Need last-minute help? Look at these emerging players or overlooked veterans to start:
QB: Brett Favre, Minnesota: Seattle ranks as the league’s 11th-worst pass defense and has struggled on the road. It allowed Kurt Warner to throw for 340 yards and two scores last game; Tony Romo to pass for 256 yards and three scores in Week 8; and Peyton Manning to pass for 353 yard and two scores in Week 4.
RB: Bernard Scott/Brian Leonard/Larry Johnson, Cincinnati: Scott will reportedly receive most of the carries if Cedric Benson is out with a hip injury. However, Leonard may serve as the back on third-downs or passing situations. If Cincinnati jumps to a sizeable lead, it could elect to use Johnson as the featured back.
RB: Ladell Betts, Washington: He’s the featured back with Clinton Portis missing his second straight game with a concussion. Betts ran for a season-high 114 yards and a score against Denver last game. He’s aiming to score for his season’s third straight game at Dallas.
RB: Justin Forsett, Seattle: Julius Jones is out with a chest injury, leaving Forsett as Seattle’s featured back for the second game in a row. He responded well at Arizona last contest, running for 123 yards and a score, and catching five passes for 26 yards.
WR: Kevin Walter, Houston: Tennessee’s pass defense ranks as the league’s second-worst (270.4) and has yielded the most touchdowns (23). Walter missed the Week 2 meeting but can duplicate secondary receiver Jacoby Jones’ 73 yards and a score that contest. Of note, Matt Schaub threw for 347 yards and four scores against the Titans that day.
WR: Percy Harvin, Minnesota: Seattle has allowed secondary receivers to post solid fantasy days in road meetings this season. Steve Breaston had four receptions for 79 yards and a score last game. Austin Collie caught six passes for 65 yards and a score in Week 4. Progressing as a rookie, Harvin posted his best career fantasy game recently when he had five receptions for 84 yards and a score at Green Bay in Week 8.
WR: Hakeem Nicks, New York Giants: Atlanta ranks as the league’s fifth-worst pass defense. The rookie has scored in four straight games before going scoreless for the past two contests. He’ll have a strong chance to add his fifth touchdown.
WR: Nate Washington, Tennessee: With Justin Gage likely out for a second week in a row, this leaves Washington as one of the Titans’ top wideouts. He’s scored in two of the past three contest.
WR: Chris Chambers, Kansas City: The Chiefs will likely be unable to run against Pittsburgh’s No. 1 run defense. Additionally, Kansas City has scored only one rushing touchdown, while Pittsburgh has yielded only two rushing scores all season. Expect Matt Cassel to throw frequently and target Chambers as one of his top receivers with Dwayne Bowe’s recent four-game suspension.
TE: Joel Dreessen, Houston: Owen Daniels had six receptions for 72 yards and a score against Tennessee in the Week 2 meeting. His replacement Dreessen also had three catches for 31 yards that game. In addition to Daniels’ solid fantasy game, the Titans have been susceptible to a big fantasy day by a tight end this season. Vernon Davis had 10 catches for 102 yards in Week 10, and Dallas Clark caught nine passes for 77 yards in Week 5.
D/ST: Tennessee: It has posted consecutive superb fantasy days. It had four sacks, forced four turnovers (three interceptions), and scored a touchdown from an interception return at San Francisco. Last game, the Titans had two sacks and two interceptions returned for touchdowns against Buffalo.
Need last-minute help? Look at these emerging players or overlooked veterans to start:
QB: Kyle Orton, Denver: On paper, Washington’s pass defense is ranked No. 1. However, it has faced only one quarterback (Eli Manning) ranked in the top 16 in passing yards and just one rated in the top 12 (Manning) in passing touchdowns.
QB: Matt Cassel, Kansas City: He threw for 241 yards and one touchdown against Oakland in Week 2’s meeting. He also added 34 rushing yards.
QB: Josh Freeman, Tampa Bay: The rookie passed for 205 yards and three touchdowns in his first NFL start. He’s facing Miami’s fifth-worst pass defense that’s also starting two rookie cornerbacks.
RB: Jamaal Charles, Kansas City: Oakland ranks as the league’s fourth-worst run defense and has yielded the most rushing scores (13) as well.
RB: Correll Buckhalter, Denver: Buckhalter received the majority of carries last contest, carrying nine times compared to Knowshon Moreno’s four handoffs. He’s also the team’s primary receiver from the backfield. Washington’s run defense ranks in the bottom quarter and allowed Michael Turner to rush for 166 yards and two scores last contest.
RB: Tim Hightower, Arizona: He totaled 58 yards and a touchdown in Week 6’s first meeting with Seattle. He’s also shared carries with rookie Chris Welles during the past two contests and has posted a solid average. Hightower has run for 116 yards on 23 carries for a robust 5.0 average, while Wells has run for 119 yards on 21 handoffs for a 5.7 average.
RB: Mike Bell, New Orleans: The Saints lead the NFL at 37.9 points per game while St. Louis rates as the league’s fourth-worst scoring defense at 27.6 points. If New Orleans jumps to a big lead early, Bell could receive some carries and scoring chances in relief of Pierre Thomas.
RB: Justin Fargas, Oakland: Kansas City ranks as the league’s fifth-worst run defense. If Fargas remains Oakland’s featured back, he could duplicate his last game of 79 total yards and a score.
RB: Willis McGahee, Baltimore: Cleveland ranks as the league’s second-worst rush defense and has yielded the second-most rushing scores. It also rates as the fifth-worst scoring defense (26.1). Additionally, Baltimore ranks in the top 10 scoring defenses while Cleveland’s offense rates as the league’s second worst (9.8). If Baltimore jumps to a big lead early, McGahee could see more carries and scoring chances than he has recently.
WR: Robert Meachem, New Orleans: The Saints have the best scoring offense, while the Rams have the worst scoring offense and fourth-worst scoring defense. Meachem led the Saints with five catches for 98 yards and a score last game and will likely be one of Drew Brees’ top targets again.
WR: Davone Bess, Greg Camarillo and Ted Ginn, Jr. Miami: Tampa Bay has allowed the third-most points per game (28.9), and its defense has yielded the third-most passing scores (18). Both Bess and Camarillo posted solid outputs last game; Bess caught six passes for 56 yards, and Camarillo had five receptions for 71 yards. Ginn’s speed makes him a threat to post a solid game against Tampa Bay’s leaky pass defense that has allowed many big scoring plays.
WR: Donnie Avery and Keenan Burton, St. Louis: If the Rams are forced to play catchup early, they’ll need to pass frequently against New Orleans. Currently, both are the top two receivers for St. Louis this season.
WR: Nate Washington, Tennessee: Justin Gage is expected to be out against Buffalo with a back injury. This will likely leave Washington as the recipient of more passes. He posted his best fantasy day of the season against Jacksonville in Week 4 when he had seven catches for 66 yards and a score.
WR: Sammie Stroughter, Tampa Bay: He will be facing Miami’s rookie corners and looking to continue to establish a connection with fellow rookie quarterback Josh Freeman. Of note, Stroughter scored in Freeman’s first NFL start last game.
TE: Brent Celek, Philadelphia: Celek has scored in two straight contests and has already recorded two 100-yard receiving days. Tight ends have performed nicely against San Diego this season as well. Kevin Boss scored last game; Zach Miller caught five passes for 52 yards in Week 8, and had six receptions for 96 yards in Week 1; Tony Scheffler gained 101 yards and one score from six receptions in Week 6; Heath Miller had 70 yards and two scores from eight catches in Week 4; and Todd Heap scored in Week 2.
TE: Visanthe Shiancoe, Minnesota: He caught a touchdown in Week 2’s meeting and has scored six touchdowns already this season. Detroit ranks as the league’s second-worst pass defense and has yielded the second-most passing scores.
TE: John Carlson, Seattle: Carlson led Seattle in receiving yards (55) in Week 6’s first meeting. Arizona has allowed some big fantasy days to tight ends this season. Greg Olsen had five receptions for 71 yards and three touchdowns last game; Owen Daniels caught eight passes for 94 yards in Week 5; Dallas Clark had seven catches for 62 yards and a touchdown in Week 3; and Marcedes Lewis had 62 yards and a score in Week 2.
D/ST: Miami: The Dolphins rate in the top quarter in acquiring sacks (21). If Miami is able to put heavy pressure on Tampa Bay’s rookie quarterback, it could force Freeman into frequent turnovers during his first road start.
D/ST: Buffalo: The Bills have the second-most interceptions (15), while the Jaguars rate in the bottom third in allowing sacks (20). Buffalo can continue to create turnovers if it’s able to put heavy pressure on David Garrard.
Need last-minute help? Look at these emerging players or overlooked veterans to start:
QB: David Garrard, Jacksonville: Kansas City ranks as the league's fifth-worst pass defense and has allowed the fourth-most passing scores (13). Garrard has shown he could be very productive against a shaky defense when he threw for 323 yards and three scores at home against Tennessee in Week 4.
QB: Matt Cassel, Kansas City: The Jaguars rank in the bottom quarter of pass defenses and have yielded the fourth-most passing scores (13). Cassel travels to Jacksonville aiming for his fourth contest of multiple passing scores.
RB: Correll Buckhalter, Denver: Pittsburgh ranks as the top rushing defense, but is susceptible to allowing receiving yards to a running back. For instance, Adrian Peterson caught four passes for 60 yards last game. Buckhalter leads Denver's running backs in receptions, totaling 15 in his last three contests played.
RB: Maurice Morris, Detroit: Seattle has allowed running backs to score in two straight games, and Morris could receive the goal-line chances in Week 9. He was more effective than Kevin Smith last game, averaging 4.5 yards on 14 carries compared to Smith's 2.8 on 16 handoffs.
RB: Rashad Jennings, Jacksonville: If the Jaguars jump to a big lead against the Chiefs' sixth-worst scoring defense (25.9) and sixth-worst scoring offense (15.0), then its top player Maurice Jones-Drew could take a rest and defer carries to rookie Jennings.
RB: Brandon Jackson, Green Bay: Tampa Bay rates as the league's third-worst run defense. It's also scored only the fourth-most points (13.7) while yielding the third-most points (29). If Green Bay can jump to a big lead, backup Jackson could see more playing time and spell starter Ryan Grant.
RB: Justin Forsett, Seattle: Detroit has allowed a running back to either total at least 100 yards or score in six of the first seven contests. With the release of Edgerrin James, Forsett could see more carries, especially if the Seahawks are able to jump to a lead early.
RB: BenJarvus Green-Ellis, New England: Miami nose tackle Jason Ferguson is doubtful to play Sunday, leaving Miami's run defense in a lurch. Green-Ellis is likely the second running back option behind Laurence Maroney with injuries to Fred Taylor and Sammy Morris.
WR: Kevin Walter, Houston: Indianapolis will be missing three of its four starters in the secondary. This leaves the Colts vulnerable to a big day by Matt Schaub. As a result, Walter will be aiming for his first 100-yard game of the season. Coupled with the season-ending loss of Owen Daniels, Walter could be looking at his best fantasy day this season.
WR: Steve Breaston, Arizona: Given Anquan Boldin's ankle injury, No. 3 wide receiver Breaston could receive more looks as a result. . In fact, Kurt Warner targeted Breaston eight times last game with Boldin's injury. Breaston posted his best game in Week 6 by catching seven passes for 77 yards and a score, an indication of what he could accomplish against Chicago's inconsistent pass defense. The Bears recently allowed Carson Palmer to throw for five scores.
WR: Antonio Bryant, Tampa Bay: If Tampa Bay falls quickly behind against Green Bay's eighth-best scoring offense (26.7), then it will be forced to pass frequently to keep pace. As a result, Bryant could be the recipient of many passes.
WR: Malcom Floyd, San Diego: The Chargers released Chris Chambers, and Floyd becomes the favorite to be the second wideout behind Vincent Jackson. The Giants have struggled in pass coverage, missing two starters with injuries. For two of the last three contests, it's allowed Drew Brees to throw for 369 yards and four scores, and Donovan McNabb to pass for 240 yards and three scores.
WR: Sammie Stroughter, Tampa Bay: This emerging rookie wideout will be looking to establish a strong rapport with fellow rookie quarterback Josh Freeman. Stroughter has posted his best two-game span, gaining 65 and 63 yards in each of the last two contests.
WR: Sam Aiken, New England: New England recently released Joey Galloway, and is waiting for rookie Julian Edelman to recover from a forearm injury. This has left Aiken as the best candidate to assume the role of Tom Brady's No. 3 wideout. He responded last game with his first touchdown of the season as well as a season-high 66 yards. Additionally, Miami is starting three rookies (two cornerbacks and free safety) in the secondary, making it vulnerable to a big passing day by Brady.
TE: Spencer Havner, Green Bay: He's scored three touchdowns during the past two contests while replacing an injured Jermichael Finley. Tampa Bay has struggled defending the pass, allowing the third-most touchdowns (16).
TE: Joel Dreessen, Houston: He's first in line to replace injured starter Owen Daniels (out for season). The Texans utilize the tight end more than most, so Dreessen could receive some chances to produce adequate stats.
D/ST: San Diego: The Chargers' defense/special teams have rebounded during the past two contests, totaling nine sacks, four interceptions and a touchdown. Conversely, Eli Manning has struggled for the past two contests, throwing five interceptions and being sacked five times.
Need last-minute help? Here are some deep sleepers for Week 8:
QB: Marc Bulger, St. Louis: Detroit rates as the NFL's third-worst passing defense and has yielded the second-most passing scores (17). Bulger has struggled this season but fantasy reserve Jason Campbell had his best fantasy day against Detroit. He threw for 340 yards and two scores against the Lions in Week 3.
Matthew Stafford, Detroit: St. Louis ranks as the league's eighth-worst pass defense and has allowed the sixth-most passing touchdowns (11). Stafford is expected to return from his knee injury and has shown he can produce an adequate fantasy day. He threw for 296 yards and one score against Chicago in his last contest.
RB: Tashard Choice, Dallas: Though Marion Barber and Felix Jones are lauded more, Choice has shown he can produce a solid fantasy game if utilized. He ran for 92 yards and one score at Kansas City in Week 5 despite receiving only eight handoffs.
RB: Justin Fargas, Oakland: He was much more effective than Michael Bush against the Jets last game, averaging 8.4 yards compared to Bush's 3.1. Both received the same number of carries, and Fargas ran for 67 yards and Bush had only 25 yards. San Diego ranks as the league's fifth-worst run defense, so Oakland will look to jumpstart its running game.
RB: Rashad Jennings, Jacksonville: When the Jaguars jumped to a big lead at halftime, 27-3, Jennings substituted for Maurice Jones-Drew midway through the third quarter. He proceeded to rush for 53 yards and average 5.9 yards from nine carries. If Jacksonville can dominate Tennessee again, look for Jennings to be a fantasy contributor.
RB: Chad Simpson, Indianapolis: Donald Brown has an injured shoulder, leaving his Week 8 playing time in doubt. Last game, Simpson had a 31-yard touchdown run against St. Louis. His role could be expanded if Brown can't play.
RB: Eldra Buckley, Philadelphia: If Brian Westbrook can't play, look for Buckley to have a chance to contribute. LeSean McCoy would start if Westbrook is out, but may need help in order to fulfill Philadelphia's running back duties.
WR: Austin Collie, Indianapolis: Collie has emerged as Peyton Manning's second wide receiver behind Reggie Wayne. The rookie has scored in three straight contests, totaling 18 receptions for 198 yards and four touchdowns.
WR: Johnny Knox, Chicago: Cleveland ranks among the 10 worst pass defenses and has allowed big big scoring plays to wide receiver Derrick Mason (72 yards), Hines Ward (52 yards) and Donald Driver (71 yards) in recent games. Along with Devin Hester, Knox has the great speed to outrun the secondary to record long scoring plays.
WR: Jeremy Maclin, Philadelphia: The rookie showed his great fantasy potential when he caught six passes for 142 yards and two touchdowns against Tampa Bay in Week 5. His next foe, the New York Giants, struggled on the road last game, allowing Drew Brees to throw for 369 yards and four scores.
WR: Mohamed Massaquoi, Cleveland: Chicago allowed Carson Palmer to throw for 233 yards and five scores last game. Massaquoi has posted two solid games during the last four contests. He caught eight passes for 148 yards against Cincinnati in Week 4 and had five catches for 83 yards against Pittsburgh in Week 6.
WR: Andre' Davis, Houston: If Andre Johnson misses any games with a lung contusion, then Davis would likely be the best candidate to replace him. He owns the receiving skills and big-play ability to help compensate for the loss of Johnson, and would be most likely to post a solid fantasy day. Davis has already shown he can post a big game when Johnson is injured. In 2007, when Johnson missed seven games (Weeks 3-9) with a knee injury, Davis caught five passes for 117 yards and one touchdown in Week 4.
WR: Keenan Burton, St. Louis: Detroit rates as the NFL's third-worst passing defense and has yielded the second-most passing scores (17). Burton is the Rams' second-leading receiver with 199 yards, and has caught the second-most passes (20) among the wideouts.
TE: Brandon Pettigrew, Detroit: St. Louis' eighth-worst pass defense has yielded solid games to tight ends recently. Dallas Clark had 44 yards and one score last game; Visanthe Shiancoe had 49 yards and a score in Week 5; and Vernon Davis had 43 yards and a score in Week 4.
TE:Travis Beckum, New York Giants: If Kevin Boss can't capitalize on Philadelphia's vulnerability to tight ends in the passing game, then rookie Beckum will have a chance to post his best fantasy day and score his first NFL touchdown. Last game, Fred Davis caught eight receptions for 78 yards and one touchdown to record his career best fantasy day.
D/ST:Chicago: Cleveland ranks as the NFL's third-lowest scoring team (10.3) and second-worst offense (225.4). It's also allowed the second-most turnovers (18), and the seventh-most sacks (18). In their last home game, the Bears acquired five sacks, two turnovers and scored on a kickoff return against Detroit.
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