NFL Fantasy Football News 2009-2010

[HacheMan]

Upcoming schedule is much kinder for these RBs



By David Dorey, TheHuddle.com
Not only are running backs the most predictable element of a fantasy team's offense, their roles come into sharper focus later in the year when weather and wind force teams to run more. By now we think we know who the good and bad running backs are, but the schedule has a huge impact on their production.
There are always a few guys who open their season facing an easier slate of defenses only to see far tougher challenges over the season's final two months. These are the guys whose expectations need to be lowered and selling high in a trade is always a good idea.
There are also a few running backs who start their season going against a rough stretch of defenses only to see their schedule get significantly lighter starting in November. These players should outperform their season-to-date numbers and become much more attractive in a trade.
The biggest schedule swings for running backs:
Cleveland Browns– The season started with a brutal stretch of road games in Denver, Baltimore and Pittsburgh. The Browns also hosted the Vikings, Bengals and Packers – all top defenses against running backs. The only game in which they did not face a top defense was in Buffalo, where Jamal Lewis rushed for 117 yards. Their remaining schedule still has homestands against the Steelers and Ravens but they also play against the Bears, Lions, Chargers, Chiefs and Raiders. The Browns don't have the talent for a big bang to end the year but the fantasy stats will be improved for the running backs.

Cincinnati Bengals–Cedric Benson has already seen a spike in his production this year and even better games could be yet to come. Consider that Benson started out playing the Broncos, Packers, Steelers and Ravens and yet he's been one of the most productive runners this season. After facing the Ravens and Steelers again in Weeks 9 and 10, his schedule turns delightful with games against the Raiders, Browns, Lions, Chargers and Chiefs. As long as his heavy workload doesn't tire him out later in the year, Benson could be finishing with even bigger stats.
Tennessee Titans–Chris Johnson has been inconsistent at best and LenDale White has disappeared completely against a schedule that opened with the Steelers, Jets, Colts, Jaguars and Patriots. The only time the Titans did not face a great rushing defense was against the visiting Texans, when Johnson put up 197 rushing yards and 87 receiving yards and scored three times. There are still a few tough weeks left – vs. the Jaguars, Cardinals Colts and Dolphins— but games against the 49ers, Bills, Texans, Rams and Chargers will make the second half of the year much better than the first.
Jacksonville Jaguars–Maurice Jones-Drew has certainly played well so far and he's done it despite facing defenses of the Colts, Cardinals, Seahawks and Titans. After facing the Titans again on Sunday, Jones-Drew should see a considerable uptick in stats as he runs against the Chiefs, Bills, 49ers and Texans over the next six weeks. Fantasy playoff weeks against the Dolphins, Colts and Patriots won't be much fun, but Jones-Drew will make some noise before then.
Arizona Cardinals– Tim Hightower and Chris "Beanie" Wells haven't exactly been top runners and their offensive scheme will ensure neither will become a true workhorse back, but they can score the short touchdowns the way Hightower did last year. And the lower yardage totals this season are related to an opening stretch that proved more challenging than was expected with games against the 49ers, Jaguars, Seahawks and Giants. The remaining schedule, however, includes matchups against the Panthers, Bears, Rams, Lions and Rams. Wells started to get a bigger share of the load last week though Hightower remains the official starter. Wells might be a nice calculated risk since he could play his way into a bigger role and by the fantasy playoffs wind up against the Lions and Rams.
The schedule has a big impact on your running backs but for a few teams there are two distinctly different parts to the season. Now is the time to acquire those players with the rising value and if you already own them – enjoy the ride.

 

[HacheMan]

Coaches Corner: Expect plenty of offense in Giants-Eagles


Tom Coughlin (New York Giants) vs. Andy Reid (Philadelphia Eagles)
With both the Giants and Eagles ranking in the top 10 when it comes to total defense, many fantasy owners will be wary of starting offensive players in this contest. But the history between Andy Reid and Tom Coughlin says start them with confidence.
Since Coughlin's arrival in New York in 2004, the two coaches have met 12 times, and fantasy owners will be pleased to know that both teams are averaging over 20 points per game in those 12 contests. There will be points to be had for both Donovan McNabb and Co. as well as Eli Manning and Co.
Jack Del Rio (Jacksonville Jaguars) vs. Jeff Fisher (Tennessee Titans)
If previous games between Jack Del Rio and Jeff Fisher teach us anything, it's that anything is possible this Sunday. The coaches have met a total of 13 times since 2003 (Fisher leads the head-to-head battle with seven wins to Del Rio's six) and they've experienced every type of game imaginable. There have been defensive-dominated outings, offensive explosions, close games and blowouts.
Rather then take a look at all 13 times these two coaches have squared off, it's best to examine just their most recent meeting – a Week 4 affair that saw Del Rio's Jags come out on top 37-17. Will we see similar results in Week 8? On paper, it appears so.
While neither the Jags or the Titans are offensive dynamos or defensive stalwarts this season, Jacksonville is slightly better statistically on both sides of the ball -- ranking 11th in total offense to the Titans' 22nd and 23rd in total defense to the Titans' 31st. Those rankings lead us to believe that the Jags will come out on top again, meaning you can expect solid games from David Garrard (25 points in week 4), Mike Sims-Walker (21), Josh Scobee (14), Marcedes Lewis (13), and Maurice Jones-Drew (9).

 

[HacheMan]

Struggling running backs roar to life




Three disappointing running backs had big days Sunday, but don't expect the good times to last.

Steven Jackson has been one of the St. Louis Rams' few bright spots.
Against the Detroit Lions, Jackson had his fourth 100-yard rushing game of the year, a season-high 166 total yards and his first touchdown.
Jackson owners should enjoy the day. The Rams have not scored more than 20 points in a game, and Jackson's scoring chances will be limited in the second half of the year.
Lack of touchdowns has also been the bane of LaDainian Tomlinson's season. Although the San Diego Chargers star ran for a season-high 71 yards in Week 7, he couldn't score in a rout of the Kansas City Chiefs. That changed against the Oakland Raiders as Tomlinson ran for two first-half TDs.
Despite being held to 56 rushing yards, those TDs are reason enough for Tomlinson owners to rejoice.
The Chicago Bears' Matt Forte's two TDs doubled his scoring output of his first six games, and his 121 total yards was his second-best game of 2009. But the effort came vs. the Cleveland Browns' No. 31 run defense. Chicago has yet to show it can effectively run against good teams. -- Matt Pitzer

 

[HacheMan]

Titanic Day
Happy belated Halloween everyone!

It was scary how good some of the performances were in Week 8, as the ghoulish fever carried on into Sunday's games. Let's take a look at what went down at the unofficial midpoint of the N.F.L. season.

Top 5 Quarterbacks:

1. Aaron Rodgers – 287 Pass Yds, 3 TDs, 0 INTs, 52 Rush Yds – His best wasn't good enough to win the game, but it was more than enough from a fantasy perspective. He's a fantasy machine as far as quarterbacks as concerned, and can be relied on every single week, regardless of the matchup.

2. Brett Favre – 244 Pass Yds, 4 TDs, 0 INTs – This guy always seems to deliver when there is a little extra emotion involved. Despite fighting back tears in the postgame interview, Favre looked like the Favre of old on Sunday, as he now has three games this season with at least three touchdowns.

3. Mark Sanchez – 265 Pass Yds, 2 TDs, 0 INTs, 6 Rush Yds, 1 TD – Talk about a tale of two halves. It couldn't have been any uglier for the "Sanchize" in the first half as he had just 54-yards passing and no scores. All he did in the second half was throw for 211-yards and notch three total scores, one of those being his second rushing TD in as many weeks.

4. Tony Romo – 256 Pass Yds, 3 TDs, 0 INTs, 1 FL, 10 Rush Yds – Romo has been absolutely locked during the past three weeks, as the key to that success is largely due to the "Big Zero" he has put up in interception column. He hasn't thrown a pick since Week 4, and it doesn't take a neurosurgeon to figure out that more time on the field leads to a better success rate for scoring.

5. Donovan McNabb – 240 Pass Yds, 3 TDs, 0 INTs, 1 FL, 14 Rush Yds – After two consecutive sub par games, McNabb finally got back on the right track on Sunday. Westbrook or no Westbrook, the Eagles offense is extremely explosive, making McNabb a threat to break out every week.

Top 5 Running Backs:

1. Chris Johnson – 228 Rush Yds, 2 TDs, 2 Rec, 11 Yds – Lightning in a bottle struck four times in this game, as CJ and MJD combined for four rushing scores from over 50-yards out. Johnson answered Mojo's long scores with a pair of his own, as he must've taken the "Anything you can do I can do better" approach.

2. Ryan Moats – 126 Rush Yds, 3 TDs, 2 Rec, 25 Yds – Moats made the most of his opportunity and then some. After Slaton was benched for his fifth lost fumble this season, it was Moats, and not Chris Brown, that handled the bulk of the rushing duties. You better believe he's earned himself some carries going forward, as Slaton owners just let out a collective sigh.

3. Maurice Jones-Drew – 177 Rush Yds, 2 TDs, 1 Rec, -4 Yds – How a guy of MJD's caliber only gets 8 carries the entire game is beyond me, but let's just say he made the most of them. All he did was average 22 yards-per-carry, as he scampered on an 80-yard score on his first carry of the game, and a 79-yard score on his first carry of the second half. Not a bad day at the office.

4. Matt Forte – 90 Rush Yds, 2 TDs, 2 Rec, 31 Yds – Whew! It's about bleeping time. This one game does not justify the poor season that Forte has had thus far, but it does relieve some of the frustration for his owners, at least for one week. Not for nothing, but if he didn't have a big game against the Browns, then all hope would've been lost.

5. Steven Jackson – 149 Rush Yds, 1 TD, 3 Rec, 17 Yds – S-Jax was still managing to have a productive fantasy campaign without having scored a touchdown, but it was encouraging to finally see him punch it in – the Lions are usually the team to help out in that department. Sunday marked his fourth 100-yard game of the season, and that's pretty darn impressive considering how bad the Rams have been.

Top 5 Wide Receivers:

1. Reggie Wayne – 12 Rec, 147 Yds, 1 TD – Wayne has scored in all but one game this season – Week 2 against the Dolphins – en route to rattling off a touchdown in five straight. He's as consistent a fantasy wideout as they come, and it doesn't hurt that he has #18 throwing him the ball.

2. Vincent Jackson – 8 Rec, 103 Yds, 1 TD – V-Jax has now scored in three straight, and similar to his counterpart above, he has scored in all but two games this season. There's no doubt that he's the main offensive weapon in a potent Charger's offense, and the fact that he continues to get open game-after-game is incredible.

3. Percy Harvin – 5 Rec, 84 Yds, 1 TD – Harvin is a quickly developing into Favre's favorite third down target, as he is the perfect combo of speed and physicality. He's not afraid to go over the middle and take a hit, and he's being rewarded by seeing more throws come his way. He may be third on the depth chart, but don't let that fool you, because he's a significant piece to the puzzle that is the Vikings' offense.

4. Greg Jennings – 8 Rec, 88 Yds, 1 TD – Jennings broke out of his slump of games without a touchdown, as he notched his first score since Week 1. It has been a struggle for Jennings this season, but he's still an immense talent that can break out on any given Sunday – if you saw his score with a defender draped on his back you know exactly what I'm talking about.

5. Braylon Edwards – 4 Rec, 74 Yds, 1 TD – If you want to talk about amazing catches, look no further than Braylon's touchdown on Sunday. Edwards tipped the ball to himself off the defender and powered his way into the endzone, while somehow managing to hold onto the football. Sanchez loves looking his way, and that makes him once again fantasy relevant in the Big Apple.

Top 5 Tight Ends:

1. Spencer Havner – 2 Rec, 21 Yds, 2 TDs – Two catches and two touchdowns: not a bad ratio. Havner has made the most of his playing time, as Jermichael Finley has been nursing a knee injury. I'm still not buying into the back-to-back good weeks, but if Finley is out for an extended period of time, Havner might be worth a look.

2. Kevin Boss – 3 Rec, 70 Yds, 1 TD – Boss finally scored his first touchdown of the season in what has been an otherwise very disappointing '09 campaign. The touchdown numbers have not come as easily as they did last year due in large part to the fact that the Giants are asking him to do more BLOCKING. That eight-letter word in CAPS, which will not further be mentioned, is a fantasy owner's worst nightmare.

3. Dustin Keller – 8 Rec, 76 Yds, 1 TD – Keller was finally heavily involved in the Jets passing game, as he easily had his best game of the season on Sunday. This was supposed to be the case all season long, but it just hasn't worked out due to Sanchez's inefficiencies and the Jets' game plan focusing more on run.

4. Brent Celek – 4 Rec, 61 Yds, 1 TD – He had a touchdown taken away on a holding penalty, but then proceeded to score a few plays later from further out. How's that for being persistent? Celek has taken a huge leap in his third season, as McNabb loves looking his way in the red zone.

5. Dallas Clark – 8 Rec, 99 Yds, 0 TDs – It must be fun playing in the Colts' offense. It makes me wonder if I could go out there and catch a few passes from Peyton "cut that meat" Manning. How hard could it be? Okay, enough daydreaming. If you have Clark on your team, you should be counting your lucky stars, because he puts up WR2 numbers every single week.

Top 5 Defenses/Special Teams:

1. Chicago Bears DEF/ST – 6 PA, 1 Sack, 2 INTs, 3 FR, 1 BLK, 1 TD – Talk about filling up the stat sheet. It gets much tougher against the Cardinals next week – although, apparently not, if this week is any indication – but for now, this is a very positive bounce back from their putrid performance against the Bengals last week.

2. Miami Dolphins DEF/ST – 25 PA, 2 Sacks, 0 INTs, 1 FR, 3 TDs – The Dolphins' D tripled the output of their offense, and it wasn't even Sanchez who made the mistakes. Ted Ginn Jr. was absolutely dynamic in the return game, single-handedly giving the Fins their third win of the season.

3. Carolina Panthers DEF/ST– 21 PA, 2 Sacks, 5 INTs, 1 FR, 1 TD – Kurt Warner looked like a rookie on Sunday, as he was baffled all game by the Panthers' turnover happy defense. Julius Peppers added the score for Carolina, and he'll need to be effective next week if the Panthers are going to have any chance against the Saints.

4. Tennessee Titans DEF/ST – 13 PA, 4 Sacks, 2 INTs, 0 FR, 1 BLK – You couldn't have had any confidence in this unit going into the game, and rightly so. They have been awful all season long and, coming off a game in which they allowed 59 points, if you started them this week then you're some kind of riverboat gambler.

5. Dallas Cowboys DEF/ST – 17 PA, 3 Sacks, 0 INTs, 2 FR, 1 TD – After starting the season poorly, the Cowboys have put together two consecutive stellar performances. It will be much more difficult against the high flying Eagles next week, but stash them on your bench because they get to face the Redskins and Raiders in the upcoming weeks.

Bottom 5 Quarterbacks:

1. David Garrard – 139 Pass Yds, 0 TDs, 2 INTs, 22 Rush Yds – That now makes two stinkers in his past three games.
2. Marc Bulger – 176 Pass Yds, 0 TDs, 1 INT – The matchup couldn't have been any more favorable.
3. Kurt Warner – 242 Pass Yds, 2 TDs, 5 INTs, 1 FL
4. Kyle Orton – 152 Pass Yds, 0 TDs, 0 INTs, 11 Rush Yds
5. Matt Schaub – 268 Pass Yds, 0 TDs, 2 INTs, 1 2-pt conversion

Bottom 5 Running Backs:

1. Steve Slaton – 1 Rush Yd, 2 Rec, 10 Yds, 1 FL – Houston, we have a problem.
2. Shonn Greene – 18 Rush Yds, 1 FL – So much for a repeat performance.
3. Ronnie Brown – 27 Rush Yds, 1 Rec, 2 Yds
4. Marshawn Lynch – 43 Rush Yds
5. Chris Wells – 47 Rush Yds

Bottom 5 Wide Receivers:

1. Donnie Avery – 1 Rec, 15 Yds
2. Lee Evans – 2 Rec, 29 Yds – So much for that breakout season.
3. Anquan Boldin – 3 Rec, 23 Yds – Aggravated the ankle injury.
4. T.J. Houshmandzadeh – 4 Rec, 24 Yds
5. Brandon Marshall – 4 Rec, 24 Yds

Bottom 5 Tight Ends:

1. Tony Scheffler – 1 Rec, 9 Yds – Disappointing after his huge game against the Chargers.
2. Brandon Pettigrew – 2 Rec, 17 Yds
3. Anthony Fasano – 2 Rec, 16 Yds
4. Donald Lee – 3 Rec, 17 Yds
5. Todd Heap – 3 Rec, 16 Yds – Now that's more like the Todd Heap we've all come to know and love.

 

[HacheMan]

Lambeau Hospitality


[SIZE=+1]#5. Rams 17 Lions 10[/SIZE]


BEYOND THE BOXSCORE

* The win snapped a 17-game losing streak for the Rams that dated back to last year. They didn't look great, but the Lions looked worse. It was a battle of two very bad football teams.

* Marc Bulger, who finished 17-of-35 for 176 yards, passed Jim Everett for second on the Rams' all-time passing yards list. Of course, that doesn't mean he's worthy of a spot on fantasy rosters. It appears St. Louis will struggle to move the ball through the air all season long.

* The Rams' key touchdown came on a trick play near the end of the second quarter, when kicker Josh Brown threw a short pass to a wide-open Daniel Fells, who rumbled 36 yards for a score. It afforded the Rams a 10-2 lead just before the end of the first half.

* The Lions' wideouts dropped over seven catchable passes, making life miserable for an otherwise sharp Matthew Stafford. He showed no lingering issues with his knee.

* Rams S James Butler intercepted a dropped end-zone pass from Lions QB Matt Stafford in the second quarter, but decided to take it out of the paint and then back in. He was tackled easily for a safety, giving the Lions their first two points of the game.

* TE Daniel Fells leads the Rams in scoring this season, believe it or not. But that doesn't mean he's worth fantasy ownership. After all, he has just 160 receiving yards this season.

* Detroit has scored just 17 points over their last 10 quarters, mostly due to the absence of Calvin Johnson (knee).


GOING FORWARD

* The Rams, who had surrendered 30.1 points per game heading into Sunday's action, held the Lions to 10. That's more of an indictment on the Lions' offense, however, than a sign of things turning around for St. Louis.

* Steven Jackson entered the game ranked second in total yards from scrimmage and third in rushing. He should have no trouble staying on top in both categories, even on a bad team. S-Jax was excellent after initial contact on Sunday and plays with a good deal of pride.


[SIZE=+1]#4. Chargers 24 Raiders 16[/SIZE]


BEYOND THE BOX SCORE

* LaDainian Tomlinson isn't a threat for those explosive games anymore, but he showed flashes of that old form in this one. He goes off tackle, slips through an arm tackle and score. That looks pretty familiar. Still the matchups get a lot tougher starting with the Giants next week.

* Phillip Rivers' interception was not his fault. He threw a perfect pass to Vincent Jackson that he bobbled right into Chris Johnson's hands. Rivers was very sharp in the first half for the second straight week.

* If all the Raiders played as hard as Justin Fargas, they'd be in a lot better shape. He endears himself to his teammates and coaches with that hard running style. He was the clear feature back ahead of Michael Bush for the second time in three weeks.

GOING FORWARD

* Vincent Jackson is a top-5 receiver. The guy is just too talented, even for Nnamdi Asomougha.

* Tomlinson looked like he tweaked a wheel late when a defender dove into his leg. LT2 has had a lot of ankle problems, so keep an eye on that this week.

* Darren Sproles needs to be on benches, even in plus matchups. The Chargers simply aren't giving up on LT2 as their main back no matter what.

* The Raiders' passing game is just indescribable. Don't even think about wasting a roster spot on Chaz Schilens.


[SIZE=+1]#3. Colts 18 49ers 14[/SIZE]


BEYOND THE BOX SCORE

* Peyton Manning piled up big numbers and played very well in the second half, but he uncharacteristically misfired on multiple deep balls. Several were underthrown and several were just barely off-target, including a potential touchdown to Reggie Wayne.

* On his 64-yard touchdown run Frank Gore emerged from a pile up the middle, slammed through a safety, and then out-ran multiple defensive backs. Unfortunately he gained just 27 yards on his other 12 runs and got just four carries in the second half.

* Early on San Francisco's defensive line shockingly dominated Indianapolis' offensive line, leading to Manning being sacked more times than he'd been brought down in the first six games combined.

* Alex Smith's only interception probably should have been caught by Michael Crabtree, but the slant pass went off his hands and into the arms of Bob Sanders.

* In the first half Manning became just the fourth player in NFL history to complete 4,000 career passes.

GOING FORWARD

* San Francisco lost the battle and the war, watching as Nate Clements and Joe Staley both went down with potentially serious injuries. Clements may be done for the year with a fractured shoulder blade and Staley is headed for an MRI exam on his knee.

* Crabtree has quickly established himself as the focal point of the 49ers' passing game, and Sunday at least that cost Josh Morgan any chance of making an impact.

* For future reference, Joseph Addai throws lefty. Wayne was standing alone in the end zone when Addai's southpaw rainbow came his way to put the Colts up for good late. Addai also got a heavier-than-usual workload on the ground with Donald Brown inactive.

* Not only does Vernon Davis lead the NFL with seven touchdown catches, he has four scores in six quarters with Alex Smith at the helm..


[SIZE=+1]#2. Vikings 38 Packers 26[/SIZE]


BEYOND THE BOX SCORE

* Make no mistake: Brett Favre was booed mercilessly from the moment he stepped onto the field before the game. Later the Packers fans booed the home team too, but at no point did cheers come even close to out-numbering jeers for Favre.

* Aaron Rodgers was a sitting duck early as the Packers' offensive line struggled in protection, but he also exacerbated the problem by holding onto the ball too long. The protection wasn't a whole lot better in the second half, but Rodgers helped himself by frequently escaping sacks and scrambling to keep plays alive. Both touchdowns to third-string tight end Spencer Havner came on scrambles.

* Percy Harvin's 51-yard catch was an amazing play. He went up in traffic to haul in a deep ball down the middle, came down as three Packers defenders crashed into each other, surveyed the wreckage in front of him for a split second, and then dashed into the end zone over the bodies. Harvin also did tons of damage as a return man, continuing to make a huge impact as a rookie.

* Adrian Peterson cashed in a fourth-and-1 carry from the goal line, but was later stuffed on another fourth-and-1 try after Favre narrowly missed Bernard Berrian for a would-be touchdown.

GOING FORWARD

* Rodgers took a ton of big hits throughout the game and appeared to injure his foot late, which is unfortunate after he threw for 249 yards in the second half. Reports after the game had him limping noticeably in the locker room, which will be worth monitoring going into a favorable Week 9 matchup with the Bucs.

* Not only was Ahman Green active for the Packers, he returned kickoffs. He also saw the field quite a bit on obvious passing downs..


[SIZE=+1]#1. Dolphins 30 Jets 25[/SIZE]


Beyond the Box Score

* Thomas Jones and Shonn Greene appeared to be rotating fairly evenly until Greene's second-quarter fumble that Jason Taylor returned for a touchdown. Jones carried the load the rest of the way, though it's unlikely that Greene will stay in the doghouse when the Jets come out of the Week 9 bye.

* Ted Ginn became the first player in NFL history to record two kickoff returns of at least 100 yards in the same game. Brian Hartline started ahead of him at receiver, but he showed a glimpse of his immense potential in the return game. Three of the Dolphins' four touchdowns were provided by the defense and special teams.

* Mark Sanchez may already be the best play-fake artist in the NFL. His one-yard touchdown run came on a play-fake to Thomas Jones that was so convincing Dolphins defenders thought Jones' fumbled the ball while Sanchez was busy spiking it between his legs in the corner.

* Dustin Keller was targeted an amazing 13 times, including a diving touchdown grab and a clutch, leaping catch in traffic to put the Jets in position to possibly win the game with two minutes left. He could have had a second touchdown but was tackled just shy of the goal-line.

* The Jets effectively shut down Miami's Wildcat attack, but Ronnie Brown's numbers were mostly down due to the Jets' time of possession advantage. The three defense/special teams scores kept the ball out of the offense's hands.

Going Forward

* Chad Henne isn't worth a roster spot in most leagues.

* None of the Dolphins receivers or tight ends are viable fantasy options.

* Mark Sanchez is back to QB2 value with Jerricho Cotchery healthy again.

* Thomas Jones is as quick and explosive as ever, and he should remain a solid RB2 even with Shonn Greene rotating in. Greene needs to find the end zone weekly to be a viable fantasy option.

* Sanchez and Dustin Keller finally appear to be on the same page, which should make Keller a borderline TE1 going forward.

 

[HacheMan]

Mo-Jo leads most valuable race

There is no fantasy MVP through eight weeks. Maurice Jones-Drew and Adrian Peterson have lived up to their draft billing, but they haven't carried teams all by themselves.

Remember that a year ago at this time DeAngelo Williams was just another so-so RB2 before owning the final two months. The first half of the fantasy season is about positioning. The second half is about cash. Here's a look at some of the best, worst, and in-between from the first eight weeks.

[SIZE=+1]Five Most valuable running backs [/SIZE]
Draft value is taken into consideration when ranking most valuable players. If Cedric Benson and Ronnie Brown average the same amount of fantasy points, Benson has been more valuable because he came more cheaply in drafts. These rankings are about the first half, not going forward.

1. Maurice Jones-Drew, Jaguars: He's on top in PPR leagues or standard formats. It's so rare that the top two picks perform exactly like the top two picks. (Okay, everyone didn't have them 1-2. Or Mo-Jo #1 in PPR leagues like Rotoworld. We'd make fun of folks that had Michael Turner that high, but we had Forte third so ...)

There really has been a decent gap between Mo-Jo, Peterson and everyone else. Chris Johnson, who we had fourth or fifth in the preseason depending on the scoring system, is ranked third in total points. But that's deceptive because he hasn't helped you most weeks. More on that below.

The Jaguars' inconsistent offense remains an issue, but an improved receiver group takes the pressure off Jones-Drew slightly. Mo-Jo isn't getting overworked, and the schedule is manageable. Mo-Jo has come as hoped: ten touchdowns, 5.5 yards-per-carry, and a ton of receiving value. There's no reason to think this can't keep up and that Jones-Drew can't hit 20 touchdowns.

2. Adrian Peterson, Vikings: The receptions are the exciting part. Peterson will break his career high in catches this week. He's not going to challenge 2,000 yards rushing, but there are some monster games to come (Detroit, Seattle) and there hasn't been a hint of breaking down.

3. Cedric Benson, Bengals: Chris Wesseling called him "criminally underdrafted" in June. We ranked him 28th, clearly not high enough. He's an old school workhorse that is running with a burst we never saw from him before. Cincy's wildly improved offensive line gets a big assist. We have some concerns that Benson will break down because of his big workload, but that may happen in 2010, not this year.

4. Ray Rice, Ravens: Everyone's favorite sleeper has turned out even better than imagined. He's so great in small spaces that no play is over with Rice until it's really over. He's scoring big points with fewer carries, which bodes well in the second half. Only Steve Slaton and Tim Hightower have come close to putting up Rice's receiving value, and they have major issues otherwise.

5. Chris Johnson's 284-yard, nine catch, three touchdown week was more fun and harder to make sense of than his twitter page I have no home kill me. Automatic win that week. The same thing happened Sunday when he carried owners with 228 yards and two touchdowns against Jacksonville. The possibility of those games is why I get frustrated when callers wonder about sitting Johnson.

Still, Johnson has been less filling in his other six games, failing to score a touchdown. He's averaged 88 yards from scrimmage and 1.3 receptions in those contests – not busty, but not satisfying. It feels like he should get a bigger boost in PPR formats, but he's topped 11 yards as a receiver only one time all year.

Honorable Mention: Ronnie Brown, Thomas Jones, DeAngelo Williams

[SIZE=+1]Five Most valuable quarterbacks [/SIZE]

Quarterbacks have played so well this year that they have largely canceled each other out. Almost everyone in your league has someone averaging 20 fantasy points per game.

1. Aaron Rodgers, Packers: The likeable A-Rod is a good example of the difference between fantasy and reality. Keep taking those sacks if it means you stay on pace for 4,500 yards and 32 scores! Rodgers' surprising rushing value and mid-round ADP gives him a slight edge over the rest of the quarterbacks out there. Rodgers has more rushing yards than Beanie Wells and Donald Brown.

2. Matt Schaub, Texans: The loss of Owen Daniels shouldn't slow Schaub down too much. And no injury concerns yet.

3. Peyton Manning, Colts: Perceived as the most boring of the big three quarterbacks, he's been the most consistent, somewhat thanks to a cupcake schedule.

4. Drew Brees, Saints: He'd be ranked first if we broke out going forward rankings. (Hmmm…)

5. Ben Roethlisberger, Steelers: His usually awesome rating stats haven't taken a hit with the increase in attempts.

Honorable Mention: Philip Rivers, Joe Flacco, Brett Favre, Tom Brady, Jay Cutler, Matt Ryan. See what I mean about too many quality options?
<!--RW-->
[SIZE=+1]Five Most valuable receivers [/SIZE]

1. Reggie Wayne, Colts: Sunday's boffo 12-catch performance against the 49ers gives him the slight edge over Vincent Jackson, despite going rounds earlier. Wayne has only one game under 18 fantasy points in PPR leagues.

2. Vincent Jackson, Chargers: If he sticks with Philip Rivers, there's no reason Jackson can't hang with A.J. and Larry Fitzgerald atop receiver rankings for the next five years.

3. Marques Colston, Saints: With all the goal line targets he gets, Colston would be my pick to lead the league in touchdown receptions by year's end.

4. Chad Ochocinco, Bengals: I own him in every single league that drafted over the summer, so I'm biased. Hopefully you guys picked him up at his discount price too.

5. Hines Ward, Steelers: He represents the boring old guys who went way too late in drafts. Donald Driver and Derrick Mason are jealous.

6. Andre Johnson/Larry Fitzgerald: They have come as advertised and the best should still be ahead. Don't get greedy.

[SIZE=+1]Five Most valuable tight ends[/SIZE]
Just like at quarterback, the depth at tight end has almost canceled the position out. But you generally did well if you waited to draft one

1. Vernon Davis, 49ers: Seven touchdowns in seven weeks.

2. Owen Daniels, Texans: Sad ending to what was shaping up like a career season.

3. Dallas Clark, Colts: He's always been used as a wide receiver, and now he's producing like one.

4. Heath Miller, Steelers: PPR leaguers like him better because of a sub 10 YPC.

5. Antonio Gates, Chargers: Unlike Jason Witten, living up to his draft slot.

[SIZE=+1]Rookie wideouts > rookie running backs [/SIZE]

The impact of this year's rookie class has been lacking. Out of the "big four" rookie running backs, Donald Brown and Beanie Wells are slightly underperforming. Knowshon Moreno has played to his ADP, but that only makes him a so-so RB2. LeSean McCoy is a nice player you can use at the flex position. Shonn Greene, Glen Coffee, and Bernard Scott are good handcuffs.

This is a group of solid contributors, but few difference makers at a position that often has stars born on day one.

The receiver group has made a more surprising impact. Michael Crabtree looks like a keeper – a WR3 at worst as a rookie. Hakeem Nicks has shown he's a consistent playmaker once he got up to speed with the Giants offense. Percy Harvin is an animal if you get return yards and he's adapted to the wide receiver position faster than expected. He's a decent WR3. Same goes for Johnny Knox.

Kenny Britt, Mohamed Massaquoi, Mike Wallace, Jeremy Maclin and Austin Collie are all useful to own. This will be an exciting group to watch when they grow up a little bit.

[SIZE=+1]Guy that was doing better than his owners thought … until Sunday[/SIZE]

Steve Slaton was performing like a borderline RB1 or better in any league format. Then Sunday happened, and Texans coach Gary Kubiak finally punished Slaton for all his fumbles. We suspect Slaton will get his gig back in short order and the conditions are still set up for plenty of value out of the Houston backfield. It's not a bad time to buy low.

[SIZE=+1]Best backup [/SIZE]

1. Ricky Williams: Maybe his medicinal diet keeps him young. He's run better than he has in five years.
2. Ahmad Bradshaw: Leads the league in moves-per-rush.
3. Darren Sproles: consistently more valuable than LaDainian Tomlinson in PPR leagues.
4. Fred Jackson: We'll always have September.

We'll take a look at some of the disappointments from the first half another time. Until then, thanks for reading.

 

[HacheMan]

Burning once again?
There was a ton of talk about Michael Turner's 376 carries last season leading up to this year's fantasy drafts. How would he respond to the workload?

Turner was not a Top-5 pick for me, but it had little to do with his workload. There was still plenty of tread on his tires after those four years as a rarely-used LaDainian Tomlinson backup. The problem was that he's strictly a first- and second-down back, catches no passes and repeating 17 rushing touchdowns was going to be tough against a much stiffer schedule.

Of course, when Turner averaged 3.4 yards per carry in his first six games, the "curse of 370" talk cropped back up. Last night's performance should squash the whispers about physical problems with Turner. He absolutely ran through and around the Saints' overrated rush defense (which sorely missed Sedrick Ellis) for 151 yards and a touchdown on 20 caries. He bounced runs to the outside impressively, showed that "burner" speed and ran through arm tackles with his stocky frame.

So perhaps this performance will put to rest all the "worn down" talk about Turner once and for all. His regression in terms of yardage is a result of his schedule more than anything else.

Falcons vs. Saints quick hitters:
The Saints' defense reminds me a little of that Rams' "greatest show on turf" defense. They're not that talented, but they cause turnovers and make big plays. … John Carney missed another field goal, this time from 37 yards out. Is it Garrett Hartley time? … Marques Colston is just too big and too tough for most corners. He's a monster in the red zone. … The Falcons need to find a better No. 2 receiver than Michael Jenkins. He's just not good enough.

Editor's Note: For early rankings, complete projections, and a host of other exclusive material for Week 9, head to Rotoworld's Season Pass.

NEWS OF THE DAY #2
Has Kevin Smith been overused? After 450 carries at Central Florida in 2007 and another 349 in his last 16 NFL games, the answer is probably yes. Smith has been dealing with a shoulder problem for most of the year, had a foot tweak on Sunday and is averaging 3.1 yards per carry on the season.

So it's not a surprise that Lions coach Jim Schwartz hinted that Maurice Morris will get a bigger workload going forward. Smith could probably be more effective with less touches, but his workload was a huge part of his fantasy value. Read more about the situation in Pancake Blocks here.

NEWS OF THE DAY #3
Veteran wide receiver Chris Chambers was cut Monday by the Chargers, opening the door all the way for Malcom Floyd. Chambers was declining badly, catching just nine of the 31 passes that came his way this season.

Floyd should be owned in all leagues, but keep in mind that the No. 2 WR spot in the Chargers scheme isn't a high-target position. Floyd played virtually the entire game Sunday at that spot and got four targets. He's a big play kind of guy that will be a high risk/high reward option.

NEWS OF THE DAY #4
Owen Daniels' owners worst fears were confirmed yesterday when tests revealed a torn ACL. It's the third ACL he's torn in his life (one in high school, one in college and now one in the NFL).

Houston Chronicle beat writer John McClain expects Kevin Walter to benefit the most from Daniels' absence. Walter should be owned in all leagues and has some good upside right now in this potent offense.

Editor's Note: For early rankings, complete projections, and a host of other exclusive material for Week 9, head to Rotoworld's Season Pass.

INJURY QUICK SLANTS
We got no real update on Calvin Johnson (knee) Monday. His status for this week is unknown and the Lions' offense is anemic without him … The Eagles are expecting Brian Westbrook (concussion) to resume practicing Wednesday. LeSean McCoy proved once again last week that he deserves a part of the load going forward. … Anquan Boldin said he'll play through his ankle injury, but the Cardinals would be smart to let him get closer to 100 percent. … Jermichael Finley is "doubtful to questionable" for Week 9. Don't count on him as a replacement if you lost Owen Daniels. … Jake Delhomme (chest) said he's fine despite being hospitalized on Sunday. He should start this week. … Trent Edwards (concussion) will be fine when the Bills come out of their bye and there are whispers he could get his starting job back. … Brett Favre says he hurt his groin last week and aggravated in warmups. He still went out and threw four touchdowns. … Chaz Schilens is expected to make his season debut this week, but we've heard that plenty of times before. … 49ers LT Joe Staley (knee) is out for six weeks, a big blow to a team that is already struggling in pass protection. Downgrade [URL="http://www.therxforum.com/\"]Alex Smith[/URL]. … Darren McFadden (knee) is back to making cuts and seems close to returning. He should be on a roster in all leagues at this point.

DEPTH CHART QUICK SLANTS
Steve Slaton is in danger of being a part of a committee thanks to his fumbles. Read Pancake Blocks for more on this , but Gary Kubiak said "all three backs will play." … Jamaal Charles appears locked in as the starter for Sunday's game against the Jaguars. He'll be a solid option in PPR leagues. … Coach Eric Mangini refused to name a starter as the Browns go into their bye. Derek Anderson has been bad enough for Brady Quinn to get his job back.

DEFENSE SPOT STARTS
Here are two ideas for owners adding a new defense each week based on matchups:

PACKERS at Bucs - We're not getting good vibes from Bucs' camp with the Josh Freeman era. It feels like the veterans aren't too happy with the rebuilding mode.

SEAHAWKS vs. Lions - Check Calvin Johnson's status later in the week, but you can't go too far wrong going against Detroit on the road.

POSITIONAL SPOT STARTS
Chris Wesseling will cover this topic from head-to-toe in his Waiver Wired column, but here are two guys that are worth a quick add:

RB Ryan Moats - Steve Slaton's fumbles have opened the door for a committee in the running game. Moats is a speedster with talent.

WR Malcom Floyd - The writing has been on the wall for Chris Chambers all season. Yesterday's release just confirms that Floyd is the better player.

 

[HacheMan]

Turnover in Texas
Sunday's game at Buffalo started in turmoil for the Texans. By the end of the first quarter Steve Slaton had fumbled away the starting running back job, and the league's top scoring tight end was lost for the season with a torn ACL. Third-string tail back Ryan Moats went on to drop 151 yards and three touchdowns on the Bills' No. 32 run defense in a 31-10 blowout, as the Texans graduated to 5-3 while staying in legitimate contention for their first playoff berth.

With all fantasy football eyes on Moats Monday, coach Gary Kubiak refused to name a starter. "I'm going to play them all," he said. "I'm in no hurry to make that decision, but, obviously, we're going to need all three of them. We'll make a decision when we get to Indianapolis."

The most likely scenario is a three-headed monster similar to the one used by the Ravens for much of last season. Expect the Texans to ride the hot hand for the next few weeks, with Moats slated to handle early-down duties, Slaton as a passing-down specialist, and Brown continuing to steal short-yardage work.

While disappointed Slaton owners cling to the hope that his big-play ability will get him back in good graces if he can go a couple of games without coughing up the ball, there's certainly an argument to be made that he's best suited in a change of pace role. Averaging just 3.1 yards per carry on the season, Slaton simply hasn't been able to generate a sustained rushing attack while dancing in the backfield instead of picking a hole and plowing through. Meanwhile, Kubiak remains miffed about the seven fumbles. "It's got to get fixed," explained Kubiak. "The only guy that can fix it is Steve."

Moats will be the hot name on waiver wires this week, but he's not going to be a fantasy savior while splitting time with Slaton and Brown against defenses more stout than the Bills'. Feel free to grab him if you're desperate for a running back, but know that you're getting a flex option instead of a rock-solid RB2.

On to the lists. 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.

Editor's Note: Join subscriber only chats, get weekly rankings before anyone else, plus exclusive weekly projections, stat tools, dynasty ranks, columns, and much more including the Rotoworld Oracle in our Season Pass. Our mid-season edition is now 33 percent off!

Running Backs
1. Jamaal Charles
2. Ryan Moats
3. Derrick Ward
4. Maurice Morris
5. Ahman Green
6. Kolby Smith

Quarterbacks
1. Vince Young
2. Alex Smith
3. Jason Campbell
4. Matthew Stafford
5. Trent Edwards

Wide Receivers
1. Malcom Floyd
2. Jeremy Maclin
3. Antonio Bryant
4. Kelley Washington
5. Mike Thomas
6. Devin Thomas

Tight Ends
1. Dustin Keller
2. Kevin Boss
3. Fred Davis

Defenses
1. Patriots
2. Seahawks
3. 49ers

Editor's Note:</I> Not happy with your fantasy teams? New weekly leagues are drafting every single day at Snapdraft. Draft your team during the week, even Sunday morning, and win cash by Tuesday. It's a great complement to your yearly leagues and rewards the most skilled fantasy players who know matchups and value.

</FONT+1>RUNNING BACKS

Jamaal Charles, Chiefs – Talk about going from the outhouse to the penthouse. Just a few weeks after being deactivated for fumbling issues, Charles has been the subject of effusive praise from coach Todd Haley ever since Larry Johnson went Twitter crazy. In the last week Haley has stated that Charles is "starting to get it," is tougher than expected mentally and physically, and has improved in blitz pickups. Charles has been handling first-team reps in practice and is line to start against a Jags defense that surrendered 239 yards and two touchdowns to Chris Johnson in Week 8. This poor man's Johnson is not only a quality RB2 option in PPR leagues this week, he's also the odds-on favorite to handle lead back duties the rest of the season.

Recommendation: Should be owned in all leagues

Ryan Moats, Texans – Moats' Week 8 effort against the Bills will almost certainly go down as the best game in his career. He had never received more than 15 carries in a game prior to his 23-carry, 126-yard effort, and he hadn't broken 60 yards in a game in more than three years. While he's certain to become a bigger part of the offense going forward, his fantasy upside is limited by the three-headed monster in the Houston backfield. Pick him up, but don't use him against the Colts this week as anything more than a flex play.

Recommendation: Should be owned in 12-team leagues

Derrick Ward, Bucs – The Bucs are confused about their backfield. Ward and Cadillac Williams continue to trade weeks where one is more effective than the other. After the coaches come out and lobby for Caddy to take the job, they make excuses for not getting the ball to Ward more often. Neither back is even an attractive flex play, but Ward is worthy of a "stash and hope" roster spot with bye weeks coming to a close.

Recommendation: Worth a look in 12-team leagues

Maurice Morris, Lions – Coach Jim Schwartz hinted at a bigger workload for Morris after he outproduced Kevin Smith against the Rams in Week 8. Playing through injuries all season, Smith is averaging just 3.1 yards per carry. The starter isn't going to be pushed to the side, however, so don't expect more than 10 touches per week for Morris. In the Lions offense, that's not worth much.

Recommendation: Worth a look in deeper leagues

Ahman Green, Packers – As expected, Ryan Grant struggled against a quality defense in Week 8 after tearing through the Browns' shoddy linebackers in Week 7. Grant remains one of the most pedestrian starting backs in the league, and the Packers were reportedly "very aggressive" in their pursuit of a running back at the trade deadline. If Grant doesn't start showing some explosiveness, Green will eat into his workload in the second half of the season.

Recommendation: Worth a look in deeper leagues

Kolby Smith - Smith's name has resurfaced as a possible second-half sleeper with Larry Johnson's status up in the air. Let's set the record straight here: Smith is a plodding running back with a career 3.4 yards per carry average coming off serious knee surgery. The Chiefs offensive line is not opening holes. Unless a running back can create plays on his own, he's going to repeat Johnson's futile first-half efforts. Smith is the exact opposite of a back who can create, so let someone else in your league waste a roster spot.

Recommendation: Hold off in all leagues

Long-Term Fliers

Rashad Jennings - Maurice Jones-Drew handcuff.

Bernard Scott - Cedric Benson handcuff.

Cut Bait

Tashard Choice - Jerry Jones apparently lied about Choice earning more carries.

Willis McGahee - No longer worthy of a roster spot except as a handcuff to Ray Rice.

Sammy Morris - Tryouts for Marcus Mason and Maurice Hicks don't bode well for Morris making a quick return.

Michael Bush - Can't beat out Fargas, Raiders on bye, and McFadden due back soon.

<!--RW-->

</FONT+1>QUARTERBACKS

Vince Young, Titans – In his second stint as the Titans' starter, Young looked confident and comfortable in the pocket while showing surprising accuracy and quality decision making against the Jags. Even if we remain skeptical that he can repeat that performance on a weekly basis, it's his willingness to tuck and run that could make him a viable fantasy option in the second half. Young talked this summer about focusing on breaking the pocket and running more, and his 12 rushing attempts in Week 8 were a career high. Brett Favre owners should consider V.Y. as a bye-week fill-in this week at San Francisco.

Recommendation: Worth a look in 12-team leagues

Alex Smith, 49ers – With a 95.0 passer rating the past two weeks and offensive coordinator Jimmy Raye opening up the offense, Smith deserves to top this list. Throw in a better than expected Michael Crabtree and red-zone threat Vernon Davis, and Smith's prospects are even brighter. The problem with banking on Smith, though, is that he just lost his starting left tackle after losing his starting right tackle the week before. The replacement tackles, Barry Sims and Adam Snyder, are swinging gates of the first order, making Smith a shaky QB2 going forward.

Recommendation: Worth a look in 12-team leagues

Jason Campbell, Redskins – Campbell responded fairly well to his Week 6 second-half benching, throwing for 284 yards and two touchdowns against the Eagles in Week 7. Between the decimated offensive line and Chris Cooley's ankle injury, however, Campbell is fighting an uphill battle the next few weeks. Unless Fred Davis and Devin Thomas emerge as reliable weapons, he's not going to be an option except in two-quarterback leagues.

Recommendation: Worth a look in deeper leagues

Matthew Stafford, Lions – Stafford's numbers against the Rams (14-of-33 for 168 yards) weren't pretty, but he was victimized by at least seven drops on catchable passes. Stafford reportedly looked sharp despite the drops and showed no lingering issues with his knee. With Calvin Johnson near a return, Stafford should resume weekly value in two-quarterback leagues.

Recommendation: Worth a look in two-quarterback leagues

Trent Edwards, Bills – Edwards will be ready to resume playing after the Week 9 bye, and he'll likely regain his starting job after Ryan Fitzpatrick laid an egg against the Texans. Edwards was coming apart at the seams before sustaining the concussion in Week 6, so he's only an option for desperate owners in two-quarterback leagues.

Recommendation: Worth a look in two-quarterback leagues

Long-Term Fliers

Josh Freeman - He's not ready to take over the Bucs offense, but that isn't going to stop Raheem Morris from putting him out there.

Brady Quinn - Back to the future after the Week 9 bye?

Cut Bait

Chad Henne - No member of the Miami passing game is worth a roster spot outside of Dynasty leagues.

Ryan Fitzpatrick - I can't believe I ever recommended picking him up. Mea culpa.

Marc Bulger - Couldn't even muster a score against the Lions' secondary.

Derek Anderson - His passer rating is worse than JaMarcus Russell's. Seriously.

<!--RW-->

</FONT+1>WIDE RECEIVERS

Malcom Floyd, Chargers – Our No. 1 wide receiver recommendation last week, Floyd gets an even bigger fantasy boost with Monday's release of Chris Chambers. Floyd has outproduced Chambers since early last season, which coach Norv Turner confirmed was a primary reason for Chambers' fall from grace. Now an every-down player in two-receiver sets, Floyd will feast on single coverage opposite Vincent Jackson. Also an excellent red-zone threat, Floyd has a legitimate shot at WR3 value in the second half of the season.

Recommendation: Should be owned in 12-team leagues

Jeremy Maclin, Eagles – Maclin's one-catch, six-yard stinkbomb in Week 6 sent him back to the waiver wire in many leagues. He's rebounded well the past two weeks, though, with five catches for 53 yards against the Redskins and four catches for 41 yards and a touchdown against the Giants. We knew he had the jets to be a situational deep threat as a rookie, but he's also impressed onlookers with his hands and route running. In the Eagles' pass-first offense, Maclin is high-risk, high-reward WR3 going forward.

Recommendation: Should be owned in 12-team leagues

Antonio Bryant, Bucs – Similar to Steve Smith in that quarterback woes have killed his production, Bryant is now owned in just half of all fantasy leagues. He finally looks healthy and quick after struggling with lingering knee soreness early in the season. At this point, he's a weak flex play with rookie Josh Freeman taking the offensive reins. Stash him as a WR4/5 and hope that he emerges as Freeman's go-to receiver.

Recommendation: Worth a look in 12-team leagues

Kelley Washington, Ravens – Remember the Ravens' three-headed monster at running back last season? This year it's resurfaced at wide receiver, where Washington has more receptions and yardage than No. 2 receiver Mark Clayton. Joe Flacco's third-down safety blanket is an interesting case. After a four-year stint with the Flordia Marlins (often as Josh Beckett's roommate), Washington was considered a first-round lock when he posted a 70-1,080-7 line as a Tennessee freshman. Injuries woes, including surgery to fuse vertebrae in his neck, derailed his sophomore season, and the Bengals nabbed him in the third-round in 2003. A special teams ace for most of his career, the late-bloomer is coming into his own as the Ravens' No. 3 receiver this season. He's a decent bye-week patch in a return to Cincinnati this week.

Recommendation: Worth a look in deeper leagues

Mike Thomas, Jaguars – Jacksonville's rookie slot receiver led the team in receptions and receiving yardage in Week 8 and has 11 catches over the past two games. The PAC-10's all-time receiving leader drew comparisons to the Panthers' Steve Smith coming out of college, and he's flashed similar game-breaking speed on end-arounds and kickoff returns. Keep expectations reasonable, but he's worth consideration in deeper leagues.

Recommendation: Worth a look in deeper leagues

Devin Thomas, Redskins – After clearly bypassing Malcolm Kelly in the pecking order, Thomas showed signs of life against the Eagles in Week 7 with a 3-45-1 line. He could have easily added a second touchdown late in the game when he was wide open in the end zone. The Redskins offense hasn't supported two fantasy receivers in the Jim Zorn era, so Thomas is more of an option in deeper leagues and Dynasty formats.

Recommendation: Worth a look in deeper leagues

Long-Term Fliers

Kenny Britt - Team leader in receptions and receiving yards despite coming off the bench.

Jerheme Urban - Anquan Boldin can't shake the high ankle sprain.

Jacoby Jones - Dynasty league special: Jones is simply too explosive to keep off the field long-term. Stash him.

Cut Bait

Mario Manningham - May have a separated shoulder and now being outplayed by Hakeem Nicks.

Brian Hartline - Started his first game over Ted Ginn and produced bubkes. I wouldn't hold out hope for any Miami receivers.

Mohamed Massaquoi - Still a nice Dynasty league stash, but there's not a player in the Browns offense worth carrying in redraft leagues.

</FONT+1>TIGHT ENDS

Dustin Keller, Jets – Keller was hailed as a borderline TE1 coming into the season, but Mark Sanchez's faceplant in Weeks 4-6 killed his production. With the ground game churning out yards behind Thomas Jones and Shonn Greene while Jerricho Cotchery returned alongside Braylon Edwards, Keller found room to roam against the Dolphins in Week 8. Targeted a season-high 13 times, last year's first-rounder hauled in eight passes for 76 yards and a diving touchdown. He could have added a second score but was tackled just shy of the stripe. Now owned in just half of all leagues, Keller should be picked up as the borderline TE1 he was originally expected to be.

Recommendation: Should be owned in all leagues

Kevin Boss, Giants – Boss showed signs of life in Week 8 with 70 yards and a score against the Eagles. With Eli Manning's annual November swoon in full effect, the check-down option saw an increase in targets with nine. He has another terrific matchup this week against the tight-end fantasy manna of the San Diego Chargers.

Recommendation: Worth a look as a matchup play

Fred Davis, Redskins – An excellent receiving tight end coming out of USC, Davis stayed in Washington during the team's bye to work on improving his less than formidable blocking skills. Though the Redskins were playing behind, it's a promising sign that Davis was in on 72 percent of offensive plays in Week 7 to just 9 percent for Todd Yoder. Davis' 8-78-1 line against the Eagles may stand as a season-high, but he has a shot at TE2 value the rest of the way.

Recommendation: Worth a look in 12-team leagues

Long-Term Fliers

Bo Scaife - Vince Young immediately began dumping off to his former Longhorn teammate in his first start of the season. Look for Scaife's receptions to increase in the second half.

Joel Dreessen / James Casey - Casey is worthy of a stash in Dynasty leagues, but Dreessen will get the first opportunity to fill in for Owen Daniels.

Jermichael Finley - Likely two weeks away from returning but worth a stash in a deeper leagues.

Cut Bait

Owen Daniels - Out for the season with a torn ACL.

Tony Scheffler - The 6-101-1 game in Week 7 looks like a fluke as opposed to a breakout game.

</FONT+1>DEFENSE/SPECIAL TEAMS

Patriots - If they were dropped over the bye week, pick them up. The secondary has been playing lights out, and mastermind Bill Belichick has had two weeks to prepare for first-time starter Chad Henne. Brandon Tate, the NCAA record holder for combined kick return yardage, is a new weapon for the second half of the season.

Recommendation: Should be owned in all leagues

Seahawks - The Seachickens laid an egg in Dallas, but they always play better at Qwest Field. Better yet, the hapless again Lions come to town in a dream matchup for Aaron Curry & Co.

Recommendation: Worth picking up as a matchup play

49ers - The swarming defensive front got to Peyton Manning in Week 8 for more sacks than the MVP favorite had taken all season. Nose tackle Aubrayo Franklin, defensive end Justin Smith, and linebacker Patrick Willis all deserve trips to <S>Hawaii</S> Miami this winter. The Niners return home to face Vince Young in his second start since Week 1 of last season.

 

[HacheMan]

A Tale of Two Receivers

Hall of Fame receiver and Cowboys talking head Michael Irvin said Tuesday that his efforts to help Roy Williams prior to the start of the season went unheeded. Irvin preached to both Williams and Miles Austin the importance of anticipating snap count in order to explode off the line of scrimmage. According to Irvin, Austin was receptive to the advice while Williams blew him off. After watching side-by-side video of the two receivers this season, Irvin noted that Austin is getting off the line much quicker than Williams.

While Williams' disappointing post-trade production last season was explained away by plantar fasciitis, the presence of Terrell Owens, and an unfamiliarity with Tony Romo, he's shown no signs of improvement in the full year he's been in Dallas. Austin, on the other hand, is coming like a freight train.

Evan Silva's favorite offseason sleeper, Austin has helped Romo regain his mojo by giving him a legit homerun weapon for the first time since T.O. lost his ability to separate early last season. Romo has eight touchdowns in the last three games, with Miles being responsible for five. Tiny Monmouth University's all-time leading receiver abused Seahawks corner Marcus Trufant in Week 8, drawing three pass interference penalties en route to 5-61-1 performance. Our game charter noted that "Austin is sensational on crossing routes, runs well in the open field, can make tough catches in traffic, and explodes into his patterns."

If the Williams' trade ranks up there with Deion Branch in the "Worst Wide Receiver Trades of All Time" derby, the Cowboys still deserve credit for making it clear to the Jets that they would match their potential second-round offer for Austin this offseason. With a career rate of one touchdown for every five times he touches the ball, Austin is injecting a big-play dimension into a once lifeless passing attack.

Editor's Note: Check out our exclusive projections for all the players listed here in Rotoworld's Season Pass package, now 33% off. We've also got extra columns, IDP rankings, Top 200 rankings, Evan Silva's running back report, Chris Wesseling's Dynasty advice, advance workload and target data, exclusive chats, schedule analysis, and fantasy points allowed info you can only get with Season Pass.

Jaguars coach Jack Del Rio will limit David Garrard's ability to call audibles going forward. Jags coaches came under heavy criticism for not getting the ball to Maurice Jones-Drew in Week 8, and Del Rio is deflecting the blame to his quarterback. "We took that privilege away or that ability away and said, 'Look, just hand it to him and let him run the ball,'" Del Rio explained. Expect a far bigger workload for Jones-Drew against the Chiefs this Sunday.

The Chiefs claimed Chris Chambers off waivers from the Chargers. Chambers hasn't been the same since suffering a serious ankle sprain in the middle of last season. One of the most over-rated receivers in football over the past half-decade, Chambers can no longer separate from opposing defenders. Coach Todd Haley has brought in at least a half-dozen veteran receivers since camp, and Chambers should get plenty of opportunity for playing time. Don't expect fantasy value in the Chiefs' woeful offense, even if he does pass Mark Bradley on the depth chart.

The Seahawks released struggling veteran Edgerrin James. The 31-year-old was averaging just 2.7 yards on 46 carries, with fully half of them going for less than two yards. This should be the end of the line for the potential Hall of Famer. Justin Forsett, who is averaging 6.8 yards per touch to 4.3 for Julius Jones, is expected to see more playing time going forward. He's worthy of a waiver wire selection in PPR leagues.

Editor's Note: Not happy with your fantasy teams? New weekly leagues are drafting every single day at Snapdraft. Draft your team during the week, even Sunday morning, and win cash by Tuesday. It's a great complement to your yearly leagues and rewards the most skilled fantasy players who know matchups and value.

Two-Minute Drill: Despite indications to the contrary, beat writer Tom Kowalski does not expect Kevin Smith to lose his role as the Lions' workhorse back. … Trent Edwards (concussion) will start for the Bills coming out of their Week 9 bye. … Chiefs coach Todd Haley expressed full confidence in Week 9 starting RB Jamaal Charles' blitz pickup skills. Haley indicated that Kolby Smith (knee) will likely be activated from the PUP list later this week to act as Charles' backup. … Saints K John Carney's job could be in jeopardy after missing another field goal in Monday night's win. … Falcons coach Mike Smith raised the possibility of Jason Elam being replaced on longer field goals by punter Michael Koenen. … Browns coach Eric Mangini reiterated that Brett Ratliff is not a candidate to take over as the starting quarterback. … Josh Morgan played just 27 snaps to 41 for Isaac Bruce in Week 8. … Vikings coach Brad Childress indicated that Percy Harvin will get a chance to return punts at some point this season. … Patriots rookie Brandon Tate is expected to share No. 3 receiver snaps with special teams ace Sam Aiken this week. … Panthers coaches aren't prepared to promise Charles Godfrey (ankle) his starting job when he returns with rookie Sherrod Martin playing well in his absence. … Coach Raheem Morris revealed that the Bucs weren't practicing during their bye week because roughly 15 players and a few coaches came down with the flu bug on the trip to London. … The Bucs switched kickers once again, replacing Shane Andrus with Connor Barth. … Ex-Giants GM Ernie Accorsi is denying reports that he's a candidate to replace recently fired Browns GM George Kokonis.

Red Zone: Tom Brady said he feels the best he's ever felt physically, and believes his career can be as long as Brett Favre's. … Matthew Stafford isn't completely out of the woods yet with his knee injury, but he's still expected to start against the Seahawks Sunday. Calvin Johnson (knee) is getting closer to playing. … Though Miles Austin suffered a minor groin tweak in Week 8, it's not expected to affect his performance going forward. … Anthony Gonzalez (knee) will practice this week, though coach Jim Caldwell didn't sound optimistic about his chances of playing against the Texans. … Kevin Boss tweaked his previously sprained right ankle in Week 8, but he's fully expected to play against the Chargers this week. … Donald Driver won't miss any time with a stinger sustained in Week 8. … Packers WR/KR Jordy Nelson (knee) has already been ruled out for Week 9. … Sammy Morris (knee) was not at Patriots practice Tuesday. … Bucs LCB Terrence McGee will miss two weeks after undergoing minor arthroscopic surgery to repair meniscus damage. … Patriots DE Jarvis Green is expected to miss 2-4 weeks after undergoing knee surgery last week. … Chargers ILB Tim Dobbins will likely be sidelined for two weeks after being carted off the field in Week 8 with a knee injury. Kevin Burnett (ankle) is expected to return this week. … Browns ILB Eric Barton is in danger of missing the rest of the season after being diagnosed with a bulging disc in his neck.

 

[HacheMan]

Studs, duds and sleepers: Dolphins' Brown, Patriots' Moss to duke it out

Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers hopes to take advantage of a slumping Giants' defense.


CAPTION

By Christopher Hanewinckel, US Presswire​

Matt Pitzer's look at the upcoming weekend's fantasy football landscape:

Studs
Ahmad Bradshaw, RB, New York Giants: The San Diego Chargers defense did well the last two weeks only because it played the Kansas City Chiefs and Oakland Raiders, and it still is 27th against the run. The slumping Giants need to get back to what they do best -- running -- and Bradshaw is their best back.
Ronnie Brown, RB, Miami Dolphins: His last game at the New England Patriots was a memorable one with 113 rushing yards, four rushing TDs and one passing. The Patriots know the Wildcat is coming, but Brown is still the best offense the Dolphins have.
Greg Jennings, WR, Green Bay Packers: Just try finding a Packer to bench against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Jennings scored twice against Tampa Bay in 2008, scored last week against the Minnesota Vikings and has scored in four consecutive November games.
Randy Moss, WR, New England Patriots: Last year, the Dolphins had the bright idea of single-covering Moss and he had 125 yards and three TDs. This week, the Dolphins might start three rookies in the secondary; let's see how well that works out.
Philip Rivers, QB, San Diego Chargers: The Giants defense has collapsed in the last three games, allowing 112 total points and eight passing TDs. That means a fine day for Rivers because San Diego's running backs have not scored against anybody on the ground except Oakland.
Duds
Marion Barber III, RB, Dallas Cowboys: Dallas is a passing team now because of how well QB Tony Romo is playing. The Philadelphia Eagles have allowed four rushing TDs, and Barber has not gone for more than 53 yards since getting hurt in Week 2.
Antonio Bryant, WR, Tampa Bay Buccaneers: He had a week to rest his troublesome knee, but he comes back _ with rookie quarterback Josh Freeman making his first start _ to face an angry Packers defense.
Matt Forte, RB, Chicago Bears: Throw out games against the Detroit Lions and Cleveland Browns and Forte is averaging 39.4 rushing yards with zero TDs. The Arizona Cardinals are looking to right their run defense by going on the road, where they have played well.
Santonio Holmes, WR, Pittsburgh Steelers: The Denver Broncos are vulnerable to shorter routes and possession receivers, more the domain of the Steelers' Hines Ward than Holmes. Plus, Holmes has not scored since Week 1 and has four games of 59 yards or fewer.
Matt Ryan, WR, Atlanta Falcons: The Washington Redskins have allowed six passing TDs. And Ryan has thrown seven interceptions in his last three games with a passer rating of 68.0 or less in each.
Sleepers
Nate Burleson, WR, Seattle Seahawks: Finding the right time to start Burleson is key as he has three TDs and at least 89 yards in four games and 46 yards or fewer and no scores in the others. This is a time to play him as the Lions have allowed 18 passing TDs.
Jamaal Charles, RB, Kansas City Chiefs: This is his first shot in a feature role, in place of suspended Larry Johnson. Charles is a versatile back averaging 5.0 yards a carry. His eyes must have widened when he saw the Jacksonville Jaguars give up 305 rushing yards to the Tennessee Titans in Week 8.
Michael Crabtree, WR, San Francisco 49ers: After a total of 137 receiving yards in his first two games, this might be the week for Crabtree's first TD. The 49ers return home to face the Titans, who are still last in passing yards and TDs (19) allowed.
Tim Hightower, RB, Arizona Cardinals: Hightower fills a role as a decent second or third back. He thrives in the red zone with TDs in five of seven games. The Bears are one of the worst defenses in the red zone, giving up 15 TDs on 21 possessions by opponents.
Kevin Walter, WR, Houston Texans: Somebody will have to pick up the slack left by injured Pro Bowl tight end Owen Daniels, and it should be Walter. He has 22 catches but is likely to be the target of far more passes now

 

[HacheMan]

Charles in charge?
Jamaal Charles has never really had a chance. When Larry Johnson was suspended last season because of "Spitgate," Kolby Smith got the majority of the work. With Smith on the PUP list and L.J. sputtering this season, Charles remained a strict reserve despite a 5.3 yards per carry mark for his career (Johnson is getting 2.7 yards per carry this season).

That's all about to change. Ever since Charles was a healthy scratch in Week 2, Todd Haley has had nothing but good things to say about his second-year back. Last week, Haley said that Charles is "starting to get it" and that Charles is "growing on him." Haley raved about Charles' blitz pickups, saying "he's probably our best pass protector as a back as far as understanding who he's supposed to block."

As we all know by now, Johnson is suspended for this week. And there's a good chance he has played his last down as a Chief. So when Haley yesterday said that he's "hopeful" Charles will "grab this opportunity by the horns," we can believe that the Texas product is finally getting that chance. Haley has said enough to make us think that he views the lightning fast Charles as more of a feature back than Herm Edwards ever did.

So will Charles grab it by the horns on Sunday? He can't ask for a much better matchup. The Jaguars are giving up 128.3 yards per game at a 4.3 yards per carry clip on the ground. They have a lot of trouble with small, quick backs - something that Charles most certainly is.

Here are the concerns:

* The Chiefs' offensive line is one of the worst units in the league. At least C Rudy Niswanger and LT Branden Albert are expected to play, which should help.
* Kolby Smith is likely to be activated off the PUP for this week's game. But is he really ready to step in and carry a significant load right away? Don't expect many carries for Smith.
* Charles has a reputation for fumbling. It landed him in Haley's doghouse, but as you can see he's out of it now. As long as he doesn't go Steve Slaton on us Sunday it shouldn't be an issue.

The Chiefs are desperate for someone to make them forget about Larry Johnson. Charles is going to get a chance to be that guy.

Editor's Note: For rankings, complete projections, and a host of other exclusive material for Week 9, head to Rotoworld's Season Pass..

NEWS OF THE DAY #2
Chris Cooley admitted that he's "not really getting around so well" on his surgically repaired ankle and will seek a second opinion. That Week 12 target date for his return doesn't sound good and would probably be silly anyway. This Redskins team is going nowhere and Cooley shouldn't push his ankle to get back at less than 100 percent. Fred Davis is going to have a lot of fantasy eyes on him Sunday and could keep the job straight through the rest of the year.

NEWS OF THE DAY #3
Brian Westbrook (concussion) was medically cleared to return to game action and practiced in full yesterday. He'll almost certainly play against the Cowboys Sunday, but in what role? He said he was starting to feel like his old self before that concussion, but LeSean McCoy played well once again in the veteran's absence. Expect a series by series rotation for this week. Westbrook still has a chance to get more of a 70-30 edge in this timeshare when crunch time hits, making him a decent "buy low."

Editor's Note: For rankings, complete projections, and a host of other exclusive material for Week 9, head to Rotoworld's Season Pass..

INJURY QUICK SLANTS: RUNNING BACKS
Ahmad Bradshaw (ankle) sat out practice Wednesday, as usual. He'll be fine for Sunday. … Donald Brown (shoulder) practiced Wednesday and expects to be a game-time decision this week. … Darren McFadden (knee) practiced and seems close to returning. … Sammy Morris (knee) is showing no signs of getting back on the field.

INJURY QUICK SLANT: QUARTERBACKS:
Matthew Stafford (knee) was limited in practice but will almost certainly play this week. … Matt Hassel beck (ribs) will be limited all week but should be fine for his tasty matchup. … Aaron Rodgers (foot) didn't practice Wednesday but is fine.

INJURY QUICK SLANTS: RECEIVERS AND TIGHT ENDS:
The Falcons didn't practice Wednesday, but said that if they did Roddy White (knee) wouldn't have participated. We're not worried. … Calvin Johnson (knee) practiced on a limited basis and we're tentatively expecting him to play. … Mario Manningham (shoulder) returned to a limited practice after being inactive last week. … Anquan Boldin (ankle) is likely to sit out this week. … Anthony Gonzalez is going for a second opinion on his knee and doesn't sounds anywhere close to returning. … Jermichael Finley (knee) won't practice this week and will almost certainly sit this week out. … Donald Driver (stinger) skipped practice Wednesday but should be fine for Sunday. … Lance Moore (ankle) is in a walking boot and missed practice.

DEPTH CHART QUICK SLANTS
Lions coach Jim Schwartz confirmed that he's sticking with Kevin Smith as his "workhorse." … The Browns won't name a starting QB for Week 10 until Monday, but we fully expect them to stick with Derek Anderson. … Vernon Davis doesn't think he'll have to block more with LT Joe Staley out for the season. … Jamal Lewis said once again that he plans on retiring after the season. … Edgerrin James was dumped by the Seahawks. … Texans coach Gary Kubiak reiterated that he plans on using all three of his running backs Sunday.

 

[HacheMan]

The Airing of Grievances
Halfway through the Fantasy Football season, I think it's appropriate to take a look back at the year so far. I'm sure this isn't the first article of such type you've read this week, but I assure you this will be different, for better or worse. When I think about which players have been as good as advertised, shockingly good, and surprisingly bad, one holiday comes to mind:

Festivus.

For those not familiar -- or obsessed -- with the show Seinfeld, I'll give a little background on this tradition. It is, essentially, a non-denominational holiday to be celebrated by those frustrated or jaded with the commercialism and pressure surrounding the Christmas/Hanukkah season. For our purposes, we will focus on one particular part of Festivus: The Airing of Grievances. Frank Costanza can give a much better explanation of this than I can.

Frank Costanza: And at the Festivus dinner, you gather your family around, and tell them all the ways they have disappointed you over the past year!

Frank Costanza: The tradition of Festivus begins with the Airing of Grievances. I got a lot of problems with you people! And now, you're gonna hear about it. You, Kruger. My son tells me your company STINKS!

George Costanza: Oh, God.

As we all know, disappointment is a much bigger part of Fantasy Football than satisfaction will ever be. Here are some people who have let me down. Now, they're gonna hear about it. I know there are many, many more. E-mail me your greatest tale of 2009 Fantasy disappointment, and I'll show some of the best ones in next week's article.

The Airing of Grievances

Brandon Jacobs, Giants RB

Brandon, you were supposed to be the pick that made me look like a genius this season. With 5th pick of the Maryland Fantasy Football draft, Brad Morgan selects…Brandon Jacobs?!?! I took the ridicule because I saw Derrick Ward's departure as your chance to finally take the step up to being an Elite RB. Eight weeks and 72.5 fantasy points later, Brandon, you have made me look like a fool. Not only has Ahmad Bradshaw (who, thankfully, I drafted as insurance) taken a huge chunk of your production, you haven't given Tom Coughlin much reason to stick with you.

Two years of averaging 5 yards per carry, and now under 4? Two touchdowns? It's not like you haven't had your chances. In fact, Jacobs has 32 combined rushes and targets in scoring situations -- the same amount as Maurice Jones-Drew (tied for 3rd most in the NFL).

And here is the worst part: I still believe. In Week 8, Jacobs had 5 RZ carries to Bradshaw's 1 (which, in the spirit of disappointment, came on the 1-yard line after Jacobs ran the ball 4-5 plays in a row to get to the Goal Line). If Jacobs continues to get so many chances in scoring situations, it's only a matter of time before the touchdowns begin to come (similar to LaDainian Tomlinson this past week).

Steve Slaton, Texans RB

Oh Steve, where to begin. You were a 1st round pick in most leagues, and from Day One couldn't perform well enough to stop Chris Brown from stealing your carries in scoring situations. Then, after I predict your demise, you put together your best game. Then, just as it looks like I was wrong, you fumble on the first play, get pulled out of the game, and completely screw all of your fantasy owners. I guess Gary Kubiak wasn't giving Brown all of your RZ and GL carries because you were too small. It was because you can't hold onto the ball. 7 fumbles in 8 weeks is just about as putrid as ball control gets.

Slaton's recent crash in value shouldn't be a surprise: the writing was on the wall. On the season, Slaton has received only 38.1% of the Texans' RZ carries (42nd in football) and 20% GL. This showed that Kubiak had some real trust issues with what seemed to be his #1 RB. Going forward, Slaton is an extremely risky player to own, but unfortunately, his trade value has taken a huge dive. My advice to Slaton owners: hold on and pray he bounces back.

Brian Westbrook, Eagles RB

Westbrook has always been injury plagued, but this season that problem has been compounded with something new: Westbrook not performing well on the field. Usually, when playing, Westbrook has been a dynamic Fantasy stud. Not this year. Rookie LeSean McCoy has been a huge thorn in the side of his Fantasy value this year. Westbrook has only gotten 41.7% of the carries in the Red Zone for the Eagles. This new development has really put a limit on Westbrook's once awesome touchdown potential.

From this point on, it's really hard to know what to make of Westbrook's value. He's the ultimate high risk, high reward. Because of his lingering name value, he would still be a costly player to acquire, but there's no guarantee that see you see any return on your investment. McCoy's emergence is what really worries me. In the past, when Westbrook returned from injury, his job was there waiting for him. Those days might just be over.

It hasn't all been bad… The Studs

Cedric Benson, Bengals RB

The CedBen supporters in August were hard to come by, but can you blame us? The success he had in the second half of 2008 were the first signs of life he had shown since getting drafted out of Texas. Skepticism was more than warranted. But Benson has proven to be the most valuable running back, when looking back on where they were drafted.

The Bengals have completely handed over the reins to Benson. He's received a league-leading 91.7% of their Red Zone carries, and all GL carries. He is one of the rare every down backs still found in the NFL, and makes life easy on his fantasy owners each week.

Maurice Jones-Drew, Jaguars RB

In his first year free from sharing time with Fred Taylor, MJD has lived up to the towering expectations we had for him. Not only has his performance been excellent, the Jaguars have shown full faith in him as their #1 RB. The stocky back has received 90% of Jacksonville's carries in the Red Zone (2nd in the NFL), and 100% on the Goal Line. As if all this wasn't enough, Jaguars coach Jack Del Rio intends to give Jones-Drew more carries going forward. For all those who drafted him, sit back and continue to enjoy the show.

Adrian Peterson, Vikings RB

Not much to say here other than that he's lived up to the billing of being the undisputed Fantasy king. He leads the NFL in Goal Line carries with 17. Don't be alarmed by his somewhat low RZ% of 68.8%; almost all of Chester Taylor's carries have come in blowout situations. Peterson is obviously the absolute option in scoring position.

Marques Colston, Saints WR

On a Saints team full of skill players who are gambles week to week, Colston has the been the model of consistency. Not only is he Brees' #1 option, Colston is the go-to man in scoring situations, leading the NFL with 14 RZ targets.

<!--RW-->

Pleasant Surprises

Austin Collie, Colts WR

Seriously, aside from Colts fans, who really knew who Austin Collie was before this season? Peyton Manning, that's who. Thus far, Collie has produced enough value to rank as the 24th best WR. A huge reason for that success has been Manning's affinity for Collie in scoring situations. Although Peyton maintains that he just looks to hit the open man, I don't think it's a coincidence that Collie has been targeted just one fewer time than Reggie Wayne in the Red Zone.

Manning has looked for Collie 27.3% of the time and Wayne just a tick higher at 30.3% in those important scoring situations. As a result, it makes sense that Collie has just 2 fewer touchdowns than Wayne, despite having an astounding 35 fewer targets overall. Though he's produced like a low end WR2 to this point, I think Collie will have solid value as a WR3 going forward.

Steve Smith, Giants WR

Once Plaxico Burress got shipped up to Rikers, it became clear that one of the Giants many young wide outs would have to step up and fill those big shoes. Although Mario Manningham and Hakeem Nicks have been useful, Steve Smith has emerged as the clear #1 option for Eli Manning. Not only has he been the most targeted Giant, only 2 receivers have been thrown more passes than Smith's 76: Andre Johnson (80) and Reggie Wayne (77).

Eli's love for the artist formerly known as "the other Steve Smith" has carried over into the Red Zone, shown by Smith being targeted with 33.3% of Manning's passes inside of the 20. His scoring potential has been unexpected and welcomed value boost for a player most saw as a ho-hum possession receiver.

Sidney Rice, Vikings WR

Rice has been a huge surprise, emerging as an essential cog in the Vikings offense. He's received 23.8% of Brett Favre's RZ looks, and 10 total, which ties him with Reggie Wayne, Andre Johnson, and Randy Moss for 4th most in the NFL. I covered him extensively last week, but I would've been remiss to not mention him as one of the best surprises of the season.

Vernon Davis, 49ers TE

Leading all TEs in RZ target percentage is the once forgotten Vernon Davis. Whatever coach Mike Singletary told him, it worked. Davis has been the 2nd most valuable Tight End this year, and you would be hard pressed to find anyone who predicted that.

Going forward Davis remains a top notch TE option. He has an elusive combination of electrifying talent -- giving him the potential to break off big gains -- and his team's trust as a go-to option in scoring situations, giving him the potential for many easy scores.

Owen Daniels, Texans TE

It's really a shame Daniels got hurt because he was putting together a breakout season. Not only is Daniels currently the #1 ranked TE, he's also the leader in RZ targets with 11. Unfortunately, there's not much else to say here, except that it remains to see how his chunk of RZ targets (27.5% of Matt Schaub's passes inside the 20) will be distributed. Look for Andre Johnson and Kevin Walter to pick up the slack.

Updated Red-Zone Statistics for RBs, WRs, and TEs:

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<TABLE class=tableizer-table>
<TBODY><TR class=tableizer-firstrow><TH>Player</TH><TH>Team</TH><TH>RZ Car</TH><TH>Team RZ</TH><TH>RZ%</TH><TH>GL Car</TH><TH>Team GL</TH><TH>GL %</TH><TH>TD</TH><TH>RZ tar</TH><TH>RZ Chances</TH></TR><TR><TD>Cedric Benson</TD><TD>Cincinnati Bengals</TD><TD>22</TD><TD>24</TD><TD>91.7%</TD><TD>4</TD><TD>4</TD><TD>100.0%</TD><TD>3</TD><TD>2</TD><TD>24</TD></TR><TR><TD>Maurice Jones-Drew</TD><TD>Jacksonville Jaguars</TD><TD>27</TD><TD>30</TD><TD>90.0%</TD><TD>10</TD><TD>10</TD><TD>100.0%</TD><TD>6</TD><TD>5</TD><TD>32</TD></TR><TR><TD>Steven Jackson</TD><TD>St. Louis Rams</TD><TD>14</TD><TD>16</TD><TD>87.5%</TD><TD>3</TD><TD>3</TD><TD>100.0%</TD><TD>0</TD><TD>2</TD><TD>16</TD></TR><TR><TD>Ryan Grant</TD><TD>Green Bay Packers</TD><TD>19</TD><TD>23</TD><TD>82.6%</TD><TD>8</TD><TD>11</TD><TD>72.7%</TD><TD>3</TD><TD>4</TD><TD>23</TD></TR><TR><TD>Matt Forte</TD><TD>Chicago Bears</TD><TD>33</TD><TD>40</TD><TD>82.5%</TD><TD>7</TD><TD>8</TD><TD>87.5%</TD><TD>2</TD><TD>3</TD><TD>36</TD></TR><TR><TD>Clinton Portis</TD><TD>Washington Redskins</TD><TD>17</TD><TD>21</TD><TD>81.0%</TD><TD>4</TD><TD>4</TD><TD>100.0%</TD><TD>1</TD><TD>4</TD><TD>21</TD></TR><TR><TD>Michael Turner</TD><TD>Atlanta Falcons </TD><TD>20</TD><TD>25</TD><TD>80.0%</TD><TD>8</TD><TD>8</TD><TD>100.0%</TD><TD>6</TD><TD>0</TD><TD>20</TD></TR><TR><TD>Ladanian Tomlinson</TD><TD>San Diego Chargers</TD><TD>23</TD><TD>29</TD><TD>79.3%</TD><TD>15</TD><TD>18</TD><TD>83.3%</TD><TD>5</TD><TD>1</TD><TD>24</TD></TR><TR><TD>Marshawn Lynch</TD><TD>Buffalo Bills</TD><TD>15</TD><TD>20</TD><TD>75.0%</TD><TD>4</TD><TD>6</TD><TD>66.7%</TD><TD>1</TD><TD>3</TD><TD>18</TD></TR><TR><TD>Marion Barber</TD><TD>Dallas Cowboys</TD><TD>15</TD><TD>20</TD><TD>75.0%</TD><TD>10</TD><TD>11</TD><TD>90.9%</TD><TD>4</TD><TD>0</TD><TD>15</TD></TR><TR><TD>Kevin Smith</TD><TD>Detroit Lions</TD><TD>16</TD><TD>22</TD><TD>72.7%</TD><TD>6</TD><TD>12</TD><TD>50.0%</TD><TD>3</TD><TD>2</TD><TD>18</TD></TR><TR><TD>Frank Gore</TD><TD>San Francisco 49ers</TD><TD>5</TD><TD>7</TD><TD>71.4%</TD><TD>1</TD><TD>1</TD><TD>100.0%</TD><TD>1</TD><TD>2</TD><TD>7</TD></TR><TR><TD>Adrian Peterson</TD><TD>Minnesota Vikings</TD><TD>33</TD><TD>48</TD><TD>68.8%</TD><TD>17</TD><TD>21</TD><TD>81.0%</TD><TD>7</TD><TD>2</TD><TD>35</TD></TR><TR><TD>Ronnie Brown</TD><TD>Miami Dolphins</TD><TD>35</TD><TD>53</TD><TD>66.0%</TD><TD>12</TD><TD>18</TD><TD>66.7%</TD><TD>6</TD><TD>1</TD><TD>36</TD></TR><TR><TD>Brandon Jacobs</TD><TD>New York Giants</TD><TD>28</TD><TD>43</TD><TD>65.1%</TD><TD>7</TD><TD>10</TD><TD>70.0%</TD><TD>2</TD><TD>4</TD><TD>32</TD></TR><TR><TD>LeSean McCoy</TD><TD>Philadelphia Eagles</TD><TD>9</TD><TD>14</TD><TD>64.3%</TD><TD>3</TD><TD>5</TD><TD>60.0%</TD><TD>1</TD><TD>1</TD><TD>10</TD></TR><TR><TD>Jamal Lewis</TD><TD>Cleveland Browns</TD><TD>16</TD><TD>25</TD><TD>64.0%</TD><TD>7</TD><TD>9</TD><TD>77.8%</TD><TD>0</TD><TD>0</TD><TD>16</TD></TR><TR><TD>Willie Parker</TD><TD>Pittsburgh Steelers</TD><TD>8</TD><TD>13</TD><TD>61.5%</TD><TD>2</TD><TD>3</TD><TD>66.7%</TD><TD>0</TD><TD>1</TD><TD>9</TD></TR><TR><TD>Lendale White</TD><TD>Tennesee Titans</TD><TD>8</TD><TD>13</TD><TD>61.5%</TD><TD>2</TD><TD>2</TD><TD>100.0%</TD><TD>1</TD><TD>0</TD><TD>8</TD></TR><TR><TD>Knowshon Moreno</TD><TD>Denver Broncos</TD><TD>19</TD><TD>31</TD><TD>61.3%</TD><TD>3</TD><TD>7</TD><TD>42.9%</TD><TD>1</TD><TD>2</TD><TD>21</TD></TR><TR><TD>Joseph Addai</TD><TD>Indiannapolis Colts</TD><TD>22</TD><TD>36</TD><TD>61.1%</TD><TD>4</TD><TD>10</TD><TD>40.0%</TD><TD>4</TD><TD>1</TD><TD>23</TD></TR><TR><TD>Thomas Jones</TD><TD>New York Jets</TD><TD>23</TD><TD>38</TD><TD>60.5%</TD><TD>7</TD><TD>8</TD><TD>87.5%</TD><TD>6</TD><TD>0</TD><TD>23</TD></TR><TR><TD>Rashard Mendenhall</TD><TD>Pittsburgh Steelers</TD><TD>12</TD><TD>21</TD><TD>57.1%</TD><TD>5</TD><TD>7</TD><TD>71.4%</TD><TD>4</TD><TD>0</TD><TD>12</TD></TR><TR><TD>Jonathan Stewart</TD><TD>Carolina Panthers</TD><TD>20</TD><TD>37</TD><TD>54.1%</TD><TD>7</TD><TD>17</TD><TD>41.2%</TD><TD>3</TD><TD>1</TD><TD>21</TD></TR><TR><TD>Beanie Wells</TD><TD>Arizona Cardinals</TD><TD>12</TD><TD>23</TD><TD>52.2%</TD><TD>2</TD><TD>9</TD><TD>22.2%</TD><TD>1</TD><TD>0</TD><TD>12</TD></TR><TR><TD>Cadillac Williams</TD><TD>Tampa Bay Buccaneers</TD><TD>5</TD><TD>10</TD><TD>50.0%</TD><TD>3</TD><TD>6</TD><TD>50.0%</TD><TD>2</TD><TD>2</TD><TD>7</TD></TR><TR><TD>Glen Coffee</TD><TD>San Francisco 49ers</TD><TD>5</TD><TD>10</TD><TD>50.0%</TD><TD>2</TD><TD>3</TD><TD>66.7%</TD><TD>1</TD><TD>1</TD><TD>6</TD></TR><TR><TD>Justin Forsett</TD><TD>Seattle Seahawks</TD><TD>4</TD><TD>8</TD><TD>50.0%</TD><TD>0</TD><TD>1</TD><TD>0.0%</TD><TD>0</TD><TD>2</TD><TD>6</TD></TR><TR><TD>Julius Jones</TD><TD>Seattle Seahawks</TD><TD>4</TD><TD>8</TD><TD>50.0%</TD><TD>1</TD><TD>1</TD><TD>100.0%</TD><TD>0</TD><TD>1</TD><TD>5</TD></TR><TR><TD>Darren McFadden</TD><TD>Oakland Raiders</TD><TD>4</TD><TD>8</TD><TD>50.0%</TD><TD>1</TD><TD>2</TD><TD>50.0%</TD><TD>1</TD><TD>1</TD><TD>5</TD></TR><TR><TD>Tashard Choice</TD><TD>Dallas Cowboys</TD><TD>7</TD><TD>15</TD><TD>46.7%</TD><TD>3</TD><TD>7</TD><TD>42.9%</TD><TD>1</TD><TD>2</TD><TD>9</TD></TR><TR><TD>Ray Rice</TD><TD>Baltimore Ravens</TD><TD>15</TD><TD>34</TD><TD>44.1%</TD><TD>2</TD><TD>7</TD><TD>28.6%</TD><TD>0</TD><TD>6</TD><TD>21</TD></TR><TR><TD>Willis McGahee</TD><TD>Baltimore Ravens</TD><TD>15</TD><TD>34</TD><TD>44.1%</TD><TD>4</TD><TD>7</TD><TD>57.1%</TD><TD>5</TD><TD>2</TD><TD>17</TD></TR><TR><TD>Tim Hightower</TD><TD>Arizona Cardinals</TD><TD>10</TD><TD>23</TD><TD>43.5%</TD><TD>7</TD><TD>9</TD><TD>77.8%</TD><TD>5</TD><TD>1</TD><TD>11</TD></TR><TR><TD>DeAngelo Williams</TD><TD>Carolina Panthers</TD><TD>16</TD><TD>37</TD><TD>43.2%</TD><TD>9</TD><TD>17</TD><TD>52.9%</TD><TD>3</TD><TD>8</TD><TD>24</TD></TR><TR><TD>Justin Fargas</TD><TD>Oakland Raiders</TD><TD>8</TD><TD>19</TD><TD>42.1%</TD><TD>2</TD><TD>7</TD><TD>28.6%</TD><TD>1</TD><TD>1</TD><TD>9</TD></TR><TR><TD>Brian Westbrook</TD><TD>Philadelphia Eagles</TD><TD>5</TD><TD>12</TD><TD>41.7%</TD><TD>2</TD><TD>5</TD><TD>40.0%</TD><TD>1</TD><TD>2</TD><TD>7</TD></TR><TR><TD>Derrick Ward</TD><TD>Tampa Bay Buccaneers</TD><TD>4</TD><TD>10</TD><TD>40.0%</TD><TD>3</TD><TD>6</TD><TD>50.0%</TD><TD>1</TD><TD>0</TD><TD>4</TD></TR><TR><TD>Fred Jackson</TD><TD>Buffalo Bills</TD><TD>11</TD><TD>28</TD><TD>39.3%</TD><TD>3</TD><TD>7</TD><TD>42.9%</TD><TD>0</TD><TD>2</TD><TD>13</TD></TR><TR><TD>Donald Brown</TD><TD>Indiannapolis Colts</TD><TD>14</TD><TD>36</TD><TD>38.9%</TD><TD>6</TD><TD>10</TD><TD>60.0%</TD><TD>2</TD><TD>0</TD><TD>14</TD></TR><TR><TD>Steve Slaton</TD><TD>Houston Texans</TD><TD>16</TD><TD>42</TD><TD>38.1%</TD><TD>2</TD><TD>10</TD><TD>20.0%</TD><TD>1</TD><TD>4</TD><TD>20</TD></TR><TR><TD>Chris Brown</TD><TD>Houston Texans</TD><TD>16</TD><TD>42</TD><TD>38.1%</TD><TD>5</TD><TD>10</TD><TD>50.0%</TD><TD>1</TD><TD>2</TD><TD>18</TD></TR><TR><TD>Laurence Maroney</TD><TD>New England Patriots</TD><TD>13</TD><TD>36</TD><TD>36.1%</TD><TD>2</TD><TD>5</TD><TD>40.0%</TD><TD>1</TD><TD>0</TD><TD>13</TD></TR><TR><TD>Amhad Bradshaw</TD><TD>New York Giants</TD><TD>15</TD><TD>43</TD><TD>34.9%</TD><TD>3</TD><TD>10</TD><TD>30.0%</TD><TD>4</TD><TD>0</TD><TD>15</TD></TR><TR><TD>Mike Bell</TD><TD>New Orleans Saints</TD><TD>16</TD><TD>49</TD><TD>32.7%</TD><TD>5</TD><TD>18</TD><TD>27.8%</TD><TD>2</TD><TD>0</TD><TD>16</TD></TR><TR><TD>Michael Bush</TD><TD>Oakland Raiders</TD><TD>6</TD><TD>19</TD><TD>31.6%</TD><TD>4</TD><TD>7</TD><TD>57.1%</TD><TD>2</TD><TD>0</TD><TD>6</TD></TR><TR><TD>Chris Johnson</TD><TD>Tennesee Titans</TD><TD>4</TD><TD>13</TD><TD>30.8%</TD><TD>0</TD><TD>2</TD><TD>0.0%</TD><TD>0</TD><TD>0</TD><TD>4</TD></TR><TR><TD>Pierre Thomas</TD><TD>New Orleans Saints</TD><TD>15</TD><TD>49</TD><TD>30.6%</TD><TD>7</TD><TD>18</TD><TD>38.9%</TD><TD>2</TD><TD>1</TD><TD>16</TD></TR><TR><TD>Darren Sproles</TD><TD>San Diego Chargers</TD><TD>13</TD><TD>43</TD><TD>30.2%</TD><TD>4</TD><TD>20</TD><TD>20.0%</TD><TD>1</TD><TD>8</TD><TD>21</TD></TR><TR><TD>Leon Washington</TD><TD>New York Jets</TD><TD>11</TD><TD>38</TD><TD>28.9%</TD><TD>1</TD><TD>8</TD><TD>12.5%</TD><TD>0</TD><TD>2</TD><TD>13</TD></TR><TR><TD>Reggie Bush</TD><TD>New Orleans Saints</TD><TD>14</TD><TD>49</TD><TD>28.6%</TD><TD>2</TD><TD>18</TD><TD>11.1%</TD><TD>3</TD><TD>9</TD><TD>23</TD></TR><TR><TD>Jerome Harrison</TD><TD>Cleveland Browns</TD><TD>7</TD><TD>25</TD><TD>28.0%</TD><TD>0</TD><TD>9</TD><TD>0.0%</TD><TD> </TD><TD>0</TD><TD>7</TD></TR><TR><TD>Ricky Williams</TD><TD>Miami Dolphins</TD><TD>14</TD><TD>53</TD><TD>26.4%</TD><TD>5</TD><TD>18</TD><TD>27.8%</TD><TD>4</TD><TD>3</TD><TD>17</TD></TR><TR><TD>Correll Buckhalter</TD><TD>Denver Broncos</TD><TD>7</TD><TD>31</TD><TD>22.6%</TD><TD>1</TD><TD>7</TD><TD>14.3%</TD><TD>0</TD><TD>1</TD><TD>8</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

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<TABLE class=tableizer-table>
<TBODY><TR class=tableizer-firstrow><TH>Player</TH><TH>Team </TH><TH>RZ Targets</TH><TH>Team RZ</TH><TH>RZ%</TH><TH>TD</TH></TR><TR><TD>Marques Colston</TD><TD>New Orleans Saints</TD><TD>14</TD><TD>45</TD><TD>31.1%</TD><TD>6</TD></TR><TR><TD>Larry Fitzgerald</TD><TD>Arizona Cardinals</TD><TD>13</TD><TD>35</TD><TD>37.1%</TD><TD>3</TD></TR><TR><TD>Steve Smith</TD><TD>New York Giants</TD><TD>11</TD><TD>33</TD><TD>33.3%</TD><TD>4</TD></TR><TR><TD>Chad Ochocinco</TD><TD>Cincinnati Bengals</TD><TD>11</TD><TD>36</TD><TD>30.6%</TD><TD>5</TD></TR><TR><TD>Owen Daniels</TD><TD>Houston Texans</TD><TD>11</TD><TD>40</TD><TD>27.5%</TD><TD>3</TD></TR><TR><TD>Greg Olsen</TD><TD>Chicago Bears</TD><TD>11</TD><TD>41</TD><TD>26.8%</TD><TD>1</TD></TR><TR><TD>Vernon Davis</TD><TD>San Francisco 49ers</TD><TD>10</TD><TD>19</TD><TD>52.6%</TD><TD>6</TD></TR><TR><TD>Brent Celek</TD><TD>Philadelphia Eagles</TD><TD>10</TD><TD>30</TD><TD>33.3%</TD><TD>2</TD></TR><TR><TD>Reggie Wayne</TD><TD>Indianapolis Colts</TD><TD>10</TD><TD>33</TD><TD>30.3%</TD><TD>6</TD></TR><TR><TD>Andre Johnson</TD><TD>Houston Texans</TD><TD>10</TD><TD>40</TD><TD>25.0%</TD><TD>3</TD></TR><TR><TD>Sidney Rice</TD><TD>Minnesota Vikings</TD><TD>10</TD><TD>42</TD><TD>23.8%</TD><TD>1</TD></TR><TR><TD>Randy Moss</TD><TD>New England Patriots</TD><TD>10</TD><TD>46</TD><TD>21.7%</TD><TD>2</TD></TR><TR><TD>Nate Washington</TD><TD>Tennesee Titans</TD><TD>9</TD><TD>15</TD><TD>60.0%</TD><TD>3</TD></TR><TR><TD>Heath Miller</TD><TD>Pittsburgh Steelers</TD><TD>9</TD><TD>25</TD><TD>36.0%</TD><TD>4</TD></TR><TR><TD>Tony Gonzalez</TD><TD>Atlanta Falcons</TD><TD>9</TD><TD>26</TD><TD>34.6%</TD><TD>2</TD></TR><TR><TD>Austin Collie</TD><TD>Indianapolis Colts</TD><TD>9</TD><TD>33</TD><TD>27.3%</TD><TD>3</TD></TR><TR><TD>Dwayne Bowe</TD><TD>Kansas City Chiefs</TD><TD>9</TD><TD>35</TD><TD>25.7%</TD><TD>3</TD></TR><TR><TD>Jhonny Knox</TD><TD>Chicago Bears</TD><TD>9</TD><TD>41</TD><TD>22.0%</TD><TD>2</TD></TR><TR><TD>Bernard Berrian</TD><TD>Minnesota Vikings</TD><TD>9</TD><TD>42</TD><TD>21.4%</TD><TD>2</TD></TR><TR><TD>Visante Schiancoe</TD><TD>Minnesota Vikings</TD><TD>9</TD><TD>42</TD><TD>21.4%</TD><TD>6</TD></TR><TR><TD>Braylon Edwards</TD><TD>New York Jets</TD><TD>8</TD><TD>23</TD><TD>34.8%</TD><TD>2</TD></TR><TR><TD>Mike Sims-Walker</TD><TD>Jacksonville Jaguars</TD><TD>8</TD><TD>24</TD><TD>33.3%</TD><TD>3</TD></TR><TR><TD>TJ Houshmandzadeh</TD><TD>Seattle Seahawks</TD><TD>8</TD><TD>31</TD><TD>25.8%</TD><TD>1</TD></TR><TR><TD>Wes Welker</TD><TD>New England Patriots</TD><TD>8</TD><TD>46</TD><TD>17.4%</TD><TD>2</TD></TR><TR><TD>Anthony Fasano</TD><TD>Miami Dolphins</TD><TD>7</TD><TD>23</TD><TD>30.4%</TD><TD>1</TD></TR><TR><TD>Roddy White </TD><TD>Atlanta Falcons</TD><TD>7</TD><TD>26</TD><TD>26.9%</TD><TD>1</TD></TR><TR><TD>Mark Clayton</TD><TD>Baltimore Ravens</TD><TD>7</TD><TD>26</TD><TD>26.9%</TD><TD>1</TD></TR><TR><TD>Eddie Royal</TD><TD>Denver Broncos</TD><TD>7</TD><TD>30</TD><TD>23.3%</TD><TD> </TD></TR><TR><TD>Greg Jennings</TD><TD>Green Bay Packers</TD><TD>7</TD><TD>33</TD><TD>21.2%</TD><TD>1</TD></TR><TR><TD>Donald Lee</TD><TD>Green Bay Packers</TD><TD>7</TD><TD>33</TD><TD>21.2%</TD><TD> </TD></TR><TR><TD>Antonio Gates</TD><TD>San Diego Chargers</TD><TD>7</TD><TD>33</TD><TD>21.2%</TD><TD>1</TD></TR><TR><TD>Vincent Jackson</TD><TD>San Diego Chargers</TD><TD>7</TD><TD>33</TD><TD>21.2%</TD><TD>2</TD></TR><TR><TD>Andre Caldwell</TD><TD>Cincinnati Bengals</TD><TD>7</TD><TD>36</TD><TD>19.4%</TD><TD>2</TD></TR><TR><TD>Laveranues Coles</TD><TD>Cincinnati Bengals</TD><TD>7</TD><TD>36</TD><TD>19.4%</TD><TD>2</TD></TR><TR><TD>Desmond Clark</TD><TD>Chicago Bears</TD><TD>7</TD><TD>41</TD><TD>17.1%</TD><TD>0</TD></TR><TR><TD>Devin Hester</TD><TD>Chicago Bears</TD><TD>7</TD><TD>41</TD><TD>17.1%</TD><TD>1</TD></TR><TR><TD>Calvin Johnson</TD><TD>Detroit Lions</TD><TD>6</TD><TD>21</TD><TD>28.6%</TD><TD>1</TD></TR><TR><TD>Lee Evans</TD><TD>Buffalo Bills</TD><TD>6</TD><TD>25</TD><TD>24.0%</TD><TD>1</TD></TR><TR><TD>Randy McMichael</TD><TD>St. Louis Rams</TD><TD>6</TD><TD>29</TD><TD>20.7%</TD><TD> </TD></TR><TR><TD>Brandon Marshall</TD><TD>Denver Broncos</TD><TD>6</TD><TD>30</TD><TD>20.0%</TD><TD>4</TD></TR><TR><TD>Jason Avant</TD><TD>Philadelphia Eagles</TD><TD>6</TD><TD>30</TD><TD>20.0%</TD><TD>1</TD></TR><TR><TD>Nate Burleson</TD><TD>Seattle Seahawks</TD><TD>6</TD><TD>31</TD><TD>19.4%</TD><TD>2</TD></TR><TR><TD>Donald Driver</TD><TD>Green Bay Packers</TD><TD>6</TD><TD>33</TD><TD>18.2%</TD><TD>2</TD></TR><TR><TD>Miles Austin</TD><TD>Dallas Cowboys</TD><TD>6</TD><TD>34</TD><TD>17.6%</TD><TD>2</TD></TR><TR><TD>Roy Williams</TD><TD>Dallas Cowboys</TD><TD>6</TD><TD>34</TD><TD>17.6%</TD><TD>2</TD></TR><TR><TD>Jeremy Shockey</TD><TD>New Orleans Saints</TD><TD>6</TD><TD>45</TD><TD>13.3%</TD><TD>2</TD></TR><TR><TD>Steve Smith</TD><TD>Carolina Panthers</TD><TD>5</TD><TD>24</TD><TD>20.8%</TD><TD>1</TD></TR><TR><TD>Dustin Keller</TD><TD>New York Jets</TD><TD>5</TD><TD>24</TD><TD>20.8%</TD><TD>2</TD></TR><TR><TD>Terrel Owens</TD><TD>Buffalo Bills</TD><TD>5</TD><TD>25</TD><TD>20.0%</TD><TD> </TD></TR><TR><TD>Derrick Mason</TD><TD>Baltimore Ravens</TD><TD>5</TD><TD>26</TD><TD>19.2%</TD><TD>3</TD></TR><TR><TD>Antonio Bryant</TD><TD>Tampa Bay Buccaneers</TD><TD>5</TD><TD>29</TD><TD>17.2%</TD><TD>1</TD></TR><TR><TD>Kellen Winslow</TD><TD>Tampa Bay Buccaneers</TD><TD>5</TD><TD>29</TD><TD>17.2%</TD><TD>3</TD></TR><TR><TD>Devin Thomas</TD><TD>Washington Redskins</TD><TD>5</TD><TD>29</TD><TD>17.2%</TD><TD>1</TD></TR><TR><TD>Santana Moss</TD><TD>Washington Redskins</TD><TD>5</TD><TD>29</TD><TD>17.2%</TD><TD> </TD></TR><TR><TD>Tony Sheffler</TD><TD>Denver Broncos</TD><TD>5</TD><TD>30</TD><TD>16.7%</TD><TD>2</TD></TR><TR><TD>DeSean Jackson</TD><TD>Philadelphia Eagles</TD><TD>5</TD><TD>30</TD><TD>16.7%</TD><TD> </TD></TR><TR><TD>John Carlson</TD><TD>Seattle Seahawks</TD><TD>5</TD><TD>31</TD><TD>16.1%</TD><TD>2</TD></TR><TR><TD>Mario Mannigham</TD><TD>New York Giants</TD><TD>5</TD><TD>33</TD><TD>15.2%</TD><TD>2</TD></TR><TR><TD>Malcom Floyd</TD><TD>San Diego Chargers</TD><TD>5</TD><TD>33</TD><TD>15.2%</TD><TD>2</TD></TR><TR><TD>Anquan Boldin</TD><TD>Arizona Cardinals</TD><TD>5</TD><TD>35</TD><TD>14.3%</TD><TD>1</TD></TR><TR><TD>Steve Breaston</TD><TD>Arizona Cardinals</TD><TD>5</TD><TD>35</TD><TD>14.3%</TD><TD>1</TD></TR><TR><TD>Bobby Wade</TD><TD>Kansas City Chiefs</TD><TD>5</TD><TD>35</TD><TD>14.3%</TD><TD>2</TD></TR><TR><TD>Chris Henry</TD><TD>Cincinnati Bengals</TD><TD>5</TD><TD>36</TD><TD>13.9%</TD><TD>2</TD></TR><TR><TD>Heath Evans</TD><TD>New Orleans Saints</TD><TD>5</TD><TD>45</TD><TD>11.1%</TD><TD>1</TD></TR><TR><TD>Ben Watson</TD><TD>New England Patriots</TD><TD>5</TD><TD>46</TD><TD>10.9%</TD><TD>2</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

 

[HacheMan]

Matchups: Spreading 'em out
This is the final week in which six teams go on a bye. Only two (Texans, Giants) have off in Week 10, and no team has a bye from then on. With that, let's get to the matchups.

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

Baltimore @ Cincinnati

The Paul Brown Stadium conditions won't deter passing with moderate winds, 65-degree temps, and no rain in the forecast. Bracket coverage was Joe Flacco and Derrick Mason's kryptonite in the Bengals' Week 5 win over Baltimore, however, as Flacco threw for just one TD, 186 yards, and two picks while Mason went catch-less. Bengals DC Mike Zimmer figures to employ a similar strategy, so it's up to creative Ravens play caller Cam Cameron to adjust. Use Flacco and Mason at your own risk...Averaging only 38 yards a game since Week 1, Mark Clayton isn't an option.

Cameron has shown a willingness to rely on Ray Rice as his featured skill player. Rice totaled 143 yards and a score in Week 5's BAL-CIN meeting and has 85 touches to Willis McGahee's 18 in the last five games. Cincinnati doesn't have the speed at linebacker to contain Baltimore's every-down back...Todd Heap has deservedly fallen into fantasy obscurity since his Week 1 and 2 TDs. He's taking on more blocking assignments and averaging just 40.8 yards a game since.

With CBs Domonique Foxworth and Fabian Washington tackling better, Baltimore isn't the plus matchup for passing games it once was. Still, it would be hard to sit Carson Palmer (nine TDs and at least 233 yards in his last four games) against the NFL's No. 19 secondary...Chad Ochocinco has long had Foxworth's number and racked up 94 yards in their last battle...Cincy continues to rotate at "No. 2" receiver with Laveranues Coles, Andre Caldwell, and Chris Henry canceling each other out. Only Henry (in Week 5, ironically) has topped 57 yards once this year.

The Week 8 bye came at a good time for Cedric Benson -- after he saw a career-high 38 touches versus Chicago. Such workloads are cause for concern, especially when the back already leads the AFC in carries. The Ravens will make stopping the run a priority after CedBen gashed them for 136 yards and a score in Week 5, snapping Baltimore's 40-game streak of holding opposing rushers below the century mark. But with Ravens DT/DE Haloti Ngata (ankle) banged up and NT Kelly Gregg not playing well after microfracture surgery, Benson can be used with confidence.

Houston @ Indianapolis

The Texans haven't given up on Steve Slaton, but an NFL-high five lost fumbles have cost him his feature back job. Gary Kubiak plans to use all of his RBs at Indy, with Ryan Moats possibly the best bet for early-down work, Slaton limited to passing downs, and Chris Brown handling short-yardage carries. While the Colts are susceptible to the run (4.5 YPC allowed), this is a situation to avoid unless you're desperate. There's no telling which back will end up with the most touches, and Kubiak is unlikely reinstall Slaton as the clear lead runner when Moats has the hot hand.

Owen Daniels' loss won't severely hurt Matt Schaub. Kevin Walter steps up as Houston's No. 2 passing-game option -- a role he's been highly effective in before. He has a similar skill set to Daniels with better speed and is a solid WR3 going forward...Indianapolis is perhaps the league's toughest team to throw on (NFL-low three passing TDs allowed, 5.5 YPA against), but this one could easily turn into a shootout under Lucas Oil Stadium's retractable roof. The Colts will also be without top CB Kelvin Hayden (knee). Schaub and Andre Johnson are obvious must-starts.

So much for Reggie Wayne's groin injury. He was sensational in last week's comeback victory, racking up grabs over the middle, down the sideline, on receiver screens, and over the top. He's the best route runner on the planet...Joseph Addai "vultured" a TD pass in Week 8, but Peyton Manning will resume scoring against Houston's No. 14 pass defense. The Texans bring little heat (11 sacks; third fewest) and surrender big passing plays (22 of 20+ yards)...Austin Collie, coming off a six-catch game, remains a solid WR3 with Anthony Gonzalez (knee) still not close to ready.

While grabbing an early lead helped at Buffalo last week, the Texans continued to play stout run defense, holding Fred Jackson and Marshawn Lynch to under four yards per carry combined. Starting RBs now average a putrid 27 rushing yards per game in their last five matchups with Houston. Consider sitting Joseph Addai if Donald Brown (shoulder) returns. Brown wasn't on Wednesday's initial injury report, and this is a tough matchup...With Daniels lost for 2009, Dallas Clark and Vernon Davis have become the two most valuable tight ends in fantasy.

Green Bay @ Tampa Bay

Ryan Grant's role in Green Bay's Week 8 game plan was predictably minor against Minnesota's stout front four, but he's a strong bet to resume a 20+ carry workload at Tampa. No NFC team is more porous against the run, and the Bucs' 4.7 YPC allowed is fourth worst in the league. As mentioned previously in this space, Grant is always more productive in the second halves of seasons...Avoid Packers tight ends. Jermichael Finley (knee) won't play, Donald Lee is almost strictly a "help" blocker, and converted linebacker Spencer Havner's TD run is an obvious fluke.

Sunday's Raymond James Stadium forecast calls for temps in the 80s, a 10% chance of rain, and moderate winds. Packers LT Chad Clifton will retake his job after rookie T.J. Lang was whipped by Jared Allen last week, which also can't hurt the air game. Aaron Rodgers is torching defenses with 12 TDs and an otherworldly 309-yard average in his last five games. He's fantasy's No. 1 QB...Greg Jennings, rounding into shape with an 8-88-1 line in Week 8, has a better matchup (against Ronde Barber) than Donald Driver, who faces emerging Bucs shutdown CB Aqib Talib.

In Josh Freeman's starting debut, Tampa Bay's offense will struggle to stay even in the time-of-possession battle, let alone generate first downs. Freeman, who Bucs offensive coordinator Greg Olson admits is well over his ideal playing weight, consistently locked onto targets and threw inaccurate passes in the preseason. Clearly not game-ready, the Kansas State product will get a rude introduction to non-Big 12 secondaries when he faces Charles Woodson and Green Bay's top-ten pass defense. Bench all of your Bucs pass catchers, including Kellen Winslow.

The Bucs may go into this game planning to "focus on the run," but it doesn't matter. They won't move the ball, face a Packers run defense that's allowed the fourth fewest rushing scores in the league and just 3.5 YPC, and are using a tightening backfield rotation. Carnell Williams started the Bucs' last game, but saw fewer touches than "backup" Derrick Ward. The Packers' fantasy defense is a better bet for points than any skill position player on the Buccaneers' roster.

<!--RW-->

Arizona @ Chicago

The Bears are 3-0 at Soldier Field with a scoring margin of 95-44, and 1-3 on the road with a 58-112 margin. Owners intending to start Jay Cutler can also point out that Arizona is 20th against the pass, and his TD to INT ratio is 4-1 at home to 7-10 away. Cutler has a big enough arm to cut through winds off Lake Michigan. Otherwise, the conditions (low-60s temps, 10% chance of rain) favor passing...Johnny Knox, Earl Bennett, and Greg Olsen are still all weak fantasy bets. Olsen hasn't topped 57 yards in a game all year, and Bennett and Knox cancel each other out.

Devin Hester has clearly emerged as the Bears' No. 1 receiver. An ankle injury that kept him out of Wednesday's practice isn't known to be serious, and Hester is averaging nearly 90 yards in his last three games. He's an every-week WR2...Matt Forte faces a Cardinals team that was lit up by DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart last week (combined 245 rushing yards, two TDs), but doesn't have the advantages that Carolina's "Double Trouble" backfield did. Chicago's offensive line isn't opening nearly as many holes, and both Stewart and Williams' talent trump Forte's.

This will be a hard fought and potentially low-scoring game despite premier QBs on both sides. Arizona's passing attack has been unable to generate big plays because it's seen so much Cover 2, and nobody executes the zone better than Lovie Smith's club. Kurt Warner is a low-end QB1 with fairly limited upside against the Bears' top-12 pass defense...Look for the Cardinals to hold out Anquan Boldin for at least one game, then reassess the state of his ankle injury before a Week 10 intradivision matchup versus Seattle. In that scenario, Steve Breaston would start at Chicago.

The Bears don't use Charles Tillman to shadow No. 1 wideouts, so Larry Fitzgerald will see his share of burnable Bears RCB Zackary Bowman. Fitz's numbers are down from 2009, but he's still the No. 10 overall fantasy receiver and always a good bet to score...Tim Hightower was Arizona's feature back in Week 8, but only because of in-game situations. The Cards fell behind Carolina by multiple scores and were forced to throw. Hightower is the passing-down back. In what should be a closer affair, expect Hightower and Chris Wells to share the backfield evenly.

Miami @ New England

The Dolphins employed the rare tactic of single covering Randy Moss in their last meeting, and he went off for 8-125-3. Expect Moss to see double teams this time, but the corner on him will be a rookie and Miami's safeties are always a step late...The Foxboro forecast calls for light wind, high-50s temps, and no chance of rain. New England can dominate by spreading out the defense to get Moss and Wes Welker on islands, and pick apart the Fins' shallow secondary with short passes. Among Week 9 fantasy QBs, perhaps only Aaron Rodgers has a better matchup than Tom Brady.

It'd make no sense to run Laurence Maroney "into the pile" when Miami is No. 6 against the run and gets back ILB Channing Crowder (shoulder). While he's been the primary back with Sammy Morris (knee) and Fred Taylor (ankle) out, Maroney has a poor matchup and New England can whip Miami through the air. We may see "spread back" Kevin Faulk just as often...Tight ends are always good plays against the Dolphins' slow-footed safeties. Ben Watson has been highly efficient in the red zone (five targets, four TDs) and is a key part of the offense when New England is in passing mode.

The Pats were gashed for 216 rushing yards and four TDs in their first glance at Miami's Wildcat package a year ago, but Bill Belichick was ready for it the second time around. Using blitzes to clog the lanes, New England held Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams to a combined 66 yards in Week 12 of last season. Now with a Week 8 bye to prepare, Belichick is likely to shut down the Wildcat again. While Ronnie is a must-start because he's a safe bet for 16-19 touches, Ricky is best left benched. The Patriots have also allowed a league-low one rushing score all season.

If Belichick contains Ronnie and Ricky, the Fins simply don't match up well with the Pats. Miami is 29th in passing offense, while New England is fifth in pass defense. Chad Henne has "game managed" well since replacing Chad Pennington, but isn't even a desirable QB2...The Dolphins' four-receiver rotation, which may expand to five with rookie Patrick Turner practicing well of late, should be avoided completely. Ted Ginn Jr. has been passed by rookie Brian Hartline on the depth chart, but Hartline saw just one target last week. Greg Camarillo and Davone Bess form an even timeshare.

Kansas City @ Jacksonville

No team has given up more 40+ yard pass plays than the Chiefs, and injuries to both of their free safeties (Jarrad Page - calf, Jon McGraw - thigh) won't help. Mike Sims-Walker is coming off a season-worst nine-yard effort, but is Jacksonville's top big-play threat through the air and opposing free safeties usually shade to his side. The injuries help his matchup...After averaging 98 yards in Weeks 6-7, Torry Holt returned to earth with 17 against the Rams last Sunday. Lacking after-catch ability, he is a poor bet against sure-tackling Chiefs LCB Brandon Flowers.

David Garrard's befuddling inconsistencies continued against the rag-tag Rams secondary. The Chiefs are 28th against the pass and give up nearly two passing TDs a game, but Garrard is only a QB2. It's impossible to know when he'll come to play...With coach Jack Del Rio having stripped Garrard's ability to audible at the line of scrimmage, a run-heavy game plan is coming. Maurice Jones-Drew is a lock for 25 touches against K.C.'s No. 26 run defense...The light isn't flipping on for Marcedes Lewis. He's averaging two grabs for 13 yards in his last three games.

Chris Johnson's 239-yard, two-TD Week 8 wasn't the first time Jacksonville has been gashed by a speed back. With one of the league's slowest front sevens, the Jags can't contain track stars like Chiefs Week 9 starter Jamaal Charles, who's been studying film of C.J. Chiefs coach Todd Haley indicated that Charles will rarely come off the field with Larry Johnson out, praising Charles' blitz-pickup skills. He's a strong candidate for 20 touches and a high-upside RB2...Kolby Smith, already lacking NFL-caliber talent, will be rusty coming off PUP. He's not a fantasy option.

Week 9 should kick off a strong run for Matt Cassel. He gets back LT Branden Albert (ankle) and C Rudy Niswanger (knee), and won't have to watch Larry Johnson kick up dust on 20 carries a game. Extremely vulnerable to the pass, the Jags made Vince Young look good in his first 2009 start last week and bring no pressure (NFL-low five sacks). Consider Cassel an elite QB2...Dwayne Bowe will match up mostly with rookie RCB Derek Cox, but it doesn't matter because all of the Jaguars' DBs are burnable. Fill-in LCB Reggie Nelson can't tackle, and Bowe is a beast after the catch.

Washington @ Atlanta

You wouldn't know it by their image and coach's day-to-day job security, but the Skins have a top-five defense. Albert Haynesworth has been a difference maker inside, and Washington is second against the pass. Matt Ryan can beat up on tough opponents -- especially at the Georgia Dome -- but he and Roddy White are Atlanta's only passing-game members definitely worth using...The Skins are highly effective at defending tight ends. Since Kevin Boss dropped a fluky 62 yards on them in Week 1, the Skins haven't allowed a TE to top 30 yards all year. Tony Gonzalez is a risk.

While he has a fairly tough matchup against Redskins LCB Carlos Rogers, White is on a tear with at least one score in each of his last four games and an average of 108 yards per week. The Saints' Jabari Greer is playing as well as any NFL corner, but White roasted him for a 70-yard TD bomb and several other catches on Monday Night Football...Michael Turner's burst is officially back. Consistently blowing into the second level last week, he racked up a season-best 151 yards and a touchdown against a Saints defense that was sixth against the run entering the game.

There's little hope for Jason Campbell with Skins LT Stephon Heyer facing All-Pro John Abraham on a hyperextended knee. A matchup with Atlanta's leaky back end seems favorable, but the Falcons' fantasy defense may be more productive. Campbell will struggle to find Santana Moss deep with little time to throw...Fred Davis is worth a look if you have bye-week TE woes. Atlanta is soft over the middle as Jeremy Shockey and Marques Colston proved (combined 11-157-1 in Week 8), and Davis had 78 yards and a TD in his last outing. He could be the go-to guy if Washington falls behind early.

Devin Thomas has captured the Skins' full-time flanker job and showed promise with 45 yards and a TD before the Week 8 bye. He'll run more slant and underneath routes than Moss, and is a fair bet to lead the team in receiving. The talent is there, and Thomas will square off with easily-beaten Falcons LCBs Brent Grimes and Tye Hill...Perhaps the off week did Clinton Portis some good. He lacked any hint of explosiveness in the first seven games and battled a multitude of injuries, but at least now faces an Atlanta run defense that surrenders 4.5 yards per carry.

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

Carolina @ New Orleans

Carolina's offense works only when the run game clicks. DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart have combined for 19.5 rush attempts a game in the Panthers' losses compared to 38.3 in their wins. With Jake Delhomme relegated to a "game manager" role, the Panthers will certainly be out to establish the run early. Good news: New Orleans' previously-tough run defense is way weaker without DT Sedrick Ellis (MCL sprain), as Michael Turner showed on Monday night. Bad news: If Carolina doesn't set the tone on the ground, the Saints could easily jump out to a big early lead, forcing Delhomme to throw and killing the Panthers' offensive productivity.

Steve Smith is a quality WR2 in a domed game that could produce more passing by Carolina than John Fox would prefer. While every Saints DB is playing well, Smith will see RCB Tracy Porter in primary coverage. He is the weaker of New Orleans' two corners and gets safety help from Darren Sharper, who is a gambler. Teams haven't stopped throwing away from Sharper despite his NFL-high seven picks...Dwayne Jarrett gets another start in place of Muhsin Muhammad (knee), but caught just two passes for 22 yards last week and continues to show no separation skills.

Carolina has the No. 1 pass defense, but Sean Payton doesn't shy from testing tough secondaries. Still, expect a balanced attack considering the Panthers' differential in run defense (No. 24 overall, 4.5 YPC against, one rushing TD allowed per game). If you're strapped for RB options with six teams on byes, consider using Pierre Thomas and Mike Bell together. Their touch totals are roughly the same every week, and both are effective red-zone runners...The Panthers can lock down wideouts, but struggle badly against tight ends. As usual, Jeremy Shockey is a strong TE1.

Despite a tough matchup, Marques Colston is a top-five WR play. Throwing out the Darrelle Revis matchup in Week 4, Colston has scored in all three of his games at the Superdome while averaging six catches for 94 yards...Likewise, Drew Brees averages 345 yards and four TDs in home games not against the Jets...After Colston, New Orleans' wideouts remain shaky plays every week. Slot man Lance Moore is in a walking boot this week, Robert Meachem hasn't topped two catches in a game all year, and Devery Henderson is sitting on one TD for 2009.

Detroit @ Seattle

Calvin Johnson's (knee) long-awaited return will give the entire Lions offense a jolt. Defenses must dedicate at least two defenders to Johnson's side, preventing "eight in the box" for Kevin Smith and freeing up the rest of the field. Johnson impressed on the practice field this week and should be near 100 percent against a Seattle secondary that Tony Romo ripped up for three TDs last week. In coverage, Johnson will likely see the same left cornerback combo of Marcus Trufant and Josh Wilson that Miles Austin worked over for five catches, 61 yards, and a touchdown last Sunday.

Maybe it should've been considering Smith's 3.1 YPC, but Maurice Morris' 15-touch insertion in Week 8 was not due to Smith's performance. Smith came out of the game with a minor shoulder tweak. He'll return this week with a feature-back job to play for. Use Smith against Seattle's middling run defense… Coach Jim Schwartz confirmed that Morris will resume his "complementary" role...Lions rookie TE Brandon Pettigrew is averaging 25 yards a week, while No. 2 receiver Bryant Johnson is getting 36. Neither is a fantasy option despite the extra attention Calvin will command.

Sunday's Qwest Field forecast (50-degree temps, 8MPH winds, 30% chance of showers) shouldn't discourage passing, and Matt Hasselbeck faces a Lions defense that's given up the most passing TDs (18) in the NFC. While Hasselbeck's protection remains a concern with LT Sean Locklear (ankle) still not back, Detroit doesn't generate much pass rush (just over two sacks a game) and Lions top end Dewayne White continues to battle hamstring trouble. Consider Hasselbeck a mid-level TE1 in a very favorable matchup. This could be a surprisingly high-scoring, pass-heavy game.

You wouldn't know from their contracts or career numbers, but Nate Burleson is better than T.J. Houshmandzadeh. Burleson plays with more urgency, is a far superior vertical threat, and is out-producing Housh in every category. Both are worth fantasy use against an awful Lions secondary, but Burleson is the "must-start"...Edgerrin James's release muddles Seattle's backfield. Julius Jones remains the starter, but Justin Forsett is easily the more productive per-play back. While his touches will increase, Forsett isn't a FLEX play until his role becomes consistent...Consider slumping John Carlson a TE2 going forward.

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

Tennessee @ San Francisco

Getting back Pro Bowl CB Cortland Finnegan (hamstring) and nickel back Vincent Fuller (arm) in Week 8 rejuvenated Tennessee's pass defense. The Titans held David Garrard to 139 passing yards, zero touchdowns, and picked him off twice for their first win of 2009. Alex Smith is a quality play in two-QB leagues, but nothing more...Promising development for Michael Crabtree: he's now playing split end, slot, and flanker. An every-down receiver despite being just three weeks removed from his seemingly never-ending holdout, Crabtree is an every-week WR3. The TDs will come.

Vernon Davis leads the NFL in receiving touchdowns. He's the No. 1 fantasy TE following Owen Daniels' season-ending ACL tear...Josh Morgan started last Sunday, but played 27 snaps to Isaac Bruce's 41 and Crabtree's 50. Morgan and Bruce are barely worth shallow-league roster spots...The Titans' run defense started hot, but is getting walloped lately. They've fallen to No. 18 in the league after allowing Laurence Maroney and Maurice Jones-Drew to combine for three TDs and 300 yards on 24 carries (12.5 YPC) in the last two games. Start Frank Gore.

The Titans unsurprisingly emerged from their bye with a run-first mindset in Week 8, racking up 49 carries and passing just 18 times. Despite spring upgrades at receiver and tight end, this is exactly how Tennessee should've approached the season. The offensive line is a mauling unit, the feature back is the most explosive skill player in the league, and the new quarterback keeps opponents on their toes because Vince Young is always a threat to scramble. Despite facing San Francisco's No. 2 overall run defense, Chris Johnson should see 20+ touches. He can never be benched.

However, Young's installation bodes very poorly for the Titans' wideouts. Nate Washington scored a touchdown in V.Y.'s 2009 debut, but mostly acted as a decoy while Kenny Britt had one grab for seven yards and Justin Gage caught three balls. The receiver rotation and a pass-later mindset will make Tennessee WRs weak plays in every week going forward...The Titans also use a timeshare at tight end, killing the fantasy value of Scaife, Alge Crumper, and rookie Jared Cook.

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San Diego @ NY Giants

The Giants should end up with 10+ wins despite all the criticism they've faced, but Eli Manning's plant-foot injury is killing his accuracy. His TD to INT ratio is 3:6 in his last three games, and he's completing an awful 49.5% of his passes over that span. He's a poor play against San Diego's top-six pass defense...New York would be smart to employ a run-first game plan in this matchup. Brandon Jacobs is hot with a 4.88 YPC average since Week 5, and the Bolts are porous up front (No. 27 run defense, one rushing TD allowed per game). Ahmad Bradshaw is a worthwhile FLEX.

Hakeem Nicks gets the nod if you're looking for a Giants wideout to use. While Steve Smith faces sure-tackling DBs Quentin Jammer (outside) and Steve Gregory (in the slot), Nicks will square off with Antonio Cromartie for much of the day. Cromartie struggles against physical WRs like Nicks. Nicks has likely also passed Mario Manningham on the depth chart. Mario figures to return from his shoulder injury as a third receiver...The Chargers can't cover tight ends, but Kevin Boss will focus on helping Giants LT David Diehl block Shawne Merriman, rather than run pass routes.

New York's spiraling pass defense won't improve until CB Aaron Ross returns from his hamstring tear. The Giants have given up 12 passing touchdowns (eighth most) and were gashed by the Saints, Cardinals, and Eagles' throw-first offenses in the last three weeks. San Diego is more devoted to the pass than all of the above, ranking fourth in the league in attempts. Philip Rivers, Antonio Gates, and Vincent Jackson are elite fantasy plays with a favorable Meadowlands forecast (only 7-8 MPH winds, mid-50 degree temperatures, and zero chance of precipitation).

While LCB Corey Webster tries to check V-Jax, new Bolts full-time split end Malcom Floyd will see frequent single coverage. Floyd, who captured the job following Chris Chambers' release, will face off with Terrell Thomas. Thomas has been the more beatable of New York's corners, so don't be surprised if the 6'6" Floyd immediately capitalizes on his fantasy promise, which has been a long time coming...If the Chargers smartly go pass heavy, look for Darren Sproles and LaDainian Tomlinson to form an even timeshare. Sproles is a far more effective "spread back."

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

Dallas @ Philadelphia

McNabb has rebounded from a befuddling Week 6 loss to Oakland, completing 67% of his passes with four TDs and zero INTs since. Dallas is struggling to stop the pass, ranking 22nd overall with 12 TDs against (eighth most). DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin are on fire and the forecast for Lincoln Financial (mid-60s temps, next to wind, zero chance of rain), so McNabb is a must-start...While D-Jax is an every-week WR2, Maclin also as a favorable matchup. He'll mostly square off with Cowboys RCB Mike Jenkins, who struggled against Nate Burleson last week.

Decline was expected in Brian Westbrook's age-30 season, but his productivity hasn't fallen off. His YPC (4.8) is a personal best since 2006, and he's averaged over four catches a game throwing out Week 7, when Westbrook suffered a first-quarter concussion. Medically cleared and showing no ill effects from the injury in practice, Westbrook can now safely be reinstalled as an RB2. He'll lose some work to LeSean McCoy, but is a strong bet to lead Philly's backfield in touches against a Dallas defense that serves up 4.2 yards a carry...Keep Brent Celek rolling. He's fantasy's No. 5 TE.

Cowboys coach Wade Phillips observed "more juice" in Marion Barber's legs on the practice field this week, which isn't surprising. Barber (thigh) has appeared more explosive in the hole over the last two weeks while reclaiming his feature-back job from Tashard Choice in decisive fashion. The Eagles play the run well (No. 12 overall, only 3.7 YPC allowed), but MB3 remains a good bet for a touchdown because he's getting every single goal-line carry...Felix Jones is merely a change-of-pace back/kick returner, and Choice didn't get a touch last week until fourth-quarter garbage time.

Dallas' offense has become a big-play machine since installing Miles Austin as a starter. Only two teams (Green Bay, Philly) have more 40+ yard completions, and seven have more pass plays of 20+. While Philly has a top-ten pass defense, Tony Romo would be difficult to sit with eight TDs (five to Austin) in his last three games and an improving ground attack to account for...Expect another relatively slow game from Jason Witten, who has disappointed all year. He'll block plenty because the Eagles blitz more than anyone...Roy Williams is bench material until he shows something.

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

Pittsburgh @ Denver

Baltimore gave Pittsburgh a blueprint to beat previously undefeated Denver in Week 8, spreading the Broncos out and picking apart favorable matchups with an up-tempo, no-huddle offense. Denver is very thin at corner behind Champ Bailey and Andre' Goodman, so it's surprising that it took so long for opponents to formulate this attack strategy. Pittsburgh has been running the no-huddle spread all year. Despite the Broncos' No. 8 pass defense, No. 8 overall fantasy QB Ben Roethlisberger is a must-start, along with Hines Ward and Santonio Holmes (as a WR3).

It would be a stretch to consider Steelers rookie third receiver Mike Wallace a quality option, but Heath Miller is an every-week play. He'll likely line up in the slot when Pittsburgh gives spread looks. Miller's the No. 6 overall TE in fantasy...Assuming Steelers OC Bruce Arians does employ the pass-first formula (he's been doing it already), Rashard Mendenhall's touch total may take a hit. Pittsburgh should be able to move the ball, however, and Mendenhall is the designated goal-line back. He's a fine bet to score. Willie Parker is virtually no threat to his workload.

The Denver weather (50-degree temps, 8MPH winds, 30% chance of rain) won't strongly hinder passing, but Kyle Orton has an unfavorable matchup. Pittsburgh is fourth in sacks, gives up just 6.4 YPA (eighth lowest), and has surrendered only nine passing TDs in seven games. It doesn't help that Broncos RT Ryan Harris, a terrific pass blocker, is out with two dislocated toes. LaMarr Woodley will now go against former undrafted free agent Tyler Polumbus in a mismatch...Eddie Royal averages 23 receiving yards a game and is only a return-yardage league option...While Brandon Marshall is an every-week play despite his slow Week 7, Tony Scheffler isn't even a solid TE2.

The Broncos' backfield situation requires weekly monitoring, but some roles seem to have been established. Moreno is the new starter (he's started both of Denver's two games since Correll Buckhalter's return from an ankle sprain) and slight favorite for goal-line carries. The first-round pick scored Denver's only TD in their last game, executing from a yard out in the third quarter. The week-to-week touch split is inconsistent, but Buckhalter is currently being used more in the passing game. Either way, both Broncos are RBs are poor options against Pittsburgh's No. 1 run defense.

 

[HacheMan]

Week 9 Rankings
By Week 9, the games start to mean a little more. More than half of the NFL season will be over after Monday night's Denver-Pittsburgh game. 30 teams will be done with their bye week. Only four games will remain in most fantasy playoff chases.

This should be the time of year we learn what direction a player is headed in. When the Bengals and Ravens face off Sunday, I'll be watching the quarterbacks especially closely.

Until Carson Palmer's breakout five score game against the Bears, the Bengals quarterback has been a disappointment. Drafted as a borderline QB1 with the hope for much more, Palmer was instead providing middling value. His late-game heroics piled up wins for the Bengals, but his lack of production and accuracy during the rest of the game was frustrating for owners.

The Bears game changed all that and gave hope Palmer could begin to produce like it was 2006 all over again. The offensive line is right, Cedric Benson will only get more attention, and the wide receiver group is arguably better than it ever was. (At least when Laveranues Coles isn't on the field.)

Palmer's adversary Sunday, Joe Flacco, is one of the football stories of the year. After getting carried by his teammates a year ago, Flacco has returned the favor to become one of the best players in the league. The more pressure in his face, the better throw he seems to make.

Flacco will face a Bengals defense that picked him off twice in Week 5 and limited him to 184 yards. It was Flacco's worst game of the season. If Flacco is the MVP candidate I think he is, he'll adjust and respond in a rematch.

Week 9 won't tell us all the secrets to come this season. But it will get us closer to the truth, another piece of evidence in figuring out where the season will lead. The exciting part – especially for those fantasy teams on the playoff bubble – is that we're just getting started.

[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>Peyton Manning</TD><TD>vs. HOU</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>2</TD><TD>Aaron Rodgers</TD><TD>at TB</TD><TD></TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>3</TD><TD>Tom Brady</TD><TD>vs. MIA</TD><TD>Probable(shoulder)</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>4</TD><TD>Drew Brees</TD><TD>vs. CAR</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>5</TD><TD>Philip Rivers</TD><TD>at NYG</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>6</TD><TD>Matt Schaub</TD><TD>at IND</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>7</TD><TD>Jay Cutler</TD><TD>vs. ARZ</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>8</TD><TD>Tony Romo</TD><TD>at PHI</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>9</TD><TD>Joe Flacco</TD><TD>at CIN</TD><TD>Probable(ankle)</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>10</TD><TD>Donovan McNabb</TD><TD>vs. DAL</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>11</TD><TD>Kurt Warner</TD><TD>at CHI</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>12</TD><TD>Ben Roethlisberger</TD><TD>at DEN</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>13</TD><TD>Carson Palmer</TD><TD>vs. BAL</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>14</TD><TD>Matt Ryan</TD><TD>vs. WAS</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>15</TD><TD>Matt Hasselbeck</TD><TD>vs. DET</TD><TD></TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>16</TD><TD>Eli Manning</TD><TD>vs. SD</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>17</TD><TD>Alex Smith</TD><TD>vs. TEN</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>18</TD><TD>Kyle Orton</TD><TD>vs. PIT</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>19</TD><TD>David Garrard</TD><TD>vs. KC</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>20</TD><TD>Matt Cassel</TD><TD>at JAC</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>21</TD><TD>Chad Henne</TD><TD>at NE</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>22</TD><TD>Jake Delhomme</TD><TD>at NO</TD><TD></TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>23</TD><TD>Matthew Stafford</TD><TD>at SEA</TD><TD></TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>24</TD><TD>Vince Young</TD><TD>at SF</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>25</TD><TD>Jason Campbell</TD><TD>at ATL</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>26</TD><TD>Josh Freeman</TD><TD>vs. GB</TD><TD>- </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

Notes: The notes are taking a one week vacation. No reads Goal Line Stand for the notes anyhow. It's like people reading Playboy for the articles.

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[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>Maurice Jones-Drew</TD><TD>vs. KC</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>2</TD><TD>Ray Rice</TD><TD>at CIN</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>3</TD><TD>Chris Johnson</TD><TD>at SF</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>4</TD><TD>Frank Gore</TD><TD>vs. TEN</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>5</TD><TD>Cedric Benson</TD><TD>vs. BAL</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>6</TD><TD>DeAngelo Williams</TD><TD>at NO</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>7</TD><TD>Michael Turner</TD><TD>vs. WAS</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>8</TD><TD>Ronnie Brown</TD><TD>at NE</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>9</TD><TD>Matt Forte</TD><TD>vs. ARZ</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>10</TD><TD>Pierre Thomas</TD><TD>vs. CAR</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>11</TD><TD>Brandon Jacobs</TD><TD>vs. SD</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>12</TD><TD>Joseph Addai</TD><TD>vs. HOU</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>13</TD><TD>Ryan Grant</TD><TD>at TB</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>14</TD><TD>Marion Barber</TD><TD>at PHI</TD><TD></TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>15</TD><TD>Brian Westbrook</TD><TD>vs. DAL</TD><TD></TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>16</TD><TD>Kevin Smith</TD><TD>at SEA</TD><TD></TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>17</TD><TD>Rashard Mendenhall</TD><TD>at DEN</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>18</TD><TD>Clinton Portis</TD><TD>at ATL</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>19</TD><TD>Knowshon Moreno</TD><TD>vs. PIT</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>20</TD><TD>Ahmad Bradshaw</TD><TD>vs. SD</TD><TD></TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>21</TD><TD>Jamaal Charles</TD><TD>at JAC</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>22</TD><TD>Julius Jones</TD><TD>vs. DET</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>23</TD><TD>LaDainian Tomlinson</TD><TD>at NYG</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>24</TD><TD>Ricky Williams</TD><TD>at NE</TD><TD></TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>25</TD><TD>Darren Sproles</TD><TD>at NYG</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>26</TD><TD>Steve Slaton</TD><TD>at IND</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>27</TD><TD>Jonathan Stewart</TD><TD>at NO</TD><TD></TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>28</TD><TD>Chris Wells</TD><TD>at CHI</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>29</TD><TD>Tim Hightower</TD><TD>at CHI</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>30</TD><TD>Mike Bell</TD><TD>vs. CAR</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>31</TD><TD>Laurence Maroney</TD><TD>vs. MIA</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>32</TD><TD>Felix Jones</TD><TD>at PHI</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>33</TD><TD>LeSean McCoy</TD><TD>vs. DAL</TD><TD></TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>34</TD><TD>Ryan Moats</TD><TD>at IND</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>35</TD><TD>Carnell Williams</TD><TD>vs. GB</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>36</TD><TD>Reggie Bush</TD><TD>vs. CAR</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>37</TD><TD>Correll Buckhalter</TD><TD>vs. PIT</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>38</TD><TD>Willie Parker</TD><TD>at DEN</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>39</TD><TD>Derrick Ward</TD><TD>vs. GB</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>40</TD><TD>Tashard Choice</TD><TD>at PHI</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>41</TD><TD>Willis McGahee</TD><TD>at CIN</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>42</TD><TD>Kevin Faulk</TD><TD>vs. MIA</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>43</TD><TD>Kolby Smith</TD><TD>at JAC</TD><TD>PUP(knee)</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>44</TD><TD>Chris Brown</TD><TD>at IND</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>45</TD><TD>Maurice Morris</TD><TD>at SEA</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>46</TD><TD>LenDale White</TD><TD>at SF</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>47</TD><TD>Jason Snelling</TD><TD>vs. WAS</TD><TD></TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>48</TD><TD>Bernard Scott</TD><TD>vs. BAL</TD><TD></TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>49</TD><TD>Glen Coffee</TD><TD>vs. TEN</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>50</TD><TD>Brandon Jackson</TD><TD>at TB</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>51</TD><TD>Ladell Betts</TD><TD>at ATL</TD><TD>- </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
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[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>Reggie Wayne</TD><TD>vs. HOU</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>2</TD><TD>Randy Moss</TD><TD>vs. MIA</TD><TD></TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>3</TD><TD>Vincent Jackson</TD><TD>at NYG</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>4</TD><TD>Andre Johnson</TD><TD>at IND</TD><TD></TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>5</TD><TD>Larry Fitzgerald</TD><TD>at CHI</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>6</TD><TD>Marques Colston</TD><TD>vs. CAR</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>7</TD><TD>Chad Ochocinco</TD><TD>vs. BAL</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>8</TD><TD>Roddy White</TD><TD>vs. WAS</TD><TD></TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>9</TD><TD>Greg Jennings</TD><TD>at TB</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>10</TD><TD>DeSean Jackson</TD><TD>vs. DAL</TD><TD></TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>11</TD><TD>Calvin Johnson</TD><TD>at SEA</TD><TD>Questionable(knee)</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>12</TD><TD>Wes Welker</TD><TD>vs. MIA</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>13</TD><TD>Miles Austin</TD><TD>at PHI</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>14</TD><TD>Donald Driver</TD><TD>at TB</TD><TD>Probable(shoulder)</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>15</TD><TD>Brandon Marshall</TD><TD>vs. PIT</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>16</TD><TD>Dwayne Bowe</TD><TD>at JAC</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>17</TD><TD>Steve Smith</TD><TD>at NO</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>18</TD><TD>Steve Smith</TD><TD>vs. SD</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>19</TD><TD>Hines Ward</TD><TD>at DEN</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>20</TD><TD>Santonio Holmes</TD><TD>at DEN</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>21</TD><TD>Mike Sims-Walker</TD><TD>vs. KC</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>22</TD><TD>Devin Hester</TD><TD>vs. ARZ</TD><TD></TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>23</TD><TD>Derrick Mason</TD><TD>at CIN</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>24</TD><TD>Nate Burleson</TD><TD>vs. DET</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>25</TD><TD>Hakeem Nicks</TD><TD>vs. SD</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>26</TD><TD>Anquan Boldin</TD><TD>at CHI</TD><TD>Doubtful(ankle)</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>27</TD><TD>T.J. Houshmandzadeh</TD><TD>vs. DET</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>28</TD><TD>Pierre Garcon</TD><TD>vs. HOU</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>29</TD><TD>Michael Crabtree</TD><TD>vs. TEN</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>30</TD><TD>Austin Collie</TD><TD>vs. HOU</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>31</TD><TD>Steve Breaston</TD><TD>at CHI</TD><TD></TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>32</TD><TD>Kevin Walter</TD><TD>at IND</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>33</TD><TD>Santana Moss</TD><TD>at ATL</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>34</TD><TD>Jeremy Maclin</TD><TD>vs. DAL</TD><TD></TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>35</TD><TD>Earl Bennett</TD><TD>vs. ARZ</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>36</TD><TD>Johnny Knox</TD><TD>vs. ARZ</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>37</TD><TD>Mario Manningham</TD><TD>vs. SD</TD><TD>Questionable(shoulder)</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>38</TD><TD>Malcom Floyd</TD><TD>at NYG</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>39</TD><TD>Antonio Bryant</TD><TD>vs. GB</TD><TD></TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>40</TD><TD>Torry Holt</TD><TD>vs. KC</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>41</TD><TD>Devery Henderson</TD><TD>vs. CAR</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>42</TD><TD>Lance Moore</TD><TD>vs. CAR</TD><TD>Questionable(ankle)</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>43</TD><TD>Eddie Royal</TD><TD>vs. PIT</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>44</TD><TD>Mark Clayton</TD><TD>at CIN</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>45</TD><TD>Patrick Crayton</TD><TD>at PHI</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>46</TD><TD>Mike Wallace</TD><TD>at DEN</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>47</TD><TD>Roy Williams</TD><TD>at PHI</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>48</TD><TD>James Jones</TD><TD>at TB</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>49</TD><TD>Andre Caldwell</TD><TD>vs. BAL</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>50</TD><TD>Chris Henry</TD><TD>vs. BAL</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>51</TD><TD>Deion Branch</TD><TD>vs. DET</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>52</TD><TD>Nate Washington</TD><TD>at SF</TD><TD>Probable(quadriceps)</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>53</TD><TD>Davone Bess</TD><TD>at NE</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>54</TD><TD>Josh Morgan</TD><TD>vs. TEN</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>55</TD><TD>Brian Hartline</TD><TD>at NE</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>56</TD><TD>Jabar Gaffney</TD><TD>vs. PIT</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>57</TD><TD>Kenny Britt</TD><TD>at SF</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>58</TD><TD>Dennis Northcutt</TD><TD>at SEA</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>59</TD><TD>Isaac Bruce</TD><TD>vs. TEN</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>60</TD><TD>Justin Gage</TD><TD>at SF</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>61</TD><TD>Laveranues Coles</TD><TD>vs. BAL</TD><TD>- </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
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[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>Dallas Clark</TD><TD>vs. HOU</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>2</TD><TD>Antonio Gates</TD><TD>at NYG</TD><TD>Probable(foot)</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>3</TD><TD>Brent Celek</TD><TD>vs. DAL</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>4</TD><TD>Jason Witten</TD><TD>at PHI</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>5</TD><TD>Vernon Davis</TD><TD>vs. TEN</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>6</TD><TD>Tony Gonzalez</TD><TD>vs. WAS</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>7</TD><TD>Heath Miller</TD><TD>at DEN</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>8</TD><TD>Jeremy Shockey</TD><TD>vs. CAR</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>9</TD><TD>John Carlson</TD><TD>vs. DET</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>10</TD><TD>Kellen Winslow</TD><TD>vs. GB</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>11</TD><TD>Greg Olsen</TD><TD>vs. ARZ</TD><TD>Probable(ankle)</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>12</TD><TD>Fred Davis</TD><TD>at ATL</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>13</TD><TD>Todd Heap</TD><TD>at CIN</TD><TD>Probable(ankle)</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>14</TD><TD>Kevin Boss</TD><TD>vs. SD</TD><TD>Probable(ankle)</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>15</TD><TD>Tony Scheffler</TD><TD>vs. PIT</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>16</TD><TD>Marcedes Lewis</TD><TD>vs. KC</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>17</TD><TD>Brandon Pettigrew</TD><TD>at SEA</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>18</TD><TD>Ben Watson</TD><TD>vs. MIA</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>19</TD><TD>Donald Lee</TD><TD>at TB</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>20</TD><TD>Sean Ryan</TD><TD>at JAC</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>21</TD><TD>Anthony Fasano</TD><TD>at NE</TD><TD>- </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

[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>Packers Def/Spec Team</TD><TD>at TB</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>2</TD><TD>Saints Def/Spec Team</TD><TD>vs. CAR</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>3</TD><TD>Falcons Def/Spec Team</TD><TD>vs. WAS</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>4</TD><TD>Steelers Def/Spec Team</TD><TD>at DEN</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>5</TD><TD>Broncos Def/Spec Team</TD><TD>vs. PIT</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>6</TD><TD>Ravens 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. MIA</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>8</TD><TD>Fortyniners Def/Spec Team</TD><TD>vs. TEN</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>9</TD><TD>Seahawks Def/Spec Team</TD><TD>vs. DET</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>10</TD><TD>Eagles Def/Spec Team</TD><TD>vs. DAL</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>11</TD><TD>Colts Def/Spec Team</TD><TD>vs. HOU</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>12</TD><TD>Cowboys Def/Spec Team</TD><TD>at PHI</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>13</TD><TD>Bears Def/Spec Team</TD><TD>vs. ARZ</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>14</TD><TD>Cardinals Def/Spec Team</TD><TD>at CHI</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>15</TD><TD>Bengals Def/Spec Team</TD><TD>vs. BAL</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>16</TD><TD>Redskins Def/Spec Team</TD><TD>at ATL</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>17</TD><TD>Giants Def/Spec Team</TD><TD>vs. SD</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>18</TD><TD>Dolphins Def/Spec Team</TD><TD>at NE</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>19</TD><TD>Jaguars Def/Spec Team</TD><TD>vs. KC</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>20</TD><TD>Chargers Def/Spec Team</TD><TD>at NYG</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>21</TD><TD>Titans Def/Spec Team</TD><TD>at SF</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>22</TD><TD>Texans Def/Spec Team</TD><TD>at IND</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>23</TD><TD>Lions Def/Spec Team</TD><TD>at SEA</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>24</TD><TD>Chiefs Def/Spec Team</TD><TD>at JAC</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>25</TD><TD>Panthers Def/Spec Team</TD><TD>at NO</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>26</TD><TD>Buccaneers Def/Spec Team</TD><TD>vs. GB</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>David Akers</TD><TD>vs. DAL</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>2</TD><TD>Stephen Gostkowski</TD><TD>vs. MIA</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>3</TD><TD>Nate Kaeding</TD><TD>at NYG</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>4</TD><TD>Mason Crosby</TD><TD>at TB</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>5</TD><TD>Lawrence Tynes</TD><TD>vs. SD</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>6</TD><TD>Matt Stover</TD><TD>vs. HOU</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>7</TD><TD>Nick Folk</TD><TD>at PHI</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>8</TD><TD>John Carney</TD><TD>vs. CAR</TD><TD>Probable(hip)</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>9</TD><TD>Matt Prater</TD><TD>vs. PIT</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>10</TD><TD>Robbie Gould</TD><TD>vs. ARZ</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>11</TD><TD>Rob Bironas</TD><TD>at SF</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>12</TD><TD>Dan Carpenter</TD><TD>at NE</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>13</TD><TD>Josh Scobee</TD><TD>vs. KC</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>14</TD><TD>Shayne Graham</TD><TD>vs. BAL</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>15</TD><TD>Jeff Reed</TD><TD>at DEN</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>16</TD><TD>Kris Brown</TD><TD>at IND</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>17</TD><TD>Neil Rackers</TD><TD>at CHI</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>18</TD><TD>Steven Hauschka</TD><TD>at CIN</TD><TD>Probable(-)</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>19</TD><TD>Shaun Suisham</TD><TD>at ATL</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>20</TD><TD>Jason Hanson</TD><TD>at SEA</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>21</TD><TD>Joe Nedney</TD><TD>vs. TEN</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>22</TD><TD>Ryan Succop</TD><TD>at JAC</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>23</TD><TD>Jason Elam</TD><TD>vs. WAS</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>24</TD><TD>John Kasay</TD><TD>at NO</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>25</TD><TD>Olindo Mare</TD><TD>vs. DET</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>26</TD><TD>Connor Barth</TD><TD>vs. GB</TD><TD>- </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

 

[HacheMan]

Pilfering Pierre

It's not every year that a fantasy football owner can pour over the schedule down the stretch and come up with the perfect trade target. The one time I can remember pulling it off to a rousing success was 2000. Thumbing through an issue of the now-defunct Fantasy Football Weekly magazine at lunchtime, I stumbled upon Fred Taylor's dream schedule from Week 9 through the end of the fantasy playoffs. The light bulb flipped on immediately, and I orchestrated trades for Fragile Fred in all of my leagues. The reward was the best eight-game stretch of Taylor's career, posting 11 touchdowns while averaging 144 yards per week to close out the season.

While there isn't a back with that same perfect storm brewing nine years later, Pierre Thomas may be the closest match for the second straight season. Joy-riding in the Saints' juggernaut offense, Thomas has five games left against teams in the Top-10 in points allowed to opposing backs (CAR, @STL, @TB, TB, @CAR), three neutral matchups (NE, @ATL, DAL), and one tough matchup (@WAS).

We've covered the Pierre Thomas vs. Mike Bell debate twice already in this space, and I always come back to the same point: Thomas is simply the more talented, versatile, and effective player. Mike Bell runs like a cannon ball, pounding out three-to-five yards and a cloud of dust. Though he serves a purpose as the team's "closer," Thomas expands Sean Payton's options, allowing the offense to run at peak form.

The tackle-breaking Thomas is averaging 6.03 yards per touch this season compared to just 4.5 for Bell. Furthermore, Thomas surprisingly leads the league in runs over 15 yards despite missing two full games. Another surprise? Thomas has actually received more goal-line carries than Bell this season while converting at a higher percentage. If last week's game against the Falcons is any indication, Thomas remains the primary red zone option in the backfield.

A finalist for fantasy playoff MVP honors last season, Thomas averaged 128 total yards and 1.5 touchdowns per game from Weeks 10-15. Can lightning strike twice? I'm banking on it. Easy street begins the next three weeks versus Carolina, at St. Louis, and at Tampa Bay. Spin the wheel and make that deal.

Editor's Note: Check out our exclusive projections for all the players listed here in Rotoworld's Season Pass package, now 33% off. We've also got extra columns, IDP rankings, Top 200 rankings, Evan Silva's running back report, Chris Wesseling's Dynasty advice, advance workload and target data, exclusive chats, schedule analysis, and fantasy points allowed info you can only get with Season Pass.

Calvin Johnson (knee) and Kevin Smith (shoulder) have been labeled as "game-time decisions" by coach Jim Schwartz after participating in a limited practice Thursday. Both players, however, are almost certain to play at Seattle this week. The Detroit News says Johnson "certainly looks like he'll be ready" after showing no ill effects while working with the first-team offense for the second straight day. Smith missed Wednesday's practice to "let [his shoulder] calm down some," but all indications are that he'll handle lead-back duties against the Seahawks.

Sammy Morris (knee) will reportedly miss two more weeks before returning to face the Jets in Week 11. The knee injury that knocked Morris out of the Week 6 game against the Titans was a torn MCL, which usually requires a 3-6 week recovery period. Depending on Laurence Maroney's level of play over the next couple of games, Morris will likely be worked in slowly as part of the backfield committee.

A year after tearing the ACL in his right knee, Marlin Jackson confirmed an ESPN.com report that the ACL in his left knee is torn after damaging it on the last play of Wednesday's practice. SI's Peter King immediately tweeted, "Mark my words: Indy's loss of Marlin Jackson is not big. It's huge." King is usually on top of every team's situation, but it's questionable how much Jackson will be missed. He hasn't played the last three games while dealing with a strain to the same ACL, and he's been limited to nickel-back work in the four games he did play. For this week, at least, the Colts' depth will be tested with LCB Kelvin Hayden's (knee) status in doubt.

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Two-Minute Drill: Texans coach Gary Kubiak reiterated that he plans to play all three running backs this week against the Colts. … Chiefs RB Kolby Smith (knee) is not expected to play a major role this week against the Jags. … Rams coach Steve Spagnuolo has no plans to change quarterbacks after the Week 9 bye. … Ted Ginn will get a shot to reclaim his starting job once he shows more consistency in practice. … Coach Jim Mora suggested that third-string RB Louis Rankin will get a chance to take over the role held by Edgerrin James in the Seahawks offense. ... Packers ILB A.J. Hawk will take the majority of snaps in both the base and nickel defenses while Brandon Chillar (hand) is out. … Mark Tauscher has taken the majority of the first-team reps this week and is expected to start opposite Chad Clifton at right tackle. … Jags LT Eugene Monroe will get his starting job back this week. … Chiefs fans have started an online petition asking the team to deactivate Larry Johnson for the rest of the season so he can't break Priest Holmes' franchise rushing record. … Chad Ochocinco recently sent gift baskets containing roll-on deodorant to the Ravens' secondary and linebackers Ray Lewis and Terrell Suggs.

Red Zone: Aaron Rodgers (foot) is expected to return to practice Friday after sitting out again Thursday. Donald Driver (stinger) will play as long as he's cleared by doctors Sunday, though he could be a game-time decision. … Roddy White (knee) was held out of practice Thursday, but there's no indication that he's in danger of missing this week's game. … Brian Westbrook (concussion) practiced in full for the second straight day and is in line to start Sunday. … Anquan Boldin and Devin Hester both missed practice for a second straight day with ankle injuries. Hester has a better chance to play than Boldin. … Colts RB Donald Brown (shoulder) was once again noticeably absent from the injury report and appears to be on track to play Sunday. … Darren McFadden (knee) is expected to return to game action when the Raiders come out of their Week 9 bye. … Rams WR/KR Danny Amendola (concussion) passed his neurological exam Wednesday and is expected to be fine when the Rams come out of their bye. … Antonio Bryant's knee flared up, and he was limited in Thursday's practice. … Mushin Muhammad revealed that his knee injury is a sprained MCL, and he doesn't expect to play this week. … Packers TE Jermichael Finley (knee) and Jordy Nelson (knee) are nearing a return to practice, but neither will play this week. … Chris Cooley's (ankle surgery) best-case scenario is to return for the Week 12 game against the Eagles.

 

[HacheMan]

Value Meter: Jones-Drew, Grant have easy pickings in Week 9


Here is Matt Pitzer's updated Value Meter for Week 9.
Jaguars running back Maurice Jones-Drew, coming off a 177-yard rushing performance (on just eight carries!) comes in as the top-rated running back. He'll take on the timid Kansas City Chiefs. Green Bay's Ryan Grant, who's been regaining his status as a key fantasy performer, checks in a No. 3 with a great matchup visiting Tampa Bay.
Remember, Buffalo, Cleveland, Minnesota, New York Jets, Oakland and St. Louis have bye weeks.
Now that you know what Matt is thinking, draft a team in 15 minutes and play him and others in RapidDraft. You could win $50,000. Click here for the latest player notes and the inactives on game days. Also, if you have any last minute questions, Matt will chat in Fantasy Joe on Sunday 11:45 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. ET. Good luck.
Quarterbacks
<TABLE border=1 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=420 align=center><TBODY><TR><TD>01.</TD><TD>Peyton Manning, Ind.</TD><TD>vs. Hou.</TD></TR><TR><TD>02.</TD><TD>Tom Brady, N.E.</TD><TD>vs. Mia.</TD></TR><TR><TD>03.</TD><TD>Drew Brees, N.O.</TD><TD>vs. Car.</TD></TR><TR><TD>04.</TD><TD>*Aaron Rodgers, G.B.</TD><TD>at T.B.</TD></TR><TR><TD>05.</TD><TD>Matt Schaub, Hou.</TD><TD>at Ind.</TD></TR><TR><TD>06.</TD><TD>Donovan McNabb, Phi.</TD><TD>vs. Dal.</TD></TR><TR><TD>07.</TD><TD>Philip Rivers, S.D.</TD><TD>at N.Y.-G</TD></TR><TR><TD>08.</TD><TD>Tony Romo, Dal.</TD><TD>at Phi.</TD></TR><TR><TD>09.</TD><TD>Carson Palmer, Cin.</TD><TD>vs. Bal.</TD></TR><TR><TD>10</TD><TD>Jay Cutler, Chi.</TD><TD>vs. Ari.</TD></TR><TR><TD>11</TD><TD>Matt Hasselbeck, Sea.</TD><TD>vs. Det.</TD></TR><TR><TD>12.</TD><TD>Eli Manning, N.Y.-G</TD><TD>vs. S.D.</TD></TR><TR><TD>13.</TD><TD>Matt Ryan, Atl.</TD><TD>vs. Was.</TD></TR><TR><TD>14.</TD><TD>Kurt Warner, Ari.</TD><TD>at Chi.</TD></TR><TR><TD>15.</TD><TD>Ben Roethlisberger, Pit.</TD><TD>at Den.</TD></TR><TR><TD>16.</TD><TD>Kyle Orton, Den.</TD><TD>vs. Pit.</TD></TR><TR><TD>17.</TD><TD>Joe Flacco, Bal.</TD><TD>at Cin.</TD></TR><TR><TD>18.</TD><TD>Alex Smith, S.F.</TD><TD>vs. Ten.</TD></TR><TR><TD>19.</TD><TD>David Garrard, Jac.</TD><TD>vs. K.C.</TD></TR><TR><TD>20.</TD><TD>Matt Cassel, K.C.</TD><TD>at Jac.</TD></TR><TR><TD>21.</TD><TD>Matthew Stafford, Det.</TD><TD>at Sea.</TD></TR><TR><TD>22.</TD><TD>Jason Campbell, Was.</TD><TD>at Atl.</TD></TR><TR><TD>23.</TD><TD>Chad Henne, Mia.</TD><TD>at N.E.</TD></TR><TR><TD>24.</TD><TD>Vince Young, Ten.</TD><TD>at S.F.</TD></TR><TR><TD>25.</TD><TD>Jake Delhomme, Car.</TD><TD>at N.O.</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
Running backs
<TABLE border=1 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=420 align=center><TBODY><TR><TD>01.</TD><TD>Maurice Jones-Drew, Jac.</TD><TD>vs. K.C.</TD></TR><TR><TD>02.</TD><TD>Cedric Benson, Cin.</TD><TD>vs. Bal.</TD></TR><TR><TD>03.</TD><TD>Ryan Grant, G.B.</TD><TD>at T.B.</TD></TR><TR><TD>04.</TD><TD>Frank Gore, S.F.</TD><TD>vs. Ten.</TD></TR><TR><TD>05.</TD><TD>Ronnie Brown, Mia.</TD><TD>at N.E.</TD></TR><TR><TD>06.</TD><TD>Chris Johnson, Ten.</TD><TD>at S.F.</TD></TR><TR><TD>07.</TD><TD>Michael Turner, Atl.</TD><TD>vs. Was.</TD></TR><TR><TD>08.</TD><TD>Ray Rice, Bal.</TD><TD>at Cin.</TD></TR><TR><TD>09.</TD><TD>*Ahmad Bradshaw, N.Y.-G</TD><TD>vs. S.D.</TD></TR><TR><TD>10.</TD><TD>Joseph Addai, Ind.</TD><TD>vs. Hou.</TD></TR><TR><TD>11.</TD><TD>LaDainian Tomlinson, S.D.</TD><TD>at N.Y.-G</TD></TR><TR><TD>12.</TD><TD>Brandon Jacobs, N.Y.-G</TD><TD>vs. S.D.</TD></TR><TR><TD>13.</TD><TD>DeAngelo Williams, Car.</TD><TD>at N.O.</TD></TR><TR><TD>14.</TD><TD>*Kevin Smith, Det.</TD><TD>at Sea.</TD></TR><TR><TD>15.</TD><TD>Mike Bell, N.O.</TD><TD>vs. Car.</TD></TR><TR><TD>16.</TD><TD>Tim Hightower, Ari.</TD><TD>at Chi.</TD></TR><TR><TD>17.</TD><TD>Marion Barber, Dal.</TD><TD>at Phi.</TD></TR><TR><TD>18.</TD><TD>Jamaal Charles, K.C.</TD><TD>at Jac.</TD></TR><TR><TD>19.</TD><TD>Knowshon Moreno, Den.</TD><TD>vs. Pit.</TD></TR><TR><TD>20.</TD><TD>*Brian Westbrook, Phi.</TD><TD>vs. Dal.</TD></TR><TR><TD>21.</TD><TD>Clinton Portis, Was.</TD><TD>at Atl.</TD></TR><TR><TD>22.</TD><TD>Matt Forte, Chi.</TD><TD>vs. Ari.</TD></TR><TR><TD>23.</TD><TD>Julius Jones, Sea.</TD><TD>vs. Det.</TD></TR><TR><TD>24.</TD><TD>Pierre Thomas, N.O.</TD><TD>vs. Car.</TD></TR><TR><TD>25.</TD><TD>Ricky Williams, Mia.</TD><TD>at N.E.</TD></TR><TR><TD>26.</TD><TD>Rashard Mendenhall, Pit.</TD><TD>at Den.</TD></TR><TR><TD>27.</TD><TD>Laurence Maroney, N.E.</TD><TD>vs. Mia.</TD></TR><TR><TD>28.</TD><TD>Chris Wells, Ari.</TD><TD>at Chi.</TD></TR><TR><TD>29.</TD><TD>*Steve Slaton, Hou.</TD><TD>at Ind.</TD></TR><TR><TD>30.</TD><TD>LeSean McCoy, Phi.</TD><TD>vs. Dal.</TD></TR><TR><TD>31.</TD><TD>Correll Buckhalter, Den.</TD><TD>vs. Pit.</TD></TR><TR><TD>32.</TD><TD>Jonathan Stewart, Car.</TD><TD>at N.O.</TD></TR><TR><TD>33.</TD><TD>Carnell Williams, T.B.</TD><TD>vs. G.B.</TD></TR><TR><TD>34.</TD><TD>Kolby Smith, K.C.</TD><TD>at Jac.</TD></TR><TR><TD>35.</TD><TD>Felix Jones, Dal.</TD><TD>at Phi.</TD></TR><TR><TD>36.</TD><TD>*Ryan Moats, Hou.</TD><TD>at Ind.</TD></TR><TR><TD>37.</TD><TD>LenDale White, Ten.</TD><TD>at S.F.</TD></TR><TR><TD>38.</TD><TD>Derrick Ward, T.B.</TD><TD>vs. G.B.</TD></TR><TR><TD>39.</TD><TD>Darren Sproles, S.D.</TD><TD>at N.Y.-G</TD></TR><TR><TD>40.</TD><TD>Willie Parker, Pit.</TD><TD>at Den.</TD></TR><TR><TD>41.</TD><TD>Reggie Bush, N.O.</TD><TD>vs. Car.</TD></TR><TR><TD>42.</TD><TD>Willis McGahee, Bal.</TD><TD>at Cin.</TD></TR><TR><TD>43.</TD><TD>Maurice Morris, Det.</TD><TD>at Sea.</TD></TR><TR><TD>44.</TD><TD>*Donald Brown, Ind.</TD><TD>vs. Hou.</TD></TR><TR><TD>45.</TD><TD>Mewelde Moore, Pit.</TD><TD>-at Den.</TD></TR><TR><TD>46.</TD><TD>Chris Brown, Hou.</TD><TD>at Ind.</TD></TR><TR><TD>47.</TD><TD>Justin Forsett, Sea.</TD><TD>vs. Det.</TD></TR><TR><TD>48.</TD><TD>Ladell Betts, Was.</TD><TD>at Atl.</TD></TR><TR><TD>49.</TD><TD>Leonard Weaver, Phi.</TD><TD>vs. Dal.</TD></TR><TR><TD>50.</TD><TD>Ben-Jarvus Green-Ellis, N.E.</TD><TD>vs. Mia.</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
Wide receivers
<TABLE border=1 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=420 align=center><TBODY><TR><TD>01.</TD><TD>Randy Moss, N.E.</TD><TD>vs. Mia.</TD></TR><TR><TD>02.</TD><TD>Reggie Wayne, Ind.</TD><TD>vs. Hou.</TD></TR><TR><TD>03.</TD><TD>Donald Driver, G.B.</TD><TD>at T.B.</TD></TR><TR><TD>04.</TD><TD>Andre Johnson, Hou.</TD><TD>at Ind.</TD></TR><TR><TD>05.</TD><TD>Marques Colston, N.O.</TD><TD>vs. Car.</TD></TR><TR><TD>06.</TD><TD>Larry Fitzgerald, Ari.</TD><TD>at Chi.</TD></TR><TR><TD>07.</TD><TD>Roddy White, Atl.</TD><TD>vs. Was.</TD></TR><TR><TD>08.</TD><TD>Vincent Jackson, S.D.</TD><TD>at N.Y.-G</TD></TR><TR><TD>09.</TD><TD>DeSean Jackson, Phi.</TD><TD>vs. Dal.</TD></TR><TR><TD>10.</TD><TD>Chad Ochocinco, Cin.</TD><TD>vs. Bal.</TD></TR><TR><TD>11.</TD><TD>Wes Welker, N.E.</TD><TD>vs. Mia.</TD></TR><TR><TD>12.</TD><TD>T.J. Houshmandzadeh, Sea.</TD><TD>vs. Det.</TD></TR><TR><TD>13.</TD><TD>Miles Austin, Dal.</TD><TD>at Phi.</TD></TR><TR><TD>14.</TD><TD>*Calvin Johnson, Det.</TD><TD>at Sea.</TD></TR><TR><TD>15.</TD><TD>Greg Jennings, G.B.</TD><TD>at T.B.</TD></TR><TR><TD>16.</TD><TD>Brandon Marshall, Den.</TD><TD>vs. Pit.</TD></TR><TR><TD>17.</TD><TD>Mike Sims-Walker, Jac.</TD><TD>vs. K.C.</TD></TR><TR><TD>18.</TD><TD>Hines Ward, Pit.</TD><TD>at Den.</TD></TR><TR><TD>19.</TD><TD>Nate Burleson, Sea.</TD><TD>vs. Det.</TD></TR><TR><TD>20.</TD><TD>Steve Smith, N.Y.-G</TD><TD>vs. S.D.</TD></TR><TR><TD>21.</TD><TD>Dwayne Bowe, K.C.</TD><TD>at Jac.</TD></TR><TR><TD>22.</TD><TD>Steve Smith, Car.</TD><TD>at N.O.</TD></TR><TR><TD>23.</TD><TD>Austin Collie, Ind.</TD><TD>vs. Hou.</TD></TR><TR><TD>24.</TD><TD>Steve Breaston, Ari.</TD><TD>at Chi.</TD></TR><TR><TD>25.</TD><TD>Torry Holt, Jac.</TD><TD>vs. K.C.</TD></TR><TR><TD>26.</TD><TD>Santonio Holmes, Pit.</TD><TD>at Den.</TD></TR><TR><TD>27.</TD><TD>Antonio Bryant, T.B.</TD><TD>vs. G.B.</TD></TR><TR><TD>28.</TD><TD>Hakeem Nicks, N.Y.-G</TD><TD>vs. S.D.</TD></TR><TR><TD>29.</TD><TD>Pierre Garcon, Ind.</TD><TD>vs. Hou.</TD></TR><TR><TD>30.</TD><TD>Johnny Knox, Chi.</TD><TD>vs. Ari.</TD></TR><TR><TD>31.</TD><TD>Michael Crabtree, S.F.</TD><TD>vs. Ten.</TD></TR><TR><TD>32.</TD><TD>Derrick Mason, Bal.</TD><TD>at Cin.</TD></TR><TR><TD>33.</TD><TD>*Mario Manningham, N.Y.-G</TD><TD>vs. S.D.</TD></TR><TR><TD>34.</TD><TD>Devin Hester, Chi.</TD><TD>vs. Ari.</TD></TR><TR><TD>35.</TD><TD>Jeremy Maclin, Phi.</TD><TD>vs. Dal.</TD></TR><TR><TD>36.</TD><TD>Santana Moss, Was.</TD><TD>at Atl.</TD></TR><TR><TD>37.</TD><TD>*Anquan Boldin, Ari.</TD><TD>at Chi.</TD></TR><TR><TD>38.</TD><TD>*Lance Moore, N.O.</TD><TD>vs. Car.</TD></TR><TR><TD>39.</TD><TD>Sammie Stroughter, T.B.</TD><TD>vs. G.B.</TD></TR><TR><TD>40.</TD><TD>Brian Hartline, Mia.</TD><TD>at N.E.</TD></TR><TR><TD>41.</TD><TD>Roy Williams, Dal.</TD><TD>at Phi.</TD></TR><TR><TD>42.</TD><TD>Laveranues Coles, Cin.</TD><TD>vs. Bal.</TD></TR><TR><TD>43.</TD><TD>Malcolm Floyd, S.D.</TD><TD>at N.Y.-G</TD></TR><TR><TD>44.</TD><TD>Nate Washington, Ten.</TD><TD>at S.F.</TD></TR><TR><TD>45.</TD><TD>Bobby Wade, K.C.</TD><TD>at Jac.</TD></TR><TR><TD>46.</TD><TD>Mike Wallace, Pit.</TD><TD>at Den.</TD></TR><TR><TD>47.</TD><TD>Muhsin Muhammad, Car.</TD><TD>at N.O.</TD></TR><TR><TD>48.</TD><TD>Josh Morgan, S.F.</TD><TD>vs. Ten.</TD></TR><TR><TD>49.</TD><TD>Jacoby Jones, Hou.</TD><TD>at Ind.</TD></TR><TR><TD>50.</TD><TD>Sam Aiken, N.E.</TD><TD>vs. Mia.</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
Tight ends
<TABLE border=1 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=420 align=center><TBODY><TR><TD>01.</TD><TD>Dallas Clark, Ind.</TD><TD>vs. Hou.</TD></TR><TR><TD>02.</TD><TD>Tony Gonzalez, Atl.</TD><TD>vs. Was.</TD></TR><TR><TD>03.</TD><TD>Vernon Davis, S.F.</TD><TD>vs. Ten.</TD></TR><TR><TD>04.</TD><TD>Antonio Gates, S.D.</TD><TD>at N.Y.-G</TD></TR><TR><TD>05.</TD><TD>Jason Witten, Dal.</TD><TD>at Phi.</TD></TR><TR><TD>06.</TD><TD>Heath Miller, Pit.</TD><TD>at Den.</TD></TR><TR><TD>07.</TD><TD>Brent Celek, Phi.</TD><TD>vs. Dal.</TD></TR><TR><TD>08.</TD><TD>Jeremy Shockey, N.O.</TD><TD>vs. Car.</TD></TR><TR><TD>09.</TD><TD>Kellen Winslow, T.B.</TD><TD>vs. G.B.</TD></TR><TR><TD>10.</TD><TD>John Carlson, Sea.</TD><TD>vs. Det.</TD></TR><TR><TD>11.</TD><TD>Greg Olsen, Chi.</TD><TD>vs. Ari.</TD></TR><TR><TD>12.</TD><TD>Fred Davis, Was.</TD><TD>at Atl.</TD></TR><TR><TD>13.</TD><TD>Tony Scheffler, Den.</TD><TD>vs. Pit.</TD></TR><TR><TD>14.</TD><TD>Joel Dressen, Hou.</TD><TD>at Ind.</TD></TR><TR><TD>15.</TD><TD>Ben Watson, N.E.</TD><TD>vs. Mia.</TD></TR><TR><TD>16.</TD><TD>Todd Heap, Bal.</TD><TD>at Cin.</TD></TR><TR><TD>17.</TD><TD>Marcedes Lewis, Jac.</TD><TD>vs. K.C.</TD></TR><TR><TD>18.</TD><TD>Spencver Havner, G.B.</TD><TD>at T.B.</TD></TR><TR><TD>19.</TD><TD>Brandon Pettigrew, Det.</TD><TD>at Sea.</TD></TR><TR><TD>20.</TD><TD>Bo Scaife, Ten.</TD><TD>at S.F.</TD></TR><TR><TD>21.</TD><TD>Kevin Boss, N.Y.-G</TD><TD>vs. S.D.</TD></TR><TR><TD>22.</TD><TD>*Jermichael Finley, G.B.</TD><TD>at T.B.</TD></TR><TR><TD>23.</TD><TD>Sean Ryan, K.C.</TD><TD>at Jac.</TD></TR><TR><TD>24.</TD><TD>Anthony Fasano, Mia.</TD><TD>at N.E.</TD></TR><TR><TD>25.</TD><TD>Alge Crumpler, Ten.</TD><TD>at S.F.</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
Kickers
<TABLE border=1 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=420 align=center><TBODY><TR><TD>01.</TD><TD>Lawrence Tynes, N.Y.-G</TD><TD>vs. S.D.</TD></TR><TR><TD>02.</TD><TD>Stephen Gostkowski, N.E.</TD><TD>vs. Mia.</TD></TR><TR><TD>03.</TD><TD>John Carney, N.O.</TD><TD>vs. Car.</TD></TR><TR><TD>04.</TD><TD>Mason Crosby, G.B.</TD><TD>at T.B.</TD></TR><TR><TD>05.</TD><TD>Nate Kaeding, S.D.</TD><TD>at N.Y.-G</TD></TR><TR><TD>06.</TD><TD>Jeff Reed, Pit.</TD><TD>at Den.</TD></TR><TR><TD>07.</TD><TD>David Akers, Phi.</TD><TD>vs. Dal.</TD></TR><TR><TD>08.</TD><TD>Matt Prater, Den.</TD><TD>vs. Pit.</TD></TR><TR><TD>09.</TD><TD>Nick Folk, Dal.</TD><TD>at Phi.</TD></TR><TR><TD>10.</TD><TD>Joe Nedney, S.F.</TD><TD>vs. Ten.</TD></TR><TR><TD>11.</TD><TD>Matt Stover, Ind.</TD><TD>vs. Hou.</TD></TR><TR><TD>12.</TD><TD>Neil Rackers, Ari.</TD><TD>at Chi.</TD></TR><TR><TD>13.</TD><TD>Olindo Mare, Sea.</TD><TD>vs. Det.</TD></TR><TR><TD>14.</TD><TD>Steven Hauschka, Bal.</TD><TD>at Cin.</TD></TR><TR><TD>15.</TD><TD>Kris Brown, Hou.</TD><TD>at Ind.</TD></TR><TR><TD>16.</TD><TD>Josh Scobee, Jac.</TD><TD>vs. K.C.</TD></TR><TR><TD>17.</TD><TD>Shayne Graham, Cin.</TD><TD>vs. Bal.</TD></TR><TR><TD>18.</TD><TD>Robbie Gould, Chi.</TD><TD>vs. Ari.</TD></TR><TR><TD>19.</TD><TD>Dan Carpenter, Mia.</TD><TD>at N.E.</TD></TR><TR><TD>20.</TD><TD>Jason Elam, Atl.</TD><TD>vs. Was.</TD></TR><TR><TD>21.</TD><TD>Ryan Succop, K.C.</TD><TD>at Jac.</TD></TR><TR><TD>22.</TD><TD>Shaun Suisham, Was.</TD><TD>at Atl.</TD></TR><TR><TD>23.</TD><TD>Jason Hanson, Det.</TD><TD>at Sea.</TD></TR><TR><TD>24.</TD><TD>Rob Bironas, Ten.</TD><TD>at S.F.</TD></TR><TR><TD>25.</TD><TD>John Kasay, Car.</TD><TD>at N.O.</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
Defenses
<TABLE border=1 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=420 align=center><TBODY><TR><TD>01.</TD><TD>New England</TD><TD>vs. Mia.</TD></TR><TR><TD>02.</TD><TD>New Orleans</TD><TD>vs. Car.</TD></TR><TR><TD>03.</TD><TD>Green Bay</TD><TD>at T.B.</TD></TR><TR><TD>04.</TD><TD>Pittsburgh</TD><TD>at Den.</TD></TR><TR><TD>05.</TD><TD>Arizona</TD><TD>at Chi.</TD></TR><TR><TD>06.</TD><TD>Indianapolis</TD><TD>vs. Hou.</TD></TR><TR><TD>07.</TD><TD>Seattle</TD><TD>vs. Det.</TD></TR><TR><TD>08.</TD><TD>Jacksonville</TD><TD>vs. K.C.</TD></TR><TR><TD>09.</TD><TD>Denver</TD><TD>vs. Pit.</TD></TR><TR><TD>10.</TD><TD>Atlanta</TD><TD>vs. Was.</TD></TR><TR><TD>11.</TD><TD>Baltimore</TD><TD>at Cin.</TD></TR><TR><TD>12.</TD><TD>New York Giants</TD><TD>vs. S.D.</TD></TR><TR><TD>13.</TD><TD>Philadelphia</TD><TD>vs. Dal.</TD></TR><TR><TD>14.</TD><TD>San Francisco</TD><TD>vs. Ten.</TD></TR><TR><TD>15.</TD><TD>San Diego</TD><TD>at N.Y.-G</TD></TR><TR><TD>16.</TD><TD>Cincinnati</TD><TD>vs. Bal.</TD></TR><TR><TD>17.</TD><TD>Chicago</TD><TD>vs. Ari</TD></TR><TR><TD>18.</TD><TD>Dallas</TD><TD>at. Phi.</TD></TR><TR><TD>19.</TD><TD>Washington</TD><TD>at Atl.</TD></TR><TR><TD>20.</TD><TD>Kansas City</TD><TD>at Jac.</TD></TR><TR><TD>21.</TD><TD>Houston</TD><TD>at Ind.</TD></TR><TR><TD>22.</TD><TD>Miami</TD><TD>at Mia.</TD></TR><TR><TD>23.</TD><TD>Detroit</TD><TD>at Sea.</TD></TR><TR><TD>24.</TD><TD>Tennessee</TD><TD>at S.F.</TD></TR><TR><TD>25.</TD><TD>Tampa Bay</TD><TD>vs. G.B.</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

 

[HacheMan]

Pete's Picks: Cowboys will bring down Eagles



Since everyone is handing out mid-season awards, I might as well get in on the act.
Biggest Bust: Larry Johnson. He really is a boob.
Best Lateral Move: Kellen Winslow II. If you're gonna have seven losses, it's so much better living through it in sunny Tampa than Cleveland.
Biggest Tool: Tie. Daniel Snyder and Vinny Cerrato.
Biggest Pains in the Rear to Pick: Arizona, Jacksonville and New York Jets. Please figure out what kind of teams you are pronto.
Greatest Effort While Treading Water: Bears acquire Jay Cutler to preserve pretender status.
Most Appalling: As we near the end of the first decade of the 21st Century, the NFL is still trying to determine what constitutes a catch.
Strangest Threesome: Giants trash Raiders; Raiders stun Eagles; Eagles toy with Giants.
Dare to Dream: Both Indianapolis and New Orleans arrive at the Super Bowl undefeated.
As always, I really am trying to pick the game correctly but often get silly with the comments.
Kansas City (+6½) at Jacksonville
Just a reminder Larry Johnson isn't playing, but you probably wouldn't have noticed him even if he did.
JAGUARS, 20-13
<HR>Baltimore (-3) at Cincinnati
The Ravens are 9-3 against the spread in their last 12 road games. The favorite is 14-6 vs. the spread in the last 20 meetings.
RAVENS, 23-17
<HR>Houston (+9) at Indianapolis
At home against Texans, Peyton Manning is 7-0 while completing 69% of his passes for 2,107 yards with 20 TDs and just 2 interceptions for a 120.8 passer rating. Not bad.
COLTS, 30-24
<HR>Washington (+10) at Atlanta
The perfect panacea for the stumbling Falcons. The Redskins are 3-12-3 against the spread in their last 18.
FALCONS, 24-9
<HR>Green Bay (-10) at Tampa Bay
Team officials were being sincere when they told Josh Freeman they wanted him to "start at the bottom and work his way up."
PACKERS, 35-10
<HR>Arizona (+3) at Chicago
Memo to Kurt Warner (my fantasy QB): When a quarterback throws five interceptions in a game that Jake Delhomme is involved in, I expect the QB who threw the picks to be named "Jake Delhomme." The Cardinals are 3-0 on the road.
CARDINALS, 20-17
<HR>Miami (+10½) at New England
Dolphins have discovered the strange key to getting Ted Ginn Jr. into the end zone is completely freezing him out of the offense.
PATRIOTS, 31-17
<HR>Carolina (+13½) at New Orleans
Saints are starting to get sloppy, but if they don't fall into this trap, they'll be 10-0 (thanks Rams, Bucs) when the Patriots come to town for Monday night Football in Week 12.
SAINTS, 34-20
<HR>Detroit (+10) at Seattle
You can only wonder if Matt Millen phoned in a pep talk to the Lions before they took the field against the Rams.
SEAHAWKS, 27-6
<HR>Tennessee (+4) at San Francisco
I'm interested to see if the Titans victory was a one-week display of pride (see Raiders over Eagles)
49ERS, 20-17
<HR>San Diego (+4½) at New York Giants
And the reason the Giants will get it together is…? The Chargers are the Upset Special.
CHARGERS, 31-20
<HR>Dallas (+3) at Philadelphia
Roy Williams says he's not on the same page as Tony Romo. Maybe it would help if he stopped staring at his paystub wondering how such a mammoth underachiever could get paid so much.
COWBOYS, 24-17
<HR>Pittsburgh (-3) at Denver
Meaningless yet interesting: The Broncos have won the last seven November meetings against the Steelers.
BRONCOS, 17-16
Last week: 7-6 straight up; 3-10 against the spread. Season: 83-33 straight up; 67-48-1 against the spread; Upset Special 4-4 -- Pete O'Brien

 

[HacheMan]

Cardinals' Warner king of road this season


For Kurt Warner's (and his fantasy owners') sake, perhaps the Arizona Cardinals can figure out how to play all of their games on the road.
After throwing five touchdown passes in Sunday's 41-21 dismantling of the Chicago Bears, Warner has 10 touchdown tosses in four road games with two interceptions and a 4-0 record. In four home games, Warner has six TD passes, nine interceptions and a 1-3 mark.
Pro Bowl wideout Larry Fitzgerald posted 123 receiving yards and two TDs, his second 100-yard game of the season vs. four to this point last year.
Also, both Tim Hightower (77 yards) and Chris "Beanie" Wells (72) had season highs in rushing. Carries were split almost equally between the two (15-13 for Hightower). It's a split that's a good bet to continue.
-- The curious case of New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees continued as he threw for 330 yards but one touchdown. That gives Brees four total TD passes in five games and 13 in the other three.
Even though the Saints' potent offense keeps Brees a virtual must-start, the inconsistency drives fantasy owners nuts.
-- Rookie Josh Freeman threw three TD passes in his first start for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but don't get too excited. He might be good one day, but he completed less than 50% of his passes and is throwing to a collection of wide receivers that includes Maurice Stovall, Michael Clayton and Sammie Stroughter. That does not inspire confidence. -- Matt Pitzer

 

[HacheMan]

Pick a Card, any Card
It's hard to believe, but the fantasy playoffs are only five weeks away!

It's scary how fast the N.F.L. season is flying by, but there is still some quality football to be played. Week 9 was no exception, as there were huge performances all across the board. Let's take a gander, shall we?

Top 5 Quarterbacks:

1. Kurt Warner – 261 Pass Yds, 5 TDs, 0 INTs – I'd say Warner bounced back pretty nicely after last week's 5 INT performance. He traded in the picks for touchdowns this week, as he looked like the Warner of last season, hooking up with Fitz not once, but twice. The Cards offense is still as explosive as ever, so continue to start Warner with confidence.

2. Jay Cutler – 369 Pass Yds, 3 TDs, 1 INT, 17 Rush Yds – Cutler equaled his touchdown output from the past three weeks on Sunday, although he still managed to throw his seventh interception over the past four games. It has been a shaky season for Cutler in Chi-town so far, and expect more of the same in the second half of the season, even though he can deliver games like this on occasion.

3. Josh Freeman – 205 Pass Yds, 3 TDs, 1 INT, 20 Rush Yds, 1 two-pt conversion – Talk about starting with a bang. The rookie showed a ton of poise and confidence to bring the Bucs from behind to get their first win of the season – threw a beautiful TD pass to Sammie Stroughter on 4th-and-four late in the game to take the lead. Freeman immediately becomes a solid QB2 option, and his ability to run further boosts his value, even in those hideous orange jerseys that the Bucs wore this week.

4. Aaron Rodgers – 266 Pass Yds, 2 TDs, 3 INTs, 26 Rush Yds, 1 TD – No surprise here, because he's been delivering all season long. What was surprising, however, was the fact that Rodgers tossed three interceptions – he only had two coming into the game! A-Rod is money in the bank as far as fantasy quarterbacks are concerned, but you didn't need me to tell you that.

5. Matt Cassel – 262 Pass Yds, 2 TDs, 0 INTs, 1 two-pt conversion – Matt Cassel sightings have been about as rare as Halley's Comet – once every 75 years in case you were wondering. Things haven't gone as well as envisioned in Cassel's first season in Kansas City, and it doesn't look like the situation will be improving any time soon.

Top 5 Running Backs:

1. Michael Turner – 166 Rush Yds, 2 TDs, 2 Rec, 14 Yds – "The Burner" has been on fire the past two weeks – pun intended – going over the 150-yard mark twice. In addition, if you're not a Turner owner, you might not have realized that he's scored at least one touchdown in every game since Week 1. You better believe the Falcons are going to keep feeding him the ball.

2. Chris Johnson – 135 Rush Yds, 2 TDs, 3 Rec, 25 Yds – If "The Burner" has been on fire the past two weeks, then CJ has been absolutely unconscious. Johnson has been the king of the monster week this season and, against Buffalo next week, he might very well go for his third 25-plus point effort in a row.

3. DeAngelo Williams – 149 Rush Yds, 2 TDs, 2 Rec, 12 Yds, 1 FL – D-Will has really picked up the pace in his past four games, totaling at least fifteen fantasy points in each. In that span, he has also gone over the 150-yard mark three times – I rounded up for this week's performance. He's starting to pay major dividends for owners who took him as a Top 5 pick on draft day.

4. Joseph Addai – 63 Rush Yds, 1 TD, 5 Rec, 49 Yds, 1 TD – It's not flashy, but it sure is effective. Addai has clearly taken advantage of Donald Brown's absence, showing that he can still shoulder the load when asked. He has been a solid RB2 all season, as he came into the game as the 13th ranked running back.

5. Frank Gore – 83 Rush Yds, 1 TD, 7 Rec, 75 Yds – Back-to-back great weeks have brought Gore back into the conversations about fantasy relevance. With Alex Smith under center, look for the Niners to continue pounding the ball on the ground, while putting smiles on the faces of Gore owners everywhere.

Top 5 Wide Receivers:

1. Larry Fitzgerald – 9 Rec, 123 Yds, 2 TDs – Larry Fitz finally played like, well, Larry Fitz. It has been a struggle at times this season, but then again, Fitz's struggles are great games for some receivers. He's a monster, and if Boldin's injury continues to hinder his performance, Fitzgerald's value gets an even bigger boost – if that's possible.

2. Randy Moss – 6 Rec, 147 Yds, 1 TD, 1 two-pt conversion – Moss has been extremely inconsistent this season, but he's been saved by two huge performances in two of his past three games. Moss put a lethal stiff arm on cornerback Vontae Davis en route to his 71-yard score, as it was just another instance of Randy being Randy.

3. Mike Sims-Walker – 6 Rec, 147 Yds, 1 TD – "Holy similar statline Batman." All that separated Moss and Sims-Walker this week was a two-point conversion, but you won't hear any complaints from those who own the Jags' wideout. After last week's 9-yard effort, Sims-Walker responded in a big way.

4. Chris Chambers – 3 Rec, 70 Yds, 2 TDs – Well, it looks like someone needed a change of scenery. Chambers has found an opportunity for playing time in Kansas City, and he took the most of that opportunity and then some on Sunday. He's not as reliable as he once was, but he could provide nice value for the remainder of the season.

5. Vincent Jackson – 5 Rec, 58 Yds, 2 TDs – V-Jax is playing on a completely different level than anyone else on the field. He has scored at least ten fantasy points in all but one game this season, and it wouldn't surprise me one bit if he ends up being the number one fantasy receiver by the time the season is out.

Top 5 Tight Ends:

1. Greg Olsen – 5 Rec, 71 Yds, 3 TDs – If you saw this performance coming, then "may the force be with you." Olsen has not lived up to the hype this season, but if you had him in your lineup on Sunday, I'm sure you'll beg to differ.

2. Brandon Pettigrew – 7 Rec, 70 Yds, 1 TD – The rookie finally delivered a big performance, and it's shocking that it took so long. He's getting his fair share of opportunities to play, but for whatever reason, he hasn't delivered. The chemistry between him and quarterback Matthew Stafford will come in time, and Sunday was a sneak peek.

3. Dallas Clark – 14 Rec, 119 Yds, 0 TDs – No need for commentary here. Just another day at the office for Mr. Clark.

4. Kellen Winslow – 4 Rec, 57 Yds, 1 TD – Winslow had been off his game in the past two, but he got back on track following the 'Bye'. Josh Freeman might end up being the best thing that happens to Kellen "the soldier", making him a solid play from here on out.

5. Vernon Davis – 10 Rec, 102 Yds, 0 TDs – Davis padded his rank as the number one tight end thus far, and he doesn't look like he's slowing down anytime soon. It has finally clicked for the Niners' tight end, and it only took three years. As you can probably tell, I'm a bitter ex-Davis owner who had to endure him the past two seasons.

Top 5 Defenses/Special Teams:

1. Seahawks – 20 PA, 2 Sacks, 5 INTs, 1 TD – They made Stafford look like a rookie, ala' Mark Sanchez against the Bills. With the Cardinals and Vikings coming up next, feel free to drop the Seahawks D.

2. Titans – 27 PA, 4 Sacks, 3 INTs, 1 FR, 1 TD – Two straight huge weeks have me believing again. Well that, and the fact that they're playing the Bills next week.

3. Buccaneers – 28 PA, 6 Sacks, 3 INTs, 1 BLK, 1 TD – The Bucs capitalized on the Packer's struggles protecting Aaron Rodgers. They get Miami next week, so use them at your own risk.

4. Falcons – 17 PA, 5 Sacks, 1 INT, 1 TD – The Falcons defense came out angry on Sunday, and you had to expect that playing at home. It's a toss up next week at Carolina, and largely depends on what panther's team shows up.

5. Saints – 20 PA, 2 Sacks, 3 FR, 1 TD – Jonathan Vilma once again filled out the stat sheet in the "tackles" department, and he should have no problem next week against the lowly Rams.

Bottom 5 Quarterbacks:

1.Joe Flacco – 195 Pass Yds, 0 TDs, 2 INTs – Didn't see this coming.
2. Matt Ryan – 135 Pass Ysds, 1 TD, 1 INT
3. Matthew Stafford – 203 Pass Yds, 2 TDs, 5 INTs
4. Jake Delhomme – 201 Pass Yds, 0 TDs, 1 FL – No surprise here.
5. Donovan McNabb – 227 Pass Yds, 1 TD, 2 INTs

Bottom 5 Running Backs:

1. Jonathan Stewart – 24 Rush Yds, 1 Rec, 14 Yds, 0 TDs, 1 FL – Real ugly performance.
2. LaDainian Tomlinson – 22 Rush Yds, 2 Rec, 8 Yds, 0 TDs – Oh, how the mighty have fallen.
3. Felix Jones – 10 Rush Yds, 0 TDs
4. Mike Bell – 17 Rush Yds, 0 TDs – Clearly behind Thomas and Bush on the depth chart.
5. Darren Sproles – 1 Rush Yd, 4 Rec, 22 Yds, 0 TDs

Bottom 5 Wide Receivers:

1. Calvin Johnson – 2 Rec, 27 Yds, 0 TDs – Megatron didn't return the way many envisioned him.
2. DeSean Jackson – 2 Rec, 29 Yds, 0 TDs
3. Roddy White – 3 Rec, 27 Yds, 0 TDs
4. Malcom Floyd – 2 Rec, 29 Yds, 0 TDs
5. Hakeem Nicks – 9 Rush Yds, 3 Rec, 39 Yds, 0 TDs

Bottom 5 Tight Ends:

1. Spencer Havner – 0 Rec – Hmm, what about the past 2 weeks?
2. Marcedes Lewis – 1 Rec, 3 Yds
3. Donald Lee – 1 Red, 5 Yds
4. Anthony Fasano – 1 Rec, 20 Yds
5. Bo Scaife – 2 Rec, 20 Yds

 

[HacheMan]

Comeback Kids


[SIZE=+1]#5. Jaguars 20 Chiefs 17[/SIZE]


Beyond the Box Score

* Despite in-week indications from coach Todd Haley that Jamaal Charles would be used as a feature back during Larry Johnson's one-game suspension, the Chiefs employed a three-man series-by-series committee. Dantrell Savage and Kolby Smith were also involved, with Smith getting most of the red-zone work. Charles was easily the most effective back on a per-touch basis, but the Chiefs apparently don't believe he's worthy of 20 touches.

* No team gives up more long passing plays than the Chiefs, and Mike Sims-Walker capitalized on Sunday. Chiefs SS Mike Brown was victimized all game, failing to keep up with Sims-Walker and Rashad Jennings on their first-half touchdowns. Kansas City's secondary is entirely too slow to stop big-play threats like Jacksonville's No. 1 wideout.

* The Chiefs changed their offensive approach in the second half, going to a no-huddle offense. The switch provided a spark and benefited all of Kansas City's skill players in the box score. Dwayne Bowe was quiet in the first half, but made two big catches in traffic in the final two quarters and new starting flanker Chris Chambers scored both of his touchdowns in the fourth.

* Jacksonville clearly entered this contest with a run-first mindset. Jennings saw carries early in the game behind Maurice Jones-Drew, and MoJo's touch total (32) was his second biggest on the year. The Chiefs stacked the box with eight defenders, but the relentless Jones-Drew wore them down and he eventually exploded up the gut for his 10-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter.

Going Forward

* L.J. is eligible to play in Week 10, but it's unclear if the Chiefs plan to immediately reinstall him into the lineup. There is a new sign at team headquarters that took a not-so-subtle shot at Johnson, reading "Losers assemble in small groups and complain about their coaches and other players." L.J., of course, called out Haley after Week 7 for the head coach's background in golf.

* The Jaguars have one of the best three running backs in the league and a scrambling threat at quarterback. They will continue to approach games with the focus on running. MoJo is on pace to score 22 touchdowns and gather up 1,870 total yards.

* Chambers' two-touchdown, 70-yard effort figures to go down as his biggest of the year. He's now a starter in an offense that will pass often, but isn't a difference-making talent anymore. Chambers' presence could divert more defensive attention away from Bowe, though. Bobby Wade and Mark Bradley were easier to defend.


[SIZE=+1]#4. Buccaneers 38 Packers 28[/SIZE]


Beyond the Box Score

* Josh Freeman wasn't very accurate in his first NFL start, but some of that can be blamed on heavy winds and he showed good poise in the pocket with tons of ability to make plays with his feet. Not only did he have several nice runs, he scrambled to extend plays while continuing to look to pass, which is a great sign for a young quarterback.

* Aaron Rodgers takes a lot of criticism for holding onto the ball too long and that's often very true, but Green Bay's offensive line is an absolute mess right now. He faced constant pressure throughout the game while being sacked six times and had to scramble out of trouble just to make any plays. Daryn Colledge in particular had a disastrous game.

* Rodgers audibled into a deep ball to James Jones on the Packers' second play of the game and the Bucs played bump-and-run coverage with no safety help. The result was a 74-yard touchdown.

* Ronde Barber returned a blocked punt for his 14th career touchdown, but later was burned badly on a slant-and-go for Donald Driver's 32-yard touchdown.

Going Forward

* Ahman Green lost kick return duties at halftime, but played quite a bit and became the Packers' all-time leading rusher in the fourth quarter. He's not a serious threat to Ryan Grant's status as the primary ball-carrier, but Green should get 5-10 touches per game while seeing most third-down work.

* Tampa Bay tried to get cute, with Clifton Smith sprinting one way before throwing back across the field to Freeman, but the pass was way off target. Still, it may be a sign of things to come as the Bucs look to utilize their rookie quarterback's athleticism.

* For all the talk about his foot and leg problems Rodgers did a ton of scrambling and running throughout the game, and even chased down a defensive back who had eyes on the end zone following an interception.


[SIZE=+1]#3. Cowboys 20 Eagles 16[/SIZE]


Beyond the Box Score

* This was the 100th all-time meeting between the division rivals, including the playoffs. The Cowboys lead the series 56-44.

* It was an ugly day for Donovan McNabb. He was sacked by the Cowboys four times and threw two interceptions. The Eagles also converted just 4-of-12 third downs and McNabb was stopped on a fourth-and-inches quarterback sneak in the fourth quarter.

* The Cowboys made it a point to keep DeSean Jackson from burning them deep, and their plan was extremely effective. He hadn't been held to such few yards since Week 6 against the Buccaneers.

* Gerald Sensabaugh's interception on the Eagles' opening possession ended McNabb's streak of 118 straight passes without a pick. The interception wasn't completely McNabb's fault, but he wasn't consistently sharp at any point in the game.

* The Cowboys have been excellent on the road this season, compiling a 3-1 record. They head into Lambeau Field in Week 10.

Going Forward

* Tony Romo handled the Eagles' ferocious pass rush with a great amount of confidence. He showed less jumpiness in his feet and delivered consistently accurate balls. Hopefully he can continue to build on that as the season wears on.

* Miles Austin proved Sunday that he can make big plays under increasingly tight coverage. He leads the Cowboys with seven TD catches, just three fewer than Terrell Owens had all of last season in Dallas.

* LeSean McCoy is ready to be a feature back in this league. He runs the screen with Brian Westbrook-like burst and patience.


[SIZE=+1]#2. Colts 20 Texans 17[/SIZE]


Beyond the Box Score

* The Colts are now 14-1 lifetime against the Houston Texans.

* Texans K Kris Brown, who hit a booming 56-yard field goal earlier in the game, missed from 42 yards out as time expired. The three points would have sent the game to overtime.

* 19 yards into his 318-yard performance Peyton Manning made history, becoming the first player to throw for 40,000 yards in a single decade. The victory also tied him with Fran Tarkenton for fourth place on the career wins list for quarterbacks at 125.

* Manning did make one bad read and threw an interception as the Colts were looking to punch in a touchdown near the end of the first half. Other than that, he was brilliant and continues to post MVP-caliber numbers.

* Dallas Clark snagged a career-high 14 catches in the win. He's getting better each week and should remain a top tight end through the second half of the season.

* The Texans played pretty well but made far too many mental mistakes. They drew 13 flags for 103 yards and aided three of the Colts' four scoring drives with their penalties.

* The Colts ran a tricky end-around pass in the fourth quarter with Reggie Wayne as the ball-thrower. He lobbed the pigskin carelessly into the air and it was easily intercepted by a Houston defender. It was a very odd play call. When you have Peyton Manning at quarterback, why let another player throw the ball?

Going Forward

* Dwight Freeney has a sack in nine consecutive games. The Colts' offense is playing at a very high level, but the defense will need to remain steady if Indy has Super Bowl desires this year.

* Steve Slaton scored the Texans' only rushing touchdown, but Ryan Moats was the feature back on most downs and is the only tailback worth starting in Houston. Slaton didn't have a rush until the second half.


[SIZE=+1]#1. Chargers 21 Giants 20[/SIZE]


Beyond the Box Score

* LaDainian Tomlinson was as bad as his numbers looked. He got one goal-line opportunity and was stuffed. It's possible LT2 did not break a single tackle all day.

* Antonio Gates had two drops that both had chances to go for big gains. His numbers could have been a lot bigger.

* Brandon Jacobs left the game for two series with a knee tweak. It didn't seem to bother him when he returned, but it did limited his carries.

* The Giants did a great job getting Steve Smith in motion and lined up in mismatches. He's clearly Eli's preferred option, even in the red zone.

* Mario Manningham started and had six targets while Hakeem Nicks had five. The Giants ran a lot of weird personnel groupings in the middle of the game, with Nicks in on some one-wide sets and Domenik Hixon pairing with Nicks in some two-wide sets. Look for these rotations to continue.

Going Forward

* Malcom Floyd's game was disappointing, but he did get seven targets. He just couldn't come down with any deep balls and dropped one over the middle. He'll have some big games in the future, but he'll also have some ugly ones like this.

* The Chargers aren't interested in using Darren Sproles as a runner, or even as a receiver. Even in some two-minute drills, LaDainian Tomlinson was the running back. It may not make sense, but the Chargers aren't going to sit LT2.

* Corey Webster is still a very good corner, but he's been abused the last two weeks. Don't be afraid to play your receivers against him.

* Brandon Jacobs ran very well. He broke tackle after tackle and burst into the secondary a few times. We keep saying this, but his 100-yard games and touchdowns have to come.