Love

Beanie Wells, RB, ARI – Wells has had a very solid season in spite of some injuries.  When he has been in there, his production can not be denied. He did have a bad week in week 14 but everyone has against San Francisco this season and I am ready to look past it. Joe Haden will be locked up on Larry Fitzgerald, limiting his impact on the game significantly. Arizona is likely going to get another win this week on the back of Wells.

Jordy Nelson, WR, GB – With Greg Jennings on the sidelines for this coming game, Rodgers will be sure to look towards Jordy Nelson and all the rest of his receivers a bit more often.  The match-up is pretty good against the Chiefs and while we may see the starters on the bench by the 4th quarter again but I think all your Packers are good for a start this week regardless.

Tim Tebow, QB, DEN – There is no softer secondary in the NFL than New England’s.  Tebow is very unlikely to get a win this week but I do think he is very likely to have his highest fantasy point total of the season anyways.  Denver’s grind-it-out offense almost definitely can’t outscore the Pats and Brady but they will limit their production and keep it competitive.  This could be a 350+ yard passing day for the promising second year QB.

Cedric Benson, RB, CIN – The Bengals are on a two game losing streak and are looking to cling to their playoff hopes, which are fading fast, against the league’s worst rush defense. They should have little trouble righting the ship against the Rams, who have been inept all season and especially on defense. Benson is sure to play a big role in this game and is a must-start this week for your playoff match up.

Brandon Marshall, WR, MIA – I expect Miami to focus on the ground game early on and it should be effective against the Bills’ soft defense that has really missed Kyle Williams since he went on IR. This is going to open up the passing game and Marshall should have little trouble racking up stats, especially since Buffalo stopped forcing all the turnovers they were able to cause early in the year.

Felix Jones, RB, DAL – With DeMarco Murray on IR, the running game is now in the hands of Felix.  He handled himself well with a good match up last week and has another this week against the Buccaneers, who have allowed an average of 23.5 yards per game to opposing RBs.  You shouldn’t expect him to top 20 but it is possible and he will do just fine for a play as an RB2 this week.

Hate

Rashard Mendenhall, RB, PIT – He has had a disappointing season and plays the 9ers this week, who are by and far the best rush defense in the league. He fell outside my top 20 so don’t hesitate to put him on your bench if you have better options.

Plaxico Burress, WR, NYJ – I am down on both of the Jets’ receivers this week due to the depth of the Eagles’ secondary. With Vick back the Eagles offense is able to stay on the field more and limit opportunities against their defense too.

Jonathan Stewart, RB, CAR – Houston may be without some of their most important offensive weapons but their defense is still in-tact and playing great. The Panthers’ running backs have been thoroughly un-impressive this season and that is not likely to change with such a tough match up in front of them.  Lower expectations on all Panthers this week.

DeSean Jackson, WR, PHI – He rebounded slightly last week but it wasn’t a huge performance and he is on Revis Island this week.  He might draw some added coverage from Antonio Cromartie because Cromartie is slightly better defending vertical routes, which Jackson runs more often than not.

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Giants at Cowboys

If your a football fan, you have to watch this game.  The Giants and Cowboys have to play each other twice still and Dallas has just a one game lead for first place in the NFC East. New York lost to the Packers last week and the Cowboys had a HUGE opportunity to go up by two games against the Arizona Cardinals but they blew it and lost in overtime.  The Giants have had a lot of trouble stopping opposing running backs over the past month to month and a half as teams have really forced the running game in an effort to slow the elite pass rush of New York. Last week the Cowboys made a concerted effort to get Felix Jones more involved and this limited the number of carries that DeMarco Murray saw.  This strategy led to a disappointing performance for both backs and by the end of the game, it was back to the DeMarco Murray show but it was just too late. On the flip-side the Giants have one of the best wide receiver tandems in the NFL and fantasy-owners can go ahead and expect the top 10 performances of both Hakeem Nicks and Victor Cruz to continue against a very average Cowboys secondary that is currently ranked 14th in the league. The bottom line for fantasy owners is that all the offensive players that you have been starting have to be started again.  Some crazy things happen when two NFC East teams face off and when the playoff implications are THIS high, I think we can expect more of a shoot-out than a defensive struggle over field position.  Miles Austin should be active in this game assuming he finds a way to practice without a setback but I think the Cowboys will continue to use Laurent Robinson in some of the 2 wide receiver sets.  I like the Cowboys to squeak out a win here after such a disappointing game last week with a heavy dose of DeMarco Murray in the running game to keep Eli Manning and his slew of receivers on the sideline.

Texans at Bengals

I hope you like defense because your going to see it in this game.  Despite adding Jake Delhomme and Jeff Garcia to the roster, Houston will continue to start T.J. Yates at QB and rely on him limiting mistakes and taking what the Bengals defense give him.  This game will be about field position and field goals and as a result, you have to downgrade all your fantasy options out of this game.  Arian Foster and A.J. Green remain must-starts due to their track record of performing admirably regardless of match up and to a lesser extent, Cedric Benson also retains enough value to be a decent starter this week.  A.J. Green has been incredibly consistent and has been able to beat every secondary deep with one exception, The 49ers back in week 3.  Houston’s defense has been great this season and is one of the best that Green will have to play this season but after remaining a top 10 receiver against the Steelers twice and the Browns, who are surprisingly the best pass defense in the NFL so far this season, I am not going to bench him now.  Andy Dalton however is not likely to do much more than find Green on one big play so I would definitely look elsewhere as opposed to starting Dalton. Anyone not mentioned needs to be left on your bench unless they are a kicker and even the guys that are mentioned as starters anyways are easily capable of being a disappointment so tread carefully and hope your studs come out of this game with a decent number of points.  I like the Bengals to win this CLOSE game because they are mildly able to pass the ball and eventually Benson will wear out this Texans defense.

Bears at Broncos

Speaking of defensive match-ups… The offense-less Bears are facing off against the story of the past month named Tim Tebow.  Tebow has just been winning games in whatever way has been available to him.  This game could easily be 6-3 going into the 4th quarter (or Tebow-time) and yet by the time it is all said and done, Tebow should be in the area of 20 fantasy points.  Regardless of how well Tebow plays, his ability to run the ball for positive yardage every time he tries translates into a very consistent fantasy QB.  Most leagues also only give 4 points for a passing TD so when Tebow runs one in, it means an extra 2 points.  Tebow remains a top 10 guy for fantasy owners and Willis McGahee is also a very quality RB2 option despite the rough match up.  I think the grind-it-out style of the Broncos will eventually break the Bears D after their offense gets almost nothing accomplished on the game.  I wouldn’t start a single Bear on offense unless you lost Forte and are desperate for an RB, then you can play Barber but do NOT expect much at all from him. Eric Decker is still a poor flex-play option for standard leagues as he is the most likely of the Broncos receivers to catch a deep ball.  Make Thomas have a big game in consecutive weeks before you risk starting him in the playoffs. The Broncos continue their unpredictable run for the divisional title and win this one.

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Question 1: Asked by @Steel_Thoughts

I have Mendenhall. Should I play Shonn Greene this week or pickup Isaac Redmen?

Answer

I would pick up Redman. The Steelers have strayed too far from their identity as a run-first team. Now that the offensive line is completely unable to protect Big Ben, they NEED to get back to their running ways to slow the pass rush to help try and keep Roethlisberger healthy.  I think Tennessee will end up winning this and eventually Pittsburgh will need to abandon the run to try and catch back up, but Greene has not been too effective and he still has to share some of his work with LT. Redman will be the guy and the match up doesn’t scare me too much, so go with him.

Question 2: Asked by Zack the Redskins fan

I have MJD and picked up Deji Karim, his back-up, off waivers.  Someone just dropped Demarco  Murray and I have Felix Jones.  To pick him up I would have to drop Karim… would you do it?

Answer

Jones hasn’t missed a game yet, but he was a little banged up and saw some limited work.  This meant more work for Murray and Choice, but neither of them has stepped up and become the clear #2. Jones and MJD are both likely to miss some time, but the handcuff that I would want is Karim and this is why; Your much worse off if you lose MJD as opposed to Jones and the Jaguars are much more committed to the running game with Blaine Gabbert running the offense. We know who will see the work in MJD’s absence and its at best a time share for Murray should Jones go down.

Question 3: Asked by @Sproles86

Would you drop Torain for Daniel Thomas?

Answer

I sure would! Thomas has had trouble staying healthy, but the running game is going to be the focus for Miami. Henne is done for the year and Matt Moore is not able to do any more than try and manage the game. Thomas is the one bright spot left in Miami and if he can stay active for some extended time, he could develop a rhythm and become a top 20 back based off how he has played so far. Torain might not see another snap all season. He also might be the feature back the rest of the way. Too much guess-work, I’d snatch up Thomas.

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This year, the elite running back talent is deeper than it has been in recent years.  While most teams are still relying on a duo or trio of backs, there is a surprising number of feature backs to choose from in round one this year. Also, don’t forget to check out my updated RB rankings.

The First Seven

As I see it this season, the first round of every draft should start with seven RBs.  Adrian Peterson, Chris Johnson, Jamaal Charles, Arian Foster, Ray Rice, Frank Gore and Michael Turner are all established featured weapons in their offense and are too reliable and productive to NOT take as your RB1 if you have the chance.  Minnesota is bound to lean on Peterson while McNabb gets acclimated in his new offensive scheme and even afterwards, I expect AP to be a serious contributor in the receiving game as well because without Sidney Rice the receiving talent is lack-luster at best, making their success depend almost entirely on Peterson. Chris Johnson benefited from the signing of Matthew Hasselbeck because now there is a veteran QB capable of extending drives and converting on third down.  Hasselbeck will need to be respected by defenses and this will open up running lanes for one of the fastest and most elusive playmakers in the league.  I could easily craft an argument in favor of drafting Jamaal Charles number one overall.  Logic is bound to prevail  I feel the loss of Vonta Leach creates an added incentive for the Texans to revert back to a pass-first offense and considerably hurts Foster’s value.  This still leaves him as my #4 back so obviously I am still pretty confident he can be a consistent producer in that offense.  Speaking of Vonta Leach, he is clearing rushing lanes for Ray Rice now and with McGahee in Denver, I expect Rice carrying the ball out of an I-formation will be the goal line plan this season.  In my opinion people are way off on Frank Gore’s value.  New Coach Jim Harbaugh has already said he plans to heavily feature Gore and this includes the passing game, which is significant news for any of you playing in a PPR format.  Lastly, Michael Turner gets just about all the carries in Atlanta’s offense and with Julio Jones helping Roddy White stretch the field, fewer safeties will be able to move up to help slow down Turner.  I do not expect the Falcons to use Turner any less because of the new receiving threat, teams will just be forced to respect the big play more.

The Top 20

Rashard Mendenhall sits at 8^th on my rankings and is the first player I would pass on in favor of Aaron Rodgers or Andre Johnson.  Mendenhall will see quite a few carries but with Big Ben having Mike Wallace and Emmanuel Sanders I expect them to attempt more big plays this season.  MJD slid to 9^th because of the number of miles on his knees and the possibility of a Blaine Gabbert led offense allowing defenses to focus most of their attention to stuffing the run.  LeSean McCoy also cracks the top 10 and would receive a bump up past MJD and Mendenhall for PPR leagues.  Darren McFadden is a little risky as an RB1, but he is at 11^th because of his big play ability and lack of other options for the Raiders offense.  Ahmad Bradshaw is at 13^th after re-signing with the Giants this offseason. Jacobs is still expected to see the goal line and short yardage work, but Bradshaw is the most important player to the Giants offense.  Ryan Grant is being under ranked by most people in my opinion.  I have him at 16^th.  He was a late first round pick in a lot of leagues last season and suffered a fluke injury.  All that time off means he must be dropped some but after a slow start, I think he has a serious chance at becoming a top 10 back again by the end of the season.  BenJarvus Green-Ellis is in a significant time-share with Danny Woodhead, but the Law Firm is clearly the one you want to own as he is who will see the goal line work.  Knowshon Moreno was up a few spots before Willis McGahee came into town, but will still see the majority of the carries.  Definitely not on the goal line though.

Backups and Flex Options

This is where I do not want to pick many running backs.  The guys just outside the top 20 are very risky and unproven.  The one young talent with the best chance to succeed is Shonn Greene.  He has a great line in front of him and if he plays well, LT will see a very limited role.  I have significant injury concerns about Jahvid Best and to a lesser extent Ryan Mathews, but they are 23^rd and 21^st in my ranks none-the-less. Daniel Thomas is the top ranked rookie as his physical between the tackles style will be needed and well complimented by Reggie Bush.  Beanie Wells is another injury risk but with Hightower gone, he will get first crack at the lion’s share of the workload.  I don’t expect him to play in all 16 games, but you don’t need him to in order to use him as a flex option or matchup play.  Marshawn Lynch is going to see a lot of carries this season and has a chance to be a solid RB2.  I have watched his career closely as I am a Bills fan and think he is too inconsistent to count on for much, but there was a time when he was a 1,000 yard rusher and it is possible he pulls it off again.  Pierre Thomas is a value-pick at 29^th in the rankings.  I am not a believer that Ingram will be much more than an effective goal line back this season with the awkwardness of the limited offseason and complexity of Sean Payton’s offense.

Sleepers

Frank Gore, Ryan Grant, Fred Jackson, Beanie Wells, Pierre Thomas, Mike Tolbert, Willis McGahee

Busts

Maurice Jones-Drew, Peyton Hillis, Jahvid Best, Cedric Benson, Felix Jones, Mark Ingram

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Love

Darren McFadden, RB, OAK - I have used this stat a lot, but it stays relevant so here it is again: McFadden has gotten 100 yards from scrimmage in all but two starts this season and one of them was against the Steelers.  The players that perform consistently all season are the ones you should be using in the playoffs.  DMC also has a great match up against the Broncos who are the 31st ranked rush defense in the NFL, who allow an average of 150 yards per game.

Ray Rice, RB, BAL – With the Saints as opponents next week, we should expect to see the Ravens attack New Orleans on the ground.  The Greg Williams blitzing scheme has been disrupting the timing of opposing QBs all season and when you have such a talented backfield with Rice, McClain and McGahee… there is little reason to not attempt to control the clock and run the ball as much as possible.  If the Saints are able to build an early lead, then this will all go out the window and the Ravens will go to the air.  IF you didn’t know Rice is pretty good at catching the ball out of the back field.

Mike Williams, WR, TB - I expect a good bounce-back game for Williams who was shut down last week.  Arrelious Benn is developing into another vertical threat for the Buccs offense and he will force the Lions’ depleted secondary to single cover Williams who should be able to get deep and find the end zone at least once.  Another nice thing to note here, is that the Lions seem to be competitive in every game they play.  This will keep Williams and the passing game relevant deep into the fourth quarter.

Felix Jones, RB, DAL - The Jason Garrett-led Dallas Cowboys have found an element of their offense that did not exist when Wade Phillips was running the show… the run game.  Tashard Choice has proven to be a versatile weapon with his ability to run between the tackles, as well as his speed through the hole.  Jones is the guy they look to get the ball to in open space and because of this, he is a threat to score every time he touches the ball.  With the run-game being effective lately, his touches have increased and that is all that Jones will need to be a quality flex-starter for fantasy owners, opportunity!

Pierre Garcon, WR, IND - The Jaguars corner backs have been terrible this season, they allow big plays and are unable to cover physical receivers in a one on one scenario.  Wayne should have a good game as well, despite drawing double teams and safety help over the top, but Garcon should be left isolated on the other side of the field.  Coming off a big game, look for Pierre to catch at least 8 passes, totaling 80 yards and a score.

Kenny Britt, WR, TEN – The Texans pass defense has been terrible this season, they are on pace to be the worst in NFL history and even with Kerry Collins at QB, Britt should do just fine.  Keep in mind that, before his injury, Collins was the QB for Britt’s HUGE game back in week 7.

Roddy White, WR, ATL – After watching Alex Smith tear the Seahawks’ secondary to shreds last week, I have a lot of confidence in White this week.  Matt Ryan never plays that well on the road and outdoors, but he doesn’t need to play well to get White a great fantasy performance this week.  There is no one that can cover him one-on-one if they don’t at least provide safety help over the top, they will be burned by a big play.

Brandon Jacobs, RB, NYG – With the outstanding performances of both Jacobs and Bradshaw in recent weeks, fantasy owners can NOT leave either guy on the bench any longer.  Jacobs will be the first to see a drop off in production, when opposing defenses figure out how to shut them down… but I don’t expect that to happen this week against the Eagles.  Philadelphia’s defense has two VERY important players on it, Stewart Bradley and Asante Samuel.  Bradley will be out for the remainder of the regular season (at least) and Samuel has missed the past three games.  If Samuel does not come back, expect the Giants to win… but without Bradley, the Eagles are not likely to stop the run with any consistency.

Hate

Michael Crabtree, WR, SF - Last week Crabtree was a non-factor in the 49er offense and they got a great game from Alex Smith.  This week they face the Chargers, who lose games only because of abysmal special teams play.  Their defense has been fantastic all season and have only allowed an average of 13 points per week to opposing receivers.

Brandon Marshall, WR, MIA – The Bills have the 4th ranked pass defense in the league and despite finding the end zone last week, he has performed FAR under everyone’s expectations.  He is no longer a viable fantasy-starter and should be reserved for your flex spot at best.  Don’t take a chance on him this week when common sense dictates the Dolphins will be running whenever possible.

Ladainian Tomlinson, RB, NYJ - It is tough to start any Jets offensive players, except possibly Santonio Holmes.  Against Pittsburgh, there just won’t be any big plays and field goals are likely to decide this one. I know he is a large part of the reason you made the playoffs, but he is simply too risky to play this week.

Adrian Peterson, RB, MIN - I would hate to do it, but I would still have to start Peterson this week.  You have to lower expectations as the Vikings offense has had little success lately, but Peterson remains the most complete and talented running back in the league.

BenJarvus Green-Ellis, RB, NE – The Packers run defense has been great and Clay Matthews is my favorite to win Defensive Player of the Year, but this is another situation where you will likely need to start him anyways.  The Patriots have been fantastic the past two weeks, decimating playoff teams and smart money is, they will be able to produce on offense no matter who their opponent is.

Brandon Lloyd, WR, DEN – Last week is enough to plummet the values of every Denver Bronco for fantasy purposes, with one exception… Knowshon Moreno.  Studesville was not able to lead an offense that could produce at all against the Arizona Cardinals.   Oakland has a quality secondary and should have few problems shutting down Orton and Lloyd.

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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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Cowboys @ Vikings

This is going to be one hell of a football game.  Both the Vikes and the Cowboys were popular Super Bowl picks and are now 1-3 struggling to stay alive for playoff consideration.  Neither team has really been able to establish a balanced offensive attack before last week.  The Cowboys have been among the worst rushing teams in the NFL but were finally able to get Felix Jones up over 100 yards last week vs the Titans on just 15 carries.  The Vikings made a high-profile trade to acquire Randy Moss to help them stretch the field and open up the passing game. On his 5th day back with his old team he was able to find the end zone in a losing effort to the Jets.  With some more time to learn the offense and scheme for their new weapon the Vikings should be able to get a big home victory to put them selves right back into the race for the NFC North.  They will be effective with an aerial assault against a secondary that looked foolish last week against the Titans.  Look for the usual studs to live up to their expectations. (Moss, Peterson, Harvin, Austin and Romo)  Stay away from Jones and Barber vs the front seven of the Vikes.

Ravens @ Patriots

I love playoff re-matches that occur in the first half of the season!  The Ravens ended the Patriots season last year and they will want their revenge.  The problem they will have won’t be the lack of Moss, but the inability of their defense to cover anyone down the field. Ray Rice had his best game of the season last week and if they are able to maintain that balance in their offense then I would expect a big game from Rice, Flacco  and Boldin.  The Patriots offense replaced Randy Moss with Deion Branch and will need to re-invent themselves.  Brady and Welker are the only fantasy players I trust against this great Ravens defense.  Many people have speculated that Welker is likely to see a lot of double coverage and his production should decrease as a result, but I don’t see that happening.  Welker is a possession receiver that runs his routes flawlessly every time.  You cannot double someone that is running a slant route because typically the double team would come from a safety and not someone lined up on the line of scrimmage.  If you put two people on Welker at the line, then you have one person on someone else and Brady will abuse this and get the deep play without Randy.  I like the Ravens in a very tough road game.

Saints @ Buccaneers

I am a sucker for divisional match-ups but with the Buccs beating the Saints last year and currently being higher in the standings, this game will show us the future of this division.  If the Saints fall this week then everyone will become a Buccaneers fan and for good reason.  Josh Freeman has been playing with poise and maturity that players his age don’t typically have.  Mike Williams rose ahead of a fellow (higher drafted) rookie, Arrelious Benn, on the depth chart and has scored in three of his first four games.  Smart money is on the Saints in this game and you can feel confident about starting any Saints you may have on your fantasy team (Thomas, Colston and Brees).  As for Buccaneers, Williams is too consistent to ignore at this point and is on his way to being a top 20 WR and if you are in a 2QB format you should be fine using Freeman as well.

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Pickups

Danny Amendola, WR, STL - Mark Clayton has said that he believes his injury is season-ending.  Whether or not this is true, he will miss significant time and lose his rhythm in the offense and with Sam Bradford.  Amendola hauled in 12 catches for 95 yards on 19 targets in week 5, combine that with amazing catches like the one below from Week 4 and you have Sam Bradford’s new favorite target.

Michael Crabtree, WR, SF - The new Offensive Coordinator of the 49ers has done a good job thus far getting the ball in the direction of Michael Crabtree.  Last week was the best game of his young career, catching 9 balls for 105 yards and a score. If you own Crabtree you may want to wait a week before you start him… but if you have some bye-week concerns or injuries then go ahead and start him.

Roy Williams, WR, DAL – He isn’t getting his job back, but he does have Dez Bryant hovering just above my Dump List at the moment.  His emergence has provided the balance in the passing game that we thought Bryant would.  Opposing defenses can’t double cover both guys and still contain Felix Jones who had a big game in the Cowboys tough Week 5 loss.

Pierre Garcon, WR, IND – No one expected there to be only one TD in this game and that it would go to Mike Hart.  Peyton Manning had a pretty bad game by his standards with below a 60% completion percentage, but Garcon was on the field for most of the 2 WR sets and led the team with 14 targets. The Colts are banged up and seeing Manning look to Garcon that much definitely means he deserves a spot on someone’s roster in every league.

Kenny Britt, WR, TEN – A general rule of thumb recently is “don’t start your Titans receivers” is still in effect… but the Cowboys don’t have a terrible secondary and Vince Young made them look pretty silly. Britt is a home-run threat and if you are in serious trouble at the WR position, he could have a couple of huge games in good match-ups this season.

Buccaneers, D/ST, TB – In week 8 they are at Arizona, at home against the Panthers in Week 10, and facing the Redskins, Lions and Seahawks in Weeks 14-16 for your playoffs.  If you are struggling with your defense, snatch these guys up after their second 14 point game of the season.  The Buccaneers are the real deal.

Ryan Fitzpatrick, QB, BUF – What is this? Consistent play from a QB in Buffalo? REALLY? Over 200 yards, 3 TDs and no INTs for Fitz this week make him a surprisingly valuable backup QB.  I know had I went with him over Sam Bradford this past week, I would have won my match-up.  I know it feels dirty to pickup a Bills QB… but as long as you don’t need one in Week 6 Fitz needs to be seriously considered.

Felix Jones, RB, DAL – When I was on @ThaSPORTSKRIB last Thursday, we all joked about how it is an annual tradition that the Cowboys “want to give Felix Jones more touches”.  While I don’t blame us for taking it with a grain of salt… looking back we should have upgraded him a bit more than we did.  It appears to finally be something they are going to DO rather than TALK ABOUT.

Marcedes Lewis, TE, JAC – It seems that every week a TE makes this list… and that speaks to the depth of the position that I have been talking about all season.  If you need someone this week, look no further after the Titans allowed Jason Witten’s best game of the year.

Steve Johnson, WR, BUF – You will need to be in a deep format, or major injury/bye week concerns… but since that sure does happen Steve Johnson has 4 TDs in the past 3 games.  Too bad he is on the Bye in week 6, but keep an eye on this surprisingly productive receiver from a bad offense.

Dump List

Ladell Betts, RB, NO - Ivory and Betts split carries evenly this week, but Betts will lose almost ALL of his carries when Thomas returns.  Ivory is a much better pass catcher and third down back that Ladell is despite catching 5 passes this past week.  The fumble he had also makes it more likely that the Saints look to Thomas to handle the goal line duties as well.

Mark Clayton, WR, STL - Usually I don’t put injuries in this list… but not everyone closely watches the Rams and Lions so they may not be aware of his injury yet.  Get rid of him.

Lance Moore, WR, NO – Given the recent struggles of the Saints offense, I am staying far away from everyone but Brees, Thomas and Colston.  Moore did nothing in Week 5 and proves to be too inconsistent to ever be comfortable with him in your lineup.

Kevin Walter, WR, HOU – Andre Johnson WILL get his targets and catches.  He is too difficult to cover anywhere on the field.  Jacoby Jones was always the guy that soaked up too many targets for Walter to be valuable to fantasy owners.  Jones was out this week and Walter did terribly.  He wasn’t alone as a disappointment on the Texans, but I couldn’t start Walter if I owned him so why keep him?

Kenneth Darby, RB, STL - I still got some Darby questions this week.  Steven Jackson is the reason that Steven Jackson is so productive.  It has NOTHING to do with the offensive line, or the QB.  He has the ability to overcome any obstacles his own team can throw at him.  Darby is not that guy and even remotely considering him with a healthy Jackson is a terrible idea.  He isn’t even a valuable handcuff… go get Javon Ringer or something.

Jason Snelling, RB, ATL – A terrible game against the Browns brings Snelling out of fantasy relevance almost as quickly as he emerged.  The Falcons don’t use him unless they have to and unless you want him as a handcuff to Turner he needs to go!

Legedu Naanee, WR, SD – If you were wondering why you saw that much of Buster Davis… Naanee left early with a hamstring injury.  He was on the bubble before this game and getting hurt pushes him to the Dump List.  You can do better than him.

Cadillac Williams, RB, TB - The RB situation in TB is a mess.  A successful mess.  They will ride the hot hand until someone proves that they deserve feature carries.  No need to own any TB RB so drop Blount if you picked him up last week too.

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Question 1 asked by@Nikkosphere

@BigJim_SFL I just received a trade proposal, they’re asking for Jamaal Charles and want to give me Felix Jones, Zach Miller…yes/no

Answer

Even though Thomas Jones has been taking carries from Charles, this can’t last.  Come the end of the season last year, Jones had lost some of his speed and explosiveness. This led to Shonn Greene having a breakout end of the season where he was used as the only serious RB on the team.  This year should be no different.  Charles is a dynamic play maker that makes the Chiefs offense as successful as it has been this year.  There will be very few games where Charles is not productive and you have to hold on to him.  Felix Jones was likely drafted in the top 5 rounds when we expected him to lead the Cowboys in carries.  It now appears that he is a 3rd down back at best and that Barber is the RB to own in Dallas.  Zach Miller is among my favorite TEs this year, but the talent at the position is so deep that I would rather have Dustin Keller who was likely a free agent until this week.

Question 2 asked by Brian

Im in a PPR league and need 2:
Wes Welker vs Mia
Steve Smith (NYG) vs Chi
Malcom Floyd vs Arz

Answer

Given it is a PPR league, Welker is a must start.  The Dolphins do have a young, underrated secondary, but the Patriots are still an elite offense and Welker is a crucial part of that.  Malcom Floyd would be my 2nd guy because of the matchup.  He is not a PPR stud, but apart from in junk time last week, Smith has been a huge disappointment.  I do not think people should abandon him in their lineups but with two other very viable options you can minimize some risk by sitting Smith.

Question 3 asked by Pro Style

Best 2 RB plays this week?

Forte vs NYG
R.Brown vs NE
LT vs Buf
DMC vs Hou

Answer

This is a great group of RBs and because of this you will have some tough decisions from week to week, this Sunday not being an exception.  McFadden is proving to be a feature back for the Raiders.  He is a completely different person that we have seen since he was drafted.  Because of this success Michael Bush is not own-able in a standard league and DMC sits as the NFL’s 3rd best RB, averaging 115 yards per game.  The Texans are not a superb defense and while Louis Murphy is my favorite to steal the show in this game, DMC is a number 1 fantasy RB until something changes.  For the second spot I would go with LT.  He has the best match up for a running back.  The Jets will still continue to use him as their primary guy as long as he holds up physically… and the Bills really can’t stop him.

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Studs

Jahvid Best, RB, DET - The concern that I have with Best is not about his talent, it is about his health.  He has a history of injuries from college including a pretty nasty looking neck injury where he was wheeled off on a stretcher.  I assume that every RB will miss at least one game throughout the course of a season and there is more risk when you have a history of them.  With that said, until that injury happens, fantasy owners and the Lions have themselves one hell of a running back.  After a 232 yard 3 TD game in Week 2, Best is the number 2 back in fantasy football.

LeSean McCoy, RB, PHI – On only 16 carries, McCoy totaled 120 yards and found the end zone three times. The Lions defense is certainly prone to big plays, but the Eagles offense isn’t used to such a productive running game.  Kevin Kolb is the starter of this team and while he is capable of leading an effective passing attack, I would not be surprised to see McCoy get more touches than we originally thought he would.

Matt Schaub, QB, HOU - I really wanted to see him cross the 500 yard mark this week, but fantasy owners will need to settle for 497 yards and 3 touchdowns.  If you were concerned about the passing attack of the Texans after week 1, you aren’t now.

Steelers, DST, PIT – Say what you want about the Jets and their blitzing scheme, the Steelers have the inventor of the zone blitz running their defense.  Dick LeBeau running the show and calling the plays.  Revis may miss some time and if he doesn’t he wont be 100%.  I said in the preseason that defenses rarely are drafted first and finish as the best at the end of the season and the Steelers are off to an early lead even without their starting QB to help the offense keep the defense off the field.

Adrian Peterson, RB, MIN – I really love when players remain consistent while their offense as a whole struggles.  As a fantasy owner I try to find consistent players and if you can average 100 yards per game and a TD while your teams starts 0-2 and struggles on offense then you are welcome on my team.

Jay Cutler, QB, CHI - This week we did not see the same old Jay Cutler.  He was effective, precise with the football and threw 0 interceptions.  The truly surprising thing to me in this game was the offensive line play of the Bears.  If they can keep it up the Bears might be able to make a playoff run.

Andre Johnson, WR, HOU – We all breathed a little easier when Andre came back on the field.  Then we all jumped for joy when he caught that long TD pass.  Johnson ended up the top receiver of the week just 14 yards ahead of fellow Texan Kevin Walter who also found the end zone.

DeSean Jackson, WR, PHI – I had high expectations for DeSean Jackson this week and he did not let me down.  Vick and the Eagles offense got DJax involved early when he took a 15 or so yard pass the distance to get this high scoring game started.  Jackson only had the one score, but totaled 135 yards receiving.

Mark Sanchez, QB, NYJ – It was nice to see some life from the Jets offense, even before they get Santonio Holmes back.  Sanchez only threw for 220 yards but threw 3 TDs and no interceptions.  The running game is the focal point of the offense so I don’t see any need to go pick up Sanchez in a 10 team league, however if you are in a 2 QB league and he is still available he could be very productive for you when Santonio returns from his suspension.

Frank Gore, RB, SF – The 49ers did better than expected against the defending world champs.  They dictated the pace of the game and did a great job running the ball down the throat of the Saints defense.  At the end of the game, after a great drive by Alex Smith to tie it up, Brees did what he does and led them right down the field to win the game in the last seconds.  My confidence in him has been fully restored and you can’t afford to sit this guy as long as Mike Singletary gets to run his style of offense.

Darren McFadden, RB, OAK - I am very surprised in the level of production the Raiders are getting from this guy in the absence of Michael Bush.  He may not have had a very high scoring game but touchdowns are not very predictable.  He is 2nd in the league in rushing and has earned the right to have the lead role in this offense.

Duds

Chris Johnson, RB, TEN – Wow, it is hard to be productive when your offense turns the ball over SEVEN times.  Johnson was only responsible for one of them but he was not very effective with barely over 2 yards per carry.

Joe Flacco, QB, BAL – Speaking of turnovers, I am concerned with Flacco in the short term after seeing throw for only 154 yards with 1 TD and 4 INTs.  He should be able to rebound, but after a week like that if your backup QB has a decent match up why risk that the slump continues?

Pierre Garcon, WR, IND - I don’t know what to say about Garcon’s lack of production the past two weeks.  I am very concerned about what his role will be throughout the season if Manning loses faith in his number 2 receiver. If it doesn’t get sorted out soon then Collie will start to look better and better.

Felix Jones, RB, DAL – I hope you didn’t reach for Jones in your draft.  The axe will fall on someone for the Cowboys lack of production and it wont be Romo or Austin.  Phillips will come into question soon and it looks like with the game on the line the Cowboys would rather give Barber the ball than Jones.

Jonathan Stewart, RB, CAR – The Panthers are in trouble after a rough loss to what everyone thought was a bad Buccaneers team.  You can’t start Stewart even in your flex spot until we see if it gets turned around.

Devin Aromashodu, WR, CHI – Nothing, that’s what Devin did during a big win for his team.  He didn’t play much at all on offense and it is not really clear why.  Earl Bennett came back into the lineup this week and Aromashodu owners should watch the situation carefully to see if they need to drop him.

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