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Going into the season, I expected a lot from Patriots receiver Wes Welker.

After all, one of my "bold" preseason predictions was that Welker would lead the NFL in receptions and finish the year with at least 110 of them after only catching 86 balls in 2010.

Why 110 receptions?

During the four years since Welker joined the Patriots, a player has finished with 110-plus receptions seven times. Only Welker, who has three 110-reception seasons, has reached that level more than once. Four other players have had a season with 110 or more receptions one time in the past four seasons.

Welker, who is an extra year removed from his torn ACL, is off to an incredible start, especially after last week's record-setting performance. Quarterback Tom Brady targeted Welker 20 times last week and they connected on 16 of them, which tied a franchise record. In addition, Welker set a franchise record with 217 receiving yards and had two touchdowns.

On the season, Welker has 31 receptions for 458 yards and four touchdowns.

So far, the Welker prediction is looking good.

My early-season bullishness on Welker may be one of the main reasons why the FantasyPros' accuracy rankings lists me as the most accurate "fantasy football expert" in wide receiver rankings through Week 3.

Here are some notes on wide receivers and passing defenses going into Week 4:

- A lot was made of Chad Ochocinco's dropped touchdown pass last week. However, teammate Deion Branch had zero receptions last week after 15 receptions for 222 yards in the team's first two games. In his two stints as a Patriots receiver, Branch hadn't had a zero-catch game since his rookie season (2002).

- Steelers receiver Mike Wallace has a six-game streak of 100-yard receiving games going back to the final three regular-season games in 2010.

- Giants receiver Mario Manningham, who missed last week's game due to a concussion, was cleared to return to practice on Wednesday. This week, the Giants face the Cardinals, who rank eighth from the bottom in passing yards allowed even after facing Tarvaris Jackson in one of their three games.

- Saints receiver Robert Meachem has a touchdown in each of his three games this season. From a fantasy perspective, one concern for Meachem is the return of Marques Colston, who may be active for this week's game.

- Like Meachem, Lions receiver Calvin Johnson has scored in each of the past three games. However, Johnson has scored twice in each game.

- Three players that have appeared on our waiver-wire pickup list in successive weeks this year -- Tennessee's Nate Washington (27), Denver's Eric Decker (27) and Buffalo's David Nelson (26) -- all rank in the top 20 in targets.

- Meanwhile, Washington becomes the Titans' No. 1 receiver as Kenny Britt will miss the remainder of the season due to a torn ACL and MCL. Washington is currently tied for third in the NFL in receptions (21) and 15th in receiving yards (258). In each of his three games, Washington has six-plus receptions and 67-plus yards. This week, however, he faces one of the league's up-and-coming cornerbacks in Cleveland's Joe Haden.

- No team has allowed more touchdowns to receivers than the Rams (six) this season. Of course, they gave up three of them to Ravens rookie receiver Torrey Smith in the first quarter last week. In his last seven games, Redskins receiver Santana Moss has at least five receptions in 60 yards in every game. Plus, I wouldn't be surprised if Moss and Rex Grossman exploit the Rams' banged-up secondary for a big TD play.

- Jabar Gaffney, Moss's teammate, has been consistent (although not spectacular) this season. Gaffney has 50-plus yards in all three of the team's games this season.

Here are our top 50 fantasy wide receivers for Week 4:

1. Calvin Johnson, Lions (at DAL)
2. Andre Johnson, Texans (vs PIT)
3. Mike Wallace, Steelers (at HOU)
4. Roddy White, Falcons (at SEA)
5. Wes Welker, Patriots (at OAK)
6. Larry Fitzgerald, Cardinals (vs NYG)
7. Hakeem Nicks, Giants (at ARI)
8. Greg Jennings, Packers (vs DEN)
9. Vincent Jackson, Chargers (vs MIA)
10. Brandon Marshall, Dolohins (at SD)
11. Steve Johnson, Bills (at CIN)
12. Santana Moss, Redskins (at STL)
13. Steve Smith, Panthers (at CHI)
14. Dwayne Bowe, Chiefs (vs MIN)
15. DeSean Jackson, Eagles (vs SF)
16. Dez Bryant, Cowboys (vs DET)
17. Santonio Holmes, Jets (at BAL)
18. Reggie Wayne, Colts (at TB)
19. Mike Williams, Buccaneers (vs IND)
20. Mario Manningham, Giants (at ARI)
21. Jeremy Maclin, Eagles (vs SF)
22. Lance Moore, Saints (at JAC)
23. A.J. Green, Bengals (vs BUF)
24. Robert Meachem, Saints (at JAC)
25. Julio Jones, Falcons (at SEA)
26. Percy Harvin, Vikings (at KC)
27. David Nelson, Bills (at CIN)
28. Anquan Boldin, Ravens (vs NYJ)
29. Mike Thomas, Jaguars (vs NO)
30. Jordy Nelson, Packers (vs DEN)
31. Denarius Moore, Raiders (vs NE)
32. Nate Washington, Titans (at CLE)
33. Sidney Rice, Seahawks (vs ATL)
34. Brandon Lloyd, Broncos (at GB)
35. Deion Branch, Patriots (at OAK)
36. Johnny Knox, Bears (vs CAR)
37. Eric Decker, Broncos (at GB)
38. Nate Burleson, Lions (at DAL)
39. Plaxico Burress, Jets (at BAL)
40. Mike Sims-Walker, Rams (vs WAS)
41. Jabar Gaffney, Redskins (at STL)
42. Davone Bess, Dolphins (at SD)
43. Antonio Brown, Steelers (at HOU)
44. Devery Henderson, Saints (at JAC)
45. Jacoby Ford, Raiders (vs NE)
46. Brandon Gibson, Rams (vs WAS)
47. Andre Caldwell, Bengals (vs BUF)
48. Torrey Smith, Ravens (vs NYJ)
49. Pierre Garcon, Colts (at TB)
50. Hines Ward, Steelers (at HOU)

Please note: As Sunday approaches, we will update our rankings when necessary on our wide receiver rankings page. Or for more Week 4 rankings, click here to view our rankings for other positions.

If interested, check out our free fantasy football contest for Week 4.

Good luck in your Week 4 matchup(s)!

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 12:33 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Dolphins rookie running back Daniel Thomas is averaging more than 100 rushing yards per game in the two games that he has played. In two games, Thomas has 202 rushing yards on 41 carries and 37 receiving yards on four receptions.

Thomas, who sat out Week 1 due to a hamstring injury, was limited today at practice after his hamstring injury flared up, per Omar Kelly of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.

Meanwhile, teammate Reggie Bush has struggled this season with the exception of hauling in nine receptions in Week 1. On the season, Bush has 27 carries for 69 yards (2.6 yards per carry) and has had only one reception in each of the past two games.

If Thomas plays, Bush will remain just outside of our top 40 running backs for Week 4. If Thomas can't go, Bush could emerge as a flex option.

Here are some more notes on running backs and rushing defenses:

- 49ers running back Frank Gore, who sprained his ankle in Week 3, has nearly 20 rush attempts per game (59 in three games) yet he has rushed for only 148 yards (2.5 yards per carry) this season. Provided he plays in Week 4, he gets a favorable matchup against the Eagles, who have allowed the most fantasy points to opposing running backs this season. Is this the week he gets it going?

- Raiders running back Darren McFadden, who missed three games last season, has 2,141 yards from scrimmage (1,550 rushing and 591 receiving yards), 58 receptions and 14 total touchdowns in his past 16 games played.

- Titans running back Chris Johnson continues to struggle. Through three games, Every Coach's Dream has 46 rushing attempts for 98 yards (2.1 yards per carry) and no touchdowns. One positive is Johnson has 13 receptions for 98 yards.

- Panthers running back DeAngelo Williams, who got a huge five-year deal to re-sign with Carolina, has struggled mightily this season as well. Williams has 27 carries for 61 yards (2.3 YPC) and no scores. In fact, Williams has scored only touchdown in his previous 14 games going back to Week 10 of the 2009 season.

- The Vikings have been a team of two halves. In three games, they have blown three double-digit halftime leads. One of the problems is playcalling. For whatever reason, the Vikings have run Adrian Peterson 36 times (230 yards and three touchdowns) in the first half but have given him the ball 22 times in the second half. Granted, Peterson has been more effective in the first half (6.4 yards per carry) than the second half (3.0 YPC). But his nickname is "All Day" -- not "Half-Day."

- Saints running back Darren Sproles has only eight carries this season, but he also has 21 receptions (on 28 targets) for 168 yards. Plus, Sproles has three touchdowns this season: one rushing, one receiving and one on a punt return. Of the team's three main running backs, Sproles (227) has more yards from scrimmage than either Pierre Thomas (166) or Mark Ingram (126).

- Despite facing a three-game suspension for violating the league's personal conduct policy, Bengals running back Cedric Benson will play in Week 4 vs. the Bills. Benson ranks seventh in the NFL in rushing (244 yards) and the Bills rank in the bottom ten this year in rushing defense (115.7 yards allowed per game).

- Going into this season, it seemed likely that the gap in the split of the workload between Bills running backs Fred Jackson and C.J. Spiller, the team's first-round pick in 2010, would narrow this season, but that is not the case. Jackson has been on the field for 186 snaps while Spiller has been on the field for only 32 snaps. Jackson is one of five running backs averaging more than 100 yards rushing per game and is averaging 6.4 yards per carry this season.

- As Ryan Grant deals with a bruised kidney, Packers running back James Starks will have an opportunity to get a substantial workload against the Broncos this week. In three games, Starks has 32 carries (as does Grant) for 147 yards, an average of 4.6 yards per carry, and a touchdown. Starks also has six receptions for 39 yards.

Here are our initial top 40 fantasy running backs for Week 4:

1. Adrian Peterson, Vikings (at KC)
2. Darren McFadden, Raiders (vs NE)
3. Ray Rice, Ravens (vs NYJ)
4. LeSean McCoy, Eagles (vs SF)
5. Matt Forte, Bears (vs CAR)
6. Maurice Jones-Drew, Jaguars (vs NO)
7. Michael Turner, Falcons (at SEA)
8. Fred Jackson, Bills (at CIN)
9. Ahmad Bradshaw, Giants (at ARI)
10. Chris Johnson, Titans (at CLE)
11. Rashard Mendenhall, Steelers (at HOU)
12. Ryan Mathews, Chargers (vs MIA)
13. Peyton Hillis, Browns (vs TEN)
14. Beanie Wells, Cardinals (vs NYG)
15. LeGarrette Blount, Buccaneers (vs IND)
16. Tim Hightower, Redskins (at STL)
17. Steven Jackson, Rams (vs WAS)
18. Frank Gore, 49ers (at PHI)
19. James Starks, Packers (vs DEN)
20. Daniel Thomas, Dolphins (at SD)
21. Jahvid Best, Lions (at DAL)
22. Cedric Benson, Bengals (vs BUF)
23. Felix Jones, Cowboys (vs DET)
24. Mike Tolbert, Chargers (vs MIA)
25. Arian Foster, Texans (vs PIT)
26. Joseph Addai, Colts (at TB)
27. Brandon Jacobs, Giants (at ARI)
28. Shonn Greene, Jets (at BAL)
29. Darren Sproles, Saints (at JAX)
30. Ben Tate, Texans (vs PIT)
31. Jonathan Stewart, Panthers (at CHI)
32. Mark Ingram, Saints (at JAC)
33. BenJarvus Green-Ellis, Patriots (at OAK)
34. Willis McGahee, Broncos (at GB)
35. DeAngelo Williams, Panthers (at CHI)
36. LaDainian Tomlinson, Jets (at BAL)
37. Marshawn Lynch, Seahawks (vs ATL)
38. Dexter McCluster, Chiefs (vs MIN)
39. Michael Bush, Raiders (vs NE)
40. Montario Hardesty, Browns (vs TEN)

Please note: As Sunday approaches, we will update our rankings when necessary on our running back rankings page. Or for more Week 4 rankings, click here to view our rankings for other positions.

If interested, check out our free fantasy football contest for Week 4.

Good luck in your Week 4 matchup(s)!

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 10:56 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

No quarterback in the history of the NFL has thrown for as many yards as Patriots quarterback Tom Brady has in a three-game span (1,327 yards).

Therefore, it should come as no surprise that Brady leads the NFL in passing attempts (133) and he's on pace to throw a record-breaking 709 times this year. That would break Drew Bledsoe's record of 691 pass attempts set in 1994.

Thirteen quarterbacks have thrown 110-plus times (16-game pace of 586-plus attempts) through Week 3.

From 2003 to 2010, a quarterback has thrown 586 passes (or more) only 12 times. In fact, it's something that has been done only 33 times in the history of the NFL.

Last year, there were eight quarterbacks that threw 110-plus times by Week 3. From 2001 to 2009, no more than six quarterbacks threw it that much in any given season.

After the 13 quarterbacks that have thrown it 110 times this season, the next seven quarterbacks in the rankings have thrown it 103 to 109 times.

With the quarterbacks airing it out more than ever, it's no surprise that seven quarterbacks are "on pace" to throw for 5,000-plus yards.

Here are some more notes on quarterbacks and passing defenses:

- Only Brady (11) has thrown more touchdowns than Buffalo's Ryan Fitzpatrick (nine), a.k.a. the "Amish Rifle." While they have not faced elite quarterbacks (Colt McCoy, Kyle Orton and Alex Smith), the Bengals rank fifth in the NFL in fewest passing yards allowed (188.3 per game) this season.

- For three consecutive weeks, the Patriots pass defense has allowed 369 or more passing yards and two touchdowns. With a favorable matchup, Raiders quarterback Jason Campbell might have his best fantasy week of the year this week against the Patriots. In addition, Campbell has two rushing touchdowns in three games.

- Giants quarterback Eli Manning came up big in what should have been a tough matchup against the Eagles. Not only did he throw for four touchdowns, more importantly, Manning, who was named the NFC Offensive Player of the Week, didn't throw any interceptions. This week, the Giants face the Cardinals, who rank in the bottom eight in passing yards allowed (275 per game) despite facing Cam Newton in his first-ever game, Rex Grossman and Tarvaris Jackson.

- For three straight games, Saints quarterback Drew Brees, who ranks second in the NFL in passing yards (1,059), has thrown for three touchdowns. In addition, Brees gets Marques Colston, his best receiver, back this week.

[On a side note, the Saints play four of their next five games on the road. However, the combined record of their opponents is only 4-11.]

- For two consecutive weeks, Eagles quarterback Michael Vick did not finish the game due to injury (concussion then hand contusion). This week, the Eagles face the 49ers and Vick sets the odds at "100 percent" that he'll play. However, will he finish the game?

- In their past two games, the Steelers have not allowed a passing touchdown or more than 160 passing yards. Then again, they faced the Seahawks (Tarvaris Jackson) and the Colts (Kerry Collins and Curtis Painter). This week, they face the Texans and Matt Schaub, who is coming off a 373-yard, three-touchdown performance against the Saints.

- Titans quarterback Matt Hasselbeck is one of nine quarterbacks averaging more than 300 yards per game. With the loss of receiver Kenny Britt to a torn ACL and MCL, Hasselbeck's numbers, which would have eventually slowed even with Britt, could suffer significantly.

- In each of his team's games, Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford has thrown two touchdowns per game to Calvin Johnson alone. On the season, Stafford ranks fifth in passing yards (977), second in passing touchdowns (nine) and has only two interceptions.

- Counting last year's playoff loss to the Ravens, Chiefs quarterback Matt Cassel has thrown for less than 200 yards in five consecutive games. In those five games, Cassel has thrown three touchdowns and ten interceptions.

Here are our top 30 fantasy quarterbacks for Week 4:

1. Tom Brady, Patriots (at OAK)
2. Aaron Rodgers, Packers (vs DEN)
3. Drew Brees, Saints (at JAX)
4. Philip Rivers, Chargers (vs MIA)
5. Matthew Stafford, Lions (at DAL)
6. Michael Vick, Eagles (vs SF)
7. Ryan Fitzpatrick, Bills (at CIN)
8. Matt Schaub, Texans (vs PIT)
9. Tony Romo, Cowboys (vs DET)
10. Eli Manning, Giants (at ARI)
11. Ben Roethlisberger, Steelers (at HOU)
12. Matt Ryan, Falcons (at SEA)
13. Cam Newton, Panthers (at CHI)
14. Jay Cutler, Bears (vs CAR)
15. Kevin Kolb, Cardinals (vs NYG)
16. Rex Grossman, Redskins (at STL)
17. Josh Freeman, Buccaneers (vs IND)
18. Joe Flacco, Ravens (vs NYJ)
19. Jason Campbell, Raiders (vs NE)
20. Matt Hasselbeck, Titans (at CLE)
21. Mark Sanchez, Jets (at BAL)
22. Kyle Orton, Broncos (at GB)
23. Sam Bradford, Rams (vs WAS)
24. Chad Henne, Dolphins (at SD)
25. Colt McCoy, Browns (vs TEN)
26. Donovan McNabb, Vikings (at KC)
27. Andy Dalton, Bengals (vs BUF)
28. Matt Cassel, Chiefs (vs MIN)
29. Blaine Gabbert, Jaguars (vs NO)
30. Tarvaris Jackson, Seahawks (vs ATL)

Please note: As Sunday approaches, we will update our rankings when necessary on our quarterback rankings page.

For more Week 4 rankings, click here to view our rankings for other positions.

To keep track of all of our updates, you can either (1) follow us on Twitter @EDSFootball or (2) "like" us on Facebook (or both).

If interested, check out our free fantasy football contest for Week 4.

Good luck in your Week 4 matchup(s)!

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 09:46 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Through three weeks, there are three unbeaten teams in the NFL: Green Bay, Detroit and Buffalo.

Based on odds from Bodog, the Packers, the defending champions, and the Patriots currently have the lowest odds to win the Super Bowl.

The Lions, a popular sleeper team in the preseason, now have 14/1 odds from Bodog to win the Super Bowl. Those are the same odds as the New York Jets, who have reached the AFC Championship Game in back-to-back seasons, and the Philadelphia Eagles, dubbed the "Dream Team" by Vince Young. Detroit is currently the only team in the NFL to rank in the top four in scoring offense (101 points) and defense (46 points).

And the Bills, perhaps the most surprising of all the unbeaten teams, have overcome large deficits in back-to-back games. Last year, the Bills were competitive in many games, but they lost the close ones. This year, they are winning those games.

Where should they rank in our power rankings?

1. Green Bay Packers (3-0): Through three games, Aaron Rodgers has completed 71.8 percent of his passes, thrown for 305.7 yards per game, eight touchdowns and only one interception. Oh, and their next four opponents (before their bye) have a combined record of 2-10.

2. Baltimore Ravens (2-1): The Ravens have allowed the fewest points (13.3 per game) and are tied for the league lead in turnover differential (+6) this season.

3. New England Patriots (2-1): No quarterback in NFL history has thrown for more yards than Tom Brady (1,327) has over a three-game period. On the other hand, the Pats have allowed a league-worst 468.7 yards (and 377 passing yards) per game.

4. New Orleans Saints (2-1): The Saints play four of their next five games on the road, but the collective record of their opponents is 4-11. The Saints could very easily be 7-1 midway through the season.

5. Detroit Lions (3-0): The Lions have a new habit: winning. Going back to the final four games of 2010, the Lions have won seven straight games after they rallied to overcome a 20-point halftime deficit.

6. Buffalo Bills (3-0): After turning large deficits into back-to-back come-from-behind victories, the Bills are the lone unbeaten team remaining in the AFC. Will they suffer a letdown against the Bengals?

7. Houston Texans (2-1): Going for their first-ever 3-0 start in franchise history, the Texans lost in a shootout to the Saints. This week, they will have another tough test as they host the Steelers in Week 4.

8. Pittsburgh Steelers (2-1): Through three games, the Steelers were beat down by their main rivals and won against two of the league's worst teams. Perhaps we will get a better look at this team's identity after their Week 4 matchup at Houston.

9. New York Jets (2-1): After losing to Darren McFadden and the Raiders Sunday, the Jets will continue their three-game road trip with two tough matchups: Baltimore and New England.

10. San Diego Chargers (2-1): The Chargers made it through September with a winning record, but they may spend many (or all) of the weeks in October without All-World tight end Antonio Gates.

11. Dallas Cowboys (2-1): It may have not been pretty, but a win is a win and now the Cowboys find themselves in a three-way tie atop the NFC East. Can they avoid any more injuries before their bye in Week 5?

12. Oakland Raiders (2-1): As I tweeted yesterday, Darren McFadden, who missed three games in 2010, has 2,141 yards from scrimmage (1,550 rushing and 591 receiving), 58 receptions and 14 total touchdowns in his past 16 games.

13. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-1): Coach Raheem Morris says the Bucs are the best team in the NFC South. He's wrong.

14. Atlanta Falcons (1-2): For the Falcons to turn their season around, one thing they need to fix is their protection of Matt Ryan, who has been sacked 13 times and hit 21 times in three games.

15. New York Giants (2-1): Helped by the Eagles inability to tackle, Giants quarterback Eli Manning threw four touchdowns and no interceptions to win the NFC Offensive Player of the Week for Week 3.

16. Philadelphia Eagles (1-2): For a second straight week, Michael Vick left a game due to injury. While his non-throwing hand is bruised (not broken as initially reported) and it appears Vick will be able to start in Week 4, there is increasing concern about his ability to stay healthy for a 16-game season.

17. Tennessee Titans (2-1): Not only have the Titans lost Kenny Britt for the season, they have struggled mightily to get their ground game going. Running back Chris Johnson has only 98 rushing yards on 46 carries (2.1 yards per carry). On a positive note, they rank second in scoring defense (14.3 points allowed per game) and first in total defense (261.0 yards allowed per game).

18. Cleveland Browns (2-1): Despite Peyton Hillis (strep) arriving at the stadium and turning around to go home, the Browns came from behind to improve to 2-1. The last time they had a winning record was 2007. Here are the starts to their previous three seasons: 0-3 (2008), 0-4 (2009) and 0-3 (2010).

19. Washington Redskins (2-1): In a quarterback-driven league, it's hard to be fully sold on the Redskins with Rex Grossman under center in a division with Michael Vick, Tony Romo and Eli Manning.

20. Chicago Bears (1-2): Chicago started with as tough of a three-game schedule as anyone in the league: Atlanta, New Orelans and then Green Bay. Two things the Bears need to do better is (1) protect Jay Cutler and (2) run the ball effectively.

21. San Francisco 49ers (2-1): While the 49ers' offense leaves a little to be desired, the Niners are tied for the league-lead in turnover differential (+6), return touchdowns (two) and they have allowed the fourth-fewest points (17.3 per game) this season.

22. Carolina Panthers (1-2): Cam Newton and Steve Smith fell short of 400 passing and 100 receiving yards, respectively, but they got their first win of the season.

23. Denver Broncos (1-2): All three of the Broncos games have been decided by three points or less, but they face two tough opponents (Packers and Chargers) before their bye.

24. Cincinnati Bengals (1-2): Should I just assume that the Bengals will be 2-2 (after they beat the Bills) like Marvin Lewis has?

25. Minnesota Vikings (0-3): Three games with double-digit second-half leads. Three losses.

26. Miami Dolphins (0-3): Brazilian super models. Buffalo wings. Tony Sparano's seat. What are things that are (really) hot?

27. Arizona Cardinals (1-2): Here's a glass-half-full view: The five touchdowns thrown by Kevin Kolb in three games is half as many as the total of touchdowns thrown by all of the Cardinals quarterbacks in 2010.

28. Seattle Seahawks (1-2): The good news for the Seahawks is they get to play eight games at home (and three of them against NFC Worst teams).

29. Jacksonville Jaguars (1-2): Here's a stat I read from ESPN blogger Paul Kuharsky (and the Texans think they struggle in the redzone): Jacksonville has "been in the red zone a grand total of one time, when they kicked a field goal."

30. St. Louis Rams (0-3): The Rams have been outscored by 60 points in their three losses this season. It doesn't get any easier. The Rams next four opponents all have winning records: Washington, Green Bay, Dallas and New Orleans.

31. Indianapolis Colts (0-3): I'm not sure what to make of the fact that the Steelers and Colts were tied 20-20 with five seconds to go on Sunday night. Was it a positive reflection of the Colts? Or a negative reflection of the Steelers?

32. Kansas City Chiefs (0-3): After getting beat by a combined total of 79 points to the Bills and Lions in Weeks 1 and 2, the Chiefs lost by only three points to the Chargers. Although they lost cornerback Brandon Flowers to a high-ankle sprain, at least they didn't lose any players to season-ending injuries like in the previous three weeks.

If interested, here is our free Week 4 fantasy football contest and our waiver wire pickups for Week 4.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 10:49 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Appearing on our list of suggested waiver wire pickups after Week 1, Bills receiver David Nelson has 16 receptions and 167 yards and a touchdown in his two games played since then.

For the season, Nelson ranks just inside the top 20 in receiving yards (233) and is tied for sixth in receptions (20).

In Yahoo! leagues, Nelson is owned in only half of leagues and should be one of your waiver wire targets if you need help at wide receiver, especially for those of you in point-per-reception (PPR) leagues.

For the first time this year, one of Nelson's teammates in the receiving corps makes the list of possible waiver wire pickups.

We have two rules for a player to appear on this list: (1) player is available in at least 50 percent of Yahoo! leagues and (2) player was not mentioned in the previous week's list. Plus, of course, the player is expected to be productive going forward and/or have upside. So, I guess that means there is really three criteria.

Technically, Nelson would qualify to appear on this list because it's been two weeks since he was on this list, he's available in half of Yahoo! leagues and his outlook is solid.

Here are some other possible waiver wire additions this week (Yahoo! league ownership in parenthesis):

QB - Jason Campbell, Raiders (owned in 16 percent of Yahoo! leagues): For a second straight week, the status of Eagles quarterback Michael Vick is in jeopardy. Instead of dealing with a concussion, Vick is dealing with a badly bruised non-throwing hand, which was initially reported as being broken. If you need to add quarterback for depth or as a backup plan to someone like Vick this week, Campbell has a shot of providing you with a solid week. Facing the Patriots, who have allowed a league-high 377 passing yards per game, Campbell could potentially have the best week of his fantasy year in Week 4.

RB - Bernard Scott, Bengals (12 percent): Bengals running back Cedric Benson is facing a three-game suspension, which means Scott will be the back most likely to benefit (over Brian Leonard). Scott, who only has eight carries this season, is averaging 4.5 yards per carry for his career. In addition, this week the Bengals have a decent run matchup against the Bills, who rank in the bottom ten in rush defense (115.7 yards allowed per game).

RB - Kendall Hunter, 49ers (eight percent): Through three games, 49ers running back Frank Gore has gotten off to a slow start. Gore ranks fourth in the NFL in rush attempts (59) yet he ranks 24th in the league in rushing (148 yards) and is averaging only 2.5 yards per carry. Gore, who is dealing with a sprained ankle, is likely to play this week, but Hunter could and should be in store for a larger share of the workload. While Hunter did not have a great game (nine carries for 26 yards), he scored the team's only touchdown and certainly looked quicker this his backfield mate.

RB - Stevan Ridley, Patriots (three percent): Speaking of being more productive than one of your backfield mates, Ridley certainly did that in Week 3. Ridley, who was impressive in the preseason, rushed for a team-high 44 yards last week on nine carries. On the same number of carries, BenJarvus Green-Ellis rushed for only 16 yards. With Danny Woodhead in the mix as well, the Patriots use a running back by committee. That said, Ridley has plenty of upside and could be worth stashing on your bench.

WR - Nate Washington, Titans (35 percent): The season-ending injury to Titans receiver Kenny Britt means the Titans will rely more on Washington. However, Washington has been productive all season with or without Britt. Through three games, Washington has 21 receptions (tied for third in the NFL) for 258 yards (15th) and one touchdown.

WR - Donald Jones, Bills (two percent): If you throw it as often as the Bills, the highest-scoring team in the NFL, there is the potential for three receivers to be productive from a fantasy perspective. That happened in Week 3. Jones, the second-year receiver, had a career-high 101 receiving yards on five receptions last week. Of the team's top three receivers, Jones clearly trails Steve Johnson and Nelson, but if you're in a deeper league, Jones is worth a consideration. Facing the Bengals in Week 4, it's unlikely that the Bills need to air it out as much as they have in the previous two weeks after trailing big early.

WR - Torrey Smith, Ravens (16 percent): What a performance by Torrey Smith! The first three receptions by Smith were all for touchdowns and all made within the first quarter of their convincing win against the Rams this week. He finished the game with five receptions for 152 yards and three touchdowns. To be clear, I don't expect this kind of production from Smith at any point again this season. And he didn't have any receptions in his first two games. With Smith, you should expect inconsistent production with the possibility of an occasional big game.

TE - Jared Cook, Titans (30 percent): Cook has been slow to get involved in the Titans passing game. In three games, he has only five receptions for 56 yards and no touchdowns. With Britt out, other receivers will step up, but that should also mean expanded targets and production in the Titans passing game for Cook. In the final eight games of last season, Cook came on strong as he finished with 26 receptions for 303 yards. He just needs to start his second-half surge a little earlier this year.

Our Week 4 rankings will be updated on Wednesday, which can be accessed at TheTipDrill.com, our fantasy section. If interested, our free Week 4 fantasy football contest is up and running.

To keep track of all of our updates, you can either: (1) follow us on Twitter @EDSFootball or (2) "like" us on Facebook or both.

If you have specific lineup questions, need a second opinion on a trade proposal, etc., feel free to post your question in our free fantasy football forum.

Good luck in your Week 4 matchup(s)!

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

On the same play that Eagles quarterback Michael Vick fractured his non-throwing hand, receiver Jeremy Maclin suffered a hamstring strain, per Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer.

As McLane points out, that puts his status in the jeopardy for Week 4 against the 49ers, who may or may not have running back Frank Gore (sprained ankle).

Maclin finished the game with six receptions for 69 yards yesterday.

On the season, Maclin ranks 12th in the NFL in both receptions (19) and receiving yards (260) and has scored two touchdowns.

Who would have thought on Monday morning of Week 3 that the Redskins would be in first place and the Eagles would be in last place in the NFC East (see full standings)?

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 07:15 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

One the guys I was big on going into the season was Raiders running back Darren McFadden, which is why he is on three of my five fantasy teams (two of which are keeper leagues).

Yesterday, McFadden rushed for a career-high 171 yards and two touchdowns against the Jets.

Only three players have rushed for 100-plus yards on a Rex Ryan-coached Jets team.

"He's able to get from point A to point B faster than anyone I've seen," quarterback Jason Campbell said, per Scott Ostler of the San Francisco Chronicle. "He can get in a hole and shift out and make two guys miss and get down the sidelines."

The team's first-round pick (fourth overall) in 2008, McFadden leads the NFL in rushing yards (393), has 11 receptions for 84 yards and has scored a total of four touchdowns.

McFadden left the game in the fourth quarter with a groin injury, however, he said it just tightened up, per Steve Corkran of the Contra Costa Times.

The Raiders host the Patriots next Sunday.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 06:20 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

49ers running back Frank Gore sprained his ankle in the second quarter of the Bengals game although he remained in the game for most of it.

His status for next week's game against the Eagles, who lost Michael Vick to a broken non-throwing hand, is in doubt.

"I kind of tweaked and I couldn't go the way I wanted to," Gore said Sunday, per Matt Maiocco of the CSNBayArea.com. "Yeah, I couldn't be myself. Some of the runs, I couldn't make the cut I wanted to make. Hopefully, I get better this week."

Gore rushed 17 times for only 42 yards.

On the season, Gore has 59 carries for 148 yards and one touchdown. He's averaging only 2.5 yards per carry.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 05:58 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Entering today's game, Ravens rookie receiver Torrey Smith and I were tied with zero receptions through two games.

[To my credit, I did it in two fewer games than Smith.]

In today's game, however, Smith caught three passes in the first quarter and all three were scores. As you would expect, that was a rookie record.

Smith finished the game with five receptions, 152 yards and three scores.

Considering he's had 0, 0 and a million (or close to it) fantasy points in his three games, it would be reasonable to expect his production to be all over the place as a rookie.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 10:09 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Before the season started, I made a "bold" prediction that Wes Welker would lead the league in receptions and finish with at least 110 of them.

"Bold prediction for the AFC East: Wes Welker, who had only 86 receptions in 2010, will lead the NFL in receptions and record his fourth season of 110-plus receptions in the past five years. Since Welker became a Patriot (2007), a receiver has reached 110 receptions seven times. Welker has three of them; four other players have one each," I wrote on September 6th.

After today's game, it is seeming a little less "bold."

Welker tied a franchise record with 16 receptions while breaking the franchise record in receiving yards with 217. Welker also caught two touchdown passes.

The previous record was held by Terry Glenn. "She" did it in 1999 against Cleveland.

Of course, it is all bitter sweet considering Welker did it in a loss.

“We lost the game,” Welker said, per Jim Donaldson of the Providence Journal. “That pretty much detracts from everything. What should be a great, fun day of breaking records and doing all those things, it’s totally the opposite.”

On the season, Welker now has 31 receptions for 458 yards and four touchdowns in three games.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 09:54 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

After being knocked out of last week's game with a concussion, Eagles quarterback Michael Vick returned this week, but he left the game with a broken hand.

Vick, a left-handed quarterback, broke his right hand on a play that he felt deserved a flag for being a late hit by Chris Canty.

"I mean, you all see it," Vick said, per Phil Sheridan of the Philadelphia Inquirer. "There's no reason for me to go into a big dissertation about why I'm not getting the calls. The refs, they have to do their job as well. I even mentioned it in training camp to the refs when we had our little meeting, just for precaution. But hey, I don't know."

Once again, the status of Vick for the upcoming week's game against the 49ers is unknown.

In relief of Vick, Mike Kafka completed four of seven passes for 35 yards, but he threw two interceptions.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 07:53 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The good news for Titans fans is the team won a close game against the Broncos today and moved into a tie with the Texans for first place in the AFC South.

However, it is feared the Titans have lost receiver Kenny Britt for the season with a torn ACL and MCL, per ESPN's Adam Schefter.

Britt, who was carted off after suffering the injury in today's game, will have an MRI tomorrow to confirm the damage to his knee.

Entering today's game, Britt ranked second in the NFL in receiving yards (271) behind Carolina's Steve Smith (334). Britt finished with three receptions for 18 yards before suffering the injury.

Nate Washington, who's owned in only 26 percent of Yahoo! leagues, ranked in the top 20 in the NFL in receiving with 166 yards coming into Week 3.

He finished today's game with eight receptions for 92 yards and a score and will likely be the biggest beneficiary from a fantasy perspective.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 06:33 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Entering the 2011 season, the most likely scenario for Carolina's offense was that they would rely heavily on their rushing attack to ease the NFL transition for their rookie signal-caller.

After all, the team had two 1,000-yard rushers in DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart in 2009 before the entire Panthers offense struggled woefully in 2010.

Through two games, however, that is not even remotely close to what is actually happening.

Neither Williams nor Stewart leads the team in rushing. It's rookie quarterback Cam Newton, who has rushed 71 yards. In fact, Newton has only three yards less than what Williams (43) and Stewart (31) have combined.

While I expect that the Panthers get their ground game going at some point, perhaps this week, there is one thing that has become clear: Newton is worthy of being a starting fantasy quarterback in Week 3.

Players to Start in Week 3

QB - Cam Newton, Panthers (vs. JAX): After throwing for a second straight 400-yard game, it would be unreasonable (right?) to expect a third 400-yard game. While I certainly don't expect 400-plus yards, I do expect another strong passing game against the team that allowed the fifth-most passing yards in the NFL last year. In addition, Newton leads all quarterbacks in rushing attempts (18) and has rushed for a touchdown in each of his two games.

[FYI: Newton is the featured quarterback in our free fantasy football contest this week.]

RB - Ben Tate, Texans (at NO): Like Newton, Tate has had nothing but success in his first two NFL games. Tate, who leads the NFL in rushing attempts (47), has back-to-back 100-yard games and he currently ranks third in the NFL in rushing. With a hamstring injury slowing down Arian Foster, last year's rushing champion, Tate is expected to get his first-ever start this weekend.

RB - Brandon Jacobs, Giants (at PHI): Although the Rams have allowed a league-high 177.5 rushing yards per game, no team has allowed more rushing yards to opposing running backs than the Eagles. With Mario Manningham out with a concussion, I expect both Ahmad Bradshaw and Jacobs to get a heavy workload this week. In fact, Jacobs got the edge in workload by getting 16 carries to Bradshaw's 15 last week.

WR - Deion Branch, Patriots (at BUF): When it comes to wide receivers, only Pittsburgh's Mike Wallace has more receptions than Branch, who ranks sixth among receivers in yards (222). While both Wes Welker and Deion Branch are fantasy starts, Chad Ochocinco is the odd-man out.

WR - Robert Meachem, Saints (vs NO): In back-to-back games, Devery Henderson has finished with 100-plus yards and a score and he leads the team in receiving yards (203). That said, Henderson has been inconsistent for much of his career and I wouldn't count on a third-straight 100-yard game. Meanwhile, Marques Coltson is still out with a broken collarbone and Lance Moore returned from injury to haul in one reception for six yards in Week 2. If I had to go with a Saints receiver in Week 3, I'd go with Meachem, who has scored a touchdown in both of the Saints' first two games.

WR - A.J. Green, Bengals (vs SF): While Jerome Simpson, who has three 100-yard performances in his past four games, has not been arrested (yet), authorities seized 8.5 pounds of marijuana from his home this week. Therefore, Simpson is "questionable" on the injury report (despite not having a physical injury). Especially if Simpson does not play, Green, the top receiver selected in this year's draft, should be in line for even more targets after he finished with his first-ever game with double-digit receptions and 100-plus yards in Week 2.

TE - Fred Davis, Redskins (at DAL): Through two games, Davis is tied with Philadelphia's Jeremy Maclin for 13th in receiving (191 yards) and is second behind Carolina's Steve Smith in 20-yard plays (six). Out of tight ends, only Jason Witten has more receiving yards than Davis.

Players to Sit in Week 3

QB - Eli Manning, Giants (at PHI): Nnamdi Asomugha. Asante Samuel. Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie. Mario Manningham. What do those four names share in common? They all contribute to what should be a down week for Manning, who has thrown two touchdowns and two interceptions in two games. The first three form part of what is arguably the league's best secondary and, as mentioned above, Manningham will be out Sunday due to a concussion.

RB - Reggie Bush, Dolphins (at CLE): The experiment of using Bush as a featured back seems to be over. Last week, rookie Daniel Thomas got 18 rushing attempts and reached the century mark in his first-ever regular-season game. Meanwhile, Bush had only six carries and one reception against Houston. I can see eight carries and six targets as a reasonable workload for Bush in Week 3, which means he should be on your bench.

RB - Arian Foster, Texans (at NO): Foster, who has been dealing with hamstring issues since the start of camp, is questionable and a game-time decision for Sunday's game. Even if he plays, coach Gary Kubiak has said that Tate will get a larger share of the workload. Since hamstring issues tend to linger (as we've seen with Foster), Tate will likely be favored over Foster for the next several weeks or more.

RB - Steven Jackson, Rams (vs. BAL): Jackson got off to a great start to the 2011 season by rushing for a 47-yard touchdown on his first carry of the season. Then his second attempt, which was a solid run, was his only other carry through two games. Jackson's status for this week's game is unclear, but if he does play, he faces a tough Ravens run defense. You're likely to have better (and safer) options on your roster than Jackson.

WR - Chad Ochocinco, Patriots (at BUF): Patriots quarterback Tom Brady has thrown for 940 yards through two games, yet Ochocinco has only three receptions and 59 receiving yards. Four other Patriots have at least 165 receiving yards: Welker (241), Branch (222), Rob Gronkowski (172) and Aaron Hernandez (165). While I wouldn't be surprised if Ochocinco had a random strong game, I want to see at least one before I start rolling with him.

WR - Denarius Moore, Raiders (vs NYJ): Moore, who was on my free-agent pickups list this week, had a great game (146 yards and a score) against the Bills. This week, however, it won't be so easy as the Raiders face Darrelle Revis, the league's best cornerback, and Antonio Cromartie, last week's AFC Defensive Player of the Week.

TE - Dallas Clark, Colts (vs PIT): Clark, who did not practice on Friday due to a foot injury, may or may not play this week. With the Colts playing in the second-to-last game of the week, I wouldn't roll the dice with Clark and potentially get stuck without a replacement. Plus, the Colts don't have a great matchup against the Steelers this week.

For players not listed here, check out our fantasy rankings by position for Week 3.

To keep track of our fantasy updates, you can either: (1) follow us on Twitter @EDSFootball or (2) "like" us on Facebook (or both).

Good luck in your Week 3 matchup(s)!

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 08:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Picking NFL games against the spread (ATS) requires a combination of skill and luck.

Regardless of your thoughts, I have begun the season with a 5-0-1 ATS record (yes, I know, probably more luck than skill).

Each week, we (the other two "handicappers" at The Weekly Blitz and I) pick three games against the spread. My only blemish, if you can call it that, is a Week 1 push when I took the Titans and the points over the Jaguars.

While McCown got off to a solid start in Week 1, he completed nearly as many passes to Jets' defenders (four interceptions) as he did to his own receivers (six completions) last week and the team begins the Blaine Gabbert era in Week 3.

Will the Jaguars rally around the rookie in his first start the way they did in McCown's first start of the year?

Here are my three NFL picks for Week 3:

Baltimore Ravens (-4) over St. Louis Rams

If you watched only one of the two Ravens games this season, your perception of the team would differ greatly depending on which game you watched. Which perception is accurate? It's probably somewhere in between.

The Ravens have one of the league's most versatile running backs in Ray Rice and the Rams have allowed a league-high 177.5 yards per game. While they faced Michael Vick, who nearly rushed for 100 yards, and Joe Flacco is no Vick, they have still allowed 270 rushing yards to running backs (second-most in the NFL).

On the other hand, the Rams are still dealing with several injuries to key players, including their top two running backs, Steven Jackson and Cadillac Williams, who are both questionable for Sunday. While the Ravens have some injuries in their secondary, they also have one of the league's best front sevens, especially with the way Haloti Ngata and Terrell Suggs are playing.

I'm not a huge fan of taking road favorites, but I expect the Ravens to bounce back big this week.

Carolina Panthers (-3.5) over Jacksonville Jaguars

This season, there are two quarterbacks that have thrown for 400 yards in back-to-back games: New England's Tom Brady and Carolina's Cam Newton, the top overall pick in this year's draft. More surprising than the actual numbers is that Newton, as a rookie, has looked composed and under control and these weren't two gaudy performances in garbage time.

On the other hand, the Jaguars have a secondary susceptible to giving up the big play. Only the Texans (18) allowed more 40-yard pass plays than the Jaguars (13) last year.

As surprising as Newton's fast start has been, the team's (running back's) inability to run the ball effectively has been as much of a surprise. Newton leads the team in rushing as DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart have only 43 and 31 rushing yards, respectively. While The Daily Show went over 100 receiving yards last week, they are averaging only 2.47 yards per carry (on their 30 rushing attempts). Perhaps it's more of a hunch since the Jags have been effective stopping the run so far this year, but I expect the Panthers to get their ground game going this week.

Miami Dolphins (+2) over Cleveland Browns

For whatever reason, the Miami Dolphins have struggled in games played at home. In their past 12 home games dating back to Week 16 of the 2009 season, the Dolphins have won only one game. Lucky for them, they will take their talents to Cleveland this week.

The experiment of using Reggie Bush as a featured back is over. Rookie Daniel Thomas rushed more than 100 yards in his first-ever NFL game last week and I expect the Dolphins to maintain better offensive balance with Thomas (and some Bush) on the ground. That's no disrespect to Bush, who can help an offense in plenty of other ways aside from running it between the tackles.

While the 'Fins allowed Brady to throw for over 500 yards against them, the stats don't paint a true picture of their defense. Currently, the Dolphins rank 32nd in the league in total defense (483.5 yards allowed per game), but they have faced two elite offenses (New England and Houston). Look for Miami to regain some of the form that propelled them into the top ten of defensive rankings in 2010 as safety Jeremiah Bell says it correctly, this game is "kind of like a must win."

Against the spread, the Dolphins are in their last 16 games as underdogs. And they are even better (6-0-2 ATS) as road underdogs in games with three-point spreads or less.

To see the rest of our Week 3 picks, here are the other six picks at The Weekly Blitz.

If you're looking for Week 3 fantasy football content, check out our rankings at The Tip Drill, our fantasy section, and/or enter our free Week 3 fantasy football contest.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 11:22 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Typically, it's been feast or famine with Saints receiver Devery Henderson.

As an example, Henderson has nine 100-yard games, but he also has 20 games with less than 10 yards. So far this season, Henderson is 2-for-2 in games for 100-plus yards and a score. Yet he has done so with only 12 targets (62 players have more).

Will Henderson extend his streak to three games?

If so, he'll have to do so against the team that currently leads the NFL in defense, the Houston Texans.

Through two games, the Texans have allowed the fewest points (10.0 per game), total yards (271.0 per game) and passing yards (162.5 per game).

Here are our top 50 fantasy wide receivers for Week 3:

1. Calvin Johnson, Lions (at MIN): Here's some first-grade math for you: What's two plus two? If you answered that MegaTron has four touchdowns, two scores in each of his games, this season, you are correct. While Antoine Winfield is a talented cornerback, Johnson's combination of size, strength and speed makes him nearly impossible to defend.

[FYI: Johnson is one of the featured receivers in our free Week 3 fantasy football contest.]

2. Andre Johnson, Texans (at NO): If you look at Johnson's production, you'll find a model of consistency. He has seven receptions for 93-95 yards and a score in each game. If he maintains that pace of 94 yards per game for 16 games, he'll finish with his third 1,500-yard season in four years.

3. Mike Wallace, Steelers (at IND): Wallace has a five-game streak of 100-yard games going back to the last three regular-season games in 2010. Although he finished 42nd in receptions last year, he is currently second behind San Diego's Mike Tolbert this year with 16 receptions.

4. Larry Fitzgerald, Cardinals (at SEA): Fitzgerald is averaging just under 100 yards per game (97.5, to be exact). If he maintains that average, it would be a career high for Fitz.

5. Vincent Jackson, Chargers (vs KC): Jackson bounced back big by setting career highs in receptions (10) and yards (172) last week. As bad as the Chiefs are, however, I could see the Chargers building up an early and sizeable lead and run the ball more than usual.

6. Roddy White, Falcons (at TB): If White has to face Nnamdi Asomugha again, it won't be until the postseason. Although he did catch a touchdown pass, he should easily exceed the three receptions and 23 yards he had last week.

7. Greg Jennings, Packers (at CHI): Here's a random stat: Jennings, who just turned 28 years old this week, has gone over 100 receiving yards in three of the five games after his birthday. Ready to celebrate?

8. Wes Welker, Patriots (at BUF): Through two weeks, Welker, my preseason pick to lead the NFL in receptions this year, is third in the NFL in receptions (15), receiving yards (241) and has two touchdowns.

9. Kenny Britt, Titans (vs DEN): Only two receivers have more fantasy points than Britt: Miles Austin and Steve Smith.

10. Brandon Marshall, Dolphins (at CLE): Marshall, who leads the NFL in targets (25), has 13 receptions for 218 yards and a score. The Browns have allowed the second-fewest passing yards (165.5 per game) in the league through two games.

11. Steve Smith, Panthers (vs JAC): Through the two games, no receiver has more yards (334) than Steve Smith. Smith, who already has seven receptions of 20-plus yards, did not reach 334 receiving yards until Week 10 of the 2010 season.

12. DeSean Jackson, Eagles (vs NYG): Jackson, a big-play guy, is a little feast or famine as his stats from Week 1 (102 yards and a touchdown) and Week 2 (23 yards and no scores) illustrate. With all of the injuries they have suffered on defense, however, the Giants have allowed the sixth-most fantasy points to opposing wide receivers.

13. Hakeem Nicks, Giants (at PHI): Not only was he a game-time decision last week, Nicks was awarded a 23-yard reception two days after making it. While Nicks should enter Week 3 healthier than he was in Week 2, he draws a tough matchup against the Nnamdi Asomugha-led Eagles secondary.

14. Dez Bryant, Cowboys (vs WAS): Not only did he miss last week's game with a thigh contusion, Bryant still hasn't practiced as of Thursday. If he plays, he could be in store for a big week, especially with Miles Austin expected to be out this week and next week.

15. Reggie Wayne, Colts (vs PIT): There's a good chance that the Colts fall behind early and air it out often, which is good news for Wayne (or, more accurately, his fantasy owners). The bad news is it's still Kerry Collins throwing him the ball.

16. Jeremy Maclin, Eagles (vs NYG): What a difference a week made for Maclin! He had one reception for 20 yards in Week 1 against the Rams and 13 receptions for 171 yards and two touchdowns (all career highs) in Week 2 against the Falcons.

17. Santonio Holmes, Jets (at OAK): Unlike the team with whom they share their home stadium, the Jets head to Oakland but won't face Nnamdi Asomugha. Plus, Holmes had a career-high 149 receiving yards in his last game against the Raiders.

18. Santana Moss, Redskins (at DAL): Moss has six consecutive games with five or more receptions and 60-plus yards. Four of his 24 100-yards games and two of his seven multi-touchdown games have come against the Cowboys.

19. Stevie Johnson, Bills (vs NE): The Patriots have allowed big games to Miami's Brandon Marshall and San Diego's Vincent Jackson in Weeks 1 and 2. Is it Stevie Johnson's turn?

20. Mike Williams, Buccaneers (vs ATL): Not only did Williams not help fantasy owners in Week 2, he hurt them. From my couch, I had four more receiving yards than Williams, who had one reception for (minus) four yards. I'm guessing I won't outscore him this week.

Here are the rest of our top 50 fantasy receivers for Week 3:

21. Anquan Boldin, Ravens (at STL):
22. Dwayne Bowe, Chiefs (at SD)
23. Deion Branch, Patriots (at BUF)
24. Brandon Lloyd, Broncos (at TEN)
25. Mario Manningham, Giants (at PHI)
26. A.J. Green, Bengals (vs SF)
27. Percy Harvin, Vikings (vs DET)
28. Jordy Nelson, Packers (at CHI)
29. Nate Burleson, Lions (at MIN)
30. Robert Meachem, Saints (vs HOU)
31. Johnny Knox, Bears (vs GB)
32. Davone Bess, Dolphins (at CLE)
33. Julio Jones, Falcons (at TB)
34. Mike Thomas, Jaguars (at CAR)
35. Lance Moore, Saints (vs HOU)
36. Plaxico Burress, Jets (at OAK)
37. Mike Sims-Walker, Rams (vs BAL)
38. Devery Henderson, Saints (vs HOU)
39. Pierre Garcon, Colts (vs PIT)
40. Malcom Floyd, Chargers (vs KC)
41. Eric Decker, Broncos (at TEN)
42. Dexter McCluster, Chiefs (at SD)
43. Jabar Gaffney, Redskins (at DAL)
44. Austin Collie, Colts (vs PIT)
45. Chad Ochocinco, Patriots (at BUF)
46. Hines Ward, Steelers (at IND)
47. Emmanuel Sanders, Steelers (at IND)
48. Mike Williams, Seahawks (vs ARI)
49. Jerome Simpson, Bengals (vs SF)
50. Denarius Moore, Raiders (vs NYJ)

For more Week 3 rankings, click here to for rankings on other positions.

To keep track of all of our updates, "like" us on Facebook.

If you have specific lineup questions, need a second opinion on a trade proposal, etc., feel free to post your question in our free fantasy football forum.

Good luck in your Week 3 matchup(s)!

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 11:45 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Through two games, there are three players that have rushed for 100-plus yards in both games: Buffalo's Fred Jackson, Houston's Ben Tate and Atlanta's Michael Turner.

During the preseason, it seemed as though the Bills really wanted to make C.J. Spiller the starter. Instead they let production get in the way and stuck with with Jackson, who currently leads the NFL in rushing. In fact, reports indicate that the Bills will use Spiller more as a receiver.

Tate, who has yet to start a game, leads the NFL in rushing attempts (47) and will get the first start of his young career this weekend against the Saints.

On the other hand, Turner is and has been the clear starter in Atlanta, but others have talked about a decline in his skills.

Take our poll on which of the three will extend their 100-yard game streak.

Here are our top 40 fantasy running backs for Week 3:

1. Ray Rice, Ravens (at STL): Only Philadelphia's LeSean McCoy has scored more fantasy points than Rice while the Rams have allowed a league-high 177.5 rushing yards per game. Granted, the Rams faced the league's best rushing quarterback in Michael Vick, but they have allowed the fourth-most fantasy points to opposing running backs as well.

2. Adrian Peterson, Vikings (vs DET): In eight games against the Lions, Peterson has rushed for 100-plus yards in five games. In two of the other three games, he has 100-plus yards from scrimmage. He has eight touchdowns against the Lions as well. Regardless of matchups, however, Peterson is a must-start every week.

3. LeSean McCoy, Eagles (vs NYG): Surprisingly, McCoy has only 36 receiving yards through two games. That said, he has scored four touchdowns and more fantasy points than any other running back through two weeks.

4. Michael Turner, Falcons (at TB): While Turner has back-to-back 100-yard games, it's perhaps more surprising that he already has four receptions for 72 yards. (His career high in receiving yards is 85, last year's total.)

5. Rashard Mendenhall, Steelers (at IND): Yet to have a big game this season, Mendenhall could be poised for a monster game in Week 3. The Steelers face the Colts, who have allowed a league-high four rushing touchdowns.

[FYI: Mendenhall is one of the two running backs in this week's free fantasy football contest.]

6. Matt Forte, Bears (vs GB): No running back has more yards from scrimmage than Forte, who has 117 rushing and 207 receiving yards.

7. Maurice Jones-Drew, Jaguars (at CAR): Transitioning to a rookie quarterback probably means a heavy dose of Pocket Hercules. Then again, that's what I expected for the rookie quarterback MJD is facing.

8. Darren McFadden, Raiders (vs NYJ): McFadden has 222 rushing yards, which is second in the NFL behind Buffalo's Fred Jackson (229). This week, however, McFadden will have his toughest matchup to date.

9. Chris Johnson, Titans (vs DEN): I'm not surprised by a slow start by Johnson, but I am surprised that he started this slowly. Johnson has 33 carries for 77 rushing yards (2.3 yards per carry) and has a long run of nine yards. Hopefully a matchup against the Broncos, who allowed a league-high 26 rushing touchdowns in 2010, will help him get going.

10. Peyton Hillis, Browns (vs MIA): Hillis ranks third in rushing attempts (44) and is tied for fifth in receptions (10). Last year, he wore down and there could be concern later in the year if he continues to get this much work.

11. Fred Jackson, Bills (vs NE): Jackson leads the NFL in rushing (229 yards) through two games and the Bills lead the NFL in scoring offense. As good as the Patriots are, they have given up the second-most yards through two games.

12. Ben Tate, Texans (at NO): Tate, who will likely make his first start in Week 3, has back-to-back 100-yard games, the first two games of his NFL career. With the team's other backs dealing with injuries, however, Tate has received lots of touches and leads the NFL in rushing attempts (47).

13. Frank Gore, 49ers (at CIN): Gore is averaging only 2.5 yards per carry and only 71 yards from scrimmage through the team's first two games.

14. Ahmad Bradshaw, Giants (at PHI): The Eagles have allowed a league-high 301 rushing yards to running backs. Not only do I expect Bradshaw to have a big game, I expect Brandon Jacobs to be worthy of starting as a flex this week.

15. Beanie Wells, Cardinals (at SEA): Wells, who is off to a solid start (two games with 90-plus rushing yards and a score), suffered a hamstring injury that limited him at practice on Thursday. Depending on his level of participation at Friday's practice, we may move Wells down from here.

16. Jahvid Best, Lions (at MIN): In both games this season, Best has exceeded 100 yards from scrimmage. Although he's only averaging 3.5 yards per attempt, he has ten receptions for 108 yards as well.

17. LeGarrette Blount, Buccaneers (vs ATL): A worry with Blount is that the Bucs fall behind and need to pass, which means we would see much more Earnest Graham than Blount. After all, no team has run the ball less than Tampa (17.5 attempts per game).

18. Mike Tolbert, Chargers (vs KC): Tolbert has missed practice on Wednesday and Thursday although he expects to play on Sunday. Considering the Chiefs have allowed a league-high 89 points, Tolbert, who leads the NFL in receptions (17), may get quite a few goal-line carries.

19. BenJarvus Green-Ellis, Patriots (at BUF): The Law Firm has rushed for a touchdown in each of the Patriots' first two games. Only the Colts have allowed more rushing touchdowns than the Bills, one of six teams to allow at least 5.0 yards per carry. That sounds like a match to me.

20. Ryan Mathews, Chargers (vs KC): Depending on Tolbert's status, Mathews could move up quite a bit in our rankings. That said, I expect the Chargers to rack up lots of yards and points, which means there is more than enough to go around for two running backs.

The rest of our top 40 running backs for Week 3:

21. Tim Hightower, Redskins (at DAL)
22. Brandon Jacobs, Giants (at PHI)
23. Shonn Greene, Jets (at OAK)
24. Cedric Benson, Bengals (vs SF)
25. Steven Jackson, Rams (vs BAL)
26. James Starks, Packers (at CHI)
27. DeAngelo Williams, Panthers (vs JAC)
28. Mark Ingram, Saints (vs HOU)
29. Felix Jones, Cowboys (vs WAS)
30. Arian Foster, Texans (at NO)
31. Willis McGahee, Broncos (at TEN)
32. Daniel Thomas, Dolphins (at CLE)
33. Jonathan Stewart, Panthers (vs JAC)
34. Joseph Addai, Colts (vs PIT)
35. Pierre Thomas, Saints (vs HOU)
36. Danny Woodhead, Patriots (at BUF)
37. Ryan Grant, Packers (at CHI)
38. Marshawn Lynch, Seahawks (vs ARI)
39. LaDainian Tomlinson, Jets (at OAK)
40. Roy Helu, Redskins (at DAL)

For more Week 3 rankings, click here to for rankings on other positions.

To keep track of all of our updates, "like" us on Facebook.

If you have specific lineup questions, need a second opinion on a trade proposal, etc., feel free to post your question in our free fantasy football forum.

Good luck in your Week 3 matchup(s)!

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

It has been nearly three decades since Dan Marino set the single-season passing yardage record (5,084 yards).

Before the season began, I thought I made a "bold" prediction that San Diego's Philip Rivers would break Marino's record. While Rivers is "on track," there are a total of four other quarterbacks that are on pace for 5,500 yards or more.

In Marino's record-breaking season, he threw for 545 yards in his first two games. There are 13 quarterbacks that have thrown for more through two weeks.

Here are our top 30 fantasy quarterbacks for Week 3:

1. Philip Rivers, Chargers (vs KC): While Rivers has put up solid fantasy numbers, turnovers have slowed the Chargers offense. In Week 3, it just might all come together for Rivers and the Chargers as they face the Chiefs, who have allowed a league high in points (89) and passing touchdowns (eight). Only two other teams have allowed more than four passing touchdowns.

2. Tom Brady, Patriots (at BUF): Brady has thrown for nearly 1,000 yards in two games. Considering he had only one 400-yard game in his career entering 2011, he's due for an off week (based on Brady's standard), right? Probably not.

3. Aaron Rodgers, Packers (at CHI): Rodgers is a model of consistency. He's averaging 310 yards per game, completing over 70 percent of his passes and he's thrown five touchdowns and no interceptions.

4. Michael Vick, Eagles (vs NYG): While Vick's status for Week 3 is not known, it's looking more and more likely that Vick will play. Will Vick be a little more conservative when it comes to running the ball this week?

5. Drew Brees, Saints (vs HOU): Since Brees signed with the Saints in 2006, no quarterback has thrown for more yards or touchdowns than Brees. Believe it or not, the Texans' defense has allowed league lows in points (10.0 per game), total yards (271.0 per game) and passing yards (162.5 per game).

6. Matt Schaub, Texans (at NO): Through two games, the Texans (i.e., Schaub) have thrown 53 pass attempts, which is fourth-lowest in the NFL. In addition, only the Jaguars had a greater proportion of their plays being running plays than the Texans. Against a tougher opponent this week, I expect Schaub to throw more often.

7. Matthew Stafford, Lions (at MIN): While fantasy owners may be (or have been) concerned about Stafford's ability to stay healthy, it helps when you're the only starting quarterback yet to be sacked. Stafford is tied for the NFL lead in touchdown passes (seven), four of which were thrown to Calvin Johnson.

8. Tony Romo, Cowboys (vs WAS): Not to take anything away from his performance in Week 2, Romo has a bunch of things going against him in Week 3. Not only will he be playing with cracked ribs and a punctured lung, but the Cowboys will be without Miles Austin and Dez Bryant has not practiced as of Thursday. In addition, we may not know Bryant's status until game time (Monday night).

9. Matt Ryan, Falcons (at TB): Despite a tough matchup against the Eagles secondary, Ryan threw for a career-high four touchdowns last week. Of the teams Ryan has faced at least twice in his career, the Bucs are the only team against which Ryan has thrown more interceptions (eight) than touchdowns (five).

10. Cam Newton, Panthers (vs JAC): In addition to throwing for 400-plus yards in back-to-back games, Newton has also rushed for a touchdown in each game. He does it all and faces the defense that allowed the fifth-most passing yards last season.

[Related: Newton is the featured quarterback in our free Week 3 fantasy football contest.]

The rest of our top 30 fantasy quarterbacks for Week 3:

11. Ben Roethlisberger, Steelers (at IND):
12. Ryan Fitzpatrick, Bills (vs NE)
13. Kevin Kolb, Cardinals (at SEA)
14. Rex Grossman, Redskins (at DAL)
15. Josh Freeman, Buccaneers (vs ATL)
16. Joe Flacco, Ravens (at STL)
17. Matt Hasselbeck, Titans (vs DEN)
18. Kyle Orton, Broncos (at TEN)
19. Eli Manning, Giants (at PHI)
20. Sam Bradford, Rams (vs BAL)
21. Mark Sanchez, Jets (at OAK)
22. Andy Dalton, Bengals (vs SF)
23. Chad Henne, Dolphins (at CLE)
24. Colt McCoy, Browns (vs MIA)
25. Donovan McNabb, Vikings (vs DET)
26. Jason Campbell, Raiders (vs NYJ)
27. Kerry Collins, Colts (vs PIT)
28. Blaine Gabbert, Jaguars (at CAR)
29. Tarvaris Jackson, Seahawks (vs ARI)
30. Alex Smith, 49ers (at CIN)

For more Week 3 rankings, click here to for rankings on other positions.

To keep track of all of our updates, "like" us on Facebook.

If you have specific lineup questions, need a second opinion on a trade proposal, etc., feel free to post your question in our free fantasy football forum.

Good luck in your Week 3 matchup(s)!

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 10:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The 2011 season for Titans receiver Kenny Britt is off to a great start (on the field, to be clear).

Through two games, Britt has 14 receptions for 271 yards and three touchdowns. Britt, the team's first-round pick in 2009, has had back-to-back 100-yard games.

Only Miles Austin (47.3) and Carolina's Steve Smith (45.4) have more fantasy points this season than Britt (45.1).

At practice today, however, his hamstring was bothering him and limited his participation.

“Going out there in that first period of seven-on-seven, it kept on getting tighter and tighter, and it wouldn’t loosen up for me,” Britt said, per John Glennon of The Tennessean. “I got a little scared so I backed down.”

Per Glennon, coach Mike Munchak expects Britt to be back on the practice field on Thursday.

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

After holding out through the preseason, Titans running back Chris Johnson is off to a slow start, which isn't a huge surprise.

How slow of a start he has had is a bit surprising, though.

Limited to nine carries in Week 1, Johnson carried the ball 24 times in Week 2. With 33 carries after two weeks, he has rushed for only 77 yards (2.3 yards per carry) and his long run of the season is nine yards.

As I have noted in another post, he is only running back to rank in the top 20 in carries while having no runs for double-digit yards.

Today, Johnson missed practice due to sore ribs.

“I am just a little sore,” he said, per Jim Wyatt of The Tennessean. “I got a lot of mental reps. I’ll be OK. … I am anxious to get back on the field and play games.”

Per Wyatt, Johnson says he expects to practice Thursday and to play this Sunday against the Broncos, who allowed a league-high 26 rushing touchdowns in 2010.

Despite his slow start, Johnson is obviously a tremendous talent and, if there's ever a time when he's a buy-low candidate in fantasy football, it's now.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 06:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

While the Bills seem to have wanted C.J. Spiller, their first-round pick last year, to win the starting running back job, Fred Jackson has clearly been the better option between the two backs.

Through two games, Jackson leads the NFL in rushing (229 yards) and the Bills lead the NFL in total offense and scoring offense.

That said, there is a way to get both of them on the field at the same time -- use Spiller more as a receiver.

Per Pro Football Talk, the Bills will use Spiller as a receiver "more and more."

This week, the Bills face the Patriots in the only matchup between unbeaten teams.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 11:42 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Since 1990, 64 percent of teams that have started the season with a 2-0 record have gone to the postseason.

There are seven teams that have started 2-0 this year and two of those teams face off in Week 3.

While they have identical 2-0 records, the Patriots and Bills still have different perceptions as Buffalo is nearly a double-digit underdog (8.5 points) at home. Are the Bills for real? We will find out this weekend.

Here are rankings of all 32 NFL teams from best to worst:

1. Green Bay Packers (2-0): The defending Super Bowl champions are 2-0, but they have allowed back-to-back 400-yard passers and the third-most yards in the NFL after the Dolphins and Patriots.

2. New England Patriots (2-0): Only one quarterback in the history of the NFL has thrown for more yards than Tom Brady has in back-to-back games. As mentioned above, however, only the Dolphins have allowed more yards than the Patriots this season.

3. New York Jets (2-0): Overhyped? Maybe. But one of the elite teams in the AFC? Absolutely.

4. Houston Texans (2-0): Last year, the Texans defense was horrible. This year, they have allowed the fewest points (10.0 per game), total yards (271.0 per game) and passing yards (162.5 per game) and are the only team to keep opponents from completing 50 percent of their passes.

5. New Orleans Saints (1-1): The high-powered Saints offense takes on the Texans, the league's top-rated defense (wait, what?!), in Week 3.

6. Atlanta Falcons (1-1): Running back Michael Turner has back-to-back 100-yard games, but more surprisingly, he has already caught four passes for 72 yards. (His career high is 85 receiving yards set last year.)

7. Detroit Lions (2-0): With a dominant defensive line and lethal passing attack, the Lions are a team nobody wants to see on their schedule. Thanksgiving is two months away, but I'm thankful for a Lions-Packers matchup to kickoff the trio of games that day.

8. San Diego Chargers (1-1): My bold preseason prediction was that quarterback Philip Rivers would break the single-season NFL passing yardage record. So far, he's still on pace (but trailing Tom Brady and Cam Newton by a mile).

9. Baltimore Ravens (1-1): After Week 1, I was tempted to put the Ravens at No. 1. After Week 2, the temptation is gone.

10. Philadelphia Eagles (1-1): The biggest question for the Eagles going into the season was: Can Michael Vick stay healthy for 16 games? A concussion, however "slight" it may be, suffered Sunday night puts Vick's Week 3 status in jeopardy.

11. Pittsburgh Steelers (1-1): After getting blown out by their arch rivals in Week 1, the Steelers rebounded and shut out Seattle, 24-0, and face the Peyton-less Colts in Week 3.

12. Buffalo Bills (2-0): One of the most-surprising 2-0 team,s the Bills are league's highest-scoring team and lead the NFL in rushing (190 yards per game) behind Fred Jackson, the NFL's leading rusher.

13. Chicago Bears (1-1): Guess who is the most-sacked quarterback in the league? Some things don't change. Through two games, running back Matt Forte has 324 yards from scrimmage and leads the team in rushing (117 yards) and receiving (207 yards).

14. Washington Redskins (2-0): Aside from perhaps Rex Grossman, who else thought the Redskins would be the only NFC East team to start the season with a 2-0 record?

15. Dallas Cowboys (1-1): Tony Romo went from goat to hero in one week. What is troubling for the Cowboys is all of their injuries: Romo (ribs/lung), Miles Austin (hamstring), Dez Bryant (thigh), Felix Jones (shoulder), etc.

16. Tennessee Titans (1-1): Running back Chris Johnson has 33 rush attempts (tied for 11th in the NFL) and no carries of 10 yards or more. Of the 20 running backs with 27-plus carries, he's the only running back without a single run for double-digit yards.

17. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1-1): Here's an interesting stat about quarterback Josh Freeman: Freeman has completed 18 of 19 passes (94.7 percent) on third or fourth down this season.

18. Oakland Raiders (1-1): Led by Darren McFadden, who ranks second in the NFL in rushing, the Raiders are third in rushing attempts (34.5 per game), fourth in rushing yards (160.5 per game) and first in rushing touchdowns (four).

19. New York Giants (1-1): The Giants lead the NFL in injuries (and fake injuries).

20. Cleveland Browns (1-1): Last year, Browns running Peyton Hillis wore down at the end of the season. Through two games, he ranks third in rushing attempts (44).

21. Arizona Cardinals (1-1): The Cardinals have allowed the fourth-most yards this season. In Week 3, they head to Seattle, who ranks last in total offense, so their defense should get a bit of a breather.

22. Carolina Panthers (0-2): If a team can feel good despite their 0-2 start, it's the Panthers, who rank second in the NFL in total offense (476 yards per game) due almost exclusively to Cam Newton, the first overall pick in 2011.

23. Cincinnati Bengals (1-1): Rookie Andy Dalton is one of four quarterbacks that have thrown 50-plus passes this season without an interception. The other three are Drew Brees, Aaron Rodgers and Sam Bradford.

24. Minnesota Vikings (0-2): Two games. Two second-half leads. Two losses. No matter how you add that up, it's not good.

25. Miami Dolphins (0-2): Going back to Week 16 of the 2009 season, the Dolphins have won only one home game in 12 tries. The glass-half-full view is that the majority of their remaining games are on the road.

26. San Francisco 49ers (1-1): Although the 49ers were on the verge of a 2-0 start before losing in overtime Sunday, the 49ers rank second-to-last in the league in total offense (207.5 yards per game). Only the Seahawks are worse.

27. Denver Broncos (1-1): Some Bronco fans got their wish, sort of. Tim Tebow was on the field, but out wide instead of under center. Speaking of Broncos' "receivers," Eric Decker is one of the names you'll find on our waiver-wire pickups column this week.

28. St. Louis Rams (0-2): The Rams are consistent -- they have started with 0-2 record for five straight seasons. Fortunately, they play in the league's worst division, by far.

29. Indianapolis Colts (0-2): If I had a vote for the 2011 league MVP, I think I would give it to Peyton Manning. Without him, the Colts are so bad that they are double-digit underdogs at home in Week 3.

30. Jacksonville Jaguars (1-1): Week 1 was a fluke. This team is bad. Really bad. Can Blaine Gabbert (or anyone) be as bad as Luke McCown was last week?

31. Kansas City Chiefs (0-2): Not only have the Chiefs scored the fewest points (10), they have allowed the most (89). With tight end Tony Moeaki, safety Eric Berry and running back Jamaal Charles all lost for the season, it might not get much better.

32. Seattle Seahawks (0-2): With Tarvaris Jackson under center, Marshawn Lynch leading the team in rushing at 22 yards per game, Sidney Rice dealing with a torn labrum and Robert Gallery out for several weeks, it might be a moral victory in games that the Seahawks score some points.

If you're looking for fantasy football rankings, we will release our Week 3 rankings later today. In addition, our free fantasy football contest for Week 3 is up and running.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 09:49 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

It's more challenging for fantasy owners in the beginning of the season than it is as the season wears on.

We, as fantasy owners, compare players who have a strong week (or two) and are available in our league(s) to those currently on our roster. At the same time, we try not to overreact to what may be a one-game (or two-game) wonder. After all, there was a reason why nobody drafted said player just a few weeks ago.

But it's oh so tempting.

As the season plays itself out, it's easier to exercise restraint and more of our decisions are based on logic than emotions or whims.

To help you scour your league's waiver wire for some values, we put together a list of potential candidates to add on a weekly basis.

We have two criteria for a player to appear on our list: (1) the player did not appear on the previous week's list and (2) they are owned by 50 percent or less in Yahoo! leagues.

For example, a player like Houston's Ben Tate, who was on our pickups list last week, won't appear on this list.

With a second 100-yard game (in two weeks) and comments by coach Gary Kubiak saying Tate will get "most of the [work] load," Tate is now owned in more than 50 percent of leagues and he was on last week's list. In other words, he fails both of the criteria to appear on this list, but he is certainly worth owning in your league.

Buffalo receiver David Nelson, who had ten receptions for 83 yards and a score last week, is owned in only 10 percent of Yahoo! leagues. Even though he meets our league ownership criteria, he won't appear on this list because he was also mentioned on our list last week.

Here are some new waiver wire suggestions that may be available to help your team in Week 3 (and beyond):

QB - Rex Grossman, Redskins (owned in 22 percent of Yahoo! leagues): Although I expected Grossman to play better in Week 2 than he did, Grossman has thrown for at least 291 yards and two touchdowns in both games this season. Granted, Grossman is consistently inconsistent, but he has a favorable matchup this week against the Cowboys.

QB - Mike Kafka, Eagles (one percent): With Michael Vick sustaining a concussion last week, his status for Week 3 is in doubt. If Vick does not play, his replacement (more likely Kafka than Vince Young) is a possible starter in deeper leagues, especially if you need to replace Vick in your starting lineup. Not only do the Eagles have explosive weapons at Kafka's (or Young's) disposal in receivers Jeremy Maclin and DeSean Jackson and running back LeSean McCoy, the Giants have suffered numerous season-ending injuries on defense to make for a good matchup play. New York has allowed the ninth-most passing yards (283.0 per game) through two weeks.

RB - Roy Helu, Redskins (24 percent): Most think that Helu is as talented as current starter Tim Hightower, who currently ranks second in the NFL in rushing attempts (45). While there is no doubt that Hightower is the guy now, it's possible that we see Helu continue to get the 13 touches he got last week. And if he keeps making the most of those touches (114 yards from scrimmage), the split between the two could (should) become closer to even.

RB - Thomas Jones, Chiefs (37 percent): With Jamaal Charles out for the season with a torn ACL, Thomas Jones is likely to get the most carries in the Chiefs offense. A major concern with Jones is his age (33), which is like 85 in running back years. In addition, Jones has seen has yards per carry drop from 4.2 (2009) to 3.7 (2010) to 3.1 (this year).

RB - Dexter McCluster, Chiefs (29 percent): McCluster is more dynamic and especially more valuable in point-per-reception (PPR) formats. As a rookie, McCluster had 21 receptions for 209 yards in 11 games. With Charles out, I wouldn't be surprised if McCluster finishes with 50 receptions (or more).

WR - Eric Decker, Broncos (23 percent): With Brandon Lloyd being a late scratch, Decker, a third-round pick in 2010, finished with five receptions for 113 yards and two scores in last week's win over Cincinnati. In both games this season, however, Decker has three-plus receptions and 50-plus receiving yards. He also had a punt return touchdown in Week 1.

WR - Denarius Moore, Raiders (19 percent): Moore, who was a popular sleeper pick this preseason, had a huge game in Week 2 with many of the team's top receivers out of the lineup. Moore, the team's fifth-round pick this year, had five receptions for 146 yards and a score. In Week 1, however, he did not have any catches. It's likely that Moore will have greater variability in his production than Decker.

WR - Jerome Simpson, Bengals (22 percent): Simpson has had four receptions in back-to-back weeks this season, but he finished with a season-high 136 receiving yards in Week 2. Going back to 2010, Simpson has 100-plus yards in three of his past four games. While his numbers may fluctuate a bit with rookie quarterback Andy Dalton starting, Dalton currently ranks eighth in the NFL in passer rating (105.7).

WR - Kevin Ogletree, Cowboys (one percent): Miles Austin, who scored three touchdowns against the Niners, will likely be out through the team's bye week in Week 5. That means that Ogletree becomes the team's No. 2 receiver behind Dez Bryant, who missed last week's game with a thigh contusion. While Austin is out, Ogletree should see an uptick in his targets and is worthy of consideration in deeper leagues.

TE - Fred Davis, Redskins (24 percent): Only one tight end in the NFL has more receiving yards than Davis (191): Jason Witten. Only three tight ends have more receptions than Davis (11): Aaron Hernandez (14), Witten (13) and Tony Gonzalez (12).

Our Week 3 fantasy rankings will be available on Wednesday at TheTipDrill.com, which is the fantasy section of our site.

If you have specific questions on players available in your league or lineup questions, feel free to submit those in our free fantasy football forum. Additionally, our free fantasy football contest for Week 3 is up in our forums.

To keep track of all of our fantasy updates, please "like" us on Facebook.

Good luck in Week 3!

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 09:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

When the Eagles and Giants meet in Week 3, the status of Eagles quarterback Michael Vick is unclear due to a concussion sustained on Sunday night against the Falcons.

The same is true of Giants receiver Mario Manningham.

Manningham's status is in doubt after he suffered a concussion in the team's win over the Rams on Monday night. In addition, Domenik Hixon left the game with a calf injury.

Going into last night's game, it was likely but not certain that Hakeem Nicks would play due to a bruised knee. While he did play, the team's No. 2 and No. 3 receivers did not finish the game due to their respective injuries.

Manningham said it was a neck injury instead of a concussion, but he'll still have to pass the necessary tests this week to be cleared to play in Week 3.

"My neck stiffened up, man," Manningham said, per Jane McManus of ESPN New York. "But I'll be good."

Manningham led the Giants in receiving last night with three receptions for 56 yards.

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

When Chiefs running back Jamaal Charles left this afternoon's game with a knee injury, it did not look good.

It's not.

Per ESPN's Adam Schefter, Charles will have an MRI tomorrow, but the initial diagnosis is that Charles tore his ACL and will miss the 2011 season.

Charles, who finished second in the NFL in rushing in 2010, had only two carries today before sustaining the injury.

Both Thomas Jones and Dexter McCluster are worth picking up in fantasy leagues, if available, and will likely split the work. In today's game, Jones finished with 12 carries and McCluster had eight. However, McCluster also had four receptions.

In two games for Kansas City, they've been outscored by a margin of 89-9.

Even worse, they have lost tight end Tony Moeaki, safety Eric Berry and now running back Jamaal Charles to season-ending ACL injuries in three consecutive games beginning with the fourth preseason game.

The season could not have gotten off to a worse start and next week the Chiefs take on the Chargers.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 05:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Few people, if any, expected Panthers rookie quarterback Cam Newton to throw for 300 yards in Week 1. Not only did he throw for 300 yards, he threw for a record-setting 422 yards in Week 1.

Logically, the thought shifted to the opponent.

Newton did it against a porous Cardinals secondary and there is no way it could happen against the Packers, who ranked fifth in the NFL in passing defense last year. Could it?

It could.

For a second straight game, Newton, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2011 NFL Draft, threw for more than 400 yards.

Newton did not look as good in Week 2 as he did in Week 1after the initial scoring drive where he made it look easy. After that drive, he did not throw another touchdown (although he ran for one) and he threw three interceptions.

That said, Newton has 854 passing yards through two NFL games. He has completed 62.7 percent of his passes and has averaged 41.5 pass attempts per game. While he has more interceptions (four) than touchdowns (three), he also has 18 rushing attempts for 71 yards and two scores.

Next up is the Jacksonville Jaguars, who were one of five teams to allow more than 250 passing yards per game last year.

In addition, Steve Smith has 334 receiving yards through two games. Last year, Smith had only 318 yards through Week 9's game against New Orleans (Smith's seventh game of the season).

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 05:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

To end the 2010 season, Steelers receiver Mike Wallace had 100-plus receiving yards in each of his final three games.

In 2011, he has picked up where he left off.

After a 126-yard performance today, Wallace has extended his regular-season 100-yard game streak to five games.

Wallace, the team's second of three third-round picks in 2009, finished today's 24-0 shutout over the Seahawks with eight receptions for 126 yards and a score.

Coming up, the Steelers begin their tour of the AFC South with games against the Colts, Texans, Titans and Jaguars in Weeks 3 through 6 (see Steelers 2011 schedule).

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 03:52 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Last week, the Kansas City Chiefs lost second-year and Pro Bowl safety Eric Berry, perhaps their most important defensive player, for the season to a torn ACL.

This week, there is a potentially serious injury to the team's most important offensive player.

Chiefs running back Jamaal Charles was carted off the field after suffering a knee injury in the first quarter of today's Lions game.

Charles carried the ball twice for 27 yards before the injury.

Hopefully the injury is not serious. Stay tuned ...

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 01:39 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Earlier this morning, SI's Will Carroll (@injuryexpert on Twitter) tweeted: "Not hearing good things about Santonio Holmes' knee this morning."

However, it appears as though Holmes will play, according to Jason La Canfora of NFL.com.

La Canfora writes that Holmes "told teammates he will play and the Jets fully expect him to."

Holmes had six receptions for 70 yards last week against the Cowboys.

Click here for Week 2 fantasy rankings for wide receivers.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 10:55 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

When the Jaguars face the Jets this afternoon, they will be without starting tight end Marcedes Lewis, per Jay Glazer of Fox Sports and NFL Network.

The news is not a surprise as Lewis had been listed as doubtful with a calf injury.

Earlier in the week, Jaguars receiver Jason Hill, who is also likely to be out, called Jets cornerback Darrelle Revis overhyped. Despite what Hill said, the Jets have the league's top cornerback and one of the best tandems in the NFL.

In other words, the Jets are likely to shut down Jaguars receiver Mike Thomas and Lewis would have likely been a major outlet for Luke McCown in the passing game.

Related: Our updated fantasy tight end rankings | Discuss the Jets-Jaguars game

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 09:15 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Like forecasting the weather, setting your fantasy lineup and/or ranking fantasy players is simply an exercise in probability.

Let's pretend that we can turn the clocks back seven days and that I asked you three specific start-sit questions. Who would you have started if you were faced with these options in Week 1: (1) Michael Vick or Chad Henne, (2) Adrian Peterson or Cadillac Williams and (3) Andre Johnson or Early Doucet?

There is nobody who would have picked Henne, Williams and Doucet.

Even though the numbers indicate the opposite, going with Vick, Peterson and Johnson in those situations was the right decision as they will outperform the other group nine times out of ten.

Of course, that still means that less talented players will outperform other players with superior talent and/or better situations on a weekly basis.

While Vick, Peterson and Johnson are must-start players every week, we discuss some players that are on the fringe (or at least outside of the top tier of fantasy options) on a weekly basis in our Start'em, Sit'em column. To be clear, however, a player on the Start'em side does not automatically mean that the player is a start in all situations (i.e., your league).

For example, if you have Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rodgers on your fantasy roster, you should start Rodgers over Redskins quarterback Rex Grossman, who appears on the Start'em side of our list.

In my fantasy quarterback rankings, Rodgers is ranked No. 1 and Grossman is ranked No. 12 for Week 2. In other words, Grossman is worthy of a starting spot for an owner in a 12-team league, but not if you have one of the quarterbacks that I ranked in the 11 spots ahead of him.

Players to Start in Week 2

QB - Rex Grossman, Redskins (vs. Cardinals): If you're looking for a model of consistency, you shouldn't look in the direction of Rex Grossman. In other words, I'm as surprised as you to think that I'm listing the guy who had to outperform John Beck to even win the starting job just a month ago. With that disclaimer out of the way, Grossman is coming off a 300-yard game, one of an NFL-record 14 last week, and facing a team that allowed an NFL-record 400-yard performance to a rookie in his first-ever regular-season game.

RB - Cedric Benson, Bengals (at Broncos): While we may not know the date of the next Cedric Benson arrest, we know that the Bengals will give Benson lots of carries -- and then a few more. Benson, coming off back-to-back 300-carry seasons, rushed 25 times for 121 yards and a score against the Browns last week. The Broncos, who allowed Darren McFadden to rush for a league-high 150 yards last week, allowed a league-high 26 rushing touchdowns in 2010.

RB - Shonn Greene, Jets (vs. Jaguars): With three-quarters of their plays last week being pass plays, are the Jets transitioning from their "ground and pound" strategy into a pass-first team? I doubt it. This offseason, offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer predicted a "breakout season" for Greene. Instead of playing from behind, the Jets, who are nine-point favorites, should control this game from beginning to end.

WR - Robert Meachem, Saints (vs. Bears): We know that Marques Colston will be out this week (and several more). While Lance Moore may be out (or, at least, not 100 percent) as well, we also know that Drew Brees will air it out. As the team's No. 3 receiver, Meachem should gain the most by the status of Colston and Moore although Devery Henderson is worth consideration in deeper leagues as well.

WR - Jordy Nelson, Packers (at Panthers): With the return of James Jones, who was unhappy with his targets in Week 1, Nelson seemed unlikely to build upon his breakout performance in the Super Bowl with the number of options in the Packers passing attack. While the actual production will vary on a weekly basis, I expect only Greg Jennings and Jermichael Finley to have a more productive fantasy season and for Nelson to be a solid WR3 each week.

WR - Percy Harvin, Vikings (vs. Buccaneers): It's hard to have a huge fantasy day when your quarterback throws for 39 yards. (Think about it this way: six quarterbacks had multiple 40-yard pass plays in Week 1.) But Harvin has the potential to make plays in a variety of ways, as demonstrated by his 103-yard kickoff return on the opening play of the game. Look for Harvin to get involved early and often against the Bucs.

TE - Brandon Pettigrew, Lions (vs. Chiefs): Two words for you: Scott Chandler. The Bills tight end had two scores against the Chiefs last week. While I'm not predicting a two-score performance for Pettigrew, he should be a big part of the Lions offense on Sunday.

Players to Sit in Week 2

QB - Matt Ryan, Falcons (vs. Eagles): This is close to a must-win game for the Falcons, who were beaten convincingly by the Bears in Week 1. For the Falcons, who I predict to cover at The Weekly Blitz, there is good and bad news about facing the Eagles defense. The Rams ran all over the Eagles and that could be a common theme this season. On the other hand, it's going to be difficult for quarterbacks and receivers to have big games against the Eagles trio of elite cornerbacks.

QB - Cam Newton, Panthers (vs. Packers): As a rookie quarterback, Newton will have ups and downs. Last week, it was all up (and higher than most could have reasonably expected). Newton set the Week 1 rookie record for passing yards (422) against a porous Cardinals secondary. This week, however, Newton faces the defending champions, who allowed the fifth-fewest passing yards (194.2 per game), fourth-fewest passing touchdowns (16) and had second-most interceptions (24) in 2010.

RB - Knowshon Moreno, Broncos (vs. Bengals): Moreno may or may not play this week with a hamstring injury. Moreno, who is listed as questionable, has not practiced this week. Even if he does play, Moreno should be on your bench. Last week, Moreno disappointed fantasy owners with a 22-yard rushing performance on eight carries (2.8 yards per carry).

RB - Ben Tate, Texans (at Dolphins): In his first-ever NFL regular-season game, Tate rushed for 116 yards, which means he ranks fourth in the NFL in rushing behind Darren McFadden, LeSean Mccoy and Benson. While it was great to see Tate, the team's second-round pick in 2010, take advantage of his opportunity with Arian Foster, last year's rushing champion, out of the game, Foster will return this week and could be in store for around 20 touches, according to John McClain of the Houston Chronicle.

WR - Julio Jones, Falcons (vs. Eagles): As a rookie receiver, there is a learning curve anyways. Going against an elite secondary doesn't help a rookie receiver's case. The good news for Falcons' fans is Jones is a great blocker and the Falcons should be able to run the ball at will on Philadelphia. (Of course, that does nothing for you from a fantasy perspective unless you also own Turner.)

WR - Chad Ochocinco, Patriots (vs. Chargers): While he likes to talk (and/or tweet) a lot, it's hard to not like (or, at least, be amused by) Ochocinco. While I think Ochocinco will have some solid games (unlike 14 receiving yards in a game where his quarterback throws for 500-plus yards), he's a relatively risky option until we see consistent production from him.

WR - Lee Evans, Ravens (at Titans): If you've read my stuff before, you may already know that I'm not a big fan of Evans. He's too inconsistent for me. Out of curiosity, I took his career game log and calculated the difference (absolute value) of his receiving yards from the previous week's game for his entire career. The average difference per week was just under 40 yards per game (39.83 to be exact). For his career, he averages only 53.9 receiving yards per game. While that could mean a bounce-back game after his zero-catch game last week, I'll pass (every week).

TE - Scott Chandler, Bills (vs. Raiders): Chandler scored (two times) on the Chiefs and is now owned in 25 percent of Yahoo! leagues (probably by 100 percent of people who did not know who he was seven days ago). In 13 games last year, Chandler had one reception for eight yards an no touchdowns. Let's see a couple of games of solid production before putting him in our starting lineup considering the number of solid options at tight end this year.

For positional rankings (which will be updated later today), click here. If you have specific start-sit questions, feel free to post them in our free fantasy football forum.

If interested, check out our free fantasy football contest for Week 2.

Good luck in your Week 2 matchup(s)!

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

Not only did San Diego running back Mike Tolbert score all three of his team's touchdowns in Week 1, he is tied with Miami's Reggie Bush for the league-lead in receptions (nine).

While teammate Ryan Mathews has improved as a receiver, Tolbert is the team's third-down back because of his pass-protection abilities.

Because of that, Tolbert led the duo in number of snaps in Week 1 and the trend is likely to continue, per Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune.

“I’m more happy with the protection things than I am with the touchdowns,” Tolbert said (via the Union-Tribune). “The touchdowns are great. I have fun doing that, obviously, because I dance. The protection, being able to pick up protections and see different things, being able to keep Philip (healthy), that’s what I take pride in.”

As Acee points out, pass protection is so important that Ollie Wilson, the team's running backs coach, typically starts their first practice of the week focusing on it.

This week, Tolbert is inside my top 20 fantasy running backs for the week while Mathews is outside of it at No. 28.

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

Kicking off the season with the Patriots, Bills and Titans in Week 1, I started the season with two covers and a push.

Every week at The Weekly Blitz, the other two "handicappers" and I each pick three NFL games against the spread (ATS) for entertainment purposes only. Of course, making correct picks is more "entertaining" than making incorrect picks.

In the 14 games that were not pushes in Week 1, the underdog covered in eight of those games and won six of them straight up. The biggest margin of victory (34 points) was Buffalo, who was a 5.5-point underdog, over Kansas City. This week, they are a three-point favorite over the Raiders, another underdog that won straight up.

While one of our other "handicappers" is picking the Bills to cover against the Raiders as one of his three winners, here are my three picks for Week 2:

Pittsburgh Steelers (-14.0) over Seattle Seahawks

Shocking. That is the only way I know how to describe the way the Ravens ran all over and beat down the Steelers in Week 1.

The Steelers, who lost by 28 points and scored as many points (seven) as they had turnovers, allowed 170 rushing yards, which was only the tenth time they allowed that many since 2000.

I can see the Steelers taking their frustration out on their next opponent, who also happens to be my 32nd-ranked (of 32) team(s) in my NFL power rankings. Tarvaris Jackson is arguably the league's worst starting starting quarterback and the team will be without their prized offseason addition, Sidney Rice, for a second straight game.

In addition, the Seahawks have struggled to cover as a road underdog recently. In their past 27 games in that role, they have covered only six of those games. On the other hand, the Steelers have covered in six of their past seven games against teams with a losing record.

Atlanta Falcons (+2.5) over Philadelphia Eagles

It may be somewhat of an exaggeration, but this is a must-win game for the Falcons. A loss to the Eagles, the favorite of many in the NFC, would drop the Falcons to 0-2. We all know the (limited amount of) success had by teams that start of 0-2, 0-3 or 0-4.

To make matters worse (or more pressure-packed), it's a homecoming of sorts for quarterback Michael Vick, who still has plenty of fans in Atlanta.

While the Falcons looked awful against the Bears, let's not overreact to last week's embarrassing loss. After all, this is the team that finished 13-3 and with the No. 1 seed in the NFC last year. While they are loaded with weapons in the passing game, the Eagles counter that with arguably the best group of cornerbacks in the NFL.

Where the Falcons have a huge advantage is on the ground. Not only did Michael "The Burner" Turner run for 100 yards on 10 carries last week, but the Eagles showed how vulnerable they are against the run. They allowed Steven Jackson to take it the house on a 47-yard touchdown run to start the game and Cadillac Williams, filling in for the injured Jackson, nearly reached the century mark as well.

Turner, who is fifth in my fantasy running back rankings this week, will have a big week, the Falcons will control the clock and the team averts the danger of an 0-2 start as they win this game outright.

From a bettor's standpoint, the Falcons are 16-5 ATS in their past 21 games after a loss.

Houston Texans (-3.0) over Miami Dolphins

All else being equal, I prefer home underdogs over road favorites normally. Not in this case, however.

Of course, most teams prefer to play at home. The Dolphins are not like most teams. Since last season, they have won only one of their nine home games. Over their past 64 games, they have covered only 17 of those contests.

The Dolphins defense is not nearly as bad as we saw last week. I'm not sure any defense is that bad. Regardless, the Texans have one of the league's most explosive offenses and they will still put up their share of points.

On the defensive side of the ball, however, I think they are much improved. Granted, last week they faced a Peyton Manning-less Colts team, but Wade Phillips is a great defensive coordinator (and bad head coach) and the Texans defense is much improved over last year from a personnel standpoint. We saw them apply pressure on Kerry Collins and force turnovers in Week 1.

The Texans' offense has never been the question. With an upgraded defense, they can make some noise this year.

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

More Week 2 content: Our fantasy football rankings - Our fantasy football contest

Keep track of our updates by: (1) following us on Twitter @EDSFootball or (2) "liking" us on Facebook.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 07:23 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Heading into the season, many NFL analysts expected defenses to be ahead of offenses due to the lack of (offseason) organized team activies (OTAs). Not only was the opposite true, the 32 NFL teams combined for a league-record 7,842 net passing yards in Week 1.

In fact, nearly half of the league's starting quarterbacks (14) threw for 300-plus yards, which was also a record. Four of them threw for 400-plus yards (you guessed it, another record) and we saw a 500-yard game.

Of the four 400-yard passers, two were elite fantasy quarterbacks (Tom Brady and Drew Brees) and two weren't (Cam Newton and Chad Henne).

In other words, it's easy to be way off on rankings and projections regardless of how much the logic makes sense before they play the games.

For example, Henne had seven more fantasy points (33) in Week 1 than Matt Ryan (eight), Matt Schaub (eight), Ben Roethlisberger (five) and Sam Bradford (five) combined.

Of course, it's important to not overreact to one week of data.

So, here we go with our fantasy quarterback rankings for Week 2:

1. Aaron Rodgers, Packers (at CAR): Rodgers, who was the NFC Offensive Player of the Week, started the season with near perfection. Rodgers completed nearly 80 percent of his passes (27 of 35) for 312 yards, three scores and no interceptions.

2. Michael Vick, Eagles (at ATL): While he threw for two touchdowns, Vick wasn't exactly efficient in Week 1 as he completed less than 45 percent of his pass attempts. That said, Vick rushed for 97 yards -- only eight running backs had more than Vick.

3. Tom Brady, Patriots (vs SD): Brady is coming off a 517-yard performance. Like Chad Ochocinco, we're in awe.

4. Philip Rivers, Chargers (at NE): My preseason bold prediction was that Rivers would break the NFL single-season passing (yardage) record held by Dan Marino. With 335 yards in Week 1, Rivers is on pace (5,360 yards) although five quarterbacks threw for more yards than he did.

5. Drew Brees, Saints (vs CHI): Last week, the Saints were without Lance Moore. This week, they will be without Marques Colston, who is out with a broken collarbone. While the Bears have a strong defense, so do the Packers and Brees threw for 419 yards on the Packers last week.

6. Matt Schaub, Texans (at MIA): Other than Brees, no quarterback has thrown for more yards in the past two seasons combined than Schaub. Now he gets a defense that allowed more than 500 passing yards last week.

7. Tony Romo, Cowboys (at SF): While his mistakes will cost his real team games, his stats could help his fake football teams win championships.

8. Matthew Stafford, Lions (vs KC): Stafford and Lions picked up in Week 1 where they left off in the preseason. Without safety Eric Berry, who was lost for the season, it will be even tougher for the Chiefs to stop Stafford and the Lions passing attack.

9. Ben Roethlisberger, Steelers (vs SEA): The Steelers and Roethlisberger would certainly like to forget their season-opening beatdown. While Roethlisberger and the Steelers play better individually and as a team, one drag on Roethlisberger's fantasy numbers could be heavy dose of carries to Rashard Mendenhall if the Steelers establish a large and early lead (as I expect).

10. Joe Flacco, Ravens (at TEN): Flacco was one of nine quarterbacks to finish with 20-plus fantasy points last week and he did so against the tough Steelers defense.

Here are the rest of our top 25 fantasy quarterbacks for Week 2:

11. Josh Freeman, Buccaneers (at MIN)
12. Rex Grossman, Redskins (vs ARI)
13. Ryan Fitzpatrick, Bills (vs OAK)
14. Eli Manning, Giants (vs STL)
15. Jay Cutler, Bears (at NO)
16. Kevin Kolb, Cardinals (at WAS)
17. Mark Sanchez, Jets (vs JAC)
18. Matt Ryan, Falcons (vs PHI)
19. Sam Bradford, Rams (at NYG)
20. Chad Henne, Dolphins (vs HOU)
21. Cam Newton, Panthers (vs GB)
22. Colt McCoy, Browns (at IND)
23. Kyle Orton, Broncos (vs CIN)
24. Matt Cassel, Chiefs (at DET)
25. Kerry Collins, Colts (vs CLE)

For more Week 2 rankings, click here to for rankings on other positions.

To keep track of all of our updates, "like" us on Facebook.

If you have specific lineup questions, need a second opinion on a trade proposal, etc., feel free to post your question in our free fantasy football forum. In addition, you'll find our free Week 2 fantasy football contest in our forums.

Good luck in your Week 2 matchup(s)!

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 06:30 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The Pittsburgh Steelers have had one of the stingiest run defenses in the NFL for some time. Over the past seven seasons, they have ranked first, second or third against the run every year.

Therefore, it was a surprise that the Ravens were able to run the ball so successfully against the Steelers in Week 1 despite having one of the league's top running backs. Last week, the Ravens rushed for 170 yards on 31 carries for an average of 5.48 yards per carry (YPC) and a touchdown.

Since 2000, it's only the tenth time (fourth time by the Ravens) that a team has rushed for 170 yards on the Steelers.

During that span, the 5.48 YPC was the second-highest (of 74) allowed by the Steelers in games where the opponents rushed the ball 25 times or more.

This week, we expect Seahawks running Marshawn Lynch to find it much more difficult, which means Lynch is outside of our top 40 fantasy running backs for Week 2.

Here are our fantasy running backs (using standard scoring) for Week 2:

1. Ray Rice, Ravens (at TEN): In three games against the Steelers last year, Rice rushed for 82 yards combined. Last week, he rushed for 107 yards, had 149 yards from scrimmage and scored two touchdowns against them. The opponents can only get easier.

2. Adrian Peterson, Vikings (vs TB): In 62 career games, Peterson has 52 rushing touchdowns. Since he didn't reach the endzone last week (or in the last game of 2010), Peterson is already overdue. He has gone straight three games without a rushing touchdown one time in his career (2008).

3. Darren McFadden, Raiders (at BUF): McFadden rushed for a league-high 150 yards last week. In three of his past four games, McFadden has reached the 100-yard milestone and should be in the 100-yard range this week as well.

4. LeSean McCoy, Eagles (at ATL): Only McFadden had more rushing yards and only Rice had more fantasy points (out of running backs) than McCoy.

5. Michael Turner, Falcons (vs PHI): Turner had only 10 carries in Week 1, but he averaged 10 yards per carry. While it's very unlikely he duplicates that per-carry success, the Bears have a much tougher run defense than the Eagles have.

6. Jamaal Charles, Chiefs (at DET): As the Chiefs fell behind early (20-0 in the second quarter), Charles had only 10 rushing attempts in Week 1. Like Turner, that should change in Week 2.

7. Rashard Mendenhall, Steelers (vs SEA): The Seahawks are ranked last in my NFL power rankings. I expect the Steelers to establish an early lead, maintain it and give Mendenhall lots of carries.

8. Peyton Hillis, Browns (at IND): In each of the past three seasons, the Colts have ranked in the bottom 10 in the NFL in rushing yards allowed. The trend continues as only three teams allowed more rushing yards in Week 1.

9. Matt Forte, Bears (at NO): Forte was the fourth-highest scoring running back in leagues with standard scoring in Week 1. One of the most versatile backs in the league, Forte should continue to get a lot of work week in and week out.

10. Chris Johnson, Titans (vs BAL): Johnson's nine rushing attempts last week was inexplicable. While he should get (many) more carries this week, Johnson has a (much) more difficult matchup against the Ravens.

11. Arian Foster, Texans (at MIA): Foster returned to practice Wednesday and the Texans have the enviable problem of having too much talent at running back as rookie Ben Tate rushed for 116 yards in his NFL debut last week.

12. Cedric Benson, Bengals (at DEN): Benson is a true workhorse back. He has 300-plus carries in back-to-back seasons, tied for a league-high 25 carries last week and plays for a team with a rookie quarterback. Benson is not flashy but solid and no team allowed more rushing touchdowns than the Broncos (26) last year.

13. Frank Gore, 49ers (vs DAL): Gore has two 200-yard games in his career and both were against the Seahawks so a 59-yard performance on 22 carries (2.68 yards per carry) on Sunday was especially disappointing.

14. Beanie Wells, Cardinals (at WAS): Only five running backs had more fantasy points (non-PPR leagues) than Wells in Week 1 as Wells rushed for 90 yards and a touchdown and had four receptions for 12 yards.

15. Fred Jackson, Bills (vs OAK): In their blowout over the Chiefs, Jackson had a healthy 20 carries for 112 yards, which is tied for the seventh-most in his career.

16. Jahvid Best, Lions (vs KC): Another back getting a healthy workload in Week 1 was Best. Best had 21 carries plus five targets (four receptions) for a total of 114 yards from scrimmage. This week, he faces the Chiefs, who allowed the second-most points (41) in the NFL in Week 1.

17. Ahmad Bradshaw, Giants (vs STL): In Week 1, the Giants only ran the ball 19 times (as a team). Bradshaw had a solid fantasy performance since he got into the endzone, but I would expect more work for Bradshaw against the Rams in Week 2.

18. Maurice Jones-Drew, Jaguars (at NYJ): Pocket Hercules rushed for nearly 100 yards in Week 1, but it will be tougher to run on the Jets than the Titans. I expect the Jets to put Darrelle Revis on Mike Thomas and scheme to shut down Jones-Drew.

19. Tim Hightower, Redskins (vs ARI): Nobody had more carries in Week 1 than Hightower, who finished with 97 yards from a scrimmage and a score. Hightower has a favorable matchup in Week 2 against the Panthers, who allowed the second-most rushing touchdowns (20) in 2010.

20. Mike Tolbert, Chargers (at NE): Only Ray Rice scored more fantasy points in Week 1 than Tolbert, who scored three touchdowns and finished with a league-high nine receptions (tied with Reggie Bush).

Here are the rest of our top 40 fantasy running backs for Week 2:

21. Reggie Bush, Dolphins (vs HOU)
22. Felix Jones, Cowboys (at SF)
23. Shonn Greene, Jets (vs JAC)
24. LeGarrette Blount, Buccaneers (at MIN)
25. DeAngelo Williams, Panthers (vs GB)
26. Cadillac Williams, Rams (at NYG)
27. James Starks, Packers (at CAR)
28. Ryan Mathews, Chargers (at NE)
29. BenJarvus Green-Ellis, Patriots (vs SD)
30. Brandon Jacobs, Giants (vs STL)
31. Joseph Addai, Colts (vs CLE)
32. Mark Ingram, Saints (vs CHI)
33. Knowshon Moreno, Broncos (vs CIN)
34. Pierre Thomas, Saints (vs CHI)
35. Willis McGahee, Broncos (vs CIN)
36. Ben Tate, Texans (at MIA)
37. LaDainian Tomlinson, Jets (vs JAC)
38. Danny Woodhead, Patriots (vs SD)
39. Ryan Grant, Packers (at CAR)
40. Darren Sproles, Saints (vs CHI)

For more Week 2 rankings, click here for our rankings on other positions.

To keep track of all of our updates, "like" us on Facebook.

If you have specific lineup questions, need a second opinion on a trade proposal, etc., feel free to post your question in our free fantasy football forum. In addition, you'll find our free Week 2 fantasy football contest in our forums.

Good luck in your Week 2 matchup(s)!

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 06:25 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

There were all kinds of passing records set this week: net passing yards (7,842), the number of 300-yard passing games (14), the number of 400-yard passing games (four), etc.

Believe it or not, not a single NFL player had double-digit receptions. In fact, no wide receiver had more than eight receptions.

It is two running backs -- Miami's Reggie Bush and San Diego's Mike Tolbert -- that are tied for the lead in the NFL in receptions (nine).

Here are our fantasy rankings for wide receivers in Week 2 (standard scoring, i.e., leagues that don't use point-per-reception scoring):

1. Calvin Johnson, Lions (vs KC): MegaTron did not practice on Thursday, but he expects to play on Sunday vs. the Chiefs, who are dealing with the loss of safety Eric Berry for the season.

2. Andre Johnson, Texans (at MIA): Johnson has to be happy to go up against a defense that just allowed 500-plus passing yards.

3. Greg Jennings, Packers (at CAR): While the Packers have so many weapons that could possibly take away targets from Jennings, the glass-half-full view is all of those options make it difficult for opposing defenses to focus exclusively on shutting him down.

4. Mike Wallace, Steelers (vs SEA): Wallace extended his 100-yard game streak to four games and has gone over the century mark in seven of his past ten regular-season games.

5. Larry Fitzgerald, Cardinals (at WAS): The good news with Fitzgerald is that he has a more reliable quarterback. The bad news is defenses will continue to double him. Kolb and Fitzgerald only converted on three of seven targets in Week 1, but that should improve going forward.

6. DeSean Jackson, Eagles (at ATL): Last year, Jackson suffered a concussion in the game against the Falcons. Before sustaining the injury, however, Jackson scored two touchdowns (one receiving and one rushing) in the first quarter.

7. Vincent Jackson, Chargers (at NE): Surprisingly, Jackson was only targeted three times and finished with two receptions for 31 yards last week. The Patriots allowed a ton of yards to the Dolphins and Brandon Marshall and Jackson should see more balls thrown his way in Week 2.

8. Miles Austin, Cowboys (at SF): He had five catches for 90 yards and a score against the talented Jets secondary. It should only be easier this week against the Niners.

9. Roddy White, Falcons (vs PHI): White is one of the top three or four receivers in the NFL, but this week he and the Falcons face the "Dream Team." With Nnamdi Asomugha, Asante Samuel and Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie in the Eagles secondary, however, I don't expect White or Julio Jones to have big weeks.

10. Hakeem Nicks, Giants (vs STL): Nicks, who faces the Rams on Monday night, is dealing with a knee injury. Although Nicks says he expects to play and is one of the league's best receivers, make sure you have a Plan B in case Nicks is a scratch on Monday if he's in your lineup.

11. Dez Bryant, Cowboys (at SF): Despite missing another practice on Thursday with a thigh contusion, Bryant expects to play on Sunday. At the beginning of the Jets' game, Bryant showed how difficult he is to defend when he's healthy.

12. Reggie Wayne, Colts (vs CLE): No Peyton Manning, no problem for Reggie Wayne's fantasy production. Of course, the Colts (and Wayne) would be much better off with Manning, but Wayne is still capable of games with seven receptions, 106 yards and a score like last week with Kerry Collins under center.

13. Brandon Marshall, Dolphins (vs HOU): Marshall was targeted a league-high 13 times in Week 1 and finished with seven receptions for 139 yards.

14. Wes Welker, Patriots (vs SD): My preseason prediction was for Welker to lead the NFL in receptions. In Week 1, he tied three other receivers for a league-high (at his position) eight catches for 160 yards and two touchdowns.

15. Kenny Britt, Titans (vs BAL): Britt had the third-most fantasy points among all receivers in Week 1 and Ravens cornerback Jimmy Smith will be out with a high-ankle sprain. While the Titans should give Chris Johnson many more carries this week, the Ravens are tough against the run, which should mean plenty of targets for Britt.

16. Santonio Holmes, Jets (vs JAC): Last week, the Jaguars gave up 136 yards and two touchdowns to Britt. Holmes, who was limited at practice on Thursday, says he'll play on Sunday.

17. Mike Williams, Buccaneers (at MIN): Williams and Josh Freeman connected on only four of their ten attempts in Week 1, but Williams scored another touchdown. He now has 12 scores in 17 career games and has scored in four consecutive games.

18. Anquan Boldin, Ravens (at TEN): Boldin, who finished with 74 yards and a score, benefits from having Lee Evans -- and not Derrick Mason -- in the Ravens' receiving corps as he and Evans are different type of receivers.

19. Mario Manningham, Giants (vs STL): Especially if Nicks can't go, Manningham could be in for a big game against the Rams on Monday night.

20. Santana Moss, Redskins (vs ARI): Moss has 70-plus yards in five consecutive games. While you shouldn't expect a spectacular game from Moss, he's consistently productive and he has a great matchup in Week 2. The Cardinals allowed Steve Smith to finish with the most fantasy points among wide receivers in Week 1.

Here are the rest of our top 50 fantasy wide receivers for Week 2:

21. Dwayne Bowe, Chiefs (at DET)
22. Steve Johnson, Bills (vs OAK)
23. Steve Smith, Panthers (vs GB)
24. Jeremy Maclin, Eagles (at ATL)
25. Brandon Lloyd, Broncos (vs CIN)
26. Plaxico Burress, Jets (vs JAC)
27. Percy Harvin, Vikings (vs TB)
28. Jordy Nelson, Packers (at CAR)
29. Nate Burleson, Lions (vs KC)
30. Robert Meachem, Saints (vs CHI)
31. Malcom Floyd, Chargers (at NE)
32. Johnny Knox, Bears (at NO)
33. A.J. Green, Bengals (at DEN)
34. Deion Branch, Patriots (vs SD)
35. Hines Ward, Steelers (vs SEA)
36. Jacoby Ford, Raiders (at BUF)
37. Davone Bess, Dolphins (vs HOU)
38. Austin Collie, Colts (vs CLE)
39. Braylon Edwards, 49ers (vs DAL)
40. Julio Jones, Falcons (vs PHI)
41. Mike Sims-Walker, Rams (at NYG)
42. Brandon Gibson, Rams (at NYG)
43. Devery Henderson, Saints (vs CHI)
44. Pierre Garcon, Colts (vs CLE)
45. Jabar Gaffney, Redskins (vs ARI)
46. Emmanuel Sanders, Steelers (vs SEA)
47. Mike Williams, Seahawks (at PIT)
48. Antonio Brown, Steelers (vs SEA)
49. Mohamed Massaquoi, Chiefs (at IND)
50. Chad Ochocinco, Patriots (vs SD)

For more Week 2 rankings, click here to view our rankings on other positions.

To keep track of all of our updates, "like" us on Facebook.

If you have specific lineup questions, need a second opinion on a trade proposal, etc., feel free to post your question in our free fantasy football forum. In addition, you'll find our free Week 2 fantasy football contest in our forums.

Good luck in your Week 2 matchup(s)!

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 06:14 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Running back Ben Tate reached the 100-yard milestone in his first-ever regular-season game last week against the Colts although the Texans would probably prefer that Tate starts their Week 2 matchup on the bench.

After all, Tate, the team's second-round pick last year, picked up the slack for last year's rushing champion, who missed the game due to a hamstring injury.

Running back Arian Foster returned to practice on Wednesday.

“He took a normal Wednesday load for a starter,” head coach Gary Kubiak said, per Nick Scurfield of HoustonTexans.com. “I guess the key probably is how does he come out of practice tomorrow, does he feel good. But everything was positive today at practice, so we’ll see."

The Texans take their talents to South Beach this week to face the Dolphins, who allowed 517 passing yards to Tom Brady on Monday Night.

However, the Dolphins allowed the seventh-fewest rushing yards (100.1 per game) and touchdowns (eight) last year.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 04:41 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Based on a report from Ralph Vacchiano of the NY Daily News, there was plenty of concern about the status of Giants receiver Hakeem Nicks in Week 2.

However, Nicks says that he expects to play Monday against the Rams.

"I feel way better than I did (Tuesday)," Nicks said, per Mike Garafolo of the Newark Star-Ledger, "so if it keeps going up, I don’t see myself missing any time."

In addition, Garafolo reports that Nicks, who did not practice today, expects to be able to practice by the end of the week. Nicks did some jogging on the side at practice today.

While Nicks is one of the league's top receivers, monitor his status closely if he's on your roster. If you plan on starting Nicks, be sure to have a Plan B in case he does not play since it's the last game of the week.

Rams receiver Brandon Gibson, who was on our list of potential waiver-wire pickups, is available in 94 percent of Yahoo! leagues and led the team in receiving yards (50) in Week 1.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 03:45 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

With one week's worth of NFL games in the books, it is time for me to rank all 32 teams based on how they played and how I expect them to play for the remainder of the season.

But, of course, it's important not to overreact to one game.

Otherwise, we end up predicting things like: (1) Chad Henne passing for 6,656 yards (416 yards times 16 games) this year, (2) the NFC South collectively finishing 0-64 this season or (3) Bills tight end Scott Chandler scoring 32 touchdowns.

You get the point.

Here are our NFL power rankings:

1. Green Bay Packers (1-0): The Packers offense picked up where it left off, firing on all cylinders. The defense, however, could use a tuneup.

2. Baltimore Ravens (1-0): In the league's most intense rivalry, the Ravens beat down the Steelers by 28 points and caused as many turnovers as they allowed points (seven).

3. New England Patriots (1-0): Tom Brady threw for over 500 yards in Week 1, but I'm guessing Bill Belichick will focus on the 416 passing yards they allowed to Chad Henne.

4. Philadelphia Eagles (1-0): The "Dream Team" was impressive in Week 1 and they can put up points in a hurry. Can Michael Vick stay healthy and will they be able to stop the run?

5. San Diego Chargers (1-0): Their special teams unit continues to be a worry as the Chargers allowed a 103-yard kickoff return on the opening drive of the season. Plus they have lost kicker Nate Kaeding for the season.

6. New York Jets (1-0): Perhaps the Cowboys "lost" more than the Jets "won" their matchup. Either way, the Jets managed to maintain their composure and pull off the victory.

7. New Orleans Saints (0-1): The Saints offense is potent but missing receiver(s) Marques Colston (and possibly Lance Moore) against the tough Bears defense heading into Week 2.

8. Chicago Bears (1-0): The Bears manhandled the Falcons, last year's No. 1 seed, with no problem. A step back in 2011? Says who?

9. Houston Texans (1-0): Without Arian Foster, the Texans looked great (for the majority of the game) against the Peyton-less Colts in Week 1.

10. Atlanta Falcons (0-1): After a surprising beatdown by the Bears, the Falcons have a matchup just as tough, even tougher, in Week 2 in Michael Vick's Atlanta homecoming in prime time.

11. Pittsburgh Steelers (0-1): They aren't nearly as bad as they looked against the Ravens in Week 1, especially in the second half. Right?

12. Detroit Lions (1-0): The Lions bring a five-game winning streak with them into their home opener against the Chiefs, who lost to the Bills by 34 points.

13. Buffalo Bills (1-0): Although I picked the Bills to cover, who thought they would hand out Week 1's most lopsided loss?

14. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (0-1): I'm surprised they Bucs did not get LeGarrette Blount and Mike Williams more involved in the offense in Week 1. So was Blount.

15. Washington Redskins (1-0): Just as good as their win Sunday, the team turned down a day off Monday to study film and work out.

16. Oakland Raiders (1-0): The Raiders extended their winning streak against the AFC West to eight games. Not only did Darren McFadden rush for a league-high 150 yards in Week 1, he had three runs of 20-plus yards.

17. Jacksonville Jaguars (1-0): Luke McCown, called "Ball Out" by his teammates, played well enough to open up the season with a win.

18. Arizona Cardinals (1-0): The Cardinals allowed 422 passing yards to a rookie in his first-ever regular-season game. What's good about that? They still managed to pull off a victory in Week 1.

19. Dallas Cowboys (0-1): Too often, like on Sunday night, the Cowboys, especially quarterback Tony Romo, shoot themselves in the foot with costly mistakes.

20. New York Giants (0-1): The Giants have been decimated by injuries, and with the better-than-expected showing by the Redskins, might even finish at the bottom of the NFC East.

21. St. Louis Rams (0-1): Not only did the Rams lose to the "Dream Team," they suffered multiple injuries: Sam Bradford, Steven Jackson, Danny Amendola, Jason Smith, etc.

22. Indianapolis Colts (0-1): There is a reason Peyton Manning has won four NFL MVP awards and it was never more apparent than it was after their blowout loss to Houston in Week 1 that he probably deserved more.

23. Miami Dolphins (0-1): Who are these Dolphins? Chad Henne is throwing for 400-plus yards and their running backs rushed for less than 40 yards.

24. Tennessee Titans (0-1): I'm surprised at the limited number of carries (nine) by Chris Johnson. While he should get more work in Week 2, they face the Ravens, who are always tough against the run.

25. San Francisco 49ers (1-0): Trailing by two points with four minutes to go against Seattle, Ted Ginn returned a kickoff and a punt for touchdowns within one minute of each other to seal a victory in Jim Harbaugh's NFL coaching debut.

26. Kansas City Chiefs (0-1):Not only did the Chiefs suffer a loss by the widest margin in Week 1, they lost second-year safety Eric Berry for the season.

27. Cincinnati Bengals (1-0): The Bengals won the Battle of Ohio, but I'm not sure how many other battles they're going to win.

28. Minnesota Vikings (0-1): Pathetic. Is there any other way to describe Donovan McNabb's 39-yard passing performance?

29. Cleveland Browns (0-1): What little bit of optimism I had for the Browns heading into 2011 was wiped out by their loss at home to the Bengals.

30. Denver Broncos (0-1): The fans in Denver are already calling for Tim Tebow although the fans won't get what they want until things become hopeless in Denver.

31. Carolina Panthers (0-1): Despite losing to the Cardinals, Cam Newton gave Panthers fans 422 reasons to feel optimistic about the future.

32. Seattle Seahawks (0-1): Tarvaris Jackson is bad. But you can look at it this way: TJax threw for more than five times more yards than Donovan McNabb. How's that for glass half full?

If you are looking for some ideas on free-agent pickups in fantasy football, check out our waiver wire post from this morning. In addition, we will release our fantasy rankings for Week 2 at The Tip Drill by Wednesday.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 09:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

It's often said that the NFL has turned into a passing or quarterback-driven league. If our evidence is Week 1 production, it is an open-and-shut case.

Not only did Patriots quarterback Tom Brady set a franchise record with 517 passing yards against the Dolphins on Monday Night Football, but Chad Henne threw for 416 yards. The two quarterbacks combined for an NFL record 933 yards.

In total, 14 quarterbacks threw for 300-plus yards in Week 1. And four of those quarterbacks threw for at least 400 yards.

Aside from Brady, Saints quarterback Drew Brees (419 yards) was not a big surprise. If you were told before Week 1 that four quarterbacks would throw for 400-plus yards in Week 1, how many of you would have guessed Chad Henne and rookie Cam Newton?

That's a rhetorical question because we all know the answer is none of you.

Here are some waiver wire options that may be available in your leagues (percentage owned in Yahoo! leagues in parenthesis):

QB: Cam Newton, Panthers (owned in 34 percent of leagues): Aside from actually winning the game, there is little more that Newton could have done in Week 1. Newton threw for 422 yards and two touchdowns while running for another. There will be up-and-down weeks, typical of any rookie signal-caller, and we have probably already seen his most productive fantasy week this year, but he will be a solid QB2 and bye-week replacement going forward.

RB: Ben Tate, Texans (45 percent): While his NFL debut was not nearly as impressive as Newton's, it was impressive nonetheless. With Arian Foster sidelined due to a hamstring injury, Tate rushed for 116 yards against the Colts in Week 1. While it appears as though Arian Foster will return to practice on Wednesday and play this weekend, Tate showed us what the potential could be if Foster reinjures his hamstring.

RB: Cadillac Williams, Rams (17 percent): With Steven Jackson getting injured early in Week 1, Williams finished with 140 yards from scrimmage: 91 rushing yards and 49 receiving yards. According to the Rams, Jackson is "likely out" for their Week 2 matchup on Monday Night Football.

RB: Keiland Williams, Lions (one percent): Since he was signed recently, Williams was inactive for the Bucs game on Sunday. That said, expectations are that Williams will assume a role similar to that planned for second-round rookie Mikel LeShoure, who suffered a season-ending injury. As a change of pace to Jahvid Best, Williams should get a fair share of early-down carries in addition to the goal-line and short-yardage work at some point soon.

WR: Jacoby Jones, Texans (20 percent): Initially, it was feared that Kevin Walter suffered a broken shoulder but it turned out to be a bruise only and Walter might even play this week versus the Dolphins. Jones, who had a 79-yard punt return touchdown, finished with three receptions for 43 yards. If Walter is out of the lineup, Jones would move into the No. 2 spot behind Andre Johnson and Jones should expect to receive increased targets. If Walter is back, Jones still has loads of potential to break out at some point in 2011.

WR: Brandon Gibson, Rams (four percent): With Danny Amendola suffering a dislocated elbow in Week 1, Gibson had three receptions on five targets for a team-high 50 yards against the elite Eagles secondary. With Amendola and Mark Clayton, who is on the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list, out, Gibson and Mike Sims-Walker should receive plenty of targets going forward.

WR: Early Doucet, Cardinals (five percent): Doucet finished with three receptions for 105 yards and a touchdown in Week 1. While you shouldn't expect that kind of production on a weekly basis, Doucet and Andre Roberts should always find themselves getting single coverage with All-World receiver Larry Fitzgerald on the field.

WR: Devery Henderson, Saints (28 percent): Marques Colston will be out for a month with a broken collarbone and Lance Moore missed last week's game with a groin injury. If Moore misses Week 2, the Saints top two receivers would be Robert Meachem and Henderson, who finished with six catches for 100 yards in Week 1.

WR: David Nelson, Bills (less than one percent): Nelson finished with four receptions and 66 yards in Week 1 against the Chiefs. (He and Stevie Johnson each received a team-high six targets.) Nelson, who is 6-foot-5, finished 2010 with a score in his final three games.

TE: Lance Kendricks, Rams (34 percent): Both Ed Dickson and Fred Davis had nice weeks and Kendricks struggled included dropped passes that he should have caught. That said, Sam Bradford targeted Kendricks quite a bit in the preseason. Without Amendola in the lineup, Kendricks should expect to see more targets (and convert on them). If Kendricks is owned, Dickson and Davis both have plenty of upside if you need help at tight end.

These are merely a few of the players who might be available on your league's waiver wire and worthy of consideration as an addition to fantasy roster. If you have a question (trade proposal, waiver wire or lineup decision, etc.), feel free to post it in our free fantasy football forum.

In addition, you will also find our free Week 2 fantasy football contest in our forums.

Tomorrow, we will release our initial Week 2 fantasy football rankings, which you can find at TheTipDrill.com (our fantasy section).

In addition, you can keep track of our content updates by: (1) following us on Twitter @EDSFootball and/or (2) "liking" us on Facebook.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 06:56 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Before tonight, Patriots quarterback Tom Brady threw only one 400-yard game in his career, which was third all-time in franchise history behind Drew Bledsoe (four times) and Matt Cassel (twice).

Not only did Brady throw his second 400-yard game tonight, he threw his first 500-yard game.

Brady completed 32-of-48 passes for a franchise-record 517 yards, four touchdowns (the last one was a 99-yard pass to Wes Welker) and one interception.

Meanwhile, Dolphins quarterback Chad Henne threw for a career-high 416 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. Henne also rushed for 59 yards and a score.

The two quarterbacks combined for an NFL record 933 yards.

With one game to go, Week 1 has one 500-yard passer, three 400-yard passers and nine 300-yard passers. In other words, almost half of the starting quarterbacks threw for 300-plus yards in Week 1.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 10:52 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Looking at the boxscore, I wondered if Tampa Bay running back LeGarrette Blount had suffered an injury that I didn't notice while watching the game (read: lots of games via NFL Redzone).

After all, Blount finished the game with only 15 yards on five carries, which was one less carry than what was given to teammate Earnest Graham.

Despite his pedestrian 3.0 yards per carry, Blount feels like he should have received more work although he did say he has "to respect the coach’s call."

"I feel like...I’m a play-maker on this team also, so I feel like I should be on the football field more,'' Blount said, per Rick Stroud of the St. Petersburg Times.

"We got away from our game plan. We got away from getting me the football, we got away from giving Mike (Williams) opportunity balls. It was just things like that...I don't know if we panicked, but we kind of got away from that really early.''

I agree fully with Blount.

Last year, Blount became only the second undrafted rookie to rush for 1,000 yards.

Next week, the Bucs head to Minnesota to face the Vikings. It's likely that Blount gets (many) more carries in Week 2.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 08:04 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Before leaving yesterday's game against the Eagles, Rams running back Steven Jackson was off to a good start as he rushed for a 47-yard touchdown on his first carry of the game.

After one more rush attempt, Jackson left for the game due to a quadricep injury.

Per the Rams (via their Twitter account), Jackson is "likely out this week but will be watched on a day to day basis."

In relief, Cadillac Williams racked up 140 yards from scrimmage: 91 rushing yards on 19 carries and 49 receiving yards on six receptions.

Williams, who is owned in only 16 percent of Yahoo! leagues, is worth picking up, especially if you own Jackson.

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

Going into tonight's Monday Night Football matchups, the Chiefs currently hold the dubious honor of being on the wrong end of the most lopsided loss (34 points) through the first 14 games of Week 1.

The news gets worse.

Per NFL.com's Jason La Canfora, the Chiefs lost safety Eric Berry to a torn ACL. Berry was injured on a block thrown by Bills wide receiver Stevie Johnson.

Berry, the fifth overall pick in the 2010 NFL Draft, started all 16 games as a rookie and earned a Pro Bowl trip last year. In NFL Network's list of Top 100 Players for 2011, the players voted Berry as the 93rd player.

In addition to Berry, the Chiefs lost second-year tight end Tony Moeaki for the season after he tore his ACL in the team's final preseason game.

Next week, the Chiefs head to Detroit to face the Lions, who are on a five-game winning streak counting the final four regular-season games in 2010.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 06:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Going into last season, Chargers coach Norv Turner indicated that running back Ryan Mathews would get a lot of work. Going into this season, Turner talked up the Chargers' "one-two punch" of Mathews and Mike Tolbert.

While Turner gave Mathews and Tolbert a dozen carries each, it was Tolbert that had a much more productive day from a fantasy perspective.

Tolbert, who also had nine receptions, had 93 yards from scrimmage (35 rushing and 58 receiving) and all three of San Diego's touchdowns.

There was some concern about Tolbert's knee, but it appears to be nothing serious.

Shrugging off the knee injury, Tolbert said (via Chris Jenkins of the San Diego Union-Tribune), “Just a part of football. Put a little dirt on it and go on.”

Of course, many players brush off injuries. But it sounds like he'll be on the field when the Chargers head east next week to face the Patriots.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 10:41 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

If you beat a record previously held by Colts quarterback Peyton Manning, it's fair to say you had a good day.

In his NFL debut, Panthers quarterback Cam Newton could not have done more (except win the game).

Newton, the top overall pick in 2011, threw for 422 yards on 24-of-37 passing for two touchdowns while running for another score. Manning held the previous record for most yards (302 yards in 1998) in Week 1 as a rookie.

In today's game, Newton targeted Steve Smith 11 times and Smith finished with eight receptions for 178 yards and two touchdowns.

Only twice in his career has Smith finished with more yards in a regular-season game: 201 (Week 7 of 2005) and 189 (Week 6 of 2006).

The Panthers face a tougher defense in Week 2, however, the Packers allowed Drew Brees to throw 419 yards on them in Week 1.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 08:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The Dallas Cowboys and tight end Jason Witten have agreed to a five-year extension worth $37 million ($19 million of which is guaranteed), per Clarence Hill of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.

Witten, who is a five-time All-Pro tight end, has finished with 94 receptions and 1,000-plus yards in back-to-back seasons.

Facing one of the league's top cornerback tandems in Darrelle Revis and Antonio Cromartie tonight, Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo could look for Witten even more than usual.

Only five tight ends in the history of the NFL have more receiving yards than Witten, who has 617 receptions and 6,967 yards.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 07:29 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Last year, Texans running back Arian Foster opened the season against the Colts with a 231-yard performance on his way to the NFL rushing title.

Per ESPN's Adam Schefter, Foster is "unlikely to play" today due to his hamstring injury.

Foster suffered a hamstring injury early in training camp and then reinjured it during a preseason game. Of course, his hamstring got as much press as any hamstring could expect to get as he tweeted an image of the MRI on it for the world to see.

With Foster likely out, that means the team will use Derrick Ward, who was a 1,000-yard rusher in his last season with the Giants (2008), and Ben Tate, the team's second-round pick in 2010.

[Update: Foster has been officially declared as out. Ward will get the start.]

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 11:29 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

On the same day that safety Troy Polamalu signs an extension with the Steelers at the airport, the Vikings announce that they and running back Adrian Peterson have agreed to a contract extension.

According to ESPN, it's a seven-year deal worth $100 million with $36 million guaranteed. Per Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, Peterson's deal will pay him $40 million in the first three years, which is $9 million more than what Tennessee's Chris Johnson will get in the first three years of his new deal.

Peterson, who won the AP Offensive Rookie of the Year award in 2007, is a three-time All-Pro (out of four seasons).

Since 2007, Peterson has rushed for 5,782 yards (more than 1,000 yards ahead of Thomas Jones, who is second during that span with 4,729 yards). In addition, Peterson has 52 rushing touchdowns in his four-year career. Only three other backs have 40-plus during that span: LaDainian Tomlinson (44), Maurice Jones-Drew (41) and Michael Turner (40).

“Adrian’s performances on the field have given fans so much excitement since he first joined us as a rookie," owner Zygi Wilf said. "His talent and determination are remarkable and we are proud to have him be a part of the family for years to come. We are excited that in the past week we have been able to lock up Chad Greenway and Adrian for the long term. Both players have come up in our system and are the foundation to the future of the Vikings.”

The last time Peterson faced the Chargers, he set the NFL single-game rushing record with 296 yards. Peterson thinks that he'll someday break his own record and rush for 300 yards.

For now, Peterson, the No. 1 fantasy running back in our rankings, will have to settle for a record-setting contract for a running back.

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

Last year, Steelers safety Troy Polamalu won the AP NFL Defensive Player of the Year award.

Even if you felt another player, such as Green Bay's Clay Matthews, deserved it more, there's no denying Polamalu's importance and value to what the Steelers try to do on defense.

In NFL Network's top 100 players for 2011, Polamalu finished sixth (one spot behind Baltimore safety Ed Reed).

The good news for Steelers fans is Polamalu signed a three-year extension that will keep him in Pittsburgh through 2014, per ESPN's Adam Schefter.

In fact, Polamalu signed the contract at the airport as the team waited to head to Baltimore to open the season.

(Discuss the Steelers-Ravens game in our Gameday forum.)

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 03:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

In the season opener between Packers and Saints, five receivers finished with nine (or more) fantasy points.

However, it wasn't all good news for the receivers as Saints receiver Marques Colston broke his collarbone and will miss the next four or so weeks.

While Colston is out, it will create a greater opportunity for Robert Meachem and Devery Henderson, who combined for 11 receptions, 170 yards and two touchdowns, especially if Lance Moore misses more time with his groin injury.

Here are our updated fantasy wide receiver rankings for players who will still play in Week 1 (opponents in parenthesis):

1. Andre Johnson, Texans (vs IND): In NFL history, three players have had multiple seasons of 100-plus receptions and 1,500-plus receiving yards: Jerry Rice, Marvin Harrison and Johnson.

2. Calvin Johnson, Lions (at TB): MegaTron is the most physically gifted receiver in the league. In addition, Matthew Stafford is (still) healthy.

3. Roddy White, Falcons (at CHI): By drafting Julio Jones, White will get a few less targets but also get slightly less attention from opposing defenses. But there's no need to get cute here: White is one of the league's top three or four receivers.

4. Larry Fitzgerald, Cardinals (vs CAR): Considering the quarterback mess in Arizona last year, Fitzgerald still had a solid season. In other words, he's a must-start every week regardless of matchup. Speaking of which, the Panthers allowed the fourth-fewest fantasy points to opposing wide receivers in 2010.

5. Vincent Jackson, Chargers (vs MIN): What's not to like about Jackson? He's got size, speed and one of the league's best quarterbacks getting him the ball. Like many others, I expect a huge season from Jackson.

6. Hakeem Nicks, Giants (at WAS): Nicks missed three games last season. Coincidentally two of the three were against the Redskins. Despite missing those three games, Nicks still finished with 79 receptions for 1,052 yards and 11 touchdowns last year.

7. Mike Wallace, Steelers (at BAL): Six of one, a half-dozen of the other? In his final nine games of the season, Wallace finished with six 100-yard games and six touchdowns.

[Related: Wallace is one of the three receivers featured in our free Week 1 fantasy football contest.]

8. Mike Williams, Buccaneers (vs DET): Williams scored a total of 11 touchdowns in 10 different games over his rookie season including against the Lions in Week 15. In that game, Williams finished with six receptions, 96 yards and a score.

9. DeSean Jackson, Eagles (at STL): Despite his size, Jackson is one of the league's most dangerous big-play receivers. However, only three teams allowed fewer 40-yard pass plays than the Rams last year.

10. Brandon Marshall, Dolphins (vs NE): I expect Marshall to have a bounce-back season after setting four-year lows in receptions (86), yards (1,014) and touchdowns (three). But a huge part of Marshall's success will depend on the chemistry between he and quarterback Chad Henne, who described their relationship last year as a "mis-relationship."

11. Dwayne Bowe, Chiefs (vs BUF): Which Dwayne Bowe will we get in Week 1? Last year, he was unstoppable for a seven-game stretch and barely mediocre in the other nine games. (Take our poll on Bowe's production in 2011.)

12. Santonio Holmes, Jets (vs DAL): Terence Newman has been ruled out and Mike Jenkins is questionable for Week 1, which bodes well for Holmes, Mark Sanchez and the entire Jets passing attack.

13. Wes Welker, Patriots (at MIA): Welker is in store for a huge season if you believe my "bold prediction" for Welker. And it starts Week 1 when he faces his former team.

14. Mario Manningham, Giants (at WAS): Manningham brings a three-game streak of 100-yard games with a score into 2011. In his last game, which was against the Redskins, Manningham finished with four receptions for 101 yards and a touchdown.

15. Reggie Wayne, Colts (at HOU): Wayne's ranking has a lot to do with the guy getting him the ball. But if it makes you feel any better, Kerry Collins threw for 300 yards in his last game.

16. Dez Bryant, Cowboys (at NYJ): Teammate Miles Austin has returned to practice, but I wouldn't be surprised if shutdown cornerback Darrelle Revis matches up with Bryant, who is a more physical receiver.

17. Brandon Lloyd, Broncos (vs OAK): Without Nnamdi Asomugha to go against him, Lloyd could be poised for a big week. I'm skeptical of guys that break out in year eight, however, so I worry that Lloyd takes a big step back in 2011.

18. Kenny Britt, Titans (at JAX): Coming off a hamstring injury, Britt opens up against one of the league's worst secondaries. Only the Texans allowed more pass plays of 40-plus yards than the Jaguars in 2010.

19. Steve Johnson, Bills (at KC): Last season, Johnson finished with less than 40 (but still more than 30) receiving yards only five times. One of those times was his matchup against the Chiefs when he finished with five receptions for 37 yards. However, he also finished with a touchdown.

20. Miles Austin, Cowboys (at NYJ): Returning to practice after a pulled hamstring, Austin may not be at 100 percent by Sunday night. Just as bad, he may be stuck on Revis Island.

The rest of our top 50 receivers for Week 1:

21. Santana Moss, Redskins (vs NYG)
22. Anquan Boldin, Ravens (vs PIT)
23. Jeremy Maclin, Eagles (at STL)
24. Percy Harvin, Vikings (at SD)
25. Plaxico Burress, Jets (vs DAL)
26. Chad Ochocinco, Patriots (at MIA)
27. Danny Amendola, Rams (vs PHI)
28. Austin Collie, Colts (at HOU)
29. Julio Jones, Falcons (at CHI)
30. Malcom Floyd, Chargers (vs MIN)
31. Mike Thomas, Jaguars (vs TEN)
32. Steve Smith, Panthers (at ARI)
33. A.J. Green, Bengals (at CLE)
34. Pierre Garcon, Colts (at HOU)
35. Sidney Rice, Seahawks (at SF)
36. Nate Burleson, Lions (at TB)
37. Davone Bess, Dolphins (vs NE)
38. Jacoby Ford, Raiders (at DEN)
39. Braylon Edwards, 49ers (vs SEA)
40. Johnny Knox, Bears (vs ATL)
41. Hines Ward, Steelers (at BAL)
42. Earl Bennett, Bears (vs ATL)
43. Michael Crabtree, 49ers (vs SEA)
44. Andre Roberts, Cardinals (vs CAR)
45. Antonio Brown, Steelers (at BAL)
46. Mike Sims-Walker, Rams (vs PHI)
47. Mike Williams, Seahawks (at SF)
48. Jerome Simpson, Bengals (at CLE)
49. Greg Little, Browns (vs CIN)
50. Lee Evans, Ravens (vs PIT)

More Week 1 rankings: Quarterbacks - Running Backs - Tight Ends - Kickers - Team Defenses

If you have a question (trade proposal, lineup decision, etc.), feel free to post it in our free fantasy football forum.

In addition, you can keep track of our content updates by: (1) following us on Twitter @EDSFootball and/or (2) "liking" us on Facebook.

If you're looking for some last-minute fantasy advice, tune in to our Week 1 fantasy football podcast on Sunday, September 11th at 10:00 a.m. ET on Blog Talk Radio.

Good luck in your Week 1 matchup(s)!

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 12:37 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

In the opening night game between the Packers and Saints, there were a bunch of (precisely four) running backs that were in my initial top 40 but outside of my top 25: Green Bay's Ryan Grant and James Starks and New Orleans' Mark Ingram and Pierre Thomas.

With the intent of giving Grant and Starks equal work, Starks clearly showed that he is the better runner of the two. Of course, pass protection is important for running backs to stay on the field and Grant was better in that regard.

Either way, coach Mike McCarthy said that Starks, who had 12 carries to Grant's nine, "did well, probably didn't have the attempts that he deserved," via Lori Nickel of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel.

In Week 2, Starks, who finished with 57 yards and a touchdown, will definitely be ranked several spots ahead of Grant in our rankings.

Here are our initial fantasy running backs for Week 1 (opponents in parenthesis):

1. Adrian Peterson, Vikings (at SD): The last time these two teams met in 2007, Peterson rushed for an NFL-record 296 yards and three touchdowns on 30 carries. While I don't expect a repeat performance, the team's offensive coordinator has said the Vikings' plan this season is to "major in giving the ball to Adrian."

2. Jamaal Charles, Chiefs (vs BUF): Charles finished second in the league in rushing last year. The Bills allowed the most rushing yards in the league last year. It's a match made in (fantasy) heaven.

3. Darren McFadden, Raiders (at DEN): Only Arian Foster averaged more yards from scrimmage per game than McFadden last year. No team allowed more rushing touchdowns (26) than the Broncos last year.

4. LeSean McCoy, Eagles (at STL): Even better in leagues with point-per-reception (PPR) scoring, McCoy averaged more than 100 yards from scrimmage per game despite getting more than 16 rushing attempts only twice last year.

[Related: McCoy is one of the three running backs featured in our free Week 1 fantasy football contest.]

5.Chris Johnson, Titans (at JAX): Last year, Darrelle Revis suffered a hamstring injury after his holdout. Let's hope Johnson does not suffer the same fate. With a full doze of carries, Johnson should be in store for a big week.

6. Frank Gore, 49ers (vs SEA): In the ten games before he fractured his hip, Gore piled up 1,253 yards from scrimmage during that span.

7. Matt Forte, Bears (vs ATL): Only three backs have more yards from scrimmage since Forte was drafted in 2008: Chris Johnson, Adrian Peterson and Steven Jackson.

8. Maurice Jones-Drew, Jaguars (vs TEN): With no David Garrard, who was released Tuesday, more of the offense will run through Pocket Hercules. Then again, more of the defense will be focused on him as well.

9. Arian Foster, Texans (vs IND): Last year, Foster had his coming out party against the Colts in Week 1 with a 231-yard performance. This year, he may not play. Foster, who is dealing with a hamstring injury, is listed as questionable, did not practice on Friday and will be a game-time decision on Sunday.

10. Peyton Hillis, Browns (vs CIN): While his physical style of running may cause him to wear down by the end of the season, there are no worries about Week 1 against their cross-state rivals, against whom Hillis had one of his five 100-yard games last year.

11. Michael Turner, Falcons (at CHI): In three years in Atlanta, Turner has averaged 20.6 rush attempts per game and has scored 39 touchdowns in 43 games. Although the Bears allowed the second-fewest rushing yards per game, they also allowed 14 rushing touchdowns last year.

12. Steven Jackson, Rams (vs PHI): The Rams' offense has long run through Jackson. Facing a team with three elite cornerbacks, the versatile back should get a lot of work in Week 1.

13. DeAngelo Williams, Panthers (at ARI): While a platoon with The Daily Show is not ideal, the Cardinals allowed the second-most fantasy points to opposing running backs in 2010. That is ideal.

14. Rashard Mendenhall, Steelers (at BAL): The bad news is Mendenhall averaged only 56.7 rushing yards per game and 2.58 yards per attempt in three games against the Ravens last year. The good news is he scored four touchdowns in those games.

15. Ray Rice, Ravens (vs PIT): The Steelers have ranked in top three in run defense for seven straight seasons. Rice struggled against them last year -- 29 carries for 82 yards (2.8 yards per carry) and one touchdown plus 10 receptions for 59 yards in three games counting the playoffs. That said, Rice will be an even bigger part of Ravens offense in 2011 and is a weekly must-start (even against the Steelers).

16. LeGarrette Blount, Buccaneers (vs DET): Blount became the second undrafted free agent to rush for 1,000 yards in his rookie season. Even more impressive, he had only 30 rushing yards in his first five games.

17. Shonn Greene, Jets (vs DAL): For a second year in a row, there is buzz around Greene heading into the season (albeit less than last year). Let's hope he gets off to a better start this time around.

18. Knowshon Moreno, Broncos (vs OAK): While Willis McGahee may vulture some (or most) goal-line carries, the Broncos will certainly run the ball much more this season and they open up against the team allowed the fourth-most rushing yards in 2010.

19. Beanie Wells, Cardinals (vs CAR): By default, Wells will be the team's workhorse back in 2011. To get things going on the right foot, he faces one of the most favorable defenses against running backs in Week 1.

20. Tim Hightower, Redskins (vs NYG): Coach Mike Shanahan likes to change up running backs, but Hightower is the guy to start the season and the Giants continue to lose defensive players at an alarming pace.

21. Jahvid Best, Lions (at TB)
22. Ahmad Bradshaw, Giants (at WAS)
23. Felix Jones, Cowboys (at NYJ)
24. Ryan Mathews, Chargers (vs MIN)
25. BenJarvus Green-Ellis, Patriots (at MIA)
26. Fred Jackson, Bills (at KC)
27. Mike Tolbert, Chargers (vs MIN)
28. Cedric Benson, Bengals (at CLE)
29. Brandon Jacobs, Giants (at WAS)
30. Marshawn Lynch, Seahawks (at SF)
31. Jonathan Stewart, Panthers (at ARI)
32. Reggie Bush, Dolphins (vs NE)
33. Joseph Addai, Colts (at HOU)
34. Daniel Thomas, Dolphins (vs NE)
35. LaDainian Tomlinson, Jets (vs DAL)
36. Ben Tate, Texans (vs IND)
37. Michael Bush, Raiders (at DEN)
38. Willis McGahee, Broncos (vs OAK)
39. Thomas Jones, Chiefs (vs BUF)
40. Danny Woodhead, Patriots (at MIA)

More Week 1 rankings: Quarterbacks - Wide Receivers - Tight Ends - Kickers - Team Defenses

If you have a question (trade proposal, lineup decision, etc.), feel free to post it in our free fantasy football forum.

In addition, you can keep track of our content updates by: (1) following us on Twitter @EDSFootball and/or (2) "liking" us on Facebook.

If you're looking for some last-minute fantasy advice, tune in to our Week 1 fantasy football podcast on Sunday, September 11th at 10:00 a.m. ET on Blog Talk Radio.

Good luck in your Week 1 matchup(s)!

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

Since we released our initial Week 1 rankings, the Saints and Packers opened up the season with a 76-point shootout.

Both quarterbacks -- Green Bay's Aaron Rodgers and New Orleans' Drew Brees -- were nearly perfect as they combined for 84 pass attempts, 731 yards and six touchdowns while throwing no interceptions.

In fact, Rodgers shot back at those who criticized the Packers' lack of player-organized offseason workouts when asked about his 14-for-15 and three-touchdown start to the game in the first quarter in his post-game comments.

Here are our updated top 30 fantasy quarterbacks for Week 1 (opponents in parenthesis):

1. Michael Vick, Eagles (at STL): Not counting passing stats (for Vick) or receiving stats (for running backs), Vick finished 23rd overall in fantasy points from rushing stats alone compared to running backs. In other words, he's a low-end RB2 in a 12-team league if he didn't throw any passes. But he does.

2. Philip Rivers, Chargers (vs MIN): Rivers threw for a league-high 4,710 yards with a bunch of waiver-wire guys plus Antonio Gates last year. With Vincent Jackson, Antonio Gates and Malcom Floyd all in the lineup, the sky's the limit. In fact, my bold prediction for 2011 is that Rivers breaks Dan Marino's single-season passing yardage record.

[Related: Rivers is the featured quarterback in our free Week 1 fantasy football contest.]

3. Tom Brady, Patriots (at MIA): Surprisingly, Brady threw for less than 200 yards in both of his starts against the Dolphins last year. Granted, Brady came out after a 38-0 start to one of those games. Either way, that streak ends here.

4. Matt Schaub, Texans (vs IND): Only one quarterback has more passing yards than Schaub in the past two years combined: Drew Brees. Let's just hope he does better than last year's opening week matchup against the Colts: 9-for-17 passing for 107 yards, one touchdown and one interception.

5. Josh Freeman, Bucs (vs DET): Provided Tampa's line keeps Ndamukong Suh from bodyslamming Freeman, he should be able to pick apart the Lions secondary, which is still the defense's weakness.

6. Matt Stafford, Lions (at TB): The Lions like to air it out, Stafford can sling it and MegaTron is a physical freak. And Stafford is healthy. For now, at least.

7. Ben Roethlisberger, Steelers (at BAL): In the past three years (four matchups), Roethlisberger has thrown exactly one touchdown against the Ravens each game. The Steelers have won the past seven games (counting the playoffs) in which Roethlisberger started, but their matchups typically go down to the wire (discuss game in our NFL Gameday Forum).

8. Matt Ryan, Falcons (at CHI): With the addition of Julio Jones through the draft and expected emergence of Harry Douglas in the slot to go along with Roddy White, Ryan is poised for a big year. That said, Ryan has a tough matchup this week (and an even tougher one next week against the Eagles).

9. Tony Romo, Cowboys (at NYJ): Loaded with weapons, Romo should have a big year. However, the good times might not start rolling until Week 2. The Jets have the league's best cornerback in Darrelle Revis and arguably the best tandem with Revis and Antonio Cromartie.

10. Eli Manning, Giants (at WAS): Although he completed less than half of his pass attempts in the pre-season, Manning is coming off back-to-back 4,000-yard seasons and has two standout receivers in Hakeem Nicks and Mario Manningham.

11. Joe Flacco, Ravens (vs PIT): Flacco played o.k. against the Steelers last year: 250-plus yards and one touchdown in each regular-season game. That's similar to what I expect in Week 1.

12. Kevin Kolb, Cardinals (vs CAR): The Panthers allowed the third-fewest fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks, which is partly due to the fact that they allowed the fourth-most to running backs. (And why I like Beanie Wells this week.)

13. Jay Cutler, Bears (vs ATL): It's hit-or-miss with Cutler (and that's not a reference to his 52 sacks last year). Cutler threw three (or more) touchdowns five times last year. Cutler threw zero touchdowns five times. In other words, he will either play great, badly or somewhere in between.

14. Kyle Orton, Broncos (vs OAK): Although I expect the Broncos to run more under John Fox, I like the matchup against the Nnamdi Asomugha-led Raiders.

15. Sam Bradford, Rams (vs PHI): Coming into 2011, Bradford was hyped up (and rightfully so). Unfortunately, Bradford gets Asomugha plus two other Pro Bowl-caliber cornerbacks in Asante Samuel and Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie. Well, there is always next week.

16. Mark Sanchez, Jets (vs DAL): The Cowboys secondary is banged up with Terence Newman out and Mike Jenkins questionable for Sunday night. In addition, no team allowed more passing touchdowns than the Cowboys last year.

17. Matt Cassel, Chiefs (vs BUF): Cassel, who suffered a rib injury in the fourth preseason game, was a full participant in practice this week and should be ready to go against the Bills. The loss of Charlie Weis (to the University of Florida) and tight end Tony Moeaki (to a torn ACL) could hurt Cassel's year-over-year production.

18. Kerry Collins, Colts (at HOU): Interestingly enough, Collins played well in his last game, which was against the Colts (28-39 for 300 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions). In fact, he threw for 1,016 yards, nine touchdowns and three interceptions in his final four games. Maybe we are worried for nothing. Nah, who am I kidding?

19. Colt McCoy, Browns (vs CIN): McCoy has one career multi-touchdown game. Want to guess against which team?

The rest of our top 30 fantasy quarterbacks for Week 1:

20. Ryan Fitzpatrick, Bills (at KC)
21. Alex Smith, 49ers (vs SEA)
22. Cam Newton, Panthers (at ARI)
23. Rex Grossman, Redskins (vs NYG)
24. Jason Campbell, Raiders (at DEN)
25. Matt Hasselbeck, Titans (at JAX)
26. Donovan McNabb, Vikings (at SD)
27. Chad Henne, Dolphins (vs NE)
28. Tarvaris Jackson, Seahawks (at SF)
29. Andy Dalton, Bengals (at CLE)
30. Luke McCown, Jaguars (vs TEN)

More Week 1 rankings: Running Backs - Wide Receivers - Tight Ends - Kickers - Team Defenses

If you have a question (trade proposal, lineup decision, etc.), feel free to post it in our free fantasy football forum.

In addition, you can keep track of our content updates by: (1) following us on Twitter @EDSFootball and/or (2) "liking" us on Facebook.

Good luck in your Week 1 matchup(s)!

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

Despite the contentious labor battle this offseason between NFL owners and players and what appeared to be a legitimate possibility of the season being delayed because of it, the NFL season is already under way.

Even better, we will have labor peace for the next ten years.

To kick off the 2011 season, the shootout between the Packers and Saints did not disappoint fans on Thursday night. And there are plenty of great Week 1 matchups left on the schedule this week.

One of the early games on Sunday features the Steelers and Ravens, who have the league's best rivalry in my opinion (discuss game here). Sunday Night Football features the battle of the Ryan twins as Rex Ryan's Jets host the Cowboys, where Rob Ryan takes over as defensive coordinator, on the tenth anniversary of September 11th. In other words, we have great high-profile matchups from beginning to end on Sunday.

Every week, we (our three "handicappers" at The Weekly Blitz) pick the three NFL games against the spread (ATS) that we like most.

Here are my three best best for Week 1:

Tennessee Titans +2 (over Jacksonville Jaguars)

Although the Jaguars technically did not sell out their home opener, the game won't be blacked out in the local Jacksonville television market. Great news for fans looking to see David Garrard. Oh, wait. The Jags cut their starting quarterback five days before the opener.

Not only won't Garrard be under center, neither will the guy who actually led Jacksonville in preseason pass attempts (70), first-round rookie Blaine Gabbert. The abrupt transition to Luke McCown, who has thrown a total of 24 NFL regular-season passes in the past three years combined, worries me. Regardless of what I think, you have to think this move sends the wrong message to the players in the Jaguars' locker room.

In six career games against the Jaguars, Titans running back Chris Johnson has 632 rushing yards and 114 receiving yards. In addition, the Jaguars pass defense is not good. Last year, only four teams allowed more passing yards and only five teams allowed more passing touchdowns than the Jaguars.

Buffalo Bills +6 (over Kansas City Chiefs)

With the departure of Charlie Weis, the Chiefs offense could very well take a step back in 2011. Although he injured his ribs in the team's final preseason game, Chiefs quarterback Matt Cassel was a full participant in practice and will be ready to go this week. In addition, the loss of tight end Tony Moeaki for the season was a big blow to the team's offense.

The addition of Marcel Dareus, the team's first-round pick, to the defensive line and linebacker Nick Barnett via free agency plus having a healthy Shawne Merriman should help improve the Bills defense.

When these two teams faced each other last year, the Chiefs won 13-10 in overtime. In the nine-game stretch after their bye week last year, the Bills went 4-5 but four of their losses were by three points including their loss to Kansas City. In fact, all four of those three-point losses were to teams that won double-digit games and three of them went into overtime.

Although I think the Chiefs win this game, the Bills keep this game close enough to cover the spread. In their last 11 games, the Bills are 7-3-1 against the spread (ATS).

New England Patriots -7 (over Miami Dolphins)

When a team expects to play in a hostile environment, they often try to prepare for the crowd noise. That's what the Dolphins are doing to prepare for the Week 1 matchup against division-rival New England. The problem? The Dolphins are the home team.

Last year, the Patriots blew out the Dolphins by 27 and 31 points in their two matchups for a combined score in those two games of 79-21. Over the last five seasons, the Dolphins are 0-5 in home openers. In fact, the Dolphins were pathetic at home winning a league-worst one game at home in 2010. On the other hand, the Patriots have won seven straight games in Week 1.

The Patriots led the NFL in scoring offense last year and Tom Brady was near perfect down the stretch as he set the NFL record for most consecutive pass attempts without an interception. For the Dolphins, Chad Henne tied Brett Favre for the fourth-most interceptions (19) in 2010.

To see the rest of our picks, click here.

Later in the day, we will update our Week 1 fantasy rankings. To view our fantasy rankings, visit TheTipDrill.com, our fantasy section. To enter our free Week 1 fantasy football contest, click here.

Or to keep track of our fantasy updates, do one (or both) of the following: (1) follow us on Twitter @EDSFootball and/or (2) "like" us on Facebook.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 09:12 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Not only did the Saints lose to the Packers in their opener, they have lost their best receiver for four weeks to a broken collarbone.

Per Jay Glazer of Fox News, Marques Colston suffered the broken collarbone in last night's loss and will miss approximately four weeks.

Colston, who finished with six receptions for 81 yards, has finished with 1,000-plus yards in four of his five NFL seasons. He missed five games in the season he didn't finish with 1,000 yards.

Last night, a groin injury kept Lance Moore out of the lineup.

Based on ownership in Yahoo! leagues, the team's next two receivers on the depth chart are available in at least half of leagues. Robert Meachem is owned in 50 percent of Yahoo! leagues and Devery Henderson is owned in only 12 percent of leagues.

Meachem, the team's first-round pick in 2007, finished with five receptions for 70 yards and a score last night. Henderson had six receptions for 100 yards and a touchdown.

Especially if Moore can't play against the Bears in Week 2, Meachem and Henderson should be owned and in starting lineups next week.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 10:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Like last year, we will bring you a list of players that have favorable fantasy matchups and a list of those who don't on a weekly basis.

Of course, as an alternative, you can view our fantasy rankings at TheTipDrill.com, our fantasy section.

Start'em for Week 1:

QB: Matthew Stafford, Lions (at Bucs): Stafford played extremely well this preseason. While it's important not to put too much emphasis on preseason games, Stafford is healthy, looked in sync with his receivers, which include one of the league's best in Calvin Johnson, and plays for an offense that aired it out a lot (third-most pass attempts after Colts and Saints last year).

RB: Beanie Wells, Cardinals (vs Panthers): With Tim Hightower gone and Ryan Williams injured, Wells will be the team's workhorse back this season. The Cardinals should have a better passing attack with Kevin Kolb so that opposing defenses can't stuff eight men in the box. As far as this matchup goes, only two defenses allowed 20-plus rushing touchdowns last year: Denver and Carolina.

RB: Knowshon Moreno, Broncos (vs Raiders): As the Broncos replace the pass-happy offense of Josh McDaniels with the run-first scheme used by John Fox, Moreno should be the biggest beneficiary in 2011. To kick off the season, Moreno faces the 29th-ranked run defense from 2010.

WR: Mario Manningham, Giants (at Redskins): Manningham enters the season with a three-game streak of 100-yard games and a score. If there's anything that worries me, it's the poor play of Eli Manning carrying over from the pre-season into the regular season. But only the Texans allowed more passing yards per game than the Redskins last year.

WR: Santana Moss, Redskins (vs Giants): With injury after injury to the Giants defense, if it weren't for bad luck, they wouldn't have any at all. Moss, often overlooked on draft day, is coming off a season with a career-high in receptions (93) and his second-highest yardage (1,115) of his career.

WR: Plaxico Burress, Jets (vs Cowboys): Fortunately for Burress, he returns to action after his incarceration to face the Cowboys secondary. Even with Terence Newman, who is likely out this week, the Cowboys (and Texans) allowed a league-high 33 passing touchdowns.

TE: Greg Olsen, Panthers (at Cardinals): Making a transition to a team that better utilizes tight ends from a fantasy perspective, Olsen should see his overall season numbers increase considerably from last year. In addition, he could see increased targets with a rookie quarterback under center.

Sit'em for Week 1:

QB: Tony Romo, Cowboys (at Jets): Facing one of the league's best secondaries, the Jets have the league's best cornerback in Darrelle Revis. In addition, Miles Austin just returned to practice from a pulled hamstring and may not be 100 percent at game time. There's a good chance that tackle Tyron Smith won't be able to play. All of those factors knock Romo just outside of our top ten fantasy quarterbacks for Week 1.

RB: Ryan Grant (and James Starks), Packers (vs Saints): Both Grant and Starks will get an even amount of work tonight, according to running backs coach Jerry Fontenot. Until the situation resolves itself to the point where one of the guys consistently gets more work than the other, there will likely be (at least) two better options on your team than either of these guys.

RB: Felix Jones, Cowboys (at Jets): Last year, the Jets ranked third in rushing defense (90.9 yards allowed per game) and allowed only 3.6 yards per carry. If there is a positive from the matchup, Jones will be involved in the passing game, perhaps more than usual, considering Miles Austin may not be 100 percent and the Jets have one of the league's best cornerback tandems in the NFL.

WR: Mike Thomas, Jaguars (vs Titans): I felt Thomas was undervalued in most drafts and expected big things for the third-year receiver. However, switching quarterbacks five days before game day to Luke McCown worries me. And it should worry you as well.

WR: Sidney Rice, Seahawks (at 49ers): For a second straight day, Rice did not practice due to his shoulder. If Rice does play (although it seems as likely that he won't), it's unlikely that he be 100 percent. Even worse, the team's starting quarterback is Tarvaris Jackson.

WR: Austin Collie, Colts (at Texans): Earlier in the week, it looked like Collie might not play this week. As tweeted by Phillip Wilson of the Indianapolis Star, Collie said of his status for Sunday: "I'm ready, ready as I'll ever be." While that's good news, the bad news is that Kerry Collins -- not Peyton Manning -- will be under center.

TE: Tony Gonzalez, Falcons (at Bears): It's no longer 2010 or 2008 (or earlier). What does that obvious statement have to do with Gonzalez? Since the 2008 season, Gonzalez's production has been on the decline (96 to 83 to 70 receptions and 1,058 to 867 to 656 yards during that span). What should you expect in 2011? Further decline. In addition, the Bears ranked in the top 10 of teams allowing the fewest fantasy points to opposing tight ends.

To keep track of our fantasy updates, do one (or both) of the following: (1) following us on Twitter @EDSFootball and/or (2) "liking" us on Facebook.

If you have specific questions (trade proposal, lineup decision, etc.) regarding your team and league, feel free to post it in our free fantasy football forum. Also, you'll find our free fantasy football contest for Week 1 in our forums.

Good luck in Week 1!

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 07:33 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The NFL season opens up in roughly 24 hours from now when the Green Bay Packers host the New Orleans Saints, the two most recent Super Bowl champions.

Both teams are loaded at wide receiver, however, the Saints will be without their second-best fantasy option Thursday night. Lance Moore, who's dealing with a groin injury, has been ruled out.

If you own another Saints receiver, such as Marques Colston, Robert Meachem or Devery Henderson, it should mean more targets for them.

Here are our initial fantasy wide receivers for Week 1 (opponents in parenthesis):

1. Andre Johnson, Texans (vs IND): In NFL history, three players have had multiple seasons of 100-plus receptions and 1,500-plus receiving yards: Jerry Rice, Marvin Harrison and Johnson.

2. Calvin Johnson, Lions (at TB): MegaTron is the most physically gifted receiver in the league. In addition, Matthew Stafford is (still) healthy.

3. Roddy White, Falcons (at CHI): By drafting Julio Jones, White will get a few less targets but also get slightly less attention from opposing defenses. But there's no need to get cute here: White is one of the league's top three or four receivers.

4. Larry Fitzgerald, Cardinals (vs CAR): Considering the quarterback mess in Arizona last year, Fitzgerald still had a solid season. In other words, he's a must-start every week regardless of matchup. Speaking of which, the Panthers allowed the fourth-fewest fantasy points to opposing wide receivers in 2010.

5. Vincent Jackson, Chargers (vs MIN): What's not to like about Jackson? He's got size, speed and one of the league's best quarterbacks getting him the ball. Like many others, I expect a huge season from Jackson.

6. Hakeem Nicks, Giants (at WAS): Nicks missed three games last season. Coincidentally two of the three were against the Redskins.

7. Greg Jennings, Packers (vs NO): For the first time in his career, Jennings finished with 1,200-plus yards and double-digit touchdowns in the same season. He had previously done both in separate seasons.

8. Mike Wallace, Steelers (at BAL): Six of one, a half-dozen of the other? In his final nine games of the season, Wallace finished with six 100-yard games and six touchdowns.

9. Mike Williams, Buccaneers (vs DET): Williams scored a total of 11 touchdowns in 10 different games over his rookie season including against the Lions in Week 15. In that game, Williams finished with six receptions, 96 yards and a score.

10. DeSean Jackson, Eagles (at STL): Despite his size, Jackson is one of the league's premiere big-play receivers. Only three teams allowed fewer 40-yard pass plays than the Rams last year.

11. Brandon Marshall, Dolphins (vs NE): I expect Marshall to have a bounce-back season after setting four-year lows in receptions (86), yards (1,014) and touchdowns (three).

12. Dwayne Bowe, Chiefs (vs BUF): What Dwayne Bowe will we get in Week 1? Last year, he was unstoppable for a seven-game stretch and barely mediocre in the other nine games.

13. Reggie Wayne, Colts (at HOU): Wayne's ranking has a lot to do with the guy getting him the ball. But if it makes you feel any better, Kerry Collins threw for 300 yards in his last game.

14. Wes Welker, Patriots (at MIA): Welker is in store for a huge season if you believe my "bold prediction" for Welker. And it starts Week 1 when he faces his former team.

15. Santonio Holmes, Jets (vs DAL): Terence Newman has been ruled out for Week 1, which bodes well for Holmes, Mark Sanchez and the Jets passing attack.

16. Dez Bryant, Cowboys (at NYJ): Teammate Miles Austin has returned to practice, but I wouldn't be surprised if shutdown cornerback Darrelle Revis matches up with Bryant, who is a more physical receiver.

17. Mario Manningham, Giants (at WAS): Manningham brings a three-game streak of 100-yard games with a score into 2011. In his last game, which was against the Redskins, Manningham finished with four receptions for 101 yards and a touchdown.

18. Kenny Britt, Titans (at JAX): Coming off a hamstring injury, Britt opens up against one of the league's worst secondaries. Only the Texans allowed more pass plays of 40-plus yards than the Jaguars in 2010.

19. Brandon Lloyd, Broncos (vs OAK): Without Nnamdi Asomugha to go against him, Lloyd could be poised for a big week. I'm skeptical of guys that break out in year eight, however, so I worry that Lloyd takes a big step back in 2011.

20. Miles Austin, Cowboys (at NYJ): Returning to practice after a pulled hamstring, Austin may not be at 100 percent by Sunday night. Just as bad, he may be stuck on Revis Island.

The rest of our top 50 receivers for Week 1:

21. Steve Johnson, Bills (at KC)
22. Santana Moss, Redskins (vs NYG)
23. Anquan Boldin, Ravens (vs PIT)
24. Marques Colston, Saints (at GB)
25. Jeremy Maclin, Eagles (at STL)
26. Percy Harvin, Vikings (at SD)
27. Chad Ochocinco, Patriots (at MIA)
28. Plaxico Burress, Jets (vs DAL)
29. Julio Jones, Falcons (at CHI)
30. Malcom Floyd, Chargers (vs MIN)
31. Danny Amendola, Rams (vs PHI)
32. Steve Smith, Panthers (at ARI)
33. Mike Thomas, Jaguars (vs TEN)
34. A.J. Green, Bengals (at CLE)
35. Pierre Garcon, Colts (at HOU)
36. Jordy Nelson, Packers (vs NO)
37. Sidney Rice, Seahawks (at SF)
38. Nate Burleson, Lions (at TB)
39. Davone Bess, Dolphins (vs NE)
40. Austin Collie, Colts (at HOU)
41. Hines Ward, Steelers (at BAL)
42. Jacoby Ford, Raiders (at DEN)
43. Braylon Edwards, 49ers (vs SEA)
44. Johnny Knox, Bears (vs ATL)
45. Mike Sims-Walker, Rams (vs PHI)
46. Earl Bennett, Bears (vs ATL)
47. James Jones, Packers (vs NO)
48. Robert Meachem, Saints (at GB)
49. Andre Roberts, Cardinals (vs CAR)
50. Antonio Brown, Steelers (at BAL)

More Week 1 rankings: Quarterbacks - Running Backs - Tight Ends - Kickers - Team Defenses

If you have a question (trade proposal, lineup decision, etc.), feel free to post it in our free fantasy football forum. Also, you'll find our free fantasy football contest for Week 1 in our forums.

In addition, you can keep track of our content updates by: (1) following us on Twitter @EDSFootball and/or (2) "liking" us on Facebook.

If you're looking for some last-minute fantasy advice, tune in to our Week 1 fantasy football podcast on Sunday, September 11th at 10:00 a.m. ET on Blog Talk Radio.

Good luck in your Week 1 matchup(s)!

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 08:56 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

There are three elite running backs in the AFC South: Tennessee's Chris Johnson, Houston's Arian Foster and Jacksonville's Maurice Jones-Drew.

When it comes to Week 1, there is a huge range of what their production may be due to the risks posed by each of them. One lost his starting quarterback yesterday, one is dealing with a hamstring injury and the other recently ended a holdout and may yet to be in "game shape."

Coincidentally, all three of them have made news since they have last played a regular-season game for what they did on Twitter.

Jones-Drew was the first with his criticism of Chicago's Jay Cutler sitting out the second half of the NFC Championship Game with a knee injury. More recently, Foster tweeted the MRI of his injured hamstring and Johnson had some choice words (or letters) for the "fake" fans that thought he was greedy.

Here are our initial fantasy running backs for Week 1 (opponents in parenthesis):

1. Adrian Peterson, Vikings (at SD): The last time these two teams met in 2007, Peterson rushed for an NFL-record 296 yards and three touchdowns on 30 carries. While I don't expect a repeat performance, the team's offensive coordinator has said the Vikings' plan this season is to "major in giving the ball to Adrian."

2. Jamaal Charles, Chiefs (vs BUF): Charles finished second in the league in rushing last year. The Bills allowed the most rushing yards in the league last year. It's a match made in (fantasy) heaven.

3. LeSean McCoy, Eagles (at STL): Even better in leagues with point-per-reception (PPR) scoring, McCoy averaged more than 100 yards from scrimmage per game despite getting more than 16 rushing attempts only twice last year.

4. Darren McFadden, Raiders (at DEN): Only Arian Foster averaged more yards from scrimmage per game than McFadden last year. No team allowed more rushing touchdowns (26) than the Broncos last year.

5.Chris Johnson, Titans (at JAX): Last year, Darrelle Revis suffered a hamstring injury after his holdout. Let's hope Johnson does not suffer the same fate. With a full doze of carries, Johnson should be in store for a big week.

6. Frank Gore, 49ers (vs SEA): In the ten games before he fractured his hip, Gore piled up 1,253 yards from scrimmage during that span.

7. Matt Forte, Bears (vs ATL): Only three backs have more yards from scrimmage since Forte was drafted in 2008: Chris Johnson, Adrian Peterson and Steven Jackson.

8. Maurice Jones-Drew, Jaguars (vs TEN): With no David Garrard, who was released Tuesday, more of the offense will run through Pocket Hercules. Then again, more of the defense will be focused on him as well.

9. Arian Foster, Texans (vs IND): Last year, Foster had his coming out party against the Colts in Week 1 with a 231-yard performance. This year, he may just be coming out (of the game). While it appears as though he will play in Week 1, I worry that the Texans limit his work and/or that he reinjures his hamstring.

10. Michael Turner, Falcons (at CHI): In three years in Atlanta, Turner has averaged 20.6 rush attempts per game and has scored 39 touchdowns in 43 games.

11. LeGarrette Blount, Buccaneers (vs DET): Blount became the second undrafted rookie free agent to rush for 1,000 yards in his rookie season. Even more impressive, he had only 30 rushing yards in his first five games.

12. Steven Jackson, Rams (vs PHI): The Rams' offense has long run through Jackson. Facing a team with three elite cornerbacks, the versatile back should get a lot of work in Week 1.

13. Rashard Mendenhall, Steelers (at BAL): The bad news is Mendenhall averaged only 56.7 rushing yards per game and 2.58 yards per attempt in three games against the Ravens last year. The good news is he scored four touchdowns in those games.

14. Ray Rice, Ravens (vs PIT): The Steelers have ranked in top three in run defense for seven straight seasons. Rice struggled against them last year -- 29 carries for 82 yards (2.8 yards per carry) and one touchdown plus 10 receptions for 59 yards in three games counting the playoffs. That said, Rice will be an even bigger part of Ravens offense in 2011 and is a weekly must-start (even against the Steelers).

15. Peyton Hillis, Browns (vs CIN): While his physical style of running may cause him to wear down by the end of the season, no worries about Week 1 against their cross-state rivals.

16. DeAngelo Williams, Panthers (at ARI): While a platoon with The Daily Show is not ideal, the Cardinals allowed the second-most fantasy points to opposing running backs in 2010. That is ideal.

17. Shonn Greene, Jets (vs DAL): For a second year in a row, there is buzz around Greene heading into the season (albeit less than last year). Let's hope he gets off to a better start this time around.

18. Knowshon Moreno, Broncos (vs OAK): While Willis McGahee may vulture some goal-line carries, the Broncos will certainly run the ball much more this season and they open up against the team allowed the fourth-most rushing yards in 2010.

19. Beanie Wells, Cardinals (vs CAR): By default, Wells will be the team's workhorse back in 2011. To get things going on the right foot, he faces one of the most favorable defenses against running backs in Week 1.

20. Tim Hightower, Redskins (vs NYG): Coach Mike Shanahan likes to change up running backs, but Hightower is the guy to start the season and the Giants continue to lose defensive players at an alarming pace.

21. Jahvid Best, Lions (at TB)
22. Ahmad Bradshaw, Giants (at WAS)
23. Felix Jones, Cowboys (at NYJ)
24. Ryan Mathews, Chargers (vs MIN)
25. BenJarvus Green-Ellis, Patriots (at MIA)
26. Fred Jackson, Bills (at KC)
27. Mike Tolbert, Chargers (vs MIN)
28. Mark Ingram, Saints (at GB)
29. Cedric Benson, Bengals (at CLE)
30. Brandon Jacobs, Giants (at WAS)
31. Marshawn Lynch, Seahawks (at SF)
32. Jonathan Stewart, Panthers (at ARI)
33. Ryan Grant, Packers (vs NO)
34. James Starks, Packers (vs NO)
35. Pierre Thomas, Saints (at GB)
36. Reggie Bush, Dolphins (vs NE)
37. Joseph Addai, Colts (at HOU)
38. Daniel Thomas, Dolphins (vs NE)
39. Willis McGahee, Broncos (vs OAK)
40. Thomas Jones, Chiefs (vs BUF)

More Week 1 rankings: Quarterbacks - Wide Receivers - Tight Ends - Kickers - Team Defenses

If you have a question (trade proposal, lineup decision, etc.), feel free to post it in our free fantasy football forum. Also, you'll find our free fantasy football contest for Week 1 in our forums.

In addition, you can keep track of our content updates by: (1) following us on Twitter @EDSFootball and/or (2) "liking" us on Facebook.

If you're looking for some last-minute fantasy advice, tune in to our Week 1 fantasy football podcast on Sunday, September 11th at 10:00 a.m. ET on Blog Talk Radio.

Good luck in your Week 1 matchup(s)!

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 08:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Over Labor Day weekend, we updated our full-season rankings for those of you that still have your fantasy draft(s) coming up. (If you have a draft tonight, this is for you.)

For most of us, however, it's time to shift our focus from drafting our teams and perhaps tweaking them with some free-agent pickups to setting our Week 1 lineup.

Yes, ladies and gentlemen, we are roughly 24 hours from the start of the 2011 NFL season.

Not only will Brett Favre not be in the field this weekend, neither will Peyton Manning, who had played in 208 consecutive regular-season games.

Manning, the league's four-time MVP, has been shut down from practicing and there is no timetable on his return, which is obviously a much bigger concern than missing only one game. And, of course, Manning's absence will have a trickle-down effect on the Colts receivers, running back Joseph Addai and tight end Dallas Clark.

Here are our top 30 fantasy quarterbacks for Week 1 (opponents in parenthesis):

1. Michael Vick, Eagles (at STL): Not counting passing stats (for Vick) or receiving stats (for running backs), Vick finished 23rd overall in fantasy points from rushing stats alone compared to running backs. In other words, he's a low-end RB2 in a 12-team league if he didn't throw any passes. But he does.

2. Philip Rivers, Chargers (vs MIN): Rivers threw for a league-high 4,710 yards with a bunch of waiver-wire guys plus Antonio Gates last year. With Vincent Jackson, Antonio Gates and Malcom Floyd all in the lineup, the sky's the limit.

3. Aaron Rodgers, Packers (vs NO): Rodgers, my top-rated fantasy quarterback for 2011, is a must-start every week. That said, the Saints allowed only two 300-yard passing games and only three quarterbacks threw multiple touchdowns against them last year.

4. Tom Brady, Patriots (at MIA): Surprisingly, Brady threw for less than 200 yards in both of his starts against the Dolphins last year. That streak ends here.

5. Drew Brees, Saints (at GB): In his 79 regular-season starts as the Saints quarterback, Brees has thrown for 300-plus yards 37 times. Brees has thrown for 250-plus yards in 56 of 79 starts. Brees will be without receiver Lance Moore, who has been ruled out for Thursday night.

6. Matt Schaub, Texans (vs IND): Only one quarterback has more passing yards than Schaub in the past two years combined: Drew Brees. Let's just hope he does better than last year's opening week matchup against the Colts: 9-for-17 passing for 107 yards, one touchdown and one interception.

7. Josh Freeman, Bucs (vs DET): Provided Tampa's line keeps Ndamukong Suh from bodyslamming Freeman, he should be able to pick apart the Lions secondary, which is still the defense's weakness.

8. Matt Stafford, Lions (at TB): The Lions like to air it out, Stafford can sling it and MegaTron is a physical freak. And Stafford is healthy. For now, at least.

9. Matt Ryan, Falcons (at CHI): With the addition of Julio Jones through the draft and expected emergence of Harry Douglas in the slot to go along with Roddy White, Ryan is poised for a big year.

10. Ben Roethlisberger, Steelers (at BAL): In the past three years (four matchups), Roethlisberger has thrown exactly one touchdown against the Ravens each game.

11. Tony Romo, Cowboys (at NYJ): Loaded with weapons, Romo should have a big year. However, the good times might not start rolling until Week 2. The Jets have the league's best cornerback in Darrelle Revis and arguably the best tandem with Revis and Antonio Cromartie.

12. Eli Manning, Giants (at WAS): Although he completed less than half of his pass attempts in the pre-season, Manning is coming off back-to-back 4,000-yard seasons and has two standout receivers in Hakeem Nicks and Mario Manningham.

13. Joe Flacco, Ravens (vs PIT): Flacco played o.k. against the Steelers last year: 250-plus yards and one touchdown in each regular-season game. That's similar to what I expect in Week 1.

14. Kevin Kolb, Cardinals (vs CAR): The Panthers allowed the third-fewest fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks, which is partly due to the fact that they allowed the fourth-most to running backs. (And why I like Beanie Wells this week.)

15. Jay Cutler, Bears (vs ATL): It's hit-or-miss with Cutler (and that's not a reference to his 52 sacks last year). Cutler threw three (or more) touchdowns five times last year. Cutler threw zero touchdowns five times. In other words, he will either play great, badly or somewhere in between.

16. Kyle Orton, Broncos (vs OAK): Although I expect the Broncos to run more under John Fox, I like the matchup against the Nnamdi Asomugha-led Raiders.

17. Sam Bradford, Rams (vs PHI): Coming into 2011, Bradford was hyped up (and rightfully so). Unfortunately, Bradford gets Asomugha plus two other Pro Bowl-caliber cornerbacks in Asante Samuel and Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie. Well, there is always next week.

18. Kerry Collins, Colts (at HOU): Interestingly enough, Collins played well in his last game, which was against the Colts (28-39 for 300 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions). In fact, he threw for 1,016 yards, nine touchdowns and three interceptions in final four games. Maybe we are worried for nothing. Nah, who am I kidding?

19. Colt McCoy, Browns (vs CIN): McCoy has one career multi-touchdown game. Want to guess against which team?

20. Matt Cassel, Chiefs (vs BUF): Cassel is questionable due to a rib injury suffered in the fourth pre-season game. Provided he remains a full participant later in the week at practice, he'll be bumped up a couple of spots when we update our rankings.

The rest of our top 30 fantasy quarterbacks for Week 1:

21. Ryan Fitzpatrick, Bills (at KC)
22. Mark Sanchez, Jets (vs DAL)
23. Alex Smith, 49ers (vs SEA)
24. Cam Newton, Panthers (at ARI)
25. Jason Campbell, Raiders (at DEN)
26. Matt Hasselbeck, Titans (at JAX)
27. Donovan McNabb, Vikings (at SD)
28. Chad Henne, Dolphins (vs NE)
29. Tarvaris Jackson, Seahawks (at SF)
30. Rex Grossman, Redskins (vs NYG)

More Week 1 rankings: Running Backs - Wide Receivers - Tight Ends - Kickers - Team Defenses

If you have a question (trade proposal, lineup decision, etc.), feel free to post it in our free fantasy football forum. Also, you'll find our free fantasy football contest for Week 1 in our forums.

If you're looking for some last-minute fantasy advice, tune in to our Week 1 fantasy football podcast on Sunday, September 11th at 10:00 a.m. ET on Blog Talk Radio.

In addition, you can keep track of our content updates by: (1) following us on Twitter @EDSFootball and/or (2) "liking" us on Facebook.

Good luck in your Week 1 matchup(s)!

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

When the NFL opens its season tomorrow night in Green Bay, the Saints will be without receiver Lance Moore.

Moore, who has been dealing with a groin injury, has been officially ruled out, according to Mike Triplett of the New Orleans Times-Picayune.

"We've always been able to adjust with different personnel groupings and we always try to be mindful of who's up and then set the game plan accordingly," Saints Coach Sean Payton said earlier in the week. "The plan really is developed all week long with who we feel like is healthy and who we think is going to play."

Without Moore in the lineup, there should be more targets to go around to receivers Marques Colston, Robert Meachem, Devery Henderson and tight end Jimmy Graham.

Related: Discuss the Saints-Packers matchup in our NFL Gameday Forum.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 07:48 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

In my fantasy rankings, I ranked Jaguars quarterback David Garrard at No. 24 and wrote "the future may come earlier than expected" when talking about rookie Blaine Gabbert.

While Gabbert won't be starting in Week 1, neither will Garrard. Instead, Luke McCown will.

Today the Jaguars have released Garrard, per Jay Glazer of Fox Sports.

As ESPN's John Clayton speculates, the Ravens, who could use a veteran backup to Joe Flacco, might be interested. That said, there are a few teams (i.e., Seattle as an example) that have worse starting quarterbacks than Garrard.

Between injuries, holdouts, starters released days before opener, it's been pretty interesting in the AFC South.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 04:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

In a quarterback-driven league, it's no shocker that teams with great quarterbacks do well and the Patriots have certainly done well over the past decade.

The Patriots have had a winning season every year since 2001 and have won double-digit games every year during that span with the exception of 2002 (9-7). Although Patriots quarterback Tom Brady won his first ten playoff games, which includes three Super Bowl victories, the Patriots and Brady have lost their past three post-season games and haven't won in the playoffs since their 18-0 start to the 2007 season.

On the other hand, the Jets have made the playoffs in each of the past two seasons under coach Rex Ryan and quarterback Mark Sanchez as Wildcard teams. Despite having to win on the road, they have reached the AFC Championship Game -- but fell short of their Super Bowl aspirations -- both seasons.

Continuing his annual tradition, Ryan has made another Super Bowl prediction for the Jets. My guess is that he might do the same next year regardless of whether the team wins the Super Bowl this year.

So, who will win the AFC East in 2011?

Here are my 2011 NFL predictions for the AFC East (records in parenthesis):

1. New England Patriots (11-5): As mentioned above, it's a quarterback-driven league and Brady is heads-and-shoulders above the rest of the starting quarterbacks in this division: Mark Sanchez (Jets), Chad Henne (Dolphins) and Ryan Fitzpatrick (Bills). Last season, Brady was nearly flawless from Week 7 on. From Week 7 to 17, Brady completed 65 percent of his 326 pass attempts for 2,697 yards while throwing 26 touchdowns and no interceptions. Heading into 2011, Wes Welker, who had three consecutive seasons with 110-plus receptions from 2007-2009, is another season removed from his torn ACL as the team adds Chad Ochocinco on the outside.

The Patriots have a much easier start and end to their schedule than the eight-game stretch in the middle. From October 9th to December 4th, they face only one team that did not win double-digit games in 2010: Dallas. That said, the Cowboys had much more talent than their record indicated. Whether they finish first or second in the division will likely depend on how they weather the middle part of their season.

2. New York Jets (10-6): Is this the year that the Jets take that next step and get to the Super Bowl? The Jets have one of the league's best defenses and arguably the league's best defensive player in shutdown corner Darrelle Revis. Last year, the Jets allowed the third-fewest yards (291.5 per game) and sixth-fewest points (19.0 per game) in the NFL. In addition, they can run the ball although last year seemed disappointing in that regard. While they finished fourth in the NFL in rushing offense (148.4 yards per game), that was a year-over-year decline from 2009 when they led the league with 172.3 yards per game. For the team to take the next step, they will need more out of Mark Sanchez and their passing game after finishing in the bottom 10 in the league for two straight seasons.

3. Miami Dolphins (6-10): With Henne under center, the Dolphins will likely continue to rely on their ground game more than their passing attack. More than a seal of approval for Reggie Bush, however, the coaching staff's naming of Bush as their starter is more of a seal of disapproval of rookie Daniel Thomas, in my opinion. The Dolphins have a strong set of cornerbacks in Vontae Davis and Sean Smith, but they're not as good as the tandem of Revis and Antonio Cromartie regardless of what they claim. Either way, the Dolphins have one of the better defenses in the league. A key for the Dolphins will be to limit turnovers, especially down the stretch. Henne has thrown almost half (15) of his 33 career interceptions in the fourth quarter.

4. Buffalo Bills (6-10): Despite finishing in last place in 2010, the Bills played most teams tough during Weeks 7 to 15. Although they were 4-5 during that span, four of their five losses were by three points and three of those were in overtime. With a little bit of luck, their record could have been significantly better than 4-12 in 2010. By drafting Marcel Dareus with the third-overall pick and locking up Kyle Williams with a long-term extension, defensive tackle is arguably the team's strength. That said, the team ranked dead last in rush defense (169.6 yards allowed per game) in 2010. While their offensive line is certainly not their strength, running back C.J. Spiller, their first-round pick (ninth overall) last year, has not looked anywhere near as impressive as his speed and big-play ability would suggest.

Bold prediction for the AFC East: Wes Welker, who had only 86 receptions in 2010, will lead the NFL in receptions and record his fourth season of 110-plus receptions in the past five years. Since Welker became a Patriot (2007), a receiver has reached 110 receptions seven times. Welker has three of them; four other players have one each.

Related:
- AFC East Team Schedules: Buffalo Bills | Miami Dolphins | New York Jets | New England Patriots
- Take our division-winner polls for all eight divisions and/or discuss Week 1 (and beyond) games in our NFL GameDay Forum

Before the start of the season (Thursday Night), we will release all of our division predictions in addition to our Super Bowl prediction, which will be posted in this centralized location.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 03:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Going into the season, one of the things that I have expected is the Packers would split carries between Ryan Grant and James Starks "close to evenly" (as I wrote in our Packers-Saints Gameday thread yesterday).

While my quotes don't matter, those of Packers running backs coach Jerry Fontenot do.

"They're both going to take pretty much all situations in the game," Fontenot said, per Tom Silverstein of Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. "Evenly dispersed? I can't guarantee it. But I'm certainly going try to get each one of those guys an equal amount of opportunities to carry the football, to hold onto the football and to control the clock for us."

In 2008 and 2009, Grant put up back-to-back 1,200-yard seasons. Last year, Starks led all running backs in rushing during the post-season with 315 yards.

Both running backs were ranked next to each other and outside our top 30 fantasy backs for 2011. In an ideal situation, you have other running backs to start Week 1 and see how this situation plays itself out.

I can envision a scenario where the intent is to give both an equal amount of touches but that the team ultimately goes with the "hot hand." If you happen to go with the other in your starting lineup, you could end up getting burned.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 09:10 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Uh oh.

Colts quarterback Peyton Manning's status for the season opener against the Texans had already been in jeopardy, which is why the team signed veteran quarterback Kerry Collins about ten days ago.

Last night, rumors surfaced that Manning needed another neck surgery, however, ESPN's Chris Mortensen says that Manning does not have another surgery scheduled "at this time."

Instead, he is going to "re-evaluated by several doctors."

Although Manning was activated from the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list last week, he has recovered slowly from the two neck surgeries he had this offseason.

Manning, a four-time league MVP, has started 227 consecutive games including the post-season and threw for a career-high 4,700 yards in 2010.

Obviously, a Colts offense led by Kerry Collins, even if just for a game or two (or four), will be much less explosive than one led by Manning.

As Rex Ryan said before the Jets faced the Colts in the AFC Championship Game two seasons ago, "Whatever you guys do, just do-do-do-don't panic."

In other words, don't do anything hasty if you have Manning on your fantasy roster already. But if you still have your fantasy draft(s) coming up over the next few days, knock the team's skill players down a few notches in your pre-rankings.

[Update: The Colts released a statement indicating that Manning will not practice and his status for Sunday is "doubtful."]

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 07:11 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

When the Chiefs open the season against the Bills, they will be without tight end Tony Moeaki, who was placed on season-ending injured reserve.

In addition, the Chiefs could be without starting quarterback Matt Cassel, per Adam Teicher of the Kansas City Star.

Initially he said he just had the wind knocked out of him, but Cassel injured his ribs in their final pre-season game against the Packers.

If Cassel is out, Tyler Palko would likely get the start.

“I feel like I’ve gotten better every day in training camp and that’s really my main focus,’’ Palko said recently. “It’s not to look at anything past just getting better every day. I know it sounds boring, but I’m not in a situation where I can really look ahead.

“Every opportunity you get, you’ve got to try to seize the moment and do your job.’’

Palko has completed four of his six career pass attempts for 35 yards and no touchdowns or interceptions.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 05:40 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

A trade and an injury made what was a position of strength into a position of weakness, at least in terms of depth.

With Tim Hightower in Washington and Ryan Williams on Injured Reserve, there wasn't much experience in the Cardinals backfield to go along with Beanie Wells.

Today the Cardinals agreed to a one-year deal with Chester Taylor, who was released by the Bears yesterday.

Taylor averaged only 2.4 yards per carry in 2010. That said, Taylor will be the team's No. 2 back and would be in line for a decent amount of work if Wells, the No. 22 back in our fantasy rankings, suffers an injury.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 09:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The NFL opens its season with the Green Bay Packers and New Orleans Saints on Thursday Night Football.

Since Aaron Rodgers became the starter in Green Bay in 2008, both teams have finished in the top seven in passing yards per game in all three seasons. The two most recent Super Bowl MVPs are the starting quarterbacks in this game: Rodgers (Super Bowl XLV MVP) and Drew Brees (Super Bowl XLIV MVP).

As one would expect from these high-powered offenses, plenty of their receivers appear in our top 75 fantasy wide receiver rankings. In fact, seven of them appear in our top 57. Another way to look at that is one-eighth of the receivers in our top 57 will be playing on Thursday night.

While we will release our weekly rankings by Wednesday morning, here are our updated full-season fantasy football rankings for wide receivers (based on standard scoring):

1. Andre Johnson, Texans: Despite missing three games last year, Johnson still finished with 86 receptions and 1,216 yards. Based on his per-game averages, Johnson would have finished with 106 receptions and 1,496 yards if he played a full 16 games and maintained that pace. In other words, he would have been just four yards short of a third consecutive 100-reception, 1,500-yard season.

2. Calvin Johnson, Lions: MegaTron was my second-ranked pre-season receiver last year as well, but the gap between first and second is narrowing. For the second time in three seasons, Johnson finished with 1,100-plus yards and 12 touchdowns. If Matthew Stafford can stay healthy for the full season (I know, a big if), the sky's the limit for Johnson.

3. Roddy White, Falcons: Last year, White set career highs in both receptions (115) and yards (1,389) and has now scored double-digit touchdowns in back-to-back seasons. For four straight seasons, White has had 85-plus receptions and 1,100-plus yards. The addition of Julio Jones should take some targets away from White, but it should keep opposing defenses more honest in coverage as well.

4. Hakeem Nicks, Giants: Although he missed three games last year, Nicks took a big step forward in his second season. Nicks finished with 79 receptions, 1,052 yards and 11 touchdowns. He was tied for fourth in touchdowns and his 80.9 yards-per-game average ranked fifth in the NFL.

5. Larry Fitzgerald, Cardinals: As Darnell Dockett said, "it's like night and day" when comparing the team's quarterback situation to last year's with the offseason acquisition of Kevin Kolb. Fitzgerald ended a three-year streak of double-digit touchdowns by finishing with a career-low six touchdowns in 2010. And although he saw a slight improvement in receiving yards (1,092 in 2009 to 1,137 in 2010), he had 1,400-plus yards in three of four years from 2005-2008. While Fitzgerald might not post similar numbers to the ones he posted during the Kurt Warner era, an improvement over the Derek Anderson era seems likely.

6. Greg Jennings, Packers: For the second time in his career, Jennings finished with 1,200-plus yards and 12 touchdowns. It was the first time, however, that he did both of those things in the same season. If there's any concern with Jennings, it's the number of viable options competing for targets with him. The team returns all of its top wide receivers, Jermichael Finley is healthy again and the Packers drafted Randall Cobb in the second round.

7. Vincent Jackson, Chargers: Jackson, who was designated with the franchise tag, held out for the first ten games last season, but he has signed his tender and won't miss any games due to a contract dispute this season. In fact, Jackson said after signing his tender that, "I feel like this is home." In his last full season (2009), Jackson set career highs in receptions (68), yards (1,167) and touchdowns (nine).

8. Mike Wallace, Steelers: Although Wallace finished with only 60 receptions (tied for 42nd in the NFL), he finished fifth in receiving yards (1,257). Wallace led the league in 20-yard receptions (26) and has averaged over 20 yards per reception in his two-year career.

[Related: Wallace is one of three receivers featured in our free fantasy football contest for Week 1.]

9. Reggie Wayne, Colts: Wayne, who will turn 33 in November, has been remarkably consistent (1,000-plus yards for seven straight seasons) and durable (hasn't missed any games in past nine seasons). Last year, Wayne set a career high in receptions (111) and finished with his second-highest yardage total (1,355). The health of others is what worries me about Wayne. If Dallas Clark and Austin Collie stay healthy for a full season, Wayne's targets should decrease. Even more worrying is from whom the targets will come as Peyton Manning could miss time and/or start slowly as he recovers from two neck surgeries.

10. Miles Austin, Cowboys: Austin's production was much better with Tony Romo in the lineup. In three of his first four games of the season, Austin had nine-plus receptions and 140-plus yards. After Romo broke his collarbone in the team's sixth game, Austin had only two games with more than four receptions and/or 70-plus receiving yards.

11. Dez Bryant, Cowboys: Bryant was in the news for the wrong reasons earlier this offseason, but he is an immense talent on the field. All six of Bryant's receiving touchdowns came during a six-game span (Weeks 6 to 11) last year and he missed the final four games of the season due to injury. Provided Bryant stays healthy and out of trouble, he should give Austin a run for his money as the team's No. 1 receiver.

12. DeSean Jackson, Eagles: Similar to Wallace, Jackson is a big-play guy. Both Jackson and Wallace have finished one-two in yards per reception in each of the past two seasons. In all three of his seasons, Jackson has finished with 1,000-plus yards from scrimmage. He's consistent on a full-year basis, however, his game-by-game production can vary greatly. For example, Jackson had two or less receptions in six of his 15 games played (counting playoff loss) last year.

13. Brandon Marshall, Dolphins: Marshall, who admitted this offseason to having borderline personality disorder, is coming off the worst season (86-1,014-3) since he was a rookie, but he also spent the off-season using the same training methods he used as he prepared for the NFL Scouting Combine.

14. Dwayne Bowe, Chiefs: Despite a slow start and a slow finish, Bowe had a seven-game stretch in between where he was nearly unstoppable. He scored 13 of his league-leading 15 touchdowns and had four of his five 100-yard games during that seven-game span. Overall, Bowe set career highs in yards (1,162) and touchdowns. The over-under from Bodog on Bowe's production in 2011 is 70 receptions, 1,050 yards and eight touchdowns.

15. Mike Williams, Buccaneers: Williams led all rookies in receiving yards (964) and receiving touchdowns (11) in 2010. While touchdowns are difficult to predict, Williams should be in store for several 1,000-yard seasons over the next several years.

16. Mario Manningham, Giants: With Steve Smith signing a one-year deal with the Eagles, Manningham will enter the season as the team's No. 2 receiver behind Hakeem Nicks. In his final three games, he played like a No. 1 receiver -- 100-plus yards and a score or two in each game. Despite three games with one (or no) receiving yard(s), Manningham was only 56 yards shy of the 1,000-yard milestone in 2010.

17. Santonio Holmes, Jets: Holmes, who re-signed with the Jets, is the only one of the team's top three receivers returning in 2011. In addition to Holmes, the team signed free-agent receivers Plaxico Burress and Derrick Mason. While Holmes played well after serving his four-game suspension, his yards-per-game average dropped by more than 15 YPG from his 2009 level of production with Pittsburgh.

18. Wes Welker, Patriots: Failing to reach the 110-reception and 1,100-yard marks for the first time in his four seasons in New England, Welker ended the season with 86 receptions for 848 yards. Being an extra year removed from his torn ACL, however, should help Welker bounce back in 2011. [In fact, he's much higher in our point-per-reception rankings than he is on this list.]

19. Jeremy Maclin, Eagles: Maclin finished his second season with career highs across the board -- 70 receptions for 964 yards and ten touchdowns. A virus caused Maclin to lose 15 pounds, which he has regained, and he practiced for the first time this year only one week ago. Therefore, Maclin could get off to a slow start.

20. Kenny Britt, Titans: Similar to LeBron James' championship(s) prediction for the Miami Heat, Britt has applied the concept to brush-ins with the law -- not one, not two, not three, etc. Despite his off-the-field issues, Britt won't be suspended by the NFL and he has a chance to be special on the field as illustrated by his 225-yard, three-TD performance in three quarters. [The reason he only played three (not four) quarters: his involvement in a bar fight.]

21. Marques Colston, Saints: If Colston were on any other team, he'd be ranked a few spots higher. Despite having a great quarterback and being a part of one of the league's most high-powered offenses, Drew Brees spreads the ball around enough to make Colston's numbers more inconsistent than his skill level would otherwise dictate. While he'll get you roughly 1,000 yards and eight touchdowns, you may get 140 yards one week and 35 the next in the process.

22. Anquan Boldin, Ravens: As a player, I like Boldin a lot, especially for his toughness, but he made a much smaller impact with the Ravens than I had expected. Boldin finished with 64 receptions for 837 yards, both of which are the second-lowest totals of his eight-year career. (His career lows where established in 2004 when he played in a career-low ten games.) With Derrick Mason signing with the Jets, Boldin should see more targets and have a bounce-back season in 2011.

23. Stevie Johnson, Bills: Johnson broke out last season and finished with 82 receptions for 1,073 yards and ten touchdowns. When Ryan Fitzpatrick took over as the Bills starting quarterback in Week 3, Johnson started a five-game touchdown streak so it was no surprise that Johnson backed the team's decision to stick with Fitzgerald as starter, at least this year.

24. Austin Collie, Colts: When he wasn't concussed, Collie put up big numbers. Through nine games, Collie finished with 58 receptions, 649 yards and eight touchdowns. In fact, Collie played only one half in his last game of the year and finished with eight receptions, 87 yards and two touchdowns. Knock on wood, Collie will have clean bill of health in 2011.

25. Brandon Lloyd, Broncos: Call me a skeptic (I've certainly been called worse), but it will be difficult, if not impossible, for Lloyd to duplicate his 2010 numbers. With Josh McDaniels gone, the Broncos will be transformed into a run-first team under John Fox. Plus, in his other seven NFL seasons, Lloyd never had a better season than his 2005 season -- 48 receptions, 733 yards and five touchdowns. Another concern with Lloyd is the potential for a quarterback change if the team starts slowly.

To see the rest of our top 75 fantasy receivers for 2011, click here. For our point-per-reception (PPR) rankings, click here.

More updated 2011 Fantasy Football Rankings: Quarterbacks | Running Backs | Tight Ends | Kickers | Defenses

To keep track of our fantasy updates: (1) Follow us on Twitter @EDSFootball and/or (2) "Like" us on Facebook. If you have any specific fantasy questions, feel free to send us a tweet or post your question in our fantasy football forum.

Good luck in (all of) your fantasy league(s) in 2011!

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 06:42 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Can you believe it's September already, the college football season has already started and we are only five days from the 2011 NFL season opener between the Packers and Saints?

Our Week 1 fantasy rankings will be released early next week to help you set your lineup(s). A key requirement to setting your lineup(s), however, is that you have already drafted your squad.

For those of you with your draft(s) this weekend or early next week, we are in the process of updating all of our full pre-season rankings one last time, which began with our updated quarterback rankings.

We continue the process with our updated 2011 fantasy football running back rankings (based on standard scoring), as follows:

1. Adrian Peterson, Vikings: With the retirement of Brett Favre (we believe) and free-agency departure of Sidney Rice, we expect to see a reversal in the three-year decline in Peterson's rushing attempts (363 to 314 to 283 in 2010). That said, Peterson ranks second in yards from scrimmage over the past three seasons (5,239) and has scored 54 touchdowns in 61 career games.

2. Chris Johnson, Titans: Over the past three seasons, no running back has more yards from scrimmage than Johnson, who set the single-season record in 2009 when he became the sixth running back to eclipse the 2,000-yard rushing mark. Johnson, who signed a four-extension with $30 million guaranteed, has ended his holdout. While that's certainly great news for the Titans and fantasy owners, there is increased risk (see Revis, Darrelle) for a muscle injury as he gets into "game shape."

3. Jamaal Charles, Chiefs: Despite ranking 14th in the league in rushing attempts (230) and second on his own team (Thomas Jones had 245), Charles finished second in the league in rushing yards (1,467) and yards from scrimmage (1,935) in 2010. While fantasy owners have been frustrated by Charles' less-than-deserved share of the workload, Charles is expected to get a larger share of the workload in 2011.

4. Ray Rice, Ravens: To some degree, Rice disappointed fantasy owners in 2010. While setting a career high in rushing attempts (307), Rice saw a year-over-year decline in most of his stats and set a career low with 4.0 yards per rush attempt. Even so, Rice still managed to finish in the top three in yards from scrimmage in 2010. While the swap of Ricky Williams for Willis McGahee is a push, at best, the addition of All-Pro fullback Vontae Leach, who signed a three-year deal with Baltimore, helps Rice's fantasy value.

5. Arian Foster, Texans: Foster led the NFL in rushing (1,616 yards), rushing touchdowns (16) and all running backs in receiving yards (604) in 2010. In addition, he was second among running backs in receptions with 66. Granted, the team has solid back-up running backs on the depth chart behind Foster. However, the biggest concern is the health of his injured hamstring, especially since those injuries tend to linger and it was the second time he injured it in the past month.

6. Darren McFadden, Raiders: After two largely disappointing seasons, McFadden, who was the fourth overall pick in the 2008 NFL Draft, broke out in 2010. McFadden missed three games, but he finished second in the NFL in yards from scrimmage on a per-game basis (128.0) behind only Foster.

7. Rashard Mendenhall, Steelers: Mendenhall set career highs in rushing attempts (324), yards (1,273) and touchdowns (13) after his breakout season in 2009. Despite having to face the Ravens twice this year, Mendenhall and Steelers' running backs have a fantasy-friendly schedule in 2011.

8. Maurice Jones-Drew, Jaguars: Despite playing through a "bone-on-bone" knee condition and missing the final two games last year, Jones-Drew had a six-game stretch with 100-plus yards and finished fifth in the league in rushing. A couple of months ago, Pocket Hercules said that it was "going to be fun" proving "a couple of people wrong."

9. Michael Turner, Falcons: Injured for a good portion of the 2009 season, Turner led the NFL in rushing attempts in 2008 and 2010. There are some concerns with Turner -- he turns 30 next offseason, he averaged a career-low 4.1 yards per rush attempt and he doesn't help out in the passing game at all. That said, 16 active players have more carries than "The Burner" so I'm not as concerned about his workload and Turner has a nose for the goal-line (39 rushing touchdowns in past 43 games).

10. LeSean McCoy, Eagles: McCoy, the Eagles' second-round pick in 2009, had only one game with more than 20-plus carries in Andy Reid's pass-first offense last year. Even in a league that does not award a point per reception, a receiving yard is just as good as a rushing yard. In other words, McCoy finished fourth in the NFL in yards from scrimmage (1,672).

[Related: McCoy is one of the three running backs featured in our free fantasy football contest for Week 1.]

11. Frank Gore, 49ers: Gore, who has agreed to a contract extension, got off to a great start in the first half last year -- over 1,000 yards from scrimmage (691 rushing yards and 348 receiving yards), which was especially impressive considering the team's general offensive woes. Recovered from the broken hip he suffered in Week 12, Gore has averaged more than 103 yards from scrimmage per game over his career although he has only played one full 16-game season.

12. Matt Forte, Bears: Over the three-year period that Forte has been in the league, only three other running backs (Chris Johnson, Adrian Peterson and Steven Jackson) have more yards from scrimmage than Forte. Forte's is even more valuable in point-per reception (PPR) leagues as only Baltimore's Ray Rice has more receptions than Forte during that span.

13. Steven Jackson, Rams: Although he is only 27 years old, Jackson ranks sixth all-time among active players in rushing attempts (1,878) including 654 attempts in the past two seasons combined. Although he set a career low in yards per carry (3.8) last year and has only ten touchdowns in the past two seasons, Jackson has accounted for 3,362 yards of total offense during that span. While I worry about the cumulative effect of his workload, the Rams offense still runs through Jackson.

14. Peyton Hillis, Browns: Ex-Browns coach Eric Mangini said he expected Jerome Harrison to "seize the opportunity" in 2010. Instead, Harrison was traded and it was Hillis who seized the opportunity as he finished 11th in the NFL in rushing (1,177 yards) and was one of eight backs to finish with double-digit rushing touchdowns. That said, Hillis wore (slowed) down as the season went on. In the final five games, he averaged 54 rushing yards per game, 3.8 yards per carry and scored no touchdowns.

15. Ahmad Bradshaw, Giants: Despite delivering a huge season as the team's featured back (1,235 yards on 276 carries), it could have been better for Bradshaw, who has re-signed with the Giants. After carrying the ball 15-plus times every week in the team's first nine games, Bradshaw had four games with 12 carries or less in the final seven weeks of the season. Unless he solves his fumbling issue (six lost fumbles), Bradshaw could see a reduction of his workload in 2011.

16. Shonn Greene, Jets: It's déjà vu all over again with Greene. Last year, Greene was expected to become the team's workhorse running back with the departure of Thomas Jones. Offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer said earlier this offseason that "we expect a breakout season" from Greene, who is expected to get 18-20 carries per game. If you multiply 18 carries per game by last year's 4.1 yards per carry (YPC), you get 1,181 rushing yards, which would have been good for 11th in the league last year.

17. LeGarrette Blount, Bucs: Despite having only 30 rushing yards through Week 6 of the 2010 NFL season, Blount reached the 1,000-yard milestone and became only the second undrafted rookie running back to do so. In other words, he gained 209 more yards than Chris Johnson over his final 11 games of the season (977 to 768). I'm looking forward to seeing what he can do over the course of a full season as a featured back.

18. Felix Jones, Cowboys: Compared to other running backs, Jones finished in the top 20 in yards from scrimmage (1,250) and top ten in receptions (48). Jones has more value in PPR leagues than standard leagues, but one way to boost his value in either format would be for him to score more touchdowns than the two he scored in 2010.

19. DeAngelo Williams, Panthers: Although injuries limited Williams to six games in 2010, he is two years removed from a 1,515-yard, 18-touchdown season. From a fantasy perspective, the presence of Jonathan Stewart diminishes the true fantasy value of Williams, who signed a five-year contract with the Panthers, (and vice versa).

20. Knowshon Moreno, Broncos: With new head coach John Fox preferring a run-first style, the biggest beneficiary should be Moreno even though the Broncos added Willis McGahee. Moreno, the first of two first-round picks by the Broncos in 2009, averaged nearly 90 yards from scrimmage per game last year.

21. Jahvid Best, Lions: What a start to the season Best had: five touchdowns in his first two NFL games. And then it was all downhill (or uphill?) from there. He scored only one other touchdown (Week 16) over the remainder of the season. Bothered by turf toe most of the year, Best finished with just over a 1,000 yards from scrimmage (555 rushing yards and 487 receiving yards). With the season-ending injury to Mikel LeShoure, one of the team's two second-round picks, Best should have an opportunity for a few extra carries on earlier downs, but will he be able to stay healthy himself?

22. Beanie Wells, Cardinals: Speaking of injuries, Wells is the man in Arizona after the team traded Tim Hightower and rookie Ryan Williams suffered a season-ending injury. Wells, who was the team's first-round pick in 2009, had an underwhelming performance in 2010 with only 397 rushing yards (3.4 yards per carry) in 13 games.

23. Cedric Benson, Bengals: In back-to-back seasons, Benson rushed for 1,100-plus yards each season while carrying it over 300 times per season even though he missed three games in 2009. Benson, who will turn 29 before the season ends, re-signed with Cincinnati for another season although it would make sense for the Bengals to give a larger share of the workload to Bernard Scott.

24. Fred Jackson, Bills: The difference in workload between Jackson (222 carries) and C.J. Spiller (74) should narrow considerably in 2011. While reports surfaced this preseason that the starting running back job was "Spiller's to lose," however, I still like Jackson more than Spiller this season.

25. BenJarvus Green-Ellis, Patriots: After using high picks to take a pair of running backs on Day 2 of the NFL Draft, it's unlikely that Green-Ellis duplicates his 2010 season (1,008 yards and 13 touchdowns). While The Law Firm will likely get the largest share of the workload, it wouldn't surprise me to see him finish with 50 less rushing attempts (approximately 175 carries) in 2011.

To see the rest of our top 50 fantasy running backs for 2011, click here. Or for our running back rankings for leagues that use point-per-reception (PPR) scoring, click here.

Over the next day or so, we will finish updating our rankings for other positions as well as our cheat sheets. To view all of our fantasy rankings, visit the TheTipDrill.com, our fantasy section.

Or to keep track of our fantasy updates: (1) Follow us on Twitter @EDSFootball and/or (2) "Like" us on Facebook.

If you have any specific fantasy questions, feel free to send us a tweet or post your question in our fantasy football forum.

Good luck in (all of) your fantasy league(s) in 2011!

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 09:34 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Jaguars running back Rashad Jennings averaged 5.5 yards per carry on his 84 rushing attempts as he finished with 682 yards from scrimmage in 2010.

Considering his production last year and my health concerns about Maurice Jones-Drew, I expected Jennings to get a larger share of the workload this year.

That won't happen as the team placed him on season-ending injured reserve.

"A Big Thx to all my Fans for the prays & support. They have decided to place me on IR this yr. I promise i'll return stronger...," Jennings tweeted today.

Deji Karim carried the ball 35 times for 160 yards (4.6 YPC) and will likely see a bigger role in 2011 although the team could add another running back.

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

The Titans and running back Chris Johnson have agreed on a four-year extension worth $53.5 million with $30 million guaranteed, per Jim Wyatt of The Tennessean.

Since he still had two years left on his contract, Johnson will be under Titans control through the 2016 season.

So one day after alienating plenty of fans on Twitter, Johnson gets the contract he wanted and ends his holdout.

"Can these fake Titan fans STFU on my timeline I don't have a regular job so don't compare me to you and I can care less if uthink I'm greedy," Johnson tweeted yesterday.

For "better or worst," there's no denying his ability and production.

Johnson, who will turn 31 years old during the 2016 season, has more yards from scrimmage (5,389) than any other back since he entered the league in 2008.

The Titans open the season against the Jaguars on September 11th -- see Titans full schedule here.

While there's little doubt that Johnson will be on the field on the 11th, Johnson's fantasy owners should hold their collective breath and hope that he doesn't pull his hamstring and then subsequently tweet the MRI a la Arian Foster.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 07:33 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)