2009 Preseason Ramblings

I'm planning on getting new player rankings up soon, but here are some thuoghts to tide everyone over:

Lookin Good:

Vernon Davis may be back on the radar this year. As usual his impressive physique and athletic ability is impressing coaches in OTAs. I remain skeptical that he can maintain the mental discipline necessary to perform at a high level all season. After drafting him in the first round, I dropped him at the end of last season after three fruitless years waiting for some production. If you have space on your roster and need a big upside risk then stash him now.

Rashard Mendenhall hasn't had a lot of coverage in OTAs, but neither has any other runner in the Steel City. I fully expect a timeshare this year, and that Mendenhall will take over fulltime duties next year when Willie Parker is released due to his age and high cost.

Chris Wells is really looking good to me at this point. He will see a ton of work this year in the Cardinal backfield and should be more than up to the task. He has a great mix of balance, power and vision which will fit nicely with the running game Arizona is trying to promote. He is my top RB out of this years rookie class.

Stumbling:

Joaquin Iglesias was a hot topic after the draft, but coaches recent comments that he is viewed strictly as a slot option leaves me feeling tepid on his long term value. I wouldn't take him before round 4 in rookie drafts, but he is a solid value at that level.

Jason Campbell does not seem to have much job security in Washington. He has not been granted an extension, and has Colt Brennan nipping at his heels. I am not a Brennan fan, but it's tough to ignore all the chatter coming out of DC this offseason which is touting Brennan as a viable option to replace Campbell (as early as mid season). I think Campbell is very solid QB who is being forced to play in a system which does not suit his talents. It would not surprise me if he was let go by the Redskins and picked up by another team looking for a solid QB play next year (Vikings once Favre quits again?).

Studs:

1. Adrian Peterson, MIN, Age: 23

Adrian Peterson is having a quiet year so far. He has not repeated the heroics of his rookie season, but I am not worried about his long term value. #1 in talent and consistency. 

2. Frank Gore, SF, Age: 25

There is no back playing better than Gore. He is incredibly consistent, and with Mike Martz at the helm he is looking like the new Marshall Faulk. He is involved in both the running and passing game in SF. He managed to gain 1500 yards from scrimmage last year in the leagues worst offense. He will get you a ton of points week in and week out.

3. Marion Barber, DAL, Age: 25

Marion Barber is locked into a long term contract in what is probably the most talented offense in football. The addition of Roy Williams will only add to the opportunites the Cowboys will be able to create in the running game. There is some worry that talented rookie RB Felix Jones will steal carries, but I see the split as 70/30 from here out. Barber is also very active in the passing game.

4. Steven Jackson, STL, Age: 25

What a beast. If the Rams can get it together then Jackson will win you seasons single handedly. Unfortunately the Rams don't have it together and Jackson is getting as much as he can each week - usually 100-120 combined yards and a TD every now and then. Solid RB2 numbers for sure, but there is so much potential here....

Strong Starters:

5. Marshawn Lynch, BUF, Age: 22

You can't really go wrong taking Lynch. He is a super solid RB on a team that likes to run. He hasn't put up mind blowing numbers, but there are few RB's offering such steady production. His young age is another thing to love about the Beast.

6. Ladainian Tomlinson, SD, Age: 29

LT is not looking like himself. Maybe its the turf toe, maybe he is just getting warmed up.....the age issue is certainly a concern. I love a health productive LT, but I'm not sure I see him ever becoming truly dominant again.

7. Brian Westbrook, PHL, Age: 29

Injuries, injuries, injuries. Owning Westbrook is such a hassle. He is hugely productive when he plays, but he is injured far too often. He is a huge part of the Eagles running and passing game, so he is a bit more valuable in PPR leagues. Keep his age in mind when trading for him. 

8. Ronnie Brown, MIA, Age: 26

Brown is running with great patience, and does not appear to have lost any of his impressive lateral mobility. Many people forget how dominant he was last season before his injury, and he is on a mission this season to remind them.

9. Clinton Portis, WAS, Age: 27

Portis is a stud RB. For some reason he is unfairly maligned in fantasy circles for various reasons. He is part of a revamped Redskins offense, and his numbers under Jim Zorn so far have been spectacular. He is young enough to draft as a core part of your team.

10. Maurice Jones Drew, JAC, Age: 23

MJD is a well rounded back. He is an excellent receiver out of the backfield, and a voracious blocker. He is a 3 down back who runs with immense power and speed. Since entering the league only LT and Marion Barber have scored more TDs than the Mighty Mouse. With Fred Taylor aging MJD is primed to take over the load in the near future. JAX needs to improve the O-line for MJD to truly dominate statistically. 

11. Reggie Bush, NO, Age: 24

With Bush you get a good staring WR and half a RB as a sweetener. He is PPR gold, and would probably be ranked in the top five for those leagues. He has the potential to rip off a giant play at any time and is active in all aspects of the Saints game including punt returns (where he has shown a penchant for scoring TDs).

Shaky Starters:

12. Chris Johnson, TEN, Age: 23

Chris Johnson has quickly taken hold of the starting RB job for a Titans offense which has been starved of playmakers in recent years. Johnson is positively electric as a runner, and has the speed to stretch defenses and get to the edge quickly. He is also a capable runner between the tackles, and should become more involved in the offense as a receiver soon. Westbrook lite in the making.

13. Michael Turner, ATL, Age: 26

Turner is a load to take down. He weighs 244 pounds but has breakaway speed. With his trade to the Falcons this offseason he has really jumped into the spotlight with a few huge games....unfortuntely has has also failed to show up in games against solid defenses. If Turner can show the ability to put up big numbers against legit defenses he has all the physical tools to climb the rankings.

14. Matt Forte, CHI, Age: 22

The Bears coaches love this kid. He can catch the ball very well and is a more slippery runner than I had him pegged for coming out of college. He is getting a huge workload right now that will probably have to get pared back, but he is in a great situation right now on a team that loves to run. His recent drop in YPC is something to keep an eye on.

15. Joseph Addai, IND, Age: 25

I have never been a fan of Addai as a RB. He is totally underwhelming in pretty much every aspect. He is however a nice fit for the Colts offense. As long as he remains a Colt he will be very productive but just remember that he is a product of the system there and not a great talent on his own. If he is ever traded he will lose an immense amount value.

16. Jonathan Stewart, CAR, Age: 21

Stewart weighs 235 pounds and runs a 4.48 time in the 40. He is fast, powerful and shifty and was drafted into a great situation in Carolina. He is currently splitting carries with DeAngeloWilliams, but since he gets most of the goal line work he has startable value right now, with a lot of upside for the future.

17. Willie Parker, PIT, Age: 27

Parker has shown he can still run, but he now has to worry about long term job security with the drafting of Rashard Mendenhall. The Steelers love running the ball, and although Willie Parker is not the prototypical Steelers back he has been a nice fit for them.

Strong Backups:

18. Brandon Jacobs, NYG, Age: 26

Jacobs is so hard to tackle once he gets going; Just ask Laron Landry. He is running with power but there are injury concerns due to his upright running style and history. He is also part of acommitee backfield for the Giants, which limits his upside.

19. Steve Slaton, HOU, Age: 22

I viewed Slaton as a third down back when he came into the league. He has been steadily working to prove me wrong, but I am apprehensive when I look at his carry log each game. It is typically along the lines of 1, 2, -1, 0, 3, 1, 22 - which gives him 4 YPC but without that long gain he was mostly useless. He is a boom or bust pick, but he is playing well right now and worth starting every week.

20. Tim Hightower, ARI, Age: 22

Hightower is the heir apparent to the throne in Arizona. Edge is still getting the lions share of the carries, but has lost goal line work to the rookie and Hightower seems to have the ability to handle the load when his time comes. For right now its nice that he has startable flex value due to his goal line work.

21. Jamal Lewis, CLE, Age: 29

Jamal Lewis is often overlooked by fantasy players. He has been running very well recently and looks rejuvenated in the Browns offense. He is being given ample carries and has been productive this season averaging 3.6 YPC so far.

22. Darren Mcfadden, OAK, Age: 21

I am not a Mcfadden believer, but he does have some undeniable talent. If he can manage to stop falling down when being arm tackled then he might have a bright future. Right now he is great at exploiting gaping holes, but bad at creating plays on his own. Running a 4.33 in the 40 is impressive for a back his size and his blazing speed is probably his single best attribute.

Shaky Backups:

22. Felix Jones, DAL, Age: 21

Averaging a ridiculous 8.9 YPC this season, Felix Jones has been a great compliment to the gutsy running of Barber. Jones is a speedster who excels at getting to the edge and breaking it long. He will not have a full load anytime soon, but he is a capable bye week fill in with large upside.

23. Ryan Grant, GB, 25

Grant was expected by many to be a top 10 RB this season. So far he has averaged 3.4 YPC, less than 60 yards per game and has registered 0 TDs. Although there is still some nice upside with Grant, he needs to start producing again before I can rank him higher.

24. Kevin Smith, DET, Age: 21

Kevin Smith was unable to hold off Rudi Johnson for the starting role in Detroit and is now stuck in a committee. I like Smiths running style, and although he isn't the fastest runner he has good vision and lateral cutting ability. He fits in well with the zone blocking scheme the Lions are trying to make work right now, and I think he should outright win the starting job next year.

25. Willis McGahee, BAL, Age: 27

McGahee has not looked like his usual slashing self of late. Injuries have slowed him some this season, but look for him to rebound in the second half of the season.

26. Rashard Mendenhall, PIT, Age: 21

I think Mendenhall has a bright future as the feature back of the Steelers. He has fantastic lateral mobility coupled with serious between the tackles power. He has great vision and should be a very solid starter for a long time once he wins the job. I should probably rank him higher, but his shoulder injury and the entrenched status of Parker as the starter leave him this low.

27. DeAngelo Williams, CAR, Age: 25

Williams has a lot of talent. He is more of a speed back than a power runner, but he makes a nice compliment to Jonathan Stewart in Carolina. The Panthers will try and hold onto both runners if possible, and if the situation remains as it is then Williams will be a flex RB play for the foreseeable future. If he gets traded to a RB needy team in the offseason he could see a nice bump in value.

Stash Em:

28. Ray Rice, BAL, Age: 21

Rice had a really nice preaseason but the coaching staff does not seem to have much faith in him yet. He is currently the RB3 for the Ravens as the surprising Le'ron Mcclain has taken over the RB2 duties. Rice is a good all around player but lacks serious burner speed. A good way to think of him is that he is a "gamer"....he plays hard and can do a lot of things well but he will never be a stud.

29. Earnest Graham, TB, Age: 28

Graham is a solid enough running back. He is average in all areas in terms of physical skills, but he really plays hard and the coaching staff in Tampa are clearly comfortable relying on him to carry the ball. He has a low upside but should get you 6-10 points a week if you need to plug him in.

30. Thomas Jones, NYJ, Age: 30

Jones is a well rounded, solid running back. He gets around 16-20 carries a game and is productive with them, averaging 3.8 YPC this season with 3 TDs. His age is a concern at this point, but you didnt draft him expecting him to be a long term stud right?

31. Larry Johnson, KC, Age: 28

I am not a fan of LJ's future - I see him falling much as Shaun Alexander did in 2007. AlthoughLJ has had a couple nice games this season, he has had plenty of stinkers. His 4 most recent game YPC averages are 1.8, 5.0, 7.1 and 0.3. This sort of wild inconsistency is both a product of the terrible offensive line play in KC as well as Johnson breaking down from his high career workload. Start him if you need him, but I would recommend selling while he still has some value left.

32. Ahmad Bradshaw, NYG, Age: 22

I would really like to rank Bradshaw higher, but the coaching staff for the Giants isn't giving him a lot of opportunity to make an impression. Ward is pretty much the exclusive backup to Brandon Jacobs right now but Bradshaw has a complete game which may lead to a starting role in the future. 

33. Laurence Maroney, NE, Age: 23

Oh how the mighty have fallen. Maroney was on a lot of top 10 RB lists last year, but he has fallen off in a big way. He is getting 5-8 carries a game and is part of 4 person committee running the ball for the Patriots right now. I would stay far away unless you really love his physical talents (which are prodigous), in which case buy him on the cheap and stash him on your bench while you pray for him to get traded.

Long Shots:

34. Lendale White, TEN, Age: 25

Color me unimpressed by White and his plodding ways. He is unlikely to regain a starting position in the league now or in the future, which limits him to a short yardage, 3rd down role. He will score you a TD per week fairly consistently this season as a flex play, but I would sell "high" while he has value as a TD vulture.

35. Michael Bush, OAK, Age: 24

Bush is huge, quick and can catch the ball extremelly well out of the backfield. He is a well rounded back but currently stuck behind Fargas and Mcfadden in the black hole that is Oakland. Grab him and hold him long term - the Chargers tried to trade for him this season at the deadline but were rebuffed......chances are good he'll get traded to a RB needy team on draft day.

36. Ryan Torain, DEN, Age: 22

Ryan "the Train" Torain is looking like the next big RB to come out of Denver. When I watch him run I see him as a 1 cut and go type guy. This is perfect for Denver's zone blocking scheme and I think we will see some great things from him once he comes back from his elbow injury. Keep a close eye on him in coming weeks.

37. Darren Sproles, SD, Age: 25

Fast and makes things happen when he touches the ball. Too small to be full time RB1.

38. Derrick Ward, NYG, Age: 28

Ward is a nice filler RB for those who need cheap production in their flex or RB3 slot this year. He doesn't hold much long term value but is doing a great job as the lightning to Jacobs thunder. 

39. Julius Jones, SEA, Age: 27

JJ has had a couple decent games this season for the Seahawks, but mostly he has shown why he lost his job in Dallas. He is an average back, who lacks breakaway speed or significant power.

QB Values

Studs:

1. Drew Brees, NO, Age: 29

Brees has been getting it done even with sub par talent at WR for the last 5 weeks. He is on pace to go over 4,000 yards this season and now he has Colston back. Brees is set for the foreseeable future to continue his domination.

2. Jay Cutler, DEN, Age: 25

He has really come on this season and has phenomenal rapport with his main man: Brandon Marshall. With the emergence of Eddie Royal in the WR2 position and Tony Scheffler at TE, Cutler has a full compliment of weapons.

3. Peyton Manning, IND, Age: 32

Harrison is back at least for this season, and Manning is back in his groove. When he is playing at his best nobody can touch him....unfortunately he isn't always playing his best these days.

4. Tony Romo, DAL, Age: 28

Currently has the best compliment of weapons around him of any QB in the league, and with the addition of Roy Williams it only gets stronger.

5. Tom Brady, NE, Age: 31

He'll be back next season and being a strong pocket passer shouldn't suffer too much from his knee surgery. The knee may limit his mobility a bit, but he should still have Moss and Welker to throw to so he should get back in stride quickly.

Strong Starters:

6. Aaron Rodgers, GB, Age: 24

Jennings has emerged as one of the leagues top receivers, and Driver has a few good years left in him. Rodgers has been playing tough, and playing well. He is young and poised for a long successful career.

7. Ben Roethlisberger, PIT, Age: 26

Big Ben has a solid team around him and although he doesn't always have the gaudiest numbers he is quite consistent.

8. Philip Rivers, SD, Age: 26

Rivers has a solid running game to keep the pressure off him, and has been throwing the ball very well this season. He has enough weapons around him to keep his numbers up.

Shaky Starters:

9. Donovan Mcnabb, PHL, Age: 31

Mcnabb is throwing to a second rate receiving core, but at least the emergence of Desean Jackson has given him one legit target to throw to. Mcnabb is playing at a very high level right now, but Westbrooks constant injuries couple with Mcnabb's history of injuries makes him a shaky starter to rely on.

10. Kurt Warner, ARI, Age: 37

Warner is an anomaly. He is really pushing the age envelope but still playing incredibly well. He is shaky because of his age and long term status - he will be playing as a top 5 QB for at least the rest of this year. While this makes him hard to rank, I'm putting him here and trusting that people will take his age into account when drafting or trading for him. Contenders buy, builders sell.

11. Matt Schaub, HOU, Age: 27

Schaub and Andre Johnson have really connected in the last couple years. They are both entering prime portions of their career and I expect big things from both of them. Sometimes prone to throwing too many picks, Schaub should be able to shake it off and put up big numbers.

12. Eli Manning, NYG, Age: 27

Let me start by saying that I am not an Eli Manning fan. I think he makes too many mental mistakes, and he will certainly never be as good as his big brother. With that said, the lesser manning will be throwing to Plaxico Burress for a few years and has decent value if you can get over his multiple INT performances every now and then.

13. Matt Ryan, ATL, Age: 23

Ryan doesn't look, act or play like a rookie. He has poise and makes all of the plays he needs to. There is a ton of upside, and if he can continue his consistent climb he will be top 10 soon enough.

14. David Garrard, JAX, Age: 30

Garrard doesnt have a lot of up or downside. He is a pretty consistent QB who is not prone to mistakes or INT's. He will get you consistent points but never win seasons for you.

Strong Backups:

15. Jason Campbell, WAS, Age: 26

I would like to rank Campbell higher, because I think he has a great skill set and can be a top QB in the NFL. Unfortunately he has been forced to learn too many different offenses recently and it may be showing through in his inconsistent play. Once I see some more consistency I will push him up.

16. Trent Edwards, BUF, Age: 25

Edwards is a solid QB. He has been averaging around 200 yards and 1 TD per game. He is a better real life QB than fantasy QB. He will not be putting up big numbers with regularity, but he is a great QB to have as a backup on your bench for bye weeks and injury filler.

17. Carson Palmer, CIN, Age: 29

Palmer didn't look very good before his elbow injury, and his elbow injury doesn't look good in and of itself. Chad Johnson may be on the decline and there is no running game to speak of for the Bengals right now or for the foreseeable future.

Shaky Backups:

18. Brady Quinn, CLE, Age: 23

Quinn has finally gotten a chance with the Browns organization to take hold of a starting position. He has good touch and accuracy on short to medium range passes, and it remains to be seen whether he has the control necessary to really air it out down the field. I like his prospects as a QB2 down the line. 

19. Jake Delhomme, CAR, Age: 33

Delhomme is looking to have recovered nicely from his surgery. Steve Smith is still tearing secondaries to shreds and Delhomme is doing a great job of getting him the ball. With Jonathan Stewart and DeAngelo Williams as a two headed backfield monster keeping pressure off of him Delhomme should have a nice year.

20. Joe Flacco, BAL, Age: 22

Joe Flacco has a huge arm and has been progressing nicely this season. He is putting up low starter quality numbers, and if you can grab him now you may be getting him at the end of the buy-low period. 

21. Matt Hasselbeck, SEA, Age: 33

Lacking WRs and a solid line, Hasselbeck is having a rough season. He is 33 and I don't see much future upside for him.

22. Kyle Orton, CHI, Age: 25

Hes making throws all over the field to his motley WR crew. There is a lot of risk here, but at this point in the rankings he is a solid buy.

Stash Em:

23. Marc Bulger, STL, Age: 31

The Rams are awful this year, and will need to do some major rebuilding in the offseason. If they do manage to get something going on offense next year Bulger still has tools in Holt and the rookie Avery he can utilize.

24. Vince Young, TEN, Age: 25

Even when he was starting Young wasn't really getting it done on the field. Hopefully he will work out whatever issues he had before he goes back in. His upside is pretty low in fantasy terms, as he has never been a fantasy stud.

25. Jamarcus Russell, OAK, Age: 23

Big arm, big contract, small results. Russell has not developed as rapidly as the Raiders may have hoped. He has a ways to go before we can tell if he will be a startable fantasy QB.

26. Brett Favre, NYJ, Age: 39

Favre is giving it a hell of a go this year. He will give you a chance at a huge game every week and is a great play if you don't have a solid starter. He is ranked this low because of the obvious impending retirement.

27. Derek Anderson, CLE, Age: 25

Huge job security concerns with Quinn pushing to play. If Anderson can keep getting long completions to Braylon Edwards and remain on top of his game he has a chance to put up nice numbers.

28. Matt Leinart

29. Drew Stanton

Longshots:

30. Chad Pennington: I don't see him as a long term solution in miami, but he is playing pretty well right now. Rank him up in the lower 20's if you need a starting QB to throw in your lineup but don't expect anything after this year. 

31. Sage Rosenfels

32. Kevin Kolb

33. Tarvaris Jackson

34. J.P. Losman

35. Chad Henne

36. J.T. O'Sullivan

The Good, the bad and the ugly

Let's wrap up: 

*Pumps*

Maurice Jones Drew: I sold pocket hercules a little short this week, since I thought he would only be able to come up with 2 TDs against the Lions.......and he blew up for 3 of them. 

WIN

Chad Pennington: Pennington had a pretty unspectacular day, as he put up 209 yards for 1 TD and 1 INT. Im going to call this a win since he still had a decent day in terms of fantasy points. 

WIN

Chris Johnson: Wow did I screw up this call. The Bears didn't just spy a linebacker on Johnson; they actively left 9 men in the box the ENTIRE GAME to stop him. Johnson was getting gang tackled in the backfield and had the day you would expect given that kind of pressure. Most defenses aren't the Bears so Johnson should be fine going forward. My hat is off to the Bears on their job on Sunday. 

LOSE

___________________________________________________________

*Dumps*

Matt Forte: Forte is a resilient little bastard, I'll give him that. He had about 120 combined yards and a TD against the Titans D. He keeps putting up numbers and Ill keep him off my Dump list from now on. 

LOSE

Marques Colston: This is what I get for aiming at big game in my Dump predictions. Colston exploded for 140 yards and is clearly back to WR1 status. 

LOSE

Ryan Grant: Even Grant screwed up my forecasts this week by getting 75 and a TD. Grant is still bad, and I still don't trust him.

LOSE

Willis McGahee: McGahee was the flavor of the week back for the Ravens, and had a huge game with 120 yards and 2 TDs. This was a terrible week for my dumps picks. :(

Week 10 Pump and Dump

PUMP:

Maurice Jones Drew: So MJD has been inconsistent this year.....who cares? This week he gets to tee off on the Lions defense and their abysmal defensive line. Everyone has run roughshod over the lions so far, and even the tattered jaguars offensive line should be able to open up a few holes for pocket hercules.

Forecast: 20 carries, 100 yards, 2 TDs

Chad Pennington: Pennington is playing better than you probably think he is. He has been very efficient through the air, even though he fails to stretch the field effectively at times. When teams take away his deep option by double covering Ginn, he is able to feast on the short routes that are opened up for his man crush Camarillo. Seattle couldn't cover a cupcake if the entire defense consisted of fat kids. They are going to be decimated by the fins weak armed signal caller.

Forecast: 22 of 30, 285 yards, 1 TD

Chris Johnson: Woohoo I get to hype Johnson again. This week he is facing the Bears, a usually formidable adversary. There is no stopping Johnson though, and he will put up starter numbers this week again. Johnson is too fast to contain even when defenses have put a linebacker or two as spys on him all game. The Titans new involvement of Johnson in the receiving game coupled with Jeff Fishers declaration that they will find new ways to get him the ball is all the green light I need.

Forecast: 20 carries, 80 yards, 6 receptions, 38 yards, 1 TD

DUMPS:

Matt Forte: It seems like Forte is a golden boy in most analysts eyes. I'm not sure why his pedestrian 3.8 YPC average (and thats including his 5.7 YPC day against the terrible Lions) inspires their awe. Forte is an average runner and above average receiver who is on team that has been heavily featuring him so far. The Bears will not have room to run against the Titans, and thats all there is to it. If you play forte you are hoping for a big receiving day from him....don't expect anything more.

Forecast: 20 carries, 47 yards, 5 receptions, 20 yards, 0 TD's

Marques Colston: With talk that he may not even be starting for the Saints anymore Colston's outlook for the week (and possibly near future) are bleak. Until he gets back into a groove with Brees, I would avoid playing him.

Forecast: 4 receptions, 35 yards, 0 TDs

Ryan Grant: At this point I almost feel like I'm picking on Grant, but lets face the facts: Ryan Grant can only run the ball up the middle. The Vikings are built to stop runs up the middle. 1 + 1 = 0 yards for Grant this weekend. Bench him.

Forecast: 15 carries, 42 yards, 0 TDs

Willis McGahee: With the Ravens unable to commit to any of their backs as the "starter", we are left to guess at which backs will carry the day. After Rice's performance last week I don't think we will be seeing McGahee featured heavily this week. Although the matchup isn't bad, I would stay away until we see how everything plays out.

Forecast: 5 carries, 25 yards, 0 TDs

The Good, the bad and the ugly

PUMPS

Aaron Rodgers: Well, Rodgers managed to pretty well toast the TEN defense. He took them for their first 300 yard aerial game allowed this year. Although he didnt get that second TD I was looking for he made up for it with and extra 60 yards. 

WINNER

Jerricho Cotcherry: Cotcherry led the Jets in receiving this week....unfortunately he only managed to put up six receptions for 62 yards and 0 TDs. Favre played very hesitantly this week, and it hurt the statistics of everyone on the Jets offense. The Bills managed to slow him down without their star DE Schobel, so this doesn't portend well for Favre. Still, the numbers weren't there for me. 

LOSER

Michael Turner: Yep he can still beat the hell out of mediocre defenses. Turner had 139 rushing yards against the Raiders this weekend. 

WINNER

Trent Edwards: Edwards didn't quite put up the numbers i was looking for, and he threw multiple picks which is rare for the accurate youngster. He did managed to squeek out 290 yards, 1 TD and 2 INT's, which is still a pretty good fantasy day (14.5 points in normal formats). 

WINNER

____________________________________________

DUMPS

Ryan Grant: Good thing the Packers gave grant 20 carries, otherwise he might not have been able to achieve his stellar 86 yards this weekend. He did manage decent RB3 production, which makes my prediction wrong. 

LOSER

Joseph Addai: Well Addai managed to make even my dire predictions look rosy. He had 17 carries and produced 32 yards (and added 10 receiving) for a pathetic 1.8 YPC. Way to play down the level I know you are capable of Addai!

WINNER

Dwayne Bowe: The Chiefs marched down the field on their first possession and Bowe scored a TD. Right then and there my prediction was shot.....even though he only caught one other ball the entire game. 2 receptions, 29 yards, 1 TD for Bowe - Tyler Thigpen had a better day as a receiver. But numbers don't lie and I missed his TD this week. 

LOSER

Tony Scheffler: Scheffler was more limited than the Broncos let on and he did not play this week. 

WINNER

__________________________________________

Season Totals

PUMPS: 9-4 (69% wins)

DUMPS: 9-4 (69% wins)

Week 9 Pump and Dump

PUMP:

Aaron Rodgers: If you don't pay attention to matchups this might seem like an obvious call. However Rodgers is facing the ferocious TEN defense this week. Although it may seem tempting to bench him, I would keep him in your lineups. Although last week was really the only time TEN has given up TDs through the air - there is now a blueprint for GB to use. It also helps that GB is coming off a bye which has hopefully helped Rodgers heal a bit.

Forecast: 25 of 35, 250 yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT

Jerricho Cottchery: Here is my vote for playing the "who gets to abuse Terrence Mcgee" game. Cottchery draws him in coverage this weekend. Mcgee is still injured and will not be able to cover him. It does not matter that Favre will throw some bad balls, because all you need out of Cottchery is one good bomb reception.

Forecast: 7 receptions, 100 yards, 1 TD

Michael Turner: If you have had Turner riding your bench the past couple weeks I don't blame you, but its time to roll out the Burner this weekend. He is facing a suspect OAK defense and he has absolutely dominted the weak defenses he has come up against this season. After the inevitably impressive performance this weekend he should get a bump in trade value (something to keep in mind if you are trying to move him).

Forecast: 20 carries, 110 yards, 1 TD

Trent Edwards: Edwards should be Trentlicious going up against a bad Jets secondary. Last week they were torched by Tyler Thigpen, and there is no doubt that Edwards is a significantly better QB. Play Edwards as a QB1 this weekend with confidence.

Forecast: 20 of 30, 280 yards, 2 TDs, 0 INTs

DUMP:

Ryan Grant: Ryan Grant hasn't looked very good this season. He has been hesitant and has not hit the holes with authority. TEN will make sure that his season remains miserable this weekend. Although there isnt really any good point to attack the Titans defense through, the straight ahead ground game of Grant is probably the worst.

Forecast: 15 carries, 50 yards, 1 rec., 5 yards, 0 TDs

Jospeh Addai: Hamstring issues, general offensive synergy issues, Rhodes stealing carries.....there are a lot of reasons to sit Addai this weekend. Take your pick.

Forecast: 12 carries, 45 yards, 0 TDs

Dwayne Bowe: This is a scarily bad matchup for Bowe. The TB defense has made a mockery of some pretty decent QB's this year, and Tyler Thigpen is a joke. Because the TB corners play 'over' coverage most of the time, Bowe will have some short receptions. I expect his overall day to be pretty anemic however.

Forecast: 4 receptions, 35 yards, 0 TDs

Tony Scheffler: Scheffler's status is still up in the air for sunday. Don't wait around for his 4:15 start, as I expect that even if he does play he will be a bit limited by his groin injury.

Forecast: 3 receptions, 40 yards, 0 TDs