WEEK 13 FANTASY/GAME PREVIEW

TEXANS @ EAGLES:
HOU- (12th Passing Offense, 7th Rushing Offense, 31st Pass Defense, 10th rushing Defense) They escaped losing Andre Johnson to suspension and Foster continues to be the force that drives this offense. They face an Eagles team now 1st in interceptions, 1st in passes defended and 12th vs the run. To make matters worse, the Eagles will probably get Assante Samuel this week. Look for a plan similar to the Bears execution last week. Plenty of short throws and middle of the field routes. Foster will be used a bit more in the pass game since the Eagles are a bit weaker through the air. However, the birds have the talent to all but shut down Andre Johnson this week and should be effective stopping him. Look for Jones or Walter to be more involved and relied on more than usual. The Eagles LB's are fast enough to keep pace with Foster which is why Jones and Walter will see more action.
PHILA: (6th Passing Offense, 3rd Rush Offense, 16th Pass Defense, 12th rush Defense) Mike Vick should easily get back on track this week against a defense not nearly as fast or disciplined as Chicago's. Both Maclin and Jackson should have great days and Vick's run ability will keep the decent Houston run defense worried about closing the outside gaps which opens things up the middle for McCoy. All of your Eagles will make solid plays here.

The return of Samuel and a tough loss will have the Eagles focused and ready to let off some steam. PHI 31-HOU 20.

FANTASY STARTS: HOU: Foster (13 for 55 yds./ 6 for 65 yds. 1 TD) Johnson (4 for 55 yds. 1 TD)
PHI: Vick (270 yds. 2 TD/ 4 for 45 yds. 1 TD) McCoy (11 for 65 yds. 1 TD/ 3 for 30 yds.) Maclin ( 4 for 80 yds. 1 TD) Jackson ( 6 for 110 yds. 1 TD)
SLEEPER: K. Walter HOU....As stated, Schaub will be needing a secondary target and should find both Walter and Jones open often. One of these two gets a score, leaning to Walter.

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BILLS @ VIKINGS:
BUFF ( 21st Pass Offense, 17th Rush Offense, 11th Pass Defense, 32nd Rush Defense) Not much has gone right for the Bills lately, but they will get CJ Spiller back this week though he is far from a major contributor. The Vikings defense is especially strong at home and much faster. The Bills are going to throw as always and try to attack the Vikings secondary which is their weakest unit ranked at 14th. Steve Johnson should do well here as he wishes to make ammends for the dropped pass last week. Buffalo should be down and playing catch up early so Jackson makes a weak play while Johnson and Evans are the guys you can trust to give you 8 or more points this week.
 VIKINGS: ( 18th Pass Offense, 10th Rush Offense, 14th Pass Defense, 5th Rush Defense) AP chose a bad week to sprain his ankle and while they say its only a sprain, if it is a high ankle sprain you can expect him to miss two weeks. Gerhardt makes a great replacement and should have a solid day againt the league's worst rush defense. However, he is not AP and is more of a north/south runner which will make things a bit easier for the Bills. I see the Vikes having some good numbers in the pass game, especially Schiancoe and Harvin since Rice will be dealing with Whitner all day. If AP does play after all, it could be a 20pt. day for him, but it looks doubtful so far. 

The Vikings are playing inspired ball with Frazier and will not let down here. MIN 24-BUF 17.

 FANTASY STARTS: BUF: Johnson (6 for 70 yds. 1 TD) Evans (5 for 60 yds.) Jackson (13 for 55 yds. 1 TD) MIN: Gerhadt (13 for 80 yds. 1 TD) Harvin (4 for 70 yds. 1 TD) Rice (6 for 90 yds. 1 TD) Schiancoe (3 for 45 yds) SLEEPER: CJ Spiller BUF....he has done nothing all year to make a big impact but he will be used to get in space this week and have some value as a receiver.

 BROWNS @ DOLPHINS:
 MIA: (13th Pass Offense, 18th Rush Offense, 6th Pass Defense, 14th Rush Defense) Expect Henne to have one of his better days against a weak Browns secondary. Marshall should be closer to 100% this week and looks like a go although listed as day to day. Both Brown and Williams will have success as well though Brown is the better play. Miami is usually good at beatting the teams they should and this week is one of them.
 CLE: (29th Pass Offense, 12th Rush Offense, 21st Pass Defense, 21st Rush Defense) The Biggest problem for the Browns is they can't keep up with the score. Peyton Hillis has been a monster and if this defense could hold teams they would be in better position. Delhomme seems to be airing it out more with conviction, but it could have been his want to beat his former team which prompted that last week. Hillis will of course have great value and is a must start, but temper your expectations this week. Miami has the horses to man up and allow their athletic LB's chase Hillis down.

 Cleveland's inability to move the ball through the air kills them once again. MIA 24-CLE 14.

 FANTASY STARTS: CLE: Hillis (17 for 80 yds. 1 TD) Watson (6 for 65 yds. 1 TD) MIA: Marshall (6 for 75 yds. 1 TD) Brown (15 for 80 yds. 1 TD) Fasano (3 for 45 yds. 1 TD) SLEEPER: R. Williams MIA....While Brown usually gets the goal line carries lately, this is a match up which could produce a double digit day for Williams despite fewer touches.

 JAGS @ TITANS:
JACK: (26th Pass Offense, 4th Rush Offense, 28th Pass Defense, 20th Rush Defense) The Titans have been improving as of late and face a Titan defense weak vs the pass. Finnegan will most likely be on Thomas and Finnegan has the ability to shut him down. As always, the Jags will pound MJD but I think he does the most damage in catching instead of on the ground. Look for Karim Osgood to have a good game if Finnegan does indeed follow Mike Thomas around. Mercedes Lewis is the key here and has the potential to put up another multi score day.
TEN: (31st Pass Offense, 11th Rush Offense, 27th Pass Defense, 17th Rush Defense) The Titans get Collins back this week and he will have a solid day against one of the worst secondaries. This is the week if ever Moss finds the end zone again and CJ2K should have a monster day as he tries to shake off a 5 yard on 7 carry day last week.
 Both teams are facing similar destinies and each seems well suited for one another. This one could become a fantasy feast for your players. TEN 31-JAX 28.

 FANTASY STARTS: JAGS: Osgood (4 for 80 yds. 1 TD) MJD (14 for 65 yds./ 5 for 60 yds. 1 TD) Thomas (4 for 55 yds) Lewis (5 for 60 yds. 2 TD) TEN: CJ2K (16 for 110 yds. 2 TD) Moss (4 for 60 yds. 1 TD) Washington (6 for 90 yds. 1 TD) SLEEPER: J. Ringer TEN....Ringer doesn't get the touches to warrant a start, but his limited use will reap some good results this week.

 BRONCOS @ CHIEFS:
 DEN: (2nd Pass Offense, 30th Rush Offense, 19th Pass Defense, 31st Rush Defense) The Broncos will in all likely hood abandon the run this week and Orton will throw 40 times easily. The Chiefs are 7th vs the run but can be passed on and don't have the depth to cover all of the Broncos pass weapons. No doubt the focus will be on Lloyd so expect Royal and Gaffney to see more action.
 KC: (28th Pass Offense, 1st Rush Offense, 25th Pass Defense, 7th Rush Defense) Charles and Jones are both primed for huge days against a defense that has given up many of the best performances to opposing running backs. While KC has a poor pass rank, it should be taken with a grain of salt because of its effectiveness. The Cassel to Bowe connection has been amazing the last seven games which has seen Bowe post career numbers. Expect a heavy dose of Jones and Charles in a game where they both have RB 1 potential as starters.

 Arrowhead is one of the toughest places to win and the Broncos have struggled to get it done at home much less on the road. KC 31- DEN 24.

 FANTASY STARTS: DEN: Lloyd (5 for 65 yds. 1 TD) Gaffney (6 for 80 yds. 1 TD) Royal (8 for 70 yds. 1 TD) Orton (280 yds. 3 TD/ 1 INT) KC: Charles (17 for 110 yds. 1 TD/4 for 50 yds.) Jones (15 for 80 yds. 1 TD) Bowe ( 4 for 75 yds. 1 TD)
 SLEEPER: Moreno DEN....While he has zero value as a runner, he has produced catching out of the back field and I could see a 55 yd day for him with a possible score. He is a lower tier sleeper so find options.

 REDSKINS @ GIANTS:
WASH: (9th Pass Offense, 25th Rush Offense, 29th Pass Defense, 27th Rush Defense) The Skins face one of the tougher rush defenses this week and are already in a position of weakness there with Torain still mending from injury and not at top shape. Regardless. the Skins will rely on Mcnabb to make some plays through the air as they have most the year. What Washington does have is an opportunistic secondary who can make you pay. They face a Giants team down to one dependable WR. Washington will look to stack the box and stop the run game and make Eli beat them with limited weapons. Moss has the tougher match up here so look for Armstrong to do most the damage if any against this top pass defense.
NYG: (10th Pass Offense, 6th Rush Offense, 1st Pass Defense, 9th Rush Defense) The answer to what they will do is easy....RUN! The Skins are weak overall and while the pass game can be effective, Coughlin understands why risk it when you have two backs with the ability to run over the Skins all day.

 This one could be closer than expected if Manning turns the ball over or Bradshaw fumbles again. Giants should be able to limit the mistakes. NYG 24-WASH 17.

 FANTASY STARTS: WASH: Armstrong (6 for 70 yds. 1 TD) Moss (4 for 45 yds.) Williams (12 for 50 yds. 1 TD) NYG: Bradshaw (17 for 95 yds. 1 TD) Jacobs (13 for 70 yds. 1 TD) Manningham (5 for 65 yds. 1 TD)
 SLEEPER: Cooley WAS....He has been awefully quiet this year and may be the key to the Skins moving the ball. A good shot for a score though you are most likely starting him if you have him.

 SAINTS @ BENGALS:
NO: (4th Passing Offense, 23rd Rush Offense, 2nd Pass Defense, 15th Rush Defense) Chris Ivory has been running harder as the season wares on and the return of Bush seems to have actually made things easier for him. He has a great match up here, as does Bush who now has a week of play under his belt. Though Cinci is decent vs the pass, they have done worse against lesser teams. All your Saints are start worthy this week, but as Bush gets healthier it may limit both Moore's and Ivory's potential if you are looking at the playoffs. CINCI: (11th Pass Offense, 24th Rush Offense, 12th Pass Defense, 24th Rush Defense.) The big question here is if the Bengals have mailed it in or not. This may be the last game we see any fight in them and it would be a huge morale booster if they can somehow get it done. The problem has been Carson and his accuracy. He has been sporadic at best and is facing one of the tougher pass defenses he has seen yet. While Benson does have a good match up here, I still think Ocho and TO carry some value as WR's 3 since the Bengals will most likely be playing from behind....or maybe not.....

 While all rationale says otherwise, the Saints did get dumped on by Cleveland and Arizona whom are equally as bad as the Bengals. Now add in the Saints first cold weather game and....CIN 27-NO 24.

 FANTASY STARTS: NO: Colston (5 for 60 yds. 1 TD) Ivory (11 for 55 yds. 1 TD) Bush (8 for 40 yds./ 4 for 55 yds. 1 TD) CIN: Benson (16 for 85 yds. 1 TD) Ochocinco (5 for 65 yds. 1 TD) TO (7 for 90 yds. 1 TD) SLEEPER: Meachem NO....Colston will be lining up against the Bengals top CB (if healthy) and could be held in check leaving Meachem to make a rare big contribution this year.

 BEARS @ LIONS:
CHI: (23rd Pass Offense, 20th Rush Offense, 17th Pass Defense, 2nd Rush Defense) The Bears are playing some serious defense and look as fast as they have since their last playoff run. The Offense even looks to be getting in sync with everyone playing their roles and Martz understanding the value of Olsen. This week they will have no problem executing their game plan as Martz looks for revenge in Detroit where he was left for dead. Every Bear is starter worthy, even Hester who has kick return written all over him this week.
 DET: (7th Pass Offense, 28th Rush Offense, 18th Pass Defense, 25th Rush Defense) Like Denver, look for the Lions to abandon any notion of running and do what they do best which is pass. The problem here is the Detroit line will be doing all they can to stop an aggressive pass rush which shut down Vick last week. Hill doesn't come close to Vick and will be looking at shorter routes and check downs which hurts Megatrons value the most.

 No Brainer....CHI 27-DET 13.

 FANTASY STARTS: CHI: Everyone.
 DET: Megatron (5 for 60 yds. 1 TD) Burleson (7 for 70 yds.) Pettigrew (6 for 50 yds. 1 TD)
SLEEPER: Bears Defense...While not technically sleeper status since they are one of the better defenses, I put the defense here because there really is no sleeper in this game and because the Bears have the potential for a 15 to 20 pt day as a unit in your league.

 49ERS@ PACKERS:
 SF: (27th Pass Offense, 27th Rush Offense, 16th Pass Defense, 8th Rush Defense) What hopes they had of keeping it close in Cheese Land diminished when Gore fractured his hip. Yes Westbrook is a solid reserve but he is far from replacing Gore. On a short week with Smith's toughest game since Tampa, there really isn't a great play here worthy of taking a risk on outside of Vernon Davis.
GB: (8th Pass Offense, 22nd Rush Offense, 15th Pass Defense, 18th Rush Defense) San Fran has been weak against the past as of late and it feeds right into what the Packers were going to do anyway which is pass the ball. Due to the loss of Gore which means a whole lot of 3 and outs, Jackson actually makes a good start since he will see plenty of action running once this thing gets out of hand.

 SF takes it's worse loss of the year...GB 38-SF 13.

 FANTASY STARTS: SF: Davis (7 for 65 yds. 1 TD) Westbrook (11 for 45 yds./ 3 for 25 yds) GB: ALL your Packers.
 SLEEPER: Jones GB...He has asserted himself in recent weeks and makes a great play here if you are in a bind.

 RAIDERS @ CHARGERS:
 OAK: (24th Pass Offense, 5th Rush Offense, 10th Pass Defense, 29th Rush Defense) The last time the Raiders played SD it jump started a defensive frenzy with Oakland going on a tear. This time around they are in a minor funk and Asomugha is not at 100% and Miller is Questionable with a Plantar injury. McFadden over his last two games has rushed for only 16 yds. on 18 carries but will find little room here against a Chargers defense ranked 3rd vs the pass and rush. McFadden is the only play here unless you have a better option. Wait till he proves he's back on track before taking the risk.
 SD: (1st Pass Offense, 15th Rush Offense, 3rd Pass/Rush Defense) Tolbert looks like he will be ready come game time and V.Jackson made his entrance for a quarter last week before supposedly injuring his calf which will keep him out two weeks. Rivers has already proven all he needs is warm bodies out there and if Asomugha is unable to go it makes his day that much better. If Tolbert is for some reason unable to go, bump up Naanee and Floyd's value since Hester is far from reliable in comparisson.

 SD should look to return the favor this week and hit the Raiders while they're down. SD 38-OAK 21.
 
FANTASY STARTS: OAK: McFadden (12 for 50 yds. 1 TD) Murphy (4 for 60 yds. 1 TD) Ford (6 for 80 yds. 1 TD) SD: Rivers (310 yds. 3 TD) Tolbert (15 for 75 yds. 1 TD) Floyd (6 for 75 yds. 1 TD) Naanee (5 for 65 yds. 1 TD) Gates (5 for 60 yds. 1 TD)
 SLEEPER: Bush OAK...The Chargers have been able to keep the quick backs like McFadden in control and Bush's running style may be more effective in grinding down the defense.

 FALCONS @ BUCCANEERS:
ATL: (15th Pass Offense, 8th Rush Offense, 26th Pass Defense, 6th Rush Defense) Atlanta has been good at scoring just one more than the other team and stopping the run which forces teams into errors. The last time these two met, the Bucs were stopped one yard short of the upset. Matt Ryan faces one of the better secondaries here so look for the Gonzales connection to play a big role as it did their last meeting. Turner will have a good day this week, but the Bucs have bettered their rush defense problems though they will be hard pressed to keep Turner under 90 yds.
TAMPA: (25th Pass Offense, 13th Rush Offense, 5th Pass Defense, 28th Rush Defense) Tampa will follow the same plan as last time, a slight bit more pass than run though Blount was effective last time despite getting stopped a yard short for the win. The Bucs will look to open it up a bit this week after playing conservative ball vs the Ravens and losing by a score. Expect a decent day for Blount and good days for both Winslow who has emerged as Freemans pressure go to guy and Mike Williams.

 Tampa had them last time and now face them at home in a defining game for this young team. TB 24-ATL 20.

 FANTASY STARTS: ATL: Turner (17 for 95 yds. 1 TD/ 3 for 20 yds) White (6 for 65 yds. 1 TD) TB: Blount (14 for 65 yds. 1 TD) Williams (4 for 80 yds. 1 TD) Winslow (4 for 55 yds. 1 TD)
 SLEEPER: A. Benn TB....He has the ability to explode any given week and has become the Bucs number two guy. Spurlock will probably see less time after a big drop last week and Freeman may look to Benn often.

 COWBOYS @ COLTS:
 DAL: (5th Pass Offense, 26th Rush Offense, 23rd Pass Defense, 19th Rush Defense) A Roy Williams fumble is the only reason the Boys didn't upset New Orleans last week and they've had extra time to prepare for a struggling Colts team missing Bob Sanders. The Colts solid pass defense is very weak without Sanders as the Chargersd showed. Look for Dallas to attack the secondary as much as possible to set up the run. Dez Bryant should have a solid day as the Colts don't have the depth to handle both Austin and the run game which faces the Colts biggest weak spot. Expect Jones to give you serious nimbers.
 IND: (3rd Pass Offense, 29th Rush Defense, 8th Pass Defense, 30th rush defense) Manning has been left scratching his head but there's not much he can do with no run game and teams dropping extra guys back. However, the Boys are not the Chargers and they can be picked apart in the secondary. Manning is one of the tougher guys to beat after a loss and he will have this team on the right path. Look for serious action as always in the pass game since there really is no run game to speak of.

 This looks to me like a coin flip but I give the Colts the edge only because of Manning at home. IND 30-DAL 28.

 FANTASY STARTS: DAL: Jones (16 for 95 yds. 1 TD/3 for 20 yds.) Austin (5 for 65 yds. 1 TD) Bryant (6 for 80 yds. 1 TD) Witten (4 for 50 yds. 1 TD)
 SLEEPER: Choice DAL....He has proven his ability in the past but been held back because of Barber's tenure and contract. This may very well be a breakout week for him.

 RAMS @ CARDS:
 STL: (22nd Pass Offense, 19th Rush Offense, 24th Pass Defense, 13th Rush Defense) The Rams are one of the younger but very under rated teams who have the ability to beat anybody. Bradford has been nothing short of amazing for a rookie and Jackson will be running all over the Arizona defense. A big day for Jackson is on the horizon and Bradford should have no issues hooking up with Amendola for at least one score.
 ARI: (30th Pass Offense, 32nd Rush Offense, 20th Pass Defense, 23rd Rush Defense).....Nobody is start worthy here other than Fitzgerald so There is no sense in wasting time.
 STL 23-ARI 17.

 FANTASY STARTS: STL: Jackson (18 for 100 yds. 2 TD/ 5 for 45 yds.) Amendola (4 for 55 yds. 1 TD) ARI: Fitzgerald (5 for 80 yds. 1 TD)
SLEEPER: S. Breaston ARI....He has consistently put up solid numbers since his return and could be in line for a great day against a weak CB.

 PANTHERS @ SEAHAWKS: Why Bother? SEA 24-CAR 10.

 FANTASY STARTS: CAR: Goodson: 16 for 75 yds. 1 TD) SEA: With Mike Williams doubtful, look for Butler to step up. (5 for 60 yds. 1 TD) Lynch (13 for 80 yds. 1 TD) Forsett ( 10 for 55 yds./ 5 for 60 yds. 1 TD)
 SLEEPER: Smith CAR....sadly he has been degraded to sleeper status but has a great match up here as the Hawks rank 30th vs the pass. Problem is he has a bad QB and will see double coverage all day which makes him a sleeper/ WR 3 at best.

 STEELERS @ RAVENS: PIT:(20th Pass Offense, 9th Rush Offense, 22nd Pass Defense, 1st Rush Defense) The Steelers will look to take advantage of what Tampa realized too late and run a no huddle offense and pass the ball. Ben has the tools to attack a Raven secondary which can be beat. Mendenhall should have a RB 2 day so temper expectations but he should get a score as this becomes a very physical game. The huge question is just how bad Ben re-injured his foot in practice this week and how bad it limits him.
 BALT: (14th Pass Offense, 14th Rush Offense, 7th Pass Defense, 10th Rush Defense)
The Steelers have big holes in the secondary and Flacco will be able to take advantage of his weapons. Wallace is the guy who will see double coverage all day while Ward gets the man coverage. Todd Heap should be a big part of what the Ravens want to do. Ray Rice seems to be hitting a wall this late in the season and has not looked as fresh. He will be involved heavily in the pass game and will be another big part of what direction this game goes. Rice and Heap are your solid starts while Wallace and Ward have only decent days.

The Ravens Defense has the better balance and ability to hold the Steelers from scoring While it is a toss up, gotta go with the home team. BALT 20-PIT 17.

FANTASY STARTS: BAL: Rice (11 FOR 45 yds./ 6 for 55 yds. 1 TD) Heap (5 for 65 yds. 1 TD) Boldin (4 for 50 yds.) Mason (6 for 70 yds.)
PIT: Mendenhall (12 for 60 yds. 1 TD) Wallace (4 for 60 yds.) Ward (7 for 85 yds 1 TD.)
SLEEPER: Miller PIT....He is the guy who will be able to find room as Winslow was able to last week. He could be a key cog to whether or not the Steelers pull this one out.

Week 12 Gut Check Players

A list of guys who may have bad match ups, have under produced, or may have better options but give you that nagging feeling you should play them.

MARION BARBER DAL: Felix Jones is hampered by a hip injury and has been taking it light this short week. Dallas is going to need to run the ball vs New Orleans since they have one of the better secondaries and so they can keep the ball out of Brees' hands. Barber has a very good shot at a goal line score and helps get the Cowboys a Thanksgiving day upset.

RYAN FITZPATRICK BUF: Nobody has a chance at running on Pittsburgh but they are very weak vs the pass. Fitzpatrick has burned better secondaries and will throw close to 40 times this week unless Fred Jackson somehow becomes the first back to make the Steelers pay. Both Johnson and Evans have been solid plays because of the pass game so Fitz is almost a lock for 15 fantasy points or more.

CHAD OCHOCINCO CIN: The Bengals face one of the best pass defenses this week and Palmer's favorite target TO will be taking a trip to Revis island. Revis has shut down better receivers and TO decided it would be a good week to call Revis "average". This after admitting he and his team stink. As if Revis needed extra incentive, TO should all but be shut down this game and Carson knows better than to try it. Which leaves Ocho facing Cromartie who has proven to be beatable vs talented WR's. Expect Ocho to see more targets and make the most of them.

KELLEN WINSLOW JR. TB: He has caught heat the last few weeks after barely being involved the first six games and looks healthy finally. Freeman will have his hands full against a very balanced and effective defense which will limit his options. We've seen teams like Buffalo and Cinci have success through the air against the Ravens and Winslow has more speed than any of the Raven LB's. Look for him to get a score and be very involved.

LEGADU NAANEE SD: He is set to make his return this week and will be needed after Floyd tweaked his hamstring again. Even if Floyd plays, VJax returns as will Gates possibly. Naanee should see some great match ups and the Colts solid secondary took a big hit losing Safety Bob Sanders for this game. Naanee has great end zone potential and will get some extra looks if both Floyd and Gates are held out.

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WEEK 12 GAME/FANTASY PREVIEW

NE PATRIOTS @ DET LIONS: NE: Two weeks straight the Pats have rolled through two playoff caliber teams, dinking and dunking them to death. This may not be the Pats we expect but they are getting things done and executing. Thanksgiving will give them a lot to be thankful for as they face Detroit's 27th ranked rush defense. Detroit is decent vs the pass at 16 but Indianapolis was far better vs the pass and we saw how the Brady to Welker connection dismantled them. Green-Ellis will have a great day here and could see two scores given the ease the Pats will have moving the ball. Hernandez is back also and should see a score and find plenty of room.

DET: Jhavid Best's turf toe is getting worse and has him as a non factor since week four when he aggravated it. Both he and Tony Scheffler whom will be nursing sore ribs, will be iffy plays on a very short week. Not good news against a Patriot run defense that has jumped to 17th with solid play the last few weeks. As always the Lions will be throwing often and though the Pats rank 31st vs the pass, they have been very opportunistic of late, picking off two of the better QB's in Roethlisberger and Manning on crucial drives. The Scheffler injury is good news for Pettigrew owners as he should see expanded work given the Best issues and the fact we could see Hill throw 40+ times.

The Pats will all but ignore the run game and drop extra guys back against the Detroit 6th pass offense. Pats easily win, NE 28-DET 20.

FANTASY STARTS: NE: Brady (280 yds. 3 TD) Green-Ellis (12 for 70 yds. 1 TD) Hernandez (3 for 45 yds. 1 TD) Welker ( 6 for 75 yds. 1 TD) Woodhead (80 total yards) Branch (4 for 60 yds. 1 TD)

DET: Pettigrew (5 for 60 yds. 1 TD) Johnson (6 for 85 yds. 1 TD) Burleson (4 for 50 yds.)

SLEEPER: Shaun Hill DET....He should be forced to throw from start to finish and while the Pats are bound to pick him off a few times, his big work load will produce yardage.

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NO SAINTS @ DAL COWBOYS: SAINTS: Had this game been scheduled two weeks ago we would look at the Dallas defense and expect a huge day, but Garrett has this 20th ranked pass defense and 22nd pass D playing inspired ball. The Saints really don't have many options even if Bush is back to 100% and will use their 2nd ranked pass offense often as usual. Colston seems to be hitting his stride the last few weeks and is emerging as Brees most trusted target. Given the Dallas strength at home and a whole new attitude, don't be surprised if Brees does struggle a bit and this game is closer than expectations.

 DAL: The Cowboys 4th ranked pass offense will face a stiffer challenge against the Saints 2nd ranked pass defense. The Saints can be run on effectively though so look for Felix Jones to be involved heavily as long as his hip issue isn't a problem. While the Saints do have a stout pass defense, they have yet to face a team with this many weapons on offense and will focus on taking Bryant out of the game if they can. Look for Roy Williams and Jones to see a lot of work because of coverages in the pass game. Dallas is playing their hearts out and this is a statement game at home. They will have plenty of mismatches as will the Saints so this one could be a high scoring shoot out.

 Dallas gets the upset, playing to the potential everyone expected of them this year. DAL 31-NO 28. 

FANTASY STARTS: NO: Brees (310 yds. 3 TD) Colston (6 for 95 yds. 1 TD) Moore (7 for 60 yds. 1 TD) Meachem (3 for 65 yds. 1 TD) Bush (70 total yards 1 TD) DAL: Jones (13 for 60 yds. 1 TD/ 4 for 40 yds.) Austin (5 for 70 yds. 1 TD) Bryant (4 for 55 yds. 1 TD) Williams (4 for 80 yds. 1 TD) 

SLEEPER: Witten DAL: while he has seen limited action recently, the Saints defense will be busy keeping all three wide outs in check leaving Witten with room. 

CIN BENGALS @ NY JETS: CIN: It can't get any worse for the Bengals, and you know it's bad when ego maniac T.O. says they all stink including him. Now they face the Jets whom are finding ways to beat everybody. While the Jets can be passed on, Cedric Benson will be up against the 5th ranked rush defense which is as fast as any he has seen. Benson only excels against weaker defenses and should have a quiet day. Palmer and his accuracy issues will face the 18th ranked pass defense, but the right side will all but be shut down by Revis. T.O. is the recipient of a trip to Revis island so we could see a lot of three wide sets that move him away from Revis. Ochocinco should see the most work of the two.

 NY JETS: Sanchez and the Jets seem to have a knack for pulling games out in the end and he should see plenty of time in the pocket since the Bengals have only 10 sacks on the year which is worst in the NFL. Odom does return for the Bengals, but it should mean very little against a secondary that allowed 3 TD passes to S. Johnson last week. LT and Greene have still been pretty quiet as of late but face the Bengals 23rd rush defense. 

The Jets simply have too many weapons for the Bengals to contain and Marvin Lewis is eyeing a similar fate as Chilly and Phillips. Jets hit the Bengals while they are down. NYJ 27-CIN 20. 

FANTASY STARTS: CIN: Ochocinco (5 for 80 yds. 1 TD) Shipley (6 for 55 yds. 1 TD) Owens (4 for 50 yds.) NYJ: Holmes (5 for 70 yds. 1 TD) LT ( 15 for 80 yds 1 TD/ 4 for 50 yds) Edwards ( 3 for 50 yds. 1 TD) Keller (4 for 45 yds. 1 TD) 

SLEEPER: Greene NYJ....While he is seeing an increased work load, this one smells like it could be over by the third Q, leaving Greene to wear the Bengals down late. He could be in line for a TD here. 

GB PACKERS @ ATL FALCONS: GB: Green Bay has been the tip of the ice berg for two coaches jobs in successive weeks and now travel to Atlanta in what will be Atlanta's toughest test since they met the Steelers. Donald Driver looked good vs the Vikes and should be closer to the norm this week. Even better has been the play of James Jones whom now adds a third threat for Rogers and should be the big wild card in this game. The Falcons are 23rd vs the pass and if there is one thing the Pack can do well is pass. They are 10th in pass offense and should come out gunning since Jackson will see little room vs the Falcons 6th rush defense. Atlanta is +10 in turnover margin which explains a big part of their success. However, Rogers is good enough and accurate enough to avoid mistakes. 

ATL: The Falcons are one of the most offensively balanced teams, ranking 13 in passing and 7th in rushing. Where they will find most success is in the run game if Turner can get it going and sneak away from Matthews who has been in beast mode for the Packers. While the Pack are ranked 15th in passing D, Tremon Williams is one of the most under rated CB's and is just as solid a player as Woodson. Both White and Jenkins face some of the best coverage they have all year and it will be on Turner to force the Packers to bring another body up and give the WR's room. Look for the Falcons to get Turner involved very early and often. This will be one of the better games this weekend and will wind up a win for the Packers. Nobody has been able to contain Matthews and the Falcons have yet to face as balanced a defense this year.

 Rogers should be able to pick apart this secondary, forcing the Falcons to abandon the run game. GB 28-ATL 20. 

STARTS: GB: Rogers (300 yds. 3 TD) Jennings ( 6 for 75 yds. 1 TD) Jones (4 for 60 yds. 1 TD) Driver ( 6 for 55 yds. 1 TD) Jackson (11 for 40 yds. 1 TD) ATL: Ryan (250 yds. 1 TD) White (4 for 60 yds. 1 TD) Jenkins (3 for 45 yds.) Turner (13 for 65 yds. 1 TD/ 4 for 45 yds.) 

SLEEPER: Gonzales ATL....He will be a boom or bust candidate this week given he should be asked to stay in more and help block Matthews. However, the Packers aggressive defense style could also allow him to slip out and see a field of green and a sneaky score. 

PIT STEELERS @ BUFF BILLS: PIT: The Steelers man handled the Raiders last week and now face an offense even weaker. On the defensive side, the Bills do have a good secondary ranked 9th and good at not allowing the long ball. But the Bills are 32nd vs the run and face the Steeler 11th rush offense behind Mendenhall. He should have an effective day here, but like most Bills opponents, the effectiveness of the run game will open lanes for Wallace and Ward to find the end zone when close.

 BUFF: The Bills have put two in a row together but let's face it, it was against two teams worse than they are. The Bills do have the talent to make this one interesting and we can expect another good fantasy day for Fitzpatrick since he will no doubt be throwing from start to finish. The Steelers own the top Rush defense in the NFL and have shut down better backs that Jackson. The Steelers are 25th vs the pass, so look for this to be the focus, making Jackson a possible bench candidate if you have options. The Steelers are tied for 2nd in sacks, so while they do allow the yardage, they can make it a long day if able to get penetration against a Bills offensive line that is weak. 

While Fitz and Johnson will put up points, it will be tempered by how well the line blocks for him. Unless the Steelers under estimate the Bills, this one goes as expected. PIT 24- BUF 17.

 FANTASY STARTS: PIT: Mendenhall (16 for 110 yds. 1 TD/ 2 for 20 yds.) Wallace (4 for 55 yds. 1 TD) Ward (6 for 70 yds. 1 TD) BUF: Fitzpatrick (280 yds. 2 TD) Johnson ( 6 for 90 yds. 1 TD) Evans ( 4 for 70 yds. 1 TD) 

SLEEPER: Miller PIT...He has been relegated to a fourth option on offense, but does pose some value here since the Bills Whitner can take away Ward from those short routes he runs making Miller the second option in the pass game.

 CAR PANTHERS @ CLE BROWNS: CAR: Everyone knows the Panthers are this years whipping boy and exactly what will happen at QB this week is any ones guess. Jonathan Stewarts status is still up in the air and with Goodson's second solid performance, look for him to be the offense against the Browns 21st rush defense. Cleveland is 22nd vs the pass, so there is a chance Steve Smith flirts with a score.

 CLE: While Carolina does own the 7th ranked pass defense, it may not be as much a factor since Delhomme looks to get the start vs his former team while McCoy nurses an ankle sprain. Nobody is sure to know the defense like Delhomme and Hillis should walk over the Carolina 24th run defense making Delhomme that much more effective even with his limited options.

 There really isn't much to debate here, it's a good team against the league worst. CLE 20- CAR 14. 

FANTASY STARTS: CAR: Goodson (17 for 80 yds. 1 TD) Smith ( 4 for 60 yds. 1 TD) CLE: Hillis (14 for 110 yds. 2 TD) Watson (5 for 80 yds.) 

SLEEPER: Stuckey CLE.....Delhomme is far from a gun slinger and if Carolina is effective at denying Watson, Stuckey becomes the primary target in the minimalist pass game.

 JACK JAGUARS @ NY GIANTS: JAC: Not that he was producing all that much, but Simms-Walker will be out a few weeks, and that boosts Osgood's value big time. Osgood immediately was effective last week and now is a sure fire guy Gerard will look to is Thomas is covered. This week though they face a stingy Giants secondary that ranks 4th. The G men are also 4th vs the run but have had issues against the top tier backs. The Giants are looking to return to their winning ways and Coughlin is a good bet to sell out and ensure MJD doesn't beat them. It will be on Gerrard to make it happen but does struggle on the road at times. 

NYG: The Giants also lost a receiver last week though theirs more costly. Hakeem Nicks is slated to miss three weeks which not only puts the Giants in a bind but your fantasy team as well. Three weeks plus one week for him to get back into the flow means he probably won't be reliable until the last week of the fantasy playoffs. What could have been a huge week vs the Jags 28th pass defense becomes a bit more even keeled. Regardless of the Bradshaw fumbles, he is their best runner and will be needed here since the Giants are running out of play makers. Jacksonville ranks 19th vs the run so look for a good Jacobs-Bradshaw split that tries to wear down the Jags. Anyone remember pre season stud Victor Cruz? Maybe this is where he gets his shot since the Giants are down to Manningham alone. 

Both teams are on equal footing but defense wins games, and the Jags are a one trick pony. The Giants contain MJD and win a low scorer. NYG 20- JAC 13.

 FANTASY STARTS: JAC: MJD (14 for 65 1 TD/4 for 25 yds) NYG: Manningham (6 for 70 yds. 1 TD) Bradshaw (11 for 65 yds.) Jacobs (13 for 70 yds. 1 TD) 

SLEEPER: V. Cruz NYG.....This guy was sensational in the preseason and did well vs starters as well, not just second teamers. He has speed to burn and this is a favorable match up for Coughlin to break him in. 

MIN VIKINGS @ WASH REDSKINS: MIN: Much like Phillips in Dallas, the players lost all respect for Childress a long time ago, finally prompting Wilf to fire him. Now comes Leslie Frazier and echos of Dallas begin to play. The team respects Frasier and what he's built with this defense. Expect him to allow Favre some room and to open things up a bit. Most likely he will try and pound Peterson of course, but something tells me he let's Favre loose. While not necessarily a good thing, it may make the Vikings a bit more unpredictable. This week they face one of the worst secondaries in Washington, ranked 29th. The Skins are equally as bad vs the rush, ranking 28th. All your Vikings make good plays this week and now with Rice getting a game under his belt he should get a score. 

WASH: The Skins stepped up on the road vs the Titans but will now face a tougher defense ranked 13th vs the pass and 7th vs the rush. Portis is officially out, leaving Torain and Williams as the options. Mcnabb should have some success through the air and it will be another big passing work load for him since the Washington run game ranks 22nd. Armstrong should be the fantasy guy here since the Vikings are strong defending other top wide outs not named Jennings.

 The Vikings do their best Dallas impression and let loose on a sporadic Redskin team. MIN 28-WAS 20. 

FANTASY STARTS: MIN: All you players. Peterson has the highest scoring day of the bunch though. WAS: Williams (12 for 55 yds. 1 TD/4 for 40 yds.) Moss (4 for 60 yds.) Armstrong (5 for 85 yds. 1 TD) SLEEPER: Cooley WAS....He will be depended on heavily with Allen pressuring Mcnabb all day. 

TENN TITANS @ HOU TEXANS: TEN: Vince Young goes to the IR, shutting him down for the year in what may have been his final game as a Titan. Collins comes in and has the best possible opponent vs the Texans 32nd pass defense. This of all games should be Moss' day to score and Bo Scaife should also get fantasy love as well. The Texans are middle of the pack vs the run, but it's CJ and middle of the pack means a two score 100 yard day for him. All your Titans are starter worthy this week, pure and simple.

 HOU: Schaub seemed to suffer no set back on his knee this week and should post solid numbers vs the Titan 27th ranked secondary. The Titans are far better vs the run at 11th, but Foster has been a beast at home and is tough no matter who the opponent. The Titans do have a good front four and have applied solid pressure on QB's logging 30 sacks. No big deal for Schaub though since all he will need to do is lob the ball up to Andre Johnson who should return to his normal big days.

 This one goes to whoever can score that one last TD vs suspect secondaries. Since Collins is not as much of a deep threat thrower as Schaub, Texans get it. HOU 31-TEN 28.

 FANTASY STARTS: All your players in this game for either team. It should be a high scoring affair, spreading the double digit goodness. 

SLEEPER: Derik Ward HOU and Javon Ringer TEN....Both guys could see expanded time in relief of their lead backs whom will have heavy work loads. Ward has already scored in similar type games and while Ringer doesn't get a lot of touches, he makes the most of them here while Houston is on their heels. 

MIA DOLPHINS @ OAKLAND RAIDERS: MIA: After laying an egg last Thursday, the Dolphins get a chance to regroup and face an Oakland team that took a beating of their own in Pittsburgh. Oakland is 25th vs the run and we could see good days for both Brown and Williams. Sporano will likely go run heavy regardless since Marshall will be a questionable start and Thigpen was humbled last week. Look for Brown to see more action in the pass game as well with a return to a heavier use of the wildcat.

 OAK: Asumogha is believed to have a shot at playing this week but not much has been confirmed as of yet. Campbell is so far likely to get the start but regardless who is back there, the Miami 6th pass defense will be an issue. Like Miami, the Raiders should elect to go run heavy vs Miami's 20th rush defense. Ball control with middle safe route passing will be keys for both teams. 

Both teams are similar with their styles of play but Oakland has the more formidable ground game and has proven it. OAK-20-MIA 17.

 FANTASY STARTS: MIA: Brown (13 for 70 yds 1 TD/ 5 for 45 yds) Williams (11 for 55 yds.) Bess (5 for 60 yds.) Fasano (4 for 45 yds) Hartline (6 for 50 yds. 1 TD) OAK: McFadden (16 for 95 yds. 1 TD/3 for 40 yds.) Miller (4 for 55 yds. 1 TD) 

SLEEPER: J. Ford OAK....He was kept quiet vs the Steelers, but everybody was. Look for him to bounce back and have the better match up as Murphy deals with Vontae Davis. 

KC CHIEFS @ SEA SEAHAWKS: KC: Thomas Jones got back into the flow of things vs Arizona and Charles was also effective in limited duty since Jones had the hot hand. Seattle is 14th vs the run, but they will most likely be without their top CB Truffant (concussion) which will allow more options in the pass game. KC's weak secondary (24th) also gets a breather since it looks like Mike Williams will be out after hearing a pop in the bottom of his foot last week. Carrol isn't saying much, but it sounds serious so look for KC to be effective in the pass and use the ground game to keep a lead in the second half. Both backs will be solid plays once again. 

SEA: No Mike Williams will mean an expanded role for Butler and Carlon since Hasselbeck will be the key to scoring against the KC 24th pass defense. Lynch will have a tougher time vs the 12th rush defense of the Chiefs, leaving Forsett as the guy you want here because of his catch skills. Look for a heavy pass attack involving getting Forsett into space.

 Seattle lost it's top two guys at skill positions on both sides of the ball and KC gets the win in a hostile environment. KC 24-SEA 17.

 FANTASY STARTS: KC: Jones (15 for 55 yds. 1 TD) Charles (11 for 65 yds. 1 TD/ 3 for 40 yds.) Bowe ( 4 for 60 yds. 1 TD) SEA: Butler (5 for 70 yds. 1 TD) Forsett (9 for 40 yds./6 for 55 yds. 1 TD) SLEEPER: Carlson SEA....Carlson is about the only dependable option for Hasselbeck and could see a big day if the Hawks get down fast.

 PHI EAGLES @ CHI BEARS: PHI: Vick has now gone 220 passes without a pick which would have been unimaginable if we were not seeing it for ourselves. Both he and McCoy have also propelled the Eagles run game to 3rd in the NFL but now face a hot Bears team ranked 2nd vs the run and 12th vs the pass. Reid will look to test the secondary early and get McCoy some running room. 

CHI: Much like themselves, the Eagles are stout vs the run (8th) and 17th vs the pass. The Eagles will be without Assante Samuel, who helped this pass defense become respectable when he returned after missing time. Now without him, the Eagles face the threat of playing catch up for the first time since Vick has returned. Look for Martz to also test the secondary, but more out of need than want. Forte has been weak on the ground but has picked it up of late. Even with the run game getting a footing, it will be tough to find room here. The Bears defense seems to be hitting it's peak and they are as tough as can be at home.

 The Eagles have 19 picks on the year but missing Samuel will hurt, especially vs a pass happy Martz. Chicago wins a tough defensive game. CHI 20-PHI 17. 

FANTASY STARTS: PHI: Vick (260 yds. 2 TD/ 3 for 50 yds.) Jackson ( 4 for 89 yds. 1 TD) Maclin ( 5 for 70 yds.) McCoy (12 for 40 yds./ 5 for 55 yds.) CHI: Forte (10 for 40 yds./ 7 for 65 yds. 1 TD) Knox (5 for 65 yds. 1 TD) 

SLEEPER: Hester CHI...With focus placed on Knox and Forte, Olsen and Hester will be the ones with favorable match ups and opportunity to win those battles. Hester's special teams ability of course adds value, but he has been evolving the last few weeks and can get hot.

 STL RAMS @ DEN BRONCOS: RAMS: The defense let one go vs Atlanta and now the Rams who have road issues travel cross country to face a Denver team with steam to blow off after a poor Monday night showing. The Broncos are 26th vs the run and good vs the pass despite what we saw Monday so look for a heavy dose of Jackson. This could be one of those times where SJax has a career day in both rushing and receiving. Sproles and Tolbert each had great success in their roles, and SJax is both of them rolled into one. The Rams are 26th in pass offense and outside of Gibson have no decent deep option. Look for a ton of SJax with Amendola in short yardage situations. 

DEN: The Broncos run game fizzled once again after starting strong vs San Diego and the pass game wasn't much better. The Broncos were pressured often and Orton will see a similar type of defensive plan in the Rams. This will be another bad week for Moreno, as the Rams are 9th vs the run. The good new is that the Rams 21st ranked pass defense is just what Orton and company need after being shit down on Monday. We should see a return to the air show in this one and expect Orton to hit 300 here. 

While the Rams will make a good go at it early, the Broncos excel at the deep ball and it is too much for the Rams. DEN 28-STL 17. 

FANTASY STARTS: STL: Jackson (16 for 90 yds. 1 TD/6 for 55 yds. 1 TD) 

DEN: Orton (310 yds. 3 TD) Lloyd ( 7 for 95 yds. 1 TD) Gaffney ( 4 for 55 yds. 1 TD) Royal ( 6 for 70 yds. 1 TD) 

SLEEPER: Gibson STL....while not much is to be expected of him, the Broncos know if the Rams get to the red zone Bradford looks to Amendola and Bailey has the ability to keep him blanketed leaving Gibson with a possible short yard score.

TB BUCCANEERS @ BAL RAVENS: TB: Nobody would have guessed the Bucs would be in the divisional race, much less the NFC playoff race, but at 7-3 here we are. After shutting out the 49ers on the road, the Bucs secondary has risen to 3rd in the NFL and have 15 interceptions. Offensively, the run game which was stagnant and in the bottom half behind Williams has risen to 12th behind Legarette Blount. Williams has become the 3rd down/4th Quarter guys and has found success allowing the pass game to open up because of the run effectiveness. Rookie Mike Williams is at the top of his class amongst receivers, battling Dez Bryant for a shot at ROY. The Bucs have lost their previous 2 matches against playoff teams in Pittsburgh and New Orleans, but in each one Cadillac was the lead back and the Bucs had no run game to speak of. Now they bring a much more effective and balanced offense to Baltimore to face their 10th rated rush defense and 11th pass defense. This will be the best test yet for this young team to see how it will match with some savvy veterans. The Bucs will of course focus on the run to open the pass, and are getting some players back just in time. Sammy Stroughter and C Jeff Faine both returned the last two weeks and will be needed to step up here. Look for the Bucs to possibly get creative, using Josh Johnson in the wildcat formation the Bucs have been testing out the last few weeks. Where they will win is in the pass game where other teams like Buffalo have had success. 

BALT: The Ravens have been playing like the Super Bowl contenders we expected and bring a very balanced attack against the Bucs 3rd ranked pass defense but have a great match up against the Bucs 30th rush defense. The Bucs schemed well last week and held Frank Gore to just 60 total yards which is a feat few teams have been able to do. This week should see a similar scheme as they try to limit Ray Rice's abilities. The Ravens will face one of the stiffer secondaries since the Jets, so will look to test the ground game immediately with a healthy dose of Rice. Houshmenzadeh broke out last week vs the tough Carolina secondary and should play the wild card here as well. The Ravens have multiple weapons on offense and Housh with Heap are the two factors that challenge any secondaries depth. 

Baltimore has the home crowd and how hard this game is for them will depend on what Bucs rush defense shows up. The one from last week or the one which earned that 30th rush defense ranking. The home team has the edge until we see other wise. BAL 23-TB 20.

FANTASY STARTS: TB: Blount (14 for 60 yds. 1 TD) M. Williams (4 for 70 yds. 1 TD)

BAL: Rice (13 for 70 yds. 1 TD/ 4 for 45 yds) Boldin (4 for 65 yds. 1 TD) 

SLEEPER: Todd Heap BALT....The Bucs athletic LB core will be focused on Ray Rice, leaving some mismatches for Heap to take advantage of. 

SD CHARGERS @ IND COLTS: SD: The Chargers November madness hopes to continue this week against a Colts secondary ranked 10th. Rivers showed he doesn't need to throw for 300 yards to win, instead dumping off to his receivers who amassed a ton of YAC. The Chargers may be without Patrick Crayton on this short week, but are expecting Vincent Jackson to return opposite Malcom Floyd. Rivers has already proven he can do it regardless who he's throwing to, and the return of Floyd and Jackson is going to test the Colts ranking. The man to watch however will be Mike Tolbert whom has over shadowed rookie Ryan Mathews with his hard nosed running and 8 TD's in 10 games. Tolbert is the one you can depend on and will carry great value here since the Colts have the 31st ranked rush defense. As I said, it doesn't matter who the opponent is, so look for SD to keep doing it's thing with Rivers and using the play action for some deep connections and catch the Colts sleeping. Gates is hoping to return this week and only further complicates things for the Colts.

IND: Peyton came up just short last week and is a good bet to bounce back this week. It won't be easy though vs the SD top pass defense which just flustered Kyle Orton and Denver's 5th ranked pass offense. Manning should see some pressure most the game and will be without Austin Collie who runs those under routes Manning relies on when things get dicey. He will instead continue to rely on Jacob Tamme who has saved Manning's hide on numerous drives and is the only sure handed receiver past Reggie Wayne. It should be Donald Brown again this week, and Brown, who is already not the greatest play, faces the SD 3rd ranked run defense. Manning will be forced to throw often, and like Rivers, it really doesn't matter who the opponent is, Manning will find the holes in a defense. Garcon will need to have another solid game if the Colts hope to pull this one out against another playoff caliber team for the second straight week.

This will be a great game of strategy and QB play to watch, but the only factor which tilts the scales is Tolbert vs the Colts rush defense. Tolbert should be able to find running lanes and scores the difference maker. SD 31-IND 28.

FANTASY STARTS: SD: Rivers (280 yds. 3 TD) Floyd (5 for 70 yds. 1 TD) Jackson (6 for 65 yds. 1 TD) Gates (8 for 90 yds. 1 TD) Tolbert (13 for 80 yds. 1 TD)

IND: Wayne ( 5 for 80 yds. 1 TD) Tamme (7 for 90 yds. 1 TD) Garcon ( 3 for 55 yds. 1 TD) Manning (260 yds. 3 TD) Brown (14 for 50 yds./ 3 for 25 yds. 1 TD)

SLEEPER: D. Sproles SD....Sproles pass catch/run abilities always keeps the defenses guessing and is a great decoy for Rivers. Look for Sproles and his speed on turf to be a difference maker and keep the Colts honest from selling out. 

WEEK 12 GAME/FANTASY PREVIEW

NE PATRIOTS @ DET LIONS: NE: Two weeks straight the Pats have rolled through two playoff caliber teams, dinking and dunking them to death. This may not be the Pats we expect but they are getting things done and executing. Thanksgiving will give them a lot to be thankful for as they face Detroit's 27th ranked rush defense. Detroit is decent vs the pass at 16 but Indianapolis was far better vs the pass and we saw how the Brady to Welker connection dismantled them. Green-Ellis will have a great day here and could see two scores given the ease the Pats will have moving the ball. Hernandez is back also and should see a score and find plenty of room.
DET: Jhavid Best's turf toe is getting worse and has him as a non factor since week four when he aggrivated it. Both he and Tony Scheffler whom will be nursing sore ribs, will be iffy plays on a very short week. Not good news against a Patriot run defense that has jumped to 17th with solid play the last few weeks. As always the Lions will be throwing often and though the Pats rank 31st vs the pass, they have been very opportunistic of late, picking off two of the better QB's in Roethlisberger and Manning on crucial drives. The Scheffler injury is good news for Pettigrew owners as he should see expanded work given the Best issues and the fact we could see Hill throw 40+ times.

The Pats will all but ignore the run game and drop extra guys back against the Detroit 6th pass offense. Pats easily win, NE 28-DET 20.

FANTASY STARTS: NE: Brady (280 yds. 3 TD) Green-Ellis (12 for 70 yds. 1 TD) Hernandez (3 for 45 yds. 1 TD) Welker ( 6 for 75 yds. 1 TD) Woodhead (80 total yards) Branch (4 for 60 yds. 1 TD)
DET: Pettigrew (5 for 60 yds. 1 TD) Johnson (6 for 85 yds. 1 TD) Burleson (4 for 50 yds.)
SLEEPER: Shaun Hill DET....He should be forced to throw from start to finish and while the Pats are bound to pick him off a few times, his big work load will produce yardage.

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NO SAINTS @ DAL COWBOYS: SAINTS: Had this game been scheduled two weeks ago we would look at the Dallas defense and expect a huge day, but Garrett has this 20th ranked pass defense and 22nd pass D playing inspired ball. The Saints really don't have many options even if Bush is back to 100% and will use their 2nd ranked pass offense often as usual. Colston seems to be hitting his stride the last few weeks and is emerging as Brees most trusted target. Given the Dallas strength at home and a whole new attitude, don't be surprised if Brees does struggle a bit and this game is closer than expectations. DAL: The Cowboys 4th ranked pass offense will face a stiffer challenge against the Saints 2nd ranked pass defense. The Saints can be run on effectively though so look for Felix Jones to be involved heavily as long as his hip issue isn't a problem. While the Saints do have a stout pass defense, they have yet to face a team with this many weapons on offense and will focus on taking Bryant out of the game if they can. Look for Roy Williams and Jones to see a lot of work because of coverages in the pass game. Dallas is playing their hearts out and this is a statement game at home. They will have plenty of mismatches as will the Saints so this one could be a high scoring shoot out. Dallas gets the upset, playing to the potential everyone expected of them this year. DAL 31-NO 28. FANTASY STARTS: NO: Brees (310 yds. 3 TD) Colston (6 for 95 yds. 1 TD) Moore (7 for 60 yds. 1 TD) Meachem (3 for 65 yds. 1 TD) Bush (70 total yards 1 TD) DAL: Jones (13 for 60 yds. 1 TD/ 4 for 40 yds.) Austin (5 for 70 yds. 1 TD) Bryant (4 for 55 yds. 1 TD) Williams (4 for 80 yds. 1 TD) SLEEPER: Witten DAL: while he has seen limited action recently, the Saints defense will be busy keeping all three wide outs in check leaving Witten with room. CIN BENGALS @ NY JETS: CIN: It can't get any worse for the Bengals, and you know it's bad when ego maniac T.O. says they all stink including him. Now they face the Jets whom are finding ways to beat everybody. While the Jets can be passed on, Cedric Benson will be up against the 5th ranked rush defense which is as fast as any he has seen. Benson only excells against weaker defenses and should have a quiet day. Palmer and his accuracy issues will face the 18th ranked pass defense, but the right side will all but be shut down by Revis. T.O. is the recipient of a trip to Revis island so we could see a lot of three wide sets that move him away from Revis. Ochocinco should see the most work of the two. NY JETS: Sanchez and the Jets seem to have a knack for pulling games out in the end and he should see plenty of time in the pocket since the Bengals have only 10 sacks on the year which is worst in the NFL. Odom does return for the Bengals, but it should mean very little against a secondary that allowed 3 TD passes to S. Johnson last week. LT and Greene have still been pretty quiet as of late but face the Bengals 23rd rush defense. The Jets simply have too many weapons for the Bengals to contain and Marvin Lewis is eyeing a similar fate as Chilly and Phillips. Jets hit the Bengals while they are down. NYJ 27-CIN 20. FANTASY STARTS: CIN: Ochocinco (5 for 80 yds. 1 TD) Shipley (6 for 55 yds. 1 TD) Owens (4 for 50 yds.) NYJ: Holmes (5 for 70 yds. 1 TD) LT ( 15 for 80 yds 1 TD/ 4 for 50 yds) Edwards ( 3 for 50 yds. 1 TD) Keller (4 for 45 yds. 1 TD) SLEEPER: Greene NYJ....While he is seeing an increased work load, this one smells like it could be over by the third Q, leaving Greene to wear the Bengals down late. He could be in line for a TD here. GB PACKERS @ ATL FALCONS: GB: Green Bay has been the tip of the ice berg for two coaches jobs in successive weeks and now travel to Atlanta in what will be Atlanta's toughest test since they met the Steelers. Donald Driver looked good vs the Vikes and should be closer to the norm this week. Even better has been the play of James Jones whom now adds a third threat for Rogers and should be the big wild card in this game. The Falcons are 23rd vs the pass and if there is one thing the Pack can do well is pass. They are 10th in pass offense and should come out gunning since Jackson will see little room vs the Falcons 6th rush defense. Atlanta is +10 in turnover margin which explains a big part of their success. However, Rogers is good enough and accurate enough to avoid mistakes. ATL: The Falcons are one of the most offensively balanced teams, ranking 13 in passing and 7th in rushing. Where they will find most success is in the run game if Turner can get it going and sneak away from Matthews who has been in beast mode for the Packers. While the Pack are ranked 15th in passing D, Tremon Williams is one of the most under rated CB's and is just as solid a player as Woodson. Both White and Jenkins face some of the best coverage they have all year and it will be on Turner to force the Packers to bring another body up and give the WR's room. Look for the Falcons to get Turner involved very early and often. This will be one of the better games this weekend and will wind up a win for the Packers. Nobody has been able to contain Matthews and the Falcons have yet to face as balanced a defense this year. Rogers should be able to pick apart this secondary, forcing the Falcons to abandon the run game. GB 28-ATL 20. FANTASY STARTS: GB: Rogers (300 yds. 3 TD) Jennings ( 6 for 75 yds. 1 TD) Jones (4 for 60 yds. 1 TD) Driver ( 6 for 55 yds. 1 TD) Jackson (11 for 40 yds. 1 TD) ATL: Ryan (250 yds. 1 TD) White (4 for 60 yds. 1 TD) Jenkins (3 for 45 yds.) Turner (13 for 65 yds. 1 TD/ 4 for 45 yds.) SLEEPER: Gonzales ATL....He will be a boom or bust candidate this week given he should be asked to stay in more and help block Matthews. However, the Packers aggresive defense style could also allow him to slip out and see a field of green and a sneaky score. PIT STEELERS @ BUFF BILLS: PIT: The Steelers man handled the Raiders last week and now face an offense even weaker. On the defensive side, the Bills do have a good secondary ranked 9th and good at not allowing the long ball. But the Bills are 32nd vs the run and face the Steeler 11th rush offense behind Mendenhall. He should have an effective day here, but like most Bills opponents, the effectiveness of the run game will open lanes for Wallace and Ward to find the end zone when close. BUFF: The Bills have put two in a row together but let's face it, it was against two teams worse than they are. The Bills do have the talent to make this one interesting and we can expect another good fantasy day for Fitzpatrick since he will no doubt be throwing from start to finish. The Steelers own the top Rush defense in the NFL and have shut down better backs that Jackson. The Steelers are 25th vs the pass, so look for this to be the focus, making Jackson a possible bench candidate if you have options. The Steelers are tied for 2nd in sacks, so while they do allow the yardage, they can make it a long day if able to get penetration against a Bills offensive line that is weak. While Fitz and Johnson will put up points, it will be tempered by how well the line blocks for him. Unless the Steelers under estimate the Bills, this one goes as expected. PIT 24- BUF 17. FANTASY STARTS: PIT: Mendenhall (16 for 110 yds. 1 TD/ 2 for 20 yds.) Wallace (4 for 55 yds. 1 TD) Ward (6 for 70 yds. 1 TD) BUF: Fitzpatrick (280 yds. 2 TD) Johnson ( 6 for 90 yds. 1 TD) Evans ( 4 for 70 yds. 1 TD) SLEEPER: Miller PIT...He has been relegated to a fourth option on offense, but does pose some value here since the Bills Whitner can take away Ward from those short routes he runs making Miller the second option in the pass game. CAR PANTHERS @ CLE BROWNS: CAR: Everyone knows the Panthers are this years whipping boy and exactly what will happen at QB this week is anyones guess. Jonathan Stewarts status is still up in the air and with Goodson's second solid performance, look for him to be the offense against the Browns 21st rush defense. Cleveland is 22nd vs the pass, so there is a chance Steve Smith flirts with a score. CLE: While Carolina does own the 7th ranked pass defense, it may not be as much a factor since Delhomme looks to get the start vs his former team while McCoy nurses an ankle sprain. Nobody is sure to know the defense like Delhomme and Hillis should walk over the Carolina 24th run defense making Delhomme that much more effective even with his limited options. There really isn't much to debate here, it's a good team against the league worst. CLE 20- CAR 14. FANTASY STARTS: CAR: Goodson (17 for 80 yds. 1 TD) Smith ( 4 for 60 yds. 1 TD) CLE: Hillis (14 for 110 yds. 2 TD) Watson (5 for 80 yds.) SLEEPER: Stuckey CLE.....Delhomme is far from a gun slinger and if Carolina is effective at denying Watson, Stuckey becomes the primary target in the minimalist pass game. JACK JAGUARS @ NY GIANTS: JAC: Not that he was producing all that much, but Simms-Walker will be out a few weeks, and that boosts Osgood's value big time. Osgood immediately was effective last week and now is a sure fire guy Gerard will look to is Thomas is covered. This week though they face a stingy Giants secondary that ranks 4th. The G men are also 4th vs the run but have had issues against the top tier backs. The Giants are looking to return to their winning ways and Coughlin is a good bet to sell out and ensure MJD doesn't beat them. It will be on Gerrard to make it happen but does struggle on the road at times. NYG: The Giants also lost a receiver last week though theirs more costly. Hakeem Nicks is slated to miss three weeks which not only puts the Giants in a bind but your fantasy team as well. Three weeks plus one week for him to get back into the flow means he probably won't be reliable until the last week of the fantasy playoffs. What could have been a huge week vs the Jags 28th pass defense becomes a bit more even keeled. Regardless of the Bradshaw fumbles, he is their best runner and will be needed here since the Giants are running out of play makers. Jacksonville ranks 19th vs the run so look for a good Jacobs-Bradshaw split that tries to wear down the Jags. Anyone remember pre season stud Victor Cruz? Maybe this is where he gets his shot since the Giants are down to Manningham alone. Both teams are on equal footing but defense wins games, and the Jags are a one trick pony. The Giants contain MJD and win a low scorer. NYG 20- JAC 13. FANTASY STARTS: JAC: MJD (14 for 65 1 TD/4 for 25 yds) NYG: Manningham (6 for 70 yds. 1 TD) Bradshaw (11 for 65 yds.) Jacobs (13 for 70 yds. 1 TD) SLEEPER: V. Cruz NYG.....This guy was sensational in the preseason and did well vs starters as well, not just second teamers. He has speed to burn and this is a favorable match up for Coughlin to break him in. MIN VIKINGS @ WASH REDSKINS: MIN: Much like Phillips in Dallas, the players lost all respect for Childress a long time ago, finally prompting Wilf to fire him. Now comes Leslie Frazier and echos of Dallas begin to play. The team respects Frasier and what he's built with this defense. Expect him to allow Favre some room and to open things up a bit. Most likely he will try and pound Peterson of course, but something tells me he let's Favre loose. While not necessarily a good thing, it may make the Vikings a bit more unpredictable. This week they face one of the worst secondaries in Washington, ranked 29th. The Skins are equally as bad vs the rush, ranking 28th. All your Vikings make good plays this week and now with Rice getting a game under his belt he should get a score. WASH: The Skins stepped up on the road vs the Titans but will now face a tougher defense ranked 13th vs the pass and 7th vs the rush. Portis is officially out, leaving Torain and Williams as the options. Mcnabb should have some success through the air and it will be another big passing work load for him since the Washington run game ranks 22nd. Armstrong should be the fanatsy guy here since the Vikings are strong defending other top wide outs not named Jennings. The Vikings do their best Dallas impression and let loose on a sporadic Redskin team. MIN 28-WAS 20. FANTASY STARTS: MIN: All you players. Peterson has the highest scoring day of the bunch though. WAS: Williams (12 for 55 yds. 1 TD/4 for 40 yds.) Moss (4 for 60 yds.) Armstrong (5 for 85 yds. 1 TD) SLEEPER: Cooley WAS....He will be depended on heavily with Allen pressuring Mcnabb all day. TENN TITANS @ HOU TEXANS: TEN: Vince Young goes to the IR, shutting him down for the year in what may have been his final game as a Titan. Collins comes in and has the best possible opponent vs the Texans 32nd pass defense. This of all games should be Moss' day to score and Bo Scaife should also get fantasy love as well. The Texans are middle of the pack vs the run, but it's CJ and middle of the pack means a two score 100 yard day for him. All your Titans are starter worthy this week, pure and simple. HOU: Schaub seemed to suffer no set back on his knee this week and should post solid numbers vs the Titan 27th ranked secondary. The Titans are far better vs the run at 11th, but Foster has been a beast at home and is tough no matter who the opponent. The Titans do have a good front four and have applied solid pressure on QB's logging 30 sacks. No big deal for Schaub though since all he will need to do is lob the ball up to Andre Johnson who should return to his normal big days. This one goes to whoever can score that one last TD vs suspect secondaries. Since Collins is not as much of a deep threat thrower as Schaub, Texans get it. HOU 31-TEN 28. FANTASY STARTS: All your players in this game for either team. It should be a high scoring affair, spreading the double digit goodness. SLEEPER: Derik Ward HOU and Javon Ringer TEN....Both guys could see expanded time in relief of their lead backs whom will have heavy work loads. Ward has already scored in similar type games and while Ringer doesn'nt get a lot of touches, he makes the most of them here while Houston is on their heels. MIA DOLPHINS @ OAKLAND RAIDERS: MIA: After laying an egg last Thursday, the Dolphins get a chance to regroup and face an Oakland team that took a beating of their own in Pittsburgh. Oakland is 25th vs the run and we could see good days for both Brown and Williams. Sporano will likely go run heavy regardless since Marshall will be a questionable start and Thigpen was humbled last week. Look for Brown to see more action in the pass game as well with a return to a heavier use of the wildcat. OAK: Asumogha is believed to have a shot at playing this week but not much has been confirmed as of yet. Campbell is so far likely to get the start but regardless who is back there, the Miami 6th pass defense will be an issue. Like Miami, the Raiders should elect to go run heavy vs Miami's 20th rush defense. Ball control with middle safe route passing will be keys for both teams. Both teams are similar with their styles of play but Oakland has the more formidable ground game and has proven it. OAK-20-MIA 17. FANTASY STARTS: MIA: Brown (13 for 70 yds 1 TD/ 5 for 45 yds) Williams (11 for 55 yds.) Bess (5 for 60 yds.) Fasano (4 for 45 yds) Hartline (6 for 50 yds. 1 TD) OAK: McFadden (16 for 95 yds. 1 TD/3 for 40 yds.) Miller (4 for 55 yds. 1 TD) SLEEPER: J. Ford OAK....He was kept quiet vs the Steelers, but everybody was. Look for him to bounce back and have the better match up as Murphy deals with Vontae Davis. KC CHIEFS @ SEA SEAHAWKS: KC: Thomas Jones got back into the flow of things vs Arizona and Charles was also effective in limited duty since Jones had the hot hand. Seattle is 14th vs the run, but they will most likely be without their top CB Truffant (concussion) which will allow more options in the pass game. KC's weak secondary (24th) also gets a breather since it looks like Mike Williams will be out after hearing a pop in the bottom of his foot last week. Carrol isn't saying much, but it sounds serious so look for KC to be effective in the pass and use the ground game to keep a lead in the second half. Both backs will be solid plays once again. SEA: No Mike Williams will mean an expanded role for Butler and Carlon since Hasselbeck will be the key to scoring against the KC 24th pass defense. Lynch will have a tougher time vs the 12th rush defense of the Chiefs, leaving Forsett as the guy you want here because of his catch skills. Look for a heavy pass attack involving getting Forsett into space. Seattle lost it's top two guys at skill positions on both sides of the ball and KC gets the win in a hostile environment. KC 24-SEA 17. FANTASY STARTS: KC: Jones (15 for 55 yds. 1 TD) Charles (11 for 65 yds. 1 TD/ 3 for 40 yds.) Bowe ( 4 for 60 yds. 1 TD) SEA: Butler (5 for 70 yds. 1 TD) Forsett (9 for 40 yds./6 for 55 yds. 1 TD) SLEEPER: Carlson SEA....Carlson is about the only dependable option for Hasselbeck and could see a big day if the Hawks get down fast. PHI EAGLES @ CHI BEARS: PHI: Vick has now gone 220 passes without a pick which would have been unimaginable if we were not seeing it for ourselves. Both he and McCoy have also propelled the Eagles run game to 3rd in the NFL but now face a hot Bears team ranked 2nd vs the run and 12th vs the pass. Reid will look to test the secondary early and get McCoy some running room. CHI: Much like themselves, the Eagles are stout vs the run (8th) and 17th vs the pass. The Eagles will be without Assante Samuel, who helped this pass defense become respectable when he returned after missing time. Now without him, the Eagles face the threat of playing catch up for the first time since Vick has returned. Look for Martz to also test the secondary, but more out of need than want. Forte has been weak on the ground but has picked it up of late. Even with the run game getting a footing, it will be tough to find room here. The Bears defense seems to be hitting it's peak and they are as tough as can be at home. The Eagles have 19 picks on the year but missing Samuel will hurt, especially vs a pass happy Martz. Chicago wins a tough defensive game. CHI 20-PHI 17. FANTASY STARTS: PHI: Vick (260 yds. 2 TD/ 3 for 50 yds.) Jackson ( 4 for 89 yds. 1 TD) Maclin ( 5 for 70 yds.) McCoy (12 for 40 yds./ 5 for 55 yds.) CHI: Forte (10 for 40 yds./ 7 for 65 yds. 1 TD) Knox (5 for 65 yds. 1 TD) SLEEPER: Hester CHI...With focus placed on Knox and Forte, Olsen and Hester will be the ones with favorable match ups and opportunity to win those battles. Hester's special teams ability of course adds value, but he has been evolving the last few weeks and can get hot. STL RAMS @ DEN BRONCOS: RAMS: The defense let one go vs Atlanta and now the Rams who have road issues travel cross country to face a Denver team with steam to blow off after a poor Monday night showing. The Broncos are 26th vs the run and good vs the pass despite what we saw Monday so look for a heavy dose of Jackson. This could be one of those times where SJax has a career day in both rushing and receiving. Sproles and Tolbert each had great success in their roles, and SJax is both of them rolled into one. The Rams are 26th in pass offense and outside of Gibson have no decent deep option. Look for a ton of SJax with Amendola in short yardage situations. DEN: The Broncos run game fizzled once again after starting strong vs San Diego and the pass game wasn't much better. The Broncos were pressured often and Orton will see a similar type of defensive plan in the Rams. This will be another bad week for Moreno, as the Rams are 9th vs the run. The good new is that the Rams 21st ranked pass defense is just what Orton and company need after being shit down on Monday. We should see a return to the air show in this one and expect Orton to hit 300 here. While the Rams will make a good go at it early, the Broncos excell at the deep ball and it is too much for the Rams. DEN 28-STL 17. FANTASY STARTS: STL: Jackson (16 for 90 yds. 1 TD/6 for 55 yds. 1 TD) DEN: Orton (310 yds. 3 TD) Lloyd ( 7 for 95 yds. 1 TD) Gaffney ( 4 for 55 yds. 1 TD) Royal ( 6 for 70 yds. 1 TD) SLEEPER: Gibson STL....while not much is to be expected of him, the Broncos know if the Rams get to the red zone Bradford looks to Amendola and Bailey has the ability to keep him blanketed leaving Gibson with a possible short yard score.

FRIDAY GUT CHECK

A list of players who may have bad match ups, are lesser options or have not been productive but something in the gut says now is the time to start them. Last week...4 out of 5 due to Pennington getting hurt.

PIERRE GARCON IND....If you have him, you have no doubt been let down big time thinking each week is his week to break out. He is far from his draft value and for the most part has flex play value only. Even on good match up weeks he fails to produce and Manning seems to be in love with Tamme. This week comes the Patriots whom are weak vs the pass, but "The Hoodie" is proving just how great a coach he is by putting this team in contention in what was supposed to be a rebuilding year. He will scheme to stop Manning and defend the pass, but he can't cover all bases. Garcon has the ability and while the Pats focus on Wayne and Tamme, Garcon has one of his bigger games.

DONALD BROWN IND....Much like Garcon he's been a huge let down, and it is a big probability that objective one for the Pats will be stopping the pass. Manning is poised to have a field day against this young and vulnerable secondary so look for them to sell out vs the pass and allow plenty of running room for Brown. Like Garcon, this could be his best week.

DARREN MCFADDEN OAK....Benjarvis Green-Ellis rushed for 87 yards and caught for 30 last week vs this top rated rush defense whom have shut down runners all year. Oakland comes out of the bye fresh and you can bet they will try and mimic what the Patriots did to them last week. Oakland gets Murphy and possibly Miller back this week, so the Steelers will need to pay attention to those threats, especially if they get off to a quick start. Let's face it, you're probably starting Mcfadden anyway but the opponent is a tough one. He is the Raiders best weapon and Cable will find ways to get him the ball. This is the time of year when even great defenses start breaking down so Mcfadden exceeds expectations this week.

JHAVID BEST DET.....He hasn't broken double digit fantasy points since week 5 and continues to struggle with turf toe issues. He faces an inspired Dallas team in their house whom feel like they could beat anybody. Detroit loves to pass, and will take advantage of a banged up Dallas secondary. Dallas will also apply a ton of pressure, leaving Best able to flare out for plenty of pass catches. Dallas should effectively take Megatron out of the picture so look for Best to see plenty of work.

AURELLIOUS BENN TB....He has caught no more than 2 balls the last three weeks but has made the most of them, catching 2 TD's the last two weeks and coming inches from a third three weeks ago. WR Mike Williams was charged with a DUI last night though he should be fine to play pending an investigation and testing since he was under the legal limit but may have been high as a kite. Benn is quickly becoming Freeman's go to guy in the red zone and the last few weeks Williams has seen tighter coverage with teams doubling up on him at times. Look for Benn's role to grow each week and he carries even higher value as a pick up should Williams have to miss a game. Williams will face some tough coverage with Nate Clements this week leaving Benn with the better match ups.

WEEK 11 FANTASY/GAME PREVIEW

CHICAGO BEARS @ MIAMI DOLPHINS: Miami is crossed between Chad Henne or Tyler Thigpen as to who the starter will be and will most likely split reps this week. Seeing how Henne was benched for Pennington to start with, Thigpen should get the start. Thigpen brought more energy to the team and you could see the difference once he got the call. This should help Brandon Marshall's value since Thigpen won't be as hesitant to make thee throws. It will be on him as the Bears 2nd ranked rush defense will limit Brown and Williams who have found better footing the last few games but are still not what they were last year. The Bears are middle of the pack vs the pass and will focus on Marshall but don't have the depth to keep up with Hartline and Bess. If Thigpen is the call, also keep an eye on Fasano who you can bet will be looked to often. Thigpen loved Gonzo in KC and will do so here.
BEARS: Forte finally had a decent day on the ground and it showed what an effective Cutler can do when he limits turn overs. The Dolphins are 6th vs the pass behind Vontae Davis and will evvectively shut Knox out. Hester finally broke out of his slump last week but don't expect a reproduction here. Look for the Bears to use Forte in a similar fashion as they did vs Minnesota but bet on more pass catching. Gregg Olsen is another one who should see similar production to last week and will be the key to moving the chains. I've preached all year how when he is used the Bears play well and Martz may have finally figured that out.

Miami seems to love losing at home and the Bears should be confident. It's always easier to come into the game with no expectations than it is facing a team planning on you. Thigpen gets overwhelmed here and Bears win. CHI 23-MIA 17

FANTASY STARTS: CHI: Forte (15 for 70 yds. 1 TD/ 5 for 55 yds.) Olsen (5 for 65 yds. 1 TD)
MIA: Brown (14 for 55 yds. 1 TD) Fasano ( 6 for 70 yds. 1 TD)
SLEEPER: Hartline MIA....he always seems to get the sneaky TD against tough defenses.

BALTIMORE RAVENS @ CAROLINA PANTHERS: BAL: The slow start hurt them and it affected their game plan. Atlanta has been one of the toughest teams to beat at home and were able to keep Baltimore from the big plays. Derik Mason stepped up despite being less than full speed and the Ravens gave you about what was expected overall. This week they get the team everyone hopes to face in Carolina whom has the worst pass offense in the NFL and is 24th in the run. Baltimore should have possession often and the Defense should be projected to be top scorers in fantasy this week in their category. Carolina does have the 5th ranked pass defense and is good at taking away your top WR, so expect Heap and Mason to have better days than normal. Boldin will get his, but the other two should see more targets. Ray Rice should have a field day vs this 27th ranked rush defense and will have one of his better days of the season.
CAR: The Panthers should wind up with Pike this week because they have limited options. Steve Smith is no better than a WR #3 and should be considered bench worthy if you have a better match up on your bench. Goodson did produce last week but it was vs the Bucs horrible rush defense and not Baltimore's 8th ranked D. The match up and possible return of Williams and Stewart make Goodson a bad play overall. Nobody on this team is worthy of a start unless you have to.
Baltimore might as well make golf course reservations if they lose this week. BAL 31- CAR 13.

FANTASY STARTS: BAL: Rice ( 17 for 90 yds. 1 TD/ 3 for 45 yds.) Boldin ( 4 for 70 yds. 1 TD) Mason ( 5 for 85 yds. 1 TD) Heap ( 3 for 50 yds. 1 TD) Flacco ( 290 yds. 3 TD)
CAR: Smith ( 4 for 50 yds.)

HOUSTON TEXANS @ NY JETS: HOU: The Texans are almost out of contention and it won't get any easier here. The offense has the play making ability but their league worst pass defense makes even the Jags look great. The Jets are 5th vs the run but can be beat through the air when staying away from Revis island. Revis' ability will allow the Jets to bring extra heat and force Schaub into checkdown and short routes since Johnson will have one of his tougher tests of the year. Foster will have a big day through the air along with either Jones or Walter who seems to have the hot hand. Though he will be lining up across from Cromartie, Walter has the ability to shake him. With Daniels status, expect to see a lot of three man sets to spread the field and allow Foster some room to sneak out in the flats. Keep an eye on Schaub's status after being in the hospital with bursa sac inflamation. (knee joint)
NYJ: Two overtime wins in two weeks behind Sanchez is boosting his confidence and he is using the weapons he has efficiently. He faces the easiest defense he's seen yet so it's a matter of how well the running game does which could limit monster game potential. Greene has slowly looked to be regaining that midseason form we saw last year and is running behind another older back this year. Don't be surprised to see Ryan limit Tomlinson's carries the next few weeks if Greene has a hot hand so that LT is fresh come playoff time. He's a good stash for your playoffs if this does happen. Houston is 15th vs the run so Greene may see extended use regardless if the Jets get up big.
Houston will keep this game closer than expected but come 4th quarter, as in most games, the defense will allow enough to get them beat. NYJ 28-HOU 21.

FANTASY STARTS: HOU: Johnson (4 for 65 yds. 1 TD) Foster (12 for 45 yds. 1 TD/ 6 for 65 yds) Walter (4 for 55 yds. 1 TD)
NYJ: Tomlinson (13 for 55 yds. 1 TD/ 3 for 25 yds) Edwards ( 5 for 70 yds. 1 TD) Holmes (6 for 95 yds. 1 TD) Keller (5 for 55 yds.) Greene (11 for 60 yds.)
SLEEPER: J. Jones HOU....Walter loves to disappear after having good games and Jones may face the weakest of the Jets corners. He could wind up stealing Walter's numbers and more.

BUFFALO BILLS @ CINCINNATTI BENGALS: BUFF: The Bills got the monkey off their backs but now travel to Cinci where there is equal frustration but better talent. The Bills pass game has tapered off a bit and the absence of Parrish will allow teams to focus more on Johnson and Evans. The Bengals are 12th vs the pass and don't allow the big plays the Bills have had some success with down field. Fred Jackson comes off his biggest day of the year and will be the only guy in town until CJ Spiller recovers from what seems to be a serious injury. Jackson will post good numbers here vs the Bengal 22nd rush defense and should be good for a score or two. The Bills will ride him often this week if they want to keep this one close.
BENGALS: Cedric Benson should be able to shake his down year this week facing Buffalo's worst in the NFL rush D. Not only is this good news for him, but expect the passing game to be more effective as well as a result. The Bengals have lacked any serious run threat all year and it has allowed teams to sit back on Ocho and TO. The Bills do rank 7th vs the pass, but have been burned by the split end position all year which should be good news for Ocho provided his shoulder doesn't swell up on him this week. Carson Palmer has started to show it may be time to look for a QB and needs a solid game to get back on track.
The Bengals are almost at the point of playing for pride but have better talent and match up well here. CIN 24-BUFF 20.

FANTASY STARTS: BUFF: Jackson (16 for 85 yds. 1 TD/ 3 for 25 yds.) S. Johnson (6 for 70 yds. 1 TD)
CIN: Benson (16 for 95 yds. 1 TD) T.O. ( 6 for 70 yds. 1 TD) Ocho (4 for 90 yds. 1 TD)
SLEEPER: B. Scott CIN...Buffalo has a knack for allowing second backs have productive fantasy days. Scott averages more YPC than Benson in limited duties and could be good for a score.

OAKLAND RAIDERS @ PITTSBURGH STEELERS: OAK: The Raiders face their first real test of the year on the road against the league's top rush defense. The Steelers have only allowed 4 rushing TD's all year and now they face Oakland's 2nd rush offense. The Raiders have had the extra bye week to prepare and get healthy for this one so this could be a better battle than expected. This should be a true test of where Oakland is since they have yet to face a defense as tough as this one. The Raiders needed the time off too, with Miller and Murphy both recouping from injury. So far, Murphy looks like the safest bet to play but the Raiders have found a gem possibly in Jacoby Ford. Oakland will need to get their 25th ranked pass game going and this should be the focus of their attack since Pittsburgh is 26th vs the pass. Look for Oakland to use the pass to set up the run and find creative ways to get Mcfadden into space. If Miller and Murphy return, the Steelers could have more than their secondary can handle. Look for Ford to be the go to guy until Miller and Murphy knock off the rust.
PITT: The pass game has slowly improved under Ben but it's been more a result of effectiveness than anything else. Not since New Orleans has Roethlisberger faced a pass defense like Oakland's #2 rated. Unlike the Raiders, the run game will help set up the pass since Oakland struggles with better backs. Another possible problem may be if Hines Ward is forced to take a game off after minor concussion. While he says he will be fine, the NFL has put pressure on teams to force testing before a player is cleared. Given how bad Ward will be needed, he will probably be given a green light. The guy to watch here will be Randle-El as well as Heath Miller. Oakland is good enough to limit Wallace and shut down Ward and will try to pressure Ben into errant throws. Thus leaving Miller and Randle-El beneficiaries of extra targets. Mendenhall will probably see more touches than normal and be the go to guy.

If all the Raiders are healthy this one should come down to the end in a low scoring affair but I will err on the side of the home team though an upset here would not suprise. PITT 20-OAK 17.

FANTASY STARTS: OAK: McFadden (12 for 50 yds./ 5 for 65 yds. 1 TD) Ford ( 4 for 70 yds. 1 TD)
PITT: Mendenhall ( 17 for 95 yds. 1 TD/ 3 for 25 yds.) Miller ( 5 for 55 yds. 1 TD) Wallace ( 3 for 60 yds.)
SLEEPERS: Randle-El PITT....as stated, he has been a surprise scorer as of late and is often the forgotten man from defenses. Look for a possible score catching Oakland off guard.

CLEVELAND BROWNS @ JACKSONVILLE JAGS: BROWNS: Peyton Hillis has torn through every team he's faced regardless of how tough the defense. Things get easier here vs the Jags 21st rush Defense. While McCoy has had limited options, Ben Watson has been the only consistent pass threat and faces the Jags even worse pass defense ranked 29th. Look for Jacksonville to try it's best to limit Hillis this week and while it will be futile, it will continue to allow Watson room to run. Cleveland has only scored 7 passing TD's this year which ties them at the bottom but this is the week if ever they make it 8.
JAGS: Riding high after a last second Hail Mary answered, the Jags take on a Browns defense 24th vs the pass and 19th against the rush. MJD as always will be fed till he collapses but the Jags 27th pass game could find life after last week's heroics. Gerrard has actually been a consistent fantasy producer the last few weeks and it should continue here. Since Simms-Walker is an every other game producer and best at home, he should be the guy Gerrard tries to get going. Mercedes Lewis though continues to be the only trust worthy receiving option.

The Browns tend to lack a little on the road and match up well with the Jags. However, the Jags have MJD going full throttle of late and are a force when Gerrard is hot. No Josh Cribbs puts the Browns forcing longer drives with bad field position. JAGS 28-CLE 20.

FANTASY STARTS: CLE: Hillis (16 for 95 yds. 1 TD) Watson ( 6 for 70 yds. 1 TD)
JAGS: MJD (14 for 80 yds 1 TD./ 4 for 50 yds. 1 TD) Lewis (4 for 65yds. 1 TD) Simms Walker (5 for 80 yds. 1 TD)
SLEEPER: Chansi Stuckey CLE...he's done it with the Jets and has proven he can be a legit threat when given the call. This is his opportunity and he should make the most of it. He's also a savvy vet who is a purer WR than Cribbs. Look for a score here.

DETROIT LIONS @ DALLAS COWBOYS: DET: Shaun Hill continues to put up numbers but fall short of getting the wins. The Lions as a whole can manufacture yards but like Houston always find a way to allow teams the last shot. They are 7th in passing but Best and his 3.1 yards per carry have been bad enough that Kevin Smith has taken a good share of the carries away making it a time share. They face a Dallas secondary that has collapsed as of late, falling to 21st and is also 23rd vs the run. Garrett had this defense playing as fast as they have and beat an opponent far better last week. Dallas will continue to do what they do best which is throw the ball often. You can expect the normal numbers from your Lions, but I see Best as having a better game than normal through the air and scoring. Pettigrew will also be another threat once the Lions get to the red zone and seems to be Hill's favorite target where Stafford looked more for the long ball.
DAL: Felix Jones did it through his pass catching abilities last week and will do it on the ground this week against the Lions 26th rush defense. What was telling was how Garrett used his roster by putting them in a position to succeed based on their talents. Jones is clearly the back you want and has a decent playoff schedule so scoop him up if able. Look for Roy Williams to rebound against the Lions 17th ranked secondary  as well. Kitna doesn't have the arm to toss the long ball any more so Dez and Austin have been doing it with their run after the catch abilities. Roy is more of a intermediate route possession guy but should find room while the Lions are caught trying to cover the other weapons. Garrett's first home game as head coach should turn into a feast for your Cowboys. P.S. Back when Jerry was saying Phillips was safe and "his guy" I was saying it would turn out otherwise. Three weeks later....

Dallas gives the home crowd something to cheer about and there's nothing worse than a confident Cowboy team. DAL 34-DET 21.

FANTASY STARTS: DET: Johnson (5 for 70 yds. 1 TD) Pettigrew (4 for 50 yds. 1 TD) Best (11 for 45 yds./ 4 for 55 yds. 1 TD)
DAL: Jones (14 for 80 yards 1 TD/ 3 for 35 yds.) Austin (6 for 80 yds. 1 TD) Williams (4 for 50 yds. 1 TD) Bryant (6 for 85 yds. 1 TD)
SLEEPER: Barber DAL....Marion has scored in 3 straight games against the Lions and may see a goal line run since the Cowboys will be there often.

GREEN BAY PACKERS @ MINNESOTA VIKINGS: GB: The Pack had a bye week to rest Donald Driver's quad and prepare for a Vikings team that has all but packed it up after losing to the Bears. While the Vikings are 9th is pass defense, Rodgers and crew carry the 10th pass offense. The Vikings can be beat through the air and Rodgers proved it their last meeting throwing for 295 yards and 2 Touchdowns. Brandon Jackson was getting comfortable before the break and faces a Viking defense ranked 9th in this category as well. They are stronger vs the run regardless of ranking and though the bye may have helped Jackson rest his legs, the time off may have actually cooled him off a bit. Jackson did score last time out as well but seems to be averaging less than 60 YPG the last 4 games. Look for about the same here with maybe a little through the air. James Jones could also continue to get the reps here since he has been very productive and the Pack will want to ease Driver back into game play. This could be a changing of the guard game if Jones produces well again.
VIKINGS: Latest word is that Sidney Rice may be playing contract games and could possibly not play the rest of the season since his contract is up this year. The last thing he wants to do is re-injure himself and play in meaningless games so he may be wanting to take his chances in getting a contract next year based on last year. The Vikings do need him and could offer him some type of incentives if he does hit the field by dangling a contract offer sheet in front of him. The worries on Percy Harvin should be put to rest at this point as he has scored double digit points since Moss' departure. They are finding ways to get him the ball and despite a nagging ankle, has been able to produce come game time. What hurts this team most is their -11 giveaway/takeaway ratio caused mostly by Favre returning to being Favre this year. Berrian looks like he will be able to go after sitting out last week but hasn't really been a factor regardless. Schiancoe continues to get a big boost because of the lack of any options other than Harvin in the pass game. Green Bay is 20th vs the run so the Vikings will look to pound Peterson but the Packers are fast up front and will focus on stopping him since he was most their offense last meeting. Shiancoe and Harvin will see plenty of targets as will Peterson through the air.

Green Bay is clearly in better position to win this game, but the Vikings do play better at home and their backs are against the wall in a possible season ending game should they lose. While normally I am big on the bye week, the Vikings could just throw caution to the air and let it loose catching the Packers by surprise much like Washington did in week 5. Favre's added incentive to beat the Pack pays off. MIN 24-GB 21.

FANTASY STARTS: GB: Jennings (6 for 70 yds. 1 TD) Jackson (15 for 55 yds. 1 TD) Rodgers (250 yds. 2 TD)
MIN: Peterson (18 for 80 yds. 1 TD/ 5 for 45 yds) Shiancoe (5 for 65 yds. 1 TD) Harvin (4 for 60 yds. 1 TD)
SLEEPER: J. Jones GB....The Vikings will limit Jennings and Jackson forcing Rodgers to look for Jones and Jordy Nelson. Their last meeting was Jones coming out party for the year where he caught 4 balls for 107 yards.

TAMPA BAY BUCS @ SF 49ERS: BUCS: The Bucs have jumped to the 19th ranked rush attack behind Legarrette Blount after ranking at the bottom to start the year. Another rookie, Aurellious Benn has emerged as a true number 2 threat at WR catching two TD passes in two games and almost catching one at Arizona but coming up inches short. He makes a good pick up if you need depth and his big size will make him a red zone target Freeman looks to. The Bucs now will face San Francisco whom have been hot of late but rank 20th in total pass yards allowed and 10th in rush yards allowed. The Bucs are still a team that leans more on the pass game and should have success here. Mike Williams makes a great play this week and though it will not be an easy one, Blount should be good for a score with average yards. Where the Bucs should thrive on pass defense. They have a 6th ranked pass defense and it will be QB Troy Smith's toughest match up yet. SF: Troy Smith's accuracy and confidence has sparked this offense and has them on a two game win streak. As stated though, this will be his first good pass defense faced and I expect him to struggle more than we've seen. Where the 49ers will excell is the ground game. The Bucs rank 31st vs the run and Frank Gore should have a field day. Expect to see a ton of Frank but lower expectations on all your other guys. This game should be as close as they come. The Bucs actually tend to play better on the road and are just as hot as SF. It's a coin flip pick but I see the Bucs ability to throw and move the ball being the difference. The Bucs are +5 in takeaways and lead in interceptions. BUCS 24-SF 23. FANTASY STARTS: TB: M. Williams (5 for 85 yds. 1 TD) Blount ( 14 for 60 yds. 1 TD) Freeman (250 yds. 2 TD's) Aurellious Benn (3 for 55 yds. 1 TD) Winslow (5 for 60 yds.) SF: Gore (15 for 90 yds. 1 TD/6 for 55 yds) Davis (6 for 65 yds. 1 TD) Crabtree (4 for 50 yds.) SLEEPER: Spurlock TB....He has contributed in the pass game recently and is also a threat at KR. Freeman does look for him in the red zone and has the speed to burn the Niner secondary.

ARIZONA CARDINALS @ KC CHIEFS: ARI: The return of Steve Breaston has helped Fitzgerald open things up more and look a bit more like his old self. The Cards are still tied for the league worst 7 passing TD's and have been especially weak on the road. Anderson should continue to see the work at QB and has a good match up against KC's 22nd ranked pass defense which was gobbled up by Orton last week. Beanie Wells is a major issue for fantasy owners and should not be trusted as a start this week regardless of how good he says he is feeling. After we see him in a game then we can make decisions but any time there are knee issues it is time for concern. Hightower is the play here, but don't expect much from him either as KC is 13th vs the run. Yes, Moreno was effective last week, but when a defense is on it's heels the whole game it becomes easy for a running back. Arizona doesn't have the spread attack of Denver so temper your decisions if you're going based off last week's performance. The Chiefs are also one of the toughest teams to beat at home so consider that as well.
KC: The Chiefs have propelled themselves to 1st in rush offense behind the explosive Jamaal Charles and Hailey is finding ways to use him in the pass game as well. Charles is the guy you want but Thomas Jones continues to carry value against weaker teams as well as Arizona ranks 28th in rush defense. Both guys are great starts this week and should each see the end zone. Matt Cassel and Bowe will also produce vs Arizona's 27th ranked pass defense. Bowe has become Cassel's favorite target surpassing that roll Moeaki was holding in the beginning of the year. Moeaki still has value and scores here but the days of being top dog in targets seem long gone, especially with the Chief's schedule. Start all your Chiefs.

KC is tough at home and should be able to handle the Cardinals who find ways to lose on the road. KC 31- ARI 20.

FANTASY STARTS: ARI: Fitzgerald (7 for 90 yds. 1 TD) Breaston (5 for 60 yds. 1 TD) Hightower (15 for 60 yds.)
KC: Charles (13 for 80 yds. 1 TD/ 4 for 35 yds.) Jones (11 for 65 yds. 1 TD) Bowe (5 for 80 yds. 1 TD) Moeaki (4 for 50 yds. 1 TD) Cassel (225 yds. 2 TD)
SLEEPER: Chambers KC....He has been very quiet all season and faces a team that likes to give up points. While all the attention should go on Bowe, Chambers plays well at home and may be the recipient of a red zone look.

WASHINGTON REDSKINS @ TENNESSEE TITANS: WASH: No team in the NFL must feel as humbled as the Redskins after being blown up on national TV. The Mcnabb contract release didn't help matters as the criticism was flying even before kick off. Washington worked behind Keiland Williams who stepped in for Torain and had a great fantasy day. In reality, the Washington offense didn't play that poorly. It was the defense that simply allowed the Eagles and Vick to do whatever they wanted, making it hard for Mcnabb to be effective when a team knows you can do nothing but throw. Anthony Armstrong continues to be the most unknown prospect in football and has been actually more consistent than Santana Moss since getting the nod as the starter. The Titans have slid down the charts in defending the pass ranked 25th, so look for Mcnabb to silence his critics and throw the ball every chance he gets. They will have to since the Titans are 11th vs the run and could be relying on Williams once again and possibly Portis who thinks he will be good to go this week. Start your Redskin WR's since they should once again be playing catch up.
TITANS: The debut of Randy Moss was a recreation of what we saw in Minnesota and we saw Nate Washington play the role of Percy Harvin. Even Bo Scaife returned to fantasy life though it was minimal. As I said when the trade went down, CJ just somehow got better. That he did and he will find it increasingly easy now that teams can't stack the box without getting burned my Moss or Washington. Vince Young is the real winner in all of this and makes a great back up on your team because of his schedule and new Moss toy. This week he faces the 31st ranked pass defense and will find plenty of open targets. CJ will have another 100 plus yard day vs the Skins 25th rush defense. Fantasy utopia if you own any Titans.

The Titans play solid ball at home and Moss will finally have a week to work with Young and develop their timing. TEN 28-WASH 17.

FANTASY STARTS: WASH: Moss (5 for 65 yds. 1 TD) Armstrong (4 for 80 yds. 1 TD) Cooley (4 for 45 yds.) Williams (13 for 50 yds)
TENN: CJ (14 for 110 yds. 2 TD) Moss (3 for 65 yds. 1 TD) Washington (5 for 80 yds. 1 TD) Young (225 yds. 2 TD)
SLEEPER: J. Ringer TEN....While he hasn't done much with the carries he has received, this week presents a chance for him to be effective and may see extra work since CJ will be gassed after gashing this defense over and over again.

SEATTLE SEAHAWKS @ NEW ORLEANS SAINTS: SEA: Seattle beat up on Arizona last week, but it doesn't change the fact they can be too one dimensional at times and lack a serious rushing attack they can depend on. Mike Williams is a good bet for come back player of the year and has been the only real threat the Seahawks have. Lynch and Forsett have gone back to the committee approach since neither one has successfully sealed the starting gig. This week they face a Saints team ranked 25th vs the rush and will be called on to carry the offense since the Saints are tops in Pass defense. Hasselbeck should have a long day trying to throw against them and you can bet Carrol will have a run first mentality this week. Both Lynch and Forsett are good plays since Forsett will see plenty of pass catching targets and Lynch should find room to run down hill. Forsett gets the edge as a better fantasy play though since the Seahawks should be down and need to throw often in the second half.
NO: A Bye week and a team that ranks 28th vs the pass means plenty of scores for Brees and company. This week looks like the one Bush makes his return and it's a good one since he should be able to ease back into the flow of things after missing so much time. Ivory still carries good value so keep him stashed away. The team seems to be fed up with Pierre Thomas' slow rehab and it looks like Ivory will be their guy even when he returns. Seattle does rank 14th vs the run but it shouldn't matter much as the defense will be forced back on it's heels to keep this one from getting ugly.

NO is one of the best prepared teams in football on normal weeks. A bye only makes them that much more effective. NO 34- SEA 21

FANTASY STARTS: SEA: Lynch (14 for 70 yds. 1 TD) Forsett (9 for 40 yds./5 for 55 yds. 1 TD)
NO: All your Saints WR's and even Ivory whom could sneak in for a score and have some extra reps if NO gets up big. Wait on Bush since we don't know what his conditioning is and how much Peyton wants to use him in his first game back.
SLEEPER: Carlson SEA....Carlson should be the only guy to find much room against this tough pass D and Hasselbeck should be under constant pressure and need a safety valve.

ATLANTA FALCONS @ ST. LOUIS RAMS: ATL: Atlanta continues to silence it's doubters and now sits atop the NFC South. Matt Ryan is having the best year of his young career and can thank Roddy White for being the hardest WR to cover in the NFL. Teams know White is getting the ball yet he still continues to show an uncanny ability to find the holes in coverage and break away from defenders. The return of Jenkins has also helped keep teams honest and deny them the ability to bring an extra man in the box to defend against Mike Turner who has turned it on the last three weeks after a slow start. He faces a solid rush vs St. Louis who ranks 6th in the NFL and has allowed only 3 rushing TD's which ties them for 1st. St. Louis also is good against the pass, ranking 17th but they know how to apply pressure logging 28 sacks this year which ties them for tops in the NFL. Ryan and company are not the same team on the road and will face a tougher test than what people think.
RAMS: As stated they are one of the most under valued defenses in the NFL and have quietly been one of the better units. It's the offense that needs a shot in the arm and will face a tough defense which matches up well against them. S. Jax faces the Atlanta 7th ranked defense which has also only given up 3 rushing TD's and shares the lead in that category with the Rams. Where the Rams will attack is through the air where Atlanta is 23rd. Amendola will need to be very involved as will S.Jax in the pass game, but the Rams will need Brandon Gibson to step up big time and force the Falcons to give S.Jax running room. Even against the tough rush defense, S. Jax will be effective as he has proven it really doesn't matter who he plays, he will get his.

The Rams have won four straight at home and Atlanta is weaker on the road although in their favor is the fact that it is a dome game. The Rams are more of a potent defense than people think and will surprise here, shocking Falcon fans on Sunday. STL 23-ATL 20.

FANTASY STARTS: ATL: White (6 for 80 yds. 1 TD) Gonzales (4 for 40 yds 1 TD.) Jenkins ( 5 for 65 yds.) Turner (13 for 70 yds)
STL: Amendola (6 for 65 yds. 1 TD) Jackson (14 for 55 yds. 1 TD/ 3 for 40 yds.)
SLEEPER: Daniel Fells STL...He is targeted often by Bradford who is excellent at not turning the ball over. Fells may see some extra work as the Falcons try to take Jackson out of the picture.

INDIANAPOLIS COLTS @ NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS: IND: They escaped a late rally by the Bengals who exposed the holes in their 10th ranked pass defense and showed what can happen when you spread the ball around. However, the Colts face a far lesser pass defense in New England which ranks 30th vs the pass and is prime for the taking when Peyton Manning is throwing the ball. No word on if Addai will return as of yet, but Brown and James should see decent days against the Pats 18th rush defense. Look for Peyton to take advantage of this young secondary and for Garcon to return to fantasy worth this week. There was way too much Jacob Tamme last week and the Colts should recognize this and try to spread it out more since it almost cost them the game. Tamme is banged up this week but should be good to go come game time.
PATS: Brady and the Pats put on a clinic last week on how to beat the Steelers, chipping away at them with the short pass game and all but abandoning the run which would have been futile anyway. You have to love "the hoodie" because as a coach he is one of the best. He realized why waste a play on a run against the best run stopping defense when your pass percentages are better? This week look for him to flip the script as the Colts are 10th vs the pass and 29th vs the run. It works not only because it's the Colt weakness but also because more time and longer drives means less time for Manning. Woodhead and Green-Ellis should have great days, with Woodhead getting a slight advantage since he will be involved in the pass game. I also like Welker but would avoid Ben Tate who is the deep threat route runner. The Colts cover 2 scheme is best beat over the middle and with Freeney charging at you the short throw is your best option.

 This will be one of the better games this weekend and football is always better when the Patriots are doing well because you either love them or hate them. Although it's a home game, the Colts pass game is more effective than the Pats run attack. Colts win a close one. IND 24- NE 21.

 FANTASY STARTS: IND: Manning (310 yds. 3 TD) Garcon (6 for 85 yds. 1 TD) Wayne ( 5 for 110 yds. 1 TD) Tamme ( 5 for 60 yds. 1 TD) Brown (12 for 55 yds.) NE: Brady (280 yds. 2 TD) Woodhead (9 for 45 yds/ 4 for 50 yds. 1 TD) Green-Ellis (12 for 65 yds. 1 TD) Welker (6 for 70 yds. 1 TD) SLEEPER: A. Hernandez NE....while he gave you zero last week, this week he should be in high demand as the Pats receivers struggle to find the long ball. Hernandez has great speed for a TE and will find the holes in the center of the Colts zone coverage.

 NY GIANTS @ PHILADELPHIA EAGLES: NYG: The Giants no doubt are the second most humbled team after the Redskins considering they were blown out by a team everyone counted done for the season. The Cowboys destroyed the Giants 4th ranked secondary last week and now Vick comes to town with an even better arsenal. The Giants face an Eagles team ranked 12th vs the run and 16th vs the pass. While middle of the road, the Eagles are a bend but don't break defense but excell at takeaways where they are at +12 on the year with 16 interceptions after Monday night which is best in the NFL, Manning typically struggles a bit vs better secondaries and the Giants will most likely opt for a heavy run scheme with passing a supplement. Nothing new to the Giants, but it will lower the value of the deep threats like Nicks. Steve Smith and Ramsey Barden now are both out this week which makes it easier for Assante to know where Eli will be going with the ball. This is why we've seen Boss more involved, and he is now dealing with the injury bug himself. The Giants quickly become one dimensional now with the loss of Smith and the Eagles will send pressure up front. It will boil down to how effective Bradshaw and Jacobs can be on the road. Both guys will carry good value this week because of their work load.
 PHI: Mike Vick is possibly football's version of Muhammed Ali in respect to another guy who missed years of his sport only to return and dominate. Of course that's where the comparisson ends but Vick is already being talked about in the possible MVP race. I watched him in pre season and it was apparent then that he has matured as a pocket passer and realized his feet are a better weapon when it's a second option and not the first. The MVP talk will either stop with this game or catapult him to the upper list if he beats a Giants team ranked 4th vs the pass and 3rd vs the rush. It will be squarely on him if the Eagles faulter so we will see exactly how good he is against playoff caliber teams. This will by far be his hardest test presuming the pre Cowboyed Giants show up. Look for the high percentage passes and McCoy to be used heavily in the passing game. This is also a game where Brent Celek will be used more than the past. Vick will have plenty of opportunities to scramble, but the Giants are good at collapsing a pocket, thus leaving Vick in a position where he will need to dump off the ball. Nobody should have especially gaudy numbers in this game, but if anyone does emerge as the top fantasy scorer here it will be Vick.

 The injuries and lack of dimensions to the Giants boosts the Eagles ability to defend in what should be a great defensive show down. In the end, Vicks scramble for a score on a broken play is the difference. PHI 20- NYG 17.

 FANTASY STARTS: NYG: Bradshaw (13 for 60 yds. 1 TD/ 3 for 25) Jacobs ( 12 for 45 yds. 1 TD) Nicks (4 for 60 yds.) PHI: Vick (230 yds 1 TD/ 4 for 50 yds. 1 TD) McCoy ( 12 for 45 yds./ 5 for 40 yds. 1 TD) Jackson (3 for 60 yds) Maclin (4 for 50 yds.)
 SLEEPER: Celek and Boss.....both teams should value their Tight Ends more than normal this week and both will be needed to move the chains. Don't be shocked if both score.

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