3 Losers & a Douchebag

Loser # 1: Everyone expected NE to go right back to their glory of 2007 when QB Tom Brady returned. And week 1 was a nice start. But in week 2, WR Randy Moss only posted 24 yards. And for that, he is a loser.

Loser # 2: Last week, TE Zach Miller showed everyone why he was considered a sleeper at TE when he caught 6 passes for 96 yards. Then he followed that up by completely disappearing. That should teach us a lesson: Never trust the fat caveman (aka QB Jamarcus Russell). And for teaching us that lesson, he is a loser.

Loser #3: Umm… WTF WR Greg Jennings? Zero catches against CIN? How is that even possible? You know what? I don’t even wanna know. Because either way, you are a loser.

Douchebag: My douchebag this week is personal. QB Matt Schaub (HOU) is my douchebag this week because I recommended that you sit him because he was facing the TEN defense and he struggled in week 1. But instead of struggling, he blew up and threw for 347 yards and 4 TDs, making him the highest scoring QB. What a douchebag.

Yes… No… Maybe?

“Yes… No… Maybe?” is my version of the start-sit post. For the most part, I avoided the obvious (i.e. “Start Adrian Peterson and Drew Brees!”) and tried to focus on the fringe players. Beginning next week, I will recap how I did the previous week. So, eventually, when it turns out I am wrong all the time, you can pull a Costanza and just do the opposite.

And, just in case you are confused by the obvious nature of the post, here is a key:

Yes = Start these players. They have a high likelihood of performing well.
No = Sit these players. The risk is too high that they will struggle.
Maybe = Start these guys if you do not have better options. They could do well. Or they could fail.

Yes

QB Trent Edwards (BUF) vs. TB: Last week, QB Tony Romo put up a career-high in passing yards against TB. I doubt Edwards will replicate that effort, but he should have a good game. He has the weapons and TB is vulnerable.

RB Ray Rice (BAL) @ SD: OAK was able to push the SD DL around last week and managed to put up some rushing yards. BAL is a better running team, so Rice should get plenty of work. RB Willis McGahee and RB LeRon McClain could steal his TDs, but that is no reason not to use him. He should have around 100 total yards again.

RB Fred Jackson (BUF) vs. TB: Jackson did very well last week in place of suspended RB Marshawn Lynch, and he should have another solid outing against TB, who is not nearly as strong on DEF as most people think.

RB Clinton Portis (WAS) vs. STL: Portis is probably a must-start guy each week, but there are rumors that hsi touches are going to be limited and RB Ladell Betts is going to get more work. But RB Julius Jones went nuts on STL last week, so Portis should have a big day.

WR Louis Murphy (OAK) vs. KC: Yes, I know he has the fat caveman throwing him the ball. But there are just not many other options in OAK outside of TE Zach Miller (here’s a free one: Start Miller, too). Murphy was inches away from scoring 2 TDs last week and should have another good day against a KC pass DEF that struggles.

NO

QB Jay Cutler (CHI) vs. PIT: I doubt Cutler wil blow up and have 4 INTs again — although it would be awesome if he did — but I would consider other options this week. PIT is very good on DEF and could give him troubles, just like GB did with their version of the 3-4.

QB Matt Schaub (HOU) @ TEN: Schaub struggled last week against NYJ, and TEN is just as good or better than NYJ against the pass. TEN does not have a shutdown CB like NYJ has in CB Darrelle Revis, but I think they will contain Schaub enough to make him bench-worthy. Plus, I think his ankle is still bothering him.

RB LaDainian Tomlinson (SD) vs. BAL: LT is banked up with an ankle injury and is expected to be a game-time decision. Even if he does play, I have very little confidence that he will have a good day against the BAL DEF.

RB Steve Slaton (HOU) @ TEN: This was a tough one. Partly becuase I have him in one of my leagues. But also because, last year, he was the only RB to put up over 100 yards rushing on TEN. And he did it twice. So he is a lock to have a good game again, right? I wish. I think he will struggle. He is a borderline “no/maybe” though. Start him if you are really desperate.

WR Devin Hester (CHI) vs. PIT: But for one blown coverage last week in the GB game, Hester did nothing. I do not think PIT will blow coverage and let him get behind them, even without SS Troy Polomalu.

MAYBE

RB Pierre Thomas (NO) @ PHI: Thomas claims to be healthy and ready to go. If this is true, he should get enough work against PHI to make him worthy of a start. I think RB Mike Bell will continue to get some reps as they ease Thomas back in, but Thomas will be the man once he is 100%.

RB Darren Sproles (SD) vs. BAL: I am not sure why I hate Sproles. I was not high on him coming into this year. And now, even with LT hurt, I am still not all that high on him. He is very involved in the passing game, which is great. But he simply is not an every-down RB. However, with LT out, he makes a good start if you do not have other options. But I think BAL will do a better job of containing him than OAK did.

RB Kevin Smith (DET) vs. MIN: Smith could have an okay day, because he is involved in the passing game. And that is the only reason he is a “maybe” and not a “no”. MIN is just too stout against the run. But this has “trap game” written all over it… MIN has all the hype, and DET has not won a game in a long time. Who knows a good bookie? I just got paid…

RB Willie Parker (PIT) @ CHI: I am not a fan of FWP this year. He looked very marginal in week 1. And the PIT OL is not great. But CHI is without MLB Brian Urlacher, which makes him slightly more attractive.

WR Laurent Robinson (STL) @ WAS: Robinson had a solid week 1 and led the team in targets. And he had a couple red zone looks. STL is gonna be losing so they will have to pass. Which makes him a sneaky WR3 play this week if you need help.

Leave a comment and let me know what you think. Or, if you have other start-sit dilemmas, leave a comment and I will respond.

Week 2 Waiver Wire

Here are some names to consider adding to your roster if they are available in your league:

QB Trent Edwards (BUF): He has OL issues, but he also has weapons. A solid backup.

QB Joe Flacco (BAL): Flacco looked sharper than expected in his first action of 2009. He could surprise some people this year.

RB Cedric Benson (CIN): He is the main ball carrier in CIN. Which is worth something.

RB Mike Bell (NO): His value depends on the health of RB Pierre Thomas, who could be back as soon as this week. But if Thomas misses any more time, Bell is a good short-term fix.

RB Michael Bush (OAK): The Raiders love to run the ball, and Bush looked pretty good against SD. He is in a RBBC with RB Darren McFadden, but he appears to be the goal line RB.

RB Cadillac Williams (TB): I love Cadillac for coming back from not one, but two patella tendon injuries and still looking like a real NFL RB. But I hate the fact that this means I will have to deal with awful car-related puns and jokes all season.

RB Tim Hightower (ARI): Hightower fell in drafts and even went undrafted in many leagues due to concerns that RB Beanie Wells would steal his carries. But ARI used him extensively, especially in the passing game, in week 1.

WR Chaz Schilens (OAK): Schilens probably will not be back this week, but he could be back next week. I think he has the potential to be a solid WR3 once he works his way back into game-shape.

WR Kenny Britt (TEN): Britt made a pretty good showing in week 1 for a TEN team that threw the ball surprisingly well.

WR Steve Smith (NYG): Smith is a solid possession WR that should get consistent looks — he had 8 in week 1 — but likely will never have a blow up game.

WR Justin Gage (TEN): Yeah. Two TEN WRs. Who knew? Gage had 7 catches for 78 yards and a TD in week 1.

WR Austin Collie (IND): Collie should get quite a few more looks with WR Anthony Gonzalez sidelined.

TE Jeremy Shockey (NO): After having zero TDs last year, Shockey had 2 TDs in week 1. I think he will have a solid year.

TE Zach Miller (OAK): Based on the game against SD, QB Jamarcus Russell, Miller could get a lot of looks. Which might even turn into a few catches.

TE Brent Celek (PHI): As expected, Celek was a big part of the passing game in PHI. If McNabb is out for any extended period of time, Celek could become even more valuable, as any backup QB will likely look for an outlet.

Did I forget anyone? Probably. But this is good enough for now.

http://www.match.com/profile/showProfile.aspx?uid=GwJoZnfAaVIImTU7dl09og==&handle=CamDoll M

Preseason Wrapup

Yeah, I know. There is still one week of the preseason left. But the starters rarely play any significant amount of time in the 4th preseason game. So now seems like as good a time as any to look back at the preseason and see what we learned.

So, with that in mind: I know it’s only preseason, but…

1. The Packers offense looks very good. I have said a few times already that I expect QB Aaron Rodgers to end the season as the top scoring player in fantasy (and to back this up, I picked him in two of my three leagues so far this year). Rodgers has looked very sharp in the preseason, completing 27 of 38 passes for 458 yards, with 6 TDs and no interceptions — and he did this in approximately 4 quarters of play. Which is, like, pretty good. Beyond Rodgers, though, there is RB Ryan Grant, who should get 300 carries and rebound from his poor 2008, WR Greg Jennings, who is a top-10 (and maybe even top-5) WR, WR Donald Driver, who is an undervalued WR3, and sleepers such as WR James Jones and TE Jermichael Finley, who could put up good numbers in an offense that should be in the top 5 in the league.

2. We have no idea what TO will do in Buffalo. TO looked like he could still play early during BUF’s 1st preseason game. But that is all we saw of him. He has missed the rest of the preseason with a mysterious toe injury. I have my own issues with TO — mostly related to the QB and OL in BUF — but there is no denying the guy’s talent. If you like to gamble, you can probably get a pretty good deal on him.

3. Chris Henry could be very good. I have had this kid on many of my fantasy teams in the past, only to end up disappointed by his inconsistency and apparent stupidity. But now it seems like he has things figured out. He caught a TD in each of the preseason games, and is a prime candidate to replace the production that went with WR TJ Houshmandzadeh to SEA. He is a great sleeper pick.

4. Brett Favre still has it. At least for a few more weeks. No one really doubted that Favre could still play. I think the real question is whether he can still play for 16 (or 19 or 20) weeks. I suspect he will look pretty sharp during the early portion of the season, but judgment day(s) will come later in the year when he is getting tired and beat up. Will he still have the desire? Will his body hold up? Who knows. But he does give the other offensive players in MIN a boost — at least in the short-term.

5. We have no idea what any of the rookie RBs will do. There is some great talent at RB in this year’s rookie class. Unfortunatley, we still do not know whether any of them will be productive. We finally got to see RB Beanie Wells last week against GB, and he looked good, but questions linger about his injury issues. Everyone was excited when RB Knowshon Moreno ended his holdout, but he only lasted half a game and then was injured. And we still have no idea how DEN plans to use him. RB Donald Brown was a popular sleeper pick, but IND does not seem like it has any plans to give up on RB Joseph Addai any time soon. RB LeSean McCoy finds himself in a similar position — if (when?) RB Brian Westbrook goes down, McCoy should blow up. But what if that does not happen? Enough people are predicting Westbrook’s demise that I am convinced it is not going to happen. RB Shonn Greene is also waiting behind an aging veteran. But we have no idea when or if he will see the field. In fact, out of all the rookie RBs, RB James Davis might have the best chance of seeing the field sooner rather than later. He is stuck behind an ineffective and aging RB Jamal Lewis, and there have been rumors that Lewis might not make the final roster. (But you know how rumors go…) Overall, I think Wells has the best chance to have a big fantasy season, but Brown and McCoy could blow up if injuries open the door. And keep an eye on Davis — he is a sleeper if I ever saw one.

6. The Seahawks could surprise some people. SEA was terrible last year. But that was mostly due to a rash of injuries. Although they still have some issues along the OL, and RB Julius Jones does not scare [m]any teams, their offense could be pretty good. QB Matt Hasselbeck is a sleeper at QB, WR TJ Houshmandzadeh is a very good value at WR, TE John Carlson is a great value at TE, and WR Deon Butler is a deep sleeper. Shoot, even Jones is the main ballcarrier, so he should put up solid yardage totals and can likely be picked very late in your draft.

7. Eli Manning is still a mouthbreather. Nothing has changed. Except now he has lost his favorite target at WR. Which means he will probably do a lot more mouthbreating and blaming his teammates when things do not go right.

8. The Raiders are one messed up franchise. There are guys in OAK with potential — RB Darren McFadden, RB Michael Bush, WR Chaz Schilens, TE Zach Miller — but can we really trust anyone in OAK to produce on a weekly basis? The team is so dysfunctional that it seems foolish to draft any of them. Which really makes me wonder why I took both Bush and Schilens in one of my recent drafts…

9. Brady and Moss could return to their 2007 form. The circus that is the Brady-to-Moss connection could be back. They make it look too easy. Way too easy. Which is why I made sure to grab Moss in a couple of my leagues. I expect him and Brady to put up huge numbers. And since Moss is going as the 3rd or 4th WR, he is a great value, because he could very well end up as the number 1 WR at the end of the year — especially since the other top WRs — WR Larry Fitzgerald, WR Andre Johnson, and WR Calvin Johnson — all have QB health/quality issues.

10. Fantasy football is fun. I am so glad the season is (almost) here. I have been thinking about this sh!t way too long. So I am happy that the season is right around the corner…

Should I really draft a guy named Chaz?

UPDATE: As you may already know, WR Chaz Schilens broke a bone in his foot during practice. He is expected to miss the rest of the preseason and his availability for Week 1 is in doubt. This obviously hurts his fantasy value, but he is still worth a late-round pick in most drafts.

UPDATE No. 2: Schilens had surgery on his foot and is now out 4-6 weeks. If you have room on your bench, he is still worth a late-round pick in your draft, because he should be productive once he returns after the first couple weeks of the season. If you do not have a roster spot to waste on an injured sleeper WR, then keep an eye on his recovery progress and try to grab him off waivers a week or so before he is ready to return.

———————-

Yes. But not until late in your draft. People will probably laugh at you. But you will get the last laugh when he starts posting solid numbers.

Raiders WR Chaz Schilens looked pretty good in last night’s preseason game against the Cowboys. He ended up with 5 catches for 52 yards, and was targeted by QB Jamarcus Russell 4 times on the first drive. Schilens also drew a 47-yard pass interference penalty that set up a Raiders FG. Obviously you do not get fantasy points for PI penalties, but it shows that Russell was looking for him downfield.

Schilens is a second-year player out of San Diego State who has great size (6-4, 225). He only had 15 catches last year, but he had 6 catches for 98 yards and 2 TDs in weeks 16 and 17.

Schilens is nothing more than a late-round sleeper prospect, but if he continues to be Russell’s favorite target, he is worthy of a pick in your draft. Speedsters WR Darrius Heyward-Bey and WR Johnnie Lee Higgins might catch a few bombs now and then, but they will probably be too inconsistent. Schilens, however, appears to be a solid possession WR who has the size to also be a redzone threat.

And speaking of the Raiders, Russell looked competent as a QB. He finished 6-9 for 50 yards, which is not overly impressive, but he looked calm in the pocket. I would not suggest drafting him as a QB2 or anything, but it does bode well for guys like Schilens, TE Zach Miller, and the rest of the offense. Because if Russell plays poorly, the offense will stall.

TE Rankings

My TE Rankings are (finally) up for your 2009 fantasy draft preparation. No real surprises here. Some other people have Gonzo ranked above Witten. But I think Witten is going to have a great year now that TO is gone. Before he and Romo got injured last year, he was having an unreal year. Even with the injuries, he stil had a great year. I think he stays healthy in 09 and is far and away the best TE.

Here are my top 10 TEs:

1. Jason Witten (DAL)
2. Antonio Gates (SD)
3. Tony Gonzalez (ATL)
4. Greg Olsen (CHI)
5. Dallas Clark (IND)
6. Owen Daniels (HOU)
7. Chris Cooley (WAS)
8. . John Carlson (SEA)
9. Kellen Winslow (TB)
10. Zach Miller (OAK)

Click here for the rest of the TE Rankings.

Week 14: Start/Sit (Thursday Edition)

Here are some start/sit suggestions for Thursday night’s matchup between San Diego and Oakland:

START:

QB Philip Rivers (SD): Oakland has a pretty good pass defense, but I think Rivers will play well enough to keep in the lineup.

RB LaDainian Tomlinson (SD): Sure, he is not his “usual” self this year, but he should put up respectable numbers against the Raiders.

RB Justin Fargas (OAK): He is the starter and has been playing well enough to warrant a start against a fairly weak Chargers defense.

WR Malcom Floyd (SD): Someone has to catch the ball, right?

TE Antonio Gates (SD): He is a must-start at TE.

TE Zach Miller (OAK): He has been playing well enough to warrant a start.

SIT:

QB Jamarcus Russell (OAK): I cannot even recommend him against the Charges pass defense…

RB Darren McFadden (OAK): He had one good game this year, but otherwise has been a pretty big disappointment.

WR Ashley Lelie (OAK): Seriously?

WR Vincent Jackson (SD): Zero catches last week, and he will likely be matched up against CB Nnamdi Asomugha for at least part of the game. It is unlikely that he will do much.

WR Chris Chambers (SD): I am not convinced he is 100% healthy, and his recent play supports that theory.

Week 9: Start

Here are some players who have good matchups this week (in no particular order). I recommend starting these players, unless it means benching one of your studs.

QB Trent Edwards (BUF): The Jets allowed QB Tyler Thigpen to throw for 280 yards last week. Look for Edwards to bounce back after a down game against Miami.

QB Kyle Orton (CHI): Orton wins the fantasy football version of the lottery this week, as he gets to play the Detroit Lions. The Lions give up an average of 17 points to fantasy QBs, and Orton should easily reach that mark.

QB David Garrard (JAX): The Bengals cannot stop anyone. And Garrard is starting to play well.

QB Jeff Garcia (TB): Garcia is playing well right now, and the Chiefs present a very favorable matchup.

QB Matt Schaub (HOU): Schaub is on fire right now and should continue to perform well against the Vikings, who are tough against the run but vulnerable against the pass. They will not be able to stop Andre Johnson.

QB Marc Bulger (STL): The Cardinals can definitely be beat through the air.

QB Kurt Warner (ARI): At this point, he is a must-start fantasy QB. He should torch the St. Louis secondary, which gives up over 250 passing yards per game.

QB Aaron Rodgers (GB): Okay, full disclosure: I am a huge Packers fan, and I think the Packers are going to beat the Titans. But my unbiased advice is to start Rodgers. The Titans are very tough, but as we saw last week with Peyton Manning, QBs can throw TDs against them. Rodgers has been playing very well this year and I think he will have a good day.

QB Chad Pennington (MIA): Denver is awful against the pass, and Champ Bailey is out.

QB Jay Cutler (DEN): There are some concerns about his hand, but he should be healthy after the bye week, and Miami is a very favorable matchup.

QB Jamarcus Russell (OAK): Russell is a sleeper this week. He plays an Atlanta defense that gives up an average of 14.3 fantasy points per week to QBs, and he gets them at home. He is worth a start if you are in need of a QB.

QB Donovan McNabb (PHI): McNabb has been playing very well this year and Seattle should not present much of a problem for him.

RB Matt Forte (CHI): Detroit is simply awful on defense. Forte should have a huge day.

RB Earnest Graham (TB): KC gives up nearly 200 rushing yards and 2 TDs per game. Graham should have a big day.

RB Steve Slaton (HOU): Slaton has slowed down a little lately, and he faces a very tough Minnesota run defense. However, he should still be involved in the passing game, which makes him worth a start.

RB Adrian Peterson (MIN): Houston has given up the second-most rushing TDs per game other than KC this year. So Peterson is in line for a pretty big day, particularly since the Vikings will likely have to score a bunch to keep up with Houston’s offense.

RB Tim Hightower (ARI): St. Louis gives up 1.6 rushing TDs per game, and I expect the Cardinals to score quite a bit in this game. So unless they are all on long passes to Fitzgerald and Boldin, Hightower should get a couple chances to cross the goal line.

RB Chris Johnson (TEN): The Packers have struggled to stop the run this year, so expect the Titans to give Johnson plenty of opportunities to rack up yards.

RB LenDale White (TEN): Although I doubt he will get many yards, he will almost certainly have a score or two. The Packers are soft against the run, so the Titans will likely look to White when they get inside the 5 yard line.

RB Ronnie Brown (MIA): Denver is the second friendliest fantasy defense to RBs behind KC. So Brown (and even RB Ricky Williams) are attractive plays this week.

RB Brandon Jacobs (NYG): Dallas seems like they should be so much better on defense, but they have not been very strong. I expect the Giants to use Jacobs often, to wear the Cowboys down and simply dominate them in the trenches.

RB Marion Barber (DAL): He is a must-start, even though it is not a favorable matchup and the QB situation is still shaky.

RB Michael Turner (ATL): I am not a huge Turner fan, but this is a favorable matchup. And it may be your last chance to start him for awhile, so take advantage of it.

RB Brian Westbrook (PHI): He is a must-start and should have a huge day against Seattle.

RB Clinton Portis (PIT): Portis has another tough matchup, but he is an absolute stud this year, so you have to start him, even though he is banged up.

WR Brandon Lloyd (CHI): Lloyd is expected to return to action this week, and has a very friendly matchup against Detroit, who gives up the most fantasy points to WRs. Be sure to check his status before the game, but if he is ready, he is definitely a sleeper.

WR Matt Jones (JAX): Jones might be suspended soon, but as long as he can play this weekend, he is worth starting. The Bengals give up a lot of points to fantasy WRs.

WR Antonio Bryant (TB): He plays Kansas City.

WR Andre Johnson (HOU): He is the hottest WR in fantasy right now, so do not even think about benching him.

WR Kevin Walter (HOU): Walter is probably worth a start this week, too. Johnson will get all the attention, which should open things up for Walter.

WR Larry Fitzgerald (ARI): He is a must-start no matter what.

WR Anquan Boldin (ARI): He showed last week that he is healthy and is a must-start.

WR Donnie Avery (STL): Avery is on a hot streak right now, and it should continue agianst Arizona, who gives up the most passing TDs of any team in the NFL (although that is somewhat skewed due to Favre’s 6 TD performance early in the year).

WR Greg Jennings (GB): Tennessee is very tough, but Jennings is very good. I think Rodgers will find Jennings for a TD.

WR Brandon Marshall (DEN): Never bench him.

WR Eddie Royal (DEN): Maimi gives up the second-most fantasy points to WRs after Detroit. Marshall and Royal should both have big days.

WR Plaxico Burress (NYG): The Cowboys are reeling right now and Plaxico should be able to take advantage of their depleted secondary.

WR Roddy White (ATL): He has burned me too many times. I will never recommend sitting him. Plus, his name is “Roddy”. You gotta love that. UPDATE: As I said, I cannot recommend benching Roddy. But do keep this in mind: White will likely be covered by Raiders CB Nnamdi Asomugha. And through 7 games this year, no opposing QB has thrown to a WR covered by Asomugha more than 2 times. Asomugha has only been throw at 12 times the entire year. QBs simply do not throw to the guys he is covering, because he is too good. I am sure the Falcons will use different formations to try and get different matchups for White, but with Asomugha covering him, I would not expect a big day.

WR DeSean Jackson (PHI): Seattle is not very good. Which means Jackson should be able to get free and possibly score a long TD. WR Kevin Curtis is a sleeper, as well.

WR Randy Moss (NE): Indianapolis is actually pretty solid against the pass, but I think Moss will have a good day. QB Mat Cassel is looking more and more comfortable each week, and I thin Moss will get his catches against the Colts.

TE Robert Royal (BUF): If you are desperate for a TE this week, try Royal. The Jets give up the second-most fantasy points to TEs.

TE Greg Olsen (CHI): Olsen is starting to play well, and has a great matchup this week against Detroit. Everyone wins when the Lions are in town!

TE Donald Lee (GB): Lee is definitely a sleeper this week. The Titans are generally rock-solid on denfese, but they appear to be vulnerable over the middle. Last week, Colts TE Dallas Clark had 97 yards and 2 TDs. And the Titans give up the 9th most fantasy points to TEs. I think Rodgers will look to Lee more than ususal this week.

TE David Martin, TE Anthony Fasano (MIA): Denver is soft on defense all around, so the Miami TEs make a pretty good play. However, since both see a fair amount of action, it is hard to say which one will have a better day. I would go with Martin, personally, but that is just a hunch.

TE Zach Miller (OAK): I like Miller, but he has not really performed that well this year. But he has a favorable matchup this week against the Falcons.

TE John Carlson (SEA): Carlson was hot early but has cooled off a little. He has a good matchup this week, though, so if you are looking for TE help, try him.

TE Dallas Clark (IND): Do not expect a repeat of his 97-yard, 2 TD performance last week, but he should have a good day against the Patriots.

Week 5: Waiver Wire

It is getting to the time of year when you might be dealing with bye week issues or injuries (or both). Here are some players who might be on waivers in your league who could provide good depth and might even find there way into your starting lineup on a regular basis:

QB Kyle Orton (CHI): I was slow on this one, I will admit it. I did not think he would continue to put up good numbers. But he has. And he is worth a roster spot (and a start, if you have bye-week issues).

QB Chad Pennington (MIA): Pennington has played well this year. He is not going to put up 30 points for you any time soon, but he is a solid backup and could be a bye-week fill-in if he has a good matchup.

RB Correll Buckhalter (PHI): Westbrook has two fractured ribs (not to mention his ankle injury). If he cannot go or is limited, Buckhalter will get the carries. Also, consider adding Lorenzo Booker, as Buckhalter has not been known for his ability to stay healthy.

RB Kevin Smith (DET): I know, I know. I told you to drop him last week. I believed the Lions when they named Rudi Johnson the “starter” in Detroit. But last week against the Bears, Smith (8 carries, 31 yards, TD) out-played Johnson (5 carries, 23 yards). Smith also had 4 catches for 25 yards. So stash him on your bench and see how these two share carries over the next couple of weeks.

RB Justin Fargas (OAK): Fargas has been out with a groin injury, but should return to the lineup this weekend or next weekend. McFadden has been limited with a turf toe injury, and Oakland would prefer to use Fargas as opposed to Michael Bush as their primary ball carrier. Grab him if he is available if you are in need of help at RB.

WR Craig “Buster” Davis (SD): If Chambers misses any time with his leg injury, Davis will likely step in. Davis has good speed and could get quite a few looks from Rivers. Keep an eye on Chambers’ injury status and add Davis if it looks like he will miss any time.

WR Steve Breaston (ARI): As I said last week, Breaston should do well as long as Boldin is out. Breaston led the Cardinals in receiving yards last week and should be a solid play again this week.

WR Brandon Stokley (DEN): Like Davis, Stokley is an injury replacement. But Denver passes the ball a lot, so Stokley should get plenty of looks. Teams are starting to force Cutler to throw to someone (anyone) else besides Brandon Marshall, which benefits guys like Stokley (particularly if Royal misses any time).

WR Greg Camarillo (MIA): Camarillo was a relatively unknown quantity coming into 2008, but he has performed pretty well, and seems to be developing a report with QB Chad Pennington. Given the nature of the Dolphins offense, it is unlikely that Camarillo will put up any huge games, but he has been very solid and could be a great bye-week fill-in.

TE Zach Miller (OAK): Raiders were on a bye last week, but he looked good before that. And I think the offense (particularly the passing game) will open up a little now that Kiffin is gone. Just a hunch.

TE Visanthe Shiancoe (MIN): Shicancoe did not do much early in the year, but now that Gus Frerotte is at QB, he has come alive (2 TDs in 3 games with Gus). This is a down year for TEs, but even with the slow start, Shiancoe is 8th in fantasy points for TEs.

Week 4: Watch List

Here is a list of players to keep an eye on.

QB Brady Quinn (CLE): Despite getting his first win last week, Derek Anderson still played very poorly. There are rumors swirling that Quinn could be taking over soon. But until we hear otherwise, they are just that: rumors.

QB Jamarcus Russell (OAK): Russell has actually put up decent numbers this year, and his yardage totals are getting better. The Raiders are a run-first team, and we will have to see what happens now with the coaching change, but he might not be a bad backup.

RB Brandon Jackson (GB): Ryan grant is struggling. Jackson has shown some promise, although I think the Packers will stick with Grant for a while longer. Keep an eye on Jackson, though, because if Grant continues to struggle, he will get his chance.

WR Kevin Curtis (PHI): Curtis is not quite ready to return from his sports hernia surgery. Apparently, he practiced last week with the scout team, but it did not go well. It may be another week or two for Curtis.

WR Chris Henry (CIN): The Bengals got a roster exemption for Chris Henry, so they will bring him in and see what he can do. If he is put on the roster, he may be worth an add. But be careful. He is likely out of shape, and with Carson Palmer hurting, he has very little value.

TE Zach Miller (OAK): I liked Miller coming into the season, but the Raiders simply did not throw the ball enough in the first few games to make him a worthwhile start. However, he showed up in week 4 with 5 catches for 95 yards and a TD. I am still not entirely sold on the Raiders passing game, but Miller is one of the better receiving options on the Raiders team.