Sunday morning updates -- Week 10

Happy Sunday, Fools. It's another beautiful day in Dallas (not sure how much longer I'm going to be able to say that, so I'm going to keep it up while I can). Hope it's great where you are, too.

No byes this week! That should mean you have plenty of viable options to consider at each position; so let's get to the news you can use to make the wisest decisions possible.

The biggest news of all: DeSean Jackson will be INACTIVE today because he missed a team meeting. Wow. Talk about sending a message! That's good news for Jeremy Maclin's owners, and it makes Jason Avant a solid option this week, too -- especially in PPR leagues. Vick's matchup with the Cardinals is great with or without D-Jax.

Joseph Addai will not be active today, which means its another crapshoot on Donald Brown vs. Delone Carter. Obviously, you're best off avoiding them both if you can.

Ahmad Bradshaw is already out; Brandon Jacobs will go against the NFL's top-ranked run defense. The 49ers haven't allowed a rushing TD all season. Jacobs is not a great option today.

Beanie Wells has gotten better this week and will play. He's a decent start against the Eagles.

Mark Ingram will return to action today, but it's anyone's guess how much action he will get. This obviously puts a crimp in Pierre Thomas' value, but shouldn't affect Darren Sproles at all. Chris Ivory should be on your bench.

Looks like Hakeem Nicks will be active today, so you have to start him. Mario Manningham (knee) will be a game-time call, but I'd bench him either way since Nicks is back. Victor Cruz belongs in your lineups, though.

Another week, another inactive Andre Johnson. And Felix Jones. And Jahvid Best. And Lee Evans.

Rex Grossman will start at QB for the Redskins over John Beck. Hopefully this doesn't impact you in any way, especially since Santana Moss is still out.

That's it for now. Time to tweet the inactives (@ladd_biro). Good luck today, Fools!

Week 10 Starters & Benchwarmers

Wondering whether or not to start Arian Foster and Calvin Johnson, or to bench John Skelton and Chad Ochocinco? The network bozos specialize in that kind of advice. If you’re looking for help with your real starting lineup conundrums, read on.

Here are my picks to roll, and get rolled, in Week 10 of the 2011 season.

Watch ‘em roll

Tim Tebow, QB, Broncos at Chiefs. I don’t know any leagues that award style points, so Tebow’s unconventional approach to racking up fantasy production is irrelevant. The Chiefs have a lousy pass rush and give up plenty of passing TDs. Add in Tebow’s rushing prowess, and you’ll love the results.

DeMarco Murray, RB, Cowboys vs. Bills. The rookie has solidified his role as Dallas’ featured back; and after this weekend, he’ll be cemented in as an every-week fantasy starter. Buffalo’s run defense can be gashed, as the Jets proved again last week.

Willis McGahee, RB, Broncos at Chiefs. Just two weeks removed from hand surgery, McGahee left no doubt last week that this is his backfield. It’s hardly even worth calling it a committee at this point. Look for more big runs and scores against Kansas City’s mediocre run defense.

Antonio Brown, WR, Steelers at Bengals. Brown is my new favorite fantasy wideout. More important, he appears to be Ben Roethlisberger’s new fave as well. Brown has been targeted a whopping 34 times over the last three games, nearly matching Mike Wallace’s production during that time span. Even against the Bengals’ solid pass defense, lock Brown into your lineup.

James Jones, WR, Packers vs. Vikings. Here’s the thing: When Aaron Rodgers is en fuego, and he’s facing the league’s 30th-ranked pass defense, you go all-in with his receivers; including Jones, his fourth option.

More thumbs up (excluding the no-brainers): QBs Tony Romo, Matt Ryan, Eli Manning, Matt Schaub, Ben Roethlisberger, Matt Stafford; RBs Jackie Battle, Steven Jackson, Chris Johnson, Ryan Mathews; WRs Dez Bryant, Laurent Robinson, Stevie Johnson, Victor Cruz, Eric Decker, Plaxico Burress, Julio Jones, Anquan Boldin, Percy Harvin, A.J. Green, Jeremy Maclin, Jordy Nelson.

Roll ‘em back

Jay Cutler, QB, Bears vs. Lions. Cutler posted 249 yards and a score in the first meeting at Detroit in Week 5. He has been up-and-down since then, but the Lions’ fearsome pass rush will make it difficult for Cutler to shine; especially if the Windy City lives up to its name on Sunday.

Brandon Jacobs, RB, Giants at 49ers. He is expected to lead the charge while Ahmad Bradshaw (foot) sits out again. But the league’s stingiest run defense won’t make life pleasant for Jacobs. The 49ers force opponents to score through the air, and Jacobs is unlikely to be the first to crack the end zone on the ground.

Cedric Benson, RB, Bengals vs. Steelers. Over the past two seasons, Benson has alternated good and bad games against his division rivals. With just two scores to show for 2011 thus far, it’s hard to feel good about his chances this week against Pittsburgh’s stout run defense.

Brandon Lloyd, WR, Rams at Browns. He has been targeted a dozen or more times in every game he’s played as a Ram, so PPR leaguers have some incentive to start him. But facing the NFL’s top-ranked pass defense, including soon-to-be All Pro corner Joe Haden, Lloyd won’t deliver impressive returns.

Pierre Garcon, WR, Colts vs. Jaguars. Thanks to stellar outings in Weeks 4 and 5, Garcon ranks among the Top 15 fantasy receivers. Yet he’s been largely absent most other weeks, thanks to the Colts’ unsteady quarterback play. Keep him benched against the Jags’ stout pass defense.

More thumbs down: QBs Ryan Fitzpatrick, Josh Freeman, Sam Bradford, Alex Smith, Andy Dalton, Carson Palmer; RBs Daniel Thomas, Maurice Morris, Marshawn Lynch, James Starks, Chris Ogbonnaya, Colts RBs; WRs Mike Williams (Bucs), Early Doucet, Deion Branch, Austin Collie, Earl Bennett, Braylon Edwards.

Taking a flier

Jason Hill, WR, Jaguars at Colts. With no teams on bye this week, you may not be desperate for help. But if you are, give Hill a look. He’s become Blaine Gabbert’s go-to target, and he has reached the end zone in three of his last four games. Oh yeah; the Colts have coughed up a league-worst 18 passing TDs.

Don’t be the bonehead who…fails to set their lineup for the Thursday night games. Starting tonight, and running through Week 16, you’ll need to adjust your schedule early to avoid giving your opponent an undeserved head start.

Week 9 Heroes & Zeros

This was a great week to start…

QBs
Aaron Rodgers, Packers – Passed for 247 yards and 4 TDs, and ran for 52 yards.
Philip Rivers, Chargers – Compiled 385 yards and 4 TDs, but spoiled it with 3 INTs.
Carson Palmer, Raiders – His 3 INTs hurt, too; but 332 yards passing with 3 TDs is pretty salty stuff.
Matt Ryan, Falcons – Passed for 275 yards and a trio of TDs, plus an INT.
Matt Moore, Dolphins – Threw for 244 yards and 3 TDs without a turnover.
Tim Tebow, Broncos – It wasn’t always pretty, but in the end he accounted for 124 passing yards and 2 TDs, and ran for another 118 yards.
Andy Dalton, Bengals – Passed for 227 yards and 3 TDs without a turnover.

RBs
Willis McGahee, Broncos – Pounded the Raiders for 163 yards and 2 scores.
Arian Foster, Texans – Rushed for 124 yards and 1 TD and caught 5 passes for 26 more yards.
Mike Tolbert, Chargers – Rushed for 83 yards and a TD and caught 4 passes for 59 yards.
Marshawn Lynch, Seahawks – Ran for 135 yards and a TD against a good run defense.
LeSean McCoy, Eagles – Scored again (of course) and racked up 71 rushing yards and 5 receptions for 46 more.
Roy Helu, Redskins – Just 41 yards rushing; but in PPR leagues, his 14 receptions for 105 yards was stellar.

WRs
Vincent Jackson, Chargers – Finally showed his elite stuff, with 7 catches for 141 yards and a TD hat trick.
Julio Jones, Falcons – Caught 3 passes for 131 yards and a pair of TDs, and chipped in 33 rushing yards as well.
Eddie Royal, Broncos – Caught 2 passes for 25 yards and 1 TD, and returned a punt 85 yards for another score.
Wes Welker, Patriots – Another PPR beauty, with 9 receptions for 136 yards, plus 13 rushing yards.

TEs
Rob Gronkowski, Patriots – Caught 8 passes for 101 yards and 1 TD.
Antonio Gates, Chargers – Pulled down 8 catches for 96 yards and a score.
Anthony Fasano, Dolphins – Reeled in 2 TDs and 38 yards on his only catches.

D/STs
Packers defense – Gave up 38 points, but scored 12 of their own on 2 pick-sixes, and added 2 sacks and 3 total turnovers.

This was a great week to play against…

QBs
Matt Schaub, Texans – Managed just 119 passing yards and an INT, but ran in for a short score.
Matt Cassel, Chiefs – Limited to 253 passing yards, and 38 rushing, with no scores or turnovers.
Curtis Painter, Colts – Only 98 yards passing with 1 INT.
Sam Bradford, Rams – It was good to see him back, but 255 yards and an INT without a score won’t help fantasy-wise.
Michael Vick, Eagles – Held out of the end zone and had just 213 passing yards, 34 rushing yards and a pick.

RBs
Delone Carter, Colts – Fumbled early and gave way to Donald Brown after collecting just 8 rushing yards.
Javon Ringer, Titans – Combined for a paltry 25 yards.
Beanie Wells, Cardinals – Held to 20 rushing and 13 receiving yards against the lowly Rams.
Chris Ogbonnaya, Browns – Hopefully you didn’t have to settle for his 41 combined yards, plus a fumble.
Jackie Battle, Chiefs – Only 49 combined yards on the day.

WRs
Darrius Heyward-Bey, Raiders – Posted a goose egg.
Hines Ward, Steelers – So did he.
Jonathan Baldwin, Chiefs – Followed up his breakout game with a 12-yard reception.
Devin Hester, Bears – Also had a 12-yarder.
Johnny Knox, Bears – Limited to a single 14-yard catch.
DeSean Jackson, Eagles – Ran for 10 yards, caught 2 passes for 16 yards, dropped plenty more and fumbled.
Colts receivers – Austin Collie led with 32 yards, followed by Reggie Wayne with 30, Pierre Garcon with 22 and Dallas Clark with 21.
Kevin Walter, Texans – Just one 5-yard reception.
Braylon Edwards, 49ers – Returned to action to catch 2 balls for 30 yards.
Nate Washington, Titans – Caught 3 passes for 28 yards.

Rivers, Johnson not back in good graces yet

Ever since I mastered the art of flicking a paper football across a table until it dangled off the edge, then drilling it through a two-fingered goal post, I’ve loved fantasy football. Of course, we young lads didn’t call it fantasy back in the day; but I’m sure the grade-school time-killer has its place in the evolution of the game.

But my love of all things fantasy is being tested this year. Mostly by Philip Rivers, who I drafted as a “can’t miss” anchor of two teams, but has played more like a “miss-take” waiting to happen. Even on Sunday, amidst a long-overdue stellar performance, Rivers threw three costly interceptions, including two pick-sixes. Something is clearly rotten in San Diego.

Rivers’ disappointing season, which landed him on my bench weeks ago, is just one of several implosions that have rocked countless unsuspecting fantasy owners. Naturally, Chris Johnson’s inexplicable demise ranks at the top of the list. And no, 110 yards of combined production against the Bengals hasn’t changed a thing.

I suppose $21 million of guaranteed money (roughly half the value of the five-year deal he signed this offseason) goes a long way towards soothing DeAngelo Williams’ concerns over his reduced role in Carolina. But it doesn’t make us feel any better.

We should have known Peyton Hillis would be a one-hit wonder after he became the Madden cover boy. But when will we stop believing that Shonn Greene is workhorse material? Or that Jahvid Best, Beanie Wells and Felix Jones can possibly stay healthy?

We’ll give the Colts receivers a pass this time, since their downfall was not of their own making. So what’s Chad Ochocinco’s excuse?

Halfway through the 2011 season, these and other fantasy underachievers are vying for our dreaded Bust of the Year “honors.” They’d better step up soon, or risk earning a label they may never shake.

FREE AGENT PICKS AND PANS

To win a fantasy championship, it helps to start with a great draft. But filling in your roster throughout the season with the right free agents is also important. Here's a look at players worth considering, and others who would look better in someone else's lineup.

Catch ‘em while you can

Roy Helu, RB, Redskins. Counting on any Redskin back from week to week is foolhardy indeed. But Mike Shanahan has signaled all along that Helu would eventually get his shot at the featured role. While the rookie’s 41 rushing yards were nothing special, those who play in point-per-reception leagues are salivating over his 14-catch, 105-receiving yard effort against the 49ers. While you can’t count on that again, Helu is clearly more roster-worthy than Ryan Torain.

Laurent Robinson, WR, Cowboys. Robinson has been surprisingly effective since Dallas plucked him off the scrap heap earlier this season, in spite of the heavy competition at his position. Now that Miles Austin has aggravated his hamstring again, Robinson could be starting one or more games during a very favorable stretch.

Jacoby Ford, WR, Raiders. I still wouldn’t entrust my fantasy team to the mistake-prone Carson Palmer, but I’ve been a fan of Ford’s since last season. His re-emergence as Oakland’s lead receiver, coinciding with Darrius Heyward-Bey’s goose egg, makes Ford a high-upside pickup in leagues where he has been dropped. His role as an electrifying return man gives him bonus potential as well.

Don’t be fooled

Andy Dalton, QB, Bengals. Give the rookie his due. Dalton has fired a touchdown pass in all but one game this season, including multi-score efforts in half of them. Sunday’s 217-yard, three-touchdown, zero-turnover performance was his best to date. I’d recommend him if not for his brutal second-half schedule, which includes two dates each with the Steelers and Ravens.

Chris Ogbonnaya, RB, Browns. Hopefully you didn’t invest in Hillis’ backup’s backup. When you dig this low on the depth chart of a mediocre rushing team, you get what you pay for. Even in a favorable matchup with the Rams next week, stay away. Stay far away.

Sunday morning updates -- Week 9

Happy Sunday morning, Fools. All is well in Fantasyland. Let's get to the last-minute updates before the inactives come down for your Week 9 games...

First, always remember and never forget, the following teams are on bye this week: Panthers, Lions, Jags and Vikings. I'm going to try to survive this week without Stafford and AD in two lineups.

We already know Ahmad Bradshaw and Hakeem Nicks will not be suiting up today for the G-men. That means it's the Brandon Jacobs show at RB (with an assist from Danny Ware). Mario Manningham and Victor Cruz both get a nice bump with Nicks sidelined.

You know Hillis and Hardesty are out, meaning Chris Ogbonnaya will start at RB for the Browns. Yuck. Thomas Clayton will likely share carries with Ogbannaya. Double yuck.

Run DMC (McFadden) is out. Michael Bush will be a nice proxy in Oakland today.

Felix Jones won't play, so DeMarco Murray gets another shot at seizing the permanent starting role.

Mark Ingram will miss another game. That means more opportunities for Pierre Thomas, but Chris Ivory will be in the mix again. Of course, Darren Sproles is the best fantasy back of them all.

Andre Johnson will sit out another week.

Pittsburgh's Emmanuel Sanders is out, which is good news for Antonio Brown. The bad news, though, is he's playing the Ravens.

LeGarrette Blount will be back, and he's expected to carry a full load since the Bucs are basically out of RBs.

Daniel Thomas is expected to play, but probably only sparingly, given how testy his hamstring has been. Look for more action from Reggie Bush and Lex Hilliard. Thomas is a very risky start.

Tarvaris Jackson will be a game-time decision. You don't want to start him, but his presence would help Sidney Rice and other Seahawks receivers, if you have to play them. It helps Marshawn Lynch to have a credible threat at QB, too.

Joseph Addai, Malcom Floyd and Kevin Kolb will also be game-time calls.

Fred Davis is expected to play, despite a bum ankle.

Looks like Janikowski will be back kicking for the Raiders today.

That's it for now. I'll be tweeting (@ladd_biro) an hour before kickoff, as always, with the game-day inactives and other late breaking news. Good luck today, Fools!

Week 9 Starters & Benchwarmers

Wondering whether or not to start Aaron Rodgers and LeSean McCoy, or to bench John Beck and Derrick Mason? The network bozos specialize in that kind of advice. If you’re looking for help with your real starting lineup conundrums, read on.

Here are my picks to roll, and get rolled, in Week 9 of the 2011 season.

Watch ‘em roll

Matt Ryan, QB, Falcons at Colts. Ryan has thrown exactly one scoring pass in each of his last five games, making him a popular whipping boy in fantasy circles. He should break out of his funk Sunday with the expected return of Julio Jones (hamstring) and the primo matchup with the Colts’ sieve-like secondary.

LeGarrette Blount, RB, Buccaneers at Saints. He’s returning from his knee injury just in time, as the Bucs are otherwise decimated at his position. Blount should have little trouble gashing the soft New Orleans run defense.

Michael Bush, RB, Raiders vs. Broncos. Darren McFadden (foot) is still on crutches, making it highly unlikely he’ll be ready for Sunday’s tilt. Bush, already a goal-line vulture and competent receiver, will start against Denver’s average-at-best run defense. Rookie Taiwan Jones will get a few looks, too; but this is Bush’s game to shine.

Brandon Lloyd, WR, Rams at Cardinals. Despite laboring with A.J. Feeley at quarterback, Lloyd has fared better as a Ram than he did earlier this season with the Broncos; presumably due to his familiarity with Josh McDaniel’s system. Regardless of which passer gets the call this week – and Sam Bradford’s high ankle sprain is improving – you have to like Lloyd’s chances to prosper against one of the NFL’s most generous pass defenses.

Mario Manningham, WR, Giants at Patriots. Whether or not Hakeem Nicks (hamstring) plays – and he doesn’t sound like a guy who’s planning to – Manningham belongs in your lineup. He finally reached the end zone last week against the Dolphins, and he should have little trouble racking up the yards, and probably his second touchdown, against New England’s embarrassing secondary.

More thumbs up (excluding the no-brainers): QBs Eli Manning, Matt Cassel, Tony Romo; RBs Mike Tolbert, Beanie Wells, Cedric Benson, Shonn Greene; WRs Victor Cruz, Marques Colston, Mike Williams (Bucs), Jeremy Maclin, Jordy Nelson, Anquan Boldin, Sidney Rice.

Roll ‘em back

Philip Rivers, QB, Chargers vs. Packers. The once-elite gunslinger has been downright awful most of this season, and he has proven he can’t be trusted even in favorable matchups. Green Bay’s defense has racked up the second-most interceptions in the league, which doesn’t bode well for the mistake-prone Rivers.

Chris Johnson, RB, Titans vs. Bengals. As dreadful as Johnson has been all season, he is still being started each week by roughly 90 percent of his owners, who hold out hope for his “inevitable” breakout game. But Cincinnati boasts the league’s second-stingiest run defense. If a breakout is indeed coming, it won’t be this weekend.

Ryan Torain, RB, Redskins vs 49ers. Talk about a guy who has squandered his opportunities. Torain’s 14-yard rushing effort last week was actually an improvement over the five yards he lost in Week 7. Even without serious competition for carries, Torain has been a disaster. I’m setting the over/under at 20 yards against the NFL’s top-ranked run defense.

Lance Moore, WR, Saints vs. Buccaneers. Aside from Marques Colston, no Saints wideout can be banked on in consecutive weeks. Drew Brees uses his secondary receivers interchangeably, and since Moore was his leading target in Week 8, he’s more likely to disappear on Sunday than celebrate another trip to the end zone.

Nate Washington, WR, Titans vs. Bengals. On the heels of his two-touchdown outing against the Colts, it would be tough to send Washington back to your bench. But Matt Hasselbeck has been fairly pedestrian lately, while the Bengals field one of the stingiest pass defenses in the league. This should be another down week for the Titans’ lead wideout.

More thumbs down: QBs Joe Flacco, Ben Roethlisberger, Tim Tebow, Ryan Fitzpatrick, Carson Palmer, Mark Sanchez, Matt Hasselbeck; RBs BenJarvus Green-Ellis, Joseph Addai, Peyton Hillis, Marshawn Lynch; WRs Plaxico Burress, Pierre Garcon, Davone Bess, Antonio Brown, Kevin Walter, Greg Little.

Taking a flier

Jonathan Baldwin, WR, Chiefs vs. Dolphins. Kansas City’s first-round draft pick finally got a chance to strut his stuff under the Monday night lights. The 6’4”, 228-pound wideout is an imposing presence, and Miami’s lousy secondary will have a difficult time keeping up with him. Baldwin has more upside as a WR3 or flex play than teammate Steve Breaston this week.

Don’t be the bonehead who…benches Larry Fitzgerald just because John Skelton starts at quarterback. Skelton may be as raw as they get, but he managed to connect with Fitz for 57 yards and a score in just three quarters of last season’s finale. This week, if Kevin Kolb (toe) is sidelined, Skelton will face the generous Rams secondary. Fitzgerald should remain in your lineup.

Week 8 -- Heroes and Zeros

This was a great week to start…

QBs
Cam Newton, Panthers – Passed for 290 yards and 3 TDs and ran for 53 yards, and lost two fumbles.
Matt Stafford, Lions – Notched 3 TDs and 267 passing yards and ran for 21 yards without a turnover.
Michael Vick, Eagles – Torched the Cowboys with 279 passing yards and 2 TDs, plus 50 yards as a rusher, without a turnover.
Eli Manning, Giants – Threw for 349 yards and 2 TDs without a turnover.

RBs
LeSean McCoy, Eagles – Ran for 185 yards and 2 TDs, and caught 2 passes for 15 more.
Ray Rice, Ravens – Had a touchdown hat trick while rushing for 63 yards and catching 7 passes for 36 more.
Steven Jackson, Rams – Burned the Saints for 259 rushing yards and 2 TDs, and added 4 receptions for 32 yards.
Adrian Peterson, Vikings – Ran for 86 yards and a TD and caught 5 passes for 76 yards and another score.
Frank Gore, 49ers – Rumbled for 134 yards and 1 TD.
Fred Jackson, Bills – Didn’t score, but amassed 194 combined yards.

WRs
Nate Washington, Titans – Scored on a 3-yard run and caught 4 passes for 34 yards and a second TD.
Calvin Johnson, Lions – Caught 6 passes for 125 yards and a TD.
Laurent Robinson, Cowboys – His 5 receptions were good for 103 yards and a score.
Steve Smith, Panthers – Reeled in 7 passes for 100 yards and 1 TD.

TEs
Scott Chandler, Bills – Scored twice and collected 35 yards on his only 2 catches.

D/STs
Lions D/ST – Scored on a fumble return and an INT return, amassed 7 sacks and 3 turnovers and held Denver to 10 points.
Bengals D/ST – Amassed 4 sacks and 2 turnovers and scored on a punt return and INT return.
Bills defense – Compiled 9 sacks and 2 interceptions while pitching a shutout against the Skins.

This was a great week to play against…

QBs
Philip Rivers, Chargers – Stunk it up again, passing for 369 yards and 2 INTs, plus a fumble, with no TDs to show for it.

RBs
Montario Hardesty, Browns – Ran for 6 yards before leaving with an injury.
BenJarvus Green-Ellis, Patriots – Ran for a measly 9 yards.
Ryan Torain, Redskins – Got the start and tallied 20 total yards. I give up.
Delone Carter, Colts – Ran for just 46 yards and let Donald Brown poach another TD.
Chris Johnson, Titans – Upstaged by backup Javon Ringer again, with just 51 combined yards.

WRs
Wes Welker, Patriots – Compiled 39 yards on 6 catches.
Miles Austin, Cowboys – Caught 3 balls for 27 yards.
Dez Bryant, Cowboys – His 3 catches went for 28 yards.
DeSean Jackson, Eagles – Went for 31 yards on 3 passes.
Vincent Jackson, Chargers – Underperformed again with just 49 yards on 3 catches.

TEs
Vernon Davis, 49ers – Just 27 yards on 3 catches.
Jason Witten, Cowboys – Had 4 catches for 28 yards.