These NFL weeks are going faster now with the addition of the Thursday Night Game. It seems like yesterday that Bill Belichick went for it on 4th down and gave Peyton Manning another opportunity at an NFL memory. After two weeks of Rodgers vs. Favre and Brady vs. Manning rivalries, there are no juicy quarterback matches on the docket this week. Yet for some NFL teams, the playoffs start this week with must-win games.

The first game with huge playoff implications pits the undefeated Indianapolis Colts against the 5-4 Baltimore Ravens. After coming out gangbusters, the Ravens have hit a bit of a slide recently. The Week 10 games for both of these teams couldn’t have been anymore different. The Colts squeaked by once again with a win against the Patriots while the Ravens laid a smack down on their division rival on Monday Night Football. I expect something in between this week.

The big x-factors here are the injuries. Both teams are missing key players, the latest being Terrell Suggs on the Ravens who will miss the game. Of all the players missing this game, I think Suggs is the biggest loss for either team. The book is out on Peyton Manning and you need to bring pressure to beat him. The Ravens have been hot and cold on Manning over the years. Last season, the Colts torched them for 31-3 in a game that I guarantee you that Ray Lewis hasn’t forgotten.

The Ravens are the kind of a team that you talk about every year that could have won the games they lost. Three of the Ravens four losses came by less than a touchdown. Joe Flacco has hit a bit of sophomore slump, but the emergence of Ray Rice as a premiere running back in the NFL has made this team very difficult to keep down. Just when you think you have the Ravens beat, Rice breaks off a big run or pass play for seven and turns the momentum completely around. He will need quite a few of those to hang with the Colts.

The Colts are 9-0 and had to fight until the final minute for every win the last few weeks. This is a tired and beaten up team right now. The timing is perfect for the Ravens to come in and play a physical game against the Colts. The Colts have a very difficult schedule over the next several weeks. They aren’t going to run the table and I will predict a big upset here by the Ravens. The Ravens have a new kicker, will make their field goals, and pull out yet another squeaker.

The grudge match of the day takes place in New England. The Patriots will play their second grudge match in a row as they host the New York Jets. These teams don’t like each other one bit and it goes further back than “Spy Gate.” The Jets talked a lot of trash earlier this season and backed it up with a huge upset over the Patriots in Week 2. Well an upset in most places, but I did pick the Jets here on CamelClutchBlog.com. Can the Jets do the unthinkable and sweep the Pats? I don’t think so.

These two teams were in very different places from Week 2. For one, the Patriots won’t have to worry about Leon Washington. Washington averaged 31 yards a kickoff return in their first meeting. Two, Tom Brady was out of rhythm and still getting used to the speed of the game. Quite frankly, Brady was terrible. Three, Belichick had no book on Mark Sanchez or Rex Ryan. Finally, the momentum is in the Patriots favor as the Jets have lost some very close games in ugly fashion. The heat is already on in New York and in New England, 4th and 2 will be a distant memory at kickoff.

I look for a big win here. I look for Belichick to run the score up on the Jets. Belichick was already mad at the Jets and after last week, he is just mad at the world. Tom Brady will look to prove something here after that poor effort in Week 2. Not too mention the fact that after last week’s loss, the Patriots need to win out for any hopes at home field in the playoffs. I love the Patriots here and in the end, I don’t think it’s even close.

Another game with playoff implications for both teams features the Philadelphia Eagles and the Chicago Bears in a Donovan McNabb homecoming game. Jay Cutler will look to rebound from his Jake Delhomme impersonation in a Sunday Night Football headliner. McNabb and the Eagles will look to try and convert a short yardage situation at the goal line and give Philly fans some playoff hopes. This is one of those games that features two of the most inconsistent teams in the NFL in a situation where you just have no idea what either team is going to give you on a week to week basis.

Jay Cutler has been horrendous in night games this season. The bulk of his interceptions this season came in his two night games. The Eagles have gone 1-1 in night games, but Donovan McNabb hasn’t had his best moments in either one of them. I do like Donovan in Chicago. McNabb is a Chicago native and has had big wins in Chicago. He just loves coming home and playing in front of friends and family. Unfortunately, the Eagles defense is going to make it very difficult for him to continue that great stretch of winning games in Chi-Town.

The Eagles are just decimated by injuries and personnel problems on both sides of the ball. The offensive line is a mess and Brian Westbrook is out for the game. On defense, they could be without several starters depending upon Sheldon Brown’s status at game time. As an Eagles fan I hate to say it but this game is tailor-made for Jay Cutler. I look for Cutler to have a huge game here and give him and Greg Olsen high fantasy recommendations. The Eagles will have to surprise the Bears with a run game here and that isn’t going to happen with Big Red. I look for a big Bears win and another embarrassing Eagles loss in prime time.

Quick Hits - The Detroit Lions have hung with all of the big boys yet lost to the Rams. Look for the Lions to smash it up against the Browns. Jake Delhomme looks to be back and he’ll have big opportunities against the Dolphins. Are the Broncos still on a bye week? Remember the Favre-Young games? Well this week’s game is going to be far from it. I am curious to see what kind of changes that the Giants make coming off of the bye week. Who would have thought four weeks ago that this Monday night’s game between the Titans and Texans would be this big? The Vikings struggled a bit against the Lions, but will have a great matchup against the Seahawks who are terrible on the road. Is it even possible for the Saints to struggle this week against the Bucs? Oh how I would love to see Washington beat Dallas at home this Sunday.

Fantasy Fix - If you have followed my fantasy recommendations since Week 1, I have given you at least one sneaky sleeper every week. Last week, all four of sleepers hit for lucky fantasy owners. I recommended Ricky Williams last week who gave you double-digits, Braylon Edwards who had 79 receiving yards, Matthew Stafford who had 14 points last week (only two less than Drew Brees), and Jamaal Charles who had a big day as predicted against the Raiders. I won’t hit on all of my sleepers every week, but I have hit on at least two a week. You won’t find the obvious names like Peterson and Manning here. I do the work, look at the numbers, and find you the guys under the radar that you can plug in for a quick fix. Here are this week’s sneaky sleepers you likely won’t be seeing anywhere else but here on the CamelClutchBlog.com.

Jake Delhomme, Carolina Panthers - I can’t believe I would ever recommend Jake the Fake, but I love him this week. Delhomme is getting Miami on a short week and the Dolphins are struggling on defense. The Dolphins give up over 30% more fantasy points than the average team to quarterbacks. Delhomme and the Panthers are rolling and the guy is getting hot. The Dolphins will be without Ronnie Brown and the running game won’t be the same. The defense is going to get tired from the Stewart-Williams machine and open up some spots for Delhomme and Steve Smith. If you need a quarterback fix this week, go with Jake…for this week only!

Greg Olsen, Chicago Bears - I know his quarterback is an interception machine, however the Eagles are the absolute worst team in the NFL against tight ends. The Eagles give up a whopping 76% more points to tight ends than the average team on a weekly basis. The Eagles will also be without several key defensive players, including Sheldon Brown who is questionable. Olsen gave me seven points in one league last week and was Cutler’s go-to guy in the end zone (although those targets wound up being interceptions). I own Olsen specifically for this week. I don’t think Olsen lets me or you down if you play him.

Jacoby Jones, Houston Texans - I may be a bit too bullish on him here, but I really like him if you need a fantasy fix. We saw our first glimpse of the Schaub-Jones connection before the Texans bye week. Everyone expects Kevin Walter to step up and so will the opposing defenses. This leaves Jones some opportunities to make some big plays down the stretch. The Titans give up a lot of points to wide receivers and will be spending all game defending Andre Johnson and Kevin Walter. I look for Jones as a sneaky play this week.

Brandon Jacobs, New York Giants - Talk about a huge fantasy football bust this year! Jacobs was starting to get on a bit of a roll before his last game against the Chargers. He has a great matchup this week against the Atlanta Falcons. Jacobs has been bothered by injuries this season and will be fresh off of the bye week. Unfortunately for whatever reason, most of his better games have come on the road and he plays at home Sunday. The Falcons give up 4.6 yards a carry and are ranked 26th overall against the rush. Play Brandon Jacobs with confidence this week.

Bonus – Ricky Williams, Miami Dolphins - Don’t forget as I pointed out last week, he has double-digits against all of the Dolphins NFC opponents. NFC teams didn’t spend a lot of time preparing for the Wildcat in the off season and won’t start now. Injuries to the Panthers defense and a returning lineman for the Dolphins make Williams a very appealing play.

CamelClutchBlog.com Fantasy Football Standings

Division 1
Dusty’s RedBellySpot 7-3 (Eric Gargiulo)
Havertown Spoilers 6-3-1 (Bryan Reigel)
Team Nuetral Zone 4-5-1 (Brett Clendaniel)
Team We Own You 4-6 (Erik Espenberg)
Team Wheelhouse Radio! 3-7 (Jeff Peck)

Division 2
Team The Nice Guys 9-1 (Jeff Porrini)
…Not You!!! 7-3 (John Yomtov)
1st Place 4-6 (Derek Sabato)
The Kings of Krista 3-7 (Josh Usher)
Team Rowland 2-8 (Justin Rowland)

NFL Week 11 Picks!

I had a huge bounceback week going 10-5 last week. More importantly I had both the Redskins and the Packers in games that were considered upsets. Unfortunately, I never predicted that Belichick would give a game away and the Eagles would continue to struggle in the red zone. I am 94-50 overall on the season. Now for the NFL Week 11 Picks (Picks in BOLD) -

Miami Dolphins vs Carolina Panthers
Washington Redskins vs Dallas Cowboys
Cleveland Browns vs Detroit Lions
San Francisco 49ers vs Green Bay Packers
Pittsburgh Steelers vs Kansas City Chiefs
Atlanta Falcons vs New York Giants
New Orleans Saints at Tampa Bay Bucs
Buffalo Bills at Jacksonville Jaguars
Indianapolis Colts vs Baltimore Ravens
Seattle Seahawks at Minnesota Vikings
Arizona Cardinals at St. Louis Rams
New York Jets vs New England Patriots
Cincinnati Bengals at Oakland Raiders
San Diego Chargers vs Denver Broncos
Philadelphia Eagles vs Chicago Bears
Tennessee Titans vs Houston Texans

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This week of Studs and Duds will feature names that have been there all too many times and those who have again disappointed fantasy owners who believed they would have a huge point game.

STUDS:
Chris Johnson: No surprise here. The man is an absolute animal. Johnson had another game over 35 points and another game over 130 yards with 2 TDs. He is literally carrying fantasy owners who were lucky enough to stick with him through his mini slump. Oh yea, and he added in 100 yards in the receiving game. If the Titans give him the touches he deserves, he could easily be on this list every single week from here on out. And Titans owner, Bud Adams, don’t get too cocky about winning against the Bills by flipping the bird; we all knew you should’ve given Johnson the ball more and now you’ve finally realized it.

Randy Moss: The Colts secondary is almost completely on the injury report and Randy Moss made it known to a national audience. With a 63 yard touchdown and a total of 179 on 9 receptions, Moss was his old self. Dominance with speed was Moss’s game on Sunday night and although the Pats fell a little bit short, Brady to Moss will be feared every single week from here on out because clearly they are angry. And you wouldn’t like them when they’re angry.

Reggie Wayne: On the opposite side of the ball, Reggie Wayne was equally impressive but in different ways. His longest catch was for 25 yards and it happened to be his first catch of the game. The way that Wayne and Peyton Manning carve out defenses the entire game is like poetry in motion. He may have gotten away with a slight push at the end of the game, but that catch was perfect; it looked like he had stick ‘em on his hands. The 9-0 Colts will go to Wayne all day every day they can.

St. Louis Rams: The Rams went step for step with the mighty Saints and almost came up with an epic upset. Steven Jackson looks like the first round pick he was in many drafts and even Marc Bulger stepped up and was only 2 yards shy of a 300 yard passing game. His last total that was this high was Week 8 of 2008 when he threw for 304 yards. Even when the Saints opened up the second half with a kick return for TD, Rams didn’t go away. I thought the Rams were absolutely awful, but they played like an actual professional football team this week and not one that would have a tough game against the Florida Gators.

Notables: MJD (even though he went down at the 1 and lost me my fantasy week), Manning/Brady of course, AP, and Justin Forsett (he’s the RB for the Seahawks for those who didn’t know)

DUDS:
Jay Cutler: What a disappointment he was in this game. How many red zone interceptions can he throw? As a huge Bears fan this game was just embarrassing to watch. I understand that some of the INTs were not his fault, but it doesn’t matter. In the box score he has 5 INTs against the slumping 49ers D. And for the fantasy owners that I know who have him, well they sent me “Jay Cutler sucks” text messages all Thursday night. Fantasy owners may give him one more chance but they have all but given up on him. As a Bears fan I haven’t given up on him because, hey, at least he’s not Rex Grossman.

New Orleans Saints Offense: Marques Colston, negative points. Pierre Thomas, 3 points, Drew Brees 12 points. In a box score like this you would have expected them to be playing the Steelers D or someone equally as good. Nope, the Saints played the awful Rams defense who is giving up over 378 yards per game. I’m sure fantasy owners were attempting to ride the Saints offense into a win this week and were blindsided by the lack of production. There isn’t too much to worry about here because the Saints are still coached by Mike Martz Jr. in Sean Payton and they still have Drew Brees; but they really slumped this week against a weak team.

Jason Witten: This has been a season full of disappointment for Witten owners. His highest receiving total is 77 yards way back in Week 3 and his highest point total has been 9 in Week 2. Every week fantasy “experts” predict that he will have his breakout week that we all thought he should have. Well, it’s Week 11 now and he has done little more than Nate Washington and Benjamin Watson, players who may have not been drafted in your draft. Witten needs to start producing this coming week against the Redskins or it looks like Witten may be benched across fantasy nation.

Notables: Joe Flacco, Bills offense, Steelers offense, and JaMarcus Russell (he got benched against the Chiefs)

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Hey again everyone, I hope that you all have been enjoying my good advice. The bye weeks are quickly coming to a close, and your full fantasy line-ups will be back in full swing. It will feel good to finally field a full squad again for most of you I’m sure, but I hope some of you were fortunate enough to take advantage of some waiver wire gems and good bench guys that I have recommended.

I continue to do a nice job in my leagues with a combined 17-4 record. Last week some of my gems like Ryan Grant had real big days as I projected,so I’m here to bring more good news to fantasy owners. So without much more to say, let’s check out this weeks version of “Flash and Crash.”

Quarterbacks:

Flash

Peyton Manning, Colts vs 49ers
This one is totally automatic. You don’t need me to tell you to play this guy every single week. Manning is back in MVP form, and it doesn’t really seem to matter who is getting the football here. The 49ers have been looking alot more like the Niners of a few years back, instead of the team that started 3-1. At home Indy is 100 percent tough, and always a great play for fantasy owners. 3 from Peyton, Sure!

Jay Cutler, Bears vs Browns
Cutler owners had to suffer through a tough one last week. Help is on the way, in the form of the poor Browns defense. Cleveland looks lost on the field quite often and the Bears need to come back in a big way after dropping the last 2 games. Cutler shows that he can deliver, so here against this poor defense there should be plenty of time for him and the rest of this offense to get on track. 2 from Cutler is pretty much a given right out of the gate!

Kurt Warner, Cardinals vs Panthers
After surviving and coming away with a suprise win last week, the Cardinals are out to prove they are for real. Last years NFC playoff game destruction over the Panthers seemed to be the Cards rise to glory and the Panthers fall from grace. I’m not too concerned about revenge talk and all that. The Panthers defense is a shell of what it once was, and Warner and his gang are finding a rhythm.

Crash

Eli Manning, Giants at Eagles
Maybe this foot injury is more then was led on. Manning has looked very meek the last few weeks, and now goes into the very hostile environment of Philadelphia. The Eagles offense the last 2 weeks hasn’t been brilliant, but the defense has played very tough. Manning is losing site of his clutch receiver Steve Smith, and seems to be forcing the ball around too much. If the Eagles can get penetration and establish a blitz, Eli can be in for a very long day.

Alex Smith, 49ers at Colts
Don’t do it, not yet anyway. Every other thing you read about Smith this week will most likely be seen as waiver wire pick up or sleeper, but not on my page. Bob Sanders is back in action and it isnt going to equal good things for the Niners. The book end pass rushers have been teeing of for the Colts and they actually have been decent against the run as well. We know what Smith did last week, but this game is no ordinary game, and the Colts at home are brutal against good QBs let alone Smith.

Matt Hasselbeck, Seahwaks at Cowboys
A few weeks back I may not have felt as such, but the Cowboy defense is starting to play as advertised. DeMarcus Ware got his new contract and these ‘Boys are finding a pass rush as well. Hasselbecks offensive line has some question marks, and it just seems anymore that he’s never fully healthy. This Seahawk team is very hard to figure out and even more of an enigma on the road, that’s enough for me to steer clear of Hasselbeck this week.

Sleeper Pick: Duante Culpepper,Lions
Handle With Care: Donovan McNabb,Eagles

Running Back:

Flash

Kevin Smith, Lions vs Rams
Was I not the guy that called for the rebirth of Ryan Grant last week? Trust in this people, Smith will have his best game of the year this week against the hapless Rams. WR Calvin Johnson will most likely be out, so Smith will not only be big on the ground but will get to use his great hands as well. If you are in a point per catch league, Smith is a stud start this week, but even if you are not his 2 TDs will look great on your stat sheet!

Darren Sproles, Chargers vs Raiders
If last time out was any indication then you all know that Charger running backs always do well against the Raiders. Earlier this season Sproles had some huge plays and found the end zone against them and the Chargers offense is getting hot. After having a 38 spot dropped on them last week by the Jets, I have no faith in this Raiders defense. I don’t think even Norv Turner can screw this one up. L.T. is nothing more then a wear down back now and by the time Sproles gets in there the defenses are worn down. This week will be no exception.

Ray Rice, Ravens vs Broncos
I know the Broncos have been very good this year, but Ray Rice is a fantasy animal. He catches, he runs, he scores and he makes big bang type of plays. Remember when Willis McGahee was the TD guy here? That seems like so last year, most likely because Rice is doing it from all over the field. The Ravens are in desperate need of a win and Ray should see a ton of action in this one.

Crash

Brandon Jacobs, Giants at Eagles
I don’t like much of anything that Jacobs is doing lately. In the past few meeting the Giants have managed to work the ground game against the Eagles, but Philly has made some moves to improve this defense. Jacobs is not finding the end zone of late, and isn’t getting catches either. I don’t expect much from Jacobs here.

DeAngelo Williams, Panthers at Cardinals
I would not have believed it, but the Cards are now the number one defense in the league against the rush. This being the case, teamed with the fact that they will be flying high on offense, the Panthers will be forced to go to the air early in this one. Williams is far from the monster he was last year, and his team currently stinks. Putting 8 in the box to slow up the run game is something defenses will be willing to try at this point.

Julius Jones, Seahawks at Cowboys
Last week we saw Cedric Benson go hog wild against his former mates, but don’t expect to see the same out of Jones. The Cowboys defense is starting to hit stride and Jones has been slow the last few weeks. It may be safe to say that the ‘Hawks will be playing from behind in this one too, so Jones will have to get off fast to have a prayer of doing things in this one.

Sleeper Pick: Beanie Wells, Cardinals
Handle With Care: Frank Gore, 49ers

Wide Receiver:

Flash

Miles Austin, Cowboys vs Seahawks
Austin has become the number 1 guy by far and away in Big D. Tony Romo has rediscovered the deep ball again and the Cowboy offense looks to be back in form. Austin has scored 4TDs in his last 2 games and just seems to be tearing up everyone in his path. Seattle has been torched by some poor teams, and don’t seem to be up to the task of stopping hot players, and right now Austin is smoking hot!

DeSean Jackson, Eagles vs Giants
While I’m not all that crazy about starting McNabb, I fully believe that the Eagles chances of winning rely heavily on Jackson. He has home run hitting ability whenever he touches the ball, and has scored from 60+ yards 5 times already this season. He is doing it all right now and McNabb and company have no fear putting the ball in his hands. Punt returns, wildcats, reverses, receptions, you name it and Jackson has his hands in it.

Donald Driver, Packers vs Vikings
Well I said it all year that the Packers will take down Favre in Green Bay. I also said it would take a big game by Aaron Rodgers to do so, hence the reason im liking Driver. DD has scored TDs in 3 straight and is usually a good bet to have big days against the Vikings. Add into the fact that Greg Jennings is M.I.A. and you will know that Driver is once agaon, even at 36, the main man in this offense.

Crash

Steve Smith, Giants at Eagles
I don’t really know why but this guy is all bit forgotten about. Smith has done a whole lot of nothing the last few weeks, and now he will be chased around all day by Asante Samuel. Add to it that QB Eli Manning seems more aggrivated by a foot injury then we are being told and Smith could be in for a long day.

Roddy White, Falcons at Saints
White has come back to life the last few weeks and is getting more involved in the passing game, however the Saints have been playing really good defense and the secondary is looking tough. In New Orleans opponents have a tough time with signal changes and such so Matt Ryan will probably try and keep it pretty simple. Maybe alot of TE stuff but not alot of big stuff from White.

Steve Smith, Panthers at Cardinals
Jake Delhomme is BRUTAL, The End

Sleeper Pick: Bryant Johnson, Lions
Handle With Care: Donnie Avery, Rams

Defense:

Flash

Cowboys vs Seahawks
Cardinals vs Panthers
Bears vs Browns

Crash

49ers at Colts
Raiders at Chargers
Falcons at Saints

Here comes the Waiver Wire! Yes fans there is still hope and still help via the waiver wire. Keep an eye on these late season steals:

Bryant Johnson, WR, Lions
As long as Calvin Johnson is laid up with a knee injury, Bryant Johnson will continue to be the number 1 option here. He scored his first TD of the season in their last game and this week have the Rams at home, sounds like a winner.

Shonn Greene, RB, Jets
Greene was very active last week in a blow out win over the Raiders. With Leon Washington out of commision, Greene will be sharing the backfield with Thomas Jones, and giving that Jones is over the magic, “30 mark” could mean that the youngster Greene can be very active.

Jacoby Jones, WR, Texans
This mostly depends on the fate of Andre Johnson. Jones has real good speed and does good stuff in the return game, but if Johnsons injury proves to be serious, then he will be needed alot more in the passing game.

Jamal Charles, RB, Chiefs
I recommended Charles a few weeks back, and now that Larry Johnson has gone, well all Larry Johnson again, Charles will not only get his chance to start next week against Jacksonville, but he will take Johnsons job, its in the bank!

Dennis Northcutt, WR, Lions
Read above about Bryant Johnson. Same scenario here, decide which one will step up.

Thanks for reading fans, don’t forget to check out this weeks installment of’ “Beat The Shark” as well, some football flavor as we feature a player from The Lingerie Football Leagues New York Majesty. Good Luck in Week 8

If you’d like to hear anything else from me on topics or ideas I can be reached at phillyphan1971@yahoo.com

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Here are the latest news and notes to help you decide your Fantasy Football Starts and Sits for Week 4. Check out all of the latest injury news from around the league that will impact your Fantasy Football Week 4!

The Jets are sitting two corners, start your Saints! -NJ.com.

Kevin Smith says he WILL play Sunday. His coach says he won’t. Handle with care. – Mlive.com.

Ahmad Bradshaw was back in practice, yet still walking around in a boot. – Rotoworld.com.

L.T. will be p.t. on Sunday night. – Sports.yahoo.com.

Is Jay Cutler finally a start ‘em fantasy quarterback? – Fantasynews.com.

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Read the ESPN Fantasy Football Guide 2009 week to week for tips by clicking here.Join ESPN Insider today for the best sports analysis online, plus ESPN The Magazine! 

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Unless you drafted Adrian Peterson or Drew Brees, your Week 1 of Fantasy Football was likely a bust. FF Players plan all year for the fantasy football season from draft guides, cheat sheets, to crafting the perfect lineup. All of that work means nothing when it comes to NFL football. Is it time to panic? For some of you, yes it is.

I can’t remember an NFL Week 1 like this one. Never in my fantasy football lifespan can I recall so many top 10 ranked fantasy players who didn’t produce. We all knew Adrian Peterson was going to produce, but we forgot about one simple component to NFL football, defense. NFL Week 1 was all about defense which is death for fantasy players, highly ranked or not.

Unlike the NFL season, the fantasy football season is 13 weeks plus playoffs. Going down 0-3 could be the absolute end of your season. The key is getting a good mix of starting and finishing strong. That in mind, you are probably driving yourself crazy as to whether you should panic and make trades that you otherwise wouldn’t make. For some of you, I would highly recommend making that trade and playing the waiver wire. For others be patient because talent will eventually reach its potential in the NFL.

So let’s take a look at a few fantasy football players from Week 1 that came up short. Panic or don’t panic? Let’s check them out…

Don’t panic.

Steve Slaton - Maybe this is wishful thinking since I took him with my first pick in my keeper league. Keeper leagues or not, Slaton has been a top ten and at times a top five pick going into this season. Slaton was a sleeper last year who gave fantasy football owners an edge in the running game. Slaton caught balls which can be like having an extra receiver in the game. Slaton also plays in a highly potent offense that has done nothing but put up points for the last few years.

Slaton was a complete and utter bust on Sunday. Slaton averaged 1.9 yards a carry and wound up with more receiving yards than rushing. I nervously tell you not to panic. For one thing, you can’t just abandon your top pick that quickly. I am going to chalk this one up to Slaton playing a great defense. The kid has talent and is going to bust out soon enough. Unfortunately he is in Tennessee next week. However, he has Jacksonville and Oakland the following weeks. If we are looking at 1.9 yards a carry through Week 5, it is time to panic.

Matt Forte - Matt Forte was an arguable number one going into this year’s draft. That means you took him over Adrian Peterson which is probably driving you nuts this week. Forte had a disappointing 55 yards on 25 carries against Green Bay. This is one guy you absolutely cannot give up on. You’ll never get value if you trade him. You also can’t sit him. I am going to chalk this one up to playing a rival, being on the road, and Jay Cutler’s terrible performance. Forte has some good matchups in the next few weeks. Unfortunately he is playing the Steelers on Sunday. Be patient because it won’t be pretty.

Aaron Rogers and Matt Schaub - Neither guy was likely picked in your first four rounds, so you don’t have that going against you. Unfortunately both guys were seen as offensive quarterbacks and were probably drafted higher than most quarterbacks. Both guys had below average days, with Schaub looking absolutely horrendous. Is it time to pick up Mark Sanchez or Matt Stafford on the waiver wire? I wouldn’t pull the trigger just yet.

For Rogers, he played a very aggressive Bears defense. Rivalry games are tough, because a bad team can be your worst enemy with the right speech. For Schaub, you just can’t discount the ankle injury. Schaub also didn’t have Kevin Walter which made Andre Johnson unavailable for most of the game.

The experts seem to think that Schaub’s ankle will be 100% by Sunday. It will need to be as he plays the Titans. For Rogers, I would have a longer leash on him. The thing going against Rogers is that the Packers are a very trendy Super Bowl pick this year. Those things generally never work out well for anyone.

Panic!

Willie Parker - I loved Willie Parker going into this season. He is in a contract year and Mike Tomlin said he wouldn’t be giving up many carries. That all changed in the opener. Parker was horrendous. The thing that worries me is that Parker usually starts hot and fades. Tomlin’s vote of confidence lasted all but two quarters as Mewelde Moore was the full time back by the third quarter. Parker was either a high game or a low pick so there isn’t a whole lot invested. Unfortunately he isn’t going to be the steal any of us thought he was. One man’s loss is another man’s gain. Pick up Mewelde Moore off of waivers!

Carson Palmer - Every year Palmer is projected to be a big breakout quarterback. Going into this season, he was a trendy pick as comeback player of the year. Unfortunately people quickly dismissed the presence of T.J Houshmandzadeh. If Palmer can’t throw on the Broncos, who is he going to throw on? Chad Ocho Stinko tweeted that he had a great game so who cares if they lost. This is a team in complete disarray. It is time for a complete overhaul on the Bengals and that includes Carson Palmer. I would start looking for better options if you are counting on Palmer leading you to the promised land.

Jay Cutler - I haven’t bought the hype on Cutler since his first start and I certainly wasn’t buying it this year. For one thing, he was in a new offense which will take some adjusting to. More importantly, who is he going to throw to? Cutler is a much different quarterback when he doesn’t have Brandon Marshall to bail him out of some bad situations. This team desperately needs an elite wide receiver. Until then, Cutler is going to try and force throws and turn over the ball. Cutler owners drafted him with the intention of stating him all season. I would rather take a shot on Mark Sanchez, Joe Flacco, or Matt Stafford at this point.

Frank Gore - Yes, it is time to panic on Gore. I know he had two touchdowns but I am starting to worry. His average yards per carry were abysmal and yet he had 22 carries. The thing with Gore is that he is young and he should be getting better. Gore’s stats have dropped every season following his breakout year in 2006. Gore was ranked in the top three going into some fantasy drafts. When a guy’s production drops that much, continues in Week 1, and is only 26, it is time to panic.

The upside here is that you can probably get some good trade value for him. The two touchdowns were a mirage in my opinion. Someone is going to be willing to give up some good players for Gore. Take advantage of the trade, upgrade your team, and forget the day you used your first pick on Frank Gore.

So there you have it. Those are just a few of the highly touted fantasy players that came up short in Week 1. Remember, it may be a 17 week in the NFL but it is only a 13 week season in fantasy football. Yes, anything can happen in the playoffs but you can’t make something happen if you aren’t there. Play the waiver wire wisely, trade with caution, and just remember…you can’t hold back talent.

And hopefully you only have to play Drew Brees or Adrian Peterson once a year.

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There is nothing meaningless about the NFL pre season when it comes to Fantasy Football. This is a great chance to look at players coming off injury, how players look with their new teammates, and scout how rookies will fare. Here is what I took away from this past NFL pre season.

Tom Brady will be fine. Brady was the highest drafted quarterback in some fantasy leagues. Those owners who hitched their season on Brady rarely ever recovered after he went down. The big question going into this season was whether Brady would be whether Brady would be back to form or not. Most quarterbacks aren’t back to form until their second season. Tom Brady looks like an exception to the rule.

I watched Brady twice and he looked great. His timing was perfect with his receivers, which allows Randy Moss to hold his fantasy value. It looks as if Belichick is going to continue his pass-heavy offense. I loved the fact that Brady took some hits. It shows his durability and answers any questions about whether he will be a fragile player. The last thing anyone wants is to get burnt twice in two seasons by the same player. I say draft Tom Brady high with confidence.

As a Philadelphia Eagles fan, I found the pre season very telling. The team went from a pre season Super Bowl favorite to a big question mark. The offensive line looked bad, and Jason Peters looked like a turnstile. I would be very cautious about drafting Donovan McNabb. I can’t see him putting up 2008 numbers with this line. The irony is that he probably has his best set of receivers overall since playing in the NFL.

Personally, I think his value drops huge due to the Michael Vick factor. Andy Reid has been running Vick in and out of the game this pre season. Is Vick going to come in the game in red zone situations? How will this impact McNabb? Who wants a starting quarterback that is going to be pulled every time his team is within scoring? Before pre season I loved McNabb. Post-pre season, I would stay far away from him.

Everyone loves a sleeper rookie quarterback. This is where Mark Sanchez and Matt Stafford come into play. Sanchez was hot and cold in the pre season. I do think he is worthy of a backup slot. The plus in Sanchez is that Dustin Keller looks like a great tight end for fantasy football. Sanchez looked for him first and I foresee a Witten-Romo relationship here in the future. Matt Stafford was unimpressive and wouldn’t make my fantasy team. If you were going to take a flier on one, I’d take Sanchez. No way would I take him as my starter.

The Buffalo Bills offense had a ton of potential with T.O. in the mix. Lee Evans could see his numbers increase greatly with Owens double-covered. I love the no-huddle offense when it comes to receivers. However, this offense is in shambles. The offensive coordinator was recently fired and made some telling statements. He said that the Bills want to run a very conservative offense. This and Owens’ “toe injury” makes T.O. drop on my list of wide receivers. I don’t even know if I’d take him as a second receiver at this point. As for Lee Evans, fool me once shame on you fool me twice shame on me.

The pre season gave FF players great scouting opportunities for new players on new teams. There are a ton of implications with Brett Favre joining the Vikings, T.J. Houshmandzadeh joining the Seahawks, and Jay Cutler joining the Chicago Bears. These players, the players around them, and former teammates are all impacted with the new moves. Fantasy players have some new things to think about going into this season and their drafts.

Jay Cutler was a fantasy goldmine at times last season. However, one player does not make a team. Unless Brandon Marshall and Eddie Royal went with Cutler to Chicago, he won’t have the same stats. Orlando Pace looks terrible on the line which makes me very cautious about Cutler. Teams have gotten great pressure on Chicago by blitzing Pace in the pre season. Matt Forte is also going to get red zone carries, which will take scoring opportunities away from Cutler. I saw enough I needed to see this pre season to tell you that Jay Cutler will be a fantasy bust in most leagues.

Cutler’s departure in Denver also impacts Marshall and Royal greatly. Between the new quarterback and off season problems, I’d stay clear of Marshall. He doesn’t have anyone throwing to him to get last season’s numbers. It is also conceivable that a T.O. situation arises where Marshall is suspended, not traded, and off the field for a great part of the season. This makes Eddie Royal an intriguing player. Royal could be the number one this season. He is worth the risk as a late-round draft pick for that reason. As for Marshall, you have no idea who is going to be throwing to him if he is traded so draft lower with caution.

T.J. Houshmandzadeh is fitting in nicely with the Seahawks. Quietly, he has had a great pre season. Matt Hasslebeck is also a sleeper in waiting with his new weapon and his tight end. Houshmandzadeh’s departure also allows Chad Ocho Cinko’s stock to rise, along with Chris Henry. T.J. and Ocho have gone late in most of my drafts. These guys are definite bargains in their average draft spots. I may also roll the dice with Hasslebeck as your starting quarterback. There is a ton of upside if he can stay healthy which is a big if.

This brings us to the Minnesota soap opera known as the Vikings. We only got to see Brett Favre play two games so there isn’t much to go on. He looked horrendous in the first game and decent in the second. I did takeaway that Percy Harvin is going to be Favre’s guy. Favre loves to lock in one receiver and he was looking for him all game in the Houston game. Although, Harvin dropping a touchdown pass makes me wonder how patient Favre will be with him throughout the season.

At the same time, the new quarterback also impacts the stock of Bernard Berrian in my opinion. You may be able to get him late, but I don’t think he is going to put up any consistent numbers. Berrian will turn out to be a waste of a roster spot with Favre under center. Favre also loves the tight end which makes Visanthe Shiancoe a fantasy commodity. He went to Shiancoe in the end zone for a touchdown in the Houston game and I’d expect plenty more of that during the season.

Other quick hits –
Jason Campbell could be a top fantasy quarterback this season
Peyton Manning is back to season form
Eli Manning needs a receiver, thus making him barely worthy of a draft pick.
The Saints offense will continue to produce big numbers.
Tony Romo is going to struggle with fantasy numbers without T.O.
DeSean Jackson is a starting fantasy wide receiver in my opinion.
LaDainian Tomlinson could be a huge problem this season for fantasy owners, while Larry Johnson could be back.
Vincent Jackson is going to have a huge year.
Stay away from anyone on the Denver Broncos offense.
Matt Ryan will continue to be a solid fantasy quarterback and will involve Tony Gonzalez in the offense.
Rex Ryan is will have a very aggressive defense in New York which makes the Jets a draftable defense.
Torry Holt will have a solid season in Jacksoville.
Nate Washington is a deep ball threat in Tennessee and will have big fantasy numbers this season.

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