laughinboy_2000
Footballguy
It's hard to believe we are already into week 5. There are a lot of injuries to keep an eye on, so stay posted. Lets get to some WR analysis. 
Miami @ Houston:
Daniels/Davis/Walter: Andre Davis and Owen Daniels continue to be the main targets in the passing game for the Texans. With stud receiver Andre Johnson still out with an injury, look for Shaub to keep throwing the ball to Davis who has a nice match up with a bad Fins secondary. Davis keeps getting better in the offense. Last week against the Dirty Birds, Davis was targeted a team high eight times, and caught five of them for 117 yards and a score. He makes a nice WR3/Flex this week, and should be in a fantasy lineup. Owens will be the go to guy when the Texans get close the goal line, so I expect a 5-10 yard TD pass in the game sometime. Did anyone else see that sick catch from Walter last week? He’s getting some balls thrown his way, but I’m not sure I would recommend him.
Sleeper Alert: Andre Davis – 6 catches 80+ yards, TD (He and Shaub are clicking)
Chambers/Booker/Brown: Pathetic, that’s the only word I can think of about Chambers and Booker last week as they combine for three catches for 29 yards. Ronnie Brown though has been on a ridiculous tear the last two weeks. Against the Texans, I expect Chambers to rebound with a 100 yard effort, but I am starting to loose faith in Booker.
Detroit @ Washington:
The Skins have a solid secondary and are currently ranked 13th against the pass. This should be a fun game to watch as the Redskins secondary chases around Lion receivers all day long.
Williams/CJ2/McDonald/Fuerry: Roy Williams was tamed by the Bears last week, but he should bounce back with a nice 70+ yard one TD performance in week 5. Check the injury status for CJ2 before putting him into your lineup, but if he can’t go, look for Furrey and McDonald to be heavily involved. I can promise you, John Kitna will throw the ball more than 24 times this week.
Sleeper Alert: Shaun McDonald – 5 catches 50 yards, TD
Moss/Cooley/McCardell: The Skins could be without Santana Moss this week, so he’s another player you need to watch. If he can’t go, we could see newly acquired Keenan McCardell take the field. Chris Cooley is a must start each week, and should be able to find the end zone against the hapless Lion secondary.
Atlanta @ Tennessee:
You know the NFL is weird when Joey Harrington has two good games in a row. He gets a Titan D that is ranked 23rd against the pass. Meanwhile, Vince Young should be able to run and pass for some crazy stats in this game.
White/Jenkins/Crumpler: Michael Jenkins had his best game of the year and had a nice one-handed catch for a TD. Crump was only targeted five times as he caught three of them for 34 yards. It’s hard to recommend starting any Falcon’s right now, but if you need to fill in for a bye-week, White and Jenkins could produce some nice stats. Good luck on figuring out which one it will be?
Jones/R. Williams/Scaife: These are the guys that are the most effective within the Titan offense. I pimped up Roydell Williams two weeks ago, but Brandon Jones was the receiver who did the most damage. I actually like all three of these guys this week, as the Falcons are having trouble defending receivers this year. If Houston’s Andre Davis can go over 100 yards and score, so can Williams or Jones.
Sleeper Alert: Brandon Jones – 5 catches 70 yards, TD
Arizona @ STL:
Watching Arizona run a QBBC is the weirdest thing I’ve ever seen. The sad part about it is that it worked last week as they upset the Steelers. If I were a Ram fantasy player owner, I’d be very worried. No Pace, and Bulgar is getting the snot kicked out of him.
Boldin/Fitz: Check the status of Boldin before putting him into your lineup. He’s got a great match up this week against a Rams secondary that got torched by the Romo/Crayton combo this past week. If Boldin can’t go, look for Fitz to find the end zone for the first time this year and go over 100 yards. Both are must starts.
Holt/Bruce: Holt continues to struggle this year, but he is getting plenty of targets. Holt is struggling mainly due to the offensive line not giving Bulgar time to throw the ball. He has yet to go over 100 yards in a game this year, or catch more than five passes in a game. The Cards pass d is pretty good ranking 10th so far overall. Holt has the potential to explode, but I would be lying to you if I told you I was not worried about this offense. Bruce only had one catch and was limited with what seemed to be a hamstring injury. Holt would be the only I guy I recommend until I see otherwise.
Seattle @ Pittsburgh:
Branch/Engram: Dion Branch is enfuego folks. I caught a little bit of heat in here recommending him last week against San Fran’s Nate Clements. But seven catches for 130 yards ain’t too shabby. Branch is very streaky, so he needs to be in fantasy lineups until he cools off. Bobby Engram is very quietly putting together a solid season and has now scored a TD in two straight weeks. SA is struggling this year for the Hawks and Hass is going to have to air it out against the Steelers. I like Branch and Engram this week and both should be in fantasy lineups.
Ward/Holmes/Miller: Steeler receiver Santonio Holmes had his best game as a pro last week, as Hines Ward sat out with an injury. Even if Ward CAN go this week, Holmes should be in your fantasy lineup against the Seahawks. This has a chance to be high scoring game, so don’t be surprised if Holmes goes over 100 yards and finds the end zone again this week. Check Ward’s status before the game before inserting him into your lineup. If he can’t play, this only increases the value for Holmes and Miller.
NYG @ NYJ:
The G-men have apparently turned things around defensively and have won two straight. The Jets have fallen to 1-3 and are desperate for a win against their cross town rivals.
Burress/Shockey/Toomer: Plaxico Burress continues to find the end zone week after week and this week should be no different. The Jets have no one to match up with Burress’ size so we could be seeing Plax go over 100 yards and finding the end zone yet again this week. Toomer caught four passes for 54 yards which helped the Giants move the ball down the field. Shockey was quite for most of the game, but did a good job blocking and protecting Manning. All three of these guys make solid starts this week against the Jets 27th ranked pass defense.
Coles/Cotchery: These two just continue to rack up receptions, yards, and TDs. Coles gets more of the attention fantasy wise, because he has more TDs, but Cotchery has been a stud in PPR leagues. Don’t hesitate in starting either one of these guys as they should be considered every week starters.
Carolina @ N.O:
Good God, David Carr looked horrible last week. But, things can’t get any worse and I can’t think of a better team than the Saints for Carr to rebound against. The Panthers have notoriously played bad at home and well on the road. It may be the homer in me, but I don’t see him being this bad again this week.
Smith/Carter: If David Carr can get some time to throw the ball this week, he and Stevo should be able to play pass and catch against a bad Saints secondary. That’s a big IF though. Not really recommending Carter this week, but 3-5 catches for 50 yards is not out of reach.
Colston/Lance Moore/Eric Johnson: Meet the only Saint worth owning right now. His name is Marques Colston. The Panther secondary has not been playing well, so Marques has a shot a cracking 100 yards receiving and finding his way into the end zone. Lance Moore is slowly taking over the number two WR spot and had a decent game in week three catching six passes for 54 yards. The Panthers give up a ton of big plays to TE’s, so Eric Johnson is a solid play this week IMO.
Sleeper Alert: Eric Johnson – 4 catches 40 yards, TD (Panthers having a hard time defending TE’s this year)
Cleveland @ N.E.:
What in the world wide sports is going on with Cleveland Browns? They have won two straight games and are playing some good football. Don’t get too excited though Browns fans. They have nobody on defense that can stop the 6’4 freak named Randy Moss. This game will be ugly by the half.
Edwards/Winslow: As with any week, these two are must starts. They will be playing from behind so they both have the potential to post some nice stats. I doubt Edwards will be catching a long bomb like he has in each of the last two weeks, but 50-70 yards and a TD are very possible. The match up between Winslow and the Pats linebackers should be very physical.
Moss/Welker/Watson: Through four weeks, I’ve seen enough of Moss to declare he will be the number one WR at the end of the year if he remains healthy. For anyone who grabbed him past the fourth round this year, you’ve got yourself quite a bargain. He should have no problems going over 100 yards and getting into the end zone at least once. Wes Welker was fairly quite last week, but he’s still a PPR stud. You have to start him this week against the Brownies. Watson is the underneath guy, and with the defenders keeping their eyes on Moss and Welker, he could be in for a big day.
Jacksonville @ KC:
Northcutt/Williams: When we last saw the Jags, they were walking off with a surprising road victory over the undefeated Broncos. This week, Northcutt, Williams, and Mercedes should all be able to get open somewhere on the field. I have a feeling though the Jags are going to get back to running the ball, which may take away some value from the receivers. Williams could make a sneaky play this week, as he’s gotten into the end zone the last two games.
Sleeper Alert: Reggie Williams – 5 catches 60 yards, TD (can he make it three games in a row with a TD?)
Bowe/Gonzo: Dwayne Bowie will definitely be a hot commodity on the waiver wire this week. If you can get him, he could be a solid start this week against the Jags. Bowie caught eight passes for fought hard for his 164 yards and TD last week against the Chargers. Tony Gonzales also was able to find the end zone last week as he caught a beautiful pass in the back corner of the end zone. This was typical Gonzo game as he caught five passes for 71 yards and a TD. If LJ can’t get going early on, Bowe and Gonzo could be very active on the field.
TB @ Indy.
Do not underestimate this Bucs team, as the Colts have more than their share of injuries right now.
Galloway/Hilliard: Hilliard came out of nowhere last week to catch seven passes for 114 yards. Meanwhile the Panthers were able lock down Galloway last week as he only caught one pass for seven yards. I expect Galloway to be much more involved this week as they Bucs will be playing against the high-scoring ways of the Colts. If the Bucs have a chance to win, they need Galloway to put up 100 yards and a score IMO. Look for him to put last week behind him, and have rebound game against the Colts.
Wayne/Harrison/Moorehead/Clark: With Harrison more than likely out, the main guy I think benefits is TE Dallas Clark. While Harrison was on the sidelines, Clark exploded last week against the Broncos catching six passes for 76 yards and two TDs. If Harrison can’t go, you can expect 50-70 yards and one to two TDs for Clark. Wayne should be able to haul in some nice stats as well as he will assume the top receiver spot within the offense. Aaron Moorehead replaces Wayne and could have some value if you need a WR3. A key player will be Joe Addai, because if he can’t go due to his injury, I see the Colts passing a lot. Start your Colts this week.
Baltimore @ S.F:
Anybody else see Steve McNair hobbling around last week? The dude is hurt and you can tell by the way the he throws the ball. Meanwhile, the veteran Trent Dilfer will start his first game as a Niner and gets to take on the team he led to the Super Bowl a couple of years ago.
Mason/Clayton/Heap/Sypniewski: Heap owners need to check his injury status before inserting him. If I had to guess, I don’t see him playing this week. Quinn Sypniewski is the back up TE and he looked very good replacing heap catching all six passes that were thrown to him last week including his first TD. Derrick Mason will benefit the most if Heap can’t go. McNair has no problems finding Mason on the field. Last week Mason caught 10 passes for 78 yards on 13 targets. Mason continues to be a beast in PPR leagues, and I expect another 6-8 catch effort this week against the Niners. Mark Clayton was targeted six times last week, but only managed to catch three of them for 43 yards. I would not start Clayton this week, as Mason and Sypniewski should be seeing most of the action in the passing game.
Sleeper Alert: Quinn Sypniewski – 4 catches 30 yards, TD (If he can’t go, this guy could get you some productivity.)
DJax/Battle: The one guy I think benefits the most from the injury to Alex Smith is Darrell Jackson. DJax was targeted 10 times last week, but only managed to haul in three of them. The Baltimore pass defense is not that great this year, and the Browns showed that last week. DJax has the potential of finding the end zone this week. Arnaz Battle is the other option in the passing game. Without TE Vernon Davis, DJax and Battle will be doing most of the damage in the passing game.
S.D. @ Denver:
Walker/Marshall/Graham: Yet another injury situation to watch in Denver as Javon Walker may sit yet again. If he does indeed sit out another week, Brandon Marshall will benefit the most. Last week, Marshall got into the end zone for the first time but posted a modest three catches for 23 yards. That had more to do with the Broncos success running the ball with Henry and Young. I see the Broncos airing it out a bit this week against the Bolts 27th ranked defense and taking it easy on Henry who is nursing an injury. Walker’s injury has also opened the door for newly acquired TE Daniel Graham. Graham caught four passes for 35 yards. He could be a sneaky play this week to get into the end zone.
VJax/Gates/LT: Tough spot here for these guys, as they face the best pass defense in the NFL. With the way Rivers has been playing, it could get ugly this weekend. That being said, you can’t bench the best TE in football. Gates has been on fire this season with 33 catches for 376 yards, and two TDs. He has not had less than six catches in any of his games. Vincent Jackson may suffer the most here as he more than likely will draw Champ Bailey. VJax is not recommended this week. LT will be LT this week with at least four catches out of the backfield.
Chicago @ G.B.:
Anybody know whether it will be snowing in Green Bay this weekend? It’s just not the same when these teams are not playing against each other in the snow. I expect this to be one of the better games of the weekend.
Berrian/Moose: It was nice to see both of these guys busy on the field last week against the Lions. Even though Griese looked horrible, he was able to find Berrian and Moose open quite a bit. Griese’s main man seems to be Bernard Berrian who caught eight passes for 99 yards. Look for Berrian to find the end zone this week for the first time against the Packs 23rd ranked pass defense. Griese also introduced Moose to the end zone for the first time this year. The Bears will not be able to run against the Pack, so Berrian and Moose will have to be involved in moving the offense.
Driver/Jennings/Jones: This is starting to become a deadly trio. I fully expect this trio to be involved this weekend, because the Pack running game is non-existent after running the ball only 12 times last week. Here’s a stat for you. Donald Driver has only scored twice against the Bears since 2002. Look for Driver to have his share of receptions and yards, but a trip to the end zone is not likely. I think the touchdown passes either go to Jennings or Jones. Jennings and Jones both found pay dirt last week, and against the Bears 19th ranked pass D, look for them to again put pressure on the Bears secondary.
Dallas @ Buffalo:
TO/Witten/Crayton: You know things are rolling in Dallas when they throw up 35 points, but TO only catches three passes for 33 yards, and ZERO TDs. Last week, it was Patrick Crayton blowing up for seven catches, 184 yards and two TDs. He will be a hot commodity on the waiver wire and makes a nice start this week against the Bills. And don’t expect Owens to flop again this week. He’s going to be on Monday Night Football and I’m sure he’ll have something up his sleeve as a TD celebration. Any savvy owners out there who grabbed Witten late in their draft, and are reaping the rewards? I got the dude in the 12th round, and he has been phenomenal. He’s the 2nd best TE in football right now if you ask me, and the Bills have no one to match up with Witten or any of the other Dallas WRs for that matter. TO goes over 100 yards and gets into the end zone at least once.
Evans/Parrish: Trent Edwards is going to have to sling the ball around to keep up with Romo and company. Evans has gotten off to a very slow start, but he may start heating up. Last week Evans had his best game of the year catching six passes for 72 yards. I’ll go out on a limb here and say he finds the end zone this week, so he makes a solid start this week against the ‘Boys. Parrish took a back seat to Evans last week and only caught four passes for 33 yards. I don’t see Parrish being much of a factor now that the Bills have found out that Evans is their go to guy.
Miami @ Houston:
Daniels/Davis/Walter: Andre Davis and Owen Daniels continue to be the main targets in the passing game for the Texans. With stud receiver Andre Johnson still out with an injury, look for Shaub to keep throwing the ball to Davis who has a nice match up with a bad Fins secondary. Davis keeps getting better in the offense. Last week against the Dirty Birds, Davis was targeted a team high eight times, and caught five of them for 117 yards and a score. He makes a nice WR3/Flex this week, and should be in a fantasy lineup. Owens will be the go to guy when the Texans get close the goal line, so I expect a 5-10 yard TD pass in the game sometime. Did anyone else see that sick catch from Walter last week? He’s getting some balls thrown his way, but I’m not sure I would recommend him.
Sleeper Alert: Andre Davis – 6 catches 80+ yards, TD (He and Shaub are clicking)
Chambers/Booker/Brown: Pathetic, that’s the only word I can think of about Chambers and Booker last week as they combine for three catches for 29 yards. Ronnie Brown though has been on a ridiculous tear the last two weeks. Against the Texans, I expect Chambers to rebound with a 100 yard effort, but I am starting to loose faith in Booker.
Detroit @ Washington:
The Skins have a solid secondary and are currently ranked 13th against the pass. This should be a fun game to watch as the Redskins secondary chases around Lion receivers all day long.
Williams/CJ2/McDonald/Fuerry: Roy Williams was tamed by the Bears last week, but he should bounce back with a nice 70+ yard one TD performance in week 5. Check the injury status for CJ2 before putting him into your lineup, but if he can’t go, look for Furrey and McDonald to be heavily involved. I can promise you, John Kitna will throw the ball more than 24 times this week.
Sleeper Alert: Shaun McDonald – 5 catches 50 yards, TD
Moss/Cooley/McCardell: The Skins could be without Santana Moss this week, so he’s another player you need to watch. If he can’t go, we could see newly acquired Keenan McCardell take the field. Chris Cooley is a must start each week, and should be able to find the end zone against the hapless Lion secondary.
Atlanta @ Tennessee:
You know the NFL is weird when Joey Harrington has two good games in a row. He gets a Titan D that is ranked 23rd against the pass. Meanwhile, Vince Young should be able to run and pass for some crazy stats in this game.
White/Jenkins/Crumpler: Michael Jenkins had his best game of the year and had a nice one-handed catch for a TD. Crump was only targeted five times as he caught three of them for 34 yards. It’s hard to recommend starting any Falcon’s right now, but if you need to fill in for a bye-week, White and Jenkins could produce some nice stats. Good luck on figuring out which one it will be?
Jones/R. Williams/Scaife: These are the guys that are the most effective within the Titan offense. I pimped up Roydell Williams two weeks ago, but Brandon Jones was the receiver who did the most damage. I actually like all three of these guys this week, as the Falcons are having trouble defending receivers this year. If Houston’s Andre Davis can go over 100 yards and score, so can Williams or Jones.
Sleeper Alert: Brandon Jones – 5 catches 70 yards, TD
Arizona @ STL:
Watching Arizona run a QBBC is the weirdest thing I’ve ever seen. The sad part about it is that it worked last week as they upset the Steelers. If I were a Ram fantasy player owner, I’d be very worried. No Pace, and Bulgar is getting the snot kicked out of him.
Boldin/Fitz: Check the status of Boldin before putting him into your lineup. He’s got a great match up this week against a Rams secondary that got torched by the Romo/Crayton combo this past week. If Boldin can’t go, look for Fitz to find the end zone for the first time this year and go over 100 yards. Both are must starts.
Holt/Bruce: Holt continues to struggle this year, but he is getting plenty of targets. Holt is struggling mainly due to the offensive line not giving Bulgar time to throw the ball. He has yet to go over 100 yards in a game this year, or catch more than five passes in a game. The Cards pass d is pretty good ranking 10th so far overall. Holt has the potential to explode, but I would be lying to you if I told you I was not worried about this offense. Bruce only had one catch and was limited with what seemed to be a hamstring injury. Holt would be the only I guy I recommend until I see otherwise.
Seattle @ Pittsburgh:
Branch/Engram: Dion Branch is enfuego folks. I caught a little bit of heat in here recommending him last week against San Fran’s Nate Clements. But seven catches for 130 yards ain’t too shabby. Branch is very streaky, so he needs to be in fantasy lineups until he cools off. Bobby Engram is very quietly putting together a solid season and has now scored a TD in two straight weeks. SA is struggling this year for the Hawks and Hass is going to have to air it out against the Steelers. I like Branch and Engram this week and both should be in fantasy lineups.
Ward/Holmes/Miller: Steeler receiver Santonio Holmes had his best game as a pro last week, as Hines Ward sat out with an injury. Even if Ward CAN go this week, Holmes should be in your fantasy lineup against the Seahawks. This has a chance to be high scoring game, so don’t be surprised if Holmes goes over 100 yards and finds the end zone again this week. Check Ward’s status before the game before inserting him into your lineup. If he can’t play, this only increases the value for Holmes and Miller.
NYG @ NYJ:
The G-men have apparently turned things around defensively and have won two straight. The Jets have fallen to 1-3 and are desperate for a win against their cross town rivals.
Burress/Shockey/Toomer: Plaxico Burress continues to find the end zone week after week and this week should be no different. The Jets have no one to match up with Burress’ size so we could be seeing Plax go over 100 yards and finding the end zone yet again this week. Toomer caught four passes for 54 yards which helped the Giants move the ball down the field. Shockey was quite for most of the game, but did a good job blocking and protecting Manning. All three of these guys make solid starts this week against the Jets 27th ranked pass defense.
Coles/Cotchery: These two just continue to rack up receptions, yards, and TDs. Coles gets more of the attention fantasy wise, because he has more TDs, but Cotchery has been a stud in PPR leagues. Don’t hesitate in starting either one of these guys as they should be considered every week starters.
Carolina @ N.O:
Good God, David Carr looked horrible last week. But, things can’t get any worse and I can’t think of a better team than the Saints for Carr to rebound against. The Panthers have notoriously played bad at home and well on the road. It may be the homer in me, but I don’t see him being this bad again this week.
Smith/Carter: If David Carr can get some time to throw the ball this week, he and Stevo should be able to play pass and catch against a bad Saints secondary. That’s a big IF though. Not really recommending Carter this week, but 3-5 catches for 50 yards is not out of reach.
Colston/Lance Moore/Eric Johnson: Meet the only Saint worth owning right now. His name is Marques Colston. The Panther secondary has not been playing well, so Marques has a shot a cracking 100 yards receiving and finding his way into the end zone. Lance Moore is slowly taking over the number two WR spot and had a decent game in week three catching six passes for 54 yards. The Panthers give up a ton of big plays to TE’s, so Eric Johnson is a solid play this week IMO.
Sleeper Alert: Eric Johnson – 4 catches 40 yards, TD (Panthers having a hard time defending TE’s this year)
Cleveland @ N.E.:
What in the world wide sports is going on with Cleveland Browns? They have won two straight games and are playing some good football. Don’t get too excited though Browns fans. They have nobody on defense that can stop the 6’4 freak named Randy Moss. This game will be ugly by the half.
Edwards/Winslow: As with any week, these two are must starts. They will be playing from behind so they both have the potential to post some nice stats. I doubt Edwards will be catching a long bomb like he has in each of the last two weeks, but 50-70 yards and a TD are very possible. The match up between Winslow and the Pats linebackers should be very physical.
Moss/Welker/Watson: Through four weeks, I’ve seen enough of Moss to declare he will be the number one WR at the end of the year if he remains healthy. For anyone who grabbed him past the fourth round this year, you’ve got yourself quite a bargain. He should have no problems going over 100 yards and getting into the end zone at least once. Wes Welker was fairly quite last week, but he’s still a PPR stud. You have to start him this week against the Brownies. Watson is the underneath guy, and with the defenders keeping their eyes on Moss and Welker, he could be in for a big day.
Jacksonville @ KC:
Northcutt/Williams: When we last saw the Jags, they were walking off with a surprising road victory over the undefeated Broncos. This week, Northcutt, Williams, and Mercedes should all be able to get open somewhere on the field. I have a feeling though the Jags are going to get back to running the ball, which may take away some value from the receivers. Williams could make a sneaky play this week, as he’s gotten into the end zone the last two games.
Sleeper Alert: Reggie Williams – 5 catches 60 yards, TD (can he make it three games in a row with a TD?)
Bowe/Gonzo: Dwayne Bowie will definitely be a hot commodity on the waiver wire this week. If you can get him, he could be a solid start this week against the Jags. Bowie caught eight passes for fought hard for his 164 yards and TD last week against the Chargers. Tony Gonzales also was able to find the end zone last week as he caught a beautiful pass in the back corner of the end zone. This was typical Gonzo game as he caught five passes for 71 yards and a TD. If LJ can’t get going early on, Bowe and Gonzo could be very active on the field.
TB @ Indy.
Do not underestimate this Bucs team, as the Colts have more than their share of injuries right now.
Galloway/Hilliard: Hilliard came out of nowhere last week to catch seven passes for 114 yards. Meanwhile the Panthers were able lock down Galloway last week as he only caught one pass for seven yards. I expect Galloway to be much more involved this week as they Bucs will be playing against the high-scoring ways of the Colts. If the Bucs have a chance to win, they need Galloway to put up 100 yards and a score IMO. Look for him to put last week behind him, and have rebound game against the Colts.
Wayne/Harrison/Moorehead/Clark: With Harrison more than likely out, the main guy I think benefits is TE Dallas Clark. While Harrison was on the sidelines, Clark exploded last week against the Broncos catching six passes for 76 yards and two TDs. If Harrison can’t go, you can expect 50-70 yards and one to two TDs for Clark. Wayne should be able to haul in some nice stats as well as he will assume the top receiver spot within the offense. Aaron Moorehead replaces Wayne and could have some value if you need a WR3. A key player will be Joe Addai, because if he can’t go due to his injury, I see the Colts passing a lot. Start your Colts this week.
Baltimore @ S.F:
Anybody else see Steve McNair hobbling around last week? The dude is hurt and you can tell by the way the he throws the ball. Meanwhile, the veteran Trent Dilfer will start his first game as a Niner and gets to take on the team he led to the Super Bowl a couple of years ago.
Mason/Clayton/Heap/Sypniewski: Heap owners need to check his injury status before inserting him. If I had to guess, I don’t see him playing this week. Quinn Sypniewski is the back up TE and he looked very good replacing heap catching all six passes that were thrown to him last week including his first TD. Derrick Mason will benefit the most if Heap can’t go. McNair has no problems finding Mason on the field. Last week Mason caught 10 passes for 78 yards on 13 targets. Mason continues to be a beast in PPR leagues, and I expect another 6-8 catch effort this week against the Niners. Mark Clayton was targeted six times last week, but only managed to catch three of them for 43 yards. I would not start Clayton this week, as Mason and Sypniewski should be seeing most of the action in the passing game.
Sleeper Alert: Quinn Sypniewski – 4 catches 30 yards, TD (If he can’t go, this guy could get you some productivity.)
DJax/Battle: The one guy I think benefits the most from the injury to Alex Smith is Darrell Jackson. DJax was targeted 10 times last week, but only managed to haul in three of them. The Baltimore pass defense is not that great this year, and the Browns showed that last week. DJax has the potential of finding the end zone this week. Arnaz Battle is the other option in the passing game. Without TE Vernon Davis, DJax and Battle will be doing most of the damage in the passing game.
S.D. @ Denver:
Walker/Marshall/Graham: Yet another injury situation to watch in Denver as Javon Walker may sit yet again. If he does indeed sit out another week, Brandon Marshall will benefit the most. Last week, Marshall got into the end zone for the first time but posted a modest three catches for 23 yards. That had more to do with the Broncos success running the ball with Henry and Young. I see the Broncos airing it out a bit this week against the Bolts 27th ranked defense and taking it easy on Henry who is nursing an injury. Walker’s injury has also opened the door for newly acquired TE Daniel Graham. Graham caught four passes for 35 yards. He could be a sneaky play this week to get into the end zone.
VJax/Gates/LT: Tough spot here for these guys, as they face the best pass defense in the NFL. With the way Rivers has been playing, it could get ugly this weekend. That being said, you can’t bench the best TE in football. Gates has been on fire this season with 33 catches for 376 yards, and two TDs. He has not had less than six catches in any of his games. Vincent Jackson may suffer the most here as he more than likely will draw Champ Bailey. VJax is not recommended this week. LT will be LT this week with at least four catches out of the backfield.
Chicago @ G.B.:
Anybody know whether it will be snowing in Green Bay this weekend? It’s just not the same when these teams are not playing against each other in the snow. I expect this to be one of the better games of the weekend.
Berrian/Moose: It was nice to see both of these guys busy on the field last week against the Lions. Even though Griese looked horrible, he was able to find Berrian and Moose open quite a bit. Griese’s main man seems to be Bernard Berrian who caught eight passes for 99 yards. Look for Berrian to find the end zone this week for the first time against the Packs 23rd ranked pass defense. Griese also introduced Moose to the end zone for the first time this year. The Bears will not be able to run against the Pack, so Berrian and Moose will have to be involved in moving the offense.
Driver/Jennings/Jones: This is starting to become a deadly trio. I fully expect this trio to be involved this weekend, because the Pack running game is non-existent after running the ball only 12 times last week. Here’s a stat for you. Donald Driver has only scored twice against the Bears since 2002. Look for Driver to have his share of receptions and yards, but a trip to the end zone is not likely. I think the touchdown passes either go to Jennings or Jones. Jennings and Jones both found pay dirt last week, and against the Bears 19th ranked pass D, look for them to again put pressure on the Bears secondary.
Dallas @ Buffalo:
TO/Witten/Crayton: You know things are rolling in Dallas when they throw up 35 points, but TO only catches three passes for 33 yards, and ZERO TDs. Last week, it was Patrick Crayton blowing up for seven catches, 184 yards and two TDs. He will be a hot commodity on the waiver wire and makes a nice start this week against the Bills. And don’t expect Owens to flop again this week. He’s going to be on Monday Night Football and I’m sure he’ll have something up his sleeve as a TD celebration. Any savvy owners out there who grabbed Witten late in their draft, and are reaping the rewards? I got the dude in the 12th round, and he has been phenomenal. He’s the 2nd best TE in football right now if you ask me, and the Bills have no one to match up with Witten or any of the other Dallas WRs for that matter. TO goes over 100 yards and gets into the end zone at least once.
Evans/Parrish: Trent Edwards is going to have to sling the ball around to keep up with Romo and company. Evans has gotten off to a very slow start, but he may start heating up. Last week Evans had his best game of the year catching six passes for 72 yards. I’ll go out on a limb here and say he finds the end zone this week, so he makes a solid start this week against the ‘Boys. Parrish took a back seat to Evans last week and only caught four passes for 33 yards. I don’t see Parrish being much of a factor now that the Bills have found out that Evans is their go to guy.
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The only disagreement I may have is that Cooley is a must start - as discussed, he's been asked to block a lot more with the OL injuries. Of course, with Moss perhaps out, he may be asked to resume his pass-catching duties.
With the way that pass defense has looked so far, I doubt it.Cooley - 5 catches 60 yards, TD
