Injury Updates

Active:

Desean Jackson, PHI

Randy Moss, NE

Kevin Walter, HOU

Antonio Bryant, TB

Inactive:

Donovan McNabb, PHI

Brian Westbrook, PHI

Wes Welker, NE

Dwayne Bowe, KC

Matt Hasselbeck, SEA

LaDainian Tomlinson, SD

Mike Bell, NO

Jamal Lewis, CLE

Pay or Play Week #3

Quarterback: Trent Edwards, Buf

Edwards is an a spread passing offense, and that's exactly why he's here for week three. Expect Edward to give you great numbers shooting it out with the Saints.

Oh so close: Aaron Rodgers, GB

I think Rodgers gets his first big game of the year here, going up against a porous Rams defense.

Running Back: Matt Forte, Chi

Forte has been a downer so far this year. He isn't putting up the numbers to justify a No. 4 overall pick. However, I think he finally gets it going this week against the Seahawks.

Oh so close: Lesean McCoy, PHI

If Westbrook doesn't play, the ball is McCoy's. McCoy is explosive enough to do some damage at KC.

Wide Receiver: Roddy White, ATL

I know he's playing the Patriots, but this will be a better game then most think. I think Roddy White and the Falcons will find themselves having to pass to win. This bodes well for White, who has been waiting to break out.

Oh so close: Terrell Owens, BUF

Owens will have his first big game playing the Saints. Another shootout in the making.

Tight End: Chris Cooley, WAS

Cooley might be the best tight end no one talks about. He's got the Lions this week and he should be in store for a huge week. Play 'em and don't look back.

Oh so close: Brent Celek, PHI

I think the Eagles will have to rely on the running backs and tight ends to win this week without McNabb again. Look for Kolb to find Celek early and often.

Defense: Packers

The Packers should be ready for a lot of turnovers playing the lowly Rams this week. Look for them to go big.

Oh so close: Eagles

The Eagles should also be in store for a big week playing the Chiefs at home. Start 'em with confidence.

Marion Barber Out Week #3?

Marion Barber out? It might be true.

The Dallas Cowboys might without starting running back Marion Barber this weekend when they take on the Carolina Panthers.

So who's your man?

If Barber is unable to go, expect sophomore Felix Jones to get the majority of the carries, with Tashard Choice possibly cutting into a few carries. Jones has the biggest value here, as he is more explosive than Barber, and a better overall back than Choice.

Along with being sidelined this week, there's already the possibility of sitting out next week as well. Read the story from ESPN here.

Fantasy Football Fiend's of the Week

Quarterbacks: Matt Schaub, Hou
This one comes to no surprise hopefully as he torched the Titans going 25-39 for 357 yard and four Touchdowns. It's even more surprising considering it was against the Titans defense and their No. 2 wideout Kevin Walter sat out in a game time decision.

Oh so close: Byron Leftwich, TB
I'm giving this to Leftwich because a lot of owners had him on their bench on Sunday and he threw the ball 50 times!! He threw 41 times the week before, so it's looking like a pattern.


Running Backs: Chris Johnson, Ten.
C.J. was electrifying this weekend averaging 12.3 ypc and totaling 197 yards and two touchdowns on 16 carries while hauling in 9 receptions for 87 yards and another touchdown. Houston had a problem.

Oh so close: Frank Gore, SF
How could we forget him. He had over 100 yards and a touchdown in the first quarter. He even had a higher ypc than C.J. at 12.9. Gore ran for 207 yards on 16 carries and caught 5 passes for 39 yards against a porous Seahawks defense.


Wide Receivers: Andre Johnson, Hou.
Remember when I told you to play or pay last week. He should have been started across the board and showed everyone why he might be the best receiver in football. He caught 10 passes for 149 yards and two touchdowns in week 2 against the Titans.

Oh so close: Mario Manningham, NYG
Super Mario tore up the Cowboys this week catching 10 passes for 150 yards and a touchdown. Manning may have found another reliable target.


Tight Ends: Dallas Clark, Ind.
The ex-Hawkeye caught seven passes for 183 yards and touchdown in week 2 against the Dolphins on Monday Night Football. Manning and the Colts were outplayed most of the game, but that didn't stop them from pulling of a win. They became the record holders for winning a game with the least amount of time of possession.
Oh so close: Kellen Winslow, TB
Kellen Winslow looks to be a favorite target of Tampa Bay quarterback Byron Leftwich. The Bucs will most likely be playing from behind a lot, they did again this week. He hauled in seven passes for 90 yards and a touchdown.


Defense: Broncos
The Broncos did well Sunday allowing only six points while recovering two fumbles, intercepting a pass and adding four sacks. This was unexpected.

Oh so close: Cardinals
The cardinals has four forced fumbles, one interception and a defensive touchdown in a nice defensive showing.

Injury Updates

Injury Report

Out:

Quarterbacks:

Donovan Mcnabb, PHI

Running Backs:

Ladainian Tomlinson, SD


Wide Receivers:

Antonio Bryant, TB

Wes Welker, NE

Anthony Gonzalez, IND

Tight Ends:

Bo Scaife, Ten

Injury Updates

Quarterbacks:

Donovan McNabb, PHI - It doesn't look like McNabb is going to play. Kevin Kolb should get the start here if he doesn't go. It's still a game time decision, but early reports don't sound encouraging. I'd look elsewhere for week 2.

Matt Cassel, KC- Cassel practiced this week, just not a full practice. Coach Todd Haley said Cassel would play if he participated in a full practice. It sounds like he's going to play, but I don't know if I'd want to start him just yet.

Tony Romo, DAL - Had tests on right ankle, all were negative. Looks good to go.


Running Backs:

LaDainian Tomlinson, SD - Tomlinson hurt his ankle week 1 and has been ruled out week 2 against the Ravens. Look for Darren Sproles to get the start in his place.

Pierre Thomas, NO- Thomas says he is going to play. Even if he does, because of the injury he will likely not see enough playing time to factor into fantasy this weekend.


Wide Receivers:

Anthony Gonzalez, IND - Gonzalez suffered a ligament sprain in week one and is not going to play. He is going to be out anywhere from 4-8 weeks.

Anquan Boldin, ARI - Boldin didn't do much week one. Word in Arizona is that he's still injured from the preseason. He hasn't participated in a full practice since late August, but he appears like he's going to play this week. Keep expectations low if you start him.

Kevin Walter, HOU - Walter participated in practice fully this week and appears good to go after sitting out week one with a hamstring injury. He sounds go to go, and with Andre Johnson opposite him, he could have a decent game.

Play or Pay Week # 2

You better play 'em, or be prepared to pay.


Quarterbacks- Jay Cutler, Chi.
I know this is pretty far out there, but what would be the point of putting Drew Brees here, seriously. And yes I know he's playing a very stingy Steelers defense, but they are going to have to pass to win. With Troy Polamalu out for the game, the bears should be able to exploit the Steelers secondary. Cutler is also coming off one of his worst games statistically. He should be motivated to do well in his first home game wearing the Bears uniform. Now it's just a matter of someone catching the ball. Oh so close: Matt Hasselbeck, Sea., he has a plethura of capable receivers and a good matchup this week.


Running Backs- Clinton Portis, Was.
Portis should have a field day on the Rams this week. The Redskins don't have much of a passing game and they won't need it against the Rams. It wouldn't surprise me to see him to eclipse the century mark with a couple of scores.
Oh so close: Maurice Jones-Drew, Jac., he's gonna go off.


Wide Receivers- Andre Johnson, Hou.
I know he's a star and most people expect his name to be here week in and week out, but I think he's going to have a huge week. Last week was a dud, and I don't foresee many more of those. He might be the best receiver in football
Oh so close: Lee Evans, Buf. I really like Evans this week, The Cowboys torched the Bucs last week and with a lot of focus on T.O., I like Evans to come up big.


Tight Ends- Chris Cooley, Wash.
Again, the Redskins are playing the Rams and that means good things for the Redskins offense. Cooley had 82 receptions a year ago, and I think he has the opportunity to finish in the top 5 of tight ends in scoring this year.
Oh so close: Greg Olsen, Chi.
I like Olsen to come up big this week for his quarterback.


Defense-Vikings
The Vikings are playing the Lions. Enough said. This defense should be good for an interception or two, as well as some sacks.
Oh so close: Packers, They have the Bengals this week and looked pretty good last week transitioning from the 4-3 to the 3-4.

Can I get my quarterback please?

Quarterbacks have taken a huge hit over these past several weeks. We seen Chiefs quarterback Matt Cassel go down a few weeks ago with an injury, and now Donovan McNabb.

Matt Cassel is practicing and looks like he's moving around o.k. Reports out of ESPN and comments from Chiefs Head Coach Todd Haley sound encouraging.

"No. 7, as I felt he would, he moved around a lot better than he did at the end of the week," Haley said. Again this is going to be an evaluation deal with him. He did not participate in the entire practice, so he'll go on the injury report as questionable today."

Donovan McNabb is a different story broke his rib on a meaningless play in the Eagles 38-10 victory over the Carolina Panthers. McNabb sat on the sidelines at practice, and his status for this Sunday is up in the air still.

The Eagles have also signed Veteran Jeff Garcia to back up Kevin Kolb in the event that McNabb can't go this Sunday. That will now give them four quarterbacks when Michael Vick comes back from suspension in week 3.

Garcia is no stranger to the Eagles leading them to an unlikely playoff run in 2006, and coming in to back up McNabb. Garcia is probably one of the best backup quarterback's in the league.

Eagles Head Coach Andy Reid said it's an unknown how long McNabb will be out, but there is a possiblility that he plays on Sunday.

Fantasy Football Fiend's of the week

What a great way to open the NFL season, except if your a Bears fan, which this guy just so happens to be. This will be the first of a weekly feature of fantasy football's players of the week, or as I like to say it, the "fiend" of the week. Also i will try analyze some of this information and give you some insight.

Quarterback: Drew Brees, NO

I'd be Crazy not to put Drew Brees Here. He tore up the Lions going 26-34 for 358 and a career best six touchdowns. Brees definitely established himself as the number one fantasy quarterback. He'll be manning an offense that should put up great fantasy points across the board. Don't expect many 6 touchdown games in the future, but the yardage isn't outrageous on a game to game basis.

Oh so close: Tony Romo, Dal. 16-27 for 353 yards and three touchdowns. He didn't miss a beat without T.O. there. Looks like the rest of the Cowboy receivers are ready to step up.

Running Back: Adrian Peterson, Min.

Like Brees, I'd be crazy to not put Peterson here. He dominated the Cleveland Browns, rushing for 180 yards on 25 carries and scoring three touchdowns. His next four opponents consist of the Lions, 49ers, Packers, and Rams. I like his chances the next few weeks.

Oh so close: Thomas Jones NYJ., rushed 20 times for 107 yards and two touchdowns. I almost wanted to put him ahead of Peterson, because he was kind of an afterthought with all that Leon Washington talk.

Wide Receiver: Reggie Wayne, Ind.

Wayne caught 10 passes for for a league leading 161 yards and a touchdown. If you're in a league that hands out bonuses for 10+ receptions, kudos to you. With Anthony Gonzalez out for awhile, Manning will continue to look his way.

Oh so close: Brandon Stokley, Den. He gets this because if anyone did have this guy on their roster, they were getting razzed about it from their friends until about 11 seconds left in the game. Since it was so unlikely, I put it here.

Tight End: John Carlson, Sea.

Carlson caught six passes for 95 yards and two touchdowns against the Rams. He looked like Hasselbeck's safety valve, and with 8 targets on the game, its really saying something.

Oh so close: Benjamin Watson NE, Watson caught six passes for 77 yards and two touchdowns as well. Tom Brady said he made probably the best catch he has ever seen him make. Sounds like Watson has earned Brady's trust.

Defense: Eagles

Like Brees, the Eagles blew away the rest of the fantasy competition at their position. They had five interceptions, five sacks, two forced fumbles, and two defensive touchdowns, and a special teams touchdown. Wow.

Oh so close: The Jets defense goes here. They shut out the Texans. The Texans aren't too shabby either. They held them to 38 yards rushing and a league low 183 total yards of offense.

Stafford's Starting, should we?

The Lions and head coach Jim Schwartz have named their starting quarterback. No, it's not Duante Culpepper or Drew Stanton. The days of should be piano-playing Joey Harrington are years behind us now. It's now the league's youngest starting quarterback, Matthew Stafford.

What are we to take away from this in a fantasy perspective? Well if you're in a keeper league, he was probably already drafted, or he should have been. If he wasn't and you got him, wow. If you're in a two quarterback league and he isn't already on some team's bench, you might want to grab him while you can. Now I'm not saying we have the next Matt Ryan or Joe Flacco on our hands, but he is worth a look in deeper leagues because he is throwing to superstar a receiver in Calvin Johnson.

Sure, the Lions will again have one of the worst teams in the leagues, but that doesn't mean they won't be involved in plenty of shootouts while trying to play catch up.

Don't forget that just a few short years ago 2006 Jon Kitna passed for over 4,200 yards and 21 touchdowns, all with a less talented team, and Kitna didn't necessarily have the tools that Stafford has. The 2006 version of the Lions didn't feature Megatron, or Kevin Smith, a more than capable runner and pass catcher. The Lions also drafted tight-end Brandon Pettigrew out of Oklahoma State in the first round to give Stafford his safety valve for years to come.

The history of junior quarterbacks entering the NFL doesn't exactly play in favor of Stafford. JaMarcus Russell, Vince Young, Alex Smith, and Ryan Leaf are players that come to mind when thinking of junior quarterbacks who bolted for the NFL a year early. It's tough for a rookie to come in and play the quarterback position at a high level, while making so many adjustments to the professional game.

Stafford won't be alone in making the jump from junior year of college to the NFL, with Mark Sanchez also set to start for the Jets this year. Which quarterback is set to have the better season, only time will tell. If were talking about success, you have to like Sanchez being on the better team, but for fantasy purposes, Stafford might be the better choice as he has many more weapons at his disposal.


If your into taking risks with high upside, if not later this year, then next year, Stafford might be a serviceable fantasy quarterback.

Never Draft Too Soon

Every single year I like to wait until the week before the season or as close to it as possible to draft. I understand most people are busy and are even involved in multiple leagues, but this is something I always try to do. There's still position battles, and injuries that change drafts completely. So this year, when a good friend of mine asked me for some fantasy advice for his draft about a month ago, it was simple- don't draft this early.

My friend agreed, but said that this is when the rest of the league had planned to do draft and he couldn't change anyone else's minds. To his misfortune he ended up drafting possibly this years biggest dud-Matt Cassel.

Of course the day Cassel gets hurt, I get the call and I go hysterical. To think the one draftee trying to avoid drafting early is the one who took the first big hit of the fantasy seasonso far, was a concept I just couldnt come to grips with. Quickly he scrambled to the waiver wire, and grabbed Shaun Hill for the time being. Hopefully Cassel can get healthy and lead his team, but this is just another lesson to be learned from drafting too soon.

In the spirit of all this, I would like to go over some of the players who have risen and fallen on the draft boards in recent weeks, and remind everyone not to have a draft too soon as we have seen so many things change this pre-season. (See Cassel, Matt and Favre, Brett ->)

Players on the rise:

Ray Rice, Bal RB

Rice has seen his stock rise in recent weeks with the report that he has surpassed both Willis McGahee and Le'Ron McClain on the depth chart. McGahee just doesn't have the burst he use to and McClain has goal line and fullback written all over him. With Rice being the most explosive back in a run first system, Rice is a solid sleeper type back.

Beanie Wells, Ari RB

Arizona doesn't run the ball well. This should come to no surprise however, because they ran the ball a league low 34 percent of the time last year. They need someone to take the reigns, and they didn't draft this Big Ten bruiser in the first round for no reason. He may end up splitting time with Hightower, but it's only a matter or time before he plays himself into the starting job.

Leon Washington, NYJ RB

Thomas Jones has almost 2,000 carries on his legs in the last nine years, and seen his ypc drop off the last three years with the exception of last. The Jets like Leon Washington and say they plan to use him a lot more this year, plus he's their best big play threat. All of this has been happening this past week, and it's been showing with him sneaking into draft days. I see a combo of all three backs, that being Jones, Washington, and Greene

Players on the decline:

Jonathan Stewart, Car RB

Stewart was a surprise to many last year, scoring double digit touchdowns. He wasn't a surprise to many fantasy GM's this off-season until he hurt his Achilles this summer. Now he's falling in a lot of drafts despite saying he'll be ready for the season. With the injuries, there's no wonder he's falling so far.

Antonio Bryant, TB WR

Bryant was another surprise last year to many posting the best season statistically of his career. This year however, he won't have Jeff Garcia throwing to him, and no one is quite sure who will be tossin' the ball, but early reports have Byron Leftwich starting the first game. Also they just fired their offensive coordinator. Perhaps these are reason fantasy GM's are weary.

LenDale White, Ten RB

White has been fallen into the mid to mid-late rounds in every draft I have participated in this season. White has been dealing with weight, and effort issues since he entered the league, and never seems to say the right things. He also splits carries with Chris Johnson, another fantasy force. But, after scoring 15 touchdowns a year ago, we know what he is capable of. This is a guy who can be had later in draft, and still has a lot of value. However drafter beware.