The season is finally upon us and the Kickoff game on Thursday will be a great start, tune in.  While there are no shortage of great match ups this week I will get more into that later and go straight into the first Love and Hate lists of the 2010 season.

Love

Jerome Harrison (CLE) – Montario Hardesty’s injury increased the number of touches Harrison will see.  With a lot of carries and a bad opposing defense last season he finished the season strong enough to propel the BROWNS to a 4 game winning streak.

Ronnie Brown (MIA) – The Bills run defense was 30th in the league last year and the 4-3 is geared towards stopping the run.  The transition that Kelsay and Maybin are trying to make takes time.  There will be rough spots and while you may think Brown wont stay healthy all season… he is now.

Matt Forte (CHI) – The Lions are making strides to improve their franchise but on defense they still have plenty of work to do.  They are vulnerable to allowing big plays and this suits the Bears’ new offensive style very well.

Johnny Knox (CHI) – See Matt Forte.

Larry Fitzgerald (ARI) – Derek Anderson brings a consistency to the offense that Leinart could not provide.  The upside is lower, because we know what Anderson can do and I do not expect him to come close to his one good year in ’07.

Michael Crabtree (SF) – He is one of the guys that I really think is going to come into his own this season.  I know some people are nervous because of the incident with Vernon Davis in camp, but I am not.  This guy is a play maker on game day. Since when does fantasy football worry too much about a wide receiver with an attitude problem?

Felix Jones (DAL) – The love for Felix Jones has gone a little too far in my opinion because there is absolutely no chance that we get 16 games out of him this season.  Swelling in his knee on the 2nd day of training camp is not what you want to see from your new lead running back.  He’s fine now and has the ability to break a big gain anytime you put the ball in his hands.

Philip Rivers (SD) – The Chiefs have weapons on offense but their defense has plenty of gaps in the secondary.  Rivers will be spreading the ball around and should be able to move the ball very effectively throughout the game.

Antonio Gates (SD) – see Philip Rivers.

Hate

Pierre Thomas (NO) – The stock on him rose w hen Ladell Betts was cut, he should see the goal line work.  Against this defense his rushing yards will be low, so unless he breaks a big gain in the receiving game his numbers will be modest at best.

Fred Jackson (BUF) – Gailey will likely lean on Lynch and Spiller a bit more this week to allow Jackson to get back to 100%, he will be fine come week 2 though.

Kevin Kolb (PHI) – If Reid is not willing to lean on the running game until Kolb gets in a rhythm this ball hawking secondary could cause some problems in Kolb’s first outing as the team’s leader.  I don’t see him having a huge game this week, I do not have too many concerns down the stretch however.

Shonn Greene (NYJ) – The Jets love to run the ball, but they won’t win this game that way.  This is going to be a slug fest and a field position battle and could be a preview of the AFC Championship game, unless Peyton Manning has his way.

Anquan Boldin (BAL) – Have you met Darrelle Revis? Nope, he used to be busy with Larry.  This is a cruel first test as a number one WR.

Justin Forsett (SEA) – Patrick Willis and the 49ers will be starting off with a win at the expense of Matt Hasselbeck and the Seattle offense.

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This year certainly looks to continue an unfortunate trend.  Year in and year out, the running back position was by far the most important for your fantasy team’s trip to the playoffs.  Their importance to us has not changed; but the reliability of the average running back to productive has gone way down.  When you look at the top of your draft boards you will almost always see the same 5 or 6 names going first and they are all running backs.  The problem is that since offenses are becoming pass-first and the popularity of splitting carries between two or three backs is still increasing, the consistency of the 7th through 15th ranked RB’s is lowered.  Ten years ago during the 2000 season there were 16 different RBs that got at least 275 carries, but last year only had 7. You can get my updated RB rankings here.

The Big Three

It seems like it always comes down to 3 guys that become the consensus elite three each year.  This year welcomes back Adrian Peterson and Maurice Jones-Drew but the number one guy is new to the group, Chris Johnson.  There was an interesting article in ESPN the magazine that was written by Christopher Harris in support of Peterson as number one, but I don’t buy it.  2000 yards is special, I want that on my team.  Peterson should improve on his ’09 campaign given the Vikings WR issues and Favre just looking to stay healthy if the team struggles.  I am a little concerned about MJD STILL not participating in any football related drills, but I view this as only a slight setback.  If he was expected to miss time, we would know.  Anticipate a slow start but he will still be the same old guy once he is 100%.

The Other First Rounders -

Rounding out the guys that are likely to be drafted in the first round at this position are Frank Gore, Ray Rice, Michael Turner, Steven Jackson and DeAngelo Williams.  I have been talking up Frank Gore to anyone that will listen for a little while now.  With the addition of the two lineman in the first round of this year’s draft, a stable QB and a very stout defense Gore is set to have a great year.  I think he has more things working in his favor that Ray Rice, unless you are in a PPR league… then Rice is probably at number 3.  Michael Turner seems to be being overlooked by most people, they still rank him around the same place I do, but I am positive you should draft this guy over anyone at QB or WR.  I think Turner will have a 1400 yard season.  Steven Jackson is the last guy I would take before Andre Johnson, he is a rare talent on a bad team.  Regardless of every obstacle put in front of him he continues to be productive statistically and if Bradford has any success it will benefit him greatly.  I have seen DeAngelo Williams fall to the second round, don’t let that happen if you can help it!  This guy is a special player and the only reason he isn’t ranked at the number 3 spot is Jonathan Stewart. The Panthers know how to get the most from each of these backs, Williams is more talented and will see the most carries.  There are questions at QB and the Panthers will be trying to use their running game as a crutch to get to the playoffs.

Second Running Backs (RB2)

I’ll refer you to the rankings to see all the guys listed in the rest of the sections here, but you are looking at ranks 10 to 24.  Shonn Greene does appear to have some company in the backfield with LT, but Tomlinson is old and in order to be as effective as he can be he will be limited in the number of touches he gets.  This will allow Greene to stay rested and still receive a lot of work, the Jets love to run if you didn’t know.  Jamaal Charles is in an identical situation with Thomas Jones on a team with a worse defense.  This makes him slightly less valuable than Greene because he will see fewer touches.  Charles is a more explosive back, but I think Jones has a little more left in the tank and will vulture ALL of the goal line duties.  I was much higher on Beanie Wells before the preseason performance of Matt Leinart.  Wells is not experienced or developed enough to produce consistently in a bad offense.  He was much more of a raw talent than polished runner coming out of college and will need a bit more time before he can carry the Cardinals through the rough spots.  Ronnie Brown and Joseph Addai are coming off productive years, with Brown having been injured at the end of the season.  I have confidence in both guys going into the year, despite Ronnie’s track record. There should be a better vertical passing game to keep the 8th man out of the box this year and that should help keep the two Dolphin RBs healthy.  Lastly, Arian Foster totaled over 100 yards on the ground in week 3 of the preseason.  He is going to be the lead guy on a pretty damn good offense, that’s good enough for me.

Flex Players and The Best Backups

As far as the guys between 25 and 35 in my rankings are concerned, I have some major concerns that Felix Jones can stay healthy for 16 games, but while he is healthy he will be the lead back for the Cowboys and Marion Barber will take over that supplementary role that he was so successful with during his breakout season on ’06.  Ahmad Bradshaw will be the starting RB for the Giants this year and is among my favorite picks this year at the position.  He has always been explosive and make the most of his opportunities. Jacobs will probably see most the goal line duties but Bradshaw should great things with 20 rushing attempts per game.  Fred Jackson has fallen below his teammate CJ Spiller in most people’s rankings, but I view this as a mistake.  Matthew Berry at ESPN put an awesome stat in his Love/Hate column about how Chan Gailey uses RB’s.  Basically there is a clear lead guy and a clear supplementary back.  Spiller does not have the skill set for a clear lead role, but Fred Jackson does.  If the Redskins O-line can keep Clinton Portis healthy he will be a big surprise for owners this year.  He may have been in the league for a little while now, but we haven’t devalued a running back like this before the age of 30 in a while.

The Best of The Rest

Players ranked 36 and below on my rankings are either ideal for bye week fill-ins and in case of an injury. LaDainian Tomlinson and Thomas Jones are guys that are experienced but new to their team.  It is still unclear exactly how they will be used, but we can expect both to get the most goal line carries on their team and get enough work to be productive as a fill-in.  Donald Brown is a single injury away from a starting job on one of the elite offenses in the league.  I don’t expect the Colts to sign Addai to another contract after this year unless they absolutely need to.  They will be putting this guy on the field plenty this year to know how best to handle a potential Addai contract.  Tim Hightower has also fallen a bit too far in most people’s rankings, he is a talented guy and will see use in what will probably be a struggling offense.

Sleepers

Frank Gore, DeAngelo Williams, Pierre Thomas, Ahmad Bradshaw, Fred Jackson, Donald Brown, Tim Hightower

Busts

LeSean McCoy, Knowshon Moreno, Felix Jones, Brandon Jacobs, Laurence Maroney

Recap

Draft around 5 guys at this position, expect injuries and you can’t be screwed by them.  The talent pool is shallow this year, if you are lucky enough to get one of the top 6 or 7 picks DO NOT do anything crazy. rounds 3-4 are where all the WRs fly off the shelves so you can often find a bargain in the fourth as a back or two usually falls too far at this time.

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Well, week 3 of the preseason is where we get the best look at the fantasy players from each team (if healthy) before the season.  And while many people don’t like to use the preseason to impact their rankings, I feel this week is one of the best indicators you can find before your draft.

Packers vs. Colts

Well this was a hell of a game to watch.  You usually don’t get to see quite so many sparks fly in the preseason, but with these two high powered offenses playing for around 3 quarters… It was bound to be a fun one to see.  Since all the insanity with Favre and now Sidney Rice being out half the year I have to think the Packers are now the favorite to win their division.  Rodgers looks like an MVP candidate so far, and Jennings has been much more active in the passing game than last year. He (Jennings) could rack up 1400 yards and 10 TDs no problem this year.

As for the Colts, no need to be concerned.  They had some rough spots caused by, what seemed to me, deliberately pushing the limits of the new ball spotting system.  I hope that the Reggie Wayne doubters have been paying attention, because I think he has had a VERY strong preseason and he will remain my number 3 WR.  Garcon has done a good job separating himself from Collie and Gonzalez and in doing so he earned a bump in my rankings.  Also I am starting to have some concerns about Addai.  He is in a contract year, and the Colts drafted Donald Brown for a reason.  I think if Addai misses just one game he will lose his job permanently to Brown.  The Colts will not want to pay to re-sign a back in his decline.

Cowboys vs. Texans

It is no surprise that the offensive line is the biggest area of concern for the Cowboys offense this year, but even so, Romo spent too much time on his back this week.  If they play this poorly during the season Romo will not be able to stay healthy.  Austin and Witten will maintain their production through these issues, but I am concerned for Felix Jones who seems to get injured a lot as is.

Arian Foster became the first Houston Texan to break 100 yards rushing in a preseason game this week and moved up quite a bit in my ranks as it is becoming clear he will see the vast majority of the carries.  Seeing Slaton back to return kicks shows that they don’t intend to use him like they used to by any means.  Jacoby Jones also had a strong showing in this game, helping his cause for becoming the #2 guy over Kevin Walter.

Bears vs. Cardinals

So far this preseason we really hadn’t seen a glimpse of last year’s Jay Cutler, until this week that is.  The bottom line is with this guy, is he is a gunslinger that makes some bad choices.  You need to expect around 20 interceptions from Cutler this year but you can also expect 30 TDs and around 4,000 yards.  Johnny Knox and Chester Taylor both looked very strong in this game as well but I don’t quite give anyone a bump in the rankings.

Oh Arizona… I thought you were finally going to be a good team, but now there are rumors flying around about them trading away Matt Leinart or cutting him altogether.  It is definitely time to downgrade all the Cardinals in our rankings. Beanie Wells can’t be productive in an inconsistent offense that can’t convert on third downs and between the injury and the QB situation I am afraid that Fitzgerald will have a very bad season (at least by his standards).  Tim Hightower is falling too far in the drafts that I have seen, he will still be their third down guy and if he is hot they will certainly not be afraid to let him get some carries.

Chiefs vs Eagles

First thing first, Jamaal Charles is fine, no worries for fantasy owners here.  He is not supposed to miss any time in the regular season.  After he left the game Thomas Jones did a great job filling in for him, but I still think he will be inconsistent behind a worse offensive line and might actually be more productive as the number 2 with fewer carries and hits taken.  It was good to see Dwayne Bowe get involved a bit more too, he remains a sleeper of mine for the middle rounds.

I remain convinced that the success of the Eagles offense hinges on DeSean Jackson.  So, it was not much of a surprise to me that they did not do well without him after he left very early.  As with Charles, no concern here for fantasy owners… he will be back by week 1.  LeSean McCoy ran well, but did not see a lot of carries.  No adjustments to my rankings for any of these guys.

Other Notable Performances

LaDainian Tomlinson – Gotta start calling him a sleeper.  Watching Hard Knocks may be tainting my reaction here, but I just keep hearing Rex Ryan say “I love being right”.

Pierre Thomas

Reggie Bush

Joe Flacco

Frank Gore

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Photo by Brian Bahr/Getty Images Sport

The Dallas Cowboys are a very well balanced team. Tony Romo showed that he is capable of playing at a high level late in the season and if they can find a running back that is capable of handling the primary workload they will be a force to be reckoned with.  Defensively the team is solid, they are always giving their offense a chance at the end of the game and that is all that is fair to ask.  Dallas is my favorite to win the division this year and they can make a deep run into the playoffs if they can answer for a few of their shortcomings (mainly replacing Flozell Adams at left tackle).

Top Fantasy Players

Miles Austin – Almost no one knew this guys name at the time of last year’s fantasy football drafts. He didn’t even start until week 5 and finished 3^rd in receiving yards and 4^th in touchdowns. I know I’m not the only one excited to see how he’ll do with a full season. Personally I expect him to finish in the top 5 of fantasy wide receivers at the end of the season.

Tony Romo – I was wrong about him last year that is for sure.  I needed Romo to prove to me that he could keep his level of play up for the duration of an entire season and he did just that in 2009.  Romo is part of an incredibly deep quarterback pool but is a more than adequate starter for your team.

Felix Jones – At the end of last season Jerry Jones was vocal about wanting Jones to see more carries. Jones is an explosive runner with home-run potential; also he should be the feature back this year if he stays healthy.

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Studs

Tony Romo (DAL) – Even though it was December and the Cowboys lost, Romo out preformed all other QBs in Fantasy Football last week!  The Cowboys still need to find answers going down the stretch, but primarily on the defensive side of the ball.  Romo has some pretty average defenses coming up, and with the teams being the Chargers and Saints we can be sure that the Boys’ll be throwing plenty.  The Redskins are the opponent in Week 16 for most super bowl games in Fantasy which is not a great match-up, I’m sure most of you are still having nightmares about the last Cowboys Redskins game!

Kurt Warner (ARI) – If you risked starting Warner last week good for you!  The Cards got a big win over one of the NFC’s top teams, and really made a statement about their chances going into the playoffs.  They did not look like a Super Bowl contender in the early half of the season but all that matters is how you finish.  The next three match ups are against the NFLs 27th, 16th, and 32nd ranked passing defenses in that order.  These teams are (again, in order) the 49ers, the Rams, and the Lions.  The Rams are still a soft match-up for any passing game despite their surprisingly high rank, can’t ask for any better match-ups from your best QB!

Brandon Jacobs (NYG) – If you started Jacobs in week 14 then you are a braver man (or woman) than I.  Even in this big statistical game where he ended up the top Fantasy RB in the league he looked terrible with the ball.  Jacobs’ rushing stats were not enough to break double digits even with his rushing TD, but on one beautifully set-up screen play Jacobs found a whole to go 74 yards for a score (13 fantasy points of his 22 point total).  Jacobs is not the answer to your fantasy team or the New York Giants and should not be counted on as a starter in the playoffs.

Knowshon Moreno (DEN) – Moreno put up the highest fantasy point total of his rookie season this past week against the Chiefs (20 points).  He may not yet be an auto start, but consider that he plays the Chiefs again in Week 17 if that is when your Super Bowl is, as well as the Raiders in Week 15.  Moreno should definitely crack your starting lineup in those games, and probably even in his other match-ups next week vs the Colts and in Week 16 when he faces the Eagles.  Also if you were wondering Buckhalter still made an impact with 113 yards Sunday, but I still can’t see him threatening Moreno’s value as he gets most the carries and the goal line duties.

Robert Meachem (NO) – My apologies to any of you who asked about Meachem over the past week.  It has been easy to excuse his big games as a result of Colston being shut down, but after five of them it just cannot be ignored any more.  It is very difficult to talk about why the 5th weapon in any offense is a reliable fantasy play (Colston, Henderson, Thomas, Bush being who I feel are more valuable players), but numbers do not lie.  Meachem has 7 catches, four TDs and 43 more yards than number one receiver Marques Colston over the last five games.  I talk a lot about the short memory fantasy owners need to have, and Meachem owners should start to get excited.  This can’t mean that Meachem is the new top fantasy receiver in New Orleans, but it sure makes him the number 2 option over Henderson.

Anquan Boldin and Larry Fitzgerald (ARI) – In Fantasy Football terms Boldin actually out preformed Fitz on Sunday, but this duo was 1 point apart and both inside the top 5 at WR this week.  Fitz continues to be Warner’s favorite target as he was thrown to 12 times (catching 8 of them) against the Vikings for 143 yards and a score.  Boldin caught one fewer pass on three fewer targets but got two TDs to go along with his 98 yards.  I mentioned the very good match-ups Warner has already so I won’t repeat them, I’ll just say you don’t want to play against either receiver down the stretch!

Pierre Garcon (IND) – A career day for this young Colts receiver on Sunday.  This guy has quite the future ahead of him as long as he is on the field with Manning, but this season he will be near impossible to rely on as a WR1 or WR2 at any point.  For those of you in deeper formats or with flex positions feel free to use Garcon as a WR3 or flex play in the playoffs as his 136 yard performance vastly over shadowed star Reggie Wayne’s 48 yard day!

Jermichael Finley (GB) – Since his injury earlier this season Finley has been a beast.  I have seen numerous games where the Packers motion him around to create the ideal match-up and expose the defense and when executed properly Finley is a monster.  I think Finley will follow a pretty similar career path as Marques Colston down the line (do you remember being able to play Colston as either a WR or a TE? I do!) as long as he stays healthy.  Monday night Finley caught seven passes for 79 yards and two touchdowns proving that he deserves a shot on any Fantasy Football roster in the playoffs.

Duds

Adrian Peterson (MIN) – 5 pts – The whole team struggled, and to get out of this funk, you should see a heavy dose of AP to force teams to focus more on him and leave the passing game open.  Still no worries for AP down the stretch.

Maurice Jones-Drew (JAC) – 7 pts – What can ya say other than a win is a win.  The Jags pulled a close win from the Texans on Sunday and did so with a pretty disappointing performance from both their offensive stars.  MJD is still a top 3 RB.

Frank Gore (SF) – 3 pts – Gore owners have to be worried as they watch Smith develop and the offense migrate towards a pass first philosophy.  If you have another option think about it long and hard because Gore’s production is slipping fast.

LeSean McCoy (PHI) – 2 pts – I have no clue what to make of the RB situation in Philly other than to say that McCoy is the best healthy back there.  You’re not dropping him, and you will likely still be playing him this week, but lets hope he gets the ball next week!

Greg Olsen (CHI) – 0 pts – Two bad teams met Sunday and the Bears won, kind of.  17-9 was the score of this game, and if I was a Bears fan I would be looking for a rock to climb under right about now.  Forte was the only bright spot this week as Olsen was blanked.

Felix Jones and Marion Barber (DAL) – 1 pt each – How bout them Cowboys in December?! We all thought Romo’s name would be on this side of my list this week lets admit it, but both RB’s in Dallas got just one fantasy point this week.  Neither can be trusted through the playoffs, but I would play Jones in a flex spot if the match-up was right.  The Cowboys win when he gets the ball, end of story.

Mike Sims-Walker (JAC) – 1 pt – MSW is still a WR3 or flex play down the stretch but the whole offense is inconsistent, even in a win.

Ray Rice (BAL) – 4 pts – You don’t likely have a better option and I’m not worried about Rice down the stretch either.  Neither team wanted to win much last night judging by the penalties, and with so many long distances to go for a first down Rice just wasn’t able to be a factor in THIS game.

Reggie Wayne (IND) – 4 pts – What can I say, Sunday was the Garcon show… Wayne is still Manning’s go-to-guy so he can be yours as well, still an auto-start.

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Titans @ Colts – I am so excited to sit down and watch this game Sunday,  it is hard to think that we can even be talking about this match up when one team is 11-0 and the other started 0-5, but how can we not?! We are about to have sooooo many questions answered about Vince Young and his red hot Titans.  I cannot expect the Titans to win it, but what if they do!? We would not be able to argue that they weren’t SUPER BOWL contenders let alone playoff bound.  The Colts have not displayed the Dominance that the Saints have but they are winning every game on the fortitude and genius of Manning.  But what about the Fantasy Relevance of the players?  Wayne and Manning are auto starts, and Addai has been so productive you probably don’t have a better option for your RB2 spot so no worries there.  Garcon is a flex play or a WR3 if your league starts that many, and he should get more credit for how well he does in that offense.  On the other side of the ball Young is not really a good fantasy option here unless it’s a 2 QB league or you’re counting on someone who ends up inactive, but I think Kenny Britt is the most relevant Titan this week.  He is an interesting flex play here as if the Titans win Britt will find the end zone.  No question CJ is the home run hitter, but you cannot stay in a ball game with Peyton Manning unless you get big plays from your passing game.

Eagles @ Falcons – Both teams are suffering some key injuries that really rob us of an even better match-up, however both teams are also fighting to make the Playoffs and the Falcons realistically can’t lose with back-up QB Redman taking the snaps and a week after rushing Michael Turner back too fast and causing him to re-injure his ankle.  The Eagles are missing starting RB Westbrook and start WR Jackson both with concussions.  White had decent production with Redman last weekend so I do not downgrade him too much, just some for the match-up.  The win here for the Eagles will give them the inside track to the Wild Card round and keep them in the hunt for the division.  I am very unsure about the Falcons RB situation this week, Snelling got minimal work and Norwood looked pretty good, so I am expecting a time share between the two making it a coin flip for who is the better start.  Eagles WRs Avant and Maclin both see big upside as they are facing a very soft Falcons secondary that ranks among the worst in the NFL.  Both WRs were active in the passing game even with Jackson in the lineup so McNabb will have little issues getting used to them.  McCoy has done very well as a fill in for Westbrook and remains a solid RB2 start till Westbrook comes back and takes some snaps away from him.

Cowboys @ Giants – Alright readers it’s December so we all know what that means!  Snow falling on Sundays, Fantasy Football playoffs are here, Egg Nog, and absurd amounts of terrible QB play in Dallas.  Romo is facing a division rival in the month of December so I don’t much like the Cowboy’s chances here, but for the sake of Fantasy Football I remind you all once again to have a very short memory!  All we care about is the last three weeks really, and while that’s not that good for Romo I think it levels out your expectations and gives him a chance to meet them.  Miles Austin is slated to have a big game and I agree, the only other player with upside around that city right now is Felix Jones as they are finally using him as the home run hitter he ought to have been all season.  Bottom line is that we get to watch the Cowboys make the playoffs this month or we get to watch the melt down and find a new head coach and starting QB in the off season, great entertainment either way.  As for the Giants, Eli wasn’t anyone’s starting QB at this point in the season anyways but with his foot injury we need to downgrade the wide outs a little bit.  Jacobs has been a huge disappointment so far and productivity from him would help this team down the stretch tremendously.  Unfortunately Jacobs has shown none of the talent he did last season and I have no reason to expect anything to improve.

Vikings @ Cardinals – Hard not to get excited about two playoff bound teams meeting at the end of the season, it’s a preview of coming attractions!  Warner has come back to limited participation in practice Wednesday but is still splitting the snaps with Leinart in case he cannot go.  Options in Warner’s place if he doesn’t go are Alex Smith and Vince Young.  Tough match-up for the Duo of Cardinals RBs this week, you should find a better option.  Peterson had an off game and had pretty bad production until the Vikes were putting the game on ice late with the running game.  Favre remains a trusted start this week as I do not think the Cards can with stand the balanced attack the Viking offense has this season.  I think Minnesota is stronger in all three phases of the game and should win impressively.

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Rock Cartwright – After Betts was carted off the field midway through the first quarter on Sunday Rock Cartwright was thrust into the lead role. From the time he became the lead guy he racked up 13 carries for 67 yards, as well as showed ability in the passing game as well being targeted 8 times for 7 catches and 73 yards. Portis is already ruled out for week twelve so Cartwright is set to have a good game versus an okay match up in Philly next week making him my pickup of the week.

Terrell Owens – Its just weird typing his name in the Pickup of the week article to be honest, but with his best game of the season coming the week after a new head coach and starting QB and installed, you’ve got to figure that TO is set to benefit from these moves. T.O. Would have been on my dump list for the last month if the site had been up that long, so if he was let go GRAB HIM UP! Owens will be a flex play at best until the Bills can prove they are consistently able to get him the ball. Next week you should be safe to start him versus a Miami defense that has played mediocre at best this season.

Fred Jackson – Fast Freddie is an explosive back that wears down a defense over the course of the game. In the first three games of the season Jackson was a very serious fantasy threat. Given the offensive woes he was unable to find the end zone very much if at all, but yardage wise he was a big surprise. Lynch was carted off the field Sunday with a shoulder injury, and will likely be a game time decision. If Lynch cannot go Sunday, I would expect to see a pretty good fantasy game from Jackson.

Kahlil Bell – The Bears RB got the first carry of his NFL career and scampered for 72 yards. I know I almost fell outta my chair… but that was largely because I thought that Forte finally was gonna break 100 yards rushing! If you are in a very deep league or have a playoff birth in the bag and a dead-spot in your roster grab Bell and wait to see what happens. The Bears have re-dedicated themselves to the run as to give Cutler a chance to utilize the play action and keep opposing defenses guessing. If Bell can show that he has the ability to handle a larger work load he’ll get the chance and Forte would be pushed to more of a third down back. This is a long shot, so you had better have the ability to probably never play him.

Chris Chambers – had another really good game this week with Bowe on suspension. Three more weeks of Chambers being the top guy so if you have an injury issue or are light at WR go ahead and grab Chambers… he should put up solid performances at least while Bowe is out!

Kevin Boss – 4 TD’s in his last 3 games. The Giants and the Falcons looked much improved this week, and the Giants has a record that will keep them in the playoff hunt. Boss is a nice outlet for Manning who seems to like him in the red zone.

Jason Snelling and Justin Forsett – I am gonna lump these two together as they were number one and two on my add list last Monday. Snelling barely eeked out the top spot on the list last week, and did not disappoint. In Turner’s wake he was the second highest scoring back in the league on Sunday. Forsett had a terrible match-up versus a stout Vikings pass D Sunday and still managed to show his worth to fantasy owners that were desperate with the slew of injuries this week. While not a single point gained was on rushing yards (only 9), Forsett still managed 80 yards receiving and punched in a goal line carry for a rushing TD. Forsett is very unlikely to lose the top spot on the depth chart when Julius Jones returns, so he should be an option down the stretch, however Snelling is only likely to see one more game as the lead back and that should be with Jerious Norwood back sharing some time as well.

Alex Smith – If you have injury or bad match up concerns at QB or are in a 2 QB league Smith has a relatively easy schedule for the rest of the season and while his play has been inconsistent he sure could do some good getting you through a rough patch.

Dump list!

Dwayne Bowe has three more weeks of suspension left to go, and wasn’t producing all that well before. I wouldn’t trust him after a month off and very few games left in the season.

Felix Jones couldn’t even produce when Jerry Jones was screaming that he needed the ball more.

Roy Williams looks like he will indeed be too inconsistent to be a good fantasy football option

Devin Hester has seen his targets AND production on a sharp decline in the past few weeks, and I expect this trend to continue. It is a stretch to just drop him, but if TO or Chambers is there, I say make the move.

Kyle Orton totally collapsed last season after he hurt his foot, I’m scared for Orton AND the Broncos.

Ryan Moats – Can someone please make sense of whaat Coach Kubiak is doing here… cuz I can’t…  Slaton looked explosive off the ball, and you could SEE that he was protecting the ball.  The Texans lost last night because they couldn’t control the ball and extend drives.  Schaub played well but Kubiak is likely joining the unemployment line after this season if he doesn’t get them in the playoffs!

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Jason Snelling – 61 yards and a TD, not that bad as a stand in. I’ve been looking for something promising on Turner’s injury since it happened and I cannot find anything. The Falcons have been very quiet about the extent of the injury and it is looking more and more like Turner will miss significant time. Justin Forsett was going to be my number one pick of the week as I think he keeps the job that he just won through the remainder of the season. However with how severe Turner’s injury is looking to be, I am making Snelling my number 1 pickup of the week!

Justin Forsett – This is a guy that has been a decently productive back when given the chance this season. He was effective enough for the Seahawks  that they felt comfortable dropping Edgerrin James mid way through the season. Forsett has averaged 6.15 yards per carry when given the chance to run prior to this week. On the 17 carries this week he averages slightly over 7 yards, showing his ability to be productive over the course of a game. He will be interesting to watch over the next few weeks as defenses are going to study him much more on film. His first challenge as a fill-in will be vs. a very stout Vikings run defense making him an unlikely start this week except in a deeper league or an injury related emergency…

Donnie Avery – Avery may be on a bad team; however he is the one bright spot apart from Jackson. Avery is a deep treat that has shown his ability to get open in the red zone. He is the receiver that has developed the most chemistry with Bulger. On 4 receptions this Sunday he got 67 yards and 2 TD’s. He may not be a weekly starter because the Rams are that bad, but in 3 WR leagues and leagues with 12 and 14 teams he is an easy WR3 or flex play, with the potential to score on any play. Also in Avery’s favor is the fact that the Rams find themselves behind in the ball game early and often leaving them little options except to go to the air.

Jamaal Charles – Wow, the Chiefs finally scored a rushing touchdown! The last team in the league to score on the ground was the chiefs who’s rookie RB had a breakout game in week 10 amassing 103 yards rushing including his 44 yard score. He has earned a role in the offense, and he’ll get it.

Bernard Scott – Benson Owners nervous about whether he will play? Pick up Scott as a solid back-up to Benson so that should he miss any time you will be all set.  However Adam Shefter is reporting that Benson will be ready to go vs Oakland in week 11 so you should likely be OK.  Larry Johnson is reported to be signing with the Bengals this week… hold off here and keep an eye open!

Deeper League Pickups

And lastly Leonard Weaver is a solid flex option now with Westbrook down for the count with another concussion, but still probably in deep 12 and 14 team leagues.

Dump List! (as this is my first one, so some may not be new to the list!)

Alex Smith – He may be a better QB than the guy he replaced but he is far from a serious fantasy option.  I would drop unless your in a 14 team league or a team that plays 2 QB’s or has an offensive player flex.  I’d rather have Josh Freeman honestly.

T.O., Eli Manning, Matt Ryan, Willis McGahee, LenDale White, Tashard Choice, Felix Jones, Willie Parker, Eddie Royal, Josh Morgan, Todd Heap

edit (6:54 PM) This is a little preemptive but I’m putting Westbrook on my dump list as well, reports are all concerned with his long term health.  Westbrook is most likely done for the season if not for his career.

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