Pickups

Javon Ringer, RB, TEN – Chris Johnson is clearly the bust of the 2011 season and the Titans seem to have caught on as well.  Ringer split carries evenly with CJ.5k as each back had 14.  Ringer was almost twice as productive on the ground and also out performed Johnson in the receiving game as well.  At this point I might rather own Ringer, but I truly believe that if you drafted Johnson you need to keep him and go down with the ship.

Eric Decker, WR, DEN – I may have called the Decker vs. Thomas decision a little early. I am not going to make a sweeping declaration yet about who is the better play and the rankings of them in the future will be based off match up and how I think opposing defenses will treat each receiver. For now though, you should hope to use a different option even in your flex as Tebow really has not played very well over the two games he has started.

Reggie Bush, RB, MIA – This is very likely as good as it gets for Reggie this season but if you can put up over a hundred yards on fewer than 20 carries, you have my attention.  Bush is an underrated as an interior rusher but the issue is that Daniel Thomas is still better at it.  Bush needs to be owned after this performance and should make a decent flex play in the weeks that Thomas can not start.

Ben Obomanu, WR, SEA – Seattle has had their troubles and they certainly did continue in this game. One thing that can be said is that they were able to stretch the field vertically in the passing game. Obomanu and Rice were over 100 yards and Baldwin was over 70 as well.  The Seahawks are going to keep falling behind and the will have to pass. If Obamanu can keep getting open deep he will put up some decent numbers, even if it is in junk-time.

Christian Ponder, QB, MIN – Ponder did more than win this game, he played very well.  When you have a back like Adrian Peterson all you really need to do is manage the game and minimize mistakes. A missed field goal that would tie the game in the closing seconds does help but if your in a deep league or a 2 QB league, I think Ponder should be good for double digit fantasy points on a weekly basis.

Dump List

DeAngelo Williams, RB, CAR – When Carolina gets to the goal line, they use Cam Newton or Jonathan Stewart. Williams got a big contract extension and really hasn’t been proving that he was worth it. He will need to start breaking off some big TD runs to be of much value to fantasy owners.

Chad Ochocinco, WR, NE – Still owned in over 50% of leagues. Really people?

Ryan Torain, RB, WAS – Torain and the Redskins have had three pretty good match ups in a row and in these three weeks, Torain has totaled three fantasy points.  I will be ranking Helu highest of the three, but have no confidence in ANY Redskin apart from Fred Davis.

CJ Spiller, RB, BUF – He is still owned in about 25% of leagues and this is too much. With Fred Jackson playing out of his mind, there is no reason to expect Spiller to get on the field and be much of a factor.

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Pickups

Earnest Graham, RB, TB – Graham did a great job filling in for Blount this week and solidified his spot in this article today by gaining 131 yards Sunday. I expect Blount back, but even as a backup Graham has value in PPR formats. Graham is 4th in the NFL in receptions among RB’s, which puts him above Chris Johnson, Fred Jackson and Ray Rice. Take note PPR players.

Jacoby Jones, WR, HOU – Houston is not the same team without Andre Johnson but as I thought, Jacoby Jones is the guy you want to take a chance on in Johnson’s absence. This week Jones was able to haul in 4 catches on 7 targets for 73 yards and a score. This is more than acceptable for a flex play.

Dallas Clark, TE, IND – Clark was targeted 7 times in this game and managed 53 yards and a score. Losing a fumble kept him out of double digit points, but I think he still needs to be owned. Without Manning he is no better than a top 10 guy, but last I checked that makes him a weekly starter and a lot of people dropped him too soon.

Danario Alexander, WR, STL – I’ve made my choice for which Rams receiver I would want to start should I need to. It’s nothing more than apparent trust with Bradford either. While three different receivers were targeted exactly 10 times, Alexander hauled in 6 of them for a team-high 91 yards receiving.

Arrelious Benn, WR, TB – The Buccs made a statement when they beat the Saints in Tampa on Sunday afternoon. After being dismantled by the 49ers last week, many people (myself included) were questioning whether they would have what it takes to be a playoff contender late into the season. The answer is in: maybe. Tampa is a young and dangerous team, they beat an NFC powerhouse with a total team effort. Back up RB Earnest Graham proved he has fantasy value, especially in PPR leagues by doing a great job filling in for LeGarrette Blount. The defense intercepted Brees 3 times and Tampa put themselves on top of the NFC South. Benn has made some explosive plays and is worth a roster spot to me in some deep formats.

Dump List

Denarius Moore, WR, OAK – I do a lot of warning about Raiders receivers lately. I am OK with picking one up after a big game if you have an open roster spot, but don’t not pick up someone on my pickups list to save room for any Raider receiver not named Jacoby Ford.

Pierre Thomas, RB, NO – Sproles has been the surprise stud of the Saints’ running backs and with Ingram handling most of the traditional carries, Thomas just doesn’t have enough work left over to be much of a factor. Unless someone gets hurt, you can’t risk starting Thomas.

Chad Ochocinco, WR, NE – He’s still owned in almost half of leagues. Really? When will you guys finally give up!? It’s definitely time to drop this once great receiver.

Thomas Jones, RB, KC – Still owned in a quarter of all leagues. Jackie Battle is the guy and Jones is done. McCluster has the 3rd down back duties and I wouldn’t even start Jones if Battle went down for the season next week.

Johnny Knox, WR, CHI – Cutler actually had time to throw this week and Knox STILL couldn’t get it done. I’m more than OK with dropping Knox at this point… I recommend it.

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Pickups

Jackie Battle, RB, KC – I talked about Battle a bit on a podcast I appear on and mentioned him to some people in REALLY deep formats last week as someone that was likely to win the starting job soon. Soon was REALLY soon. In week 5, Battle had 119 yards and averaged 6.3 per carry. He had a really soft matchup this week against a Colts defense that hasn’t been able to stop the run for quite some time.  This is shown by Old Man Thomas Jones managing 55 yards on 10 carries. Battle saw more work, has younger legs and was more productive. He can’t be as good as Jamaal Charles but with bye weeks still to come, Battle makes a nice fill-in depending on his opponent.

Doug Baldwin, WR, SEA – It looked like Sidney Rice was going to be a big factor for the Seahawks passing game and I don’t see that changing at all. Statistical production is not the only way to be a factor.  Rice is clearly the best option for fantasy owners and he is also the guy that defenses are going to focus on the most.  This will open things up for Baldwin AND Obomanu who each managed double digit fantasy points this week as they each had a receiving TD.  Baldwin also had over 100 yards and caught 8 of the 9 passes that went his way. This really builds trust with your QB and should ensure a decent number of targets over the next few weeks.  You can pick up Obomanu too in deeper formats, but Baldwin had fewer targets, more catches and more yards.

Alex Smith, QB, SF – I feel bad for Smith. I think he is a decent, game managing QB. He has had more offensive coordinators that seasons he has started in San Fran and this makes it impossible for him to find a rhythm. Frank Gore is finally rolling and this opens the passing game for Smith and he has some quality receivers. He didn’t have a big yard total in week 5, but Smith threw for three TDs and if he has a nice match up while your QB is on Bye, Smith makes a viable fill-in option.

Jonathan Dwyer, RB, PIT – Issac Redman saw more carries than Dwyer (11 for Dwyer and 15 for Redman) and yet Dwyer was able to be twice as productive in yardage totals.  Neither guy saw the end zone, but Ben was hogging all the TDs. Redman also left this game early and I would much rather own Dwyer than Redman after this performance.

Pierre Garcon, WR, IND – I don’t think he’s that talented. I still think he struggles with drops. He has a LOT of chemistry with Curtis Painter. He can’t be left on free agency or waivers in any league. Those are the facts, as I see them.  I don’t believe in either him or his QB individually, but there is apparently an undeniable connection and understanding that these two guys have with each other. If it goes this way one more week, Garcon will sit higher in my rankings than Reggie Wayne.

Dump List

Chad Ochocinco, WR, NE – We are STILL waiting for 85 to be a factor in the Patriots offense and Brady is STILL having a career year. If it hasn’t clicked ONCE in 5 weeks, I don’t see it happening all year.  He still has upside but it is dropping by the week and he will need to get it done a few weeks in a row to earn enough trust to be worth a start.

Scott Chandler, TE, BUF – He is really just a red zone target in this Bills offense and even with wide receiver injuries piling up in Buffalo, I don’t see his yardage total increasing.

Denarius Moore, WR, OAK – The woes of trying to use a Raider receiver are still evident as they seem to be very inconsistent and take turns having a big game.  Jacoby Ford is the guy you want to own and I don’t have any issue with dropping any of the other guys. This week Heyward-Bey and Chaz Schillens were the big-producers and who knows who it will be next week.

Dallas Clark, TE, IND – Despite his talent, the offense is not able to use him effectively. On talent alone he is a top 5 guy but with no production at all this season, you can’t wait any longer to make a roster move that might actually get you some points.

Devery Henderson, WR, NO – As with all Saints receivers, there will still be big games for Henderson. You just can’t accurately guess when they will be.  He is own-able but if you have someone with a lot of upside on free agency, make the switch.

Kyle Orton, QB, DEN – Time to jump ship. Tebow might be the guy now and Orton hasn’t been very productive in the run-first John Fox offense.

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Well, we have 4 weeks in the books and the bye weeks are about to begin with Baltimore, Cleveland, Dallas, Miami, St. Louis and Washington all about to take the week off.  For this and the three weeks that follow, depth will be very important and ignoring the waiver wire could prove to cost fantasy owners some very important wins. So let’s take a look at the most appealing guys left on free agency in a lot of leagues.

Pickups

Jacoby Jones, WR, HOU – If you didn’t see Andre Johnson’s injury, it looked TERRIBLE. He caught the ball, turned up field and crumpled to the ground like someone shot him. These non-contact injuries tend to be more severe and while the news has been good so far, I am still considering Johnson to be out for at least two weeks and his fantasy-owners should plan accordingly.  Jones was a popular sleeper last season as he is similar to AJ in many ways and the Texans’ offense is now looking for someone to fill that role. If I owned Johnson, I would run to get Jones off the waiver wire before someone else scoops him up and you miss out on all the targets that Jones should be about to see.

Ryan Torain, RB, WAS – Everytime I answer a question or give advice on a Redskins RB, I give the Shanahan disclaimer. Mike Shanahan hates fantasy owners and you can NEVER be surprised to see his starter or feature back change. Ever. Ryan Torain was the guy I thought was the best feature-back to lead the team in carries and Hightower has never been in that role before and Helu looks more like a third down back. Out of left field, Torain was put in and tallied 135 yards and a TD. Washington is on its way to the Bye week for this week, but Torain has to be considered the top fantasy-option among Redskins backs and can’t be left on free agency. But, don’t expect this to be a long-term deal with his injury concerns.

Laurent Robinson, WR, DAL – Dallas is about to head into the bye week and Austin is going to get healthy again before too long. But Ogletree had appeared to be the one you want while Austin is out, but Robinson showed this week that he is the guy you want after 7 catches for 116 yards.

Stevan Ridley, RB, NE – This is the second week in a row where I thought Ridley looked better than Law Firm and I am starting to get concerned for the value of both Woodhead and Law Firm.  This week Woodhead was almost completely irrelevant and both Green-Ellis and Ridley saw double digit carries as well as found the end zone.  On six fewer carries, Ridley out rushed Law Firm by 22 yards. I would pick up Ridley but I am not excited to need to use any of three Patriot backs until we can be sure how they will be used.

Eric Decker, WR, DEN – Lloyd was back and he was still putting up numbers.  Why Decker is only owned in just over 60% of leagues is beyond me. 5 catches for 56 yards and two TD’s adds up to a quality outing for fantasy owners. As we head into the bye weeks, you can do a LOT worse than starting Decker in your flex.

Steve Breaston, WR, KC – The Chiefs brought in Breaston to be a complimentary deep threat to play opposite Dwayne Bowe.  Now that Charles is gone and the running game is lacking, Breaston is forced to play the role of possession receiver. I wouldn’t recommend picking him up unless your in a deeper PPR league… but he has value going into 4 straight weeks of 6 teams on bye.

Victor Cruz, WR, NYG – This guy just looks like a play maker on the field. You get the sense that anytime the ball gets into his hands, he has a chance to take it all the way. Apart from a bonehead play that almost backfired big-time, his 6 catches for 98 yards looks pretty impressive with both Nicks and Manningham in the lineup. And for the record, I DO think he gave himself up on that play. He didn’t trip, he just flopped down face first between two defenders and left the ball there as he went back to the huddle. He likely assumed someone touched him as the defenders were RIGHT there and I highly doubt he’ll make that mistake again.

Dump List

Scott Chandler, TE, BUF – He is a fine play if your guy is on a bye week or even in a TD only league, but after this week we know that Buffalo is not yet an elite offense and Chandler has only REALLY been effective around the goal line.  There is really no reason to hold a bench spot for Chandler in your standard league.  I just find it too hard to trust a guy with one career catch before this season.

Johnny Knox, WR, CHI – With the woes that the Bears offensive line is trying to fight through, the Bears’ passing game won’t be more than mediocre this season and Cutler only has time to find an open receiver or check down to Forte in the flat. I don’t think you should drop Knox unless you really like a free agent, but I don’t see starting him anytime soon so don’t be afraid to in order to make room.

Chad Ochocinco, WR, NE – He still might find a way to a productive part of Brady’s offense but I don’t see it happening anytime soon and even when it does, after so many weeks of no production he needs to build trust with a couple of solid performances in a row.

Hines Ward, WR, PIT – I still see Ward on some rosters and unless your league counts points for Dancing with the Stars, this is crazy. Ben can’t stay on his feet OR healthy this season and Ward has lost his touch due to age. Get him off your team already folks!

Carnell Williams, RB, STL – Steven Jackson sure looks to have lost a step, but he is still better than Cadillac Williams. Now that Jackson is healthy again, you can drop Williams. He is not worth the bench spot.

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Question 1: Asked by @Magnific_ANT_1

I wake up this morning and I’ve been offered Julio Jones for Tim Hightower. What about the Helu factor. That’s has been a reason for me wanting deal Hightower.

Answer

I would not do this deal. Helu is likely to stay in his change of pace roll as long as Hightower is able to keep up this production. I do not think Julio Jones is going to be overly productive this season.  I would have liked to see him have a big scoring play already and think his progress will be a little too slow to be a big fantasy-factor this season.

Question 2: Asked by @aglikas

Crazy thought, putting in a waiver claim for Ochocinco and dropping Hines Ward. Are you in favor of this?

Answer

I think it is a very smart move. Ward is old and his production has dipped too far with the Pittsburgh offensive line playing so terribly. Chad might not be playing well right now but the Patriot offense is a machine and I didn’t expect very much from him early on. Ward has no chance to break out, but Chad still has time to get his act together and become a valuable target for Brady.

Question 3: Asked by @jersymikejr

Cam Newton, Matt Ryan or Kevin Kolb?

Answer

This is a two man race between Ryan and Newton in my eyes and it is REALLY close. I don’t discredit Cam for last week’s game in a monsoon… he did get the win after all and posted decent fantasy points.  Ryan has a safe match up here and I have to give him the nod against a bad Seahawks team. Newton has potential for a bigger game this week, but I think Ryan will get you over 15 points for certain and the rookie is always more likely to implode and do nothing.

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Love

Jamaal Charles, RB, KC – The Broncos run defense is not quite as bad as Buffalo’s… but it is close!  They are currently ranked 30^th in the NFL and are allowing an average of 141 yards per game… and the Chiefs have the best rushing attack in the league.

Santonio Holmes, WR, NYJ – The Patriots’ secondary has done the unthinkable… fallen below the Texans in yards per game allowed.  Also, Brady and the Pats’ offense is firing on all cylinders… so Sanchez and the Jets will need to score a lot of points and move the ball primarily through the air in this game.

Michael Vick, QB, PHI – Vick goes against the Texans 31^st ranked pass defense and given his level of play over the course of the season, he is going to be my top ranked QB this week.

Mario Manningham, WR, NYG – The Redskins defense has fallen apart and the offense is not able to consistently produce points.  It looks as if Manningham will be the top receiver on the depth chart for New York this game and other than Kevin Boss, there is no one else Manning will trust near the end zone.

Mike Tolbert, RB, SD – With the Raiders 28^th ranked run defense at home for a match up, I have a good feeling that Tolbert will be able to put together his third straight 100 yard performance.  Tolbert also specializes in short yardage runs, so there is no one to vulture any TDs from him at the 1 yard line.

Jeremy Maclin, WR, PHI – Even though DeSean Jackson is on the top of the depth chart, Maclin has been remarkably consistent over the course of the fantasy season and the Texans are not able to stop people from passing on them.  I foresee a blowout performance by the Eagles in this game, who are looking to make a statement after a week 12 loss to the Bears.

Steven Jackson, RB, STL – The NFC West is up for grabs and with Frank Gore out for the year, the Rams are the team that is best equipped to make a run for the playoffs.  Why? Because of Jackson and his power-running style.  As for this week, the Cardinals are allowing an average of 24 fantasy points per game to opposing running backs.

Jay Cutler, QB, CHI – How can you not love Cutler after a 4 TD 0 INT performance against the Eagles last week, especially with a game against the Lions!  Detroit should be starting Drew Stanton at QB for this game and with the struggles of their running game, expect the Bears to win this one handily.

Reggie Wayne, WR, IND – The Colts have to get their season back on the right track.  Addai is going to be returning soon and Manning will have both of his trusted veterans back in place.  Wayne has not had very many big games this season, but he has been consistent and he has the trust of his QB.

Hate

Wes Welker, WR, NE – There is some talk that Revis might not be on Welker the entire game… how can this be true?  Who is a bigger threat at receiver than Welker for the Patriots? Exactly. Despite his recent turnaround, there is too much risk with starting Welker here.  Treat it as a test… if he can get decent production in this matchup, he is back to a must-start for the playoffs!

Cedric Benson, RB, CIN – With the defending super bowl champions coming to town this week, the Bengals are extremely likely to be playing from behind almost the entire game and Benson will be made irrelevant by the need to pass the ball.  This has been the story of his entire season.

Calvin Johnson, WR, DET – With the Lions down to their 3^rd QB for their week 13 matchup against the Bears, there is little chance that the Lions are able to play at a high level like they have all season.  The Bears will pressure Drew Stanton all game and it is very difficult to throw touchdown passes to your pro bowl wide receiver when you are lying on your back.  You still have to start Megatron, but lower your expectations.

Brian Westbrook, RB, SF – The 49ers have come out and said that they will not likely use Westbrook as the feature back for the rest of the way.  This is due to the fact that they are just one game back from leading their division and making the playoffs!  Westbrook would not be able to play at a high level with 25 or so carries a game into the playoffs and you can expect to see him share carries with Anthony Dixon.  The main reason for not liking Westbrook this week is their opponent however… I don’t see how the Packers lose back to back games when they host the 9ers this week.

Chad Ochocinco, WR, CIN – He is still just too risky to start.  The Bengals offense is in disarray and the defense is being dismantled by injuries.  The Saints are currently ranked 3^rd in the NFL at defending the pass, so the only Bengal receiver you should consider starting is TO unless you’re in a deep format or injury trouble.

Matt Schaub, QB, HOU – the Eagles were missing Asante Samuel last week in their loss to the Bears.  It appears as though he will be a go for the Thursday night game this week against Schaub and the Texans.  You should sit Schaub if you have a viable alternative, as Samuel is the ball hawk that completes this Eagles secondary.

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Love

Peyton Hillis, RB, CLE – Hillis just may be the real deal.  In the past couple weeks people have compared him to Mike Alstott, Jerome Bettis and Larry Cszonka.  I won’t go that far yet, but for this season he is one of the best and most consistent RBs that you could hope to own.  He is a must start and a top 5 back until week 17 when they play the Steelers again, the last time is the only week he was not able to score 10 points all season.

Drew Brees, QB, NO – Brees and the Saints have had their ups and downs this season, but when you have one of the best QBs in the league and they play against the 28th ranked pass defense at home your decision is easy.  Seriously though, a lot of this love has to do with the likelihood that one or both of the injured RBs will return this week.  This offense will be very close to what it was last year once both are back and we are due to see a flash of that production this week regardless.

Hakeem Nicks, WR, NYG - I know he didn’t have a great game last week, but the Giants have a track record of being inconsistent over the past couple season.  When they play well, they stack up against any team in the NFL.  I won’t go as far as calling this a new trend or anything, but if they struggle this week too then that will be the time for concern.

Felix Jones, RB, DAL – Normally, I would not advise you to start Jones after a season full of disappointment and just one productive game.  However, this week he is a decent flex option as he goes against a Lions defense that is banged up and allows a lot of 20+ yard plays.  Lets just hope Jason Garrett can get this team turned around and keep this running game productive.

Matt Ryan, QB, ATL – Matt Ryan is on the road this week and that is typically not a great time to start him.  This week will be an exception as the Falcons are on a roll lately and going against the Rams’ 18th ranked pass defense.  Despite being on the road, the Ryan-White connection will still be in a dome and this team is on a mission to prove that they are the best team in the NFC.  What is scaring me the most about the Falcons? They might be right!

Santonio Holmes, WR, NYJ – Holmes is a clutch player that Sanchez is learning to look to when the game is on the line.  This week against the worst secondary in the NFL should be a great game for Holmes, Mark Sanchez and Braylon Edwards.

Hate

Ryan Fitzpatrick, QB, BUF - Fitzpatrick is a great backup to have.  Since taking over the job, he has managed double digit fantasy points in each game.  With his lowest two performances coming in consecutive weeks now, sit him down if you have another viable option.

Jahvid Best, RB, DET – Fool me once, shame on you… fool me for 7 straight weeks? My bad.  It has been 7 weeks since Best managed double digit fantasy points and after not even getting the job done against the BILLS… he is at best a deep flex play.  I’m sure he’ll score a TD again at some point during his career… but I’m done thinking it might happen this season after such a long drought.

Chad Ochocinco, WR, CIN - Don’t let one great game change the negative opinion that 85 has been crafting all season.  Expect the double-team to be back on him this week as well as for him to have a modest game at best.  Asking for any more than that is asking to get burned.

Keiland Williams, RB, WAS - Even if Portis and Torain are non-factors in this game, the Tennessee Titans have a very good run defense and Williams is at best a flex play in this game.

Brandon Marshall, WR, MIA – He’s just been bad this year.  He has only two games in the double digits and with Tyler Thigpen calling the shots this week, all of the upside that kept Marshall as a fantasy-starter is gone.

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Love

Tom Brady, QB, NE - The Patriots have quietly been the best team in the NFL so far this season.  As the only team to only lose one game thus far this season, it is hard not to view them as a Super Bowl favorite.  For fantasy owners, this week is a dream come true with the match up against the Browns.  Look for Brady to have a nice game as well as the Law Firm. As far as who will be CATCHING the balls Brady is throwing… who knows.

Michael Turner, RB, ATL - Turner has been a stud for fantasy owners.  There are not many backs left in the NFL that get the number of carries that Turner does and since they are going against the league’s 30th ranked run defense a hundred yards is seemingly guaranteed.

Hakeem Nicks, WR, NYG – With the status of Matt Hasselbeck still unknown and how thoroughly the Raiders decimated the Seahawks, it is hard to fall in love with this season’s breakout receiver.  Nicks has vaulted past Steve Smith to be the goto target for Eli and the Giants passing attack.

Eli Manning, QB, NYG - The Seahawks have an easy schedule this year being part of the NFL’s least competitive division, the NFC West.  The fact that they are ranked 29th against the pass with this easy schedule is a bit misleading… Manning should be in for a 300 yard performance with a couple of TD passes.

Adrian Peterson, RB, MIN - The Vikings offense with Randy Moss was able to stretch the field and pass the ball effectively with Percy Harvin not drawing so many double teams.  Now that they are without Moss again and Favre’s injuries are stacking up, the obvious strategy for Childress and the Vikings offense is a heavy dose of Peterson.  Given that the Cardinals are allowing an average of 143 yards per game it should be a good week for AP’s fantasy owners.

Matt Forte, RB, CHI - This will be interesting to see how this game plays out.  Against the Bills, the smart choice is to run the ball as often as possible, but that really does not fit into the Mike Martz scheme.  Forte has made some BIG plays to help the Bears struggling offense and with the Bills being so bad against the run it is likely that we see a couple big runs this week too.

Greg Jennings, WR, GB - After David Garrard threw four TD passes against the Cowboys secondary last week, it is hard not to love Aaron Rodgers in this match up.  With Driver being hampered by a bad hamstring and shut out for two weeks straight, Jennings is the only trusted target that Rodgers has left.

Hate

Chad Ochocinco, WR, CIN – Conventional wisdom says that 85 is a better fantasy option than TO, but past performance this season says otherwise. I am done sticking to my guns on Ochocinco and while this will likely change before long… start TO and bench Ochocinco for this week.

Jahvid Best, RB, DET – It may have taken fellow Lions RB Kevin Smith a LONG time to fully recover from last season’s knee injury… now that he is back and Best has been under-performing since week 2 the carries are being split.  Until Best shows some flashes of the play making ability he demonstrated at the start of the season, feel free to bench him (though given the bye weeks that will be tough).

Matt Schaub, QB, HOU – Being one of the weeks with six teams on a bye, you aren’t likely to have a better option than Schaub… but he sure has been disappointing to the fantasy owners that drafted him.  Going against the league’s best defense (statistically) means we’ll have to lower our already-low expectations.

Carson Palmer, QB, CIN - I am on record as hating Palmer for a while now.  His play has declined over the years and the only reason his is own-able still is due to the fact that the Bengals refuse to run as often as they did last year.  But, given their tough Monday night match up against the Steelers in week 9, I doubt you need much convincing to sit him.

Dwayne Bowe, WR, KC - The two big games that Bowe had, came with great match-ups and while I spent most of last week trying to convince people that the Bills are not a good match up for your QBs and WRs… it isn’t a bad match-up either.  Last week Bowe only caught three passes for 16 yards and while one was a TD you were probably expecting better.  Don’t do that anymore, he should go back to being just as disappointing as he was earlier in the season.

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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. Randy Moss
2. Brandon Marshall
3. Andre Johnson
4. Roddy White
5. Reggie Wayne
6. DeSean Jackson
7. Greg Jennings
8. Calvin Johnson
9. Larry Fitzgerald
10. Chad Ochocinco
11. Marques Colston
12. Santana Moss
13. Austin Collie
14. Jeremy Maclin
15. Steve Smith (CAR)
16. Hakeem Nicks
17. Anquan Boldin
18. Donald Driver
19. Malcom Floyd
20. Steve Smith (NYG)
21. Wes Welker
22. Louis Murphy
23. Johnny Knox
24. Mike Wallace
25. Mark Clayton
26. Mike Sims-Walker
27. Terrell Owens
28. Michael Crabtree
29. Eddie Royal
30. Legedu Naanee
31. Hines Ward
32. Demaryius Thomas
33. Derrick Mason
34. Pierre Garcon
35. Jacoby Jones
36. Braylon Edwards
37. Kenny Britt
38. Lance Moore
39. Devin Hester
40. Mario Manningham
41. Lee Evans
42. Kevin Walter
43. Mike Thomas
44. Nate Washington
45. Jabar Gaffney
46. Davone Bess
47. Mike Williams (SEA)
48. Josh Cribbs
49. Robert Meachem
50. Josh Morgan

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