I mentioned on Twitter that I thought LeBron’s new Nike ad came off kind of dickish, and it looks like I’m not the only one. The city of Cleveland responds:
LeBron and the Miami Heat visit the Cavs on December 2nd. It will be an interesting scene, for sure.
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.
As usual, I’ll discuss these players within the context of my weekly positional rankings, so remember — everything is relative.
It’s hard not to like Eli Manning (#4) this week. Seattle is a tough place to play, but Manning has nine TDs in his last three games and is coming off a bye week, so the Giants should be fully prepared to face the Seahawks, who are ranked 29th against the pass…Matt Ryan (#6) has a nice matchup with the Bucs, who have given up an average of 2.0 pass TDs through the first seven games…Josh Freeman (#11) has quietly become the league’s most underrated fantasy quarterback. He has thrown at least one TD in six of seven games this season, and he always seems to add 20-30 rushing yards to his fantasy total. With a great matchup against a sketchy Falcons secondary on tap, he should be in line for another solid day.
Looks like fun.
I missed out on my first 4-0 Sunday last week by picking the Steelers against the Saints, which was a mistake. It was a clear trap and had I trusted my gut, it would have been a clean sweep. I’ll take 3-1 every week though.
On to this week’s picks…
Chiefs (5-2) @ Raiders (4-4), 4:15PM ET
I’m not buying this latest offensive surge from the Raiders. If he can stay healthy, there’s no question Darren McFadden can knock on the door of elite. But this is still Oakland Raider football, where consistency goes to die. This pick is less about the Chiefs and more about the Raiders coming back to earth, although I like Kansas City. Do I think they’ll keep up their strong play? Not really, but their defense is strong and their offense started to figure things out before last Sunday’s dud against Buffalo. Chiefs win outright, although I’ll gladly take the points with them playing on the road.
THE PICK: CHIEFS +3
Chargers (3-5) @ Texans (4-3), 1:00PM ET
The Chargers, your official spokes team for traps. The past two weeks oddsmakers have laid traps with the Bolts, as they were favored against the Patriots and Titans at home. This week they go on the road (where they’re 0-4, mind you) to Houston and they’re favored again? Without Antonio Gates? Something smells like old asparagus. You look at this line and it screams out to take the Texans, which is exactly why I’m taking the Bolts. Take that oddsmakers!
THE PICK: CHARGERS –3
Bucs (5-2) @ Falcons (5-2), 1:00PM ET
I’ll admit I’m not a big Bucs fan. I think their 5-2 record is a mirage and while it was cute of Raheem Morris to build up his team’s confidence by saying they were the best in the NFC, this team will come back down to earth at some point. That said, what a total slap in the face to be a 9-point dog against a team that they’ve played tough throughout the years. I know the Falcons are good at home (nearly unbeatable under Matt Ryan), but Tampa has always gives Atlanta fits. This is going to be a hard-fought, nasty, tooth-and-nail, down-to-the-wire finish in the Georgia Dome and I’ll gladly take the nine points.
THE PICK: BUCS +9
Saints (5-3) @ Panthers (1-6), 1:00PM ET
The NFC South is an interesting division. The Saints always have a hard time with the Panthers, who always have a hard time with the Falcons, who always have a hard time with the Bucs, who always have a hard time with the Saints. But not this Sunday. Carolina is putrid and if it weren’t for Buffalo, we’d be referring to this team as the worst in the league. And without DeAngelo Williams, they don’t stand much of a chance this Sunday against the Saints. New Orleans may have righted the ship with a win last Sunday night against Pittsburgh, so maybe we’ll start to see glimpses of the ’09 Saints over the next couple of weeks. That, or at least a diet version of the ’09 Saints.
THE PICK: SAINTS –6.5
Season Record: 13-14-1
According to Brian Allee-Walsh of NewOrleans.com, the Saints nearly traded running back Pierre Thomas to the Patriots leading up to the October 19 deadline.
The Saints were reportedly targeting a cornerback but talks fell through after New England asked for a draft pick to be thrown into the deal. Thomas has missed the last five games due to an ankle injury.
It’s not surprising to hear that the Saints nearly dealt Thomas considering how frustrated coach Sean Payton has been with his running back’s injury issues over the last two years. Thomas was a vital piece down the stretch run last year, but he can never stay healthy. Not having Thomas and Reggie Bush in their backfield has hurt the Saints this season, as Payton’s offense has lost its balance.
On the injury front, Thomas told the media on Thursday that doctors found something else wrong with his ankle when they re-examined him last week. That said, he was also told he can ditch his crutches during the Saints’ bye in Week 10, which is a positive sign for his status the rest of the year.
© 2026 The Scores Report – The National Sports Blog
Theme by Anders Noren — Up ↑
