Week 4 is here and we’re already into the first of the scheduled bye weeks of the NFL season.  This means you have to start digging deeper to get those FantaPlays (the quarterback or runningback who’s going to score a ton of points that nobody else is going to pick).  I’ve got you covered:

FantaPlay Quarterbacks:

Everyone’s going to pick some combination of Tony Romo, Philip Rivers, Jay Cutler and Drew Brees this week.  I recommend you pick two of those guys and then search for a third that nobody’s going to pick.

Here’s your FantaPlay: JT O’Sullivan and Trent Edwards.  Buffalo visits St. Louis, one of the worst defenses in the league and one of the worst passing defenses. They’ve given up eight passing touchdowns already and Edwards should be good for 230+ and 2td’s.  The 49ers go to New Orleans, another team with a lousy pass defense.  O’Sullivan’s carrying a 104.6 QB-Rating right now (unbelievable huh?) and Frank Gore’s powering a strong running game.  Isaac Bruce loves to play indoors on turf so I’d expect a similar 230/2 performance from O’Sullivan.

FantaPlay to stay away from:  Aaron Rodgers.  The battle of the bays always used to be one of the more hard fought division games but nothing’s changed since Tampa joined the NFC South.  Expect the Bucs to load up and stop the run and force Rodgers to beat them in a hostile environment and his first real road game (come on, Detroit doesn’t count).  

FantaPlay Runningbacks:

LDT, Frank Gore and Marion Barber should just about crack everyone’s top 5 this week, but there are a couple of big name guys to stay away from.  First, is Adrian Peterson.  Here are the yardage totals from All-Day’s road games (on grass) last season after teams began keying on him:  63, 45, 3, 36.  Here’s another interesting stat:  In the 17 games of Peterson’s career so far, he’s averaging 117 ypg against run defenses ranked in the bottom half of the league (11 games).  In the six games against the top half, only 65ypg.  Did we mention that Peterson’s playing a top-5 run defense on grass this week?  

The second big name to steer clear of this week is Steven Jackson.  Buffalo runs the ball and stops the run and with Trent Green getting the nod at QB don’t expect a lot of points from Jackson.  Injuries have struck hard this week but if you’re looking for a couple of FantaPlay backs take a long look at Larry Johnson, Darren McFadden and Jamal Lewis.  All three are playing against lousy run defenses and should be good for a lot of points.

FantaPlay Wide Receivers:

Terrell Owens, Santana Moss, Brandon Marshall and Larry Fitzgerald will be in everyone’s lineup and at least three of them should be in yours too.  You need to look for the other two guys who are going to fill out your lineup and bring home the win.  TJ Houshmandzadeh should be a great play this week.  He and Palmer didn’t play a single snap together in the preseason and it showed. But it looks like they’re finally on the same page and playing a weak Cleveland team.  OchoCinco looks questionable for the game too, so expect Palmer to make more throws TJ’s way.  Dwayne Bowe has taken over Tony Gonzalez’s long time role as KC’s only receiver.  Yes the KC offense stinks and yes the KC offense has no other receivers, but TG always got his points just like Bowe will always get his.  Look for a breakout game from Andre Johnson.  He dropped a bunch of passes last week (including two touchdowns) and is too talented to be held in check this far into the season. Isaac Bruce loves the turf and has become JT O’Sullivan’s primary target.  Expect a big day from him in a shootout with the Saints. 

You probably want to stay away from Steve Smith.  A lot of guys will have him in their lineups but it remains to be seen if he’s shaken off the rust of inactivity and is ready to play.  Atlanta’s only hope to beat Carolina will be to pound Michael Turner and keep the Carolina offense off the field.  It’s risky and with a high number of other guys picking him, I’d stay away.

Share on Facebook

Here we go again. Week 3 is upon us and it’s time to make some decisions. If you read my Week 2 Primer (below) you’re at least a little impressed with my foreshadowing (See my Brandon Marshall Beast analysis from last week among other recommendations). But Week 2 is over now and it’s time for another set of predictions. Today I’m going to alter last week’s “primer” format, and instead, offer a few sneaky plays for both the Fantasy Challenge and Fantasy Salary Cap formats. (3 QBs/5RBs/5WRs/3TEs):

Clinton Portis: Sure, I’m a Redskins homer, but I told you in my Primer last week that he would have a big game and he did (99 total yards and 2 touchdowns). Portis looks healthy and is behind a healthy offensive line. Combine that with an Arizona Cardinals Defense that has given up a RB touchdown in each of the first two weeks of the season, and you have another big day.

Tony Gonzalez: Putting TG in your Top 3 is the very definition of a sneaky play. I’m not saying it’s not without risk, but TG is up against ATL (I’m going all acronym on this one) and ATL loves to give up yards to TE’s.

Brandon Jacobs: Beast alert. Jacobs isn’t necessarily a Top 5 regular (especially with Bradshaw and Ward vulturing carries) but the Giants are up against Cincinnati and that is always a recipe for success. Bengals have given up over 150 yards of total RB offense in their first two games. Jacobs is an unbelievable force and you better take advantage of that while he’s healthy and against a heartless defense.

Ted Ginn, Jr.: No, but seriously. If you start a Dolphin in any of your fantasy formats (especially the Fantazzle Challenge format), you’re an idiot. Just putting Teddy Ginn on the list for a laugh. Ok, I’m over it. Next.

Frank Gore: I know what you’re thinking, “what’s so ‘sneaky’ about Gore?” Well, had you already decided to put him in your Top 5 this week? Probably not. You should. Gore is at home against the hapless kittens (formerly known as the “Lions”). Lions have been getting destroyed in the running game this year and there’s no reason to think any differently this week. Sure, the 49ers went pass happy last week, but expect Gore to be heavily in the mix this week.

Chris Johnson: This pick may be better suited for the Fantazzle Salary Cap format and not the Fantazzle Challenge, but you could both ways on that one (both ways … Giggity). One thing is for sure, Chris Johnson has lightning speed and probably has the best chance this week of taking a long one to the house (both A.P. and McFadden are knicked up otherwise I might give the edge to them to take it the distance). Add to that, the Titans are at home against the Texans and the Texans did a very poor job in Week 1 defending the run.

Randy Moss: Yes, I know what you’re thinking, “not sneaky.” It really is though. His stock could not be down any further than it is at this moment. The Pats had a fairly conservative game plan last week with Cassel at the helm and Moss was nowhere to be found (2 catches for 22 yards). But Moss gets the Dolphins this week and I suspect that Belichek is going to use this game to give both Cassel and Moss the requisite confidence boost.

Brandon Marshall: This is only a sneaky play if you were lost and couldn’t find a T.V. last Sunday. But in all honesty, this guy still isn’t necessarily considered a Top 5 WR to be used in the Fantazzle Challenge format. Well, it’s time to reconsider. Marshall had an amazing day against the Chargers (assuming you think 18 catches and 166 yards with a touchdown is amazing) and he faces a suspect New Orleans secondary. Get your popcorn ready, the new T.O. is going to explode, again.

Roy Williams: Calvin is clearly the more talented WR on this squad but they’re both worthy of consideration. And Roy did a nice job mouthing off to the media this week so I suspect Kitna will reward that with some more touches. Detroit is up against the Niners this week who are actually decent against the pass, but I still like both Calvin and Roy.

Julius Jones: Not to brag (brag alert), but I did, in fact, give love to Julius Jones in my Week 2 Primer. With my endorsement (a.k.a. – The PouringReign bump, not to be confused with the Colbert bump or Jungle Karma), Jones exploded for 141 total yards and a touchdown. So that’s it right? That’s his one good game of the season? Wrong. Seattle gets a much needed win this upcoming week against the Rams and Julius figures to be a major part of that. The Rams have already given up 5 TD’s to Running Backs through the first two weeks.

Share on Facebook

Week 1 has come and gone and what a week it was. It’s difficult to take much away from most of the games but I’ll break down a few insights, position-by-position from what I saw in Week 1:

QUARTERBACKS

Carson Palmer:
None of the Bengals are as bad as they looked against Baltimore.  The Ravens defense when completely healthy, is still one of the best in the league.  Everyone was healthy on Sunday (especially in the secondary) and it showed.  McAlister, Rolle, Reed and Landry made Palmer and company look absolutely awful. The schedule the next two weeks (Titans / Giants) is equally intimidating, but the Baltimore defense should be considered a top three when healthy.  The Titans and Giants don’t have defenses that good.  Expect improvement from the Bengals in the coming weeks.

Jake Delhomme:
Guess that Tommy John surgery has finally healed.  Steve Smith is looking like a great draft pick right about now.

David Garrard:
I never understand why coaches don’t learn from the mistakes they made last year.  For instance, Jeff Fisher loves to play his starters well into the fourth preseason game.  As a result the Titans always look sharper and tougher and more ready in Week 1 teams. Last year, they played the Jags in week 1 and did exactly the same thing they did this year, namely: stealing a game from a tough division rival.  Did Jack Del Rio have the Jags ready and prepared this year, knowing the way Fisher works his guys in the preseason?  Nope.  So the Jags looked flat and lost to a team they should have beaten, but don’t worry Jags fans, they’ll look better in the coming weeks.  As for fantasy?  Garrard heaved the ball 35 times so it looks like the training wheels are completely off with him (he only threw the ball that many times in two games last year, and this Sunday was close all game, so the Jags are really winning to let him heave it and win games for them this year).  Reggie Williams and Jerry Porter are expected back in the coming weeks so Garrard’s numbers should only improve. 

Jay Cutler:
Is Cutler as good as he looked this week?  Nope.  He’s better.   The Oakland Raiders have one of the best secondaries in the league with Asomugha, DeAngelo Hall, Michael Huff and Gibril Wilson.  Cutler tore them apart like they were standing still and he did it all without his best wide receiver.  The AFC West should be afraid, very afraid.  Expect Cutler to finish as a Top-5 quarterback this year and Marshall to have a great season when he returns.  Eddie Royal is worth a flyer but don’t expect him to have many more games like he did on MNF when Marshall returns.

RUNNINGBACKS
Reggie Bush:
Everyone needs to calm down!  This guy still hasn’t convinced me he’s an NFL caliber running back and Sunday did little to change that.  Take away his long reception against Tampa and you’re left with 51 yards rushing and 70 yards receiving.  About his average from last year.  His yards per carry was right at his career average of 3.6.  The truth about Bush is that he simply doesn’t have the size, vision or cut-and-go style needed to be a great back in the NFL.  For Bush to be successful he needs to catch the ball in space, but he’s not tall enough to be split wide and (three years into his career) he still dances way too much in the hole and makes too many cuts behind the line of scrimmage.  You’re not at USC Reggie, you can’t cut more than once behind the line against NFL defenses!  Expect Bush to disappoint again this year, with the occasional long touchdown but not perform consistently enough to warrant being a number one starter.

Larry Johnson:
The Patriots had one of the worst run defenses in the league last year. They’re soft up the middle and their linebackers are old.  LJ should have torched them.  But Kansas City’s O-Line is atrocious.  For Johnson to run for only 74 yards against a soft run defense in a close game doesn’t bode well for the rest of the season.  The consistent play of one of the best offensive lines in recent history anchored by Roaf, Shields, Wiegmann, Welbourn and Brian Waters should finally start getting the credit they so richly deserve for making an MVP of Priest Holmes and giving Johnson those two great years in 2005 and 2006. Unfortunately for Larry Johnson owners now, only Waters still remains from that stellar line.  Now, the other four guys he’s playing with are a mis-matched collection of rookies, journeyman and guys who should be mostly be backups.  Consider LJ a low number two each week unless he’s playing a bad run defense.

Marion Barber:
He’s on the verge of stardom but rib injuries can nag a running back all season long.  If you’ve got Barber in a season-long league pick up Fast Felix Jones as insurance until the severity of Barber’s injury and how much it’s going to affect him can be determined.

WIDE RECEIVERS
Roddy White / Michael Jenkins:
Michael Turner stole the show and Matt Ryan got the headlines, but that means little for owners of Jenkins and White.  Will they perform this season?  What’s to be expected of what they did against the Lions?  Three catches between them for 116 yards and a touchdown?  What should we read into that?  Well Matt Ryan looks like a true “west-coast” quarterback.  He likes spreading the ball around, works through his progressions and throws it to whoever is open.  Seven different receivers caught his nine completions on Sunday.  Expect the yards and catches to drop for both White and Jenkins unless Ryan is given allowance to throw 30 or more passes in a game.  But with Michael Turner providing a decent running game and Ryan’s rookie status, he’s unlikely to throw a ton of passes this season.  Be wary of his Wide Receivers going forward. 

Injuries You Should Care About (other than Tom Brady’s)
Nate Burleson:
Seattle has no offensive weaponry with Burleson gone.  The Bills have a stout run defense, but it appears that Julius Jones and Maurice Morris are now second-string running backs at best.  Meanwhile there isn’t a quality wide receiver to be found anywhere in the vicinity of the pacific northwest.  Deion Branch is supposedly coming back from an ACL tear by Week 4 or 5, but I’d expect little from him.  Bobby Engram also isn’t scheduled to return until Week 6 or 7.  So until then, Burleson’s injury seriously hurts Matt Hasselbeck owners.  If you’ve got him in yearly leagues start looking for other alternatives.

Jeff Saturday:
This injury affects the entire Colts roster more than anyone may have expected.  The combination of Peyton Manning’s slowly recovering knee injury and a rookie center are going to cause problems for Indy’s offense until Saturday returns.  Offensive lines generally take about four weeks to gel.  The big dogs need a lot of snaps to adjust to the speed of the blitzers and learn their blitz pickups.  Throughout camp and preseason most O-Lineman only work against defensive lineman in drills, in practice and in preseason games (defenses don’t blitz during preseason as a coaches want to protect each other’s quarterbacks).  So when the season starts O-Lines often have early struggles adjusting to blitzes since blocking a D-Tackle or D-End is very different than picking up a smaller, faster blitzing linebacker or secondary guy.  Why is Saturday’s injury more important than Left Tackle Tony Ugoh’s was last year?  Well centers are the keys to blitz pickups; they make the blocking calls and often slide to help the guards and tackles in pass protection (centers are mostly uncovered and unrushed when facing a 4-3). The Bears have studs up the middle in Tommie Harris, Alex Brown and Mark Anderson who made Pollack look worse than he probably is, but the Colts play three of their next four games against stud defensive lines (Minnesota, Jacksonville & Baltimore).  Expect average performances from all the Colts (especiall Addai) until about Week 6 or 7.  However, you should get a nice uptick in their performances when Saturday returns and Manning’s knee heals.  Meanwhile, if someone in your league has Colts players and starts getting jittery by Week 6, there might be an opportunity to trade for Addai or Harrison on the cheap.
 
Willis McGahee
The Baltimore coaching staff held McGahee out of the game because he hadn’t taken many snaps in the preseason, but the running game looked good even without him.  The Ravens offensive line is young, strong and angry, especially up the middle with three future pro-bowlers (Grubbs, Brown and Yanda).  Evidence?  LeRon McClain, a slow, backup fullback tore through the Bengals for 76 yards.  Willis McGahee is a better back than Ray Rice and (obviously) McClain.  But he’s one of the only veterans who didn’t buy into new coach John Harbaugh’s ‘program’.  He showed up at camp out of shape and banged up.  But if McGahee can get back on the field and shut his mouth and listen to his coaches he’ll put up some big numbers this year.  Given McGahee’s poor attitude from the University of Miami to Buffalo and now Baltimore, those are big ‘ifs’.  What should you do?  Well if McGahee’s been dropped in your league or you can get him cheap, do it and stash him on your bench.  

Reggie Brown / Kevin Curtis:
McNabb threw for 361 and 3 TD’s without his top two receivers.  Rookie DeSean Jackson has emerged as a nice weapon, and LJ Smith showed up to came in the best shape of his career, dedicated to turning in the pro-bowl season he’s capable of.  We all know how great a receiver Brian Westbrook is out of the backfield, so expect McNabb and the Eagles offense to continue putting up great numbers all season.  McNabb’s entering his tenth year in Andy Reid’s west-coast offense, he’s always read defenses well, he spreads the ball around and his knee is back to 100%.  McNabb’s best season was with Terrell Owens but the Eagles struggled to find a great weapon to replace him after the ugly TO-Philly divorce.  Instead, of finding another superstar the Eagles went out and collected five decent weapons.  When Brown and Curtis return you can expect that McNabb’s only going to get better (Hank Baskett and Greg Lewis aren’t as good as either Brown or Curtis, but should be considered short-term pickups until the starters are healthy).  With Brady out for the year and Manning banged up, don’t be surprised if McNabb finishes the season as fantasy’s best quarterback.

Share on Facebook

We’re through Week 1 and if I may say so myself, my fantasy team is killing it right now (but enough about me).  As well as I did, I must admit, Week 1 delivered some surprising statistics.  We all knew Michael Turner could play, but 220 rushing yards and 2 TD’s?  Geesh.  Is Turner suddenly a top 5 Fantazzle back?  Not really.  Let’s remember who he was playing.  My high school team (Langley Saxons) had more run stoppers than the Detroit Lions (or “Detroit Kittens” as I like to affectionately refer to them).  With this in mind, let’s take a look at the Week 2 games.  Below you’ll find what I consider to be the best Fantazzle option from each team for the Week 2 games.  The below analysis should primarily be considered for the Fantasy Challenge and Fantasy Salary Cap Fantazzle games.

Titans v. Bengals

Titans – Chris Johnson. He had the same number of carries as LenDale White but did a lot more with them.  He also figured nicely in the passing game with 3 catches for 10+ yards a clip.  He’s a definite Fantazzle option against a hilarious looking Bengals defense.

Bengals – Ocho Cinco.  Yea, it’s the Bengals so you’re taking a chance by starting anyone on this squad but Chad is due to go off.  He only had one measly catch against the Ravens but that’s all the more reason to expect Carson to look his direction. Gotta feed the lion.  

Bills v. Jags

Bills – Marshawn Lynch.  Marshawn had a workman like performance against a tough Seattle defense.  He grinded out some tough yards and got a touchdown.  He also caught a few passes.  Look for the same type of performance against a down trodden Jacksonville squad.  Considering the Jags offensive players are falling like flies, it’s likely that the Bills D puts Marshawn into some nice situations. 

Jags – MJD. This is tough because the Jaguars offensive line is really banged up. If you’re an MJD fan, go ahead and take the chance, but this is admittedly not a solid play. However, MJD has been known to have a Barry Sanders-esque breakout run now and then.  And we all know you don’t need a solid offensive line for those.

Raiders v. Chiefs

Raiders – Justin Fargas. KC defense is weak and Mcfadden is banged up. A healthy Fargas should pound away and get tough yards against KC.  Look for KC to load the box against JaMarcus Russell but I still like Fargas’ chances here.

Chiefs – Larry Johnson. This is LJ’s chance to have a breakout game.  And he better have it now because there won’t be too many more chances for him and that offensive line to gain some confidence. The Raiders defense is improved on paper but they showed nothing last week at home against the Broncos.  Same ol’ Raiders.  Same ol’ result.  LJ is a nice play.

Colts v. Vikings

Colts – Peyton Manning.  If you’re wondering if Peyton is pissed.  He is.  One remedy for that is to go up against a vulnerable secondary. Minnesota’s defense is good. And they can rush the passer against a Jeff Saturday-less offensive line, but I’m not convinced that’s enough to stop Peyton. 

Vikings – Adrian Peterson.  Well, this is just too obvious. Colts got torched for 123 by Matt Forte and allowed two rushing touchdowns against the Bears. If you don’t think AP is paying attention to that, you’re crazy. AP is the Vikings only hope.  Should be a big day.

Bears at Panthers

Bears – Matt Forte.  The Bears appear to be using Forte as the workhorse back which is great news for anyone who thought he wasn’t going to live up to the pre-season hype. This guy is flat out quick and he made some Colts defenders look very very bad last week. The Panthers have a great front line but I still like Forte as the best option from the Bears this week (and probably all season). Another great sign for Forte is the confidence that Lovie Smith showed in Orton. Carolina’s secondary will have to play pass more often on what would have been obvious run situations under Grossman.

Panthers – Jake Delhomme. Yea, it may be a stretch but this guy showed up last week.  247 yards and a touchdown against a very good San Diego Defense. He doesn’t have Steve Smith back but he clearly has shown the accuracy and poise that got Carolina to the Super Bowl a few years back.  If he can put up 247 and a touchdown against San Diego then he can do it against the Bears.  And maybe more.  Jonathan Stewart is a nice upside option but he only got 10 carries last week.  Therefore, I’m going with Delhomme as your Fantazzle option over Stewart or Williams (and no, Rosario is not the next Antonio Gates).

Packers at Lions

Packers – Ryan Grant.  As much as I think Aaron Rodgers could do significant damage against the Lions secondary, you have to think Grant is due for a breakout game. If Turner can do it, Grant can do it.  One problem is that Grant only got 12 carries last week, but the Pack should run the ball more against the Lions this week and Grant should get anywhere between 14-18 carries.  He’ll take at least one of those carries to the house. 

Lions – Calvin Johnson.  Somewhat of a toss up between Roy Williams and Johnson here, but Johnson looks to be on the precipice of a breakout season so go with him. The big, strong fast Johnson had 7 catches for 107 last week, and with the Lions likely playing catch up against the Pack this week that number shouldn’t change.  He’ll catch a touchdown or two.
Giants at Rams

Giants – Plaxico Burress.  Don’t get me wrong, I like Brandon Jacobs in this spot too, but Plax should have a field day. We saw what Philly’s second-string receivers did to the Rams so we know that starting wideouts should have great success.  Plaxico abused the Skins last week with 10 catches for 133 yards.  The Rams don’t have an answer for him.  He should go off.

Rams – Steven Jackson.  Yes the Rams are terrible and yes Jackson only had 74 total yards last week (40 rushing and 34 receiving) but we know he’s a beast. If the Rams can keep it within 14 points then Jackson will double his production from last week and maybe add a touchdown.  He’s too good to ignore.
Saints at Redskins

Saints – Reggie Bush.  I would have said Colston in this spot instead of Reggie but Colston has just gone on the shelf with surgery to his thumb.  Reggie had 51 rushing yards on 14 carries last week but also had 8 receptions for 112 yards.  The Redskins defense is suspect and they don’t have anyone with the speed to hang with Reggie.  The Saints will also need to rely more on Bush with Colston out.  Sneaky yet solid Fantazzle play here.

Redskins – Clinton Portis.  Portis ran the ball well last week against the Giants but was limited to 84 yards because the Redskins offense turned one dimensional.  Jason Campbell looked lost and everyone in the Meadowlands knew the Skins were going to run on 1st and 2nd down.  This week Campbell will open it up a bit more against a porous Saints defense.  This should give a lot more room for Portis to run and Betts only vultured one carry from him last week, so Portis appears to be as close to a one man show as you can get.  Should be a big day.

Falcons at Buccaneers

Falcons – Michael Turner.  I don’t expect Turner to do anything near what he did last week but that’s not exactly insightful.  He’s clearly going to be the guy the Falcons depend on to control the ball and keep their offense on the field so expect a lot of carries (he had 22 last week). 

Buccaneers — Earnest Graham.  Much like the Falcons, the Bucs will play ball control against the Falcons. This is especially true if Garcia is on the shelf which appears to be the case.  Graham only had 10 carries last week (Warrick Dunn stole nine from him) but the Bucs have publicly stated he’ll get more this week so look for 15-20 from him.  Falcons will not be able to stop the run all season so Graham is a good start this week.

49ers at Seahawks

49ers – Frank Gore.  Gore produced great fantasy numbers last week (151 total yards and one touchdown) but should have done more.  Arizona played ball control in the second half and Gore and the 49ers offense rarely stepped on the field.  When he did carry the ball, Gore carried it well.  The Seahawks have a better defense than they showed last week against Buffalo but not good enough to shut down Gore. 

Seahawks – Julius Jones. It pains me to even suggest anyone on this offense is a viable Fantazzle option, but Jones looks nice this week because Maurice Morris is out.  Morris’ injury means Jones is one of the few running backs in the league this week not playing in a dreaded RBBC (Running Back By Committee). Attractive enough to start him in Fantazzle?  Probably not.  But remember, the Seahawks are home and the Niners gave up 100 yards to Edgerrin James.  Doesn’t sound like a bad idea after all.

Patriots at Jets

Patriots – Randy Moss. Randy sat out practice on Wednesday but all signs indicate that he will be ready on Sunday. I suspect Matt Cassell will find Randy more than most people think. Fact is, Randy Moss makes any quarterback look good (see Daunte Culpepper) and there is NOTHING that Bill Belicheck would want more than to prove he can win without the best quarterback in the league.

Jets – Thomas Jones.  Look for the Jets to try and grind things out with Thomas Jones. He had 22 carries for 101 yards and a touchdown last week.  Granted, that was against Miami but I suspect at least 20 carries against the Pats. 
Chargers at Broncos

Chargers – LaDainian Tomlinson.  It wasn’t a great day for LaDainian against Carolina but it was decent (22 carries for 97 yards). However, the Chargers defense was clicking in the second half and should open it up a little bit more against the Broncos. That should spell more room for Tomlinson to run. Most importantly, the Broncos run defense is atrocious.  LDT should dominate.

Broncos – Brandon Marshall. This guy is a beast. There is little doubt in my mind that he is the next T.O. (on and off the field unfortunately).  Add in a healthy Cutler who looks really good after torching the Raiders and you have a perfect recipe for a breakout game. Marshall’s going against a great secondary that has a ton of talent, but it’s not enough to sit him. He’s that good.

Dolphins at Cardinals

Dolphins – Nobody. No seriously, nobody. Normally I’d at least try and sell you on a viable fantasy option but this team is an injury or two away from being a second-tier Dade County flag football team. And now I’m hearing that Ronnie Brown may be getting more snaps than Sticky-icky Ricky. Find your Fantazzle talent somewhere else.  At least for now.

Cardinals – Larry Fitzgerald.  Fitzgerald should have a field day against the ‘Fins overmatched secondary. Fitz had a touchdown last week but only 3 catches for 31 yards (Boldin had 8 for 82) but I think those reception numbers will reverse this week as Warner will look to satisfy Fitzgerald. It’s open season on the Dolphins secondary!  Watch out.

Ravens at Texans

Ravens – Nobody (again). Sorry but there is not a single dynamic player on this team that is worth Fantazzle consideration. If McGahee comes back healthy then we have a different analysis, but until that situation is worked out neither McGahee or Ray Rice are worthy of consideration. And if you’re looking for Heap at TE, well he only had 1 catch for 5 yards last week (and a lost fumble).  That’s not going to cut it.

(EDITOR’S NOTE: GAME HAS BEEN CANCELLED AND RESCHEDULED FOR NOVEMBER.)

Steelers at Browns

Steelers – Willie Parker. Fast Willie is back. I’m not sure he ever left but the Steelers decided to utilize him in Week 1 (to the tune of 25 for 138 and 3). There are many Steelers to choose from this week because the Browns defense is pathetic and without safety Sean Jones for the next month. That makes Santonio Holmes, Hines Ward, Big Ben and Heath Miller all viable options. But if I had to choose one, I’m going with Fast Willie. Lookout.

Eagles at Cowboys

Eagles – Donovan McNabb.  Toss up between Westbook and McNabb here. In fact, it’s pretty much a tie.  But I can’t ignore how well Donovan did last week and if there is an area that the Eagles may be able to exploit this week, it’s in the Dallas secondary. This one could turn into a shootout. 

Cowboys – Terrell Owens.  With Marion Barber’s rib injury I’m going to play it safe and select T.O. here.  He looked great last week with 5 catches, 87 yards and a touchdown. He probably would have done more if the Browns had bothered to show up and keep the game close, but they didn’t. Expect Owens to have extra motivation to celebrate in the end zone on Monday Night Football. That’s T.O. time!

Share on Facebook

It’s that time of year again. Are you ready? Did you already make some missteps in your other leagues? Did you slip up and take Fred Taylor in the 5^th round not realizing that Steve Smith and Roy Williams were still available? Did you waste a 3^rd round pick on Rudi Johnson not realizing that both Earnest Graham and Andre Johnson were still available? Listen, we’ve all been there. It’s an unsettling feeling but it happens. So what are you going to do about it? Well you might end up recovering and winning your entire league, but then again, you might end up kicking yourself all season. Either way, you can always turn to Fantazzle. Whatever your motivation, you can always find extra Fantasy Football gaming here. And if you’re any good, you’ll pick up some cash along the way.

And let me be clear. If you want to win in Fantasy Football and in any of the Fantazzle formats, you have to be skilled. You have to improve your Fantasy I.Q. each and every week if you want to be a consistent winner. Fantasy Football is about skill. It’s about projecting future outcomes based on past results, key matchups and current situations. Thats what determines winners in fantasy sports and at Fantazzle.

So get ready for the fun to begin. And be sure to review my weekly blogs as I can assure you they will assist in staying competitive each and every week.   

Share on Facebook