Week 8 Spread Picks

It's going to be a lax preview this week, just some minimal highlights.

Picks versus the spread:

Last Week:

Mayo: 11-1-1
Anderson:5-7-1

Year to Date:

Mayo: 25-15-1
Anderson: 18-22-1

1:00 pm

Denver at Baltimore

Denver has covered every week this year, no reason to stop picking them now.

Mayo: Denver ( +3.5)
Anderson: Denver ( +3.5)

Houston at Buffalo

This week will show everyone how serious the Texans are about making the playoffs. History has a tendency of repeating itself so I'll wager they aren't.

Mayo: Buffalo (+3.5)

Anderson: Houston ( -3.5)

Cleveland at Chicago

Although this isn't college football. I think that Chicago needs to blow out The Cleve, even the mediocre teams are doing that this year.

Mayo: Chicago ( -13.5)

Anderson: Chicago ( -13.5)

Seattle at Dallas

People pull a John Kerry on Dallas every week. One week they're good, next they're brutal. Popular thought for this week is they're great. Seattle, at worst, keeps it close because of that. It's not logical but it's the NFL

Mayo: Seattle (+9.5)
Anderson: Dallas ( -9.5)

St. Louis at Detroit

This is a fantasy friendly game if there ever was one. Two teams with bad defenses and a couple of playmakers on both sides of the ball, points should be scored. There's really no other game on their schedule that sets up as a win for the Rams and they're not 0-16 bad. Rams to cover, maybe win.

Mayo: St. Louis (+4)
Anderson: Detroit ( -4)

San Francisco at Indianapolis

The Colts look unstoppable against everyone. I would take them if the line was -30.

Mayo: Indianapolis ( -12.5)
Anderson: Indianapolis ( -12.5)

Miami at New York Jets

Out of all games this week, I really don't like my pick here. The Jets haven't dropped a season series to the Dolphins since the late 90s, I'll go with the trend.

Mayo:New York (-3)

Anderson: New York (-3)

New York Giants at Philadelphia

The Giants need to win more. They've lost two in a row and it's about that time of year for McNabb to lay an egg in a huge game. Then fans will call for Kolb because McNabb is the worst quarterback they've ever seen. Andy Reid announce he's sticking with McNabb and then he throws 4 touchdowns the nest week and everything is solved and they make the playoffs. This scenario play out every year, if it were a month from now I'd take the Eagles but they certainly not afraid to lose games in October.

Mayo: New York Giants (pick)

Anderson: Philadelphia (pick)

4:00 pm

Oakland at San Diego

The Raiders are simply getting too many points this week. Handicappers gave them far too little last week and it's cause overcompensation this week. Ill say San Diego wins by 15, so I'll take the Silver and Black.

Mayo: Oakland (+16.5)
Anderson: San Diego ( -16.5)

Jacksonville at Tennessee

Come on, The Titans are eventually going to win. The Jags won't be able to stop Vince Young from going suicidal on their collective asses.

Mayo: Tennessee ( -3)

Anderson: Tennessee ( -3)

Carolina at Arizona

If the Jets give me nightmares to pick, this is just one of those bad dreams where when you wake up, you don't fall back into them. The Cards battle with consistency on a weekly basis. This is the kind of game that Arizona historically loses but I have to take them, they've looked great lately. Carolina is pitiful but don't be too shocked by an upset in this one, Arizona is certainly capable of a letdown.

Mayo: Arizona ( -10)

Anderson: Arizona ( -10)

Minnesota at Green Bay

Mayo: Green Bay (-3)

Anderson: Minnesota ( +3)

Favre wins in Minnesota, I'll say he loses at Green Bay. All the Packers have to do is protect Aaron Rogers, not excellently but adequately.

Monday Night

Atlanta at New Orleans

I thin the Saints are good and the Falcons aren't. This is becoming a trendy pick, much like Miami over the Saints last week, but don't put too much stock into that, New Orleans will score any way they want in the Monday Nighter.

Mayo: New Orleans (-10)

Anderson: Atlanta ( +10)

Studs and Duds- week 8

Last Week

Studs

J. Addai: Win: 13 points

J. Stewart: Loss: 4 Points

S. Breaston: Loss: 2 Points

J. Knox: Loss: 4 Points

M. Schaub: Win: 19 Points

S. Ryan: Loss: 0 points

J. Feely: Win: 8 points

Indy D/S- Win: 20 Points

Weekly record: 4-4

Season record: 26-17

Duds

M. Barber III: Win: 4 Points

B. Jacobs: Loss: 14 Points

B. Favre: Win: 9 Points

R.E. Williams: Win: 1 Point

B. Edwards: Win: 1 point

Z. Miller: Win: 1 Point

Weekly record: 5-1

Season record: 30-8

Scoring System:

A win for a QB will be 14+ points

A win for a RB will be 10+ points

A win for a WR will be 7+ points

A win for a TE will be 7+ points

A win for a D/ST will be 8+ points

A win for a K will be 8+ points

Of course it’s the opposite for the duds.

STUDS

Kevin Smith

Positional Rank: 7

Coming off the bye Detroit gets to host the Rams who are now making a run at the Lions’ historic losing street. With Matt Stafford and Calvin Johnson coming off injuries, expect Smith to get his chance to take advantage of the sweet match up. There will plenty of chances to score in this game and Smith should get a minimum of five goalline carries. He’ll be worth the start.

Tim Hightower

Positional Rank: 14

Carolina has a terrible defense and Hightower has four rushing touchdowns on the season, this should be a receipt for a good game. Whenever you play Hightower you must temper your expectations, he doesn’t get the carries to bust out a 30 point game but he should be good for 10-15.

Jay Cutler

Positional Rank: 4

Cutler is coming off a pretty brutal week. Fortunately, the cure for his woes are traveling to Soldier Field when the Browns come to town. Cutler should be able to spread the ball around enough to make a mockery of this defense. Generally anyone playing Cleveland is a stud.

Miles Austin

Positional Rank: 10

“Stone Cold” Miles Austin is on quite the hot streak right now with 16 catches for 421 yards and four scores over his last two games. There’s no reason to bet against him this week either when the Cowboys host Seattle and their defense that has its best players in the triage unit. Romo will be looking Austin’s way all game and that should lead to another huge day.

Torry Holt

Positional Rank: 23

While I’m not a huge fan of Holt going forward, this is an exceptional match up for the grizzled vet. Holt has been more involved in the offense over the last two games and gets the softest secondary he’ll face for the rest of the year. If you have him or need some bye week help, Holt is your man.

Devin Hester

Positional Rank: 9

Hester the Molester felt up the Bengals defense to the tune of 8-101-1 last week and draws a significantly easier assignment this week against the Browns. Hester is the most targeted receiver on the Bears and that should pay dividends in a big way this week. If Hester is usually the odd man out in your receiving corps, get him in there this week.

Greg Olsen

Positional Rank:

Theme of the week: Start your Bears. There will be a smorgasbord of fantasy points to be shared by all Chicago players.

Nate Kaeding

He’s playing against Oakland, who loves to get scored on. Start Kaeding!

Arizona D/ST

Jake Delhomme has been named the starter for this game, which is great news for the Cards defense. The number one ranked defense should force Mr. Turnover to throw all day and that will be a huge boon to the Cards fantasy day.

Detroit D/ST

The Lions? No, I haven’t gone mad but I am simply putting my theory of start whoever is playing the Rams to the test.

DUDS

Pierre Thomas

Positional Rank: 26

Despite the good match up, Thomas will probably just be a spectator to the Drew Brees air show on Monday night. He hasn’t put up a useful stat line in two games now and is ceding carries to Mike Bell. He’s been pushed to the outside and from here on out will be referred to as “Unlucky” Pierre

Knowshon Moreno

Positional Rank: 28

Look for the Broncos to avoid running into the fearsome front of the Ravens and try to expose the problems in their secondary. The only way Moreno racks up the stats this week is through the air but that just doesn’t seem in the cards this week, get him on the bench.

Matt Ryan

Positional Rank: 15

If you haven’t been paying attention, let me update you on this fact: The Saints defense is good. Since the Falcons don’t run the Wildcat I don’t expect them to put up points like Miami did last week. New Orleans has given up a paltry 5 passing touchdowns through six games and that shouldn’t change against an Atlanta team that is still trying to figure out a balance on offense. Now, the last time I pegged Ryan for a bad day he went off at San Fran but there’s no way I’d have Ryan in my line up this week. There’s just far better options available.

Percy Harvin

Positional Rank: 25

After his hot start, The Purse is now becoming a fixture on the dud list. With the emergence of Sidney Rice, Harvin has been relegated to few targets a game, on top of his kick returning duties. Unless he breaks another special teams’ TD, which is entirely possible, don’t count on Harvin.

Kevin Walter

Positional Rank: 40

The Bills are surprisingly dominant against the pass. Ya, those Buffalo Bills. They give up only 190 yards per game through the air and have only allowed one receiver to score a touchdown against them this year. I like Andre 3000, who is going to play, and Owen Daniels to share most of the receiving yards, leaving Walter owners in the dumps.

Hakeem Nicks

Positional Rank: 29

He now has a touchdown catch in four straight games but that comes to an end this week. It really should have come to an end last week but sometimes the ball just bounces your way. The Eagles have a stout secondary and were only really exposed by the Saints, but hey, who isn’t? The Son of Stevie will be shut down in this one.

Jeremy Shockey

Positional Rank: 12

Atlanta struggles mightily against the deep ball so Shockey should remain uninvolved as Brees looks deep for Colston and Henderson all night. Shockey’s entire value is predicated on scoring touchdowns, I don’t see happening against the Falcons.

AL Rookie of the Year

American League

Contenders

Gordon Beckham: Chicago White Sox; 3B

103 games, 378 AB

.270, 14 HR, 63 RBI, 58 R, 7 SB

2008’s 8th overall pick found himself thrust into the spotlight on June 4th when the Sox felt like they needed some production from the hot corner. Enter Gordon Beckham. After some early struggles, Beckham got hot after the All-star break and established himself as the best positional rookie in the AL. On top of the usual peripherals, Beckham showed off his veteran skills with the bat with a seasoned 41 walks to only 65 strikeouts, leaving him with an impressive .347 on base percentage. The combination of his stats and exposure playing in Chicago should have him contending for the award right down to the end.

Rick Porcello: Detroit Tigers; SP

170.2 IP in 31 Starts

14-9, 3.96 era, 89 K, 1.34 WHIP

Of all rookies this year, none had to assume a more prominent role on his team than the 20 year-old Porcello. After making 30 starts in the regular season, he was called upon to pitch the Tigers in the playoffs in a play-in game versus Twins—he delivered. Porcello pitched an excellent 5.1 innings, punching out eight and allowing just one run. The bullpen would eventually blow the lead and the Tigers would lose in extras, don’t talk semantics with me! He pitched wire to wire and that allowed him to win more games than any rookie (14). People may scoff at his 3.96 era but this is the American League, hitters can sock some dingers on the Junior Circuit.

Andrew Bailey: Oakland Athletics; RP

83.1 IP in 68 appearances

6-3, 1.84 era, 91 K, 0.88 WHIP, 26 SV

Can you name Oakland’s lone 2009 All-Star? Well if you’re not perceptive enough to figure out that it’s Andrew Bailey you may want to stop reading, as you are about as sharp as a sponge. A wet one that is, those dry ones can really do some damage. Where did this season come from? Just look at those stats, if he played in New York he would be in the MVP race. The most telling stat is his ridiculous 9.83 K/9, you’re tough to hit when you strikeout more than a person an inning. The Wagner College product took over the closer’s role in May and collected saves in 26 of 29 opportunities. I suppose the plus-side of no one caring what you’re doing really takes the pressure off... that’s Oakland for you. He is the rookie of the year—no question—but will the writers even notice?

Brett Anderson: Oakland Athletics; SP

175.1 IP in 30 Starts

11-11, 4.06 era, 150 K, 1.28 WHIP

Player A: 74.1 IP, 14 starts, 4-7, 5.45 era, 6.3 K/9

Player B: 101 IP, 16 Starts, 7-4, 3.03 era, 8.7 K/9

A rookie is supposed to improve as the season goes along, it’s a part of his development. The Rookie of the Year award does not go to the most improved rookie but that quality shouldn’t be overlooked. Brett Anderson was the Athletics’ main piece in the trade that sent Dan Haren to the Diamondbacks. They put the 21 year old in the rotation from day one and let him figure it out from there. Player A is Anderson from the months of April through June. He wasn’t showing off his command and could get a grasp on the nasty stuff he has. Player B is Anderson from July through September, when he was pretty dominant. The only other pitchers to strikeout more batters an inning than Anderson over the same time were Zack Greinke, Justin Verlander, and Jon Lester; pretty good company. His chances of winning are pretty slim as he isn’t even the best candidate from his own team but that doesn’t mean he should be kept out of the conversation. If the writers look at the level he was playing at over the season’s last three months and chose to ignore the first three, he could pull an upset. It’s just very unlikely.

Pre-Season Favorites

Matt Wieters: Baltimore Orioles: C

96 Games, 354 AB

.288, 9 HR, 43 RBI, 35 R

Everyone’s pre-season ROY favorite didn’t make the kind of splash in the majors that was expected after about a year of hype. Wieters struggled from the get go and didn’t get on track until September when he finally got the bat going. While not turning in a great season, it certainly wasn’t terrible. Just not award worthy.

David Price: Tampa Bay; SP

128.1 IP in 23 Games

10-7, 4.42 era, 102 K, 1.35 WHIP

The 1st overall pick in 2007, the former Vanderbilt star was expected to retain the dominance he showed in the Rays’ World Series run form a year ago. That didn’t exactly happen. From the moment was called up, he had major control issues. All the walks lead to high pitch counts and an inflated era. His overpowering stuff was still on display but it sure wasn’t consistent. I’m sure he’ll have these problems solved come 2010 but he comes up short for ROY as he came nowhere near meeting expectations.

Longshots

Brett Gardner: New York Yankees; OF

108 Games, 248 AB

.270, 3 HR, 23 RBI, 48 R, 26 SB

He really has no chance of winning but his name is familiar with voters because he plays for the Yankees. That can do wonders anyone’s chances. Plus the 26 steals ain’t too bad.

Elvis Andrus: Texas Rangers, SS

145 Games, 480 AB

.267, 6 HR, 40 RBI, 72 R, 33 SB

A truly raw prospect was given the job of opening day shortstop and it showed early on. Elvis got better as the year went on but failed to develop into the top of the line up spark plug the Rangers really needed to contend. His amazing range from the “6” was overshadowed by his inability to make the throw to first from deep in the hole, leaving him with 22 errors. If Texas had stayed in the race Andrus would have been a serious contender. But they didn’t, so he’s out, unless someone throws their vote away.

Jeff Niemann: Tampa Bay Rays; SP

180.2 IP in 30 starts

13-6, 3.94 era, 125 K, 1.35 WHIP

Niemann was up and down all season long but his final numbers are pretty good. He was the Rays’ fifth starter and filled the role perfectly. Each time Joe Madden handed him the ball he expected Niemann to give them a chance to win, he had 17 quality starts out of 30. He was a frontrunner of the award all season long but a winless September put the kybosh on his hardware chances.

Ricky Romero

178 IP in 29 starts

13-9, 4.30 era, 141 K, 1.52 WHIP

Too bad for Romero they don’t hand this award out in July. By far the leagues best rookie over the first three months, he pulled an opposite Brett Anderson.

First 12 Starts: 79.2 IP, 7-3, 2.96 era, 61 K, 7.56 K/9

Second 16 Starts: 98.1 IP, 6-6, 5.40 era, 80 K, 6.80 K/9

Ricky wasn’t so fine in the second half and pulled the largest nosedive of any rookie this season.

Should Win: Andrew Bailey
Will Win: Gordon Beckham

Of all MLB's end of the year awards, this is the one is the hardest to determine. There are four legitimate contenders all with about the same odds to win. Bailey has the best stats but will the writers really reward a reliever? If Happ wins in the NL, which he probably will, the writers will likely give the the trophy to a positional player. Of the four candidates, only Beckham fits that role.

NL Rookie of the Year

Rookie of the Year

National League

Contenders

J.A. Happ: Philadelphia Phillies; SP/RP

166 IP in 22 starts and 12 relief appearances

12-4, 2.93 era, 119 K, 1.23 WHIP

Happ joined the Phillies’ rotation on May 8th and proceeded to earn a 10-2 record as a starter. He proved to be a key cog in Philadelphia’s defense of their NL East title with his versatility to start and come in for relief duty. The Northwestern product was a hot commodity at the trade deadline but was made unavailable by Philles’ GM Ruben Amaro Jr. in his talks to acquire Roy Halladay and Cliff Lee. The organization showed great faith in the kid who had not pitched in more than 30 major league innings prior to this season and he proved his worth. While he may not have the best stats of this rookie class --- they aren’t too shabby mind you --- he played an important role on a winning team. That alone may clinch him the award.

Tommy Hanson: Atlanta Braves; SP

127.2 IP in 21 starts

11-4, 2.89 era, 116 K, 1.18 WHIP

Hanson exploded onto the scene June 7th and helped get the Braves back into the Wildcard hunt. Being Atlanta’s number-one rated prospect could have put a lot of pressure on the 23 year old but he was able to keep his wits about him. When comparing stats against the other top contenders he comes out on top in era, WHIP, and strikeouts per nine innings (K/9), at an outrageous 8.18. The problem for Hanson is that unless the writers are avid watchers of Braves’ Baseball on Peachtree, they probably didn’t get to see the young hurler in action. He has the greatest potential of any rookie going forward but this year he’s getting the CHOP!!!

Andrew McCutchen: Pittsburgh Pirates; OF

108 games, 433 AB

.286, 12 HR, 54 RBI, 9 3B, 74 R, 22 SB

Playing for the dreadful Pirates all but kills his chance to claim the award but it doesn’t mean that he should be overlooked so quickly. Called up on June 4th, the 23 year old McCutchen filled the spot of the departed Nate McLouth and hit the ground running, literally. He provided a spark from the lead off spot and finished in the top three of runs, home runs, RBI, average, and stolen bases among rookies. All this offensive production, on top of his sterling defensive play, definitely places him in the conversation. With a little more exposure this could have been his award to lose.

Longshots

Randy Wells: Chicago Cubs; SP

165.1 IP in 27 Starts

12-10, 3.05 era, 104 K, 1.28 WHIP

The Cubs needed some backend rotation help in early May and turned the ball over to Randy Wells who took the job and kept it all year. The former South West Illinois Saluqi and 38th round draft pick in 2002 draft is a true underdog story. His record is not indicative of the quality of his pitching; he tended to suffer from minimal run support. Take out the record and his stats compete with any other rookie but he will be lamentably dismissed from awards talk because of it.

Colby Rasmus: St. Louis Cardinals; OF

147 games, 474 AB

.251, 16 HR, 52 RBI, 72 R, 3 SB

Rasmus started the year as the odd man out in the St. Louis outfield and finished as a vital member of a playoff squad. While his stats don’t blow you away, he was as consistent as it gets for a team that was desperate for production at the bottom of the line up. Durability is an overlooked attribute for rookies -and probably will continue to be- but sometimes just being there is half the battle.

Dexter Fowler: Colorado Rockies; OF

135 games, 433 AB

.266, 4 HR, 34 RBI, 73 R, 27 SB

The speedster Fowler ended up playing a supporting role by seasons’ end but was able to contribute when called upon during the stretch run. Whether he was needed to steal base or come in as a defensive substitute late in a game, Fowler proved to be an excellent first man off the bench. While he got his starts along the way, he was eventually replaced at the top of the order by…

Carlos Gonzalez: Colorado Rockies; OF

89 games, 278 AB

.284, 13 HR, 29 RBI, 53 R, 16 SB

After being called up on June 5th, Gonzalez struggled at the plate, which left him struggling to find playing time. From June 5th to July 31st, King Carlos hit .223 with a home run and 4 RBI. Apparently the early season slumber left Gonzalez well rested for the stretch run, he was the Rockies’ MVP over their final 53 games despite starting in only 42 of them. In those 42 games, Gonzalez hit at a .328 clip with 12 HR, 25 RBI, 37 R, and 9 SB to lead the Rockies’ playoff charge. If the writers are looking to reward the rookie who was most valuable in his teams’ success, they’ll go with Gonzalez. Regrettably, he doesn’t have a full season’s body of work to compliment it.

Garrett Jones: Pittsburgh Pirates; OF/1B

82 games, 314 AB

.293, 21 HR, 44 RBI, 45 R, 10 SB

With their 14th round pick in the 1999 draft the Atlanta Braves selected Garrett Jones. He was subsequently released in 2002 and picked up by Twins, where he toiled in the minors until this year. When the Pirates rid themselves of Eric Hinske during their annual roster dump, it left a spot open for the journeyman Jones to finally get his chance. He hit 21 home runs in 82 games, a pace of 40 over a whole season, and finished one point ahead of Ryan Braun for 7th in the National League in OPS at .938. Once again, playing for the Pirates gets you massively overlooked basically by everyone outside the most astute of fantasy baseball players. Jones’ season is easily the most under the radar of all rookies, if not the majors, which doesn’t bode well for his ROY chances.

Should Win: Andrew McCutchen

Will Win: J. A. Happ

The writers will want to reward someone from the Pennant winning Phillies and Happ fits the bill. He put in a full season of work and helped lead his team to a division crown. He’s been all over the airwaves as the playoffs have gone on and that major exposure advantage will prove to be the clinching influence in giving him the award.

Week 8 RB Ranks

1 Adrian Peterson @ GB

2 Chris Johnson vs. JAX

3 Steven Jackson @ DET

4 Maurice Jones-Drew @ TEN

5 Steve Slaton @ BUF

6 Ray Rice vs. DEN

7 Kevin Smith vs. STL

8 DeAngelo Williams @ ARZ

9 Ronnie Brown @ NYJ

10 Matt Forte vs. CLE

11 Thomas Jones vs. MIA

12 Frank Gore @ IND

13 Joseph Addai vs. SF

14 Tim Hightower vs. CAR

15 Marshawn Lynch vs. HOU

16 Darren Sproles vs. OAK

17 Michael Turner @ NO

18 Ryan Grant vs. MIN

19 Mike Bell vs. ATL

20 Brandon Jacobs @ PHI

21 Marian Barber III vs. SEA

22 Ricky Williams vs. NYJ

23 LeSean McCoy vs. NYG

24 Justin Fargas @ SD

25 Julius Jones @ DAL

26 Pierre Thomas vs. ATL

27 Ahmad Bradshaw @ PHI

28 Knowshon Moreno @ BAL

29 Julius Jones @ DAL

30 LaDainian Tomlinson vs. OAK

31 Felix Jones vs. SEA

32 Jamal Lewis vs. CHI

33 Reggie Bush vs. ATL

34 Fred Jackson vs. HOU

35 Chris Wells vs. CAR

36 Jonathan Stewart @ ARZ

37 Correll Buckhalter @ BAL

38 Willis McGahee vs. DEN

39 Michael Bush @ SD

40 Tashard Choice vs. SEA

Byes: Clinton Portis, Larry Johnson, Jammal Charles, Cedric Benson, Laurence Maroney, BenJarvis Green-Ellis, Willie Parker, Cadillac Williams, Derrick Ward, Ladell Betts, Mewelde Moore, Rashard Mendenhall

Injured:

Darren McFadden - His knee injury will keep him out for at least another week

Leon Washington - was placed on the IR after suffering a broken fibula against the Raiders.

Brian Westbrook- took a nasty knee to head shot on Monday night and ended up with a concussion. Keep an eye on his status as the week progresses

Donald Brown- exited the Rams game with an injured shoulder and didn’t return. He should be able to go Sunday against the 49ers but his reps will probably be limited.

Week 8 QB Ranks

1 Peyton Manning vs. SF

2 Drew Brees vs. ATL

3 Tony Romo vs. SEA

4 Jay Cutler vs. CLE

5 Kurt Warner vs. CAR

6 Aaron Rogers vs. GB

7 Philip Rivers vs. OAK

8 Brett Favre @ GB

9 Donovan McNabb vs. NYG

10 Kyle Orton @ BAL

11 David Garrard @ TEN

12 Matt Schaub @ BUF

13 Matt Hasselbeck @ DAL

14 Joe Flacco vs. DEN

15 Matt Ryan @ NO

16 Marc Bulger @ DET

17 Eli Manning @ PHI

18 Ryan Fitzpatrick vs. HOU

19 Chad Henne @ NYJ

20 Alex Smith @ IND

Bye Weeks:

Carson Palmer, Matt Cassel, Tom Brady, Ben Roethlisberger, Josh Johnson, Jason Campbell

Week 8 WR Ranks

1 Larry Fitzgerald vs. CAR

2 Reggie Wayne vs. SF

3 Calvin Johnson vs. STL

4 Mike Sims-Walker @ TEN

5 Marques Colston vs. ATL

6 DeSean Jackson vs. NYG

7 Sidney Rice @ GB

8 Anquan Boldin vs. CAR

9 Devin Hester vs. CLE

10 Miles Austin vs. SEA

11 Vincent Jackson vs. OAK

12 Roddy White @ NO

13 Donald Driver vs. MIN

14 Brandon Marshall @ BAL

15 TJ Houshmandzadeh @ DAL

16 Donnie Avery @ DET

17 Steve Smith (CAR) @ ARZ

18 Greg Jennings vs. MIN

19 Johnny Knox vs. CLE

20 Steve Smith (NYG) @ PHI

21 Austin Collie vs. SF

22 Lee Evans vs. HOU

23 Torry Holt @ TEN

24 Derrick Mason vs. DEN

25 Percy Harvin @ GB

26 Nate Burleson @ DAL

27 Muhammad Massaquoi @ CHI

28 Nate Washington vs. JAX

29 Hakeem Nicks @ PHI

30 Eddie Royal @ BAL

31 Braylon Edwards vs. MIA

32 Mario Manningham @ PHI

33 Ted Ginn Jr. @ NYJ

34 Pierre Garcon vs. SF

35 Michael Crabtree @ IND

36 Devry Henderson vs. ATL

37 Steve Breaston vs. CAR

38 Terrell Owens vs. HOU

39 Mark Clayton vs. DEN

40 Kevin Walter @ BUF

41 Kenny Britt vs. JAX

42 Deion Branch @ DAL

43 Michael Jenkins @ NO

44 Justin Gage vs. JAX

45 Jacoby Jones @ BUF

46 Earl Bennett vs. CLE

47 Lance Moore

48 Jeremy Maclin vs. NYG

49 Roy Williams vs. SEA

50 Isaac Bruce @ IND

Bye Weeks:

Antonio Bryant, Chad Ochocinco, Vern Coles, Chris Henry, Andre Caldwell, Wes Welker, Randy Moss, Sam Akien, Dwayne Bowe, Mark Bradley, Hines Ward, Santonio Holmes, Mike Wallace, Santana Moss, Antoine Randle-El, Bobby Wade

Injured:

Andre Johnson - Is suffering from a bruised lung and is listed as day to day. Expect him to play against he Bills . If he does play, slot him in as a top 5 receiver per usual.

Jerricho Cotchery- a bad hamstring kept him out against the Raiders and probably won’t see action against until after the Jets’ week 9 bye.

DeSean Jackson - he left Monday night’s game with a foot sprain but returned to action later. He’ll be fine and needed in a tough match up against the Giants.

Bernard Berrian- hurt his hamstring against the Steelers in week 7 and is 50/50 at best for Sunday’s clash at Green Bay.

Week 8 TE Ranks

*Note* If you are a Chris Cooley owner, go out and quickly pick up Fred Davis if no one else is available. He finished the Monday Night game with a quality 8-78-1 line.

1 Dallas Clark vs. SF

2 Jason Witten vs. SEA

3 Greg Olsen vs. CLE

4 Antonio Gates vs. OAK

5 Owen Daniels @ BUF

6 Tony Gonzalez @ NO

7 Vernon Davis @ IND

8 John Carlson @ DAL

9 Brent Celek vs. NYG

10 Marcedes Lewis @ TEN

11 Visanthe Shiancoe @ GB

12 Jeremy Shockey vs. ATL

13 Tony Scheffler vs. BAL

14 Zach Miller @ SD

15 Brandon Pettagrew vs. STL

Bye Week:

Sean Ryan, Ben Watson, Chris Baker, Heath Miller, Kellen Winslow

Injured:

Chris Cooley - The Cooler looks to be out for the season with a broken ankle

With the World Series starting on Wednesday I wanted to switch gears to talk about America’s pastime for a minute or two. The Yankees may be playing Phillies for all the marbles but do they stack up in the yearly awards? Honestly, it's hard to project any of them for any of the annual hardware. The awards should be dominated by small market, losing teams, but that’s always subject to change.

Manager of the Year

National League

The Contenders

Fredi Gonzalez: Florida Marlins; record 87-75

Fredi brings his own brand of Latino Justice to the clubhouse

Gonzalez held his young team together in the month of May which could have set a destructive pace for the rest of the year. On April 19th, the pubescent Marlins were in first place at a sizzling 11-1 after drawing the Nationals six of the season’s first nine games. On May 24th, The Marlins were reeling from losing 22 of 29; sitting slightly above Washington at the cellar of the NL East, with a 18-23 record. In what could have been the start of deadly tailspin, Gonzalez was able to correct the ship, with what one could only imagine by twisting the jib, and keep Florida in the race well into September. Florida had no reason to be competitive this year but was able to get the most out of its good, but raw young players. There was talk during the season that Marlins’ management was looking to replace Gonzalez at season's end; they really should have been in talks for a contract extension.

Jim Tracy: Colorado Rockies; record 92-70 (74-42 under Tracy)

loses points for stealing Cito Gaston's sitting style

The Rockies were 18-28 on May 29th when Jim Tracy was named manager on an interim basis, replacing Clint Hurdle. Tracy proved to be the right man for the 2009 Rockies. Under Tracy, Colorado was able win the Wild Card and challenge the Dodgers for the division right up until baseball’s last weekend. They were just outclassed by a better team in the playoffs but these awards are supposed to reflect the regular season, which many find are to believe. From the day he took over in Denver, the Rockies posted the best record in all of baseball, 32 games above the .500 mark and that should still give him enough cred for the award.

Tony La Russa: St. Louis Cardinals; record 91-71

The former lawyer was only ejected once this season; he's still got the touch

People forget the question marks that surrounded his team in the spring. Can Adam Wainwright really be relied on to lead this rotation? Could Chris Carpenter regain his Cy Young form after missing most of the last two seasons? And the most important question: would the game’s best player be able to retain his abilities after undergoing surgery to repair a nerve in his right elbow that had caused him problems all last season? Fortunately for the Cardinals, the answer to all three were a resounding Y-E-S. The Cardinals received some help from unexpected places: Joel Pinero chipped in with 15 wins. Journeyman Ryan Franklin assumed the role of closer and posted 38 Saves with a 1.92 era. The acquisition of Matt Holliday at the trade deadline was a huge boon for the line up tallying .353, 13 HR and 55 RBI in 63 games. Put those numbers in your line up you have quite the squadron. While he may be a long shot to win the award, the writers could choose to honor La Russa for his decade of achievement. He last won the award in 2002 and his ability to keep a team at the their best season in and season out could factor into this decision.

Joe Torre: Los Angeles Dodgers; record 95-67

he doesn't just manage with his good looks

Despite finishing with the NL’s best record, the Dodgers did it in seemingly unspectacular fashion. After a very hot start, the team had continued success in the post-Manny steroid scandal; the Dodgers basically had a playoff spot locked up by the All-star Break. They coasted the rest of the season and ended up about one week away from losing the division to the Rockies. While you can give him credit essentially clinching a playoff birth mid-season, all the voters will remember at this point is the faltering down the stretch and a quick loss to the Phillies in the NLCS. It may be unfair but this is how it works, he has less than a 1% at best

Winner: Jim Tracy

Only La Russa could possibly upset here, Tracy should walk away with this award under no duress, it’s his to lose. Posting a sparkling 0.638 winning percentage and a playoff appearance basically places him in the Usain Bolt role, no one’s catching Tracy.

American League

the Contenders

Ron Gardenhire: Minnesota Twins; record 87-76

he ran out of Skoal and needed to get to the store, post haste

Gardenhire rallied the troops to a 16-4 mark to end the year and force a one game playoff with the Detriot Tigers for the AL Central title. They made up six games in 21 days and beat the Tigers in a thrilling play in game to earn the right to get decimated by the Yankees in the ALDS. This season could have taken a nasty downfall after superstar first baseman Justin Morneau opted for season ending surgery on September 12th but Gardenhire was able to use it as motivation for his Twins. So, for the 5th time in 8 seasons, he was able to lead Minnesota to the Central crown. Despite a lackluster playoff record, Gardenhire should be in line for the award as he has never been recognized before.

Joe Girardi: New York Yankees; record 103-59

here he auditions for the role of Forest Gump's more retarded brother

Girardi led the Bronx Bombers to the best record in baseball as they were the only team to eclipse 100 wins in 2009. Unfortunately for Girardi, most don’t see it as a crowning achievement, leading the Yankees to the best record that is. Another black mark for Joey G is his 2006 NL Manager of the Year Award, which he received in Florida and then was promptly fired. Writers may be unwilling to bestow the award on such a green manager again so quickly. The problem I have with these arguments is that they discredit the excellent job Girardi did all season long. Being the manger of New York requires more to handle than just baseball; he must deal with the media scrutiny and diva personalities that the Yankees’ roster boasts. He was able to manage those personalities and mitigate the problems that could have come with A-Rod and his steroid scandal. He had the ship righted all season long and has kept it going into the playoffs. There’s really no reason not to give it to him but I have an inclination that this isn’t his year.

Mike Scioscia: Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim; record 97-55

Scioscia after being told that red is slimming

Another year, another AL West division crown for Scioscia’s Angels; that’s six in the last eight years if you're keeping track at home. He falls in the same category as Tony La Russa but in the American League. If he wins, it will be an achievement award for his decade of success. Unfortunately, the banality of Scioscia as the winner may factor into the writers’ decision to pass on him this season. There’s really no reason not to give him the award, he led a team plagued with injuries to a 97-65 record and was the glue his team needed after the death of pitcher Nick Adenhart during the season’s first week. People know he’s a great manager and was rewarded in 2002 but this award tends to be given to a manager that brings a team from obscurity to prominence, I guess they believe that consistency is overrated.

Jim Leyland: Detroit Tigers; record 86-77

Leyland: doing his part to get a cameo on Mad Men

Jim Leyland’s 2009 Tigers were much like the last cigarette from a pack of his beloved Marlboros Reds; good to the last puff but ultimately discarded. The 95 looking, 64 year old had his team fighting until the very end but were unable to vanquish the rival Twins in the team’s 163rd game. Hopes weren’t high for the Tigers coming into the year but Leyland was able to make overachievers out of his players. He brings a passion to the game like no other, who else takes 7th inning smoke breaks in the clubhouse, and it seems to have seeped into his players. They all love to play for him which is an intangible that a lot of teams wish their manager could bring, it’s basically half the battle. Losing the division title on the last weekend combined with his victory in 2006 will probably take him out of the race but he deserves to be mentioned nonetheless.

Winner: Ron Gardenhire:

The combination of their comeback and character, as the plucky small market team who competes every year, should tip the scales in favor of Gardenhire. He may not be the most deserving but the writers will make themselves feel good by voting for him and the decision rests with them.

Sunday Stylings

Hope someone put my spread picks to good use this week. 10-1-1 BOOOOOOOYAH!

The London game went as expected, Patriots in a blowout. Laurence Maroney had 13 carries in the win while scoring a touchdown along the way. He’s only owned in 54% of leagues and that must be changed. As the weather gets colder you will see more and more of Maroney each week. This is an add that can really pay off later as New England draws Carolina, Buffalo, and Jacksonville weeks 14-16.

From here on out the Packers receiver you want to own is Donald Driver, not Greg Jennings.

Indy will continue to roll right up to their week 10 match up against New England, if they can pull out a win at home they have a realistic shot at 16-0. They have an incredibly easy backend of the schedule drawing the Jags and the triage unit Jets. Austin Collie is still only 55% owned, even when Anthony Gonzalez returns to action, Collie’s slot job should remain intact.

Try to see if anyone will LT off your hands. In what should have been his best match up of the season, he laid an egg. San Diego even tried to press the issue by giving him the ball on all four downs from inside the 5 despite being up by 20 at the time. He got stuffed by the Chiefs. The Chiefs. He’s done, rid yourself of him now.

Losing 42-6 is can never be fun but Steven Jackson is really doing his best and should finally get his due next week. The Rams head to Detroit to clash with the equally as bad Lions. Jackson will be in the top three of weekly ranking and should quickly pick up his first touchdown of the season. If he could start scoring he’d be a top 5 back again.

Who is this Miles Austin and how’d did he get so good? There’s no way he can keep up this Drew Bennett type of pace but ride it out while it lasts. Even when he comes back to earth he’ll remain Dallas’ number one receiver, he’s infinity more valuable than Roy Williams at this point.

Chicago sure did look bad. They may be the biggest Jeckle and Hyde team in football. Cincinnati is a good team but they’re no where close to that good. Hope you started Carson, you won’t be seeing that again for a while.

Apparently start everyone when they play their old teams. Cedric Benson torched the Bears for 189 yards and touchdown. The opportunity to buy low was over about three weeks ago, Benson is now a top 5 fantasy back behind only Peterson and MJD.

Did you know that Thomas Jones is a top 5 running back so far this year? Didn’t think so. How about Ricky Williams in the top 10? Craziness.

Owen Daniels will end the year as the number one tight end, as long as Schaub can stay healthy. The Texans are 4-3 now and a Rex Grossman appearance would not be healthy.

Week 7 is in the books, almost, and it’s about that time of year when QB controversies begin. The Bills are 2-0 since Ryan Fitzpatrick took over for Trent Edwards. Fitz doesn’t light the world on fire with his stats, in fact they may bring the next ice age, but he doesn’t turn the ball over and allows the Bills to play a field position game and let their defense create turnovers. It’s worked two weeks in a row, they’ll have a true test next week when the take on the Texans.

Down 21-0 at half, Mike Singletary decides it’s time to unleash former number one overall pick Alex Smith on the Texans. Smith threw three touchdowns, all to Vernon Davis and all on the same pattern, and looks to have supplanted incumbent Shaun Hill as the starter. If this is the case, upgrade all members of the 49ers offense as Smith looks like he is able to deal downfield, unlike Hill. Smith looks like he can take advantage of rookie Michael Crabtree, who looked good in his first start with 5 catches for 55 yards.

Jamarcus Russell got benched too. Bruce Gradkowski came in to replace him. Russell will most definitely be starting next week, you still want no part of him.

The Panthers are thinking about replacing Jake Delhomme. Probably a good idea.

The Jets defense looked good, even if it was against the Raiders. The Jets draw Miami next week. Be wary of starting any Dolphins’ receiver against the Jets and Darrelle Revis. The DRE may just do this to them.

Pick ups of the Week

Shonn Greene (2.8% owned)- The man who spells it like he says it will now take over the Leon Washington role in New York and you should go grab him. With the Franchez having all sorts of troubles in the passing game, the Jets are going to turn the ball over to their running backs every week. They’ve already tied an NFL record by rushing for over 300 yards in three straight games.

Vernon Davis (76% owned) - This isn’t his first appearance on this list but hopefully it’s his last. After three more touchdowns this week he brings his season total to six. He’s the number two tight end in fantasy points and has almost double the total of Jason Witten. If he’s available, go pick him up.

Alex Smith (0% Owned) - Looks like he’ll be taking the reins in San Fran and showed he can produce back there, at least when passing to Vernon Davis. If he keeps the job as starter, he’ll have a bigger fantasy impact than Shaun Hill did and getting to play in the NFC West means he has a slew of quality match ups coming up. If you are desperate for quarterback help, why not give Smith a shot.

Beanie Wells (19% Owned) - The universally drafted Wells was dropped on mass when he showed everyone how terrible he was. But now is a different time, it’s about 7 weeks later and Wells has value again. He averaged 5 yards a carry against a pretty good Giants defense and even found the end zone. He’s learned to catch the ball out of the backfield so he is seeing more reps. I have a feeling he’ll be a the starter by season’s end and that could be huge if you own him. Weeks 15 and 16 he draws the Rams and Lions.

Hakeem Nicks (35% owned) He was here last week and he’ll make another appearance. Make that four games in a row with a score for the son of Stevie. Pick him up.

Injuries

Andre Johnson (Chest)- apparently it’s not as bad as it seemed when he was coughing up blood on the sidelines. He expects to play next week.

Leon Washington (Leg) - Was carted off against the Raiders with a broken leg and will miss the rest of the season.

Donald Brown (Shoulder) - Brown left the game against the Rams and didn’t return. Not much is known about the extent of the injury at this point but Chad Simpson, who broke off a 34 yard TD will be Addai’s primary back up.

Sunday Preview with spread picks - Week 7

Last week picks:

Mayo: 8-6, Season: 14-14

Anderson: 6-8, Season: 13-15

1:00pm

Indianapolis at St. Louis

The Colts are coming off their bye and will look to resume their juggernaut offensive pace against the lowly Rams. The Colts’ number one passing offense gets to square off with St. Louis’ 28th ranked pass defense, bad news for the Rams. Start all members of the Colts passing game: Manning, Collie, Wayne, Clark and Garcon. I love Joey Addai to put up some scores, as evidence by my studs and duds, and even Donald Brown could have some value if you need bye week help. From the Rams’ side of the ball you don’t want to stat anyone. Donnie Avery may play but is still banged up, so avoid him unless you really need a receiver. With Rams’ ticket sales at an all time low, there could be a large contingent of Colts fans making the trip so it could basically be a home game for Indy. The Colts defense have the best match up of the week; unless you have one of the elite defenses take a chance on them. Oh ya, to add insult to injury, Bob Sanders is back this week too.

Mayo: Indianapolis ( -13.5)

Anderson: Indianapolis ( -13.5)

San Diego at Kansas City

Another match up of a prolific pass offense versus a dreadful pass defense. Phillip Rivers will take full advantage of this situation and exploit the Chiefs’ horrendous pass defense. Vincent Jackson should benefit the most from this, with Antonio Gates as a close second. Darren Sproles has only one carry in the past two games, while he’s still a threat to score on special teams, he should remain on your bench. LT looked like he had some life left in him last week and should find room to run against a team that he has great career numbers against; if you have him, you’ll want him in the line up. The Chargers offense have the opposite of the Helsinki Syndrome, no finish, this makes Nate Kaeding a top five option at kicker until that problem is solved. The Chargers have the 27th ranked run defense so this may finally be the week that that Grandmama, Larry Johnson, has a good week. LJ has been an incomparable bust this season but this may be the best match up he gets all season long, if you haven’t dropped him yet, you may consider using him. We may also get a Jammal Charles sighting this week; don’t be surprised if Charles is able to break a few long gains if he’s given the opportunity. Matt Cassel continues to be vastly underrated and should produce a quality game as his connection with Dwayne Bowe becomes more cultivated from week to week. Super sleeper of the week Sean Ryan should find pay dirt against the weak middle linebacking corps of Whale’s Vagina.

Mayo: San Diego ( -5)

Anderson: San Diego ( -5)

Minnesota at Pittsburgh

This could actually be a Super Bowl preview. The 6-0 Vikings travel to the unfriendly confines of Heinz Field to tangle with the defending champs. While they haven’t looked overly impressive so far this season, the Steelers will undoubtedly become better every game. With Aaron Smith out of the line up and Troy Palamalu back, look for the Vikings to try pound the left side of the of the field with Adrian Peterson and should be very successful; running behind Hutchinson and McKinnie has its benefits. If the Steelers make Brett Favre beat them they should be successful. While I like Sidney Rice to get involved downfield, Favre should finally lay an egg here. With Antoine Winfield out, Big Ben should be able to exploit the Minnesota secondary and get make some headway with Holmes, ward and Miller, all good starts this week. While people think that the Williams’ Wall shuts down all run games, Minny’s run defense had been very moral lately. They have given up over 100 yards on the ground the last two games and the Steelers will look to pound the ball. Rashard Mendenhall has been named the started and will receive 2/3s of the carries over Willie Parker. With that sort of time share, you really shouldn’t trust either of them but if you must, Mendenhall shouldn’t completely disappoint.

Mayo: Pittsburgh ( -4)

Anderson: Pittsburgh ( -4)

San Francisco at Houston

San Fran is coming off a bye but I still like Houston to keep it rolling at home. Most people couldn’t pick Matt Schuab out of crowd but he leads the NFL in touchdown passes with 14. The ten million dollar man Nate Clements will have no answer for the league’s best receiver Andre Johnson. Andre 3000 will continue to dominate in all aspects of the passing game, ditto for the underrated former Badger Owen Daniels, who made one of the best catches of the year last week. You’ve got to be kidding me. Steve Slaton may have a bad case of fumbleitis but he has produced double digits fantasy points in four straight weeks. Start him. Franklin Gore is back in action and should take advantage of the match up. If he is actually at full health, he’s going to be a beast. Michael Crabtree makes his season debut but don’t set expectations too high just yet, he may be starting but won’t be playing the entire game. If you need to have a member of the 49ers receiving corps you want Vernon Davis. Shaun Hill? Meh, you should strive for better than mediocrity.

Mayo: Houston ( -3)

Anderson: Houston ( -3)

Green Bay at Cleveland

The Browns are pitiful against the run and pass, so start all your Packers; they should all have big games. Despite the shutout last week, Green Bay’s defense is a lot worse than you may think but should be able to curb the impotent Cleveland offense. Derek Anderson is so bad that fans have been calling for the return of Brady Quinn, that’s a sad scenario. Muhammad Massaquoi continues to be the only viable target in the passing game and could be a great help if you have bye week trouble. The Pack cede over 100 yards a game on the ground so if you are truly desperate Jamal Lewis may not steer you wrong.

Mayo: Green Bay ( -7.5)

Anderson: Green Bay ( -7.5)

New England at Tampa Bay ( In London)

North America’s most popular sport brings it show overseas to Wembley Stadium to showcase a sport worth watching. Sorry Soccer, at least you’re still better than hockey. Much like last week, you’re going to want to start the big three of Brady, Moss, and Welker. The Bucs defense is awful so that it should make a star of Laurence Maroney, if he gets the carries. If this game gets out of hand, like I expect it to do, the law firm of BenJarvis Green-Ellis could pick up some nice garbage time stats. Ahhhhhhhh, don’t start any Buckos.

Mayo: New England ( -14.5)

Anderson: Tampa Bay ( +14.5)

4:00pm

New York Jets at Oakland

The Raiders are coming off a win! Good for them. Don’t count on that again. Jamarcus Russell is terrible, despite his ability to pull off sweet spin moves. I don’t see how they score points this week but they should be able to pressure the Franchez enough to force the Jets to rely on their ground game. This should be great news for any owner of “it’s not unusual” Tom Jones and Leon Washington who should make a mockery of the Raider defense. I wouldn’t start any Jets receiver until Sanchez proves he can target members of his own team. Quick trivia question: Which Raider do you want to start this week? The answer: none. I like the terrorist’s favorite team, the New York Jets, to take this one down.

Mayo: New York ( -6)

Anderson: Oakland ( +6)

Buffalo at Carolina

You have to like all running backs in this game. It’s the battle of the 32nd ranked run defense, the Bills, against the 29th ranked Panthers. Honestly, I would start Lynch, Williams and Stewart at running back in all leagues and Fred Jackson as a flex. Sit the rest of the players, except maybe the Bills defense who have a knack for forcing turnovers. That’s good news for any team playing Jake Delhomme. This game could go either way and should be close.

Mayo: Buffalo (+7)

Anderson: Carolina ( -7)

Atlanta at Dallas

I hope for the sake of Cowboys fans everywhere the bye week made them better. I really don’t think it did but we’ll see. The Falcons have injuries in their secondary so Romo should be a start. I hate Roy Williams. I don’t like him in fantasy as well. You’ll want a piece of Witten and Miles Austin as both should be produce. Dallas has a terrible defense so you’ll want to start Atlanta’s favorite barbershop quartet: Ryan, white, Gonzo and Turner. Somehow Dallas is favored in this game, don’t believe at hooey, go Falcons.

Mayo: Atlanta ( +4)

Anderson: Atlanta ( +4)

New Orleans at Miami

The Phins are going to try to keep Drew Brees off the field for as long as possible but it probably won’t make a difference. I can actually see the Saints scoring every time they touch the ball. The improved Saints’ defense should be able to curb the Wildcat to the point where Miami has to the throw the ball. Ronnie Brown should be a good start but that’s it for Miami. Start Brees, that’s obvious. Same goes with Colston. I don’t see PT Cruiser or Mike Bell doing much against a solid Dolphins defense, I think Reggie Bush has the best game of the trio for his ability to catch the ball. Miami is becoming a popular upset pick this week. I don’t buy it, the Saints have covered the spread every game this year, they’ll keep it going.

Mayo: New Orleans (-6.5)

Anderson: Miami ( +6.5)

Chicago at Cincinnati

The Bengals defense came back to earth last week and should be exploited by the rocket laser arm of Jay Culter. I like almost everyone in the game, especially Johnny Knox. Make a starter out of Knox, Cutler, hester, Forte, Dexter look-a-like Greg Olsen, Palmer, Ocho, and Benson. I don’t know who will win this game so I’ll go with the home team.

Mayo: Cincinnati (-1.5)

Anderson: Chicago ( +1.5)

8:15pm

Arizona at New York Giants

No much to say here. If the temperature doesn’t get too low except a shootout. Get everyone involved in the passing game in the line up, except maybe Boldin, who looks like he’ll miss the game. Players love having good games against former teams so watch out for Kurt Warner. Both run defenses are quality so you may want to steer clear of the running backs. The Cards are the hardest team in football to predict but I really like them getting seven points in this one.

Mayo: Arizona (+7)

Anderson: New York (-7)

Monday Night

Philadelphia at Washington

Look for Philly to take out their frustrations form losing in Oakland last week on the tumultuous, not to mention offensively named, Redskins. Start McNabb, Westbrook, Celek and Jackson, they should all have big games here. The only Skins’ player you’ll want in the line up is The Cooler. Santana Moss is always a threat for a big game but it only comes to fruition about four times a year. I don’t see this being one of those weeks. Philly in a big way.

Mayo: Philadelphia ( -7)

Anderson: Philadelphia ( -7)

Studs and Duds - Week 7

Last Week

Studs

Garrard: Win, 15 points

Hasselbeck: Loss, 1 point

Avery: Win, 8 points

Ward: Win, 22 points

Grant: Win, 11 points

Lewis: Loss, 0 points

Kaeding: Win, 14 points

Eagles D/ST: Win, 10 points

Weekly record: 6-2

Season record: 22-13

Duds

McGahee: Win, 0 points

Owens: Win, 2 points

Harvin: Win, 1 point

McNabb: Win, 12 points

Tomlinson: Win, 9 points

E. Manning: Win, 8 points

Shiancoe: Loss, 17 points

Cincinati D/ST: Win, 6 points

Weekly record: 7-1

Season record: 25-7

Scoring System:

A win for a QB will be 14+ points

A win for a RB will be 10+ points

A win for a WR will be 7+ points

A win for a TE will be 7+ points

A win for a D/ST will be 7+ points

A win for a K will be 6+ points

Of course it’s the opposite for the duds.

STUDS

Joseph Addai

Position Rank: 10

Ya'll gone Addai has really gone under the radar so far this season. Despite ranking last in the NFL in rushing, the Colts have a knack for getting scores for their backs. Addai has four scores on the year and has been heavily involved in the passing game. The Colts want to show they can run the ball effectively and they probably won’t get a better chance the rest of the season. This week Addai draws the awful Rams and should definitely find pay dirt.

Jonathan Stewart

Position Rank: 14

The Daily Show got it back on track last week against the Bucs who have the 31st ranked run defense. It should only get worse from here but this week he draws the 32nd ranked Bills. The Bills have been lit up on the ground the past four weeks by the Jets, Browns, Dolphins and Saints to the tune of 241 yards per game. Carolina needs to run the ball to win games and that’s what they’ll do this week with Williams and Stewart. There should be carries to go around between the two of them and both should put up great fantasy numbers. If you need some bye week fillers Williams may be available to pick up and should be a top 15 option this week.

Steve Breaston

Position Rank: 17

Breaston stands to benefit more than anyone from a hobbled Anquan Boldin, who is gimped up with a bad ankle. The Giants struggled mightily against Saints through the air last week and things don’t get easier with the prolific aerial assault of the Cardinals rolling into Giants Stadium. Breaston is a big body with good hands who should be on the end of double digit targets; sounds like a good day to me. He’s another guy who is available in a lot of leagues; if he’s there, pick up him and play him.

Johnny Knox

Position Rank: 21

“Hard” Knox has scored in three straight games and should make it four against the Bengals. I expect Devin Hester to draw Andre Hall and leave Knox to deal with Jonathan Joseph, which is a match up he can exploit with his speed. There’s no reason to think that Knox can’t break one loose against a defense that seems to be playing over their heads to this point. Cincinnati struggles against the number two receivers on teams and Knox fits that bill.

Matt Schaub

Position Rank: 4

Did you know that Schaub leads the league with 14 touchdown passes? I have a feeling only his owners do in a year where quarterback play has been so superb. Although the 49ers are coming off a bye and should be prepared, the Texans are an explosive offense and have far too many playmakers for San Fran to contain. Since his putrid performance in week one against the Jets, Schaub has multiple TD passes in five straight games. Expect him to keep it going.

Sean Ryan

Position Rank: 9

Who is Sean Ryan? Well folks, he’s the tight end for the lowly Chiefs. Why is he a stud this week? Mainly because he’s playing a Bolts defense that seems to forget that the position of tight end exists when the game starts. In their five games so far, the Chargers have made fantasy studs out of Zach Miller (9 points), Todd Heap (7 points), Heath Miller ( 19 points), and Tony Scheffler ( 16 points). Only the Dolphins and their Wildcat were not able to produce a big tight end game. This is a reach in every way but tends appear for a reason. If you need a bye week filler for Carlson or Heap or just have a bad match up, roll with Ryan and surprise your opponent.

Do you know this man? If you do, hopefully it's from his breakout this week and not some back alley.

Jay Feely @ Oakland

Teams traveling West generally struggle a bit but the Jets should be able to run the ball effectively. The Raiders play a bend but don’t break defense which should lead to multiple field goal tries for Feely. The Raiders have given up 12, 9, 14, and 10 fantasy points to opposing kickers the last four weeks and that trend should continue this week.

Indianapolis Defense/Special Teams

Nothing too shocking here. Start the opposing defense of the team playing the Rams, enough said. If you really need to be convinced, check out this common Rams play. They're not so good.

DUDS

Marian Barber III

Position Rank: 25

He’s still hobbled from a quad injury sustained in week three and is now splitting carries with Tashard Choice. Choice has run with better burst and should end up with a better day than MB3. Barber has been looking slow so maybe the answer is just needing to embrace it; all he needs to do is talk to Jamarcus Russell about how to effective pull off a slow motion spin move. SPIN MOVE!! Barber will be shut out of the end zone which kills any value he has this week.

Brandon Jacobs

Position Rank: 24

The Cardinals have the best run defense in the league by a comfortable margin, that really doesn't sound right does it? Unless Jacobs gets copious amounts goal line carries he’s going to be pretty useless in a game where New York is going to be passing a lot. That should mean a better day for one Ahmad Bradshaw, who will be more involved in the passing attack. Jacobs has been a major bust so far this season and that isn’t going to change this week.

Brett Favre

Position Rank: 17

Favre has beat all expectations so far this year but he’s going to finally hit a stumbling block this week against the Steel Curtain. The Vikes are going to try their damndest to control the clock with Peterson and should be reasonably successful doing so. There’s always the possibility of the big play through the air but don’t count on too many from Favre this week.

Roy Williams

Position Rank: 30

Time to get over him. Much like Owens, Roy E. is terrible.

Braylon Edwards

Position Rank: 31

Edwards will eventually pay dividends for all his owners but he has three major obstacles to over come this week. 1) he’s still not perfectly comfortable with the offense, 2) he’ll be covered by shut down man extraordinaire Nnamdi Asomugha. (It’s pronounced awesome-wa, just so you don‘t sound ridiculous), 3) Mark Sanchez. The Raiders put a beat down on McNabb last week and the Franchez is far less mobile than Mr. McNabb. The Jets will keep the ball on the ground the whole game this week, like they should have against the Bills. Instead, Sanchez targeted the Bills defenders more than his own receivers last week. Don’t expect big things for Edwards.

Zach Miller

Position Rank: 14

Miller came back to relevance last week by breaking one big play for a TD with an assist from Louis Murphy’s three pack of down field blocks. He hadn’t done anything since week one and still has Jamarcus Russell throwing him the ball, not a good combo.

Week 7 RB Ranks

With six teams on bye people everywhere are going to be scrambling to plug people into the their line ups. There are some nice match ups to exploit this week so get yourself prepared.

1 DeAngelo Williams vs. BUF

2. Adrian Peterson @ PIT

3 Michael Turner @ DAL

4 Frank Gore @ HOU

5 Steve Slaton vs. SF

6 Ryan Grant @ CLE

7 Cedric Benson vs. CHI

8 Steven Jackson vs. IND

9 Thomas Jones @ OAK

10 Joseph Addai @ STL

11 Brian Westbrook @ WASH

12 Matt Forte @ CIN

13 Ronnie Brown vs. NO

14 Jonathan Stewart vs. BUF

15 Marshawn Lynch @ CAR

16 Ahmad Bradshaw vs. ARZ

17 Rashard Mendenhall vs. MIN

18 LaDainian Tomlinson @ KC

19 Pierre Thomas @ MIA

20 Tashard Choice vs. ATL

21 Clinton Portis vs. PHI

22 Donald Brown @ STL

23 Tim Hightower @ NYG

24 Brandon Jacobs vs. ARZ

25 Marian Barber III vs. ATL

26 Jamal Lewis vs. GB

27 Ricky Williams vs. NO

28 Leon Washington @ OAK

29 Laurence Maroney @ TB

30 Fred Jackson @ CAR

31 Cadillac Williams @ NE

32 Darren Sproles vs. KC

33 Justin Fargas vs. NYJ

34 Michael Bush vs. NYJ

35 Larry Johnson vs. SD

36 LeSean McCoy @ WASH

37 Reggie Bush @ MIA

38 Mewelde Moore vs. MIN

39 Chris Wells @ NYG

40 Willie Parker vs. MIN

Others:

Chester Taylor

Felix Jones vs. ATL

Jerome Harrison vs. GB

Glen Coffee @ HOU

Byes: Chris Johnson, Knowshon Moreno, Correll Buckhalter, Kevin Smith, Maurice Jones-Drew, Ray Rice, Willis McGahee, Julius Jones, Edge James

Injured:

Darren McFadden - His knee injury will keep him out for at least another week

Week 7 QB Ranks

1 Peyton Manning @ STL

2 Tom Brady @ TB

3 Drew Brees @ MIA

4 Matt Schaub vs. SF

5 Aaron Rogers @ CLE

6 Kurt Warner @ NYG

7 Philip Rivers @ KC

8 Donovan McNabb @ WASH

9 Ben Roethlisberger vs. MIN

10 Matt Ryan @ DAL

11 Jay Cutler @ CIN

12 Tony Romo vs. ATL

13 Eli Manning vs. ARZ

14 Matt Cassel vs. SD

15 Shaun Hill @ HOU

16 Carson Palmer vs. CHI

17 Brett Favre @ PIT

18 Derek Anderson vs. GB

19 Ryan Fitzpatrick @ CAR

20 Marc Bulger vs. IND

Bye Weeks:

Matt Hasselbeck, Matt Stafford, Kerry Collins, Joe Flacco, David Garrard, Kyle Orton

Week 7 WR Ranks

1 Randy Moss @ TB

2 Andre Johnson vs. SF

3 Larry Fitzgerald @ NYG

4 Reggie Wayne @ STL

5 Wes Welker @ TB

6 Roddy White @ DAL

7 Steve Smith (NYG) vs. ARZ

8 Vincent Jackson @ KC

9 Marques Colston @ MIA

10 Donald Driver @ CLE

11 Chad Ochocinco vs. CHI

12 Hines Ward vs. MIN

13 DeSean Jackson @ WASH

14 Greg Jennings @ CLE

15 Dwayne Bowe vs. SD

16 Santonio Holmes vs. MIN

17 Steve Breaston @ NYG

18 Miles Austin vs. ATL

19 Pierre Garcon @ STL

20 Sidney Rice @ PIT

21 Johnny Knox @ DAL

22 Antonio Bryant @ NE

23 Austin Collie @ STL

24 Santana Moss vs. PHI

25 Devin Hester @ DAL

26 Lee Evans @ CAR

27 Muhammad Massaquoi vs. GB

28 Steve Smith (CAR) vs. BUF

29 Mario Manningham vs. ARZ

30 Roy Williams vs. ATL

31 Braylon Edwards @ OAK

32 Terrell Owens @ CAR

33 Bernard Berrian @ PIT

34 Kevin Walter vs. SF

35 Percy Harvin @ PIT

36 Andre Caldwell vs. CHI

37 Jacoby Jones vs. SF

38 Devry Henderson @ MIA

39 Ted Ginn Jr. vs. NO

40 Michael Jenkins @ DAL

41 Bobby Wade vs. SD

42 Isaac Bruce @ HOU

43 Earl Bennett @ CIN

44 Chris Chambers @ KC

45 Mushin Muhammad vs. BUF

46 Michael Crabtree @ HOU

47 Vern Coles vs. CHI

48 Jeremy Maclin @ WASH

49 Patrick Crayton vs. ATL

50 Josh Morgan @ HOU

Bye Weeks:

Brandon Marshall, Eddie Royal, Brandon Stokely, Calvin Johnson, Dennis Northcutt, Bryant Johnson, Kenny Britt, Nate Washington, Justin Gage, Nate Burleson, TJ Houshmandzadeh, Deion Branch, Mike Sims-Walker, Torry Holt, Derrick Mason, Mark Clayton

Injured:

Anquan Boldin has a high ankle sprain and is questionable for week 7 at the Giants. Boldin is usually good to tough it out but unless he’s deemed 100% by game time, he may be used in a decoy role.

Donnie Avery left the game in week 6 with a bruised hip. X-rays came back negative but could still miss this week.

Jerricho Cotchery’s bad hamstring kept him out against the Bills and it looks like it’s going to cost him a chance to light up the Raiders.

Week 7 TE Ranks

1 Dallas Clark @ STL

2 Tony Gonzalez @ DAL

3 Antonio Gates @ KC

4 Owen Daniels vs. SF

5 Brent Celek @ WASH

6 Jason Witten vs. ATL

7 Greg Olsen @ CIN

8 Heath Miller vs. MIN

9 Sean Ryan vs. SD

10 Vernon Davis @ HOU

11 Chris Cooley vs. PHI

12 Visanthe Shiancoe @ PIT

13 Jeremy Shockey @ MIA

14 Zach Miller vs. NYJ

15 Kellen Winslow @ TB

Bye Week:

Tony Scheffler, Brandon Pettagrew, John Carlson, Todd Heap, Marcedes Lewis

Sunday Stylings

Some breaking news before the recap. The return of everyone's favorite Kobe themed blog is back. 'The Kobe Blog" is launching some time next week, take a read to enjoy it for yourself. I guarantee you'll be hooked.

I guess the Jets are frauds are after all. The Franchez should have been sued by fans after that performance: 10/29, 114 yards and 5 picks. I guess that’s what happens when you run into a juggernaut defense like the mighty Bills. Speaking of how bad the Jets are, you got beat by the smartest man in football, Harvard Alum Ryan Fitzpatrick. You may remember Fitzy from last season’s 4-12 Bengals.

Welcome back Tom Brady. Brady smashed the NFL record with 5 TD tosses in the 2nd quarter alone and finished the day with a mind boggling 29/34 for 380 yards and 6 TDs. Hope you didn’t start the Titans defense. The return of the prolific Patriots’ offense had a communist flare to it: the fantasy value was spread was distributed quite equally among the top guys. Moss had 3TDs and Welker 2 on top of 10 catches for 150 yards. Sammy Morris got hurt early which allowed the forgotten Laurence Maroney to chip in with 130+ yards and a score. Even the law firm of BenJarvis Green-Ellis got involved averaging 10 yards a touch.

Is this the return of the 2007 Pats offense? Who knows really, the Titans are an 0-6 team now, they’re hardly a litmus test of how New England can do against a defense that isn’t truly depressing. Fortunately for all Pats’ owners out there they get the comparably terrible Bucs defense across the pond next week. Except big things.

Besides Brady, it was a pretty good day for Quarterbacks in general. Not the ones I recommended of course but others put up some huge numbers. Brees, Schaub, Roethlisberger, Favre, and Flacco had huge games. Hopefully you weren’t like me and started Matt Hasselbeck. I think since it was sunny in Seattle and the sun caused a massive glare off his head, blinding his receivers. Stupid Hasselbeck, bald asshole.

I actually feel encouraged for the Lions despite a 26-0 loss to the Packers. In the absence of Matt Stafford and Calvin Johnson the Lions didn’t show the glimpse of respectability they’ve had all season. These are legit players that are going to help Detroit rise from the ashes, eventually.

At the Rice-A-Roni Bowl in Baltimore, Raymond edged out the upstart Sidney. Ray Rice had 194 yards and 2TDs while Sidney had 176 yards on 6 catches. Ray has become a superstar in all formats but his 10 catches give him a total of 33 for the year and that makes him a top 5 PPR performer. The 33 make him first among running backs and fourth among all players. Try to buy him in all PPR formats from owners who don’t understand how valuable he really is.

This is the Deangelo Williams we all hoped he could be when he was drafted. Give him the rock and he’ll produce: 30 carries for 152 and 2 TDs, he even chipped in 20 yards receiving just for a lark. The Panthers look like they have righted the ship a little bit. If they are going to win they’ll do IT ON THE GROUND and that means a return to the fantasy scene for Jonathan Stewart as well. He may have been let go in your league and could be a nice asset off your bench the rest of the way.

Is that Michael Turner or Brian Westbrook? Two catches on consecutive plays? That’s 33% of his 2008 total. Don’t get used to that.

The Colts play the Rams next week, just a heads up. They’ll be your best bet for a pick up defense if you want to grab them.

Pick ups of the week

Sidney Rice (29% owned)- He has been the most consistent playmaker from the Vikings receiving corps since week three. Rice has earned Farve’s trust and is getting looks deep downfield. He’s a big body and has good hands and he’s put up double digits points three of the last four weeks, go get him.

Heath Miller (61% owned)- The passing Renaissances of the 2009 Steelers has made a fantasy superstar of Big Ben, he’s lucky Shaq isn’t patrolling any opposing secondaries. But it’s Heath Miller that has become a legend in his own right. Miller has become the go to guy in the red zone over the last three games and has posted 19,11 and 14 points over that span; anyone can use that kind of production from their tight end slot.

Laurence Maroney (15% owned)-

This is Laurence Maroney. He wants to be on your team, he'll do whatever it takes, whatever.

Ol’ Dreads has become fantasy relevant again. With Fred Taylor and now Sammy Morris succumbing to injury, the road back to glory was paved with snow for Maroney. If the Pats offense is even half of what they were today every week, Maroney will be scoring. Despite their penchant for the pass, New England does like to run the ball inside the 10 which means huge value for whoever gets those carries. Pick him up now and if he does nothing to keep it going, dump him, but his upside could be huge if Belichick decides to give him a diet of pigskin.

Hakeem Nicks (11% owned)- The Son of Stevie was a popular preseason sleeper and was mass dropped after getting injured in week 1. He now has three touchdowns in the last three weeks, each week since he has returned from injury. All seems to be well now and Eli is looking for him. The Giants get Arizona and San Diego two of the next three weeks making him viable option in those games. If you need a filler for bye week trouble he could do the trick.

Lance Moore (49% owned)- He’s back from injury and made an immediate impact. He caught 6 balls for 78 yards and a TD. He has a tremendous rapport with Brees and finally seems healthy. Moore was a top 20 receiver last year and is worth a pick up for his potential upside.

Injuries

Sammy Morris left the game with a knee injury in the first quarter. You should drop him or continue to ignore him on free agency, either way don’t own him, own Maroney instead.

Lendale White left the same game with a knee injury as well. White was barely ownable anyways and this should be the last straw.

Anquan Boldin left the game Sunday with a sprained ankle. He should be able to go in week 7 against the Giants but monitor his status. If it looks like he’ll be out for any extended period of time go see if Steve Breaston is still available. He’s still available in 33% of leagues.

Trent Edwards got concussed again, not a good sign. The same type of injury that caused hima great deal of problems last year. Feel free to cut Edwards and just remember not to pick up Ryan Fitzpatrick.

If you were one of the 2% of people who started Daunte Culpepper you were probably glad to see him leave with an injury after posting a line of 6/14 for 48 and a pick. You’ll be doing harm to yourself if you pick up back up Drew Stanton, so unless you’re a masochist, avoid him at all costs.

Donnie Avery left the game after catching a touchdown and bruising his hip. It’s unknown right now what the extent of the injury is, so hold Avery if you can, if better options are there, like a Johnny Knox, get them.

Sunday Preview with spread picks

Last week against the spread

Mayo: 6-8

Anderson: 7-7

1:00pm Games

New York Giants at New Orleans

Eli Manning is still suffering from plantar fasciitis, sore heel, which could contribute to the downfall of the Giants this week. Manning has been limited in practice all week and that doesn’t bode well in a game where New York is going to need to rely on their superstar quarterback to stay in this game. Despite all this, Steve Smith and Mario Manningham should be reasonably productive as the Giants will have a tough time getting the run on the go against a fairly stellar Saints defense , which ranks 7th in the NFL against the run. Downgrade Brandon Jacobs, if you haven’t from his recent performances already, but hold on Ahmad Bradshaw who should produce what he usually does. The Saints are coming off a bye week and should be up to play in this one. This game could go a long way in determining home field advantage through the NFC playoffs which is far more valuable to the Saints who do not do their best work in the rugged elements of the mighty outdoors. On the fast track this week they should be fine though. Drew Brees should get back on his previous hall of fame pace which is good news for Colston, Henderson and Bush. Despite the having the number one defense, the Giants are only middle of the pack when it comes to the run. This sets up well for Lucky Pierre Thomas who should have a very good game.

Picks

Mayo: New Orleans (-3)

Anderson: NY Giants (+3)

Cleveland at Pittsburgh

The Steelers are giving up 14 points at home, that’s crazy. Pitt hasn’t been anyone by more than 10 this season. That being said, I still like the Curtain to win handily against the dreadful Browns. It looks like Willie Parker will be the starter and will split carries Rashard Mendenhall. This is a great ground match up but it’s going to be hard to figure out who’s getting rock when it counts. I would roll the dice with Mendenhall after what he’s done the last few weeks but be very wary. Big Ben and Hines Ward should eat up the Browns secondary, he has 3TDs in his past four against the Cleve. Santonio Holmes has been put on alert by the fantasy community. After a huge week one, Holmes only has 203 over the last four games. Watch out. There’s no one you really want any part of on Cleveland but if you’re really hurting Massaquoi getting involved throughout the game would not be shocking. The Browns will try to pound the ball with Jamal Lewis and Jerome Harrison but the probability of that being successful is very low. I still like the Browns to cover.

Picks

Mayo: Cleveland (+14)

Anderson: Pittsburgh (-14)

Carolina at Tampa Bay

In a game that no one will be watching the punchless Panthers take on the barren Bucs. Lets not forget the old adage: just because the teams are bad doesn’t means there’s not fantasy value to be had. Yup, that comes from ancient script. Both teams are awful against the pass so if you truly need the help Jake Delhomme and Josh Johnson aren’t the worst options out there. I like Antonio Bryant to show a glimpse of his 2008 version against a weak defense. Kellen Winslow should contribute in the intermediate passing game which could lead to another score. Eventually someone will emerge from the cluttered Bucs backfield but until that happens keep Ward and Caddy on the bench. You have to roll with Deangelo and Stewart for this week. If they don’t show up this week it will be time to turn to plan B. The original Steve Smith should make an appearance here too. Get him in the lineup. This should be a close one as it is one of the only games on the schedule that the Bucs could conceivably win, I’ll take the points at home.

Picks

Mayo: Tampa Bay (+3.5)

Anderson: Carolina ( -3.5)

Houston at Cincinnati

The Texans travel north for a clash at Paul Brown Stadium with the 4-1 Bengals. The Bengals are eventually going to lose one of these close games and this should be the week. The prolific Houston offense should cause problems for the improved Cinci D. All Texans should be starts this week. I actually like Kevin Walter a bit this week as 2nd receivers have been producing every week against Cincinnati. All Bengals should be as well, especially Cedric Benson. Benson should make a mockery of the swiss cheese Houston run defense. This game could get out of hand quickly but the Bengals have the ability to play to the level of their competition, Houston should cover.

Picks

Mayo: Houston ( +5)

Anderson: Cincinnati (-5)

Kansas City at Washington

The Chiefs covered for me last week and there’s no reason they shouldn’t again this week against the Redskins. The Skins are in turmoil from top to bottom and it’s adversely affecting their performance on the field. If you haven’t traded Clinton Portis yet you may be luck. He should be a viable option this week and it will inflate his trade value by having two good weeks in row. Cooley should get back on track this week after zero targets from Campbell last week. Santana Moss should be a decent play here but it’s almost impossible to predict which games he chooses to show up for. Matt Cassel has been a terrific fantasy QB in his four games and should continue to roll here. Dwayne Bowe is Cassel’s go to guy and should produce here, he’s a red zone monster. Don’t touch LJ for the love of God, he’s done. Jammal Charles should continue to outpace Johnson despite getting a tenth of LJ’s touches. It will be Charles’ job soon so you may want to pick him up and stash him away.

Picks

Mayo: Kansas City (+ 6.5)

Anderson: (-6.5)

Detroit at Green Bay

Those poor Lions are going to be without their two best players as Calvin Johnson and Matt Stafford are riding the pine with injuries. Kevin Smith should be the main option, so reap the rewards of the added touches. Don’t touch Culpepper but Dennis Northcutt could be a really sneaky play if you need the receiver help. Per usual with any team playing the Lions, start everyone on the other team. Get Jennings, Rogers, Driver, and Grant in your lineups. You may even consider using JaMichael Finley, he’s a deep sleeper.

Picks

Mayo: Green Bay (-13.5)

Anderson: Green Bay (13.5)

St. Louis at Jacksonville

Start you Jags. Get Garrard, Sims-Walker, MJD, Scobee, and Lewis in your lineups. The Rams are terrible and that’s not changing anytime soon. St. Louis should be able to keep up a bit in points but will ultimately fall. I wouldn’t touch Bulger but Donnie Avery will make a nice play. Steven Jackson should put up his usual 120 yards and no touchdowns, which still makes him a start.

Picks

Mayo: Jacksonville (-9.5)

Anderson: Jacksonville (-9.5)

Baltimore at Minnesota

The Ravens and Vikes hook up in Minni and it should be a battle of the defenses. You can’t sit Peterson but don’t expect too much against a very good Ravens run defense. Favre is a sit and could produce his worst stat line of the year against the opportunistic Ravens secondary. Ray Rice should continue to get his touches and will contribute out of the backfield. Todd Heap you produced from Baltimore’s side and is a good filler if you need the TE help. The Ravens have lost two in a row to good competition and the Vikings provide another tough challenge, go Vikes.

Picks

Mayo: Minnesota (-3)

Anderson: Baltimore (+3)

4:00pm Games

Arizona at Seattle

As long as it’s not raining make starters out of all legitimate passing options in this game. Start Warner, Boldin, Fitz, Hasselbeck, Burleson, Housh and Carlson. The Cards actually have the number one rated run defense so sit Orange Julius. Hightower may vulture a touchdown but you shouldn’t trust him to do much else. This is a good match up that will tell us a bit more about the confusing NFC West.

Picks

Mayo: Seattle ( -3)

Anderson: Arizona (+3)

Philadelphia at Oakland

I think the Eagles win and win big but don’t put too much stock in their offense this week. They’re certainly capable of exploding but I get the feeling they get up so much so early we’ll see some backups and a copious amount of the running game. Philly’s D/ST is a great play as they’ll get their turnovers and maybe a TD. You’ll start your usuals due to lack of better options but don’t get your hopes too high. Oh ya, don’t start any Raiders.

Picks

Mayo: Philadelphia (-14)

Anderson: Philadelphia ( -14)

Tennessee at New England

The Titans are 31st in the NFL against the pass so this match up is as juicy as it gets for Brady, Moss and Welker. This will be the week they finally get it all together and put up some serious points. The Titans rank 3rd against he run so that doesn’t bode well for Pats’ running backs. If you really need one play Sammy Morris. Actually, go pick up Sammy Morris, he’s the Patriots running back you want. Get Chris Johnson in there and hope they don’t get down too much too early. Nate Washington is the receiver you want here but watch out, “Hooked on Phonics” Vince Young may be starting.

Picks

Mayo: New England (-9.5)

Anderson: Tennessee ( +9.5)

Buffalo at New York Jets

Thomas Jones and Leon Washington will eat up the awful Bills defense. The Bills are actually respectable against the pass so watch out all Braylon owners who may be riding high after last week. Jericho Cotchery looks like he’ll miss this one with a hamstring injury so David Clowney will be starting in his spot. Keller should finally get back on track this week as the Bills have a tough time against tight ends. The Jets’ defense is pretty tough so there’s no really good options here. I would start Marshawn Lynch and that’s about it. I can see this being a low scoring affair that the Bills are able to stay in. I don’t think they’ll win but 9.5 is a lot of points for a game they should be up for. Also, The bills have won 2 of their last 3 at the Jets.

Picks

Mayo: Bills (+9.5)

Anderson: Jets (-9.5)

8:20pm Game

Chicago at Atlanta

This game reeks of shootout. I’m starting everyone I can here. Start Cutler, Knox, Forte, Hester, Olsen, Ryan, Turner, Gonzo, and White: they should all produce. The Falcons looked good coming out of their bye last week and I expect the Bears to do the same. This game will be high scoring and I’m really not sure who will win, so I’m taking the points.

Picks

Mayo: Chicago (+3)

Anderson: Atlanta: ( -3)

Monday Night

Denver at San Diego

Who knows with this one. The Chargers are favored against the 5-0 Broncos which is mind blowing but not possibly wrong. Knowshawn Moreno will start but Buckhalter will be back to steal carries; I still like them to both put up decent numbers. San Diego has a pretty terrible defense so get Orton and Marshall in there. If you really need the help Eddie Royal looked like he was back last week but I wouldn’t be super confident with him in my line up. I hate LT this week but that could be just me. He really looks like he’s lost a step. I would wager that Sproles outscores him this week but I’m not starting either. Denver has only given up two passing touchdowns this year, last week vs. NE, but Rivers can bomb it with the best of them, he’ll be fine. Jackson and Gates will get themselves involved so start them. Everyone I see seems to be picking the Chargers but I’m gonna stick with the undefeated Broncos until they prove to me they’re able to lose.

Picks

Mayo: Denver (+4)

Anderson: San Diego (-4)