Weekend Recap: Week 16

The end is near. Time flies by if you're winning. If only the same can be said for losing; it must feel like an eternity for the Detroit Lions. However you want to put it, we're now entering the last week of the fantasy football season. This week and next are still worth taking a peek at, even if your fantasy season is over. Backups and players with high potential will get extra playing time if they're on a team that can do so (i.e. resting starters for playoffs or struggling teams trying to get a jump on next year). Sleepers can be found or at the very least, slightly unearthed. Pierre Thomas made an impression on coaches Week 17 of last year, and now, some owners could win their league because of this guy. Like I said, the end is near, but it isn't here. Stay focused. - 'Twas the week before 17, and all through the forums, not a poster was exclaiming, not even the biggest Jacksonville fan: Has Dennis Northcutt's recent performance the past two weeks gone utterly unnoticed? (Don't worry, I wouldn't dare attempt to write a book.) Against two respectable pass defenses in Green Bay and Indy, he's posted at least five receptions, 100 yards, and a score. Baltimore's defense is tough, but with Matt Jones still out, Northcutt seems to be the main man in Jacksonville. - Cedric Benson's carries and yards have each increased the past four weeks, capping off yesterday with 38 carries for 171 yards. Another 38-carry game is unrealistic—the wind at Cleveland yesterday made passing awful—but with a decent matchup against the Chiefs next week, Benson should enjoy a fairly productive day. - If your league awards points for Chuck Norris-esque toughness, Jeff Garcia just won you a championship. - The Weather Channel will fast become the friends of Kurt Warner and Larry Fitzgerald owners. The Cardinals were absolutely awful in the winter wonderland that was Foxborough. If the weather is decent in Seattle this week and Warner and Fitz are expected to play (Arizona may rest their starters; hopefully we'll post updates on the blog), feel free to deploy the two. But if the weather in Seattle is frightful as it was Sunday, you're better off looking at other options. - Trent Edwards returned this week, but he was conservative, and Lee Evans continues to suffer because of it. The Bills' wide receiver had his third straight game of under 30 yards receiving. Such a sorry finish to such a strong start. Send us your wish list. FFWritersWithHair@gmail.com
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Weekend Recap: Week 15

I have to say "no" to Yes Man. Nothing against Jim Carrey, but I hold a grudge against the producers, unless of course, Carrey is one of the producers. But in the words of the Monday Night Countdown crew, "Come on, man!" Can we at least try to come up with something a little original? Seems to me is all they did was add a little twist to the script of Liar Liar. How original. So creative, big raises all around. Luckily for football and those who play fantasy football, there is always something new.

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- First there was Mark Clayton. Next, Seneca Wallace. Who will be hopping on the "he's a one-week wonder, don't buy into him" train this week? A little hard to fit on bumper sticker, but I digress. Cedric Benson, have a seat. The Redskins came into their game yesterday completely unfocused, and it showed. Badly. Anyone could've ran through that defense. Sure, Benson had 88 yards receiving, but 79 came on one play. Pass. - Matt Ryan continues to find ways to win at home—though I think Michael Turner deserves the credit for this win—but he still isn't a reliable fantasy start at home, as I pointed out in last week's Name Calling article. Two interceptions yesterday furthered my point. - Sticking with the Tampa Bay/Atlanta game, is there a more underrated player in fantasy football than Antonio Bryant? This guy is a near lock to star in one of ESPN's Fantasy Football Hall of Fame commercials. He has 74 receptions, over 1,000 yards, and six touchdowns on the season. As an added bonus, he's been on fire during this crucial playoff weeks, hauling in 20 receptions for 371 yards and four touchdowns in his past three games. Not to get ahead of myself, but he faces two paltry pass defenses in the Chargers and Raiders the next two weeks. Riddle me this (new catch phrase I'm testing out): how is a guy that is ranked 10th out of all wide receivers in points owned in just 90 percent of ESPN.com leagues? - Looking at the other side of the spectrum, Ronnie Brown has begun to fall off the map. He's only hit the 70-yard mark once—this past Sunday—since rushing for over 100 yards against the Raiders Week 11. To add to those woes, he's only hit pay dirt once in that same span. - It seems that the Ravens have settled on a main back. All of you Ravens fans who had money on Willis McGahee or Ray Rice have some explaining to do to the wife. Le'Ron McClain has had 20-plus carries in three straight, and 18 in the game before. Granted, he hasn't been overly productive, but he's the most dependable back right now. Alex forgot to write an end line so we'll just type the e-mail. FFWritersWithHair@gmail.com
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Weekend Recap: Week 14

Fantasy playoffs make us do crazy things. Though for our viewers sake, I hope no one would do anything as crazy as what this Steelers fan did in yesterday's game against the Cowboys. No, that isn't a green screen, Photoshopped, or cropped. That is a man dousing himself with water. In 19-degree weather. And that's not even factoring in the wind chill. But alas, it is our goal to quench our thirst to bring home the championship gold. Scouring rotoworld.com 24/7, refusing to do anything else until you see if Marion Barber is tough enough to play this Sunday. Or dreaming about John Clayton's injury reports in your sleep. Oh wait, I'm the only one that does that? I digress. Let's just focus on all the news and notes about Week 14. - Matt Schaub returned to the lineup this week, and so did Kevin Walter's stats, hauling in six receptions for 145 yards and a score against beat-up Packers secondary. Provided that Schaub can stay upright, which admittingly is no guarantee, Walter is a good flex option from here on out. - Pssh, so much for the vaunted Jacksonville running game this year. Neither Maurice Jones-Drew nor Fred Taylor have gone over 70 yards rushing since Week 10 when Fred Taylor did it against the Lions. Sure, MJD has been finding the end zone, but as I mentioned in my Sit/Start section, you're rolling the dice each week (see my hate for Joseph Addai). Oh yes, that was written by me. And no, I'll never let those who thought I was wrong live it down. Because that was about the only thing I was right on all year. LJ at No. 4 coming into the season? Didn't work out too well for me. - Anyone know where in the world Davone Bess came from? With Greg Camarillo out for the year, Bess has jumped on the opportunity the pass three games, averaging around six receptions and 81 yards receiving. He's quickly becoming Chad Pennington's go to receiver, and a hot waiver wire commodity. - Happen to catch Seneca Wallace's performance this week? See my take on Mark Clayton from last week and heed that advice on Mr. Wallace. And for the record, the Ravens' receiver followed up his great Week 13 game with just two catches for 13 yards Sunday night against Washington. - Tashard Choice played as well as any running back has against the Steelers this year, but once Marion Barber returns to the lineup, he'll likely be back to riding the pine the rest of the season. - After getting the starting nod from Sean Payton, Pierre Thomas appears to have earned his trust. Thomas showed his versatility catching a touchdown pass while rushing for 106 yards on just 16 carries, including a third-down run that preserved the win for New Orleans. C'mon Man! FFWritersWithHair@gmail.com
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Weekend Recap: Week 13

I'm sure a lot of us here—well, how do I put this nicely—aren't fans of Matthew Berry. With that said, I'm sure a lot of us would give anything to see him mocked for making an incorrect pick. Those people got their wish this week. In the fantasy edition of NFL Sunday Countdown with Mr. Berry and Merril Hoge (who gave us the groundbreaking story that fantasy owners love when their players score touchdowns), Berry said to sit Donald Driver, as well as in his Love/Hate list for Week 13. I'll give credit where credit is due (and for the record, I don't hate Berry), Driver had a sub-par week. But he had one great catch, and Chris Berman made sure to make a note of it, remarking, "Sit him" as the highlight of Driver's diving catch rolled across television screens. Simply awesome. - You know what else is awesome? Jason Witten finally broke out of the slump on Thanksgiving, catching nine passes for 112 yards and a touchdown. His chemistry with Tony Romo should be at full strength again, making performances like this common place in the upcoming weeks. - DeAngelo Williams has certainly developed a knack for the end zone lately. Seven touchdowns the past three weeks, and the Panthers are the first one to recognize that. With at least 17 or more carries in six of his last eight games, he's become a dependable start. - Don't read into Mark Clayton's showing Sunday. Even the most optimistic Ravens fan will tell you that he's as hit-or-miss as they come. Not to mention that it was against the Bengals, who have more injured defensive backs than they do fans. - Joseph Addai had just 57 yards against a Browns defense that ranks just 26th in the league against the run. It's a Thanksgiving miracle! Not really actually, as this was the sixth time this season that Addai was held under 60 yards rushing. Jeff Saturday's return is up in the air, keeping Addai's value in the toilet. - It's a sign of the apocalypse. Stock up on water everyone, Ken Dorsey—boy, was the first sentence of that card wrong—is a starter again. Run! - Peyton Hillis' carries and production have increased the past three weeks. Seems like Shanny has finally settled on a running back. This must really be the end of the world. - No Harris Smith Plaxico Burress, no problem. All Amani Toomer and Domenik Hixon did was catch a combined 10 balls for 156 yards and a touchdown. Both guys are worth picking up. *Enter semi-funny one-liner here* FFWritersWithHair@gmail.com
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Weekend Recap: Week 12

I hate irrelevancy. Call it a pet peeve of mine. The unimportant, insignificant, and unnecessary. But enough about the Lions' offense. There was one thing I thought was truly irrelevant: North Dakota (no offense North Dakotans, all five of you). Seriously, what have they ever done? Heck, at least South Dakota gave us Mount Rushmore. I still argue that the only reason we bought that land was so that the border between Canada and the United States went straight across. "Was" is the operative word in that past sentence though. All that changed when I saw this box score. Yes, North Dakota defeated its arch rival South Dakota 34-31 in OT last Saturday. Nothing better than a little extra Saturday Dakota rivalry. I don't want to stray to far from the main point of this, irrelevancy. We at this humble blog don't give you the fat and grisle. We give you the meat. That's no different this week. - Chalk it up to inexperience. Brady Quinn was pretty awful against Houston, but hey, it's bound to happen. I don't agree with the benching of him (that's another can of worms), but he will remain the starter in Cleveland. - Ditto with Donovan McNabb, sans the inexperience excuse. Chalk his poor performance up to a really good Ravens defense. - Who would've thought the Chiefs/Bills game would be the highest scoring game of the week? Tony Gonzalez is surely glad to see the jump start to Kansas City's O. He's had 25 catches and three touchdowns the past three games. And being the most dependable target, you can bet he'll keep up a similar production the rest of the year. - Matt Cassel has been phenomenal as of late, throwing for another 400-yard game. He's matured really quickly and has made excellent decisions. Years sitting behind Tom Brady and being coached by "Hoodie" will do that to a player. You can be sure Cassel's wallet will thank them both of them in the offseason. - Jacksonville hasn't been able to get a consistent running game going all season. To sum it all up, look at Maurice Jones-Drew's rushing totals from Sunday. Three carries for four yards. Major risk and at this point, little reward. - The Colts' offense is finally banging on all cylinders. Big boosts to Marvin Harrison and Anthony Gonzalez. - If Clinton Portis can rush for nearly 150 yards hurt, I can't wait to see what he can again do when healthy. [I apologize for not putting up a Name Calling article on Friday. I was giving Tom Cruise acting lessons.] Al Roker is our hero. FFWritersWithHair@gmail.com
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Weekend Recap: Week 11

I had to do a double-take. Nay, a triple take. I couldn't believe my ears. No, I hadn't just heard the phrase, "The Lions have won." It was this, Donovan McNabb's comments in his press conference after the Eagles 13-13 tie with the Bengals yesterday. One has to wonder, what did McNabb think happened when a game ended in a tie? Foosball tournament to determine the winner? What does this have to do with fantasy football? Nothing, nothing at all. I just couldn't hold back. - What more can you say about DeAngelo Wiiliams? In his past three games, he's had at least 100 yards rushing and a YPC (yards per carry) of 6.4, 7.4, and 8.6 each game. Get out the hose because this kid is on fire. (I apologize for that terrible joke.) Williams has firmly cemented himself as the No. 1 back in Carolina, and though Jonathan Stewart will get his fair share of carries, Williams is the main guy. - Let's stay with the Carolina theme, but this time on the opposite side of the spectrum. Jake Delhomme has been awful as of late, and it wasn't because of stiff competition. He's gone a combined 17-for-48 (35%), 180 yards, one TD, and five INTs against the Raiders and Lions. Bench him until he rebounds. - I recommended that you sit Steve Slaton this week. I was wrong, WAY wrong. He tore up a Bob Sanders-less Colts defense, and it appears that the rookie has caught a second wind. He's an average No. 2 RB or a great flex play from here on out. - At this point, it's overkill, but all should fear the Cardinals' passing attack. Another game, another offensive rout by Kurt Warner (395 passing yards), Anquan Boldin (186 receiving yards), and Larry Fitzgerald (151 yards receiving). If your opponent has any of these guys in his/her lineup, look out—it could be a rough week. - Ben Roethlisberger rebounded quite nicely yesterday against the Chargers. Granted, the Chargers have had a lot of issues in defending the pass this season, but Big Ben made good decisions and got the ball out of his hand quickly. That's a recipe for success, and that's exactly what happened to the Steelers (all controversy aside). - Matt Hasselbeck returned this week, but he's still at least another week away from making a real impact. He struggled, throwing three interceptions, and only Deion Branch had more than four receptions. It's hard to find fantasy gold in the desert ... er ... Seattle's offense. - One piece of injury news to pass along. An ankle injury is likely to keep Earnest Graham out for the season. Warrick Dunn will take over as the starter with Cadillac Williams slowly getting into the mix. Tosten stole my line. FFWritersWithHair@gmail.com
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Weekend Recap: Week 10

I don't know about you, but I'm tired of it. I'm tired of Merril Hoge. It's the same every week. He makes the same corny joke every time Adrian Peterson breaks off a nice run. "They call him the cashier because he makes you pay." I think my head will explode if he makes that joke one more time. And how can we forget his obsession with saying the word "factor back". I swear, if there was a Merril Hoge dictionary, that'd be the only word in it. Not to mention his insane Steelers bias. That has its time and place, and I don't always mind someone giving props to my favorite team, but he goes a bit overboard if you ask me. Plus, he's insane. I know one thing fantasy footballers are tired of: poor fantasy advice. Now, you shouldn't take what anyone says and be totally committed to using it. But man, it stinks when someone's advice you've listened to backfires. We've all been there. I'll be giving you the correct fantasy scoop from Week 10 ... I hope. - Let's go back to Thursday, shall we? Kellen Winslow was the main beneficiary the change in quarterback (from Derek Anderson to Brady Quinn, for those who have been living under a rock the past week). Winslow had 10 receptions, 111 yards and hit paydirt twice. The rest of the Browns receivers had 13 receptions 128 yards and zero touchdowns. Kudos to those of you who bought low on Winslow. - Kevin Smith is officially the main back in Detroit. While he isn't the greatest option—after all, he plays for the Lions—the team seems committed to giving him the rock (23 carries on Sunday). It's still going to take a little while for Daunte Culpepper to get comfortable with the offense, so expect a more run-focused gameplan. The last time that sentence could be said by a sane person was ... never! - So much for Kerry Collins being just a "game manager." He fell just shy of 300 yards, something he wasn't done since Week 17 of 2005. I wouldn't get too eager though. Normally, the Titans will be able to run the ball. And normally, Collins won't eclipse the 230 yard mark. - The Seahawks offense showed small signs of life last week, and they should get a boost with the return of Deion Branch and Matt Hasselbeck, both of whom are currently expected to play Week 11. - Jake Delhomme threw four interceptions against Oakland and the Panthers still won by double-digits. Just sayin'. (Hey, I need a section exclaiming how awful the Raiders are to reach my quota.) - The Bills are on a downward spiral. I'd still start Marshawn Lynch, but wouldn't advise the same about Trent Edwards. We'll never leave you for the Jets. FFWritersWithHair@gmail.com.
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Weekend Recap: Week 9

They say ignorance is bliss. Bologna. At least when it comes to fantasy football, I prefer the saying, "Knowledge is power." Gathering as much information as you can will give you and your team(s) the best chance to win each week. Injuries, new starters (there will be a ton of them for Week 10), and past performances are all included under the knowledge category. Usually, that'll translate into power, or in the case of fantasy football, wins and championships. - Matt Schaub, Kyle Orton, and Dan Orlovsky are out. Sage Rosenfels, Rex Grossman (*gasp*), and Drew Stanton/Daunte Culpepper are in. I'd only suggest picking up Rosenfels. - Trey Wingo reports that Derek Anderson has been benched not because of injuries like Schaub and company, but because of poor play. Brady Quinn will obviously start and is worth a look in most leagues. - Antonio Bryant hasn't missed a beat with Jeff Garcia under center and the return of Joey Galloway. Bryant has had at least six receptions (sans one game) and two 100-yard games since Garcia returned to the starting lineup, and 14 receptions, 160 yards, and one score since Galloway came back from injury. - Tim Hightower played and played well. Edge didn't get a single down. Expect a similar trend in the upcoming weeks. - The Cowboys really need Tony Romo back. - It's almost hard to laugh at the Raiders offense, who didn't have any positive yards or first downs in the entire first half. I'm glad not many people start Raiders' players. - Speaking of struggling, Fred Taylor falls into that category. He hasn't had a game over 25 yards rushing since Week 3! We don't need podcasts. FFWritersWithHair@gmail.com.
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Weekend Recap: Week 8

Halloween is just around the corner. The only day of the year where taking candy from strangers is perfectly acceptable. Ah yes, one of the best holidays for kids. The most famous line from this day is "Trick or treat!". Fantasy football can be broken down into guys who are tricks, one- or two-game wonders, or treats, players who are here to stay. - Ted Ginn's performance was definitely a trick. Coming into the Bills game, Ginn had 50 or more receiving yards in a game just once. He's a speedster with a QB who doesn't typically air it out. He isn't worth owning, let alone starting. - In case you were wondering, Anquan Boldin is here to stay. After missing two games due to injury, Boldin racked up 93 yards and two touchdowns against a pretty good Panthers' secondary in Carolina. Before this game, Boldin had at least 80 yards and/or a touchdown in all four games in which he played. The Cardinals offense is running strong. - Don't even think about it. Tyler Thigpen isn't a viable option for anyone. The Jets pass defense isn't nearly as good as its run defense (23rd compared to fourth, respectively). Thigpen's weapons are fairly limited, and overall, he has to work on his decision making. - Andre Johnson has quietly had a fantastic season, including at least nine catches and 100 or more yards his past four games. Granted, these performances were against relatively easy teams, but Johnson has big talent and has built good chemistry with Matt Schaub. - Hop onto the Donnie Avery bandwagon with me. Though it's only been two games, Avery has shown his ability to get down the field and Marc Bulger reportedly "has caught up to Avery's 4.2 speed." - Brandon Jacobs' poor showing against the Steelers was a trick. Jacobs is still an extremely talented back; the Steelers rush defense showed that it was one of the best in the league. It doesn't help when your QB tips off the defense either. We are not only unafraid to talk to strangers, we're full on prepared to hop into their email van and take their fantasy football question candy. FFWritersWithHair@gmail.com
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Weekend Recap: Week 7

I'm an addict. And so are you. No, you won't have to share a room with Amy Winehouse or Pacman Jones. For that alone, I can say I'm grateful. We're fantasy football addicts. Aside from Texans fans, who else in their right mind would get excited when they see Matt Schaub connect with Kevin Walter? Who would toil through stat after stat in the offseason, trying to decide what running back you should put ahead one another? Who else would sit here and read this blog day after day? The answer to that is probably no one, but I digress. I'm not taking anything away from the game or the people who play it. I'll be the first person to get giddy when I see the words "red zone carries." But this game causes us to go to some crazy lengths sometimes. Without further ado, I'll satisfy your addiction. - My weekly Ryan-Fitzpatrick-spells-doom-for-Cincinnati point. Palmer is still out a few more weeks and quite possibly the rest of the year. T.J. Houshmandzadeh will get you receptions, but not much else these days. - Derek Anderson couldn't even come close to completing 40 percent of his passes this week against Washington. With rumors of the Browns turning down not one, but two first-round picks from Minnesota that would have sent Brady Quinn to the Vikings, you start to wonder how much confidence they have left in Anderson. - Clinton Portis has now had four straight 100-plus-yard rushing games. Without a doubt, this guy is a monster and I expect him to be the top back at the end of the season. - Kyle Orton is rapidly improving. With five touchdowns and zero—yeah, zero—interceptions the past three games, he's worth picking up off of waivers if you're in need of a QB. - Don't worry about Marques Colston's struggles this past week. A full week of practice with Drew Brees should do him wonders. - It seems like teams have started to figure out Miami's Wildcat formation. Bad news for Dolphins owners and fans alike. Seriously though, how long were you expecting it to last? - The Chiefs defense should be embarrassed. Nay, beyond embarrassed. There's no excuse possible to explain how you let LenDale White break off an 80-yard run. - In a non-fantasy story, Tyler Thigpen was Kansas City's leading rusher against the Titans. Hard to put things in bigger perspective than that.
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Weekend Recap: Week 6

"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times." Instead of being in the book War and Peace, that quote should be the title of every fantasy football magazine. As I'm sure many of you can relate, I've fallen on hard times this year in my leagues. In my one league, I've lost games by one and two points. Same league, different week: I scored the second-highest amount of points in the league. But because of fate's cruel hand, I went up against the team who scored the most points. That's the nature in the game. You hate it when your team is in a rut bigger than the Cleveland Browns offense, and you hate it when you make decisions worse than Dan Orlovsky. Conversely, there's no better feeling in the world than when your fantasy team is kicking butt and taking names. What fantasy players fell on hard times and which ones rose to glory this week? - Michael Turner only plays well against poor defenses. Sure, he tore it up against the Chiefs, Lions, and a depleted Packers defense, but he's struggled mightily against the Bucs and Bears. Take away Turner's 23 yard run against Chicago on Sunday, and you have a stat line of 24 carries for 31 yards. - A performance like the one Bernard Berrian had yesterday usually don't come too often for a speed demon on a run-first team. Don't put too much stock into his 131 yard day. - Ryan Fitzpatrick spells doom for Bengals' wide receivers. In his two starts, Housh has only 13 catches for 99 yards and zero touchdowns while Chad Ocho Cinco has just eight catches for 86 yards and zero touchdown celebrations. Roger Goodell's pockets are a lot emptier this year. - Terrell Owens could be in a similar situation. Brad Johnson doesn't have near the arm strength or mobility that Tony Romo has. Jason Witten and Marion Barber do get boosts in their value, however. - With Chris Chambers out, Vincent Jackson really came on strong. As long as Chambers is out of the lineup, continue to start Jackson with confidence. - Ryan Grant's 90-yard game doesn't look bad, but keep in mind it took 30 carries against a Seahawks defense that has struggled to stop the run.
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Weekend Recap: Week 5

"A psychic once told me I was psychic." Those were the words spoken by Dr. House, played by Hugh Laurie, on the T.V. show House*.Think about how much easier it'd be to play fantasy football if you knew exactly what was going to happen each week. Of course, it'd take a lot of the fun out of the game, but you'd sure as heck be the champion of your league! But alas, we aren't psychic. We only have two things: educated guesses—that's as close as you'll get to being psychic. And of course, hindsight. The thing that makes you kick yourself each week you've sat Ronnie Brown when he's blown up for big yards. Or the thing that makes you hate yourself for not giving up on Larry Johnson. (And yeah, I still refuse to give up on him.) Hindsight is truly 20/20. We'll look back on the highs and lows of Week 5. - Back-to-back strong performances from Kyle Orton. Who would've guessed it? Granted, it was against the Lions, but the Bears' pass offense is starting to show signs of life. - Tsk, tsk, Kansas City. I thought you finally had it figured out. Give LJ the ball and win football games. Looks like I was wrong. Seven carries for Larry Johnson isn't going to cut it. Herm Edwards apparently doesn't know "We PLAY to WIN the GAME." - Bo Scaife, not Alge Crumpler, is the Titans tight end you want. He's quickly become Kerry Collins' security blanket, including catching seven of Collins 17 completions against Baltimore. - All Giants are rolling. - All Seahawks aren't. - Jason Campbell and Clinton Portis are running strong (and literally, for Portis). Campbell has yet to make a turnover while Portis has been racking up yards against tough NFC East foes. - Warrick Dunn has quietly having a productive season. He's even starting to carry the ball more than Earnest Graham. (Dunn had 11 carries to Graham's ten yesterday.) Don't jump ship on Graham though; he's averaging an outstanding 5.9 YPC this season. - Matt Cassel is finding his playmakers. Good news for Randy Moss owners. - I've always liked Mike Walker. With an underwhelming Jags WR core, Walker stepped up against the Steelers. The coaches love his potential, and he could definitely be a late-year waiver wire pickup. *[Ed's Note: We hope that wasn't copyright infringement.]
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Weekend Recap: Week 4

"If not A, then B". Those words were spoken by Mike Greenberg, and it holds true for certain things. If only fantasy football was that simple. There is rarely ever a "One or the other" type of situation. You're always dealing with tons of choices, each with their own pro's and con's. That's what makes fantasy football interesting. (And sometimes, stressful, frustrating, and maddening) Hopefully, a look back at week four will help you narrow down you choices for week five and beyond. - Matt Schaub and David Garrard both started playing to their potential this week. Still, I'd hold off on starting either of these guys. Let's see if they can keep it up. - I believe I said to deal MJD after I predicted he was going to have a big game against the Colts. Not to toot my own horn, but *toot toot* -- looks like I could be right. - Kudos to the Chiefs. They finally gave LJ the rock, and look what happened: they won! Keep it up Kansas City - in both the long and short-run, you'll make your organzation and fantasy owners happy. - The Titans' run defense could be the nastiest in the league. Take away AP's 28 yard touchdown run, and you have 17 carries for 52 yards. That's a 3 YPC. - Another kudos, this time to Oakland. It's about time you got Zach Miller, your only viable threat in the passing game, involved. - Subtract Brett Favre's number (4) from the number of touchdown passes he threw yesterday (6), and you get the number of times Cardinals' defensive coordinator Clancy Pendergast threw down his headseat on Sunday after watching the Brett's pick apart Zona's pass defense. Who says math isn't fun? - Greg Jennings has surely emerged as Aaron Rodgers favorite target. - We at ffwriterswithhair.blogspot.com would like to extend our sincerest condolences to Matt Bryant and his family for their loss. - I never thought I'd say this but Kyle Orton played surprisngly well against the Eagles last night. Still, he doesn't have the weapons nor the skill set to deserve much of a look in most leagues. - Santana Moss: Another deep threat turned dependable. Jason Campbell is taking huge strides. Both his and Moss' fantasy value are doing the same.
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Weekend Recap: Week 3

The famous philosopher Socrates once said, "The unexamined life isn't worth living." The same applies to fantasy football. What good is playing it if you don't pay attention to what the heck goes on? If you're not going to examine what happened, is it really worth playing? I know, I know, first the Socrates quote, and now the fantasy football rambling. The nerdiness is at an all-time high right now. Before all three viewers hit the "X", let's examine this past week. - Tyler Thigpen is bad news for Dwayne Bowe and Tony Gonzalez owners. Thigpen started out the game terrible, at one point throwing for negative yards and an INT, and only finished marginally better. If by some chance Herm Edwards starts him over Damon Huard next week, you'd be smart to do your best to sit Bowe and Gonzalez. - Gus Frerotte is a bit more stable of a quarterback than Tavaris Jackson, but he isn't exactly good enough to make you scoop up Bernard Berrian and company. He's still little more than a deep threat; take away Berrian's 48 yard reception, and you have 2 catches for under 40 yards. - Good news Bengals' owners and fans alike. They didn't completely fail this week! Palmer was solid, albeit not great. Houshmandzadeh hauled in twelve passes. However, it seems like Chad Johnson didn't get the memo about showing up. He had a measly three receptions for 29 yards. Cincy has a great chance to keep it up next week as they play the struggling Browns. - Let's get one thing straight: Brian Griese won't throw for over 400 yards again. Nor will he throw the ball 67 times. Take this game with a grain of salt. - Ditto with Ronnie Brown. - On the other hand, I could see more of the same numbers from Drew Brees. He only threw 9 incomplete passes (compared to his 39 completions) and threw for 421 yards. Despite all of that, he somehow managed to only throw one touchdown pass. Still, it's great to see Brees have this great of a start to the season after his rough start the first four games last year. - Could Brandon Lloyd, yes, the same Brandon Lloyd who completely fell off the map in Washington, be making a comeback in Chicago? He's had 11 receptions for over 200 yards the past two weeks. Both came against pretty good defenses, too (Carolina and Tampa Bay). He's someone to keep an eye on, but don't pick him up unless your WR core is thinner than Nicole Richie. - In other Bears news, Matt Forte is looking like the best RB the Bears have ever drafted. Heck, he probably is the best one they've ever drafted in the past decade. Of course, when your competition is Cedric Benson and Curtis Enis, it doesn't take much. - Brandon Marshall, provided he can keep his nose clean (literally, don't hang out with Matt Jones), could be a top WR for years to come in this league. He followed up his 18 catch performance with a 6 catch, 155 yard game. Geez, what a slacker! - Willis who? Ray Rice, who's that? It's all about Le'ron McClain in Baltimore. Seriously. Pick him up if you need a running back in deeper leagues; he's looked good so far. - Paging the Steelers offensive line. Steelers offensive line, you're needed in the game against the Eagles. Yeah, they didn't show up. When that happens, Big Ben and Willie Parker suffer big time.
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Weekend Recap: Week 2

And oh what a week it was. Drama, controversy, and records—all in one game! (I'm talking about the Denver/San Diego game for those who are sitting at their computers with blank stares.) Who were this weeks studs and duds? Let's recap, shall we? - Eli Manning looked great Sunday. Much better than Week 1. Of course, this was against the Rams, so don't put too much stock into it. - The only Rams WR you should own is Torry Holt. He had 6 receptions; the rest of Rams' wide receivers? Just four. - David Garrard had three interceptions last year. He has three two weeks into this season. Looks like he isn't so dependable anymore. - Kerry Collins means good news for fantasy owners. He made a WR relevant (Justin Gage), something Vince Young could never do, and Chris Johnson rushed for over 100 yards. It looks like he could be the real deal. - Some thought Carson Palmer would struggle this year, but did anybody think he'd be this bad? 134 yards and 2 INT's Sunday. A whopping three fantasy points in two weeks. Palmer owners everywhere collectively ugh. - So much for Aaron Rodgers folding under the Brett Favre pressure. Even if it was against the Lions, he looked very impressive. Almost a little ... dare I say it ... Favre like? - In Oakland, who needs quarterbacks? Just run, run, run with Run DMC. (Oh yes, the pun was intended.) - Note to Kansas City: Take the Raiders approach. Seriously, why isn't LJ getting the ball more often? [Ed's Note: That LJ love isn't looking to great thus far, Alex.] - Although he's only played one game, Brandon Marshall is leading the league in receptions with 18. Don't expect an 18 catch performance every week, but he should be a big factor in Denver's passing attack. - Miami's pass defense is worse than terrible. Not that that is breaking news or anything. - Matt Cassel was solid in real life, but wasn't anything special for fantasy. Time share in New England? Laurence Maroney got hurt and missed a good chunk of the game, so Sammy Morris and LaMont Jordan jumped on the chance, rushing for a TD and 62 yards respectively.
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