TheDailyBlitz.com

There are many reasons to add (and simultaneously drop other) players to (from) your fantasy roster including but not limited to bye-week replacements, injuries, etc. In some cases, the opportunities are temporary; in others, they are more permanent.

The below list of players that may (or may not) be worth considering when you submit your waiver-wire claims for Week 4.

Based on the depth of your league and the needs and strength of your roster, here are some players (all owned in less than half of Yahoo! fantasy leagues) that are potential adds:

QB - Chad Henne, Dolphins (45% owned): Although Henne shouldn't be a fantasy starter in 10- or 12-team leagues, he's a solid QB2 (or a starter in deeper leagues). After two less-than-mediocre performances against the Bills and Vikings, Henne threw for a career-high 363 yards against the Jets Sunday. Since Week 13 of 2009, Henne has thrown for 300-plus yards in four of his past eight games.

QB - Mark Sanchez, Jets (45% owned): Of all the quarterbacks that have thrown at least one touchdown through three weeks, only three quarterbacks have not also thrown an interception. Not that I'm comparing Sanchez (six touchdowns, no interceptions) to either Peyton Manning (nine touchdowns) or Michael Vick (six touchdowns), the "Sanchize" has back-to-back three-touchdown games. With the emergence of Dustin Keller, LaDainian Tomlinson as a safety valve and only one game left on Santonio Holmes' suspension, Sanchez makes for a solid bye-week replacement.

Note: Browns running back Peyton Hillis, who rushed for 144 yards and a touchdown against Baltimore, does not appear on this list since he's owned in 52-percent of Yahoo! leagues. If available, he's worth adding.

RB - Marshawn Lynch, Bills (26% owned): For a second week in a row, Lynch led the Bills in rushing attempts (13) and yards (79). On the year, he's rushed 33 times for 156 yards (4.7 yards per carry). If he ends up being traded to a team like the Packers, his fantasy value would improve even more. But, for now, he seems to be "the guy" in Buffalo even if C.J. Spiller is the most electric of their backs.

RB - BenJarvus Green-Ellis, Patriots (15% owned): Like Lynch, Green-Ellis led the Patriots in rushing attempts (16) and yards (98) for a second week in a row. At this point, The Law Firm seems worth owning more than Fred Taylor, which isn't saying much.

RB - Kenneth Darby, Rams (8% owned): If Rams running back Steven Jackson (groin) does not play on Sunday, Darby is worth picking up. In Jackson's absence, Darby carried the ball 14 times for 49 yards and a touchdown. He's especially worth picking up if you own Jackson. Fortunately the Rams face the Seahawks (not a horrible matchup) and it's a 1 p.m. start, giving you additional lineup flexibility.

RB - Ryan Torain, Redskins (2% owned): Torain carried the ball seven times against the Rams for 46 yards. Considering that Clinton Portis carried it seven times for 44 yards and Keiland Williams had no carries (although he caught two passes on four targets), Torain appears to be the No. 2 back, at a minimum. If you own Portis, you should own Torain.

RB - LeGarrette Blount, Bucs (2% owned): Blount, who was claimed off waivers from the Titans, had six carries for 27 yards against the Steelers. While that's not a prolific day, he had as many carries as Cadillac Williams (six carries for 13 yards). Going forward, Williams should get the majority of carries, but coach Raheem Morris expects Blount to be more involved with the offense. Blount is worth considering in deeper leagues.

WR - Louis Murphy, Raiders (34% owned): Murphy is currently tied for 14th in receiving yards (238) with Giants receiver Mario Manningham. He clearly benefits from the Campbell-to-Gradkowski shift at quarterback. Both Jason Campbell and Bruce Gradkowski have been under center for six quarters, yet Murphy has caught ten of his 15 receptions from Gradkowski.

WR - Lance Moore, Saints (18% owned): Moore had a career year in 2008 -- 79 receptions, 928 yards and ten touchdowns. Despite his Week 3 performance of 149 yards and two touchdowns, however, Moore is unlikely to reach those numbers again. In his first two games, Moore had only three receptions for 23 yards. That is a clear illustration of what we already know; Drew Brees spreads the ball around too much for receivers not named Marques to benefit greatly.

WR - Davone Bess, Dolphins (9% owned): In his past 26 games, Bess has three or more receptions in every game but one. He's not going to put up gaudy stats, but he's worth consideration in deeper (especially point-per-reception) leagues.

WR - Darrius Heyward-Bey, Raiders (7% owned): Only 16 players (13 receivers) have more targets than Heyward-Bey (26). In his past two games, DHB has nine receptions for 129 yards. Although I'd much rather have Murphy, he's worth a look in deeper leagues.

TE - Aaron Hernandez, Patriots (35% owned): Hernandez currently leads the Patriots in receiving yards and is fourth among all tight ends.

This is a limited list of players who may be available in your league that are worth adding. If you have specific questions, feel free to post questions in our Fantasy Football Forum about specific players or ask your question via Twitter @EDSFootball.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 12:14 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Of course, if you play fantasy football, you've heard of Browns running back Peyton Hillis.

You know, the one that rushed for 144 yards and a touchdown against the Ravens yesterday?

Believe it or not, Ravens linebacker Terrell Suggs did not know the answer to that question.

"Never heard of him before in my life," Suggs said today on The Dan Patrick Show (via Pro Football Talk). "I know who he is now, though."

"He had a good day," Suggs said. "We really didn't expect him to have the kind of day he had."

Of course not. How could you if you had "never heard of him"?

FYI: If you play fantasy football AND you haven't heard of Peyton Hillis AND he's available in your fantasy league, he's worth adding via the waiver wire.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 07:52 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Dallas Cowboys tight end Jason Witten suffered a sprained MCL in his right knee during yesterday's game, according to ESPN's Calvin Watkins.

The Cowboys have a bye in Week 4 and face the Titans at home in Week 5.

Coach Wade Phillips said of Witten's status, "I don't think there's much doubt that Witten will be able to play. He may not be able to [practice] this week."

After hauling in seven catches for 56 yards against the Texans, Witten has 15 receptions for 134 yards and no touchdowns through three games.

The Titans have the fifth-rated pass defense (178.3 yards allowed per game).

Through their first two games (Oakland and Pittsburgh), the Titans limited opposing tight ends to a combined seven receptions for 51 yards. On Sunday, however, the Titans allowed Giants tight ends Kevin Boss and Travis Beckum to haul in a total of five receptions for 111 yards.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 07:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Ravens running back Ray Rice says of his knee injury: "Right now, everything is standard. I'll take some tests on Monday, but everything looks positive."

Next week, the Ravens face the Steelers. Through three weeks, the Steelers have yet to allow a running back gain more than 42 yards (Atlanta's Michael Turner) in a game.

Browns running back Peyton Hillis rushed 22 times for 144 yards and a score against the Ravens today.

Ravens receiver Anquan Boldin, who scored three touchdowns today, became the quickest receiver to 600 receptions -- 98 career games.

Per ESPN's Adam Schefter, the Saints will work out former Saints kicker John Carney this week after Garrett Hartley missed what would have been a game-winning kick in overtime today.

The Bills are shopping benched quarterback Trent Edwards.

Seattle's Leon Washington returned two kicks (101 and 99 yards) for touchdowns in today's win over San Diego. He now has six for his career.

John Lucas, former NBA coach, is serving as the "life coach" for ex-Raiders quarterback JaMarcus Russell.

Today Cowboys receiver Roy Williams posted his second 100-yard game out of 28 he's played since being acquired by Dallas.

Vikings tight end Visanthe Shiancoe (hamstring) left today's game, but he says he "just got a little tweak."

Although the Vikings got their first win of the season today, quarterback Brett Favre threw another two interceptions. He now has six (and only two touchdowns) through three games.

Patriots running back BenJarvus Green-Ellis led the team in carries for a second week in a row. He finished with 16 carries for 98 yards and a score in today's win over Buffalo.

Titans running back Chris Johnson now has an active 100-yard streak of one game.

Eagles quarterback Michael Vick had his first-ever four-touchdown performance (three passing, one rushing) in today's blowout win over the Jaguars.

In today's Colts-Broncos game, three receivers had 140+ receiving yards: Austin Collie (171), Brandon Lloyd (169) and Jabar Gaffney (140). And Broncos quarterback Kyle Orton was 24 yards shy of 500.

Seattle's Leon Washington returned two kicks for touchdowns (101 and 99 yards) making him the Seahawks franchise record holder.

Texans receiver Andre Johnson said of his re-aggravated ankle injury and outlook for next week: “We’re going to do the same thing we did last week as far as treatment and see what happens. It was bothering me. It’s been bothering me since I injured it, but I’m able to play with it. If I wasn’t able to play with it, I wouldn’t be out on the field. I felt comfortable enough to go out and play with it.”

Lastly, the Week 3 thread for our fantasy football contest (based on the Monday Night Football matchup) is open until 8:25 PM Monday.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 11:21 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

St. Louis Rams running back Steven Jackson left today's game in the second quarter with a groin injury.

In addition to Jackson, who carried the ball ten times for 58 yards and a score, both Kenneth Darby and Keith Toston had double-digit rushing attempts.

Darby finished the game with 49 yards on 14 carries while Toston finished with 22 yards on 11 carries.

Initial reports were that the Rams were interested in free-agent running back Larry Johnson, who was cut by the team that lost to the Rams today.

That said, ESPN's Chris Mortensen tweeted, "Rams not as hot to trot on Larry Johnson as first reported. Looking at other options."

Jackson is scheduled for an MRI tomorrow.

The Rams play the Seahawks in Week 4 and the Lions in Week 5.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 10:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

In today's seven-point victory over the Browns, Ravens running back Ray Rice did not play in the final ten minutes of the game.

Per Jamison Hensley of the Baltimore Sun, Rice suffered a knee injury and will undergo additional testing tomorrow.

Hensley tweeted, "#Ravens RB Ray Rice (knee) doesn't have ligament damage (according to [coach John] Harbaugh) but will undergo further evaluation tomorrow."

Next week, the Ravens face the unbeaten Pittsburgh Steelers, who have not allowed any back to rush for more than 42 yards against them through the first three weeks of the season.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 05:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Detroit Lions rookie running back Jahvid Best entered today's game against the Minnesota Vikings as the leading scorer in fantasy football using standard-league scoring.

After leaving today's game in the third quarter with a toe injury, Best did not return.

He finished the game with only 39 yards from scrimmage (26 rushing and 13 receiving).

Next week, the Lions face the Green Bay Packers.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 04:31 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Every week, our far-from-professional "handicappers" at The Weekly Blitz pick three games against the spread (ATS) each. Of course, the picks are for entertainment purposes only, but we've generally found it be more "entertaining" to win than lose.

Through two weeks, I've had one push. In my other five picks, three have covered and two have not.

Ready to put my 60-percent cover rate on the line; here are my Week 3 picks:

Steelers -3 (over Bucs): The Battle of the Unbeatens? Through two weeks, these two teams make up one-quarter of all unbeaten teams. Pittsburgh beat two quality opponents (Atlanta and Tennessee) while the Bucs beat two teams with horrible quarterback play (Cleveland and Carolina). Granted, the Steelers have issues at quarterback as they're down to their fourth option with Charlie Batch. But the Steelers can run the ball (and Tampa ranked 32nd of 32 teams in rushing defense last year). In addition, the Steelers can stop the run -- they held Atlanta's Michael Turner in Week 1 and Tennessee's Chris Johnson in Week 2 to less than 100 yards. That's combined. The duo carried it a total of 35 times for only 76 yards. It could be a very long day for Cadillac Williams, who ranks second in rushing attempts (49) but only has a 2.6 yards-per-carry average. And while second-year quarterback Josh Freeman is developing, he had only two completions to wide receivers -- technically, wide receiver since both catches were by rookie Mike Williams -- last week. Give three points? No problema.

Ravens -11 (over Browns): Last week, Joe Flacco had arguably the worst game of his career as he had his first (and hopefully last) four-interception game. Against the Browns, however, Flacco has played well and the Ravens have won all four of their matchups with him under center. In fact, only one of those four victories was "narrow" enough to not cover an 11-point spread. On Nov. 2, 2008, the Ravens won by only ten points, 37-27, on the road in Cleveland. The combined score of those four victories was 115-40. The Ravens scored less than 28 points in only one of those four games while the Browns scored more than ten points in only one of those games. Baltimore is the only team not to give up a touchdown this season (even if they have allowed eight field goals) so the Browns should find it difficult to move the ball. Although Ray Rice had 117 yards from scrimmage against the Bengals, I have a feeling he's poised for a breakout game against the Browns. (Since I'm facing him in my most important fantasy league, hopefully he does just enough to help the Ravens win by 12.)

Lions +11.5 (over Vikings): Despite being 0-2, the Lions have looked better than I expected them to be, especially after losing their starting quarterback at the end of the first half of their first game. Although it'll be another week of Shaun Hill, the Lions nearly won both of their games (and you could argue that they really won the Chicago game after the Calvin Johnson non-touchdown). And the Lions were getting beaten pretty badly by the Eagles last week, but they nearly overcame a 17-point deficit in the fourth quarter. On the other side, Vikings quarterback Brett Favre has looked horrible, throwing for less than 200 yards per game, only one touchdown and four interceptions. While he should bounce back this week, my gut instinct is to have a lack of confidence in Favre's ability to do that at this point. I expect the Vikings to get the win provided they pound the ball with Adrian Peterson, but I wouldn't be surprised if the Lions keep it close.

To see the picks by the other two "handicappers" at The Weekly Blitz for Week 3, click here.

FYI: You can follow me on Twitter @EDSFootball or "like" us on Facebook.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 06:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Yesterday we updated our fantasy football rankings for Week 3. Here are some notes about wide receivers and passing defenses heading into Week 3:

- Bengals receiver Chad Ochocinco, who ranks second in the NFL in receiving yards (203), had tweeted that he had a cracked rib, but he did not appear on the team's injury report. Ochocinco followed up a great Week 1 (12-159-1) with a very mediocre Week 2 (4-44-0).

- No receiver has more targets (35) than Atlanta's Roddy White. Although Arizona's Larry Fitzgerald is second with 28 targets, he has only ten receptions.

- Jacksonville's Mike Sims-Walker followed up his shutout (no receptions) in Week 1 with a 105-yard performance in Week 2. MSW ranks 46th in the NFL in receiving yards.

- Out of the top 46 leaders in receiving yards, only one player -- Washington receiver Santana Moss -- has yet to get a reception for more than 20 yards. That should change in Week 3 versus the St. Louis Rams.

- As far as Jaguars receivers go, Mike Thomas, who is owned in only 12 percent of Yahoo! leagues, should be much more consistent (albeit less productive) than MSW throughout the season. Thomas has ten receptions for a team-high 132 yards through two games.

- Buccaneers rookie Mike Williams has scored touchdowns in his first two NFL games, which is a first for a Tampa Bay rookie. In addition, Williams had only two catches in Week 2; all other receptions (10) went to tight ends or running backs. Williams has a tough matchup against the Steelers this week.

- Neither Randy Moss (97) nor Wes Welker (102) lead the Patriots in receiving yards. Instead, it's rookie tight end Aaron Hernandez (146). Last year, the Bills allowed the third-fewest fantasy points to opposing wide receivers. I have both receivers in my top 10 (see below); am I too optimistic?

Here are my top ten wide receivers for Week 3:

1. Andre Johnson, Texans (vs Dallas)
2. Miles Austin, Cowboys (at Houston)
3. Roddy White, Falcons (at New Orleans)
4. Reggie Wayne, Indianapolis (at Denver)
5. Randy Moss, Patriots (vs Buffalo)
6. Brandon Marshall, Dolphins (vs NY Jets)
7. DeSean Jackson, Eagles (at Jacksonville)
8. Larry Fitzgerald, Cardinals (vs Oakland)
9. Greg Jennings, Packers (at Chicago)
10. Wes Welker, Patriots (vs Buffalo)

See our full top 50 wide receiver rankings for Week 3.

More rankings for Week 3: Top 25 QBs | Top 40 RBs | Top 20 TEs

Feel free to send start/sit questions via Twitter @EDSFootball or post your questions in our free Fantasy Football forum.

Good luck in your Week 3 matchup(s).

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 01:13 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Yesterday we updated our fantasy football rankings for Week 3. Here are some notes regarding running backs and run defenses heading into this week:

- Lions rookie running back Jahvid Best has scored the most fantasy points of any player in fantasy football (standard scoring) through two weeks. Despite rushing for only 98 total yards, he has scored five touchdowns and has 170 receiving yards. Best faces two tough defenses in Weeks 3 and 4: Minnesota and Green Bay.

- The good news for fantasy owners of Bucs running back Cadillac Williams? He ranks second in the NFL in rushing attempts through two weeks. The bad news? This week's opponent, Pittsburgh, has held Atlanta's Michael Turner and Tennessee's Chris Johnson to under 100 yards. Combined. The two stud backs finished with a total of 35 carries for 76 yards.

- Two rush defenses have yet to allow a rush of eight yards or more: New York Jets and Chicago Bears. It may be a long day for Miami RBs Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams (against the Jets) and Green Bay RB Brandon Jackson (against the Bears) on Monday Night. (Our fantasy football contest is based on Monday Night Football matchups.)

- Bears running back Matt Forte has only 79 rushing yards -- 39.5 per game and 2.9 yards per carry. However, he ranks fifth among running backs in yards from scrimmage (267). Forte's opponent on Monday Night, Green Bay, led the NFL in fewest rushing yards allowed in 2009.

- Broncos running back Knowshon Moreno is out (vs Colts), Chargers running back Ryan Mathews is doubtful (at Seahawks) and Cardinals running back Beanie Wells should make his season debut against the Raiders.

- Raiders running back Darren McFadden has made the most of his opportunity with Michael Bush, who is expected to return this week, out of the lineup. Through two games, he ranks second in the NFL in rushing yards (240) and has 303 yards from scrimmage. This week the Raiders face the Cardinals, who allowed Atlanta to rush for 221 yards last week.

- The Texans have allowed only 31 rushing yards per game. That's the good news. Part of the success (against the run), however, is due to their lack of it stopping the pass (411 yards per game).

- If the Cowboys are going to get their season on track, they will likely need to run the ball somewhat successfully against the Texans. Only three teams -- Detroit, New Orleans and Washington -- have fewer rushing yards. If I had to start either Marion Barber or Felix Jones, I would expect Barber to have more success.

Here are my top ten running backs for Week 3:

1. Adrian Peterson, Vikings (vs Detroit)
2. Ray Rice, Ravens (vs Cleveland)
3. Chris Johnson, Titans (at NY Giants)
4. Frank Gore, 49ers (at Kansas City)
5. Rashard Mendenhall, Steelers (at Tampa Bay)
6. Maurice Jones-Drew, Jaguars (vs Philadelphia)
7. Michael Turner, Falcons (at New Orleans)
8. Darren McFadden, Raiders (at Arizona)
9. Cedric Benson, Bengals (at Carolina)
10. Steven Jackson, Rams (vs Washington)

See our full top 40 running back rankings for Week 3.

More rankings for Week 3: Top 25 QBs | Top 50 WRs | Top 20 TEs

Feel free to send start/sit questions to me via Twitter @EDSFootball or post your questions in our free Fantasy Football forum.

Good luck in your Week 3 matchup(s).

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 12:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

On one hand, we are only heading into Week 3 of this very young season. Then again, 12.5 percent (or one-eighth) of all regular-season games have been played already.

And if your fantasy league begins its playoffs in Week 14, that means you've completed more than 15 percent of your regular season.

To help you prepare for your Week 3 matchup, we published our fantasy rankings for this week yesterday. Here are some notes about quarterbacks and passing defenses:

- After insisting that Kevin Kolb would start, when healthy, Eagles coach Andy Reid reversed directions and named Michael Vick -- not Kolb -- as the team's starting quarterback for Week 3 and beyond. For the second week in a row, Vick gets a favorable matchup as the Eagles head to Jacksonville, who has allowed a total of 420 yards per game (29th in the NFL) through two weeks. Despite playing only six quarters, Vick has scored more fantasy points (standard scoring) than all quarterbacks not named Peyton.

- Speaking of Peyton, who leads the NFL in passing, he could face the Broncos without Champ Bailey, who is listed as questionable. If so, it should be déjà vu all over again for Manning, who's No. 1 in our QB rankings for Week 3.

- Bears quarterback Jay Cutler fared well against the Cowboys defense last week although I seriously doubted whether he'd still be standing at the end of regulation due to the pressure the Cowboys put on him to start the game. This week, the Bears face the Packers and Clay Matthews, who has six (of his team's ten) sacks in two games. (Our fantasy football contest is based on Monday Night Football matchups.)

- Eventually everything regresses to the mean. Through two weeks, sophomore quarterbacks Mark Sanchez (Jets) and Josh Freeman (Bucs) rank in the top ten in QB rating. Green Bay's Aaron Rodgers (11th) and Dallas' Tony Romo (17th) don't. For now.

- Romo faces a Houston secondary that has allowed 822 passing yards, four touchdowns and has no interceptions through two games.

- The Falcons and Ravens still haven't given up a passing touchdown. This week, the Falcons head to New Orleans to face Drew Brees and the Saints. Meanwhile, the Ravens host the Browns and Seneca Wallace (and Josh Cribbs).

- In addition, the Ravens are the only team to keep opposing quarterbacks to a completion rate under 50 percent (46.4 percent).

Here are my top ten fantasy quarterbacks for Week 3:

1. Peyton Manning, Colts (at Denver)
2. Aaron Rodgers, Packers (at Chicago)
3. Drew Brees, Saints (vs Atlanta)
4. Matt Schaub, Texans (vs Dallas)
5. Tony Romo, Cowboys (at Houston)
6. Philip Rivers, Chargers (at Seattle)
7. Tom Brady, Patriots (vs Buffalo)
8. Michael Vick, Eagles (at Jacksonville)
9. Donovan McNabb, Redskins (at St. Louis)
10. Jay Cutler, Bears (vs Green Bay)

See our full top 25 quarterback rankings for Week 3.

More rankings for Week 3: Top 40 RBs | Top 50 WRs | Top 20 TEs

Feel free to send start/sit questions to me via Twitter @EDSFootball or post your questions in our free Fantasy Football forum.

Good luck in your Week 3 matchup(s).

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 12:19 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Cardinals running back Beanie Wells, who missed the team's first two regular-season games, had minor arthroscopic knee surgery, per Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com.

“He cleaned it out, but it wasn’t like a normal procedure where you are down ‘X’ amount of weeks,” [coach Ken] Whisenhunt said. “It was a day-to-day thing. It was something he had done in college and he played a week later.

“It was definitely something we wanted to check out, but it was never anything we thought was serious where it would keep him from playing on a week-to-week basis.”

Per Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic on Twitter, Wells had a torn meniscus.

This week, the Cardinals face the Raiders, who allowed a league-high 24 rushing touchdowns in 2009. (The Rams, the Cardinals' Week 1 opponent, also allowed 24 rushing touchdowns in 2009.)

Wells is expected to play on Sunday.

However, Tim Hightower, who ranks sixth in the NFL in rushing (169 yards), will likely get the majority of work -- and is the better fantasy option -- as Wells is integrated back into the offense.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 11:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

When the Broncos face the Colts on Sunday, they won't have the services of running back Knowshon Moreno.

Moreno, who suffered a hamstring injury at yesterday's practice, was ruled out for Sunday's game by coach Josh McDaniels today, per Mike Klis of the Denver Post.

The Broncos will go with Correll Buckhalter, Andre Brown and Laurence Maroney, who was acquired via trade with the Patriots a few weeks ago.

Moreno missed all of the pre-season with an injury to the opposite hamstring.

Despite averaging only 2.9 yards per carry, Moreno has averaged 91 yards (from scrimmage) per game and scored a touchdown in each game this season.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 11:35 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

It's almost time to set your fantasy football lineups for Week 3. Can you believe that 12.5 percent of all NFL regular-season games have already been played? Depressing ... isn't it?

Our Start'em, Sit'em lists are intended aid your lineup decisions from a general standpoint. Of course, take into consideration your individual rosters. For example, if you have Antonio Gates and Chris Cooley as tight ends on your fantasy roster, Cooley is no longer a Start'em (as he is below).

If a player's name doesn't appear on this list, feel free to send your start/sit questions via Twitter @EDSFootball, check out our fantasy rankings at TheTipDrill.com or post your fantasy questions in our Fantasy Football Forum.

Players to Start for Week 3:

QB - Kyle Orton, Broncos (vs Colts): Although the season is young, Orton is one of only six quarterbacks to average 300+ yards per game. In addition, he has been consistent (295 and 307 yards) and has spread the ball around (six receivers have 40+ yards in two games). Even though the Colts have a better pass defense than his first two opponents (Jaguars and Seahawks), this could turn into a shootout in Mile High as the Colts offense is clicking on all cylinders.

QB - Michael Vick, Eagles (vs Jaguars): Despite calling it "Kevin's team" after Sunday's win, Eagles quarterback Michael Vick has been named the Week 3 starter (and beyond). And Vick has another favorable matchup. Jacksonville, who ranks 29th in team defense, has allowed 420 yards per game through two weeks.

RB - Knowshon Moreno, Broncos (vs Colts): Averaging a paltry 2.9 yards per carry, Moreno has accounted for 91 yards (from scrimmage) per game and a score in each of his two games. From a fantasy-production perspective, Moreno currently ranks amongst the top ten running backs. Facing the same defense that allowed Houston's Arian Foster to run for 231 yards in Week 1, Moreno could be in for a big week.

RB - Darren McFadden, Raiders (at Cardinals): Whether or not backfield mate Michael Bush plays this week is likely to be a game-time decision. That said, McFadden's performance on the field over the past two weeks should have earned him a (mcuh) greater share of the split when Bush comes back. Meanwhile, the Michael Turner-Jason Snelling duo rushed for more than 200 yards against the Cardinals last week.

RB - Clinton Portis, Redskins (at Rams): Last year, no team allowed more rushing touchdowns (24) than the St. Louis Rams. The good news for the Rams is they've only allowed one rushing touchdown in two games this year. The bad news? They rank 30th in rushing yards allowed (142.5 per game).

WR - Jeremy Maclin, Eagles (at Jaguars): Of course, teammate DeSean Jackson is a must-start against the Jaguars. Maclin, who has a touchdown in both games this season, could be in for a strong performance as well. Jacksonville has allowed the fourth-most fantasy points to opposing wide receivers so far this year and the second-most last year.

WR - Austin Collie, Colts (at Broncos): Collie opened the season with a huge performance (11-163-1), but he scored in Week 2 (4-25-1) as well. Only three receivers have had more fantasy points in standard scoring and Collie has even more value if you're in a point-per-reception (PPR) league. On the season, he has caught 15 of his 16 targets from Peyton Manning.

WR - Santana Moss, Redskins (at Rams): Only four receivers have more targets through two games than Santana Moss, who ranks 11th in the NFL in receiving yards (166). Looking at the rankings of the top 46 receivers, Moss is the only receiver to not have a play go for over 20 yards. Considering Donovan McNabb's ability to get the ball down the field, I expect that to change against a weak Rams secondary.

TE - Chris Cooley, Redskins (at Rams): Continuing my "play-the-guys-who-play-the-Rams" theory, Cooley makes the list. He was likely drafted in the 10-12 range of tight ends, but only five tight ends have more receiving yards than Cooley (144).

Players to Sit for Week 3:

QB - Brett Favre, Vikings (vs Lions): This should be a matchup that Favre can exploit. However, Favre has looked every bit his age (he's 64, right?) and there is a possibility that Percy Harvin, who missed Wednesday's practice with a migraine, could miss Sunday's game. If Harvin does not play (even though he returned to practice Thursday), that would mean Bernard Berrian would be the active Vikings receiver with the most receptions (three) through two games.

QB - Eli Manning, Giants (vs Titans): After struggling against the Colts on Sunday Night (161 yards), Manning will look to bounce back against the Titans. It won't be an easy feat considering the Titans have one of the league's most underrated defenses.

RB - Cadillac Williams, Bucs (vs Steelers): Through two weeks, only one running back has more carries than Cadillac Williams. And Williams is likely to get his fair share this week in the, um, Battle of the Unbeatens. This week's opponent, however, limited Atlanta's Michael Turner and Tennessee's Chris Johnson to less than 100 yards -- not only each, but combined (76).

RB - Jonathan Stewart, Panthers (vs Bengals): As Carolina begins the Jimmy Clausen era on Sunday, expect the Bengals to try to force Clausen (and not DeAngelo Williams and The Daily Show) to beat them. Stewart has the talent to have a good game, in any given week, provided he gets the touches. So far, however, DeAngelo is getting 71 percent of the carries between the duo so far. I was anticipating a more even split, slightly in favor of Williams, but that has not happened yet. I'm taking a wait-and-see approach with Stewart.

WR - Mike Wallace, Steelers (at Bucs): With Charlie Batch under center, I would expect the Steelers to rush the ball often against what was last year's worst-ranked run defense. Batch played horribly in Week 2 as Dennis Dixon's injury replacement so I have very little confidence in Wallace having a solid week unless he comes through with a big play, which is possible for Wallace.

WR - Michael Crabtree, 49ers (at Chiefs): If you thought an entire off-season to familiarize himself with the playbook would make Crabtree poised for a huge season, you weren't alone. Instead Crabtree has only three catches for 44 yards through Week 2. If you don't have confidence in him until he proves you should, you're not alone.

WR - Robert Meachem, Saints (vs Falcons): Meachem, who was shut out versus the Niners last week, should be on your bench this week (and going forward). On the season, he has three receptions for 33 yards. The Saints spread the ball around, but Devery Henderson seems to be getting much more playing time than Meachem.

Note: You can follow us (please?) on Twitter @EDSFootball or "like" us on Facebook.

Good luck in your Week 3 matchup (unless you're playing me).

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 11:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Chargers rookie running back Ryan Mathews missed Wednesday's practice due to a high-ankle sprain, per Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune.

Typically players miss several weeks with this type of injury so there's a good chance that he won't play on Sunday.

However, Mathews, who was the 12th-overall draft pick this year, says the decision will be based on how he feels.

“They’re going to go on how I feel,” Mathews said, per the San Diego Union-Tribune. “I feel good … I don’t think it was that bad. They’re going to take precautionary measures to make sure my career isn’t going to be upset over an ankle … Something that could be a week, if I don’t treat it right could be six weeks.”

Rookie Mike Tolbert would be in position for the majority of work if Mathews doesn't play.

Last week, Tolbert finished with 16 carries for 82 yards and two scores. Whether or not Mathews plays, Tolbert will likely get most of the goal-line work.

It would seem more likely that the Chargers are cautious with their first-round pick against the Seahawks.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 06:41 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Vikings quarterback Brett Favre completed only four (total) passes to wide receivers against the Saints in Week 1.

Receiver Percy Harvin, the team's No. 1 receiver while Sidney Rice is out, had only one reception against the Saints, but he got off to a good start in Week 2.

That said, he finished the game with five receptions for 32 yards since he was forced to leave in the second quarter after he re-aggravated a hip injury that had kept him out of (or limited him at) practices during the week.

Harvin, who has battled migraines most of his life, has suffered another migraine, which caused him to miss practice today.

Naturally, that puts his status for Sunday's game in doubt.

Although the team signed Hank Baskett to a one-year contract today, no wide receiver -- other than Harvin -- has more than three receptions through two games.

In other words, it's no slam dunk that Favre and the Vikings pass offense take advantage of their favorable matchup against the Lions pass defense.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 11:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

It's not "Kevin's team," after all.

After the Eagles beat the Lions on Sunday, quarterback Michael Vick called the team "Kevin's team," referring to Kevin Kolb, the concussed quarterback he replaced the prior week.

Coach Andy Reid had mentioned that Kolb would return as the starter, when healthy. Instead, he's had a change of heart by declaring Michael Vick as the team's Week 3 starter and beyond.

Per ESPN's Chris Mortensen, this move is indefinite.

Vick currently ranks fourth in the NFL in QB rating (105.5) and 13th in rushing (140 yards) despite playing only six quarters and has a nice matchup for fantasy football in Week 3.

The Eagles face the Jacksonville Jaguars, who have the 29th-ranked defense (420 yards per game allowed).

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 06:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Depending on your league's depth and the skill level of your competitors, the names you will find in the free-agent pool (waiver wire) will differ.

Based on the needs of your team, we would consider adding the following players, if available:

QB - Josh Freeman, Bucs: Freeman is currently owned in about 12 percent of all Yahoo! leagues so there's a good chance he's available in yours. Through two games (both victories, mind you), Freeman has thrown four touchdowns and only one interception and ranks eighth amongst quarterbacks in fantasy points scored. He's still a QB2, but he should continue to take positives strides forward.

QB - Bruce Gradkowski, Raiders: Raiders quarterback Jason Campbell was benched in favor of Bruce Gradkowski at halftime of the Rams game. Although coach Tom Cable hasn't indicated which quarterback will start on Sunday, Gradkowski threw for 162 yards and a touchdown in relief. At this point, it seems as though Gradkowski is more worthy of a roster spot than Campbell is.

RB - Jason Snelling, Falcons: With Michael Turner limited due to a groin injury Sunday, Snelling more than picked up the slack. He rushed for 129 yards and had five receptions for 57 yards while scoring three touchdowns. All early indications point to Turner being ready to return Sunday, which would limit Snelling's Week 3 fantasy value. However, he provides value as Turner's handcuff.

RB - Mike Tolbert, Chargers: Like Snelling, Tolbert had a big day in relief of the clear-cut No. 1 starter, who will likely return to action in Week 3 due to the injury suffered being minor. But Tolbert scored twice and rushed for 82 yards on 16 carries. At 243 pounds, however, Tolbert should get plenty of goal-line work even when Mathews is healthy.

RB - Marshawn Lynch, Bills: In what seemed like a one-week audition for (against) the Packers, Lynch left the doghouse to become the featured back (17 carries for 64 yards). The Bills have insisted that they are not interested in trading Lynch, despite speculation, but Lynch got almost all of the carries against the team that lost its star running back for the season the week before. Coincidence?

RB - John Kuhn, Packers: Kuhn received nine carries in Week 2 while Brandon Jackson, last week's biggest free-agent addition, had 11 carries. Jackson should get more carries than Kuhn going forward unless the Packers acquire another running back. But Kuhn should get the goal-line work.

(Note: The Week 3 thread for our Fantasy Football Contest is now open and new entries are welcome.)

RB - Donald Brown, Colts: Brown, who is owned in around one-third of Yahoo! fantasy leagues, rushed 16 times for 69 yards and a score against the Giants on Sunday night. Granted, Addai got 20 carries and the duo shouldn't expect a combined 36 carries per week going forward. But the Colts drafted Brown in the first round for a reason so I wouldn't be surprised to see him ultimately get 40 percent of the touches with both he and Addai healthy.

WR - Demaryius Thomas, Broncos: The first receiver selected in the 2010 NFL Draft, Thomas is available in about two-thirds of Yahoo! leagues and had a strong debut (8-97-1). Thomas a big (6-3, 229-pound) athletic receiver and should be the team's No. 1 receiver in the future. In 2010, however, Thomas will likely be inconsistent, especially given the time he missed before making his NFL debut.

WR - Kevin Walter, Texans: Walter is owned in less than 40 percent of all Yahoo! leagues, but that should change soon. Although Jacoby Jones received most of the fantasy love in the off-season by Texans receivers not named Andre Johnson, Walter ranks eighth in the NFL in receiving yards (173) and has scored in each of his two games.

WR - Louis Murphy, Raiders: Murphy had five of his six receptions from Sunday in the second half after Gradkowski replaced Campbell at quarterback. Murphy finished with 91 yards and a score. If you're going to own a Raiders receiver, Murphy is clearly the guy to own. Since he's owned in only nine percent of Yahoo! leagues, he should be available in your league.

WR - Mike Thomas, Jaguars: Still owned in only 11 percent of Yahoo! leagues, Thomas provides good value. After setting the franchise rookie record for receptions in 2009, Thomas has ten receptions for 132 yards (or 27 more than Mike Sims-Walker) in two games.

WR - Josh Morgan, 49ers: With Michael Crabtree's woes, Morgan is providing fantasy owners with some solid (although not spectacular) value. Through two games, Morgan has nine receptions for 102 yards. Owned in only four percent of Yahoo! leagues, he's worth a look in deeper leagues.

TE - Aaron Hernandez, Patriots: Quick: Who leads the Patriots in receiving yards? As you might have imagined (based on when I'm asking such a question), the answer is Hernandez. Although he has only been targeted eight times in two games, Hernandez has 146 yards through two games.

TE - Brandon Pettigrew, Lions: In three full games before suffering a season-ending injury last year, Pettigrew caught 15 balls for 165 yards and two scores. This weekend, Pettigrew had seven receptions for 108 yards against the Eagles.

Over the next couple of days, we will publish our Week 3 fantasy rankings and other columns to help you set your lineups for Week 3.

At any time, however, feel free to send your start/sit questions via Twitter @EDSFootball, check out our fantasy section at TheTipDrill.com or post your question in our Fantasy Football Forum.

Good luck in Week 3.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 07:09 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The Saints beat the 49ers tonight on a last-second field goal by Garrett Hartley.

However, Saints running back Reggie Bush was carted off the field in the fourth quarter with a leg injury.

Jets cornerback Darrelle Revis is likely to miss this week's game against Miami (even though he hasn't ruled himself out yet) with a strained hamstring, per ESPN's Rich Cimini.

Bengals receiver Terrell Owens tweeted, "I see the "revis island" gettin exposed! Now his hammy is hurting!!"

Per Comcast's Ryan O'Halloran (via Pro Football Talk), Redskins cornerback DeAngelo Hall said today (out of frustration about Andre Johnson's fourth-quarter touchdown catch): "I'm going to wherever the f***ing ball is going. Wherever the receiver is going, that's where the f*** I'm going."

The link is up for the Week 3 thread of our 2010 Fantasy Football Contest. New entries are welcome and encouraged.

According to Texans coach Gary Kubiak, receiver Andre Johnson is day-to-day with a "mild ankle sprain."

The Carolina Panthers will start rookie quarterback Jimmy Clausen -- over the ineffective Matt Moore -- against the Bengals on Sunday.

Speaking to the reports/rumors that Giants running back Brandon Jacobs had requested a trade, coach Tom Coughlin said, "As far as I know, there has been no request for any trade."

Ravens assistant (and son of Gary Moeller) Andy Moeller was arrested Saturday on suspicion of driving under the influence, per the Detroit News.

Per ESPN, Browns center Alex Mack claimed Chiefs defensive lineman Shaun Smith grabbed his private parts during Sunday's game.

When the Cowboys play the Texans on Sunday, it looks like they will have the services of Jason Witten and Mike Jenkins. Plus, kicker David Buehler is still employed. For now.

The Cowboys held a players-only meeting today.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 12:16 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Last night, Giants running back Brandon Jacobs left the game after running east-west for no gain, which frustrated Giants coach Tom Coughlin.

"I was angry," Tom Coughlin admitted (via Mike Vaccaro of the New York Post), "because we've seen too much of that east-west stuff out of him. Find something and head north, that's what we've been drilling him."

When he got to the sidelines, Jacobs intended to throw his helmet under the bench, but instead it got caught on his glove and landed in the stands. He says it was a mistake and apologized to just about everyone.

"Anyone who knows me knows that I'm not about that, that it wasn't my intention for that to happen with the helmet," Jacobs said. "I was a little mad but I can't do something like that."

Jacobs finished with four carries for eight yards and didn't get another carry after the helmet incident. Through two games, Jacobs has 52 rushing yards on 16 carries.

When a reporter asked why he didn't receive another carry after that, Jacobs started cursing at the reporter, per Ralph Vacchiano of the NY Daily News.

He then apologized (again).

One thing is for sure, if you have Jacobs on your fantasy team, you are feeling sorry.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 07:26 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Through six quarters of play, Colts quarterback Peyton Manning has completed 53 of 75 passes (over 70 percent) for 587 yards, five touchdowns and no interceptions.

And when the Colts face the Broncos in Week 3, Denver may have to face the high-powered Indianapolis offense without cornerback Champ Bailey.

Bailey, who suffered an injury in the fourth quarter of today's win over Seattle, was on crutches with his ankle wrapped as he left the locker room, per Mike Klis of the Denver Post.

“It happens,” Bailey said. “I should be all right, though.”

Today Bailey got his first interception of the season as the Broncos picked up Seattle quarterback Matt Hasselbeck three times.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 10:26 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

In his first two NFL games, Lions rookie Jahvid Best has scored a total of five touchdowns. Best finished today's game with 232 yards from scrimmage (78 rushing, 154 receiving) and three touchdowns.

In the next two weeks, Best faces the top two-rated run defenses from 2009 -- Green Bay and then Minnesota.

Although Eagles quarterback Michael Vick played well, he says the Eagles are "Kevin's team" referring to quarterback Kevin Kolb, who was cleared to return to practice this week.

The four quarterbacks from the 1 p.m. games that threw it more than 35 times -- Tony Romo (51), Shaun Hill (45), Joe Flacco (39) and Brett Favre (36) -- all lost today.

Via The Big Lead, here is a video of Dolphins cornerback Vontae Davis getting hurt after making celebrating a tackle:

In today's loss to the Bucs, Panthers quarterback Matt Moore was benched in favor of rookie Jimmy Clausen.

Not only was Moore benched, Oakland benched Jason Campbell in favor of Bruce Gradkowski after one half today.

Tennessee's Vince Young was benched as well, but coach Jeff Fisher said (via The Tennessean) "Vince is still our starter. He will start next week against the Giants."

Steelers quarterback Dennis Dixon will have an MRI on his left knee.

In the Texans-Redskins overtime game, quarterbacks Matt Schaub and Donovan McNabb combined for 923 yards of passing.

Redskins left tackle Trent Williams suffered a sprained knee in today's overtime loss to the Texans.

Jets cornerback Darrelle Revis missed the second half against the Patriots after hurting his hamstring defending a one-handed touchdown grab by Randy Moss.

Despite his pleas to get back in the game, Cowboys tight end Jason Witten was kept out of the game after suffering concussion-like symptoms.

Vikings receiver Percy Harvin will have an MRI on his hip on Monday, per ESPN 1500's Tom Pelissero.

Cardinals safety Kerry Rhodes was ejected from today's game against the Falcons after bumping into an official.

Falcons running back Michael Turner left today's game after suffering a groin injury and Jason Snelling went off for 129 rushing yards and three scores.

Carolina's Steve Smith had X-rays on his twice-broken forearm, but the X-rays were negative, according to Darin Gantt.

It is almost the one-year anniversary of the incarceration of ex-Giants receiver Plaxico Burress.

Last but not least, it's not too late to enter our Week 2 Fantasy Football Contest.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 08:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

In case you missed it last night, the Michigan State Spartans used "Little Giants" to score the game-winning touchdown that beat Notre Dame in overtime.

"A difficult loss, obviously," [Notre Dame coach Brian] Kelly said. "It came down to one play. Michigan State executed the play, and we did not. We had a guy covering who fell down."

Here is the fake field-goal attempt (and touchdown pass):

And if you're a Notre Dame fan like me, you wish you had missed it. Or that it was all just a bad dream.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 08:19 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

When the Patriots visit the Jets later today, most expect (or have expected) to see Jets shutdown corner Darrelle Revis glued to Patriots receiver Randy Moss for the entire game.

“I think the whole nation knows I’ll be on Randy, going everywhere he goes,” Revis said earlier this week (via the New York Post). “So I’ll be going everywhere he goes.”

Speaking to the "slouch" comments Revis had made both earlier in the off-season and again this week, Moss said, "We're coming to the Meadowlands on Sunday, man, so you got 60 minutes of this 'slouch.'"

In two games against the Jets last year, Moss combined for only nine receptions for 58 yards.

According to Manish Mehta of the NY Daily News, however, there may be another visitor to 'Revis Island.'

Depending on situations (down and distance), the Jets will use Revis on receiver Wes Welker, who caught 15 balls for 192 yards in one game against the Jets in 2009.

Not only does Patriots quarterback Tom Brady often look to Welker on third downs, he threw to Welker in one-quarter of the plays on first down in the Jets-Patriots game last year.

When Revis is on Welker, Antonio Cromartie would cover Moss with safety help and the Jets want Cromartie to be more physical at the line of scrimmage.

"If you play off a guy 6, 7, 8 yards and you're giving them a free run into the secondary, you're asking for trouble," defensive coordinator Mike Pettine said. "We'd be foolish not to take advantage of the contact rule within five yards."

In a way, this move isn't much different than what the Jets typically do as they use Revis against the opponent's top option at receiver. For most teams, there is a clear-cut No. 1 option, but the Patriots have the luxury of having a great slot receiver and a great down-the-field receiver.

As I assumed Revis would be on the "slouch" for 60 minutes, I had expected Welker to significantly outperform Moss today. In my Week 2 fantasy rankings, Welker and Moss were the sixth- and 16th-ranked fantasy receivers, respectively.

Now that disparity may not be so large.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 07:52 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Every week, the three "handicappers" at The Weekly Blitz pick three NFL games against the spread (ATS). Entering our fourth consecutive year of making free picks, we are proud of our consistent track record (no seasons under .500).

Despite my personal uninspiring Week 1 performance (1-1-1), we kicked off the season with a collective 5-3-1 ATS performance (62.5%).

Unfortunately, the 49ers cost us all three losses as all three of us picked the Niners to cover. (On a side note, we do not thank Pete Carroll for the dose of "medicine.")

Here are my three NFL picks against the spread for Week 2:

Colts -5 (over Giants): When was the last time the Colts lost back-to-back games to begin the season? 1998. In other words, the Colts haven't started 0-2 since Peyton Manning's rookie season. I know safety Bob Sanders is out -- for this game and many more -- and Houston's Arian Foster ran all over the Colts defense in Week 1. And the Giants will certainly try to follow the Texans' blueprint for success with Ahmad Bradshaw and, to a lesser extent, Brandon Jacobs. Regardless I expect the Colts to bounce back big in Week 2.

Panthers -3 (over Bucs): The Panthers had two 1,000-yard rushers in 2009. The Bucs allowed the most rushing yards in the NFL in 2009. Three points? Really? The Bucs won their Week 1 matchup against the Browns partly due to Eric Mangini's idiocy. Although the Browns rushed the ball effectively, they threw it 15 times more than they ran it. Expect the Panthers to take their cue from the Browns and to run the ball. And then run it again. And then run it some more against the Bucs as they try to limit quarterback Matt Moore's mistakes (he threw three interceptions last week).

Chiefs +3 (over Browns): The Browns should be able to run the ball well against the Chiefs. That said, I have little-to-no faith in coach Eric Mangini (see Panthers-Bucs game). Meanwhile, the Chiefs looked electric in their season opener with the big-play ability of Jamaal Charles, Dexter McCluster -- who set the franchise record for longest punt return in his NFL debut -- and Javier Arenas.

To view Dan and Sean's picks as well, check out TheWeeklyBlitz.com.

In addition, you can follow us on Twitter, "like" us on Facebook and listen to us on Blog Talk Radio as well as get our fantasy football rankings for Week 2 at TheTipDrill.com.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 08:14 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Roughly one out of ten NFL teams make the post-season after getting off to an 0-2 start. Unless you're in a 16-team league where six (or less) teams make the fantasy playoffs, losing your Week 1 matchup may not create the same sense of urgency to get off the schneid.

That said, our Start'em, Sit'em list is aimed at helping you avoid such a skid or, better yet, at helping you establish an early lead over the rest of your league through two weeks.

If a player's name doesn't appear on this list, feel free to send your start/sit questions via Twitter @EDSFootball, check out our Week 2 fantasy rankings at TheTipDrill.com or post your question in our Fantasy Football Forum.

Players to Start for Week 2:

QB - Michael Vick, Eagles (at Lions): Eagles quarterback Kevin Kolb, who suffered a concussion against the Packers, has been ruled out for Week 2. As his replacement last week, Vick was one of only four players in the league to rush for 100+ yards in Week 1. This week, Vick faces a Lions' pass defense that allowed Chicago's Jay Cutler to pass for 372 yards in Week 1. Granted, Vick trusts his legs more than his arm, but he could potentially have a strong game through the air and on the ground.

RB - Ahmad Bradshaw, Giants (at Colts): Although he started slowly, Bradshaw finished Week 1 with 20 carries for 76 yards and a touchdown. This week, Bradshaw faces the defense that allowed Houston's Arian Foster to run for 231 yards. Plus, the Colts will be without safety Bob Sanders (for this game and many more). A potential negative (to Bradshaw's fantasy value) is an early Colts lead, which could force the Giants into passing mode, as the Colts haven't started the season 0-2 since Peyton Manning's rookie season.

RB - LaDainian Tomlinson, Jets (vs Patriots): The Jets trusted Tomlinson more than they trusted Shonn Greene, his backfield mate. Greene carried the ball only five times, but he fumbled twice on Monday Night. Coach Rex Ryan says that Tomlinson, who had 11 carries last week, and Greene will ideally get 15 carries each per game. Greene sat 25 of the last 26 offensive snaps in Week 1. Since the Jets will be desperate to avoid an 0-2 start (especially at home at the hands of the Patriots), I expect L.T. to get a heavier workload this week than the ideal split (unless you're a Greene owner).

(Note: Our Week 2 Fantasy Football Contest based on this week's Monday Night Football Matchup is open. It's free to enter and newcomers are welcome.)

RB - Brandon Jackson, Packers (vs Bills): With Ryan Grant out for the season, Jackson, the former second-round pick, was the biggest waiver-wire pickup of the week (and perhaps the season). Subject to change in the future if the Packers trade for someone like Buffalo's Marshawn Lynch, but Jackson will get the majority of carries within the Packers offense. And in his first start, he faces the Buffalo Bills, who ranked 30th against the run in 2009.

RB - LeSean McCoy, Eagles (vs Lions): McCoy is similar to Chicago's Matt Forte in his ability to catch the ball out of the backfield. When Forte faced the Lions last week, he exploded for 151 receiving yards. That will be difficult for McCoy to duplicate, but a 150-yards-from-scrimmage game seems reasonable for Week 2.

WR - Dez Bryant, Cowboys (vs Bears): Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo looked for Bryant early and often. And late. Considering Bryant missed the entire pre-season due to a high-ankle sprain, it sends a strong signal about Romo's level of confidence in the rookie. Bryant finished with eight receptions for 56 yards.

WR - Malcom Floyd, Chargers (vs Jaguars): Although Legedu Naanee (110 yards) had a better statistical game than Malcom Floyd (48 yards) on Monday Night, more than half of Naanee's receiving yards came on a blown coverage play. Plus, Floyd had more targets (12) than Naanee (eight). I expect Floyd to continue to get more targets than Naanee, who is a decent flex play. The Jaguars defense allowed the second-most fantasy points to opposing receivers in 2009.

(Did we mention our MNF fantasy contest is open?)

WR - Wes Welker, Patriots (at Jets): Welker is a start every week, but I expect him to have a much better week than teammate Randy Moss, who will try to "stay off 'Revis Island.'" In fact, Welker had 15 catches for 192 yards in his only matchup against the Jets last year (missed other due to injury) while Moss had only nine receptions for 58 yards in both games against the Jets.

WR - Steve Breaston, Cardinals (at Falcons): Breaston had a career-high 132 yards in Week 1. While I wouldn't expect a duplicate performance, he and quarterback Derek Anderson seem to be on the same page (unlike Larry Fitzgerald). Meanwhile, Early Doucet will miss the next 3-6 weeks after having sports hernia surgery so a few targets may be heading Breaston's way.

TE - Visanthe Shiancoe, Vikings (vs Dolphins): Vikings quarterback Brett Favre completed as many passes to Shiancoe (four) in Week 1 as he completed to all Vikings receivers. Plus, Shiancoe, who scored the team's only touchdown last week, has 12 touchdowns in 17 career games with Favre under center.

Players to Sit for Week 2:

QB - Jay Cutler, Bears (at Cowboys): Against the Cowboys last week, Redskins quarterback Donovan McNabb completed less than 50 percent of his passes, threw for less than 200 yards and no touchdowns. With elite pass-rushers like linebacker DeMarcus Ware, the Cowboys should hit Cutler early and often to force several mistakes.

QB - Carson Palmer, Bengals (vs Ravens): I still view the Bengals as a run-first, defensive-minded team and that was apparent in their two matchups in 2009 where Cedric Benson had 61 carries and went over the 100-yard mark in both games. Last week, the Bengals were down early and big to the Patriots, which forced the Bengals to air it out 50 times (and Patriots fans to beat the traffic).

RB - Jahvid Best, Lions (vs Eagles): Best scored two touchdowns against the Bears, however, he also averaged less than two yards per carry in his debut. The Lions are without quarterback Matthew Stafford this (and severl more) week(s) and I expect the Eagles to force Shaun Hill to beat them. In other words, look for the Eagles defense to key in on Best.

RB - C.J. Spiller, Bills (at Packers): Spiller had six rushing yards on seven carries in his career debut. There's no denying that Spiller is an electrifying, talented running back. There's also no denying that there is limited talent around him to take the pressure off. It doesn't help that Green Bay led the NFL in rushing yards allowed (83.3 per game) and rushing touchdowns allowed (five).

RB - Jerome Harrison, Browns (vs Chiefs): Harrison should (operative word: should) get a bigger workload than the nine carries he had against Tampa. In fact, coach Eric Mangini had said that he expected Harrison to "seize the opportunity." Inexplicably, Harrison's workload was limited despite nearly six yards per carry. Harrison is only on this list because I do not trust Mangini to give Harrison the work necessary to be a fantasy starter.

RB - Ronnie Brown, Dolphins (at Vikings): Brown, who was on the Start'em side in Week 1, faces a much tougher run defense this week than last. Considering Brown didn't fully exploit last week's matchup, I have no confidence in him against the Williams Wall. (Feel free to sit Ricky, too.)

WR - Lee Evans, Bills (at Packers): Evans had a relatively favorable matchup against the Dolphins last week. Although Packers cornerback Charles Woodson is dealing with a toe injury, he should be on the field Sunday. With horrible quarterback and offensive line play, you should not rely on Evans -- ever.

WR - Randy Moss, Patriots (at Jets): First off, Moss is ALWAYS a start unless he's hurt. In two matchups versus the jets in 2009, however, Moss had only 58 receiving yards. Although Moss said his off-season was dedicated to "staying off 'Revis Island,'" temper your expectations for Week 2. Four receptions for 50 yards is reasonable for the "slouch." Welker (see above) should have a better week than Moss.

WR - Terrell Owens, Bengals (vs Ravens): If the Bengals are determined to run the ball against the Ravens, which I expect, then there will be less targets to go around to the receivers. And T.O. is Batman in (corny nick) name only to Chad Ochocinco. Don't expect 13 targets for both again this week.

WR - Mark Clayton, Rams (at Raiders): In his Rams debut, Clayton had his first-ever double-digit reception game. The former first-rounder from Sam Bradford's alma mater recorded his tenth 100-yard game. Here's an interesting stat about Clayton's inconsistency: In the games following his other nine 100-yarders, Clayton had two (or less) receptions in seven of them. In other words, Clayton had more than two receptions in only two of nine tries following 100-yard performances. If you're banking on Clayton posting back-to-back fantasy-worthy performances, don't say you haven't been warned.

For more lineup help, check out our Week 2 rankings: Top 25 QBs | Top 40 RBs | Top 50 WRs | Top 20 TEs

Note: You can follow us (please?) on Twitter @EDSFootball or "like" us on Facebook.

Good luck in your Week 2 matchup (unless you're playing me).

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 01:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

One day after being limited at practice due to a hip ailment, Minnesota Vikings WR Percy Harvin was a non-participant at today's practice, according to Jeremy Fowler of the Pioneer Press.

Against the Saints, Vikings receivers had a total of only four receptions.

Harvin, who caught one pass for 12 yards, is the team's top playmaker at receiver without Sidney Rice, who's recovering from hip surgery and will miss the first half of the season.

In addition to Harvin, there are only three other active receivers on the team's 53-man roster so the Vikings can ill-afford to lose Harvin for this week's game.

"We really don't know at this point," [Vikings offensive coordinator Darrell] Bevell said about Harvin's availability for Sunday (via Fowler). "It will be a wait and see."

Facing a Dolphins pass defense that allowed the sixth-most fantasy points to opposing receivers in 2009, Harvin, who says he'll be ready for Sunday, could be in for a bounce-back week provided he's healthy enough to go.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 09:13 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

It's only been one week and the sample size is small.

In other words, it's important to not overreact to one-hit wonders (think: Denver's Brandon Lloyd) while simultaneously taking advantage of real opportunities (think: Green Bay's Brandon Jackson).

Here are some names to consider adding to your fantasy roster, based on availability and league depth:

QB - Michael Vick, Eagles: At a minimum, if Kevin Kolb is your starting quarterback, you should consider adding Vick as insurance. After replacing a concussed Kolb, Vick rushed for 103 yards in addition to throwing for 173. While coach Andy Reid has said that Kolb will remain the team's starting quarterback, Kolb won't practice until Friday, at the earliest, and it's unclear if he will be ready for Week 2.

QB - Sam Bradford, Rams: Three interceptions. Fifty-five pass attempts. Those 55 attempts were the most ever by a rookie quarterback in Week 1. While Bradford will have several multi-interception games as rookie quarterbacks typically do, the Rams will trail (often) and will rely on the arm of the $50-million man to try to make a comeback.

RB - Brandon Jackson, Packers: Without a doubt, Jackson is (will be) one of the most-added players this week due to the injury to running back Ryan Grant. With Grant will miss this week (and possibly more) with a "significant ankle injury," Jackson will get the lion's shares of carries for the Packers. Even better, Jackson's Week 2 match-up is against the Bills, who ranked 30th in the NFL in rushing yards allowed in 2009.

RB - Peyton Hillis, Browns: Browns coach Eric Mangini said (just a week ago, mind you) that he expected Jerome Harrison to "seize the opportunity" to be the No. 1 back. Harrison performed well when given the opportunity -- nine carries for 52 yards. But Hillis had nine rushing attempts as well and the 250-pound back should get the goalline work.

RB - Fred Taylor, Patriots: While the allocation of carries in New England will be inconsistent, Taylor had 14 carries for 71 yards on Sunday. He played younger than his 34 years and is only owned in 17% of Yahoo! leagues.

WR - Davone Bess, Dolphins: Last year, Bess had three (or more) receptions in all 16 games. In Week 1, he had six. While he's not flashy, he will be consistent and I think he's the second-best option at receiver on the Dolphins over Brian Hartline, who didn't catch any passes.

WR - Mark Clayton, Rams: For the first time in his career, Clayton finished a game with double-digit receptions so I wouldn't expect a repeat performance in Week 2. In fact, if you glance at Clayton's game logs, you'll notice that he often follows up big performances with disappointing performances. That said, the Rams will need to throw it and somebody has to (try to) catch it.

WR - Danny Amendola, Rams: Especially in point-per-reception (PPR) leagues, Amendola is worth a look as he could be a guy that catches 80-100 passes. He had six receptions Sunday and I think he will get enough targets each week to haul in six receptions ... weekly. For the non-math majors, six receptions times 16 games equals 96 catches.

WR - Eddie Royal, Broncos: Brandon Lloyd led the team in receiving yards (117) in Week 1, but I expect him to finish the season ranked fifth in targets among receivers on the team (behind Royal, Jabar Gaffney, rookies Demaryius Thomas and Eric Decker). In Week 1, Royal looked closer to the rookie version that caught 91 balls than last year's version that disappeared. Royal finished with eight receptions for 98 yards.

WR - Mike Thomas, Jaguars: Last year, Thomas closed the season strong -- 21 receptions for 231 yards and one touchdown in the team's final four games. In Week 1, Thomas had six catches for 89 yards. And if you remember, fellow receiver Mike Sims-Walker, who was shut down by Broncos CB Champ Bailey, predicted a breakout season for Thomas similar to what MSW experienced in 2009.

WR - Mike Williams, Seahawks: Williams, the former top ten pick by Detroit, caught four passes for 64 yards Sunday. With T.J. Houshmandzadeh now in Baltimore, Williams has an opportunity to earn the role as the team's go-to receiver.

Later this week, we will release our Week 2 rankings by position, our Start'em, Sit'em column in addition to our Week 2 fantasy football podcast.

Have a start-sit question? Feel free to tweet them to me @EDSFootball.

Good luck in Week 2.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 06:51 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

In tonight's game, Jets running back Shonn Greene fumbled twice and only ended up with five carries -- six fewer than LaDainian Tomlinson.

Tonight, Chiefs rookie Dexter McCluster set the franchise record for the longest punt return (94 yards).

Our fantasy football contest is open for Week 2. Make your free entry here.

Packers running back Ryan Grant will miss Sunday's game against the Bills and possibly more in what coach Mike McCarthy described as a "significant injury to the ankle and the ligament."

Panthers quarterback Matt Moore, who suffered a concussion on Sunday, is "feeling much better" and hasn't yet been ruled out for Week 2, according to coach John Fox (via Pro Football Talk).

Eagles quarterback Kevin Kolb, who also suffered a concussion on Sunday, won't return to practice any sooner than Friday. If he is cleared to play, he will start.

Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford has a second-degree shoulder separation and will visit Dr. James Andrews to determine the length of his absence.

After a horrible game against the Seahawks, 49ers receiver Michael Crabtree said, "Game over now. I've got to throw it behind me. It's in the books. It's gone."

Packers defensive lineman Justin Harrell will miss the rest of the 2010 season due to a torn ACL.

Texans tight end Owen Daniels said of returning after ten months, “To be honest, I was a little jittery. I swear I was shaking during warm-ups. Once I got in there and got a couple hits — and I think I actually banged my knee on one of the first throws my way — it felt good.”

Class of 2011 nominees for the Pro Football Hall of Fame includes 113 names.

Bills linebacker Paul Posluszny has a sprained MCL.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 11:56 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The Dallas Cowboys host the Chicago Bears on Sunday for their home opener. Both teams had interesting endings to their games in Week 1.

The Bears won after Calvin Johnson's touchdown (called on the field) was overturned due to an NFL rule while the touchdown that was caught by Roy Williams was negated by a holding penalty by (who else?) Cowboys tackle Alex Barron to end the game.

In the Cowboys game, linebacker DeMarcus Ware left the game in the fourth quarter with a neck stinger, but he expects to be ready to go on Sunday.

"It's a stinger, a dinger, whatever you want to call it," said Ware, per Todd Archer of the Dallas Morning News. "Everybody who plays football it's part of the job."

Per Archer, Ware doesn't expect to undergo any further testing on Monday.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 07:14 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Packers running back Ryan Grant left Sunday's game against the Eagles in the second quarter with a sprained ankle.

Next week, Grant would have a great match-up against the Buffalo Bills, who ranked 30th in the NFL against the run last year.

But can he go?

"For me, if you look at my track record, I would say yes," Grant said, per Greg A. Bedard of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. "But we'll take it one day at a time. It's kind of frustrating. I want to go back in the game and help my guys. That's just the nature of what I want to do. But it happens so we have to move on. I'm going to do everything, trust me, to get my butt back on that field to help this team win."

Brandon Jackson, who rushed 18 times for 63 yards Sunday, could be in line for a big day if Grant can't go (or is limited) in Week 2.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 07:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Texans defensive end Connor Barwin is out for the season after he fractured his right ankle in a collision with teammate Antonio Smith.

As pointed out by Ben Volin of the Palm Beach Post, Dolphins cornerback Sean Smith was the only non-quarterback to not play for either team in the Bills' game.

Since our fantasy football contest is based on Monday Night Football match-ups, it's not too late to enter for your chance to win our money.

Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford, who suffered an injury to his throwing arm after a Julius Peppers sack, said he "felt pretty good until [he] got hurt.”`

Although Stafford won't have an MRI until tomorrow, speculation is that Stafford could miss up to six weeks.

Of course, the Lions lost the game after this "touchdown" catch by Calvin Johnson was overturned:

Both Eagles quarterback Kevin Kolb and linebacker Stewart Bradley suffered concussions in the first half of today's game against the Packers.

Before suffering the injury, Kolb struggled -- 5-of-10 passing for 24 yards.

Michael Vick, who replaced Kolb, rushed for 103 yards and reached the 4,000-yard rushing mark for his career. The only other quarterbacks to rush for 4,000 yards in their career were Randall Cunningham and Steve Young.

Shameless plug: On Twitter? Us too. Follow us @EDSFootball.

Colts safety Bob Sanders left today's game in the first quarter with an elbow injury.

Fox analyst and former Steelers quarterback Terry Bradshaw said of Ben Roethlisberger, "If I had owned the Steelers, hear me loud and clear: He would not be a Steeler."

Steelers left tackle Max Starks has a high-ankle sprain.

Among the many comments Patriots receiver Randy Moss made today, here's what he said about his Week 2 matchup: "... I prided my offseason on staying off of Revis Island."

Panthers receiver Steve Smith set the franchise record for receiving touchdowns (51).

Bengals receivers Terrell Owens and Chad Ochocinco reached the 15,000-yard and 10,000-yard milestones, respectively, for their careers after today's performance.

Falcons tight end Tony Gonzalez caught the 1,000th pass of his career today.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 11:41 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

If Colts quarterback Peyton Manning threw for 400+ yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions, you would expect that to result in a victory for the Colts.

And if Texans quarterback Matt Schaub threw for only 107 yards, you would expect that to result in a loss for the Texans.

Not today.

The main reason? Texans running back Arian Foster.

Foster rushed for 231 yards and three touchdowns, which is comparable to his strong two-game finish in 2009 (216 yards and three TDs).

Next week, Foster and the Texans take the show on the road to Washington.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 04:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The Arizona Cardinals will be without running back Beanie Wells (knee) when they face the St. Louis Rams today, per Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic.

Wells, who missed all of practice last week, is technically the No. 2 running back on the depth chart behind Tim Hightower even though he should get more touches when both backs are healthy.

As the Cardinals begin their post-Kurt Warner era, it's likely that they run the ball more than they have in the past few years.

Considering no team allowed more rushing touchdowns than the Rams (24) did in 2009, Hightower is definitely in a viable starter in all fantasy leagues.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 03:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The New England Patriots and guard Logan Mankins were close (everyone say, "how close were they?") to a new deal, per ESPN's Adam Schefter.

They were so close to a new deal, in fact, that both sides had agreed to the terms of the contract. The only thing Mankins had to do was issue a public apology for previous comments he made about the integrity of Robert Kraft, the team's owner.

Sure, Mankins must be proud and I understand that.

But according to Schefter, Mankins called Kraft to apologize just 90 minutes before he refused to issue a public apology. I'm not sure why he wouldn't issue a public apology if he issued one privately.

Team president Jonathan Kraft said that the Patriots made a contract offer that "stacks up favorably" to those recently given to other top guards in the league. Mankins has refused to sign his tender as a restricted free agent that would pay him $3.26 million for 2010.

"We've love to have him back," [Jonathan] Kraft said. "He's a great football player."

It doesn't look like Mankins will be signing his tender as a restricted free agent or anything else anytime soon.

As Schefter points out, it could prove difficult to trade Mankins as both the Patriots and Mankins seek compensation they find suitable.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 03:04 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

One of the wide receivers I targeted in fantasy football drafts, especially in point-per-reception (PPR) leagues, was Wes Welker of the Patriots.

Although his knee may not be feeling as strong or normal as he would like, it only took him 5:13 into the first game to catch his first touchdown.

In only 14 games in 2009, Welker finished with 123 receptions (first in NFL) and 1,348 yards (second to Andre Johnson).

Even if his knee isn't 100 percent, I firmly believe that Welker will surpass those totals if he plays in all 16 games.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 01:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Raiders running back Michael Bush is inactive for today's game against the Tennessee Titans.

Bush, who practiced some this week, is recovering from a broken thumb and is expected (by the Raiders) to return for Week 2, per ESPN's Adam Schefter.

With the Raiders deactivating Bush this week, Darren McFadden, the fourth-overall selection in the 2008 NFL Draft, will obviously get a greater amount of touches than he otherwise would have.

Explosive in college at Arkansas, McFadden has averaged a pedestrian 3.9 yards per carry in his two-year career (only 25 games).

I still think that Bush will have a more productive 2010 than McFadden. But this will be McFadden's best opportunity to prove me and everyone else wrong.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 12:19 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, the San Francisco 49ers have made tight end Vernon Davis the highest-paid tight end in the league.

The Niners and Davis have agreed to a five-year, $37 million contract extension with $23 million in guaranteed money, per Schefter.

Davis, the team's first-round pick in 2006, had a breakthrough season with 78 receptions for 965 yards and 13 touchdowns last year.

In his previous three seasons (40 games), however, Davis had 103 receptions, 1,132 yards and nine touchdowns.

Somewhat on an amazing turnaround (although Davis has always had freakish athletic ability for a tight end) considering he was the subject of this rant by coach Mike Singletary:

For a full-season perspective, Davis is my No. 3 tight end in fantasy football behind San Diego's Antonio Gates and Indianapolis' Dallas Clark.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 03:57 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

In picking NFL games against the spread (ATS), we are proud of one fact -- we have not finished below .500 in any of our three years of doing it. In fact, it almost seems like we know what we're doing.

With one game in the books (technically, a "push" between the Saints and Vikings), there are 255 more chances (15 this week) for us to mess up the good track record we've established.

The challenge with Week 1 is making enough sense out of the vanilla schemes used with players who have since been cut, etc. that we've just seen in previous four (or five) meaningless (kind-of) pre-season games. For example, the Colts always seem to struggle in the pre-season. This year was no exception as they stumbled to an 0-4 record. At the same time, they've set an NFL record of seven consecutive 12-win regular seasons.

So, if you're the glass-half-full type, that also means that the things that will soon become obvious, say by Week 3 or 4, may not be fully factored into the lines for Weeks 1 or 2.

Here are the best three games of Week 1:

49ers (-3) over Seahawks: There might be no such thing as a "sure thing." But if I had to bank on one team winning its division, it would be the 49ers winning the NFC Worst. Not only will the Niners run away with the division, but the Seahawks aren't even the second-best team. Plus, they have released (arguably) the team's best receiver in T.J. Houshmandzadeh and rookie left tackle Russell Okung will miss Week 1. Funny that the guy who could replace him -- Tyler Polumbus -- was called "Troy" by coach Pete Carroll. In fairness to Carroll, he's new on the roster as Carroll indicates: "Troy hasn't been with us but a week."

Browns (+3) over Bucs: Browns running back Jerome Harrison rushed for 561 yards in the final three games of 2009. The Bucs allowed a league-high 158.2 yards per game in 2009. Get it? I think the Browns will be an improved team, whose record won't reflect those improvements due to the strength of the division. The Bucs? Well, you can't get much worse than 3-13 so there's little room for deterioration. The Bucs got a bargain with receiver Mike Williams, but their aerial assualt lacks a full arsenal of fire power. While the Browns won't air it out, the Bucs are without cornerback Aqib Talib, who is suspended for Week 1.

Dolphins (-3) over Bills: The Bills have a solid pass defense and an electrifying rookie running back. What else? They have a solid pass defense and an electrifying rookie running back. In other words, not much. While the Bills weren't as bad as the Bucs in rushing defense, they ranked 30th in the NFL last year. Their offensive line, quarterback play and receiving corps all seem to be equally bad. The tandem of Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams should be able to run all over the Bills, who lost Kawika Mitchell for the season today.

If you're interested in my picks/viewpoints, check out the picks from our other two "handicappers" at our picks page: TheWeeklyBlitz.com. (In fact, one of the two is calling for an outright victory for a team that is nearly a touchdown underdog.)

In addition, you can follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Blog Talk Radio and get our fantasy football rankings for Week 1 at TheTipDrill.com.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 10:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The "diva" label has been attached to San Francisco 49ers receiver Michael Crabtree and he's not sure why.

"Isn't a diva a female?" Crabtree asked, per David White of the San Francisco Chronicle. "I don't know, I'm asking. I mean, come on, that makes no sense. A diva?"

Some of the things, as White points out, are the rumors of Crabtree acting like a diva during pre-draft visits, his five-game holdout as a rookie and sitting out pre-season games this year with a "mild neck sprain" and owning 1,000 pairs of shoes.

Of course, there was the well-publicized confrontation last week with Vernon Davis, who said he was "giving him a check, getting his head leveled and just getting on him about some things he did in the past."

But coach Mike Singletary, an anti-diva Hall-of-Fame ex-middle linebacker, says that Crabtree is the "furthest thing from" being a diva.

"I'm telling you, that ain't me," Crabtree said. "Not when it comes to my teammates and guys that see me every day. I'm just a regular guy like everyone else."

Only three teams allowed more fantasy points to opposing wide receivers in 2009 than the Seattle Seahawks, this week's match-up.

Crabtree, who had 48 receptions in 11 games last year, is my 11th-ranked fantasy wide receiver for Week 1.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 06:46 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

In the first of 256 regular-season games, the Saints beat the Vikings by five points (which was also the point spread).

What a day for Patriots quarterback Tom Brady! This morning he was involved in a two-car accident although he wasn't hurt and he participated fully at practice today.

Then he signed a four-year contract extension worth $72 million ($48.5 million guaranteed).

Raiders running back Michael Bush did not practice today, according to Vittorio Tafur of the San Francisco Chronicle.

Looking for fantasy football rankings? Here are our running back rankings for Week 1.

"What I said was shallow, ignorant, immature and really of no need," [Panthers receiver Steve] Smith said of his comments about going after Giants safety Michael Johnson, who broke Smith's arm on a hit in Week 16 last year.

Although Jaguars running back Maurice Jones-Drew was asked about his knee during a conference call today, he insists his knee is fine (and he was not listed on the team's injury report), per Pro Football Talk.

The Green Bay Packers have given cornerback Charles Woodson a two-year contract extension, according to Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel.

Shameless plug: On Facebook? Us too. Please "like" us at Facebook.com/EDSFootball.

With some comments by Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis and Jets coach Rex Ryan, Monday night's game between the two teams just became more interesting. Speaking of Monday Night Football, here is the link for our Week 1 contest involving both Monday Night games.

"The game ain't played through tongues," Lewis said (via Pro Football Talk). "The game is played when you buckle up your chin strap. So all this pressure that [coach Rex Ryan] put on his team? I hope they can cash the check that he's writing. . . . [T]he bottom line is there ain't no man over there that's just gonna flat-out whoop me, so I'm good with that part of it."

On Wednesday, Vikings running back Adrian Peterson said he was better than Tennessee's Chris Johnson.

On Thursday, Titans running back Chris Johnson countered by saying, “I am the best back in the league. He is not. I don’t think it is close. I feel like I am above all the other running backs in the league. I feel like I am above him.”

Before tonight's game, I made my Super Bowl pick: click here to see who it was.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 11:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

When (or, I should say, if) Cardinals running back Beanie Wells faces the St. Louis Rams on Sunday, he could be position in to have a big game.

Although he's officially the team's back-up running back to No. 1 Tim Hightower, the Rams allowed 24 rushing touchdowns in 2009. No team allowed more.

Considering he's missed practices on back-to-back days due to a bruised knee, his status is uncertain for Sunday is uncertain.

“What concerns me, I don’t want this to be something in Week 12, Week 13 or Week 14 that you are having issues with,” [coach Ken] Whisenhunt said, per Darren Urban from the team's website. “If we feel Beanie has made enough progress by Sunday, he will play. If we don’t, like I said, I feel strongly about who we have at the position.”

If Wells does play, I think Hightower still makes for a decent flex play in fantasy football. If Wells does not play, Hightower would be a borderline RB2 for me.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 11:19 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

When Cowboys receiver Miles Austin woke up this morning, he was a restricted free agent with a $3.168 million contract.

Tonight he will go to sleep with a contract worth roughly 17 times that amount as the Dallas Cowboys and Austin agreed to a six-year extension worth $54 million today, per ESPN's Adam Schefter.

As Cowboys vice president Stephen Jones said, "he's going to be around here a long time."

But before the Cowboys faced the Chiefs in Week 5 last year, the Cowboys were without a legitimate No. 1 receiver (despite anything that Roy Williams said).

Today Cowboys Hall-of-Fame receiver Michael Irvin had much harsher words about Williams. Irvin said on the NFL Network (via the Dallas Morning News), "... with Roy Williams on the field, they're playing 10 vs. 11."

In that game against the Chiefs, however, Austin set a franchise record with 250 receiving yards that catapulted the Cowboys to an overtime victory and himself into the team's No. 1 receiver role.

He had only five receptions for 81 yards in the team's first four games. In other words, Austin finished with 76 receptions for 1,239 yards and ten touchdowns in the final three-quarters of the season.

Only three receivers (other than Austin) had more receiving yards for the year than Austin had in 12 games. (Granted, New England's Wes Welker, who's one of them, missed two games.)

For Week 1, Austin is my fifth-ranked fantasy wide receiver.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 10:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The long wait is finally over.

The NFL season kicks off tonight with the New Orleans Saints, the defending Super Bowl champions, hosting the Minnesota Vikings. Tonight's game features a pair of elite quarterbacks: Drew Brees, the reigning Super Bowl MVP, and Brett Favre, who needs to throw only three touchdowns to become the first NFL quarterback to throw 500 in his career.

Earlier this morning, I released my Week 1 position rankings for fantasy football and here are my top five signal-callers:

1. Aaron Rodgers, Packers (at Eagles): For most of the off-season, I ranked Rodgers second (behind Brees). But let's face it: you can't go wrong with either QB. In the pre-season (for what it's worth), Rodgers and the Packers aerial assault were firing on all cylinders. He completed more than 77 percent of his passes, threw six touchdowns and no interceptions. In 2009, the Eagles allowed the tenth-most fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks.

2. Drew Brees, Saints (vs Vikings): It's difficult to run versus the Williams Wall, which landed Pierre Thomas on my Sit'em list, and the Vikings secondary is banged up. Brees is as good as it gets when it comes to spreading the ball around and getting it to the open receiver. If the Vikings can't apply pressure on Brees (and get revenge, if you will), Brees will pick apart the Vikings secondary.

3. Peyton Manning, Colts (at Texans): There has been plenty of attention placed on how the alignment of officials will impact the Colts' up-tempo passing game. Undoubtedly, Manning will adapt to the rule change. To help, he has one of the most talented groups of pass-catchers in the league. In fact, the Colts had two of the three players to finish with 100+ receptions, 1,000+ yards and 10+ touchdowns (Reggie Wayne and Dallas Clark) in 2009.

4. Matt Schaub, Texans (vs Colts): I expect a shootout between the Colts and Texans on Sunday. Schaub, who led the NFL in passing in 2009, has the league's best receiver (Andre Johnson), but Jacoby Jones, who has "next-man speed," should take big strides forward in 2010. Plus, Schaub gets tight end Owen Daniels back, even if it's for only 15-25 snaps.

5. Tom Brady, Patriots (vs Bengals): Although he was in an auto accident on his way to "work" this morning, Brady was a full participant in today's practice and should be ready to go on Sunday. Loaded with weapons, Brady should be in for a big season in 2010. That said, Randy Moss missed yesterday's practice with an "illness" and Wes Welker isn't fully confident yet in his surgically-repaired knee. The Bengals allowed the sixth-fewest passing yards per game (203.1) in 2009.

More Week 1 Rankings: Top 25 QBs | Top 40 RBs | Top 50 WRs | Top 20 TEs

And speaking of Week 1, our free fantasy football contest is open for Week 1 entries.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 06:48 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

While appearing on The Dan Patrick Show, Vikings running back Adrian Peterson essentially declared himself the best running back in football.

Specifically, he was asked whether he was better than Tennessee's Chris Johnson, who set the single-season record for yards from scrimmage in 2009.

And he does.

"I don't think anything," Peterson said (via NFL.com) when asked what Johnson does better. "[He's] not faster, stronger, anything. You've got to understand who you're talking to . . . that's just the mentality that I have. I have ultimate respect for the guy and he's a heck of a player. I remember at one point and time me talking on the phone to Chris Johnson. He was telling me, 'I'm just a big fan of yours. This and that. I like your style.' Some [of the] advice that I gave him was, ‘I play this game to be the best player ever to play the game. That's my mentality.'"

Not only does Peterson think he's better, apparently Jacksonville's Maurice Jones-Drew does as well.

With the first overall pick in his fantasy league last night, Jones-Drew selected himself (and tweeted about it while referring to himself in the third person).

While I believe Johnson is the best running back in the NFL, the difference between him, Peterson and Jones-Drew is relatively small.

I applaud him for answering the question directly (even if incorrectly).

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 10:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

When it comes to fantasy football, the draft is only half the battle. Whether you've drafted a strong or not-so-strong squad, the damage is done.

The other half is managing your team on a weekly basis throughout the season by: (1) scouring the waiver wire for hidden gems, (2) working the "phones" to negotiate trades in your favor and (3) starting (or benching) the players on your roster based on their weekly match-ups.

Boy, that sounds like a lot of work, doesn't it?

Although we have a column with analysis aimed at helping you on all three fronts (granted, you may question how much we "help" at times), this column will focus on players to start or sit. We'll skip the obvious choices (e.g., start Tennessee running back Chris Johnson) and instead focus on the decisions that may be more difficult.

Each start/sit recommendation is made in general terms and may not be applicable based on the strengths and weaknesses of your particular roster.

But the players attached to a start'em classification are essentially players with favorable outlooks compared with their baseline outlooks. The opposite is true for the sit'em guys.

Here we go:

QB Start'em:

Jay Cutler, Bears (vs Lions): Last year, the Lions allowed a league-worst 265.6 passing yards per game (YPG) and 35 touchdowns and no team allowed more fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks. While the Lions defense will be better in 2010 (can't be worse, right?), Cutler and the Bears should be able to throw (and run) all over the Lions this Sunday.

Matthew Stafford, Lions (at Bears): Last year, Stafford aired it out 37.7 times on average in his ten games played. With a healthy Calvin Johnson and a better No. 2 receiver (Nate Burleson), Stafford has better weapons around him and should generally be more consistent and productive even if he doesn't sling it 38 times every week. Last year, the Bears allowed the ninth-most fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks.

QB Sit'em:

Joe Flacco, Ravens (at Jets): Last year, Houston's Matt Schaub (the NFL passing leader) had only one game with less than 200 passing yards. Week 1 versus the Jets, he threw for 166 yards. Flacco's Week 1 opponent? The Jets. With Darrelle Revis ending his holdout, you should temper your Week 1 expectations for Flacco even though I think Flacco has top-five upside for 2010. (FYI: Flacco is the quarterback in our fantasy football contest for Week 1.)

Brett Favre, Vikings (at Saints): What Favre did last year (4,202 yards, 33 TDs and seven INTs) was simply amazing! It was almost too good to be true for a 40-year-old quarterback. There is no way he can repeat that performance, especially with his go-to receiver (Sidney Rice) out for half the season. And the Saints, who knocked the crap out of him in the NFC Championship game, have vowed to bring tons of pressure again.

RB Start'em:

Ronnie Brown, Dolphins (vs Bills): If you read my blog or listen to my podcasts, you know I'm not a fan of drafting Ronnie Brown. While he's not on any of my teams, Brown can't get a much more favorable match-up than the Bills, who ranked 30th in the NFL in rushing allowed (156.3 YPG) last year. For what it's worth, Brown has averaged only 2.9 yards per carry (64 attempts for 185 yards) in season openers and has never gone over 57 yards (2005).

Matt Forte, Bears (vs Lions): Last year, Forte was arguably the biggest fantasy bust. In 2009, he had two 100-yard rushing games. The opponent? The Lions. Two times. In fact, three of his five career 100-yard games have come against the Lions. See the trend?

Jerome Harrison, Browns (at Bucs): Everyone seems to doubt Harrison. But Eric Mangini has recently said that he expects Harrison to "seize the opportunity" as the team's No. 1 back. When given the majority of work (29+ carries in four games last year), he rushed for more than 100 yards all four times. And no team allowed more rushing YPG in 2009 than this week's opponent.

RB Sit'em:

Brandon Jacobs, Giants (vs Panthers): Ahmad Bradshaw appears to be in line for the feature role within the Giants offense as Jacobs takes more of a complimentary role. Unless your league has a category for complaining, Jacobs is better suited for your fantasy bench.

Justin Forsett, Seahawks (vs 49ers): While Forsett was named the team's starting running back (over Leon Washington) to begin the season, he faces a tough San Francisco defense in Week 1. Plus, the Seahawks will be without Russell Okung, their first-round left tackle.

Pierre Thomas, Saints (vs Vikings): The Vikings have the league's best defensive line in football. No team allowed fewer rushing touchdowns (five) than the Vikings last year and they ranked second in fewest rushing yards allowed (83.3 per game).

WR Start'em:

Mike Williams, Bucs (vs Browns): Coach Raheem Morris says of Williams: "... he does remind me of Fitzgerald because of the length, the speed and the ball skills." In his NFL debut, Williams faces the Browns, who ranked fourth-from-last in passing yards allowed last year.

Santana Moss, Redskins (vs Cowboys): In ten career games against the Cowboys, Moss has 906 yards on 59 receptions. With quarterback Donovan McNabb's ability to throw the deep ball, Moss could be in for one of his "typical" games against the Cowboys.

Jacoby Jones, Texans (vs Colts): Jones was one of the most popular sleeper picks in fantasy football. In fact, he became less and less of a "sleeper" as we moved closer to the start of the NFL season. I like Jones better than Kevin Walter and expect this match-up to turn into a shootout.

WR Sit'em:

Anquan Boldin, Ravens (at Jets): Jets shutdown corner Darrelle Revis is back. It's hard to expect Boldin to have a big game when Revis has shut down the likes of Andre Johnson, Randy Moss and Carolina's Steve Smith. With the addition of T.J. Houshmandzadeh, I'm curious to see how the targets are allocated in the passing game.

Dez Bryant, Cowboys (at Redskins): Bryant will be a great NFL receiver although I think rookie expectations are a bit high. Suffering a high-ankle sprain early in training camp, Bryant has missed all of the team's pre-season games.

Kenny Britt, Titans (vs Raiders): It's hard to have confidence in a receiver dubbed the "Question Mark" by his teammates for reporting out of shape and dropping too many passes. Plus, the Raiders have talked about moving Nnamdi Asomugha around to cover the opposing team's best receiver, a la Darrelle Revis, and that would be Britt.

TE Start'em:

Zach Miller, Raiders (at Titans): In his three seasons, Miller's receptions (44 to 56 to 66) and yards (444 to 778 to 805) have increased every season. This could be a breakout season for Miller and the Titans ranked in the top ten in most fantasy points allowed to opposing tight ends in 2009.

Kellen Winslow, Bucs (vs Browns): Only two teams allowed more fantasy points to opposing tight ends in 2009 than the Browns. With few options in the passing game, Winslow should receive a healthy dose of targets this week -- and throughout the season (provided he stays healthy). Last year, Winslow finished fourth among tight ends in targets.

TE Sit'em:

Greg Olsen, Bears (vs Lions): Typically tight ends don't flourish in a Mike Martz offense. Olsen, who was the subject of off-season trade rumors, has talent, but Olsen will be out of my starting lineup until he proves that a tight end can be a viable fantasy option in a Mike Martz offense.

Owen Daniels, Texans (vs Colts): After suffering a season-ending injury in the middle of the 2009 season, Daniels has been cleared to play. Per John McClain of the Houston Chronicle, Daniels is expected to play only 15 to 20 snaps against the Colts. Too few to warrant a starting spot.

Make sure to check out our fantasy football podcast on Blog Talk Radio breaking down all of this week's match-ups. Also, our positional rankings for Week 1 will be released Thursday at TheTipDrill.com (our fantasy section).

Good luck in your Week 1 match-up.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 07:31 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Seahawks rookie left tackle Russell Okung won't play Week 1 versus the San Francisco 49ers, per Danny O'Neil of The Seattle Times.

With the first overall pick, Jaguars running back Maurice Jones-Drew selected himself.

Shameless plug: On Twitter? Us too. Follow us @EDSFootball. Pleeeeease.

Colts receiver Anthony Gonzalez is frustrated by his role within the Colts offense.

Looking to move defensive lineman Albert Haynesworth, the Redskins have talked to the Titans, his former team.

Meanwhile, Redskins quarterback Donovan McNabb said: “Albert is one of our brothers in the locker room … he understands, ‘Hey, I got to put the time and effort in. We can’t win without him. I think he’ll be here. I hope he’ll be here.”

Free-agent cornerback Chevis Jackson visited with the Baltimore Ravens today, per Aaron Wilson of National Football Post.

The Seattle Seahawks have re-signed defensive back Jordan Babineaux.

Saints quarterback Drew Brees will lead the crowd in a pre-game "Who Dat" chant when the Vikings come to town on Thursday.

An extension (three years, $58 million) could be "imminent" for Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, per the Boston Herald.

Ravens receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh will play in the season opener against the Jets.

Our Fantasy Football contest is open for 2010; submit your Week 1 entry here.

Per the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Husein Abdullah is likely to get the start at strong safety for the Vikings on Thursday.

To create the space to sign quarterback J.T. O'Sullivan, the Chargers released cornerback Brandon Hughes.

Bucs coach Raheem Morris says quarterback Josh Freeman has "looked great" in his return to practice.

Bill Parcells, who will remain as a consultant, has handed the reins of the Dolphins over to Jeff Ireland.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 11:54 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

On Saturday, the Miami Dolphins released wide receiver Patrick Turner, their third-round pick from 2009.

On Sunday, the New York Jets claimed Turner off waivers and released receiver David Clowney.

Today, the Jets released Turner, per Aaron Wilson on Twitter.

Who's next on the claim-and-cut Turner tour?

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 06:57 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

One of the players I targeted in fantasy drafts this year was Giants running back Ahmad Bradshaw.

Although it increasingly appeared as though Bradshaw would be the team's No. 1 back, he continued to be drafted (a few rounds) later than Brandon Jacobs, his backfield mate, in most of my drafts.

Recently, Jacobs, who had a disappointing season last year, made some comments about the NFL being a "cutthroat, backstabbing business."

That led folks to believe that Jacobs was unhappy about his role on the team.

"I'm happy," Jacobs said, per Mike Garafolo of the Newark Star-Ledger. "People get different things confused through words. That's not the case. The case is I'm here to win football games and ride it on out with my teammates."

When asked specifically if he was unhappy with his role, Jacobs said he he wasn't. Instead, he said he frustrated by not getting any rushing attempts in the team's pre-season finale.

“No, not at all,” Jacobs said. “It was only about that game and that was it.”

In that case, hopefully Jacobs will be "happy" sitting on my fantasy bench this week as he will be listed on the "sit'em" side of my Fantasy Football Start'em, Sit'em for Week 1 column tomorrow.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 06:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

In three seasons with the Patriots, receiver Randy Moss has scored 47 touchdowns in 48 games -- not bad for a fourth-round pick (what the Patriots sent the Raiders to acquire Moss).

Earlier in the off-season, Moss was focused solely on his preparation and chose to not speak to the media.

Moss, who is entering his final year on his contract, is becoming increasingly frustrated by a lack of a new deal from the Patriots. He expressed that frustration in an interview with CBSSports.com.

"When you have done so much and put so much work in, it kind of feels like I am not wanted," Moss said (via CBSSports.com). "I am taking that in stride and playing my final year out and whatever the future holds is what it holds, but it is kind of a bad feeling -- feeling not wanted. It is not like my production has gone down. I am speaking from an individual standpoint....

"I am a little older and understand the nature of the business -- the older you get the more your skills supposedly diminish, but I think I am getting wiser in how to use my physical skills. That's the frustrating part when you put so much heart and desire into things and feel like you are not wanted."

While he says that he is "taking that in stride and playing my final year out," there is always the potential that he pouts and puts forth a half-assed effort. After all, he has admitted that he plays when he wants and sometimes takes plays off.

In fact, Moss told the San Francisco Chronicle in 2006 (via Albert Breer of the Boston Globe): "Maybe because I'm unhappy and I'm not too much excited about what's going on," Moss said then. "So, my concentration and focus level tend to go down sometimes when I'm in a bad mood. All I can say is if you put me in a good situation and make me happy, man, you get good results."

Of course, as a player seeking a new contract (from the Patriots or another team), that would be like shooting himself in the foot -- figuratively unlike Plaxico Burress.

But there's a good chance it will get interesting along the way.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 06:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Not surprisingly, the Pittsburgh Steelers will start Dennis Dixon -- not Charlie Batch -- at quarterback on Sunday against the Atlanta Falcons.

"This is every quarterback's dream, to get an opportunity to start in the National Football League," Dixon said, per Scott Brown of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. "I just want to be even keeled and (put) my team in the best situation."

Byron Leftwich will miss two-to-four weeks with a sprained MCL and Ben Roethlisberger is currently serving a four-game suspension for violating the league's personal-conduct policy. Charlie Batch will back up Dixon.

Last year, Dixon (unexpectedly) started one game and played reasonably well (in Baltimore on Monday night). The Steelers lost the game in overtime, but Dixon threw for one touchdown while running for another.

In the pre-season, Dixon completed 23 of his 32 passes (71.9 percent) for 327 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 04:52 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

A team's quarterback is often referred to as the "face of the franchise."

In the case of the Pittsburgh Steelers, their quarterback will no longer represent the team as one of its captains. It will be the first time since 2007 that Ben Roethlisberger won't serve in that role.

Considering that Roethlisberger will serve a four-game suspension to begin the season for violating the league's personal-conduct policy, it makes sense that the team did not designate him one of their captains.

Instead, the team's four captains will be receiver Hines Ward, tight end Heath Miller, linebackers James Farrior and Keyaron Fox, per Scott Brown of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.

Roethlisberger has caused embarrassment and an unwanted focus on the Steelers due to off-the-field incidents along with legal problems for himself.

So, in a way, it's like the team is sending the message that he's the opposite of the "face of the franchise"; he's the "ass" of the franchise, if you will.

In addition to Roethlisberger, kicker Jeff Reed and linebacker James Harrison are captains from last year that won't be this year.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 02:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

It's just business as usual for Ravens general manager Ozzie Newsome. In other words, he has made (another) smart move.

The Ravens have signed free-agent receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh to a one-year contract worth $855,000, per ESPN's Adam Schefter.

Since Houshmandzadeh, who was released by the Seahawks this weekend, is guaranteed a salary of $7 million for 2010, the Seahawks will be on the hook for the difference -- $6.15 million.

Getting talented players is good. Having other teams pay the majority of their salaries is even better.

For most of the weekend, the expectations were that Houshmandzadeh would land in either Washington or Oakland so this move was a bit of surprise.

Earlier this off-season, the Ravens bolstered their receiving corps, which was one of the league's weakest in 2009, by acquiring Anquan Boldin from the Arizona Cardinals.

Although the Ravens may not need another possession receiver like Houshmandzadeh to go along with Boldin and Derrick Mason, it makes sense to put together the most-talented roster as possible.

From a fantasy perspective, this move further solidifies my view that Joe Flacco should be the eighth-ranked fantasy quarterback for 2010. (According to Mock Draft Central, Flacco currently is the 12th quarterback -- and 89th player -- off the board based on average draft position.)

For Boldin and Mason -- and to a lesser extent, Ray Rice as an elite pass-catching running back, their fantasy values decline some as there will be even less targets coming their way.

But, I wouldn't be surprised, at all, to see Flacco finish in the top five in passing yards in 2010.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 12:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Hindsight is 20-20.

Browns general manager Tom Heckert asserts that the Browns still would have traded into the second round to draft Tennessee running back Montario Hardesty, who will miss the 2010 season with a torn ACL, even though Hardesty had a laundry list of injuries in his past.

"Was it riskier than a guy that had never been injured?" Heckert said Sunday on a conference call, per Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain-Dealer. "Yeah, but we felt comfortable when we took him that he was going to be OK. We obviously brought him in for physicals and we spent a lot of time with our doctors, and we felt comfortable doing that."

Heckert is confident in Hardesty's ability to come back next season.

With Hardesty out for the year though, Jerome Harrison, his main competition for carries, should receive the bulk of work within the Browns' ground game although both James Davis and Peyton Hillis will be involved.

Cabot tweeted this morning that coach Eric Mangini "expects Jerome Harrison to 'seize the opportunity' to be the No. 1 man and 'run with it.' "

Looking back at the 2009 season, Harrison essentially did all of his damage in four games (Week 4 and Weeks 15-17). During those four games, he received 29+ carries in each of them and rushed for 682 of his 862 yards in the season.

From Week 5 to 14, however, Harrison never went over ten carries in any game.

So, in other words, what Mangini expects (and what we expect Mangini) to do in September can quickly change in October (or at any time).

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 11:34 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

According to ESPN's Chris Mortensen, free-agent quarterback Matt Leinart is about to sign a one-year contract with the Houston Texans.

Quarterback Matt Schaub, who led the NFL in passing yards in 2009, is obviously the unquestioned starter.

That said, Leinart, who was released by the Cardinals on Saturday, should get every opportunity to supplant Dan Orlovsky and move into the team's back-up role.

And fortunately for Leinart (if he ever sees the field, which would be unfortunate for Texans' fans), the receiving corps in Houston is just as good as the one in Arizona. Not many teams can claim to have a better No. 1 receiver than Larry Fitzgerald; Houston can (Andre Johnson).

A week ago, Leinart said, "... I don't really know what else I could possibly do, so it probably goes beyond football. For me, I just really want an explanation and I haven't been given one.”

Here's what Lance Zierlein of the Houston Chronicle and 1560 AM in Houston tweeted about Leinart on Friday:

"Leinart is afraid, pure and simple. He is a checkdown machine and doesn't function well when the heat comes. It won't change. In his DNA."

How's that for an explanation, Matt?

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 10:34 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

As you likely know by now, the Jets and cornerback Darrelle Revis have agreed to terms on a four-year, $46 million contract with $32 million guaranteed.

With contract disputes, it's easy for the media, fans or anyone else to take a side (over the other).

Some will say the player should honor his contract. Others will point out that the team will rip up a contract whenever it benefits the team so a player should "go for his."

Either way, there's one thing that both sides can agree on (unless you're Patriots receiver Randy Moss): Revis shuts down the opponent's best receiver on a weekly basis.

If you've listen to our weekly fantasy football podcasts (which you can do here), it's typical for me to label the receiver facing Revis as the "Fantasy Dud of the Week."

To save you some time, here is a list of all the No. 1 receivers that Revis will face in 2010:

Week 1: Anquan Boldin, Baltimore
Week 2: Randy Moss, New England
Week 3: Brandon Marshall, Miami
Week 4: Lee Evans, Buffalo (Then again, who can't shut down Evans?)
Week 5: Percy Harvin, Minnesota
Week 6: Whichever Broncos receiver becomes the team's No. 1
-- Week 7 bye week
Week 8: Greg Jennings, Green Bay
Week 9: Calvin Johnson, Detroit
Week 10: Mohamed Massaquoi, Cleveland
Week 11: Andre Johnson, Houston
Week 12: Chad Ochocinco, Cincinnati
Week 13: Randy Moss, New England
Week 14: Brandon Marshall, Miami
Week 15: Hines Ward, Pittsburgh
Week 16: Devin Hester/Johnny Knox, Chicago
Week 17: Lee Evans, Buffalo

FYI: our Week 1 podcast will be on Wednesday (September 8th) at 7 p.m. ET. All other weekly podcasts will be Thursdays at 9:30 p.m. ET (unless they are not).

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 08:46 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Per Judd Zulgad of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Vikings coach Brad Childress said the team isn't interested in free-agent WR T.J. Houshmandzadeh.

The Seahawks have given running back Julius Jones the pink slip.

Redskins coach Mike Shanahan said about quarterback Donovan McNabb "I feel very good about him being ready to go" for Week 1 versus the Dallas Cowboys.

Speaking of Week 1, our 2010 Fantasy Football Contest is open. Make your Week 1 entry here.

Thanks to Raiders owner Al Davis, safety Mike Mitchell, the team's second-round pick last year, is still a Raider (if one can be thankful for that).

Today the Jets released fullback Tony Richardson, who was perhaps the most respected player in the Jets' locker room.

From Pro Football Talk, Former Bear Dan Hampton demonstrates how not to discuss the Saints-Vikings game:

In addition to the "Katrina" comment, Hampton said of the Cowboys: "The Cowboys think they are Clint Eastwood; they're more of the Brokeback variety if you know what I'm talking about."

The Browns have activated defensive lineman Shaun Rogers from the PUP list.

The Dolphins have placed cornerback Will Allen on injured reserve (IR), which ends his season.

Shameless plug: On Twitter? Follow us @EDSFootball.

When it comes to possible landing spots for Matt Leinart, it doesn't look like it's going to be Seattle. But it might be Houston, per John McClain of the Houston Chronicle.

Jets coach Rex Ryan headed to South Florida to meet up with holdout Darrelle Revis.

Ravens rookie linebacker Sergio Kindle, who fractured his skull in July, expects to play this season.

The Jets released receiver David Clowney after claiming Patrick Turner off waivers from the Dolphins.

The Buccaneers have released running back Clifton Smith, who made the Pro Bowl in 2008 as a return specialist.

The Seahawks are shopping starting right tackle Sean Locklear, according to ESPN's John Clayton.

The Denver Broncos claimed running back Andre Brown off waivers from the Giants, per Mike Klis of the Denver Post.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 11:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

When the Redskins host the Cowboys in one week, it appears unlikely that defensive lineman Albert Haynesworth will be in the starting lineup, according to Jason Reid of the Washington Post.

In addition, it's possible that Haynesworth will be inactive for the game.

Reid wrote, "Shanahan has lost his patience with the ongoing Haynesworth drama" and noted that Haynesworth played in very few plays during Saturday's practice. When he did participate, it was at nose tackle -- not defensive end.

Shanahan's frustration (or, at least, the latest bout of it) stems from Haynesworth's "awful" performance in the team's final pre-season game.

During that game, Reid's sources indicate that Haynesworth's game film shows he dogged it on most of his 49 plays. On the ones he didn't, he deviated from his responsibility within the scheme.

So, I guess Haynesworth won't be over the coach's house to enjoy dinner and a stogie any time soon.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 10:48 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Here is an indisputable fact: today is September 5th -- not September 4th. (And you could argue that is two facts.)

Who cares?

Well, the San Diego Chargers, their disgruntled receiver Vincent Jackson and any team, perhaps the Seattle Seahawks, interested in trading for Jackson.

By not reporting (signing his tender) before the 6 p.m. ET deadline on September 4th, Jackson will be forced to sit out an additional three games -- six games in total -- of the 2010 season.

So, why wasn't he traded? It sort-of depends on whom you ask.

"The money," an unnamed NFC general manager said, per Clark Judge of CBSSports.com. "It's way too much. They're asking for more than Brandon Marshall [five years, $50 million], and there's no way people are interested."

Judge also wrote that the unnamed GM said the Chargers would have been willing to "take almost anything" as the deadline approached.

Meanwhile, ESPN's Bill Williamson writes that an unnamed team agreed to a deal with Jackson but couldn't agree to trade compensation with the Chargers. Pro Football Talk reported something similar indicating that an unnamed team reached a one-year deal with Jackson.

Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune reports that the Seahawks continued to talk to Jackson's representatives yesterday, but that "the price [Jackson was asking] was too high."

So, Jackson will either play (for the Chargers or someone else) at some point this season. Or he won't. In other words, the only thing that is really clear is that he missed the September 4th deadline.

I have Jackson on three fantasy teams and all three of those teams are keeper/dynasty leagues.

While he was an existing keeper on one of those teams, I was willing to sacrifice the short-term consequences of any suspension or holdout for the long-term value based on where he was still available when I drafted him in the other two leagues.

If you haven't drafted yet this year for a seasonal league, however, Jackson's still a guy worth drafting very late in fantasy leagues in the hopes that something gets worked out and he steps on to the field in 2010.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 04:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Ex-Bengals receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh, who was released by the Seahawks yesterday, won't be heading back to the Queen City -- at least, not to resume his NFL career.

“If our team were constituted differently this would be a great spot for him to be back at,” Lewis said, per Joe Reedy of the Cincinnati Enquirer. “But right now where we are I don’t know if it would be good for him.”

In addition, Lewis said, “... I had people call and contact me as far as T.J. and I gave him a true, honest appraisal and a very honest one. T.J. helped us get where we are today. He’s a good, young pro and a good man and he did a lot of good leading in this building.”

The wide receivers that made the Bengals' 53-man roster are: Chad Ochocinco, Terrell Owens, Andre Caldwell, Quan Cosby, Jordan Shipley and Jerome Simpson.

Yesterday reports surfaced that the Vikings signed Houshmandzadeh, which either have not or will not happen.

So, on the day before Labor Day, Houshmandzadeh continues to beat the pavement in search of work.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 03:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

With the Seahawks releasing receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh today, the Vikings aren't interested, according to the Minneapolis Star-Tribune.

The Lions have released tackle Jon Jansen, which could mean the end of a 12-year career.

Shameless plug: We hope you will "like" us on Facebook: Facebook.com/EDSFootball. Please. Pretty please.

The Broncos traded defensive back Alphonso Smith to the Lions for tight end Dan Gronkowski, whose brothers Chris and Rob also play in the NFL.

The Cardinals released fifth-year quarterback Matt Leinart today. Backing up Derek Anderson will be undrafted rookie Max Hall.

The Ravens released quarterback Troy Smith today.

The Miami Dolphins have cut quarterback Pat White, the team's second-round pick in 2009.

The Tennessee Titans have released quarterback Chris Simms and defensive end Raheem Brock today.

The New England Patriots have released offensive guard Rich Ohrnberger, per Aaron Wilson of National Football Post.

Not many teams can say they've ever cut a Rhodes scholar. The Titans can. Today they released defensive back Myron Rolle.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have released wide receiver Michael Clayton, who has been a bust ever since his strong rookie season (2004).

Are the St. Louis Rams in the mix for disgruntled Chargers receiver Vincent Jackson?

If so, that would help rookie quarterback Sam Bradford, who will start Week 1 versus the Arizona Cardinals.

Speaking of Week 1, our fantasy football contest for Week 1 is open. Enter here.

According to Aaron Wilson, the Ravens kicker in 2010 will be the one they had in 2009. Billy Cundiff beat out Shayne Graham, who was released today.

As expected, the Redskins have parted ways with running back "Fast" Willie Parker.

The Broncos have placed linebacker Elvis Dumervil on injured reserve, which will officially end his season.

Ravens receiver Mark Clayton said of the hit he received from Antrel Rolle: "It's football, stuff like that happens." Nonetheless, Rolle was fined $7,500 for it.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 05:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

As expected, the Seattle Seahawks released veteran receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh, who is guaranteed to earn $7 million in 2010, after unsuccessfully seeking a trade partner today.

Mike Williams, a former top-ten pick and bust in Detroit, will replace Houshmandzadeh in the starting lineup opposite Deion Branch.

Coincidentally, Williams played his collegiate ball for new Seahawks coach Pete Carroll, who decided to pull a John Calipari and leave behind a mess (i.e., sanctions) as he moved on to greener pastures.

As expected (by many), the guy that threw the ball to Williams -- and for Carroll -- at USC is now a free agent.

In fact, Matt Leinart, who won the Heisman Trophy as a junior in 2004, was criticized for staying at USC for an extra season when many thought he was "ready" for the next level.

Today the Cardinals gave Leinart the same treatment the Seahawks gave Houshmandzadeh.

Since being drafted with the tenth overall pick in 2006 by the Cardinals, Leinart has disappointed. In his four seasons in Arizona, he has thrown 14 touchdowns, 20 interceptions and posted a paltry 6.5 yards per pass attempt.

But with the retirement of Kurt Warner, the fifth-year pro was handed the reins as the team's quarterback until he was demoted in the team's third pre-season game in favor of Derek Anderson.

"I don't really know what else I could possibly do," Leinart said Monday, per ESPN. "It probably goes beyond football, beyond the field actually. For me, I am not making excuses. I am not going to complain. For me, I just really want an explanation and I haven't been given one."

As many have pointed out, it's just not his safe performances in the pre-season as he has started to become down as "Captain Checkdown." It's also the way he conducts himself as a professional.

With Carroll and Williams already in the Crescent City -- and the Oregon State receiver (Houshmandzadeh) out, perhaps Leinart will join the duo and party like it's 2004 all over again.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 04:14 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Seattle Seahawks receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh's days in Seattle are numbered. In fact, that number is likely one.

Saturday is the deadline for teams to reduce their rosters from 75 to 53 players and it appears that the writing is on the (figurative) wall for Houshmandzadeh.

According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, the Seahawks will release him if they can't trade him. With other teams knowing they will likely release him, it will make it difficult impossible for the Seahawks to get fair value (or anything) in return.

"I've never been in a situation like this," Houshmandzadeh said last night, per Danny O'Neill of the Seattle Times. "I've never been a guy that wasn't wanted. I was always wanted. So we'll see."

Houshmandzadeh is guaranteed $7 million for 2010 and the Seahawks are on the hook for the difference between that guaranteed amount and whatever the next team pays him.

Former teammate Chad Ochocinco tweeted: "Disturbing news, i cant even fathom the thought of a receiver the caliber of Housh being traded let alone released, i will be lobbying heavy."

That's sort-of an indirect bitch-slap to teammate Terrell Owens (or the receiver Ochocinco calls "Batman"), who was released by the Dallas Cowboys two off-seasons ago, implying that Owens is not a "reciever the caliber of Housh."

Ochocinco may lobby for him, but NFL Network's Jason La Canfora names Oakland, Minnesota and Washington as potential landing spots for Houshmandzadeh.

So, it looks like the Seahawks will start Deion Branch and Mike Williams, the former "bust" from Detroit, and not T.J. Houshmandzadeh at wide receiver. Who had that combo in their office pool?

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 11:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Last night, Browns rookie running back Montario Hardesty made his pre-season debut. Unfortunately for Browns fans, his regular-season debut won't happen until next year -- at the earliest.

Hardesty, who tore his left ACL last night, was placed on season-ending Injured Reserve (IR) today.

“We are all very disappointed for Montario,'' coach Eric Mangini said in a statement, per Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain-Dealer. "He’s worked extremely hard since he was drafted, he’s done everything we’ve asked him to do, and I’m sure he will be just as diligent with his rehab. It’s unfortunate but it opens the door for other guys to step up and contribute.”

The injury ends the debate of whether Hardesty or Jerome Harrison would receive a larger workload. In addition, running backs Peyton Hillis and James Davis should get expanded opportunities as a result.

Last year, Harrison finished out the season with a strong performance -- 561 yards in the team's final three games. In fact, he broke Jim Brown's single-game franchise rushing record in the process.

Despite that accomplishment, the team seemed (seems) to lack faith in Harrison and traded up to draft Hardesty in the second round.

Hardesty, who tore his right ACL in 2005, is no stranger to rehabbing from injuries.

Taking a glass-half-full approach, ESPN's Stefania Bell wrote, "this young man knows how to work his way back from injury."

That's certainly one way to look at it.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 10:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Running back Derrick Ward parlayed his 1,000-yard season (2008) as Brandon Jacobs' back-up with the Giants into a fat new contract (four years for $17 million) with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last off-season.

Over the past year, however, Ward has disappointed -- 409 rushing yards (3.6 yards per carry) in 2009 and 50 yards (2.6 YPC) this pre-season, which led to his release by the Buccaneers earlier this week.

That said, Ward barely remained unemployed for 72 hours.

Today he visited with the Houston Texans and they didn't let Ward get away (like most defensive players this pre-season).

Ward will join Arian Foster, Steve Slaton and Jeremiah Johnson in the Texans' backfield. Earlier in the off-season, the Texans lost Ben Tate, their second-round draft pick, to a season-ending injury.

Tate's injury vaulted Foster, who was already listed as the No. 1 running back on the team's depth chart, from sleeper to near-stud draft status in fantasy football leagues. At this point, I don't think the signing of Ward significantly impacts Foster's fantasy value.

Foster finished the 2009 season with two strong performances -- 39 carries for 216 yards and three touchdowns -- and he became the first Texans running back to eclipse the 100-yard mark in a pre-season game.

Slaton, on the other hand, has been an interesting guy to me from a fantasy football perspective.

Based on average draft positions (ADPs) from Mock Draft Central, Foster and Slaton are the 24th and 47th running backs being drafted, respectively.

Two years ago, Slaton finished sixth in the NFL in rushing (1,282 yards) as a rookie. Although Chicago's Matt Forte and Tennessee's Chris Johnson also eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark as fellow rookies, it was Slaton that led the trio in rushing that year.

But Slaton's tenuous grip on the starting job last year was as tenuous as his grip on the football. In 11 games last year, Slaton fumbled seven times (five lost).

Slaton, the team's third-round pick in 2008, has shown that he can carry the load as evidenced by his rookie numbers and he asserts that his fumbling issues were, at least partially, related to the nerve issue in his neck, on which he had off-season surgery.

So, in other words, with Gary Kubiak running the show, it's hard for me to ever envision any Texans running back having too firm of a grip on the role as feature back. And although I expect a strong season from Foster as being the most likely outcome, I wouldn't be surprised to see Kubiak yank the carpet from under all fantasy owners in a split second.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 08:34 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

With tonight concluding the 2010 NFL pre-season, this will likely be our last update for fantasy tight ends before the season begins in one week (unless we are feeling overly ambitious). In other words, this will definitely be our last fantasy TE update before the start of the season.

Throughout the season, we will provide weekly rankings based on matchups, injuries, byes, etc. In addition, we will update our position rankings, in general terms, on a monthly basis to help you evaluate trade proposals and such.

For now, here are our top 20 fantasy tight ends entering the 2010 NFL season:

1. Antonio Gates, Chargers: Despite only ranking sixth among tight ends in targets (114), Gates led tight ends -- and set a career-high -- in receiving yards (1,157) in 2009. With Vincent Jackson out for three (or more) weeks, Gates should see more targets in 2010.

2. Dallas Clark, Colts: What's not to like? With a line of 100-1106-10, Clark ranked first in receptions, second in yards and third in touchdowns among tight ends.

3. Vernon Davis, 49ers: Davis finally broke out last year. So much so that last season (78-965-13) was essentially better than his two previous seasons combined (83-867-6).

4. Brent Celek, Eagles: Two of Celek's three 100-yard games came in the only two in which quarterback Kevin Kolb started. Perhaps that overstates the Kolb-Celek chemistry, but it's not hard to picture an improvement upon his breakout campaign (76-971-8).

5. Jason Witten, Cowboys: Witten had a "down" year of 94 passes for 1,030 yards (and only two touchdowns). Many tight ends (or wide receivers) would love to have a "down" year like that. I guarantee that Witten will have more than two touchdowns in 2010. Otherwise, I refund 110% of your cost for this advice. I'm confident; make that double your cost.

6. Jermichael Finley, Packers: In his final eight games (including the Packers' post-season game), Finley finished with 44 receptions for 575 yards and four touchdowns. Despite missing three games, Finley still finished in the top ten in receiving yards among TEs in his second season.

7. Tony Gonzalez, Falcons: Arguably the greatest tight end ever. Gonzalez had more targets (135) than any other tight end and finished with 83 receptions for 867 yards and six touchdowns in 2009.

8. Owen Daniels, Texans: In an injury-shortened half-season, Daniels caught 40 passes for 519 yards and five touchdowns. His pace (80-1038-10) would have ranked him fourth in receptions, third in yards and tied for third in TDs among tight ends.

9. Visanthe Shiancoe, Vikings: Shiancoe has never surpassed 596 yards in one season, but he has been a touchdown machine over the past two seasons (18 TDs).

10. Zach Miller, Raiders: Only seven TEs had more receiving yards than Miller (805) had in 2009. In his three seasons, his receptions (44 to 56 to 66) and yards (444 to 778 to 805) have increased every season.

11. Chris Cooley, Redskins: Cooley missed nine games last year due to a broken ankle, but he had 83 receptions for 849 yards in his last full season (2008).

12. Kellen Winslow, Buccaneers: Last year, Winslow ranked fourth among tight ends in targets (127). With rookie Mike Williams (a nice sleeper pick) and Sammie Stroughter as the starting wide receivers, Josh Freeman should continue to look for the tight end often.

13. Dustin Keller, Jets: I expected Keller to have a breakout season in 2009, but 2010 could be his year as he had a highly productive 2009 post-season (12-181-3 in three games). Plus, Jets coach Rex Ryan expects Keller to "get more touchdowns" in 2010.

14. John Carlson, Seahawks: Carlson has been respectable but not spectacular in his first two NFL seasons(55-627-5 and 51-574-7, respectively), but he enters 2010 with an active four-game touchdown streak.

15. Heath Miller, Steelers: Miller set career highs in receptions (76) and receiving yards (789) in 2009. How much will Ben Roethlisberger's suspension affect his production in 2010?

16. Greg Olsen, Bears: Typically, tight ends don't flourish in a Mike Martz offense. Olsen posted solid season totals (60-612-8) but he had less than 10 yards in four games. Olsen has not found his way on to any of my fantasy teams this season (by choice).

17. Jermaine Gresham, Bengals: Gresham significantly upgrades the Bengals at the tight end position. Although Carson Palmer has talked up all of the receivers (including the currently-unemployed Antonio Bryant) this off-season, I heard Palmer say on ESPN Radio that Gresham has been a huge (positive) surprise.

18. Kevin Boss, Giants: In the final three weeks of his season, Boss finished with 15 receptions for 176 yards and one touchdown. That was an average of 58.7 yards per game during that span. He had 391 yards in his first 12 games for an average of 32.6 ypg.

19. Jeremy Shockey, Saints: In 26 games over two seasons as a Saint, Shockey has only 98 combined receptions for 1,052 yards and three touchdowns. In the Saints' get-the-ball-to-the-open guy offense, his average of 40.3 and 40.6 yards per game over the past two seasons are the two lowest of his eight-year career. More of the same in 2010?

20. Brandon Pettigrew, Lions: Before suffering a season-ending ACL injury in week 12, Pettigrew had 15 receptions for 165 yards and two touchowns in his previous three games. That said, the addition of Tony Scheffler somewhat dims Pettigrew's pass-catching outlook for the 2010 season.

Also, check out our other 2010 Fantasy Football rankings: Top 25 QBs | Top 40 RBs | Top 50 WRs | Top 150 Cheat Sheet

Follow us on Twitter (Twitter.com/EDSFootball) or on Facebook (Facebook.com/EDSFootball).

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 10:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

With teams getting ready for their pre-season finales tomorrow night, here are my (updated) Top 50 Fantasy WRs for 2010:

1. Andre Johnson, Texans: For me, this is (still) a no-brainer. Johnson, who was the third overall pick in 2003, has posted back-to-back 100-reception, 1,500-yard seasons.

2. Calvin Johnson, Lions: After a stellar sophomore campaign (78-1331-12) with Dan Orlovsky as his quarterback, MegaTron battled nagging injuries in 2009 and even missed two games. Provided he stays healthy, however, the sky is the limit in 2010 for this gifted athlete.

3. Randy Moss, Patriots: Moss has scored 47 touchdowns over the past three seasons, however, all five of his 100-yard games last year came in the first nine weeks of the season. Whether or not you questioned his motivation in the second-half last year, Moss is entering his contract year and is looking as good as ever.

4. Reggie Wayne, Colts: Only three players (two receivers) finished the season with at least 100 receptions, 1,000 yards and 10 touchdowns. If you own Wayne, hope for a few Colts' early-season losses so Wayne plays more than a half in your fantasy championship game.

5. Miles Austin, Cowboys: The list? Andre Johnson and Wes Welker. The topic? Receivers who had more yards than Austin in 2009. The biggest concern for Austin will be the competition for targets with Jason Witten, Dez Bryant, Roy Williams and the running game.

6.Larry Fitzgerald, Cardinals: Over the past three seasons, Fitzgerald has caught a combined 293 passes for 3,932 yards and 35 touchdowns. With Kurt Warner retiring this off-season, however, the person (either Matt Leinart or Derek Anderson) getting him the ball is a huge downgrade.

7. Brandon Marshall, Dolphins: Marshall has had 100+ receptions and 1,100+ yards for three consecutive seasons. Marshall has a fat new contract and should be happy. Then again, he's a head case as his punting reinactment illustrated earlier in camp.

8. Roddy White, Falcons: Only Andre Johnson (171) had more targets than did White (165) in 2009. In the past three seasons, White has been consistent: 83, 88 and 85 receptions as well as 1,202, 1,382 and 1,153 yards, respectively. Even better, he set a career-high in TDs (11) in 2009.

9. DeSean Jackson, Eagles: Despite his size, Jackson is one of most explosive big-play receivers in the league. He ranked second in yards (18.5) per reception and first in the league in receptions of 40 yards or more (10).

10. Greg Jennings, Packers: From weeks 4-14, Jennings had only one 100-yard game. In his final four games (counting playoffs), Jennings had three 100-yard games.

11. Marques Colston, Saints: Colston is the best receiver in the league's (statistically) most explosive offense (31.9 points and 403.8 yards per game). Quarterback Drew Brees spreads the ball around, however, as Colston had less than five receptions in half of his games, which can easily frustrate a fantasy owner.

12. Anquan Boldin, Ravens: The physical receiver should be a perfect fit into his new offense as he settles in as the Ravens' No. 1 receiver.

13. Steve Smith, Panthers: Although Smith had a down year in 2009, he posted better stats with Matt Moore (not Jake Delhomme) under center. In his final four games of the season, he finished with 19 receptions for 378 yards and three touchdowns.

14. Steve Smith, Giants: Smith finished fourth in the NFL in targets (157) in 2009 and set career highs in receptions (107), yards (1,220) and TDs (seven). The best thing about Smith was his consistency -- four (or more) receptions 15 times and at least 40 yards receiving every week.

15. Wes Welker, Patriots: Despite missing two games, Welker led the NFL in receptions (123) and finished second in receiving yards (1,348). Welker's 2010 fantasy value will largely be determined by how fully he returns from off-season ACL surgery. But so far (off-season rehab, training camp, pre-season, etc.), so good. He could turn out to be the biggest bargain of top-tier receivers.

16. Michael Crabtree, 49ers: Despite being the second receiver drafted in 2009, Crabtree led all rookies in receiving yards (56.8) per game. Plus, he had four (or more) receptions in nine of his 11 games played. Imagine if he had attended training camp and learned the whole offense. He will this off-season.

17. Chad Ochocinco, Bengals: Ochocinco bounced back in 2009 with 72 receptions for 1,047 yards and nine touchdowns. However, quarterback Carson Palmer threw for only 1,262 yards, seven TDs and six interceptions in the final eight games of 2010. Ochocinco's splits: 1st half (44-639-5) vs 2nd half (28-408-4). Coincidence?

18. Hakeem Nicks, Giants: Of rookies, only Michael Crabtree (56.8 yards per game) averaged more receiving yards per game than Nicks (56.4 ypg). Only Austin Collie caught more TDs (seven). And only Mike Wallace had more 40-yard catches (six) than Nicks.

19. Mike Sims-Walker, Jaguars: MSW's strong start (minus a missed game due to a missed curfew for a bootie call) was followed up with an equally weak ending to his second season. In his final six games, Sims-Walker had only 16 receptions for 175 yards and one touchdown (or 3.8 fantasy points per game during that stretch).

20. Dwayne Bowe, Chiefs: Despite a down (suspension-shortened) season, Bowe had 995 and 1,022 in his previous (first) two NFL seasons.

21. Hines Ward, Steelers: Ward, who said he will retire if he wins a third Super Bowl this year, had 95 receptions (tied for second-most in his career) and 1,167 (second-most) last season. Despite being a year older (like me, unfortunately), Ward could see even more targets than last year without Santonio Holmes in Pittsburgh.

22. Pierre Garcon, Colts: Garcon led NFL receivers with 21 post-season receptions for 251 yards and two touchdowns.

23. Donald Driver, Packers: Although he just turned 35 in February, Driver had his sixth consecutive season with at least 70 receptions and 1,000 yards in 2009. He's not flashy, there's no "upside," but he's consistent in a great offense with Greg Jennings there to get the double-teams.

24. Mike Wallace, Steelers: Wallace, a big-play receiver who led the NFL in yards (19.4) per reception, will see an expanded role within the offense with the departure of Santonio Holmes.

25. Jeremy Maclin, Eagles: After a solid rookie campaign (55-762-4), Maclin should continue to develop in 2010.

26. Percy Harvin, Vikings: Harvin, the Vikings' first-round pick in 2009, led rookie receivers in receiving yards (790) and was tied for second in touchdowns (six). His ongoing battle with migraines worry me as they can strike at any time, but the absence of Sidney Rice for the majority of the fantasy season boosts his value.

27. Santana Moss, Redskins: In the past two seasons with Jason Campbell as quarterback, Moss has caught 149 passes for 1,946 yards. With the off-season upgrade at quarterback, the fourth 1,000-yard season of his career is within his reach.

28. Derrick Mason, Ravens: With Boldin in the mix, it's hard to envision Mason finishing 13th in the league in targets (like he did in 2009). But he finished with 1,000+ yards for the third consecutive year and for the eighth time in the past nine seasons. Many will shy away from Mason on draft day, but I ain't scared.

29. Vincent Jackson, Chargers: He will miss three games (due to suspension), another three if he doesn't sign his tender by September 4th and potentially more due to his contract situation. Despite putting up career numbers (68-1167-9) and being a top-ten receiver based on talent, the uncertainty around his status makes VJ the ultimate risk-reward receiver.

30. Robert Meachem, Saints: Meachem needs to be more consistent, but the former first-round pick had a second-half split of 32-426-6. Then again, he disappeared in the post-season (4-25-0). In other words, he needs to be more consistent.

31. T.J. Houshmandzadeh, Seahawks: Although he finished with 79 receptions (tied for 13th in the NFL), Houshmandzadeh finished with only 911 yards and three touchdowns. He has set a "minimum" goal of catching 100 passes in 2010. Since I don't have faith in T.J., he's at 31. If he does catch 100 passes (but he won't), he'd be a steal (but he won't).

32. Devin Aromashodu, Bears: In the final five games of the season, Aromashodu ranked 15th in the NFL in targets (41). And he caught 22 passes for 282 yards and four touchdowns in the final four games of the season. Even though Devin Hester and Johnny Knox are the named starters, I expect Aromashodu to be the most productive.

33. Malcom Floyd, Chargers: Floyd had his best game of the season in his last one (nine catches for 140 yards) and his second half (32 catches for 496 yards) was considerably better than his first half (13 catches for 280 yards). More importantly, Vincent Jackson will miss three, six or more games in 2010 and Floyd moves into the No. 1 slot. (Also, teammate Legedu Naanee is a sleeper that I like a lot for 2010.)

34. Dez Bryant, Cowboys: Cornerback Mike Jenkins says that he will be a "big-time receiver" someday. When will that "someday" be? That's the question. Bryant, who suffered a high-ankle sprain, will play in the team's fourth pre-season game on Thursday, but he may not find his groove until mid-season. In keeper leagues, Bryant's value is much higher than his ranking on this list.

35. Johnny Knox, Bears: Lots of folks like Knox as the Bears receiver to own. I would prefer Aromashodu (see #32), but the speedy receiver from Abilene Christian should flourish in the vertical-passing attack of a Mike Martz' offense.

36. Steve Breaston, Cardinals: With Anquan Boldin out for a few games in 2008, Breaston finished that season with 77 receptions for 1,006 yards. Although Breaston will have an expanded role in 2010 with the off-season departure of Boldin (plus), the team lost Kurt Warner to retirement (minus).

37. Santonio Holmes, Jets: After a breakout campaign (79-1248-5) in 2009, Holmes will serve a four-game suspension in 2010 and moves to a run-first offense with a young but developing (unless you've seen the pre-season games) quarterback.

38. Julian Edelman, Patriots: In the three games that Welker missed (counting the last game when he tore his ACL), Edelman had 21 receptions for 221 yards.

39. Nate Burleson, Lions: As the Lions' No. 2 receiver across from MegaTron, Burleson will mostly see single coverage. In 13 games last year, he finished with 812 yards and 62.5 yards per game average would have projected to 1,000 yards flat over a 16-game season.

40. Jerricho Cotchery, Jets: Cotchery was the favorite target of Mark Sanchez in 2009. That's likely to change when Santonio Holmes comes off suspension. In either case, Cotchery posted four-year lows in receptions (57) and yards (821) in 2009. He's still solid if not spectacular.

41. Braylon Edwards, Jets: In 2007, Edwards had a breakout year (80-1289-16). In the two seasons since then, Edwards has combined stats of only 100 receptions for 1,553 yards and seven touchdowns.

42. Devin Hester, Bears: Without playing in three games last year, Hester posted respectable numbers (57-757-3). That's a pace of 932 yards over a 16-game season. This off-season, he worked worth the guy who flourished in his role within Mike Martz's offense (Isaac Bruce).

43. Terrell Owens, Bengals: Batman to Ochocinco's Robin, in name only, T.O. is past his prime. Carson Palmer has talked up his receivers during the pre-season, but I think Palmer will struggle again (like he did last year).

44. Sidney Rice, Vikings: A waiver-wire pick-up for many last year, Rice had more receiving yards than all but three receivers in 2009. Many tied Rice's 2010 fantasy value to Favre's return (health). Instead, Rice elected for hip surgery and will miss roughly half of the season. How effective will he be when he returns?

45. Eddie Royal, Broncos: The departure of Brandon Marshall to Miami creates a void at receiver for the Broncos. They've drafted Demaryius Thomas and Eric Decker and Jabar Gaffney had a great week 17 with Marshall benched, but I believe the third-year player bounces back in 2010. He had 91 receptions as a rookie in 2008.

46. Kenny Britt, Titans: Britt is a big (6-foot-3, 218 pounds), athletic receiver and should continue to improve in his second season. But his off-season of dropping passes and showing to the Titans' workout program out of shape has earned him the nickname "Question Mark."

47. Bernard Berrian, Vikings: The injury to Sidney Rice is a huge boon to Berrian, who will get a lot more targets in 2010 despite the addition of Javon Walker and Greg Camarillo. Once Rice returns (provided he's healthy), Berrian's fantasy value will suffer.

48. Austin Collie, Colts: Collie tied Minnesota rookie Percy Harvin for the lead among rookies in receptions (60) and no rookie receiver had more touchdowns (seven) than Collie. How will the return of Anthony Gonzalez affect his value?

49. Lee Evans, Bills: In half of his games, Evans had two or less receptions. In half of his games, Evans had 35 yards or less. No thanks. You can have him.

50. Jabar Gaffney, Broncos: Pre-season stats are overrated, but Gaffney has had a strong pre-season (11th in receiving yards) in addition to a strong Week 17 (14 catches for 213 yards) last year. In other words, he's played well without Brandon Marshall in the lineup. I like Eddie Royal a little better, but Gaffney should get a bunch of targets from Kyle Orton and be a solid fantasy contributor.

Also, check out our other 2010 Fantasy Football rankings: Top 25 QBs | Top 40 RBs | Top 20 TEs | Top 150 Cheat Sheet

Follow us on Twitter (Twitter.com/EDSFootball) or on Facebook (Facebook.com/EDSFootball).

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 01:18 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)