Brandon Jacobs sure looked good…maybe the Lions defense helped. But still, his value is definitely on the rise, especially given that he is the go-to guy inside the 10. Bradshaw tore up the defenses again, rushing for yet another 100+ yard game. He is now officially a must start, solid RB1 as long as he is healthy. Eli continues to show his faith in Steve Smith, who is invaluable as of now in PPR leagues. Manningham had a good game, but I would need him to move up a bit in the pecking order to start him as my WR3. Nicks had a down game, catching 3 passes for 8 yards, but one bad performance would not stop me or should stop anyone from starting him again next week.
NEVER bench Calvin Johnson thinking doing so will make you look smart. It won’t. It just WON’T. It will, however, be a cause of joy and celebration for your opponent. Javhit Best has a dangerous chance of losing some serious fantasy value, coming up with yet another sub-par performance. Shaun Hill left the game in the 2nd quarter. At this point, with the Lions’ bye coming up in week 7, Hill should be dropped in all leagues in favor of the returning Matthew Stafford.
Rams 20 – Chargers 17
Sam Bradford rebounded nicely from his horrendous performance last week, passing for almost 200 yards, 1 touchdown, and no interceptions. Stephen Jackson had another typical SJax game, putting up 109 yards and a touchdown. Danny Amendola, the hot pickup this week, saw some looks, but only managed to grab 3 catches for 19 yards. Danario Alexander, a nice-looking young talent, had 4 receptions for 72 yards and a touchdown. He may not be worthy of a waiver claim yet, but pay attention to his progress.
Is it now the time to hit the panic button in San Diego? After beginning the season 2-3 for yet another year, the Chargers played the entire game behind the St. Louis RAMS, en route to a 2-4 record. Rivers had a sub-par game, throwing for 249 yards with a touchdown and a pick. Mathews was not 100%, but looked decent in limited attempted for 64 yards. He added 3 catches for 12 yards and had another touchdown vultured by the ever-annoying Mike Tolbert. Seriously, can we really start the guy who’s getting less than 5 carries a game? Antonio Gates and Malcom Floyd both were largely nonexistent in this game. They had 2 catches each for 12 and 15 yards respectively before leaving the game with injuries – ankle for Gates and hamstring for Floyd. Patrick Crayton, who is Legadu Naanee’s replacement, stepped up and had 6 receptions for 117 yards, and should be a solid pick up if Gates and Floyd’s injury appears limiting.
Dolphins 23 – Packers 20
Overtime thriller in Lambau ended in a Miami routing of the banged-up Packers. Chad Henne threw for 231 yards, 127 of which went to Brandon Marshall on 10 catches. Devon Bess was the beneficiary of Marshall’s presence and reeled in a touchdown, along with 4 other grabs for a total of 37 yards. Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams split the carries 19 – 13 for 73 and 64 yards respectively. This timeshare situation in Miami really limits the value of both players and neither is recommended for anything other than flex options until one clearly emerges over the other as the dominant rusher.
The Packers played without NFL sack leader Clay Matthews, and it showed. Aaron Rodgers played after suffering from a concussion last week against the Redskins, and tossed for 313 yards with 1 touchdown and 1 pick. He also rushed for a touchdown to tie the game at 20 in the waning moments of the 4th quarter. Greg Jennings owners everywhere breathed a sigh of relief as he reeled in 6 catches for 133 yards with a touchdown, coming off an 86 yards hookup late in the first quarter with Rodgers. Donald Driver, who was a late addition to the injury report with a strained quad, was limited to 3 catches and 31 yards. Brandon Jackson had 12 carries for 53 yards, and added 3 catches for 29 yards. John Kuhn had 5 carries for 9 yards, and after being stopped 3 consecutive times at the Miami 1 yard line, should be dropped in all leagues.
Steelers 28 – Browns 10
The return of Big Ben had many nervous fantasy owners fearing. Well, fear no more. As assuring as we were that Big Ben would come back strong, it wasn’t as assuring as his 257 yard, 3 touchdown performance. He split the wealth evenly, passing 1 touchdown each to Mike Wallace, Hines Ward, and Heath Miller (all 3’s value should rise dramatically with Big Ben’s return) while only throwing 1 interception. Rashard Mendenhall had his usual strong game, seeing 27 carries for 84 yards, a touchdown, and 3 receptions for 15 yards.
Colt McCoy did better than I thought he would, but is far from fantasy-valuable yet. Give him time (like a year of time). The youngster passed for 281 yards, 1 touchdown, and 2 interceptions. Peyton Hillis, one of the biggest ifs this week, put up a nice game. He rushed for 41 yards on 12 attempts while adding 49 yards on 6 receptions. TE Benjamin Watson had 6 receptions for 88 yards and a touchdown, but chances are you didn’t start him this week.
Texans 35 – Chiefs 31
Boy did we have an exciting one here, especially if we were proud owners of Schaub, Foster, Andre Johnson, Matt Cassel, Thomas Jones, Jamaal Charles, and Dwayne Bowe. Wow that’s a lot of names. Yes, they all had great games. Basically everyone who was fantasy-worthy in this game stepped up. Matt Schaub finally put doubts to rest, putting up 305 yards and 2 touchdowns. Arian Foster had yet another multi-touchdown game, rushing for 71 yards on 18 attempts along with his pair of touchdowns, and adding 6 catches for 26 yards in the air. Andre Johnson certainly looked 100%, grabbing 8 passes for 138 yards and a touchdown.
Where do I start on the Chiefs? First, fantasy experts finally were able to look smart after recommending Matt Cassel as a popular bye replacement at QB. Cassel worked efficiently with the run-heavy offense in Kansas City, passing for 201 yards with 3 touchdowns, 2 of which went to Dwayne Bowe. Bowe, who has always been a recipient of great expectations, finally lived up to it. He caught 6 passes for 108 yards along with the 2 touchdowns. Thomas Jones, coming off a sub-par game last week, got 19 carries for exactly 100 yards and a touchdown. Jamaal Charles had a nice game of his own, making the most of his 16 carries for 93 yards. It is difficult to figure out the RB tandem in Kansas City, but at this point Charles still looks like the safer start. Although the timeshare situation keeps both out of RB1 status, Charles is still a solid RB2, and Thomas Jones hovering around the flex area. Tony Moeaki, who was also projected for a good game, had 2 catches for 21 yards.
Eagles 31 – Falcons 17
Oh what to do in Philadelphia! After back-to-back games of absolutely stellar performance for Kevin Kolb, what is Reid to do when Vick returns from injury? Wildcat every play? Of course, we wouldn’t trust Andy Reid with a bag of candy, let along quarterback decisions, but we should cross that road when we actually get to it. As of now, Vick is just getting comfortable combing his hair, and Kolb is playing out of his mind, so keep both and pay close attention to how they develop.
Moving on to the actual game – it was a game of mixed feeling for DeSean Jackson owners. We all knew DeSean got game when we drafted him in the second round, and he finally showed it. His 31 yard touchdown rush in the opening minutes of the 1st quarter gave the Eagles their first lead of the game, and they would never look back, because, well, minutes later he added a 34 yard touchdown reception. DJax had to leave the game with a severe concussion however, and would not return. Fantasy owners have their fingers crossed in hopes that their star player returning in week 7 and continuing to perform at the same level. Jeremy Maclin called DJax’s performance, and raised him up with a 7 receptions, 159 yards, 2 touchdowns performance of his own. Maclin has great chemistry with Kolb, and should be nothing less than a WR2 moving forward no matter who is under center. LeSean McCoy had a decent game, going for 64 yards on 21 carries and adding 21 yards on 4 catches.
Matt Ryan had a decent game of his own, throwing for 250 yards and 2 touchdowns and 1 interception. However, he did complete just 23 of 42 passes. Roddy White had his usual game, minus the touchdowns, but still catching 6 passes for 83 yards. Michael Jenkins, 1 of the popular sleeper picks this week, put up 5 catches for 99 yards. Tony Gonzalez killed my fantasy team this week, catching 3 passes for a meager 19 yards but 2 touchdowns. Michael Turner had a below-average game, massing 45 yards on 15 carries and catching 1 pass for 4 yards.
Patriots 23 – Ravens 20
Brady likes Branch. Brady likes Branch. Brady likes Branch. Who does Brady like? If you said Deion Branch, you are correct. Pick him up on waivers on all leagues following his 9 catches, 98 yards, 1 touchdown game. This is not a fluke. There is no hiding Brady’s love for Branch, especially during crunch time. Aside from Branch though, Brady had an overall not-so-great game. He did throw for 292 yards, but with only 1 touchdown and 2 interceptions. Aaron Hernandez caught 4 passes for 61 yards, Welker 7 for 53 yards. Danny Woodhead surprised everyone with 11 carries for 63 yards. I would probably not waste a top 3 waiver position for him (that should be used for Branch anyway), but if I had a 5 or lower waiver position I would definitely pick him up. Benjarvis Green-Ellis took a backseat to Woodhead and had 10 carries for 20 yards, and a touchdown. Brandon Tate had only 1 play in this game, and was a rush for 22 yards. Hernandez also had a rush of his own for 18 yards.
Joe Flacco had a great game, tossing for 285 yards, 2 touchdowns, and no picks. Derrick Mason caught 8 passes for 100 yards. Anquan Boldin caught 4 for 63 yards and a touchdown. Todd Heap added 3 catches, 49 yards, and a touchdown of his own. Ray Rice certainly looks healthy, rushing for 28 times for 88 yards, also catching 8 passes for 38 yards. That’s 36 total touches…stop drooling Rice owners.
Seahawks 23 – Bears 20
Buckle up guys, the Seahawks are for real! Well, at least given their division, they are a playoff contender. Hasselbeck threw for 242 yards and a touchdown, but all eyes were on the Seahawks backfield, coming out of the bye with their new acquisition Marshawn Lynch. Lynch performed below expectations though. He rushed for only 44 yards on 17 attempts while reeling in 3 catches for 9 yards. He did, however, rush for a touchdown. He was outperformed by his running mate Justin Forsett, who rushed for 67 yards on 10 carries, caught a pass for 9 yards, and also scored a touchdown. Mike Williams (SEA) was the recipient of most of Hasselbeck’s passes, catching 10 for 123 yards. His value should continue to rise and should be picked up if there is room to spare. The 1 catch that mattered most for us fantasy owners, however, was a touchdown pass to Deion Butler. Butler had himself a nice game of 4 catches and 47 yards. His fantasy value rises with the departure of Deion Branch, but still should not be started unless desperate.
The Bears just didn’t look good the entire game. Take away the 1 touchdown by Forte, he had a terrible game, rushing for a meager 11 yards on 8 carries, but catching 3 passes for 40 yards. Johnny Knox continues to show how dangerous he is with the big plays, massing 120 yards on just 5 catches. Cutler did throw for 290 yards, but had no touchdowns. His completion percentage can also be better, completing just 17 of 39 passes. Devin Hester returned another punt for touchdown, but his mediocre production outside of special team just doesn’t warrant a starting spot at this point.
Saints 31 - Buccaneers 6
Drew Brees fans rejoice! Superbowl MVP regained his form today, throwing 3 touchdowns with 263 yards and just 1 interception. What a great day for underperforming elite quarterbacks all across the board. Lance Moore, who continues to be a wildcard, caught 1 of Brees’ touchdowns, along with 1 other pass for 57 total yards. Robert Meachem caught 4 passes for 71 yards and a touchdown. Marques Colston had another mediocre performance, reeling in 5 catches for 53 yards, no touchdown. Chris Ivory had a career game, carrying the ball for only 15 times, yet gaining 158 yards. Yes, that is 10 yards per carry. He also caught a pass for 17 yards. The lone Saints rushing touchdown was vultured, however, by Ladell Betts, who had 5 other carries for 20 yards.
Josh Freeman continues to have decent games. But that’s all they are, decent. He threw for 219 yards and 1 touchdown. He is a quality bye-week replacement, but I still would suggest finding better alternatives if he is your regular starter. The Bucs backfield continues to struggle on the ground. Cadillac rushed for just 18 yards on 10 attempts while Kareem Huggins had 7 yards on 3. Cadillac did catch 7 passes for 63 yards, which is more than both Mike Williams (4 catches, 45 yards) and Kellen Winslow (7 catches, 43 yards), both of whom I expected bigger games out of.
Jets 24 – Broncos 20
The New York Jets are 5-1, despite a mediocre game from Mark Sanchez. Sanchez threw for 198 yards, 1 touchdown, and 2 picks. LT continues to turn back the clock, rushing for 2 touchdowns, totaling 55 yards on 16 carries. Shonne Green continues to put up average games, making the most of his 9 carries for 43 yards. Braylon Edwards caught a TD pass early, altogether putting up 4 catches and 46 yards. Santonio Holmes caught 4 passes for 47 yards, and also had 1 rush for 14 yards. Dustin Keller caught just 3 passes, but managed to gain 75 yards total.
Revis Island was in the game today, but it’s getting a little flooded. He did not look 100% while covering Jabar Gaffney, who had another big game of 6 catches, 81 yards. Brandon Lloyd cooled off a little, but still managed to present his deep threat value by grabbing 4 passes for 74 yards. The lone passing touchdown for the Broncos went to Demaryius Thomas, which was also his lone catch of the day for 17 yards. Kyle Orton finally threw for less than 300 yards today, totaling 209 yards and 1 passing touchdown. Tim Tebow had some fun today, rushing 6 times for 23 yards, including a touchdown. But that means absolutely nothing as far as fantasy value goes. Knowshon Moreno returned to action today, getting 12 carries for 48 yards, a promising sign for his owners. His presence will defer some passing plays to rushing plays for the Broncos, but it will also free up some of the receivers. Therefore, I think the fantasy value of Orton and Broncos receivers will remain mostly the same.
49ers 17 – Raiders 9
I won’t lie. This was an ugly one to watch. Frank Gore started up really cold, but had a 64 yard run to bring his rushing total to a whopping 25 carries for 149 yards. Alex Smith certainly looked like a whole different person after being booed by 50,000 fans in his home field last week, as he threw for almost 200 yards with 2 touchdowns. One of these touchdowns was to Michael Crabtree, his 2nd straight game with a touchdown reception. He reeled in 4 catches total for 57 yards. Vernon Davis also caught 4 passes for 35 yards, 1 of which was a desperation screen pass from Smith that turned into a 17 yards touchdown.
The Raiders were just awful. Nobody had even a decent game to speak of. Jason Campbell threw for 83 yards and 2 interceptions. Michael Bush rushed 20 times for 47 yards. Louis Murphy caught 1 pass for 4 yards (although he had 1 rush for 43 yards). Zach Miller, who had been on fire, caught just 2 passes for 48 yards. Their best fantasy player was Sebastian Janikowski, who hit 3 field goals, including 1 from 40 yard away.
Vikings 24 – Cowboys 21
Game of the week, and it didn’t disappoint. Unfortunately it wasn’t a huge game for fantasy owners, as all players put up very average stats. Adrian Peterson was very limited, massing 73 yards on 24 rushing attempts and catching a pass for a loss of 2. He did have a 1 yard touchdown run to rebound his numbers a little. Brett Favre threw for only 118 yard, and 1 touchdown, to Greg Camarillo, whom nobody started. Randy Moss had 5 catches for 55 yards, and Percy Harvin caught 3for 21 Yards, ran twice for 18 yards, and returned a kickoff for a touchdown.
Tony Romo had another Romo-isk game. He threw for a respectable 220 yards, a whopping 3 touchdowns, but also 2 costly picks. Felix Jones was everywhere today, but unfortunately he couldn’t make any big plays, rushing for 32 yards on 14 attempts but catching 10 passes for 61 yards. It looks like Marion Barber is going to be used only in short yardage situations now, so drop him if you still haven’t. Roy Williams just continue to shut critics up, as he caught 2 more touchdown passes from Romo. His total yardage isn’t impressive, only 3 catches for 28 yards, but his fantasy points sure are. Dez Bryant finally caught his first touchdown of his career, an impressive 31 yard heave for his lone catch of the day. Jason Witten and Miles Austin both had down games. Witten catching 3 passes for 52 yards, Austin 2 passes for 12.
Colts 27 - Redskins 24
It seemed like the Colts just didn’t want to win this one, coughing up the ball 3 times. Peyton Manning managed to pull out of the nail biter though, throwing for yet another 300 yards performance with a pair of touchdowns and 1 of those fumbles. Pierre Garcon had a monster first half, catching 4 passes for 103 yards, including a 57 yard grab for a touchdown, but disappeared the rest of the game. Austin Collie found the end zone again, totaling 7 catches for 57 yards. Reggie Wayne didn’t score, but hauled in 6 receptions for 71 yards. Dallas Clark had another below average game for him, catching 6 for 52 yards. Joseph Addai carried the ball 17 times for 128 yards and a score before leaving the game yet again following a helmet to helmet hit (fumbling in the process). Mike Hart picked up 11 carries for 43 yards in his absence.
Donovan McNabb managed to put up 246 yards, but only 1 touchdown and 2 interceptions. He spread the ball around. Santana Moss caught 8 passes for 77 yards, Anthony Armstrong had a decent performance, catching 5 passes for 46 yards. So far he has been shown to be the top deep threat for McNabb, and might be worth a pickup for a bye week replacement. Chris Cooley had an average game, grabbing 5 passes for 37 yards. Ryan Torain had a breakout game, reaching the century mark for the first time on 20 carries, and, oh yea, 2 touchdowns.
Titans 30 - Jaguars 3
The ugliest Monday Night Football game in recent memory, the Titans Jags game was hard to watch, especially since it was played in Jacksonville in front of 50,000 disappointed fans. Both quarterbacks hit the deck early. Vince Young left in the 1st quarter with a sprained knee, and David Garrard followed him in the 2nd quarter with a concussion. Before he left, Vince Young completed 3 of 5 passes for 61 yards and a touchdown to Kenny Britt. Garrard completed 7 of 12 passes for 49 yards and a pick. Kerry Collins, Young’s replacement, threw for 110 yards and a touchdown to tight end Bo Scaife. Trent Edwards didn’t have such a good performance. He threw for 140 yards, looked sharp for a couple of drives, but finished the day with no touchdowns and 2 interceptions.
Chris Johnson was largely ineffective on Monday. He gained a lot of his yards in garbage time of the 4th quarter and rushed for a 35 yard breakaway touchdown in the waning minutes of the game to bring his total yards to 131. Javon Ringer looked better than CJ in his limited carries, rushing for 42 yards in 10 attempts. The Tennessee receive corps put up largely average stats, as they pretty much just ran out the clock after halftime. Scaife had 4 catches total for 53 yards along with that touchdown. Kenny Britt had 2 catches total for 33 yards along with his touchdown.
Maurice Jones-Drew had a day to forget. With the Titans stuffing the box with every play, MJD rushed for only 57 yards. Neither Garrard or Edwards could take advantage of the Titans 1 on 1 coverage on defense, and aside from Mike Thomas’ 8 catches for 88 yards, no one else had decent stats. Tight End Mercedes Lewis had 4 grabs for 39 yards, and Mikes Sims-Walker continued to disappoint with 2 catches for 16 yards.
* Images curtesy of NFL.com
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