Category: Fantasy Football (Page 283 of 324)

Troy Williamson underwent a MRI on his concussed head and is listed as questionable for Monday night’s game. Avoid starting him if at all possible…Laveranues Coles dressed for practice but didn’t go on Friday, which is a little worrisome. Keep your eye on the Jets’ inactives Sunday morning…LaMont Jordan returned to practice and “looked good” according to Art Shell. The Raiders play the Steelers, so if you have a good option besides Jordan, use it…Ben Roetlisberger is likely to start this week, but keep an eye on the Steelers’ inactives and be prepared to start Charlie Batch in his place…Carnell Williams will continue to come out of the games on third down, with Michael Pittman and Mike Alstott on the field in obvious passing situations…Byron Leftwich and Jack Del Rio are apparently not speaking to each other. Even though Leftwich has already been declared out for this game, keep an eye on this situation…Greg Jennings is listed as doubtful so don’t count on him this week…Kellen Winslow practiced all week and should play against the Jets…Steve McNair was upgraded to probable and should play against the Saints tomorrow…After much speculation, the Bengals did activate Chris Henry and he should resume his role as the team’s third WR…Ahman Green is listed as probable and is a solid play against the Cardinals…Larry Fitzgerald is listed as doubtful and will probably not play against Green Bay…Brian Westbrook, Donte Stallworth and L.J. Smith practiced and should play Sunday…Rudi Johnson practiced on Friday and is expected to play against the Falcons, who have been susceptible to the run the last couple weeks with injuries to their defense.

Each week in the Pregame, I’ll provide a few players to start and a few to bench. These recommendations are based on that player’s strength of schedule (SOS) for that particular week or that player’s specific situation.

I’m a strong advocate of always starting your studs, so I won’t be telling you about LaDainian Tomlinson’s tough matchup or how Peyton Manning and company will light it up against a bad defense. Anyone can make those calls. I’ll be discussing marginal fantasy starters – guys that can start for you, but only under certain circumstances.

START

A number of marginal starting QBs have good matchups this week. MATT LEINART, REX GROSSMAN, CHARLIE FRYE, TONY ROMO, DAMON HUARD and JAKE PLUMMER are all decent starts…TRAVIS HENRY and WALI LUNDY face each other this Sunday, and both guys are good starts even if they aren’t completely dependable…THOMAS JONES and REUBEN DROUGHNS also have good matchups, while TATUM BELL is a must-start this week…EDDIE KENNISON and BRAYLON EDWARDS have nice matchups against the Seahawks and Jets, respectively. Both teams have had trouble against the pass in recent weeks.

BENCH

BEN ROETHLISBERGER, ALEX SMITH and SENECA WALLACE have tough matchups against the Raiders, Bears and Chiefs respectively. Of those three, Big Ben probably has the best chance of having a decent game, though the other two could throw for a lot of yards in garbage time…It might be a good week to sit DEUCE MCALLISTER and REGGIE BUSH down. They’ve been splitting carries and they face a very tough Ravens defense this week…The entire 49ers offense should have a tough go, so FRANK GORE and ANTONIO BRYANT should be benched if you have another good option…Likewise, MARQUES COLSTON and JOE HORN should find the going tough against the Ravens.

Be sure to check back on Saturday for a complete injury update. In the meantime, feel free to post your questions on our Fantasy Q & A.

We’re about halfway through the fantasy football regular season, which means that teams are starting to separate themselves from the pack.

If you have any roster questions, we’re here to answer them.

QUARTERBACKS

Here is a list of players that may be available on your league’s waiver wire, in order of relative value:

Jon Kitna, Chad Pennington, Alex Smith, Rex Grossman, David Carr, Phillip Rivers, Matt Leinart, Charlie Frye, Tony Romo, Damon Huard, Brad Johnson, Seneca Wallace, Mark Brunell. J.P. Losman, Bruce Gradkowski, Vince Young, Joey Harrington, Kyle Boller

Tony Romo started the second half of the Monday night game and threw for 227 yards, 2 TD and 3 INT. It wasn’t all pretty, and there’s no guarantee that Bill Parcells is going to stick with him, but it’s worth noting. Dallas has a great group of receivers and if Romo can take care of the ball, he’ll be the guy down the stretch…Charlie Batch played well in Ben Roethlisberger’s absence and is an obvious choice if Big Ben misses any time…Seneca Wallace will replace Matt Hasselbeck, who is out for three weeks (according to Mike Holmgren). Wallace had a tough time on Sunday, but should fare better with a week’s worth of reps under his belt.

RUNNING BACKS

Travis Henry, Leon Washington, Wali Lundy, Maurice Jones-Drew, Justin Fargas, Cedric Benson, Maurice Morris, Jerious Norwood, Michael Turner, Brandon Jacobs, Najeh Davenport

Leon Washington was the main main for the Jets on Sunday, rushing 20 times for 129 yards and two TD. Kevan Barlow is still in the picture (12 carries), but Washington seems to be grabbing the reins…LaMont Jordan missed the game Sunday and is listed as questionable for next week (he wants to “play it safe” with his bad back), so Justin Fargas immediately becomes a decent spot starter. He has good speed but has been injury prone…Don’t look now but Wali Lundy is back in the saddle for the Texans. Samkon Gado started the game but his line (10 carries, 27 yards) doesn’t compare to Lundy’s final line (19 carries, 93 yards, 1 TD, 4 catches, 15 yards). Has Lundy done enough to win the job? Only head coach Gary Kubiak knows for sure.

WIDE RECEIVERS

Marques Colston, Reggie Williams, Mark Clayton, Bernard Berrian, Jerricho Cotchery, Mike Furrey, Marty Booker, Doug Gabriel, Wes Welker, Bryant Johnson, Marcus Robinson, Eric Parker

Marty Booker may have been cut after missing some time with an injured shoulder, but he caught seven passes for 110 yards and a TD against the Packers, sending many Chris Chambers owners to the loony bin in the process…If Troy Williamson or Travis Taylor miss any games, Marcus Robinson’s value would increase. He caught four passes for 77 yards and a score against the Seahawks.

TIGHT ENDS

Chris Cooley, Desmond Clark, Alex Smith, Owen Daniels, Eric Johnson, Jerramy Stevens, Courtney Anderson

Although he has the name of a pretty little pop star, Courtney Anderson also has some game. He caught three passes for 55 yards in the win over the Cardinals, and is benefiting from more looks this season…Owen Daniels continues to produce at a nice clip for a rookie. He caught two passes for 20 yards and a score, his fourth of the year.

According to a NFL Network report, an MRI on Matt Hasselbeck’s knee is a grade two sprain that should keep him out 2-4 weeks. This is a tough blow to a team that was already playing without Shaun Alexander.

Seneca Wallace relieved Hasselbeck, but wasn’t particularly impressive, throwing two picks in the loss. Fantasy owners should probably look to the waiver wire for help. Matt Leinart, Steve McNair, Charlie Frye and Vince Young all have favorable matchups next week. Don’t be surprised if Hasselbeck’s absence accelerates the timeline of Alexander’s return. Supposedly, he was lobbying hard to play this week, so he should return soon.

The NFL Network also reported that Ben Roethlisberger suffered a concussion that forced him out of the game on Sunday. Charlie Batch replaced him and played quite well in the loss. Keep an eye on Roethlisberger’s status and add Batch if necessary.