Love

Rashard Mendenhall, RB, PIT – Pittsburgh has had issues on the offensive line this season and Mendenhall’s stats have suffered as well as Roethlisberger’s health.  Ben is not even close to 100% and the match up is especially soft for Mendenhall and the running game.  It has been a while since you’ve been able to use him as an RB1 but he snuck into my top 10 this week and has to be in your lineup this week.

A.J. Green, WR, CIN – The rookie battle between Patrick Peterson and Green might be spoiled by an injury as Green is currently listed as questionable for this week but he is tough and should they start him, you have to as well.  The deck was stacked against Green this season with a fellow rookie QB and shortened off-season but he has been unbelievable and the match up isn’t really that scary as Peterson has gotten beat often enough.

Tim Tebow, QB, DEN – The Bills defense gives up a lot of yardage on the ground and with the number of carries Tebow gets, he is among the safest options at QB this week. I wouldn’t even be too surprised if he got up over 100 if the game gets out of hand, which isn’t too likely.

Shonn Greene, RB, NYJ  - The Jets are currently clinging to a playoff spot tied at an 8-6 record with Cincinnati and playing against the Giants, who have been weak to the ground game this season. Greene is also playing the best football of his career and the offense plays much better when the ground game is effective.

Demaryius Thomas, WR, DEN – Thomas has clearly over-taken Decker as Tebow’s top receiving threat and going on the road to Buffalo means that there will be a a fair amount of yardage to be gained for the Bronco offense.  The run game will be the focus but that means that with 8 men in the box, you can’t double cover Thomas very often.

DeAngelo Williams, RB, CAR – Williams has scored in 2 straight weeks and with Tampa Bay being the 3rd worst rush defense in the NFL, the chances are better than ever that Williams AND Stewart are able to put together another nice game.  Don’t overreact too much though, you have to the play the guys that got you to the playoffs and he certainly wasn’t very helpful this year. But, you could consider him in your flex if you’ve had an injury over the past couple weeks.

Victor Cruz, WR, NYG – Darrelle Revis will be locked on Hakeem Nicks, who has been the top threat over the past few weeks by far. Cruz will be the more targeted of the two and is more likely to have a big game in what can barely be considered a home game for the Jets.

Hate

Anquan Boldin, WR, BAL – Joe Haden has been shutting down elite receivers all season and Boldin has been on the slide recently too. Boldin might pull in a TD but he has so little upside, I think you could sit him down easily this week.

Marshawn Lynch, RB, SEA – I know what you are thinking, he has been really consistent over the past few weeks but look at it this way.  The 49ers are the top rush defense in the NFL and have allowed 259 yards fewer than the Ravens, who are in 2nd. Last week, Lynch faced the 8th best rush defense and only managed 40 yards. He did have 2 TDs in that game but the 9ers have yet to allow a single TD on the ground all season.  He’s improved a lot recently but the deck is stacked against him this week. Flex play at best.

Steve Johnson, WR, BUF – Johnson has been battling a groin injury all season long and just as it seemed to be behind him, he re-aggravates it.  On top of that, Champ Bailey comes to town and is one of the most under-rated shut down corners in the league. Another flex play.

Tony Romo, QB, DAL – Romo is usually a no brainer to get the start but this week he falls outside my top 10 against an Eagles secondary that has been much improved over the past couple weeks.  The Cowboys will find that they are more effective on the ground.  Romo will do OK, but I wouldn’t hold your breath for 30 points.

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Pickups

Vincent Brown, WR, SD – I believe that Brown will be at #2 on the depth chart the rest of the season after quite an impressive performance in a game where Vincent Jackson just didn’t even seem to be trying.  That might be a bit of an exaggeration but did you see that INT at the end of the game? Whether you lose track of the ball in the lights or not, you HAVE to jump up with the defenders and try to knock it down.  Brown has quite a bit of upside here in my eyes and I think he should be picked up in all leagues.

Laurent Robinson, WR, DAL – When Miles Austin is not active for the Cowboys, Robinson has played like a low-end WR2 or flex play.  This week he only saw 3 catches but since he scored on two of them, it was a pretty great game for fantasy owners.  His value is tied to the health of Austin but for as long as he is out, Robinson is a #2 receiver.

Lance Ball, RB, DEN – With Moreno on IR now, Ball is the clear #2 guy in Denver.  Furthermore, Willis McGahee has a hamstring issue.  With a Thursday game coming up I think it is very likely that Ball receives the lion’s share of carries or starts.  If he does, he should make for a decent flex play against a Jets defense that has been weak against the run.

Earl Bennett, WR, CHI – Bennett was the only Chicago Bear with more than one reception in their win against the Lions. He IS Cutler’s go-to-guy and should be owned in 10 team or larger leagues.  Who gets the TDs is definitely random in this offense but Bennett has considerable value, especially in a PPR format.

Damian Williams, WR, TEN – Tennessee is going to be pretty competitive in the wild card race and Nate Washington has not gotten it done on the top of the depth chart.  Williams was expected to play the role of possession receiver but has been pretty effective deep down the field lately.  There isn’t as much upside as Brown has here but owners in deep leagues should look to stash Williams on their bench for a week or two to see how this pans out.  There is a decent shot that Williams takes over as the #2 and this would help both his and Washington’s value quite a bit.

Chris Ogbonnaya, RB, CLE – Don’t worry much about this guy unless your hurting for someone NOW.  He will disappear when either Hardesty or Hillis comes back and he won’t be great regardless.  Don’t bend over backwards to get him by any stretch and don’t expect him to be a long-term option.

Dump List

Jabar Gaffney, WR, WAS – Rex can’t get him a decent stat line and Beck can’t either.  Santana Moss’ talent is what makes him productive, NOT the system. Dump Gaffney now for one of the many high-upside receivers on the list above!

Pierre Thomas, RB, NO – None of the Saints RBs were productive vs the Falcons rush defense, which has been really good all season.  Ingram will see the bulk of the traditional carries and Sproles will still be a focus of the offense. There just isn’t much room left for Thomas to get anything done.

Reggie Wayne, WR, IND – I would even drop Wayne if it got you Vincent Brown.  This offense is terrible and since they remain winless, there is just no way that you can trust a Colts QB to get Wayne OR Garcon the ball.  Drop them both if there is an even remotely better option.

DeAngelo Williams, RB, CAR – Still no considerable production from Williams.  I know the entire Panthers offense finally struggled in this game but Williams used to be the guy that turned them around.  Now they look to Jonathan Stewart to do the most of the running and especially on the goal line.

Darrius Heyward-Bey, WR, OAK – I still can’t quite figure out why, but Hey-Bey appears to be 5th on the depth chart for the Raiders now.  Even Houshmandzadeh sees more playing time.  Cut your losses and move on.

Delone Carter, RB, IND – Now it looks like Donald Brown is going to be the guy when Addai can’t go… What a mess Indy’s offense is.  You can’t start any Colts running backs, so why own one?

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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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Question 1: Asked by @Dantvman

I need a flex between Decker, Walter, DeAngelo Williams and Maurice Morris.

Answer

For the sake of consistency I would start Morris.  With Best out he will see the most guaranteed touches of all your options and Denver has not been playing good defense.  Stafford is banged up and while I think he will play and play well, they should look to run to keep the pass rush and specifically Vonn Miller from getting to him more than is necessary.

Question 2: Asked by @DomWinder

I have Matt Cassel & Christian Ponder as bye week replacements for Aaron Rodgers, which one should I start?

Answer

I think this depends on the quality of your opponent.  If you are worried because he doesn’t have any bye week issues and you think you need to have a BIG week to win then go with the upside of Ponder.  Carolina’s defense has not played well at all this season and I think Ponder has a serious chance to have a big game.  Ponder did well last week and seemed to have a connection with Shiancoe, who he targeted 8 times.  If you are not concerned that you need that big game, then Cassel is a much more established QB and despite the bad match up, should do OK. The Chiefs offense has adapted to the loss of Charles and found a way to be somewhat productive.

Question 3: Asked by @yinzers85

I have Hillis, is Hardesty safe to drop now?  I need the spot for a TE to fill in for this week.

Answer

No, I don’t think he is.  Hillis is back this week and from what I am hearing, he should be back to his feature role.  I don’t see this being the case for long.  Even when healthy Hillis has been mediocre at best and with the season slipping away from Cleveland, I expect them to look to develop the young talent and at least share the work load between the two starting over the next couple weeks. I would definitely hold onto him for now.

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Love

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Hate

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

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

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

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

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

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Love

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Hate

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

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

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

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

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

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Question 1: Asked by Blake via email.

I currently have Eli Manning as my QB and Colt McCoy is available. Should I add Colt?

Answer

I definitely would.  Eli has looked terrible and has some serious injury concerns at WR.  I do not see how he has a good game against the Philadelphia all-star secondary and think McCoy is a better option to start most every week.  I would not drop Eli though as depending on the match ups for certain weeks, he will be a better start and the Giants are capable of getting it together and finishing the season strong.

Question 2: Asked by @Jersymikejr

I see you have Cam Newton in your top 10. Does that mean I should start him over Kevin Kolb or Mark Sanchez?

Answer

Yes sir, I think that Cam should be able to pick apart the Jaguars secondary while Blaine Gabbert struggles early to find a rhythm.  The Jaguars have been particularly bad at covering even moderately talented receivers and Steve Smith should have little trouble getting open and making some big plays.  I think your Panthers are going to get their first win and I wouldn’t be too surprised if it wasn’t close.  Another nice feature of playing Newton is that the Panthers have seemed to be unable to open rushing lanes for DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart so far this season and the Jags have played solid rush defense.  Even late in the game, Carolina is going to have to pass to ensure that Jacksonville isn’t able to mount a comeback.

Question 3: Asked by @mike_campbell

#Broncos WR Brandon Lloyd or RB McGahee this week versus #Titans?

Answer

Lloyd is the biggest weapon this offense has and while McGahee fits the John Fox scheme well and looks to become the lead back, he will still share his work with Moreno and Lloyd has far more upside.  I was really impressed with Lloyd last season and considering he was a big part of the passing game in week 1 and I do not see it as a fluke.

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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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Question 1: Asked by Bruce.

Ryan Fitzpatrick (vs. OAK) or Josh Freeman (@ MIN)?

Answer

This is a tough call and one that could go either way. I have Freeman with a slight edge here.  The Tampa Offense is more consistently productive than Buffalo’s is and Minnesota was barely able to keep their offense on the field in week 1.  As far as I am concerned both players are VERY good QB2 options this week, but either guy should do pretty well.  You should trust your gut!

Question 2: Asked by @MFarrell21.

Dwayne Bowe, Steve Smith (carolina). DeAngelo Williams, Cadillac Williams. Need one WR and one RB. Thoughts and why?

Answer

Bowe won’t be able to repeat last season, but he certainly will do better than last week.  And I also don’t think Steve Smith isn’t going to be able to repeat last week either.  I would start Bowe this week as he faces a Lions secondary that is vulnerable to the big play and the Chiefs are going to be looking to make a statement and show they are still a playoff caliber team.  As for the RB choice, I would go with DeAngelo Williams.  We know what his workload will be and while it may not be likely that he has a huge day, I think he is the most likely to get you into double digit points.  This is definitely one of my “play it safe” calls so if your a risk-taker, Caddy is still a solid option this week with a bit more upside.

Question 3: Asked by @aglikas.

Would you trade Reggie Bush 2 get Dez Bryant? I have AP, Steven Jackson & R.Grant. I need WR’s BAD! WR’s are Maclin, Driver, H.Ward, S.Rice.

Answer

In a heart beat.  I think Bryant is going to be the top fantasy WR in Dallas this season and that is not my way of saying that Miles Austin will be a slouch.  Reggie Bush is almost a sure thing to miss a few games to injury this year as he is playing on a natural play surface and that is rougher on the knees and ankles of these fast, quick-cut backs. In addition, if both players do play 16 games this year, Bryant will score significantly more points than Bush.  Great job of negotiating this one, don’t wait to pull the trigger.  He might wise-up.

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Deion Branch, WR, NE – Active
Reggie Bush, RB, NO – Inactive
Owen Daniels, TE, HOU – Inactive
Malcom Floyd, WR, SD – Inactive
Antonio Gates, TE, SD – Inactive
Percy Harvin, WR, MIN – Active (Should be limited, bench him if you have other viable options)
Legedu Naanee, WR, SD – Inactive
Beanie Wells, RB, ARI – Active
DeAngelo Williams, RB, CAR - Inactive

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