Fantasy Football: Week Nine

NHL Stock Market 10/29/2008

Stock Rising - This is where you'll find players that you may find on your waiver wire or sitting on your bench.  These are players that could bring in big returns if traded now.  Ultimately, its up to you whether you believe they'll stay valuable or if you should try to cash in on them now.  I wouldn't recommend dropping an established player to acquire these players.  These are guys that ideally, would round out the bottom half of your roster.

Buy Low - Players in this section don't mean you should try to sell them or just flat out waive them.  All of the players in this section are players that are in a slump and you should try to trade for.  These are guys that are talented and will come around eventually.

Sell - If these players are on your team, you're much better off checking the waiver wire or trading them.

Stock Rising

Tim Thomas - The B's may be platooning their goalies right now, but that may change real fast.  Thomas has recorded a shutout in each of his last two games and has given up only 4 goals in the last 4 games.  People forget that Thomas was an All Star last year or figured it was a fluke.  Right now, he's playing great hockey and is currently owned in only 45% of ESPN fantasy leagues.

(Photo by Reuters Pictures)

Nikolai Khabibulin - Sticking with goalies, "The Bulin Wall", who's role was in question when Cristobel Huet showed up, is playing better and making the Hawks rethink their decision or at least giving them leverage to make a big trade down the line.  Either way, Nikolai's value is increasing each week.  I've read rumors about him going to the Senators, which would really skyrocket his value.  It might be a good time to buy him now and he's currently available 66% of ESPN fantasy leagues.

Peter Budaj - When starter Jose Theodore left town for greener pastures, it pushed Budaj back into the starting role.  He was then rocked in 2 of his first 3 starts and questions about how long he'd be able to fend off Andrew "Razor" Raycroft starting popping up.  Well since then, he was named one of the NHL's stars of the week with a 3-0 record, a 1.62 GAA and .941 save percentage.  I don't expect numbers like that all season, especially playing on the run and gun Avs, but he's a starting goalie for a quality team and is still available in 78% of ESPN fantasy leagues.

Joffrey Lupul - He's always had the talent and the hype, but never really has been able to put it all together into one big season.  Lupul started off slow once again this year, but since teaming up with Mike Richards, his numbers have caught fire.  Lupul has 5 goals in his last 4 games. 

Craig Conroy - Before Daymond Langkow showed up to center Jarome Iginla's line, Craig Conroy was his center and together they led the Flames to the Finals in 04.  Guess what?  He's back on Iginla's line and he's picking up assists left and right.  Conroy has 4 assists in his last 3 games and is available in 98% of ESPN leagues.

Andy McDonald - He was up here last time under in this section, but I'm looking at his ownership numbers and he's only owned by 63% of fantasy leagues.  Apparently, enough people don't read this blog.  He's now tied for 2nd in the league for assists and has 8 power play points, which is tied for the most in the NHL.  He's not a fluke.  Before being traded to the Blues, McDonald was a 30 goal, 50 assist player.  His ownership should at least be in the 80% range.

Glen Metropolit - If you're in a really deep league and need a little bit of a boost, try Metropolit.  When Briere went down with an injury, Metropolit was elevated to the Flyers top line with Simon Gagne and Mike Knuble.  He'll only be on this line for about a month or so, but he may not be a bad player to have while he's hot.  He has 4 points in his last two games.

 
Buy Low

Ryan Getzlaf - The Ducks top line of Getzlaf, Perry and Kunitz is starting to click and Getzlaf is raking in the points.  He now has a goal in each of his last three games, 5 points total.  It was only a matter of time before this sleeping giant woke up.  Now is the time to snatch him up from an unsuspecting owner.

Corey Perry - As I had mentioned above, the top line of the Ducks is starting to put it together and Perry is starting to play more like himself.  He currently leading the team in assists and has 7 points in his last 4 games.

Sedin twins - Both Henrik and Daniel are both in serious slumps right now.  Henrik hasn't recorded a point in his last three games and is a minus 6.  Daniel has one assist in his last 7 games and is a minus 4.  These two are very streaky and far too talented to keep this up.  When they get hot, they'll feed off of each other giving you double the fantasy points.

Olli Jokinen - Going into the season, Jokinen figured to have a career year playing for a new team with new and better linemates than in Florida, but so far Olli hasn't cashed in.  He does have a point per game, but only one goal, which is a bit troubling.  The Coyotes acquired him to put the puck in the net, not to setup plays.  His real value is in his goal scoring ability which I do believe will come around eventually,  so if you make a deal for him now, you'll still have to give up a good player, but not as good as the player Jokinen will become.

Marty Turco - The stud goalie in Dallas has been a huge dud so far this season.  The defense hasn't been the problem either, its been Turco.  His shots against have been low and he's still surrendering anywhere from 3-6 goals per night.  This isn't typical of Turco and he will turn it around, eventually.  Now is the best time to acquire him, but spot start him until you see him returning to his old form.

Sell

Steve Stamkos - Unless you're in a keeper league, its time to drop Stamkos.  He did manage to record his first point last night, but its too little too late in my opinion.  As long as Stamkos is on a line with Malone and Hall, he'll never get the kind of points you're expecting.  He will get better as time goes on, that's a given, but he's not going to be the productive player you were hoping for in the pre season.

Mike Fisher - You probably got all warm and fuzzy when you saw he was going to be elevated to the Senators top line with Heatley and Alfredsson, but unfortunately he didn't do a thing with them.  Spezza is now back on the top line with Heatley and Fisher is now on the second line with Alfredsson.  Mike Fisher is a checking forward, he's not going to get you points.  So unless Spezza gets injured or traded and Fisher is forced to play on the top line each night, he's not worth owning.

Steve Downie - I thought this one would go without saying, but he's currently owned in 71% of ESPN leagues.  More teams own Downie than Andy McDonald!  Downie isn't even in the NHL right now.  If you're one of those people that still have him on your team, please stop the insanity.

Nikita Filatov - Like Stamkos, unless you're in a keeper league, its time to drop Filatov.  He will be a high level talent in the NHL someday, but it will not be this year.

Week Eight Wrap Up

Stars

Brian Westbrook - After getting a much needed week off with the bye, Brian Westbrook returned to top form at home against the Atlanta Falcons racking up 209 total yards and 2 TD's.  Assuming Westbrook stays healthy (and that's a big assumption), he'll be a fantasy force for the remainder of the season and should show up in the stars section many more times.

(Photo by Mel Evans / AP)

LaDainian Tomlinson - For at least one game, LT returned into the fantasy stud we all know and love.  Tomlinson ran for 105 yards and caught for another 65, and a TD.  Too bad, he can't play more games in England.  He's now going into the bye week and will have some extra time to rest his injured big toe.  If he comes out of the bye at 100%, he's setup for a big second half with teams like the Chiefs (twice), Colts, Falcons, Raiders and Broncos on the remainder of the schedule.

Drew Brees - The Chargers second round pick in the 2001 draft, came back to haunt them a few days before Halloween throwing for 339 yards and 3 TD's in a 37-32 win.  Like LT, he's going into the bye week now, but has a very favorable schedule afterwords.  Unless he gets injured, Brees will be the NFL's top QB at the end of the year.

Santana Moss - Playing against the NFL practice squad, it came as no surprise that the Redskins top receiver lit it up this week with 140 yards and a TD. 

Philip Rivers - I think it may be time to get Philip a membership in the stars section.  Once again, one of the NFL's top QB's is here with a big yet another big performance (341 yards and 3 TD's).  Rivers is making a strong case to be the NFL MVP.

Stumblers

Cincinnati Bengals - I'm sorry, but when you get SMASHED by the Houston Texans, you're doing something very very VERY wrong.  If you haven't already sold off your Bengals by now, then stop reading this blog post right now and do it.  Trade them, drop them, super glue them to your bench, whatever it takes.

Jeff Garcia - With the Cowboys on the ropes, it wouldn't take much to knock them out easily.  It didn't happen and Jeff Garcia was most responsible.  He didn't turn over the ball, but only 228 yards passing and zero TD's against a team that couldn't stop the big play if they had 20 guys on the field.

Maurice Jones-Drew - Probably my biggest disappointment of the week.  Just last week, a banged up Clinton Portis ran for 175 yards against the Browns.  Well rested and at home MJD should have enjoyed a monster game.  He didn't have a monster game, but running for only 29 yards is very scary.  MJD has the Bengals and Lions next.  If he can't run for a 100 yards in one of those two games he should just quit football altogether.

Brett Favre - Rarely will you ever see a QB that threw for 290 yards and 2 TD's show up in the Stumblers section, but his 3 INT's against the Chiefs is ridiculous.  Favre played in his third straight fantasy friendly matchup and did average, at best.  In the last three weeks Favre has played the Bengals, Raiders and Chiefs and in those games threw 3 TD's, 7 INT's and fumbled 4 times (losing one).  Based on that, if this isn't Favre's last year, I feel sorry for anyone that picks him up.

Ben Roethlisberger - 99% of the time when Ben has a bad game, I give him the benefit of the doubt.  Most the time, its the offensive line or bad play calling (if they blitz 7 or 8 and only 5 are blocking its not the line's fault), but this one has to be on Ben.  Far too many times the pocket collapsed and instead of throwing the ball away, he keeps trying to make something happen and either got sacked or picked off.  Sometimes the best thing you can do, is throw the ball away.

Fantasy Football: Week Eight

Its about the half way point of the NFL season and the half way point of your fantasy football season.  If you're trailing, don't feel bad there's still a long way to go, but now is the time to start rolling in the right direction.  In 2004, I was going into Week Eight with a 3-4 record... I didn't lose another game that season and finished 12-4.  Its never about how fast you start, its about how strong you finish.  Bye week:  Chicago Bears, Denver Broncos, Green Bay Packers, Minnesota Vikings

Oakland Raiders vs Baltimore Ravens

Raiders:  Coming off a high from their big upset victory over the Jets, the Silver and Black will head to Baltimore to meet the NFL best run defense.  Not a good sign for a team that relies a lot on their running game.

Ravens:  Having found their running game last week, Willis McGahee will look to keep it rolling (and stay healthy) against the Raiders porous run defense which is giving up an average of 136 yards per game.

Fantasy Factors:  Sebastian Janikowski(7), Willis McGahee (8)

Arizona Cardinals vs Carolina Panthers

Cardinals:  Coming off of a bye week, this pass happy team hopefully used their extra week for preparation for this game.  The Panthers have the second best pass defense in football.  The good news is that one of their top receivers; Anquan Boldin will be back Sunday.

Panthers:  After losing 27-3 to the Bucs, the Panthers rebounded nicely against the Saints.  This week Delhomme and company will play host to a team with one of the worst pass defenses in the game.  Remember Favre throwing 6 TDs?  Delhomme should connect with Smith and Muhammad deep and often.

Fantasy Factors:  Larry Fitzgerald (8), Jake Delhomme (9)

Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs Dallas Cowboys

Buccaneers:  With Garcia back at the helm, the Bucs are rolling and head into Big D to play the Cowboys who are having a really tough time on defense right now.  If the Bucs can take advantage of the Cowboys secondary, like everyone else, Garcia could have another big day.

Cowboys:  Coming off a humiliating blowout loss to the Rams, the Cowboys need a home game.  Unfortunately it's against a Bucs team that has won 5 of their last 6.  Brad Johnson needs to be better and Barber needs to get going if the Cowboys are going to have a chance.  Who would have thought Romo out of the lineup would cause so much chaos for this Super Bowl contender?

Fantasy Factors:  Jeff Garcia (7), Marion Barber (7)

Washington Redskins vs Detroit Lions

Redskins:  The fantasy gold mine for this week is the Washington Redskins as they'll play against the NFL practice squad.  The Lions are awful against the pass and run making all Redskins weapons strong plays this week.

Lions:  The Lions only hope is that the Redskins will look past them to their upcoming matchup with the Steelers.

Fantasy Factors:  Clinton Portis (10), Calvin Johnson (7)

Buffalo Bills vs Miami Dolphins

Bills:  Despite numerous injuries on defense, the Bills were able to contain the Chargers offense and pull out the win.  Marshawn Lynch once again failed to reach 100 yards, but did score a TD.

Dolphins:  The Dolphins "Wildcat offense" was declawed by the Ravens last week and the Bills defense will probably do the same.  Marcus Stroud, Paul Posluszny, and Kawika Mitchell should be all over Ronnie Brown in this one.

Fantasy Factors:  Marshawn Lynch (7), Chad Pennington (7)

St. Louis Rams vs New England Patriots

Rams:  Finally the Rams will get a chance to avenge their "loss" (they didn't really lose, they were cheated) in Super Bowl XXXVI.  Steven Jackson came to life last week, but he's questionable going into this week.  Marc Bulger also looked like his old self in their upset win over the Cowboys.

Patriots:  Last week was the Patriots statement game.  They took one of the better teams in the AFC, stomped a mud hole in them and walked it dry.  No reason to believe they can't do the same to the Rams this week.

Fantasy Factors:  Marc Bulger (6), Randy Moss (8)

San Diego Chargers vs New Orleans Saints

Chargers:  Heading to London’s Wembley Stadium, the Chargers are looking power up their on again, off again offense.  Philip Rivers has looked great for most of the year, but without LT being LT, Rivers will find himself getting blitzed a lot more and teams dropping back into coverage more.  This should be one of Rivers bigger weeks as the Saints have one of the weaker secondaries in football.

Saints:  Speaking of weak secondaries, the Chargers are dead last in pass defense and Drew Brees is the number one QB in the NFL.  With Marques Colston back in the lineup and getting back into the groove of things, this could be a shootout between these two teams.  Great matchup for England.  Much different from the snooze-a-thon that took place there last year. 

Fantasy Factors:  Philip Rivers (8), Drew Brees (10)

Kansas City Chiefs vs New York Jets

Chiefs:  Once again the Chiefs will be without their only fantasy star, Larry Johnson.  The Chiefs have scored only 1 TD in the almost a month now.  I would avoid them at all costs.

Jets:  Over the past couple weeks, Brett Favre has played more like an old man than a gunslinger.  Fortunately, the list of bad teams he gets to play just keeps on rolling in.  Thomas Jones, on the other hand, has been making the most of this soft schedule and has been a good source of fantasy points since the bye week.

Fantasy Factors:  Tony Gonzalez (7), Thomas Jones (8)

Atlanta Falcons vs Philadelphia Eagles

Falcons:  Surprisingly sitting at 4-2, the Falcons head to World Series crazy Philadelphia.  Matt Ryan is playing much better than expected and Michael Turner is making a strong case to be a pro bowl running back.

Eagles:  The bye week couldn't have come at a better time for the Eagles.  Brian Westbrook is almost back to full strength and Reggie Brown is expected to be back in a limited role.  This is a great week to acquire Westbrook in salary cap leagues.

Fantasy Factors:  Michael Turner (7), Donovan McNabb (8)

Cincinnati Bengals vs Houston Texans

Bengals:  Once again Carson Palmer is out and once again the Bengals will play something that closely resembles football.  The only good news for the Bengals is that this season is half over.

Texans:  In case no one has noticed, the Texans are beginning to look like a pretty solid football team.  Yes, their only two wins were against the Dolphins and Lions, but this offense has really gotten better.  Matt Schaub is really coming along nicely and has great chemistry with all his receivers.  Rookie Steve Slaton is looking to be the real deal.

Fantasy Factors:  T.J. Houshmandzadeh (7), Steve Slaton (8)

Cleveland Browns vs Jacksonville Jaguars

Browns:  The Browns snapped back to reality last week losing to the Redskins 14-11.  This week, they'll have another tough test on the road against the well rested Jacksonville Jaguars.  With Kellen Winslow suspended, this limits Derek Anderson's options.  Not exactly what he needs while he's fighting through his struggles.

Jaguars:  The well rested Jags will look to attack Cleveland's poor run defense and have two guys that can really exploit that.  Fred Taylor is going to play, but is planning on wearing a new concussion-preventing helmet this Sunday and will probably be limited.  Maurice Jones-Drew will most likely see most of the carries and if his game against Denver was any indication, that should be big news for his owners.

Fantasy Factors:  Braylon Edwards (8), Maurice Jones-Drew (9)

New York Giants vs Pittsburgh Steelers

Giants:  The G-Men got back on track last week in San Fran, but will face much stiffer competition in Pittsburgh.  The Steelers defense will give the Giants offensive weapons a tough time, but I do expect to see some inspired play from Plaxico Burress.

Steelers:  With all the problems the Steelers have had protecting Ben, this could turn into a nightmare game for the Steelers.  However, if the Steelers can give Ben time to throw, he should have yet another big day.  The Giants have yet to play a really good passing team this year and may have trouble stopping Holmes and Ward.

Fantasy Factors:  Plaxico Burress (8), Hines Ward (7)

Seattle Seahawks vs San Francisco 49ers

Seahawks:  This game could really go either way for the Hawks.  If Hasselbeck returns, his receivers will be worth starting and Julius Jones will have a much easier time running.  But right now, its unclear whether he'll play, meaning Seneca Wallace could be starting for the second straight week.  Seneca Wallace equals Kordell Stewart, but much worse.

49ers:  The Niners will look to end their 4 game skid at home against the last place Seahawks.  Top offensive weapon, Frank Gore was stuffed and stuffed badly against the Giants last week running for 11 yards on 11 carries.  On the plus side he did rack up 50 receiving yards.  Gore remains the best fantasy option and looks to a have a pretty nice week against the Hawks.

Fantasy Factors:  Julius Jones (7), Frank Gore (8)

Indianapolis Colts vs Tennessee Titans

Colts:  This will be a HUGE game for the Colts.  If they lose, they will be 4 games back from the division leading Titans.  If they win, they'll only be 2 games back.  It will be a huge swing either way and the Colts are coming off a bad loss to the Packers.  With Joseph Addai out again, the Colts will rely heavily on Peyton's arm to carry them to a win.

Titans:  After maiming the KC Chiefs run defense for 332 rushing yards, the Titans get matched up with the team with the Colts who are giving up an average of 153 yards per game on the ground.  I hope Kerry Collins doesn't forget how to throw a pass after two straight weeks of just hands off to Chris Johnson and LenDale White.

Fantasy Factors:  Peyton Manning (7), Chris Johnson (9)

Fantasy Hockey Notes 10/22/08

It's still very early in the NHL season, but sometimes this is when long term trends start and its a good idea to keep your eye on certain situations.

Mike Richards - Great player, tons of talent, but Flyers coach, John Stevens wants to try to switch things up a bit. Unfortunately, that means moving Richards off the first line and away from Gagne and Briere.  Last Saturday, against the Sharks, Richards was placed on a line with Scott Hartnell and Steve Downie-softness.  Why would anyone move their best player to a line with two thugs is beyond me.  Then again, it's the Flyers, its hard to have him not playing alongside thugs.  According to Philly.com though, Richards will now be paired up with Hartnell and Joffrey Lupul.  Its a step up, but you're still not going to get the production out of Richards that you were hoping for.  Hopefully in the coming weeks, the line juggling will go back to favoring Richards.

(Photo by Getty Images)

Marian Gaborik - Yes, he's currently injured yet again, however his upside remains too high to ignore.  Right now, Gaborik leaving Minnesota seems imminent and his value would sky rocket if he left the defensive minded Wild for a more high octane offensive team, like the Habs, Oilers or even Penguins.  If you don't already own Gabby, now would be a good time to acquire via trade.  His stock is as low as its going to get.

Sergei Fedorov - Last night, Feds took Nicklas Backstrom's spot on the top line and played alongside Alexander Ovechkin.  Fedorov took little time cashing in scoring four minutes into the contest.  If this line sticks, this will be HUGE for Fedorov owners, especially those of you in leagues where his brief stint on the blueline made him available as a defenseman.  

Michael Nylander - Sticking with the Caps, Michael Nylander is suddenly note worthy playing on a line with their other Alexander, Alexander Semin.  Nylander has failed to record a point in his last two games, but put together a couple multiple point games before that.  As long as he's able to keep feeding the puck to Semin, he's a solid fantasy center.

Jason Spezza - It should come as no surprise that the Ottawa Senators would change their top line, but moving Spezza off the top line is something we haven't seen before.  Usually its Heatley or Alfredsson that gets moved;  Spezza was perceived as being safe.  Well guess again.  Spezza will now be playing with Nick Foligno and rookie Jesse Winchester.  Lucky him.  Unlucky for Spezza owners, at least for now.  Mike Fisher will now jump up and play with the top line, but I can't imagine this being a permanent solution.  A checking center with two offensive explosive players doesn't exactly sound like a match made in heaven.

Phil Kessel - Since joining the Marc Savard line, Kessel has really taken off scoring 6 goals in as many games.  He's not the second coming of Joe Malone, but he's a solid pickup right now and is only owned in 69% of ESPN leagues.

Steve Stamkos - I hate to say it, but you may want to start looking for other options.  He's on a line with Bugsy Malone and Adam Hall (great move, Melrose) and Stamkos has yet to record a single point in 6 NHL games.  It's a safe bet that unless you're in a keeper league, people won't pick him up if you drop him, so don't let him be a drain on your team.

Nikolai Khabibulin / Cristobal Huet - Is there a stickier situation in the NHL?  This is worse than when the Wings had Dominik Hasek and Curtis Joseph on their roster at the same time.  Both are playing and playing well makes for a tough decision night in, night out for anyone who owns either of these goalies.  Best thing you can do is own both of them and let it play out.  Don't think you can't own both either. If you already have Huet, there's a good chance Khabibulin is on waivers.  He's owned in only 20% of ESPN leagues.

Fabian Brunnstrom - In case you missed it last week, Fabian Brunnstrom made his NHL debut and recorded a hat trick.  Playing on a line with Brad Richards and helping him keep his and Richards' value steady and should be on most fantasy teams at this point although he's his ownership is only 29%.  With the Stars top line struggling, Richards and Brunnstrom are the go to guys on the Stars for offense right now.

Michael Cammalleri - Last night, he was moved to the top line with Jarome Iginla and Big Bert.  He didn't walk away with any points, but if this trio stays together it could be one of the more dominant lines in hockey.

Kristian Huselius - Hus, the talented left winger of the Blue Jackets, not the guy from high school that thought he was a good street hockey player, is making a big impact with his new linemates.  Huselius has 3 goals and 4 assists in his first 6 games and is proving that his less than productive time in Florida was a fluke.

Ryan Miller - Miller is having a great season thus far, but there's one catch for owners in certain leagues.  He's expected to only play around 65 games this year as opposed to the 76 he played last year.  His GAA will be lower, his save percentage will be up, but his overall fantasy value may take a hit as he won't record as many saves or wins.

Week Seven Wrap Up

Week Seven in the NFL featured an explosion of offense from all directions.  Three RB's finished with over 160 yards, two wideouts finished with over 140 yards and two defensive minded teams (Bears and Vikings) gave up a combined 89 points.

Stars

Steven Jackson - Jackson finally showed everyone why he's getting paid the big bucks this year.  Steven's 160 yards and 3 TD's helped lead the Rams to an upset win over the Dallas Cowboys.  Could this be the start of something big for Action Jackson?  Not so fast.  Jackson has a thigh injury that could lead to him missing next week's game in New England.

LenDale White - Not Chris Johnson, but the stay puff marshmallow back himself, LenDale White had the bigger fantasy impact against the Chiefs.  He ran for 149 yards and 3 TD's.  His biggest run was an 80 yarder in which could have probably been clocked with a sun dial.  Seriously, you mean to tell me a KC defensive back couldn't catch him?

Clinton Portis - Another week, another 100+ yard performance with at least one TD.  Portis is having an MVP caliber season and next week, he'll get the Lions.  Keep him rolling.

Adrian Peterson - Okay, so let me get this straight... he can run for more yards and score more TD's against the Bears at Solider Field than against the Lions at home.  Peterson is like a well trained assassin.  You never know where or when he'll strike, so its always best to be ready for a big performance.  Peterson racked up 121 yards and 2 TD's in a 48-41 loss.

Mewelde Moore - I don't care, call me a homer all you want, but Moore did a great job filling in for Fast Willie on short notice.  Moore helped us forget about Willie this week with his 120 yard, 2 TD performance.

Stumblers

Brett Favre - Can someone please explain to me what the heck happened to Brett Favre?  He throws 6 TD's against the Cardinals, goes on a bye and suddenly has gotten how to play football.  Since coming off the bye week, Favre has returned into his turnover machine form, throwing 4 INT's and fumbling 4 times (only one lost).  Next week, Favre plays at home against the Chiefs.

Peyton Manning - After coming off a huge game against the Ravens, he surprised us in a whole new way this week.  Manning threw 2 INT's and finished with a 46.6 QB rating for the week.  Not exactly what people were expecting after watching him torch the Ravens defense.

LaDainian Tomlinson - I was debating whether to put Rivers here or Tomlinson, but at least Rivers did something.  Tomlinson once again failed to reach 100 yards (he didn't even get half that, 41 yards) and failed to score a TD for the third straight game.  The Chargers now will head to London, England to play the Saints.  Maybe he can find the end zone there.

Dallas Cowboys D/ST - Okay, so Tony Romo is hurt and Brad Johnson isn't doing you any favors throwing 3 INT's.  That doesn't explain why you let the worst offense in football just run right over you.  Steven Jackson looked like the second coming of Walter Payton and Marc Bulger completed 73% of his passes.  Tony Romo is not an excuse to blow this game.

Vikings D/ST - One of the NFL's top ranked defenses isn't top ranked any longer.  Two of the TD's did have to do with special teams, but that still doesn't explain the other 34 points.  The Bears offense is improving, but this is a defense that did a very good job containing Drew Brees in New Orleans.  There is no reason why this defense should have been gashed like this.

Fantasy Football: Week Seven

The longest week of each NFL season for Steelers fans (the bye week) is nearly at an end and they'll open up the second half of their schedule against the Bungles who couldn't be in worse shape.  Speaking of bad shape, Tony Romo, who was declared out for 4 weeks, could possibly suck it up and play thanks to some encouragement from Brett Favre.  This creates a very tough decision for Romo owners and for owners that picked up Brad Johnson.  Now into the matchups for what will probably be, yet another bizarre week in the NFL.  Bye week teams:  Falcons, Eagles, Cardinals and Jaguars

San Diego Chargers vs Buffalo Bills

Chargers:  After last week's impressive win over the hated Patriots, the Chargers will head to Buffalo to play the team ahead of the Patriots in the standings.  The Bill have one of the more physical defenses in football and a banged up LT could have a lot of problems this Sunday.  The Chargers would be better off sticking with the hot hand of Philip Rivers and going to the air a lot.

Bills:  Coming off a bye, the Bills are hoping to get star RB Marshawn Lynch going again.  He has yet to break the century mark and hasn't scored a TD since Week 3.  The Chargers defense has been up and down all season, so its really tough to gauge what parts of the Bills offense will excel.

Fantasy Factors:  Philip Rivers (8), Marshawn Lynch (7)

New Orleans Saints vs Carolina Panthers

Saints:  The Saints have the hottest offense in football right now and their top receiver, Marques Colston, will be returning to the lineup.  The Panthers have a good defense and they play better at home, but the Saints offense is too good to shutdown right now.

Panthers:  Coming off a humiliating 27-3 loss to the Bucs, the Panthers are looking to rebound.  Delhomme had a terrible week throwing three picks, but this week he'll face a much softer pass defense and should put up some big numbers.

Fantasy Factors:  Drew Brees (8), Jake Delhomme (9)

Minnesota Vikings vs Chicago Bears

Vikings:  Most opposing offenses hate playing at Soldier Field, but Adrian Peterson is okay with it.  Last year, Soldier Field was where AP ran for 224 yards and 3 TD's launching him into super stardom.  Don't think the Bears will let it happen again.

Bears:  Believe it or not, but the Bears have their quarterback... for now.  While Matt Forte's numbers have been declining, Orton's numbers have been on the rise.  Unfortunately, the Vikings have one of the NFL's best defenses.

Fantasy Factors:  Vikings D/ST (8), Bears D/ST (7)

Pittsburgh Steelers vs Cincinnati Bengals

Steelers:  Coming off a bye week the Steelers are walking into a perfect trap game.  The Bengals are awful, they don't have Carson Palmer again and the defending Super Bowl champs are up next on the schedule.  If the Steelers can stay focused on this game and worry about the Giants, next week, all Steelers players will have great value.  They better be careful though, the NFL may fine the Steelers for beating up on an inferior opponent.

Bengals:  Oh boy... with Ryan Fitzpatrick at the helm, what is there to hope for really?  The only good news the Bungles received this week was that Willie Parker re-injured his knee and is questionable for Sunday.  Aside from that, the only things for the Bengals fans to cheer for in this one will be that they may have more of their own fans in attendance, than Steelers fans.

Fantasy Factors:  Ben Roethlisberger (9), Bengals Fans (2)

Tennessee Titans vs Kansas City Chiefs

Titans:  Chris Johnson owners, this is the one you've been waiting for.  Finally, Johnson won't be running into a brick wall defense and will actually have some room to show off his speed.  This could be a huge game for Johnson, assuming LenDale White doesn't steal his TD's again.  The Titans defense also looks very good going against a Larry Johnson-less Chiefs offense.

Chiefs:  When your only offensive weapon isn't available, it makes things really difficult.  This team was shutout in their last game with LJ, it's looking like two in a row.

Fantasy Factors:  Chris Johnson (9), Tony Gonzalez (6)

Baltimore Ravens vs Miami Dolphins

Ravens:  Last time we saw the Ravens and Dolphins get together, it ended like this.  If that isn't in the back of their minds for this one, it should be.  The Ravens who came charging out of the gate with two wins have lost the last three and were humiliated last week by the Colts.  The Dolphins are not the pushovers they were, but if the Ravens don't win this one, you can forget about playoffs.  The Ravens defense is their strongest player this week.

Dolphins:  The Ravens have the best run defense in the NFL while the Dolphins have one of the hottest RB's, Ronnie Brown.  I don't expect a big day from Brown, but then again, we didn't expect a big day from him against the Patriots or Chargers either.

Fantasy Factors:  Ravens D/ST (8), Ronnie Brown (7)

San Francisco 49ers vs New York Giants

49ers:  Losers of their last 3 the Niners are not exactly walking into a good situation in Giants stadium this weekend.  The Giants suffered their first defeat of the season and are going to home to take it out on the hapless 49ers.  Its okay Niners fans, remember the 80's?  Those were fun times.  You're probably better off watching old tapes of that team, than the one that will take the field Sunday. 

Giants:  Where don't the Giants have a good matchup fantasy wise?  The Niners are awful against the pass and even worse against the run.  Manning, Burress and Jacobs should all have solid games.

Fantasy Factors:  Frank Gore (6), Brandon Jacobs (8)

Dallas Cowboys vs St. Louis Rams

Cowboys:  The big story out of Big D is Tony Romo, but for the wrong reasons.  His broken pinkie finger does not require surgery, but he was supposed to be out for 4 weeks.  Now, thanks to Favre, he is considering playing through the pain leaving an interesting "will he or won't he" starting question.  I would avoid this situation altogether.  Barber is going to get a lot of carries and playing the against the Rams poor defense, that should be fantasy gold this week.

Rams:  The Cowboys are having a very disappointing season on defense so far and if the Rams are going to compete in this one they'll need to attack the Cowboys weak spot, the secondary.  With PacMan Jones suspended the Boys will rely on backup Mike Jenkins.  Bulger will need to be the Rams best player if they have any hope of pulling off a second consecutive upset.

Fantasy Factors:  Marion Barber (10), Marc Bulger (7)

Detroit Lions vs Houston Texans

Lions:  In most weeks the Lions don't really have a chance.  They're usually overmatched in every position on the roster.  This week, there is some hope, even with Roy Williams gone.  With just one good receiver now, Calvin Johnson is a solid play for this week

Texans:  Now that they have their first win, number two shouldn't be too far away.  The NFL practice squad is in town and the Texans emerging offensive weapons should feast.

Fantasy Factors:  Calvin Johnson (8), Matt Schaub (9)

Indianapolis Colts vs Green Bay Packers

Colts:  In Week Six, the Colts offense finally returned to form and put up 31 points against the Ravens vaunted defense.  We can expect to see more of the same this week against the Pack.  The Packers are giving up an average of 24 points per game.  Not good, when the Colts are coming to town.  Addai is questionable, so Domnic Rhodes might be a good spot start this week.

Packers:  Despite shutting down the Ravens rushing attack, I'm not yet convinced that the Colts can stop the run.  The Packers should give them a healthy portion of Ryan Grant, sprinkle in some Aaron Rodgers, let it cook in Lambeu for 3-4 hours and hopefully what comes out in the end is good.  Can you tell it's close to my lunchtime? 

Fantasy Factors:  Peyton Manning (8), Ryan Grant (8)

New York Jets vs Oakland Raiders

Jets:  First the Bungles, now the Raiders.  I think Brett Favre would be having a much tougher time with retirement than this schedule.  After the way the Saints sliced up their defense, its hard to imagine the Jets not doing the same.  Favre, Jones and Cotchery are all good plays this week.

Raiders:  The change in coach unfortunately has not changed the outcome of their games.  Teams are supposed to look refreshed and ready to play after a bye week, not have their heads handed to them.  The Jets have a weak secondary, but unfortunately the Raiders refuse the throw the ball, so I doubt they'll be able to take advantage.

Fantasy Factors:  Brett Favre (9), Justin Fargas (6)

Cleveland Browns vs Washington Redskins

Browns:  The Brownies big victory may be short lived as they head the Washington to play a Redskins team that is suffering from their own upset.  Derek Anderson appeared to be back in form, but with Kellen Winslow still sidelined and Donte Stallworth getting adjusted to the offense, things could go sour for him in a hurry.

Redskins:  The NFL's leading rusher, Clinton Portis, hasn't practiced all week due to a hip flexor.  Not to worry (yet), he expects to play this Sunday, but I would keep an eye on this.  If Portis plays, he's due for a big game, but there is a possibility you could end up with a big fat zero out of him too.

Fantasy Factors:  Braylon Edwards (7), Clinton Portis (9)

Seattle Seahawks vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Seahawks:  No Matt Hasselbeck, no way.  This season is beginning to look like a bust for the Hawks due to injuries upon injuries.  Julius Jones your best fantasy option.  Seneca Wallace, you know that guy that plays wide receiver sometimes, is scheduled to start at QB this week.

Buccaneers:  Those of you stressing out over Earnest Graham switching over to fullback last week can relax, as he's going to back to being the starting tailback this week.  I think Graham and Garcia are both solid plays against the Seahawks defense that is surrendering an average of 355 yards and 30 points per game.

Fantasy Factors:  Julius Jones (5), Earnest Graham (8)

Denver Broncos vs New England Patriots

Broncos:  The Broncos have one more hurdle before the bye week and its kind of a big one.  The Broncos are a mess in the backfield right now, so this should once again by on Jay Cutler.  After the way Philip Rivers tore them up the Pats last week though, that's not necessarily a bad thing.

Patriots:  The weakest point of the Broncos defense is their run defense.  Unfortunately, the Pats don't really have anyone that can carry the ball.  Laurence Maroney and LaMont Jordan both do not look like they'll be run for Monday night, leaving it to Kevin Faulk and Sammy Morris. 

Fantasy Factors:  Jay Cutler (9), Kevin Faulk (6)

NHL Stock Market 10/16/2008

We're almost two weeks into the season and some players have played up to expectations, while other have yet to get going.  This will be the first of many fantasy hockey stock market posts where I'll breakdown who to buy, who to sell or who to trade for in your league. 

On the rise - This is where you'll find players that you may find on your waiver wire or sitting on your bench.  These are players that could bring in big returns if traded now.  Ultimately, its up to you whether you believe they'll stay valuable or if you should try to cash in on them now.  I wouldn't recommend dropping an established player to acquire these players.  These are guys that ideally, would round out the bottom half of your roster.

On the decline - Players in this section don't mean you should try to sell them or just flat out waive them.  All of the players in the decline section are players that are in a slump and you should try to trade for.  These are guys that are talented and will come around eventually.

Sell - If these players are on your team, you're much better off checking the waiver wire or trading them.

On the rise

Fabian Brunnstrom - After spending the first two games on the bench as a healthy scratch, the former "world's best hockey player outside the NHL", played in his first NHL game and became just the third player in NHL history to record a hat trick in his first game.  This could just be an aberration, they were playing Nashville, but playing alongside Brad Richards should keep his value relatively high.  In ESPN leagues, his ownership percentage is 8.5%.  You may want to look for him and give him a shot.  If this isn't a fluke, it could be huge.

(Photo by Ronald Martinez / Getty Images)

David Booth - One of my sleeper picks for the season, finished with the NHL's second star last week.  He's getting ice time and making things happen offensively for a very poor offensive team.  It's only a matter of time before Booth gets moved up to the top line. 

Keith Tkachuk - He'll never get back to 50 goal form, but he already has 4 goals in 3 games and were all scored on the powerplay.  It could just be a fast start, but if your league rewards powerplay points, Tkachuk is a great back end player to have on your roster.

Andy McDonald - Another player benefiting from the Blues incredible power play.  He has 6 assists in 3 games and 4 of those were on the powerplay.  As long as their powerplay keeps clicking with Kariya, Tkachuk, Boyes and McDonald, all of them are good sources for fantasy points. 

Derick Brassard - The Blue Jackets first round pick in 2006 has 2 goals and an assist in his first three games and this is without playing on the top line with Nash.  If Umberger would happen to falter, Brassard will get top line duty and his numbers could really take off.

Ryan Miller - In seasons past, the Sabres would primarily rely on just their goaltender to keep the puck out of the net, but things have changed.  The Sabres are playing a very tight checking defensive game and Miller has really benefited from this so far.  He's given up only 2 goals in 2 games and is sporting a 0.96 GAA.  Both wins came against quality teams as well (Mon, NYR).

On the decline

Ryan Getzlaf - Right now the entire Ducks team is in disarray.  Their offense is in shambles and Getzlaf, despite being an excellent playmaker, is really suffering.  He has zero points in 4 games with a minus 3, but at least he has 17 PIM.  RIght now, Getz is simply not getting paired up with good linemates and until he does, he'll be held off the scoresheet more often than not.

Steve Stamkos - He had a lot of hype coming into the season, but hasn't really shown much so far.  He's a minus 1 with three shots on goal and zero points in three games. 

Jean-Sebastien Giguere - Back to the Ducks, Giggy has yet to get giggy with it as he is posting a 4.38 GAA with a .851 save percentage.  Not exactly what you expect.  Until the Ducks can get back on track and stop taking penalties, Giggy will be under some serious fire from opponents.

Miikka Kiprusoff - Kipper is off to yet another slow start with the Flames this year.  He gave up 6 goals in his first game, 5 in his second and 4 in his third.  Hey, at least the numbers are going down.  Kiprusoff is an elite goaltender and he'll battle through his problems and become a force again.

Scott Niedermayer - More Ducks... once touted as the best defenseman in the game, Niedermayer has yet to look anything like that.  The man known for his scoring as well as his defensive play recorded his first assist last night.  Maybe things are turning around?

Sell

Ed Jovanovski - JovoCop has gotten off to a slow start this year and I'm not convinced he'll turn it around.  If Jovo is at the bottom of your defensive roster, you should hang onto him and hope for the best, but if he's a top 2 or 3 defenseman on your team, I would look to make a deal or find someone on waivers.

Tobias Enstrom - He went from being the only offensive defenseman on the Thrashers, to being a guy that can't even get on the first power play unit.  With the arrival of Hainsey and Schneider, Enstrom has been bumped to the non-Kovalchuk power play unit, which is a death blow to his fantasy value.

Ruslan Fedotenko - I was never impressed with Fedontenko and I wasn't really sure why the Penguins acquired him.  He's on a line with Crosby and not really showing much offense.  He has no points in 4 games and is a minus 1.  If Crosby can't get him going, I don't think anything will.  There has to be someone better out there on waivers.

Roy Williams to Cowboys

Trades are a rarity in the NFL so it feels weird to break one down, but yesterday the NFL practice squad sent up one of its standouts to the big club, sending wide receiver Roy Williams to Dallas, for 3 draft picks.  This is good news for announcers that now won't have to worry about Cowboys safety Roy Williams covering Roy Williams the receiver.  Although it does bring up the question about what will be on the back of their jerseys?  Roy L Williams and Roy E Williams?

Roy Williams to Cowboys

This is great news for Romo owners (and they really need good news right about now), great news for a struggling TO, and great news for the people that own Williams and are glad to have someone that doesn't run out of the back of the end zone throwing him the football.  With Romo out, the Cowboys defense struggling, TO becoming a problem in the locker room, this is exactly what this team needed.  Those of you that didn't want to pick up Brad Johnson, should reconsider.  I don't care how old he is, he has TO, Roy Williams and Jason Witten to throw to, a great offensive line and two dynamite running backs.  How could Johnson possibly fail with these kind of weapons around him?  They could put in 66 year old Roger Staubach and be successful.  The Cowboys have their final offensive piece and the rest of the league should be on high alert.  How BOUT DEM Cowboys?

(Photo by Getty Images)

1st, 3rd and 6th round picks to Lions

As if the Lions weren't bad enough, they trade away one of the few stars they have.  This is a nightmare for anyone that owns Kitna, Orlovsky or any other Lions quarterback.  Let's face it though, if you own a Lions player, other than Calvin Johnson, you're not trying.

Week Six Wrap Up

Week six in the NFL was a week of upsets proving once again that the only thing that is consistent this year is inconsistency.  The Lions gave the Vikings a big scare.  The Bears took the lead with 11 seconds left in the game, only to blow it on the final play against the Falcons.  The giant killers of the league, the Dolphins, failed to beat the winless Texans.  The Cowboys overcame a 10 point deficit to force overtime, only to lose on a blocked punt.  How bout dem Cowboys?  The Redskins who were suddenly looking like a serious contender for the division title, lose on a last second field goal to the Rams.  The Rams!!  I saved the best upset for last though, Mrs Fantasy Factor's team upset my Xtreme Machine 103-93.  As the saying goes, "that's why they play the game"

Stars:

Maurice Jones-Drew - As I had mentioned in my RB preview earlier this year, if Right Said Fred Taylor ever went down with an injury, MJD would be the main man and it would lead to big numbers.  Yesterday, Taylor went down and MJD's stock went way up with his 148 yard, 2 TD performance.  Not so fast salary cappers, the Jags are now heading into the bye week.

(Photo by Doug Pensinger / Getty Images)

Clinton Portis - The Skins may have lost to the Rams, but Clinton Portis put together another monster fantasy performance with 143 total yards and 2 TD's.  And guess what fantasy sports fans?  He has the Brownies next week and the Lions the week after that.  Portis has kicked off his shoes and put up his feet.  Looks like he'll be in the Stars section for a while.

Drew Brees - Brees continued to solidify his status as fantasy football's number one quarterback by lighting up the Raiders for 320 yards and 3 TD's.  Brees only threw 4 incompletions the entire game finishing with a 144.4 QB rating.  Wow!

Philip Rivers -That didn't take long.  After spending a week vacation in the Stumblers world, Rivers jumped back up to the Stars with a dominating performance against the hated Patriots.  Whether you had him on your team or not, you had to love watching him destroy the Patriots... unless he was helping your wife's team beat you, of course.

Andre Johnson - The last two weeks Andre Johnson has been uncoverable.  This past Sunday, Johnson racked up 178 yards on 10 catches and scored a TD.  It'll be a race to the finish to a see which one, Johnson or Fitzgerald, finishes with the most points.

Stumblers:

Brett Favre - Okay, so he did win.  But he didn't do any of his fantasy owners a favor after coming off a 6 TD performance then a bye week.  Favre threw two INTs, lost a fumble and finished with an incredible 2 points against the Bengals.  Favre will get a chance to redeem himself next week though against the Raiders.

Jake Delhomme - For the Panthers, home and away is like day and night.  Delhomme got picked off 3 times in a 27-3 bashing at the hands of the Buccaneers.  Fortunately for them, their next two games are at home before heading into their bye.

Dan Orlovsky - It's really not fair for me to put him on here.  He did almost pull off an amazing upset against a really tough defense in Minnesota, but that safety (that turned out to be the difference in the game) is just really pathetic, but at the same time really funny. 

Baltimore Ravens - You name a Raven and I'll tell you how they were bad this week.  Joe Flacco, 3 INTs.  Raven RB's muster up only 39 yards against the worst run defense in football.  The Ravens defense played like a group of old guys that lost their toughness and their edge that made them a tough defense in the first place.  Maybe they were looking past this one to next week when they play the Dolphins, who were last year's big humiliating loss.

Adrian Peterson - It's rare to put someone who rushed for over 100 yards in the stumblers section, but in terms of fantasy football, no one was a bigger disappointment.  Peterson was set to a have a HUGE bounce back game against the Lions only to come up with 111 yards, no TD's and most damaging 2 fumbles.  Very disappointing.  How do you fumble twice against the Lions?  Maybe he couldn't stop laughing about the Orlovsky play.