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If you are rocking along strong at 7-0, 6-1, or 5-2 then keep doing what you are doing, and start keeping an eye on week 14, 15, and 16 matchups. You want to be careful and not mess up a winning strategy, but if you have a starter with a horrible matchup in the playoffs, then start looking for a trade that gets you someone with a great matchup. Fantasy championships are won by paying attention to weeks 14-16.

If you are mid pack at 4-3 or 3-4, then continue to battle and tweak your team as needed, but the mantra here is “just win”. You have to keep battling because with these records you will be on the playoff bubble either just in or just out. Don’t take your eye off the future weeks, but you can’t afford a loss right now. Remember-Just win now.

If you are 2-5, 1-6, or 0-7 (I hope not 0-7 for sure) then you are in trouble. In all honesty, unless you have had horrible luck, then your team is probably pretty bad or you have a lot of injuries. If you are 1-6 or 0-7, then you are probably done. Even running the table doesn’t do a lot, but can put you back in play for a final playoff spot by week 13. If you are 2-5, it isn’t quite over, but you can see the light at the end of the tunnel and it is an oncoming train. If you are 2-5, then with the right breaks you can still have playoff hopes. Closing out 5-1 or maybe 4-2 gives you a shot at a final seed playoff spot. Even if it looks bad though, don’t give up and don’t stop submitting a lineup. There is an etiquette to fantasy football and starting the best team possible is one unbreakable rule.

Whatever your current fortunes, keep on fighting, and keep on reading. Good luck this week.

Starts:

Chad Henne – Start Henne this week against Cincinatti. Many teams have Henne as a backup and with all the byes this week, then this is the week to use him. Matt Ryan just had a great game against the Bengals and Henne should also see success.

Jamaal Charles and Thomas Jones – Facing the Bills this week, expect the dynamic duo of Charles and Jones to continue to have success. Owners of both will continue to hope that their back will get more carries, but the timeshare appears in place until one back falters.

Frank Gore – This probably goes without saying, but Gore looks like a super start against Denver. Look for a big game here.

Randy Moss – Something makes me think he is going to want to have a big game against the Patriots. Roll the dice.

Sits:

Michael Crabtree – With Alex Smith out, and the weak Denver rush defense on tap, expect to see a lot of running and not as much passing. Crabtree will not show as much progress this week as recent weeks.

Drew Brees – With some rough recent games under his belt, and the stout Steelers defense on tap I would be putting Brees on the bench. I know that you aren’t supposed to do this, but this week all things look bad.

That is all for now. As always, send in via comments or Twitter with your fantasy football start or sit questions.

Teams with a Week 8 Bye: Falcons, Ravens, Bears, Browns, Giants, Eagles

Steve Johnson, WR, Bills – A hot WR pickup on the wire, Johnson has caught TD passes in each of his last 4 games. With improved QB play for the Bills in recent weeks, Johnson has become a serviceable starter for fantasy owners. He is starting for The Legend this week as a bye week fill in who has the capability to take over a spot in the lineup.

Kenny Brit, WR, Titans – Wow. After that performance last week who can argue with this one. Anytime a WR puts up an over 200 yard performance, then he should be owned in all leagues. Put him on your team for a spot starter.

Matt Cassel, QB, Chiefs – Lose Romo? Need a solid backup or starter? Then get Cassel. He isn’t a superstar, but is solid and the Chiefs appear to be for real. He has a solid running game to support him and he is starting to connect with Bowe.

Jon Kitna, QB, Cowboys – Another lose Romo candidate. Kitna is going to take the helm of an offense with a lot of talent that is fighting for its life. He could be a mid season fantasy gem of a pickup and if not, then is at least a good bye week pickup.

Now get out there and work the wire! Get your team ready to win in week 8.

Questions about who to pickup? Who to trade? Comment on this post or send me a message on Twitter.

Start:
Matt Ryan – Look for a good game from Ryan at home this week. Jenkins is back and in combination with Roddy White will provide a lot of targets. Add in the fact that the Bengals defense is dealing with the absence of key players and you have a great matchup for Ryan to produce.

Joe Flacco – Another great start for a quarterback by committee player. Flacco versus Buffalo is a nice spot for Flacco to do some damage.

Both Thomas Jones and Jamaal Charles – Look for the Chiefs two for one punch to run all over the Jaguars. It is always a little concerning to start a member of a pur committee like this, but expect good numbers from both here with Charles having a little more upside because of his explosiveness.

Sit:

Michael Crabtree – He has been stepping up the last couple games, but wait one more to see if it will stick. The niners will continue to ride the Frank Gore train this week.

Ryan Mathews – It looks like the ankle is still bothering him, the team is struggling, and the solid Patriots rush defense is coming to town this week. If you have been riding him and struggling in the process, then try another option this week.

That is all for now. As always, send in via comments or Twitter with your fantasy football start or sit questions.

Teams with a Week 7 Bye: Lions, Texans, Colts, Jets

Chris Ivory, RB, Saints – With Pierre Thomas out, Ivory is set to carry most of the load in New Orleans and can make a solid pickup for a bye week or injury replacement at the RB position.

Patrick Crayton, WR, Chargers – With V-Jax out, Floyd injured, and even Nanee ailing, Crayton is likely to be the Chargers #1 WR this week and for the near future. If he plays well, holding on to the #2 position seems likely at least.

Deion Branch, WR, Patriots – With his return to the Patriots and an apparent immediate chemistry with Tom Brady, Branch has the opportunity to become an every week starter. If Branch is still available, grab him immediately.

Danario Alexander, WR, Ram – With Mark Clayton going down with an injury, Alexander filled in last week with 72 yards and a TD. There is a lot of risk here since that was only one game and there is no other track record, but if you are starting to believe in the Rams and Sam Bradford, then Alexander could develop into a worthy starter for your team at WR.

Now get out there and work the wire! Get your team ready to win in week 7.

Questions about who to pickup? Who to trade? Comment on this post or send me a message on Twitter.

First, let’s address the impact to Moss himself. Moss’ value should remain relatively unchanged although it may increase some as the Vikings struggling offense will likely try to get Moss involved early to get some juice into the passing game. If you have Moss and were starting him, then continue to do so.

For Brady, I believe this will be a significant impact to his value. Moss was a big physical receiver who could win jump balls and stretch the field. Drawing regular double coverage Moss opened up the field for other receivers. With the solid receiving corps that is left there are no playmakers of Moss’ ability and Brady will remain a top starting QB, but is no longer a super stud like he was before.

For Favre, this could be the shot in the arm he needs. He gains what Brady is losing – a big physical receiver who can stretch the field. Expect to see Favre target Moss early and in large numbers to keep him happy and motivated. Favre’s numbers should improve with Moss on board.

Other Patriot WR’s and TE’s – Welker may see more targets and possession receptions and Aaron Hernandez and Brandon Tate will see increased targets as well, but the passing game overall will suffer.

BenJarvus Green-Ellis – Expect to see a slight increase in running the ball compared to with Moss. BJGE should be the main beneficiary of this and continue to post solid numbers.

Other Viking WR’s and TE’s – Expect to see Harvin and Shiancoe see a pickup in value as the field opens up as defenses have to plan for Moss now.

Adrian Peterson – Another beneficiary as teams will have to respect the pass more which should open up more running lanes for Peterson.

Here is to hoping that the Moss trade works out to the best for your fantasy football team.

Teams with a Week 5 Bye: Dolphins, Patriots, Steelers, Seahawks

Sam Bradford – If bye weeks or injuries have left you with a hole at QB, then Bradford could help your team. While a rookie QB isn’t what you hope to be left with, Bradford has played well in his last few starts and faces a 49ers defense that is less than stellar against the pass. He could make for a good bye week start here and maybe even a matchup play considering some of his divisional oppponents.

Michael Bush – This Raider will make a horrible start in week 5 against a hot Chargers defensive unit. However, with Darren McFadden injured again, and the Raiders offense showing some signs of life, then feel comfortable taking Bush for use in future weeks before someone else gets him.

Ryan Torain – While I don’t love him, Torain stands a good chance of being the starting RB for Washington for the balance of the fantasy football season. If you have injuries at RB that leave you thin, then grab Torain as an insurance policy and someone who will make a good spot starter.

Mike Tolbert – I would like to see one more game with Ryan Mathews healthy before picking up Tolbert, but for now it looks like Norv Turner will be utilizing Tolbert for a share of the carries on a strong San Diego offensive unit. And if the mix of carries continues to run as it did last week, then Tolbert is a must add player. If you think that last week was indicative of the Charger’s running plan for the rest of the season, then grab Tolbert now.

BenJarvus Green-Ellis – If he is by chance still there in your league then go and get him now especially after his followup strong performance on Monday Night Football. The fact that he is on a bye this week may enable you to pick him up cheaply and if so, do it in anticipation of rewards the rest of the season.

Now get out there and work the wire! Get your team ready to win in week 5.

Questions about who to pickup? Who to trade? Comment on this post or send me a message on Twitter.

For the third time this year, a big game hung in the balance for The Legend and something had to either happen (or not happen) in order to win the game. Once known as the king of Monday night for a solid streak of luck, this year MNF isn’t being as kind with a 1-2 record on Monday call outs including painful losses of 2 and 5 points.

But those are the breaks and running into high point teams and tough weeks are part of the game that we must fight through. Even with this pain, all of our relevant teams are solidly in the middle to top of their respective divisions and well on the way to a playoff berth. Keep in mind that making it to the playoffs is one of the most important goals in fantasy as you are evaluating your performance at any given point in the season.

Ok, let’s recover and move on to next week. New posts coming up soon.

First, let me get this out of the way and say congratulations on your home win today to get back on track in a big way after the embarrassing loss to the Seahawks last week. Great defensive performance that us fantasy football owners love to see when we own that defense in one of our leagues.

However, Norv, we have got to talk about the horrible travesty that we saw today in regards to the usage of Ryan Mathews. Norv, it brought me to tears. Here we have a 1st round draft pick coming off an injury in a game that could be used to establish him as the team’s primary runner and you give him the rock 9 times! Only nine carries and one little bitty screen pass? What in the world is going on in San Diego? I mean, you were playing the Cardinals at home. I don’t get it.

After tuning in late and seeing that Tolbert had 16 carries to Mathews 3 (yes, that is correct…. 6 of Mathews carries, including the Touchdown run came in garbage time) I was in utter shock and assumed Mathews had been hurt. But no, Norv, that wasn’t the case. It was only his coach that could contain him. Please explain to the countless fantasy owners who were salivating at the thought of Mathews with 20-25 carries against the Cardinals what you were thinking. I mean look what he did with his 10 touches. On his 4th carry, busting a 15 yard TD run. On his one and only catch running for a 13 yard pickup on a screen. Another one of the carries broke for 20 yards. This is an explosive runner demanding to be let free and run the ball.

Coach, we can only ask you to please look at the evidence at hand and use Mathews as you said you would originally. As a feature back with majority carries. To have him ride the pine and get garbage carries while Tolbert carries the load is an embarrassment to the game and to the millions of fantasy owners out there who rely on Mathews is it a sacrilege. Please come to your senses and end this sad state of affairs at once.

Sincerely,

The Legend (one of many shocked Ryan Mathews owners)

Byes for this week: Dallas Cowboys, Kansas City Chiefs, Minnesota Vikings, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Start of the Week:
Ryan Mathews – Fantasy owners please prepare. This is the moment that all Mathews owners have been waiting for. That being a rested and healed Mathews ready to lead a fired up and embarrassed San Diego team back to the victory circle this week. Facing the terrible Cardinals run defense expect to see Mathews featured early and often. If the game becomes a blowout he may get a little early rest, but don’t discount the over 100 yards and 2 TD’s that he will have a solid shot at delivering this week. This week reveals Mathews break out potential and will make up for the first three games.

Start:
Michael Vick, Matt Ryan, and Chad Henne’s matchups this week highlight the virtues of the quarterback by committee draft strategy. These guys all went late in drafts (The Legend obtained both Ryan and Henne after the 9th round in drafts) and all will deliver this week. Vick and Ryan are as hot as they come, and Henne appears to be coming into his own as evidenced by the game last week. Start any of these guys with a good feeling in week 4.

Bruce Gradkowski and Louis Murphy – Although Murphy is listed as questionable, he is expected to start and play against the Texans this week in a great matchup for the Raiders passing game. If you followed the advice on this site and picked up either of these guys for your team, then the Texans and their dreadful pass defense are an enticing way to welcome them to your team. Start these two players and expect some big hookups in this game.

All Green Bay Packers and Philadelphia Eagles players – For any Packer and Eagles players on your team this week, expect to get a lot of fantasy love. Expect both of these teams to dominate their opponents and put up big offensive numbers in the process. I expect more from the passing games than the running games and would act accordingly, but Aaron Rodgers, Michael Vick, Jeremy Maclin, DeSean Jackson, Greg Jennings, and Jermichal Finley are some serious studs this week.

Sit:

Michael Crabtree – Once again keep him firmly on your bench until he shows a decent game on the field. Due to his draft position people keep starting him, but better options abound on the waiver wire in most leagues. Hopefully in a few games the new San Francisco offensive coordinator will have some spark that will help Crabtree out.
Mike Wallace – A preseason favorite (and still favorite) of The Legend, this isn’t the week to start him. Expect a field goal fest in a tough division battle with the Ravens this week and rest him accordingly.
Larry Fitzgerald – Maybe you can’t rest him based on where you drafted him, but think about it. He is facing a mad as hell San Diego defense this week and has no supporting cast to speak of. Seriously temper any expectations if you must start him. Going out on a limb, we are going to project him with less than 60 yards receiving and 0 TD’s. If you agree, then there are better options available.

That is all for now. As always, send in via comments or Twitter with your fantasy football start or sit questions.

Miami has given up good games to tight ends and Hernandez has played well with 13 catches this season. If you need quick tight end help, go to the waiver wire and grab Hernandez who is available in many leagues.

Hernandez is a good start this week and should pick up some nice yardage with a good chance for his first score as well. I am very optimistic about his chances against Miami.

I have a claim in on him myself so am putting my team where my post is. Let’s hope that no one else in my league has a claim in!

Ryan Mathews is being reported in all news feeds and shows as feeling great and as ready and expected to start this week against Arizona.

For owners like me who own Ryan Mathews in multiple fantasy leagues and have been fighting through the weeks while he has been injured this is great news. The fact that he is coming back against a suspect Cardinals run defense is even better news.

I for one just switched him back into the starting RB2 role for my teams that he is on and I am expecting a solid game out of Mathews this week. With a lot of other RB’s starting to be out for both injuries and bye weeks, Mathews’ return is music to the ears of his fantasy owners.

We are still sold here on Mathews as San Diego’s solid #1 RB and are looking for the Chargers to come out fighting hard after last week’s embarassing loss to Seattle and try to roll right over the Cardinals.

Keep an eye on the injury reports as the week progresses as a precaution, but get Mathews active in all formats is this owner’s recommendation.

Let’s get it out there upfront. If you are 0-3, then you are in a big hole. In most leagues, this means that you need to go 7-3 and at worst, 6-4 for the balance of the season to make the playoffs. That is a tough task in any case, and especially with a team that has started off 0-3.

For an 0-2 team, the counsel is patience and thorough evaluation. The same holds true for an 0-3 team of course, but the situation is more urgent and some action needs to be taken whether that is a trade or a pickup or any sort of roster shakeup to get a new starting lineup on the field.

First, take a deep breath and evaluate where you are. Are you scoring a lot of points, but hitting the high point man every week? If so, then you are just looking for the luck to turn your way and you very well could go on a 7-3 or better run. For those teams, continue as normal. For all other teams that are 0-3, there are probably some obvious weaknesses and with bye weeks starting in week 4 they may be compounded.

Look for other teams that are hurting at a position you have strength at and try to make a trade favorable to your team. Do the same thing for a team with a critical starter on a bye week and no solid replacement. Don’t necessarily give up your #1 player, but make a deal that improves your team and gets you favored to win now this week and make it happen.

Run, do not walk, to the waiver wire and start looking for improvements for your skill positions and look for matchup starts for the week at hand. Grab a starting hot wide receiver playing a low ranked passing defense (Louis Murphy anyone?). Get a new RB or QB to play for you to cover the bye week, but go get something that can enable you to win.

I want to say that it isn’t over yet just because you are 0-3, but it is critical that you get a win this week. Don’t panic, but go do something to improve your team and get a win. Don’t give up and keep swinging.

As mentioned last week, but worth repeating again is the following story of The Legend’s team that started out 2-4 that will hopefully help motivate any of you unlucky enough to be 0-3.

One season a few years ago my premier fantasy team in my premier fantasy league started off not just 0-2, but after 6 games was only at a paltry 2-4 and last in my division. The playoffs seemed like a oh so distant memory, the Fantasy Super Bowl seemed impossible, and the climb up was going to be painful just to get some respect back. However, this was a solid fantasy football team that had scored good points, hit some high point teams, and been hurt by injuries and byes. By the meat of the fantasy season in week 12, we had spun it around and gone on a 4-2 run fueled by some key pickups and the luck turning a little bit our way. At 6-6 we needed one more win to have a shot at the playoffs and were playing another 6-6 team with the winner taking home a playoff spot and the loser likely to sit it out. Yes, you can guess how it turned out and my team won and made it to the playoffs. At that point, my team was on fire and the next three playoff games were all won by double digit margins including a crushing Fantasy Super Bowl win in a blowout over my opponent.

Keep that story in mind as you worry about your team at 0-3 and even remember it if your luck stays bad and you end up at 2-4. It is never over until you are mathematically eliminated from the playoffs which usually doesn’t happen until late in the fantasy football season.

Best of luck to those 0-3 teams and keep on fighting. Don’t give up.

Peyton Hillis – What a monster game against the Ravens and their stout defense. Having earned the starter role and relegating Harrison to backup duty, Hillis is a good add who can be used to help out in bye weeks or as an injury fill in and with one more performance like that, even a RB2. He will be a hot commodity on the waiver wire and should become owned in all leagues.

BenJarvus Green-Ellis – Do we finally have a solid #1 RB in New England? With the injury and trade of Faulk and Maroney and the downhill slide of Taylor, “The Law Firm” has become the second hottest pickup this week after Hillis. If he can maintain his hold on the starting role and keep the majority of carries, then he has a chance to rise to a RB2 as well. At present, he is another strong candidate for a bye week hero. He should be owned in all leagues.

Louis Murphy – Amazing what a few weeks can do right? Another Raider suggested for a pickup here. Murphy is clicking with Gradkowski right now and has strung together some solid performances. If you need WR help, he is likely to be the best option out there on the wire right now. If you only need him for one week, he has a spectacular matchup to gain receiving yards this week with the Houston Texans pass defense on tap.

Bonus pickup: If you need a one week spot starter, go grab Gradkowski for the same reasons as Murphy above. He could also be decent bench material as a backup if you have a deep league and are thin at QB. I am not sure I am ready to pitch him too hard just yet until I see him in more action and get a read on his TD/INT ratio, but for this week, he is gold. Tony Romo owners looking for a bye week starter take note of Gradkowski.

Now get out there and work the wire! Get your team ready to win in week 4.

Questions about who to pickup? Who to trade? Comment on this post or send me a message on Twitter.

Start:
Michael Vick (and his WR’s)-As the starting QB at Philly on a hot streak expect a lot of success against a less than stellar Jags pass defense. Rank Jackson and Maclin higher accordingly.
Carson Palmer (and his WR’s)-Look for Palmer to have his best game of the season this week against a Panthers’ defense that leaves something to be desired. Look for a solid game with at least two touchdowns. Start Ochocinco and think about Owens accordingly.
Darren McFadden-Wait, someone is fantasy relevant on the Raiders? Yes, McFadden is looking like a bright spot, especially against what is likely to be a generous Cardinals’ run defense.
All Green Bay Packers-For any Packer players on your team, Monday Night Football should be an especially fun treat this week. Expect the Packers to score early and often with resulting big numbers for the offensive starters. This could be the week that picking up Brandon Jackson pays dividends for his new owners.

Sit:
Jamaal Charles-For whatever reason, the Chiefs coaching staff is still focusing the game plan around Thomas Jones in the running game. Until some clarity on Charles’ role is found it can only be hoped that you have a better option. Especially since Charles was likely drafted at a position for your team based on being the starter.
Michael Crabtree-Another underperformer based on his draft position and preseason expectations. Keep him firmly on your bench until he shows a decent game on the field.
Jahvid Best-So far, Best has been an overperformer and has made his owners very happy. Against a solid Vikings rush defense playing at home in what many are calling a must win game for Minnesota I would be sitting Best.
All Seahawks and all Bills. It is likely that you have better options than Evans, Spiller/Jackson/Davis, Hasselbeck, and any other starters on these teams and make sure and use those other options this week for sure.

That is all for now. As always, send in via comments or Twitter with your fantasy football start or sit questions.

Eli Manning faces a tough Tennessee Titan defense coming off a hard fought game with Pittsburgh. The Giants are at home, but will be trying to cope with the embarrassing loss to the Colts in week 2 and can be expected to run the ball even more than usual to control the game. Tennessee should keep Eli under relative control and with the Giants running more of a ball control offense in what should be a low scoring game expect Eli’s numbers to suffer.

Carson Palmer on the other hand does have to go on the road to play his game, but will be facing the lackluster defense of the Carolina Panthers when he gets there. Pumped up from a strong divisional win over their rival the Baltimore Ravens in week 2, expect Palmer and his team of offensive weapons to come out firing. Look for Palmer to over perform this week with at least 250 and 2 TD’s with upside reaching 300 and 3 TD’s. Ochocinco and Owens should have good days catching the ball from Palmer.

Based on the opinion above it is recommended to start Carson Palmer over Eli Manning in week 3. Use your own analysis and poke holes in this as you see fit, but my vote goes to Palmer by a large margin this week.

Demaryius Thomas, Denver WR – With a solid week 2 performance Thomas has made his impact in Denver’s offense known. With under rated QB Kyle Orton throwing him the ball and getting him a lot of targets, Thomas is a solid pickup for any team needing assistance at WR. With one of my teams needing help at WR he is on my target list this week if no one else takes him that has a waiver wire priority. Thomas could end up being a waiver wire steal and at worst should be a solid WR for a bye week or matchup exploitation.

Michael Vick, Philadelphia QB – Yes, make that the new Philly starting QB. Vick is a must pickup for any Kolb owners, and is a solid pickup for anybody without a solid starting or even backup QB. With two strong performances already under his belt this season including a very impressive week 2 performance look for Vick to put up the numbers that we thought Kolb would put up. With a lot of weapons and a coach who loves to pass, Vick has come full circle and will be a hot commodity for any owners with priority on the waiver wire.

Keep him in mind:

Mark Clayton, Rams WR – After a solid week one outing, Clayton only had two catches in week 2, but both were for touchdowns. If he is still available in your league and you need WR help he is another candidate like Thomas above to help your team.

Now get out there and work the wire!

What is it? Why starting 0-2 in your fantasy football league. For the serious fantasy player this is a horrible way to spend the first two games of a season you have looked forward to for months. After hours of research and preparing for and having the perfect fantasy draft it has all come crashing down on you. Or that is what you think. It seems like the season is over and all those hopes of the Fantasy Super Bowl have been replaced with just hoping you don’t get the first draft pick next year. Believe me, I have been there before, and will probably be there again. Luckily this season I have managed to avoid the 0-2 start in my fantasy leagues, but rest assured it isn’t the end of the season if you haven’t been able to avoid it. However, if you overreact, it could be. Read on for some tips. (and a great comeback story of one of my championship teams for inspiration)

Tip #1 – Do a solid re-evaluation of your fantasy team’s players, but don’t make panic trades or pickups. Assuming you are a competent team manager, then you probably had a decent draft. Take a look at your team and look for weakness. Did your concern about WR depth come true? If so, look at the waiver wire for someone to improve, but keep focused on your team’s strengths. Don’t trade your solid QB for the hot WR for example just to try to change things up. Look for other teams you can make a value trade with, but keep it fair for both sides.

Tip #2 – Evaluate your luck factor. Yes, none of us really like to admit it, but luck does factor in to our game of choice. Have you been a consistent high scorer, but met up with the 1st or 2nd high point team in those games? If so, then relax and wait for the fantasy luck to revert your way a little bit. If your fantasy team is performing well, and you have been getting some bad breaks, then just hang in there and keep starting those good scorers. Maybe you have been hit by some key injuries or a top player was out after the 1st quarter of a game. If so, then those are the breaks. Respond accordingly by filling weakness at those positions on the wire, but keep swinging away.

Tip #3 – Always keep playing. Don’t give up and get discouraged and throw in the towel. You never ever want to become one of these fantasy losers who goes on autopilot and doesn’t even have a chance to win, and in the process damages the league and their own reputation. Start a lineup each week with the best players available to you.

To punctuate this advice, a story from The Legend’s own archives will hopefully be inspiring. One season a few years ago my premier fantasy team in my premier fantasy league started off not just 0-2, but after 6 games was only at a paltry 2-4 and last in my division. The playoffs seemed like a oh so distant memory, the Fantasy Super Bowl seemed impossible, and the climb up was going to be painful just to get some respect back. However, this was a solid fantasy football team that had scored good points, hit some high point teams, and been hurt by injuries and byes. By the meat of the fantasy season in week 12, we had spun it around and gone on a 4-2 run fueled by some key pickups and the luck turning a little bit our way. At 6-6 we needed one more win to have a shot at the playoffs and were playing another 6-6 team with the winner taking home a playoff spot and the loser likely to sit it out. Yes, you can guess how it turned out and my team won and made it to the playoffs. At that point, my team was on fire and the next three playoff games were all won by double digit margins including a crushing Fantasy Super Bowl win in a blowout over my opponent.

Keep that story in mind as you worry about your team at 0-2 and even remember it if your luck stays bad and you end up at 2-4. It is never over until you are mathematically eliminated from the playoffs which usually doesn’t happen until late in the fantasy football season.

Good luck to all of you and wishes for all fantasy success.

With his early score, over 100 yards rushing, and solid receiving yardage totals he put me over the top early in the 2nd half. He was my first round pick in the league in question, and after a week one stinker put up the type of game he was drafted to play. Here is to the hope that the rest of the season resembles week 2 Frank Gore and not week 1 Frank Gore.

Kudos to all the fantasy players out there and a big thumbs up to Frank Gore! Let’s get ready to play week 3 now. Be back later this week with some comments and advice.

Who was your savior this week in fantasy football? Sound off in the comments.

Start:
Brandon Jackson – The most picked up player in fantasy with the loss of Ryan Grant. Start him against the Bills with confidence.
Jamaal Charles – Expect Charles to gain confidence with each game and show why Thomas Jones should sit on the sidelines unless he needs a rest. Look for explosive runs and 2 TD’s from Charles this week.
All Eagles – They are still the Lions defense until proven otherwise.
Chris Johnson – Normally a no-brainer, some people are asking about him because he is facing the tough Steelers’ Defense. Let me state advice that will sometimes hurt, but won’t leave you crying in your beer when Johnson explodes. Start him no matter the opponent. Even if he has a tough game, his potential to break one is too great.

Sit:
Bengals – Facing the Ravens’ Defense in their always tough division matchups sit Palmer, Ochocinco, and the Bengals other offensive skill players this week.
Michael Crabtree – Man that was an ugly week one. I was high on Crabtree in preseason and own him on teams, but he is riding my bench until he proves last week wasn’t a fluke. You likely have viable options other than Crabtree for this week. Use them.
Matt Forte – While he could be a solid start, I am not ready to buy on this one. I think he is setup for a comedown week this week and am going to go out and recommend putting him on the sidelines if you have other options at runningback this week. Something tells me the Cowboys are going to come out playing hard and with something to prove this week.
Randy Moss – Revis Island. Need I say more. Sit him and feel good about it. He no longer qualifies for must start status.

That is all for now. As always, send in via comments or Twitter with your fantasy football start or sit questions.

In almost all leagues it would be normal for Jackson to be available unless a Grant owner has him handcuffed. If he is available in your league then go and put in your claim for him. Unless you are needing serious help at another position more than RB stashing someone with the potential of Jackson on as good a team as Green Bay is a winning proposition.

With a good supporting cast on offense, expect Jackson to at least give a good go at filling in Grant’s shoes and he is likely to develop into a solid #2 RB this season so feel free to grab him in any and all leagues.

A solid fantasy draft is just the first part of a successful fantasy football season. Injuries to players open opportunities to pick up a starter on the waiver wire or free agency almost weekly. Undrafted players who surprise once the season starts are another source of potential starting talent. Work the waiver wire in your league and keep building your team all season long.

Hopefully especially for me as even with all of the ugly in this week’s games, with a good game from Mathews on Monday night then there is still a hope of victory for my teams.

I would imagine most people are starting all their Chargers this week, as Rivers, Floyd, and Gates along with Mathews should perform well against the Kansas City Chiefs. What has transpired so far this week does make me a little wary as the performances by the Lions and Rams show that there is a reason why they play the games versus just pick a winner based on the paper matchups.

Here is hoping that all of you had a better week to open your fantasy season. It is always better to have your game locked going into Monday night even if at times it is exciting to squeak out a Monday night victory!

The risk here is that the ground game becomes so effective that Henne’s upside is limited, but on the other hand that may make the passing plays more effective and help sell any play-action passing plays. I don’t expect this to happen and think we will see a balanced offense as Henne and Marshall work on their timing.

Henne will be piloting one of my own teams this week as the other option Matt Ryan is facing a tough matchup. These are the types of tough decisions that will be faced each week by owners who drafted their team with a quarterback by committee approach, but the payoffs at season’s end should be worthwhile.

I am looking for Henne to end up with somewhere around 220 yards and 2 TD’s which will make me happy with his performance.

Good luck this week!

Expect a nice amount of points to go on the board from both teams and start all key skill position players for both teams that are not injured unless you have a very solid matchup elsewhere.

Look for both starting QB’s Brees and Favre to have good games and start the #1 WR’s accordingly. We should see strong games from both RB’s as well so put Thomas and Peterson into action.

I wish their was more decision making involved in this opener so that there was more analysis to provide, but the NFL is making this one an easy one to start with.

Starts/Sits:
Vikings – Start Favre, Peterson, and Harvin with confidence. Start Shiancoe with confidence unless he is your 2nd TE then evaluate the matchup, but this is favorable for him. I am sitting any other Vikings WR’s until I see them play a few games.

Saints – Start Brees, Thomas, and Colston with confidence. Feel free to take a chance on a Saints secondary WR if you must, but with no bye weeks, I am thinking you will have better options. I am also sitting Shockey here unless I have a bad matchup with my other TE or he is all I have.

Joe Flacco just received some very interesting news. With the addition of TJ Housh coming over from Seattle, his already bolstered receiving corps (added Anguan Boldin in the offseason) just got better. With the addition of Housh, and the always solid Derrick Mason still on the team the Ravens offense has a lot of weapons. Look for Flacco to make great strides again this season and make a lot of fantasy owners very happy for putting their faith in him. With Ray Rice an additional receiving threat out of the backfield, Flacco’s cup runneth over.

Matt Ryan has a solid supporting cast in Atlanta as well. With Roddy White as his #1 WR and the old reliable Tony Gonzalez as his TE Ryan will have solid targets to throw to as well. Of concern here is the type of back that Michael Turner is. Expect Turner to be used more as a rusher than a receiver thus limiting Ryan in comparison to Flacco there. Also of concern is that the Falcons may try to focus on a more run oriented offense which has been mentioned in some analysis. Ryan should still put up solid numbers especially for his draft position, but there will be games that he will definitely need to sit on your bench.

Flacco gets the nod in the last edition of the Fantasy Football faceoff of the fantasy draft season. Look for him to have a good year throwing to a lot of good receivers on a new and improved Ravens’ offense.

With a great draft room, solid user interface, and reliable online scoring CBS Sports is a solid choice for your league management needs.

It is NFL time and fantasy season is almost upon us. And while many of us enjoy a good college football game, for a lot of us, college football on Saturday is just a warmup for Sunday and just maybe we can consider it early scouting if we are in a dynasty league! For those of us who are fair weather college football fans, pull out the College of Fantasy Football hooded sweatshirt and show where your true allegiance lies… to your fantasy team that plays on Sundays! Football season means cooler weather ahead. Be prepared.

If your draft is already in the books, then start thinking about who to start next week. Look at injuries and the final preseason game reports. Start throwing out the trash talk to your week one opponent and enjoy the revelry.

If you haven’t drafted yet, then you are still in draft research mode and with access to more data from all the preseason games there is some advantage to a later draft. If that is the case, then dig around over the last several weeks of draft research and data on this site and get prepared to dominate your draft on the road to a championship.

With both of my drafts in the books, the only question for me right now is whether to join another public league and have another draft or just go with the two teams and leagues that I have. Two is light for me, but at this point with two teams I really like that may be what I go with for the year, but no one be surprised if another team gets drafted and posted in the next few days.

Vikings and Saints in one week. That one should be fun with a lot of fantasy starters on the field including almost all the main skill position players for both teams. What a nice way to start the season.