Latest RotoExperts Playes News http://rotoexperts.com/ 2008 http://rotoexperts.com 10 29 2009, 12:32 am 10 29 2009, 12:32 am 2008 Rotoexpert RonBattison 2009-10-28 23:24:52 2009-10-28 23:24:52

Against the Texans, Crabtree flashed much of the skill and big play ability the 49ers were hoping for when they picked him 10th overall. Crabtree is expected to be on the field a lot from here on out, making him an intriguing play in deeper fantasy leagues.

RonBattison 2009-10-28 23:15:56 2009-10-28 23:15:56

As the season has progressed, Davis has seen his fantasy status go from former 1st round disappointment to elite tight end. Among tight ends, Davis ranks near the top in almost every statistical category. Looking towards the future, his value should only increase with Alex Smith taking the snaps from here on out.

RonBattison 2009-10-28 23:04:00 2009-10-28 23:04:00

With Frank Gore back, Coffee's game action was severely limited. More so, with Alex Smith behind center, it appears the 49ers are more inclined to air the ball out, further diminishing Coffee's value.

RonBattison 2009-10-28 22:53:59 2009-10-28 22:53:59

Gore's performance against the Texans was most definitely a disappointment to all of his owners who were anxiously anticipating his return against a suspect Texans defense. Gore's next game is against the Colts and their 19th ranked run defense. Unless Gore is still feeling the effects of his injuries, owners should expect a much improved performance.

RonBattison 2009-10-28 22:45:06 2009-10-28 22:45:06

Against the Texans, Smith played the way the 49ers envisioned he would when they drafted him 1st overall in 2005. Head Coach Mike Singletary has stated that he doesn't plan on switching back and forth with his quarterbacks, meaning that unless something happens to Smith, the job is his to lose.

RonBattison 2009-10-28 22:38:41 2009-10-28 22:38:41

Hill's benching may be less about his poor play and more about the inconsistency of the 49ers offensive line. Nevertheless, Alex Smith came in and lit it up, throwing for 3 touchdown passes and 206 yards. Head Coach Mike Singletary was adamant in saying he wasn't looking to play Russian roulette with his quarterbacks so unless something happens to Smith it appears that Hill's tenure as the 49ers starting quarterback has ended.

BrianKarr 2009-10-28 20:39:57 2009-10-28 20:39:57

Chris Wells continues to build confidence with the Arizona Cardinals in rushing. He needs to secure the ball however. But at this point, Wells will certainly get the majority of the carries as he is continutes to out perform Hightower. Wells needs to continue to develop as a pass blocker on passing downs however, as Hightower remains the primary back in passing situations. While Wells is not the starting running back at this point, his continued development increases his fantasy value and should be a pick up at this point if avialable on your waiver wire as Hightower's fantasy value continues to decline particularly in non-ppr formats.

MatthewWolf 2009-10-28 19:40:57 2009-10-28 19:40:57

Go ahead and cut LJ for a player that could help your fantasy team down the stretch.

BrentHobbs 2009-10-28 15:57:03 2009-10-28 15:57:03

Titans coach Jeff Fisher said Ringer may have injured his back. This would mean, most likely, Javon will be out for this Sunday's game against the Jaguars.

BrentHobbs 2009-10-28 15:53:16 2009-10-28 15:53:16

Kerry Collins or Vince Young? Everyone seems to have arguements for each guy. Fisher seems resistant to make the change, but owner Bud Adams wants Young starting the rest of the year. If Collins is out and Young is in, Vince could be worth a pick up in your league.

LyleGirandola 2009-10-28 14:46:13 2009-10-28 14:46:13

Both Detroit Lions' star players, Stafford and Johnson, continue to nurse their knee injuries. It is not certain if either of them will be available for Week 8 against the Rams. Check back here for updates throughout the week.

LandeEdmiston 2009-10-28 11:56:13 2009-10-28 11:56:13

Trufant a pro bowl selection in 2007 will be a welcome addition to the Seattle secondary. A much needed addition to cover Miles Austin and his deep routes for the Cowboys.

LandeEdmiston 2009-10-28 11:52:17 2009-10-28 11:52:17

Not a big surprise really, Jones probably won't be back at all this year. But, a 75% Jones would be better than what they got right now at left tackle.

MatthewWolf 2009-10-28 06:36:58 2009-10-28 06:36:58

He is someone that could be safely dropped in leagues moving forward. If he isn't cut he will most likely be suspended with Jamaal Charles getting the brunt of the touches for the remainder of the 2009 season.

MichaelMiller 2009-10-27 23:18:20 2009-10-27 23:18:20

The Colts' beat reporter said that Wayne looked downcast in the locker room after the game. If he's on your roster, be sure to have a backup plan this week.

MichaelMiller 2009-10-27 23:08:46 2009-10-27 23:08:46

The Colts were already up 35-6 when they pulled Manning, which is unusual. Tom Brady and Bill Belichick may have kept passing for the record, but that's not the Colts' style.

MichaelMiller 2009-10-27 22:45:22 2009-10-27 22:45:22

While the Colts provided no update on Tuesday, Brown stated Sunday that he will be all right. "It's something I've had before in college. I know how to handle it. I'll be back." Joseph Addai's value takes a slight tick upward with Brown on the mend.

NateAnderson 2009-10-27 20:01:25 2009-10-27 20:01:25

Davis lacks the blocking skills of Cooley which may limit his consistency game to game, but he led the Skins in receiving Monday and is worth stashing in deeper leagues while Cooley is out with his injury. The Skins are on a bye next week, so make sure you keep him on your bench.

NateAnderson 2009-10-27 19:58:36 2009-10-27 19:58:36

Despite some truly boneheaded plays, Campbell still managed to come out ahead, especially in a comically failed come from behind attempt in the fourth quarter. If the Skins running game cannot get healthy, Campbell will continue to put up a ton of passes each game, and combined with his fairly cautious play style he may make a decent filler player. Do not start him next week, however, as the Skins are on a bye.

NateAnderson 2009-10-27 19:54:29 2009-10-27 19:54:29

Although the Skins played some incredibly ugly football, Moss still managed to string together a decent WR3 performance. If Jason Campbell had managed to look his way on a blown coverage play in the 3rd quarter, another 77 yards and a TD would have been tacked onto Moss' total. But that kind of play pretty much sums up the Skins this year. Moss is on a bye next week, but consider starting him in week nine against Atlanta.

NateAnderson 2009-10-27 19:49:15 2009-10-27 19:49:15

Portis came into the game with injuries and left the game early with injuries. He is running hard, but unless the Skins are playing exceptionally weak run defenses he wont likely be able to overcome his health issues and the Redskins spotty line. See how he looks following next week's bye, but keep your expectations low.

BrentHobbs 2009-10-27 09:25:18 2009-10-27 09:25:18

This has been about three weeks coming. Fisher, a coach that always sticks by his players, had stated that quarterback Kerry Collins was the starter when asked about a possible change. However, when the guy who signs the paychecks says to change, you change. And why not? The Titans are playing for the first overall pick in 2010 at this point, why not let your former first rounder finish out the season. It is possible that this change could spark the team to a couple of late season wins. Young may be worth a pick up in a deeper league, as he could get some good garbage time numbers.

EricMcClung 2009-10-27 00:23:47 2009-10-27 00:23:47

The sprain appears to be a non-issue and Jackson should be ready to go for the New York Giants next week. Last season he averaged 4.0 receptions and 71.0 yards per game in two starts against the G-Men. On the year the Giants have yielded the second-fewest receiving yards per game but have allowed nine touchdowns through the air.

EricMcClung 2009-10-27 00:06:33 2009-10-27 00:06:33

On the season the G-Men have allowed the second-fewest passing yards per game. Last year McNabb was uneven against the Giants averaging 200.66 yards per game in three starts, including the postseason. McNabb stayed clean of any sacks, threw five touchdowns (three in their first meeting) and was picked off three times.

NateAnderson 2009-10-26 22:19:52 2009-10-26 22:19:52

It looked like Cooley was in for a big game with back to back receptions on the Skins first possession of the game. No word on the severity of the injury, but at least he will have next week's bye to heal.

EricMcClung 2009-10-26 21:03:26 2009-10-26 21:03:26

Rookie running back LeSean McCoy will handle the majority of the snaps for the remainder of the game. Westbrook owners should already have McCoy on their roster as a handcuff to their fragile star. The Giants have allowed five rushing touchdowns over the last two games to heavy passing teams, the New Orleans Saints and the Arizona Cardinals-- there is big potential against a typically stout defensive unit.

MatthewWolf 2009-10-26 20:25:18 2009-10-26 20:25:18

LJ had already become fantasy irrelevant but this should seal the deal on his fantasy future.

MatthewWolf 2009-10-26 12:06:58 2009-10-26 12:06:58

If you have better options than Bowe, use them. Until the Chiefs get this turned around, I'd stay away from all Chiefs offensive players. Bowe is nothing better than a WR3/Flex play each week.

SarahRazi 2009-10-26 12:05:16 2009-10-26 12:05:16

At this point it's hard to find the words to describe what is wrong with Delhomme and the mistakes that he is making. He's overthrowing receviers, forcing the ball into double coverage, holding onto the ball too long, and just missing the basic fundamentals of the quarterback position. Not only is he costing the Panthers games but he is literally sucking the life out of the team and all of the talented players on their roster. The options behind Delhomme aren't great with Matt Moore and A.J Feeley, but it is obviously time to try something different at this point in the season. It's clear that the Panthers number one priority this offseason is to draft or acquire a quarterback.

MatthewWolf 2009-10-26 12:04:06 2009-10-26 12:04:06

With a Week 8 bye, leave him on your bench. He is not a recommended start for his week 9 matchup against the Jacksonville Jaguars either.

MatthewWolf 2009-10-26 11:59:06 2009-10-26 11:59:06

I would be very surprised if LJ plays another down for the Kansas City Chiefs, ever. With a bye week coming up, this gives Scott Pioli & Co plenty of time to figure out what to do with him. You should already own Jamaal Charles as a handcuff but if you dont, now would be the time to go get him. Charles is in line for the lions share of carries moving forward in 2009.

SarahRazi 2009-10-26 11:42:02 2009-10-26 11:42:02

Smith was targeted a whopping 12 times but as usual he was overthrown by Jake Delhomme and made the best of his opportunities. Perhaps the only thing that can save Smith right now is a quarterback change because Delhomme is just flat out not getting it done. He does have a good matchup on paper next week against the Arizona Cardinals so he is still worth playing but until things turn around he is a WR2 or WR3 at best.

SarahRazi 2009-10-26 11:12:51 2009-10-26 11:12:51

On his first play from scrimmage, Stewart injured his hand so he had to come out for a few series but he did return a few plays later. A very big let down as Stewart was projected to have a big day against the 32nd ranked run defense, put the turnovers and poor play of Jake Delhomme limited all scoring opportunites for the Panthers. Once the Panthers decide what they plan to do at the quarterback position it will be easier to gauge what their offensive approach will be but at this point Stewart is not a good play next week against the Cardinals who have the top ranked run defense in the NFL.

SarahRazi 2009-10-26 10:36:26 2009-10-26 10:36:26

At one point Williams had more total yards than the entire Buffalo Bills team so it remains a mystery as to why the Panthers do not take advantage of his talents more. His 15 yard rushing touchdown in the 4th quarter was a thing of beauty as he broke two tackles and muscled his way into the endzone for the score. While the stat line was good this week, it does not get any easier with games coming up against Arizona, New Orleans and Atlanta all of which have powerful offenses that can put points on the board. Although with Jake Delhomme playing the worst football of his career, the Panthers might just opt to keep it going on the ground from this point forward.

TimMcCullough 2009-10-24 09:43:21 2009-10-24 09:43:21

Aiken's special teams play recently netted him a two-year contract extension from the Patriots, but he has not played with the offense very much this season. In six games (two as a starter) he has caught just five passes (14 targets) for 56 yards. Aiken is worth a speculative grab, but Wes Welker and Randy Moss will continue to get the lion's share of the passes from Tom Brady, which limits his value. However, should either Welker or Moss get injured, Aiken will become top dog because the Patriots do not have much depth at the position.

TimMcCullough 2009-10-24 09:12:20 2009-10-24 09:12:20

If you missed out on grabbing Maroney off the waiver wire in your league, then Green-Ellis is worth adding and might be an even better option. The jury is still out on whether Maroney can really be a productive back from week to week, so Green-Ellis could still elevate to the top of the depth chart. Green-Ellis saw his first action during Week 6 against the Titans and had seven carries for 67 yards (9.6 yards per carry). He was productive in limited use last season, with five touchdowns and 3.7 yards per carry in nine games (three starts). If Maroney falters, coach Bill Belichick won't hesitate to go with Green-Ellis, so he's worth a speculative pick up.

MichaelMiller 2009-10-23 21:52:17 2009-10-23 21:52:17

Still available in almost all leagues, Stover will be kicking for a high powered offense that plays indoors this weekend, and he insists that he can still kick 52-yard field goals. If you need a fill in, feel free to jump on Stover.

MichaelMiller 2009-10-23 21:30:56 2009-10-23 21:30:56

Uh, start Manning Sunday vs. the hapless Rams.

RonBattison 2009-10-23 21:16:42 2009-10-23 21:16:42

As fantasy players enter their bye weeks, the idea of playing Crabtree may prove enticing to some fantasy owners. On the bright side, the 49ers are playing a Texans team that ranks 23rd in total defense and are limited in terms of game-breaking offensive players. On the downside, Crabtree is extremely green, and there is no telling what kind of chemistry he will have with quarterback Shaun Hill. My advice: unless it is absolutely necessary, wait on starting Crabtree until you get a better idea of the rapport between him and Hill.

JoeMeyer 2009-10-23 19:34:31 2009-10-23 19:34:31

This is what was expected from reports earlier in the week. Given that the Falcons are still in the race for the division title, they will make sure to what ever is needed to keep Norwood healthy for a stretch run. Adjust your lineups accordingly.

KrisDunn 2009-10-23 15:18:36 2009-10-23 15:18:36

The Bucs brought in the former Giant in the off-season to help solidify the ground game. Problem here is that he only has 33 carries on the season. $17 million over four years? You expect him to get more chances. Until he has a game with 12-15 carries don't expect much from Ward.

MarkVan Horn 2009-10-23 14:36:45 2009-10-23 14:36:45

Unless Adrian Peterson isn’t playing, he is always a start. So take a deep breath, he appears to playing this week. The Steelers defense will try to stop him, but he is almost a guarantee to get at least 20-25 touches. Peterson probably won’t have one of his best weeks, but pencil him in for 12-20 points.

MarkVan Horn 2009-10-23 14:30:00 2009-10-23 14:30:00

Week 7 has six teams on a bye. The selection of starting wide receivers is looking a little thin. With what is available on your bench or even waivers, you are probably only going to get 3 to 6 points with the likes of Ted Ginn, Jr., Bobby Wade, Tory Holt or Patrick Crayton. So, swing for the fences and give Sidney Rice a chance. Here is why… 1. Rice has double digit points three out of the last four weeks. 2. He averages over six targets a game. 3. Percy Harvin is listed as questionable, which equals even more opportunity. 4. When Favre goes deep, it is to Rice. 5. Rice averages over 17 yards a catch. Rice still might only generate three to six points this week like the other guys, but he will have an opportunity to hit that homerun that could carry your team in Week 7.

BrentHobbs 2009-10-22 20:25:38 2009-10-22 20:25:38

The bye comes at a good time for these guys. They are clearly reeling from a winless start to 2009 and need a week to get back to basics. There still aren't many Titans players worth owning in fantasy leagues. If everyone gets healthy this team could get on a roll.

LyleGirandola 2009-10-22 19:48:30 2009-10-22 19:48:30

Although no new news about Detroit Lions' quarterback Matthew Stafford was announced today, his limited practice today was not enough to determine the extent of his recovery. Without backup QB Daunte Culpepper able to workout due to his hamstring injury, the state of the Lions' quarterback situation is troubling. The Lions enjoy a much needed bye in Week 7.

ShaneBirch 2009-10-21 19:05:09 2009-10-21 19:05:09

Although Bills head coach, Dick Jauron, has not ruled out Edwards for this Sundays game against the Panthers, it appears likely that he will sit this one out.

SarahRazi 2009-10-21 18:26:02 2009-10-21 18:26:02

The Panthers have been needing to upgrade their defensive line quality ever since their run stopping nose tackle Maake Kemoeatu went down for the season with an achilles injury so this should be a big boost to their defense as stopping the run is Tyler's specialty.

SarahRazi 2009-10-21 17:35:08 2009-10-21 17:35:08

Poor Steve Smith. It's not his fault that Jake Delhomme can't get him the ball. It is an unfortunate situation for Steve Smith right now because he is seeing constant double teams due to Carolina's lack of depth at the WR position and Delhomme cannot deliever the deep ball to him effectively at all. He still has a good matchup against Buffalo this week so play him this week and if he still does not show signs of life, keep Smith reserved until he shows something.

JoeMeyer 2009-10-21 17:19:56 2009-10-21 17:19:56

Although Norwood's stats don't jump off the page when looking at box scores, he still provides the type of depth at the running back position that every NFL team strives for. This could really hurt the Falcons considering they will now have a duo consisting of Jason Snelling and Verron Haynes backing up Michael Turner. The Cowboys rank 17th in the league, giving up an average of 106.4 yards on the ground, so look for a steady stream of Turner and hoping at that the few times Snelling and Haynes touch the ball, that they can break something big.

SarahRazi 2009-10-21 14:15:10 2009-10-21 14:15:10

What Achilles injury? Stewart looked great running the ball and looked especially good on his 26 yard touchdown run where he broke two tackles for the score. Of course this was against the hapless Buccaneer defense but you wont hear fantasy owners complaining. Things will get tougher for the Panther RBs after this weeks matchup against Buffalo but ride the wave while you can and consider Stewart a fine RB2 or FLEX option this week against the Bills.

SarahRazi 2009-10-21 14:06:00 2009-10-21 14:06:00

This was by far Williams' best performance of the year and he needed to be his best considering the way that he was performing the last few weeks. Owners can only hope that Carolina continues to realize that the only way they are going to win games is by handing off the ball to their two stud running backs and Williams production continues to increase. He is a must start RB1 this week against the Bills 32nd ranked run defense.

LandeEdmiston 2009-10-21 13:54:15 2009-10-21 13:54:15

Nice to see millionaires still working at their craft. This is good news for Hasselbeck and Houshmandzadeh owners.

LandeEdmiston 2009-10-21 09:56:39 2009-10-21 09:56:39

Williams had been the fourth starting left tackle used by Seattle this year. No word on who will replace him, but maybe Walter Jones comes back in the mix.

LandeEdmiston 2009-10-21 09:54:51 2009-10-21 09:54:51

Hill's return would be another great addition as the Seahawks try to get healthy during their bye week.

LandeEdmiston 2009-10-21 09:53:37 2009-10-21 09:53:37

Turfant's return is huge for Seattle's secondary. Trufant hopes to play in Week Eight against Dallas after the bye week.

TimMcCullough 2009-10-20 19:54:26 2009-10-20 19:54:26

Galloway may catch on someplace else this season, though he's clearly lost a step or two in recent years. The Baltimore Ravens have expressed interest recently and could give him a look. It's doubtful that he will have any fantasy value regardless of where he plays.

BrentHobbs 2009-10-20 15:26:55 2009-10-20 15:26:55

The Titans have to know that at this point, 2009 is a lost cause. Collins has played progressively worse the past three games and it is time to insert Vince Young into the lineup. He could be a nice pick up if you are in a large league.

NateAnderson 2009-10-20 13:15:17 2009-10-20 13:15:17

Campbell will no doubt be on a short leash, and does not have much upside against an Eagles defense that will repeatedly blitz the Skins ravaged offensive line. If you are forced to start him, keep your expectations very, very low.

KrisDunn 2009-10-20 12:06:00 2009-10-20 12:06:00

If the Bucs come home from London 0-7 then look for the team to come out of the Week Eight bye, and start Josh Freeman in Week Nine against the Packers. Johnson doesn't have any fantasy value unless you are in deeper leagues and need a bye week fill in.

LandeEdmiston 2009-10-20 09:32:26 2009-10-20 09:32:26

Tatupu could be back in a Seahawks' uniform later in the year. Finally some good news from Week Six.

TimMcCullough 2009-10-19 21:25:34 2009-10-19 21:25:34

If Morris's injury turns out to be serious, then Maroney vaults to the top of the depth chart for the Patriots. That would make Maroney an instant strong play for Week Seven when the Patriots face the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Only one team (Buffalo) has allowed more yardage to running backs than the Bucs.

EricMcClung 2009-10-19 18:40:17 2009-10-19 18:40:17

Celek has been a solid fantasy tight end all season and has become an important component in the Eagles passing game, keep him active.

EricMcClung 2009-10-19 18:38:35 2009-10-19 18:38:35

Quarterback Donovan McNabb had issues with his accuracy as he was under pressure all day long from the opposing pass rush. While the healthy number of targets is a good sign that McNabb is still looking Maclin's way, a single catch is a disappointing way to follow-up last week's breakout performance.

EricMcClung 2009-10-19 18:35:03 2009-10-19 18:35:03

Over half of Jackson's yardage came on his first catch of the day, a 51-yard gainer. Since his production always seems to be linked to the big play, Jackson can be a boom-or-bust performer- as we saw last week. Last season Jackson complied only three catches for 22 yards in two games against the next week's opponent, the Washington Redskins.

EricMcClung 2009-10-19 18:32:08 2009-10-19 18:32:08

Westbrook did average a healthy 8.3 yards per carry with his limited carries but he was held out of the end zone. Rookie running back LeSean McCoy saw five carries and will continue to take touches away from Westbrook whose surgically-repaired ankle is still not 100 percent. Next week Westbrook will face the Washington Redskins, a team he averaged 100.0 combined yards against in two meetings last season.

EricMcClung 2009-10-19 18:29:03 2009-10-19 18:29:03

In the short term, fantasy owners are clearly disappointed with McNabb's dud against the league's most dysfunctional franchise. But the long term issue could the potential loss of starting left tackle Jason Peters, who will undergo an MRI on his sprained knee. McNabb will get a shot at redemption next week against the Washington Redskins. Although the Skins have allowed the third fewest passing yards per game they have faced a pretty soft selection of quarterbacks.

JedLam 2009-10-19 14:13:52 2009-10-19 14:13:52

Greg Olsen continues to be a fourth quarter and red zone favorite of Cutler's. Look for continued solid production from the second year tight end.

JedLam 2009-10-19 14:10:16 2009-10-19 14:10:16

While Jay Cutler continues to spread the wealth, Knox has quickly earned the trust of his QB and with his speed has a good shot at a touchdown each week. He remains a good sleeper/WR3 weekly play.

JedLam 2009-10-19 14:01:55 2009-10-19 14:01:55

Unfortunately, Forte has not been able to overcome the lack of support he is getting from the offensive line. There have been few running lanes and Forte simply cannot create on his own. While not in danger of losing carries to anyone else, consider benching Forte depending on the match up, although not next week as the Bengals injured defensive line may be just what Forte needs.

JedLam 2009-10-19 13:56:03 2009-10-19 13:56:03

While the two interceptions were concerning, gaining 300 yards and throwing for two touchdowns is production that just can't be ignored. Look for similar production next week against a Bengals defense that suddenly doesn't look so daunting with the loss of sack leader Antwan Odom.

JoeMeyer 2009-10-19 11:42:16 2009-10-19 11:42:16

Although he is not the flashiest cornerback in the league, Brian Williams brought experience to a very young Falcons secondary. This might hurt a pass defense that currently ranks 21st in the league in pass defense.

LandeEdmiston 2009-10-19 11:41:07 2009-10-19 11:41:07

John Carlson hasn't been a very consistent target for Seattle's quarterbacks this season as he has been dropping a lot of balls.

LandeEdmiston 2009-10-19 11:39:15 2009-10-19 11:39:15

Hasselbeck didn't have too much help from the offensive line as he was sacked five times and hurried multiple times. Tough day for any Hasselbeck owners out there. Mind you it was his first bad game that he actually finished this year. But, really, really bad.

LandeEdmiston 2009-10-19 11:33:26 2009-10-19 11:33:26

Jennings is just another casualty in Seattle defensive demise.

LandeEdmiston 2009-10-19 11:32:10 2009-10-19 11:32:10

Hill's comeback couldn't come at a better time for Seattle as Lofa Tatupu is out for the season with a torn pectoral muscle.

LandeEdmiston 2009-10-19 10:51:22 2009-10-19 10:51:22

Trufant was a pro bowler in 2007 and would be a big addition to a decimated team.

LandeEdmiston 2009-10-19 10:48:27 2009-10-19 10:48:27

Just another wounded soldier on Seattle's defense. Although Kerney should be back for Week Eight versus the Cowboys. Problem with groin injuries is that they linger all season.

LandeEdmiston 2009-10-19 10:46:28 2009-10-19 10:46:28

Tatupu is a big loss for Seattle on defense. The team has been so up and down all year they need a spark. Maybe playing for their lost leader will spark them.

NateAnderson 2009-10-19 10:16:58 2009-10-19 10:16:58

Zorn declared that the benching was not permanent, but this probably reflects the sad state of the Skins backup QB cadre than any faith the organization has in Campbell to perform better. Do not expect much success next week against the Eagles, and keep Campbell on your bench, or better yet on waivers, until the Skins show an ability to move the offense.

NateAnderson 2009-10-19 09:30:10 2009-10-19 09:30:10

After going catchless last week, Cooley bounced back to produce a decent game against KC. The eagles have struggled to cover TEs all season, so assuming the Redskins offense does not completely collapse next week, Cooley may be in for a big game.

NateAnderson 2009-10-19 09:27:03 2009-10-19 09:27:03

The long run saved Portis' day, he otherwise would have averaged just 2.2 yards per carry. This just reiterates the point that Portis will continue to see a lot of use, but his injuries, declining performance and the Skins generally terrible offense means he is a high risk start. Against a more potent defense like the Eagles next week, he should struggle to match these numbers.

NateAnderson 2009-10-19 09:20:23 2009-10-19 09:20:23

Moss will continue to struggle until the Redskins can improve their miserable passing game. Do not expect any major changes soon, and only consider Moss a desperation start next week against Philadelphia.

JoeMeyer 2009-10-18 18:54:23 2009-10-18 18:54:23

Though most fantasy lineups are already set for the day, this still could have an impact on the Falcon's running game. This most likely will not be a huge detriment to the Falcons, as they will try to establish their rushing attack early and often.

BrentHobbs 2009-10-18 15:07:54 2009-10-18 15:07:54

Titans fans, can you say uh oh? This should mean that quarterback Tom Brady will look very "Bradyesque" and wideout Randy Moss will explode against the struggling Titans defense.

KrisDunn 2009-10-18 11:41:42 2009-10-18 11:41:42

Look for the improving Josh Johnson to target Winslow early and often, especially in the red zone. Winslow owners, look for six catches for 60-70 yards and a possible score. Winslow is a must start in all fantasy leagues.

LandeEdmiston 2009-10-18 10:19:09 2009-10-18 10:19:09

Hasselbeck will look to continue his torrid pace. Seattle is 2-0 and Hasselbeck has thrown seven touchdown passes in the two games Hasselbeck has started and finished.

LandeEdmiston 2009-10-18 10:17:12 2009-10-18 10:17:12

Burleson has a great matchup versus the bottom ranked Cardinals pass defense this week.

BrianKarr 2009-10-17 20:45:37 2009-10-17 20:45:37

Over the season, Chris Wells has been a better overall runner, but Tim Hightower has clearly been the dominate back in passing situations. If Wells starts to play on passing situations, this could further eat into Hightower's value moving forward. Once Wells demonstrate riability on holding onto the ball and catching the ball in the backfield, he will most likely be the RB to own out of the Cardinals backfield.

JedLam 2009-10-17 10:58:33 2009-10-17 10:58:33

Adams is not expected to play this weekend, but will be a nice addition to a quickly improving defensive line. While he underperformed in Tampa, expect Chicago's pass rush to improve as Rod Marinelli gets the best out of Adams.

TimMcCullough 2009-10-17 08:12:35 2009-10-17 08:12:35

The fact that Welker is healthy is great news for his fantasy owners. Even better news is that the Patriots are facing the Titans, whose secondary is banged up and has given up ten touchdowns to wide receivers this season. Welker should be considered a strong play this week, and you need not worry about whether or not he will play.

BrianKarr 2009-10-17 01:58:15 2009-10-17 01:58:15

Each of the wide receivers of the Arizona Cardinals, Larry Fitzgerald, Anquan Boldin and Steve Breaston, post servicable stats yet again. Obviously Fitzgerald and Boldin are must starts regardless of the match up, but Breaston also is worthy of consideration of a Flex 3 position in all formats.

BrianKarr 2009-10-17 01:46:05 2009-10-17 01:46:05

Chris Wells started the season off by being the strongest running back for the Arizona Cardinals. But after his two fumbles in Week Two, the last two games for Chris Wells have been sub-par running performances. In addition to running struggles, Wells has not shown great hands and is on the bench in most passing situations. Wells is continuing to develop as a runner, but needs to increase in consistency. As such, his fantasy value will be very limited in the short term.

BrianKarr 2009-10-17 01:38:47 2009-10-17 01:38:47

Tim Hightower is on pace for over 80 catches for the season, by continuing his recent pace of catching 5 receptions per game over the last 4 games. Chris Wells is not seeing much time on the field during passing situations. As such Hightower may continue to be a solid RB2 or flex player in PPR leagues.

BrentHobbs 2009-10-16 20:12:04 2009-10-16 20:12:04

Kearse and Finnegan will be joined by cornerback Nick Harper, who was injured in the loss last week to the Colts. Kearse is dealing with a foot injury suffered Thursday in practice. These key injuries most likely point to the fact that the Titans defense will struggle to stop the opposing offense again this week. If you have any offensive players for the Patriots on your team, start them with confidence this week.

LyleGirandola 2009-10-16 14:06:30 2009-10-16 14:06:30

The injury to Detroit Lions' quarterback Matthew Stafford has limited him in practice this week. Backup Daunte Culpepper should be considered as a fantasy starter only if options are limited. Culpepper last faced the Packers in 2005 where he threw for 280 yards and two touchdowns. The possible absence of injured Lions' star wide receiver Calvin Johnson will also need to be considered before choosing Culpepper.

LyleGirandola 2009-10-16 13:27:03 2009-10-16 13:27:03

Lions' quarterback Matt Stafford did not practice today and will likely sit out for Sunday's game against Green Bay. Look for backup quarterback Daunte Culpepper to start instead.

KrisDunn 2009-10-16 12:18:11 2009-10-16 12:18:11

Derrick Ward was able to break some tackles in a 28 yard run last week but that was about it. Ward is hoping to stay healthy and if he does, look for more carries and more yards. Don't forget Ward ran for 215 yards on 15 carries last season in a crucial game against the Panthers as a member of the NY Giants.

NateAnderson 2009-10-16 11:06:13 2009-10-16 11:06:13

Montgomery is replacing Randy Thomas at right guard, who is likely out for the season with a torn tricep. Montgomery is a capable journeyman with several starts under his belt, but the Redskins running game already struggled before Thomas went down with the injury, so this is not likely to improve Portis' stats. Still, the Skins should still succeed this week against the Chiefs.

BrentHobbs 2009-10-15 22:01:53 2009-10-15 22:01:53

There are several key members of the Titans secondary that are injured or just plain ineffective. Hood is a veteran player who can contribute and possibly help stop the bleeding in the defensive backfield.

LandeEdmiston 2009-10-15 17:05:25 2009-10-15 17:05:25

It doesn't look like Jones will be running too much against the Cards, but then again if Seattle gets a lead they will want to chew up some clock with the ground game. Don't count on Jones this week.

LandeEdmiston 2009-10-15 17:02:15 2009-10-15 17:02:15

Hasselbeck has a huge game for the Seahawks and fantasy owners as he faces the worst pass defence in the NFL in the Arizona Cardinals.

LandeEdmiston 2009-10-15 17:00:47 2009-10-15 17:00:47

Kerney is a big part of the pressure packages Seattle's defense will put on Kurt Warner and the Cardinals' high flying passing attack.

LandeEdmiston 2009-10-15 16:59:02 2009-10-15 16:59:02

Burleson should still start on Sunday and will be a big part of Seattle's offense as they try and pick apart the worst pass defense in the NFL.

LyleGirandola 2009-10-15 14:34:37 2009-10-15 14:34:37

All signals appear that Detroit Lions' quarterback Matthew Stafford will not play on Week Six against the Green Bay Packers. Although this is not certain, this situation should be monitored closely. Backup quarterback Daunte Culpepper is likely preparing for Stafford's possible absence.

LyleGirandola 2009-10-15 09:43:17 2009-10-15 09:43:17

Detroit Lions'wide receiver Calvin Johnson's injury status will change the dynamic of Sunday's game against the Green Bay Packers. If the Packers are not worried about the Lions' wideouts, they will focus on the running game instead. This presents opportunity for Northcutt who had a good game last week against the Pittsburgh Steelers. He had five receptions for 70 yards and one TD. Monitor Calvin Johnson's status closely for Week Six.

ShaneBirch 2009-10-15 08:22:36 2009-10-15 08:22:36

Fantasy owners might welcome a trade due to Ownens' performance so far this season but as of now, it appears he will stay put. If you have other options at WR, it would be wise to use them. Especially this weekend where T.O. will likely face one of the top corners in the league, the Jets Darrelle Revis.

BrentHobbs 2009-10-15 08:08:24 2009-10-15 08:08:24

Kearse was not very happy about this decision. He didn't even stay to watch the game, leaving soon after getting word that he would not play. Though he was told he wasn't healthy enough, Kearse has not been listed on the injury report. It seems that the Titans are going in a younger different direction at his spot on the defensive line. This could spell the end of Jevon's tenure in Tennessee.

TimMcCullough 2009-10-15 07:48:17 2009-10-15 07:48:17

Mayo should see more opportunities to rush the passer in the 3-4 scheme, and will again become the team's leading tackler. He had six tackles in limited play last week, a sign that he is back to full strength. IDP league owners will want to have Mayo active this week when the Patriots face the Titans.

TimMcCullough 2009-10-15 07:39:29 2009-10-15 07:39:29

Moss and Brady have been working on their timing in practice and should break out this week against the Titans, whose defensive secondary has allowed ten touchdowns to wide receivers over the first five games of the season. Moss should be considered a strong play for Week Six, and don't be surprised if he notches more than one score along with 100+ reception yards.

TimMcCullough 2009-10-15 07:29:01 2009-10-15 07:29:01

It looks like Morris will be the man unless/until Taylor returns from his ankle injury, which doesn't appear likely. Morris has a tough match up this week against the Titans, whose run defense has been pretty good this season at the expense of their secondary. The Patriots will probably rely more on the passing game against the Titans making Morris a poor choice to start for Week Six.

LyleGirandola 2009-10-15 07:18:44 2009-10-15 07:18:44

Detroit Lions' wide receiver Calvin Johnson's thigh injury is not considered significant, but it could be just enough to sideline him for Week six against the Green Bay Packers, thereby giving him next week's bye to rest. His status should be monitored closely.

TimMcCullough 2009-10-15 07:10:56 2009-10-15 07:10:56

Brady's struggles have trickled down to his wide receivers. Both Randy Moss and Wes Welker are at career lows for yards per reception, primarily due to Brady. This week's game against the Tennessee Titans should cure whatever is ailing Brady, as the Titans secondary is among the worst in the NFL. The Titans have allowed more touchdowns to wide receivers than all but one other team, and are currently giving up 12.8 yards per reception. The bottom line is that this could be Brady's best game of the season to date and he should be started in all formats.

KrisDunn 2009-10-14 21:00:25 2009-10-14 21:00:25

After Winslow caught nine passes for 102 yards on Sunday he seems poised to make his first season in Tampa a career year. He's caught 26 balls along the way which is tops on the team. Look for Winslow to lead the Bucs in receptions all season. If you don't have him on your roster try to trade for him before he becomes a top three tight end.

RonBattison 2009-10-14 20:41:09 2009-10-14 20:41:09

The defense got absolutely abused by Matt Ryan, Michal Turner and Co. Ryan torched the 49ers for 329 yards and 3 touchdowns (1 running), Michael Turner pounded out 97 yards on the ground and 2 touchdowns, and Roddy White abused the secondary for 210 yards on 8 catches and a touchdown. Mike Singletary better get this mess straitened out as the job doesn't get any easier against the Texans following the bye week.

RonBattison 2009-10-14 20:33:41 2009-10-14 20:33:41

Nedney has shown adequate consistency throughout the year; converting on 78 percent of his field goals and all of his extra point attempts. Still, until the 49ers prove that they are capable of scoring more points on offense, you are probably better of using a kicker from a more prolific offensive team.

RonBattison 2009-10-14 20:26:32 2009-10-14 20:26:32

With Michael Crabtree signed and Vernon Davis and Josh Morgan beginning to emerge, Bruce's fantasy value is becoming almost non-existent.

RonBattison 2009-10-14 20:18:22 2009-10-14 20:18:22

Davis and quarterback Shaun Hill weren't on the same page in the loss, as the duo experienced some miscommunication on a number of throws. Still, it is encouraging to see in that Davis led the team in targets with 12 and receptions with 5 in a mediocre effort.

RonBattison 2009-10-14 19:51:37 2009-10-14 19:51:37

While Morgan's 78 receiving yards are nice, his 9 targets (including a 61 yard grab) are even more encouraging. Morgan has now strung together 3 productive games in a row. Until Michael Crabtree gets fully acclimated in the offense, Morgan qualifies as the teams "big play" receiver.

RonBattison 2009-10-14 19:36:07 2009-10-14 19:36:07

Crabtree has missed too much time for him to have a full grasp of the 49ers offense when they return to action in 2 weeks. Still, the teams lack of big play receivers may result in Crabtree seeing some action sooner rather than later.

RonBattison 2009-10-14 19:28:50 2009-10-14 19:28:50

If Gore does return to action following the 49ers bye week, head coach Mike Singletary may be happier than even Gore himself. Without Gore the past 2 weeks, the 49ers offensive line has looked shaky and defenses have begun to expose Shaun Hill. While Gore is clearly a strong RB1 play, his injury history makes Glen Coffee a must-have handcuff.

RonBattison 2009-10-14 19:15:12 2009-10-14 19:15:12

The 49ers have a BYE this week which will give Coffee time to rest his leg. However, when the 49ers return to action against the Texans in 2 weeks, Frank Gore is expected to be healthy again. This means Coffee will once again be relegated to backup status, albeit one with legitimate upside.

RonBattison 2009-10-14 18:51:43 2009-10-14 18:51:43

Hill's limitations as a thrower were in full effect against the Falcons. With the 49ers falling behind early, they were left with no choice but to throw often. Hill ended up completing only 39.5 percent of his passes and produced a passer rating of only 45.7 percent. Luckily, the 49ers have a bye week to regroup and are expected to get Frank Gore back in time for their matchup against the Texans. The return of Gore should alleviate a lot of the pressure facing Hill.

LyleGirandola 2009-10-14 18:40:40 2009-10-14 18:40:40

Detroit Lions' quarterback Matt Stafford's limited practice on Wednesday may be the best sign so far that Head coach Jim Schwartz does not intend to start him on Sunday against the Green Bay Packers. Look for backup quarterback Daunte Culpepper to start on Sunday, allowing Stafford to rest through the following week's bye.

JoeJantas 2009-10-14 18:00:28 2009-10-14 18:00:28

Jacobs has been on teammate Ahmad Bradshaw's shadow so far this season, running for 20 less yards on 42 less carries than the smaller Bradshaw. Unless Jacobs finds himself benched, which is a long shot, don't get down on his value. He remains the Giants' featured back and will continued to receive more touches than Bradshaw.

JoeJantas 2009-10-14 17:50:57 2009-10-14 17:50:57

Bradshaw, who leads the Giants with 375 rushing yards and leads the league with 6.5 yards per carry, has been wearing a boot and sitting out of practice for the past few weeks. Despite missing practice, the Giants' coaching staff plans to use Bradshaw no less than usual. Bradshaw's early season production has promoted his value to RB2/Flex position status.

JoeJantas 2009-10-14 17:45:24 2009-10-14 17:45:24

The Giants rested Boss last weekend, and his touches were given to backups Travis Beckum and Darcy Johnson. Keep an eye on the injury report before deciding whether or not to start Boss against the Saints this weekend..

JoeJantas 2009-10-14 17:42:36 2009-10-14 17:42:36

Manning, who was pulled before halftime after mounting a comfortable lead against the Raiders last Sunday, is getting increased reps each day in preparation for this week's matchup against the Saints. The Giants offense has exceeded all expectations so far, and a potential shootout with the Saints should bode well for Manning owners.

KrisDunn 2009-10-14 17:24:13 2009-10-14 17:24:13

Cadillac had his best rushing game of the season in Week One behind Jeff Faine. Look for his production to increase with the return of Faine to the O-line. Cadillac's recent receiving resurgence also give reason for optimism in PPR leagues.

BrentHobbs 2009-10-14 14:20:29 2009-10-14 14:20:29

Anything less than 50 rushing yards from this guy is less than stellar. He is averaging six yards per carry for the season, but those numbers were boosted by a huge performance at Houston in week two. Johnson has three total touchdowns so far this season and isn't performing up to the level where most fantasy owners drafted him back in late summer.

LandeEdmiston 2009-10-14 10:20:23 2009-10-14 10:20:23

The injuries keep piling up on the offensive line of Seattle. Hopefully Williams can keep Matt Hasselbeck's blind side safe for one more game until Locklear gets back.

MichaelMiller 2009-10-14 02:23:50 2009-10-14 02:23:50

Addai should be fine. The Colts have a bye in Week Six, and Addai continues to get the bulk of the work in his timeshare with rookie Donald Brown, who had just six carries and two receptions vs. Tennessee.

MichaelMiller 2009-10-14 02:16:51 2009-10-14 02:16:51

Don't get too excited. Collie's performance was mostly a function of the Titans playing their safeties in a deep cover-2 all night, leaving the middle of the field wide open for the slot receiver. While the rookie is a wonderful addition to the Colts, that does not make him a dependable option for your fantasy team.

MichaelMiller 2009-10-14 01:55:28 2009-10-14 01:55:28

Manning was masterful vs. Tennessee this past Sunday. As predicted here last week, the Titans played 2-deep coverage almost exclusively the entire game. On the small handful of plays they tried to sneak a safety into run support, Manning called an audible to the receiver left in man coverage every single time. Week Six may bring the only thing that can stop Manning at this point - the bye week.

SeanGreen 2009-10-13 20:49:02 2009-10-13 20:49:02

Ben at the beginning of the season was considered a middle round pick in most drafts. However, he has shown this season his true worth. Through five games this season he has completed 73.8% of his passes for 1,470 yards, eight touchdowns and a passer rating of 102.6. He also has two rushing touchdowns this season. A solid start in any league.

SeanGreen 2009-10-13 20:36:17 2009-10-13 20:36:17

Ideally this weekend's game against the browns would be the best time to get them both back into the lineup as this browns team is considered one of the worst in the league. Even still, look for Mendenhall to continue to take carries from Parker, until it's determined whether or not the turf toe becomes an issue again. As for Polamalu the secondary has been missing him, fantasy owners have been missing him, but most of all the fans have been missing him. Still, this is a shaky defense. Play at your own risk.

SeanGreen 2009-10-13 20:22:32 2009-10-13 20:22:32

As we get Troy Polamalu back into the secondary, the steelers lose a key piece of the defensive line. In a 3-4 defensive alignment, every missing piece up front will be felt behind that player. Kirschke is solid, not spectacular, and will get the job done. Hood looked great in the OTAs and during training camp. He's had time to see Dick LeBeau's defense work. Nick Eason is on his last legs, and I don't think he would be a good solution long term if this turns out to be a long term injury. If your a owner of the Pittsburgh defense, I would think about starting your other defense. This season the defense has looked like a shell of it's former self.

BrentHobbs 2009-10-13 19:49:49 2009-10-13 19:49:49

Obviously, the most popular guy on a struggling team is always the backup quarterback. The talk around Nashville is that the Titans should pull the trigger and start quarterback Vince Young. Collins is a pro and knows there are those who want him out, but he will continue to prepare to get a win each week. At this point we are just not sure when that week will come.

LyleGirandola 2009-10-13 15:25:43 2009-10-13 15:25:43

More information will be released on Wednesday, but for now Detroit Lions' wide receiver Calvin Johnson has a minor knee injury. His status for Week six in Green Bay should be monitored closely.

NateAnderson 2009-10-13 12:44:15 2009-10-13 12:44:15

This is a huge blow to the already questionable Redskins offense. Samuels replacement, Stephon Heyer, is no where near as effective. Expect Jason Campbell to face more pressure in the backfield, TE Chris Cooley to spend more time blocking and RB Clinton Portis to have less success running the ball. In fact, downgrade every Redskins player for fantasy purposes.

ShaneBirch 2009-10-13 12:02:53 2009-10-13 12:02:53

It is officially time to bench Owens if you have other options. The Bills offense overall looked horrendous on Sunday putting up only three points against the Browns.

LandeEdmiston 2009-10-13 10:47:30 2009-10-13 10:47:30

Seattle's defense has two shutouts this year and should only get better with Leroy Hill expected back in a few weeks at linebacker and Patrick Kerney returning to practice this week.

LandeEdmiston 2009-10-13 10:41:28 2009-10-13 10:41:28

This is great news for the Seahawks and fantasy owners. Hasselbeck torched the Jags and looked good albeit while taking pain killer injections for the two broken ribs. Look for Hasselbeck to be a good start versus the Cardinals in Week Six.

KrisDunn 2009-10-13 09:01:28 2009-10-13 09:01:28

Obviously this was not the game plan going in, but with such a large deficit early on things had to change. Josh Johnson threw two touchdowns, both to TE Kellen Winslow. Johnson did have three interceptions in the game, but that is to be expected. Being his second career start and having to throw 50 times, plus the two touchdowns gives Johnson a pass on the three INT's . Keep an eye on Johnson, he's got Carolina next week!

BrentHobbs 2009-10-12 18:15:04 2009-10-12 18:15:04

Blah, blah, blah. More of the same "coachspeak" from Titans head coach, Jeff Fisher, as he stated that the team is the reason they are winless, not the quarterback. We all know however, an NFL team lives and dies on the arm of legs of the quarterback. It may be time to make the change to Vince Young. If he is available in your fantasy league, he may be worth a claim.

SarahRazi 2009-10-12 14:39:09 2009-10-12 14:39:09

It was a mediocre outing for Smith with the two-point conversion helping a bit. Smith continues to be one of the most targeted receviers in the NFL but Delhommes ineffectiveness at throwing an accurate deep ball is really hurting him. However, with a favorable stretch of Tampa, Buffalo, and Arizona coming up Smith remains a must start WR1/WR2 in all leagues.

SarahRazi 2009-10-12 14:22:00 2009-10-12 14:22:00

Delhomme continues to make turnovers and mistakes over and under throwing his receivers but it hasn't been as bad as it was in week one or in last years playoff loss to the Cardinals. So unless he has a similar outing he should remain the Panthers starting QB. He is not a fantasy option however unless you are desperate and have horrible depth at QB.

SarahRazi 2009-10-12 13:19:48 2009-10-12 13:19:48

Very disappointing outing for Williams owners that expected a much bigger day coming off of the bye. He lost his second fumble of the year after having zero fumbles last year and he also got stuffed at the goal-line. This was the worst case scenario for Williams but he has a favorable stretch of games coming up against Tampa, Buffalo, and Arizona so he should remain active in all formats.

SarahRazi 2009-10-12 13:08:03 2009-10-12 13:08:03

Stewart was in the game most of the second half due to DeAngelo Williams losing a fumble on the opening drive and the Panthers just riding the hot hand. This is the best type of game that you can get out of Stewart because he is not utilized enough to rack up yards but at times he will get a goal-line scores in favor of Williams so play him as a flex in the right matchup but nothing more.

NateAnderson 2009-10-12 09:21:10 2009-10-12 09:21:10

Nothing particularly surprising here. Moss is a maddeningly inconsistent receiver, and will remain so unless the Redskins offense finds a way to improve. He can be used to fill a hole or as a WR3 next week against KC, but there are no guarantees for big production, even against such a weak team.

NateAnderson 2009-10-12 09:15:46 2009-10-12 09:15:46

Although it certainly cost fantasy owners this week, the lack of production from Cooley was mostly a reflection of the TE needing to step in and block after starting OT Chris Samuels went down in the first quarter. This week's goose egg was a glitch, expect Cooley to pick up where he left off next week against KC.

NateAnderson 2009-10-12 09:08:57 2009-10-12 09:08:57

It took him 5 weeks to do it, but Portis finally found pay dirt. His rushing average stunk at just 3 yards a carry, but his performance on Sunday again showed that the Redskins consider him a centerpiece to their offense and a threat to score every week. Portis continues to be a low-risk low-reward fantasy running back. He will always get a high number of touches per game, but is very unlikely to break big runs or put up huge stats in the process. He remains a must start next week against KC.

NateAnderson 2009-10-12 08:25:58 2009-10-12 08:25:58

By now you should not be surprised by Campbell's mediocrity. Until a change happens in Washington - head coach Jim Zorn is fired, or backup QB Todd Collins or Colt Brennan wins the start - the offense will continue to struggle moving the ball. The Skins have one more easy game ahead of them next week again KC before their schedule becomes much harder. However, you should still keep Campbell benched next week if you can.

LandeEdmiston 2009-10-11 23:15:26 2009-10-11 23:15:26

Matt Hasselbeck should only get better from here as he continues to recover from two broken ribs. The show continues in Arizona next week, which is almost a must start for fantasy owners as it should be a shootout.

LandeEdmiston 2009-10-11 23:11:10 2009-10-11 23:11:10

Most of us suspected that Carlson would be targeted more with Matt Hasselbeck back from a rib injury, but he only made two catches. Carlson did have a couple drops as well during the game.

LandeEdmiston 2009-10-11 23:08:46 2009-10-11 23:08:46

Burleson got more looks than Deion Branch which is good news for Burleson owners with Matt Hasselbeck back at quarterback.

LandeEdmiston 2009-10-11 23:06:56 2009-10-11 23:06:56

T.J. Houshmandzadeh made some solid catches on Sunday and should get more looks as he is more familiar with the offense and Matt Hasselbeck is back under center.

LandeEdmiston 2009-10-11 23:04:31 2009-10-11 23:04:31

Look for Forsett to get more touches as the season wears on.

LandeEdmiston 2009-10-11 23:03:09 2009-10-11 23:03:09

Julius Jones is a very up and down fantasy play and with the inconsistency it makes it hard to start him if at all, except for a bye week replacement.

EricMcClung 2009-10-11 22:25:34 2009-10-11 22:25:34

As the season goes on Vick may get more opportunities to throw the football but he remains gadget player and can be ignored in fantasy leagues. Even if Donovan McNabb were to miss time again Kevin Kolb has proven to be a very capable backup.

EricMcClung 2009-10-11 22:09:26 2009-10-11 22:09:26

Donovan McNabb was working the long ball most of the day so Celek, who had eight receptions for 104 yards in back-to-back games, was not as active in the passing game. Still Celek has been a solid fantasy tight end and next week will face an Oakland Raiders defense that struggles to stop anyone.

EricMcClung 2009-10-11 21:41:23 2009-10-11 21:41:23

Jackson exploded in Weeks Two and Three so his fantasy owners certainly expected a lot more from the second-year speedster against the poor Bucs secondary but it was rookie Jeremy Maclin who stole the show catching the deep balls. Quarterback Donovan McNabb spreads the ball around and Jackson is far from a consistent receiver, expect to ride the roller coaster.

EricMcClung 2009-10-11 21:20:27 2009-10-11 21:20:27

Maclin's breakthrough performance came at the expense of DeSean Jackson, who recorded a single catch for one yard. Both receivers are undersized but speedy and capable of the big play, the downside is their lack of physicality can make them all-or-nothing fantasy plays.

EricMcClung 2009-10-11 20:09:10 2009-10-11 20:09:10

Fantasy owners will take the touchdown but Westbrook's overall numbers were a disappointment. Besides his frailty another concern for Westbrook owners is the presence of rookie LeSean McCoy, who also got six carries and will likely poach touches from Westbrook all season. Westbrook will have a good chance to bounce back next week against the Oakland Raiders coming off a game in which they gave up 220 rushing yards to the New York Giants.

EricMcClung 2009-10-11 20:02:07 2009-10-11 20:02:07

Owners with McNabb on their rosters can rest easy, he looked fresh and was able to air it out all day long against the Bucs soft secondary. McNabb did wear a flap jack for projection and did not show any lingering effects after the three sacks he took during the game. McNabb has another great matchup next week against the lowly Oakland Raiders.

LandeEdmiston 2009-10-11 14:37:12 2009-10-11 14:37:12

Tatupu had been limited in practice with a hamstring injury but is starting as expected this week.

LandeEdmiston 2009-10-11 14:35:53 2009-10-11 14:35:53

Hasselbeck will be facing one of the most pourous pass defenses in the league. Hopefully he doesn't take too much punishment from the makeshift offensive line though.

KrisDunn 2009-10-10 23:22:47 2009-10-10 23:22:47

After missing last weeks contest due to injury (knee), Ward is running full speed heading into Week Five. Don't expect huge contributions from Ward this week but he's worth stashing in small leagues or starting as a possible flex option in deeper leagues.

SeanGreen 2009-10-10 20:30:48 2009-10-10 20:30:48

You gotta play Mendenhall. There is no way you don't play him against Detroit. Especially when he rushed for 165 yards last week with two touchdowns.

SeanGreen 2009-10-10 20:20:53 2009-10-10 20:20:53

The defense is going to have a little easier time this week against Detroit as they are ranked 20th in total offense. Play the defense, they might give some positive results. And now, Rashard Mendenhall will have another start for the steelers. Which means another opportunity to show management he's worth keeping around.

TimMcCullough 2009-10-10 16:55:44 2009-10-10 16:55:44

IDP leaguer's take note, as Mayo was the Patriots leading tackler last season. If he plays this week it will probably be sparingly. He should return to full time play after the Week Six bye.

TimMcCullough 2009-10-10 12:58:37 2009-10-10 12:58:37

Green-Ellis was an undrafted walk-on with the Patriots last season. Over the course of nine games, three as a starter, Green-Ellis had 74 carries and gained 275 yards with five touchdowns. Laurence Maroney will likely get the starting nod this week against the Broncos, but will be on a short leash. Sammy Morris will be used mostly in short yardage situations, and isn't considered an every down back; so Green-Ellis is probably the back that will succeed Maroney if he falters. For that reason, Green-Ellis is worth a flier if you're desperate for a running back. If he ever gets a chance to play he could prove to be a productive fantasy option.

BrentHobbs 2009-10-10 12:44:16 2009-10-10 12:44:16

This is bad news for a Tennessee Team that is facing the potent Colts offense Sunday night in Tennessee. Finnegan said earlier in the week that he planned to play, but it is unlikely that he will be at full speed and may not be totally effective.

TimMcCullough 2009-10-10 12:06:29 2009-10-10 12:06:29

To say Maroney has been a disappointment is an understatement. He has been used sparingly this season thus far and with good reason; he's averaging just 2.8 yards per carry. If Maroney's game doesn't improve markedly against the Broncos, look for Bill Belichick to bring BenJarvus Green-Ellis into the fold to give the Patriots running game a jolt. In the meantime, Maroney is worth grabbing off the waiver wire on spec. But do yourself a favor and keep him benched until he shows that he is ready to produce.

LandeEdmiston 2009-10-10 11:10:55 2009-10-10 11:10:55

Seattle's defense should be left on benches this week until it proves it can stop someone other than the St. Louis Rams!

LandeEdmiston 2009-10-10 11:08:58 2009-10-10 11:08:58

Looks like it is a go for Hasselbeck to captain the Seahawks ship on Sunday. Jacksonville has a pourous pass defense and Hasselbeck is considered a good start this week.

BrentHobbs 2009-10-09 08:47:01 2009-10-09 08:47:01

The Tennessee Titans secondary has been hit hard with injuries. They get some much needed help this week with Finnegan and Harper planning to return to the field. Sunday's game is pretty much a must win against a red hot Colts team, who lead the AFC South.

LyleGirandola 2009-10-09 08:40:15 2009-10-09 08:40:15

It does not appear likely that Detroit Lions' quarterback Matt Stafford will play on Sunday against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Head coach Jim Schwartz has been very "coy" about the matter, but Stafford himself did not practice at all this week. Do not count on Stafford in your lineup for Week 5.

TimMcCullough 2009-10-08 21:57:28 2009-10-08 21:57:28

Taylor and Laurence Maroney were splitting the running back duties through the first four games, though Taylor was getting the majority of the touches inside the red zone. As usual the Patriots are not talking about the injury, nor have they confirmed that surgery will take place. Sammy Morris would be the likely choice to replace Taylor in the lineup, though he may not get Taylor's entire workload. Kevin Faulk may also see an increase in touches as a result of Taylor's injury.

RonBattison 2009-10-08 21:34:38 2009-10-08 21:34:38

The 49ers organization and their fans have to be thrilled that this long, drawn-out saga has finally come to a close. All that’s left now is finding whether or not Crabtree can live up to all the self-imposed hype. When Crabtree finally steps onto the field for a game and how many snaps he’ll receive is unknown right now. While rookie wideouts typically have trouble immediately adjusting to the pro game, the 49ers lack of a big play threat may press Crabtree into action sooner rather than later. Regardless, from a fantasy perspective, he’s worth keeping an eye on.

JoeJantas 2009-10-08 20:17:21 2009-10-08 20:17:21

The idea of resting Manning this week against Oakland does sound tempting with New Orleans next on the docket, but Eli is too much of a competitor to start the game on the bench. He will play, but may be pulled as quickly as the Giants can build a comfortable lead.

LandeEdmiston 2009-10-08 17:31:16 2009-10-08 17:31:16

Tatupu will still start on Sunday and should be a main contributor if Seattle is to stop Maurice Jones-Drew.

LandeEdmiston 2009-10-08 17:29:00 2009-10-08 17:29:00

This is promising news, but Hasselbeck's status for Sunday is still up in the air.

JustinSemerad 2009-10-08 14:59:46 2009-10-08 14:59:46

The Rams' passing game has been slowed this year because of poor play and now it appears that the injury bug is rearing it's ugly head. Starting Quarterback Marc Bulger and leading receiver Laurent Robinson are already missing action. If Burton or Avery miss any time they may need to check on Jake Snow's availability.

JustinSemerad 2009-10-08 12:15:25 2009-10-08 12:15:25

Not that you were going to start a Rams' quarterback, but it looks like Kyle Boller will start for the second straight week. The Rams' offense looked anemic against the 49er's and there is no reason to expect anything more this week against the Vikings.

LyleGirandola 2009-10-08 09:58:17 2009-10-08 09:58:17

Deja vu all over again! Reminiscent of the weeks leading up to the season opener, we are now back to wondering who will start for the Lions this weekend against the Pittsburgh Steelers. The fact that Head coach Jim Schwartz is not saying anything may be revealing in itself. Stafford may be nursing his dislocated knee this weekend, rather than playing. Monitor this situation very closely.

SeanGreen 2009-10-07 21:16:47 2009-10-07 21:16:47

The secondary has been suspect since Polamalu went down in week one. Ike Taylor and William Gay have been holding up their end of the bargain. However where they need help the most is the middle of the field. That's where Troy comes in. Ryan Clark doesn't need to play spectacular, because Polamalu pretty much covers both positions. Since Tyrone Carter has been in the lineup, the middle of the field has been a target. An interesting point I heard the other day on the radio (steelers flagship station 102.5 WDVE) regarding Parker. Jack Lambert's career was ended by turf toe. Which makes this a very dangerous situation for him. Don't play Parker even if he goes.

SarahRazi 2009-10-07 20:26:47 2009-10-07 20:26:47

This is good news for DeAngelo Williams owners as Hoover is critical to their running game and opening up holes for the running backs to get through. Just keep your fingers crossed that he stays healthy.

SarahRazi 2009-10-07 20:22:43 2009-10-07 20:22:43

This will be a regular thing with Stewart every Wednesday. He will either be limited or held out because the Panthers are paranoid about having any setbacks with him. Expect to see Stewart on the field on Sunday against Washington and see roughly 40% of the carries in the game.

LandeEdmiston 2009-10-07 14:28:11 2009-10-07 14:28:11

Winter is coming in Seattle and it is looking awfully bleak weather wise and Seahawk wise. This news hurts both the passing and running games of Seattle.

LandeEdmiston 2009-10-07 14:25:43 2009-10-07 14:25:43

Looks like Hasselbeck's status for Sunday is still up in the air. Contingency plans for Hasselbeck owners is a must.

BrentHobbs 2009-10-07 13:39:26 2009-10-07 13:39:26

Collins' bad play has came at the worst time. Often in the second half of games, he has thrown interceptions and thrown some bad passes. The Titans have said that he is the starter and have shown no indication that they are ready to move to Vince Young. However, if they drop another game, Young could see some game action.

MarkVan Horn 2009-10-07 11:04:02 2009-10-07 11:04:02

Typically the most dramatic improvement for a wide receiver is between his 1st and 2nd seasons. It is starting to look like it might have taken an extra year for Rice. Rice has a touchdown in each of the last two games and his yardage totals are slowly increasing week to week. Most importantly, Brett Favre seems to have some faith in Rice. Don’t get too excited, he still has competition in Bernard Berrian and Percy Harvin, but if you are looking to take a flyer on a back-up wide receiver, you could do much worse.

MarkVan Horn 2009-10-07 11:00:07 2009-10-07 11:00:07

Though it is early, Brett Favre seems poised to have his best season in a long time. His passing strength seems fine and he is armed with the best weapons he has had in a few years. Eight touchdowns, one interception and a his best completion percentage (68%) ever have set the stage for another dramatic chapter in the story of Favre’s Hall of Fame career. Favre will rarely exceed 300 yards this season, because the Vikings are still a run first team, but he is making his case to make a start or two when the match-ups are favorable.

RonBattison 2009-10-07 00:05:23 2009-10-07 00:05:23

Tuesday's meeting marked a huge turn in the Crabtree-49ers soap opera, as this was the first time the two parties had spoken in weeks. The 49ers have until November 17th to hammer out a contract with Crabtree in order for him to play this season. Tuesday's meeting marks the most encouraging step in doing so to date.

RonBattison 2009-10-06 23:55:23 2009-10-06 23:55:23

Nedney's missed field goal Sunday marked his first miss of the season. Still, with the 49ers offensive not scoring touchdowns with consistency, Nedney remains a solid fantasy play.

RonBattison 2009-10-06 23:48:10 2009-10-06 23:48:10

While Willis and the 49ers defense was no doubt the beneficiary of an anemic Rams offense, this marked 3 out of 4 games that the D held their opponents under 20 points. There are a number of emerging playmakers on the defensive side of the ball for the 49ers, making them a solid fantasy play most weeks.

RonBattison 2009-10-06 23:39:39 2009-10-06 23:39:39

While Bruce's numbers are a far cry from his days playing for the "Greatest Show on Turf" in St. Louis, Bruce has quietly caught multiple balls in every game this year and is on pace for over 50 receptions and almost 700 yards for the season.

RonBattison 2009-10-06 23:32:38 2009-10-06 23:32:38

After an invisible showing in week 2, Morgan has put together back to back impressive games. He is still somewhat of a wildcard, but could prove to be a solid bye week fill-in.

RonBattison 2009-10-06 23:17:25 2009-10-06 23:17:25

It is getting difficult to ignore the consistent production Davis is putting up for the 49ers. He has caught multiple passes for at least 30 yards in every game this year, including 3 touchdowns over the last 2 games. The chemistry between him and quarterback Shaun Hill makes Davis a strong every week starter at tight end.

MichaelMiller 2009-10-06 23:17:16 2009-10-06 23:17:16

While the Colts only ran the ball 21 times, 29 of their 63 offensive plays went to the running backs. Looking ahead to Week 5 vs. Tennessee, the Titans almost always drop both safeties into two-deep pass coverage against Peyton Manning, which could open things up underneath for the running back tandem.

RonBattison 2009-10-06 23:11:02 2009-10-06 23:11:02

While Coffee's 3.1 yards per carry is unimpressive, it should be noted that his offensive line provided very little opportunities to break any big runs. It is unlikely that Mike Singletary will alter his game plan against the

MichaelMiller 2009-10-06 23:04:32 2009-10-06 23:04:32

It was a productive day for Collie, with six receptions for 65 yards and the score. But other than Manning's audible, most of his routes are run to the first down markers, which will not make him a dependable option for fantasy purposes.

RonBattison 2009-10-06 23:04:07 2009-10-06 23:04:07

Even without Frank Gore in the lineup, Hill wasn't asked to do anything but manage the game and let the running backs and defense take care of the rest. For the year Hill is completing over 62 percent of his passes and has a 5 to 1 touchdown to interception ratio.

RonBattison 2009-10-06 22:57:34 2009-10-06 22:57:34

Even without Frank Gore in the lineup, Hill wasn't asked to do anything but manage the game and let the running backs and defense take care of the rest. For the year Hill is completing over 62 percent of his passes and has a 5 to 1 touchdown to interception ratio.

MichaelMiller 2009-10-06 22:30:14 2009-10-06 22:30:14

Next up is the Titans, who usually play the Colts tough, with two-deep safety coverage almost exclusively against Manning. But those same Titans just gave up 305 yards to David Garrard. How could Manning possibly go for less?

ShaneBirch 2009-10-06 21:20:33 2009-10-06 21:20:33

Although the carries were split, the yardage totals were very different. Marshawn Lynch did very little to earn any more than a time share with Jackson. This time share hurts both players fantasy values and unless the Bills offense starts improving, it is advised to look elsewhere.

StevePerkins 2009-10-06 20:36:29 2009-10-06 20:36:29

The D was in Aaron Rodgers' face all game and he found himself throwing to the big tight ends often. Against weaker defenses don't expect these kind of numbers from Finley, as the Packers will look to spread the ball more.

StevePerkins 2009-10-06 20:31:00 2009-10-06 20:31:00

Jordy Nelson will likely get the return job now. The injury was at first stated to be a knee strain but appeared serious at the very outset.

StevePerkins 2009-10-06 20:23:06 2009-10-06 20:23:06

Grant had a great average yards per rush, he just didn't get enough touches with the Packers being down the entire game. He also is not hitting paydirt as much as fantasy owners would like. He'll be fine if his team is in the lead, but watch for tough matchups resulting in fewer carries.

JoeJantas 2009-10-06 19:12:27 2009-10-06 19:12:27

Despite his small size, Bradshaw has been running with more power this season, a change in style that hasn't allowed defenses to make adjustments from last season. Bradshaw is more than worthy of a start in your flex position this week against Oakland, or as a RB2 in deeper leagues or for those with depth issues.

JoeJantas 2009-10-06 19:06:01 2009-10-06 19:06:01

Jacobs has enjoyed playing the Bucs and Chiefs in back-to-back weeks, and his numbers reflect his joy. His season total of 288 rushing yards ranks him third in the NFC. Start him this week against the Raiders. This week should be no different, if not better than the previous two.

JoeJantas 2009-10-06 19:00:45 2009-10-06 19:00:45

The Giants hope Manningham regains his focus and stops dropping easy catches. Even though teammate Steve Smith is dominating every statistical category, Manningham has proven to be QB Eli Manning's favorite down-field weapon. Manningham is worth consideration at your flex position this week.

JoeJantas 2009-10-06 18:56:30 2009-10-06 18:56:30

Boss has started slow, and injuring his ankle isn't the most promising news for fantasy owners. His tepid start is becoming discerning, but he did have somewhat of a break-out week against the Chiefs and will get another chance this week against the porous Oakland defense.

JoeJantas 2009-10-06 18:48:19 2009-10-06 18:48:19

Nicks showed his big-play ability, taking his only reception of the afternoon for a 54 yard TD. He will continue to see increased playing time, but for the time being, his Fantasy value lies most-heavily in Keeper leagues.

JoeJantas 2009-10-06 18:44:59 2009-10-06 18:44:59

This was Smith's second game this season with 10+ catches (Week Two @ DAL). Smith has asserted himself as the Giants number one receiver in Domenik Hixon's absence, and is a must-play this week against the Chiefs. An injury to QB Eli Manning's heel might force the Giants to rely on the run slightly more than usual, but expect Smith to be targeted early and often.

JoeJantas 2009-10-06 18:38:10 2009-10-06 18:38:10

After an MRI early this week, the Giants list Eli Manning as 'day to day' on their injury report for Week Five. Expect Manning to start at home against the lowly Raiders, but don't be surprised to see former first round pick David Carr replace him should the Giants go up big early on.

LandeEdmiston 2009-10-06 13:04:44 2009-10-06 13:04:44

This limits Seattle's pass rush as Kerney is a key component. Looks like good news for the Jag's David Garrard.

LandeEdmiston 2009-10-06 13:02:19 2009-10-06 13:02:19

This is huge news for the Seahawks to get their skipper back for Week Five's matchup versus the Jaguars woeful pass defense. Watch RotoExperts for more Hasselbeck news.

RossKelly 2009-10-06 12:30:37 2009-10-06 12:30:37

McFadden's loss is Michael Bush's gain as he will likely become the lead back in Oakland over the next couple of weeks. Justin Fargas is also back in action and he led the team in carries and yards vs. the Texans. Neither player is a "must-start" but with the bye-portion of the schedule upon us, they could serve as one-week replacements for teams in desperate need for a running back.

BrentHobbs 2009-10-06 11:19:58 2009-10-06 11:19:58

Britt leads all rookie receivers so far in 2009. His strong game Sunday, along with Gage's spotty play, could mean the Titans work Kenny in the offense more. If this guy is available in your league, pick him up. He may not be an every week start, but he could be a good matchup play on some weeks.

LyleGirandola 2009-10-06 10:09:44 2009-10-06 10:09:44

Jim Schwartz's announcement to bench Aaron Brown instead of Derrick Williams on kickoff returns is not a shock, and is more likely intended to send a message to his struggling starters. Like Brown, Williams is a rookie, and is expected to perform better than the lackluster stats that Brown has produced so far this season.

BrentHobbs 2009-10-05 13:51:48 2009-10-05 13:51:48

It seems like more of the same with the Titans and their defense. Another blown game and another injured player. Harper has been less than stellar thus far and this injury just furthers the reasons why you shouldn't be starting the Titans defense in your fantasy leagues.

LandeEdmiston 2009-10-05 13:01:45 2009-10-05 13:01:45

Looks like the Seahawks are sticking with Julius Jones for the time being.

LandeEdmiston 2009-10-05 13:00:33 2009-10-05 13:00:33

Carlson has had butter fingers the past two games. Seattle needs better production from their emerging tight end.

LandeEdmiston 2009-10-05 12:58:16 2009-10-05 12:58:16

This was a good outing for Houshmandzadeh owners. Hopefully this will be the start of a great season for the number one receiver.

LandeEdmiston 2009-10-05 12:56:29 2009-10-05 12:56:29

Deion Branch was Seneca Wallaces' second favortie target on Sunday with those six catches. Look for more if he stays healthy.

LandeEdmiston 2009-10-05 12:54:51 2009-10-05 12:54:51

Burleson looked like a favorite target of Seneca Wallace in Week Three but Wallace honed in on T.J. Houshmandzadeh in Week Four a little more.

LandeEdmiston 2009-10-05 12:52:12 2009-10-05 12:52:12

The biggest problem with getting Jones on tracks was that Seattle played from behind for the whole game pretty much which took apart any ability to get the run going.

LandeEdmiston 2009-10-05 12:50:38 2009-10-05 12:50:38

As Tatupu goes so does the Seahawk defense for the most part, but not on this day as Peyton Manning had his way with the Seattle secondary.

LandeEdmiston 2009-10-05 12:47:22 2009-10-05 12:47:22

Wallace has been decent in place of Matt Hasselbeck. It was Seattle's defense that was non-existent against the Colts.

NateAnderson 2009-10-05 10:22:14 2009-10-05 10:22:14

That makes back to back solid weeks for the speedy receiver. But only two receptions and some very erratic play by QB Jason Campbell does not bode well for the Moss' consistency this year. You should have him in your lineup next week against Carolina, but keep your expectations limited.

KrisDunn 2009-10-05 10:15:02 2009-10-05 10:15:02

Tampa Bay's defense has recently been dropped in many leagues after the clunkers they put up against the Giants, Bills, and Cowboys. With the four turnover performance Sunday, things are looking up. Look for Tampa Bay's defense to provide a helping hand if you're in a BYE week situation. Remember in years past the Tampa defense has started slow and finished in the top five. This is a potential "buy low" breakthrough, especially with FS Tanard Jackson coming back from suspension.

KrisDunn 2009-10-05 09:48:58 2009-10-05 09:48:58

Josh Johnson found his favorite target early in Antonio Bryant. Bryant was able to haul in the lone Bucs TD. With Johnson the QB for the near future, Bryant may become the beneficiary of many "targets".

LyleGirandola 2009-10-05 08:43:12 2009-10-05 08:43:12

Detroit Lions' quarterback Matt Stafford's knee injury is troubling news for his team. This should be monitored closely during the week as more news about the extent of his injury is revealed. Stafford threw for 296 yards on 24 completions. He threw for one touchdown as well as one interception in the loss to the Chicago Bears.

NateAnderson 2009-10-04 21:48:48 2009-10-04 21:48:48

Once again, Cooley proved that he will remain the centerpoint of the Redskins passing attack. Cooley has more receiving yards and TDs on the year than Jason Witten. Start him against Carolina next week.

NateAnderson 2009-10-04 21:33:42 2009-10-04 21:33:42

Although Campbells two TDs to TE Chris Cooley and WR Santana Moss looked sharp, he spent the rest of the day making bad reads, forcing the ball into double coverage and throwing inaccurate passes. If Campbell cannot find a way to be more consistant, he will have little value in fantasy moving forward. At the moment, he is worth little more than a bye week replacement next week versus Carolina.

NateAnderson 2009-10-04 21:15:13 2009-10-04 21:15:13

Although stats like that are not likely to win fantasy seasons, Portis continues to prove that he will play through injuries and the Skins will rely on him for at least 15 touches every game. He will not produce like he did in previous years, but you can count on him to earn hard yards every week. So long as the Skins face weak run defenses, he remains a decent starter.

BrentHobbs 2009-10-04 21:02:12 2009-10-04 21:02:12

I guess it can't get much worse can it? That has to be the question Jeff Fisher is asking himself. Collins was 29-of-48 for 284 throwing one touchdown and two interceptions. While the Titans may be sticking with Collins, you shouldn't. If he is still on your roster, he shouldn't be after this week.

MatthewWolf 2009-10-04 11:14:16 2009-10-04 11:14:16

Even with Bowe playing, I dont suggest playing him unless you have no other options. I actually wouldnt suggest starting any Chiefs position players. The Giants defensive line will be in Cassels face all day and very quickly.

BrentHobbs 2009-10-04 10:22:11 2009-10-04 10:22:11

And then there were two. The Titans have chosen to go with two quarterbacks this season as they released Ramsey to make room for Williams. A former first round pick, Ramsey competed for the backup job behind Kerry Collins early in camp. The Titans like what they have in Vince Young and if Collins' poor play continues he may be called upon sooner than later. Cornerback Cary Williams was needed to provide depth at an area where the Titans have two key injuries. The Jaguars could find some plays in the passing game when Williams lines up.

TimMcCullough 2009-10-04 08:18:22 2009-10-04 08:18:22

The Patriots will need all hands on deck for the Ravens running attack and Wilfork is an integral part of the run defense. However, if he cannot play look for Myron Pryor to start in his place. Pryor did an adequate job last week after Wilfork was injured. Whether or not Wilfork plays you shouldn't hesitate to use the Patriots defensive unit in your fantasy league if you were planning to. IDP leaguers will want to check the game day inactives before counting on Wilfork.

SeanGreen 2009-10-03 23:25:01 2009-10-03 23:25:01

From the onset of training camp Redman, to me looked like the real deal. As a matter of fact before I ended up writing for RotoExperts I submitted a tryout fantasy article. In it I stated that Redman does look like a short yardage, third down back. Prototypical goal line back like Jerome Bettis was. My prediction then was that he could crack the roster. He didn't, however he was picked up for the practice squad. Around Pittsburgh, everyone was a little heated over not having Redman on the squad. Now that Willie Parker is injured, and Rashard Mendenhall is truly what I thought he was, Redman is getting his shot. I see three possible scenarios for Redman this week. See Mendenhall, Mewelde Moore, and Redman share the workload. Or Mendenhall will eat all of the carries leaving Redman to sit. Finally, It could give Redman a shot at the majority of the carries. Although he looks like a short yardage back that could translate into opportunities in the red zone, don't pick him up just yet. I think you need to see where what role head coach Mike Tomlin will put him.

LyleGirandola 2009-10-03 23:11:29 2009-10-03 23:11:29

Detroit Lion's running back Kevin Smith is questionable for this weekend's game against the Chicago Bears. His backup is Maurice Morris, an eight year veteran. Morris did well against the Bears when he faced them in 2007 with the Seattle Seahawks. In that game he had 87 yards rushing and a TD. Morris would be a good option if Smith does not play on Sunday. Monitor this situation closely.

LyleGirandola 2009-10-03 22:48:10 2009-10-03 22:48:10

Detroit Lions' running back Kevin Smith hurt his shoulder during last week's win against the Redskins. Although he practiced this week, his playing status will not be announced until game time. The Lions play the Chicago Bears at 1:00pm EDT and Smith's status should be monitored closely.

SeanGreen 2009-10-03 00:27:54 2009-10-03 00:27:54

Just when "Fast" Willie Parker was starting to show us why he should be considered a number one back, this happens. Earlier in the day, they called him questionable. However according to a text from the steelers official mobile service, head coach Mike Tomlin is shutting him down. Polamalu was also teasing the public about being able to go this week. Which was all talk. His targeted return will be next Sunday against the Detroit lions. Hartwig's return will only help "Big" Ben Roethlisberger. The offensive line was missing Hartwig's presence as Ben was sacked four times, and pressured on almost every pass play.

TimMcCullough 2009-10-02 23:29:56 2009-10-02 23:29:56

When he was first hurt it was believed that Mayo would be out six to eight weeks, so his return to practice at this point is a surprise. It would be very surprising to see him play this week though, so expect to see Gary Guyton out there at middle linebacker again. Guyton currently leads the Patriots in tackles with 21.

TimMcCullough 2009-10-02 23:19:28 2009-10-02 23:19:28

Taylor and the Patriots offensive line face the toughest run defense in the NFL in the Baltimore Ravens this week. The Patriots will need to establish some kind of running game, as they don't want quarterback Tom Brady to be forced into passing the ball too often. Look for the Patriots to involve Sammy Morris and Laurence Maroney along with Taylor in order to keep fresh legs on the field to wear the Ravens defensive line down. For that reason, Taylor is probably not a good fantasy option this week.

TimMcCullough 2009-10-02 22:56:45 2009-10-02 22:56:45

Moss had ten receptions for 116 yards against the Falcons last week and will almost certainly be a huge part of this week's game plan against a tough Ravens defense. To loosen up the defensive front line and support the running game, the Patriots will need to take a shot down field, and Moss will almost certainly be the player to get the call.

MichaelMiller 2009-10-02 21:19:47 2009-10-02 21:19:47

Those are top-25 stats in a highly potent offense. The Colts have always said that they take whatever the defense gives them, and with Reggie Wayne constantly double covered and Dallas Clark demanding attention, Garcon may be exactly that. If you need depth at wide receiver, get him while you still can.

MichaelMiller 2009-10-02 20:48:32 2009-10-02 20:48:32

Manning has thrown for over 300 yards in each game so far this season. After completions to six different receivers last week, even with Anthony Gonzalez out, there is no reason to think this will end anytime soon. Certainly not this week against Seattle.

BrentHobbs 2009-10-02 20:12:53 2009-10-02 20:12:53

This is a big help to a Titans team who has been struggling as of late. Scaife is a major part of quarterback Kerry Collins' passing progression, as Scaife often catches a lot of underneath passes. Scaife owners should start him on Sunday with confidence that he will be at full speed.

LandeEdmiston 2009-10-02 16:45:25 2009-10-02 16:45:25

Nice to see Hasselbeck being part of the team but as of now he won't be playing.

KrisDunn 2009-10-02 15:40:24 2009-10-02 15:40:24

The Bucs don't have a great offense by any means but Winslow does have 15 receptions on the season (5th among NFC Tight ends). With new quarterback Josh Johnson taking snaps this Sunday against Washington look for Winslow to become the main focus on offense. New quarterback, unproven running game usually means a heavy dose of short passes to the tight end position.

NateAnderson 2009-10-02 14:37:43 2009-10-02 14:37:43

This in addition to the bone spurs and offensive line woes? UPDATE: Portis is questionable for Sunday and has not practiced once this week. Keep him in your lineups against Tampa just in case he still goes, but be ready to replace him with someone else if he is ruled out Sunday morning. Ladell Betts and Marcus Mason split time in first team reps all week, so we may be looking at a time share if Portis cannot go.

LandeEdmiston 2009-10-02 09:40:59 2009-10-02 09:40:59

Tatupu's addition to Seattle's defense will be just in time to face the mighty Peyton Manning and the Colts.

LandeEdmiston 2009-10-02 09:39:25 2009-10-02 09:39:25

With Hasselbeck out, it means that Seneca Wallace will get his second straight start at quarterback against the Colts. Hasselbeck is getting closer to coming back but Wallace will be starting this week.

LandeEdmiston 2009-10-02 09:37:08 2009-10-02 09:37:08

It doesn't appear that Jones will be playing anytime soon which is bad news for the Seahawks offensive line and the protection for banged up quarterback Matt Hasselbeck.

JoeJantas 2009-10-01 21:12:09 2009-10-01 21:12:09

Manning's QB rating is 104.1 through the first three game, and his five to one TD to INT ratio shouldn't slack in the coming weeks as the Giants will be facing Kansas City, Oakland, and New Orleans in consecutive weeks.

JoeJantas 2009-10-01 21:03:01 2009-10-01 21:03:01

The Chiefs have given up 119 yards per game on the ground so far, and Giants RB Brandon Jacobs should feast on them after last week's 26 carry for 92 yards and a touchdown. He still splits carries with backup Ahmad Bradshaw, but he still gets the clear majority of the carries along with all of the goal line touches.

JoeJantas 2009-10-01 20:54:36 2009-10-01 20:54:36

Continue to consider Bradshaw as an option at your flex position. His 14 carries for 104 yards in Week Three were season highs. With Kansas City, Oakland, and New Orleans scheduled next, expect Bradshaw's production to reach its maximum potential.

JoeJantas 2009-10-01 20:44:01 2009-10-01 20:44:01

Hixon's return to the Giants rotation at wide receiver is coming, just not as fast as many fantasy owners would like. He is not expected to play much, if at all, this week against Kansas City.

JoeJantas 2009-10-01 20:40:20 2009-10-01 20:40:20

Nicks was listed as a Limited Participant on the team's injury report Wednesday, but was absent from Thursday's list and returned to practice. Nicks will play this week in Kansas City, but expect his playing time to be scarce until Steve Smith and Mario Manningham cool down.

ShaneBirch 2009-10-01 17:30:32 2009-10-01 17:30:32

With Fred Jackson playing well in Marshawn's absence, don't expect Lynch to carry the full load. A timeshare is likely as Bills head coach Dick Jauron has hinted at a 50-50 split. The timeshare hurts both players fantasy values.

BrentHobbs 2009-09-30 14:05:52 2009-09-30 14:05:52

Known as one of the most tenacious defensive players in the league, Vanden Bosch has sputtered so far this season. He has yet to register a quarterback sack in 2009, as the team has struggled to stop oppenents from scoring. He stated that the swagger from the 2008 team is gone. "Winning fixes a lot of things. If we can move forward, get a win on Sunday it will help the confidence of this team," he stated. This defense has taken a beating and if you are in a league that penalizes for points surrendered then you surely aren't starting Tennessee anytime soon.

NateAnderson 2009-09-30 08:28:39 2009-09-30 08:28:39

Reid points to the fact that despite facing two of the weakest run defenses in the league so far this season, Portis is averaging 3.9 yards a carry and has yet to break 100 yards in a game. This combined with his nagging leg injuries and general wear suggests he may fail to break 1000 yards for only the second time in his eight year career.

LyleGirandola 2009-09-30 08:18:37 2009-09-30 08:18:37

The Detroit Lions, after snapping their 19 game losing streak against the struggling Washington Redskins, now look forward to much tougher matchups, starting with Chicago in Week 4. Wide receiver Calvin Johnson owners should look for increased production from him in the coming weeks, as Stafford looks to follow his coach's advice and capitalize on his passing skills.

RonBattison 2009-09-29 23:05:25 2009-09-29 23:05:25

With Frank Gore out for the next 2 games, touchdown opportunities for the 49ers may become more limited. Still, with games against the Rams and Falcons, Nedney retains solid value as a kicking option.

RonBattison 2009-09-29 22:51:44 2009-09-29 22:51:44

Through 3 weeks, Bruce has made the most of his limited opportunities by catching multiple balls for at least 30 yards in every game. However, Bruce's advanced age and the 49ers conservative passing attack are likely to limit him from producing any legitimate fantasy numbers.

SeanGreen 2009-09-29 22:51:00 2009-09-29 22:51:00

After Willie Parker's breakout game against the Cincinnati bengals, it is very possible that his role will be reduced. Especially given Tomlin's affinity to giving Mewelde Moore chances to carry the ball. And with the signing of a true fullback in Carey Davis, this morning, the backfield is getting crowded. Drop Mendenhall until he finally puts the pieces together.

RonBattison 2009-09-29 22:47:15 2009-09-29 22:47:15

It was nice to see Morgan rebound from his paltry week 2 outing with a solid game Sunday. Nevertheless, the 49ers passing game is still too inconsistent for Morgan to be considered anything more than a bye week replacement.

RonBattison 2009-09-29 22:33:07 2009-09-29 22:33:07

After 3 years of teasing us with his big-time ability, it appears that Davis may have finally put it all together. Through 3 games, Davis is on pace for 75 catches, 896 yards and 11 touchdowns. Further, it seems like Davis and quarterback Shaun Hill are quickly developing a solid rapport. Even with the glut of tight end talent available, Davis is quickly earning the right to be considered a full-time fantasy starter.

SeanGreen 2009-09-29 22:26:07 2009-09-29 22:26:07

This is the clincher in the heated (or not-so) heated battle for the third wide receiver spot. Mike Wallace, Sweed's main competition for much of the pre-season and regular season, has amassed 12 receptions and 147 yards. Wallace is a viable option for yardage leagues with a flex position option. He won't end up with anymore than five touchdowns at most. As for Limas, his days in the black and gold might be numbered.

RonBattison 2009-09-29 22:19:35 2009-09-29 22:19:35

It was revealed on Monday that Gore is expected to miss the next 2 games with ankle and foot injuries. As a result, Coffee is expected to get the majority of the carries for the 49ers. He showed a lot of ability in the preseason and is facing 2 subpar run defenses in the Rams and Falcons, respectively. If you have Coffee on your bench or he is available on the waiver wire, this is your chance to reap some short-term rewards!

RonBattison 2009-09-29 22:07:28 2009-09-29 22:07:28

The 49ers offense isn't expected to undergo a major change in philosophy on account of Gore's injury. Rookie running back Glen Coffee, who carried the ball 25 times against the Vikings, is expected to receive the bulk of the carries while Gore is out. If you have Coffee on your team, or he is available in your league, he is a solid play the next 2 weeks against the Rams and Falcons mediocre run defenses.

RonBattison 2009-09-29 21:32:21 2009-09-29 21:32:21

Hill's positive plays couldn't have come at a better time. Stud running back Frank Gore reinjured his ankle on the second play of the game and is expected to miss a minimum of 3 weeks. Look for Hill to assume a bigger role in the offense with Gore out.

BrentHobbs 2009-09-29 21:30:30 2009-09-29 21:30:30

This is surely a sign of desperation for Tennessee. In the offseason they signed Mark Jones to replace the departed returner Chris Carr. Final cuts saw Jones packing his bags and leaving town. Now the Titans have signed him again to try to stabilize the return game. This Titans special teams shouldn't be counted on for fantasy points. Surely this addition can't make things any worse for them...can it?

JustinSemerad 2009-09-29 15:06:50 2009-09-29 15:06:50

While Robinson's play hasn't been stellar he was the steadiest passing option in the Rams' offense. He leads the team in receptions and yards and is the only Ram's receiver with a touchdown. The Rams will add another wide receiver to replace Robinson at some point. Not that it will improve the fortunes of this anemic aerial game.

LyleGirandola 2009-09-29 11:13:58 2009-09-29 11:13:58

Wide receiver Calvin Johnson averaged 83.2 yards per game during last year's winless season. So far this season, his average after three games is only 63.3 yards per game. Compared to the first three games last year, he had already accumulated 276 yards. It is likely that the team's confidence boost after their first win will foster more production from all players, particularly as quarterback Matt Stafford looks for more scoring options against Chicago in Week 4.

LyleGirandola 2009-09-29 10:46:38 2009-09-29 10:46:38

Detroit Lion's Head coach Jim Schwartz was guarded about running back Kevin Smith's shoulder injury reported to have occurred in the third quarter of Sunday's game. Smith ran for 101 yards on 16 carries and was key to the Lions' first win of the season, and the end of a 19 game losing streak. His status should be monitored closely this week as the Lions prepare for their trip to Chicago in Week 4.

BrentHobbs 2009-09-29 09:51:58 2009-09-29 09:51:58

Collins missed on his last 13 passing attempts on Sunday against the Jets and also had two interceptions. Coach Jeff Fisher gave him an endorsement saying, "I thought he did a great job, as best he could." To his credit, five of those incompletions were drops by his wide receivers. The offense is much too inconsistent to be counted on for big points so far this year. The Titans may stick with Collins, but you have to get him out of your starting lineup.

LandeEdmiston 2009-09-29 09:22:42 2009-09-29 09:22:42

Look for Tatupu to be back in the middle and be hunting some Colts on Sunday.

LandeEdmiston 2009-09-29 09:21:00 2009-09-29 09:21:00

We will keep you posted as the week goes on, until then it looks like its up in the air between Hasselbeck and Seneca Wallace starting on Sunday.

LandeEdmiston 2009-09-29 09:17:22 2009-09-29 09:17:22

Looks like Mare will be on a short leash this week in Indianapolis.

KrisDunn 2009-09-28 23:08:16 2009-09-28 23:08:16

Josh Johnson (University of San Diego) provides Tampa Bay with a mobile quarterback. Johnson hopes to be able to use his arm as well as his feet to get the Tampa offense on track. At this point Johnson should not be on your active roster though. As a matter of fact, there should be no QB from Tampa Bay on your fantasy squad.

StevePerkins 2009-09-28 23:01:42 2009-09-28 23:01:42

Having Clifton back will bolster an offensive line which has looked a little off thus far. Clifton's return should help to open up running lanes for runningback Ryan Grant.

StevePerkins 2009-09-28 22:57:33 2009-09-28 22:57:33

Grant still isn't hitting paydirt as often as his fantasy owners would like him to, but his numbers are slowly improving. Look for him to become more consistent on your fantasy team, but not consistently elite by any means.

BrianKarr 2009-09-28 22:05:28 2009-09-28 22:05:28

Kurt Warner was under pressure vitually the whole game in the lopsided loss to the Indianapolis Colts in Week Three. Warner was hit constantly during the game, so there should be caution if he keeps getting pounded like he did against the Colts. However, he remains a strong start as the Arizona Cardinals are clearly having trouble in the running game. He may have to sling it 50+ times per game, but that will simply add up to a worthy fantasy performance.

BrianKarr 2009-09-28 21:48:48 2009-09-28 21:48:48

Tim Hightower was not impressive facing the Indianapolis Colts in Week Three. He had more than one miscue, including a fumble in the red zone early in the game. However, he is getting some catches during garbage time or while Warner is under pass rush pressure. But Hightower's fantasy value as a running back is fading quickly.

EricMcClung 2009-09-28 19:33:16 2009-09-28 19:33:16

While the Eagles offense did not have any of the rhythm problems they experienced in the preseason when Vick was being shuffled on and off the field it will be interesting to see how this operate when quarterback Donovan McNabb (rib) returns in Week Five, following a bye. Even though the Eagles intelligently designed offense is a great fit for Vick's big play ability he remains a gadget player and can be ignored in fantasy leagues due to his limited numbers of touches per game. Even if McNabb were to go down again backup Kevin Kolb, who has been impressive in his absence, would resume the starting quarterback duties.

EricMcClung 2009-09-28 19:28:50 2009-09-28 19:28:50

"Do you know?" Celek now leads all tight ends in receptions, with 22 grabs. "Don't you wonder?" Fantasy owners who are reaping the fruits of their sleeper tight end pick will wait with bated breath if Celek has the same chemistry with Donovan McNabb (rib) that he has developed with Kevin Kolb. "What's going on." Owners can pat themselves on the back for landing the top value TE thus far. However, right now they should be looking for a Week Four fill-in as the Eagles have a bye this week.

EricMcClung 2009-09-28 17:37:02 2009-09-28 17:37:02

Westbrook will have a bye week to mend but McCoy almost certainly will be in the mix going forward. Hopefully Westbrook owners were aware he has never played a full 16-game schedule and took McCoy has a handcuff, if not it may be too late after this impressive performance. Westbrook and McCoy owners alike will want to keep their eyes and ears open before kickoff each week and make adjustments as needed.

ShaneBirch 2009-09-28 17:13:46 2009-09-28 17:13:46

This is definitely troublesome for owners of Owens who invested a high draft pick in him. Bills Head Coach Dick Jauron stated, "We have to get him the football, obviously." Look for Owens to have a bounce back game against the Dolphins next weekend who rank 26th versus the pass.

EricMcClung 2009-09-28 17:12:39 2009-09-28 17:12:39

Jackson was seen vomiting soon after the play but stayed in the game and caught several more passes. Due to the injury, Jackson was kept out of taking snaps from the Wildcat and split his typical punt return duties. With the upcoming bye week Jackson should have ample time to recover from any lingering effects he may be experiencing. Fantasy owners will want to put Jackson right back in their lineup for a tasty matchup against Tampa Bay in Week Five.

EricMcClung 2009-09-28 16:32:04 2009-09-28 16:32:04

Barring any setbacks, fantasy owners should be ready to plug McNabb back into their lineup for this matchup as the lowly Bucs defense has already surrendered seven passing touchdowns, tied for the second most in the league.

BrentHobbs 2009-09-28 16:22:56 2009-09-28 16:22:56

This comes as a huge blow to a secondary that has been torched for 678 yards through the air through three games this season. Fuller has a broken forearm and is expected to miss four to six weeks. Finnegan, who had a breakout season last year, came out of the game with a hamstring injury. Obviously, the Finnegan injury is more of a concern. The nature of the injury and the fact that he is a starter hurts twice as hard.

BrentHobbs 2009-09-28 16:08:24 2009-09-28 16:08:24

You know the little glass box that says "Break In Case of Emergency?" If they haven't already, the Titans should locate the hammer. If you drafted the Tennessee defense high in your league, you are likely disgusted. Chances are you aren't starting them, especially in leagues that penalize for fumbles and points surrendered. Ryan Mouton is a household name around Tennessee today, but for all the wrong reasons.

LandeEdmiston 2009-09-28 11:54:15 2009-09-28 11:54:15

Lucas aggravated his groin injury and we will give you more updates on his availablity during the week.

LandeEdmiston 2009-09-28 11:50:42 2009-09-28 11:50:42

Right now, Houshmandzadeh cannot be trusted as a top two wideout. He is better suited to a number 3 until Hasselbeck gets back and Houshmandzadeh starts producing.

NateAnderson 2009-09-28 10:57:45 2009-09-28 10:57:45

Uh oh. Although he is only 29, Portis has a lot of wear on his tires and bone spurs in both ankles. Failing to put up decent stats against the Lions, one of worst run defenses in the league, suggests that Portis may in for a long season. Fortunately for fantasy owners, there is little depth among the Redskins running backs, so Portis will likely continue to carry the bulk of the team's carries each week. Given enough carries, Portis may still have a good week against Tampa Bay's 31st ranked rush defense next week.

NateAnderson 2009-09-28 10:48:24 2009-09-28 10:48:24

Despite the off day, Cooley remains the Redskins most consistent receiver and can be safely started in fantasy lineups next week against Tampa Bay.

NateAnderson 2009-09-28 10:46:03 2009-09-28 10:46:03

Wow. Prior to this week, Moss had only five receptions for 41 yards on the season. Although expectations should be tempered about any stats put up against the Lions, the Skins terrible running game and lack of a clear number two receiver should mean better stats for Moss in the future. This week showed that Moss showed that Moss is a viable WR3 in fantasy leagues, albeit an inconsistent one with Jason Campbell at the helm. Start him next week versus Tampa Bay

NateAnderson 2009-09-28 10:27:48 2009-09-28 10:27:48

The stats look nice, and Campbell's improved chemistry with WR Santana Moss may indicate good things to come, but keep in mind that this performance was against the Lions abysmal pass defense. The Skins running game is looking awful, so we may see Campbell shouldering more of the load moving forward, which may translate into improved numbers. Campbell should be considered a decent bye week replacement next week against Tampa Bay.

JedLam 2009-09-28 10:06:15 2009-09-28 10:06:15

After being targeted a league-leading 14 times in week one, Bennett disappeared in week two with the rise of Johnny Knox. But in week three, Bennett returned with a solid 80 yard game. While still a sleeper candidate, be prepared for up-and-down stats all season for Bennett and the rest of the Bears receiving drew.

JedLam 2009-09-28 10:02:13 2009-09-28 10:02:13

Devin Hester has had four or more receptions in each of the last three games along with two touchdowns. While Jay Cutler spreads the ball too much for Hester to be a number one or even two receiver, he makes for a great WR3.

JedLam 2009-09-28 09:57:24 2009-09-28 09:57:24

Flavor-of-the-month Johnny Knox made his only reception count with a touchdown late in the third quarter. While still a solid sleeper pick week to week, through there weeks Jay Cutler has spread the ball around to the point that it tough to depend on any Bears receivers.

JedLam 2009-09-28 09:53:11 2009-09-28 09:53:11

Greg Olsen finally showed some of the chemistry with Jay Cutler that was on display during the pre-season. If you've been waiting for Olsen to breakout, next week looks promising with the Lions coming to town.

JedLam 2009-09-28 09:49:09 2009-09-28 09:49:09

Cutler continues to show a growing comfort level with the offense and clearly has the support of his teammates. For the third straight week, he utilized five or more receivers, proving he's usefullness will not be tied to the receivers on the field. Feel confident starting him against Detroit next week.

JedLam 2009-09-28 09:41:12 2009-09-28 09:41:12

Forte owners can officially be worried, particularly if he doesn't have a monster game next week with Detroit coming to town. On the other hand, non-owners may want to target Forte with low-ball offers as he's simply too talented for this to keep up.

LandeEdmiston 2009-09-28 09:36:23 2009-09-28 09:36:23

Wallace had a good day statistically, but Seattle lost. Mainly due to their inept field goal kicker.

LandeEdmiston 2009-09-28 09:34:29 2009-09-28 09:34:29

Wouldn't be surprised to see Mare on the bench or waivers for Week Four. If you got him, thank him for four field goals but look elsewhere quickly.

LandeEdmiston 2009-09-28 09:30:38 2009-09-28 09:30:38

For those of you in IDP leagues who picked him up, good for you, keep an eye on him, but Tatupu could be back Week Four.

LandeEdmiston 2009-09-28 09:28:23 2009-09-28 09:28:23

Jones came up with a solid game on Sunday versus a decent Bears run defense. The best part about it was the fact he was on the field most of the game and didn't lose a lot of touches to Justin Forsett.

LandeEdmiston 2009-09-28 09:25:35 2009-09-28 09:25:35

Burleson is a solid play in PPR leagues going forward.

BrentHobbs 2009-09-27 21:01:58 2009-09-27 21:01:58

Collins, like many signal callers will take the blame on his shoulders to try to pull the team together. He finished with two interceptions and 170 passing yards. He isn't the only Titans to blame for falling to 0-3, it was clear that the whole team played less than stellar in the final 15 minutes. Collins has mediocre numbers thus far and shouldn't be counted on to carry your fantasy squad.

JoeMeyer 2009-09-27 11:31:06 2009-09-27 11:31:06

This will open the door further for Jason Snelling to prove what he's got as the number 2 running back in Atlanta. He's probably not a viable fantasy options, but definitely something to keep an eye on.

KrisDunn 2009-09-27 11:18:47 2009-09-27 11:18:47

After missing Week Two due to the knee injury, Bryant is back today and looks to cut up the Giants secondary. The happiest man on the field today may not be Bryant however, with him drawing more coverage look for Michael Clayton to have a good game against the depleted Giants secondary.

TimMcCullough 2009-09-27 11:02:57 2009-09-27 11:02:57

Tom Brady will at least have one of his primary targets to throw to. Moss wasn't much of a factor in the Week 2 Jets game, but should be able to make more of a contribution this week against the Falcons secondary.

BrentHobbs 2009-09-27 11:01:13 2009-09-27 11:01:13

Scaife is still battling the knee injury suffered in the first game of the season. Alge Crumpler will be the Titans tight end you want to start today. Vince Young missed practice late in the week with an illness and will be listed as the third quarterback behind Patrick Ramsey.

TimMcCullough 2009-09-27 10:59:40 2009-09-27 10:59:40

Given that Welker practiced Thursday but not Friday it's not that much of a surprise. Randy Moss will be active for this game and Julian Edelman will start for Welker.

BrentHobbs 2009-09-27 10:53:19 2009-09-27 10:53:19

This forecast could mean that the Titans may lean on Chris Johnson heavy today. The game breaking back had record numbers last week, but faces a much tougher test with New York's run defense. Nonetheless, he should manage decent numbers and possibly find the endzone.

KrisDunn 2009-09-27 10:09:01 2009-09-27 10:09:01

The knee injury is no doubt still bothering Cadillac, add in Derick Ward playing against his former team, and the stingy Giants defense.......Cadillac may not be a strong fantasy option this week.

LandeEdmiston 2009-09-27 09:11:23 2009-09-27 09:11:23

Julius Jones should still carry the load but Forsett has looked good on passing downs and could play more 3rd downs as a result.

TimMcCullough 2009-09-27 08:17:46 2009-09-27 08:17:46

The Patriots entered the season with just five wide receivers on the roster and now find themselves scrambling to have enough healthy bodies on game day. Quarterback Tom Brady is already struggling to get the timing down with Julian Edelman and Joey Galloway, so adding new receivers to the mix will only make his job more difficult unless the Patriots alter their current passing schemes. It appears that we'll be seeing some new faces in Patriot uniforms soon.

SarahRazi 2009-09-27 01:52:17 2009-09-27 01:52:17

Things just keep getting worse and worse for the Panthers on the injury front. The Cowboys are sure to try and take advantage of Carolina's wounded defense and get their first win in their new stadium. It's hard to believe but with all the injuries on defense it's looking more and more likely that the Cowboys will be sending the Panthers to 0-3 on the year. The bye in week four can't come soon enough for the Panthers right now.

SarahRazi 2009-09-27 01:38:44 2009-09-27 01:38:44

Hoover did not practice all week with the injury and his presence is key in opening up holes for the Panther running backs to run through. Hoover has been in the league for a long time so this will be a good test for the Panthers to see what they have in Fiammetta.

MichaelMiller 2009-09-26 23:11:36 2009-09-26 23:11:36

This was more a function of the way the game went than any downturn for Addai. The Colts only ran the ball 10 times, plus one Peyton Manning scramble, in 38 total plays. Addai got 60% of the work and averaged 5.3 yards per carry. Be patient.

MichaelMiller 2009-09-26 23:03:00 2009-09-26 23:03:00

The double coverage will continue until the Colts get production from someone else in their inexperienced wide receiver corps. You still have to start Wayne, but temper your expectations until Anthony Gonzalez returns from injury. Or trade for him while his value is down.

MichaelMiller 2009-09-26 22:52:39 2009-09-26 22:52:39

We told you last week that Clark would be the number two receiver in Indianapolis while Anthony Gonzalez was out with an injury. But with Reggie Wayne double covered on every play, Clark very well may be Peyton Manning's primary target. Start him in all formats, or consider trading him while his value is sky high.

MichaelMiller 2009-09-26 22:39:16 2009-09-26 22:39:16

Start Manning. Trade for him. His performance is simply amazing.

LyleGirandola 2009-09-26 22:10:48 2009-09-26 22:10:48

Despite Quarterback Matthew Stafford's lackluster performance in the Detroit Lions first two games, they have still outscored the Redskins over the same period. The Lions have recorded 40 points versus 26 for the Redskins. Adding to the Redskins troubles, Running Back Clinton Portis is reported questionable for tomorrow's game due to an ankle sprain.

RossKelly 2009-09-26 11:49:07 2009-09-26 11:49:07

This promotion makes Huff a must-start in IDP leagues. Not only is he tied for first in the league with three interceptions, but he is second with five pass deflections. All this was done while only playing about half the game. Another impressive performance could make Huff the permanent starter at free safety.

LandeEdmiston 2009-09-26 11:24:54 2009-09-26 11:24:54

Wallace's mobility will be challenged as Seattle has a banged up offensive line. For those of you that need a QB this week, Wallace may be able to sneak in some rushing yards against the Bears. Maybe if your lucky a rushing TD perhaps.

LandeEdmiston 2009-09-26 11:22:41 2009-09-26 11:22:41

This is not really a surprise to anyone. Seneca Wallace will get the start along with a patchwork offensive line.

StevePerkins 2009-09-26 10:42:49 2009-09-26 10:42:49

The Packers O-line could really use Raji right now to assist in the run game. With Raji likely out and Chad Clifton still ailing, the person that may suffer the most because of this is running back Ryan Grant.

TimMcCullough 2009-09-26 07:52:10 2009-09-26 07:52:10

Brady's timing with Edelman and Galloway has been off so far, and Aiken has primarily played on special teams. If neither Moss nor Welker plays on Sunday, look for the Patriots to try and pound the undersized defense of the Falcons with their running game. This figures to limit Brady's stats this week and makes him more like a QB2-3 than a QB1 option.

TimMcCullough 2009-09-26 07:41:09 2009-09-26 07:41:09

The Patriots will be severely crippled without both Moss and Wes Welker. Sam Aiken is next up on the Patriots depth chart and would be the likely replacement in the offense if Moss does not play. The Patriots have not shed any light on the extent of Moss's injury, so we will just have to wait and see if he is able to play Sunday.

TimMcCullough 2009-09-26 07:35:52 2009-09-26 07:35:52

Welker missing Wednesday, practicing on a limited basis Thursday, then missing Friday is an ominous sign. At this point fantasy owners should handcuff Julian Edelman to Welker, who just may end up on the sidelines again this Sunday.

SeanGreen 2009-09-25 20:40:05 2009-09-25 20:40:05

Some good news on the defensive front, as it looks like Polamalu is going to return a week ahead of schedule. If Harrison is still sick come gametime, his numbers might diminish, as well as playing time. Carter will once again take Polamalu's spot this week. However, there has been rumblings that Ryan Mundy might step in. Either way, you are not going to get any points from them. Sweed looks fully recovered and ready to resume his battle with Mike Wallace for the third wideout spot. As for the the defensive side of the ball, these bengals are led by a fully healed Carson Palmer. He could potentially rip into the weak secondary, or the opposite. Unless you are willing to take the risk, I think the steelers defense is a pass this week.

LandeEdmiston 2009-09-25 16:58:12 2009-09-25 16:58:12

Wallace is an emergency replacement for anyone with Hasselbeck but he is not a recommended start in fantasy this week versus the Bears.

LandeEdmiston 2009-09-25 16:52:25 2009-09-25 16:52:25

Should be fun to watch, Housmandzadeh practiced today and is probable for Sunday. I would say he is starting for sure, albeit with Seneca Wallace at starting quarterback most likely.

BrentHobbs 2009-09-25 16:43:16 2009-09-25 16:43:16

There isn't much chance that this news will influence your decisions on who to start this week for your fantasy team. However, there is always a chance that if Kerry Collins gets hurt, Young would be called on.

LandeEdmiston 2009-09-25 16:41:21 2009-09-25 16:41:21

Jones is listed as questionable for Week Three. This would be a big addition to the banged up Seattle offensive line.

LandeEdmiston 2009-09-25 16:38:51 2009-09-25 16:38:51

Anyone owning the Seahawks' defense should sit them this week until they get some players healthy.

LandeEdmiston 2009-09-25 16:37:04 2009-09-25 16:37:04

This is good news for Seattle's offense and Branch owners, but keep him on the bench until he proves he can play.

LandeEdmiston 2009-09-25 16:35:15 2009-09-25 16:35:15

This is no big surprise to anyone in fantasy circles, but Hasselbeck is not officially out yet. Still, it would be a good time to look elsewhere for a Week Three QB.

JustinSemerad 2009-09-25 09:09:01 2009-09-25 09:09:01

Do the Rams have any other choice. Quarterback Marc Bulger is off to the slowest start of his career. The receivers are very young and unaccomplished and there is no other running back that provides any sort of upside. Jackson's touches increased form 16 in Week One to 21 in Week Two. As long as he remains healthy this trend should continue.

SarahRazi 2009-09-24 23:39:42 2009-09-24 23:39:42

Any defensive help that the Panthers can get is a plus. Harris did not play in the first two games and the Panthers are 0-2 to start the season. If Harris returns this week it will be a boost to the Panthers as a unit but if he's still not able to go, expect the Cowboys to have their way with the Panthers offensively.

JoeJantas 2009-09-24 22:12:21 2009-09-24 22:12:21

Bradshaw's performance as of yet has been par for the course. As expected, he has seen significantly less work than starter Brandon Jacobs, but with defenses daring the Giants to air it out by stacking up against the run, neither back has been able to really stretch their legs. As the passing earns more and more respect, Bradshaw's effectiveness will rise and his fantasy value will follow. Owners in deeper leagues can consider starting Bradshaw this week against the porous Tampa Bay defense.

JoeJantas 2009-09-24 22:03:20 2009-09-24 22:03:20

Coming off of consecutive 1,000 yard seasons, some fantasy owners might be worried about Jacobs' slow start. Don't fret over his zero touchdowns and paltry 3.3 yards per carry. Teams have been keying in on the Giants run game so far this season, but with the emergence of Mario Manningham as a sideline threat and Steve Smith as a possession receiver, look for defenses to be forced into a more honest game plan. Plus, Jacobs gets the Bucs' defense this week, who has given up an average of 168 yards per game rushing this season.

LyleGirandola 2009-09-24 21:57:51 2009-09-24 21:57:51

Although the Lions are a young team, their matchup in Week Three against the Washington Redskins is a good one. The Redskins have the league's second lowest scoring offense after two games. Detroit's defense, while also struggling, is hungry to snap their 19 game losing streak. This next Lion home game is probably the best opportunity they will have all season.

JoeJantas 2009-09-24 21:54:06 2009-09-24 21:54:06

Manning, who was projected by many as a fantasy bust coming into the 2009 season, has proven all doubters wrong by putting up almost 600 yards in the first two games of the season. Manning doesn't seem to miss Plaxico Burress at all, as the void in production left by Burress has been filled by rookie Mario Manninghan and third year player Steve Smith, at least for the time being. Expect Manning to light up Tampa Bay's defense this week. The Bucs have yet to hold an opponent under 30 points.

JoeJantas 2009-09-24 21:40:47 2009-09-24 21:40:47

Smith has emerged as the Giants' most consistent threat, particularly on third down. Smith, along with Domenick Hixon, were projected to be the Giants' most reliable weapons, but with injuries to Hixon and rookie WR Hakeem Nicks, Smith has had the stage all to himself and seems to capitalize on every opportunity. QB Eli Manning has targeted him a team high 21 times, and almost half of his catches were for a first down. Smith is a great option in leagues with a flex position as the Giants take on the winless Buccanneers, whose defense has allowed 67 points in two games this season.

BrentHobbs 2009-09-24 20:42:27 2009-09-24 20:42:27

This marks the first time that Scaife has practiced with the team since his knee injury in the opener against Pittsburgh. The injury report states that he was limited, so one would assume that he is at least another week away from getting back on the field.

KrisDunn 2009-09-24 19:37:26 2009-09-24 19:37:26

While claiming the sixth ranked pass offense is a great indicator of a quarterbacks value, I wouldn't start buying Leftwich just yet. A touchdown is a touchdown and 250 yards is 250 yards but most of his production is because the team trails and they are forced to throw. If that trend continues look for his INT's to increase.

JoeJantas 2009-09-24 19:34:28 2009-09-24 19:34:28

Hicks will miss this week and probably next.

JoeJantas 2009-09-24 19:20:42 2009-09-24 19:20:42

Hixon is listed as day-to-day since injuring his knee during the Giants 33-31 victory over the Cowboys. If you typically start Hixon but you have other options, bench him. Don't look for the Giants to rush him back to full speed, especially with the production of Steve Smith and Mario Manningham.

KrisDunn 2009-09-24 17:01:29 2009-09-24 17:01:29

Cadillac sitting out practice at this point is more to rest up for the weekend and less cause for concern over the knee injury. With Earnest Graham (hamstring) and Clifton Smith (quad) nursing injuries Tampa Bay will rely on Cadillac to drive the Bucs to their first victory of 2009.

LandeEdmiston 2009-09-24 11:46:09 2009-09-24 11:46:09

With Ken Lucas questionable in Seattle's secondary it could be a stellar day for Chicago's Jay Cutler.

LandeEdmiston 2009-09-24 11:43:20 2009-09-24 11:43:20

Branch would be a great addition to a strong wide receiver core in Seattle. But, for right now leave him on your bench or the waiver wire until he at least gets a game under his belt.

LandeEdmiston 2009-09-24 11:28:59 2009-09-24 11:28:59

Houshmandzadeh hasn't been putting up big numbers yet this year and his limited practice time could be a reason. For Week Three he will need to step up and make some plays. Look at Houshmandzadeh as a #3 WR this week with upside.

LandeEdmiston 2009-09-24 11:25:04 2009-09-24 11:25:04

Seattle has been decimated by injuries and this is just another in a long line. Stay away from their defense until they get a couple players back in uniform.

MarkVan Horn 2009-09-24 11:14:41 2009-09-24 11:14:41

There seems to be very little to fear here. One would expect that this is simply an effort to keep Peterson fresh for game day. If there are any greater concerns, they will certainly arise before Sunday. Keep an eye here for updates, but for now this does not seem to be a big development.

BrianKarr 2009-09-24 00:20:51 2009-09-24 00:20:51

There really does not seem much to worry about the issue concerning pass distribution at this time. Sure, Larry Fitzgerald didn't get as many targets as Anquan Boldin or Steve Breaston, but he did get the lone touchdown between the three. Also, Boldin's passes were primarily short while Fitzgerald was going downfield. But with the return of Boldin and Breaston, this will only force defenses to back off the double coverage of Fitzgerald - not that it helps sometimes. As for the value of the wide receiver corp for the Arizona Cardinals, if you picked up Jerheme Urban during Boldin's and Breaston's injury concern, now is a safe time to put him back into the pool.

BrianKarr 2009-09-24 00:12:02 2009-09-24 00:12:02

Anquan Boldin and Steve Breaston returned to familiar roles during Week 2 as Boldin worked short routes and Breaston racked up plenty of yards after the catch. Although Fitzgerald owners may be disappointed about his 4 catches and 34 yards, he did received the touchdown. In addition, teams will no longer be able to double up on Fitzgerald. Tim Hightower, however, saw his receiving production take a dramatic fall in Week 2 as Warner was focused on downfield to the wideouts, effecting his longer term value, particularly in ppr leagues.

BrianKarr 2009-09-23 23:56:57 2009-09-23 23:56:57

Through Week 2, Chris Wells is clearly the more explosive running back, but he will not unseat Tim Hightower as the main runner until he can prove he can hold onto the ball. Chris Wells is more explosive as a running back right now and if he can protect the football, he will expand his role in the running game at the expense of Hightower. The next couple of games for the Arizona Cardinals is against traditionally soft run defenses. With the return of Anquan Boldin and Steve Breaston, and if Chris Wells starts to eat into Hightower's carries, it might be a good idea to put Hightower on your "sell high" list to a team that may take an injury in the running back department.

KrisDunn 2009-09-23 22:31:26 2009-09-23 22:31:26

Antonio Bryant missed Week Two and even in Week One was not effective. Two catches for 29 yards, obviously bothered by the knee injury. The Giants claim one of the best defenses in the NFL and the Buccaneers are mediocre on the offensive side of the ball, with or without Bryant. Even if he plays I think he's a flex option at best.

LyleGirandola 2009-09-23 21:30:28 2009-09-23 21:30:28

Mistakes were a significant factor in the Lions' Week Two loss to the Minnesota Vikings. Quarterback Matt Stafford's two interceptions and Kevin Smith's fumble are notable, along with defensive errors. Week Three's contest is with the Washington Redskins who have the second lowest offensive points recorded this season. Look for the Lions' offense to execute less errors in Week Three, as this pride grows hungrier for their first win.

JustinSemerad 2009-09-23 17:34:13 2009-09-23 17:34:13

His only value at this point is as a return man, but if second year wide receiver Donnie Avery continues to struggle the Rams may be looking to find someone to step up.

BrentHobbs 2009-09-23 15:59:20 2009-09-23 15:59:20

Johnson had a monster game against a less than stellar run defense. This week he faces a tougher test as the Titans travel to New York to face the Jets. He still remains a must start, but don't be suprised if he only manages to post pedestrian numbers. Chris has games coming up against the Jaguars and Colts, so easier days are ahead.

LandeEdmiston 2009-09-23 14:55:12 2009-09-23 14:55:12

This is good news for Hasselbeck owners, but stay tuned for more information as the week wears on.

RonBattison 2009-09-23 13:48:59 2009-09-23 13:48:59

Expect Gore to handle the bulk of the running duties Sunday against the Vikings. Still, how effective he'll be with one good leg against the Vikings fifth-ranked defense remains to be seen.

SarahRazi 2009-09-23 12:18:39 2009-09-23 12:18:39

The Panthers desperately needed to sign someone to help out their injured and struggling defensive line and Burton has the experience and size to fit the bill. He was released by the Rams earlier this month so his talent is a question mark but at 6-foot-2 and 325 pounds he has the size to be a serviceable option for the Panthers right now. The Panthers defense is still to be avoided as a fantasy option.

SarahRazi 2009-09-23 12:07:42 2009-09-23 12:07:42

When it rains it pours and it is absolutely pouring right now for the Carolina Panthers on their defensive line. Leonard was acquired in early September to replace the injured Maake Kemoeatu and was doing an adequate job but this loss will undoubtedly leave the team reeling on defense. This also puts alot of pressure on the offense now to perform because it doesn't look like their defense will be able to get off the field.

TimMcCullough 2009-09-23 11:27:28 2009-09-23 11:27:28

At best Galloway looked uncomfortable with the Patriots offensive schemes, and he failed to catch several balls thrown his way that appeared to be on target. Galloway is 38 years old and has played in the NFL for 14 seasons covering more than 185 games, 169 as a starter. Right now he appears much closer to retirement than anything else, and his value as a fantasy receiver is suspect at best.

TimMcCullough 2009-09-23 11:20:18 2009-09-23 11:20:18

Edelman was targeted 12 times by quarterback Tom Brady and came away with eight receptions for 98 yards in his NFL debut. While he did a fine job for a raw rookie, the Patriots sorely missed their wily veteran pass catcher, Wes Welker. Edelman will continue to see action, though how much he plays will vary according to two factors. First, he will sub for the injured Welker until he returns. Second, if Joey Galloway continues to play poorly, Edelman could find himself included in many more snaps.

TimMcCullough 2009-09-23 11:08:54 2009-09-23 11:08:54

This is mainly a depth move by the Patriots, who like to mix and match players according to situations. Burgess has very little experience having only played on special teams this season after spending most of the last two seasons on injured reserve; so it's not really clear how, or if the Patriots will deploy him in their defense. Gary Guyton is the primary inside linebacker and should remain in that role at least until Mayo is ready to play again.

LandeEdmiston 2009-09-23 09:10:02 2009-09-23 09:10:02

We will try and get you updates throughout the week on this story. For now it looks as if Seneca Wallace will get the start at Qwest Field against the Chicago Bears.

JustinSemerad 2009-09-22 23:18:51 2009-09-22 23:18:51

Not only has Avery been unproductive, but he is now coughing up the ball when he does have it. Wide receiver Laurent Robinson has been targeted 5 more times than Avery and is leading the Rams in receptions and yards. Not that either one is fantasy gold right now but Avery is clearly the number two receiver in St. Louis.

LyleGirandola 2009-09-22 22:38:31 2009-09-22 22:38:31

Through two games, Sims is the third leading tackler for the Lions with 14, and had 113 tackles during last year's season. His backup for this slot is Jordon Dizon who had only 27 tackles last year. Detroit's defense has allowed 72 points in just two games. Sims' absence will only further weaken his team's struggling defense against Week Three opponent Washington Redskins.

SeanGreen 2009-09-22 22:25:18 2009-09-22 22:25:18

Jeff Reed is one of the best kickers in the league. But this has to, not only damage his psyche but also, make him work just a little bit harder. He is in his contract year. So this game is definitely going to be brought up in negotiations. Reed is still a play. But the thing to ask is, which Reed is going to show up Sunday? The clutch Reed or the damaged goods Reed.

SeanGreen 2009-09-22 22:06:39 2009-09-22 22:06:39

A Week Two performance by Mike Wallace of two catches for a whole thirteen yards, was not what he needed to do to lock down the third wide receiver gig. If Limas is available for Week Three against the bengals he'll be given every opportunity to seize the opportunity. If Hines Ward or Santonio Holmes goes down at any point in the season, this battle is going to be crucial to the steelers. And quite possibly for you.

RonBattison 2009-09-22 19:55:08 2009-09-22 19:55:08

In all likliness, the charges stem from former 49er cornerback Deion Sanders claiming that he knows of 2 teams that are willing to pay Crabtree the money he craves. What likely occurred was the 49ers did some investigating and came to the conclusion that the Jets were one of those teams. To prove that another organization actually did tamper is an extremely difficult prospect and it is unlikely the 49ers will be able to do it in this particular situation. In all likliness, these charges are a bargaining ploy by the 49ers to ensure that Crabtree doesn't get any false hope about recieving the financial payout he desires from another team.

RonBattison 2009-09-22 19:43:21 2009-09-22 19:43:21

Nedney should be a solid play Sunday against the Vikings. With touchdowns most likely being hard to come by, there should be plenty of field goal opportunities.

RonBattison 2009-09-22 19:39:01 2009-09-22 19:39:01

While 2 catches for 32 yards are hardly the type of numbers that owners desire from their starting Tight Ends, Davis was targed 6 times on Sunday which was the second most on the team. In this 49ers offense it is unlikely that anybody is going to emerge as a recieving threat. Still, through 2 games Davis has been targeted consistently, making him a solid play in deep leagues and during bye weeks.

RonBattison 2009-09-22 19:32:29 2009-09-22 19:32:29

If you started Morgan on Sunday against the Seahawk you were undoubtedly left dissapointed. Clearly, as Frank Gore goes so goes the 49ers offense with the passing game only being used to keep the defense honest. While Morgan is still an interesting talent, there's no telling if owners can expect consistent production from his as of now.

RonBattison 2009-09-22 19:25:00 2009-09-22 19:25:00

While his numbers Sunday (4 receptions, 35 yards) are nothing to get excited about, the 8 times he was targeted is very encouraging. Bruce can be considered an interesting bye week play or flex option in deeper leagues.

RonBattison 2009-09-22 19:19:52 2009-09-22 19:19:52

The good news is that Coffee got 11 touches Sunday against the Seahawks. The bad news is that he totaled only 13 yards on 9 carries. With his performance Sunday, Frank Gore removed any lingering doubt over who the main horse in the 49ers stable is, leaving Coffee as nothing more than a handcuff for the time being.

RonBattison 2009-09-22 19:14:01 2009-09-22 19:14:01

While it would be silly to expect similar numbers next Sunday against Minnesota's dominant run defense, Gore's performance has put him directly into the fantasy spotlight. Regardless of the matchup, Gore is a must start in every format.

RonBattison 2009-09-22 19:09:36 2009-09-22 19:09:36

Hill gave his owners a little less that they might normally expect on Sunday by throwing for only 144 yards and no touchdowns. Expect the 49ers to throw more next week against the Vikings and their dominant run defense.

SarahRazi 2009-09-22 18:56:58 2009-09-22 18:56:58

This is a huge sigh of relief for Smith owners that were most likely hitting the panic button after seeing his dismal totals in Week One. Smith had an ankle injury in the game as well but he toughed it out like the warrior that he is and played through the pain. He should be fine for Week Three and remains a must start against the Cowboys on Monday night.

SarahRazi 2009-09-22 18:47:06 2009-09-22 18:47:06

It wasn't stellar but Delhomme was good enough to keep the Panthers in the game up until the final seconds. His only interception came off of a last second attempt in the end zone on 4th down with sceonds left to try and tie the game. Hopefully this performance will give Delhomme some confidence heading into Week 3 against the Cowboys. The Cowboys pass defense was shredded by Eli Manning in Week 2 so Delhomme might be able to muster up another decent game. He is not to be considered in fantasy leagues at all however.

SarahRazi 2009-09-22 18:36:31 2009-09-22 18:36:31

It was a very similar situation to last week where Williams scored early in the game and then the Panthers got down and abandoned the run so Williams's opportunities were limited. He continues to be a must start RB1 in all leagues but he needs to receive 20 plus touches in a game to really maximize his potential.

SarahRazi 2009-09-22 18:23:11 2009-09-22 18:23:11

A slight improvement from last week but Stewart is still clearly behind DeAngelo Williams in terms of reps. It's worth noting that he did break a 28 yard run so he is showing no ill-effects from his nagging achilles injury. He should continue to be a fine flex play going forward.

AdamZdroik 2009-09-22 16:14:09 2009-09-22 16:14:09

Felix Jones and Tashard Choice will now be the next running backs in line to split the carries for the Cowboys. Jones looks to be the best option as he has nine more carries than Choice in the first two games. The Panthers have a tough run defense, so he wouldn't be considered anymore than an RB2/3 in Week 3. However, once Week 4 and 5 role around, games against Denver and Kansas City have owners of Dallas running backs salivating. Barber is still questionable for Week 4 though, so keep an eye on his status.

BrentHobbs 2009-09-22 15:01:39 2009-09-22 15:01:39

Cornerback Nick Harper suggested that adjustments weren't made at halftime which almost certainly places the blame on the coaching staff. Coach Jeff Fisher noted that players who think the problems with the coaching braintrust should "pay attention to what is going on the sideline." This Titans defense was drafted in the upper ranks of fantasy defenses this year and are surely a disappointment to their owners so far. It may be time to search the waiver wire and find a replacement if your league punishes for points allowed.

LandeEdmiston 2009-09-22 13:07:31 2009-09-22 13:07:31

This would be another big loss to the injury riddled Seahawks. The depth of Seattle is being tested early in the season. For week 3 stay away from the defense of Seattle until the get back on the mend.

LandeEdmiston 2009-09-22 13:05:32 2009-09-22 13:05:32

Branch is nothing more than a WR4 right now with his inability to stay healthy.

LandeEdmiston 2009-09-22 13:03:55 2009-09-22 13:03:55

The addition of All-Pro Jones would aid in the protection of Hasselbeck and the running room for Julius Jones. This is big news out of Seahawks' camp.

NateAnderson 2009-09-22 09:15:39 2009-09-22 09:15:39

The Skins offensive line has already struggled with the running game this year, but it is unclear what impact replacement guard Chad Rinehart will have on RB Clinton Portis' stat line. Fortunately, the Skins get the Lions this week to help ease Rinehart into the lineup. Expect a good game from Portis despite the loss of Thomas.

ShaneBirch 2009-09-21 16:52:38 2009-09-21 16:52:38

With another solid outing, Edwards owners can have more confidence in starting him against weaker opponents and during certain bye weeks. If his performance becomes more consistent, he might find his way to becoming a regular starter for fantasy teams. Edwards gets the New Orleans Saints at home next weekend and is a solid start as the Bills will try to keep up with the high flying offense of the Saints.

ShaneBirch 2009-09-21 16:44:12 2009-09-21 16:44:12

A time share seems likely once Lynch returns but the exact split has yet to be determined.

ShaneBirch 2009-09-21 16:38:48 2009-09-21 16:38:48

While the yardage totals aren't quite there for Owens, it was nice to see him get into the endzone. Owens numbers would have been better had he not let a long pass go right between his hands. Continue to start Owens with confidence.

ShaneBirch 2009-09-21 16:31:42 2009-09-21 16:31:42

Although he failed to reach the endzone, Jackson still remains a fantasy starter in all formats. His role once Marshawn Lynch returns in week four is unknown at this time.

JustinSemerad 2009-09-21 16:09:45 2009-09-21 16:09:45

The Rams will face Green Bay and surprisingly tough San Francisco in weeks three and four. Steven Jackson's job was going to be hard enough with the starters, now he may need to don a red cape to find any running room.

LandeEdmiston 2009-09-21 12:16:41 2009-09-21 12:16:41

Wallace is someone to keep your eye on if Hasselbeck's injury is worse than originally diagnosed. No word on who starts next week yet.

LandeEdmiston 2009-09-21 12:14:35 2009-09-21 12:14:35

Jones had an uninspired game against the 49ers, but maybe he was injured? Seattle is banged up right now. More to report during the week.

LandeEdmiston 2009-09-21 12:09:28 2009-09-21 12:09:28

This news will be going on all week. As of right now, Hasselbeck's status for week 3 is unknown. A good thing though, is that the injury is not to his back.

NateAnderson 2009-09-21 10:52:33 2009-09-21 10:52:33

Although Moss still appears capable of separating from coverage, he has yet to get on the same page with QB Jason Campbell. This combined with generally anemic play by the Redskins offense in general means that Moss is a high risk low reward fantasy option. Until he proves capable of putting up big numbers, you are probably better off scouring the waiver wire for WR3 options.

NateAnderson 2009-09-21 10:44:39 2009-09-21 10:44:39

QB Jason Campbell looked to Cooley early and often to move the chains, but running back Clinton Portis overthrew Cooley on a possible TD pass during the third quarter. Expect the Skins most talented receiver to continue to put up solid numbers against the Lions next week.

NateAnderson 2009-09-21 10:34:58 2009-09-21 10:34:58

Campbell looked more comfortable in the pocket this week than he did versus the Giants in week one. He led multiple drives down field and seemed in sync with TE Chris Cooley, but finished 0 for 5 in scoring position. Poor red zone running and questionable play calling by head coach Jim Zorn no doubt played a role, but Campbell needs to step it up next week versus the Lions if the Redskins expect to win again.

BrentHobbs 2009-09-21 10:24:14 2009-09-21 10:24:14

Washington is making excellent progress with his rehab for a hamstring injury suffered in training camp a few weeks ago. The Titans are looking to get him more involved in the game plan, but are cautiously using him until he is fully recovered. His totals from Sunday is about what you can expect out of Washington, as it seems he would be a good third wide receiver in a 10 or 12 team fantasy league.

NateAnderson 2009-09-21 10:22:15 2009-09-21 10:22:15

Portis was expected to post big numbers against a Rams run defense that was shredded in week one by Seattle. Number 26 had some success moving the ball down field during multiple Skins drives, but got repeatedly stuffed on tries for the end zone. In theory, Portis should have a chance to redeem himself against the Lions next week. If the Skins cannot find a way to score in the red zone, however, it may be another long afternoon for Fantasy owners.

JedLam 2009-09-20 23:01:57 2009-09-20 23:01:57

Proving last week's two catch 82 yard performance was not a fluke, Knox consistently beat his man off the line and was a favorite target for quarterback Jay Cutler all game. While he's still a sleeper prospect given Chicago's conservative offense, might want to stash him away on your bench before it's too late.

MatthewWolf 2009-09-20 23:00:23 2009-09-20 23:00:23

Matt Cassel used Wade as his safety blanket all day. Until Wade shows he will put up these types of numbers consistently, keep Wade on your bench. If he shows some consistency, he may be able to be used as a Flex/WR3 play.

MatthewWolf 2009-09-20 22:56:38 2009-09-20 22:56:38

Larry Johnson is a low end RB2 right now. A touchdown wouldve made his fantasy owners much happier but the Chiefs have struggled to put the ball in the end zone when they get down to the red zone. Until that changes, keep LJ on your bench unless you have no other options.

MatthewWolf 2009-09-20 22:52:11 2009-09-20 22:52:11

Right now, Bowe is the only must start WR that the Chiefs have on their roster. Bobby Wade led the Chiefs in receptions and yards but Bowe is still KCs #1 WR.

JedLam 2009-09-20 22:50:49 2009-09-20 22:50:49

While the matchup can't be ignored, it's a bit concerning the Bears abandoned the run so quickly and Forte ended up with only 18 total touches. Look for Forte to rebound in a big way next week against Seattle.

MatthewWolf 2009-09-20 22:49:21 2009-09-20 22:49:21

Cassel was 24-39, 241 yards, 1 TD and 2 INTs. His TD was a 29 yard strike to Dwayne Bowe in the 4th quarter. He also added 34 yards on the ground. I suggest sitting him next week as well as Kansas City visits Philadelphia. Cassel is no better than a QB2 at the moment.

JedLam 2009-09-20 22:44:11 2009-09-20 22:44:11

Jay Cutler owners can breath a sigh of relief as he looked solid in his Soldier Field debut. Against a tough pass rush, Cutler was able to buy himself time and consistently find the open man. While still not a must start, Cutler has justified his draft position and can be considered week to week.

StevePerkins 2009-09-20 21:53:50 2009-09-20 21:53:50

Jennings is still an elite receiver but this was a little dissapointing considering he was up against the Cincinnati pass D. He faced double coverage and was not targeted as much as fantasy owners would have liked. Expect games like this to be the exception and not the norm.

BrentHobbs 2009-09-20 21:50:14 2009-09-20 21:50:14

Johnson certainly lived up to his big game potential. Scoring two rushing touchdowns and one receiving makes for a big fantasy performance. Chris should remain in your lineup, as it seems that he is in store for a big year.

StevePerkins 2009-09-20 21:42:53 2009-09-20 21:42:53

Clifton going down forced the entire O-line to shift over which led to some problems protecting Aaron Rodgers and difficulty opening lanes for Ryan Grant. If Clifton is not avaiable for week three, the Packers have to hope that a week of practice will be enough for the offensive line to all get on the same page.

SeanGreen 2009-09-20 21:39:39 2009-09-20 21:39:39

Now you have to start worrying about the steelers running game. "Fast" Willie Parker looks like he's running in slow motion, Mendenhall does not look like the back that the steelers took two seasons ago in the draft. If the front office doesn't see all of the red flags popping up, then the running game will be non-existent this season. If you own Parker or Mendenhall, play at your own risk. Parker maybe only 28, but he's looking like his career with the steelers might be winding down as this is his contract year. Through two games he has yet to break 100 yards rushing. He hasn't even broken 100 yards rushing for the season.

JoeMeyer 2009-09-20 19:36:54 2009-09-20 19:36:54

These are all of the notable fantasy players for the Falcons, and if you started any of them today, you were definitely pleased. Ryan is breaking the mold that typecast him as a game manager rather than a high scoring fantasy game changer. Turner helped ease critics that he was a one-year wonder and Gonzalez just continues to an elite Tight End for fantasy owners. White probably loses some opportunities now that Ryan knows he can clicks with Gonzalez, but he is still an above average Wide Receiver. White will still explode every now and again, because he has big play ability. All of these should be owned in every league regardless the setup.

LandeEdmiston 2009-09-20 17:00:34 2009-09-20 17:00:34

For anyone who has Hasselbeck in their fantasy leagues, hold your breath and hope its not a reinjured back. More when available.

LandeEdmiston 2009-09-20 14:54:09 2009-09-20 14:54:09

No surprise here as Branch is inactive. Find another WR or Flex if you still have him on your roster.

BrentHobbs 2009-09-20 12:42:59 2009-09-20 12:42:59

Obviously, it is too late for you if you benched Johnson this week. If you are in a league that awards extra points for yardage based scores, then you are well on your way to a big scoring day!

BrianKarr 2009-09-20 11:56:13 2009-09-20 11:56:13

Well, continued caution and expectations should be tempered even though Boldin and Breaston are active. Recall, they were limited in practice all week. If Boldin and Breaston do play all game, Hightower's receptions may be limited as well.

MatthewWolf 2009-09-20 11:42:54 2009-09-20 11:42:54

Those of you who play in IDP leagues, feel free to insert him into your starting lineup.

BrentHobbs 2009-09-20 11:41:24 2009-09-20 11:41:24

Scaife is probably one week away from seeing game action. If he is in your lineup, go with another option.

MatthewWolf 2009-09-20 11:41:07 2009-09-20 11:41:07

This is a surprise due to the fact that Charles is 100% healthy. This may be a sign that the Chiefs will give the Raiders a healthy dose of running and Charles is primarily a 3rd down and passing situation RB.

BrentHobbs 2009-09-20 11:39:37 2009-09-20 11:39:37

This is great news for Washington owners. Weeks ago it looked like he may be out for a few more weeks, but after getting in the game against Pittsburgh last week, it looks like he is recovering well. Tight end Jared Cook hasn't played in a regular season game yet, but led the team in catches in the preseason.

KrisDunn 2009-09-20 11:16:19 2009-09-20 11:16:19

This one is pretty straight forward..... If you think Cadillac can go into Buffalo and put up similar production against a hungry Bills team then go ahead and let it ride. I don't see that happening again! However, this doesn't mean "Sit-Em", it just means you should curb your expectations. This is why you handcuff!

MatthewWolf 2009-09-20 10:48:07 2009-09-20 10:48:07

Keep him on your bench. Find a better option until Cassel has knocked off the rust.

KrisDunn 2009-09-20 10:24:38 2009-09-20 10:24:38

After being torched for not one, not two, but three BIG plays last week at home, the Bucs are left looking for answers. The void left by LB Derrick Brooks is starting to show in more ways than one. If the secondary can't maintain better coverage, and the D-line doesn't get more pressure on the QB (which will make the Defensive Backs' job easier) look for the Buccaneers defense to struggle early and often this season. Or at least until someone can step up and right the ship!

KrisDunn 2009-09-20 10:06:33 2009-09-20 10:06:33

Stroughter has the eyes of many fans down in Tampa for his contributions in the preseason. However, Stovall has more experience than the rookie out of Oregon State. Brian Clark looks like nothing more than an after thought behind these two.

SeanGreen 2009-09-20 09:51:39 2009-09-20 09:51:39

If you are in a deeper league and have Sweed as a flex option in your lineup, you had better find a better option. We won't go due to his ankle problem that sprung up during the middle of the week. This will give Mike Wallace the opportunity to show the staff he deserves to be the number three receiver. This won't affect you too much if you are in most normal formats.

BrianKarr 2009-09-20 01:49:44 2009-09-20 01:49:44

Well, Coach Whisenhunt said that during Week 1 as well. And look where that got fantasy owners who relied on Anquan Boldin or Steve Breaston in Week 1. During Week 1, Anquan Boldin was not much a factor as Jereheme Urban caught 5 passes for 74 yards. In addition Tim Hightower had a career high for 12 catches and over 120 yards. Facing the stout run defense and soft pass defense of the Jacksonville Jaguars, Urban and Hightower might be strong picks for those in deeper PPR Leagues.

BrianKarr 2009-09-20 01:38:16 2009-09-20 01:38:16

This feels like much the same as last weeks news. During Week 1, Anquan Boldin was not much a factor as Jereheme Urban caught 5 passes for 74 yards. In addition Tim Hightower had a career high for 12 catches and over 120 yards. Facing the stout run defense and soft pass defense of the Jacksonville Jaguars, Urban and Hightower might be strong picks for those in deeper PPR Leagues.

BrentHobbs 2009-09-19 20:33:12 2009-09-19 20:33:12

Not exactly rocket science there Chris. Of course if the Titans can covert more third downs into first downs he can get the ball more. Actually, he went on to say that when the team is stuck in third and long, he can't expect to get as many carries. Third and short allows him to be more effective. Quarterback Kerry Collins also stated he would like to see Johnson get more touches. Maybe Collins and Johnson will be happy come Sunday when the Titans host the Texans. It looks on paper to be a big day for Chris, so make sure he is in your starting lineup.

SteveLoveless 2009-09-19 16:49:08 2009-09-19 16:49:08

This is a bad start for Tomilnson owners'. He was pretty much a non factor against the Raiders. There is no timetable for Tomilnon's return. Darren Sproles will get the workload against the Ravens and Michael Bennett will be the backup.

MichaelMiller 2009-09-19 01:01:46 2009-09-19 01:01:46

It was a typical slugfest between the Colts and Jags, yet Manning still finished with over 300 yards. The Colts still have not proven they can run the ball, averaging 2.3 yards per carry. On any given week, Manning has as much potential as Brees, Brady, or anyone.

MichaelMiller 2009-09-19 00:51:09 2009-09-19 00:51:09

Brown's role looked a lot like a specialist. At least at this point, hopes (or concerns) of a timeshare in Indianapolis are unfounded. That makes Brown's value primarily as a handcuff, though the situation bears watching as he gains experience.

MichaelMiller 2009-09-19 00:41:25 2009-09-19 00:41:25

In spite of the even number of carries, Addai was in for the majority of plays, with Brown in primarily on third downs, a two-minute drill, and even on the kickoff return team. Peyton Manning is very disciplined, and if the defense drops back extra defensive backs, he will run the ball. As long as Addai is in the game, he will get his opportunities.

MichaelMiller 2009-09-19 00:25:26 2009-09-19 00:25:26

In past years, it has been Dallas Clark who filled the void when Marvin Harrison went down, splitting out into the slot, or even out wide. If you have Clark on your roster, you are starting him anyhow, but there is the potential for wideout-like production over the next month or two while Gonzalez is out.

MichaelMiller 2009-09-19 00:06:47 2009-09-19 00:06:47

Is Manning really revealing the Colts' game plan? Doubtful. He is more likely playing misdirection, or just trying to give his receiver confidence. But competing against a rookie who normally plays the slot and a veteran who has not learned the team's complex offense, Garcon has as good a chance as anyone to become the number two wide receiver behind Reggie Wayne.

MichaelMiller 2009-09-18 22:56:01 2009-09-18 22:56:01

The Colts maintain that Pierre Garcon and Rookie Austin Collie will share the number two spot alongside Reggie Wayne, and Baskett will chip in when he's up to speed. However, the veteran may have the greatest potential to fill the void if Gonzalez is out toward the high end of the two to eight week projection.

MichaelMiller 2009-09-18 22:36:10 2009-09-18 22:36:10

Feel free to use Vinatieri without reservation, as the Colts no longer seem concerned about the effects of his off-season surgery. McAfee took the blame for the missed field goal Sunday, saying he failed to give the kicker a clean hold.

SarahRazi 2009-09-18 21:24:57 2009-09-18 21:24:57

Hurney expressed faith and belief in Delhomme but he also expressed some concern about the veteran’s confidence if continues to struggle. “I think confidence becomes the issue,” Hurney said. “I think whether it’s with an individual or a football team, is the confidence level you play at. I don’t want to think about that (him failing). I know Jake Delhomme is a good quarterback in this league and that he has proven he can win games for us and will continue to win games for us.” Let's hope that Hurney is right because the Panthers do not have a young QB behind Jake that they are grooming to step in anytime soon. Looks like the time is coming for the Panthers to address the QB position in the draft or free agency.

SarahRazi 2009-09-18 21:12:45 2009-09-18 21:12:45

This is good news for the Panthers running game and there offense as a whole as they can hardly afford anymore problems trying to score points. The Panther offense has a good history against Atlanta so expect Carolina to be much more competitive then they were last week.

SarahRazi 2009-09-18 21:08:20 2009-09-18 21:08:20

Sounds like we better get used to Stewart having routine practices off during the week to rest his nagging injury so he's ready to play on game day. Expect similar production as last week and no better than an RB3 in fantasy lineups.

ShaneBirch 2009-09-18 18:32:29 2009-09-18 18:32:29

Expect the Bills to get Owens more involved in the offense this weekend and take some shots downfield against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers who allowed touchdown passes of 42, 66 and 80 yards against Tony Romo and the Cowboys week one.

ShaneBirch 2009-09-18 18:29:00 2009-09-18 18:29:00

This hurts fantasy players in IDP leagues who owned Posluszny. In the mean time, backup Marcus Buggs, who appeared in only four games as a rookie last year, is pegged to take over for Posluszny and also be responsible for calling the defensive plays. "Buggs can run the defense. He takes command of the huddle," defensive coordinator Perry Fewell said. "I don't anticipate any lack of production as far as Marcus Buggs is concerned."

RossKelly 2009-09-18 16:50:50 2009-09-18 16:50:50

Walker will be the #3 receiver on Sunday as Johnnie Lee Higgins is doubtful with a shoulder injury. At this time he is not a viable fantasy option although that could change if Darrius Heyward-Bey has another game like he did in Week One (no receptions, two drops).

KrisDunn 2009-09-18 16:16:34 2009-09-18 16:16:34

While Bryant is technically listed as "doubtful", it seems as though he will not play. This opens the door for rookie WR Sammie Stroughter to step in. Stroughter was a 7th round draft pick out of Oregon State. Look for Stroughter to get most of the looks as the Bucs number two wideout this weekend, with WR Maurice Stovall getting his looks as well

JustinSemerad 2009-09-18 16:03:40 2009-09-18 16:03:40

Jackson gained 67 yards on 16 carries against Seattle. What is more concerning is the lack of targets in the passing game. Rams' Quarterback Marc Bulger only threw in Jackson's direction twice, both of which fell incomplete. The fact that the Rams are seeing eight man fronts should come as no surprise and it will continue until the St. Louis passing game gets on track.

LandeEdmiston 2009-09-18 13:45:26 2009-09-18 13:45:26

I suppose this is an improvement from being "out", but still Branch is not supposed to play on Sunday.

LandeEdmiston 2009-09-18 13:43:01 2009-09-18 13:43:01

"Housh" has been resting his balky back but still should play Sunday versus the niners. Might be best to look elsewhere for WR help though.

LandeEdmiston 2009-09-18 13:41:19 2009-09-18 13:41:19

The team still expects him to play Sunday.

NateAnderson 2009-09-18 13:27:26 2009-09-18 13:27:26

A nice thought, but we may need to see how things shake out on Sunday. Moss, the only WR big play threat on the Skins' offense, faces constant double teams and an inconsistent QB in Jason Campbell. Still, the Skins will be facing off against a tepid Rams defense, so Moss may still have a decent outing.

TimMcCullough 2009-09-18 13:13:46 2009-09-18 13:13:46

Although Brady feels that Galloway "played very well" the fact is that just two targets on a night when the ball was thrown 54 times doesn't speak well about Galloway's game. Even when Brady checked down to a second option, Galloway was passed up in favor of someone else, meaning that he doesn't have Brady's confidence yet. While it's possible that Galloway will get involved more later in the season, with Wes Welker and Randy Moss ahead of him on the depth chart there won't be many instances where his number is called.

NateAnderson 2009-09-18 13:12:05 2009-09-18 13:12:05

Portis has had some of his biggest games against the Rams in the past. This week should be no different, especially if the Redskins can take the lead and hold it early on in the game. Portis should be considered a must-start this week, and should touch the ball at least 20 times.

TimMcCullough 2009-09-18 13:00:01 2009-09-18 13:00:01

Brooks recently signed a "short term" contract with ESPN 2 to provide analysis and commentary on "First Take." However, Brooks also commented that he still wants to play football and could return to the game under the right conditions. Brooks is also drawing interest from the Chicago Bears. The Patriots seem intent on filling Mayo's role internally, but if they lose to the Jets this week they may change their minds. In the meantime it looks as though Adalius Thomas may move to the inside linebacker position with Gary Guyton taking over the play calling duties on the field.

MatthewWolf 2009-09-18 12:45:51 2009-09-18 12:45:51

I would bet that Cassel will be lining up behind center this Sunday against the Raiders. With this being his 1st live action since the 1st quarter of the 3rd preseason game, there will undoubtedly be some rust. Not to mention, he's going up against a very good Raiders defense. My suggestion to you Cassel owners is, find someone else to start this week.

SarahRazi 2009-09-18 10:48:11 2009-09-18 10:48:11

Since the Panthers embarrassing loss to the Eagles in their home opener, many believe that Delhomme is done and he’s just one more bad game away from his career being over. You’ve got to believe that the Panthers would not have paid him all that money if they thought he didn’t have at least 1 or 2 more years of decent football left in him. Obviously the days of him throwing 20-plus touchdowns and 3,000-plus yards are over and Jake just needs to get back to more simple and fundamental football. The Panthers have two outstanding running backs on their roster that they need to utilize and make the central focus of the offense to take the pressure off of Jake. We’ll see on Sunday in Atlanta what the Panthers draw up but expect them to have a very conservative approach with Delhomme and expect a heavy dose of DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart.

SarahRazi 2009-09-18 10:25:12 2009-09-18 10:25:12

If Otah cannot go on Sunday, it will be a big loss for the Carolina offense, especially the running game, which is already in a state of crisis. Carolina is expected to lean on the running game a lot more now with Jake Delhommes struggles and Otah is a big factor in the formula. Check back on Friday to see if he practices and that should be the tell-tale sign of whether or not he is likely to play on Sunday.

KrisDunn 2009-09-18 10:02:38 2009-09-18 10:02:38

With all the focus on Williams, look for newcomer Derrick Ward to have a solid outing. Those of you in PPR (Points Per Reception) leagues should take a chance with Ward's match-up against the Bills. Paul Posluszny will not play, Aaron Schobel, and Chris Kelsay have been limited in practice this week. Look for Ward to have an increased role in the passing game. Take a chance on Ward as your second RB, and hope for 11 carries; 60 yards, four catches; 30 yards and a TD.

BrentHobbs 2009-09-18 09:08:01 2009-09-18 09:08:01

Bironas was one of the top ranked fantasy kickers going into this season. The opener against the Steelers was one of his worst performances of his career. Having said that, clearly Coach Fisher has faith and if you are a Bironas owner you should too. Bironas and the Titans should have plenty of opportunities to score points Sunday against the Houston Texans. Start him with confidence this week!

LyleGirandola 2009-09-18 09:06:11 2009-09-18 09:06:11

Jason Hanson missed most of the preseason due to minor knee surgery. His average performance against the Saints was reflective of this, and contributed to New Orleans’ Robert Meacham’s ability to return kicks for 148 yards, an average of 25 yards per carry. This week, the Minnesota Vikings will have Percy Harvin returning kickoffs. This rookie from Florida had a good day against Cleveland last week, and was ranked 3rd in the league for average return yardage for week one. He returned three kickoffs for a total of 99 yards, one of them for 41 yards. Hanson will need to have his leg in top shape this weekend if he wants to keep the rookie from making a name for himself in Detroit.

NateAnderson 2009-09-18 08:25:04 2009-09-18 08:25:04

This prediction actually has some merit. Finally playing in his more natural position at slot receiver, Randel El was clearly to go to receiver for quarterback Jason Campbell in last week's loss to the Giants. Although he may not post great yardage or score many touchdowns, the sure-handed Randle El may prove a valuable WR3 in PPR formats this fantasy season.

KrisDunn 2009-09-18 00:43:41 2009-09-18 00:43:41

Look for Clayton to see plenty of opportunity on Sunday, especially with the recent injury news regarding Antonio Bryant. Clayton caught five balls for 93 yards in Week One. Interesting note: If Clayton could catch five passes every game this season he would tie a career high from his rookie season (80 receptions) in 2004. Clayton owners would gladly take that production from the WR/RB position. Even more so in PPR (Points Per Reception) leagues.

KrisDunn 2009-09-18 00:10:36 2009-09-18 00:10:36

After missing the entire pre-season Antonio Bryant was cleared for Week One. He was in the lineup and had two catches for 29 yards. With the knee obviously still bothering Bryant don't look for him to provide much fantasy help this week on the road in Buffalo. Bryant should be considered nothing more than a flex option at best

BrianKarr 2009-09-17 23:36:48 2009-09-17 23:36:48

Kurt Warner and Company faces a strong top 10 type rushing defense in Week 2 in the Jacksonville Jaguars. The same defensive unit goes into Week 2 ranked 27th against the pass, which compares to their 24th overall ranking of last season. While this is a strong passing matchup for a healthy air attack of Warner and Company, caution should be excersized as Anquan Boldin and Steve Breaston have been very limited in practice this week. However this may bode well for Tim Hightower, particularly in PPR league, as he hopes to repeat his performance in the passing game out of the backfield as he caught 12 passes for 121 yards. Although those are good stats for any RB, caution needs to be excersized in two respects as Hightower's long term value remains questionable. First, a lot of those catches were check downs as the defense focused on Larry Fitzgerald or Warner dumped passes off while under heavy pursuit. Secondly, Hightowers rushing performance was reminiscent of last year as he was unsuccessful in attempting to spring runs on the outside. In the second half of the Week 1 game, Hightower ran the ball only twice in the second half and was held to the line of scrimmage. Meanwhile, Chris Wells received the final carries in the second half - including the carries inside the 10 yard line. Long term, it appears that Chris Wells may end up being the primary running back in regards to carries, particularly on the goal line, as he looked much more explosive with a 4 yard per carry average compared to Hightower's 2 yards per carry. Longer term, this bodes poorly for Hightower's fantasy value, particularly in non-ppr leagues. This week, however, with the injuries to the WR core of the Cardinals and facing a stong rushing defense, Hightower may have another opportunity for a Week 1 repeat.

StevePerkins 2009-09-17 20:52:20 2009-09-17 20:52:20

This news really only affects Ryan Grant owners as he will likely see the bulk of the carries against Cincinnati. Deshaun Wynn will be the number two if Grant needs an occasional breather.

SeanGreen 2009-09-16 20:20:22 2009-09-16 20:20:22

Carter, Ward, and Smith will go in Sunday's game against the Chicago Bears. Polamalu said earlier in the week his knee does not need surgery, just rest. However, he will still be out three to six weeks. Limas Sweed is the surprise on the list. Timmons is expected to be back in the lineup on Sunday. Carter will be a decent replacement for Polamalu. Timmons coming back on Sunday is good news for the staff. But is it going to make any difference? Keyaron Fox has played well in Timmons absence. The steelers defense is definitely a play this week, considering Cutler's woes.

BrentHobbs 2009-09-16 16:18:07 2009-09-16 16:18:07

As a guy who lead the team with 58 catches last year, Bo Scaife figures to be a big part of the Titans plans in 2009. When he will fit back into those plans remains to be seen. The talented rookie Jared Cook led the team in catches in the preseason and is considered to be a guy who can create a lot of interesting mismatches when he is on the field. Coach Jeff Fisher did comment on the fact that while they didn't practice, it didn't mean they wouldn't see any action on Sunday. As this point, it seems more likely that Cook has a better chance of playing Sunday.

SarahRazi 2009-09-16 16:17:48 2009-09-16 16:17:48

Coach John Fox claims that Stewart did not re-aggravate his injury but Carolina is most likely being cautious with Stewart and trying to prevent him from having any setbacks. He looked fine in Sunday’s game and split carries evenly with DeAngelo Williams so it would be safe to expect that to continue as long as Stewart remains healthy. Keep an eye on whether Stewart practices on Friday before even considering him as a fantasy option in Week 2.

TimMcCullough 2009-09-16 08:00:59 2009-09-16 08:00:59

Mayo was chosen as captain of the defense and expected to communicate plays to the players and lead them on the field. Now the Patriots will have to find a way to make their young defense gel without him. Considering he was among the team leaders in tackles last season, his absence is a serious loss to the team and makes them less flexible in terms of whether they use a 3-4 or 4-3 alignment. Chances are you will see more 3-4 defenses now that Mayo is gone for at least six weeks.

LyleGirandola 2009-09-15 22:01:51 2009-09-15 22:01:51

Stafford threw 16 completions for 205 yards against New Orleans. He also threw three interceptions which contributed to just over 23 minutes possession time, versus almost 32 minutes for the Saints. Attention will now turn to the Minnesota Vikings, who will be coming into Detroit this Sunday (1:00pm EST). Look for the Vikings' defense to try to exploit Stafford's weaknesses the same way the Saints did in week one.

MatthewWolf 2009-09-15 18:08:56 2009-09-15 18:08:56

After seeing the way Brodie Croyle handled himself on the road against a top 5 defense, there shouldn't be any rush to bring Cassel back any sooner than needed. Both Croyle and Cassel should remain on the fantasy bench as they have a very tough matchup against a very good Oakland defense.

JustinSemerad 2009-09-15 17:36:26 2009-09-15 17:36:26

Tyree's best season as a starter was in 2006 when he had 19 receptions, 197 yards receiving and two touchdowns. He is best know for his Acrobatic catch in the 2008 Super Bowl. He provides little fantasy value with the Rams.

JoeMeyer 2009-09-15 17:14:28 2009-09-15 17:14:28

Elam has never missed more than two field goals in one game in his entire career and the two misses on Sunday equal the amount of missed field goals all last season. Pair that with the fact he has been a top NFL kicker for 17 years, there is no need to worry about Elam duplicating this performance, keep him in your lineup as usual.

ShaneBirch 2009-09-15 16:42:41 2009-09-15 16:42:41

The Bills offense did not look to stretch the field out and QB Trent Edwards took what the Patriots defense gave him. For now, Evans is considered a WR3 with WR2 potential but until he shows us anything, it is advised to look elsewhere.

ShaneBirch 2009-09-15 16:41:20 2009-09-15 16:41:20

Bills quarterback Trent Edwards says he will go back to the film and see if there were any opportunities where he should have looked Owens' way. Fantasy owners of the wideout should hope the Bills passing game can get a bit more vertical in the coming weeks.

ShaneBirch 2009-09-15 16:34:41 2009-09-15 16:34:41

Owners' who started Jackson got rewarded. Although he was not overly impressive in the run game (15 carries for 57 yards), he did most of his damage in the passing game garnering five receptions for 83 yards and one TD. With no apparent backup RB stealing touches (Xavier Omon received 2 carries), feel free to use Jackson this week as he faces a Buccaneers defense that allowed 462 yards of total offense to the Cowboys in week one.

ShaneBirch 2009-09-15 16:27:29 2009-09-15 16:27:29

Edwards' owners should consider it a successful opener for the quarterback. He only attempted a couple of passes downfield as the Bills offense seemed content with running the ball and taking short passes. Hopefully the offense will take more chances downfield in the coming weeks. For now, Edwards is still considered a QB2 to play on bye weeks and against weaker opponents. However, with more consistency, he could move up the ranks.

MatthewWolf 2009-09-15 15:49:54 2009-09-15 15:49:54

It is safe to drop McBride in all yearly IDP leagues.

ThomasKohr 2009-09-15 14:10:43 2009-09-15 14:10:43

Although somewhat of a celebrity, due some off the field incidents i.e. marrying the famous Playboy model and Hugh Hefner's former live-in girlfriend Kendra Wilkinson, Baskett's release was inevitable. The Eagles had been trying to trade him for several weeks to no avail. Probably because teams knew he would be released in the near future anyway. His height and leaping ability were always so tempting for the possibility of the mythical fade pass in the red zone. Combining that with his blocking ability and special teams play make him a pretty valuable prospect. Look for him to get picked up fairly soon.

ThomasKohr 2009-09-15 13:31:09 2009-09-15 13:31:09

When healthy, Shawn is a dominant blocker and has been one of the best in the league but his trouble staying healthy and bouts with depression have rendered him untrustworthy. Expect the Eagles to give him another year to pull it together. Especially after bringing in his older brother Stacy Andrews and college teammate Jason Peters it seems unlikely that the team would give up on such a talented yet troubled player. This should have a minimal fantasy impact on the Eagles offensive players as Shawn's backup, former 2nd round pick Winston Justice, has really turned things around this offseason and had a solid season opener allowing only one sack to Carolina Panthers DE Julius Peters.

JustinSemerad 2009-09-15 10:05:11 2009-09-15 10:05:11

Rams currently have just 4 wide receiver on their roster who have accumulated only 126 receptions among them. If signed Tyree would be the most experienced receiver on the Rams, but wouldn't provide much of an upgrade at the position. His addition would only serve to provide depth and would not effect the fantasy value of Donnie Avery, Laurent Robinson or Marc Bulger.

LandeEdmiston 2009-09-15 09:18:10 2009-09-15 09:18:10

The Seahawks' defense pitched a shutout versus the Rams Sunday, but against San Francisco it could be different as they looked tough against the Cardinals. With Leroy Hill out and Lofa Tatupu hurt it could be better to use a different defense this week.

ThomasKohr 2009-09-15 09:00:42 2009-09-15 09:00:42

When healthy, Shawn is a dominant blocker and has been one of the best in the league but his trouble staying healthy and bouts with depression have rendered him untrustworthy. Expect the Eagles to give him another year to pull it together. Especially after bringing in his older brother Stacy Andrews and college teammate Jason Peters it seems unlikely that the team would give up on such a talented yet troubled player. This should have a minimal fantasy impact on the Eagles offensive players as Shawn's backup, former 2nd round pick Winston Justice, has really turned things around this offseason and had a solid season opener allowing only one sack to Carolina Panthers DE Julius Peters.

MichaelMiller 2009-09-14 23:14:16 2009-09-14 23:14:16

One catch was simply amazing, a 39-yard, Moss-like jump ball from Peyton Manning on 3rd and 13 in the second quarter. No longer competing with Marvin Harrison, and now with the injury to Anthony Gonzalez, Wayne may be poised for an elite season.

TimMcCullough 2009-09-14 22:43:24 2009-09-14 22:43:24

Given that Wes Welker and Randy Moss were both well covered and still caught 24 passes between them, it does not bode well for Galloway that he was simply not open during this game. If you own Galloway, don't jump ship yet, as his situation could change for the better down the road. However, if you were counting on Galloway as anything but a WR3 or replacement receiver, you may be in for some difficulty.

TimMcCullough 2009-09-14 22:37:49 2009-09-14 22:37:49

Brady connected on 39 of 53 pass attempts for a total of 378 yards, two touchdowns, and an interception. He spread the ball around to six different receivers, though nearly half of the receptions were caught by either Randy Moss or Wes Welker. Brady tested his knee just once, gaining nine yards on a broken play run. His two touchdown drives and passes in the final minutes were "classic" Brady, so there is little doubt he will be one of the top quarterbacks in fantasy this season.

TimMcCullough 2009-09-14 22:29:54 2009-09-14 22:29:54

As expected, Wes Welker was again a favorite target of Brady's during Monday night's game. Though Brady was rusty, he connected with Welker throughout the game, with one pass going for a 14 yard gain. Welker should again be among the reception leaders in the NFL, and will make a fine choice in PPR leagues.

MichaelMiller 2009-09-14 22:16:15 2009-09-14 22:16:15

It was a freak injury, Gonzalez taking two steps to his left on a running play, and without contact, falling motionless to the turf. He put no weight on the leg as he was assisted off the field. It's time to find another receiving option, and that option may not currently reside on the Colts' roster.

TimMcCullough 2009-09-14 22:14:58 2009-09-14 22:14:58

Moss was especially effective in the third quarter, at one point catching three consecutive passes during the first drive after the half. Though Moss did not score in this game he and Brady clearly showed that they are on the same page. I expect we will see great things from these two again this season.

TimMcCullough 2009-09-14 22:03:50 2009-09-14 22:03:50

It appears that Taylor will get the short yardage and goal line carries in the current split system with Laurence Maroney. In fantasy leagues that award points for touchdowns, Taylor will have some value as a RB3. Just don't expect much in the way of yardage.

TimMcCullough 2009-09-14 21:58:35 2009-09-14 21:58:35

Maroney opened the game with an exciting kickoff return of 52 yards, but fell flat in the running game. He caught two passes for a total of nine yards out of the backfield. As expected he split carries with Fred Taylor who ran the ball nine times. Neither back will have much fantasy value unless one of them emerges as a dominant runner. Maroney has not shown that kind of ability in several seasons.

TimMcCullough 2009-09-14 21:51:07 2009-09-14 21:51:07

Mayo was able to walk off the field under his own power but with a slight limp. Without Mayo in the game, Rob Ninkovich was brought in at outside linebacker. The Patriots switched to a 4-3 alignment, so Mike Wright was the other outside linebacker and Gary Guyton took the middle linebacker position.

TimMcCullough 2009-09-14 21:42:12 2009-09-14 21:42:12

Watson finished the game with six receptions for 77 yards and two touchdowns. It appears that he will be the primary pass catching TE for the Patriots, as he was back in 2006 and 2007. Though it should be noted that Chris Baker also had one reception, and could still be a factor. Because the Patriots tend to spread the ball around to several receivers in every game, choosing Watson as your fantasy TE is a gamble at best.

JoeJantas 2009-09-14 20:32:04 2009-09-14 20:32:04

Keep an eye on Bradshaw, as his change-of-pace running style is typically effective on days where Brandon Jacobs finds himself held at bay. Not yet worth of a starting roster spot, consider putting him in your Flex position or hold onto him as Jacobs' insurance policy.

JoeJantas 2009-09-14 20:14:54 2009-09-14 20:14:54

The young Boss showed why he will soon be considered an above average tight end in the National Football League, showing up big on completions from QB Eli Manning. Start Boss against the Cowboys and hope that the G-Men use him like his counterpart, Jason Witten.

JoeJantas 2009-09-14 20:11:11 2009-09-14 20:11:11

Don't get down on Jacobs yet. The Giants offense didn't look impressive, but Ahmad Bradshaw looked more effective against Washington's physical front line. Jacobs workload should remain consistent, and patient owners will reap a bounty a TD rewards.

JoeJantas 2009-09-14 19:55:14 2009-09-14 19:55:14

Manning made Washington DBs Fred Smoot and DeAngelo Hall look like children all day, completing almost 70% of his passes to seven different receivers. While the Giants WR numbers may reflect the platoon strategy, Manning's numbers should be steady, especially in Week Two vs. Dallas.

BrentHobbs 2009-09-14 19:51:48 2009-09-14 19:51:48

It seems that the Titans are pleased with how well Nate has responded to the physical therapy for his injured hamstring. He has a nice matchup this week against a Texans team that gave up 24 points to the Jets in Week 1. Continue to watch practice reports this week to ensure that Washington is good to go.

JoeJantas 2009-09-14 19:48:39 2009-09-14 19:48:39

Smith is arguably the Giants most valuable fantasy receiver this season. Consider him in your flex position, or if you play in a larger league, next week as he lines up opposite a paltry Dallas Cowboys secondary in Week Two.

JoeJantas 2009-09-14 19:29:14 2009-09-14 19:29:14

Nicks caught two passes for 18 yards in the Giants home opener against the Redskins, a 23-17 win for Big Blue. I doubt Nicks was featured in anyone's starting lineup, and I doubt even further that his performance would warrant a starting nod in the near future. In deeper leagues, keep an eye on Nicks as his true fantasy value lies in his potential as a keeper.

RonBattison 2009-09-14 19:27:31 2009-09-14 19:27:31

While this development is encouraging for owners who've drafted Crabtree in keeper leagues, it has very little short term relevance. Mike Singletary ran a brutal training camp and preseason, thus it seems unlikely that Crabtree would be able to waltz into the 49ers locker room and immediately see significant playing time.

MatthewWolf 2009-09-14 19:14:57 2009-09-14 19:14:57

The only WR that should be started off the Chiefs roster is Dwayne Bowe. Wade could be used as a bye week replacement but I would suggest waiting to see how he fits in with Haleys offensive scheme before making that move.

StevePerkins 2009-09-14 18:52:50 2009-09-14 18:52:50

Jennings is quickly showing he is an elite receiver in the NFL and his fantasy stock will continue to rise. Jennings will continue to be Rodgers' favorite target on the field and will likely outperform his numbers from last year if Ryan Grant struggles or Donald Driver finally succumbs to his age.

StevePerkins 2009-09-14 18:46:46 2009-09-14 18:46:46

Rodgers certainly didn't live up to the early MVP hype he is receiving, but he didn't do anything to hurt fantasy teams either. Expect the numbers to jump significantly against the Bengal's defense next week.

SarahRazi 2009-09-14 18:21:18 2009-09-14 18:21:18

Feeley was the long time backup of Donovan McNabb in Philadelphia before he was cut from the team this offseason. He is a nine year pro that will provide depth and veteran experience at a position that the Panthers are obviously lacking in. Feeley was also being courted by the Eagles after Donovan McNabb fractured a rib in Sunday’s game as well but Feeley chose Carolina instead. Feeley most likely chose Carolina because he probably felt he would have a better chance to start more games there with Jake Delhomme’s struggles and McNabb most likely only being out for week two. Either way, its clear that the Panthers are going to need to look into upgrading the quarterback position in 2010.

SarahRazi 2009-09-14 17:57:53 2009-09-14 17:57:53

You’ve got to hand it to John Fox for trying to give his quarterback a vote of confidence. Delhomme has 11 total turnovers in his last 2 games so Fox will most certainly be monitoring this situation closely so expect Delhomme to be on a short leash for his next start against Atlanta.

ThomasKohr 2009-09-14 16:38:56 2009-09-14 16:38:56

Expect Kevin Kolb to be the starter while Donovan Mcnabb recovers from a fractured rib suffered in Week 1. Right now it seems that Garcia will be primarily a backup. Unless Kolb has a disastrous game against the Saints this week or suffers an injury himself, it doesn't seem like Garcia will have much fantasy value. Surprising that Garcia didn't sign with the Panthers who could be starting A.J. Feeley by Week 3 if Jake Delhomme continues to throw interceptions as frequently as completions.

RonBattison 2009-09-14 14:19:31 2009-09-14 14:19:31

On a team where time of possession is highly valued and big plays are going to be hard to come by, Nedney should remain a strong fantasy play throughout the season.

RonBattison 2009-09-14 14:03:05 2009-09-14 14:03:05

A viable sleeper candidate entering the season, Morgan neither helped nor hurt his stock yesterday against the Cardinals, in a game where offense was hard to come by for both teams.

RonBattison 2009-09-14 13:57:11 2009-09-14 13:57:11

With Michael Crabtree continuing his holdout and an overall lack of experience at the wide reciever position for the 49ers, Bruce is an intriguing option in both standard and deeper leagues.

RonBattison 2009-09-14 13:51:10 2009-09-14 13:51:10

After a dissapointing 2008 season(31 receptions, 358 yards), Davis showed an improved rapport with quarterback Shaun Hill on Sunday. Look for his production to ascend as the season goes on.

RonBattison 2009-09-14 13:41:26 2009-09-14 13:41:26

Coffee's limited action against the Cardinals was an extremely discouraging sign for owners. As of now, Coffee cannot be considered anything more than a long-term sleeper or Frank Gore handcuff. Hopefully, in the upcoming weeks head coach Mike Singletary and offensive coordinator Jimmy Raye will find more ways to utilize Coffee's skill set.

RonBattison 2009-09-14 13:39:44 2009-09-14 13:39:44

While Gore struggled mightily running the ball against a fierce Cardinals defense (48 total yards), he still received 25 touches and produced 2 scores. You can expect a similar number of touches from Gore next week against the Seahawks, hopefully with an improved yards per carry average. As long as he remains healthy, Gore is a must start.

RonBattison 2009-09-14 13:26:44 2009-09-14 13:26:44

Hill looked solid, if not spectacular in the 49ers opener against Arizona. With his lack of weapons in the passing game, his fantasy value is that of a backup for now.

JedLam 2009-09-14 12:05:37 2009-09-14 12:05:37

Quite a blow for the Bears defense, especially as they also lost strong-side linebacker Pisa Tinoisamoa for "at least a few weeks." Expect the run defense to suffer and likewise expose the weak secondary. On the bright side, Jay Cutler may be forced to throw early and often.

SarahRazi 2009-09-14 10:49:55 2009-09-14 10:49:55

Considering Stewart essentially missed the entire preseason, these were good totals for his first live game action in a long time and his Achilles didn’t look bothersome at all. The numbers could have possibly been better had the Panthers not fallen behind so quickly and had to abandon the run. It worked out to be an even split between Stewart and DeAngelo Williams with Stewart being favored in the goal-line situations. Stewart received the ball three times at the 1-yard line and was unsuccessful while Williams was successful scoring from 11 yards out so obviously he still needs more practice until he gets back to form. The Panthers have decent matchup next week in Atlanta so pray that Delhomme doesn’t cough up the ball five times and the Panthers can focus on the run.

SarahRazi 2009-09-14 10:36:28 2009-09-14 10:36:28

Eagles corners Sheldon Brown and Asante Samuel were all over him for most of the game but after watching Delhomme combust again on Sunday, it has to be worrisome for Smith owners that Delhomme can no longer get him the ball like he used to in years past. Unfortunately, as Delhomme goes so does Smith so hope that Jake can get it together next week against the Falcons. You can bet that Steve Smith will come out of the gate hungry after Sundays devastating loss and try to make some plays.

NateAnderson 2009-09-14 09:36:05 2009-09-14 09:36:05

Campbell looked lost for most of the game, and the offensive struggled to move the chains against a dynamic Giants defense. He mad several bad throws early on, and gave up a fumble that the Giants returned for a TD. Still, Campbell looked sharp in a late fourth quarter rally, suggesting that there is potential for improvement. Campbell should improve next week against the Rams, but keep him on your bench until he proves he can put up better numbers.

NateAnderson 2009-09-14 09:20:42 2009-09-14 09:20:42

Take away the 34 yard scamper he had in the first quarter and Portis averaged a woeful 1.9 yards per carry. Portis is still an effective runner, but an overwhelmed offensive line and a sputtering passing game severely limited his impact. Expect him to rebound next week versus the Rams.

JedLam 2009-09-14 09:12:45 2009-09-14 09:12:45

Jay Cutler and Earl Bennett continued to show a connection first displayed in the pre-season. Bennett had more catches than any other Bears receiver and Cutler looked to him often. Continue to monitor as Bennett makes a sneaky WR3 play.

NateAnderson 2009-09-14 09:07:33 2009-09-14 09:07:33

Cooley has been one of the more consistent tight ends in fantasy football over the last several years, and his production on Sunday indicates that he will continue to be a focus of the Redskin's passing attack. Head coach Jim Zorn has been adamant that Cooley will be more of a factor in the red zone this season, and his week one productions suggests that he will remain a threat to score each week. Cooley continues to be a must start TE1, especially in PPR leagues.

JedLam 2009-09-14 09:04:44 2009-09-14 09:04:44

On the bright side, the Bears stuck with Forte with 25 attempts. But the lack of catches is quite disappointing especially for a concensus top 5 draft pick. The road doesn't get any easier with Pittsburg coming to town next week, but you have to stick with the stud.

JoeJantas 2009-09-14 08:39:11 2009-09-14 08:39:11

With the Giants using a platoon system at wide receiver in the wake of losing star player Plaxico Burress, this shouldn't affect many fantasy starting rosters for Week Two. Look for the Giants to play it safe and keep Nicks on the sideline until he's back to 100%.

JedLam 2009-09-14 07:29:34 2009-09-14 07:29:34

While he was awful in the first half with three interceptions, Cutler did pick it up in the second half gaining 150 yards and keeping the Bears in the game. Sit Cutler for next week's game against Pittsburg, but it's too early to give up on him yet.

JedLam 2009-09-14 07:16:40 2009-09-14 07:16:40

The Bears defense held strong against Green Bay despite Jay Cutler's three first half INTs. But if Urlacher is expected to miss any time, the run defense will suffer and put additional pressure on the weak secondary.

JustinSemerad 2009-09-14 00:09:11 2009-09-14 00:09:11

The Rams chose to keep Steven Jackson in for pass protection much of the game which allowed for McMichael to be active in the passing game for St. Louis. While the Rams defense did look improved from last year, they figure to be behind in most games. This should give McMichael more opportunities to return to his Miami Dolphins days where he was considered one of the better receiving tight ends in the game. However, at this time he can only be considered a bye-week fill in at best.

JustinSemerad 2009-09-13 23:43:13 2009-09-13 23:43:13

While Avery's showing was a bit disappointing, Robinson could be a trending waiver wire pick up this week. He led the Rams in targets with ten, two of which happened in the red zone. Avery was targeted eight times.

JustinSemerad 2009-09-13 23:25:35 2009-09-13 23:25:35

Those owners who gambled a first round pick on Steven Jackson had to be disappointed in his production and his lack of use in the Rams' offense. Much of this was due to the fact that Jackson was required to pass block on many downs because of the pressure being applied by the Seahawks' pass rush. Although his yards per carry was a respectable 4.2, without his 22 yard scamper in the fourth quarter he would have averaged a measly three yards an attempt. Things won't get any easier next week as the Rams take on Albert Haynesworth and the Washington Redskins.

LandeEdmiston 2009-09-13 22:44:55 2009-09-13 22:44:55

Seattle defense didn't need either one in the end and still got the shutout albeit was versus the Rams. Coach Jim Mora said after the game that both injuries look minor. Seattle defense looked good today and could have another good week versus the 49ers next week.

LandeEdmiston 2009-09-13 22:39:45 2009-09-13 22:39:45

Hard to tell if Burleson got more playing time because Branch was out but he made the most of it and will be a great #3 receiver in PPR leagues.

LandeEdmiston 2009-09-13 22:35:26 2009-09-13 22:35:26

Houshmandzadeh looked good in his first game with the Hawks and definitely opened up routes for the other Seahawk receivers. Good start for all Seattle's weapons.

LandeEdmiston 2009-09-13 22:32:23 2009-09-13 22:32:23

Carlson is picking up where he left off last season and looks to be a good start next week against the 49ers.

LandeEdmiston 2009-09-13 22:30:05 2009-09-13 22:30:05

Hasselbeck looked to get better as the game wore on. He is moving up the quarterback rankings and verging on a bona fide starter week after week.

EricMcClung 2009-09-13 20:36:14 2009-09-13 20:36:14

Jackson is the x-factor in the Eagles game plan so it was nice to see him successful in his two early gadget plays. However as a receiver, what fantasy owners drafted him for, Jackson was a complete dud this week. The potential absence of quarterback Donovan McNabb (broken rib) may limit Jackson's fantasy value for next week as the offense will likely be far more conservative if Kevin Kolb is under center.

SeanGreen 2009-09-13 20:12:53 2009-09-13 20:12:53

Polamalu had six tackles, and a interception through a quarter and a half. Keyaron Fox had credit for ten tackles in the game and he led the defense. Now you get the picture of how big of a loss it is. For fantasy owners, this is going to see the steelers defensive stock drop, especially if you receive points for interceptions and tackles. It obviously won't hurt you too much in standard formats, but certainly won't help. Stay tuned...

SeanGreen 2009-09-13 19:53:13 2009-09-13 19:53:13

Coming into camp he was drafted in the third round and considered to be the quickest on the team. If he is indeed considered the third wide reciever, it could mean that he might get a few more looks. With weapons like Ward, Santonio Holmes, and Sweed, It looks like the Steelers could have a second deep threat in Wallace. He might be worth a look at some point in this season, but not now.

EricMcClung 2009-09-13 19:52:09 2009-09-13 19:52:09

Quarterback Donovan McNabb (broken rib) may be unable to go in next week's home opener against the New Orleans Saints, but don't discount Celek. The fantasy sleeper caught three of Kevin Kolb's seven completions-- an indication the Eagles will rely heavily on the short passing game in McNabb's absence.

EricMcClung 2009-09-13 19:31:12 2009-09-13 19:31:12

Westbrook also got the kid gloves treatment in the preseason, sitting out all four games. Coming off ankle and knee surgeries Westbrook showed little, if any, rust. The injury sustained to quarterback Donovan McNabb (broken rib) will ensure Westbrook gets a healthy dose of touches against New Orleans next week in the Eagles home opener. In their last three meetings, Westbrook has averaged a healthy 95.66 rushing yards per game against the Saints.

KrisDunn 2009-09-13 19:22:58 2009-09-13 19:22:58

While 276 yards and a score is noteworthy, especially from a Bucs QB, don't expect Leftwich to excite all that much this year. Rookie QB Josh Freeman is waiting in the wings and is only a bad start away from inheriting the starting QB position. If you have Leftwich on your fantasy squad, make sure you have at least one other signal-caller on your bench.

SarahRazi 2009-09-13 18:51:31 2009-09-13 18:51:31

Williams 11 yard touchdown run was the one highlight in the Panthers ugly loss to the Eagles. Jonathan Stewart was used quite frequently in the game and seemed to be favored in goal-line situations as well so he will definitely be a thorn in Williams owners' side. Even though the Panthers offense looked atrocious, Williams remains a must start in their run-heavy approach against Atlanta next week.

EricMcClung 2009-09-13 18:39:59 2009-09-13 18:39:59

A team source considers McNabb "doubtful" for next week's home opener against the Saints. Early estimations have McNabb missing 2-4 weeks. Michael Vick is ineligible until Week 3 so Kevin Kolb would get the call. Kolb was 7-of-11 passing for 23 yards in relief of McNabb.

LandeEdmiston 2009-09-13 17:39:53 2009-09-13 17:39:53

Seattle's offense has been firing on all cylinders since midway through the 2nd quarter today versus the Rams.

LandeEdmiston 2009-09-13 17:38:46 2009-09-13 17:38:46

The whole offense of Seattle has really come together. Hasselbeck and John Carlson have hooked up for two TDs today so far.

LandeEdmiston 2009-09-13 17:37:14 2009-09-13 17:37:14

The whole offense of Seattle has looked good in the 2nd half of this game since about midway through the 2nd quarter. Jones first TD of the year so far.

SarahRazi 2009-09-13 16:58:58 2009-09-13 16:58:58

Add this to his playoff performance against the Arizona Cardinals and Delhomme has nine interceptions and 2 fumbles lost in his last 2 games. It's unclear what the Panthers next move will be on whether he will start next week but it's painfully obvious that Delhomme is a liability for them at this point and something must be done.

MatthewWolf 2009-09-13 15:48:15 2009-09-13 15:48:15

Dwayne Bowe had 4 receptions for 40 yards and 1 TD. He is a must start in all leagues. Next week, when Matt Cassel returns, expect better numbers. 14 points against a top 5 defense isn't anything to frown upon.

MatthewWolf 2009-09-13 15:44:38 2009-09-13 15:44:38

With Matt Cassel sidelined for todays game, anyone other than Dwayne Bowe should've been on your fantasy teams bench. For those that had the intestinal fortitude to start Bradley was rewarded with 11 points in PPR leagues. He is not a suggested play from week to week.

MatthewWolf 2009-09-13 15:35:05 2009-09-13 15:35:05

Johnson was not a player that should've been playing today. He is not a recommended start unless you have an injury or a bye week.

MatthewWolf 2009-09-13 15:30:49 2009-09-13 15:30:49

You could've done a lot worse than Croyle today. In leagues that reward 4 pts/passing TD, he would've gotten you 15 points. Not bad production for a 2nd string QB going against a top 5 defense.

LandeEdmiston 2009-09-13 14:48:12 2009-09-13 14:48:12

As expected, Branch is out. If you were still hoping Branch was going to play, look for help elsewhere.

TimMcCullough 2009-09-13 11:13:56 2009-09-13 11:13:56

Slater has an unspecified elbow injury and has not practiced all week. He is the only player on the team that did not practice at all this week. He is fairly low on the receiver depth chart and plays primarily on special teams, so his absence will be of little consequence to the team.

TimMcCullough 2009-09-13 11:09:38 2009-09-13 11:09:38

There is no question that Brady is the heart and soul of this team, and if his knee does not hold up the Patriots' season would be in dire straits. The good news is that several orthopedic surgeons familiar with ACL reconstruction techniques all agreed that Brady should be able to return to form. The bad news is that it could take up to two years to get there.

MatthewWolf 2009-09-13 10:58:46 2009-09-13 10:58:46

This is a huge hit to the Kansas City Chiefs secondary. This is also a big hit for your fantasy team. Those that play in IDP leagues be sure to find a replacement for week 1.

TimMcCullough 2009-09-13 10:57:07 2009-09-13 10:57:07

Brady(shoulder)has been on just about every injury report since becoming the starting quarterback back in 2001. He did injure his shoulder during a preseason game when 350 pound Albert Haynesworth landed on him as he threw a pass, but the Patriots have not said whether that was a factor in the listing on this report. Brady did participate fully in Saturday's practice for the game, and will definitely start the game.

MatthewWolf 2009-09-13 10:46:56 2009-09-13 10:46:56

If he isn't already, Cassel should be moved to your fantasy teams bench. Brodie Croyle will start in his place. He too should be left on your teams bench.

SteveLoveless 2009-09-13 10:46:00 2009-09-13 10:46:00

Good news for both Orton and Marshall owners. Its unclear though how many times Marshall will be on the field, since he just returned to practice last week.

KrisDunn 2009-09-13 00:59:35 2009-09-13 00:59:35

With Kellen Winslow in the line up (and healthy) Tampa should be very pleased with the production from the TE slot in 2009. While he only caught one pass in the preseason, Winslow has been extremely productive when on the field. Just last season, in eight games, he caught three touchdowns and had 428 yards receiving. Lest we forget to mention, in 2007 he scored five touchdowns and was over 1,000 yards receiving. Look for Winslow to become a "target" early and often this weekend at home against Dallas. Don't be surprised if he catches five passes for 50-60 yards and a score.

BrianKarr 2009-09-13 00:10:16 2009-09-13 00:10:16

Starting Boldin at this point is a risky proposition. It makes it even tougher since the game is a late start. If you are a Boldin owner, you need to be concerned with Week One and check on a replacement. Against the historically weak San Francisco 49er's secondary, you might check into Jerheme Urban if you are in a deep league. With Steve Breaston nursing a sore knee, Urban may be the Cadinals #2 WR for Week 1. Larry Fitzgerald will definately draw the attention of the 49er's secondary potentially providing Urban the opportunity for a stong WR3 type performance.

KrisDunn 2009-09-12 23:58:41 2009-09-12 23:58:41

Ward has great potential in PPR leagues (Points Per Reception). With 41 receptions in 2008, Ward looks like a great sleeper for the Bucs in 2009. That being said, this move decreases Ward's fantasy value for the time being.

LyleGirandola 2009-09-12 22:58:38 2009-09-12 22:58:38

With all the buzz about Detroit’s starting rookie quarterback Matt Stafford, we may see a lot more action than expected from running back Kevin Smith. After all, during last December’s matchup against the Saints, Smith had one of his best games of the season, running for 111 yards and the team’s only touchdown. Coach Schwartz likes what he sees of his offensive line's run blocking ability. Watch for a good game from Smith on Sunday, while Stafford and his wide receiver Calvin Johnson command all the attention.

BrentHobbs 2009-09-12 21:16:24 2009-09-12 21:16:24

Obviously, the Steelers still have that whole "Steel Curtain" defense working for them. This is one of the tougher teams that Chris Johnson will go up against this year. "We had running lanes, we were able to move the ball on them," said Johnson. "It wasn't real tough. (But) we left so many points out there. It wasn't supposed to go to overtime." There will be brighter fantasy days ahead for Chris. He is a fantasy stud, so make sure he is in your lineup each week.

StevePerkins 2009-09-12 17:49:38 2009-09-12 17:49:38

Brohm is still the acting number three quarterback, as the Packers will only be carrying two QBs on their roster. This is a sign of faith in him from the organization, because there are several veteran quarterbacks currently looking for a home, and they've decided they are comfortable calling up Brohm if the need arises.

JoeMeyer 2009-09-12 16:18:18 2009-09-12 16:18:18

When asked about the knee injury Abraham said, “Yeah, I’m fine. It’s nothing serious. They always put me on the report for something, but I’m fine. Sunday is the day.” Abraham is too valuable to this team for them to take a silly risk on having him play when he’s not ready, so we’ll take his word and believe it isn’t serious. For IDP leagues, you should have him in your starting lineup.

RossKelly 2009-09-12 12:09:23 2009-09-12 12:09:23

Even with the addition of Seymour, the Raiders are still an average defense at best. They may make for a decent bye-week filler but should not be used against the potent Chargers offense in Week One. From an IDP standpoint, Seymour will need a couple of weeks to adjust to the new system and even if he plays Sunday, it will likely be a limited number of snaps as he has not even received a playbook yet. Utilize a wait-and-see approach with Seymour before starting him in an IDP league.

BrianKarr 2009-09-12 01:36:16 2009-09-12 01:36:16

Last year in the Cardinal season opener against the 49ers, Edgerrin James and Tim Hightower ran for a combined 113 yards. Well, the Edge was 100 of those yards. Hightower made some mistakes and didn't run well in his rookie year. Hightower worked during the offseason to work off 10 lbs off his frame and on this footwork to do less dancing in the backfield. During the preseason, it looks like this is working as he appeared he is hitting the holes quicker. However many questions remain. Although there are injuries in the Cardinal WR Corp, with Fitzgerald and Warner the 49er's will not be able to stack the box against the run game. But will Hightower get the goal line carries as Marion Barber role while Chris Wells gets the ball between the red zones aka Felix Jones? Just what will the strategy be? Regardless, it is possible that Hightower could serve a flex3 option in deeper leagues while facing the 49er's.

MichaelMiller 2009-09-12 01:28:50 2009-09-12 01:28:50

Wayne should have no trouble doing just that in Week One. Five of his 26 career 100-yard games have come at Jacksonville's expense, including four in the past five meetings. During that five-game stretch, Wayne has generated 35 receptions, 471 yards, and two touchdowns.

BrianKarr 2009-09-12 01:09:07 2009-09-12 01:09:07

Ben Patrick is out for Week One to Week Four

BrianKarr 2009-09-12 01:03:54 2009-09-12 01:03:54

Aside from Larry Fitzgerald and facing the historically weak secondary of the San Francisco 49er's, the WR Corp of Arizona has a lot of questions surrounding it. Coupled with the poor pre-season performance of Kurt Warner, this is not a slam dunk performance as one would normally suspect. If you are heavily relying on this passing attack, be sure to check out the injury and practice reports prior to game time.

BrianKarr 2009-09-12 00:40:47 2009-09-12 00:40:47

Urban is a 6 year vet and played in all 16 games last season, catching 34 passes for 448 years and 4 touchdowns. Urban was also noted as having a strong training camp this season. With the injuries to Anquan Boldin and Steve Breaston, Urban may be a smart flex starter for those in need of a wide receiver. Be sure to check on Boldin's and Breaston's status. Even though the 49er's were ranked 20th in opposing passers last year, temper your expecations as Warner has not had an impressive pre-season and he is recovering from off-season hip surgery.

BrianKarr 2009-09-12 00:29:35 2009-09-12 00:29:35

Steve Breaston may play at wide receiver more during Week One due to the bad hamstring of Anquan Boldin. However, if you league rewards for return yards, it is likely that Arizona may limit Steve Breaston to wide receiver duties as the team will not want to over use him and and expose him to further hits. Saftey Antrel Rolle may return punts and rookie LaRod Stephens-Howling may return kick-offs. It is unclear if Breaston will be the number two wide receiver for the game or number 3, assuming Anquan Boldin is limited or does not play. Breaston will be needed, however, due to the issues with Boldin's sore hamstring and that Early Doucet is out for a few weeks with sore ribs. Expect Jerheme Urban to get some playing time, particularly if Anquan Boldin and Steve Breaston are limited in Week One.

BrianKarr 2009-09-12 00:09:13 2009-09-12 00:09:13

Anquan Boldin was not listed on Friday's official injury report, but his status is still very questionable at this point. Boldin is quoted as saying it will be hard to keep him out of the game. If Boldin does play, it is likely that Boldin's play could be limited as Steve Breaston is still coming back from his knee injury. As such, the Arizona Cardinals can ot take tremendous risk regarding further injuries this early in the season. Combined with off-season hip surgery on Kurt Warner, who was not sharp during pre-season, it is possible it could be a long day for Boldin owners this weekend, even though the 49ers were ranked 20th against opposing passers last year. If you must go with Boldin, be sure to check his status before game time.

JedLam 2009-09-11 23:43:09 2009-09-11 23:43:09

While not unexpected, the loss of Charles Tillman puts additional pressure on an already depleted secondary that will be severely tested by Aaron Rodgers and crew. If you're planning on starting the Bears' D, either hope for turnovers or look elsewhere for Week 1.

SeanGreen 2009-09-11 21:04:02 2009-09-11 21:04:02

"Fast Willie" is under the gun. He's in a contract year, has Rashard Mendenhall breathing down his neck, and a coach who doesn't think he can carry the load. He needs a stellar performance against the Bears next week before justifying using him as a starter.

RonBattison 2009-09-11 20:41:59 2009-09-11 20:41:59

While there's zero doubt that stud running back Frank Gore is the top dog in the niners backfield, fantasy players should pay close attention to Coffee as both a handcuff and keeper project. Gore's history of injuries dating back to college only enhances Coffee's potential value.

RonBattison 2009-09-11 19:58:21 2009-09-11 19:58:21

Gore spent the offseason training with Andreu Swasey, his former strength and conditioning coach at the University of Miami, and the results have been noticable in both his improved physique and his performance through training camp. Expectations are running high for Gore to replicate the success of his 2006 season (312 rushing attempts for 1695 yards, 61 receptions for 485 yards)and help the 49ers contend for the NFC West crown. While tantalizing rookie runner Glen Coffee poses a threat to take some carries away from Gore, that could prove to be a blessing as it may help Gore stay healthy late into the season.

BrentHobbs 2009-09-11 16:58:10 2009-09-11 16:58:10

You knew there was no way Nate Washington was missing this game. This is a testament to how much of a gamer this guy is and how badly he wants to contribute to the team this year. However, hamstring injuries can be tricky. They have a habit of flaring back up, so Washington shouldn't be counted on for helping out your team until this thing is healed completely.

LandeEdmiston 2009-09-11 16:40:24 2009-09-11 16:40:24

Honestly, this is to be expected. Branch is just injured way too much to be of any use on a fantasy team except for waiver wire pickups for bye weeks.

MarkVan Horn 2009-09-11 13:02:20 2009-09-11 13:02:20

Though this move has very little fantasy impact via Wade or Lewis, fantasy owners should interpret this as a vote of confidence for the remainder of the Vikings receiving core, especially Percy Harvin and Sidney Rice. Wade may catch on elsewhere and Lewis will get on the field, but neither should be expected to have any impact other than a few weeks with a big play or two. Owners should keep an eye on both Harvin and Rice.

MarkVan Horn 2009-09-11 13:01:00 2009-09-11 13:01:00

This sounds very promising for the Peterson owners. Because of his style of play and his shoulder history, Peterson will always be an injury risk, but right now there is no other player in a better position to accomplish this feat. Smart owners will want to have Chester Taylor on their rosters, but otherwise should sit back and enjoy what should be a very nice and possibly historic ride.

RossKelly 2009-09-11 12:52:24 2009-09-11 12:52:24

No surprise here as most expected McFadden to get the most touches out of the three Raiders running backs. McFadden is a solid flex start and could be a RB2 in PPR leagues. The news on Fargas does not affect McFadden as much as it does Michael Bush. Bush is now the clear-cut #2 back in Oakland and could fill in as a bye-week replacement.

MarkVan Horn 2009-09-11 12:10:15 2009-09-11 12:10:15

This sounds very promising for the Peterson owners. Because of his style of play and his shoulder history, Peterson will always be an injury risk, but right now there is no other player in a better position to accomplish this feat. Smart owners will want to have Chester Taylor on their rosters, but otherwise should sit back and enjoy what should be a very nice and possibly historic ride.

LandeEdmiston 2009-09-11 11:53:47 2009-09-11 11:53:47

T.J. should play and have no issues on Sunday. A lot of guys don't practice at this time of year, no worries about putting T.J. in the lineup this week. He is a must start!

LandeEdmiston 2009-09-11 09:30:49 2009-09-11 09:30:49

Hasselbeck has a lot of gas in the tank and is determined to have one of his best years yet. With his newly acquired weapon T.J. Houshmandzadeh, feisty Nate Burleson, Super Bowl MVP Deion Branch, and super rookie from last year John Carlson, Hasselbeck has a lot of balls to be thrown around and someone will have to be open. With a start against St. Louis Rams this week, its a no brainer to start Hasselbeck if you have him on your squad.

LandeEdmiston 2009-09-11 09:15:28 2009-09-11 09:15:28

Branch seems like he is always limping around or catching the injury bug. Even healthy this season, he is listed as #3 on the depth charts for the Seahawks'. If you have him on your fantasy squad sit him this week and wait an see.

LyleGirandola 2009-09-10 20:51:01 2009-09-10 20:51:01

Reggie has a point. Besides the team name, there is not much about the Detroit Lions that is the same this year. On the defensive squad, there are only three starters returning from last season. The remaining starters were acquired from six different NFL teams, including Super Bowl champion Pittsburgh Steelers Larry Foote, and two rookies. When you throw in a brand new coach in Jim Schwartz, whose experience as Tennessee’s defensive coordinator includes guiding the Titans to one of the top defensive teams last year, Reggie’s comment is wise. Fantasy owners should consider his advice in any matchups with the Lions this week.

TimMcCullough 2009-09-10 17:08:30 2009-09-10 17:08:30

After a rookie season in which he made 139 tackles to lead the team, Jerod Mayo will be the leader of the defense on the field. He will wear the in-helmet communication device and be responsible for the play calling. He said that this year will be different for him in that he won't be limited to being in coverage most of the time, and will have more opportunities to rush the passer and make more game-changing plays. IDP leaguers will want to take note of Mayo's new leadership role.

SarahRazi 2009-09-10 16:47:43 2009-09-10 16:47:43

The injury does not sound severe but it would be wise to check back on Friday to see how he will be listed on the injury report. If Harris can’t go it will further upgrade the matchup for Brian Westbrook and the Eagles on Sunday. The Panthers defense is a very shaky fantasy play this week so stay away in all formats.

SarahRazi 2009-09-10 16:34:54 2009-09-10 16:34:54

This is familiar territory for the Panthers with Stewart. The same thing happened last year where he had no preseason work due to a toe injury that he suffered while in college at Oregon and he went on to rush for 836 yards and scored 10 touchdowns. So as long as he remains healthy it would be safe to expect similar totals this year with possible upside if DeAngelo Williams misses any time. Keep an eye on Stewart and see how he progresses before using him in your lineup but this week he should be thought of as a Flex/RB3.

SarahRazi 2009-09-10 10:44:40 2009-09-10 10:44:40

That was quick. Many expected Beason to miss the season opener and perhaps beyond but he proved to be a fast healer on this one. This will be a huge boost for the Panthers as Beason’s been an integral part of their defense leading them in tackles for two straight seasons. Since losing tackle Maake Kemoeatu for the season to a ruptured Achilles, the Panthers have struggled on defense in the preseason so Beason’s return will be vital when the team faces the Eagles on Sunday with a healthy and rested Brian Westbrook ready to go.

StevePerkins 2009-09-10 08:41:22 2009-09-10 08:41:22

If Raji is unable to go for another practice, he may not play in the season opener. The injury is supposedly not too severe, and should he be held out week 1, he will likely be more than ready for the team's second game.

SarahRazi 2009-09-10 00:04:07 2009-09-10 00:04:07

Looks like the three weeks of rest that the medical staff prescribed for Stewart paid off. Stewart isn't even listed on the week one injury report so he will definitely be active on Sunday but he will most likely have a limited role to start so don't expect too much. If you are using him in your fantasy lineup, think of him as a low-end RB2 or Flex/RB3 this week. Barring any setbacks, Stewart should continue to improve and have much more upside as a RB2 in the future on fantasy squads this season.

JoeMeyer 2009-09-09 22:45:23 2009-09-09 22:45:23

Abraham has come off playing two seasons where he played all 16 games, recording 26.5 sacks, 16.5 of which came last year (a Falcons single season record). There is no doubt Abraham is the most dynamic player on the Falcons defensive, so they will do anything they need to do to keep him healthy. This is a larger impact in IDP leagues, as he is widely considered a top DE and the Falcons defense as a whole is less enticing.

LyleGirandola 2009-09-09 18:38:37 2009-09-09 18:38:37

Now that the Lions have announced Matt Stafford as their starting QB for their opening game against the Saints, it's likely that his first NFL start will be a bit tougher than it could have been without the Saint's starting DE's. Stafford's key to success against the Saints, who demolished the Lions 42-7 in their last matchup, is to have enough protection time to capitalize on his strong arm and WR Calvin Johnson's ability to get open inside a somewhat weak New Orleans' secondary.

SteveLoveless 2009-09-09 17:57:00 2009-09-09 17:57:00

This is great news for Jones-Drew owners. Maurice has had a lot of good games against the Colts in his career.

SteveLoveless 2009-09-09 17:49:14 2009-09-09 17:49:14

Orton owners' want to keep an eye on his status throughout the week. This is injury is a problem, because it is on his throwing hand. If Orton can't go Chris Simms will get the start for the Broncos. Simms just returned to practice this week after spraining his ankle in the preseason.

SteveLoveless 2009-09-09 17:44:25 2009-09-09 17:44:25

Quinn did have a better preseason then Derek Anderson. He faces a tough match-up the first week against the Vikings. A lot of Quinn's success will depend on his receivers and tight ends. The Browns traded Kellen Winslow and Donte Stallworth is suspended for the season.

JustinSemerad 2009-09-09 13:46:07 2009-09-09 13:46:07

From 2002 to 2006 Bulger never had a passing percentage lower than sixty-two percent or a passer rating less than eighty-two. If Bulger can return to that kind of efficiency he may be a nice sleeper or bye week sub. A point in his favor is the Rams' defense. Most weeks they will find themselves behind and need to pass. Unfortunately the Rams also have a very young and mostly unproven group of receivers. 2nd year pro Donnie Avery is the most established receiver, so expecting them to gain a lot of yardages after the catch seems unrealistic.

StevePerkins 2009-09-09 13:02:32 2009-09-09 13:02:32

The Packers have a stockpile of talented young receivers and Donald Driver remains productive enough that Martin was expendable. Both players aren't figuring to have a large amount of fantasy value this year, and don't merit consideration in any format league.

SarahRazi 2009-09-09 12:22:23 2009-09-09 12:22:23

This is the reason that Jake Delhomme and Steve Smith practically begged Muhammad to come back to Carolina last season. He remains one of the most experienced, reliable, and durable receivers in the NFL and he’s certainly not receiving any competition from Dwayne Jarrett or Kenny Moore. Still, in the twilight of his career at 36 years old, Muhammad shouldn’t be counted on as anything more than a WR4 in fantasy lineups this season.

JustinSemerad 2009-09-09 10:55:56 2009-09-09 10:55:56

When on the field, Jackson is easily one of the most talented players in the game. The Rams' pass-to-run ratio was nearly a fifty-fifty split during the preseason. Jackson will already be used heavily in the running game and looks to get even more touches in the passing game.

RossKelly 2009-09-09 01:18:11 2009-09-09 01:18:11

This is great news if you already drafted Morrison and you should plug him in as a starter immediately. Morrison had 135 total tackles last season and has the second most tackles in the NFL over the last four seasons trailing only London Fletcher.

SarahRazi 2009-09-09 00:17:44 2009-09-09 00:17:44

Sutton was competing for the No.2 RB job in Green Bay and looked good in the preseason but it's unlikely he will see the field on Sunday in Carolina unless there's an injury to DeAngelo Williams or Mike Goodson. Look for Sutton to be inactive or on the bench on Sunday.

MichaelMiller 2009-09-08 23:43:15 2009-09-08 23:43:15

Sorgi is the NFL's version of The Maytag Repairman, with Manning about to make his 177th consecutive start Sunday against the Jaguars. Handcuffing Manning was already a luxury at best. The unlikelihood of being called upon and now at least some question as to whose job it is makes it an inadvisable use of a valuable roster spot.

MichaelMiller 2009-09-08 23:19:04 2009-09-08 23:19:04

In spite of kicking indoors for a high powered team, Vinatieri already suffers from the efficiency of the Colts' offense. With the injury concern, take another kicker, and let someone else worry about him.

SarahRazi 2009-09-08 22:07:33 2009-09-08 22:07:33

In classic GM fashion, Hurney is putting his best face forward on this one. Stewart has not practiced in three weeks and his achilles has shown no signs of improvement. Obviously Stewart is more banged up then the Panthers are letting on. Stewart should be questionable for week one and it would be hard to imagine him making a significant contribution even if he does play. If he is active, expect around 5-8 carries with the slight possibility of a goal-line score. Otherwise, temper your expectations and seek other options for now.

TimMcCullough 2009-09-08 20:54:43 2009-09-08 20:54:43

Morris and Maroney have both missed considerable playing time due to injury in past years, which is probably the primary reason the Patriots are carrying five backs. Faulk is mainly used as a third down specialist and has the most defined role among them. Coach Bill Belichick will rotate and deploy the other four backs depending on the match up and game plan. Ultimately, in any given game any one member of the committee could get most of the touches, or not. While it is possible that Taylor will emerge as the primary back, the more likely scenario will be that none of the five will get enough touches each week to be any more than a RB3 in most fantasy games.

ShaneBirch 2009-09-08 20:45:41 2009-09-08 20:45:41

Look out Trent Edwards. With the Bills expecting to give the starting left tackle spot to rookie Demetrius Bell, three starting offensive linemen for the Bills have never played a regular season NFL game. With a very young offensive line and a new offensive coordinator to work with, Edwards will have his hands full for the season opener against the New England Patriots.

JustinSemerad 2009-09-08 10:06:43 2009-09-08 10:06:43

Gado is the primary backup to Steven Jackson. He looked solid in the preseason and is the only other running back who has any value for the Rams, but only if Jackson would miss time because of an injury.

JustinSemerad 2009-09-07 22:40:10 2009-09-07 22:40:10

With several new guys on the line the St. Louis Rams need as much practice as they can get before heading to the hostile grounds of Qwest Field in Seattle. If you were planning on using Bulger this weekend you may want to start looking else where, regardless of the health of his pinky finger.

TimMcCullough 2009-09-07 21:48:43 2009-09-07 21:48:43

Richard Seymour and Vince Wilfork are both in the final year of their contracts, and the Patriots probably could not have signed both players to extensions. With the money they will save now that Seymour is gone, Wilfork may now be able to get the contract he wants and deserves. Wilfork is slightly younger than Seymour, and finished second on the team in tackles last season, with 85. Meanwhile, Seymour has neither been as durable nor as productive as Wilfork over the last two seasons. The Patriots made sure they had the money to sign the better of the two players at their position.

JustinSemerad 2009-09-07 21:44:42 2009-09-07 21:44:42

Talented Donnie Avery is by far the most fantasy worthy receiver out of the 4 current wideouts on the team. Robinson has also been garnering some sleeper buzz after a strong preseason. According to the statistics at Pro-Football-Reference.com, since 1995 there have only been five occurrences where both starting receivers had 3 years or less of experience, accumulated 600 yards receiving, 40 receptions, and 4 touchdowns.I don't see Avery and Robinson being number six.

TimMcCullough 2009-09-07 21:35:27 2009-09-07 21:35:27

The Patriots grabbed rookie free agent Bret Lockett as part of an ongoing effort to get younger, particularly on defense. Lockett started 11 games as a senior and made 61 tackles; just the kind of aggressive DB the team needs to bolster their pass rush.

TimMcCullough 2009-09-07 21:28:16 2009-09-07 21:28:16

Lewis was thought to be in competition for the third receiver position on the team, which acquired him from the Philadelphia Eagles for a fifth round draft pick. This means we can expect expanded roles for Julian Edelman and Sam Aiken behind starters Joey Galloway, Randy Moss, and Wes Welker. But for now both Edelman and Aiken are worthless, as neither will get enough looks or touches to be of any fantasy value.

ShaneBirch 2009-09-07 19:17:25 2009-09-07 19:17:25

Jackson owners should be happy with the move as it appears he will get the lions share of the carries for the first three games of the season. Depending on how Jackson plays in those games could very well determine his role in the offense once Lynch returns.

RossKelly 2009-09-07 18:42:24 2009-09-07 18:42:24

Seymour is expected to immediately upgrade both the run and pass defense of Oakland, that is if he ever shows up. With Seymour, the Raiders are a middle-of-the-pack defense at best, and without him they are simply not worth drafting/starting. If Seymour refuses to report to Oakland then the NFLPA may have to step in and Al Davis would get what he thoroughly seems to enjoy-another court battle.

SteveLoveless 2009-09-07 16:16:43 2009-09-07 16:16:43

Coach Todd Haley hasn't decided whether or not Cassel will play Sunday against the Ravens.If Cassel does play he'll probably have a brace on his injured knee. This might hurt his mobility against the tough Ravens Defense. If Cassel can't go, the Chiefs will go with Brodie Croyle.

SteveLoveless 2009-09-07 16:11:04 2009-09-07 16:11:04

The Lions decided to go with the future of their organization sooner rather then later. Stafford and Culpepper had similar statistics in the preseason. One of the reasons the Lions went with Stafford as his connection he has with Calvin Johnson already.

AdamZdroik 2009-09-04 19:00:04 2009-09-04 19:00:04

Even though Jones did not have much fantasy value to him, he did supply as a backup to second year running back Matt Forte. Garrett Wolfe and Adrian Peterson are left to fight for the backup RB role now, and unless Forte can stay healthy for all 16 games again this season, Wolfe or Peterson may be a wise pickup in deeper leagues as soon as we figure out who will be getting the role.

AdamZdroik 2009-09-04 09:51:00 2009-09-04 09:51:00

This is unfortunate for owners of Donovan McNabb and and maybe even Brian Westbrook and LeSean McCoy. Vick will take snaps away from McNabb slowly but surely, and when fantasy playoffs come around, Vick will be getting tons of looks if the season goes well for him. Vick is a QB3 at this point, but has the ability to change that into a QB1 by the end of the season, especially if something happens to McNabb.

SteveLoveless 2009-09-02 19:53:26 2009-09-02 19:53:26

With Daunte Culpepper's injured foot it looks like it might give Stafford the inside track for the starting job. Culpepper injured his foot and hasn't been able to practice all week.

SteveLoveless 2009-09-02 19:49:29 2009-09-02 19:49:29

Marshall hasn't played a preaseason game yet this year. He has missed a number of practices, because of injuries and personal reasons. Time will tell how all this offseason drama will affect him in the regular season

SteveLoveless 2009-09-02 19:44:19 2009-09-02 19:44:19

This was the first time that Tomilnson played in the preseason games in awhile. He is trying to bounce back from a subpar season last year and return to his 2007-08 form.

ChrisCarbonell 2009-08-31 08:25:37 2009-08-31 08:25:37

It's official: Chamberlain is no longer worth owning. He was already a borderline waiver wire pitcher this season before this news, but now he's really not worth your time in fantasy.

ChrisCarbonell 2009-08-31 08:21:43 2009-08-31 08:21:43

Qualls fell awkwardly on the play, and fantasy owners in need of saves should immediately add Juan Gutierrez. Gutierrez isn't the most tantalizing relief option out there (4.24 ERA, 1.47 WHIP in 57.1 innings this season), but he seems the most obvious choice to inherit the closer's role in Arizona. As for Qualls, he's worth holding on to for the time being. His MRI results should provide a clearer picture of what Qualls owners are in for.

JulianDominguez 2009-08-28 22:26:25 2009-08-28 22:26:25

The severity of Jennings' injury is still unknown, but if he walked off on his own, the worst of possibilities can be knocked off the list.

JulianDominguez 2009-08-28 16:40:00 2009-08-28 16:40:00

When asked of Marshall's possibility for playing in Week One, Head Coach Josh McDaniels said "When he's here, if we're working together and working towards helping this team win, then we'll work him in." Marshall's draft stock will drop some, but he was already attempting to accept responsibility this morning for his recent actions, so he will likely shape up enough to have his suspension removed by the season opener.

JeffAndriesse 2009-08-28 09:24:48 2009-08-28 09:24:48

While in the big picture Morgans fantasy owners should be completely thrilled with what theyve gotten from him (.307 BA, 74 R, 42 SB), this still stings for the timing. Anyone with Morgan battling for stolen base points just suffered a huge setback, and at fantasy playoff time no less. Morgan makes a great case for Waiver Wire MVP this year. Willie Harris will replace Morgan in the lineup for now, and is worth using in NL-only leagues even though expectations should definitely be tempered.

JulianDominguez 2009-08-26 20:12:17 2009-08-26 20:12:17

Worries of Owens possibly having turf toe should completely dissipate with this impressive display of recovery. His toe will keep him out of another preseason game this Saturday against the Steelers. The mildly-injured, soon-to-be 36 year old should be drafted, but with caution.

SteveLoveless 2009-08-26 19:00:38 2009-08-26 19:00:38

The Jets decided that they wanted to go with Sanchez over backup Kellen Clements. Sanchez could struggle in the first part of the season as the Jets have to play the Patriots(week 2) and the Titans (week3).

AdamZdroik 2009-08-25 20:18:23 2009-08-25 20:18:23

Garrett Hartley will no longer be considered a sleeper, if he ever did warrant that status. Veteran John Carney will fill the position, and may be considered a quality fantasy kicker in the beginning weeks, as long as the Saints have trouble finding the end zone.

AdamZdroik 2009-08-25 20:07:07 2009-08-25 20:07:07

Wilford who has played wide receiver for most of his career, is switching to the tight end role, as he has a better chance of making the team at the position. However, at this point he still has no fantasy relevance in the Jaguars offense, as Mercedes Lewis still has control of the position for the Jaguars.

AdamAnsell 2009-08-20 10:14:35 2009-08-20 10:14:35

It looks like the 32 year old Burress has played his last down in the NFL. Drop him in all league formats.

SteveLoveless 2009-08-19 18:12:43 2009-08-19 18:12:43

This could be an injury that you will want to keep an eye on. This has the possibility of being an injury that could nag Terrell throughout the season.

JulianDominguez 2009-08-19 15:52:54 2009-08-19 15:52:54

The injuries seem to be stacking up rather easily for Beanie, don't they? The Cardinals will monitor Wells' performance at practice and he will likely take fewer reps to keep from hurting himself, yet again. This all bodes well for Tim Hightower as it further secures his starting spot.

DanSlevin 2009-08-19 10:57:16 2009-08-19 10:57:16

Although Smoltz had a rough go-round with the BoSox, he did show signs of dominance that could lead to a quality bullpen arm for someone. In his final 7 starts with them he posted a .64 ERA in the first 2 IP. Although he hasn't pitched out the pen since 2004, if his arm can make the adjustment he may be able to contribute towards a playoff run. Fantasy wise, the Marlins and Rangers have issues at closer and although the Cards Ryan Franklin was an All-Star this year, his career numbers are fairly mediocre. Although it may be a stretch to suggest Smoltz will see any save opportunities, there are very few candidates on the wire at this point and it may be worth a flier if you're hungry for saves.

AdamZdroik 2009-08-18 10:40:48 2009-08-18 10:40:48

This changes a lot in regards to the fantasy outlook of the Vikings offense. Brett Favre will more than likely be the starter. He will be a QB2 at this point in his career, on a running offense. The values of Bernard Berrian and Visanthe Shiancoe should both increase slightly. Also, Adrian Peterson may receive less carries, but defenses won't be able to key in only on him with Favre throwing the ball, so his production should not take a hit.

ChrisCarbonell 2009-08-17 08:42:23 2009-08-17 08:42:23

To illustrate how hard he was hit on his head, Kuroda's wife, who was watching the game on television, though he died. With an injury like this, his fantasy owners may want to cut ties with him at this stage of the season. There's no guarantees that he will return to a major-league mound soon and one has to also be concerned about whether or not he will have the same composure on the mound in 2009 after such a scary incident.

ChrisCarbonell 2009-08-17 08:35:15 2009-08-17 08:35:15

Wright's disappointing season just got worse. The Mets have no reason to bring Wright back since they are completely out of the playoff picture, so there is a definite chance that fantasy owners will be without Wright for the stretch run. After swatting 63 HR over his last two seasons, Wright has only muscled eight homers out of the park this year and did not look at all like the first-round fantasy pick many expected him to be in 2009. Fantasy owners will want to think long and hard before making him a first round pick in 2010.

BradRysz 2009-08-16 12:26:38 2009-08-16 12:26:38

Orton entered training camp as the team's starting quarterback, but his early struggles have forced fantasy owners to keep an eye on Chris Simms. Simms replaced Orton in the opener and threw two touchdowns. For now, Orton is still the more valuable fantasy quarterback, but Simms is quickly making it interesting.

JeffAndriesse 2009-08-12 14:31:10 2009-08-12 14:31:10

Milwaukee called up two players, SS Alvides Escobar and OF Jason Bourgeois. Escobar is expected to start at SS and is one of the top prospects in baseball. He has 42 stolen bases in 109 games at AAA Nashville. Bourgeois is another speedster (36 SB at Nashville) and will get a chance to play until Corey Hart comes off the DL. These moves also entrench Casey McGehee at third base for the stretch run.

ChrisCarbonell 2009-08-10 09:32:27 2009-08-10 09:32:27

This is likely just a one-time start for Samardzija, as SP Ted Lilly is expected to return to the rotation next week. While Samardzija has a very live arm, he is still far from a viable fantasy commodity at this point. Continue to ignore him in all leagues.

stephenjapan 2009-08-07 18:06:48 2009-08-07 18:06:48

JeffAndriesse 2009-08-07 12:18:39 2009-08-07 12:18:39

Pavano isn't owned in fantasy except for AL-only GMs who probably aren't competing for a championship this year. With a 5.37 ERA, nobody should rush out and grab him, but at least he is going to a team with better talent around him making a push for a playoff spot.

JeffAndriesse 2009-08-07 12:14:08 2009-08-07 12:14:08

Bay's fantasy owners just have to hold on and hope he plays in the next scoring period as opposed to going to the DL.

JeffAndriesse 2009-08-07 12:11:22 2009-08-07 12:11:22

This hurts, as Upton was having a great year. He shouldn't miss more than two weeks, but you never know. In the meantime, Arizona called up Trent Oeltjen from AAA Reno, and with the injuries to the once-deap Diamondback outfield, kid might have to play. Conor Jackson and Eric Byrnes are also shelved.

ChrisCarbonell 2009-08-03 07:38:59 2009-08-03 07:38:59

He's officially worth dropping in all leagues now, and his value for 2010 is very difficult to gauge at this point. He could end up being a decent injury-risk pick in the middle rounds of fantasy drafts next season, though it all depends on the extent of Monday's procedure.

JeffAndriesse 2009-07-31 08:57:02 2009-07-31 08:57:02

Sherrill's fantasy value is crushed now that he's setting up for the entrenched Jonathan Broxton. Jim Johnson will get most of the save opportunities for Baltimore and is worth grabbing if you need saves.

JeffAndriesse 2009-07-29 13:34:40 2009-07-29 13:34:40

Snell should do well pitching in Seattle and is a sneaky fantasy play the rest of the season. Wilson has little value as is, but will probably start for Seattle. SS Ronny Cedeno goes over to Pittsburgh, where he will likely start, along with minor league RHPs Nathan Adcock, Brett Lorin and Aaron Pribanic. It is possible Clement could revive himself in new environs, but probably not this season. He has not progressed as hoped, with the M's giving up on the former No. 1 pick and the Pirates hoping a change of scenery does him good.

JeffAndriesse 2009-07-29 13:28:18 2009-07-29 13:28:18

A nice get for the Phils, and the reigning Cy Young winner should find the National League to his liking. Francisco has little fantasy value now, but Lee should require a hefty bid in NL-only leagues. The prospects the Phillies gave up are RHPs Jason Knapp and Carlos Carrasco, SS Jason Donald and C Lou Marson. We here at RotoExperts say: bring on the trades. Gotta love these next three days.

DanSlevin 2009-07-28 10:20:44 2009-07-28 10:20:44

Willingham had been the subject of trade rumors recently and this showcase of power should only further peak other teams interest. He seems to have solidified his everyday spot in the Nats lineup and could be a cheap power source for fantasy teams down the stretch. A trade to a contending team should only boost his value and considering the limited options available on the market, acquiring Willingham could become a hot topic in the coming days so stay tuned.

ChrisCarbonell 2009-07-27 08:05:29 2009-07-27 08:05:29

Bedard also had surgery on the shoulder last September, so needless to say, fantasy owners should start thinking about life without the Seattle southpaw. The Mariners insist he won't need surgery as his velocity is fine, so they are hoping that rest and medication will get him back to the club later this season. He's not worth dropping just yet, but don't be surprised if news comes out in a week or two that he is being shut down for the season.

JeffAndriesse 2009-07-22 09:43:43 2009-07-22 09:43:43

Joe Torre has yet to make a decision on Ramirez's availability. We'll likely know more closer to game time, but it wouldn't surprise anyone if Ramirez sat for a game. Ultimately, he'll be fine and his owners can breathe a sigh of relief.

JeffAndriesse 2009-07-22 09:39:35 2009-07-22 09:39:35

Berkman is available to pinch hit, but this is an annoying early-week injury for owners who play in weekly leagues. If you can replace him for a few days, do it.

ChrisCarbonell 2009-07-20 08:06:48 2009-07-20 08:06:48

His fastball touched the upper-90s throughout this performance and he certainly flashed the sick potential we've all been hearing about. Latos may only throw 60-75 innings for the remainder of the season as the team does not want him to break the 150 inning plateau. Still, the neophyte clearly has talent and pitching in Petco Park should help him pile up respectable numbers while he's hurling for the Padres. He's worth adding right now.

ChrisCarbonell 2009-07-20 07:54:56 2009-07-20 07:54:56

Lopez is enjoying a pretty decent season thus far, compiling a .301/.364/.412 line with six homers, six steals, and 44 runs scored for the lowly Arizona offense. He definitely sees an uptick in value as he joins a far superior Brewers offense that is desperate for a true leadoff hitter. If Lopez is available in your league and you are in need of middle-infield help, he makes a solid add in 12-team formats.

AdamAnsell 2009-07-16 16:59:44 2009-07-16 16:59:44

This doesn't sound very encouraging. The 50-50 projection may be generous. The Padres are undergoing a youth movement and don't want to risk Peavy's future during a lost season. Keep Peavy on the DL for now, but don't expect to see him again until next year.

AdamAnsell 2009-07-16 16:53:52 2009-07-16 16:53:52

Ryan won't threaten Kevin Gregg for save opportunities. Before the Jays cut him last week, Ryan was getting lit up by opposing batters. Monitor his progress, but chances are he's not worth a roster spot.

ChrisCarbonell 2009-07-13 08:46:07 2009-07-13 08:46:07

It sounds like Martinez will sign on as a starting pitcher, though he will need some starts in the minors to gear up for a return to a major league mound. Fantasy owners should not be tripping over themselves to add Pedro, but he's worth tracking during his tune-up outings. If he's blowing minor leaguers away, he would be worth a speculative add. However, caution should be exercised. He's an aging pitcher with diminished stuff who will be pitching his home games in a hitter's paradise.

DanSlevin 2009-07-08 09:29:40 2009-07-08 09:29:40

Konerko is quietly having a very productive season batting .301 with 16 home runs and 57 rbi's. First base is a stacked fantasy position, particularly this year, but in leagues offering Utility spots Konerko can prove extremely useful. He seems to really be hitting his stride of late as well, cracking 6 home runs in his last 13 games. Konerko has been a consistent power source over the years and he should continue to be plenty motivated with the White Sox still vying for a division title.

ChrisCarbonell 2009-07-06 07:45:31 2009-07-06 07:45:31

Hamilton owners in weekly leagues can feel free to activate him for this scoring period, though it should be noted that he hit just .148 in his minor-league rehab stint. Still, Hamilton remains a high-end fantasy asset capable of carrying teams for the remainder of the season. As for Davis, the remaining contingent that had faith in him can feel free to cut ties with the burly corner-infielder. That being said, Davis is someone worth tracking in the minors in case he starts to figure things out. He still possesses terrific power potential and could come back to help the big-league club (and fantasy owners) later in the season.

ChrisCarbonell 2009-07-06 07:39:52 2009-07-06 07:39:52

Hairston does not really gain or lose much value since he's going from one pitcher's park to another, though it should be noted that he was in a great spot in San Diego batting in front of beastly 1B Adrian Gonzalez. Hairston remains a streaky slugger worth starting when he's on a tear.

DanSlevin 2009-07-01 10:05:33 2009-07-01 10:05:33

The time has come for Manny to be Manny once again, albeit steroid free this time around (we assume). Dodger manager Joe Torre expects Ramirez to hit in either the No. 3 or No. 4 spot in the lineup, a spot in which he is very accustomed and should allow him to maximize his run-producing abilities. He didn't swing the bat extremely during his minor league stint, but it's not expected that it will take very long for Ramirez to be fully back in the swing of things. Insert Manny back into your lineup without hesitation.

ChrisCarbonell 2009-06-28 20:41:26 2009-06-28 20:41:26

This is the news that Hamilton's owners have been waiting for. The Texas slugger has the tools to be a prolific stat machine for the remainder of the season, so his fantasy owners are in for a major boost when he returns. Those of you who are not fortunate enough to possess Hamilton should look into trading for him. His value will probably never be lower from here on out, so put out a feeler to see if his current owner is willing to talk.

ChrisCarbonell 2009-06-28 20:32:38 2009-06-28 20:32:38

DeRosa does not gain any value from this move. In fact, one could argue that he'll actually lose value in fantasy since the Indians have scored over 50 more runs than the Cardinals this season. As for Perez, he's not replacing Kerry Wood in the closer's role, so he should be ignored in fantasy.

ChrisCarbonell 2009-06-28 20:22:41 2009-06-28 20:22:41

Beltre was in the throes of a terrible season, one that couldn't have come at a worse time. He is due to become a free agent this winter, and last time he was in that situation he belted 48 HR, drove in 121 RBI, and hit .334 en route to his greatest season ever. He's really not worth carrying on your roster in 12-team mixed leagues while hurt, but keep an eye on him when he returns. He was actually hitting .322 in June before this news broke, so he might be a sneaky add two months from now.