NFL FanHouse

What's the Story on Steve Slaton?

Stephanie Stradley — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 12:30:00 EST

Filed under: Texans, AFC South, Fantasy Football

If you write about the Houston Texans, the No. 1 question you get from fans and fantasy football types is what's up with Steve Slaton? In the last game against the atrocious run defense of the Buffalo Bills, Slaton was benched after only one catch and carry because he fumbled the ball. Yet again. Slaton has a league-high seven fumbles for the year.

Coach Gary Kubiak was up front about the benching, talking about it to Slaton and the team: "I told Steve in the locker room to get his chin up. This team needs him playing well and making plays and I'm expecting him to come right back next week and help us."

I don't know if anyone knows whether Slaton can get on track. Kubiak wants two things of his runners: one, no negative yards, no dancing in the backfield, just pick a hole and go; and two, no balls on the ground. Slaton has struggled with both of these things this year. Given that the best way to beat the Colts is to keep quarterback Peyton Manning off the field, the Texans are going to want to be able to run the ball this Sunday, and Kubiak says he wants Slaton to be a part of that.

Kubiak certainly needs Slaton's help facing the Colts on the road, a place where the Texans have never won. Last year in Indy, Slaton had his best rushing day in the NFL with 156 yards on the ground and no receiving yards. With tight end Owen Daniels done for the year with an ACL tear after leading all league TE's in yards, the Texans are going to need the rest of their playmakers to make plays. Though Slaton has very much struggled this year in his rushing yards, he has 314 receiving yards despite being pulled so early in the Bills game. The top three receivers for the Texans have been Andre Johnson, Daniels and Slaton, so they certainly want him to be on track.

Last year, Slaton got carries because the Texans had few choices. Running backs Ahman Green and Chris Brown were out due to injuries, and Ryan Moats was a guy who was added to the roster after camp. Though Moats and Brown are both healthy, the Texans are going to want Slaton's big play ability. Even so, Kubiak is going to want to reward Moats' three-touchdown performance against the Bills because he tends to want to reward great play on the field whether it comes from named stars or not. Moats had a good performance earlier in the season in limited minutes, but didn't play the next week due to a turf toe injury.

Kubiak in talking about the running back situation in his Monday press conference said he wanted to "play them all," and that he may look to working in Slaton at different downs.

The running game in general has struggled for the Texans partially due to both starting guard positions being replaced for injuries. In addition, last year, the running game started off slow and improved as the year progressed, mirroring Slaton's season. Now that teams see that he fumbles the ball, they are holding him up and trying to strip it as he tries to gain extra yardage in traffic.

What's the Story on Steve Slaton? originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Tue, 03 Nov 2009 12:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Owen Daniels Reportedly Out for Season With Right Knee Injury

Will Brinson — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 17:30:00 EST

Filed under: Texans, Fantasy Football, NFL Injuries, NFL Rumors, NFL Analysis

Owen Daniels, the starting tight end for Houston, left the Texans' game early in the first quarter with a sprained right knee. The Texans managed to win (mostly due to Ryan Moats' beast of a game) but it appears as if the win will be pretty bittersweet, as it's being reported that Daniels is out for the season.

Adam Schefter innocuously (read: no link) dropped the news on Twitter, and the Houston Chronicle has -- kind of -- confirmed it, stating that Daniels will have an MRI on Monday but is "most likely" done for the season.

If Daniels does indeed miss the rest of the year, it's a tremendous blow for a Texans passing attack that had been one of the best in the NFL this year (third overall in passing yardage at 285.6 yards per game). Daniels led all NFL tight ends in yardage, was second in receptions, and third in receiving yards per game.

The tight end, as noted by Texans expert and now heartbroken fan Steph Stradley, had previously tore his left ACL in high school and his left ACL and MCL in college; this seems like the same injury, only to the other leg.

Daniels' five touchdowns on the season and 40 receptions were the most on the team and his 519 yards were second behind only Andre Johnson. So yeah, he will be sorely missed.

Fantasy Spin: This is a nightmare scenario for Daniels' owners, obviously, because thus far he's been the top scoring TE in all Fleaflicker leagues. Hold onto him for now (at least until Monday afternoon) because you don't want to find out he'll only miss 2-3 weeks right after putting him on waivers, but be thinking about a replacement immediately. Joel Dreessen will likely catch the balls from Matt Schaub, so if you're in a deep league, go ahead and make that play, just because Houston tosses the ball a lot. If you're in a shallow league, Ben Watson (34 percent owned), Tony Scheffler (57 percent) and Todd Heap (51 percent) are all viable options as well.

Owen Daniels Reportedly Out for Season With Right Knee Injury originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Sun, 01 Nov 2009 17:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Pats Release Joey Galloway

Will Brinson — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 11:00:00 EST

Filed under: Patriots, Fantasy Football, NFL Rumors, NFL Analysis, NFL London

Less than two days after unleashing an aerial assault on the Titans, the Patriots have decided that Joey Galloway is an unnecessary part of their roster and, according to Adam Schefter, both on my teevee and Twitter, released him.

Galloway for the season has a stunningly weak six catches for 67 yards and hasn't played in a Pats game since Week 3. Additionally, when Galloway was on the field, there was an obvious disconnect between he and Tom Brady, who didn't seem to care for the receivers inability to stretch the field for Wes Welker and Randy Moss (which is what, theoretically, he was brought in to do).

As Schefter points out, Galloway is free to sign with another team, which is good news for the receiver who, despite being bumped from both the Bucs and Pats in the last few months, still has enough speed and talent to make him a viable second or third wideout for a playoff contending team.

Of course, he also lost out on a free trip to London as a result of the move, which might mean that Bill Belichick and Co. simply decided that his production didn't outweigh whatever travel costs he was going to incur.

Fantasy Spin: Heretofore, Galloway's been utterly worthless as a fantasy player, and there's always the [good] chance that continues. BUT -- and this might be more of an "if" than a "but" -- if he happens to land on a decent passing team without too many strong wideouts (or, you know, a crappy team like the Browns or Rams who will at least be throwing the ball downfield 40 times a game).

Report: Pats Release Joey Galloway originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Tue, 20 Oct 2009 11:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Fantasy Football Insurance? Why Not?

Matt Snyder — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 15:45:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy Football, NFL Fans

In a movement sure to incite the furor of many people who concern themselves too much with the activities of others, you can now insure your fantasy football team. Seriously.

I guess it was only a matter of time. As many estimate, fantasy sports as one blanket entity is a multi-million dollar industry, with fantasy football being far and away the most popular branch of the hobby. Fantasy Sports Insurance now offers disability insurance for fantasy teams in baseball, football, basketball, hockey, soccer, Nascar and golf. Their key selling point, though, is the season-ending injury suffered by Tom Brady last season.

They point to an article of CNBC's Darren Rovell from last season where he estimated the Brady injury shifted $150 million in fantasy winnings. When the money at stake is that high, of course people are trying to find more ways to get a piece of the pie. People already make money giving advice (pats self on back), selling draft boards, selling internet live scoring templates (check out Fleaflicker!), selling T-shirts for fantasy teams and much more. As long as the industry continues to thrive, there's no reason to resist ideas such as insuring fantasy teams.

The insurers decided that you can purchase insurance on either one player or a group of three players, with the premium being around 10 percent of your entry fee. If the player(s) named on the policy misses more than 2/3 of his team's games, you'll get your full entry fee back.

Of course, there are players too injury-prone to be insured, but owners know they are drafting a risky guy when taking players on that list anyway (Torry Holt, Fred Taylor, etc.). This is insurance 101. You don't allow a place with faulty wiring to buy fire coverage.

According to Rovell, the brokerage has sold around 400 policies thus far with the expectation of a spike in business over the course of the next week or two.

Personally, I think this is a fine idea. Yeah, I know ... the judgmental, cooler-than-you people are sure to come out of the woodwork complaining about this. They'll call people losers, tell them they need to get a life, etc. All that played out nonsense. For the billionth time, I'll ask what is wrong with a hobby involving sports, gambling and trash talk with your friends. Sounds like quite the typical male hobby to me.

As an avid fantasy football player, though, I tend to be against this. True insurance against a season-marring injury to one of your best players is by filling your team with good players. There are always good bargains to be had in the last few rounds, as Steve Slaton owners from last season can attest.

The response of the insurance company is that injury issues can affect the entire fantasy league, because teams who lose someone like Brady in Week 1 tend to just give up. Thus, the competitive edge is lost. Therefore, they (shockingly) think every league should require every owner to have insurance.

Allow me to offer a simple solution that won't cost you any extra money: Only include people in your fantasy league that want to be as serious as you want to. If someone in your big money league would honestly give up after one injury, you either need to quit the league or kick that owner out -- depending upon your level of power in the league. If you and your friends want to play in a hands-off, casual league for very little money, you won't mind if someone throws in the proverbial towel early. All that means is an easy win when they square off against your team.

The bottom line is that, while I'm not against the idea, I think it's an unnecessary purchase for fantasy owners. By the same token, it's also a good idea to try and capitalize on a monster of an industry by the insurance company. It really seems like easy money for them, assuming the top 20 preseason fantasy players don't go down with season-ending maladies. In this economy, we should commend people creative and smart enough to take on a venture like this. It's refreshing to see, as opposing to all the woe-is-me whining splashed across the internet message boards.

Fantasy Football Insurance? Why Not? originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Tue, 25 Aug 2009 15:45:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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More Bad News For Raiders: Chaz Schilens Goes Down

Matt Snyder — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 16:20:00 EST

Filed under: Raiders, AFC West, Fantasy Football, NFL Injuries

As the Oakland Raiders try to move forward from Punch-Gate and put together their first winning season since Jerry Rice was their leading receiver, they have already received some more bad news. Chaz Schilens, who was definitely shaping up as their best receiver, has suffered a relatively serious injury.

According to FanHouse's Nancy Gay (via e-mail), who is in Raiders camp today, Schilens has a fractured 5th metatarsal bone in his left foot. He currently has a boot on it. There is no word yet on if he'll require surgery.

Foot injuries in football, especially to people who need to use their speed (like, say wide receivers?), are awfully troublesome. A normal timetable is somewhere in the 4-to-8 week range, but we don't know enough to even speculate yet.

David White of the San Francisco Chronicle, though, tweeted this: "Schilens says he'll play opener 'if God does a miracle.' Not what fans want to hear from their No. 1 receiver."

Ouch. The hits just keep on coming in Oakland training camp.

Schilens had endeared himself to Raider Nation with a good close to last season -- his rookie year -- and had reportedly been a force in the offseason. The Raiders expected him to continue his growth and emerge as their top option in the passing game this season.

So, yeah, it's a big blow to the Raiders. They'll need someone from the group of Javon Walker, Johnnie Lee Higgins, Darrius Heyward-Bey and Louis Murphy to step up until Schilens can make a full recovery. In fact, they'll need two from that group to separate themselves in order to properly balance out what looks to be a fierce running game.

Fantasy Spin:
This is really bad news for people looking to snag Schilens as a late value-pick. We really liked him to step up and have a productive season. Now, it appears he won't be able to play until a few weeks into the season, plus, he may not be full speed until even deeper into the season.

JaMarcus Russell's already very small fantasy value takes a slight hit. Expect Zach Miller and Darren McFadden to see an increase in targets, since the Raiders need to throw where it's reliable (think about the Bears last season, when a running back and tight end were the top two pass-catchers).

For the receivers, do give a boost in value to Higgins as one of the late round grabs in place of Schilens. In yearly leagues, it's best to avoid the other guys unless you play in insanely deep leagues (like 24-teamers). In that case, Heyward-Bey, Walker, Murphy is how they'd be ordered.

More Bad News For Raiders: Chaz Schilens Goes Down originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Tue, 18 Aug 2009 16:20:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Flacco Goes Bang-Bang, Skeet-Skeet to Show Why He Rules in Fantasy

Will Brinson — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 11:00:00 EST

Filed under: Ravens, Fantasy Football, NFL Media Watch, NFL Video, NFL Quarterbacks

The "Fantasy Files" from NFL.com were a huge hit last year -- everyone got all worked up about Jason Campbell's sick viral video -- so there was no reason to think they wouldn't bring them back again this season. And they did! First up? Joe Flacco, who, via Jimmy Traina at Hot Clicks, decides that he's going to shoot skeet ... with a football. And his gun is his arm. Duh. It's so realistic it must be true!

Flacco Goes Bang-Bang, Skeet-Skeet to Show Why He Rules in Fantasy originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Thu, 23 Jul 2009 11:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Yahoo!, NFLPA Settle Fantasy Lawsuit

Matt Snyder — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 13:05:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy Football, NFL Fans

Stigma from the "too cool" crowd aside, fantasy sports -- especially fantasy football -- are a huge business. Some estimates show up to 15 million people taking part in fantasy football each year with the amount of money changing hands estimated to be around a billion dollars.

Naturally, the NFL Players Association couldn't stand to see all this money being thrown around without wanting a piece of it. I mean, Yahoo! was using players' pictures and statistics to help make money! God forbid a few guys put together a neighborhood fantasy league without having part of their league entry fee go to the players they are following.

Play FREE Fantasy Football at Fleaflicker | Position Rankings | Team Previews

Thus, the NFLPA decided to charge Yahoo! royalties for using pictures and stats on a likeness basis. Yahoo! claimed they shouldn't have to pay a dime because the information is readily available to the public. The situation has been settled out of court. So we can all now breathe a sigh of relief.

There are two distinct sides to this:

1. People are profiting off the NFL players. Therefore the players deserve a cut of the loot.

2. Where does it end? Do sports bars owe a cut of their beer sales on Sundays considering the NFL games garner much more of a crowd than any other day of the week? Do beer, soft drink and snack food companies owe the league a percentage of their late-January/early-February revenue, considering what the Super Bowl does for sales in those particular -- and many other -- avenues? Pizza delivery?

Obviously, I fall on the side of the latter. The NFL makes plenty of money from television and merchandise revenues in addition to their direct revenue streams like ticket sales and parking in and around the stadiums.

There's also this layer: There are many fans who only starting paying attention to football and watching it because of fantasy football. Then you have the people who used to only watch their favorite team and the playoffs, but now subscribe to NFL Sunday Ticket because they like to watch all their fantasy players -- which means more revenue to the league and the players.

The bottom line is that the NFL has a revenue stream that has been partially aided by fantasy football, whether the players want to admit it or not. Even if it is a small percentage, it's helping them. They aren't going to be able to monopolize fantasy football on the internet by making everyone play on NFL.com or NFLPlayers.com, so they might as well embrace how much the hobby of millions helps them earn their lofty paychecks every week.

Yahoo!, NFLPA Settle Fantasy Lawsuit originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Tue, 07 Jul 2009 13:05:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NFL Players Have Fantasy Football Draft

Matt Snyder — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 11:40:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy Football, NFL Fans

Among the most tired arguments against fantasy football are that people playing it need to "get a girlfriend" or "get a life." First of all, as an avid fantasy football player, I'd like to point out that my wife probably wouldn't appreciate it if I got a girlfriend. Secondly, when seven well-known NFL players play, how can you really question if it's "cool" while comparing it to Dungeons and Dragons? Just get over yourself and try it before knocking it. It's fun.

Mini-rant aside, NFLplayers.com held an 8-team draft last week, pitting Leon Washington, Roy Williams (Cowboys WR), Ronnie Brown, Robbie Gould, Matt Forte, Cato June and DeAngelo Williams against one lucky fan. Let's see how they did.

I'll list each player's probable starting lineup (QB, RB, RB, WR, WR, TE, Flex, D/ST, K) and then bench players, followed by a grade and short comment.

Washington
Starting Lineup: Kurt Warner, Michael Turner, Ryan Grant, Andre Johnson, Greg Jennings, Tony Gonzalez, Derrick Ward, Jets, Stephen Gostkowski
Bench: Donovan McNabb, himself, Laveranues Coles, Jake Delhomme

Grade: B+

Comment: Love this thing everywhere but at RB2. Grant's very weak in this spot for an 8-team league. Maybe Washington's planning on taking the league by storm and didn't worry about filling his RB2 slot earlier? Warner, Turner, Johnson, Jennings and Gonzalez will pack the stat sheet every week, though. Good team.

R. Williams
Starting Lineup: Tony Romo, Adrian Peterson, Ronnie Brown, Calvin Johnson, himself, Kellen Winslow, Darren McFadden, Steelers, Neil Rackers
Bench: Ben Roethlisberger, Eli Manning, Michael Crabtree, Knowshon Moreno

Grade: B-

Comment: Most interesting team. He took himself and last season's teammate as the starting receivers. He took two rookies late, and got a possible steal based upon upside in McFadden. Considering where he drafted him, though, he paid too much for the trio of quarterbacks, who carry more name recognition than fantasy value.

Brown
Starting Lineup: Phillip Rivers, Matt Forte, LenDale White, Anquan Boldin, Terrell Owens, Owen Daniels, Santonio Holmes, Ravens, Ryan Longwell
Bench: Chad Pennington, Jonathan Stewart, Jeremy Shockey, Reggie Bush

Grade: C-

Comment: First of all, I'd start Bush over White and Holmes, but Brown drafted Bush in the last round. Surprising that the entire group avoided him like the plague. Maybe they know something we don't? Overall, running back is pretty weak behind Forte and the receivers are a pretty risky group considering how shallow the league is.

Gould
Starting Lineup: Aaron Rodgers, Maurice Jones-Drew, Brandon Jacobs, Reggie Wayne, Steve Smith, Chris Cooley, DeSean Jackson, Bears, John Kasay
Bench: David Garrard, Kyle Orton, Cedric Benson, Devin Hester

Grade: C

Comment: What's he doing taking the Packers' quarterback? C'mon Robbie! Otherwise, Gould's draft shows he's a loyal guy. Not only did he take the Bears defense and Hester, but also two former teammates (Benson and Orton, in case you've been living under a rock for the past five years). As for the actual analysis, though, this is a bad team. It would be a good team in a 12-team league, but in an 8-man draft, the flex spot and bench are pretty sub-par.

Forte
Starting Lineup: Matt Schaub, Chris Johnson, Steve Slaton, Larry Fitzgerald, Chad Ochocinco, Greg Olsen, Pierre Thomas, Giants, Robbie Gould
Bench: Jay Cutler, Eddie Royal, Vincent Jackson, Darren Sproles

Grade: A

Comment: Now that's more like it for my Bears. What incredible value with Ochocinco, Thomas and Jackson. There is no weakness on this squad. Finally, he picked Gould during a kicker run immediately before Gould would have had the chance to draft himself. Solid move.

June
Starting Lineup: Tom Brady, Brian Westbrook, Marion Barber, Randy Moss, T.J. Houshmandzadeh, Zach Miller, Thomas Jones, Chargers, Nate Kaeding
Bench: Matt Ryan, Marques Colston, Joseph Addai, Braylon Edwards

Grade: A

Comment: Any injury concerns from Brady are mitigated by Ryan being the backup. Very strong receiving corps and I believe he'll end up playing Colston every week. The Chargers defense was great late value, too, with the return of Shawne Merriman.

Dave Stasinski (the fan)
Starting Lineup: Drew Brees, LaDanian Tomlinson, Steven Jackson, Roddy White, Dwayne Bowe, Antonio Gates, Clinton Portis, Vikings, Mason Crosby
Bench: Carson Palmer, Larry Johnson, Marshawn Lynch, Anthony Gonzalez

Grade: A+

Comment: He's definitely more experienced in fantasy than the players. With an overload of stud running backs, he'd be able to trade for any deficiencies during the season. Of course, right now there don't appear to be any.

D. Williams
Starting Lineup: Peyton Manning, himself, Frank Gore, Wes Welker, Brandon Marshall, Jason Witten, Kevin Smith, Redskins, Rob Bironas
Bench: Trent Edwards, Matt Cassel, Santana Moss, Dallas Clark

Grade: D

Comment: Didn't get much depth and the Redskins are a better real defense than fantasy. Not sure why it was necessary to pick two tight ends in the top six rounds, and that's precisely why his depth is bad in other spots.

NFL Players Have Fantasy Football Draft originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Thu, 02 Jul 2009 11:40:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NFL Playoff Fantasy Football Guide

Matt Snyder — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 15:45:00 EST

Filed under: Arizona Cardinals, Chargers, Colts, Dolphins, Eagles, Atlanta Falcons, Giants, Panthers, Ravens, Steelers, Titans, Vikings, AFC East, AFC North, AFC South, AFC West, NFC East, NFC North, NFC South, NFC West, Fantasy Football, NFL Playoffs

There are several different fantasy playoffs models, so it's difficult to accommodate everyone when doing any set of fantasy advice for the real playoffs. Most common models require you to do a bit of prognosticating as far as the actual game winners. To that, I say good luck. This isn't like last year, where we all knew the Patriots were going to the Super Bowl. This season the playoffs are wide open, and no, I don't think the Giants are a sure thing to make the big game. They are the surest bet, but it's still a bet.

Anyway, we're going to analyze some of the players.

First, here are the regular-season defensive rankings for the teams playing this postseason.

Team (overall rank, rushing rank, passing rank, scoring rank)

Pittsburgh Steelers (1, 2, 1, 1)
Baltimore Ravens (2, 3, 2, 3)
Philadelphia Eagles (3, 4, 3, 4)
New York Giants (5, 9, 8, 5)
Minnesota Vikings (6, 1, 18, 13)
Tennessee Titans (7, 6, 9, 2)
Indianapolis Colts (11, 24, 6, 7)
Miami Dolphins (15, 10, 25, 9)
Carolina Panthers (18, 20, 16, 12)
Arizona Cardinals (19, 16, 21, 28)
Atlanta Falcons (24, 25, 22, 11)
San Diego Chargers (25, 11, 31, 15)
Here are some things we can deduce from that.

- The Dolphins and Falcons allow lots of yardage without giving up an inordinate amount of points.
- You can't run on the Vikings, but you can surely pass on them.
- Arizona's defense is the worst left.
- The Chargers' pass defense is embarrassing.
- The Steelers, Ravens, Eagles, and -- to a lesser extent -- the Giants and Titans, are incredibly tough on opposing offenses.

With that stuff in mind, we'll go through, by position, the fantasy relevant players.

Quarterback

Big upside: Kurt Warner -- Most people believe the Cardinals are going to get bounced in the first round. If you like gambling, however, you can possibly get two really solid games out of Warner. The Falcons have a poor pass defense ranking. The Cards play much better at home, so it's possible they take down the inexperienced Falcons. If so, the Cards could be facing the Panthers -- if the Eagles beat Minnesota -- mediocre pass defense in round two. I'm intrigued.

Bust: Chad Pennington -- the numbers don't look good for his potential here. The Ravens kill opposing offenses, and are favored. I don't think you want to waste such an important position on Pennington's one lackluster game.

Elite picks: Peyton Manning, Donovan McNabb
Safe pick: Eli Manning
Upside gambles: Philip Rivers, Joe Flacco, Matt Ryan, Jake Delhomme
Bad picks: Kerry Collins, Ben Roethlisberger, Tarvaris Jackson

Running Back

Big upside: LeRon McClain -- I really like the Ravens to make some noise, and the first round game against Miami presents quite the opportunity to rack up yardage and hit paydirt once or twice.

Bust: Ronnie Brown -- He's averaging just over 13 carries a game this season. While he's reached the end zone 10 times, that lack of touches is enough to scare me into not wanting him. I haven't even mentioned the Ravens' stellar run defense, either. Ignore him.

Elite picks: Adrian Peterson, DeAngelo Williams, Brian Westbrook, Michael Turner
Safe picks: LaDanian Tomlinson, Brandon Jacobs, Chris Johnson
Upside gambles: Derrick Ward, Joseph Addai, LenDale White, Mewelde Moore, Jonathan Stewart
Bad picks: Ricky Williams, Willis McGahee, Willie Parker, Chester Taylor, any Cardinals

Wide Receiver

Big upside: Reggie Wayne -- The Chargers are brutal against the pass, so Wayne will be able to exploit them. I'm expecting a Colts victory, which would mean their next opponent will completely shut down the run and the Colts will be forced to take it to the air.

Bust: Bernard Berrian -- The Vikes won't be passing much on Philly, and I'm counting on a loss. Don't waste a spot on Berrian.

Elite picks: Steve Smith, Larry Fitzgerald, Anquan Boldin
Safe picks: Derrick Mason, Hines Ward, Roddy White
Upside gambles: Anthony Gonzalez, Santonio Holmes, Domenik Hixon, DeSean Jackson, Steve Breaston
Bad picks: all Dolphins, Marvin Harrison, all Titans, Bobby Wade, Kevin Curtis

Tight End

Big upside: Dallas Clark -- He developed into the most explosive tight end in football down the stretch, and the Colts -- as I said above -- have a desirable pass matchup.
Bust: Todd Heap -- He's just not reliable anymore. Don't fall in love with the name recognition.

The only other good pick: Antonio Gates
Especially bad picks: Visanthe Shiancoe, Heath Miller, Anthony Fasano

Defense/ST

Big upside: Giants
Bust: Vikings - Noticing a theme? I believe the Vikes are getting bounced in their first game, and they won't be stopping the Eagles' passing attack much in that game. You might get a few sacks via Jared Allen, but overall this is not a great play.

Best of the rest: Ravens, Steelers, Eagles
Worst of the rest: Cardinals, Falcons, Chargers

Kicker

Good picks: Jason Elam, John Carney, Matt Stover, Neil Rackers, David Akers, Rob Bironas
Poor picks: Ryan Longwell, Jeff Reed

As always, feel free to ask specific questions, and we'll reply with answers.

NFL Playoff Fantasy Football Guide originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Fri, 02 Jan 2009 15:45:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Peyton Manning Really Wants to Play, and Win, Sunday Against Tennessee

Matt Snyder — Fri, 26 Dec 2008 10:55:00 EST

Filed under: Colts, AFC South, Fantasy Football

Normally a statement like the title would be as meaningless as some of those Christmas gifts you received from a distant relative in the gift exchange this past week. Saying Peyton Manning wants to win a football game is definitely like giving someone his third pair of driving gloves. It's a totally unnecessary -- and totally unwanted -- gift. Still, this week it's news. The game means nothing to the Colts. They are the fifth seed in the AFC, no matter what. Their opponent, the Tennessee Titans, have already wrapped up home-field advantage throughout the playoffs.

Really, the game doesn't mean anything to anyone outside of fantasy footballers. Peyton would disagree with that statement.

"We'd like to continue our winning streak, and go into the first week of the playoffs coming off a win. We'd like to keep the momentum going. We're going to do whatever it takes to keep that going."

I don't know if I can buy that.

"Whatever it takes" would mean playing all your best players the entire game. Tony Dungy's track record is checkered with playoff teams not needing a Week 17 (or 16 or even 15, for that matter), and he never risks injury to his key pieces. Why don't we see what he says?

"Everybody would like to play," Dungy said. "There's no doubt about that. They get 16 opportunities a year, and especially when you get in Peyton's situation where you don't have 12 or 15 years left, you do start counting the games. A lot of our veterans feel that way.

"A number of guys have come to me, wanting to play the whole way and wanting to play more. We'll have to gauge it and judge it. We do only have 45 guys who can play, so guys will get to play their share."

See, he's not going to let Manning or Reggie Wayne -- who has also expressed desire to play the whole game -- or Dwight Freeney or Bob Sanders play much more than a half. We know Dungy.

"I want to play the whole game," said Manning.

You know what? This is why you have to love the fire Peyton has. It reminds of how every single fourth down he's looking at the sidelines waving off the field goal or punt unit -- trying to overrule the decision of Coach Dungy. The best part about is that sometimes it works and they go for it, and they usually get it.

We'll see if Manning gets his way this time. I'm guessing not.

Fantasy Spin: Don't bother with any of your Colts unless you are desperate. Manning isn't the boss just yet, and Dungy's not going to risk an injury to any of his studs.

Peyton Manning Really Wants to Play, and Win, Sunday Against Tennessee originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Fri, 26 Dec 2008 10:55:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Injuries to Watch: Turkey Day

Ryan Dembinsky — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 19:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy Football, NFL Injuries

Be careful folks; don't let that Tryptophan spin you into a snooze on Thanksgiving Day before carefully setting that fantasy lineup. There are a couple of critical injuries to keep an eye on for Thursday, so take note as you prepare your for your last hurrah before the fantasy playoffs. As always, please feel free to chime in with opinions, updates, and rumors in the comments.

The Arizona Cardinals

The Cardinals are sitting pretty from a fantasy perspective. Everybody is good to go.

The Dallas Cowboys

Tony Romo - Tony Romo went back to wearing a splint on his finger during practice on Tuesday, but he will play on Turkey Day. Whether or not he plays with the splint is unknown at this point, but regardless, after last week's gigantic numbers, start him no matter what, because he should pick apart the porous Seattle defense.

Jason Witten - Witten continues to nurse his sore ribs, but he will definitely play on Thursday. The real question is do fantasy owners stick with Witten despite his one catch per game average over the past four games? I would say yes, start Witten on Thursday, because the Seahawks have a below average pass defense and he should return to form. Witten also has a tendency to score touchdowns on Turkey Day (two TDs in three years), so keep him in there.

The Detroit Lions

Kevin Smith - Kevin Smith left the game against Tampa Bay last week with a shoulder injury after posting solid numbers for the third straight week. While Smith has been limited in practice this week, he is expected to play and despite the dominant pass defense, Tennessee is beatable on the ground. Furthermore, Albert Haynesworth is questionable this week after taking a knee to the head from teammate Javon Kearse last week and being forced to leave the game. Thus, Smith looks start-able for a flex spot or No. 3 running back.

The Philadelphia Eagles

Brian Westbrook - Westbrook continues to struggle with swelling in the knee and soreness in the ankle. He looks ready to play, but the looming questions remain: a) will he get a full load of touches after a couple lighter-than-usual weeks and b) will the Cardinals load up against the ground game and short passing game, given McNabb's awful play as of late? While these are valid questions, Brian Westbrook is a star in this league and sooner or later it will come back to haunt you if you decide to second guess him.

Correll Buckhalter - Buckhalter left his Week 12 game with a sprained knee ligament and will miss this week's game for certain and likely a couple of additional weeks. Lorenzo Booker will assume his role as support for Brian Westbrook, so Westbrook owners might want to handcuff with Booker -- if you believe in the whole handcuffing thing.

The Seattle Seahawks

Matt Hasselbeck - Hasselbeck appears to be pretty close to 100 percent and will certainly play this weekend, but since he has turned in two abysmal performances since returning from the back injury, I wouldn't touch him this week.

The Tennessee Titans

Titans D - Temper your expectations for the Titans defense this week as Haynesworth might be out of commission and several players on the defense are banged up. That said, let's not get crazy here; the Titans play the Lions and Daunte Culpepper is starting at quarterback, so they remain an obvious start.

Injuries to Watch: Turkey Day originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Wed, 26 Nov 2008 19:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Brandon Jacobs Will Not Play Today in Arizona

Matt Snyder — Sun, 23 Nov 2008 14:57:00 EST

Filed under: Arizona Cardinals, Giants, NFC East, NFC West, Fantasy Football, NFL Injuries

Jay Glazer, disputing an earlier report from, um, Jay Glazer, is reporting that Brandon Jacobs will not be active for today's game against the Cardinals in Arizona.

The Giants have the best rushing offense in the NFL, and that's not entirely due to Jacobs. The offensive line is stellar, and the duo of Derrick Ward and Ahmad Bradshaw will be more than adequate in attempting to replace the production of the studly Jacobs.

Jacobs will be fine moving forward, and probably could have played this week. The Giants just figured to play it safe and make sure he's completely healed before bringing him back. The 9-1 record and the abilities of Ward and Bradshaw had to have made the decision much easier.

Fantasy Spin:
I'd definitely get Ward active in almost all formats, and Bradshaw is a quality flex play or RB3 in larger leagues. I still expect the Giants to lean heavily on the run, but this does bump up the value of Eli Manning a hair.

Brandon Jacobs Will Not Play Today in Arizona originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Sun, 23 Nov 2008 14:57:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Adrian Peterson Sits First Two Series

Matt Snyder — Sun, 23 Nov 2008 14:47:00 EST

Filed under: Vikings, NFC North, Fantasy Football, NFL Injuries

Adrian Peterson was not on the injury report this week, yet he wasn't a starter for the Vikings today in a pivotal game at Jacksonville. The Vikings were still able to put together a touchdown drive, and Chester Taylor scored a rushing touchdown.

Peterson did enter the game on the third series, ripping off a 21-yard run on his first carry, so he's obviously healthy. Peterson also doesn't seem like the type to have gotten himself into the doghouse or warrant a benching for disciplinary reasons.

There were some reports this week that Brad Childress was concerned about the workload of their star workhorse, so perhaps they are just trying to limit his wear and tear by holding him out for a few series.

Still, it's kind of odd. Whether or not a player is the named "starter" is usually a formality and pride-type thing for players.

Update: Via PFT, the Vikings simply made the move to "mix things up." This doesn't make sense to me. You don't take out one of the best players in the league just for the sake of variety. Can you imagine the Colts starting Jim Sorgi for a few series tonight "just to mix things up?" Quite odd, move, though it didn't hurt the Vikes, as they are on their way to victory.

Adrian Peterson Sits First Two Series originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Sun, 23 Nov 2008 14:47:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Colts Still Unsure About Bob Sanders' Status

Matt Snyder — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 14:13:00 EST

Filed under: Chargers, Colts, AFC South, AFC West, Fantasy Football, NFL Injuries

It's been well-documented by pretty much everyone who's ever watched a football game that the Indianapolis Colts' run defense is a sieve when Bob Sanders doesn't play. Even though they won last week, the Colts were shredded on the ground by the Houston Texans, specifically rookie Steve Slaton. Slaton went for 156 rushing yards on only 14 carries.

This week, the Colts get to face LaDanian Tomlinson and the San Diego Chargers. I don't think it would be overstating things to say that the game hinges upon whether or not Sanders -- the reigning defensive player of the year -- is able to play. Sure, the defense still isn't great against the run when he plays, but they are able to make enough stops to win the overwhelming majority of their games.

As of today, it's still up in the air:

The status of Sanders won't be determined until Saturday or Sunday. He hasn't practiced since experiencing swelling in his right knee in practice leading up to last Sunday's game with Houston.

Fantasy Spin:
I'd be starting Tomlinson regardless, but if Sanders doesn't play, LdT is easily the top fantasy player for the weekend.

Colts Still Unsure About Bob Sanders' Status originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Fri, 21 Nov 2008 14:13:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Don't Count on Steven Jackson Playing

Matt Snyder — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 14:30:00 EST

Filed under: Rams, NFC West, Fantasy Football, NFL Injuries

Yes, this is your semi-daily obligatory Steven Jackson update. Woo hoo!

So the fact that SJax practiced Wednesday was basically a tease to St. Louis fans -- well, sort of, judging from their message board community, it seems like most hate his guts at this point -- and his fantasy football owners. Apparently the coaches reviewed the tape of Wednesday's practice and he didn't look like himself, and now the thigh is swollen again. His chances of playing, according to head coach Jim Haslett?

"I doubt if it'll happen to be honest with you," Haslett said. "But we'll see. You never know."

Jackson himself is quite unhappy.

"When I initially hurt myself in the Dallas game, I kind of thought maybe a day or two," Jackson said. "I really didn't think I would miss a game, let alone two or three. So it's frustrating because my thoughts were it was just kind of a strain, that I would probably need a couple days off and I'd be back. But for it to linger like this, it really makes you wonder what's really going on there."

"As a football player, you're always taught that you can play hurt but not injured," Jackson said. "We've been treating it like it's just me being hurt, and maybe we should treat it like I'm injured. I don't blame anyone. I'm not blaming the (training) staff or the coaching staff because I want to get out there more than anybody. Maybe I just have to sit myself down and kind of allow it to heal itself."

Yeah, well the difference is that it's tough to play through a weakened part of your strength. Quarterbacks can't play through injured fingers in their throwing hand (Tony Romo), receivers can't play through injured thumbs (Marques Colston), and Jackson can't play without fully healthy legs.

It doesn't make him less of a man or competitor, because he's just not healthy enough to play. It really annoys me when people start hurling accusations because they are still bitter he held out and makes a lot of money. If you don't like cheering for guys who make a lot of money, professional sports aren't for you.

UPDATE: He's definitely out.

Also, read the comments on the bottom of the entry for the source of my anger against fans who hate him.

Don't Count on Steven Jackson Playing originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Fri, 14 Nov 2008 14:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Steven Jackson Practices Wednesday, Big Test Coming Today

Matt Snyder — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 09:15:00 EST

Filed under: Rams, NFC West, Fantasy Football, NFL Injuries

Even though nearly every Rams fan can't wait to remind you that Steven Jackson is "selfish," because they are still bitter he held out in the preseason, no one can deny that this sputtering offense most definitely needs him on the field. The one time this season they actually looked like a functioning offense he was busy puncturing the Cowboys defense for 160 yards and three touchdowns on the ground.

Since the snafu of Jackson trying to make it back too quickly a few weeks ago, Head Coach Jim Haslett has taken the approach that Jackson won't be playing on Sunday if he isn't able to practice full-go during the week.

Wednesday Jackson was able to practice, but he wasn't full speed.

"He worked better today. We'll work him tomorrow and then hopefully make a decision," coach Jim Haslett said. "I know it's a lot better, but is it good enough? I don't know yet."

Thus, neither do we. Look for some news on this situation tomorrow, because it appears the big test will come Thursday in practice.

Steven Jackson Practices Wednesday, Big Test Coming Today originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Thu, 13 Nov 2008 09:15:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dynasty Diaries: Most Talented Rookie Running Back Class Ever

Matt Snyder — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 17:00:00 EST

Filed under: Arizona Cardinals, Chicago Bears, Broncos, Chiefs, Cowboys, Lions, Panthers, Raiders, Ravens, Steelers, Texans, Titans, AFC North, AFC South, AFC West, NFC East, NFC North, NFC South, NFC West, Fantasy Football, NFL Draft

With Ray Rice and Tim Hightower announcing their presence with authority this weekend, we are continuing to witness easily the best draft class of running backs in NFL history. No class even comes remotely close to this one, should even half of the guys continue to make good on the potential we've seen through just a half season.

You know what that means in fantasy football ... lots of possible horses to lock up for their entire career on your keeper league team. You know there are people out there who drafted LaDanian Tomlinson his rookie year and have enjoyed every single season of his production since. Does this year's draft class sport one of those?

Below, we'll list of the relevant running backs selected in the NFL draft this past off-season. They are listed in order of draft position, and I'll throw in a little (round- overall pick) just for fun next to the names, and we'll analyze what we've seen and what we can expect moving forward, so you can keep this in mind as you enter the busiest trading season in keeper leagues -- as owners falling out of the race deal good players for next year's draft picks.

Each player will be given a KR (keeper rating), which is a scale of 1-10. If I give a guy a one, don't bother to even think about keeping him this off-season. If I give a 10, you must keep him for next year -- this is what Adrian Peterson would have scored last year.

Darren McFadden (1-4) - He had a monster game earlier in the season, so we saw the potential. Of course, that was against the Chiefs pathetic excuse for a defense and McFadden's been hampered by futility and injuries ever since. So we really haven't gotten a firm grasp on what he can be in this league. We do know he sports enormous talent and potential, overshadowed by only Peterson in those terms when it comes to young runners. The main problem is that we have to trust the Raiders team and specifically offense to become at least somewhat productive down the road, or McFadden runs the risk of being wasted. KR: 7

Jonathan Stewart (1-13) - We've seen spurts of fantasy stardom, but not many because he's only getting a limited number of touches. DeAngelo Williams has been taking the lion's share of touches recently in the backfield, while Stewart is relegated to short-yardage situations. He's a valuable back both in reality and fantasy, because touchdowns matter. On the other hand, two back systems are quite popular in the league right now, and Williams isn't exactly old. I believe the Panthers stick with this platoon for the foreseeable future, and that puts a definite ceiling on Stewart's value. KR: 5

Felix Jones (1-22) - Felix hasn't seen a ton of touches in the games where he's been healthy enough to play, but he's certainly made the most of them ... garnering over 10 fantasy points three times. That's huge for being so limited. When he comes back healthy, you have to believe the Cowboys would like to curb some of that punishment Marion Barber takes -- which is much less than he dishes out, but still, he's only human -- by giving more carries to the talented rookie. In the future, as Barber ages and wears down due to his running style, Jones becomes more and more relevant to fantasy. KR: 8

Rashard Mendenhall (1-23) - The Steelers aren't the type of team to hold onto a guy for dear life, unless he's a quarterback, so conventional wisdom when they drafted Mendy was that they'd just let Willie Parker walk after his contract expired (after next season) and hand the job to the young bruiser from Illinois. Of course, we never got any sample of work from Mendenhall this year on which to judge, and he's out for the season due to injury. Unless you keep upwards of four or five RBs each year in your league, you can ignore for now ... but drafting him next year would be advisable. KR: 1

Chris Johnson (1-24) - He's a star, on the verge of becoming a superstar already. The Titans are going to remain a ball control and defense team for a long time with the pieces they have in place, including Head Coach Jeff Fisher. The presence of LenDale White in the same backfield could scare some, but it actually helps keep the wiry Johnson fresh and healthy. He won't have to deal with the inside pounding, yet still sometimes gets goal-line touches. He's on pace for 1430 yards and 10 touchdowns this year, and averages nearly five yards a carry. You're crazy if you don't hang onto him like Matt Jones does his secret stash. KR: 10

Matt Forte (2-44) - The Bears offense has been a work in progress the entire year. The line is somewhat patched together, and they are counting on a first round pick to bolster it in the future. Kyle Orton was developing the passing attack into a strength before his injury. All the while, Forte was piling up respectable or great fantasy numbers from week to week. He's never dipped below ten points, being a bastion of consistency. Don't expect things to change. Chicago loves its running game, and he'll grow with the offensive line. KR: 9

Ray Rice (2-55) - Brian Westbrook and Tiki Barber were once thought to be too small to survive being an every down back. Still, more times than not the little guy just can't make it as a feature back. Westbrook still is banged up quite often. This past weekend, for the first time, Rice was asked to carry the full running load. He succeeded admirably, chalking up 154 yards on 21 carries. He did lose goal-line touches, though, and it looks like he'd face that same platoon with the 23 year-old 260 pound LeRon McClain in the future ... and that's only if the Ravens decide to end the Willis McGahee era. KR: 2

Kevin Smith (3-64) - It's hard to get excited about anything Lions-related right now -- except MegaTron, of course -- but let's remember the albatross that was Matt Millen is gone. It will take some time to right the ship, especially with three teams in the division who appear headed in the right direction, but Smith has shown some good qualities. He's posted servicable fantasy numbers thus far, and it looks like he'll end up in the 800 yard and eight TD range. That's not bad at all on this team as a rookie. He'll be the featured back moving forward under the new administration. KR: 5

Jamaal Charles (3-73) - He's averaging 5.7 yards per carry this season, and is coming off his first career 100 yard rushing game. It came against the run-stingy Bucs, no less. When Larry Johnson returns to the field, he'll lose the majority, if not all, of his touches. The thing is, the Chiefs franchise is in such bad shape right now, it makes sense for them to start over at season's end. I don't see any way they retain the services of Johnson. Now that we've seen a flash of brief, but bright, potential, I bet the Chiefs head into next season with Charles as their running back. KR: 4

Steve Slaton (3-89) - The Texans offense has a really bright future, but until the defense gets fixed they are going to be throwing the football more often than not. Still, the diminutive speedster has shown he has what it takes to carry the load in a legitimate NFL offense, and he's been rather durable thus far. My only concern would be the Texans bringing in a short-yardage back to limit the pounding he takes between the tackles. KR: 6

Ryan Torain (5-139) - Even if I'd expressed that he has a chance to break through in the second half last week, which I did, and that this week it appears the path to his being the featured back in Denver is completely clear ... why in God's name would you keep a Denver back anymore? The Terrell Davis days are over. KR: 1

Tim Hightower (5-149) - The way this offense is built, it's going to be a machine for years to come. The only question comes when Kurt Warner gets too old to run it: Will Matt Leinart be mature enough to step in, or can they replace Warner with someone else? Regardless, heading into next year, Hightower will have shown his pedigree over a half season and will be much more comfortable with his teammates and the offense. He'll also have the job all to himself. You could do much worse. My only concern at this point is that the one game in which he carried the load came against an awful run defense. Let's see him against someone tough before we get too crazy. KR: 6

Dynasty Diaries: Most Talented Rookie Running Back Class Ever originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Tue, 04 Nov 2008 17:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Steven Jackson's Status Completely Unknown

Matt Snyder — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 13:39:00 EST

Filed under: Rams, NFC West, Fantasy Football, NFL Injuries

Steven Jackson is easily the best player the Rams have, when healthy. Of course, he's not healthy at this point, as evidenced by his lackluster at best performance Sunday. Apparently he wasn't as confident as he led everyone to believe leading up to the game.

When the Rams' offense trotted out for their first series of the day Sunday, Jackson was in the huddle. But before the Rams broke the huddle for their first play, Antonio Pittman had replaced Jackson. What happened?

With his strained right thigh muscle not 100 percent, Jackson said he wasn't comfortable running the play once he heard the call.

"The play call was really more of an outside play, a cutback play," (Jim) Haslett said. "He didn't think he was ready for that play. ... It kind of caught everybody off guard."

The entire backfield was in flux for the game, as Antonio Pittman and Travis Minor also suffered injuries. The Rams offense was handcuffed at that point. They had Jackson and Pittman fight through injuries, but they really couldn't advance the ball via the ground as a team.

In order to avoid similar problems this week, Jim Haslett is taking a different approach than last week.

"Steven's got to give us a full day's work this week," Haslett said Monday. "We can't go into the game not knowing whether he can play or not. So we just decided that we're going to make sure that he can actually go in practice, and not just jog through."

The biggest problem for the Rams was that they did have a healthy running back -- Kenneth Darby -- but he didn't dress because they were counting on Jackson.

Fantasy Spin:
Well, on the bright side you'll know if Jackson is playing or not before Sunday. The down side, though, is that it doesn't look good. Jackson's reported sore this week, and last week he said he wasn't. I'm really worried he won't be able to go this week.

Coach Haslett didn't sound optimistic as to the chances of Pittman playing, Travis Minor is also a questionable bet following his concussion.

All that's left, is Mr. Darby. The man who was on the Atlanta Falcons practice squad when the season began.

The Jets have a tough run defense anyway, so I'd definitely avoid nabbing one of the backups. If Jackson plays, though, you have to start him. He's a beast when he plays full-go. I'm crossing my fingers he is this week.

Steven Jackson's Status Completely Unknown originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Tue, 04 Nov 2008 13:39:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Welcome to Your Crossroad: Fantasy Football Sunday Tailgate, Week 9

Tom Herrera — Sun, 02 Nov 2008 09:20:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy Football, NFL Fans

Playoffs!? ... I just hope we can win a game.

In the infamous words of Jim Mora, that's all it comes down to, my fantasy compatriots. You take it one game at a time, one matchup at a time, and hopefully you're lucky enough to be there in the end. Football is the crapshoot of fantasy sports, and this might as well be the most crucial week yet for some of you -- especially if you're sitting with a 4-4 record, just on the outskirts of the cut line. The rapid-fire, fun-filled tailgate chat you know and love is after the jump. But before you join us for the madness, here's some quick tidbits:

-- Up-to-the-minute player news can be found here.

-- Spot Plays: Quarterbacks .... Chad Pennington vs. Denver, Marc Bulger vs. Arizona, Matt Ryan vs. Oakland ... Running Backs ... Tim Hightower supposedly starting vs. St. Louis. Kevin Faulk vs. Indianapolis tonight. Justin Fargas vs. Atlanta may surprise. I would say Antonio Pittman vs. Arizona, but Steven Jackson says he's playing... Wide Receivers ... Devin Hester vs. Detroit, Kevin Curtis vs. Seattle, Antonio Bryant vs. Kansas City, and Kevin Walter vs. Minnesota.

Welcome to Your Crossroad: Fantasy Football Sunday Tailgate, Week 9 originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Sun, 02 Nov 2008 09:20:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tim Hightower Close to Taking Arizona Starting RB Job from Edgerrin James

Matt Snyder — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 16:53:00 EST

Filed under: Arizona Cardinals, NFC West, Fantasy Football

Tim Hightower has been an impressive runner in his rookie season for the Arizona Cardinals. Edgerrin James, in what seems like his hundredth NFL season, has not.

Hightower's average yards per carry is low, but that's due to his usage as the goal-line back. He has scored six touchdowns already this season, the majority of which have been from inside the five yard line.

Edgerrin James is averaging only 3.5 yards per carry, and that's mostly without short-yardage touches. He's also got a ton of tread on those aging tires, as he nears 3000 carries in his illustrious career.

Common sense would dictate a change in the backfield is near ... and those thoughts are emanating from Cardinals camp this week:

(L)istening to the goings-on around the Cardinals on Monday, you got the feeling that a move from Edgerrin James to rookie Tim Hightower as the starting running back in the coming days or weeks is a distinct possibility.

The rest of the story has a few quotes from Hightower, Edge, and Coach Ken Whisenhunt ... where they basically didn't tell us anything. It was all politcal speak.

There was one thing that was never said, though ... no one ever said that Edgerrin James is definitely the feature back. I found that telling. To me, it sounds like the job is shifting from one man to the other. When asked if this was true, here's how Edge responded ...

"That's the way it was heading anyway, so it's cool."

Wow. It almost sounds like he doesn't even care.

Fantasy Spin:
You must add Hightower immediately in all formats. If he takes the starting job this week, he'll have a great opportunity to make a huge impact against the Rams sub-par run defense. Edgerrin James is relatively worthless in most formats even when he's starting at this point. He had one good week, and one decent one ... other than that he's been a waste this season. Let's hope, for our purposes, that the Cards move on.

Tim Hightower Close to Taking Arizona Starting RB Job from Edgerrin James originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Tue, 28 Oct 2008 16:53:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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