Week 4 Running Back Updates: K. Smith, Portis to Start; Expanded Role for T. Choice

A few quick running back updates concerning Kevin Smith, Clinton Portis, and the Tashard Choice-Marion Barber combo in Dallas:

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Clinton Portis Injury Update – Fantasy Football Week 11

The most important injury story of week 11 in the fantasy football season centers around one of the top candidates for Fantasy MVP thus far into the season: Clinton Portis of the Washington Redskins.

Portis has been hampered by a knee injury that has been classified as a second-degree MCL sprain. He has reportedly had trouble straightening his leg according to NFL.com, and head coach Jim Zorn says that Clinton Portis is iffy for this weekend’s game and that Ladell Betts has a better chance of getting the start.

This sounds like one of those that you will want to keep your eye on throughout the week. If Ladell Betts is available and you own Portis, you should definitely snatch him if you haven’t already. Either way, if you are a Clinton Portis owner, you want to have a backup plan in mind for your superstar in case he cannot go.

For updates on Clinton Portis, as well as news and notes regarding other injured running backs like Willie Parker and Cadillac Williams, head over to the Fantasy Sports Blog.

[tags]clinton portis, fantasy football[/tags]

Fantasy Football Sleeper Focus – NFL Week 9

Hello fantasy football owners, NFL Week 9 is now upon us! Five more games until the playoffs start in most leagues, lets make sure we get in!

I want to send a special thanks to Chad Thompson in Canada. Chad, thank you for your support, and tell those around you the same. I think it’s time that the NFL gives Canada two teams, since they have no problem flying players all over the world to play regular season games. And as I told you, you should feel comfortable not only having both Titans running backs, but starting them as well, I would.

The Fantasy Football Sleeper Focus has generated so much traffic for questions over the last week, that I am going to dedicate this week to answering those questions, as I see that a lot of owners have the same concerns.

When you submit a question, I would greatly appreciate it if you can tell me where you are from, so I have an idea of what markets I am reaching. Thanks in advance.

Dave writes:

Thanks again for the great TE advice last week, H. Miller helped me out as I won by 3 points. I have another tough question for week 9. I have Drew Brees on bye as well as Steve Smith and Colston. I have dropped Miller and picked up Chad Pennington over both Jeff Garcia and Matt Ryan who were both available on waivers. Do you agree with that move? I have also dropped Jeremy Shockey and picked up Ted Ginn Jr. I dropped Minnesota’s defense as I also have Buffalo which should have a favorable schedule coming up and potential suspensions in MN scare me. I have picked up Donnie Avery. My rambling question is this: I will be starting DeSean Jackson this week and have an open WR spot to fill with one of Ginn, Avery, or Lavernous Coles. Who do you go with?

I’m glad that my Heath Miller advice pushed you over the top for a win last week, that’s fantastic! What’s funny is all of the experts are jumping all over the Chad Pennington and Ted Ginn Jr. kick. I am not in such a hurry to anoint Chad Pennington as the save-all QB, and here is why: Chad Pennington has crippled me in previous years, and after being burned by him so many times, I would like to see him produce consistently. That is what wins fantasy football championships: consistency.

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Week 7 Fantasy Football Updates – Clinton Portis | Tony Romo | Seneca Wallace

(Update: Contrary to the reports from earlier this week that are referenced below, Tony Romo is not expected to start today.  He will play, only if things “go haywire.”)

Faithful MidwestSportsFans Readers, here is hot-off-the-press information. This is a must have to make your final lineup adjustments.

(And if you haven’t read this week’s Fantasy Football Sleeper Focus, follow the link and leave a comment if you have start ‘em-sit ‘em questions.)

Sunday versus Tampa Bay, Seneca Wallace will start at Quarterback for the Seahawks. Although he still is not 100 percent, Mike Holmgren is tired of the Charlie Frye clinic he has observed in the last two weeks. Charlie Frye will play backup as Matt Hasslebeck did not even make the trip.

It is now looking more and more likely that Tony “Favre” Romo will play this weekend versus St. Louis. At this point, I would not be excited to start Tony Romo for numerous reasons. If he sucks, they’ll pull him and say he’s injured. If he’s great, they will be up by a ton, and pull him to avoid injury. I see this as a great potential loss of points and not a good gamble on Tony Romo this weekend.

Finally, Clinton Portis has been downgraded to questionable for this Sunday’s game versus the Cleveland Browns. He will see the field, but the question is: how much? Leading into the week I expected Clinton Portis to absorb most if not all of the carries in the game due to his spellback, Ladell Betts, going down with an injury. With the signing of Shaun Alexander, I still did not expect Clinton Portis to lose carries to him as he does not yet know the offense. With the latest revelation, it is unclear how many carries Shaun Alexander will receive, which I am sure will depend on how Clinton Portis feels and performs throughout the game. At this point, Alexander was most likely given a handful of plays which the Redskins will be able to use him in.

Look for more information leading into Sunday morning. Remember, check with us, Midwestsportsfans.com, for all of your fantasy football needs.

Kurt Fraschetti

[tags]fantasy football[/tags]

Browns – Redskins Preview and Prediction | Kellen Winslow Injury Update

(For the latest on Kellen Winslow’s current spat with Browns’ management, visit the Cleveland Browns news page or read the post specifically regarding Kellen Winslow being upset, and Romeo Crennel’s reaction.)

This Sunday, the Cleveland Browns (2-3) travel to the nation’s capital to take on the Washington Redskins (4-2). A week ago, with the Browns sitting at 1-3 and with little momentum and the Redskins coming off two straight division wins and sitting at 4-1, this game appeared to be little more than an afterthought in the NFL schedule.

However, after last weekend’s results, this game is now much more important; and much less obvious to predict.

Monday night, the Cleveland Browns shocked the NFL by defeating the previously undefeated New York Giants. The shock was not that the Browns won the game — we all know that anyone in the NFL can beat anyone else on any given Sunday (or Monday). What was shocking was the way the Browns won the game. Other than committing too many false start penalties, the Browns were quintessentially efficient as they became one of the only four teams since 1963 to complete an entire game without turning the ball over, punting, or taking a sack. Mind you, this was an offense coming in that appeared to not know its elbow from its a-hole (to borrow the famously used line in commercials uttered by Shannon Sharpe on NFL Films).

Furthermore, the Browns’ secondary dominated the game when the Giants had the ball. Eli Manning had been on a roll ever since the end of last season, while the Browns’ young secondary was much maligned in the offseason for being too unproven and inexperienced to be anything more than a liability. However, second-year cornerback Eric Wright was named AFC Defensive Player of the Week after sealing the victory with an INT return for a touchdown in the fourth quarter; and Brandon McDonald and Brodney Pool also each stole an errant pass of Manning’s.

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