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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Question 1: Asked by @NYLivinCAMind

Can’t believe im asking but: pick 3 NON-PPR: Arrelious Benn, Sidney Rice, Joe Webb(no joke), Greg Jennings or Larry Fitzgerald.

Answer

Well KJ, being playoff time… it is not a good idea to take a big risk on this decision.  It looks more and more like Rodgers is not going to be able to go in this game, so I will assume he does not for this answer.  I would start Sidney Rice, Greg Jennings and Larry Fitzgerald.  I have seen a lot of chatter about using Joe Webb in leagues that allow him to be started as a WR.  I want to caution everyone about this: DON’T DO IT! It seems like a really good idea, but mostly because it feels like you are cheating the system.  It’s just not worth it worth the risk. In last week’s game Webb was 2 for 5 with just 8 yards passing, despite adding a 16 yard scramble we did not see enough good to think he can be a valuable fantasy-option and the playoffs is the worst time to get “cute” and make a mistake.  Same thing with Arrelious Benn, despite a big game he just hasn’t proven he can provide value on a consistent basis… maybe after this week if he does well he will be worth the risk.

Question 2: Asked by @Beave623

RB help..I have Turner, Hillis, Foster & DMac…can play 3…heard Foster having hip issue. Advice?

Answer

To my other readers, me and Clyde talked some on twitter about his lineup.  He also has Andre Johnson and Roddy White! I made a comment about trading one of these stud RBs for a WR.  In most cases, this is the right decision.  It is very difficult to make the right call when trying to decide between 3 of 4 running backs all ranked in the top 5 and trading one for a WR will help you spread out your talent to the other positions you may be weaker.  Clyde however has elite talent at every position and has no need for a trade, so on to the tough decision! I would sit Hillis here and I will be updating my rankings to show this later today or tomorrow morning.  The reason is, with Colt McCoy at QB the Browns have extra options for their offense.  McCoy was a very smart game-manager in his previous starts and I expect him to play at a high level again.  The Bengals are their opponents for the week and their secondary is what is ailing at this time and through the air is how I expect the Browns to challenge them.

Question 3: Asked by Chevis420

What 2 should I start out of these 4: Benson, Goodson, Hightower, PT. Really torn between benson and goodson…

Answer

Well, I actually like Hightower here!  It is tough to make a gutsy call and shy away from someone that got you this far, but the Panthers have the 25th ranked rush defense and are allowing 132 yards per game.  After such a dominant performance last week, I think it is reasonable to expect something in the area of 80 yards and a TD.  Wells clearly is not the x-factor that I thought he would be this season.  It has become clear that Hightower is the guy they trust the most as people try and save their jobs. You can see my answer and the answers of others on Fandemic.

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Love

Maurice Jones-Drew, RB, JAC - The Jaguars are fighting for a playoff spot and/or the division title in December?! Someone pinch me… I must be dreaming.  The Jags are an exceedingly average team with a mediocre quarter back, so it will not be an easy road for them.  The one thing that they do have going for them is a star RB in MJD.  The Raiders come to town this week and are known to be a bit weak against the run.  Look for MJD and Rashad Jennings to see a lot of work in this game and for Jack Del Rio to avoid having to attack the likes of Nnamdi Asomugha on the outside in the vertical passing game.

Anquan Boldin, WR, BAL – All season long receivers and tight ends have been having huge games against the Texans and while Boldin has been inconsistent all year… this week he is worth the risk.  You may also want to look towards Derrick Mason this week as he is the most trusted receiver on the field for Flacco and he understands the offense incredibly well as a possession receiver.

Knowshon Moreno, RB, DEN – Moreno is making a pretty solid claim at being a top 10 RB for next year’s fantasy draft.  With the firing of Josh McDaniels and the promotion of the Bronco’s former RB coach to interim head coach… it stands to reason that the predominately pass-first offense we have gotten to know from Denver is gone for at least the season.  Studesville has a tall task ahead of him, but a nice back in Moreno to lean on for the remaining 4 games.

Jacoby Ford, WR, OAK - I still say he is not a weekly starter unless your league counts return yards.  However, Ford has been a dynamic playmaker for the Raiders and they look to get him involved in the game early and often.  I would try and stick with safer options this week, but if you have been snake-bitten by injuries, the upside of Ford could pay off big this week against the Jaguars who have a pretty terrible group of cornerbacks.

Michael Turner, RB, ATL - Turner is one of the few workhorse backs in the NFL and he has a matchup that Marshawn Lynch was able to exploit last week.  The Panthers run defense has been their achilles heel all season and Turner is having a great year.  Also, considering the game is outdoors in Carolina, Matt Ryan will lean on his run game to push the Falcons to another win  in a setting they typically do not perform well in (road game, outdoors).

Donald Driver, WR, GB – Ok, so I wanted to put Jennings here, but that just seemed too lazy to me… So I am including Driver instead!  Everyone knows that Jennings is the hottest receiver in the NFL now that Bowe crapped out last week and if you read my article earlier in the week, you saw Driver’s amazing TD catch.  They are going against the Lions this week folks… Driver is at least a flex play against a defense known to allow the big play, oh and they are banged up at the moment to boot!

Peyton Hillis, RB, CLE – As per fantasy-law… start your RBs against Buffalo! It doesn’t hurt that he is a top 5 guy either.  And if you’re scared of how last week went, Buffalo’s defense will not be able to participate in a field goal oriented game… just too bad!

Earl Bennett, WR, CHI - He just appeared in my weekly pickup article this week, but I am already throwing him into my love list!  To me, Monday was about the Jets collapsing… not the Patriots defense being suddenly great.  The secondary for NE will likely nab an INT or two from Cutler, but since that doesn’t negatively effect the score of a WR… don’t worry about it!  The Patriots DBs are young, inexperienced and they will not be able to shut down the Bears balanced offensive attack completely.

Hate

Cedric Benson, RB, CIN - What a rough season for the Bengals, but for this week all I need to say here is that he is up against the Steelers!  Make sure to leave Benson on the bench this week if possible!

Jonathan Stewart, RB, CAR - After such a disappointing number of carries last week for Goodson, you might expect Stewart to be the top fantasy RB on the Panthers. You’re correct… just not this week! I expect Atlanta to get the lead early and hold it through the entire game and since Goodson is the guy they look to in the passing game, don’t expect Stewart to have a big performance.  The rankings on these two guys should be VERY close, but Stewart holds much more value the rest of the way.

Marshawn Lynch, RB, SEA – Treat that game as a one-time deal… until it proves not to be!  I doubt you see a repeat performance against the 49ers this week with the division title hanging in the balance in every game for each team the rest of the season.

BenJarvus Green-Ellis, RB, NE – The Lawfirm has been clutch for the past few weeks and you can still start him this week because of it… but the Bears have a very good run defense (ranked 2nd in the NFL) and if he does not find the end zone you could be in trouble!

Sidney Rice, WR, MIN - Don’t let one game force you into making a mistake in the playoffs!  Rice has a lot of big play potential, but Favre is expected to be the QB and the match up is not favorable.  The Giants defense is effective when they rush the passer… Favre, being old, is not adept at evading a rush… and the Giants are ranked 2nd in the NFL against the pass.  They are only allowing an average of 192 yards per game.  Rice will still get a decent ranking (top 20), but if you drafted well you won’t need him, so don’t sit any of your studs to make room for him.

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Cedric Benson, RB, CIN – Active
Bernard Berrian, WR, MIN – Active
Donald Driver, WR, GB – Active
Zach Miller, TE, OAK – Active
Clinton Portis, RB, WAS – Active
Matt Schaub, QB, HOU – Active
Tony Scheffler, TE, DEN – Active
Mike Sims-Walker, WR, JAC – Inactive
Beanie Wells, RB, ARI – Active

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Studs

Michael Vick, QB, PHI – Who else would be at the top of this list!?  Vick had a record breaking performance on Monday night this week in more ways than one.  The Eagles set team records in this game for total yards in a game, points in a half and had the biggest lead after the first quarter for any NFL road team since somewhere around 1950.  This win put the Eagles at the top of the NFC East and puts them squarely in the conversation for the best team in the NFL. Vick and the other Eagles weapons put together a unique set of weapons that are very difficult to game plan against.  Also, Vick has yet to throw an interception or lose a fumble this season.  It is safe to say he is a top 5 QB and playing the best football of his life.

Keiland Williams, RB, WAS - He had a big night on Monday in a game that couldn’t end fast enough for the Redskins.  Mike Shanahan is the most unpredictable coach in the league as far as dividing RB carries is concerned, so be careful with Williams if you pick him up… but he definitely needs to be owned after putting together a game with 139 total yards and three TDs.  We will need to wait and see who gets the work after the return of Clinton Portis before we know if Williams is a reliable flex play down the stretch.

Dwayne Bowe, WR, KC - There hasn’t been a more productive and consistent receiver in fantasy football since Dwayne Bowe got his act together with two great matchups in weeks 6 and 7.  In the past 5 games Bowe has managed 8 TDs and has two decent match ups coming up against the Cardinals and Seahawks. I was down on Bowe after his two big games in weeks 6 and 7, but have been wrong thus far and will adjust my rankings to make him a top 20 guy.  I still think he is over rated and his performance will slip again soon… but probably not until after that Seahawks game, so make sure you start him for at least 2 more weeks!

Tom Brady, QB, NE - I saw a lot of people rank Brady very low this week, with the match up against the Steelers.  The fact is, Brady is an elite fantasy QB… it does not matter who his opponent and receivers are.  He is your starter if you drafted him and let this week serve as a lesson if you sat him.  Just be thankful you didn’t learn it in the playoffs!

Fred Jackson, RB, BUF – Fantasy owners that were smart enough to recognize the talent of Jackson and moved him into their starting lineup this week were rewarded handsomely with 170 yards and 2 TDs.  This is really the only favorable match up left on the Bills’ schedule, given how good the Browns have been in recent weeks… so Jackson is realistically only a flex play at best from here on out.  I will say that he is one of the best bench RBs you could hope for in the playoffs to save your season from a big injury that hasn’t happened yet.

Mike Wallace, WR, PIT – When Hines Ward left this game on Sunday Night, I thought Wallace was in trouble.  He was able to adapt the style of routes he ran as well as deal with the double team to put together an 8 catch, 136 yard, 2 TD game.  Wallace has been a great WR2 for fantasy owners this year and after seeing him remain productive as the teams top receiver I am confident he will be a must-start as long as he remains healthy.

Rob Gronkowski, TE, NE - The Patriots rebounded from an embarrassing loss to the Cleveland Browns last week by travelling to Pittsburgh and earning a tough win against a team that I previously thought was one of the best in the NFL.  Gronk was targeted 5 times and caught each pass, which is not too impressive until you realize that 3 of them were TDs.  Don’t go nuts trying to pick-up a guy that only sees 5 targets, no matter who is throwing to him, but if you are a Hernandez owner… This game made it clear that neither is going to be a consistent option down the stretch.

Duds

Michael Turner, RB, ATL – I might be a little concerned about Turner only managing 3 fantasy points this week had the team lost, but they didn’t!  You can expect them to go back to their running ways after this very narrow victory over the Ravens.

Cedric Benson, RB, CIN – It is very mind-boggling that after looking like a strong and effective runner in the first half against the Steelers, Benson is only able to manage 24 yards on 14 carries. I will call this an anomaly for now, but his level of play has been down from last year and he is quickly dropping to a flex play if he can’t get it together soon.

Reggie Wayne, WR, IND – What do you do with an under-performing, favorite target of Peyton Manning? Start him!  I know it’s frustrating… but Wayne’s past has earned him remaining a top 10 receiver.  Especially considering that there are no receivers who are performing really well at the moment.

Steve Johnson, WR, BUF – The Bills were not behind in this game, they were winning and leaning on Fred Jackson to close out their first win of the year.  Even though he is a relatively unknown talent and on a bad team, I will keep my faith in him as a top 25 receiver for one more week…. considering he was on a streak of 6 productive games in a row (at least 9 fantasy points).

Jason Witten, TE, DAL - I did not expect the offense to click like they did this week.  I really am only very big on Witten as long as the team is struggling and in need of a safety valve receiver. With all the injuries, Witten will be a top 5 TE still… but for how long is the question.

Aaron Hernandez, TE, NE – It is starting to look like the Patriots will use a different TE depending on the match up and formations they are using. Even though it was just one bad game, I will be moving Hernandez out of my top 10.  Him and Gronkowski will likely be between 10 and 15.

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With six teams on the Bye this week, there are some serious concerns for fantasy owners.  The RB and WR positions are a mess and there are some difficult decisions to make.  With that said, there are also some great match ups.  If you are doing any Football Betting this weekend, or just a pick ‘em style league like the one on ESPN… you will need to do your research in order to be successful.

Question 1: Asked by Staup

Which TE should I start, Kellen Winslow @ Arizona or Visanthe Shiancoe @ NE?

Answer

Well, you got two pretty solid options with two good match ups.  I would go with Shiancoe.    If you saw the Vikings game last week, then you saw the Shiancoe TD get called back.  This play was made possible by the presence of Moss and Harvin on the outside.  This left the middle wide open for Shiancoe and it was really a very clear catch with no defenders to contest him.  If the ref that went under the hood wasn’t insane it would have stuck. This is exactly the benefit that Moss brings to this offense, he attracts enough attention that the other play makers get left with a lot of man coverage.  You can read my original answer, as well as others on fandemic.

Question 2: Asked by jpcase1218

Who should I start? Cedric Benson or Thomas Jones?

Answer

I LOVE Thomas Jones this week.  He is going to be able to play his slow-style and still see over 5 yards per carry.  The Chiefs have zero reason to drop back to pass at all on Sunday with their two-headed running back system going against Buffalo’s 32nd ranked run defense.  However… Benson is the feature back and there are very few of them in the NFL.  With Jamaal Charles soaking up the big plays and (most likely) the majority of the carries I would play it safe and go with Benson.  Benson gets a guaranteed 20 carries per game and to beat the Dolphins you have to run effectively (this is why Pittsburgh almost blew it last week).  You can see my original answer and the answers of others on fandemic.

Question 3: Asked by Andy

I have bye week issues this week and Jonathan Stewart is a possible fill-in.  What will his value be if DeAngelo Williams does not play this week?

Answer

Well, as the lead back his value certainly goes up.  Last year Stewart was a dynamic change of pace back and split carries with Williams.  The struggles of the Panthers offense has been in the passing game and therefore, the success of either Panthers RB will depend on how effective the passing game is.  Thus far this year Stewart has barely been able to cling to a 3 yards per carry average and has been a huge disappointment for owners who drafted him.  With a match-up like the Rams, if Williams is active he is a good start, but he still may not crack the top 20.  I would stay away from him if I could, but depending on what ‘bye week issues’ means you may not have a choice.

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Studs

Matt Forte, RB, CHI - Mid way through the first quarter Forte was over 100 yards with two scores.  He finished the day as the top scoring player in fantasy this week after amassing 188 all purpose yards to pair with those two scores.  This big performance propelled the Bears through a game where their QB threw 4 INTs and their defense shut down a struggling Panthers offense that was missing its only decent receiver.  Forte has been a pleasant surprise for fantasy owners and should be in your lineup weekly.

Malcom Floyd, WR, SD – Lloyd had a career performance on Sunday in a losing effort that snapped a 13 game winning streak for the Chargers over the Raiders.  I was impressed with the progress that Floyd had made carving out a niche in that Chargers offense and he did not disappoint me after placing him in the top 20 ranked WRs.  One game is not enough to get him to crack my top 10, but you can be sure he will remain a WR2 from here on out.

Ray Rice, RB, BAL – I spent all week trying to talk people out of benching their round one pick.  I hope you can all breathe a sigh of relief now after a reassuring performance from Rice on Sunday.  What impressed me the most was that both rushing TDs came on goal line carries. You can still expect McGahee to get a few… but hopefully Rice will get his share of chances to punch it in as well.  Start this guy every week, regardless of match up and don’t think twice about it.

Brandon Lloyd, WR, DEN – Alright… fine.  He is a starting WR for fantasy football, but you are on a short leash Brandon! He has never stayed consistent this long, so keep riding the wave as long as Orton can keep finding him open deep down the field. If you see the dropped passes start coming back bail out and try to trade him before he flops completely.

Hakeem Nicks, WR, NYG – Nicks cracked the top 10 in the WR rankings for the first time ever and did not disappoint in the slightest.  After 130 yards and 2 TDs you have to consider this guy a must start for the rest of the year.  Don’t trade him away either… he is here to stay.

LeSean McCoy, RB, PHI - Not too much more you can ask for from a guy with broken ribs.  He broke a very nice TD run to top off a 148 yard performance in a big win for the Eagles over the win less 49ers.  I was skeptical about him going into the year, but not any longer.  He has turned out to be a gem for fantasy owners and they should consider him a GREAT RB2 no matter who is at QB.

Mike Williams, WR, TB – The Buccaneers are the surprise of the year for me at 3-1 and ahead of the Saints in their divisional race.  Mike Willams has been an even bigger surprise for fantasy owners as he has proven to be a VERY consistent producer and should now be considered a great WR3 or flex play.

Cedric Benson, RB, CIN - Benson had 144 yards on 23 carries in a losing effort for the Bengals who are spending too much time trying to pass the ball and are unable to close out games at the end because of it.  Benson has remained productive despite the fact that the losses keep piling up.  You can still feel confident in Benson as a RB2 or flex play unless they are going against a top-flight run defense and you have some solid alternatives.

Michael Crabtree, WR, SF - It was only one big game, but it sure looks as if the new Offensive Coordinator of the 9ers is looking to get Crabtree involved in this offense for once.  The 49 offense rallied nicely at the end of the game, but it takes a complete effort to win a game and Alex Smith struggled in the 2nd and 3rd quarters.  You can’t count on this type of performance after just one game, but if you have any bye-week issues or injuries go ahead and start him… it just might pay off in a big way.

Terrell Owens, WR, CIN – Despite the poor play of Carson Palmer, as long as the Bengals refuse to lean on the running game, one of the Bengals receivers will have a good game each week.  It will be miserable trying to predict which one it will be, so if someone thinks Owens is the real deal then sell high!

Jason Witten, TE, DAL - This guy was once the best TE in the NFL and this season has been a disappointment as he was unable to find the end zone. That finally changed the same week that he has his highest yardage total of the year.  If you drafted him, there is no reason to search for a replacement because I believe the Cowboys will look to this familiar face to try and salvage this disappointing season.

Shaun Hill, QB, DET -You only have one more week left to use this clutch fill-in for Matthew Stafford.  Calvin Johnson has a shoulder injury that has Jim Schwartz concerned.  That has me concerned about the Lions offense.  They have no receiver that can draw the attention of defenses and open up the run game.  If the Lions can’t run they won’t be able to pass without their deep threat and best red zone threat.   I would look elsewhere if you need a QB for next week.

Duds

Anquan Boldin, WR, BAL - The Ravens had a tough start to their schedule and since they were able to run the ball so effectively in this game, there was no reason to test the excellent coverage provided by Champ Bailey.  Match ups are excellent for Boldin for the next two games before their bye week… and are actually pretty good the rest of the season. (the only exception is week 13 vs the Steelers)

Chad Ochocinco, WR, CIN - Well, you drafted a headache with 85 this year.  TO is taking too much of his production to rely on Chad every week as a WR2, but I still think he is the best fantasy receiver in Cincinnati so your probably going to need to keep using him for another week or two and see if that changes.

Matt Schaub, QB, HOU - The entire Texans offense collapsed this week. Treat it as an anomaly but with the production of Arian Foster, Schaub is no longer an elite QB.

Greg Jennings, WR, GB -The Redskins were allowing over 300 yards per game through the air and Jennings was limited to just 2 points.  With Rodgers suffering a concussion and it being unlikely that he will be active next week, think twice about starting Jennings against an underrated Dolphins secondary with two weeks to prepare for the game.

Sam Bradford, QB, STL - Mark Clayton can’t have been the only reason for the Rams’ success.  There will be growing pains for any rookie QB, but after his recent success I was very surprised to see Bradford shut down by the Lions of all teams.

Arian Foster, RB, HOU – See Matt Schaub.

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1. Chris Johnson
2. Frank Gore
3. Arian Foster
4. Michael Turner
5. Maurice Jones-Drew
6. Cedric Benson
7. Darren McFadden
8. Rashard Mendenhall
9. Steven Jackson
10. Pierre Thomas
11. LeSean McCoy
12. Ray Rice
13. LaDanian Tomlinson
14. Ahmad Bradshaw
15. Ryan Mathews
16. Ronnie Brown
17. DeAngelo Williams
18. Beanie Wells
19. Jahvid Best
20. Matt Forte
21. Joseph Addai
22. Justin Forsett
23. Ricky Williams
24. Shonn Greene
25. Peyton Hillis
26. Brandon Jackson
27. Clinton Portis
28. Laurence Maroney
29. Tim Hightower
30. BenJarvus Green-Ellis
31. John Kuhn
32. CJ Spiller
33. Jonathan Stewart
34. Marshawn Lynch
35. Ryan Torain
36. Jerome Harrison
37. Willis McGahee
38. Donald Brown
39. Jason Snelling
40. Michael Bush
41. Sammy Morris
42. Mike Tolbert
43. Chester Taylor
44. Brandon Jacobs
45. Darren Sproles
46. Rashad Jennings
47. Fred Jackson
48. Bernard Scott
49. Correll Buckhalter
50. Javon Ringer

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1. Chris Johnson
2. Frank Gore
3. Maurice Jones-Drew
4. Arian Foster
5. Micheal Turner
6. Pierre Thomas
7. Cedric Benson
8. Steven Jackson
9. Ray Rice
10. Darren McFadden
11. Rashard Mendenhall
12. Ahmad Bradshaw
13. LeSean McCoy
14. Ryan Mathews
15. LaDanian Tomlinson
16. Ronnie Brown
17. DeAngelo Williams
18. Beanie Wells
19. Jahvid Best
20. Matt Forte
21. Joseph Addai
22. Justin Forsett
23. Shonn Greene
24. Ricky Williams
25. Brandon Jackson
26. Clinton Portis
27. Peyton Hillis
28. Laurence Maroney
29. Tim Hightower
30. John Kuhn
31. CJ Spiller
32. Jonathan Stewart
33. BenJarvus Green-Ellis
34. Marshawn Lynch
35. Jerome Harrison
36. Ryan Torain
37. Willis McGahee
38. Donald Brown
39. Jason Snelling
40. Michael Bush
41. Sammy Morris
42. Mike Tolbert
43. Chester Taylor
44. Brandon Jacobs
45. Darren Sproles
46. Fred Jackson
47. Rashad Jennings
48. Bernard Scott
49. Correll Buckhalter
50. Javon Ringer

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Love

Cedric Benson, RB, CIN – If the Bengals had another viable option at Quarterback Carson Palmer’s career would end in the middle of the season.  With poor QB play the Bengals will be forced to do what they do best, run the ball.  After getting back to the type of offense they ran last season in week 3, the Bengals are about to go up against one of the worst teams in the league… the Browns.  I would expect at least 25 carries with 100 yards and a score.  Benson is easily a top 10 RB this week.

Maurice Jones-Drew, RB, JAC - The Colts defense without Bob Sanders has been disappointing.  Their biggest weakness is against the run and with the quality of the Colts pass rush there is no reason to make David Garrard throw any more than he needs to.  MJD is back to 100% and should have a very good game against the Colts.

Austin Collie, WR, IND – The number one WR in fantasy football is not even the highest ranked guy on his team.  Garcon is going to be a game time decision this week and Collie has earned the trust of Peyton Manning.  In addition, players coming back from hamstring injuries usually do not get their full workload right away in an effort to ensure there are no setbacks.  Garcon’s workload is already shrinking and Collie is almost certain to be the one to join Reggie Wayne in any 2 WR formations.

Kyle Orton, QB, DEN – Orton, surprisingly, has a lot of receiving options at his disposal this season and coming off the best performance of his career it is hard not to have high expectations.  Orton just barely cracked my top 10 this week and if he is able to keep up this level of play then we will see him in the top 10 a few more times this season.

Louis Murphy, WR, OAK - I have been waiting for someone in Oakland to step up and earn the top spot on the depth chart at WR.  It appears as though Bruce Gradkowski was able to provide stability to the offense and over the past two weeks there has been some apparent chemistry between him and Louis Murphy.  Houston’s pass defense has been terrible so far this year and with how explosive the Texans offense is, the Raiders should need to air it out in an effort to keep up.

LaDanian Tomlinson, RB, NYJ – Gotta love the top RB on any team going up against this Buffalo defense.  Even though the Bills were able to score some points last week, the Patriots defense is pretty terrible.  The Jets should be able to play the typical Rex Ryan style of football and pound the running game and control the clock.  At least for now, LT is playing much better than Shonn Greene and should see the majority of the work for at least the first half of the season.

Donovan McNabb, QB, WAS – There is no way that McNabb rolls over in the big-story match up of the week.  The Eagles defense is going to be the reason the Eagles win this game, but McNabb will be plenty productive on the stat sheet.

Justin Forsett, RB, SEA – The Seahawks finally have the right idea, DON’T GIVE JULIUS JONES THE FOOTBALL.  Last week Jones got zero carries and Forsett was used as the feature back.  In a divisional match up against St. Louis this week Forsett, is a solid RB2 and great flex play.

Jeremy Maclin, WR, PHI - Maclin has certainly lived up to the preseason hype and there must be plenty of credit payed to Vick for this.  With four TDs in the first three games Maclin has developed a niche as a red zone threat for the Eagles.  I expect both the play of Vick and Maclin to remain at a high level.  Maclin should be a solid WR2 throughout the season.

Packers, D/ST, GB – The Packers would likely still be my #1 ranked defense even if Matthew Stafford was going to be active.  Last week the Packers lost a tough divisional game to the now first place Bears and I can’t imagine this game is anything other than a blowout with Jahvid Best on a bum toe.

Hate

Joe Flacco, QB, BAL – The Steelers have been playing lights-out defense so far this season and they are undefeated despite playing with sub-par quarterbacks.  Despite all the new weapons at their disposal this will not be a great statistical game for anyone on either offense.

Jonathan Stewart, RB, CAR – Given the struggles of the Panthers and the poor performance of Stewart personally, you really can’t start the Daily Show until further notice.

Jahvid Best, RB, DET – Turf toe is a common injury in today’s NFL, but there is nothing common about the level of pain it causes.  If Best is active, his role and productivity will be hindered by this injury.

Michael Crabtree, WR, SF – The 9ers offense has been a huge disappointment and with the firing of their offensive coordinator there is little chance that starting Crabtree would pay off until we see that this offense can be competitive.

Anquan Boldin, WR, BAL - See Joe Flacco.

Lance Moore, WR, NO – Moore’s performance last week is not anything that you can predict or expect with any consistency.  Meachem and Henderson will have days like Moore did in week 3.  Rumor has it this guy named Colston is pretty good too.

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