The Mann Report

Who's Hot and Who's Not for Week 11

2009-11-20T05:31:00.000-08:00

It's week 11, and there are no byes this week or any weeks going forward! We're closing in on the playoffs, so start checking out your matchups for weeks 14-16, dependent on when your playoffs lie, especially focusing on the championship game.

Due to time restrictions these days (if only I could write this blog for a living), the entries may not be as long as they used to be, but the advice is just as sound!

Start 'Em!

Quarterback:

Matthew Stafford (DET) vs. Cleveland

All that really needs to be known here is that Stafford is facing the Cleveland Browns. That team is bad mix of sad, pathetic and confused. In addition, Stafford's chemistry with star receiver Calvin Johnson seems to be back in play after last week's great outing between the rookie and Megatron. Expect Stafford to post better numbers than the below-mentioned David Garrard, Joe Flacco and Jay Cutler this week at the very least.

The Line: 34 attempts, 25 completions, 246 yards passing, 2 passing touchdowns

Running Backs:

Brandon Jacobs (NYG) vs. Atlanta

The Giants Big Bad Bruiser should enjoy a grand day against the not-so-great Falcons defense. Once touted as an up-and-coming threat defensively, the Falcons have failed to live up to such ideals. Though he'll still be sharing time with Ahmad Bradshaw, Jacobs should still punish the Atlanta defensive line and grab a touchdown to boot.

The Line: 15 carries, 62 yards rushing, 2 rushing touchdowns

Beanie Wells (ARI) vs. St. Louis

This talented rookie should be more widely owned. He's clearly the more talented back for Arizona, who is capable of breaking tackles and bouncing around like a human pinball to get the score. With the dreamiest of matchups against St. Louis, Wells should be used extensively once the game gets to its later stages. He is certainly better at clock control football than Tim Hightower and continues to improve in the passing game, though that is definitely where he loses touches to Hightower. I would play Wells over any back who has a scary matchup this week, such as the ones listed below as sits.

The Line: 17 carries, 103 yards rushing, 1 rushing touchdown, 2 receptions, 20 yards receiving

Ricky Williams (MIA) vs. Carolina

Bye-bye Ronnie Brown. We will miss you. Hello Ricky! Moving forward from the season-ending injury to Brown, the Dolphins will likely be looking to Williams as their primary ball-carrier, with Lex Hillard stealing some of the work. It will be a different ball game without the pass threat of Ronnie Brown, but ol' Ricky has proven himself a more than capable feature back this season. His matchup against Carolina this week is a good one, especially since Miami will have to avoid passing even more than usual against the surprisingly tough Panthers pass defense. This week will determine if Williams is a top-10 back going forward, so pay attention if you own him.

The Line: 22 carries, 96 yards rushing, 1 rushing touchdown

Wide Receivers:

Steve Breaston (ARI) vs. St. Louis

Though everyone talks about Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin, Breaston is creeping up the ranks as an unbelievably strong third option. Fantasy players have gotten some great outings from him and should feel free to play Breaston against St. Louis. While the Rams are busy trying to blanket Fitzgerald and Boldin, Breaston will be running free. It wouldn't be surprising at all if Breaston posted 70+ yards and a touchdown.

The Line: 5 receptions, 72 yards receiving, 1 receiving touchdown

Nate Burleson (SEA) vs. Minnesota

The Minnesota defense may crush the run, but that means there is some sacrifice through the air, as teams are forced to throw the ball. Expect that to be advantageous towards Burleson who has become a definite second option to T.J. Houshmandzadeh. He should post playable numbers this week and should overtake other number two options on the boards who have tougher matchups.

The Line: 6 receptions, 87 yards receiving

Tight End:

Brent Celek (PHI) vs. Chicago

The experts certainly called it right when they said Celek was the major sleeper at tight end this year. He's been a consistent producer who has a few big games here and there to further his value. There's no good reason not to play Celek over big names such as Antonio Gates and Jason Witten. To top it all off, the Bears have trouble with tight ends, further increasing Celek's value and placing him in must-start territory for the tight end position.

The Line: 8 receptions, 91 yards receiving

Sit 'Em...

Quarterback:

David Garrard (JAC) vs. Buffalo

A lot of players have got Garrard sitting on their team and use him for matchup play. I want to officially put an end to this idea. I've purged Garrard from all my team due to his striking inconsistencies. The Jaguars offense will have to keep it on the ground against an interception heavy Bills defense. Garrard may see the end zone once, but his chances of throwing picks are much stronger, especially with the ball-hunting rookie Jairus Byrd in the secondary for Buffalo.

The Line: 29 attempts, 14 completions, 184 yards passing, 3 interceptions, 3 carries, 10 yards rushing

Running Backs:

Marshawn Lynch (BUF) vs. Jacksonville

While the Jaguars defense can be picked on from time to time, at home they can be a tough unit, especially on the ground. It seems that Fred Jackson is the more exciting back for Buffalo, while Lynch is simply the higher-paid option. Though Lynch may be seeing a heftier workload in traditional forms, Jackson is the go-to back for the Wildcat formation, which should be a bigger factor for the Bills going forward. This week, Lynch will look even more mortal than usual between losing touches and facing a stout front seven.

The Line: 12 carries, 35 yards rushing

Ryan Grant (GB) vs. San Francisco

The Packers offense is obviously pass-centric with Aaron Rodgers at the helm. Though Grant is the obvious starter for them, he is losing touches to Ahman Green and Brandon Jackson. In the red zone, things are rather unpredictable and San Francisco is a tough team to run against. This week, bench Grant in favor of a better matchup play or strong second-stringer, such as Jonathon Stewart or Ahmad Bradshaw.

The Line: 18 carries, 67 yards rushing, 2 receptions, 9 yards receiving

Joseph Addai (IND) vs. Baltimore

Addai is a tough back to play already, due to his unpredictability, but this week you can lean on the stingy Ravens defense to put a stopper on the back. It's unlikely that Addai will see significant gains against Baltimore and the Colts will have to keep the ball in the hands of their holiest treasure, Peyton Manning, in order to secure their 11th win. Unless Addai suddenly becomes the front man for a Wildcat formation, only play him in tasty matchups.

The Line: 11 carries, 38 yards rushing, 1 reception, 16 yards receiving

Wide Receivers:

Roy Williams (DAL) vs. Washington

This receiver just puts a bad taste on the tongue of every fantasy football player. Though he did offer up some surprises, there is no good reason to gamble on Williams against the stalwart Washington pass defense. Williams will have a rough day against the divisional rival and could be shut down entirely, even with Miles Austin suffering double-coverage. Don't gamble on the Dallas Diva.

The Line: 2 receptions, 30 yards receiving

Devin Hester (CHI) vs. Philadelphia

One of the main reasons to bench Hester is due to his quarterback this week. Cutler is coming off of a horrendous performance and now has to face the Eagles defense. The likelihood of him forcing passes and throwing interceptions is the same likelihood that Adrian Peterson has yet another successful fantasy outing for owners. It's going to happen, with his receiving corps suffering along with him. Hester should be very limited in his unfavorable matchup versus Asante Samuel. There are better options out there, so sit Hester.

The Line: 3 receptions, 42 yards receiving

Tight End:

Kellen Winslow (TB) vs. New Orleans

Sure he's a star and all that good stuff, but the going will be tough for the Bucs against the Saints this week. While the Saints seem to fluctuate from week to week, they won't underestimate Josh Freeman and company, which means bad things for Winslow. Though he'll still likely see some targets and receptions, his day won't be as productive as most others, making him a flex play at best.

The Line: 4 receptions, 33 yards receiving

See Them Run, Oh How They Run!

2009-11-16T04:03:00.000-08:00

This Sunday featured eleven 100+ yard rushers. Not all of them grabbed a touchdown, but all were worth plenty of points in most standard leagues. Let's take a look at their stats.

Name (Team): Carries - Yards - Yards per carry - Touchdown(s)

Adrian Peterson (MIN): 18 - 133 - 7.4 - 2

Chris Johnson (TEN): 26 - 132 - 5.1 - 2

Steven Jackson (STL): 26 - 131 - 5.0 - 1

Justin Forsett (SEA): 17 - 123 - 7.2 - 1

Maurice Jones-Drew (JAC): 24 - 123 - 5.1 - 1

Michael Bush (OAK): 14 - 119 - 8.5 - 0

Ladell Betts (WAS): 26 - 114 - 4.4 - 1

Michael Turner (ATL): 9 - 111 - 12.3 - 0

Frank Gore (SF): 25 - 104 - 4.2 - 1

Jamaal Charles (KC): 18 - 103 - 5.7 - 1

Ricky Williams (MIA): 20 - 102 - 5.1 - 0

At least half of the above running backs should be started by 80% of teams. Every week there are surprises and players that will be swept up off the waiver wire. Some you should avoid, some are worthwhile. From the above, take a good hard look at Jamaal Charles and a lighter look at Justin Forsett. Julius Jones left the game with an injury, leaving Forsett to very ably fill in for him. Against the tough Arizona run defense, Forsett excelled and there may be some turnover for the Seahawks in the backfield, but Jamaal Charles should have solidified his starting role this week. There will be a couple duds going forward, but he's a worthwhile flex option in most leagues.

Always start a few of the above; namely Adrian Peterson, Chris Johnson, Maurice Jones-Drew and Michael Turner. They will rarely disappoint you.

Week 10 (2009) Sunday Happenings

2009-11-15T06:45:00.000-08:00

First Matchups of Sunday:
Atlanta vs. Carolina
Tampa Bay vs. Miami
Detroit vs. Minnesota
Jacksonville vs. New York Jets
Cincinnati vs. Pittsburgh
New Orleans vs. St. Louis
Buffalo vs. Tennessee
Denver vs. Washington

Second Matchups of Sunday:
Kansas City vs. Oakland
Seattle vs. Arizona
Dallas vs. Green Bay
Philadelphia vs. San Diego

Pre-game:

As always, check http://www.nfl.com/injuries for full injury listings.
Game to Watch: Cincinnati vs. Pittsburgh
Everyone is scared of whether or not to start the injured DeAngelo Williams. Will he rebound from the injury or will the ball be in the hands of Jake Delhomme and Jonathon Stewart? Update: Williams is active for the game, but I would favor Stewart in production this week.

First Matchups:

First Blood: Kyle Orton to a wide open Brandon Marshall for a huge touchdown. Washington's pass defense doesn't look so tough now. It's the first opening drive touchdown for Denver this year. They want this one.
Maurice Jones-Drew does all te work on Jacksonville's opening drive, capping it with a 33-yard touchdown run.
Atlanta will have to do it on the ground, which is fine after watching Michael Turner break a 40-yard run, though the Falcons have to settle for a field goal in the end.
The Lions holdoff the downfield march, leaving the Vikings with three points on the board.
The Play No One Saw Coming: Direct snap to Fred Jackson who airs it out 27 yards to Lee Evans for a touchdown. I'm confused. Really, really confused. There's no predicting some things and this was definitely one of them.
Why do you start Ronnie Brown every week? 'Cause he breaks 45-yard runs and caps off that drive with a touchdown.
Jason Campbell has a touchdown today after a pummeling drive, connecting with tight end Todd Yoder. It doesn't do any good for those folks who picked up and started Fred Davis. When did this year's Denver defense get subbed out by last year's?
Today, the Carolina run game belongs to Jonathon Stewart. He gets the one-yard touchdown.
Marc Bulger had his offense in the red zone...and threw an interception. No one even blink an eye. It was bound to happen. The only good news for Bulger?
Chris Johnson gets his first touchdown on he day on a nearly 30 yard dash to the end zone.
How do you beat the Steelers? Get kickoff returns for touchdowns. It's their greatest weakness. Bernard Scott isn't even a particularly fast player, but he still manages to take it the needed 96 yards.
AGAIN! AGAIN?! Brandon Marshall was wide open for an even deeper touchdown pass. That's two between Orton and Marshall. The 'Skins are just lost...horribly, horribly lost.
Weirdest Play: Adrian Peterson lateralling to Percy Harvin. It results in a fumble turnover. Why does a team with just normal weapons like AP and Favre need to run trick plays?
Mark Sanchez to Jericho Cotchery: 7-yard touchdown pass. The Jaguars are a good team to pick on in matchup play.
Again, there's no predicting the goal line back for the Saints. This time, the touchdown goes to Reggie Bush.
Vince Young looks...well, good. He's got six completions for 101 yards and a 14-yard touchdown to Nate Washington. Can we start considering starting Titans receivers these days?
DeAngelo Williams wants us all to know that he's just fine. He breaks a 28-yard run, just to prove it.
Everyone who took a chance on Carolina's Steve Smith this week is finally happy. Jake Delhomme connects with him for a short pass touchdown.
Hello? New Orleans, you there? You just let Marc Bulger throw a 29-yard touchdown pass to Donnie Avery, tying the game at seven points.
Reggie Bush, we should have played you. He now has a receiving touchdown on the day. That's one through the air and one on the ground.
The Vikings offense is back on track. Adrian Peterson has his weekly touchdown and Sidney Rice has 93 yards receiving on four catches.
Sadly, Turner doesn't get the goal line touch for the Falcons. It goes to Jason Snelling, who slams it in.
Mark Sanchez has only three completions on ten attempts. That just doesn't seem right against the Jags.
Two touchdowns to Lee Evans. It seems the Titans are back to being their vulnerable selves.
TRICK PLAY ALERT!: The Redskins move from field goal formation to punt formation and then have Hunter Smith throw the ball downfield to a wide open Mike Sellers. That may be the play of the day. It was the bold move that Washington needed to keep their heads high.
Mike Sims-Walker overcomes the questions about his matchup Darrelle Revis by getting a deep touchdown for himself.
Steven Jackson IS the St. Louis Rams. His touchdown was well-earned.
Two four-yard pass touchdowns to Steve Smith on the day.

Halftime

Chris Simms has taken over for Kyle Orton after the half when Orton limped off the field prior to halftime.
Michael Turner has a sprained ankle. Not good for owners who wanted a touchdown on his 111 yards.
AP has two touchdowns. No surprise there.
Reggie Bush is the lead rusher this week for the Saints. Just when you thought Pierre Thomas had a hold on the job, it starts acting like New England in how cryptic the division will be.
Marques Colston fumbles on the one-yard line, it bounces out of bounds in the end zone and is declared a touchback in favor of St. Louis. This is increasingly weird.
Matthew Stafford's mini-feud with Megatron seems over. They've connected six times for 72 yards.
Matt Ryan finally gets a touchdown.
Ladell Betts may not have a touchdown, but he's got 83 yards so far, finding big holes and making big plays. The Redskins look tough and are wearing down Denver's defense.
Fantasy owners are having a hard time figuring out who to play from the Saints offense. Robert Meachem gets a touchdown.
Sidenote: Shaun Suisham has drilled two kickoffs out of bounds, giving the Broncos great field position.
Chris Johnson has his usual 100+ yards and two touchdowns. Fantasy owners rejoice.
Chris Simms throws deep to the end zone for Brandon Marshall and is intercepted by DeAngelo Hall.
There may need to be a fantasy "welcome home" party for Terrell Owens, who has topped 80 yards today.
Cedric Benson is out with a hip injury.
Thomas Jones has a touchdown in the one-point Jets/Jags game.
Cincinnati vs. Pittsburgh has been a game of field goals.
Sidney Rice has 201 yards receiving against the meak Lions defense.
Jonathon Stewart has no problem breaking the big runs himself, going 45 yards for a touchdown.
Marc Bulger doesn't look too shabby with two touchdown passes to Donnie Avery, but that's bound to happen time to time. Don't put any stock in this performance.
Josh Scobee gets the game-winning field goal as time expires.

Malcom Floyd Ready for the Big Gains

2009-11-13T05:49:00.000-08:00

The Inve$tment Corner!

Malcom Floyd (Wide Receiver - San Diego Chargers)

Notable Matchups: Week 12 vs. Kansas City, Week 13 vs. Cleveland, Week 15 (playoffs) vs. Cincinnati, Week 16 (championship) vs. Tennessee

Floyd, despite being all the rage of the fantasy world after Chris Chambers was formally released by the Chargers, is currently underowned in many formats. Consider adding Floyd to help out your wide receivers who are struggling this season or who have a rather tough schedule during the fantasy playoffs. I would definitely recommend Floyd to owners of Austin Collie and Pierre Garcon, as Anthony Gonzalez should be back in the lineup by the playoff weeks. The 6-foot-5 Floyd is yet another gargantuan target in the hefty Chargers air attack, headed by quarterback Philip Rivers. With his 21.5 yards per catch average, Floyd is certainly a deep threat, much like his equally behemoth peer, Vincent Jackson. Though Jackson should see more looks in the end zone, Floyd seems a likely candidate going forward for a few touchdowns in good matchups, especially when opponents are forced into double coverage on Jackson. During weeks six through eight, Floyd was especially active in division matchups, pulling in at least 50 yards or a touchdown. The Giants were able to harass Floyd a little more in one of his first major starts, but Floyd will be more than able to carry his weight during the second half of the season. Expect a comforting level of consistency from V-Jax Lite and owners in deeper formats should be able to rely heavily on outings from the Chargers' second banana in the receiving game.

Weekly Podcast: Your Running Backs and You

2009-11-12T05:03:00.000-08:00

Also, let me take a moment to plug this site! I'm going to start having a column every day for my readers out there. So check back every day for something new! Also, always feel free to leave comments and give me feedback with what I'm doing. If you all demand something, I'll do my best to make it happen!

THE MANN REPORT PODCAST!

Who's Hot and Who's Not for Week 10

2009-11-11T04:00:00.000-08:00

It's week 10 of the regular season and only two teams have a bye this week, the Houston Texans and New York Giants. While it is only two teams on bye, the number of players you might be missing could be pretty long: Matt Schaub, Eli Manning, Andre Johnson, Steve Smith, Brandon Jacobs, Ahmad Bradshaw, Steve Slaton, Ryan Moats, Mario Manningham, Hakeem Nicks and possibly Kevin Walter. Check out below to see who you can replace them with for this week.

General Note: These recommendations don't necessarily mean you should bench your studs like Maurice Jones-Drew and Drew Brees in favor of them. It just means that if you are looking to cover your bye week deficencies or want to play someone else in place of a poor matchup, you should consider the players below. Also, I'm changing the format this week due to only two quarterbacks missing. This week you're getting one quarterback and three running backs for each section. Hope it helps! Good luck!

Start 'Em!

Quarterback:

Mark Sanchez (NYJ) vs. Jacksonville

Sanchez started this season by being voted Rookie of the Week for the first three weeks of the regular season and then his prolific start suddenly came to a halt until week seven against Oakland. Though he only had 16 pass attempts in that game, he made the most of them, throwing for 143 yards and a touchdown, with another score on the ground, bring his rushing touchdown total to three on the year. Sanchez then followed up that game with his week eight performance against Miami, throwing for two touchdowns and over 250 yards, again adding a touchdown on the ground. Though he does have 10 interceptions this year, eight of them came in two games against extremely stingy pass defenses. This week, Sanchez has the fortune of facing the miserable Jags defense, who are allowing the 7th most yards through the air (242.2 per game) and 9th most points to the opposition. This looks like prime pickings for the rookie who will look to help raise the Jets potential contention for a playoff spot. Though his team certainly favors the run (they're first place in yards per game on the ground), Sanchez's efficiency in the air will be a great boon, especially in the red zone. Expect a solid game from the quarterback, especially with Jacksonville having to concern themselves with the powerful Jets run duo of Thomas Jones and Shonn Greene.

The Line: 25 attempts, 16 completions, 190 yards passing, 2 passing touchdowns, 4 carries, 16 yards rushing

Running Backs:

Jonathon Stewart (CAR) vs. Atlanta

Carolina is on a role. Finally they are preventing errors in their offense simply by keeping the ball in the hands of their deadliest weapons, DeAngelo Williams and Stewart. This week they face a defense that ranks 24th against the pass, allowing an average of 123.5 rushing yards per game. The Panthers have the 3rd best ground game in the league, courtesy of their dual-headed attack. This week, Stewart should be featured more in the run game after having an "off" week against the crushing defense of the Saints. While Williams was able to break it big, Stewart had a tough time crushing through the tacklers for those extra yards. Now that he gets to go against a much weaker defense, he should see some more touches and some goal line work as the Panthers look to going for 4-5 this season, as they slowly pick themselves back up after stumbling through the early season.

The Line: 10 carries, 45 yards rushing, 1 rushing touchdown

LeSean McCoy (PHI) vs. San Diego

Brian Westbrook sitting out this past Sunday had people scrambling to start his replacement and he gave them 115 yards from scrimmage in return. While he didn't find pay dirt, McCoy showed that he is an ample replacement for Westbrook both on the ground and in the receiving game, pulling in five receptions for 61 yards. Though Westbrook may be back this week, McCoy should still be the more explosive option, especially if the Eagles intend on looking forward with McCoy as the foundation of next year's running game. Even if he is held to the same number of touches as Westbrook (which would be very unwise of Andy Reid), McCoy will still be a strong starter against the 7th worst rushing defense in the league, with a lot of his value coming in the passing game. Expect solid numbers that make McCoy a worthwhile starting option as a flex player and in deeper formats.

The Line: 13 carries, 52 yards rushing, 7 receptions, 65 yards receiving

Knowshon Moreno (DEN) vs. Washington

Monday night's game against the Steelers was a tough one for the rookie rusher, gaining only three yards on five carries. He had a hard time gaining any momentum, evidenced by his longest run going for a measly four yards. This week the Broncos should be ready to rebound against the horribly confused Redskins, who are 25th in the league against the run. Moreno will hopefully see some work in Denver's "Wild Horses" formation, which served him well against the Patriots earlier this year. If the Broncos want to break their two-game losing spell, it will have to be done on ground level, as the Redskins currently have the No.1 ranked pass defense. Look for Moreno to run with fervor, trying to prove he deserves the starting role opposite Buckhalter, who was clearly more productive on Monday, being given runs to the outside. Moreno's explosive qualities should also play a factor in the passing game, though he needs to improve his blocking on passing downs. He's a good flex option and starter in 14+ team leagues.

The Line: 12 carries, 51 yards rushing, 1 rushing touchdown, 2 receptions, 22 yards receiving

Wide Receivers:

Percy Harvin (MIN) vs. Detroit

Harvin is the fourth rookie on the list this week and deservedly so. He has risen after lackluster outings to become one of Brett Favre's go-to receivers, running opposite the behemoth Sidney Rice. The greatest advantage this week is Harvin's matchup against the Ford Kittens, who are allowing the second most yards in the air and the second most points per game. Expect Favre to have another banner day, benefiting Harvin greatly. The Minnesota defense should ensure plenty on playing time for their offense and the divisional matchup is bound to become another nail in the coffin for Detroit. Watch for Harvin to run wild downfield, with big plays and incredible speed equating to strong yardage and a likely visit to the end zone. Feel free to play Harvin in all formats this week.

The Line: 7 receptions, 98 yards receiving, 1 receiving touchdown

Tight End:

Zach Miller (OAK) vs. Kansas City

There's almost no arguing that Miller is the only receiving threat for Oakland, despite the attention paid to rookie receivers Louis Murphy and Darrius Heyward-Bey. Kansas City ranks even lower than the Raiders in their division, so this matchup doesn't mean much other than the Raiders finally not being last place. Though it's not much in terms of glory, it's certainly better than last place. Maybe this is the year that the Raiders are not the worst team in football. If that is to be the case, Jamarcus Russell has got to feed the ball to the talented tight end. While he won't post amazing numbers in a far-too-pathetic-to-be-worthwhile offense, his potential to rein in some start-worthy numbers is certainly tempting, especially in such a good matchup.

The Line: 4 receptions, 34 yards receiving, 1 receiving touchdown

The Risky Play

Reggie Bush (NO) vs. St. Louis

In 2006, Bush was lined up to be the future back for the Saints, but since then he has averaged an overall 3.7 yards per carry and no more than six rushing touchdowns in a season, which was his rookie year. However, all during the past four years, Bush's name has been synonymous with the Saints organization and he has still managed to rack up four touchdowns on the ground this year on 49 attempts. This week he ought to see some decent action against one of the worst defenses in the league, especially with Lance Moore dealing with ankle issues. This means that Bush should line up in the slot, taking in a few catches as he goes. It wouldn't be surprising if he broke the goal line on a carry or reception this week and will be valuable in PPR leagues. Play him as such or in deeper formats.

The Line: 7 carries, 22 yards rushing, 1 rushing touchdown, 5 receptions, 40 yards receiving

Sit 'Em...

Quarterback:

Matt Ryan (ATL) vs. Carolina

Ryan's slump has come as the Falcons have faced a number of tough pass defenses, namely those of New Orleans and Washington. This week he's up against the 6th ranked Panthers defense. In week two, Ryan passed for three touchdowns and only one pick, but expect things to look a little different this week since Carolina has been winning games and finding a rhythm. In addition, the Falcons will likely lean on running back Michael Turner to do most of the damage. Though Roddy White and Michael Jenkins are strong receivers, the Carolina defense can surprise if they're motivated, which they will be. The last meeting left the Panthers with a loss of 28-20; this week should be a whole new beast - after all, the Panthers were able to challenge the dominant Saints last week. It might be worth sitting Ryan just this week in favor of a stronger matchup, though he is still certainly playable in larger leagues.

The Line: 28 attempts, 15 completions, 201 yards passing, 1 passing touchdown, 2 interceptions

Running Backs:

Cedric Benson (CIN) vs. Pittsburgh

There's no denying that Benson's productivity has been a major story line in the NFL this year after his disappointing seasons with the Chicago Bears. Now, with the Bengals, Benson has been a fantasy beast, but the Steelers are the one team that may be most bestial than the prodigious running back. The Steelers rank number one against the run and have allowed only two rushing touchdowns this year, all while holding opposing backs to an average of 3.7 yards per carry. Though in their week three matchup Benson carried the ball 16 times for 76 yards, giving him a 4.8 yards per carry average, the Steelers will come prepared this time. In week three, the Bengals were just beginning to gain momentum and teams were unprepared for their offense. This time around, the Steelers should be more than ready to crush the ground game, especially with Troy Polamalu in the mix. You may not be interested in benching Benson this week after all he has done for you, but just don't be surprised if he comes up with merely pedestrian numbers.

The Line: 20 carries, 71 yards rushing, 1 reception, 14 yards receiving

Kevin Smith (DET) vs. Minnesota

I've tried so hard to spin a positive light on the Lions' "workhorse," but there's just no hope at this point. With the Vikings hosting the Lions this week, you've just got to bench Smith for a better matchup. Like the Steelers, the Vikes have allowed only two touchdowns on the ground with the 6th best rush defense in the league. That opposite the 20th ranked rush offense of the Lions just does not bode well for Smith. In their last meeting, Smith averaged 3.5 yards per carry, carrying the rock 24 times for 83 yards. Unless Smith carries the ball over 30 times (which let's be realistic, would never happen), he's not going to produce a useful fantasy day, especially considering the number of other options out there. Go ahead and universally sit Smith this week in favor of a stronger matchup back, such as the above Bush or other secondary back in a more prolific offense.

The Line: 17 carries, 33 yards rushing, 1 reception, -2 yards receiving

Matt Forte (CHI) vs. San Francisco

The stat to worry you: San Francisco is allowing an average of 3.4 yards per carry. This has given the Niners the 4th ranked run defense and this week they are going to be swarming all over Forte, who is only averaging 3.6 yards per carry. In addition, Forte's only truly productive outings came against the pathetic defenses of Denver and Cleveland. Owners are exhausted with the sophomore, who continues to pull in terribly meager numbers. There was a spark of something special last week against Arizona, but he was most useful in the passing game, where San Francisco is slightly more vulnerable. Like the above Smith, Forte should only be started in larger formats or as a flex option, but unless Jay Cutler wants to give Forte the pigskin through the air, chances are that the running back will have a very grounded day.

The Line: 13 carries, 44 yards rushing, 3 receptions, 21 yards receiving

Wide Receivers:

Dwayne Bowe (KC) vs. Oakland

We all know by now how pathetic the Raiders are on offense, with a run defense to match, but their best kept secret is the strength of the pass defense. After all, no one expects much of anything from Oakland these days, though fantasy owners are fond of picking on the defense for matchups. Oakland has some strength in its secondary, which has given it a top 15 pass defense that allows an average of only one touchdown through the air per game. They held Andre Johnson to a merely human 66 yards in week four and have had similar performances against star wideouts in other weeks. Bowe does have the previous matchup in his favor, during which he totaled 56 yards and a touchdown on five catches when the Raiders bested the Chiefs in week two. This time, with Chambers in the mix, Cassel should be spreading the wealth and coverage should catch up with Bowe. Still start Bowe in most formats if you must, but don't be surprised if his day is less than stellar.

The Line: 4 receptions, 47 yards receiving

Calvin Johnson (DET) vs. Minnesota

Fantasy Fact: It's been a tough year for Megatron. The monstrous Detroit star wideout has suffered from a knee injury and things has started to come apart between him and rookie quarterback Matthew Stafford. The Vikings are not the best team to be up against when you've just spent the last weekend in a spat with the man who feeds you the ball. Look for another week of paltry numbers from a receiver you probably spent a round three pick on. It may be worth exploring matchup options, but sometimes it's difficult to bench a star like Johnson. If you're one of those people, prepare to lament as you have over Megatron's last few matchups.

The Line: 2 receptions, 41 yards receiving

Backfield Confusion

2009-11-09T11:00:00.000-08:00

There have been some pretty wild moves in a few backfields recently, not the least of which is the official dropping of Larry Johnson by the Kansas City Chiefs. Let's take a look at some of the fantasy backfield issues for a few teams.

1) Houston Texans - A lot of us spent a first round draft pick on Steve Slaton, who was recently ousted from his starting job by Ryan Moats due to ball control issues. Yesterday, however, both backs had touchdowns, Moats through the air and Slaton on the ground. After being swept up by a lot of owners this week, Moats was a solid start, but Slaton was equally effective. What does this mean going forward? Well, it could mean a variety of things, but I think Gary Kubiak is going to start dividing carries between the two backs. Slaton obviously has the big play potential, while Moats is the gruntwork back. Expect both to be seeing nearly equal touches in the weeks moving forward, unless one really outdoes the other. I would recommend starting Moats over Slaton, who saw equal work in the passing game (both had three receptions) and nearly triple the number of carries as Slaton (16 for Moats, 6 for Slaton).

2) Arizona Cardinals - Many owners thought that rookie Beanie Wells was going to explode coming out the gate and drafted him far earlier than they should have, as early as the 6th round in some cases. Obviously that hasn't been the case, with Tim Hightower still being the leader of the pack, though not by much. While Wells is the future of the team on the ground, Hightower is being more heavily utilized this year while the rookie earns his stripes. It is possible by the end of the season that Wells will be seeing more work than Hightower, for now Hightower is the better start, though that could change if Wells has another game like he did against the Giants. For now, play Hightower in deeper leagues and keep Wells riding the pine (he may be an asset in keeper leagues, so keep an eye out).

3) Miami Dolphins - First off, the Miami rushing offense is easily the most exciting ground game in the league. It's just plain fun to watch thanks to the prevalent use of the Wildcat formation, which seems to be here to stay. Updates to it included using rookie Pat White to increase the pass threat, though he's not a player that you'll be picking up. Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams are simply phenomenal and impress every week. With Williams adding yet another touchdown performance this week against the Patriots, he is now a top 10 running back in fantasy points. Guess what you're doing if you've got Williams on your bench? You're starting him now, as if the past few weeks didn't clue you in enough. Ronnie Brown is also a must-start, as he above Ricky in the top 10 backs list. Start 'em both if you've got them. Miami's offense likes to score and does it on the ground, often.

I hope this helps going forward. I'll be addressing more running back issues on this week's podcast, so tune in this Thursday!

Week 9 (2009) Sunday Happenings

2009-11-08T05:07:00.000-08:00

First Matchups of Sunday:
Washington vs. Atlanta
Arizona vs. Chicago
Baltimore vs. Cincinnati
Houston vs. Indianapolis
Kansas City vs. Jacksonville
Green Bay vs. Tampa Bay

Second Matchups of Sunday:
Carolina vs. New Orleans
Detroit vs. Seattle
San Diego vs. New York Giants
Tennessee vs. San Francisco

Final Matchup of Sunday:
Philadelphia vs. Dallas

Pre-game:

As always, check out http://www.nfl.com/injuries for the injury listings that you may not have noticed. Especially check out injuries on the opposing defenses for your players.
Wondering which games will be worth watching? Check out Indianapolis versus Houston, as the Texans look to hand a loss to the mighty Colts. Can't watch that game? Baltimore versus Cincinnati should be a fun showdown between two emotionally charged teams looking to seal their chances at a playoff berth.
All you Steve Slaton owners out there should mourn together (that includes me) now that Ryan Moats has stolen his starting slot; however, you can expect Slaton to make the big plays he has before in order to win back his starting position. I'm betting coach Gary Kubiak wants to make Slaton work harder, and the youngster is certainly going to meet the challenge.
Anquan Boldin and Brian Westbrook are out. Replace with Steve Breaston and LeSean McCoy respectively.

First Matchups:

Lots of scoring early on this week.
Tony Gonzalez nabs a touchdown from Matt Ryan.
Larry Fitzgerald and Greg Olsen have touchdowns in their game.
Andre Caldwell has a touchdown for Cincinnati on a short pass.
Rashad Jennings, the backup to Maurice Jones-Drew, steals a touchdown from the must-start running back. It comes on a 28-yard run.
Laurence Maroney, killing my predictions, has four carries for 25 yards and a touchdown.
James Jones hauls in a pass and dashes to the end zone. Yardage total? 74 yards on the catch. Ryan Grant also has a touchdown on a goal line run.
IDP Update: Ty Hill of the Falcons intercepts Jason Campbell and runs it back 62 yards for a touchdown. No one should really be all that surprised.
Joseph Addai has a touchdown, but not on the ground. It comes from a Peyton Manning pass.
Kurt Warner now has two touchdown passes in the first quarter. He's definitely making the point that he is still a powerful quarterback.
Clinton Portis is sitting out with a head contusion. His return is questionable. On another note, the Redskins' receivers can't hang on to the rock at all.
Tampa Bay actually scores! It's Josh Freeman to backup running back Derrick Ward for the touchdown.
Cedric Benson scores on the one-yard run. He's his usually firey self so far.
If for some insane, ungodly reason you sat Larry Fitzgerald, go ahead and proceed to slamming your head on the desk. He's go two touchdowns...so far.
IDP Update: Ronde Barber, corner for the Bucs, returns a blocked punt 31 yards for a touchdown. Tampa Bay has made it a game with the score timed up at 14. No one saw this cmoing.
Greg Jennings may have more receptions, but Donald Driver has the touchdown.
If you doubted the power of the Indianapolis defense due to the injuries, you doubted the wrong team. The Texans are being held to nearly nothing offensively.
Michael Turner, though known as being a stout back, can blow past secondaries, as he did on his touchdown run against the Redskins. Never underestimate his speed. He's said numerous times that he prefers running to the outside. He is showing off why.
Evidently Kurt Warner wants to throw as many touchdowns this weeks as he had turnovers last week. He's killing, just killing.
Jason Campbell is getting pummeled by the Falcons defense. Five sacks so far. He's headed to the bench. That puts Cooley, Campbell and Portis on the sidelines, in addition to star tackles Randy Thomas and Chris Samuels. Heads are hung low on their sidelines. The argument could easily be made that the Skins are the worst team in the NFL at this point.
Ricky Williams seems to be just as, if not more, playable as Ronnie Brown in that Miami offense.
Mike Sims-Walker hauls it for the 61-yard touchdown catch-and-run.
Ryan Moats just fumbled it in the red zone after a pass from Matt Schaub. Who can the Texans trust with ball safety these days?
I feel like it's crazy that tight end Dallas Clark has 11 receptions...in the first half.

Halftime

A HUGE pass by Joe Flacco ends up in the hands of Bengals cornerback Jonathon Joseph.
Jason Campbell is back in the game for the Skins for the second half.
Ronnie Brown finally has a touchdown...a passing touchdown of one-yard to tight end Joey Haynos. It just goes to show that the Wildcat is here to stay. The Dolphins are absolutely unpredicatable and that's their greatest strength.
MJD is having a tough day, with 20 carries for only 57 yards. The Chiefs aren't letting him get the big gains he had last week.
Things have slowed down significantly in this second half.
Bam-BOOM! Tom Brady to Randy Moss for the huge touchdown. It was bound to happen.
Playing Ryan Moats paid off with his 1-yard touchdown catch.
Andre Johnson is injured...again. But he's already got seven catches for 63 yards, so don't fret too much AJ owners.
Why aren't the Chiefs giving the ball to Jamaal Charles more often? Matt Cassel doesn't look too sharp, while Charles is averaging over six yards per carry.
The Ravens have nearly enough penalty yards to negate their offensive yards.
Greg Olsen has two touchdowns today.
Now both Moats and Steve Slaton have a touchdown. Not sure what it means going forward, but many experts will discuss it this week, trying to figure it out.
The Skins have likely lost all hope with Michael Turner's 58-yard touchdown run. Now Jason Campbell is on the ground and will likely come off with an ankle injury, in addition to an offensive lineman for the Skins walking off with an ankle injury. It's just a bad situation.
Greg Olsen has three touchdowns. This man wants it and is getting it.
How often is Matt Cassel going to be throwing deep on a lengthy third down after a sack? The Chiefs need to keep it on the ground.
Why do you have to start Aaron Rodgers every week? He gets you points on the ground. He rushes 12 yards for the touchdown. Even with injuries, he can scramble in the red zone.
Philosophical question: At what point does the injury situation for the Redskins actually become comical?
MJD has his weekly rushing touchdown. It was bound to happen.
Addai has a touchdown on the ground. He is making his way back up the starting charts in fantasyland.
It shouldn't be a surprise that rookie quarterback Josh Freeman hooked up with Kellen Winslow for a 7-yard touchdown. Rookies will always look toward the star players to help them make big plays, this one being no exception.
The Beanie Wells/Tim Hightower situation is going to be all the more confusing after this week. Hightower's stock may lower while Wells' rises.
Chris Chambers just had his "eat it" moment towards the Chargers after being released and picked up by the Chiefs. He had a 54-yard touchdown hookup from Matt Cassel. Is he a potential fantasy asset now that he could be a star in a weaker offense?
Congrats Kurt Warner. You win. Five touchdowns, the most recent to Steve Breaston, makes up for last week and then some.
TURN OF FATE: The Chiefs kicker, Ryan Succop, recovers a muffed recovery on his onside kick attempt. What will the Chiefs do with under three minutes to play?
Campbell comes back into the game. No such thing as offensive momentum for the Skins this week.
Lance Long of the Chiefs has eight catches for 74 yards. He may see some adds this week for owners looking deep on the waiver wire.
Two touchdowns for Chris Chambers! He has got to be glowing on the inside. Jamaal Charles gets the two-point conversion catch.
You have to consider adding Sammie Stroughter. He's looking to be one of the most dangerous threats on the Tampa Bay offense. Josh Freeman may be more of a "better lucky than good" with less than a 50 percent completion rating. Don't be too hasty on the add for him. The question should be asked: "Can the Bucs upset the Packers?" They do it with a 35-yard pick six.

Second Matchups:

DeAngelo Williams has this stat line to start the game for him: 1 carry, 66 yards rushing, 1 touchdown. Never ever sit Williams, or he will make you feel dumb. It happend on the second play off the game.
It wouldn't be a Lions game if there wasn't something to laugh about, such as the missed 34-yard field goal. They almost drew first blood. They failed.
Matt Hasselbeck's first pass attempt is an interception that is returned to the Seahawks 2-yard line by Delmas.
The Lions do get first blood! It's a short touchdown pass from Matthew Stafford to rookie tight end Brandon Pettigrew.
DeAngelo Williams' stat line now: 6 carries, 83 yards rushing, 2 touchdowns.
Stafford makes it two touchdowns, this one a 29-yard pass to Bryant Johnson. This game is weird. Go Lions?
Detroit now also has a fumble recovery and stopped the Seahawks on fourth down. I guess Seattle wants it to be a fair game and is giving the Lions unbelievably good field position on purpose? I don't know why else this would be happening.
Vincent Jackson has an excellent touchdown from Philip Rivers. It should be the start of a high-scoring affair.
Drew Brees throws a red zone interception. The Panthers are certainly doing a great job of containing the elite quarterback.
In other interception news, Alex Smith is intercepted by the Titans defense.
Kevin Boss just took a huge hit. Not sure what kind of injury, if any, or how bad.
Julius Jones has a goal line touchdown run. Seattle is finally back in the game.
Any concerns about Eli Manning's mobility should be erased. He's darting left and right to keep the play alive.
Frank Gore pounds in the touchdown.
Steve Smith, yes the Giants Smith, gets his first touchdown of the day. He's looking to be in fantastic form.

The Inve$tment Corner: Alex in the Championship Seat

2009-11-06T04:00:00.000-08:00

The Inve$tment Corner

The Inve$tment Corner has moved from its normal position at the bottom of the Sit/Start column to its very own section on Fridays. Enjoy!

Alex Smith (QB-SF)

Notable Matchups: Week 9 vs. Tennessee, Week 12 vs. Jacksonville, Week 13 vs. Seattle, Week 16 (Fantasy Championship) vs. Detroit

Smith has a spectacular story to motivate him as the recrowned starter for the 49ers. After Shaun Hill was benched in week seven against Houston, Smith came in to the game to throw for three touchdowns and no interceptions. Certainly this was a respectable outing for the previous No.1 overall draft pick, and last week he went up against a steely Colts defense with non-spectacular numbers, but few mistakes. This was a sure contrast to his first two seasons in which he threw for a grand total of 17 touchdowns and 27 interceptions. Now he has shown off poise and confidence, with a lot less pressure to be the next Joe Montana. His chemistry with tight end Vernon Davis is very evident and rookie receiver Michael Crabtree adds a strong pass-catcher to the depth chart. With better weapons at his disposal, Smith could see some extremely relevant fantasy outings in good matchups. Though he may not be an immediate starter in 8-team leagues, he is certainly a strong choice in 14+ team formats, at least as a backup or matchup play. In week 16, which is traditionally the championship game in fantasy football, Smith lines up against one of the weakest defenses in the league. If he can take advantage of the Titans defense this week, he should solidify his status as a potential starter down the line if owners are scrounging around for a player to aid in their victory. Pick him up if you don't have a strong backup right now or if you have any of the following quarterbacks as your starters, all of whom will see tough matchups in the championship week: Matt Ryan, Donovan McNabb, Jay Cutler, Joe Flacco, and Eli Manning.

The Line for Week 16: 37 attempts, 26 completions, 289 yards passing, 3 passing touchdowns, 1 interception

Weekly Podcast: Rushing in Carolina, Ravens' Receivers, and the Vikings

2009-11-05T04:00:00.000-08:00

Check out The Mann Report every week for some NFL and fantasy football insight from me, Charley Mann. Don't forget to check out the material below as well for more advice throughout the week! Just click below to go!

Also, let me take a moment to plug this site! I'm going to start having a column every day for my readers out there. So check back every day for something new! Also, always feel free to leave comments and give me feedback with what I'm doing. If you all demand something, I'll do my best to make it happen!

THE MANN REPORT PODCAST!

Who's Hot and Who's Not for Week 9

2009-11-04T04:00:00.000-08:00

It's week 9 of the NFL regular season and the following teams have a bye: Buffalo, Cleveland, Minnesota, New York Jets, Oakland, St. Louis. This may be the most irrelevant grouping of teams for a bye week. You may be down Brett Favre, Sidney Rice, Thomas Jones, and Steven Jackson, but there aren't many others to really mourn over. If you've been relying on players from Buffalo, Cleveland, Oakland and St. Louis to lead your offense, chances are it's been a rough season.

Start 'Em!

Quarterbacks:

Matt Cassel (KC) vs. Jacksonville

Not to be rude, but if Vince Young can throw as well as he did against the Jaguars, then Matt Cassel should look like Tom Brady against a team ranked 26th against the pass. Sure, he doesn't have the same receiving corps to aid him, but the Jacksonville secondary is ripe for the picking and the Jags allow the 8th most points per game, leaving scoring opportunities ripe for the picking. Coming off of a victory and a bye week, the Chiefs should be well-prepared for the game and could finally put up some numbers to bring them out of their scoring slump. Cassel should be in determinedly in charge with Larry Johnson out due to misconduct. Refocusing their efforts, the Chiefs will be aiming for their second victory and this game could be the one, if Cassel and Dwayne Bowe continue to find chemistry between them. Expect at least a couple of touchdowns from Cassel, with few mistakes made.

The Line: 33 attempts, 23 completions, 230 yards passing, 2 passing touchdowns, 2 carries,

Joe Flacco (BAL) vs. Cincinnati

Flacco and the Ravens are ready to go on a roll after their victory this past weekend against Denver. This week they are competing against a much more generous defense in Cincinnati, who have struggled against the pass the past few weeks after losing pass rusher Antwan Odom. Receivers Mark Clayton and Derrick Mason proved themselves valuable assets against Champ Bailey and Andre Goodman. In addition, the Blackbirds are playing with fire in their bellies to earn a spot in the playoffs, which seems very likely if they play like they did coming out of their bye week. Flacco is in charge of this multi-dimensional offense, and he should have some highlights to go with a multi-touchdown performance this week.

The Line: 27 attempts, 19 completions, 272 yards passing, 2 passing touchdowns

Running Backs:

Jamaal Charles (KC) vs. Jacksonville

It may seem foolish to put down two Chiefs on the starting column, but this week is their next best chance at a victory and they should stop at no costs. Charles may not have the talents of Larry Johnson, but he is likely going to be the feature back for Kansas City now. Two solid statistics in favor of Charles are his 5.0 yards per carry average this season and his involvement in the passing game, equating to 14 catches for 120 yards receiving. Given the starting job, Charles could be a poor man's Steve Slaton, without the fumbling issue. He should be a strong target for Cassel on passing downs and could have a showcase day against the surprisingly porous Jacksonville defense. The shootout in Florida should mean strong numbers for both teams, but Charles is an excellent replacement who could be a strong investment later in the year.

The Line: 14 carries, 71 yards rushing, 1 rushing touchdown, 3 receptions, 26 yards receiving

Pierre Thomas (NO) vs. Carolina

It's back to the front for the PT Bruiser, who reclaimed his first-stringer status with a two touchdown performance against Atlanta, in addition to 91 yards rushing. He did all this with fewer carries than Mike Bell, so Thomas should now be the main ball-carrier in the contest against Carolina. Once the Saints take over the game, they should be keeping the ball on the ground in order to keep things under control, which benefits all three backs (don't forget Reggie Bush). Prior to that, Thomas should be relied upon to make some big plays for a major offense. If he sees similar passing usage as during the past week, his value should further increase. Expect at least one touchdown from the stout running back.

The Line: 16 carries, 87 yards rushing, 1 rushing touchdown

Wide Receivers:

Michael Crabtree (SF) vs. Tennessee

So far, he's living up to his hype, but this is the week that could make Crabtree a true starter in fantasy leagues. Against one of the weakest pass defenses in the league and with Alex Smith in the gun, Crabtree is poised to earn his first trip to pay dirt. Though last week the Titans shut down Mike Sims-Walker, expect things to be different for the extremely talented rookie, who should be able to exploit a usually weak pass defense that ranks absolute last in the league. It's especially nice to note that Alex Smith can be relied on more than Shaun Hill, making the Niners No.1 wideout a strong asset to those who held out for him to sign.

The Line: 5 receptions, 65 yards receiving, 1 receiving touchdown

Kenny Britt (TEN) vs. San Francisco

Like his opposition's first-round draft pick, Michael Crabtree (highlighted above), Britt is poised for a strong outing in San Francisco on Sunday. Vince Young at quarterback should benefit the proficient rookie, who will continue splitting time with Nate Washington. His double-move capabilities should be sufficient to evade an injured secondary that may be missing Nate Clements. Though he may not touch paydirt, his yardage totals should make him a starter in deeper formats, as Young's arm is ultilized more after his mistake-free performance in week eight.

The Line: 6 receptions, 85 yards receiving

Tight End:

Kevin Boss (NYG) vs. San Diego

Eli Manning has been having a tough time ever since the big matchup of undefeated teams against New Orleans, with confidence shaken. His receivers have seen some injuries, namely Mario Manningham, and Steve Smith can no longer pretend he's just an average threat, with teams watching him closely. Defenses have wised up to Manning's weapons. In the wake of all this, Boss has remained as capable as ever. His touchdown catch last week must be a reminder to Manning why Boss is their starting tight end. This week, in what should be a high-scoring game, Boss is a strong candidate to nab a touchdown. After all, the Chargers give up the 12th most points per game in the league, meaning you are playing strong odds with Boss this week.

The Line: 3 receptions, 27 yards receiving, 1 receiving touchdown

The Risky Play

Maurice Morris (DET) vs. Seattle

With Kevin Smith giving away most of his workload with a shoulder injury, Morris could be a strong plug-n-play this week against the weakened Seattle defense. He showed that he can handle a large number of carries and can be a breakaway receiver when thrown the ball. Expect him to be tested more by the Detroit coaching staff against the 'Hawks come Sunday. His potential numbers may not be the greatest, but he could be a strong risk/reward play in larger formats.

The Line: 12 carries, 48 yards rushing, 4 receptions, 35 yards receiving, 1 receiving touchdown

Sit 'Em...

Quarterbacks:

Jay Cutler (CHI) vs. Arizona

Though Arizona lost week, they didn't lose through the air. This week, they will put the stop on Cannon-Arm Cutler and his receivers. Being more than proficient at stopping the run, the secondary has been put through the ringer until finding a rhythm. Without Forte producing much of anything this year, Cutler has had to handle most all of the pressure, which has not boded well for a team that is creating a new offensive identity. This week Cutler will have to throw in pressured situations and is always a strong candidate to toss a pick or two in any contest, with 11 interceptions to his name already this year.

The Line: 35 attempts, 20 completions, 223 yards passing, 1 passing touchdown, 3 interceptions

Jason Campbell (WAS) vs. Atlanta

There's just no relying on the gunning of Campbell, who is part of an organization that has officially entered the reorganizing zone for this season. Against a strong pass rush led by John Abraham, the newly minted offensive line of the 'Skins should cave in around Campbell, who will be forced into his usual unwise tosses. He should also be unable to find the end zone with the collapsing chemistry on the road.

The Line: 28 attempts, 16 completions, 198 yards passing, 1 interception

Running Backs:

Laurence Maroney (NE) vs. Miami

Miami has proven itself to be a ground-oriented team, with a stout run defense and incredible running game. Maroney won't see much luck against the defense and if Miami can play clock control football against New England, it will leave the Patriots to rely on the monumental talents of Tom Brady. Kevin Faulk, the third-down specialist, will likely see more action than Maroney, who even when given the excellent matchup against Tampa Bay barely made himself relevant to the fantasy community.

The Line: 8 carries, 23 yards rushing, 1 reception, 7 yards receiving

Julius Jones (SEA) vs. Detroit

Many owners will want to play Jones in the matchup play against Detroit, but just say no. He's a rather dull running back who lacks the explosive abilities necessary to break it big, even against a meager defense. While he looked like a waiver wire gem earlier in the year, many owners have held on to Seattle first-stringer through past weeks. Ultimately, you would be better off dropping him. The Lions are ranked 21st against the run and are allowing the 2nd most points to opposing teams, but don't expect Jones to be part of this. Hasselbeck will be chucking the ball for solid mileage and most all of the points.

The Line: 13 carries, 42 yards rushing, 2 receptions, 17 yards receiving

Wide Receivers:

Anquan Boldin (ARI) vs. Chicago

Though Chicago is no longer the top-five defense it once was, it is still a strong force, ranking 12th against the pass and showing improvement. Boldin has been running on an injury that needs to be rested, all while Breaston is stepping up and averaging more yards per catch. There's no reason for the Cardinals to not give Breaston the ball more while Boldin is busy recuperating. Boldin will definitely see action on the field this week, but he may not be in the best form against a strong defense, limiting opportunities for Kurt Warner to get him the ball.

The Line: 3 receptions, 37 yards receiving

Tight End:

Bo Scaife (TEN) vs. San Francisco

Sure, everyone has been talking about how Scaife and Vince Young were college sweethearts on the field, but things change. Though last week they managed to find some of their old connection, this week will be different when the Titans need to make big plays; this week, they will have to look further down the field and let Young loose a little to make plays. Scaife may be called on more as a blocker for Chris Johnson and on quarterback draws. Expect this week for him to be used a little in the first half, and a lot less when the Titans are playing from behind.

The Line: 3 receptions, 21 yards receiving

Ryan Moats and Brett Favre

2009-11-02T04:03:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was a big day for a number of players, as Sunday always is, but two players in particular made huge impacts when given the ball, and one of them wasn't even a starter. Here are their stats lines.

Ryan Moats (RB-HOU): 23 carries, 126 yards rushing, 3 rushing touchdowns, 2 receptions, 25 yards receiving

Brett Favre (QB-MIN): 28 attempts, 17 completions, 244 yards passing, 4 passing touchdowns

What do these lines mean? In the case of Moats, who took over for starter Steve Slaton after Slaton's fifth fumble this season, it means that there are going to be changes in Houston, and those changes may not be welcome by those folks who drafted Slaton in a high spot. After finally finding a rhythm with the passing game, Slaton fumbled after a 7-yard reception. Moats looked strong after taking over and was certainly key in the Houston victory. Now coach Gary Kubiak must give some consideration to letting Moats handle the ball more often, creating a running back by committee approach possibly. Keep on the lookout for more news on this subject.

Brett Favre has elevated himself from strong start to must-start in my book. His exemplary play is now just as key to the Vikings' success as Adrian Peterson's powerful ground work. With the passing game solidified, the Vikes look like a strong contender down the stretch and investments in Percy Harvin should pay off this year.

Also, let me take a moment to plug this site! I'm going to start having a column every day for my readers out there. So check back every day for something new! Also, always feel free to leave comments and give me feedback with what I'm doing. If you all demand something, I'll do my best to make it happen!

Week 8 (2009) Sunday Happenings

2009-11-01T07:49:00.000-08:00

First Matchups of Sunday:
Denver vs. Baltimore
Houston vs. Buffalo
Cleveland vs. Chicago
Seattle vs. Dallas
Miami vs. New York Jets
San Francisco vs. Indianapolis
New York Giants vs. Philadelphia
St. Louis vs. Detroit

Second Matchups of Sunday:
Oakland vs. San Diego
Jacksonville vs. Tennessee
Minnesota vs. Green Bay
Carolina vs. Arizona

Pre-game:

As always, check out http://www.nfl.com/injuries for the official injury reports.

First Matchups:

First blood of the day drawn by Leonard Weaver, Philadelphia's fullback, on a 41-yard run to the end zone.
Eli Manning has his first interception of the day against Philly, putting the Eagles on the New York 10-yard line. Three plays later, Donovan McNabb tosses a touchdown to Brent Celek.
Frank Gore breaks a 64-yard touchdown run against the Colts. He is showing some signs of being himself.
Terrell Owens just ran an end-around for 29 yards...and a touchdown. Is T.O. relevant again?
Derek Anderson has been picked off by the Bears. Not exactly a surprise in that game.
Marion Barber nabs himself a 2-yard touchdown. The score could get out of hand in favor of Dallas.
Detroit gets a safety. That game really has to be the joke of the season. The best part? It happened on an interception by St. Louis, and the end zone tackle was made by Kevin Smith.
Welcome back Deion Branch. He grabs a 23-yard touchdown reception.
Baltimore has committed two unnecessary penalties. It probably won't cost them the game, but it's making a major difference.
Matt Schaub has two interceptions today. Buffalo's pass defense seems to be for real.
There don't seem to be any shootouts today. Lots of field goals and short-yardage plays.
Kevin Boss gets a touchdown for the Giants, putting the score at 16-7 in favor of Philly.
FAKE FIELD GOAL! The Rams pull a trick play and Josh Brown tosses the pigskin to fullback Daniel Fells, who runs the last 30 yards for the touchdown. That game is pure hilarity.
DeSean Jackson hauls in a deep pass and sprints into the end zone, making it a 54-yard completion and a 23-7 ball game in Philadelphia.
McNabb is spreading the ball and has three touchdowns, the third to Jeremy Maclin. McNabb may be one of the most hot/cold passers in the NFL.
Matt Forte has a goal line touchdown, making him a worthwhile play this week for anyone who trusted him.
Roy Williams has a touchdown pass from Tony Romo. Miles Austin surely must be seething with jealousy.
Vernon Davis obviously has strong chemistry with Alex Smith and has a touchdown today. San Francisco is up 14-9 at the half, a rather unexpected turn of events.

Halftime

Baltimore returns the kickoff for a touchdown, putting them up 13-0.
Ted Ginn, Jr., returns a kickoff for Miami for a touchdown. He may not be the receiver needed for the 'Fins, but his speed is unrivaled.
Knowshon Moreno notches up a touchdown on a 1-yard run. Baltimore is racking up penalties and it's definitely costing them.
Reggie Wayne has 100 yards receiving on the day, but the Colts are still down.
IDP Update: Shonn Greene fumbles the ball, which is picked up and run 48 yards for a touchdown by Miami's Jason Taylor. His value just dropped significantly.
Never has a quarterback been so untouched on a touchdown run from the 1-yard line as Mark Sanchez. That will be a fun replay this week.
Ginn has, count'em, TWO TOUCHDOWN KICKOFF RETURNS. Speedy Gonzalez. The disadvantage is that the Miami offense hasn't seen much play in the second half.
Miles Austin notches his fifth touchdown in three weeks of play. He's definitely proving himself to be Romo's best weapon and a must-play every week.
Matthew Stafford, not to be outdone by Sanchez, runs in a 4-yarder touchdown.
After a quick march down the field, Sanchez finds Braylon Edwards for a 19-yard touchdown.
It's a touchdown for Derrick Mason in Baltimore.
Forte now has two touchdowns on the day, with a 10-yarder for his second.
Patrick Crayton has a punt-return touchdown for the second week in a row. Dallas looks like the team it was supposed to be.
LeSean McCoy proves he can be the starter after scoring on a lengthy touchdown run.
Weirdest stat of the day. Joseph Addai passes 22 yards to the end zone for a touchdown. Reggie Wayne was the receiver. Peyton Manning owners are not a happy bunch.

Saturday Lineups!

2009-10-31T05:00:00.000-07:00

I'll go ahead and post a couple of the teams I'm fielding this week as a way to offer advice. If some of the choices seem questionable, I'll explain my reasoning. Maybe my league is shallow on bye week replacement wide receivers or my star running back collapsed on the field last week. Whatever it is, I'm taking the risks with all of you!

Team #1

QB: Kurt Warner
WR: Andre Johnson
WR: Lee Evans (After the past few weeks, it's clear that Evans can be a valuable player, as long as Trent Edwards is sidelined.)
WR: Calvin Johnson (Waiting on my bench to replace him in the event he is out with the knee injury is a receiver I highlighted in this week's Start or Sit column, San Diego's Malcolm Floyd.)
RB: Ronnie Brown
RB: Kevin Smith
TE: Visanthe Shiancoe
K: John Carney
DEF: Denver

Team #2

QB: Aaron Rodgers
WR: Brandon Marshall
WR: Mike Sims-Walker
WR: Lee Evans
RB: Matt Forte
RB: Beanie Wells (I'm playing one of the guys from my Start or Sit column mentioned above. It's a 10-team league and lots of other teams have been covetous of waiver wire running backs, so I invested in Wells.)
TE: Brent Celek
K: John Carney
DEF: Green Bay

Expect a new couple of lineups from a couple different teams each week. Being the fantasy football fanatic that I am, I've got quite a number of teams to pick from. They will mostly come from Yahoo! standard leagues with lineups like those above.

Also, let me take a moment to plug this site! I'm going to start having a column every day for my readers out there. So check back every day for something new! Also, always feel free to leave comments and give me feedback with what I'm doing. If you all demand something, I'll do my best to make it happen!

The Friday Injury Lineup

2009-10-30T05:00:00.000-07:00

Here's the latest weekly segment to hit my blog. Every Friday I'll take a look at the injury reports and give you an analysis of what they could mean for you as a fantasy owner.

Andre Johnson (WR-HOU-chest): This injury may be one of the most significant this week and has many owners looking left and right for a strong replacement. If Johnson does not play, expect Jacoby Jones and Kevin Walter to see an increase in targets, along with Steve Slaton increasing his role against Buffalo. Chris Brown may be called upon more as well. However, Johnson insists that he will be in the lineup come Sunday, and what this man wants, he will likely get. Even if he is spitting up blood on the field. Update: Johnson will definitely be active for Sunday's game. Play him.

Calvin Johnson (WR-DET-knee): Again, a big bit of news for Johnson owners who have been waiting for his recovery. After not participating in practice most of this week, it's certainly questionable whether he will see any snaps on Sunday, but there's always hope. Check as vigorously as possible for both Andre and Calvin Johnson this weekend. A feasible replacement could be Bryant Johnson or Dennis Northcutt, who will both benefit from Johnson's absence. Update: Johnson practiced and should be out on the field against a vulnerable Rams defense. Play him.

Matthew Stafford (QB-DET-knee): There seems to be a divide as to whether or not Stafford will play on Sunday. I'm of the opinion that he probably won't against the Rams. There's no reason for the rookie to be put out on the field with the possibility of him exacerbating the injury. Even with the possible strong matchup play, don't play Stafford.

Trent Edwards (QB-BUF-head): Lee Evans owners should breath a sigh of relief, as Ryan Fitzpatrick should be starting for the Bills with Edwards on the sidelines. Fitzpatrick definitely has better chemistry with Evans and it showed the past week.

Chicago's Defense: The list is pretty long, with starting linebacker Pisa Tinoisamoa already being declared out with a knee injury for this weekend's game. Lance Briggs (LB) is still having shoulder troubles and Adewale Ogunleye (DE) has sat out at least part of this week with an ankle injury. You still can't expect Cleveland to put up any numbers that are start-worthy, but stranger things have happened.

Matt Hasselbeck (QB-SEA-rib): Hasselbeck has had a litany of injuries to deal with in the past. Don't consider starting baldie unless your only other quarterback options are Jake Delhomme, JaMarcus Russel and Derek Anderson. I'm praying that's not the case for any poor soul out there.

Chad Clifton (T-GB-ankle) and Mark Tauscher (T-GB-knee): Both have been limited in practice. The Vikings pass rush could cave in the pocket around Aaron Rodgers constantly during this match at Lambeau if the tackles are not at full health. Rodgers himself has a foot injury and may not be able to dodge defenders too aptly. Expect pressure on the pocket for Rodgers and think about replacing him with a stronger matchup play.

Jonathan Stewart (RB-CAR-achilles): With Stewart injured, Deangelo Williams and Jake Delhomme will see an increased workload, which is no good for the offense. In the first segment on this week's podcast I discuss the Panthers' offensive woes. Listen for more info. In the meantime, you may want to reconsider starting Williams this week without Stewart to counterbalance the backfield.

DeSean Jackson (WR-PHI-foot) and Brian Westbrook (RB-PHI-concussion): These two starters of the Eagles offense have been held out of practice this week. Jackson will be needed if Philly intends on beating the Giants, especially with Kevin Curtis declared out this week. Westbrook may not be as necessary with LeSean McCoy waiting to take over. The Eagles could have a tough week and their offense will certainly be hampered. Prepare replacements.

Remember: If you like what you're reading, check out more below and subscribe to this blog and my podcast! Also, check out the advertisers on the site. Your clicking on and checking out their ads keeps the fuel coming for this blog! In addition, leave comments below so I start getting a dialogue going with my readers. After all, it's you guys who make this blog possible.

Weekly Podcast!

2009-10-29T06:08:00.000-07:00

Every Thursday I'll be putting up a podcast dealing with 3 to 5 things, be them players, teams, or coaches, in the NFL that hold fantasy relevance or are just driving me nuts. So check out The Mann Report every Thursday for a dose of football podcasting.

Click on the link below (just click where it says The Mann Report Podcast) to hear what I have to say about the Carolina Panthers' offense, Larry Johnson and his fantasy downfall, and what's currently wrong with the Washington Redskins.

THE MANN REPORT PODCAST!

Who's Hot and Who's Not for Week 8

2009-10-28T05:45:00.000-07:00

It's week 8 and the following teams have a bye: Cincinnati, Kansas City, New England, Pittsburgh, Tampa Bay, Washington. You'll need to replace some strong quarterbacks in Tom Brady, Carson Palmer, and Big Ben Roethlisberger. Also riding the pine this week are running backs Rashard Mendenhall and Cedric Benson, along with big receiving names Randy Moss, Wes Welker, Dwayne Bowe, Hines Ward, Santonio Holmes, Mike Wallace, Chad Ochocinco...well, the list is pretty deep this week with tight ends included as well. You'll be looking for some strong alternatives, and I've got 'em for you.

Start 'Em!

Quarterbacks:

Jay Cutler (CHI) vs. Cleveland

The Cleveland Browns have really only managed to stop Trent Edwards this year and obviously that's not really saying much. With continuing morality issues, the Puppies of Ohio will suffer against the cannon-armed Cutler, who will take hefty advantage of the talent of Greg Olsen and speed of Devin Hester. In addition, the Bears need a ~~win~~ lopsided victory to not end any possible bid they could have for the playoffs. When the stakes are high, Cutler will surely toss an interception or two, but a three touchdown performance is more than possible, it's likely, as the Bears can no longer rely on the previously exceptional Matt Forte (though this game will likely help pad his stats as well).

The Line: 35 attempts, 23 completions, 257 yards passing, 3 passing touchdowns, 2 interceptions

David Garrard (JAC) vs. Tennessee

Garrard has not had a stellar season and no one is looking to send him to the Pro Bowl, but his week four performance against the Titans was certainly eye-opening for matchup plays. If you're keeping Garrard on your bench, play him this week, then drop him in favor of Jamaal Charles or Beanie Wells. He's not the most reliable quarterback this year, but he should repeat his performance against the worst pass defense in the league. With Maurice Jones-Drew crushing across the turf, Garrard will be able to throw unhindered to his strong duo of Mike Sims-Walker and Torry Holt. A rushing touchdown even seems plausible as well.

The Line: 32 attempts, 25 completions, 285 yards passing, 2 passing touchdowns, 3 carries, 15 yards

Running Backs:

Beanie Wells (ARI) vs. Carolina

It's obvious now that Wells is the more talented part of the Arizona backfield and deserves more carries going forward. This week, he and Hightower will split carries against Carolina's paltry run defense that ranks 26th in the league in yards against and the defense overall surrenders 24.2 points per game, 23rd in the league. If Wells sees the same involvment as Hightower in the passing game, then it could be an even better outing for the rookie, who is part of an excellent crop of backs this year competing for the top jobs on their teams and rightfully so. After last week's strong outing against the Giants, Wells should be getting much more attention from the coaching staff going forward, starting with this week.

The Line: 13 carries, 61 yards rushing, 1 rushing touchdown, 3 receptions, 10 yards

Kevin Smith (DET) vs. St. Louis

He's up against the St. Louis Rams, coming off of a bye week and Matthew Stafford won't be back just yet. This is all good news for the second year rusher, who is an unsung workhorse amongst starting backs this year. The last challenge he faced was the Steelers defense, which will mean that running amongst the Rams will seem like a much-needed joy ride. In this week's "Clash of the Insignificants," Smith should thrive and be well-utilized against the team giving up the 6th most yards to opposing backfields and 3rd most points to their opposition. Start Smith in most all formats and he will yield strong results.

The Line: 22 carries, 78 yards rushing, 2 rushing touchdowns

Wide Receivers:

Malcolm Floyd (SD) vs. Oakland

Floyd seems to be a well-kept secret for the Chargers. He's only got nine receptions this season, but he's got 187 yards, giving him 20.8 average yards per catch. Against the mediocre Raiders, he could see another couple of receptions for solid yards and there's no reason that once the game becomes a blowout that he won't grab a touchdown to boot. The Oakland corners are a respectable bunch, but they will have trouble against the 6-foot-5 Floyd, whose size matches that of Brandon Marshall and Vincent Jackson. Expect start-worthy numbers in 12+ team leagues.

The Line: 3 receptions, 64 yards receiving, 1 receiving touchdown

Torry Holt (JAC) vs. Tennessee

Mike Sims-Walker has been the big story this year for Jacksonville, but Holt is still averaging 67.8 yards per game. Against the Tennessee pass defense, just about anything is possible and Holt is sure to benefit against the team that is allowing the most yards per game through the air and the most points per game. Even with a bye week to figure things out, the Titans won't be rebounding from their lackluster defensive performances anytime soon. Holt is available in 38 percent of Yahoo! standard leagues, so if you own him, start and if you don't pick him up to fill in for this week. It will be a worthwhile investment for week eight.

The Line: 7 receptions, 85 yards receiving

Tight End:

Brandon Pettigrew (DET) vs. St. Louis

This rookie tight end is definitely part of Detroit's future. Like his teammate above, Pettigrew has the wonderful matchup against St. Louis and that is nothing but good great phenomenal for opposing offenses. The young offense of the Lions is evolving together, with Calvin Johnson, Kevin Smith, Matthew Stafford and Pettigrew being a large part of that, though Stafford should continue to be sidelined this week, with the coaching staff being cautious and understandably so. This week, if the Lions want to win, they should do their best to get the ball to Pettigrew more than a few times and Daunte Culpepper should do just that, so if you're looking for a strong matchup play to rock your flex slot or tight end zone in deeper formats, sweep this youngster up off of the waiver wire right away.

The Line: 6 receptions, 70 yards receiving, 1 receiving touchdown

Defense/Special Teams:

Arizona Cardinals vs. Carolina

Arizona's defense started strong against the run coming out of the gate, but they have come into their own against the pass in the past couple of weeks. Assuming Jake Delhomme's starts for Carolina, a pick six is always possible for the Cardinals and a couple of interceptions almost seem certain. With a strong run defense already in place, it's possible that the Panthers will yet again make the mistake of relying on Jake the Fake, giving ample opportunities for turnovers.

The Line: 14 points allowed, 3 interceptions, 2 sacks

Sit 'Em...

Quarterbacks:

Matt Hasselbeck (SEA) vs. Arizona

We've seen him throw four touchdown passes one week and then goes 10-for-29 with one interception the following week against Arizona. Obviously, times are tough for the 34 year old passer. This week he's against the Cowboys, who are going to look to improve on their victory from last week. The pressure will be on for Hasselbeck, whose offensive line is in shambles, much like the Rams offensive line last year. Again the case concerns the absolute lack of reliability, which will be no good against the pass rush of DeMarcus Ware, who just received an extremely lucrative contract extension. Hasselbeck may even leave the game with an injury after being pummeled over and over again.

The Line: 39 attempts, 20 completions, 192 yards passing, 1 passing touchdown, 2 interceptions

Matt Ryan (ATL) vs. Dallas

If you see the Falcons' receiving corps flinch after each catch this week, you can blame it on the crushing hits of the Dallas secondary, who had some of the scarier legal hits in the past weeks against Atlanta last week. This week, Ryan faces down the New York Giants, who allow the fewest yards per game and the second fewest yards per game through the air. They aren't about to let another Drew Brees incident happen and will look to put a stop to Roddy White. While Tony Gonzalez may prove mildly effective, it will have to be Michael Turner carrying much of the load if the Falcons want to win, leaving Ryan hanging. Allow he is not the most turnover prone quarterback in the league, he still makes mistakes, and the Giants defense will be ready to take advantage of that fact.

The Line: 31 attempts, 18 completions, 202 yards passing, 1 passing touchdown, 1 interception

Running Backs:

Jamal Lewis (CLE) vs. Chicago

It's unlikely that you're starting Lewis, or even that you own him. However, every week, a large enough number of owners take a risk on the Browns' running back. He is absolutely unreliable in an offense that is incapable of getting any momentum. It seems like every week, the Browns are getting picked on, but there is a strong reason why. If you are one of the few who are considering playing Lewis, just drop him in favor of a player on a more productive offense.

The Line: 18 carries, 47 yards rushing, 1 reception, 6 yards receiving

Ryan Grant (GB) vs. Minnesota

Last week, Grant ran all over the Browns, one of the weakest defenses in the league. This week, however, it will be a quarterbacking showdown and the Packers will have to rely on the arm of Aaron Rodgers to beat the Minnesota Vikings. Grant's job will be clock management against a still-strong Vikings defense that may not be the best in the league, but is still more than capable of doing the job. Grant will likely be tackled in the backfield a number of times and his yardage numbers will reflect the punishment.

The Line: 19 carries, 71 yards rushing

Wide Receivers:

Mario Manningham (NYG) vs. Philadelphia

Probably the most important factor towards benching Manningham this week has been Eli Manning's lackluster performances in the past two weeks. He has just two touchdown passes and four interceptions over that period along with completing less than 50 percent of his passes. Philadelphia has a strong secondary that is allowing the 9th fewest yards through the air. Manningham's dropped touchdown pass last week will also cause Manning to look away from him and towards Hakeem Nicks. Unless Manningham proves to be an unstoppable force against the secondary, expect him to post rather meager numbers this week.

The Line: 2 receptions, 34 yards receiving

Braylon Edwards (NYJ) vs. Miami

Though he is a talented receiver, Edwards has a lot going on off the field, including potential jail time courtesy of a minor assault charge. This week the distraction won't help against a young, but talented, group of Miami corners. Though they are giving up the 14th most passing yards per game, Miami showed their eagerness to get to the ball and Edwards' slippery hands could create a couple of interception chances. Though always a potential end zone target, he is probably better replaced with a more reliable receiver.

The Line: 3 receptions, 39 yards receiving

Defense/Special Teams:

New York Jets vs. Miami

Miami's double-dragon running attack of Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams will crush the Jets into submission, forcing them to put eight in the box and leaving a little room for Chad Henne to operate. Though Henne may not post big numbers against the strong secondary, it won't be a big day for the defense. They'll have to deal with the formidable Wildcat formation which will run circles around the suffering rushing defense of the Jets.

The Line: 27 points allowed, 1 interception

The Inve$tment Corner

Jamaal Charles (RB-KC)

Notable Matchups (Playoffs): Week 14 vs. Buffalo, Week 15 vs. Cleveland, Week 16 at Cincinnati

Larry Johnson has dug himself deep into a hole with his unnecessary tweeting and his 2.7 yards per carry average. If the owners show their disdain for the old guy, Charles could be their man going forward. At the very least, Johnson is no longer the future of the Chiefs and Charles will get more carries as the year goes on, as Johnson is slowly phased out. Up against not-so-stellar run defenses during the fantasy playoffs, look the way of Charles as he proves himself to be the back that the Chiefs need for the second half of the season. Matt Cassel seems to be working out a strong connection with Dwayne Bowe and the Chiefs in general will be looking to the future as the season goes on, working out who their starters may be next year. If one of your normal starters gets injured or you are a Larry Johnson owner, pick Charles up now, before he breaks a big game and gets swept up off of your waiver wire.

We All Agree, It's the Year of the Quarterback

2009-10-26T09:14:00.000-07:00

It's been a fantastic year for quarterbacks, both in reality and in the fantasy world. Heck, my Monday post last week was about quarterbacks with 100+ passer ratings. It has been pretty hard to draft poorly in this category, with so many lower draft picks worming their way into the top 10 quarterbacks this year. Here are the top 10 quarterbacks (so far) this year, with their average draft pick (ADP) and their current overall ranking (Stats applicable in Yahoo! standard leagues).

1) Matt Schaub: ADP = 69, Rank = 2

2) Tom Brady: ADP = 23, Rank = 3

3) Ben Roethlisburger: ADP = 100, Rank = 4

4) Peyton Manning: ADP = 21, Rank = 5

5) Drew Brees: ADP = 15, Rank = 6

6) Aaron Rodgers: ADP = 38, Rank = 7

7) Carson Palmer: ADP = 76, Rank = 11

8) Phillip Rivers: ADP = 37, Rank = 14

9) Brett Favre: ADP = 150, Rank = 15

10) Joe Flacco: ADP = 143, Rank 16

Half of these names improved their position by at least 50 ranks. It's been a remarkable year for quarterbacks, one that most people would have not predicted, but it's easy to agree on now. If you're one of the lucky folks who got a great bargain on a quarterback in order to grab that strong running back or monumental receiver, congratulations, you have outdone those people who spent their first rounder on Drew Brees. Which, in hindsight, still wasn't that poor of a choice.

Week 7 Sunday Happenings

2009-10-25T07:57:00.000-07:00

First Matchups of Sunday:
Green Bay vs. Cleveland
San Francisco vs. Houston
San Diego vs. Kansas City
Indianapolis vs. St. Louis
New England vs. Tampa Bay
Minnesota vs. Pittsburgh

Second Matchups of Sunday:
Buffalo vs. Carolina
New York Jets vs. Oakland
Chicago vs. Cincinnati
Atlanta vs. Dallas
New Orleans vs. Miami

Final Sunday Matchup:

Arizona vs. New York Giants

Pre-game

Boldin's injury is the biggest concern this week. With him not playing until late tonight, it's almost not worth the risk. Have Breaston or Urban ready to go just in case.
Remember, Trent Edwards is out, but you weren't playing him anyways.
Jericho Cotchery is out for the Jets. That is no good for the young Sanchez.
Check out this site for more injury updates. Also, just take a peek at the listings for the Cleveland Browns. http://www.nfl.com/injuries

First Matchups

IDP Update: In London, Josh Johnson throws an interception to Brandon Meriweather, who runs it back 39 yards for a touchdown. They only way to not let Tom Brady score is to let the defense score I guess. Update: On the Buc's next drive, Johnson throws another interception, again to Meriweather.
It's going to be a long day for the Vikings offense and an even longer day for Ol' Man Favre.
Is Derek Anderson really 5/5 with 55 yards in the first quarter? Green Bay's defense needs to pick up the pressure evidently.
Donald Brown broke a huge 45 yard run to set up a Peyton Manning to Dallas Clark touchdown. That game should get out of hand soon enough.
Brady is 5/5 with 65 yards and a touchdown. The Patriots are up 14 points before the end of the first quarter. This already looks like last week's game - painful.
The Steelers ~~score the first touchdown~~ put a notch on the scoreboard. Heath Miller is called for offensive pass interference, bringing the touchdown pass to Santonio Holmes back. They will have to settle for a field goal after a Vikings sack.
Steve Slaton has 6 carries for -1 yards and a touchdown. Update: Slaton's involvement in the passing game yields his a 13-yard catch-and-run.
Spencer Havner, a rookie tight end/linebacker, takes a short pass to the right 45 yards down the sidelines for a touchdown. No one in the fantasy world would have predicted something of that nature. It was very Mike Vrabel, but from a much longer distance.
Did that really happen? Tom Brady is intercepted in the end zone on a pass to Randy Moss. This just feels weird and uncomfortable. Update: TWO! Two interceptions against Brady. What has happened? I'm confused.
Houston recovers a fumbled punt in the red zone. The 49ers need to get in a rhythm if they hope to stay in this game.
Kansas City makes a goal line stand against LaDainian Tomlinson, making his little tantrum last week when the ball was given to Darren Sproles at the goal line against Denver look pretty ridiculous.
That is why you start Adrian Peterson no matter what. He's a beast who can break through for the touchdown.
Donald Driver takes a medium distance pass and makes it a 71-yard touchdown. Many owners rejoice, others wonder what has happened to the normally useful Greg Jennings.
The Texans' star tight end, Owen Daniels, has five receptions for 100 yards and a touchdown. Goodbye 49ers. Just try to put up some statistics for anyone who started Gore and/or Crabtree.
IDP Update: Charles Woodson has a 13-yard interception return.
The Packers get a fortunate pass interference penalty in the end zone and Ryan Grant punches in the 1-yard touchdown run three plays later.
Mike Wallace is wide open two plays in a row and covers a total of 60 yards on two catches for the touchdown. The Vikings clearly have a gap in their zone coverage that will need to change in the second half. Big Ben's offensive line is giving him all day to throw the ball.

Halftime

Dwayne Bowe may not be big on yards, but he has a touchdown.
Sidney Rice owners were one yard short of the touchdown on the brilliant throw by Favre and the excellent catch-and-run.
Sproles may be the back to play for San Diego. His catch-and-run capabilities are just incredibly strong.
Vernon Davis has two touchdowns on the day. Alex Smith taking over for Shaun Hill seems to be just what the Niners needed. Michael Crabtree also benefits from this change. He's looking pretty solid for his first professional game.
Randy Moss is sitting on the sidelines after being shaken up. Not sure if he's going to be back in the game when the scoreboard is so lopsided.
Laurence Maroney gets a goal line touchdown. His value increases further, especially if Sammy Morris and Fred Taylor stay sidelined with injuries in future weeks.
Josh Freeman has replaced Josh Johnson for Tampa Bay. What does this mean for the fantasy future? Possibly not much
Pittsburgh rocks in the red zone, forcing Favre to fumble and returning it 77 yards for a touchdown.
Donald Brown's injury does not bode well for people who started him in hopes of his usefulness when the game became a blowout.
Make it three touchdowns from Alex Smith to tight end Vernon Davis. This changes the game entirely, especially for Frank Gore owners, who may be pounding their heads on their computers.
It's official, Steven Jackson is the ONLY offensive threat on the Rams. He still has yet to find the end zone this year. That may not change for a while. The last two years, he had five touchdowns one year and seven touchdowns the other. He is still overvalued in most leagues, but he is proving himself to be a player to have.
Ryan Grant is looking like the back he is supposed to be, but it's against the Cleveland Browns, who make anyone look good running against them. He has 27 carries for 148 yards and a touchdown.

Second Matchups of Sunday

JaMarcus Russell fumbles, it's recovered on the Raiders' one-yard line. Four plays later, Thomas Jones punches in the touchdown.
It's a good day for Ricky Williams and the Wildcat formation. The Saints defense may have met its match. Ronnie Brown also has a touchdown. The cat is going wild all over New Orleans, though the most important statistic may be the two interceptions against Drew Brees.
Carson Palmer is this week's Tom Brady. He's killing and has spread four touchdowns out to four receivers. Cedric Benson has over 100 yards to boot. It's a blowout against the Bears.
Miles Austin is the best receiver on the Cowboys. Roy Williams is vastly overrated.
The question in Cincinnati after the half will be "when do our starters come off the field?"
Tony Romo has two touchdowns before the half after a brilliant evasion of the blitzing linesmen and throwing it to the back of the end zone to an open Patrick Crayton.

Halftime

Brad Gradowski has taken over for JaMarcus Russell. It's not much of an improvement but he has yet to throw an interception.
Brees has yet to throw for a touchdown, but has a rushing score.
If you're wondering why the Panthers are losing to the Bills, it's really very simple. They've thrown more than fifty percent of the time when they have a fantastic duel-back system in place with DeAngelo Williams and Jonathon Stewart. Those two should be in control of the ball, not Jake Delhomme. Carolina should do some work on the Wildcat and employ Williams and Stewart the way that Williams and Brown are used for Miami.
IDP Update: Darren Sharper has a pick six for New Orleans.
Lee Evans scores for the second week in a row. His stock should rise as T.O. stops being the focus of the passing game.
Carson Palmer has five, count 'em, five touchdowns on the day. Two of them go to Chad Ochocinco who is having a stellar day. Jay Cutler, on the other hand, has three interceptions and no touchdowns.
If you picked up Miles Austin, you're bathing in glory right now. Now we must ask, sell high or keep him? I'm voting to keep him.
Chicago needs to put the ball on the ground and hope Matt Forte can produce like Cedric Benson.
The other quarterback to have three interceptions today? Drew Brees. Today is weird in the quarterback world.
Benson seals his vengeance on the Bears with a goal line touchdown.
Thomas Jones was really good start today, but Shonn Greene was apparently a superb start, though no one really guessed it.
A few people today asked me if they should start Oakland's defense. You NEVER start the Raiders in your defense/special teams slot.
DeAngelo Williams finds the end zone on a 15-yard touchdown run. Carolina has let Delhomme throw 40 times today. Why? I still don't get it. He has two interceptions on the day.
Patrick Crayton just returned a punt for a score. He's definitely got a job in Dallas if he wants it, though Miles Austin is keeping his starting job.
Ricky Williams will be swept up from the waiver wire this week. He has three touchdowns. Can anyone still call the Wildcat a gimmick?
There's no figuring out the Saints' backfield. Reggie Bush has the touchdown, Mike Bell has the most yards and Pierre Thomas has the most touches.
Tony Romo has three touchdowns and over a 140 passer rating. It's safe to say that's it's a good day for a team that needed a win to prove their status.
It's down to the wire in Miami.

Who's Hot and Who's Not for Week 7

2009-10-22T18:33:00.000-07:00

It's week 7 and the following teams have a bye week: Baltimore, Denver, Detroit, Jacksonville, Seattle, Tennessee. Time to find replacements for a whole slew of wideouts including Brandon Marshall, Eddie Royal, Calvin Johnson, Nate Burleson, TJ Houshmandzadeh, Mike Sims-Walker, Torry Holt, Derrick Mason, Mark Clayton and no one from the Titans (please tell me you're not playing a receiver from that tossing travesty).

Start 'Em!

Quarterback:

Carson Palmer (CIN) vs. Chicago

The last time these two teams met, Palmer threw three touchdown passes against a more dominating defense than the Bears have now. However, Palmer has had mixed success against strong defenses, but has still managed at least one touchdown against each expect for the Denver Broncos. The Bears will have to put a stop to the jilted Cedric Benson, who has been a huge producer this year and will look to show up his old team. All the while, Palmer can use play action for big games with his strong receiving core led by the trash-talking Chad Ochocinco, who will draw a lot of attention for the Bears' secondary. What happens when you watch No. 85 too closely? Andre Caldwell explodes or Laveranues Coles sneaks away from coverage. Be warned Bears, Palmer is the leader of an emotionally charged team that wants to prove something to everyone this year.

The Line: 34 attempts, 20 completions, 248 yards passing, 2 touchdowns, 1 interception, 2 carries, 3 yards rushing

Eli Manning (NYG) vs. Arizona

Last week, the Cardinals made Matt Hasselbeck look terrible, even with their then-last-ranked pass defense. Coming up a slot to 31st in the league won't mean anything against a Manning brother looking to find glory after last week's humiliation against the Saints. It will be tough-going for the Cardinals with Steve Smith and Mario Manningham hungering to produce against the vulnerable secondary. Manning also has something that Hasselbeck did not - a reliable offensive line. Though the Cardinals can bring the pressure, it won't be enough to stop this offense looking to bounce back in week seven. Also, Brandon Jacobs should have an expanded role as a power back to get play action moving against the 1st ranked run defense in the league. If the big man can make magic happen, Lil' Manning could see an ever better day than predicted.

The Line: 33 attempts, 22 completions, 237 yards passing, 2 touchdowns

Running Back:

Michael Bush (OAK) vs. New York Jets

Little breezes of change in the NFL jet-stream are heading towards Bush this week that make him a potential starter in 12-team formats this week. The Raiders are coming off a surprising victory against the previously mighty Philadelphia Eagles and the Jets are fresh from a loss to the hodgepodge efforts of the Buffalo Bills. The big story here benefitting Bush is the diminished Jets defensive line. Rex Ryan's defense started the year in strong fashion, making the Jets look like a potential contender for a playoff bid until Pierre Thomas broke the defense's back in week four. The now-sinking Jets need nothing short than their very own Captain Sully to resuscitate the injured front seven and land safely. Until then, expect opposing running backs to poise a threat. Bust takes advantage of the sinking rush defense that is now 21st in the league allowing 115.7 yards per game. In addition, JaMarcus Russell is coming off a shockingly decent performance and the Jets will actually have to give consideration to defense packages to disrupt the quarterback. To top it off, Bush won't be splitting carries with the injured Darren McFadden, though Justin Fargas is expected to get some touches. Expect Bush's name to be called on in the red zone to avoid mistakes by Russell, making him a scoring threat this week.

The Line: 15 carries, 58 yards rushing, 1 rushing touchdown

Laurence Maroney (NE) vs. Tampa Bay

Maroney is bound to be the talk of the town with Sammy Morris and Fred Taylor both out with injuries. It takes away some of the guesswork required to analyze the New England backfield. While most people think of Tom Brady when it comes to the Patriots, there is another reason that they have been one of the top offenses for so many years. They can run the ball. That's the thing about such a robust offensive line - it makes the offense look really good. Expect for Maroney to lose some touches to BenJarvus Green-Ellis and Kevin Faulk, but he will be the featured back. The other major factor here is the matchup. Maroney is up against the breakable Tampa Bay defense that is allowing 171 yards per game to opposing running backs. He could finally be the back he was supposed to be in the 2007 campaign.

The Line: 15 carries, 74 yards rushing, 1 rushing touchdown, 3 receptions, 20 yards receiving

Wide Receiver:

Pierre Garcon (IND) vs. St. Louis

If you're looking to replace any of your receiver this week, look no further than Pierre Garcon, one of the extremely talented receivers for the Colts. With Anthony Gonzalez still banged up, Garcon should see some strong action this week against a defense that ranks 27th in the league against the pass. Peyton Manning will be able to spread the ball to multiple talented receivers and Garcon will be a benefactor in what could be a ludicrous blowout in week seven. If you're not playing him in your lineup, take a peak at Austin Collie. Both receivers are under-owned and deserve attention, but this week looks good for Garcon.

The Line: 6 receptions, 59 yards receiving, 1 touchdown, 1 carry, 10 yards rushing

Lee Evans (BUF) vs. Carolina

Buffalo may not be the most effective offense in the league, but they are coming off an exciting win and are hoping to build on that success against a team that is ready for the emotional battle. Though Carolina is ranked 2nd against the pass, they are 24th in points against and not all of those happen on the ground. Matt Ryan carved Carolina apart for three touchdowns on only 220 yards passing in week two. Trent Edwards is not big in the yardage department, but he will have to get the ball to Evans this week as T.O. is a fading star that Edwards will look away from more, giving the ball to a more deserving Evans who showed his ability to streak past secondaries last week. If Buffalo can get some kind of rhythm going on the gournd, the perennial disappointment could slide into the end zone and see some solid numbers against a guessing defense.

The Line: 9 receptions, 84 yards receiving, 1 touchdown

Tight End:

Jermichael Finley (GB) vs. Cleveland

It looks like Finley is the go-to receiving tight end for sure in Green Bay and will continue to earn that distinction this week against a battered Cleveland team that is suffering from a bout of the flu. With 15.3 yards per reception, Finley will cruise past the Puppies of Ohio and find big totals with Aaron Rodgers throwing unimpeded to his strong receiving core. If pressured at all by the Browns, the dump to Finley will grow all the more popular for Rodgers and he will put even more distance between himself and Donald Lee on the receiving charts of Green Bay. As an added bonus, Cleveland is giving up 24.7 points per game and 242 passing yards per game, making them 26th and 23rd in the league, respectively.

The Line: 5 receptions, 63 yards, 1 touchdown

Defense/Special Teams:

Atlanta vs. Dallas

The only two defenses that you're probably needing to find a replacement for this week are Denver and Baltimore, so you probably don't need a bye-week replacement, but if you do or you're looking to replace that lackluster unit you currently have, take a peak at Atlanta's defense. Their 24th ranking in terms of overall yards against opponents is juxtaposed by their hefty 4th place ranking in points against. Preventing scoring is what matters in fantasy football, so they are a strong force and an ample replacement this week against the Dallas Cowboys.

The Line: 17 points against, 1 interception, 1 forced fumble, 2 sacks

Surprise of the Week

Michael Crabtree (WR-SF) vs. Houston

Josh Morgan reported this week that Crabtree has taken his position as the No. 1 receiver for Mike Singletary's offense. However, there are a number of things going against Crabtree in this game, the least of which it being his first start. The Niners will probably be looking to their ground game to pummel the Texans into submission and may not need to look to the passing game in the red zone, which would likely be a great relief to most of the fans. Frank Gore is back to being healthy and could rack up big points, but it is Crabtree who could be the quiet hero of the offense in his first outing. Shaun Hill will want to test his fresh toy to stir up some gametime chemistry, so expect at least a few targets to the rookie.

The Line: 5 receptions, 61 yards receiving

Sit 'Em...

Quarterback:

Brett Favre (MIN) vs. Pittsburgh

It has been a phenomenal start for the Grey Gunslinger and he is a huge part of the Vikings' success. However, he is due for a bad game and Pittsburgh's defense, renewed with Troy Polamalu back in the lineup, is just the squad to hand it to him. Really, the main concern is that there are definitely better options to field than Favre. You just don't want to risk the matchup unless you don't have a better alternative. Plus, the Steelers are looking to defend their title at home against a team that is looking like a championship contender this year and will shut down the rampant passing game rather efficiently to do so.

The Line: 27 attempts, 20 completions, 196 yards passing, 1 touchdown, 1 interception

Donovan McNabb (PHI) vs. Washington

Washington may be absolutely incapable of gaining any productivity on offense, their defense can be a formidable foe. They are only allowing an average of 169 yards per game through the air and 16 points per game to their foes, making them 3rd and 5th in those respective categories. McNabb is fresh off of a rough match against Oakland, one of the weakest defenses in the league. The numbers may be deceiving, with Washington not facing particularly strong quarterbacks, but the fresh eyes for play calling could help this talented group. Don't risk playing McNabb except in 14+ team formats. DeAngelo Hall is a likely candidate to pick off the wild armed quarterback and Albert Haynesworth should keep the ground game limited as long as he can stay on the field uninjured. Finally, with Brian Westbrook and LeSean McCoy biting at the bit after last week's lopsided pass/rush ratio. Expect the running game to get going early and to be used eagerly.

The Line: 27 attempts, 17 completions, 204 yards passing, 1 passing touchdown, 2 interceptions

Running Back:

Clinton Portis (WAS) vs. Philadelphia

There's just no good reason to risk starting Portis. The aging rusher is far past his prime and has an injury-plagued right leg (which is so bad that it is a joke to the head of the Redskins backfield). With a new bingo play-caller in Washington, don't be surprised if Portis loses more touches than usual to LaDell Betts and possibly even Roc Cartwright. The old man of those three can't outrun defensive backs and so the big runs are cut short of the goal line (as proven against the Chiefs). Even when presented with strong matchups, he can't be leaned upon to produce a helpful stats line and this week he faces a defense that is much more capable than that of Kansas City. While the 'Skins look to get their mojo back under new guidance, leave Portis on the bench or the trading block.

The Line: 12 carries, 36 yards rushing, 2 receptions, 11 yards receiving

Steven Jackson (STL) vs. Indianapolis

With no touchdowns this year, Jackson is looking in bad shape. His yardage totals are strong, but the Colts can shut down the opposition, allowing the 2nd fewest points per game. There's just no hope for the addled offense of the Rams and Jackson has to suffer along with it all. Try Jonathon Stewart or another strong secondary back (Mike Bell and Reggie Bush of the Saints come to mind) to fill the spot.

The Line: 16 carries, 65 yards, 1 fumble, 4 receptions, 22 yards

Wide Receiver:

Antonio Bryant (TB) vs. New England

There will be two primary reasons to leave Bryant behind this week. 1) The weather in London will freeze him solid on the field. 2) The Patriots are going to cripple the Bucs' offense quickly and efficiently, which Josh Johnson won't be able to handle. Expect Bryant to spend most of his time on the sidelines watching the offense of the Patriots stack up points. You would be better off picking off a third string receiver on a stronger team from free agency or waiver wire than to play this wideout.

The Line: 2 receptions, 21 yards

Mohamed Mossaquoi (CLE) vs. Green Bay

It's a mess in Ohio. The flu, the coach, the unhappy Josh Cribbs, the quarterback situation. It all adds up to a rough outing for the Browns. They aren't playing with the emotional gravitas that the turnaround story of the year, the Bengals, have going for themselves. It's just crumbling in Cleveland, and without a solid quarterback in charge, the receivers will continue to suffer, especially against the prolific defense of Green Bay. Being at home could help Mossaquoi, but not enough to make him a starter this week.

The Line: 3 receptions, 39 yards

I've decided to add a new element to my sit and start column to encourage you all to check back each week called The Investment Corner. Each week I will highlight any number of players who you may want to pick up off of the waiver wire to lead you to fantasy victory. Often it will be a player who has a strong matchup grouping for the fantasy playoffs (usually weeks 14-16 in Yahoo! standard leagues), since that's what separates the wheat from the chaff after all. I may not always give you the next DeAngelo Williams or Michael Turner, but these players should be solid choices and may just be worth keeping out of the hands of your opponents.

The Inve$tment Corner

Chad Henne (QB-MIA)

Notable Matchups: Week 14 vs. Jacksonville, Week 15 vs. Tennessee, Week 16 vs. Houston (Playoffs)

The matchups really speak for themselves, especially the week 15 game against the Titans. The Wildcat formation should continue its run, leaving Henne to enjoy the distracted defenses and able to air it out downfield to Ted Ginn, Jr. He may not be a top 10 play all the time, but he's becoming a valuable part of the Dolphins offense. Chances are he will stay on the wire for a good while longer, but keep your eye on him. People may sweep him up prior to his week 10 matchup against Tampa Bay and the subsequent games against Carolina and Buffalo. All of those teams are meager against the run and will have to focus their attention on the one-two punch of Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams, making Henne a feasible option if his quarterbacking continues in the right direction.

Flying High for the 100+ Club

2009-10-19T18:16:00.000-07:00

Throwing for a passer rating of better than 100 with at least 25 attempts under the belt often spells victory for the quarterback's team. This Sunday, the numbers did not lie. It also proved that the best way to defeat a team with a 100 pointer throwing for them is to have a quarterback that throws for an even better 100+ rating - just ask Joe Flacco and the Baltimore Ravens. Here's a list of the quarterbacks who threw for 100+ ratings with their game day stats from Sunday and their average passer rating for the season.

Name (Average Rating): Completions/Attempts, Yards, Touchdowns, Interceptions, Sacks, Fumbles, Rating

Ben Roethlisberger (104.5 avg rate): 23/35, 417 yds, 2 tds, 1 int, 3 sck, 1 fum, 113.6 rating

Matt Schaub (102.7 avg rate):28/40, 392 yds, 4 tds, 1 int, 2 sck, 124.2 rating

Joe Flacco (93.8 avg rate): 28/43, 385 yds, 2 tds, 3 sck, 109.2 rating

Tom Brady (99.0 avg rate): 29/34, 380 yds, 6 tds, 2 sck, 152.8 rating

Drew Brees (118.4 avg rate): 23/30, 369 yds, 4 tds, 156.8 rating

Aaron Rodgers (104.1 avg rate): 29/37, 358 yds, 2 tds, 1 int, 5 sck, 1 fum, 113.7 rating

Brett Favre (109.5 avg rate): 21/29, 278 yds, 3 tds, 3 sck, 136.9 rating

Kurt Warner (92.1 avg rate): 32/41, 276 yds, 2 tds, 1 int, 2 sck, 1 fum, 100.8 rating

What can be said about these quarterbacks? They are always poised to produce heavily. These quarterbacks know how to avoid mistakes and how to make big plays. Check out their season numbers here. The top ten to fifteen in passer rating are players that you need to give the start to, only subbing one out on bye weeks or if there is a really potent matchup to play. The real surprise might be Favre's position at number three in passer rating rankings. He has abandoned a bit of the "gunslinger" attitude under the guidance of Brad Childress. This man is playing for a Super Bowl ring and may carry some owners to victory as long as he doesn't fade down the stretch. He has a 12:2 touchdown to interception ratio. The only person with a better ratio? Drew Brees. Yes, Favre is playing at that level. The man wants to win.

Also, take a look at the touchdown totals. This can be another heavy factor, along with yardage totals, that helps pick your starting quarterback. Big touchdown numbers and big yardage totals mean the player can break for a big game, but the passer rating means consistency. That number is part of a player you can rely on and who always deserves consideration for the starting slot.

In most leagues, you can only start one quarterback. Let me speak from experience and say you can't just play the matchup all the time. Play the consistent producer who has a quality offense surrounding. Also, as Matt Hasselbeck can attest to, check out the offensive line. If they can't create a good pocket for their man, their man is gonna have a tough time. Pick your quarterback wisely. Very wisely.

Week 6 (2009) Sunday Happenings

2009-10-18T05:00:00.000-07:00

First Matchups of Sunday:

Houston vs. Cincinnati

Detroit vs. Green Bay

St. Louis vs. Jacksonville

Minnesota vs. Baltimore

New York Giants vs. New Orleans

Cleveland vs. Pittsburgh

Carolina vs. Tampa Bay
Kansas City vs. Washington

Second Matchups of Sunday:

Philadelphia vs. Oakland
Arizona vs. Seattle
Tennessee vs. New England
Buffalo vs. New York Jets

Sunday Night Game:
Chicago vs. Atlanta

Pregame Notes

Troy Polamalu will be back in the lineup for the Steelers. Just ~~put away~~ ~~bench~~ drop all of your Browns players. NOW. Also, in Pittsburgh news, Rashard Mendenhall will be getting the start over Willie Parker.
Chris Cooley is a pottery fanatic. Not really applicable news, but he says it explains his soft hands. For detail-oriented owners, monitor Cooley's pottery-making. If it ceases, should his value drop?
Calvin Johnson is listed as doubtful. Bank on either A) him not playing or B) him not posting substantial numbers. Adjust your roster accordingly. Update: He will be active for the game.
Matthew Stafford is the third-stringer today.
Weather can always be factor, but don't buy too much into the rain bringing the game to the ground. Some top QBs are going to play amazing in rain or shine. Wet fields can hurt corners.

First Matchups:

Adrian Peterson's first carry goes for 26 yards. You just can't bench this beast.
Portis fumbles and turns it over on the Redskins' first possesion. That's what you get for not practicing enough. Vrabel doing his thing.
Vikings' first drive was about as perfect as it gets. Favre 3-for-3, 36 yards and a 19-yard touchdown to Visanthe Shiancoe.
Aaron Rodgers and James Jones hook up for a 47-yard touchdown. Greg Jennings and Donald Driver owners wish it had gone their way.
Scoring is coming on fast this week. Marc Bulger is perfect on the opening drive, going 5-for-5, 70 yards, capped with a 17-yard touchdown to Donnie Avery.
The trend of scoring continues with Cadillac Williams hauling tail for a 20-yard run and score.
~~Giants stop Saints in the red zone, staving off a touchdown~~. Saints go for it on 4th and 1 and get the touchdown from Mike Bell. Pierre Thomas owners are unhappy.
Andre Johnson apparently is recession proof, taking a reception from Schaub for 59 yards. The touchdown bid is prevented by Cincinnati, however, forcing Schaub to throw it away. They then block the field goal. Their playing with fire under their feet.
Another Rodgers touchdown, but to John Kuhn. That doesn't really help anyone outside of Rodgers owners. However, that's two TDs in under ten minutes. We know where this game is going.
Torry Holt could break it big today. His first catch goes for 41 yards, setting up Maurice Jones-Drew's TD run.
If you happened to choose Bernard Berrian to start this week, you chose right. His 4-yard touchdown pass from Favre is making this game look rather one-sided.
Giants are up for "Best Challenge of the Day," bringing back a Drew Brees to Marques Colston touchdown to the 1-yard line. Next play, Brees throws the TD to Jeremy Shockey.
Bengal's Antwan Odom injured during the Matt Schaub touchdown pass to tight end Owen Daniels. This isn't good for Cincinnati's morale.
Annnnnnd that's why Troy Polamalu's presence matters. He intercepts the pass by Joshua Cribbs intended for Chansi Stuckey in the red zone. He can read any play.
DeAngelo Williams is looking more like last season's DeAngelo Williams. He has a 20-yard touchdown run.
Cedric Benson is proving that he deserved to be a first-round draft pick.
Heath Miller has a touchdown on the day. The Steelers look good against a pathetic Browns team.
Brees has a second TD already. It's a beautiful 26-yarder to Robert Meachem. The Giants do get to celebrate a blocked extra point attempt, but that's all they get to celebrate.
Steve Slaton looks, well, good. He turns a short pass from Schaub into a 38-yard touchdown.
Ahmad Bradshaw further increases his value as a RB2 and flex play with a 10-yard touchdown run against the Saints. At what point does he eclipse Jacobs on the position ranks?
Cribbs deserves an extension from the Browns. He just picked up his third kickoff return for a touchdown against the Steelers. This comes after a 52-yard catch-and-run touchdown for Hines Ward.
Brees is putting on a clinic called "How to Disect the Top-Ranked Defense." It's pretty nasty. The Giants are going to need to regain their confidence if they intend on overcoming a 17-point deficit.
At halftime, the Chiefs are up 3-0. The Redskins can't even compete against one of the league's worst defenses. Jim Zorn should be sweating ~~buckets~~ ~~puddles~~ ~~baby pools~~ lakes. The fans won't stand for it much longer. St. Louis is up in their game against Jacksonville 10-6. It's a weird day.
Reggie Bush has a touchdown after an Eli Manning fumble. Pierre Thomas has yet to see a goal line carry. That doesn't bode well for those of us who started Thomas.

First Matchups - Second Half

The Redskins have brought out Todd Collins. He chucks the ball downfield to Santana Moss for 42 yards on his first pass. Ladell Betts also appears to be taking over for Portis. Apparently he is off with an ankle injury. His return is questionable. Update: Portis comes back in and runs the ball 78 yards. Guess that injury isn't really bothering him anymore.
Sometime gave a heck of a pep talk to Derek Anderson. He finally gets a touchdown. It's a 1-yard pass to the fullback Lawerence Vickers.
Mendenhall finally gets a touchdown against the weak Detroit defense. However, it is Hines Ward who is the real belle of the ball still.
The duo of Williams and Jonathan Stewart is marching all over Tampa Bay and each has a touchdown.
Matt Schaub is killing the Bengals secondary. It's a surprise to me just as much as it is to the Bengals. Steve Slaton is along for the ride. Same goes for Owen Daniels.
Mason Crosby owners are quickly racking up the field goal points.
Marques Colston is have a HUGE day with 147 yards and a touchdown in three quarters of play. Brees can do no wrong.
Two touchdowns for tight end Shiancoe. The Vikings look like the real deal with Favre at the helm.
The Jaguars offense is a tight knit group. MJD, Holt and Sims-Walker are taking care of business in the second half. Garrard has 256 yards, no touchdowns and one interception. He'll probably add a touchdown before the game ends. Both touchdowns for the Jags right now belong to MJD.
Jake Delhomme is a danger to his own team. He just threw a pick six.
DeAngelo Williams has 30 carries for 152 yards and 2 touchdowns. It's an impressive day for the back averaging 5.0 yards per carry.
MJD has three TDs in a tight game with St. Louis. His goal line work has been impressive.
Congratulations Redskins. You gave another winless team their first victory. You're sort of the like the really depressing Santa Claus for other teams.
Brett Favre does it better than...well...most anyone. A huge pass to Sidney Rice sets them up to win the game.
Overtime for Jags and Rams. Update: Jacksonville takes it in overtime.
Baltimore and Minnesota are easily playing the most exciting football today. It's on the final drive with the Ravens in possession and down two points.

Second Matchups:

Arizona gets the kickoff back after scoring against the Seahawks. Seattle has yet to take the field.
Stephen Gostowski misses the 39-yard field goal on the Patriots' opening drive.
There's no hope of figuring out New England's running back situation. Laurance Maroney just broke a 45-yard run for a touchdown.
The Raiders...are...winning...against the Eagles? JaMarcus Russel throws one to Zach Miller who runs it for an extra 70 yards and a touchdown.
Trent Edwards is injured after being sacked by the Jets defense. Update: Concussion. Out for the game.
Tom Brady and Randy Moss hook up for a 40-yard touchdown. Update: They connect a second time, this time a 28-yard touchdown. Brady is simply having an incredible first half. Some quarterbacks will never manage his current stats over an entire game.
Thomas Jones is killing the Bills front seven and has broken two runs for 60+ yards.
Wow. The Patriots have scored 45 unanswered points. In the first half. It's time for the Titans to throw in Vince Young. This game is lost. Tom Brady is unstoppable. Welker and Moss both have two touchdowns. Laurence Maroney and Kevin Faulk each have one of their own. It's starting to just be painful to watch.
Hasselbeck can't compete with the pass defense of the Cardinals. Wait, that doesn't sound right. Arizona is making mince-meat of the Seahawks' passing game, which no one really expected.
Lee Evans finally looks productive and T.O. is having trouble with the rubber pellets in the turf.

Who's Hot and Who's Not for Week 6

2009-10-15T17:01:00.000-07:00

Each week I'll try to post some must-starts, some must-sits and the surprises we should have in store. Take 'em, leave 'em, trash-talk 'em. It's your choice. I'll also keep track of my accuracy by position and overall. I'll be working with Yahoo! standard league points to define my success. I'm not trying to pick completely obvious starts or sits, so some of these may seem a little questionable, but that's half the fun. On average, I'll look at two quarterbacks, two running backs, two or three wide receivers, one tight end, and one team defense.

Start 'Em!

Quarterback:

Mark Sanchez (NYJ) vs. Buffalo

Buffalo's statistic of allowing only 185.6 yards passing per game is awfully deceptive considering Derek Anderson's two completion performance last week in that embarassing debacle. Look for Sanchez to continue taking advantage of his new toy in Braylon Edwards. In addition, it looks likely that he could slip away on a couple of runs if need be, especially if his new receiver helps further in stretching the field. The ground game for the Jets may take over at points considering the Bills' inability to contain the run, though Sanchez will create a few big plays.

The Line: 28 attempts, 19 completions, 198 yards passing, 2 passing touchdowns, 1 interception, 4 carries, 13 yards rushing, 1 rushing touchdown

Tom Brady (NE) vs. Tennessee

Look for football's fantasy king from 2007 to take back some of his old glory. Of course, it seems surprising that Brady would ever be called into question, but his six touchdowns on the season aren't really awe-inspiring by any means. The Titans, however, are simply pathetic against the pass and sometimes it takes just that to rebuild a quarterback's confidence. On the other hand, the run stopping abilities of Tennessee will keep the Patriots doing what they do best, throwing the ball all over the place. So much attention has been placed on Brady lately, especially his new tendency to overthrow the deep routes, that you can expect him to make some changes this week, coming in big fantasy numbers.

The Line: 40 attempts, 31 completions, 276 yards passing, 3 passing touchdowns

Running Backs:

Matt Forte (CHI) vs. Atlanta

Matt Forte as a rookie was a grand investment for fantasy owners last year, but he hasn't lived up to his first-round selection this year. Atlanta is allowing 127 yards per game rushing and Forte will take advantage of this not-so-prolific run defense. The run will help set up play action and the Bears offense will find its groove this week as Jay Cutler continues tossing the pigskin with confidence. Forte will greatly benefit from this with his involvement in the passing game and a stretched field thanks to the emergence of Johnny Knox will prevent Atlanta from putting eight in the box.

The Line: 21 carries, 97 yards rushing, 1 rushing touchdown, 4 receptions, 28 yards receiving

Jonathan Stewart (CAR) vs. Tampa Bay

There's been a lot of hooplah surrounding DeAngelo Williams in the matchup against Tampa Bay. Last year, the duo of Williams and Stewart racked up a franchise record of 299 yards on the ground. Carolina can't trust Jake the Fake to lead their offense but Williams can't do it alone, as evidenced by the first weeks of the season. The Panthers achieved their first victory when they gave more carries to Stewart and it was Stewart who crossed the goal line. His ten carries for 39 yards (3.9 ypc) far outpaced Williams' 2.2 yards per carry. Things should go back to normal after Stewart proves himself against the weak Bucs defense inside the red zone. Don't expect big yardage, just expect him to push the pile and score, while Williams runs the long distances.

The Line: 12 carries, 42 yards, 2 touchdowns

Wide Receivers:

T.J. Houshmandzadeh

The Housh will again prove a boon to those of you who had faith in this import. He's becoming an integral part of the passing offense. He won't necessarily boast the two touchdowns of last week, but against an Arizona defense that is the worst in the league against the pass. Expect Matt Hasselbeck's return to continue to bolster the Seahawks offense and Houshmandzadeh to benefit through his increased level of comfort with his quarterback.

The Line: 9 receptions, 84 yards receiving, 1 touchdown

Santana Moss

Kansas City's defense is just plain bad. There's nothing good to be said, other than that opposing offenses tend to look pretty good against them. This week the benefactor will be Moss. His downfield work will suit Jason Campbell's arm just fine and his ability to simply outpace secondaries will mean the potential for a long score is high. When Campbell isn't dumping the ball off to Chris Cooley in the short and middle ranges, he'll look deep for Moss, with big yardage gains in store.

The Line: 7 receptions, 104 yards, 1 touchdown

Tight End:

Chris Cooley (WAS) vs. Kansas City

It's going to be a good day for one of Campbell's other favorite targets, his star tight end. Cooley will be on the receiving end of the majority of whatever isn't thrown in the direction of Moss. Another touchdown seems in order for this reliable tight end whose number is cooled rather frequently in the passing game. The Chiefs also need to exercise caution with Clinton Portis after last week's game, so the line may be stacked against the run, leaving the play action opportunties for Cooley across the middle and in the slot to grow abundant.

The Line: 8 receptions, 76 yards, 1 touchdown

Defense:

Cincinnati vs. Houston

Without Steve Slaton being a real threat and with the incredible corner coverage smothering Andre Johnson, the Bengals are poised for a sharp fantasy outing. They may not be a first choice defense after giving up so many points to the Cleveland Browns recently, but expect them to be a strong sub for a poor matchup or bye week replacement. An interception or two seems likely as Schaub will have to start taking risks to get the ball to Johnson, his greatest playmaker.

The Line: 17 points allowed, 2 interceptions, 2 sacks, 1 forced fumble

Risk of the Week

Kevin Smith (DET) vs. Green Bay

Smith is truly the workhorse of the Detroit offense and should be a consistent fantasy producer this year but Green Bay is a tough defense. However, their numbers aren't as strong as their reputation. The Lions and Packers actually have similar base lines, especially in rushing yards allowed. The Pack is giving up 112.2 yards per game to opposing rushers. This number could be easy to exploit by a healthy Smith who could be the biggest offensive threat for the Lions with Matthew Stafford and Calvin Johnson coming off of hefty injuries. He may not give Detroit a win, but the Lions aren't suffering as much as they were last year, so expect an offensive pulse to be there for the Kitty-Cats.

The Line: 24 carries, 87 yards, 1 touchdown

Sit 'Em...

Quarterbacks:

Drew Brees (NO) vs. New York Giants

In this matchup of the titans, these teams will have to try to exploit each other's weaknesses. With the Giants only allowing 104.8 passing yards per game to opposing quarterbacks, it is likely that the Saints will look to their steamrolling ground game to get the job done. Brees will certainly do better than most quarterbacks against the Giants, but if you have another solid matchup option, bench Brees in favor of your backup. Pierre Thomas will be working the rush in strong fashion like he did against the Jets. Expect Brees to set up touchdowns more than get touchdowns.

The Line: 29 attempts, 19 completions, 170 yards passing, 1 touchdown, 1 interception

Matt Schaub (HOU) vs. Cincinnati

Coming into this season, the Bengals were expected to be their porous selves, allowing offenses to march all over them. However, like the Broncos of this year, their defense has made a strong turnaround and will continue to find their swagger against the Texans. The shutting down of number one wideouts will continue with Andre Johnson as wild as that seems and Schaub will have to rely on Owen Daniels and Jacoby Jones, who will feel the pressure as well. Though Cincinnati allows decent yardage totals to quarterbacks, they will be effective in the red zone and expect at least two picks against Schaub.

The Line: 32 attempts, 17 completions, 198 yards passing, 1 touchdown, 2 interceptions

Running Backs:

Ray Rice (BAL) vs. Minnesota

Rice may be emerging as the premiere back for the Ravens, but the Vikings are more than adept at shutting down the opposition on the ground. A smaller back like Rice will show some productivity in the passing game, but the trenches will prove too much and his total yards will be far from the century mark. Expect Joe Flacco to take command of the offense and for him to exploit some of the air game weaknesses in the Vikings defense who are allowing an average of 224.6 yards per game to quarterbacks. Also, this will be the week that Willis McGahee poaches another touchdown and sees more productivity as the stronger of the two rushers.

The Line: 14 carries, 35 yards rushing, 5 receptions, 32 yards receiving

Julius Jones (SEA) vs. Arizona

Matt Hasselbeck is back as the offensive commander in Seattle and Arizona has the worst pass defense in the league. There's no reason for the Seahawks to not go to the air in what will be a shootout between veteran quarterbacks. Jones will see limited usage and nothing within the red zone will be handed his way. No one will run on the goal line after the Cardinals' stand against Chris Brown and the Texans.

The Line: 12 carries, 29 yards, 1 reception, 12 yards

Wide Receivers:

Andre Johnson (HOU) vs. Cincinnati

It's been a pattern for the Bengals defense to shut down No. 1 wideouts this year and Johnson will be the latest to succumb to this astounding feat. The Bengals will be hard-pressed to make this accomplishment happen against the receiver who is best poised to knock down all barriers (as evidenced by his 17 yard catch-and-run touchdown last week). However, a merely human number line seems very possible.

The Line: 5 receptions, 52 yards

Johnny Knox (CHI) vs. Atlanta

With Forte running wild, 'da Bears will not rely as much on the passing game to support their offense, even with Jay Cutler under center. Knox will be drawing more attention as he becomes a larger part of the air game. Devin Hester will likely be the Bears receiver to play this week, with his speed being put to better use with Cutler's arm. Knox won't necessarily be an afterthought, but he just won't post wantable numbers.

The Line: 3 receptions, 38 yards

Tight End:

Zach Miller (OAK) vs. Philadelphia

In a decent world, a good tight end like Miller would be able to put up numbers no matter which team he was starting for, but the Raiders are the exception. The miserable franchise still has JaMarcus Russell starting for them and troubles for Tom Cable are only a distraction that further inhibits any forward progress. Miller is just falling behind because of his team and the Eagles defense is not to be messed with, especially by such a weak team.

The Line: 1 reception, 7 yards

Austin is the Capitol of the State of Receivers

2009-10-12T15:43:00.000-07:00

Sunday was a HUGE day for a good few wide-outs (and a tight end). Though the quarterbacks threw admirably, there was just some exceptional play from their receivers. Here's a list of receivers who caught two touchdowns yesterday with the defense they played against in parentheses:

Miles Austin: 10 receptions - 250 yards - 2 touchdowns (against Kansas City)
Roddy White: 8 rec - 210 yds - 2 tds (against San Francisco)
Jeremy Maclin: 6 rec - 142 yds - 2 tds (against Tampa Bay)
Kellen Winslow: 9 rec - 102 yds - 2 tds (against Philadelphia)
Andre Johson: 8 rec - 101 yds - 2 tds (against Arizona)
Nate Burleson: 6 rec - 98 yds - 2 tds (against Jacksonville)
Larry Fitzgerald: 5 rec - 79 yds - 2 tds (against Houston)
T.J. Houshmandzadeh: 5 rec - 77 yds - 2 tds (against Jacksonville)
Brandon Marshall: 8 rec - 64 yds - 2 tds (against New England)

How about receivers with over 50 yards and one touchdown? (Worth over 10 points in Yahoo! standard leagues)

Hines Ward: 7 rec - 85 yds - 1 td (against Detroit)
Ray Rice: 7 rec - 74 yds - 1 td (against Cincinnati)
Heath Miller: 5 rec - 54 yds - 1 td (against Detroit)
Mike Wallace: 2 rec - 52 yds - 1 td (against Detroit)
Dwayne Bowe: 5 rec - 74 yds - 1 td (against Dallas)
Donnie Avery: 5 rec - 87 yds - 1 td (against Minnesota)
Wes Welker: 8 rec - 86 yds - 1 td (against Denver)
Braylon Edwards: 5 rec - 64 yds - 1 td (against Miami)
Ted Ginn, Jr.: 2 rec - 57 yds - 1 td (against New York Jets)
Reggie Wayne: 6 rec - 60 yds - 1 td (against Tennessee)

(Visanthe Shiancoe gets an honorable mention on this list, he was one short of the 50 yard mark with 4 receptions, 49 yards and a touchdown.)

The point I want to make is that there is a reason you start the big names at one and two positions as receiver. Quarterbacks are going to keep their eyes on their favorite toys who become that for a reason.

Week 5 (2009) Sunday Happenings

2009-10-11T10:49:00.000-07:00

First Matchups of Sunday:
Washington v. Carolina
Pittsburgh v. Detroit
Cincinnati v. Baltimore
Cleveland v. Buffalo
Minnesota v. St. Louis
Dallas v. Kansas City
New York Giants v. Oakland
Tamba Bay v. Philadelphia

Clinton Portis scored a touchdown. It's been a drought for the former fantasy star, but he found pay dirt today on a pass from Jason Campbell. He owes it to a turnover-riddled Carolina offense, namely a fumble from DeAngelo Williams. Update: Portis tackled in the end zone for a safety.
Anyone who happened to start Ahmad Bradshaw today should be thanking the fantasy gods for their good fortune. One quarter, two touchdowns for the running back. (Also has 60 yards rushing and a 55-yard reception)
IDP Update: Jared Allen is a goldmine. 52-yard fumble return for a touchdown. It's a good day for the Vikings.
IDP Update: Ed Reed returns an interception 52 yards for a touchdown.
The Cowgirls seem incapable of living up to the hype. They're down 10-0 against the Chiefs. Mike Vrabel scores a touchdown, just like his good ol' days as a Patriot.
The Giants game is already a rout with 10 minutes left in the second quarter. It's pretty pathetic at 28-0 in favor of New York.
Steven Jackson continues to disappoint as he fumbles at the goal line. He seem incapable of breaking the plane. On the bright side for Jared Allen owners, he now has two fumble recoveries. He's worth more than Jackson at this point by a long shot.
Donovan McNabb is back in fine fashion with two touchdowns, but neither goes to his normal beneficiaries, so it's unlikely you're capitalizing on his receivers. Update: Make that three touchdowns before the half. If you started rookie Jeremy Maclin, rejoice. You made a decision the rest of us wouldn't have and it payed off. Royally.
The Vikings defense has recovered another fumble. That's three at the half.

Halftime score updates:
BAL: 7    CIN: 3
MIN: 17    STL: 3
CLE: 3    BUF: 0
WAS: 10    CAR: 2
KC: 10    DAL: 3
NYG: 31   OAK: 7
PIT: 21   DET: 13
PHI: 21 TB: 7

If you started any Browns player, shame on you. Derek Anderson is 1-of-8 for 16 yards. There's not much to be said for the Bills other than Marshawn Lynch has some decent receiving yards and will hopefully post more in the rushing section as the second half progress.
Happy belated birthday Brett Favre. Your first touchdown as a 40-year old quarterback to Visanthe Shiancoe looked like the young you all over again.
Portis update: Rushing touchdown brings his total to two. For all those owners who decided to bench him this week, find a friend and hug it out.
It looks like Ray Rice was the Baltimore back to start this week in the platoon. His 48-yard touchdown catch increases his value further as the PPR back between him and Willis McGahee.
Big Ben Roethlisberger is spreading the touchdowns out between three players. Hines Ward, Heath Miller and Mike Wallace (Yahoo!'s Brad Evans' shocker special for the week) all have one.
DeAngelo Williams had a wide open lane on the outside to blast past the Redskins defenders for a touchdown. He looked like he did late last year.
Miles Austin was the Cowboys receiver to play. Sorry Patrick Crayton.
Tony Romo may keep his job after all. He owes it all to the above receiver.
Kellen Winslow put up numbers reminiscent of his fantasy heydays - over 100 yards and two touchdowns.

Final Scores:
NYG: 44    OAK: 7
MIN: 38    STL: 10
CIN: 17    BAL: 14
CLE: 6     BUF: 3
CAR: 20    WAS: 17
PHI: 33    TB: 14
DAL: 26   KC: 20 (OT)

Second Matchups of Sunday:
Atlanta v. San Francisco
Denver v. New England
Jacksonville v. Seattle
Arizona v. Houston

Atlanta is making a mockery of San Francisco. They've put up 14 points in under ten minutes.
The debut of Knowshon Moreno as a starter in the "Wild Horses" formation was certainly exciting, but Belichick rallied the troops and put a start to that nonsense. Moreno just fumbled the ball, ruining a nice run for a first down. Jerod Mayo was there for the stop and forced fumble.
Matt Ryan and Roddy White have all the chemistry they need. They've connected for two touchdowns already, with one of them a 90-yard catch-and-run.
Brandon Marshall has his second over-the-cornerback touchdown catch in two weeks. The Broncos managed to march downfield, going from first down to first down. Eddie Royal looks like he's back in the mix as well.
Michael Turner has two touchdowns. It's an offensive stomping from the Falcons.
The return of Matt Hasselbeck has produced two touchdowns, one each to Nate Burleson and T.J. Houshmandzadeh. The Seahawks are crushing the Jags.
Kurt Warner is back to his Kurt Warner ways. Larry Fitzgerald benefits greatly.
Tom Brady is connecting all over with Wes Welker. The Broncos can't contain the slot with Welker running the routes.
Make that two touchdowns for Houshmandzadeh. Where are the Jaguars?
Forgot to post halftime scores. I should be flogged.
Roddy White and Miles Austin both surpass 200 receiving yards and two touchdowns for each. If you're sporting both of these receivers, go out and get a drink. There's nothing left but to wait for your opponent's tears.
Randy Moss' first catch of the day (besides that wacky interception on the Hail Mary pass by Kyle Orton at the end of the first half) was a big one. The Patriots are just outside of the red zone.
Burleson has two touchdowns as well. Hasselbeck seems to flawless at this point with no interceptions and (count 'em) four touchdowns.
Matt Schaub and Andre Johnson hook up for a touchdown on a quick screen pass from 11 yards out and give fantasy value to their names needed to compete with the other major quarterback/receiver tandems today.
IDP Update: Nick Reed returns a fumble 79 yards for a touchdown.
Another two touchdown day for a big receiver. Congratulations Andre Johnson.
It's a decimation for the 49ers. Matt Ryan just dashed in for a one-yard touchdown run.
Denver's special teams gave the Patriots two extra chances at a scoring drive thanks to penalties on the punt. Those sorts of mistakes normally cost you, but their defense stood strong for over six minutes to set up a third punt. They need to take it down the field for a touchdown to tie it up.
And Denver does it. 98-yard scoring drive ties it up at 17 points. The Patriots have over five minutes, however, to answer. The touchdown belongs to Brandon Marshall who fakes an inside move, cuts to the outside and dives in giving him two touchdowns on the day. Again, a major receiver putting up double scores.
IDP Update: Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie returns an interception 49 yards for a touchdown against Houston.
A goal-line stand for Arizona paid off. Chris Brown fails to found the end zone with three tries. Win for Arizona.
The Seahawks blowout of the Jags was just bloody. Same goes for the Falcons crushing the 49ers.
Beautiful kick by Matt Prater for the overtime win.

Final Scores:
SEA: 41   JAX: 0
ATL: 45   SF: 10
ARI: 28   HOU: 21
DEN: 20    NE: 17 (OT)

Final Matchup of Sunday:
Indianapolis v. Tennessee

Even Drew Brees owners are bound to envy Peyton Manning owners. He just can't seem to do any wrong.
Tennessee is incapable of doing...well...anything. The Colts have it all.
Austin Collie is racking up catches left and right. Reggie Wayne doing the same doesn't surprise us as much.
Is Tennessee ever going to answer the Colts?
No.
Vince Young is out to throw. This game is over. Can Young really be the future of the Titans? Probably not.
Collie ends it as the more productive receiver. That's bound to happen when defenses have to account for someone like Wayne. Someone has to benefit from that double coverage.

Final Score:
IND: 31 TEN: 9

Monday night should yield a good one. A mighty ground-game prepares to take on a mighty run defense. Can Ronnie Brown produce like Pierre Thomas did against Rex Ryan's Jets? Mark Sanchez looks to remind people that he isn't just full of beginner's luck.