Week 12 – Turkey Day Starters

START
Tony Romo, QB, Dallas – Making the switch for Tony Romo was a great move. He’s got excellent pocket presence and he makes good decisions. He’s gotten both Terrell Owens and Jason Witten much more involved in the passing game. With Terry Glenn back and fully healthy, he’s proving he is a fitting in the scheme well. This has really opened up the run game for Julius Jones as well. Tampa’s beat up secondary will have a tough time just trying to hang with Owens, Glenn, Witten, and Jones.
Ronnie Brown, RB, Miami – Detroit’s run defense seemed awful without Shaun Rogers in the lineup. Well, Rogers is out again and Ronnie Brown tore up 157 yards against the last team running the Cover 2…the Chicago Bears. Brown was shut down last week (12 rushes for 2 yards), but expect him to rebound for a nice game. At least 85 yards and a score is a sure bet.
Javon Walker, WR, Denver – Kansas City’s pass defense is still solid and Ty Law is still a good corner, but Javon Walker is much too quick for an aging Ty Law. Walker has been developing a good rapport with Jake Plummer, so how Walker does is entirely dependant on how well Plummer plays. Walker has 45 catches for 799 yards and 6 TDs on the season. Those are numbers you can’t bench.
Chris Chambers, WR, Miami – Dre Bly has a big mouth and lives by the chance. He gambles a lot and Chambers is a top WR. If Harrington has time, Chambers should see a lot of looks, as he does every week, and should burn Bly on more than one occasion.
Roy Williams, WR, Detroit -- With Jones out, expect the Lions to throw a lot, since the Lions are down to running backs (Arlen Harris and Aveion Cason) who didn’t even make the training camp cut. The Dolphins have done well against top receivers, holding receivers to under 100 yards in each of the past four weeks. Williams, after four games over 138 yards, hasn’t topped 100 yards or scored in the past two weeks. Expect this all to change as the Lions throw a lot and Roy is a great player.
Olindo Mare, K, Miami – Mare is an average kicker at best, but he’ll be kicking in a dome and should have more than a couple easy attempts. Kickers against the Lions are 19/22, meaning the Lions are ranked 28^th in the league against opposing kickers.
Dallas, DEF – Bruce Gradkowski is an effective QB, but he won’t be against Dallas. Cadillac Williams has been virtually non-existent until last week when he broke out for 122 yards. However, Dallas doesn’t have Washington’s defense, they’re much better. Dallas is extremely tough against the pass, with 9 TDs allowed and 12 INTs, along with a 55.4% completion rating; and Dallas is fourth against the run.

BENCH
Trent Green, QB, Kansas City – Green is over the hill. Huard should not have been pulled as he was effective, which is all that Trent Green was. Without Tony Gonzalez, once again, Green will struggle. Expect Larry Johnson to be the only offensive focal point once again.
Kevin Jones, RB, Detroit – Jones is listed as questionable, but it’s very unlikely that he’ll get the clearance this week. Bench all Detroit RBs for that matter.
Cadillac Williams, RB, Tampa Bay – Dallas is fourth in the league against the run and Tampa has been awful running the ball against solid run defense teams. Tampa will be down early, so they’ll be passing a lot, leaving Cadillac as a blocking back more than anything.
Joey Galloway, WR, Tampa Bay – Galloway is targeted quite often by Bruce Gradkowski, but don’t expect Galloway to show up this week, as Gradkowski will be pressured all day and Galloway will struggle to get open. Galloway is one of the most inconsistent receivers in the league, so expect another let down this week.
Eddie Kennison, WR, Kansas City – Kennison is a horrible start this week, as he’s matching up on the league’s top CB (arguably), Champ Bailey. Without Tony Gonzalez to take some of the pressure off Kennison, it’ll be up to Trent Green to make things happen and Larry Johnson will, once again, end up doing it all.
Detroit, DEF – Do we really have to go over this? Detroit’s defense is hot and cold. Against Atlanta, they looked great. Against the Niners and Cards, they forgot how to tackle. Considering that Shaun Rogers is once again out, even though he’s back from his suspension, Ronnie Brown will have a much easier day rushing between the tackles. Detroit is allowing 126 rushing yards and 216 passing yards per game.
Tampa Bay, DEF – It’s hard to like Tampa’s defense when they’re playing a revitalized Dallas offense. Tony Romo is taking control and has a 3-1 record as a starter. After controlling a great Indy offense, Dallas isn’t about to let up by being controlled by the 29^th ranked offense.

Week 11 - Comments and Complaints

Week 11 Comments and Complaints

The Lions are definitely the most inconsistent team in the league. This offense, without Kevin Jones seems lost. Kevin Jones, by the way, will be out Week 12 and should be questionable for Week 13. Kitna needs around 5 seconds to throw the ball without any pressure, or else he makes horrific throws, forces balls into double and triple coverage, takes sacks rather than throwing balls away, and throws rather than running for a first down when nobody’s near him. It’s things like this that have been killing this team in many close games. Roy Williams is a stud, but he needs to make those basic, wide-open catches in order to be perennial Pro Bowler. Mike Furrey is a more consistent receiver; Kitna looks to him in big situations…Williams just does more with the ball after the catch.

I know a lot of people were hurt big time when Marques Colston went down with an injury early in the game. However, from what I hear, Colston’s injury is not bad and he’s listed as day-to-day. Keep monitoring his status until game-time and make your decision. If the guy is healthy enough to play, give him the nod over all but the studs (Gates, Shockey, Crumpler, Heap, and Winslow).

The Niners have been shocking everyone this season, after that awful start with the Arizona loss and the massive blowout by KC. This team is for real and they’ve got the most improved offense in the league, in my opinion. Their defense is decent, but nothing special. Their offense is extremely talented, as long as Frank Gore is in the lineup. Gore is a fantasy stud. Alex Smith could use some talent at WR as Antonio Bryant was a stud early on, but has been shut down as of late. I don’t see Bryant doing a whole lot better this week against the Rams solid pass defense. Look for Gore to carry the load once again, as the Rams are pathetic against the rush and defending pass catching RBs.

Donovan McNabb going on IR with a knee injury is a shot to both Reggie Brown and Donte Stallworth’s fantasy values. Jeff Garcia has no arm whatsoever and will be lucky to find Stallworth or Brown deeper than 20 yards. Expect Bryan Westbrook and LJ Smith’s fantasy values to absolutely skyrocket now that Garcia is starting at QB.

Marc Bulger really let everyone down last week. I expected a big showing from the Rams offense, but Carolina really brought the pressure and made Bulger look awful. This week will be entirely different as the Rams stifle the hot Niners and Bulger has a monster day.

Jamal Lewis is NOT as good as his THREE TD day. Lewis hasn’t broken 100 yards in a single game this season and his three of his five total TDs came last week. The guy just isn’t good anymore. He’s benefiting from Billick feeding him the ball 22-25 times per game, which can help even Ki-Jana Carter rack up 90 yards. Lewis’ scores are coming from an easy

What happened to the early season Rex Grossman? He’s been looking terrible. 11/22 119 yards and 1 TD are terrible numbers. Some of that is due to Mushin Muhammad having no speed anymore and Bernard Berrian being out and teams realizing that when you rattle Rex and make him throw off his back foot, it’s easy to shut down a deep threat passing game (Bradley and Berrian). Luckily, the Bears (Thomas Jones) are getting back to their run-first philosophy and starting to dominate games that way. Granted, the Jets are terrible against the run, they still ran for over 170 yards. We’ll see how the Pats handle the Bears reinstated run game, this week. Keep Jones on the bench this week, as he’ll more than likely start dancing behind the line and struggle.

Travis Henry is a baller. The guy is explosive and tough. He had a couple weeks there where he failed to meet even bad expectations, but he proved that he can tear it up against some of the best teams. The Eagles have a solid rush defense, and Henry broke out for 143 yards on 18 carries. Henry is a solid start until he proves otherwise.

Did Ahman Green fail you too last week? Sure, he was a bench going into the week, but with injuries, I had to start him. Thanks for the whopping 28 yards on 13 carries. It’s not all Green’s fault, his OL is terrible and the play calling in Green Bay has stunk. I still can’t figure out how Green has a 4.2 ypc average the way he’s been running.

Don’t expect any more monster games from Lee Evans. He got lucky facing atrocious Houston coverage last week. Houston has a terrible pass defense, so this just goes to show that anyone facing Houston is a solid start. Evans is explosive, but JP Losman and the rest of the Bills offense is not. Losman wasn’t pressured at all during the game and he had time to throw the ball. I’m a believer that even if the worst QBs are given enough time to throw, they’ll make plays (see Joey Harrington in December 2005).

San Diego is not the best team in the league. That belongs to the Bears, in my opinion. San Diego is quite possibly the best team in the AFC, but I’d like to see how they stack up against the ever-dangerous Pats and the tough Baltimore defense. I like the fact that Philip Rivers can help carry the team if LT2 were taken out of the equation. Rivers has been under-using Antonio Gates, which has been surprising for owners. As well, Rivers is spreading the ball around to everyone, especially backups in goal line situations. With their defense giving up 41 points to a Cincinnati team that was slumping, I question their Super Bowl ability, big time.

Oh yeah, for good measure, Jake Plummer stinks. It’s Jay Cutler time already.

Week 11 -- Start and Bench

START
QB
Tom Brady, New England (at Green Bay) – Brady’s last two starts have results in a combined 45/72 for 456 yards, 1 TD, and 4 INTs. Brady’s been making a lot of mistakes and forcing the ball, but he won’t against Green Bay’s 31^st ranked pass defense. Anyone matching up on Al Harris is in for a rough day, but Brady should be finding those #2 and #3 guys all day.
Matt Leinart, Arizona (Detroit) – Detroit’s allowing QBs to throw for a whopping 68.5% completion rating. This game all depends on Detroit’s ability to get pressure without James Hall and Shaun Rogers. If they can rattle Leinart early on, they should have an easy day, otherwise, Leinart will be threading the needle and both Boldin and Fitzgerald (hamstring) will have huge days (Fitzgerald, if healthy).
Bruce Gradkowski, Tampa Bay (Washington) – Washington has allowed nearly four league-worst passing defense stats this season: yards (2198), TDs allowed (18), INTs (2), sacks (13). Gradkowski is a decent QB who has put up decent stats on the season, especially for being a rookie.
Steve McNair, Baltimore (Baltimore) – McNair has been putting up decent stats, but he’s making a lot of mistakes and been playing against some bad pass defenses. Atlanta has a secondary that’s in terrible shape (allowing 273 passing yards per game and 11 TDs in the past five games).

RB
Thomas Jones, Chicago (at NY Jets) – The Jets are terrible against the run, giving up 4.5 ypc and 13 TDs on the season. The Bears have gotten back to that run game to control the clock, which is what they’re all about. Jones will go for around 100 yards and at least one TD, with Benson getting some garbage time.
Anthony Thomas, Buffalo (at Houston) – Thomas has a ton of talent, as evidenced by his 243 yards and 2 TDs since McGahee’s injury. Thomas is looking to steal the spotlight and make people forget about McGahee, while he’s out with injury; plus, the Texans are as bad as the Jets when it comes to defending the run.
Julius Jones, Dallas (Indianapolis) – Anyone facing Indy’s rush D is a definite start. Here’s the stats: 159 yards per game, 5.1 yards per carry, 10 TDs, and 77 first downs. Those numbers are incredible...for opposing rushers. Jones is a great talent and should tear it up this week.
Warrick Dunn, Atlanta (at Baltimore) – Last week with Ray Lewis out, Travis Henry rushed for over 100 yards. Dunn is a better back and on a much better team than Henry and has been dormant for awhile. Atlanta needs to rely on the run this week and Vick will get eaten alive by Baltimore’s top pass defense. Dunn should get 22-24 carries.

W/R
Ladell Betts, Washington (at Tampa Bay) – With Portis out, Betts is going to see a ton of action. He’s done extremely well at the beginning of the season when Portis was injured. Betts generally sees a lot of catches (4 last week after filling in when Portis went down), so he’d be a perfect flex back this week against a struggling Tampa Bay secondary and rush defense that are equally bad.
DeShaun Foster, Carolina (at St Louis) – St Louis has been awful against the run this year, allowing 143.3 yards per game on 5.1 yard per carry and a total of 10 TDs on the ground this year. Carolina will look to limit mistakes against the Rams solid secondary and feed both Foster and DeAngelo Williams.

WR
Joey Galloway, Tampa Bay (Washington) – Normally, I’d bench Galloway due to his inconsistency and the fact he’s prone to laying eggs in games he’s expected to due well in. Washington has a terrible pass defense and doesn’t seem to be able to get pressure on the QB in any way, shape, or form, so I believe Gradkowski will have a lot of time to throw and Galloway will have time to get open.
Braylon Edwards, Cleveland (Pittsburgh) – Edwards has scored in the past two weeks and is facing a Steelers’ secondary who gave up 398 yards and 1 TD to the Saints, 232 yards, 4 TDs, and 2 INTs to the Falcons, and 227 yards and 3 TDs to the Broncos; all in the past four weeks. Edwards will have to bear the load as it’s inevitable that Droughns will do anything on the ground and Winslow could easily be shut down. The Steelers have allowed less than 10 yards to TEs since Crumpler torched them for 117 yards and 3 TDs in week 7.
Javon Walker, Denver (San Diego) -- Walker has averaged 5.3 catches for 86 yards and a touchdown, along with a 72-yard run for a touchdown in one game, over the past month. In that same time, San Diego has allowed opposing receivers to accumulate 13 receptions for 201 yards and 1.8 touchdowns per game. It doesn’t help when Chad Johnson goes 11 catches and 260 yards on you. Plummer should have additional time to throw with Shawn Merriman still serving his ‘roids suspension.
Donte' Stallworth, Philadelphia (Tennessee) -- For the first time since week 2, Stallworth has been healthy and is showing it with 6 grabs for 139 yards and a score. The Titans also have their fair share of pass defense problems. Over the past month, Tennessee has allowed opposing receivers to snag 13 grabs for 169 yards and 1.67 touchdowns per outing. That’s big days for Stallworth, Brown, Smith, and Westbrook.

TE
Antonio Gates, San Deigo (at Denver) – If you have Gates, you’re probably starting every week. However, I see a big game in the future for Gates, as Denver will be dead set on shutting down Tomlinson. San Deigo’s wide receivers are nothing special and should draw single coverage, but once Gates starts drawing that safety coverage, the WRs will threaten. Gates should act as a decoy quite a bit in this game as well as a huge part of the actual pass catching offense.

K
Jason Hanson, Lions (at Arizona) -- I do believe this will be an offensive shootout in the desert. Arizona’s defense shows up when they feel like it and can’t match up with Detroit’s personnel. Hanson will get more than a couple FG chances and makes the most of them, as he’s #13 on the all-time scoring list.

DEF
Miami (at Minnesota) – The Vikings offense has looked terrible in the past few weeks, putting up a measly three points on a barely average San Fran defense. As well, the ‘Phins have held the Bears and the Chiefs to a combined 23 points over the past two weeks; don’t bet on Brad Johnson to get the offense rolling.

BENCH
QB
Eli Manning, NY Giants (at Jacksonville) – Eli had an awful week last week and has failed to throw for over 200 yards since week 5. Jacksonville has a very good defense and this should be up to the Jags and how well Garrard can move the ball through the air. The Jags got lit up by the Texans once again, but look for a big rebound this week.
Trent Green, Kansas City (Oakland) – Trent Green has historically been a good QB, but pulling Damon Huard for a rusty Green (who hasn’t played in 9 weeks) is just a terrible move. Oakland has an excellent pass defense and did a great job against Denver last week. Oh yeah, without Gonzo, Green will struggle even more.
Ben Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh (at Cleveland) – Big Ben faces an underrated Browns defense that has limited him to two touchdown passes in three career meetings. Despite a secondary ravaged by injury, only four teams have allowed fewer passing yards or TDs than the Browns. The last quarterback to throw for multiple scores against them was Carson Palmer in week 2, and Steve McNair's 264-yard outing the following week was the last time anyone took Cleveland for more than 211 yards in the air.
Philip Rivers, San Diego (at Denver) – Rivers has been what Big Ben was last season, efficient; throwing for over 2000 yards, 66% completion rating, 13 TDs, and only 3 INTs so far on the season. However, I don’t like his chances against one of the league’s best defenses. Denver has allowed league lows in passing and rushing TDs, but they’ll have their hands full. Rivers has a very quick release, but Denver has a very quick group of linebackers, cornerbacks, and safeties, who are all experienced and make very quick reads.

RB
Chester Taylor, Minnesota (at Miami) – Miami’s defense has been playing great lately, holding the Bears and Chiefs to 23 total combined points. Just look at the job Miami did on Larry Johnson last week, holding one of the league’s best to 75 rushing yards. Taylor will be without Tony Richardson to pave the way, so he’ll be in for an even tougher challenge.
Jamal Lewis, Ravens (Atlanta) – When Brian Billick took over play calling duties, most expect Lewis to benefit and regain his 2003 form. Well, just look at his performance last week against a terrible Tennessee run defense (16 rushes 45 yards). I think we may see Mike Anderson and Musa Smith a lot more in the coming weeks if Lewis continues to lay eggs.
Ronnie Brown, Miami (Minnesota) – Ronnie Brown hasn’t been what he was last season. For being drafted so highly in fantasy drafts, he’s been awful this season. He’s just starting to get his 20+ touch games, but he won’t this week. Minnesota is dominating opposing rushers, holding them to 2.9 yard per carry and 66 yards per game.
Ahman Green, Green Bay (New England) – I shouldn’t have drafted Green, who has a rookie OG and OT blocking for him, and neither should you. Unfortunately, Green’s luck won’t change this week as the Packers will try to expose a Harrinson and Wilson-less Pats secondary and should run the ball very little, especially considering the Pats are #3 in the league in rush defense.

WR
Drew Bennett, Tennessee (at Philadelphia) – Bennett is quickly becoming Vince Young’s go-to guy, hauling in 6 grabs for 116 yards last week alone. However, he faces an Eagles pass defense that’s 8^th in the league and matching up on Lito Sheppard will be a tough matchup. I like Bennett, but I don’t like his chances on Vince Young having a successful day getting the ball to him.
Plaxico Burress, NY Giants (at Jacksonville) – I don’t like Manning this week, meaning I surely don’t like Plax either. Jacksonville has allowed exactly one touchdown pass on its home turf this season, and when you couple that stingy defense with Eli’s road struggles, it’s playing with fire by starting Plax. Plax also said he was going to torch Chicago’s secondary and well, we all saw what both he and Eli did in that game.
Laveranues Coles, NY Jets (Chicago) -- Coles has 13 grabs for 98 yards over the past three games. The Bears secondary has been exposed somewhat in the past few weeks, giving up all seven of their allowed TDs to WRs in the past five weeks. However, don’t start Coles against a Bears defense who dominated a solid Giants’ passing game last week.
Terry Glenn, Dallas (Indianapolis) – Since Bledsoe’s benching, Glenn has averaged a mere 3.67 receptions for 40 yards and 0.33 touchdowns over the past month. As well, he has a quad injury that may limit him. Over the past month the Colts have allowed opposing receivers to 9.2 catches for 106 yards and 0.5 touchdowns per outing. Glenn’s a desperation start at best.

TE
Ben Watson, New England (at Green Bay) – Watson has been awful the past two weeks, with a total of 6 grabs for 61 yards. Green Bay hasn’t allowed a TD to a TE all season and has been playing them extremely well. Green Bay is awful against the run, so expect New England to use Dillon and Maroney as much as possible, with a little Kevin Faulk in there as well.
Randy McMichael, Miami (Minnesota) – McMichael has been seeing an increased number of receptions with Harrington at the helm, but he’s failed to score a TD this season, after scoring five last season. McMichael has been a huge disappointment, despite having 37 catches this season.
Tony Gonzalez, Kansas City (Oakland) – He’s out this week, so that’s a no-brainer.

K
Neil Rackers, Arizona (Detroit) – Over the past three games, Rackers has averaged five kicking points per game while converting averages of one extra point and 1.33 field goals per contest. In the Lions past three games, they’ve allowed opposing kickers to average 7.33 points per game.

DEF
Carolina (at St Louis) – Marc Bulger has been excellent as always this season (64% completion, 2500+ yards, 13 TDs, and 2 INTs). I think that Carolina will be threatened and quite easily beaten this week, with the way Bulger has been playing and the way Steven Jackson has been playing. Torry Holt is a no-brainer this week and Isaac Bruce should see more passes than in the past couple weeks as well. The Rams have a great offense and an improved pass defense. Carolina will have to win this game without relying on Steve Smith and do it on the ground.

Week 10 – Start, Bench, Sleepers

Byes: None

Start
David Garrard, QB, Jacksonville – With a backup QB starting, the Jags will run the ball more often than usual (start Taylor and Jones-Drew). Garrard is possibly the best backup QB in the league and has a lot of weapons to work with. Houston is flat out awful, so expect the Jags (who are looking to destroy the Texans – who won the last matchup 27-7) to keep the Texans on their toes passing the ball.
Jon Kitna, QB, Detroit – Kitna’s gotten to that point where he’s a must start every week. It’s just hard to bench a guy who’s on track to throw for 4300 yards and 20 TDs…plus, the Niners pass defense stinks. Yeah, he'll probably throw a pick this week, but if he throws for 300 yards and 2 TDs, it'll be worth it.
Jake Delhomme, QB, Carolina – Delhomme is generally his best in the second half of the season. His first half hasn’t been much to gawk over, a whopping 8 TDs with 5 INTs. I expect Keyshawn Johnson to see more action during the second half of the season. The Panthers are fresh off a bye week, should have DeAngelo Williams back and ready to improve on a 4-4 record.
Chester Taylor, RB, Minnesota – What has happened to Brad Johnson, he’s been horrid! Green Bay has a decent pass defense and should force Minnesota to pound it out on the ground. Taylor should see 28-32 carries and a couple grabs.
Warrick Dunn, RB, Atlanta – Warrick Dunn saw a measily 11 carries last week and still produced well, despite the low number. This week will be an entirely different story as Jerious Norwood is out with a knee injury. Dunn will not only get the all the carries, but it’ll be a little easier on him as the Falcons play a rough Cleveland squad.
Corey Dillon, RB, New England – Two comments here: 1) the Jets have allowed more TDs on the ground than any other team in the league (13). 2) Despite the fact that Maroney has about 70 yard more than Dillon, Dillon still has twice the number of TDs. Dillon is the goal line choice in this offense and should see a couple more this week.
Anthony Thomas, RB, Buffalo – Opponents have been running wild on Indy’s defense (last in the league at 165+ yards per game). I expect Thomas to be running, and running a lot, because JP Losman struggles against Green Bay…Indy’s pass D is ranked 3^rd.
Braylon Edwards, WR, Cleveland – Edwards has seemingly disappeared in the past few games, but should remerge against Atlanta’s beat up secondary. DeAngelo Hall talks a lot of trash, but was owned last week by Roy Williams…and shoot, even Mike Furrey.
Mike Furrey, WR, Detroit – With Roy Williams posting half of the games this season with totals over 138 yards, he’s going to get double teamed sometime soon. Against San Francisco, with a weaker secondary, they should do that, leaving Mike Furrey open to a big day. Furrey’s no slouch either, 41 catches for 503 yards.
Matt Jones, WR, Jacksonville – Garrard or Leftwich, it doesn’t matter. The Jags are still passing the ball and still passing the ball fairly well. Reggie Williams is becoming more and more inconsistent and Matt Jones always plays well, especially when healthy. Jones was the Jags’ leading receiver last week and will post 80+ this week.
Laveranues Coles, WR, NY Jets – Coles has been quiet the past few weeks. The Pats weakness is their secondary, especially without Rodney Harrison and Eugene Wilson. Coles is a playmaker, so expect him to see the most grabs, however, Jerrico Cotchery is an unknown as of late.
Kellen Winslow, TE, Cleveland – Winslow is seeing a ton of passes his way (51 so far), but has been seeing less action with Joe Jurevicous back. Winslow will still see a lot of passes as Altanta’s secondary is hurting (Hall and Williams are both hurting and Smith was just put on IR).
Ben Watson, TE, New England – Watson has a good matchup on a Jets team that has been awful against TEs in the past three games (nearly 7 catches for 67 yards per game). Watson is seeing a lot of looks (~10 per game) and should see a score.
Morten Anderson, K, Atlanta – I expect Atlanta to win this game, but I also expect them to kick a few FGs. Anderson was rarely in FG range last week, but should be back to form, seeing a couple of attempts and a couple PATs.
Detroit, DEF -- Detroit’s defense is for real. They shut down the Falcons last week, who seemed three-dimensional with Vick’s new found passing abilities. Detroit will have a tough time rushing Alex Smith, but San Fran’s offense is nothing to drool over. Detroit should have an easy time controlling a weak offense as they’ve got a lot of players back from injury.
Denver, DEF – This one is pretty much a no-brainer, right? One of the league’s top 3 defenses against the league’s worst offense (arguably). Denver could take a couple turnovers to the house as well.

Bench
Brett Favre, QB, Green Bay – Minnesota has a decent pass defense. I expect this to be a good game, as Minnesota does their damage on the ground and Green Bay tries to through the air. Favre should see 240 yards, 2 TDs, and 2 INTs…if he’s lucky, but you can do better. Greg Jennings is still dinged up as well, which doesn’t help Favre.
Jake Plummer, QB, Denver – I liked Jake Plummer last year, but not this year. Jay Culter needs to get some time in because Plummer isn’t the answer. His one good game is behind him. Oakland has a good secondary and Rod Smith is hurting. Plummer has one playmaking WR, so Bell-squared should see action in the pass game and a ton of carries on the ground.
Eli Manning, QB, NY Giants – The Bears are for real and the game last week was a fluke. Sure, Tiki is going to get his yards, but Plaxico Burress is hurting (and running his mouth), so don’t expect Manning to have a lot of time to throw to open guys. Shockey should be close to a non-factor as the Bears dominate TEs.
Deuce McAllister, RB, New Orleans – The Steelers still have a great defense, which they proved last week when they held Denver’s RBs to less than 40 yards on 20 carries. McAllister is a good player, but he’ll be fighting for yards this week. Brees will be passing a lot, meaning big days for Joe Horn and Marques Colston.
Frank Gore, RB, San Francisco – Detroit shut down the best running team in the league last week, so don’t bet Frank Gore and the Niners offense against them. Detroit is finally clicking, after getting a few key players back from injuries. Alex Smith should have a lot more time to pass, as James Hall and Shaun Rogers are out, but the run defense should be up to par. Gore’s a solid start as a flex back, though, as he sees a lot of passes. Don't start Antonio Bryant either.
Travis Henry, RB, Tennessee – Starting Henry against Baltimore isn’t a good move. Henry is a good back, but the players around him aren’t. Baltimore has only allowed two TDs on the year and less than 65 yards per game. Those numbers are incredible. Don’t bet on one of the league’s worst rushing offenses to beat those stats.
Rudi Johnson, RB, Cincinnati – San Deigo’s allowed only four rushing TDs this year on 85 yards per game. Those numbers are good enough for 4^th in the league. Johnson’s not a good start this week, since the Bengals will be passing more often than not.
Rod Smith, WR, Denver – Oakland has a very good pass defense. Rod’s dinged up, but is a tough player and should play this week. However, he is getting up there in age and could see limited time on the field. Against a good secondary…bench him.
Randy Moss, WR, Oakland – It’s been time to cut bait with Moss for a long time now. If you still have him and won’t dump him, pick up someone else, like Chris Henry, Rashien Davis, or Matt Jones and start them. Moss is in a terrible offense and Champ Bailey is a top-5 CB, further reason to dump him.
Chris Chambers, WR, Miami – I’ll go on record to say that I don’t like any WR that has Joey Harrington passing to them. Joey is spreading the ball around a lot (unlike he did in Detroit), which is bad for Chambers. KC has done solid pass defense and I think KC’s secondary will shut down Chambers when they need to.
Andre Johnson, WR, Houston – When Houston matched up on Jacksonville in week 7, Andre Johnson lit up Rashean Mathis on 8 grabs for 106 yards and a TD. The Texans won that game handily 27-7. Mathis is a shutdown stud; and look for a complete turn around this time, with Matt Jones and Reggie Williams both seeing solid days. Don’t look for Wali Lundy to do much either.
Terry Glenn, WR, Dallas -- Glenn left practice with a knee injury, so he may be limited in his action this week. With Romo starting at QB, Glenn has been seeing less looks anyway, so the knee injury is just further insult to injury. Witten and Owens have the best shot at having big days.
Jeremy Shockey, TE, NY Giants – The Bears have been dominant against TEs this season. Shockey should see more passes with Toomer done for the year and Burress hurting, so a solid day wouldn’t be a shock, but don’t expect him to find the endzone.
Alge Crumpler, TE, Atlanta – Crumpler only has 30 catches on the season, but is Vick’s main target. The Lions rattled Crumpler last week and did a good job on him. The Browns work with Kellen Winslow week in and week out, so they game plan for shutting down pass catching TEs.
Jason Elam, K, Denver – Why bench Elam against Oakland? He’ll never get the shot to kick a FG, that’s why. He’ll be kicking PATs all day, but how likely is it that he’s going to get a shot from less than 40 yards?
Washington, DEF – The Redskins have so much talent, yet their defense has been playing so bad. I don’t understand. The Eagles are hungry for a win and better than their 4-4 record. Bryan Westbrook and LJ Smith should both have huge days as they’re tough matchups for the ‘Skins. Oh yeah, Reggie Brown will show why he deserves his new contract.

Sleepers
Reuben Droughns, RB, Cleveland – Droughns has been bad lately, but he can’t stay bad forever, right? Droughns has a ton of talent, but with little help from the passing game and almost nothing from the run blocking, he’s having a tough time. Atlanta was torched by the Lions offense last week and gives up huge numbers to pass catching backs. I think Droughns could have a solid day if Romeo Crennell can exploit that same weakness that Martz did last week.
Cedric Benson, RB, Chicago – Is anyone else sick of Thomas Jones dancing around in the backfield? Benson is the typical Bears running back, a big back that hits the hole hard and doesn’t go down on initial contact. Benson is seeing increasing touches every game, so gearing him for a starting role is inevitable.
Joseph Addai, RB, Indianapolis – I hate getting the question, Rhodes or Addai? Addai is the better back and the Colts are giving him more carries. Both are barely worthy of a start, except the fact they’re on the best offensive team in the league. Addai should see 80 yards and a score. Any more than 80 yards would be a sweet day for him.
Rashied Davis, WR, Chicago – Davis is starting in place of Bernard Berrian; who’s out for at least two weeks with broken ribs. Davis has impressed as a rookie and should be a huge sleeper if Grossman is getting the kind of time to throw that he got early on in the season. It’s all dependant on Rex.
Larry Fitzgerald, WR, Arizona – Fitz is going to come back strong, I can feel it. Dallas will have trouble hanging with one of the league’s top receivers. Boldin has been underachieving so far and Leinart will be throwing the ball all day.
Chris Cooley, TE, Washington – The Eagles are so-so against defending TEs and Chris Cooley is a good one. Mark Brunell seems to see him some weeks and ignore him on others, so it’s tough to judge when he’ll have a good day.
Jay Feeley, K, NY Giants – Sorry Bears fans, but I have this gut-wrenching feeling that Feeley could kick four FGs and keep the Giants in a great position to win this game. He’s reliable and the Giants have the power to move the ball down the field.
Green Bay, DEF – Green Bay made the sleeper list because of the fact that Minnesota’s offense is nonexistent without Chester Taylor. What has happened to Brad Johnson, he looks awful! Green Bay has a decent pass defense and should force Minnesota to pound it out on the ground.

Week 9 Comments and Complaints

JP Losman throwing the ball a measily 15 times? What is going on with that? Green Bay owned the TOP in this game. I'm just confused as to why he only attempted 15 tosses? Anthony Thomas was extremely impressive after Willis McGahee got injured. Hit up the free agent pool ASAP.

Chicago throwing the ball 42 times? Obsurd! This is a RUN team, not a pass on first and second down type of team. If Lovie wanted a passing team, he should have hired Mike Martz and gotten some backs who are a little shiftier out of the backfield.

Bernard Berrian is out 2-4 weeks which sucks, because he’s on my FF team! In all fairness, this leaves the Bears with a huge hole. Rashied Davis isn’t the deep threat Berrian is. Moose is a purely possession receiver. Mark Bradley needs to get in and get some time for this Chicago passing game to be effective. Speaking of which, the Bears should definitely start running more and get Cedric Benson a lot more playing time…it doesn’t help that Thomas Jones is dancing around in the backfield like Emmit Smith on “Dancing with the Stars.”

Why is Ben Roethlisberger passing 54 times in a game? Come on Bill Cowher, that’s not what your team is about, you run the ball, like Chicago. Stop hanging out with Lovie.

Steve McNair is the only QB in the league who could throw for 245 yards on 31 attempts without scoring and still manage to be the winning QB. His stats are about what you’d expect from him. As I said at the beginning of the season, he’s a fantasy bust.

Chris Cooley is coming back! The guy is a very good TE, but Brunell seemed to completely ignore him at the beginning of the season. Now, Cooley’s getting open and he’s tearing it up when he actually gets a catch.

Aren’t you glad the Reggie Bush loved has pretty much ceased to exist? 11 rushes for -5 yards? Give me a break. 4 catches for 22 yards? Again, give me a break. For a guy that was so hyped and considered “the next Gayle Sayers,” I haven’t seen a glimpse, outside of a punt return.

Owen Daniels is a nice FA/Waiver pickup, as he’s seeing a lot more action than usual.

Jake Plummer is NOT GOOD! Yeah, he’s had a one 3 TD game, but he’s stunk in the 7 games prior. No, he’s not turning the corner. I’ve heard so much talk about Plummer’s “new found connection” with Javon Walker that I’m going to be sick. Walker’s talented and can make things happen, but with the best running game in the league, Plummer still is struggling to pass well.

Tiki Barber – You’re an idiot for retiring at the end of the season. Somehow, this has to be an attention ploy or something stupid, because he sure doesn’t show any effects of excessive wear-and-tear.

Amani Toomer – Looks my “time to cut bait” with Amani Toomer came at the perfect time. He wasn’t producing and now he’s done for the season.

David Garrard; I’ve always liked this cat, but he’s sure made a believer out of me that he’s possibly the best backup QB in the league. Yeah, he was playing the Titans, but he still produced well. His passing stats 12/22 aren’t much to gawk at, but he’s going to start week 10 and he should do equally well (okay, maybe not 3 TDs, but he should still do well).

I would like nothing more than to say that Detroit's defense is for real, but it's not. I have faith in the team and the coaching staff and I honestly believe they're starting to gel more and more each week...but they've got too many injuries, especially up front. The news now is that James Hall is done for the year. With Shaun Rogers still out two more games, this leaves the starting front four at: Kalimba Edwards, Marcus Bell, Cory Redding, and Jared DeVries. That's an awful DL. Marinelli better be working his magic, because they're going to need all they can get, considering they were awful for most of the 8 games of the season.

Yes, Roy Williams talks a lot of crap, but he can talk all he wants if he keeps putting up 138 yard games on shutdown CBs like DeAngelo Hall. By the way, why isn't Hall getting a humongous fine for that ultra-cheap shot on Jon Kitna?

Week 9 Studs and Duds

Studs
QB
David Garrard, Jacksonville – 12/22 177 yards, 3 TDs, 2 rushes 14 yards
Drew Brees, New Orleans – 24/32 314 yards, 3 TDs
Damon Huard, Kansas City – 10/15 148 yards, 3 TDs
Jake Plummer, Denver – 16/27 227 yards, 3 TDs, 2 rushes 6 yards
Seneca Wallace, Seattle – 18/30 176 yards, 1 TD, 3 rushes 49 yards (nice stop gap)

RB
Kevin Jones, Lions – 26 rushes 110 yards, 2 TDs, 4 catches 30 yards
Ronnie Brown, Miami – 29 rushes 157 yards, 2 catches 33 yards
Ahman Green, Green Bay – 23 rushes 122 yards, 1 catch 8 yards
Larry Johnson, Kansas City – 27 rushes 172 yards, 1 TD
Steven Jackson, St. Louis – 19 rushes 86 yards, 1 TD, 13 catches 133 yards, 1 lost fumble
Tiki Barber, NY Giants – 17 rushes 117 yards, 1 TD, 3 catches 40 yards
LaDainian Tomlinson, San Diego – 18 rushes 172 yards, 3 TDs, 3 catches 20 yards
Willie Parker, Pittsburgh – 14 rushes 70 yards, 2 TD, 7 catches 67 yards

WR
Roy Williams, Lions – 6 catches 138 yards, 1 TD
Donald Driver, Green Bay – 9 catches 96 yards, 1 TD
Marques Colston, New Orleans – 11 catches 123 yards, 1 TD
Joey Galloway, Tampa Bay – 4 catches 97 yards, 2 TDs
Javon Walker, Denver – 1 rush 72 yards, 6 catches 134 yards, 3 TDs
Marvin Harrison, Indianapolis – 8 catches 145 yards, 2 TDs

TE
Chris Cooley, Washington – 3 catches 66 yards, 1 TD
Tony Gonzalez, Kansas City – 5 catches 63 yards, 2 TDs
Jeremy Shockey, NY Giants – 8 catches 66 yards, 1 TD
Kellen Winslow, Cleveland – 11 catches 78 yards

K
Jason Hanson, Detroit – 12 total points, 3/3 FGs, 3/3 XPs
Matt Stover, Baltimore – 14 total points, 4/4 FGs, 2/2 XPs
Phil Dawson, Cleveland – 19 total points, 6/6 FGs, 1/1 XPs

DEF
San Francisco – 3 points allowed on 271 yards of offense, 3 sacks 1 INT, 2 FF
Jacksonville Jaguars – 7 points allowed on 271 yards of offense, 1 sack, 3 INTs, 1 FF
Indianapolis Colts – 20 points allowed on 349 yards of offense, 4 INTs, 1 FF

Duds
QB
Alex Smith, San Francisco – 13/21 105 yards, 1 INT, 3 rushes 4 yards
Brad Johnson, Minnesota – 21/31 136 yards, 1 INT, 2 lost fumbles
Rex Grossman, Chicago – 18/42 210 yards, 1 TD, 3 INTs, 1 lost fumble
Ben Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh – 38/54 yards, 433 yards, 1 TD, 3 INTs
Tom Brady, New England – 20/35 201 yards, 4 INTs
Michael Vick, Atlanta -- 17/32 163 yards, 1 TD, 2 INTs, 10 rushes 80 yards, 1 lost fumble

RB
Warrick Dunn, Atlanta – 11 rushes, 51 yards, 1 TD
Frank Gore, San Francisco – 19 rushes 41 yards, 5 catches 36 yards
Thomas Jones, Chicago – 20 rushes 69 yards, 4 catches 24 yards
Cadillac Williams, Tampa Bay – 12 rushes 39 yards, 1 catch 5 yards
Reuben Droughns, Cleveland – 19 rushes 36 yards, 1 catch 0 yards
Mike Bell, Denver – 17 rushes 28 yards, 5 catches 40 yards
Dominic Rhodes, Indianapolis – 4 rushes 13 yards

WR
Troy Williamson, Minnesota – 1 catch 4 yards
Reggie Williams, Jacksonville – 1 catch 13 yards
Torry Holt, St. Louis – 3 catches 50 yards
Doug Gabriel, New England – 2 catches 45 yards
Nate Washington, Pittsburgh – 3 catches 24 yards
Plaxico Burress, NY Giants – 0 catches

TE
Randy McMichael, Miami – 1 catch 11 yards
Antonio Gates, San Diego – 2 catches 22 yards

K
Mike Vanderjagt, Dallas – 7 total points 2/3 FGs, 1/1 XPs (missed FG would have tied the game)
Adam Vinatieri, Indianapolis – 9 total points, 2/4 FGs, 3/3 XPs

DEF
Chicago Bears – 25 points allowed on 298 yards of offense, 2 INTs
San Diego – 25 points allowed on 325 yards of offense, 5 sacks, 1 INT, 1 FF
Pittsburgh – 31 points allowed on 342 yards of offense, 1 sack

Week 8 - Start, Bench, and Sleepers

START
QB
Jon Kitna, QB, Detroit – Who would have thought that Kitna would be 5^th on the passing list at 1800+ yards halfway through the season? Kitna is a reliable starter and is a safe bet for two TDs, however, his consistent fourth quarter blow ups usually net him an INT. In Martz’ offense, 300 yards, 2 TDs, and 1 INT is an everyday expectation.
Michael Vick, Atlanta – It’s too easy to start Vick against Detroit. Detroit has allowed more passing TDs than any other team in the league. With Shaun Rogers out, Vick will not only have more time to throw the ball; he should have larger lanes up the middle to run. Vick should keep up his streak of big games, both in the air and on the ground.
Eli Manning, NY Giants – Manning is a solid start this week against a Houston defense who has allowed 12 passing TDs on the season with only one INT. Houston’s defense is in terrible shape all around and the Giants have far too many inexperienced weapons to falter against Houston.
Rex Grossman, Chicago – Grossman has been great in every game but one this season (Arizona). He’s poised in the pocket, has a lot of time to throw, and looks extremely familiar with the offense. Grossman is a must start until he shows that he can’t consistently throw 250 yards and 3 TDs.

RB
Steven Jackson, St. Louis – Jackson is extremely talented and is better than his numbers indicate. Kansas City has a decent run defense, but they’re nothing special. Jackson is a good start this week and has a good chance to break out a 100 yard day.
Chester Taylor, Minnesota – Taylor is the prime example of a workhorse back this season. Taylor has been plugging away on the ground AND through the air all season, despite only scoring twice. Taylor is the main part of the Minnesota offense, with 171 touches through seven games. Couple that with the fact that the Niners have been owned on the ground, giving up 11 TDs.
Ahman Green, Green Bay – Vernand Morency is out, so Green will see more touches and will split less time running the ball. Green is good out of the backfield and could see more catches with Greg Jennings still hurt. Green is returning to form from his hamstring and ankle injuries, so a 100 yard day should be in order.
Fred Taylor, Jacksonville – Taylor is the main back in Jacksonville and is averaging 4.5 yards per carry. Despite the fact he only has 3 TDs on the season, he should be able to run all over a Tennessee defense that is giving up 162 yards per game on the ground and has given up a whopping 10 TDs on the ground so far this season.

W/R (flex)
Warrick Dunn, Atlanta – I sure do have a lot of Falcons starting, right? No doubt, this game is going to be an offensive shootout. Dunn is still producing, despite slipping numbers due to Vick’s “improved passing.” The Lions are giving up big numbers to both receiving backs and TEs, so look for Dunn’s numbers to increase out of the backfield, making him an excellent flex start.
Travis Henry, Tennessee – Who knows what happened to Henry last week? Henry needs to be the main back in Tennessee and not split time. Henry is a good start, despite playing against the Jacksonville defense.

WR
Marques Colston, New Orleans – The rookie has been a huge waiver pickup for many people, including myself. You just can’t bench him under any circumstance at this point. 577 yards and 6 TDs in seven games are stats you just can’t ignore.
Isaac Bruce, St. Louis – Bruce is a good start as your #3 this week. He’s been inconsistent this season, averaging only 58 yards on four catches in the past three games. Against Kansas City, receivers are averaging 11 receptions, 173 yards and 1.5 touchdowns since week 5 and the Chiefs will be double covering Torry Holt, who has been unstoppable once again this season.
Roy Williams, Detroit – Roy is matching up on a stud in DeAngelo Hall. It will be a tough matchup, but Roy should come out on top as he is a very fluid and has the knack for making the most improbable catch. Roy has been unstoppable before the bye week, posting 3 games with at least 138 yards. Considering the fact that Atlanta has been torched the past couple weeks to good WRs, Roy’s a safe bet.
Terrell Owens, Dallas – Owens is a great athlete is a phenomenal WR. As long as Dallas QBs are getting time to throw the ball, Owens will get open and will get looks, especially in the redzone. Romo seems to love his new redzone target as well. Hopefully his 3 TD week will be a perennial accomplishment, so his draft status will pay off.

TE
Jason Witten, Dallas – Romo seems to like Witten more than Bledsoe did. Jason Witten is an extremely talented player who has been sort of neglected thus far this season. Witten caught 6 balls last week for 80 yards and one TD, netting season highs in receptions and yards. As a bonus, Witten is still on waivers in a few leagues.
Alge Crumpler, Atlanta – Crumpler is in for another huge week. Detroit’s sketchy linebacking corps has been torched by big, fast TEs this season. Look for this streak to continue as Crump owns an inexperienced group of linebackers that are sure to have some rust (Teddy Lehman).

K
Jason Hanson, Detroit – Jason Hanson is still a good kicker, though losing a bit of power on kickoffs. Playing in Detroit, he’ll have an easy time putting the ball through the uprights, and in what is sure to be an offensive shootout, Hanson is a strong play.

DEF
Denver Broncos (vs Pittsburgh) – This is going to be a good defensive battle, as both teams have excellent defenses and stumbling offenses. The Broncos should get the better of the this battle having a defense that is ranked 7^th against the rush and 2^nd against the pass. Combined with Roelisberger’s struggles, this is a good chance for the Broncos to emerge as a top three team in the league.

BENCH
QB
Seneca Wallace, Seattle – Darrell Jackson is questionable and Seneca Wallace just can’t cut it. Throw in the fact that Shaun Alexander is still out and you have an offense who is now thin at all offensive skill positions. Sure Oakland isn’t great, but they sure did a number on Big Ben and the Steelers last week. Oakland’s secondary is still underrated and this could be a big week for them. Count Deion Branch as a big play this week if Jackson is limited in action.
Charlie Frye, Cleveland – Frye has been solid so far this season, considering what he’s been working with and the fact he only has about a year of experience. San Diego has given up 9 TDs on the season with an average of 180 yards per game. San Diego is going to give up a nice chunk of yardage to Frye and possibly two TDs, but should also nab a couple INTs since Frye will be throwing for the bulk of three quarters.
Ben Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh – Inconsistency is the key word. Big Ben was owned by the Raiders…the RAIDERS! Until Ben can show he can get his head in the game and play better than he did last week, he’s definitely on the bench against the league best pass defense (Denver Broncos).
Philip Rivers, San Diego – Rivers is an efficient QB, who doesn’t make a lot of mistakes, but he’s still raw and his attempts will be limited. Expect LDT and Turner to see a lot of action as the Chargers dominant the Browns early on.

RB
Ronnie Brown, Miami – It’s not smart to start any RB against the Bears defense. Chicago has been dominant against the run and the pass, but have been allowing a mere 82 yards per game on the ground with one TD on the season. Combine that with the fact that many teams are getting those yards in the fourth quarter of blowouts, Brown is a terrible start at Soldier field this week.
Tatum Bell, Denver – When Tatum was hurt last week, Mike took on the job and performed extremely well. It’s a game time decision as to who is starting, but Shanahan generally doesn’t use a RBBC as some other teams do. The Steelers have been good against the run so far this season, shutting down studs like Larry Johnson, so don’t expect Bell to run wild as usual. The Steelers defense will keep the Bell combo in check.
Willie Parker, Pittsburgh – Parker is tough to bench. However, one must take into account the fact that Denver has held opposing RBs out of the endzone all season. Parker will be relied upon if the pass game starts to fail with Big Ben being as inconsistent as he has been this season. If Big Ben is on, the run game should be more active, otherwise, Parker is in for a long day.
Wali Lundy, Houston – Lundy has gotten his shot the past two weeks, averaging 129 total yards per game and has found the endzone once in that span. However, Lundy will get his one of his toughest tests of the season against the Giants this week. Since Week 5, the Giants are giving up a mere 79 rushing yards and 0.3 touchdowns per game to opposing backs.

WR
Javon Walker, Denver – Jake Plummer is not a WR’s QB. Plummer could easily see the bench after this week against Pittsburgh. Walker’s having a great year considering Plummer is his QB (33 catches for 535 yards and 3 TDs). Denver is going to run the ball no matter what, so Walker’s TDs are going to be few and far between.
Hines Ward, Pittsburgh – The best thing for Ward would be for Roethlisberger to be out this week and Batch to start. Roethlisberger’s play has hurt this team tremendously this season and the run game has done all it could to bail him out. Ward is matching up on Champ Bailey, which is a touch challenge for any WR in the league. Denver’s only allowed 5 TDs on the season, so Ward going scoreless would be no surprise.
Drew Bennett, Tennessee – Rashean Mathis is having a career year and is a shut down CB. Don’t expect much from Bennett as he’s going to be blanketed all day. The only receiver who has done well against Mathis has been Andre Johnson, but he’s done well on every CB he’s matched up against. Bennett’s not in that league, so keep him on the bench.
Reggie Williams, Jacksonville – Most had pegged Williams to have a breakout candidate for FF drafts; and yet, he’s practically laid an egg. He’s got 25 catches on the year for 310 yards and 4 TDs. With a healthier Matt Jones returning to the lineup, Williams reception should decrease.

TE
Randy McMichael, Miami – McMichael’s stock has shot up with Harrington under center, which is not surprising. However, McMichael is still seeing very few looks in the redzone, which is surprising. Don’t expect much this week from McMichael as the Bears have shut down TEs so far this season and have been excellent against the pass as well. He will face a Bears' defense that has allowed an average of just 1.33 catches, 16 yards and no touchdowns per game to tight ends during the last four weeks.

K
Jay Feeley, NY Giants – Feeley is 11/13 on FGs this season, so he hasn’t exactly had a ton of opportunities. Feeley won’t get many more this week either, as the Giants will easily dissect the Texans and will score, rather than settling for chip shot FGs
Matt Stover, Baltimore – Since Billick has taken over play calling, he has averaged just 3.67 kicking points per game while converting an average of 2.67 extra points and an average of 0.33 field goals per contest.

DEF
Baltimore Ravens (vs Cincinnati) – Everyone expects Baltimore to shut down the Bengals, but I think this is when Carson, Rudi, and Ocho Cinco break out of their respective funks and start putting up last year type numbers. The Bengals are better than they’ve been playing, not converting third downs and such, but Baltimore’s secondary has been very suspect lately, allowing big days in the past couple weeks.

SLEEPERS
QB
Andrew Walter, Oakland – Walter is facing a Seattle defense that has been below average year. Losing Andre Dyson hurt more than it seemed. Seattle’s giving up over 230 yards per game through the air and have allowed 12 TDs with 5 INTs so far this season. Walter is getting better and better each week and could have a solid game, especially if Randy Moss returns to his old form.

RB
Marion Barber III, Dallas – Tony Romo isn’t a reliable QB to have throwing the ball 30+ times a game. Dallas has a good running game, but they need to keep at it and stop abandoning it. Barber has 6 TDs in the last 6 games and could be a nice sleeper.
Brandon Jacobs, NY Giants – With the Giants facing a Houston squad in terrible shape, Jacobs could easily see the endzone at least once. Jacobs is a goal line back, having scored in three straight games, and is a safe bet against Houston’s 26^th ranked run defense.
Cedric Benson, Chicago – Miami may have a good shot at stopping Chicago’s run game. Thomas Jones is good at dancing around in the backfield and should help Miami to a good number of tackles for losses. Benson hits the hole hard and should be a factor in Chicago controlling the clock.

WR
Mike Furrey, Detroit – Furrey has 37 receptions on the season, the same as stud RB Kevin Jones. Furrey is a reliable WR and sees a lot of catches, though not a ton of yards. Being a starting WR in a Mike Martz offense makes Furrey a nice start this week, especially considering the Lions will be throwing quite a bit.
Michael Jenkins, Atlanta – Yes, another Atlanta starter. It seems any WR going up against Detroit’s secondary is worthy of at least a #3 wideout spot. Jenkins has the speed and size to show up Dre Bly and Fernando Bryant.
Joey Galloway, Tampa Bay – New Orleans has a solid defense this season, but Galloway can turn it on and off whenever he feels like it seems. Galloway is one of the most inconsistent WRs in the league, posting 120 yards one week and a goose egg the next. He’s already got 4 catches for 110 yards and 1 TD against the Saints this season.
Josh Reed, Buffalo – Al Harris has done a good job of shutting down top WRs, so Lee Evans probably shouldn’t be in for a big week this week. Reed is seeing a decent amount of action for a #3 WR and could be a nice depth start this week.

TE
Tony Scheffler, Denver – Scheffler had 4 of his 6 catches on the season last week for the team-high receiving yards for the Broncos. Scheffler had a good day for his first real emergence and when Pittsburgh starts attacking Plummer and getting him to throw on the run, Scheffler should see a number of looks.

K
There’s not really a sleeper at the kicker position…so we’ll just say that both Lawrence Tynes and Jeff Wilkins will have solid days. Robbie Gould, Matt Stover, Shayne Graham, and even Dave Rayner should have solid days as well.

DEF
Green Bay Packers (vs Buffalo) – Green Bay’s defense is actually decent. Willis McGahee is bound to make up for his lack of productions so far this season, but JP Losman leaves much to be desired. The Packers pass defense is ranked dead last, but are better than they show, they’re very solid against the run, averaging less than 100 yards per game. They’ve played some good passing offenses, so don’t let the rank scare you. Buffalo’s best hope is that the bye week helped JP Losman get his act together. Al Harris has shut down good WRs all season and it will be up Josh Reed, Peerless Price, and Roscoe Parrish to make plays…I don’t think they can

Week 8 Questions

Q: I need two from: Kevin Jones, Warrick Dunn, Cadillac Williams, and Deuce McAllister.
A: Jones, Dunn, and Deuce should all have good days while Caddy struggles. Deuce should have a good day, but Caddy has been inconsistent all season and shouldn't be started over Jones or Dunn under any circumstance. Jones is a must start in any format. Pass catching backs own most FF leagues.

I like Deuce a lot this week, enough to give him the nod over Dunn. Deuce is more reliable than Dunn, in my opinion, but it's really hard to ignore how bad the Lions were against the run and how easily Dunn can run for 150 yards.

After letting Leon Washington and the Jets run wild on the Lions, Marinelli has a solid game plan this week. The Lions have to better control the run, despite having Shaun Rogers and Shaun Cody out. I like Dunn, but if you pressure Vick early on and rattle him, you can control the Falcon offense.

Q: I need 2 WRs, 2 RBs, and 1 flex player from: Chris Chambers, Donald Driver, Greg Jennings, Terrell Owens, Cedric Benson, Corey Dillon, Dominic Rhodes, Mike Bell, and Reuben Droughns.

A: Jennings has been hurt the past couple weeks and isn't a consistent start until he shows he has returned to form. He's listed as questionable this week. Driver is the better start. For your 2 WRs, I would start TO and Driver. Green Bay is playing Buffalo, who has been underachieving all season. TO is a must start and Chambers has been essentially nonexistent with Harrington at QB. Harrington is looking to every receiver equally for the most part. Miami will be throwing all day, so expect Chambers to see 5-6 catches for solid yardage, but Driver is the safer bet considering Favre is 10 times the QB Harrington is.

At RB, I'd start Corey Dillon, since the Indy's run defense is dead last this season and Dillon is producing well for splitting time. Dillon is getting the bulk of the goal line calls and should produce very well in this game.

Mike Bell is a tough call. Though he tore it up last week on the ground, who knows whether or not he'll start this week. Tatum Bell is probable, so it's likely he could get the start. I'd monitor it day to day and see who's starting before making a decision. Shanahan doesn't really ever use a RBBC type system, so the starter is a safe bet.

Benson and Rhodes are tough calls. Rhodes will likely get more carries and the Bears won't necessarily blow out the Dolphins as they did to the Niners last week, so Benson may see less carries. I do expect Chicago to control the clock and Benson to see 10-12 carries this week. I expect Indy to throw 35-38 times and run the ball 20, tops. I believe Benson is the safer pick, since Rhodes is facing the #3 run defense in the league is bound to have trouble.

Droughns is a decent start, but Cleveland is playing SD, who is going to eat up Charlie Frye. Droughns could see 5-6 catches, so he'd be a decent flex starter, but don’t expect much from him on the ground.

Pass catching backs are the key for the flex position...

WR - Driver and TO
RB – Benson and Dillon (if Bell is starting (game time), bench Benson)
Flex - Droughns (Chambers if Bell is a go)

BTW - This would be a good week to start Chris Henry.