It would be awesome if we could develop a way to completely solve the problem, but we never will.  Football is a violent sport, and when you have guys as big and as fast as NFL athletes, injuries will invariably follow.

However, every year, injuries DO occur that could be avoided – especially when guys like James Harrison are involved.

Image source: LATimes.com

Treat James Harrison (And Others) Like How They Act

Full disclosure:  I don’t like James Harrison much because I don’t respect some of the things he does on the field and some of the comments he makes off of it.  It takes more strength to avoid a fight than to start one.  It takes much more self-control to hold your tongue when you dislike someone than to mouth off.

James Harrison often acts like a child, repeatedly.  So to deter him and change his behavior, perhaps it is time that he – and others like him – be treated like one.

Children have to be told over and over again not to do the same thing.  Children have to be disciplined when they keep breaking rules.  Children have to be punished more and more severely until they finally wake up.

So then, for cases like Harrison, what is the best solution?

When players like Harrison, or Ndamukong Suh, or others KEEP breaking rules and KEEP injuring players and choose to just KEEP paying the same fines and serving the suspensions…then the disciplinary system is NOT working.

Here is a creative, drastic solution, the “James Harrison Rule” if you will, that could finally have the impact the NFL so clearly desires.

A Creative, Drastic Solution To A Pervasive Problem

The next time a player injures an opponent by BLATANTLY breaking a black and white rule…he must not only pay the fine, but also sit out until the injured player can return.

When Todd Bertuzzi took out Steve Moore from behind, he was suspended for two years.  But that wasn’t good enough.

Bertuzzi broke the rules of manhood and hockey – you don’t blind-side someone from behind.  He broke the laws of this country – that would have been an assault in real life.

Most importantly, Steve Moore NEVER PLAYED AGAIN.  Todd Bertuzzi shouldn’t have played again either.

If a player knew that he would have sit out until his opponent was healthy, how many players would KEEP breaking the rules in order to try and injure an opponent?

James Harrison got it easy.

He got to skip a week, take some time off, and come back fresh.  Nobody, especially veterans that have been around as long as Harrison, wants to play Monday Night and then again on Saturday, which the Steelers do next week.

Sure, his team lost, but they are still in the playoffs.  In fact, they will probably get to go to Denver on opening weekend – the Steelers aren’t worried about that at all.

But Colt McCoy is still out.

Just think about that.

The guy that played by the rules is out for LONGER than the guy that broke them.

The guy that played fair is suffering a greater punishment than the guy that cheated.

Let’s not forget that Harrison got to finish out that game – completely healthy.  McCoy sleepwalked his way through the rest of that game, and may miss the last three games of the season.

Image credit: Don Wright/Associated Press via Washington Post

At this point, it doesn’t matter how much I dislike James Harrison – that’s just not fair.

Drastic Times Call For Drastic Measures

Harrison should be out until Colt McCoy returns.  If that’s not until next season and Harrison has to miss the playoffs…so be it.

You might think this is drastic…probably because it’s so different. Nobody has ever thought about implementing a rule like this before.

And obviously there would need to be some checks and balances on it.

First off, I think you would definitely need to have a committee of players AND referees to decide whether or not given plays were illegal or not.  Secondly, you would have to make sure that the Browns weren’t sitting McCoy on purpose, just to hurt the Steelers (even though I see a great amount of equality and irony in that idea…that’s not the purpose of this rule).

But just think about these three questions:

• Is the current system working?
• Would this new rule be UNFAIR?
• Would this new rule be a better deterrent than what’s in place?

In my mind, the answers to the first two questions are resounding “Nos!”

As to the third, would this be a better deterrent?  I think so.

Regardless, sometimes you have to try new and creative punishments.  If you don’t, the children of this world will keep acting like children.

It was the battered Browns’ quarterback Colt McCoy, slumping his shoulders with a disappointed and depressed look on his face after yet another though loss.

Via: Bleacher Report, Jason Miller/Getty Images

I have seen this look on a lot Browns’ quarterbacks over the years, but I never felt so much sympathy as I do for Colt.  You can tell that guy works so hard in practice, in the film room, and during the off season.

But on Sundays, nothing seems to click.

Whether it is wide receivers dropping passes, offensive linemen blowing blocks, or poor play calling, all the blame still falls on Colt’s shoulders.

This is very unfair at times, because Colt has absolutely no weapons on offense (although you can make a case for Hillis when he is healthy).  His wide receivers are awful. Greg Little leads the team in receiving yards and he is ranked 52th in league, stuck behind the infamous Darrius Heyward-Bey.

The offensive line has really struggled because of Eric Steinbach’s injury, and Colt has been smacked around all year.  He has been sacked a total of 32 times this season.

Plus, Pat Shurmer’s play calling has been basic, bland, and predictable.  It is so bad that former GM and NFL writer Michael Lombardi plays a game with a former NFL coach, in which Lombardi says,

“I tell my friend the personnel group, the formation, where the ball is located on the field and what hash mark and describe the motion — if there is any — and ask him to tell me the exact play that will be run. He is correct about 95 percent of the time.”

But, Colt has to take some blame for his poor play too.

He has struggled picking up blitzes, he has missed open receivers, and forced a lot of passes.  During the 4th quarter in the Steelers game, only down 7-3, he threw a bad pass to Mohamed Massaquoi which was intercepted in the end zone and killed Cleveland’s momentum.

Even though Colt makes plenty of head scratching mistakes and does not seem that he has as much potential as Cleveland fans have hoped for, there are still three qualities that he has that makes me root for him every Sunday.

First, he is a winner and I love that quality in a quarterback and in a leader.  Like most pro players Colt has been very successful in high school and college, but has struggled to win in the NFL.  You can tell from his demeanor and his focus that we wants to win at the pro level, but at the moment he does not have the talent or the talent around him to do so.

Second, he is tough as nails.  Colt has been banged up this season and has taken plenty of big hits, none bigger than the helmet crushing hit James Harrison laid on him last game, which led to his concussion.  But Colt displayed his toughness and came back in two plays later; but unfortunately he threw a costly interception almost immediately.

Last, he is just a likeable guy.

You can tell that he works hard everyday to try to improve his skills and that he loves playing football.  Plus, he is way cooler than that prick J.D McCoy.

Also, because of work ethic and toughness you can’t secretly root against him like you could for tools like Braylon Edwards, Carson Palmer, or in some cases Derek Anderson — although in Derek’s defensive he takes this shit serious, real serious. (Okay I never secretly rooted against DA, I just wanted to use that joke.)

With McCoy’s job security in question for next season, plus his concussion that might prevent him from playing the rest of the season, Colt’s future in Cleveland looks bleak. But if he keeps up his hard work and the toughness that Browns fans see every Sunday, maybe McCoy can turn himself into the winning quarterback he has always planned to be.

Update: Our Week 10 start em, sit em advice is posted, and this week’s post includes an opportunity for one MSF reader to win free NFL tickets. Make sure you check it out after you finish going through the waiver pickups.

There are no teams on bye in Week 10, but don’t let that lull you into a false sense of security.

The Texans, Colts, Saints, and Steelers are all on bye in Week 11, which means a lot of fantasy firepower will be sitting on benches during one of the final weekends of playoff positioning.

Don’t get caught snoozing; take this opportunity not just to improve your lineup for Week 10 but also to plan ahead for any lineup vacancies impending next week.

Andy is out this week, which means that I’m manning the ship for this week’s waiver wire advice and pickups. As always, every player listed here is owned in 50% or fewer of Yahoo leagues.

Fantasy Football Week 10 Waiver Wire Pickups: Quarterback

Matt Cassel, Kansas City (45%)

You never really know what you’re going to get with Matt Cassel. He will sometimes put up decent numbers in a game you don’t expect him too, and sometimes he’ll piss away good matchups with bad outings…like he just did in Week 9 against Miami.

Cassel’s Week 10 matchup against Denver should be a good one for he and the KC offense, and his Week 11 matchup against New England on Monday night definitely is based on the numbers. I’ll let you decide whether you trust Cassel enough to play him in either. (After what I saw this week, I’d have to be desperate to do so.)

Andy Dalton, Cincinnati (36%)

I don’t particularly like Andy Dalton this week against Pittsburgh, for obvious reasons, and he has Baltimore the next week and then Pittsburgh again two weeks later, but it’s hard to ignore Dalton after a 3 TD, 0 INT game against Tennessee.

Also, know this: despite the four games remaining against Pittsburgh and Baltimore, Dalton and the Bengals face St. Louis and Arizona during weeks 15 and 16 – the fantasy playoffs for most leagues. That’s promising, and it could be worth stashing the young Dalton for.

Colt McCoy, Cleveland (35%)

McCoy and the Browns offense are nothing to get excited about, but even the worst offenses can sometimes put up serviceable fantasy numbers against equally poor defenses. With the Browns schedule to face St. Louis this week, McCoy could have some value if you’re desperate or in a two-QB league.

Carson Palmer, Oakland (28%)

Palmer and the Raiders face the Chargers on Thursday night. I hate having players play in Thursday night games, and Palmer still worries me considering this is like the equivalent of his third preseason game, but the Chargers can be thrown on, so Palmer is at least worth thinking about.

Christian Ponder, Minnesota (16%)

The young Ponder has already had one decent fantasy day against the Packers (219 yards, 2 TDs, 2 INTs in Week 7), and it’s safe to assume that he’s going to continue to improve. He won’t be in the friendly confines on his home dome this time around, but the Packers’ suspect pass D and the probability of Rodgers and Co putting up big points makes Ponder a not-terrible option.

Blaine Gabbert, Jacksonville (4%)

I didn’t really want to list Gabbert here, but the fact that he’s available for almost everyone (I want to know what leagues he’s actually owned in!) and facing the Colts in Week 10 makes him at least worth mentioning. Understand that Gabbert is only an option if you’re desperate or in a three-QB league, but if he’s going to do anything productive this season it will be against the Colts.

Fantasy Football Week 10 Waiver Wire Pickups: Running Back

Maurice Morris, Detroit (29%)

As long as Jahvid Best is out, Morris is going to have value because of the strength of the Detroit offense. With no clear line of sight on when Best might return, performances like Morris’ in Week 8 could because the norm: 65 total yards and a touchdown. In Week 7, Morris had 63 total yards but didn’t score. That seems about right; 65 or so yards and a TD every other week. That’s certainly worth owning, especially if you count on any of the backs who will be on by in Week 11.

Roy Helu, Washington (27%)

The moment we’ve all been waiting for finally happened: Helu became the guy for Mike Shanahan and the Redskins. Though he was only able to muster 41 yards on the ground in a tough matchup against San Francisco, he did accumulate that yardage on just carries for a solid 4.1 yard average per carry.

Where Helu really did work was in the passing game, which is just putrid for the Redskins right now. Helu had a whopping 14 receptions for 105 yards because all John Beck could do most of the day was just dump it off. Helu won’t get receptions like that every week, but he clearly will be a factor out of the backfield, making him especially intriguing in PPR leagues, but valuable in all.

This is the gold star RB pickup of the week. I think he’ll be the ‘Skins main ball carrier from this day forward.

Chris Ogbonnaya, Cleveland (25%)

As I said with Colt McCoy, there isn’t much to like about Browns offense…except when they’re facing St. Louis’ defense. With Peyton Hillis’ name written in pen on the Browns’ shit list, and Montario Hardesty a constant injury risk, Ogbonnaya has stumbled into a great situation in terms of touches, and you might stumble into a decent flex option or filler player if you pounce now. Granted, “Silent G” as he’s been called, only had 41 total yards against the Texans, but he should have more running more against the room.

Kendall Hunter, San Francisco (13%)

Hunter is not a guy you want to pick up with the intention of playing right now, but if you have an extra roster spot he’s a great guy to take a flyer on. Frank Gore has rushed for 100 yards in five straight games, both because he’s an excellent back and because the 49ers’ offensive line is very good. Gore also has a history of getting nicked up. If anything happens to him, the ball would be Hunter’s, and I think he’d be 85-90% of what Gore’s been.

Donald Brown, Indianapolis (5%)

Brown has apparently become the guy in Indianapolis. He is the only one of their RBs scoring TDs, and he had 16 carries in Week 9 as opposed to only 4 for Delone Carter. If you’re desperate, Brown will at least get touches each week.

Fantasy Football Week 10 Waiver Wire Pickups: Wide Receiver

Michael Crabtree, San Francisco (48%)

Crabtree is featured in this column every week, and will continue to be featured until his ownership percentage jumps over 50%, which surely will happen this week. What more do you need us to say? I know his stats in Week 9 were underwhelming – 5 receptions, 51 yards – but he’s a great guy to at least have on your bench who is assured of 7-8 targets every week. Pick this guy up.

Mike Thomas, Jacksonville (46%)

The same theory that forced me to tell you that Blaine Gabbert is playing Indianapolis is at work here. Thomas is a good possession receiver stuck on a crappy offense. Against the crappy Colts, even Gabbert and Thomas should be able to make a few connections.

Torrey Smith, Baltimore (44%)

Mr. Hit or Miss could very well be a hit in Week 10 with the Seattle Seahawks on the schedule. Seattle is strong against the run, but not so strong against the pass. I think Joe Flacco will be airing out more than a few bombs in Smith’s direction throughout the course of this game.

Steve Breaston, Kansas City (35%)

Coming into Week 9, everyone was ready to anoint Jonathan Baldwin as the next great fantasy WR, and certainly Baldwin’s production would eclipse Steve Breaston’s, right? Well Baldwin proved why I’m always wary of rookie WRs (1 reception, 12 yards) and Breaston proved that he’s more than just a 5 catch, 50-yard guy (7 receptions, 115 yards). Granted, I would have played Baldwin over Breaston too last week for the upside, but this just goes to show that sometimes going with the “safe” pick over the “upside” one is the right decision.

Braylon Edwards, San Francisco (22%)

Braylon has been slow to get involved in the San Francisco offense, but I have a feeling he has an explosive game or two coming with five NFC West games left for the 49ers. Both of Braylon’s catches in Week 9 were nice catches, showing that he’s getting his sea legs under him after missing some time. There is some upside here.

Greg Little, Cleveland (18%)

Go back and review what I wrote about Colt McCoy and Chris Ogbonnaya if you’re wondering why I dare recommend Browns’ offensive players. Little has some value this week if you need a WR fill-in. His 2 receptions weren’t particularly encouraging in Week 9, but I’d still rather have him than Joshua Cribbs, even though the latter had the better day yesterday.

Jason Avant, Philadelphia (11%)

The Arizona Cardinals do not stop the pass very well, and the Philadelphia Eagles love to toss around with little abandon. Avant does not get near the attention that Desean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin get, but every now and then he busts out with a big performance. At a minimum, he’s usually good for at least 3-4 catches, which isn’t bad for a guy that is out there in 89% of leagues.

Laurent Robinson, Dallas (9%)

This is my gold star WR pickup of the week. Miles Austin got hurt, again, in Week 9, and Dez Bryant continues to be the most mercurial wideout in the NFL. Enter the steady Robinson, who continues to put up surprisingly good numbers as he earns the trust of Tony Romo.

He only caught 5 balls for 32 yards in Week 9, but one of them went for a TD. And in two of Robinson’s previous four games with the ‘Boys he totaled over 100 yards. There is a lot to like here.

Fantasy Football Week 10 Waiver Wire Pickups: Tight End

Scott Chandler, Buffalo (36%)

If we know one thing about Chandler, it’s that he only has value in the weeks when he scores touchdowns; but good luck predicting when that will be. So I’ll put this one on you: if you think Chandler will score this week against Dallas, he’s a decent option; if not, he’s not. My best guess? Hell if I know.

Jake Ballard, New York Giants (31%)

Out of the all the tight ends discussed in this post, Ballard is the one I like the most long-term; but I don’t like him all that much against San Francisco’s great linebackers in Week 10. So tread carefully this week, but the potential remains there down the stretch.

Jared Cook, Tennessee (31%)

Cook’s huge breakout into a star hasn’t really happened, but he has been occasionally useful. He’s no sure thing, but you could do worse in Weeks 10 and 11 if you need someone.

Brent Celek, Philadelphia (26%)

Fantasy owners have been burned by Celek in the past, and he’ll probably never be consistent, but he does seem to have a larger role in the Eagles’ offense now. With Arizona on the schedule this week, the potential is there for a big day.

Visanthe Shiancoe, Minnesota (21%)

Shiancoe caught a TD from Christian Ponder in the Vikings’ last matchup against Green Bay. That makes him worth a look this week with Green Bay on the schedule again.

Benjamin Watson, Cleveland (20%)

The Browns are playing the Rams. You get the idea.

Streaming Defenses of the Week

Washington Redskins (25%)

Washington isn’t a very good team because of their woeful offense, but they do have a good defense. With Miami on the schedule in Week 10, it should be a good week to own and play the Redskins.

Jacksonville Jaguars (2%)

I was amazed just now to find out that the Jaguars’ D is the least-owned defense in fantasy. Why? This is a pretty good defense, certainly one that should be able to put up  a strong fantasy day against Indianapolis in Week 10.

**********

Feel free to ask roster-specific questions below, and make sure you’re following @FantasyMSF on Twitter. And stay tuned for the Start/Sit column tomorrow.

Their three wins have come against subpar teams including the Indianapolis Colts, Seattle Seahawks, and the Miami Dolphins. Those three teams combined are a miserable 2-20.

Granted, the Browns are under a new regime with rookie head coach Pat Shurmur at the helm. Not having an offensive coordinator has also put a lot of pressure on Shurmur week-in and week-out.

With a lockout-shortened, OTA-free offseason, plus a brand new offense, one should have seen the Browns’ offensive woes in 2011 coming.

An unimpressive Colt McCoy thus far has Browns fans itching for him to finally break out. Although McCoy has put up somewhat decent numbers on paper, he has looked dreadful during the games. He is averaging a minuscule 5.7 yds per attempt and checks down before he even has a decent look down field.

Not all of that is on McCoy though.

Other than Joe Thomas and Alex Mack, the Browns have gone through a laundry list of rotations on the O-Line. The right side of the line is weak, and combined with the right blitz package by the defense McCoy is pressured  before he has a chance to hit his back foot.

The Browns have also caught the injury bug this year, and it has surfaced in one area in particular: the backfield.

Madden Cover star Peyton Hillis has not been 100% since Week 2 against the Colts when he scored the Browns’ only two rushing touchdowns of the season. Since then, he’s been bothered by a hamstring injury and the possible distraction of his contract negotiations with the Browns.

Because Hillis has been injured, the starting job was open to Montario Hardesty, who was impressive in Week 3 against Miami. Hardesty then injured his calf on a pass play again San Francisco.

The backfield now consists of Chris Ogbannaya and newly-signed Thomas Clayton.

I’m not going to tell you that if Hillis or Hardesty were healthy that the offense would put up 24 points per game, but it would take a lot more of the pressure off of McCoy to succeed.

One could make the excuse that the Browns’ struggles stem from not having enough time to come together during the offseason and learn the West Coast Offense that Shurmur and Mike Holmgren are trying to implement. Although this is a valid point, the same situation happened in San Francisco with new head coach Jim Harbaugh.

The 49ers are 6-1.

Another issue that does not favor towards McCoy is the lackluster bunch of receivers that he has the option to throw to. He does not have the deep threat that most teams have, or the 6’4 red-zone target that helps convert field goals into touchdowns. Greg Little has shown signs of improvement, catching the ball more often and leading the team in receiving, but there is still much improvement to be made throughout the entire offense.

The Browns may be an eyesore to watch offensively at the moment, but look for them to add a few more weapons in the offseason. Whether it be through free agency or the draft, they have the opportunities to put play-makers on the field for Colt McCoy. Additionally, the hiring of an offensive coordinator will help Shurmur immensely because it will take the pressure of and hopefully open up the playbook.

Browns fans can be very impatient, but give this offense a few years and a few more players and the most frustrating side of the ball for 2011 Browns should show some definite improvement moving forward.

To a certain extent, you’re right.  There are very few must-adds this week, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t guys out there who can help your team the rest of the way, possibly as soon as this week. (For more Week 6 analysis, here is this week’s Start/Sit column.)

As always, the players listed here are owned in fewer than 50% of Yahoo! leagues.

Fantasy Football Week 6 Waiver Wire Advice: Quarterback

Colt McCoy (33%), Cleveland

The Browns head to Oakland next week to face a Raider defense that has allowed at least two touchdowns to opposing quarterbacks for four straight weeks.  McCoy is also coming off of a career-high 350 passing yards, although much of it game in garbage time.  Still, he makes for a solid spot start, and you may keep him around thanks to some enticing upcoming matchups.

Matt Cassel (31%), Kansas City (bye)

After tossing four scores against Indy, Cassel now has seven touchdowns compared to just one interception over his last three games.  Dwayne Bowe and Steve Breaston are playing well on the outside, and Cassel finally looks comfortable (and by comfortable, I mean competent).  After a bye this week, Cassel and the Chiefs face the aforementioned Oakland defense in Week Seven.

Cassel's turnaround started after a shouting match with his coach. Kudos Todd Haley?

Andy Dalton (14%), Cincinnati

The “Red Rifle” now has two touchdowns in two straight weeks, and while the overall stats aren’t awe-inspiring, the matchup with the Colts secondary is.  He’s not a guy I’m going out of my way to get in my lineup, but he’s a good matchup play if you’re in a pinch.

Alex Smith (14%), San Francisco

When I mentioned Smith last week, I said it would be interesting to see what he could do with some confidence.  Apparently the answer is throw three touchdowns.  Smith now has seven passing TDs in his last four games compared to just one pick.  He’s completing better than 65 percent of his passes heading into a matchup with Detroit.  The Lions have amassed some decent pass defense numbers through their first four games, albeit against some inferior and/or struggling quarterbacks.  Again, it’s not a phenomenal matchup, but you could do worse than riding the hot hand.

Tim Tebow (7%), Denver (bye)

Many expected the Broncos to make a quarterback change during their bye week, but apparently they couldn’t wait.  John Fox yanked an ineffective Kyle Orton in favor of Tebow in Sunday’s loss to the Chargers.  Tebow completed just four of his 10 passes, but he threw for one TD and ran for another.  For all his mechanical faults, he racked up huge fantasy numbers late last season, so he’s worth picking up to see if he can do it again following a bye this week.  He has by far the most upside of any of the waiver wire signal callers this week.

Fantasy Football Week 6 Waiver Wire Advice: Running Back

Ryan Torain (49%), Washington

Maybe Torain slipped under the radar since the Redskins were on bye this week.  If you need a reminder, he has a sweet matchup against the woeful Eagles run defense this week.  That’s all you really need to know.  And as an Eagles fan, that’s really all I can say without using excessive amounts of profanity.

Kendall Hunter (24%), San Francisco

Hunter’s emergence has led to Frank Gore’s resurgence, but he’s still valuable as a handcuff.  The 49ers have talked of giving Hunter a third of the backfield touches, and on Sunday he ran for 65 yards on just nine carries, including a 44-yard scamper.  Hunter’s explosiveness, coupled with injury concerns for Gore, make him worth a roster spot.

UPDATE:

Earnest Graham (14%), Tampa Bay

Monday didn’t bring definitive news on LeGarrette Blount’s status for Sunday’s game with New Orleans, but it certainly didn’t sound promising. If Blount can’t go, Graham would draw the start against a Saints defense that has allowed three rushing TDs to opposing running backs through the first five games. To this point, Graham’s biggest fantasy contributions have come via the passing game with 23 receptions on the year. He was actually shutout as a receiver against the 49ers, but his pass-catching ability makes him a RB2 in PPR leagues and a flex option in others.

Montario Hardesty (13%), Cleveland

There were rumors out of Cleveland last week that Peyton Hillis may request a trade due to the lack of progress in contract negotiations.  While that seems a bit extreme, Hardesty was already starting to see more touches, and the Browns definitely want to see what kind of workload he can handle as they determine their future with Hillis.  The Raiders give up plenty of points to opposing running backs both on the ground and through the air, as Arian Foster showed this week.  Keep in mind Hardesty was the target of a number of passes in Cleveland’s Week Four loss to Tennessee.  If he can actually catch those targets this week, the potential is definitely there.

Delone Carter (11%), Indianapolis

This is one of the few guys on this week’s list I would look to add in pretty much all leagues.  Joseph Addai’s injured hamstring should keep him out at least a few games, and Carter earned 12 carries compared to five for Donald Brown.  The only bad news is that Brown outgained him, but Carter is the goal-line option as he proved on a short TD run.  The Colts have already given Brown a number of chances to prove he was worth a first round pick, so they figure to see what Carter can do in what is already a lost season.  Beware of a tough matchup next week against Cincinnati’s solid run defense though.

Jackie Battle (7%), Kansas City (bye)

Todd Haley said earlier in the week that Battle would get more carries going forward, and he made good on that promise Sunday. Battleheld up his end of the bargain with 119 rushing yards on 19 carries to go with 21 receiving yards.  There’s a reason Battle averaged fewer than 3.0 yards per carry over the last two seasons, but there’s more upside with Battle than the aging Thomas Jones.  It’s worth noting that Jones also averaged better than 5.0 yards per carry against a poor Indy run defense on Sunday, so their ineptitude played a role in Battle’s emergence.  He does have a nice matchup with the Raiders after the bye.

Jonathan Dwyer (1%), Pittsburgh

This one is only for deep or dynasty leagues, but Dwyer racked up 107 rushing yards against Tennessee, doing most of his damage on a 76-yard run in the first half.  He still played behind Isaac Redman, and Rashard Mendenhall should be able to start next week.  However, he did show the ability to contribute when called upon, so keep him in mind going forward.

Fantasy Football Week 6 Waiver Wire Advice: Wide Receiver

Michael Crabtree (41%), San Francisco

Despite his two-catch, 36-yard performance, I am still optimistic about Crabtree’s prospects.  He had the second-most targets on the team and continues to show no ill effects of his foot injury.  The 49ers didn’t need to throw a ton with a comfortable lead, but that won’t always be the case.

Antonio Brown (34%), Pittsburgh

Brown’s streak of 60-plus receiving yard games came to an end on Sunday, but he seems to have clearly passed Emmanuel Sanders on the depth chart.  The Steelers have some good WR matchups in the coming weeks against Jacksonville, Arizona, and New England, making Brown a guy worth hanging onto.

Early Doucet (24%), Arizona (bye)

Before the season started, I profiled Andre Roberts as the guy who could benefit from Larry Fitzgerald drawing so much coverage.  Turns out that Doucet is the beneficiary.  The 16 targets on Sunday were inflated by the fact that the Cardinals got down 28 points in the first quarter, but he has at least six targets for four straight weeks, culminating in this week’s eight receptions and 92 yards.  Doucet also had a TD called back due to a penalty, so things could have been even better.  Thanks to a porous defense, Arizona should be playing from behind much of this season, leading to plenty of garbage time opportunities for Doucet.

Steve Breaston (15%), Kansas City (bye)

Breaston now has at least 50 receiving yards in three straight games, but the two touchdowns on Sunday were particularly surprising given that he had just one score all of last season.  Still, Cassel is improving as I mentioned above, and the post-bye week matchup with Oakland is a decent one.

Kevin Walter (13%), Houston

While Jacoby Jones had more targets, Walter had significantly better numbers with five catches, 81 yards, and a score.  He won’t wow you, but someone has to catch the ball for the Texans.

James Jones (10%), Green Bay

With Aaron Rodgers adeptly spreading the ball around, it’s tough to know which Green Bay wideout not named Greg Jennings is the safest to start each week.  Jones now has touchdowns in two straight games heading into a great matchup with St. Louis, which makes him worth a look if you need a bye week fill-in.  He’s by no means a sure thing, but you could also do a lot worse than investing in the potent Packer passing game.

Darrius Heyward-Bey (6%), Oakland

It was only fitting that one of Al Davis’ most maligned draft picks had a big game the day after his passing.  DHB followed up his 115-yard effort in Week Four with seven catches for 99 yards and a score against the Texans.  It’s certainly a high risk move, but if he can avoid Joe Haden when he faces the Browns next week, the potential is there.  I actually feel dirty after saying that.  Excuse me while I go shower.

Doug Baldwin (4%), Seattle (bye)

After 83 yards and a score in the opener, Baldwin posted just 27 yards over the next two games, making him look like a one week wonder.  Since then he racked up 84 yards against Atlanta and broke out for eight catches, 136 yards, and a TD in the upset win over the Giants.  The touchdown came on a play where the Giants essentially stopped playing after jumping offsides, but fantasy owners could care less.  The Seahawks have a bye next week, but Baldwin is looking like a solid PPR league option at the very least.

Jason Avant (2%), Philadelphia

The good news is he caught nine balls for 139 yards to give him 15 receptions and 208 yards in the past two games.  The bad news is he lost a key fumble and had Michael Vick’s final interception glance off his hands (and then his feet) on a drive that could have tied the game.  Avant is typically sure-handed, so the Eagles won’t give up on him after this performance.  Besides, with their defense scuffling, they are sure to be in plenty of shootouts over the remainder of the year.

Fantasy Football Week 6 Waiver Wire Advice: Tight End

Jared Cook (40%), Tennessee (bye)

Cook saw nine targets on Sunday and posted 59 yards against the Steelers.  With Kenny Britt out, he’s easily the team’s most talented receiver, so look for his involvement in the offense to continue to increase following Tennessee’s bye week.

Fred Davis (38%), Washington

One of the few things Philly’s defense did well on Sunday was to limit Buffalo tight end Scott Chandler.  That doesn’t erase the fact that they’ve been abused by opposing tight ends on multiple occasions this year.  Or the fact that their linebackers and safeties have been generally awful at every phase of the game.  Yes, that’s my Eagles fan bitterness showing through.

Heath Miller (17%), Pittsburgh

The Jaguars have given up a touchdown to opposing tight ends for four straight weeks.  It’s up to Miller to keep that streak alive, and he should come in with some confidence after 46 yards and a score this week.

Ben Watson (17%)/Evan Moore (2%), Cleveland

The Raiders gave up a number of big plays to Houston’s TE duo of Owen Daniels and Joel Dreessen, who combined for 12 catches and 201 yards on Sunday.  With few proven receivers, the Browns throw to their tight ends regularly, which may bode well for Watson and Moore this week.

Ed Dickson (15%), Baltimore

After 12 targets against the Jets last week, Joe Flacco has now looked Dickson’s way 32 times in Baltimore’s four games.  He has at least four catches and 45 yards in three of those contests, which makes him a decent PPR league option at minimum.

Jake Ballard (2%), New York Giants

He now has a TD reception in two straight weeks and seems to be developing a nice rapport with Eli Manning.  The Bills have given up three touchdowns to opposing tight ends over the last three weeks, so if you want to roll the dice, Ballard is an option if you are desperate.

Joel Dreessen (0%), Houston

I listed James Casey last week as a potential offensive option with Andre Johnson out, but it was Dreessen who stepped up with five catches for 112 yards, including a 56-yard TD where he slipped out the back side of the play.  He entered the game with just three receptions and 44 yards on the season, but he has filled in admirably (at times) for Owen Daniels in the past.  He’s a huge gamble against a Ravens team giving up virtually nothing to opposing tight ends.

Streaming Defense(s) of the Week

Cincinnati (25%) vs. Indianapolis

The 20 points allowed to Jacksonville was a season high for the Bengals, but they made up for it with three sacks, two fumble recoveries, and a TD on the final play of the game.  Another solid matchup awaits with the Colts this week.

Buffalo (11%) at New York Giants

The Bills have scored a defensive touchdown in three straight games, and Eli Manning is coming off of a four turnover effort on Sunday.

Have any questions or feedback?  Leave them in the comments below or hit me up on Twitter (@andybottoms).

The Chiefs team as a whole gets a lot of attention this week due mainly to the injury of Jamaal Charles, which opens up some opportunities for other guys on that squad.

The game itself is changing with the way teams throw the ball.  Yes running backs are still important but QBs and WRs are becoming the high scorers week in and week out.  Don’t be late to the party.

Fantasy Football Week 3 Stock Up

QB Colt McCoy

No, Colt is not the caliber of player as Matt Schaub or Tom Brady, but in terms of fantasy value, the Dolphins defense offers a lot of opportunity for the 2^nd year vet.

Two things jump out at me when you look at him this week.  First, the Browns throw the ball a lot in that West Coast system; and second, Miami’s best corner Vonte Davis is out with a hamstring injury.  Couldn’t get a much more favorable matchup than this.

QB Kevin Kolb

The Cards go up against a defense that is slightly underrated.  Be that as it may, the Seattle offense is so inept that 3 and outs have become the norm and the defense is forced to stay on the field.  The defense is averaging over 35 minutes on the field, which is going to create many opportunities for Kolb this week.

RB Jahvid Best

Forget all the talk about the Detroit defense, this offense is putting up some serious numbers.  It seems as if the NFL these days is a pass-first, run-second league, but running backs are still putting up numbers.  The best thing about Best is his versatility and ability to score points from catching passes out of the backfield as he has been targeted 13 times so far this year.

Chargers RBs

If you are looking for the KC defense to rebound after two straight weeks of getting burned for 40 points, this isn’t the week.  San Diego really knows how to spread the wealth around when it comes to their skill players.  On the year, Mike Tolbert and Ryan Mathews are ranked 8^th and 11^th for fantasy RBs and average 20 plus touches each week.

WR David Nelson

This is going to be the week in which we find out if the Bills and their 4 wide receiver offense are for real.  It might sound crazy but against the Patriots, (who aren’t exactly ball hawking this year so far) another 30-point shootout could be in the works.

WR Nate Burleson

Almost put Santana Moss in this spot, but you already know about him, so enough about Moss and more about the man opposite of “Megatron” in Detroit.  Here is an equation to love: fantasy star Matthew Stafford + Minnesota run defense = Nate Burleson big day.  It is looking like a 10-point day for the former Viking and a lot better option than Roy Williams, but more on that later.

TE Rob Gronkowski

While we were saying avoid him last week, and wrongly so, this week is the exact opposite.  No Aaron Hernandez means no more competition for targets amongst TEs and more love from Tom Brady.  Now who wouldn’t like that?

TE Fred Davis

After a few years of not living up to his potential, Davis looks like he has overtaken Chris Cooley as the number one fantasy option at tight end on the Redskins.  Everyone seems to be expecting the Cowboys defense to have a big game with the rival skins coming to town but as Lee Corso would say, not so fast my friend! Fred Davis is looking to have a big day.

Fantasy Football Week 3 Stagnant Stock

Kansas City Backfield

It isn’t normal to do this, but of all the suggestions this could be the most honest one.  Given the obvious, Jamaal Charles is done for the year and the Chiefs just don’t have the receiving options to sling the ball 45 times a game, so here is the deal: Dexter McCluster is small and can’t carry the ball 20 times a game; neither can Thomas Jones because he is a 33 year old RB in the NFL when the life expectancy is around four years; and the third option is Le’Ron McClain, who had a big year in Baltimore when he was one of the feature backs.  Any of these guys could step up and be leaned upon in KC, so its vital to stay up to date with what is going on with that trio.

Fantasy Football Week 3 Stock Down

QB Sam Bradford

Maybe you have him starting on your team, then again maybe you shouldn’t.  If Steven Jackson plays, the Ravens will have the choice of who they want to limit on Sunday.  With the skill of their run defense, chances are Bradford is going to have the cavalry thrown at him by way of the blitz.

QB Matt Cassel

I don’t know if LOL is appropriate for formal writing, but that is what I must say to the play of the 70% owned Cassel.  The Chiefs have scored 10 points this year and Cassel has put up 3 points himself.  Is it bad that he put up 6 of those points in week 1?

RB Shonn Greene

The experts and football heads all around the world can predict big things for anybody, but until they step up, it is best to leave them alone.  The Raiders’ run defense is not as bad as it seems and with a more formal run game, the Jets don’t have the type of offense that gets guys in space like Buffalo does.

RB Joseph Addai

What is worse than a rookie taking away your carries?  A visit from the run stopping Pittsburgh Steelers.  You tend to feel a little bad for this guy, as his skills were fitting well with Peyton Manning.  Check downs, protection changes, and change of pace run plays really let Addai do his thing.  Now he is being leaned upon as the go-to guy in this offense and he just isn’t cut out for that.

WR Early Doucet

It was easy for fantasy owners to get excited about the 16 point game in week 1 against the Panthers but that is in the past.  Why couldn’t he duplicate that performance against the Redskins?  Why is water wet?  All kidding aside, this NFC west matchup could go any way it wants to.  Just don’t count on a double digit game until Kevin Kolb is truly comfortable with this offense.

WR DeSean Jackson

Fantasy Blasphemy!  I just get the feeling that Tom Coughlin will do everything he can to make his day difficult.

TE Kellen Winslow

He’s projected as questionable for Sunday’s game vs Atlanta.  Tampa Bay hasn’t seen the big numbers expected out of Winslow so far in 2011 but its only week 3.  No need to panic about his production.  Just give it some time before you expect the double digit games.

Bills D/ST

That 13 point outing in week 1 was against the hopeless Chiefs.  Did you see what Jason Campbell did against this defense with a slew of his top receivers out?  Oh yea, and add to the fact that New England will hang 59 points on a team if they feel like it, a negative

If you are already losing in your fantasy league, make sure that you have the right players on your roster to counter your opponent.

Players to Avoid:

Peyton Manning: If anyone has Manning in their starting lineup, they clearly do not pay attention to the NFL, and will probably never find this article. I just felt it necessary to put his name on this list, just in case.

Chad Henne: Henne and the Dolphins are going up against the New England Patriots on Monday Night Football. Henne is not generally picked up in fantasy drafts, but MSF founder Jerod Morris selected him in an MSF writers fantasy draft, so take that for what it’s worth. Henne was never much more than an average quarterback, and that is all he will likely ever be.

Arian Foster: This is another one that could have been picked up by simply following the NFL. His hamstring is the problem, and starting him could be risky.

Foster might tough it out and play, but that could further aggravate his injury and leave him out for a significant length of time. But remember, never let Arian Foster know that you are concerned about his injury in relation to your fantasy team, or he might call you “sick”.

Players to Start:

Colt McCoy: McCoy will begin his first full season as Browns starting quarterback against the lowly Bengals. The Browns are a better team than the Bengals on paper, and should prove it on the field. He should be able to throw for at least two TD’s, and will likely get more. Look for him to be among the Top 10 QB’s this week in the fantasy point of view.

Jamaal Charles: Charles and the Chiefs will take on Buffalo, which should be an easy win for the Chiefs. Charles is projected as a Top 5 back in most fantasy ratings, and he should prove that on Sunday.

Benjamin Watson: The weakness of the Browns’ receiving corps boosts Watson’s stock. He was a primary target for Colt McCoy last season, and should continue to be a main target this year.

You only have one job left to do: start the right guys.

Nothing could be worse than having an awesome team…on your bench.

Each and every one of us has a fantasy sob story or two, and it’s almost a guarantee that one of them revolves around sitting the wrong guy.

So who are you going to start this week?

If you haven’t signed up yet to participated in the $250 MSF Week 1 Freeroll Challenge at FanDuel, click here to do so now! (For more information click here.)

It’s free to enter, you get to compete against MSF writers and readers, and $250 in prizes will be awarded. What could be better than that?

Fantasy Football Week 1 Start Em, Sit Em Lineup Advice

Obviously, if you have Adrian Peterson, Tom Brady, or Larry Fitzgerald, he will be in your starting lineup. But who is going to have a better week THIS week? Pierre Garcon or Malcom Floyd? Mike Tolbert or Shonn Greene?

Overall season predictions won’t help you win this week; so as we do every week here at Midwest Sports Fans, here are the guys to start and sit in Week 1.

One theme you will see this week is that I am really downplaying two groups of players: players on new teams and rookies.

While Julio Jones, AJ Green, and Mark Ingram may very well become great players, I just don’t see them doing much early on this season. Rookies already have a hard enough time adjusting to the NFL. Now you add a four month lockout, and it’s almost an insurmountable deficit they have to make up.

(The “Projected Worst Performer” – a new wrinkle in our Start/Sit coverage this year, is obviously chosen from among guys who will be in their team’s starting lineup this week. Of course a guy like Brady Quinn will be a poor performer…but hopefully, nobody will be starting him this week.)

As always, follow me on twitter @The_Dr_Twitch and @FantasyMSF for updates on this week’s fantasy goings on and to get any last minute lineup questions answered.  Or feel free to comment at the bottom and I will try to answer as many of your thoughts as possible.

Fantasy Football Week 1 Start Em, Sit Em – Quarterbacks

Projected Top Performer: Philip Rivers

My overall #1 QB should have a fantastic week at home against a soft Minnesota secondary. He may get sacked a few times, but he will also hit on at least two or three home run balls.

Philip Rivers Fantasy Football Week 1 Projection: 340 yards, 3 TDs, 1 INT

Projected Worst Performer: Chad Henne

I actually don’t think he’s as bad as everybody thinks, but the Patriots should win this game walking away and their new and improved defense will absolutely love pinning their ears back and getting to the QB throughout the entire second half.

Chad Henne Fantasy Football Week 1 Projection: 150 yards, 0 TDs, 3 INTs

Now for the tough calls:

Week One Start Em QB: Ben Roethlisberger

Don’t be too scared by the “vaunted” Baltimore defense. A quick look at their lineup reveals a lot of flashy names and not nearly as much production. While Ed Reed will still be running around and may even come up with an interception, Big Ben and his new and improved passing attack should be flying on all cylinders. Look for Baltimore to do a reasonably good job stuffing the run and Pittsburgh to adjust accordingly by throwing the ball all over the field.

Ben Roethlisberger Fantasy Football Week 1 Projection: 285 yards, 3 TDs, 1 INT

Other Start Em QBs for Week 1:

• Tom Brady (#2 by a hair)
• Colt McCoy (home against Cincinnati)
• Matthew Stafford (will explode at Tampa)
• Matt Schaub (no run against Indy? No problem)
• Jay Cutler (shootout with Atlanta)
• Matt Ryan (see Cutler, Jay).

Week One Sit Em QB: Tony Romo

It pains me – as a guy that drafted Tony Romo and NO OTHER QBs in his own league – to say this, but Romo will not have a good Week 1. I’m actually very high on Romo this year, and have him as the sixth ranked overall QB, but I don’t think he will be able to overcome everything in New York Sunday night.

Not only is the Jets’ pass defense one of the best in the league, but you also have the whole “9-11” thing. A few years ago, the Saints played the Falcons at home, shortly after Hurricane Katrina. It wouldn’t have mattered if the All-Madden Team walked out onto that field that day…the Saints weren’t losing. I have the feeling it will be more of the same in Week 1.

Look for Romo to have a decent amount of yards, but break down late near the red zone.

Tony Romo Fantasy Football Week 1 Projection: 245 yards, 1 TD, 2 INTs

Other Sit em QBs for Week 1:

• Peyton Manning (obvious reasons)
• Michael Vick (on the road…in a dome…against an underrated defense…without a few weapons)
• Josh Freeman (Detroit’s line will be too much)
• Mark Sanchez (he’s just not good)
• Joe Flacco (Pittsburgh has his number).

Fantasy Football Week 1 Start Em, Sit Em – Running Backs

Projected Top Performer: Jamaal Charles

To be honest, Charles would be my #1 running back if I wasn’t so scared about him getting hurt or worn down halfway through the season. Good thing for Charles owners he opens up the season at home against the Buffalo Bills.

He is probably the best home-run threat in football outside of Chris Johnson, and if your league rewards big plays, Charles could REALLY stand out in Week 1. I could easily see Charles rushing for over 200 yards, a-la Arian Foster last year against the Colts.

Jamaal Charles Fantasy Football Week 1 Projection: 22 carries for 190 yards and 2 TDs; 4 Receptions for 39 yards and 1 TD

Projected Worst Performer: Fred Jackson

There’s just not a lot going Jackson’s way this weekend. First, he’s not that good. Secondly, he has no quarterback so an already good run defense in Kansas City will be able to load the box against him. Third, CJ Spiller will probably be a better matchup against the Chiefs’ defense so FJax will get less touches. Fourth, I expect KC to win handily. And fifth, he’s not that good.

Fred Jackson Fantasy Football Week 1 Projection: 9 carries for 23 yards; 2 catches for 12 yards

Week One Start Em RB: Tim Hightower

He recently won the starting running back job in Washington and will be rushing in Mike Shanahan’s famous “zone blocking” scheme. You might be scared to start him week one because of Ryan Torain and Roy Helu; and I agree that eventually, as Torain and Helu will end up stealing carries from Hightower, but not until later on in the year. Helu is still a rookie that missed an entire summer’s worth of practice. Shanahan will need to rely on a running back that can pick up the Giants’ pass rush and Hightower will do the job. Also, the Giants’ rush defense is surprisingly mediocre, and Washington will rely heavily on the running game as long as John Beck and Rex Grossman are their quarterbacks. Don’t be scared to start Hightower early on in the season as the talented Helu struggles to learn the offense.

Tim Hightower Fantasy Football Week 1 Projection: 18 carries for 92 yards and 1 TD; 5 catches for 34 yards and 1 TD

Other Start Em RBs for Week 1:

• Peyton Hillis (home against Cincinnati)
• DeAngelo Williams (look for him to get a lot more touches now that he is healthy and Fox has moved on)
• LeSean McCoy (only player for Philly that will have a good game in a shocking loss at St. Louis)
• Chris Johnson (I think he sends a message to all the “fake” Tennessee fans).

Week One Sit Em RB: Ray Rice

Rice is my #4 ranked RB, and he will have a fantastic year, but facts are facts: nobody runs against the Steelers. Rice will probably be a decent threat out of the backfield, and may end up getting close to 80 yards on the ground and in the air, but that’s not exactly what you are hoping for out of your #1 running back.

You may not have much depth at the RB position, and you may feel compelled to start your first round draft pick…but don’t be scared. Nobody runs against the Steelers, not even Rice. Sit him with confidence, and try to hit a home run with a wild card.

Ray Rice Fantasy Football Week 1 Projected Stats – 12 carries for 42 yards; 4 catches for 18 yards

Other Sit Em RBs for Week 1:

• Rashard Mendenhall (Pittsburgh will begin throwing early and often against the Ravens)
• Knowshon Moreno (as soon as McGahee gets hurt, Moreno will break out…but the platoon system will hurt his value early on)
• Arian Foster (obvious reasons)
• Colts running backs (Houston will load up against the run with no Peyton Manning)
• LeGarrette Blount (Two words: Ndomakong Suh).

Fantasy Football Week 1 Start Em, Sit Em – Wide Receivers

Projected Best Performer: Larry Fitzgerald

Kevin Kolb isn’t great…but he is better than me…and that’s really all Fitzgerald needs this season…especially against the Panthers in Week One.

Larry Fitzgerald Fantasy Football Week 1 Projected Stats – 11 catches for 176 yards and 2 TDs

Projected Worst Performer: Dwayne Bowe

Not that it will hurt the Chiefs in any way…but I really don’t expect KC to be throwing the ball around too much against the Bills. Look for them to march out to a comfortable lead, and Bowe to take a backseat in the offense, at least for one day.

Dwayne Bowe Fantasy Football Week 1 Projected Stats – 4 catches for 35 yards

Week One Start ‘Em WR: Reggie Wayne

Yes, I’m serious.

The Colts will definitely struggle in Week 1, especially without Peyton Manning. Houston will almost definitely stack the box to stuff the run, and if they get an early lead, the Colts will be forced to throw the ball a lot. Whether it’s Painter or Collins, one thing is for sure: Wayne will have a good day.

He has been outspoken in his defense of Painter, and Painter has clearly trusted him in the pre-season. Clark, Collie, Garcon, and Gonzalez may have bad days, but you can start Reggie with confidence this week.

Reggie Wayne Fantasy Football Week 1 Projected Stats – 14 catches for 145 yards

Other Start Em WRs for Week 1:

• Calvin Johnson (statement win for Detroit)
• Mario Manningham (he and Nicks will take turns having mammoth games…it’s Super Mario Week in Week 1)
• Brandon Marshall (Dolphins will be playing from behind so he’ll rack up yards)
• Percy Harvin (probably 8 catches…and he gets to return the ball against San Diego)
• Roddy White (obvious reasons)
• Johnny Knox (shootout in Chicago).

Week One Sit ‘Em WR: Dez Bryant

It was either him or Miles Austin, and I think Revis Island will settle on Bryant for most of the night. Romo still trusts Miles Austin a little more, and will look to him and Jason Witten on hot routes while trying to escape pressure all night.

It’s definitely possible that Bryant will be able to make something happen in the return game on Sunday night, but if not, look for Bryant to have a frustratingly poor opening night.

Dez Bryant Fantasy Football Week 1 Projected Stats – 2 catches for 14 yards; 1 rush for -2 yards

Other Sit Em WRs for Week 1:

• Greg Jennings (just a weird game for the Packers…I think their rushing attack and role players get more touches against Sean Payton and Gregg Williams’ D)
• Anquan Boldin (because Joe Flacco’s awful)
• AJ Green (not yet…just wait for him)
• Santonio Holmes (because Mark Sanchez is awful)
• Mike Thomas (new QB in Jax).

Fantasy Football Week 1 Start Em, Sit Em – Tight Ends

Projected Best Performer: Jason Witten

Romo and his best friend will connect on a lot of underneath passes all game long. If Witten can even get into the end zone once, he should have a huge day.

Jason Witten Fantasy Football Week 1 Projection: 12 catches for 125 yards and 1 TD

Week One Start Em TE: Aaron Hernandez

I have been very outspoken about Hernandez, so I will just keep it simple with facts: nobody in the entire league has caught more balls than him this pre-season; he’s the more talented of the two tight ends in New England and wants to prove it this season; and Tom Brady will be throwing the ball all over the place against Miami.

Aaron Hernandez Fantasy Football Week 1 Projection: 8 catches for 110 yards and 2 TDs

Other Start Em TEs for Week 1:

• Vernon Davis (against Seattle)
• Owen Daniels (against the Colts)
• Jimmy Graham (GB shuts down the Saints’ WRs and Graham gets a lot of touches)
• Greg Olsen (Cam Newton’s new best friend)
• Brandon Pettigrew (everyone in Detroit will have a good fantasy week).

Week One Sit Em TE: Jermichael Finley

Finley has been getting lots of love this season because in the past he’s been a TD machine. However, Aaron Rodgers adapted quite well without him, and with the extended lockout I think it will take Finley a few weeks to find his niche in the offense again. Finley won’t have a HORRIBLE week, but he won’t be blowing anyone away either if you another good option.

Jermichael Finley Fantasy Football Week 1 Projected Stats – 5 catches for 43 yards

Other Sit Em TEs for Week 1:

• Zach Miller (normally, bad QBs equate to good days for TEs…but Tarvaris Jackson hasn’t even attained the “bad QB” level yet)
• Marcedes Lewis (I just don’t think he’s good, and the new QB will be rough for him)
• Tony Gonzalez (you are starting him for his name, and nothing else…so don’t start him
• Dallas Clark (rough day for the Colts and Dallas)

So there you have it. The first Start Em, Sit Em post for 2011 is in the books. The comment section is now yours.

Best of luck in Week 1 everybody!

When those things go wrong – and from time to time they will – you’ll turn to the waiver wire in your moment of need.  And that’s why I’ll be here at the beginning of each week to highlight players owned in fewer than 50 percent of Yahoo leagues.

If you haven’t signed up yet to participated in the $250 MSF Week 1 Freeroll Challenge at FanDuel, click here to do so now! (For more information click here.)

It’s free to enter, you get to compete against MSF writer and readers, and $250 in prizes will be awarded. What could be better than that?

As luck would have it, we just held our 14-team auction for many of the MSF writers, and since my strategy eventually morphed into a modified version of “stars and scrubs,” my bench is weak to put it kindly.  That means I’ll have a chance to practice what I preach here, as I troll the waiver wire right along with you.

Although the season hasn’t started yet, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be looking to improve your roster.  A handful of players on the wire are potential starting options this week, while others can be speculative pickups or simply guys to monitor early in the season.

Here are a few guys to check out heading into Week One:

Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Advice for Week 1: Quarterback

Colt McCoy (38%), Cleveland

Putting too much stock in preseason stats can be dangerous, but McCoy was sharp in his first experience with Cleveland’s new offense, completing better than 60 percent of his passes with four touchdowns and one interception.

However, the real allure for McCoy is Cleveland’s early schedule.  The Browns start the season with games against Cincinnati, at Indianapolis, and home versus Miami and Tennessee before a Week Five bye.  It doesn’t get much tougher from there until four of the final five games coming against Pittsburgh and Baltimore.

Still, in the wake of the latest Peyton Manning injury news, McCoy gives you a chance to get off to a hot start.  You can worry about the end of the season when you get there.

Matt Hasselbeck (16%), Tennessee

Sure, Hasselbeck didn’t throw for a touchdown in the preseason, but he also played just two series with Kenny Britt and didn’t have Chris Johnson in the backfield.  He also has a nice opening week matchup against a Jaguars secondary that was absolutely horrendous in the preseason.  That doesn’t mean he’s a great start outside of two-QB leagues quite yet, but he’s proven to be a reliable option in the past, which makes him worth watching as a backup.

Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Advice for Week 1: Running Back

Ben Tate (43%)/Derrick Ward (7%), Houston

Unless you’ve been incarcerated (see: Benson, Cedric) or otherwise deposed for the past week, you know all about Arian Foster’s balky hamstring and the myriad of opinions on how significantly it’s damaged.  As you can see from the ownership percentages, popular opinion has tipped the scales toward Ben Tate, but as Sigmund Bloom of Footballguys.com pointed out on Twitter last week, Ward is officially listed as the second-string running back.

Few would argue that Tate is the more talented of the two, but the fact remains that there are pass protection concerns with him.  So if you’re looking for help in the short-term, go for Ward.  If you’re prospecting for long-term gain, Tate is your guy, but don’t forget that he isn’t without injury risk after missing last season with a knee injury.

Roy Helu (34%), Washington

Tim Hightower has emerged as the starter in Washington, and for now, he’s the guy to own.  That said, he has a history of fumble problems, and the mere mention of Mike Shanahan’s name is enough to reduce some fantasy owners to tears.  Helu’s running style meshes well with the Redskins’ blocking scheme, which makes him worth a prospective pickup.

Jerome Harrison (22%), Detroit

If history has taught us anything, it’s that I have a better chance of riding a unicorn to work on Friday than Jahvid Best does of staying healthy for the bulk of the season.  Harrison racked up over 1,000 total yards for Cleveland in 2009 and was decent in spot duty for the Eagles last year, so he’s not exactly a stiff.

Delone Carter (21%), Indianapolis

I have yet to end up with Carter in any leagues, despite my strong belief that he is the guy to own in the Indy backfield.  Remove Donald Brown from the equation; he’s now an afterthought.  That leaves Joseph Addai, who the Colts brought back on a one-year deal, but his future in Indy is tenuous beyond that.  And with Peyton Manning’s situation getting worse with every report, the Colts may opt to lean more heavily on the run game in an attempt to minimize the damage Kerry Collins can do.  Carter is a solid goal line option as well and has a legit shot to become the feature back by the end of the year.

Bernard Scott (6%), Cincinnati

If history has taught us anything, it’s that I have a better chance of riding a unicorn to work on Friday than Cedric Benson does of staying out of trouble.  Too soon to use that again?  Regardless, Benson was grossly ineffective last season, and like Addai, he was only signed to a one-year deal.  Scott showed flashes in the preseason and brings another level of athleticism to the mix that fits better with the Bengals new offensive scheme.

Deji Karim (5%), Jacksonville

With Rashad Jennings out for the season, Karim is the guy to own if you don’t believe in the health of Maurice Jones-Drew’s knee.  And I don’t.

Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Advice for Week 1: Wide Receivers

Nate Burleson (44%), Detroit

The Lions have become a trendy pick after a solid stretch of preseason performances, and with Calvin Johnson as the focal point for opposing defenses, Burleson should see plenty of single coverage.  He parlayed that into three preseason touchdowns, which should have earned his way onto more rosters.  Burleson caught six TDs last season and has proven to be an effective receiver when healthy.  Get him before it’s too late.

Antonio Brown (28%), Pittsburgh

Few players made a bigger leap onto the fantasy landscape this preseason than Brown, who made the most of extra opportunities with Emmanuel Sanders sidelined following foot surgery.  Sanders is back now, but he’ll need to wrestle the number three receiver role away from Brown, who racked up 230 yards and three scores in the exhibition season.  Hines Ward is on the downside of his career, and Brown has clearly earned Ben Roethlisberger’s trust along with some glowing reviews throughout training camp.  The Steelers throw more than most people think, and Brown has speed to burn against nickel and dime corners.

Greg Little (21%), Cleveland

Even before missing all of last season at North Carolina, Little was a work in progress at receiver.  Despite being raw, he’s shown flashes for the Browns over the course of the preseason, and if anyone in that receiving corps has the potential to become a clear-cut top target, it’s Little.  As I mentioned above with Colt McCoy, the schedule is favorable, but you need to let Little sit on your bench or the waiver wire until we get a better idea of how involved in the offense he’ll be.

Denarius Moore (15%), Oakland

At least one Raiders beat writer said Moore was the best player on the field at times during training camp, and even though that’s like being named soberest guy at the infield of a NASCAR race, it has earned him a high post in the Oakland pecking order.  He’s certainly not a guy you can count on yet, but the upside is there.

Andre Roberts (7%), Arizona

If you’re skeptical that Beanie Wells can hold up as a feature back, that means you’ve actually followed his career and/or seen him play.  Either way, the Cardinals figure to throw a lot with Kevin Kolb in the mix, and Larry Fitzgerald will draw most of the defensive attention.  That leaves Roberts to compete with the oft-injured Early Doucet and the aging Todd Heap for targets, which makes him someone to keep an eye on.

Brandon Gibson (3%), St. Louis

To my surprise, Gibson caught at least three passes in nine straight games to end last season and finished with 620 receiving yards.  With the much-publicized addition of Josh McDaniels as Offensive Coordinator, Sam Bradford is expected to air out in his second season.  Gibson is listed as one of the team’s starting wideouts, and the opportunity is there to post solid, but likely unspectacular, numbers.

Dezmon Briscoe (1%), Tampa Bay

With Arrelious Benn still recovering from knee surgery, Briscoe seized the opportunity this preason.  He’s slated to start alongside Mike Williams and has developed a nice rapport with Josh Freeman.  Another guy to monitor as the season gets underway.

Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Advice for Week 1: Tight Ends

Lance Kendricks (30%), St. Louis

All this rookie from Wisconsin did was lead the Rams in receptions, yards, and touchdowns this preseason.  He was one of the nation’s top tight ends in college and looks to be a major part of the St. Louis passing game already.  Just another example of how deep tight end is this season.

Evan Moore (2%), Cleveland

He may be listed as the Browns’ backup tight end, but Moore is being used all over the field on offense in an effort to create mismatches.  In fact, the team’s official site recently predicted him as the team’s leading receiver.  That may be a long shot, but he caught a pair of TDs in the preseason and will be one of the team’s top targets in what is expected to be an improved passing game. 

Unfortunately, the eternal King of Pop is no longer with us (he would have turned 53 just a few days ago on August 29th), and he thus he will never be able to follow in the footsteps of Bruce Springsteen, The Who, John Mellencamp, and others who have taken to the Super Bowl stage as older musicians, but that doesn’t mean that we can’t weave the musical brilliance of Michael Jackson into a post about the National Football League.

So enjoy this homage to my favorite musician of all time, Michael Jackson, as we kick off our coverage of the 2011 NFL season. Here are all 32 Week One starting QBs in the NFL…as Michael Jackson songs.

AFC East

Tom Brady (NE) – “Blame It On The Boogie”

There are high hopes for the reigning NFL MVP heading into 2011. Coming off of the second best statistical season of his career, but yet another playoff loss, it feels like there is more urgency to capture Super Bowl #4 for he and Brilliant Bill. (How else do you explain bringing in a certified turd like Albert Haynesworth?)

However, if you are a Patriots fan, how much confidence can you have after seeing your quarterback dance like this during the offseason?

Is there any kind of historical precedent for a superstar NFL quarterback being videotaped dancing in such a sacless manner and then winning a Super Bowl? I can’t think of one.

So if things do not go as planned in New England this year – and let’s be honest, the plan is Super Bowl or Bust, as it always should be when you have Brady and Belichick – then Patriots fans can simply blame it on the (Brady) boogie.

———

Mark Sanchez (NYJ) – “Mama’s Pearl”

Ever since Jets mama bear Rex Ryan named Mark Sanchez his Week 1 starter before Sanchez’s rookie season, the coach has joined Jets supporters across the nation in making excuse after excuse for Sanchez’s overall poor play. For his career, Sanchez has completed just 54.4% of his passes and has thrown four more INTs than he has thrown touchdowns.

Of course, the immediate counter-argument is that Sanchez has also played in his conference’s championship games the last two season, something no other QB in the NFL can say. And as long as the Jets keep on winning, even if Sanchez’s stats and overall play remain underwhelming, in the eyes of mother bear Rex his young QB will undoubtedly remain mama’s pearl.

———

Chad Henne (MIA) – “Bad”

To say that Chad Henne has been a disappointment to Dolphins fans would be a gross understatement. His 27:33 career TD:INT ratio has been, in a word, bad. His inability to make good decisions in the red zone has been even worse.

But in Michael Jackson’s song “Bad” he is not singing about someone who sucks. MJ is singing about being a badass. And hey, despite being scrawny, certifiably kooky, and even at times somewhat effeminate, Michael Jackson was a badass.

But can Chad Henne come anything close to badass?

Chad Henne has two choices in 2011: he can either continue being bad in the literal sense of the word, or he can carry his impressive preseason play into the regular season and be bad. Like, say, Drew Brees bad (which actually means good, in this case). And there’s precedent, so says no less an authority than the great Bill Barnwell of Football Outsiders and Grantland fame.

No pressure Chad; it’s only the entire Dolphins’ season riding on which “bad” you choose.

———

Ryan Fitzpatrick (BUF) – “They Don’t Care About Us”

Ryan Fitzpatrick is still the quarterback in Buffalo, and he is actually more productive than most people give him credit for. However, I’ll reiterate: he plays in Buffalo, which is why many people don’t give him or any other Bills player much credit.

The Bills and their fans would not be wrong to say they don’t care about us in relation to the attention they receive from the national football media at large. But, of course, it’s hard to garner much attention when you don’t win games.

Sure, people cared about the Buffalo Bills at one time, back when they were running roughshod over the AFC on their way to four straight Super Bowls, when the “K-Gun” offense was the cat’s pajamas. But now? Like I said, other than residents of Buffalo and Toronto, no one really cares.

———

AFC North

Ben Roethlisberger (PIT) – “Ben” and “Dirty Diana”

Obviously young MJ’s classic song “Ben” is a perfect fit for the player NFL analysts refer to simply by his first name, Ben. So let’s just get that out of the way right now.

But stopping at “Ben” for Ben Roethlisberger would be a copout. And we’re not coupouters here at MSF, so we’ll provide a second song for Mr. Roethlisberger aka Bathroom Ben.

And really, what song other than “Dirty Diana” would be appropriate for someone whose idea of a good time is getting drunk with random dirty Dianas and engaging in relations in the bathroom of a bar?

———

Joe Flacco (BAL) – “Beat It”

Do you realize that this Bert doppelganger has completed 62% of his passes and has a solid 60:34 TD:INT ratio for his three-year career? It’s quite possible, perhaps even probable, that Joe Flacco is the most underrated QB in the NFL.

But the stats are just a small part of it.

As we know, QBs are judged by wins and losses. Well, all Joe Flacco has done is beat it — the opposing team that it is — in two-thirds of the regular season games he has started. He has also won a playoff game in each of his three seasons in the NFL. Even the highly acclaimed Matt Ryan can’t beat that.

———

Colt McCoy (CLE) – “Little Bitty Pretty One”

The second-year player for the Browns stands just 6’1, which is just an inch taller than noted shorty Drew Brees. The cherubic McCoy also holds the Super Bowl (heck, Wild Card) aspirations of a starving Browns fan base on his little bitty pretty shoulders, as a town desperate for a solid QB and a winning team hopes that McCoy is the answer to its collective prayers.

And yes, I know that the Jackson 5 version of “Little Bitty Pretty One” is a cover of a Frankie Lymon song, but seeing as how Browns fans would be ecstatic if McCoy simply ends up being a cover of their beloved Bernie Kosar, it seems appropriate.

———

Andy Dalton (CIN) – “She’s Out of My Life”

In this case, it’s actually a he, not a she, that is out of Dalton and Bengals’ fans lives. And the he in question is Carson Palmer, who has chosen to retire rather than subject himself to anymore Bengals nonsense (assuming he doesn’t make a surprise 11th hour visit to camp).

Of course, while Bengals owner Mike Brown seems to be happily chirping He’s out of my life in reference to Palmer, other observers are criticizing Brown’s “damned indecision and cursed pride” seeing as how he could have traded Palmer and gotten something for him rather than wasting one of the team’s few valuable assets.

Now it’s up to the rookie Dalton to lead the Palmer-less and Ochocinco-less Bengals into 2011. For Bengals fans, it will probably just be another wicked season that “cuts like a knife”, and by Week 8 Bengals fans may be wishing the franchise, or at least the much-maligned Brown, was out of their life.

———

AFC South

Peyton Manning (IND) – “Smooth Criminal”

Is anyone smoother at running an offense than Peyton Manning? It’s almost criminal the way he picks apart opposing defenses as if he’s stolen their signals or planted a bug in their huddle.

Regardless, the reason why “Smooth Criminal” is the MJ song perfect for Peyton in 2011 is because all you have to do is substitute one word in the song to make it an almost perfect reenactment of every time the Colts QB has met with the press this offseason.

Peyton Are You OK?
So, Peyton Are You OK
Are You OK, Peyton
Peyton Are You OK?
So, Peyton Are You OK
Are You OK, Peyton
Peyton Are You OK?
So, Peyton Are You OK?
Are You OK, Peyton?
Peyton Are You OK?
So, Peyton Are You Ok, Are You Ok, Peyton?

Well Peyton? Are you? ARE YOU? We’ll find out Week 1.

And if Peyton is okay, and doesn’t miss a start, then the true “smooth criminal” will be Kerry Collins for getting paid $4 million to do…what, exactly?

Matt Schaub (HOU) – “Can You Feel It”

It seems like every year is the Texans’ year.

“No really, this will be the season that Kubiak, Schaub, Johnson, Williams, et al, finally put it together and make the franchise’s first playoff appearance.”

“No, no, this will be the year. Seriously!”

With questions surrounding Peyton Manning’s health, and vultures sure to circle Lucas Oil Stadium should Peyton have to miss any time, this year really could be the year in Houston.

Seriously. For real. I can almost feel it; can you feel it? This year actually will be THE year for the Texans. I even predicted it!

———

Matt Hasselbeck (TEN) – “One More Chance”

Matt Hasselbeck took the Seahawks to their only Super Bowl appearance and gave Seattle, for the most part, above average play at the QB position on a consistent basis for the better part of a decade. Yet despite leading the Seahawks to an unexpected playoff berth and an even more unexpected playoff win last year, he was jettisoned so that Seattle could move on to the…Tarvarlie Jackhurst Era. Win forever!

Hasselbeck landed on his feet though, taking over for the departed Vincerry Youngins in Tennessee. Sure, he’s just keeping the seat warm for Jake Locker, and may not even last the whole season as the starter, but at least Hasselback gets one more chance to lead a team.

Good for him. He’s earned it.

———

David Garrard (JAC) – “Somebody’s Watching Me”

Poor David Garrard. No matter what this guy does, he just can never seem to earn himself any job security.

Last year, Garrard completed 64.5% of his passes, threw 23 touchdowns, and had a QB rating of 90.8, keeping the Jags in the playoff hunt until their pathetic defense collapsed during a three-game skid to end the season. And how was Garrard repaid for his solid season? Jacksonville went out and drafted Blaine Gabbert in the first round, meaning Garrard gets to spend yet another season looking over his shoulder with somebody watching him.

Ironically, Jacksonville is one of the worst NFL franchises when it comes to attendance and avoiding blackouts, so perhaps a song called “Nobody’s Watching Me” would have been more appropriate; but “Somebody’s Watching Me” works because it’s one of Michael Jackson’s more recognizable yet underappreciated vocal performances, and Garrard similarly falls into that underappreciated category.

This song won’t make any MJ Greatest Hits CDs (hell, it’s not even his song, it’s Berry Gordy’s son Rockwell’s) just like Garrard won’t ever make an All Pro team, but both have their moments of greatness and are better than most people given them credit for.

———

AFC West

Philip Rivers (SD) – “You Wanna Be Starting Something”

Few players start more somethings on the field than Philip Rivers. It seems like he’s always barking at someone on the opposing team, talking trash, and just generally trying to stir things up.

Yes, Philip Rivers always wanna be starting something.

Relatedly, how great of a beat does this song have? It’s slick, quick, and sweet (just like Philip Rivers’ release, coincidentally). Damn the Thriller album was awesome.

———

Jason Campbell (OAK) – “Man In the Mirror”

“Man In the Mirror” is a triumphant song about change, and no quarterback I can remember has gone through more change than Jason Campbell.

I’m pretty sure that either Campbell’s head coach or coordinator has been different for each of his seasons in the NFL. Contrast that with the stability that guys like Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, and Drew Brees have had, and it’s no wonder why the strong-armed Campbell has toiled in relative obscurity and frustrated his fan bases for the last half decade.

But when Campbell looks at the man in the mirror he’ll see a guy who has never had a season in which he’s thrown more picks than touchdowns and a guy who had improved his accuracy every season before dropping off last year. If the Raiders can develop a few receivers, maybe Campbell can make some change instead of just enduring it.

———

Kyle Orton (DEN) – “Human Nature”

It is to be expected that fans will want young first round picks who are upstanding citizens and who were Heisman Trophy-winning college football heroes to play over fully-formed veterans. Kyle Orton, a fully-formed veteran who has proven himself to be solid but unspectacular, needs to remind himself of that this year when, no matter what he does on the field, fans clamor for Tim Tebow to be given a shot as the starting QB.

Why? Why? Tell Kyle that it’s human nature…for fans anyway. Orton just needs to hope it’s not the nature of John Fox. (It’s not.)

———

Matt Cassel (KC) – “The Lost Children”

Matt Cassel was never the starting quarterback at USC. For the first several years of his NFL career, he was never the starting quarterback for the New England Patriots. When it came to game experience, Cassel was among the few lost children who had none, but who had enough potential to continue advancing through the ranks.

Then Tom Brady got hurt, Cassel excelled, and he moved on to the Chiefs. After a rough first season he played well last year, taking advantage of a weak schedule and an absurd season by Dwayne Bowe, leading the Chiefs to the playoffs.

Hopes are high this year, but will Cassel be up to the task? If he’s not, he may go back to being a lost NFL child if the demanding Todd Haley and the Chiefs lose faith in his ability to be the franchise’s QB of the future.

———-

Okay, we’re through the AFC. Deep breath. Only 16 more QBs (actually 17; you’ll see…) and songs to go.

One song that did not make the cut, despite being one of my favorite Michael Jackson songs of all-time, is “Rock With You.” It just didn’t seem to fit with anyone.

But since you, dear reader, have continued rocking with me through this long but hopefully entertaining post, I dedicate this classic MJ diddy to you.

———-

NFC East

Tony Romo (DAL) – “The Girl Is Mine”

This is a pretty simple one: Jessica Simpson; this cute but non-famous blonde; Carrie Underwood; former MSF writer (and Chiefs fan!) and current Mrs. Romo Candice Crawford.

It seems like in Tony Romo’s world, he can always say the girl is mine.

Plus, Michael Jackson never wrote a song about fumbling a snap to lose a playoff game. So really, this was the only choice.

(Also, Paul McCartney has played at the new, immaculate Cowboys Stadium, so there is that too.)

———

Eli Manning (NYG) – “Scream”

Last year, no quarterback made his team’s fans scream, in both joy and agony, more than Eli Manning. He threw 31 TDs and surpassed 4,000 yards, but he also tossed 25 interceptions. ‘Nuff said.

Except that simply listing off some scream-worthy stats is not enough, because this song is appropriate in yet another way.

Has there ever been a more successful sibling QB tandem in NFL history than Peyton and Eli Manning? They both have Super Bowl rings, so no.

Likewise, has there ever been a more successful sibling pop music tandem in music history than Michael and Janet Jackson? No.

Add it all up and this one just may be the most appropriate song choice of all 32.

———

Michael Vick (PHI) – “Thriller”

Did I say that last song was the most appropriate song choice? It’s only one song later and I’m already re-thinking that bold and possibly foolish statement!

Michael Vick’s name is almost synonymous with the word thriller at this point. What more can I say on this one?

———

Jex Beckman (WAS) – “Who Is It?”

See, I told you the NFC would have 17 QBs rather than 16, and it’s all thanks to Mike Shanahan and the Jon Beck/Rex Grossman duo in Washington (shortened above to “Jex Beckman” because that’s so much more fun). Leave it to Daniel Snyder’s franchise to F it all up.

Despite everyone wondering who is it going to be, Mike Shanahan has not officially named a starting QB for Week 1 as of me writing this. And even when he does name a starter, does anyone think that guy will start all 16 games? Hell no.

As the old saying goes, if you have two quarterbacks you really have none. In the case of the Redskins, that most certainly is the case.

———

NFC North

Aaron Rodgers (GB) – “Billie Jean”

In my opinion, “Billie Jean” is Michael Jackson’s greatest song and Aaron Rodgers is the best quarterback in the NFL (right now), so this really was a perfect song-player match; but the match goes deeper than just that simple association.

Remember when Michael Jackson moonwalked to Billie Jean in 1983 at the Motown 25th Anniversary celebration? It was his coming out party as a solo artist, removed the shadow cast by his brothers, and established him as the King of Pop.

Similarly, when Aaron Rodgers guided the wild card Packers to the Super Bowl last year while playing near-flawless football, it was his coming out party as a superstar QB, removed the shadow of Brett Favre, and established him as the best quarterback going right now.

It was his Billie Jean moment.

This song is so good, as is Rodgers (did you know he has the highest QB rating of all-time?), that it deserves two videos. So here is the official video for “Billie Jean.”

Let me know when you’re done singing, snapping your fingers, and moonwalking around your house or office so we can continue.

…

Okay, onward we proceed.

Matthew Stafford (DET) – Will You Be There?

For the first time since Barry Sanders, there is legitimate, unmockable playoff hope in Detroit. And apparently I’m drinking the silver and blue Kool-Aid, because I predicted that it will happen*.

* – So, for the record, I officially picked the Lions and Texans to make the playoffs in the same season. Had I thought about in those absurd terms when I was making my picks, I doubt I would have gone through with it.

The biggest question mark on the Lions’ roster is their quarterback. Unfortunately, the Lions and their fans have legitimate reason to ask Matthew Stafford every week will you be there on Sunday? Despite his remarkable talent and big contract, he’s only played 13 out of a possible 32 games during his two-year career thus far.

On the plus side, Stafford did have a QB rating of 91.3 and six TDs against only one interception before getting hurt last year. Plus he’s been dynamite this preseason. Simply put, Stafford has to stay healthy and be there on the field for Detroit to have a shot; if he does, he and the young Lions are talented enough to finally be a force to be reckoned with.

———

Jay Cutler (CHI) – “Leave Me Alone”

Jay Cutler is renowned for his rocket arm, but he is not so renowned for his disposition. Of course, as Tom Fornelli points out, who cares if Cutler can be a jerk? If he treats people with a leave me alone attitude and doesn’t always act all Tebow rah-rah on the sidelines, what does it matter if he’s playing in the NFC Championship Game, right?

Hmm…about that whole playing part…

Let’s just say that I bet Jay Cutler wishes people like Maurice Jones-Drew would have kept their mouths shut and left he and his injured knee alone.

———

Donovan McNabb (MIN) – “Remember The Time”

Hey, do you remember the time when Donovan McNabb was one of the best QBs in the NFL? When he was leading the Eagles to NFC Championship Games (and even a Super Bowl) on a regular basis? When he was a perennial Pro Bowler?

Yeah, those were good times. Times the Minnesota Vikings are hoping they can relive this season.

Remembering McNabb’s ill-fated and short-lived tenure in Washington does not inspire much confidence, but hey, Eddie Murphy and Magic Johnson probably thought the same thing when they were pitched the idea for this video, yet it turned out pretty well. Maybe the Vikings 2011 season will as well. (Count Drew among those who thinks it could!)

———

NFC South

Drew Brees (NO) – “Heal The World”

Is any face more synonymous with the rebuilding of New Orleans in the post-Katrina era than that of Drew Brees? I say no.

A quarterback can’t heal the world, but he certainly can help heal a city, especially when he gives his time and resources to help out in the community and raises civic pride by leading the long-suffering home team to a Super Bowl championship.

The best way I can sum up the greatness of Drew Brees is to do so in the spirit of those ubiquitous Dos Equis commercials: I don’t always root for Purdue grads, but when I do, I prefer that they be truly awesome guys on and off the field…like Drew Brees.

Josh Freeman (TB) – “Dangerous”

Pretty easy, obvious one here right? Not only is this guy young, he’s got a strong arm, wheels, and similarly young and talented weapons to grow up with.

If I’m a defensive coordinator in the NFC South, knowing I have to face this guy twice a year for the next decade, there isn’t much I consider more dangerous than Josh Freeman.

———

Matt Ryan (ATL) – “Butterflies”

Though Matt Ryan always gets mentioned before Joe Flacco when people list out the best quarterbacks in the NFL, Ryan has won fewer games, completed a lower percentage of his passes, and amassed a lower QB rating then his 2008 draft classmate.

Most importantly, Ryan is 0-2 in the playoffs while Flacco is 4-3. And even though Flacco’s playoff stats are actually more putrid than Ryan’s own putrid playoff stats, we all know that quarterbacks are judged by wins in December, January, and February. So far, Flacco has gotten them. Ryan hasn’t.

So even though people are anointing Matt Ryan as the Next Great NFL QB, he still has to prove he can shake the playoff butterflies, like Aaron Rodgers did last year, before he can truly enter such a discussion.

———

Cam Newton (CAR) – “PYT (Pretty Young Thing)”

Some of these were so easy.

“PYT” is a kinetic, upbeat, exciting song…much like Cam Newton is a kinetic, upbeat, exciting QB (who just happens to also have a kinetic, upbeat, exciting smile that will make him a marketing darling should he be able to produce at all on the field).

And is the term “pretty young thing” more appropriate for anything in the NFL than a young QB filled with potential? Nope.

Winning franchises are built around winning QBs, and Cam Newton is the latest #1 draft pick to be his franchise’s pretty young thing upon which it constructs its hopes and expectations of future success.

———

NFC West

Alex Smith (SF) – “Never Can Say Goodbye”

The San Francisco 49ers drafted Alex Smith first overall in the 2005 draft. Since then, he has compiled a paltry QB rating of 72.1, has thrown more picks than TDs, and has been yanked in and out of the lineup like a yo-yo. Most importantly, the team has barely sniffed the playoffs during Smith’s time with the franchise.

Yet the 49ers simply never can say goodbye to one of the most disastrous draft choices in franchise history.

With Smith a free agent after last season, the 49ers had a chance to cut the cord for good. They even drafted a potential QB of the future in Colin Kaepernick. But when push came to shove, Smith couldn’t do better than the 49ers and the 49ers couldn’t do better than Smith. So he’s back. Fans of San Fran are just hoping that the final verse of this classic Jackson 5 tune does not prove apropos for 2011:

Keep thinkin’ that our problems,
Soon are all gonna work out,
But there’s that same unhappy feeling,
And there’s that anguish, there’s that doubt…

49ers fans can’t take much more anguish and doubt, but can anything else be expected until, one day, they finally do say goodbye?

Smith has one final shot this year to turn it around. Otherwise it most certainly will mean goodbye, for good, before next year.

———

Sam Bradford (STL) – “Hold My Hand”

In college, Sam Bradford completed 67.6% of his passes. This remarkable skill for throwing a football accurately was the main reason he was chosen #1 overall in the 2010 draft. As a rookie, he completed an impressive 60% of his passes, even with top target Mark Clayton getting injured early in the season. He also threw for over 3,500 yards and tossed more TDs than INTs. As a rookie. This is why so many people are predicting a breakout season from Bradford in 2011.

Another reason people are predicting a Bradford breakout is that Josh McDaniels is now coordinating the Rams’ offense. Yes, the same Josh McDaniels who coordinated the Patriots’ record-setting offense during their 18-1 season, and the same Josh McDaniels who made Kyle Orton a fantasy stud during the first half of last season. The man may be an idiot when it comes to personnel decisions, but he can coordinate a passing game.

Despite their lack of familiarity together, if the offensively brilliant McDaniels just says hold my hand to the prodigiously talented Bradford, and if Bradford acquiesces, these two could make sweet music together…kinda like MJ and Akon did.

———

Kevin Kolb (ARI) – “You Are Not Alone”

Last year, Larry Fitzgerald must have felt like an NFL wide receiving orphan. He went from having a potential Hall of Famer (Kurt Warner) throwing him on-the-money lasers and playing in the Super Bowl to having a trio of quarterbacking dipshits (Derek Anderson, Max Hall, and John Skelton) tossing him inaccurate ducks while playing musical chairs behind center. Has an elite wide receiver ever felt more alone? That Fitzgerald still caught 90 balls and over 1,000 yards is a testament to his remarkable skills and further emboldened my belief that he’s the best wide receiver in football today.

Enter the unproven but seemingly solid Kevin Kolb, and Fitzgerald has reason to smile again.

The long-rumored acquisition of Kolb by the Cardinals finally happened once the lockout ended, and I’m sure that Kolb’s first words to his new #1 wide receiver were something along the lines of “You are not alone anymore, Larry.” Now all Kolb has to do is live up to the pressure of playing with the league’s best receiver while being paid like a franchise quarterback. Otherwise he’ll be the one feeling alone after the honeymoon period inevitably ends.

But can he?

In limited action, Kolb’s numbers are decidedly Alex Smith-like (73.2 rating, 60.8 completion percentage, 11:14 TD:INT ratio); and those numbers were all accumulated while playing in the passer-friendly system of Andy Reid. So Kolb is far from a slam dunk, but he can’t possibly be worse than Anderson, Hall, or Skelton, whose collective play last year, in comparison to the rest of the QBs in the league, was akin to the difference between the following awful video in comparison to the rest of Michael Jackson’s immaculate video catalog.

———

Tarvaris Jackson (SEA) – “Black or White”

No need for me to ramble on and on for this one like I did for Kevin Kolb.

It’s pretty simple: it don’t matter whether Seattle’s QB is black (TJack) or white (Charlie Whitehurst)…the Seahawks are going to suck.

**********

Well, that’s it. I hope you enjoyed this post. I certainly enjoyed writing it. In fact, I’d rank creating this post among the five most entertaining posts I’ve ever had the privilege to create here at MSF. What could be better than listening to an artist I love while doing what I love? Nothing. Nothing at all.

But that doesn’t mean that I got ‘em all right.

• Are there any QB-song matches you disagree with?
• Any you’d switch up?
• Any Michael Jackson classics that you’re pissed didn’t make it and just want to embed the video for all to enjoy?

The comment section awaits.

So get up off the wall and comment!

One of the more compelling stories of this year’s Super Bowl revolved around Charles Woodson, who – despite have to leave the game with an injury – finally achieved what he always wanted to achieve: become a Super Bowl champion.

The former Heisman winner has played his whole career at an elite level. He is a 7 time Pro Bowler and was the 2009 Defensive Player of the Year. The story of Super Bowl XLV did not have to do with Woodson’s achievements, however, but more of misfortune.

Woodson has had a history of injuries and he sustained received another one Sunday night. During the second quarter he dove after one of Ben Roethlisberger’s many errant passes. Upon landing, he looked like he was in a lot of pain.

It turned out that he had a broken collar bone. The magnitude of this did not hit the general audience until Woodson gave an interview after the game. In it he described how he emotionally broke down after receiving the news. He had been waiting his whole career for another chance at a Super Bowl ever since his Raiders were blown out by Tampa in the 2002-2003 Super Bowl. Now he had to miss the second half after finally back.

His pain was seen by TV viewers as he could not even raise his arms in celebration. The pain was obvious and the average football fan started to pull for the Packers…not for Aaron Rodgers to break out of Favre’s shadow, but for Woodson to get his Super Bowl ring.

After the game, Woodson told the media how he tried to address his team at halftime but simply could not. He was too emotional to even give a full speech. This undoubtedly inspired the Packers to get the win for him, as many Packers have discussed since, and the majority of football fans were pleased to see a guy like Woodson finally achieve his ultimate goal.

When Adrian Peterson – the best and most consistent player in fantasy football over the last four years – gets injured, there is no bigger news in the fantasy football world. Thus, we’ll lead off with news about the man they call All Day.

Sadly, there isn’t a whole lot of new news to pin our Week 13 hopes on.

Peterson is set to test the ankle in practice today. He has not practiced yet this week, instead rehabbing and resting the ankle. He says that the pain has gone away and that he feels good, but we won’t know anything definitive until he practices, sees how the ankle responds to cutting, and then how it responds over the next 24 hours.

Keep your eye on this injury leading up to kickoff. The Vikings play early, which is good, and we know that Toby Gerhart is the clear #1 option to replace Peterson, which is also good. If you can nab Gerhart, he’s a solid play against a terrible Buffalo run D if Peterson is out.

Colt McCoy is still dealing with an ankle injury. The Miami Dolphins’ secondary will be pleased to know that they can pad their interception totals against Jake Delhomme.

Jahvid Best has practiced this week and should play Sunday, though he’ll probably split carries with Maurice Morris. Oh, and the matchup isn’t exactly favorable.

Austin Collie, who was taking the fantasy world by storm before a series of injuries killed his momentum, has practiced this week and very well might play Sunday. We won’t know until before game time however. Having Blair White as insurance isn’t a bad thing if you can get him. There is always a risk with Collie re-injuring himself though, so it may be wise to see him get through a game before you trust him.

Joseph Addai remains limited in practice. Even he plays Sunday, he won’t get a full workload and probably shouldn’t be in your lineup. Mike Hart, on the other hand, has practiced in full and might be able to go this week. If so, he has been better than Donald Brown this year and has some value.

Head over to MSF Fantasy Sports to see our complete Week 13 injury updates. We provide the latest injury news on every fantasy-relevant player who appears on the Week 13 injury report.

If you have questions, ask them in the comment section there. Commenting is turned off here.

So my goal with this week’s waiver wire sleeper column is to satisfy both searches.

Some of the guys below are excellent Week 11 choices while others are more longer-term type plays. Regardless, I think all of the guys discussed below have the ability to help you better your chances at playoff success – either getting there or winning there – and that’s what it’s all about.

Fantasy Football Week 11 Sleepers

There are no teams on bye in Week 11!

Remember, the rules for this post are: a player must be owned in less than 50% of Yahoo leagues to be included; and, I focus on players’ value for Week 11, although I’ll recommend players with poor matchups or outlooks if they especially stand out as valuable long-term acquisitions.

Fantasy Football Week 11 Sleepers: Quarterback

Matt Cassel, Kansas City (v Arizona, 45%)

Brett Favre has been starting football games in the NFL since before many of you were born, and he’s had only two 400-yard passing games. One of them came two weeks ago against the Arizona Cardinals, despite the fact that he was getting hit repeatedly, was still missing Sidney Rice, no longer had Randy Moss, and had a #1 target – Percy Harvin – who was running on a bum ankle.

So…starting the QB facing Arizona is a good idea. The Cardinals give up 250+ passing yards per game and at least a TD pass in every game. Matt Hasselbeck added 333 yards and a TD to the Cardinals pass D ledger in Week 10. Matt Cassel isn’t a great start every week, but he can take advantage of good matchups. And as his 469 yards and 4 TDs in the Chiefs’ Week 10 blowout showed, Cassel has some momentum you can build on.

Vince Young or Kerry Collins, Tennessee (v WAS, 35% and 2%)

It’s never clear from week-to-week which QB will be starting for the Titans. In Week 11, it doesn’t really matter because whoever starts will be throwing against a Washington pass D that is among the most generous in the NFL. With Randy Moss now on the roster, the Titans passing game has the deep threat it lost when Kenny Britt went down. This matchup warrants a start for either QB.

Shaun Hill, Detroit (at Dallas, 20%)

Hill has been very productive as a fill-in for the oft-injured Matthew Stafford this year. The Cowboys pass defense has been among the worst in the NFL in terms of giving up TDs as well as creating turnovers, which they simply do not do (or, at least, they didn’t before Week 10). As long as the Lions have Calvin Johnson, their QB will have value. With Nate Burleson and Brandon Pettigrew also in the mix, this is a passing game that can take advantage of good matchups.

Others to keep your eye on: Troy Smith threw for 300+ yards and a TD last week, and the Tampa Bay defense can be scored upon; Colt McCoy continues to be solid and account for at least one TD per week, so he’s not a bad option if you’re desperate.

Fantasy Football Week 11 Sleepers: Running Back

Darren Sproles, San Diego (v DEN, 40%)

I’m well aware that in Sproles’ last game, a seemingly tasty matchup versus Houston, he had only two touches and did nothing with them. I also realize that San Diego should have a healthier WR corps and Antonio Gates back in Week 11. And yes, I know that Darren Sproles is third on the third RB rung in San Diego, behind Ryan Mathews and Mike Tolbert.

But that matchup against Denver screams out with potential, for no defense in the NFL has been as generous to opposing running backs as the Broncos’ has been. In 7 career games against Denver, Sproles has scored three TDs, and it was just a few weeks ago that three Oakland running backs produced fantasy value against the Broncos. If you’re in a PPR league. Sproles could offer decent value in Week 11.

Head over to MSF Fantasy Sports to see the rest of my Week 11 sleeper picks at RB as well as my waiver wire sleeper picks at WR, TE, and Defense.

Note that commenting is turned off here, but you can ask your questions in the comment section over at MSF Fantasy Sports.

Though I did a good job answering specific questions with all relevant lineup/league info (as I feel I usually do), Week 9 was certainly less than stellar with respect to the top-line picks.

While I nailed Eli Manning as a start and Seattle’s D as a sit…that was pretty much it. See below. The carnage was ugly.

But you know me. Bad weeks only motivate me more to dig deeper into the numbers and trends. I am committed to making Week 10 a much more accurate week over all…as much for your teams as for my own.

I am writing this while watching Monday Night Football. I need a 20 point night from Mike Wallace to pull out a win in the P&G-sponsored Blogger Fantasy Football League*, and with the Steelers up 17-7 and Wallace not having a TD yet, that seems unlikely. If I lose, I’ll be 5-4 and in pretty serious need of a winning streak to ensure I at least make the playoffs.

Remember, the stakes are the Super Bowl, so you know I’m overturning every stone in an effort to win – like my last minute of pick up of Seyi Atirotutu on Sunday (see, it wasn’t all bad!). The upshot is that I regurgitate all of this research into these columns, hopefully helping you out in the process.

Before we delve into the Week 10 start ‘em, sit ‘em picks, here are two quick notes and then a quick recap of how I did in Week 9 (ugh) with the top-line picks:

1. Make sure you use your correct email address when commenting below. A random commenter will be chosen for a free P&G gift pack. Last week’s winner was commenter nik. Who will win this week?
2. Don’t forget to check out the Text It To The House promotion. It’s the fun, easy weekly game I told you about a couple weeks back. You pick the five players who will have longest plays from scrimmage this week

Week 9 recap:

• Start ‘em hits: Eli Manning,
• Start ‘em misses: Matt Forte, Calvin Johnson, Todd Heap, New England D
• Sit ‘em hits: Seattle Seahawks D
• Sit ‘em misses: Matthew Stafford, Steve Johnson, Brandon Pettigrew, Cedric Benson

Fantasy Football Week 10 Start em, Sit em Projections and Q&A

Note: the following teams are on bye in Week 10:

• San Diego Chargers
• Oakland Raiders
• New Orleans Saints
• Green Bay Packers
  

Remember when reading this post that everything is relative. Just because I say “sit Player X” doesn’t mean I’d sit him in all cases. It just means that, in comparison to the general opinion of that player, who likely is not a consensus must-start (because that is who I try to pick for these columns, so that they are useful), I either like him or dislike him more than others.

If you want specific player-to-player comparisons, I’ll be posting my rankings later in this week, which will give you a more clear indication of how I view one guy versus another. This post is meant to provide general guidance on borderline starters and whether I think, generally, they should be in lineups or not.

Fantasy Football Week 10 Start ‘em QB: David Garrard, Jacksonville (v Houston)

If you read this week’s waiver wire sleepers column, you know that David Garrard is my “gold star pickup of the week.” Why? Well look no further than the Houston Texans pass defense. This porous unit has given up 20 TDs in 8 games this year, and is one of the most targetable defensive units I can remember in my history playing fantasy football.

Also, Garrard has not been a slouch this year, despite his shoddy reputation. Sure, he’s been inconsistent, but that’s who he is. David Garrard is inconsistent. It’s a tenet of fantasy football.

But he has thrown for at least two TDs in four of his seven starts this year, and the games he struggled in were against the solid pass defenses of Tennessee, Philly, and San Diego. Against more suspect pass defenses like Dallas and Buffalo, Garrard has taken advantage. And suspect would be a kind way of describing Houston’s pass D.

Worth noting as well: Garrard has historically been much better at home than away. He is absolutely a must start this week. He’ll be in my top 10, the question is will he be top 5?

David Garrard fantasy football Week 10 projection: 250 yards passing, 3 TDs, 1 INT

Other start ‘em QBs for Week 10:

• Michael Vick against Washington’s generous pass defense is an obvious play.
• Ryan Fitzpatrick actually had a decent showing against a very tough Bears defense. He faces the much more forgiving Detroit secondary in Week 10.
• Whoever starts for the Lions – Matthew Stafford or Shaun Hill (but not Drew Stanton, I don’t trust him) – is a solid start against the Buffalo Bills.
• Eli Manning is a very good start at home against Dallas. He torched them a few weeks ago and the Giants are red hot right now. The Cowboys are the opposite of red hot.

Fantasy Football Week 10 Sit ‘em QB: Brett Favre, Minnesota (at Chicago)

I know that you Brett Favre owners probably had the old man on your bench in Week 9 (a wise move, despite the result) and had to watch him put up two TDs and 446 passing yards. You are probably itching to get him in your lineup this week, especially if you have Drew Brees, Philip Rivers, or Aaron Rodgers.

Unfortunately for you (or perhaps fortunately), I am here to throw some cold water on you with the following realities:

• The Bears have allowed only five passing touchdowns all season
• Favre continues to start and finish most games, but he gets older and more dinged up each week. Don’t you think the physical Bears will try everything they can to smack their old nemesis around? Favre staying healthy is a major risk each week for the rest of the season.
• The numbers Brett put up last week were against a very weak Cardinals pass D. Sidney Rice is not expected to be back at full strength by next Sunday (though he should play) meaning Favre will have to go against the Bears’ secondary with Percy Harvin, Bernard Berrian, and Greg Camarillo again.

I absolutely think Favre needs to be the starter for the Vikings, and I think he has a shot to put up more consistent numbers once Sidney Rice gets back to full strength, but with so many good “second tier” QB options like Garrard and Fitzpatrick out there, why risk playing Favre when he is throwing so many INTs and so banged up? I just don’t like the risk/return here.

Brett Favre fantasy football Week 10 projection: 275 yards, 1 TD, 2 INTs

Other sit ‘em QBs for Week 10:

• I would like to apologize to everyone for having Chad Henne ranked so highly last week. I’m done with him. He sucks.
• Carson Palmer against the Indy pass D? No thanks. At least, not top 10. He did have another solid game against Pittsburgh, I just don’t totally trust him yet.
• Don’t get cute and think you should start Colt McCoy because he’s playing well in real life. The Browns’ offense does not produce passing TDs, and the Jets have lots of talent in their secondary.

Fantasy Football Week 10 Start ‘em RB: Marshawn Lynch, Seattle (at Arizona)

You probably think I’m crazy. Why would I tell you to start a running back who has 57 yards on 20 carries with no touchdowns the last two weeks? Well, to be honest, it’s all about the matchup.

The Seahawks face the Arizona Cardinals in Week 10. The Cardinals give up in the neighborhood of 130 rushing yards per game. They have also given up nine rushing TDs this season (and it should be 10 if the Vikings would have given Adrian Peterson one more goalline try in the 4th quarter…but I digress.)

So while Lynch has been a major disappointment the last couple of weeks, and will continue to be up and down, this is one of the “up” weeks. Hopefully Matt Hasselbeck will be back too, which should help the Seattle offense provide more scoring opportunities for its running backs.

Marshawn Lynch fantasy football Week 10 projection: 95 yards rushing, 1 TD

Other start ‘em RBs for Week 10:

• I’m not a huge fan of the matchup versus the Jets, but Peyton Hillis is officially a must start now. How can he not be?
• I didn’t like Cedric Benson last week against Pittsburgh, but I do like him this week against Indy.
• Fred Jackson is a sneaky-good start against the relatively forgiving Lions’ D this week, and CJ Spiller is even worth a flyer in deeper leagues.

Fantasy Football Week 10 Sit ‘em RB: LaDainian Tomlinson and Shonn Greene, New York Jets (at Cleveland)

Yes, that’s right. I’m telling you to sit the running backs from a 6-2 team against the Cleveland Browns. Here’s why:

Head over to MSF Fantasy Sports to see why LT and Shonn Greene are good sit ‘em candidates this way, as well as the rest of the sit ‘em RBs, and my Week 10 start em, sit em picks at WR, TE, and Defense.

Note that commenting is turned off here, but you can ask your team-specific questions in the comment section of any post over at MSF Fantasy Sports.

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* – The P&G Blogger Fantasy League (BFL) is a group of 12 digital sports influencers competing on the NFL.com fantasy platform for the chance to win P&G product, a donation to a local charity, and a trip to Super Bowl XLV, all furnished by P&G. The NFL Entities have not offered or sponsored the sweepstakes in any way.

Here we go:

• Joseph Addai still has not been practicing because of his neck. He likely won’t play.
• Mike Hart still hasn’t practicing either this week and is likely to be a game-time decision.
• Donald Brown is the healthiest of all the Colts backs and should see an increase in workload this weekend. He is the one to start if you’re going to start any.
• Austin Collie has been practicing this week, but whether he plays Sunday is another story. He’ll be a game-time decision.
• Anthony Gonzalez shocked no one by getting dinged up in Week 8, and he is questionable for Week 9.

Donald Driver is unlikely play to Week 9 for the Packers.

In Detroit, Kevin Smith did not practice Thursday because of a knee issue. There is no word on whether he will play or not, but the matchup isn’t good anyway (Jets). Jahvid Best and Calvin Johnson are both on the injury report, but both have been practicing fully and will play.

Peyton Hillis owners can rejoice because the Browns RB is not on the injury report. Where the Browns have issues is at QB. Seneca Wallace has not been practicing because of his ankle injury, and neither has Jake Delhomme. Expect Colt McCoy to get another start this weekend.

Head over to MSF Fantasy Sports to see the complete Friday Injury Update, including the latest injury updates on Antonio Gates, DeSean Jackson, Percy Harvin, and every other fantasy-relevant injury for Week 9.

Note that commenting is turned off here, but you can ask all your questions in the comment sections over at MSF Fantasy Sports.