Ministry of Pain
Footballguy
We’re going to change it up this week. The bye weeks are behind us, and in 12 team leagues where you must start 2 RB every week…almost without a doubt the top12 RB in scoring YTD are going to be wheeled out. So let’s fly thru those quickly and I will write up more if I see trouble for them this week.
Baltimore at Tennessee
Jamal Lewis: He is a great start this weekend. The titans give up around 160+ a game and 1.2 TD a week. If he is on your roster, you definitely want to think about playing him this week as your RB2. Lewis is barely top 30 for the season but this week he has a juicy match up. Hopefully he can exploit it. There’s a reason he is barely top30.
Travis Henry: Major disappointment his last time out. Leave him on the bench as Baltimore is mighty stingy against the run.
Buffalo at Indianapolis
Willis McGahee: OUT with broken ribs
Anthony Thomas: Waiver Wire pick up in some leagues. Certainly Indy is a soft rush defense right now. They do have Bob Sanders coming back at Safety and that will help. Thomas has not looked good since he was a rookie. I would not rush Thomas onto the field but if you are in a pinch he has a decent match up. Thomas does not possess the breakaway speed of a McGahee, keep that in mind.
Joseph Addai: Still an RBBC in Indy, however Addai is getting more and more playing time. It seems obvious to everyone not a coach at Indy, that Addai should be the featured back. Addai is on pace for around 1,000 yds rushing, 40 receptions and 6 TDs...and he is doing it while splitting time. Addai is not a must start at this point, but Buffalo can be run on and I would not hesitate to play him if you have nothing better.
Cleveland at Atlanta
Reuben Droughns: he has had 6 points or less 4 times this season. Atlanta is going to be out for blood after letting Detroit beat them last week. Even though the Falcons are a little soft against the run, Droughns is not one of the better plays this week mostly because of the offense around him.
Warrick Dunn: 12 points or better in 5 out of his 8 games this season. 70 yds and a TD last week, this is a good match up for Dunn. Browns are giving up close to 5 yds a clip on defense, and a TD per week. Dunn is a good start this week.
Jerious Norwood: Seems destined to break out one week but also limited in touches because he plays behind Dunn. Might see more mop up duty this week.
Green Bay at Minnesota
Ahman Green: The Vikes are giving up only 69 yds a game on the ground. They have yielded 4 TDs in 8 games…so unless you think Green will have a big day out of the backfield on the road, you could actually bench him this week if you have better match ups. Green is #13 for the year on total points. So he has been a good starter many weeks…but not this week.
Chester Taylor: The Pack are not pushovers against the run but Taylor will see plenty of action this week as the Vikings try and right the ship. #12 on the point total for the season, Taylor is a likely start in most leagues this week.
Houston at Jacksonville
Wali Lundy: I can’t honestly recommend you play him this week. He will have some good weeks down the stretch but against Jax he will likely get bottled up. The Jags are trying to stay in the playoff race and this game is crucial fro them. Jags lost 27-7 in Houston, look for them to tear up the Texans on Sunday.
Fred Taylor: Should be a decent week for him. He has not blown up in too many games yet he is #15 on the season in points. A decent RB2.
Maurice Jones Drew: Actually is in the top20 for scoring on the season. I still feel he is best suited in flex leagues with PPR.
Kansas City at Miami
Larry Johnson: You must start him but I expect an average day from him on Sunday.
Ronnie Brown: Tore thru the Bears last week. There have been some changes on the OL including moving Shelton back to Guard. You have to like what you saw last week in Chiacgo. Ronnie is a must start most weeks and is #8 in points for the season.
New York Jets at New England
Leon Washington: Sit him this week. NE is only allowing 3.2 ypc and 4 TDs in 8 games. You must have better players on your bench.
Kevan Barlow: See above.
Corey Dillon: TDs are what is really keeping Dillon ahead right now. Dillon has 6 TDs in 8 games and the Jets have given up 13 TDs in 8 games…that’s 19TDs…90% chance that Dillon crosses the goal line this weekend.
Laurence Maroney: Maroney sits at #27 for points on the season. I like his chances this week to get the ball and run on the Jets. Might not score but he also might total somewhere in the 100 yard range. A better flex player right now.
San Diego at Cincinnati
LaDainian Tomlinson: I own him in a couple of leagues…I don’t spend much time in those leagues trying to figure out who to start at RB…you shouldn’t either. He has had a tear of biblical proportions over the past 3-4 weeks. Look for a lot more success form him as San Diego actually has to score right now because of the hits their defense has taken. I don’t even like them to win the game this week but you can bank LT will rack up 150 yds and 1-2 TDs.
Rudi Johnson: He is #11 in points for the season. You have to start him if you got him. He shows up in the bigger games.
San Fran at Detroit
Frank Gore: Needs to score more TDs but is on pace for 1,800 total yds for the season. Play him this week as Detroit still has Shaun Rogers out at NT and that leaves a major hole. Gore could have a nice game on Sunday.
Kevin Jones: Just start him. Do want to mention that he has a tough schedule down the stretch…an owner could look at this as sell high time…even better that he ahs a good match up on Sunday. I would at least entertain offers for a guy that is sitting at #5 in points for the season…he will not remain there for the entire season.
Washington at Philly
Clinton Portis: The 3-5 Skins are hanging by a thread. I expect Portis to have a pretty solid game on Sunday.
Brian Westbrook: As long as he is healthy, you play him.
Denver at Oakland
Mike Bell: Tatum has said he will be much better next week. He has 2 sprained big toes. Mike Bell has shown some flashes. The Raiders defense is not horrible but they are wearing thin from not getting any help on offense. I would possibly play Mike Bell this weekend but odds are he is your RB3/4 at best so make sure you are not putting him out there ahead of other quality RB2.
Tatum Bell: Would not start him. Was listed as probable all week and then deactivated before the game against Pitt on Sunday. Shanahan…you old fox you.
LaMont Jordan: At one point Monday Night he had 59 yds on 8 carries and the Raiders were in the football game. So why not continue to throw the ball with a 2nd/3rd string QB, and an OL that is being head hunted by Walt Disney to work the turnstiles to get in the parks?! Just run the ball Oakland and you might win some more games.
Denver has been beaten up on defense by Indy and even Pittsburgh last week found some success, a lot of it with their RB as FWP had 150+ total yds and 2 TDs…that is not going to happen this week. Bench him.
Dallas at Arizona
Julius Jones: If he could just score more TDs…but he won’t. A decent RB2 and that’s about the best of it. Should find running room on the Cardinals.
MB III: Looks like a week where we might see more of him as long as Dallas takes care of business in the first 3 quarters. Hate to pin your hopes on the likelihood of a blowout but Barber has been a consistent scorer. Sits at #22 for the season. Julius sits at #14 in case you were wondering.
Edge: #19 for the season in scoring. Far cry from hat owners were expecting. Dallas is tough against the run, I would not be expecting a big game from him on Sunday.
New Orleans at Pittsburgh
Deuce McAllister: Not a good match up for Deuce. Owners will be lucky to squeeze 10 points out of him this week.
Fast Willie Parker: #6 in scoring for the season. Start him.
St Louis at Seattle
Steven Jackson: He is a must start right now. He rolled it up last week. I don’t think this is an easy game for him but he is top5 material right now. On pace for almost 2,000 total yds, 80 receptions, and 8 TDs…fantastic numbers for owners.
Maurice Morris: Showed some signs of life last week. I still would not trust him enough to blindly start him even against easy defenses. The Rams are not very good at stopping the run.
Chicago at New York Giants
Thomas Jones: They need an identity on offense. Berrian is out and that means the vertical passing game suffers, which means defenses can pinch in and stop Jones. I look for the Giants to do so Sunday. Jones has been a decent RB2 most of the season but I do not like his match up much on Sunday. He should see a lot of touches though.
Tiki Barber: I said the Bears could be run on last week. A lot of people doubted me when I talked about Mike Brown and his season ending injury really hurting the Bears. Now Urlacher is banged up. I do not hesitate to play Tiki on Sunday.
Brandon Jacobs: I do not expect a big game from him on Sunday Night.
Tampa Bay at Carolina
“Cadillac”: #31 in scoring this season…one of the biggest busts so far this season. I am inclined to leave him on the bench till the Bucs start scoring with some consistency. They should actually look at tanking the rest of the season to get a higher draft pick cause they need help. The defense has started to age quickly…the Bucs are in bad shape right now.
DeShaun Foster: Tampa Bay has allowed a lot of rushing yards this week. DeShaun needs to have a good game as DeAngelo is just about back to 100% and will see some action. Problems with Foster is even when he ahs a great match up he doesn’t always deliver.
DeAngelo Williams: Just watch and see what he produces this week before you rush him into a line up. He may or may not play Monday Night. I am betting he will see the field this week.
And to the board. This is certainly not my best work, but I hope you enjoy. As always, your feedback, analysis, and criticism is what makes the thread fun for me, so pile in and pile on. 4 weeks left to the playoffs, time to dig in.
And
Baltimore at Tennessee
Jamal Lewis: He is a great start this weekend. The titans give up around 160+ a game and 1.2 TD a week. If he is on your roster, you definitely want to think about playing him this week as your RB2. Lewis is barely top 30 for the season but this week he has a juicy match up. Hopefully he can exploit it. There’s a reason he is barely top30.
Travis Henry: Major disappointment his last time out. Leave him on the bench as Baltimore is mighty stingy against the run.
Buffalo at Indianapolis
Willis McGahee: OUT with broken ribs
Anthony Thomas: Waiver Wire pick up in some leagues. Certainly Indy is a soft rush defense right now. They do have Bob Sanders coming back at Safety and that will help. Thomas has not looked good since he was a rookie. I would not rush Thomas onto the field but if you are in a pinch he has a decent match up. Thomas does not possess the breakaway speed of a McGahee, keep that in mind.
Joseph Addai: Still an RBBC in Indy, however Addai is getting more and more playing time. It seems obvious to everyone not a coach at Indy, that Addai should be the featured back. Addai is on pace for around 1,000 yds rushing, 40 receptions and 6 TDs...and he is doing it while splitting time. Addai is not a must start at this point, but Buffalo can be run on and I would not hesitate to play him if you have nothing better.
Cleveland at Atlanta
Reuben Droughns: he has had 6 points or less 4 times this season. Atlanta is going to be out for blood after letting Detroit beat them last week. Even though the Falcons are a little soft against the run, Droughns is not one of the better plays this week mostly because of the offense around him.
Warrick Dunn: 12 points or better in 5 out of his 8 games this season. 70 yds and a TD last week, this is a good match up for Dunn. Browns are giving up close to 5 yds a clip on defense, and a TD per week. Dunn is a good start this week.
Jerious Norwood: Seems destined to break out one week but also limited in touches because he plays behind Dunn. Might see more mop up duty this week.
Green Bay at Minnesota
Ahman Green: The Vikes are giving up only 69 yds a game on the ground. They have yielded 4 TDs in 8 games…so unless you think Green will have a big day out of the backfield on the road, you could actually bench him this week if you have better match ups. Green is #13 for the year on total points. So he has been a good starter many weeks…but not this week.
Chester Taylor: The Pack are not pushovers against the run but Taylor will see plenty of action this week as the Vikings try and right the ship. #12 on the point total for the season, Taylor is a likely start in most leagues this week.
Houston at Jacksonville
Wali Lundy: I can’t honestly recommend you play him this week. He will have some good weeks down the stretch but against Jax he will likely get bottled up. The Jags are trying to stay in the playoff race and this game is crucial fro them. Jags lost 27-7 in Houston, look for them to tear up the Texans on Sunday.
Fred Taylor: Should be a decent week for him. He has not blown up in too many games yet he is #15 on the season in points. A decent RB2.
Maurice Jones Drew: Actually is in the top20 for scoring on the season. I still feel he is best suited in flex leagues with PPR.
Kansas City at Miami
Larry Johnson: You must start him but I expect an average day from him on Sunday.
Ronnie Brown: Tore thru the Bears last week. There have been some changes on the OL including moving Shelton back to Guard. You have to like what you saw last week in Chiacgo. Ronnie is a must start most weeks and is #8 in points for the season.
New York Jets at New England
Leon Washington: Sit him this week. NE is only allowing 3.2 ypc and 4 TDs in 8 games. You must have better players on your bench.
Kevan Barlow: See above.
Corey Dillon: TDs are what is really keeping Dillon ahead right now. Dillon has 6 TDs in 8 games and the Jets have given up 13 TDs in 8 games…that’s 19TDs…90% chance that Dillon crosses the goal line this weekend.
Laurence Maroney: Maroney sits at #27 for points on the season. I like his chances this week to get the ball and run on the Jets. Might not score but he also might total somewhere in the 100 yard range. A better flex player right now.
San Diego at Cincinnati
LaDainian Tomlinson: I own him in a couple of leagues…I don’t spend much time in those leagues trying to figure out who to start at RB…you shouldn’t either. He has had a tear of biblical proportions over the past 3-4 weeks. Look for a lot more success form him as San Diego actually has to score right now because of the hits their defense has taken. I don’t even like them to win the game this week but you can bank LT will rack up 150 yds and 1-2 TDs.
Rudi Johnson: He is #11 in points for the season. You have to start him if you got him. He shows up in the bigger games.
San Fran at Detroit
Frank Gore: Needs to score more TDs but is on pace for 1,800 total yds for the season. Play him this week as Detroit still has Shaun Rogers out at NT and that leaves a major hole. Gore could have a nice game on Sunday.
Kevin Jones: Just start him. Do want to mention that he has a tough schedule down the stretch…an owner could look at this as sell high time…even better that he ahs a good match up on Sunday. I would at least entertain offers for a guy that is sitting at #5 in points for the season…he will not remain there for the entire season.
Washington at Philly
Clinton Portis: The 3-5 Skins are hanging by a thread. I expect Portis to have a pretty solid game on Sunday.
Brian Westbrook: As long as he is healthy, you play him.
Denver at Oakland
Mike Bell: Tatum has said he will be much better next week. He has 2 sprained big toes. Mike Bell has shown some flashes. The Raiders defense is not horrible but they are wearing thin from not getting any help on offense. I would possibly play Mike Bell this weekend but odds are he is your RB3/4 at best so make sure you are not putting him out there ahead of other quality RB2.
Tatum Bell: Would not start him. Was listed as probable all week and then deactivated before the game against Pitt on Sunday. Shanahan…you old fox you.
LaMont Jordan: At one point Monday Night he had 59 yds on 8 carries and the Raiders were in the football game. So why not continue to throw the ball with a 2nd/3rd string QB, and an OL that is being head hunted by Walt Disney to work the turnstiles to get in the parks?! Just run the ball Oakland and you might win some more games.
Denver has been beaten up on defense by Indy and even Pittsburgh last week found some success, a lot of it with their RB as FWP had 150+ total yds and 2 TDs…that is not going to happen this week. Bench him.
Dallas at Arizona
Julius Jones: If he could just score more TDs…but he won’t. A decent RB2 and that’s about the best of it. Should find running room on the Cardinals.
MB III: Looks like a week where we might see more of him as long as Dallas takes care of business in the first 3 quarters. Hate to pin your hopes on the likelihood of a blowout but Barber has been a consistent scorer. Sits at #22 for the season. Julius sits at #14 in case you were wondering.
Edge: #19 for the season in scoring. Far cry from hat owners were expecting. Dallas is tough against the run, I would not be expecting a big game from him on Sunday.
New Orleans at Pittsburgh
Deuce McAllister: Not a good match up for Deuce. Owners will be lucky to squeeze 10 points out of him this week.
Fast Willie Parker: #6 in scoring for the season. Start him.
St Louis at Seattle
Steven Jackson: He is a must start right now. He rolled it up last week. I don’t think this is an easy game for him but he is top5 material right now. On pace for almost 2,000 total yds, 80 receptions, and 8 TDs…fantastic numbers for owners.
Maurice Morris: Showed some signs of life last week. I still would not trust him enough to blindly start him even against easy defenses. The Rams are not very good at stopping the run.
Chicago at New York Giants
Thomas Jones: They need an identity on offense. Berrian is out and that means the vertical passing game suffers, which means defenses can pinch in and stop Jones. I look for the Giants to do so Sunday. Jones has been a decent RB2 most of the season but I do not like his match up much on Sunday. He should see a lot of touches though.
Tiki Barber: I said the Bears could be run on last week. A lot of people doubted me when I talked about Mike Brown and his season ending injury really hurting the Bears. Now Urlacher is banged up. I do not hesitate to play Tiki on Sunday.
Brandon Jacobs: I do not expect a big game from him on Sunday Night.
Tampa Bay at Carolina
“Cadillac”: #31 in scoring this season…one of the biggest busts so far this season. I am inclined to leave him on the bench till the Bucs start scoring with some consistency. They should actually look at tanking the rest of the season to get a higher draft pick cause they need help. The defense has started to age quickly…the Bucs are in bad shape right now.
DeShaun Foster: Tampa Bay has allowed a lot of rushing yards this week. DeShaun needs to have a good game as DeAngelo is just about back to 100% and will see some action. Problems with Foster is even when he ahs a great match up he doesn’t always deliver.
DeAngelo Williams: Just watch and see what he produces this week before you rush him into a line up. He may or may not play Monday Night. I am betting he will see the field this week.
And to the board. This is certainly not my best work, but I hope you enjoy. As always, your feedback, analysis, and criticism is what makes the thread fun for me, so pile in and pile on. 4 weeks left to the playoffs, time to dig in.
And
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Fred had the majority of the carries with 16 compared to MJDs 8. However it was Drew that scored from the one yard line in that game not the fragile one. 
The passing game was not working at all (Leftwich played the whole game) as 8 of 14 completions went to Rbs. 7 to MJD. This was the last time Leftwich played for Jax.The following week with Garrard at Qb Jax ran the ball 46 times only attempting 17 passes. 8 of those were by Garrard himself but the leading Rb was MJD with 21 carries. Fred had 15. Fred scored from 15 yards out and had more yards than MJD. Receptions were a meager 10 but they were spread out between more recievers. Matt Jones returned.Last week Jax crushed the Titans. A team that is perhaps worse than the Texans but the Texans are not very good either. Scoring came from 2TD passes to Wilford and one to TE Wrightster who Garrard may have better chemistry with from playing with them in 2nd team drills. Jax did not run the ball nearly as much as they did against Philly the week before and they gave carries to 3rd and 4th string Rbs because of the early lead.It is only 2 games to go on looking at possible new trends for the Jax offense with Garrard at the helm now and the game plan seems to be flexible based on defensive weakness of who Jax is up against. Garrard scrambles much more than Leftwich and causes another problem for defenses to deal with.While I agree that Fred still looks to be the lead Rb I think that MJDs speed and agility combined with Garrards scrambling causes more headaches for defenses to defend because it streaches the defense more lateraly instead of the more straight up middle running from Fred complimented by passing to the perimiter that the offense does with Leftwich.I don't expect Jax to play the Texans the same way as they did just 3 weeks ago and Drew may be more of a factor in this game than he was in the game before.
Rogers isnt on the injury report
