Cedric Benson did not practice on Thursday. Rotoworld reports that Bengals players who don’t practice on Wednesday or Thursday usually do not play on Sunday, but that an exception might be made for Benson, who is the league’s 6th-leading rusher. Cincy’s game against Oakland is at 4:15 PM, so fantasy owners with Bernard Scott can simply wait it out and see if Benson is active on Sunday. Those without Scott have a tough decision to make.

Brian Westbrook should make a full recovery. This is great news for Westy, but his 2009 is still in doubt. The doctors are recommending he be re-evaluated in 2-3 weeks, which makes his return in Week 13 at the earliest. The Eagles were told to take a conservative approach, so even if he’s healthy enough to play, I’d expect the team to shut him down if they fall out of the playoff hunt. Fantasy owners should hold onto him in the event that he comes back for the fantasy playoffs, but if there is a good option on the waiver wire, it might be time to cut bait.

Jerious Norwood returns to limited practice. It looks like Michael Turner will be out this week, but he’s optimistic that he’ll be back soon. It’s not inconceivable that Norwood would get some work with Jason Snelling in a RBBC against the Giants, though he’s been out a while with a hip injury.

Kyle Orton has torn ligaments in his left ankle. Brandon Marshall owners should keep an eye on this. If Orton isn’t able to play through this injury, it’s a big blow to Marshall. Orton isn’t great, but he’s a lot better than Chris Simms right now.

Ronnie Brown reportedly has Lisfranc injury. This generally requires surgery and recovery takes a while. If this is indeed the type of injury he has, he will enter the 2010 season as a question mark.

DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart are both expected to play tonight. Williams sat out practice on Wednesday just to rest, nothing more. He’s a good RB1 play and Stewart is a solid RB2/flex play in most formats.

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Rotoworld shares the bad news that the Dolphins placed Ronnie Brown on IR, ending his season…

The extent of Brown’s foot injury still hasn’t been revealed, but the Dolphins wouldn’t have ended his season so early if it wasn’t significant. A Lisfranc fracture requiring surgery could jeopardize his availability for 2010 training camp. In standard leagues, Brown has been the No. 8 overall fantasy RB with eight all-purpose touchdowns, 746 total yards, and a rock-solid 4.4 YPC in nine starts. With no CBA deal on the horizon, Brown’s 2010 option will likely kick in, keeping him in Miami. He’s due $5 million in salary next season.

Obviously, this is a big blow to the Dolphins who already have RB Patrick Cobbs on IR. However, they do have a good backup in Ricky Williams who is more than capable of taking over.

From a fantasy point of view, if Williams is somehow available on your waiver wire, pick him up NOW. His matchups in the fantasy playoffs are all decent and the Miami running game is one of the best in the league. There are a few things to keep in mind: 1) He’s 32 years-old and hasn’t had a 25+ carry game since 2005, 2) he was basically out of football for two years so he doesn’t have the normal mileage of a 32 year-old RB, and 3) he has looked damn good this year, averaging a career-high 5.3 ypc.

The Dolphins plan to use Williams as their workhorse back. Lex Hilliard is listed next on the Miami depth chart, so he might be a guy to stash if you have room on your roster. Hilliard is a power back that hasn’t yet carried the ball in his two year career. However, he amassed 3,428 yards and 45 TD in three seasons at Montana. He averaged 107 yards and 1.2 TD in 23 games over his last two years in college. Given his age, Williams is susceptible to injury, and if he were to go down, Hilliard would likely be the lead back in a potent rushing attack.

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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 tell you about how Drew Brees or Adrian Peterson has a tough matchup – 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.

The “love ‘em” players are listed in the order that I’d start them this week.

Matt Schaub is coming off his bye and has a tasty matchup with a Tennessee defense that has given up an average of 270 yards and 2.6 pass TD per game…Eli Manning is also coming off his bye and has a date with an Atlanta defense that is 28th against the pass…The KC DT has been a little better versus QBs of late, but Ben Roethlisberger should still have a nice game. On the season, the Chiefs have given up an average of 234 yards and 1.6 pass TD per game…It’s tough to run on the Vikings, so look for Matt Hasselbeck to pass early and often to try to take advantage of Minnesota’s 23rd-ranked pass defense…The Giants have struggled against the pass of late, so Matt Ryan will have an opportunity to break out of his recent funk…Desperate? Miami has really struggled against the pass lately, so (gulp) Jake Delhomme should be able to post some good fantasy numbers.

Read the rest of this entry »

The strategy behind DTBWW is that each week, you pick up a defense, preferably one playing at home against a bad offense. And each week, you get pretty good numbers out of your DT position. To see how this approach performed last season, click here.

Last week, I recommended three DTBWW picks. Let’s see how they fared…

#1 Dolphins: 23 PA (0) + 3 SK + 1 INT + 1 FR = 5 fantasy points
#2 Titans: 17 PA (2) + 2 SK + 2 INT + 2 RET TD = 18 fp
#3 Cardinals: 20 PA (0) + 4 SK + 2 INT = 6 fp

The Dolphins were a little disappointing considering their opponent (TB), but they put up a serviceable point total. The Titans were excellent — TEN is averaging 14.0 fp over the last three weeks (in three very good matchups). Arizona was mediocre, but at least they didn’t put up a goose egg like my bonus pick (ATL).

On the season, my #1 pick is averaging 10.1 fantasy points, my #2 pick is averaging 10.7 fp and my #3 pick is averaging 6.8 fp. As a whole, DTBWW is averaging 9.2 fp, which are DT3 numbers. Not bad.

Let’s take a look at this week’s picks. Keep in mind that to be eligible for DTBWW, a defense must be available in at least 40% of ESPN fantasy leagues.

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Dwayne Bowe suspended for four games. Apparently, he violated the league’s substance abuse policy. Believe it or not, this makes Chris Chambers a viable fantasy option as the Chiefs don’t have much else going for them at WR. Lance Long may see more targets as well.

HC Mora admits that Julius Jones is “unlikely” to play in Week 11. This isn’t surprising considering that Jones was hospitalized on Sunday. Justin Forsett will get the start in a bad matchup with the Vikings. But from Week 12 on, Seattle’s schedule is pretty nice, so Forsett could potentially be a nice second-half pickup if Jones misses extended time. I wonder if the Seahawks are regretting letting Edgerrin James go.

Tim Hightower is still the Cardinals’ starter. This is going to be an interesting situation to watch down the stretch. The Cardinals have series of great rushing matchups, so will Hightower be as involved as Arizona tries to milk the clock? He seems to shine when Arizona is in catch up mode.

Cedric Benson may be a game-time decision against Oakland. The Raiders are terrible against the run, so whoever starts (Benson or Bernard Scott) should be a great start in Week 11. The team has already stated that the Larry Johnson signing has nothing to do with Benson’s injury, but the timing makes this hard to believe.

Ricky Williams will be the Dolphins’ every-down back with Ronnie Brown out. Brown apparently has two injuries — one to his ankle and one to his foot — and beat writer Omar Kelly says there’s a possibility that Brown will see a specialist. Williams’s value was already pretty high, but now it’s through the roof. Start him with confidence.

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Be sure to check out Week 10’s Fantasy Fallout and our Waiver Wire Watch. Still have questions? Fire away, but be sure to tell me about your league’s roster requirements and whether or not you’re in a PPR league.

Every week, I highlight a few players that you should target in waivers. I use the ESPN league data when filtering players, so the only players eligible for discussion here are those that are available on the waiver wire in at least 50% of ESPN’s leagues. I’ll list each player’s percentage-owned after their name so you have an idea of how available they are in leagues around the country. I’ll always try to mention a few players that are available in 90% of leagues for those of you in 12-team leagues or leagues with big rosters. I’ll rank them in the order I’d pick them up in a league with a high-performance, PPR scoring system.

Please note that these rankings are for total value through the end of the year. Players with particularly good matchups this week are in bold.

Alex Smith (17.0)
Of this group, I’d still take Smith first despite a bad outing against a suspect Bears secondary. He has a great upcoming schedule and has a few good options in the passing game in Vernon Davis and Michael Crabtree.
Vince Young (6.6)
Young has been very solid of late, and with the Texans and Cardinals up next, he has a chance to post decent fantasy numbers.
Mark Sanchez (46.4)
The rookie has been pretty good over the last three weeks, but with the Pats and Panthers up next, that may not last.
Jason Campbell (19.2)
Matthew Stafford (5.8)
Marc Bulger (3.7)
Josh Freeman (3.4)
Chad Henne (5.2)

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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.

Every week, I 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 tell you about how Drew Brees or LaDainian Tomlinson has a tough matchup – just go ahead and start them. 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 Donovan McNabb, only do so if you have a clearly better option on your bench.

The “love ‘em” players are listed in the order that I’d start them this week.

LOVE ‘EM

QB: For a rookie, Matt Ryan has been outstanding this season, and he has a tasty matchup with the league’s 28th rated pass defense…Tyler Thigpen has been a solid fantasy QB the last three weeks and has a great matchup this week with a Saints pass defense that has yielded 238 pass yards and 1.6 pass TD per game…Jake Delhomme has the Lions this week, which means he has a good shot to post his best numbers all season. Detroit is 29th against the pass…If he can get healthy, Ben Roethlisberger has a great matchup against the Chargers, who have the league’s worst pass defense (265 yards, 1.9 TD per game)…For the desperate, Kerry Collins (@ JAX) and Matt Hasselbeck (vs. ARI), if he plays, both have nice matchups with sketchy pass defenses.

RB: Frank Gore is sort of a no-brainer at this point, but be sure he’s in your lineup this week as he faces the Rams, who have yielded 161 yards and 1.7 rush TD per game…Matt Forte should post nice numbers against the Packers, who have the league’s 28th-ranked rush defense…Michael Turner and Jerious Norwood are both good starts against a Denver rush defense that has given up 146 yards and 1.2 rush TD per game…Joseph Addai has a very nice matchup with a Houston defense that is ranked 23rd against the run. The Texans have also allowed 1.6 rush TD per game…I’m not so sure about Jonathan Stewart, but DeAngelo Williams looks like a great start against the Lions, who have allowed an average of 161 yards and 1.6 TD on the ground this season…The Texans keep talking about limiting Steve Slaton’s touches to keep him fresh, but he should still be able to produce against the Colts’ 24th-ranked rush defense…Reggie Bush may play, but he’ll probably be limited. If so, Deuce McAllister looks like a solid start against the Chiefs’ league-worst rush defense.

WR: Steve Smith is a must-start, but Muhsin Muhammad is also a very good start against the Lions, who have yielded 245 yards and 1.7 pass TD per game…Lee Evans should have a good game against the 21st-ranked Browns pass defense…Against the Bears, Greg Jennings will already be in most fantasy owners’ lineups, but Donald Driver is worth a look too, assuming the weather holds up in Green Bay…Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin are no-brainer starts, but Steve Breaston should also have a good week against a Seattle pass defense that is ranked 31st in the league…Dwayne Bowe should be in everyone’s lineups, but Mark Bradley is also a nice start against the 27th-ranked Saints pass defense…Roddy White is a must-start, but Michael Jenkins is a sneaky good start in larger leagues against a very bad Denver pass defense…Koren Robinson and Bobby Engram face the Cardinals, so they may post some numbers this week…For the desperate, Mark Clayton might not be a bad start if Derrick Mason misses Week 11.

LEAVE ‘EM

QB: I might still start him if I were in a pinch, but Tony Romo (@ WAS) has a rough matchup with the league’s 8th-ranked pass defense. Plus, it would be his first game back, so he may need to shake off the rust a little bit…David Garrard faces the Titans, who have yielded just five pass TD all season…Sage Rosenfels didn’t play very well last week against the Ravens, and this week he has a bad matchup against the Colts, who have the 7th-best pass defense in the league and have allowed only two pass TD all year…I probably wouldn’t use Jeff Garcia this week against an improving Vikings pass defense that shut down Aaron Rodgers and the Packers last week…I would still use both players, but lower your expectations for Brett Favre (@ NE) and Phillip Rivers (@ PIT), as both of those matchups are bad.

RB: Willis McGahee has a tough matchup with the Giants, who have allowed just 88 yards and 0.4 rush TD per game this season…I might still use him, but I’m not optimistic about Ryan Grant, who faces the league’s 4th-ranked rush defense. The Bears have been very stingy yardage-wise, but have given up 1.0 rush TD per game…Kevin Smith should probably stay on the bench this week. The Panthers have yielded just 0.4 rush TD per game this year…I’d still start both players, but lower your expectations for Brandon Jacobs (vs. BAL) and LaDainian Tomlinson (@ PIT). The Ravens and Steelers are #1/#2 in the league against the rush…Leave Julius Jones on the bench this week. Arizona has been surprisingly stingy against the run this season.

WR: The Packer pass defense is stingy, so Rashied Davis and Devin Hester should probably stay on the bench this week…You can still use Andre Johnson, but he and Kevin Walter will probably post depressed numbers against a good Colts pass defense…I wouldn’t expect a whole lot from Matt Jones this week against the 12th-ranked Titans pass defense…This isn’t a particularly good week to use Greg Camarillo or Ted Ginn, as they face an Oakland pass defense that has shut down opposing WRs the last few weeks…Unless I didn’t have a choice, I’d leave the San Diego receivers on the bench this week. The Steelers have the top-ranked pass defense in the league.

DTBWW

Welcome to the world of Defensive Team By Waiver Wire. Each week, you pick up a defense, usually playing at home against a bad offense. And each week, you get pretty good numbers out of your DT position. All teams are available in at least 40% of ESPN fantasy leagues.

This week’s picks:

MIA (vs. OAK)
SF (vs. STL)

Last week’s picks:

Not a good week.

Listen in as Anthony Stalter and I discuss Clinton Portis’ injury, the return of Cadillac Williams and Tatum Bell, Matt Hasselbeck’s back and Willie Parker’s shoulder. We also talk about a couple of quarterbacks that have nice matchups this week.

Click here to listen to the podcast.

(The opening and closing music is Joan Jett’s “Do You Wanna Touch Me (Oh Yeah)“)