FanHouse SidneyRice

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.

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Fantasy FanHouse's "Bust a Move" segment provides quick-hitting insight on the most popular adds and drops across Fleaflicker fantasy leagues between Tuesday and Wednesday of each week. Knowing who is on the move during this 24-hour period often provides a valuable edge with regard to outperforming or underperforming players, injuries and depth chart shifts. So do as the man says, "Don't just stand there..."

The Adds

Rashard Mendenhall (RB, Steelers, 3,178 adds) - Enough already about the Steelers moving away from their longtime pound-the-rock mantra and relying on the pass. Mendenhall finally showed up and put the backfield debates as to who should tote the ball to bed. Willie Parker's inability to get the ground game moving (3.1 yards per carry) coupled with an inability to overcome injuries finally got the best of him as Mendenhall should see the bulk of the touches going forward with Parker playing second fiddle. It's hard to argue with 165 and two touchdowns -- so why try?

Despite character concerns surfacing before the draft, Percy Harvin still found himself a first-round selection, and he fits rather nicely in the Minnesota Vikings' offense. The dynamic play-maker, who can score from anywhere on the field at any point in the game, can fit in the slot or outside. He can be put in position to run the football with some creative play-calling.

The impact Harvin should have on the real football field won't be measured just in his stats, though. If he realizes his potential, he'll take some attention away from both Adrian Peterson and Bernard Berrian. He'll accrue some personal numbers of his own, though. Check out the fantasy football ripple effect after the jump.

Stay on top of all the postseason action with FanHouse's NFL playoff coverage.

So Eagles fans, do you still want to see Donovan McNabb head elsewhere?

On a day when the Eagles' running game was non-existent, McNabb threw for 300 yards, generally ran the Eagles offense efficiently and made only two serious mistakes. With an Eagles' defense that's good enough to get this team to the Super Bowl, that was enough.

The Vikings had almost everything happen according to plan and they still lost by 12. Adrian Peterson broke off a long run with a 40-yard touchdown run and scored two touchdowns. Bernard Berrian got deep for a 27-yard catch and the Vikings pass rush sacked McNabb three times.

Despite a hamstring injury that made him a game-time decision, Vikings running back Adrian Peterson will play against the Carolina Panthers today.

Peterson is the NFL's leading rusher and, really, the only offensive weapon Minnesota has had this season. With the Vikings replacing Tarvaris Jackson with Gus Frerotte, the Vikings need all the help they can give him.

After pre-game warmups, ESPN reported that Peterson would play:

Peterson said all along that he expected to play, but he did not practice on Thursday and was limited on Friday, which raised doubts about his status.

Receiver Sidney Rice (knee) was inactive for the Vikings, replaced in the starting lineup by Bobby Wade. Fullback Thomas Tapeh also was put on the shelf, replaced on the active roster and in the starting lineup by Naufahu Tahi.

This is also huge for fantasy football enthusiasts. Not having Peterson would severly damage his owners from winning their games today.

Despite a hamstring injury that made him a game-time decision, Vikings running back Adrian Peterson will play against the Carolina Panthers today.

Peterson is the NFL's leading rusher and, really, the only offensive weapon Minnesota has had this season. With the Vikings replacing Tarvaris Jackson with Gus Frerotte, the Vikings need all the help they can give him.

After pre-game warmups, ESPN reported that Peterson would play:

Peterson said all along that he expected to play, but he did not practice on Thursday and was limited on Friday, which raised doubts about his status.

Receiver Sidney Rice (knee) was inactive for the Vikings, replaced in the starting lineup by Bobby Wade. Fullback Thomas Tapeh also was put on the shelf, replaced on the active roster and in the starting lineup by Naufahu Tahi.

This is also huge for fantasy football enthusiasts. Not having Peterson would severly damage his owners from winning their games today.

Dynasty league owners look at things a little differently than those in standard redraft leagues. Not only are the implications of personnel management important for this season, but a bad move today can haunt a team for years. A premium is placed on youth and potential for growth while those crusty veterans are still necessary to be competitive today. Dynasty Diaries will take an occasional look at the fantasy world from a more long-term perspective.

If we are looking for young receivers with big potential, rookie Sidney Rice deserves some consideration. Drafted in the second-round, he suffered the unfortunate fate of landing in Minnesota, where one of the worst passing offenses in the league resides. So far this season, he has compiled thirty catches for 386 yards and four touchdowns. This has made him a poor #3 receiver this year, but what about next season?

There is no doubt that Rice possesses all the physical attributes necessary to be a top receiver. He has size, speed, quickness, and great hands. Like most rookies, Rice doesn't run the best routes, something that time and experience will help fix. However, the biggest issue for Rice is his supporting cast. Tarvaris Jackson is looking like the real deal at quarterback, but it will take time for him to become competent enough to allow the Vikings to play a balanced offense.

Considering all this, Rice will likely be a #3-type receiver next year, moving up to a serious starter in his third season (as so many receivers do). If you can afford to sit on him for another year, his upside is substantial. For next year though, better guys are still available.

On the best of days, this Vikings offense isn't very good. But we now know that Sunday will definitely not be the best of days.

Both starting wide receivers could miss the game while starting quarterback Tarvaris Jackson will be playing just a week after sitting out with a broken finger.

Wide receiver Troy Williamson will miss the game as he continues to help his family mourn the loss of his grandmother. Wide receiver Bobby Wade is questionable with a knee injury. If they both can't go, the Vikings will be left with the trio of Sidney Rice, Robert Ferguson and Andrae Allison. Rice and Allison have some long-term potential, but that's a group that won't make anyone forget the days of Randy Moss, Cris Carter and Jake Reed.

If there is a bright side, getting Rice and Allison extended playing time will help show the Vikings what they have for 2008, which is getting more and more important with every loss. But it also means that Jackson will be even less sure of himself in the pocket, which is a very scary thought.

Coming into this draft, the Vikings knew they had to upgrade their offense. Thanks to how the draft fell, they have managed to find two good fits in the first two rounds. It's hard to complain too much about how the Vikes have done up to now.

Here's as many links as I can find on Sidney Rice.

Scouting Report

NFL Draft Scout: Isn't ready to step in and start, but if team drafting him can be patient, he's got the potential to be a No. 1 receiver in the future.

Yahoo: Was able to dominate talented SEC corners (including second-rounder Chris Houston). Reminds you of Darnell Jackson. Doesn't have quick fast twitch ability to get off the line of scrimmage, but has good agility which allows him to make acrobatic catches.

ESPN ($): Outstanding frame and glides to the ball. Adjusts well to badly thrown balls, but needs to work on running precise routes.

All the talk this week has been on the homecoming of Auburn's Kenny Irons and his scheduled return to Williams-Brice Stadium to face South Carolina. However, it's brother David who will get the real test Thursday. David Irons will have the task of covering the best wide receiver in the SEC in Sidney Rice.

With the quarterback situation becoming more clear in Columbia, Rice becomes more of a threat to the Tigers defense. How good is Rice? In only 15 starts, the sophomore has already caught 18 touchdown passes. Last week, he was named the SEC's Offensive Player of the Week after catching 9 passes for 161 yards and five touchdowns against Florida Atlantic.

The most impressive part of his performance is that he was pulled with 10 minutes left in the third quarter. It's easy to dismiss it and say it was Florida Atlantic, but anyway you cut it, that's pretty heady stuff.

Gamecocks coach Steve Spurrier has settled on Syvelle Newton at quarterback. The results have been positive. Newton came in following the loss to Georgia and has added stability to the position. He replaced Blake Mitchell who was pulled for a number of reasons including an off the field incident at a local bar.

Newton moved over to the quarterback position after playing wide receiver. He even played tailback some last season and is a threat to run. He missed the last five games of 2005 after suffering a torn ACL in the Vanderbilt game.

In other news, South Carolina tailback Cory Boyd is questionable for the Auburn game after suffering a high ankle sprain and missing last week's game. Auburn and South Carolina kickoff at 6:45 p.m. CST from Columbia and the game will be carried by ESPN.