the Seattle offense across the board.

Eben Britton, shoulder: Speaking of bad news on the offensive line front, Tania Ganguli of the Florida Times Union reports that Jags RT Britton is done for the season with a torn labrum. It's not a happy development for Maurice Jones-Drew's run blocking or Jacksonville's pass protection, neither of which could be filed under "exemplary" in the first place.

 

[HacheMan]

Desperation Delivers

Week 7 brought Seinfeld's "The Opposite" episode to the NFL. Up was down, black was white, good was bad, day was night, dogs and cats were living to together -- "mass hysteria." If every instinct a fantasy owner had was wrong, then the opposite had to be right.

Darren McFadden admits his hamstring is still tight and gives himself a 70 percent chance of playing as a game-time decision. The rules of opposite day mandate plugging him into the lineup. The response? McFadden rips off 196 yard and four TDs (43 fantasy points) in less than three full quarters of action while averaging over 10 yards per carry in a Raiders' 59-14 blowout at Denver. As a team, the Raiders had 52 rushes for 328 yards, 5 TDs, and 6.3 yards per rush. Playing five out of seven games, McFadden is now averaging 150 yards per week while topping the fantasy world in running back points per game. He's a legit RB1 going forward.

Last we heard from Kenny Britt, he was restaging the bar fight scene from Roadhouse at a Nashville night club early Friday morning. The immature knucklehead was benched for rookie Damian Williams, and there was no telling when he would enter the game. The Titans' backup quarterback was drawing the start with a torn tendon in the middle finger on his throwing hand. All sensible instincts suggested planting Britt firmly on the fantasy pine this week -- or perhaps even dumping him to the waiver wire. The response? Britt enters half-way through the second quarter and proceeds to torch NFL rookie of the month for September, Nate Allen, for seven receptions, 225 yards, and three TDs (40 fantasy points).

The Ravens entered the week third in total defense, first in pass defense, and first in fantasy points allowed to opposing quarterbacks. With popgun passer Ryan Fitzpatrick leading the 30th ranked (and winless) offense into Baltimore, the fantasy instincts screamed, "avoid all members of the the Buffalo passing game." The repsonse? Fitzpatrick turned into the Mad Bomber, dropping 374 yards and four touchdowns (36 fantasy points) on Ray Lewis & Co.

Coming along for the ride were Steve Johnson and the king of the random breakout game, Lee Evans. Johnson scored in his fourth straight game while throwing up career highs in catches (8), yards (158), and fantasy points (21). Evans, who managed just 10 catches for 94 yards over the first month of the season, exploded for six receptions, 105 yards, and three TDs (28 fantasy points). Fitzpatrick became the first Bills QB since Jim Kelly in 1990 to throw for three TDs in back-to-back games. If nothing else, the shocking shootout served as a reminder that the innovative Chan Gailey can still coach up an offense.

Last in the league in passing offense and total offense, the Panthers were forced to turn back to a quarterback who lasted two starts into September. Even in a bleak aerial attack, there was hope for a surprisingly healthy Steve Smith. The stud receiver had averaged 88 yards and a TD in his last five games with Moore. The response? Smith's biggest impact came on punt returns while sixth-round rookie David Gettis came out of nowhere for eight receptions, 125 yards, and 2 TDs (24 fantasy points), posting Carolina's first 100-yard performance of the season. Gettis' career-highs entering the game were three receptions, 37 yards, and zero TDs.

I had McFadden, Britt, Evans, and Johnson on the bench in one league or another. It was the kind of week where the worst of my six teams scored high points while the best didn't stand a chance. Texts and tweets rolled in throughout the afternoon from jaded fantasy owners, noting that the only teams benefiting from Sunday's fantasy bonanza were the ones desperate enough to plug in ill-advised starters. For one week, anyway, desperation delivered.

[SIZE=+1]Game Balls[/SIZE]

Roddy White predicted earlier in the week that he would run up the score to punish disrespect from Chad Ochocinco. Arguably the NFL's best receiver, White backed up the trash talk with 11 receptions for 201 yards and 2 TDs. Matt Ryan (24-of-33, 299 yards, 3 TDs, 118.1 passer rating) is now 16-1 in his career at the Georgia Dome.

In the same shootout in Atlanta, Ochocinco (10-108, 1 TD) and Terrell Owens (9-88, 1 TD) had their best combined performance of the year. Owens became the fifth player in NFL history with 150 career TDs.

Steven Jackson (24 touches, 145 yards) bypassed Eric Dickerson as the all-time rushing leader in Rams franchise history. Despite playing through a groin injury, S-Jax is fourth in the NFL with 617 rushing yards this season.

Hines Ward (7-131, TD) and Mike Wallace (2-53, 1 TD) are loving the return of Ben Roethlisberger. Ward's 184th consecutive game passed Art Monk for the fourth-longest streak all-time. Wallace notched his fifth catch of 40+ yards, tying Brandon Lloyd for the league lead.

Josh Freeman has seven victories in 15 career starts. Five of those wins have been courtesy of fourth quarter comebacks. As PFT's Gregg Rosenthal suggested Sunday, Freeman is a hybrid between Joe Flacco and Ben Roethlisberger.

Credit John Fox for making the QB change . . . again. Matt Moore passed for a career-high 308 yards with 2 TDs, 68.3 completion rate, 7.5 YPA, and a 96.4 passer rating in the Panthers' first win of the season. This offense is relevant for the first time in a month.

Redskins CB DeAngelo Hall, the most generous corner in the league through the first six weeks, picked off Jay Cutler a record-tying four times while adding a 92-yard return for a TD on a one-handed pick. No QB "goes in the tank" quite like Cutler, who joins Jake Delhomme and Brett Favre as the only active quarterbacks with three different four-interception performances.

Less than a week after he named his second son Bowen, Drew Brees threw two pick-sixes to Browns LB David Bowens. Sentence I didn't expect to type this year: The Saints offense is letting down the defense.

Ravens FS Ed Reed, playing in his first game since coming off the PUP list, picked off two Ryan Fitzgerald passes and forced a fumble in the 37-34 overtime victory.

Browns punter Reggie Hodges broke off a 68-yard run on a second-quarter fake punt. It's the longest run by a punter since the 1970 merger.

Olindo Mare connected on five field goald (20, 31, 51, 24, and 26 yards) in Seattle's 22-10 win over the Cardinals.

<!--RW-->

[SIZE=+1]Committee Time[/SIZE]

1. Chiefs - After entering the week averaging an NFL-best 165 yards per game, Chiefs backs combined for 236 yards and three TDs. Thomas Jones led the way with 20 carries for 125 yards and a TD while Jamaal Charles chipped in 71 yards and a vulture score of his own on 15 carries. Jones has 102 touches on the season compared to 93 for Charles, who remains the better fantasy bet.

2. Panthers - Could Jonathan Stewart (14 carries, 29 yards) finally get a shot at fantasy relevance? DeAngelo Williams (23 touches, 63 yards) went down with a foot injury in the game's final minute. According to a team official, Williams' injury is "not believed to be serious." If he does end up missing game action, Stewart is a must-start RB1.

3. Chargers - Mike Tolbert touched the ball twice for five yards, but he remains the goal-line back of choice -- much to the dismay of Ryan Mathews (10-22) owners. Coach Norv Turner has abandoned the run at the drop of a hat, a trend that will have to change if the Bolts are going to crawl out of their 2-5 hole in the AFC West.

4. Raiders - In a week where nothing went off as planned, my broken-record stance on Darren McFadden finally came through. The box score shows that McFadden and Michael Bush (16-65, 1 TD) split touches almost down the middle. The majority of Bush's work came in garbage time, though, with McFadden resting his crazy legs. This is McFadden's backfield going forward.

5. Saints - Fox Sports reported just before game time that coach Sean Payton was so frustrated with Pierre Thomas' latest injury that he was planning to turn the backfield over to Chris Ivory. I'm not buying it for a second, primarily because Thomas is a much better player with a game well-suited to Payton's pass-first offense. Ivory's dominant Week 6 performance was more about a bull-dozing offensive line meeting a pushover run defense. Ivory isn't without talent in an intriguing speed/power combination, but he runs too high, is fumble prone, and can't be used on passing downs. In four games without Thomas, he has a grand total of one game over 70 yards.

6. Dolphins - Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams continue to rotate series, though Ricky has been more effective on a per-touch basis of late. He managed a more than respectable 4.4 yards per carry against the Steelers' shut-down defense while Brown was held to 1.6 yards per on nine carries.

7. Cardinals - Shocking stat of the week: Tim Hightower (7-63) is second only to Jamaal Charles in yards per carry at 5.7. Beanie Wells (14-54) handled feature-back and goal-line work for the second straight game while Officer Hightower threatens to land in coach Ken Whisenhunt's doghouse with an ongoing fumbling problem.

8. Bills - The backfield was left out of the Week 7 fantasy bonanza. Fred Jackson touched the ball 24 times but managed just 77 yards and no scores. C.J. Spiller was underutilized, carrying the ball seven times for 33 yards while being shut out of the 374-yard passing attack.

9. Patriots - BenJarvus Green-Ellis (11-24) found the end zone for the fourth straight game, but his yards per carry average continues to plummet. Danny Woodhead (11-52) is still dominating the snap count, but he's only a viable option in PPR leagues at this point.

10. Buccaneers - Finally some clarity. LeGarrette Blount (11-72) took over as the featured back after halftime, and his numbers would have looked even better had he not lost runs of 46 and 13 yards to penalties. Cadillac Williams carried the ball just four times after being pushed into a third-down role. Coach Raheem Morris was effusive in praise of Blount after the game, calling him "a symbol of our football team."

Falling Out: Packers (Brandon Jackson), Seahawks (Marshawn Lynch), Cowboys (MNF)

Already Graduated: Bears (Matt Forte), Eagles (LeSean McCoy), Giants (Ahmad Bradshaw), Browns (Peyton Hillis), Redskins (Ryan Torain), Jets (LaDainian Tomlinson)

[SIZE=+1]Injury Ward[/SIZE]

DeAngelo Williams, Panthers - Foot
Alex Smith, 49ers - Shoulder
Louis Murphy, Raiders - Clavicle
Max Hall, Cardinals - Concussion
Donald Driver, Packers - Quadricep
Lance Briggs, Bears - Ankle
Aaron Smith, Steelers - Triceps
LaMarr Woodley, Steelers - Hamstring
James Butler, Rams - Knee
Russell Okung, Seahawks - Ankle
Eben Britton, Jaguars - Shoulder

It was a light week for injuries. Check out Matt Stroup's "PT Cruiser Stalled" for in-depth analysis of Sunday's M*A*S*H unit fallout.

<!--RW-->

[SIZE=+1]Awards Section[/SIZE]

Stat of the Week: Roddy White and Kenny Britt are just the fifth pair of receivers to top 200 yards and 2 TDs on the same day. Britt, at 22 years and 35 days old, becomes the second-youngest player in NFL history to top the 200-yard mark. Rookie Jerry Butler of the 1979 Bills was the youngest, exploding for 255 yards and 4 TDs on 10 receptions against the Jets.

Runner-Up: The Raiders' 59 points through three quarters are the second-most in NFL history, tying the Patriots from last year's snow game against the Titans. The 1950 Rams, featuring HOF QBs Norm Van Brocklin and Bob Waterfield, HOF receivers "Crazy Legs" Hirsh and Tom Fears, and the infamous "Bull Elephant Backfield," dropped 65 points on the Lions in three quarters.

Second Runner-Up: Eric Mangini's Browns won their fifth game since the start of 2009 with fewer than 90 passing yards. The rest of the NFL has 13 such wins.

Quote of the Week: From Peter Gent, forward to the new edition of North Dallas Forty, 2003: "I loved writing North Dallas Forty because it allowed me the rare pleasure of sinking myself in the ocean of memories from those years -- a hard, violent and painful life. ... Anybody who makes it as a professional football player has survived the horror of real violence, facing the monster that lives in his heart -- these men were true gods in ruins. Whether he stays a man is still a question of fate because the monster is always straining to be loosed again.

I still remember vividly that struggle to nourish desperate desires to be as alive as a man can be -- to live each day as if it were the last -- feeling life pumping through us with the hammering of our hearts. It was a great life. A lot of scary high wire work, too many injuries, lots of pain. But I felt more in one Sunday afternoon than I did later on in whole years."

Runner-Up: From Tom Brady, responding to Terrell Suggs' trash talk: "You know, we've played [the Ravens] a lot, and they've beat us one time in all the times that I've played them. They talk a lot for beating us once in nine years."

Second Runner-Up: I've been following the NFL for a long time now, and I still have no clue what constitutes a catch in this league. Here's Vikings coach Brad Childress on Visanthe Shiancoe's touchdown catch overruled for whatever lame reason replay officials came up with this time: "Fifty drunks in a bar would call that a catch."

Tweet of the Week: SI.com's Richard Deitsch had the best of the unrelenting stream of snarky tweets aimed at next week's NFL game in London: "Had the British handled the Americans back in 1776, they could have avoided hosting Broncos-Niners in London next week."

Runner-Up: From Jesse Parkes of Edmonton, Alberta: "Darrius Heyward-Bey was pulled because he was 'ill'? How many colds had to target him before he caught one? 12?"

Second Runner-Up: From Gregg Rosenthal of Rotoworld/Profootballtalk: "In 4 days, the Jaguars have gone from first place to Todd Bouman."

Fantasy MVP of Week 7: Roddy White, Falcons
Fantasy Breakout Player of Week 7: Kenny Britt, Titans
Fantasy Rookie of Week 7: David Gettis, Panthers
Fantasy Disappointment of Week 7: Ben Watson, Browns
Fantasy Fraud of Week 7: Kevin Kolb, Eagles
Fantasy Fluke of Week 7: Jordan Shipley, Bengals

**Note: Darren McFadden and Kenny Britt were ineligible for MVP honors because they were riding too many fantasy pines in Week 7. The points went to waste.

[SIZE=+1]Fine Fifteen Fantasy Offenses[/SIZE]

1. Texans - Offensive weapons finally healthy coming out of the bye.
2. Colts - Losing top spot with Collie out a month and Clark out for the year.
3. Cowboys - Must-win game against the Giants on national TV.
4. Eagles - Vick, DeSean set to return in Week 9.
5. Steelers - 3 passing TDs in first 4 games; 5 in last 2 games with Big Ben.
6. Chargers - Rivers leading league with 330 yards per game.
7. Vikings - Peterson and Harvin carrying Moss and Favre.
8. Packers - Brandon Jackson quietly re-emerging as a viable RB2 in PPR.
9. Ravens - Flacco's last 5 games: 9 TDs, 1 INT, 105.1 passer rating.
10. Falcons - Huge games out of White, Turner, Ryan.
11. Saints - Brees leads the NFL in passing TDs and INTs.
12. Giants - Bradshaw leading the league in yards after contact.
13. Jets - Can Holmes join LT2 and Keller as weekly must-starts?
14. Lions - Stafford, Calvin, and Best back to full health after the bye?
15. Broncos - Moreno coming alive just as the Orton gravy train stalls.

Dropped Out: Patriots
Feeling Frisky: Titans, Bengals, Chiefs

[SIZE=+1]Week 8 Byes[/SIZE]

Falcons, Ravens, Eagles, Giants, Bears, Browns

[SIZE=+1]Early Waiver Look[/SIZE]

1. LeGarrette Blount, Bucs
2. Lee Evans, Bills
3. Steve Johnson, Bills
4. James Jones, Packers
5. Ryan Fitzpatrick, Bills
6. David Gettis, Panthers
7. Craig Davis, Chargers
8. Blair White, Colts
9. Jacob Tamme, Colts
10. Jordan Shipley, Bengals

**Kenny Britt is owned 72 percent of CBSSports.com. Michael Vick is owned in 96 percent. It should go without saying that they would top this list if they're available in your league.

 

[HacheMan]

Purring Kitna
The Cowboys' season has been spinning down the toilet for the better part of the last month. Tony Romo's broken left clavicle provided the final flush.

Romo was driven into the turf by blitzing Giants linebacker Michael Boley in the second quarter Monday night and did not return. X-rays revealed a fracture and early reports say he could miss anywhere from 6-10 weeks. It's possible that Romo will land on injured reserve, ending his season.

The real-life Cowboys can safely panic as they are donezo. But owners of Cowboys players in fantasy should step away from the ledge. Jon Kitna is capable of holding the offensive ship steady. Yes, that Jon Kitna.

Kitna turned 38 last month, but the man that Mike Martz turned into a fantasy stud a few years back is a very solid backup. With a ton of weapons at his disposal, Kitna himself will have solid QB2 value at the very least and could even approach QB1 status in the right matchups. He didn't look particularly strong Monday night, but he was forced into action for the first time since Week 5 of 2008. With a full week to prepare, Kitna will certainly perform better against the Jaguars' swiss cheese defense in Week 8.

From a big picture perspective, Jason Witten and Dez Bryant don't really get a downgrade at all with Kitna under center. As a pure pocket passer, the short routes they run will be highlighted. Kitna's effect on Miles Austin is more concerning, but Austin is just so good. He is going to find a way to get his, even if he sinks toward WR2 status. As for Felix Jones, the running game should be featured more going forward.

Don't go selling your Cowboys at 50 cents on the dollar.

Editor's Note: For early rankings every Tuesday morning, tons of exclusive columns, subscriber-only chats, full projections updated all week and much more, get our award-winning Season Pass.

Giants vs. Cowboys quick slants
Dez Bryant is unbelievable with the ball in his hands. No one can tackle him, it's scary. ... Hakeem Nicks is a beast in the red zone. His ability to use his body down there is impressive and Eli Manning knows it. He's a matchup-proof WR1. ... Ahmad Bradshaw and Brandon Jacobs each had a fumble and maintained their 65-35 timeshare. ... You can tell Brandon Jacobs is fresh. He actually looked really fast on that touchdown run. ... Wade Phillips really is brutal. He is obviously done now.

<BIG>HEADLINERS</BIG>
NEWS OF THE DAY #1
A bombshell broke Monday afternoon when coach Brad Childress revealed that Brett Favre suffered two fractures in his left ankle during Sunday night's loss to the Packers. Favre is the game's ultimate ironman and has played through tons of injuries before, but this one sounds different.

Favre has not been ruled out for Sunday's game against New England, but ESPN's Chris Mortensen predicts Favre will sit. The Vikings beat reporters suspect the same thing. There is a chance Favre will take a numbing injection and play, but owners need to be making alternate plans. Tarvaris Jackson is just a QB2 option while all the Vikings' pass-catching options would take a hit. Matthew Stafford may be available on your waiver wire and is a solid alternative.

NEWS OF THE DAY #2
Kenny Britt is not out of the woods yet in his legal situation. The man he allegedly punched wants Britt arrested and charged, which could lead to NFL discipline. Coach Jeff Fisher also said Monday that if there is legal action, he could impose more internal punishment. Fisher added that he was very close to holding Britt out for the entire game on Sunday.

For now, Britt appears safe. And as we all painfully learned Sunday, he is a must-start in fantasy any time he is active.

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NEWS OF THE DAY #3
Tim Hightower fumbled in the second quarter of Sunday's loss to the Seahawks and did not receive a single carry after that. Hightower has now lost seven fumbles in his last 22 games and coach Ken Whisenhunt is not happy about it. Whiz said he "can't live with that going forward."

This, of course, is very good news for Beanie Wells. The Cardinals' beat writers are predicting that Wells will finally be the starter next week and should get all the early-down work. It's time for Wells, who has struggled to find space this year, to make it happen. We're betting he will.

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<BIG>MONDAY QUICK SLANTS</BIG>
DEPTH CHART QUICK SLANTS: FIRST DOWN
The Bears said that Chester Taylor will be their goal-line back going forward. Matt Forte has been horrible in the role. ... Andy Reid reiterated that Michael Vick will be his starter in Week 9. ... The Bucs changing of the guard at tailback is happening, but Cadillac Williams will still cut into LeGarrette Blount's early-down work. ... Adrian Peterson is losing third-down work once again. ... The Chargers do not trust Ryan Mathews in pass protection. That is a big problem when you play for such a pass-happy team.

DEPTH CHART QUICK SLANTS: SECOND DOWN
Browns waived James Davis. ... Danario Alexander played just 12 snaps on Sunday, possibly because of lingering issues in his surgically repaired knees. ... Knowshon Moreno received every single running back rep in Week 7. Correll Buckhalter and Laurence Maroney had no touches. ... David Gettis has emerged as the clear No. 2 receiver in Carolina. ... Kris Brown is expected to kick for the Chargers for at least one more week.

INJURY QUICK SLANTS: FIRST DOWN
Steven Jackson had minor finger surgery Monday. He should be able to guy it out this week, although he could be limited in the passing game. ... There is still no timetable on Pierre Thomas (ankle) and the Saints are getting frustrated with him. ... Andy Reid said DeSean Jackson (concussion) has a pretty good chance to be ready after the Week 8 bye. ... Reggie Bush (leg) is expected back this week. ... The Packers admitted that Donald Driver (quad) was nowhere near 100 percent. ... DeAngelo Williams (foot) reportedly does not have a serious injury.

INJURY QUICK SLANTS: SECOND DOWN
Max Hall (concussion) is questionable for Week 8. ... David Garrard (concussion) tentatively expects to play Sunday. ... The Titans are optimistic about Vince Young (knee) for Week 8. ... Malcom Floyd (hamstring) is expected to miss another week. ... Alex Smith (shoulder) is very questionable for Sunday's game in London. ... Anthony Gonzalez claims that he did not aggravate his ankle injury and is fine for Week 8. ... Demaryius Thomas appeared to suffer a thumb injury Sunday.

<BIG>WAIVERS</BIG>
DEFENSIVE SPOT STARTS
Adding a different defense each week based on matchups is a fine strategy. Each week in this space, I'll give out defensive units that are likely available in your league to consider for streaming purposes. The bloated bye week (six teams) makes this week tough, but there are two decent still options.

1. COWBOYS vs. Jaguars: Whether it is Todd Bouman or David Garrard under center, the Jags are an offense to attack on a weekly basis. It should be a chance for the Cowboys to get Jon Kitna settled with a good defensive showing.

2. CHIEFS vs. Bills: I used the Chiefs in a lot of leagues last week against the Jaguars, so I'll just keep them going against Buffalo. Don't buy into Ryan Fitzpatrick as a legit NFL quarterback -- he has turned the ball over 36 times in 27 career starts.

 

[HacheMan]

Bankable Bills? Are the Bills bankable the rest of the way after shattering all reasonable expectations in a forbidding matchup at Baltimore? I was highly skeptical until I took a deeper look at head coach Chan Gailey's creative track record with mediocore yet mobile quarterbacks.

Consider the quarterbacks at Gailey's disposal in his NFL tenure: Mike Tomzak, Kordell Stewart, Troy Aikman, Jay Fiedler, Tyler Thigpen, and Ryan Fitzpatrick. Outside of Hall of Famer Aikman, none of them have produced as NFL starters without Gailey.

The experiences with Stewart and Thigpen are perhaps most instructive when trying to get to the bottom of Fitzpatrick's recent success. Given a raw but talented Stewart in 1996, Gailey decided to "make him a slash." When asked what a slash was, Gailey responded, "You'll see." The athletic Stewart responded with a second-place fantasy finish in 1997 while the Steelers improved markedly as the league's No. 7 fantasy offense.

It can't be overstated just how brutal undrafted second-year passer Tyler Thigpen was early in 2008 before Gailey's most impressive turnaround job. Thigpen was the most inaccurate quarterback in the league when lining up under center, unable to read and react to opposing defenses. Gailey drew up the Pistol spread attack to play to Thigpen's strengths out of the shotgun, and the Chiefs' inept offense came alive over the final 10 games. Thigpen finished as the No. 11 fantasy QB despite starting just 11 games that season.

Since Fitzpatrick took over for Trent Edwards four games ago, the Bills offense has quickly gone from stagnant to potent. Fitzpatrick is averaging 24 points per game with at least 20 completions in three of his four starts. He's second only to Peyton Manning with a 102.0 passer rating. Four different wide receivers have at least four receptions since he took over, with Steve Johnson (19) and Lee Evans (17) leading the way. Opposing teams can't just concentrate on taking away Evans because Fitzpatrick is spreading the ball around taking what the defense gives him. It's now a four-game run culminating in a 34-point outburst against what was the league's top pass defense.

The Bills are seeing what one of the league's most creative offensive minds can do for a passing attack. The Sporting News named Gailey the league's second-best offensive coordinator in 2009. Comparing the offensive systems of Norv Turner and Gailey back in 1999, one writer stated, "Turner dares you to stop him. Gailey challenges you to out-think him." Gailey has a demonstrated history of tailoring his offense to his quarterback's strengths, and he's gotten the most of his passers at every single stop in his NFL career. If Gailey can turn Fiedler, Stewart, and Thigpen into viable QB1 options, it should come as little surprise that he can do the same with Fitzpatrick.

On to the players. This is the week where we graduate from four teams on bye to six (ATL, BAL, CHI, CLE, NYG, PHI), so there are fewer attractive options available. Here is how I rank the top players available at each position as we head into Week 8. Full writeups of each player are below.

***

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Quarterbacks
1. Ryan Fitzpatrick
2. Matthew Stafford
3. Jon Kitna
4. Tarvaris Jackson
5. Josh Freeman
6. David Garrard
7. Matt Hasselbeck
8. Matt Moore

**Michael Vick will start for the Eagles in Week 9, but he's only available 5-10 percent of all fantasy leagues. He would be the obvious No. 1 pickup this week.

Running Backs
1. LeGarrette Blount
2. Donald Brown
3. Mike Hart
4. Derrick Ward
5. Deji Karim
6. Darren Sproles
7. Bernard Scott
8. Chester Taylor - Week 8 bye

**Jonathan Stewart (86 percent) and Reggie Bush (80 percent) are already widely owned. Stewart would be the No. 1 running back option this week if he's available.

Wide Receivers
1. Lee Evans
2. Steve Johnson
3. Jacoby Jones
4. James Jones
5. Craig "Buster" Davis
6. Nate Burleson
7. Blair White
8. Anthony Gonzalez
9. David Gettis

**Kenny Britt (72 percent) and Patrick Crayton (57 percent) are already widely owned. Britt would be the No. 1 receiver option this week if he's available.

Tight Ends
1. Owen Daniels
2. Jacob Tamme
3. Tony Scheffler
4. Todd Heap - Week 8 bye

Defense/Special Teams
1. Patriots
2. Rams
3. Cowboys

[SIZE=+1]Quarterbacks[/SIZE]

Ryan Fitzpatrick, Bills - Meet the No. 1 quarterback in fantasy football -- on a points per game scale anyway. After throwing up 374 yards and four TDs against the league's top pass defense, Fizpatrick is averaging 26.0 fantasy points compared to 24.6 for Philip Rivers and 24.5 for Peyton Manning. I had been attributing his fantasy success to garbage-time points, but it's not unusual for a passing attack to rack up numbers while keeping up with a porous defense. Tony Romo owners should consider a committee attack with Fitzgerald leading the charge.

Recommendation: Should be owned in all leagues

Matthew Stafford, Lions - In a week with six teams on bye, Stafford returns to the lineup as a top-10 fantasy option against a Redskins defense allowing the fourth-most fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks. Stafford takes the helm of an offense ranked seventh in passing yards and 11th in points. Calvin Johnson and Jahvid Best have had a week off for rest and rehab, so Stafford has a full complement of weapons with which to work. There's QB1 potential here the rest of the way.

Recommendation: Should be owned in all leagues

Jon Kitna, Cowboys - If we were ranking on ability alone, the 38-year-old Kitna would be much lower on this list. With little left in the tank, he's certain to struggle against quality defenses. The matchup is right in Week 8, though, with the Jags' generous pass defense (second-most QB points) coming to town. With Dez Bryant emerging as an unstoppable second receiver, the Cowboys' arsenal remains elite. Kitna can be used on a matchup basis for the next 6-8 weeks.

Recommendation: Should be owned in 12-team leagues

Tarvaris Jackson, Vikings - Brett Favre is highly questionable to play this week with two fractures in his ankle. We've seen him play in similar scenarios before, but it feels just a little bit different this time around considering his caliber of play over the first seven weeks. Jackson is no great shakes as a passer, but the Patriots surrender the third-most points to opposing quarterbacks. With Percy Harvin and Randy Moss at his disposal, Jackson would merit borderline QB1 consideration if he ends up starting.

Recommendation: Worth a look as a matchup play

Josh Freeman, Buccaneers - The quintessential QB2, Freeman has been between 15 and 21 fantasy points in every game but one. That's good for a solid 18th in fantasy points per game. Freeman travels to Arizona this week to take on a defense allowing the 15th most fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks.

Recommendation: Worth a look in 12-team leagues

David Garrard, Jaguars - Garrard expects to start against the Cowboys this week, but he'll have to pass his baseline testing on Tuesday. Dallas' pass defense is far from elite, as evidenced by Eli Manning's four TDs and 300+ yard Monday night. Garrard is still just a desperation QB2 option if he takes the reins back this week.

Recommendation: Worth a look as a bye-week fill-in

Matt Hasselbeck, Seahawks - The matchup is favorable this week at an Oakland defense allowing the 12th-most fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks. Hasselbeck has an extremely low upside, though, failing to top 16 fantasy points in each of the past five weeks. With Marshawn Lynch's arrival signaling a change to a more physical ball-control philosophy, Hasselbeck is only worth rostering through the bye-week crunch.

Recommendation: Worth a look as a bye-week fill-in

Matt Moore, Panthers - There's reason for relative optimism with Moore coming off a career-high 308 yards against the Niners. Chances are that will stand as his best game of the season, however. The Panthers want to remain a run-oriented offense, and that won't change due to one quality passing performance.

Recommendation: Worth a look as a bye-week fill-in

Fliers Bruce Gradkowski, David Carr, Kerry Collins, Derek Anderson, Trent Edwards, Troy Smith

Cut Bait Kevin Kolb, Colt McCoy, Alex Smith

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[SIZE=+1]Running Backs[/SIZE]

Donald Brown, Colts - Brown remains unowned in half of all CBSSports.com leagues as the Colts come out of their bye week. Joseph Addai has indicated that his shoulder injury could be a month-long issue. His status for Week 8 is in question, and there reasons to believe if his role will be scaled back even if he does manage to suit up against the Texans. Far more talented than Mike Hart, Brown would be the favorite to act as the Colts' lead back if Addai can't play. There's no guarantee that Addai's shoulder will get back to 100 percent his season, so Brown's window could be left open in the second half.

Recommendation: Should be owned in all leagues

LeGarrette Blount, Buccaneers - After weeks of talking him up as a candidate for an expanded role, Blount finally took over feature back duties in the second half against the Rams. A battering ram in the style of Peyton Hillis and Michael Turner, Blount lacks Hillis' pass-catching skills and Turner's playmaking ability. He should be good for 14-18 carries per week and goal-line work, but he's not going to play on passing downs. That leaves him as a low-upside RB2 in the Bucs' inconsistent ground game.

Recommendation: Should be owned in 12-team leagues

Mike Hart, Colts - Donald Brown's pedigree and talent advantage suggest he would be the choice to start if Joseph Addai (shoulder) misses extended action, but Hart could work his way into a timeshare. Though he's extraordinarily slow for an NFL back, he's a more reliable blocker in the Colts' pass-heavy offense. Hart also has potential for goal-line carries at Brown's expense.

Recommendation: Worth a look in 12-team leagues

Derrick Ward, Texans - Ward isn't going to reach double-figure touches on a weekly basis, but coach Gary Kubiak keeps talking about using him more often to keep Arian Foster fresh. It's an extremely small sample size (17 rushes), but Ward leads all NFL backs in yards per carry at 8.3.

Recommendation: Worth a look in deeper leagues

Deji Karim, Jaguars - Rashad Jennings has gone from Maurice Jones-Drew's backup to gameday inactive while Karim's role continues to expand. The talented rookie has averaged 4.4 yards per carry the past three weeks compared to 3.6 for Jones-Drew. Karim is one of the most valuable "handcuffs" going.

Recommendation: Worth a look in deeper leagues

Darren Sproles, Chargers - With the Chargers' top receivers banged up, Sproles' passing-game role has increased for two straight weeks. He caught nine passes for 70 yards against the Pats after a 5-48 performance at St. Louis. Sproles remains a risky fantasy proposition, but he's worth a look as a flex option in PPR leagues this week.

Recommendation: Worth a look in PPR leagues

Bernard Scott, Bengals - The explosive backup's snaps on the upswing again with Brian Leonard (thigh) sidelined. Scott touched the ball six times last week for 57 yards, providing another glimpse of his playmaking ability. He still needs a Cedric Benson injury for true fantasy value.

Recommendation: Worth a stash in deeper leagues

Chester Taylor, Bears - It's shallow week for running backs on the wire. Taylor is entering his bye, and he only touches the ball 6-10 times per game. His fantasy upside is severely limited, but he's now worth a look in touchdown-heavy leagues after Mike Martz anointed him the goal-line back.

Recommendation: Worth a look in TD-heavy leagues

Long-Term Fliers: Tashard Choice, Willis McGahee, Toby Gerhart, Javon Ringer, Anthony Dixon, Keiland Williams, Kevin Smith

Choice, McGahee, Gerhart, Ringer, and Dixon are the best of the fantasy handcuffs. If the starter goes down, there's solid RB2 value here.

Cut Bait: Marion Barber, Ladell Betts, Laurence Maroney, Correll Buckhalter

Barber is killing the Cowboys, yet Choice remains planted on the bench. ... Betts' role will diminish with Reggie Bush due back this week. ... Maroney and Buckhalter went without a snap in Week 7. The benching was well earned.

Hold Off: Kenneth Darby - Steven Jackson has played through a broken back and a medieval contraption on his groin. You think a broken finger will keep him out this week?

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[SIZE=+1]Wide Receivers[/SIZE]

Lee Evans, Bills - Evans made Ravens CB Fabian Washington look so bad that coach John Harbaugh had to pull him from the game last week. The emergence of Steve Johnson as a viable second option and Roscoe Perrish as a slot receiver is clearing room for Evans to make plays. All four of his scores have come in the last two games, and Evans is finally flashing 2004-06 form as a playmaker. Evans has burned us before. It's easy to forget that he has a top-seven fantasy finish under his belt, and he's never finished outside of the top 35 fantasy receivers.

Recommendation: Should be owned in all leagues

Steve Johnson, Bills - I've had my eye on Johnson as a deep-league sleeper for two years now, but never in my wildest imagination did I expect the Bills' No. 2 receiver to make a fantasy splash with Ryan Fitzpatrick at quarterback. A legit red-zone weapon with nice size, separation skills, route running and hands, Johnson has already equaled Terrell Owens' TD output from last year. Fitzpatrick's favorite target leads the Bills in receptions (25), receiving yards (372) and touchdowns (five), and he's proven capable of beating NFL corners with scores in four straight games.

Recommendation: Should be owned in 12-team leagues

Jacoby Jones, Texans - Kenny Britt's Week 7 explosion was the latest example of a talented roster stash panning out for fantasy owners. A similarly talented Jones is unowned in almost 70 percent of fantasy leagues coming off a calf injury and the bye week. He should be owned in all 12-team leagues with the high-powered Texans offense set to take off in the second half of the season.

Recommendation: Should be owned in 12-team leagues

James Jones, Packers - Jones has been targeted eight times in two of the past three games, maxing out with 107 yards on four receptions against the Vikes last week. Coach Mike McCarthy admitted that Donald Driver (quad) is "nowhere close to 100 percent," so Jones should function as the No. 2 receiver again versus the Jets in Week 8. It's a tougher matchup with Darrelle Revis back healthy, but desperate owners could do worse for a bye-week plug-in.

Recommendation: Should be owned in 12-team leagues

Craig Davis, Chargers - Though Patrick Crayton was picked up in most leagues last week, Davis remains available in over 90 percent. Malcom Floyd (hamstring) isn't expected back versus the Titans, and Legedu Naanee (hamstring) never came close to playing last week. Davis picked up 10 targets against the Pats, and there's an inviting matchup against the Texans looming in Week 9 if he can keep starter snaps leading up to the Week 10 bye.

Recommendation: Worth a look in 12-team leagues

Nate Burleson, Lions - Scoring in two straight games leading up to last week's bye, Burleson had also averaged a respectable five receptions and 53 yards. He now has a healthy Matthew Stafford and a matchup against a Redskins defense that surrenders the fifth-most fantasy points to opposing wide receivers. Burleson is worth a look as WR3 fill-in this week.

Recommendation: Worth a look as a matchup play

Blair White, Colts - With Austin Collie out until around Thanksgiving and Anthony Gonzalez's health constantly in question, White has the early track on the Colts' third receiver gig for Week 8. He didn't do much with the opportunity when Gonzalez and Pierre Garcon were both out, so keep expectations reasonable. He's a WR5.

Recommendation: Worth a look in 12-team leagues

Anthony Gonzalez, Colts - Gonzalez disputes a report by ESPN's Adam Schefter that he encountered a setback in his recovery from an ankle injury. Considering Schefter's track record and Gonzalez's recent injury history, I'd be surprised if he plays this week against the Texans. A-Gonz is still worth carrying as a WR5 in case the ankle was merely tweaked over the weekend. Just don't expect him to stay injury-free for very long.

Recommendation: Worth a look in 12-team leagues

David Gettis, Panthers - The sixth-rounder is an intriguing physical talent, but Week 7 is going to stand as the high-water mark of his season. Matt Moore isn't going to throw for 300 yards every week, and Steve Smith's targets will increase at Gettis' expense. The rookie's previous season highs were six targets, three receptions, 37 yards, and zero TDs. Dynasty owners have reason to smile, but Gettis isn't going to be a weekly fantasy option.

Recommendation: Worth a look in deeper leagues

Long-Term Fliers: Legedu Naanee, Dexter McCluster, Devin Aromashodu, Deon Butler, Anthony Armstrong, Jordy Nelson, Arrelious Benn

Naanee is in a race with Malcom Floyd to see which one gets back healthy before Vincent Jackson becomes eligible. ... McCluster's role was expanded in Week 7. ... Aromashodu started last week, but he didn't see a target. ... Keep an eye on Nelson if Donald Driver's quadriceps keeps dogging him. ... Benn is only useful in Dynasty leagues for now.

Cut Bait: Golden Tate, Louis Murphy, Jason Avant, Devery Henderson, Devin Hester, Nate Washington, Chris Chambers, Brandon Gibson

The Seahawks talked about giving Tate an expanded role, and then pulled the rug out from underneath once Deion Branch was traded. ... Murphy is battling a clavicle injury again. ... Robert Meachem is eating into Henderson's production. ... Avant had his one-week window with DeSean Jackson out. ... Chambers has been a healthy scratch for two straight weeks. Drop him even in deep leagues.

Hold Off Jordan Shipley, Lance Moore, Riley Cooper, Damian Williams, Brian Hartline, Brandon LaFell, Roscoe Parrish

Shipley's Week 7 numbers were the result of a furious comeback attempt by the Bengals. That offense won't support three receivers on a weekly basis. ... Moore's role will diminish with Reggie Bush returning. ... Cooper won't see much action with DeSean Jackson returning in Week 9. ... LaFell is the third receiver in a subpar passing offense.

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[SIZE=+1]Tight Ends[/SIZE]

Owen Daniels, Texans - Even after producing his two best games of the season heading into the Week 7 bye, Daniels is still owned in just half of all CBSSports.com leagues. He has a tough matchup this week against the leagues stingiest defense to opposing tight ends (Colts), but the breakout is coming. Daniels should be owned in all leagues as a legit TE1 candidate in the second half.

Recommendation: Should be owned in all leagues

Jacob Tamme, Colts - With Austin Collie out and Anthony Gonzalez battling an ankle injury, the possibility for a four-wide attack has decreased dramatically. The Colts will need a pass-catching tight end, and Tamme is the best candidate for the role with Dallas Clark out for the year. Don't expect Clark-like production, but Tamme's track record at Kentucky and his production in exhibition suggest Peyton Manning can turn him into a relevant fantasy option. This week, Tamme draws a Texans defense allowing the second-most fantasy points to opposing tight ends.

Recommendation: Worth a look as an injury fill-in

Tony Scheffler, Lions - Brandon Pettigrew emerged as the tight end of choice for Shaun Hill, but it was Scheffler who had the better connection with Matthew Stafford in preseason action. In a week with less than appetizing waiver options at tight end, Scheffler is worth a shot to see if Stafford still favors him.

Recommendation: Worth a look in 12-team leagues

Todd Heap, Ravens - Now 10th in fantasy points (eighth if you take out Jermichael Finley and Dallas Clark), Heap has re-emerged as a favorite red-zone weapon of Joe Flacco. He's been between 30 and 50 yards most weeks, however, which makes him a low upside fantasy play. Pick him up as a TE2, but remember the Ravens are on bye this week.

Recommendation: Worth a look in 12-team leagues

Long-Term Fliers: Andrew Quarless, Jimmy Graham

Cut Bait: Dallas Clark, Ben Watson

[SIZE=+1]Defense/Special Teams[/SIZE]

Patriots - The worst case scenario is a home game against Tarvaris Jackson. Ideally, the Patriots will draw an interception-prone immobile Brett Favre trying to play through two fractures in his ankle.

Recommendation: Worth a look as a matchup play

Rams - This Rams defense is no longer a pushover, and they play much better at home. In a week without obvious matchup plays on defense, the Rams aren't a bad option against Matt Moore.

Recommendation: Worth a look in 12-team leagues

Cowboys - David Garrard coming off a concussion in a road game. The ingredients are there for a big week from the Dallas defense.

Recommendation: Worth a look as a matchup play

 

[HacheMan]

Ironman in Doubt
We all know about Brett Favre's streak. The NFL's ultimate iron man has started 291 straight games, many of which he has played hurt. But this injury feels different. This time, it feels like his coach thinks that Favre at 60 percent is not a reasonable option.

To get an idea of what Favre is dealing with, we chatted with Dr. Brian Eckenrode, a board-certified orthopedic clinical specialist and the sports team leader for GSPP Penn Therapy and Fitness at the Penn Sports Medicine Center in Philadelphia. For more on Dr. Eckenrode, head to phillyrehab.com.

Editor's Note: For early rankings every Tuesday morning, tons of exclusive columns, subscriber-only chats, full projections updated all week and much more, get our award-winning Season Pass.

<BIG>BRETT FAVRE</BIG>
Injury: Avulsion and stress fracture in left ankle
Timetable: Questionable for Week 8

What is an avulsion fracture? It's a fracture of the bone where a ligament or a muscle pulls off of the bone. It actually pulls and breaks right where the bone interfaces with the ligament or tendon.

Does a stress fracture typically come with avulsion fracture? No, stress fractures are typically overuse injuries resulting from prolonged increased activity. It's common a lot in runners. You can make the argument that because Favre had that ankle operated on this summer, he pushed himself too fast and that's why he got that stress fracture. But I think it's unrelated to the avulsion fracture.

Can you really play with these two injuries? They can brace him and support him. Will he be anything close to 100 percent? No. If someone sprains their ankle, it's hard for them to kind of cut and go right off of that. With an avulsion fracture, you're kind of in that same boat. He would have a hard time trying to cut or pivot off that leg because you're going to have pain and the ankle won't provide the stability to do that.

Will an injection help? If he has an injection for the pain, you're going to notice that he won't have the same drive off that leg. Since it's the left ankle and he's a right handed thrower, he is going to put pressure on his follow through and that might affect his throwing.

When you have something like this, can it get worse? Yes, you could make the stress fracture worse. They'll certainly protect it, but there's always a risk that a stress fracture could progress into a full fracture. Then you're completely done.

The avulsion fracture is probably not going to get worse. It's just putting up with the pain and lack of stability.

If Favre was a high school athlete, how long would he be out? If a high school athlete has an avulsion fracture, he's certainly going to be out several weeks because you want to let that heal up.

ROTOWORLD OPINION: Given Favre's history, betting against him playing is a very bad idea. However, it sounds like he is going to be really, really limited with mobility and may not be able to step into throws. It's possible he won't last through the game, making Favre a very risky fantasy play.

<BIG>STEVEN JACKSON</BIG>
Injury: Surgery on left ring finger
Timetable: Expected to play this week

Jackson and the Rams are confident he will play. What does that tell you? The thing you worry about is tendon repair. Did the tendon pull of the bone? But it sounds like this is just a straight up fracture where they put a pin or two in to keep it in place.

Will he be limited this week? They'll probably put some kind of splint on his finger so he cant bend it. So he might be a little more cautious carrying the ball with that left arm. Catching the ball with two hands could be an issue. But his legs will obviously be fine.

Is there an aggravation risk? Not really. Guys are always playing through a ton of these little hand and finger contusions and breaks that we don't hear about. Since he had surgery on it there is more risk, but they'll protect it. Usually when players have plates or pins put in, that stabilizes the fracture well. It's not going to go anywhere.

ROTOWORLD OPINION: You can't bench Jackson when he is active. It's possible he'll be removed on passing downs, but the Panthers' No. 24 rush defense will yield enough yards on the ground.

Editor's Note: Pick a new fantasy team just for today and win real cash with Snapdraft!

<BIG>TONY ROMO</BIG>
Injury: Fractured left clavicle
Timetable: Out 6-8 weeks

Say the Cowboys were in the playoff hunt. How quickly could Romo realistically return? Fractures typically take 6-8 weeks to heal. The good thing is that it's not his throwing arm. So certainly in six weeks or so if he's healed up they potentially could send him out there. But if it's not stable and he takes another shot, it's certainly going to break it again. If he ended up getting a plate put in, the timeframe would be pushed back just slightly.

If he did come back, would his throwing motion be affected? No, because it's his other side.

What's his long-term outlook? As far as him coming back next year, he will be 100 percent whether he has surgery or not. Once it heals completely, he's fine. There's no further risk of aggravation, no more than him walking across the street and a car hitting him.

ROTOWORLD OPINION: With the Cowboys at 1-5, it's really hard to see Romo playing again this season. Go ahead and drop him outside of Dynasty leagues.

The Upenn rehab specialists interviewed in this story have not examined the athletes discussed. Their statements are general guidelines regarding their experience with injured athletes, and should not be taken as medical opinions.

For more information on Brian Eckenrode, PT, DPT, OCS and GSPP Penn Therapy and Fitness, visit phillyrehab.com.

<BIG>TUESDAY HEADLINES</BIG>
NEWS OF THE DAY
The Anthony Gonzalez situation is difficult to process. With Austin Collie and Dallas Clark out, there is certainly a major opportunity here for someone to leap through. But ESPN's Adam Schefter reported earlier this week that Gonzalez aggravated his high ankle sprain and is out indefinitely. However, Gonzalez denies this report and says he would be surprised if he didn't play this week.

Noting the source is important here because the Colts are really secretive with injuries. Schefter is rarely wrong, so I am inclined to believe him. Therefore, I am adding Blair White as the better option for this week. Long term, Gonzalez is the man with more value.

INJURY QUICK SLANTS
DeSean Jackson still has to pass independent concussion tests. He is no lock to play in Week 9. ... Louis Murphy (bruised lung) is expected to miss Week 8. ... Jahvid Best (turf toe) is expected to be close to 100 percent this week. ... Joseph Addai (shoulder) is tentatively expected to miss this week. ... David Garrard (concussion) has been cleared to start this week. ... Legedu Naanee (hamstring) is expected back Sunday. ... Reggie Bush (leg) is questionable for Week 8. ... DeAngelo Williams (foot) is day-to-day. ... Steve Breaston (knee) should be ready to return Sunday. ... Max Hall (concussion) has been cleared for practice.

DEPTH CHART QUICK SLANTS
The Cowboys have no plans to expand Tashard Choice's role. ... Colts president Bill Polian said that Jacob Tamme can do all the things in the offense that Dallas Clark can do. ... Bruce Gradkowski will regain his starting job from Jason Campbell when healthy. ... LeGarrette Blount and Cadillac Williams are set to share the load in Tampa.

 

[HacheMan]

Wideouts to worry about
There's nothing worse than a superstar receiver in a slump. When a running back hits a rough patch, you know that you have to replace him right away: those six-carry, 10-yard stat lines are like a big neon sign pointing you to the waiver wire. But slumping receivers can linger for a few weeks: sure, he only had three catches for 30 yards, but he'll snap out of it next week, right? After all, he's Larry Fitzgerald, for goodness sake!

There are quite a few slumping wideouts in the NFL right now, and you may be tempted to bench them, trade them, or risk an endless series of three-catch games waiting for them to snap out of it. Here are some of the season's biggest-name disappointments, what has gone wrong for them, and what you should do about it.


Marcus Colston: 40 catches, 452 yards, 1 touchdown

The Problem: Other receivers, offensive inconsistency

The Lowdown: Even with Drew Brees on an interception jag, Colston should be able to get more red zone touches. Lance Moore's return and Sean Payton's need to get all of Louisiana involved in the offense has limited Colston's opportunities. The Saints have already targeted 12 different players for red zone passes, from Colston and Moore to Julius Jones and Jimmy Graham. Moore and Colston have each been targeted eight times in the red zone, but instead of touchdowns, Colston is catching a lot of eight-yard catches from the 14-yard line. Tight ends Jeremy Shockey and David Thomas (11 red zone targets combined) also leech opportunities from Colston.

The Solution: Don't bench Colston unless you have incredible depth. The Saints offense didn't suddenly get bad overnight, and Colston is still the best receiver on the team.


Larry Fitzgerald: 29 catches, 331 yards, 2 touchdowns.

The Problem: Quarterback woes.

The Lowdown: Fitzgerald was targeted 10 times but caught just three passes on Sunday. It has been that kind of year for Fitzgerald, who was also 3-of-15 on targets in Week 1. Great receivers often put up solid numbers with second-rate quarterbacks, but Derek Anderson and Max Hall are third or fourth rate. To make matters worse, Fitzgerald has only been targeted four times in the red zone, mostly because the Cardinals rarely get there.

The Solution: Consider benching Fitzgerald against better defenses: the Vikings in two weeks, the Chiefs (who have outstanding young cornerbacks) on November 21st. Let Fitzgerald play against the Buccaneers, who have trouble at safety. If you don't have a receiver worthy of rotating with Fitzgerald, get one: the Cardinals quarterback situation will only get better if Kurt Warner comes out of retirement, and he doesn't sound interested.


Brandon Marshall: 42 catches, 524 yards, 1 touchdown

The Problem: Other receivers, offensive philosophy.

The Lowdown: The Dolphins got the ball after a Steelers fumble at the 13-yard line and promptly handed off to Ricky Williams three straight times, then kicked a field goal. That's the problem with relying on any Dolphins receiver: Tony Sporano would prefer to pound the ball up the middle than pass in the red zone. That's not to say Marshall hasn't gotten red zone opportunities: he was targeted three times later in the game against the Steelers and eight times on the season. But those passes have resulted in just one touchdown and a lot of near misses. Meanwhile, Devone Bess has become a bigger part of the passing offense; Marshall still gets 12 targets per game, but he isn't force-fed quite like he was in Denver.

The Solution: Stick with Marshall. The low touchdown total is a fluke that will soon correct itself.


Chad Ochocinco: 36 catches, 424 yards, 2 touchdowns

The Problems: Other receivers, offensive consistency.

The Lowdown: Esteban was great in the season opener (12-159-1) and very good on Sunday (10-108-1) but delivered a month of three-to-four catch performances in between. Both the opener and Sunday's game were blowouts in which the Bengals had second-half rallies, and Ochocinco's production was limited to rally-time in both cases: ten of his catches against the Patriots came with the Bengals trailing by two touchdowns, and he went 7-83-1 in the second half against the Falcons, when the game got sloppy. Terrell Owens is getting most of the meaningful targets and starting to yip, meaning the time bomb we've all been waiting for may soon go boom.

The Solution: The Bengals face the Dolphins (good secondary) and Steelers (great defense) in the next two weeks. Sit Ochocinco for a while if you have other options. This is a great week to trade him if you think there are buyers: he's coming off a good performance, and in a few weeks there could be a smoldering crater where the Bengals offense used to be.


Mike Sims-Walker: 21 catches, 239 yards, 3 touchdowns.

The Problems: Quarterback woes, offensive consistency.

The Lowdown: If you drafted Sims-Walker thinking you were getting the lone receiving threat in a bad passing game, you soon discovered that the Jaguars had other receiving options, yet somehow their passing game was worse than expected. The Jaguars have shuffled through four quarterbacks this year with predictable results. Sims-Walker has had just one good game (Week 2 vs. San Diego, 10-105-1) while the Jaguars have gotten Mike Thomas more involved as a receiver and tried to give Marcedes Lewis an Antonio Gates-type roll.

The Solution: You should have benched Sims-Walker by now, and you may consider releasing him or using him as a trade fill-in. He's only averaging five targets per game over the last four games; you can get better production, from receivers with more reliable quarterbacks, on the waiver wire.


Steve Smith: 17 catches, 224 yards, 2 touchdowns.

The Problems: Quarterback woes, injuries, offensive philosophy

The Lowdown: Smith returned from an ankle injury to catch four passes for the Panthers on Sunday, but David Gettis (8-125-2) and Brandon LaFell (6-91) outperformed Smith. Smith also committed an unnecessary roughness penalty and fumbled against the Niners. With the game on the line, Matt Moore was looking to the two rookies, who helped him lead a comeback win, instead of Smith.

The Solution: The emergence of Gettis and LaFell is actually good news for Smith: he'll be more effective if he isn't the only receiving threat on the field. Moore has returned to borderline competence, so Smith has a better quarterback than Fitzgerald or Sims-Walker has right now. The Panthers face the Rams (bad secondary), Saints (garbage yardage or shootout possibility) and Buccaneers (bad secondary) over the next three weeks. Smith deserves another look as a starter.


Wes Welker: 37 catches, 295 yards, 3 touchdowns.

The Problems: Other receivers, offensive philosophy.

The Lowdown: The Welker-Randy Moss heyday is officially over, and we miss it. Welker is averaging just 8.5 targets per game and eight yards per catch. Those are practically "third down running back" numbers, not the kind of production you expect from a guy you probably penciled in as your second receiver. With Moss gone, there's less space in the middle for Welker to turn five-yard hitches into 15-yard runs, and players like Aaron Hernandez and Danny Woodhead are eating into Welker's "work the middle" opportunities. The Patriots also aren't passing as often as they used to.

The Solution: Welker is still a good option in PPR leagues: he's going to have some games where he catches eight passes for 70 yards. In traditional leagues, he's a sinking ship. Think of him as a spot starter or flex guy when the Patriots face the Browns (two weeks) or Lions (Thanksgiving), but bench him against good teams.

 

[HacheMan]

Looking Ahead

One of the most common queries hitting my email in-box and Twitter feed lately is which players should be targeted for the fantasy playoffs. Until now, I had been pulling my best Wade Phillips act. How can Phillips speculate on Tony Romo's chances of playing in late December when his mind can't grasp anything beyond the Jaguars this week? How can I guess at fantasy playoff matchups when my concentration is narrowed to Week 8 rankings, waiver pickups, and news updates?

To that end, I took some time out of my Wednesday night schedule to find the best running back trade targets for Weeks 14-16. In order of most fantasy points surrendered to opposing backs, here are the defenses you want to see on your runner's schedule: Lions, Broncos, Bills, Raiders, Colts, Cardinals, Buccaneers, Jaguars, Panthers, Texans. On to the list:

1. Darren McFadden, Raiders - McFadden is at Jacksonville (8th), home to a Broncos (2nd) defense he just gashed for 196 yards and 4 TDs, and home to the Colts (5th). Though he's currently leading all fantasy backs in points per game, McFadden still has plenty of doubters. I can't guarantee that he'll avoid tweaks and twinges, but both the game tape and the statistics scream elite back this season.

2. Maurice Jones-Drew, Jaguars - The 3.8 yards per carry has Rotoworld concerned about a loss of explosiveness this season, but Jones-Drew is a nice buy for those with the playoffs in mind. He hosts the Raiders (4th), travels to Indy (5th), and then back home against the Redskins (15th).

3. Ronnie Brown - With the forbidding Jets (32nd) on the docket for Week 14, Brown is an ideal trade target for owners with a cable fill-in on hand such as Beanie Wells, Marshawn Lynch, Pierre Thomas, Ryan Torain, or even Brandon Jackson (@ DET in Week 14). If that fill-in can get you to Week 15, Brown gets back-to-back home matchups against the Bills (3rd) and Lions (1st) in a dream scenario. He's due for a second-half breakout, too.

4. Knowshon Moreno - The newly minted every-down back is at Arizona (6th), at Oakland (4th), and home to the Texans (10th). His backups, including Correll Buckhalter, have been downright lousy this season, so Moreno is going to be a good bet for 20-25 touches and an increased role in the passing game by the time December rolls around. All he has to do is stay healthy.

Teams you want to see on the schedule of your quarterbacks and receivers: Jaguars, Texans, Redskins, Patriots, Falcons, and Seahawks. A handful of receivers to target for Weeks 14-16 are Anquan Boldin, Steve Smith (CAR), Mike Williams (TB), Kenny Britt, and Dez Bryant.

Titans Tidbits</B>

Jeff Fisher stopped short of guaranteeing that Vince Young (knee, ankle) would start in Week 8 after the starter surprisingly returned to a full practice in Wednesday's light workout. "He's getting better," Fisher said. "We'll take him each day, and if he's able to move around in the pocket and be effective under center, then he'll have a chance to play." Young has a tough matchup this week against a Chargers defense ranked first in the NFL against the pass.

Kenny Britt was allowed to practice Wednesday, but Fisher still isn't ruling out further discipline for the wide receiver's involvement in last Friday's bar fight. Fisher hopes to have the matter resolved "by this week." Britt hasn't been charged and Fisher already sat him for a quarter last week, so this "further discipline" shouldn't involve missing game action on Sunday.

Singletary Signals for Smith

After finding out that Alex Smith's shoulder separation will keep him out 2-3 weeks, coach Mike Singletary bypassed veteran David Carr and named Troy Smith his starter for Week 8. It's the right move, too. Carr struggled to move the offense at Carolina, and the league has seen enough of his act at this point. Smith has yet to take any first-team reps in practice, but he does have experience with coordinator Mike Johnson from their time together in Baltimore. The former Heisman Trophy winner has the kind of leadership ability that could win the locker room over in very little time. I'd still expect to see a run-oriented approach at London, featuring Frank Gore against a Broncos defense that was decimated by Darren McFadden last week.

The Favre Files

Favre (ankle) is officially considered day-to-day after being held out of Wednesday's practice. He has indicated, however, that he will make every effort to play in Week 9 at New England. "I'm willing to give it a try," said Favre. "I want to play, and I want to help this team win. I'm more committed today than I was before the injury. I've done it in the past, and I can do it again." He simply doesn't miss games. The smart money is on Favre starting as a game-time decision. Whether he lasts the entire game is another story altogether. The Vikes better have Tarvaris Jackson warming up in the bullpen early and often.

In other Favre news, Jenn Starger's "friend," Allison Torres, recently gave a magazine interview revealing that Sterger and Favre regularly exchanged lighthearted texts during the 2008 season with the Jets. According to Torres, Favre was interested in "hooking up" and Sterger "enjoyed the attention." The two women "laughed" when Favre texted the naked photo of himself. Sterger apparently has a rather large collection of celebrity nude photos, which suggests it was her idea -- not Favre's -- to send the photo. More importantly, Torres' claims also suggest that Sterger was far from sexually harassed, which would free Favre from any violation for the NFL's Personal Conduct Policy. Why the national media was so quick to assume sexual harassment when Sterger hadn't even responded to Deadspin's paid-for third-party report is an interesting question.

Editor's Note: Check out our Season Pass package, featuring IDP rankings, Top 200 rankings, Evan Silva's running back report, Ryan Boyer's Wide Receiver Report, Chris Wesseling's Dynasty advice, advance workload and target data, exclusive chats, and schedule analysis you can only get with Season Pass.

Around the League: The Cardinals have made no depth chart changes at running back, but coach Ken Whisenhunt suggested that Tim Hightower's fumling woes could "curtail" his playing time going forward. ... Knowshon Moreno is "not a two-down player," according to coach Josh McDaniels, and the 2009 first-rounder will receive the bulk of the snaps going forward. ... Redskins signed former Browns RB James Davis to the practice squad and released RB Jeremiah Johnson. ... Rookie Jacoby Ford worked as the starting flanker in Raiders practice with Louis Murphy (lung) out. ... Coach Pete Carroll indicated that Golden Tate's lack of playing time is due to poor route running. ... Coach Rex Ryan indicated that Santonio Holmes will see "a few more opportunities" coming out of the bye week. ... Defensive coordinator Sean McDermott's job is reportedly in danger after the Eagles allowed 27 fourth-quarter points in last week's loss to the Titans. ... Jaguars DE Jeremy Mincey is expected to replace 2008 first-rounder Derrick Harvey in the starting lineup. ... Coach Mike Tomlin confirmed that 2009 first-rounder Ziggy Hood will get the opportunity to replace Aaron Smith (triceps surgery) at left defensive end. ... Rams signed S Michael Lewis, formerly of the 49ers.

Injury Report: Matthew Stafford (shoulder) is taking all of the first-team reps at Lions practice this week.. ... David Garrard (concussion) is fully expected to start Sunday's game at Dallas. ... Max Hall (concussion) feels "fine" and is practicing fully this week. ... Bruce Gradkowski (shoulder) missed practice, and it looks like Jason Campbell will start again. ... Steven Jackson (finger) was held out of practice, and Jahvid Best (toe) took part only in position drills. Both are expected to start this week. ... DeAngelo Williams (foot) missed practice, and his status is in question. ... Ryan Mathews took part in his first Wednesday practice in nearly a month. ... Reggie Bush (fibula) is not expected to play Sunday night, and it's not looking good for Pierre Thomas (ankle), either. ... Clinton Portis (groin) won't return to practice for at least "a couple weeks." ... Eddie Royal (groin) and Donald Driver (quadricep) missed practice Wednesday. ... Chargers WR Legedu Naanee (hamstring) returned to practice on a limited basis Wednesday. ... Colts WR Anthony Gonzalez (ankle) is good to go for Monday night. ... Sidney Rice has progressed to running at half-speed and catching passes on the side of practice, his first "football activity" since undergoing hip surgery. ... Coach Tom Cable confirmed that Louis Murphy is out "a couple of weeks" with a contusion near his lung. ... Malcom Floyd (hamstring) may not play again until Week 11. ... Antonio Gates (toe) and Vernon Davis (ankle) were both held out of practice Wednesday. ... Packers OLB Clay Matthews (hamstring) is not on the Week 8 injury report. ... Lions placed WLB Zack Follett (neck) on injured reserve.

 

[HacheMan]

Week 8 Rankings The Bills offense has to be seen to be believed.

When you see the generic name "Steve Johnson" in the box score, it doesn't quite register that he's actually talented enough to have produced like a WR2 this year. When you see Ryan Fitzpatrick ranks second in the NFL in quarterback rating and the Bills racked up over 500 yards in Baltimore, it just looks like a fluke.

I'm here to tell you that Fitzpatrick's performance against the Ravens was the best I've seen by a quarterback all season. He was decisive, deadly accurate, and not afraid to squeeze passes into tight windows. The ball wobbles sometimes, but it gets there. He's one of the best running quarterbacks in the league and doesn't shy away from contact. He has a red beard. And he throws a pretty deep ball to an underrated group of receivers.

Johnson is the guy to own of the group, although Lee Evans isn't far behind. The reason Johnson gets the edge is that he's more versatile. He's not the fastest or biggest receiver, but he runs professional routes and has a knack for creating separation. He doesn't drop passes. He can go over the middle and break tackles. He gets YAC. His fantasy value should be here to stay because of his red zone ability.

Fitzpatrick says Johnson is the best receiver he's ever played with at creating space and making plays near the goal line. Whether that's hyperbole or not, Fitzpatrick is including Evans, Terrell Owens, Chad Ochocinco, Torry Holt, Isaac Bruce, and T.J. Houshmandzadeh in that assessment.

I'm having a hard time even comparing Johnson to anyone. I thought perhaps a young, taller Laveranues Coles. I asked folks on twitter what they thought, and the differing answers show how tough Johnson is to classify: Deion Branch, Houshmandzadeh, Bruce, Koren Robinson, Derek Mason, Jerricho Cotchery, Mario Manningham, Donald Driver and Roy Williams came up. (Housh and Cotchery may be closest.)

Whoever Johnson is like, I think he's here to stay as a reasonable weekly WR3 option. Is it possible that I'm basing too much on one game? Perhaps, but there are reasons to think the Bills will provide fantasy goodness for a while:

1. We've been here before with Chan Gailey. He created something out of nothing with Tyler Thigpen and the Chiefs. These Bills have better players.

2. The Bills offense has steadily improved for weeks; it wasn't just a one week thing.

3. The Bills defense is an epic disaster. Buffalo is going to have to try to score like crazy every week to keep up with them. There should be plenty of garbage time and comeback attempt points all year.

4. The Bills offensive line has stabilized. One of the craziest things about last week's game was watching Buffalo's line blow Baltimore off the ball on many occasions. Fred Jackson had a few long gains called back. (His value is rising too.) The group protected Fitzpatrick well.

This week is a great test to show whether the Bills offense is for real. The Chiefs defense is rock solid, especially against the pass. It's another road game for the Bills, who didn't have two weeks to prepare for this game unlike last week.

Maybe you have to watch the Bills for yourself before buying in. I believe.

[SIZE=+1]Week 8 Quarterbacks[/SIZE]

<TABLE width="100%"><TBODY><TR class=TableTopRed><TD>Rank</TD><TD>Player Name</TD><TD>Opponent</TD><TD>Notes</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>1</TD><TD>Peyton Manning</TD><TD>vs. HOU</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>2</TD><TD>Philip Rivers</TD><TD>vs. TEN</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>3</TD><TD>Aaron Rodgers</TD><TD>at NYJ</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>4</TD><TD>Matt Schaub</TD><TD>at IND</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>5</TD><TD>Drew Brees</TD><TD>vs. PIT</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>6</TD><TD>Ben Roethlisberger</TD><TD>at NO</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>7</TD><TD>Tom Brady</TD><TD>vs. MIN</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>8</TD><TD>Ryan Fitzpatrick</TD><TD>at KC</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>9</TD><TD>Kyle Orton</TD><TD>at SF</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>10</TD><TD>Matthew Stafford</TD><TD>vs. WAS</TD><TD>Probable(shoulder)</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>11</TD><TD>Donovan McNabb</TD><TD>at DET</TD><TD></TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>12</TD><TD>Carson Palmer</TD><TD>vs. MIA</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>13</TD><TD>Chad Henne</TD><TD>at CIN</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>14</TD><TD>Matt Cassel</TD><TD>vs. BUF</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>15</TD><TD>Josh Freeman</TD><TD>at ARZ</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>16</TD><TD>Brett Favre</TD><TD>at NE</TD><TD>Questionable(ankle)</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>17</TD><TD>David Garrard</TD><TD>at DAL</TD><TD>Probable(concussion)</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>18</TD><TD>Jon Kitna</TD><TD>vs. JAC</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>19</TD><TD>Mark Sanchez</TD><TD>vs. GB</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>20</TD><TD>Tarvaris Jackson</TD><TD>at NE</TD><TD>Ranked as if starting</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>21</TD><TD>Matt Moore</TD><TD>at STL</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>22</TD><TD>Vince Young</TD><TD>at SD</TD><TD>Probable(knee)</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>23</TD><TD>Sam Bradford</TD><TD>vs. CAR</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>24</TD><TD>Matt Hasselbeck</TD><TD>at OAK</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>25</TD><TD>Jason Campbell</TD><TD>vs. SEA</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>26</TD><TD>Troy Smith</TD><TD>vs. DEN</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>27</TD><TD>Max Hall</TD><TD>vs. TB</TD><TD>Probable(concussion)</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

Editor's Note: For exclusive projections of all ranked players and tons of extra stats tools and columns, check out Season Pass.

<!--RW-->
[SIZE=+1]Week 8 Running Backs[/SIZE]

<TABLE width="100%"><TBODY><TR class=TableTopRed><TD>Rank</TD><TD>Player Name</TD><TD>Opponent</TD><TD>Notes</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>1</TD><TD>Arian Foster</TD><TD>at IND</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>2</TD><TD>Adrian Peterson</TD><TD>at NE</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>3</TD><TD>Frank Gore</TD><TD>vs. DEN</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>4</TD><TD>Steven Jackson</TD><TD>vs. CAR</TD><TD>Questionable(finger)</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>5</TD><TD>Chris Johnson</TD><TD>at SD</TD><TD>Probable(thigh)</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>6</TD><TD>Rashard Mendenhall</TD><TD>at NO</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>7</TD><TD>Darren McFadden</TD><TD>vs. SEA</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>8</TD><TD>Maurice Jones-Drew</TD><TD>at DAL</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>9</TD><TD>Ryan Torain</TD><TD>at DET</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>10</TD><TD>Jamaal Charles</TD><TD>vs. BUF</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>11</TD><TD>Jahvid Best</TD><TD>vs. WAS</TD><TD>Probable(toe)</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>12</TD><TD>Beanie Wells</TD><TD>vs. TB</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>13</TD><TD>Cedric Benson</TD><TD>vs. MIA</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>14</TD><TD>LaDainian Tomlinson</TD><TD>vs. GB</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>15</TD><TD>Felix Jones</TD><TD>vs. JAC</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>16</TD><TD>Marshawn Lynch</TD><TD>at OAK</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>17</TD><TD>Thomas Jones</TD><TD>vs. BUF</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>18</TD><TD>Fred Jackson</TD><TD>at KC</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>19</TD><TD>Knowshon Moreno</TD><TD>at SF</TD><TD>Questionable(hamstring)</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>20</TD><TD>Ronnie Brown</TD><TD>at CIN</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>21</TD><TD>Jonathan Stewart</TD><TD>at STL</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>22</TD><TD>Donald Brown</TD><TD>vs. HOU</TD><TD>Ranked as if Addai is out</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>23</TD><TD>Ryan Mathews</TD><TD>vs. TEN</TD><TD>Probable(ankle)</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>24</TD><TD>DeAngelo Williams</TD><TD>at STL</TD><TD>Questionable(foot)</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>25</TD><TD>Danny Woodhead</TD><TD>vs. MIN</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>26</TD><TD>Chris Ivory</TD><TD>vs. PIT</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>27</TD><TD>Shonn Greene</TD><TD>vs. GB</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>28</TD><TD>LeGarrette Blount</TD><TD>at ARZ</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>29</TD><TD>Michael Bush</TD><TD>vs. SEA</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>30</TD><TD>Brandon Jackson</TD><TD>at NYJ</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>31</TD><TD>Ricky Williams</TD><TD>at CIN</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>32</TD><TD>BenJarvus Green-Ellis</TD><TD>vs. MIN</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>33</TD><TD>Tim Hightower</TD><TD>vs. TB</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>34</TD><TD>Cadillac Williams</TD><TD>at ARZ</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>35</TD><TD>Mike Hart</TD><TD>vs. HOU</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>36</TD><TD>Darren Sproles</TD><TD>vs. TEN</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>37</TD><TD>C.J. Spiller</TD><TD>at KC</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>38</TD><TD>Marion Barber</TD><TD>vs. JAC</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>39</TD><TD>Mike Tolbert</TD><TD>vs. TEN</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>40</TD><TD>Justin Forsett</TD><TD>at OAK</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>41</TD><TD>Derrick Ward</TD><TD>at IND</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>42</TD><TD>Deji Karim</TD><TD>at DAL</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>43</TD><TD>Bernard Scott</TD><TD>vs. MIA</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>44</TD><TD>John Kuhn</TD><TD>at NYJ</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>45</TD><TD>Javon Ringer</TD><TD>at SD</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>46</TD><TD>Toby Gerhart</TD><TD>at NE</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>47</TD><TD>Keiland Williams</TD><TD>at DET</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>48</TD><TD>Tashard Choice</TD><TD>vs. JAC</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>49</TD><TD>Ladell Betts</TD><TD>vs. PIT</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>50</TD><TD>Correll Buckhalter</TD><TD>at SF</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>51</TD><TD>Leon Washington</TD><TD>at OAK</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>52</TD><TD>Julius Jones</TD><TD>vs. PIT</TD><TD>Probable(shoulder)</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

[SIZE=+1]Week 8 Wide Receivers[/SIZE]

<TABLE width="100%"><TBODY><TR class=TableTopRed><TD>Rank</TD><TD>Player Name</TD><TD>Opponent</TD><TD>Notes</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>1</TD><TD>Andre Johnson</TD><TD>at IND</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>2</TD><TD>Reggie Wayne</TD><TD>vs. HOU</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>3</TD><TD>Calvin Johnson</TD><TD>vs. WAS</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>4</TD><TD>Brandon Marshall</TD><TD>at CIN</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>5</TD><TD>Miles Austin</TD><TD>vs. JAC</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>6</TD><TD>Marques Colston</TD><TD>vs. PIT</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>7</TD><TD>Santana Moss</TD><TD>at DET</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>8</TD><TD>Greg Jennings</TD><TD>at NYJ</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>9</TD><TD>Mike Wallace</TD><TD>at NO</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>10</TD><TD>Percy Harvin</TD><TD>at NE</TD><TD>Probable(hamstring)</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>11</TD><TD>Pierre Garcon</TD><TD>vs. HOU</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>12</TD><TD>Hines Ward</TD><TD>at NO</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>13</TD><TD>Randy Moss</TD><TD>at NE</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>14</TD><TD>Steve Smith</TD><TD>at STL</TD><TD>Probable(ankle)</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>15</TD><TD>Brandon Lloyd</TD><TD>at SF</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>16</TD><TD>Kenny Britt</TD><TD>at SD</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>17</TD><TD>Dwayne Bowe</TD><TD>vs. BUF</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>18</TD><TD>Michael Crabtree</TD><TD>vs. DEN</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>19</TD><TD>Terrell Owens</TD><TD>vs. MIA</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>20</TD><TD>Chad Ochocinco</TD><TD>vs. MIA</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>21</TD><TD>Larry Fitzgerald</TD><TD>vs. TB</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>22</TD><TD>Mike Williams</TD><TD>at OAK</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>23</TD><TD>Steve Johnson</TD><TD>at KC</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>24</TD><TD>Mike Williams</TD><TD>at ARZ</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>25</TD><TD>Lee Evans</TD><TD>at KC</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>26</TD><TD>Davone Bess</TD><TD>at CIN</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>27</TD><TD>Dez Bryant</TD><TD>vs. JAC</TD><TD>Probable(ankle)</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>28</TD><TD>Patrick Crayton</TD><TD>vs. TEN</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>29</TD><TD>Braylon Edwards</TD><TD>vs. GB</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>30</TD><TD>Wes Welker</TD><TD>vs. MIN</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>31</TD><TD>Santonio Holmes</TD><TD>vs. GB</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>32</TD><TD>Roy Williams</TD><TD>vs. JAC</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>33</TD><TD>Mike Sims-Walker</TD><TD>at DAL</TD><TD>Probable(shoulder)</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>34</TD><TD>Jacoby Jones</TD><TD>at IND</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>35</TD><TD>Robert Meachem</TD><TD>vs. PIT</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>36</TD><TD>Jabar Gaffney</TD><TD>at SF</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>37</TD><TD>Kevin Walter</TD><TD>at IND</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>38</TD><TD>James Jones</TD><TD>at NYJ</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>39</TD><TD>Donald Driver</TD><TD>at NYJ</TD><TD>Probable(quadriceps)</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>40</TD><TD>Lance Moore</TD><TD>vs. PIT</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>41</TD><TD>Danny Amendola</TD><TD>vs. CAR</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>42</TD><TD>Eddie Royal</TD><TD>at SF</TD><TD>Questionable(groin)</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>43</TD><TD>Deion Branch</TD><TD>vs. MIN</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>44</TD><TD>Nate Burleson</TD><TD>vs. WAS</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>45</TD><TD>Steve Breaston</TD><TD>vs. TB</TD><TD>Questionable(knee surgery)</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>46</TD><TD>Mike Thomas</TD><TD>at DAL</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>47</TD><TD>Anthony Gonzalez</TD><TD>vs. HOU</TD><TD>Questionable(ankle)</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>48</TD><TD>Legedu Naanee</TD><TD>vs. TEN</TD><TD>Questionable(hamstring)</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>49</TD><TD>Craig Davis</TD><TD>vs. TEN</TD><TD>Probable(ribs)</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>50</TD><TD>Jerricho Cotchery</TD><TD>vs. GB</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>51</TD><TD>Danario Alexander</TD><TD>vs. CAR</TD><TD>Probable(knee)</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>52</TD><TD>Devery Henderson</TD><TD>vs. PIT</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>53</TD><TD>Blair White</TD><TD>vs. HOU</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>54</TD><TD>Nate Washington</TD><TD>at SD</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>55</TD><TD>Anthony Armstrong</TD><TD>at DET</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>56</TD><TD>Deon Butler</TD><TD>at OAK</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>57</TD><TD>Josh Morgan</TD><TD>vs. DEN</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>58</TD><TD>Brian Hartline</TD><TD>at CIN</TD><TD>- </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
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[SIZE=+1]Week 8 Tight Ends[/SIZE]

<TABLE width="100%"><TBODY><TR class=TableTopRed><TD>Rank</TD><TD>Player Name</TD><TD>Opponent</TD><TD>Notes</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>1</TD><TD>Antonio Gates</TD><TD>vs. TEN</TD><TD>Questionable(toe)</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>2</TD><TD>Jason Witten</TD><TD>vs. JAC</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>3</TD><TD>Vernon Davis</TD><TD>vs. DEN</TD><TD>Probable(ankle)</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>4</TD><TD>Chris Cooley</TD><TD>at DET</TD><TD>Probable(foot)</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>5</TD><TD>Zach Miller</TD><TD>vs. SEA</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>6</TD><TD>Dustin Keller</TD><TD>vs. GB</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>7</TD><TD>Aaron Hernandez</TD><TD>vs. MIN</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>8</TD><TD>Kellen Winslow</TD><TD>at ARZ</TD><TD>Probable(knee)</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>9</TD><TD>Heath Miller</TD><TD>at NO</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>10</TD><TD>Visanthe Shiancoe</TD><TD>at NE</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>11</TD><TD>Tony Moeaki</TD><TD>vs. BUF</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>12</TD><TD>Marcedes Lewis</TD><TD>at DAL</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>13</TD><TD>Owen Daniels</TD><TD>at IND</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>14</TD><TD>Brandon Pettigrew</TD><TD>vs. WAS</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>15</TD><TD>John Carlson</TD><TD>at OAK</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>16</TD><TD>Tony Scheffler</TD><TD>vs. WAS</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>17</TD><TD>Jeremy Shockey</TD><TD>vs. PIT</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>18</TD><TD>Jacob Tamme</TD><TD>vs. HOU</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>19</TD><TD>Jermaine Gresham</TD><TD>vs. MIA</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>20</TD><TD>Anthony Fasano</TD><TD>at CIN</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>21</TD><TD>Brody Eldridge</TD><TD>vs. HOU</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>22</TD><TD>Andrew Quarless</TD><TD>at NYJ</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>23</TD><TD>Bo Scaife</TD><TD>at SD</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>24</TD><TD>Fred Davis</TD><TD>at DET</TD><TD>- </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

[SIZE=+1]Week 8 Team Defense[/SIZE]

<TABLE width="100%"><TBODY><TR class=TableTopRed><TD>Rank</TD><TD>Player Name</TD><TD>Opponent</TD><TD>Notes</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>1</TD><TD>Jets Def/Spec Team</TD><TD>vs. GB</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>2</TD><TD>Steelers Def/Spec Team</TD><TD>at NO</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>3</TD><TD>Seahawks Def/Spec Team</TD><TD>at OAK</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>4</TD><TD>Chargers Def/Spec Team</TD><TD>vs. TEN</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>5</TD><TD>Titans Def/Spec Team</TD><TD>at SD</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>6</TD><TD>Dolphins Def/Spec Team</TD><TD>at CIN</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>7</TD><TD>Patriots Def/Spec Team</TD><TD>vs. MIN</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>8</TD><TD>Packers Def/Spec Team</TD><TD>at NYJ</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>9</TD><TD>Chiefs Def/Spec Team</TD><TD>vs. BUF</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>10</TD><TD>Cowboys Def/Spec Team</TD><TD>vs. JAC</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>11</TD><TD>Raiders Def/Spec Team</TD><TD>vs. SEA</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>12</TD><TD>Rams Def/Spec Team</TD><TD>vs. CAR</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>13</TD><TD>Fortyniners Def/Spec Team</TD><TD>vs. DEN</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>14</TD><TD>Saints Def/Spec Team</TD><TD>vs. PIT</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>15</TD><TD>Vikings Def/Spec Team</TD><TD>at NE</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>16</TD><TD>Buccaneers Def/Spec Team</TD><TD>at ARZ</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>17</TD><TD>Lions Def/Spec Team</TD><TD>vs. WAS</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>18</TD><TD>Redskins Def/Spec Team</TD><TD>at DET</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>19</TD><TD>Bengals Def/Spec Team</TD><TD>vs. MIA</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>20</TD><TD>Panthers Def/Spec Team</TD><TD>at STL</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>21</TD><TD>Colts Def/Spec Team</TD><TD>vs. HOU</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>22</TD><TD>Broncos Def/Spec Team</TD><TD>at SF</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>23</TD><TD>Jaguars Def/Spec Team</TD><TD>at DAL</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>24</TD><TD>Cardinals Def/Spec Team</TD><TD>vs. TB</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>25</TD><TD>Bills Def/Spec Team</TD><TD>at KC</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>26</TD><TD>Texans Def/Spec Team</TD><TD>at IND</TD><TD>- </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

[SIZE=+1]Week 8 Kickers[/SIZE]

<TABLE width="100%"><TBODY><TR class=TableTopRed><TD>Rank</TD><TD>Player Name</TD><TD>Opponent</TD><TD>Notes</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>1</TD><TD>Neil Rackers</TD><TD>at IND</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>2</TD><TD>Stephen Gostkowski</TD><TD>vs. MIN</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>3</TD><TD>Jeff Reed</TD><TD>at NO</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>4</TD><TD>Rob Bironas</TD><TD>at SD</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>5</TD><TD>Adam Vinatieri</TD><TD>vs. HOU</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>6</TD><TD>Sebastian Janikowski</TD><TD>vs. SEA</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>7</TD><TD>Nick Folk</TD><TD>vs. GB</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>8</TD><TD>Jason Hanson</TD><TD>vs. WAS</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>9</TD><TD>Kris Brown</TD><TD>vs. TEN</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>10</TD><TD>Matt Prater</TD><TD>at SF</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>11</TD><TD>Garrett Hartley</TD><TD>vs. PIT</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>12</TD><TD>Josh Scobee</TD><TD>at DAL</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>13</TD><TD>Mike Nugent</TD><TD>vs. MIA</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>14</TD><TD>Mason Crosby</TD><TD>at NYJ</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>15</TD><TD>Olindo Mare</TD><TD>at OAK</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>16</TD><TD>Ryan Longwell</TD><TD>at NE</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>17</TD><TD>Dan Carpenter</TD><TD>at CIN</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>18</TD><TD>Ryan Succop</TD><TD>vs. BUF</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>19</TD><TD>Josh Brown</TD><TD>vs. CAR</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>20</TD><TD>Rian Lindell</TD><TD>at KC</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>21</TD><TD>Graham Gano</TD><TD>at DET</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>22</TD><TD>David Buehler</TD><TD>vs. JAC</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>23</TD><TD>John Kasay</TD><TD>at STL</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>24</TD><TD>Connor Barth</TD><TD>at ARZ</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>25</TD><TD>Joe Nedney</TD><TD>vs. DEN</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>26</TD><TD>Jay Feely</TD><TD>vs. TB</TD><TD>- </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

 

[HacheMan]

Matchups: Bank on Beanie
Wildly unpredictable weeks like the last can cause even the most well-prepared and logically-thinking fantasy owners to lose faith in their lineup decision making. After being benched for a quarter and a half, Kenny Britt rolled out 225 yards and caught three touchdowns from a backup quarterback with a torn finger tendon. Ryan Fitzpatrick threw for 374 yards and four TDs against the Ravens' top-ranked pass defense. Declaring last Friday that there was a 30 percent chance he wouldn't even play, Darren McFadden shook off his hamstring injury for a career-best game.

The Browns won at the Superdome, and the Ravens nearly lost a home game to the Bills.

Whether the NFL's enhanced enforcement of flagrant hits had something to do with it can't be proven. But Week 7 was the highest scoring in the last 27 years.

Rather than chase Steve Johnson and David Gettis' big fantasy games, however, owners need revert to their instincts. This game isn't all that difficult. Talent collection is the preeminent factor, and if you've crafted your team with an abundance of it, you'll have no trouble defeating opponents week in and week out.

As long as you understand the matchups, of course.

[SIZE=+1]1:00PM ET Games[/SIZE]

Carolina @ St. Louis

Steven Jackson's finger surgery won't keep him out of Week 8, which is terrific news in a matchup with a Carolina run defense coming apart at the seams. A front four short on talent having caught up to them, the Panthers' last two games have netted for opposing running backs 401 total yards and two touchdowns, with Matt Forte and Frank Gore combining for a 6.54 YPC average on 41 rushing attempts. S-Jax has scored all of his touchdowns in home games this year, and in Week 7 confirmed his groin injury is behind him with a 5.0 yards-per-carry average -- his second best of the season. Touching the ball 24 times a game, he's currently the No. 10 back in all of fantasy.

Danario Alexander pushed himself off the radar as a fantasy starter in Week 7 by playing just 12 snaps and catching one ball after producing 74 yards and a touchdown on 22 snaps in his Week 6 debut. He'll reemerge as a factor in the final nine games, but can't be played with confidence when he isn't even a regular on his own team. ... Sam Bradford is averaging 244 yards per game with five touchdowns in four contests at the Edward Jones Dome. He's at 170 yards with four TDs in three road affairs. Despite the favorable split statistic, Bradford would be a weak QB1 gamble against Carolina's No. 4 pass defense. Only the Bears and Chargers are giving up fewer yards per pass attempt. ... If you're dying to play a Rams receiver, Danny Amendola is your best bet. The slot receiver leads St. Louis with 60 targets. "No. 2" wideout Brandon Gibson is next with 28.

Matt Moore's Week 7 return from clipboard duty was a nice story, as he threw for 308 yards and two TDs against reeling San Francisco for Carolina's first win. The Rams are far stingier against the pass than the Niners, however, giving up three fewer passing scores in the same number of games and a 57.4 completion rate compared to San Francisco's 64.7. It's just a much tougher matchup. ... Steve Smith lost snaps due to leg cramps against the 49ers -- not surprising in his first game back from a three-week injury layoff. He still saw eight targets and generated 88 all-purpose yards. Gettis, who hadn't topped 37 yards in five weeks, stepped up for a career game (8/125/2). The rookie will open things up for Smith going forward. Smitty is a must-start WR2.

Just 30th in running back points so far, DeAngelo Williams is a favorite for the biggest midseason fantasy bust. He now appears likely to miss Sunday's game with a painful foot injury. While Friday's practice report needs to be checked by fantasy leaguers, Jonathan Stewart is poised to make his first start of the season. J-Stew was Carolina's feature back down the stretch of 2009, racking up at least 100 rushing yards in four of the last five games. Forward-thinking owners should know that Carolina doesn't face a defense ranked better than 16th against the run in its next five games. Despite the "spark" provided by Moore last Sunday, this team isn't going to shy away from the running game. Stewart, if given the start, comes in as a top-15 running back play with multi-game every-week starter potential if Williams' injury worsens or lingers.

Denver vs. San Francisco

Wembley Stadium was known for a sloggy field and poor weather when the NFL kicked off its first London game in 2007. (The Giants won 13-10). It's been a different story since, with Saints-Chargers in 2008 producing a whopping 69 points and the Pats dropping 35 on the Bucs last year. It doesn't necessarily mean this game will be high scoring, but owners shouldn't hesitate to play elite starters on either side. ... Kyle Orton, the No. 3 fantasy passer, squares off with the same leaky Niners pass defense referenced in the above matchup breakdown. Orton won't have trouble continuing his red-hot start. ... Eddie Royal (groin) is questionable again, and hands-off in fantasy until he resumes producing. He attempted to play through the groin injury in Week 7, but caught just two passes for 26 yards while seeing his second lowest snap total of the season.

Brandon Lloyd and Jabar Gaffney should be played with confidence. According to Pro Football Focus, the Broncos didn't try a single pass in Raiders RCB Nnamdi Asomugha's direction last week, explaining Lloyd's three-target, 45-yard game. (Lloyd was on Asomugha's side.) Orton will be far more willing to test 49ers RCB Shawntae Spencer. ... Gaffney, meanwhile, is averaging six catches per game. Though not a big-play threat, he's always a solid PPR start. ... Knowshon Moreno's hamstring setback is troubling. It's the same hammy Moreno partially tore in August, costing him all of the preseason. Moreno also managed just 3.8 YPC against Oakland in Week 7. The Raiders give up an AFC-most 5.0 YPC, so it's logical to think that a hobbled Moreno will only do worse against a 49ers team allowing 3.6 yards per carry and three rushing TDs in seven games.

The outlook is bleaker for San Francisco's passing game with Troy Smith under center. While he may be a superior option to David Carr, Smith has spent seven weeks in an offense that's not only experienced in-season coordinator change, but also asked of Smith to perform strictly scout-team duty. He's spent more time learning the other team's offense than the 49ers'. If you were wary of Michael Crabtree's 31-yard crash back to earth in Week 7, Smith's insertion is confirmation to sit him. ... Vernon Davis should still be OK. Smith is much better throwing inside the numbers (where Davis dominates) than outside, and the Broncos are vulnerable to tight ends. A TE has been the opponent's receiving yards leader against Denver in three straight weeks.

A run-dominated game plan is still likely from the 49ers. The Raiders gashed the Broncos for 328 rushing yards, a 6.3 YPC average, and five running touchdowns last week. But it's not the only time Denver has been gutted -- they'd given up six rushing scores in their two previous games. In fact, no NFL team has surrendered more touchdowns on the ground than the Broncos, who rank 30th against the run. The over-unders on Frank Gore: Touches - 26, Total Yards - 140, TDs - 2.

Jacksonville @ Dallas

Jon Kitna will probably be Dallas' starting QB for the rest of 2010. The 38-year-old's targets after replacing Tony Romo last Monday night: Jason Witten - 11; Dez Bryant - 7, Miles Austin - 5, Felix Jones - 3, Roy Williams - 3. ... Bryant was the only receiver to whom Kitna felt comfortable going deep, which doesn't surprise considering the two practiced extensively together on the second-team offense throughout training camp. Kitna completed four passes for 54 yards and two TDs to Bryant, who qualifies as a high-upside WR3 against Jacksonville's NFL-worst pass defense. ... In addition to being the intended target on the majority of Kitna's passes, Witten caught seven balls for 73 yards, including a two-point conversion. Witten's owners should feel quite comfortable.

Just based on Week 7, Williams takes the biggest hit. He didn't catch a single Kitna pass, and appears to have devolved into the fourth or fifth receiving option in an offense headed for a huge decrease in passing yardage. ... Romo's loss projects to fewer monster games from Austin, but let's see him face a Jags defense giving up the NFL's most passing touchdowns before declaring "Smiles" a lost cause. ... All three of Kitna's targets to Felix Jones were complete, totaling 27 yards. Kitna did not target Marion Barber. Jones, of course, would've carried the ball more had the Cowboys not fallen behind 38-20 two Giants drives into the third quarter. He's still easily a top-20 running back play against Jacksonville's No. 25 rush defense. ... As for Kitna's start-ability in fantasy leagues, he's got plenty. He couldn't ask for a better matchup in which to find a rhythm.

David Garrard returns after missing Week 7 with a concussion. A top-16 fantasy QB in each of the past three seasons, Garrard's been a major disappointment this year. He ranks 25th, has yet to top 178 yards in a game, holds a 6:6 TD-to-INT ratio in his last five, and his rushing stats are way down. He's barely a two-QB league option. ... The G-Men did an enviable job of attacking Cowboys slot CB Orlando Scandrick and banged-up LCB Terence Newman (ribs) last Monday. Scandrick and Newman combined to allow three Eli Manning TDs. Mike Thomas routinely goes against LCBs and slot corners, playing a role similar to the Giants' Steve Smith. Thomas went catch-less in Week 7 with Todd Bouman at QB, but he's a serviceable WR3 with Garrard back.

Mike Sims-Walker is likely to draw Cowboys top CB Mike Jenkins in primary coverage. Averaging 26.8 yards per game in his last five, MSW can safely be benched. ... Marcedes Lewis might be the NFL's slowest starting tight end, but he's combined for five touchdowns in the five games Garrard has played all four quarters this season. ... Maurice Jones-Drew continued to labor as a ball carrier in Week 7, seeing his YPC average on his last 278 carries drop to 3.74. It threatens to worsen with mauling RT Eben Britton (shoulder) lost for the year, but MJD's increased role in the passing game could keep him afloat. MoJo begged for more catches leading up to Week 7, and his 5/71/1 receiving line was his best since the end of the 2008 season. Hopefully, it keeps up.

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Miami @ Cincinnati

Last week at Atlanta, the Bengals were forced into a two-minute/no-huddle offense after falling behind 21-3 through two quarters. The "hurry-up" uses three receivers, so rookie slot man Jordan Shipley became an every-down player. Shipley delivered a season-best game (6/131/1), but he'd need the formation to become Cincinnati's base offense to keep it up. If you're starting Shipley in fantasy, you're essentially betting the Bengals will get down big early. ... Fellow rookie Jermaine Gresham saw just five targets -- producing 26 yards -- during a game in which Carson Palmer threw 50 times. No tight end has topped 33 yards against Miami since Week 3. Sit Gresham.

The Steelers picked on Fins RCB Jason Allen in Week 7, trying only five passes and completing two for 19 yards against Vontae Davis. After giving up 77 yards and a TD, Allen was benched for Sean Smith, against whom Ben Roethlisberger completed 3-of-3 throws. No. 8 overall fantasy wideout Terrell Owens spends most of his time at LWR, and should see the bulk of the Smith-Allen disaster. ... Chad Ochocinco has topped 59 yards in 2-of-6 games and is clearly the weaker fantasy bet in Cincy's receiver corps. ... The healthy return of ILB Channing Crowder has injected life to a previously middling Fins run defense. In Crowder's two starts, Miami has surrendered a scoreless 3.05 yards per carry to Packers and Steelers backs. It's bad news for a scuffling Cedric Benson, who's topped 81 rushing yards once all year and hasn't reached pay dirt since Week 3.

On the other side, the Bengals' secondary is in shambles. RCB Leon Hall (hamstring) and LCB Johnathan Joseph (who sat out Week 7 with an ankle injury) both missed Wednesday's practice. With SS Roy Williams (knee) out indefinitely and nickel back Pacman Jones (neck) now on I.R., Cincinnati is missing four of its five top defensive backs. Hall and Joseph are tentatively expected to play, but this is a backfield around which Roddy White (11/201/2) ran circles last week despite double teams on every snap. Brandon Marshall should benefit similarly. The shredded secondary is not helped by a Bengals "pass rush" that has generated the second fewest sacks in football.

If Cincinnati doubles Marshall as it did White, the middle of the field will open for Davone Bess. And Bess is on fire. He's scored in three straight weeks, and in his last four is averaging nearly seven catches for 72 yards per game. Bess has become more than just a PPR play. ... Ronnie Brown ranks 33rd among running backs in fantasy scoring. Ricky Williams is 38th. Williams, though, has outplayed Brown in recent weeks. Though Sunday's matchup is favorable against a Bungling run defense that ranks 22nd and allowed Michael Turner's year-best game last week, Rick and Ron make each other no better than fantasy flex plays. They do offer upside in Week 8.

Buffalo @ Kansas City

The Chiefs rank 25th against the pass and sixth against the run, so it's a good bet that the already pass-happy Bills' plan of attack will lean on the passing game. Weak-armed Ryan Fitzpatrick's production is likely to dip once the Buffalo weather worsens, but he's earned low-end QB1 status with an 11:4 TD-to-INT ratio in his last four starts. ... Steve Johnson's 8/158/1 breakout in Week 7 was a nice story, but the Bills' RWR will square off with Chiefs shutdown LCB Brandon Flowers in this one. Johnson's ability to create space in the red zone with crisp route running makes him a decent bet to score, but Lee Evans has a better matchup against RCB Brandon Carr. Evans wasn't too shabby himself last week (6/105/3). ... Demoted out of the starting lineup for Johnson, Roscoe Parrish is averaging 44.3 yards per game and hasn't scored a touchdown since Week 1.

With 37 touches to C.J. Spiller's 13 since the Marshawn Lynch trade, the opportunities have been there for Fred Jackson. Buffalo's run blocking has been staggeringly poor. RT Cord Howard, an undrafted rookie from Georgia Tech, was physically manhandled by Ravens LE Cory Redding in Week 7. Ground games are supposed to have their most success on strong-side runs, but according to Pro Football Focus the Bills averaged 1.3 yards per carry off right tackle. Kansas City's top-six run defense stymied yet another ground attack last Sunday, holding Maurice Jones-Drew to 47 yards on 16 carries (2.94 YPC). It's hard to imagine Jackson having more success.

The rudderless Bills scrapped first-year coordinator George Edwards' 3-4 defense in favor of the 4-3 three weeks ago, and still can't stop the run. Jacksonville and Baltimore backs have dropped 290 rushing yards and a 4.7 YPC average on Buffalo in the ensuing two games. With Thomas Jones averaging 17 touches per game and Jamaal Charles 15.5, both qualify as solid RB2s. ... Worth noting: Jones "retook" the Chiefs' starting job in Week 7, getting the nod on the game's first snap after Charles did so in Week 6. Charles is still putting up 6.66 yards per touch compared to Jones' 4.68. With such an even workload distribution, Charles remains the better fantasy play.

The Chiefs' passing game plays second fiddle to the NFL's top rushing offense, but it has evolved into a cut-and-dried if still dangerous design. The running game sets it up, and Matt Cassel takes deep shots to Dwayne Bowe when defenses drop a ninth man into the box. The strategy has essentially made Tony Moeaki (6 targets since Week 5) an afterthought while splitting production with slot man Dexter McCluster over the middle. Bowe, however, has benefited with nine catches, 189 yards, and four touchdowns on 14 targets in his past two games. Seven of his nine receptions have gone for 14 yards or more. Bowe would be hard to bench against a Bills defense that won't pressure Cassel (fourth fewest sacks in NFL) and is giving up a 14:1 TD-to-INT ratio this season.

Washington @ Detroit

Matthew Stafford's return has many implications, even though we've barely seen him play this year. The most promising development during Stafford's absence was OC Scott Linehan's pass-first design. Sure, some of the Lions' NFL-high pass attempt-per-game average has to do with playing from behind, but entering the season, even, Detroit had a pass-happy look. It's come to fruition, and Stafford won't struggle to rack up 35-plus throws a game. He's a sneaky start in his first game back against Washington's No. 31 pass defense. ... Jahvid Best's continued struggles with turf toe are an issue, but we've already been over how effective he is on the Ford Field turf. He's a must-start in PPR leagues. ... It's a wait-and-see week for the Lions' tight ends. Stafford's aggressiveness and big arm cater more to the strengths of Tony Scheffler than Brandon Pettigrew.

Jay Cutler caught a lot of flak for vowing to "go at (DeAngelo Hall) every time if we could" in his post-game presser, after Hall picked him off four times in Week 7. There's credence to Cutler's reasoning, however. As noted by Pro Football Focus, opposing QBs are completing 88 percent of their target attempts at Hall for 417 yards and three touchdowns. Mike Martz game planned correctly; Cutler just didn't execute. Hall shadowed Johnny Knox all over the field last week, and figures to do the same on Calvin Johnson. Much more of a gambler than a shutdown corner, Hall presents a favorable matchup for Megatron. ... Nate Burleson will resume decoy duty with Calvin 100 percent recovered from his shoulder injury after the bye. Burleson isn't a fantasy option.

Ryan Torain has at least 18 touches in each of his last four games, also rushing for 100-plus in back-to-back efforts. He's a must-play against a Lions run defense ranked 27th and giving up 4.9 YPC, but it'll be sell-high time immediately thereafter. He doesn't have a truly favorable matchup again until Week 14 against the Bucs, and Torain's history says he'll be on I.R. by then. Torain also fumbled twice in Week 7. Mike Shanahan is extremely fickle when it comes to ball security, so another fumble could easily earn Torain a spot on the pine. Use him, then kiss him goodbye.

The Lions have slowly crept up the pass defense rankings since installing Alphonso Smith at right corner and Amari Spievey at safety. Donovan McNabb has also been predictably disappointing in his transition to D.C., ranking 16th in quarterback fantasy scoring after finishing no lower than 12th in each of his past five healthy seasons. It's still a good week to use him, with six NFL teams on bye and in the friendly confines of Detroit's dome. ... Santana Moss is the No. 15 fantasy receiver and an obvious must-play. Throw out a fluky catch-less Week 4 and he's averaging seven grabs for 92 yards a game. ... Chris Cooley ranks seventh in tight end fantasy scoring. Playing musical chairs at linebacker and safety, the Lions don't have a defender capable of shutting him down.

Green Bay @ NY Jets

Aaron Rodgers noted this week that LT Chad Clifton is "playing the best football in the six years I've been here," and A-Rodge is right. Clifton held Jared Allen to a solitary tackle in Week 7, and has surrendered just one sack since the opener. It's promising news heading into a matchup with Rex Ryan's exotic blitz packages. ... James Jones deservedly retook the Packers' No. 3 receiver job from Jordy Nelson in Week 7, capitalizing in a big way. His eight targets ranked second only to Greg Jennings' 10, and all four of Jones' catches went for 13 yards or longer. Jones is playing just about 50 percent of the snaps, but he's picked up the slack for the zero that is Donald Driver.

Speaking of Driver, the 35-year-old is playing hurt and Rodgers knows it. He was targeted once in Week 7, went catch-less, and continues to miss practice with a quad injury. Driver has just 31 yards since dropping four passes in Week 5's back-breaking loss to Washington. ... The Jets will "rotate" Antonio Cromartie and Darrelle Revis on No. 1 wideouts from here on out, according to the players, so there's no way to tell who will cover whom on Sunday. Leading the Packers in targets, catches, yards, and touchdowns over the last two weeks, however, Greg Jennings is playing too well to bench. ... Running several draws and screens against the Vikings in Week 7, Brandon Jackson got loose for 104 total yards and a score. The Jets are a different animal. They allow the NFL's third lowest yards-per-carry average and have given up two rushing TDs all year.

A Packers defense that ranked No. 1 against the run in 2009 has fallen by the wayside. Injuries to Nick Barnett, Cullen Jenkins, Ryan Pickett, Mike Neal, and Morgan Burnett have all been major factors. Now 23rd against the run and letting up 4.7 yards per carry, Green Bay visits a Jets team with the No. 2 rushing offense in the NFL. With two weeks to game plan coming off a bye, Jets OC Brian Schottenheimer has witnessed Miami's scuffling backs and Minnesota's struggling line rack up 349 rushing yards, two rushing scores, and a 4.72 YPC average in Green Bay's last two games. No. 11 overall fantasy back LaDainian Tomlinson is a legitimate RB1 starter, and Shonn Greene (12.2 touches per game) deserves at least some flex consideration due to the matchup.

Santonio Holmes has played two games as a Jet, in them averaging 42 percent of the snaps. Meantime, Braylon Edwards has played 80 percent and Jerricho Cotchery 85. The Week 7 bye gave Schottenheimer a golden opportunity to increase Holmes' involvement, but Week 8 has the look of a "wait-and-see" matchup. Green Bay has allowed only eight passing scores in seven games, a measly 6.6 yards per pass attempt against, and gets back a healthy Clay Matthews to inflict constant pressure off the edge. Mark Sanchez also hasn't topped 198 passing yards since Week 3 and has just one touchdown pass in his last two games. Expect a run-first game plan from the Jets. ... The Packers have faced few dangerous tight ends this year, but have struggled when they have. Dustin Keller is the probable favorite to lead New York in receiving Sunday.

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[SIZE=+1]4:05PM ET Game[/SIZE]

Tennessee @ San Diego

Vince Young returns for what's expected to be more of a pocket-passing approach with V.Y. still hobbled knee and ankle injuries. As always, Tennessee will attempt to impose its will with the running game, and Young makes for a poor fantasy option against San Diego's top-ranked pass defense. In four career starts versus the Bolts, Young has an 0-4 record and 43.9 QB rating. ... Young's reinsertion does not hurt Kenny Britt's outlook, however. Less running from the banged-up quarterback should translate to more vertical shots when the Bolts drop an eighth or ninth man into the box, and V.Y. connected with Britt for a touchdown in four straight games prior to Kerry Collins replacing him in Week 7. Britt also gets a favorable one-on-one matchup. Having done most of his damage last week against Eagles RCB Ellis Hobbs, Britt now squares off with Chargers RCB Antoine Cason. Cason, if you recall, gave up Danario Alexander's 38-yard touchdown pass in Week 6. He's a much weaker corner than Chargers LCB Quentin Jammer.

The rest of Tennessee's pass-catching corps is hands off. Nate Washington has two grabs for 16 yards in his last two games and is likely to see a lot of Jammer. The Football Scientist K.C. Joyner has dubbed Jammer, along with the Chiefs' Brandon Flowers, one of the NFL's premier shutdown corners this season, ahead Darrelle Revis and Nnamdi Asomugha. ... Chris Johnson is "struggling" to the tune of a 4.1 yards-per-carry average, but still ranks second among all backs in fantasy scoring. If the Bolts stick a double team on Britt after his seven-catch, 255-yard, three-TD Week 7, you can bet that CJ2K will capitalize. Johnson ripped the lid off San Diego late last season, exploding for 179 total yards and a touchdown while averaging 7.46 yards per touch.

Top fantasy QB Philip Rivers is an obvious every-week starter, but his Malcom Floyd-less receiver corps could have trouble producing a big game from any particular member. Though the Titans rank 23rd in passing yards allowed per game, they're giving up just one passing touchdown per week, the fifth fewest yards per pass attempt in football, and lead the NFL in both sacks and interceptions. Rivers should come away with his routine 270-plus yards and two scores, but he'll struggle to find a rhythm with a certain receiver. Patrick Crayton and Craig Davis are likely to split production again; just don't be surprised if speedy rookie Seyi Ajirotutu outdoes both in the yards column. Crayton lacks anything resembling homerun-hitting ability, and Davis has a rib injury.

Battling a toe injury, Antonio Gates may have been a "decoy" until the fourth quarter of last week's loss to New England, but only the great ones shine through difficult circumstances. Gates baited the Pats into removing his double team to explode for four catches, 50 yards, and a touchdown in San Diego's final 10 snaps. The No. 1 overall fantasy tight end can never be benched. ... Due to Norv Turner's atrocious in-game playcalling, the Bolts have abandoned the run in each of the last two weeks, resulting in 25 total touches for Ryan Mathews. Starting tailbacks that average 4.7 YPC don't grow on trees, however, and Mathews' season will turn around as soon as San Diego starts playing competitively in the first quarter. It'd be hard to blame a fantasy owner for benching Mathews against Tennessee's top-ten run defense, but he's about the worst sell-low imaginable.

[SIZE=+1]4:15PM ET Games[/SIZE]

Minnesota @ New England

Brett Favre is likely to start despite dual ankle fractures, but this will be the Adrian Peterson show. Expect a game plan similar to Week 6, when Favre was battling elbow tendinitis and tried just 19 passes, completing 14 for 118 yards, a touchdown, and no picks. A.P. touched the ball 25 times in that game, and had the NFL's biggest workload last week. He's more than up to the task. The matchup isn't easy against a Pats defense ranked ninth against the run and allowing 3.8 YPC, but if the Vikes are going to win, it'll be because of Peterson. Minnesota's oft-shaky run blocking also seems to have turned a corner. The Vikings dominated the Packers in the trenches last week.

Owners deep at receiver can consider sitting Randy Moss. Bill Belichick will make sure the Mossman doesn't embarrass him in front of Foxboro fans, and a limited, short-passing game can be expected with Brad Childress attempting to put as little pressure on Favre's ankle as possible. Percy Harvin will be the Vikings' featured pass catcher. Slot receivers have led the opposition in receiving against New England for four straight weeks (i.e. Davone Bess 8/96/1, Roscoe Parrish 5/83, Patrick Crayton 7/82, Derrick Mason 8/100), and Harvin has more natural ability than any of them. Jordan Shipley (5/82/0) was also the Bengals' second-leading receiver against the Pats in Week 1, and you could include Dustin Keller (7/115/1 in Week 2) as a "slot receiver" as well.

Owners who fell for Deion Branch's 9/98/1 Patriots re-debut got burned with 4/39/0 in Week 7. Inconsistency from New England's passing game should be expected, in full, moving forward. Tom Brady will be fine, but without Randy Moss and Wes Welker reduced to a double team-commanding role, the offense has morphed into a matchup-based "take what the defense gives us" approach with few shots downfield. ... We do know that Aaron Hernandez has been the most consistent option since Moss' departure, posting lines of 4/61 against the Ravens and 5/54 against the Chargers. Unfortunately, Hernandez loses red-zone looks to touchdown vulture Rob Gronkowski. Hernandez will score eventually, but for now most of his value lies in PPR leagues.

Brandon Tate has seven targets since the Moss deal, but just one catch. Just not a natural wide receiver, Tate's hype train has come to a halt. He could reappear for an 80 or 90-yard game down the line, but you'll be hard pressed to pinpoint it. ... Over his last three games, BenJarvus Green-Ellis has 37 touches for 120 yards and three touchdowns. Danny Woodhead has 36 touches for 214 yards but just one score. Though Minnesota's run defense has been noticeably weaker this season (it gave up 104 total yards to Brandon Jackson in Week 7), Woodhead and BGE crush each other's upsides. We do know that "Law Firm" is a much better bet for rushing touchdowns. Woodhead is somewhat useful in PPR leagues as a passing-down specialist.

Tampa Bay @ Arizona

Beanie Wells' breakout game is imminent, with this week's quote from coach Ken Whisenhunt most telling: "We in the past have been able to overcome some of those things, but right now, something has to change." Whiz, of course, was speaking of "starter" Tim Hightower, who's fumbled eight times in his last 22 games, losing seven. The feature back torch already passed to Wells, who has 35 touches over the past two weeks (Hightower has 11). Now, the starting job is likely Wells' also. Hightower didn't play a snap after losing a second-quarter fumble in Week 7, providing a glimpse into the future. The Cards were in pass-only mode at that point while playing from behind, and Hightower's strength is in the passing game. At this rate, it wouldn't surprise if Hightower was a healthy scratch. With an undrafted rookie quarterback coming off a concussion under center, look for Wells to start, touch the ball 25-plus times, and produce a career game against a Tampa defense allowing a league-high 5.3 yards per carry. The Bucs' lightweight front seven will be no match for Wells' powerful stiff arm and deceptive speed to turn the corner.

Max Hall gets the nod over Derek Anderson, but the Cards won't let Hall throw much after being concussed in Week 7 and completing 4-of-16 passes for 36 yards. Since they are second and third reads on every play, Steve Breaston and Early Doucet require a high volume of passes to accrue fantasy value. They're bench material. ... Larry Fitzgerald suffered through a three-catch, 30-yard game last week while the Cards played in-game quarterback musical chairs. There are some positive signs for Fitz, though. He led Arizona with 10 targets at Seattle, Hall gives the Cards their best bet to consistently compete passes, and Bucs top CB Aqib Talib missed practice time this week with a calf injury. Fitz has been a disappointment, but a rebound game is in store.

Bucs coming soon.

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Seattle @ Oakland

Darren McFadden turned in the most dominant rushing effort of the 2010 season in Week 7, and it wasn't just his numbers (196 total yards, four TDs) that impressed. "DMC" sliced and diced the Broncos with a devastating stiff arm, ankle-breaking moves, and a second gear in the open field. The most impressive aspect of McFadden's breakout year has been his ability to break tackles -- a characteristic lacking in his first two seasons. According to Pro Football Focus, 325 of DMC's 557 rushing yards have come after contact, and in Week 7, 83 of them did. McFadden also did the vast majority of his damage on weak-side runs, where Seattle's No. 2 run defense is most vulnerable. Weak-side DT Brandon Mebane is more of a pass rusher than run stuffer, and while weak-side DE Chris Clemons has played the run well this year, it looks fluky for a 235-pounder.

Michael Bush had 16 touches off the bench at Denver, but six came after McFadden's 57-yard TD run to make the score 52-14 Raiders. Oakland's coaching staff has pledged to use a clear-cut feature back rather than a committee. Bush is strictly a handcuff to McFadden, and isn't a fantasy option in this matchup. ... Jason Campbell is expected to start at quarterback. While Campbell's played well in two of his last three games and Seattle ranks 29th against the pass, he's only a two-QB league option with top receiver Louis Murphy (bruised lung) out indefinitely. ... Darrius Heyward-Bey is averaging 5.25 yards per game in the last month. ... Campbell will have to rely heavily on Zach Miller with Murphy out, which shouldn't be a problem for Miller. He's the No. 2 fantasy tight end.

Seahawks coming soon.

[SIZE=+1]Sunday Night Football[/SIZE]

Pittsburgh @ New Orleans

Coming soon.

[SIZE=+1]Monday Night Football[/SIZE]

Houston @ Indianapolis

Dallas Clark drew constant double teams in the slot, but defenses won't give new Colts "move" tight end Jacob Tamme similar treatment. Highly productive in Kentucky's spread offense with Andre' Woodson, Tamme caught 56 passes for 619 yards and six TDs as a college senior. He's also shown plenty of preseason promise, racking up lines of 10/133/2 in 2008 and 11/107 in 2009 to lead Indy in exhibition-game catches each year. He caught four passes for 47 yards and two scores this preseason. Tamme is a totally speculative play, but you could do worse (like Tony Moeaki). ... Anthony Gonzalez vs. Blair White has been another red-hot Week 7 topic. Gonzalez is ahead of White on the depth chart and the heavy favorite to replace Austin Collie (thumb) for the next 3-5 games. But he's another dicey fantasy start. Gonzalez hasn't played a full game since Week 17 of 2008.

 

[HacheMan]

Limping Ain't Easy

Last week was a relatively quiet one from an injury standpoint, but this week the winds of injury came swirling back with a surly vengeance, focused first and foremost on incapacitating players' legs. Here's a closer look at the key injury fallout from Week 8:

Percy Harvin, ankle: Harvin had to be helped off the field when he first injured his ankle, but returned to finish out the game. That's the good news. The bad news is that the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports that Harvin was "limping severely" after the game with what appears to be a "serious" injury. Harvin is expected to be reevaluated on Monday, but we're legitimately concerned about his chances of suiting up in Week 9.

Kenny Britt, hamstring: Jeff Fisher told the Tennessean on Sunday night that he expects Britt to miss "an extended period of time" with what appears to be a serious hamstring injury. The timing of the Week 9 bye certainly helps, but Britt could easily be out longer than two weeks. Nate Washington (4-117-1) was the biggest benificary of his absence.

Ryan Torain, hamstring: Torain told the Washington Post that it's "Hard to say" whether or not his injury is serious. The timing is good considering the Redskins' Week 9 bye, but Torain has an extensive catalogue of injuries and may not heal swiftly. If he misses any time, Keiland Williams and James Davis are next in line for carries.

Vernon Davis, ankle: Davis left Sunday's game early with just one catch for 12 yards after aggravating an existing ankle injury. Heading into Monday, it was unknown whether or not Davis had sustained a high ankle sprain, but if he misses any game action, Delanie Walker (five catches, 85 yards) would make a viable replacement.

Vince Young, ankle: According to beat writer Jim Wyatt, Young left the stadium in a walking boot, leading us to wonder whether or not he suffered a high ankle sprain. More should be known about Young's status after he's reevaluated on Monday. As mentioned above, the Titans have a Week 9 bye.

Beanie Wells, back: According to beat writer Kent Somers, Wells missed the last series due to a lower back bruise, but Beanie himself was adamant that he was "available" to play. Chances are this won't be an issue heading into Week 9.

Matt Hasselbeck, concussion: Hasselbeck's concussion is reportedly of the "slight" variety, but that doesn't mean he'll necessarily be ready for Week 9. Charlie Whitehurst would be in line for the start if Hasselbeck can't go.

Brett Favre, jaw: Favre missed the fourth quarter on Sunday due to a chin laceration that required eight stitches. Beat writer Judd Zulgad reports that Favre appears to be headed for a concussion test, but the aged QB went on record saying that "I'm ready to play next week."

Ryan Mathews, face: Also from the laceration files, the rookie RB left in the third quarter with a cut on his face, but returned with a visor and should be fine going forward. Mainly I just wanted to note this one because you don't see multiple facial lacerations every Sunday. Also worth noting: Mike Tolbert played through a mild ankle sprain on Sunday, but it doesn't appear to have been anything significant.

Nnamdi Asomugha, ankle: The shutdown Raiders DB left with what may have been a serious ankle injury, which would be positive news for Dwayne Bowe and the Chiefs' passing attack in Week 9 if said passing attack were anything to be reckoned with in the first place. Asomugha also suffered a hand injury earlier in the game, but the ankle is the bigger concern. He's headed for an MRI on Monday.

Donald Driver, quad: Driver started, but re-aggravated his troublesome quad and looks iffy for Week 9. James Jones would theoretically be the beneficiary, but he was rotten on Sunday (no catches, one very bad drop). If you're desperate for WR help, Jordy Nelson (five catches, 55 yards) would be a better direction to look.

Editor's note: Check out our Season Pass package, featuring exclusive rankings, columns, Dynasty advice and much more.

Chris Cooley, back spasms: Chances are that this won't be an issue following the Redskins' Week 9 bye.

Felix Jones, forearm: Jones left to get X-rays, but returned to the game with a wrap on his forearm and should be fine going forward.

Golden Tate, ankle: Not a lot of info on this one as of late Sunday night, but any fantasy owner who's hanging in suspense about an injury to Tate is most likely beset with far more troublesome roster issues.

 

[HacheMan]

Trick or Treat
No cornerback in the league has been involved in more pass plays this year than DeAngelo Hall. In other words, despite his four-interception performance against Jay Cutler, his man coverage on Calvin Johnson was welcome news in Matthew Stafford's long-awaited Week 8 return.

Hall took an early advantage, picking off on an underthrown jump ball to Johnson in the back of the end zone to end Detroit's second series. From that point on, though, Johnson made Hall his personal whipping boy, putting the offense on his back and refusing to be stopped.

Johnson's red-zone dominance was on full display in each of his three touchdowns. His first score should have been stopped for an 8-yard gain, but Johnson dragged Hall the final five yards and lunged into the end zone. The second touchdown came courtesy of a quick slant right in front of Hall. Playing through obvious shoulder pain after taking a hard hit, Johnson's third trip to paydirt came in double coverage on a desperate fourth-and-goal play that proved to be the game winner with only three minutes remaining.

The end result was a fantasy treat for Stafford and Johnson owners on Halloween Sunday. Stafford (212 yards, 4 TDs) struggled to knock off the rust, but he at least was smart enough to know where his bread was buttered in the red zone. Johnson posted a sterling statline of nine receptions, 101 yards, and three TDs, and it could have been even better. In addition to the underthrown ball picked by Hall in the end zone, Stafford later floated the ball on a play would have gone for a 71-yard TD had he led Johnson instead of throwing it short.

Johnson broke out the Megatron costume in full force on Halloween Sunday. Who else joined in the holiday festivities?

[SIZE=+1]Treats[/SIZE]

LeGarrette Blount - Undrafted in April after a checkered history at Oregon and an ugly performance at the NFL combine, Blount was already on his third NFL team before his rookie season began. Eight weeks later and he's the new face of the Bucs' backfield, adding a physical dimension to an emerging offense. Unstoppable at the goal-line, Blount battered his way to 120 yards and a pair of TDs on 22 carries, sealing the game with a 48-yard dash late in the fourth quarter.

Jamaal Charles - The Chiefs ran the ball 45 times for 274 yards, posting 200-plus yards in three straight games for the first time since 1978 and the second time in franchise history. Already the league leader in yards per carry, Charles carved up the Bills defense for 177 yards on 22 totes (8.0 YPC) while adding 61 yards as the Chiefs' top receiver. Charles is now averaging 6.5 yards per carry, 7.2 yards per touch, and 122.4 yards per game. Hang on and enjoy the ride.

Terrell Owens - In a beyond the box score performance, T.O. muffed a 30-yard sideline pass, lost a bomb in the sun, and quit on his route leading to a red-zone interception on the potential game-trying drive. One of his two touchdowns came courtesy of Dolphins safety Chris Clemons, who juggled an easy interception right into Owens' hands for the score. Fantasy owners won't complain about the results, however. T.O. is on pace for 102 catches, 1,437 yards, and 11 TDs.

Brandon Lloyd - Unguardable? With seven receptions for 169 yards and a TD in London, Lloyd became the first player in 20 years and the sixth since the 1970 merger with 800 receiving yards in the first eight games while still averaging 20 yards per catch. The last to do it were Jerry Rice and Webster Slaughter in 1989.

Antonio Gates - He's a machine. Gates had his way with the Titans secondary, racking up 123 yards and a touchdown on seven targets while playing through a painful toe injury. Leading the NFL with nine TDs, the distance between Gates and the second-best fantasy tight end is an ever-widening chasm.

Darren McFadden - It's no coincidence that the Raiders have posted 500-plus total yards in back-to-back games for the first time in franchise history with McFadden returning to the feature back role. Proving to be matchup proof, McFadden dropped 135 yards on a Seahawks defense that entered the game second in the league in run defense. First in the NFL with 111.3 rushing yards and 147.5 total yards per game, McFadden is also fantasy's No. 1 back in points per game.

Dez Bryant - The verdict is in: Bryant has surpassed Roy Williams as the Cowboys' No. 2 receiver with Jon Kitna under center. Bryant has now been targeted 14 times by Kitna with a 11/138/2 line over the past two weeks while Williams has become an afterthought.

[SIZE=+1]Tricks[/SIZE]

Randy Moss / Brandon Marshall - Blame this one on the bracket coverage trick. Marshall (5-64) faced Bengals corner Leon Hall and safety coverage over the top. Bill Belichick greeted Moss' homecoming with a scheme that saw Brandon Meriweather playing over the top of Kyle Arrington's coverage. As Profootballfocus.com put it: "Haven't seen this much attention paid to Randy Moss in years. Some of the things the Patriots are doing to bracket him are nuts."

Kenny Britt - Not exactly the encore to a 225-yard, three-TD performance that Britt owners envisioned. Riding a five-game touchdown streak, Britt pulled up lame with a serious hamstring injury on his first target the game. By the third quarter, he was in street clothes on the sidelines. As the Titans enter their bye week, there's a chance that Britt won't see fantasy lineups for another month.

Vernon Davis - The NFL's ultimate iron man this year, Davis had played all 427 offensive snaps heading into Sunday's game at Wembley Stadium. Like Britt, he lasted just one target before leaving for good with an aggravated ankle injury. Replacement Delanie Walker went on to lead the team with 85 yards on five receptions.

Jonathan Stewart - What happened here? Stewart had averaged 150 yards and a touchdown in three starts coming into the game. Fantasy owners couldn't wait to spring their new weapon on unsuspecting opponents this week. Instead he was met in the backfield by gang tacklers early only to have the Panthers abandon the run while playing from behind late.

Ryan Torain - So much for that plan to shine Torain up with one final dream matchup against the Lions and then sell sky high leading into the bye week. The Lions' front four dominated the line of scrimmage, and Torain doesn't have the playmaking ability to create space on his own. The nail in the coffin was a hamstring injury sustained just prior to the halftime bell. Backup Keiland Williams went on to compile 51 yards and a touchdown on nine touches.

Marshawn Lynch - He may have added a physicality to the Seattle offense the past two weeks, but he's now averaging 2.8 YPC in three games with the Seahawks. In what was billed as a dream matchup against a Raiders defense surrendering the fourth-most fantasy points to opposing backs, Lynch came up limp with seven total yards.

Donald Driver / James Jones - We knew Driver was a poor fantasy play with the debilitating quadriceps injury, but Jones was expected to use the opportunity to emerge as a viable WR3. Both receivers fell flat, held catchless on eight combined targets while No. 4 receiver Jordy Nelson racked up five receptions for 55 yards on seven targets.

David Garrard / Mike Sims-Walker - The Jaguars duo should have ended up on the "treat" list, but Garrard's near-flawless performance was the ultimate trick -- going to waste on fantasy benches in Week 8. Owners can't expect a 157.8 passer rating, four passing TDs, and one rushing TD in any other game going forward. Sims-Walker's 153 yards (on eight receptions) were more than he's had in the last five games combined. Chalk this one up to a Cowboys outfit that just wasn't into the game "like an NFL team should be."

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[SIZE=+1]Committee Time[/SIZE]

1. Chiefs - Taking advantage of Dexter McCluster's absence, Jamaal Charles (22-177, 4-61) saw an increased role in the passing game while dominating on the ground. JC Superstar is one of just five players in the NFL averaging 95 rushing yards per game, so it's time to stop asking when Todd Haley and Thomas Jones (20-82) are going to cease and desist their cockblocking of Charles fantasy owners.

2. Buccaneers - LeGarrette Bount (24-129, 2 TD) took control of the Bucs backfield in Week 8, doubling his season carry total in a dominant second-half effort at Arizona. Veterans Cadillac Williams (7-36) and Earnest Graham (2-4) continue to see diminished roles while Blount gives the offense an identity as one of the league's most physical runners. Blount's production will hinge on the Bucs playing with a lead, so be warned that consistency will remain elusive.

3. Lions - I didn't expect to see the Lions on this list. Jahvid Best's (17-79) playmaking ability is still hindered by the toe injury, giving Kevin Smith (14-67) an opening for a complementary role. There's no question that Best is the better player when healthy, but he's bench material for a Week 9 matchup with the Jets.

4. Panthers - This is how Jonathan Stewart (15-38) rewards patient fantasy owners? With DeAngelo Williams (foot sprain) out, Stewart fell victim to an offensive line that failed to create holes against a Rams defense that has been downright stellar at home. Stewart may draw another start next week against the Saints with Mike Goodson (5-17) as third-down back, but there's something missing this year. After averaging 4.9 YPC in his first two seasons, "Daily Show" is mired at 2.8 YPC this season.

5. Chargers - The Bolts backfield accounted for 221 yards and three TDs against the Titans, but clarity remains elusive. After dominating the backfield touches versus the Patriots, Ryan Mathews (18-54, 1 TD) landed back in a committee effort with Mike Tolbert (15-90, 1 TD) and Darren Sproles (8-77, 1 TD) this week. Mathews can't stay off the trainers table long enough to wrest control, and Tolbert remains the clear goal-line option.

6. Cowboys - What a mess. Felix Jones (11-36) returned after leaving for X-rays on his forearm, but he failed to reach 10 carries for a second straight game. Someone needs to whisper to Cowboys coaches that Marion Barber's (9-16, 1 TD) career has flatlined. It's well past time to give Tashard Choice (4-27) a chance as Felix's backfield partner.

7. Dolphins - The trend isn't working in Ronnie Brown's favor. After averaging 5.4 YPC over the first three games, Brown (17-68) has been held to 3.2 YPC over the past four. Ricky Williams (10-49, 1 TD) managed just 3.4 YPC over the first three, but he's been more effective than Brown in each of the past four games while averaging 5.2 YPC over that span.

8. Bills - It's just about time to drop the Bills from this list. Fred Jackson (23-75) continues to dominate the workload, but touchdowns and a breakout game have been elusive. Shouldn't a weapon as explosive as C.J. Spiller (10-45) be able to carve out a more vital role on a burgeoning offense?

9. Patriots - BenJarvus Green-Ellis (18-123, 1 TD) and Danny Woodhead (11-58, 1 TD) were the fourth-quarter heroes for the Pats. "Law Firm" picked up 61 of his career-high 112 rushing yards on one key fourth-quarter drive. Woodhead posted his third straight game over 50 combined yards while finding the end zone for the third time in five games. There's talk that Fred Taylor (toe) is close to a return, but it's hard to see him regaining his lead-back role at this point.

10. Saints - You're telling me Pierre Thomas can't return as the starter here? Teacher's pet Chris Ivory managed seven yards on seven carries and spent the final quarter and a half with his helmet off on the sidelines. Julius Jones (10-36) played over Ladell Betts (4-8) on passing downs, though both veterans were largely ineffective. There's no question that Thomas and Bush will return to the top two spots when healthy.

Falling Out: Cardinals (Beanie Wells), Raiders (Darren McFadden)

Already Graduated: Bears (Matt Forte), Eagles (LeSean McCoy), Giants (Ahmad Bradshaw), Browns (Peyton Hillis), Redskins (Ryan Torain), Jets (LaDainian Tomlinson), Packers (Brandon Jackson), Seahawks (Marshawn Lynch)

[SIZE=+1]Injury Ward[/SIZE]

Kenny Britt - Hamstring
Percy Harvin - Ankle
Vernon Davis - Ankle
Ryan Torain - Hamstring
Brett Favre - Chin
Vince Young - Ankle
Matt Hasselbeck - Concussion
Felix Jones - Forearm
Beanie Wells - Back
Ryan Mathews - Face
Donald Driver - Quadricep
Chris Cooley - Back
Golden Tate - Ankle
Nnamdi Asomugha - Ankle

Check out Matt Stroup's "Limping Ain't Easy" column for in-depth analysis of Sunday's M*A*S*H unit fallout.

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[SIZE=+1]Awards Section[/SIZE]

Stat of the Week: LaDainian Tomlinson joined Walter Payton as the only two running backs in NFL history with 13,000 rushing yards and 4,000 receiving yards.

Runner up: Philip Rivers' 2,649 passing yards through eight games are the most in NFL history.

Second Runner-up: Since the first year of the common draft in 1967, Sam Bradford is the only rookie quarterback selected No. 1 overall to win four of his first five home starts.

Third Runner-up: Dan Carpenter booted five field goals for the second straight game, joining John Carney, John Kasay, and Richie Cunningham (Happy Days?) as the only kickers in NFL history to do so.

Quote of the Week: From Randy Moss' bizarre post-game news conference a/k/a his "sales pitch" to re-sign in New England next offseason: "I just want to be able to tell the guys that I miss the hell out of them. Every last helmet in that locker room, man . . . Coach(Bill) Belichick, he gave me an opportunity to be a part of something special, and that's something I really take to heart. I actually salute Coach Belichick and his team for the success they've had before me, during me and after me . . . I really tried to take what the best coach in football history has brought upon me, or the knowledge that he's given me about the game of football, and I tried to just sprinkle it off to the guys the best way I know how . . . I don't know how many more times I'm going to be up here in New England, but I'm going to leave the New England Patriots, Coach Belichick, man, with a salute, man. I love you guys, I miss you, I'm out."

Runner-Up: Highlights from Patriots coach Bill Belichick's classic Friday press conference:

Explaining his reticence to disclose injury information: "Next time you get a cold, I'll ask you exactly what date you'll be feeling better, how would you like that?"

Explaining his reluctance to believe reports that Tarvaris Jackson would start over Brett Favre: "I just don't put stock in the reports ... The same media reports that said Terrell Owens wasn't going to play in the Super Bowl? Those ones you're talking about?"

Explaining his best Halloween costume ever: "John Kennedy . . . Everybody was really impressed the President was able to break away from the Cuban Missile Crisis to attend a school Halloween party. Yeah. Those were the days . . . Can there be a better holiday than costumes and candy? Whoever came up with that was brilliant."

Tweet of the Week: From @fauxjohnmadden, late in Monday night's Cowboys debacle: "Relying on Jon Kitna to save your season is like relying on George W. Bush to save your community after a natural disaster."

Runner-Up: From Patriots beat writer Shalise Manza-Young of the Boston Globe: "How much of a narcissist is Favre? In his 12-question post-game presser, he said 'I', 'me' or 'my' 111 times . . . For comparison's sake, Brady said "I," "me" or "my" 15 times in his 7-minute presser. Oh, and a 'friggin' too. Lol."

Second Runner-Up: From 49ers beat writer Daniel Brown of the San Jose Mercury News: "NFL still requires some translation in London: Most unclear was a guy wearing a Seahawks jersey and a cheesehead ... to a Broncos-49ers game."

Fantasy MVP of Week 8: Calvin Johnson, Lions
Fantasy Breakout Player of Week 8: Mike Sims-Walker, Jaguars
Fantasy Rookie of Week 8: LeGarrette Blount, Buccaneers
Fantasy Disappointment of Week 8: Jonathan Stewart, Panthers
Fantasy Fraud of Week 8: Marshawn Lynch, Seahawks
Fantasy Fluke of Week 8: Brandon Tate, Patriots

[SIZE=+1]Fine Fifteen Fantasy Offenses[/SIZE]

1. Texans - How does Indy stop another monster game from Foster?
2. Colts - Manning lost 52 percent of his pass attempts in Clark & Collie.
3. Eagles - Vick? Check. DeSean Jackson? Not so fast.
4. Giants - Nicks Top-5 at WR, Bradshaw Top-10 at RB.
5. Chargers - Rivers passes Fouts with TD in 21st straight game.
6. Cowboys - Kitna throws up 379 yards in his 2010 starting debut.
7. Steelers - A great coordinator called an awful game Sunday night.
8. Saints - All-Pro RB Chris Ivory had seven yards Sunday night.
9. Vikings - Peterson, Harvin still carrying Favre, Moss.
10. Falcons - Atlanta's version of the Triplets.
11. Ravens - Ray Rice has ground to make up in the second half.
12. Lions - Stafford-to-Johnson is back, but Best is leaking value.
13. Packers - Jennings needs a sidekick with Finley out, Driver ailing.
14. Broncos - Too quick to go away from Knowshon in London.
15. Jets - Shut out for the first time since 2006.

Feeling Frisky: Titans, Raiders, Chiefs, Bucs

[SIZE=+1]Week 9 Byes[/SIZE]

Titans, Broncos, Redskins, 49ers, Jaguars, Rams

[SIZE=+1]Early Waiver Look[/SIZE]

Shallow Leagues: LeGarrette Blount, Mike Sims-Walker, Robert Meachem, Steve Breaston

Deep Leagues: Good luck. Keiland Williams, James Jones, Jordy Nelson, David Garrard, Kevin Smith, Laurent Robinson, Brandon Gibson, Nate Burleson, Darrius Heyward-Bey, James Davis, Nate Washington, Delanie Walker

For an in-depth look at this week's top waiver options, my Waiver Wired column will run on Tuesday afternoons throughout the season.

 

[HacheMan]

You're Fired
When guys are dumped by two teams within a month, they are almost always practice squad types. It's usually a good sign that they have fringe NFL talent or major character concerns. Today, we are talking about Randy Moss.

In a stunning development, the Vikings have decided to waive the man they gave up a third-round pick for just five weeks ago. Teams will have until 4 p.m. ET on Wednesday to claim Moss and the prorated portion of his $6.4 million contract. If no one claims Moss, the Vikings will be on the hook for the cash and Moss will hit the open market.

We always knew Moss was a problem in the locker room, but now his on-field impact is outweighing that cancer. Who will take the plunge and add him? The Rams, Raiders, Seahawks, Redskins and even Patriots have been speculated as possible landing spots. For now, all Moss owners can do is sit and wait.

In the meantime, here is what to expect in Minnesota with Moss gone:

Editor's Note: For early rankings every Tuesday morning, tons of exclusive columns, subscriber-only chats, full projections updated all week and much more, get our award-winning Season Pass.

* Percy Harvin was reportedly "livid" with the decision to dump Moss and it's easy to see why. Harvin was seeing significantly less defensive attention with Moss in the fold and was a weekly threat for 100 total yards. Now, he is back to the No. 1 receiver role, something he is not suited for.

Think about this: Since Moss left New England, Wes Welker is averaging 34 yards per game. Not a coincidence.

Also note this: Harvin is dealing with a potentially serious left ankle injury. Harvin is really trending downward badly.

Oh, and don't forget that Harvin is likely going to be asked to play out wide again. It's not his natural position.

* Bernard Berrian is likely going to jump back into the starting lineup, but it's nothing to get excited about. Berrian has shown really poor chemistry with Brett Favre and is declining badly. He could end up losing reps to Greg Lewis.

* Sidney Rice (hip) is going to be activated from the PUP list before the Nov. 9 deadline and is expected back on the field in three weeks or so. Go ahead and stash him. He may not really be a fantasy asset until Week 12 or 13, but he has a chance to pay dividends during the fantasy playoffs. It's worth the risk.

* Brett Favre can't be happy about losing his deep threat, but he has bigger fish to fry. Those ankle fractures and Sunday's shot to the chin are surely hurting and Favre is just a QB2, with or without Moss.

Editor's Note: Pick a new fantasy team just for today and win real cash with Snapdraft!

<BIG>MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL</BIG>
Jacob Tamme can play. Period. Anyone who watched the Colts' win over the Texans Monday night saw a guy who is essentially a bulked up wideout. That makes sense, because Tamme was a slot receiver at Kentucky.

So the biggest question was if Tamme would be used like Dallas Clark was. The answer is a resounding yes. Tamme lined up as an in-line tight end, out wide, in the backfield and in the slot. He consistently got open against linebackers and showed excellent hands to go with good after-the-catch ability. Tamme racked up six catches and a touchdown on nine targets Monday night.

With a ton of tight ends nicked up and others with down arrows right now, Tamme is an every-week fantasy starter going forward.

Texans vs. Colts quick slants
Anthony Gonzalez looked extremely healthy and was the clear No. 3 receiver ahead of Blair White. ESPN's elite newshound Adam Schefter was apparently wrong with that aggravation report. ... Before last night, I thought Donald Brown was a more talented player than Mike Hart. Unless Brown's hamstring was a major issue, I'll never think that again. Hart broke tackles at will and hit the hole really hard. Brown looked slow. ... Jacoby Jones played sparingly in two-wide sets. ... Did anyone else see the official holding the first-down marker give Kelvin Hayden a low five after his pick-6 in the first quarter? ... Mike Hart appeared to turn his ankle pretty badly in the fourth quarter. ... Andre Johnson aggravated his right ankle sprain. Terrible news for the game's best wideout. He isn't going to be able to shake this thing without sitting out.

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<BIG>HEADLINERS</BIG>
NEWS OF THE DAY #1
Kenny Britt's wild 2010 season took a painful nosedive Monday when he revealed that he heard a pop in his hamstring on Sunday. I don't pretend to be Dr. Brian Eckenrode, but we can safely say Britt will be out at least a month. Owners in shallow leagues will probably have to drop Britt unless they have a playoff berth locked up already. Deep leaguers should hang on while we await an official prognosis from the Titans.

NEWS OF THE DAY #2
Donovan McNabb always seems to find himself in the thick of drama. This time, it appears coach Mike Shanahan is the instigator.

McNabb was shockingly pulled late in Sunday's loss to the Lions in favor of Rex Grossman. Yes, Rex Grossman. After the game, Shanahan said he thought Grossman gave his team a better chance to win because McNabb was not familiar with the two-minute offense. On Monday, Shanahan compounded his error by saying McNabb was not in the correct "cardiovascular condition."

This brings back memories of McNabb getting benched by Andy Reid against the Ravens, which came a couple years after he threw up during the Super Bowl. Regardless, Shanny should have just come clean. Something like this would have worked: Well, McNabb is not that good, we never should have traded for him and there is no way he will be back next season.

McNabb will start when the Redskins come out of their Week 9 bye, but he is obviously on a short leash.

NEWS OF THE DAY #3
Zach Miller had just one catch for eight yards Sunday, and now we have a clue as to why. Miller was spotted on crutches after the game and is dealing with an arch injury. Although the Raiders expect Miller to play against the Chiefs this week, fantasy owners should be wary. If he can't put in a full practice this week, other options need to be at the ready.

<BIG>MONDAY QUICK SLANTS</BIG>
DEPTH CHART QUICK SLANTS: FIRST DOWN
There is speculation from the Dallas media that Marion Barber will lose reps to Tashard Choice, but we have not heard anything yet from the Cowboys themselves. ... Michael Vick is healthy and will start in Week 9. ... Deion Branch only played in three-wide formations Sunday. ... Toby Gerhart continues to play ahead of Adrian Peterson on third downs. ... LeGarrette Blount had 24 touches Sunday while Cadillac Williams had seven. Caddy can be dropped. ... Troy Smith is expected to remain the 49ers starting quarterback going forward.

DEPTH CHART QUICK SLANTS: SECOND DOWN
The Cardinals have not named a starting quarterback for Week 9 yet. ... The Browns also have not yet named a quarterback, although it is expected to be Colt McCoy. ... Tim Tebow was used as a goal-line runner for the second time in three games, hurting the touchdown potential of Kyle Orton and Knowshon Moreno. ... Matt Moore will remain the Panthers' starting quarterback in Week 9. ... Santonio Holmes played just 39 of 69 offensive snaps Sunday. Bench him until that changes. ... The Raiders continue to insist that Bruce Gradkowski will be their starter when healthy. ... Kris Brown is expected to hold the kicking job through the bye.

INJURY QUICK SLANTS: FIRST DOWN
DeSean Jackson (concussion) says he will be a game-time decision in Week 9. He still has not been cleared by an independent neurologist. ... Darrius Heyward-Bey came out of Week 8 with a shoulder problem. Chasing last week's numbers is a poor decision. ... Matt Hasselbeck (concussion) is tentatively expected to be fine for Week 9. ... Ryan Torain (hamstring) does not have a tear, but his status is unknown as the Redskins head into their bye. ... Kyle Orton bruised his ribs in Sunday's loss. ... Donald Driver (quad) is in danger of missing Week 9. James Jones and Jordy Nelson would both become viable options. ... Malcom Floyd (hamstring) and Legedu Naanee (hamstring) are not expected back this week.

INJURY QUICK SLANTS: SECOND DOWN
Chris Ivory picked up a mild concussion in the second half of Sunday's win. He is tentatively expected to be okay for Week 9. ... Golden Tate (ankle) is questionable for Week 9. ... Beanie Wells (back) says he is fine. ... Danario Alexander (knee) is out through at least Week 11. He can be dropped. ... Louis Murphy (bruised lung) is unlikely to play in Week 9. ... DeAngelo Williams (foot) was spotted hobbling Monday and refused to put a timetable on his return. ... Chris Cooley is dealing with both back and ankle problems but should be fine after the bye week. ... Reggie Bush (leg) will be back in Week 11.

<BIG>WAIVERS</BIG>
DEFENSIVE SPOT STARTS
Adding a different defense each week based on matchups is a fine strategy. Each week in this space, I'll give out defensive units that are likely available in your league to consider for streaming purposes. The bloated bye week (six teams) makes this week tough, but there are still three decent options.

1. PATRIOTS at Browns: The Pats are just 21st in the league in terms of points allowed per game, dead last in fumbles forced and 21st in sacks. They are not an elite defense and that is why they may be on waivers. Still, this is a good spot for one reason: I do not trust Colt McCoy as a legit NFL quarterback.

2. VIKINGS vs. Cardinals: The Cardinals can not decide on their starting quarterback because they have no good options. With a 2-5 record, the Vikings should be playing in all-out desperation mode.

3. SAINTS at Panthers: We saw just how deep the Saints' secondary is Sunday night against the Steelers. And the Panthers' once-vaunted offensive line is not opening holes, as Jonathan Stewart mentioned Monday.

 

[HacheMan]

Stocking up acorns In a week where Colts TE Jacob Tamme is the only truly attractive plug-'n'-play waiver addition, it's the perfect time to start looking ahead. The bye weeks are limping to the finish line with only a month to go before many leagues begin their fantasy playoffs. Wherever appropriate, low-upside depth should be shed in favor of high upside roster stashes.

With Halloween now in the rear-view mirror, it's time for the fantasy squirrels to start stocking up on acorns for the dreary months ahead.

With that in mind, here are the top 10 available (i.e. no Jonathan Stewart, Shonn Greene, Mike Tolbert, Michael Bush or Willis McGahee) running backs with the clearest path and the most to gain if the starter goes down with an injury.

1. Jason Snelling, Falcons
2. Derrick Ward, Texans
3. Tashard Choice, Cowboys
4. Deji Karim, Jaguars
5. Anthony Dixon, 49ers
6. Bernard Scott, Bengals
7. Toby Gerhart, Vikings
8. Javon Ringer, Titans
9. Jerome Harrison, Eagles
10. Chester Taylor, Bears

On to the players. Here is how I rank the top players available at each position as we head into Week 9. Full writeups of each player are below.

***

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Quarterbacks
1. Josh Freeman
2. David Garrard - Week 9 bye
3. Troy Smith - Week 9 bye
4. Jason Campbell
5. Derek Anderson
6. Matt Moore
7. Colt McCoy
8. Matt Hasselbeck

**Matthew Stafford is owned in 73 percent of CBSSports.com leagues. He should be owned in 100 percent by now. If he's available, pick him up.

Running Backs
1. Tashard Choice
2. Keiland Williams - Week 9 bye
3. Marcel Reece
4. Chester Taylor
5. Julius Jones
6. Darren Sproles
7. Kevin Smith
8. Javarris James

**LeGarrette Blount (63 percent) and Mike Hart (63 percent) are already owned in the majority of CBSSports.com leagues. They would be the easy first and second options if available.

Wide Receivers
1. Steve Breaston
2. James Jones
3. Anthony Gonzalez
4. Seyi Ajirotutu
5. Nate Burleson
6. Nate Washington - Week 9 bye
7. Brandon Gibson - Week 9 bye
8. Brandon Tate
9. Bernard Berrian
10. Darrius Heyward-Bey

**Mike Sims-Walker (70 percent) and Robert Meachem (62 percent) are already owned in the majority of CBSSports.com leagues. They would be first and second if available.

Tight Ends
1. Jacob Tamme
2. Ben Watson
3. Todd Heap
4. Delanie Walker - Week 9 bye

Defense/Special Teams
1. Vikings
2. Lions
3. Bills

[SIZE=+1]Quarterbacks[/SIZE]

Josh Freeman, Buccaneers - Would you believe his record as a starting quarterback is now 8-8? Improving seemingly by the week, Freeman has done a tremendous job of improving his accuracy while cutting down on turnovers this season. Notching at least 18 fantasy points in three of the past four games, Freeman travels to Atlanta this week to take on a defense allowing the 12th-most points to opposing quarterbacks.

Recommendation: Should be owned in all leagues

David Garrard, Jaguars - The problem with owning Garrard is that he's the "box of chocolates" quarterback: you never know what you're going to get. Last year he could be reliably spot started in attractive home matchups. This year he's had clunkers at home and near-flawless performances on the road. He can picked up as a QB2 option for the second half, but don't be surprised if you end up tearing your hair out trying to mix and match him with another quarterback.

Recommendation: Should be owned in all leagues

Troy Smith, 49ers - There's not much fantasy upside here, but coach Mike Singletary hinted Monday that Troy will be given opportunity to take the starting job as long as he doesn't fall apart in Week 10 against the Rams. I fully expect that Troy will give the 49ers a better chance to win than Alex did. I just don't believe that will translate to even reliable QB2 production.

Recommendation: Worth a look in deeper leagues

Jason Campbell, Raiders - Campbell has averaged nearly 22 points over the past two weeks while directing the Raiders offense to back-to-back 500-yard performances for the first time in franchise history. Though Bruce Gradkowski remains the starter when healthy, the Raiders now have an excuse not to rush him back. Look for Cambell to start against the Chiefs this week, but don't expect the high scores to continue.

Recommendation: Worth a look in two-quarterback leagues

Derek Anderson, Cardinals - We've seen this act before. Anderson is likely to get the call at Minnesota due strictly to Max Hall's gross incompetence. Anderson remains an inaccurate interception machine, and he's not a particularly strong be to make it through four quarters without getting pulled himself. If you're looking for a silver lining, the Cardinals aerial attack looks much better on paper with Larry Fitzgerald, Steve Breaston, and Early Doucet all healthy.

Recommendation: Worth a look in two-quarterback leagues

Matt Moore, Panthers - Moore came back down to earth against a better than advertised Rams defense, thanks in large part to poor performances from his receivers. The Saints secondary remains badly banged up, but defensive coordinator Gregg Williams is doing a tremendous job of papering over by applying pressure on opposing quarterbacks. Moore is only an option in two-quarterback leagues this week.

Recommendation: Worth a look in two-quarterback leagues

Colt McCoy, Browns - Coach Eric Mangini seems reluctant to turn the keys to the offense over to McCoy for the rest of the way, but the rookie does seem like the most likely option this week with Seneca Wallace (ankle) and Jake Delhomme (ankle) still nursing ankle injuries. Even against a relatively leaky Pats secondary, McCoy is only a desperation option in two-quarterback leagues.

Recommendation: Worth a look in two-quarterback leagues

Matt Hasselbeck, Seahawks - We don't always see the trainwreck coming, but this week's matchup has the potential for disaster. Coming off a "light" concussion, Hasselbeck squares off against a Giants defense that has already knocked five quarterbacks out of the game for good this year. There's not a more unattractive quarterback option this week.

Recommendation: Let someone else pick him up

Fliers Bruce Gradkowski, Seneca Wallace, Tarvaris Jackson, Rex Grossman, Charlie Whitehurst, Kerry Collins, Stephen McGee

Gradkowski seems at least another week away. ... Ditto for Wallace. ... Jackson may be worth a stash in deeper leagues with the mass hysteria going on Minnesota of late. ... The Redskins can't really go with Rex Grossman, can they? Have the Shanahans hibernated through the past half-decade? ... McGee could see action in December.

Cut Bait Tony Romo, Max Hall, Alex Smith

We can't say for certain that Romo's season is over, but he's only worth carrying in deeper leagues at this point. ... Hall has to be pulled for Derek Anderson at this point. ... Alex Smith will only get his job back if Troy Smith faceplants in Week 10.

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[SIZE=+1]Running Backs[/SIZE]

Tashard Choice, Cowboys - Choice has done nothing to earn the top waiver spot this week. Neither has any other back likely to be available at this point. Though the Cowboys have given no outward signals, the beat writers are banging the drum for Choice to take over for a painfully slow Marion Barber as Felix Jones' backfield partner. Considering Jones' injury history -- including a Week 8 forearm injury -- it's a spot that could lead to RB2 value down the road. It wouldn't be the first time Choice has vaulted past Barber and Jones to make a difference in the fantasy playoffs.

Recommendation: Should be owned in 12-team leagues

Keiland Williams, Redskins - Williams' window on fantasy value isn't opened wide with Ryan Torain using the bye week to try to get back to full health. I have little faith in Torain's recuperative powers, though, so I'd be looking to stash Williams as a potential flex option. It's hard to envision a gimpy Torain carrying the full load against the Eagles in Week 10. James Davis is worth a look in deeper leagues as well, but the 'Skins have yet to activate him from the practice squad.

Recommendation: Should be owned in 12-team leagues

Marcel Reece, Raiders - Reece isn't just any fullback. A wide receiver in college, the 6'3/240 Reece has sub-4.5 forty speed in an H-back's body. He's quite possibly the most athletic lead blocker the NFL has seen in the past two decades. With just a minor role in the Raiders' offense, he's a gamble as a bye-week fill-in. On the positive side, though, he's coming off 180 yards and two touchdowns on 13 touches the past two weeks. The Raiders receivers have been decimated by injuries and Zach Miller is nursing a pain foot injury. I'd rather roll the dice with a playmaking Reece than settle for a Julius Jones this week.

Recommendation: Worth a look in 12-team leagues

Chester Taylor, Bears - More from the files of "Julius Jones alternative" this week. Taylor was named the Bears' goal-line back heading into last week's bye, and he travels to Buffalo Sunday to square off against a defense that surrenders the most fantasy points to opposing backs. I like his chances to score for the first time this season.

Recommendation: Worth a look as a matchup play

Julius Jones, Saints - With no obvious alternative, desperate fantasy owners will look to Jones as their salvation this week. It's not a good idea. Even with Reggie Bush and Pierre Thomas likely to miss the game and Chris Ivory (concussion) in danger of sitting out, an ineffective Jones is hardly the answer. He's not guaranteed to see more touches than Ladell Betts, and it's easy to picture a typical 10-touch, 20-yard performance against a Panthers defense that just held Steven Jackson to 2.6 yards per carry.

Recommendation: Worth a look as a bye-week fill-in

Darren Sproles, Chargers - It took a plague to hit the wide receiver corps, but the Chargers are finally using Sproles the way they should have all along. A viable flex option in PPR leagues at Houston this week, an explosive Sproles is averaging eight touches and 70 yards per over the past three games.

Recommendation: Worth a look in PPR leagues

Kevin Smith, Lions - The beat writers raved about Smith's performance as a backfield complement to Jahvid Best against the Redskins , but I saw little more than mediocrity. Granted, it's still a major improvement from where Smith was to start the season, but he's nowhere near the talent that Best is when healthy. Though Smith is worth picking up as a handcuff, he can't be used as a desperation fill-in this week against a Jets defense that allows the least fantasy points to opposing backs.

Recommendation: Worth a look in PPR leagues

Javarris James, Colts - With Joseph Addai (shoulder) out and Mike Hart (ankle) and Donald Brown (hamstring) freshly sidelined, James got the nod for three late-game carries Monday night. Addai seems likely to miss another game, but the severity of the injury aggravations to Hart and Brown are unknown. There's also a chance the Colts could bring back Andre Brown for Week 9 at Philly. We won't have a good read on James' chances for fantasy viability until at least Wednesday or Thursday.

Recommendation: Worth a look as an injury fill-in

Long-Term Fliers: LaRod Stephens-Howling, Clinton Portis, James Davis, Mike Goodson, Javon Ringer, Derrick Ward, Jason Snelling, Anthony Dixon, Deji Karim, Bernard Scott, Mike Bell, Isaac Redman

"Hyphen" is beginning to do for the Cardinals what Darren Sproles does for the Chargers. ... Davis is worth a look with Ryan Torain's hamstring injury, though it's worth noting that Portis (groin) has begun cutting drills this week. ... Goodson could get a desperation nod in PPR leagues if DeAngelo Williams misses another game.

Cut Bait: Tim Hightower, Cadillac Williams, Marion Barber, John Kuhn

LaRod Stephens-Howling may be a better flex option than Hightower going forward. ... Caddy is a poor man's Chester Taylor at this point. ... Barber continues to kill the Cowboys offense.

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[SIZE=+1]Wide Receivers[/SIZE]

Steve Breaston, Cardinals - It makes no sense whatsoever, but Derek Anderson seems to have a much easier time finding Breaston than Larry Fitzgerald. Anderson has four games this year with 20+ pass attempts. In two of those games, Breaston has topped seven receptions and 130 yards. Pick him up and watch him run free on underneath routes with Fitz drawing the coverage away.

Recommendation: Should be owned in 12-team leagues

Anthony Gonzalez, Colts - Gonzalez not only looked healthy Monday night, he was also the clear No. 3 receiver over Blair White. The fantasy output was just average with four catches for 55 yards on six targets, but there's value in the Colts' slot role if Gonzalez can avoid the injury bug until Austin Collie returns. Gonzalez should be carried in all 12-team leagues going forward.

Recommendation: Should be owned in 12-team leagues

James Jones, Packers - There's talk that the Packers will hold Donald Driver (quad) out of this week's game against the suddenly porous Cowboys secondary with the bye-week on the horizon. Jones' consistency has been in question for some time, but he would be in line for a major fantasy boost if Driver misses time. Despite Jordy Nelson's Week 8 advantage, Jones is the superior talent.

Recommendation: Should be owned in 12-team leagues

Seyi Ajirotutu, Chargers - Matchup alert. Ajirotutu's fantasy viability hinges almost exclusively on the health of Legedu Naanee (hamstring) and Buster Davis (ribs). If the veterans are held out again going into the Chargers' Week 10 bye, Ajirotutu is a sneaky WR3 fill-in against a Texans secondary that allows the second-most fantasy points to opposing receivers.

Recommendation: Worth a look as a matchup play

Nate Burleson, Lions - The Redskins opted to leave DeAngelo Hall in man coverage on Calvin Johnson. After watching Hall get owned, it will be interesting to see if other defenses begin to roll bracket coverage toward Johnson once again. Burleson, averaging roughly six catches and 50 yards since returning from an early-season ankle injury, would be the primary beneficiary. He's a better option in PPR leagues at this point.

Recommendation: Worth a look in 12-team leagues

Nate Washington, Titans - After Kenny Britt went to the sidelines early in the first quarter at San Diego, Washington's role increased substantially. He responded with four catches for 117 yards and a touchdown on nine targets. The Titans enter their bye this week, but it looks like Britt is going to be out up to a month. Washington can be stashed as the Titans' top receiver, but his upside is limited.

Recommendation: Worth a look in 12-team leagues

Brandon Gibson, Rams - Gibson appeared to emerge as Sam Bradford's favorite target on his way to six catches and 67 yards against the Panthers. The problem is that Laurent Robinson is showing signs of starting to get his legs under him as the Rams enter their bye week. It's certainly not a clear picture in the St. Louis wide receiver corps. With Robinson's effectiveness still in question, though, Gibson is the preferred choice for the second half.

Recommendation: Worth a look in 12-team leagues

Brandon Tate, Patriots - Don't expect a repeat of last week's 101-yard performance. All but four of those yards came courtesy of two fluky plays involving Vikings safety Madieu Williams. Tate is only worth grabbing if it looks like Deion Branch's hamstring will keep him out this week at Cleveland.

Recommendation: Worth a look in as a matchup play

Bernard Berrian, Vikings - Here's a name I never thought I'd seen again this year. Berrian lost the trust of his quarterback by the end of the first game, refusing to fight for the ball in traffic. He's been brutal in limited playing time since. With Randy Moss-tracized and Percy Harvin battling a serious ankle sprain, though, Berrian could be thrust back into the spotlight against the Cardinals. He's only a last-ditch resort for those with drastic bye-week crunches.

Recommendation: Worth a look as a bye-week fill-in

Darrius Heyward-Bey, Raiders - Similar to Berrian's situation, Murphy Law's had to go into effect before DHB could find his way onto this list. With Louis Murphy (lung) out and Zach Miller (foot) on crutches, Heyward-Bey stands a good chance of leading the Raiders in targets for a second straight week after posting 105 yards and a touchdown against Seattle. He's only an emergency option versus shut-down corner Brandon Flowers and the Chiefs this week.

Recommendation: Worth a look as a bye-week fill-in

Long-Term Fliers: Buster Davis, Legedu Naanee, Anthony Armstrong, Roscoe Parrish, Jason Avant, Chaz Schilens, Louis Murphy, Damian Williams

Davis (ribs) will race Naanee (hamstring) back to the lineup this week in an attractive matchup at Houston. ... Likewise, Schilens is racing Murphy back to full health with the Raiders' No. 1 job open. ... Armstrong is a hit-or-miss deep threat. ... Parrish is worth a look in PPR leagues. ... Avant is worth tracking in case DeSean Jackson (concussion) has a setback. ... Justin Gage (hamstring) will fill Kenny Britt's starting spot, leaving Williams as a poor option in Week 10.

Cut Bait: Deion Branch, Roy Williams, David Gettis, Jordan Shipley, Dexter McCluster, Deon Butler

Branch's snaps were reduced and had his play adversely affected by the hamstring injury. ... Williams has fallen behind Dez Bryant. ... Gettis was a one-week wonder. ... Shipley is only viable if the Bengals are in heavy comeback mode. ... McCluster has the dreaded high-ankle sprain. ... Butler isn't ready.

Hold Off Brandon LaFell, Brian Hartline, Arrelious Benn

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[SIZE=+1]Tight Ends[/SIZE]

Jacob Tamme, Colts - Adam Levitan covered Tamme's Monday night performance in Tuesday's Daily Dose. In short, Tamme played the Dallas Clark role impressively as a rocked-up wide receiver. He got open at will against an awful Texans pass defense and racked up six catches for 64 yards and a touchdown on nine targets. With all of the carnage around the league at tight end, Tamme should be an every-week starter the rest of the way.

Recommendation: Worth a look as an injury fill-in

Ben Watson, Browns - Watson is 13th in tight end fantasy points and 12th in points per week. Against a Patriots defense allowing the fifth-most fantasy points to opposing tight ends, Watson is a borderline TE1 in Week 9.

Recommendation: Should be owned in all leagues

Todd Heap, Ravens - Buoyed by an infusion of youth at linebacker, the Dolphins defense has improved against tight ends this year, allowing just the 21st most fantasy points. With little depth at the position due to bye weeks and injuries, Heap is still a top-15 option this week.

Recommendation: Worth a look in 12-team leagues

Delanie Walker, 49ers - The speedy backup is coming off five catches and 85 yards in relief of an injured Vernon Davis against the Broncos. Walker is worth a look in deeper leagues, but Davis now has the bye week to get over his ankle injury. He hadn't missed a single offensive snap going into the game at London.

Recommendation: Worth a look in deeper leagues

Long-Term Fliers: John Carlson, Fred Davis

Cut Bait: Tony Scheffler, Jermaine Gresham, Jeremy Shockey, Andrew Quarless

Scheffler was targeted one time with zero catches in Matthew Stafford's return. ... Gresham is averaging less than 30 yards per game. ... Shockey hasn't topped 30 yards in a month. ... Quarless has disappeared.

[SIZE=+1]Defense/Special Teams[/SIZE]

Vikings - The Vikes return home to face either Derek Anderson or Max Hall. Either way, the Cardinals will be rolling out an interception machine.

Recommendation: Worth a look as a matchup play

Lions - Like the Seahawks and the Rams, the young Leos are a much different team at home. The Lions are third in D/ST scoring this year, courtesy of three home games where they've averaged 12 points per. This week, Ndamukong Suh and Kyle Vanden Bosch welcome a struggling Jets offense to town.

Recommendation: Worth a look in 12-team leagues

Bills - This recommendation comes courtesy of the "target Jay Cutler" as an opponent philosophy. If you play in a league that punishes for points allowed, the Bills are a bad idea. If not, they may be worth a roll of the dice considering Cutler has taken 19 sacks and thrown five picks in his last three starts.

Recommendation: Worth a look as a matchup play

 

[HacheMan]

Brittle Hamstring
Kenny Britt has been causing owners headaches all year. Usually, it has been because of what he does off the field. This time, it's because of what happened on it.

Britt was wide open (as he usually is) on a deep pattern early in last Sunday's loss to the Chargers. But the ball was overthrown and Britt took an awkward step. Oops. Britt says he heard his hamstring pop.

To get an idea of what Britt is dealing with, we chatted with Dr. Brian Eckenrode, a board-certified orthopedic clinical specialist and the sports team leader for GSPP Penn Therapy and Fitness at the Penn Sports Medicine Center in Philadelphia. For more on Dr. Eckenrode, head to phillyrehab.com.

<BIG>KENNY BRITT</BIG>
Injury: Right hamstring
Timetable: Out indefinitely

When a player says he heard a "pop," what does that mean? It means the severity of the injury goes right up. The pop means that there is going to be more swelling and they most likely will have structural damage. With a twinge, there won't be anything structural. When you feel a pop, that's the thing that's kind of feared.

Is it actually a sound, or just a feeling? It could be both. People can certainly hear a pop or a snap when they tear a ligament. But it's also the experience of feeling something. When someone breaks a bone or tears a ligament, often times another play will hear it. When it's muscular, it may or may not be audible but certainly they'll feel it pop. They'll feel that something isn't working right.

The Titans aren't giving out a timetable, but they have said the injury is not season ending. Any guesses on when Britt could be back? If he felt a pop, he doesn't have a Grade 1. If he has a Grade 2, you're probably looking at a month or so. Grade 3, he could be out even further that that, maybe 6-8 weeks.

ROTOWORLD OPINION: Owners angling for the playoffs should hold Britt and hope this is just a Grade 2 tear. Shallow leaguers or teams with bad record may have to move on. We do not expect to have a timetable from the Titans until they come out of their Week 9 bye.

<BIG>SIDNEY RICE</BIG>
Injury: Hip surgery
Timetable: Expected back in 2-3 weeks

The Vikings never revealed exactly what kind of hip surgery Rice had back in late August. Any guesses? It's hard to say. It could be a labrum repair or maybe some kind of sports hernia.

If I had to guess, he probably had something done to the labrum considering the timetable. You'd expect him to start running around 8-10 weeks post-surgery -- depending on the who the surgeon was and how aggressive they want to be.

If that labrum cleanup is what he did have, can he step right back in and be 100 percent? He probably spent the first eight weeks off it. He might have even been non-weight bearing for a month. So he's going to have to develop that muscle strength, that muscle tone, that power in his legs. That certainly will take a little bit more time.

It might be one of those things where he might not have that same step that he normally does. It could be like when guys come back form a knee reconstruction. But having him at 80 percent may be better for the Vikings than not having him at all.

Is there any chance of aggravation? If he feels that he is at a level he can play, he probably won't do it again.

ROTOWORLD OPINION: Rice is going to play this year. Exactly how he will perform is tough to say. Dr. Brian Eckenrode points out that he may need to be eased in like someone coming off an ACL tear. That is scary, but with Randy Moss now gone we are still stashing Rice in deep leagues.

<BIG>DONALD DRIVER</BIG>
Injury: Quad bruise or strain
Timetable: Out for Week 9

Could the dual knee surgeries Driver had in the offseason be related to this quad issue? Well, I believe they originally said he had a quad bruise which is usually from getting kicked on your thigh. Then I saw they are calling it a quad strain, which is more of an overuse type thing.

You can make the argument that because he had these knee surgeries, his quads weren't quite at 100 percent and that would have set him up for the strain -- but not a bruise.

Since Driver is 35 years old, is this kind of thing harder to recover from? Yes, but then you also have to draw in these guys' work ethic. He's a professional, he'll spend a lot of time trying to get back to where he was. But on the other hand, older players just don't heal quite as fast. It takes a little more recovery time week by week to get their legs under them.

Is a quad injury tougher than a hamstring to get back from? If anything, a hamstring injury is a little worse because they account for more sprinting and running. But a quad can be just as cumbersome.

ROTOWORLD OPINION: Driver was already playing at a low level. These nicks are certainly not helping. James Jones and Jordy Nelson are probably better options for the Packers right now, meaning you can move on from Driver.

The Upenn rehab specialists interviewed in this story have not examined the athletes discussed. Their statements are general guidelines regarding their experience with injured athletes, and should not be taken as medical opinions.

For more information on Brian Eckenrode, PT, DPT, OCS and GSPP Penn Therapy and Fitness, visit phillyrehab.com.

<BIG>TUESDAY HEADLINES</BIG>
NEWS OF THE DAY
The Vikings formally waived Randy Moss Tuesday, meaning teams have until 4 p.m. ET Wednesday to bid on him. For a full breakdown of how this affects the Vikings, check out yesterday's dose.

We can't put a prognosis on Moss' fantasy outlook until he lands somewhere. The latest rumors have the Dolphins, Seahawks, Rams and Titans among the teams seriously considering putting a claim in for Moss. Personally, I think the Dolphins may be his best chances for fantasy production. Moss has shown that he can no longer beat double teams, but he won't see many with Brandon Marshall around.

Regardless, it will be a very interesting afternoon.

INJURY QUICK SLANTS
Vernon Davis (ankle) insisted that he is fine and plans to run routes during the bye week. ... Craig Davis (groin) aka Buster is done for the year. Seyi Ajirotutu will start across from Patrick Crayton this week. ... Anthony Gonzalez (undisclosed) got a little nicked up Monday night. Shocker. Keep an eye on practice reports. ... Mike Hart is set for an MRI on his ankle. ... Donald Brown (hamstring) came out of Monday's game healthy, which is actually a bad thing for him. He looked horrible. ... Justin Gage (hamstring) is expected back after the Titans' bye. ... Clinton Portis (groin) has begun cutting. He could be back by Week 12 or 13. ... Meanwhile, Ryan Torain (hamstring) is questionable for Week 10. ... Jermichael Finley revealed that he needed a second surgery on his knee a week ago to clean out an infection. ... It sounds like Andre Johnson (ankle) is going to be okay for Week 9.

DEPTH CHART QUICK SLANTS
Coach Mike Singletary confirmed he is planning on sticking with Troy Smith in Week 10. ... The Redskins worked out JaMarcus Russell, but a signing is not imminent. He weighed in at 286 pounds.

 

[HacheMan]

Panning for IDP Gold
This week's column goes out to those of you in hard-core Individual Defensive Player leagues. You may be chirping right now because you drafted DeAngelo Hall and Clay Matthews is on pace for 19-sacks. You may not be worried about the fact that Donovan McNabb is your quarterback as long as Brian Urlacher keeps tackling everyone in sight.

But you cannot afford to get complacent.

IDP owners often take the "if it ain't broke" approach to defense: if everybody's healthy and putting up a few points each week, they don't bother making changes. That can be a big mistake. There are often tons of fantasy points just sitting on the IDP wire, waiting to be plucked. Meanwhile, you're running Brian Dawkins out there every week like it's still 2004. Scan the wire, and you'll find productive no-names who can give you a two-or-three point edge every week.

Here are a few under-the-radar defenders who can boost your defense right away. Chances are, they are still waiting for you to claim them:

James Anderson, LB, Panthers: 50 tackles, 15 assists, 2.5 sacks, 1 INT
Who He Is: Anderson was a special teams ace and multi-position sub for several seasons before replacing Na'il Diggs at outside linebacker for the Panthers. Because he can play the run, rush the passer, and drop into coverage, he rarely leaves the field.

That makes him a three-category threat in IDP leagues: his peripheral stats include five passes defensed and four quarterback hits, so he's making plays all over the field.

Season Outlook: Anderson fits the "good defender, bad team" profile that IDP owners love, but he more than just a tackle sponge who pads his stats in blowouts. Anderson was probably undrafted in your league. Snatch him off waivers now, then come back and read the rest of the article.

Tyvon Branch, S, Raiders: 39 tackles, 11 assists, 2 sacks, 1 INT
Who He Is: Branch is an in-the-box strong safety who makes a lot of run support tackles. He earned some notice with a 98 tackle season last year – Rotoworld ranked him 14th among defensive backs in our season preview magazine – but he may have slipped through the cracks because he had no interceptions and plays for the Raiders. Branch has three tackles for a loss to go with two sacks this season, so he's making an impact at the line of scrimmage. You'd like to see more interceptions, but given the choice between getting 5-7 reliable tackles per week (plus an occasional sack) from a defensive back or waiting for an interception once a month, most of us would take the former.

Season Outlook: Branch had a sack and an interception against the Seahawks, and he'll get a long look from fellow owners now that the Raiders are no longer a laughingstock. He's a better option than Nate Allen or Michael Griffin in the secondary (two other safeties with good stats who may be on waivers) because of his run support and pass-rushing skills. If you want him, it's now or never.

Scott Fujita, LB, Browns: 30 tackles, 14 assists, 3.5 sacks, 1 INT
Who He Is: Fujita is a veteran pass-rushing linebacker who rarely generates high sack totals: his career high in sacks is just four. This year, the Browns are scheming to get him to the quarterback unblocked more often, and Fujita has three sacks in his last four games. Fujita is also getting the job done as a run stopper and short pass defender this season, as his 10-tackle, sack-and-interception performance against the Saints two weeks ago indicates.

Season Outlook: Fujita is more of a bench/depth linebacker than Anderson, but the way the Browns are using him – like a generic-brand James Harrison – makes him an intriguing option, especially if your league provides big sack bonuses.

Chad Greenway, LB, Vikings: 57 tackles, 17 assists
Who He Is: Greenway is a durable veteran who has been racking up eight-tackle games like clockwork for four years. This season, he's already had two eight-tackle games, two nine-tackle games, and a 10 tackle game. Unfortunately, Greenway doesn't do anything else. He rarely rushes the passer, and his coverage responsibilities are usually limited to short inside zones, where interceptions are rare. That's why Greenway is often ignored in IDP leagues: he's steady and unspectacular, the kind of linebacker you assume you can grab off waivers.

Season Outlook: It's time to test your assumption and grab Greenway off waivers

if your "tackle machine" linebacker is only registering four or five tackles per week. Greenway makes outstanding injury and bye week insurance.

Ndamukong Suh, DT, Lions: 22 tackles, 5 assists, 6.5 sacks, 1 interception
Who He Is: Many experts thought Suh was the best player in this year's draft class: a disruptive, super-strong, surprisingly quick interior lineman with the awareness to do little things right, like recognize screens and contain scrambling
quarterbacks. Just because Suh was a star in the NFL draft doesn't mean he made waves in your IDP draft. Experienced IDP players stay away from defensive tackles and from rookies, so Suh earned a double-whammy. After his breakout performance against the Redskins, he won't linger on the waiver wire for long.

Season Outlook: Suh is a rare, unique player, and he could be the solution to your defensive line problem if you have one. Be ready to pay a premium in waiver points, but this guy is worth it.

Cameron Wake, LB, Dolphins: 17 tackles, 6 assists, 6.5 sacks
Who He Is: Wake went undrafted coming out of Penn State in 2009, and other than a 2.5 sack effort in a blowout victory over the Bills last year, he had a quiet rookie season. This season, he has stepped into a role as a designated pass rusher, garnering some attention with three sacks against the Packers. He has registered 15 quarterback hits this season, so his pass-rushing skill goes beyond his sack total.

Season Outlook: If Wake played defensive end, he'd be more valuable in leagues that require you to start one or two linemen. As a linebacker, his low tackle totals are a concern, but with the Browns and Bears on the horizon, Wake will have a few more multi-sack games before the season is over.

 

[HacheMan]

Titanic

After a whopping 37 Rotoworld news updates since reports first surfaced that coach Brad Childress was ready to give up on Randy Moss four games into his second stint in Minnesota, the mercurial receiver was claimed off waivers by the Titans Wednesday. Ranked No. 22 in the waiver order, Tennessee was the only franchise to put in a claim. As it turns out, extenuating circumstances may have provided the push the Titans needed to jump in head-first on Moss. Titan Insider, the new outlet for reliable beat writer Terry McCormick, is reporting that playmaking receiver Kenny Britt could miss up to six or eight weeks with his injured right hamstring. If the Titans were going to have any realistic shot at contending down the stretch, they needed a Britt replacement to keep defenses from selling out on Chris Johnson.

Rotoworld's L.J. Rader outlined the fantasy fallout in Nashville in a Wednesday afternoon Pancakes Blocks blog post. CJ2K and Vince Young are the primary beneficiaries of Moss' arrival. Johnson will still face plenty of stacked boxes, but the respect Moss still commands from defensive playcallers should at least take that ninth defender out of the box -- a strategy unique to Johnson opponents. Young, expected to return from his sprained ankle after the Week 9 bye, gets a boost to high-end QB2 status. Nate Washington and Justin Gage don't have the skill-set to benefit from Moss' presence in the same way that Wes Welker and Percy Harvin have at previous stops. Leave them on the waiver wire for the second half of the season. Britt, too, can be safely dropped by any owners facing roster crunches this week.

Moss has two weeks to pick up Mike Heimerdinger's offense before a Week 10 game at Miami. The Titans are just 30th in the league in passing attempts, but they run a vertical passing attack that will take advantage of Moss' downfield playmaking ability. While Moss isn't a great bet for more than 3-5 catches a game down the stretch, Tennessee's schedule sets up nicely for a touchdown barrage. After squaring off against the Dolphins (18th in fanatasy points allowed to opposing wide receivers), Moss gets dream matchups against the Redskins (fourth), Texans (first), and Jaguars (second) in Weeks 11-13. There's potential for a shootout versus the Colts in Week 15 before Moss gets a second bout with the Texans' league-worst pass defense in the fantasy championship round of Week 16.

To put Moss' soft schedule into perspective, Dwayne Bowe graduated from fantasy afterthought to reliable WR2 after meetings with the Texans and Jags. Those secondaries cure what ails any talented underachiever.

Moss' mood swings are legendary, but it's reasonable to assume that his attitude will be reinvigorated now that he's playing for a universally respected head coach on a team with realistic postseason goals. His league-wide value having been drug through the gutter this week, Moss has plenty of incentive to take advantage of that generous second-half schedule in a contract season.

The Bills, first on the waiver list, claimed OLB Shawne Merriman from the Chargers. Merriman won't play in Week 9 against Chicago, but should be available for the final eight games. The artist formerly known as "Lights Out" did record 12.5 sacks in 2007 after testing positive for steroids, but he hasn't been effective since knee injuries wrecked his 2008 season. Bills GM Buddy Nix helped draft Merriman in his position as San Diego's assistant GM in 2005, and he's clearly not ready to give up the ghost. With no edge rush from outside linebackers early in the season, defensive coordinator George Edwards has had to ditch his 3-4 scheme. Merriman can only play outside in a 3-4, so it will be interesting to see if Edwards switches back or if Merriman is nothing more than a flier in a lost season.

Editor's Note: Pick a new fantasy team just for today and win real cash with Snapdraft!

MVP Going Down?

Grim news for Antonio Gates owners. Fantasy's MVP through eight weeks tore the plantar fascia in his right foot in the second half of the Chargers' victory over the Titans. This is not the same toe/foot that had been bothering him the previous two weeks. Gates is now battling significant injuries on both feet, and most people find it difficult to even walk after popping their their plantar fascia. Predicted foot specialist Dr. Phillip Kwong, "It's going to be really tough to play with any proficiency this Sunday. ... This injury will make it difficult for him to push off and be explosive."

It's important to note that Gates has often played through serious pain in toe/foot when his outlook appeared to be dire. While he's getting around on a scooter this week, he believes he at least has "a chance" to play at Houston. Gates' consecutive games streak is sitting at 87, and he's never missed a game due to injury in his career. This will be his stiffest test yet. Owners need to have an alternative on hand for at least this week's game, and there's no guarantee that the Week 10 bye will alleviate the plantar fascia problem.

<!--RW-->Colts Injury Ward

Austin Collie (thumb surgery) made a surprising return to Colts practice Wednesday, putting himself in position to beat the two-week target in his 2-6 week recovery timetable. Phil Wilson of the Indy Star believes Collie has a decent shot to play Sunday. The Colts have reason to push him back with Anthony Gonzalez's new left knee injury keeping him out of practice. Wilson believes Gonzalez's status is in doubt for Week 9.

At this point, a banged up Donald Brown (hamstring) is the clear favorite to start at Philly. Mike Hart (ankle) and Joseph Addai (shoulder) both missed Wednesday's practice while Brown was a full participant. Brown managed just 29 yards on 11 touches against the Texans, but there are an awful lot of fantasy owners that don't have the luxury of sitting the Colts starter in a week with six teams on bye. Addai almost certainly won't play, and it's not looking good for Hart, either. The Eagles have the league's No. 18 rush defense this year.

Cowboys Backfield

ESPN Dallas' Tim MacMahon suggested fantasy owners should pick up our No. 1 waiver option at running back this week, Tashard Choice, with Felix Jones (ankle, forearm) being held out of Wednesday's practice. The forearm injury had Jones in and out of the game in Week 8, but it's the left ankle sprain that has his status in jeopardy for Sunday. Jones did predict that he would return for Thursday's practice, so Choice may be nothing more than a roster stash.

Editor's Note: Check out our Season Pass package, featuring IDP rankings, Top 200 rankings, Evan Silva's running back report, Ryan Boyer's Wide Receiver Report, Chris Wesseling's Dynasty advice, advance workload and target data, exclusive chats, and schedule analysis you can only get with Season Pass.

Around the League: Coach Ken Whisenhunt announced Wednesday that Derek Anderson will be the Cardinals' starting quarterback in Week 9. ... With Seneca Wallace (ankle) and Jake Delhomme (ankle) still missing practice, Colt McCoy is expected to start against the Patriots this week. ... The Raiders won't make a decision until later in the week, but early indications suggest Jason Campbell will start against the Chiefs. Bruce Gradkowski (shoulder) can get one more week of rest of the bye week on the horizon. ... Percy Harvin reportedly made it clear to coach Brad Childress that he was "pissed" at the Vikings' decision to waive Randy Moss. ... Vikings removed Sidney Rice (hip) from the physically unable to perform list. He's still 2-3 weeks away from game action. ... Vincent Jackson participated in Chargers practice Wednesday for the first time since last season. He's ineligible to play before Week 12.

Injury Report: Brett Favre passed his concussion test and says he feels "great" this week. ... Matt Hasselbeckk (concussion) didn't practice Wednesday, but he's still expected to start against the Giants. ... Jahvid Best (toe) has resumed practicing without restrictions. ... Pierre Thomas (ankle) and DeAngelo Williams (foot) were held out of practice on Wednesday. ... Chris Ivory (concussion) is practicing fully this week. ... Beanie Wells (knee) was limited in Cardinals practice. ... Steven Jackson (finger surgery) was able to catch passes with both hands during the Rams' bye-week practice Wednesday. ... DeSean Jackson (concussion) participated fully in Wednesday's practice, putting him on track to play in Week 9. ... Donald Driver (quadricep) has been ruled out for Week 9 against the Cowboys. ... Kenny Britt (hamstring) has been formally ruled out for Week 10. ... Andre Johnson (ankle) was held out Wednesday but is not believed to be in danger of missing Sunday's game. ...Percy Harvin (ankle) indicated concern that he could miss this week's game after being held out of practice Wednesday. ... Seahawks WR Mike Williams (knee) was held out of practice Wednesday. ... Deion Branch (hamstring) was limited in Patriots practice Wednesday. ... Ravens WR/PR Donte' Stallworth (foot) is practicing fully this week and will play against the Dolphins on Sunday. ... Louis Murphy (bruised lung) has not yet been cleared to practice. ... Seahawks WR Golden Tate (ankle) has been ruled out for Week 9. ... Owen Daniels (hamstring) and Zach Miller (foot) missed practice Wednesday. ... Jermichael Finley has described the infection in his recently surgically repaired knee as "the exact same infection that Tom Brady had." ... Jets coach Rex Ryan said Darrelle Revis' hamstring wasn't right "until last week" and that "you're going to see the real Revis Island out there" in Week 9. ... Bengals LCB Johnathan Joseph (ankle) is expected to make his return to the lineup in Week 9. ... Falcons SLB Sean Weatherspoon (knee) is not expected to play against the Bucs.

 

[HacheMan]

Week 9 Rankings Trust your eyes. Follow your gut. When all else fails with your decision making in fantasy football, go with what you see and hope for the best. Even the best rankings are going to be horribly wrong. It's your team, not ours.

Watching the Bucs-Cardinals game on Tuesday, my eyes told me LeGarrette Blount is a more instinctive runner than Beanie Wells. He looks like a better fantasy option this year. Heck, Blount may have a chance to have a better career.

I loved Wells' prospects before the season. It just hasn't happened. He's struggled to stay healthy and he's been ineffective when he's played. You can blame the offensive line and the Cardinals quarterbacks; those are factors. Then again, Tim Hightower and LaRod Stephens-Howling have combined to gain 159 more rushing yards than Wells in three fewer carries. Wells remains a liability on passing downs. He's only 22, but he's not yet a complete back.

The part that worries me most is that Wells seems to miss holes when they are there. If there is a cutback lane to be exploited, Wells plows into the line. Blount, on the other hand, seems to have that hard-to-define vision of a good pro. He makes people miss. He has great feet for such a big man and can pick his way through a hole when he's not running over people. Blount is like a young Frank Gore without the passing game skills.

Blount isn't a complete back either, so Cadillac Williams will play in clear passing situations. That will be a problem in games like Sunday against the Falcons when Tampa may play from behind.

In the end, Blount gives the Bucs offense a different identity and I think Raheem Morris wants to see what Blount can do with 15-20 touches a week. He's a RB2 who I'd take in a trade for Wells.

[SIZE=+1]Week 9 Quarterbacks[/SIZE]

<TABLE width="100%"><TBODY><TR class=TableTopRed><TD>Rank</TD><TD>Player Name</TD><TD>Opponent</TD><TD>Notes</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>1</TD><TD>Philip Rivers</TD><TD>at HOU</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>2</TD><TD>Aaron Rodgers</TD><TD>vs. DAL</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>3</TD><TD>Peyton Manning</TD><TD>at PHI</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>4</TD><TD>Drew Brees</TD><TD>at CAR</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>5</TD><TD>Michael Vick</TD><TD>vs. IND</TD><TD>Probable(ribs)</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>6</TD><TD>Ben Roethlisberger</TD><TD>at CIN</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>7</TD><TD>Tom Brady</TD><TD>at CLE</TD><TD>Probable(-)</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>8</TD><TD>Eli Manning</TD><TD>at SEA</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>9</TD><TD>Matt Schaub</TD><TD>vs. SD</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>10</TD><TD>Matt Ryan</TD><TD>vs. TB</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>11</TD><TD>Joe Flacco</TD><TD>vs. MIA</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>12</TD><TD>Jay Cutler</TD><TD>at BUF</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>13</TD><TD>Ryan Fitzpatrick</TD><TD>vs. CHI</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>14</TD><TD>Brett Favre</TD><TD>vs. ARZ</TD><TD>Probable(ankle)</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>15</TD><TD>Jon Kitna</TD><TD>at GB</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>16</TD><TD>Mark Sanchez</TD><TD>at DET</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>17</TD><TD>Josh Freeman</TD><TD>at ATL</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>18</TD><TD>Matthew Stafford</TD><TD>vs. NYJ</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>19</TD><TD>Carson Palmer</TD><TD>vs. PIT</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>20</TD><TD>Chad Henne</TD><TD>at BAL</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>21</TD><TD>Matt Cassel</TD><TD>at OAK</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>22</TD><TD>Jason Campbell</TD><TD>vs. KC</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>23</TD><TD>Derek Anderson</TD><TD>at MIN</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>24</TD><TD>Matt Moore</TD><TD>vs. NO</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>25</TD><TD>Colt McCoy</TD><TD>vs. NE</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>26</TD><TD>Matt Hasselbeck</TD><TD>vs. NYG</TD><TD>Questionable(concussion)</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

QB Notes:Jay Cutler keeps getting tasty matchups that is making it hard to sit him. He's also is sitting at 8.2 YPA, which is good for second in the league. In the last matchup like this, he threw for 290 yards and four picks against the Redskins. I understand not having the stomach to play Cutler again, but he's not going to get you beat indoors against the Bills. … Michael Vick earned the right to play every week earlier in the season. Don't worry about waiting a week to start him. … The Browns secondary is improving, but still gives up a lot of big plays. It should be a good week for Tom Brady to bounce back.

Matt Schaub's protection and overall play isn't quite the same as last year. Facing the Chargers defense won't help. … The Bucs secondary gambles a lot, which leads to big plays for both sides. Matt Ryan should be a safe play. … Time will tell if I jumped on the Ryan Fitzpatrick bandwagon too quickly. He needed overtime to put up decent stats against a very good Chiefs secondary, but it's a good sign he found a way with his legs and arm to get the Bills offense moving in the second half last week. It's another tough matchup for him this time, so I consider him a borderline QB1.

Brett Favre didn't play that poorly last week in New England. At home, against a vulnerable Cardinals team, he's not a terrible option. … Matthew Stafford, on the other hand, didn't play that great despite a huge fantasy day last week. Rex Ryan will probably teach him a few things. … Jon Kitna is going to be playing catchup all Sunday night because the Dallas secondary is struggling so much.

<!--RW-->[SIZE=+1]Week 9 Running Backs[/SIZE]

<TABLE width="100%"><TBODY><TR class=TableTopRed><TD>Rank</TD><TD>Player Name</TD><TD>Opponent</TD><TD>Notes</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>1</TD><TD>Adrian Peterson</TD><TD>vs. ARZ</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>2</TD><TD>Michael Turner</TD><TD>vs. TB</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>3</TD><TD>Arian Foster</TD><TD>vs. SD</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>4</TD><TD>Darren McFadden</TD><TD>vs. KC</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>5</TD><TD>Jamaal Charles</TD><TD>at OAK</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>6</TD><TD>Rashard Mendenhall</TD><TD>at CIN</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>7</TD><TD>LeSean McCoy</TD><TD>vs. IND</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>8</TD><TD>Ahmad Bradshaw</TD><TD>at SEA</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>9</TD><TD>Matt Forte</TD><TD>at BUF</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>10</TD><TD>Ray Rice</TD><TD>vs. MIA</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>11</TD><TD>LaDainian Tomlinson</TD><TD>at DET</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>12</TD><TD>Peyton Hillis</TD><TD>vs. NE</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>13</TD><TD>LeGarrette Blount</TD><TD>at ATL</TD><TD>Probable(flu)</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>14</TD><TD>Thomas Jones</TD><TD>at OAK</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>15</TD><TD>Felix Jones</TD><TD>at GB</TD><TD>Questionable(ankle)</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>16</TD><TD>Shonn Greene</TD><TD>at DET</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>17</TD><TD>Jahvid Best</TD><TD>vs. NYJ</TD><TD>Probable(toe)</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>18</TD><TD>Fred Jackson</TD><TD>vs. CHI</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>19</TD><TD>Jonathan Stewart</TD><TD>vs. NO</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>20</TD><TD>Ryan Mathews</TD><TD>at HOU</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>21</TD><TD>Beanie Wells</TD><TD>at MIN</TD><TD>Questionable(knee)</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>22</TD><TD>Cedric Benson</TD><TD>vs. PIT</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>23</TD><TD>BenJarvus Green-Ellis</TD><TD>at CLE</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>24</TD><TD>Mike Tolbert</TD><TD>at HOU</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>25</TD><TD>Danny Woodhead</TD><TD>at CLE</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>26</TD><TD>Brandon Jackson</TD><TD>vs. DAL</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>27</TD><TD>Mike Hart</TD><TD>at PHI</TD><TD>Questionable(ankle)</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>28</TD><TD>Chris Ivory</TD><TD>at CAR</TD><TD>Probable(concussion)</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>29</TD><TD>Ronnie Brown</TD><TD>at BAL</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>30</TD><TD>Ricky Williams</TD><TD>at BAL</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>31</TD><TD>Donald Brown</TD><TD>at PHI</TD><TD>Probable(hamstring)</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>32</TD><TD>Brandon Jacobs</TD><TD>at SEA</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>33</TD><TD>Marshawn Lynch</TD><TD>vs. NYG</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>34</TD><TD>Darren Sproles</TD><TD>at HOU</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>35</TD><TD>Michael Bush</TD><TD>vs. KC</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>36</TD><TD>C.J. Spiller</TD><TD>vs. CHI</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>37</TD><TD>Marion Barber</TD><TD>at GB</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>38</TD><TD>Kevin Smith</TD><TD>vs. NYJ</TD><TD>Questionable(knee)</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>39</TD><TD>Julius Jones</TD><TD>at CAR</TD><TD>Probable(shoulder)</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>40</TD><TD>Chester Taylor</TD><TD>at BUF</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>41</TD><TD>Cadillac Williams</TD><TD>at ATL</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>42</TD><TD>Justin Forsett</TD><TD>vs. NYG</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>43</TD><TD>Willis McGahee</TD><TD>vs. MIA</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>44</TD><TD>Ladell Betts</TD><TD>at CAR</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>45</TD><TD>Derrick Ward</TD><TD>vs. SD</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>46</TD><TD>Tim Hightower</TD><TD>at MIN</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>47</TD><TD>Toby Gerhart</TD><TD>vs. ARZ</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>48</TD><TD>Marcel Reece</TD><TD>vs. KC</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>49</TD><TD>LaRod Stephens-Howling</TD><TD>at MIN</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>50</TD><TD>Javarris James</TD><TD>at PHI</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>51</TD><TD>John Kuhn</TD><TD>vs. DAL</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>52</TD><TD>Jason Snelling</TD><TD>vs. TB</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>53</TD><TD>Tashard Choice</TD><TD>at GB</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>54</TD><TD>Mike Goodson</TD><TD>vs. NO</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>55</TD><TD>Bernard Scott</TD><TD>vs. PIT</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>56</TD><TD>Leon Washington</TD><TD>vs. NYG</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>57</TD><TD>Mike Bell</TD><TD>vs. NE</TD><TD>- </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

RB Notes: Check back Thursday afternoon.

[SIZE=+1]Week 9 Wide Receivers[/SIZE]

<TABLE width="100%"><TBODY><TR class=TableTopRed><TD>Rank</TD><TD>Player Name</TD><TD>Opponent</TD><TD>Notes</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>1</TD><TD>Roddy White</TD><TD>vs. TB</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>2</TD><TD>Hakeem Nicks</TD><TD>at SEA</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>3</TD><TD>Reggie Wayne</TD><TD>at PHI</TD><TD>Questionable(hamstring)</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>4</TD><TD>Miles Austin</TD><TD>at GB</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>5</TD><TD>Calvin Johnson</TD><TD>vs. NYJ</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>6</TD><TD>Andre Johnson</TD><TD>vs. SD</TD><TD>Questionable(ankle)</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>7</TD><TD>Greg Jennings</TD><TD>vs. DAL</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>8</TD><TD>Marques Colston</TD><TD>at CAR</TD><TD>Probable(hand)</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>9</TD><TD>Anquan Boldin</TD><TD>vs. MIA</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>10</TD><TD>Brandon Marshall</TD><TD>at BAL</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>11</TD><TD>DeSean Jackson</TD><TD>vs. IND</TD><TD>Questionable(concussion)</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>12</TD><TD>Larry Fitzgerald</TD><TD>at MIN</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>13</TD><TD>Jeremy Maclin</TD><TD>vs. IND</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>14</TD><TD>Pierre Garcon</TD><TD>at PHI</TD><TD>Questionable(hamstring)</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>15</TD><TD>Terrell Owens</TD><TD>vs. PIT</TD><TD>Probable(hand)</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>16</TD><TD>Mike Wallace</TD><TD>at CIN</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>17</TD><TD>Hines Ward</TD><TD>at CIN</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>18</TD><TD>Steve Smith</TD><TD>vs. NO</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>19</TD><TD>Mike Williams</TD><TD>at ATL</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>20</TD><TD>Steve Smith</TD><TD>at SEA</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>21</TD><TD>Dez Bryant</TD><TD>at GB</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>22</TD><TD>Johnny Knox</TD><TD>at BUF</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>23</TD><TD>Dwayne Bowe</TD><TD>at OAK</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>24</TD><TD>Steve Johnson</TD><TD>vs. CHI</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>25</TD><TD>Steve Breaston</TD><TD>at MIN</TD><TD></TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>26</TD><TD>Chad Ochocinco</TD><TD>vs. PIT</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>27</TD><TD>Santonio Holmes</TD><TD>at DET</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>28</TD><TD>Percy Harvin</TD><TD>vs. ARZ</TD><TD>Questionable(ankle)</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>29</TD><TD>James Jones</TD><TD>vs. DAL</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>30</TD><TD>Patrick Crayton</TD><TD>at HOU</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>31</TD><TD>Braylon Edwards</TD><TD>at DET</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>32</TD><TD>Robert Meachem</TD><TD>at CAR</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>33</TD><TD>Davone Bess</TD><TD>at BAL</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>34</TD><TD>Lee Evans</TD><TD>vs. CHI</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>35</TD><TD>Wes Welker</TD><TD>at CLE</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>36</TD><TD>Mike Williams</TD><TD>vs. NYG</TD><TD>Probable(knee)</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>37</TD><TD>Lance Moore</TD><TD>at CAR</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>38</TD><TD>Derrick Mason</TD><TD>vs. MIA</TD><TD>Probable(ankle)</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>39</TD><TD>Seyi Ajirotutu</TD><TD>at HOU</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>40</TD><TD>Nate Burleson</TD><TD>vs. NYJ</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>41</TD><TD>Anthony Gonzalez</TD><TD>at PHI</TD><TD>Questionable(knee)</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>42</TD><TD>Mario Manningham</TD><TD>at SEA</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>43</TD><TD>Jacoby Jones</TD><TD>vs. SD</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>44</TD><TD>Earl Bennett</TD><TD>at BUF</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>45</TD><TD>Darrius Heyward-Bey</TD><TD>vs. KC</TD><TD>Probable(shoulder)</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>46</TD><TD>Kevin Walter</TD><TD>vs. SD</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>47</TD><TD>Jordy Nelson</TD><TD>vs. DAL</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>48</TD><TD>Devin Hester</TD><TD>at BUF</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>49</TD><TD>Roy Williams</TD><TD>at GB</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>50</TD><TD>Bernard Berrian</TD><TD>vs. ARZ</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>51</TD><TD>Deion Branch</TD><TD>at CLE</TD><TD>Questionable(hamstring)</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>52</TD><TD>Devery Henderson</TD><TD>at CAR</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>53</TD><TD>Jason Avant</TD><TD>vs. IND</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>54</TD><TD>Jerricho Cotchery</TD><TD>at DET</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>55</TD><TD>Michael Jenkins</TD><TD>vs. TB</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>56</TD><TD>Brian Hartline</TD><TD>at BAL</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>57</TD><TD>Mohamed Massaquoi</TD><TD>vs. NE</TD><TD>Sidelined(concussion)</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>58</TD><TD>Blair White</TD><TD>at PHI</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>59</TD><TD>Deon Butler</TD><TD>vs. NYG</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>60</TD><TD>Joshua Cribbs</TD><TD>vs. NE</TD><TD>- </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

WR Notes: Coming again, won't you?

<!--RW-->[SIZE=+1]Week 9 Tight Ends[/SIZE]

<TABLE width="100%"><TBODY><TR class=TableTopRed><TD>Rank</TD><TD>Player Name</TD><TD>Opponent</TD><TD>Notes</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>1</TD><TD>Jason Witten</TD><TD>at GB</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>2</TD><TD>Antonio Gates</TD><TD>at HOU</TD><TD>Probable(toe)</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>3</TD><TD>Dustin Keller</TD><TD>at DET</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>4</TD><TD>Tony Gonzalez</TD><TD>vs. TB</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>5</TD><TD>Zach Miller</TD><TD>vs. KC</TD><TD>Sidelined(foot)</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>6</TD><TD>Jacob Tamme</TD><TD>at PHI</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>7</TD><TD>Kellen Winslow</TD><TD>at ATL</TD><TD>Probable(knee)</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>8</TD><TD>Brent Celek</TD><TD>vs. IND</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>9</TD><TD>Aaron Hernandez</TD><TD>at CLE</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>10</TD><TD>Visanthe Shiancoe</TD><TD>vs. ARZ</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>11</TD><TD>Heath Miller</TD><TD>at CIN</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>12</TD><TD>Brandon Pettigrew</TD><TD>vs. NYJ</TD><TD>Probable(ankle)</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>13</TD><TD>Todd Heap</TD><TD>vs. MIA</TD><TD>Probable(back)</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>14</TD><TD>Owen Daniels</TD><TD>vs. SD</TD><TD>Questionable(knee)</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>15</TD><TD>Ben Watson</TD><TD>vs. NE</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>16</TD><TD>Tony Moeaki</TD><TD>at OAK</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>17</TD><TD>John Carlson</TD><TD>vs. NYG</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>18</TD><TD>Jeremy Shockey</TD><TD>at CAR</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>19</TD><TD>Greg Olsen</TD><TD>at BUF</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>20</TD><TD>Anthony Fasano</TD><TD>at BAL</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>21</TD><TD>Jermaine Gresham</TD><TD>vs. PIT</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>22</TD><TD>Tony Scheffler</TD><TD>vs. NYJ</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>23</TD><TD>Kevin Boss</TD><TD>at SEA</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>24</TD><TD>Andrew Quarless</TD><TD>vs. DAL</TD><TD>- </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

TE Notes: Jacob Tamme looked ready against the Texans. He's not going to be huge every week, but he'll be a consistent part of the offense, especially with Austin Collie out a while and Anthony Gonzalez banged up this week. … Aaron Hernandez isn't putting up huge weekly stats, but he gets consistent targets and remains one of the true big play threats at the position. Remain patient. … Over the last five weeks, Brandon Pettigrew has ranked in the top five tight ends in targets, catches, and PPR points. As Silva pointed out on Twitter, however, Matthew Stafford didn't target tight ends last week much.

Losing Tony Romo may somehow help Jason Witten. With the Cowboys always playing catchup, he's going to get a ton of targets each week. … Tony Moeaki will be a top-five tight end someday, possibly as soon as next year. For now, he's lucky to be on pace for over 600 yards in such a run-heavy offense. He didn't have any catches until overtime last week. … It sounds like Antonio Gates really could miss this week's game with a new injury. If he plays, though, are you really going to sit him against Houston?

[SIZE=+1]Week 9 Team Defense[/SIZE]

<TABLE width="100%"><TBODY><TR class=TableTopRed><TD>Rank</TD><TD>Player Name</TD><TD>Opponent</TD><TD>Notes</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>1</TD><TD>Giants Def/Spec Team</TD><TD>at SEA</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>2</TD><TD>Steelers Def/Spec Team</TD><TD>at CIN</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>3</TD><TD>Packers Def/Spec Team</TD><TD>vs. DAL</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>4</TD><TD>Saints Def/Spec Team</TD><TD>at CAR</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>5</TD><TD>Jets Def/Spec Team</TD><TD>at DET</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>6</TD><TD>Chiefs Def/Spec Team</TD><TD>at OAK</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>7</TD><TD>Patriots Def/Spec Team</TD><TD>at CLE</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>8</TD><TD>Vikings Def/Spec Team</TD><TD>vs. ARZ</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>9</TD><TD>Bills Def/Spec Team</TD><TD>vs. CHI</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>10</TD><TD>Bears Def/Spec Team</TD><TD>at BUF</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>11</TD><TD>Falcons Def/Spec Team</TD><TD>vs. TB</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>12</TD><TD>Chargers Def/Spec Team</TD><TD>at HOU</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>13</TD><TD>Raiders Def/Spec Team</TD><TD>vs. KC</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>14</TD><TD>Ravens Def/Spec Team</TD><TD>vs. MIA</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>15</TD><TD>Eagles Def/Spec Team</TD><TD>vs. IND</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>16</TD><TD>Cardinals Def/Spec Team</TD><TD>at MIN</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>17</TD><TD>Seahawks Def/Spec Team</TD><TD>vs. NYG</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>18</TD><TD>Dolphins Def/Spec Team</TD><TD>at BAL</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>19</TD><TD>Colts Def/Spec Team</TD><TD>at PHI</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>20</TD><TD>Lions Def/Spec Team</TD><TD>vs. NYJ</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>21</TD><TD>Bengals Def/Spec Team</TD><TD>vs. PIT</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>22</TD><TD>Browns Def/Spec Team</TD><TD>vs. NE</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>23</TD><TD>Buccaneers Def/Spec Team</TD><TD>at ATL</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>24</TD><TD>Panthers Def/Spec Team</TD><TD>vs. NO</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>25</TD><TD>Cowboys Def/Spec Team</TD><TD>at GB</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>26</TD><TD>Texans Def/Spec Team</TD><TD>vs. SD</TD><TD>- </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

[SIZE=+1]Week 9 Kickers[/SIZE]

<TABLE width="100%"><TBODY><TR class=TableTopRed><TD>Rank</TD><TD>Player Name</TD><TD>Opponent</TD><TD>Notes</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>1</TD><TD>Mason Crosby</TD><TD>vs. DAL</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>2</TD><TD>Ryan Longwell</TD><TD>vs. ARZ</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>3</TD><TD>Robbie Gould</TD><TD>at BUF</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>4</TD><TD>Dan Carpenter</TD><TD>at BAL</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>5</TD><TD>Neil Rackers</TD><TD>vs. SD</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>6</TD><TD>Garrett Hartley</TD><TD>at CAR</TD><TD>Probable(ankle)</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>7</TD><TD>David Akers</TD><TD>vs. IND</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>8</TD><TD>Stephen Gostkowski</TD><TD>at CLE</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>9</TD><TD>Sebastian Janikowski</TD><TD>vs. KC</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>10</TD><TD>Matt Bryant</TD><TD>vs. TB</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>11</TD><TD>Jeff Reed</TD><TD>at CIN</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>12</TD><TD>Adam Vinatieri</TD><TD>at PHI</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>13</TD><TD>Kris Brown</TD><TD>at HOU</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>14</TD><TD>Mike Nugent</TD><TD>vs. PIT</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>15</TD><TD>Jason Hanson</TD><TD>vs. NYJ</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>16</TD><TD>Nick Folk</TD><TD>at DET</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>17</TD><TD>Rian Lindell</TD><TD>vs. CHI</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>18</TD><TD>Lawrence Tynes</TD><TD>at SEA</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>19</TD><TD>Ryan Succop</TD><TD>at OAK</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>20</TD><TD>John Kasay</TD><TD>vs. NO</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>21</TD><TD>David Buehler</TD><TD>at GB</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>22</TD><TD>Billy Cundiff</TD><TD>vs. MIA</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>23</TD><TD>Olindo Mare</TD><TD>vs. NYG</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>24</TD><TD>Connor Barth</TD><TD>at ATL</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>25</TD><TD>Jay Feely</TD><TD>at MIN</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>26</TD><TD>Phil Dawson</TD><TD>vs. NE</TD><TD>- </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

 

[HacheMan]

Matchups: The Seyi-Hey Kid

Four years ago, Gregg Rosenthal granted me the privilege of leading Rotoworld.com's NFL Draft coverage. The draft is my focus during the NFL postseason, which coincides with a number of pre-draft all-star games. Each year, a few under-the-radar draft-eligibles stand out at the events, which pit top college seniors against one another. It's an opportunity for players who may not have been featured in their college's offense or defense to show NFL scouts that they can play.

Last winter, Seyi Ajirotutu was among the players who stood out.

A 6-foot-3, 211-pound deep threat from Fresno State, Ajirotutu led the Bulldogs in receptions, yards, and touchdowns as a senior. He earned second-team All-WAC honors despite playing on a run-dominated team that featured NCAA rushing leader Ryan Mathews. Coach Pat Hill's club finished the season with a 555-to-321 run-to-pass ratio. Ajirotutu played in a pro-style offense, learning to run pro-style routes and earning a reputation for fearlessness over the middle.

It was at January's East-West Shrine Game, however, that Ajirotutu really generated buzz. Ex-NFL head coach Marty Schottenheimer coached the West squad and had this to say about the field-stretching wideout:

"He reminds me a lot of Vincent Jackson or Malcom Floyd in San Diego. He is a big kid and can run like the wind. I've been very impressed by him."

On the Shrine Game practice field, Ajirotutu consistently dominated the all-star events' most highly-touted defensive backs. He ran a relatively pedestrian 4.53 forty in Indianapolis three months later, however, and was not selected in April's draft.

Ironically in light of Schottenheimer's comments, Ajirotutu caught on with the Chargers as a priority free agent. He convincingly beat out Jeremy Williams, Ernest Smith, and Gary Banks in training camp for a practice squad spot. On October 23, Ajirotutu earned a promotion to the 53-man roster. He played 13 snaps in Week 7, catching each of his two targets for 26 yards. Coach Norv Turner rewarded Ajirotutu's efficient performance with 48 snaps in Week 8, and he responded with three catches for 48 yards to lead all Chargers wide receivers against Tennessee.

His playing time and production swiftly on the rise, Ajirotutu is in line for a season-high workload in Week 9. Philip Rivers is a virtual shoe-in for 300-plus yards against Houston's last-ranked pass defense. Malcom Floyd and Legedu Naanee will both be inactive with hamstring injuries. Antonio Gates has a torn plantar fascia, and will be limited in the questionable-to-doubtful event that he plays. Craig Davis is on injured reserve, and Vincent Jackson is ineligible until Week 12.

Patrick Crayton and Ajirotutu will be Rivers' primary receivers on Sunday.

Undoubtedly, starting Ajirotutu in a fantasy league requires a leap of faith. He's an undrafted rookie with two career appearances. You're not going to use him over proven options. But with a major role in the NFL's top-ranked passing offense, facing the NFL's worst pass defense, Ajirotutu should appeal to fantasy owners in need of a high-upside bye-week replacement.

[SIZE=+1]1:00PM ET Games[/SIZE]

NY Jets @ Detroit

The Lions return from a dominant offensive effort in which they poured 37 points on the Redskins. Matthew Stafford made it through his first full game, throwing for four scores and 212 yards on 45 attempts. The Jets' pass defense presents a tough matchup with Darrelle Revis healthy, but no team in the NFL throws as often as Detroit. While Stafford is a low-end QB1 play, Calvin Johnson can't be stopped. He's topped 100 yards in two straight games and scored a mind-blowing seven TDs in his last four. He's the No. 3 receiver in fantasy. ... With Stafford and Megatron firing on all cylinders, Nate Burleson managed just 47 yards in his return to a supporting cast role against Washington. He'll see quite a bit of Jets CB Antonio Cromartie Sunday, and is a poor WR3 risk.

Detroit emerged from its Week 7 bye with a backfield committee. Jahvid Best saw the game's first five touches, but generated just seven yards on four carries before Kevin Smith took over on the third possession. While Best finished with 17 touches to Smith's 14, the latter led the Lions in rushing. Smith (knee) may not play against New York, but this is a "wait-and-see" week for Best. The Jets rank fourth against the run, have allowed two rushing TDs all year, and only the Steelers give up fewer yards per carry (3.4). ... Stafford's return immediately sapped the value of Detroit's tight end duo. In Week 8 Stafford targeted Brandon Pettigrew and Tony Scheffler a combined six times (for two completions and eight yards), compared to 29 targets to wideouts (17 completions). The aggressive Stafford has never been a fan of throwing to tight ends, dating back to Georgia.

Perhaps it's time to take the Lions' defense seriously. Jim Schwartz's unit hasn't let a quarterback top 210 yards since Week 2 (Michael Vick), ranks sixth in sacks, and has been surprisingly stingy against long completions. The Jets' passing offense, meanwhile, is reverting to its struggles of August and September. Mark Sanchez has one touchdown pass since Week 4, compiling a 1:4 TD-to-INT ratio during that span and completing an especially dreadful 50.6 percent of his throws since Week 2. He isn't a fantasy option, and threatens to bring his pass catchers down with him in Week 9. ... Santonio Holmes is the team's best receiver, yet is struggling just to play 50 percent of the snaps and has failed to top 47 receiving yards in three games as a Jet. His breakout week is coming, but Holmes is tough to count on when he's playing a limited role and isn't producing.

Jerricho Cotchery is seeing the most playing time in New York's receiver corps, but is averaging 10.1 yards a catch with one touchdown. He has very little upside. ... Braylon Edwards' yardage totals have dropped in five straight weeks. He's never a bad bet to score, but is merely a low-end WR3. ... Dustin Keller has slowed down considerably, failing to find pay dirt since Week 4. He still ranks fourth among fantasy tight ends, however. ... With the passing attack struggling, it's only sensible for the Jets to resume leaning on their ground game. LaDainian Tomlinson has at least 21 touches in three of his last four games. If OC Brian Schottenheimer is smart, he'll make sure L.T. and Shonn Greene are the focal points of his Week 9 game plan. Detroit ranks 27th versus the run, serves up 4.86 yards per carry, and has given up the third most rushing TDs in football.

Miami @ Baltimore

Brandon Marshall is officially having a Moss-Welkerian effect on Davone Bess. Though Bess' three-week scoring streak was snapped last Sunday, the slot receiver racked up seven more catches and has hauled in fewer than five just once all season. He's one of the better WR3s going in PPR, and worth plenty of consideration for non-PPR owners searching for bye-week alternatives. ... Marshall has been impressively consistent this year in terms of catch and yardage totals, but has scored one touchdown. The Fins' "red-zone woes" came into focus in Miami this week, and when that happens coaching staffs often react by force-feeding. Look for plenty of targets for Marshall when Dan Henning's offense gets into scoring position. The Ravens' No. 9 pass defense ranking looks swell on paper, but it was torched for 382 yards and four touchdowns by Ryan Fitzpatrick in its last game and doesn't have a corner capable of shutting down Marshall.

Ronnie Brown continues to get the ball more than Ricky Williams (Ronnie had 17 touches compared to Ricky's 10 in Week 8), but the Dolphins' backfield has become an unreliable source of fantasy value. While Baltimore's No. 17 run defense doesn't pose matchup problems like it used to, neither Brown nor Williams ranks better than 31st in running back fantasy scoring. Williams also got the game-sealing, fourth-quarter goal-line carry at Cincinnati last week, executing from a yard out. Neither player is appealing as more than a flex play at Baltimore.

Ray Rice has been disappointing, ranking 19th in fantasy points at his position and failing to find the end zone in 6-of-7 games. OC Cam Cameron's ability to game plan is a strength, however, and he'll rebound with a decisive approach after seeing his team not take the Bills seriously prior to Baltimore's Week 8 bye, nearly losing in a let-down game. The division of touches was Rice 17, Willis McGahee 12 against Buffalo. A more lopsided distribution in Rice's favor is likely, as the Ravens' feature back had the off week to heal his ankle and knee injuries. Rice isn't on the injury report for the first time since Week 2. ... McGahee is bench material. Against the Bills in Week 7, the Ravens did him a favor with 12 touches and a third-quarter goal-line carry after being unable to deal McGahee prior to the trade deadline. In Week 6, he didn't play a solitary snap.

If averaging 51 yards per game wasn't enough for you to sit him, Derrick Mason has a broken right pinkie finger and a sprained ankle. He's someone over whom I'd use Ajirotutu. ... Throw out a one-catch, eight-yard shutdown by Champ Bailey in Week 5 and Anquan Boldin is on pace for a 99/1,360/14 season. During his last two years in Arizona, the Pahokee (FL) native all but begged for a trade to Miami. He'll look to make the Dolphins pay after they chose Marshall instead. ... No tight end has topped 33 yards against the Fins since Week 3. Todd Heap isn't an option. ... With RCB Sean Smith's snaps increasing, Miami's secondary looks more formidable. Carson Palmer entered Week 8 against them with at least 371 yards in two of his last three games. He emerged with 156. Joe Flacco is better than Palmer, but expectations should be limited.

New England @ Cleveland

Tom Brady has not faced a pass defense ranked worse than 20th all year, which in part explains his relatively disappointing No. 10 rank among fantasy quarterbacks. The Browns, by far, offer his best matchup to date. The No. 26 overall pass defense, Cleveland lets up nearly two TD passes a game and has just 13 sacks. To whom Brady's passes will go is a conundrum, but he'll have a clean pocket from which to pick apart the leaky Browns. ... Brandon Tate busted loose for 101 yards and a score on three catches in Week 8, but ultimately saw just four targets and did the damage against hapless Vikings RCB Asher Allen. Browns RCB Sheldon Brown is a much surer tackler, and with Deion Branch (hamstring) getting healthier, Tate's snaps will decline. He's an extremely risky start. ... Branch hurts Tate, but is an even worse bet on his own. He's still not 100 percent and has combined for a scoreless 60 yards on five receptions in his last two games.

Aaron Hernandez saw just three Week 8 targets and has zero TDs on the season, but will give Cleveland matchup problems. They've not faced a tight end like Hernandez (essentially a slot receiver) all year. Hernandez may also benefit from reduced playing time for Rob Gronkowski. According to Pro Football Focus, "Gronk" struggled as a run blocker and dropped a pass last week. ... Wes Welker's production has fallen in each game since the Randy Moss trade, but he needs to stay in lineups because of the matchup. ... Cleveland's run defense has been a Jekyll and Hyde unit, but BenJarvus Green-Ellis appears to have taken a fairly commanding lead over Danny Woodhead in the Patriots' backfield. In their last four games, "Law Firm" has 55 touches and five touchdowns to Woodhead's 47 and two. In Week 8, Green-Ellis totaled 123 yards on 18 touches while Woodhead had 58 on 11. Green-Ellis is a worthwhile RB2 against the Browns.

Rookie Colt McCoy will make a third straight start, but the Browns aren't inclined to let him attempt many passes. Despite a 69.7 completion rate and an 8.5 YPA in McCoy's Week 6 debut, the coaching staff reeled back its game plan the following week, relying on special teams, trick plays, and Peyton Hillis. McCoy threw just 16 times, completing nine of them for 74 yards. Mohamed Massaquoi is back from his concussion, but far from a fantasy option. ... Ben Watson is the only member of this passing game worth a serious look. He ranks 12th in fantasy scoring among tight ends, and New England surrenders the fifth most fantasy points to Watson's position. Tight ends are going down across the league at a rapid rate, so Watson should appeal to desperate owners.

Bill Belichick has mastered the art of taking away opponents' strengths, so it's reasonable to be concerned about Hillis this week. The Pats won't be tempted to double team any Browns pass catcher, and stopping Hillis will be their primary focus. He's near-impossible to bench, however, when Hillis ranks No. 8 among fantasy running backs, is off the injury report for the first time in a month after a bye week to recuperate, and averages 19 touches for 94 yards and a touchdown per game. While New England boasts a top-11 run defense that permits just 3.9 yards per carry, Hillis is such a versatile weapon with such a good line that he's a must-start with six teams on bye.

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San Diego @ Houston

With November underway, owners can use domed games as tiebreakers for start 'em/sit 'ems. This one will be played beneath Reliant Stadium's enclosed roof, and is an ideal target for bye-week crunches. ... Philip Rivers is on pace for 5,298 passing yards, which would shatter Dan Marino's 26-year record of 5,084. With Vincent Jackson coming back, Rivers has a better than realistic chance to make it happen. You might want to start him against the NFL's No. 32 pass defense. ... Rivers threatens to be without Antonio Gates, however. Previously dealing with toe and ankle injuries to his left foot, Gates tore the plantar fascia on his right foot late in last week's win over the Titans. The Chargers have a Week 10 bye, so they'd be smarter to let him sit out the next two weeks rather than push Gates through an extremely painful injury. ... The Texans are vulnerable to tight ends, but Randy McMichael isn't a fantasy option. The dead-legged 31-year-old doesn't have a catch for longer than four yards since Week 3 and would rotate with Kris Wilson if Gates sits.

Patrick Crayton managed just four catches for 46 yards against an underrated Titans secondary in Week 8. He's averaging six grabs for 82 yards a game since Malcom Floyd's hamstring injury, however, and will face off with burnable rookie CB Kareem Jackson for most of this one. ... As explained in this column's intro, Seyi Ajirotutu is the next best bet in San Diego's pass-catching corps. Another feather in Ajirotutu's cap: Vegas projects Texans-Chargers to be Week 9's highest-scoring game. ... In Week 8, Ryan Mathews played more snaps than any other Bolts back for the first time all year. Mike Tolbert led San Diego in rushing, but Mathews paced the group in touches (18), scored his first touchdown since Week 4, and would've gotten the ball even more had he not temporarily left with a third-quarter facial laceration. With a little luck, Mathews will realize his potential one of these weeks. ... Tolbert got a bump in snaps and touches due to Mathews' injury, but will resume backseat/goal-line option status at Houston. Keep him reserved.

The Chargers don't play matchup-based coverage, so RCB Antoine Cason will be on Texans LWR Andre Johnson for most of Sunday. Cason will have safety help from Eric Weddle, but it hasn't mattered lately. In his past three games, Cason has surrendered a 38-yard TD to Danario Alexander and a 71-yard scoring bomb to Nate Washington. A.J.'s ankle injury won't keep him out. ... Kevin Walter was on the field for the first snap of Houston's Week 8 loss to the Colts, but rotated with Jacoby Jones. They ultimately canceled each other out, each seeing five targets. It's a situation to avoid against shutdown LCB Quentin Jammer and San Diego's No. 1 pass defense.

Owen Daniels was even quieter at Indianapolis, seeing three targets and catching one for eight yards. For a player with numerous health concerns, more consistent production is required before Daniels is counted on in fantasy. ... In an apparent effort to jump-start Matt Schaub, Texans coach Gary Kubiak came out throwing against the Colts. The results were disastrous, as an offensive line that dominates in run blocking but struggles to pass protect was exposed by Dwight Freeney and Clint Session. Schaub ranks 17th among quarterbacks in fantasy scoring. ... Look for Kubiak to resume maximizing his strengths against a Chargers team more susceptible to the run than the pass. A true every-down back, Arian Foster still found a way to rack up 167 total yards and a touchdown against Indy despite the pass-first game plan. He's the No. 7 player in all of fantasy.

Chicago @ Buffalo

The Week 9 slate includes five indoor games, and this is one of them. Toronto's Rogers Centre (formerly "Skydome") will have its retractable roof closed, which is good news for passing on both sides. Chicago Tribune Bears beat reporter Brad Biggs this week described the matchup with Buffalo as "a tremendous opportunity" for Jay Cutler and Mike Martz. Coming off a much-needed bye, the interception- and sack-prone Bears face a Bills team that ranks dead last in INTs (1) and has the NFL's fifth-fewest sacks (11). Opposing quarterbacks have combined for 110.0 rating against Buffalo, assisted substantially by a 15:1 touchdown-to-interception ratio allowed. If there was ever a time to use Cutler, this is it. Quietly, this one projects as a high-scoring affair.

With Bills LCB Terrence McGee (knee) back, burnable bookend Drayton Florence returns to RCB to face off with deep threat Johnny Knox. A high-upside WR3 with little downside, Knox is on pace for nearly 1,100 receiving yards while averaging five catches for 88 yards in the five games Cutler has played all four quarters. ... The Bills struggle against tight ends, but Greg Olsen has three catches since Week 4 and hasn't scored since Week 3. ... Devin Hester's snaps are down because the Bears "want to keep him fresh for punt returns." Thankfully, the receiver experiment is ending. ... Keep an eye on Devin Aromashodu for stretch-run purposes. He only played nine snaps in Chicago's last game, but started. ... As noted by Biggs, the Bills are on pace to allow 3,019 rushing yards -- the worst mark in the last 30 years. Chester Taylor is the Bears' new goal-line back and worth a look as a flex. Matt Forte remains easily a top-15 running back play.

Even if this game doesn't produce a lot of points, Torontonians should at least witness lots of ball movement. Much of the yardage is likely to come from Ryan Fitzpatrick. Chicago's Cover 2 plays to the strengths of Buffalo's short-based passing offense, as Lovie Smith is willing to sacrifice chain-moving completions in exchange for takeaway chances. The Bills' line -- particularly undrafted rookie RT Cord Howard -- will have its hands full with Julius Peppers, but can offset the pass rusher with quick throws to flanker Steve Johnson and split end Lee Evans. Don't discount Fitzpatrick as an underrated QB1 after his slow Week 8 game against the Chiefs. He's still a top-11 fantasy quarterback. ... Johnson has six touchdowns in his last five outings. The 6'2/202-pound physical threat will square off with Bears LCB Tim Jennings (5'8/185) for much of Sunday.

The Bears rank fifth against the run and allow 3.6 yards per carry, also good for the fifth fewest in the league. They are susceptible to long runs (league-high 10 carries of 20-plus yards allowed), but Buffalo only has three of them all year, with just one coming from Fred Jackson. Though F-Jax is getting the ball 20 times a game since Marshawn Lynch's exit, he has zero touchdowns and a 73 total-yard average to show for it. Jackson isn't producing, and this isn't a good matchup. ... C.J. Spiller figures to experience a late-season bump in offensive playing time, but is averaging just eight touches per game since the Lynch deal. He's no more than a long-range fantasy flier.

Arizona @ Minnesota

Derek Anderson's reinsertion doesn't improve Larry Fitzgerald's chances of racking up catches, but his matchup couldn't possibly be better. Fitz has been sticking primarily to the left side of the formation, meaning he's more likely square off with Vikings RCB Asher Allen than LCB Antoine Winfield. (Minnesota's cornerbacks only move when Winfield covers the slot.) One of the worst tackling corners in football, Allen has also been destroyed in coverage. He gave up Brandon Tate's 65-yard touchdown in Week 8, as well as a 14-yard score to Greg Jennings the week before. Fitzgerald should be open most of the day, and bust tackles at will when D.A. finds him. ... Steve Breaston has topped 41 yards in just two games this season and will see Winfield for most of this game. Breaston caught eight balls for 147 yards in Week 8 and seems to have some chemistry with Anderson, but he won't create after the catch against Winfield's sure tackling.

Getting his first career start against Tampa Bay's porous run defense in Week 8, Beanie Wells produced a respectable 12.4 fantasy points. His on-field performance was more troubling, as explained in Gregg Rosenthal's Goal Line Stand. Wells' appearance on the Week 9 injury report due to swelling in his surgically repaired knee indicates that he's not 100 percent. His YPC average also way down from last year (3.38 compared to 2009's 4.51), Wells is questionable to face Minnesota. While he is expected to be active, he's not playing well enough for reliability as more than a low-end RB2. ... Tim Hightower was bench-banished in Week 8, losing passing-down work to LaRod Stephens-Howling and appearing only for a late-game drive because Wells had a back bruise. Hightower had two touches and is merely a handcuff for Wells at this point.

Adrian Peterson is lucky to face an Arizona team that has little hope of stopping the run (No. 29 rush defense, 22/120/2 allowed to undrafted rookie LeGarrette Blount last week), because he'll be the focus of opposing defenses going forward. Double team-commanding wideout Randy Moss is gone to Nashville, and Percy Harvin's severe ankle injury is likely to limit him assuming he's even active. The good news is that Peterson will remain the Vikings' offensive centerpiece, perhaps to an even greater extent than he was previously. Gregg Rosenthal and Chris Wesseling rank him No. 1 among running backs this week. ... As for Harvin, he's an extremely risky play. Already in line for the double teams left behind by Moss, Harvin was seen limping noticeably around Vikings headquarters on both Wednesday and Thursday. I, personally, am benching Harvin this week.

The Cardinals rank 21st against the pass, but Brett Favre will have a hard time carving out fantasy production with Harvin hobbled and no Moss. Should Harvin not play, the Vikings' three-receiver set would dwindle from Moss-Harvin-Bernard Berrian to Berrian-Greg Camarillo-Greg Lewis in a matter of one week. It's a nightmare situation. ... Visanthe Shiancoe is a speculative fantasy start considering that he hasn't topped 38 yards since Week 2. Shiancoe, however, does finally appear recovered from his early-season hamstring injury, and had emerged as Minnesota's top bet for receiving yards prior to Moss' month-long stay in the Twin Cities. Against a Cards defense that struggles to stop tight ends due to poor safety coverage, Shiancoe is a sneaky bye-week TE1.

Tampa Bay @ Atlanta

Coach Raheem Morris indicated in this week's conference call with the Atlanta media that the Bucs will use Aqib Talib to shadow Roddy White all over the field Sunday, calling it a matchup "especially fun to watch." White owners should be licking their chops. Fantasy football's No. 2 overall receiver this season, White burned Talib and Tampa for touchdowns in each of their two games last season. Talib's five interceptions look great on paper, but he's devolved into a gambling, risk-taking cornerback who targets the big play instead of shutting down receivers. According to Pro Football Focus, Talib has given up a touchdown in all but one game this season, and was burned by the Cardinals for 93 yards and a score on six completions in Week 8.

The Bucs kept in check a hobbled Beanie Wells last week, but this is still a run defense that ranks 30th and surrenders a league-high 5.2 yards per carry. Michael Turner should return from his bye for a real ringer. ... Behind White, Falcons pass catchers have been almost nonexistent. Tony Gonzalez, clearly slowing down at age 34, is averaging 10.06 yards per catch and 42 yards per game. Gonzalez is never a bad bet for a touchdown, but he's no longer a consistent threat for truly big games. ... Matt Ryan is the No. 6 overall quarterback in fantasy, and only four NFL teams have given up more passing touchdowns than the Bucs. Ryan has also been close to dominant in home games. In three outings at the Georgia Dome this year, he's averaging 266 passing yards with a 7:3 TD-to-INT ratio. In four on the road, Ryan's at 230 yards with a 5:2 ratio.

LeGarrette Blount more than doubled his career carry total in Tampa's Week 8 win, rushing 22 times for 120 yards and two TDs, but did it against Arizona's No. 29 rush defense. Atlanta is far stingier, ranking sixth against the run with only three rushing scores permitted in seven games. Blount was outrageously effective in the open field, literally hurdling over defenders and crashing through others, but this is a matchup to show his mettle. While owners can't confidently expect a repeat performance, Blount's goal-line role keeps him in the high-upside RB2 realm. Certainly, Cadillac Williams has faded as any kind of threat. ... One more plus for Blount: The Falcons have considerably more tape on Josh Freeman (224 pass attempts this season compared to Blount's 43 rushes) and will likely look to slow down the Bucs' quarterback first and foremost.

Freeman is averaging a robust 248 yards per game in the last month, but hasn't thrown multiple touchdown passes since Week 2. He's still in clear-cut QB2 territory, especially in this matchup with Falcons top CB Dunta Robinson (concussion, knee) due back. ... Mike Williams is likely to spend most of this game in Robinson's coverage. According to Pro Football Focus, opponents are completing 63 percent of their passes against Robinson, but he's not letting anyone get deep, holding them to a 9.4 yards-per-catch average with not a single TD allowed. Falcons LCB Brent Grimes has also been surprisingly stingy. (It's safeties and slot corner Chris Owens getting burned most for Atlanta.) Williams is tough to sit after his 4/105/1 explosion against the Cardinals last week, but he's not going against Greg Toler and Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie anymore.

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New Orleans @ Carolina

Scoreless in his first six games, Marques Colston has hit his stride after offseason knee surgery. The Saints' No. 1 receiver has 16 grabs for 187 yards and two TDs in his last two. Elite wideouts playing so well can't be benched, but it's worth noting that Carolina has had Colston's number in their last three meetings. His lines in them: 1/45/0, 1/3/0, 4/36/0. ... Saints WR snaps/targets in Week 8: Colston -- 56/9; Devery Henderson -- 42/4; Lance Moore -- 33/8; Robert Meachem -- 30/6. ... Moore's seven catches led the way, and he's a viable WR3 as long as Reggie Bush is out. Bush (leg) won't return until Week 11. ... Henderson hasn't scored since Week 1. He's the poorest fantasy bet in New Orleans' receiver corps. ... Meachem is playing the fewest snaps, but makes plays when he gets opportunities. He has at least 76 yards or a touchdown in three of his last four games, and could be the beneficiary if the Panthers shut down Colston.

Despite reportedly playing through knee injuries, Drew Brees has multiple touchdown passes in each of his last four outings and 300 or more passing yards in two straight. Carolina's No. 5 pass defense ranking looks good on paper, but Sam Bradford completed 78.1 percent of his throws and threw two touchdowns against it in Week 8. Brees is the No. 3 overall fantasy QB. ... At this point, the Saints' backfield should be considered a fantasy wasteland, not a source of potential "sleeper" value. Saints RB snap counts/touch totals in Week 8: Ladell Betts -- 27/4; Julius Jones -- 20/10; Chris Ivory -- 13/7. ... The plodding Jones led the group in total yards with 36. It's a situation to avoid until Pierre Thomas (ankle) or Bush gets back, especially against a Carolina defense that shut down Steven Jackson to the tune of 63 yards on 24 touches in Week 8.

Jonathan Stewart's scoreless, 30-yard game at St. Louis was incredibly disappointing. Stewart is averaging just 2.8 YPC on the year, making him an especially dicey start against a Saints team that could pour on early points and force Carolina to play from behind. With DeAngelo Williams (foot) expected to miss another game, however, Stewart is again in line for 15-20 touches. He's not the borderline RB1 we envisioned at St. Louis, but such a talented back getting a full workload is difficult to bench in fantasy. ... Returning from his alleged breakout game in Week 7 (8/125/2), David Gettis crashed back down to earth with a catch-less, three-target Week 8. A career underachiever dating back to Baylor, Gettis was a monster high school recruit who never met expectations, scoring four touchdowns in his college career. He's always been a tease.

Steve Smith's nine-catch, 85-yard day against the Rams could've been a lot bigger if not for two drops. Smith dominated targets, seeing a game-high 15 and confirming that his ankle injury is in the rear-view mirror. The Saints may bum rush Matt Moore as they did Ben Roethlisberger last Sunday night in an effort to prevent long bombs, but Smith is running more short-to-intermediate routes than ever this season. He simply makes too many big plays after the catch to bench. ... Brandon LaFell and Gettis are rotating in the No. 2 receiver role for Carolina. With Smith hogging receptions and targets, the rookies will struggle for consistency in an overall weak passing attack.

[SIZE=+1]4:05PM ET Game[/SIZE]

NY Giants @ Seattle

Manson lookalike Charlie Whitehurst isn't just making his first start in Week 9. He's attempting his first NFL pass. Whitehurst's preseason against second- and third-stringers: 46-of-90 (51.1 percent) for four TDs, four INTs, and four sacks taken. Without LT Russell Okung (high ankle sprain), it's going to be a long day for Whitehurst against a Giants defense that leads the league in sacks per game and has knocked five QBs out of seven contests. ... If there was one shining light from Whitehurst's exhibition performances, it's that he delivered the ball downfield, averaging 7.1 yards per attempt in spite of the miserable completion rate. Whether he'll be able to do so against New York's ferocious pass rush remains to be seen, but Whitehurst will be a drain on Big Mike Williams' value. With a lineman-like forty time, Williams takes forever to get deep.

John Carlson's four-target, three-catch, 47-yard game in Week 8 was his best in the last month. A short-route runner like Williams, Carlson won't be helped by Whitehurst's ascension to the starting quarterback role. ... Deon Butler isn't worth a look, either. Though he'll run the vertical patterns with Golden Tate (ankle) ruled out, Butler's production has dropped in three straight weeks. ... If Marshawn Lynch can't capitalize on a Week 8 date with the Raiders, against whom is he going to excel? He finished with seven yards on nine carries last week, and is down to 2.8 yards a tote as a Seahawk. Throw out a fluky 39-yard run in Week 7 and it becomes 2.06. Only the Steelers and Chargers are more proficient at run stopping than the G-Men this season.

Ranked second in run defense entering Week 8, a late-season collapse appears to be in the works for Seattle's front seven. Core run-stopping LE Red Bryant went on I.R. this week and immovable NT Colin Cole (ankle) is out indefinitely. Their replacements will be former 49ers first-round bust Kentwan Balmer and former Chiefs second-round bust Junior Siavii (0 career starts). After Darren McFadden moved the Seahawks from No. 2 to 10th last week in the run defense rankings, Ahmad Bradshaw should light up the injury-decimated unit as a borderline RB1. ... Brandon Jacobs has a touchdown in four straight games, over that span averaging 10 touches for 55 yards per game and 5.76 yards per tote. Though TDs carry his value, it's all confirmation that Jacobs is playing well again. He's approaching every-week flex status in non-PPR leagues.

I spoke of it here previously, and it became national news when ESPN's Matt Millen mentioned on Week 7 Monday Night Football that teams continue to leave Hakeem Nicks exposed to single coverage. Enjoy it while it lasts. Millen cited the single teams after Nicks went off for nine grabs, 108 yards, and two touchdowns against Dallas. Among receivers, only Brandon Lloyd, Roddy White, and Calvin Johnson have more fantasy points this season. ... Steve Smith has picked it up since a slow start, going off for an average of seven catches for 87 yards with two touchdowns in his last three games. He'll draw Seahawks top CB Marcus Trufant more than Nicks, but shouldn't disappoint as a WR2/3. ... Seattle ranks 29th against the pass. Eli Manning is the No. 8 overall fantasy quarterback and figures to stay hot as the Giants dominate time of possession Sunday.

[SIZE=+1]4:15PM ET Games[/SIZE]

Indianapolis @ Philadelphia

We'll start to incorporate weather more in this space. The forecast for this one was worth a look because it involves so many fantasy starters. As of Thursday night, Weather.com called for 50-plus degree temps and mostly sunny skies. Fire up your Colts and Eagles. ... Peyton Manning (No. 2 fantasy QB) and Reggie Wayne (No. 9 WR) are matchup proof, so Philly's No. 11 pass defense is no deterrent. ... Anthony Gonzalez (knee) is injured again and the Colts don't appear comfortable yet with Blair White, so they're pushing Austin Collie back from thumb surgery. Collie will square off with Eagles slot corner Joselio Hanson, whose coverage has been stout this season save a Week 2 torching by Calvin Johnson when he was forced outside due to injury. At less than 100 percent, Collie is a risky if high-upside WR3. He does appear set for a full complement of snaps.

The Eagles have given up four TDs to tight ends in their last four games. Jacob Tamme exploded onto the scene in the Dallas Clark role last week, playing 81 percent of the snaps and catching six balls for 64 yards and a score. He could be relied on even more heavily this week with fellow TE Brody Eldridge battling a rib injury and having dropped his lone target in Week 8. ... Mike Hart (ankle) and Joseph Addai (shoulder) are expected to miss Week 9. Donald Brown is on the hook for the start, but it would require a leap of faith to start him after Brown appeared to be yanked for ineffectiveness late in last week's game. The Colts went with undrafted rookie Javarris James -- who couldn't even start in college -- after Brown managed just 16 yards on nine carries. The Eagles only surrender 4.0 yards per carry and get NT Brodrick Bunkley (elbow) back this week.

DeSean Jackson (concussion) is expected to return, and should be immediately reinserted as a borderline WR1. In 11 quarters with Michael Vick, Jackson has 14 catches for 324 yards and two touchdowns. In 13 quarters with Kevin Kolb, he managed just five catches for 71 yards and one TD. ... Because of their speed, the Colts have a defense built to hang with Vick. It really doesn't matter, though, because Vick is a top-five fantasy option. In his four appearances, Vick has accounted for seven TDs, zero turnovers, and an average of 8.3 yards per pass attempt. He's also averaging 7.2 yards per carry. Start him with confidence. ... Jeremy Maclin has dominated regardless of his quarterback. As the No. 8 overall fantasy receiver, he's an every-week starter.

Brent Celek claims to be healthy after battling through a wrist injury to lead tight ends in drops during the first seven games. Due to the miscues, the Eagles have rarely called plays for him. Indy is one of the NFL's stingiest teams against tight ends, and Vick has not looked his way this year. Both of Celek's touchdowns have come from Kolb. ... The Colts rank 28th against the run and LeSean McCoy is sixth among fantasy running backs. You already knew to start him, of course.

Kansas City @ Oakland

Raiders RCB Nnamdi Asomugha is expected to miss Week 9 with a high ankle sprain, and the downgrade in Oakland's pass defense without him will be massive. Though Kansas City is sure to go run-heavy as always, fantasy owners can count on Dwayne Bowe being the intended target on the rare occasions Matt Cassel drops back to pass. With Asomugha out, Bowe is a much better bet to get open. He has five touchdowns in his last three games and is dominating Cassel's attention, seeing a team-high 20 targets over that span. Start him with confidence as a borderline WR2. ... Tony Moeaki has just ten targets since Week 5 and hasn't found the end zone since Week 3. He'll continue to focus on run blocking against Oakland's 26th-ranked rush defense.

Jamaal Charles is coming off the most dominant rushing effort of Week 8, racking up 238 total yards against Buffalo. An incredible 17 of Charles' 26 touches last week went for a gain of at least six yards. He also received nine of the Chiefs' final 11 running back touches in the 13-10 overtime victory, compared to just two for Thomas Jones. It was confirmation that coach Todd Haley considers Charles the Chiefs' best option. Expect him to continue in the lead back role against a Raiders team that has moved up the run defense rankings a bit by blowing out its last two inept opponents (Denver, Seattle). They won't be able to do the same against Kansas City.

Darren McFadden leads the league in rushing yards per game, proving himself matchup-proof against a Seahawks defense that ranked second against the run entering Week 8. Almost single-handedly, McFadden dropped Seattle's ranking to No. 10 in a matter of one game. There's not a running back playing better in football, so McFadden is a must-start despite the Chiefs' highly-rated run defense. ... The vast majority of Michael Bush's 171 total yards and two touchdowns over the past two weeks has come in garbage time. The Raiders have smashed their last two opponents by a combined margin of 92-17. If you're starting Bush in a fantasy league, you're essentially wagering that Oakland is going to blow out Kansas City. He's a poor flex option.

Jason Campbell was announced as Oakland's Week 9 starter, and he earned it by engineering back-to-back wins while compiling a 4:0 touchdown-to-interception ratio and an otherworldly 10.9 yards-per-attempt average. It won't keep up against a Chiefs pass defense that surrenders just 6.5 YPA and has allowed all of nine touchdown passes in seven games. Campbell's start-ability is further diminished by a foot injury that clearly hobbled Zach Miller throughout Week 8, as the tight end finished with one catch for eight yards. ... Louis Murphy (bruised lung) won't play against the Chiefs, so Darrius Heyward-Bey will slide into the No. 1 receiver role again. Heyward-Bey is coming off a career-best game (5/105/1), but did nearly all of the damage against Seahawks practice squad-caliber CB Roy Lewis because Kelly Jennings and Walter Thurmond III were inactive with injuries. Also battling his own shoulder problem, DHB isn't a good fantasy play.
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[SIZE=+1]Sunday Night Football[/SIZE]

Dallas @ Green Bay
The Packers opened the year trying to keep their receivers fresh by limiting Greg Jennings and Donald Driver's snaps. Driver has predictably broken down as a 35-year-old coming off two knee surgeries, but Jennings has become impossible to take off the field since Jermichael Finley's injury. Whereas Jennings oddly averaged only 45 snaps per game in the season's first month, he's averaged 61 snaps a week in the Packers' last four games. Increased playing time has resulted in highly consistent production, as Jennings is averaging six catches for 96 yards per game since Week 5, with two touchdowns in his last three outings. Jennings will go against Mike Jenkins for the majority of this one, and like the rest of the Cowboys' defense the starting right cornerback appears to have thrown in the towel. Jenkins was burned repeatedly by the consistently underwhelming Mike Sims-Walker in Week 8, as MSW went off for 153 yards and a touchdown on eight catches. Jennings is a much better player than Sims-Walker.

Jordy Nelson and James Jones have swapped production over the last three weeks, but Jones stands to benefit most from Driver's (quad) inactivity. He'll become an every-down player, starting at flanker and likely moving into the slot for three-receiver sets -- just as Driver did. Nelson is more of a desperation play. ... Brandon Jackson ran for 55 yards on 15 carries in Week 8, with 27 of the yards picked up on a meaningless scamper just before the end of the second quarter. He's topped 63 rushing yards in one game this season. ... Dallas' pass defense has allowed a 15:5 touchdown-to-interception ratio and an 8.0 yards-per-attempt average this year. Aaron Rodgers is an elite fantasy play with Jenkins getting torched and LCB Terence Newman (ribs) at significantly less than 100 percent. ... Andrew Quarless had two targets in Week 8. He dropped both

 

[HacheMan]

Gates: Not Yet Closed

As is the case on so many Fridays, injury news is a high priority with just two days until kickoffs. Let's dive directly in and break down the latest updates:

Just about anyone else would have probably been ruled out by now, but as of Thursday night, Antonio Gates (foot) still had a shot to play on Sunday. "I believe Antonio is better," Norv Turner told the San Diego Union-Tribune, adding, "I don't know if he will be able to play in the game on Sunday." And that pretty much sums it up. All indications are that a torn plantar fascia is wildly painful, but Gates – who is reportedly traveling via scooter this week to keep himself off his feet – is the rare exception who actually has a chance to play and produce through it. Have a backup plan in place, but if Gates is starting, it's going to be tough to bench him in fantasy leagues.

Austin Collie (thumb) was upgraded to full participation in Thursday's practice, prompting Phillip B. Wilson of the Indianapolis Star to write that he'd be "shocked" if Collie doesn't play against the Eagles. Prepare to get him back into fantasy lineups immediately.

Less happy times on the Percy Harvin front. Per Tom Pelissero, Brad Childress says that Harvin "hasn't made much progress," and the WR was noticeably limping after Thursday's walkthrough. It's looking wise to steer toward other options if you have them this week.

According to beat writer Kent Somers, Beanie Wells explained that the swelling in his surgically-repaired knee was due to an allergic reaction he had to an injection. Wells told Somers that he can play this week, but pending Friday's practice reports, the RB is looking like he could be headed toward a game-time decision.

Not a pleasant Thursday for Pierre Thomas. First, there was the report on NewOrleans.com that he was nearly dealt to the Patriots at the trade deadline (which doesn't bode well for his chances of a contract extension), and then, there was a not-so-happy update on his ankle injury Thursday evening. Thomas told NewOrleans.com that doctors "found something else" in his ankle during last week's exam, saying, "When you touch it, I feel pain all over my ankle ... They say I really messed it up pretty bad." As of now, his chances don't look great for a return after the Saints' Week 10 bye.

In perhaps the most bizarre episode of the day, a report surfaced on WIST radio that Drew Brees has been playing through a fracture and torn meniscus in his left knee. Brees and Sean Payton vehemently denied said report, which prompted Brees (as reported by the New Orleans Times-Picayune) to do a set jumping jacks at his locker to prove that everything's fine. All signs indicate that there's nothing to worry about here.

NOTABLE: Brad Childress told the St. Paul Pioneer Press that "My offensive coordinator's tempted to want to [play Sidney Rice]. But we're erring on the side of caution, at least for this week." … Gary Kubiak told HoustonTexans.com that the team is in an "evaluation process" with the hamstring Owen Daniels aggravated Monday night, and the Houston tight end is looking very iffy for this week… Tom Cable admitted to the Oakland Tribune that Chaz Schilens' August knee surgery was more than just a minor scope, which explains his prolonged absence… Malcom Floyd and Legedu Naanee (hamstrings) aren't practicing this week, and Floyd may not be ready to return after the Chargers' Week 10 bye… According to the Indianapolis Star, "speculation is rampant" that Anthony Gonzalez's most recent knee injury could sideline him "a while, possibly the [rest of the] season."

ALSO NOTABLE: James Jones made a plea to the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel for more consistent looks in the passing game, and with Donald Driver (quad) out this week, the erratic Jones in an intriguing gamble against a badly struggling Dallas secondary… Kevin Smith told the Detroit Free Press that he has "a lot of soreness" in his surgically-repaired knee, which suggests he may not be a threat for a consistently hefty workload after getting a season-high 14 touches last week… Peyton Hillis isn't listed on the injury report coming out of the Browns' bye… Reggie Bush (leg) returned to a limited practice, but still appears likely to be held out through the Saints' Week 10 bye… ESPN's NFC East blogger Matt Mosley believes that Clinton Portis (groin) will play after the Redskins' Week 9 bye, but it looks like we won't have a clear indicator on his status until next week.

Editor's note: Check out our Season Pass package, featuring exclusive rankings, columns, Dynasty advice and much more.

GAMEDAY: DeSean Jackson (concussion) was a full participant again and looks like a go for Sunday, barring a setback… Andre Johnson (ankle) was upgraded to limited participation and is on course to play against the Chargers on Sunday… Steve Reed of the Gaston Gazette reports that DeAngelo Williams (foot) will sit out this week, setting up Jonathan Stewart for a second straight start… Felix Jones (ankle, forearm) was a full participant on Thursday, but now has to deal with Tashard Choice re-entering the backfield mix… Seattle Mike Williams (thigh/knee) missed practice and is looking like a very shaky option this week… With Mike Hart (ankle) and Joseph Addai (shoulder) looking unlikely to play, Donald Brown looks like a solid RB spot start if you're dealing with injuries and/or byes… Deion Branch (hamstring) was limited… Zach Miller (foot) missed practice and is being called "questionable" by Tom Cable, but our guess is that he'll still play.

GAMEDAY, PART 2: Cable announced that Jason Campbell will get another start in Week 9… Matt Hasselbeck (concussion) has been ruled out, setting Charlie Whitehurst up for his first career start in a nightmare matchup against the Giants… Marques Colston (hand) was upgraded to full participation… Colt McCoy appears to be headed for a third consecutive start… Shaun Hill (forearm) returned to practice, but it's unclear if he'll be ready to serve as the backup on Sunday… Darrius Heyward-Bey (shoulder) was limited on Thursday… Dexter McCluster (ankle) was limited in practice and doesn't look likely for this week… Fred Taylor (toe) missed practice and appears likely to sit out a fifth straight game… According to the Associated Press, Nnamdi Asomugha (ankle) is improving, and the aforementioned Cable is hoping that his shutdown DB can play in Week 9.