To prepare you as best we can for your week of Fantasy Football, we've
devised this series of previews for each NFL game. We'll give you a
taste of what to expect, then rank each significant Fantasy contributor
on a scale from 0-5 stars (with five stars suggesting can't-miss; a
player or unit without any stars suggests you probably shouldn't start
him under any circumstances). The rankings take the matchup into
account, but injuries and other significant factors also contribute. You
should be able to compare the ratings for the players on your team and
make an educated pick on who should start -- and sit -- in your lineup .
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Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Dallas Cowboys
Sunday, 1:00 pm,
Texas Stadium
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The Bucs' tendency to throw more than run will do them good against
a Cowboys secondary that's struggling. Look for Tampa Bay to used
big receivers Antonio Bryant and Jerramy Stevens in mismatches against the smallish and thin Dallas
defensive backs, as well as a lot of underneath stuff to help take
advantage of a blitzing Cowboys defense. Earnest Graham and Warrick Dunn won't
post numbers like Steven Jackson did
last week, but they'll see enough work, especially if the Bucs build
a lead into the second half. We'll see how Dallas does stopping
them. The Cowboys might try to make an effort to lean on Marion Barber, but the Bucs' defense will key in on him and try to
force the Cowboys to make Brad Johnson
beat them. The Bucs have yet to yield a rushing touchdown this year,
and Barber has not played well in his last two home games. It'll be
hard to bench him, but if you have excellent options behind him,
give it some thought. Brad Johnson's
game was bad against a blitzing Rams defense last week, and you can
be sure that the Bucs will bring the house on passing downs in an
effort to force more mistakes.
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San Diego Chargers vs. New Orleans Saints
Sunday, 1:00
pm, Wembley Stadium
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Both teams should be acclimated to London by now and put up a better
game than the Giants and Dolphins did last season, but the weather
could put a damper on their plans. There's a 70 percent chance of
rain. That will hurt both teams quite a bit as they're both passing
clubs (New Orleans more than San Diego). LaDainian Tomlinson should see a lot of work, but does that
mean a lot of yards and touchdowns? The Saints' run defense stepped
up in two of their last three and could be motivated to step up and
shut down LT. That would leave Philip Rivers
to throw, which he's done plenty of this season. If Chris Chambers is healthy, the Chargers should overpower the
Saints' still-struggling secondary and put some points on the board.
Without Chambers, it's a little tougher as they are thin on the
roster there, though the Saints have allowed a 100-yard receiver in
three of their last four games. The Saints won't be able to help
themselves and fire back against a porous Chargers secondary. Marques Colston has had two weeks to get his legs back under him
and should be a bigger part of the offense, and the rest of the
Saints' options should do okay. Only if there is a total downpour
would the Saints not choose to pass. Deuce McAllister should see an increase in work, but Aaron Stecker will take a good amount of work from him so long as Reggie Bush is sidelined. Stecker was great in place of Bush (and
McAllister) last season.
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Atlanta Falcons at Philadelphia Eagles
Sunday, 1:00 pm,
Lincoln Financial Field
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The Eagles usually play well following the bye, and that doesn't
bode well for the Falcons. It also doesn't help that the Eagles
haven't allowed a 100-yard receiver. Roddy White will see a lot of coverage, and that won't help Matt Ryan's stats. The Falcons should lean on Michael Turner once again, and the Eagles have allowed a 100-yard
rusher in two straight games. Problem is, the Eagles have had an
extra week to study Turner and could bottle him up. Expect a modest
game from Turner, but not his best stuff. The Eagles offense will
turn back to Brian Westbrook,
healthy after a couple of weeks off, and he'll be the main focus
against the Falcons. Kevin Curtis'
return might help things too; he's been getting into football shape
the last couple of weeks and might surprise with a decent game. The
Falcons are far from good vs. the pass; Donovan McNabb should have a solid week as well.
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Arizona Cardinals at Carolina Panthers
Sunday, 1:00 pm,
Bank of America Stadium
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Another West Coast team heading East as the Cardinals are already
0-2 vs. East Coast teams and facing a Panthers defense that just
shellacked Drew Brees a week prior.
The Cardinals shouldn't plan on running much as the Panthers have
done very well vs. better running backs than Edgerrin James and should overmatch him and the Cardinals' offensive
line. That will force the Cards to pass, which isn't much better as
the Panthers have been great vs. the pass. Carolina has yet to allow
a 100-yard receiver, and Larry Fitzgerald
has never had a 100-yard game after his bye week. A lot going
against the Cardinals, but it's going to be very hard to sit
Fitzgerald, Steve Breaston (assuming Anquan Boldin is out) and Kurt Warner.
The Panthers should fight back with their typical balanced attack of
ground-and-pound with some deep lobs to Steve Smith. Arizona may be coming off the bye but they cannot
deny the fact that they've allowed an opponent to get at least 100
receiving yards in each of their last three games. Jonathan Stewart should get some clock-killing reps late in the game
to help pad his fairly consistent totals.
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Oakland Raiders at Baltimore Ravens
Sunday, 1:00 pm, M&
Bank Stadium
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The Raiders are behind the eight ball as West Coast teams have
struggled playing out East. Playing against the Ravens top-ranked
run defense and fourth-best pass defense won't help, either. Bad
week for Justin Fargas and Darren McFadden, both of whom will be bottled up; it's been 25
straight games since the Ravens have allowed a 100-yard rusher. If
there's no run game, trusting JaMarcus Russell
to carry the Raiders won't be very successful for Oakland or your
Fantasy team. Javon Walker shouldn't
be trusted as his good effort last week was his first in nearly a
calendar year. The Ravens should be able to run wild against
Oakland's defensive front, which was destroyed by Thomas Jones last week. Willis McGahee
should continue his grand play from a week prior, and LeRon McClain's shot at a touchdown seems good. Joe Flacco's been throwing the ball a little bit better, and
starting Derrick Mason as a No. 3
Fantasy receiver isn't a bad idea although the Ravens may only need
to attempt 10-15 passes in the game.
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St. Louis Rams at New England Patriots
Sunday, 1:00 pm,
Gillette Stadium
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The red-hot Rams face a tough task playing at the Patriots, but they
shouldn't get run over. The Patriots will aim to take Steven Jackson out of the game, but that will prove difficult
without Rodney Harrison able to help
as the eighth man in the box. Jackson has been the key to the Rams'
offense over the last couple of weeks as they use him to set up the
pass. Donnie Avery is the more
threatening receiver to the Pats than Torry Holt as no one on New England can match up with his speed.
He should be good for another long gain -- assuming the Rams'
inability to play well on grass doesn't extend to his legs. The
Patriots are thin at running back and had a hard time with the
Broncos' pass rush last week. That's a bad combination as the Rams'
pass rush has picked up (seven sacks in last two games) and will
come after Matt Cassel. That means
Cassel must hit his short targets quicker, and that favors the Rams
as Cassel is not great under pressure. The Rams may have allowed a
100-yard rusher in each of their last two games, but their pass
defense has really improved, and that's not the best news as it
pertains to a Patriots offense that had a good game against the
Broncos last week.
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Washington Redskins at Detroit Lions
Sunday, 1:00 pm,
Ford Field
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The Redskins should continue their plan from last week vs. the
Browns and give a heavy workload to Clinton Portis. The problem is that Portis is banged up and may not
make it through another 27 carries. Thus, look for the Redskins to
use Shaun Alexander a smidge more,
and take advantage of mismatches in the passing game. The Lions
yielded two touchdowns to tight end Owen Daniels last week, and tight ends have been playing well
against them in general. Should be a nice week for Chris Cooley, as well as for Santana Moss
(100-yard receivers allowed by Lions in back-to-back games). This
should lead to a better-than-normal week for Jason Campbell, and if he can't do it here, he's probably not
worth starting in Fantasy again. The Lions will have a hard time
against a Redskins defense that hasn't allowed a 300-yard passer,
100-yard rusher or 100-yard receiver in three straight games
(Eagles, Rams, Browns). But if there's one thing that's clear, it's
that Dan Orlovsky knows he can
always throw a deep ball to Calvin Johnson.
That potential for the big play keeps Johnson's Fantasy stature
lofty, but no one else on the Lions is expected to make a big dent.
If you're desperate, rusher Kevin Smith
and wideout Mike Furrey might have a
shot at around 75 total yards. It will help the Lions if Washington
cornerbacks Shawn Springs and Fred Smoot are both sidelined.
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Kansas City Chiefs at N.Y. Jets
Sunday, 1:00 pm, Giants
Stadium
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Tyler Thigpen is completing 42.2 percent of his passes at a
clip of 4.3 yards per attempt. This is not a quarterback you want
throwing to your Fantasy receivers. It also hurts that the Chiefs
will bench Larry Johnson and trot
out the duo of Kolby Smith and Jamaal Charles at running back. Bad news all around. Tony Gonzalez might see a decent stat line, but expect all
Chiefs' numbers to be down across the board with Thigpen under
center. The Jets should pound the run with Thomas Jones and Leon Washington,
but they have yet to have a game where they completely ignore the
pass attack. This could be it as Brett Favre
might not have Laveranues Coles at
his disposal. It wouldn't be surprising if the Jets run the ball
into the red zone and then have Favre throw touchdowns. The Jets
defense should post a gem.
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Buffalo Bills at Miami Dolphins
Sunday, 1:00 pm, Dolphin
Stadium
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With Dolphins run-stuffing defensive tackle Jason Ferguson a question mark for Sunday, the Bills will likely
attack via the run. That's solid news for Marshawn Lynch, who is still looking for his first 100-yard game of
the season, and Miami allowed its first 100-yard rusher last week.
That might even help out Fred Jackson,
who has seen at least 10 touches in four of six Bills' games. You
can still expect Buffalo to throw as the Miami secondary is still
far from superior, but Lynch should drive the offense here. The
Dolphins should combat with a decent dose of Ronnie Brown, who I like this week. The "Wildcat" was a wreck last
week against a fast 3-4 Ravens scheme. The Bills run a 4-3 and are
thin at linebacker -- expect the formation to work well once again. Chad Pennington's high yardage totals are pushed by the
surprising play of reserve rusher Patrick Cobbs, who might continue to see playing time since he's
done well. One note: The Bills' defense has been bad news for
Fantasy as they have allowed only one 100-yard rusher and no
100-yard receivers all season. The touchdowns have come, but not the
yardage.
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Cleveland Browns at Jacksonville Jaguars
Sunday, 4:05 pm,
Jacksonville Municipal Stadium
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The Jaguars have been a disappointment vs. the pass this season with
11 touchdowns allowed, but the Browns have been just as much of a
bust throwing the ball. Cleveland should continue to work downfield,
taking advantage of a suspect Jacksonville secondary, but that
doesn't guarantee big stats for Braylon Edwards, Donte Stallworth
and Steve Heiden (Kellen Winslow is suspended). Subsequently, Jacksonville has been
good, not great, against the run, and Jamal Lewis has been mediocre, not good, running the ball. The
matchup is just right for Jacksonville on both sides of the ball as
Cleveland hasn't been able to slow down anybody's run game. Look for Maurice Jones-Drew and Fred Taylor
to do much of the work and for David Garrard
not to work much magic even though Matt Jones'
suspension won't start this week amid an appeal.
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Cincinnati Bengals at Houston Texans
Sunday, 4:05 pm,
Reliant Stadium
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Believe it or not, this is a decent week for the Bengals offense.
Houston has allowed a second-worst 11 rush touchdowns and is not
that strong vs. the pass either. If you've got T.J. Houshmandzadeh or Chad Johnson,
start them. If you need a sleeper running back, Cedric Benson is really worth a look. And if you're forced to dive
for a quarterback this week, Ryan Fitzpatrick
isn't so bad as his play is gradually improving each week. The
Texans should also find success, especially on the ground. Look for Steve Slaton to see a lot of work. Cincinnati's pass defense
ranks sixth, but they're the only pass defense in the top 10 to
allow 10 scores through the air. Kevin Walter
is a decent sleeper this week. Should be a moderately high-scoring
game.
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N.Y. Giants at Pittsburgh Steelers
Sunday, 4:15 pm, Heinz
Field
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Should be a fantastic game where both teams are forced to pass
thanks to two very good run defenses. Neither the Giants nor the
Steelers have allowed a 100-yard rusher, and combined they've given
up five rush touchdowns. Eli Manning
has not looked strong in his last couple of games, both against 3-4
defenses like the Steelers. That's kind of surprising considering
how well he did in two games last year vs. the Patriots' 3-4
defense. The Steelers' pass defense is No. 1 in the NFL with a
league-high 25 sacks, so it's going to be hard for Manning to play
well, and that will trickle down into his receivers' stats. New York
is also good against the pass but might have given something away in
their loss at Cleveland that the Steelers can pick up on, perhaps
downfield throwing. If Ben Roethlisberger
gets the time, look for him to use Nate Washington to beat the Giants deep. Mewelde Moore is actually a decent start because he'll also have a
role in the passing game, assuming Willie Parker remains out as expected.
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Seattle Seahawks at San Francisco 49ers
Sunday, 4:15 pm,
Candlestick Park
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Hard to like anyone from Seattle, including Julius Jones, who ran wild vs. San Francisco earlier this year but
might be in Mike Holmgren's dog house following a sideline tirade
last week. Also, the 49ers defense will be motivated to play big for
intense interim coach Mike Singletary, so clamping down on the run
will be key. That goes double since Seattle's passing game is a
punchline. The 49ers DST is a sleeper this week. The Niners will
play back with a heavy dose of Frank Gore
and some downfield passing. The Seahawks' run defense and pass rush
has been terrible this year, and the Niners should capitalize on it,
especially with Mike Martz likely calling all of the shots without
any interference.
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Indianapolis Colts at Tennessee Titans
Monday, 8:30 pm,
LP Field
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With a win, the Titans have a stranglehold on the division. That in
itself is more than enough to motivate both teams. Expect a great
game. Without Joseph Addai, the
Colts will likely find themselves throwing more than rushing, which
suits Peyton Manning just fine.
Problem is, the Titans have been great vs. the pass all year, and Reggie Wayne isn't quite the same receiver on grass is he is on
turf. Anthony Gonzalez, however, is
a good outdoorsman as he's led the Colts' wideouts in receiving
yards in their last three games on grass. Indy will have little
choice but to put the ball in the air at least 35 times. The Titans
will do the opposite, coming after the Colts 28th-ranked run defense
(153 rush yards allowed per game). Chris Johnson should continue his hot streak, but goal-line
vulture LenDale White will only post
a big yardage total if it's a blowout, which is unlikely. Games
between these teams have been close in each of their last four
meetings.
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