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.