One, you are in your league’s championship round and looking for some advice as you try to make the most important lineup decisions of the season. We congratulate you, and we’re here for you. Skip ahead and start soaking in the analysis as you go for your league’s equivalent of The Shiva.

Two, you are in your league’s semifinal round, which means that you play your championship in Week 17. We’re still happy to help you make lineup decisions, but just know that we vehemently disagree with how your league is setup and blame you personally for going along with it.

Or three, you are devastated after a bad beat in Week 15 and engaging in the masochistic act of still reading fantasy football analysis even though you have nothing left to play for. This is pathetic and you should should be ashamed of yourself. Get over it man (or woman). Still though, we feel your pain. We’ve been there. So we welcome your wandering eyes as well.

I suppose you could also be in some kind of keeper league that uses the consolation bracket to help determine next year’s draft order (something we do highly encourage as a great idea) or a league in which money is doled out for third place (a less great idea). Either way, we group you with the first set of folks who still need advice even in Week 16.

Okay, onto this week’s Start/Sit picks…for anyone and everyone who may have stumbled upon this post today.

Fantasy Football Week 16 Start em, Sit em QBs

Start Em QB – Matt Moore

Matt Moor-ino has been very solid the past seven games for which he’s been healthy, putting up at least 13 points in six of them. He’s not at all a high-profile name, but if you don’t have a top 12 QB, or Tim Tebow, I would look at giving Moore the nod in Week 16.

His best WR, Brandon Marshall, has been a TD-machine as of late, and they will also be playing the porous New England passing defense.

If you don’t have another option, look at Moore. You might even be able to pick him up off of the waiver wire.

Matt Moore fantasy football Week 16 projection: 285 passing yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT, 30 yards rushing

Other Start Em QBs:

• Tim Tebow – On the road in Buffalo…depending on weather…he may RUSH for 100 yards…and throw in a few TDs as well.
• Mike Vick and Tony Romo – Let’s just say, I don’t think there will be a lot of great defense in this game on Saturday.

Sit Em – Ryan Fitzpatrick

Hopefully, you got off of the Fitzpatrick bandwagon in week six…but he is still the #12 ranked fantasy QB and presents a LITTLE value from week to week based on matchups.

Not this week.

The Denver defense is incredibly over-rated (They are ranked 22nd overall, Tebow-haters. That’s a fact. Don’t try to argue against it.), but they have been much better against mediocre offenses. Fitzpatrick should have plenty of trouble against Denver’s speedy linebackers. Most of Buffalo’s offense has come on the ground lately, anyways…don’t expect that to change in week 16.

Ryan Fitzpatrick fantasy football Week 16 projection: 225 passing yards, 1 TD, 2 INTs

Other Sit Em QBs:

• Andy Dalton – This is not your “beginning-of-the-year-Cardinals-secondary” (stats forthcoming).
• Carson Palmer – We should all just sit him out of principle at this point, don’t you think?

Fantasy Football Week 16 Start em, Sit em QBs

Start Em RB – CJ Spiller

Spiller has had GREAT days two of the last three weeks, including his monstrous 28-point performance last week. If the weather is bad in Buffalo this weekend, look for Spiller to have another breakout.

On wet/slippery/cold fields, the offense ALWAYS has the advantage – especially shifty playmakers like CJ Spiller.

CJ Spiller fantasy football Week 16 projection: 75 rushing yards, 4 receptions, 50 yards receiving, 1 TD

Other Start Em RBs:

• Kendall Hunter – Look for Hunter (who has looked absolutely AWESOME at times) to carry a little larger load down the stretch run of the season as Jim Harbaugh tries to keep Frank Gore fresh for the post-season.
• DeAngelo Williams – Favorable matchup against Tampa Bay, and plus, doesn’t he seem to KILL everybody in the fantasy playoffs like every single year?

Sit Em RB – Marshawn Lynch

Man. What a tough one. I absolutely LOVE Beast Mode. He’s been an absolute fantasy stud the past several weeks. This brings us to the age-old quandary, “Do you play the stud, or do you sit him because of the matchup?”

98% of the time, I would say you should always play the stud. But this year’s San Francisco run defense is FAR from ordinary. Through 14 weeks games, they have not allowed one single rushing touchdown all year!

It’s possible you have NO other options at RB and are forced to start Lynch, but if you have 2 or 3 other guys you like, don’t hesitate to sit Lynch against one of the best run defenses ever – that’s not hyperbole.

Marshawn Lynch fantasy football Week 16 projection: 60 rushing yards, 3 receptions, 12 receiving yards, 0 TDs

Other Sit Em RBs:

• Mike Tolbert – I think Mathews gets most of the touches this week.
• Ryan Grant – The Bears’ defense is great, and they will keep Grant blocked in all day.

Fantasy Football Week 16 Start em, Sit em WRs

Start Em WR – Plaxico Burress

A complete hunch…but I think this is one of those weeks where he has like 4 catches for 28 yards…and TWO touchdowns.

He’s been pretty quiet lately, and the Giants will definitely be focusing on stopping the Jets’ running game. I think the Jets will counter by trying to give Sanchez some easier throws…and as bad as he is at times, Sanchez can throw that fade on the sideline very well. Look for Plax to get several looks in the red zone this week.

Plaxico Burress fantasy football Week 16 projection: 4 receptions, 28 yards, 2 TDs

Other Start Em WRs:

• DeSean Jackson, Laurent Robinson, Miles Austin, Dez Bryant – Yes, I’m predicting at least 10 points for ALL of these WRs this week.
• DeMariyus Thomas – He’s actually the #1 WR in fantasy over the last three weeks. Tebow loves him, and he should have another good day in Buffalo this week.
• Victor Cruz – Read below.

Sit Em WR – Hakeem Nicks

Darrelle Revis is an awesome CB…but he’s slightly less awesome when he has to move inside and cover the slot WR. I expect Revis to stay outside and try to shut down the Giants’ deep threat this week. Victor Cruz will be the primary beneficiary as Eli will have to check down to him constantly.

Nicks MIGHT get free on one or two deep balls, but if he doesn’t (or if he drops them when perfectly thrown, like he did last week), he will be a fantasy disappointment in Week 16.

Hakeem Nicks fantasy football Week 16 projection: 4 receptions, 45 yards, 0 TDs

Other Sit Em WRs:

• Brandon Lloyd – Against Pittsburgh AND he’s banged up AND the Rams have QB issues.
• Reggie Wayne – I’m finally turning on him…he’s just nothing without Peyton Manning. It’s a good thing it took me sixteen weeks…

Fantasy Football Week 16 Start em, Sit em TEs

Start Em Tight End – Greg Olsen

Cam LOVES his tight ends in the red zone, and look for Olsen to be the recipient this week.

Greg Olsen fantasy football Week 16 projection: 3 receptions, 40 yards, 1 TD

Sit Em Tight End – Owen Daniels

The big fella is banged up, and I expect Houston to pull him as soon as they can tonight against the Colts. If they get up big, look for all of Houston’s studs to sit.

Owen Daniels fantasy football Week 16 projection: 2 receptions, 25 yards, 0 TDs

Fantasy Football Week 16 Start em, Sit em D/STs

Start Em Defense – ARIZONA CARDINALS

This is my game-changing pick of the week.

Did you know that the Cardinals defense has been improving all year, and that in the last seven weeks, they have only allowed EIGHT touchdowns.

I’ll let you guess where that ranks, league-wide.

Anyway, they will be playing a good Cincinnati team, but a team whose offense is definitely not “lights out” by any means.

If you don’t have one of the top three defenses, go ahead and swoop up the Arizona defense…to the surprise of everyone. And then dominate them this week to win your league.

Sit Em Defense – Detroit

All flash, no substance…especially against a rejuvenated San Diego offense. I would stay away from BOTH defenses in this game.

**********

Best of luck in Week 16 everyone! We’ll be here all week answering questions in the comment section, and we will have our weekly live chat on Saturday this week. We’ll see you then!

First, thank you to everyone who understood my main point: that it’s simply too early to say whether or not Timmy will be good or bad yet.  In no way was I trying to say that Tebow will be better than Elway, Marino, and Manning; my point was how do we REALLY know after only five starts?

Second, while Tebow’s struggles have been magnified because Cam Newton, Andy Dalton, and Christian Ponder have looked so good thus far as rookies.   I think we can all agree that all three of those guys have MUCH better weapons around them than anything the Broncos have this season.

• Cam Newton has FOUR offensive weapons that are better than anyone on the Broncos: Steve Smith, DeAngelo Williams, Jonathan Stewart, and Greg Olsen.
• Andy Dalton has three: AJ Green, Cedric Benson, and a fantastic defense (seriously…Dalton threw for 160 yards, 2 TDs, and 2 INTs this week…and his team won by TWENTY-TWO!!!! The only way Tebow and the Broncos are doing that anytime soon is if they play Vanderbilt).
• As for the Vikings, Christian Ponder has the best non-QB offensive player in the game on his team (Adrian Peterson) as well as a receiver (Percy Harvin) who is better than anyone in Denver now that Brandon Lloyd is gone.

Once you factor in the defenses (Denver’s is second to last in the league when it comes to scoring defense and worse than Cincinnati, Carolina, and Minnesota in every single category), it shouldn’t surprise anybody that both Tebow and Orton have struggled in 2011 so far with the Broncos.

I guess what’s so troubling to me is the unforgiving stance everyone is taking with Tebow.  Look at the following two stat lines and tell me which QB you would rather have.

• QB #1 – 57 of 118 for 891 yards.  48% completion. 7.55  yards per attempt. 7 TDs, 3 INTs.
• QB #2 – 64 for 137 for 638 yards.  47% completion. 4.65 yards per attempt. 4 TDs, 2 INTs.

Though neither QB is all that desirable, anyone in his or her right mind would take QB #1, who has thrown for more yards, a slightly higher completion rate, and scored more TDs as well.  This is all before taking into account the fact that QB #1 outrushed QB #2 by a margin of 302 to 43 in those games as well.

In this example I’m comparing Tim Tebow to Blaine Gabbert – a guy who was drafted higher than Tebow and who has, so far, gotten through the media scope almost completely unscathed.  In fact, articles have been written explaining why he deserves a free pass for his entire first year.

Once again, I don’t necessarily think Tebow WILL make it as an NFL QB…but shouldn’t we at least make him earn our judgments either way?  Let’s extend to him the same long rookie leash that we give everybody else.

Onto this week’s start em, sit em picks!

Fantasy Football Start Em, Sit Em Advice for Week 9

Last Week’s Picks: 21 for 35 (60 %)

Note: last week’s top-line picks were made by Jerod

• Hits: Eli Manning, Cam Newton, Matt Hasselbeck, Tim Tebow, Philip Rivers, Darren Sproles, Peyton Hillis, Montario Hardesty, Knowshon Moreno, DeAngelo Williams, DeMarco Murray, Brandon Lloyd, Antonio Brown, Michael Crabtree, Steve Breaston, Eric Decker, Demariyus Thomas, Reggie Wayne, Brent Celek, Fred Davis, Owen Daniels
• Misses: Joe Flacco, Andy Dalton, Ryan Fitzpatrick, Chris Johnson, Mark Ingram, Ryan Torain, Bernard Scott, Sidney Rice, Deion Branch, Jake Ballard, Vernon Davis, Dallas Clark, Heath Miller, Scott Chandler.

As a quick reminder, the following teams have a bye during week 9:

• Detroit
• Minnesota
• Carolina
• Jacksonville

Fantasy Football Week 9 Start Em, Sit Em: Quarterbacks

Start Em QB: Matt Ryan, Atlanta (v Indianapolis)

Ryan is currently ranked as the 14th overall fantasy QB, meaning in most leagues he should be a backup.  Fortunately for Matty Ice owners, the Falcons are traveling to Indy this week, where they will face one of the worst pass defenses in history.

Start Matt Ryan with no regrets in week 9.

Matt Ryan fantasy football Week 9 projection: 275 yards passing, 2 TDs

Less Obvious Start Em QB: Tim Tebow, Denver (v Oakland)

Don’t laugh.

The Raiders have the 24th ranked pass defense in the league this year and have gotten into several shootouts with teams already.  I understand the lack of weapons in the Denver passing game may scare you, but Tebow performed pretty well against Oakland last year (150 passing yards, 80 rushing yards, and 2 TDs).

If you have a top 8 QB, you shouldn’t be starting Tebow, but if Matt Stafford or Cam Newton is your starter and thus is on a bye, don’t sweat starting Timmy in week 9.

Tim Tebow fantasy football Week 9 projection: 140 yards passing, 60 yards rushing, 2 total TDs (and probably two total turnovers also)

Other start ‘em QBs for Week Nine:

• Tony Romo – This week, the Romo Coaster goes back up against the Seattle Seahawks…before throwing his fans and owners off a cliff in week ten against the Bills.
• Philip Rivers – The Chargers will probably be playing from behind, and the Packers’ secondary has been very average so far.

Sit Em QB: Joe Flacco, Baltimore (v Pittsburgh)

Don’t be fooled into thinking that since he lit up the Steelers in week one, he will do it again.  He won’t.

I said it a few weeks ago, but I’ll say it again. If you didn’t think Dick LeBeau was a genius before this year, just consider that for over a decade the Steelers have been impossible to run against yet in 2012, as soon as the NFL became a full-fledged passing league, he transformed the Steelers’ defense into the league’s #1 ranked passing defense, allowing opponents a paltry 5.1 yards per attempt.  Unbelievable.

Stay away from Flacco this week.

Joe Flacco fantasy football Week 9 projection: 175 yards passing, 1 TD, 1 INT

Other sit ‘em QBs for Week Nine:

• Ryan Fitzpatrick – Playing the Jets who are coming off a bye…yikes.
• Ben Roethlisberger – I think this week’s Steelers/Ravens game will be a true throwback affair.

Jerod’s thoughts

I love the Ryan pick, and I think he is a guy who owners need to keep an eye on as we move into the second half of the season. He hasn’t been a great fantasy quarterback so far this year, but with a lot of dome games and some favorable matchups coming up, he could be a top-10 QB from here on out, which is all that matters.

As for Tebow, he certainly has more potential value this week than he did last week against the Suh and the Lions, but I think there is a lot of risk there. I want to see him play a decent game from start to finish before I trust my one QB slot to him. What if he’s awful and gets pulled at halftime? Without the backing of his own coaching staff, and how poor he’s looked, I can’t justify starting him unless I’m desperate.

And yes, sit Flacco. He couldn’t get a pass in the end zone last week versus Arizona, and now has zero TD passes in three of his last four games (and in the other game he had just one).

Fantasy Football Week 9 Start Em, Sit Em: Running Backs

Start Em RB: Beanie Wells, Arizona (v St. Louis)

While I don’t necessarily love Beanie Wells’ prospects for the rest of the season due to his lingering injury issues, I really like him this week against the Rams.  St. Louis has proven to be vulnerable on the ground this season, and Beanie is coming off of a fantastic game against a very good defense in Baltimore.

Despite his lingering knee issues, look for Beanie to have one or two more good efforts before he tails off to end the year.

Beanie Wells fantasy football Week 9 projection: 95 yards rushing, 2 TDs

Other start ‘em RBs for Week Nine:

• Michael Turner – Against the Colts…okay this one is too obvious, so let’s just ignore it and move on.
• LeGarrette Blount – At this point, it’s still a little early to completely trust Blount, but I really like the Bucs’ running game this week against a suddenly reeling Saints team.  New Orleans just got lit up on the ground against St. Louis, and the Bucs will be looking to keep Dreww Brees off the field as much as possible.  Give Blount your complete trust this week.

Sit Em RB: Fred Jackson, Buffalo (v New York Jets)

I actually like Fred Jackson, who has yet to have a really bad day, a lot for the rest of the season.  However, now is as good a time as ever for that first clunker of 2011 with the Jets coming to town fresh off a bye.

Rex Ryan’s team hasn’t been as consistently good against the run this year as in years’ past, but it was a point of emphasis for their defense all week.  Look for Jackson and the entire Bills offense to have a tough time on Sunday.

Fred Jackson fantasy football Week 9 projection: 40 yards rushing, 30 yards receiving, 0 TDs

Other sit ‘em RBs for Week Nine:

• Redskins’ Running Backs – I think Ryan Torain and Roy Helu can be good backs, but I also think that with John Beck starting the 49ers defense, which is already good against the run, will be able to send an 8th man into the box. This is not good news for the Redskins in real life or fantasy.
• Ryan Mathews – Just trust me that when the Chargers are down 21-0 with 12 minutes left in the second quarter, or Mathews is dinged up again, you will wish you had left him on the bench.

Jerod’s thoughts:

Beanie Wells is a very inviting start this weekend, and I would not be surprised to see him finish as a top 5 overall player this week. Except that I would…because I also wouldn’t be surprised to see him scratched from the starting lineup at the last second or removed midway through the game because of an injury. Such is life with Beanie Wells. This is a week to definitely have him in your lineup, but just remember to take nothing for granted on Sunday morning.

And while I agree with your basic premise that Fred Jackson could struggle this week, he’s not sitting on any of my rosters. The Jets have not been their previously dominant selves against the run, and Jackson has earned every-week start status for his ability to run and be a receiver out of the backfield. How many true lead backs are there anymore in the NFL? FJax is one. You better have two or three elite 2011 options if you’re even thinking about sitting him.

And I agree on Blount. A great option for this week, and a solid buy low candidate if you’re looking to make a trade.

Fantasy Football Week 9 Start Em, Sit Em: Wide Receivers

Start Em WR: Julio Jones, Atlanta (v Indianapolis)

At this point, you all know how I feel about Julio Jones.  I think he’s overrated.  I think AJ Green is 4x better than him.  I think Jones drops a lot of balls, and I think he’s a poor route-runner.

And that’s all well and good, but he’s still super-duper talented athletically…and he’s playing the Colts this week.  I expect at least two home run plays from him in yet another Colts blowout loss.

Julio Jones fantasy football Week 9 projection: 125 yards receiving, 2 TDs

Other start ‘em WRs for Week Nine: 

• Plaxico Burress – He’s already a great target in the end zone, and I have a sneaky suspicion that he and the Sanchize got even MORE acquainted over their bye week.  Even if they didn’t, they are still playing the porous Buffalo passing defense.  Good day for Plaxico.
• Antonio Brown – Ed Reed will be shading towards Mike Wallace all game, and while that won’t completely shut down the speedster, I think that Antonio Brown will rise to the occasion like he did last week and catch a lot of balls underneath, as well as pick up another TD or two.

Sit Em WR: Stevie Johnson, Buffalo (v New York Jets)

Revis Island.  Off a bye week.  Oh boy.

Stevie Johnson fantasy football Week 9 projection: 45 yards receiving, 0 TDs

Other sit ‘em WRs for Week Nine:

• Nate Washington – Cincinnati has been surprisingly great against the pass, ranking fifth overall in passing defense.  Look for Washington to be bottled up, especially since the Titans lack a really reliable #2 option now that Chris Johnson has passed away.
• Patriots’ Wide Receivers not named Wes Welker – Uh oh…the Steelers just showed us that the Pats have absolutely no deep threat.  Needless to say, it’s not Welker’s, Hernandez’s, or Gronkowski’s fault.

Jerod’s thoughts:

At this point in the presentation, I can deduce two things: you think Atlanta is going to roughshod over Indianapolis (safe prediction) and you trust Rex Ryan and the Jets’ D to shut down a Buffalo offense that has been pretty good this year (a riskier but not outrageous bet). With that said, I agree with you on sitting Stevie Johnson, assuming someone has strong depth at WR. Stevie is not devoid of value, because he has a nose for the end zone, but Darrelle Revis has certainly locked down better receivers.

I also like Julio Jones this week. I don’t love him, because I think the Falcons have moved away from trying to force-feed him the ball. His targets will now come more in the flow of the offense, and if the Colts jump out to a big lead over Indy – a likely occurrence with Atlanta’s ability to run the ball – then they won’t need to take as many shots down the field. I think it’s a good matchup for Jones, but without the upside you seem to think.

One guy not mentioned that people need to keep their eye on is Michael Crabtree. He is healthy, and having Braylon Edwards opposite him will “take the top off the defense” as they say. Alex Smith looks at Crabtree first in the passing game. In PPR leagues especially, he will be golden for the rest of the year.

Fantasy Football Week 9 Start Em, Sit Em: Tight Ends

Start Em TE: Jake Ballard, New York Giants (v New England)

After seeing Heath Miller step out of the time machine and look like a young Tony Gonzalez on Sunday, I’m willing to say that the Patriots have a VERY difficult time stopping opposing tight ends.  I fully expect Eli Manning to take note of that, and use Jake Ballard a lot, especially early on in Week 9.

Jake Ballard fantasy football Week 9 projection: 5 receptions, 60 yards, 1 TD

Other start ‘em WRs for Week Nine:

• Dustin Keller – He’s having a solid year so far, and Sanchez loves him nearly as much as Plax in the red zone.
• Vernon Davis – He will have a nice bounce back week against a Washington defense that is actually pretty good.  Look for Alex Smith to check down quite a bit to the big tight end.

Sit Em TE: Scott Chandler, Buffalo (v New York Jets)

There’s no way he scores any more TDs this week against the Jets.

Scott Chandler fantasy football Week 9 projection: 1 reception, 10 yards, 0 TD

Jerod’s thoughts:

I’m now officially beginning to wonder if Rex Ryan wrote this article. You chose a Bill as your sit em RB, WR, and TE, and you mentioned the Bearded Wonder in your “other” section under the QBs. Jon, bro, we get it: you think the Jets’ defense is going to have a strong effort coming off the bye.

I love Ballard. Eli Manning always seems to turn his tight end into a fantasy relevant commodity as the season goes along. Same thing is happening here.

As for Chandler, he made me eat my disparaging words last week, but I agree with you that starting him would make me very nervous this week. He has value, because he’s always a TD threat, but it’s all or nothing with him. Just know that when you start him (and know that none of us can predict with any certainty when he will or will not find openings in the end zone).

Fantasy Football Week 9 Start Em, Sit Em: D/ST

[Editor's Note: because we would not allow Jon to pick the Jets’ defense as his “start ‘em” defense/special teams unit, he decided to boycott this last section of the post. What a baby. So these picks are made by Jerod.]

Start ‘em D/ST: Oakland Raiders (v Denver)

Every year I try to target specific offenses that are so inept as to make even mediocre defenses valuable for one week. The Broncos made the Dolphins’ rag-tag defense very valuable two weeks ago, and an already strong fantasy defense in Detroit become out-of-this-world valuable last week.

This week, the Broncos and struggling QB Tim Tebow face Oakland. The Raiders are physical up front, which is the same formula the Lions used to pressure Tebow last week. Until the young QB proves he can avoid sacks and fumbles, I’m starting any D going up against the Broncos.

Also working in your favor if you nab the Raiders: Jacoby Ford. He’s a weekly threat to get you a bonus TD.

Oakland D/ST fantasy football Week 9 projection: 17 or fewer points allowed, 4+ sacks, 2+ turnovers, 1 TD

Other start ‘em D/ST units for Week Nine:

• I like both the Pittsburgh and Baltimore defenses this week. I agree with Jon that this game will be an old school battle. (If by some chance you have to pick one or the other, go with Pittsburgh. Joe Flacco is playing far worse than Big Ben right now).
• I’d want to stay away from Washington offensive players this week against San Francisco, but the Washington defense isn’t a bad option. The 49ers have to travel cross-country and play an early game, which is rarely a good recipe for success for West Coast teams. And with San Fran already being more of a running team than an explosive passing team, it limits their potential to put up big scoring numbers, especially against a solid D like Washington’s.

Sit ‘em D/ST: Seattle Seahawks (v Dallas Cowboys)

I don’t know how many people have been employing the Seahawks D, but there was a groundswell of support for them a few weeks back because they are decent against the run. While that remains true, and the Seahawks have some decent matchups moving forward, I don’t like their chances against an angry, embarrassed Cowboys team that gets to lick its wounds at home this week.

The Cowboys’ offense isn’t nearly as good as everyone thought it would be coming into the season, but it’s much better than it showed last week. The poor Seahawks will feel the brunt of it this weekend.

Seattle D/ST fantasy football Week 9 projection: 27+ points, 2 or fewer sacks, 1 turnover

Other sit ‘em D/ST units for Week Nine:

• I wouldn’t want either the Giants or Patriots defenses going this week. That game just smells like one that gets into the 30s on both sides.
• The Jets’ D is not as obvious a start candidate as Jon would have you think it is, and I do not say this just to needle Jon. While I like the Jets’ D is general, they simply have not been a dominant unit this year, and the Bills have been a pretty consistent offense. I would not at all be surprised to see this game played in the 20s, which means the Jets would need a defensive TD or a bunch of sacks/turnovers to turn in a great day. It’s possible, but I don’t consider it likely.

 ###

Best of luck to everyone in Week 9.

Make sure you also take a look at Andy’s waiver wire wire pickups for Week 9, and then load up the comment queue with questions. We’ll be around all week to answer them, and of course we’ll be here on Sunday morning to help out with those difficult last minute start/sit questions.

With some many teams rich in fantasy talent (Patriots, Giants, Eagles, Bills, plus the 49ers and Bengals) observing their bye this week, it means that we all are having to dig deep into our benches and even onto the waiver wire just to field complete lineups. During such weeks is when start/sit advice is its most valuable, and as always we have you covered here at MSF.

First, check out the consensus top 10 start em and sit em picks below, delivered just a few minutes ago from our friends at PlayThisGuy.com. They compile start/sit picks from numerous proven, trusted sources across the web (including MSF) to come up with these picks.

Second, click over to Jon’s Week 7 Start em, Sit em column, where he breaks down every position in detail, telling you who to start, who to sit, and who will be the best and worst performer at each position, along with stat projections. Also see the Week 7 rankings and Andy’s waiver wire pickups column.

(Oh, and don’t forget to the enter this week’s fantasy college football freeroll tournament. It’s free to enter, but the prizes are real. You’d be a fool not to play.)

And now, without further ado, here are the consensus Week 7 Start/Sit picks from PlayThisGuy.com:

Fantasy Football Week 7 Start em, Sit em Advice

Consensus Top 10 Start/Sit Picks

The comment section is yours if you have any questions about your Week 7 roster. We’ll do our best to get every question answered by Sunday morning.

And now, for no good reason at all, here is a picture of consensus Start #4 Matt Cassel, apparently in a little bit of pain.

**********

I wish I knew…injuries have just killed me…and I’ve lost each week by an average of 1.2 points. Just heartbreaking.

Some of you are probably in the same boat as me. Even if you aren’t, it’s the time in the fantasy football season when leagues are won and lost. Now is when we have to start making the tough calls.

Image source: AOLNews.com

Maybe you chose to ride Chris Johnson through the first three weeks because you spent so much money on him and “he is just too good to keep failing.” You can’t be stubborn any longer. It’s time to cut your losses and start doing the unthinkable…it’s time to start other guys that are just having better years, or maybe even cut someone you felt good about going in.

Don’t be afraid to admit your mistakes. The worst thing you could ever do is hold onto a guy too long, or keep starting a guy every week, just because you want to prove that you were right at the beginning. You may be 0-3, but all you need to do is get into the playoffs…then, anything can happen.

Let’s quickly recap my picks from last week and then look ahead to Week 4. Once again, “Start Em” guys are QBs/TEs outside of the Top 12 and RBs/WRs outside of the Top 25. “Sit Em Guys” include QBs/TEs that are in the Top 12 and RBs/WRs that are in the Top 25.

Week Three Recap

Overall – 26 for 45 (58%)

Best Player Predictions: 3 for 4
Hits: Tom Brady, Maurice Jones-Drew, Rob Gronkowski
Misses: Brandon Marshall

Start Em Predictions: 2 for 4
Hits: Rex Grossman, Santana Moss,
Misses: Rashard Mendenhall, Brent Celek

Other Guys I Liked Predictions: 10 for 16
Hits: Matt Stafford, Matt Ryan, LeSean McCoy, Fred Jackson, Shonn Greene, Ray Rice, Larry Fitzgerald, Dustin Keller, Tony Gonzalez, Owen Daniels
Misses: Philip Rivers, Cam Newton, Reggie Wayne, AJ Green, Steve Smith, Jermaine Gresham

Worst Player Predictions: 3 for 4
Hits: Matt Cassell, Denarius Moore, Todd Heap
Misses: Colts’ RBs

Sit Em Predictions: 2 for 4
Hits: Jahvid Best, Dallas Clark,
Misses: Ryan Fitzpatrick, Dwayne Bowe

Other Guys I Didn’t Like Predictions: 6 for 13
Hits: Donovan McNabb, Kerry Collins, Julio Jones, Jeremy Maclin, Santonio Holmes, Ben Watson
Misses: Aaron Rodgers, Jay Cutler, Darren McFadden, Packers’ Running Backs, Adrian Peterson, Scott Chandler, Jimmy Graham

Fantasy Football Week 4 Start Em, Sit Em Projections: Quarterbacks

Projected Best Performer: Matt Stafford
Stafford (as long as he stays healthy) will be a Top 5 Fantasy QB at the end of the year, and the Dallas secondary should provide little resistance. Expect a lot of points in this old-school battle of Thanksgiving Day football teams.

Matthew Stafford Fantasy Football Week 4 Projected Stats: 375 yards, 4 TDs

Start Em QB: Ben Roethlisberger
Pittsburgh’s appalling lack of commitment to the running game is one of the biggest surprises of this season. I’m not sure if their philosophy has changed (possible), if they have realized Mendenhall isn’t that good (very possible), if their offensive line has regressed yet again (probably), or if a combination of all three has happened (most likely). Either way, start Big Ben with confidence this week against the Texans.

Ben Roethlisberger Fantasy Football Week 4 Projected Stats: 330 yards, 3 TDs, 1 INT

Other Start ‘Em QBs for Week Four:

• Eli Manning – Lots of yards against Arizona’s porous secondary.
• Philip Rivers – Bounce back game after a lackluster game against the Chiefs
• Matt Hasselbeck – Expect him to play very well until the inevitable injury in week 8.
• Jay Cutler – Having a very solid season despite the storyline.

Projected Worst Performer: Kyle Orton
And you thought the Tebow chants were loud in week one? I almost feel bad for Orton at this point. A horrible game against Green Bay will about seal his fate and future with the Broncos.

Kyle Orton Fantasy Football Week 4 Projected Stats: 180 yards, 1 TD, 3 INTs

Sit Em QB: Joe Flacco
Joe Flacco has really come out with a huge season so far, and I actually expect it to continue. He has some very good weapons, and he appears to have made a “leap” of sorts. However, I just hate the matchup this week. The Jets will be angry and ready to prove to the world on Sunday Night Football that what happened in Oakland was a fluke.

Joe Flacco Fantasy Football Week 4 Projected Stats: 225 Yards, 1 TD, 2 INTs

Other Sit ‘Em QBs for Week Four:

• Matt Cassel – Minnesota’s defense is underrated, and I think they will finally finish a game.
• Blaine Gabbert – Obvious reasons.
• Matt Schaub – Troy Polamalu looks really fast again…this is bad news for the rest of the league.
• Chad Henne – After a ho-hum win over Kansas City, San Diego’s entire team will rebound well this week.

Fantasy Football Week 4 Start Em, Sit Em Projections: Running Backs

Projected Best Performer: Adrian Peterson
The best running back in the league is going against the worst team in the league…and his coach will probably ride him hard in order to not blow another huge lead.

Adrian Peterson Fantasy Football Week 4 Projected Stats: 160 yards, 1 TD; 65 receiving yards, 1 TD

Start Em RB: BJGE – The Law Firm
I think the Pats’ passing attack is fantastic, but Coach Belichik also knows that they will eventually need to be able to run the ball once winter sets in. A lot of people will be expecting a lot of fast-paced drives and big plays in Oakland this week, but I think the Pats surprise a lot of people and start grinding it out a little more. Look for the Law Firm to have a big day.

BenJarvus Green-Ellis Fantasy Football Week 4 Projected Stats: 90 yards, 2 TDs; 65 receiving yards

Other Start ‘Em RBs for Week Four:

• Brandon Jacobs – He looked fresh on Sunday, and he’s also becoming more of a threat out of the backfield.
• Fred Jackson – Big day for Jackson against the Bengals.
• Jahvid Best – Massive day for Detroit players…yet again.
• Michael Turner – Playing the Seahawks…enough said.

Projected Worst Performer: Texans’ Running Backs
The Colts had a decent night running the ball because they had no other choice…and Pittsburgh wasn’t really prepared for it. The Texans, on the other hand, will try to establish their passing attack first, and if the Steelers shut it down, Houston will find itself trailing early. Add to that the fact that seemingly all of their running backs have nagging injuries, and I foresee a rough day for Houston RBs…no matter who is lined up in the backfield.

Ben Tate and Arian Foster Fantasy Football Week 4 Projected Stats: 38 yards; 44 receiving yards

Sit Em RB: Ray Rice
I know I have been burned by doubting Ray Rice before, but I really hate their matchup this week against New York. I don’t expect the Ravens to get an early lead like they did against the Steelers, and I’m afraid that Rice will only get something like 11 carries and a few receptions this week. If that happens, Rice owners will be in for a long day.

Ray Rice Fantasy Football Week 4 Projected Stats: 49 yards; 36 receiving yards

Other Sit ‘Em RBs for Week Four:

• Daniel Thomas – I need him to do it again against somebody legit.
• James Starks – I saw Ryan Grant in person this week…and he looks like he’s COMPLETELY back from injury. Look for the Packers to gradually stop splitting the load between the two backs.
• Denver Running Backs – Green Bay might have the best rushing defense in the league.
• Cowboys Running Backs – If Green Bay isn’t first, Detroit is.

Fantasy Football Week 4 Start Em, Sit Em Projections: Wide Receivers

Projected Best Performer: Megatron
After last week’s performance, I’m penciling him into this spot until he blows out his knee in 4 places and even then…I will need to make sure he isn’t in the lineup.

Calvin Johnson Fantasy Football Week 4 Projected Stats: 7 Catches for 145 yards and 2 TDs

Start Em WR: Plaxico Burress
Once again, Sanchez really loves him in the red zone, and I think he will get a lot of chances against Baltimore’s good, but smallish secondary.

Plaxico Burress Fantasy Football Week 4 Projected Stats: 5 Catches for 75 yards and 2 TDs

Other Start ‘Em WRs for Week Four:

• Reggie Wayne – Painter is his guy…and he’s in the starting lineup.
• Roddy White – Finally the performance his owners have been waiting for.
• AJ Green – He’s good! I promise! Buffalo is also a good matchup for him.
• Wes Welker – As long as their TEs are banged up and Chad Ochocinco is an option, expect Welker to have monster days.

Projected Worst Performer: Sidney Rice
One of those games where nothing goes right for Seattle. You know, like all of their other games that don’t come against NFC West opponents.

Sidney Rice Fantasy Football Week 4 Projected Stats: 3 catches for 25 yards

Sit Em WR: Dwayne Bowe
Minnesota’s secondary actually isn’t that bad. If you take out Megatron and one 60 yard reception by Best, Stafford actually had a pretty modest day against them. Well, Dwayne Bowe is not Megatron…and the Chiefs are awful. Bowe will be in for a long day against the Vikings.

Dwayne Bowe Fantasy Football Week 4 Projected Stats: 4 catches for 38 yards.

Other Sit ‘Em WRs for Week Four:

• Chad Ochocinco – I just wanted to give myself an easy point for my record next week.
• Steve Smith 1.0 – Tough day for the Newtons.
• Jeremy Maclin – Just not the same player without Michael Vick, plus he’s injured and may not even play.
• Anquan Boldin – Revis Island.

Fantasy Football Week 4 Start Em, Sit Em Projections: Tight Ends

Projected Best Performer: Rob Gronkowski
See above, Megatron.

Rob Gronkowski Fantasy Football Week 4 Projected Stats: 12 catches for 120 yards and 1 TD.

Start Em TE: Greg Olsen
I witnessed, first hand, the worst safety in the league on Sunday: Craig Steltz for the Bears…and boy did he win that award easily. His biggest problem is covering tight ends, as evidenced by Jermichael Finley’s outstanding day. The Panthers won’t have a great day against the Bears, but expect big things from Olsen.

Greg Olsen Fantasy Football Week 4 Projected Stats: 9 catches for 100 yards a 1 TD.

Other Start ‘Em TEs for Week Four:

• Jermichael Finley – He’s baaaa-aack.
• Jimmy Graham – He’s quickly becoming one of Brees’ favorite targets.
• Tony Gonzalez – Just a touchdown machine at this point. Even though I don’t like to chase touchdowns, Gonzo is almost good for one a game.
• Jermaine Gresham – Buffalo showed us last week that they have a hard time defending the pass, and especially tight ends.

Projected Worst Performer: Owen Daniels
Troy Polamalu is back to roving the middle of the field. This is bad news for Daniels.

Owen Daniels Fantasy Football Week 4 Projected Stats: 3 catches for 15 yards.

Sit Em TE: Vernon Davis
Philly has done a very good job of defending tight ends this year. Besides Tony Gonzalez’s unbelievable catch on Monday Night Football, they have basically shut them down. Look for Davis to have a rough week this week against the Eagles.

Vernon Davis Fantasy Football Week 4 Projected Stats: 5 catches for 45 yards

Other Sit ‘Em TEs for Week Four:

• Heath Miller – Pitt’s WRs will get a lot more action this week.
• Ben Watson – I still don’t trust him.
• Kellen Winslow – Will be forced to help out with pass protection against Freeney and Mathis more than he wants.

Best of luck in Week 4! Pose your Week 4 questions below.

**********

Don’t miss the rest of our Fantasy Football Week 4 coverage:

• Week 4 Start Em, Sit Em Projections
• Week 4 Waiver Wire Advice
• Week 4 Rankings

The first week was full of hard-hitting action and high scores, and with that combination comes the injuries. Here’s your injury update to make sure your second week goes better than my first!

AFC North Fantasy Football Injury Updates

Baltimore Ravens

Wide receiver Lee Evans from the Baltimore Ravens was spotted in a boot early this week after having zero catches against the Pittsburg Steelers. However, John Harbaugh claimed he was ready to go after practicing in full the past two days. Expect Evans to play against the Tenenssee Titans on Sunday.

Cincinnati Bengals

Cincinnati Bengals’ quarterback, Andy Dalton was cleared to start Sunday’s game against the Denver Broncos. Dalton, who was hit on his throwing arm during week 1′s game against the Cleveland Browns, has not officially been named the starter but speculation from media sources assume he will.

AFC South Fantasy Football Injury Updates

Houston Texans

Arian Foster, running back for the Houston Texans, will play at Sunday’s game against the Miami Dolphins. According to NFL.com, Foster might be limited on the amount of playing time he gets to slowly ease him back into the game after his hamstring injury. If you are expecting big points from him, you might want to rethink your strategy for week 2.

Don’t expect Derrick Ward of the Texans, to play. From the team website, they noted Ward is out and probably won’t even make the trip.

AFC East Fantasy Football Injury Updates

Buffalo Bills

Buffalo Bills wide receiver Steve Johnson is dealing with a nagging groin issue. The team stated he rested on Thursday and practiced in full on Friday. I would expect to see him play on Sunday against the Oakland Raiders after noting he practiced in full today.

Miami Dolphins

The Miami Dolphins continue to search for the perfect balance between Reggie Bush and Daniel Thomas, with both recovering from hamstring injuries. Thomas, who missed week 1, practiced in full on Friday. I would expect to see the Dolphins to try to incorporate both running backs into action against the Texans.

New York Jets

Wide receiver Santonio Holmes is questionable for Sunday’s game against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Plaxico Burress, who was dealing with ankle issues, practiced in full on Friday and is expected to play on Sunday.

AFC West Fantasy Football Injury Updates

Denver Broncos

Knowshon Moreno, running back for the Denver Broncos, did not practice on Friday and is listed as questionable. I wouldn’t expect him to play since rumor has it they are lining up others to take his spot. Brandon Lloyd practiced Friday and will most likely play Sunday.

Oakland Raiders

Oakland Raiders’ running back, Darren McFadden, was one of the players with a minor shoulder injury. However, they expect him to play on Sunday against the Bills.

NFC North Fantasy Football Injury Updates

Chicago Bears

Roy Williams, wide receiver for the Chicago Bears, didn’t practice on Thursday and is questionable for Sundays game. While the Bears still have him listed as first string on the depth chart, I would be wary that his groin injury could keep from the game.

Teammate and running back Marion Barber will not participate in Sunday’s game against the New Orleans Saints after experiencing soreness in his calf.

Green Bay Packers

Green Bay Packers tight end Jermichael Finley is expected to play on Sunday against the Carolina Panthers. Finley was limited at practice this week because of an ankle issue.

Detroit Lions

Wide receiver Calvin Johnson is expected to play in the Lions game against the Kansas City Chiefs. Johnson returned to practice on Friday, but the final decision won’t be made until Sunday. Because he played in full at practice, I would play Johnson.

 NFC South Fantasy Football Injury Updates

New Orleans Saints

Lance Moore, wide receiver for the New Orleans Saints, is questionable for Sunday’s game against the Chicago Bears. He expects to play but his owners will check his status on Sunday.

NFC East Fantasy Football Injury Updates

Dallas Cowboys

It’s not looking good for the Dallas Cowboys. Both wide receivers Dez Bryant and Miles Austin have suffered from injuries this week. Bryant hasn’t practiced all week and remains questionable, while Austin was able to practice to some extent on Friday. I’d leave out Bryant but think you could consider Austin in your roster.

New York Giants

Hakeem Nicks, wide receiver for the New York Giants, expects to play on Monday night against the St. Louis Rams. After running some drills at Friday’s practice, he feels confident that his knee will hold up just fine in the game.

NFC West Fantasy Football Injury Updates

St. Louis Rams

St. Louis Rams running back, Steven Jackson, didn’t practice on Friday. Most likely he will be out Monday night. Sit ‘em folks.

Seattle Seahawks

Sidney Rice, wide receiver for the Seattle Seahawks will not play on Sunday against the Pittsburgh Steelers. While he has practiced with limitations all week, the Seahawks don’t want to throw one of their key players in too soon.

Alright week 2…Let’s GO!

I also takes a look at ESPN’s rankings and picks out a few guys at each position that he agrees with and disagrees with.

Also, stay tuned: we will be taking live callers on future episodes of the podcast. For more details, follow @FantasyMSF.

Click play on the player below to listen right now: (See below for subscription options.)

How to subscribe to and follow the MSF Podcast so you never miss an episode:

• Subscribe to the MSF Podcast on iTunes
• Join the MSF Podcast Email Digest and get an email whenever a new episode is posted.
• Follow @PodcastMSF on Twitter or via RSS to get random funny tweets and updates as soon as new episodes are posted.
• Download this episode in mp3 format for later: Right-click this link, then hit “save link as”
• To learn about and subscribe to individual podcasts, click here.

Until now, we have had to get by with news reports about Plaxico Burress’ notorious itchy trigger finger. But that’s why we should all be thankful for the guys at Flash Sports Tonight. And to show our appreciation (since, as you can see below, they helped to promote us), FST has been chosen for the Thursday LOTD.

Season 2 of the Greatest Animated Sports Cartoon in the History of Mankind kicked off earlier this week with FST field reporter Vinny Tresselini uncovering video of Plaxico Burress shooting himself — along with the untold story of how the shooting happened. (Hint: it involved Tiki Barber)

Enjoy:

(And if for some reason the video isn’t displaying, head on over to Flash Sports Tonight and watch it there.)

According to Tresselini, the Giants have declined comment on his breaking story and the video of Plaxico Burress shooting himself. They did however release a one line statement:

We wish Plaxico a full and speedy recovery from his leg injury — in another city — and are only sad that he did not have better aim in Tiki’s direction.

So there you have it. No word from Vinny yet on whether or not he has uncovered video of the story that broke earlier today about the shooting that Pacman Jones apparently arranged while he was still with Tennessee. But, as we learned from Season One of FST, it’s probably only a matter of time.

Other links as we span the blogosphere:

How did Dick Vitale do as an NBA announcer? – (Awful Announcing)

Got your bets in for the BCS Title Game and Divisional Round Playoff games? - (Cleveland Frowns)

Mangini is the new coach; what else is up with the Browns? – (Dawg Pound Daily)

Love for Rodney Stuckey – (Hardcore Detroit Fan)

DJ Augustin is not impressed by the Boston Celtics – (Josh Q. Public)

Purdue Personals – (Kornheiser’s Cartel)

Baltimore adds the next “great” Japanese pitcher – (Mr. Irrelevant)

A frustrating loss in Happy Valley for Purdue – (Off the Tracks)

Knowshon Moreno and his ridiculous athletic ability going to the NFL – (Hugging Harold Reynolds)

Utah’s proposed lawsuit against the BCS won’t work – (SFTSports)

Why Jim Thome have to go and screw things up by staying healthy? – (Sox Machine)

Debate: Did the Browns make the right call with Mangini? – (Sports2Debate)

Take a quick break and look at some hot chicks – (The World According to Moon Dog)

What is your best old school NFL jersey? – (Tirico Suave)

Is Chudz on his way out as Browns OC? – (Waiting For Next Year)

Now feel free to scroll back up and watch the video of Plaxico Burress shooting himself, or head over to FST and watch their other videos from Season One. Seriously…good stuff.

Here is a sample of what Joey Porter said, per ESPN:

“Plaxico is like a brother to me. I take it real personal how he’s being treated,” Porter said. “Everybody has their mistakes, but that’s exactly what they are … Until you’ve been in that situation, when you’ve been robbed at gunpoint or you’ve had a gun waved in your face or had your house broken into before or been carjacked, you really don’t know what it’s like.”

I am not writing this post to judge the comments of Joey Porter. Rather, I am using his comment as a segue into a discussion of my inundation with guns this morning; and on this day, Joey Porter’s comments are a primary reason why.

I have a half hour drive to work every morning. During my drive, I typically toggle back and forth between Dallas’ legendary 1310 The Ticket and 103.3 ESPN Radio, during The Ticket’s commercial breaks. Here is a timeline of my morning drive today:

1. It started by listening to Mike and Mike in the Morning, who were discussing Joey Porter’s comments and Jeremy Green’s comment that 75% of NFL players carry guns. As per usual, Lady Bird Greenberg said nothing of substance, while Mike Golic poorly argued both sides of the issue at the same time. Just another day at the office for those two.
2. I then thought to myself that listening to Mike and Mike in the Morning is like listening to a plain glazed donut and an eclair argue over who has more sprinkles. (Hint: Neither one does.)
3. As his teaser for the next segment, Lady Bird Greenberg (doesn’t that first name just fit perfectly?) implored listeners to stick around to hear “fascinating” comments from Bob Knight.
4. I promptly switched over to The Ticket, where they are doing a little one-day experiment where they switch up all of their radio hosts to different time slots with different people. I heard Norm Hitzges’ voice and immediately felt clouds of darkness beginning to form over my morning.
5. Foolishly, I flipped back to Mike and Lady Bird in the Morning because I love Bob Knight and wanted to hear his purportedly fascinating comments about the Plaxico Burress situation. Before discussing Knight, they briefly touched on C.C. Sabathia signing with the New York Yankees, and played one of their stupid parody songs from last year about C.C. Sabathia being a “hired gun” for the Brewers.
6. And what about Knight’s comment? It was something to the effect of, “I don’t understand why an athlete would need to carry a gun, unless he’s out hunting pheasants.” WOW! STOP THE PRESSES! What brilliance! What insight! Bob Knight is only the one millionth old white guy over the past two weeks to say something similar. But that part about the pheasants — wow! He really broke new ground there. I understand the whole situation better now. (This is not meant as knock on Coach Knight, but on Mike Greenberg, for being a shlong and over-promoting Knight’s comments.)
7. I then briefly searched around in my car for a gun to shoot myself for listening to Mike and Lady Bird, and for believing Lady Bird’s teaser. When their conversation then turned to Hannah Montana, I strongly lamented the absence of a gun in my car and considered just driving off the road. I decided to switch back to The Ticket instead.
8. Norm Hitzges and whoever else was on with him this morning were talking about Tony Romo and whether his “gunslinger” mentality was helping or hurting the Cowboys.

My point in giving you this rambling diary of my morning drive is to illustrate how much guns and gun-related or gun-inspired topics and euphemisms are permeating sports news these days. The only thing that Mike and Lady Bird said that had any relevance whatsoever is that Roger Goodell has to be frustrated that with such a great NFL season happening on the field, so much of the discussion is themed around Plaxico Burress and issues relating to guns.

With this in mind, I decided to do some investigative (fake) journalism this morning and reach out to important figures in the sports world and get their thoughts on the gun issue. After drowning in gun-speak this morning on the radio, what I “discovered” was hardly surprising (or true):

The first person I contacted was Denver Broncos quarterback Jay Cutler, who loves him some him, and is rumored to have proposed marriage to his right arm recently. When I asked him about Jeremy Green’s estimation that 75% of NFL players carry guns, Cutler replied, “I have no idea, but I know I carry one. It’s a combination of a rifle and a shotgun. I call it: ‘my arm.’ And in most states you can’t even get a license to carry one so powerful. I usually bring it out on Sundays and it’s definitely more powerful than any of the guns anyone else in the NFL now or in the past has ever carried.”

I next spoke with Vishante Schiancoe of the Minnesota Vikings, who made some pretty interesting headlines this past weekend. Shiancoe says that he carries a gun, and that he doesn’t mind people seeing it. In fact, he’s so unabashed and proud of its size that he says he’d willingly flash it on live TV. “Why not?” said Shiancoe. “It ‘aint like I’m carrying around a Derringer.”

In related news, plenty of famous sports personalities do, in fact, carry concealed Derringers in their pants on a daily basis: Jay Marrioti, for example. Others, like Alex Rodriguez and Tony Romo, typically carry their shriveled Derringers during the playoffs or in other key games for “protection,” but seem to suffer adverse effects that hurt their teams.

Bob McKillop, head basketball coach at Davidson, says he has carried a gun into every basketball game his team has played the past two-plus seasons. It’s a Stephencurry .30, and while it only has range up to about 35 feet, it is deadly accurate. In fact, McKillop’s Stephencurry .30 can fire off rounds of 44 in a single 40-minute span before needing to be reloaded.

Another prominent sports personality, Chicago White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen, also carries a gun with him everywhere he goes and typically shoots from the hip when using it, which can often get him into trouble. Case in point, his recent comments at MLB’s Winter Meetings in regards to the White Sox and Dodgers opening up a shared Spring Training Facility in Glendale, AZ. Guillen is quoted as saying:

“One thing is we will not be on a bus for 3 hours a day. It will be an honor to be in the same facility with Joe Torre. The only bad thing will be having my wife there every weekend.”

I followed up with Ozzie to get some clarification as to what he meant about it being a bad thing that his wife would be there, and Ozzie promptly pulled the trigger straight from his hip again and told me to “shut the f*$k up and go root for the Cubs.” When I explained that I was a die hard White Sox fan and hated both the Cubs and Jay Mariotti, he apologized and then laughed after making disparaging remarks about Jay Mariotti’s “tiny Derringer.”

So as you can see, guns are everywhere in sports — not just in the NFL. From “hired guns” to “gunslingers”, to phrases like “shooting a basketball” and “shotgun formation”, to athletes shooting their own legs, guns are as widely and varyingly intertwined into the lexicon of sports as a word like “balls” or the constant war metaphors that are always used by athletes, coaches, and announcers.

When viewed that way, I guess I shouldn’t be so disappointed or surprised at what I heard on the radio this morning. Joey Porter may be to blame for bringing guns back to the forefront of the sports news cycle and discussion today, but they are always there in the not-too-distant background in some form or another. The big problem is that unlike my fabricated attempts at irony and humor in this post, or the “innocent” gun-related euphemisms in sports talk that we simply take for granted and that have seemingly been around forever, guns are coming up in sports conversations more and more for real.

Players like Sean Taylor are being brutally murdered and athletes are feeling an increasing necessity to take the extra measure of protecting themselves with firearms. But ask the New York Giants if guns have positively or negatively impacted their franchise? Ask the Indiana Pacers the same thing. For a topic that has had such a seamless assimilation into the figurative world of sports talk and description, it has had a decidedly more invasive and negative impact on the actual players, teams, and games that create the need for such description.

What is troubling is that, if the recent Plaxico Burress and Marvin Harrison examples are any indication, it seems like the problem of athletes and guns will continue to get worse before it gets better. Unfortunately, that may mean many additional mornings like this one where innocent gun metaphors mix with the serious stories of athletes and guns in an overwhelming amalgamation of gun-dominated sports talk.

Most sports fans can handle the metaphors, and have for years. But if the trend of guns infiltrating sports in real and specific ways continues, I wonder how long will it be before sports fans say enough is enough. Or do we simply live in a culture of violent entertainment in which gun metaphors are more a manifestation of our willing acceptance than an example of our oblivious perpetuation? Based on the instinct I displayed in taking the initiative to write this post and exploit the current the Plaxico/gun issue by starting it off with humor and irony, it appears that, at least for me, the former is closer to the truth.

And now as I end this post, certainly wondering how it veered into the serious after starting out much more lighthearted, I can’t decide how I feel about that — the fact that I could be so flippant about an issue that, in reality, is pretty damn serious. We have always talked about guns figuratively in relation to sports, in innocently descriptive ways. Now guns are actually a topic that we talk about specifically in sports stories more and more, and with a decidedly negative connotation.

What I don’t know is whether it’s really worth worrying about. At the end of the day, I’m just a blogger trying to make sense of it all and find an angle to entertain my readers.

• But am I really just one more vehicle of sports talk, no matter how small or insignificant, driving the real-life transition from guns-as-metaphor to guns-as-reality in the sports world?
• Are the two topics mutually exclusive?
• Or am I searching for angle that just is not there?

I have no answers to those questions, or even an idea if there really are answers. I just figured I’d rifle them out in bullets in my ultimate quest as a blogger to shoot you straight about my immediate sports opinions.

Chad Johnson, Brandon Marshall, and Chris Henry, to name a few, have all been lightning rods for controversy this season for various locker room and off-field misdeeds.

But none of the afore mentioned wide receivers’ problems compare to those faced by two of the most prolific receivers of this decade: Plaxico Burress and Marvin Harrison.

By now, everyone knows about Plaxico Burress and his unfortunate shooting incident. The quick Cliff’s Notes version if you need a refresher:

Yesterday, Burress turned himself in to authorities after shooting himself in the leg while illegally carrying a loaded handgun. Two teammates (Antonio Pierce and Ahmad Bradshaw) were with him and allegedly helped Plaxico make it to a hospital, where a worker has been suspended for no reporting the gunshot wound. Today, the New York Giants announced that Plaxico Burress was being placed on the non-football injury list and would not be a part of the team for the remainder of the season.

There is more to the story than that, but you probably know it all already. (And if not, hop over to ProFootballTalk.com to learn all the details.)

The Giants decision to suspend Burress does not seem unreasonable at all to me. Plaxico was already suspended once this year for insubordination, and seems to become more of a headache with each passing year and with each contract extension he signs. This latest incident is just another in a long litany of incidents in which Plaxico’s conduct off the field has overshadowed his prodigious production on it.

What really hurt Plaxico Burress in this case is that the Giants have proven that they can overcome the loss of Tiki Barber…and Michael Strahan…and Osi Umenyiora…and Jeremy Shockey…and now Plaxico Burress. They have built a great team concept and probably did not even have to think twice about giving Plaxico the Keyshawn treatment and just telling him to go away.

But what I can’t stop wondering, and what I haven’t seen covered anywhere else, is why the Plaxico Burress story is such a huge deal while the Marvin Harrison shooting investigation in Philadelphia is barely a blip on the radar screen anymore.

I posted about the Marvin Harrison shooting investigation back in October, right after word came out that Marvin would be facing a civil trial for his alleged involvement in a shooting that took place in his hometown of Philadelphia. Criminal charges were never filed against Harrison, although the case was still considered “an open investigation” by the Assistant District Attorney as of October 8th. The Philly.com article linked in the last sentence is the most recent article I can find online about the Marvin Harrison shooting. The victim Dwight Dixon, who is also the plaintiff in the civil suit, was apparently scheduled to appear in court on November 17th to answer charges that he filed an erroneous police report. I could not find any word on what happened with with respect to that hearing, or if it even occurred. (If there have been any recent developments in this case, please post links in the comments. Google certainly was not bringing any up, and I haven’t heard anything about this case since October.)

Basically, there was a big hubbub early in 2008 when the story first broke on Harrison, and it gained traction again in October with word of the civil suit, but now all is quiet; and Marvin Harrison continues to suit up for the Indianapolis Colts. Luckily for Harrison, he only seems to cause trouble when he is back home in Philly. The shooting investigation story was a shock because everyone assumed Harrison was a great guy just because he is quiet and reserved. His disposition, it seems, and history of not causing locker room trouble, gives the Colts no reason to suspend him without proof or a conviction in the shooting case.

Is that right? Perhaps. A very good argument could be made that the Giants will in fact be better off without Plaxico and the circus of distractions that has followed him this season. The Colts have no such trouble with Harrison — only the problems of his declining skills contributing to their offense becoming something far less potent than the well-oiled machined we have become accustomed to. (When you can’t score a touchdown against the Browns, you have problems.)

But while we are busy throwing stones at Plaxico Burress for being an idiot, a scofflaw, and a miscreant for his decision to illegally carry a loaded handgun, let’s take a moment to remember that the accusations against Marvin Harrison are actually far more severe.

Plaxico Burress illegally possessed a loaded handgun, and shot himself in the leg. Certainly, he put others at risk by carrying the gun an allowing it to go off; but in reality, no physical harm was done to anyone else because of his misdeed.

In the Harrison case, these are facts alleged in the civil suit filed by Dwight Dixon (as reported by Philly.com):

* A shooting took place on April 29th after a fist fight broke out between Marvin Harrison and Dwight Dixon at a North Philadelphia auto repair shop owned by Harrison.

* Harrison and Dixon squabbled for two weeks before the shooting after they exchanged words in Playmakers, a bar on 28th Street near Cambridge that Harrison owns.

* Ballistics tests proved shell casings found at the shooting scene had been fired from Harrison’s gun, a Belgian-made FN5.7, law-enforcement sources said.

* Detectives found the firearm in Harrison’s garage on Thompson Street.

* Witnesses and Dixon separately identified Harrison as the shooter, the sources said.

The two biggest differences between the Harrison and Burress situations are, of course:

1. The act allegedly carried out by Harrison injured another person, not himself, as in the Burress case.
2. Harrison was never formally charged criminally. To date, as far as I know, he has only been charged in the civil suit by Dixon.

With the information available online, I find it very hard to believe that Marvin Harrison was not the one who pulled the trigger. At a minimum, someone else pulled the trigger on a gun owned (legally, I am assuming) by Harrison and injured another party. I remind you again that while illegally carrying a handgun is an egregious offense and should be punished, no one else was hurt because of Plaxico Burress. Burress has seriously hurt himself, and his team — but has caused no physical injury to another party. Marvin Harrison has not, ostensibly, hurt his team — but he was either explicitly or implicitly involved in injuring another person, and committing or being party to an act that could have potentially killed that person.

I’m not saying the Colts should suspend Marvin Harrison. I believe in the tenet of American jurisprudence that you are innocent until proven guilty. But as Mike Florio over at ProFootballTalk likes to say, that only works in the courtroom. In the court of public opinion, the assumption is that reasonable inferences and judgments will be made from available facts. Without more evidence to the contrary, it is quite hard for me to argue Harrison’s case. Marvin Harrison is not a locker room distraction, nor has been charged criminally, so the Colts have not punished him in any way.

The worst part of this whole case for Plaxico Burress is that the trouble he faces with the law is, at the end of the day, probably not going to be the most costly misdeed he committed. If Plaxico Burress had been a model teammate and was someone who had the support of his coach and his teammates, there is no way he would have been placed on the non-injury football list and banished from the Giants. It had become pretty apparent that the Giants were fed up with Plaxico, and the shooting incident gave them an easy excuse to just make him go away.

So as the story of Plaxico Burress continues to evolve, and bloggers and talk radio hosts across the country admonish him for breaking the law and being a bad citizen, remember: there is a wide receiver in Indianapolis who may have actually done something far worse; something that actually caused physical harm to someone other than himself.

Marvin Harrison is still playing, while Plaxico Burress is not; and it has far more to do with their conduct in the locker room than any significant difference in the degree of trouble they have gotten themselves into outside of it.

The lesson for all you aspiring, troublemaking wide receivers? Stay quiet and don’t cause waves in the locker room. Ignore this advice, and you will be jettisoned in your most dire hour of need. Pay heed to this advice, and you can pretty much get away with (attempted) murder. Just ask Plaxico Burress and Marvin Harrison.

Well, in the sports world, it’s usually used as just a figurative expression to express dismay at a person or team who is making self-defeating mistake after mistake. It’s not usually used literally.

Until now.

New York Giants wide receiver Plaxico Burress has accidentally shot himself in the leg, according to Jay Glazer of Fox Sports. Here is an excerpt from the Glazer story:

The New York Giants wide receiver accidentally shot himself in the leg on Friday night, FOXSports.com has learned, not long after being ruled out of Sunday’s game against the Redskins with a hamstring injury

He spent the night in the hospital and the injuries are not believed to be life-threatening. The team is still trying to gather further information on the incident.

Needless to say, Plaxico Burress will miss this weekend’s game against the Washington Redskins. As stated by Glazer, Burress was already expected to miss the game so hopefully you made the proper adjustments to your fantasy football rosters.

My first inclination is to wonder why in the hell Plaxico Burress was walking around with a loaded gun. I have never understood the multitude of stories revolving around athletes, and football players in particular, getting in trouble with guns.

A post written last week about the beating of Donald Driver’s father by our very own Mark Laughlin made me rethink that a bit.

As a relatively spoiled kid who grew up in the suburbs of the Midwest and never once felt anything even resembling legitimate fear for my life or being, I have no frame of reference through which I can sympathize with someone who feels like they need to carry a gun. Mark’s article, as well as the ESPN stories he links to, is a real eye-opener regarding the reality that guys like Plaxico Burress live in — or at least think that they live in.

After college, I taught at an alternative school in Miami for about a half a year. That was another eye opener. These were all kids that were 16 years old or younger, and yet had been kicked out school for repeated offenses of grand theft auto, cocaine possession and use, and who repeatedly talked about guns and violence. Logically, I expected it going in — but it was still a shock once I got there.

What I learned is that a kid who grows up in a “normal” neighborhood in Bloomington, Indiana and a kid who grows up in Liberty City have drastically different views of reality and of what is “normal.”

I guess my point is that while Plaxico Burress has quite a checkered past, and can be judged harshly for a lot of his past words and actions, perhaps we should try to empathize in this case before casting negative aspersions on Burress for carrying a gun. I know the demographics of the people who read Midwest Sports Fans, and my general guess is that very few of you feel the need to carry a gun. I think we all wish that guys like Plaxico Burress did not feel the need to do so themselves, but I also can’t step into his shoes to know what it is like to feel like a target when you step out of your house — or in the tragic case of Sean Taylor, when you are in your house.

So no jokes and no disparaging comments from me on this one. Hopefully Plaxico Burress gets well soon, and hopefully there will come a day when athletes and celebrities like Plaxico Burress no longer feel the need to walk around with loaded guns.

Controversy in the Desert

The Cardinals have some incredible talent in the desert. Kurt Warner prayed that his team wouldn’t suck after he got Anquan Boldin rocked by the Jets and his prayers were answered by Steve Breaston. Breaston proved to fill the spot well and has averaged 98 YPG since week 4. Everyone saw his value hitting the floor, though, when Anquan Boldin bounced back. It didn’t. This week against the Panthers he had 91 yards and made it clear that he was still considered a key part of the offense. Not to mention, sticky contract negotiations with Boldin have Steve Breaston in the front office looking to ink a deal with the Cards.

Even with Anquan Boldin back, look for his value to even out slightly, and Steve Breaston’s to stay consistent. Remember the Cardinals throw the ball 60% of the time and Breaston is a primary kick returner, too. (Even with that, Tim Hightower has been the touchdown hawk for the Cards, so don’t count on blowup numbers for Breaston.)

There are some other key dudes back from injury that will change value around the league:

Brandon Stokely looks set to take the field in Denver after a concussion and has been seen as “the best slot receiver in the game” according to teammates. Trouble is with the return of Tony Scheffler and Eddie Royal as well, Stokely won’t get the lovely looks you want. He should be solid coming off the bye week, though, and look for Cutler to light it up against the Dolphins after an embarrassing loss to the Pats. (Jay Cutler has a huge ego…shhh, don’t tell him I told you, even though he wants you to know.)

Brandon Lloyd hit the practice field this week for the Bears. After a knee injury in the Philly game, Kyle Orton lost his most talented prospect. With Orton on the rise, the Bears coming off the bye and looking at Detroit at home, anyone on the Bears might be a good pickup. Keep your eye on his status though; if the knee goes south he will likely wait another week, then Rasheid Davis is probably your best bet in Chicago.

Joey Galloway, back in the Bay. This is great news for a Bucs’ team that has yet to establish an offensive identity. Galloway has not made much noise yet, because he is still splitting time with Antonio Bryant and even Ike Hillard. Joey Galloway is a beast though and has wheels, when his timing returns with Garcia he will find big gains for a Bucs’ team that really can’t run the ball consistently.

Sidney Rice looks like he will be back and healthy for the Vikings this week after struggling to get to 100% with a knee injury. He is the number two wide receiver in Minnesota and will be in the game this week against Houston.

Blow ups in Week 8

If someone in your league hasn’t found Donnie Avery, yet. Get him. I think that goes without saying. The Rams, it turns out, know how to play football and Donnie Avery is a beast.

Ted Ginn Jr. might be more likely to still be floating around in some leagues. The Ohio State alum proved that Chad Pennington has a target on the rise in Miami. He’s still a risk for a big start but will certainly start to show up more, so get him while you can.

Finally, David Garrard might have a target. Reggie Williams might be the go-to in Jacksonville after starting the season with an injury. Plus, Matt Jones can’t stay off the white horse and is looking at a suspension and looking skinnier, I might add.

Be wary of your “studs”

T.O. is losing value with every snap Brad Johnson takes and every move Jerry Jones makes. It’s like a bad Sting ballad. His fantasy stud status is real questionable with this team struggling like it has. Don’t be afraid to sit him if you have a viable option to back him up. On the road in New York won’t be a trip the boys want to remember on Monday morning.

Plaxico Burress is a virus, a virus that Tom Coughlin hates and Eli Manning can avoid. The Giants want to keep this guy as distant from the core of their team as possible and with other receiving options for Eli – Steve Smith, Domenik Hixon, Kevin Boss and even Derrick Ward – he can find someone else open to do the job who likes playing there. Plaxico Burress had 3 catches for 15 yards last week against the Steelers, and while he gets looks in the red zone, the Giants are good enough to stay away from him if they need to.

Questions? Thoughts? Leave them in the comment thread below and let’s discuss.

(For additional Fantasy Football Week 9 information, also check out the Week 9 Fire and Ice Fantasy Football Forum and the Week 9 Fantasy Football Sleeper Focus.)

To opt-in for email updates regarding Fantasy Football content, or general updates from Midwest Sports Fans, please use the form below. Your updates will begin immediately:

(This was post originally published before last week’s game.  Currently, as of 10/29, Plaxico Burress is on schedule to start against the Dallas Cowboys this weekend.  For fantasy analysis, check out Kaner’s Week 9 Fantasy Football Wide Receiver Advice post.)

Jay Glazer has reported on the Fox NFL Pregame Show that New York Giants WR Plaxico Burress will not start today when the Giants take on the Pittsburgh Steelers. Plaxico Burress reportedly missed several days of for his neck injury this week and the team appears poised to suspend Burress again if he “has another blowup.” He is still eligible to play in the Steelers game, as he apparently will not be deactivited; but if the Giants play well without him, Burress will not be inserted into the game.

In other injury news in the Giants-Steelers game, Steelers RB Willie Parker will be deactivated and not able to play.

This is obviously one of the games of the day in the NFL, as both teams enter play at 5-1 and leaders of their respective divisions. The game is in Pittsburgh, and will be televised on FOX this afternoon, beginning at 4:15. It is hard to pick against the Steelers at home in this one, but that is exactly what my pick is. The New York Giants have shown an uncanny ability in recent years to rise up and play well when they are having locker room distractions. Clearly, the Plaxico Burress mess from this week (he was also fined by the NFL for his actions in last week’s game, which included a verbal spat with coach Tom Coughlin) has been a major distraction.

However, even with one of their best players on the sidelines, I look for the Giants to come through with a hard-fought victory. The Pittsburgh Steelers have had a hard time protecting Ben Roethlisberger this year, and Big Ben is without one of his favorite targets in Santonio Holmes, who was suspended earlier this week for being caught with pot in his car. Additionally, the continued absence of Willie Parker obviously does not help the Steelers’ run game.

Look for a solid outing from Giants QB Eli Manning, in which he focuses on protecting the ball and moving the chains methodically, as well as ball-control effort from the three headed running back monster of Brandon Jacobs-Derrick Ward-Ahmad Bradshaw. The Steelers will have their hands full with Justin Tuck and the Giants’ front 7 and I think that Giants will be able to pull this one out by protecting a slim lead in the 4th quarter with their power running.

New York Giants 24 | Pittsburgh Steelers 21

[tags]pittsburgh steelers, new york giants, plaxico burress, nfl[/tags]