The Fantasy Factor

Fantasy Football 2009: Week 11

2009-11-20T15:30:00Z

Pittsburgh Steelers vs Kansas City Chiefs

Steelers: Coming off a bad loss to a bad team (I don't care what their record is the Bengals are NOT a good football team) I expect the Steelers to come out with guns blazing in Arrowhead Stadium. Start all your Steeler players with confidence.

Chiefs: Its been a bad season and it just got worse. Top WR Dwayne Bowe will miss the next four games due to a suspension, so that suddenly makes Chris Chambers the top dawg in KC. If/When the Chiefs fall way behind, Chambers will get plenty of passes his way.

Fantasy Factors: Rashard Mendenhall (9), Chris Chambers (7)

Indianapolis Colts vs Baltimore Ravens

Colts: They're headed back to Baltimore for at least one week. Peyton Manning is simply unbenchable no matter who he's up against. He destroyed the Ravens last season and I can't think of a reason why it won't happen this year either.

Ravens: Maybe they were saving him for this game, but Ray Rice's game last week was disappointing considering it was the Browns. The Colts are pretty bad against the run as well, so as Peyton is racking up points on this defense, I expect to see the ball in Ray Ray's hands quite a bit this weekend.

Fantasy Factors: Peyton Manning (8), Ray Rice (9)

San Francisco 49ers vs Green Bay Packers

49ers: The NEW 49ers offense takes its show to Lambeau field this Sunday. The Packers defense has been up and down all year, but usually up at home. I wouldn't recommend starting any Niners with the exception of Frank Gore, of course.

Packers: The Pack's offense has been just as unpredictable as their defense this season. The Niners are tough on receivers, so Aaron Rodgers will have to look elsewhere if he plans on having a big day.

Fantasy Factors: Frank Gore (7), Ryan Grant (7)

Buffalo Bills vs Jacksonville Jaguars

Bills: So the Bills are going to Ryan Fitzpatrick and that is actually a step up. That's pretty sad. Terrell Owens and Lee Evans showed signs of life last week and will have another softy with Jacksonville's secondary. Hopefully Fitzpatrick will be able to get them the ball.

Jaguars: The Bills are a disaster against the run right now and Maurice Jones-Drew is looking to make it up to his fantasy owners after kneeling down on the one yard line last week.

Fantasy Factors: Terrell Owens (7), Maurice Jones-Drew (10)

Atlanta Falcons vs New York Giants

Falcons: Atlanta is going to see what life is like without Michael Turner. Jason Snelling will be his replacement, but I don't see him making an impact this week against the G-Men, who are coming off a bye week. Matt Ryan will need to air it out if the Falcons are going to have a chance.

Giants: The more and more I look at this matchup, the more I see an explosion of points from the Giants offense. New York has a huge offensive line and a huge RB. The Falcons has defensive line that's a little on the small side.

Fantasy Factors: Roddy White (9), Brandon Jacobs (9)

New Orleans Saints vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Saints: Brees didn't have the explosion of points I thought he would last week in St Louis. I'd be very surprised if he doesn't have an explosion this week against the lowly Bucs. All Saints weapons are a go for this week.

Buccaneers: Josh Freeman came a little more down to Earth last week against th Dolphins. His descent will continue this week as well. It should be noted however the Kellen Winslow has become a big weapon in this offense since Freeman took over.

Fantasy Factors: Drew Brees (10), Kellen Winslow (8)

Cleveland Browns vs Detroit Lions

Browns: This should be a good one. Somebody HAS to win. As pathetic as the Lions are on defense, I don't see Brady Quinn or Jamal Lewis being good enough to take advantage. Quinn has zero confidence and Lewis is just running out the clock in his career.

Lions: Believe it or not, I like the Lions this week. Matthew Stafford, Kevin Smith and Calvin Johnson all look to have strong fantasy performances this week as the Browns can't stop anyone on defense.

Fantasy Factors: Brady Quinn (6), Calvin Johnson (9)

Washington Redskins vs Dallas Cowboys

Redskins: With Clinton Portis out for another week, Ladell Betts will get all of the carries. He's looked pretty impressive in recent weeks, but I'm not too hopeful this week in Dallas.

Cowboys: After almost getting shutout last week, the Cowboys will be firing. The Broncos jumped on the Skins quick last week with some deep passes. I expect the Cowboys to do the same. Tony Romo will not be shutdown two weeks in a row.

Fantasy Factors: Ladell Betts (7), Tony Romo (9)

Seattle Seahawks vs Minnesota Vikings

Seahawks: Matt Hasselbeck feels the healthiest he's felt since the beginning of the season. Unfortunately, the Vikings lead the league in sacks, so his good health probably won't last long. TJ Houshmandzadeh finally became a factor last week, he should be able to do the same this week as the Seahawks will probably need to pass a lot.

Vikings: The Seattle defense is bad all over, but they're especially bad against the pass. Another 300 yard day for Favre is well within reach and Sidney Rice could have back to back 200 yard receiving weeks.

Fantasy Factors: TJ Houshmandzadeh (8), Brett Favre (8)

Arizona Cardinals vs St. Louis Rams

Cardinals: Like the Colts, the Cards are going back home for this week. Arizona has finally figured out their running game, which is bad news for opposing defenses everywhere. With the running game humming along behind Beanie Wells and Anquan Boldin at 100%, the Cardinals are looking very deadly.

Rams: The bye week did the Rams wonders as they almost upset the Saints last week. Bulger was 2 yards shy of 300, Donnie Avery showed up, and Steven Jackson was his usual unstoppable self. If the Rams have righted the ship, those three could have a big ending to the season, but I'm willing to bet that Jackson is the only one that will have fantasy value when its all said and done.

Fantasy Factors: Kurt Warner (9), Steven Jackson (9)

New York Jets vs New England Patriots

Jets: A lot has changed since Week 2 and not in a good way for the Jets. Unless Mark Sanchez remembers how to throw the ball to his own players again, we'll see a heavy dose of Thomas Jones and Shonn Greene.

Patriots: Dumb coaching decisions aside, this team is rolling right now and even though Darrelle Revis will most likely shutdown Randy Moss again, Tom Brady will have a big day using his other weapons like Wes Welker who was injured in their last encounter.

Fantasy Factors: Thomas Jones (6), Tom Brady (9)

San Diego Chargers vs Denver Broncos

Chargers: Stop me if you heard this before, the Broncos got off to this really fast start only to fall apart at the end and get caught from behind by the Chargers. The Chargers have won 4 in a row with their last loss being to the Broncos in a game that was dominated by two returns by Eddie Royal. The Broncos defense isn't as tough as everyone thought and is getting ripped up pretty good right now. Don't be afraid to start your Chargers this week, especially LT who finally had a great game last week.

Broncos: I never thought I'd say this, but the Broncos hopes all hinge on Kyle Orton. He's questionable going into Sunday's game and without him they are awful. Chris Simms doesn't even look like he belongs in the NFL. Knowshon Moreno could have a solid game running the ball with Orton under center.

Fantasy Factors: LaDainian Tomlinson (8), Knowshon Moreno (8)

Cincinnati Bengals vs Oakland Raiders

Bengals: Cedric Benson seems doubtful to play this Sunday in a juicy matchup with the Raiders. If he can't go, Bernard Scott will take his place and he could be a fantastic one week waiver wire pickup.

Raiders: Right now the Raiders have a three pronged attack (Darren McFadden, Justin Fargas, Michael Bush) on the ground, making it almost impossible to start any of their backs. Any one of them could take the reigns this week and run with it. On the plus side, JaMarcus Russell will be benched. WOO HOOO!!

Fantasy Factors: Bernard Scott (8), Darren McFadden (6)

Philadelphia Eagles vs Chicago Bears

Eagles: Last week, Donovan McNabb threw for over 400 yards and lost. While, I don't think he'll pass for another 400 this week, he'll probably hit the 300 yard mark and get the win as the Bears have been bad on both sides of the ball. Brian Westbrook is out again with another concussion leaving the door open for Pitt product, Shady McCoy.

Bears: Its funny how fast someone can go from "franchise QB savior" to "just another lousy Bears QB". Jay Cutler is an interception machine this year and it'll get worse (Philly week 11 and Minnesota Week 12) before it gets better (St Louis Week 13). The Eagles have been awful against TEs lately and Greg Olsen has been getting the ball a ton in recent weeks.

Fantasy Factors: Donovan McNabb (8), Greg Olsen (8)

Tennessee Titans vs Houston Texans

Titans: Completing our "This is where they used to play" week, the franchise that used to be the Oilers is playing in Houston. The Titans have been a much better football team under Vince Young and he'll look to put on a show in his home state this Monday. Chris Johnson had a monster game last time in which he nearly had 300 total yards from the line of scrimmage.

Texans: Coming off the bye week, the Texans are rested, healthy and are coming into a matchup that favors them. Schaub and Johnson torched the Titans secondary all afternoon and the Titans are still very bad against the pass.

Fantasy Factors: Chris Johnson (10), Andre Johnson (9)

Miami Dolphins vs Carolina Panthers 11/19/2009

2009-11-19T17:00:00Z

Miami Dolphins vs Carolina Panthers

Dolphins: The big news of the week in Miami is the injury to star RB Ronnie Brown who will be out for the remainder of the year with Lisfranc fracture in his right foot. Taking over all of the running duties will be Ricky Williams. This is HUGE news for owners of the Pineapple Express. The Dolphins are one of the top rushing teams in the league and they have a very runner friendly schedule coming up, including this matchup.

Panthers: DeAngelo Williams was rested during practice the other day, but is expected to carry most of the load tonight. This matchup however, isn't very favorable. Miami is weak at defending the pass, so this could be the game Steve Smith owners have been waiting for all year.

Fantasy Factors: Ricky Williams (9), Steve Smith (8)

Fantasy Hockey Notes 11/19/2009

2009-11-19T11:00:00Z

- If you're holding onto Jean-Sebastien Giguere thinking he's going to get traded to the Detroit Red Wings, think again. There are a lot of rumors floating around about Giggy getting dealt to Detroit, but unless Brian Rafalski is part of that deal, its simply not possible due to the salary cap. Detroit's front office has also come out and said that they are not interested in Giguere and are happy with what they have in Chris Osgood and Jimmy Howard. However, I do believe that Giguere will get traded at some point this season and be the starter. Jonas Hiller is out playing him right now, putting Giguere on the bench and a $6 mil player can't sit on the bench all season.

(Photo by Reuters Pictures)

- The Caps gained one Alexander and lost another. Alexander Ovechkin made his return Tuesday night against the Rangers and scored a goal, while Alexander Semin was placed on IR with a injured wrist. Its been a bad year for injuries and its only November.

- Habs winger Brian Gionta will be out of the lineup indefinitely with a broken foot. Its a tough loss for the Montreal and a tough loss for Scott Gomez owners too that were hoping these two would recreate some of their magic from NJ.

- Finally some good news for the Bruins, they'll get their top line center Marc Savard back in the lineup in the very near future. Possibly as early as tonight.

- Now that he's no longer wasting away on the third line, Alex Tanguay is making a big impact for the Lightning. He has 3 goals and 5 assists in 7 games this month and is fitting in nicely next to Steve Stamkos and Martin St Louis.

- Sticking with Tampa Bay, they have an interesting goalie controversy on their hands now. Mike Smith was expected to be the starter, but came out of the gates slow and Antero Niittymaki came in and played fantastic. Smith has just recently started playing well and it'll be interesting to see if coach Tocchet sticks with Nitty or goes back to the guy with the better track record, Smitty.

- Colorado goalie Craig Anderson slumped for a bit earlier this month, but had a strong performance against the Flames on Tuesday night. No one will consider Anderson an elite goalie, but nobody considers Tim Thomas to be an elite goalie either but I'll take the numbers he's put up over the last couple years in a heartbeat.

- Devin Setoguchi is out again with a lower body injury. This lower body injury is said to be different from the one he suffered earlier.

FF Football League Trade 11/17/2009

2009-11-17T12:00:00Z

Kevin Zuk gets Andre Johnson, Tim Hightower, Brent Celek:	Torn Meniscus gets DeAngelo Williams and Percy Harvin:
Andre Johnson is a monster, plain and simple. He is arguably the best receiver in the game today and has been shredding defenses at an incredible rate. Tim Hightower is a pretty good,hard running all around back, but is slowly losing carries to Beanie Wells. Brent Celek has come out of nowhere and become one of the Eagles top receivers.	Last years' top fantasy performer, DeAngelo Williams has just recently started to find his stride again and is beginning to look as dominating as he was last year. You never know what you're going to get with a rookie receiver, but his explosiveness and big play ability has made him worth owning in fantasy football.

Trade Analysis:

Games have been played since this trade occurred, so I'll give my take as it was before Week 10. KevinZuk gets an extraordinary receiver with Andre Johnson and he has a bunch of favorable games coming up after the bye. Tim Hightower is a good handcuff for Beanie Wells. Brent Celek fixes his TE problem. Lots of areas addressed here for KZ. The strong play of Beanie Wells made DeAngelo expendable and he gave his WR corps a big upgrade.

As for TornMeniscus, he has probably the strongest groups of WR in our league, but is really lacking at RB. So trading away a WR for a RB was a no brainer. He got DeAngelo Williams at a great time as he's been playing a lot better lately and Percy Harvin is a good plug and play WR for certain weeks.

In terms of talent, I think its pretty even. In terms of who helped their team the most, I would have to give a slight edge to KevinZuk. He gains an elite WR and a pretty good TE for DeAngelo Williams who will be replaced by Beanie Wells. Now Beanie Wells isn't DeAngelo Williams, but with the schedule Wells has ahead of him, their numbers won't be that different. Factoring in Week 10, I think this trade is favors KevinZuk a little more. DeAngelo Williams is dealing with a knee problem and Panthers tackle Jordan Gross is out for the year with a broken ankle, which will impact the Panthers running game greatly.

What do you guys think? Who came out on top here?

2009 Week 10 Wrap Up

2009-11-16T13:01:00Z

Stars

Chris Johnson - Ladies and gentlemen, you may be looking at next year's number one overall draft pick. For the second time in three weeks Johnson has racked up over 200 total yards and for the third week in a row scored 2 TDs. CJ is an unstoppable monster and he'll have a few more of these kind of weeks before its all said and done.

(Photo by AP)

Randy Moss - In a game featuring two of the best QBs in the game, somebody had to catch the passes. Moss was one of those guys. He caught 9 passes for 179 yards and 2 TDs, including a 63 yarder. Next week, he'll get matched up against Mr Shutdown Darrelle Revis.

Donovan McNabb - When you're losing by a lot and you throw the ball 55 times, you're going to get a lot of garbage points. But points are points and McNabb got a ton this week. He threw for 450 yards and 2 TDs, but the Eagles fell short, 31-23 to the Chargers.

Peyton Manning - With an assist from Bill Belicheat Manning threw his 4th TD of the game with just 13 seconds left in a thrilling win over the Patriots. Peyton had 327 yards to go along with his 4 TDs.

Sidney Rice - He may not be a TD monster, but Sidney Rice is emerging as one of the top WRs in the game today with a little help from one of the games best, Brett Favre. Rice added to his dream season with a 7 catch 201 yard performance against the Lions.

Stumblers

Ben Roethlisberger - In a season like this, nothing is impossible. Ben only completed 50% of his passes and was picked off once and threw zero TDs. The Bengals are not that good. Ben stopped himself this week. Next week, he should bounce back nicely against the Chiefs.

Rashard Mendenhall - There's plenty of blame to go around for this disaster. Mendenhall, who was benched in their last encounter with Cincy, didn't do much better this time around. He gained 36 yards on 13 carries and didn't score a TD. Look at the bright side, he didn't fumble.

Chris Simms - Things were humming along smoothly for the Broncos, then Phil's joke of a son, Chris, stepped in for the injured Kyle Orton and they fell apart. Chris was 3 for 13 for 13 yards and an INT. I realize nobody had him on their fantasy team, but his presence as the Denver QB killed everyone else's fantasy value. No word on when Orton will be back, but if Simms is the guy going forward, I don't feel good about the Broncos chances.

Darren McFadden - Playing in his first game since Week 4, Run DMC only carried the ball 4 times for 11 yards against the Chiefs. It was pretty disappointing to see their franchise RB back in the lineup, 100% and only get the ball 4 times against the Chiefs.

Maurice Jones-Drew - 123 rushing yards, 22 receiving yards, 1 TD, zero fumbles... one kneel down at the one yard line. MJD did his best Brian Westbrook imitation and passed up an easy TD to kneel down at the one yard line. The Jags were then able to run out the clock and then kick the winning field goal. As smart as that seems, what happens if they fumble the field goal snap or its blocked? Next time, MJD, get the sure thing, score the TD and let the defense worry about the end of the game.

Fantasy Football 2009: Week 10

2009-11-14T13:51:00Z

Atlanta Falcons vs Carolina Panthers

Falcons: The Burner is back and the Panthers are dreadful against the run. Combine that with the fact that Carolina is very good against the pass, Turner should see the ball plenty of times.

Panthers: DeAngelo Williams was dealing with a knee problems earlier in the week and is officially listed as questionable for Sunday. This could be a big break for Jonathan Stewart owners. Either way the Panthers should have no problems running on the under sized Atlanta defense.

Fantasy Factors: Michael Turner (9), DeAngelo Williams (8)

Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs Miami Dolphins

Buccaneers: Don't get too excited Buc fans (assuming you exist). Josh Freeman had a great debut, but he'll face a tougher challenge this week. Despite Derrick Ward's solid outing last week, he's too inconsistent to rely on.

Dolphins: The Phins have been stacked up against some tough run defenses the last couple weeks. That will change this week. Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams should both have great games.

Fantasy Factors: Derrick Ward (5), Ronnie Brown (9)

Detroit Lions vs Minnesota Vikings

Lions: Calving Johnson has been in practice all week and should start against the Vikes this weekend. With Minnesota having trouble against the pass, this could get him back on track quickly. However, they have lousy pass protection and that could prevent passes from ever leaving Matthew Stafford's hand.

Vikings: Last time these two met up, AP ran for less than 100 yards (although he did have a 6.1 ypc). It won't happen again. Peterson will go bananas on the hapless Lions.

Fantasy Factors: Calvin Johnson (7), Adrian Peterson (10)

Jacksonville Jaguars vs New York Jets

Jaguars: The Jets defense is hurting on the front line and nearly impossible to pass against. Maurice Jones-Drew will be the offense this week. Unfortunately, Rex Ryan's defense knows that too.

Jets: Coming off a bye week, the Jets should be strong at home. If Mark Sanchez can get his head on straight again, he should have no problem exploiting this secondary.

Fantasy Factors: Maurice Jones-Drew (6), Braylon Edwards (7)

Cincinnati Bengals vs Pittsburgh Steelers

Bengals: The biggest key to the Bengals success this year is the emergence of RB Cedric Benson. He's not coming into Pittsburgh and rushing for 100 yards. You can forget about that. Chad Ochocinco is running his mouth, as if the Steelers needed another reason to get fired up, so I don't see that much happening in the pass department either. Poor Cincinnati. They're unfortunately making enough noise right now that the Steelers won't look past them like they did last time.

Steelers: Last time these two hooked up, the Steelers did pretty much whatever they wanted, whenever they wanted before they quit playing in the 4th quarter. They won't make the same mistake twice. I don't think they can score enough points in this game to make me happy... but I'm sure they'll try. Big day for Ben Roethlisberger, Santonio Holmes and Rashard Mendenhall this Sunday.

Fantasy Factors: Cedric Benson (6), Rashard Mendenhall (10)

New Orleans Saints vs St. Louis Rams

Saints: This almost isn't fair. Unless the Rams go back in time and show up with their 1999 team, the Saints will roll. The final score may look like one of those 77-3 college scores.

Rams: Coming off the bye week, the Rams had two weeks to prepare for this one. I really hope they did, for their sake. The Saints have been run on lately, so this gives hope to Mr Everything Steven Jackson.

Fantasy Factors: Drew Brees (10), Steven Jackson (7)

Buffalo Bills vs Houston Oilers

Bills: Finally the Bills get a nice matchup and of course, Terrell Owens is questionable. Buffalo's most talented yet least productive receiver missed practice with a strained hip. The Titans are terrible against the pass, so this should be a great matchup for Owens and Lee Evans.

Titans: Sitting at 2-0 in the VY era, they'll most likely go 3 for 3 on Sunday. The Bills have just completely fallen apart on defense and Chris Johnson is the hottest back in football right now. It doesn't take a fantasy sports expert to predict what will happen here.

Fantasy Factors: Lee Evans (8), Chris Johnson (10)

Denver Broncos vs Washington Redskins

Broncos: While the Redskins are great against the pass, Kyle Orton never throws beyond 15 yards. That's pretty tough to defend against. Washington has been pretty bad against the run lately too and this could be Knowshon Moreno's coming out party.

Redskins: Clinton Portis will not suit up against his old team this Sunday. Ladell Betts will take his place but I don't see much hope for the Skins fantasy players this week.

Fantasy Factors: Knowshon Moreno (8), Ladell Betts (4)

Kansas City Chiefs vs Oakland Raiders

Chiefs: Jamaal Charles looks to be in line to receive most, if not all carries, against this porous Oakland defense. Chris Chambers had a very successful debut last week catching a couple late TD passes, however, I don't expect it to continue against a tough Raiders secondary. But he's someone to keep an eye on.

Raiders: For what its worth, Darren McFadden is returning to the lineup this week, but he'll be rusty and will probably lose some carries to Justin Fargas.

Fantasy Factors: Jamaal Charles (7), Darren McFadden (6)

Seattle Seahawks vs Arizona Cardinals

Seahawks: Last time these two played, it was a dreadful peformance for the Seattle offense. I don't see why things would be different this time around either. Matt Hasselbeck is a shaky play each week because of the o-line.

Cardinals: The Dessert Storm offense opened up a can on the Bears last week. With Anquan Boldin back in the lineup at full speed, you can expect another one to get cracked open this week. This won't be a bad game for Beanie Wells and Tim Hightower either as I imagine they'll get lots of carries while Arizona runs out the clock with their blowout lead.

Fantasy Factors: Matt Hasselbeck (6), Anquan Boldin (8)

Dallas Cowboys vs Green Bay Packers

Cowboys: The Dallas offfense is humming along smoothly these days unfortunately in fantasy world, its not one person. Tony Romo is benefitting the most from this offense followed by Miles Austin. The Packers were sliced up by a rookie in a creamsicle uniform last week.

Packers: The troubles they're having on the offensive line are getting worse and worse and its starting to affect the rest of the offense. Aaron Rodgers was picked off 3 times last week and this week he'll face a Cowboys defense that puts a ton of pressure on the QB.

Fantasy Factors: Tony Romo (9), Ryan Grant (6)

Philadelphia Eagles vs San Diego Chargers

Eagles: Brian Westbrook is expected to be back in the lineup against the Chargers this week. Good thing too for B-West owners. The Chargers are not very good against the run.

Chargers: The Chargers running game is awful, which means it'll be another air it out all day long kind of game for Philip Rivers. Unfortunately, the Eagles have a pretty good secondary and that should lead to a couple picks this week.

Fantasy Factors: Brian Westbrook (7), Philip Rivers (7)

New England Patriots vs Indianapolis Colts

Patriots: This week the Patriots will need to rely a little more on Laurence Maroney than usual. The strength of the Colts defense is their pass defense and Brady should not be airing it out 50 times this weekend. Having said that though, in a game between Brady and Manning we should see some fireworks.

Colts: Leave the past where it belongs, in the past. This Patriots defense isn't the one the tortured Peyton Manning in the early part of the decade. Not even close. I'm going to go out on a limb here and predict a 40 point game for the Colts and a lot of it will be Manning TD passes.

Fantasy Factors: Laurence Maroney (8), Peyton Manning (9)

Baltimore Ravens vs Cleveland Browns

Ravens: I'm not really sure who picked this game to be the Monday Nighter, but oh well. Baltimore blew out the Browns earlier in the year and we should see a repeat performance. Start all your Ravens fantasy players with confidence.

Browns: So Brady Quinn is being given the starting role again. Interesting move. He should never have been benched in the first place. I think this move gives the Browns offense a little bit of hope, but its a very small little bit of hope. The Ravens defense should man handle the Browns easily.

Fantasy Factors: Ray Rice (10), Brady Quinn (5)

Bye Week: New York Giants, Houston Texans

Chicago Bears at San Francisco 49ers 11/12/2009

2009-11-12T13:23:00Z

Chicago Bears vs San Francisco 49ers

Bears: After getting embarrassed on their home field just a few days ago, the Bears will be back at it again. The 49ers defense has been hot and cold all season, so its unclear which defense will show up for this one. Matt Forte has been invisible for most of the year, but he's turned in a couple solid weeks recently. San Francisco is pretty tough against WRs, but at the same time, has a tough time against other teams top targets. Devin Hester and Greg Olsen should see plenty of passes tonight.

49ers: Since Alex Smith has become the starter, this offense looks much deadlier than it did. Frank Gore isn't the only offensive weapon anymore. Vernon Davis is finally having that breakout year we've been expecting and Michael Crabtree is looking better and better each week. Chicago's defense has been shaky this season and is reeling after giving up 41 points at home. Meanwhile, the San Francisco offense is looking stronger and stronger. I wouldn't hesitate to start any of my Niners players.

Fantasy Factors: Devin Hester (8), Frank Gore (8)

FF Football League Trade 11/10/2009

2009-11-10T12:55:00Z

Xtreme Machine gets Brett Favre:

Warbirds gets Steven Jackson:

Not only is Brett Favre playing well, he's playing like the guy he was 15 years ago. Playing behind the best offensive line in football, with the best RB in football behind, Favre is setup for success and it taking advantage of it. He's an MVP candidate with 16 TDs and 3 INTs at the mid way point of the season. Favre also has a very favorable schedule the rest of the way and most of those games will be played in the friendly confines of the Metrodome.

You can't talk about the Rams offense without talking about Steven Jackson. Simply because he IS the whole offense. The Rams have gone from the "Greatest Show on Turf" to the a "One Man Show". Despite having a poor QB, no WRs and a poor offensive line, S-Jax still finds ways to make things happen whether its rushing or receiving and contribute at least 10 fantasy points each week.

Trade Analysis:
This is a pretty even trade. My team has been a mess at QB all season. Donovan McNabb was injured for the easy part of his schedule and now is facing the tough part. I can't trust Matt Hasselbeck due to the lack of protection he's getting in Seattle and Vince Young was a gamble. I'm already loaded at RB (Ray Rice, Ronnie Brown, Frank Gore) and acquiring an MVP caliber QB like Favre is a big step in the right direction.

Warbirds has Drew Brees at QB, so Favre was trade bait that could be used to acquire whatever he needed. He saw RB as a weakness and solidified that position with Steven Jackson.

What do you guys think? Did someone get a steal or was this pretty even?

2009 Week 9 Wrap Up

2009-11-09T17:27:00Z

Stars

Kurt Warner - This was a close one, but I decided to give the edge to Cardinals QB Kurt Warner. Coming off what was probably one of the worst games of his career, Warner went into Soldier Field without Anquan Boldin and threw 5 TD passes in a rout of the Chicago Bears.

(Photo by Getty Images)

Michael Turner - Michael Turner is back. He shredded the Washington defense for 166 rushing yards and 2 TDs. Burner has been on fire the last two weeks and next week he'll take on the run defense challenged Panthers.

Chris Johnson - The Stars section is getting to be a common place for Chris Johnson this year. Johnson rushed for 135 yards and 2 scores in the Titans 34-27 win over the 49ers. The Titans are now 2-0 under Vince Young, but I think most of that credit should go to Johnson.

Greg Olsen - It pains me to write this as I have him on my team, but had him on my bench this week. After several lack luster weeks, Olsen finally had a big game raking in 3 TD passes from Jay Cutler.

Josh Freeman - I have to give credit where credit is due. I didn't expect anything out of Freeman going against Dom Capers' zone blitz scheme, but he looked very impressive in his first career start. Freeman passed for 206 yards and 3 TDs in the Bucs upset win over the Packers.

Stumblers

Joe Flacco - After starting off the year on fire, Flacco is really starting to struggle. I'm not sure if teams are confusing him or what, but he has not looked the same since Week 4 (except for the game in Minnesota). Flacco threw for just 195 yards and was picked off twice by the Bengals.

Matt Hasselbeck - Why is a 300 yard passer in the Stumblers section? Let me put it this way, he threw 51 times for 329 yards, 1 TD, and 1 INT. Not bad right? It was against the Lions! If you throw the ball 51 times against the Lions are barely make it past the 300 yard mark, something isn't right.

Brandon Jacobs - This one, wasn't really his fault. Jacobs was looking to have a monster game, but just ended with 67 yards. For whatever reason, he was only given the ball 11 times. His owners should have gotten a lot more than just 6 points in this matchup.

Aaron Rodgers - Where one star shines, another is failing. A-Rod2 didn't have a bad game 266 yards, 3 TDs (2 pass, 1 rush). However, he threw 3 INTs and was sacked 6 times by the Buccaneers. That's right, the team that is almost as bad as the Lions.

TJ Houshmandzadeh - Going back to the Seattle-Detroit game, what a disappointment TJ Houshmandzadeh has become. Going against the Lions, I was expecting a big game and ended up with 6 catches for 34 yards. If you can't get it done against Detroit, you're not going to get it done period. At least he had a TD.

Fantasy Football 2009: Week Nine

2009-11-06T15:32:00Z

Washington Redskins vs Atlanta Falcons

Redskins: Coming fresh off a bashing by their owner the Redskins being the second half of their season against the Falcons. Clinton Portis should be 100% after coming off a bye week, but that could last till half time with his injury history. The Falcons are looking to get back on track while the Skins are struggling against bad teams.

Falcons: Having lost two in a row, the Falcons will get back in the win column this week. Matt Ryan has struggled as of late and the Redskins pass defense won't help, but Michael Turner seems to have returned to form.

Fantasy Factors: Clinton Portis (6), Michael Turner (8)

Arizona Cardinals vs Chicago Bears

Cardinals: The Cards still live and die by the pass and unfortunately their passing attack takes a hit with the absence of Anquan Boldin. This will probably mean more targets for Larry Fitzgerald, however, Chicago isn't stupid. They'll have two guys on him all day. Not saying that'll work, but his chances for a good game are lessened with Boldin out.

Bears: Chicago's franchise QB, Jay Cutler, 3 TDs and 6 INT since their bye week three weeks ago. Arizona's secondary hasn't been great, but neither have the Bears' receivers. Matt Forte has shown signs of life, but he was playing Cleveland last week.

Fantasy Factors: Kurt Warner (7), Jay Cutler (7)

Baltimore Ravens vs Cincinnati Bengals

Ravens: After an embarrassing home loss to the Bengals, the Ravens will be looking for revenge. Ray Rice has become Mr Everything for the Ravens now and he is very close to being matchup proof every week. I expect big numbers this Sunday. Todd Heap caught 7 passes the last time these two hooked up.

Bengals: In their previous matchup, Cedric Benson ran all over the Baltimore defense. Don't expect it to happen again. Carson Palmer and Chad Ochocinco showed a lot of chemistry in their game versus the Bears. I'm thinking it'll be the start of something big for these two.

Fantasy Factors: Ray Rice (9), Chad Ochocinco (8)

Houston Texans vs Indianapolis Colts

Texans: I have some good news for Steve Slaton owners. He's not going to be benched. The bad news is Ryan Moats' performance last week was enough to create a timeshare situation. Slaton, Moats, and Chris Brown will all get carries now. Brown will probably remain the goaline back, but Slaton and Moats will split carries between the 20's with Slaton most likely playing 3rd downs.

Colts: Last week, Joseph Addai threw more TD passes than Peyton Manning. I expect the football universe to correct itself this weekend. Manning is good for 300 yards and at least 2 TDs in this one. This, however, could be a game where he tries to make up for not throwing any last week and throws for 5 TDs. It turns out that Donald Brown will be able to play this Sunday, hurting Joseph Addai's value once again.

Fantasy Factors: Ryan Moats (7), Peyton Manning (10)

Kansas City Chiefs vs Jacksonville Jaguars

Chiefs: Life without LJ begins this week and Jamaal Charles will start in the backfield. I think this a great move for the Chiefs all around because they don't need Johnson's attitude (or lack of production) and Charles is a hungry player that is a much better pass receiver than Johnson. This move may add a new dimension to the KC attack.

Jaguars: Maurice Jones-Drew has been pretty hit or miss from week to week this year. You better believe that this will be a big hit. KC's defense can't really stop anyone, so I wouldn't be surprised to see David Garrard or Mike Sims-Walker be a top star this week either.

Fantasy Factors: Matt Cassel (8), Maurice Jones-Drew (10)

Miami Dolphins vs New England Patriots

Dolphins: I've been hearing all week about how the Wildcat offense isn't going to catch them off guard again this time. While that may be true, but Miami is 3rd in rushing offense and New England is 15th in run defense. Knowing is one thing, but actually physically stopping them is another. Expect a big workload from Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams.

Patriots: The Dolphins pass defense has been horrendous this year and Tom Brady is starting to heat up. I would be amazed if Brady finishes with less than 370 yards passing and 3 TDs. Their is no one on the Dolphins capable of covering Randy Moss.

Fantasy Factors: Ronnie Brown (7), Tom Brady (10)

Green Bay Packers vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Packers: Aaron Rodgers limped off Lambeau field last Sunday when losing to Brett Favre's Vikings, but don't worry too much. Rodgers is expected to play this Sunday in a tasty matchup with the Bucs. If Rodgers can stay in the game, I expect a big game for him, Greg Jennings and Donald Driver.

Buccaneers: As predicted, the Bucs have once again changed QBs and now first rounder Josh Freeman will take the helm. Going up against a Dom Capers zone blitzing Packers defense probably isn't a good first matchup for the rookie. Talk about trial by fire. Just call it a gut feeling, but I think Derrick Ward will have a much better game than he has all season.

Fantasy Factors: Greg Jennings (9), Derrick Ward (6)

Carolina Panthers vs New Orleans Saints

Panthers: Finally the Panthers listened to me and pretty much everyone else that knows anything about football and just stuck with their running game. It was kind of unsettling for DeAngelo Williams owners to watch him give way to Jonathan Stewart at the goaline last week though. Michael Turner tore up the Saints defense last week. I don't see why this tandem can't do the same.

Saints: This will be a really tough test for Drew Brees. Carolina has the top pass defense in the league and tortured Kurt Warner just last week. The Saints will need to rely on Pierre Thomas and that's not really a bad option. He was strong last Monday against the Falcons and he should do well against a Panthers defense that is surrendering 127 yards per game on the ground.

Fantasy Factors: DeAngelo Williams (8), Pierre Thomas (9)

Detroit Lions vs Seattle Seahawks

Lions: Matt Stafford is back and Calvin Johnson is ALMOST back. He'll be another game time decision this Sunday in a matchup that looks very favorable. Kevin Smith has been up and down all year, mostly down and the Seahawks are usually tough at home.

Seahawks: Matt Hasselbeck owners, this is your game. He's a little banged up right now, but as bad as the Seattle o-line is, he won't even need to wear pads this Sunday. One cause for concern however is that its supposed to rain in Seattle that day. Passing games always suffer in the rain.

Fantasy Factors: Kevin Smith (6), Matt Hasselbeck (9)

San Diego Chargers vs New York Giants

Chargers: Week after week LT gets his chance and week after week, he lets everyone down. The Chargers are Philip Rivers' team now. The Giants are soft against the big play and Vincent Jackson and new starter Malcom Floyd know how to take advantage.

Giants: Despite rushing for more than 4 yards per carry in each of the last three weeks, Brandon Jacobs has not hit 100 yards. That will change this weekend. The Chargers are good against the run as long as they're playing a dysfunctional offense. Don't forget about what Rashard Mendenhall did to them. Brandon Jacobs will be a star this week.

Fantasy Factors: Philip Rivers (8), Brandon Jacobs (9)

Tennessee Titans vs San Francisco 49ers

Titans: The Titans are undefeated with Vince Young at QB this year. Okay, so it was just one game against the Jaguars, but it broke the season long losing streak. Young will have a much tougher test this week in San Fran and will have to do more than manage the game to be considered for starting in fantasy. Chris Johnson ran for over 200 yards last week. Don't think for a second that the 49ers won't be keying on him this Sunday.

49ers: With the emergence of Alex Smith, the Niners offense looks much different and by different I mean better. Frank Gore won't have to face 8 man fronts anymore, although both starting tackles for the Niners are out with injuries. The Titans defense has been lousy all season and there's no reason to believe Smith, Gore and Vernon Davis won't put up nice numbers.

Fantasy Factors: Chris Johnson (7), Vernon Davis (8)

Dallas Cowboys vs Philadelphia Eagles

Cowboys: With first place on the line, the Cowboys offense has never looked better. Most of the credit belongs to Miles Austin who came out of nowhere to become the number one receiver in Dallas. He'll have a tough assignment this week though with Asante Samuel. Last time Romo was in Philly, he was awful and the Cowboys lost 44-6.

Eagles: Last week, the Eagles stomped a mud hole in the first place Giants and walked it dry. This week, they'll battle another first place team and try to do the same. The Cowboys secondary has been vulnerable and Donovan McNabb appears to have regained his old form last week, but the Eagles offensive line is questionable and the Cowboys bring a lot of heat.

Fantasy Factors: Tony Romo (6), Donovan McNabb (8)

Pittsburgh Steelers vs Denver Broncos

Steelers: After a week off, the Steelers are back! This is being built up to be a big game between the 6-1 Broncos versus the defending champs, but despite their record, I still don't see the Broncos as a threat. Not against the Steelers anyways. The Steelers passing attack is probably the strongest its ever looked in its 77 year history. Rashard Mendenhall is looking more and more like a first rounder every week and the defense is in championship form. Just ask Brett Favre. Roll your Steelers as you normally would.

Broncos: They suffered their first loss of the season last week when they were blown out by Baltimore. Now they're going to get beaten by the team that owns Baltimore. Kyle Orton has been pretty good this year and Brandon Marshall will make a lot grabs in this game, but that's about it for this week. Knowshon Moreno isn't going anywhere.

Fantasy Factors: Ben Roethlisberger (9), Brandon Marshall (9)

Bye Week: Buffalo Bills, Cleveland Browns, Oakland Raiders, St. Louis Rams, Minnesota Vikings, New York Jets