Play Action - Week 13 - Thursday

Hello and welcome to the Thursday Edition of Play Action for Week 13.


For the moment, we're only looking at the Thursday brouhaha between the Packers and Cowboys, which really should be the best game of the week.


Packers @ Cowboys
Packer Offense - Receiving: 306.6 (2), Rushing: 81.8 (32)
Cowboy Defense - Receiving: 235.4 (20), Rushing: 82.1 (4)

Cowboy Offense - Receiving: 276.6 (5), Rushing: 122.9 (11)
Packer Defense - Receiving: 232.5 (18), Rushing: 100.1 (13)

START: Brett Favre, Donald Driver, Greg Jennings, Tony Romo, Terrell Owens, Jason Witten
CONSIDER: Donald Lee, James Jones, Marion Barber III, Patrick Crayton
BENCH: Packer Defense, Julius Jones, Cowboy Defense

This should be a high scoring, pass-happy game.
The Cowboys are solid against the run and weak against the pass, which fits the Packer offense perfectly. Expect Favre to be slinging it per usual. Also expect the primary beneficiary to be anyone's guess, also per usual. The Pack have been feeding the rock to Ryan Grant much more recently, but he should find some tough sledding against the Cowboy D.
The soft underbelly of the Packer Defense is all their pass D, which will be even softer tonight without Charles Woodson. The lack of Woodson could make Pat Crayton a rare decent option. KGB also may not play, which could benefit MB3. Still, expect the Cowboy pass game to be prominently featured. Look for the Romo to TO Show to be reborn.
I expect for the Pack to pull off the "upset" on the road tonight, mark it down.

Powerhouse pickups

This weeks edition of the Powerhouse Pickups is being done by the King. McSmacken will be taking the Plays of the week to return the favor. So lets jump right into it...

This week at QB we like Phillip Rivers. He finally put together a good game after a few weeks of eggs. It seems like Chris Chambers is starting to get the grasp of the offense it that bodes well for Rivers. I do suggest owning him in all leagues but not starting him quite yet.

RB's I like a few players...

Adrian Peterson no not that one the one in Chicago. With Cedric Benson going down with injury for the rest of the year Peterson should become a very nice Flex or maybe low end RB2. Pick him up and hope he can be what Thomas Jones was for the Bears.

Andre Hall in Denver is an intriguing play as well. He played very well in his spot start for Selvin Young and Travis Henry. He is worth owning as Henry is going to get suspended and who knows the extent of Youngs injury. I imagine he is more of a match up play because of his quickness to the edge and lack of up the middle runs. He was great on the edge and poor up the middle on Sunday so look for more of the same and play him when the match up is right and he is playing for Young.

Kolby Smith has been mentioned a few times on here and it looks like he is a pretty decent back. With the injury to LJ it looks like Smith has taken hold of the job in KC until he comes back. Smith was great on Sunday and it looks like he could keep this going for a few weeks.

Anthony Thomas should be owned and maybe played. It looks like Marshawn Lynch will not play again this week and that means more runs for the A-Train. I would not personally play him but there are worse options out there.

At WR I really like a few guys...

Reggie Williams in Jacksonville is starting to play like a 1st round pick finally. He is playing well and David Garrard is in fact good. Williams is a very good 3rd WR play this week.

Arnaz Battle in SF. This guy frustrates me all the time. He has a great week then a bad one and so on. He looks like he should be owned in most leagues and played as a 3rd WR with Trent Dilfer at QB. I would play him as a 3rd WR and hope he puts up a big week.

Bobby Engram comes back to the list once again as this time DJ Hackett is out for at least 2 weeks. Every time we put Engram on the list he plays well so that is a hint to get him in your lineup this week.

The Colts Anthony Gonzalez played well this week with his 1st career 100 yard game. I expect more of the same if Harrison is out again. I would imagine that Gonzalez is available is most leagues so he is a good play now especially while Harrison is hurt.

Lastly I like the Broncos D. They are starting to play well so get them on your team if possible.

Major Game Day Inactives - Week 12

Here's your weekly run down of all the significant fantasy players that are inactive in Week 12.

49ers: Frank Gore is ACTIVE.

Bengals: T.J. Houshmandzadeh is ACTIVE.

Bills: Marshawn Lynch is inactive.

Broncos: Travis Henry and Selvin Young are inactive. Andre Hall will start. Javon Walker is ACTIVE.

Chiefs: Larry Johnson is inactive and Priest Holmes has retired, Kolby Smith will start.

Eagles: Donovan McNabb is inactive.

Giants: Brandon Jacobs and Derrick Ward are inactive. Reuben Droughns will start.

Panthers: Vinny Testaverde is inactive. David Carr is expected to start.

Ravens: Todd Heap is inactive.

Saints: Reggie Bush is ACTIVE. Obviously he could be limited.

Seahawks: Shaun Alexander is inactive. D.J. Hackett is ACTIVE.

Steelers: Santonio Holmes is inactive.

Texans: Ahman Green is inactive.

Vikings: Adrian Peterson is inactive.

Play Action - Week 12

Let's get straight to the analysis.

1:00pm EST Games

Raiders @ Chiefs
Raider Offense - Receiving: 192.1 (28), Rushing: 129.2 (6)
Chief Defense - Receiving: 224.6 (15), Rushing: 104.6 (17)

Chief Offense - Receiving: 223.5 (16), Rushing: 77.5 (32)
Raider Defense - Receiving: 202.4 (5), Rushing: 152.6 (31)

START: Ronald Curry, Tony Gonzalez
CONSIDER: Justin Fargas, Kolby Smith, Chief Defense
BENCH: Daunte Culpepper, Brodie Croyle, Dwayne Bowe

Remember when this used to be an exciting rivalry?
Having Daunte Culpepper in the lineup actually does help Ronald Curry. Keep him active. The Raiders will struggle to score, so if you have more interesting options than Fargas, roll with them.
The Raiders are awful against the rush, the Chiefs are awful at rushing the ball. Something's gotta give. Expect the Chiefs to hand the ball to Kolby Smith early and often.

Saints @ Panthers
Saint Offense - Receiving: 273.7 (6), Rushing: 83.5 (28)
Panther Defense - Receiving: 215.6 (9), Rushing: 112.2 (20)

Panther Offense - Receiving: 194.2 (26), Rushing: 120.2 (13)
Saint Defense - Receiving: 265.5 (28), Rushing: 101.1 (15)

START: Drew Brees, Reggie Bush (check), Marques Colston, Steve Smith
CONSIDER: Nope
BENCH: David Patten, Eric Johnson, Vinny Testaverde, DeShaun Foster, DeAngelo Williams

The Saints have hit the skids once again. Reggie Bush is a game-time decision, be sure to check his status on Sunday. If he starts, he's a solid play against a mediocre Panther rush D.
The Panthers have been on a season-long skid. Steve Smith once again hits the "Start" list, since the Saints can make any WR look good, Smith should look excellent.

Texans @ Browns
Texan Offense - Receiving: 268 (7), Rushing: 92.5 (23)
Brown Defense - Receiving: 281.3 (30), Rushing: 136.8 (28)

Brown Offense - Receiving: 253.9 (10), Rushing: 103.8 (17)
Texan Defense - Receiving: 221.5 (12), Rushing: 116.5 (21)

START: Matt Schaub, Andre Johnson, Owen Daniels, Derek Anderson, Braylon Edwards, Kellen Winslow
CONSIDER: Ron Dayne, Jamal Lewis
BENCH: Ahman Green (out), Kevin Walter

Schaub and Johnson should absolutely carve up the horrid Brown pass D. Look for Owen Daniels to put up his usual respectable receiving yardage, but the guy is positively allergic to the end zone. Ron Dayne is worthy of consideration, but this game is likely a pass-fest.
Now is not the time to start questioning Derek Anderson, leave him, active along with Edwards and Winslow. Jamal Lewis is worthy of consideration, but like I just said, this game will likely be a pass-fest.

Seahawks @ Rams - Dome
Seahawk Offense - Receiving: 264.4 (8), Rushing: 96.2 (21)
Ram Defense - Receiving: 223.5 (14), Rushing: 111.4 (19)

Ram Offense - Receiving: 227 (15), Rushing: 89.2 (24)
Seahawk Defense - Receiving: 240 (23), Rushing: 100.2 (13)

START: Matt Hasselbeck (check), Deion Branch, D.J. Hackett (check), Marc Bulger, Steven Jackson, Torry Holt
CONSIDER: Maurice Morris, Bobby Engram
BENCH: Shaun Alexander (out), Isaac Bruce, Randy McMichael

Matt Hasselbeck and Hackett are expected to be good to go, but definitely check to make sure they're active on Sunday. Word on the street is that Maurice Morris has officially passed Shaun Alexander on the Seahawk depth chart, regardless of health.
The Ram offense has come back to life suddenly, with all of the key components healthy. Start Bulger, S-Jax and Holt. The rest of the Rams are much less interesting.

Redskins @ Buccaneers
Redskin Offense - Receiving: 210.2 (22), Rushing: 125.1 (8)
Buc Defense - Receiving: 191.5 (4), Rushing: 106.8 (18)

Buc Offense - Receiving: 215.9 (19), Rushing: 116.6 (14)
Redskin Defense - Receiving: 237.2 (21), Rushing: 97.1 (9)

START: Clinton Portis, Chris Cooley, Redskin Defense, Earnest Graham, Joey Galloway
CONSIDER: Buc Defense
BENCH: Jason Campbell, Ladell Betts, Santana Moss, Antwaan Randle El, Jeff Garcia, Ike Hilliard, Alex Smith

Expect to see a whole lot of Clinton Portis here against the average Buc rush defense, rather than having Campbell testing the tough pass D. Santana Moss finally showed up, for the first time this season, in Week 11. Don't look for a repeat this week.
Is there a more underappreciated Fantasy player than Joey Galloway? I don't think so. The 'Skins are tough against the run, but Earnest Graham continues to look excellent.

Titans @ Bengals
Titan Offense - Receiving: 184.4 (29), Rushing: 139.1 (4)
Bengal Defense - Receiving: 252.6 (26), Rushing: 126.5 (27)

Bengal Offense - Receiving: 279.3 (3), Rushing: 84.9 (26)
Titan Defense - Receiving: 205.4 (7), Rushing: 86 (5)

START: Vince Young, LenDale White, Carson Palmer, Chad Johnson, T.J. Houshmandzadeh, Chris Henry
CONSIDER: Titan Defense
BENCH: Chris Brown, Rudi Johnson, Kenny Watson

Break Vince Young out of the mothballs and get him into your starting lineup for this one. Also, give the LenWhale one last shot. If he disappoints for the 3rd straight week, he'll be in a time-share with Chris Brown. If your defensive scoring relies heavily on turnovers, then the Titan D isn't a bad option. They get a bump if Albert Haynesworth can suit up.
The Bengals should be what they are every week, completely pass-happy. Palmer and the WRs are must-starts every week and everyone else on that team should be left on the pine.

Bills @ Jaguars
Bill Offense - Receiving: 179.1 (30), Rushing: 101.9 (19)
Jag Defense - Receiving: 265.7 (29), Rushing: 100.3 (14)

Jag Offense - Receiving: 194.1 (27), Rushing: 140 (3)
Bill Defense - Receiving: 260.6 (27), Rushing: 119.3 (22)

START: Lee Evans, Maurice Jones-Drew, Jaguar Defense
CONSIDER: J.P. Losman, David Garrard, Fred Taylor
BENCH: Anthony Thomas

J.P. Losman shouldn't have too much trouble finding Evans against the Jags' feeble pass defense. The rest of the Bills, well, they're just not exciting at all.
Likewise, MJD shouldn't have much difficulty slicing and dicing his way through the all-around weak Bill Defense. Fred Taylor is worthy of consideration for the same reasons, but is much less likely to score. Garrard should be serviceable, but look for the Jags to pound the rock.

Vikings @ Giants
Viking Offense - Receiving: 177.1 (31), Rushing: 177.9 (1)
Giant Defense - Receiving: 237.9 (22), Rushing: 91.3 (7)

Giant Offense - Receiving: 214.3 (20), Rushing: 128 (7)
Viking Defense - Receiving: 304.2 (32), Rushing: 74.8 (1)

START: Eli Manning, Plaxico Burress, Jeremy Shockey, Giant Defense
CONSIDER: Adrian Peterson (check), Chester Taylor (check Peterson), Amani Toomer
BENCH: Tarvaris Jackson, Viking Defense, Brandon Jacobs (out), Derrick Ward (likely out), Reuben Droughns

I would be so shocked if Adrian Peterson starts, that I very well may lose control of my bowels.
Even if he does go, he's likely lose a heavy amount of carries to Chester Taylor. Unlike last week, Taylor faces a big boy defense. If he's the primary back, he deserves some heavy consideration. If he has to share carries, not so much.
The Vikings are pathetic against the pass, so trot out the Giant passing game. Peyton's retarded brother Eli should put up very nice numbers. If Plax is ever going to do anything else this season, this is the week to show it. Reuben Droughns is virtually certain to start, but you don't want anything to do with him against the NFL's best rush defense.

4:00pm EST Games

49ers @ Cardinals - Dome
49er Offense - Receiving: 160.8 (32), Rushing: 84.3 (27)
Cardinal Defense - Receiving: 231.6 (18), Rushing: 97.5 (10)

Cardinal Offense - Receiving: 233.4 (14), Rushing: 86.8 (25)
49er Defense - Receiving: 217.8 (10), Rushing: 122.6 (24)

START: Kurt Warner, Edgerrin James, Larry Fitzgerald, Anquan Boldin, Cardinal Defense
CONSIDER: Frank Gore
BENCH: Trent Dilfer, Darrell Jackson, Vernon Davis, Leonard Pope

The Niners very well may be the most inept offense in the game. Yes, that includes Baltimore. Frank Gore has been a monumental bust, but if you don't have better options, you should give yourself a severe beating. Stay far, far away from the rest of the 49ers.
For some reason, people like to claim that the 49ers are bad against the pass. Truth is, they're pretty good against it. Still, this will be a nice game for Mr. Brenda Warner and friends. There's not a whole lot less exciting than Edge these days...other than, ya know, Frank Gore...the Niners are bad against the rush, so leave him active.

Broncos @ Bears
Bronco Offense - Receiving: 234.4 (13), Rushing: 122.6 (12)
Bear Defense - Receiving: 241 (24), Rushing: 125.7 (26)

Bear Offense - Receiving: 241.6 (12), Rushing: 81.6 (31)
Bronco Defense - Receiving: 221 (11), Rushing: 149.2 (29)

START: Jay Cutler, Selvin Young (check), Javon Walker, Brandon Marshall, Cedric Benson
CONSIDER: Bronco Defense, Desmond Clark, Greg Olsen
BENCH: Travis Henry (out), Andre Hall (check Young), Brandon Stokley, Tony Scheffler, Rex Grossman, Bernard Berrian, Muhsin Muhammad, Bear Defense

The return of Javon Walker. It's always risky to start a player that has missed significant time, but someone of Walker's talent is hard to resist. Besides, just look what Andre Johnson did upon his return. It's uncertain if Selvin Young will be active, start him if he is, if he isn't then only start Andre Hall if you're incredibly desperate. Brandon Marshall's value take s a slight dip with Walker back, but don't expect him to disappear. Do look for Stokley to disappear, however.
Cedric Benson should continue his impressive season here. What? OK, maybe I'm just playing around there, but Benson should have a good game. "Good" by Benson's status would be around 80 yards and a TD. The Bear TE's could be a factor against the declining Bronco pass defense. Don't look for Champ Bailey to have much trouble against Berrian, though.

Ravens @ Chargers
Raven Offense - Receiving: 216.4 (18), Rushing: 102.8 (18)
Charger Defense - Receiving: 246.6 (25), Rushing: 119.7 (23)

Charger Offense - Receiving: 206.9 (23), Rushing: 107.6 (16)
Raven Defense - Receiving: 222.4 (13), Rushing: 77.4 (2)

START: Willis McGahee, LaDainian Tomlinson, Antonio Gates, Charger Defense
CONSIDER: Derrick Mason, Raven Defense, Chris Chambers
BENCH: Kyle Boller, Mark Clayton, Todd Heap (out), Philip Rivers, Vincent Jackson

A battle of who wants it least.
McGahee should be in store for a high quality game against the surprisingly poor Charger rush defense. The Raven D is worth consideration, since Phil Rivers is guaranteed to be good for anywhere from 2-67 turnovers.
Is this the week that Stupid Norv Turner realizes that he should be utilizing LT more? Probably not, otherwise he wouldn't be Stupid Norv Turner. LT faces a very tough test here, but should put up his usual (for 2007) good but not great numbers. Gates must be kept active, always. Look for the Philip Rivers INT and Fumble World Tour to continue.

Sunday Night Football

Eagles at Patriots
Eagle Offense - Receiving: 244.5 (11), Rushing: 124.7 (9)
Patriot Defense - Receiving: 203.3 (6), Rushing: 89.3 (6)

Patriot Offense - Receiving: 311.2 (1), Rushing: 131.8 (5)
Eagle Defense - Receiving: 227.6 (17), Rushing: 97.8 (11)

START: Brian Westbrook, Tom Brady, Randy Moss, Donte Stallworth, Wes Welker, Ben Watson, Patriot Defense
CONSIDER: Laurence Maroney
BENCH: Donovan McNabb (likely out), A.J. Feely, Reggie Brown, Kevin Curtis, L.J. Smith, Eagle Defense

No McNabb against the stat-padding Pats? Yikes. Westbrook is an every-weeker, but leave the rest of your Eagles on the bench.
The Pats were given the biggest Vegas line in NFL history. As usual, look for them to be out there shamelessly padding stats and risking pointless injury by the middle of the 3rd quarter. Keep all of your usual suspects active.

Monday Night Football

Dolphins @ Steelers
Dolphin Offense - Receiving: 201.9 (24), Rushing: 115.2 (15)
Steeler Defense - Receiving: 175 (2), Rushing: 79.9 (3)

Steeler Offense - Receiving: 222.9 (17), Rushing: 147.5 (2)
Dolphin Defense - Receiving: 188.1 (3), Rushing: 154.9 (32)

START: Ben Roethlisberger, Willie Parker, Hines Ward, Heath Miller, Steeler Defense
CONSIDER: Nate Washington
BENCH: John Beck, Jesse Chatman (check), Ricky Williams, Marty Booker, David Martin, Santonio Holmes (out)

Apparently it's Slaughter on National TV Week for the NFL.
Ricky Williams will likely be active for the Phins...enjoy that Steeler defense, Smokey. Don't even consider trotting out any Dolphins.
The Dolphins are 3rd in the NFL in pass defense, which is really more of a product of them being so poor against the rush that passing isn't necessary. Fast Willie has struggled mightily against the NFL's worst rush defenses this season, but those were on the road. If he struggles against the Dolphins, feel free to hunt him down and maim him.

Check back on Sunday for the Game Day Inactives.

Beating the House--Week 12

My apologies to anyone who follows this column as I was unable to post my picks for the games on Thursday...hope you all had a great Thanksgiving...perhaps not surprisingly, I went with all of the favorites so I'm off to good start already...the same can't be said for last week when I realized that I went with almost all of the favorites...the two dogs I really liked didn't cover so it made for a mediocre week overall but we're still hitting at a respectable clip...

Denver (+1.5) at Chicago--Bears played a decent game in Seattle and Cedric Benson actually looked mediocre...Broncos have strung two in a row together but I just don't like the matchup away from home...pick: Bears.

Tennessee (-1.5) at Cincinnati--Cincy has apparently sunk low enough in the oddsmakers eyes that they are getting points at home from a team that doesn't score with any real regularity...still think this team has something left...not much but something...pick: Bengals.

Buffalo (+9) at Jacksonville--Bills were humiliated on national TV and now have to travel to play one of the best defenses in football...Jags have made me a believer that they are quietly one of the best in AFC...no Marshawn Lynch again so no running game for Buffalo...pick: Jaguars.

Oakland (+5.5) at Kansas City--I've been giving the Raiders too much credit lately and they have let me down each and every time...not again...Chiefs played inspired ball against Indy and should bully the Raiders into several mistakes at Arrowhead...pick: Chiefs.

Houston (+3.5) at Cleveland--Browns are favored yet again and probably should be...Texans are a much different, and much better, team with Andre Johnson back...I like Schaub, Dayne and AJ do just enough to win this game in a squeaker...pick: Texans.

Seattle (-3) at St. Louis--Rams have killed me up until the last two weeks and I like them again here...this game should be a shootout and neither defense would scare me...team that has ball last is most likely the winner so let's give the nod to the home team here...pick: Rams.

Minnesota (+7) at New York Giants--It's too bad that we probably don't get to see Adrian Peterson or Brandon Jacobs, two runners with very different styles that are both fun to watch...Giants have the superior D and home crowd...Vikes = Yikes! on pass D...pick: Giants.

New Orleans (-3) at Carolina--Who would have thought that the Saints would be behind the Cardinals in the standings at this time of year? Time is running out for them and I still think they have enough firepower to make a run...pick: Saints.

Washington (+3) at Tampa Bay--What a difference a healthy Santana Moss makes to the Skins passing attack...Jason Campbell proved last week in Dallas that he can handle adversity on the road...Bucs are certainly playing well but I smell an upset here...pick: Redskins.

San Francisco (+10.5) at Arizona--The Cardinals have to be feeling pretty good about themselves right now and are playing well on both sides of the ball...the Niners have to be feeling pretty crappy about themselves in the same regard...pick: Cardinals.

Baltimore (+9) at San Diego--The Ravens managed to generate some points last weekend but that was against one of the worst defenses in the league...they are far from fearsome on defense as well...Bolts need this one after failing in Jacksonville last week...pick: Chargers.

Philadelphia (+24) at New England--All signs point to another blowout for the Patriots with Donovan McNabb sitting this one out...I've never been shy about laying crazy points before with this team but this is borderline ridiculous...going against the grain for once...pick: Eagles.

Miami (+16) at Pittsburgh--Another monster spread but this one doesn't scare me as much...Steelers have to take out their frustrations on someone after losing to the the Jets...even without Holmes and Polumalu, they should dominate on MNF...pick: Steelers.

Last Week: 9-7 To Date: 88-65-7

Play Action - Thanksgiving

While stuffing your face with some turkey, some mashed potatoes, some corn, some pumpkin pie...perhaps even a heaping helping of Turducken...you'll also be treated to 3 fun-filled NFL games.

Let's take a look and see who should be in action as you suck down the last of the cranberry relish.

12:30pm EST Game

Packers @ Lions - Dome
Packer Offense - Receiving: 299.2 (2), Rushing: 80 (30)
Lion Defense - Receiving: 277 (30), Rushing: 95.4 (8)

Lion Offense - Receiving: 282.1 (4), Rushing: 76.9 (32)
Packer Defense - Receiving: 233.4 (19), Rushing: 96.7 (9)

START: Brett Favre, Donald Driver, Greg Jennings, Donald Lee, Jon Kitna, Roy Williams, Calvin Johnson, Shaun McDonald
CONSIDER: Ryan Grant, Packer Defense, Kevin Jones
BENCH: James Jones, Mike Furrey, Lion Defense

Two of the Top Four Passing Offenses, two of the Bottom Three Rushing Offenses, Two Top Ten Rushing Defenses...this game has Thanksgiving Shootout written all over it.

Brett Favre and the top Green Bay WRs are absolute must-starts every week, but especially here against the Lions' horrid pass D. Donald Lee has 3 TDs in the past 2 weeks, so there's no point in leaving him on your bench. The Packer D is worthy of consideration only because the Lions have struggled with turnovers lately. Ryan Grant has been hot lately, but he has a tough test here, and likely won't get a ton of touches, unless the Packers get out to a big early lead.
Likewise, look for the Lions to be slinging it as they attempt to keep up. Mike Martz has seemingly abandoned the ground game, much to the chagrin of Kevin Jones owners. Trot Roy Williams, Megatron and McDonald out there...Kitna loves them.

4:15pm EST

Jets @ Cowboys
Jet Offense - Receiving: 206.7 (24), Rushing: 100.2 (20)
Cowboy Defense - Receiving: 244.7 (24), Rushing: 84.3 (4)

Cowboy Offense - Receiving: 284.8 (3), Rushing: 117.5 (13)
Jet Defense - Receiving: 230.4 (17), Rushing: 148.2 (29)

START: Tony Romo, Marion Barber III, Terrell Owens, Jason Witten, Cowboy Defense
CONSIDER: Thomas Jones
BENCH: Kellen Clemens, Laveranues Coles (check), Jerricho Cotchery, Julius Jones, Patrick Crayton (check)

This game should be an absolute pasting.
The Jets will likely be missing their best weapon in Laveranues Coles. Expect their offense to sputter hopelessly, in spite of the mediocre Cowboy pass D. He's in for a tough test, but if you have no better options, you could probably do worse than Thomas Jones.
Look for the Cowboys to get out to a big early lead and then pound it late with MB3, who hasn't produced much recently, but give him one more shot. Early on, expect the Romo-to-TO show to be on full display once again. After that gets a little stale, expect to see plenty of shots of Tony Romo resting comfortably on the sideline in his backward cap, looking quite douchey. Pat Crayton likely sits this game out.
Also, no word yet whether the classy Jets fans will commute to Dallas for a Gate D Party.

8:15pm EST

Colts @ Falcons - Dome
Colt Offense - Receiving: 255.8 (9), Rushing: 124.2 (10)
Falcon Defense - Receiving: 205.9 (8), Rushing: 124 (25)

Falcon Offense - Receiving: 216.4 (18), Rushing: 92.8 (22)
Colt Defense - Receiving: 174.9 (1), Rushing: 102 (16)

START: Peyton Manning, Joseph Addai, Reggie Wayne, Colt Defense
CONSIDER: Dallas Clark
BENCH: Marvin Harrison (out), Anthony Gonzalez, Joey Harrington, Warrick Dunn, Roddy White, Alge Crumpler

Slaughtered like turkeys on Thanksgiving.
The Falcons are pretty tough against the pass, but don't let that stop you from rolling out Peyton and Wayne. Harrison is out again. You'll also see a healthy dose of Addai against the weak Falcon rush D. Unleash the Colt D, the Falcons aren't exactly notorious for lighting up the scoreboard.
Last week Falcon fans clamored for the return of Joey Harrington. How sad is that?! Keep all of your Falcons on the bench. You don't want any Harrington vs. the NFL's best receiving defense, unless you're into some sort of Fantasy Football S&M. Don't be anticipating an explosion from Warrick Dunn here either. Bench them all, let that turkey digest easily as grandpa snores in the recliner.

Happy Thanksgiving, remember to check back on Saturday for the rest of Play Action!

POWERHOUSE Pick-Ups Week 12

Let’s see, we have a new face to report in Denver and a familiar face back in Miami. We have some injury situations to address regarding the Giants, Packers, and Chiefs. Oh, and not to mention a short week in which to work to boot. Let’s get into it, shall we…

Quarterbacks

Kyle Boller, Baltimore- To this point in his career Boller has been nothing short of a colossal BUST. However, things may just be turning around for him. After throwing for 279 yards and a score, and nearly leading the Ravens to victory he is in line for another start this week. He has a big arm and some decent weapons. Don’t pick him up just yet, at the moment he is nothing more than someone to keep an eye on.

AJ Feeley, Philadelphia- Was there anything more hilarious than watching Feeley come on for an injured Donovan McNabb and lead the Eagles to victory over his former team this past Sunday? Could it get any worse for Dol-phanz? Don’t even think about picking up AJ Feeley. Do feel confident starting anyone, and I mean ANYONE, against Miami. They really are that bad.

Running Backs

Reuben Droughns/Derrick Ward, NYG- Big Brandon Jacobs is dinged up…again, and it looks as if he will miss his week 12 match up with the Vikes. Conflicting reports have Derrick Ward healthy enough to return from injury this week enabling him to start. If Ward is unable to go Droughns will get the start. Keep close tabs on this situation as it should become clearer in a day or so. Whoever gets the start shouldn’t be counted on for anything more than a low-end RB2 or a flex play.

Ricky Williams, Miami- Pass it over here then. The NFL’s #1 pothead is back after serving an 18 month suspension for violating the league’s substance abuse policy. The Dolphins would be crazy not to use this guy. Cam Cameron is starving for his 1st win as an NFL head coach, and believe me Dolphin brass does not want 0-16 hung on them especially in a year where the division rival Patriots have a legit shot at 16-0. If Jesse Chatman can run behind the Dolphin O-line Ricky can too. Pick this guy up ASAP, just don’t expect too much too quickly.

Andre Hall, Denver- OMG, this RB Denver situation is nauseating!! Fantasy owners of Selvin Young have been salivating for weeks awaiting Roger Goodell to slap Travis Henry with a suspension, a suspension likely to come this week. Just when it looks like this week was going to be Young’s big break he injures his knee and watches from the sideline as fellow no-name runner Andre Hall rips off a number of impressive runs including a 62 yard touchdown. It looks as if Young will be healthy for this week, but Hall definitely has earned himself some carries. Hall makes for a fine pickup once Henry is suspended as insurance for Selvin Young owners.

Brandon Jackson, Green Bay- Ryan Grant has been doing his best Dorsey Levens imitation that last few weeks. All the cheese-heads thought they had their running game figured out until Grant rolled an ankle. Early reports are that Grant will be OK to play this week but Imp not so sure. Remember the Pack have a game on Thanksgiving Day and that only gives Grant 3 days to rest. The next guy in line is Brandon Jackson who would be in for a decent match up against the Lions.

Kolby Smith, Kansas City- LJ is already out indefinitely with an injured foot and now word out of Kansas City is that Priest Holmes’ season could be over due to a neck injury. If this is the case Smith will be the guy in running the ball for Herm Edwards. Smith hasn’t really gotten a chance to play all that much this year so who knows how productive he will be. Nevertheless, he is worth a claim in all leagues.

Wide Receivers

Javon Walker, Denver- Walked is slated to return to action this week after missing the previous 7 weeks with a knee injury. He should step right back into a prominent role in the offense. Jay Cutler has improved is play the last few weeks and the addition of Walker will help immensely. Watch for a strong playoff push by the Broncos down the stretch of the season with Walker being a big part. I like him as a great WR2 going forward.

Justin Gage, Tennessee- Who?? Gage has come off back to back weeks of decent production catching passes from Vince Young. Word out of Tennessee is that Jeff Fisher would like him to get involved. At some point, someone is going to have to emerge in the Titan pass game, and that someone could be Gage. Unless you are desperate for help at WR, leave him, and monitor for another week.

Drew Carter, Carolina- Carter had a monster 132 yard 1 TD effort playing catch-up in Green Bay this past week. Oh, and Steve Smith missed the game. Don’t expect numbers from Carter like that again.

Tight End

Greg Olsen, Chicago- A number of owners decided to dump this guy after getting blanked in week 10. That was Grossman’s first week filling in for an injured Brian Griese, so the rapport between QB and TE wasn’t there. This week Grossman hooked up with his talented rookie TE 7 times for 43 yards. I look for Grossman to look Olsen’s way more often. If you are hurting at TE, pick him up.

Defense/ST

Arizona Cardinals- The Cardinals have been an underrated fantasy Def for much of the season and should have a field day against Dilfer and company. Start the Cards with confidence.

Week 11 Reaction

Time to try out something new.
Here are some random thoughts regarding Week 11's Fantasy Football action.

Donovan McNabb went down with an injury. It must be near Thanksgiving. The good news is that D-Mac did not suffer any structural damage to his ankle. He is considered day-to-day. Keep an eye on the injury report, as he'll likely be "questionable" for Week 12 at New England.

The Steelers continue to be an enigma. They've lost to the Jets, Cardinals and Broncos. Not exactly the class of the NFL. Willie Parker has struggled against the Broncos and the Jets, 2 of the NFL's weakest rush defenses. The equally awful Dolphins await the Steelers. Luckily, it is in Pittsburgh, where Parker has been much better. Someone needs to print off some MapQuest directions to the end zone for Fast Willie.

T.J. Houshmandzadeh should be alright despite a hip pointer at the end of the game. Keep an eye on his progress in practice this week.

No further word yet on Santonio Holmes' ankle.

Brandon Jacobs will allegedly be good to go in Week 12, according to him.

Scuba Steve Smith should return in Week 12, whether 98 year old Vinny Testaverde can get him the ball remains to be seen.

Matt Hasselbeck had a rib injury during his game, but should be alright to go in Week 12.

If the Raiders activate Michael Bush from the PUP this week (it's either that or put him on IR), then LaMont Jordan will likely be released. While owners never really want their guy to be cut, this is the best thing that could possibly happen to him, since the Raiders are keeping him inactive. Still, if he's released, the best he could hope for would be a RBBC.

Frank Gore is a bigger bust than Shaun Alexander, despite not getting the criticism for it for some reason. Don't expect either of them to produce much over the remainder of the season, but at least Gore is still "active".

Santana Moss is still alive. Who knew?

If there were lines on Fantasy Football, owners of Tom Brady, Randy Moss and currently Terrell Owens should be given a -15 1/2 for each of them.

How about that Chester Taylor? Adrian Who?
Just kidding, fanboys. All Day still has 200+ more rushing yards than anyone in the NFL.

How awful is Byron Leftwich? Falcon fans awfully booed him off the field, instead clamoring for the legendary Joey Harrington.

Marshawn Lynch is likely to miss Week 12.

Philip Rivers threw 40+ pass attempts. The Chargers lost. Coincidence? Nope!

The Saints and Panthers meet in a battle of who wants it least in Week 12. So do the Ravens and Chargers.

Owen Daniels suffered a broken nose early in Week 11. He put up his usual good yardage total and his usual 0 TD.

Todd Heap could be shut down for the season shortly, if the Ravens don't make a drastic improvement from their current 4-6 situation.

The Bears discusses getting their Adrian Peterson more involved in Week 11. He ended up with 5 whole carries.
Cedric Benson kicked off the game with a big TD run, surprisingly enough. Benson finished with only 11 carries.
This means that the Bears put their hopes of beating the Seahawks upon the shoulders of Rex Grossman. I'll give you a moment to finish laughing.

...

No rust at all for the returning Andre Johnson. He is well-lubed.

Check back later on Wednesday for the Thanksgiving Edition of Play Action. Learn who to play as your gorge on turkey and cranberry relish.

It is time to marvel in the greatness...

Time to marvel the greatness.

I have been a sports fan my entire life. I have seen Michael Jordan, Alex Rodriguez and Wayne Gretzky all of who may end up being the best ever in eachs respected sport. It is time to realize the greatness of Tom Brady, Bill Belichick and the entire Patriots team.

You all know by now I am the biggest homer alive but there is no doubting the greatness of Tom Brady. The numbers that Brady has put up this season are epic. People saw Marino back in the day put up 48 TD's and said that it will never be broken. Then in 2004 Peyton Manning did the same thing and again people said it was the greatest single season of all time. Well now it is 2007 and it is even better than 2004.

Tom Brady is on pace for over 50 TD passes and a QB rating over 130. These numbers are the type of numbers I put up playing Madden on Rookie. And even then my rating is not 130 because I give up some picks and such. His yardage is out of this world as well. There is not a QB playing or that has played that has been near the level of Tom Brady this season. He is in the “ZONE” right now. I can not imagine what it feels like to be this good at anything. He is unworldly.

Many people are naysayyers and will try to attack the Patriots and how they “run up the score”. Well this is professional football people if you want them out of the endzone, stop them. The offense with the likes of Randy Moss, Donte Stallworth and Wes Welker is the greatest core of WR's in the NFL. They are to get much of the credit that we all give to Brady because they are the ones catching those frozen ropes and getting them in the endzone for 6 so often.

People will attack Bill Belichick and his spygate and the cheating. Well get over it people it was determined to give him no advantage. He is doing the greatest coaching job of any coach ever to live. This is the salary cap era. The era where teams do not win for sustained number of years. Yet he has found a way to do it year in and year out.

Look at this and remember it. As a Pats fan or a fan of another team because this may be the greatest team of all time. When we are looking back in 20 years or more and telling our kids and grandkids about the greatest team of all time this is what we will have to talk about. When they look back and see the stats that this team put up it will be unfathomable to them. It is a great time to be a fan and see the greatness. People call Gretzky the Jordan of Hockey, well when it is all said and done we will be calling Jordan, Gretzky and Arod the Brady of that sport.

Major Game Day Inactives - Week 11

Here's who's down and out for Week 11.

Bills: Marshawn Lynch is inactive.

Bengals: Chad Johnson is ACTIVE.

Broncos: Javon Walker is inactive, he could return in Week 12.

Buccaneers: Michael Bennett is inactive. Earnest Graham and Michael Pittman are both good to go.

Chiefs: Larry Johnson is inactive.

Colts: Marvin Harrison is inactive. The conflicting reports seem to have been resolved.

Eagles: Brian Westbrook is ACTIVE.

Panthers: Steve Smith is inactive.

Raiders: LaMont Jordan is inactive.

Ravens: Todd Heap and Steve McNair are inactive.

Texans: Ahman Green is inactive.

Vikings: Adrian Peterson is inactive.

Beat Feeds - New Feature

If you look over to your right, you'll notice a new Widget with the title of "Beat Feeds".

This is a collection of local news RSS feeds dedicated to posting NFL news for their local teams. All 32 teams have their local news source represented.

This feature will allow you more inside NFL and detailed Player news than you could ever possibly need.

Enjoy.

Beating the House--Week 11

One of the symptoms of a gambler is this...if you bet and lost, you shouldn't have made it at all...but if you bet and won, then you should have done it for more... I will never complain when I pick 11 out of 14 but look at the three losers...I took Pitt even after I said it was too many points...I went against my own logic with Detroit after using same logic with Denver and I just underestimated Dallas...or overestimated the Giants...you decide...let's go for some more bullseyes this time around...no more byes so we have a full slate of games to figure out...

San Diego (+3) at Jacksonville--The Jags are playing great D and well enough on offense to keep winning...Chargers were lucky to win against Colts...Norv Turner needs to get LT the ball more, anything to keep it out of Philip Rivers' hands...pick: Chargers.

Kansas City (+14.5) at Indianapolis--A lot of points here but my gut says the Chiefs will be unlucky guests as Indy halts their two-game skid by unloading here...even with their injuries, Peyton and Addai should have big days...buy down that half-point if you can...pick: Colts.

Oakland (+4.5) at Minnesota--Daunte Culpepper gets the start for the Raiders and should be as primed as he was when he played Miami...does that translate into success today? Probably not but Vikes are not the same without Purple Jesus so I'll take the points here...pick: Raiders.

Cleveland (-2.5) at Baltimore--You know how crazy the season has been when the Browns are favorites most weeks...while their D stinks, that passing attack is for real...Ravens switch to Boller at QB but it probably won't be enough of a spark...pick: Browns.

Pittsburgh (-9.5) at New York Jets--The Jets are a miserable team while Steelers are making their case to considered amongst the elite of the AFC...FWP should run wild today and the new Steel Curtain should rattle Clemens enough to cover this number...pick: Steelers.

Tampa Bay (-3) at Atlanta--When typing this, I accidentally hit an extra "b", making it "Tampa Baby" so I'll trust my subconscious and go with the rested Bucs...they stink on the road but Falcons stink just about anywhere...Dunn will not go off today...pick: Buccaneers.

Arizona (+3) at Cincinnati--This should be a fun one to watch with TD passes aplenty as neither team knows how to defend...Bengals have a full arsenal with Chris Henry back in the fold and Rudi Johnson should finally show us what he has left in the tank...pick: Bengals.

Miami (+9.5) at Philadelphia--Rookie John Beck gets the start for the winless Fins and begins his NFL career in a very hostile environment...Eagles came through last week and shouldn't have a tough time putting this opponent away in order to keep pace in NFC East...pick: Eagles.

Washington (+11) at Dallas--The Cowboys are a machine and reminded me of that last week...Jason Campbell is a good young QB but he doesn't have the weapons to keep up with Romo, especially on the road...Boys roll...pick of the week: Cowboys.

New Orleans (+1) at Houston--Texans come off the bye with both Schaub and Andre Johnson back and that makes them dangerous...home crowd will be pumped for defense to stuff Reggie Bush every time out...Saints stumbled against Rams but continue to salvage their season here with Brees passing early and often...pick: Saints.

Carolina (+9.5) at Green Bay--The Pack could make a case for being the best team in NFC and should easily add to that claim today...similar to last week, look for Favre and the defense to control this one in the cozy confines of Lambeau...Vinny T. is in for a long one...pick: Packers.

New York Giants (-3) at Detroit--This should be another fun one to watch...Lions play much better at home but Giants pass rush will be in Kitna's face all day...Eli should have nice numbers against the 30th-ranked pass defense and maybe Plax finally scores another TD...pick: Giants.

St. Louis (-3) at San Francisco--Rams looked like world-beaters last week at full strength but could only be favored against the Niners, a truly horrible team that turns back to Trent Dilfer...Gore should find the end zone today but he may be lone bright spot for SF...pick: Rams.

Chicago (+5.5) at Seattle--Seahawks got a nice confidence boost by beating up on hapless Niners...offense is clicking and Deion Branch should be back today...Bears look to Grossman to ignite offense...Bears D doesn't scare anyone anymore...pick: Seahawks.

New England (-15.5) at Buffalo--The juggernaut of the NFL returns to wreak havoc on anyone who gets in their way...Bills have played well but will be without rookie RB Marshawn Lynch...their streak of five wins on Sunday night comes to an end and hopefully we don't get burned on a backdoor score with this big number...pick: Patriots.

Tennessee (+2) at Denver--Not the type of game you want to stay up late for on the East Coast...Broncos showed signs of life last week and has their ridiculously loud and obnoxious fans behind them...I like them even more if Selvin Young gets the start over Henry...pick: Broncos.

Last Week: 11-3 To Date: 79-58-7

**FOR SOLID FANTASY ADVICE, READ PLAY ACTION BY ID10T AND KING'S PLAYS OF THE WEEK EVERY SATURDAY...SCROLL DOWN!**

Play Action - Week 11

The Bye Weeks are behind us, the excuses are over, the Playoff Push is in full force.
This is no time for mistakes.
It's time to take an in-depth look at every game going in Week 11 and determine who to Start, Consider and Bench.

I'd also like to take a moment to give praise to Fantola's Milton J. for absolutely shredding "Beating The House". Everybody should have bet the ranch. If you didn't, hey, perhaps you should listen.


1:00pm EST Games

Dolphins @ Eagles
Dolphin Offense - Receiving: 212.2 (20), Rushing: 119.4 (11)
Eagles Defense - Receiving: 240.8 (24), Rushing: 100.1 (12)

Eagle Offense - Receiving: 255 (10), Rushing: 116.1 (14)
Dolphin Defense - Receiving: 192.3 (4), Rushing: 149.7 (30)

START: Donovan McNabb, Brian Westbrook (check), Eagle Defense
CONSIDER: Jesse Chatman, Reggie Brown, Kevin Curtis, L.J. Smith
BENCH: John Beck, Marty Booker, David Martin

Unless you're in an incredibly deep league, Jesse Chatman is the only Dolphin that should be owned. The team has made the switch to John Beck and will, therefore, have to endure rookie mistakes in addition to being a terrible team. The Eagles are decent against the run, so don't expect a big day here.
The Dolphins are surprisingly highly ranked against receivers. Still, D-Mac is coming off a long-awaited 4 TD performance and the Eagles love to pass. Still, don't expect a repeat. Brian Westbrook should be in store for a monster game. He is an important piece of the passing game and the Dolphins are horrible against the run. Also start the Eagle D and expect Beck to serve up some turnovers.
Keep in mind that the Eagles have an uncanny knack for finding ways to lose games.

Buccaneers @ Falcons - Dome
Buc Offense - Receiving: 222 (18), Rushing: 113 (15)
Falcon Defense - Receiving: 210.9 (8), Rushing: 121.2 (23)

Falcon Offense - Receiving: 213.2 (19), Rushing: 97.7 (20)
Buc Defense - Receiving: 185.6 (3), Rushing: 113.2 (18)

START: Earnest Graham (check), Joey Galloway, Buc Defense
CONSIDER: Jeff Garcia, Warrick Dunn, Roddy White
BENCH: Michael Pittman (check), Michael Bennett, Alex Smith, Byron Leftwich (check), Joey Harrington (check), Jerious Norwood (check), Alge Crumpler

Earnest Graham has firmly entrenched himself as the feature back in Tampa. Pittman should be active, but limited and Bennett has struggled to pick up the playbook. Joey Galloway is always a deep threat and the Buc Defense shouldn't have any difficulties shutting down the Falcons.
It is uncertain who will start at QB for Atlanta this week, and against the solid Buc pass D, it doesn't matter, you want to bench him. Warrick Dunn has been excellent carrying his heavy workload the past couple weeks, but look for the streak to end here. Norwood should play, but most likely in a very limited capacity. Roddy White will also have fits against this pass D.

Browns @ Ravens
Brown Offense - Receiving: 251.7 (11), Rushing: 103 (18)
Raven Defense - Receiving: 216.7 (12), Rushing: 73.7 (2)

Raven Offense - Receiving: 209.4 (22), Rushing: 100 (19)
Brown Defense - Receiving: 281.6 (31), Rushing: 137.8 (28)

START: Derek Anderson, Braylon Edwards, Kellen Winslow, Willis McGahee, Mark Clayton, Derrick Mason
CONSIDER: Kyle Boller, Raven Defense
BENCH: Jamal Lewis, Joe Jurevicius, Todd Heap (check)

The Brownies should win this game, but don't be shocked if they score relatively few points. Anderson, Edwards and Winslow are every week must-starts. Jamal Lewis shouldn't sniff your starting lineup this week.
Kyle Boller is my personal favorite sleeper of the week. The Brown Defense is a joke. And yes, yes you do see Mark Clayton as a recommended starter now that he doesn't have to deal with the just plain awful Steve McNair. Mason should also cash in a nice performance and look for McGahee to have a field day against these chumps. Todd Heap is unlikely to be active, but if he is, he deserves consideration, but will likely be limited.

Chargers @ Jaguars
Charger Offense - Receiving: 195.6 (24), Rushing: 110.8 (16)
Jaguar Defense - Receiving: 260.9 (28), Rushing: 102.7 (15)

Jaguar Offense - Receiving: 194.7 (25), Rushing: 142 (3)
Charger Defense - Receiving: 253 (26), Rushing: 119.4 (21)

START: LaDainian Tomlinson, Antonio Gates, Maurice Jones-Drew
CONSIDER: Chris Chambers
BENCH: Philip Rivers, Vincent Jackson (check), David Garrard, Fred Taylor

A collision of two highly overrated defenses.
It's amazing how effectively the severely retarded Norv Turner has castrated the Charger Offense, choosing to ride the awful Philip Rivers instead of LT. Will things change this week? Who am I to guess the "thought" process of Norv? Look for Rivers to cash in a few turnovers as usual. Pray that the Chargers get close enough to the end zone for LT to get a TD and that Gates overcomes a poor QB and breaks out of his funk. Feel free to plan ways to lynch Norv now, if you'd like.
Look for the Jags to continue to effectively pound the ball. They tore up the Titans last week and shouldn't have too much trouble against the Chargers. Garrard should be owned as a reserve QB in your league, but isn't to be used unless you're in an emergency. No Jags receiver deserves consideration...ever.

Saints @ Texans
Saint Offense - Receiving: 271.9 (5), Rushing: 87.6 (27)
Texan Defense - Receiving: 213.9 (10), Rushing: 124.2 (24)

Texan Offense - Receiving: 265.2 (8), Rushing: 91.3 (23)
Saint Defense - Receiving: 262.4 (29), Rushing: 100.9 (14)

START: Drew Brees, Reggie Bush, Marques Colston, David Patten, Andre Johnson, Owen Daniels
CONSIDER: Matt Schaub
BENCH: Eric Johnson, Ahman Green (check), Ron Dayne (check Green), Kevin Walter, Andre Davis

The Saints got embarrassed by the lowly Rams in Week 10. Look for them to be out for blood here. The Texans are pretty good against the pass, but the Saints are really good at receiving. Keep Brees, Colston and Patten in your lineup. Reggie Bush overcame his bone bruise in Week 10 for a nice performance and should be effective here.
Andre Johnson finally returns for the Texans. Get him in your lineup, although he will likely have to shake off some rust. He's too good to leave on your bench. The return of AJ renders Andre Davis useless and will result in fewer looks for Kevin Walter. AJ's return should actually have a positive effect on Owen Daniels by removing some pressure...who knows, perhaps Owen even finds the end zone by accident. It is currently uncertain who will start for the Texans at RB, and I would expect a RBBC if Green is active. If Green is inactive, then Ron Dayne deserves some consideration against a porous Texan rush D.

Chiefs @ Colts - Dome
Chief Offense - Receiving: 229.6 (16), Rushing: 78.1 (31)
Colt Defense - Receiving: 175.6 (1), Rushing: 105.3 (16)

Colt Offense - Receiving: 266.1 (7), Rushing: 130.7 (9)
Chief Defense - Receiving: 231.4 (21), Rushing: 108.9 (17)

START: Tony Gonzalez, Peyton Manning, Joseph Addai, Reggie Wayne, Colt Defense
CONSIDER: Priest Holmes
BENCH: Brodie Croyle, Kolby Smith, Dwayne Bowe, Marvin Harrison (check), Aaron Moorehead, Dallas Clark

The Brodie Croyle Era begins in Kansas City. Hey Brodie, enjoy the #1 ranked receiving defense. Good luck. Gonzo is too much of a stud to bench, but the rest of the Chief passing game should definitely sit this one out for you. Priest could receive 20+ touches this week, but the Colts should be keying on him and forcing Croyle to beat them. Those touches would make him a decent flex play if you don't have better options.
Look for the Colts to carve up the relatively weak Chief pass D. It is unknown if Marvin Harrison will take the field before the playoffs, possibly the 2012 playoffs, but Wayne should have a very nice performance. Look for Addai to enjoy another nice day as well. Roll with the Colt D and enjoy the numerous rookie mistakes from Croyle.

Giants @ Lions - Dome
Giant Offense - Receiving: 206.7 (23), Rushing: 134.2 (6)
Lion Defense - Receiving: 276.3 (30), Rushing: 98 (8)

Lion Offense - Receiving: 271.6 (6), Rushing: 82.7 (29)
Giant Defense - Receiving: 22.4 (14), Rushing: 98.7 (9)

START: Eli Manning, Brandon Jacobs, Plaxico Burress, Jeremy Shockey, Jon Kitna, Roy Williams
CONSIDER: Kevin Jones, Calvin Johnson (check), Mike Furrey, Shaun McDonald
BENCH: Amani Toomer, Giant Defense, T.J. Duckett, Lion Defense

The Giants should be able to pass up and down the field here. Shockey looked great in Week 10 and there's no reason to believe that he won't carry the momentum over. Plax has fallen off a cliff lately, the bad wheel is likely bothering him quite a bit...still, this is a great match up for him. The Lions are tough against the run, still, Jacobs has been too hot to bench. He's a force in the red zone.
The Lions are a completely different team at home than they are on the road. Their Week 10 performance in Arizona was pathetic. They set a record for rushing futility. Despite his not being on the injury report, Kevin Jones' injured foot is giving him a lot of trouble, so it's quite possible that the Lions go back to their early season pass-happy ways, or give Jones plenty of rest before the Thanksgiving Day battle with the Packers. Calvin Johnson is having back issues again and could be limited. Look for Kitna to be slinging it, in what should be a high scoring affair.

Panthers @ Packers
Panther Offense - Receiving: 187.1 (27), Rushing: 119 (12)
Packer Defense - Receiving: 230.7 (18), Rushing: 92.9 (7)

Packer Offense - Receiving: 308.2 (1), Rushing: 77.4 (32)
Panther Defense - Receiving: 215.3 (11), Rushing: 113.2 (18)

START: Brett Favre, Donald Driver, Greg Jennings, Donald Lee, Packer Defense
CONSIDER: Steve Smith (check), Ryan Grant
BENCH: Vinny Testaverde, DeShaun Foster, DeAngelo Williams, Panther Defense, James Jones, Koren Robinson

98-year-old Vinny Testaverde will be the starting QB for the Panthers for the remainder of the season, assuming that he can remain healthy. Sadly, this is good news for Steve Smith, who is really nothing more than a WR3 these days. Smith is also dealing with some sort of shin injury. Look for the tough Pack rush D to shut down Foster and Williams.
Brett Favre continues to light up the passing totals. Greg Jennings has been the primary beneficiary, much to the chagrin of Donald Driver owners. Still, with so much passing to go around, Driver must remain active for your team. Keep the Packer D active against a struggling offense here.

Raiders @ Vikings - Dome
Raider Offense - Receiving: 175.2 (29), Rushing: 136.3 (5)
Viking Defense - Receiving: 299.8 (32), Rushing: 75.9 (3)

Viking Offense - Receiving: 167.3 (31), Rushing: 172.3 (1)
Raider Defense - Receiving: 195.4 (5), Rushing: 144.2 (29)

START: Raider Defense, Chester Taylor, Viking Defense
CONSIDER: Nobody
BENCH: Daunte Culpepper, JaMarcus Russell, Josh McCown, Justin Fargas, Ronald Curry, Tarvaris Jackson, Adrian Peterson (out)

A real stinker.
Daunte Culpepper returns to the helm. He was so good last time he was a starter that there are rumor that JaMarcus Russell could see time on specially designed plays. But, it's possible that McCown could be the backup QB. Either way, the Raiders are too inept to exploit even the Vikings' craptacular pass defense. The solid Viking rush D should greatly limit Fargas. Start the Raider D, and that's it.
The equally craptacular Tarvaris Jackson returns to the helm this week. Happy days are here again. OK, maybe not. Look for a hefty dosage of Chester Taylor against the weak Raider rush D. If you own him, now is the time to use him. Also start the Viking D in what should be an extremely low-scoring and excruciatingly boring game.

Cardinals @ Bengals
Cardinal Offense - Receiving: 235.9 (14), Rushing: 90.9 (24)
Bengal Defense - Receiving: 257.2 (27), Rushing: 135 (27)

Bengal Offense - Receiving: 273.8 (4), Rushing: 86.3 (28)
Cardinal Defense - Receiving: 220.8 (13), Rushing: 100.3 (13)

START: Kurt Warner, Edgerrin James, Larry Fitzgerald, Anquan Boldin, Carson Palmer, T.J. Houshmandzadeh, Chris Henry
CONSIDER: Chad Johnson (check), Rudi Johnson
BENCH: Kenny Watson

In contrast, this game should be a shoot out.
The Bengals are horrible defensively. Absolutely terrible. Unleash all of your Cardinals that are worth owning. If Anquan Boldin can't put together a big game here, it's time to panic.
The Cardinals' rush D ranking is bloated due to their performance against the Lions in Week 11. Still, you don't really want Rudi or Kenny starting for you. Chad Johnson is downgraded this week due to missing practice on Thursday and Friday...skin issue? Still, he makes an attractive flex play, as he is expected to start. Chris Henry looked great in his first game back, assuming that he can stay out of jail until Sunday, get him active.

4:00pm EST Games

Steelers @ Jets
Steeler Offense - Receiving: 226 (17), Rushing: 151.4 (2)
Jet Defense - Receiving: 234.3 (22), Rushing: 152.2 (32)

Jet Offense - Receiving: 211.7 (21), Rushing: 94.6 (22)
Steeler Defense - Receiving: 176.4 (2), Rushing: 72 (1)

START: Ben Roethlisberger, Willie Parker, Hines Ward, Santonio Holmes, Heath Miller, Steeler Defense
CONSIDER: Nobody
BENCH: Najeh Davenport, Nate Washington, Anyone affiliated with the Jets

Ben Roethlisberger has been slicing up the competition lately...huge TD numbers without huge passing yardage, which is fine. My gut tells me that this is finally Fast Willie's week, though. He's facing the NFL's worst rush defense and with Dookie getting stuffed in Week 10, it should be his time. That said, don't expect Benny Roeth to just disappear...the Jet pass defense isn't much better than their rush D. Also trot out the Steeler D, since the Jets are also bad offensively. Offensively offensive.
The Jets are a terrible team taking on an awesome defense. Leave them all on your bench. That is all you need to know.

Bears @ Seahawks
Bear Offense - Receiving: 238.9 (12), Rushing: 78.8 (30)
Seahawk Defense - Receiving: 237.1 (23), Rushing: 99.4 (10)

Seahawk Offense - Receiving: 256.3 (9), Rushing: 95.4 (21)
Bear Defense - Receiving: 230.3 (17), Rushing: 128.2 (26)

START: Matt Hasselbeck, D.J. Hackett, Seahawk Defense
CONSIDER: Bernard Berrian, Maurice Morris, Deion Branch (check), Bobby Engram
BENCH: Rex Grossman, Cedric Benson, Adrian Peterson, Muhsin Muhammad, Desmond Clark, Greg Olsen, Bear Defense, Shaun Alexander (check), Maurice Morris, Nate Burleson

Remember when Shaun Alexander went in the first round and the Bear D was one of the first off the board? Funny times.
Interceptus Rex once again graces us with his presence. Surprisingly enough, this is good news for Bernard Berrian...and DB's across the nation. Cedric Benson is leading the NFL! In dropped passes, which is extra impressive, considering that he is pulled on passing downs. The guy is a disaster. Also look for the Bear D to flounder its way through another game.
Shaun Alexander is expected to sit this one out, which really means nothing this season. Look for the Seahawks to be chucking it. Deion Branch is questionable again, it may be best to play it safe and bench him. If he's out then bump up Bobby Engram with D.J. Hackett to have nice games. Engram remains among the league's most underappreciated possession receivers. Start the Seahawk D and enjoy Rex tossing up a few sexy INTs.

Rams @ 49ers
Ram Offense - Receiving: 235 (15), Rushing: 87.8 (26)
49er Defense - Receiving: 224.8 (16), Rushing: 124.9 (25)

49er Offense - Receiving: 153 (32), Rushing: 90.1 (25)
Ram Defense - Receiving: 22.7 (15), Rushing: 120.2 (22)

START: Marc Bulger, Steven Jackson, Torry Holt, Frank Gore
CONSIDER: Isaac Bruce, Ram Defense
BENCH: Randy McMichael, Trent Dilfer, Darrell Jackson, Arnaz Battle, Vernon Davis

The Rams should once again dust off their offense and look pretty in this one. When they're healthy, they can still put up points. Steven Jackson has successfully made it an entire week injury-free. He should put up nice numbers. Bulger should party like it's 2006 in this one, and look for Big Game to finally have one as well. Should you really consider the Ram defense? Sure, they're going against Dilfer. There's Pop Warner teams with better offenses than the Niners.
It's hard to imagine Dilfer really dragging the Niners down any more than Alex Smith, but who knows, maybe he'll prove us wrong again. Give Frank Gore one last shot here, the Rams are bad against the run and Gore seems genuinely annoyed at his massive quantity of suckage thus far. The rest of the 49ers? No thanks. Not even against the Rams' swiss cheese.

Redskins @ Cowboys
Redskin Offense - Receiving: 192.8 (26), Rushing: 132.1 (8)
Cowboy Defense - Receiving: 231.1 (20), Rushing: 86.8 (5)

Cowboy Offense - Receiving: 283.9 (3), Rushing: 122.6 (10)
Redskin Defense - Receiving: 231 (19), Rushing: 99.9 (11)

START: Clinton Portis, Chris Cooley, Tony Romo, Terrell Owens, Jason Witten
CONSIDER: Marion Barber, Cowboy Defense
BENCH: Jason Campbell, Ladell Betts, Santana Moss, Antwaan Randle El, Redskin Defense, Julius Jones, Patrick Crayton

The Redskins really haven't been the same since they got humiliated by the Patriots. Still, Clinton Portis has 66 carries the past 2 weeks, not counting receptions. He should break down soon, but until then, he must be active. In the least exciting NFL news since it was announced that Trent Dilfer and Rex Grossman were once again starting NFL QBs, Santana Moss has declared himself good to go. Even against the pedestrian Cowboy pass D, you should be able to do better.
Terrell Owens has gone insane the past 3 weeks...and not in the way you expect TO to go insane. He has 100+ and at least one TD in all of those games. The Skins will likely be without Sean Taylor, so that only boosts TO's value further. Why does Julius Jones continue to get more work than Marion Barber? Nobody knows. Wade Phillips works in mysterious, ways. Perhaps ill-advised ways when it comes to the ground game. Maybe he likes Romo being forced to pass, who knows.

Sunday Night Football

Patriots @ Bills
Patriot Offense - Receiving: 303.2 (2), Rushing: 132.3 (7)
Bill Defense - Receiving: 247 (25), Rushing: 118.4 (20)

Bill Offense - Receiving: 179.8 (28), Rushing: 104.6 (17)
Patriot Defense - Receiving: 206.7 (7), Rushing: 90.6 (6)

START: Tom Brady, Randy Moss, Wes Welker (check), Donte Stallworth, Patriot Defense
CONSIDER: Laurence Maroney
BENCH: Kevin Faulk, Ben Watson, J.P. Losman, Marshawn Lynch (out), Anthony Thomas, Lee Evans

The last time we saw the Bills on national TV, they nearly shocked the Cowboys.
This time, the Bills are without their star, Marshawn Lynch could miss multiple weeks. Enter Anthony Thomas. You shouldn't even consider him. Lee Evans should be smothered in this one, considering that the Bills have no other weapons. There won't be a shocker here, this should be a white-washing.
Look for Tom Brady to be shamelessly padding his stats and throwing 3 yard TD passes despite a 40+ point lead with 10 minutes left in the 4th quarter. Wes Welker is listed as "questionable" with a mystery ailment. Bill Belichick is so sly. Somehow the Patriots have managed the NFL's 7th best rushing attack despite the lack of a single reliable fantasy rusher. Ben Watson should be back to full-speed this week, but you should have a more consistent option. The rest of the Pats' WR corps should find themselves open deep early and often against a mediocre defense.

Monday Night Football

Titans @ Broncos
Titan Offense - Receiving: 171 (30), Rushing: 139.8 (4)
Bronco Defense - Receiving: 211.7 (9), Rushing: 151 (31)

Bronco Offense - Receiving: 238.2 (13), Rushing: 117.8 (13)
Titan Defense - Receiving: 206 (6), Rushing: 139.8 (4)

START: LenDale White, Titan Defense
CONSIDER: Brandon Marshall, Bronco Defense
BENCH: Vince Young, Roydell Williams, Jay Cutler, Travis Henry, Selvin Young, Brandon Stokley, Tony Scheffler

Don't look for Vince Young to suddenly bust out a big passing day here. Despite his disappearing act in Week 10, you've got to ride the Whale here. Look for LenDale White to run like he's going to Krispy Kreme against the terrible Bronco rush D. The solid Titan D should give the Broncos fits. Of course, they also shouldn't have got lit against the Jags last week, but that was last week.
The disappointing Bronco offense should get a shot in the ass next week when it's possible that Javon Walker returns, but that's next week. Travis Henry is expected to be active in what is likely his last game before his one-year suspension begins, despite his noble efforts to appeal and continue receiving that paycheck to support those 9 kids. This RBBC will hurt both Henry and Selvin's values. Brandon Marshall could beat someone deep, but probably not.

Check back Sunday for the Major Game Day Inactives.
And...

Kings Plays of the Week!!! Week 11

POWERHOUSE Pick-Ups Week 11

Week 10 is officially in the books. Unfortunately the week was highlighted by an injury to mega-stud rookie Adrian Peterson. He looks to be down and out for a number of weeks. As always, we’ll keep you posted on that. Hey, at least we don’t have bye weeks to worry about anymore.

On to this weeks pick-ups.

Quarterbacks

Brodie Croyle, Kansas City- Herm Edwards will do anything to get his offense going and has named Croyle his starter for week 11. I personally think Croyle is below average at best, but with his new starting gig in KC, I guess he’s worth keeping an eye on. Stay away…for now.

Running Backs

Chester Taylor, Minnesota- Adrian Peterson injured, ummm…I think we have heard this before. Peterson tore his LCL, and is already ruled out for week 11. Word out of Minnesota is that he could be out for up to six weeks. In wake of Peterson’s record setting pace, many owners cut ties with Chester Taylor. Be sure to get a claim in for him. He runs and catches really well and has relatively fresh legs. Brad Childress loves to run the ball and that won’t change now that Peterson is out. I love Taylor as a borderline RB1 this week vs. Oakland, and I see him as a solid RB2 as long as Peterson is out.

Maurice Morris, Seattle- As I suspected Shaun Alexander missed Monday nights match up hindered by a variety of injuries and old age. Morris started, and while he didn’t do much to distinguish himself, he was solid enough to keep the job if Alexander misses any more time. Morris is definitely worth a pick up.

Aaron Stecker, New Orleans- A recurring theme in New Orleans the last few weeks is Reggie Bush getting injured. A hip, a knee, a mild concussion; those minor injuries will add up over time. Be proactive, not reactive and pick up Stecker. He is a must handcuff for Bush owners and in the event of a Bush injury I think Stecker could make for a solid play when the match up is right.

Wide Receivers

DJ Hackett, Seattle- Had you listened to my advice last week you would have reaped the rewards of an 8 catch 101 yard TD performance last night. I know he won my match up for me late last night with his TD grab. He has quickly become Matt Hasselbeck’s favorite target, and I wouldn’t be too worried about the return of Deion Branch as he has never been much of a red zone threat. This is your last call on Hackett as he will be a hot commodity this week. I like him as a borderline WR2 going forward.

Chris Henry, Cincinnati- Another guy mentioned here previously. Henry didn’t waste any time producing upon return from his suspension with 4 grabs for 99 yards. He is as likely to score a touchdown as he is to get arrested, but while he is on the field he should be a good bet for solid production as a WR3.

Mark Clayton, Baltimore- A Raven wide receiver?? I know it’s a little shady. If you remember, Clayton was pretty hyped coming into the season after a solid sophomore campaign. If you believe in the 3rd year wideouts theory, as I do, he should have been in line for a breakout year. He began this season battling through a variety of injuries. He is finally healthy and coming off his best game of the season, 8 catches for 107 yards. The Raven quarterback situation is abysmal, that whole team is for that matter, but Clayton could have some value down the stretch. If you want a reserve WR with some upside, Clayton is your guy.

Tight End

LJ Smith- HE’S ALIVE!! Here is another guy with high hopes coming into the season and has battled injury since the preseason. Smith had his best game of the season, 4 catches 49 yards and a score, and should be a solid play while healthy. If you are in a tight spot at tight end give Smith a try.

Defense/ST

This just in…the Ravens and 49ers are terrible. Any DEF/ST playing against these teams is a lock for a bunch of sacks, turnovers, and absurdly low yardage totals against. If you are stuck without a dependable DEF/ST and are relegated to playing the match ups every week like me, have fun starting either STL @ SF or CLE @ BAL.

Hoop pick-ups coming later this week...I promise.

HUGE Injury News - Adrian Peterson

Adrian Peterson has a torn ligament in his knee.
"Luckily", it is his Lateral Collateral Ligament (LCL) rather than his ACL, MCL or PCL. This should allow him to return yet this season.
Also, the Vikings are claiming that Purple Jesus could even return to practice early in Week 12.
THe consensus opinion, however, puts All Day out for 2-4 weeks and I have absolutely no idea why the Vikings would risk running their prize player back. The Vikings are in the midst of a bad season and shouldn't be willing to risk further injury to Peterson's already torn knee.

Chester Taylor's value gets a slight bump, but do not get carried away here. Apparently he might only start for one week and he is nowhere near the gamebreaker that Peterson is. The Vikings still have no passing game to take the pressure off.

Game Day Inactives--Update

Broncos: Travis Henry is out. Selvin Young will get the start.

Falcons: Byron Leftwich, Jerious Norwood and Joe Horn are all inactive.

Panthers: David Carr is inactive. Vinny Testaverde is expected to start.

Redskins: Santana Moss is inactive.

Game Day Inactives

This is the early edition of Game Day Inactives.

Chiefs: Larry Johnson is inactive.

Colts: Marvin Harrison and Anthony Gonzalez are inactive.

Falcons: Byron Leftwich is inactive.

Giants: Derrick Ward is inactive.

Packers: Bubba Franks is inactive.

Panthers: David Carr is inactive. Matt Moore is expected to start.

Beating the House--Week 10

Feeling a little under the weather this weekend and last week's picks had a similar effect on me...I guess even the mention of Brandon Lang must have upset the gambling Gods...in brief, the Bungles and Seaturds clearly have no balls on defense and the Pats finally suffered their first loss...against the spread, that is...we'll miss them this time around as we try to steer the bus back onto dry land and respectability...

Jacksonville (+4.5) at Tennessee--The Titans really impress me with their defense...not so much on offense although LenDale White has had three 100 yd. rushing efforts in a row...he won't do it here, I like the Jags to win this one outright...pick: Jaguars.

Denver (+3) at Kansas City--Broncos looked absolutely horrible last week in Motown so most would be quick to jump all over the Chiefs...no so fast...without LJ, this game is a lot closer to even...not convinced Priest saves the day here...pick: Broncos.

Buffalo (-2.5) at Miami--Bills playing great lately and should enjoy a nice day offensively here against punchless Fins...not sure a bye week makes any difference as Losman gives his team a nice boost of confidence...pick: Bills.

Cleveland (+10) at Pittsburgh--Browns are far from being pushovers and proved it again last week after falling behind early...Derek Anderson is the real deal...however, the Steelers own the Dawgs in this series and barely broke a sweat on MNF...big number but...pick: Steelers.

St. Louis (+10.5) at New Orleans--I could be fit for the straitjacket for going with the Rams again but I am doing it...they owe me and have to come around soon...a banged-up Reggie Bush doesn't help Saints control the clock...Rams probably lose but not by that much...pick: Rams.

Atlanta (+3.5) at Carolina--How are the Panthers favored over anybody right now? Falcons have showed some decent fight and I'll have to go with them here with that extra half-point...especially if Matt Moore starts at QB for home team...pick: Falcons.

Philadelphia (+3) at Washington--Eagles are easily one of the most disappointing teams around...Skins are one of the most overrated teams around...Philly can kiss their season goodbye with another loss so expect a big effort from Donovan and Co...pick: Eagles.

Minnesota (+5.5) at Green Bay--It's Old Lion Favre vs. Young Lion Peterson...Vikings usually play the Pack close, even on the road, but can't go against Favre anymore...if the Pack can bottle up Purple Jesus at all, this game is decided in the air so the call is easy...pick: Packers.

Cincinnati (+3.5) at Baltimore--True, I disparaged the Bengals up above but will back them again because the Ravens are just atrocious...if they don't have their fearsome defense anymore, what do they have? A whole lotta nothing...pick: Bengals.

Chicago (-3) at Oakland--Two bad teams go at it in the Black Hole...perfect setting for a tilt that few will care about...Raiders are banged up and getting pushed around all over the place...the guess here is that rested Bears will continue the trend...pick: Bears.

Dallas (-1) at New York Giants--Great marquee matchup for the late afternoon...Romo celebrated his new contract by carving up Eagles while Giants recovered from their trip to London...they're as healthy as they've been all season and will be amped up after defense was embarrassed in Week 1 by the Boys...pick: Giants.

Detroit (+1) at Arizona--Lions are playing with all kinds of confidence but I should listen to my Denver reference...a team can look great one week and like absolute dung the next...but when do I ever listen to myself? Lions can now run the ball and D is playing great...pick: Lions.

Indianapolis (-3.5) at San Diego--After the Pats beat undefeated Dallas, I called them to go out and beat up on their next opponent...and I was right...if Indy was at full strength and playing at home, I would probably give the same advice...Chargers are a different team on home turf and should be up for this one...pick of the week: Chargers.

San Francisco (+10) at Seattle--Even with Frank Gore, this SF squad is still struggling to find their identity...Seahawks may have no running game or defense but that won't matter as I'm sure they're still smarting from blown game in Cleveland...pick: Seahawks.

Last Week: 6-8 To Date: 68-55-7