Love

Matthew Stafford, QB, DET – Denver has allowed the most fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks, averaging just over 20 per game.  I think we will probably see Calvin Johnson get back to 2 TDs per in a game this week.  And with Jahvid Best most likely out again, I think the Lions are going to air it out and win this game big to snap the two-game losing streak.

Mike Wallace, WR, PIT – I think Wallace is in for a really big game this week.  Pittsburgh hasn’t been able to protect Roethlisberger long enough to let him hit the open receiver deep down the field.  Luckily for Ben and all his receivers, New England has not had an effective pass rush and has struggled in coverage!

DeMarco Murray, RB, DAL – The Cowboys have not had a very good running game recently and Murray was a young prospect that they liked a lot before last week’s breakout performance. With a good match-up against Philadelphia this week, I expect Dallas to try and feature Murray heavily and see if he can put up big numbers on a consistent basis.

Fred Davis, TE, WAS – With Shawne Merriman placed on IR, the Bills are wearing thin at line backer. They have been pretty bad at stopping opposing tight ends and with Santana Moss out, Davis should see the biggest increase in carries.  PPR owners especially should take notice but he comes in at 5th in my rankings regardless.

BenJarvus Green-Ellis, RB, NE – The Law Firm has re-asserted himself as the leader of the committee in New England. While Tom Brady hasn’t typically had an issue passing against the Steelers, running the ball hasn’t been a viable option for years.  I do not downgrade Green-Ellis at all due to match up and think he has a decent shot at a nice game.

AJ Green, WR, CIN – Green has been great for Cincinnati and has developed a lot of chemistry with fellow rookie Andy Dalton.  Seattle allows over 20 fantasy points per game to opposing wide receivers and Green has been able to score double digit fantasy points in all but one game this season.

Darren Sproles, RB, NO – You can’t ask for more from Sproles so far this season. He has been able to produce explosive plays on a consistent basis and his opponent this week just gave up over 250 yards on the ground to a rookie.

Hate

Doug Baldwin, WR, SEA – The Bengals defense is for real and I am yet to be convinced that Baldwin is. If Seattle wants to win this game, they need to get it done on the ground.

Bernard Scott, RB, CIN – This is the week that Cedric Benson is serving his suspension and I see a lot of people looking to Scott to pick right up where Benson left off.  I don’t see that happening against the under rated Seahawks rush defense.  Brian Leonard will get some carries if Scott struggles too and I could easily see him at 5 points or less.

Brandon Jacobs, RB, NYG – Jacobs could end up OK this week due to his goal line work, but I do not see him having a big yardage total or large number of carries in his first game back from the injury.

Kevin Kolb, QB, ARI – Baltimore’s defense has been solid all season and I clearly do not expect such a repeat terrible performance.  With Beanie Wells on the bench, this Cardinals offense is one-dimensional and very sub-par. Kolb does not have enough quality receivers at his disposal to be able to get anything done against Ray Lewis and company.

Alfonso Smith, RB, ARI – Smith didn’t play well after Wells went down last week and I’ve already mentioned the terrible match up for Arizona this week.  The ONLY Cardinal worth starting is Fitz.

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Love

Darren McFadden, RB, OAK – Run DMC tops my RB rankings this week with a great matchup against the Chiefs. Kansas City is allowing an average of 105 yards per game and a TD to opposing running backs. And I think we can all agree that McFadden is better than your average back. I think Oakland is going to lean heavily on the running game while they break in Carson Palmer at QB, so Michael Bush should see a slight increase in carries this week as well.

Miles Austin, WR, DAL – The Vultures are circling in Dallas as they do every time the Cowboys have a losing record and they sit at 2-3. I am not concerned that much about them personally as Romo is a gunslinger and sometimes it pays off and sometimes it backfires. They lost to a clearly awful Patriots team last week (seriously, are we supposed to hold this against Jason Garrett or Romo?) and have a really tough match up against the Rams this week, who are 0-5. In all seriousness, you can’t bench Austin or Dez Bryant this week against a team allowing an average of 28.4 fantasy points per game to opposing receivers (worst in the NFL).

Tim Tebow, QB, MIA – I can barely believe it, but I have Tebow at the 10th spot in my rankings this week. He plays against Miami whose offense has trouble staying on the field between turnovers (-7 on the season) and the worst 3rd down efficiency in the NFL (they are converting on a pathetic 24% of third downs).  Tebow no longer has Brandon Lloyd to throw to, but it is his rushing ability that gets him to crack my top 10.  He is not likely to have a large passing total but with his ability to rush the ball, he should be able to have a pretty nice game and earn a win for his Broncos.

Beanie Wells, RB, ARI – The concern with Wells has always been durability, so while he is healthy I think he has to be started. It looks like a bad match up against Pittsburgh this week, but looks can be deceiving. The Steelers have allowed three different opposing running backs to reach 100 yards this season and even Indy was able to put up 97 yards with their time-share situation.

Mike Wallace, WR, PIT – Wallace has stayed a quality fantasy receiver despite the lack of pass protection and the Cardinals have struggled to stop #1 wide receivers. They allowed very good games to Steve Smith (CAR), Sidney Rice, Hakeem Nicks and Santana Moss so far and I think Wallace is more talented than all of these guys.

Kellen Winslow, TE, TB – Winslow has failed to produce stats on a consistent basis, but his talent really should not be up for debate.  The Buccs offense has struggled at times and they certainly do not feature the TE.  This week however, I do not think you can afford to bench Winslow. He plays against a good Chicago defense that appears to be weak against opposing tight ends. The Bears are allowing the most fantasy points per game to the tight end position (11.8 points per game) and Freeman will very likely need his safety valve receivers against this pass rush.

Hate

Mark Sanchez, QB, NYJ – The Sanchize has been good for fantasy owners for the most part this season and when he wasn’t, we were able to see if coming from a mile away (i.e. that TERRIBLE game against Baltimore). This week he faces Philip Rivers and the Chargers and I see another bad game coming. The Jets want to pass to set up the run now and I don’t see Sanchez as good enough to pull this off against a good defense. I feel like the Jets are built to run a ground and pound offense still and think San Diego pulls off another win this week.

Mike Williams, WR, TB – The only thing that has Williams clinging to the top 20 in my ranks is the bye weeks. The guys on bye that I would start over Williams (if they were playing obviously) are Steve Johnson, AJ Green, Wes Welker, Hakeem Nicks, Mario Manningham, DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin. You’ve probably gotta play him, but I would hope you arent expecting too much from a guy that has been a huge disappointment thus far.

Montario Hardesty, RB, CLE – I haven’t heard that Hillis is definitely out this week, so I ranked both players. This drops them both from where they would be if we already knew but either way, I don’t want to start Hardesty unless I have to. Seattle is surprisingly 5th best in the NFL at fantasy points allowed to opposing RBs and have a better run defense than people seem to realize.  I wouldn’t be surprised if he did ok, but you should not expect a career game this week.

Darrius Heyward-Bey, WR, OAK – Jacoby Ford is still the guy I want to play this week and it’s still because they use him in a wider variety of ways.  With a new QB that hasn’t played a down all season so far, I expect Oakland to lean on the running game and Ford is used in a lot of different packages and scenarios to try and get him the ball in open space. He is the second best play-maker on this offense after McFadden and something tells me that Kansas City will have their eye on DMC a lot. I don’t expect much from the aerial attack in Oakland this week.

Tashard Choice, RB, DAL – Even with the bye weeks, I am not too big on either of the fill-in RBs for Dallas this week. The one I want to play is Murray though.  Last week, Murray saw twice the carries that Choice did and with Jerry Jones shopping Choice around for a possible trade, I’d like to think they give Murray the lion’s share of the work this week. Both guys are decent plays if you are desperate though, just don’t expect too much.

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Love

Michael Turner, RB, ATL – The Falcons need to prove that they are a Super Bowl contender this year and Turner has been their most consistent performer. Cam Newton has been a play maker and has been finding a way to put up numbers against EVERYONE he has played. With the Falcons’ defense not playing up to expectations either, I think a heavy dose of Turner is the best way for the Falcons to avoid an upset at home.

Miles Austin, WR, DAL – Austin is coming off an injury and I would expect him to have a slow start, but the Patriots score a ton of points and struggle to stop opposing QBs.  I don’t think Dallas wins this game, but Austin and Bryant should be in for big statistical performances as they will play from behind and have little trouble passing the ball.

Cedric Benson, RB, CIN – Last week was a bit of a let-down for Benson owners, but he ran well and was far from a dud. This week he goes against the Colts who have not been able to stop anyone on the ground all season. Benson sees a lot of carries and Cinci tries to run first to take pressure off Andy Dalton, who will hear the footsteps of Robert Mathis and Dwight Freeney all day.

Jake Ballard, TE, NYG – Buffalo struggles to defend opposing tight ends. Ballard has TD’s in two straight games and this is not something you can expect to continue after this week, but the numbers say that Ballard is likely to make it three games in a row this week against the Bills. He is still outside my top 10, but if you have to fill a gap for your bye week, Ballard has a pretty good shot at a nice statistical performance.

Daniel Thomas, RB, MIA – He hasn’t been active much, but he looks like a punishing runner when he is. Thomas goes against the Jets this week who have just had a terrible run game as of late and with Matt Moore at QB, Thomas will be the focal point if he is able to go.

Torrey Smith, WR, BAL – Smith had a breakout game in week 3 and then people kind of seemed to forget about him.  He did put up a goose-egg against the Jets the following week, but Flacco looked for him a fair few times and on one play specifically he beat Revis deep. The throw was just a hair too far, but if it had connected we would be talking about him like a top 20 guy right now. He has only had just one game with fantasy points so I don’t think he is a really smart start but with bye weeks upon us, if your digging deep for a flex play… don’t just look past Smith.

Hate

Eli Manning, QB, NYG – I see a lot of people have Eli inside their top 10 QB’s and that is crazy to me. The Bills’ secondary has been playing great as of late and Eli has been known to struggle with turnovers.  Buffalo leads the NFL with 12 INTs on the season and three consecutive games with a pick 6. Eli will keep his receivers’ stats up there, but I think that interceptions will keep him from crossing the 20 point mark this week.

Tim Hightower, RB, WAS – It’s not about his talent and it’s not about the match up. We just simply don’t know how the carries will be divided. I expect Hightower to be the third down back and Torain to see the most work. But I would NEVER bet on how Shanahan will use his running backs. Hightower is a flex play at best this week.

Darrius Heyward-Bey, WR, OAK – Playing with a Raiders receiver is a lot like playing Russian roulette for fantasy owners. Heyward-Bey has seen a lot of targets as of late, but I am not going to think that the emotional performances from Sunday are likely to repeat themselves. I have written about Darrius before as well as Jacoby Ford, Chaz Schillens and Denarius Moore over the past few season and not one of them were able to do anything consistently. Jacoby Ford is the receiver I want to start from this team if I need one and it is because they use him in the running game.

Isaac Redman, RB, PIT – Redman is the best bet to see the goal line carries even if Mendenhall was active, but he is not too likely to see much more work no matter who is inactive. Dwyer was just a better runner last week and if Mendenhall doesn’t go, I would rather start Dwyer over Redman.

James Jones, WR, GB – Don’t let one big game cause you to bring a guy from free agency straight into your lineup.  Any receiver can have a big game with Aaron Rodgers at QB and last week was Jones’ turn.  Odds are it’ll be a few games before he manages to make such an impact again.  Jennings, Finley and Nelson are all going to see more targets.

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Love

Fred Jackson, RB, BUF – Last week the 49ers demonstrated that a significantly less talented team is able to beat these Eagles.  Philly racked up over 500 yards of offense and was still beaten by a tough, physical running game.  The Bills have a very balanced offensive attack, but are almost certain to focus on getting Fred Jackson into a groove early on so that he can keep Vick off the field.

Matthew Stafford, QB, DET – After Cam Newton was able to put up such big numbers last week against the Bears, I am pretty optimistic for Stafford and Megatron this week. With three road wins in the first four weeks of the season, I don’t see this game going badly for this surging young team. I expect the hot streak to continue at least one more week.

Ryan Mathews, RB, SD – Mathews is on pace for 1,000 yards rushing AND 1,000 yards receiving this season and going against last season’s 31′st ranked rush defense this week.  Denver has been statistically better so far this season but with two interior defensive linemen injured, I think they will continue to fall down the rankings in this area.

DeSean Jackson, WR, PHI – After seeing what Denarius Moore did to the Bills in Week 2, I think the weakness in Buffalo’s secondary is to speed. Something tells me DJax has some speed…

BenJarvus Green-Ellis, RB, NE – The Jets still have a great secondary, but have struggled containing the run game.  The Ridley situation is a serious cause for concern but with Law Firm being the go-to-guy on the goal line, he is worth the risk this week.

AJ Green, WR, CIN – Gabbert is going to have some trouble against the NFL’s top ranked defense and this will lead to a lot of chances for Dalton and Green to connect on a big play. Jacksonville is also known for not being able to handle big, physical, play making receivers.

Ryan Grant, RB, GB – With this being a Bye-week for 6 different teams, people need to dig a little deeper into their roster to find an RB 2 or a flex play.  Most people don’t want a piece of the Grant-Starks situation but Grant looked really good two weeks ago and with no one to compete with in week 4, Starks failed to impress anyone with a very mediocre performance. There is DEFINITELY some risk involved here but I think Grant will get the first look this week. If he runs well, he’ll see the lion’s share of the workload.

Hate

Ryan Fitzpatrick, QB, BUF – Last week we saw a very different Fitzpatrick than we saw in the first three weeks. He is a bit of a gun-slinger so I am not too worried about interceptions, but I was surprised to see such poor decision making and inability to take advantage of any match ups last week.  I hope he turns it around but against an all-star group of corner backs, I think it is only reasonable to hope for around 15 or so fantasy points.

Mike Thomas, WR, JAC – Rookie QB in just his second career start and going against the league’s top ranked defense spell bad news for Thomas and all Jaguars not named Maurice Jones-Drew.

DeAngelo Williams, RB, CAR – Going against the Saints this week means that Carolina will be playing from behind and won’t have too much time to dedicate to the running game. Since Stewart has been the better player thus far and has also been much more involved in the passing game, I think he is the one worth the flex start. I would try and leave Williams on your bench if at all possible.

Julio Jones, WR, ATL – Given the bye weeks and the fact that Jones has been being worked more and more into the offense as the season has progressed, a lot of people are high on him this week.  I know the Falcons play better at home, but I think Matt Ryan will need to use a short to intermediate passing attack due to a heavy pass rush and this does not really fir Jones’ skill set. As always with a vertical threat it just takes one big play to make a good fantasy outing, but the odds are low in my opinion this week.

Marshawn Lynch, RB, SEA – The Giants d-line is finally starting to get healthy and Lynch has yet to really demonstrate that we can trust him to be consistent on a weekly basis. I don’t trust Lynch as more than a poor flex-play in standard leagues and that is saying something with 6 teams on bye.

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Love

Michael Turner, RB, ATL – The Falcons are on the road and have not been playing that great so far this season.  They have gotten down early and this has minimized Turner’s impact on each of the first three games.  Do you think Seattle’s offense can get off to a blazing start and keep the Falcons passing the entire game? I don’t.  I don’t like the Seahawks’ rush defense and I think Turner might be in a for a really big game. Double digit points should be just about guaranteed.

Matthew Stafford, QB, DET – The Lions’ offense would be the biggest talk of the NFL if it wasn’t for the Bills and this week Stafford has a great match up against a weak Cowboys secondary. The Cowboys offense is banged up and could have troubles sustaining drives against the Lion’s VASTLY improved defensive unit. This will lead to a lot opportunities for Stafford and with Megatron pulling down 2 TD passes per game, there is no reason to not ride out the wave.

Mario Manningham, WR, NYG – The Giants face off against the Cardinals, who I think might have the worst pass defense in the NFL this season.  The currently are ranked 25th and have faced Carolina, Seattle and Washington.  None of these teams have top-end passing attacks and the Giants are coming off of a big game through the air against the most talented secondary in the league.  I have my concerns about their chances this year as well as the play of Eli Manning, but last week lessened them and the match up is just too good to ignore.

Ray Rice, RB, BAL – The Jets just did not look like Rex Ryan was in charge of the defense last week as Darren McFadden ran all over them to give his Raiders a big win.  Ray Rice is a premiere back in this league and after he shredded the Steelers in week 1, I am just simply not at all scared of what would normally be a poor match up.  I think the Ravens match up very well against the Jets and will win this game on the legs of Rice.

Rex Grossman, QB, WAS – The Monday night game was conservative and hard fought.  Grossman put up OK numbers and didn’t kill fantasy owners that needed to use him last week.  This week the Skins get to play the Rams in a dome. After watching Flacco tear the Rams’ secondary apart last week I think Grossman has a great chance for a really good game. St Louis is not as competitive so far this season as they were last year and I am choosing not to overreact to a mediocre offensive outing in an NFC East rivalry game.

Jermaine Gresham, TE, CIN – Buffalo has been an entirely different team this year.  They have been able to stop the run and put up huge numbers on offense. One weakness they still have is at linebacker. Last season the Bills allowed 11 TDs to opposing tight ends (worst in the NFL) and an average of 9.2 fantasy points per game (also worst in the NFL).  That average is down to 8.7 so far this year, but have only faced one legitimate TE (Gronkowski) and he tore them apart.  It is also worth noting that this weakness is why Wes Welker went crazy last week on short crossing routes.  I look for the Bengals to try and mirror this approach and with Dalton playing this well, it should be a relatively effective strategy.

Percy Harvin, WR, MIN – I won’t be shocked if Harvin doesn’t have a big day, but Harvin is the one spark that the Vikings have in their receiving corp and without Eric Berry, the Chiefs secondary is far more vulnerable to the deep play.  I personally like safe and consistent producers, but I can’t ignore the high likelihood of Harvin ripping off a long TD run or catch against this secondary.

Hate

Mark Sanchez, QB, NYJ – The Jets offense has become much more about the passing attack and I don’t think that is the kind of QB that Sanchez is best suited to be. So far he has proved me wrong and put up some quality numbers.  I do not think it is very likely to happen in this game and think that the Ravens will be able to force some bad decisions out of Sanchez. Don’t let his early production fool you, I do not think he is a legit #1 QB for fantasy owners.

Mike Tolbert, RB, SD – Most people thought that Tolbert was the guy you wanted to draft from the Charger’s backfield because he was available much later and likely to see a lot of goal line touches. This was affirmed in week 1 and since then, it looks like we were dead wrong.  I am not jumping ship yet, but the Chargers have not been playing inspired football in recent weeks and despite a good match-up I don’t think Tolbert is a very good start this week. I want to see how the work load is distributed in a couple weeks when the Chargers are back to their old selves again.  I wish I could figure out why they are so bad early in the year and so good late…

DeAngelo Williams, RB, CAR – What is it about all the RBs who received big contracts this off season? they all seem slow and unable to find a crease to run through.  Williams hasn’t been widely discussed as a bust because Chris Johnson and Frank Gore are taking all the heat, but he has just been awful as of late and Jonathan Stewart is clearly the guy worth starting if you need a Panther RB in your lineup.

Mike Williams, WR, TB – This has nothing to do with his recent performance really. I didn’t expect him to improve on last season much, if at all and the Buccs are a young team that is sstill establishing their identity. A big part of this identity needs to be LeGarrette Blount and he needs to see at least 20 carries to be as effective as they would like.   I think the Buccs will take a conservative approach and try and run early and often against a bad Colts rush defense. Williams is still the go-to guy when they need a big play through the air, but his targets will be down as there is not likely to be much need to take risks against the win-less, Peyton-less Colts.

Anquan Boldin, WR, BAL - Have you met Darrelle Revis yet Mr. Boldin?

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Love

Chris Johnson, RB, TEN – CJ has been disappointing fantasy owners for two weeks after he held out of training camp for a contract extension.  He has a very favorable match-up against last season’s 31st ranked pass defense that lost two interior defensive linemen before the start of the season.  I’m not saying for sure he’s back to his old self, but this is the week I think they really try and get him back to being the featured play maker of the offense.

Steve Smith, WR, CAR – With how Cam Newton has been playing and how bad of a secondary Jacksonville has, I see no reason not to expect a very good outting from Smith again.  He looks to be rejuvenated by his rookie QB and I think he is a must start in your WR 2 spot this week.

Beanie Wells, RB, ARI – Wells has run hard in the first two weeks. And with his carries being up in the absence of Tim Hightower and Ryan Williams, you’ve gotta like Beanie’s chance at success against a bad Seahawks team. Treat him as a must-start RB2 this week.

Devery Henderson, WR, NO – He seems to get the big game a slight bit more often than Meachem does and I have the both ranked much higher than I normally would for this week.  Houston’s secondary is still quite a weak spot and who better to exploit it than Drew Brees?  there will be plenty of catches to go around and the Saints are going to take a fair amount of shots vertically this week.

Philip Rivers, QB, SD – Hopefully Rivers doesn’t get the Chargers ahead too quickly in this game and make the passing game irrelevant.  Without Charles and Berry, the Chiefs are way outmatched in this game and the sky is the limit statistically for Rivers and the Chargers. I wouldn’t be shocked to see another modest performance due to a couple rushing TD’s, but there is zero risk with Rivers this week.

David Nelson, WR, BUF – The Bills have the NFL’s top scoring offense. It just feels good to say it.  The bubble is almost certainly going to burst for us Bills fans as we host the Patriots in week 3, but not for fantasy owners.  Buffalo will score points and be forced to do it in the air as they try and keep pace with New England’s offensive machine. The Bills are going to use Nelson a lot more in his most natural role, as the slot receiver, now that Roscoe Parrish is on IR. The Amish Rifle (Fitzpatrick) really seemed to have a connection with him and after Johnson, this is the guy that will be the most productive in my opinion.

Ryan Mathews, RB, SD – The Chargers are going to dominate the Chiefs in week 3.  I don’t think many people would disagree with that and it makes Mathews an attractive start as an RB2 for all the carries he will likely see later in the game to run down the clock.  I like Tolbert a lot too, but with how difficult TD’s are to predict, the yardage total for Mathews makes him a safer play in my opinion.

Hate

Eli Manning, QB, NYG – Eli has played less than inspired over the first two weeks of the season and against a ball hawking secondary like Philadelphia has, I think Manning is just WAY too risky of a play.

Arian Foster, RB, HOU – We can’t even be sure he’ll be active in this game but even if he is, I don’t think you can expect very much from him in week 3.  One of the scariest things for me as a fantasy owner is to see a guy come back from an injury and have to leave the game early again. Expect them to bring him back slowly with how well Ben Tate is running the ball and the sudden lack of a competitive division.

Reggie Wayne, WR, IND – On talent alone, Wayne is still a top 10 fantasy receiver in my opinion.  He isn’t likely to finish in the top 10 of points scored but he is tough to beat from a consistency standpoint. You probably need to start him as a WR2 or flex play still, but you definitely need to lower your expectations.

Steven Jackson, RB, STL – Even if he IS 100%, I’m hoping to not need him for more than a flex play against Pittsburgh.  I expected to see better offensive production from Bradford thus far and don’t think Jackson will exceed any expectations without teams being legitimately afraid of the passing game.

Fred Jackson, RB, BUF – I know what your thinking, he IS the 4th highest scoring RB in fantasy football over the first two weeks. But let’s face it… to keep pace with Brady, Buffalo will need to feature the vertical passing game and that suits CJ Spiller more than Jackson. I’m leaving Jackson as a low-end RB2 for this week, expect him to go up considerably when the match up is more favorable to a ground game.

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Love

Matthew Stafford, QB, DET – The Chiefs looked bad on both sides of the ball last week against Buffalo and they also have officially lost Eric Berry for the season.  I expect a  lot of big plays for the Lions this week and with a receiver like Calvin Johnson, it’s easy to be excited about the Lions passing game for week 2.

Steve Johnson, WR, BUF – The Bills offense opened a lot of eyes in Week 1 when they trounced a Chiefs team that looks to be far from what they were last year.  With the Raiders traveling across the continent to play at 1 pm on Sunday, I think the Bills are very likely to start the season at 2-0.  The Raiders defense IS underrated in my opinion, but Johnson has just been fantastic since early last season and seems to always find a way to be a factor on the scoreboard.

Cedric Benson, RB, CIN – With the Broncos as opponents in Week 2, I think you’ll be hard pressed to keep Benson out of your lineup after a pretty great week 1. The Broncos allowed a total of 27 fantasy points to the Raiders running backs last week and Benson is pretty much the entire Bengal rushing attack.

Jermichael Finley, TE, GB – The Panthers impressed in Week 1 against the Cardinals in a losing effort, but I think we can all agree that the Packers are going to have an easy road to victory in week 2 against the Panthers. They simply do not have good enough linebackers to contain Finley, who is a match up nightmare for opposing defenses.

Rex Grossman, QB, WAS – This is by no way saying you should sit Big Ben or Matt Schaub for Grossman, but if your in a 2 QB league, why not play the guy whose opponent just let Cam Newton throw for over 420 yards?  It is worth noting that Rex looked pretty good against the Giants, who have a much better defense than the Cardinals do.

Rashard Mendenhall, RB, PIT – Boy, the Steelers sure took one on the chin in week 1 and they look to rebound against Tavaris Jackson and the Seahawks in week 2.  I think the Steelers will alleviate a lot of concerns in this game and I expect a big day from all the play makers.  They will also try to re-establish their identity as a run-first team in this one and Mendenhall should have a very nice outting for his fantasy owners.

Calvin Johnson, WR, DET – There aren’t too many guys out there as consistent as Megatron.  He is such a dominating receiver in the red zone and as I said in the Stafford section, with no Eric Berry, I don’t see the Chiefs as able to contain Calvin Johnson that well at all.

Hate

Matt Ryan, QB, ATL – The Falcons struggle last week against the Bears and with the Eagles in week two, it is not an ideal time to bet on a rebound.  The Eagles secondary looks more like an all-star team’s secondary and unless Turner has a big game, the passing game is not likely to hold up well either.  I didn’t have Ryan rated as a #1 QB, so hopefully you have someone else you can play until the match up is a bit more favorable.

Chris Johnson, RB, TEN – He did so bad in week 1 that I still expect him to do better and you should be starting him anyways, but just don’t have high hopes for a big game.  If he gets to double digit points, he did his job.

Danny Woodhead, RB, NE – He saw a lot more snaps than BenJarvus Green-Ellis did in week 1, but that won’t remain the case all season.  The guy to be featured will depend largely on the match up and against San Diego I expect the Pats to want a more physical, punishing runner.  And Law Firm will be getting all the goal line work anyways.

Brandon Lloyd, WR, DEN – Lloyd had a good game and I think he will be ok this week, I just don’t have any faith in the Denver offense anymore and under John Fox, it is going to be about establishing the run.  Which will be harder to do with Moreno banged up.

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It’s that time folks.  The regular season is upon us and my Player Rankings for Week 1 have been released.  I hope you are all as excited as I am and good luck to you all this season!

Love

Jamaal Charles, RB, KC – Charles is a guy that I believe in and as Thomas Jones ages, Charles’ carries will go up.  The Bills allowed an abysmal 169.6 yards per game, which was the worst in the league.  They did draft Marcell Dareus to help fix this problem but with a shortened off-season due to the lockout, the immediate impact of Dareus will be lessened.  Charles is among the best young RB talent in the NFL and you have to like his chances to break a big play or two against such a mediocre at best run defense.

Vincent Jackson, WR, SD – The Chargers were one of the teams that managed to put together a decent off season program without the help of their coaching staff or management during the lockout. Also, there wasn’t too much turn-over from last season to this season as far as the offense is concerned.  This all adds up to an uncharacteristic fast-start for Norv Turner, Philip Rivers and the Chargers in my opinion.

Darren McFadden, RB, OAK – Denver is not just Oakland’s week one opponent, they were also last season’s 2nd worst rush defense.  This isn’t really about match-up either. McFadden averaged 128 yards per game in all-purpose yards last season and is, until further notice, a must-start in my opinion.

Kenny Britt, WR, TEN – I’ve been pretty open about my love for Britt for a while now and with no suspension and a weak opposing secondary in week 1, Britt is a must-start in my opinion.

Peyton Hillis, RB, CLE – You may be surprised to see ME put this guy on my love list, because I was not big on him going into the draft.  My concern with Hillis has always been about durability and the fact that Montario Hardesty is more talented than Hillis and below him on the depth chart.  I think that at some point this season, Hillis misses a game and Hardesty is someone I think will be able to take advantage of the playing time and win the starting role. Until then, Hillis is a great RB 2 and especially against a team led by a rookie QB (Cincinnati).

Josh Freeman, QB, TB – Freeman and the Buccs lost to the Lions at home last season and it cost them a playoff spot.  You think they want revenge? Because I’ll bet they are pretty pumped to start the season off with a W in such a meaningful way.  The Lions bolstered their defensive front this offseason while not addressing their porous secondary.  I expect Freeman to look deep a few times in this game and a tough week 1 for LeGarrette Blount if the Buccs can’t move the ball in the air.

Reggie Wayne, WR, IND – Let’s not mistake this for some crazy Kerry Collins love.  This is about the Texans secondary being almost the worst in NFL history last season and having to adjust to a new system ran by Wade Phillips.  Wayne is a very consistent and complete receiver and he is who Collins will trust on third downs.  He just barely cracks my top 20, but that makes him a starter.  Don’t let the lack of Peyton scare you into benching him.

Beanie Wells, RB, ARI – I wouldn’t have drafted him as my RB2, but injuries are the concern here and a healthy Beanie Wells should have a good day against the Panthers in week 1.  Cam Newton is not likely to start too smoothly in his first regular season NFL start without a short off-season and it’s very possibly that this is an ugly game for Carolina fans.  I expect the Cardinals to lead-off with a heavy rushing attack to ease new QB Kevin Kolb into a routine and comfort level too.

Hate

Julio Jones, WR, ATL – A lot of people reached for Julio Jones on draft day because of the absurd combine performance he had and how much the Falcons gave up to draft him.  What they don’t realize is the complexity of the Falcons offense as well as the lockout will severely limit the plays that Jones will be on the field for.  He will spend a  lot of time running deep routes to attract safety help out of respect for his speed and he will do a much better job of opening up passing lanes for Roddy White than anything else.  Look for Jones to start slow and slowly become a viable flex play.

Joe Flacco, QB, BAL – You are in trouble this week if you drafted Flacco as a starter or maybe as your backup to Peyton.  Flacco faces the division rival Steelers and after what I saw them do to Vick in the preseason, the focus will likely be on grinding out Ray Rice and the running game.  Flacco could have troubles breaking double digit points in this game.

Dwayne Bowe, WR, KC – Bowe had a great season last year and there is little chance he can repeat those numbers.  He played the Bills last year and was held to just 16 yards on his 3 catches.  Fantasy owners barely noticed this lack luster performance because a very short TD catch was involved and he ended up not ruining anyone’s week.  Don’t expect Bowe to be anything more than a good WR2 and you won’t get burned.

Marshawn Lynch, RB, SF – Lynch made for an interesting draft selection this year with top 20 potential.  But let’s make him prove he can live up to it before we risk a roster spot for him yet.  He faces a stout 49er line-backing corp led by Patrick Willis and Lynch is too inconsistent for my liking at the moment.

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Love

Matt Schaub, QB, HOU – With Garrard already listed as out on the injury report for the Jaguars, the Texans are heavy favorites to win this game.  The weakness of the Jags defense is in their secondary.  All season long I have written that the CBs of the Jags have not been able to cover opposing wide receivers with any consistency.  If the Texans have Andre Johnson back and healthy, Schaub should be in for a big game to close out the 2010 season.

Steven Jackson, RB, STL – Last week the Buccaneers had a big second half on the ground against the Seahawks.  There was plenty of success to be had through the air as well, but the Rams are less likely to be as aggressive with a rookie QB on the road.  I expect St. Louis to feature SJax heavily this week and he is among the most consistent performing fantasy running backs in the NFL.

DeSean Jackson, WR, PHI – DJax is a streaky and inconsistent player.  He has HUGE potential going into any given week, but also has a decent chance to flop and get you nothing.  To me, with a player like this (and I owned him last year on my championship team) you HAVE to start them on a weekly basis.  Trying to guess which weeks he will blow up  is a recipe for disaster. After making it through a slow outing last week, can you afford to miss out on his big game next week?

Jamaal Charles, RB, KC – Charles is by far the most productive back in the league’s top ranked rushing offense.  It is a two back system where he shares work with Thomas Jones, but yet he has been a staple inside the top 10 of my RB rankings all season.  This is due to a dynamic play making ability as well as his threat to catch the ball out of the back field.

Miles Austin, WR, DAL – McGee did enough at QB in relief of Jon Kitna last week to keep me confident in Miles Austin’s production.  There has been no declaration from the Eagles about how much time their starters will see but with Andy Reid hinting that he will be benching some starters, Asante Samuel is not likely to play all four quarters.  Look for Austin to put up some good numbers this week even if it is in junk time.

Ryan Mathews, RB, SD – With Tolbert leaving the field on an ugly injury last week, Mathews should be the feature back for the Chargers against the 31st ranked rush defense.  This past week he was able to move the ball effectively and should be a quality RB2 for you in your last fantasy match up of the 2010 season.

Hate

Vincent Jackson, WR, SD – With the Chargers being knocked out of the playoff race, I have concerns that we will not see their best game this week.  Philip Rivers knows only one way to play and that is at an elite level and Ryan Mathews has something to prove.  VJax on the other hand has proven to be a bit selfish by holding out and is the one player that I fear will not give 100%.  He still ranks as a WR2, but lower your expectations.

Joseph Addai, RB, IND – Now that he is back in the lineup, he will be receiving more work with each passing week since the Colts will not trust their younger talent with the entire season on the line.  Dominic Rhodes has been picking up the slack in the mean time and you should expect him to carry the load late in the game if the Colts get ahead.  Addai may very well have a good game this week, but the threat to lose goal line carries and a good potion of the carries is too great to think of him as anything more than a mediocre flex play.

Jahvid Best, RB, DET – It was nice to see this young, exciting player able to make a splash again.  It was however, not enough to trust him in your championship match up! He is the best RB in Detroit for fantasy-purposes, but still should only be used in very deep formats.

Michael Crabtree, WR, SF – With a new head coach installed for just this Week 17 match up, I would stay far away from any 49ers not named Vernon Davis.  The 9ers are not unfamiliar with changes happening in the coaching staff, but this is largely why Crabtree was not a more consistent option for his fantasy owners throughout the season.

Jermaine Gresham, TE, CIN – The Bengals offense looked very good last week, but with the Ravens as opponents in Week 17 there is little reason to expect this rookie to have a big game.  Baltimore is only allowing an average of 4.9 fantasy points per week to the opposing tight end.

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Love

Michael Vick, QB, PHI – The Eagles face a stout defense that will need to spend a TON of time on the field this Sunday. Last week, the Bears drew up a blueprint for how to beat Joe Webb. They were very effective at disguising pressure and forcing Webb to make mistakes. With the ballhawks in the secondary for the Eagles, don’t be surprised to see a blow out come from this Sunday night game.

BenJarvus Green-Ellis, RB, NE – Isn’t it the law that I have to love running backs against the Bills?  It should be!  Despite having a decent performance last week against the Dolphins, the Bills run D is still ranked 32nd in the league.  Don’t expect the Pats to look past Buffalo either, especially not after such a narrow escape against Matt Flynn and the Packers.

Mike Wallace, WR, PIT – The Steelers are likely to obliterate the Panthers this week at home on Thursday night. Wallace is a huge part of their vertical passing game and should see his share of targets early on in the game.  If he is not able to haul one in before it gets out of hand Wallace owners could be in trouble, but I don’t think the Panthers will be able to cover him with any consistency.

LeGarrette Blount, RB, TB – Except for in Week 14 against the Redskins, Blount has been a major contributor against each below average defense the Buccs have faced since he took over the starting job.  Despite breaking the road game losing streak for the Lions last week, look for the Buccaneers’ young core group of players to rebound strong and be able to produce offensively.

Matt Ryan, QB, ATL – There is a lot going for Ryan here.  He beat the Saints on the road earlier in the season and he is a much more efficient and productive QB at home.  The Saints offense will score points and force Ryan to air it out plenty in this game and he should be able to produce a quality outing for fantasy owners regardless of whether they win or lose.

Brandon Lloyd, WR, DEN – The Broncos face the Texans this week, who are on pace to be the worst pass defense in NFL history.  While Tebow scares me some, his ability to run will force defenses to stay honest and Lloyd was targeted enough last week to maintain some value going into your Super Bowl.

Chris Johnson, RB, TEN – The Titans play the Chiefs this week who are allowing just over 100 yards per game on the ground.  I think we can all agree that Johnson is better than the average running back and with Kerry Collins able to move the ball effectively through the air, you shouldn’t be shy about playing your first round draft pick.

Hate

Knowshon Moreno, RB, DEN – Since the Bye week, Moreno has been a picture of consistency.  Last week he got hurt and was not able to finish the game.  If somehow this didn’t knock you out of the playoffs, stay away from Moreno this week.  Tebow will be running a little more and these carries will be taken from Moreno.  Couple that with his sore ribs and he is just a little bit too risky for my liking this week.

Anquan Boldin, WR, BAL – Boldin has really only had one good game this season and it was a 3 TD outing against the same opponent that the Ravens face this week.  With his incredible lack of consistency, there is no reason you should risk starting him.

Ryan Fitzpatrick, QB, BUF – I expect this to a be a one-sided affair and the Bills are clearly not who I anticipate winning.  He is a solid QB2 play, but there are better options for standard leagues.

Brandon Jacobs, RB, NYG – Many teams would not be able to recover from the crushing defeat that the Giants suffered last week.  It is tough not to be mentally affected by a let down like that and since Aaron Rodgers is looking to return in time for this week’s game, they would have their hands full under the best of circumstances.

Brandon Marshall, WR, MIA – Marshall has TDs in consecutive games for the first time all year and just caught 11 passes last week against what was the league’s 4th ranked defense.  With that said, after a long disappointing season the odds are pretty bad that he is able to put together another quality performance even with his very nice match up. Consider him a flex play at best this week.

Matt Forte, RB, CHI – You’re still going to need to start him because of his involvement in the passing game, but lower expectations of Forte this week as he faces the Jets.  Their injuries have weakened their front 7, but the Jets’ blitzing scheme is still among the best in the league.  If Forte is to be successful he will need to break a fair few tackles in the backfield.

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