Fantasy Football Player's Edge

October 8, 2008


Wednesday: (Recap)

The key to winning your league revolves around
matchups and the injury status of key players.
The Player's Edge is the best source for timely
and comprehensive information and advice on
who to start, who to sit and why.


Week 6 News: (Daily Updates)

Marc Bulger is throwing the ball well in practice. He
faces a very stingy secondary in the Redskins and
will be tested on Sunday. It's prudent to see what he
does before using him but he might be worth grabbing
out of free agency and stashing for a future bye week
play.

Matt Schaub will start vs. the Dolphins on Sunday.
He missed the Colts game with an illness.

Brian Westbrook says that if he plays he's likely to
be limited and would defer to Correll Buckhalter for
the good of the team. Make sure you have a plan B
as Westy didn't sound very confident.

Bye Week: Bills, Titans, Chiefs, Steelers


Start/Sit: (Week 6)

1. QB's: Matchups

The Standard: 300 yards, 2 TD, 0 Int = 20 points

Favorable:

David Garrard- has quietly been effective the past 2
weeks scoring 23 and 13 points respectively. He has a
favorable matchup this week vs. the Broncos defense
which has yielded 7.4 ypa and 8 scores. He should get
more out of Jerry Porter and his running game will set
up the pass vs. Denver's front 7 which allows an NFL
high 5.2 ypc. It's the perfect storm.

Jason Campbell- a coaching change in St. Louis will
help to stabilize the offense but the Rams still have the
same old porous defense. Campbell faces a unit that
has allowed 8.7 ypa and 8 scores in 4 games. He has a
chance for a career game.

Matt Schaub- assuming he starts he will face a Miami
team coming off a big win over the Chargers and due for
a possible letdown. The Dolphins secondary can be had
as is evidenced by a 7.4 ypa. Schaub was scratched last
week vs. the Colts due to an illness but had a big game
against the Jaguars in week 4 amassing 26 points. He's
a solid play.

Good Bet: Cutler vs. Jaguars, Palmer vs. Jets
E. Manning vs. Browns, Rivers vs. Patriots.

Unfavorable:

Derek Anderson- it's very likely that Brady Quinn will
relieve Anderson in this game if he gets off to a slow start.
The Giants have a solid pass defense allowing a scant 4.9
ypa and feature a ferocious pass rush.

Marc Bulger- returns to action after a bye week with a
renewed confidence and a tough opponent. The Redskins
secondary has been solid allowing 6.2 ypa after facing the
likes of Romo, McNabb, Brees and Warner.

Brett Favre- the Bengals have been surprisingly good in
the secondary allowing 6.0 ypa with only 4 touchdowns in 5
games. They "held" Romo to 176 yards last week although
he did throw for 3 scores.

Bad Bet: Hasselbeck vs. Packers, Warner vs. Cowboys
P. Manning vs. Ravens, Garcia vs. Panthers


2. RB's: Matchups (starting a #2)

The Standard: 110 yards rush, 30 yards rec, 1 TD = 20 pts

Favorable:

Maurice Jones-Drew- similar to the Colts game where
he and Fred Taylor ran wild the Broncos will offer little
resistance for the Jaguars up front. Denver allows 5.2
ypc. This is the unit that allowed Larry Johnson to roll
up 198 yards behind a substandard offensive line.

Le'Ron McClain- has been impressive and faces a Colts
front 7 which yields a generous 4.9 ypc. The Ravens will
shorten the game with the run to keep Manning off the
field so they'll be plenty of carries to go around. McClain
will also get the goal line work.

Julius Jones- even with Morris returning Jones has done
enough to be the featured back. The Packers have been
soft in run defense allowing 5.1 ypc. The Seahawks were
humiliated last week and will need to control the ball to
have a chance vs. Green Bay.

Good Bet: Forte vs. Falcons, Fargas vs. Saints,
R. Brown vs. Texans

Unfavorable: (sitting a #2)

D'Angelo Williams- he'll be a popular add and bye week
play for Lynch or the Johnson's, Larry and Chris. The
Bucs allow only 3.7 ypc and have yet to yield a rushing TD.
He returns to the waiver wire after this week

Michael Turner- has struggled against tier 1 run defenses.
The Bucs and Panthers limited the Burner to 4 & 5 points
respectively. The Bears, already stout up front, bring back
Tommie Harris to a unit that gives 3.7 ypc and are certain
to stuff the run and force Ryan to beat them.

Steve Slaton- had a huge day against the Colts that will
not translate into success this week vs. the Dolphins. The
front 7 for Miami has been solid offering only 3.3 ypc and
2 TD's on the season. They shutdown Tomlinson at the
point of attack giving him only 57 total yards on the day.

Bad Bet: R. Johnson vs. Vikings, Addai vs. Ravens,
Perry vs. Jets, Lewis vs. Giants, Graham vs. Panthers


3. WR's: Matchups

The Standard: 80 yards, 1 TD = 14 points

Favorable: (starting a #3)

Kevin Walter- faces a soft Miami secondary who will be
preoccupied with stopping Andre Johnson. He's likely to
see single coverage all afternoon.

Santana Moss- will make amends for being shutout by
the Eagles. The Rams secondary is awful and Moss will
likely shake free for a couple of big plays.

Bernard Berrian- should be heavily targeted against the
league's worst pass defense that allows an astronomical
9.2 ypa. The only caveat is that the Vikings may elect
to simply run the ball all afternoon.

Good Bet: Ch. Johnson vs. Jets, Driver vs. Seahawks,
Crayton vs. Cards, Toomer vs. Browns, Camarillo vs.
Texans, V. Jackson vs. Patriots

Unfavorable: (sitting a #3)

Marvin Harrison- has struggled all season to regain his
Hall of Fame form. The Ravens will blanket "marvelous"
all day.

Roddy White- has been fantastic but faces a formidable
Bears defense. The Falcons will stress the run and pass
out of necessity. Not a great success formula.

Antonio Bryant- will have his work cut out vs. a staunch
Panthers secondary. This game shapes up as a defensive
struggle. Look elsewhere for a #3.

Bad Bet: Coles vs. Bengals, Gonzalez vs. Ravens,
Stallworth vs. Giants, Engram vs. Packers


4. TE's: Matchups

The Standard- 40 yards, .3 TD = 6 points

Favorable:

Mercedes Lewis- faces a Broncos defense that allows
yards to TE's.

Donald Lee- had a score last week and may score again
vs. the Seahawks this week.

Owen Daniels- should have a free run down the middle
vs. the Dolphins.

Good Bet: Boss vs. Browns, Fasano vs. Texans
Utecht vs. Jets


Unfavorable:

Dallas Clark- will be a harassed all day by Reed and his
Ravens buddies.

John Carlson- the rookie from Notre Dame will be hard
pressed by a swarming Packers defense.

Kellen Winslow- the soldier is going to have to battle the
Giants linebackers and safeties for catches and yards.

Bad Bet: Stevens vs. Panthers, Baker vs. Bengals
Davis vs. Eagles


5. K's: Matchups

The Standard- 2 FG's, 1/40+, 3 Pat's = 10 points

Favorable:

Matt Prater- possesses the strongest, most accurate
leg in football. A must start every week.

Shaun Suisham- will have plenty of chances as the
Redskins offense will consistently march against the
Rams.

Mason Crosby- if Rodgers can stay on the field the
Packers will steadily drive into Seattle territory.

Good Bet: Kaeding vs. Patriots, Longwell vs. Lions


Unfavorable:

Adam Vinatieri- the Ravens should suffocate the
Colts offense limiting his chances.

Josh Brown- the Redskins are likely to stifle the
Rams.

Matt Bryant- this tilt between the Panthers and
Bucs shapes up to be a low scoring affair.

Bad Bet: Kasay vs. Bucs


6. DEF's: Matchups

The Standard- 13 points allowed, 3 turnovers, 2 sacks = 12 pts

Favorable:

Carolina- will take away the Bucs ground game
forcing Garcia to make plays in the passing game.
The Panthers allow only 14 points and 255 ypg.

Tampa Bay- has the tools on defense to thwart
the Panthers ground game enabling the front 7
to tee off on Delhomme.

Chicago- the Falcons will be hard pressed to
move the ball vs. the Bears. They'll rattle young
QB Ryan into making mistakes.

Good Bet: Giants vs. Browns, Eagles vs. 49ers


Unfavorable:

Jacksonville- the Jags achilles heel, pass defense,
is the strength of the Broncos offense. Denver is
likely to score 30+ on Sunday.

New England- faces a Chargers offense that was
embarrassed in Miami. This is a bounce back game
for San Diego against a defense playing on the West
Coast for a 2nd consecutive week.

New York Jets- another case of a poor matchup for
a decent defense. The Jets have a deficiency in pass
defense and the Bengals potentially, have a dynamic
pass offense.

Bad Bet: Dolphins vs. Texans


Notes from the Edge: (October 7th)

Chris Johnson ran into a Baltimore buzzsaw. He has
the Chiefs after the bye week to soothe his bruised
bones and ego.

Le'Ron McClain continues to impress and belongs on
fantasy rosters especially during bye weeks.

Todd Heap is better left on the free agents list. He's
lost a great deal. Bo Scaife would be a more reliable
play week in week out. Scaife has a bye this week.

D'Angelo Williams, a Van Winkle play, will come
back to earth vs. the Bucs this week.

Muhsin Muhammed is a solid bye week play as a
#3.

Carolina's defense is a good add but the shutout vs.
the Chiefs should be viewed in context of the inept
nature of the Herm Edwards offense. If you stop
the Chiefs running game they have no answers.

Larry Johnson, Dwayne Bowe & Tony Gonzalez
reside in fantasy prison a.k.a. the Chiefs offense.

Kyle Orton posted solid numbers against the Lions.
This week it's Frerotte's turn.

Matt Forte continues to play like a 2009 1st rounder.

Devin Hester has not earned his way on to fantasy
rosters and he's not worth stashing.

Rudy Johnson and Kevin Smith are unplayable and
should be avoided.

Roddy White has been unstoppable. If he excels vs.
the Bears this week he'll be elevated to must start
status.

Michael Turner is likely to remain inconsistent this
season and has a real test upcoming against Chicago.

Ryan Grant is showing signs of regaining last season's
form.

Aaron Rodgers has done enough to be a must start
regardless of the opponent.

Peyton Manning is still struggling to ignite the Colts
offense. If Rosenfels is careful with the ball Manning
only has a 10 point game vs. a weak pass defense.

Marvin Harrison has become an afterthought in the
Colts offensive progressions.

Joseph Addai is due for a breakout but it's not likely
to happen this week with the Ravens coming to town.

Matt Schaub should reclaim the starting gig this week.
He has a nice matchup vs. Miami at home.

Steve Slaton was brilliant vs. Indianapolis but faces
a stout Dolphins front 7 this week which stonewalled
the Chargers and Tomlinson.

Ronnie Brown is a top 5 running back in the NFL and
is going to get better, even when defenses take away
the "Wildcat".

Vincent Jackson is not targeted enough in Turner's
offense. That may change if Chambers misses time.

Antonio Gates is a tough guy but only a shadow of
himself. The sore ribs are impacting his performance.

The Chargers defense misses Merriman but should
improve as Cooper gets assimilated after returning
from suspension.

Eli Manning has become the picture of consistency
as he operates the Giants offense. He's a serviceable
play.

The Seahawks defense is in disarray and should not
be owned.

Matt Hasselbeck looks physically and mentally spent.
He can be stashed but not started until he plays better.

Deion Branch is down again this time with a heel injury.

Bobby Engram returned and can be used as a spot play
when matchups are favorable.

John Carlson disappeared from Seattle's offense after
the Giants scored early and often. He's a risky start but
should get some looks in close games.

Julius Jones is running well but lost all chance for a good
game when the Giants ran up the score.

Santana Moss had his 1st clunker of the season. Start
him as you normally would unless this becomes a trend.

Brian Westbrook has 2 fractured ribs so grab Correll
Buckhalter until more details become available.

DeSean Jackson had 3 touches vs the Redskins and if
not for a punt return touchdown would have been a total
bust. With Brown coming on and Curtis almost ready
to return Jackson may be relegated to 3rd option status.
Stay tuned.

Brandon Marshall is human after all. Tampa Bay had
the personnel to limit him, most teams do not.

Tony Scheffler finally got back in gear only to injure a
groin. He's likely to be out this week.

Earnest Graham and Warrick Dunn continue to dilute
each other's performances. Unless one of them gets dinged
they will continue to be iffy starts.

Jeff Garcia will probably start this week vs. the Panthers
but should not start for you.

Kurt Warner was absolutely flawless against the Bills. This
coming one week after having 6 turnovers vs. the Jets. He
has always been the ultimate Jekyll & Hyde NFL QB even
when scoring profusely for his fantasy owners.

Edgerrin James and Tim Hightower. See Graham/Dunn
above.

Steve Breaston has become a solid #3, at least, until Boldin
returns.

Trent Edwards has a bye week to recover from a concussion.

Lee Evans continues to find a way to score even though he's
being doubled every week.

The Bills lack depth on defense and unless all of their starters
are healthy they are not a reliable unit.

Felix Jones is starting to get more touches which will cut into
Marion Barber's share of the action.

Carson Palmer seems to be back on point and is playable again.

T.J. Houshmandzadeh has joined Palmer on the same page.

Chad Johnson continues to disappoint and can only be viewed
as a bye week replacement.

Chris Perry should be cut but not replaced by Cedric Benson.
Just move on from the Bengals backfield.

Matt Cassel's fireside chats with Randy Moss during the bye
week paid off.

Kevin Faulk got the goal line touches while Sammy Morris
got the carries. Maroney has been minimized in Belichick's
game plan. Belichick may decide to give him 20+ carries vs.
the Chargers or 8 and therein lies the problem. It's unlikely
that we fantasy mortals will be able to decipher what Bill the
"genius" will do next so it's better to just avoid the Patriots
RB's completely.

J.T. O'Sullivan scores well even in games when he's mediocre.
Martz equals points for QB's. Look what's happened to Kitna
without Martz.

Vernon Davis needs to say I'm sorry and beg forgiveness. He
is totally out of favor with the coaches. Until that happens use
another TE.

Ben Roethlisberger needed the Jaguars porous secondary to
jump start his season. He has a bye week to get healthy.

Mewelde Moore played very well and may vulture some touches
even after Willie Parker returns.

David Garrard is starting to come on and would be a good add
if you're thin at the position.

Maurice Jones-Drew has struggled most of the season. He now
has an ankle sprain to deal with and along with Fred Taylor long
for the return of the starters that are out on the offensive line.

Mike Walker is building a rapport with Garrard as Jerry Porter
continues to be missing in action. Matt Jones goes on trial Friday
for drug possession. His status for Sunday's game has not been
determined.

Deuce McAllister had 6 touches against the Vikings stonewall
run defense. He's likely to play a larger role this week against the
Raiders.

Devery Henderson had a nice game but still had only 4 catches.
Lance Moore was taken away by Minnesota and Meachem
was a disappointment.

Bernard Berrian is enigmatic in that he drops too many easy
passes but he came up big in the 4th quarter when the game was
on the line. He's a very solid #3, most weeks.

Adrian Peterson is going to take last night's poor performance
out on the hapless Lions. He might go for 300 yards!!


Quick Picks: (free agents to acquire)
Brandon Stokely
Isaac Bruce
Reggie Brown
Greg Camarillo
Muhsin Muhammed
Mike Walker
Devery Henderson
Carolina Panthers

Castaways: (waiver candidates)
Jon Kitna
Rudy Johnson
Kevin Smith
Ray Rice
Chris Perry
Laurence Maroney
D.J. Hackett
John Carlson
Vernon Davis
Seattle Seahawks

Hard Knocks: (injury notes)
Trent Edwards- concussion
Jon Kitna- back spasms
Brian Griese- shoulder/elbow
Matt Hasselbeck- knee
Dan Orlovsky- knee
Brian Westbrook- ribs
LaMont Jordan- leg
Maurice Jones-Drew- ankle
Derrick Mason- thumb
Eddie Royal- ankle
Chris Chambers- knee
D.J. Hackett- knee
Deion Branch- foot
Domenik Hixon- concussion
Tony Scheffler- groin


All Done!

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