QUARTERBACKS

Matt Ryan (206 yards, 2 INT) struggled some against a good Bucs pass defense, but he had a TD pass taken away when Jason Rader fumbled the ball at the goal line…Shaun Hill (233 pass yards) threw the ball 46 times, but failed to throw a TD for the first time since he took over the job midseason…It looked like Phillip Rivers (346 yards, 2 TD, INT) was going to have a bad day, but he bounced back with two late TDs to get the win and finish with a great stat line…Considering the opponent, Ben Roethlisberger (246 yards, TD) posted great stats. It’s not often that a QB moves the ball this well on the Ravens…Matt Cassel (218 yards, 4 TD, INT) has been excellent for much of the year and he took advantage of a Radiers secondary still reeling from last week’s blowout at the hands of the Chargers.

Everything you need to know (and a lot that you don’t) about the fantasy implications of Week 14.

QUARTERBACKS

Kyle Orton (219 yards, 2 TD, INT) had a pretty nice game against the Jags, and he is a solid start next week against the Saints, assuming the weather is decent…It was a very disappointing performance from Eli Manning (123 yards, TD) though he did throw for a late TD to avoid a totally miserable day…In my book, Matt Ryan (315 yards, TD, INT, rush TD) is the clear cut rookie of the year (assuming the Falcons don’t collapse during the stretch run). He didn’t get the win, but he continued to make plays…Shaun Hill (285 yards, 2 TD, INT) had an excellent day for fantasy owners brave enough to start him against a sketchy Jets pass defense. He has thrown nine TD over the last five games and has Miami and St. Louis over the next two weeks, so he’s a viable starter for owners in need…Brett Favre (137 yards, INT) was surprisingly ineffective against a mediocre 49ers pass defense, but he did run for a TD…Kurt Warner (279 yards, TD, INT) got off to a great start, but didn’t have to throw much in the second half since the Cardinals were so far ahead.

Fantasy-wise, here’s everything you need to know (and a lot that you don’t) from NFL’s Week 13 action…

QUARTERBACKS

Joe Flacco (280 yards, 2 TD) had another nice day. He has 11 TD in his last seven games…Peyton Manning (125 yards, 2 INT) and the rest of the Colts offense had a miserable day, but Indy still got the win…Matt Ryan (207 yards, 2 TD) threw for a TD for the first time in three games…Phillip Rivers (149 yards) surprisingly struggled against the Falcons, who were 24th against the pass heading into the game…He got off to a sketchy start, but Ben Roethlisberger (179 yards, 2 TD, INT) bounced back with a solid game…Clearly, Matt Cassel (169 yards, 2 INT) isn’t playing well enough to overcome a matchup with the best defense in the league…

Everything you need to know (and a lot that you don’t) about the fantasy implications of the NFL’s Week 12 action…

QUARTERBACKS

It looks like the beginning of the end of the Donovan McNabb era in Philly. He was yanked for Kevin Kolb after tossing two picks in the first half. Kolb didn’t fare any better…Joe Flacco (183 yards, 2 TD) was once again effective. He isn’t going to throw for a lot of yards, but he has tossed at least one TD in each of the last six games…Brady Quinn (94 yards, 2 INT) was supposed to have a nice day against a pretty bad Houston pass defense, but he stunk up the joint and was actually replaced by Derek Anderson (51 yards, INT), who didn’t do any better…Gus Frerotte (120 yards, INT) had a string of solid performances broken against the Jags. The Vikings got up by 14 early and didn’t look deep very often. Bernard Berrian (1-6) is suffering as a result…After a strong start, something seems to be wrong with the Denver passing game. Jay Cutler is averaging just 210 yards and 0.5 TD over the last two weeks.

Everything you need to know (and a lot that you don’t) about the fantasy impact of Sunday’s NFL action…

QUARTERBACKS

Frankly, it was a disappointing day from both QBs in the ATL/DEN game. Cutler finished with just 216 yards and a TD, while Matt Ryan threw for 250 yards, but failed to throw for a score against one of the worst pass defenses in the league. However, if not for a Roddy White dropped pass in the endzone, he would have finished with 290 yards (or so) and a TD…Jake Delhomme’s performance (98 yards, TD) against the Lions is pretty worrisome. I wouldn’t feel too good about starting him down the stretch. If you can’t rack up stats against the Lions, something is wrong…Tyler Thigpen (235 yards, 2 TD, INT) continues to play good fantasy ball and he has a pretty nice schedule coming up…Kyle Orton (133 yards) didn’t have a very good first game back, but the Green Bay corners are tough. He has better matchups in Week 12 (STL), Week 14 (JAX) and Week 15 (NO)…Matt Hasselbeck (170 yards, TD, 3 INT) had a rough first game back, but two of his three interceptions came in the fourth quarter when the Seahawks were trying to come back from a big deficit…It’s safe to say that Ben Roethlisberger (308 yards) has been a disappointment this season. He failed to pass for a TD for the third straight game, and with touch matchups in Week 13 (NE) and Week 16 (TEN), he should be benched if you have a better option…Phillip Rivers’ miserable day (159 yards, 2 INT) broke a regular season 16-game streak of at least one pass TD per game. To think, I actually had Matt Cassel in the starting lineup in one of my leagues, but started Rivers instead. Grr…Tony Romo (198 yards, TD, 2 INT) wasn’t spectacular in his first game back, but he should have better luck against the 49ers and Seahawks the next two weeks.

RUNNING BACKS

Michael Turner (25 carries, 81 yards, 2 TD) predictably had a great outing against a bad Denver rush defense, but this was his last good matchup until Week 17…DeAngelo Williams (14 carries, 120 yards, 2 TD) and Jonathan Stewart (15 carries, 130 yards, TD) shredded the Lions at will. Just when it looked like Williams might be pulling away in Carolina, Stewart had a big game to stake his claim on a good portion of the touches…Kevin Smith (26 touches, 138 yards) is the clear RB1 in Detroit and is a decent RB2 start on a weekly basis…Willis McGahee (11 touches, 25 yards) and Ray Rice (12 touches, 37 yards) pretty much split the touches evenly. There’s no telling what the Ravens are going to do with this RBBC going forward…Earnest Graham (1 carry, 3 yards) turned his ankle early in the game and it was Warrick Dunn (24 touches, 118 yards) that got most of the work. If Graham misses any time, look for Dunn (and possibly Cadillac Williams) to get the lion’s share of the carries…Ryan Grant (25 carries, 145 yards, TD) surprisingly had a huge day against a very good Bears defense. I think Green Bay has figured out that the team’s strength in the running game is misdirection, not lining up in the I-formation and trying to run it down the defense’s throats. They seem to be very successful on draws, traps and inside handoffs. Grant has now gained 584 yards in the last six games and is on pace for a 1232-yard season. He also has three TD in his last four games, but he’s still not involved in the passing game…Joseph Addai (26 touches, 153 yards, 2 TD) hadn’t had a decent fantasy game since Week 5, but he exploded against the Texans. He has a pretty favorable schedule down the stretch…Tim Hightower (11 carries, 35 yards) had a dismal day against a shaky Seahawks defense. That’s two straight bad starts and it makes him a very iffy start next week against the G-men…There is no RBBC in Pittsburgh if Willie Parker (25 touches, 115 yards). Mewelde Moore did catch five passes for 33 yards, however…After a couple of off weeks against very good defenses (TB, NYG), Marion Barber (30 touches, 153 yards, TD) looks like he’s back on track. He has two easy matchups in the next two weeks (SF, SEA) and then a rough road in the fantasy playoffs (PIT, NYG, BAL), but if Tony Romo can get back into the swing of things, Barber should have a productive stretch run.

WIDE RECEIVERS

My apologies to anyone that started Muhsin Muhammad (1-16) on my recommendation this week. If it’s any consolation, his crappy performance against a horrible defense is going to cost me a win…Lance Moore (8-102-1) is looking like an every week starter, even with Marques Colston (3-30) back in the lineup…Plaxico Burress (3-47) is struggling. He is averaging just 2.5-28-0.3 over the last four weeks. The good news is that he has a great matchup with a suspect Arizona defense next week…Bernard Berrian (3-46) had a quiet week, but things are looking great over the next five games (JAX, CHI, DET, ARI and ATL). Don’t be surprised if Berrian (and Frerotte) finishes strong…Ted Ginn (2 carries, 42 yards, TD, 4-51) has been pretty solid lately and he doesn’t have a tough matchup the rest of the year, so he can be used as a WR2/WR3 in PPR leagues.

TIGHT ENDS

Thanks for the goose egg, Tony Scheffler…Jeremy Shockey (6-39) was much more involved in the Saints’ offense this week. Look for Sean Payton to continue to use him in the weeks to come…Zach Miller (4-67) has gained 42+ receiving yards in six of the last seven games. The Raiders aren’t going to score much, but he’s a decent start in PPR leagues…

FREE AGENTS

And now, for a few guys that might be lingering on your league’s waiver wire…

Peyton Hillis (13 touches, 70 yards, 2 TD) appears to be RB1 in Denver, though Tatum Bell (7 carries, 34 yards) and P.J. Pope (4 carries, 35 yards) also got some work…Ryan Fitzpatrick (261 yards, TD) seems to be settling in as the starter in Cincy and can be used by desperate fantasy owners when he has a good matchup. Unfortunately, things are looking a little rough down the stretch…All signs pointed to a good game from Deuce McAllister, and while he did score a TD, Pierre Thomas got 20 touches to McAllister’s eight… Bryant Johnson (4-56-1) has caught at least three passes in each of the last three games and appears to be Shaun Hill’s favorite target…Shaun Hill (213 yards, 2 pass TD, 1 rush TD) has been more than solid since taking over as the starter in San Francisco. He has mediocre matchups the rest of the way, so he can be used in a pinch…Deion Branch (4-54) had a pretty good first game back. Now that Matt Hasselbeck is under center, Branch is a sleeper in the stretch run, if he can stay healthy…Kerry Collins (230 yards, 3 TD, INT) had his second straight great fantasy outing and has a favorable upcoming schedule with the Jets, Lions and Texans coming up in the next four weeks…Matt Spaeth (6-55) has caught six passes in each of the last two games with Heath Miller sidelined.

Here’s everything you need to know (and a lot you don’t) from Week 10’s fantasy football action.

QUARTERBACKS

Matt Ryan (248 yards, 2 TD) continues to look wise beyond his years. It’s not often a rookie makes for a good fantasy quarterback, but Ryan can definitely be used in the right matchups…Joe Flacco (185 yards, 2 TD) had his fourth solid game in a row. He is averaging 201 yards, 1.5 pass TD and 0.3 rush TD over the last four games…Gus Frerotte (151 yards, 2 TD, 3 INT)…It was looking like Marc Bulger (65 yards, INT) was bouncing back from a rough start, but he couldn’t get anything going against a sketchy Jets defense, so I wouldn’t trust him in my starting lineup right now…Jake Delhomme (72 yards, TD, 4 INT) was brutal against an Oakland defense that is susceptible to big passing days…Ben Roethlisberger (284 yards, 3 INT) had a rough outing against a good Indy pass defense. I’d still use him next week against a shaky Chargers pass defense and then reassess.

RUNNING BACKS

Deuce McAllister was a disappointment in the running game (5 carries, 18 yards), but he managed to catch a pass for a TD…Kevin Smith (24 touches, 123 yards, TD) is clearly the top RB in Detroit. Rudi Johnson only saw two carries…I guess we can’t trust Chris Mortensen. He said before the game that Ray Rice (9 touches, 19 yards) was going to see most of the carries, but it was Willis McGahee (26 touches, 121 yards, 2 TD) that was the feature back. I’d expect McGahee to get most of the work as long as he’s healthy…Just when it was looking like Ronnie Brown (14 touches, 66 yards, TD) was the clear RB1 in Miami, Ricky Williams (14 touches, 126 yards, TD) had a bigger day and just as many touches. Brown is still the better fantasy back, but Williams is a headache for Brown owners…Julius Jones (18 touches, 90 yards) looks to be RB1 in Seattle again, since Maurice Morris (2 touches, 17 yards) was barely involved…Ryan Grant (16 carries, 75 yards, TD) was impressive against a good Vikings rush defense. This bodes well for the stretch run…It looks like BenJarvus Green-Ellis (26 carries, 105 yards, TD) is going to get most of the work with Sammy Morris and LaMont Jordaon out with injury. He’s worth a pickup if available if you are in need of RB help…DeAngelo Williams (20 touches, 143 yards, TD) was stellar with Jonathan Stewart (7 touches, 21 yards) limited with an injury…With Willie Parker sidelined, Mewelde Moore (30 touches, 105 yards, 2 TD) is a great start in all formats.

WIDE RECEIVERS

Lance Moore (6-76-1) has put up starter quality numbers in five of the last eight weeks and is still an integral part of the New Orleans offense even with Marques Colston (7-140) back…Both Greg Jennings (3-37) and Donald Driver (5-46) were held down against a surprisingly good Minnesota pass defense. Aaron Rodgers was under pressure all day…Bernard Berrian was held without a catch by a very good pair of cornerbacks – Al Harris and Charles Woodson…Despite trailing big most of the game, Torry Holt (1-5) and Donnie Avery (2-29) couldn’t even get garbage stats against the Jets…Speaking of the Jets, they put up 47 points, but Jerricho Cotchery (1-18) and Laveranues Coles (1-14) had miserable fantasy outings…Expect Steve Smith (1-9) to bounce back in a big way against the Lions next week…Chris Chambers did not catch a ball in Week 10 and should not in fantasy lineups until he proves he is 100%…Plaxico Burress (1-17-1) caught a TD, but failed to convert any of his other five targets into a single catch. He and Eli Manning don’t seem like they are on the same page right now.

TIGHT ENDS

Jeremy Shockey (2-16) continues to struggle as he sprained his ankle late in the game. Billy Miller (5-65) seems to be getting more action anyway…Bo Scaife (10-78-1) is turning into a very solid option at TE. He is one of Kerry Collins’ favorite targets…After a big game last week, Owen Daniels (1-13) was very disappointing this week, especially considering that the Texans trailed most of the game. The Ravens defense will make a lot of players look bad…Kevin Boss (6-69-1) is now a starter quality tight end. He has caught a TD in each of the last three games and almost had a second TD tonight against the Eagles.

FREE AGENTS

And here’s some insight on a few players that may still be on your league’s waiver wire…

Michael Jenkins (6-72) is benefiting from Matt Ryan’s quick development and all the attention that is being paid to Roddy White (5-68-1). Jenkins is worth rostering for those owners in larger PPR leagues and White owners that want some insurance down the stretch…Justin Gage (4-47-1) bounced back from a bad Week 10 to post good numbers. He’s probably the best receiving option in Tennessee outside of Bo Scaife…Drew Stanton (94 yards, TD) was decent in relief of Daunte Culpepper, who was benched in the fourth quarter. It seems like Culpepper will get another shot next week, though I’m not sure why the Lions wouldn’t want to see what they have in Stanton…Todd Heap (5-58-2) had a huge game and will likely be a hot waiver wire pickup. Is this really a sign of things to come or just an aberration? I’m betting on the latter, but if you’re in need of TE help, Heap is worth a pickup…Ted Ginn (4-67-1) caught a bomb from Chad Pennington. He’s been fairly solid (18-328-1) over the last four weeks…Koren Robinson (5-38-1) has gone for 13-174-2 over the last three week…Dustin Keller (6-107-1) had a huge day, but he’s been up and down this season, so he’s nothing but a spot starter at this point…Justin Fargas (23 touches, 98 yards) didn’t score, but he’s the clear RB1 with Darren McFadden out…Tyler Thigpen (266 yards, 3 TD) is averaging 237 yards and 2.0 pass TD over the last three games. He also caught a TD pass last week. With Dwayne Bowe (6-72), Tony Gonzalez (10-113-2) and the improving Mark Bradley (9-81-1) to throw to, he’s a viable spot starter in most fantasy leagues.