Top 10 Running Backs

Below is my list of the 10 greatest running backs that have ever played. I based this list off what I've seen, heard and read since watching football over 20 years ago. Feel free to agree or disagree in the comments section.

 

1. BARRY SANDERS

Sanders was the most exciting and dynamic PLAYER of all time, regardless of the position, as well as the most talented running back. The elusive Sanders went to the Pro Bowl in each of his 10 years in the league and led the NFL in rushing on four separate occasions. Sanders rushed for 1,100+ yards every year in the league and averaged an impressive 5.0 yards per carry over his career. He would have broken virtually every major rushing record if he had not retired after just his 10^th season.

 

2. ERIC DICKERSON

The best pure runner the game has ever seen, Dickerson ran for a rookie-record 1,808 yards and 18 touchdowns in 1983 and followed that up in 1984 with 2,105 yards, the most ever in one season. Dickerson's upright running style never really hindered him as he led the league in rushing four times and scored 90 touchdowns over his 11-year career. When Dickerson retired in 1993, he was the second leading rusher in NFL history behind Walter Payton.

 

3. JIM BROWN

One of the most feared players of all time, Brown led the league in rushing in eight different seasons, an NFL record, with an uncanny blend of power and speed. Brown never missed a game in his nine-year career and scored 126 touchdowns in only 118 games. A four-time league MVP, Brown was one of the best athletes of his generation, starring in football, basketball and lacrosse at Syracuse University.  

 

4. EMMITT SMITH

Despite being the league's all-time leading rusher, Smith has often received less credit than he deserves. Smith did play behind great offensive lines and on Super Bowl winning teams, but his achievements cannot be ignored. Smith scored 164 rushing touchdowns in his 15-year career, 41 more than the next closest player. He went over 1,000 yards rushing in 11 straight seasons, an NFL record, and even ran for 937 yards and nine touchdowns with Arizona in his 15^th and final year in the league.  

 

5. WALTER PAYTON

"Sweetness" was one of the most durable and productive runners in the history of pro football. Payton missed one game in his rookie season, but went on to play in 186 consecutive games before retiring in 1987 as the league's all-time leading rusher. Payton ran for at least 100 yards in a game 77 times (second most ever) and held the NFL record for most rushing yards in a game (275) for 23 years until it was broken by Corey Dillon in 2000.

 

6. MARCUS ALLEN

One of the greatest short yardage and goal line runners ever, Allen finished his career with an NFL record 123 rushing touchdowns before eventually being passed by Emmitt Smith for first place on the all-time list. Allen became the first player in the history of the league to go over 10,000 yards rushing and 5,000 yards receiving in a career and won three impressive awards during his 16 years as a pro – Rookie-of-the-Year, League MVP and Super Bowl MVP. Allen's stats would have been dramatically better if not for personal differences with Raiders' owner Al Davis, who ordered coaches to bench Allen for several of his prime seasons.

 

7. MARSHALL FAULK

Possibly the greatest all-around running back the league has ever known, Faulk finished his 12-year career with 136 combined touchdowns and over 19,000 yards from scrimmage. Faulk became just the second player ever to have over 1,000 yards rushing and receiving during the same season in 1999 and scored 26 total touchdowns, a league record at the time, in 2000. The versatile Faulk caught 767 passes in his career, the second most all time among running backs, and owns the record for the most yards from scrimmage in one season (2,429).     

 

8. EARL CAMPBELL

"The Tyler Rose" had perhaps the best combination of power and speed of anyone in the history of pro football. Campbell scored 55 touchdowns and averaged 1,614 yards over his first four seasons, including an astounding 1,934 yards in 1980. Campbell ran for over 200 yards in a game four times in 1980, an NFL record that still stands today. The bruising Campbell was so physical early in his career that his body somewhat broke down towards the end of it. Despite the severe pounding and abuse, Campbell missed just six games in his eight-year career and finished with 9,407 rushing yards and 74 touchdowns.

 

9. LADAINIAN TOMLINSON

When it's all said and done, Tomlinson might go down as the most prolific running back of all time. Tomlinson scored an NFL record 31 touchdowns, including 28 on the ground, in 2006 and has two of the top six greatest seasons ever in terms of yards from scrimmage. One of Tomlinson's most amazing records was set between 2004 and 2005 when he scored at least one touchdown in 18 straight games, shattering the previous record of 13 held by John Riggins and George Rogers. Tomlinson has scored 121 rushing/receiving touchdowns and has already gone over 10,000 yards rushing in not even seven full seasons.   

 

10. O.J. SIMPSON

Known more for his off-the-field behavior, "The Juice" was the most dominant running back of the 1970's. In a five-year span, Simpson averaged 1,540 rushing yards per season and scored 54 touchdowns. Simpson's best season came in 1973 when he averaged six yards per carry and rushed for 2,003 yards in just 14 games - the league did not go to a 16-game schedule until 1978. Despite being just 15^th on the all-time rushing list at 11,236 yards, Simpson is considered a legend because of two key factors. Simpson, for no apparent reason, was not used as a full-time starter until his fourth year in the league, minimizing his final numbers. Second, he played only a 14-game schedule for the first nine seasons of his 11-year career, missing an opportunity to play in more games and put up bigger stats.       

Start or Bench?

Green Bay at Dallas

Start: Donald Driver, GB - As good as DAL has been this year, they have only been okay against the pass. They're allowing just under 160 yards per game to WR's, which sandwiches them between NYJ and STL, not exactly juggernauts. They also have allowed 15 TD's through the air - the same as NYJ and STL. While this can be contributed to the fact that teams are throwing far more against DAL because they are trailing most of the time (only 4 teams have allowed more passing attempts.). However, guess who is #2 in attempts this year? You guessed it, Brett Favre. With Jennings likely to attract a lot of attention downfield, look for Driver to see a lot of short to medium range passes thrown his way, similar to last week's 10 catch performance against DET. I'm not expecting another double digit reception day, but 7 for 100 or so is very attainable…
Prediction: 7 catches, 105 yards, 0 TD's.

Bench: Patrick Crayton, DAL – Crayton has been the ultimate hit or miss WR this year; in Weeks 4-5, he had 13 catches, 257 yards, and 3 TD’s. Other than those two games, he has 20 catches, 225 yards, and 2 TD’s. Combine that with the fact that GB has a very strong pass defense, and the fact that Crayton is just coming back from ankle injury makes him an unappealing matchup this week. The only saving grace for Crayton is the possibility that Charles Woodson doesn't play. If he is inactive, Crayton may catch another couple passes, but I still don't expect him to have a big game...
Prediction: 4 catches, 52 yards, 0 TD's.

San Diego at Kansas City

Start: Tony Gonzalez, KC - I still don't trust Brodie Croyle, but I can't dispute the fact that Tony G. has been superb against SD, with an average of 6 catches for 81 yards in his last 5 games, with no less than 5 catches in any game. He had his highest yardage game with Croyle last week, although it was still less than 50 yards. Still, with KC needing a win to salvage their season and facing a SD team that 1-4 on the road, I just have a hunch that he has a decent game in him this week...
Prediction: 5 catches, 77 yards, 0 TD's

Bench: Phillip Rivers, SD - Yeah, Rivers had a surprisingly good game last week against Baltimore. What was surprising to me that this was the third time he has thrown 3 TD's in a game this year. The games following the other two? 211 yards, 0 TD's, 2 INT's, and 197 yards, 0 TD's, 1 INT (against MINN, no less). In his 3 starts against KC, Rivers has averaged 191 yards passing, with 2 TD's and 5 INT's. Given this information, I'd strongly advise you giving him a seat on your bench this week...
Prediction: 199 yards passing, 1 TD, 2 INT's.

Houston at Tennessee

Start: LenDale White, TEN - Everyone seems to be so down on him this week, seeing that he has been mediocre the past two weeks. But I like him to have a good bounce-back game against HOU this week, who are tied for 4th worst in the NFL in YPC allowed. The key is to get him the ball often, as in Weeks 7-9, he averaged 28 carries for 112 yards per game. In Weeks 10-12, he averaged about 10 carries for 30 yards per game. He had a big game against HOU earlier in the year, and another one is on the way...
Prediction: 24 carries, 95 yards, 1 TD.

Bench: Ron Dayne, HOU - As I mentioned in my rankings, TENN has really missed Albert Haynesworth, as their rush defense has looked lost without him, averaging 160 rushing yards per game on average, versus around 70 when he was playing. If he is back this week, the nice stretch of games Dayne has been on will come to an end. Dayne has been a surprise this year, with at least 15 or more carries in 7 games this year, and has averaged almost 100 yards per game in his last 3. If AH does play, he won't get 70 yards rushing...
Prediction: 16 carries, 60 yards, 0 TD's.

Jacksonville at Indianapolis

Start: David Garrard, JAX - Like Dunn, Garrard is making his 2nd appearance in a row in the "Start" column... In his last start against INDY, Garrard was on pace for another nice game, completing 8 of 12 passes before going down with an ankle injury that kept him out of action for 3 weeks. The Colts may be 4th in the league in INT's (16), but considering that Garrard has a whopping zero in 209 attempts, I don't expect to see any this week... His #'s, like usual will be boring, but in a week where many fantasy owners need a win desperately, 12-14 points from Garrard is almost a given....
Prediction: 220 yards passing, 1 TD, 0 INT's, 4 carries, 19 yards rushing.

Bench: Anthony Gonzalez, IND - Gonzalez was probably claimed off of the waiver wire in your league this past week, if not as an FA after the news that Marvin Harrison may be out for the rest of the regular season was brought to light. Jacksonville's pass defense may let up a lot of yards through the air (246.5, 5th worst), but doesn't let up a lot of passing TD's (11, 6th best). I don't think this is going to be a high scoring affair, so unless Gonzalez has a ton of passes thrown his way as he did against ATL last week, I don't see him putting up very good #'s this week...
Prediction: 5 catches, 62 yards, 0 TD's.

Buffalo at Washington

Start: Jason Campbell, WAS - Campbell is nearing every week starter status, with 2 straight 300+ yard games, along with 6 TD's in his past 3 games. Yes, he still makes mistakes (costly ones at that), but the good has far outweighed the bad lately. What's more amazing is that his top WR's are either old (McCardell, Thrash), a bit banged up (Moss), or a perennial underachiever (Randle-El). And this week he gets to face a BUFF team that is 4th worst in passing yards allowed per game, and 5th worst in TD's allowed through the air. Expect Campbell to come out blazing in what should be a one-sided affair...
Prediction: 280 yards passing, 2-3 TD's, 1 INT.

Bench: Lee Evans, BUF - Here are Trent Edwards' numbers for his last 3 starts before getting injured: 176 yards, 0 TD's, 1 INT, 153 yards, 0 TD's, 1 INT, 130 yards, 0 TD, 1 INT. See a pattern here? In Evans' last 3 games, he has a TOTAL of 10 catches, 124 yards, and 0 TD's. Yeah, I don't think you want him anywhere near your starting lineup this week. And with the immortal Fred Jackson likely to get the start at RB, Edwards may struggle to reach 125 yards passing this week...
Prediction: 3 catches, 39 yards, 0 TD's.

Detroit at Minnesota

Start: Sidney Rice, MIN - Rice is a player to keep an eye on next year, a la Santonio Holmes from last year. If MINN can snag McNabb next season, he'll be a very nice sleeper pick. In two of the past 3 games Sidney has had over 60 yards receiving along with 2 TD's, and looks to continue his run against DET, who is 2nd worst (behind MINN) in passing yards allowed per game. With AP back, he should be able to spread the field more, allowing Jackson to throw some long passes Rice's way...
Prediction: 4 catches, 70 yards, 0 TD's.

Bench: Jon Kitna, DET - On the surface, Kitna looks like a no-brainer start; facing the worst pass defense facing a team that has more passing attempts than all but 5 teams this year. However, what you don't know is that Kitna has had his struggles against MINN in recent years; in his last 3 games, he has averaged 255 yards per game, which is okay, but nothing spectacular considering how bad the Vikes have been the past two years. However, the numbers that stick out most is that he has only 3 TD's, along with an ugly 7 INT's, including two 3 INT games. And after picking off Eli 4 times last week, it could be a long game for Kitna, as the Vikes can tie the Lions for 2nd in the NFC North with a win...
Prediction: 265 yards passing, 1 TD, 2 INT's.

Atlanta at St. Louis

Start: Warrick Dunn, ATL - Going into the season, Dunn was the 35th RB taken on average in ESPN drafts this year, and has turned out to be a pleasant surprise this year, much to the chagrin of Jerrious Norwood. In his last 4 games, Dunn has averaged 100 total yards per game, along with 2 of his 3 TD's. This week he gets to face a STL rush defense that has allowed more rushing TD's than every team except OAK & MIA, making this a favorable matchup. If your #2 RB can get close to 100 total yards and a TD, you'll probably be in very good shape to win this week...
Prediction: 17 carries, 70 yards, 3 receptions, 22 yards, 1 TD.

Bench: Drew Bennett, STL - Much to my surprise, Isaac Bruce was not on this week's injury report, despite spraining his hand last week against NO. Bennett is a reach to start with, but considering that he has some hamstring issues, along with the fact that in his two games where Frerotte was QB he had 6 catches for 67 yards combined (with a TD), I would stay far away this week. ATL is actually decent against the pass, ranking 7th this year in yards allowed through the air, making almost impossible to justify starting Bennett in any format this week...
Prediction: 3 catches, 38 yards, 0 TD's.

Seattle at Philadelphia

Start: Matt Hasselbeck, SEA - So far my track record with recommending sure-fire starters has been spotty at best, but Hass has been on a monster roll lately, with 2 TD's in 5 of his last 6 games, as well as 275+ passing yards in 4 of them. And while he has thrown for at least 1 INT in 8 of his last 9 games, Philly's pass defense is pretty ordinary (last in the league in INT's with 6), Although Alexander looks like he'll be back this week, I don't think he'll be getting that many carries, as Hass will be throwing downfield often to Engram and Branch...
Prediction: 270 yards passing, 2 TD's, 0 INT's.

Bench: Reggie Brown/Kevin Curtis, PHI - If McNabb is back at 100% and plays, I'd upgrade Curtis a bit, but going with the assumption that Feeley starts, I think he will not come close to the #'s he put up last week, as Westbrook is going to be a full workload this week, with at least 20 carries. And there's that fact that SEA continues to lead the league in TD passes against, with only 6 allowed all year. To put it in to perspective, the 11-0 Patriots have allowed 15, despite 35 less passes attempted against them. Curtis will have a better game regardless, but I don't like either of these guys this week...
Prediction: No more than 4 catches, 60 yards receiving for each, with 0 TD's.

New York Jets at Miami

Start: Thomas Jones, NYJ
Jones had a rough game against Dallas last week, rushing for just 40 yards on 17 carries, but he is a much better player than that. And keep in mind that Jones still hasn’t scored this season - he is too talented to be held out of the end zone for much longer, even on a suspect team. Look for Jones to be involved heavily against a below average Miami rush defense.
Prediction: 22 carries for 90 yards with 1 TD.

Bench: Marty Booker, MIA
There is a good chance you’re not relying on Booker this season, unless you’re in a deep league, but someone for Miami has to be benched in this column and Booker is that guy. He actually had a nice game in the rain and slop at Pittsburgh on Monday, catching five passes for 54 yards and making the biggest gain of the game (21-yard reception). And Booker is the team’s most experienced receiver and has enjoyed success in the past. However, Booker has scored just one touchdown this year because of shaky quarterback play and the team likes to rely on the run anyway. With a rookie quarterback starting, look for Miami to pound the ball with Jesse Chatman (or Samkon Gado).
Prediction: 4 catches for 50 yards.

San Francisco at Carolina

Start: Trent Dilfer, SF
Frank Gore is the obvious choice here, but we’re gonna go out on a limb. Dilfer looked real sharp in last week’s upset win at Arizona, throwing for 256 yards with a pair of touchdowns and no interceptions. Dilfer spread the ball around and even got Gore involved in the passing game, which is smart because Gore is their best offensive weapon. Carolina has just an average pass defense so the matchup is favorable for Dilfer to post solid numbers.
Prediction: 225 yards and 2 TD’s.

Bench: DeShaun Foster, CAR
Last week Foster had one of the worst games of the season for any running back in the league, losing five yards on nine carries. He actually had a six-yard rush which means his other eight carries went for negative 11 yards. Foster is an average runner and doesn’t score touchdowns so even though the 49ers do not defend the rush very well, don’t expect much.
Prediction: 13 carries for 50 yards.

Cleveland at Arizona

Start: Jamal Lewis, CLE
Lewis surprised me last week, rushing for 134 yards and scoring a touchdown in the team’s win over Houston. Lewis has been productive in three of the last four games and should not have much trouble this week against an average Cardinals’ defense. Expect the Browns to utilize Lewis, who scores on a short touchdown run.
Prediction: 20 carries for 95 yards with 1 TD.

Bench: Edgerrin James, ARI
After a promising start to the season, James has been below average over the last few months. James does not have a run longer than nine yards in the last four games and has not gone over 88 yards rushing since Week 5. James was not used at the goal line last week, Marcel Shipp scored on a one-yard touchdown run, and he does not catch passes anymore so he appears to be on the decline fantasy wise. Cleveland has an awful defense overall, but Kurt Warner and the passing game are Arizona’s strong point.
Prediciton: 16 carries for 65 yards.

Denver at Oakland

Start: Justin Fargas, OAK
Fargas had another big game in Sunday’s win at Kansas City with 139 yards and a touchdown. Fargas has only been shut down once in the four games since being named starter and that was against Minnesota’s great rush defense. Although the Broncos have defended the run better lately, they’re still a suspect unit. Look for Fargas to get the ball early and often and put up good numbers.
Prediction: 110 yards from scrimmage.

Bench: Javon Walker, DEN
Walker (knee) played just eight snaps on Sunday and even though Mike Shanahan said he would receive much more playing time this week, Walker is somewhat unreliable at this point. Don’t get us wrong – Walker is one of the most talented wide receivers in the game and can go nuts at any time, but it’s probably going to take him a week or two to regain his explosiveness. Only play Walker if you have limited options or just want to take a chance for the home run.
Prediction: 4 receptions for 40 yards.

Tampa Bay at New Orleans

Start: Reggie Bush, NO
When healthy, most fantasy owners don’t consider benching Bush on a week-to-week basis. However, Bush is a little dinged up with a shin injury and has not run well over the last three games, concerning some owners. There are some things to like about Bush this week, however. The Buccaneers are much better at defending the pass so there could be some running lanes and the team lightened Bush’s workload last week, keeping him fresh for this key divisional game. Expect better rushing numbers from Bush this week and his usual stats in the passing game.
Prediction: 110 yards from scrimmage with 4-6 receptions.

Bench: Joey Galloway, TB
Galloway struggled last week as Jeff Garcia sat out most of the game with a back injury. Garcia has not practiced this week and is unlikely to play at New Orleans, meaning either Luke McCown or Bruce Gradkowski will start. Look elsewhere for a receiver because McCown and Gradkowski might be the worst pair of backup quarterbacks in the league.
Prediction: 3 catches for 45 yards.

New York Giants at Chicago

Start: Adrian Peterson, CHI
Peterson has been a solid backup for years and now he gets his chance to shine with Cedric Benson’s season-ending ankle injury. Peterson has good size and power and can catch the ball well so at the very least he should be productive in the passing game. Rookie Garrett Wolfe will be in the mix, but Peterson should receive most of the carries and all the goal line work.
Prediction: 85 yards from scrimmage and 1 TD.

Bench: Jeremy Shockey, NYG
Shockey, who has always been a little overrated, has just two truly productive games this season and done nothing lately. Chicago’s defense is not what it used to be, but Eli Manning looks shaky right now. Expect the Giants to focus on their running game with Shockey catching just a couple of passes.
Prediction: 4 catches for 38 yards.

Cincinnati at Pittsburgh

Start: Heath Miller, PIT
Miller was held without a catch last week, but that was mainly due to some of the sloppiest field conditions of all time. Cincinnati has been abused all season by opposing tight ends and Miller is one of the best in the league at his position. Look for Miller to catch a bunch of passes and make at least one big play, either a long gain or touchdown.
Prediction: 5 receptions for 65 yards with a 25+ yard catch or TD.

Bench: Rudi Johnson, CIN
Johnson had one of his best games of the season last week, finishing with 88 yards on 25 carries and scoring a touchdown. This week things will get much tougher for Johnson, however, as the Steelers are second in the league in rush defense and have allowed a league-best two touchdowns on the ground. The Bengals do seem committed to using Johnson so he’ll probably receive a lot of work, but don’t expect great results.
Prediction: 17 carries for 65 yards.

New England at Baltimore

Start: Stephen Gostkowski, NE
It’s too easy to advise starting most of the Patriots offense so we’re going to take a different approach. Gostkowski has yet to attempt more than two field goals in a game this season so the law of averages says he’s going to get three of four chances sooner than later. Call this a somewhat of a hunch, but if you have Gostkowski and another effective kicker and can only start one, go with Gostowski this week.
Prediction: 3 field goals and millions of extra points.

Bench: Willis McGahee, BAL
McGahee has played well this year, but the lack of fire power on the Ravens offense is going to hurt his numbers in the long run. He has been able to score a touchdown in each of the last six games, but he’s been held to 60 yards or less in three of the last four. McGahee was a factor in the passing game earlier in the season, but has been unproductive in that role over the last five games with 11 receptions for only 49 yards. Chances are the Patriots are going to get up early on the Ravens and force them to throw so don’t expect much from McGahee this week, especially considering he hasn’t been catching passes lately.
Prediction: 12 carries for 50 yards, 2 receptions for 10 yards.

What the F*** were you thinking?

(Gusto)What up playa? Getting close to end of the season – so it’s money time. Hopefully we can give some good advice for all the fantasy owners out there.

Anyway, on to your rankings. The biggest problem I have is your ranking of Adrian Peterson at #4. Detroit has a decent run defense and according to Minnesota’s coach, Peterson is going to split carries with Chester Taylor. I love Peterson and think he is a special player, but I can’t see him putting up monster numbers this week.

The other one that stood out was Warrick Dunn at #17. Granted, St. Louis doesn’t have the best run defense in the world, but they have played better as a defensive unit lately. And Jason Snelling was just named the short yardage and goal line back by Bobby Petrino so Dunn won’t get any looks near the goal line. His value, already fading as it does every year as the season goes, just took a major hit.

Before you crucify me for my low rankings of the Denver backs, I’ll address it. I see Shanahan pulling some bull shiznit and playing everyone and then going with the hot hand, which will make it virtually impossible for fantasy players to know who to start.

Alright brotha, I’ve said my peace.

(Greg)Yeah, I may have been a little overzealous in my ranking of AP, but even though they’re talking about bringing him back slowly, I don’t see it happening. They actually have a chance at a playoff spot, and Childress is looking to save his job (potentially), so I think they’re going to do whatever is needed to win this week. Not to mention the fact that as I said in my rankings, DET is allowing over 170 total yards per game to RB’s, so there should be plenty of opportunities for Peterson…

If you took a sneak peek at this week’s Start or Bench column, you would have seen why I like Dunn so much this week; in his last 4 games, he is averaging 100 total yards per game, along with 2 TD’s. STL is 3^rd worst in rushing TD’s allowed this year, so I think he’s in for a big week. Do your homework playa!

Yeah, I was going to take you to task on the DEN situation. You should have just taken the easy way out like myself and ranked them as a 4-headed monster… I like Ryan Grant as well, but 11^th? You do realize that DAL is only allowing about 80 YPG on the ground, with only 5 TD’s allowed all year, right? No way he puts up big #’s again this week…

Moving onto WR’s, I have to ask; you have Lee “I’m screwed because Trent Edwards is my QB” Evans in your top 30, but don’t have Chris Henry, Joe Jurevicius, or Ike Hilliard ranked at all? Henry has a tough matchup vs. PITT, but he owned them last year: 9 catches, 193 yards, and 3 TD’s in two games! And on the flip side, Jurevicius has a fantastic matchup against ARI, and has actually been very consistent lately; in his last 5 games, he has between 4-5 catches in EVERY game. One of these days, he is going to break one – this might be the week… Ike has shown his age the past few weeks, but provided that Garcia plays (a big if, I know), he should rebound a bit. If he doesn’t play, then I completely agree with the non-ranking for him…

You talk about homework, but you fail to mention that Warrick Dunn hasn’t had a play of longer than 9 yards in the last two games (42 touches - 32 carries, 10 receptions). PPR owners got lucky when Dunn had eight receptions in a game two weeks ago, but he’s not a receiving threat anymore. And as I mentioned, Jason Snelling is the new goal-line back so unless Dunn pops a long run, he’s not scoring. I am all set with old running backs on bad teams that don’t get goal line carries.

Yeah, I might have Ryan Grant a little high. However, he catches passes, gets all the goal line carries and is a tough runner. He probably won’t go off, but I can see 100 yards from scrimmage with the strong possibility of scoring.

Lee Evans is in the top 30 cause he is capable of going off at anytime. Might not happen this week, but he is one of the more talented WR in the league.

Joe Jurevicius probably should have been ranked somewhere, but he is the team’s third passing option. He does have a good matchup, however, so he might catch some passes. His upside is limited that is for sure.

Same thing with Chris Henry, he’s the third option on the Bengals. While he’s better than Jurevicius, Pittsburgh’s defense is nasty. Unless Henry scores on some kind of bomb, he won’t be a factor.

Don’t bother with Ike Hilliard this week. Garcia hasn’t been practicing and will NOT play. Luke McCown and Bruce Gradkowski might be the worst pair of backup quaterbacks in the league. Hilliard is done son.

Where is the love for Calvin Johnson? Did you see how many targets he had last week against Green Bay? He is always a threat to score in the red zone because of his massive frame and this week the Lions are playing the Vikings, who normally have trouble defending the pass. I think you’re doing fantasy owners a disservice by not ranking him in the top 25.

Let’s get back to Dunn for a minute – whether he scores or not is a bonus. Your stat alone says it all; he’s had 42 touches the past two weeks (with 56 in the two prior weeks)! I’m completely fine with my #2 RB getting 20-25 touches, especially against a sub-par defense… I will be shocked if Evans has more than 5 fantasy points this week. No way he does anything at all with Edwards at QB… And I wouldn’t say Joe J. has low upside – if the guy catches 4-5 balls a game regardless of opponent, and he’s playing one of the worst defenses in the NFL, I’d say he is probably the best sleeper WR to start this week! And if I remember correctly, although Henry is the “3^rd option”, what did the #’s look like a couple of weeks ago when we were checking scores from our phones during the tailgating festivities in Buffalo (my jacket still smells horrible from that fire, by the way…)? Oh yeah, he had 8 catches for 80+ yards (and a TD), the same as Ocho Cinco and Housh. He also outgained both of them in his first game back, so I would be hesitant to say he is always the 3^rd option… As I said earlier, I agree on Ike completely if Garcia doesn’t play, so no beef there…

I agree on Calvin Johnson – he should probably be moved up a few spots, but one good week does not make him Randy Moss… Before last week’s game, he had 7 consecutive weeks of 3 or less catches and less than 60 yards in EVERY game…. I’d like to see him have a couple of good games before I anoint Megatron the next WR superstar…

I’m done – feel free to take your parting shots sir…

Sorry to the readers out there, but I gotta discuss Warrick Dunn again. Getting touches is great, but not enough for me to rank someone #17 overall on the board for the week. DeShaun Foster gets touches of the ball too and he sucks donkey bizzles. You have to be able to do something with those touches and Dunn hasn’t been. If he goes over 75 yards from scrimmage, I’ll be shocked.

What does 5 fantasy points mean? I assume you are referring to a PPR league? Well I don’t play in one and not everyone in America does either. So please tell me what you mean. Evans won’t get 50 yards? He might not, but he is explosive enough to score on a long touchdown on any given play. Therefore, he’s around #30 for the week.

Jurevicius, despite all his size, is not used prominently in the red zone - that alone gives him limited upside. 4-5 catches is nice in a PPR league, although as stated not everyone plays in those types of leagues, but otherwise I wouldn’t expect much from him. Arizona’s defense is nothing special, but to call them one of the worst in the league is a bit dramatic.

I’d have Henry in my top 40 if the Bengals weren’t playing Pittsburgh. They have the best overall defense in the league in my opinion.

I guess we’ll agree to disagree on Calvin Johnson. He has been inconsistent this year, but he’s a rookie that is emerging.

That is all for me pal. Hope you aren’t still eating turkey from Thanksgiving, although I would if I still had leftovers.

I don’t really have anything to add either, and if I had leftovers, I’d still probably be eating Turkey sandwiches today. I’ll be sure to bring up Mr. Dunn in next week’s column, as you can mark him down for 90+ yards this week… As for the 5 points for Evans, I wasn't referring to a PPR league - I don't expect him to crack 50 yards receiving this week... And finally, for our readers at home, hopefully your bed looks more comfortable than this (Gusto’s “bed” in Buffalo…):

Random Thoughts from Around the NFL

What is up with A.J. Feeley? That dude pretty much sucks against most of the league, but loves torching the Patriots. Feeley passed for 345 yards and three touchdowns on Sunday, nearly leading the Eagles to a monumental upset at New England. His three interceptions were costly, but he made some really nice throws and showed no fear whatsoever. And this is the same guy that tossed the game-winning touchdown in 2004 to lead the hapless Dolphins to an improbable win over Tom Brady and the Patriots.

Call me crazy, but why would you EVER kick to Devin Hester? Denver refused to kick away from Hester on Sunday and he returned a kick and punt for a touchdown, costing the Broncos a much-needed win. Dante Hall was a beast returning kicks/punts in Kansas City for a bunch of years, but Hester makes him look like a joke. And I know purists will probably have my head for saying this, but Hester is a better returner than the legendary Gale Sayers.

Can someone please explain to me why Ladell Betts is not more involved in Washington’s offense? Clinton Portis is a dynamic player, but he is wearing down, especially this season as Joe Gibbs runs him into the ground. Betts looked really quick and fresh on Sunday and should be used more often.

You could make a case for Jeff Garcia being the most valuable player to his team. Garcia went to the bench after injuring his back on the first play of Sunday’s game and coach Jon Gruden was so unhappy with backup Bruce Gradkowski’s play he lobbied for Garcia to go back in during the fourth quarter.

Eli Manning is at it again. He threw four interceptions in Sunday’s loss to Minnesota and three of them were returned for a touchdown. Why does this guy have so much trouble in the second half of the season?

Why does Brian Billick still have a job in Baltimore? His team won the Super Bowl in the 2000-01, but they have been up and down since and their offense has been terrible for years. The irony is that Billick is supposed to be an offensive guru with an eye for quarterback talent, yet he released Derek Anderson a few years ago and traded up to draft Kyle Boller. The Ravens have ranked in the bottom half of the league in points scored in five of the last seven seasons. Their only respectable year came in 2003 when they finished eighth in scoring, but that was mainly due to Jamal Lewis’ 2,000-yard season, not because of the offensive system or quarterback play.

I cannot stand Bill Cowher and most of the old school analysts for the networks. Cowher kept ripping on Chad Johnson last week for celebrating a touchdown with his main point being that the Bengals were a three-win team and Johnson shouldn’t be making a big deal about scoring. So does that mean if Johnson played on a six-win team he could celebrate moderately and on a 10-win team do whatever the hell he wants? These old timers need to loosen up and realize that football is a form of entertainment and people like Chad Johnson, while silly at times with his antics, are fun for the game.

Philip Rivers is a bigger mystery than the pyramids. He looked like an All-Pro last week against Baltimore after playing like crap over the previous three games. I am done trying to figure out that clown.

Is 10,000 yards in the career of a running back a big deal anymore? Warrick Dunn and LaDainian Tomlinson eclipsed that mark last week and while Tomlinson is a Hall of Fame player, Dunn is just a good running back that has happened to play for a long period of time (only one season of 1,200+ yards rushing). In fact, 23 running backs have gone over 10,000 yards in their career, including Fred Taylor a few weeks back. I think 12,000+ yards should be the new barometer as only 12 runners have achieved that feat and of that group only two (Jerome Bettis and Franco Harris) were not truly special players.

Can we have a flex schedule for games on Monday night? Every year we have to suffer through terrible prime-time matchups because the geniuses at the NFL base everything off the previous year’s standings. Things change quick in pro football and just because a team is good one year, doesn’t mean they’ll necessarily be successful the following season.

Start or Bench (GB-DAL)?

As usual, the rest of the games will be posted early Friday afternoon....

Green Bay at Dallas

Start: Donald Driver, GB - As good as DAL has been this year, they have only been okay against the pass. They're allowing just under 160 yards per game to WR's, which sandwiches them between NYJ and STL, not exactly juggernauts. They also have allowed 15 TD's through the air - the same as NYJ and STL. While this can be contributed to the fact that teams are throwing far more against DAL because they are trailing most of the time (only 4 teams have allowed more passing attempts.). However, guess who is #2 in attempts this year? You guessed it, Brett Favre. With Jennings likely to attract a lot of attention downfield, look for Driver to see a lot of short to medium range passes thrown his way, similar to last week's 10 catch performance against DET. I'm not expecting another double digit reception day, but 7 for 100 or so is very attainable…
Prediction: 7 catches, 105 yards, 0 TD's.

Bench: Patrick Crayton, DAL – Crayton has been the ultimate hit or miss WR this year; in Weeks 4-5, he had 13 catches, 257 yards, and 3 TD’s. Other than those two games, he has 20 catches, 225 yards, and 2 TD’s. Combine that with the fact that GB has a very strong pass defense, and the fact that Crayton is just coming back from ankle injury makes him an unappealing matchup this week. The only saving grace for Crayton is the possibility that Charles Woodson doesn't play. If he is inactive, Crayton may catch another couple passes, but I still don't expect him to have a big game...
Prediction: 4 catches, 52 yards, 0 TD's.

Don's Week 13 Rankings

Quarterbacks
1. Tom Brady at BAL
2. Brett Favre at DAL
3. Tony Romo vs GB
4. Derek Anderson at ARI
5. Ben Roethlisberger vs CIN
6. Kurt Warner vs CLE
7. Peyton Manning vs JAC
8. Matt Hasselbeck at PHI
9. Carson Palmer at PIT
10. Drew Brees vs TB
11. Jon Kitna at MIN
12. Matt Schaub at TEN
13. Eli Manning at CHI
14. Jason Campbell vs BUF
15. Marc Bulger vs ATL
16. Jeff Garcia at NO
17. Vince Young vs HOU
18. Jay Cutler at OAK
19. David Garrard at IND
20. Philip Rivers at KC

NOTES: Check the injury status of Marc Bulger (concussion) and Jeff Garcia (back). Both are very iffy to play this week.

Matt Schaub could be a sleeper this week - the Titans have not played well defensively over the last couple of games.

Running Backs
1. Brian Westbrook vs SEA
2. Joseph Addai vs JAC
3. LaDainian Tomlinson at KC
4. Steven Jackson vs ATL
5. Willie Parker vs CIN
6. Frank Gore at CAR
7. Justin Fargas vs DEN
8. Earnest Graham at NO
9. Willis McGahee vs NE
10. Jamal Lewis at ARI
11. Ryan Grant at DAL
12. Edgerrin James vs CLE
13. Clinton Portis vs BUF
14. Marion Barber vs GB
15. LenDale White vs HOU
16. Adrian Peterson vs DET
17. Reggie Bush vs TB
18. Kolby Smith vs SD
19. Maurice Jones-Drew at IND
20. Maurice Morris at PHI
21. Thomas Jones at MIA
22. Kevin Jones vs MIN
23. Adrian Peterson vs NYG
24. Ron Dayne at TEN
25. Laurence Maroney at BAL
26. Fred Taylor at IND
27. Warrick Dunn at STL
28. Chester Taylor vs DET
29. Selvin Young at OAK
30. Jesse Chatman vs NYJ
31. Rudi Johnson at PIT
32. Travis Henry at OAK
33. Reuben Droughns/Derrick Ward at CHI
34. Julius Jones vs GB
35. Kenton Keith vs JAC
36. Fred Jackson at WAS
37. DeShaun Foster vs SF
38. Chris Brown vs HOU
39. Andre Hall at OAK
40. Garrett Wolfe vs NYG

NOTES: Adrian Peterson of the Vikings should return this week from a knee injury. He might not see a lot of carries, however.

Check the injury status of Denver’s running backs. All of them have injuries, but it looks like Travis Henry might return this week.

Brandon Jacobs (hamstring) is not expected to play this week so either Reuben Droughns or Derrick Ward will start.

Fred Jackson could be a sleeper this week as he may start for Buffalo with injuries to Marshawn Lynch (ankle) and Anthony Thomas (calf).

Wide Receivers
1. Randy Moss at BAL
2. Terrell Owens vs GB
3. Braylon Edwards at ARI
4. Larry Fitzgerald vs CLE
5. Reggie Wayne vs JAC
6. Hines Ward vs CIN
7. Greg Jennings at DAL
8. T.J. Houshmandzadeh at PIT
9. Wes Welker at BAL
10. Andre Johnson at TEN
11. Chad Johnson at PIT
12. Marques Colston vs TB
13. Donald Driver at DAL
14. Brandon Marshall at OAK
15. Torry Holt vs ATL
16. Bobby Engram at PHI
17. Anquan Boldin vs CLE
18. Deion Branch at PHI
19. Roy Williams at MIN
20. Joey Galloway at NO
21. Plaxico Burress at CHI
22. Roddy White at STL
23. Bernard Berrian vs NYG
24. Calvin Johnson at MIN
25. Dwayne Bowe vs SD
26. Kevin Curtis vs SEA
27. Jerricho Cotchery at MIA
28. Chris Chambers at KC
29. Lee Evans at WAS
30. Patrick Crayton vs GB
31. Donte Stallworth at BAL
32. Steve Smith vs SF
33. Marvin Harrison vs JAC
34. Derrick Mason vs NE
35. Javon Walker at OAK
36. Reggie Brown vs SEA
37. Justin Gage vs HOU
38. Shaun McDonald at MIN
39. Arnaz Battle at CAR
40. James Jones at DAL

NOTES: Marvin Harrison (knee) should return this week, but we’ve heard that before so keep a close eye on his status.

Javon Walker saw just eight snaps last week but is expected to see a lot more action at Oakland.

Santonio Holmes (ankle) and Laveranues Coles (ankle) are not on the list because they are both going to be game-time decisions and unlikely to play.

Tight Ends
1. Kellen Winslow at ARI
2. Antonio Gates at KC
3. Jason Witten vs GB
4. Dallas Clark vs JAC
5. Jeremy Shockey at CHI
6. Chris Cooley vs BUF
7. Donald Lee at DAL
8. Tony Gonzalez vs SD
9. Tony Scheffler at OAK
10. Owen Daniels at TEN
11. Heath Miller vs CIN
12. Ben Watson at BAL
13. Vernon Davis at CAR
14. L.J. Smith vs SEA
15. Greg Olsen vs NYG
16. Alge Crumpler at STL
17. Marcedes Lewis at IND
18. Leonard Pope vs CLE
19. Desmond Clark vs NYG
20. Chris Baker at MIA

Kickers
1. Nick Folk vs GB
2. Rob Bironas vs HOU
3. Stephen Gostkowski at BAL
4. Phil Dawson at ARI
5. Robbie Gould vs NYG
6. Jeff Wilkins vs ATL
7. Jeff Reed vs CIN
8. Mason Crosby at DAL
9. Josh Brown at PHI
10. Nate Kaeding at KC
11. Adam Vinatieri vs JAC
12. Shayne Graham at PIT
13. Jason Hanson at MIN
14. Neil Rackers vs CLE
15. David Akers vs SEA
16. Ryan Longwell vs DET
17. Jason Elam at OAK
18. Lawrence Tynes at CHI
19. Kris Brown at TEN
20. Matt Stover vs NE

D/ST
1. New England at BAL
2. Indianapolis vs JAC
3. Pittsburgh vs CIN
4. New York Giants at CHI
5. Minnesota vs DET
6. Tampa Bay at NO
7. Seattle at PHI
8. San Diego at KC
9. St. Louis vs ATL
10. Dallas vs GB
11. Chicago vs NYG
12. New Orleans vs TB
13. Green Bay at DAL
14. Kansas City vs SD
15. Tennessee vs HOU
16. San Francisco at CAR
17. New York Jets at MIA
18. Miami vs NYJ
19. Denver at OAK
20. Washington vs BUF

Greg's Week 13 Rankings

QUARTERBACKS
1 Tom Brady NE (at BAL)
2 Brett Favre GB (at DAL)
3 Tony Romo DAL (vs GB)
4 Ben Roethlisberger PIT (vs CIN)
5 Derek Anderson CLE (at ARI)
6 Peyton Manning IND (vs JAC)
7 Carson Palmer CIN (at PIT)
8 Kurt Warner ARI (vs CLE)
9 Matt Hasselbeck SEA (at PHI)
10 Jason Campbell WAS (vs BUF)
11 Drew Brees NO (vs TB)
12 Jeff Garcia TB (at NO)
13 Jon Kitna DET (at MIN)
14 Eli Manning NYG (at CHI)
15 David Garrard JAC (at IND)
16 Jay Cutler DEN (at OAK)
17 Vince Young TEN (vs HOU)
18 Matt Schaub HOU (at TEN)
19 Philip Rivers SD (at KC)
20 Kellen Clemens NYJ (at MIA)

Notes: Count me among the ones that think that Goddell totally dropped the ball with the NFL Network. Yeah, I ponied up the dough to get it, but for those folks that can't afford it, they're really going to miss out in what should be a great game between GB and DAL. Both Romo and Favre are primed for big games... One stat I found interesting was that as bad as CLE has been on covering the pass this year, the longest play they've allowed through the air is 42 yards, which is the lowest in the league. I still think Warner is going to have another monster day, but don't be surprised if Boldin and Fitz don't catch any long bombs... Brees has the misfortune of playing the best defense in terms of fantasy points allowed to QB's this week. He went for 260, 1, & 1 in their first meeting this year, and that seems about right for this game as well... It was interesting to see that TENN & HOU are allowing almost the exact same amounts of fantasy points per game to QB's. If Haynesworth comes back this week, I don't like Schaub. If he doesn't play, he's a great start. Defensive MVP anyone??? Not Ranked Due To Injury Concerns: Mcnabb, Bulger.

RUNNING BACKS
1 Brian Westbrook PHI (vs SEA)
2 LaDainian Tomlinson SD (at KC)
3 Joseph Addai IND (vs JAC)
4 Adrian Peterson MIN (vs DET)
5 Steven Jackson STL (vs ATL)
6 Willie Parker PIT (vs CIN)
7 Clinton Portis WAS (vs BUF)
8 Reggie Bush NO (vs TB)
9 Willis McGahee BAL (vs NE)
10 Denver's Starting RB (at OAK)
11 Frank Gore SF (at CAR)
12 Justin Fargas OAK (vs DEN)
13 Marion Barber DAL (vs GB)
14 Jamal Lewis CLE (at ARI)
15 Edgerrin James ARI (vs CLE)
16 Earnest Graham TB (at NO)
17 Warrick Dunn ATL (at STL)
18 LenDale White TEN (vs HOU)
19 Kevin Jones DET (at MIN)
20 Maurice Jones-Drew JAC (at IND)
21 Thomas Jones NYJ (at MIA)
22 Kolby Smith KC (vs SD)
23 Chester Taylor MIN (vs DET)
24 Ryan Grant GB (at DAL)
25 Ron Dayne HOU (at TEN)
26 Maurice Morris SEA (at PHI)
27 Rudi Johnson CIN (at PIT)
28 Laurence Maroney NE (at BAL)
29 Adrian Peterson CHI (vs NYG)
30 Patrick Cobbs MIA (vs NYJ)
31 DeShaun Foster CAR (vs SF)
32 Fred Taylor JAC (at IND)
33 Anthony Thomas BUF (at WAS) - check injury status
34 Julius Jones DAL (vs GB)
35 Reuben Droughns NYG (at CHI)
36 DeAngelo Williams CAR (vs SF)
37 Kenny Watson CIN (at PIT)
38 Kenton Keith IND (vs JAC)
39 Najeh Davenport PIT (vs CIN)
40 Aaron Stecker NO (vs TB)

Notes: With McNabb likely to be out again this week, look for Westbrook to get plenty of touches against a SEA rush defense that has allowed 12 TD's on the ground this year. Only OAK & MINN have allowed more... Even if AP doesn't get a full workload this week, he should still put up strong #'s in his first game back, facing a DET defense that is allowing close to 170 total yards per game (!) to RB's this year... Thomas Jones has a chance at cracking the 100 yard barrier for the 4th time this year, facing the 0-11 Dolphins, who are allowing just under 150 yards rushing per game, 3rd worst in the NFL... Although Rudi had his best game in weeks, he has an absolutely dreadful matchup, facing a PITT defense that has allowed only 2 rushing TD's all year, along with 19 forced fumbles. Start him if you have to, but don't expect anything close to what he did last week against TENN... If he plays, the A-Train has a tough game against the Skins upcoming. WAS has yet to allow any RB to run for more than 30 yards on one play, along with just under 100 yards allowed per game. They are 4th worst in terms of receptions allowed to RB's, which could help if Edwards makes a lot of dump passes to his RB's... Not Ranked Due To Injury Concerns: Lynch, Jacobs, Ward, Chatman, Henry, Alexander.

WIDE RECEIVERS
1 Randy Moss NE (at BAL)
2 Larry Fitzgerald ARI (vs CLE)
3 Braylon Edwards CLE (at ARI)
4 Andre Johnson HOU (at TEN)
5 Terrell Owens DAL (vs GB)
6 T.J. Houshmandzadeh CIN (at PIT)
7 Reggie Wayne IND (vs JAC)
8 Chad Johnson CIN (at PIT)
9 Wes Welker NE (at BAL)
10 Anquan Boldin ARI (vs CLE)
11 Hines Ward PIT (vs CIN)
12 Greg Jennings GB (at DAL)
13 Marques Colston NO (vs TB)
14 Roy Williams DET (at MIN)
15 Plaxico Burress NYG (at CHI)
16 Joey Galloway TB (at NO)
17 Torry Holt STL (vs ATL)
18 Bobby Engram SEA (at PHI)
19 Brandon Marshall DEN (at OAK)
20 Donald Driver GB (at DAL)
21 Roddy White ATL (at STL)
22 Derrick Mason BAL (vs NE)
23 Dwayne Bowe KC (vs SD)
24 Deion Branch SEA (at PHI)
25 Kevin Curtis PHI (vs SEA)
26 Steve Smith CAR (vs SF)
27 Shaun McDonald DET (at MIN)
28 Chris Henry CIN (at PIT)
29 Joe Jurevicius CLE (at ARI)
30 Ike Hilliard TB (at NO)
31 Bernard Berrian CHI (vs NYG)
32 Jerricho Cotchery NYJ (at MIA)
33 Javon Walker DEN (at OAK)
34 Patrick Crayton DAL (vs GB)
35 Calvin Johnson DET (at MIN)
36 Santana Moss WAS (vs BUF)
37 Sidney Rice MIN (vs DET)
38 Chris Chambers SD (at KC)
39 Kevin Walter HOU (at TEN)
40 Donte' Stallworth NE (at BAL)

Notes: Not many people would have said this before the season started, but ARI-CLE may be one of the most entertaining games to watch all year, as Anderson/Warner may combine for 700 yards passing... Boldin, Fitzgerald, Edwards, and even Jurevicius are all locks for solid games... Welker may not catch 13 passes again this week, but it wouldn't shock me at all to see him go over 100 yards again, as BAL will likely try to mimic PHI's game plan from last week, blitzing Brady as much as possible, thus taking away the long ball... Provided that Garcia starts, look for Galloway to have a monster game, as he has been a monster against NO in recent years. All bets are off if Gradkowski starts though... With THIMD favorite Hackett out again, look for PPR stalwart Bobby Engram to pick up the slack again, along with Deion Branch, facing an average PHI pass defense. I have no idea what the plan is for Javon Walker this week, hence the low ranking. Considering that he is facing a tough OAK pass defense anyways, I'd give him another week before inserting him into your starting lineup again... I almost didn't rank Stallworth this week; for all the press the NE offense is getting this year, here are his #'s for the pas four games: 4 for 44, 2 for 42, 5 for 56, and 4 for 54 (no TD in any game). And for the year, he only has one game with 70+ yards receiving. Needless to say, I highly doubt he'll be back with NE next year, as that option they signed him to was ridiculous to start with... No Ranked Due To Injury Concerns: Harrison, Hackett, Coles, Holmes, Bruce.

TIGHT ENDS
1 Antonio Gates SD (at KC)
2 Jason Witten DAL (vs GB)
3 Kellen Winslow CLE (at ARI)
4 Dallas Clark IND (vs JAC)
5 Tony Gonzalez KC (vs SD)
6 Chris Cooley WAS (vs BUF)
7 Jeremy Shockey NYG (at CHI)
8 Donald Lee GB (at DAL)
9 Heath Miller PIT (vs CIN)
10 Leonard Pope ARI (vs CLE)
11 Benjamin Watson NE (at BAL)
12 Vernon Davis SF (at CAR)
13 Owen Daniels HOU (at TEN)
14 Desmond Clark CHI (vs NYG)
15 Tony Scheffler DEN (at OAK)
16 Zach Miller OAK (vs DEN)
17 Greg Olsen CHI (vs NYG)
18 Eric Johnson NO (vs TB)
19 Bo Scaife TEN (vs HOU)
20 Alex Smith TB (at NO)

Notes: ARI has been tough on TE's all year, although Winslow owners can take solace in the fact that Vernon Davis put up solid #'s against them last week. Besides that fact, this is one of those circumstances where the matchup doesn't matter as much - look for Winslow to have another strong performance... On the other side, Leonard Pope has a fantastic matchup against the Browns, who are dead last in terms of fantasy points allowed to TE's. Because Warner will likely be heaving the ball all over the field, Pope will likely get some looks in the red zone... Dallas Clark has scored TD's in each of his last 2 games against JAX. Look for this trend to continue this week in what should be a very intense matchup... Owen Daniels has performed very well this year, but faces a tough TENN defense that is only allowing 3.6 fantasy points per game against TE's. He'll still be fine to start in PPR leagues, but I would probably bench him in all other leagues... One sleeper to keep an eye on this week is rookie Zach Miller, who faces a DEN defense that is allowing almost 60 yards per game to TE's, 3rd worst behind GB and MINN. With Curry and Porter drawing Bly and Bailey, look for Miller to have a good game... Not Ranked Due To Injury Concerns: Heap.

KICKERS
1 Jeff Reed PIT (vs CIN)
2 Mason Crosby GB (at DAL)
3 Nicholas Folk DAL (vs GB)
4 Jason Hanson DET (at MIN)
5 Rob Bironas TEN (vs HOU)
6 Josh Brown SEA (at PHI)
7 Phil Dawson CLE (at ARI)
8 Shayne Graham CIN (at PIT)
9 Ryan Longwell MIN (vs DET)
10 Stephen Gostkowski NE (at BAL)
11 Robbie Gould CHI (vs NYG)
12 Jason Elam DEN (at OAK)
13 Adam Vinatieri IND (vs JAC)
14 Sebastian Janikowski OAK (vs DEN)
15 Kris Brown HOU (at TEN)
16 Neil Rackers ARI (vs CLE)
17 Jeff Wilkins STL (vs ATL)
18 Lawrence Tynes NYG (at CHI)
19 Nate Kaeding SD (at KC)
20 Matt Stover BAL (vs NE)

DEFENSE/ST
1 Patriots NE (at BAL)
2 Vikings MIN (vs DET)
3 Chargers SD (at KC)
4 Browns CLE (at ARI)
5 Seahawks SEA (at PHI)
6 Bears CHI (vs NYG)
7 Lions DET (at MIN)
8 Steelers PIT (vs CIN)
9 Packers GB (at DAL)
10 Giants NYG (at CHI)
11 Buccaneers TB (at NO)
12 Cowboys DAL (vs GB)
13 Jaguars JAC (at IND)
14 Broncos DEN (at OAK)
15 Colts IND (vs JAC)
16 Cardinals ARI (vs CLE)
17 Bengals CIN (at PIT)
18 Chiefs KC (vs SD)
19 Titans TEN (vs HOU)
20 Rams STL (vs ATL)

Waiver Wire Pickups - Week 13

QUARTERBACKS

Bruce Gradkowski, TB - Not Recommended. Gradkowski played the majority of the game Sunday in a win against WASH, completing 9 out of 19 passes for robust 106 yards and 0 TD's. Even if Garcia is out for the rest of the year, I wouldn't bother with him...

Gus Frerotte, STL - Not Recommended. Nothing more to say here...

Trent Edwards, BUF - Not Recommended. The J.P. Losman era may have officially ended in the blowout loss to JAX on Sunday, as Edwards has been named starting QB for this week's game against WAS. Edwards has thrown 1 TD and 5 INT's on the year, which tells you how much Dick Jauron loves Losman...
David Garrard, JAX- Highly Recommended. I discussed him at length in Friday's Start/Bench column, but if by some chance he is available in your league, snag him, as he is a perfect #2, and in some leagues, a borderline #1... Very consistent, and doesn't turn the ball over, which is more than you can say for many of the QB's regularly ranked ahead of him...
Trent Dilfer, SF - Not Recommended. Dilfer has actually had two decent games in a row, throwing for a total of 487 yards in his last two games. However, the best way to sum it up is the fact that in one game he had 0 TD's, 2 INT's, and 2 TD's, 0 INT's in the other. Unless you're in an ultra-deep league, there's no reason Dilfer should be on anyone's team...

A.J. Feeley, PHI - Not Recommended. Even though Feeley had a good game against the Pats Sunday night, Andy Reid is already on record saying that McNabb will remain the starter once he gets healthy, which may be this week. And if the Eagles another game or two, it wouldn't surprise me to see Kolb get some snaps in the last few games, as he will likely be the starting QB for Philly next year...

RUNNING BACKS

Aaron Stecker, NO - Not Recommended. With Bush dinged up a bit, and the game firmly in hand, Stecker led the Saints in carries Sunday. However, he didn't do much with them, rushing for just 42 yards on 13 carries (3.2 YPC), and a long of 9 yards. Even if Bush is limited again this week, the Saints have a tough matchup against TB, so Stecker wouldn't be expected to do much anyways...

Reuben Droughns, NYG - Not Recommended. Droughns got the start on Sunday with Jacobs and Ward both out with injuries, and although he faced a tough MINN defense, he didn't do much to move up the RB ladder in NY (he saved fantasy owners with the TD). If you take out his one decent game this year (Week 6 vs. ATL), Droughns has 132 yards on 53 carries this year, a pitiful 2.49 YPC. Even if both guys are out again this week, I'd only start Droughns if you absolutely had to...
Kolby Smith, KC - Highly Recommended. Smith has probably been claimed in most leagues already, and unless you have the #1 WW slot this week, he'll be gone before you have a chance to snag him. Huge game for the 1st year RB out of Louisville, although I wouldn't expect him to have another 150 yard game against SD this week. If LJ doesn't come back though, Smith has some great matchups for the fantasy playoffs: DEN, TENN (depending on Haynesworth), and DET...

Andre Hall, DEN - Recommended. A lot of "ifs" here, but if you are in a league in which you have the #1 WW spot and are in must-win mode, I'd actually recommend taking Hall over Smith, provided that he is going to start this week, which is far from a given. DEN has the fortune of playing the same horrendous OAK rush defense that Smith shredded on Sunday. It sounds like Selvin Young may get the start, but if Kolby is gone, it's worth the speculation to pick up Hall at this point if you're still in the hunt...

Adrian Peterson, CHI - Recommended. I dropped the other AP prior to the deadline for moves on Sunday for Andre Hall. I'm not kicking myself yet, but he does look like he'll see more carries the rest of the way. The Bears have some tough matchups upcoming (NYG, @WAS, @MINN), which is why I don't have him as being highly recommended (along with the fact that the QB is still Rex)... He should be owned in all leagues though...

Garrett Wolfe, CHI - Slightly Recommended. If you owned both Benson and Peterson, it makes sense to pick up Wolfe as Peterson's handcuff. If you don't own Peterson, it doesn't make sense to pick up Wolfe. Make sense?

Patrick Cobbs/Ricky Williams, MIA - Not Recommended. After last night's slopfest, you can't really get a gauge of how well either of these guys would play if one of them were handed the starting role with Chatman getting hurt. Since Williams got hurt as well, Cobbs may be the starter, but given how bad the Fins are, he probably won't get enough touches per game to be fantasy relevant...

WIDE RECEIVERS

Anthony Gonzalez, IND - Slightly Recommended. Gonzalez had his best game as a pro in the team’s win at Atlanta on Thanksgiving, hauling in six passes for a career-high 105 yards. The rookie wide receiver had missed the previous two games with a hand injury, but looked quick and explosive on Thursday. Marvin Harrison (knee) is expected back soon, possibly this week, so Gonzalez is only slightly recommended. Gonzalez is someone to keep an eye on down the stretch, though, especially in keeper leagues.

Greg Lewis, PHI - Not Recommended. Lewis caught four passes for a career-high 88 yards and scored a pair of touchdowns in Sunday’s loss at New England. While Lewis had a nice game, there is nothing special about the five-year veteran - he is a fourth receiver at best. All you need to know about Lewis is that he’s played in 69 contests in his career and never had a 100-yard game. Unless Lewis goes on a tear for an extended period of time or you’re in a deep league, stay away from this one-week wonder.

Reche Caldwell, WAS - Not Recommended. Caldwell made his first catch of the season in Sunday’s loss at Tampa Bay, finishing with five receptions for 43 yards. Caldwell signed with Washington in September after the Patriots released him, but he has not seen the field much for the Redskins. With injuries to James Thrash and Antwaan Randle El, Caldwell finally got a chance to contribute on Sunday and had a couple of nice grabs. He is not recommended, however, because he is buried behind other players and is not that talented to begin with.

Ernest Wilford, JAC - Not Recommended. Wilford grabbed five passes for a season-high 60 yards in Sunday’s 36-14 in over Buffalo. Wilford has started 10 of 11 games this season and is a huge target at 6-4, but he still has not scored a touchdown on the year. Wilford is about the same size as his teammate Reggie Williams, but has slightly better hands and is more physical than Williams. However, Williams has somehow managed to score six touchdowns this season and has made a number of big plays despite being slow as molasses. David Garrard is a solid quarterback, but the Jaguars prefer to run the ball and control the clock so other than possibly Dennis Northcutt or Reggie Williams, there is no wide receiver worth owning in Jacksonville.

TIGHT ENDS

Desmond Clark, CHI - Slightly Recommended. Clark had only two receptions in Sunday’s overtime win against Denver, but he totaled 61 yards. His 39-yard catch in the extra period set up the game-deciding field goal by Robbie Gould, completing the come-from-behind victory for Chicago. Meanwhile, rookie sensation Greg Olsen had just one catch for 10 yards and dropped several passes. Clark is still the team’s starter and has a nice rapport with Rex Grossman so Clark has some value even though Olsen is more versatile and explosive. The veteran tight end was probably released in many leagues because of the emergence of Olsen so he could be available and makes a decent pickup, especially if you’re in a pinch or in a deeper league.

FF Upgrades/Downgrades after Week 12

Below is a list of player upgrades/downgrades in fantasy football value following Week 12 of the NFL season (excluding Monday night's MIA-PIT game).

UPGRADES

Running Backs
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Adrian Peterson, CHI – The other Adrian Peterson took over for an injured Cedric Benson (ankle) in the second quarter of Sunday’s win against Denver and finished with 17 carries for 45 yards with a touchdown. Peterson has been a special teams performer for most of his six-year career, but he’s been solid as a backup running back. And Peterson has some positive traits, he has good size (5-10, 210) and power and catch the ball well out of the backfield (five receptions for 41 yards on Sunday). Benson’s injury looks to be serious, he was spotted on the sidelines with crutches, and there are rumors that it’s of a season ending nature. Peterson will shoulder the load on the ground if Benson is out, but rookie Garrett Wolfe will be in the mix as well. Peterson should receive all of the goal line work, however, so he is certainly valuable for the stretch run of the fantasy season.

Jamal Lewis, CLE – Lewis ran for 134 yards on a season-high 29 carries and scored a touchdown in Sunday’s win over Houston. Lewis has been inconsistent this season, but has been productive in three of the last four games so it’s time to upgrade the veteran runner. At this point in his career, Lewis is not the explosive player he used to be. But he plays in a potent offense and keeps the chains moving with his physical running style. As a bonus, the schedule looks favorable for Cleveland from a fantasy perspective with Arizona, the Jets, Buffalo, Cincinnati and San Francisco coming up over the final five games. As the weather gets colder expect Lewis to be heavily involved in the offense and remain effective with weak opponents on the schedule.

Kolby Smith, KC – Smith made his first start of the season on Sunday against Oakland and finished with 31 carries for 150 yards with a pair of touchdowns. The only negative for Smith was that he got stuffed on a key fourth down and one late in the game from deep inside Raiders’ territory. Otherwise, Smith displayed some nice skills, reading blocks and showing a nice burst through holes. The one thing to keep in mind is that Oakland’s rush defense is one of the worst in the league, but Smith’s performance was impressive nonetheless. Larry Johnson’s foot injury appears to be serious, but at the very least Smith looks like a capable backup if Johnson should return.

Wide Receivers
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Larry Fitzgerald, ARI – Fitzgerald had another monster game in Sunday’s overtime loss, catching nine passes for 156 yards and scoring twice. For the season Fitzgerald has 75 catches for 1,060 yards and six touchdowns, but he has been ridiculous over the last three games with 25 receptions for 323 yards and five touchdowns. Arizona has talked about getting Edgerrin James going, but Kurt Warner and the passing game has been the team’s most effective way of moving the ball all season. Anquan Boldin (hip) is not 100 percent, but he’s playing through the injury and actually helping Fitzgerald because opposing defenses have to account for both of them. The Cardinals have a couple of nice fantasy matchups down the stretch so expect Fitzgerald to keep on his torrid pace.

DOWNGRADES

Quarterbacks
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Eli Manning, NYG – Manning’s annual second-half collapse has already begun. Manning was awful in Sunday’s loss to Minnesota, finishing with just one touchdown and four interceptions, three of which were returned for a touchdown. Over the last four games, Manning has three touchdowns against six picks with a completion percentage of 56 percent. It's not all his fault, Manning has been hurt by drops and a couple of the picks he threw on Sunday were fluky, but he is making poor decisions in general. For all the talent Manning has and for whatever reason, he simply does not play well in the second half of the season. Manning threw 24 touchdowns in both 2005 and 2006, but he tossed just 10 scores in the second half of 05’ and only nine in the final eight games of 06’. Manning’s interception rate has increased in the second half of the last two years as well, averaging 1.31 picks per game over the final eight contests as compared to 0.88 interceptions per game over the first half of 2005 and 2006. What does this all mean? If you believe in historical trends, expect Manning to struggle in the final five games of this year.

Running Backs
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LenDale White, TEN – White has not had much success over the last three games, including Sunday’s dismal performance of eight carries for 27 yards. In fairness to White, Tennessee has played poorly as a team in the last three games and has been forced to play from behind, minimizing the running game. And White is not a good receiver so he’s basically useless when the Titans are playing catch up. Furthermore, Chris Brown has returned and been used more often than third-string back Chris Henry was when Brown was out with an ankle injury. The bottom line is that White is a big, slow running back that is not dynamic enough to be a force unless Tennessee starts playing better and controls the clock.

Wide Receivers
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Lee Evans, BUF – We upgraded Evans a few weeks back, but he had another disappointing game in Sunday’s loss at Jacksonville, grabbing only two passes for 19 yards. Evans was actually held without a catch until the final couple of minutes so his stat line is much worse than appears. After exploding for big games against the Jets and Cincinnati in Weeks 8 and 9, Evans has posted just 10 catches for 124 with no touchdowns over the last three weeks. J.P. Losman has started lately and while he has a strong arm, he has not been able to connect with Evans on long pass plays or any kind of pattern for that matter. Evans has faced tough defenses (New England and Jacksonville) over the last two games, but he needs to be downgraded because of his inconsistency. Trent Edwards was just named the starting quarterback for the rest of the season, yet another strike against Evans because Edwards prefers to throw the short stuff and dump passes off to backs and tight ends. The speedy Evans is always capable of going off, but at this point there is no way to tell when or if it will happen.

Tight Ends
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Tony Gonzalez, KC – Gonzalez had just three catches for 48 yards in Sunday’s loss to Oakland and has not been productive since Brodie Croyle took over as the starting quarterback a few games ago. Croyle likes to go down the field to his receivers on the edges while former starter Damon Huard preferred to use Gonzalez in the middle of the field. Gonzalez is not totally useless - we’re talking about a Hall of Fame player and one of the most physically gifted tight ends in the history of the league. But it’s unreasonable to expect 100-yard games like Gonzalez had earlier in the season when Huard was the starting quarterback.

Instant Accountability

Seattle 24, St. Louis 19

Start: D.J. Hackett, SEA – I guess my one supposed "gimme" for this week didn't work out so well, as Hackett seemed to be limited most of the game, then came out with what may be a re-injure of the high ankle sprain that caused him to miss the majority of the season so far. Tough break, as Hackett had been poised to be one of the top WR's heading into the fantasy playoffs...
Prediction: 7 catches, 104 yards, 1 TD.
Actual: 4 catches, 41 yards, 0 TD's.

Bench: Isaac Bruce, STL – Yeah, so if I had known Gus Frerotte was going to throw 32 passes today, I would have predicted at least 60 yards and a TD... I'll give it to the old man - he actually had a good game today, leading the Rams in catches and yards, along with a TD...
Prediction: 4 catches, 46 yards, 0 TD’s.
Actual: 6 catches, 63 yards, 1 TD.

Cincinnati 35, Tennessee 6

Start: Justin Gage, TENN – I can't take this one, seeing that he didn't score, but I will still give myself a small pat on the back for predicting his yards within 1. Young threw for almost 250 yards, but it was an empty 250, with 0 TD's in a blowout loss to CIN...
Prediction: 6 catches, 97 yards, 1 TD.
Actual: 4 catches, 98 yards, 0 TD.

Bench: Kenny Watson/Rudi Johnson, CIN – Wow, I guess the Titans do miss Albert Haynesworth. While Watson returned to his role as backup to Rudi, he did still score a TD, as did Johnson, who carried the ball 25 times for 88 yards in a big miss by yours truly...
Prediction: Less than 90 yards rushing combined, 0 TD’s.
Actual: 105 yards rushing combined, 32 yards receiving, 2 TD's.

Jacksonville 36, Buffalo 14

Start: David Garrard, JAX – Although he didn't throw 2 TD's, he did come within 1 point of my prediction for him, just missing the 300 yard plateau. Another efficient, clean game for Garrard in a convincing win over the Bills...
Prediction: 219 yards passing, 2 TD’s, 0 INT’s.
Actual: 296 yards passing, 1 TD, 0 INT's.

Bench: Anthony Thomas, BUF – The rushing numbers were almost exactly where I thought they'd be, but what was unexpected was the 8 catches, 45 yards, and a TD through the air, solid #'s if you were forced to start him as your #2 this week...
Prediction: 14 carries, 50 yards, 2 catches, 11 yards, 0 TD’s.
Actual: 15 carries, 46 yards, 8 catches, 45 yards, 1 TD.

Oakland 20, Kansas City 17

Start: Justin Fargas, OAK – As I mentioned a little while ago to Gusto, this is the final week that Fargas will be sitting on my bench, as the Artist Formerly Known As Edge will be enjoying the playoff run on the sidelines. Another huge day for Fargas in the upset win over the Chiefs, with over 150 yards from scrimmage and a TD...
Prediction: 19 carries, 74 yards rushing, 3 catches, 22 yards receiving, 0 TD’s.
Actual: 22 carries, 139 yards rushing, 2 catches, 18 yards, 1 TD.

Bench: Tony Gonzalez, KC – Just as I had feared (yes, he's my starting TE), Gonzalez had another crappy game, with just 3 catches and under 50 yards. I thought young QB's leaned on their TE's (especially ones heading to the HOF) as a crutch? So frustrating...
Prediction: 5 catches, 62 yards, 0 TD’s.
Actual: 3 catches, 48 yards, 0 TD's.

Tampa Bay 19, Washington 13

Start: Jeff Garcia, TB – I'm going to take a push on this one, as Garcia was injured on the first play of the game, and although he did come back in the 4th quarter, it was only to hand the ball off, attempting, only 3 more passes....
Prediction: 220 yards passing, 2 TD’s, 0 INT’s.
Actual: 9 yards passing, 0 TD's, 0 INT's.

Bench: Jason Campbell, WAS – Another nice game from Campbell in the yardage department, but the 3 turnovers killed any chances the Skins had of winning. In terms of fantasy though, most owners will take the points...
Prediction: 174 yards passing, 1 TD, 1 INT.
Actual: 301 yards passing, 1 TD, 2 INT's, 1 Fumble Lost.

Greg's Totals (Including Thursday): Starts: 5-2-1, Benches: 3-5-0. Total: 8-7-1

New Orleans 31, Carolina 6

Start: Drew Brees, NO - Brees had a monster day in the thumping of the Panthers, throwing for 2 scores and adding his 5th career rushing TD. The passing yards would have been even higher had the game not gotten out of hand so early in the 2nd half. Colston was the main beneficiary again, just missing out on 100 yards, along with a TD...
Prediction: 275 yards with 2 TD’s.
Actual: 260 yards, 2 TD's, 1 INT, 1 rushing TD.

Bench: DeShaun Foster, CAR - I should almost give Gusto a miss for predicting Foster's totals to be so high! Fantasy owners must have been thrilled with the negative 5 yards rushing he delivered on 9 carries. At least he had 16 receiving yards...
Prediction: 18 carries for 70 yards.
Actual: 9 carries, -5 yards, 2 catches, 16 yards, 0 TD's.

Minnesota 41, New York Giants 17

Start: Eli Manning, NYG - Monster game for Manning, who threw for 273 yards and 4 TD's. Wait, the TD's scored against him on INT's don't count towards his individual stats? My bad... Horrible, horrible game for Eli, who looked like he was trying to make his brother feel better about the stinker he put up against SD a few weeks back...
Prediction: 250 yards and 2-3 TD’s.
Actual: 273 yards, 1 TD, 4 INT's.

Bench: Chester Taylor, MIN - Taylor actually had a pretty solid game fantasy-wise, although his totals looked pretty Cedric Benson-ish with 77 yards rushing on 31 carries. Add in another 12 yards through the air and a TD, and you have yourself a nice fantasy day...
Prediction: 15 carries for 65 yards.
Actual: 31 carries, 77 yards, 2 catches, 12 yards, 1 TD.

Cleveland 27, Houston 17

Start: Matt Schaub, HOU - Gusto was really close on this one, but he gets the miss here for the 2 INT's in the loss against dare I say it, potential playoff team the Cleveland Browns!
Prediction: 250 yards with 2 TD’s.
Actual: 256 yards passing, 2 TD's, 2 INT's.

Bench: Jamal Lewis, CLE - This was the one pick I was surprised with this week, as I had thought Lewis was in for a nice game. I didn't expect almost 150 yards of offense and a TD though. Big game for Lewis in his 2nd 100 yard rushing day on the season...
Prediction: 16 carries for 60 yards.
Actual: 29 carries, 134 yards rushing, 2 catches, 13 yards receiving, 1 TD.

San Francisco 37, Arizona 31

Start: Kurt Warner, ARI - Tough loss for ARI, who were heavily favored in their game against the 49'ers, but Warner took Doc Brown's DeLorean for a ride back to the earlier part of the decade, throwing for almost 500 (!!!) yards and 2 TD's. The 3 turnovers were expected, but again, in terms of fantasy, Warner had one of the best games this year for a QB...
Prediction: 250 yards with 2-3 TD’s and 1 INT.
Actual: 484 yards, 2 TD's, 2 INT's, 1 fumble lost.

Bench: EVERY offensive player on San Francisco - Ambitious prediction by Gusto. Too bad Gore had almost 230 yards on his own, along with 2 scores. I'll leave this one alone...
Prediction: 230 net yards and 13 points scored as a team.
Actual: 374 net yards, 37 points scored.

Chicago 37, Denver 31

Start: Jay Cutler, DEN - Good call here, as Cutler had his first 300 yard passing day since Week 1 against Buffalo. Even more impressive considering that the Broncos had to turn to their #3 RB, Andre Hall, to start the game. Hall responded with a ho-hum 167 total yards and a TD, and will probably be the #1 WW pickup this week (at least in leagues where he is still available)...
Prediction: 225 yards with 2 TD’s.
Actual: 302 yards, 2 TD's, 1 INT.

Bench: Muhsin Muhammad, CHI - The Bears put up 37 points, yet Grossman couldn't crack 200 yards passing (he can thank Mr. Hester for saving him again)... The other AP led the team in catches with 5, and Muhammad could only haul in 2 catches for a minuscule 26 yards in the OT win...
Prediction: 4 receptions for 50 yards.
Actual: 2 catches, 26 yards, 0 TD's.

San Diego 32, Baltimore 14

Start: Matt Stover, BAL - Man, when it rains, it pours... Tough week for Gusto, as he missed his token kicker Start. No FG's, 2 extra points, terrible game all around by Baltimore...
Prediction: 2-3 field goals, including one from around 40 yards.
Actual: 2 extra points, 0 FG's.

Bench: LaDainian Tomlinson, SD - Even though LT ended up with over 120 total yards, I'll give this one to Don as a push just for the fact that not many people would tell you to bench LT and almost be right on the mark. Another game with 0 TD's in what has been a down year for the #1 pick in just about every Fantasy League on the planet in 2007...
Prediction: 90 yards from scrimmage with 0 TD’s.
Actual: 121 yards from scrimmage with 0 TD's.

New England 31, Philadelphia 28

Start: Donte Stallworth, NE - Although Stallworth looked to have a big game against his former team, this was the Wes Welker show, with a career high 13 catches. Jabar Gaffney had a surprising start at TE as well, catching another 6 passes and a TD....
Prediction: 4 catches for 80 yards with 1 TD.
Actual: 4 catches, 54 yards, 0 TD's.

Bench: Kevin Curtis, PHI - Curtis actually had a halfway decent game, but because Gusto was only off by 16 yards, I'll give this one to him. Feeley played over his head in this game, and if not for the 3 INT's, we'd probably be talking about a QB controversy today...
Prediction: 4 catches for 55 yards.
Actual: 4 catches, 71 yards, 0 TD's.

Pittsburgh 3, Miami 0

Start: Willie Parker, PIT - Because of the field conditions for this game, I'm going to give Gusto a push on both Parker and Chatman, as no player made any sort of fantasy impact except for Hines Ward...
Prediction: 105 yards rushing and 1-2 TD’s.
Actual: 24 carries, 81 yards, 1 catch, 8 yards, 0 TD's.

Bench: Jesse Chatman, MIA - See above...
Prediction: 13 carries for 50 yards.
Actual: 11 carries, 17 yards, 1 catch, -4 yards, 0 TD's.

Gusto's Totals: Starts: 3-4-1, Benches: 3-3-2.
Total: 6-7-3