Who’s the best tight end in football? If you haven’t paid attention the past year and a half, you’ll likely say Tony Gonzalez. Hell, even if you have noticed what Antonio Gates has been doing for the Chargers, you may say Gonzo’s still the best simply because he’s been the best for so long. But not anymore. Gonzalez has been complaining about his lack of activity in the KC offense, and rightfully so — coming into this week’s game, Gonzalez had just 25 catches for 209 yards and no touchdowns. Gates, meanwhile, had 33 catches for 430 yards and three touchdowns.

But if there was any real debate about the identity of the NFL’s best tight end coming in to this week’s Chargers/Chiefs game, that debate is now officially dead. Gonzalez delivered his best line of the season, catching seven balls for 97 yards and his first score of the year, but Gates was even better, snagging 10 catches for 145 yards while reaching the end zone three times. You know Gonzo wanted to show up big against Gates and the Chargers, but apparently Gates wanted the same thing.

For Gonzalez owners, though, a silver lining can be found in the game’s box score. Not only did Gonzo have a solid performance but the Chiefs’ passing game, which had been rather lackluster this year, found a groove. Eddie Kennison had 115 yards and a score, Chris Horn caught seven passes, and Trent Green completed 31 of his 47 attempts for 347 yards. But even if Gonzalez finally starts delivering the kind of numbers owners expected from him on draft day, he’ll still play second fiddle to Antonio Gates.

SUNDAY HEADLINERS

Jake Plummer: 309 yards, 4 TD, 0 INT
Okay, this is getting crazy. It’s now been six weeks since Jake Plummer has thrown an interception. Six! We’re talking about a guy who’s thrown at least 20 picks five different times in the last eight years. We’re talking about a guy who, coming into this season, owned a 132-141 career TD-to-INT ratio. But this year, Plummer now has 12 touchdowns vs. just three interceptions. Not coincidentally, the Broncos are now 6-2 after thumping the Eagles 49-21 Sunday.

ALSO: Jake Delhomme (341 yards, 3 TD, 0 INT), Trent Green (347 yards, 2 TD, O INT), Drew Brees (324 yards, 3 TD, 1 INT), Kerry Collins (238 yards, 3 TD, 1 INT)

Tiki Barber: 24 carries, 206 yards, 1 TD
Is there a more underrated back in football? Is there a more underrated back in fantasy football? Barber now has 689 rushing yards and 5 TD on the season, and while the Giants’ potent downfield passing game has put a big dent in Tiki’s receiving totals, he’s still well on his way to another monster season. I bet you didn’t know that Barber’s averaged at least 4.4 yards/carry every year since 2000. This season? Try 5.3.

ALSO: Steven Jackson (25 carries, 179 yards; 2 catches, 21 yards, 1 TD), Marion Barber (27 carries, 127 yards, 2 TD; 2 catches, 15 yards), Fred Taylor (22 carries, 165 yards, 1 TD), Mike Anderson (21 carries, 126 yards, 1 TD)/Tatum Bell (14 carries, 107 yards, 2 TD)

Jerry Porter: 6 catches, 123 yards, 2 TD
Finally. The good news is, with Randy Moss limited by several injuries, Porter finally delivered the kind of stat line fantasy owners expected when they drafted the Oakland receiver this year. The bad news is that Porter was virtually invisible leading up to this game (25 catches, 303 yards, 0 TD), which means that owners who hadn’t given up on Porter completely most likely had him sitting on their bench for his breakout game. But if Kerry Collins and the Oakland offense can build off this strong performance, Porter may rebound nicely over the second half of the season.

ALSO: Steve Smith (11 catches, 201 yards, 1 TD), Joey Galloway (8 catches, 149 yards, 1 TD), Ernest Wilford (6 catches, 145 yards, 1 TD), Terrell Owens (3 catches, 154 yards, 1 TD)

SUNDAY FLATLINERS

Mark Brunell: 65 yards, 0 TD, 1 INT
From Headliner to Flatliner in one week. And what a miserable week it was for Brunell and the Redskins. Washington got embarrassed by the Giants Sunday, 36-0, thanks in large part to Brunell’s ineffectiveness. The leading candidate for Comeback Player of the Year completed just 11 of his 28 pass attempts Sunday and even gave way to Patrick Ramsey late in the blowout loss. Brunell owners shouldn’t get too worried just yet — it is, after all, just one game — but with Washington’s next two games coming against the Eagles and in Tampa Bay, you may want to send him to the bench for a couple of weeks.

ALSO: Brett Favre (279 yards, 1 TD, 5 INT), Eli Manning (146 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT), Josh McCown (161 yards, 1 TD, 2 INT), Aaron Brooks (181 yards, 0 TD, 1 INT)

Rudi Johnson: 22 carries, 72 yards, 0 TD
Admittedly, this one’s a bit personal because Rudi is absolutely killing me in one league. To quote our friends at Rotoworld.com: “…Rudi was held to 90 yards or less without a touchdown for the sixth time in eight games this season.” Ouch. Johnson’s been consistent and remains among the league leaders in rushing yards, but he hasn’t delivered a big performance yet. After scoring 13 touchdowns last season and nine in 13 games the year before, Johnson’s got just two in 2005. For owners in TD leagues (like me), that just doesn’t cut it.

ALSO: Priest Holmes (14 carries, 38 yards, 0 TD; 3 catches, 15 yards), Cadillac Williams (13 carries, 20 yards), Antowain Smith (6 carries, 33 yards), Marcell Shipp (12 carries, 44 yards)

Michael Clayton: 4 catches, 30 yards, 0 TD
I’m getting personal again, but I know I’m not the only one who curses Michael Clayton whenever he reads the Tampa Bay box score each week. Against the pathetic 49ers defense and coming off a bye, which not only gave Clayton time to sync up with his new QB but to also rest his injured shoulder, this should’ve been the week Clayton busted out of his season-long slump. Instead, he laid another egg. I don’t know about the rest of you, but I’m ready to cut the guy.

ALSO: Nate Burleson (1 catch, 6 yards), Randy McMichael (3 catches, 20 yards), Randy Moss (3 catches, 26 yards), Santana Moss (4 catches, 34 yards)

Every week, I submit six names to our readers – three borderline fantasy players to start and three to bench. Here’s how I did last week:

START

Jake Plummer, DEN – 194 yards, 1 TD (PUSH)
Plummer didn’t put up big numbers, but he was efficient and didn’t throw any picks.

Chris Brown, TEN – 37 rushing yards, 0 TD (MISS)
Brown left the game with a neck stinger.

Az-Zahir Hakim, NO – 6 catches, 100 yards, 1 TD (HIT)
Hakim is a great play as long as Horn is injured.

BENCH

Michael Vick, ATL – 116 pass yards, 3 INT, 18 rushing yards, 2 TDs (MISS)
The league’s most inaccurate passer threw three picks but managed to run for two scores.

Jamal Lewis, BAL – 34 rushing yards, 0 TDs (HIT)
Lewis has been awful. Is it time for Chester Taylor?

Mushin Muhammad, CAR – 3 catches, 39 yards (HIT)
Muhammad is wasting away in the Bears’ lowly passing attack.

On to this week’s picks:

START

QB – Drew Brees, SD (vs. KC)
Brees should be able to pick apart a Kansas City defense that is giving up 264 yards a game. They are also 7th worst in TD passes allowed (10).

RB – Ronnie Brown, MIA (vs. NO)
The Saints rush defense is quite suspect, giving up 10 rushing TDs and an average of 126 yards per game. Brown has been pretty good the last two weeks and should have lots of room to run against New Orleans.

WR – Jimmy Smith, JAX (vs. STL)
The Rams are horrible against the pass, allowing an average of 246 yards a game. They are 2nd worst at allowing pass TDs (14). Jimmy is coming off a bye week and should be able to shred the St. Louis defense.

BENCH

QB - Eli Manning, NYG (vs. WAS)
The Redskins are stingy against the pass, allowing only four pass TDs all year along with 158 yards a game. It could be a tough game for Manning, who should sit on the pine if you have another decent play.

RB – Steven Jackson, STL (vs. JAX)
If you a good alternative, Jackson should be benched (especially in touchdown leagues) against an underrated Jacksonville defense, which has allowed a healthy 120 yards per game, but has only allowed two rushing scores.

WR – Derrick Mason, BAL (vs. PIT)
Pittsburgh is pretty good against the pass, allowing just 206 yards through the air. They are even better at keeping opposing WRs out of the endzone (four pass TDs).

KEY INJURIES

Andre Johnson – Q
Antonio Gates – Q
Az-Zahir Hakim – Q
Brandon Jones – Q
Brandon Lloyd – P
Carnell Williams – Q
Chris Brown – Q
Chris Henry – P
Corey Dillon – Q
Donovan McNabb – P
Donte Stallworth – Q
DeShaun Foster – Q
Drew Bennett – O
Ed Reed – O
Fred Taylor – P
Hines Ward – P
Isaac Bruce – D
Jake Plummer – P
Jamie Martin – P
Jerome Bettis – P
Joe Horn – Q
Julius Jones – Q
Kurt Warner – P
Lee Suggs – O
Marc Bulger – D
Mark Brunell – P
Plaxico Burress – Q
Randy Moss – Q
Ray Lewis – O
Robert Ferguson – O
Roy Williams – Q
Rudi Johnson – P
Samie Parker – Q
Steve McNair – Q
Terrell Owens – P
Thomas Jones – P
Tom Brady – P
Tony Fisher – P
Torry Holt – D

Jerry Reinsdorf went on record early and often about how he would trade all six of the Chicago Bulls’ NBA championships for one White Sox World Series championship. Well, now he doesn’t have to. The White Sox win 10 out of 11 playoff games and sweep the listless Astros to win their first World Series since 1917. Unbelievable.

Any columnist, especially the ones in Chicago, will tell you that the Sox didn’t stand a chance in hell in going the distance. They needed another bat, maybe two, that was the conventional wisdom across the board. And yet, like they always say about playoff baseball, good pitching always beats good hitting. In this case, though, it was more a matter of good pitching beating aggressively mediocre hitting. I mean, what on earth happened to Morgan Ensberg? Dude hit 75 home runs during the season.

Some other observations:

A Low Down Dirty Shame: Jeff Bagwell doesn’t bat in Game 4. They’re an out away from being eliminated. How on earth does Phil Garner not give Bags a chance to save the day? There’s a runner on second, for crying out loud. They don’t need his cybershoulder to rip a dinger, they just need a single. It must have killed Bags to sit there and watch his team lose the last game of the Series, and not be able to do a damn thing about it.

The Other Low Down Dirty Shame: Frank Thomas doesn’t play in the payoffs. Sure, he’s not the most well liked player in the Sox clubhouse. But the guy has HOF numbers across the board, and he’s about to receive a ring that he did not earn. Some will tell you that the ring is reward alone, no matter your part in the grand scheme of things. But you know that Thomas would have sold Reinsdorf’s six NBA titles for just one at bat in any of these games.

What Have I, What Have I, What Have I Done To Deserve This: Brad Lidge. The guy was the #1 closer in my fantasy league, with 103 K’s, an ERA under 2.30, and 42 saves. The guy gives up a run here, a run there, and that was all the Sox needed, and Lidge instantly becomes a bum. He’s taking the fall for the fact that the Astros couldn’t hit, something that Roger Clemens would have told you about this team back in May.

He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother: The defense of both teams. You will be hard pressed to see two teams flash so much dandy glove work in four games in a row like the Sox and ‘Stros did. The highlight of the Series, fittingly enough, took place in the bottom of the 9th in Game 4, when Juan Uribe pulled a Derek Jeter and dove into the seats between third and left to snag a ball a good two or three rows into the seats. (The fans in Chicago would never have allowed that to happen, I can tell you that.) But there were about a dozen other spectacular plays as well, including the double play that the White Sox turned on a ground ball during a hit and run. Amazing.

It’s Oh So Quiet: The Juice Box. When Willie Harris scored in the top of the 8th, you would have thought that the Astros were down by ten runs, not one. Joe Buck made frequent mention of it throughout the broadcast, and I can’t say I blame him. The fans acted like they knew it was over before it had even begun, and whether they want to believe it or not, the players do feed on that.

Who Stole the Soul?: Jermaine Dye. The Series MVP, for my money, belongs to Joe Crede. He played ridiculous defense, and came up with a litany of clutch hits in nearly every game. Good for Dye for stepping up in Game 4 when no one else could put a bat on Brandon Backe, but as far as I’m concerned, Crede was their rock, day in and day out.

Congratulations to the 2005 Chicago White Sox. Chicago Cubs, you’re now on the clock. Anything less than a World Series next year will feel like a disappointment.

Sports Illustrated has released its All-Poison team - a list of the baddest of the NBA’s “bad apples.” Jalen Rose, Allen Iverson and Kobe Bryant are just a few of the players joining Stephon Marbury on this talented, yet nightmarish squad.

There is one name noticably absent from the list: Latrell Sprewell. This may be due to the fact that Spree doesn’t have a team at the moment, but they should have at least penciled him in as the water boy.

ESPN is reporting that the Milwaukee Bucks have traded swingman Desmond Mason and their 2006 first round pick to the New Orleans Hornets for power forward/center Jamaal Magloire. It’s possible that the Bucks will play Magloire alongside Andrew Bogut, with newly acquired Bobby Simmons at small forward. This would give the Bucks a starting lineup of T.J Ford, Michael Redd, Simmons, Magloire and Bogut. If Bogut progresses quickly and Ford continues to play well, this could be a formidable fivesome.

Mason will step into the starting small forward spot for the Hornets, playing alongside Chris Paul and J.R. Smith, giving New Orleans an exciting trio that will look to push the ball. Chris Andersen and P.J. Brown will likely round out the starting five.

Even if the White Sox end their curse in much the same way that the Red Sox ended theirs, in a four-game sweep and on the road, history should note that despite the lowest ratings in World Series history, these games have been fantastic. The largest margin of victory so far has been two runs. When was the last time that happened? Even when the Reds stunned the world by sweeping the A’s in 1990, at least one of those games was a bona fide blowout.

Not these games. They’ve been hard fought defensive gems, with the meanest relief pitching you’re ever likely to see. Bobby Jenks is just ridiculous, with a near unhittable fastball and a curve ball that makes batters curl up in the fetal position. It’s just a pity that they end at 2:20 in the morning.

People can talk all they want about why this Series is getting such low ratings, since New York and Boston aren’t involved. But Houston and Chicago are currently duking it out over which city is the third largest in the country, which means the other city is the fourth largest. That’s not big enough? No, that’s not the reason these games are rated so low; it’s because they’re all lasting until midnight, and in the case of last night, well beyond midnight. The kids are all in bed well before these games are halfway finished. How is the next generation supposed to get into baseball when it’s never on when they’re awake?

The Series likely ends tonight. Freddy Garcia against Brandon Backe? Advantage: Sox. But hey, what do I know? I thought that Oswalt would shut them down last night. It’ll be a great night for Chicago, but a bad 20 years for Cubs fans, since they’ll have to endure the vicious taunts of the Sox faithful. Then again, maybe a Sox Series will finally motivate the Tribune Company to do something about their pathetic team. After all, they’re about to start losing money, when ticket jersey sales all tilt the Sox’s way. And nothing is a faster motivator than the loss of money.

Ahman Green is done for the season and Robert Ferguson is out for a month. The Falcons, Jets, Colts and Seahawks are on bye. What does all of this mean for your fantasy team?

Post all of your roster questions here and we’ll try to give you the right answers.

Another week has come and gone, and two more Packers have found themselves on the infirmary list. If you are still trying to fill holes on your fantasy squad, here are a few guys to keep in mind:

QUARTERBACKS

Other than Jeff Garcia, Chris Simms, Jamie Martin and Kelly Holcomb, whom I mentioned in last week’s Watch, there is only one potentially attractive option on tap this week.

Billy Volek, TEN – Steve McNair was a late scratch for the game against the Cardinals and Volek – usually a very capable backup – was knocked out of the game with a concussion. The status of both players is up in the air, but this is a situation to keep your eye on as the QB for the Titans is reasonably valuable.

RUNNING BACKS

Tony Fisher, GB – If you haven’t heard, Ahman Green’s season is over. Najeh Davenport would normally replace him, but he’s already out with a season-ending injury. That leaves Tony Fisher, who normally gets playing time on 3rd down. He’s a bit thin for a RB, but is a good receiver out of the backfield and can be productive at times. In the end, he’s now a starting RB and those are hard to find on the waiver wire at this point in the season.

Frank Gore, SF – The 49ers starting RB, Kevan Barlow, left the game with a leg injury, but is listed as probable for next week’s game. Gore did well in his place, and if he sees more carries than usual in the next game, it may indicate a changing of the guard in San Francisco. I wouldn’t run out and grab Gore at this point, but this is another situation to watch.

Travis Henry, TEN – Henry is probably not available on your league’s waiver wire, but an impatient owner may have cut him after news of his suspension broke. He is available to play next week and the starter, Chris Brown, was knocked out of the game against Arizona with a neck stinger. Brown is notoriously fragile, so Henry is one of the more valuable backups in the league.

WIDE RECEIVERS

I mentioned Jabar Gaffney and Doug Gabriel in last week’s Watch, and they are still good options this week.

Antonio Chatman, GB – Robert Ferguson is out for 2-4 weeks with a sprained knee, so Chatman’s role figures to increase during that span. He was already productive as the third WR so I expect his numbers to increase a bit while the Packer offense suffers as a whole. Green Bay has a brutal schedule over the next three weeks, so they may be playing from behind for the next month or so.

Mike Williams, DET – Kevin Johnson is out for the season so the Lions are very thin at WR until Roy Williams and Charles Rogers return. Jeff Garcia is in at QB and seemed to connect well with Mike Williams, who caught five passes for 95 yards on Sunday. I don’t expect that type of production going forward, but Williams might be a good 1-2 week option.

In the world of fantasy sports, anyone can make solid picks in the first few rounds. It’s the middle to late rounds where championship squads are born. Here are a few sleepers (all being selected, on average, in the 8th round or later) that I’m trying to pick as the draft wears on.

GUARDS

T.J. Ford, MIL
After a terrific career at the University of Texas, Ford was drafted #8 overall by a Milwaukee Bucks team in need of a point guard. Known to be lightning quick and a great distributor, the two big knocks on him are his size and lack of shooting touch. He didn’t do anything in his rookie season to dispel either, shooting just .384 from the field before going down with a season-ending spinal cord injury. But the injury might have been a blessing in disguise for Ford, who rehabbed with former NBA coach/player John Lucas. Lucas wisely decided to reinvent Ford’s jumpshot so that Ford wouldn’t have to go to the hole to be a scoring threat. Fast forward to this preseason and, through four games, he’s averaging 13 points and six assists while shooting .474 from the field. I think those numbers are reasonable expectations for the season, putting him at the level of Jamal Tinsley and Luke Ridnour, who are both going a few rounds ahead of him.

Jason Williams, MIA
I’m not a big fan of all the extra flash in his game, and he seems like a mental lightweight (as evidence, I submit his official picture here. But one thing is for sure: he’s a talented ballhandler. That’s not to say he’s efficient – his career assist to turnover ratio (2.7) is worse than converted shooting guard Jason Terry’s ratio (2.9) last season – but he can handle the ball. After stints in Sacramento and Memphis, Williams has landed in Miami and is slated to start alongside Dwayne Wade and Shaquille O’Neal for the Heat. It is unclear if this lineup is going to work in the long term, but if Williams is able to play the role of the third or fourth option on offense, he should be able to rack up a ton of assists and improve on his career .390 field goal percentage. Thus far in the preseason, he hasn’t shown this potential, so he’s still considered a high risk pick. If he manages to fit in, I think 11 points and seven assists are within reach.

Bonzi Wells, SAC
After a couple of lackluster seasons in Memphis, Wells finds himself in a contract year and starting for the Sacramento Kings. He supposedly going to get 40 minutes a game and if he receives that kind of playing time, he should be able to improve on his career averages of 12.7 ppg, 4.4 rpg and 2.2 apg. Since he’s being drafted on average in the tenth round, that’s pretty good production. There is nothing quite like a contract year to get a malcontent like Wells motivated to perform.

Raja Bell, PHO
If you’ve already drafted, there’s a good chance that Bell is still in your free agent pool. This offseason, the Suns let Joe Johnson and Quentin Richardson sign elsewhere, and lost Amare Stoudemire for at least four months of the season. That’s an awful lot of points to replace. They signed Bell and have him as their starting shooting guard, and in six preseason games, he’s averaging 14 points, four boards and three assists. If Phoenix continues to have success with their up-tempo offense, he should be able to take these numbers well into the season. Not bad for a guy you can get in the final round of your draft.

FORWARDS

Josh Childress, ATL
Picked sixth overall in the 2004 NBA draft, Childress had the opportunity to play and improve in his rookie season with the Hawks. Over the last eleven games of last season, he averaged 16 points, seven boards and three assists. The free agent signing of Joe Johnson will surely change the dynamics in Atlanta, but there will still be ample minutes for Childress. Through five preseason games, he’s averaging 15 points, five boards and three assists per, while shooting .617 from the field. The accuracy should regress, but the other numbers should tick up a bit as he gets regular season minutes.

Stromile Swift, HOU
The Rockets signed Swift in the offseason to act as a hard-nosed, rebounding compliment to Yao Ming. At the moment, it appears that he will be coming off the bench, but it is expected that he will receive a good amount of time playing behind Juwan Howard. In his last three seasons in Memphis, he didn’t receive more than 22.1 minutes over the course of the season, but he should get a minimum of 25 in Houston. In the twenty games last season where he played that many minutes, he averaged 15 points, seven boards and more than two blocks. His career FG % (.468) is less than spectacular but his FT % (.712) isn’t bad for a big man. He is also eligible at center in many fantasy leagues, which only adds to his value.

Al Jefferson, BOS
Jefferson entered the 2004 draft straight out of high school and was promptly selected #15 overall by the Boston Celtics. With only Raef LaFrentz and Mark Blount ahead of him on the depth chart, he figures to see a lot more minutes this season. He is the team’s best low post threat and should make a nice compliment to Paul Pierce and Ricky Davis on the wings. He has appeared in two preseason games and posted a total of 18 points and seven boards in 36 minutes. If he gets 30 minutes a game, he should score in the 15-17 range while grabbing 7-8 rebounds.

Michael Sweetney, CHI
Obtained from the Knicks in the offseason, Sweetney is slated to start at power forward for the Bulls. It appears that Chicago got a nice player in Sweetney, and he should be the team’s main low post threat as center Tyson Chandler isn’t much of an option on offense. Last season’s All-Star break, Sweetney averaged nine points and six rebounds on .530 shooting. Through six preseason games, he’s averaging 11 points and six boards. He’s also a good free throw shooter for a big man – he’s nailed .861 of his attempts in the preseason.

Josh Howard, DAL
Howard inexplicably fell to #29 in the 2003 draft, where the Mavericks jumped on him. Apparently, being the ACC Player of the Year doesn’t hold as much water as it used to. Regardless, Howard has turned into a good pro, averaging 13 points and six boards last season while logging heavy minutes for the Mavs. With the departure of Michael Finley, I suspect Howard’s scoring to increase some while he remains the team’s perimeter stopper.

CENTERS

Zaza Pachulia, ATL
The Hawks signed Pachulia in the offseason to be their starting center and through five preseason games, he’s averaging 13 points and six boards. A hard-worker/overachiever type, Pachulia gives maximum effort when he plays. He’s not very athletic, so he won’t give you very many blocks, but he’s a great free throw shooter (.746) at the center position. Since opportunity is a big part of the fantasy success equation, Zaza should be a good fantasy backup as the season wears on.

Kwame Brown, LAL
Ah, good ol’ Kwame Brown. Every year, countless experts list him as a sleeper and each year he doesn’t fail to disappoint. He had a rough go of it in Washington and I think the change of scenery will do him good. He’s slated to start at power forward for the Lakers, but is also eligible at center in most fantasy leagues. The Lakers will need him to produce and I think Phil Jackson will be able to coax out most of his potential. Over the first six preseason games, he’s averaging 11 points and six boards and I expect those numbers to grow to 13 and seven before the season is through.

Joel Przybilla, POR
As a Bucks fan I loath writing this paragraph, but if the guy is a sleeper a guy is a sleeper, and you deserve to know about him. After being drafted #9 in the 2000 NBA draft, it was safe to write of Przybilla as a bust. He did next to nothing in Milwaukee, but after being traded to Portland, he had a renaissance of sorts, averaging nine points, 10 boards and three blocks for the Trail Blazers after the All Star break. His career free throw shooting (.473) will kill you, but his field goal percentage (.533) is terrific. So what’s the key to his success? He admitted he was lazy and got a trainer. After dropping 45 pounds he became a beast on the boards. His increased spryness also enabled him to block more shots. This guy is a great pick in the 8th round if you need a center.

ESPN’s Chris Mortensen has reported that the Saints have probably played their last game in New Orleans. The city is seen as a struggling small market and there were talks of the Saints moving even before Hurricane Katrina. The Saints will probably play next season in San Antonio with a possible move to Los Angeles on the horizon.

Since the Rams and Raiders left, the NFL has been dying to put a franchise in the country’s second biggest market, but the city wasn’t able to get its act together in recent years and lost out to Houston for the league’s 32nd (and possibly final) team. Now the city is the first to be mentioned whenever a franchise is thought to be moving. As a SoCal resident (living in Orange County), I’d like to see a team relocate either to Anaheim or to a site somewhere along the LA County and Orange County border. It’s a sad situation, but given all the other entertainment possibilities in the area, I think residents of both counties need to have access to the team in order for the NFL to thrive in Southern California. And they need to do what the Browns did when they moved to Baltimore - change their nickname. Somehow, the LA Saints doesn’t sound quite right, unless you’re trying to be ironic.

The Colts are the best team in the league and my favorite to win the Super Bowl. I know, I know - I’m not really going out on a limb with this pick, so why is it relevant? Before the season, I was asked to pick an overrated and underrated team for a feature on Bullz-Eye.com. I chose the Colts as my overrated team. Here’s an excerpt:

The problem lies with their defense. Last season, they were 29th in total defense, 27th in yards per rushing attempt, 18th in scoring defense and dead last in opponents’ pass completion percentage. This is not going to get it done. There are signs of hope, however. The Colts D was third in the league in takeaways and sixth in the league in sacks. If the Indianapolis defense is able to crack the top 10 in most of the aforementioned categories, they might have a chance to make the big game. But until they prove their defense is at least a threat to stop the opposing team, we’ll continue to see the Colts exit the playoffs quickly.

At the time, the Patriots and the Colts had identical Super Bowl odds (11-2). New England had yet to be decimated by injuries and Indianapolis had yet to prove they could play any defense. Well, seven weeks into the season and the Colts look like the team to beat. They are sixth in the league in total defense, fifth in passing defense, fifth in takeaways, and they lead the league in sacks. Their offense has been a bit inconsistent, but their defense has proven it can win the close games. Tony Dungy appears to have succeeded in his goal to make the Colts D one of the top units in the league, and his reward may be home field throughout the playoffs and a Super Bowl ring. However, there is one worrisome statistic that may prove to be fatal. Indianapolis is allowing 4.5 yards per rush, good for 27th in the league. A team with a good defense and a strong running game (with enough of a pass offense to keep the defense off balance) could cause problems for the Colts. What team most closely fits the bill? The Pittsburgh Steelers.

I spent the last ten years of my life on the north side of Chicago. I actually bled Cubbie blue a good eight years before I ever moved there, thanks to the scores of games that WGN broadcast in 1986 to little ole me in Smallville (Lancaster, Ohio, if you’re curious). I was lucky enough to attend dozens of Cubs games (quite possibly over 100) in my time, including all four of the NLCS games in 2003 against the Marlins. So when the White Sox made the playoffs, my first reaction was, well, the Red Sox ended their curse last year. How cool would it be if the White Sox ended theirs the next year?

Well, forget that. I can’t root for the White Sox. And the fans of the Sox have no one but themselves to blame for it.

There’s a joke email going around that includes an application for Cubs fans to become White Sox fans. It’s pretty funny, and rightfully pokes fun at all of the ludicrous things the Cubs have done over the years in order to “shake things up” (trading Lou Brock, College of Coaches). But when I stand back and analyze it, I see it for what it is: the work of someone deeply insecure and insanely jealous. The Cubs were the golden children of baseball in Chicago the entire time I lived there, even though they made the playoffs only twice. And the White Sox fans suffered the worst Napoleon complex you can imagine as a result.

My distaste for the Sox comes down to two separate events at two different Cubs/Sox games. In the first game, my wife and I were in the Wrigley bleachers, and the White Sox were beating the ever living snot out of the Cubs. There was a Sox fan a few rows in front of us, and he turned around and gloated to all of the Cubs fans that surrounded him. Now, that alone is no big deal. We’re good sports – hell, we’re Cubs fans – and we can take a good rousing. But he kept doing it as the Sox increased their lead, and eventually, he turned around, for the third or fourth time, with his arms up, saying, “Awww, yeah, how ya like us now?” And a Cubs fan threw a piece of popcorn at him, and hit him in the nose. A measly little piece of popcorn.

The Sox fan instantly attacked the Cubs fan. In the Wrigley Field bleachers.

So let’s review: The Sox fan is taunting Cubs fans in their own park, and yet completely flies off the handle and starts a fight when someone actually stands up to him. Dude, what the hell were you expecting? Me, I was amused by the whole thing, except the part where they threw the popcorn thrower out of the park along with the Sox fan, which I thought was unjust. But I never forgot just how thin that Sox fans’ skin was.

And then another Sox fan went one better a couple years later. In the last Cubs/Sox game I attended, I witnessed a war of words between three Cubs fans and three (shirtless) Sox fans as we were walking down Sheffield. The Cubs fan fires some lob about who was doing better in the standings.

The Sox fan said, “Yeah, well, at least I’m not some yuppie faggot.”

That, right there, is why I don’t like the White Sox. First of all, whoever this jackalope was, he was clearly just as much of a yuppie as the Cubs fan was; the tickets to those games are never cheap, thanks to the Cubs’ privately owned ticket scalper (don’t even get me started on that). Whatever the Cubs fan paid for his ticket, odds are the Sox fan paid just as much, and possibly more. And yet, the Cubs fan is a yuppie faggot, and the Sox fan isn’t?

It all speaks of a deep seated envy that I just find sad and pathetic. I can’t imagine how insufferable those sorry bastards will be if the Sox actually win the World Series before the Cubs do. That is why I can’t root for their team, even though it means siding with the arch rival Houston Astros instead.

I have nothing against the White Sox. They’ve played smart ball all year, and when it counted, they knocked the Tribe, my favorite AL team, out of contention just when everyone thought the Sox were the most vulnerable. But all I have ever heard from their fans is, “I don’t care, as long as the Cubs lose.” “Sox rule, Cubs drool.” Only losers say that kind of nonsense. And even if the White Sox win it all, the majority of their fans will still be the biggest losers I’ve ever met.

You want to prove you’re better than that, Sox fans? Then act like you’re above “yuppie faggot” slander. Until then, it doesn’t matter how many games you win. As long as you have that attitude, you’re still losers.

Ye gods, we have another umpire controversy in Chicago. Jermaine Dye coxed a plunk out of the home plate umpire, even though the ball hit his bat (the Fox crew showed definitively that it was indeed a foul ball). This eventually leads to Paul Konerko batting with the bases loaded. He sees one pitch from D.J. Qualls. He hits it for a Grand Slam. A Grand Slam that never should have been.

It brings out the Oliver Stone in me. First you have the non-call during A.J. Pierzynski’s at-bat in Game 2 against Anaheim that instantly leads to a White Sox win. Now you have the non-hit batsman in Game 2 against Houston, that leads to a certain Chicago win. It’s as if baseball made it clear to the umpire crew how good it would be for baseball if the White Sox won.

And yet, it wasn’t quite over yet, as the ‘Stros got to Bobby “Big Time” Jenks and took him for two runs with two out in the top of the ninth. That play at the plate was a nail biter; the tag was there, but Chris Burke lifted his hand and slammed it down on the plate to avoid the tag. October drama, at its finest.

So imagine everyone’s surprise when Scott Podsednik hits a dinger off of Brad Lidge in the bottom of the ninth. Podsednik, who had been hitless all night and hit ZERO HOME RUNS all year. Go figure. Someone has to be the Scott Brosius or Mark Lemke. May as well be the guy with no stick.

It’s funny, given the guys that started the game (Clemens, Contreras), you would have expected much more of a pitchers’ duel between these two. In fact, both pitchers were knocked around pretty early; after two innings, the score was 3-3, and find me an oddsmaker who thought that would happen. The difference, though, was that Clemens left after the 2nd with a hamstring injury, and Contreras stayed on until the 8th.

The truth is, as much catch-up ball as Houston played (Lance Berkman’s 2RBI double silenced the Comiskey faithful, at least for a little while), this was Chicago’s game to lose, and they knew it. As soon as Clemens left the game, the Sox were in control. Wandy Rodriguez walked way too many people, and the Houston bats sure as hell didn’t have an answer for the Sox bullpen. They had runners on first and third, with nobody out, and didn’t score. Strikeout, strikeout, strikeout. That’s pathetic. I don’t care if Jenks can throw 100 mph. So could Kyle Farnsworth, and people have never had any problem hitting him.

The funniest part about the game was the fact that Jeff Bagwell, starting his first postseason game this year, was the one who was plunked twice. Not Craig Biggio, the one who holds the MLB record for most plunks. No, it’s his fellow Killer B, the much larger Bagwell, who is hit twice. Well, if he’s not going to get a hit, I suppose getting hit somewhat balances it out.

**THE MIAMI/KC GAME HAS BEEN MOVED TO FRIDAY SO BE SURE TO GET YOUR ROSTERS IN EARLY**

Every week, I submit six names to our faithful readers – three borderline fantasy players to start and three to bench. Here’s how I did last week:

START

Mark Brunell– 331 pass yards, 3 TDs – (HIT)
Brunell is back from the dead. He’s looking like he may be a fantasy starter.

Warrick Dunn – 22 carries, 100 yards, TD – (HIT)
Dunn looks great going forward with a hobbled Duckett out with injury.

Kevin Johnson – 4 catches, 23 yards – (MISS)
I went out on a limb with Detroit’s other KJ and he didn’t do a whole lot. However, he did lead the Lions in catches.

BENCH

Steve McNair – 259 yards, 2 INTs – (HIT)
Sure, he put up decent yardage, but he didn’t throw or run for a TD and had two picks in the loss.

Corey Dillon – DNP – (HIT)
I warned everyone about Dillon and then started him myself in one league when the Patriots activated him Sunday morning.

Chris Chambers – 3 catches, 50 yards – (HIT)
Frerotte threw for 267 yards and you’d think Chambers would get more than 50. Wes Welker (who?) led the team in yardage.

On to this week’s picks:

START

QB – Jake Plummer, DEN
Mark Brunell has another great matchup this week (San Francisco) but since I used him last week, I’ll go with Plummer this week against the Giants. He was great last week against the Patriots (262 yards and two scores) and New York is giving up 316 yards per game through the air, good for 2nd worst in the league.

RB – Chris Brown, TEN
As the Titans ease Travis Henry back into the fold, Brown should get lots of opportunities to run against a questionable Arizona defense.

WR – Az-Zahir Hakim, NO
I almost didn’t pick him because I didn’t want to look up how to spell his name, but Hakim should have a solid week against a very suspect Rams secondary, that has already allowed 12 passing touchdowns and is giving up 251 yards a game through the air.

BENCH

QB – Michael Vick, ATL
I’d bench McNair again but Vick, who is hobbled and is facing a tough Jets pass defense, should be benched if you have another decent option. The only wild card is that the game is Monday night and Vick strikes me as a player that would play better in front of a national television audience.

RB – Jamal Lewis, BAL
The struggling back is facing a very stout Bears defense that is giving up a paltry 86 rushing yards a game and hasn’t allowed a rushing TD so far this season.

WR – Mushin Muhammad, CHI
I don’t expect that Muhammad will find much space to work against a Ravens defense that has given up a meager 156 yards a game through the air. He may get a few receptions for 50-60 yards, but I think that will be it.

If you have any roster questions, please post them on this week’s Fantasy Q&A and we’ll give you answers. Though we can’t guarantee they’ll be the right ones.

It’s fantasy hoops time, and while it is usually overshadowed by fantasy football, it is still a fun pastime. Lineups can either be submitted daily or weekly, and most leagues use several stat categories in rotisserie or head-to-head formats.

Here are my top ten fantasy hoops players, assuming that the following stat categories are important:

FG%, FT%, Points, Rebounds, Assists, Steals, Blocks, 3-Pointers, Turnovers

Off we go…

1. Lebron James – CLE
2004-05 stats: 27.2 ppg, 7.4 rpg, 7.2 apg, 2.2 spg, 0.7 bpg, .472 FG%, .351 3P%, .750 FT%

There is a lot of debate in the fantasy basketball community about who should be picked first overall. For me, it’s virtually a tie between King James and KG. I’m listing James first because of his youth and his potential. Last year, he took a big step forward from his rookie season increasing his numbers in almost every important category. In fact, the only statistic where he didn’t make an improvement was his FT%, which declined from .754 to .750 – big whoop. If you have the first pick you can’t go wrong with either guy you should probably choose whomever gives you more roster flexibility in your particular league (i.e. can James be played as a guard and/or a forward?) There are a lot of new faces around Lebron, but the Cavs are still his team, so I don’t see his numbers declining substantially.

1a. Kevin Garnett – MIN
22.2 ppg, 13.5 rpg, 5.7 apg, 1.5 spg, 1.4 bpg, .502 FG%, .240 3P%, .811 FT%

Last year marked KG’s seventh straight season where he averaged 20+ ppg, 10+ rpg, while never shooting less than .460. He won’t make many 3’s for you, but he’s a stud in every other category. Although it seems like he’s been around forever, he’s still just 29 and age shouldn’t begin to diminish his skills for another couple of years. There was a lot of changeover for the Timberwolves this offseason, with disruptive guards Sam Cassell and Latrell Sprewell jettisoned for younger talent. As a result, Garnett will probably be pressed to score more, so I forsee a slight rise in his points while his FG% will probably drop a few points. Regardless, another MVP-caliber season is in store for KG.

3. Shawn Marion – PHX
19.4 ppg, 11.3 rpg, 1.9 apg, 2.0 spg, 1.5 bpg, .479 FG%, .334 3P%, .833 FT%

Marion is another model of consistency. Last year marked his fourth straight season where he averaged 19+ ppg and 9+ rpg. Like Garnett and James, Marion will help you in just about every category – his weak spot is assists, but he’ll still give you two a game. It’s unclear how Marion’s numbers will be affected by the absence of Amare Stoudemire for a majority of the season, but he averaged 19 and 9 while Stoudemire was still in high school, so I’m expecting those numbers again. If anything, I see his scoring rising a bit to compensate for Amare’s absence.

4. Dirk Nowitzki – DAL
26.1 ppg, 9.7 rpg, 3.1 apg, 1.2 spg, 1.5 bpg, .459 FG%, .399 3P%, .869 FT%

Nowitzki is another sure thing. Over the past five seasons, he’s never averaged fewer than 21.8 ppg or 8.7 rpg. He kills from the strip – nailing a career .856 of his free throws. There’s just one thing that worries me about him: in the playoffs, he had a lot of trouble scoring when covered by rangy, athletic small forward (Tracy McGrady). Teams will be sure to copy Houston’s blueprint, but I expect that Nowitzki has spent part of this summer working on his post moves in case that happens. If he has center eligibility in your league it makes him a no-brainer at #4.

5. Tracy McGrady – HOU
25.7 ppg, 6.2 rpg, 5.7 apg, 1.7 spg, 0.7 bpg, .431 FG%, .326 3P%, .774 FT%

In his first season with Houston, McGrady proved that he could still produce playing with a big man. McGrady is another sure thing – he’s never averaged less than 25.7 ppg, 6.0 rpg, or 4.6 apg over the last five seasons. He’s also been quite durable over that span, missing no more than seven games in four of those seasons (he missed 15 games in 2003-04, but a few of those were a part of the trade that took him from Orlando to Houston). In most leagues he can be played at both SG and SF, which only adds to his value. Entering his second year of Jeff Van Gundy’s system, I see his game getting more efficient, with his scoring staying about the same but with a better shooting percentage.

6. Kobe Bryant – LAL
27.6 ppg, 5.9 rpg, 6.0 apg, 1.3 spg, 0.8 bpg, .433 FG%, .339 3P%, .816 FT%

The only things separating Bryant and McGrady are McGrady’s fantasy versatility and Bryant’s tendency to miss games - 33 over the past two seasons. Bryant will once again be asked (or ask himself) to carry the load for the Lakers and his FG% should stay in the low 40’s. The Lakers are planning to use newcomers Aaron McKie at the point and Kwame Brown at power forward, so it is unclear what affect – if any – this will have on Bryant’s numbers. He should still be in for a fine statistical season.

7. Tim Duncan – SAS
20.3 ppg, 11.1 rpg, 2.7 apg, 0.7 spg, 2.6 bpg, .496 FG%, .333 3P%, .670 FT%

If Duncan is eligible at center in your league, I’d probably take him ahead of McGrady and Bryant given the relative dearth of talent in the middle. Like Kobe, he has been a bit injury prone recently, missing a total of 29 games over the last two seasons. But the Big Fundamental has been consistent, averaging 20+ ppg and 11+ rpg in each of his eight seasons. Like Garnett, he’s 29, but his game doesn’t rely on the physical talents that tend to diminish with age, so I don’t see his game declining anytime soon. His Achilles heel is his free throw shooting, which is woefully inconsistent, settling in at .670 last season.

8. Dwayne Wade – MIA
24.1 ppg, 5.2 rpg, 6.8 apg, 1.6 spg, 1.1 bpg, .478 FG%, .289 3P%, .762 FT%

All else being equal, I’d take Wade along with McGrady and Bryant, but with all the additions to the Heat this offseason (Jason Williams, Antoine Walker, James Posey, etc), there is a lot of chaos surrounding Wade at the moment. With Williams on board running the point, it would seem reasonable to expect Wade’s assists to go down. With Walker chucking up shots from all over the floor, Wade’s scoring numbers could go down. I still expect a great season, but right now there is just a bit too much uncertainty about his role to take him ahead of McGrady, Bryant or Duncan.

9. Gilbert Arenas – WAS
25.5 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 5.1 apg, 1.7 spg, 0.3 bpg, .431 FG%, .365 3P%, .814 FT%

Last season, Arenas blossomed into one of the best all around guards in the NBA. He lost backcourt mate Larry Hughes to Cleveland, but the Wizards added Antonio Daniels and Caron Butler to pick up the slack, so I don’t see any reason why Arenas can’t match last year’s stats. Sure, I’d like a higher shooting percentage (that goes for you too, Kobe and Tracy) but getting 25, 5, and 5 on a nightly basis makes it a bit easier to swallow.

10. Allen Iverson – PHI
30.7 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 8.0 apg, 2.4 spg, 0.1 bpg, .424 FG%, .308 3P%

The Sixers moved AI to the point last year and he responded with one of the best statistical seasons of his career. Who else is going to give you 30 points, 8 dimes, 4 boards and two thefts a game? The two knocks on Iverson are his low shooting percentage and his tendency to miss games. He’s a career .418 shooter, but last season he raised that up to a somewhat respectable .424. If he would only reduce the number of three point attempts, that number would rise. And he’s not durable – he averages 15 missed games per season, but only missed seven last year. He’s definitely a little risky, but if he doesn’t miss too many games, having him in your lineup will pay big dividends.

Honorable Mention:

11. Elton Brand – LAC
20.0 ppg, 9.6 rpg, 2.6 apg, 0.8 spg, 2.1 bpg, .503 FG%, .752 FT%

You can write him in for a double-double just about every night and he’ll give you a nice shooting percentage and a couple of blocks and assists to boot. It’s hard to find that kind of consistency these days, but Brand’s work ethic and all around good play make him one of my favorite fantasy and real-world players.

Awesome, awesome, AWESOME. Finally, a Series between two teams that have absolutely everything to lose. Chicago hasn’t been there since 1917 (WWI was called The Great War back then, by the by). Houston never advanced to the NLCS until last year. This isn’t like the Yankees or Braves or Cardinals, or even the Marlins, going to the Show. This is history, kids. I can’t wait.

The breakdown, piece by piece:

Starting pitching: Houston, by a nose. What’s that, you say? The Sox have been unhittable of late, plus are extremely well rested to boot? Fine, say what you want, but in this game of Texas Hold ‘em, three of a kind (Clemens, Pettite, Oswalt) beats two pair (Buehrle & Garcia, Contreras & Garland) any day of the week and twice on Sunday. Besides, Oswalt won’t likely pitch again until Game 3, which is next Tuesday, in Houston. Houston may not be as well rested, but they’ll be better rested, if you know what I mean.

Relief pitching: Houston. Sure, he gave up a 900-foot dinger to Pujols in the bottom of the ninth in Game 5, but he’s still Brad Lidge. Most guys don’t have that luxury, and you can bet that Lidge doesn’t throw that pitch again for another 15 years. Chicago’s bullpen has been tough lately, but they flamed out at inconvenient times all year. This would be a most inconvenient time to flame out, which means they’ll do it at least once. Maybe twice.

Hitting: Chicago. The great myth about this team is that they can’t hit for power. Nonsense, through and through. Konerko is the biggest bat, sure, but Iguchi, Rowand, Crede, Uribe and Dye can all go yard if need be. I’m sure they’d love to have a pinch hit bat like Frank Thomas at their disposal, the way that Houston has in Jeff Bagwell (how much do you suppose it killed him to not play in Games 5 or 6 of the NLCS?). But they’ll do just fine with what they’ve got.

Manager: Chicago. Sure, he’s never been to the Show as a manager before, but he’s a fucking lunatic. It’s like when Crash Davis told Nuke LaLoosh to hit the mascot with a pitch. After he did, Crash looked at the hitter, shrugged his shoulders, and said, “I don’t know what he’s going to do next.” The hitter was so freaked out of his skull that he struck out on a pitch a foot and a half off the plate. That’s Ozzie Guillen ball. That’s the Chicago way.

Defense/Intangibles: Chicago. Houston stacks up a lot like the Sox in terms of teams that play great defense and do the little things. But Chicago is better at the little things. They steal more bases, they get runners over, and they generally seem to cause more trouble for teams. Houston doesn’t have that many speedsters, which means that Biggio may be sticking that elbow out like Roger Dorn in “Major League.”

My Pick: Chicago in 6. Sure, it may not be the Cubs, but so what. It’s Chicago, and they’re due, dammit.

It would stand to reason that I would be upset about yet another prediction of mine not coming even close to true (though my ALCS prediction of Chicago in five was dead on the money). But the truth is, I’m a Cubs fan, which means I enjoy seeing the Cardinals lose at nearly every opportunity. I secretly hoped the ‘Stros would find a way to overcome, but when Pujols hit that 700-foot home run in Game 5, I saw flashbacks of Games 6 and 7 of the NLCS between the Cubs and Marlins. This is the beginning of the end, I thought. After all, the Cubs had Prior and Woody pitching Games 6 and 7. So the Astros had Oswalt. Big deal. I’ve seen good hitting beat good pitching.

Not this time. Oswalt was a STUD, going seven innings with 6 K’s and a walk. Word to your Mulder, meanwhile, didn’t make it out of the fifth inning, only walking one but also only striking out two and giving up twice as many hits as Oswalt. Perhaps the saddest part of the evening was the fact that Larry Walker struck out looking in what many think will be his last at bat. That’s not the way to go, son. Hack at it, even if it’s a foot out of the strike zone. As the poet laureates Iron Maiden once said, if you’re gonna die, die with your boots on.

This is going to be the coolest World Series in eons. Both teams have EVERYTHING to play for. One hasn’t won it in 88 years. The other team has never won it in their entire existence. Man, how do you beat that?

Have roster questions? Not sure who you should start? Post all of your fantasy football questions here.

QUARTERBACKS

Assuming Mark Brunell and Josh McCown aren’t on your waiver wire, you may be looking for other options at the quarterback position. Here are a few guys that might be able to help.

Jamie Martin, STL – Marc Bulger was knocked out of the Monday night game with what is being called a “bruised shoulder.” That type of injury doesn’t sound particularly good, but he could be back next week. If he is going to miss any time, Jamie Martin will be a hot pickup. His numbers in relief were pretty good and the Rams have a QB-friendly offensive system, so he should be a good fantasy start until Bulger comes back.

Kelly Holcomb, BUF – I mentioned Holcomb in last week’s column and he performed pretty well on Sunday, throwing for 172 yards and two TDs. Considering the Bills got the win, I don’t see Holcomb going to the bench anytime soon and with WRs Eric Moulds and Lee Evans at his disposal, he will continue to put up decent numbers.

Chris Simms, TB – Well, Brian Griese’s season is over with a torn ACL and MCL, so that means Simms gets a chance to start. With a big lead Sunday, he wasn’t asked to do much (6/10, 69 yds), but he will soon have lots of opportunities to make plays. He’s the son of Phil Simms and was highly regarded coming out of high school, but has yet to make a splash in the NFL. This is his chance.

Matt Schaub, ATL – I mentioned Schaub in last week’s column and Vick re-injured his knee. Schaub is a nice play at QB depending on his matchup. He looked great against New England two weeks ago.

Jeff Garcia, DET – When Garcia is ready to play, he’ll be Detroit’s starter – that’s my guess, anyway. Harrington hasn’t been impressive and Garcia has a lot of history with HC Steve Mariucci. He should improve the Lions’ passing attack.

RUNNING BACKS

I mentioned Antowain Smith and Patrick Pass in last week’s column and both players were effective on Sunday. Assuming Corey Dillon returns after the bye week, Pass’ value should come back to Earth, but Smith has value as a #3 RB in most leagues.

Anthony Thomas, DAL – Surprisingly, Thomas got a load of carries (21) when Julius Jones was unable to play Sunday. Most pundits were predicting a lot of opportunities for Tyson Thompson, but HC Bill Parcells decided that Thomas should carry the load. I suspect Jones will be back next week, but if he isn’t, Thomas would be a decent fill-in.

Aaron Stecker, NO – Stecker and Antowain Smith split carries for the Saints. Stecker looks like he will be used more as the Saints try to come from behind in every game, but Smith will vulture goal line carries. Stecker is fairly valuable in leagues that reward one point per reception.

Chris Perry, CIN – Perry had a big receiving game Sunday, catching nine passes for 45 yards and a touchdown and continues to be a thorn in the sides of Rudi Johnson owners everywhere. He’s the reason that I didn’t draft Rudi in any leagues (save one, where I promptly traded him for Domanick Davis). Johnson will still get most of the carries but isn’t catching the ball much (8 receptions compared to Perry’s 27). It’s tough to like Perry’s value going forward, but if Rudi were to go down, Perry’s value would skyrocket.

Greg Jones / Alvin Pearman, JAX – The Jaguars surprised many by giving Jones 18 carries when Alvin Pearman was supposed to carry the load in Fred Taylor’s place. Jones responded with 77 yards and a score. If Fragile Fred misses anymore time, Jones appears to have the edge for the job after his performance Sunday. Pearman was the bigger factor in the passing game, catching five passes for 35 yards, but didn’t do much (22 yards) on the 15 carries he was given.

WIDE RECEIVERS

Doug Gabriel, OAK – Keep an eye out for news on the injury to Randy Moss, because if he misses any time, Gabriel will be the main beneficiary. On Sunday he caught five passes for 84 yards and made a couple of nice catches.

Brandon Jones, TEN – Drew Bennett is going to be out for two weeks with a broken finger, and Jones should become McNair’s go-to WR. On Sunday, he caught 5 passes for 82 yards. Don’t expect those numbers for the rest of the season, but he should be a decent fill-in for the next couple of weeks at least.

Justin McCareins, NYJ – There was a Justin McCareins sighting on Sunday. After getting blanked by Tampa Bay the week before, McCareins caught five passes for 116 yards against the Bills.

Jabar Gaffney, HOU – With Andre Johnson out with a calf injury, Gaffney caught 10 passes for 87 yards. If Johnson misses more time, Gaffney could be a nice pickup, especially in leagues that reward one point per reception.

TIGHT ENDS

Heath Miller, PIT – The rookie has played well in the last two games, catching eight passes for 108 yards and two scores. With Hines Ward out with an injury, Miller is getting a lot of the underneath stuff, and should post decent numbers until Ward returns (and maybe after).