Early Games
Jahvid Best, RB, DET – Active
Steven Jackson, RB, STL – Active
Ray Rice, RB, BAL – Active
Pierre Thomas, RB, NO – Inactive
Late Games
Joseph Addai, RB, IND -
Austin Collie, WR, IND -
Owen Daniels, TE, HOU -
Darrius Heyward-Bey, WR, OAK -
Clinton Portis, RB, WAS -
Early Games (1 PM EST)
Darrelle Revis (CB, NYJ) – Inactive
Pierre Garcon (WR, IND) - Inactive
Knowshon Moreno (RB, DEN) – Inactive
Michael Turner (RB, ATL) – Active
Andre Johnson (WR, HOU) - Active
Bernard Berrian (WR, MIN) - Active
Percy Harvin (WR, MIN) – Active
Joshua Cribbs (WR, CLE) – Active
Jerome Harrison (RB, CLE) – Inactive
Late games (4 PM EST)
Joseph Addai (RB, IND)
Steve Breaston (WR, ARI)
Ryan Mathews (RB, SD)
Clinton Portis (RB, WAS)
Beanie Wells (RB, ARI)
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.
Year in and year out the Colts make the playoffs and following what should have been a perfect season I expect no different. I can’t quite make heads or tails out of the number two receiver position quite yet, however whether it is Anthony Gonzalez or Pierre Garcon they will have a significant impact this season. The biggest area of concern for this team is I guess on defense, but they have great speed and are in the top half of the league as it is. We can only wait to see if they what they do if they get a second chance for a perfect season this time around.
Top Fantasy Players
Peyton Manning – If there was anybody on the planet that I would want to QB my NFL franchise it would be this guy. Drew Brees and Aaron Rodgers do a bit better statistically, but as you know Manning is no slouch.
Joseph Addai – I was a big supporter of Donald Brown going into last year… I thought Addai was finished and that the young guy was going to get the majority of the carries by the end of the season. Boy was I wrong, Addai will be a great RB2 option next year and hopefully retains the consistency he had last year.
Reggie Wayne – With a healthy Anthony Gonzalez to compliment Garcon and Collie it will be tough to pay too much attention to Wayne, so he should continue to be a dominant force at WR. I rank him in the top3, which may be a bit high… but Moss has to start losing a step sooner or later and Fitzgerald has a risky QB situation. There is less risk with Wayne.
Round One
Pick 1 (1) – Chris Johnson: CJ has an absurd mix of power and speed that makes him a threat to score every time he touches the ball. A guy his size and speed should have trouble between the tackles, but as he proved last season he does not.
Pick 2 (2) – Adrian Peterson: The emergence of Chris Johnson is not why I rank Peterson at number two. Peterson is in my opinion the most complete running back in the league, but has had some issues with fumbles and is seeing fewer touchdowns with Favre pulling the trigger.
Pick 3 (3) – Maurice Jones-Drew: MJD has a similar skill set to Johnson, but has a bit of trouble running up the middle. He is a very capable goal line back due to his elusiveness, but does not have the supporting cast to have a breakout year.
Pick 4 (4) – Frank Gore: The Niners had an excellent draft, they appear to be lining up behind Alex Smith and opted to bolster their offensive line in a big way with Anthony Davis and Mike Iupati. Iupati is one of the most athletic guards I have seen come out of college in a while and will do an excellent job pulling to seal the corner for Gore this year. The Niners also appear to have rededicated themselves to a physical smash mouth style that matches their coach Mike Singletary.
Pick 5 (5) – Ray Rice: This guy came out of nowhere, and I do not expect him to be the next Matt Forte at all. Until draft day Rice was my number four back. After adding a deep threat and much needed talent at the WR position with Anquan Boldin, the Ravens ensured that they will still see consistent production from Rice. It will be exceedingly difficult to stack eight in the box to stop this guy.
Pick 6 (6) – Michael Turner: Turner has dropped a fair few spots from last season, but it has little to do with him. The emergence of the 49ers and Ravens on the offensive side of the ball are the primary reasons why Turner is not fourth on this list. The injury at the end of last year certainly does not help, but I’m not going to downgrade him for it until he proves it was not an isolated incident.
Pick 7 (7) – Ronnie Brown: The Dolphins have a more balanced attack now with Marshall at wide receiver, but Henne is still unproven and the one-two punch of Brown Williams is still going to be the driving force of this offense. Brown could see better productivity with a passing game to balance the defense.
Pick 8 (8) – Drew Brees: Yes, the Saints lost some talent on both sides of the ball, but regardless of the situation the only player that was always are the center of their success was Brees. He repeatedly rallied the Saints whether it be the fourth quarter of a game, or after losing to the lowly Buccaneers, and then needing to make a playoff run.
Pick 9 (9) – Andre Johnson: The Texans have their issues, and it is impossible to know what Coach Kubiak is thinking when he puts Arian Foster or Ryan Moats on the field instead of Steve Slaton. With that said they are a playoff caliber team with a very efficient passing game. Johnson is the most consistent receiver in fantasy football.
Pick 10 (10) – DeAngelo Williams: With the question at quarter back and the best tandem of running backs in the league to lean on you can expect the Panthers to do just that. Use the talent at the Running Back position to develop either Matt Moore or Jimmy Clausen into their Quarterback of the future.
Pick 11 (11) – Steven Jackson: He may be on the decline, but during a 1-15 season Jackson played through injury and was there for every game giving all the effort he had. He can still be my first round pick without a doubt.
Pick 12 (12) – Rashard Mendenhall: It is worth noting that the option of taking Reggie Wayne and Peyton Manning was available, but you cannot snub the RB position like that with the last pick. Mendenhall is likely to see an increased workload during Big Ben’s suspension, and he will remain the feature back the rest of the season.
Round 2
Pick 13 (12) – Reggie Wayne: This is the only wide receiver on the best passing offense in the AFC that we know their spot on the depth chart. Whether Gonzalez or Garcon gets the number two job is still unknown and very possibly subject to change. Wayne has been with Manning for a long time and has developed into an elite receiver.
Pick 14 (11) – Aaron Rodgers: If you’re scratching your head, then you need to look at the stats from the last two seasons. Rodgers is likely going to be the highest scoring fantasy QB this season, but Brees is likely to have more passing yards.
Pick 15 (10) – Peyton Manning: Comes down to Moss or Manning here, and with Brady and the Patriots on the decline, Manning is the safe pick and the right one here.
Pick 16 (9) – Ryan Grant: Not taking a running back in the first round means you have to take the best one available to you in the second.
Pick 17 (8) – Cedric Benson: Carson Palmer finally has the best receiving core of his career, and he can’t use it because his career is over. Benson will see 30 carries a game this year just like last year, as long as he is healthy.
Pick 18 (7) – Randy Moss: Despite his teams fall from the elite, they are still a Playoff quality team with great coaching, and more than enough experience to make a deep playoff run.
Pick 19 (6) – Pierre Thomas: Bush will never be an every down back, and Bell is not there to vulture red zone touches.
Pick 20 (5) – Miles Austin: Austin’s productivity was among the best last season, and considering he did not even start until week 5. I would hardly be surprised if Austin ended up the top fantasy WR by the end of the season.
Pick 21 (4) – Shonn Greene: The Jets showed that they trust and believe in this young guy the way they used him in the playoffs. Since Rex Ryan has yet to make a decision that didn’t work out for him, I am going to trust him.
Pick 22 (3) – Tom Brady: Brady has not fallen off. It took a little to recover from his season long injury, but he’s back. The difference is the team around him is not as good as it has been.
Pick 23 (2) – Larry Fitzgerald: Larry is still the most talented wide receiver in the league, and it only takes one play for a receiver to have a good day for you. Fitz will remain a red zone matchup nightmare.
Pick 24 (1) – Joseph Addai: Towards the end of his career, but not there yet. He will not have quite the year he did last year but he should be close.
Round 3
Pick 25 (1) – Vincent Jackson
Pick 26 (2) – Phillip Rivers
Pick 27 (3) – Roddy White
Pick 28 (4) – Matt Schaub
Pick 29 (5) – Beanie Wells
Pick 30 (6) – Tony Romo
Pick 31 (7) – Jamaal Charles
Pick 32 (8) – Ryan Matthews
Pick 33 (9) – Clinton Portis
Pick 34 (10) – LeSean McCoy
Pick 35 (11) – Ricky Williams
Pick 36 (12) – Joe Flacco
Sunman
Cinci defense ok to start against Minnesota? My other choice is to get buffalo def off waivers.
I think they are ok, something has Peterson not at 100%, what that is we don’t know. What we do know is that he was absolutley a non-factor in last weeks game and Childress won’t let that happen again… With that said the Bengals are very stout vs the run, however haven’t faced more than one ELITE back this season. It will be a really interesting game, but I do not think you can trust the Bills defense in the playoffs. Also to take into consideration Harvin has had issues with migraines since he was a boy, and they have flared back up this week, he has now missed two practices.
MR.MVP
WR help who Rober Meachem (NO) @ Atl, Terrell Owens (Buf) @ KC, Michael Crabtree (SF) vs Ari, or Mario Manningham (NYG) vs Phi
I’m planning on starting RB’s Ricky Williams (Mia) @ Jac and Cedric Benson (Cin) @ Min, other option would be Laurence Maroney(NE) vs Car.. what do you think??
Well MVP, I see no reason to hold a roster spot for Manningham if you can get a britt, or a crabtree, or avant, or lots of people really so your good to go ahead and drop him. TO is your starter this week, the Chiefs are not a very good team by any stretch, and apart from his turn on Revis island (I think he had a photo shoot there for his modeling gig) TO has been very productive recently. Trust him against a week secondary as the Bills are likely to slide in draft position this week after a win.
Benson is a workhorse, 30+ carries last week, you got it right and here is why: Sammy Morris looked explosive last week as well as Fred Taylor is possibly making his return this week. Maroney looked good, but there are two guys around now that will take goal line work (Taylor) and 3rd down as well as some regular work (Morris). Not much is left as far as being relevant in fantasy football.
T Hop
Hi Big Jim,
I can start 2 RBs, which 2 do I start. Addai, D. Williams, or J. Charles. I’m completely stuck here so thanks for your help!
This actually goes a little contrary to my rankings, but I’m going to put a stipulation on it. I would start Charles and Addai, however, If Williams looks like he will be 100% based off late week practices then go with him over Charles. This is the playoffs so we can’t take a risk and bench a guy like Williams if he is healthy.
Willie M.
hey Jim two questions:
1. Whats the deal with Mike Sims-Walker; yahoo says he has a calf injury. Is he worth a start?
2. Whats the deal with Kenny Britt and Justin Gage? yahoo says Gage is back in the starting lineup but im still starting Britt at this point. Good idea?
Well Willie, MSW does indeed have a calf injury, but he will be a game time decision for Sunday so we’ll have to wait until then to decide. His role might be minimized but i cannot speak to whether he is still worth a start without your other receivers. Also Gage will be coming back at some point, but he has been out a while and will take some time to get used to the speed of the game again. He won’t likely start eating at Britt’s productivity for a couple weeks.
Josh
which 2 wrs???
ocho, sims walker, V.Jax, smith NYG, D.Mason
thanks
VJax and Ocho – Jackson wont stay in this slump, I still trust him as a WR one without a doubt. The Vikes have proven they can be thrown on so Ocho should be just fine as well assuming they Bengals O-Line can contain Jared Allen. I think they do a good enough job where Ocho gets in the end zone (this is what play action is for, and why Benson gets 30 carries a game).
Brad
Pick 2 (PPR/PPC League) Mendenhall vs. Oak, Jacobs vs. Dal, Charles vs. Den, Forsett vs. SF, McCoy @ Atl, and Wells vs. Min
Mendenhall is a given versus the Oakland run defense, in my eyes, and I was leaning towards Jacobs vs. Dallas because both Bradshaw and their 3rd string RB may be unable to play, leaving Jacobs with a bulk of the carries.
What do you think?
I gotta disagree with ya here Brad, I think Charles and McCoy are better options for you. McCoy is a solid RB2 down the stretch till Westbrook comes back, and Charles has been on a tear as of late and I don’t foresee his production getting any worse this week! McCoy is the safest play, and Charles is the guy if you need a big game!
Ed T
I am in a 12 team no PRR league and trying to get into playoffs with an important match-up. Any advice on setting my line up would be highly appreciated.
QB’s – V. Young against Indy or J. Flaco against Green Bay or A Smith against Seattle.
RB’s – 1) J. Addai, against TItans 2) S. Slaton against Jacksonville 3) J. Stewart against Tampa Bay 4) J. Charles against Denver 5) R. Mendenhall against Raiders 5) J. Forsett against 49ers
WR’s 1)R. White against Eagles 2)Derek Mason against Green Bay or 3) Randy Moss against Miami
TE – D. Clark against Titans
Def – Steelers against Raiders
I need 2 RB’s 2 WR’s and a FLex RB
Thanks in advance!!!!
QB – Flacco is a no go given the quality of the GB secondary as of late not to mention his inconsistancy. Young is a solid option, but with a tough match-up I don’t think he is your best bet. Smith plays a soft defense and has plenty of weapons, he is your guy this week.
RB1 – J Addai’s been very consistent and he’s the guy your going to need.
RB2 – Rashard Mendenhall is your best bet with Big Ben likely not be the focal point coming off his concussion and versus a SOFT rushing D
WR1 – REVENGE! The Patriots are looking for it and they wont stop scoring till time runs out.
WR2 – Backup QB or not Roddy White is the most talented guy you’ve got and will probably be facing man coverage while the Eagles blitz heavy to confuse the back up.
Flex – J Charles has been a BEAST lately, ride that wave!all set on TE and D/ST so good luck buddy!
MyZou
Should I start Cedric Benson or Pierre Thomas? Adrian Peterson is my other RB.
Benson all the way here buddy, i’m currently riding these two backs into the playoffs with a bye week already locked down. Hope you were able to have as much success! Benson was held out last week as mostly as a precaution, he is at 100% and is set for a big game. Don’t value him any differently because of the injury. It wasn’t bad and they just didn’t need him at all banged up going into the playoffs. I wouldn’t value Benson any differently than you did before he got hurt, he is still a top10 guy.
JoshG
Avant or Mason?
Start Indy or Balt for defense?
Avant for sure, much bigger upside and he’s is facing the 27th ranked passing defense! I’d have to say go with Baltimore due to their play making ability. It is very possible that both teams have 28 points scored on them, but Baltimore seems more likely that they have a defensive score or even possibly two. Ravens are ranked near number 10 this week and the Colts are around 15th.
Brett
I’m starting Ray Rice and Matt Forte, but if Deangelo Williams is out on Sunday, do I swap Jonathan Stewart for Forte?
If Williams is INACTIVE then yes, if they say he’s got a decreased role that could be BS and just start Forte since his match-up is so good.
Eddie
Should I play Santonio Holmes or Jason Avant?
Avant, he has been vulturing big plays from Jackson and Maclin lately anyways, now he’s going to be used a lot more often.
That is it for this weeks columns folks, stay tuned on game-day for injury updates as well as a link to my live Q&A on game-days!
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.
Love ‘em
Matt Hasselbeck – Off of two straight 300 yard games Matt Hasselbeck is up against the NFL’s 23rd ranked pass defense. The Seahawks will be down, and they will be able to throw against this mediocre at best passing defense.
Beanie Wells – Break out game last week. This week… THE RAMS!? SIGN ME UP! Start him! Also all Cardinals are easy and smart starts this week! Except Hightower
Matt Schaub – 357 yards and 4TDs in the Texans’ last meeting with the Titans.
Any Pittsburgh Steeler! Kansas City has shown the ability to provide some fantasy value this season, although not much. The Chiefs are a very incomplete team in the middle of a rebuild, The Steelers on the other hand are an established team and are a complete team in all three phases of the game. Polomalou’s absence will not mean any bad things for the defense, as they have the top rushing D in the league Charles will be neutralized. All Steelers are good starts this week, namely Mendenhall and the Defense.
Calvin Johnson – As I said last week, you just gotta start a guy this talented. One of these weeks he will have over a hundred yards and 2 TD’s… That’s what I said last week and this is the most likely week for that to happen. Last weekend Johnson was quite involved in the passing game, and now they face the Browns!
Marques Colston – Saints receivers are inconsistent… frustrating isn’t it. Bottom line is despite the two bad weeks Colston is too talented to be on the bench… ever.
Hate ‘em
Joseph Addai – Addai has been a bit of a surprise this year. Many people though Donald Brown would have more of a role in the offense this season as Addai hasn’t produced like the Colts had hoped in the last few seasons. Better late than never Addai… with that said the Ravens are tough against the run, and I fully expect Peyton to pick them apart this week in the air.
Miles Austin – Interesting to see a player’s fantasy production drop off once he isn’t a big surprise anymore! I picked up Austin personally and LOVED having him. Now unfortunately Roy Williams is developing in that offense and opposing defenses are able to keep Austin in check. The Cowboy’s have a relatively easy match-up versus the Redskins this weekend, but the Skins are NUMBER ONE!!! vs the pass this season. Expect a good showing from Marion the Barbarian, not from Austin or Williams.
Jamaal Charles – Good luck against that Steelers D!
Mike Sims-walker and David Garrard – The Bills have a very good secondary, and Jauron isn’t around to ruin that team any more. The Deffensive Coordinator is the Head Coach in Buffalo now, so I would expect to see some more wrinkles in the Defense now that Fewell doesn’t have to filter his game-plan through Jauron.
Matt Ryan – Ryan hasn’t been playing good football this year. He is without Michael Turner and against a Giants team desperate to right the ship after their bye week. Giants win this game, by how much is up to Matty Ice!
Randy Moss – Moss has terrible numbers against the Jets…. why? Darrelle Revis! Revis has had Moss’ number each time they have played. The Jets were playing much better the last time these two teams met. I am playing Moss (and Austin =/) but because I do not have any better options. If you do, use them!
