Stat Boy Saturday: Fantasy Points Per Touch Revisited

Another week with our honorary stat boy, Zach Fein of Fein Sports. A contributor with as much stat muscle as anyone in the business. You may not understand what he's says and use it for your fantasy leagues, but if you're in the mood to be baffled and confused, then boy does he have you covered. Because life is one big spreadsheet. This week he sees which players produce the most with the least opportunities. Here's what I don't get: people are saying that Tim Tebow shouldn't even be a finalist for the Heisman trophy because he has less than 2,600 passing yards, which is half of what Graham Harrell had. Okay, except one thing: Tebow attempted exactly 300 less passes than did Harrell. Every Texas Tech quarterback since 2002 has had monster passing stats. That's due to Tech's offensive system and the fact that they throw the ball 75 percent of the time. Prorate Tebow's stats to the 568 attempts that Harrell had, and suddenly Tebow is leading Harrell by 600 in passing yards. It's not about their raw stats, but how they performed with the opportunities they were granted. Through Week 10, Pierre Thomas had on the year 41.2 fantasy points on 48 touches. Per 20 touches, that's 17.2 fantasy points. Then New Orleans started giving him the rock—and from Week 11 on, he produced 22 fantasy points per 20 touches. No one would have predicted his breakout performance, because, after all, he was averaging 4.6 fantasy points per game. It's not about their raw stats, but how they performed with the opportunities they were granted. With the string of injuries to star performers this week, I decided to revisit my early-season article on fantasy points per touch. Which backups that will get the load of carries this week warrant a starting spot on your fantasy roster? I looked at the top-25 quarterbacks, top-30 running backs, and top-40 wide receivers on the year, plus the backups that will be starting or will receive an increase in playing time this week. I ended up adding three quarterbacks and five running backs and wideouts. Note: Touches were defined as attempts plus carries for QBs, attempts plus receptions for running backs, and receptions for wide receivers. Then I multiplied the fantasy points per touch number by an average amount of touches a starter would see—30 attempts/carries for a QB; 20 rushes/catches for RBs; and six catches for wide receivers. Players who should see an increase of playing time have their names in bold.

Quarterbacks
Name	Fan.Pts	Pts per 30
Philip Rivers	217.0	16.2
Shaun Hill	96.6	15.2
Tony Romo	178.9	15.0
Aaron Rodgers	236.9	14.7
Matt Schaub	134.4	13.9
Drew Brees	240.1	13.8
Seneca Wallace	71.6	13.7
Kurt Warner	236.6	13.5
Eli Manning	181.0	13.0
Matt Ryan	174.0	12.8
Jay Cutler	226.8	12.7
Tyler Thigpen	151.5	12.7
Donovan McNabb	204.7	12.2
Peyton Manning	200.7	12.2
Chad Pennington	169.9	12.2
Jake Delhomme	148.1	12.1
Trent Edwards	141.8	12.0
Kyle Orton	151.0	12.0
Jeff Garcia	132.5	11.9
Joe Flacco	157.6	11.8
Brett Favre	171.4	11.7
Ben Roethlisberger	155.7	11.6
J.P. Losman	28.7	11.5
Matt Cassel	191.6	11.3
Tarvaris Jackson	29.3	10.7
Jason Campbell	160.1	10.6
Sage Rosenfels	64.9	10.5
David Garrard	171.2	10.3

• You can read how much I love Shaun Hill in this week's Mancrushes (whenever they get posted).
• I also like Seneca Wallace this week. He's averaged 16.3 fantasy points in his last four starts, and the St. Louis Rams are in the bottom 10 in fantasy points allowed to opposing QBs.
• If you were thinking of playing J.P. Losman or Tavaris Jackson because the Jets and Cardinals are in the bottom five against QBs in fantasy points allowed ... don't. You deserve to lose if you do.

Running Backs
Name	Fan. Pts	Pts Per 20
Pierre Thomas	120.0	20.9
DeAngelo Williams	216.2	18.6
Maurice Jones-Drew	178.9	18.6
Brandon Jacobs	175.3	17.5
Kevin Faulk	108.6	17.5
LenDale White	153.0	17.5
Brian Westbrook	193.3	16.5
Jonathan Stewart	119.7	16.3
Thomas Jones	215.7	15.8
Sammy Morris	91.3	15.5
Reggie Bush	115.8	15.4
Tim Hightower	115.9	15.4
Steve Slaton	185.4	15.3
Ronnie Brown	156.9	15.1
Chris Johnson	189.1	14.5
Mewelde Moore	117.1	14.4
Michael Turner	212.0	13.9
Le'Ron McClain	121.0	13.5
Frank Gore	182.5	13.5
Derrick Ward	116.2	13.3
Adrian Peterson	206.2	13.2
Marion Barber	177.6	13.1
Dominic Rhodes	99.5	13.0
Matt Forte	207.6	12.9
Clinton Portis	188.1	12.9
Steven Jackson	126.1	12.7
Marshawn Lynch	165.3	12.6
Kevin Smith	123.2	12.5
LaDainian Tomlinson	173.1	12.1
Ladell Betts	38.0	11.5
Warrick Dunn	106.6	11.3
Willis McGahee	93.3	11.0
Willie Parker	84.1	10.9
Ryan Grant	126.1	9.9
Jamal Lewis	120.4	9.8

• Derrick Ward is in the middle of the pack in this list. But if you remember how high he was in last week's consistency article, he's a must-start in all formats. He's going to get you 12 fantasy points this week, no doubt about it.
• Le'Ron McClain and Willis McGahee are both low on this list. That's interesting, because most think that whoever gets the load of the carries in Baltimore performs outstandingly.
• Dominic Rhodes is a top-12 running back this week. Why? He's averaging 17.9 fantasy points in his last four games where he had over 20 touches, and the top rusher on teams facing the Lions has put up 18.9 fantasy points per game.
• Clinton Portis might not get all the carries in Washington, but that shouldn't make Ladell Betts be your flex play this week. His yards per carry on the year is only 3.3.

Wide Receivers
Name	Fan. Pts	Pts per 6
Devery Henderson	84.8	18.2
Justin Gage	77.1	17.8
Calvin Johnson	159.5	17.1
Vincent Jackson	121.1	16.5
Bernard Berrian	112.4	16.4
Terrell Owens	138.8	15.1
Kevin Walter	133.1	14.5
Isaac Bruce	105.3	14.4
Greg Jennings	155.1	14.1
Steve Smith	137.1	13.5
Randy Moss	132.1	13.0
Deion Branch	36.0	12.7
Lee Evans	109.3	12.6
Roddy White	160.9	12.4
Marques Colston	51.4	12.3
Larry Fitzgerald	169.1	12.2
Braylon Edwards	91.5	12.2
Lance Moore	125.4	12.1
Anquan Boldin	166.4	12.0
Michael Jenkins	76.9	11.8
Santonio Holmes	85.6	11.7
Santana Moss	117.6	11.6
Muhsin Muhammad	93.4	11.2
Antonio Bryant	123.7	11.1
Hines Ward	112.1	11.0
Reggie Wayne	121.8	10.9
Amani Toomer	74.5	10.9
Dwayne Bowe	120.7	10.8
Donald Driver	101.3	10.7
Roy Williams	52.9	10.6
Laveranues Coles	98.0	10.5
Marvin Harrison	88.3	10.4
Derrick Mason	111.1	10.3
DeSean Jackson	89.5	10.1
Brandon Marshall	139.3	10.1
Anthony Gonzalez	84.8	10.0
Andre Johnson	150.1	9.8
Jerricho Cotchery	94.2	9.6
Eddie Royal	109.9	9.6
Chad Johnson	74.7	9.0
Steve Breaston	98.0	8.8
Matt Jones	87.0	8.2
Davone Bess	49.3	7.6
T.J. Houshmandzadeh	112.5	7.6
Wes Welker	106.2	6.6

• I don't like using fantasy points per touch on wide receivers. What will result is that the guys who seem to get a 50-yard catch every other week will rise to the top, and the possession receivers such as Wes Welker will sink to the bottom.
• Nonetheless, it's still a fine measuring tool of production. Justin Gage is averaging 10.6 fantasy points in his past five games, including 7.7 on the year. However, he's had four or less fantasy points in five of his 10 games played. Start him if you need a high risk/high reward guy.
• Amani Toomer hasn't been all that great on the year, but in the past three games when Plaxico had no catches or was injured, Toomer's put up 8.7 fantasy points per game. He's a nice flex play this week.
• I also bolded Davone Bess. Though he's second-to-last, he's caught 20 balls for 245 yards in his last three. He won't get you a touchdown, but if you need 70-80 yards, he's your guy.

I think Tosten and Alex have been having secret meetings, too. FFWritersWithHair@gmail.com
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Running the Wire

Screwing League Mates Over By Stealing The Missing Pieces Of The Puzzle That They Need 101 I'm guessing that about 80 percent of people couldn't care less about the waiver wire at this point in this season. Most leagues are deep into the playoffs by now, meaning that only a small amount of the best and the luckiest of American males still have anything to play for. I say that's BS. Haven't you watched any ESPN lately? Jimmy Valvano says to never give up, god dang it! Never give up! We're going to a commercial break now. Never frickin' give up! Besides, even if you're in a redraft league, you can't rebuild for next year with draft pick trades, you're not in the running to win any point total money, there's no weekly high point total payouts; if you have absolutely nothing at all to play for, can you think of anything better to do with your time than steal a stud pickup off the wire from under the nose of that dick who ripped you off in that DeAngelo Williams trade from earlier in the season and who just lost his own waiver wonder boy Peyton Hillis to injury and now is panicking, and then you can laugh in his face as he falls flat without a No. 2 running back because you exacted sweet revenge on his roster? [Ed's note: And no, that wasn't a run-on.] No? I'm the only one who is laughing wildly right now? Well, then I guess there's no reason to read on then. Besides the super secret secret prize code password message in a bottle at the end of this article.... Gold Wire Pickups Seneca Wallace QB/Seattle—The latest from the Matt Hasselbeck camp is that the Seahawks are considering shutting him down for the season. That came after scrambling, fast, athletic, failed wide receiver experiment Seneca Wallace dropped a beast of a game in Week 14 against the Patriots. Sounds like he has confidence behind him and after seeing him throw three touchdowns, I think I like him too. Tatum Bell RB/Denver—I'll be the 37,947th person to spit this cliché, meme, and joke that another Bronco running back has "bitten the dust." Hahaha. I'm so originallllll and funnyyy. It's true though. And Tatum Bell and Selvin Young are the only guys with legs left on the team. And Selvin Young is hurt. And Tatum Bell was touching the ball a little bit even with Hillis raging as a starter. Bell's the guy you want. Deion Branch WR/Seattle—He caught two touchdowns the week that Seneca Wallace broke out. Obviously he's the No. 1 option for Seneca. He could surprise down the home stretch. Copper Wire Pickups Gijon Robinson WR/Indianapolis—Robinson had 6 catches for 69 yards week 14, but he's really more along the lines of a Chicken Wire Pickup. There's no chance he passes Dallas Clark on the depth chart. But his name's Gijon. Heck ya. That's a copper wire name. Anthony Fasano TE/Miami—He's been on the list before, but is still available in more than half the leagues. He put up some decent numbers this week and has four scores on the year. He's a fine tight end if you're desperate. Chicken Wire Pickups Ladell Betts RB/Washington—Clinton Portis and Jim Zorn clearly hate each other. And when a coach hates a player, he doesn't give him the ball every play. There's touches available for Betts. Unfortunately, when he got them Week 14 he put up three yards on six carries. Not much to look at here. JP Losman QB/Buffalo—Hahahahaha. 12-3-7-9-1. That has no meaning at all. Or does it...? FFWritersWithHair@gmail.com
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Matt Jones's Foot Locker Credit Card Exploits Finally Catch Up With Him

Well, Joey Porter should be happy. Months, literally months, after Matt Jones was caught chopping up some coke with a credit card in the back of a van, probably down by the river, the NFL has finally come to a decision concerning the Jaguars wide receiver who somehow emerged as a legitimate fantasy starter this season. Jones will begin his three game suspension on Sunday after his appeal was shot down by the No Fun League. Sucks for Jacksonville; they'll never make the playoffs now.... I guess some dud named Mike Walker is going to take over Jones's starting role. Jerry Porter will get more touches too. You don't need to remember either of those names. I imagine that Maurice Jones-Drew and Fred Taylor's production will stay around the same level, so they'll continue to score touchdowns and stink. David Garrard already was a bum this season. This won't change anything. Expect probably make him more of a bum. It is a shame that the most ghetto white guy in professional sports this side of Doug Christie's breakout season would be cut short though. Although I'm sure he has plenty of fun things to do with his newfound free time.
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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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The HAIRY'S: Week 14 Edition

Gage Arnold shows up for the first time in six weeks and gives us his Week 14 HAIRY'S awards. Well folks, here we are. Fantasy playoffs are on our doorstep and many playoff spots were set in stone this week. I'm sure that for those of you who relied on FFWWH this year, you're safely sitting in the playoffs. Listening to our advice of consistency and making sneaky deals for players with soft playoff schedules (cough, cough) will do that for ya. Let's get right to it everyone, it's time to pass out our HAIRY's. Minus all the Pink, Britney, and Madonna drama. Nor will Twilight be mentioned at anytime in this presentation.

The Sixth Sense Award (For Biggest Surprise)

And the Award goes to... Matt Schaub, QB, Texans

Where did this guy come from? I mean, the name is familiar, but seriously, who is he? Schaub, coming off of a four-week layoff from a knee injury, completely destroyed the Packers secondary by scorching them for 400-plus yards. He also threw for two TDs and even managed to let his stud WR Andre Johnson have a decent game against Pro Bowl corner Charles Woodson. Pick him up if he's available; otherwise, hope you don't face him in the playoffs as the Texans are finally hitting full stride.

The Last Indiana Jones Movie Whose Name You Can't Remember Because It Sucked So Much (For Biggest Bust)

And the Award goes to... Marshawn Lynch, RB, Bills Wow. What a stinker Lynch put up. Only three total fantasy points against the Dolphins of all teams. While they aren't what they were last year, this defense is still able to be scored on by all means. Though Lynch wasn't supposed to obliterate this defense I expected a decent output from him. But instead I was placed with nothing more than the dud he placed on Sunday.

Lord, Del's Cup (Awarded to the Coach who Orchestrated The Biggest Team of Stooges)

And the Award goes to... Mike Smith, Falcons While Smith has done an extraordinary job with this team, he managed to possibly cost his team a playoff spot with his call on Sunday. On their own 35-yard line with time under five minutes left, Smith chose to punt the ball and promptly never saw the ball again and suffered the 29-25 loss against the Saints. This was a great game and the call could be called brave, but in my humble opinion, you have to go for it. The Falcons defense cannot stop the Saints high-octane offense, so why not take a shot and at worse you lose the ball at a decent spot, which is nothing huge for the Saints. Not saying that his team consists of stooges, just his decision was questionable nevertheless.

Paris Hilton Award (For the Player who Screwed the Most Owners This Week)

And the Award goes to... Randy Moss, WR, Patriots A very, very, very below-average game for Randy against the lowly Seahawks' pass defense. Tons of owners (including myself) were tempted into the Dolphins game and wanted and expected more from the stud receiver. While his five-point stinker could have been worse, he does have the Oakland Nnamdi's up next, so expect another sub-par performance from Moss.

The Chad John... Ocho Cin.... Ochocin.... Johnson Award (For Most Overblown Story of the Week)

And the Award goes to... Plaxico Burress, WR, Giants This comes as a little surprise to anyone, as we await the wording on his final verdict for shooting himself in the leg with his illegal weapon. I'm pretty sure this could not have gone worse for Plax. I mean the man shot himself, and he may even go to jail, and this guy should totally be on Best Week Ever. Have a great week everyone, and see you guys next week. You stay classy. We're on the keyboard like a boss, and we floss. FFWritersWithHair@gmail.com
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Peyton Hillis Out For Season; Tatum Bell a Starter?

Chris Mortensen was right, for once. Mortensen reported early this afternoon that Denver Broncos rookie running back Peyton Hillis was out for the year with a torn hamstring, which was confirmed by the Broncos, who formally put Hillis on the IR shortly after the report. "I said, 'Tatum, you can't go down. That's it,'" said Coach Mike Shanahan after Hillis went down with the injury. Hillis' injury is the sixth for a Broncos back this year; Andre Hall, Michael Pittman, Ryan Torain, and Anthony Aldridge are currently on the IR, and former starter Selvin Young has been out for two months with a torn groin. Tatum Bell and P.J. Pope will contend with Cory Boyd for the starting job. Then again, with Shanahan as head coach, you never know if he'll sign Shaun Alexander and put him in the starting role. Bell gained 68 total yards on 13 attempts in filling in for Hillis Sunday against the Chiefs. That 5.23 yards per touch average is significantly worse than the 5.86 that the Chiefs have given up on the year. Neither Bell nor Pope should perform to the extent that Hillis did (average of 16.6 fantasy points in his last four). That said, Bell should get 15 carries a game in the final three games against the Panthers, Bills, and Chargers. Selvin Young practiced fully on Friday but was inactive for Sunday's game. If he is healthy for the final three games, I like him more than both Bell and Pope. As for Hillis, feel free to drop him in even the deepest of dynasty or keeper leagues. Eventually we'll fill in for Shanny. FFWritersWithHair@gmail.com
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Da Games: Early Sundayers

In our attempt to provide every possible way for you to have more reason to kick yourself after a well researched fantasy loss, we antagonizingly analyze each and every weekend matchup. Wow. (A one word lead! I'm Matthew Berry!) Perusing the internet I was and I came upon an interesting document from Neilsen, those ratings guys who have little leprechaun spies in your TV that know what programs your watching. (Bro-hug to Awful Announcing.) It says that 75 Million people visited sports websites in October. It also says that 11.6 million unique users logged more than 1.2 billion minutes on fantasy sports sites in 2008. 1.2 Billion minutes. With a B. And an illion. But FF Writers With Hair is getting only like 450 visits a month. With no illion. Not even an ousand. Just undred. That's a joke. Side note: We recently got a visit from somewhere in the District of Columbia. Bush? Condy? Me thinks we have powerful friends in high places. Or average blow White House workers just use their free time to set their lineups instead of keeping the President from getting sniped. Both the former and the latter would be pretty darn sick.

Jacksonville Jaguars at Chicago Bears

Fantasy Impact Players QB— Kyle Orton, David Garrard RB— Matt Forte, Maurice Jones-Drew, Fred Taylor WR— Matt Jones, Devin Hester TE— none Key Stat 1— Since 1988, Chicago has scored more than 23.4 points per game (their average this year) just once, in 2006, and since entering the league in 1995, Jacksonville has given up more than 22.5 points per game just once, in '95. Our Take Tosten Burks— Matt Jones should never be the best wide receiver in a professional football game. Goodness. This will be a matchup dominated by the run on both sides. Although I wouldn't be surprised to see Orton get back in the groove this Sunday. Zach Fein— Jacksonville's been downright terrible this year. You saw what Steve Slaton did against them; look for Matt Forte to do the same. Alex Kozora— MJD's strength has been touchdowns this year ... only touchdowns. I still label him as a risky play. Kyle Orton has struggled lately, but Matt Forte is a great start. The Jags defense is playing nowhere near the level it was last season.

Houston Texans at Green Bay Packers

Fantasy Impact Players QB— Aaron Rodgers, Matt Schaub RB— Steve Slaton, Ryan Grant WR— Andre Johnson, Greg Jennings, Donald Driver, Kevin Walter TE— Owen Daniels, Donald Lee Key Stat 3.25— The Packers have outscored opponents by 3.25 points per game, yet are two games under .500. Since 1994, no team under .500 has had a higher scoring margin than Green Bay this year. Our Take Tosten Burks— Last weekend, Gary Kubiak lamented about not using Slaton enough in the first half. Then he gave the ball to him 2093 times in the second half. And then he raved after the game about how mature Slaton is. I'm thinking about going back and switching my mancrush. Expect huge numbers from the rookie. Zach Fein— As noted in the key stat, the Packers have been considerably unlucky this year. Temperatures are expected to be in the mid-teens, so a low-scoring, old-school football game with little passing should be the final outcome. Alex Kozora— Matt Schaub returns, but expect him to be rusty. Don't think about benching Andre Johnson though. Not much to note for Green Bay; Rodgers, Jennings, and Grant are all good plays.

Minnesota Vikings at Detroit Lions

Fantasy Impact Players QB— none, don't give me Culpepper and Gus Bus, get that outta here RB— Adrian Peterson, Kevin Smith WR— Calvin Johnson, Bernard Berrian TE— Visanthe Shiancoe Key Stat 0— The Detroit Lions have zero wins this year. Wait, you already knew that? Our Take Tosten Burks— Not going to lie, I have no idea if the Vikings D-linemen who tested positive for the banned substance in the StarCaps pills are going to play against Detroit. If someone knows, hit up the webmail, FFWritersWithHair@gmail.com. If they do, Calvin Johnson is the only Lion worth starting. If they don't, Kevin Smith is a top-eight running back. [Ed's note: Yes, Kevin and Pat Williams are playing.] Zach Fein— If the Williams duo was out this week, I would pick the Lions to win their first game this year. They're not, so the Vikes should pull out the win in the final minutes of the game. Start everyone for Minnesota. Calvin Johnson is a top-five wideout, and Kevin Smith is still a flex play this week, in my opinion, even with the Williamses playing. Alex Kozora— Another easy call. With Kevin and Pat Williams expected to play, I would look at other options than Kevin Smith if you're in need of a running back to start. You could start Calvin Johnson on his pure talent, but I don't expect any Lion to have a good game. Peterson owners have been waiting for this day since ... well, the last time the Vikings played the Lions.

Cincinnati Bengals at Indianapolis Colts

Fantasy Impact Players QB— Peyton Manning RB— Joseph Addai, Cedric Benson WR— Reggie Wayne, Marvin Harrison, TJ Houshmandzadeh, Chad Ocho Cinco TE— Dallas Clark Key Stat 1— Of the Colts' eight wins on the year, only one has been by a touchdown or more. Our Take Tosten Burks— What a bleh game. I don't care about the Colts and the Bengals are a vaudeville act. Anybody else wish their name was Visanthe? Zach Fein— This would have been a 40-37 game, two years ago. Play the usual Colts and bench all your Bengals. Alex Kozora— Houshmandzadeh remains the only dependable Bengal. You could get away with starting Ocho Cinco, but that's where I draw the line. Manning, Wayne, Gonzalez, and yes, Addai should be starting in fantasy lineups across the U.S.

Cleveland Browns at Tennessee Titans

Fantasy Impact Players QB— none, Collins and Dorsey are not startable anywhere RB— Chris Johnson, LenDale White, Jamal Lewis WR— Braylon Edwards, Justin Gage TE— Bo Scaife Key Stat 7, 4, 13— Seven wideouts have more fantasy points, four have more receiving yards, and 13 have more touchdowns than all Cleveland Browns receivers have combined. Our Take Tosten Burks— Winslow is out with a high ankle sprain, which will make Ken Dorsey's return to startingdom even more fun. Hey seuss, Justin Gage might be a better option than Braylon. I'd just start all the tailbacks. Zach Fein— Ken Dorsey has attempted four passes in the last 1,104 days. Don't get cute. Even in 32-team leagues. Alex Kozora— I made a joke about Ken Dorsey early in the week, but the Titans won't have any film on him. He could get away with some average performances his first outing or two, a la Brian Griese awhile back. Similar to when Brady Quinn started, the Browns will likely be playing small ball. In emergency situations, Steve Heiden or Martin Rucker can be used as flotation devices. Jamal Lewis will see a lot of carries, but then again, he has to go against the Titans' run defense. Start your usual Titans: Chris Johnson and Kerry Collins. Bo Scaife has been flying under the radar, too.

Philadelphia Eagles at New York Giants

Fantasy Impact Players QB— Donovan McNabb, Eli Manning RB— Brandon Jacobs, Brian Westbrook WR— DeSean Jackson, Amani Toomer, Domenik Hixon, Kevin Curtis TE— Kevin Boss Key Stat(s) 1— The Giants have lost once in their past 16 games. 32— In wins, the Eagles have scored 32 points per game. In losses, the Eagles have given up 32 points per game Our Take Tosten Burks— All eyes will be on the Giants to see how they play in the midst of the Plaxico scandal. They'll be distracted. The Eagles have momentum from last week's Thursday beatdown. The Eagles have the urgency. I like Philly. A lot of good starts on both sides though. Zach Fein— Antonio Pierce is what keeps the Giants defense as good as it is. If he's not mentally stable after the Plaxico Burress incident, the Giants are going to struggle. I think this game is going to be a shootout just like the first time they played this year (36-31). Start everyone, including Derrick Ward, who is a very good flex play and low-end No. 2 RB in standard leagues. Alex Kozora— I wouldn't sit anyone you usually start because anyone you usually start is probably a star (Eli Manning, Brandon Jacobs, Brian Westbrook). Dominik Hixon and Amani Toomer have played very well in Burress' absence and both are considered average flex plays. Kevin Boss' targets should increase, too. McNabb is a decent start despite the Giants great pass rush.

Atlanta Falcons at New Orleans Saints

Fantasy Impact Players QB— Drew Brees, Matt Ryan RB— Michael Turner, Pierre Thomas, Reggie Bush WR— Roddy White, Marques Colston, Lance Moore TE— Jeremy Shockey Key Stat 2.5— Drew Brees has a 9.6 yards per attempt at home, which is 2.5 yards more than his 7.1 on the road. Our Take Tosten Burks— Reggie Bush is still hurt. Deuce McCallister isn't going to play because he's too busy cutting weight. Sean Payton says, "You'll see him get a lot of touches this weekend." Who is him? Pierre Thomas. I love Thomas this week. Zach Fein— The Falcons are 8-4, but have been underdogs the past two weeks to a 4-7 Chargers team and a 6-6 Saints team. Can the Falcons get some love? This game will be a high-scoring slugfest. Play everyone on both sides. As for the Saints RB situation, I like Bush the most out of all, followed by Thomas. Alex Kozora— Atlanta is on the road, a place where they don't play nearly as well. Great news for Brees owners though it's not like you'd ever find yourself in a situation where you sit him. Start Colston, Lance Moore, and Pierre Thomas with confidence. Ryan is a fringe start to me, but you could do worse. Turner and Roddy White should be starting in almost all leagues.

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