Week 16 Fantasy FFI Head to Head Preview

For the last season, Fantasy Football Insiders spent a little extra time to ensure you have every possible perspective. On this weeks games we place each others analysis one above another (in no order whatsoever). If they agree, you get not one but two Insiders analysis, but where do you put your money if they disagree? We give you information, you make the educated call…

Saturday 8:15 PM
Dallas at Carolina

Brad Kurtzberg
Can the Cowboys bounce back after last week’s poor offensive performance against the Eagles? They need a win to secure home field advantage throughout the NFC playoffs. How badly is Tony Romo’s thumb injured? Would it be wise to rest Romo for a week or two before the playoffs? The Panthers upset the Seahawks last week to earn a little bit of respect after a tough season. They started their fourth different QB and each of them has at least one win. QB Matt Moore was cut by Dallas after the preseason and would love to show his former team he is an NFL caliber QB.

Stud: Marion Barber, RB Dallas. Barber was Mr. Everything against Detroit but was ignored for the most part in the loss to the Eagles. With Romo’s thumb hurting, look for the Cowboys to emphasize the running game even more than usual and that means Barber will shine against the Panthers’ 19th ranked run defense.
Dud: Matt Moore, QB Carolina. Moore was 19-of-27 for 207 yards with 0 TDs and 0 INTs in his first NFL start. He will be lucky to duplicate those numbers against Dallas’ tough defense. Look for the rookie to face all kinds of pressure and make some critical mistakes. If the Panthers are going to win, they have to run the ball more than throw it.
Sleeper: Jason Witten, TE Dallas. Witten has more than 1,000 yards receiving, a rarity for an NFL TE and he has scored 7 TDs on the season. He also has back-to-back 100-plus yard games coming into Saturday night’s contest. Safety Chris Harris is tough and physical but will have trouble keeping up with Witten over the course of the game.

Dan Lewis
Dallas @ Carolina
Carolina’s defense is actually better than you might expect given their lame season, but not good enough to merit benching any of your Cowboys (except for Julius Jones, who I don’t consider a start anymore at all). Steve Smith hasn’t been catching touchdowns, but has still been active, and is a start this week. Last week also saw DeAngelo Williams edge out DeShaun Foster in carries. It seems like the coaching staff is starting to favor Williams, but neither is a good play this week against Dallas.


Sunday 1:00 PM ET
Green Bay at Chicago

Dan
Ryan Grant is a definite start against the Bears’ overrated defense (can you even say they’re overrated anymore?). Donald Driver is a start as usual. Greg Jennings, who can’t stop catching touchdowns and has caught at least one in all but 2 of the games he’s played, is also obviously a start. Sit all your Bears. Yes, even Kyle Orton. I have a feeling he’s not a good player…

Ryan Grant is a definite start against the Bears’ overrated defense (can you even say they’re overrated anymore?). Donald Driver is a start as usual. Greg Jennings, who can’t stop catching touchdowns and has caught at least one in all but 2 of the games he’s played, is also obviously a start. Sit all your Bears. Yes, even Kyle Orton. I have a feeling he’s not a good player…

Brad
The Packers beat the Rams handily last week in yet another record-breaking game for Brett Favre. The Bears fell to the Vikings on Monday night after holding an early first half lead. Kyle Orton is the latest starting QB for the Bears to show that he is not the long term answer. Orton just doesn’t have the arm to be more than a steady backup. The Bears won the first meeting between these two teams and the Pack will be looking for revenge. Green Bay can still secure home field advantage for the NFC playoffs if the Cowboys loose one of their remaining games and the Pack wins both of theirs.

Stud: Ryan Grant, RB Green Bay. Even though Grant only had 60 total yards last week against St. Louis, he scored a TD for the fourth straight week to keep fantasy owners happy. The Pack will be playing in windy and cold Chicago rather than a dome so look for the running game to get more emphasis. Chicago can’t stop the run (ranked 25th in the league) so Grant should do well.
Dud: Adrian Peterson, RB Chicago. Peterson just doesn’t have it as a runner. He gained only 26 yards against the Vikings although he did catch 51 yards worth of passes. Peterson didn’t find the end zone either. The Bears’ offensive line is not a great run blocking unit. The Green Bay run defense is good enough to bottle up Peterson.
Sleeper: Brett Favre, QB Green Bay. Favre will be facing a Bears’ defense that ranks 26th against the pass. He may throw a pick or two, but Favre will put up good numbers after watching his receivers make big gains after the catch all game long. Donald Driver is already over 1,000 yards for the season and Greg Jennings needs 122 total yards in two games to join him. Jennings has 12 TD catches and has scored in six straight games.

Cleveland @ Cincinnati

Dan
Remember what happened last time these teams met? Carson Palmer threw 6 TDs, 2 each to Chad and Houshmandzadeh, and Rudi Johnson ran for 118. Derek Anderson, in his first start of the season, by the way, threw 5 TDs, 2 each to Braylon and Joe Jurevicius, and 1 to Kellen Winslow, and Jamal Lewis ran for 216 and a TD. Rudi Johnson is dinged up so keep an eye on his status as the week progresses, but whoever starts at RB for the Bengals this week has a great matchup. Not much has changed with these teams since Week 2, so start all your normal Bengals and Browns. Even Chris Henry (watch his injury status as well) and Joe Jurevicius are decent plays here if you need an extra WR.

Brad
The Battle of Ohio means a lot to one of these teams and before the season started, most people would have guessed it would have been the Bengals. Cincy fell to 5-9 after an embarrassing loss to the 49ers last week. Cleveland improved to 9-5 and is in the driver’s seat for a Wild Card and may even win the AFC North if the Steelers stumble again. The weather is expected to be wet which would be the second straight bad weather game for the Browns.

Stud: Jamal Lewis, RB Cleveland. Lewis has gone over 100 yards in three of the Browns’ last four games. In the snow a week ago, he ran for 163 yards. If the weather is wet and nasty again on Sunday, Lewis will continue to be the mainstay of the Cleveland attack. Cincinnati’s run defense (24th in the league) has struggled all year.
Dud: Kenny Watson, RB Cincinnati. Watson has lost playing time to Rudi Johnson since RJ’s return to health. Look for Watson to play second fiddle again on Sunday.
Sleeper: T.J. Houshmandzadeh, WR Cincinnati. The Bengals star wideout has 101 catches and 11 TDs already this year. If the Browns put CB Eric Wright on Chad Johnson, Houshmandzadeh will get a more favorable matchup against CB Leigh Bodden. It’s time for T.J. to find the end zone again.

Kansas City at Detroit

Brad
The good news is that one of these teams is going to have a lengthy and embarrassing losing streak come to an end. The Lions have lost six straight after getting off to a 6-2 start and have now been eliminated from playoff competition. The Chiefs have done them one better by losing seven in a row after getting off to a 4-3 early season record. The Lions were embarrassed by the Chargers last week while the Chiefs fell to the Titans. Both of these teams play against each other’s strengths. The Lions defense can’t stop the pass but the Chiefs aren’t a good passing team. The Chiefs can’t stop the run and the Lions are next-to-last at rushing the football. Something has got to give.

Stud: Kolby Smith, RB Kansas City. Smith was stopped cold last week after two strong games in a row. The Lions are bad at stopping the run but horrible against the pass. That means that Smith should have some room to maneuver against the Lions’ defense. Kansas City coach Herm Edwards likes conservative game plans and this week will be no different.
Dud: Jeff Webb, WR Kansas City. Webb has eight catches total in the last seven games and has become a non-factor for the Chiefs. In those seven games, he has never topped the 33 yard mark and has no TDs.
Sleeper: Kevin Jones, RB Detroit. Jones has the talent to run effectively, especially against the Chiefs 26th ranked run defense. The problem is that the Lions coaching staff tends to abandon the run too easily. They would be foolish to do that this week, wouldn’t they?

Dan
Detroit has completely collapsed. Who else is stunned beyond belief? I know I am!
…
Seriously, the Lions stink, but they still had some relevant fantasy WR performances reminiscent of last season when garbage time alone made Mike Furrey playable. KC’s defense is decent against the pass, though, and when you add that to the whimsy of Mike Martz you get a cloudy picture. Start them at your own risk. KC has had less success against the run, but the Lions also are inconsistent in their decision to commit to Kevin Jones. He is also a risk-reward play. Kolby Smith has a great matchup and is nearly a must-start.

Philadelphia @ New Orleans

Dan
New Orleans is great news for Eagle WRs, so monitor Reggie Brown’s injury status this week. If he plays, he has a great matchup. If not, Kevin Curtis should see even more passes thrown his way. I wouldn’t trust the other Eagle WRs, though: McNabb targets different ones from week to week, so you can’t count on any particular one for your playoff game. For the Saints, David Patten has seen the second most looks behind Colston lately, and has a TD in his last 2 games. Philly isn’t great against WRs, so Patten is worth a start if you need someone. Aaron Stecker has been great, so start him again even if Reggie Bush is active.

Brad
The Eagles are coming off the biggest win of their season when they upset the conference leading Cowboys. Although it will be too little too late as far as the playoffs go, the Eagles are looking to gain respect as they build towards next season. The Saints are 7-7 and edged the Cardinals last week to keep their playoff hopes alive. A loss would end the Saints chances of catching the Vikings for the last Wild Card spot.

Stud: Brian Westbrook, RB Philadelphia. Westbrook gained 144 total yards against Dallas last week. The New Orleans defense has trouble stopping the pass and Westbrook should rack up a lot of receiving yards even if his rushing output is only average. Westbrook is a fantasy stud.
Dud: Reggie Bush, RB New Orleans. Bush is expected to be available against the Eagles but stay away. He has an injured knee and the Saints have a good rushing defense. Bush just hasn’t been a big factor on the field or as a fantasy player this season.
Sleeper: Marques Colston, WR New Orleans. Colston has been hot lately, catching 17 passes for more than 200 yards and 3 TDs in the past two games. He has been Drew Brees’ favorite receiver in the recent Saints revival. Colston has a big size advantage over the Eagles CBs and should have another big game.

Houston at Indianapolis

Brad
The Colts have nailed down the second slot in the AFC playoffs and a first round bye. The Texans are out of the playoff hunt but can still secure the first winning season in franchise history by earning victories in their last two games. Tony Dungy would be foolish to ruin the team’s momentum now by resting his top players unless the game gets out of hand. Indianapolis is riding a five-game winning streak and in the past, attempts to rest the team and have them slow down have backfired.

Stud: Andre Johnson, WR Houston. Johnson is one of the best fantasy players in the league. Last week he grabbed six passes for 86 yards and a TD, giving him seven TDs in seven games this year. Regardless of whom the QB is and who is covering Johnson, he always has productive games from a fantasy viewpoint.
Dud: Sage Rosenfels, QB Houston. Rosenfels will struggle a bit against the league’s top rated pass defense. Look for him to have decent but not good stats before the game is over as the Colts slow down the Texans’ offense.
Sleeper: Peyton Manning, QB Indianapolis. Manning is “downgraded” to sleeper just because the game means nothing to the Colts. It would be foolish for the Indy coaching staff to remove Manning unless one team has huge lead so look for him to play at least three quarters Sunday.

Dan
Ron Dayne is dinged up, but neither he nor Darius Walker has a good matchup against the Colts. Look elsewhere. Since coming back from injury Andre Johnson has been a weekly monster, but Kevin Walter has stayed involved. He’s an option this week, but not a great one. Tony Dungy has said he may play his starters more going into the playoffs this year than he has in the past, but Joseph Addai and Reggie Wayne may see less playing time this week and next. Kenton Keith will likely get more carries going forward, especially in Week 17. Anthony Gonzalez is a start this week, especially with Wayne possibly playing less.


New York Giants at Buffalo

Brad
The Giants failed to clinch a playoff spot last Sunday night in the wind swept Meadowlands while the Bills were eliminated by losing in blizzard-like conditions in Cleveland. The Giants are without TE Jeremy Shockey for the rest of the season. The Bills would love to finish with a winning record even though the playoffs are now out of reach. They are an improving team heading in the right direction.

Stud: Plaxico Burress, WR N.Y. Giants. Burress is 6’5” and has a huge height advantage over the Bills’ two starting CBs, Jabari Greer (5’11”) and Terrence McGee (5’9”). The Bills’ pass defense ranks 28th in the league and they have had problems putting pressure on opposing QBs all year. This should be a banner day for Burress.
Dud: Trent Edwards, QB Buffalo. Edwards has thrown 5 TD passes all season and four of them came in one game against the dreadful Dolphins. He’s only topped the 200-yard mark in a game twice this season. While Edwards has a lot of potential as an NFL QB, he is not a good fantasy option this week.
Sleeper: Brandon Jacobs, RB N.Y. Giants. Jacobs gained 130 yards last week against the Redskins and should get plenty of carries as the weather doesn’t expect to be wonderful up in Buffalo either. The Bills run defense is 22nd in the league. Jacobs will also pick up some receiving yards but the Giants usually turn elsewhere in short yardage.

Dan
Marshawn Lynch got more carries than Fred Jackson last week, and should again this week, so start him. Start Lee Evans also. Brandon Jacobs is coming off 120 yards against Washington, and has an excellent matchup against Buffalo, so make sure he’s in your lineup. Plaxico Burress is a definite start, but the interesting Giant WR is Sinorice Moss, who saw an expanded role in the offense after Jeremy Shockey went down with a broken leg. He’s a risky play for the playoffs, though, so I’d stay away.

Oakland @ Jacksonville

Dan
Justin Fargas is out for the year, so it looks like LaMont Jordan and Dominic Rhodes will split carries for the rest of the season. None are starts this week against Jacksonville, though, but watch to see who gets the bulk of carries because their matchup against San Diego in Week 17 is a favorable one. Ronald Curry is really the only borderline-worth a start Raider, but even he will have difficulty against the Jags. The Raiders’ defense is 31st against the run and 7th against the pass, so the Jags would be crazy not to pound them with Fred Taylor and MJD. Start both with confidence.

Brad
The Jaguars have clinched a Wild Card berth while the Raiders are playing for next year. First overall pick JaMarcus Russell is not scheduled to start but should see some playing time. The Raiders will also be without RB Justin Fargas who is out for the year with a sprained knee. Jacksonville has been on a roll and should not let up as they head for the playoffs.
Stud: Fred Taylor, RB Jacksonville. Taylor has topped the 100-yard mark in four straight games and has scored a TD in three of them. The Raiders are 31st in the league at stopping the run. Taylor should have a field day.
Dud: Josh McCown, QB Oakland. McCown hasn’t topped 160 yards in a game since opening day and he is unlikely to play the entire contest this Sunday as JaMarcus Russell will almost certainly play. The Jaguars have a vulnerable pass defense but the Raiders won’t be able to take advantage.
Sleeper: Maurice Jones-Drew, RB Jacksonville. The Jaguars running game is a two-man party and Jones-Drew should also be very productive. He had 99 total yards last week against a tough Pittsburgh defense. He should add to that against a weak Raiders unit.

Sunday 4:00 PM ET
Atlanta at Arizona

Brad
The Falcons are a mess and must be looking forward to the end of this season that was over before it began. Interim Coach Emmitt Thomas is a good coach who is in a thankless situation. He deserved a shot at a head coaching job many years ago but probably didn’t get it because of racial considerations. To judge him by the performance of the Falcons now is unfair. The Cardinals are out of the playoffs now but are heading in the right direction under rookie head coach, Ken Whisenhunt. Two more wins and the Cards can finish at .500.

Stud: Edgerrin James, RB Arizona. James has quietly gone over 1,000 yards for the season and had 95 total yards last week. The Falcons have trouble stopping the run and James should have a good game.
Dud: Warrick Dunn, RB Atlanta. Dunn has carried only 24 times for 52 yards in the last three games and is losing playing time to Jerious Norwood. Don’t look for a big game from Dunn this Sunday.
Sleeper: Chris Redmond, QB Atlanta. No, you’re not going crazy. Redmond has a favorable matchup. As a fantasy QB, Redmond had two good games and one disaster which came last week. The Cardinals pass defense is one of the league’s weakest and Redmond should be able to put up good numbers.

Dan
Atlanta, they are terrible. Jerious Norwood is getting more carries, and is a lot more explosive than Warrick Dunn, but you probably have better options if you’re in the playoffs. Michael Jenkins has been more involved of late, but Roddy White has been the man in the passing game all year. I still give Roddy the nod in this one. It looks like Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin will both play this week, so Bryant Johnson, Jerheme Urban and Steve Breaston likely lose whatever value they had. Edgerrin James has a great matchup here.

Tampa Bay @ San Francisco

Dan
Frank Gore has been more involved lately, and ran for 100 yards last week. His matchup isn’t great this week, but he is their entire offense right now, so he’s worth a play unless you have better options. Tampa completely dominated Atlanta last week, and San Francisco’s defense isn’t any scarier than Atlanta’s. Start your usual Bucs this week.

Brad
Even though they’ve clinched a playoff berth and cannot earn a bye, the Bucs are still hoping to finish as the NFC’s third seed so don’t look for them to let up. Jon Gruden isn’t the kind of coach who knows how to take his foot off the accelerator anyway. The 49ers are coming off one of their best efforts of the season, a mistake free victory over the Bengals on national TV. They may be playing for Coach Mike Nolan’s job.

Stud: Tampa Bay Defense. The 49ers have one of the least effective offenses in the league and the Bucs’ defense is stellar. If the Bucs can contain Frank Gore, they will shut down the San Francisco passing game as well. Tampa Bay ranks third in the league against the run and is tied for first in points allowed.
Dud: Shaun Hill, QB San Francisco. Hill played a good game last week but is not prime fantasy material. At his best, he’s an average fantasy QB and the Bucs’ defense will keep him from playing his best on Sunday.
Sleeper: Earnest Graham, RB Tampa Bay. Graham has been a great mid-season pickup in most leagues. Last week, Graham had 119 total yards and scored a TD for the sixth straight game. San Francisco is 23rd in the league against the run.

Miami at New England

Brad
The Dolphins are finally off the snide after beating the Ravens in overtime last week. The Patriots are two games away from being the first team since Don Shula’s 1972 Dolphins to finish the regular season with a perfect record. The cold weather slowed down the New England offense a week ago and the team has struggled (relatively) for the past few games. That being said, they still haven’t lost a game. The Dolphins are very banged up and severely outclassed but they still haven’t quit and should give the Pats a game. Don’t expect New England to let up in their quest for perfection.

Stud: Tom Brady, QB New England. Brady hasn’t been as dominant the past few weeks but he’s still the league’s MVP. He wants to break Peyton Manning’s season TD mark and lead the Pats to a perfect season. Miami may not have Jason Taylor available which would only make Brady’s job easier. Dud: Miami Defense. The Dolphins defense is overmatched against New England. Unless the weather is very bad, stay far away from the Fish’s defense.
Sleeper: Randy Moss, WR New England. Again, Moss has been relatively quiet the past few games but he should bounce back this Sunday. In the first meeting with Miami this season, Moss had 122 yards and 2 TDs.

Dan
This will be all that Jets-Patriots should have been. Start all your Patriots. Samkon Gado hasn’t been great, but he’s been scoring touchdowns. Gado will lose carries with Jesse Chatman likely playing this week, so both are risky plays. But, New England has been run on at times this season, and Miami ran well against them in their last matchup, so if you’re desperate, monitor this situation and play Chatman if he’s healthy.

Baltimore @ Seattle

Dan
Seattle can be run on this year, so start Willis McGahee if you haven’t been using him for some reason. With Marcus Trufant likely on Derrick Mason, Mark Clayton has a chance to make some noise. Only start him if you’re desperate, though. Seattle can’t run lately and probably won’t try to against Baltimore’s stout run D. Deion Branch and Bobby Engram have great matchups here and are definite starts. Nate Burleson is also worth a look.

Brad
The Seahawks are battling for the third spot in the NFC playoffs with the Bucs but other than that, have little incentive. The Ravens are toast, having lost eight straight games including an embarrassing defeat against the previously winless Dolphins last Sunday. It may already be too late for the Ravens to save Brian Billick’s job.

Stud: Matt Hasselbeck, QB Seattle. The Ravens run defense is still solid but the pass defense ranks 23rd in the league. The Seahawks struggle to run the ball but throw it just fine. Hasselbeck threw for only one TD last week but has 25 for the season and should fine easy pickings against the Ravens.
Dud: Shaun Alexander, RB Seattle. Baltimore’s run defense is 2nd in the league and Alexander has only gained 50 yards or more in a game once in the last seven games he’s played. Maurice Morris will split carries with Alexander as the Seahawks struggle to find a running game in time for the playoffs.
Sleeper: Willie McGahee, RB Baltimore. McGahee topped 100 yards again last week against the Dolphins. He remains the only constant in the Ravens’ attack and the Seahawks run defense is average at best.

N.Y. Jets at Tennessee

Brad
The Jets played the Patriots tough last week but lost yet again while the Titans gutted out a win over the Chiefs that kept their playoff hopes alive. The Jets will likely start Chad Pennington at QB as Kellen Clemens injured his rib although Coach Eric Mangini will not make an official announcement. Tennessee needs this game more than the Jets who are just playing out the string.

Stud: LenDale White, RB Tennessee. White has gained 216 rushing yards in the last two games. The Jets run defense is 30th in the league. With the Titans unable to rely on their passing attack, White will be their main weapon.
Dud: Justin Gage, WR Tennessee. The Titans are very inconsistent when throwing the ball and Gage has been a non-factor the past two games, catching four passes for 57 yards and 0 TDs. The Jets pass defense is not bad but the biggest problem Gage faces is the inconsistency of Vince Young
Sleeper: Tennessee Defense. The Jets can’t throw the ball down the field with Pennington at QB and the Titans should be able to slow down the New York running game. The Jets shouldn’t put up too many points.

Dan
LenDale White is back to getting most of the carries for the Titans, and he will pound the Jets all day. He’s a must-start. Roydell Williams and Justin Gage have been the most active in the Titans’ passing attack, but Williams has caught more TDs. He’s worth a look against this Jets pass D. The Titans can be run on lately, but who is still starting Thomas Jones? Laveranues Coles and Jericho Cotchery are both usable this week, but Coles may be out with a knee, so monitor his status.

Sunday 8:15 PM ET

Washington at Minnesota

Dan
Adrian Peterson will be the focal point here, and is a start as always. Tarvaris Jackson looked bad last week against Chicago, and Sidney Rice, who is unlikely to play this week, was the only receiver in Minnesota who was worth even a look, so sit the rest of your Vikings. Clinton Portis has been running very well lately, but he’s benchable against Minny if you have other options. The Vikings have among the worst pass defenses in the league, so Santana Moss is a start.

Brad
The winner of this game will have the inside track to the final NFC playoff spot. Minnesota controls their own destiny and just needs to win their final two games to make the postseason. They have won five straight games despite an inconsistent passing game. The Redskins have dedicated their season to the late Sean Taylor who was murdered earlier this month in his home. This is a big game for both teams.

Stud: Adrian Peterson, RB Minnesota. Peterson had 95 total yards and 2 TDs against the Bears. The Redskins have a good run defense but Peterson should be rounding back into form as he gradually recovers from his knee injury.
Dud: Clinton Portis, RB Washington. Portis will have trouble against the Minnesota run defense which is the league’s best. Portis is at his best in between the tackles and that’s where the Vikings’ run defense is strongest. Look for a lower rushing total for Portis than usual.
Sleeper: Todd Collins, QB Washington. While the Vikings run defense is the league’s best, their pass defense ranks dead last. Collins is a wily veteran who made his first start last week in 10 years and led the Redskins to a big win in the swirling winds of Giants Stadium. He should have a very good game against Minnesota.


Monday 8:30 PM ET

Denver at San Diego

Brad
The Broncos are playing out the string and are just 2-5 on the road. The Chargers overcame a slow start to clinch the AFC West title but they cannot earn a first round bye in the playoffs. Denver was beaten handily by Houston last Thursday while the Chargers crushed the Lions.

Stud: LaDainian Tomlinson, RB San Diego. Tomlinson is on his usual late-season roll and has been the catalyst for the Chargers offense. The Broncos have had trouble stopping the run all year and are ranked 29th.
Dud: Travis Henry, RB Denver. Henry is playing but he has admitted his knee won’t be 100 percent for the rest of this season. He will also split carries with Selvin Young and other backs so don’t look for a big game from him Monday night.
Sleeper: Jay Cutler, QB Denver. The Chargers weakness on defense is their secondary and Cutler has been improving in fits and starts over the course of the year.

Dan
LaDainian Tomlinson is dominating again, and just in time for the fantasy playoffs too. Who does he have this week: the NFL’s 4th worst run defense? I’d sit Chambers and Vincent Jackson against Denver’s Champ-Bly combo. Brandon Marshall has been the only active Denver WR lately, so sit the others. San Diego has also been weak against the run, so Selvin Young and Travis Henry have good matchups. It’s up to the evil Mike Shanahan who gets more touches, so start them at your own risk as usual.

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WEEK TEN FANTASY PREVIEW

Buffalo @ Miami
J.P. Losman is usually pretty nasty. People pointed to his bomb to Lee Evans two weeks ago against the Jets and proclaimed him “back”, but those people didn’t seem to notice that he under-threw Evans, that Darelle Revis actually had his hands on the ball, and that Jets weirdo backup Abram Elam careened into Revis, releasing Evans and the ball from Revis’ grasp and allowing Evans to trot into the endzone. Good job, Losman. You’re a stud. But seriously, despite my disdain for him, Losman had a nice game against the inept Bengals, and will have a nice game against the inept Dolphins too. The same goes for Evans, who seems to be back if only because Losman bombs it to him a lot. Josh Reed is also a nice desperation play with Roscoe Parrish banged up. Derek Hagan got the most looks in Miami’s last game, but he and Marty Booker are both uninspiring with Cleo Lemon at QB. Keep an eye on top pick Ted Ginn, who caught a TD in their last game.

Cleveland @ Pittsburgh
This will be a true test for the Browns, who are lighting up opposing defenses. Braylon Edwards and Kellen Winslow have been must-starts for weeks now, and Derek Anderson has been great. The Browns were blown out in Week 1 against the Steelers, but the offense has improved since then, and you can start Anderson. Jamal Lewis is a definite sit. Cleveland still can’t stop the pass, which means Roethlisberger is a must start here. Hines Ward has been very active since coming back from injury, and Santonio Holmes and even Nate Washington look to have solid games. Cleveland also allows almost a TD per game to TEs, so start Heath Miller as well.

Philadelphia @ Washington
Clinton Portis had 196 last week, but I give plenty of credit to the Jets for that one. Philly’s D is a different story, and Portis struggled in their last game with the Eagles. Santana Moss and Antwaan Randle El also have tough matchups. The Eagles’ WRs will also have a tough time. Reggie Brown seems to have arrived despite a rough game last week, but the Redskins are a tough defense.

Denver @ Kansas City
If the Packers can run on the Broncos, anyone can. My gut says Priest Holmes does more in this game than rookie Kolby Smith at RB. Smith has not been very active yet this year, and Priest got some carries last week. Dwayne Bowe has certainly cooled down for the last few weeks, and has a bad matchup against Champ Bailey, most likely. Travis Henry’s status remains in doubt. This will be a weekly headache with Mike Shanahan, so make sure you have Selvin Young ready to insert at the last second. Brandon Stokley has caught a TD in 2 of his last 3 games, and is a decent option if you need him.

Jacksonville @ Tennessee
This could be another fantasy stinker. LenDale White has established himself, but will have trouble against Jacksonville’s stout run D. Vince Young is a good QB, but he is not startable in fantasy this year, and doesn’t use any of his receivers in a useful, predictable way. For Jacksonville, start MJD as usual, but Fred Taylor is a sit.

St. Louis @ New Orleans
Quinn Gray threw for 354 on the Saints. Quinn Gray. Marc Bulger has to have a good game here, doesn’t he? New Orleans is actually holding opposing runners to under 90 yards per game, but if Steven Jackson starts, you have to play him. Marques Colston has returned as Brees’ favorite target, but start David Patten and even Lance Moore if you need him in deeper leagues. All three should be productive here. Devery Henderson is over.

Atlanta @ Carolina
DeShaun Foster really looks like the only player with a good matchup in this game. I don’t want any part of Carolina’s passing game. Warrick Dunn finally had a 100 yard game last week, but Carolina stops the run fairly well. Roddy White is the only startable Falcons WR, but he also doesn’t have a great matchup.

Minnesota @ Green Bay
If there’s one thing I feel confident writing every week, it’s that the RB facing Minny will have a rough game. Sorry Ryan Grant. On the other hand, Brett Favre and his receivers will have a great day. Adrian Peterson is obviously amazing, but the more amazing he gets, the worse things look for Chester Taylor. The Packers are good against the run anyway, so sit him.

Cincinnati @ Baltimore
Everyone’s throwing on the Ravens right now, and Cincinnati should follow suit. I’d sit both Rudi Johnson and Kenny Watson if you can afford to, but start everyone in their passing game. The Ravens’ offense is abysmal right now, and Steve McNair looks way way over the hill, but he has a chance to turn it on again in this game. I wouldn’t count on it, but if, say, you have Tom Brady on bye, and are really desperate for a spot start, you can gamble on McNair.

Dallas @ New York Giants
Patrick Crayton has all but disappeared of late, and Terrell Owens got 12 of the 13 looks to WRs in their last game. He and Witten are dominating, so keep Crayton on your bench for now. Noteworthy was a goal line carry for Julius Jones last week, in which he scored, but don’t expect this to be a trend. Eli Manning has suffered from a very effective run game the last few weeks, but Dallas can stop the run. Eli will have to move the ball through the air in this one, which means lots of jump balls to Burress, and even some looks for Amani Toomer.

Chicago @ Oakland
In writing this column, I am often put in the difficult position of having to recommend players that I hate. I did it earlier with J.P. Losman (ugh). I’m tempted to do it again here with Cedric Benson, the bustiest bust of a Chicago RB since Curtis Enis and Rashaan Salaam (that is busty company), but I won’t. Benson looks as though he has little interest in playing, and if he couldn’t run on Detroit 2 weeks ago I have no reason for optimism here. In a face-saving move reminiscent of the great tandem of James Dolan and Isiah Thomas (my Knicks are a disgrace…), Bears GM Jerry Angelo stated publicly that he was happy with Benson’s progress thus far. It’s nice that he’s supporting his boy here, but come on. Come. On. So, to summarize: do not start Cedric Benson. They must be close to giving the other Adrian Peterson a shot, right? Justin Fargas has become the feature back in Oakland, and has a great matchup against the curiously porous Bears.

Detroit @ Arizona
Kurt Warner is another QB to look at for Tom Brady’s bye week. Arizona had a terrible game last week, but they face Detroit this week. Start Edgerrin James as well. Start all your usual Lions including Kevin Jones, who has officially arrived, and is no longer a reluctant start for me. This has the potential to be an offensive explosion, so get these guys in your lineups.

Indianapolis @ San Diego
Joseph Addai looked unstoppable last week, and Kenton Keith is even more officially not a threat. If Marvin Harrison doesn’t play, Aaron Moorehead will start in place of the injured Anthony Gonzalez. Moorehead isn’t all that inspiring, but he is a man receiving Peyton Manning passes. Chris Chambers is definitely receiving most of the WR targets for San Diego, but Indy doesn’t allow much to opposing receivers.

San Francisco @ Seattle
San Fran is bad this year in just about every way. Frank Gore looks like another game-time decision, but he’s been really lame this season anyway. Maurice Hicks scored last week has a decent matchup here if he gets the start. Vernon Davis is also improving, and is becoming a reliable start. Seattle is slowly getting its receivers back, but Bobby Engram keeps producing. He is looking like he’ll remain reliable as a possession receiver, and PPR leaguers in particular need to keep starting him. D.J. Hackett had a solid return with 6 catches and a TD, and is looking like a solid play going forward, including this week.

WEEK NINE FANTASY PREVIEW

Dan Lewis, Fantasy Football Insiders

San Diego @ Minnesota
San Diego’s blowout over the Texans last week didn’t really tell me much about the Chargers. Chris Chambers owners were glad to see he got 5 of 6 targets to WRs in the game, and that he caught a TD. Chambers maintained his high-target, low-reception ratio that he’s used to from the Dolphins, so he seems at home in San Diego. Minny’s Adrian Peterson came back to reality and was held in check by the Eagles. Bad matchup for him and Chester Taylor this week: the Chargers have allowed only 2 rushing TDs to date. Tarvaris Jackson will be back in this week after Kelly Holcomb was injured. Who cares?

Arizona @ Tampa Bay
Kurt Warner will be starting again for the Cardinals, so keep an eye on what sort of kooky injury he will suffer in this one. The Cardinals have a pretty bad defense, so start Earnest Graham, who is clearly still favored by Gruden over Michael Bennett. Joey Galloway and Ike Hilliard are both strong plays in this one.

Carolina @ Tennessee
If anyone is still starting Vince Young, you need to stop. Now. LenDale White is making a strong move to become the featured back in Tennessee, but rookie Chris Henry is keeping up with him. White gets the bulk of the carries, and gets goal line carries, so he remains the stronger option. Carolina’s pointless offense remains pointless. It says something about David Carr when you read that he is forced back into the lineup because Vinny Testaverde is injured. David Carr is bad… DeShaun Foster is a sit against the Titans.

Green Bay @ Kansas City
Ryan Grant did what no other Packer runner could: gain 100 yards rushing. Granted, it was against the porous Broncos, but this was the first time this season that the Packers really committed to the run game. Kansas City is decent against the run, but isn’t great. Coach Mike McCarthy was apparently beaming when talking about Grant after the game, so I’d start him as a flex if you need him. The Packers’ defense is good, but not good enough to bench your Chiefs. Despite an iffy matchup, get Dwayne Bowe in there.

Washington @ New York Jets
Here’s a matchup between two teams that looked kinda pathetic last week. Kellen Clemens is finally replacing my beloved Penningnoodlearm at QB, but his matchup is bad this week, so look elsewhere for your desperate QB needs. Thomas Jones also has a poor matchup against this tough D. Laveranues Coles may not play this week, and if he sits, Jerricho Cotchery and Brad Smith will see more looks, though the Skins are tough. Leon Washington will have chances to bust a big run, and his kick returns are a bonus. Start all your Redskins, including Santana Moss, who unbenched himself last week and caught 6 passes.

Denver @ Detroit
I see a lot of points scored in this game. Denver has Champ Bailey and Dre’ Bly at CB, but the Lions are deep at receiver and have put up good points in all but one game this season. I see another good game for Kevin Jones here: if the Packers could run for over 100 on the Broncos, then anyone can. Detroit can’t stop anyone. The only question will be Travis Henry’s health, and Mike Shanahan’s dastardliness and cunning. This may be a game-time decision, so have Selvin Young ready to insert if need be.

San Francisco @ Atlanta
Frank Gore was ineffective last week, and hurt his ankle. If he plays this week, though, he’ll have a great matchup against Atlanta. If he can’t go, Michael Robinson is likely to start in his place, making him a sneaky sleeper play. Vernon Davis had maybe his best game last week, so his talent and high draft position make him alluring again. If he continues to play well he could become a solid play the rest of the year. The 49ers allow over 100 on the ground, although I cringe even thinking about starting a RB on the Falcons. Jerious Norwood is explosive, but I can’t recommend starting him or Warrick Dunn. Roddy White has been a nice surprise, but he’ll have Nate Clements on him most likely, which is tough.

Cincinnati @ Buffalo
The Bengals have been frustrating lately. Carson Palmer’s production is way down, and they’ve been pounding Kenny Watson. Rudi Johnson looks like he’ll be back this week, just in time for Watson to be out with a concussion. Watson may still play, though, but Buffalo usually allows plenty of yards for 2 backs to share. Monitor the injuries, but both are solid if they play. Ugh. J.P. Losman back at QB. I don’t know what it is, but I just hate this guy. He looks like a dummy in every headshot I’ve seen of him, and he never appears in control on the field. He just throws it as far as he can to Lee Evans. These two have done a nice job of using each other to convince an unsuspecting public of their talents. Unfortunately for us fantasy players, we have to use these idiots. Use Evans, but not Losman.

Jacksonville @ New Orleans
The scientist in me loves watching Quinn Gray out there for the Jaguars: he is so bad at passing that he creates a situation in which everyone on the field knows that they are going to run, and that if they don’t, the Visor** will throw the ball 5 yards wide of his target. We don’t see many controlled experiments like these in the NFL. Even though the Saints have been pretty good against the run lately, don’t expect Visor to be throwing much, cuz he can’t. If the Saints stop Fred Taylor and MJD, then the Jags lose. Marques Colston finally broke out last week, and David Patten had another productive game. The Jags are a tough defense, but the Saints seem to have figured things out again.

**The Visor refers to Quinn Gray. Did anyone else notice that when he first came into the game against the Colts he had a dark, LaDainian-style visor on his helmet, which he later removed? Why was it on there in the first place if he wasn’t going to play with it? I like to think he didn’t know he was a quarterback until he went into the game…

Seattle @ Cleveland
Cleveland has been surprisingly prolific this year, putting up points against almost everyone they’ve played (Pittsburgh held them to 7 in Week 1). Seattle will present a challenge for them, but Braylon Edwards and Kellen Winslow have been very explosive lately, and are unsittable. Shaun Alexander has a great matchup against Cleveland, but he has been stopping himself lately. I’ve always gotten a weird impression from him, like he isn’t committed and doesn’t care. He’s running hesitantly this season, and has lost all explosiveness. If he can’t do anything against the Browns, I’m pronouncing him dead.

Houston @ Oakland
It looks like the Sage Rosenfels show this weekend for the Texans. Kevin Walter is his favorite target, so get him in there. The question going into the game will be which Texan RB will start. Joe Echemandu looked good last week, but left with a hammy. Ahman is dinged, and Ron Dayne is a little dinged and hasn’t been effective. You’re going to need to monitor this all week and see what they say on Sunday, but whoever starts should run very well against the Raiders. Justin Fargas has been outperforming LaMont Jordan for Oakland, and he is a decent play this week. I don’t trust the Raider receivers much because Daunte Culpepper spreads the ball and runs it himself a lot; the Texans stop opposing WRs fairly well anyway.

New England @ Indianapolis
What can I say here? You never sit anyone on either of these teams, so don’t sit anyone on either of these teams. Except Laurence Maroney, who couldn’t even score with the Patriots up 38-0. There are a few possible explanations for the Patriots’ play calling this season. Maybe Bill Belichick is a degenerate gambler who thinks he gets extra when he doubles the point spread. Maybe he has Tom Brady on his fantasy team. Maybe his opponent every week has Laurence Maroney. Maybe he’s just a big fat arrogant smug meanie. Whatever the reason, they’re unstoppable, he knows it, and he’s making sure everyone else knows it. The Kenton Keith story didn’t last too long, as he got far fewer carries last week. Joseph Addai is back to his stud fantasy form.

Dallas @ Philadelphia
Forgotten this week will be this classic divisional battle. Reggie Brown may finally be forgetting that he’s a mediocre, inconsistent receiver, which bodes well for his owners. He outperformed Kevin Curtis across the board last week, and is becoming McNabb’s favorite target. He’s got a good matchup against Dallas, too. I’d sit Julius Jones against Philly’s stout run D, but start Marion Barber, who gets all the goal line carries.

Baltimore @ Pittsburgh
The Ravens are getting McNair and Heap back this week, just in time to face Pittsburgh, who will crush them. If you have McGahee, Heap, or Derrick Mason, you’re probably starting them, but none has a good matchup here. Baltimore has been great against the run this year, but just average against the pass. Look for Roethlisberger, Hines Ward and Santonio Holmes to be active in this one. Ward’s return has hurt Heath Miller’s red zone production, but he’s still a solid play.

WEEK EIGHT FANTASY PREVIEW

Oakland @ Tennessee
I still can’t really believe that Kerry Collins is still in the NFL, but he actually put up nice numbers last week, despite not throwing a touchdown. It looks like Vince Young will be back this week, but that doesn’t really change much for Tennessee receivers, who haven’t been great or reliable all year. For Oakland, get Ronald Curry in there: you can’t run on them, so the Raiders are going to have to pass. It was interesting to see Dominic Rhodes get 9 carries and perform similarly to LaMont Jordan, but save that nugget for after the Titans.

Detroit @ Chicago
Kevin Jones has been a tease in that offense for years, and he’s doing it again. Since I am a sucker for talented running backs in explosive offenses, I’ll take the bait (sigh…). Jones scored again last week, and received the bulk of the carries. Mike Martz is never gonna be a pounder, but he will get the ball to the backs in the passing game (great for PPR leaguers), and Jones has seen decent success lately. Meanwhile, Chicago continues to allow opposing runners to beat them.

Before I talk about Chicago, I need to introduce you all to one of my favorite lame fantasy players: Muhsin Muhammad. Muhsin is 34, slow, on a weird lame offense, and has been generally disrespected in the fantasy world the last few years. Well, I have been in some pretty dire WR situations on my teams the last few years (especially this year…some readers are perhaps laughing at this understatement as they read this), and am always looking for guys like this to get me through. Muhammad also happens to be a large man for a receiver, and he’s crafty, especially in the end zone. Muhsin has caught a TD in 3 of the 4 games since Brian Griese has taken the job from Sexy Rexy, and has another excellent matchup this week. Get him in there, and join me in praising his fantasy contributions.

Philadelphia @ Minnesota
So it looks like the only thing that can stop the Viking running game is the Viking passing game (and Dallas I guess…but you get my meaning). I went into this season looking for a neato prediction for a team that could come out of nowhere, and mine was the Vikings. I thought, look, they had a ridiculous run defense last season, an effective runner (Taylor), and a stud rookie runner (Peterson), and all the talking heads we love so much can’t ever stop talking about how running and stopping the run are the keys to success in the National Football League (does anyone else think it’s a bit smug the way they always call it the National Football League, as though it were base to abbreviate such a hallowed organization?). I thought if there could be a way that Tarvaris Jackson was any better than terrible that they had a shot to make some noise. Especially in that division. I mean, he was a second round pick. Well, guess what happened…

Anyway, in regards to this game, Philly has had a good record vs. the run, but I think they’re overrated. They’ve faced GB (don’t even try to run), Washington (can’t score much against anyone but Detroit), Detroit (don’t like to run, and were down by a klabillion points early), the Giants (without the punishing and scary Brandon Jacobs), the Jets (who ran for over 100), and Chicago (Cedric Benson doesn’t like football). So, yeah, overrated. Start Peterson, and give Taylor a look if you need him: he’s been quietly effective with the touches he’s gotten since AP exploded, and caught some passes last week too.

Cleveland @ St. Louis
Steven Jackson’s back! Don’t hesitate starting him here. This is one of those games where almost anyone you have has a chance to be productive. Look for Bulger to bounce back and for Isaac Bruce to finally do something. Start Jamal Lewis, or his replacement, Jason Wright, depending on injury status. Joe Jurevicius also has a great matchup.

Pittsburgh @ Cincinnati
Kenny Watson. I watch my Jets play the Bengals, expect Chad and Houshmandzadeh to run all over the place, but why use awesome players to win when you can use obscure ones that mess up the fantasy world? Sit the Bengal runners this week against Pitt, though. I love Santonio Holmes and Hines Ward this week, for obvious Bengal-defense-related reasons.

Indianapolis @ Carolina
Kenton Keith stole Joseph Addai’s show on Monday Night, which should make sense to us based on Indy’s history of using two running backs. He looked good too. Keith is a decent play this week against Carolina given his success against that stout Jacksonville D last week. I hate to rain on Vinny Testaverde’s parade here, but did anyone else notice that on his touchdown pass to Steve Smith that the cornerback sorta, like, stopped playing football while the ball was in the air, and that Smith walked into the endzone? Vinny, god bless him, came back “off his couch”, “from mowing his lawn”, “from watching the games last Sunday”, etc., in 2005 for the Jets and, um, wasn’t good. I’m just not buying him yet. But, from the numbers this year, fantasy players want him in there because David Carr looks worse.

New York Giants @ Miami
I was watching the games last week with a couple of friends, one of whom is (was) a Ronnie Brown owner. I had just advised him on keeping Brown going forward despite the Dolphins’ tough schedule coming up. He had always planned on selling Brown before the Patriots game, assuming he would play well against the bad teams earlier on the schedule and would return to his normal Ronnie Brown form soon enough. Well, Ronnie Brown went on to lead running backs in points, and I told him I thought he had been far too dominant and involved in the offense for his production to dip too much. Ronnie Brown Owner decided to keep him, and as we were watching he was thanking me for my wisdom, as Brown was having another good day. About a minute later, Brown tore his ACL on a broken turnover play. Ouch. The good news for some of us is Jesse Chatman didn’t look too bad, and he has a decent matchup this week. My Ronnie Brown Owner friend wasn’t so lucky as to be able to claim Chatman. That privilege went to the guy in our league who irritates everyone with his outlandish trade demands. Ugh.

Meanwhile, in London (London?), the Giants are growing on me. I maintain they haven’t really beaten anyone good, but the Dolphins certainly aren’t good, so look for more of the same from your G-Men. Miami can’t stop anything. Jacobs has looked the best in the backfield, and should continue to get most carries.

Buffalo @ New York Jets
These two very stoppable forces and moveable objects meet again in their second divisional showdown. Chad Pennington, everyone’s favorite noodly-armed pigskin tosser, will be starting again. Mangini seems to think he is doing a lot of good things amidst the bad things, and he’s probably right. The Jets are just not good. But, Laveranues Coles, Jerricho Cotchery and Chris Baker all have good matchups here. So do Thomas Jones and little Leon Washington. So do Lee Evans and Roscoe Parrish. Yeah, these defenses are bad…

Houston @ San Diego
It’ll be interesting to see how the Chargers handle having an actual wide receiver in their offense. The only wide receiver who has caught over 60 passes for them since David Boston in 2003 was old man Keenan McCardell, and he was old (David Boston!) Chambers is definitely a start here, and we’ll see what happens. He should provide the deep threat to open up Tomlinson and Gates even more, but Chambers is a bit of a flake who has the drops and doesn’t run clean routes consistently. The Chargers have a very beatable secondary, so my boy Kevin Walter, who I have hated on in the past but seems to continue to get looks and catches, as well as his cohort Andre Davis, are good starts this week. I’d consider sitting Ahman Green against them, though. Also, keep in mind that this game has a chance of being postponed due to the wildfires near San Diego, so keep an eye on how your league deals with this.

Jacksonville @ Tampa Bay
In one of the more pathetic displays of quarterback play in recent memory, Quinn Gray came in for David Garrard on Monday Night, and will be starting for the Jags for the next few weeks. Yeesh. The Jaguars really have no choice but to run the ball now, which elevates Fred Taylor’s and Maurice Jones-Drew’s stock. Since you were not starting any Jaguar receivers, continue to not start them (I mean, none of you were starting them, were you?). The Bucs’ Earnest Graham had himself a game with 92 rushing yards and 13 catches on the day that Michael Bennett came to town. I still think Graham is the better play going forward because he’ll get the goal line carries, but Bennett looked good. I’d only start Graham this week, though, and he isn’t a great play. Jeff Garcia, by the way, hasn’t thrown an interception yet this year. Just thought that was cool; don’t start him here.

New Orleans @ San Francisco
Devery Henderson finally caught a touchdown, but it was his only catch, and only target of the day. Fluke! I hate Devery. The interesting question is: who is the Saints’ second receiver behind Colston. It looked like David Patten again last week (I think my Lance Moore experiment is over…), but I just don’t trust Patten somehow: he was irrelevant for so long after leaving the Pats, and for him to just emerge as significant again out of nowhere smells funny to me. If you’re desperate for a receiver this week, Patten and Moore are decent reach plays since Nate Clements will be on Colston. It looks like Alex Smith will end the short-lived Trent Dilfer era in San Francisco this week, so start keeping an eye on their receiver situation again. I’m still sort of attached to Darrell Jackson despite his lameness this year, but watch Ashley Lelie and Arnaz Battle also. If Jackson plays, he has a good matchup against the Saints. Battle saw most of the looks last week, and he’s also a solid play.

Washington @ New England
The Skins have a great defense, but who cares. Tom Brady is driven, and as long as Randy Moss can catch touchdowns in double coverage with his biceps (one of the sickest catches I have ever seen), he’s unstoppable. Laurence Maroney looked awful, and I’d stay away from him for a while: they seem content to just pass anyway, even when they’re up 50. I don’t like Washington’s offense this week. Portis had a great game last week, but this is not the Cardinals, and they’re going to be passing in their futile attempt to keep up with Tom WelMossworth. Santana Moss is having serious problems these days, and I’d stay away.

Green Bay @ Denver
This is an interesting matchup for Green Bay because Denver stops the pass but can’t stop the run. Do the Packers dare leave their fate in the hands of DeShawn Wynn and Vernand Morency? Start Wynn. Denver doesn’t have a great fantasy matchup here, so Brandon Marshall may have a tough time. Travis Henry has some uncertainty surrounding him this week, so keep an eye on whether or not he plays. Denver, as usual, has like 12 guys who could play (namely 3 guys named Selvin Young, Andre Hall, and Cecil Sapp), so if Henry is out it’s anybody’s guess who will emerge. The favorite is Young.

WEEK SEVEN FANTASY PREVIEW

San Francisco @ New York Giants
Eli Manning is looking a lot better, and the Giants are running really well using all three of their backs. I like Reuben Droughns and Brandon Jacobs, who both got carries last week. I’m tempted to play Amani Toomer, who had a great game last week, but San Fran stops opposing WR pretty well. I don’t like many 49ers this week, regardless of whether Alex Smith plays or not.

Atlanta @ New Orleans
New Orleans finally woke up, and I like them again this week. David Patten was the beneficiary last week, but where has he been? He hasn’t done anything in years. Play Lance Moore, who is younger and also returns kicks. Short of Jerious Norwood breaking a long run like last week, which he hadn’t done before this season, I don’t like any Falcons even against the weak Saints’ D. Byron Leftwich takes about 20 minutes to drop back and throw, and behind that line he’ll have problems. Falcons wide-outs are also targeted fairly evenly, and it remains to be seen who Leftwich will look for.

New England @ Miami
With Sammy Morris out, it looks like Kevin Faulk will probably be the guy this week, but the Patriots are crafty and could surprise everyone by using Heath Evans. I wouldn’t be surprised, though, if they go up very early and both runners make noise. I’d lean toward Faulk over Evans, but it’s hard to call. Without Chris Chambers, who was traded to San Diego, the Dolphins are even more pathetic on offense. Ronnie Browns will probably catch a lot of passes, but it’s hard to run on the Pats.

Arizona @ Washington
Kurt, I know you tend to hurt yourself, but couldn’t you have maybe lasted more than 2 drop backs? You made your coach put in Tim Rattay. Yuck. Warner may be back this week, but regardless, Washington is nasty to passing games, and I’d play my Cardinals with care. Santana Moss supposedly benched himself last week, but if he plays this week he has a great matchup. Randle-El is also a play if he suits up.

Baltimore @ Buffalo
Baltimore has been iffy against the pass, allowing a few teams to go off. But I just don’t see Trent Edwards, who has been mostly dinking (sometimes dunking), down the field. Buffalo’s O gets dominated here. Kyle Boller is starting, and could see some success against the Bills.

Tampa Bay @ Detroit
OK, so my hunch about Earnest Graham didn’t quite pan out last week. But, I’m sticking with my guy here. He’s a strong runner, they pound it at the goal line, and Detroit is Swiss cheese. Michael Bennett probably won’t factor in much this soon after being acquired, so Graham is still the man here for now. Ike Hilliard is also a strong play. Tatum Bell wanted to get traded, but wasn’t. Welcome back to potential fantasy relevance, Kevin Jones. He’s decent this week.

Tennessee @ Houston
If Vince Young’s injury forces Kerry Collins into the lineup, get ready for some ineptitude. He looked awful last year for the Titans. LenDale White will play well, especially if Chris Brown is out. Houston’s Kevin Walter continues to play well, but the Titans are tough. I’m also sitting the Texans run game against Tennessee.

Kansas City @ Oakland
Jeff Webb surprised and was targeted as many times as Dwayne Bowe last week, but I’d wait to see this again before I buy. Bowe has tough corner Nnamdi Asomugha, but I’d play him anyway. Ronald Curry still got the most targets last week, but I’d keep watching Jerry Porter. Neither is great this week, though.

New York Jets @ Cincinnati
Alright, loyal NFL Draft Bible readers, I need to get something off my chest. I am a New York Jets fan. This is a rough year for Gang Green, and for their quarterback, Chad Pennington, whom I have loved for years.. He has always had a noodle-arm, but his arm is the least of his problems right now. He used to make up for it with sound decision-making, accurate passing, and good leadership. Right now, those positive qualities are absent, and the Jets are left with just the weak arm: ask Thomas Jones, Laveranues Coles and Jerricho Cotchery. Sure, Jones had 120 yards last week, but much of that came on the Jets’ first drive of the game before the Eagles remembered Pennington can’t throw more than 12 yards down field. Now, having said all of this, Coach Mangini is sticking with Chad this week, and the Bengals certainly won’t provide too much resistance: they allow almost 250 yards in the air and almost 150 on the ground. Start all of your Jets this week, but get ready for some potential changes in the coming weeks.

Oh, I almost forgot. Start all your Bengals: the Jets’ D may have more holes than the O.

Minnesota @ Dallas
Adrian! I had been thinking that Peterson would be a sell because of Chester Taylor coming back, the fact that he was relying on some big plays to get his yards, and that the Vikings were going to see some tougher opponents coming up. Never mind all of that. Peterson is the most talented player on his team, and as much as I want to caution his owners from counting too heavily on a guy who needs to bust big runs for points, I can’t. He’s too good. He keeps breaking out for monster gains. Forget Chester. Forget the Bears’ defense. Forget the Cowboys’ defense. He’s a great player, and will score for you against most teams. For Dallas, it’s the usual story against Minny. Sit the running backs, start everyone involved in the passing game (2nd best run D, worst pass D).

Chicago @ Philadelphia
After being torched by Adrian Peterson last week, the Bears get to face Brian Westbrook, another excellent open field runner. I could see this game being all about Westbrook running and catching screens all day, and I still can’t rely on any Eagle WRs. I’m still banking on Reggie Brown eventually emerging here, but this isn’t a great matchup. Cedric Benson runs like an old man, and looks generally lame. Sit him and get the other Adrian Peterson, who I bet will be fantasy relevant before the end of the year.

St. Louis @ Seattle
Shaun. Please. You were the MVP 2 years ago. You look hesitant, slow, and bored. But if you can’t have yourself a game this week, then I don’t know what to tell you. The Rams can’t do anything on either side of the ball, so Shaun should have the chance to run in the second half this week. By the way, keep an eye on Leonard Weaver, who broke a big one, and could get a bigger role as the season progresses. D.J. Hackett looks like he’ll play this week, and he couldn’t have a better matchup. Bobby Engram, and even Nate Burleson are solid starts also. Marc Bulger is back this week, so Torry Holt should see a better game. Seattle’s defense is fairly middle-of-the-road, so use your Rams as you would any other week.

Pittsburgh @ Denver
Denver’s rush defense has fallen quite a bit this season, allowing 187 yards per game. This makes Najeh Davenport startable this week. Pittsburgh is also getting Santonio Holmes and Hines Ward back this week, but Denver is great vs. the pass. Denver’s RB situation is a bit up in the air, but it’s not a good week against Pittsburgh.

Indianapolis @ Jacksonville
You can’t ever sit your Colts, but the Jags have given them problems in the past. Maurice Jones-Drew is back, and is a start for sure. As for Jaguar receivers, it’s anyone’s guess from week to week who will emerge as they are pretty egalitarian. I don’t particularly like any of them.

WEEK 6 FANTASY PREVIEW

Houston @ Jacksonville
After allowing about a million yards (well, more like 175) to Chris Brown in Week 1, Jacksonville has completely shut down opposing runners, including Travis Henry and LJ. Whether or not Ahman Green comes back this week, the Texans’ running game is a big-time sit this week. The Jags also shut down the pass pretty well, and no Texans receivers are particularly inspiring, but if you need one, I’d go with Andre Davis over Kevin Walter. As for the Jaguars, Maurice Jones-Drew finally broke out with a big run and a TD, but he still had just 9 carries. He isn’t getting the ball as much as Fred Taylor, and relies on breaking big runs. He’ll have a few games like last week this year, but they’ll be hard to predict. Houston is solid against the run, so don’t count on him this week.

St. Louis @ Baltimore
Baltimore’s defense isn’t as silly-dominant as it was last year, and receivers are having surprising success against this unit. This makes Drew Bennett a decent play again this week after scoring last week. Brian Leonard, though, is a sit. Gus Frerotte can be played if you’re desperate for a QB in this brutal week for byes (6 teams are off this week). Demetrius Williams is a nice play again for Baltimore against the Rams’ secondary. Mark Clayton is invisible.

Washington @ Green Bay
The Redskins’ defense has been a nice surprise thus far, and is allowing less than a TD and less than 200 yards passing to opposing QBs. Sit Brett Favre. I’d also sit Packer receivers other than Driver. I’d also continue to sit all Packer runners. Not a good outlook for the Pack. Start Santana Moss for sure if he’s back, since Washington may be without Antwaan Randle El and Moss will get all the looks in the passing game.

Cincinnati @ Kansas City
Larry Johnson should enjoy this week a bit more than last week, when he had only 12 yards on 9 carries. For those of you not on the Dwayne Bowe train yet, get on it this week for sure. It looks like Damon Huard will play this week, and he has an excellent matchup. He’s another good bye week fill-in.

Miami @ Cleveland
The Dolphins’ change at quarterback could be really bad for Chris Chambers owners. He was only targeted 4 times last week, while Marty Booker got 10 looks. Chambers is a start this week, but monitor this situation. The idea of Marty Booker emerging as a consistent fantasy presence is as silly as the name “Cleo Lemon”, but Chambers owners need to keep tabs on this offense. Miami is allowing almost 150 yards per game on the ground, so consider playing Jamal Lewis this week.

Minnesota @ Chicago
Chicago has had mixed success stopping the run, and they’re banged up again this week. Minnesota’s entire offense is the run game, so Adrian Peterson is a sure play. Chester Taylor was also a factor in his first game back in Week 4. He is a weaker play than Peterson, but is usable this week. Minnesota allows good production to opposing TEs, so Desmond Clark is a solid play.

Tennessee @ Tampa Bay
Earnest Graham wasn’t able to do much of anything in last week’s blowout defeat by the Colts, and his matchup doesn’t look much better this week. But, Graham could have a nice game against a solid Titan run D. Tennessee hasn’t faced a great running game yet (Jacksonville, Indy, New Orleans, and Atlanta), and the Bucs have shown an eagerness to pound the run in close games. Graham is likely to get more than the 6 carries he got last week (the Colts scored too much for the Bucs to establish the run), and could accumulate some yards and score.

Philadelphia @ New York Jets
Whoever starts at RB for the Eagles will have a huge game, so even if it’s Buckhalter replacing an injured Westbrook again this week, get him in. I’m sure many of you have vowed never to play Reggie Brown again, but consider him this week. The Jets tend to allow lots of underneath passing, and coming off the bye, it’s possible that he and McNabb have worked out their chemistry issues.

Carolina @ Arizona
With Jake Delhomme out for the season, I hesitate to recommend anyone on the Panthers for a while. Even Steve Smith’s production has fallen off with David Carr at quarterback, and they couldn’t do much with the run even against the Saints’ porous defense. Arizona’s defense has been good lately, and has another solid matchup against the Panthers. Kurt Warner is also a good play, and will continue to be until he inevitably gets injured hitting his hand on an O-lineman’s helmet.

Oakland @ San Diego
San Diego’s secondary has been bad, so start Ronald Curry. Daunte Culpepper is bound to throw more than 12 times, like he did in his last game, and Curry has been the most relevant receiver for them. Having said that, keep an eye on Jerry Porter. We haven’t seen which receiver Culpepper will favor, and it might be Porter, who caught 2 TDs in his last game with Daunte. The Chargers don’t look for their receivers much, but Vincent Jackson has a good matchup this week.

New England @ Dallas
This is a dream game for fantasy. Most of the players in this game are every week starters anyway, but I’d start most fringe players on these teams as well. Laurence Maroney looks like he may be back, but Sammy Morris is still the better play here because of his goal line carries. Start both Stallworth and Welker for the Pats.

New Orleans @ Seattle
The Saints continue to flounder this season. Aaron Stecker was irrelevant last week, Reggie Bush still thinks you can return punts from scrimmage, and Drew Brees is throwing interceptions all over the field. Devery Henderson caught some passes, but had a killer drop at the end, and rumor has it that coach Payton is running out of patience. Mike Karney is an interesting touchdown-vulture type, but his potential is limited because he relies solely on TDs to score. If you’re desperate for a runner in a bye week, though, he’s not bad. Eric Johnson is also decent as a bye week fill-in. Deion Branch is out for the Seahawks, which elevates Bobby Engram to the starting lineup, and he’s a great play against this Saints defense.

New York Giants @ Atlanta
Not too much to say here. I love Brandon Jacobs, and believe that he can run over people and fall forward against almost any defense. The Atlanta receivers continue to be inconsistent and unreliable, and with the Giants’ pass rush, they don’t have a great matchup. Lame Monday Night game…

WEEK FOUR FANTASY PREVIEW

Dan Lewis, Fantasy Football Insiders

Green Bay @ Minnesota

Green Bay comes into this game hot, having just overcome its biggest test of the year against San Diego last Sunday. Brett Favre looks great so far, which should continue against this Vikings defense. Minny has been great at stopping the run, but not the pass. Start Favre and WR Donald Driver for sure. WR Greg Jennings came back last week and got as many looks as WR James Jones, who had served as the Pack’s #2 for the first two games. Jennings also caught and ran for the game-winning touchdown. Both are decent starts if you need them. I would sit all Packer RBs this week. Between the muddled rotation of runners and the Vikings’ stifling run defense, this is not a good week for Brandon Jackson, DeShawn Wynn, or anyone else running for Green Bay. TEs Donald Lee and Bubba Franks remained solid last week, with Lee catching four passes and Franks catching a TD, so use them if you need them again. For Minnesota, RB Adrian Peterson remains the team’s only viable fantasy option. RB Chester Taylor may be back this week, but Peterson remains the play here regardless. I’d sit Taylor until he shows something.

Oakland @ Miami

Miami RB Ronnie Brown exploded for 3 TDs and over 200 yards of total offense vs. the Jets last week. Oakland is allowing over 100 yards to opposing running backs this season, so Ronnie has another nice matchup here. Get him in. WR Chris Chambers is also a nice play; he is getting by far the most targets from QB Trent Green, and is bound to catch a touchdown soon. Oakland RB LaMont Jordan is having a great season, and should play well against the Dolphins, who allow close to 140 yards per game to running backs. Coach Lane Kiffin has not revealed whether Josh McCown or Daunte Culpepper will start this week, but I’d stay away from this situation for now. Start WR Ronald Curry, who is getting the majority of the looks for Oakland. WR Jerry Porter is also getting targeted, but hasn’t been able to make many plays yet. If you’re desperate for a WR this week, give Porter a look.

New York Jets @ Buffalo

Buffalo enters this game without starting QB J.P. Losman. While Losman has not been very good this season, he is still their starting QB, and losing him will hurt, especially with rookie Trent Edwards starting. Stick with WR Lee Evans this week despite his slow start. WR Peerless Price is worth a look if you really, really need a WR in a pinch. Marshawn Lynch is also a good start against a porous Jets run D. For New York, Thomas Jones had his best game of the year last week, and should have another good one vs. the Bills. QB Chad Pennington has a nice matchup if you need a bye week fill-in. WRs Laveranues Coles and Jericho Cotchery are also nice plays. TE Chris Baker isn’t too involved in the offense, but continues to get lots of looks in the endzone, and caught another touchdown last week. He’s a nice play. The Jets’ defense, surprisingly, has a really nice matchup against a Buffalo offense led by a rookie QB, and is startable if you need it.

Houston @ Atlanta

Houston TE Owen Daniels had 7 catches last week, and will play well again, especially with top WR Andre Johnson out again this week. Don’t expect much from the rest of the Houston WR corps, as Atlanta has been good at shutting down opposing wide-outs; Carolina’s Steve Smith was held to a single catch last week. RB Ahman Green had an MRI this week on his injured knee, and it remains unclear for now whether or not he will play. However, whoever does start for Houston at RB has a great matchup against Atlanta. If Green is out, Ron Dayne is the logical choice to start, but monitor the situation as Sunday approaches. Whether it’s Green, Dayne, or Samkon Gado, give them a look depending on who starts. Houston’s defense is also a good start this week against Atlanta. For the Falcons, start TE Alge Crumpler. WR Roddy White seems to be QB Joey Harrington’s favorite target, and had a good game last week with 7 catches and a TD. If you need him, start him. Atlanta RBs are not good starts. Neither is QB Joey Harrington.

Chicago @ Detroit

The Bears have been in the news this week because of the benching of disappointing QB Rex Grossman. QB Brian Griese was given a gorgeous matchup for his first week as the starter, and you should give him a look if you need a fill-in. Detroit is allowing almost 300 yards passing per game, and let Donovan McNabb and Kevin Curtis torch them repeatedly last week. WR Bernard Berrian is a great play this week, and WR Muhsin Muhammad, despite having done very little thus far, is worth a look this week against Detroit. RB Cedric Benson hasn’t been impressive yet, but the Lions are about as good a matchup as he’s going to get. You have to start him. Continue to monitor RB Adrian Peterson, though, as coach Lovie Smith seems to be tiring of Benson and could give more of the load to Peterson. TE Desmond Clark has a decent chance to catch a TD, too. Chicago’s defense hasn’t been as dominant as expected this season, and the Lions’ offense is explosive. QB Jon Kitna and WR Roy Williams are strong starts. WRs Mike Furrey and Shaun McDonald split the remaining WR targets last week after WR Calvin Johnson went down with a back injury. Both are decent plays this week, especially if Calvin can’t go. I hesitate to recommend RB Tatum Bell this week, but the Bears have not stopped the run well, allowing close to 100 yards per game, and close to 6 catches per game to running backs. They’re also missing Tommie Harris from their D-line. You can start him if you need him.

St. Louis @ Dallas

One of the top pickups this week has been St. Louis rookie RB Brian Leonard, who is filling in for the injured Steven Jackson. Leonard is a play because he is a starting running back who is known for having good hands out of the backfield, but the Cowboys are tough against the run this season, and Steven Jackson hadn’t seen too much success thus far. QB Marc Bulger and WR Torry Holt are also starts, just like every week, but the Rams will likely have more problems going forward having lost yet another starting offensive lineman last week (G Mark Setterstrom). WR Isaac Bruce injured his head last week, but it appears he will be ready to play. Start him if you need him. TE Randy McMichael has been very disappointing, and I’m done starting him for now. Dallas’ offense has been stellar. QB Tony Romo, RB Marion Barber III, WR Terrell Owens are starts every week, and should see plenty of success against St. Louis’ defense. Jason Witten is becoming an every week play, but the Rams have played decently against the tight end. Play him anyway. RB Julius Jones is losing his role for the Cowboys, but he may be able to break a long one against this defense. He’s a good bye week fill-in this week.

Baltimore @ Cleveland

Baltimore’s QB picture is messy, but both Kyle Boller and Steve McNair look for WR Derrick Mason and TE Todd Heap plenty, so start them. RB Willis McGahee is a start against the Browns’ unimpressive defense. Mark Clayton had a nice debut last week, and Cleveland won’t do much to stop him. Even WR Demetrius Williams could make some noise here. Other than WR Braylon Edwards (if you need him) and TE Kellen Winslow, sit all of your Browns this week against Baltimore.

Tampa Bay @ Carolina

Tampa Bay was impressive again last week against the Rams, but questions abound in the backfield. RB Carnell Williams was benched after a fumble, and RB Earnest Graham came in and ran for 75 yards and 2 TDs on just 8 carries. RB Michael Pittman also contributed. The question this week is who will be the main back for coach Jon Gruden. Gruden reaffirmed that Williams is the feature back, but Gruden can be unpredictable. Earnest Graham is a great pickup this week, and he’s playable if you need a fill-in. The Bucs always want to commit to the run, especially in the red zone, so Graham has a chance to do some damage even if he isn’t featured this week. Cadillac is a play regardless, but don’t be surprised if Gruden does something crazy. QB Jeff Garcia was good again last week, and is a good bye week fill-in. WR Joey Galloway is also a play. TE Alex Smith hasn’t done too much yet this year, but Carolina hasn’t been great vs. the tight end, and he could get some looks. Play him if you’re desperate. Carolina has some questions at QB entering this week, so keep an eye on whether Jake Delhomme or David Carr starts. I wouldn’t start either one, though, against this improved Bucs defense. TE Jeff King remains one of their favorite targets, so play him if you need him this week. WR Steve Smith had a tough time against Atlanta last week, but he’s a stud, so start him. Tampa allowed the Rams’ Steven Jackson to slowly pound his way to over 100 yards, but Carolina won’t commit to one of its runners enough for either one to have a huge game this week. They are decent plays.

Seattle @ San Francisco

Seattle RB Shaun Alexander has a broken wrist, but will play; it doesn’t change his status, so start him. WRs Deion Branch, Nate Burleson, and Bobby Engram continue to get most of the targets from QB Matt Hasselbeck, and all are decent plays again this week. San Francisco’s offense hasn’t quite gotten it together this year yet. Seattle’s defense against the pass is average, so you can start WRs Darrell Jackson if you’ve been using him. RB Frank Gore hasn’t been great yet, but he’s talented and will turn it on eventually. Start him.

Kansas City @ San Diego

RB LaDainian Tomlinson wasn’t as successful against Green Bay as he and his owners had hoped for, but he scored. The Chiefs aren’t good against the run, so he should be able to get going here. QB Phillip Rivers threw for 300 yards in last week’s shootout, finding WRs Vincent Jackson and Buster Davis for a TD each. This shows Rivers can still do it, but he has been inconsistent since last season. You can’t count on this from week to week, but San Diego’s passing game has a nice matchup this week. The Chiefs continue to struggle on offense, with another tough matchup for RB Larry Johnson. I hate to advocate benching a first rounder for two weeks in a row, but I will. Sit him if you have a viable alternative. Start TE Tony Gonzalez, though.

Pittsburgh @ Arizona

Pittsburgh’s offense has been solid all year, and the Cardinals’ defense isn’t too imposing. Start QB Ben Roethlisberger, if you need him. RB Willie Parker and WRs Hines Ward and Santonio Holmes are also good plays this week. TE Heath Miller continues to see an expanded role, so start him as well. The Cardinals have a strange QB situation at the moment. Kurt Warner played at two separate times for Arizona last week, and was effective. I’d stay away from both Warner and QB Matt Leinart simply to avoid this mess, but I’d start WRs Anquan Boldin and Larry Fitzgerald because both are explosive and threats to score. RB Edgerrin James has a terrible matchup, and shouldn’t be played unless there is no other option.

Denver @ Indianapolis

The Colts have been tough against the run so far, but the Broncos pound RB Travis Henry, so start him. Start both WRs Javon Walker and Brandon Marshall, who continues to impress and outperformed Walker last week. QB Jay Cutler isn’t a great play, but a decent bye week fill-in. Start all your usual Colts. TE Dallas Clark caught another TD last week, and is getting close to an every week play.

Philadelphia @ New York Giants

Wow, Donovan. Way to shut all of your critics up. McNabb exploded last week and made WR Kevin Curtis look like a superstar. Curtis got all but 4 of the targets to WRs last week, and he seems to have become McNabb’s favorite receiver. Start him this week. WR Reggie Brown remains a huge disappointment, but the Giants’ defense has been bad this year, so it’s a good matchup. If you need him, give him one more try this week. RB Brian Westbrook has an injured knee and injured ribs, but he always plays despite his status. If it’s announced that he cannot go, RBs Correll Buckhalter and Tony Hunt will likely split carries. I’d prefer Buckhalter in that situation, but he is also nicked up. Watch these injuries closely as the week progresses and plan accordingly. The Giants’ offense woke up in the second half last week. Start QB Eli Manning if you need him. RB Derrick Ward continues to impress, but he may lose goal line carries to RB Reuben Droughns, as he did last week. He’s been good though, so start him. WR Plaxico Burress is a start, as is TE Jeremy Shockey.

New England @ Cincinnati

This matchup seems almost unfair. New England’s unstoppable offense meets the inept Bengals’ defense. WRs Randy Moss and Wes Welker are getting most of QB Tom Brady’s attention, so start them, but sit WR Donte Stallworth, as he has done almost nothing all year. RB Laurence Maroney is a start, as is RB Sammy Morris (if you need him), who has been given more of a workload lately. The Bengals are bound to put up numbers, as they do every week, so start QB Carson Palmer, WRs Chad Johnson and T.J. Houshmandzadeh. Monitor RB Rudi Johnson’s injury situation this week. If he goes, he’s a start. Otherwise, give RB Kenny Watson a look this week, but he may not get too many looks this week as Cincy tries to keep up with the Pats.

FAVORABLE FANTASY MATCHUPS

By Dan Lewis, Fantasy football Insiders

Miami @ New York Jets

The Jets have faced two tough defenses (Ravens and Patriots) in their first two games, but look for some improvement this week against the Dolphins. Miami allowed 191 yards rushing to Washington Week 1 and 166 to Baltimore Week 2. Looks like a nice opportunity for Thomas Jones turn it on. Start WRs Coles and Cotchery for the Jets as well, but sit QB Chad Pennington, if he even plays, to make sure he comes back well from his ankle injury. For Miami, WR Chris Chambers is second in targets on the season with 27, and is bound to get opportunities against the Jets and their lackluster pass rush (0 sacks in 2007). Marty Booker may even make some noise in this game. Start Ronnie Brown this week also, as he had 2 of his top 4 rushing performances of last year against the Jets.

San Francisco @ Pittsburgh

The Steelers have been dominant thus far, but face a solid 2-0 49ers team. Start RB Willie Parker. You can start WRs Hines Ward and Santonio Holmes, but don’t expect too much as San Francisco’s defense is far better than either Buffalo’s or Cleveland’s. This goes for Ben Roethlisberger as well. TE Heath Miller doesn’t always put up big numbers, but he gets looks in the endzone and has a chance to score every week, so use him if you need him. For the 49ers, Frank Gore is an every week start. Darrell Jackson has been disappointing thus far, and he faces a solid Pittsburgh defense. Temper expectations. Arnaz Battle was also disappointing after a strong Week 1, and until Alex Smith improves, these two receivers will have problems. Vernon Davis was irrelevant again, and until he shows some of his explosive potential, he’s staying on my bench.

St. Louis @ Tampa Bay

Tampa Bay faces a defense not much better than the Saints’ squad that they scored on last week. Jeff Garcia is making a case for himself as a strong backup option, and with a few more solid performances could be considered as a matchup play going forward. Gruden seems committed to pounding Cadillac Williams, so he’ll get touchdown opportunities if they present themselves. Start him. Joey Galloway was his explosive self again, and he should have chances against the Rams again. We are all waiting for St. Louis’ Steven Jackson to turn it on. The more he plays, and the more the Rams’ retooled O-line can play together, the better Jackson will be. It’s not panic time yet, so get him in there. Bulger is an every week start, as is Torry Holt. Isaac Bruce made a strong case for himself last week with 8 catches for 145 yards, but Tampa’s defense is superior to New Orleans. Randy McMichael hasn’t clicked yet, and Tampa has been strong against tight ends so far this year. Not a strong play.

San Diego @ Green Bay

Two great defenses face off in this one, making it a tough game for players on both sides. Start LaDainian and Gates obviously. The Packers have a muddled running back picture, with rumors that DeShawn Wynn will start this week over rookie Brandon Jackson. Jackson had more carries last week, but Wynn was far more effective, averaging 5 yards per carry. However, neither is a good play against San Diego. Donald Driver is a start every week, and will likely get some looks as soon as the Chargers shut down the Packer running game. Both Green Bay TE Donald Lee and Bubba Franks had good games last week, but the Giants have been killed by tight ends the past two weeks now. Make those tight ends do it again before expecting too much.

Detroit @ Philadelphia

The feisty, pass-happy Lions face the disappointing Eagles, whose franchise quarterback looks distressed. Donovan McNabb had problems other than his own injuries on Monday night, but when he was given time to throw, and open receivers to throw to, he often missed them. This is a game for him to get back on track against a very weak Detroit defense, so start him if you need him. RB Brian Westbrook is dinged up again with that nagging knee, but he played well through several questionables last year, and he remains the Eagles only viable offensive option, especially in Coach Andy Reid’s stubborn pass-heavy offense. If he is ruled out for Sunday, Correll Buckhalter would likely start, but rookie Tony Hunt is also in the picture, and could emerge given the opportunity. Donovan has yet to develop chemistry with any of his receivers, so keep an eye on who he’s targeting this week; in the meantime, Reggie Brown and Kevin Curtis have gotten the most looks, but Jason Avant and Hank Baskett will probably be in the mix as well. None is a particularly strong play. The Lions’ QB Jon Kitna is a start, as are Roy Williams, Calvin Johnson, and a surprising Shaun McDonald, who has reunited with offensive coordinator Mike Martz from their days in St. Louis, and gotten more looks than last year’s surprise, Mike Furrey. RB Tatum Bell is an uninspiring play, as Martz has shown an eagerness to abandon the run in the past.

Arizona @ Baltimore

Despite Baltimore’s defense, WRs Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin are starts. Edgerrin James has gotten off to a nice start, but he faces a defense that has allowed only 60 yards rushing per game on the season, so sit him. Sit QB Matt Leinart as well. Steve McNair looks like he’ll play this week, but don’t play him. Derrick Mason has been targeted 12 times in both games this year; look for that to continue this week. Mark Clayton is working his way back from his toe injury. He is expected to reclaim his starting role for the Ravens, and he is a nice fantasy option if you need him. TE Todd Heap always starts.

Buffalo @ New England

This game should be a massacre. New England has been dominant, and Buffalo has been anemic. Tom Brady, Laurence Maroney, and Randy Moss are starts and should all have very nice games. Brady is notorious in the fantasy world for spreading the ball to his receivers, but he’s been consistently targeting Moss and Wes Welker more often this year. He should be able to pass to whomever he wants in this one, and those two remain great plays this week. Temper expectations for Donte Stallworth, as he hasn’t done much yet. Benjamin Watson is also a good play. Buffalo’s Lee Evans remains a potential deep threat, so start him. Roscoe Parrish has the second most targets for the Bills behind Evans, and he could make some noise in garbage time once the Pats take a sizeable lead.

Indianapolis @ Houston

The surprising Texans face their division rivals, but without top WR Andre Johnson. This fact, coupled with Indy’s strong defense, lowers QB Matt Schaub’s potential this week. RB Ahman Green could catch some balls out of the backfield, and he is a decent play. No Texan WR not named Andre Johnson has more than 2 catches on the season, so monitor Jacoby Jones and Kevin Walter to see who gets the looks, but don’t start either one this week.. Owen Daniels remains a decent TE option. Start all of your Colts (Manning, Addai, Harrison, Wayne, and even Dallas Clark, if he plays this week (neck)).

Minnesota @ Kansas City

Minnesota’s run-heavy offense faces the uninspiring Chiefs. QB Tarvaris Jackson may not play, but it doesn’t matter. Don’t start any Viking receivers or QBs. It looks at this point as though Chester Taylor may be back this week, so monitor the situation as Sunday approaches to see if you get a sense of how many carries he and Adrian Peterson will get. If Taylor is indeed back, both runners are strong plays. For the Chiefs, start Tony Gonzalez. RB Larry Johnson faces the top defense vs. the run in the NFL, and coupled with his slow start to the year (49 yards per game), I would look into alternate options this week.

Jacksonville @ Denver

Jacksonville has been unimpressive for fantasy thus far, including a disappointing start for RB Maurice Jones-Drew. Don’t look for the offense to get on track this week. If you have Jones-Drew or Fred Taylor, you may not have great alternatives, but temper expectations for them. For Denver, I’d start QB Jay Cutler, RB Travis Henry, and WR Javon Walker with high hopes. WR Brandon Marshall has also looked good, and he is startable.

Cleveland @ Oakland

Cleveland comes off of its astonishing 51 point game over the Bengals, but it ends here. I think Cincy’s defense may just be that bad… Oakland has a top defense vs. the pass, so sit Derek Anderson. Braylon Edwards and Joe Jurevicius were nice plays last week, but not this week. Start Edwards if you need him. Kellen Winslow is a start this week. Look for Oakland WR Ronald Curry to bounce back from last week’s disappointing performance. LaMont Jordan has been nothing but impressive this year, and he should continue to play well this week.

Cincinnati @ Seattle

Look for Seattle WR Bobby Engram to emerge this week. Cincinnati can’t stop anybody, and Engram has been effective in the past for Mike Holmgren. Engram and Deion Branch will have nice games this week. Nate Burleson is actually also a good play for this week because of the Bengals’ defensive ineptitude. For those of you in scoring systems where offensive players earn points for kick returns, Burleson deserves serious consideration, as Cincy will score and give him ample opportunity to return kicks. Start the typical Bengals this week (Carson, Chad, TJ, and Rudi).

New York Giants @ Washington

Washington QB Jason Campbell comes off of an encouraging outing against the Eagles. He’s making a case for himself as a bye-week replacement and decent backup. Start both Santana Moss, as you do most weeks, and Antwaan Randle-El against the Giants’ inept defense. Clinton Portis and Ladell Betts should play well. Betts has gotten fewer carries than some have speculated he might get this season, but against the Giants there should be enough gaping holes for 2 runners to share. Also, Happy Birthday, Chris Cooley owners. Expect an explosive day. The Giants have been terrible covering the TE thus far. For the Giants, start WR Plaxico Burress for sure, and the scrappy Derrick Ward and the improving Eli Manning, if you need them. Shockey is a decent play as well.

Carolina @ Atlanta

Atlanta may be the worst team in the NFL. They haven’t played a particularly strong offense yet, but Carolina will look great against them. Start Steve Smith for sure. WRs Keary Colbert and Drew Carter have been getting the rest of the targets from QB Jake Delhomme, but these aren’t particularly exciting options. The Carolina RB situation is muddled, but both DeShaun Foster and DeAngelo Williams could have nice games this week. Start them if needed. Tight End Jeff King has gotten some looks from Delhomme as well, and if you are trapped in some sort of dire TE shortage, he’s worth a look this week vs. the Falcs. Alge Crumpler’s matchup is decent.

Dallas @ Chicago

Dallas will have its troubles vs. the Bears. RBs Marion Barber III and Julius Jones don’t have a great matchup, but Barber is a threat to score a touchdown every week, so start him. Terrell Owens and Tony Romo are also starts, but if you have another option at QB, consider it over Romo. No WR has established himself in place of injured Terry Glenn. Neither Patrick Crayton nor Sam Hurd has impressed, so leave them alone this week. Jason Witten seems to have taken advantage of his Week 1 matchup against the Giants, but had problems against the Dolphins last week, catching only 2 passes. The Bears won’t make things any easier on him. For Chicago, don’t expect much from Cedric Benson or Adrian Peterson. Start WR Bernard Berrian, and TE Desmond Clark could have a nice game here.

Tennessee @ New Orleans

New Orleans is a mess. They aren’t giving Deuce McAllister the ball, Reggie Bush plays running back like a punt returner, and no receiver other than Marques Colston seems interested in excelling. Look for them to get back on track eventually, but the solid Tennessee defense won’t make it easy for them. I’d continue to start Deuce and Bush. Drew Brees and Colston are also starts. I was high on Devery Henderson coming into the season, but he dropped three passes last week, including a touchdown, and was benched for the second half. I’m not starting any Saints receivers other than Colston until this offense remembers how to play. For Tennessee, Vince Young is a solid play. My impression this season has been that Jeff Fisher wants to give the ball to LenDale White more than Chris Brown, so White is the stronger play. WR Brandon Jones is also a decent play, although the Titans’ passing game can be unpredictable.