At Fantazzle, you have the luxury of selecting a whole new team each week.  But does that mean you have to?  Not really.  Your team is always going to be different week to week, but that doesn’t mean you don’t have some core guys that you depend on all season long.  It’s these guys that may carry you to wins and cash each week at Fantazzle.  So who are they?  Who are your core guys?  Well, I don’t know who most of you use on a regular basis, but I know I have a “Fav Five” that I have relied on just about ever Sunday (I’m doing my best to lay off a Charles Barkley reference here).  So before I get to my Fav Five, I should probably give you some insight on my criteria.  Admittedly, my criteria may have its faults, but that’s for you to decide:

• Numbers – Obviously the guy has to put up top 5 type numbers at his position on a consistent basis.  He can have an off week here and there, but he’s got to be relatively consistent.

• Reliability – He has to be a guy that the team relies on to win games.  In other words, the guy can have all the talent in the world, but if his team can win without him, he’s not in my core.

• Workhorse – he’s got to get touches.  A quarterback obviously doesn’t need to worry about that, but as for receivers and running backs, he’s got to touch the ball frequently.

• Intangibles – Believe it or not, I think guys who are respected by their teammates have a better chance of putting up numbers.  Respect is usually gained when the prolific player is “off the ball”, as in, not actually carrying it.  Examples would be selling out with a tough block downfield, diving for an overthrown ball or hustling to pick up a fumble.  All of these examples typify leadership qualities that a lot of elite players have.  These qualities can increase a player’s touches and ensure that he’s on the field in critical situations.

So, without further adieu, her are my Fav Five:

1. Drew Brees – This guy has leader written all over him.  He also happens to be leading the league in most major quarterback categories.   For starters, he has the most pass attempts in the league so far with 304.  Even better, he’s got a 69% completion percentage (1% behind the league leader, Kurt Warner).  He’s also second in touchdowns with 15 (Rivers leads the league).  Oh, and one more thing, he’s on pace to throw for 5,000 yards this season (he’s already got 2,563).  These are Super Tecmo Bowl type numbers here.  It’s bananas.  This guy has to be on your roster almost every week in any of the Fantazzle formats.
2. Andre Johnson – Man Child, Man Beast, Captain Awesome.  I could give this guy a myriad of nicknames, but at the end of the day, he’s just another guy in my Fav Five.  This guy is a physical specimen (man-crush alert) and he’s putting up ridiculous numbers right now.  He leads the league in receptions (56) and receiving yards (772).  He’s a little short on TD’s this year with a mere 2, but given his reception rate, I suspect that number will rise in a hurry.  Another great thing about Andre is that he can kill you with the long bomb or the dink and dunk drives down the field.  He gets a case of the “dropsies” from time to time but he can pretty much catch anything thrown within 10 feet of him.  Add his talent to Schaub’s emergence this season and he’s a clear stud (at a certain point, I realize I’m going to start sounding non-hetero, but I’m willing to make that sacrifice for Fantazzle).
3. Larry Fitzgerald – Another physical specimen who rivals Andre in the talent department.  The difference between Fitz and every other WR in the league is that Fitz can get higher than anyone.  He snatches balls out of the air with more frequency than any WR I have ever seen.  He’s also blessed with an offense that puts up serious points (mostly because they have no defense).  Through 8 weeks Fitz has compiled 661 receiving yards on 43 receptions.  He’s also managed 5 TD’s which is tied for the league lead.
4. Frank Gore – The interesting thing about the Niners is that they are clearly a “one trick pony” and yet Gore (aforesaid “pony”) still manages to put up serious Fantasy numbers.  He has been underutilized by the offense as illustrated by his 136 carries (17 carries per game at 4.6 yards per carry through 8 weeks), but his carries should got up slightly with Singletary at the helm.  Add to that, O’suckavin getting benched and you might actually have a steady offense that can punch it in the redzone.  Gore has 4 rushing TD’s which isn’t great but that number would probably be doubled if JTO wasn’t so turnover prone.   Because most running backs have been inconsistent this year, it’s nice to be able to rely on a guy like Gore.
5. Clinton Portis – This guy fits all of the Fav Five criteria outlined above (numbers, reliability, workhorse, intangibles).  He has put up ridiculous rushing numbers through 8 weeks.  He already has 944 rushing yards which is almost 300 yards above the leagues second leading rusher (Adrian Peterson).  300 yards folks.  That’s a season for some running backs.  Portis has been very reliable this season and has played through some pain (most recently an ankle sprain and hip flexor).  He also leads the league in rushing attempts which makes him a clear workhorse.  As far as intangibles, just watch Portis sell out in pass blocking and you’ll realize that he leaves everything out on the field.  Portis is benefiting from great play by Jason Campbell which means defenses can’t load the box like they did in the Gibbs era (part deux).  Portis is rolling right now and should be in most people’s Fav One, let alone Fav Five.
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So who is in your Fav Five?  There are certainly others that could be considered.  Personally, I had issues with leaving out a number of players including rising stars like Greg Jennings, Roddy White, Brandon Marshall, Marion Barber and Michael Turner.    Either way, at Fantazzle, you can roll with a completely new unit each week or you can rely on some of your favorite players all year long.  Just win baby. PouringReign.

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It’s Week 8 already. Halfway home. If you haven’t realized it, simply playing Matchups can win you some serious cash in any of the Fantazzle formats. However, some Fantazzle players are so set on filling their rosters with superstars that they ignore the fact that some of these so called superstars have horrible matchups (sorry guys, but starting A.P. and L.T. every week is not always a smart play). If you want to get some bang for your buck, then forget some of the sexy players and pick up some underdogs that are going to actually win you some games. Here are some examples of guys that may not be in your Top 5 on a regular basis, but who are unheralded stars who have great matchups in Week 8:

• Matt Schaub – You were ready to write him off a few weeks ago, but the offense has really found itself. Schaub is at home against Cincinnati. That is great news for all Texan skill players, but it’s especially good news for Schaub. Cincinnati has given up 8 TD passes to QB’s over the last four weeks. Schaub vaults over a lot of bigger names this week (Schaub can even be considered in the Fantazzle Pick Em and Fantazzle Confidence formats).
• Donovan Mcnabb – Donovan has not been a popular Fantazzle selection this season because of the inconsistency of the offense and the obvious injury issues that the Eagles have had at the skill positions (Curtis, Brown, Westbrook, Smith to name a few). However, Mcnabb has all of his weapons back this week, including the sorely missed Kevin Curtis. With a full compliment of skill players and an Atlanta Defense that allows above average fantasy production, you have to consider selecting Mcnabb this week.
• Jake Delhomme – Sorry but this guy is not Top 5 material. But this week, he really is. He gets Zona at home and that means points. A lot of points. Zona gives up more fantasy points to Quarterbacks than ANY team in the league (they have given up 12 TD passes in just the last 3 games). Yummy.  Any quarterback that does not throw at least 2-3 TD’s against Arizona should retire, effective immediately.
• Chris Johnson – We all know this guy is a sexy pick, but he’s not necessarily in your Top 5. The main problem with CJ is that he splits time with Lendale White. Not only that, Lendale vultures almost all the redzone carries. But CJ gets to play Indy this week and that could make for a couple breakout runs. Indy has been pretty horrible against the run as illustrated by the re-emergence of Ryan Grant last week.  CJ could go off.
• Maurice Jones Drew – Jacksonville has Cleveland at home this week. MJD is assuming a lot carries these days and he’s running well. Cleveland has allowed four of their six opponents to post over 150 yards rushing this year. Add that to the fact that Jacksonville is likely to be playing with a lead for a majority of the game (and therefore running the ball) and MJD should see a lot of production.
• Thomas Jones – This guy can’t seem to find the endzone (with the exception of his 3 TD explosion two weeks ago) so he’s not necessarily in your Top 5.  But as I explain below, every player should be considered when K.C. is your opponent.  The Jets are a little banged up at WR so Jones may be relied on more than usual.  Last week he rushed 24 times for 159 yards.  Not too shabby.  He finds the endzone this week for sure.
• Lee Evans – I kind of hate endorsing this kid because he’s a deep threat only and really does not catch a lot of balls (a poor man’s Santana Moss if you will). But anytime a Number 1 WR is going against the Dolphins I make some exceptions. The Dolphins secondary is very bad, and yet, they haven’t been exposed as much as I would have expected. I don’t anticipate Trent & Co. throwing the ball around all day, but the fact is, a WR has scored a TD in every game against the Dolphins this year. I don’t suspect that trend will change this week.
• Lavernues Coles – The Jets get Kansas City this week and that is great timing since they’re coming off a somewhat embarrassing loss to the Raiders. Look for Favre to regain his confidence against the clear cut worst team in the NFL. Both Cotchery and Coles are questionable for this game, but if either of them are slotted to start, it’s go time. There’s enough TD’s for everyone in this one. It’s a free for all.
• Owen Daniels – Because he’s not a flashy name, he may not have been in your Top 5 the last few weeks. Big mistake. This kid can play. Not only that, the offense is starting to really click. At this point, it’s pretty clear that Daniels is Schaub’s second favorite target behind Andre Johnson. Factor in that the Texans get Cincinnati at home and you’ve got a recipe for success.
• Chris Cooley – Hard to say if Cooley deserves to be in your Top 3 at this point (remember, the Fantazzle Challenge format allows you to select 3 TE’s, but obviously there are many other Fantazzle formats to choose from including the increasingly popular Fantazzle Salary Cap format). Cooley gets the Lions this week and that is a perfect time for him to make a statement. The Lions allow the most TE fantasy points in the league and that fact alone should be enough information for you to consider Cooley.

So take it off of auto-pilot and give these underdogs a shot in Week 8.  Thank me later.  PouringReign.

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It’s about the midpoint of most Fantasy football seasons and you might already find yourself out of the playoff picture. Yea, that’s right, I’m talking to you. The guy who is 1-5 and has fallen on some bad luck and some bad draft picks.

Does this sound familiar?

Well, I can’t say I’m in this predicament exactly, but I sure know a lot of people who are. Let me guess, you thought you had it all figured out when you grabbed Jamal Lewis late in the 2nd round and shored up your running back core with Selvin Young in the 5th. You figured you were going to ride Carson Palmer and Willis Mcgahee to the promise land.

Not so much.

Here are some examples of guys that you might have drafted high and that have not panned out:

• Carson Palmer – The Bengals are a sinking ship but it was hard to tell that things were going to be this bad. Add Palmer’s injury which doesn’t appear to be resolving and you have a major bust.

• Tom Brady - Hard to say what Brady would have been if healthy, but needless to say, he has ruined some fantasy seasons nationwide. Hopefully some of you were smart enough to snag a guy like Cutler as a safety.

• Willis McGahee - ouchies. This guy was not high at all on my draft board but he was on a lot of others. His knee is clearly a career threatening issue and even if he was healthy, it appears that there is a new goal line back for the Ravens.

• Joseph Addai – as I stated in earlier articles, Addai has always had an issue playing a full season. Not only that, he’s flat out not scoring. Combine that with an offensive line that suddenly has issues and you have a fantasy bust.

• Laurence Maroney - most of you saw this coming and didn’t draft him high, but this guy is a “bust” even if you drafted him late. From a fantasy football standpoint, it’s as if he doesn’t exist. He is officially a career fantasy bust.

• Ryan Grant - this guy is not officially a bust but he’s certainly on the bust radar. You were naive to think he was going to put up the same numbers as last year, but still, you would think he’d be doing better than he is right now.

• Randy Moss - No Brady equals no fantasy value. It’s not Randy’s fault really, but he’s hit and miss and that’s not good for a guy who went in Round 1 of a lot of fantasy drafts.

• Chad and Housh - Bengals. Marvin Lewis. Farm team. Enough said.

• Tory Holt - love the guy but in NFL years he’s nearing the “washed up” area of his career. And this offense is not the well oil machine it was a few years ago. Hopefully you didn’t draft him too high, but if you did, consider this guy a bust.

Well listen, we all make mistakes. The only problem is that in your OTHER fantasy leagues, those mistakes cost you the entire fantasy football season. All your work preparing for the draft has been rendered meaningless.

Or has it?

If you find yourself already out of the playoff picture this year, then Fantazzle is where you need to be. I’m not saying that you should ignore your other leagues if you’re already out of it because there is a certain pride involved in not finishing in last place. But I am saying that it’s about time you stopped sulking. Fantazzle is going to provide you an opportunity to finally talk some smack around the water cooler on Monday morning. Instead of lamenting your injury riddled lineup of washed up superstars, you can tell people how smart you are for starting a stud lineup of pre-season sleepers.

So shake it off. Sign up. Show us what you’re made of. And Be King for a day.

PouringReign.

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The great thing about Fantazzle is that you’re never stuck with a bad player for an entire season because you are always selecting a new team to compete each week. By illustration, while you may be stuck with Willis Mcgahee or Tom Brady in your other fantasy leagues (for an entire season), you’re never stuck with guys like that at Fantazzle for longer than one week. But the fact is, nobody wants to make mistakes.  Whether it’s for one week or thirteen weeks, you don’t want a buster on your roster. You want point machines each and every week. With that in mind, it’s about time you take stock of some of the surprising trends that have already occurred this season. Here are just a few examples of current trends that have defied our pre-season notions, which may help your weekly Fantazzle rosters:

Arizona Cardinals – you almost have to consider starting all major skill players (namely Fitzgerald) on the Cardinals and all major skill players going against the Cardinals. They seem to be in shootouts on a weekly basis because of their terrible secondary. Obviously, they have no trouble playing catch up in any of these shootouts either.

Matt Forte – given the right matchup, this kid can produce. And he is getting a ton of touches. Whether it’s the salary cap format or the Challenge format, you have to have Forte on your radar.

Dallas Cowboys – shaky on offense at times but do not be discouraged. These guys can move the ball with ease when properly motivated to do so. You could start all four major players (Romo, Barber, T.O. and Witten) on any given week and still get point distribution from each one. On the other side of the ball, it might be a good idea to start guys going against the Cowboys. This defense was thought to be stellar prior to the season, and we now realize they are porous at pretty much every defensive level.

Joseph Addai – not sure the Colts can turn the corner on offense and that spells trouble for Addai. While I’m confident that Dallas Clark and Reggie Wayne can be productive all season, I can’t say the same for Addai. He has obviously been downgraded in all formats.

Ronnie Brown – Can’t believe I’m plugging a Dolphin, but this guy is beasting it all over the field. Ronnie was burried on everyone’s depth chart at the start of the Fantazzle season and now he’s legit. He has to be on your radar now (I think i’m going to be sick).

Baltimore Ravens – Prior to the season we weren’t sure how good this defense was going to be and we weren’t sure if the offense was going to consistently put the defense in bad positions. Now we’re pretty sure. Ravens D is nasty and you want to try and avoid starting any skill players against them.

Brian Westbrook – if you’ve read my earlier work you remember that I anticipated the recent onset of injuries to Westbrook. I’m not saying he’s not a beast, but I am saying that these injuries seem to be piling up. He’s a nice start if he’s healthy. But he probably won’t be for at least a couple weeks.

Palmer/Housh/Ocho Cinco – Prior to the season you would have thought that at least 2 out of these 3 would be productive, but they’re not. This team is out of sync on so many levels and I’m not sure they have any startable players at this point. Maybe when Marvin Lewis finally gets fired things will turn around, but at this point these guys should only be considered in ideal matchup scenarios.

St. Louis Rams – the Rams are terrible in almost every facet of the game. They’re also pretty much unwatchable unless you are watching one of your fantasy players who happens to be going against them. That’s good news for Clinton Portis in Week 6 and for every Running Back thereafter, because the Rams run defense is pathetic. This season they’ve allowed the 2^nd most Running Back points in the league. Even worse (or even better, depending on your perspective), the Rams have already allowed 9 TD’s from Running Backs this year.

Tennessee Titans – Pass defense on the Titans is stellar. You have to sit almost any wide receiver who is playing these guys as they have yet to allow a WR to enter the endzone. Very impressive.

Don’t be stubborn.  Take note of the trends around the league and adjust your weekly selection accordingly.  Good luck.

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It’s Week 5 so that means by now you should have pretty good read on which players will put up good numbers this year and which ones won’t (but as always, it doesn’t mean I know anything!)

Keeping in mind that the season’s starting to settle, your strategy can change from one in which you only start the big dogs each week to one that looks to exploit matchup advantages… let’s get started:

FantaPlay Quarterbacks:

There are usually about four or five quarterbacks to choose from in any given week, but this week is a little different.  As it stands right now, the only absolute MUST start is Tony Romo. And when I say he’s an absolute MUST I mean that even if everyone else you’re playing has him in their lineups, you need him too. He’s going to have a monster day at home against Cincinnati and the losers in your Pick ‘Em games will be people who don’t have his 86,000 points in their lineup this week.  Even with all the Terrell Owens distractions Romo’s a must start… 

Speaking of old T.O., how predictable was this?  Who didn’t see this coming?  Owens pretended for the past two years to be non-insane but once he signed that contract in June, look what happened!  Right back to crazy-time… complaining about the coaching, the quarterbacking, the amount of plays he gets, etc, etc, etc. 

Football fans have witnessed Owens’s insanity for so long that I think we tend to shrug it off but honestly, it’s like his brain is mis-wired, I’m having a hard time wrapping my head around it. Think about this… what kind of solution, if you were Wade Phillips or Jerry Jones, could you possibly come up with to make Owens happy?  He was involved in 22 plays this past week and complained about how much he was involved in the offense.  Marion Barber and Jason Witten weren’t involved in 22 plays… COMBINED!!!  

Owens said Jeff Garcia was gay when he didn’t get thrown enough passes in San Francisco (where, at one point he set the NFL record with a 22-catch game).  Then he went to Philly and McNabb threw to him 30 times a game but still that wasn’t enough.  Owens responded by doing everything short of taking a dump in McNabb’s helmet before the games then got released and went to Texas.  Now he’s in Dallas complaining that throwing him passes on only every other play is just too little!  I can’t see any possible or reasonable solution to this, can you?  The only thing that might work is if Jerry Jones abandsons plans to build the new stadium and instead uses the saved billions to clone Owens and let T.O. throw passes to himself.  He’d probably still complain about the quarterbacking, but at least it would be fun to see him argue with himself. Anyway, like I said, insane.  Moving on…

Drew Brees, Philip Rivers and Jay Cutler are still solid starts even though both came back to earth a little bit last week.  Cutler’s got Tampa’s resurgent defense at home but has shown enough talent that it doesn’t matter who he’s playing.  As for Rivers, he’s facing Miami’s 26th ranked pass defense, and with the San Diego running game looking weak it’s a good time to bet on Rivers having a big game.  Minnesota’s defense is stout against the run, but only average against the pass, so Brees is a good choice here as well.  But here are your two FantaPlays to mix in with the other four:  Jake Delhomme and Trent Edwards.  Yes I’m still high on Edwards but he looks like the real deal and he’s playing against Arizona, a team that just gave up 14td’s and 93 points to an average Jets offense led by a 51-year-old quarterback (note: not all numbers checked for accuracy).  Edwards has thrown for 200 yards and one TD in every game this year.  That’s consistency you can count on.  

Jake Delhomme’s surgically repaired arm looks stronger than it did pre-surgery.  Steve Smith and Muhshin Muhammad are flying all over the field and they’ve got a nice running game to complement it all.  They’re playing against a KC team that you can expect to have a letdown on the road after laying it all out at home last week to get their first win against their hated Bronco rivals.

Quarterbacks to stay away from:

Peyton Manning and Kurt Warner.  Don’t let the Texans defense fool you.  They can stop the pass, they just can’t stop the run.  Manning has also had a historically tougher time against the Texans despite their status as a 2002 expansion team.  As for Warner, he torched the Jets for nearly 500 yards but won’t have nearly that kind of success against a varsity defense (and the Bills are most certainly a varsity defense).  

FantaPlay Runningbacks:

As opposed to the limited choices among the quarterbacks there’s a wealth of runningbacks with good matchups.  Frank Gore, Adrian Peterson and Marshawn Lynch should be in everyone’s lineup this week, but the rest of the field is filled with great matchups too. Marion Barber vs. an awful Cincinnati run defense.  Joseph Addai vs. an awful Houston run defense.  Michael Turner vs. an awful Green Bay run defense.  Earnest Graham vs. an awful Denver run defense.  It’s a smorgasbord of good runningbacks agaisnt terrible run defenses!!!  But perhaps the best choice among them all is Matt Forte vs. the worst run defense in the league (Detroit).  

Runningbacks to stay away from:

It’s hard to say this but don’t expect much from LaDainian Tomlinson this week.  His toe injury makes him look slow and if it weren’t for a stat-padding, 40-yard touchdown run at the end of the game last week every NFL Fantasy site in the world would have led off this week with the, “What’s wrong with LaDainian?” story.  The Miami run defense ain’t half bad either.  You should also be wary of Ronnie Brown as well.  His monster performance against the Patriots a few weeks back came on five plays all run out of the “trick” single-wing formation.  Take away those four plays and Brown has 40 yards and no touchdowns.  Think the Chargers will be prepared to see the single wing? Probably, right?  Unless of course Norv Turner’s as bad a coach as we all think he is.  Chris Johnson and LenDale White won’t find any room to run against an absolutely sick Ravens Defense (Ray Lewis didn’t just separate Rashard Mendenhall’s shoulder on a clean tackle last week, he BROKE it).  Start those two only if you want to lose.  Ummm… don’t expect anything out of Willis McGahee or the Ravens runners against a tough Titans defense either.

FantaPlay Wide Receivers:

Santana Moss, Brandon Marshall and Reggie Wayne should be in everyone’s lineup.  Until they prove otherwise, they’re pretty much must-starts no matter who they’re playing.  Tough pass defense or not, these three get their catches and yards. But here are the players you need to chose to accompany those three:  Calvin Johnson, Steve Smith and Andre Johnson.  I know I picked Andre Johnson last week, and I know he disappointed once again, but he’s due.  Trust me, he’s due.  Steve Smith has proven he’s back to his 2005-06 form and is terrorizing NFL defenses.  Calvin Johnson is on the cusp of joining the elite group of receivers who get yards and touchdowns no matter the opponent.  

Wide Receivers to stay away from:

Until Randy Moss has a breakout game, stay away.  His situation looks ripe for a typical shutdown season by Moss and the longer he goes without getting involved the offense, the worse it will get.  Terrell Owens is also a tough play this week… there’s not any middle ground for him this week vs. the Bengals.  Tony Romo, Jerry Jones and Wade Philips will either try to assert their authority over Captain Lunatic by running the ball 40 times and never throwing it his way, or they’ll try to appease Owens by throwing it to him 70 times.  So he’s good for either a two catch, 30-yard game, or 14 catch 200-yard, 3 TD game.  It’s just not worth the risk when there are so many other good WR’s to choose from this week.  Expect Larry Fitzgerald to get double coverage with Anquan Boldin out this weekm and Roy Williams is having his production destroyed by the supremely talented Johnson.  Finally, don’t be cute and start thinking guys like Lance Moore or Kevin Walter are going to repeat last week’s performances.

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They are who we thought they were. Except, not really. Fact is, your wide receiver selections in Fantazzle this year have probably been burning you in the first four weeks. In the Fantasy Challenge format you’re gunning for the superstars and many of them are not producing (i.e. – Braylon Edwards, Andre Johnson and Ocho Cinco). In the salary cap format you’re waisting serious salary cap space on alleged superstars who end up being a waste of money (money that you could have used to give yourself a better Running Back core).

So what do you do? You re-evaluate, that’s what you do. Here are some wide receivers that you’re going to want to look at for Week 5 that may not have been at the top of your radar prior to the season:

Desean Jackson - Great play in the Fantazzle Salary Cap format. Eagles play the Skins this week and although Washington did a great job with the Cowboys passing game, they tend to fall victim to a big play here and there. Desean Jackson has big play written all over him. Desean will find himself on the right side of a Carlos Rogers matchup more than once on Sunday, so plan on a big play or two.

Brandon Marshall – If I have to explain to you why Marshall is a good play, then that means you’re wasting your time and money. Denver is at home against Tampa Bay this week and they are looking to bounce back from an embarrassing loss to the Chiefs. Marshall already has 398 yards and 3 TD’s this season. And yes, to answer those harassing emails that you all keep sending me, I do, in fact, have a man-crush on Mr. Marshall. There, I said it.

Reggie Wayne - Reintroduce Wayne to your starting 5 this week. He’s had a productive 3 weeks of the season so far (bye week for the Colts in Week 4) with 298 receiving yards and 2 TD’s. The Colts offensive line is finally at full strength coming off their bye week. Expect them to pass it around in a high scoring game at Houston this week.

Braylon Edwards – Sure, he’s on a bye this week, but that probably means he’ll get you about the same amount of points that he would have if the Browns were actually playing. Really hoping this guy picks it up, but it’s not looking too promising. Braylon’s got 95 receiving yards and 1 TD through Week 4. Just to give you some perspective, the following players have more receiving yards than Braylon: Mike Tolbert, Visanthe Shiancoe, Dane Looker and Johnnie Lee Higgins. Johnnie Lee Who? Yikes.

Mushin Muhammad - In the Salary Cap Format this guy is a steal this week. He’s clearly a threat every time the Panthers visit the red zone, and lately, he’s making big grabs on his way to the redzone. He’s only got 1 TD so far this year, but he’s got 287 receiving yards. Carolina is at home against the Chiefs this week. Again, I’m talking salary cap format here. Solid play.

Larry Fitzgerald - Fitz has the Bills at home this week. The Bills are 4-0 but are not exactly shutting people down on defense. Warner will look to atone for his turnover riddled day last week and will be looking to Fitzgerald all day. Factor in that Boldin is probably going to sit this one out for precautionary reasons and you’ve got a good opportunity. Fitz already has 415 yards and 2 TD’s this season. That’s nasty.

Santana Moss - Does 421 yards and 3 TD’s through 4 weeks sound good to you? Don’t ignore this guy just because the Redskins offense hasn’t been flashy over the last few years. The more Jason Campbell gets comfortable in this offense, the more he finds Moss deep down the field.

Greg Jennings - 482 Yards and 2 TD’s in 4 weeks is pretty amazing. Clearly Aaron Rodgers knows what he’s doing in Green Bay and he’s smart enough to have realized that Jennings should be the primary target (it appears that Donald Driver is now riding Shotgun. Get it? Driver? Shotgun? Baaaaazing). Green Bay hosts the Falcons this week. Rodgers is banged up, but I would still take the risk and consider Jennings. Even if Flynn ends up starting, I’d suspect he finds Jennings on more than a few occasions.

Lee Evans - I’m not sure Evans is ever going to live up to his potential, but 332 yards and 1 TD through 4 weeks is pretty decent. He’s probably startable in both the Challenge and Salary Cap formats this week because Buffalo is at Arizona. I don’t think I need to remind you what Coles and Cotchery did to Arizona last week (5 TD’s between them in case you forgot). Adrian Wilson is likely out again in the Cardinals secondary this week. Look for Evans to cruise.

Dwayne Bowe - At this point, I’m starting to warm up to the fact that Kansas City might actually be able to move the ball this season. The main reason for that is Damon Huard. The fact that Herm “you play to win the game” Edwards didn’t start Huard at the beginning of the season is almost criminal. Bowe has 267 total receiving yards already this year and 2 TD’s. That’s pretty good for an offense that has been inept for about 3 out of their 4 games. Both Bowe and Huard have confidence in each other and that makes for a nice dynamic. Definitely a guy to take a flyer on.

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