Fantasy Football Player's Edge

October 15, 2008


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 7 News: (Daily Updates)

John Kitna has been placed on injured reserve and
is out for the remainder of the season. He's suffering
from back spasms.

Shaun Alexander has been signed by the Redskins
as a caddy while Ladell Betts is out. He has no value
playing behind Portis.

Roy Williams has been traded to Dallas which will
increase his value especially when Romo returns. WR
Crayton's value may be enhanced as Owens and the
newly acquired Williams draw consistent attention.
Witten and Barber will also benefit from this trade.

Jack Del Rio stated that Jerry Porter is not in the
Jaguars offensive game plan at the moment. Porter
has the bye week to convince him otherwise.

Bye Week: Falcons, Eagles, Cardinals, Jaguars


Start/Sit: (Week 7)

1. QB's: Matchups

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

Favorable:

Matt Cassel- virtually every opposing QB has played
well vs. the Broncos which have yielded 7.5 ypa and
9 TD's. He's played much better at home this season
with a QB rating of 85.7 as opposed to 74.1 on the
road.

Brett Favre- is likely to exploit a generous Raiders
backline which has allowed 7.5 ypa and 8 aerial scores.
Farve has 114.5 passer rating and 10 touchdowns in
3 games vs. Oakland.

Matt Schaub- prospers vs. poor secondaries such as
the one he faces this week in the Lions which allows
a league worse 8.9 ypa. They've yielded 9 passing TD's
in 5 games. His passer ratings are 93.2 indoors & 90.2
at home. He's coming off a strong effort last week.

Good Bet: Cutler vs. Patriots, Collins vs. Chiefs
Garcia vs. Seahawks, Campbell vs. Browns

Unfavorable:

Ben Roethlisberger- returns to action to face a good
Bengals secondary which allows 5.8 ypa. Historically,
Ben has averaged about 12 points in 8 starts against
Cincinnati. He does play well on the road & will have
more snaps as the Bengals offense will not move the
ball consistently with Fitzpatrick at the helm. He is
playable but expect production of 15 points or less.

Chad Pennington- the Ravens were humiliated last
week and are certain to take it out on the Dolphins.
The Miami passing attack will not be able to exploit
the Ravens CB's like Manning/Wayne did. Baltimore
allows only 5.3 ypa and will lower this metric on Sunday.

Philip Rivers- has been a top 3 QB all season but faces
a tough foe in Buffalo which has been stingy allowing
5.7 ypa. A caveat is necessary, Terrence McGee must
play for the Bills. The outstanding CB was out vs. the
Cards and Warner exploited the void.

Bad Bet: O'Sullivan vs. Giants, Frerotte vs. Bears
Croyle vs. Titans


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

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

Favorable:

Domenic Rhodes- will face a Green Bay run defense
that has been gouged for 5.1 ypc. Certainly he should
only be used if Addai is out.

Steve Slaton- faces a unit that actually looked good vs.
the Vikings. This is more of an indictment of the offense
of Minnesota than a vote of confidence for the Lions
defense which allows 4.9 ypc.

Ryan Grant- has been coming on every week and is close
to his 2007 form. The Colts have yielded 4.6 ypc and will
have to respect Rodgers and the Packers aerial attack
creating running lanes for Grant.

Good Bet: Pittman vs. Patriots, C. Johnson vs. Chiefs
Ru. Johnson vs. Texans

Unfavorable: (sitting a #2)

Willis McGahee- the Dolphins have stonewalled every
running attack they've faced allowing 3.5 ypc. Baltimore
will have to throw to move the ball consistently.

Julius Jones- faces a tenacious Tampa Bay front 7. The
Bucs are yielding 3.4 ypc and have yet to allow a rushing
TD.

Ronnie Brown- has the unenviable task of rushing vs. the
Ravens which have allowed 2.8 ypa and only one score.
Sparano has returned to a backfield timeshare which will
further erode Brown's value against this opponent.

Bad Bet: Perry/Benson vs. Steelers, Forte vs. Vikings,
Fargas/McFadden vs. Jets


3. WR's: Matchups

The Standard: 80 yards, 1 TD = 14 points

Favorable: (starting a #3)

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

Derrick Mason- will be the beneficiary of a gameplan that
will have to include more short & intermediate passes. The
Dolphins will stop the run and force Flacco to throw to
beat them.

Laveranues Coles- faces a Raiders secondary that has
been exploited all season. Favre will open up the offense
as Oakland will work to limit Thomas Jones after his
big game against the Bengals. Jerricho Cotchery is a
solid play as well.

Good Bet: A. Bryant vs. Seahawks, Gage vs. Chiefs
Royal vs. Patriots

Unfavorable: (sitting a #3)

Chad Johnson- the Bengals offense will stall with Ryan
Fitzpatrick facing a voracious Steelers defense.

Dwayne Bowe- will remember the Titans which has only
allowed 5.1 ypa. Croyle returns to action vs. the league's
best defense and will be hard pressed to locate Bowe on
a consistent basis.

Isaac Bruce- the preacher will pray for open looks. New
York will have something to prove after being upset by
the Browns on Monday night.

Bad Bet: Camarillo vs. Ravens, Moore vs. Panthers,
V. Jackson vs. Bills, Berrian vs. Bears


4. TE's: Matchups

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

Favorable:

Bo Scaife- should be targeted often by Collins vs. the
Chiefs.

Todd Heap- although he's a shadow of his All Pro form
the matchup vs. the Dolphins will force Flacco to pass
early and often.

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

Good Bet: Watson vs. Broncos, Baker vs. Raiders
A. Smith vs. Seahawks


Unfavorable:

Vernon Davis- had his best game of the season against
the Eagles. The Giants will take notice.

Anthony Fasano- the Ravens limited Dallas Clark to 17
yards on 2 catches. It's hard to expect more from Fasano.

Heath Miller- has averaged 35 yards with only 1 TD in 6
games vs. the Bengals.

Bad Bet: B. Miller vs. Panthers, Shiancoe vs. Bears
Gonzalez vs. Titans


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.

Rob Bironas- will have plenty of chances to kick as
the Titans amass yards vs. the Chiefs.

Kris Brown- the Texans offense should have its way
with the Lions defense.

Good Bet: Gotkowski vs. Broncos, Bryant vs. Seattle


Unfavorable:

Shayne Graham- the Bengals will be lucky to cross
midfield against the Steelers with Fitzpatrick at the
helm.

Joe Nedney- the 49ers offense will struggle this week
vs. the Giants.

Matt Stover- will be involved in a low scoring defensive
struggle between the Ravens and Dolphins.

Bad Bet: Longwell vs. Bears, Mare vs. Bucs


6. DEF's: Matchups

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

Favorable:

Tampa Bay- will feast on Charlie Frye. The Bucs
will stifle Seattle's running game and force Frye into
mistakes in the passing game.

Tennessee- faces an inept Edwards offense. They'll
stuff Larry Johnson and force Croyle to beat them
creating turnovers in the process.

Pittsburgh- will devour Fitzpatrick and a miserable
Bengals rushing attack. No contest.

Good Bet: Jets vs. Raiders, Dolphins vs. Ravens
Bears vs. Vikings, Ravens vs. Dolphins


Unfavorable:

Green Bay- could fare better if Al Harris returns.
You saw what Manning and company did against
the Ravens who had a reserve starting at CB.

New England- faces a Broncos offense that will
exploit a suspect secondary. This is a bounce back
game for Denver after misfiring vs. the Jaguars.

Carolina- Brees had 3 touchdowns and 260 yards
vs. the Panthers the last year in Charlotte. He's
been even better this year.

Bad Bet: Seahawks vs. Bucs, 49ers vs. Giants


Notes from the Edge: (October 14th)

Kyle Orton has strung together 3 effective starts and
can be considered for a bye week spot play against the
Vikings.

Matt Schaub will score very well when the matchups
are favorable. He faces the Lions this week.

Steve Slaton was contained by a solid Dolphins front
7. He'll welcome the Lions to Reliant Stadium.

Kevin Walter and Owen Daniels are solid players.

Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams split carries against
the Texans and now face a stout Ravens run defense.
Brown is unlikely to get the 20+ touches he'll need to
score double digits vs. Baltimore.

Patrick Cobbs performance was an anomaly, don't bite.

Ted Ginn Jr. is having real issues as a WR & should not
be on any fantasy roster at this time.

Greg Camarillo will struggle when defenses are paying
attention.

Peyton Manning, as expected, exploited the Ravens
depleted secondary. Harrison had only 3 catches but
got behind McAlister for a 67 yarder. He's still not the
Marvin of old.

Dallas Clark continues to disappoint as he should have
been able to shake free with the Ravens hurting in the
secondary.

Domenik Rhodes should be added immediately until
Addai's hamstring strain is assessed.

Le'Ron McClain fumbled and basically rode the pine
even with McGahee out. Ray Rice got the touches.

Adrian Peterson complained about a sore wrist which
might explain his 2 fumbles.

Bernard Berrian has developed rapport with QB Gus
Frerotte and is a solid #3.

Rudi Johnson may receive all the carries against the
Texans if Kevin Smith's shoulder keeps him out. He
would actually be a decent start.

Deuce McAllister is a risky play due to an uncertainty
on how many touches he'll receive. Proceed with caution
when using Deuce during bye weeks.

There's no reason that Reggie Bush should be benched
unless you own Portis and Gore.

Lance Moore continues to score well as a #3. He's likely
to stay effective when Colston returns.

Billy Miller is a solid spot play until TE Shockey plays.
Brees makes every Saint a good play except Meachem.

The Saints defense has played well the past 2 weeks and
bears watching. The only caveat is that they played two
teams, the Vikings and Raiders, that struggle passing.

Darren McFadden had 8 touches & is not playable until
he can supplant Fargas as the starter. A sore toe has
been a mitigating factor thus far.

Carson Palmer is in New York getting another opinion on
his elbow. Without him, Houshmandzadeh and to a lesser
extent Chad Johnson are plays only when the opponent is
favorable.

Chris Perry & Cedric Benson are not worthy of a roster
spot.

Brett Favre will struggle against decent pass defenses.
He needs to be spot played depending on the matchup.

Thomas Jones is fool's gold. This is the perfect week to
offer him around your league for a solid #1 receiver or a
an out of favor back like Larry Johnson or Ryan Grant.

Jeff Garcia is back in the saddle and can be used when
he is in vs. a soft pass defense.

Earnest Graham volunteered to play blocking back for
Dunn when fullback Storer went out with an injury. This
situation needs to be defined if you're thinking of using
him against the Seahawks as Graham's carries would
be limited as a fullback. You might want to grab Dunn if
he's still a free agent to assure a starter vs. a poor road
defense.

Bucs receivers are unplayable until Galloway returns to
action.

D'Angelo Williams can not be counted as a reliable play.

Muhsin Muhammed looks rejuvenated as a Panther &
can be owned. He tweaked a knee late in the game.

Steven Jackson, Torry Holt and Marc Bulger are likely
to struggle again vs. the Cowboys. Donnie Avery may be
the only Rams offensive player that can be used this week.

Santana Moss has disappeared and becomes a tough start
decision even with a favorable opponent.

Clinton Portis is the best back in fantasy land these days.

Jason Campbell was erratic but should get back on track
against the Browns.

Cutler & company should come up big against the Patriots
secondary.

Michael Pittman did enough to win the Broncos starting
RB gig. Now let's see what Shanahan does to convolute
the situation.

Marion Barber owners can breathe easier for a week or 2
depending on the severity of Felix Jones' hamstring pull.

Terrell Owens has been decoyed long enough. He's likely
to breakout against the lowly Rams secondary.

Miles Austin is a weekly end zone target but is difficult to
use as a #3 due to limited looks.

Aaron Rodgers continues to score effectively while trying
to nurse a sore shoulder. He'll miss practice again this week
but will be ready for the Colts.

Greg Jennings has been amazingly consistent and is the
top scorer at his position currently.

Donald Driver is a useful #3 as he manages to get yards
every week.

Matt Hasselbeck may be out for an extended period of
time. All Seahawks, including Engram who was shutout
yesterday, are unplayable until he returns.

Philip Rivers can be started weekly even when facing a
good secondary such as the Bills.

LaDainian Tomlinson was on the field for a 4 yard and
1 yard touchdown passes to Jackson and Gates. Inside
the 5 was historically L.T. territory and it's shocking that
he's not getting these short plunge TD's.

Vincent Jackson had 5 catches for 134 yards. He would
be a solid #3 if they threw to him more.

Antonio Gates is still struggling with a nagging injury hip
injury.

Randy Moss owners should start him as a #3 and try to
engineer a trade for a #2 to augment his reduced output.
Moss has limited trade value so you will probably have to
offer a #2 RB or a solid QB like Rivers if he's owned.

The Patriots RB's and defense will be hit or miss for the
rest of the season and are best avoided.

Larry Johnson returns from a bye against the Titans.
Brody Croyle will get the start. This is a tough sledding
for an inept Chiefs offense.

Trent Edwards practiced fully and should get the start
vs. the Chargers.

Willie Parker is expected to return this week vs. the
Bengals.


Quick Picks: (free agents to acquire)

Kyle Orton
Michael Pittman
Domenic Rhodes
Correll Buckhalter
Warrick Dunn
Ray Rice
Devin Hester
Derrick Mason
Donnie Avery
Vernon Davis
New Orleans

Castaways: (waiver candidates)

Le'Ron McClain
D'Angelo Williams
Ted Ginn Jr.
Greg Camarillo

Hard Knocks: (injury notes)

Tony Romo- finger
Adrian Peterson- wrist
Darren Sproles- ankle
Kevin Smith- shoulder
Joseph Addai- hamstring
Willis McGahee- knee
Felix Jones- hamstring
Calvin Johnson- head
Muhsin Muhammad- knee
Brandon Stokely- head
Orlando Pace- quad


All Done!

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