Did the injury bug hit your fantasy football team like it was a car windshield moving at 100 MPH? If so, it may be time to do some Damage Control.
Quarterback
• Aaron Rodgers, Packers - Rodgers has been sacked 31 times this season to lead the NFL. On Sunday he sprained his toe. His opposite foot was already injured, so watch to see how well he's moving around this week. I would expect him to play through these foot injuries.
• Jake Delhomme, Panthers - Delhomme sustained a chest injury against Arizona on Sunday but said on Monday that he feels fine. There's no reason to think that he won't be ready for Week 9.
Everyone knew it was coming, but I was happy to anoint Owen Daniels to the fantasy tight end elite in this very space last week and he made me look wise. Well, a day late and a dollar short, let's welcome Vernon Davis into the upper echelon. You should feel good using either Daniels or Davis this weekend as they will continue to prove they deserve the praise bestowed upon them.
Also, there's something about Antonio Gates loving to face the Raiders. These occasions tend to bring out the best of times in Gates, who has scored seven touchdowns in his last ten games versus the Raiders. That's usually a good measure that Gates will be looking for the end zone this Sunday. And he very well could find it multiple times. Thus, he must lead the way in our ranks this week.
Need a last-minute fill-in for this week? 4th and 26 is here to throw you a couple deep sleepers, guys available in at least 90% of Fleaflicker leagues that could give your fantasy football team a big boost.
With the emergence of Jerome Harrison on our report card from last week, we're again searching for possible gems available in deep leagues. The success rate of these types of players (backup RBs, No. 3 WRs) is bound to be slim, so temper your expectations. Yet, sometimes all you're looking for is a wild card, a quick pickup that might pay dividends as a substitute for an injured player.
We know over the course of the season, it appears tight end is going to be a deep position, and this week there seem to be a lot of good plays. Sure, it's top-heavy, as the top four form the proverbial "Big Four," but take a look in the teens. There are plenty of viable options this week with a chance to put up numbers rivaling anyone in the top 10.
Of course, we're pretty confident Dallas Clark goes nuts against the Jags at home.
I generally hate singling out an entire group of players and branding the list a group of must-have fantasy options. You know, something like "hey, go draft all the 27-year-olds in fantasy baseball," or "third-year receivers always bust out." It's just too lazy of any fantasy analyst to blanket generalize an entire group without considering the circumstances to each individual situation.
Thus, many people out there believe there is one tried and true reality in sports: Players want to get paid. Well, of course players want to get paid. In the NFL, though, players are constantly under the microscope and don't have guaranteed contracts. More matters than just being in a walk year. What we'll do, then, is take a look at the contract-year players and examine how their motivation will translate into fantasy football success.
With Fantasy Football season ready to kick in high gear, FanHouse is here to preview each and every team -- one per day until we've done them all.
Meet the ... Steve Spagnuolo era. The first order of business? To rebuild almost everything. The Rams have already begun a makeover which will most certainly continue after another season of double-digit losses. I don't think I'm going out on a limb when I say this is the last year Marc Bulger will be the Rams' starting quarterback. There isn't much to like about this squad from a fantasy perspective -- outside of the beast who is pictured to the right.
Meet The ... 24th ranked offense in the NFL in 2007. Could it be? The "Greatest Show on Turf" has been reduced to rubble. Well, not entirely. Steven Jackson and Marc Bulger both missed four games, Isaac Bruce got old, and Bulger was without all-world protector Orlando Pace for all but one game.
The Breakout For once, I'm not going to follow directions. There isn't one breakout on this team I'd like to spotlight, but instead several guys that will totally out-perform last year's value. First and foremost is Jackson. He's right with Brian Westbrook and Joseph Addai in the mix for the third overall pick. Next, as Tom Herrera already covered, Bulger is due for a huge bounce-back. Invariably when he does, Torry Holt comes back to his expected level of production. Randy McMichael was rescued last year from the exile that is Miami's offense, and now he'll get to reap the rewards. I guess my short answer is that I'd rather name this category "The Bounce Back" and say "The entire offense." They aren't 24th-in-the-NFL bad. Not even close.
Meet The ... 24th ranked offense in the NFL in 2007. Could it be? The "Greatest Show on Turf" has been reduced to rubble. Well, not entirely. Steven Jackson and Marc Bulger both missed four games, Isaac Bruce got old, and Bulger was without all-world protector Orlando Pace for all but one game.
The Breakout For once, I'm not going to follow directions. There isn't one breakout on this team I'd like to spotlight, but instead several guys that will totally out-perform last year's value. First and foremost is Jackson. He's right with Brian Westbrook and Joseph Addai in the mix for the third overall pick. Next, as Tom Herrera already covered, Bulger is due for a huge bounce-back. Invariably when he does, Torry Holt comes back to his expected level of production. Randy McMichael was rescued last year from the exile that is Miami's offense, and now he'll get to reap the rewards. I guess my short answer is that I'd rather name this category "The Bounce Back" and say "The entire offense." They aren't 24th-in-the-NFL bad. Not even close.
The Rams featured one of the worst offenses in the NFL last season, and, apparently, a new offensive coordinator and an old tight end will fix things. Huh. According to SI.com's Bucky Brooks, Randy McMichael, who caught just 39 passes last season (his worst effort in his six-year career), will be the impetus for change, courtesy of Al Saunders' delectable schemes. In theory, anyway.
Saunders was the OC in St. Louis under Dick Vermeil, so he's had some success here, but after a forgettable two-year stint in Washington, his reputation as an offensive mastermind has taken a hit.
"He has the ability to put up big numbers in that offense," said a NFC scout. "I'm not saying that he is a better player than Chris Cooley, but he is a better athlete and he'll get enough opportunities to be a problem for the defense." ...
Under Saunders' direction, the starting tight end has averaged 72 receptions for 900 yards and six touchdowns. Saunders, who undoubtedly learned how to utilize the tight end while as working as an offensive assistant on Don Coryell's staff with the Chargers during the Kellen Winslow era, builds his attack from inside-out, using the running back and tight end in prominent roles.
Welcome to another successful installment of Five Questions with an Enemy Blogger, where each week, via email, I will be exchanging hot questions and [sometimes] answers with a rival blogger about their team and the upcoming matchup.
This week I sat down with Brett Knight of RAMblings, a Most Valuable Network column that covers the St. Louis Rams.
Dan Benton: "For many, the Rams offseason expectations were extremely high. How frustrating has it been to watch your team struggle for the first quarter of the season?"
Brett Knight: "Obviously, with so many pundits picking the Rams as a darkhorse playoff team, it's been difficult to watch the team stumble thus far, with no end in sight. But I don't know what's been harder to deal with: all the forces that have been out of our control or all the blown opportunities. It's one thing to watch your offensive line crumble and your Pro Bowl backfield taken out of games by injury - it's tough, sure, but there's really nothing you can do about it. It's a whole different story, though, to sit through the sloppy play this team has been exhibiting this year: penalties, turnovers, blown coverages, missed tackles, awful play-calling. For all the talk of the talent on this team, it's really been a shock to see such a lack of fundamentals. It's been said that the mark of a good team is how it responds to adversity; with that in mind, I'm not sure how to respond to this team."
Did the injury bug hit your fantasy football team like it was a car windshield moving at 100 MPH? If so, it may be time to do some Damage Control.
Everyone knew it was coming, but I was happy to anoint 
Need a last-minute fill-in for this week? 
We know over the course of the season, it appears tight end is going to be a deep position, and this week there seem to be a lot of good plays. Sure, it's top-heavy, as the top four form the proverbial "Big Four," but take a look in the teens. There are plenty of viable options this week with a chance to put up numbers rivaling anyone in the top 10. 
With Fantasy Football season ready to kick in high gear, FanHouse is here to preview each and every team -- one per day until we've done them all. 
With Fantasy Football season ready to kick in high gear, 
With Fantasy Football season ready to kick in high gear, 
The Rams featured one of the 
Welcome to another successful installment of Five Questions with an Enemy Blogger, where each week, via email, I will be exchanging hot questions and [sometimes] answers with a rival blogger about their team and the upcoming matchup.
