Fantasy Felony helps you hijack your fellow team owners.
Look at Matt Forte over there. He looks so forlorn, doesn't he? Like he's carrying a rotting cantaloupe instead of a football.
Forte is just one of many reasons your team might be 2-5, or even 1-6 (yikes territory). Or maybe you don't have underperforming players at all, and have just been hit by bad luck and bitten hard by the injury bug. Regardless of the scenario, time is running out for all you cellar-dwellers. This is the week you need to make trades in an attempt to save your season. And even if it's beyond the point of saving, at least you can say you tried. Time to blow this squad up and go for broke.
Things seemed pretty elementary for the Minnesota Vikings through much of their game Sunday afternoon. They held a 14-0 lead over the Baltimore Ravens after a quarter, a 14-3 halftime lead, and then a 27-10 margin early in the fourth quarter -- margins that likely inspired tons of confidence for the Vikes. Who would have thought they would need to be bailed out by a missed field goal as time expired in order to escape with a victory?
Yet that's exactly what happened, because the Ravens, behind explosive plays from Joe Flacco, Ray Rice, Derrick Mason and Mark Clayton, used just 11 offensive plays in 6:24 to score three touchdowns and take a 31-30 fourth-quarter lead. The Vikings did drive down and kick a field goal with 2:00 left in the game, which made the score -- the eventual final -- 33-31.
Through the first two seasons of his NFL career, wide receiver Dwayne Bowe looked destined to be a superstar in Kansas City for years to come. In 2007, Bowe's rookie season out of LSU, he had 995 yards receiving, then topped that number in 2008 with 1,022 yards and seven touchdowns.
Year 3, though, has not gone as well. Bowe got off on the wrong foot with new Kansas City head coach Todd Haley -- losing his starting spot in the preseason due to work-ethic questions -- including coming to offseason workouts overweight. He then struggled with a nagging hamstring injury, and has just 15 catches in four games this season.
And with Kansas City 0-5 and apparently in need of a complete overhaul, Bowe's name continues to surface as Tuesday's trade deadline looms.
Whether it's torn, sprained, broken or just needs to be taped, Injuries to Watch will keep you up to date on injuries around the NFL and how they'll affect your fantasy football team.
[Last Updated: Saturday, Oct. 10]
Quarterback
Brett Favre, Vikings - Favre was limited again in practice on Friday but is listed as probable for the game.
Matthew Stafford, Lions - Lions coach Jim Schwartz will not announce his decision to bench or start Stafford until Sunday. Stafford did practice on Friday, but most of the Detroit media feels like Daunte Culpepper will start instead of Stafford.
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- Plenty of Ravens and Patriots players wore pink on Sunday -- matching shoes and gloves -- in honor of breast cancer awareness. Myra Kraft, wife of Patriots owner Bob Kraft, noticed.
She stood on the Patriots sideline only minutes before kickoff as both teams stretched and styled nearby. It takes a real football player to pull off pink, we agreed.
"And I am so glad they are manly enough to help with this cause,'' she said. "I wasn't so sure they would actually do it.''
The Patriots then set out to ensure that their social conscious should never be confused with their football tenacity.
They did just that -- even in pink, the Patriots still pack a punch.
Sunday Evening Wrap checks out players who increased or decreased their value during the Sunday afternoon games.
Riser of the Week:Pierre Thomas was the apple of many a fantasy owner's eye heading into the season, but he was hampered by a knee injury for the first two weeks. Sunday, he reintroduced himself to the fantasy football world -- so let's hope you held onto him if you drafted him. Thomas ran through the Buffalo defense for 126 yards on just 14 carries, scoring two touchdowns. The Saints do have two tough matchups coming (Jets and Giants), but, long-term, Pierre is going to be a solid RB2.
I'm going to try. I really am. Every year, some unknown wide receiver leaps from obscurity to being the waiver-wire darling of the fantasy football season. In a minute, I'm going to attempt to rank so many receivers that he won't slip through the cracks. Inevitably, he will slip through the cracks. So just for fun, after the rankings and after the commentary, I'll throw a few names against the wall. After the weekend, we'll see if any stuck.
Having trouble filling out your lineup in Week 1? Can't decide on a WR3 or a flex option? Well, here are some down-and-dirty rankings for your perusal. Use them as a guide, and if all goes well, you'll be 1-0 in a few days' time.
Training camps have wrapped up, the NFL season is right around the corner, and it's still hot as sin outside. But instead of cooling you off with a warm island song, FanHouse break out ye old heat check for our 2009 NFL Season Previews. " We'll rate each club in 5 categories on a scale of 1 to 10, high score wins.
Up and down, up and down, up and down. In 2004, the Ravens went 9-7, then followed up with a 6-10 mark in 2005. Then in 2006, a 13-3 record, trailed by a 5-11 finish in 2007. So last year's 11-5 effort could be concerning, if you believe in trends. On the other hand, it could just be the start of something special -- if Baltimore can just get over the hurdle presented by the defending AFC North and Super Bowl champion Steelers.
There's a full boat of NFL preseason games throughout the day Saturday. The games run the gamut for drama, with guys fighting for roster spots, starting quarterback positions, and for the right to clang footballs off a large scoreboard.
Since there are nine games on the docket, we'll hit the key storylines that fans will want to keep an eye on throughout the day.
All eyes will be on Philadelphia Thursday night, as the Great One returns to competition.
Tom Brady hasn't played in almost a year. His blown-out knee now healed, Brady is a rare breed in today's NFL -- he's a veteran player who's actually looking forward to the preseason. As the summer schedule kicks off in earnest Thursday, Brady is far from the only interesting storyline.
Fantasy Felony helps you hijack your fellow team owners.
Things seemed pretty elementary for the 
Through the first two seasons of his NFL career, wide receiver 
Whether it's torn, sprained, broken or just needs to be taped, Injuries to Watch will keep you up to date on injuries around the NFL and how they'll affect your fantasy football team. 
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- Plenty of 
Sunday Evening Wrap checks out players who increased or decreased their value during the Sunday afternoon games. 
I'm going to try. I really am. Every year, some unknown wide receiver leaps from obscurity to being the waiver-wire darling of the fantasy football season. In a minute, I'm going to attempt to rank so many receivers that he won't slip through the cracks. Inevitably, he will slip through the cracks. So just for fun, after the rankings and after the commentary, I'll throw a few names against the wall. After the weekend, we'll see if any stuck.
Training camps have wrapped up, the 
