Updated Friday, October 1.

Below are my rankings for Week 4. I’m participating in a study as part of Fantasy Pros, where they keep track of the accuracy of many of the top fantasy ‘experts’ around the country. As of Week 3, I’m ranked #3 out of 39 experts that post their rankings at the site. If you utilize my advice on the Q&A, please take a moment to sign up at Fantasy Pros (it’s free) and rate me as an expert.

These rankings are for a standard (non-PPR) scoring system:

Quarterbacks

1. Aaron Rodgers (GB vs. DET)
2. Peyton Manning (IND @ JAC)
3. Michael Vick (PHI vs. WAS)
4. Philip Rivers (SD vs. ARI)
5. Drew Brees (NO vs. CAR)
6. Tom Brady (NE @ MIA)
7. Matt Ryan (ATL vs. SF)
8. Donovan McNabb (WAS @ PHI)
9. Kyle Orton (DEN @ TEN)
10. Jay Cutler (CHI @ NYG)
11. Eli Manning (NYG vs. CHI)
12. Chad Henne (MIA vs. NE)
13. Matt Schaub (HOU @ OAK)
14. Mark Sanchez (NYJ @ BUF)
15. Bruce Gradkowski (OAK vs. HOU)
16. Matt Hasselbeck (SEA @ STL)
17. Ryan Fitzpatrick (BUF vs. NYJ)
18. Vince Young (TEN vs. DEN)
19. Sam Bradford (STL vs. SEA)
20. Carson Palmer (CIN @ CLE)
21. Charlie Batch (PIT vs. BAL)
22. Joe Flacco (BAL @ PIT)
23. Shaun Hill (DET @ GB)
24. Alex Smith (SF @ ATL)
25. Derek Anderson (ARI @ SD)
26. David Garrard (JAC vs. IND)
27. Seneca Wallace (CLE vs. CIN)
28. Jimmy Clausen (CAR @ NO)

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Good thing the Saints take on the hapless Panthers this Sunday, because they’ve become the walking wounded.

Reggie Bush (broken fibula) doesn’t need crutches anymore and is walking without pain. He believes he’ll be back sooner than expected, but that’s about the only injury news that favors the Saints right now.

Drew Brees will play Sunday against Carolina, but he’s expected to wear a brace on his sore left knee. He suffered the injury late last week in an overtime loss to the Falcons and while he doesn’t think the knee will affect his performance, you never know how a player will respond to an injury until he gets on the field. The good thing is that Brees is a tremendous pocket passer and even if he had two good knees we wouldn’t be seeing his best Michael Vick impression.

The other significant piece of injury news surrounding the Saints has to do with Pierre Thomas’ ankle. He’s going to be a game-time decision after missing practice the past two days, although the team has yet to active DeShawn Wynn from the practice squad so that’s a good sign. Head coach Sean Payton also said on Thursday that Thomas is a rare player in that he can miss practice and still be mentally ready to play on Sunday.

The Saints struggled to run the ball last week against the Falcons and it hurt them late in the game. Their passing attack was still unstoppable, but come overtime their defense was worn down from being on the field all day and Atlanta took advantage. I don’t expect the Panthers to pull off an upset this week, but with Brees and Thomas hobbled the game could be tighter than anticipated.

It’s hard to argue that the 49ers aren’t the most disappointing team in the NFL thus far. While the Vikings, Giants and Chargers have played below expectations themselves, the Niners were supposed to be well on their way to winning the weak NFC West by now.

Instead, they’re 0-3 and were the first team to make a major coaching change earlier this week when they fired offensive coordinator Jimmy Raye on Monday. Mike Johnson will take over the position and already he’s vowing to do things differently than his predecessor.

Johnson wants to get the ball into the hands of his playmakers by spreading things out and giving defenses more looks. Michael Crabtree and tight end Vernon Davis have been underutilized so far and the hope is to confuse opponents with different packages.

Of course, Raye wanted Crabtree and Davis to get their hands on the ball more too, but when Sundays came he would stick with a more conservative approach. Communication issues between Raye, head coach Mike Singletary and quarterback Alex Smith only complicated things and subsequently led to Raye’s firing earlier this week.

The Niners take on a Falcon team this Sunday that ranks 21st in the league in total defense, but is only allowing 15.3 points per game. They’re prone to giving up the big play, so if Johnson is aggressive Smith may be able to connect with Crabtree and/or Davis in the vertical passing game. On the surface, this doesn’t appear to be a good matchup for the 49ers. But considering Atlanta is coming off an emotional victory over the Saints and could be due for a letdown, this is a situation San Fran may be able to take advantage of.

But it’s up to Johnson to deliver on what he’s saying now. Plenty of coaches and coordinators talk a good game during the week but then when game time approaches, some of them lose their gumption. They call plays too close to the vest and before they know it, their team is down by two scores and they’re playing catchup.

We’ll see how Johnson fares in his debut.

Every week, I will highlight a few players to start and a few players to sit at each position. I’m a firm believer in starting your studs, so I won’t suggest you bench Drew Brees or Adrian Peterson because they have tough matchups – just go ahead and keep them in your lineup. Instead, I’ll focus on the borderline guys – players you’ll only start under the right circumstances. It’s important to note that depending on your roster and situation, you may not be able to follow these recommendations. For example, if I suggest you bench a solid starter like Tony Romo, only do so if you have a clearly better option on your bench.

Matt Ryan should be in starting lineups this week given his favorable matchup against the 49ers, who have yielded 2.3 passing TDs through the first three weeks…Chad Henne figures to throw quite a bit against a suspect Pats secondary that is ranked 25th in yards allowed…Mark Sanchez looks like a safe start against the Bills, who are giving up 221 passing yards and 1.7 pass TDs per game…Need someone to plug in for Tony Romo or Brett Favre during their bye? Bruce Gradkowski played pretty well last week (255 yards, TD) in a good matchup and figures to throw a lot against a Houston pass defense that has given up 368 yards per game (along with 2.0 TDs)…Vince Young should be able to post nice numbers against a Broncos pass defense that has struggled not only against Peyton Manning, but David Garrard and Matt Hasselbeck as well.

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Ugh.

After going 3-1 two weeks ago, I successfully predicted a downfall last Saturday by putting forth a brutal effort. Alabama (no front door cover, Tide?), South Carolina (couldn’t hang onto that lead, Cocks?) and LSU (only 20 points at home, Tigers?) were all losers, while my only winner was Temple over Penn State (even though the Owls tried to blow that one for me late).

Here goes a better effort this week…

No. 17 Ohio State –16.5 at Illinois, 12:00PMET
Lay the points. The Buckeyes are 4-0 against the spread this year and have done it in rather easy fashion. I realize this is their first road test of the year, not to mention their first Big Ten game, but Ohio State is the far superior team and should roll. The Buckeyes haven’t lost to the Illini since 1991 and while Illinois has hung with them in recent years, it’ll be too much Terrelle Pryor this Saturday.
THE PICK: OHIO STATE –16.5

No. 11 Wisconsin vs. No. 24 Michigan State +2, 3:30PM ET
The Spartans will certainly get a lift from Mark Dantonio, who returns to the sidelines (the press box, actually) this weekend after suffering a heart attack following MSU’s overtime win over Notre Dame two weeks ago. The Spartans have rushed for over 200 yards in each of their first four games and while the Badgers have a potent rushing attack themselves, I like MSU to win outright in East Lansing. Every year the Spartans beat an opponent they’re not supposed to and while a win on Saturday would hardly be shocking, it would still be considered an upset with Wisconsin ranked 11th in the nation.
THE PICK: MICHIGAN STATE +2

Virginia Tech vs. North Carolina State +4, 3:30PM ET
I feel as though people are falling asleep on this NC State team, which is coming off impressive wins over Cincinnati and Georgia Tech the past two weekends. They don’t have a great rushing offense, but their passing game led by Russell Wilson ranks 19th in the nation and they’re averaging 37.75 points per game. After losing to Boise State and James Madison earlier in the year, VA Tech has gotten back on track with wins over East Carolina and Boston College the past two weekends. That said, there’s still something missing from this team and while Tyrod Taylor has made a ton of highlight reel plays, he leads an offense that is 87th in passing. I think NC State keeps this game within a field goal and covers.
THE PICK: NC STATE +4

No. 3 Boise State –43.5 vs. New Mexico State, 8:00PM ET
Usually I don’t even consider games that have point spreads of over 30 points because of the threat of a backdoor cover, but I always make an exception when New Mexico State is involved. As long as the Broncos don’t take their foot off the gas I could see them scoring in the 60s this weekend. The Aggies rank second-to-last in total defense among FBS teams and the Broncos can ill-afford to suffer a letdown now that they’re ranked third in the nation. Boise rolls.
THE PICK: BOISE STATE –43.5

Season Record: 4-4

The WEC returns to action tonight on Versus at 9PM ET with WEC 51: Aldo vs. Gamburyan. The card is stacked and is a tremendous lineup given the fact this will be on free television. The main event features a title fight in the featherweight division featuring one of the top pound-for-pound fighters in the world. Here are my picks for the winner’s in tonight’s card.

WEC Featherweight Championship – Champion Jose Aldo (17-1) vs. Manny Gamburyan (13-5): Aldo is on a tear right now as he is coming off his dominant win over Urijah Faber at WEC 48. He has tremendous explosiveness with his kicks and punches while also being a jiu-jitsu black belt. Gamburyan is a force UFC lightweight competitor, but has found his home in the 145-pound division of the WEC. Manny is coming off a KO win over Mike Thomas Brown and his style could pose a problem for Aldo as he is short and compact with good wrestling and power in his hands. I think Gamburyan will make a fight of things, but ultimately Aldo will slowly break him down with leg kicks before landing a big punch in the third round to get the TKO win.

WEC Lightweight Bout – Jamie Varner (16-3-3, 2NC) vs. Donald Cerrone (11-3, 1NC): Both men are looking to get another shot at the lightweight title as each were submitted by champion Ben Henderson in recent fights. This is a rematch as well from a controversial decision in January of 2009. These two have bad blood and want at each other badly. Varner brings good boxing to the cage while Cerrone is more of a grappler and submission fighter. I look for Cerrone to keep Varner at distance with his length and then close inside and grapple his way to a decision victory.

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Andre Johnson isn’t 100% healthy. He wasn’t 100% last week and if doctors deem him healthy enough to play this Sunday, he won’t be 100% then either.

With that in mind, should the Texans hold him out against a beatable opponent in the Raiders this Sunday? Or do they run him out there because he’s played through injuries before and every game is vital in the NFL?

Johnson suffered a high ankle sprain against the Redskins in Week 2 and aggravated it in Houston’s loss to Dallas last Sunday. The Texans’ team doctors claim that the injury is no better or worse than what it was a week ago, but Johnson says that it feels “more sore” this week than it did when he played on it in Washington.

If the Texans decide to hold him out in Oakland, that means Matt Schaub will have to get by with Jacoby Jones and Kevin Walter in the passing game. It would be nice if tight end Owen Daniels were healthy enough to have an impact, but he’s still trying to recover from knee surgery and the team is taking it slow with bringing him back into the fold.

Houston could probably beat Oakland with a run-first approach and solid defensive play, but every game is crucial in the NFL and no opponent can be overlooked. That’s why if Johnson is healthy enough to play, it’ll be hard for Gary Kubiak to rest him, even though that may be the smart thing to do.

It’ll be interesting to see how the Texans handle things this Sunday. Johnson has played through pain plenty of times before, so he may give it a go and then reassess the situation after a couple of series. If he’s fine, then there’s no reason to keep him on the sidelines.

AJ owners are waiting with bated breath to see whether or not he plays on Sunday. It’s an afternoon game, which complicates matters, because it makes it more difficult to find a last-minute replacement if he is an injury scratch. Ideally, fantasy owners have Jacoby Jones or Kevin Walter to plug in if AJ sits. But that’s not always an option. My gut says that he’ll play; I don’t think he wants to sit knowing that he’ll miss a matchup with Nnamdi Asomugha. Fantasy owners with solid early-game options on the bench — I’m talking about guys ranked in the teens or 20′s — should go ahead and plug them in for AJ. In three matchups with Asomugha, Johnson has totaled five catches for 94 yards and zero touchdowns, so this is a bad matchup, anyway. Throw in the bum ankle and the late-game uncertainty, and it makes more sense to go with the safer option in a better matchup.

In a relatively short interview with CNN, LeBron James and Maverick Carter were asked whether or not race played a role in the backlash after “The Decision.”

O’BRIEN (voice-over): According to industry insiders, James and Carter have done just fine, striking multi-million dollar deals with State Farm, Nike and McDonalds. But those deals were overshadowed by this summer’s decision and negative headlines which seemed to tarnish LeBron James, the athlete, and the brand.

CARTER: It’s just about control and not doing it the way it’s always been done or not looking the way that it always looks.

O’BRIEN (on camera): Do you think there’s a role that race plays in this.

JAMES: I think so at times. It’s always, you know, a race factor.

CARTER: It definitely played a role in some of the stuff coming out of the media, things that were written for sure.

O’BRIEN (voice-over): LeBron James and Maverick Carter say what does bother them is that lost amid the controversy is the fact that “The Decision” TV program raised $3 million for Boys & Girls Club of America.

CARTER: We own the advertising time. We went out and sold it to brands and we took every dime and donated it to charity.

FRANK SANCHEZ, V.P., BOYS & GIRLS CLUB OF AMERICA: LeBron was using a significant moment in time to benefit young people. And a lot of people can take those opportunities and make it about them. He really was — his goal was to make it about kids and make it about giving opportunities for kids.

JAMES: For me to have an opportunity to give back to the Boys & Girls Club of America, that I would never change that. And if I have to take heat to give back to kids, I would do it the same way every single time.

I included the bit about the Boys & Girls Club because it is admirable that they donated all the advertising revenue to charity, but it still doesn’t change the way that LeBron ripped the heart out of his fans in Cleveland during an hour-long, primetime special. Again, it’s not the fact that LeBron left Cleveland that non-Clevelanders have a problem with, it’s the way he did it.

To be fair, Carter said that race played a factor in “some of the stuff coming out of the media,” but “The Decision” was such a big blunder that had it been Steve Nash or Larry Bird (in his day), the backlash would have been brutal.

It’s a free country and LeBron has the right to do whatever he wants, as long as he’s willing to deal with the consequences.

The Vikings would love to have star receiver Sidney Rice back by his target return date of Week 8, but that seems far-fetched given the latest news surrounding his injury.

According to Judd Zulgad of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Rice is still walking around on crutches following his offseason hip surgery. He’s already stated that he’ll be ready to play two weeks after he’s eligible to come off the PUP list (which is after Week 6), but again, that seems like a stretch.

Once he gets off crutches, he’ll need a couple of weeks to rehab his hip and then he still has to get into game shape. Even if he does come back in Week 8, he’s not going to be the same player he was last year and by the time he is back in shape, the Vikings could be out of the playoff hunt in the NFC.

It’s still early and there’s still plenty of time for Rice to have an impact. But Adrian Peterson and the defense has to keep the Vikings afloat until Rice can come back and help Brett Favre and the passing game. He’s sorely missed at the moment, but he’s still a ways away from playing. There are still doubts that he can have any kind of an impact at all this season.

Even with a head cold, Tim Lincecum was able to reduce the Giants’ magic number for making the postseason down to three games.

Despite being sick Wednesday night, the Giants’ ace allowed just one run over seven innings and struck out 11 in a 3-1 win over the Diamondbacks. He allowed a home run to Stephen Drew on the first pitch of the ballgame, but then settled in to dominate Arizona’s strikeout-friendly yet dangerous lineup the rest of the way. Unless he’s needed in a playoff-clinching start on Sunday or Monday, “The Freak” will finish the regular season with a 16-10 record and a 3.43 ERA.

Offensively, Pat Burrell took Arizona starter Ian Kennedy deep for a three-run shot in the fourth inning to give the Giants all the runs they would need. The 33-year-old has been rejuvenated in San Francisco, as that was his 20th homer since becoming a Giant.

The Padres beat the Cubs 3-0 last night, so the Giants couldn’t bring their magic number down to two games, but with only four remaining San Francisco is certainly in the driver’s seat. That said, San Diego comes to town for a three-game set starting on Friday, so the Giants can’t slip up now. If they lose to the Diamondbacks today in the series finale and the Padres beat the Cubs, there will only be one game that separates the NL West rivals with three games left.

This is what September baseball is all about.