Week 17 Breakdown

Here's a look at what to expect in Week 17, as I see it.

AFC

Patriots - They want to go 16-0, expect them to keep their stars in until it is assured, just don't expect them to try to run up the score quite as much.

Colts - They have the #2 seed locked up and nothing to play for...if you blink, you may miss Peyton and friends. Bench your Colts. There will, however, be a brief Marvin Harrison sighting. If you held onto him this long, I suppose this qualifies as excitement.

Chargers - They need to win, or else the Steelers could steal the #3 seed. The #3 seed benefits because they would 1)Play against the Titans/Browns rather than the Jags and 2)Travel to Indy rather than New England. The Chargers likely won't have much trouble against the Raiders.

Steelers - See above. The Chargers and Steelers both play late, so expect them to keep their stars in until the game is no longer in doubt. The Steelers have a higher level of injury concern, so they'll likely be scoreboard watching.

Jaguars - They have the #5 seed locked up and nothing to play for. Fred Taylor and MJD won't be playing much, if it all. Same for David Garrard. Bench your Jags.

Titans - Win and in, lose and out. Expect the Titans to be giving it their all against the second string Colt squad. This is the last of the teams which the result has a significant impact.

Browns - Their future relies exclusively upon the Titans. If the Titans lose, the Browns are in regardless of whether or not they actually win the game. After several recent unimpressive showings, expect them to be playing to win, but players will be shut down if any injury concern at all arises.

The rest of the AFC is out of the playoff picture and they should be playing all of their healthy starters as usual. Titans/Colts has the distinction of being the final regular season game.

The Miami Dolphins are officially on the clock for the first pick of the 2008 NFL Draft.

NFC

Cowboys - They have the #1 seed locked up and nothing to play for. TO is hurt and don't expect the Boys to be risking injury to any other starters. Expect lots of Romo smiling pretty on the sidelines in his backward ball cap. Marion The Barbarian will also be used very sparingly.

Packers - They're the #2 seed, locked in. Still, they're an enigma for this week. They may want more work due to their Week 16 meltdown against the Bears. Still, don't be comfortable relying on Favre, Driver and Grant. They'll stil llikely be pulled early.

Seahawks - They have the #3 seed sewn up. Don't expect much out of Hasselbeck and pals.

Buccaneers - Coach Chucky made a curious decision to start resting players in Week 16 when the Bucs were still in contention for the #3 seed. Now that they aren't in contention, do you really expect their stars to see much action?

Giants - They'll play to win tonight...with their backups. Despite the public spin, don't expect them to risk further injury with a banged up Jacobs and Plax while they've already lost Shockey. The exception is if they game is still close at halftime.

Redskins - Need a win to ensure a playoff berth. They'll go against the second string Cowboys, so expect decent numbers out of their starters.

Vikings - Need a Redskin loss and win of their own to make the playoffs. They'll keep their usual starters in all game, since both the Skins and Vikes play late. Feel free to leave Purple Jesus in your lineup, although he's not the savior he was before the injury.

Saints - Need a win and losses by both the Skins and Vikings to make it to the dance. They play early, so expect a full effort from all of their starters, and whoever lines up at RB.

The rest of the NFC will be on the golf course by this time next week, so expect them to all be playing their regulars.

No in-season coach firings, surprisingly enough (Bobby Petrino quit like a bitch, he wasn't fired). Expect plenty of activity there come Monday.

Stay tuned in the coming weeks. There will be recaps, commentary and Milton J's Playoff Picks.

There will still be activity.

Play Action - Week 17

This is it, the final week of the year.

It's been a fun season, and hopefully the faithful readers that come here have enjoyed themselves.

At this time, I'm not completely sure what will happen between now and baseball season, but keep checking back.

For Week 17, just a quick rundown of any players that should be active for your team.

It's tough to predict who will be active for more than a few series'.

Here's the situations with teams as I see it.

Patriots @ Giants - Tom Brady, Laurence Maroney, Randy Moss, Wes Welker

Saints @ Bears - Drew Brees, Marques Colston, Bernard Berrian

Panthers @ Buccaneers - Steve Smith

Bills @ Eagles - Marshawn Lynch, Lee Evans, Donovan McNabb, Brian Westbrook, Kevin Curtis

Bengals @ Dolphins - Carson Palmer, Kenny Watson, Chad Johnson, T.J. Houshmandzadeh

Jaguars @ Texans - Andre Johnson

Lions @ Packers - Calvin Johnson, James Jones, Donald Lee

49ers @ Browns - Frank Gore, Derek Anderson, Jamal Lewis, Braylon Edwards, Kellen Winslow

Seahawks @ Falcons - Roddy White

Cowboys @ Redskins - Clinton Portis, Santana Moss, Chris Cooley

Steelers @ Ravens - Ben Roethlisberger, Hines Ward, Santonio Holmes, Heath Miller, Steeler Defense

Chiefs @ Jets - Tony Gonzalez, Thomas Jones, Jerricho Cotchery

Chargers @ Raiders - LaDainian Tomlinson, Antonio Gates

Vikings @ Broncos - Adrian Peterson, Jay Cutler, Brandon Marshall

Rams @ Cardinals - Steven Jackson, Torry Holt, Kurt Warner, Larry Fitzgerald, Anquan Boldin

Titans @ Colts - LenDale White, Titan Defense

Beating the House--Week 17

Well, the final week of the regular season is upon us and it is probably the most difficult one to handicap since Week 1...a majority of the teams have nothing to play for and you just don't know if they'll show up at all or choose to fight and end the year on a high note...if I can stay above .500 this week, I would consider it a fairly successful year...I'll do a recap and playoff picks next weekend but will stick to making my selections without comment this time around...HAVE A SAFE, HAPPY AND PROSPEROUS NEW YEAR!

New England (-13) at New York Giants...pick: Patriots.

Buffalo (+7.5) at Philadelphia...pick: Eagles.

Carolina (-3) at Tampa Bay...pick: Buccaneers.

Cincinnati (-2.5) at Miami...pick: Bengals.

Dallas (+9) at Washington...pick: Redskins.

Detroit (+4.5) at Green Bay...pick: Packers.

Jacksonville (+6.5) at Houston...pick: Texans.

New Orleans (-1.5) at Chicago...pick: Bears.

Pittsburgh (-3.5) at Baltimore...pick: Steelers.

Seattle (+1.5) at Atlanta...pick: Falcons.

San Francisco at Cleveland...pick: Browns.

Minnesota (-3) at Denver...pick: Broncos.

San Diego (-9) at Oakland...pick: Chargers.

St. Louis (+6) at Arizona...pick: Cardinals.

Kansas City (+6) at New York Jets...pick: Jets.

Tennessee (-5.5) at Indianapolis...pick: Colts.

Last Week: 9-7 To Date: 137-96-7

Major Game Day Inactives - Week 16

Here's a look at the Major Inactives for Week 16.
It's crunch time, baby, gotta make sure that your horses are in the race.


NOTICE: High Wind Advisories for:
Packers/Bears, Dolphins/Patriots, Giants/Bills and Browns/Bengals.

49ers - Frank Gore and Arnaz Battle are ACTIVE.

Bears - Rex Grossman is inactive.

Bengals - Rudi Johnson is inactive.

Cardinals - Leonard Pope is inactive. Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin are ACTIVE.

Chiefs - Larry Johnson and Eddie Kennison are inactive.

Colts - Marvin Harrison is inactive.

Dolphins - Jesse Chatman is ACTIVE, but will share carries with Samkon Gado.

Eagles - L.J. Smith is inactive.

Giants - Jeremy Shockey is inactive and on IR.

Patriots - Ben Watson and Kyle Brady are inactive.

Raiders - Justin Fargas is inactive.

Ravens - Kyle Boller and Todd Heap are inactive.

Redskins - Jason Campbell is inactive.

Saints - Reggie Bush and Eric Johnson are inactive. Marques Colston is ACTIVE, confirmed by saints.com

Seahawks - D.J. Hackett is inactive.

Titans - LenDale White is ACTIVE.

Beating the House--Week 16

I was bound to come back down to earth last week but looked great until the final three games let me down big time...the Cowboys, Giants and Vikings all failed to cover...Dallas has looked downright mediocre so I took the points last night but also did the same with the Rams on Thursday so we're off to a 1-1 start in the penultimate week of the regular season...due to time constraints brought on by the holiday season, I will just list my picks without comment and hope that it brings me the same results as two weeks ago when I was slacking...HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO EVERYONE!

Cleveland (-3) at Cincinnati...pick: Bengals.

Green Bay (-9) at Chicago...pick: Packers.

Houston (+7) at Indianapolis...pick: Texans.

Kansas City (+4.5) at Detroit...pick: Lions.

Miami (+22) at New England...pick: Dolphins.

New York Giants (-2.5) at Buffalo...pick: Giants.

Oakland (+13) at Jacksonville...pick: Jaguars.

Philadelphia (+3.5) at New Orleans...pick: Eagles.

Washington (+6.5) at Minnesota...pick: Vikings.

Atlanta (+10) at Arizona...pick: Cardinals.

Baltimore (+11) at Seattle...pick: Seahawks.

New York Jets (+8) at Tennessee...pick: Titans.

Tampa Bay (-6) at San Francisco...pick: Buccaneers.

Denver (+9) at San Diego...pick: Chargers.

Last Week: 9-7 To Date: 128-89-7

Play Action - Week 16

As mentioned in Thursday's Play Action, only "Start" recommendations are being made this week, since it is likely your league's Championship week.


Hopefully you bring home the title and then continue the celebration with a great Christmas, or at least a Festivus for the rest of us.

Let's get to it.

Cowboys @ Panthers

START: Tony Romo (check), Marion Barber, Terrell Owens, Jason Witten, Cowboy Defense

Yes, The Romosexual carries some risk here, but word is that he's looked fine in practice. MB3 has only totaled 14 carries the past 2 weeks, but my gut tells me he gets a bigger workload this week as the Cowboys look to protect Romo a bit. Jason Witten has been on fire lately and TO is always a big play threat, especially against the constantly changing Panther D.

Avoid any and all Panther players.

Texans @ Colts - Dome

START: Andre Johnson, Peyton Manning, Joseph Addai, Reggie Wayne

Andre Johnson has scored a TD in all but one game that he's started this season, the guy is a beast. The rest of the Texans carry too many questions with them, especially game-time decision Ron Dayne.

The Colts allegedly are not ready to rest players, and this game won't be a cakewalk anyway. Therefore, keep your usual threesome out there.

Packers @ Bears

START: Brett Favre, Ryan Grant, Greg Jennings, Packer Defense

The Pack is suddenly alive and kicking for the #1 overall seed, so expect them to be gunning it as usual while keeping a close eye on the Cowboys. Ryan Grant continues to be the single greatest NFL player to ever throw on a pair of cleats and Greg Jennings continues to be an end zone bloodhound. Donald Lee is worthy of a start if Bubba Franks end up inactive.

The Bears...well, the Bears aren't good. Avoid 'em.


Browns @ Bengals

START: Derek Anderson, Jamal Lewis, Braylon Edwards, Kellen Winslow, Carson Palmer, Chad Johnson, T.J. Houshmandzadeh

Remember Week 2 between these 2 teams? Total Fantasy gold. Don't expect a repeat, but with the complete lack of defense on either side, there should still be plenty of points to go around. Word is that it may be rainy and windy.

Derek Anderson has slowed down the past few weeks. In Week 15, that was due to the blizzard that they were playing in. Going in the rain and wind this week, he should still have a nice game against the awful pass defense. Jamal Lewis is partying like it's 2003.

The Bengals can't run the ball, so look for Palmer to be slinging it as usual. He's been a disappointment this season, but it's tough to disappoint passing against the Brownies. Look for busy days out of CJ and Housh.

Raiders @ Jaguars

START: Fred Taylor, Jaguar Defense

Justin Fargas is on IR, therefore, the only decent thing about the Raiders is the picture that lead into this article. Avoid them all like the plague.

Fred Taylor, much like the previously discusses Jamal Lewis, is partying like it's 2003. He should continue to party hard against the feeble Raider rush D and rack up his fifth straight 100 yard game. You've got to start the Jag D, the Raiders no longer have any offensive threats at all.

Giants @ Bills

START: Brandon Jacobs, Plaxico Burress (check), Marshawn Lynch

With the Patriots looming on the schedule, this is a must-win for the Giants, who are striving to become history's worst 10 win team. The Bills still stink on defense, so expect nice output from Jacobs and the always "questionable" Plax.

Look for the Bills to continue feeding Lynch the ball. Just hope that he finds the end zone this week.

Chiefs @ Lions - Dome

START: Tony Gonzalez, Kevin Jones

Something's gotta give. 13 consecutive losses combined.
Start Gonzo, the Lions suck against the pass, and most other forms of offense, but nobody else on the Chiefs is reliable enough at this critical time.

My gut tells me that Kevin Jones cashes in one of his famous quality starts that come along every few weeks and get surrounded by stinkers. Of course, Mike Martz is known to panic if he gets down by a field goal and completely abandon the running game, so proceed cautiously.

Eagles @ Saints - Dome

START: Brian Westbrook (check), Drew Brees, Aaron Stecker (check Reggie Bush), Marques Colston


No player in the league piles up high yardage totals consistently quite like Brian Westbrook. Obviously he needs to start here, just check on Sunday to make sure he's active. It'd be a big surprise if he wasn't.

Allegedly Reggie Bush is a game-time decision. He'll likely be inactive, which should set up Stecker for another big day. If Bush is active somehow, bench him. Brees and Colston are back to their 2006 form, so keep them active as well.

4:00pm EST Games

Buccaneers @ 49ers

START: Earnest Graham, Buc Defense

The Bucs are still playing for a #3 seed, so they'll only rest players if they get out to a huge lead, which is a real possibility here. Still, if they do get out to that huge lead, it will largely be because of Graham. Also start the Buc D since the 49ers offense is craptacular.

Keep your craptacular 49ers benched.

Falcons @ Cardinals

START: Roddy White, Kurt Warner, Larry Fitzgerald (check), Anquan Boldin (check)

Roddy White piled up 4 entire yards in Week 15, but that was against the fierce Bucs pass D. The Falcons, well, they're not good. He carries some obvious risks, but he should be in store for a nice game.

The Cardinal WRs are beat up. Anquan Boldin is the more likely one to be hindered, but that didn't slow him down too much in Week 15. If they're active, start em, but be sure to have alternatives since they play late.

Jets @ Titans

START: Titan Defense

Start the Titan Defense.
Move along, nothing to see here.

Ravens @ Seahawks

START: Willis McGahee, Matt Hasselbeck, Deion Branch, Bobby Engram, Seahawk Defense

Other than McGahee, the Ravens have absolutely nothing. This is a team that lost to the Dolphins last week. Ahhhhh hahahahahaha.

Looks for the Seahawks to exploit the banged and bruised Raven secondary.

Dolphins @ Patriots

START: Tom Brady, Laurence Maroney, Randy Moss, Wes Welker, Patriot Defense

The Dolphins beat the Ravens for their first win in Week 15. Congrats, here's your reward, good luck.

On paper, this is the season's biggest mismatch. Expect the Patriots to build a big early lead and then, once Brady has sufficiently padded his stats, look for them to run the ball. Trot out your usual Patsies for the carnival of points.

Sunday Night Football

Redskins @ Vikings - Dome

START: Chris Cooley, Adrian Peterson

This is essentially a playoff game. If the Skins lose, they're out. If the Vikings lose, they drop behind the Redskins in playoff standings and will no longer control their own destiny. So, expect a spirited game.

The Vikings are rock solid against the run, so hopefully you have better options than Clinton Portis. Cooley is an every week TE, even with the immortal Todd Collins.

Purple Jesus rebounded nicely from his Week 14 3-yard performance against the Bears in Week 15. He faces a tough test here, but the guy is too much of a freak to bench, plus he appears to be back in the featured role.

Monday Night Football

Broncos @ Chargers

START: Brandon Marshall, LaDainian Tomlinson, Antonio Gates

The season's final Monday Night showdown.
Brandon Marshall has been on fire lately, there's no reason for him to stop now. The rest of the Broncos aren't of any particular interest.

LT had a monster half in Week 15 against the Lions and was then rested in the second half. Obviously you start him, and pray that the Broncos can keep the game somewhat close. Antonio Gates really hasn't been himself lately, but the Broncos struggle mightily against TEs...keep him active.

Check back on Sunday for the Major Game Day Inactives.

Play Action - Thursday Edition - Week 16

This week's edition of Play Action will only include players that are recommended as starters.
You're likely in your League Championship Game this week, and cannot afford to be risking playing anything other than surefire, high quality players.

Now, get out there and bring home the Lombardi Trophy...or at the very least, some exclusive league bragging rights.

Thursday Night Football

Steelers @ Rams - Dome

START: Ben Roethlisberger, Willie Parker, Hines Ward, Heath Miller, Steeler Defense, Steven Jackson, Torry Holt

The Steelers are looking much more like pretenders than contenders at this point. The should play angry against the Rams. The Lambs aren't good against the run, so expect Fast Willie to pile up another high yardage, TD-free game. They're also not good against the pass, so the law firm of Roethlisberger, Ward and Miller will be open for business. The Rams have been playing well at home lately, but you can count on the Steeler D coming away with a couple of turnovers.

Reportedly, a newly concussed Marc Bulger took an errant pass off of his head in Week 13 warmups. That's just funny. Bulger can't be counted on here. S-Jax also faces a very tough test, but that was also true last week when he shredded the Packers. Jackson and Holt are every-weekers regardless of who they're playing against.

Major Game Day Inactives - Week 15

Bad weather in New England and Cleveland...adjust your expectations appropriately.
It's also windy in Miami.

Here's a rundown of the major Week 15 Inactives.

Bears: Rex Grossman is inactive.

Buccaneers: Ike Hilliard and Jeff Garcia are both ACTIVE.

Cardinals: Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin are both ACTIVE. Boldin is rumored to be on an extremely limited snap count.

Dolphins: Jesse Chatman is inactive.

Falcons: Roddy White is ACTIVE.

Jets: Laveranues Coles and Jerricho Cotchery are both ACTIVE.

Panthers: Vinny Testaverde is inactive, Matt Moore will start.

Packers: Bubba Franks is inactive.

Patriots: Ben Watson is inactive.

Rams: Marc Bulger is ACTIVE and will start.

Ravens: Todd Heap is inactive.

Redskins: Jason Campbell is inactive.

Saints: Reggie Bush and Eric Johnson are inactive.

Seahawks: D.J. Hackett is inactive.

Steelers: Ben Roethlisberger is ACTIVE and will start.

Vikings: Troy Williamson is inactive.

Beating the House--Week 15

Well...my thanks to id10t for the kind words...be sure to read his Play Action post as you prepare for your fantasy playoffs! Maybe brevity is the key considering my pseudo-column after last week's ridiculous 14-2 showing...have to mention that I won my pick 'em pool by going 16-0 with no spreads involved...as my colleague stated up above, I did indeed take the +1 with the Texans on Thursday and thought that was an absolute gimme...don't bet against Sage Rosenfels!

Cincinnati (-8) at San Francisco-- The Niners start rookie Shawn Hill at QB but at least he goes against a sieve of a pass defense...still, the firepower is there for Cincy should they actually choose to take advantage of it...pick: Bengals.

Arizona (+3.5) at New Orleans-- I would feel better about making this call if I knew the status of Boldin and Fitzgerald...even if they do play, they may not last long or perform well...even without Reggie Bush, Saints could pass all day long...pick: Saints.

Atlanta (+13) at Tampa Bay-- That's a pretty crooked number but who knows how this team reacts to losing their scumbag of a head coach...they're probably excited as hell but they still suck regardless...Bucs get Garcia back and roll at home...pick: Buccaneers.

Baltimore (-3.5) at Miami-- Kyle Boller is bad but he goes up against a winless team so he should be able to do something...Ravens are still fuming about Pats game and return to mediocrity after not showing up last week...pick: Ravens.

Buffalo (+6) at Cleveland-- Gotta give props to Bills for playing tough each and every week...it's a nice tribute to teammate Kevin Everett (pic above) and I was thrilled to see him on the cover of SI this week...but Browns are great against the number this year...pick: Browns.

Green Bay (-8) at St. Louis-- The Pack should win this one but don't play as well away from Lambeau and don't really need it that bad...Rams get Bulger back and are playing for pride...they should at least keep it close...pick: Rams.

Jacksonville (+3.5) at Pittsburgh-- I like the Steelers to bounce back at home but this mysterious injury to Big Ben makes me nervous...Jags play well on the road and match up well with their defense...should be a FG game so take...pick: Jaguars.

New York Jets (+21) at New England-- You know how badly I want to take the Pats here thinking that Belichick would absolutely punish Manjerkoff for ratting him out...but the weather is going to be a huge factor so scoring could be at a premium...only thing that saves the Jets from utter humiliation...pick: Jets.

Seattle (-7) at Carolina-- The Seahawks have played as well as anyone over the last few weeks and their pass rush is scary good...the Panthers shouldn't be able to muster enough offense to keep up with Hasselbeck and his WRs...pick: Seahawks.

Tennessee (-3.5) at Kansas City-- I have not been a believer in the Titans but will go with them if Brodie Croyle is the QB for Chiefs...I'd feel even better about this selection if Albert Haynesworth was playing...Titans must still be smarting after giving away game to Chargers at home last Sunday...pick: Titans.

Indianapolis (-10.5) at Oakland-- Colts will be missing four starters on defense and I'm not convinced they'll be up for this game...if the Raiders can't get up for the Super Bowl champs then...well, you know...pick: Raiders.

Philadelphia (+10) at Dallas-- Dallas is clicking on all cylinders and don't see them slowing down here...only concern would be if they rest their starters but they're still battling Pack for home-field advantage...Eagles will put up fight and then fade away...pick: Cowboys.

Washington (+4.5) at New York Giants-- This is usually a hard-fought, close game and I'd be tempted to take the points but can't do it with Todd Collins at QB...he looked great against Bears but on the road against Big Blue and their pass rush? Forget about it...pick: Giants.

Chicago (+10) at Minnesota-- Kyle Orton has the unenviable task of playing against a team that is peaking at the right time...Adrain Peterson carved them up last time out and wants to make up for his paltry 14 carry for 3 yards effort last week against lowly Niners...pick: Vikings.

Last Week: 14-2 To Date: 119-82-7

Play Action - Week 15

I apologize for missing the Thursday game.

First, let's all give Milton J. a thunderous standing ovation for tearing up his Beating The House column last week.
Also, allow me to point out that Milton PM'ed me before the Broncos/Texans game to inform me that he was taking the Texans. He's on fire.

The analysis this week will be fairly quick. It is likely the semifinals for your Fantasy Playoffs this week. Let's take a gander at who to get active in order to dominate your opponent. I am leaving out the weather links this week, because I'm in a serious time crunch, so be sure to keep an eye on the Sunday morning conditions as weather does play a major factor this time of year.

Saturday Night Football


Bengals @ 49ers

START: Carson Palmer, Chad Johnson, T.J. Housmandzadeh, Frank Gore
CONSIDER: Rudi Johnson, Bengal Defense
BENCH: Kenny Watson, Chris Henry, Shaun Hill, Darrell Jackson, Arnaz Battle (check), Vernon Davis

Marvin Lewis is likely winding down his tenure in Cincy. Chemistry is a big question for the Bumbles, and you never know which team will show up week-to-week. This game should be a blowout, and hopefully it will be for those of you relying on Bengals. The Bengal D is worthy of consideration if you're in a pinch. The 49ers offense is horrible...and now Shaun Hill is their starting QB.
It's very hard to recommend using Frank Gore. The guy has been an undisputed disaster this season. But still, the Bengals don't play defense. Bump up Arnaz Battle if he is active AND if he is going to start. If he sees limited action, he should be on your bench. The rest of the Niners...well, they suck.

Sunday - 1:00pm EST

Jets @ Patriots

START: Tom Brady, Randy Moss, Wes Welker, Patriot Defense
CONSIDER: Thomas Jones
BENCH: Kellen Clemens, Laveranues Coles, Jerricho Cotchery, Donte Stallworth, Jabar Gaffney, Laurence Maroney, Ben Watson

The Patriots have been scorched on the ground lately. But still, you only want to start Thomas Jones if you really don't have any better options, the guy doesn't score TDs. The rest of the Jets...no way.
There's no reason this game shouldn't end up 80-0. You want to bench Stallworth and Gaffney, since nobody really knows which one will see more action, and you can't afford gambles at this time of the season. Despite the Jets being the 30th ranked rush defense, bench Maroney as well, the guy has shown that he can't be relied on. Unleash the rest of the Patriots, this game should be a points bonanza.

Titans @ Chiefs

START: LenDale White, Titan Defense, Tony Gonzalez
CONSIDER: Nope
BENCH: Vince Young, Roydell Williams, Brodie Croyle, Kolby Smith, Dwayne Bowe

Wake me when it's over.
The LenWhale finally made a splash again in Week 14. Keep him out there again this week. Also start the Titan D against a very lackluster Chief O and hope they can contain Gonzo.
Gonzo is the only reliable Chief option.

Seahawks @ Panthers

START: Matt Hasselbeck, Deion Branch, Bobby Engram, Seahawk Defense
CONSIDER: Nate Burleson
BENCH: Shaun Alexander, Maurice Morris, Vinny Testaverde (check), Matt Moore, DeShaun Foster, Steve Smith

There's no benching the usual suspects from the Seahawk passing game, they love to sling it. The ground game, however, is a full blown RBBC, killing the values of all parties. Nate Burleson seems to find the end zone reliably enough, so if you're in a crunch for a WR3, you could certainly do a whole lot worse. The Panthers are awful, get the Seahawk D out there.
It doesn't matter who starts at QB for the Panthers, you don't want to be counting on any of them to get you to your league championship.

Jaguars @ Steelers

START: Ben Roethlisberger (check), Willie Parker, Hines Ward
CONSIDER: Fred Taylor, Steeler Defense
BENCH: David Garrard, Maurice Jones-Drew, Reggie Williams, Santonio Holmes (check), Heath Miller

Likely the best game of the week.
Fred Taylor has been on fire lately, but he's facing the Steelers here. If you have better options, you've got to go with them. If not, it's not time to panic, get him out there and hope for the best. The rest of the Jags should be benched in this tough battle.
The Jags aren't good against the pass, so keep Benny Roeth and Smiling Hines active. Santonio Holmes is too banged up to be counted on and Heath Miller has been invisible for a month.

Bills @ Browns

START: Marshawn Lynch, Lee Evans, Derek Anderson, Jamal Lewis, Braylon Edwards, Kellen Winslow
CONSIDER: Nope
BENCH: Trent Edwards, Fred Jackson, Joe Jurevicius

Lee Evans always carries boom or bust risk, but the Brown pass D is terrible, so you've got to roll the dice here. Lynch looked strong in his return in Week 14, and there's no reason to believe he can't keep it up.
Speaking of terrible defenses, how 'bout them Bills? All of the major players on the Browns should be in for big days.

Packers @ Rams - Dome

START: Brett Favre, Ryan Grant, Donald Driver, Greg Jennings, Donald Lee, Steven Jackson, Torry Holt
CONSIDER: Packer Defense, Marc Bulger (check)
BENCH: James Jones, Isaac Bruce, Randy McMichael

Ryan Grant is Superman in green & yellow, there is no hotter player in the league right now. Still, Favre loves to get out there and sling it, and he should do so effectively against the Lambs.
Marc Bulger should be good to go, which is great news for Torry Holt owners. S-Jax should obviously always be active.

Falcons @ Buccaneers

START: Roddy White, Earnest Graham, Joey Galloway
CONSIDER: Alex Smith
BENCH: Chris Redman, Warrick Dunn, Jerious Norwood, Alge Crumpler, Jeff Garcia (check), Ike Hilliard

The post-Petrino Era begins in Atlanta...way to be a stand-up guy, Bob-O. Roddy White is too good to bench, but he faces an awfully tough test here. The rest of the Falcons aren't even worth a second thought.
The Falcons may give up completely after Petrino left, so Earnest Graham and Galloway make very nice options. Jeff Garcia is expected to start, but he's old and brittle, so that's too much risk for your team. Alex Smith has become a quietly consistent, but far from spectacular, option.

Cardinals @ Saints - Dome

START: Kurt Warner, Larry Fitzgerald (check), Drew Brees, Marques Colston
CONSIDER: Anquan Boldin (check), Bryant Johnson (check Boldin), Aaron Stecker
BENCH: Edgerrin James, David Patten

Despite the broken toe, Boldin deserves serious consideration if he plays. Otherwise, Bryant Johnson deserves serious consideration. By now, I'm sure you're well aware of WR2's shredding the Saints. Larry Fitzgerald is also a game-time decision. Assuming that either of those guys play, Kurt Warner makes a very nice option, despite his love of the INT. Edge isn't a reliable option unless you're in total desperation.
There shouldn't be any shortage of passing in this game, expect Drew Brees to flourish as well. Colston has yet to catch a TD at home, maybe he'll get lucky this week. The Cards are decent against the rush, so only start Stecker if you're in a big pinch. David Patten shows up huge at times, but is too inconsistent for this time of season.

Ravens @ Dolphins

START: Willis McGahee, Raven Defense
CONSIDER: Derrick Mason
BENCH: Kyle Boller, Mark Clayton, Todd Heap (out), Cleo Lemon, Jesse Chatman, Marty Booker

Offense? What offense?
Look for a whole lot of Willis McGahee...a WHOLE lot. Derrick Mason continues to get the ball a lot, so he's an option if you're in a crunch. They've been a huge disappointment, but why wouldn't you start the Raven defense here?
The Dolphins...well, they should achieve perfection this season. That is all.

4:00pm EST Games

Colts @ Raiders

START: Peyton Manning, Joseph Addai, Reggie Wayne, Colt Defense
CONSIDER: Dallas Clark, Justin Fargas
BENCH: All Raiders not named Fargas

The Raider rush defense is horrible, Joesph Addai should be in for a field day. He should greatly reduce Payton Manning's numbers, but you can't bench Manning, despite the solid Raider pass D. Obviously, this could also be a negative for Wayne, who is also too studly for the pine.
The Raiders only hope to keep the game even remotely close is to feed Fargas the rock. The drawback is that the Raiders will likely be forced to air it out by halftime. If you need to start Fargas, just pray that he puts up numbers before then.

Eagles @ Cowboys

START: Brian Westbrook, Tony Romo, Marion Barber, Terrell Owens, Jason Witten
CONSIDER: Donovan McNabb, Patrick Crayton, Cowboy Defense
BENCH: Kevin Curtis, Reggie Brown, Julius Jones

Brian Westbrook is a beast, you're obviously starting him. The Cowboy pass D is pretty bad, so D-Mac is a decent option. He had a decent games against them earlier this season, although he also threw 2 INTs.
There's no reason to sit you're usual Cowboy options. Jason Witten is the hottest TE in the league right now. The Eagles are always a threat to stink up the place, so the Cowboy D is a plausible option.

Lions @ Chargers

START: LaDainian Tomlinson, Antonio Gates (check), Charger Defense
CONSIDER: Jon Kitna, Kevin Jones, Calvin Johnson, Chris Chambers
BENCH: Shaun McDonald, Mike Furrey, Philip Rivers, Vincent Jackson

The Lions are a terrible team on the road. You don't really want to start any of them, especially given that you never know if they're going to pound the ball, or pass exclusively. Avoid the headache here and try to avoid them all.
LT should be in store for a very big game, usually when that happens a player will disappoint, but hope that he doesn't. Gates is worth waiting for as long as you have a suitable alternative at TE that plays late. If Gates can't go, then Chris Chambers gets a nice bump in his value and should be strong starter material.

Sunday Night Football

Redskins @ Giants

START: Chris Cooley, Brandon Jacobs, Plaxico Burress, Giant Defense
CONSIDER: Clinton Portis
BENCH: Todd Collins, Santana Moss, Antwaan Randle El, Redskin Defense, Eli Manning, Jeremy Shockey

The Redskins are in serious trouble with Todd Collins leading the team. Look for the Giants to key on shutting down Portis. Collins should be looking Cooley's way a lot, since he is the 'Skins' only reliable option.
Brandon Jacobs has proclaimed that he will be having "the game of his life" this week. Probably not, but he's still a solid option. Plax finally turned in a solid performance again in Week 14. Shockey has been a big disappointment, he's all name at this point. Leave Eli on the bench, since you don't want to have him active in the playoffs and cashing in one of his famous meltdowns, just play it safe.

Monday Night Football

Bears @ Vikings - Dome

START: Bernard Berrian, Adrian Peterson (Min)
CONSIDER: Desmond Clark, Viking Defense
BENCH: Kyle Orton, Adrian Peterson (Chi), Muhsin Muhammad, Greg Olsen, Bear Defense, Tarvaris Jackson

A collision of Adrian Petersons.
A WR is always a reasonable option against the Viking pass D, and with Berrian's big play ability, he's as good of a choice as any. Chicago Adrian showed in Week 14 that he's a pretender, not a contender.
Purple Jesus was a monumental disappointment in Week 14. Still, he's been too hot to bench, and he torched the Bears earlier this season. Don't expect a repeat, but a nice game certainly isn't out of the question.

Check back on Sunday for the Game Day Inactives.

Major Game Day Inactives - Week 14

The Fantasy Playoffs have arrived and there are plenty of major injuries to screw up your team.

Here's a closer look at guys that need to be warming your bench.

49ers: Alex Smith is inactive. Arnaz Battle is ACTIVE.

Bills: Marshawn Lynch is ACTIVE.

Broncos: Javon Walker is inactive.

Buccaneers: Jeff Garcia is inactive.

Cardinals: Anquan Boldin is inactive. Larry Fitzgerald is ACTIVE.

Chiefs: Larry Johnson is inactive.

Colts: Marvin Harrison is inactive.

Dolphins: Jesse Chatman and Marty Booker are inactive. Just when you thought the Dolphins couldn't get any worse.

Eagles: Brian Westbrook is ACTIVE.

Giants: Derrick Ward has been placed on IR. Brandon Jacobs is ACTIVE.

Jets: Laveranues Coles and Jerricho Cotchery are ACTIVE.

Lions: Roy Williams is inactive.

Raiders: Daunte Culpepper and JaMarcus Russell are inactive.

Rams: Marc Bulger is inactive.

Ravens: Todd Heap is inactive.

Saints: Reggie Bush is inactive.

Seahawks: D.J. Hackett is inactive.

Texans: Matt Schaub and Ahman Green are inactive.

Vikings: Troy Williamson is inactive.

Beating the House--Week 14

I'm not sure how many people actually read this column but to those of you who do, I offer sincere apologies for posting an abbreviated article...due to time constraints that are often associated with this time of year, it has become increasingly difficult to contribute here...hence, I can only post my picks without comments this time around...I had the Skins on Thursday night, believing they would rally for their fallen teammnate after some time to come to grips with it...

Carolina (+11) at Jacksonville...pick: Jaguars.

Dallas (-10) at Detroit...pick: Cowboys.

Miami (+7) at Buffalo...pick: Bills.

NY Giants (+3) at Philadelphia...pick: Giants.

Oakland (+10) at Green Bay...pick: Packers.

Pittsburgh (10.5) at New England...pick: Patriots.

San Diego (-1.5) at Tennessee...pick: Chargers.

St. Louis (+10) at Cincinnati...pick: Rams.

Tampa Bay (-3) at Houston...pick: Texans.

Arizona (+7) at Seattle...pick: Seahawks.

Minnesota (-8.5) at San Francisco...pick: Vikings.

Cleveland (-3.5) at New York Jets...pick: Browns.

Kansas City (+7) at Denver...pick: Chiefs.

Indianapolis (-9) at Baltimore...pick: Colts.

New Orleans (-3.5) at Atlanta...pick: Saints.

Last Week: 8-8 To Date: 105-80-7

Play Action - Week 14

You're likely in one of two camps heading into Week 14.
You're either gearing up for a big playoff push, or you're cursing the people in your league that are gearing up for a big playoff push.

The week is already off to an ominous start with injuries to Rex Grossman and Jason Campbell on Thursday. Hopefully it's not a sign of things to come.

Rams @ Bengals

START: Steven Jackson, Torry Holt, Carson Palmer, Chad Johnson, T.J. Houshmandzadeh, Chris Henry
CONSIDER: Rudi Johnson
BENCH: Marc Bulger (out), Brock Berlin, Isaac Bruce, Randy McMichael, Kenny Watson

The schedule makers probably thought this would be a much more exciting game when they were planning things out.
Marc Bulger misses this game, and with Gus Frerotte also on the shelf, we'll get a large dose pf Brock Berlin. Torry Holt owners don't want to hear that heading into this crucial time of year, but you've got to put him out there against the awful Bengal defense. Expect to see a whole lot of Steven Jackson.
Rudi Johnson deserves consideration since he has finally become a goal line option. Getting to the goal line will continue to be the responsibility of the Bengal passing game.

Cowboys @ Lions - Dome

START: Tony Romo, Marion Barber III, Terrell Owens, Patrick Crayton, Jason Witten, Cowboy Defense
CONSIDER: Jon Kitna, Calvin Johnson
BENCH: Julius Jones, Kevin Jones, Roy Williams (out), Shaun McDonald, Mike Furrey

The Cowboys should be in for a cakewalk against the collapsing Lions. Tony Romo should be all smiles on the sidelines as usual, as he carves up the terrible Lion secondary like a jack-o-lantern. Start all of your Cowboys that usually warrant consideration.
It's been a long, hard fall for the Lions. Now their offense has also stopped producing. "Genius" Mike Martz has no clue how to run the ball, so let Kevin Jones ride the pine for your team. Calvin Johnson has become invisible, but he's the Lions' lone big play threat against a shaky Cowboy pass defense.

Raiders @ Packers

START: Brett Favre (check), Ryan Grant, Greg Jennings
CONSIDER: Justin Fargas, Donald Driver, Donald Lee
BENCH: Whoever QBs for the Raiders, Ronald Curry, Jerry Porter, James Jones

The Raiders will try to play ball control and that will mean a heavy dose of Justin Fargas against the tough Packer D. Don't expect a lot of points, although he'll certainly get ample opportunity.
It's unclear how healthy Brett Favre actually is, but he will play. He is a risky play, and he faces a tough test against the solid Raider pass D, but there's a good chance you won't have a better option. Expect the Pack to unleash Ryan Grant against the poor rush defense of Oakland. He's an absolute must-play.

Dolphins @ Bills

START: Marshawn Lynch (check), Lee Evans
CONSIDER: Bill Defense
BENCH: John Beck, Jesse Chatman, Marty Booker, David Martin, Trent Edwards, Fred Jackson (check Lynch)

Phew, what a stinker.
You don't want to start any Dolphins. Seriously, why do you even own any Dolphins at this point? Come on, Francis, it's no wonder you missed the playoffs.
Lee Evans has once again gone all inconsistent on us. Still, you can't ask for much more than a match up against the Dolphins. Marshawn Lynch carries a lot of risk and will definitely lose touches to Fred Jackson, but if he's active, you have to play him here.

Buccaneers @ Texans

START: Earnest Graham, Joey Galloway, Ron Dayne, Andre Johnson
CONSIDER: Buc Defense, Owen Daniels
BENCH: Jeff Garcia (check), Luke McCown, Alex Smith, Sage Rosenfels, Ahman Green (on IR), Kevin Walter

A battle of the backup QBs...maybe.
Is there a more underappreciated Fantasy player than Joey Galloway? Nope. Also expect another nice day out of Earnest Graham.
The absence of Matt Schaub really drains the value out of the Texans. Andre Johnson is too much of a stud to bench, but start a better TE option than Daniels if you can. Expect lots of slim and trim Dayne.

Chargers @ Titans

START: LaDainian Tomlinson, Antonio Gates, Charger Defense
CONSIDER: Philip Rivers
BENCH: Chris Chambers, Vincent Jackson, Vince Young, LenDale White, Roydell Williams, Titan Defense

Expect the same curious pass-happy Charger attack that we get every week. That workload alone makes Rivers consideration worthy, it's certainly not his talent. The Titans haven't been scoring against decent defenses, so get the Chargers out there if you've held onto them this long.
Albert Haynesworth will finally, allegedly, carry a full load. You still don't want anything to do with any of the Titans on either side of the ball.

Panthers @ Jaguars

START: Fred Taylor, Maurice Jones-Drew, Jaguar Defense
CONSIDER: DeShaun Foster, Steve Smith, David Garrard
BENCH: Vinny Testaverde, Panther Defense, Reggie Williams

The Panthers lit up the 49ers last week...with very little offense. Don't expect the Panthers to suddenly become a juggernaut. You should have better options to start than any of them.
Fred Taylor seems to have found the fountain of youth, and perhaps even more surprisingly, hasn't got hurt yet. MJD has been a major disappointment, but is still a decent option for a score. The Panther offense is pretty weak, so start the Jags D.

Giants @ Eagles

START: Brandon Jacobs (check), Jeremy Shockey, Giant Defense, Brian Westbrook (check)
CONSIDER: Eli Manning, Plaxico Burress, Donovan McNabb (check), Correll Buckhalter (check Westbrook), Kevin Curtis
BENCH: Amani Toomer, Reggie Brown, L.J. Smith, Eagle Defense

Eli Manning has been a bust in the second half, just like every other season he's been in the NFL. Brandon Jacobs should be back and should be active for your team. Brian Westbrook is very questionable...if he's active, bump the Giant D down, if he's inactive, then they're a rock solid option.
D-Mac returns. Whether that actually means anything at all remains to be seen. If you have solid alternatives, take a wait-and-see approach. If not, you could certainly do worse. Check on Westbrook on Sunday, if he doesn't go, it's a huge blow to the Eagles. If he does go, which is likely, you've got to have him active for your team. If he doesn't go, then Correll Buckhalter is consideration worthy, but don't expect a lot.

4:00pm EST Games

Cardinals @ Seahawks

START: Matt Hasselbeck, Deion Branch, Bobby Engram
CONSIDER: Kurt Warner, Edgerrin James, Larry Firzgerald (check), Bryant Johnson, Nate Burleson, Shaun Alexander
BENCH: Anquan Boldin (check), D.J. Hackett (out), Maurice Morris


The Cardinal offense will take a huge hit if neither Fitzgerald nor Boldin suit up. Fitz is much more likely to play than Q, but they both need to be checked before kickoff. Make sure you have replacements if you're counting on either of them. They will be limited even if they go. Obviously this also makes a large impact to the values of Warner and Johnson. Johnson gets a big bump if neither is active.
Look for the Seahawks to continue to air it out as much as possible. D.J. Hackett may surprisingly be back next week, but that doesn't help you here. Bobby Engram continues to be among the game's most underappreciated players. Only start Shaun Alexander if you're in a complete fit of desperation.


Vikings @ 49ers

START: Adrian Peterson, Viking Defense
CONSIDER: Frank Gore
BENCH: Tarvaris Jackson, Chester Taylor, Trent Dilfer, Arnaz Battle (check), Vernon Davis

Purple Jesus is an absolute beast. Obviously he's an every week must-start. Tarvaris Jackson has been quietly solid the past few weeks, but he's not someone you should be counting on for fantasy purposes at this critical of a time.
Frank Gore is in for a hell of a test here. The Vikings are rock solid against the run. They will likely try to force Trent Dilfer to beat them, wouldn't you? Arnaz Battle is very questionable to play, he's a decent option if he goes, but that doesn't look likely at this time. If he doesn't go, don't expect much of anything out of any 49ers, as if you ever should.

Steelers @ Patriots

START: Ben Roethlisberger, Hines Ward, Tom Brady, Randy Moss
CONSIDER: Willie Parker, Santonio Holmes (check), Heath Miller, Wes Welker
BENCH: Steeler Defense, Laurence Maroney, Donte Stallworth, Ben Watson, Patriot Defense

The game that the world is talking about. The Patriots' last best chance to lose before the playoffs.
Fumbling Willie Parker has been terrible the past 3 weeks or so. Still, Willis McGahee carved up the Patsies last week. Don't expect similar results for Willie. If the Steelers win this game, it will be through the passing game and relentless blitzing. Santonio Holmes should return to action, but check the inactives to be sure.
This is a bigger test than the Eagles and Ravens for the Patriots. Obviously, Brady and Moss are must starts every single week, even when facing the best D in the business. Laurence Maroney has been a huge bust, don't expect that to change here. The heat will be on Brady all day long, just hope that he doesn't get as flustered as he usually does when that happens.

Browns @ Jets

START: Derek Anderson, Jamal Lewis, Braylon Edwards, Kellen Winslow, Laveranues Coles
CONSIDER: Kellen Clemens, Thomas Jones
BENCH: Joe Jurevicius, Jerricho Cotchery (check)

The Browns shouldn't have any difficulty moving the ball. Derek Anderson has fallen back to reality a bit the past few weeks, but that's not going to prevent him for airing it out here. Jamal Lewis continues to quietly resurrect his career.
I consider Kellen Clemens to be one of the better "sleeper" options for this week. The Browns still suck against the pass. This means that Coles is a solid play, but it would be a stunner if Cotchery played.

Chiefs @ Broncos

START: Kolby Smith, Tony Gonzalez, Travis Henry, Brandon Marshall
CONSIDER: Dwayne Bowe, Jay Cutler, Bronco Defense
BENCH: Broadie Croyle, Selvin Young, Javon Walker, Tony Scheffler

Another AFC West vintage rivalry that has seen much better days.
Kolby Smith should put together a nice day against the feeble Bronco rush defense. Gonzo is an every week starter. Bowe is worth consideration if you're in a pinch.
There really isn't much of anything that anyone can say about the Broncos. They're an extremely average team. Start Henry, he should have a little extra motivation after beating his suspension. Don't start Walker, he has been worthless since his "return". Maybe he would be better off on IR.

Sunday Night Football

Colts @ Ravens

START: Peyton Manning, Reggie Wayne, Dallas Clark, Colt Defense, Willis McGahee
CONSIDER: Joseph Addai, Raven Defense
BENCH: Marvin Harrison, Kyle Boller, Derrick Mason, Todd Heap (likely out)

Joseph Addai hasn't been the same player that he was early in the season lately. If you have more reliable options, go with them, since Addai is in for a tough battle here. Start all of your usual Colts. Coach Dungy claims that Harrison is a game time decision, but he isn't worth waiting for. He'll likely be inactive again. Start the Colt Defense, because the Raven offense still stinks.
The Ravens come off an impressive showing against the Patriots and are rewarded with another national TV game against the 2nd best team in the NFL. Will the defense keep it together again this week? Perhaps, but other than McGahee, you don't want any of their offensive players going for you.

Monday Night Football

Saints @ Falcons - Dome

START: Drew Brees, Marques Colston, Roddy White
CONSIDER: Saint Defense
BENCH: Reggie Bush (out), Aaron Stecker, Pierre Thomas, David Patten, Chris Redman, Warrick Dunn, Jerious Norwood, Alge Crumpler

Well, here's a craptacular choice for Monday Night Football.

Reggie Bush has a torn PCL, and he's been playing with it for a while for some reason. Not this week, though. Brees and Colston should be looking for each other for most of the night. The Falcons are terrible, so the Saint Defense makes a risky sleeper play, but they shouldn't give up many points, and they go against Chris Redman.
Nobody gives up fantasy points to WRs quite like the Saints do. Roddy White is a great play here. The rest of the Falcons, well, they suck and should be avoided like The Plague.

Check back on Sunday for Major Game Day Inactives.

Play Action - Thursday Edition - Week 14

The Bears and the Redskins square off tonight.
It's debatable whether the game should have been pushed back, after all, the Redskins did just bury Sean Taylor this past Monday.

If this game ends up being exciting, expect the bitching about the NFL Network not being available on every cable provider. Get DirecTV or Dish Network if you're not happy, people.
Expect Bryant Gumbel to be terrible. Absolutely terrible. Just horrendous. It's like listening to someone with massive brain damage trying to call an NFL game.

Bears @ Redskins

START: Bernard Berrian, Bear Defense, Clinton Portis, Chris Cooley, Redskin Defense
CONSIDER: Rex Grossman, Adrian Peterson, Desmond Clark
BENCH: Muhsin Muhammad, Greg Olsen, Jason Campbell, Santana Moss, Antwaan Randle El

Whoever loses this game is, for all intents and purposes, out of playoff contention. The winner remains on life support. Expect players to be motivated.
The Redskin defense has really taken a nosedive lately. Get Berrian out there and hope that he breaks a deep one. If you're in a PPR league, then Adrian Peterson makes a more attractive option...either way, you could certainly do worse if you're in a pinch.
The Bear Defense hasn't taken a nosedive, they just haven't played very well all season long. Portis has performed poorly of late, but he still gets the ball a ton, so keep him active. Captain Chaos is always a red zone threat. As usual, none of the other Redskin offensive weapons make an attractive option.

Game Day Inactives - Week 13

It's officially crunch time all around Fantasyland.

Here's a rundown of all of the major inactives for Week 13, and a few actives that were in questions.

49ers: Alex Smith is inactive.

Bears: Cedric Benson is inactive, and on IR.

Browns: Braylon Edwards is ACTIVE.

Buccaneers: Jeff Garcia is inactive, Luke McCown will start.

Cardinals: Larry Fitzgerald is inactive.

Chiefs: Brodie Croyle and Larry Johnson are inactive.

Dolphins: Ricky Williams is inactive, and on IR.

Eagles: Donovan McNabb is inactive.

Giants: Brandon Jacobs is inactive. Plaxico Burress is ACTIVE.

Jets: Jerricho Cotchery is inactive.

Rams: Marc Bulger is inactive.

Redskins: Antwaan Randle El is inactive. Clinton Portis and Santana Moss are ACTIVE.

Seahawks: D.J. Hackett is inactive.

Steelers: Santonio Holmes is inactive.

Texans: Ahman Green is inactive.

Vikings: Troy Williamson is inactive. Adrian Peterson is ACTIVE.

Beating the House--Week 13

Another mediocre week in the books...the most frustrating game had to be the Redskins...they could have easily won that game but managed to turn the ball over SIX times including the pick in the end zone that sealed their fate...scary game for the Pats but now I feel justified going against them...what about the mammoth line for them this week? Let's take a look at the games and hope it's indeed a lucky thirteenth week...I cannot post in time for the games on Thursday but did lay the points with Dallas...sorry to say I was OK with Favre going down...

Atlanta (+3.5) at St. Louis--Rams really should have won their game last week if Frerotte can handle that snap and hand off to SJax...they should be able to manage a win this time around against hapless Falcons...pick: Rams.

Buffalo (+6) at Washington--Tough game to figure and the whole situation makes me sick...who knows how the Redskins will react to the loss of a friend and teammate...my guess is they put in a nice effort for him...R.I.P. Sean Taylor...pick: Redskins.

Detroit (+4) at Minnesota--Getting Purple Jesus back should help the Vikings and the defense should still be flying high after abusing Eli Manning...Lions need to protect Kitna if they have any shot of making the playoffs...pick: Vikings.

Houston (+3.5) at Tennessee--Are the Titans contenders or pretenders? I'm banking on the latter as they have not shown me anything for a few weeks now...Texans are for real even after stumbling in Cleveland last Sunday...pick: Texans.

Jacksonville (+6.5) at Indianapolis--Jags are playing as well as anyone and seem to match up well against the powerhouse that is Indy...Colts are banged up but still dangerous and have the edge playing at home...I like them by a TD...pick: Colts.

New York Jets (+1) at Miami--Not much to say about this one...pick: Dolphins.

San Diego (-6) at Kansas City--Chargers have been terribly inconsistent but should be ready to make their playoff run now...Chiefs beat Bolts at home earlier this season but that score will be evened out today but LT and Co...pick: Chargers.

Seattle (+3) at Philadelphia--Eagles put together a terrific game against Pats and the switch to AJ Feely might be just what they need...naturally, I think they're in for a letdown against the Seahawks passing attack...pick: Seahawks.

San Francisco (+3) at Carolina--Another stinker...coin flip says...pick: Panthers.

Tampa Bay (+3) at New Orleans--Love the Saints here especially if Garcia is out for Bucs...Brees and Bush can't afford to stumble if they have any shot whatsoever to play beyond week 17...pick: Saints.

Cleveland (+1) at Arizona--Now the Browns are underdogs? Only the Pats have done a better job against the spread this year...I am now officially on the Dawgs bandwagon after underestimating them all year...pick: Browns.

Denver (-3.5) at Oakland--The JaMarcus Russell era could begin in Oakland today...can't come soon enough for the Silver and Black...Denver owns them anyhow...pick: Broncos.

New York Giants (-1) at Chicago--The GMen were humiliated at home last week but should rebound here...how did the Bears make it to the Super Bowl last year?...pick: Giants.

Cincinnati (+7) at Pittsburgh--Steelers had to be considered amongst the best of the AFC until the last two weeks...they looked horrible against both Jets and Dolphins...Bengals can't stop anyone but should keep it close for this rivalry game...pick: Bengals.

New England (-20) at Baltimore--Since the number is under 3 TDs, I can still take the Pats...expect an all-out attack from them after last week's squeaker against Philly...Ravens once-proud D might keep them in it...but not for long...pick: Patriots.

Last Week: 9-7 To Date: 97-72-7

Play Action - Week 13

Trying something a bit new for Play Action in Lucky Week 13.
I am cutting out the statistical rankings and getting straight to the Start/Consider/Bench recommendations and the Game Analysis.

Feel free to let me know which layout you prefer by commenting on this entry.

1:00pm EST Games

49ers @ Panthers

START: Frank Gore, Steve Smith, Panther Defense
CONSIDER: Arnaz Battle, 49er Defense
BENCH: Trent Dilfer, Darrell Jackson, Vernon Davis, Vinny Testaverde, DeShaun Foster, Drew Carter

Trent Dilfer looked decent last week against a decent Cardinal pass defense, and Arnaz Battle has been quietly consistant. Frank Gore finally exploded last week, and he should continue building upon the momentum as he faces an average Panther rush D. If you held onto him this long, there's no reason to not have him in your lineup.

246-year-old Vinny Testaverde should start for the Panthers, therefore boosting Steve Smith's value. Don't expect miracles, but Smith has a nice match-up here. Despite their output in Week 12, the 49er offense is still abysmal, so trot out the Panther D. The rest of the Panthers are far too frsutrating to bother with.

Bills @ Redskins

START: Clinton Portis (check), Ladell Betts (check Portis), Chris Cooley, Redskin Defense
CONSIDER: Lee Evans, Jason Campbell, Santana Moss
BENCH: J.P. Losman, Marshawn Lynch (out), Anthony Thomas (out), Fred Jackson, Antwaan Randle El, Keenan McCardell

Fred Jackson is going to start for the Bills. The Redskins are pretty tough against the run, so hopefully you're not desperate enough to be starting the 3rd stringer. Lee Evans basically disappeared again in Week 12, and he'll likely struggle again as the only real Bills threat. Don't expect many points out of any Bill this week.

The Redskins will be playing an extremely emotional game at home following the Sean Taylor tragedy. Clinton Portis is looking like a game-time decision, so be sure to check the inactives on Sunday. If he goes, he has an awesome match up. If he can't go, then Ladell Betts really couldn't ask for a better chance to showcase his wares. The Bills are also poor against the pass, so Jason Campbell is a decent option and I anticipate Santana Moss showing up...for the second time this season. Other than him and Cooley, don't roll the dice on any other Redskins receiver.

Texans @ Titans

START: Andre Johnson, Owen Daniels
CONSIDER: Matt Schaub, Kevin Walter, Vince Young, LenDale White, Titan Defense
BENCH: Ahman Green (out), Ron Dayne, Chris Brown, Justin Gage

Andre Johnson followed up his triumphant Week 11 return with...not much of anything. He has a tough test against the Titans, but he's far too explosive to bench. Owen Daniels experienced a Thanksgiving miracle in Week 12 and finally found the end zone. It'd be a shock if he scored in consecutive games, so don't hold your breath. Word was that Ahman Green really wanted to give it a go this week, but don't expect much of anything the rest of the season from him. Albert Haynesworth is very likely to return for the Titans, so keep Ron Dayne on the pine as well.

It's very hard to get excited about starting anyone associated with the Titans anymore. LenWhale likely gets his fullback back this week, but you've really got to question White's conditioning and whether he's just worn out now. More time in the exercise room, less time hoisting Whoppers. The return of Haynesworth would provide a big boost for the rapidly sliding Titan Defense, but only consider them if you're in dire straights.

Falcons @ Rams - Dome

START: Roddy White, Steven Jackson, Torry Holt
CONSIDER: No thanks
BENCH: Joey Harrington, Warrick Dunn, Jerious Norwood, Alge Crumpler, Gus Frerotte, Isaac Bruce, Randy McMichael

Joey Harrington vs. Gus Frerotte! Imagine the headlines on Monday!
Roddy White had been invisible the past few weeks...then all of a sudden he showed up in Week 12 and caught 104 of Joey Sunshine's 155 passing yards. That was against a better pass defense than he's facing this week. Look for him to be the focal point once again. The rest of the Falcons, not so much.

Gus Frerotte takes the helm for the "resurgent" Rams. That's something that you never want to hear. Yup, 2 guys that are castoffs from both the Dolphins and Lions are starting. S-Jax and Big Play are both too good to bench. But everyone else certainly doesn't meet those qualifications.

Seahawks @ Eagles

START: Matt Hasselbeck, Deion Branch, Bobby Engram, Brian Westbrook
CONSIDER: Seahawk Defense, Kevin Curtis
BENCH: Shaun Alexander, Maurice Morris, D.J. Hackett (out), Nate Burleson, Donovan McNabb (out), A.J. Feely, Reggie Brown, L.J. Smith


Allegedly Shaun Alexander has looked great in practice this week and will start. Don't get sucked in. At best Alexander will still be in a RBBC with Maurice Morris, neither makes a decent play, plus the Eagles are tough against the run. Look for a supposedly healthier-than-in-Week 12 Matt Hasselbeck to be slinging it. Bobby Engram returns to usefulness with the absence of Hackett.
Trot out the 2 starting Seahawk WRs against the mediocre Eagle pass D.

A.J. Feely cashed in a very nice performance against the rock solid Patriots in Week 12. Can he do it again? I'm going to say no and guess that the Eagles feature Westbrook, as they should. The Seahawks are very average against the pass, so consider Curtis and hope that he breaks one deep.

Lions @ Vikings - Dome

START: Jon Kitna, Roy Williams, Calvin Johnson, Lion Defense, Adrian Peterson (check)
CONSIDER: Shaun McDonald
BENCH: Kevin Jones, Tarvaris Jackson, Chester Taylor (check Peterson)

The Lions' tendency to abandon the run far too early is a week-to-week concern. They let Jones pound it on Thanksgiving, he had a very nice game, and the Lions had a failed comeback shot. He's facing an extremely tough test against the fierce Viking rush D here. Look for the Lions to be airing it out against the weak Viking pass D. Kitna has banged up knees, but you've got to put him out there this week. Williams and Megatron should finally reward their owners for starting them.

The return of Purple Jesus...probably. Check to make sure that he's active, if he is, you almost have to start him. He'll likely lose more touches than usual to Taylor, but it's almost impossible to bench All Day. The rest of the Vikings remain extremely uninteresting.

Chargers @ Chiefs

START: LaDainian Tomlinson, Antonio Gates, Kolby Smith, Tony Gonzalez
CONSIDER: Philip Rivers, Chris Chambers, Charger Defense
BENCH: Vincent Jackson, Brodie Croyle, Dwayne Bowe

The Chief receiving D is surprisingly good, 10th ranked in the NFL. Expect the curious 40+ pass attempts out of Rivers to be less effective than they were in Week 12. Remember the good ol days when Tomlinson was basically a lock to get into the end zone. Those are a distant memory, expect Rivers to look for Gates in the red zone.

The Chargers have struggled mightily against the run, so expect another quality day out of Kolby Smith. Gonzo won't want to be shown up by Gates, so look for him to be active in the pass game. Keep Dwayne Bowe on the bench, at least until he does something...anything...for you.

Jaguars @ Colts - Dome

START: Fred Taylor, Peyton Manning, Joseph Addai, Reggie Wayne, Dallas Clark
CONSIDER: Maurice Jones-Drew
BENCH: David Garrard, Marvin Harrison (check), Anthony Gonzalez

Where, oh where, have you gone MJD? At this point, if you have better options than MJD, you've got to go with them. The Jags are likely going to pound the ball, though, so trot out Fred Taylor and hope for the best. With the Jags' terrible WRs and the Colts' #1 ranked pass D, don't even think about playing anyone involved with the Jaguar pass offense.

The Jaguars, on the other hand, absolutely suck against the pass. This should be music to the ears of owners of Manning and Friends. I'd still keep Anthony Gonzalez on the bench, though. Sure, he had 105 yards against the Falcons...but at this point, that's a clear aberration for his season. Addai's yardage has fallen off a cliff lately, but he's still been scoring TDs.

Jets @ Dolphins

START: Thomas Jones, Laveranues Coles (check), Jesse Chatman
CONSIDER: Watching a different game
BENCH: Kellen Clemens, Jerricho Cotchery, John Beck, Marty Booker

Possible AFC Championship Game Preview?
Possible Battle for the #1 Overall Draft Pick?
The Dolphins rush D is awful. Look for a rare productive day from Thomas Jones. Laveranues should be good to go this week, but check the Sunday Inactives to be sure.

You know who's rush D is even worse than the Dolphins'? That's right, the Jets. Get Jesse Chatman into your lineup. And...well, that's it.


4:00pm EST Games

Broncos @ Raiders

START: Travis Henry, Tony Scheffler, Bronco Defense, Justin Fargas
CONSIDER: Brandon Marshall, Selvin Young
BENCH: Jay Cutler, Javon Walker, Josh McCown, JaMarcus Russell, LaMont Jordan, Ronald Curry, Jerry Porter

Remember when this game used to decide the AFC West Champion? Not anymore.
Roll the dice with Travis Henry this week, if you've held onto him this long. The Raiders have the worst rush defense in the NFL against the run, so Selvin Young is a reasonable flex play since he'll also be involved in the gameplan. On the other hand, the Raiders are solid against the pass, so give Brandon Marshall some consideration only if you don't have any other options. Leave Javon Walker on the bench until he shows that he'll actually play for real.

Completing our coverage of the NFL's 4 worst rush defenses, welcome in #4, the Broncos. Start Fargas and expect him to be highly active. McCown is banged up and the hot rumor is that JaMarcus Russell will see action if he struggles. You don't want anything involved in that.

Browns @ Cardinals - Dome

START: Derek Anderson, Jamal Lewis, Braylon Edwards (check), Kellen Winslow, Kurt Warner, Larry Fitzgerald (check), Anquan Boldin
CONSIDER: Edgerrin James
BENCH: Joe Jurevicius (check Edwards)

Braylon Edwards hasn't done much in practice this week, so you've definitely got to have other late game options ready if you're going to wait for him. Jamal Lewis has enjoyed a resurgence the past couple of weeks, and there's no reason for him to slow down now.

The status of Larry Fitzgerald is also in question, but it's most likely that he'll start. If he doesn't go, it should be a big boost for Quan's value against the terrible Brown pass D. Kurt Warner also deserves a start, although he will lose goal line action to Tim Rattay. The value of Edge has fallen so far that I cannot, in good conscience, recommend starting him...even against the Browns.

Giants @ Bears

START: Plaxico Burress (check), Jeremy Shockey, Bear Defense
CONSIDER: Eli Manning, Derrick Ward, Giant Defense, Adrian Peterson, Bernard Berrian
BENCH: Brandon Jacobs (out), Reuben Droughns, Amani Toomer, Rex Grossman, Muhsin Muhammad, Desmond Clark, Greg Olsen

Eli Manning had one of history's all-time worst games last week, against one of the NFL's worst pass defenses. If you have a better option, go with them. If Plax is active, Eli should have a bounceback game, but Eli is never someone that you should be relying on. Chances are that Derrick Ward gets the start, but may lose goal line work to Droughns.

The long, painful, Cedric Benson experiment is over for this season. There's is a realistic chance that "The Other" Adrian Peterson outperforms him and puts up adequate fantasy numbers. You simply HAVE to start the Bear Defense after watching what the Vikings did against the Giants in Week 12. They won't match that performance, but if you count special teams, it doesn't get any better than Devin Hester.

Buccaneers @ Saints - Dome

START: Earnest Graham, Joey Galloway, Alex Smith, Drew Brees, Reggie Bush, Marques Colston
CONSIDER: Jeff Garcia (check)
BENCH: Buc Defense, David Patten

Jeff Garcia is a game-time decision, and based on this being a late game, you should plan on going with a safer option. Regardless of Garcia's status, keep Galloway active. Nobody gives up points to WRs quite like the Saints give up points to WRs. Alex Smith has shown that he makes a plausible TE option.

Reggie Bush is ready to take back the full RB load. Keep Brees and Colston active, since the Saints pass so much, but don't expect a ton of output due to the Bucs' solid pass defense.

Sunday Night Football

Bengals @ Steelers

START: Carson Palmer, Chad Johnson, T.J. Houshmandzadeh, Ben Roethlisberger, Willie Parker, Hines Ward, Heath Miller, Steeler Defense
CONSIDER: Chris Henry
BENCH: Rudi Johnson, Kenny Watson, Santonio Holmes (out), Nate Washington

Houshmandzadeh and Roethlisberger. It's long surname night in Pittsburgh.
The Bengals get to go against the NFL's best all-around defense. Word is that there may be rain in the Steel City again, just like this past Monday Night. Still, there's no way that the field is that sloppy again. The Bengals will get their passing numbers as usual, just less of them. Carson Palmer looks nothing like what he's looked like the past couple seasons, but you've still got to go with someone who throws that often to WRs with so much talent.

Benny Roeth and Smiling Hines shouldn't have any difficulty against the feeble Bengal pass D. Willie Parker has been terrible against the NFL's lowliest rush defenses, but he has a history of tearing up the Bengals. Expect the Steeler D to find their way to a few turnovers.

Monday Night Football

Patriots @ Ravens

START: Tom Brady, Randy Moss, Donte Stallworth, Wes Welker, Patriot Defense
CONSIDER: Willis McGahee
BENCH: Laurence Maroney, Ben Watson, Kyle Boller, Derrick Mason, Todd Heap (check), Raven Defense

The Patriots play their 837th consecutive game on national TV.
Start your usual Patriots. You shouldn't need to be told that. However, don't expect much of anything out of Maroney. Even when the Patsies are shamelessly running up the score in garbage time. Ben Watson is far too inconsistent to rely on. It doesn't get much better than this for the Patriot Defense.

Expect the Ravens to struggle mightily to move the ball, even more so than usual as they will be forced to pass. If you have to play him, just pray that McGahee scores early. Feel free to completely forget that other Ravens players even exist for this week.

Check back on Sunday for the Game Day Inactives!