AFC EAST

 

Buffalo: RB C.J. Spiller was able to practice in full all week and is Probable for week 4 despite the quad injury he suffered week 3. However it's becoming clear that Spiller is too injury prone to be relied on heavily by the Bills and you can expect the time share between him and Fred Jackson to be a regular weekly thing. Spiller is a still a fantasy RB 1/2 most weeks with Jackson a fantasy RB2/3. Both have tough sledding against a Ravens run defense that ranks second in fewest fantasy points allowed on the ground and is one of only three teams to not allow a rushing TD on the season. WR Steve Johnson is fully expected to be fine despite having been limited in practices with a hamstring strain. He is listed as Probable and likely the Bills were just being cautious with their best WR. Dan Carpenter will again kick for Buffalo as rookie Dustin Hopkins remains OUT with a groin injury.  

 

Miami: The only thing that has marred Ryan Tannehill's second season has been an issue with fumbling, but otherwise he's been fairly effective at being an NFL QB. What it hasn't translated into though is being more than a mediocre fantasy QB2. Expect the hills and valleys of WR Mike Wallace to continue on a week to week basis. He was that way more often than not in Pittsburgh too if you remember. The Saints have actually been a very good fantasy pass defense this season; it's on the ground where they've been weakest and that bodes well for RB Lamar Miller. Miller has yet to distance himself from Daniel Thomas, but he is going to one of these weeks and it should happen in the next few games. Miller is a low end fantasy RB2 this week.

 

New England: There's an apparent disagreement going on between the Patriots and TE Rob Gronkowski. The Patriots think Gronk is capable of playing and Gronk apparently doesn't want to rush back too quickly. This is what is leading up to Gronk practicing every day but then not being active for games. Both he and WR Danny Amendola are listed as Questionable and both are considered game time decisions for week 4. Considering the Patriots play Sunday night, I wouldn't chance either Amendola or Gronkowski in a fantasy lineup. I would chance RB Brandon Bolden though if I had no other choice. Bolden is also listed as Questionable with a knee issue but he played week 3 with it and there's been no report of him having had any setback so I figure he is good to go. Bolden won't start over struggling Stevan Ridley but he fills the Shane Vereen as he catches the ball better than either of Ridley or LeGarrette Blount. It's not going to be easy against Atlanta's 4th toughest fantasy run defense, but if Ridley doesn't get something going this week I can see him get pushed completely into a RBBC with Blount and Bolden. Ridley is a mediocre fantasy RB3 with Bolden a RB4 with upside. One place where the Falcons have been generous though is through the air. 315 passing yards per game and 7 passing TD's in just 3 games is just what the doctor ordered for Tom Brady, who is finally showing more of a rhythm with rookie WR's Kenbrell Thompkins and Aaron Dobson. Both are in that WR2/3 range for their upsides. Julian Edelman is a ppr target monster and a strong fantasy WR2 in that scoring system but in regular leagues he's just a WR3.

 

New York Jets: With RB Chris Ivory expected to be out the next few weeks with a hamstring injury, Bilal Powell gets to be the featured RB for the Jets. Powell looked great in week 3 but that was against a weak Bills run defense and really Powell has had every chance to be an effective NFL starter in prior seasons and has never been able to take advantage of it. Those expecting more of week 3 from Powell in coming games are going to be disappointed. But he will get plenty of carries so at least he can be considered a borderline fantasy RB2/3. Those who also have jumped on the Stephen Hill and Santonio Holmes bandwagons after their big games week 3 are in for disappointment as well. The proven mediocre who have one big game will always tempt, but rarely repeat their success.

 

AFC NORTH

 

Baltimore: RB Ray Rice is Questionable and considered a game time decision for week 4 because of the hip injury that made him miss week 3. Personally, I don't expect Rice to play and even if he does there is no way he's ending up on the top end of any split between him and Bernard Pierce. I expect Pierce to be a borderline fantasy RB1 this week with a great matchup against a Bills run defense that allows 155 rushing yards per game. If Rice is active, Rice can be considered a low end RB2, but only because of the matchup. It's possible Rice will even be active but not play much as the Ravens other RB, Shaun Draughn is also Questionable with an ankle injury and he may not be able to play. Pierce stands a very good chance on having 25 touches in this game and Vonta Leach may get to vulture a TD just because he'll get more playing time than normal. Hopefully a bottle of champagne upside the head will remind WR Jacoby Jones that he's supposed to be working on getting his knee healthy and not pissing off strippers on a party bus.  

 

Cincinnati: The Giovani Bernard takeover is happening and likely we see it swing in his favor over Benjarvus Green-Ellis this week. Both RB's got 10 carries each last week (Bernard had 50 yards and a TD; Green-Ellis 29 yards and a TD) and the difference between the explosion Bernard has and the explosion BGE lacks has got to be noticeable, even to the Bengals. While the matchups this week for the Bengals aren't great, there's no reason not to think of Bernard as a borderline RB1/2, Green-Ellis a RB3, and A.J. Green a WR1.

 

Cleveland: Brian Hoyer starts at QB again and gets another chance to wrestle the starting job away from injured Brandon Weeden. Weeden's OUT week 4 with the thumb injury on his throwing hand. All Hoyer has to do is not be terrible and the Browns are likely continue riding him even when Weeden gets healthy. While RB Willis McGahee is supposed to get more time this week than last week, it's still unrealistic to expect him to be anywhere near in shape enough to handle more than maybe half the load. We're still very likely to see Bobby Rainey get some rushing attempts and Chris Ogbonnaya to dominate 3rd down and passing down RB duties. This makes each very difficult to trust in any way for fantasy purposes. The only two players who can be trusted for fantasy are WR Josh Gordon (a strong fantasy WR2) and TE Jordan Cameron (a strong fantasy TE1). The Browns deny they are shopping Josh Gordon, but I wouldn't be surprised if they are and are having Hoyer throw the ball to him a lot so he can have great stats and be more intriguing to those who may want to trade for him. Gordon is one strike away from a year long suspension so teams that trade for him must be willing to think the squeeze is worth the juice. Kicker Billy Cundiff is Questionable with a thigh injury. Cleveland hasn't signed a kicker yet though so Cundiff may be able to kick this weekend. I wouldn't trust it though. Kickers are usually plentiful on free agent wires and there's no need to ever risk taking a zero from a guy who may or may not play.

 

Pittsburgh: Rookie RB Le'Veon Bell is Probable and will start. It's hoped that this will finally give the Steelers a rushing attack that prevents opponents from just keying on Ben Roethlisberger. Bell is easily the most talented RB in Pittsburgh and he will be backed up by a combo of Felix Jones and Jonathan Dwyer. Isaac Redman has gone from starter to 4th string because of pitiful performances and likely won't be active on game days unless he has a role on special teams. Bell may not be ready for a full featured RB's workload, but he should get between 14-18 touches this week and make for a borderline RB2/3 against the Vikings 21st ranked fantasy run defense. Look for WR Antonio Brown to have another big day. The Vikings are the 31st ranked fantasy pass defense having allowed a league highest 9 passing TD's in 3 games. Brown is a strong fantasy WR1, Emmanuel Sanders a consideration as a borderline fantasy WR2/3, and Roethlisberger a strong QB2. It's also expected that rookie Markus Wheaton is going to start getting more playing time at the expense of unspectacular Jerricho Cotchery. TE Heath Miller made it through week 3 without any setbacks in his knee and should start getting more and more playing time each week as he gets back into full playing shape.  

 

AFC SOUTH

 

Houston: WR Andre Johnson is expected to play despite being listed as Questionable with a bruised shin injury. Reports earlier in the week suggested Johnson would be a game time decision but after getting in limited practices both Thursday and Friday he should be okay to start. Bigger problem is that between the injury and the fact Seattle is the top ranked fantasy pass defense, and I don't see Johnson being more than a mediocre fantasy WR3 this week. Hard to think of him that way but facts are facts. Matt Schaub is a poor fantasy QB play this week. Expect the Texans to employ a run heavy attack this week with Arian Foster leading the way as a strong fantasy RB and Ben Tate as a fantasy RB3. The Seahawks, while excellent against the pass, have been a little weaker against the run. Not bad, but weaker.

 

Indianapolis: RB Ahmad Bradshaw is OUT because of a neck injury. Bradshaw suffered the injury week 3 but remained in the game. This speeds up the process of Trent Richardson taking over as the featured RB for the Colts. Richardson should run right through a Jaguars run defense that ranks 32 in rushing yards allowed and 30th in rushing fantasy points allowed. Look for Richardson to be a strong fantasy RB1 this week. Donald Brown will be the backup but he likely won't have more than 5-10 carries and should only be thought of as a desperation flex option for the very desperate. WR T.Y. Hilton is Probable despite aggravating a toe injury in practice this week. Although the Jaguars are a lousy pass defense as well as being a lousy run defense, I think we saw last week that if the Colts don't need to throw the ball, they won't very often, instead relying on a strong rushing attack. QB Andrew Luck and WR Reggie Wayne are good fantasy considerations despite that though.  

 

Jacksonville: Maurice Jones-Drew made it through week 3 without aggravating his ankle injury and he is Probable for week 4 and will be fine. The Colts are the 28th ranked fantasy run defense so there is some strong appeal as a fantasy RB2 for MJD this week. Blaine Gabbert returns as the starting QB. Chad Henne failed to be better than bad in his two starts so Gabbert returns. It's said the Jags are encouraging Gabbert to throw the ball downfield more often, but I'll have to see it to believe it. His reluctance to challenge downfield is part of the reason why WR Cecil Shorts does so poorly with Gabbert at QB but excels when Henne is starting. Shorts has to be considered only as a risky low end fantasy WR2. TE Marcedes Lewis is probable and will play for the first time since suffering a preseason calf injury. But he isn't on the fantasy radar at all.  

 

Tennessee: WR Kenny Britt is Questionable because of neck and ribs injuries. I think he will be made inactive for this week. Britt has fallen completely out of favor with the team and may have slid all the way down to 5th on the WR pecking order because of mental lapses on the playing field. The Titans would love to trade him, but the only way to do that is to showcase him in games so they can get any type of value in return. But for week 4, expect these injuries to be the perfect excuse for the Titans to make him inactive Sunday. Nate Washington and Kendall Wright are the likely starters with Damien Williams as the #3 and rookie Justin Hunter working as the #4. TE Delanie Walker is Questionable with a turf toe injury and even if active isn't a good fantasy bet. With backup RB Shonn Greene still out a few more weeks after having arthroscopic knee surgery so Jackie Battle is the backup and goal line RB. Starting RB Chris Johnson is surprisingly not being used much in the passing game having drawn only 3 targets in 3 games. Johnson also hasn't busted any big runs so far and is overdue for one even though the matchup isn't great. Johnson remains a borderline fantasy RB2/3.

 

AFC WEST

 

Denver: After a horrible week 1 that caused mass panic amongst his owners, WR Eric Decker has caught 17 passes for 220 yards and a TD in the last 2 games. This is why you don't give up on players after just one game. The Broncos WR corps is going to have weeks where someone is left out of the statistical fun. TE Joel Dreessen is Questionable for week 4 as he tries to recover from a knee injury. It's very likely that with Julius Thomas having emerged as a superior offensive weapon to anything Jacob Tamme or Dreessen have ever been, the Broncos probably will wait for Dreessen to get totally healthy before making him active on game days. Dreessen holds no fantasy value though with Thomas healthy. Against Philadelphia this week, Peyton Manning, Demaryius Thomas, Wes Welker, Decker, and Julius Thomas are all solid fantasy starters this week. The RB situation is the one that will confound owners on a week to week basis. Last week Ronnie Hillman was the best fantasy RB, but the week before it was Knowshon Moreno. Moreno gets most of the playing time in the first half of games, but if the Broncos have a big lead they get both Hillman and Montee Ball a lot of work in the second half.

 

Kansas City: Jamaal Charles should tear it up this week against a Giants run defense that has allowed 303 rushing yards and 4 TD's the last 2 weeks. QB Alex Smith also has a strong matchup but if he couldn't produce great stats last week against the Eagles, I can't believe he's going to be a strong fantasy QB1 consideration this week. He has the matchup, but the Chiefs just don't push the ball downfield. That's why WR Dwayne Bowe is struggling so bad. Even with matchups, Bowe can't be relied on because of Smith. Think of the way 49ers WR Michael Crabtree never lived up to expectations until Smith was replaced by Colin Kaepernick. Same thing with Bowe. And those who think Donnie Avery is going to turn 7 yard receptions into 20 yard gains regularly on a week to week basis are deluding themselves. Avery is barely worth a roster spot as a WR5. TE Anthony Fasano is Questionable with ankle and knee injuries. With rookie TE Travis Kelce out with a knee injury, it could be Sean McGrath starting at TE. There's not much fantasy appeal there.

 

Oakland: QB Terrelle Pryor is tentatively expected to get clearance to play week 4 sometime later today. At least that's what the Raiders say. I personally will be surprised if they really have gotten through all the concussion protocols so quickly and can play a guy who was never announced as being cleared for contact practices. I just got done watching head coach Dennis Allen's Saturday press conference and came away with the impression he's either lying about Pryor being cleared for everything, or he's trying to be coy so as to not let the Redskins know that Pryor is going to start. In either case, I'm not a big fan of the Raiders QB this week despite a great matchup as I don't trust anything I'm hearing about him and if he does play, his risk for an additional concussion is significantly higher than if he waited another week. My best guess is that Pryor is not going to play, Matt Flynn will start, and the Raiders will put a heavy reliance on running Darren McFadden and Marcel Reece. McFadden is a great fantasy starting RB this week as the Redskins have been an equal opportunity defense being horrible against both the run and pass. I also expect if Flynn gets the start there will be a lot of extra chances for McFadden as a check down option as a receiver. Both Denarius Moore and Rod Streater are high risk high reward types as flex WR options.

 

San Diego: After tearing it up the first two games, WR Eddie Royal came crashing back to Earth week 3 with 2 catches for 34 yards and no touchdowns. Royal had 5 TD's through the first 2 games and people were jumping all over his bandwagon, but I told you he won't hold up the pace and is unlikely to finish with 10 TD's despite the fact I was spotting him 5 with 14 games left. QB Philip Rivers is killing WR Vincent Brown because of his being afraid to throw the ball downfield. Sooner or later, he's going to have to and when he does he's going to learn he has an actual downfield weapon in Brown. Ryan Mathews has been mediocre so far through 3 games and the matchup against the Cowboys top ranked fantasy run defense makes Mathews nothing more than a mediocre fantasy RB3.

 

NFC EAST

 

Dallas: Miles Austin is OUT week 4 because of the hamstring injury he suffered week 3. The Cowboys originally said it was a minor injury and that they expected him to be okay for week 4, but either they lied (teams do that all the time) or Austin's extensive history of hamstring injuries made them think it wiser to rest him at least one week so it doesn't become a recurring problem (which it already is). With WR Dwayne Harris Questionable with a hip injury, it appears rookie Terrence Williams will start opposite Dez Bryant this week. Bryant should dominate targets and be in for a big day against San Diego. It was nice to see RB DeMarco Murray get on track last week and it's to be expected that the Cowboys aren't too blind to see the relation and will continue to give him the football. Murray has played in 26 career games and has a total of 1,846 rushing yards and 7 rushing TD's. 428 of those rush yards and 2 of those 7 TD's have come in 2 games against St. Louis. Let's hope he can start having some success against other teams too.  

 

New York Giants: After being thoroughly embarrassed last week in a 38-0 rout against Carolina it's hoped that Tom Coughlin gets them righted so they are at least competitive and producing fantasy points again. Injuries to the offensive line have really hurt them but I have to expect proven fantasy players like Eli Manning, and Victor Cruz are going to bounce back. And don't be surprised if WR Hakeem Nicks has a big game this week. Nicks is the latest WR to come out and complain about his lack of targets in the passing game. Mike Wallace did it after week 1 and exploded week 2. Antonio Brown did it after week 2 and exploded in week 3. A healthy Nicks can be a dominant WR and I won't be surprised if he blows up this week. Nicks is a borderline fantasy WR 2/3 with huge upside. The Giants have to realize that whether they like it or not, they need to give the football to RB David Wilson and have him on the field more often. Brandon Jacobs looks old and slow, and Da'Rel Scott is nothing special. But until the Giants come to this realization (which I give one more week) Wilson is nothing more than a risky RB3.

 

Philadelphia: Although last Thursday evening both QB Michael Vick and RB LeSean McCoy suffered foot injuries, neither is on the injury report for this week and both are fully expected to start without issue this weekend. But the injuries both sustained last week are stark reminders about how fragile they are likely to be given the huge workload each is taking on in Chip Kelly's offense. Hear me now, believe me later: if you own McCoy and RB Bryce Brown is available on your free agent wires, grab him. If Brown isn't available and your bench is big enough to support a deep speculative stash, grab Eagles 3rd string RB Chris Polk. I really do question how long McCoy can hold up.

 

Washington: Rookie TE Jordan Reed is Questionable and is not expected to play week 4 because of a thigh injury suffered week 3. Reed got in just one limited practice this week. TE Fred Davis is Questionable as well with an ankle injury but he is expected to play after being able to practice each day in limited fashion. Neither can be relied on though despite a pretty good matchup against Oakland. While the Raiders are not a weak fantasy defense on paper, I fully expect the Redskins to tear right through them on offense. RG3 is going to be a strong fantasy QB1 as he continues to get back into employing more and more of the Redskins offense. Alfred Morris should be a strong fantasy RB1 and WR Pierre Garcon a strong fantasy WR2. Leonard Hankerson is finally starting to get more playing time with the starters over Josh Morgan and if he can push Morgan completely to the side Hankerson is a prime fantasy sleeper WR going forward to be a borderline WR3/4. Kicker Kai Forbath is Questionable and probably is another week or two away from returning. I expect John Potter to be the Washington kicker week 4.

 

NFC NORTH

 

Chicago: For all the talk of new head coach Marc Trestman being a QB guru, his biggest fantasy impact hasn't been on QB Jay Cutler, but rather RB Matt Forte. Through 3 games Cutler is averaging 230 passing yards, 2 TD's, and 1 interception per game. Hardly great stats. But Forte is averaging 18 carries for 75.7 yards, 6.3 receptions for another 45.3 yards and 1 TD per game. Te only concern going forward is that Trestman has decided on Michael Bush being a goal line vulture even though Forte demonstrated good ability to fill that role as well. Forte continues to be a strong fantasy RB1 each week as a dual threat RB. Look for WR Brandon Marshall to bounce back after a disappointing week 3. After having over 100 yards and a TD in each of the first two games, Marshall only had 52 yards and no TD's in week 3. But more weeks than not he will be a strong fantasy WR1.

 

Detroit: RB Reggie Bush has been able to practice in full this week and is Probable for week 4. He is fully expected to start and resume his normal workload. Even though the matchup isn't great against Chicago, Bush has proven to be a strong consideration as a fantasy RB1. Joique Bell will still have his role behind Bush, but makes more like a borderline RB2/3 this week. Calvin Johnson continues to get Wednesday's off in practices each week with a listed "knee" issue but he's Probable on the injury report and just fine to consider. Johnson usually struggles against the Bears Charles Tillman, but Tillman is very questionable with groin and knee injuries so I expect Megatron to be a beast this week. WR Nate Burleson is out indefinitely after breaking his arm in a car accident. This will expedite the process of Ryan Broyles getting on the field more often. Especially with WR Patrick Edwards Doubtful with an ankle injury. Kris Durham likely will start opposite Johnson and Broyles be on the field plenty as the #3 WR. Through 3 games undrafted rookie TE Joseph Fauria has been the best fantasy prospect at TE catching 4 passes for 32 yards and 2 TD's, but he's only been targeted a total of 6 times. Meanwhile Brandon Pettigrew has been targeted 12 times but only has 5 catches for 38 yards and no TD's. If Pettigrew doesn't start doing better I can where the more physically gifted Fauria may begin to get more playing time than just as a red zone target.  

 

Green Bay: The Packers are on bye this week. They'll use it to get both RB's Eddie Lacy (concussion) and James Starks (knee) healed up so they're ready for week 5. Also TE Jermichael Finley should have enough time to get over the concussion he suffered in week 3.

 

Minnesota: QB Christian Ponder has been ruled OUT with a broken rib injury. Matt Cassel will start in his place and if Cassel can look decent and throw the ball just efficiently, there is an excellent chance he'll remain the Vikings starting QB even when Ponder is healthy enough to return. Odds on that happening are an even 50/50 as Cassel is really a Ponder clone, only with a lot more experience at reading defenses poorly and underthrowing his WR's. However, he certainly can't be much worse for the fantasy potential of WR's Greg Jennings, Jerome Simpson, and Cordarelle Patterson; not to mention TE Kyle Rudolph. But I wouldn't trust any of them until we see how well Cassel does. And it doesn't help that the Steelers are the second best fantasy pass defense. The only Vikings player that you should be starting this week (and every week) is RB Adrian Peterson.

 

NFC SOUTH

 

Atlanta: RB Steven Jackson remains OUT with a quad injury. It's fully expected that Jackson will miss week 5 as well and with the Falcons having the bye in week 6, Jackson should return at full strength in week 7. Until then Jason Snelling and Jacquizz Rodgers will split up the duties where each has the upside to be fantasy worthy, but neither is a sure thing. Both are middling fantasy RB3's this week. The Falcons continue to list both WR's Julio Jones (knee) and Roddy White (ankle) as Questionable despite both fully being expected to play. Jones has been an elite fantasy WR this season while White's ankle has prevented him from being more than a mediocre WR3 consideration. The matchup on paper isn't good for QB Matt Ryan and his group of pass catchers as the Patriots have allowed the 3rd fewest fantasy points through the air. But when you then realize the Patriots have played the Bills, Jets, and Bucs their first 3 games, and you can see where that stat is misleading. Start Ryan and Jones as you normally would with confidence. And don't be surprised if this is finally the week TE Tony Gonzalez gets something going. He's been way too quiet through 3 games and is due.

 

Carolina: The bye this week will allow WR Steve Smith plenty of time to get over a minor hip injury he suffered in week 3. Latest word is that RB Jonathan Stewart (PUP list; ankle) is on track to return in week 7. I'm not holding my breath though As long as DeAngelo Williams continues to do well enough I doubt if Stewart gets thrown right back into a full blown time share.

 

New Orleans: RB Mark Ingram is expected to miss Monday night's game with a toe injury. Ingram is a poor fit for this offense anyway and it's very likely Pierre Thomas is taking the primary RB job away from him. I won't be surprised if the Saints would trade Ingram for as little as a 6th round pick before the trade deadline and then use Thomas as the primary RB with Darren Sproles as the primary pass catcher and undrafted rookie Khiry Robinson getting some action in the closer's role Ingram has failed to execute. Think of Thomas a being a decent fantasy RB3 and Sproles a strong fantasy RB2 in the ppr format. WR Lance Moore has a hand injury and is very questionable for Monday night. He's been a forgotten man in the Saints offense and probably can be dropped from rosters in favor of someone with more upside.

 

Tampa Bay: Although both WR's Vincent Jackson (ribs) and Mike Williams (hamstring) are listed as Questionable, both are expected to start against Arizona without issue. The bigger concern is that they both only got in one limited practice with new starting QB: rookie Mike Glennon. Glennon takes over for benched Josh Freeman. So much for one of my favorite sleeper QB's from summer. Tampa will try to trade him, but his salary is prohibitive. Glennon is a big pocket passer with a cannon for an arm, but not accurate. There's dynasty appeal with Glennon, but those expecting much in re-draft are likely to be disappointed, but at least he'll have a long leash so if you play in a 2 QB league, he's worth grabbing. But the real question is how will he affect Jackson and Williams? I think Jackson falls into fantasy WR2 territory while Williams drops to the WR4 area. Expect an even heavier dose of RB Doug Martin to be featured this week by the Bucs to take pressure off Glennon. Starting TE Luke Stocker was placed on injured reserve earlier in the week with a hip injury. With TE Tom Crabtree OUT this week, it will be Tim Wright starting at TE for the Bucs. I only mention this because Tampa's week 4 opponent (Arizona) has allowed the TE position to rip them apart through 3 games giving up an average of 115.3 receiving yards and 1.33 TD's per game.

 

NFC WEST

 

Arizona: It appears that Larry Fitzgerald has almost completely recovered from his hamstring strain. Fitz is Probable and will start without issue. RB Rashard Mendenhall also seems to have turned a corner and is Probable with his toe injury. It was expected that Bruce Arians was going to rely on one RB to be his bell cow but so far through 3 games it's been a committee with Mendy, Alfonso Smith, and Andre Ellington. Maybe the myriad of nagging injuries Mendenhall has had has led to more of a committee than Arians would have liked? If Mendenhall is truly healthy, we should know the answer to that soon as so far he's getting enough time to be a fantasy tease, and not enough to be fantasy trustworthy. Won't be easy for him this week though as the Bucs are one of three teams that has yet to allow a single rushing TD this season.

 

St. Louis: It should be abundantly clear now to even the Rams coaches that Daryl Richardson is a failure as a featured RB and that (at 5'11", 195 lbs) he simply is not big enough to bull his way between the tackles. I know the holes have been few and far between, but for 4 games? The excuse that Isaiah Pead was made a healthy inactive because they had planned to use Tavon Austin as a RB some Thursday night sounds ridiculous and I bet there's something more we weren't told. Sooner or later the Rams are going to have to give their most talented RB (rookie Zac Stacy, a bowling ball at 5'8", 216 lbs) a chance to run with the football. I don't know what Stacy did to make him drop all the way down the depth chart, but with Richardson averaging 2.7 yards per carry you would think we would see another RB get a chance. It's supposed to be Isaiah Pead next up after Richardson, then likely undrafted rookie Benny Cunningham, and then Stacy. And for the life of me I do not know why Stacy is so far down the pecking order. But one thing is certain, the Rams need a RB to step up and take some pressure off of Bradford. He is a sitting duck in that pocket for opponents to tee off on.  

 

San Francisco: With rookie WR Quinton Patton out indefinitely after suffering a fractured foot injury Thursday night, you can expect the development of Jonathan Baldwin into the offense to increase. Kyle Williams and Marlon Moore are mediocre talents and the 49ers need someone with more talent opposite Anquan Boldin. Otherwise this offense is pedestrian throwing the ball. There's a chance things get better but two things need to happen: Mario Manningham must be able to return off the PUP list in week 7 or 8 and be close to the WR he was before his injuries; Baldwin needs to take a step up in his play on the field. It's that or a trade. Otherwise you can expect the 49ers to follow the blueprint they used against the Rams going forward: run the ball a lot and have a controlled passing game. They lack the WR's to be a dynamic passing attack.

 

Seattle: The offensive line injuries are a concern but I'm not about to downgrade RB Marhsawn Lynch from RB1 status. Not even against a pretty good Houston run defense. I will however downgrade QB Russell Wilson to only being a mediocre QB2 and WR's Golden Tate and Sidney Rice to only being borderline WR3/4's or flex considerations against a Texans defense that allows the second fewest passing yards per game and the 10th fewest passing fantasy points.

 

Fantasy News and Notes 9-25-13:

 

BYE WEEKS: Carolina Panthers, Green Bay Packers

 

Quarterbacks

 

Oakland's Terrelle Pryor has passed another stage of his concussion protocols. He has been cleared to return to practice, albeit in a limited role off to the side. I question whether the Raiders are pushing Pryor too hard to return too quickly and only time will tell. Currently, at the rate he's going, he stands a 50/50 chance to start this week for Oakland

 

Minnesota plans to announce tomorrow whether it will be Christian Ponder or Matt Cassel starting at QB for the Vikings this week. Ponder was limited in practice today again because of his ribs injury.

 

 

Running Backs

 

Reggie Bush got in a second consecutive day with full participation in practice. He looks like he'll be a full go this weekend. But I still expect he'll have a larger than usual time share with Joique Bell.

 

C.J. Spiller also got in a second consecutive full practice today. He's also looking like a full go for week 4. But he too will still have a time share with Fred Jackson.

 

Ray Rice got in a second consecutive limited practice today. It's sounding likely he'll be good enough to play week 4 against woeful Buffalo's run defense, But I do expect there will be close to an even split between him and backup Bernard Pierce.

 

Pittsburgh's Le'Veon Bell practiced in full again today and word now is that he will start for the Steelers week 4. How close to a full workload he can handle I question, but given the Steelers lack of any other quality RB's, I expect Bell, as long as the foot is truly healed up, will get most of it in week 4.

 

Mark Ingram has yet to be able to practice this week because of the toe injury that caused him to miss week 3. I doubt if Ingram will play Monday night and I question whether he'll actually have any role with the offense once he is healthy enough to play. Ingram is just a poor fit for the Saints offense. Pierre Thomas is taking the top RB job away from him and if available on your free agent wires, Thomas is a smart acquisition for his dual threat capabilities as both a power runner, and an excellent pass catcher.

 

 

Wide Receivers

 

Houston's Andre Johnson was able to put in a limited practice today. However he is still considered very questionable for week 4 and still considered to come down to a game time decision.

 

New England's Danny Amendola was able to get in a limited practice today but he is considered unlikely to be able to play week 4 because of his groin injury. Expect it to be another week of Julian Edelman, Kenbrell Thompkins, and Aaron Dobson as the Patriots top 3 WR's.

 

Tampa Bay's duo of Vincent Jackson and Mike Williams both missed practice again today. Jackson has a rib injury and Williams a hamstring strain. While both players are tentatively expected to be able to play this week, it's possible that one or even both of them are going to come down being game time decisions. If they can practice tomorrow even in limited fashion, I'll feel a lot better about them playing this week.  

 

Miles Austin missed practice again today for the Cowboys because of his supposedly "minor" hamstring strain. Given his extensive history of missing games because of hamstring issues, I am not counting on Austin playing this week and even if he does, I would not recommend starting him. Rookie Terrence Williams very likely will start in his place.  

 

Lance Moore missed practice today with a hand injury. While I don't think this is going to prevent him from playing Monday night, I wouldn't be starting Moore this week anyway. He's been the forgotten man in the Saints WR corps and I see no reason to risk him at less than full health.

 

 

Tight Ends

 

After being limited in practice yet again today, New England's Rob Gronkowski is still unsure to return this weekend. This is going to come down to a game time decision Sunday night and those of you who have another quality TE option should definitely be ready to pull Gronk out of your starting lineups and get the quality backup in there.

 

Pittsburgh's Heath Miller was limited in practice today. It’s not believed to be a concern though and the Steelers are just wisely taking it easy on Miller after he played in his first game week 3 since tearing his ACL back in December last year.

 

Washington's Jordan Reed was held out again today from practice because of his quad injury. It's starting to look really iffy for Reed this week and I wouldn't be counting on him. Teammate Fred Davis was able to practice in limited fashion again today and is tentatively expected to play despite having an ankle injury. As I said last night, I doubt if Davis has a high ankle sprain as those typically require 4-6 weeks of rest to recover from.  

 

 

Kickers

 

Billy Cundiff missed practice again today with his quad injury. Cleveland still has yet to sign another kicker. Either Cundiff isn't that bad off, or the Browns really do intend to do what I joked about last night: have their punter kick field goals and extra points. Or maybe they're not even expecting to score any points?  

 

Well, I have to say I SUCKED last week. Going 8-8 in straight up picks is a downer for anyone who fancies himself knowledgeable at all in the NFL. That disappointing week brings me to an even more disappointing 29-19 record through 3 weeks of the season. I knew taking so many road teams last week was a bad idea, and you'd think I'd learn from it. But once again, in week 4, I find myself seeing a lot of road teams pulling out the wins. Tuesday morning we'll know if it's genius, or just stupid.

 

Here are my Week 4 NFL Game Predictions:

 

San Francisco 27, St. Louis 16

Arizona 24, Tampa Bay 14

Baltimore 31, Buffalo 20

Detroit 27, Chicago 23

Cincinnati 21, Cleveland 14

Indianapolis 27, Jacksonville 10

Kansas City 23, NY Giants 20

Pittsburgh 20, Minnesota 16

Seattle 20, Houston 17

Tennessee 19, NY Jets 16

Dallas 23, San Diego 20

Denver 38, Philadelphia 24

Washington 28, Oakland 26

New England 27, Atlanta 24

New Orleans 27, Miami 20

 

There you have them: my week 4 NFL Game Predictions

 

Week 3's Survivor Pool Lock couldn't have been any easier. Taking Seattle over Jacksonville was just too obvious. I'm now at 2-1 in the Locks and here are the results to date:

 

Week 1 (W; 21-17) Indianapolis over Oakland

Week 2 (L; 30-33) Philadelphia over San Diego

Week 3 (W; 45-17) Seattle over Jacksonville

 

Keeping in the tradition of a true Survivor Pool, I will not use a team more than once. As you can see from my predictions in the games this week, there are a couple of double digit winners I see this week. But only 1 of them is a home team. And I like home teams for locks more often than not. Good teams on the road can stumble. While I was really hoping to save this team for another week, I am taking as few chances as I can. The Broncos have been demolishing their opponents and with the Eagles defense incapable of stopping anyone, I really can't see how Peyton Manning doesn't continue to rack up stats and lead Denver to a victory. The Eagles can score points, as long as they don't turn the ball over, but not like the Broncos.

 

My Survivor Pool Lock for week 4 is: the Denver Broncos over the Philadelphia Eagles.

 

Hopefully, week 4 treats me a little better than week 3 did. We'll see next week. Best of luck to all in your picks this week!

 

Fantasy News and Notes 9-25-13:

 

BYE WEEKS: Carolina Panthers, Green Bay Packers

 

Quarterbacks

 

A day after saying that Josh Freeman was his starting QB, Bucs head coach Greg Schiano announced today that rookie Mike Glennon will start this week against Arizona. The move is believed to be permanent. Freeman costs too much to likely be traded but in dynasty leagues he can be kept. In re-draft leagues he can be dropped. As for Glennon, he's got weapons around him so he could turn out to be a low end fantasy QB2, but only time will tell.

 

Cleveland has ruled Brandon Weeden OUT for week 4 with the thumb injury on his throwing hand. Brian Hoyer gets another chance to take the starting job away from him. It's pretty clear the Browns management prefers Hoyer and wants him over Weeden so don't be surprised if Hoyer holds onto it for quite a while.

 

Oakland's Terrelle Pryor has passed the first stage of his concussion protocols and has been approved for physical activity, but he is not yet cleared to practice though. Pryor's quick movement so far through the protocols bodes well for his chances of being able to play this week. Right now, consider it 50/50 he starts for the Raiders this week. If he can't, Matt Flynn would start and be a lot less of a fantasy consideration.

 

Minnesota announced today that Christian Ponder suffered a ribs injury in week 3 and while he is tentatively expected to be able to start this week when the Vikings take on the Steelers in London, it's not a sure thing. Ponder is sounding questionable at the moment and if he can't play, Matt Cassel would start in his place. Given the Steelers are the 2nd best fantasy pass defense and it's a good idea to just sit all your Vikings not named Adrian Peterson.

 

 

Running Backs

 

C.J. Spiller took part in a full practice today in Buffalo and he should be good to go for week 4 despite having a quad injury. But he'll also still have a time share with Fred Jackson.

 

Reggie Bush also practiced in full today and is fully expected to be ready for week 4 after missing last week with a knee injury. Detroit is still very likely to have it be close to a 50/50 split between Bush and Joique Bell though.

 

Ray Rice was limited in practice today. The fact he was able to practice at all is a good sign for him and I'd say he's better than 50/50 to be able to play this week. But even if he does, expect it to be close to an even split between him and Bernard Pierce. The matchup is juicy against a Bills run defense that allows 155 rushing yards per game on average so both would be strong considerations for lineups this week.

 

Despite coming out of week 3's game after just two plays because of an aggravated foot injury, Daryl Richardson has been able to practice in full the last 2 days and he is set to play Thursday night against the 49ers. But I still say between his injury and his lack of quality production as the Rams featured RB the first two games I expect to see a pretty even split between him and Isaiah Pead. The 49ers are surprisingly the league's worst fantasy run defense thru 3 games and while I think that may be more a product of their last 2 opponents, it does mean Richardson and Pead could be considered as flex options for those faced with injuries or bye week issues.

 

Pittsburgh's rookie Le'Veon Bell practiced in full today and is fully expected to make his season debut week 4. As I said last night, Bell may not be ready to take on a full workload after missing the last several weeks with a Lisfranc foot injury, but he should be the lead RB for the Steelers this week. I wouldn't want to trust him as more than a fantasy RB3 or flex option this though as I expect he isn't ready for a full workload.

 

The Colts pretty much confirmed today what I said yesterday: the rotation between Trent Richardson and Ahmad Bradshaw will be close to 50/50 again this week. That's if Bradshaw isn't more seriously hurt than currently believed though. Bradshaw sat out practice today with a neck injury. I expect the Colts were just taking it easy on him and that Bradshaw will be fine for this weekend.

 

Frank Gore is listed as Probable for tomorrow night and will be fine despite a minor knee issue. After griping about the way the 49ers abandoned their rushing attack after the first series in week 3, expect Gore to plenty of touches this week and be a borderline fantasy RB1.

 

Maurice Jones-Drew was held out of practice today to rest the ankle injury he played through week 3. I expect MJD to be limited in Jaguars practices but start this weekend without issue.

 

Rashard Mendenhall was limited in Cardinals practice today because of his toe injury. This is actually an upgrade for Mendenhall from last week when he didn't practice Wednesday or Thursday because of the injury. Now if he can just be healthy enough to handle the majority of the rushing load over Alfonso Smith and Andre Ellington so he can be more than just a fantasy RB3 option.

 

Cincinnati's Benjarvus Green-Ellis was limited today because of an ankle injury. We saw in week 3 that both BGE and Giovani Barnard got 10 carries each and that Bernard outrushed BGE 50 yards to 29. Bernard is starting to push Green-Ellis for the top spot in their RBBC and I bet it happens this week. Bernard is a solid fantasy RB2 while the Law Firm is a weak RB3 whose role is decreasing. 

 

Wide Receivers

 

As expected, Houston's Andre Johnson missed practice today because of his bruised shin injury. What wasn't expected was Texans head coach Gary Kubiak saying that Johnson will likely be a game time decision for week 4. Johnson is unlikely to practice at all this week and while we'll know about an hour before the early games start this Sunday whether Johnson is playing or not, any limitations for Johnson drops him from his usual "must start" status considering the Texans face the Seahawks #1 ranked pass defense. If you have quality other options, you may want to consider them strongly over a hobbled Johnson this week.

 

Arizona's Larry Fitzgerald practiced today and he appears to have turned the corner with his minor hamstring injury. Fitzgerald should be a full go this week at Tampa Bay.

 

Neither of Tampa's Vincent Jackson or Mike Williams practiced today. Jackson has a rib injury and Williams a hamstring strain. Right now, both players are tentatively expected to be able to play this week but even though the matchup is good against Arizona this week, between injuries and a rookie QB making his first start, you may want to downgrade them both a little from their normal expectations.

 

Rams WR Chris Givens is Probable for tomorrow night's game and will be fine to start despite a minor knee issue.

 

Miles Austin missed practice today as expected. Austin has hamstring injury and while the Cowboys says he'll be fine to play this week I'm not about to trust him and his lengthy hamstring injury history.

 

Danny Amendola was limited in practice today and while he is getting closer to returning, the New England media considers him unlikely to play week 4 because of his groin injury. I'm not expecting him to play either but knowing the Patriots, he'll be listed as Questionable come Friday and considered a game time decision.

 

Don't be surprised if Tennessee's Kenny Britt is inactive week 4. Britt missed practice today with neck and rib injuries. After Britt was benched on the Titans game winning drive last week, it won't be a surprise if he is made inactive. But if the Titans want to trade him, they'll need to showcase him sooner or later. For now, Britt is in fantasy limbo.

 

Among WR's who either didn't practice today or were limited but are fully expected to be fine to play in week 4, the list includes: Detroit's Calvin Johnson (knee), Atlanta's duo of Julio Jones (knee) and Roddy White (ankle), Buffalo's Steve Johnson (hamstring), the Jets Santonio Holmes (foot), and Baltimore's Marlon Brown (neck).

 

Tight Ends

 

Vernon Davis was limited in practice again today and he is officially listed as Questionable for the 49ers game tomorrow night. I tentatively expect him to play in an important game for San Francisco, but he may be limited some with his hamstring strain. We'll know for sure about an hour before kickoff tomorrow night whether you can count on Davis or not. If you have a quality second TE like Jordan Cameron or Julius Thomas, there's no need to fret the decision. In cases like that, just sit Davis and start Cameron or Thomas.  

 

While this is the week many media outlets have pegged for New England's Rob Gronkowski to return, there's still a chance the Patriots may decide to hold him out another week. This drama is getting tiresome to mention every night but while he is tentatively expected to play, don't be surprised if he listed as Questionable and considered a game time decision. If that becomes the case, you may want to strongly consider other options. The Patriots take on the Falcons in the Sunday night game and taking a chance on getting a zero in the box score if you have another quality option is foolish. Hopefully we have more definitive word in the Saturday team by team news and notes. 

 

Washington's Jordan Reed was held out of practice today because of his bruised quad injury. While tentatively expected to play, you'd have to be starting 2 TE's to be considering him. Washington's other TE, Fred Davis, was limited in practice despite supposedly having a high ankle sprain. High ankle sprains take 4-6 weeks of rest to recover from and his ability to practice in limited fashion today suggests the ankle injury isn't that bad. He's tentatively expected to play week 4 barring any setbacks. I wouldn't be starting him though.

 

The week 4 status for both of Jacksonville's Marcedes Lewis and Kansas City's Anthony Fasano is uncertain. Lewis hasn't played since preseason because of a calf injury and Fasano missed week 3 with an ankle injury. This shouldn't affect anybody's starting lineup plans this week though as neither is even in fantasy TE2 territory.

 

 

Kickers

 

Billy Cundiff missed practice today with his quad injury. Cleveland has yet to sign another kicker so Cundiff may not be that bad off. Or maybe the Browns are thinking the best way to win games is to have their punter kick field goals. Or maybe not even try them at all.

 

Neither Washington's Kai Forbath nor Buffalo's Dustin Hopkins were able to practice today. It's a pretty good sign that neither will kick again this week. Expect John Potter to kick for the Redskins while Dan Carpenter will continue to do it for the Bills.

 

Fantasy News and Notes 9-24-13:

 

BYE WEEKS: Carolina Panthers, Green Bay Packers

 

Quarterbacks

 

Michael Vick suffered a minor foot injury last Thursday night but he's fully expected to be fine for week 4 without issue.

 

Oakland's Terrelle Pryor suffered a concussion in last night's game and his status for week 4 is very questionable. In order for him to play he'll need to pass all 5 stages of the NFL's concussion protocols. If Pryor can't play, it's expected that Matt Flynn would get the start in his place and be backed up by Matt McGloin. Too bad as it was a nice matchup against a Washington defense that has been shredded by opponents this season.

 

Bucs coach Greg Schiano says he isn't thinking of benching Josh Freeman despite his struggling right now. Through 3 games he's completed only 45.7% of his passes, has only 571 yards and 2 TD's while throwing 3 interceptions and 1 fumble. It's clear his job in jeopardy. His status as the starter for the 0-3 Bucs probably hinges on his performance this week against Arizona. The Cardinals have been lit up by opponents through the air having allowed 919 passing yards and 7 passing TD's in three games. If Freeman doesn't get his troubles corrected this week, it's very likely we will see rookie backup Mike Glennon very soon.

 

No word yet on whether the Cleveland Browns are going to start Brian Hoyer again in week 4 over Brandon Weeden. Hoyer got the win and looked great early on but then threw 3 interceptions and almost blew the game. We should hopefully know by Thursday who is starting for the Browns this week.

 

Jacksonville has decided to go back to Blaine Gabbert as their starting QB in week 4. Gabbert has missed the last 2 games with a hand injury and Chad Henne blew a golden opportunity to take the job away from him by looking awful. This situation remains one to avoid as Gabbert could easily play his way out of the job later in the season.

 

 

Running Backs

 

It's unknown if Baltimore's Ray Rice will be suiting up week 4 or not. Rice missed week 3 with a hip flexor injury. If I were to guess I'd say Rice isn't going to play but it's early in the week to know for sure. For now plan on not having Rice available this week. Bernard Pierce will likely start again in his place.

 

Reggie Bush is tentatively expected to return in week 4 after missing week 3 with a minor knee injury. Reportedly Bush was very close to being able to play so expect him back this week. However I would have to imagine there would be close to an even split between him and Joique Bell. Bell did pretty well last week with Bush out and a 50/50 split of the workload seems reasonable to expect.

 

Pittsburgh's rookie Le'Veon Bell is expected to make his season debut week 4. Bell may not be ready to take on a full workload after missing the last several weeks with a Lisfranc foot injury, but he certainly should be the primary RB and get between 10-15 carries. Expect Bell to play with Felix Jones and Jonathan Dwyer to spell him frequently. Isaac Redman appears to have fallen completely out of favor and you can drop him from your rosters.

 

LeSean McCoy scared fantasy owners when he suffered an ankle injury last Thursday night but he was able to finish the game and the extra time off has allowed him plenty of time to get it healed up. He is fully expected to be fine for week 4. But the injury is a reminder that McCoy may not hold up under the tremendous workload the Eagles are giving him early in the season. As I said last week, Bryce Brown, if available on your free agent wires, makes a smart insurance acquisition for those of you with McCoy.

 

Buffalo's C.J. Spiller suffered a quad injury week 3 but the Bills say he will be okay for week 4. I'll feel a whole lot better about that if Spiller can get in some practice time this week though. Right now, be cautiously optimistic Spiller will play.

 

The Jets Chris Ivory suffered a hamstring injury in week 3 and he's expected to miss at least 1 game, and possible a few. Ivory missed preseason time early with a hamstring injury on the same leg so this could be a recurring problem. If Bilal Powell is available on your free agent wires he's worth picking up as he will likely be the primary RB the next few weeks.

 

Just reminding you that Steven Jackson will miss week 4 with his quad injury. The combination of Jacquizz Rodgers and Jason Snelling will again fill in for him this week against the Patriots.

 

It's unknown if Daryl Richardson will be able to play for the Rams Thursday night or not. Richardson aggravated his foot injury on the second play of the game in week 3 and never saw the field again. Richardson says he'll be fine, but I would have to expect after Isaiah Pead at least looked serviceable that he will get at least half the workload. And since Pead is healthy and Richardson clearly isn't, I would say Pead is the smarter choice for the RB desperate. We should know more tomorrow about whether Richardson is going to play or not. If he doesn't, Pead moves up from "desperate" to fantasy RB3 territory.

 

Expect the rotation between Trent Richardson and Ahmad Bradshaw to be close to 50/50 while Bradshaw is running like he did this weekend. I don't think the Colts will just turn everything over to Richardson while Bradshaw is performing so well. But understand, sooner or later, Richardson is going to go from an even split to full time duties over Bradshaw.

 

The Packers will use the bye week to get healthy at RB. Eddie Lacy missed week 3 with a concussion but is expected back in week 5. James Starks suffered a knee injury this past weekend which allowed rookie Johnathan Franklin to really surprise. Starks should be okay by week 5, but if not, Franklin is in a prime position to be Lacy's top backup and change of pace RB.

 

Jacksonville's Maurice Jones-Drew got through week 3 without aggravating his ankle injury and should be fine going forward.

 

The Patriots appear to be going full blown RBBC. With Stevan Ridley continuing to struggle, we saw a good bit more of LeGarrette Blount and Brandon Bolden than expected. I anticipate that Ridley will remain the primary rusher, but I also anticipate that Bolden will be filling Shane Vereen's usual role of 3rd down and passing down RB. Bolden is a superior receiver than Ridley or Blount and definitely deserves consideration for acquisition. Especially by those in PPR scoring formats.

 

 

Wide Receivers

 

Houston's Andre Johnson suffered a shin bruise in week 3. Johnson may miss some practice time this week but he is currently expected to be fine for week 4. I'll let you know if that changes.  

 

Tampa's Vincent Jackson suffered a ribs injury and while there's been no word about an official diagnosis, it's been reported that it isn't considered serious and that he should be okay to play this week. I'll feel a lot better about his chances if he's able to practice some though.

 

Miles Austin suffered a hamstring strain Sunday and while it's considered minor and he is currently expected to be fine to start for Dallas week 4, you have to be somewhat concerned. Austin has a lengthy history of hamstring issues and he has missed multiple games in prior seasons because of them. As long as he gets in some practice time by the end of the week he should be okay.

 

No word yet on whether New England's Danny Amendola will be able to play week 4 or not. Amendola missed week 3 with a groin injury. Expect this to go all the way until Sunday with Amendola likely to be called Questionable on the injury report and considered a game time decision.

 

Detroit's Nate Burleson suffered a broken arm that is going to require surgery. Burleson was injured in a car accident Monday night. There's been no timetable given for when he may be able to return but the Lions say they aren't putting him on injured reserve and that he should be back later in the season. For now, consider him to be at least until week 10. Ryan Broyles will get extensive playing time now as the Lions #3 WR and it will either be Patrick Edwards or Kris Durham starting opposite Calvin Johnson. Edwards missed week 3 with an ankle injury and it's uncertain he'll be able to play week 4.

 

The Rams Chris Givens suffered a minor knee injury week 3 and while he should be fine for Thursday night, we should know for sure tomorrow.

 

The Tennessee Titans are actively shopping WR Kenny Britt. Britt is in free fall and apparently has dropped all the way to 6th on the Titans WR pecking order. It will be interesting to see if they can get anything for him as despite his tremendous natural talent, he has proven to be a complete knucklehead.  

 

 

Tight Ends

 

It's expected that this will finally be the week New England's Rob Gronkowski gets back on the field. Gronk has had a while now to recover from his back injury and week 4 has been widely reported as his most expected return time. If he does indeed play, you have to have him in your starting lineups.

 

It's hoped that the 49ers Vernon Davis will be able to play Thursday night. Davis missed week 3 with a hamstring injury and the 49ers passing attack was pretty pitiful without him out there.

 

The bye this week should give Green Bay's Jermichael Finley enough time to get over a concussion he suffered week 3. We'll revisit him next week.

 

Washington's rookie Jordan Reed suffered a bruised quad injury week 3 and his status for week is uncertain at this time. He probably wasn't in your starting lineup plans this week anyway but if he was, you should be looking elsewhere unless we get some positive news by the end of the week. It's also unknown if Washington's other TE, Fred Davis, will be able to play week 4. Davis missed week 3 with an ankle injury.

 

Pittsburgh's Heath Miller made it through week 3 without any setbacks in his reconstructed knee and it's hoped that the Steelers will start getting him on the field more often going forward.

 

Two TE's of little fantasy note have been placed on injured reserve this week. Oakland's David Ausberry and Tampa Bay's Luke Stocker. There's little reason to think you have either of these guys on your teams and I only mention it in case you do. For fantasy, the only thing to look out for related to either of them is that in Tampa Bay, Tom Crabtree likely will step into the starting role for the Bucs. Crabtree isn't a special talent, but after watching the Cardinals get eaten alive by TE's in two of three games, it's always worth noting who the next potential is up to bat.

 

 

Kickers

 

Cleveland's Billy Cundiff suffered a quad injury week 3 and his status for week 4 is uncertain. If Cleveland signs another kicker during the week it will be a sign Cundiff is going to be out.

 

No word yet on whether Washington's Kai Forbath will be able to kick week 4 or not. Forbath has missed the last 2 games with a groin injury. If he can't kick, John Potter will kick again in his place.

 

Also, it's unclear if the Bills will be getting back rookie Dustin Hopkins this week or not. Hopkins has been out since suffering a groin injury the week before the regular season started. With Dan Carpenter doing pretty well as his replacement so far there's no reason to think Buffalo will rush him back too soon.

 

2013 Rushing Fantasy Points Allowed Per Game

 

Thru Week 3

 

 

Remember the generic formula:
 
*-Total Yards allowed divided by 10 (representing 1 point for every 10 rushing yards allowed)

*-Rushing TD's allowed multiplied by 6 (representing 6 points for every TD allowed)

*-Add the two totals together and divide by number of games played

 

2013 Receiving Fantasy Points Allowed Per Game

 

Thru Week 3

 

 

Remember the generic formula:

*-Total Yards allowed divided by 10 (representing 1 point for every 10 receiving yards allowed)

*-Receiving TD's allowed multiplied by 6 (representing 6 points for every TD allowed)

*-Add the two totals together and divide by number of games played

 

AFC EAST

 

Buffalo: E.J. Manuel continues to progress but isn't trustworthy as a fantasy starter. Tough matchup against a better than expected Jets defense this week. This offense seems to be able to support 2 RB's with fantasy value. Although C.J. Spiller is certainly more dynamic than Fred Jackson, Spiller is more like a low end fantasy RB1 than a true stud because of the split. Jackson is actually a middling fantasy RB3. Robert Woods is asserting himself as the #2 WR, pushing T.J. Graham into little more than a speedy slot WR. Woods isn't more than a fantasy WR5 though. Rookie Kicker Dustin Hopkins remains out again this week because of a groin injury and Dan Carpenter will kick again in his place.

 

Miami: WR Mike Wallace is listed as Questionable with a groin injury but I've read nothing to suggest he is in any danger of not starting week 3. Maybe this is Miami's way of getting back at Atlanta for listing both of their starting WR's as Questionable with the full knowledge they are going to play? Doesn't matter, Wallace is a strong fantasy WR2 this week. QB Ryan Tannehill's shoulder injury is minor and won't be an issue for him. It was nice to see RB Lamar Miller bounce back from that awful week 1 and put up some decent numbers in week 2. A few more games like he had week 2 and Miller will push Daniel Thomas into a strict complementary role as the power runner. TE/H-Back Charles Clay has drawn some fantasy attention with an impressive week 2. I wouldn't trust him yet, but he's worth the stash as a TE2 for his upside. For the last 2 seasons the Dolphins haven't used him as much as they should have and maybe they're going to start recognizing he's got some talent.

 

New England: WR Danny Amendola is Doubtful and won't play week 3. He probably won't play week 4 either. TE Rob Gronkowski is Questionable and will be a game time decision Sunday morning. TE Zach Sudfeld is Probable and will play but not likely to be more than a weak fantasy TE2. RB's Brandon Bolden and Leon Washington are both Questionable and neither is a fantasy consideration.  Stevan Ridley needs to get something going after 2 very disappointing games to start the season. Problem is he's facing a Tampa Bay run defense that has allowed 165 rushing yards and no rushing TDs in the first two games. Ridley is a low end fantasy RB2 this week. Tom Brady needs to get in synch with his WR's and stop looking like a whiner because his WR's aren't making plays. He needs to make them better and get on them both by getting in their faces, but also by being supportive. Julian Edelman's 13 catches for 78 yards last week showed exactly what he is normally: a possession WR with nominal playmaking skills. His week 1 2 TD performance was way out of character for his level of talent. I still believe Aaron Dobson is the best fantasy WR on this team outside of Amendola. It's just going to take a few weeks before we start seeing it on the field.

 

New York Jets: With Mark Sanchez on the IR/designated for return (why didn't they just put him on regular IR? This is just another example of how the Jets botch things up), Geno Smith really doesn't have to be looking over his shoulder. Reports of Matt Simms being a potential threat are way overblown. Expect the time share between RB's Chris Ivory and Bilal Powell to continue for the time being. But sooner or later Ivory is going to assert himself as the primary. He's just the better runner and Powell the better receiver. WR Jeremy Kerley is Probable and will play this week after missing last week with a concussion. So far, no one in the Jets receiver corps has stepped up enough to be more than a WR5. Probably going to be that way all season.

 

AFC NORTH

 

Baltimore: RB Ray Rice is Doubtful and not expected to play. Bernard Pierce steps in as the featured RB and makes a strong fantasy RB2. Pierce has plenty of abilities to carry the load until Rice can recover from his hip flexor injury and I won't be surprised if Pierce does enough to really make this a committee between the two even when Rice gets back. Shaun Draughn will backup Pierce this week. WR Marlon Brown has put together 2 good games in a row now and as long as he can keep it up he'll remain the starter even when Jacoby Jones returns in another 3-5 weeks from his knee sprain. Brown is in the fantasy WR4 category.

 

Cincinnati: Sooner or later Cincinnati is going to start using rookie RB Giovani Bernard more. BenJarvus Green-Ellis has out-touched Bernard 3-1 but Bernard has been more productive. I wouldn't be at all surprised if the swing happens this week as I expect the Bengals will have to be in a catch up mode against the Packers. Bernard is a sneaky play as a RB2 this week and BGE a weak RB3. Green Bay's pass defense has been pretty bad through 2 games and Andy Dalton is going to flirt with QB1 numbers this week. While the matchup is good, it's hard to trust Mohamed Sanu as being anything more than a potential 4th WR. As expected, the split between TE's Tyler Eifert and Jermaine Gresham continues to prevent either from being startable on fantasy rosters. Eifert has 8 catches for 113 yards and no TD's on 10 targets while Gresham has 11 catches for 101 yards on 14 targets.

 

Cleveland: QB Brandon Weeden is OUT with a thumb injury on his throwing hand. Brian Hoyer will start over Jason Campbell. Campbell's career appears to be on its last leg. Hoyer could even end up keeping the starting job if he plays well. Hoyer is a smart QB with decent instincts but a weak arm that grows more inaccurate the further down the field he tries to throw. I doubt if Hoyer starts more than a couple of games, if that, before the Browns turn back to Weeden. With RB Trent Richardson traded to the Colts, Willis McGahee was signed off the street to be the new primary RB. McGahee isn't nearly in football shape though and for week 3 it's going to be a rotation between him, Chris Ogbonnaya, and Bobby Rainey. Despite a decent enough matchup against Minnesota none of them can be counted on as anything better than a desperation RB3. WR Josh Gordon returns from his league imposed 2 game suspension. He steps right into the starting lineup and makes a decent fantasy WR3 even despite the Hoyer limitations. Greg Little was expected to start with Gordon, but Little, for a third consecutive season, has struggled with dropped passes and instead has been demoted. Davone Bess will start opposite Gordon. Bess lacks playmaking potential but has a surer set of hands. Little can be dropped in fantasy leagues as his hands prevent him from living up to his talent. Bess is no more than a bench stash WR5.

 

Pittsburgh: Le'Veon Bell is Questionable and will be a game time decision for Sunday night after getting in two surprising full practices Thursday and Friday. While I doubt he'll play, he may. I think week 4 is a better bet though despite the Steelers obvious need for him to return. His replacements (Felix Jones, Isaac Redman, and Jonathan Dwyer) are uninspiring at best and downright awful at worst. Even if Bell plays, he'd be limited I would expect and I don't recommend trusting him. TE Heath Miller is Probable and will make his first game appearance since tearing his ACL last December. I doubt he's really able to handle a full load and I wouldn't recommend starting him either. Antonio Brown is doing okay, but he is butting heads with offensive coordinator Todd Haley about not getting the ball enough. That could change this week though as the trend is for WR's who squeal about their lack of targets getting greased the following week. Not sure I like Brown more than as a WR3 this week though. The shaky offensive line and bad RB situation has meant Ben Roethlisberger's numbers have been bad. To put it in perspective, both Christian Ponder and rookie Geno Smith have scored more fantasy points in standard scoring systems than Big Ben. Until Bell and Miller prove themselves healthy and capable, Roethlisberger is not to be trusted in fantasy lineups.

 

AFC SOUTH

 

Houston: The split between Arian Foster and Ben Tate continues to be clearly in Foster's favor despite all the talk of Tate needing to get more of the share. I don't see it happening any time soon and that caps Tate as nothing more than a weak fantasy RB3 while Foster remains squarely on the borderline RB1/2 area. Andre Johnson's concussion was mild and he has apparently been cleared and is listed as Probable for this week after practicing in full Friday. His injury week 2 though allowed the Texans to see whether rookie DeAndre Hopkins can step up and be dominant, and he was. Consider Hopkins to be a fantasy WR3 going forward with upside to be better if the Texans throw the ball more than they have in the past. TE Owen Daniels has been solid the first two games and could be even more so this week if backup TE Garrett Graham (who has caught a TD pass in each of the first two weeks) is unable to play. Graham is considered Questionable and a game time decision because of hip and groin injuries.  

 

Indianapolis: The acquisition of RB Trent Richardson pushes Ahmad Bradshaw from fantasy RB2/3 territory to being no more than a handcuff as T-Rich is an all purpose RB. And Donald Brown goes back to total fantasy obscurity. Richardson is going to play and likely be the primary RB right away this week and while the matchup isn't that great against the 49ers he still makes a low end fantasy RB2. Give it another week or two and Richardson will be back into strong fantasy RB1 territory again. While there was some concern earlier in the week about WR's T.Y. Hilton (groin) and Darrius Heyward-Bey (ribs), both are listed as Probable (along with Reggie Wayne with a minor shoulder issue) and will play without issue. Hilton appears to have passed up DHB in importance in the passing game and is back into fantasy WR3 territory. DHB is more like a borderline WR4/5. With Dwayne Allen having gone on injured reserve because of that supposedly "minor" hip injury suffered week 1, TE Coby Fleener steps up into the borderline fantasy TE1 area. Don't be surprised if Fleener starts to realize his true potential now that the TE targets won't be split up.  

 

Jacksonville: I feel bad wasting time writing more than "BENCH ALL JAGUARS THIS WEEK IN SEATTLE", but I also feel obligated to say a little more so here goes: Maurice Jones-Drew is Questionable and a game time decision because of an ankle injury; BENCH MJD EVEN IF ACTIVE. Jordan Todman would start and split time with Justin Forsett if MJD can't play. DON'T CONSIDER STARTING TODMAN OR FORSETT NO MATTER WHAT. Chad Henne starts again with Blaine Gabbert ruled OUT: DON'T START HENNE. Marcedes Lewis is OUT with his calf injury. Cecil Shorts is really the only guy I'd even give a cursory thought about as a fantasy WR4, but even then I am not hopeful he does anything.

 

Tennessee: As expected backup RB Shonn Greene had a knee scope and he will miss 3-4 weeks as he recovers. Jackie Battle steps in as the top backup to Chris Johnson. Johnson is on pace for 400 rushing attempts having received 25 in each of the first 2 games. He won't last long at that pace and someone else needs to touch the football in the running game. It also is a little concerning that a big play RB like Johnson hasn't busted open any big runs on 50 attempts. WR Kendall Wright is Probable this week despite there having been some concern about a possible concussion suffered week 2. But it's really hard to trust any Tennessee WR's as Jake Locker has been his typical mediocre self.

 

AFC WEST

 

Denver: Wes Welker (ankle) and Eric Decker (shoulder) are both listed as Probable again this week and both will play without issue. This is a great week to start Broncos as they are on Monday night (where Peyton Manning usually shines) and get a mediocre Raiders team. The game shouldn't even be close. Knowshon Moreno's solid week 2 was kind of fluky, but because he is usually on the field until the Broncos get a commanding lead he is worth considering as a middling fantasy RB2 this week. Montee Ball will likely pick up some 4th quarter garbage time and be worth considering as a desperation RB3. Ronnie Hillman appears to have little fantasy potential while Moreno and Ball are healthy. TE Joel Dreessen is Questionable and while he may finally be able to play for the first time this season there is no way he's cutting into Julius Thomas's playing time. Thomas has a stranglehold on the pass catching TE job and should be a solid TE1 going forward. Peyton Manning and Demaryius Thomas are both likely to be top 3 plays at their positions this week.

 

Kansas City: Dwayne Bowe owners need to be concerned. Bowe is a better intermediate-deep route runner outmuscling DB's for the bal than he is a quick guy turning 5 yard passes into 20 yard gains. And since Alex Smith doesn't like to go downfield, Bowe is going to have his struggles like he did Thursday night even though he was against a completely beatable secondary. Getting what you can for Bowe may not be the worst idea and if you can package him an another player in a 2 for 1 deal that's probably even better. While some will jump on Donnie Avery after 141 yards Thursday, I'm not one of them. Avery is a low end "good" NFL WR and an inconsistent fantasy WR4/5 who two or three times will have a game that grabs your attention, but then has 4-5 that make you wonder why he's on your roster.

 

Oakland: Darren McFadden is about the only Raiders player worth starting this week (and most weeks). McFadden has been doing well, but with the Raiders saying that they want to get FB Marcel Reece the ball more (and after the way Reece produced last season when called upon who can blame them?) I wonder if that will come at McFadden's expense. McFadden is a low end fantasy RB2 this week. WR Rod Streater is a possible consideration as a WR3 in the ppr format as I expect Oakland to be trailing from about 1 minute into their game against Denver Monday night and Terrelle Pryor will have t throw more often than he has the first two games. Based on projected sheer volume of likely pass attempts, Pryor is a low end fantasy QB2 this week in leagues that start more than 1 QB. Other than Streater in PPR, I don't trust Denarius Moore or any other Raiders pass catchers. For what it's worth, TE David Ausberry is OUT again because of his shoulder injury.

 

San Diego: WR Malcom Floyd is expected to miss 4 weeks as he recovers from a neck injury that he was lucky wasn't a whole lot worse than it turned out to be. I really thought Floyd might have been paralyzed with the way his neck compressed on the hit he took week 2. Eddie Royal and Vincent Brown will start with rookie Keenan Allen serving as the #3 WR. Royal has gotten a lot of fantasy love with his 5 TDs in the first 2 games but there is NO WAY he can sustain that average. He's not finishing with the 40 TD's he's on pace for. He's not finishing with 20 TD's. He's not finishing with 15 TD's. He's not finishing with 12 TD's. He's not even a good bet to finish with 10 TD's. If you can: SELL HIGH ON ROYAL NOW. There's usually someone gullible enough in every fantasy league who won't look past the stats to see the obvious.

 

NFC EAST

 

Dallas: WR Dez Bryant is fine despite being Probable with a minor back issue. QB Tony Romo is also fine despite having to take pain killing injections before games because of his bruised ribs injury suffered week 1. The biggest concern for Dallas is their lack of commitment to rushing the football. DeMarco Murray needs to be getting more carries. With backup RB Lance Dunbar back and healthy rookie Joseph Randle found himself inactive week 2. That could be a regular thing for Randle. Don't be surprised if this is a good week to consider starting Miles Austin. Bryant will draw Courtland Finnegan and a lot of the attention leaving Austin one on one a lot of the game. Austin is a sneaky play as a WR3 this week.

 

New York Giants: Sooner or later the Giants are just going to have to trust David Wilson and give him the football 15-20 times as their top RB. The talent difference between him and backups Brandon Jacobs and Da'Rel Scott is massive and while Wilson has ball security issues if they continue to limit his touches they'll never be able to run the ball. And while Eli Manning is a capable QB he isn't as good as his brother and needs to have at the very least an efficient rushing attack to support him. At least the fantasy fortunes for those with Victor Cruz, Hakeem Nicks, and Brandon Myers have been good.

 

Philadelphia: The ankle injury suffered by RB LeSean McCoy is not thought to be serious and he is expected to be fine for week 4. But grabbing his backup, Bryce Brown, is a smart move for McCoy owners if Brown is available as I doubt McCoy can continue to take the pounding of being overworked like he is without breaking down. QB Michael Vick is also expected to be fine for week 4 despite having suffered an undisclosed foot injury at the end of Thursday's game.   

 

Washington: WR Leonard Hankerson is Questionable after suffering a hamstring/hip strain in practice Friday. He may be a game time decision and shouldn't be trusted in fantasy lineups. If Hankerson can't play it would allow Aldrick Robinson a chance to get on the field a little more. Both Hankerson and Robinson have been trying to push Josh Morgan out of the starting lineup as both are superior pass catchers, but Morgan is well liked for his toughness and superior blocking that helps in the run game. RB Evan Royster appears to have fallen out of favor. He was inactive week 2 and probably will be again. He'll need an injury to one of the other RB's for him to get back to being active on game day. Rookie TE Jordan Reed appears to have passed up Fred Davis as the top pass catching TE. Reed has caught 8 of 9 targets through two games for 56 yards and a TD. Davis has caught 3 of 6 targets for 25 yards and no TD's. Reed is a superior talent and makes the better fantasy stash as a TE2. Kicker Kai Forbath is listed as Questionable but after not practicing at all this week because of a groin injury, it's fully expected John Potter will kick in his place again in week 3.

 

NFC NORTH

 

Chicago: Brandon Marshall's back injury is very minor and he is Probable and will be fine for week 3. His matchup isn't great but there's no way you don't start Marshall. The attention he gets though may make Alshon Jeffery (disappointing with only 6 catches for 53 yards through 2 games) a better than normal play as a WR3/4. TE Martellus Bennett has certainly done well with Jay Cutler and is a strong fantasy TE1. Matt Forte has been targeted more than any other RB (except Jamaal Charles who has played 3 games) in his team's passing game and against a Steelers run defense that has allowed over 100 rushing yards and a TD in each of their two games so far makes for a strong fantasy RB1. Jay Cutler continues to be a serviceable high end fantasy QB2 with 532 passing yards and 5 TD's (although he has thrown 3 interceptions).

 

Detroit: RB Reggie Bush is Questionable and while reports say he can play, the Lions may instead choose to wisely sit him a week so his injured knee has extra time to heal up. Even if Bush is active, I expect Joique Bell will be the more primary of the two RB's. If Bush plays, Bell is a low end fantasy RB2 this week against a Redskins defense that has allowed over 400 rushing yards and 3 TD's in the first two games of the season. If Bush doesn't play Bell moves into borderline fantasy RB1 territory. If Bush plays, he's hard to keep out of starting fantasy lineups between his production and matchup and would have to be considered a middling fantasy RB2. If Bush doesn't play, Mikel Leshoure may be active and get some playing time. Theo Riddick is expected to get some offensive playing time no matter what. Neither Riddick nor Leshoure are to be trusted. With WR Patrick Edwards OUT with an ankle injury it's expected that Ryan Broyles will finally be active and get some playing time. Broyles has been a healthy scratch the first two games but I wonder if maybe the Lions are just concerned about his inability to stay healthy when out there on the field and have been trying to give him as much rest as possible. Either way, Broyles finally gets a chance to show that his superior talent deserves a role on this offense. Broyles is a hold as a fantasy WR4/5.

 

Green Bay: Eddie Lacy was unable to practice at all this week and despite being listed only as Questionable on the injury report with his concussion it's expected he is not going to play at all this week. With the Packers having the bye in week 4 it would only make sense for the Packers to hold Lacy out this week and give him a full two weeks to get the cobwebs clear. James Starks will start in his place and looked really good last week after Lacy got injured. Starks will struggle to repeat last week's success against a superior Bengals defense this week though and makes no more than a fantasy RB3. Johnathan Franklin will back up Starks but holds no value even though FB John Kuhn is Doubtful with a hamstring injury. TE Jermichael Finley is Probable with his minor toe injury and will start without issue.

 

Minnesota: Christian Ponder watch has begun. Ponder's limitations as a QB are glaring and become more obvious every week. While Matt Cassel was very similar as the starter in Kansas City, maybe a new locale (and a dome to disguise his own weak arm) will be enough for him to just be better than Ponder at giving the Vikings a chance to throw the ball effectively. The Vikings are saying they want to get rookie WR Cordarrelle Patterson more involved in the offense and that will come at the expense of Week One Wonder Jerome Simpson. Patterson is just much more dynamic, but he'd also be limited by what Ponder can do. The only fantasy starters on the Vikings are RB Adrian Peterson and Kicker Blair Walsh. Everyone else is a bench player.

 

NFC SOUTH

 

Atlanta: Even though both WR's Julio Jones (knee) and Roddy White (ankle) are once again listed as Questionable, both are fully expected to play. Jones certainly didn't look Questionable at all last week when he tore through the Rams. White's ankle appears to slowly be getting better but he's still not yet at the point where he can be considered to be more than a risk/reward WR3. RB Steven Jackson is OUT week 3, and probably weeks 4 and 5 as well because of his thigh injury. Atlanta has the bye in week 6 so a week 7 return at full health by Jackson is to be expected. Jacquizz Rodgers and Jason Snelling will split up the RB duties in Jackson's absence. Rodgers is likelier of the two to be given a bigger role, but he's never proven capable of being a strong fantasy consideration when thrust into a bigger offensive role in the past and I doubt he's going to do it now. Meanwhile Snelling is a bigger RB who could fill in nicely as a between the tackles runner and short yardage/goal line RB. Neither though should be considered as any more than fantasy RB3's.

 

Carolina: This could be the week Cam Newton starts looking like a strong fantasy QB1 as the Giants are suspect both on the ground and through the air. RB DeAngelo Williams hasn't been special through 2 games but he's been very efficient running for 76 yards week 1 and 85 week 2. He's locked in as a borderline fantasy RB2/3 going forward. If WR Brandon LaFell doesn't start to step up his game, it won't be a surprise if finds himself out of the starting lineup. While neither of Domenik Hixon or Ted Ginn Jr. are starting material, both have a lot more upside to their games than LaFell has shown despite having been given every opportunity.

 

New Orleans: RB Mark Ingram is Questionable with a toe injury and he is not expected to play. This is actually a good thing for owners of all Saints RB's as now the Ingram owner isn't tempted to consider him; the Pierre Thomas owner knows Thomas (who has been the superior RB to Ingram through 2 games) can be considered as a RB2/3; the Darren Sproles owner…well he has Darren Sproles, the most consistent RB of the trio. Those with Drew Brees need to be patient another week or two. Brees hasn't been his stud self the first 2 games, but is due for a big game soon. When it comes, it's likely to be huge. Expect Jimmy Graham to possibly be even better this week than he was last week. The Cardinals were lit up by Jared Cook week 1 and Graham is a superior pass catcher.  

 

Tampa Bay: RB Peyton Hillis was released. Brian Leonard and Mike James are the backups to Doug Martin. TE's Luke Stocker and Tom Crabtree are both listed as Questionable and neither should be on any fantasy rosters. QB Josh Freeman continues to take a lot of heat for his performances and the 0-2 record the Bucs sport. I'll agree his performances haven't been that good, but that 0-2 record is more on the Bucs defense than on Freeman. There's a lot of bluster coming out of Tampa Bay about Greg Schiano butting heads with players and we'll see things come to a head soon if the Bucs don't start winning some games. If Freeman has another mediocre performance this week, I can see Mike Glennon getting talked up a bunch as a possible week 4 replacement in the starting lineup.

 

NFC WEST

 

Arizona: Larry Fitzgerald is fully expected to start despite being Questionable on the injury report with a hamstring strain. Fitz played through it for 2 quarters last week and after letting it rest up most of this past week he should be in a little better condition this week. Consider him a WR2 with upside in a matchup against the Saints. Rashard Mendenhall is also fully expected to start despite also being listed as Questionable with a toe injury. Mendy is a low end fantasy RB2 this week. Andre Ellington appears to have asserted himself as a viable 3rd down and pass catching RB and while he lacks the size to take a pounding of carrying the football a lot, he also has the one thing other Cards RB's don't have: speed. Ellington is a guy to keep an eye on or acquire now if you have a deep bench. TE Rob Housler is finally able to play after missing the first two weeks with a preseason ankle sprain. Housler had a lot of sleeper hype heading into the preseason but it quickly faded between inconsistent performances and the injury. Housler should be treated as a middling fantasy TE2 with upside to develop into something more.

 

St. Louis: If Daryl Richardson doesn't start doing better than a 3.3 rushing yards average, he's going to find himself replaced. Isaiah Pead only got 1 rushing attempt week 2 despite the fact the difference in playing time between him and Richardson was pretty close to even. Richardson is on thin ice as a starting RB and while I doubt if Pead would fare much better if given a chance, he will be given that chance pretty soon. And when Pead fails, I expect the Rams will finally turn to rookie Zac Stacy. I'm telling you know: by week 10, Stacy will have started games and earned at least an even share of the playing time. I know Stacy disappointed in preseason but he's easily the best interior RB the Rams have. Was nice to see Tavon Austin live up to some expectation last week, but before everyone gets all gaga over him again it needs to be remembered that Austin was doing nothing until it was 24-3 late in the 3rd quarter. At least that's one of the good things about fantasy football: even garbage time counts. It was also nice to see Chris Givens have a good game after being shut down in week 1. Expect Givens to still be the Rams top WR by season's end. What wasn't good was Jared Cook following up a huge week 1 with a 1 catch for 10 yards performance in week 2. Consistency may be something Cook owners have to deal with all season. At least the Cowboys usually find a way of playing to their opponent's level of competition and Rams WR's and TE's (along with a surprisingly good first 2 games by Sam Bradford) can be considered week 3.

 

San Francisco: TE Vernon Davis is Questionable and considered a game time decision because of a hamstring injury suffered in the 49ers embarrassing week 2 loss in Seattle. Even if active I would expect Davis to be limited and a poor bet for fantasy production. Vance McDonald would start and be a borderline fantasy TE1/2 if Davis is inactive. Expect the 49ers to get Frank Gore going this week as the Colts have allowed 272 rushing yards and 3 rushing TD's in the first two games. While some were disappointed by Anquan Boldin's 1 catch performance in week 2 it was totally expected. I told you to watch out for it last week in this very column. Boldin will bounce back with a decent game this week but his week 1 stats were way more than to be realistically expected on even a semi-regular basis.

 

Seattle: Fresh off a complete dismantling of rival San Francisco, Seattle is now home against pitiful Jacksonville. If not for the fact Seattle may not need to throw more than 2 passes the entire game, Russell Wilson would be a great start this week. AS it is he's a strong consideration as a borderline fantasy QB 1/2. Marshawn Lynch will challenge for the top scoring fantasy RB this week. Backup Robert Turbin is going to flirt with RB3 numbers by getting a lot of garbage time stats. Seattle's defense should probably score more actual game points than the Jags offense. Those with Seattle WR's are going to have to be patient and not give up on them too quickly. Seattle isn't going to crush all opponents like they did last week and will this week. Seattle is favored by 19.5 points this week. They should win by double that: 42-3.

 

Fantasy News and Notes 9-19-13:

 

Quarterbacks

 

Ryan Tannehill has been limited some in practices because of a minor injury to his throwing shoulder. Tannehill is fully expected to be fine to start week 3 for Miami.

 

Cleveland Head Coach Rob Chudzinski intimated today that Brandon Weeden may not get his starting job back even when his thumb injury is healed up. Weeden hasn't been sharp the first two games and if Brian Hoyer can effectively move the offense he could stick as the Browns starter. I think it's unlikely Hoyer can be an effective every week starting QB though so I expect we will see Weeden get the job back, but it may not be as soon as week 4.

 

I'm tired of talking about the irrelevant Jacksonville starting QB situation as there is no hope either of Blaine Gabbert or Chad Henne would make a good start this week in Seattle even in leagues that require 2 starting QB's. But for what it's worth, it's expected that Henne will start as Gabbert's hand injury hasn't healed up enough yet. God help you if you have to start a Jaguars QB this week.

 

Running Backs

 

In a surprise twist, Le'Veon Bell was listed as a full participant in practice today for the Steelers. While this is an unexpected good sign in his recovery from a bad mid-foot sprain, it's still considered doubtful that he will be able to play in week 3. I know the Steelers are desperate to get him back considering their woeful stable of backup RB's, but even week 4 seems optimistic to expect Bell to return. Be sure to check out my Saturday team by team news and notes for the latest on whether Bell actually does stand a chance of playing this week.

 

The Colts say that Trent Richardson is going to play week 3 and while he may not be able to handle a full featured RB workload, he will play plenty. Richardson is a weak fantasy RB2 play this week against the 49ers, but it's sounding like he will be the primary even with only 3 days to absorb the playbook.

 

As expected, Cleveland signed free agent Willis McGahee to replace Richardson. McGahee can't possibly be in true football shape though and it's not even a given he will be active this week. My guess is that he will be, but that we'll see a lot of Chris Ogbonnaya and also a good bit of Bobby Rainey. However I really can't say I'd trust any of them in fantasy starting lineups this week.

 

Ray Rice continues to miss practices because of his hip flexor injury. At best he's going to be a game time decision and I seriously doubt that even if active, he plays much at this week. Expect Baltimore to run a lot with Bernard Pierce and I expect Pierce will be a middling to low end fantasy RB2 this week

 

Reggie Bush was unable to practice today but is expected to try to practice tomorrow. Only because the matchup is juicy does Bush make a low end consideration as a fantasy RB2 this week if he plays. I think it's very likely Joique Bell is the better fantasy option even if Bush is active for this game.

 

Maurice Jones-Drew was unable to practice again today because of his ankle injury. His status for week 3 is looking questionable at best. I advise just keeping MJD on your benches this week as even if active, a hobbled MJD against the Seahawks defense is a bad fantasy matchup.  

 

Rashard Mendenhall was held out of practice again today with his listed toe injury. This officially becomes a little bit of a concern as that's two straight missed practices but as long he practices tomorrow, I'll feel comfortable with Mendy being a low end fantasy RB2 this week.

 

 

Wide Receivers

 

Andre Johnson reportedly was able to practice in full today for the Texans. It looks like he'll be a full go this weekend barring any setbacks between now and Sunday.

 

Larry Fitzgerald was held out of practice again today for the Cardinals. It's said that Fitz wants to practice and Bruce Arians is wisely holding him back to rest his hamstring strain. I think Fitz will practice some tomorrow and although likely to be listed as Questionable come Friday on the injury report, I think he will play.

 

Danny Amendola was able to get in a second consecutive limited practice today. But he's still considered a long shot to play in week 3. But maybe he could be able to play in week 4?  

 

Tennessee's Kendall Wright missed practice again today because of concussion symptoms. Wright is sounding very questionable to play week 3 and may come down to a game time decision. While Wright has enough game to be fantasy worthy when playing, I think it too risky to have him in any starting fantasy lineups this week.  

 

Among WR's who were either limited in practice or held out, but are expected to be just fine for week 3, the list includes Dallas's Dez Bryant (back), Chicago's Brandon Marshall (back), Atlanta's duo of Julio Jones (knee) and Roddy White (ankle), Indianapolis's T.Y. Hilton (groin), and the Jets Santonio Holmes (foot)

 

 

Tight Ends

 

Rob Gronkowski was limited in practice again today and (surprise) there's been no definitive word as to whether he'll be able to play week 3 or not. With an early game this week, we'll know whether Gronk is active or not about an hour before the first games kick off Sunday. Even if active, he's likely to be limited some and I would consider him to be a low end fantasy TE1.  

 

The 49ers held Vernon Davis out of practice again today. Davis is nursing a strained hamstring. While he says he'll be good for week 3, I'll feel a whole lot better about his chances if he can get in at least a limited practice tomorrow. Right now consider Davis as questionable, likely to start, and possibly limited in week 3 game action. That would make him a risky starting fantasy TE.

 

Pittsburgh's Heath Miller practiced in full again today and he is expected to be active week 3. But I doubt he's ready for a full workload as this will be Miller's first game action since tearing his ACL back in December of last year. Keep him stashed on your benches for now and let's see how well he gets through a game first before considering him.  

 

 

Kickers

Washington's Kai Forbath was unable to practice again today. Forbath missed week 2 with a groin injury and it looks like he'll miss week 3, too. John Potter will kick for the Redskins this week.

Well, 10-6 in week 2 wasn't bad, but also wasn't great. You can officially cross me off the Cleveland Browns sleeper contender bandwagon. Especially after they traded Trent Richardson yesterday to the Colts. They've cost me two wins this season and now I stand at a paltry 21-11 through the first two weeks of the 2013 season. It's hoped that in week 3 I will get this corrected, but there are a few tough games this week to predict. There are also some easy ones too. So let's get on with it: my Week 3 NFL Game Predictions:

 

Kansas City 30, Philadelphia 28

New Orleans 27, Arizona 20

Minnesota 24, Cleveland 14

Washington 27, Detroit 24

Green Bay 27, Cincinnati 21

Baltimore 20, Houston 17

NY Giants 23, Carolina 21

Tennessee 20, San Diego 17

St. Louis 26, Dallas 23

New England 24, Tampa Bay 20

Atlanta 23, Miami 22

Buffalo 19, NY Jets 16

San Francisco 34, Indianapolis 17

Seattle 42, Jacksonville 3

Chicago 24, Pittsburgh 10

Denver 38, Oakland 10

 

And there we go: my Week 2 NFL Game Predictions.

 

As for the Survivor Pool Lock, I'm still kicking myself for taking Philadelphia over San Diego in week 2. Not sure which I feel more: impressed with the Chargers offense through 2 games? Or frustrated with the Eagles defense. Doesn't matter, I blew the call and now am 1-1 in the Survivor Pool Locks for 2013. Here are the results to date:

 

Week 1 (W; 21-17) Indianapolis over Oakland

Week 2 (L; 30-33) Philadelphia over San Diego

 

Even though technical, in a real survivor pool I'd be out of it after just two weeks, I will continue to give a pick each week, and still staying true to survivor pool rules I will not pick the same team twice. I don't need to as I doubt I'll ever trust the Eagles again.

 

Week 3, as you can see from my predictions, has a few blowout games to choose from. But there is one game that just stands out like the biggest mismatch of the entire 2013 season. After dismantling a Super Bowl contender last week, Seattle gets the greatest gift the NFL can offer: Jacksonville. And not just that it's the Jacksonville Jaguars, but this game will be played in Seattle. Even if the Seahawks were in for the biggest letdown after such a convincing win last week over the 49ers, they should still beat the Jaguars by 2 touchdowns. I hear that the Vegas line is Seattle -19.5. I guess you would get a nickel for every dollar on the money line straight up taking Seattle. I like the Seahawks to cover. The only hope Jacksonville has in this game is an intervention from God.

 

My Survivor Pool Lock for week 3 is: the Seattle Seahawks over the Jacksonville Jaguars.

 

Once again, we'll see how it goes this week. Best of luck to all in your picks!

Fantasy News and Notes 9-18-13:

 

Quarterbacks

 

Cleveland's Brandon Weeden has been ruled OUT for week 3 because of the thumb injury on his throwing hand. Brian Hoyer was announced as the starter in his place over Jason Campbell. It's a nice matchup against a Minnesota pass defense that has been lit up by Detroit and Chicago the first two games, but it's hard to put a lot of trust into the unproven, weak-armed Hoyer.

 

It's not official, but it's expected that Chad Henne will start for Jacksonville in place of Blaine Gabbert week 3. Depending on whether Henne does better this week against Seattle (I know stop laughing) than he did last week vs. Oakland, Henne could continue starting even when Gabbert's hand injury heals up enough for him to be able to play.

 

 

Running Backs

 

In what has to be the biggest trade in recent memory, the Cleveland Browns today traded Trent Richardson to the Indianapolis Colts in exchange for a 2014 1st round pick. Richardson will immediately step in as the Colts featured RB over Ahmad Bradshaw. He may be a little limited the first week, but make no doubt about it, Richardson will be the Colts starter over Ahmad Bradshaw going forward. I still consider Richardson a solid fantasy RB1 going forward and Bradshaw now becomes little more than Richardson's handcuff.   

 

With Cleveland having traded Trent Richardson to the Indianapolis Colts, there is a gaping hole in the Browns RB position as they only have Chris Ogbonnaya and Bobby Rainey currently on the roster. Word out of Cleveland is that RB Willis McGahee is in Cleveland taking a physical and if he passes (which he is expected to do) he will be signed to take over as the Browns new lead RB. If McGahee is available on your leagues waiver wires you will want to grab him as McGahee represents a potential fantasy RB2/3.

 

Baltimore's Ray Rice missed practice today with his hip flexor injury. It's expected that Rice is not going to practice at all this week and that he will be a game time decision. Even if active, I doubt he plays much and fully expect to see Bernard Pierce get the bulk of the RB load.

 

As expected, Reggie Bush didn't practice today because of the knee bruise he suffered week 2. Expect Bush to not practice at all this week and come down to being a game time decision. I expect he will play, but will be limited at best and that means we'll see a lot of backup Joique Bell. I hesitate to downgrade Bush too much given a matchup this week against a Washington defense that has allowed over 400 rushing yards and 3 rushing TD's in the first two weeks, but Bush is looking like a dicey fantasy bet. Bell is shaping up to be a great fantasy bet if Bush doesn't play.

 

Green Bay's Eddie Lacy was held out of practice today and he is not expected to play this week after suffering a concussion week 2. James Starks should start be the Packers clear featured RB again. Rookie Johnathan Franklin may get some time spelling Starks.

 

Maurice Jones-Drew was unable to practice today because of his ankle injury. The Jaguars say he is tentatively expected to be okay to play week 3. But even if he is given a full green light to play by Friday, with a road matchup against Seattle I strongly advise finding someone else to insert into starting lineups this week.

 

Rashard Mendenhall was held out of practice today with a listed toe injury. This is getting ridiculous. Before week 1 Mendenhall was listed with a knee injury. He played week 1 without issue and then he missed practice time last week with a listed hamstring injury. He played week 2 and looked fine and now we've got this toe issue. I'm not buying into it as being anything t be concerned with and think the Cardinals are just having some fun with their injury report. Mendenhall is fine to consider as a middling fantasy RB2.

 

Mark Ingram missed practice for New Orleans today because of a toe injury. This is just another reason to keep Ingram on fantasy benches, or possibly even on fantasy waiver wires. Ingram has been pretty bad through 2 games and appears to have been passed up by Pierre Thomas for fantasy relevance from the Saints backfield.

 

 

Wide Receivers

 

It appears the concussion suffered by Houston's Andre Johnson was mild as the Texans say they expect Johnson to be able to play this week despite his not practicing today. I'm always dubious trusting what coaches say, but the Houston media appears to be on board with this assessment. Barring any setbacks or surprises in his concussion tests, tentatively you should be able to count on Johnson for week 3.

 

Dez Bryant given today off in practice by the Cowboys. Reportedly it's a minor back issue, but nothing to worry about. Expect Bryant to return to practice or Friday and be fine for week 3.

 

No surprise that Larry Fitzgerald was held out of practice by the Cardinals today. Fitzgerald is nursing a sore hamstring that limited him in week 2 and it won't be a surprise if Fitz doesn't practice at all this week so he can get it rested up as best he can so he can play week 3. He's likely to be called Questionable and considered a game time decision this week but I get the feeling he will play. How effective he'll be though is very debatable.

 

Although reports say that New England's Danny Amendola won't play in weeks 3 and 4 because of his groin injury, he was able to put in a limited practice today. Reports say he wasn't looking good though and I seriously doubt he'll have a miraculous recovery in time to be able to play this week. But maybe he has a shot in week 4?

 

Tennessee's Kendall Wright missed practice today because of concussion like symptoms. Wright took a big hit week 2 and while he continued playing, his status for week 3 has to be deemed questionable.  

 

Roddy White continues to be limited in practices for the Falcons. White's been able to play through his preseason high ankle sprain the first two games and I'm confident he'll do so again this week. But his production has been way off and he is no more than a fantasy WR3 at best until he gets this injury behind him.

 

T.Y. Hilton was limited in practice today with a minor groin injury. He's fully expected to be fine to start this week though. Teammate Darrius Heyward-Bey was also limited with a shoulder injury and while he too is expected to be fine, it's pretty clear Hilton has passed him up in the Colts pass catching pecking order.

 

Those of you with Greg Little may want to consider dropping him. With Josh Gordon back from suspension it was thought Little would start opposite of Gordon, but his dropped filled first two games has made the Browns demote him and decide to keep more sure-handed Davone Bess in the starting lineup. Little has a significant talent edge on Bess but he has shown bad hands in his 3 NFL seasons and the Browns appear to finally be giving up on him. With mediocre WR's with high upsides plentiful on free agent wires, you shouldn't find it hard to replace Little.

 

 

Tight Ends

 

The hip injury suffered by Dwayne Allen of the Colts is going to require season ending surgery. Unless yours is a dynasty style league, you can drop Allen from your fantasy rosters. In dynasty, I recommend holding onto him as Allen has appeal in future seasons. Coby Fleener will assume full time TE duties and if available on your free agent wire is definitely a smart consideration for acquisition.

 

Pittsburgh's Heath Miller was actually able to practice in full today and word now is that he is on track to be able to play this week against Chicago. This would be Miller's first game action since tearing his ACL back in December of last year and I would expect that he isn't ready for a full complement of snaps. But Miller is someone you could think about grabbing now and stashing in case he gets back to the form he was showing last season before the injury.

 

Despite not practicing today because of a hamstring strain San Francisco's Vernon Davis has tweeted out that he is going to be fine for week 3. It's often a bad idea to take what a player says as being fact, but tentatively I am expecting Davis to try playing. San Francisco plays a late afternoon game on Sunday so even though it sounds like Davis will play, you may want to be ready to have a contingency plan ready to insert for him in your week 3 starting lineups.

 

New England's Rob Gronkowski says he's progressed a lot in the past week, but whether that means he's going to finally suit up for a game in week 3 is unknown. Simply put, Gronkowski is going to be listed as Questionable come Friday and be considered a game time decision. Luckily the Patriots play an early game Sunday so we'll know for sure whether he's playing or not about an hour before the game. If active, it's hard to keep Gronk out of a starting fantasy lineup, but if you have the luxury of a high quality other TE, you may want to play it safe and see how he does for a game before inserting him into the lineup. But that's only if you have a really high quality backup.

 

Gronk's teammate in New England, Zach Sudfeld, was able to practice today and appears on track to play this week after missing week 2 with a hamstring injury. You'd have to have a lot of faith though to consider Sudfeld after his week 1 doughnut in the boxscore.

 

Green Bay gave Jermichael Finley the day off in practice today to rest his minor toe injury. Finely played through it week 2 and I fully expect he'll do so again in week 3.

 

Even though it's early in the season, Washington's Fred Davis appears to have been dropped down in terms of importance in the Redskins passing game. Davis has only been targeted 6 times, catching 3 passes for 25 yards and no TD's. Meanwhile Redskins rookie Jordan Reed has been targeted 9 times, catching 8 passes for 56 yards and 1 TD. It's still early in the season, but I expect that the younger, physically more impressive Reed will continue to be more involved than an injury prone veteran like Davis. I'd rather have Reed's upside on my bench as opposed to Davis.  

 

Anthony Fasano is considered Doubtful for Thursday night's game. Fasano has been a mediocre fantasy TE2 throughout his career and I doubt that's going to change in Kansas City even when he gets totally healthy. If you have him, feel free to drop him for a higher upside replacement to stash on your fantasy benches.

 

Arizona's Rob Housler finally was able to get in some practice time today. His status isn't certain for week 3, but barring any setbacks, there's a chance he could be active for the first time this season. I'd hold off on buying into his hype though. That is unless you're carrying Fred Davis or Anthony Fasano. 

Fantasy News and Notes 9-17-13:

 

Quarterbacks

 

Cleveland's Brandon Weeden is sounding unlikely to play after sustaining an injury to the thumb on his throwing hand. X-rays came back negative for a break but results of an MRI haven't been announced and it's believed to be a ligament strain. Jason Campbell likely would start if Weeden can't, although Brian Hoyer could surprise and get the start over Campbell.

 

No word yet on whether Blaine Gabbert's hand injury will be healed up enough for him to be able to play week 3. Chad Henne was just as bad in week 2 as Gabbert had been the week before. While Henne salvaged some value with garbage time stats, don't be fooled: he was pretty dang awful until the last half of the 4th quarter. Personally, I think Henne will get the start this week and Gabbert should be thankful as it will be against the Seattle Seahawks.

 

Josh Freeman continues to be in a free fall in Tampa Bay. Freeman had another poor outing week 2 and the veteran is in danger of being benched in favor of Mike Glennon. It probably won't happen for a couple of weeks, giving Freeman time to get his struggles turned around, but if he doesn't, we'll see Freeman riding pine within the next few weeks. Glennon is actually a lot like Freeman in that he has a strong, yet inconsistent arm. What Glennon lacks is Freeman's ability to make something with his legs as Glennon is very much a statue in the pocket.

 

Another veteran in danger of being bench is Minnesota's Christian Ponder. Ponder just doesn't have the arm to challenge downfield and he lacks the commanding presence necessary to provide his teammates with confidence. Matt Cassel may not be much better but at least he has proven capable of winning sometimes and making enough throws to keep his team in games.

 

Running Backs

 

Baltimore's Ray Rice suffered a hip flexor injury and his status for week 3 is very uncertain. We'll hopefully learn more towards the end of the week but currently he is looking like a longshot to play. If he doesn't Bernard Pierce would be the featured RB for the Ravens and he'd be backed up by Shaun Draughn. Before the season started I touted Pierce as a strong handcuff candidate to Rice and hopefully you listened. If not, and if Pierce is still available on your free agent wires, you need to grab him as he has proven capable of being a very effective replacement for Rice. It's doubtful Draughn would have much value.

 

Atlanta's Steven Jackson suffered what is believed to be a bruised quad injury and he's already been ruled OUT for week 3. Rumors are he could be out 2-4 weeks with the injury. Jacquizz Rodgers is likeliest to get the majority of the playing time but he has been pedestrian at best when given opportunities in the past and he probably would be no more than a fantasy RB3. It's also likely that Jason Snelling would get some time as a power rushing complement and goal line RB. But he'd be a risky consideration in any format as we just don't know how much Atlanta would run the ball.

 

Detroit's Reggie Bush dodged a serious injury when he suffered a knee bruise week 2. It's likely he'll be held out of practices this week and be questionable come Friday. It's not a stretch of the imagination at all that even if Bush is active, he'd be in a real time share with impressive backup Joique Bell. If Bush were to actually miss the game, we could even see Mikel Leshoure be active for the first time this season. But even then, it would be Bell operating as the primary RB over Leshoure. Hopefully we know more by Thursday, but those with Bush, I hope you have Bell, and those with Bell, you'll want to be paying attention to my Saturday team by team news and notes in my blog to see if Bell may make for a strong fantasy RB2 this week.

 

Eddie Lacy suffered a concussion on his first carry in week 2 and he is not expected to play in week 3. James Starks came in and was the Packers clear featured RB the rest of the game and Starks looked great. We now know Starks is the handcuff to Lacy, not rookie Johnathan Franklin. Green Bay has the bye in week 4 so Lacy should return in week 5 as the featured RB over Starks, but for this week, if you need a RB to replace Lacy, Starks is the guy although it's a tough matchup against a good Cincinnati run defense.

 

Jacksonville's Maurice Jones-Drew suffered an ankle injury and his status for week 3 is unknown. MJD has found running difficult with the Jaguars offering up a pitiful passing attack and even if MJD is active, I would expect he would be hobbled. And in a game against Seattle's tough defense, I'd just keep MJD benched. If he can't play Jordan Todman and Justin Forsett would split up the RB duties with neither being a recommended play against the Seahawks either.

 

Ahmad Bradshaw made it through week 2 without issue so he should be good to consider as a middling fantasy RB2 going forward. That is except for this week when he faces a 49ers defense that should be steaming after letting Marshawn Lynch run over them. Bradshaw is a weak RB2/3 this week. Donald Brown looked okay spelling Bradshaw in week 2 but he won't get enough carries to be a fantasy consideration beyond being Bradshaw's handcuff.

 

Knowshon Moreno appears to have distanced himself from the other RB's in Denver. Of course, this situation is going to be dicey, but after Moreno ripped off two big TD runs, it's clear that he is operating as the top RB until the Broncos get a big lead. Then they bring in Montee Ball to close out the games. Moreno is definitely worth adding to fantasy rosters as a flex consideration most weeks. The problem with Moreno is that Denver has always tried pushing him away, and he always seems to keep turning back up as their top RB. Sooner or later Ball may push him to the side, but for now, it's Moreno as the best fantasy option.

 

The Steelers say that rookie Le'Veon Bell is expected to start speeding up in his rehab from a preseason mid-foot injury. While it's likely Bell doesn't return until week 6, the Steelers need him back as the trio of Isaac Redman, Felix Jones, and Jonathan Dwyer just won't get the job done. None of those three are even close to being fantasy worthy with a matchup against the Bears this week.

 

Tennessee's backup Shonn Greene underwent a knee scope to clean up his injured knee. Greene will miss 2-4 weeks. Jackie Battle steps in as the top backup and possible goal line vulture to Chris Johnson until Greene can return.

 

 

Wide Receivers

 

New England's Danny Amendola is expected to miss an additional 2-6 weeks recovering from a groin injury. It's a broad timetable, but I'd expect nothing less from the secretive Patriots. Expect Julian Edelman to continue being a huge target monster but as his 13 catches for 78 yards last Thursday night indicate, Edelman is not a big play guy. Kenbrell Thompkins continues to start with Aaron Dobson looking like he has stepped in as the Patriots #3 WR. In PPR, Edelman is the guy to consider starting, but in non-ppr, I actually like Dobson best for his big play ability. That's something both Tompkins and Edelman lack.

 

Houston's Andre Johnson suffered a concussion week 2 and while the Houston media seems to think Johnson is going to play week 3, he'll have to pass his concussion tests to do it. Rookie DeAndre Hopkins stepped up big time after Johnson suffered the injury and if Hopkins is available, he could be a smart addition to fantasy rosters. If Johnson can't play week 3, Keshawn Martin likely would start in his place, but Martin is unproven and not to be trusted as a viable replacement in fantasy lineups.

 

Larry Fitzgerald reportedly did not aggravate his hamstring injury in week 2, but rather was just wearing down and that's why he wasn't out there. No matter what the real story is, it's clear that in a tight game Fitz would have been out there if not for the injury. While I expect he'll be rested in practices this week, I do expect he will play week 3. But at what percentage of effectiveness, that's another story. Too bad as I like the matchup against the Saints but it's hard to trust a WR with a hamstring injury.

 

San Diego's Malcom Floyd is going to miss week 3 after suffering a neck injury this past weekend. I wouldn't be at all surprised if Floyd missed a couple of games as it was a scary looking compression of his neck. Eddie Royal and Vincent Brown will be the Chargers starters with rookie Keenan Allen stepping in as the #3. Royal has been on a monster TD tear having scored 5 in 2 games, but that is going to end sooner or later as he's on pace for 40 TD's and there's no way he's finishing the season with 12. Those who have him should sell now before the great dropoff comes.

 

Indianapolis's Darrius Heyward-Bey suffered a shoulder injury in week 2 and while the team says they expect him to be okay for week 3 it's already being discussed that T.Y. Hilton should replace him in the Colts starting lineup. Hilton's arrow is pointing back up while Heyward-Bey's is dropping.

 

Cleveland gets back Josh Gordon this week. Gordon has finished serving his league imposed 2 game suspension and should step right into the Browns starting lineup. Gordon is easily the Browns best WR and his return puts him squarely into fantasy lineups consideration. Unfortunately, if Brandon Weeden isn't able to start, Gordon's upside his first game back is suspect. If Gordon is available in your league, you should grab him.

 

Detroit's Ryan Broyles has been inactive the first 2 games of the season but they may change this week with Patrick Edwards having suffered a shoulder injury week 2. Broyles is easily the second most talented WR in Detroit, but his inability to stay healthy have been his downfall. If he can stay healthy though, he has a lot higher upside than current starter Nate Burleson and he could push Burleson to the being the #3. That may take a few weeks though and it depends entirely on Broyles not having any setbacks in his surgically reconstructed knee.

 

 

Tight Ends

 

Vernon Davis suffered a hamstring injury week 2 and his status for week 3 is uncertain at this time. If Davis can't play expect Vance McDonald to start in his place and it's also likely we'll see some of Garrett Celek. McDonald would be the one to consider as a low end TE2 for fantasy though as he's the superior receiver.

 

It's hoped that week 3 will finally see New England's Rob Gronkowski get back on the field. Gronk has had a while now to recover from his back injury and while likely to be listed as Questionable for week 3, I suspect he will play. The Patriots desperately need him back as their passing attack is sluggish without him.

 

The Giants Brandon Myers suffered a rib injury week 2 but it's not believed to be serious and Myers should be okay to play week 3.

 

Chicago's Martellus Benett suffered a shoulder injury week 2 but he's expected to be fine for week 3.

 

Kickers

 

Pittsburgh's Shaun Suisham was able to kick for Pittsburgh last night despite having suffered a hamstring injury last week in practice. The Steelers had signed Shayne Graham as insurance but after Suisham made it through last night without issue, Pittsburgh waived Graham today.

 

No word yet on whether Washington's Kai Forbath will be able to kick week 3 or not. Forbath missed week 2 because of a groin injury. If he can't kick, John Potter will kick again in his place.

 

AFC EAST

 

Buffalo: No explanation was given as to why the Bills utilized RB C.J. Spiller a lot less than was expected. It probably had something to do with his 1st half fumble though. Backup RB Fred Jackson actually looked like the better RB week 1 and outgained Spiller on fewer touches. While I think the Bills will continue to try featuring the more dynamic Spiller, if he struggles to get going early in games we could see a lot more of a RBBC than we thought we would. Rookie WR Marquise Good win is out indefinitely with a fractured hand injury. Tentatively he's expected to miss 4-6 weeks. He's off-limits in re-draft leagues but holds some dynasty appeal. Kicker Dustin Hopkins remains OUT with a groin injury. Dan Carpenter will kick again this week for him and probably week 3 as well as there has been timetable announced for when Hopkins will return. E.J. Manuel had a decent, yet inconsistent start to his career. However he showed enough promise as both a passer and rushing threat for me to think the future looks bright for him.  

 

Miami: It is seriously hoped that RB Lamar Miller will bounce back from a horrific week 1 performance. Miller has superior talent to Daniel Thomas but if Miller can't do better than 3 yards on 10 rushing attempts, he'll find himself splitting plenty of time with Thomas going forward. Miller is to be considered a borderline RB2/3 who is more "potential" currently than "production". WR Mike Wallace has been whining all week about his lack of involvement in the game plan week 1 despite the Dolphins getting the victory. While Miami says they aren't going to force the ball to him, I'll be surprised if they don't. They need to justify that big free agent contract they signed him to and can't have a middling talent like Brian Hartline out-producing him every week. Charles Clay won the first week in the battle of the mediocre to take the place of Dustin Keller (out for 2013 with a torn ACL). Clay isn't a special talent but he's the guy to keep an eye on in Miami's search for someone to step up into Keller's place.

 

New England: WR Danny Amendola is reportedly going to miss anywhere from 2-6 weeks, but the ultra-secretive Patriots haven't said that themselves and he hasn't even been ruled out for week 3. Julian Edelman was a target monster Thursday night but only produced 78 yards on 13 receptions. Kenbrell Thompkins continued to make mistakes and was outplayed by Aaron Dobson. Dobson has a big play element to his game that the other Patriots WR's seem to lack. Don't be surprised if that starts to get him on the field more often in coming weeks and smart owners will stash him now before it happens. Someone at WR has to be fantasy relevant when all is said and done. TE Rob Gronkowski is expected back either in week 3 or 4. There's been no word on whether TE Zach Sudfeld was even close to playing week 2 and his status for week 3 is unsure. One thing that is sure is that Michael Hoomanawanui is a blocking TE only and not a viable receiving threat. While Stevan Ridley got little going on the ground this week, he did manage to avoid fumbling and with LeGarrette Blount not much a threat and Leon Washington looking a lot older than he used to, it is unlikely Ridley loses many touches to any of the other Patriots RB's. The only exception could be if Brandon Bolden can finally get over the knee injury that has made him inactive the first 2 games. Anyone who hasn't been living under a rock knows that Shane Vereen suffered a dislocated wrist injury after week 1 and required surgery. The Patriots placed him on the IR/designated for return list, meaning he'll be able to come back in week 11.

 

New York Jets: It's expected that WR Jeremy Kerley will be back week 3 after missing Thursday night with a concussion. QB Geno Smith had a very poor game but with Mark Sanchez going on the IR/designated for return list with his shoulder injury, Smith has a long leash. RB's Cris Ivory and Bilal Powell are operating as a committee, but I stil believe it's just a matter of time before Ivory establishes himself as the primary RB with Powell moving into a 3rd down RB role. 

 

AFC NORTH

 

Baltimore: WR Jacoby Jones suffered a knee sprain in the Thursday night opener and will be out 6-8 weeks. Undrafted rookie Marlon Brown (who had an impressive preseason) steps in for Jones in the starting lineup and is definitely worth taking a look at as a potential free agent add for those who need depth at WR. Jones is ill-suited as a starter and works better as a 3rd WR so if Brown shows well enough he'll likely remain in the starting lineup even when Jones returns. Rookie WR Aaron Mellette was placed on injured reserve this week because of a knee injury and his 2013 season is done. Mellete should only be considered a dynasty league speculative stash. Backup RB Bernard Pierce is Questionable because of a thigh injury and while expected to be active, probably won't threaten Ray Rice for too many carries. Dallas Clark had his share of boneheaded moments week 1 but clearly outperformed Ed Dickson and probably will continue to be the more featured of the two in the passing game. Still, Clark is no more than a low end fantasy TE2.

 

Cincinnati: Even though Giovani Bernard was the more impressive RB in preseason, it was BenJarvus Green-Ellis who got most of the playing time in week 1. Sooner or later Bernard's superior skill set will push him past BGE, but for now, BGE appears to be the slightly better fantasy option. That will change soon though. A.J. Green was his usual spectacular self but no one else stepped up to produce opposite him. And as expected, the presence of two quality TE's in Jermaine Gresham and rookie Tyler Eifert cancelled the other out. Both were targeted 5 times and each caught all 5 of their targets. Eifert for 47 yards and Gresham for 35. Expect that to be the norm more weeks than not.

 

Cleveland: WR Travis Benjamin is Questionable with a thigh injury. While he may play some he isn't worth considering. Greg Little and Davone Bess will start again this week and then Bess should move the third WR spot next week as Josh Gordon will return from his league imposed two game suspension. It's hoped that Gordon's return will help QB Brandon Weeden get things righted this week after a horrible week 1. The Browns inexplicably got away from running with Trent Richardson week 1 despite his immense talent. I expect Richardson to bounce back with at least a competent game this week ad he is still to be considered as a fantasy RB1.

 

Pittsburgh: Despite some optimism last week regarding an earlier than expected return from a foot injury, rookie RB Le'Veon Bell is now expected to be out until week 6. Isaac Redman was horrible week 1 but after La'Rod Stephens-Howling went down with a torn ACL and now is out for the year, Redman is expected to get the start again week 2. However, to replace LS-H, the Steelers re-signed Jonathan Dwyer. Dwyer is likely to be the better RB as Redman was really a lot like he was last year: bad. Felix Jones figures to get sprinkled in some but his days as anything more than a change of pace RB are over. Dwyer is a borderline RB3/4, Redman a mediocre RB4. TE Heath Miller is OUT despite his being able to practice in limited fashion again all this week. Miller is expected to return in either week 4 or 6 (Pittsburgh has the bye in week 5). Ben Roethlisberger looked lost without Miller week 1 and now without his best offensive lineman, Big Ben is going to need to hone his scrambling skills. Roethlisberger is quickly sliding into the mediocre fantasy QB2 territory. Kicker Shaun Suisham suffered a hamstring injury earlier this week so the Steelers signed Shayne Graham. But Suisham is now listed as Probable on the injury report for Monday night and the Steelers haven't released Graham. It's a situation to avoid and easy to do as kickers are plentiful on all fantasy waiver wires.

 

AFC SOUTH

 

Houston: The Texans are saying again that they are planning to get more of an even split between Arian Foster and Ben Tate. But that wasn't how it worked week 1 and I'll be surprised if it's that way week 2. Even though Tate looked like the better RB of the two in week 1, I still expect the Texans will rely more on Foster. That's been their M.O. Those expecting another big game out of Matt Schaub need to remember he was playing from behind the entire game last week. Schaub historically has been an inconsistent QB week to week. Houston is playing games with their injury report as they listed nearly 1/3 of their entire 53 men roster as being "Probable" (including both Foster and Tate, along with TE Owen Daniels). Daniels was stellar week 1 and is a solid fantasy starting TE as the second most targeted guy behind Andre Johnson.

 

Indianapolis: RB Vick Ballard tore his ACL in Thursday's practice and he has been placed on injured reserve. His season is done. Donald Brown steps into his spot as the top rotational RB with Ahmad Bradshaw and while the team is expected to test whether Bradshaw is ready to handle a full workload, if he isn't Brown could get more playing time than many expect. Bradshaw is a risky play as anything more than a borderline RB2/3 while Brown's worth stashing as a speculative grab for those who have need at RB. After just one week the Colts are saying they need to find a way to get T.Y. Hilton on the field more. He's a superior talent to Darrius Heyward-Bey and should be starting over DHB. But that's just my opinion. Luckily for Hilton, the Colts may have to run more 3 WR sets instead of their preferred 2 TE's set as TE Dwayne Allen has been downgraded to Doubtful for week 2 because of the hip injury he suffered week 1. The Colts originally said Allen's hip injury wasn't serious but this isn't the first time a team has lied about how serious a player's injury is. Allen's injury bodes well for the fantasy prospects of Hilton and TE Coby Fleener.   

 

Jacksonville: With Blaine Gabbert OUT with a hand injury, Chad Henne gets to start at QB. Considering Gabbert couldn't even lead Jacksonville to a field goal in week 1 there's a chance that Henne holds onto the starting QB job even when Gabbert comes back. Henne being under center should be good for the fantasy prospects of both RB Maurice Jones-Drew and WR Cecil Shorts. MJD may find it easier to run if opponents actually have to fear a long pass attempt, while Shorts had some of his best games last year when it was Henne at QB. Look for Shorts to be a middle end WR2 and MJD to be a good fantasy RB2 this week against Oakland. One thing to not look for is TE Marcedes Lewis. Lewis is Doubtful with a calf injury and is not expected to play.

 

Tennessee: Backup RB Shonn Greene is Questionable with a knee injury suffered week 1 and although he says he'll play, I have my doubts. If Greene doesn't play Jackie Battle will reprise his short yardage/goal line vulture role again week 2. WR Damien Williams is Questionable too but as the #4 WR he isn't a fantasy consideration at all anyway. If he's inactive rookie Justin Hunter would be the #4 (and still have no fantasy value). Nobody from the Titans (besides kicker Rob Bironas) was really worth fantasy consideration week 1 and I'm not sure that's going to change much week 2. RB Chris Johnson is about it but even then he is a risk/reward play as a RB2/3.

 

AFC WEST

 

Denver: WR's Eric Decker (shoulder) and Wes Welker (ankle) are both Probable and both will play without issue. Decker disappointed fantasy owners week 1 but as I've been saying throughout the last few weeks, there are so many hands in Denver to feed and each week it's likely one or two guys are going to be on the short end of the receptions. Week 1 was Decker's turn. It will be a guessing game each week as who to gets the targets, and who doesn't, as Peyton Manning is just looking for the open guy. TE Julius Thomas burst on the scene week 1 and with his freakish athleticism will easily remain the top receiving TE option for the Broncos even when Joel Dreessen (OUT; knee) is able to return. The RB situation is a mess for fantasy purposes though. Knowshon Moreno played much of the first half and is a favorite for lots of snaps as he is the best pass protecting RB. Montee Ball is the sledgehammer the Broncos will use when trying to put games away and eat up clock (although he didn't too well last week). Ronnie Hillman is more like the change of pace runner. Moreno is likely to be the best bet for a weak flex in ppr formats; Ball the best bet for a weak flex in non-ppr formats; and Hillman nothing in either one. This situation is likely to be a headache for several weeks as it plays itself out.

 

Kansas City: RB Jamaal Charles dodged another injury bullet week 1 as his quad injury is minor. He is Probable on the injury report and will be fine to start this week. However, you do have to wonder how long the luck will hold up so stashing his backup, Knile Davis, on fantasy benches isn't a bad idea. Those concerned about the short TD reception by Junior Hemingway week 1 meaning Bowe may not be a preferred target can rest easy. That was Hemingway's only target of the game and with the Chiefs never in danger of losing the game Bowe was still the most targeted WR with 6. Bowe is still to be considered a middle-low end fantasy WR2. Rookie TE Travis Kelce is Questionable with a knee injury and probably won't play. Anthony Fasano will gobble up any TE targets but he is a poor fantasy bet.

 

Oakland: Terrelle Pryor was pretty much what was expected in week 1 as the starting QB; a poor passer but a great rushing threat. Look for that to be the case while he is the Raiders starting QB. HIs limitations as passer will cap the upside of starting WR's Denarius Moore and Rod Streater making both no better than fantasy WR4's any given week. RB Darren McFadden should find it easier to run this week against a Jacksonville defense that allowed 4.5 yards per attempt last week. TE David Ausberry is OUT with a shoulder injury and shouldn't be owned in any fantasy format.

 

San Diego: Those who jumped all over WR Eddie Royal on waiver wires this week will be disappointed. It's not often a WR will have 2 TD catches on his 3 receptions for 24 yards stat line. Royal was a contender for the 1 week wonder but it's too easy to see the flaw in his stats. While 4 TD passes looked good for Philip Rivers, he threw for less than 200 passing yards and wasn't nearly as sharp as his stats indicate. Other than a TD catch in the first quarter, RB Ryan Mathews looked exactly like he has in prior seasons: mediocre. We're going to earn a lot about the Chargers this week. They lost a Monday night game in heartbreaking fashion after having had a huge lead, and now they travel all the way to the east coast for an out of conference game against the Eagles. The Chargers could either play hard and keep the game close, or they could fold and get blown out. We'll see what happens. Mathews is a weak RB2; Vincent Brown a middling WR3/4, with Royal and Floyd in the WR4/5 categories. TE Antonio Gates was lucky to get 49 yards on only 2 receptions last week. He is no longer among the strong considerations as a starting fantasy TE.

 

NFC EAST

 

Dallas: Despite a mild foot sprain, WR Dez Bryant has practiced in full all week and is Probable for week 2. While I guess he could be limited some I'm not about to not have his upside in starting fantasy lineups. His week 1 totals were disappointing but Bryant has many great games coming his way. Backup RB Lance Dunbar is Probable for week 2 after sitting out week 1 with a foot injury. Dunbar should take over as the primary backup to DeMarco Murray. Tony Romo's bruised ribs injury suffered week 1 is a non-issue and he will start week 2 without limitations.

 

New York Giants: Although David Wilson hasn't been officially named the starter week 2 it's likely he will be come game time. Backup Da'Rel Scott suffered a minor knee injury in practice and while Probable, isn't near the talent Wilson is. Rookie Michael Cox isn't ready to contribute. The Giants reunited with RB Brandon Jacobs this week and Jacobs likely will serve as the top backup to Wilson. Jacobs isn't in football shape yet and may be limited in what he can realistically do in a game. Wilson is in a prime situation to get back in the good graces of Tom Coughlin if he can make a few big runs and not cough the football up. With an expected shootout this week against Denver, you can start WR's Victor Cruz and Hakeem Nicks with confidence and could even consider #3 WR Reuben Randle as a sneaky play as a WR3 or flex option. Randle could start for about 10 other teams in the league and is a guy who should be on fantasy rosters.

 

Philadelphia: Look for the Eagles to spread the carries out a bit more evenly between LeSean McCoy and Bryce Brown in week 2. McCoy won't last long getting 30+ rush attempts and while Brown was very pedestrian on his carries, they'll get him some more this week to even things out some. We could also see some of Chris Polk, but not enough to make him fantasy worthy. Expect McCoy to get closer to 23 carries this week and get more than 1 target in the passing game this week. Riley Cooper was the starter opposite DeSean Jackson but his 2 catches for 14 yards were hardly better than Jason Avant's 2 for 13 yards considering Cooper was targeted twice as often as Avant. I've been saying it for a while: Cooper is the better blocking WR but Avant is the superior receiver. Neither is worth owning though as DeSean Jackson appears ready to breakout this season as the only reliable pass catching option in this offense. And so far, Mike Vick looks great running this offense but he needs to stop taking so many hits. Vick simply isn't big enough to absorb consistent punishment both in the pocket behind a mediocre offensive line and as a runner.

 

Washington: Even though Robert Griffin III didn't look like he was really 100% back, he showed well enough to think that as long as he avoids any new injuries he should get better as the season goes along. RB Alfred Morris was disappointing but to be fair, the Redskins were down big very quickly into the game and they had to abandon their rushing attack. He'll bounce back. If Leonard Hankerson can build on his strong week 1 he could be someone to watch out for. Hankerson has always been big on talent and short on consistency. He's far superior talent wise to current starter Josh Morgan, but Morgan's strengths as a blocker keep him in there over Hankerson. That could change if Hankerson can string together some good games. Pierre Garcon should bounce back with a much better game this week against a Packers secondary that got ripped up week 1. Rookie TE Jordan Reed showed well and could start pushing for playing time. But he's not ready to put Fred Davis on the bench yet. Kicker Kai Forbath is likely to miss week 2 after suffering a groin injury in practice this week. The Redskins signed John Potter to kick in week 2 and maybe longer depending on how long it takes Forbath to recover.

 

NFC NORTH

 

Chicago: Matt Forte didn't put up a great average per rush attempt week 1 (2.6), but he should the way a lot easier against the Vikings this week. Minnesota allowed 4.3 yards per carry to the combo of Reggie Bush and Joique Bell week 1. It was also good to see Forte execute a short yardage TD. That's always been the one thing missing from his stat line: TD's. It was also nice to see Jay Cutler spreading around the ball. Brandon Marshall led the team with 10 targets, but WR Alshon Jeffery had 8 and TE Martellus Bennett had 6. A weekly distribution like that will make owners of Jeffery and Bennett start considering them for starting spots in lineups while Marshall owners still know their stud WR is going to get his.  

 

Detroit: Despite dislocating his thumb week 1 RB Reggie Bush is Probable and will start without issue. The Lions also list Bush as having groin and knee injuries, but the Probable listing means those issues are considered very minor. RB Joique Bell showed himself worthy of being Bush's handcuff or at least owned outright on his own. Bell scored 2 short yardage TD's and also showed well both as a runner and pass catching RB. RB Mikel Leshoure was inactive week 1 and probably will be every week unless Bush or Bell get injured. RB Theo Riddick operates as the 3rd RB over Leshoure for now because he also plays on special teams.  Although WR Ryan Broyles isn't on the injury report, whether he'll be deactivated again this week is unknown. Broyles is supposedly fully recovered from his torn ACL suffered in 2012 and he is a superior talent to either of Nate Burleson or Patrick Edwards. What the deal is I don't know so for now just keep Broyles stashed on the bench. Sooner or later he'll get his chance. After the Cardinals got lit up by TE Jared Cook, it won't be a surprise if TE Brandon Pettigrew bounces back from a poor week 1 to surprise with a good game week 2. Pettigrew is a sneaky matchup play this week for those who lack upside at the TE position.

 

Green Bay: TE Jermichael Finley may be limited some this week because of a toe injury suffered week 1. Finley was able to practice all week and is listed as Probable, but I just have a feeling this is something that will bother him week 2. Finley is a low end starting fantasy TE this week. I love rookie RB Eddie Lacy this week. Lacy wasn't great last week against a strong 49ers defense (14 carries, 41 yards), but he ran with authority and did score a TD. I think Lacy will be a top 6 fantasy RB this week. Neither Jordy Nelson nor Randal Cobb looked in any way limited despite both having gone into week 1 with minor concerns about preseason injuries. The big surprise was WR James Jones catching no passes. Jones led the league in TD receptions last season and this was a disappointment. But, just like with Denver, there are so many hands to feed in Green Bay and someone is going to get shut out of the fun each week and it will be anyone's best guess who. Expect Jones to bounce back with a better performance this week. Cobb and Nelson are strong WR1's, and Jones a strong WR3.

 

Minnesota: WR Jerome Simpson had the honor of being named my 2013 One Week Wonder player. Simpson put up 7 catches for 140 yards in week 1. While I have liked Simpson's potential in the past, he's always managed to find a way to disappoint and I'm sure 2013 will prove to be no different. Expecting him to continue having strong games with weak armed Christian Ponder at the helm is just unrealistic. It also needs to be noted that rookie Cordarrelle Patterson is healthy now and will challenge Simpson in coming weeks for that starting spot. WR Greg Jennings had a quiet week 1 game and is finally starting to realize that there was a big difference between being one of the top 3 WR's with Aaron Rodgers throwing you the ball and being the supposed #1 WR in Minnesota and having Ponder throwing the ball.

 

NFC SOUTH

 

Atlanta: Julio Jones is listed as Questionable with a knee issue. It's not believed to be serious though and all reports say Jones will play week 2. All reports also say that Roddy White will start as well despite his being listed as Questionable with the high ankle sprain the Falcons and White kept denying he had all throughout the week leading up to week 1. White is hard to trust after being used primarily as a decoy in week 1. At least until his ankle truly heals up. Jones is a strong WR1 while White is a risky WR3. It will be interesting how the Falcons draw up their game plan this week against Steven Jackson's old team. The Rams and Jackson parted amicably but you have to figure Jackson will want to show up his former team. Don't be surprised if Jackson gets more than a ridiculously pitiful 11 carries like he had last week. Even Michael Turner in decline got more rushing attempts most games than that.

 

Carolina: Rookie RB Kenjon Barner remains OUT with a foot injury. There has been no timetable for his return. With Jonathan Stewart on the PUP list for the next several games, DeAngelo Williams has the stranglehold on the RB job and makes a decent borderline RB2/3 this week. WR Domenik Hixon is Probable after missing week 1 with a hamstring issue and it's expected Hixon will step in as the #3 WR so Ted Ginn can move into the #4 WR spot and handle kick return duties. Expect a bounce back from QB Cam Newton this week as the 125 passing yards he had last week were a career low for a game. Newton is a solid fantasy QB1 this week.

 

New Orleans: The week 1 RB situation was as close to a true RBBC as it gets. Mark Ingram had 9 carries (only 11 yards; no receptions), Pierre Thomas 9 carries (43 yards; 1 receptions for 16 yards), and Darren Sproles had 8 carries (22 yards; 6 receptions for 88 yards). IT won't surprise me if Ingram gets squeezed out if he has another week like that. Sproles is worth considering as a strong ppr RB2, but a flex option in standard non-ppr. Thomas is a weak flex option in both formats; and Ingram is currently in need of a 21 point Saints 4th quarter lead to have more than token carries. The passing game is its usual high octane self. Kenny Stills appears t have settled into the role as the #3 WR that stretches the field vertically. While this will lead to some games with big numbers (as it did for both Devery Henderson and Robert Meachem in prior seasons), it also will lead those goose egg games.

 

Tampa Bay: After a less than stellar week 1 there is already concern about QB Josh Freeman being on thin ice. I serious doubt he's in any real danger yet as rookie Mike Glennon is not ready. I think there is little chance Freeman really gets benched any time soon and it's much more likely a couple of strong games (like maybe one this week at home against New Orleans) will solidify his spot. To be fair, Freeman's stat line would have been better if not for a few drops made by Vincent Jackson and new #3 WR Kevin Ogletree. No front runner emerged as the top backup RB to Doug Martin although Brian Leonard appeared to have the most opportunity.

 

NFC WEST

 

Arizona: WR Larry Fitzgerald is officially listed as Questionable and could be a game time decision because of a hamstring strain suffered in Wednesday's practice. Fitz was able to practice in limited fashion both Thursday and Friday, so it's believed he will be able to play, but he could be limited. Considering the Cardinals pay a late game Sunday afternoon fantasy owners may want to make sure they have a contingency plan ready to insert into a starting lineup in case Fitz is a surprise inactive. TE Rob Housler is OUT with his ankle injury and probably won't play until week 4 the soonest. RB Rashard Mendenhall is listed as Probable, but not with the knee that made him Probable last week, instead he's now listed with a hamstring issue. No matter, he will start and be fine. Although he is a low  end RB2/3 this week for fantasy. His backup, Alfonso Smith, averaged 2.6 yards per rush attempt and did nothing to either threaten Mendenhall for increased playing time, or separate himself from other RB's on the roster like Ryan Williams, Stepfan Taylor, and Andre Ellington. Carson Palmer had a solid week 1 and should be considered one of the top end fantasy backup QB's this season providing he avoids injury behind a weak offensive line.

 

St. Louis: Although Daryl Richardson will start again this week he showed nothing special last week and with Isaiah Pead back from a one game suspension, Richardson is likely to cede more playing time to Pead than he did last week when Pead wasn't available. The Rams RB situation is far from having a decisively determined winner. Chris Givens was disappointing last week but to be fair he was covered by Patrick Peterson and Sam Bradford wisely chose to go to other options. TE Jared Cook was even better than expected and while he won't have 140 yards and 2 TD's every week, he clearly will not be underutilized week to week like he was in Tennessee. Even though rookie WR Tavon Austin doesn't start, he clearly brings more to the table than mediocre Austin Pettis. It won't take long for Pettis to be out of the starting lineup and either Austin in, or maybe even athletically superior Brian Quick.

 

San Francisco: Backup RB LaMichael James is the only player listed on the 49ers injury report this week and he is Questionable with his knee injury. James has fallen to way behind Kendall Hunter in the backup RB spot to Frank Gore. Those who are hoping to see a repeat of Anquan Boldin's huge week one game are likely to be disappointed in week 2. There's a big difference between the Packers secondary and the Seahawks secondary. Boldin is a low end fantasy WR2 this week and would benefit from having any WR opposite him step up, but that appears unlikely to happen any time soon. Colin Kaepernick appears to be well on his way to establishing himself as the top dual threat QB in the game.  

 

Seattle: Marshawn Lynch was disappointing week 1 and it won't be any easier in week 2 for him against the 49ers stout run defense. However, it seemed pretty clear in week 1 that Robert Turbin, and not Christine Michael was the top backup to Lynch. Doug Baldwin was a bit of a surprise week 1 working as the #3 WR but finishing with a team leading 7 catches for 91 yards. Baldwin has some ppr appeal as a WR4/5. Another one week candidate was on Seattle's WR corps and it was Jermaine Kearse. I've always heard good things about Kearse, but he's never had much opportunity. Maybe if Sidney Rice has a relapse of any of his numerous injuries from the last few seasons, Kearse would get more playing time to show what he can do.  

Week 1 is in the books and I went a respectable, but unremarkable 11-5 on my NFL game picks. Every week seems to have its own challenges and this second week is no different. So without further ado, here are my Week 2 NFL Game Predictions:

 

New England 23, NY Jets 17

Carolina 24, Buffalo 21

Cleveland 20, Baltimore 17

Dallas 24, Kansas City 16

Indianapolis 21, Miami 17

Chicago 27, Minnesota 17

Philadelphia 31, San Diego 20

Atlanta 27, St. Louis 23

Houston 20, Tennessee 13

Green Bay 38, Washington 28

Arizona 23, Detroit 20

New Orleans 24, Tampa Bay 21

Denver 35, NY Giants 28

Oakland 27, Jacksonville 17

San Francisco 20, Seattle 17

Cincinnati 17, Pittsburgh 14

 

There you have them: my week 2 NFL Game Picks.

 

I managed to hit on my week 1 Survivor Pool Lock although the Raiders played the Colts much tougher than I expected. That makes me 1-0 on the SPLOW (Survivor Pool Lock of the Week). Here are the results to date:

 

Week 1 (W; 21-17) Indianapolis over Oakland

 

Keeping in true Survivor Pool rules, once I use a team I cannot take them again later in the year. This week boasts a couple of games to choose from, but one stands out most to me. I like taking east coast home teams against traveling west coast teams. Especially when that west coast team is coming off a game from the prior Monday. I know this east coast team played Monday night as well, but at least they don't have to fly across the country. And while both teams looked pretty good week 1, one had a big lead and then choked it away while the other had a big lead and held on to win. Demoralization + Long road trip = loss.

 

My Survivor Pool Lock for week 2 is: the Philadelphia Eagles over the San Diego Chargers.

 

We'll see how it goes this week. Best of luck to all in your picks!

Today marks the 12 year anniversary of the tragic events of September 11th, 2001. Events that will live forever in the minds of every American who either had a personal connection to what happened that day, or watched helplessly in disbelief from a television set. Every year since then I have made it a personal priority to acknowledge what I believe to be the biggest national tragedy of my lifetime. Each year I want to express my continued condolences to all whose lives were touched and affected that day. Those who lost friends and loved ones in the buildings, on the ground, in the airplanes, and the heroes who taught all of us a lesson in what it means to make the ultimate sacrifice in the effort to help save the lives of others they didn't even know. It takes a special individual to think of others before yourself, and to put yourself in mortal danger in the attempt to save another human being. And even as I remember my disbelief as I watched the developments of that day 12 years ago, I also remember in the days afterward feeling a sense of pride in being an American and knowing that despite any differences we may have with each other in this country, there still lives a spirit of unity.

 

My condolences again to those who were touched personally by the events and my highest regards and respect go out to our police, firefighters, and emergency responders, along with the men and women serving in every branch of our military everywhere in the world. They put their lives on the line every day to safeguard our liberties. And because they do, I get to have coolest, and likely among the silliest jobs in the world: fantasy football analyst and radio talk show host.

 

Let's get on with the news and notes of the day.

 

Fantasy News and Notes 9-11-13:

 

Quarterbacks

 

As expected, Tony Romo was able to practice in full today without issue for Dallas. His bruised ribs injury won't prevent him from starting week 2.

 

Jets QB Mark Sanchez is feared to have a torn labrum in his shoulder. If that turns out to be accurate, he's likely done for the year. He wasn't likely to get the starting job back from rookie Geno Smith anyway.

 

 

Running Backs

 

Jamaal Charles was held out of practice today. This was expected after he have avoided a major injury to his quad in week 1. He may be held out again tomorrow and then be limited on Friday but currently he is fully expected to be fine for week 2. Rookie Knile Davis is his top backup if you're inclined to want the handcuff.

 

As expected, Reggie Bush practiced in full today despite his dislocated thumb injury. He'll be fine to start week 2 for Detroit.

 

David Wilson is likely to start week 2 for the Giants. His backup, Da'Rel Scott suffered a knee injury in practice today, but it's believed to be minor. However it does make it unlikely Scott is a threat to Wilson's status as top RB. Brandon Jacobs was signed yesterday but he isn't in football shape. He's more in a marshmallow shape checking in with the team at 265 pounds. As long as he doesn't fumble again, Wilson should be safe to consider as a borderline RB2/3.

 

Denver plans on going with their 3 headed RRBC again in week 2. This makes none of the Broncos reliable at all and even though I guess Montee Ball and Knowshon Moreno are the best fantasy bets, I wouldn't want either as anything more than a desperation flex option. Ball in more traditional scoring systems while Moreno preferred in ppr.

 

Rashard Mendenhall was limited in practice today because of a supposed hamstring injury. Last week it was the knee, this week it's a hamstring. And on Sunday he didn't look limited at all. Until he either shows us a bit more than what he has, or gets off the injury report, Mendenhall is no more than a borderline RB2/3.

 

New England listed both Leon Washington (thigh) and Brandon Bolden (knee) as Questionable for Thursday night's game. Bolden missed week one with the injury and probably won't be ready on the short week. It was thought that maybe with Shane Vereen out until week 11 Washington would fill in as the pass catching RB as it's not a strength for either Stevan Ridley or LeGarrette Blount, but now there may be no choice. This just really solidifies Ridley's spot as the featured guy. At least as long as he avoids putting the ball on the ground.

 

Carolina has already ruled rookie Kenjon Barner OUT for week 2 because of his ankle injury. That just helps keep DeAngelo Williams on the field more often. The more Williams is on the field, the better I feel about him being a RB3 or flex option.

 

Wide Receivers

 

Danny Amendola is officially listed as Doubtful for Thursday night's game because of the groin injury he aggravated Sunday. He is not going to play and there are even some concerns about whether he may be in danger of missing additional time. This was the risk we all knew we were taking when we drafted Amendola. Julian Edelman will start in his place and makes an intriguing WR 2/3 this week.

 

Amendola's teammate in New England, Aaron Dobson is listed as Questionable and is considered likely to play. Dobson missed week 1 with a hamstring strain but the Patriots are thin at WR. Despite that it's likely Dobson will be limited and not much of a fantasy factor at all. 

 

As expected, the Jets Jeremy Kerley has been ruled OUT for Thursday night's game because of a concussion suffered in week 1.

 

Dez Bryant practiced in full today putting to rest any thoughts he may be in danger of not playing week 2 because of his minor foot injury. Bryant may not be 100%, but he'll still be plenty healthy enough to be worth starting this week in what should be a bounce back game for him after a poor stat finish in week 1.

 

Atlanta's Julio Jones was held out of practice today because of a listed knee issue. While I believe this probably just a day off granted to a star player, after getting burned by believing things coming out of Atlanta regarding Roddy White, I'm not about to get caught off guard again. That said, I'm not really worried about Jones and currently plan on starting him with confidence week 2. 

 

Speaking of Roddy White, he didn't practice today either, but at least we now know he was rushed back from a high ankle sprain and even if active this week can't be trusted as more than a risky WR3.

 

Baltimore placed rookie Aaron Mellette on injured reserve today because of a knee injury. Mellette is a low upside speculative stash in dynasty leagues while completely droppable now in even the deepest of re-draft leagues. Marlon Brown is the Ravens starter opposite Torrey Smith and possibly could be even when Jacoby Jones can return. Brown is worth an add on fantasy rosters needing a 5th WR.

 

Among WR's who either were held out of practice today, or were listed as limited for one reason or another, but who are fully expected to be fine to start week 2, the list includes: Arizona's Larry Fitzgerald (hamstring); Denver's Wes Welker (ankle) and Eric Decker (shoulder);  and Jacksonville's Cecil Shorts (groin).

 

 

Tight Ends

 

Rob Gronkowski is officially listed as Doubtful to play Thursday night. Gronk was Doubtful in week 1 before being declared out. The reports have said all along that week 3 was a realistic expectation for him to return and I'm expecting that to be the case. 

 

Zach Sudfeld reportedly is officially listed as Questionable with his hamstring injury. Even if Sudfeld plays, he can't be relied on after turning in a horrible week 1 performance

 

Jermichael Finley was held out of practice with a toe injury, but it's considered minor and he should be fine for week 2. 

 

Owen Daniels was limited in practice with both back and groin issues listed. I'm not worried about him not playing week 2 after he looked so great week 1.

 

Dwayne Allen's hip injury isn't supposed to be serious but he was unable to practice today. If he doesn't practice tomorrow, I'll start thinking he isn't going to play. Regardless, there are about 19 other TE's who make better fantasy options anyway so keeping Allen benched shouldn't be difficult for anyone.

 

It's starting to look like both of Arizona's Rob Housler (ankle) and Jacksonville' Marcedes Lewis (calf) are going to miss their second consecutive game. Neither were able to practice today and they're both starting to look doubtful for week 2. 

Fantasy News and Notes 9-10-13:

 

Quarterbacks

 

Tony Romo's rib injury isn't anything major and he will start week 2 without issue.

 

Blaine Gabbert suffered a hand laceration that required 15 stitches and he has been ruled OUT for week 2. Chad Henne will start in his place. This is good news for owners of Cecil Shorts as Shorts had much of his production in 2012 when Henne was at the helm as Henne, though inconsistent, will at least throw the deep ball a few times.

 

After better than expected showings this week by the Jets Geno Smith and the Raiders Terrelle Pryor, both appear to have a stranglehold on the starting QB jobs for their teams. Both are going to have their struggles some weeks, but I expect they'll be given long leashes to play their way through any issues they have going forward. There really isn't anyone behind either to challenge them.

 

 

Running Backs

 

Jamaal Charles appears to have avoided a major injury again. Charles suffered a quadriceps injury Sunday but it is not believed to be serious. While he only played one more snap after sustaining the injury the Chiefs were up 21-2 and there was no need to have Charles exposed to any further injury in a game that was well in hand. He may be limited some in practices this week but he is currently expected to be just fine for week 2.

 

Reggie Bush suffered a dislocated thumb injury in the first quarter of Sunday's game but he was able to play the entire game without issue and had great numbers. The thumb is not going to prevent Bush from playing week 2. However, if you have the ability to acquire Joique Bell from your free agent wire, you may want to do that. Bell has clearly established himself as the top backup to Reggie Bush and with Bush not considered to be a true full time RB, Bell should get playing time of his own each week and he definitely appears to be the goal line RB as witnessed by his 2 short yardage TD's week 1. His production will be sporadic on a week to week basis, but he's definitely deserving of a roster spot as either insurance for Bush owners or as a RB4/5 for others.

 

Shane Vereen was placed on the Patriots injured reserve/designated for return list today. Vereen required surgery for a wrist injury suffered week 1. A player on this list has to miss a minimum of 8 weeks before being able to return. The Patriots have the bye in week 10 so the earliest we'll see Vereen back on the field is week 11. Vereen is definitely worth keeping stashed on fantasy benches or on an injured reserve designation on your league management site. If you don't have these options, then you'll have no choice but to cut him loose and hope to pick him back up again later in the season. Leon Washington and LeGarrette Blount will likely get some playing time behind Stevan Ridley but it's very unlikely either will be anywhere near as fantasy relevant as Vereen has been.

 

The Vereen news is good for Stevan Ridley owners. Now, despite Ridley being benched in the second quarter Sunday for fumbling the ball, he is fully expected to return to the starting lineup Thursday night. Ridley needs to get this problem corrected as Bill Belichick hates guys who don't take care of the football. Ridley may even get a chance to catch some passes as I wonder how much game Leon Washington really has left and pass catching isn't one of LeGarrette Blount's strengths either.

 

Despite a brutal performance by David Wilson week 1, you should not give up on him. It's very likely that even though the Giants reunited with Brandon Jacobs today, Wilson will start week 2. Da'Rel Scott is not considered to be a legitimate threat for playing time unless Wilson turns the ball over again.  However, Wilson can't be considered as anything more than a risky fantasy RB3 for week 2. I think Jacobs familiarity with the Giants offense makes him a better handcuff candidate than Scott. Jacobs may not have much left, but the Giants only need him until Andre Brown can return, which should be week 8 or 9.

 

Shonn Greene suffered a knee injury week 1 and was unable to finish the game. The injury is not believed to be serious and while he may be limited some in practices this week, he should be available to play as Chris Johnson's backup in week 2. Greene was running well before the injury and likely would have had the rushing TD Jackie Battle got if not for the injury.

 

La'Rod Stephens-Howling tore his ACL week 1 and he's done for the 2013 season. The Steelers have re-signed Jonathan Dwyer to replace Stephens-Howling. Considering that Isaac Redman was brutally bad week 1, it's a good bet Dwyer gets immediate playing time. Redman is supposed to still get the start week 2 but another ineffective outing will lead to him getting very little playing time. It's not a great matchup this week against Cincinnati so I'd just avoid this mess.

 

Those with Le'Veon Bell will need to be patient as it' now appears he isn't nearly as close to returning as was thought late last week. Bell could be out until after Pittsburgh bye in week 5.

 

Isaiah Pead returns from his one game suspension and will step right into the top backup spot to Daryl Richardson for St. Louis. Richardson did okay as the featured guy for the Rams week 1 but he wasn't anything special. Pead has disappointed in the past but he certainly is in a position to make a run for the top job in coming weeks. Those with deep benches and a penchant for player speculative moves could stash Pead.

 

 

Wide Receivers

 

It's being reported that Danny Amendola is going to miss Thursday night's game because of the groin injury he aggravated Sunday. Now he hasn't been officially ruled out yet but with it being a short week, I'm doubtful Amendola plays. One way or another we'll know for sure about an hour before kickoff Thursday night when the player's inactive list is announced. Smart owners will go out right now and acquire Julian Edelman if available on your free agent wire. Between Amendola's doubtful sounding status (and lengthy injury history) and Kenbrell Thompkins catching only 4 of 14 targets Sunday, Edelman stands an excellent chance of becoming very fantasy relevant this season. Edelman lacks specialness to his game but having the trust of Tom Brady is worth quite a bit. 

 

The Jets Jeremy Kerley is expected to miss Thursday night's game because of a concussion suffered in week 1. This shouldn't affect many fantasy lineups this week.

 

The MRI on Dallas's Dez Bryant revealed just a minor foot sprain. He may practice very little this week but he should be fine to play week 2. However, keep an eye on reports as Bryant may end up being more decoy than stud in game action.

 

Speaking of studs being decoys, after a bunch of media posturing that Roddy White was fine and didn't suffer a high ankle sprain in the preseason, the Falcons and White have finally admitted he did. He was very limited week 1 and we appear to be going down the same path for week 2. High ankle sprains usually take 4-6 weeks to recover from and White suffered his about 3-4 weeks ago. Until the ankle heals, he goes from being a solid fantasy WR2 to being a high risk WR3.

 

Those who were disappointed by Eric Decker's week 1 performance shouldn't give up on him so quickly. With so many hands to feed in Denver it's going to be an issue where someone is going to get locked out. Decker would have done much better if not for a couple of brutal drops. He's still worth having as a WR2/3.

 

And we have a winner in 2013’s One Week Wonder Contest. There were a few candidates to consider but easily the best choice for the Official 2013 Fantasy Football One Week Wonder is Minnesota Vikings WR Jerome Simpson. With 7 catches for 140 yards, Simpson is the best bet to not repeat anywhere near those numbers again in 2013. Not with Christian Ponder throwing the football; and not with a superior talent in rookie Cordarrelle Patterson right on his heels for that starting job opposite Greg Jennings.

 

 

Tight Ends

 

Thursday night was a coming out party for Denver's Julius Thomas. Even when Jacob Tamme and Joel Dreessen get healthy they will be afterthoughts to Thomas and his far superior athleticism and talent. Just don't expect Thomas to be huge every week. But he's certainly worth considering for fantasy starting lineups each week going forward.

 

Zach Sudfeld reportedly suffered a hamstring injury week 1. Sudfeld was targeted just once week 1. His status for Thursday night has to be considered very questionable. It's fair to wonder if Sudfeld is going to turn into a big dud after so much preseason hype. I wouldn't drop him yet as in a couple of weeks he could return and be part of the Patriots game plan as the second TE, a position that has proven to have fantasy value. As long as you can afford to hold onto him I recommend keeping him stashed for now until we get a better sampling than just one game.

 

Rob Gronkowski is considered very unlikely to play Thursday night, but he has yet to be declared out. He could come down to being a game time decision. But even if active, I'd be surprised if he played much in his first action back. If neither Gronkowski nor Sudfeld can play Michael Hoomanawanui and Matthew Mulligan would be the Patriots dismal TE options.  I'm really kind of surprised they haven't reached out to Daniel Fells. Fells was a preseason cut.

 

 

Kickers

 

Shaun Suisham suffered a hamstring injury week 1 it's likely he will miss a few weeks. Pittsburgh signed Shayne Graham to kick for them until Suisham can return. 

*-Peyton Manning isn't going to throw 7 TD passes in every game and his owners need to remember that. Conversely Marshawn Lynch isn't going to have just 43 rushing yards and no touchdowns often and his owners need to remember that. The Fantasy Law of Averages dictate that for every game a player has in which he far out-produces his normal production that he must have games where he underperforms. And in reverse, when he is way under his normal, he must have a big game coming in the future.

 

*-Color me as one who was surprised by both rookie QB's E.J. Manuel and Geno Smith. They weren't spectacular, but both showed well enough to believe there is hope in the future that they become more than just borderline QB2/3's for fantasy purposes.

 

*-Also impressive was Oakland QB Terrelle Pryor. He had his ups and downs as a passer but was still better than horrible. And the added dimension of his rushing ability has catapulted him into low end QB2 fantasy consideration. It's only one game, but it was enough to give hope that the Raiders are not going to be a complete laughingstock of an offense.

 

*-Pittsburgh needs to get both RB Le'Veon Bell and TE Heath Miller back asap. Their rushing attack was pitiful and made worse by the fact La'Rod Stephens-Howling is gone for the year with a torn ACL. But it's not just Bell that's missing. Ben Roethlisberger looked a bit lost without big play Mike Wallace stretching defenses and Miller as his security blanket in the middle of the field.

 

*-I was originally going to say that thumb injury or not, that was vintage Blaine Gabbert yesterday and that it's really time for Jacksonville to move on. But the Jaguars beat me to the punch by declaring Gabbert OUT for week 2 with his hand laceration. Chad Henne isn't much better, but at least he will challenge down the field with his passes and hopefully lead them to a couple of FG's. Who knows? Maybe even - gasp! - a touchdown?

 

*-Remember: Fantasy and Reality are two different things. In Fantasy, Eli Manning's 450 passing yards, 4 TD's, and 3 interceptions were plenty good enough in most leagues for him to finish as a top 5 Fantasy QB in week 1. In Reality, he was pretty brutal throwing ill-timed picks that helped put his team in a bind. Eli isn't a top 5 Fantasy QB and in Reality he isn't nearly as bad as he played last night.

 

*-I'm still unhappy with both the Atlanta Falcons and WR Roddy White for hiding the fact his ankle injury was of the "high ankle sprain" variety. While there were a couple of reports that it was a high ankle sprain, the Falcons and White denied it repeatedly. It sucked for projections; it sucked for production.

 

*-So much for all the hype for New England's undrafted rookies TE Zach Sudfeld and WR Kenbrell Thompkins. Sudfeld got targeted ONCE the entire game and sustained a hamstring injury that caused him to miss the 4th quarter. Thompkins either had a case of nerves or something as he produced 4 catches on a whopping 14 targets. Great to know he got all this publicity and shot up draft boards only to catch less than 30% of the passes thrown his way.

 

*-However it WAS nice to see Rams TE Jared Cook finally have his day. I touted him all off-season as being one to watch challenge for top 5 fantasy TE status by the end of the season and he didn't disappoint in week 1. He won't do 140 yards and 2 TD's every week, but I'll be happy with an average around 70 yards and a TD every other game. And that definitely seems within reason.

 

*-It was GREAT to see Adrian Peterson take his very first handoff of the 2013 season, make some moves, push a couple of guys out of his way and ramble for a 78 yard TD. 2,500 rushing yards is a pipe dream, but a second consecutive 2,000+ yards and 15+ TD's aren't far off.

 

*-Larry Fitzgerald looked like a kid in a candy store catching passes from Carson Palmer. It had to feel good to Fitz to know he finally had a QB who could put the ball on the money after barely seeing it in his zip code with the last 6 Cardinals QB since Kurt Warner retired. Larry is back in as a strong fantasy WR1.

 

*-Speaking of Palmer, he looked crisp most of the afternoon and played a lot better than I expected despite being harassed often by a strong Rams pass rush. Palmer's stock as a fantasy backup and quality bye week or injury replacement has risen in fantasy leagues.

 

*-Lamar Miller's hype train came to a screeching halt after he produced 3 rushing yards on 10 rushing attempts. The Browns are an improved defense but not by that much. Hopefully this was a case of jitters or something and not an indication of what we're going to see every week from the talented, but as of yet still unproven, RB. 

AFC EAST

 

Buffalo: E.J. Manuel gets the start after being able to practice this week. While not recommended as a fantasy play, expect Manuel to have to throw the football a lot more than the Bills wanted him to the first week of the season as he faces the Patriots. C.J. Spiller and Stevie Johnson are the only recommended fantasy plays from Buffalo this week.

 

Miami: Despite the evidence which clearly shows Lamar Miller to be superior to Daniel Thomas, the Dolphins insist that Thomas will be part of the game plan and will get his share of a split situation with Miller. This could just be coach speak or it could prove to be true. If coach speak, Miller is primed to prove himself a capable fantasy play. If true, it caps his upside. I'm not sure what to believe but I'm thinking Miller makes a low end fantasy RB2 week 1 while we wait and see what really happens.   

 

New England: TE Rob Gronkowski is officially listed as Doubtful and is not expected to play. The Patriots likely will hold Gronk out of week 2 as well since the Patriots have the short week and play the Jets Thursday night. Zach Sudfeld will be the primary receiving TE and makes a nice low end TE1 this first week. Danny Amendola's groin injury is nothing of consequence and he is Probable. He makes a low end fantasy WR1 this week with higher value in PPR. Stevan Ridley should be heavily involved and he should be a strong RB1. Shane Vereen is a good high end RB3. Tom Brady should never sit on a fantasy bench. We'll find out whether Kenbrell Thompkins can produce in real games as he should get the majority of the starting work opposite Amendola. WR Aaron Dobson is Questionable with a hamstring injury and while expected to play should be kept on the bench until we see how the WR rotation will work in New England.

 

New York Jets: Rookie Geno Smith starts and likely will need to totally faceplant to not be given the chance to grow through his mistakes throughout the season. Mark Sanchez is out a few weeks with a shoulder injury. The Jets say Chris Ivory and Bilal Powell will be splitting time at RB week 1 but I figure as long Ivory stays healthy his superior talent will give him the majority of the snaps over Powell. Santonio Holmes is Questionable as he tries to recover from foot surgery. Even if active Holmes is likely to be limited and not near the same WR he was pre-injury. I wouldn't want to start anyone from the Jets week 1. At all. Period.

 

AFC NORTH

 

Baltimore: WR Jacoby Jones suffered a sprained MCL Thursday night and will miss 4-6 weeks. Undrafted rookie Marlon Brown (who was fairly impressive in preseason and training camp) steps into the starting lineup in his place and is definitely worth considering as a roster add. Brown has some size and strength and could be a surprise starter the rest of the season as Jones is miscast as a starting NFL WR. I certainly hope the Ravens don't abandon their rushing game so easily in coming games. It seemed to me that with a 17-14 lead in the 3rd quarter, they got cute and threw the ball more than was necessary for having such a close game.

 

Cincinnati: While I expect BenJarvus Green-Ellis to get the official "start" week 1, I won't be surprised if rookie Giovani Bernard proves to be the better fantasy play. If the Bears can stop the rushing game of Cincinnati, Bernard offers far superior hands as a pass catching weapon for the Bengals in their passing game. It's not going to take long into the season for Bernard to usurp BGE as the Bengals starter and push him into just a complementary role.

 

Cleveland: Davone Bess is expected to start in place of Josh Gordon. Gordon is serving a league imposed 2 games suspension to start the season. We're going to learn very quickly whether the great preseason's by QB Brandon Weeden and TE Jordan Cameron were a sign of great things to come in 2013, or a mirage brought about by the fact it was the preseason. One thing I have no doubts about though is that Trent Richardson is a stud. We've been saying it since late spring: Richardson is going to challenge for elite fantasy RB status in 2013.

 

Pittsburgh: Rookie RB Le'Veon Bell will miss week 1, and probably weeks 2 and 3 as well as he recovers from a preseason mid-foot sprain. It's believed he has avoided a dreaded "Lisfranc" injury and if so should be able to recover nicely and take back over as the Steelers featured RB when he eventually returns. Isaac Redman starts and will be the primary RB in his place and backed up by both Felix Jones and La'Rod Stephens-Howling until Bell can return. TE Heath Miller avoided the PUP list to start the season but he's still believed to be out until week 4 as he tries to get back from the torn ACL he suffered back in December 2012.

 

AFC SOUTH

 

Houston: Rookie WR DeAndre Hopkins has passed his concussion tests and is expected to be fine for Monday night's game against San Diego. RB Arian Foster has been practicing all week in full and will be fine as well. Foster caused some concern in preseason by missing al of training camp and preseason action with a "back" injury that was somehow connected to the "calf" injury he suffered back in OTA's. But I think this is going to turn out to be a lot of bluster about a lot of nothing. Even though the Texans say that Foster will be "eased" into game action, I'd be shocked if he didn’t lead the Texans in rushing attempts week 1. Foster is a strong RB2 week 1. Ben Tate makes a decent RB3 as it also wouldn't be a surprise to see Houston have a nice lead late on the Chargers and then use Tate to chew time off the clock while letting Foster rest.  

 

Indianapolis: I doubt if it will take long before the Colts change their minds about having Darrius Heyward-Bey starting over T.Y. Hilton. It may take a couple of games, but DHB has proven to be a talented WR who drops way too many passes in games while Hilton was one of the most pleasant surprises of the 2012 season proving to have both big play capability and sure hands. Ahmad Bradshaw is expected to start for the Colts, but be in a time share with Vick Ballard for the first week or two. Bradshaw needs to get his game legs under him as he has missed most of training camp and all the preseason as he recovers from off-season foot surgery. Bradshaw's foot injuries have been chronic the last few seasons and he finally had surgery to take care of the problem, but he hasn't fully recovered yet. Still, he will start, gets a great matchup, and could be a nice (albeit risky) low end RB2 play this week with upside to be better.

 

Jacksonville: Blaine Gabbert is expected to start despite being listed as Questionable on the injury report with his thumb injury. Gabbert appears to have earned some sort of trust with the organization as they are really giving him every chance to be their guy in 2013 despite having shown very little reason for it. I fully expect they'll be sinking with him at QB in 2013. Maurice Jones-Drew figures to be in for a heavy workload every game all season and with him being in a contract year, don't be surprised if MJD produced some quality yardage totals. I just wonder how often he'll be able to get into the end zone without much help from the QB position. WR Justin Blackmon is serving a league imposed 4 games suspension to start the season. A combination of surprising rookie Ace Sanders and second year undrafted veteran Mike Brown will pick up the slack opposite Cecil Shorts.

 

Tennessee: While there has been concern about WR Kenny Britt's knee, he isn't on the injury report and will be fine week 1. The pecking order at WR for starters appears to be Britt and Nate Washington starting, with Kendall Wright as the #3 and Damien Williams the #4. Rookie Justin Hunter needs more time to develop and likely will be a regular inactive on game days. This is truly the make or break year for Jake Locker at QB as he needs to start showing he can be an effective NFL QB. I have my doubts.  

 

AFC WEST

 

Denver: Thursday night was a coming out party for TE Julius Thomas. Even when Jacob Tamme and Joel Dreessen get healthy they will be afterthoughts to Thomas and his far superior athleticism and talent. However, with so many hands to feed in the Denver passing attack, it needs to be remembered that each one is going to take a turn being on the outside of the box score looking in. Week 1, it was Eric Decker on the outside. Who it is each will rotate. It also wasn't a good sign for fantasy owners that the RBBC between Montee Ball, Knowshon Moreno, and Ronnie Hillman played out exactly as feared: no one worth considering for a start. The situation needs to shake itself out in coming weeks before any of the Broncos RB's should be trusted in a fantasy lineup.

 

Kansas City: The new Andy Reid/Alex Smith era begins in Kansas City this week. I have my doubts about Smith being a guy who can put up big stats even throwing the ball 35-40 times per game, but weapons like Dwayne Bowe and a checkdown option of Jamaal Charles could certainly make Smith look better than he really is. Don't be at all surprised if Charles leads all RB's in receptions in 2013.

 

Oakland: Terrelle Pryor is expected to start week 1 but there's a chance we could also see Matt Flynn get into some action. We may even see undrafted rookie QB Matt McGloin. The Raiders are a mess. Rod Streater and Denarius Moore will be the starting WR's. Streater is a possession style guy while Moore is a playmaker who is very inconsistent. The only Raiders worth considering is Darren McFadden. The Raiders will rely on their rushing attack to mask the deficiencies of their passing game. McFadden will be leaned on both to provide a rushing threat ad as a valuable checkdown option for Pryor. McFadden is an injury waiting to happen but until it happens, he's worth considering as a fantasy RB2.  

 

San Diego: The Chargers expect to have both Malcom Floyd and Eddie Royal back from their preseason injuries and able to play week 1. Their return does nothing good for fantasy owners as the presence of both hurts the prospects of superior talent Vincent Brown. It's not going to take Brown long to prove that he should be starting opposite Floyd and that Royal is nothing more than the #3 WR for the Chargers. We're going to learn a lot early in the preseason about Phillip Rivers and whether he truly has lost that zip on his passes that he used to possess. Rivers is a low end QB2 unless he shows he has some of his old arm strength back.

 

NFC EAST

 

Dallas: Lance Dunbar is OUT week 1 with a foot injury. Dunbar had shown well enough to earn the top backup spot to DeMarco Murray, but this injury has allowed rookie Joseph Randle to get back into contention. WR Miles Austin has managed to avoid the hamstring issues that have plagued him in previous preseasons. Austin could be a nice sleeper play as more than a middling WR3 if he can stay healthy. Dez Bryant is going to challenge Calvin Johnson for the top fantasy producing WR spot in 2013.

 

New York Giants: With RB Andre Brown on the IR/designated for return list, David Wilson will be the featured RB for the Giants. It's unknown whether Wilson can handle a featured RB's load, but at least until the Giants find out whether either of Da'Rel Scott or Michael Cox (or maybe someone they sign after week 1 is over) can be effective in a complimentary role, Wilson gets to be a strong consideration as a RB2. Hakeem Nicks isn't on the injury report at all week 1 despite there having been some recent concerns about his knees. Victor Cruz is Probable with the heel injury that he suffered in preseason but he will start without issue. Cruz is the more sure thing between him and Nicks, but Nicks has the higher, near insane type of upside. If Nicks stays healthy this season (which is a contract year for him), he could go from risky WR2/3 to strong fantasy WR1 every week.

 

Philadelphia: The Chip Kelly era begins. The offense is really Mike Vick friendly and that bodes well for his chances of producing quality fantasy points on a regular basis and being a strong fantasy QB1. His passing and penchant for injury are Vick's biggest concerns. Even though Jason Avant is a better receiver, the Eagles plan to keep Avant in the 3rd WR role and start Riley Cooper opposite DeSean Jackson. LeSean McCoy should be in for a monster workload and providing he can handle it he makes a strong fantasy RB1. Backup Bryce Brown is likely to get a good amount of work as the Eagles figure to be one of the more run heavy offenses, but until we see exactly how that's going to work on the field in the regular season Brown can't be trusted.

 

Washington: RG3 has had a remarkable recovery from his January torn ACL and will start week 1 without issue. It remains to be seen whether the Redskins will cut down on his rushing attempts at least for the early weeks of the season but you'd have to imagine they certainly would be careful the first game. Roy Helu has won the top backup spot to Alfred Morris and will also operate as the 3rd down RB as he is a superior receiving RB. Helu could find himself in borderline flex territory if h e proves reliable each week for receptions and receiving yards. TE Fred Davis appears to be healthy and ready to show that he is completely over the ruptured Achilles injury that ended his 2012 season in October last season. Pierre Garcon also appears to be fully healthy after being bothered with a foot injury all last season.

 

NFC NORTH

 

Chicago: Brandon Marshall's hip is such a concern he isn't on the Bears injury report for week 1. As a matter of fact Chicago listed NOBODY on their week 1 injury report. That's very unusual and a good sign that the team is at full strength heading into the regular season. We'll see if QB Jay Cutler takes to new coach's Marc Trestman's offense. We'll also see if he trusts either new TE Martellus Bennett, or WR Alshon Jeffery enough to throw passes their way. Marshall is usually a target machine for Cutler. RB Matt Forte should also catch a lot of passes. It was nice to see Forte get goal line opportunities in the preseason and do well. If that carries over into the regular season Forte could be ready for a breakout season.

 

Detroit: Nate Burleson continues to start opposite Calvin Johnson but it's Ryan Broyles who has the superior fantasy upside as the season progresses. Joique Bell beat out Mikel Leshoure to be the top backup to Reggie Bush. Bell has the size, speed, and receiving ability to be fantasy relevant if anything were to happen to Bush and is a recommended handcuff.

 

Green Bay: Eddie Lacy is going to be the Packers featured RB but a week one matchup against San Francisco isn't good for his fantasy outlook to start the year. The injuries suffered by WR's Jordy Nelson (knee) and Randall Cobb (biceps) weren't even severe enough to get them mentioned on the injury report so they are okay to consider this week.

 

Minnesota: Jerome Simpson is keeping the seat warm at starting WR until the Vikings feel comfortable enough with rookie Cordarrelle Patterson taking over. That shouldn't take long though as Patterson is a superior talent to Simpson. Christian Ponder is going into a make or break season. HIs needs to prove he can make up for arm strength limitations by being more cerebral and accurate with his shorter to intermediate passes. If he doesn't, it may not take long into the season for his more experienced clone (backup Matt Cassel) to get a chance to start games.

 

NFC SOUTH

 

Atlanta: Roddy White has never missed a game in his career and I don't think he'll miss week 1 despite being listed as Questionable with that preseason ankle injury he suffered 3-4 weeks ago. White will be fine. RB Steven Jackson is o going to love playing in Atlanta. The Falcons rode a tired and worn out Michael Turner the last 2 seasons and Jackson not only has more left in his tank than Turner did, he also is a far superior pass catcher and pass protector. Jackson is going to be a dual threat weapon for Atlanta and also get plenty of goal line opportunities. A matchup against New Orleans week 1 ensures there will be fantasy points to be had by all the starters in Atlanta.

 

Carolina: Mike Tolbert is Probable and will play despite a minor hamstring issue. Tolbert is the top backup to DeAngelo Williams. Rookie Kenjon Barner is OUT with a foot injury. Jonathan Stewart is on the PUP list and even when eligible to return may not be able to as he has had problems recovering ankle surgery on both feet. Williams has a clear chance to regain fantasy glory. A matchup against Seattle isn't likely to yield many points but will give us a barometer on whether DW is more than a fantasy RB3 in 2013.

 

New Orleans: After Marques Colston and Lance Moore at WR the rotation is not set. Kenny Stills, Nick Toon, and recently reunited Robert Meachem are all in the running for playing time in 3 WR sets. However, none of them are going to be better than the 5th option on any given play with Colston, Moore, TE Jimmy Graham, and RB's Darren Sproles or Pierre Thomas on the field. The RB situation is the thing to really pay attention to. Sean Peyton said after watching all last season he noticed they had gotten away from running the football and that he wants to do it more. That should bode well for Mark Ingram's fantasy outlook, but only if the Saints are being truthful about running it more. A matchup against Atlanta usually provides a lot of great fantasy points for the Saints QB, WR's, and TE, but at RB it's a little less clear as Ingram, Sproles, and Thomas all have roles but how often they are on the field is unknown.

 

Tampa Bay: Martin is completely over a preseason "blow to the head" that the Bucs insist was never considered a concussion despite his sitting out the last 2 preseason games because of it. Martin is fine now though and ready to compete with Trent Richardson to be the second best fantasy RB in 2013. Another season in the same offense with the same weapons is supposed to be good for QB Josh Freeman as he looks to prove detractors wrong. He had 4,000 yards and 27 TD's last season but was also very turnover prone. If he can cut those down and improve on critical situation decision making Freeman could be a top flight fantasy backup QB. Personally, I bet he will be a lot better in those departments.

 

NFC WEST

 

Arizona: Despite a lot of concern about his knee, Rashard Mendenhall is Probable on the injury report and will be fine for week 1. TE Rob Housler has been ruled OUT with his ankle sprain. The biggest problem the Cardinals will have is protecting Carson Palmer. If they can do that, Palmer and the Cardinals should be fine. Problem is that in week 1 they go against one of the most aggressive attacking defenses in the league: St. Louis. But one player who should be happy is Larry Fitzgerald. A harried and harassed Carson Palmer is still light years better than any QB he had throwing him the ball the last couple of seasons.  

 

St. Louis: Too many expect Tavon Austin to be a whole lot better than he will be. Austin is the Rams #3 WR and will be more focused on returns then being a regular at WR. Chris Givens is the Rams top WR and TE Jared Cook is going to be big for the Rams this season. RB Daryl Richardson has won the primary RB job and while I doubt he'll hold up long as a featured RB at 5'11", 195 lbs. But for now, he's the guy and makes a nice RB3 play this week. This is supposed to be Sam Bradford's breakout season as it's the first time he'll have been in the same offensive system for a second consecutive season since coming into the league.

 

San Francisco: Kyle Williams, Quinton Patton, Marlon Brown; they are the trio of WR's trying to fill the shoes week 1 of Michael Crabtree. While eventually Jon Baldwin may work himself into consideration, for right now it's these three. While Williams is expected to start and Moore has been starting, neither is the exciting player that rookie Patton is. Patton is the one to keep an eye on for fantasy purposes. We're going to find out right away in a week 1 matchup against the high powered Packers whether the reported uncanny connection QB Colin Kaepernick has with WR Anquan Boldin and TE Vernon Davis is real, or a dream of optimistic reporters.

 

Seattle: With Percy Harvin out at least the first 6 weeks and quite probably the first 10 or 11, Golden Tate gets to start and while some think Sidney Rice is still the Seahawks #1 WR, it will be Tate who proves to be the better for fantasy. Question is whether that shows right away or not. The Seahawks will still be a very run oriented offense more so than a big strike passing offense and that bodes well for Marshawn Lynch having another strong fantasy RB1 season. The big question is what would happen if Lynch were to get injured? The Seahawks have two RB's behind Lynch in Robert Turbin and Christine Michael that probably could start for about 10 other teams in the league. 

Are you ready for some FOOTBALL?

 

I know I am.

 

The 2013 NFL regular season kicks off in just a few hours from now. It's GREAT to have the NFL season back! But it also means that it's that time of year again. Time for my weekly NFL Game Picks and Survivor Pool Lock of the Week. Every year my goal is to get 180 games correct, which is the equivalent of nailing slightly better than 70% and being right on average on 10-11 games every week.

 

Last season I finished 164-91-1, which is only about 64%. Not great, but some years are like that. We'll see if I can do better in 2013.

 

In my Survivor Pool Lock's in 2012, I went 14-3. The week 2 loss by New England at home against the Arizona Cardinals and week 3 loss by New Orleans to the Kansas City Chiefs were brutal early season picks that doomed me. I also whiffed on Tampa Bay when they lost to the Eagles in week 14.

 

Like with my 2013 NFL Game picks, I will try to be better at the Survivor Pool Locks.

 

So without further ado, here are my week 1 NFL Game Picks:

 

Denver 27, Baltimore 20

Atlanta 34, New Orleans 28

Chicago 20, Cincinnati 17

Kansas City 23, Jacksonville 13

Cleveland 21, Miami 17

Detroit, 31, Minnesota 23

New England 35, Buffalo 21

 Indianapolis 27, Oakland 10

Seattle 20, Carolina 17

Tampa Bay 24, NY Jets 13

Pittsburgh 17, Tennessee 14

St. Louis 24, Arizona 20

San Francisco 30, Green Bay 24

Dallas 27, NY Giants 20

Washington 28, Philadelphia 24

Houston 24, San Diego 13

 

And there you have it: my week 1 NFL Game Predictions.

 

For my Survivor Pool Lock for Week 1 I have a few games to choose from that I am very confident in. But I hold to a couple of rules each season (which came back to bite me in weeks 2 and 3 last season) like preferring home teams, especially early in the season. The Jets and Bills are clearly outclassed this week, but they are both at home. Luckily there is another team that is possibly even in a worse situation: on the road against a 2012 playoff team; very suspect QB; in general, a lack of quality talent (with a couple of exceptions) both on offense and defense. That team shouldn't be hard to identify.

 

My Survivor Pool Lock for Week 1 is: the Indianapolis Colts over the Oakland Raiders.

 

I'll be sure to get these posted every Wednesday or Thursday throughout the rest of the 2013 season. Best of luck to everyone in your picks! 

Every year before the season begins I post my regular season predicted final standings, along with my picks for which teams will advance to the post-season and Super Bowl predictions. As you can see if you check out my 2012 predictions I whiffed on quite a few, but did manage to correctly identify the Baltimore Ravens as the Super Bowl Champions (albeit against Green Bay, not San Francisco).

 

Let's see what my (cracked?) crystal ball has pegged for the 2013 NFL season:

 

 

AFC Playoff teams: Denver, New England, Cincinnati, Houston, Pittsburgh, Indianapolis

NFC Playoff teams: Atlanta, San Francisco, Green Bay, Dallas, New Orleans, Detroit

 

AFC Championship Game: New England at Denver

AFC Champion: Denver

 

NFC Championship Game: Green Bay at Atlanta

NFC Champion: Atlanta

 

Super Bowl XVLIII: Denver vs. Atlanta

 

In a rematch of Super Bowl XXXIII, Peyton Manning goes for a second Super Bowl ring against up and coming Matt Ryan. This is a game that could really go either way and I expect it would go back and forth with several lead changes. The Falcons and Tony Gonzalez will do their best to finally bring a Super Bowl Championship to Atlanta, but John Elway brought in the craft veteran Manning specifically to get the Broncos back to being the World Champions. I can't see any more fitting scenario than it happening against the team Denver beat to get their last Super Bowl victory back in February, 1999. In that game, John Elway led the Broncos to a 34-19 victory and Elway was named the game's MVP. The final score will be closer this time around, but history will repeat itself and led by Peyton Manning (who will be named Super 48 MVP) the Denver Broncos will bring the Championship back to Denver.

Final score: Denver 37, Atlanta 34

Super Bowl XLVIII Champions: Denver Broncos  

 

There you have it, on record: my 2013 NFL and Super Bowl 48 predictions. I'm sure I'll look back at this in January and wonder what rock struck me, but as it is, here and now, this is how I see it playing out.