Fighting Chance Fantasy's Start/Sit Week 5

Quarterbacks

Start: Eli Manning, New York Giants vs. Seattle Seahawks. Since winning the Super Bowl, it seems that there is a new quarterback in New York, and it's not Brett Favre. Coming off their bye, the Giants will be playing the Seattle Seahawks, and that is good news for Eli Manning owners. In two career games against the Seahawks, Manning has thrown for 619 yards and five touchdowns. Eli is also at his best in the month of October, as he has thrown 20 touchdowns in just 12 games, and has averaged almost 200 yards a game over his career. Look for his strong season to continue with 250 yards and two touchdown passes, even with Plaxico Burress suspended for the game.

Start: Jake Delhomme, Carolina Panthers vs. Kansas City Chiefs. With his main man Steve Smith back in the lineup, Delhomme had his best game of the season by far, and threw his first touchdowns since Week 1. The Chiefs have actually been stronger than expected against the pass, but the Broncos were able to put up good stats against them in Week 4. The emergence of rookie Johnathan Stewart is helping to open up the passing game in Carolina as well. Look for the Delhomme/Smith connection to find each other plenty of times this weekend, and Delhomme should have 275 yards and two touchdowns and the Panthers will win.

Sit: Trent Edwards, Buffalo Bills vs. Arizona Cardinals. There are three reasons that I think that Edwards might not be a great play this week. First, the Cardinals defense has only allowed 204 yards passing per game so far this season. The second reason is that the 4-0 Bills are due to have a bad game. They are a decent team, but they aren't an undefeated type of team, and they have always been a run first offense. The third one is where I might lose some of you, but I feel very strong about this one. The Cardinals' pass defense was just embarrassed by Brett Favre and the Jets for six touchdowns. If you don't think they are making major adjustments so that doesn't happen again this week, you are crazy. Look for a much better week from teh Cardinals' defensive backfield in Week 5.

Sit: Jason Campbell, Washington Redskins vs. Philadelphia Eagles. Campbell, after a horrible first week, really looks like he has a good grip on the new offense, and has had three straight good games. However, first he isn't this good. He isn't a 285 yard, two touchdown kind of quarterback. He is more of a 190 yard and one score kind of guy. Not to mention that the Eagles have one of the best defenses in football, and defensive coordinator Jim Johnson will be mixing up the plays so Campbell never gets comfortable. I would be shocked if he passed 190 yards and one touchdown.

Running Backs

Start: Steve Slaton, Houston Texans vs. Indianapolis Colts. Slaton has had two good games since he has been named the starter in Houston, although they were quite different. His first game, against the tough Titans, he rushed for 116 yards, while in Week 4 against the tough Jags, he caught eight passes and scored another touchdown. It looks like Slaton can beat you in a number of different ways, and is having an impact on a Texans team that could use an offensive burst. The Colts have allowed almost 200 yards a game on the ground, and Slaton will have another good one, whether it is on the ground or through the air.

Start: Earnest Graham, Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. Denver Broncos. Outside of one game against the Bears, Graham has picked up exactly where he left off in 2007. Unlike Ryan Grant in Green Bay, Graham is following up his breakout campaign with another strong season in which he is nine yards short of three 100 yard games. Denver just got torched for nearly 200 yards against the Chiefs and Larry Johnson in Week 4, and they allow over 130 yards a game on the ground. The Bucs offense has been really rolling this season, so look for Graham to have another 100 yard game, and find paydirt again.

Sit: Chris Johnson, Tennessee Titans vs. Baltimore Ravens. Now he didn't seem like a good play against the stout Vikings run defense in Week 4, but Johnson had a great game, scoring twice. It gets no easier for the Titans' rookie this week against the physical Ravens defense. The Steelers nearly had to use coach Mike Tomlin out of the backfield the way the Ravens were injuring running backs on Monday night. Given the fact that Kerry Collins doesn't threaten anyone with his arm, look for the Ravens to focus on stopping Johnson, and he should have his worst game as a pro.

Sit: Chris Perry, Cincinnati Bengals vs. Dallas Cowboys.

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The Guru Gridiron Report: Week 4 Review & Recap

Week 4 was a shocking week and really carried allot of players values up or down with the first quarter of the season completed. Many players finally showed themselves including some guys finally getting in the end zone. Others continued to cool off from hot starts. This was a very telling week in fantasy football. Lets review some of these weeks performances:

Quarterbacks (STOCK VALUE)

Jay Cutler - DOWNGRADED

Cutler had another tough game. The yards were there, but the TDs weren't. He's still one of the top QBs in the league, but he's coming way down from the 3 TDs per week from the first 2 weeks of the season.

Philip Rivers DOWNGRADED

Another high flying QB that came down to Earth with a 1 TD, 180 yard game. He's much better than that, and expect him to rebound next week.

Tony Romo UPGRADED

Great game for Romo in a tough loss. 300 yards and 3 TDs. There was a race between him and Cutler and Romo won so far.

Aaron Rodgers DOWNGRADED

Injured his shoulder in a loss to Tampa Bay. That is never good for a QB. Threw two TDs to Jennings and only a 165 yards. He always has the ability to score points, but we worry about his ability to spread the ball around and maximize points.

Jake Delhomme UPGRADED

Steve Smith is back and so is Delhomme. 294 yards and 2 TDs makes for a great game. We are still out on him mainly because it was Atlanta, but still a very good game.

Damon Huard UPGRADED

We liked him for week 4 if you were desperate and he did alright with 160 yards and a TD. He will continue to start, but probably won't have much value outside of a BYE week replacement in a deep league.

Brett Farve UPGRADED

6 TDs? He just wouldn't stop throwing. We are very high on the Grandpa of QBs and to prove it we draft him in 6 of 7 leagues. He should be playing from behind all season or at least most of it.

Drew Brees UPGRADED

Probably one of the most consistent QBs in fantasy football. 363 yards and 3 TDs. Brees is a gamer.

Donovan McNabb DOWNGRADED

McNabb has fallen since the first 2 games and we expected that. 262 yards and a TD is average at best. He did have Reggie Brown back as well.

J.T. O'Sullivan EVEN

We actually liked his performance this week with 257 yards and a TD. He will lose allot of touchdowns to Gore, but should do alright. He needs to get Davis involved and his numbers should go up.

Matt Schaub UPGRADED

ON the verge of being benched and he throws 3 TDs. What's even better? None went to Andre Johnson who is asleep at the wheel. When he wakes up Schaub could be a very deadly QB.

Carson Palmer DOWNGRADED

His shoulder was hurt and he shocked us all by not playing. He looked better in week 3, but he's playing an angry Dallas team on the road. Not good.

Trent Edwards EVEN

This is what you can expect out of Edwards most weeks. 200 yards and a TD. You might get more on occasion, but for the most part you'll get that.

Runningbacks (STOCK VALUE)

Brain Westbrook DOWNGRADED

He should be back next week, but putting up a fat zero hurts your value.

Marion Barber DOWNGRADED

This is the downside of Marion Barber. He will have bad weeks and when they are bad, they are bad. Look for him to rebound against Cincy.

Steve Slaton UPGRADED

Another great game, but this time through the air. He caught 8 passes for 83 yards and 1 TD. He is very versatile and expect the Texans to take advantage of that. This guy looks good.

Reggie Bush EVEN

Very bad game for him and first week without a score. We wouldn't drop his stock, but instead chalk it up as a weird game.

Matt Forte DOWNGRADED

85 total yards, but we are afraid that this is the Matt Forte and Bears offense we expected. It does worry us, but looking at it they were going up against a tough defense with confusing schemes. Watch how Forte reacts next week to see his character. We think he'll be fine.

Larry Johnson UPGRADED

Huge game and his value is skyrocketing. 200+ yards and 2 TDs. Way to go Larry.

Michael Turner DOWNGRADED
Off and On again Michael Turner. Another let down week. The only positive I can pull out of this is next week should be big.

Ryan Grant DOWNGRADED

186 yards in 4 weeks? How about ZERO TDs. Trade this guy ASAP. Gaining value will be tough from this point.

Thomas Jones DOWNGRADED

I hate to do that, but he is downgraded. He did get caught up in a shootout and that will happen often. He still has allot of value, but from this point temper your expectations.

Wide Receiver (STOCK VALUE)

Terrell Owens DOWNGRADED

He will have bad games, but they won't happen back-to-back weeks. He's still in the top 3.

Miles Austin UPGRADED

Another TD. He reminds everyone in Dallas of Terry Glenn.

Eddie Royal UPGRADED

9 catches and over 100 yards. Didn't find the end zone, but certainly will many times this season.

Robert Meacham UPGRADED

With Colston and Shockey out look for Meachem to continue to get more involved. He caught 2 passes for 86 yards and is a constant deep threat for New Orleans.

Kevin Walters UPGRADED

Something is wrong with Andre Johnson. In the mean time this guy is excelling with 8 catches and 2 TDs.

Chansi Stuckey EVEN

You can't catch TDs every game even when there are 6 of them!

Jerricho Cotchery UPGRADED

He was beginning to develop into a letdown, but blew up. He's a poor man's Greg Jennings. Own him, its a must with Farve.

Plaxico Buress DOWNGRADED
Had a tough game, but still one of the best at getting balls that cornerbacks cannot.

Andre Johnson DOWNGRADED

Again, the Texans are is disarray, but Johnson dropped two TD passes, so he's downgraded. We still expect him to explode no matter who throws to him.

Torry Holt DOWNGRADED

He is on the decline and I would run away if you have him.

DeSean Jackson UPGRADED
Had an alright, but uneventful game against a brutal defense. We expect more out of him in the coming weeks.

Reggie Brown EVEN

He came back from injury and got 6 catches for 79 yards. Keep an eye on him as he should improve.

Robert Meachem UPGRADED

He is and will be a starter in New Orleans from this point on. With so many receivers injured he is the goto guy. OWN HIM!

Lance Moore UPGRADED

2 TDs and a great game. He is upgraded, but temper your expectations. We don't see him getting 2 TDs in a game again this year, but a TD is still in the mix.

Lee Evans UPGRADED

Only 2 catches, but 88 yards and a TD. Very good game, and he should get 2-3 bombs a week. The only questions are, will he catch them and will they be for touchdowns.

Greg Jennings UPGRADED

We love this guy. He has turned into an absolute stud wide receiver. 2 TDs (one the DB fell down) and all those yards speaks volumes. He is a catch (PUN ALERT).

Lavernues Coles UPGRADED

Explosion. Coles got 3 TDs! How many of us wanted to cut this guy. Farve's value increases now that these two have connected. Huge game, big WR.

Patrick Crayton DOWNGRADED

He caught allot of passes from Romo in week 4, but he is losing favor to Austin Miles.

Braylon Edwards UPGRADED

He didn't do much, but he did find the end zone and that certainly deserves a upgrade.

Tight Ends (STOCK VALUE)

Vernon Davis DOWNGRADED
This is just sad. Very sad.

Robert Royal DOWNGRADED

Another bad game.

Antonio Gates UPGRADED

Still making big catches and added a TD.

Kellen Winslow DOWNGRADED

Only 5 catches against Cincinnati and no TDs yet. Hopefully the BYE week will help this team.

Jason Witten UPGRADED

Tons of pass targets and finally got in the end zone. He is Romo's favorite target.

Dustin Keller UPGRADED

Got a TD pass and 3 catches. Farve is now looking for him.

Chris Cooley DOWNGRADED

Its the Sanatan Moss show and until he vanishes it will stay that way.

The Guru Gridiron Report: Expert League Week 4 Games

2008 Fantasy Football Search Expert League

The Guru Gridiron Report has an exciting week 4 of action in the Fantasy Football Search Expert League. There were not only very close games decided by 2 points or less, but we had our share of blowouts and upsets or BLOWSETS as I'll call them. On paper there were some mismatches, but paper didn't matter this week. Lets review the games.


The expert league being hosted at http://www.fantasyfootballsearch.com/2008_fantasy_football_expert_league.asp. Every week will bring you updates, scores, and analysis of what went on in that week in The 2008 Fantasy Football Search Expert League.



NFL Fantasy Playbook 91, Fantasy Football Search 64
This was a brutal match up for The True Guru. Not only was it a blowout my way on paper, but AJ even decided to go with all his Raiders. It was a blood bath. -3 points from my Cardinal defense with my Patriots defense on the BYE. My two WRs Hank Basket and Ike Hillard had a total of 6 points. AJ got great games out of Michael Bush, Bills defense, and JaMarcus Russell. This is one win AJ will never forget.

Big Game Fantasy Sports 101, Nooffseason.com 62
Patrick finally got into the win column with another blowset over Paul Hickey's team. Patrick was relentless with his Buccaneers defense, and his wide receivers Justin Gage and Lee Evans. Paul had an off week with Cutler, DJ Hacket, and Darren McFadden. Overall it was a huge win for Big Game Fantasy Sports and hopefully is building momentum for week 5.

Fighting Chance Fantasy 119, Owners Box Sports 148
Joe from Owners Box Sports ran his record to 4-0 defeating Ryan Hallam with a dominating team performance of Drew Brees, Terrell Owens, Anquan Boldin, Jamel Lewis, and Correll Buckhalter. Across the board his team played very well. Ryan scored allot of points himself and just got overpowered. He did have stellar performances in a losing cause from his WR core of Derrick Mason, Brandon Marshall, and Lance Moore who netted him a combined 74 points.


Xtreme Fantasy Football 152, Fantasy Sports Zone 150
Mike Bowser remained undefeated barely squeaking by Rhett Oldham by less than 2 points (rounded). Both teams played outstanding and this game was a back and forth shootout. FSZ came with Lavernues Coles and Antonio Gates, but was matched by Team Bowser with Greg Jennings and Jason Witten. XFF's key to winning was his small victory of Kuer Wanrer over Philip Rivers 18-10. A few more completed passes from Rivers and this game belonged to Rhett.

Junkyard Jake 107 Johnny Archive 123
Johnny Archive evened up his record with a big win over Junkyard Jake's own RC. This match was very close, but in the Santana Moss and Larry Johnson performed a magical 62 total points and that was more than enough to put distance between him and RC. RC has to consider cutting Todd Heap who put up a goose egg at the TE position. The key match up that decided this game was Marshawn Lynch vs. Larry Johnson, which Johnny won 37-11.

Pro Fantasy Games 159, Fantasy Football Starters 100
Pro Fantasy Football earned his first win and did it in amazing fashion. First he beat the best team so far in the league and did it scoring the most points for week 4. Jeff's mighty band of merry men were slaughtered by the onslaught created by Kevin Walter, Steve Slaton, and DeSean Jackson. Even Braylon Edwards scored a TD for Chris this week. Fantasy Football Starters but up a valiant effort to score 100 points in a losing effort led by Steve Smith and Frank Gore. It was Fantasy Football Starters first loss of the season.


Mock Draft Central 106, Scout Fantasy Football 104
Two teams coming off stinging losses in week 3 tried to get off the snide and Mock Draft Central pulled of the miracle 2 point win sending Scout Fantasy Football to its second straight loss. This match up was so tight that LT, Jerricho Cotchery, and Jason Campbell totalled 72 points against Jeff's three of Steven Jackson, Donnie Avery, and David Garrard's 71 points. The difference in this game was simple. It came down to the kickers who scored 8-0 in favor of MDC. Josh Brown scored zero for Scout Fantasy Football.


Week 5 Match Ups:

Fantasy Football Starters (3-1) Vs Xtreme Fantasy Football (4-0)
Match up of the week. Both division leaders square off in week 5. Mike Bowser is looking to continue his undefeated season and Jeff is coming off his first loss and a hard one at that.

Fantasy Sports Zone (1-3) Vs Nooffseason.com (1-3)
FSZ and Nooffseason battle for division ranking in a critical must win game. The winner steps closer to .500, the loser falls deeper at 1-4.

Fantasy Football Search (2-2) Vs. Owners Box Sports (4-0)
Another great match up sporting The True Guru coming off a terrible loss against the undefeated Owners Box Sports. Joe is heavily favored, but The True Guru is hoping to pull off the upset just like AJ did to him in week 4.

Scout Fantasy Football (2-2) Vs. Fighting Chance Fantasy (1-3)
The Scout has lost 2 match ups in a row and hopes to stop the bleeding against Fighting Chance Fantasy. Ryan Hallam has a good team that has under performed, and so has Jeff's lately. The winner of this match up will be the one who's real team shows up.

Junkyard Jake (2-2) Vs Mock Draft Central (2-2)
Great match up of the deuces being wild. Both RC and Geoff are 2-2 coming into week 5. The winner of this game gets the proud distinction of going above .500. These teams are evenly matched and there is no way to predict the outcome. Good Luck.

Johnny Archive (2-2) Vs Big Game Fantasy Sports (1-3)
Johnny Archive and Big Game Fantasy Sports have a clash of momentum. Both teams are coming off strong wins. Patrick has the advantage in this match up, but Johnny has heard that before.

Pro Fantasy Games (1-3) Vs. NFL Fantasy Playbook (1-3)
This is another fun game, but one that is very important to both teams. Both teams earned there first wins in week 4 and both need to get a second win this week. The good news is one team will get that win and it looks to be Pro Fantasy Games. AJ might have another Raider up his sleeve, so watch out.

The Guru Gridiron Report: The True Guru Struggles 3-3 in Week $

Leagues: 6 (3 Yahoo!, 2 CBS Sportsline, 1 ESPN)

Total Record: 19-5

This was a very tough week for me and even though I pulled out a 3-3 record it was 6 hard fought match ups. I did make a trade this week. In the Coast 2 Coast league I traded Ronnie Brown for Frask Gore. I feel that Ronnie Brown's value is very high and Frank Gore is a much more sable runningback to have the rest of the season. He will join Michael Turner and Brain Westbrook in the backfield.

Here are my 6 match ups this week:

Coast 2 Coast League

The damkids are normally not a very good team, but they gave me a run for my money and with the Bears defense this game went down to the wire. I have a very poor performance from Michael Turner and starter Brian Westbrook in hopes that he would play with Ronnie Brown on the BYE week. Lee Evans, who I started in Brown's place at FLEX did great along with Witten and Fitzgerald. I did bench Farve over Warner in this league as Farve is the backup. That may change in the future.

Football Dynasty VI

Abraham Drinkin' has quickly turned into a rival for me and though the score shows a big win, it was closer than it looks. Again, due to the injury bug I benched Farve and put in O'Sullivan. The point difference was huge. My receiving core and Tony Romo got the job done here. Lee Evans, Terrell Owens, Greg Jennings, and Steve Smith all got me over 23 points. Romo, 39 points. On the defensive side not much luck except for DB Michael Lewis, 27.5 points.


J.A.I.L. League

Another tough match that was closer then the score shows. I will admit I scored the highest score in the league for this week. For the second straight week I started Steve Slaton and he did not let me down. My receiving core also came through big time with Fitzgerald, DeSean Jackson, Terrell Owens. Reggie Williams was a bust, but Jason Witten made up for that. Overall great week for me and so far my strongest. I did bench Farve for Campbell in this game as well.

Vegas Vs Texas League

This time I started Farve against the top team in this league and our division. His team performed well and even with 6 TDs from Farve I could not pullout the win. Even with starting Slaton, no win. My busts here were Marion Barber and no Brian Westbrook who I benched here. Andre Johnson and the Vikings defense also sucked BIG TIME. I'm looking to trade for a defense in this league as the Vikings and Cardinals aren't cutting it. The Cardinals will be cut.

NSP Experts League

This was an interesting week. I scored the second highest amount of points, but the guy who got the first highest score was the guy I played. Everyone has weeks like that. I'm beginning to sound like a broken record, but my receiving core of Brandon Marshall, DeSean Jackson, and Robert Meachem totalled 53 points and Drew Brees popped in 25. It wasn't enough against Catchery, Delhomme, Jason Witten, and LT. Again a great expert match up, but my first loss in the league.

Fantasy Football Search Expert League

This was just a bad week and a bad game for my team. I was upset by my good buddy AJ and it hurt. He carried mostly Raiders and managed to trash me by 27 points. I got nothing out of most of my team. BYEs did hurt a little with Randy Moss gone, but I still would have loss. I need to rework this team with a 2-2 record.

NFL TOUCHDOWN SUNDAY SNIDE REMARKS - WEEK 4

Chicago Bears 24, Philadelphia Eagles 20
The Bears deserved to win this game, but the Eagles also deserve to have it said that Brian Westbrook did not play.
Then again, neither did Tommie Harris.
It’s going to be fun to watch the maturation of DeSean Jackson. He reminds me of Santonio Holmes in that he’s a high draft pick who is returning punts and adding speed to the offense, while at the same time, enduring some hard lessons and brutal growing pains. Potential-wise, Jackson has a slight edge over Holmes.
The Bears run defense remains dominant. So far, not one team has been able to successfully counter Cchicago’s tactic of bringing their linebackers up to the line of scrimmage.
What does Jim McMahon in the first half + Rex Grossman in the second half equal? Answer: Kyle Orton in this game.
Philly got lucky with Devin Hester Sunday Night. For the most part, they kicked to him and manned up in their coverage. But that doesn’t mean it wasn’t foolish to give him opportunities in the first place.
Here’s why th Eagles, at 2-2, are still one of the top teams in the NFL: their defense is solid and the young linebackers are improving (Chris Gocong was exceptional in this game; Stewart Bradley has an intriguing blend of instinct and athleticism), and their offense is moving the ball despite being without Westbrook, top receiver Kevin Curtis, franchise tight end L.J. Smith and All-World guard Shawn Andrews.
Nathan Vasher and Charles Tillman got banged up late. Let’s hope they’re alright – Chicago can’t survive with both guys out of the lineup.

Washington Redskins 26, Dallas Cowboys 24
This game was surprisingly simple to figure out: Washington came in and plain beat the Cowboys. Offense, defense, special teams, coaching – it was all decisively in favor of the Skins.
A healthy Santana Moss is to this offense what Jason Briggs is to the American Pie series: if he’s in, it has a chance to be great; if he’s not in, it mostly stinks.
On Sunday Moss had his way with Terence Newman. This has happened before. Newman – who, as many of you know, I believe is the best cornerback in football – has one, sometimes two absolute craphole outings a year. This was his craphole outing for ’08. He’ll bounce back.
Clinton Portis is a stud. I’m just waiting for Troy Aikman to burst out of the closet and officially declare his undivided love for him.
Jason Campbell is progressing in Jim Zorn’s offense mainly because Jim Zorn is progressing in calling plays in Jim Zorn’s offense. Campbell is not just a system guy – he is athletic and savvy enough to make improvisational plays. Zorn has learned this and has opened up the playbook for him, which is the main reason Washington has won three straight.
Terrell Owens might be ruffling more feathers in Big D than people realize. After this game, he subtly griped about the number of passes coming his way (though from the sound of it, he was answering a loaded question from a sound-bite scavenging media). The Cowboys seem to be forcing the ball to T.O. This was a problem in the first half Sunday because Shawn Springs was on Owens like stink on a Frenchman.
Tens of millions of people saw that Pacman Jones had his facemask grabbed on a punt return. Not among those tens of millions, however, was the official near the play. But what stood out about this was Jones’s livid reaction. If this had been basketball, Jones would have been ejected immediately. I’ve always wondered, Why do football players, helmets or no helmets, get away with so much verbal abuse of the officials?
In a losing effort, DeMarcus Ware at Chris Samuels’s lunch.

New York Jets 56, Arizona Cardinals 35
472 yards passing for Kurt Warner. Six touchdowns for Brett Favre. Seven turnovers for the Cardinals. The Jets score their 54th point late in the game and then go for two. The Cardinals unload a slew of onside kicks starting in the third quarter. Tell me this doesn’t sound like you and your buddy’s game of Madden.
I don’t think Eric Smith had malicious intent in his devastating hit on Anquan Boldin, but the NFL still has to suspend Smith for this. It might be the most egregious example of helmet-to-helmet contact on a defenseless receiver that I’ve ever seen. Even though Smith got his own bell rung and was probably exhibiting only aberrational violence, the leagues still has to send a message and sit the guy down for a game or two. Boldin could have been killed.
P.S. The Cardinals were killed. Fifty six points to a Jets offense that was less cohesive than Congress just six days before? I doubt we’ll see Ken Whisenhunt keep his team on the east coast for an entire week again.

Click here to view all Snide Remarks from Sunday of Week 4

The Story of the Matt Millen Era

He finally did it. Didn’t think he had it in him, did ya?
You were wrong. After his team began its annual meltdown early this year, William Clay Ford, owner of the 0-3 Detroit Lions, anticipated the inevitable rage of the hometown fan base and made the move that virtually all of Michigan had been calling for since the burst of the dot-com bubble. Ford fired Matt Millen. Millen’s final record as Lions GM and President was 31-83.
This time, the Detroit Lions were finally a step ahead. It’s the first time they’ve been in such position since the Barry Sanders era. And, not coincidentally, it was the end of that era that created the first pothole for this last era.
When Millen was hired in 2001, one of his first moves was trying to coax Sanders out of retirement. Turns out, this was actually the first sign of a problem. It was like the bed wetting that precedes the animal torture by eight years and the serial killing by 20. Hired to move the franchise forward and into the future, Millen began by desperately looking back and into the past. It didn’t work out – the Sanders move or the eight years that followed it.
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Fighting Chance Fantasy's On The Radar--Week 4

Steve Smith, WR, New York Giants. After having an injury plagued season, Steve Smith made a nice impact at the end of the season and playoff runs as the Giants won the Super Bowl. With this team mandated suspension for Week 5 or Plaxico Burress, Smith becomes a sneaky good play next week. Smith had just four catches through two weeks in 2008, but was able to haul in seven passes in Week 3, and he should become more and more of the Giants offense as he proves his worth. Throughout his short NFL career, Smith has shown the ability to make the tough catch as well as the deep ball. If he continues to get the chance, he could be an integral part of the Giants offense.

Steve Slaton, RB, Houston Texans. The rookie running back from West Virginia definitely made the most of his opportunity to start a game as Ahman Green was unable to go. Slaton had an early 50 yard run on his way to a 116 yard rushing game. Slaton also caught four passes, although it was for only eight yards. Given the injury history of Green, Slaton has been named the starter for the Texans for the forseeable future, grab him if you can.

Rudi Johnson, RB, Detroit Lions. When Johnson was cut by the Bengals before the season started, he was also cut by many fantasy players. Johnson showed that he has a grip on the Lions offensive scheme as he got 14 carries to rookie Kevin Smith's three. Johnson also caught three passes for 48 yards and a touchdown as it looks like he might have the leg up as the starter in Detroit next week.

Correll Buckhalter, RB, Philadelphia Eagles. Brian Westbrook left the game with against the Steelers in the second quarter with a knee/ankle injury after stepping on his own lineman. Buckhalter came in and continued to give the Eagles the kind of production that they could have hoped for if Westbrook had not been injured. Buckhalter rushed for 43 yards and caught six passes including a nifty 20 yard touchdown. If Westbrook is injured for any stretch of the season, Buckhalter could be a huge addition to your fantasy team.

Jabar Gaffney, WR, New England Patriots. After finishing last three weeks of 2007 with 14 catches, it was thought that Gaffney might have more of a role this season. But Gaffney didn't even have a catch until Week 3 when he caught six balls for 51 yards and a touchdown. I think that they Pats will continue to open up the playbook as Cassel becomes more comfortable, and Gaffney will have more of a role.

Lance Moore, WR, New Orleans Saints. Saints offensive players are falling like With the injury to Marques Colston, someone had to pick up the slack with the passing game. Moore had just three catches through two weeks, but broke out with seven grabs against the Redskins. Drew Brees spreads the ball around so much that if you are in need of help at receiver, Moore could help you out while Colston is on the sideline.

As always, we welcome your emails with all questions at fightingchancefantasy@gmail.com. I guarantee a response within 18 hours.

The Guru Gridiron Report: Week 4 Bench/Start Defenses

So far we have had some great success this season, but week 4 delivers the first serious challenge of the season and the biggest of its type we will see all season long. The bye weeks have started and in week 4 you will see 6 teams taking the week off and they include; New York Giants, Miami Dolphins, Indianapolis Colts, Seattle Seahawks, New England Patriots, and Detroit Lions.

Expect to see an active free agency for wide receivers and quarterbacks, but not as much on the runningback side. Examining the 6 teams that have the week 4 bye, fantasy owners will miss roughly 10 wide receivers and 5 quarterbacks, while losing only 5 runningbacks. So grab the wide receivers if they are still out there and you are in need. As for the quarterbacks, here are our recommendations:

DEFENSES AND YOU MUST START
Its another risk, but we think Arizona matches up well against the NY Jets this week. We also think that it will be a field day for Pittsburgh against the Flacco led Ravens. The Minnesota/Tennessee match up looks intriguing and we figure it to be a low scoring affair, so start both. Philadelphia will feast on the Bears. Start them.

Others: Chicago, Dallas, Tampa Bay, Buffalo, San Diego

Other DEFENSES To Consider Starting With Some Risk
Not much here to discuss for a second straight week. Jacksonville should have some success against Houston, but Houston will put up some points.
Others: Baltimore, Houston, Green Bay

Please Bench These DEFENSES

Cincinnati, NY Jets, New Orleans, Oakland, San Francisco

Good luck.

The True Guru

The Guru Gridiron Report: Week 4 Bench/Start WRs & TEs

So far we have had some great success this season, but week 4 delivers the first serious challenge of the season and the biggest of its type we will see all season long. The bye weeks have started and in week 4 you will see 6 teams taking the week off and they include; New York Giants, Miami Dolphins, Indianapolis Colts, Seattle Seahawks, New England Patriots, and Detroit Lions.

Expect to see an active free agency for wide receivers and quarterbacks, but not as much on the runningback side. Examining the 6 teams that have the week 4 bye, fantasy owners will miss roughly 10 wide receivers and 5 quarterbacks, while losing only 5 runningbacks. SO grab the wide receivers if they are still out there and you are in need. As for the quarterbacks, here are our recommendations:

WIDE RECEIVERS YOU MUST START
Absolutely brutal week for wide receivers. Look to Steve Smith to make an appearance in the end zone this weekend along with foe Roddy White. Yes we are going to say, start Braylon Edwards. This is a big breakout game for him and he should have success. DeSean Jackson ill be fun to watch against Chicago and should catch a bomb against their tough defense and Tillman is bound to fall down once. Chad Johnson loves playing Cleveland and his partner T.J. Houshmandzadeh will get plenty of pass targets. Look for Eddie Royal to get back on the TD trail against KC. Dallas's defense allows the big pass, so there is little doubt that Santana Moss will catch at least one. If there ever was a week to start Lee Evans, now is the time.

Others: Terrell Owens, Larry Fitzgerald, Brandon Marshall, Santonio Holmes, Vincent Jackson, Chris Chambers, Jerricho Cotchery, Greg Jennings, Anquan Boldin, Andre Johnson, Dwayne Bowe

TIGHT ENDS YOU MUST START

Jason Witten, Antonio Gates, Bo Scaife, Chris Cooley, Tony Scheffler, Tony Gonzalez

Other Wide Receivers To Consider Starting With Some Risk
We like Josh Reed this week against the Rams sorry defense. We also feel that Torry Holt should score with Trent Green heaving it up all day. Its a must win for Houston, so look for them to throw everything at Jacksonville. Kevin Walters should have a nice game if all goes well. Ike Hillard has been off and on, and this week we think he will be on. We like Bryant Johnson this week again, so give him a go.
Others: Hank Basket, Lavernues Coles, Joey Galloway, Matt Jones, Devery Henderson

Other Tight Ends To Consider Starting With Some Risk

Dante Rosario, Robert Royal, Vernon Davis, Dustin Keller, Mercedes Lewis

Please Bench These Wide Receivers
Bench Donald Driver against Tampa Bay.
Others: Hines Ward, Derrick Mason, Patrick Crayton, David Patten, Isaac Bruce, Dante Stallworth

Please Bench These Tight Ends

Todd Heap, Alge Crumpler, Bubba Franks, Donald Lee.

Sleeper Wide Receivers
We have several sleeper wide receivers and they star with comedian Dane Looker. Miles Austin impressed us last week. He won't get many targets, but he is slowly becoming the #2 guy in Dallas and a serious deep threat for Romo. Chanci Stuckey should get a 4th TD as long as Farve plays and Brandon Lloyd has developed into Orton's goto guy. Jerry Porter should make a rare appearance on the field and make the most of it. Our biggest sleeper of the week is Robert Meachem. With no Colston or Shockey, Meachem will get plenty of looks. Keep an eye on Josh Morgan for San Francisco. We aren't calling him to do big things, but he could surprise us this week.

Good luck. Next are our Defenses!

The True Guru

The Guru Gridiron Report: Week 4 Bench/Start Runningbacks

SO far we have had some great success this season, but week 4 delivers the first serious challenge of the season and the biggest of its type we will see all season long. The bye weeks have started and in week 4 you will see 6 teams taking the week off and they include; New York Giants, Miami Dolphins, Indianapolis Colts, Seattle Seahawks, New England Patriots, and Detroit Lions.

Expect to see an active free agency for wide receivers and quarterbacks, but not as much on the runningback side. Examining the 6 teams that have the week 4 bye, fantasy owners will miss roughly 10 wide receivers and 5 quarterbacks, while losing only 5 runningbacks. SO grab the wide receivers if they are still out there and you are in need. As for the quarterbacks, here are our recommendations:

RUNNINGBACKS YOU MUST START
Week 4 has some intriguing match ups and affords us only a few losses with the bye week. Chris Perry has the power to explode on Cleveland and should easily find the end zone. His counterpart Jamal Lewis, if healthy will also find success this week and pay dirt. Michael Turner will continue his incredible season with a great match up against Carolina. Then there is our friend Marion Barber who is an absolute must start, but in his past he hasn't had the greatest games against Washington with only 1 TD in 5 games. Temper expectations for Barber. Finally we expect Steven Jackson to be used allot against Buffalo and get a touchdown.

Others: Maurice Jones-Drew, Frank Gore, Reggie Bush, LaDainian Tomlinson, Brian Westbrook (watch injury status), Marshan Lynch

Other Runningbacks To Consider Starting With Some Risk
There are several runningbacks who are mid-tier, but can provide some serious pop. Darin Sproles will see allot of action against Oakland and could easily score 1-2 TDs. Its a bit of a risk with him not starting, but not much. Larry Johnson will find room against Denver, but there should be concern with Denver blowing out KC and them abandoning the run. Thomas Jones will be used early and often against Arizona. Steve Slaton showed us he's the starter in Houston and should find some holes against Jacksonville. Ernest Graham is coming off a tough week, but will get some yards against the Packers in his own house.
Others: Matt Forte, Adrian Peterson, Darren McFadden, Ryan Grant

Please Bench These Runningbacks
One match up we don't like is Ray Rice and Le'Ron McClain will find little success against Pittsburgh, so bench them. Same thing with the brutal combo of LenDale White and Chris Johnson. No success against Minnesota.

Others: Clinton Portis, Edgerrin James

Sleeper Runningbacks
Our three sleepers this week are Rashard Mendenhall and Tim Hightower. We expect Hightower to score 1 or 2 TDs in goal line situations and with 10 carries minimum. Rashard Mendenhall should overpower the #1 run defense in the league and will be leaned on with Big Ben hurting. Finally we love Andre Hall this week. Selvin Young should also run easy and free, but we expect Hall to break off some big runs this week and score once or twice.

Good luck. Next are our Wide Receivers and Tight Ends!

The True Guru

The Guru Gridiron Report: Week 4 Bench/Start Quarterbacks

SO far we have had some great success this season, but week 4 delivers the first serious challenge of the season and the biggest of its type we will see all season long. The bye weeks have started and in week 4 you will see 6 teams taking the week off and they include; New York Giants, Miami Dolphins, Indianapolis Colts, Seattle Seahawks, New England Patriots, and Detroit Lions.

Expect to see an active free agency for wide receivers and quarterbacks, but not as much on the runningback side. Examining the 6 teams that have the week 4 bye, fantasy owners will miss roughly 10 wide receivers and 5 quarterbacks, while losing only 5 runningbacks. SO grab the wide receivers if they are still out there and you are in need. As for the quaterbacks, here are our recommendations:

QUARTERBACKS YOU MUST START
Week 4 shapes up to be a week that quarterbacks who haven't shined so far can have breakout games. One game of key interest is a developing tornado of passing over the Ohio at Cleveland vs. Cincinnati. We look for Derek Anderson to have a strong performance to save his job throwing no less then 3 TDs. On the other side, we see Carson Palmer continuing to improve from his last week performance and adding 3 himself. Another shootout will occur down in New Orleans, only the Saints will be on the bigger end. Drew Brees will continue his hot hand, while counterpart J.T. O'Sullivan will have a 2 TD performance and both will collect plenty of yards. Finally, will the real David Garrard please show himself on the field of play. Week 4 against Houston at home provides Garrard a breakout opportunity with possible healthy wide receivers.

Others: Tony Romo, Kurt Warner, Jay Cutler, Philip Rivers

Other Quarterbacks To Consider Starting With Some Risk
There are some very good mid-tier quarterbacks to start this week and we start with Trent Edwards against the hopeless St. Louis Rams. We expect the Rams to play a little tougher and the Bills to run the ball, but Edwards should have a solid game. Jason Campbell will be playing from behind in Dallas and he will sneak a bomb or two pass the Dallas defenders. Matt Ryan and Jake Delhomme will exchange pleasantries in a tough NFC South battle. Its a risk to guess how many of the passes they throw land for TDs or INTs, but we expect allot of passes thrown. You have to like the numbers. Aaron Rodgers is facing his biggest test of the season. We have to say start him if you don't have a higher tier QB, but beware that Tampa can make life hard on the young QB. We do think that the Green Bay offense matches up well with the Tampa Bay defense. If Aaron Rodgers does well expect Brian Griese to throw 60 more passes this week playing catch up.
Others: Matt Schaub, Kerry Collins, Brett Farve, Ben Roethlisberger

Please Bench These Quarterbacks
Gus Ferotte didn't play to expectations, so bench him until he shows us he's worth it. JaMarcus Russell will not have success against San Diego except for some late dirt in a likely blowout game. I apologize on behalf of all fantasy football experts if you've been forced to start Joe Flacco, but again bench him. Here is our surprise of the week. We do not like Donovan McNabb going to Chicago and performing well against the fast moving Bears Linebackers. This would be a week to bench McNabb.
Others: JaMarcus Russell, Kyle Orton,

Sleeper Quarterbacks
We only have two sleepers this week. Trent Green should provide a quick, but short spark for the Rams at home against Buffalo. He should be able to get 225 yards and 1, maybe 2 TDs. We also like Damon Huard against Denver. Cutler's crew will wipe out KC, but with home field and a big deficit to dig out of Huard can easily get enough junk points to add up.

Good luck. Next are our Runningbacks!

The True Guru

Fighting Chance Fantasy's Start/Bench Week 4

Quarterbacks

Start: Carson Palmer, Cincinnati Bengals vs. Cleveland Browns. Do you remember last year's game between these two teams? If not, I will refresh your memory with Palmer's line. 33/50 for 401 yards and SIX touchdowns. Now, I'm not saying to expect that kind of production again, but now that the Bengals have shown some sort of life, coupled with the fact that the Browns defense is still horrible, I think you can expect 300 yards and two or three scores from Palmer this week.

Start: J.T. O'Sullivan, San Francisco 49ers vs. New Orleans Saints. The Saints defense has had as much backbone as a mud puddle so far this season, and with the suddenly confident 49ers as their opponent this week, they could be giving up a bunch more yardage. O'Sullivan has thrown for over 500 yards without an interception the past two weeks, and he seems to be getting more comfortable in his role. The Mike Martz system looks to be a good fit for him and the Niners as they haven't scored 30 points in back to back games since I was in high school it seems. Now if you have either Peyton Manning or J.T. O'Sullivan I'm not saying start O'Sullivan, but if your other option is questionable, he could give you 250 yards and another two touchdowns.

Sit: Jason Campbell, Washington Redskins vs. Dallas. Campbell has been a great story over the past couple of games after it seemed like his talent and coach Jim Zorn's system matched like peanut butter and sardines. But the last two games he has thrown for over 500 yards and three touchdowns with no interceptions. However, in Week 4 he will face the best defense he has gone against all season in Dallas. I would expect under two hundred yards, and if he throws one touchdown I would consider that lucky.

Sit: Matt Schaub, Houston Texans vs. Jacksonville Jaguars. Through two games, Schaub hasn't reached 400 passing yards, and still has only thrown one touchdown against five interceptions. Texans' fans were hopeful coming into 2008 after the team finished strong last year, but so far out of the gate, the Houston has looked horrible. Of course, they have played two great defensive teams in the Steelers and Ravens, but the task doesn't get any easier this week against the Jaguars. Hopefully, the running attack of Steve Slaton will open up the passing game more than it has been so far, but I wouldn't run that risk this week.

Running Backs

Start: Chris Perry, Cincinnati Bengals vs. Cleveland Browns. I hate to really pick on a team twice in this same column, but the Browns have been so bad that Perry is a great play too. He finally showed us some of his potential as he ran for 74 yards and a score, and now has a touchdown in two straight games. The Browns are allowing almost 150 yards on the ground a game, so look for Perry to get to about 125 and score for the third straight game.

Start: Marshawn Lynch, Buffalo Bills vs. St. Louis Rams. I make no secret about it, I am a Marshawn Lynch fan. If he can just keep himself out of trouble off the field, I think he can be a top 5-7 running back in the NFL. The Bills are a run first team, and they have found themselves a workhorse. And the Rams, well how can I say this nicely? Well, they suck. That's as nice as I can be. They have been getting gashed against the run, so Lynch should have another big game.

Sit: Matt Forte, Chicago Bears vs. Philadelphia Eagles. I am also quickly becoming a fan of Matt Forte. He has shown the ability to be an every down back as well as catching some balls out of the backfield. Forte has had no less than 23 carries in a game so far, and looks to be the Bears' starter for years to come. All that being said, the Philadelphia defense has been STINGY, not even allowing 50 yards rushing per game. Forte will be great, but look for a better matchup this week if you have it.

Sit: Michael Turner, Atlanta Falcons vs. Carolina Panthers. Although it has been close the Panthers haven't allowed a back to rush for 100 yards through three games. Considering they've played against LaDanian Tomlinson, Matt Forte, and Adrian Peterson this is no small feat. Granted, Turner has had two amazing games, but they did come against the Chiefs and the Lions, not exactly defensive studs. The Panthers have a pretty good defense, and we shall see if Turner starts a good game/bad game trend.

Wide Receivers

Start: Dwayne Bowe, Kansas City Chiefs vs. Denver Broncos. I know, the QB situation in Kansas City is horrible, even if Damon Huard is able to start(which is possible). But Bowe has been a nice consistent receiver this year, and already has 15 catches and two scores in three games. The Broncos pass defense has been unable to stop anyone this year, so look for Bowe to have another five catches for maybe 60 yards and hopefully another score.

Start: Lee Evans, Buffalo Bills vs. St. Louis Rams. Evans has had a nice start to the season, but hasn't caught more than four passes this season and hasn't found the end zone yet. Again, I hate to beat up on the same team more than once per article, but the Rams deserve it. They haven't even shown up on defense yet. I'm expecting one of those Lee Evans eight catch, 179 yards, two score games.

Sit: Bernard Berrian, Minnesota Vikings vs. Tennessee Titans. Berrian has had three catches in each of the two games that he has played, but this week he will most likely be looking across the field at Courtland Finnegan who is quickly becoming one of the best corners that no one has heard of. With Gus Frerotte behind center, the Vikings aren't going to put up any significant passing numbers even if they were playing the Rams.

Sit: Torry Holt, St. Louis Rams vs. Buffalo Bills. Trent Green will be starting for the Rams this week, as they are putting Marc Bulger on the bench. I am running out of adjectives to describe how bad the Rams have been both offensively and defensively. Until they show some sort of life, it is hard to start any of their players. Holt is getting older, has had some leg problems lately, and has only 11 catches through three games. Hopefully you have a better option at WR.

Tight Ends

Start: Chris Cooley, Washington Redskins vs. Dallas Cowboys. Cooley had 13 catches for almost 150 yards and a touchdown in two games against the Cowboys last year, and always seems to play well against their division rivals. He had a tough first week against the Giants, but so did his whole team. Now that Jason Campbell appears to have figured something out, Cooley should go back to being one of the top handful of tight ends in the league

Sit: Tony Scheffler, Denver Broncos vs. Kansas City Chiefs. This might sound crazy, but the Chiefs are among the league leaders in pass defense, allowing only 153 yards a game. Jay Cutler and the Broncos offense has been white hot to start the season, but the Chiefs actually have a couple of decent linebackers and safeties that could guard Scheffler. He has turned into a good tight end option, but I think he might have a tough game in Week 4.

As always, we welcome your emails with all questions at fightingchancefantasy@gmail.com. I guarantee a response within 18 hours.

The Guru Gridiron Report: The True Guru 6-0 in Week 3

Leagues: 6 (3 Yahoo!, 2 CBS Sportsline, 1 ESPN)

Total Record: 16-2

Wow is all I can muster. What a week three. Going into this week and looking at the schedule the best I figured I could hope for is 4-2, but I was probably looking at 3-3. Especially when Westbrook went down I really got slammed, but I still pulled it out.

I've gotten a few emails asking me how I run so many teams with conflicting players and how I'm managing to win so well. I'd like to respond to those questions here and now. I do plan to post this week about experts, but for now I'll explain my multi-league strategy. first and foremost I follow the exact advice I give in my blog and on my radio show. So far that has done very well for me. Also, when drafting these leagues I tried my best to get the players I was high on this season in as many leagues as possible. Here is a list to consider.

Players on at least 2 teams

• Michael Turner
• Marion Barber
• Brian Westbrook
• Jason Whitten
• Tony Romo
• Brandon Marshall
• DeSean Jackson
• Reggie Bush
• Terrell Owens
• Bears Defense
  

Guys on 3 teams;

• Larry Fitzgerald (3)
• Brett Farve (6)

Here are my 6 match ups this week:

Coast 2 Coast League


LV Cowboys 112, Sassy Raiders 87
Always a tough match up, but this time it was all LV Cowboys. Brett Farve
, Larry Fitzgerald, and Michael Turner all turned it on and I flew to an
easy victory to go to 3-0 in this league and I also have tallied the most
points.

Football Dynasty VI
LV Cowboys 375, Coming Back For More 288
This was an incredible week as I scored a league record 375 points and
demolished my fine opponent. This is the league with defensive players and
I had a ton that had great games including Cromartie, John Abraham, and Adam
Jones. ON the offensive front it was again Michael Turner with help from
Brett Farve, and Reggie Bush. This team is on fire and is sitting at 3-0
with the most points in this great keeper league.

J.A.I.L. League
The True Guru 104, Sofa King Good 93
This match up went down to the wire. I went into Monday night's
game down by 8 points with only Farve left and he came on strong and I pulled by
him. This week I started Steve Slaton and with help from Larry Fitzgerald
pulled off another close and tough win. Sofa King Good has a great team
and I'm just glad to see him and T. Houshmandzadeh gone for this season at least
until the possible playoffs.

Vegas Vs Texas League
LV Cowboys 179 - Tripods 143
This is another league that went down to the wire needing Brett Farve to pull it
out. After losing Brian Westbrook I managed to keep the game tight and
Brett Farve pulled it out in the 2nd half of Monday Night's game. Marion
Barber had another fantastic game along with Brandon Marshall and Larry
Fitzgerald. Tripods put up a helluva fight and my Texan friend who hates
the Cowboys has only beaten me (Cowboy Fan) once in 4 years, so he's probably
hanging himself right now.

NSP Experts League
FF Search 123, Nova Fantasy Sports 97
This was a fun match up as I rode to a 3-0 record in the NSP Experts League.
This victory was a team victory, but I will give shout outs to Drew Brees,
Brandon Marshall, Joseph Addai, and John Carney. Kevin Smith was my only
poor performer netting me 1 point.

Fantasy Football Search Expert League
Fantasy Football Search 91, Big Game Fantasy Sports 59
After both teams took tough losses last week, both were looking to get back on
track. Big Game Fantasy Sports is still trying for his first win and didn't find it this week. Reggie Bush & Tony Romo made sure of that with huge performances. Big Game Fantasy Sports's running attack is in peril with Fred Jackson and Sammy Morris leading the charge and only scoring 6 points. He still has a big threat with Evans, A. Johnson, and S. Holmes, but none have performed well to date and together scored only 18 points.

The Guru Gridiron Report: Expert League Week 3 Games

The Guru Gridiron Report is here and week three was full of tight games, shoot outs and blowouts. We even had some big trades go down as experts start to reorganize their teams for the season.

The expert league being hosted at http://www.fantasyfootballsearch.com/. Every week will bring you updates, scores, and analysis of what went on in that week in The 2008 Fantasy Football Search Expert League.

TRADES WEEK 3:

Fighting Chance Fantasy traded Vincent Jackson, SD WR, Brandon Jackson, GB RB, Michael Bush, Oak RB

To NFL Fantasy Playbook for Kevin Faulk, NE RB, Wes Welker, NE WR, Packers D/ST, GB D/ST.

Fantasy Football Search 91, Big Game Fantasy Sports 59
After both teams took tough losses last week, both were looking to get back on track. Big Game Fantasy Sports is stilling for its first win and didn't find it this week. Reggie Bush & Tony Romo made sure of that with huge performances. Big Game Fantasy Sports's running attack is in peril with Fred Jackson and Sammy Morris leading the charge and only scoring 6 points. He still has a big threat with Evans, A. Johnson, and S. Holmes, but none have performed well to date and together scored only 18 points.

Fantasy Football Starters 129, Nooffseason.com 118
Both teams played a great game and this would be classified as a shootout. FFS came out on top with top performances from Frank Gore and his Eagles defense netting him 29 points each. Nooffseason.com had a much more balanced attack with great performances from Jay Cutler, Joseph Addai, Jeremy Shockey, and the Ravens defense.

Johnny Archive 113, Fighting Chance Fantasy 112
The tightest match up of the week came down to 1 point and Johnny Archive got it. Both teams played exceptionally well. FCF had big days from Brandon Marshall and Marion Barber. However, Johnnies team was tad more consistent throughout his roster with great games from Larry Johnson, Santana Moss, Jaguars defense, and his kicker Josh Scobee. I'd say his kicker won it for him and for FCF Ryan Grant lost it for him getting only 3 points.

Xtreme Fantasy Football 157, Scout Fantasy Football 78
This was the match up of the week and turned out to be the BLOW OUT of the week. XFF exercised little caution is dispatching Scout Fantasy Football with big plays from Roddy White, Larry Fitzgerald, Greg Jennings, the Falcons defense, and Clinton Portis. For Scout Fantasy Football, only Steven Jackson broke 14 points with 17. On paper it was a great match up, but XFF got them better end this week.

Junkyard Jake 146, Fantasy Sports Zone 111

Fantasy Sports Zone didn't know what hit him and even with a strong performance still got hammered by Junkyard Jake. JJ brought the house with a huge running attack of Matt Forte, Marshan Lynch, and Michael Turner. FSZ had good performances by Lavernues Coles, Antonio Gartes, and his Tennessee defense, but it wasn't enough. The three RBs for Junkyard Jake scored a combined 85 points.

Owners Box Sports 119, Pro Fantasy Games 91
Pro Fantasy Games is still searching for his first win after week 3. Owners Box Sports came out firing on all cylinders and never let up. Drew Brees and surprise sensation Julius Jones scored a quick 49 points on his way to victory. Even his Jets defense dropped in 20 points. This game should have been closer, but Pro Fantasy Games lost Brian Westbrook and that was a huge loss for week 3.

Mock Draft Central 127, NFL Fantasy Playbook 100

MDC earned his first win of the season and kept NFL Fantasy Playbook out of the winning column. LT showed up for MDC along with Jason Campbell and he went on to route NFLFP. Despite the loss, NFLFP did have improved performances from TJ Houshmanzadeh and LenDale White. Still, its a team that needs a boost.

There are the updates.
Week 3 Match Ups:
Fantasy Football Starters (3-0) Vs Pro Fantasy Games (0-3) - Pro Fantasy Games has just had bad luck. This is the expert league match up of the week. We smell an upset and one less undefeated expert in the league.

Fantasy Sports Zone (1-2) Vs Xtreme Fantasy Football (3-0) - Another exciting match up, but we don't see FSZ threating Xtreme Fantasy Football. XFF should remain undefeated after week 4.

Fighting Chance Fantasy (1-2) Vs. Owners Box Sports (3-0)

Great match up here. Owners Box Sports will have his hands full with FCF. This match up should go down to the wire.

Scout Fantasy Football (2-1) Vs. Mock Draft Central (1-2)

The Scout is pissed about losing and MDC is hot getting its first win. Look for this to be another tight match up between to hard fighting teams.

Junkyard Jake (2-1) Vs Johnny Archive (1-2)

Can anyone slow down Junkyard Jake? Johnny Archive has played extremely well, but he might be over matched in week 4.

Nooffseason.com (1-2) Vs Big Game Fantasy Sports (0-3)

Big Game Fantasy Sports looks to get in the winning column and has a great match up against Nooffseason.com to do it. This will be a fun game to watch.

Fantasy Football Search (2-1) Vs. NFL Fantasy Playbook (0-3)

FFS (my team) will look to dispatch my good buddy AJ quickly in week 4 and keep him out of the winning column. This is not a good match up for him, but upsets can occur.

The Guru Gridiron Report: Week 3 Review & Recap

Week three provided us with a stabilization if you could say for allot of our favorite fantasy players. Many players came down to earth while some players excelled beyond our expectations. The question for managers and experts is have we found a common ground for these players and our expectations for them. Lets review some of these weeks performances:

Quarterbacks (STOCK VALUE)

Jay Cutler - DOWN

Had a great game, but was definitely below the 3 TDs per game during the first 2 weeks. We expect more games like this the rest of the season. Of course his stock couldn't have been higher.

Tony Romo EVEN

Romo shows us he still makes mistakes, but is without a doubt the #1 fantasy QB in the league. Think about this, he has 5 TDs in 3 games. Two of his opponents (Eagles and Packers) were tough defensively.

Aaron Rodgers DOWN

Came down to earth with a 0 pass TD, 1 rush TD performance. We do expect better from him, but he was playing above his normal expectations.

Brett Farve UP

Brett Farve showed that he can in fact throw and when needed make TDs. The Jets will play from behind allot and that plays in the hands of Farve.

Drew Brees UP

Despite losing Colston and Shockey we still like Brees. With a soft defense he will throw allot and Robert Meacham may surprise us with some big games.

Donovan McNabb DOWN

We were ready for McNabb to digress. Let it began. He is still a 1st tier QB, but buyer beware.

Derek Anderson DOWN

We still have hope for Anderson, but him and Edwards need to get on track ASAP. Keep in mind He and Edwards are behind with injuries in the preseason and he has been without Stallworth and a wounded Jamal Lewis.

Peyton Manning DOWN

This is a quarterback in decline and he is no longer a 1st tier automatic start.

J.T. O'Sullivan UP

We have been waiting for him to have a breakout game and we got close. 189 yards and 2 TDs, plus 32 rushing yards shows what is to come. He is worth the grab.

Matt Schaub EVEN

Listen, the Texans have gone through so much with Ike that they have their mines elsewhere. Give them a break and assume once everything settles they will be better.

Carson Palmer UP

Carson looked comfortable against a heavy New York pass rush. We think he's found a grove and will continue to get back to where is was last year, 1st tier QB.

Trent Edwards UP

Great game with 279 yards and a TD. He has the weapons and the talent. Look for him to continue to play well all season.

Runningbacks (STOCK VALUE)

Brain Westbrook EVEN

Ok, every season Westbrook will give you 1-2 injury riddled performances. chalk this up as one and start him next week. He looks OK.

Marion Barber UP

He's a machine and the cog that makes the Dallas offense function. He is the master of the 1-yard TD run and will continue to score 1-2 TDs per game. He's at the very least the overall #2 RB in fantasy.

Steve Slaton UP

Finally got his start and looked awesome. 100+ yards and a TD. Once the Texan offense gets going, he wil be hard to contain. Get him now.

Kevin Smith DOWN

Got benched in favor of Rudi Johnson. He is a rookie, so have patience, but this is not good no matter how you look at it.

Rudi Johnson UP

RUDI! RUDI! He's back and 84 yards on 14 carries looked good to us. He's the starter in Detroit now, but don't expect too much.

Reggie Bush UP

Watch out, he's looking like the player we've all been waiting for. 4 TDs so far and over 400 combined yards with 26 receptions. Believe it.

Matt Forte UP

This rookie is amazing everyone and propelling the Chicago Bears to a playoff caliber team. Over 400 yards and 2 TDs in a weak offense looks great. He added 7 receptions in week 3.

Larry Johnson UP

Finally a performance worth discussing. Let's see him do it 2 times in a row. At least the Chiefs can say when LJ gets 100+ yards they are 1-0.

Michael Turner UP

We expected great things out of him and got them. Still a very inconsistent runningback in an inconsistent offense, but a must start.

Wide Reciever (STOCK VALUE)

Ike Hillard EVEN

He seems to just catch TDs every other game. He's turning into a great 3rd WR for your fantasy team.

Terrell Owens EVEN

He will have bad games, but they won't happen back-to-back weeks. He's still in the top 3.

Miles Austin UP

He's the 3rd WR for the Cowboys, but had a huge game with 115 yards and a touchdown. Take a flyer on this guy as Crayton could be losing favor in Dallas.

Eddie Royal EVEN

Didn't have his best game, but is still "The Other Guy" in Denver and should get plenty of scraps.

Robert Meacham UP

With Colston and Shockey out look for Meacham to continue to get more involved. He caught 2 passes for 86 yards and is a constant deep threat for New Orleans.

Chansi Stuckey UP

Three games, 3 touchdowns. Farve has a goto guy forming in the red zone. Get him now.

Plaxico Buress EVEN

Had a tough game, but still one of the best at getting balls that cornerbacks cannot.

Andre Johnson DOWN

Again, the Texans are is disarray, but Johnson dropped two TD passes, so he's downgraded. We still expect him to explode no matter who throws to him.

Torry Holt DOWN

He is on the decline and I would run away if you have him.

Randy Moss DOWN

He's no longer the threat he was without Brady. Pull the string and deal him ASAP.

DeSean Jackson EVEN

Had an alright, but uneventful game against a brutal defense. We expect more out of him in the coming weeks.

Hank Basket UP

This is a guy we liked even last year. 8 catches for 85 yards showed that McNabb likes to target him. Even with Curtis and Brown coming back expect Basket to stay in the equation for the Eagle offense.

Tight Ends (STOCK VALUE)

Jeremy Shockey DOWN

He's out for 6 weeks and that stinks for his owners. He was getting better.

Vernon Davis DOWN

With all the passes O'Sullivan is throwing you'd think Davis would catch more, but so far he has been absent from the offense.

Robert Royal DOWN

After the first good game, nothing much. Still take a flyer on him, but beware.

Dante Rosario DOWN

With Steve Smith back Rosario is a one hit wonder.

Antonio Gates UP

The toe is no longer an issue. Another TD catch and another great game. He is back.

Kellen Winslow DOWN

He isn't performing like we thought he would, but be patient. We think Cleveland will right the ship and Winslow will get touchdowns.

Jason Witten UP

Still no end zone, but 20 catches in three games and 7 each over the last two. His time will come.