- 14
- Nov
So the Thursday night game is done and everything went according to plan….well for me anyway. Here’s how I see the fantasy impact of the other games this week…
Denver Broncos @ Atlanta Falcons
Now these are the games I love. Shootouts. Just a haven for fantasy points and if you’re lucky to have players in this game, then I’d hate to be playing you this week. The Denver defense, as we’ve heard time and time again, is just plain awful. Michael Turner should have a big day running all over them, and Matt Ryan should have plenty of time after that to sail the ball around the depleted Broncos secondary. Roddy White and Michael Jenkins both make for solid plays this week. As for the Broncos, well, just expect them to air it out all afternoon. So desperate to have a ground game, Denver went so far as to resign Tatum Bell to spell usual fullback Peyton Hillis who should get the nod over the banged up Selvin Young. It won’t work. The primary attack from Denver is coming through the air, so watch out for Jay Cutler, Brandon Marshall and Eddie Royal. The Falcons pass defense ranks 21st in the league and gives up an average of 228.4 passing yards per game. It might be different with no RB to contain, but it’ll be hard to count out Cutler who’s having a career year so far. The Good: Matt Ryan, Michael Turner, Roddy White, Jay Cutler, Brandon Marshall The OK: Eddie Royal, Tony Scheffler, Michael Jenkins, Jerrious Norwood The Ugly: Any Denver RB
Minnesota Vikings @ Tampa Bay Bucaneers
This should be an interesting matchup this week. The Bucs have had a week off to regroup from their previous mishaps while the Vikings are rolling with 2 solid wins since their bye. Both defense are great against the run while the advantage against the pass leans towards Tampa. But if you’re asking me, and by reading this you are, I think the Vikings could struggle in this one. Adrian Peterson should still have a good day (hell, if Jamaal Charles can do it, so can he), but the interception prone Gus Frerotte could have a long day. If the Tampa D keys on Bernard Berrian like the Packers did last week, then they’re cutting a huge part out of the Minnesota offense. Sidney Rice and Visanthe Shiancoe aren’t going to be able to do it by themselves this week. The Bucs, on the other hand, really can exploit that 19th ranked pass defense of the Vikes. With the 3 headed monster of Warrick Dunn, Earnest Graham and Cadillac Williams (remember him?) in the backfield, they should be able to keep the Vikings honest and have things open up in the air. Look for Jeff Garcia and favorite target Antonio Bryant to hook up often. The Good: Adrian Peterson, Jeff Garcia, Antonio Bryant The OK: Gus Frerotte, Bernard Berrian, Visanthe Shiancoe, Joey Galloway The Ugly: Bucs RBs, Michael Clayton, Bobby Wade
Baltimore Ravens @ New York Giants
Another good matchup here. The Giants put up and average of 374.7 total yards per game (4th in the NFL) while the Ravens D ranks 2nd in the league giving up only 258.4 yards per game. So who’s gonna give? While I see Brandon Jacobs and the rest of the ground game of the Giants having some difficulties, I have no problem seeing Eli Manning carving up that banged up Baltimore secondary. Plaxico Burress is going to have to shut his mouth and come up big, while Steve Smith, Amani Toomer and TE Kevin Boss will need to step up their games to give Eli other options. For the Ravens, the player to watch is former Rutgers star Ray Rice who returns home to New Jersey for the first time in his pro career. He got the nod over Willis McGahee last week and should get the bulk of the work this week. With the added help of LeRon McClain, the ground attack should be fierce which could really help out Joey Flacco. If he can stay out of trouble, then he and Derrick Mason could have themselves a very good day. The Good: Eli Manning, Plaxico Burress, Ray Rice The OK: Amani Toomer, Joey Flacco, Derrick Mason, Kevin Boss The Ugly: Brandon Jacobs, Derrick Ward, Willis McGahee, LeRon McClain
Oakland Raiders @ Miami Dolphins
The second weak-ass opponent in a row for the Dolphins, but can they turn things around this week and not stink it up? We’ll see. The bottom line is that the Raiders are just plain horrible on both sides of the ball and I don’t see any of them putting up and decent numbers against a formidable Fins defense. Even with the return of Jamarcus Russell and Darren McFadden, I don’t see Oakland putting up more than 10 points this game. The Fins, on the other hand, should do very well. Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams should both post solid rushing totals, and Chad Pennington should have himself a much better game than last week. Either Tedd Ginn, Jr. or Greg Camarillo should have a great day, whichever one is not being covered by Nnamdi Asomugha. Look for a re-emegence of Anthony Fasano in there as well. The Good: Ronnie Brown, Ricky Williams, Chad Pennington, Greg Camarillo The OK: Tedd Ginn, Jr., Anthony Fasano The Ugly: Any and all Raiders
New Orleans Saints @ Kansas City Chiefs
This one could be quite the aerial show. Since we’re not likely to see Reggie Bush and since Larry Johnson is rusty, I see both teams taking to the air early and often. Every “expert” seems to be riding the jock of Chief’s QB Tyler Thigpen, but I’m not toally convinced. Still though, in a shootout, he looks like a decent play here with guys like Tony Gonzalez, Mark Bradley and Dwayne Bowe as his primary targets. The Saints passing attack, is a no brainer. Drew Brees is a great start here despite his home/road splits and will have a full arsenal at his disposal. Marques Colston has been eased back in nicely, and with him, Lance Moore, Devery Henderson and Jeremy Shockey, the Chiefs could have their hands full all day. The Good: Drew Brees, Marques Colston, Lance Moore, Tyler Thigpen, Tony Gonzalez, Mark Bradley The OK: Devery Henderson, Jeremy Shockey, Deuce McAllister, Dwayne Bowe The Ugly: Larry Johnson, Billy Miller
Houston Texans @ Indianapolis Colts
One team surging, one team floundering. This coul dbe just the game the Colts were needing. After 2 very hard fought wins over the Patriots and the Steelers, Peyton Manning and Co. are welcoming the Texans defense (or lack thereof) with open arms. With a full arsenal of Reggie Wayne (expected to play), Marvin Harrison, Anthony Gonzalez and Dallas Clark, is there any wonder that the Colts will put up some serious points? Hell, even Joseph Addai should have himself a solid day. The Texans will live and die by Sage Rosenfels this week. The ground game should be ok with Steve Slaton, but the rookie seems to have hit a bit of a wall this late in the season, and the aerial attack is what the Texans will need to save them. That could mean either big numbers foor Rosenfels or big interceptions. Either way, there’s going to be a lot of action for Andre Johnson, Kevin Walter and Owen Daniels. What they do with it is up to them. The Good: Peyton Manning, Reggie Wayne, Dallas Clark, Andre Johnson The OK: Marvin Harrison, Joseph Addai, Owen Daniels, Steve Slaton The Ugly: Anthony Gonzalez, Kevin Walter
Detroit Lions @ Carolina Panthers
So the Panthers put up a relative fantasy stinker against the lowly Raiders in Oaktown last week. Don’t expect that to happen again. 7 of the last 9 QBs to face the Lions have put up season-best numbers, and Jake Delhomme should be no different. Steve Smith and Mushin Muhammed against the Detroit seconday is a horrible mismatch, so after DeAngelo Williams shreds Detroit, Smith and Muhammed are going to do some serious endzone dancing. As for the Lions offfens, well, I’m not too confident here. Daunte Culpepper will start, Drew Stanton could make an appearance, Kevin Smith will probably find himself abandoned midway through the second quarter, and unless your name is Calvin Johnson, I don’t see you catching too many passes. Lopsided is an understatement. The Good: Jake Delhomme, DeAngelo Williams, Steve Smith, Calvin Johnson The OK: Mushin Muhammed, Jonathan Stewart The Ugly: Any Lion not named Calvin
Philadelphia Eagles @ Cincinnati Bengals
Time for the Bengals to come back down to earth. After their first win of the season and a much needed bye week, the Bengals are going to remember what it’s like to get smacked in the NFL. Cedric Benson is going to find it very tough to find running room, and I see the Bengals abandoning the run in the second half. That puts it square on the shoulders of Ryan Fitzpatrick against the #6 passing D in the league. Both Chad Ocho Cinco and the disappointing T.J. Houshmandzadeh are going to have to work extra hard to get open quickly if they want to save Fitzpatrick from being knocked on his ass the whole game. For the Eagles, it should be points galore. Well, for Brian Westbrook and Donovan Mcnabb that is. Westbrook should have no trouble on the ground and should/will catch a few for some big time yardage as well. This should easily open things up for McNabb who will have DeSean Jackson and Kevin Curtis driving the Bengals secondary nuts. The Good: Brian Westbrook, Donovan McNabb, Kevin Curtis, DeSean Jackson The OK: Chad Ocho Cinco, T.J. Houshmandzadeh The Ugly: Ryan Fitzpatrick, Cedric Benson
Chicago Bears @ Green Bay Packers
Another big NFC North matchup here. The Packers need a win to stay in the hunt and the Bears need one to stay on top of the division. Both are going to be playing with reckless abandonment. Ryan Grant is going to have difficulties all day with the Bears 4th ranked run defense, but Aaron Rodgers, with the help of Greg Jennings and Donald Driver should do weel against the NFL’s 30th ranked pass D. Flip it around, and you’ve got the total opposite. The Packers 28th ranked run D is going to have a huge problem stopping Matt Forte, while the Kyle Orton led passing game takes on the 3rd best pass D in the league. Brandon Lloyd and Devin Hester will have to do plenty of work to get open downfield, but look for Orton to lean heavily on Forte and Greg Olsen all game, whether it’s through the run or the check downs. The Good: Matt Forte, Aaron Rodgers, Greg Jennings The OK: Donald Driver, Kyle Orton, Greg Olsen The Ugly: Brandon Lloyd, Devin Hester, Donald Lee
Arizona Cardinals @ Seattle Seahawks
An interesting game here. There’s no question that the Arizona offense is powerful. You’ve got Tim Hightower running against the 22nd ranked run D that allows an average of 120 yards per game and then you’ve got Kurt Warner throwing to Anquan Boldin, Larry Fitzgerald and Steve Breaston against the 31st ranked passing D. Mismatch? Indeed. The Cardinals will be putting up major fantasy points this week. But is the game a lock? I’m not so sure. We’ve got the long awaited return of Matt Hasselbeck in a home game in Seattle with an arsenal of receivers like Bobby Engram, Deion Branch, Koren Robinson and rookie TE John Carlson. Not the most iuntimidating group, but a group that should be able to get the job done against a team that nearly gave the game away to San Francisco last week. If Julius Jones and Maurice Morris can get their sh*t together, this coul dbe a tough game for the Cards. The Good: Kurt Warner, Anquan Boldin, Larry Fitzgerald, Tim Hightower The OK: Steve Breaston, Matt Hasselbeck, Bobby Engram, John Carlson, Julius Jones The Ugly: Deion Branch, Maurice Morris, Koren Robinson
St. Louis Rams @ San Francisco 49ers
The Battle of the Bottom-Feeders!!! While a game like this could be ugly by football purist standards, it coul dend up being a fantasy goldmine. Steven Jackson is expected to miss the game and Frank Gore is banged up, but will play. That means a whole lot of passing going on. Marc Bulger gets the start and should be relying heavily on Donnie Avery and Torry Holt. Antonio Pittman gets the nod in the backfield, but even with a shoddy Niners run D, he might not do too much. The Niners attack is going to depend on how much Gore can take. If he stays in, then expect him to get the bulk of the work to take some of the pressure off of Shaun Hill who, in my opinion, looked awful last week (SF Chroncile writers need to get a clue). With Arnaz Battle and Josh Morgan likely to be out, Hill has Isaac Bruce and a few no-names to rely on. I expect to see lots of multiple TE packages to free up Vernon Davis into the passing game. The Good: Marc Bulger, Donnie Avery, Torry Holt, Frank Gore (if healthy) The OK: Antonio Pittman, Isaac Bruce, Vernon Davis The Ugly: Shaun Hill, Jason Hill, Bryant Johnson
Tennessee Titans @ Jacksonville Jaguars
Where the world sees another big week for the Titans running game, I smell an upset. Yeah, yeah, I know I said that about the Bears last week, but this one’s in Jacksonville, and Jack Del Rio is righting the ship there. The Titans run defense is solid and should have quite the matchup against Maurice Jones-Drew and Fred Taylor, but their passing D still gives up almost 200 yards per game. That could open the doors for David Garrard and allow him to utilize Matt Jones, Reggie Williams and Marcedes Lewis a little more. I see Jerry Porter being a bit of a sleeper this week so if you need a decent WR3, you might want to give him a try. For the Titans, it’s going to have to be the ground game. The Jags’ pass D might give up an average of 214 yards per game, but we’re still talking Kerry Collins and a very limited corps of receivers. I defy Collins to do it 2 weeks in a row. Chris Johnson and LenDale White are going to need to be dominant here if the Titans want to stay undefeated. Like I said…I smell an upset. The Good: David Garrard, Matt Jones, LenDale White, Chris Johnson The OK: Marcedes Lewis, Jerry Porter, Bo Scaife, Maurice Jones-Drew The Ugly: Kerry Collins, Justin Gage, Reggie Williams, Fred Taylor
San Diego Chargers @ Pittsburgh Steelers
I see this one (well with the exception of my Jets win over the Pats) as the potential game of the week. Despite its struggles all season, I still see the Chargers offense being one fo the most potent in the league. That should be a nice test for the number one defense in the NFL. The Steelers rank first against the pass and 2nd against the run which should pose some fits for the Bolts. However, the Steelers did let the Colts back in last week, and all it takes is for one chink in the armor to open the floodgates. A lot is obviously going to depend on the performance of LaDanian Tomlinson. We already know Phillip Rivers can throw the rock and he’s got great options in Antonio Gates, Vincent Jackson, and the returning Chris Chambers. If LaDanian can put something together, then it could be a very tight contest. On the other side, it looks like Ben Roethlisberger is getting back to normal. Word out of Pitt says he was throwing bombs to his receivers all day in practice on Thursday. He’s going to need to, especially with the status of the Steelers’ running game. Willie Parker is supposed to be playing but his shoulder is all messed up still which means that Mewelde Moore will be eating into his carries and check downs. Big Ben is going to need big performances from his wideouts if the Steelers don’t want to blow another one. The Good: Phillip Rivers, Vincent Jackson, Antonio Gates, Hines Ward, Ben Roethlisberger The OK: LaDanian Tomlinson, Chris Chambers, Nate Washington The Ugly: Willie Parker/Mewelde Moore, Santonio Holmes, Malcolm Floyd
Dallas Cowboys @ Washington Redskins
The return of Tony Blow-mo!! That’s the big news here…..well, that and the fact that there’s a strong chance that Clinton Portis misses the game. But let’s get to the fantasy aspect. Romo admits that his pinkie is still bothering him and affecting his throwing, so that means more action for Marion Barber. The ground game is going to be crucial for Dallas especially considering how solid the Skins defense has been (5th against the run, 8th against the pass). If Romo’s still hurt, then Terrell Owens, Roy Williams and the returning Jason Witten could continue to struggle. If Barber finds a way to open it up on the ground and in the short dump offs though, then watch out. For the Skins, it coul dbe a rough day if Portis doesn’t see any action. The questionable status of Ladell Betts means that Shaun Alexander would assume primary backfield responsibilities and that’s just not going to be very good. Look for Jason Campbell to utilize Chris Cooley and Santana Moss as his primary source of points. The Good: Marion Barber, Jason Campbell, Chris Cooley, Santana Moss The OK: Tony Romo, Terrell Owens, Roy Williams, Jason Witten The Ugly: Shaun Alexander, Patrick Crayton
Cleveland Browns @ Buffalo Bills
Once again, two teams heading in opposite directions. The addition of Brady Quinn may have just energized the Browns enough to get past this game with success. Jamal Lewis called out his teammates to step it up, so he better be leading by example this week, and with targets like Braylon Edwards, Donte Stallworth and Kellen Winslow, Quinn should have a successful day…providing the weather holds. The Bills onthe other hand can only go as far as Trent Edwards can take them. Marshawn Lynch still hasn’t cracked the 100 yard barrier in a game, but still keeps defenses honest. If Edwards can find Lee Evans and Roscoe Parrish downfield, then the Bills should be able to put some points on the board. The Good: Brady Quinn, Braylon Edwards, Kellen Winslow, Marshawn Lynch, Lee Evans The OK: Jamal Lewis, Roscoe Parrish, Trent Edwards, Phil Dawson, Rian Lindell The Ugly: Donte Stallworth, James Hardy, Josh Reed