It's not too late to address your late season roster depth with key waiver wire pickups. Here are some players who have been flying under the radar for most of the season, but may have some value as indicated by their recent play.
RB Warrick Dunn, Buccaneers: With Earnest Graham now out for the season, Dunn will step in to start and should routinely get 20-23 touches a game. He's capable of producing about 100 total yards from scrimmage every week.
Cadillac Williams, Buccaneers: Williams in now active, and while not the starter, he could be used in short yardage situations to vulture some rushing TDs.
Pierre Thomas, Saints: Despite the expected return of Reggie Bush, Thomas will still likely be used for the necessary yards between the tackles. And now that Aaron Stecker on IR and with the possible suspension of Deuce McAllister still looming, Thomas' role value will increase further. Last week's stats of 16 rushes for 88 yards, with 1 TD and 4 receptions for 56 yards shows that he can contribute to this offense in a significant way.
Ahman Green, Texans: Injuries and inconsistency have made many fantasy owners give up on Green, but last week's two TDs runs of 1 and 2 yards indicate that he still can be a factor in many fantasy backfields.
TJ Duckett, Seahawks: Duckett is clearly a one dimensional back right now, as a short yardage/goal line specialist. But when that one dimension adds up to six rushing TDs, it cannot be overlooked.
JJ Arrington, Cardinals: Tim Hightower is now the undisputed starter...
The winner of this game takes a one game lead in the AFC East. We all know these two teams don’t like each other, so this game should be sort of a slugfest. The Jets will try to establish their run game with Thomas Jones. The Patriots will have to rely on Matt Cassell to make some plays because there is no way the Jets respect the Pats run game.
Prediction: Jets
Denver +5.5 at Atlanta
Denver signed Tatum Bell this week, which shows you how desperate they are for a running attack. I think Mike Shanahan should just line up four to five receivers and toss the rock all over the field. Michael Turner should have a nice game for the Falcons, and Matt Ryan should find the going easy as well.
Prediction: Atlanta
Philadelphia -8.5 at Cincinnati
Brian Westbrook still doesn’t look fully healed from his leg injury, but should still have a nice game here. Kevin Curtis should be in mid-season form about now. The Eagles will blitz Ryan Fitzpatrick until he no longer wants to play football.
Prediction: Philadelphia
Chicago +5.5 at Green Bay
It looks like Kyle Orton will start for the Bears this week. So much for that ankle injury keeping him out a month. The Bears completely shut down the Titans running game last week but they gave up a ton of yardage in the passing game as their secondary is atrocious. Aaron Rodgers should have time to do what he wants.
Prediction: Green Bay
Houston +8.5 at Indianapolis
If not for the implosion of Sage Rosenfels, Houston would’ve beaten Indianapolis in their first meeting. Steve Slaton will be given every chance to take over this game for the Texans and keep Peyton Manning off the field. Joseph Addai needs to show why he is a top running back or Dominic Rhodes will continue to take away carries. Marvin Harrison needs to show that he is still a viable number two receiver.
Neither team has any injuries worth noting. Brett Favre has proven to be the riverboat gambler so far this season, tossing 11 interceptions. Marshawn #### has still not gained over 100 yards in any game this season, but does score TDs. I would expect this game to be close.
Prediction: Buffalo
Detroit +13 at Chicago
The Lions have played much better since GM Matt Millen was canned. Perhaps the team is starting to realize that their jobs are on the line also. Dan Orlovsky has yet to prove to be an adequate starting QB, but the rumors abound that Detroit will sign Daunte Culpepper shortly. Speaking of QBs, who could have predicted Kyle Orton, would play so well this season? Brandon Lloyd is still questionable for the game.
Prediction: Detroit
Jacksonville -7.5 at Cincinnati
Backup QB Ryan Fitzpatrick has had an incredibly hard time finding his receivers for anything other than short gains. Matt Jones has still not been suspended by the NFL, so you better use him while you can. Could this be the Bengals first win of the season?
Prediction: Jacksonville
Baltimore +1.5 at Cleveland
The Browns have actually been playing much better of late. Kellen Winslow returns after sort of being suspended for one game. They did suspend him but then rescinded it, but still declared him inactive - weird situation. Joe Flacco is the definition of managing the game and not making mistakes. Willis McGahee has finally started to look like a starting running back.
Prediction: Cleveland
Green Bay +5.5 at Tennessee
Another test for the Titans. This could be a let-down game after playing Monday night against the Colts. Plus, the Packers are coming off a bye. I have a feeling the Titans will not remain undefeated after this one. They will look to control the clock as always, by running Chris Johnson and LenDale White. Defensively they will try and make Green Bay one dimensional by taking away Ryan Grant, which hasn't been all that difficult for any team so far this season.
Prediction: Green Bay
Tampa Bay -8.5 at Kansas City
Jon Gruden did not have Jeff Garcia take advantage of a depleted Dallas secondary last week, and it might have cost them the game. Look for Gruden to take advantage of a horrendous Chiefs run defense by stuffing the ball down their throats over and over again. Larry Johnson is once again inactive for Kansas City, and there is a feeling that he may have played his last game for them.
Week eight of the NFL season will shine the spotlight on a few desperate teams with high expectations, like Dallas and Indianapolis, and a possible Super Bowl preview between the Steelers and the Giants. Read all our game previews and spread predictions for this weekend's games.
Tampa Bay +2 at Dallas Tony Romo will once again miss this game with a broken pinkie. This leaves the offense in the capable hands of Captain Checkdown, Brad Johnson. One has to wonder if Terrell Owens is just waiting to explode if he has one more bad game. Tampa will, in all likelihood, be without Warrick Dunn which means Earnest Graham will get the bulk of the carries. Look for Jeff Garcia to take advantage of the depleted Dallas secondary. Prediction: Tampa Bay
Washington -8 at Detroit
Where do you even begin with the Lions? Offense is a mess, defense is even worse. Their 0-6 record is slightly less worse than the 0-7 Cincinnati Bungles. Washington has had some uneven play recently. Jason Campbell hasn’t thrown an INT all season, but that could also mean he’s not taking any chances, and not pushing the ball into the secondary. Clinton Portis has been listed as questionable all week, but there is little doubt that he will play.
Prediction: Washington
Buffalo -1.5 at Miami
Buffalo has to be one of the better stories of the season, but they have yet to play a game inside their division. If they can prove to be as formidable inside the division as outside, they may be the team to beat in the AFC East. Marshawn #### owners are still waiting for a breakout performance, but keep in mind, last season his second half was much better than his first. Bill Parcells and company have done a fantastic job remaking the Dolphins. They’re not a playoff threat this season, but give them another draft or two and they will be.
Prediction: Buffalo
St. Louis +7 at New England
The Rams have started to turn around what looked like a miserable season, and interim coach Jim Haslett should get some of that credit. Perhaps in-season firings do work. Steven Jackson has a quad injury and his status has been iffy all week. Matt Cassell and Randy Moss hooked up for two touchdowns last week, but that was against a dreadful Denver defense. The Patriots running game however is in shambles. Laurence Maroney was put on the IR, so his season is done, and Sammy Morris will miss the next 2-3 weeks with a knee injury. This leaves the running game in the hands of veteran Kevin Faulk and rookie BenJarvus Green-Ellis. Might be worth a pickup if you need a short term running back.
This game will be played in merry old London, but will be considered a home game for the Saints – whatever that’s worth. Okay, it’s meaningless. LaDainian Tomlinson keeps saying he is getting healthier by the week, yet his performances say otherwise. Chris Chambers is still questionable to play this week. Marques Colston returned from his thumb surgery last week, but did not have a catch. Jeremy Shockey returned from hernia surgery and promptly complained that he is still not recovered. Shockey has not practiced yet this week and is questionable for this week. One person who is not questionable is Reggie Bush; he will miss the next 3-4 weeks after undergoing knee surgery. Deuce McAllister is now the man for New Orleans, with Pierre Thomas and Aaron Stecker getting some touches too.
Trent Edwards has a favorable matchup this week against San Diego's 31st ranked pass defense, which is why he's one of our Week Seven Guarantees. Find this week's top matchups to exploit, top matchups to avoid, best sleeper starts and more.
Top Matchups to Exploit:
Quarterback-Wide Receivers Trent Edwards, Lee Evans and Josh Reed, Bills, will have a big game hooking up against San Diego’s 31st ranked pass defense, which has also allowed 10 passing TDs (3rd worst).
Gus Frerotte, Bernard Berrian and Bobby Wade, Vikings, will expose the injured ravaged Bears secondary, which is ranked 27th in passing yards allowed.
Running Backs Chris Johnson and LenDale White, Titans, will run wild on the Chiefs’ league worst 32nd ranked run defense.
Sammy Morris and Kevin Faulk, Patriots, will combine to have a big day rushing against Denver’s 26th ranked run defense, which is allowing 137 yards per game.
Thomas Jones, Jets, will reach the end zone twice against the Raiders who have allowed 8 rushing TDs this season, tied for third worst.
Steve Slaton and Ahman Green, Texans, will trample over the cowardly Lions, who are have not been able to stop any running backs this season, ranked 31st and allowing a whopping 171 yards per game on the ground.
Sleeper Starts Mewelde Moore, Steelers, will start again for the third time in place of the injured Willy Parker and has a favorable matchup against the inept Bengals run defense, ranked 28th against the run with 8 TDs allowed.
Rudi Johnson and Kevin Smith, Lions, will be the only offense Detroit will be able to muster against Houston and their 24th ranked run defense in yards allowed and a league worst 10 rushing TDs allowed.
San Diego -2 at Buffalo
Trent Edwards is indeed a go to play in this one, although one has to wonder if that could change during the game if he takes another blow to the head. LaDainian Tomlinson has stated that this is the healthiest he has felt all year. Chris Chambers is expected to return to action for the Chargers.
Prediction: San Diego
Minnesota +3.5 at Chicago
Chicago’s secondary is riddled with injuries right now, so you should be starting Gus Frerotte and Bernard Berrian if you have them. Kyle Orton is starting to look like an NFL quarterback and he should be started as well.
Prediction: Minnesota
Pittsburgh -11 at Cincinnati
The Bengals are a mess. Carson Palmer will miss another game with his inflamed elbow. Ryan Fitzpatrick has not looked like an NFL quarterback. Cedric Benson, who just signed with the Bungles two weeks ago, will probably start at running back over Chris Perry. TJ Houschmandzadeh has missed the past two days of practice. For the Steelers, Willie Parker tweaked his already injured knee in practice on Tuesday (ran in a hole), and his status is questionable. Mewelde Moore will likely be the featured back again.
Prediction: Pittsburgh
Tennessee -8.5 at Kansas City
The big news here is that Larry Johnson has been de-activated for the game. No reason has been given, but apparently it is not related to the court case that has been made public this week. The Titans are coming off a bye and should not have a problem shutting down the Chiefs.
Prediction: Tennessee
Dallas -7 at St. Louis
If there was only some news coming out of Dallas as to what’s going on this week. Tony Romo is out four weeks with a broken pinky - oh wait, now he might play this week after Brett Favre pretty much told him to suck it up. Both Roy Williams’ will play, although I wouldn’t think the receiver would see many targets this week. Felix Jones is out 2-4 weeks with a torn hamstring. St. Louis is coming off their first win and this could be the week we see quarterback Marc Bulger look to put some points on the board.
Prediction: St. Louis
Read the rest of the Week 7 Preview & Predictions here: http://www.thefantasysportsforum.com/article.php ?ID=460
Despite a terrible season debut, find out we we think Carson Palmer and his Bengal wideouts are one of the top Matchups to Exploit for week two.
Every week, The Fantasy Sports Forum will give you the best game matchups to exploit and to avoid, as we seek to help our readers win $10,000 a week in our FSF fantasy football League at Pay The Fan.
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The rules are pretty simple, but require some strategy. Every week you pick a lineup of 1 QB, 2 RB, 2 WR, 1 TE, 1 K and 1 DEF. The goal is for your team to score more fantasy points than any other team. You can start any player, but you can only use the same player no more than twice throughout the 17 week season. This is where you employ your strategy of finding the best matchups to exploit and avoid.
Here are our Week 2 Matchups to Exploit:
Ryan Grant, Brandon Jackson vs. Detroit Lions Detroit was dominated at the line of scrimmage last week against Atlanta allowing a whopping 318 yards on the ground. The Packers will use both running backs, since they want to be careful with Grant's slight hamstring ailment. If you have Jackson, consider using him this week.
Peyton Manning, Reggie Wayne, Marvin Harrison vs. Minnesta Vikings The Vikings defense is well known for stopping the run, but soft against the pass. Expect the Colts to quickly regain the rhythm in their passing game with an aerial attack this week.
Eli Manning, Plaxico Burress vs. St. Louis Rams The Rams were seriously exposed as a team with big problems last week, Especially against the pass. You can be sure the defending champs watched the film on how to get Burress the ball often. Look for him to repeat his excellent week one performance with another 10 catches and 100+ yards.
Earnest Graham vs. Atlanta Falcons In Graham's two starts against Atlanta last season, he rushed for 181 yards and two TDs. Detroit had to abandon the run early in their loss to Atlanta last week, but the Bucs will pound the ball on the ground all game.
The first weekend of the NFL season delivered some shocking results, none more than the season ending injury to Tom Brady. After hearing the brutal news, Brady fantasy owners are either waiving the white flag on the season or scrambling to find a way to claim Matt Cassel on waivers. Depending on your league's waiver claim rules, landing Cassel at this point will probably fall to sheer luck of the draw for most. Only the owners who were wise enough to use one of their bench spots on Cassel are patting themsleves on the back right now. Not that losing the all time record holder for TD passes in a season is a stroke of good fortune, but having a backup plan will keep that fantasy owner alive and kicking for the rest of the season.
There is a lot of debate in fantasy circles on the value of "handcuffing", or drafting the team's backup to a valuable QB or RB...
The Rams are still a mess. Steven Jackson has reported, but has not seen any game action, so no live hitting. The offensive line has major question marks and there is little doubt that Marc Bulger can survive another beating like he did last season. Donovan McNabb and the Eagles are expecting a big year. The loss of Kevin Curtis for at least the first quarter of the season will put even more pressure on Brian Westbrook, as he will have to continue to be the focus of the offense.
Prediction: Philadelphia
Houston +8 at Pittsburgh
Houston is an improved team, just how improved is anyone’s guess. Matt Schaub has developed into a capable quarterback. The question is if their running game help them move the chains. As for Pittsburgh, their offense is loaded with playmakers, but there offensive line may be their undoing. No matter how good your receivers and running backs are, if your quarterback is running for his life, you’re not going anywhere.
Prediction: Houston
Cincinnati +.5 at Baltimore
Both of these teams are a mess. Let’s start with the Bengals. They just released Rudi Johnson, so Chris Perry has been named the starter. Chad Johnson has a partially torn labrum but will play through it. T. J. Houschmandzadeh hasn’t played this pre-season with leg problems and the defense was never any good. The Ravens have named rookie Joe Flacco as their starting quarterback. Troy Smith has had tonsillitis and lost a good deal of weight and strength. Kyle Boller has a severe shoulder injury and may have to go on injured reserve.
Prediction: Cincinnati
Detroit -4.5 at Atlanta
With Mike Martz gone, Detroit has sworn that they will run the ball more. That’s good news for the defense and running back Kevin Smith. With Calvin Johnson and Roy Williams manning the outside, they will stretch the field also. The recent signing of Rudi Johnson adds depth to the backfield. Atlanta may very well be the worst team in the NFC. Matt Ryan will lead the team, and free agent prize running back Michael Turner will try and control the clock.
Teams are listed in order of predicted finish with record in parentheses.
AFC East
New England Patriots, (14-2): Was there ever any doubt? They may not be as dangerous as they once were, but they are still the class of the East. Their offense is virtually unstoppable. Look for Tom Brady to continue to throw often. The defense however can be scored upon, which could lead to many high scoring games this season.
New York Jets, (10-6): The Jets spent quite a few dollars and some draft choices this off-season in order to upgrade their team. They’re not a Super Bowl contender, but they should be in the mix for the wild card. The addition of Brett Favre is sure to energize Gang Green. If he can play at a high level, the Jets could be the surprise team of the AFC.
Buffalo Bills, (8-8): Difficult team to judge. The defense, although not great, is certainly above average. The running game led by Marshawn #### is very productive and the strength of the offense. The big questions lie with the passing game and Trent Edwards. In order for the Bills to reach that next level, Edwards has to prove that he can be a franchise quarterback, and the jury is still very much out on that.
Miami Dolphins, (5-11): The Fish are sure to be selecting in the top five come next year's draft, but that doesn’t mean sunny days are not far behind. One thing you know about Bill Parcells, is that he can turn a team around somewhat quickly, as his track record has proven.
