Studs

Ahmad Bradshaw, RB, NYG – I don’t think anyone was happier to hear about Kyle Williams being  inactive this week than Bradshaw, who had his first 100 yard rushing performance of the year. Oh and three TDs to boot.  Bradshaw was the top scoring fantasy player for week 6 and remains a top 10 RB for me down the stretch. But when Jacobs comes back, I see little chance of THIS big of a performance again this season.

Marques Colston, WR, NO – People forget just how good Colston is because of how Drew Brees spreads the ball around.  I am still a little worried about Colston because of the extra work that Jimmy Graham has been seeing, but Colston is just about the best flex option you could possibly have and it would be difficult to sit him down in my opinion.  Marques had 7 grabs for 118 yards and a TD on 11 targets. Brees did not forget about him.

Michael Turner, RB, ATL – Turner really lived up to my expectations this week. With Carolina having a very banged-up line backing corp, I really expected Atlanta to attack on the ground. They did not disappoint as Turner racked up 139 yards on 27 carries and he scored twice. Of all the teams to not quite look like what they were last year, Atlanta worries me the least. They are going to be a playoff contender and the only player REALLY under performing as of late is Roddy White.

Josh Freeman, QB, TB – Freeman finally had a good game! But one is not enough for me. I need to see Freeman get over 300 yards with mutliple TD’s again next week before I think too highly of him.  I would also like to see him able to get Mike Williams involved in the vertical passing game again soon. Williams did have 59 yards on a team-high 6 catches this week, but I want to see him back involved in the big-play again too or this offense will struggle again down the stretch.

Fred Jackson, RB, BUF – I have a feeling that if you drafted this guy, you are doing pretty darn well so far this season in your league.  Win or lose, Freddie Jackson seems to have a great statistical output.  This week against the Giants was no exception. After this game Jackson sits at #2 in the NFL in total yards rushing, #3 in total yards from scrimmage AND #1 in fantasy points among RBs. There are not many RB’s making more of a splash in the passing game and you simply cannot be caught dead with Jackson on your bench at this point.  Well… except this week since he is on bye.

Devin Hester, WR, CHI – Unless your league counts return yards, you really shouldn’t be too worried about going and picking up Hester. He has been a starting receiver for a couple of years now and has not been able to produce with any regularity. With that said, he single-handedly beat the Vikings on Sunday night with his TD catch and return TD. He is definitely ownable in 14 team (or more leagues) as well as leagues that do in fact count return yards… but my guess is he isn’t available in these leagues anyways. Keep him on your bench folks.

Frank Gore, RB, SF – What more can you say about the 49ers?! 5-1 is a VERY impressive start for a team, despite how terrible the rest of the NFC West might be.  Gore started the season really slow in the first two weeks, but now has three consecutive 100+ yard games and is living up to the preseason rank I gave him of #5 overall.

Duds

Roddy White, WR, ATL – White has been very underwhelming this season and he will remain a top 10 option on talent alone but he will continue to fall in my ranks with each mediocre performance.

Vernon Davis, TE, SF – I am surprised that the 9ers are being so efficient on offense without involving Davis more often. He remains one of the most talented TEs in football and as long as the team is winning, I am going to recommend that you start him.

Ryan Torain, RB, WAS – The Redskins did terrible this week and while it was mostly Rex Grossman’s fault, none of the three RB’s did anything to help out.  Torain was my favorite to see the most work and he only put up two points.

Jermichael Finley, TE, GB – The Packers are clicking on all cylinders and Aaron Rodgers has no shortage of targets to throw to. Finley will be fine and is one of the top TE’s for fantasy owners.

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Studs

Adrian Peterson, RB, MIN – You drafted him for consistency and that is why he has stayed at the top of my rankings all this time.  Many of his owners were upset that he hasn’t had a really big game yet this season. So please, stop now! Three TD’s in the first quarter definitely qualifies as a HUGE game and was enough to earn more fantasy points than any other player in week 5.

Ben Roethlisberger, QB, PIT – About time right? Ben finally blew up and threw for 5 TD’s and 1 INT on Sunday to go along with his 228 yards. Most impressively was completing 25 of 35 passes with a poor offensive line protecting him. He was never someone I would consider dropping and I won’t let one game pull him outta the doghouse, but if he can get back to 20+ fantasy points next week I will have to bring him back into the top 8 or so at QB.

Matt Cassel, QB, KC – Cassel waited until roughly every single fantasy owner had jumped ship and dropped him to finally have a good game. Cassel threw for 257 yards with 4 TDs and was tied for the 2nd best fantasy QB of the week. This was a fluke. There is no need to go pick him up, but it does make me like Steve Breaston a little bit more. The bottom line is that unless Jackie Battle is able to keep up such a productive rushing attack, the passing game is just not going to be able to get going.

Pierre Garcon, WR, IND – I have a hard time viewing this as not a fluke. Maybe it’s because he beat me this past week with his 125 yards and 2 TDs, but it also might be because i’ve seen this before.  Garcon does a good job of getting open and has plenty of upside, but he is inconsistent and frequently struggles with drops. This is compounded by Painter being a consistency issue as well. The stars have been aligned for these two the past two weeks, but I couldn’t start Garcon next week unless I was desperate.

Victor Cruz, WR, NYG – There are a lot of people who want to call this a fluke. I will agree that the TD catch WAS a fluke, but Cruz is not. He led the Giants in targets with 11 last week and hasn’t been behind ANYONE other than Nicks since week 3. Eli trusts him and is looking for him.  Cruz is a play maker and as long as he is being thrown to, he will be able to keep putting up numbers. I think Cruz has passed Manningham in my rankings and I don’t see that changing. If you didn’t see the catch, make sure you watch it below. (I hope you don’t mind salsa music…)

Duds

Mike Williams, WR, TB – I guess it really is time to panic. The 49ers should have been a very beatable team for the Buccaneers, but instead Tampa Bay just got crushed. They couldn’t stop the run or the pass on defense and the offense was not able to get ANYTHING going. I can’t in good conscience keep him in my top 20 at WR any longer. You should be looking for a long term replacement, but don’t drop him from your team just yet.

Josh Freeman, QB, TB – See Mike Williams.

Stevie Johnson, WR, BUF – I’m not worried at all about Johnson, but two points is lower than you were hoping for in week 5.  Whether they are winning or not, the Eagles have some great corner backs and I won’t even expect a big performance from a receiver against that group.

Jacoby Jones, WR, HOU – Walter definitely saw an increase in stats after Andre Johnson was inactive for week 5. I expected Jones to be the guy that filled in and I still think he will be the better start for the next few weeks. Walter is just not as good of a red zone target, though if it was a PPR league I would give the nod to Walter.

Matt Ryan, QB, ATL – I know it was against Green Bay, but the Falcon’s week 5 loss really makes me nervous. I thought they were a MUCH better team at home?! Michael Turner was the only guy that looked good for Atlanta in this game as Matt Ryan didn’t even pass 200 yards.

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Studs

Cam Newton, QB, CAR – That’s it, I am done fighting it. Cam Newton is now to be treated as the top 5 QB that he has been playing like so far for fantasy owners. Only Tom Brady and Drew Brees has passed for more yards so far on the season and one of Newton’s games was in a monsoon. Ron Rivera and the Panthers coaching staff have done a great job of game planning to help him feel more comfortable. This has meant employing a spread-style offense and letting Cam play from the shot gun.  I had my reservations about Cam this week against the Bears but he blew me away and he has maneuvered his way to being an elite, must-start QB every week from here on out.

Matt Forte, RB, CHI – Last week the Bears seemed afraid to try and run the ball, this week Forte got 25 carries and racked up a staggering 205 yards on the ground with a TD just for good measure. I don’t know how long Mike Martz can keep this rushing attack going, but it is the only chance the Bears have of overcoming their O-line issues. Either way Forte is a top 10 back with his involvement in the passing game, but if they continue to run he might be a top 5 back.

Ravens, D/ST, BAL – In my Key Matchups article on Thursday, I stated that I thought the Ravens would keep Sanchez in check and force turnovers to win the game. I didn’t expect quite this dominating of a performance but I think we may have found the best fantasy-defense of 2011. The Ravens finished this week as the #2 scoring “player” in standard leagues with a whopping 32 points.

Beanie Wells, RB, ARI – We just didn’t see this coming as Wells returned from an injury that kept him out in Week 3. When healthy, expect big games from Beanie as he has had a TD in every game he has played as well as at least 90 yards each time as well. You can’t ask for more from a RB2 in my opinion.

Pierre Garcon, WR, IND – This was a fluke, I wouldn’t even go pick up Garcon just yet. It is hard to call 146 yards and two scores a fluke, but I did it anyways. Garcon only caught two passes and each was a big scoring play, but he also dropped some very catch-able balls and at best I see Garcon back to a frustrating player that is bound to have some serious consistency issues.

Arian Foster, RB, HOU – Foster looked like a beast this week against Pittsburgh. Tate was a quality back in his absence and I was never too sold on Foster for this season after he got banged up. I saw Tate splitting time with Foster, but I now think I was wrong. Foster was a punishing physical runner and showed his break away speed on a long TD run late to seal the game. Consider him back to being a top 5 back.

Calvin Johnson, WR, DET – Megatron is just hands down the fantasy football MVP of the first quarter of the season. He is on pace for a mind-blowing THIRTY TWO touchdown passes this season.  It is not likely that he can keep hauling in two TD passes per game the rest of the way, but he will no-doubt finish strong and have a career year.

Duds

Mario Manningham, WR, NYG – The Cardinals secondary is full of holes and after the Giants torched the Eagles in Week 3, I expected a big day from Manningham. It didn’t quite happen, but both Nicks and Victor Cruz DID have good games. I am not worried about Manningham yet, but Cruz is clearly going to be a long-term factor in the passing game and might eat into Manningham’s targets a little bit.

Tim Hightower, RB, WAS – I touched on this a bit yesterday, but Hightower saw limited work as he banged up his shoulder against the Rams in week 3.  The Bye week is well-timed for putting this behind him but with Torain running so well, it’ll be VERY difficult to trust any of the Redskins’ RBs come week 6.

Mark Sanchez, QB, NYJ – I really just don’t see Sanchez as a viable starting QB for fantasy owners. If you saw this game, you probably have little trouble agreeing with me. No matter how good the opposing defense is, a QB should NEVER have negative fantasy points and I would have no trouble dropping Sanchez if i had him as my backup. Rex Grossman, Colt McCoy and Andy Dalton are all guys I would rather use a bench spot on.

Rob Gronkowski, TE, NE – The Patriots spent an absurd amount of time in two tight end formations before Hernandez went down with an injury.  Now they only have one on the active roster and he did almost nothing against the Raiders.  Treat this as a fluke, because he is such a great red zone target for Brady. You just can’t afford to bench him.

Devery Henderson, WR, NO – The Saints receivers are getting back to healthy and Henderson and Meachem are back to the “too risky” category for me.  Someone will have a big game each week, but I think it is just too big a headache to try and guess who it will be each week.

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Studs

Wes Welker, WR, NE – Bill Belichick is the master of exploiting a defense’s weakness and despite the loss, week 3 was no exception.  Buffalo is now weakest in their line backing corp and the Patriots abused this group with Welker running a lot of shallow crossing routes and Gronkowski out matching the secondary and forcing safeties to get too deep to help cover Wes.

Fred Jackson, RB, BUF – He has just been incredible for a guy that has already turned thirty years old.  He hasn’t been a feature back long and has young legs, which has helped  him to an average yards per carry of over 6 yards. And there is no reason to be concerned with him sharing too much work with Spiller as the number of carries for each has been very one sided. Bottom line here is that Jackson is now a top 10 RB and he is still climbing as this offense has been incredibly productive thus far this season.

Jermichael Finley, TE, GB – Seven catches for 85 yards and three TDs. What a huge game to get from your TE position.  With Gates on his way to see a specialist and already having issues with his foot, I see Finley as the top fantasy TE in the NFL.  I’ve said it before, this guy is a nightmare to try and cover and Aaron Rodgers and the Packers know how to create mismatches with this guy. Look for a very productive season from Finley.

Torrey Smith, WR, BAL – Smith looked terrible in the preseason.  So much so that the Ravens went and traded for Lee Evans to ensure some depth and talent at the position as they were pretty sure that Smith wasn’t ready to be a play maker in this league. Oops. Smith’s first three catches in the NFL came in the first quarter of week 3 since Evans was hurt and all three were TDs.  Clearly no one told Smith he isn’t ready to be a starter and I don’t see how the Ravens don’t bump him up to #2 on the depth chart permanently after this performance.

Eli Manning, QB, NYG – My bad on this one. I hated Eli in this game and didn’t see how he could be productive against this Eagles secondary. The answer was apparently Jacobs out of the backfield and short routes to play-making receivers. Eli completed 23 passes for 254 yards and 4 TDs. Most impressive to me was the lack of an INT. My faith has slightly been restored in Eli and he think he is one of the better backup QB or QB 2 options out there again.

Calvin Johnson, WR, DET – Megatron had done nothing in the first half, like most of the Lions. But he was also a huge part of their comeback. Johnson finished over 100 yards and had two TDs for his third straight game. This guy is an absurd talent and your lucky to have him if you drafted him as this offense appears to be the real deal over the first three games.

Duds

Frank Gore, RB, SF – I am just disgusted with his lack of performance.  I had him ranked as my #5 overall player this season and it appears my faith in Gore and Coach Harbaugh were misplaced.  I think once the team gets used to their new system, he may rebound… but that hope is running out fast with each bad performance.

Michael Turner, RB, ATL – The Falcons can’t seem to get an early lead to save their lives.  This means that Turner’s touches are down and he simply isn’t making the most of them. I’m not as worried about him as I am Gore, but that is just because of how well the Falcons play at home.  Which means you should get a very solid game from Turner when they play in the dome.

BenJarvus Green-Ellis, RB, NE – The Pats got up big early and the Law Firm was just not able to find creases in the Bills’ defensive front seven. They seemed to be there for Stevan Ridley later in the game but once Buffalo started to light up the Pats’ defense, Brady had to try and out duel Fitzpatrick and ignore the ground game.

Rashard Mendenhall, RB, PIT – The Colts really just have a bad rush defense, but apparently the Steelers have a worse offensive line.  I am very worried about Mendenhall the rest of the way. He remains a top 15 RB but he is certainly falling as this offense continues to struggle.

Philip Rivers, QB, SD – Zero TDs and 2 INTs against a bad Chiefs team is shocking for me. Rivers should have picked the secondary apart and he just didn’t.  They got the win and Rivers is still an elite QB so I am not worried, but this does look  like a little more than a slow start. It is time to get nervous, but not bench Philip.

James Starks, RB, GB – Just as soon as I thought Starks was the clear guy to own in this offense, Grant goes off and Starks implodes.  Expect the Packers to ride the hot hand and make it a nightmare for fantasy owners to try and decide which one is the guy each week.

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Studs

Miles Austin, WR, DAL – Austin was on fire in this game and managed to get hurt just to make it all barely worth it. None-the-less, its tough to lose in a week when you have a receiver catch 9 balls for 143 yards and 3 TDs.

Fred Jackson, RB, BUF – If you missed the Bills game this weekend, you missed one hell of a game. Go find a way to watch it.  There were 5 lead changes in the 4th quarter and Buffalo scored on all five of their 2nd half possessions. Jackson just had 15 carries, but was able to rip off some big gains and totaled 117 yards with two TDs.  Surprisingly, Jackson is the 4th highest scoring fantasy RB on the season so far and he is shaping up to be one of the better second RBs out there.  I won’t go crazy over my Bills until they beat New England in week 3 and sit on top of the division, so lessen your expectations for this week as the Bills are going to be passing like crazy to try and keep up.

Jeremy Maclin, WR, PHI – Maclin had a really good game in week 2 and needed to in order to alleviate concerns that his fantasy owners might have had after the illness scare and a sluggish week 1.  Maclin racked up a staggering 13 receptions for 171 yards and 2 TDs. I was never concerned that much and think that Maclin is a top 15 receiver the rest of the way.

Cam Newton, QB, CAR – Even after his big week 1, I didn’t think Newton would be able to be too effective against a VERY good Packers defense. Despite the pass rush and secondary, Cam was the 2nd highest scoring QB in fantasy this week and while I don’t see him keeping up this production consistently the rest of the way, but I see no reason to not ride out this hot streak if you are in need of a QB. He is definitely a must-start for a while in 2 QB leagues.

Jahvid Best, RB, DET – I am not a big fan of Best, but he has big play ability and is on an offense that is clearly going to have little issue with producing stats for fantasy owners. Best was a factor in both the passing and running game this week with 57 yards on the ground and 66 in the air with both a rushing and receiving score. His rushing performance was mediocre at best considering he saw 15 carries but at the end of the day, who doesn’t love 23 fantasy points for your RB2?

Eric Decker, WR, DEN – With Brandon Lloyd inactive in this game, Decker was a fashionable plug-in for people in need of a flex play this week and it paid off big time. He caught 5 passes for 113 yards and had 2 TDs against the Bengals and should have ensured that Orton looks his way more when Lloyd is back and 100%.

Kenny Britt, WR, TEN – I’ll stop writing about him when he stops making me look so smart. Britt had another huge day in week 2 with 135 yards and a TD on 9 catches. He’s a top 10 receiver and at this point it is pretty hard to argue with that. Start him every week.

Duds

Antonio Gates, TE, SD – Gates was double teamed all game in week 2 and shockingly put up zero points against the Patriots. They schemed to take him out of the game and it was a successful strategy.  But let’s not panic, he is still by far the top TE in fantasy football.

Matt Cassel, QB, KC – Cassel was terrible both weeks so far.  I never expected the Chiefs to be what they were last year, but I did hope for something.  In my league (which does not have standard scoring) Cassel lost me three points and even in a standard format, he certainly didn’t do you any favors.  With Moeaki and Charles gone for the season, I have no faith in the Chiefs’ offense anymore and see no reason to risk starting Cassel any longer.

Mike Williams, WR, TB – Zero points? What happened?! This was a weird game for the Buccs and it took them some time to be productive on offense.  Arrelious Benn caught the TD pass from Freeman and LeGarrette Blount led the comeback.  I am not worried about Williams the rest of the way, but I wasn’t quite as high on him as others were going into the season.

DeAngelo Williams, RB, CAR – The rise of Cam Newton seems to be spelling the downfall of Williams.  As long as Cam is able to be effective in pass-first offense, I expect Ron Rivera and the Panthers to let him go for it. Williams isn’t seeing a lot of work and has not been able to do much with his limited touches.  Don’t drop him yet, but he is not a quality start even as a flex play for a while in my opinion.

Marshawn Lynch, RB, SEA – You can’t start Lynch any more and if Seattle can’t drum up any offense next week, I expect to see Lynch show up on my Dump List. He had just 11 yards in week 2.

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What a crazy start to the 2011 season. We saw proven, storied franchises collapse completely and we saw a rookie debut record from a class of QBs that no one was excited about. So lets get this week 1 recap started!

Studs

Tom Brady, QB, NE – Over 500 yards and 4 TDs. I’ll excuse the INT because he probably single-handedly won your week 1 match up if you had him.

Cam Newton, QB, CAR – Newton was not expected to be an immediate success in the NFL.  He came from an option-style offense after just one year and one NCAA championship. Many people, including myself, felt that he was not worth the number 1 overall draft pick.  24 completions on 37 attempts, 422 yards, 2 TDs and 1 INT. That shut me up. This yardage total is a record for rookie’s in their debut, beating out Peyton Manning’s first ever rookie performance.

Ray Rice, RB, BAL – Wow. Are the Raven’s that good or are the Steelers that bad? Honestly, probably neither.  But Rice’s performance was outstanding considering how dominant the Steelers defense has been.  He was certainly helped by 7 turnovers increasing his number of chances, but I am interested to see just how big of a season Rice will have running behind Vonta Leach.

Steve Smith, WR, CAR – Smith definitely helped Cam look good Sunday as he faced off against Patrick Peterson and made him look foolish all day in coverage. After last season, in my Year in Review article, I discussed how if Carolina could land a decent QB then Smith would return to fantasy relevance. I am still not betting on Newton’s consistency, but Newton sure looks like he will be enough to make Smith into a startable option for fantasy owners.

Mike Tolbert, RB, SD – He may not have racked up too much yardage, but any fantasy owner loves to see a 3 TD performance and that’s what Tolbert did this week. He did appear to be hurt late in that game, but all reports have been great since the game and we can expect Tolbert to be at 100% for week 2.  His usage in the passing game and especially in the red zone makes Tolbert the clear guy to own of the Chargers running backs.  At least for now.

Matt Forte, RB, CHI – The Bears offense looks to be building off their success from last season and Forte is going to be a big part of that with his pass catching ability out of the backfield. I was surprised to see Khalil Bell get 10 carries in the win over the Falcons, but in a Mike Martz system, you want the guy that catches the ball so I am not concerned.  Especially not following 158 all-purpose yards and a TD.

Kenny Britt, WR, TEN – I love to talk about this guy, I don’t think people are giving him the credit he deserves.  He tallied 136 yards on 5 catches and scored twice in Week 1.  This is going to be a season to remember for Britt and it will be without an elite QB.  This guy has a really bright future and will be a big part of your season if you were lucky enough to draft him.

Darren McFadden, RB, OAK – 150 yards on 22 carries? I guess he isn’t a one-year wonder.  While the match-up wasn’t great, neither was anyone else on the Raiders.  He will remain an integral part of the game plan and he is a number 1 caliber back in my opinion.

Chad Henne, QB, MIA – People might not have noticed exactly how good Henne was in a losing effort on Monday night.  His opponent Brady overshadowed him pretty bad, but Henne finished as the 2nd highest point total among all QB’s in the NFL in week 1 and should not be on free agency if you have serious QB concerns.

Duds

Ben Roethlisberger, QB, PIT – Ben committed FIVE turnovers this week with three interceptions and two lost fumbles as the Steelers looked completely inept against division rival Baltimore Ravens.  A bad game doesn’t make me as nervous as the loss of right tackle Willie Colon for the season as the offensive line was weak already.  You need a good, servicable back up for Ben this year.

Vincent Jackson, WR, SD – Rivers ended up with a decent enough point total that he evades a spot on this list, but Rivers did not play that well in Week 1.  The Chargers are known to start slow and managed to claw their way to a win… but special teams hurt them again and Jackson was not a factor in the vertical passing game, which will need to change for the Chargers to be a Super Bowl contender as they hope to be.

Chris Johnson, RB, TEN – Holding out as long as he did really slowed the start of the season for CJ2k as he had just 24 yards rushing and 25 receiving. I thought he was supposed to be one of the top playmakers in the NFL? I guess he’ll have to earn that pay check next week.  If you own him, your starting him.

LeGarrette Blount, RB, TB – The Buccs have some work to do because despite how close the score looked at the end of the game, the Lions really controlled the game from start to finish and Blount was rendered ineffective by a need to pass to try and get back into the game.  Blount needs carries to get into a rhythm and wear down the defense so I am not too concerned, but we can expect at least a few more games like this by the end of the season.  He is still a solid RB2.

Dwayne Bowe, WR, KC – I kinda called this one, the Buffalo pass defense does not get enough credit and they really shut down the Chiefs in week 1.  I have concerns going forward for Bowe, but I had them before and he is no more than a low-end WR2 in my eyes.  He will drop further if KC can’t get their running game going either.

Matt Ryan, QB, ATL – The Falcons offense looked out-matched against the Bears D and Ryan was not a very effective passer in this game. I think the Falcons will get ti figured out and I am not overly concerned with Ryan going forward.

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Studs

Aaron Rodgers, QB, GB – I received a couple of questions about whether Rodgers would be up to the task of facing a Giants’ defense that had knocked a number of QBs out of the game this season.  While this may have been an area for concern with a lesser player… this is the best fantasy QB in the league!  Rodgers came out of this week’s regularly-scheduled games as the highest scoring individual player and you’ll have to start him next week.

Matt Forte, RB, CHI – Forte has been the primary reason for the success of the Bears’ offense.  They struggled at times mid-season but when they settled down and recommitted themselves to the running game, (at least as much as Mike Martz will EVER commit to it) the offense found a stability that has allowed them to capture the division title and remain alive in the race for the top seed in the NFC.  In recent weeks Forte has surprised me with his physical running style and despite his rough match up against the Packers next week, Forte remains a must start.

Jerome Simpson, WR, CIN – In the absence of their pro bowl talent at WR, the Bengals’ passing offense was as good as it has been all season.  Throughout the year Palmer and his dynamic duo of T.O. and Ochocinco had been able to put up decent statistical performances, but only in losses.  This week the Bengals ended the playoff hopes of one of the top defenses of this season and they did it primarily through the air.  Simpson had 124 yards and two TD’s making him the highest scoring fantasy-receiver and yet no one started him.

Jamaal Charles, RB, KC – Charles has been by far the best fantasy RB who splits his carries this season.  The Chiefs have the NFL’s top ranked rushing attack and are averaging over 160 yards per game.  This week, Charles was only able to contribute 77 yards on the ground but with an additional 40 yards and 2 scores through the air, he remains a stud and a must start going into the last week of the season.

Kellen Winslow, TE, TB – It did not come as a shock to me that Winslow was so productive this week. He had by far his best statistical performance of the season with 97 yards and two TDs against a Seahawks team that is not that good!  I will keep Winslow in the top 10 at TE, but I will not expect a repeat performance as games like this don’t typically come in pairs for tight ends (unless their name is Antonio Gates or Dallas Clark!)

Michael Crabtree, WR, SF – Now that the regime of Mike Singletary has come to an end, there might be a light at the end of the tunnel for Crabtree after all.  The 49ers are said to be in the market for an elite coach to come in and take over this team and with names like Gruden, Harbaugh and Cowher being thrown around I am excited about the potential that the stars in San Francisco might have for next season.  Do not make the mistake of trusting Crabtree next week under an interim head coach.

LeGarrette Blount, RB, TB – Blount tallied over 160 yards this week in a decisive win by his young Buccaneers offense.  142 of these yards came in the 2nd half and we can only wonder what he would have done as a feature part of this week’s game plan.  His upright style of running creates some injury concerns for me, but until he does get hurt… it can’t affect his fantasy value.  Make sure you start him in at least your flex spot next week against the Saints.

Duds

Michael Turner, RB, ATL – Turner has been a stud all season long.  He has been among the few backs that fantasy owners have been able to rely on weekly and this late in the season it is disappointing to see a 2 point game.  Last night was just the 2nd time that the Falcons have lost at home with Matt Ryan at QB and the Saints’ ability to shut down Turner and the running game is the primary reason why. I see this more as the Saints being back in championship form as opposed to a collapse of the Falcons. Besides, if you’re still alive in the playoffs, could you sit Turner against the Panthers!?

Wes Welker, WR, NE – The Patriot offense was in full-effect this week against the Bills, but yet the primary fantasy-players were not able to find the end zone.  Welker was only able to manage one point outside of PPR formats and was a complete non-factor in the offense following two uncharacteristic drops early on in the game.  Next week the Pats will be resting their starters to some extent and since Welker injured himself in a game late last season that had no playoff impications… expect him to be on the bench for at least the 2nd half.

Ryan Fitzpatrick, QB, BUF – The Patriots secondary is young and prone to mistakes.  Recently, you would not know that by watching them play.  Fitzpatrick had a terrible outing this week as the Bills turned the ball over SEVEN times.  I don’t even trust Fitz as a QB2 next week against a much more formidable Jets defense.

Peyton Hillis, RB, CLE – The Ravens are still one hell of a run defense, but not quite as good as they have been in the past.  Hillis had a great game earlier in the season against them and I certainly expected more than 3 points out of Hillis this week, who has surprisingly also been one of the best receiving backs in the league.  He will fall just inside my top 20 RBs for next week.

Marques Colston, WR, NO – I for one expected a much more offensive battle for last night’s NFC South rivalry game.  Colston was almost a non-factor on plays that actually happened (he caught a TD, but there was a false start penalty that should have stopped the play prior to the snap) and only finished with 2 points.  Treat this as an anomaly as you likely can’t find a better receiver to fill his spot on your roster than Drew Brees’ favorite target.

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Studs

Michael Vick, QB, PHI – After being pretty well shut down for the first three quarters of the game, Vick picked the Eagles up and carried them to an amazing comeback victory that many are calling the Miracle at The New Meadowlands. Vick was personally responsible for 372 of the Eagles’ 418 yards.  He made one hell of a convincing argument for the NFL MVP and earned the top spot in my rankings for next week.

Ray Rice, RB, BAL – Rice had by far his best game of the season, with 31 carries for 153 yards and a TD, as well as 5 receptions for 80 yards and a second touchdown.  With the Browns as opponents next week, Rice is sure to have another solid performance and just in time for your super bowl.  Colt McCoy does provide stability and efficiency for the Browns offense, so don’t expect a repeat performance.

Vincent Jackson, WR, SD – He only caught five passes on 7 targets, but racked up 112 yards with THREE scores.  This is exactly why people drafted him in the late rounds, knowing it would take until at least half of the season for him to touch the field.  He is a top 10 WR as far as talent is concerned and with one of the best and most consistent quarterbacks in the NFL throwing to him, he is a must start this week against the Bengals’ injured secondary.

Rex Grossman, QB, WAS – This is by far the best performance of Week 15 that NO ONE got the points for.  There have been many opportunities for Grossman to prove that he can be a starting QB in the NFL and he has never before managed to sustain success.  I will be assuming that this was a fluke, but regardless of how average his talent may be, the Jaguars do not have a very good secondary.  I am much more intrigued with Santana Moss and Anthony Armstrong, but Rex should be able to get you double digit points if you are desperate for a QB2 in your super bowl.

Cedric Benson, RB, CIN – Finally, the Bengals used Benson as their work horse and he saw over 30 carries in this game.  It looked oddly reminiscent of last season, when they were a winning football team.  With the Chargers coming into town there is little reason to assume the Bengals will be able to run the ball for long.  They should be down by a sizable margin by halftime and unable to provide the number of carries that Benson will need to be this productive again.

Mario Manningham, WR, NYG – This is the perfect scenario for Manningham to be productive.  I do not think he is good enough to be the top receiver and he is not able to maximize his potential as the slot receiver.  By being 2nd on the depth chart he avoids double teams and is on the field enough to really get into a rhythm with Manning.  He managed 8 catches for 113 yards and 2 TDs in his new role and I like Manningham as a low-end WR2 or great flex play in your super bowl.

Bears, D/ST, CHI – The Bears’ D outscored Drew Brees, Peyton Manning, Jamaal Charles and Chris Johnson… this is no easy accomplishment!  If they had Webb leading the Vikings offense all game, there would have been more turnovers (though they did force an INT from Favre on a nice tipped pass at the line of scrimmage).  They were able to disguise their blitzes in order to confuse Webb all throughout the second half.  They should have a good game against the Jets inconsistent offense, in what should be a low scoring affair.

Jason Witten, TE, DAL – This makes 4 great fantasy-performances in a row under Jason Garrett and there is little reason to think it will stop with a game against the Cardinals coming up. It will be either Witten or Vernon Davis at the top of my TE rankings this week but i’m pretty sure you don’t own them both so don’t over think it, Witten is a must start for your Super Bowl match up.

Duds

Anquan Boldin, WR, BAL – I am almost lost for words about how disappointing his level of production and consistency has been in his new offense.  Whether you like it or not, Derrick Mason is the top receiver on the Ravens offense and Boldin cannot be trusted for your super bowl this week.

Brandon Jacobs, RB, NYG – Jacobs was only able to muster 3 fantasy points after stringing together some very nice outings over the past few weeks.  This is primarily because they were not able to close out the game against the Eagles.  With Vick controlling the ball for the vast majority of the 4th quarter, Jacobs was on the bench during the part of the game where he normally excels.

Reggie Wayne, WR, JAC – The reason for this week’s 3 point game is pretty simple, Collie did a great job in the first half and stole the show.  In the 2nd half, Donald Brown was able to efficiently close out the game with the best performance of his short career. Wayne is still a top 5 wide receiver and should be in your lineup when the Colts play the Raiders next week.

Jahvid Best, RB, DET – Another hugely disappointing game with just 1 point for his fantasy owners.  Meanwhile, Maurice Morris was able to get 17 points.  Leave Best on your bench and if you have no better options than Morris, go ahead and use him!

Vernon Davis, TE, SF – To say that the 49er offense had troubles on Thursday is putting it mildly.  Their struggles should not be blamed on Alex Smith, who played a decent game.  He got no help from any of his receivers and all he needed was someone to step up and make a play.  That person should have been Davis, but the play calling of their newest offensive coordinator did not make an effort to get the ball into his hands.   You have to keep playing him, because hopefully they will realize how important he is to the synergy of their Frank Gore-less offense.

Tim Hightower, RB, ARI – After a big week 14, Hightower let his fantasy-owners down against the Panthers of all teams.  I did not expect him to top 100 yards, but I certainly thought he would manage more than two points!

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Darren McFadden, RB, OAK – If last week was not enough to convince you that DMC is back and playing at an elite level, then hopefully the 123 yards rushing, 86 yards receiving and 3 TDs are enough to confirm in your mind that this guy is a huge part of your playoff hopes.   Don’t get caught with him on your bench as there are still only two games that he started where he did not exceed 100 yards from scrimmage… and one of those was against the Steelers.

DeSean Jackson, WR, PHI – Jackson’s big-play ability and break away speed are unmatched at this time in the NFL.  These skills were on display this week, as Jackson was able to haul in 4 catches for 210 yards and a TD.  Is 52.5 yards per catch good enough for you?  He may not be the most consistent performer, but if you drafted him then you have to start him… wouldn’t want to miss one of these monster performances that can happen any week.

Michael Turner, RB, ATL – What impresses me most about this Falcons team is their versatility on offense.  They have a very balanced attack with Pro Bowl talent at WR, QB and RB.  The passing game never seems to run on all cylinders while on the road, but this week Turner carried the team on his back to a victory against the inept Panthers.  Turner racked up 28 carries with 112 yards and 3 rushing TDs.  He is fulfilling the dream he destroyed for fantasy owners last year when injuring himself just in time for the fantasy football playoffs.  Turner owners this year should get Jason Snelling on their team now in case there is a repeat of last season.

Andre Johnson, WR, HOU – There is something about this Texans team that likes to rally late in games, but unfortunately they are not able to finish games after closing the gap and they lost a heart breaker in OT late last night on a Matt Schaub INT that was run back for a touchdown. Andre Johnson was a beast in their late-game resurgence.  He started with a 42 yard TD grab to finish the first half and added another 8 catches to total 140 yards receiving and 2 scores. Games like this are why AJ was drafted in the first round as the top receiver… but they have been hard to come by this season and it is re-assuring to see it at the start of the playoffs.

Tim Hightower, RB, ARI – We did know that the Broncos were a bad run defense, but we did not know that Hightower would be able to grind out 148 yards and 2 TDs on 18 carries!  With the Panthers 25th ranked rush defense coming up next week and this clear indication that Wells is not going to be seeing extensive work… I think Tim would be an excellent flex play next week and should be in the top 25 at the RB position.

Deion Branch, WR, NE – No matter how good the opponent is, Tom Brady has been tearing them to shreds as of late.  It is a great time to own a Patriot in your fantasy football league as there are tons of catches to go around.  Welker also had a great game, topping 100 yards… but Branch had 151 yards and a TD making him the best receiver from New England this week.  I will still give Welker the edge in my rankings, but Branch is acclimating nicely into his old offense and will move up considerably as long as Brady and the Pats can keep this up.

Pierre Garcon, WR, IND – We finally saw shades of the talent that made me so excited about this guy in the preseason.  It is too little, too late for most of the fantasy owners who drafted Garcon, but if you were able to replace him and make it into the playoffs… then you’ve gotta start him next week against the Jaguars, who have not been able to cover WRs all season long (they are allowing just over 23 fantasy points per game to opposing WRs).

Jason Witten, TE, DAL – Witten has been among the best and most consistent TEs in the NFL over the past three weeks and with a 69 yard, 2 TD performance this week, he provides a much needed consistency at an injury-riddled position for fantasy owners this season.  Consider him a must-start and feel free to drop any other TEs you may have have on your bench as you need not look any farther to find your starter throughout the playoffs.

Ryan Torain, RB, WAS – Torain saw 24 carries and made the most of them by totaling 172 rushing yards.  Most of this came in the first half, when the Skins were not losing by enough to abandon the running game.  Usually you see a week of mediocre production after sitting out as long as Torain did due to his injury… but at least now we know who the starter will be in Washington for the rest of the way.  Torain should be considered for your flex spot with good, not great, match ups over the next two weeks.

Brandon Jacobs, RB, NYG – What happened here? Consider the combo of Jacobs and Bradshaw as the best in the league as both are essentially must-starts going into the fantasy-playoffs.  Jacobs broke off the longest single rush of his career with a 73 yarder to help push the Giants past their nightmarish experience of trying to play their scheduled game this week.  Both teams looked out of sync after the 30 hour delay and I think it is reasonable to expect this type of performance (probably a little worse, given the match ups) for the rest of the season.

Duds

Adrian Peterson, RB, MIN – Let me tell you a little story about how bad AP killed his fantasy owners this week.  I played my brother this week and going into Monday’s games, he had a 3 point lead with AP still to play… I had Andre Johnson.  The game ended with me as a clear victor, but I thought for sure I would lose.  2 points from the 2nd overall draft pick is simply not enough.  The bad performance can likely be written off as a precaution by the Vikings after AP and Jackson collided on a handoff and both players were banged up on the play.  Anyways, thanks a bunch Adrian!

Michael Crabtree, WR, SF – What is truly surprising about the complete lack of production from Crabtree was how well Alex Smith played in this game.  You would expect Crabtree to be productive when he gets such good play from the signal-caller… but all the catches went to Westbrook,  Morgan and Davis.  Don’t expect him to get shut down like this again, however these inconsistencies are exactly what keep me from raising Crabtree to a starter in my rankings.

Kyle Orton, QB, DEN - The rebuilding process should begin in a hurry after only 166 yards and FOUR TURNOVERS from Orton this week.  He may have been a great post-draft pickup, but he also probably just ended your season early with that performance.  If you benched him, had a bye week, or weren’t in the playoffs yet… don’t get caught dead with Orton in your lineup next week after getting destroyed by the Arizona Cardinals.  Tim Tebow anyone?

Jay Cutler, QB, CHI - After watching the Patriots dismantle yet another playoff team in the Bears this week, I am willing to excuse this performance from Cutler.  This is a shining example of why he is not an elite QB though.  The Patriots have a young and easily manipulated secondary and he couldn’t get the job done.  I expected an upset by the Bears in this game, but no one beats Tom Brady when the weather outside is frightful…

Benjamin Watson, TE, CLE – This poor game is inexcusable against Buffalo, who has not effectively been able to stop the opposing TE all year.  I place most of the blame on Jake Delhomme, but Watson is getting downgraded after this performance… even if McCoy is back in time for next week.

Davone Bess, WR, MIA - The Dolphins offense struggled as a whole this week in a tough divisional victory over the Jets.  Bess isn’t a huge factor in standard leagues, but in PPR formats he has been a beast.  You can keep using him given the quality of defense that shut him down.

Terrell Owens, WR, CIN - The Steelers shut down Owens this week with their zone blitzing scheme forcing some poor decision-making out of Carson Palmer.  He will remain in my top 20, but with the whole Bengals team floundering… you shouldn’t consider TO a top 10 guy any longer.

Jeremy Maclin, WR, PHI - One catch on three targets for 11 yards.  The worst game of the season for Maclin came at a terrible time for his fantasy-owners.  Don’t worry too much about playing him next week (if you’re still alive), you have to trust the guys that got you this far… and he sure helped quite a bit I am sure.

Mike Williams, WR, TB - The Redskins defense is pretty bad, especially against the pass and Williams was not a dynamic play maker in this game.  The big plays were made by Arrelious Benn, but don’t worry… you can still start Williams with confidence, it was only one bad game so don’t panic.

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Studs

Tom Brady, QB, NE - The Patriots offense looked phenomenal against what is supposed to be an elite NFL defense.  Tom Brady has made his team into a serious Super Bowl contender with wins over the Steelers and now the Jets.  If you’re a Brady owner, you have the new top QB for fantasy football and should need little convincing to start him each and every week.  Tom-Terrific threw for 326 yards and 4 TDs last night to finish as the top scoring player in fantasy football for week 13.   This makes seven straight games with out an INT too by the way.

Reggie Wayne, WR, IND – Wayne had his best game of the season with 200 yards and a TD on 14 catches.  Even while the Colts struggle and have an astonishing 6-6 record, Wayne remains one of the most consistent fantasy WRs in the league… A quality that is incredibly difficult to find from this position.

Marshawn Lynch, RB, SEA – Don’t expect another game like this for the rest of the season, but if you were in rough shape and started Lynch this week you lucked out!  Marshawn saw 21 carries for 83 yards.  Lynch also punched in 3 TDs and was the 4th highest scoring player in the league. Keep him on your bench from here on out, a season of disappointment and false-hopes isn’t repaired by one good game against the worst team in the NFL.

Greg Jennings, WR, GB – With Dwayne Bowe on the list below, Jennings is now the hottest receiver in the league and will be essential for his fantasy-owner’s playoff hopes.  Jennings has double digit points in 6 of his last 7 games and with 2 TDs this week, he brings his season total to 11 (3rd in the NFL).

Chris Ivory, RB, NO – He just may have developed in time to eat into the workload that Pierre Thomas was in line to get when he was healthy again.  Ivory had just 15 carries for 117 yards and 2 scores this week.  Thomas looks to be back for Week 14, so you have to stay away from both of them for now… but you shouldn’t drop either of them just yet!

Brandon Jacobs, RB, NYG – HOLY CRAP… he only saw 8 carries, but managed over 12 yards per carry (103 yards total) and scored twice!  Ahmad Bradshaw saw 25 carries in this game, but misses this list due to his partner’ incredible success. There is no way that BOTH of these guys do so well, but for next week you really should start which ever one you own and both will make the top 20 in my rankings.

Sidney Rice, WR, MIN – This game was an announcement! Sidney Rice is back and every bit as good as he was last season.  More impressively, Rice caught his 5 passes for 105 yards and 2 scores from his back up QB.  Favre works well with a receiver like Rice too, he takes chances and trusts his receiver to make a big play.  There is no one else on the Vikings that could do this in his absence and while you can argue Moss was that receiver… he hasn’t managed to be a major factor on any of the 3 teams that have been burdened by him this season.  I don’t think this is a fluke either, if you haven’t seen the highlights… his catches were spectacular.

Wes Welker, WR, NE - He’s baaaack! Brady apparently just needed some time to adjust to his receiving corp without Randy Moss included among them.  The lack of an elite deep threat does not appear to be a concern for the Patriots any longer.  Welker managed 7 catches for 80 yards and a score against the best group of cornerbacks in the NFL.  He is a top 20 WR once again and is still rising fast towards the top 10 performer that I expected when Moss left.

Duds

Dwayne Bowe, WR, KC – Just when it looked like he was fast becoming the top receiver in all of fantasy football, his hot streak comes to an abrupt end.  Bowe was shadowed all day by Champ Bailey, who is aging and not quite as good as he once was.  There was also a safety defending the deep ball on obvious passing situations and Bowe was not able to catch a pass.  He has earned a free pass given all the TDs he has racked up this season, but there is a blue-print for shutting him down and he will not likely be in my top 5 any longer.

Mike Tolbert, RB, SD - I certainly expected a quality performance from Tolbert this week against the Raiders weak run defense. Tolbert was only able to get a staggeringly low 16 yards on the ground and almost equally surprising he was able to avoid a TERRIBLE game with 47 receiving yards.  I also didn’t expect the Chargers to fail so hard in their first December loss in their last 19 games during that month.  I expect him to rebound, but this was just in time to avoid a huge disappointment in the playoffs.  Don’t expect Tolbert to crack the top 20 every week in my rankings.

Mario Manningham, WR, NYG - The Redskins are not a very good team this year and I expected a good performance out of Manningham this week… No such luck however, it looks like this was mostly due to his inability to beat a double team.  Steve Smith is expected to be back this week and Manningham should do much better with the #2 spot on the depth chart.  Unfortunately, once Nicks AND Smith are back he won’t have much value at all any longer.

Kyle Orton, QB, DEN – It is safe to say Orton didn’t cost Josh McDaniels his job with his first single-digit fantasy point performance of the season.  He has earned a pass with how strong he was down the stretch, so if he didn’t cost you a playoff spot you can still count on him.  Given the fact that their RB coach was named as the interim head coach, expect more balance from the offense.  This lowers Orton’s upside some, but not too much as he will remain a top 10 QB.

Hines Ward, WR, PIT - While he remains crucial to the success of the Pittsburgh Steelers, he better not be crucial to your fantasy team’s playoff hopes!  Ward had 19 points in week 7 and as many points since then.  Do everything you can to keep him on your bench.

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