Fantasy Sports Counselor

Week 9 Fantasy Injury Report

noreply@blogger.com (Larry Litle) — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 20:24:00 PST

Bears:
TE Greg Olson is probable with an ankle injury. He was limited in practice on Wednesday but fully practiced the rest of the week.

WR Devin Hester has an ankle injury and is questionable. He missed practice on Wednesday and Thursday but fully practiced on Friday. He is expecting to start.

Bengals:
No significant fantasy injuries.

Browns:
Off Week 9

Cowboys:
RB Marion Barber is probable with a thumb injury. Barber is expected to play.

Broncos:
No significant fantasy injuries.

Lions:
QB Matt Stafford has a knee injury and is probable. He was limited in practice on Wednesday and Thursday but did fully practice on Friday. He is expected to play.

RB Kevin Smith is questionable with a Shoulder injury. He did not practice on Wednesday but fully practiced on Thursday and Friday.

WR Calvin Johnson has a knee injury and is questionable. He was limited in practice all week. He is expecting play. He is always a good start.

Packers:
QB Aaron Rogers is probable with an ankle injury. He fully practiced on Friday but was limited earlier in the week.

WR Donald Driver has a neck injury and is probable. He missed practice all week until Friday but fully practiced on Friday.

Texans:
TE Joel Dressen is probable with an ankle injury.

Colts:
WR Anthony Gonzalez is outl with a knee injury.

K Adam Vinatieri has a knee injury and is out.

RB Donald Brown is questionable with a shoulder injury.

WR Pierre Garcon has an ankle injury and questionable. He did not practice on Friday.

Jaguars:
No significant fantasy injuries.

Chiefs:
Off Week 9

Dolphins:
No significant fantasy injuries.

Vikings:
Off Week 9

Patriots:
QB Tom Brady is probable with shoulder injury. He has been listed with this so called injury for the better part of 3 years. This is the weekly joke for Belichick.

RB Fred Tayor has an ankle injury and is out.

RB Sammy Morris is out with a knee injury.

WR Randy Moss has a shoulder injury and is probable. Miami has two rookie corners starting this week. Moss should have a big day.

Saints:
WR Lance Moore is out with an ankle injury.

K Garrett Hartley has an ankle injury and is doubtful. John Carney is their starting kicker so Hartley is not a factor at this time.

Giants:
RB Ahmad Bradshaw has a broken bone in his ankle and probable. He is playing through the pain.

WR Mario Manningham is probable with a shoulder injury. He was limited in practice this week.

QB Eli Manning has a foot injury and is listed as probable.

WR Sinorice Moss is probable with a foot injury. He injured his foot last weekend but appears to be ready for to play.

TE Kevin Boss has an ankle injury and is probable.

Jets:
Off Week 9

Raiders:
Off Week 9

Eagles:
WR DeSean Jackson has a foot injury and is probable. He fully practiced all week.

WR Kevin Curtis is out with a knee injury.

RB Brian Westbrook has a concussion and is questionable. He practiced on Wednesday and Thursday but did not practice on Friday.

WR Jeremy Maclin has a foot injury and is probable. It appears that Maclin will be ready to play on Sunday.

Steelers:
No significant fantasy injuries.

Chargers:
TE Antonio Gates is probable with a foot injury. He was limited in practice early in the week but fully practiced later in the week.

49ers:
No significant fantasy injuries.

Seahawks:
QB Matt Hasselbeck has a rib injury and is probable. He missed practice on Wednesday but fully practiced the rest of the week.

Rams:
Off Week 9

Buccaneers:
WR Antonio Bryant is questionable with a knee injury. He was limited in practice. He will be a game time decision.

WR Michael Clayton has a wrist injury and is questionable.

Titans:
No significant fantasy injuries.

Redskins:
TE Chris Cooley is out with an ankle injury.

The Counselor is OUT:

Line 'em up/ Bench their butts

noreply@blogger.com (Larry Litle) — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 21:39:00 PST

The Counselor is IN:

This column's intent is to give the readers an idea of few good players in favorable match ups and a few good players in bad match ups. If you have a great player, then it may not advisable to bench him for someone in the Line 'em Up section. If I suggest that you bench one of your studs, you can only do this if you have a good option behind him. If you don't have a good player behind him, don't bench 'em. Remember every league is different and I am advising from a standard league.

Off Week 9: Buffalo, Cleveland, Minnesota, New York Jets, Oakland, St. Louis

Line ‘em Up

QB Joe Flacco of Baltimore. Flacco is having a really good sophomore season. This week he plays against the Bengals 30^th ranked passing defense. Look for Flacco to have 300 yards and 2 TDs.

QB Alex Smith of San Francisco. This is a bit of a gamble but if you need a off week replacement, Smith is not a bad option. He has looked decent since coming back to lead the team. He is facing Tennessee, who is dead last against the pass.

RB Charles Jamaal of Kansas City. With Larry Johnson suspended, Jamaal will get a chance to start. He is going against the 25^th ranked run defense in Jacksonville. Jamaal might be the starter for the rest of the year with things in KC souring for Johnson.

RB Pierre Thomas of New Orleans. The Saints are playing against Panthers this weekend. The Panthers are the #1 ranked pass defense which will be severely tested this weekend. But they are the 24^th rush defense. I look for Thomas to get a lot of work and score one or two TD’s this weekend.

WR Nate Washington of Tennessee. Tennessee will play a good rush defense but a poor passing defense in San Fran. Washington will have Vince Young passing to him. He is decent WR3/ Flex guy for this weekend.

WR T.J. Houshmandzadeh of Seattle. Housh has a great match up against the 27^th ranked passing defense in Detroit. Look for Hasselbeck to connect to Housh all day long.

Bench their Butts

QB Matt Ryan of Atlanta. The last time I suggested benching Ryan, Matt lit it up. Even though I missed it last time, I am suggesting benching Ryan this week against Washington. The Redskins are 2^nd against the pass. The Redskins are not nearly as good against the run so you could see Turner have a big game. But I don’t think Ryan will have a great game.

QB Matt Schaub of Houston. This will be a tough sell. Schaub has been an excellent starter. This week he is facing the 7^th ranked passing defense in the Colts. He will try to go toe to toe with Peyton. This could be a disaster waiting to happen. He still might be a good start but there are a lot of questions in this matchup.

RB Rashard Mendenhall of Pittsburgh. The Broncos are for real. They have an excellent defense that is 7^th against the rush. I like Mendenhall on a weekly basis but not this week against the Broncos.

RB Knowshon Moreno of Denver. Moreno is another runningback I really like. He is going against the #1 rushing defense of the Steelers. Leave him on the bench.

WR Roddy White of Atlanta. White has moved into a borderline #1/#2 Wideout. He is not a good play this week against the Redskins. If you have a good replacement, then put White on the bench. If you don’t have a good backup, I would play White and hope he gets you some points.

WR Vincent Jackson of San Diego. Jackson has finally come on and become a reliable fantasy player. He is going against a tough Giants defense.

The Counselor is OUT:

The Injury Bug Has Hit

ShipHockey7@gmail.com (ShipHockey7) — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 08:41:00 PST

The Hockey Counselor is IN:

It seems like every team in the NHL has been hit with a major injury, I can't remember the last time there were this many superstars out with injuries. Names like Ovechkin, Malkin, Savard, Kovalchuk, Luongo, Gonchar, Staal (Eric), among others are all missing time currently due to various serious and minor injuries. These aren't the guys that seem to be hurt every year, in fact Alexander Ovechkin has missed a total of 4 games before this season, and 2 of those were for personal reasons.

With all of these players out, there will definitely be a need for depth in each league regardless of how many teams are in it, I'm here to help you find a few lesser known players that can help your team battle through the injuries!

Forwards:

Tyler Kennedy - C - Pittsburgh - Kennedy is just recovering from an undisclosed injury himself, but with 5 goals and 3 assists this season while playing on the third line, he's definitely worth a look especially in deep fantasy leagues. Kennedy leads the Penguins with game winning goals and he should start to see some more time on the power play with Evgeni Malkin missing 2-3 weeks. He picked up two assists in his last game, look for him to continue to produce especially in the goal category. He's only owned in 19% of Yahoo! leagues so he should be available to almost everyone.

James Van Riemsdyk - LW - Philadelphia - JVR is getting some serious time with guys like Gagne and Briere out and he's producing. He has 2 goals and 11 assists thus far and he should start seeing a bit more ice from Head Coach John Stevens. The assists alone are a reason to pick him up but he's also a +6 and already has 3 Power Play Points, and he should get more power play time as the season progresses. He's available in 2/3's of all Yahoo! leagues and he's definitely someone to keep your eye on in the rookie of the year race this season.

Jakub Voracek - RW- Columbus - On a team where everyone is overshadowed by Rick Nash, Voracek has quietly been putting in a great start to the season. His 4 goals and 6 assists, along with his +5 rating is a perfect example of why to go grab him while you still can. He's getting a bunch of minutes on the power play in Columbus and if you haven't noticed, the Blue Jackets are actually scoring goals this year. He's not going to help you out much in PIM's or Shots on goal, but if you need a filler for an injury, he's a perfect fit, plus he's available in 85% of Yahoo! leagues.

Defensemen:

James Wisniewski - D- Anaheim - Before his 2 game suspension, Wisniewski was on a tear, with 9 assists thus far on the season he's definitely worth a look. He's a plus 6 and has 16 PIM's, but again he is in the middle of a 2 game suspension.

Goalies:

Antero Niittymaki - G - Tampa Bay - With Mike Smith struggling in Tampa, Niittymaki has gotten a chance to shine the last few games for the Lightning. So far this year he has an impressive 3 wins, 1.95 Goals Against Average and a .940 Save Percentage. Those are great numbers, and if he can keep that up he's going to get a lot more starts over Smith. Beware, Tampa is a bad team with not a lot of goal support for him, so he may be on the loosing end of a few 2-1 or 1-0 games, but he'll still see a ton of shots and save most of them.

That's it for the Fantasy Hockey Counselor for this week, tune in this weekend for all the latest injury news from Larry on FSC!

The Hockey Counselor is OUT:

Review of "The League"- Episode One

noreply@blogger.com (Larry Litle) — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 21:05:00 PDT

The Counselor is IN:

When I first heard the concept of a half an hour sitcom about a group of guys in a fantasy football league, I thought it was a great idea. Outside of the typical stereotypes, you could develop a fun show with great characters. My mind instantly brought up images of TBS’ My Boys with all the characters and plot of that show. Right away, I set my DVR to record "The League" on FX.

I sat down to watch the show with my wife in the same room. I figured my wife would be tuned out since the show is about a group of Fantasy Football guys. The first scene got my wife’s attention because it started with a simulated sex scene which did not show much but was pretty explicit in the language. As the show moved along, the foul language continued to dumfound me because of the randomness of where it was inserted. The topics turned to smoking pot and then to pubic hair. One of the characters who is a stoner, wrote and sang an inappropriate song for a kid’s birthday party about the night of passion the parents must have experienced when the child was conceived. The draft is held at a loft where the owner decides to throw a social party along with the draft- are you kidding me?

There were moments of laughs and enjoyment in this opening episode. The champ from last season had a webcast to taunt the other owners, which was very humorous. There is a scene where the commissioner of the league has the other owners draw numbers out of a hat and then informs them that it is not for draft order but rather for the number on the child in the sack race at the birthday party and the position that the child finishes in will be the draft order. I loved the portrayal of the fantasy owner who accidentally chooses a retired player every year and this year he chose “Keyshawn Johnson”. The best scene was the defense attorney dealing his number 1 overall pick in the fantasy draft to the assistant DA to get a better deal for his client.

Overall this show is a miss. I did not care for any of the characters. Is the thinness of the plot supposed to be masked by the inappropriate scenes? It appeared that the creators did not know much about fantasy football or the people who play.

I will check out next week’s episode to see if it gets better and hope for more laughs and less disgust. But I have a feeling that it will be removed from my DVR record list shortly there after. Watch it at your own risk.

The Counselor is OUT:

Week 8 Fantasy Injury Report

noreply@blogger.com (Larry Litle) — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 11:14:00 PDT

The Counselor is IN:

Cardinals:
WR Steve Breaston has a right knee injury and is probable. Breaston saw limited time in practice this week. He should play this weekend but the Cards are going against the #1 pass defense this weekend- Carolina Panthers.

WR Anquan Boldin is questionable with a high ankle sprain. He has been practicing on a limited basis. He is expected to play but probably at a limited level on Sunday. (See Breaston)

Falcons:
RB Jerious Norwood has a right hip flexor injury and is questionable. His coaches are hopeful that Norwood can play this weekend. I would leave him on the bench.

Ravens:
QB Joe Flacco is probable with an ankle injury. He practiced this week. He should start with no issues.

Bills:
QB Trent Edwards is out with a concussion.

Panthers:
RB Jonathan Stewart is probable with an Achilles injury. He practiced fully this week. I expect him to play but he is only a back up at this time.

WR Muhsin Muhammad has a knee injury and is questionable. He missed practice this week. Muhammad is not a regular fantasy starter and should not be started this week.

Bears:
RB Adrian Peterson is probable with a knee injury. He practiced all week. His fantasy value is very limited unless Forte is injured.

Bengals:
Off Week 8

Browns:
QB Derek Anderson has a hip injury and is probable for this weekend. Anderson will play but his play has not been impressive this season.

K Phil Dawson is questionable with a calf injury. I look for Cundiff to kick in his place.

TE Robert Royal has a finger and foot injury. He is questionable for this weekend. He was limited in practice.

RB Jamal Lewis is probable with a wrist injury. It appears that Lewis should start with no issues.

Cowboys:
RB Marion Barber is probable with a thumb injury. I expect Barber to play and to have a good game against Seattle.

Broncos:
No significant fantasy injuries.

Lions:
QB Matt Stafford has a knee injury and is questionable. He is expected to start by the coaching staff. With Culpepper banged up, Stafford should start. The Lions will play the Rams (lambs) this weekend, so starting Stafford is not as bad of an idea as it usually would be.

QB Daunte Culpepper is questionable with a hamstring injury. It appears Stafford will start. This puts Culpepper’s value as minimal at best.

WR Calvin Johnson has a knee injury and is questionable. His coach believes he will play this weekend but Johnson is not that optimistic. It would be a good idea to bench him unless you have confirmation that he will play. His match up against the Rams is good but if he does not play, then it will not matter.

Packers:
QB Aaron Rogers is probable with an ankle injury. He fully practiced on Friday but was limited earlier in the week.

Texans:
WR Andre Johnson is questionable with a lung contusion. He missed practice on Wednesday but fully practiced the rest of the week. His coach announced he will play.

Colts:
WR Anthony Gonzalez is doubtful with a knee injury. He should be returning soon but not this weekend.

K Adam Vinatieri has a knee injury and is out.

RB Donald Brown is doubtful with a shoulder injury. It is unlikely he will play.

WR Reggie Wayne has a knee injury and questionable. He missed a bunch of practice but is expected to play this weekend.

Jaguars:
No significant fantasy injuries.

Chiefs:
Off Week 8

Dolphins:
RB Ricky Williams is probable with a thumb injury. He fully practiced this week. I expect Ricky will be in the Wildcat this weekend.

Vikings:
WR Percy Harvin is probable with an illness. He should play.

QB Brett Favre has a hip injury and is probable. He was limited in practice on Thursday.

WR Bernard Berrian is questionable with a hamstring injury. He was limited in practice.

Patriots:
Off Week 8

Saints:
TE Jeremy Shockey is probable with a shoulder injury. He fully practiced on Friday and is expected to start and Monday night.

Giants:
RB Ahmad Bradshaw has a broken bone in his ankle and probable. He is playing through the pain.

WR Mario Manningham is questionable with a shoulder injury. He was injured in practice this week. You should look at other options.

Jets:
WR Brad Smith is questionable with a Quadriceps injury. He was limited in practice.

WR Jerricho Cotchery has a hamstring injury and is questionable. When Cotchery is healthy, he should start seeing more single coverage with the edition of Edwards.

Raiders:
WR Chaz Schilens has a foot injury and he is questionable for the week.

RB Darren McFadden is out with a knee injury.

WR Louis Murphy has a hip injury and is questionable.

Eagles:
WR DeSean Jackson has a foot injury and is probable. He fully practiced on Friday and will start this weekend.

WR Kevin Curtis is out with a knee injury.

RB Brian Westbrook has a concussion and is questionable. He did not practice on Friday. I would leave Westbrook on the bench this week.

WR Jeremy Maclin has a foot injury and is probable. It appears that Maclin will be ready to play on Sunday.

Steelers:
Off Week 8

Chargers:
No significant fantasy injuries.

49ers:
No significant fantasy injuries.

Seahawks:
QB Matt Hasselbeck has a rib injury and is probable. He missed practice on Wednesday but fully practiced the rest of the week.

Rams:
No significant fantasy injuries.

Buccaneers:
Off Week 8

Titans:
WR Nate Washington is questionable with a Quadriceps injury. He did not practice on Thursday.

Redskins:
Off Week 8

The Counselor is OUT:

Line 'em up/ Bench their butts

noreply@blogger.com (Larry Litle) — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 20:01:00 PDT

The Counselor is IN:

This column's intent is to give the readers an idea of few good players in favorable match ups and a few good players in bad match ups. If you have a great player, then it may not advisable to bench him for someone in the Line 'em Up section. If I suggest that you bench one of your studs, you can only do this if you have a good option behind him. If you don't have a good player behind him, don't bench 'em. Remember every league is different and I am advising from a standard league.

Off Week 8: Cincinnati, Kansas City, New England, Pittsburgh, Tampa Bay, Washington

Line ‘em Up

QB David Garrard of Jacksonville. Most people I have talked to believe that Garrard is having a terrible season. To their surprise, the Jags are the 11^th best passing team but do not throw many touchdowns (only 5 this season so far). They are playing against the 32^nd ranked passing defense. Garrard is a good alternative if you have off week needs.

QB Kyle Orton of Denver. There is nothing glamorous about Orton either as an NFL or a fantasy QB. He is consistent and does not turn over the ball. This week the 12^th passing offense goes against a Raven’s pass defense ranked 23^rd. This defense is ranked 7^th against the run. Look for Orton to have a lot of opportunities in this game.

RB Steven Jackson of St. Louis. I have not recommended Jackson all season because…well… he is with St. Louis. But this week, the Rams are taking on the Lions. If Jackson can produce for you, it will be this week. Start him if you have him.

RB Kevin Smith of Detroit. Smith is also getting the nod because he is going against a terrible Rams rush defense of 27^th ranked. Smith has not had a great game yet but I think this could be his week. He is a decent off week start or flex start for this week...

WR Brandon Marshall of Denver. Marshall has been really hot most of this season. He has a favorable match up against the Ravens. I expect him to be money this weekend.

WR Johnny Knox of Chicago. Knox has come on and been a good WR3/Flex player. He is starting to move up to a WR2. This week they are playing against the 24^th ranked passing defense in the Browns.

Bench their Butts

QB Kurt Warner of Arizona. You want to bench Warner only if you have someone that can replace him only. Arizona is playing against the Number 1 Defense against the pass. You will be surprised to find out the number 1 passing defense is the Carolina Panthers. Believe it or not.

QB Brett Favre of Minnesota. Yes the old man had his way in the first meeting. But the Packers will be ready for Brett’s return to Lambeau field. The Pack is the 4^th best defense against the pass.

RB Ray Rice of Baltimore. It is almost impossible to leave Rice on the bench. If you have a decent second option, you might want to consider it. The Broncos are the 3^rd best rush defense and only allow 79.7 rushing yard per game.

RB Joesph Addai of Indianapolis. Addai is not a great start any week because of job sharing with Brown. This week he faces addition issues in the 6^th best run defense. The 49ers defense makes Addai’s a bad start.

WR Steve Breaston of Arizona. Breaston has been a great waiver wire pick up this season. This week, Boldin appear to be much healthier. The Panthers will not be able to stop Fitzgerald so look for them to attempt to stop Breaston and Boldin.

WR Greg Jenninngs of Green Bay. Minnesota held Jennings to only 31 yards in Minnesota. The Vikings are not great against the pass but I look for them to try to take away Rogers best target once again.

The Counselor is OUT:

Fantasy Hockey Sleepers - Pick 'em up!

ShipHockey7@gmail.com (ShipHockey7) — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 08:55:00 PDT

The Hockey Counselor is IN:

First off hello! This is my first post at FSC and I'm mighty proud to be here!

We're a few weeks into the NHL season now and there have been plenty of injuries within the past week or so that may or may not have ravaged your starting line up and now you're dealing with the fact you have to plug those holes for the next 4-6 weeks or whatever the case may be. I'm here to help you with that, this will be a weekly article giving the reader some options on possible waiver wire pick ups that are available in most leagues:

Forwards:

Brooks Laich (Washington - C) - the little known Laich has been benefiting from playing with Alexander Ovechkin and others on the Capitals potent power play. Laich has 9 points so far this season (4 goals, 5 assists) mostly coming from playing in front of the net and putting in rebounds on the power play. He's a great 3rd or 4th center to have on your squad, he'll put the puck in the net and get you some power play points at the same time. He's available in 35% of Yahoo! leagues, and he's definitely worth a pick up
Andrew Brunette (Minnesota - LW) - Although the Wild are struggling so far this year, especially on the road where they are 0-8-0, Brunette already has 10 points with 7 goals and 3 assists. He's had 50+ point years each of the past two seasons on mediocre teams, he'll be a go to guy if he can keep up this pace in Minnesota. If you can overlook the fact that so far he is a -7, he will help you in the goal category without a doubt and is available in a staggering 75% of Yahoo! Leagues!!!

Ales Kotalik (New York Rangers - RW) - The newly acquired New York Ranger Kotalik has been putting up impressive numbers playing along side of Vinny Prospal and Marian Gaborik on the power play, he has 5 goals and 7 assists along side an incredible 9 power play points that will definitely put you over the top in a close matchup. While he's not the go to guy on the power play, he's turning into an assist machine thus far. He's available in 40% of Yahoo! leagues so go check him out, he's definitely worth a look!

Defensemen:

Alex Goligoski (Pittsburgh - D) - With the loss of star defensemen Sergei Gonchar on the blue line, the Penguins have turned to a little known second year player in Goligoski to run their potent power play. He already has 9 points this year (3 goals, 6 assists) and looks to add a ton more just by being on the ice when Evgeni Malkin and Sidney Crosby do their thing. He has a great first pass out of his defensive zone which also should prove for some more assists. I think he'll get a bunch more goals in the coming games because the opposing teams won't respect him like they would Sergei Gonchar with a slap shot from the point. He is available in 40% of Yahoo! Leagues, so definitely check him out, he is a must have!

Jason Demers (San Jose - D) - While Demers doesn't see much Power Play time with the sharks, he's still accumulated 8 assists thus far throughout the season, which is a ton for a guy that has no power play points so far. He's benefiting from being on the ice with guys like Dany Heatley and Joe Thornton. Although he doesn't offer much in other categories (6 PIM's, only 10 shots) he does have a +5 rating and is definitely worth looking into particularly in deeper leagues. He's only owned in 25% of all Yahoo! Leagues so its very likely he's available.

Goaltenders:

Jonathan Quick (Los Angeles - G) Quick has an impressive 8 wins so far this season, especially because he's been seeing competition from fellow Kings' goaltender Erik Ersberg. Have no fear though, Quick is the clear cut number 1 in LA now, and with a 2.91 Goals Against Average, he's definitely a solid number 3 goaltender pick up.

Jaroslav Halak (Montreal - G) Although entrenched in a goaltending battle in Montreal, Halak has started the past 4 games for the Canadiens and they've been winning with him in net. Carey Price may have checked out in Montreal, and Halak is a perfect handcuff for anyone with Price. Halak has a 2.28 Goals Against Average and a .910 Save Percentage, which makes him a very viable option, especially if you have Carey Price

Thanks for reading everyone, check back next week with a whole new batch of fantasy sleepers, and until then stop by FSC for all the fantasy football help you can ever want from Larry Bud!!

The Hockey Counselor is OUT:

Sweet, Sweet Flacco Action!

noreply@blogger.com (Larry Litle) — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 19:31:00 PDT

The Counselor is IN:

Ever wonder if a great knowledge of sports actually helps an owner in a fantasy league. A couple of buddies, Rob and Bryan, had this discussion. It spawned a delightful fantasy blog about their competion in a Fantasy Football League. Check out their description of their site and then check them out at Sweet, Sweet Flacco Action!

It's been debated at length elsewhere, we're sure, but how the hell does actual sports knowledge play into fantasy sports success? Bryan says: "A lot." Rob says: "The opposite of a lot." So two roommates on the opposite ends of the fanship spectrum will do battle on the hallowed field of pretend athleticism and see who will eat the most crow. Spiced with blood, sweat, and beer.

Both Rob and Bryan will enter the same head-to-head Fantasy Football league and both will participate in live drafts. Their teams will be listed on the Our Teams page and updated as trades, adds, and drops occur.

From there, they'll update on how they're doing in their league, and more importantly, against each other. And because everyone's a fan of a little irreverence, they'll be sure to share with you their thoughts on all the sportscasting flubs, ridiculous headlines, and insipid commercials as they happen to come along. (SSFA)

The Counselor is OUT:

Things I have Learned ... the Falcons at the Cowboys

noreply@blogger.com (Larry Litle) — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 19:04:00 PDT

The Counselor is IN:

Things I have Learned ... the Falcons at the Cowboys.

1) WR Miles Austin is for real and appears to be on the same page with Tony Romo. No one was for sure what his future fantasy value would be after the great game two weeks ago in Kansas City, 250 yards and 2 touchdowns, because he broke out against the Chiefs. Today Austin had 171 yards and 2 touchdowns against a much tougher Falcons team and proved himself. This is a surprise after his lackluster training camp and preseason.

2) RB Michael Turner looks a step or two slower than last year. This is not surprising. He had a great year last year with 376 carries. This is a classic case of too many carries in one season. Any time you have a back over 350 carries, he is in danger of hurting his future. If it is over 370, it is almost a guarantee.

3) The Dallas running game of Barber, Jones, and Choice was adequate at best. The run blocking looked below average for most of the game. The running game which was constantly referenced as the new focus of this offense seems to be more of an afterthought until they were ready to run the clock with a big lead in the 4^th quarter.

4) QB Matt Ryan had the deer in the headlight look for most of the game. The Cowboys brought a lot of pressure and Ryan never developed a groove. With enough pressure, he can be shaken at this point in his career.

5) The Dallas Defense was aggressive and opportunistic. They have 3 turnovers and 4 sacs. They were in the face of Ryan all day and appeared to disrupt him. The Cowboys Defense was prepared for Michael Turner, 18 carries for 50 yards, and Matt Ryan, 19 of 35 with 2 TDs and 2 Interceptions. They were not prepared for running of Jason Snelling, 7 carries for 68 yards. The Cowboys defense appeared to have a difficult time adjusting to Snelling and his running style. Snelling had a great game for a back up running back.

6) WR Roy Williams does not appear to be on the same page with Tony Romo. There were several plays where Williams ran a different route than what Romo expected. He only had one catch for 16 yards but was targeted 5 times.

7) TE Tony Gonzalez was a great addition to the Falcons. Gonzalez made a few key catches and demonstrated why he is a future Hall of Famer.

8) WR Patrick Crayton responded in the game to being demoted from the starting line up. He was 2 catches for 9 yards but one of those catches was a great adjustment in the end zone for a key touchdown. He also had a 73 yard punt return.

9) Atlanta’s Defense gave up 426 yards this week. They did not play great against a Cowboys’ offense which got in a groove in the second quarter. They had no answer for Austin and had trouble pressuring Romo.

10) QB Tony Romo had a monstrous day. He went 21 for 29 attempts, 3 touchdowns, and zero interceptions. He had a passer rating of 141.6. It will be interesting to see if Romo can keep up the good games or if he will continue to be hot and cold.

11) The Dallas Cowboys came into this game looking to prove that they could beat a good team that has a winning record. This team appears to play at the level of their opponent which is detrimental as they play down to the level of a bad opponent.

Those are a few things I learned from the Falcons @ the Cowboys.

The Counselor is OUT:

Fantasy Hockey @ FSC with ShipHockey7

noreply@blogger.com (Larry Litle) — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 10:20:00 PDT

The Counselor is IN:

I am proud to announce the addition of ShipHockey7 to the staff of the Fantasy Sports Counselor. ShipHockey7 will bring weekly Fantasy Hockey updates. He is an intrinsic valued member of Sports Jabber, the Wally World of Sports sites. I expect Ship’s expertise in Hockey and Fantasy Hockey will illuminate brightly and elevate FSC to the next level.

I am bodaciously excited about the ShipHockey7's addition and the expansion of our fantasy coverage to include Fantasy Hockey.

Ship, welcome to the team.

The Counselor is OUT:

Week 7 Fantasy Injury Report

noreply@blogger.com (Larry Litle) — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 22:21:00 PDT

The Counselor is IN:

Cardinals:
WR Steve Breaston has a right knee injury and is probable. Breaston saw limited time in practice this week. He will play but the amount of time may vary on how healthy Boldin is for the game.

WR Anquan Boldin is questionable with a high ankle sprain. He has been practicing on a limited basis. He is expected to play but at what level and how long?

RB Chris “Beanie” Wells has a hip injury and is questionable. The running game for the Cardinals has been lackluster all year. Even if Wells plays, I would not start him this week.

Falcons:
RB Michael Turner is probable with a chest injury. He was limited in practice all week. He is expected to play.

RB Jerious Norwood has a hip injury and is questionable. He is a game time decision. Even if he plays, I don’t expect him to have a productive fantasy week.

Ravens:
Off Week 7

Bills:
QB Trent Edwards is out with a concussion.

Panthers:

RB Jonathan Stewart is questionable with an Achilles injury. He practiced fully on Thursday and Friday.

Bears:
RB Adrian Peterson is doubtful with a knee injury. It is unlikely that Peterson will play. His fantasy value is very limited unless Forte is injured.

Bengals:
WR Chad Ochocinco is probable with a hip injury. He did not practice on Friday. Chad should play with no issues this weekend.

WR Chris Henry has an illness and is questionable for this weekend. Henry had great promise in the pre-season this year but has not lived up to it. He has lost a lot of playing time to Coles and Caldwell.

Browns:
QB Derek Anderson has an ankle injury and is probable for this weekend. Anderson will play but his play has not been impressive this season.

K Phil Dawson is doubtful with a calf injury. I look for Cundiff to kick in his place.

TE Robert Royal has a finger and foot injury. He is questionable for this weekend. He missed practice this week.

Cowboys:
RB Marion Barber is probable with a Quadriceps injury. He is expected to start and reports are that Barber looked much better in practice this week.

RB Felix Jones has a knee injury and is probable. He is expected to play this weekend and has looked fast in practice.

WR Roy E. Williams is probable with a rib injury. It appears that Williams will play on Sunday. Earlier in the week, the Coaching staff was not sure if Williams would be able to play.

Broncos:
Off Week 7

Lions:
Off Week 7

Packers:
QB Aaron Rogers is probable with an ankle injury. He fully practiced all week.

WR Greg Jennings has a hip injury and is probable. He practiced on Friday. He is expected to play.

Texans:
No significant fantasy injuries.

Colts:
WR Anthony Gonzalez is out with a knee injury. He should be returning soon but not this weekend.

K Adam Vinatieri has a knee injury and is out.

Jaguars:
Off Week 7

Chiefs:
No significant fantasy injuries.

Dolphins:
No significant fantasy injuries.

Vikings:
WR Percy Harvin is questionable with a shoulder injury. He was limited in practice this week.

RB Adrian Peterson has an ankle injury and is probable. He was limited in practice on Wednesday and Thursday but fully practiced on Friday.

Patriots:
WR Randy Moss has a shoulder injury and is probable. He fully practiced this week.

QB Tom Brady has been listed as probable with a shoulder injury. He is always listed as probable. He will play with no issues.

RB Fred Taylor is out indefinitely with an ankle injury. He expects to miss several weeks.

RB Sammy Morris has a knee injury and is out.

Saints:
TE Jeremy Shockey is probable with a shoulder injury. He was limited in practice this week. All signs point to him playing on Sunday.

Giants:
QB Eli Manning is probable with a foot injury. He was limited in practice on Wednesday but fully practiced the rest of the week.

RB Ahmad Bradshaw has an ankle injury and probable. He was limited in practice all week but he is still listed as probable.

WR Mario Manningham is probable with a back injury. He should play this weekend with no issues.

Jets:
WR Brad Smith is out with a foot injury. Smith has had moments this year as a new WR convert from QB.

WR Jerricho Cotchery has a hamstring injury and is out. When Cotchery is healthy, he should start seeing more single coverage with the edition of Edwards.

WR Braylon Edwards is probable with a Quadriceps injury. Edwards was limited in practice early this week but did fully practice Friday. He should start with no issues.

Raiders:
WR Chaz Schilens has a foot injury and he is questionable for the week. He was not able to finish practice on Friday. That is not a good sign.

RB Darren McFadden is out with a knee injury.

Eagles:
QB Donovan McNabb has a rib injury and is probable. He fully practiced on Friday and will start on Monday night.

WR Kevin Curtis is out with a knee injury.

RB Brian Westbrook has an ankle injury and is probable. He fully practiced on Friday. He is more fragile than the Eagles would like to admit.

Steelers:
RB Rashard Mendenhall is probable with a knee injury. It has been announced that he will play on Sunday.

Chargers:
RB LaDainian Tomlinson is probable with the flu. He missed practice on Thursday but was back at practice on Friday.

49ers:
RB Frank Gore has an ankle injury and is probable. Gore is starting this weekend. He is a great start.

Seahawks:
Off Week 7

Rams:
WR Donnie Avery is probable with a hip injury. He fully practiced on Friday and did not experience any set backs on Saturday.

Buccaneers:
WR Michael Clayton is questionable with a hamstring injury. He was limited in practice on Wednesday but fully practiced the rest of the week. At best, Clayton is only a starter for an off week.

Titans:
Off Week 7

Redskins:
RB Clinton Portis is questionable with an ankle injury. He missed practice all week until Saturday. I would not count on Portis playing this weekend and if he does, do not look for a good week.

The Counselor is OUT:

Line 'em up/ Bench their butts

noreply@blogger.com (Larry Litle) — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 20:52:00 PDT

Line ‘em Up

(Put in your studs from Patriots, Colts, Packers)

QB “Big” Ben Roethlisberger of Pittsburgh. The Steelers have become a passing first team. Big Ben is a consistent fantasy starter. This week they will play against the 9^th best rush defense but the 24^th passing defense. If the Steelers are going to win this game it will have to be on the arm of Big Ben.

QB Philip Rivers of San Diego. Rivers is leading the 5^th best passing offense against the Chiefs 27^th pass defense. Rivers is always a good start and this week he is a fantastic start.

RB Thomas Jones of the New York Jets. I continue to assume that Jones is done and he continues to prove me wrong. Jones leads the 2^nd ranked rushing offense and this week he is going against the Oakland’s 28^th rushing defense. I look for Jones to have a big day.

RB Frank Gore of San Francisco. Frank is back and will be starting this week. He is going against the Texans’ 24^th ranked rush defense.

WR Austin Collie of the Indianapolis. Collie has stepped into the Colts lineup with consistency since Gonzalez went down. Oh yes, they are playing against the Rams.

WR Steve Smith of New York Giants. I look for this game to be a shoot out in New York. The Cardinals can not stop the pass and are 31^st against it. I look for a big day for Smith.

Bench their Butts

QB Donovan McNabb of Philly. McNabb is playing against a tough Redskins’ defense. He will be hard pressed to have a good game. I know the Redskins are in chaos and their head coach is not really a head coach but don’t let that fool you into thinking McNabb will have a good game.

QB Kurt Warner of Arizona. Yes I know that most fantasy owners can not afford to bench Warner. If you have a decent backup, you may want to bench him against the top ranked pass defense.

RB Rashard Mendenhall of Pittsburgh. As I stated in the Big Ben post, the Steelers are going against a tough rush defense. Mendenhall is now the starting back for Pittsburgh and will be worth starting most weeks but not this one.

RB Cedric Benson of Cincinnati. Benson will be facing his old team and look for revenge. It is too bad for him that the Bears Defense is 6^th against the rush.

WR Anquan Boldin of Arizona. Boldin’s lingering injuries have slowed down his production this year. He only has one touchdown this season. I look for Boldin to break out later this season but not against the Giants.

WR Steve Smith of Carolina. Smith was a fantasy stud in previous year but this year his has sunk to a bench player. Even though Carolina is playing against Buffalo this week, do not buy into a break out week.

The Counselor is OUT:

Don’ts and Dos of Trading

noreply@blogger.com (Larry Litle) — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 19:46:00 PDT

The Counselor is IN:

1) Don’t ignore the needs of your team to make your team better for the second half of the season.

2) Do seek out appropriate trading partners to meet your trading needs.

3) Don’t make half thought out trades.

4) Do your research about the players you are looking to trade and receive. Also know if this will be a short term trade or one for the future if you are in a keeper/dynasty league. Feel free to ask the Counselor about your trades.

5) Don’t attempt to rob unsuspecting teams of their stud players.

6) Do your best to make balanced trade proposals which will help both teams. This not only helps both teams now but will help you with any future trades in this same league. If they trust you to make good trades, other owners will be much more likely to trade for you.

7) Don’t trade away all your good players for nothing if you are out of the playoffs.

8) Do trade away your best players in a keeper/dynasty league if it can make your team better for next year such as trading players at the end of their fantasy contracts with you.

9) Don’t buy into the player of the week hype to trade for.

10) Do look for a consistent player to trade for.

11) Don’t make a bad trade just for trade sake.

12) Do use caution in your trades. It is better to have no trade and stay the course than make the trade that kills your team.

The Counselor is OUT:

Week 6 Fantasy Injury Report

noreply@blogger.com (Larry Litle) — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 12:23:00 PDT

The Counselor is IN:

Cardinals:
WR Steve Breaston has a knee injury and is questionable. Breaston was limited in practice this week. He will be a game time decision.

Falcons:
K Jason Elam is probable with a hamstring. He will kick for the Falcons.

WR Marty Booker has an abdomen issue and is listed as probable. He fully practiced.

Ravens:
WR Mark Clayton is probable with a shoulder injury. He fully practiced on Friday.

Bills:
WR Josh Reed is probable with a lower leg injury. He was limited in practice this week.

WR Roscoe Parrish has a thigh injury and is probable. He was limited in practiced fully on Friday.

Panthers:

RB Jonathan Stewart is questionable with an Achilles injury. He practiced fully on Friday.

WR Steve Smith has a knee injury and is probable. He practiced on Friday and will play this weekend.

Bears:
No significant fantasy injuries.

Bengals:
QB Carson Palmer is probable with a thumb injury. He fully practiced all week.

Browns:
RB Jamal Lewis has a hamstring injury and is probable for this weekend. He was limited early in the week but has fully practiced most of the week.

K Phil Dawson is questionable with a calf injury. There are no clear signs if he will play this weekend or not.

TE Robert Royal has a finger and foot injury. He is probable for this weekend. He was limited in practice early in the week.

Cowboys:
Off Week 6

Broncos:
RB Correll Buckhalter has an ankle injury and is probable. He is expected to play on Monday night.

RB LaMont Jordon is probable after missing practice this week for personal reasons.

Lions:
TE Brandon Pettigrew has a hamstring injury and is probable.

QB Matt Stafford is questionable with a knee injury. Coach Schwartz declared Stafford the starter for this weekend..

WR Calvin Johnson has a knee injury and is questionable. Johnson missed practice all week. He is not expected to play.

Packers:
RB Brandon Jackson is probable with an ankle injury. He is expected to play.

Texans:
No significant fantasy injuries.

Colts:
Off Week 6

Jaguars:
WR Mike Thomas is probable with a rib injury. He has limited fantasy value if any at all.

Chiefs:
No significant fantasy injuries.

Dolphins:
Off Week 6

Vikings:
WR Percy Harvin is questionable with a shoulder injury. He practiced on Friday but is still listed as questionable.

Patriots:
WR Randy Moss has a shoulder injury and is probable. He was limited in practice all week. Moss should start with no issue.

QB Tom Brady has been listed as probable with a shoulder injury. He is always listed as probable. He will play with no issues.

RB Fred Taylor is out with an ankle injury. He had surgery earlier this week and is expected to miss several weeks.

Saints:
RB Mike Bell is probable with a knee injury. He fully practiced this week. He should play but may be limited with Thomas playing so well.

RB Pierre Thomas has a hamstring injury and is probable. Thomas has been playing through this minor injury very well. I expect he will have another good game this week.

Giants:
QB Eli Manning is probable with a foot injury. He was limited in practice all week but is expected to play this weekend.

RB Ahmad Bradshaw has an ankle injury and probable. He was limited in practice all week after missing practice the rest of the week but he is still listed as probable.

TE Kevin Boss is probable with an ankle injury.

Jets:
WR Brad Smith is doubtful with a foot injury. He did not practice this week. Smith has had moments this year as a new WR convert from QB.

WR Jerricho Cotchery has a hamstring injury and is doubtful. When Cotchery is healthy, he should start seeing more single coverage with the edition of Edwards.

Raiders:
WR Chaz Schilens has a foot injury and he is questionable for the week. He is recovering from foot surgery. He is about 50/50 to play this weekend.

RB Darren McFadden is out with a knee injury.

Eagles:
QB Donovan McNabb has a rib injury and is probable. He fully practiced all week.

WR Kevin Curtis is questionable with a knee injury. He has fully practiced all week but it still in some pain.

Steelers:
RB Willie Parker is probable with a turf toe injury. He is expected to play this weekend but may have very limited snaps.

Chargers:
No significant fantasy injuries.

49ers:
Off Week 6

Seahawks:
QB Matt Hasselbeck has a rib injury and is probable. Hasselbeck is expected to play and I expect him to have a great game this weekend against a week Cardinals pass defense.

WR Nate Burleson is probable with a back injury.

Rams:
No significant fantasy injuries.

Buccaneers:
WR Antonio Bryant is probable with a knee injury. It was reported that he looked good in practice on Friday. He should play with no problems.

Titans:
No significant fantasy injuries.

Redskins:
RB Clinton Portis is probable with a calf injury. He was limited in practice on Friday. Portis is more of a spot starter now days.

The Counselor is OUT:

Line 'em up/ Bench their butts

noreply@blogger.com (Larry Litle) — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 20:53:00 PDT

Line ‘em Up

QB Aaron Rogers of Green Bay . Roger is having a good season with 6 TDs and only 1 interception with 1098 yards. He is facing a Lions’ defense that is 27^th against the pass and is 32^nd in points allowed. It should be a great match up.

QB Matt Hasselbeck of Seattle. Hasselbeck was finally healthy enough to play last week and demonstrated that he can still be a good QB. He is going against the 32^nd ranked pass defense in the Cardinals who are giving up 303 passing yards a game. I look for Hasselbeck to have a huge game.

RB Carnell “Cadillac” Williams of Tampa Bay. Williams is set for a big week against the Panthers’ 30^th ranked run defense. The Panthers have a great pass defense but can not stop the run. They have given up 6 rushing TD’s so far this year. I look for them to give up a couple more to Cadillac.

RB DeAngelo Williams of Carolina . Last week I promoted Williams and he was a huge disappointment. I am calling on him again. He is facing the Tampa Bay Defense who is 28^th in rushing defense and 30^th in points allowed. I do not think he will miss two weeks in a row.

WR Mike Sims-Walker of the Jacksonville. Sims-Walker has come on to be a decent starter every week. He is going against the Rams and the 25^th ranked pass defense and the 31^st ranked scoring defense.

WR Nate Burleson of Seattle. Burleson is a decent play most weeks. This week he is going against the Cardinals.

Bench their Butts

QB Brett Favre of Minnesota. Favre is having a good fantasy season. He is playing against a tough Ravens’ Defense. If you have a good alternative, leave him on the bench.

QB Philip Rivers of San Diego. Rivers.is a must start for most fantasy owners. If you have a really good back up, you might consider putting him on the bench. He is facing a tough Bronco defense.

RB LaDainian Tomlinson of San Diego. LT is not the same stud from a few years ago but he can be productive at times. This week is not one of those times. I would leave him on the bench against the 6^th ranked rushing defense of the Broncos.

RB Michael Turner of Atlanta. It is difficult not to start Turner after last season but this year, he has not been the same rusher. He is facing a good run defense in Chicago.

WR Dwayne Bowe of Kansas City. Bowe is a good young WR but this week he faces the third best pass defense. I think Bowe has a sub-par week.

WR Terrell Owens of Buffalo. T.O. has not been able to be a difference maker in Buffalo. This week he goes against a tough Jets pass defense. Leave Owens on the bench.

***** Last week I suggested benching Matt Ryan. One of my readers, Troub., challenged this view. He felt that Ryan would be a solid start against a tough 49ers defense. He was correct in keeping Ryan in the lineup. I wanted to tip my fantasy hat to Troub. You have to go with your instincts.*****

The Counselor is OUT:

Are the Cowboys really this bad?

noreply@blogger.com (Larry Litle) — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 13:44:00 PDT

The Counselor is IN:
(Special Dallas Cowboys Edition)

I have watched at least a portion of every Chiefs game this season because I live in Chiefs country. This Chiefs team is really bad. They are a team with a bad offensive line. Larry Johnson is a has-been. The Chief’s defense is in flux. They have moved from a 4-3 last year to a 3-4 this year without the players to do it. There is a good reason the Chiefs were 0-4 going into Week 5.

The Dallas Cowboys came into the Chiefs game needing to prove that they could dominate a bad team. They failed at this miserably.

The Achilles heel of the Cowboys for years has been the stupid penalties and this was apparent in this game. It is called a lack of DISCIPLINE! Both sides of the ball made lame brain plays that cost yardage, 1st downs, and momentum. They will never win consistently if this does not change with some personal DISCIPLINE.

The Cowboys continued to struggle in the Red Zone and picked up field goal attempts (missing one) instead of touch downs. This goes hand in hand with the stupid penalties because many of the Red Zone drives have been killed with penalties. When they get in the red zone they need to bring out the killer instinct and punch it in.

A lack of focus by our receivers allowed several catches to become drops. Some of these were touch downs that did not happen and others were 3rd down conversions.

They struggled to move the ball on the ground when the Boys' offensive line far out weighs the Chiefs’ D-Line. This completely baffles me. How are we not able to run the ball on a terrible defense like the Chiefs? We should have had over 200 yards on the ground.

Early fumbles set the Cowboys behind the 8 Ball. We allowed the momentum of this game to quickly shift to the Chiefs and allowed it to stay with them most of the game.

So are we really this bad? Yes. Let me quote our former coach, Bill Parcells, "You are what your record says you are."

The Counselor is OUT:

Week 5 Fantasy Injury Report

noreply@blogger.com (Larry Litle) — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 17:47:00 PDT

The Counselor is IN:

Cardinals:
QB Kurt Warner is probable with a shoulder injury. He will play on Sunday.

WR Steve Breaston has a knee injury and is questionable. He will be a game time decision.

Falcons:
K Jason Elam is probable with a hamstring. He will kick for the Falcons.

Ravens:
WR Derek Mason is probable with a neck injury. He was limited in practice on Friday.

Bills:
WR James Hardy is out indefinitely due to recovering from ACL surgery.

Panthers:

RB Jonathan Stewart is questionable with an Achilles injury. He practiced on Friday after not practicing.

Bears:
Off Week 5

Bengals:
RB Cedric Benson is probable with a hip injury. He fully practiced on Thursday and Friday.

Browns:
RB Jamal Lewis has a hamstring injury and is questionable for this weekend. I would not expect him to play. I hope you are not relying on Lewis to still be a starter on your team.

K Phil Dawson is doubtful with a calf injury. Look for Former Cowboy Billy Cundiff to continue to kick for the Browns.

Cowboys:
RB Marion Barber III is probable with a Quadricep injury. Barber will play and is expected to be the main rusher this week. His quad could tighten up again as it did last week.

RB Felix "The Cat" Jones has a knee injury and is out for Sunday.

WR Roy E. Williams is out with a ribs injury.

Broncos:
RB Correll Buckhalter has an ankle injury and is out.

Lions:
RB Kevin Smith has a shoulder injury and is probable. He fully practiced all week. He will play.

QB Matt Stafford is questionable with a knee injury. He has been limited in practice all week.

WR Calvin Johnson has a quadricep injury and is probable. Johnson missed practice early in the week but appears to be ready to play tomorrow.

Packers:
Off Week 5

Texans:
WR Andre Davis has as concussion and is questionable for Sunday. Davis has minor fantasy value when healthy and is only worth owning is large leagues.

Colts:
WR Anthony Gonzalez has a sprained PCL ligament in his right knee and is out until mid October.

RB Joseph Addai is questionable with a hand injury. He was limited early in the week but he fully practiced on Friday.

Jaguars:
No significant fantasy injuries.

Chiefs:
RB Kolby Smith is out with a knee injury.

Dolphins:
QB Chad Pennington was placed on the Injured Reserve with a shoulder injury.

Vikings:
QB Brett Favre is probable with a foot injury. He was limited in practice this week. Don't worry about Brett. The Iron Man of the NFL will not miss Sunday.

Patriots:
WR Wes Welker has a knee injury and is questionable. He was limited in practice all week. I would not start him unless you have to this week.

QB Tom Brady has been listed as probable with a shoulder injury. He almost is always listed as probable. He will play with no issues.

RB Fred Taylor is out with an ankle injury. He had surgery earlier this week and is expected to miss several weeks.

Saints:
Off Week 5

Giants:
WR Hakeem Nicks has a foot injury and is probable. He has been practicing and fielding punts in practice. He will play this weekend.

WR Domenik Hixon is out with a knee injury.

RB Ahmad Bradshaw has an ankle injury and probable. He practiced on Friday for the first time all week.

TE Kevin Boss is doubtful with an ankle injury. He missed practice this week.

Jets:
K Jay Feely is probable with a personal problem and missed practice on Saturday.

WR Jerricho Cotchery has a hamstring injury and is questionable. When Cotchery is healthy, he should start seeing more single coverage with the edition of Edwards.

Raiders:
WR Chaz Schilens has a foot injury and he is out for the week. He is recovering from foot surgery.

RB Darren McFadden is out with a knee injury.

TE Zach Miller is recovering from a concussion and is questionable. He has been cleared medically and did return to practice on Thursday.

Eagles:

RB Brian Westbrook is probable with an ankle injury. He is expected to play.

QB Donovan McNabb has a rib injury and is probable. He stated that he is ready to play and fully practiced on Friday. I expect McNabb to play.

WR Kevin Curtis is questionable with a knee injury. He appears to have had a set back on Friday in practice. I would leave him on the bench.

Steelers:
RB Willie Parker is out with a turf toe injury.

Chargers:
Off Week 5

49ers:
RB Frank Gore is out with a right ankle injury.

Seahawks:
QB Matt Hasselbeck has a rib injury and is probable. He practiced all week. Hasselbeck should be back this week against the Jags. He could have a good game this week.

Rams:
QB Marc Bulger is questionable with a shoulder injury. Bulger is no longer a fantasy option in most leagues.

WR Donnie Avery has a hamstring injury and is questionable. He was limited in practice all week. Do not start Avery this week.

WR Keenan Burton is questionable with a hamstring injury. He returned to practice on Friday.

Buccaneers:
WR Antonio Bryant is questionable with a knee injury. He will be a game time decision. He was limited in practice this week.

RB Earnest Graham has hamstring injury and is questionable. He was limited in practice on Friday.

RB Derek Ward has a knee injury and is probable. He will probable be a backup for Williams.

WR Michael Clayton is probable with a rib injury. He is expected to play on Sunday and fully practiced on Friday.

QB Bryon Leftwich has a hip injury and is probable. He is no longer starting so his value will be low.

Titans:
WR Nate Washington is probable with symptoms from a concussion. He practiced all week. he should be good to go this weekend but he should only be a off week substitute.

Redskins:
No significant fantasy injuries.

The Counselor is OUT:

Line 'em up/ Bench their butts

noreply@blogger.com (Larry Litle) — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 20:34:00 PDT

QB Ben Roethlisberger of Pittsburgh . “Big” Ben has become an every week starter this season. He is going against a week Lions team. Even though I look for the Steelers to run the ball well this week, I think there is room for big stats for Roethlisberger.

QB Tony Romo of Dallas . Tony has been very hot and cold this season. He has looked good against bad teams and terrible against good teams. Lucky for Romo owners and Cowboys fans alike, the Boys are going against the dreadful Chiefs. Look for Romo to bounce back with a great game.

RB Rashard Mendenhall of Pittsburgh . Last week, Mendenhall finally had the game I have been expecting out of him. With “Fast” Willie likely out again, Mendenhall will be given the rock against the Lions. I expect a big day out of Mendenhall this week.

RB DeAngelo Williams of Carolina . This is the week that Williams gets on track to being a fantasy stud again. The Panthers face the 22^nd ranked run defense of the Redskins. Delhomme is still struggling and the Panthers should focus on their offense on their running game.

WR Sidney Rice of the Minnesota . Rice came to fantasy life last week with Brett have a really good game. I look for Rice to continue to make himself known to the fantasy world this week against the Rams. .

WR Pierre Garcon of Indianapolis . Garcon has been a decent WR3 or flex as a starting WR for the Colts. This week the Colts face the 31^st Pass Defense of the Titans.

Bench their Butts

QB Carson Palmer of Cincinnati . What a difference a week makes. Last week I was suggesting you to start Palmer and this week to sit him. He is going against the Ravens and Palmer has been too injury prone to think he will handle the Raven’s blitz.

QB Matt Ryan of Atlanta . Ryan will face a top 10 pass defense in San Francisco. Since the running game has been lackluster this season, Ryan will face a well coached defense which will be looking for the pass. This is not good news for Ryan.

RBs Ronnie Brown of Miami . The Jets Defense has made me a believer. They look to stop the run against Miami and make Chad Henne beat them.

RB Steve Slaton of Houston . Slaton has had a rough Sophomore year so far with one decent game. He goes against a surprisingly tough run defense in Arizona.

WR Antonio Bryant of Tampa Bay. The Bucs are playing against a tough Eagles Defense with Josh Johnson as their Quarterback.

WR Calvin Johnson of Detroit . Yes he is their main weapon on offense but they are playing the Steelers and Stafford has been injured. It does not look good for Detroit and any fantasy player from the Lions

The Counselor is OUT:

Things I have Learned ... the Packers at the Vikings

noreply@blogger.com (Larry Litle) — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 20:05:00 PDT

The Counselor is IN:

Things I have Learned ... the Packers at the Vikings.

1) QB Brett Favre is old and can not play any longer... NOT! At 40 years of age (later this season) Brett can still fling the ball all around the field when he needs to. The Vikings are starting to let Brett play and this should open up the run more for Peterson.

2) QB Aaron Rogers is a good up and coming Quarter Back but he was no Brett Favre on this night. Rogers has not played in the big games like Favre has and it showed tonight. I know he wanted to beat the old man and his former mentor but it was not to be.

3) The Packer Defense is a good and opportunistic defense. They came in to stop Peterson and did a good job of it. It appears they should have focused more on Favre.

4) RB Adrian Peterson can be slowed down. Peterson had a sub par game in Minnesota which is rare. This opened the door for Favre which I believe will lead to more opportunities for Peterson later this season.

5) The Minnesota Defense is for real and vicious. They are hard hitting and can dominate the line of scrimmage. 8 Sacs on the night and one for a safety. OUCH!

6) WR Greg Jennings has amazing hands and concentration. His catch off of the deflection was phenomenal.

7) RB Ryan Grant has not looked like the same stud from a couple of years ago.

8) WR Percy Harvin looks to be way ahead of the 3 year Rookie WR learning curve. He is a fantasy starter right now.

Those are a few things I learned from the Packers @ the Vikings.

The Counselor is OUT:

Week 4 Fantasy Injury Report

noreply@blogger.com (Larry Litle) — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 17:14:00 PDT

The Counselor is IN:

Cardinals:
Off Week 3

Falcons:
Off Week 3

Ravens:
TE L.J. Smith has a back injury and is questionable for Sunday. Smith is a backup TE who should not be owned.

WR Derek Mason is questionable with an undisclosed illness.

WR Kelly Washington has a groin pull and is probable. Washington should only be an off week play in a deep league.

Bills:
WR James Hardy is out indefinitely due to recovering from ACL surgery.

Panthers:
Off Week 3

Bears:
TE Desmond Clark is probable with a broken rib. He recovered faster than expected.

RB Matt Forte has a knee injury and is probable. He will play this weekend.

Bengals:
RB Cedric Benson is probable with an ankle sprain. He fully practiced on Thursday and Friday.

Browns:
RB Jamal Lewis has a hamstring injury and is questionable for this weekend. I would not expect him to play. I hope you are not relying on Lewis to still be a starter on your team.

K Phil Dawson is doubtful with a calf injury. Look for Former Cowboy Billy Cundiff to continue to kick for the Browns.

Cowboys:
RB Marion Barber III is probable with a Quadricep injury. Barber will play but it has been announced that he will not start the game. I would expect him to get the goal line carries unless he re-injures himself.

RB Felix "The Cat" Jones has a knee injury and is out for Sunday.

Broncos:
RB Peyton Hillis has a head injury and is probable.

WR Brandon Stokley is questionable with a thigh injury. He will be a game time decision.

Lions:
RB Kevin Smith has a shoulder injury and is questionable. He took part in most of practice. He declared that he will play this weekend.

Packers:
RB Brandon Jackson is out with an ankle injury.

WR Greg Jennings has a wrist injury and is probable. He fully practiced on Saturday and is expected to play on Monday night.

Texans:
WR Andre Davis has as concussion and is probable for Sunday. Davis has minor fantasy value when healthy and is only worth owning is large leagues.

RB Chris Brown is questionable with a shin injury. He fully practiced on Friday after being limited earlier in the week. It is a 50/50 call.

Colts:
WR Anthony Gonzalez has a sprained PCL ligament in his right knee and is out until mid October.

Jaguars:
No significant fantasy injuries.

Chiefs:
RB Kolby Smith is out with a knee injury.

WR Dwayne Bowe has a hamstring injury and is questionable. He was limited in practice on Friday. Leave Bowe on the bench this week.

Dolphins:
QB Chad Pennington was placed on the Injured Reserve with a shoulder injury.

Vikings:
QB Brett Favre is probable with a foot injury. He was limited in practice on Saturday. Don't worry about Brett. The Iron Man of the NFL will not miss Monday for a revenge match against the Pack.

TE Jim Kleinsasser is probable with a hand injury. He fully practiced on Friday.

Patriots:
RB Laurence Maroney is probable with a thigh injury. Maroney should play this weekend but he has very limited value in the pass happy Patriot offense.

WR Wes Welker has a knee injury and is questionable. He was limited in practice all week. I would not start him unless you have to this week.

QB Tom Brady has been listed as probable with a shoulder injury. He almost is always listed as probable. He will play but may have a difficult time against the Ravens' pass rush.

Saints:
RB Mike Bell is out and is expected to be out for a few weeks.

WR Lance Moore is probable with a hamstring injury. I would expect him to play.

Giants:
WR Hakeem Nicks has a foot injury and is probable.

WR Domenik Hixon is out with a knee injury.

RB Ahmad Bradshaw has an ankle injury and probable.

Jets:
No significant fantasy injuries.

Raiders:
WR Chaz Schilens has a foot injury and he is doubtful for the week. He is recovering from foot surgery.

WR Johnnie Lee Higgins is probable with a shoulder injury.

Eagles:
Off Week 3

Steelers:
RB Willie Parker is out with a turf toe injury.

Chargers:
RB LaDainian Tomlinson has an ankle injury and is probable. He appears ready to play on Sunday but it is unsure if he will start and get the majority of the carries. He is a gamble to help you this week.

49ers:
RB Frank Gore is out with a right ankle injury.

TE Vernon Davis has a shin injury and is probable. Davis has been preforming well this season. He will play and is worth starting.

Seahawks:
QB Matt Hasselbeck has a rib injury and is doubtful. I would not count on him to play this week.

Rams:
QB Marc Bulger is questionable with a shoulder injury. Bulger is no longer a fantasy option in most leagues.

Buccaneers:
WR Antonio Bryant is questionable with a knee injury. He will be a game time decision.

RB Earnest Graham has hamstring injury and is probable. He fully practiced on Friday.

RB Carnell "Cadillac" Williams is probable with a sore left knee. He also fully practiced on Friday.

RB Derek Ward has a knee injury and is questionable.

K Mike Nugent is probable with a Quadricep injury. He is expected to kick on Sunday.

Titans:
RB Lendale White is probable with an illness. He should play this weekend.

QB Vince Young has a back issue and is questionable. Young will not play unless Collins goes down.

Redskins:
RB Clinton Portis has a calf injury and is questionable. He missed practice on Friday.
The Counselor is OUT:

Line 'em up/ Bench their butts

noreply@blogger.com (Larry Litle) — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 20:36:00 PDT

QB Carson Palmer of Cincinnati. Palmer is no longer an every week starter but he is a starter for this week. Palmer goes against the Browns. I look for Palmer to have a huge game against the Browns this week. I would also bump up OchoCinco, Henry, and Coles this week.

QB Jay Cutler of Chicago. Cutler had a great game against the Seahawks last week. Look for monster stats to continue as Chicago goes against the Lions with 250 + yards and at least 2 scores.

RB Glenn “Cup O’” Coffee of San Fransico. Anyone who watched Coffee play in the pre-season could see this one coming. Gore would at sometime find himself injured and Coffee would get a start here or there and this week Gore is listed as OUT. Coffee had a lack luster game subbing for Gore last week but that was against the Mighty Purple People Eaters. This week Coffee will get caffeinated against the Rams. I look for a big day.

RB Brandon Jacobs of New York Giants. Jacobs would have been a no brainer in the preseason. After a lackluster start of 46, 58, and 92 yards and only 1 touchdown, he is not as automatic as we would have thought. This week he goes against the Chiefs. I look for the Giants to get ahead early and spend the second half running the ball down Kansas City’s throat.

EXTRA: RB Pierre Thomas of New Orleans. Thomas is back and healthy. He had a great game last week. I look for this to continue even against a tough Jets Defense.

WR Mario Manningham of the New York Giants. Manningham had a break out week in week 2 against the Cowboys. He did not repeat last week against the Bucs. But this week, the Giants face the Chiefs. I look for Manningham to burn the corners in KC and score deep on an early drive. Brandon Flowers is the real deal at Corner for KC but he can not cover all the receivers.

WR Jerricho Cotchery of the New York Jets. Cotchery continues to put up solid number this year. This week, Sanchez will try to keep up with the high flying Saints offense. I look for Cotchery to be the target of a higher amount of throws and receptions.

Bench their Butts

QB Tom Brady of New England. I know I am on the crazy train and you probably can not afford to bench Brady. He has not played up to previous Brady standards this season. He is going against a tough Ravens Defense who will be blitzing the snot out of Brady and he does not respond well to being hit. Plus, when was the last time you saw the Patriots running game?

QB Aaron Rogers of Green Bay. The Pack go to Minnesota this weekend and face a tough defense. The Pack does not typically do well at Minnesota. Rogers will be trying to prove that he is better than Favre and I believe he will fail this weekend.

RBs Buchhalter and Morno of Denver. The Cowboys have been able to stop the run well in week 2 and 3. I would look for this to be their focus in Denver. Make Orton beat you is a solid strategy.

RB Steven Jackson of St. Louis. The 49ers have a solid defense. They will be trying to take away the only weapon, Jackson, that St. Louis has. It will be a long day for Jackson and Rams fans.

WR Marques Colston of New Orleans. The Jets have been the masters of taking players out of their game this season. I look for them to target Colston and to cause him to have a sub-par game.

WR T.J. Houshmandzadeh of Seattle. Housh will not have his QB healthy. He is limited with Wallace at Quarter Back.

The Counselor is OUT:

Week 3 Fantasy Injury Report

noreply@blogger.com (Larry Litle) — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 12:19:00 PDT

The Counselor is IN:

Cardinals:
WR Anquan Boldin has an injured hamstring and is probable. He practiced fully on Friday. He played last weekend and I expect him to continue to play at a high level. He is safe to start this week.

WR Steve Breaston is questionable with a knee injury. He will more than likely play but in a limited role. I would leave him on the bench until his is able to play at a more consistent level and Warner proves he will play at the level he did last year.

WR Early Doucet has a rib injury and is probable for Sunday. He is not worth a spot on your bench at this time but could be if the Cardinals play the high powered offense and Breaston continues to be injured.

Falcons:
K Jason Elam is probable and had a hamstring injury. He did fully practice on Thursday and Friday. He should be good to play on Sunday.

RB Jerious Norwood has a head injury and is questionable. He has an unknown head injury from last week's game. I would leave him on the bench. He has limited upside when he is fully health.

TE Tony Gonzalez is probable with a sore back. He fully practiced all week. Tony will play. He is a gamer.

Ravens:
TE L.J. Smith has a pulled left hamstring and is questionable for Sunday. Smith is a backup TE who should not be owned.

Bills:
WR James Hardy is out indefinitely due to recovering from ACL surgery.

WR Roscoe Parrish has a Quadriceps injury and is probable. Parrish is low on the depth chart so his value is minimal at the most.

WR Josh Reed is questionable with an ankle injury. He practiced on a limited basis on Friday. He is in the same boat with Parrish.

Panthers:
RB Jonathan Stewart is probable with an Achilles injury. He fully practiced on Friday after missing on Thursday. He is expected to play but his role will probably be limited.

WR Muhsin Muhammad has an ankle injury and is probable. He is barely nicked up. He will play on Monday night.

WR Steve Smith is probable with an ankle injury. He also will play on Monday night and should not be a concern to start.

Bears:
TE Desmond Clark is out three-to-six weeks with a broken rib.

Bengals:
RB Cedric Benson is probable with an ankle sprain. He fully practiced on Friday. He is expected to play.

WR Chris Henry has a Quadriceps injury and is probable. Henry is expected to play. The Bengal offense has been better than expected. Henry does have potential for big games and could be a good WR3 or Flex player.

Browns:
RB Jamal Lewis has a hamstring injury and is doubtful for this weekend. I would not expect him to play. I hope you are not relying on Lewis to still be a starter on your team.

K Phil Dawson is out with a calf injury. Former Cowboy Billy Cundiff was sign to kick for the Browns this weekend.

Cowboys:
RB Marion Barber III is questionable with a Quadricep injury. It is unlikely Barber will play Monday night and if he does, then he will be very limited.

Broncos:
RB Knowshon Moreno has a groin injury and is questionable. He will be a game time decision.

WR Brandon Stokley is questionable with a thigh injury. He will also be a game time decision.

Lions:
No significant fantasy injuries. (There are not many significant fantasy players with Detroit)

Packers:
RB Brandon Jackson is out with an ankle injury.

K Mason Crosby has abdomen issue and is probable. He practiced fully on Thursday but not at all on Friday. Expect Crosby to play.

Texans:
WR Andre Davis has as concussion and is doubtful for Sunday. Davis has minor fantasy value when healthy and is only worth owning is large leagues.

WR Kevin Walter is questionable with a hamstring injury. He is expected to start.

Colts:
WR Anthony Gonzalez has a sprained PCL ligament in his right knee and is out until mid October.

Jaguars:
RB Maurice Jones-Drew has a knee injury and is probable. He was limited in practice on Thursday and Friday but is expected to play on Sunday.

Chiefs:
QB Matt Cassel has a knee injury probable. He will start on Sunday but his value may be limited with Bowe's injury.

RB Kolby Smith is out with a knee injury.

WR Dwayne Bowe has a hamstring injury and is questionable. He was limited in practice on Friday and wore a wrap on his leg. Leave Bowe on the bench this week.

Dolphins:
No significant fantasy injuries.

Vikings:
RB Adrian Peterson is probable with a back injury. He fully practiced on Friday. Start Peterson and watch the magic.

WR Percy Harvin has had severe migraine headaches and is questionable. Harvin has preformed up to a good WR3 so far this season but I would leave him on the bench.

TE Jim Kleinsasser is probable with a hand injury. He fully practiced on Friday.

Patriots:
WR Randy Moss is questionable with a back injury. It is difficult not to start Moss but he will be a game time decision.

WR Wes Welker has a knee injury and is questionable. He was limited in practice all week. I would not start him unless you have to this week.

TE Chris Baker is questionable with an ankle injury. He is a game time decision.

Saints:
RB Pierre Thomas is probable with a knee injury. Thomas will play this week. He may be limited in some carries but I expect a big day from him this week.

TE Jeremy Shockey has an ankle injury and is probable for Sunday. He was limited in practice but I expect him to fully play on Sunday.

RB Mike Bell is out and is expected to be out for a few weeks.

QB Drew Brees has a shoulder injury and is probable for this weekend. I expect him to play.

WR Lance Moore is out with a hamstring injury.

Giants:
WR Hakeem Nicks has a sprained left foot and is out. He is expected to miss 2-3 weeks.

WR Domenik Hixon is questionable with a knee injury.

WR Mario Manningham has a shoulder injury and is probable. He was limited in practice on Wednesday and Thursday but fully practiced on Friday. He is expected to play. Manningham has been a good start and should continue to be this week.

Jets:
QB Mark Sanchez is probable with a with some mild tendinitis in a knee. He is expected to play.

QB Kellen Clemens has an elbow injury and is probable.

Raiders:
WR Chaz Schilens has a foot injury and he is out for the week. He is recovering from foot surgery.

WR Johnnie Lee Higgins is probable with a shoulder injury.

Eagles:
QB Donovan McNabb is doubtful with a knee injury. He missed practice all week. Look for Kolb to start for the Eagles this week.

WR DeSean Jackson has a groin injury and is questionable. We thought he would be probable and would play but now that is in doubt with him being listed as questionable.

RB Brian Westbrook is questionable with an ankle injury. He missed lot of practice this week.

WR Kevin Curtis has a knee injury and is doubtful. It is unlikely that Curtis will play this week.

Steelers:
WR Limas Sweed is probable with a foot injury. He did practice on Thursday and Friday. He is a good player for the bench in a keeper or dynasty league.

Chargers:
RB LaDainian Tomlinson has an ankle injury and is out.

49ers:
RB Frank Gore is probable with an ankle injury. All signs point to Gore starting and being at full strength.

RB Glenn Coffee has a hip injury and is probable. Coffee is getting very limited plays with Gore playing well. Coffee is a handcuff pick and should have good value in a keeper league.

Seahawks:
WR Dion Branch is probable with a hamstring injury. He fully practiced on Friday. He should play on Sunday.

WR T.J. Houshmandzadeh is probable with a back injury. He missed practice early this week but fully practiced on Thursday and Friday. He is expected to play.

QB Matt Hasselbeck has a rib injury and is doubtful. I would not count on him to play this week.

Rams:
No significant fantasy injuries.

Buccaneers:
WR Antonio Bryant is questionable with a knee injury. He was limited in practice on Friday. Leave Bryant on the bench until he is healthier.

RB Earnest Graham has hamstring injury and is questionable. He is expected to play this weekend.

RB Carnell "Cadillac" Williams is questionable with a sore left knee.

Titans:
TE Bo Scaife is questionable with a knee injury. He missed practice all week. Bo will be a No Go.

QB Vince Young has a unknown illness and is questionable. Young will not play unless Collins goes down.

K Rob Bironas is questionable with a right ankle injury. I am not sure who will kick for them if Rob is not available.

Redskins:
QB Jason Campbell is probable with an ankle injury. He was limited in practice this week but is expected to play.

RB Clinton Portis has an ankle injury and is probable. He missed practice on Friday. He is much more likely to miss this game rather than Campbell.

The Counselor is OUT:

Things I have Learned ... the Raiders at the Chiefs

noreply@blogger.com (Larry Litle) — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 14:12:00 PDT

The Counselor is IN:

Things I have Learned ... the Raiders at the Chiefs.

1) The rivalry of the Chiefs/Raiders is strong and alive no matter the status of their teams. It was a fun game to watch no matter how ugly it was (and it was UGLY!)

2) RB Larry Johnson is not as bad and finished as I thought he was. He looked good running against the Raiders Defense with 24 carries for 78 yards.

3) The Raiders rushing attacked looked pitiful. They combined for 25 carries and 67 yards. McFadden did breaking a 8 yard scamper into the End Zone to win the game.

4) Matt Cassel looked average at best. He did have 241 yards on 24 of 39 and a touchdown but he also had 2 interceptions. He did demonstrate his ability to move around and that saved him from several sacks. This is not the Patriots starting offensive line.

5) Russell had a horrible day. He was 7 for 24 and 109 yards. He did look better in the second half where he made critical completions.

6) WR Dwayne Bowe could be a superstar on a good football team.

Those are a few things I learned from the Raiders @ the Chiefs.

The Counselor is OUT:

Early Game Thoughts

noreply@blogger.com (Larry Litle) — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 14:04:00 PDT

The Counselor is IN:

1) Even when both teams are bad, the Raiders/Chiefs rivalry is still strong and fun to watch. (I will have a break down of that game up soon).

2) The almighty Patriots are not going 18-0 this year. Many thought the Pats would be the same team from 2007 with a healthy Brady. I guess not. The Jets stepped up and held this high powered offense out of the endzone and with only 9 points. If the 2-0 Jets continue to play like this, then they could contend for the AFC East.

3) Brett Favre now has the record for the most consecutive starts of any NFL player. He has come into Minnesota and is playing his role. He is not trying to do too much. Kind of reminds me of Elway in his last couple of years where he handed the ball to Davis more than he threw.

4) The only thing that excited me about the Redskins/Rams game was that I did not watch it.

5) Matt Ryan looks like he is becoming a stud at QB. Michael Turner had a solid day running. This team is good and will be a threat all year long.

6) The Bengals went into Lambeau and won... I am still trying to process and make sense of this information.

7) Chris Johnson of Tennessee had a fantastic game this week after stinking it up for fantasy owners last year. He rushed for16 carries/ 197 yards rushing and 2 touchdowns and had 9 receptions for 87 yards and a touchdown. My pick of Tennessee to be in the SuperBowl is looking foolish after they have started 0-2.

8) Kolb looked much better for the Eagles than I thought he would with 381 yards and 2 touchdowns but he did have 3 interceptions. But he could not keep up with the high octane offense of the Saints. The Saints are reminding me of the Warner led Rams of yesterday.

9) Talk of Warner, Kurt led the Cardinals to victory today while setting a record with a 92.3% completion rate. Congrats Kurt! The old man is not done after all no matter what Jim Johnson said on his pregame show.

The Counselor is OUT:

Week 2 Fantasy Injury Report - Weekend Ed.

noreply@blogger.com (Larry Litle) — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 19:01:00 PDT

The Counselor is IN:

Cardinals:
WR Anquan Boldin has an injured hamstring and is probable. He practiced fully on Friday. He played last weekend in a limited capacity. I expect him to play more but not at full strength.

WR Steve Breaston is questionable with a knee injury. He had a good practice on Friday. I expect him to play at least in some capacity. I would probably leave him on the bench this week.

WR Early Doucet has a rib injury and is questionable for Sunday. He fully practiced on Thursday.

Falcons:
K Jason Elam is probable and had a hamstring injury. He did fully practice on Thursday and Friday. He should be good to play on Sunday.

Ravens:
TE L.J. Smith has a pulled left hamstring and is questionable for Sunday. Smith is a backup TE who should not be owned.

Bills:
WR James Hardy is out indefinitely due to recovering from ACL surgery.

Panthers:
RB Jonathan Stewart is probable with an Achilles injury. He fully practiced most of the week.

Bears:
TE Desmond Clark is out three-to-six weeks with a broken rib.

Bengals:
No significant fantasy injuries.

Browns:
RB Jamal Lewis has a neck injury and is probable for this weekend. He practiced on Thursday and Friday. He should be good to go.

Cowboys:
QB Tony Romo is probable with an ankle injury. He practiced all week. He will start tomorrow night but should not have as many yards against a good Giants Defense.

RB Felix Jones has a thigh bruise and is probable. He fully practiced this week. Felix the Cat will play and hopes to bring some big plays to the inaugural regular season game of Cowboys Stadium.

Broncos:
QB Kyle Orton has a finger injury and is probable. He is expected to play on Sunday. He needs to get the ball to his top notch starting wide outs.

Lions:
No significant fantasy injuries.

Packers:
RB Brandon Jackson is doubtful with an ankle injury. He was limited in practice on Friday. He is only a backup so it should not matter.

K Mason Crosby has abdomen issue and is probable. He was limited in practice on Friday. Expect Crosby to play.

WR Greg Jennings is probable with a wrist injury. He was limited in practice on Friday. I expect him to play with no issues.

Texans:
WR Andre Davis has as concussion and is out for Sunday.

WR Kevin Walter is questionable with a hamstring injury. He fully practiced on Wednesday but was limited on Thursday and Friday. He will be a game time decision.

Colts:
WR Anthony Gonzalez has a sprained PCL ligament in his right knee and is out until mid October.

Jaguars:
RB Maurice Jones-Drew has a right forearm bruise and is probable. He will play on Sunday.

Chiefs:
QB Matt Cassel has a knee injury questionable. He will be a game time decision.

Dolphins:
No significant fantasy injuries.

Vikings:
No significant fantasy injuries.

Patriots:
QB Tom Brady is probable with a sore right shoulder. He has been listed on the injury list for years as probable (except when out last year). He will play.

WR Wes Welker has a knee injury and is questionable. He was limited in practice all week. I would not start him unless you have to this week.

Saints:
RB Pierre Thomas is questionable with a knee injury. Thomas is iffy this week. I would leave him on the bench for another week.

TE Jeremy Shockey has an ankle injury and is probable for Sunday. He was limited in practice but I expect him to fully play on Sunday.

Giants:
WR Hakeem Nicks has a sprained left foot and is out. He is expected to miss 2-3 weeks.

Jets:
No significant fantasy injuries.

Raiders:
RB Justin Fargas is questionable with a hamstring injury. He is expected to play this weekend.

WR Chaz Schilens has a foot injury and he is out for the week.

WR Johnnie Lee Higgins is doubtful with a shoulder injury.

Eagles:
QB Donovan McNabb is questionable with a knee injury. He missed practice all week. Look for Kolb to start for the Eagles this week.

WR DeSean Jackson has a groin injury and is probable. He fully practiced Thursday and Friday. He will be less valuable if McNabb is out as expected.

Steelers:
WR Limas Sweed is questionable with a foot injury. He did not practice on Thursday or Friday.

RB "Fast" Willie Parker has a hamstring tweak and is listed as probable. Parker is the starting back but did not have a good week last week. He may lose touches to the other Running Backs.

Chargers:
RB LaDainian Tomlinson has an ankle injury and is doubtful. He missed practice this week. He is expected to sit out against the Ravens.

49ers:
No significant fantasy injuries.

Seahawks:
WR Dion Branch is questionable with a hamstring injury. He did practice some this week. Check before the game if you want to start Branch.

WR T.J. Houshmandzadeh is probable with a back injury. He missed practice early this week but is expected to play.

Rams:
No significant fantasy injuries.

Buccaneers:
WR Antonio Bryant is questionable with a knee injury. He will be out this weekend.

Titans:
TE Bo Scaife is doubtful with a knee injury. He missed practice all week. Bo will be a No Go.

Redskins:
No significant fantasy injuries.

The Counselor is OUT: