Sunday Night Roundup

The game of the day obviously was the Arizona-Tennessee contest that came down to the final play of the game where Vince Young hit Kenny Britt with a game winning TD. What interested me most in this game was the resurgence of both Vince Young and Matt Leinart. It is so great to see Young resurrect his career after nearly falling off the map early in 2008 Young was phenomenal in this game and he is really on his way back to becoming a superstar in this league. He has learned how to use his skills as a runner and blend them with higher percentage passes. Of course it helps to have Chris Johnson in the backfield now too! On the flip side, Matt Leinart has if nothing else, productive today. He moved the offense, didn't make many mistakes and made all the throws he was allowed to make. What Kurt Warner did to Leinart this week was criminal. I have no doubt that Warner strung Leinart along and didn't allow him any practice time all week and threw him under the bus by bowing out this morning. Give Leinart a full week of practice and some experience with Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin and he will produce. Oh and Leinart heavily favors Anquan Boldin over Larry Fitzgerald too just in case Warner wakes up with a toothache or something next Sunday.


Justin Forsett was great today but it is important for us fantasy players to understand this performance came against a terrible Rams defense. Julius Jones comes back next week and while Forsett has earned extended playing time going forward, he is not an automatic starter by any means. Forsett has proven that he is more than just a good third down RB, but he'll need to first beat out Jones for the starting job and then perform like this against higher caliber opponents.


The Falcons are panicking tonight after losing both Matt Ryan and Michael Turner to injuries today. Ryan went down early with a foot injury and was replaced for the rest of the game by Chris Redman. Turner re-injured his right ankle later on and was held out the rest of the way. Either way, the Falcons have productive backups in Chirs Redman and Jason Snelling who could do just fine for the short term.


DeSean Jackson suffered a concussion for the Eagles this week. It'll be interesting to see how the medical staff handles this situation after watching concussions jeopardize both the season and career of Brian Westbrook. Pay close attention to Jackson's status during the week.


Oh, and Jason Avant is absolutely worthy of a waiver claim this week especially if there is any doubt about DeSean Jackson's availability.


I hope none of you are still doubting whether or not LaDanian Tomlinson can be a productive fantasy player? Of course he is no longer the breakaway threat every time he touches the ball but he has a great nose for the endzone and always seems to find it. LT owners are very happy with his recent play and he makes for an outstanding RB2 these days.


Speaking of comebacks, check out what Terrell Owens has been doing lately. Ryan Fitzpatrick is making it a priority to get T.O. the damn ball and it is paying dividends. When T.O. is involved, he is still a weapon in catching the ball, running after the catch, drawing double coverage and blocking very well for a WR. He is safe to use right now at least until the severe weather starts hitting the Buffalo area.


I am very surprised by how well Dennis Dixon did tonight. His passing skills are above where I thought they would be at this point in his development and he did a great job with his legs tonight as well. Roethlisberger will be back next week but Dixon is now an acceptable handcuff for Big Ben owners down the stretch.




Got a question or comment? Email me at thefantasyscout@gmail.com or leave your comment below.

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HAPPY THANKSGIVING

Kids dream of Christmas for most of the year and what is not to love about all the red and green decorations, the presents, mistletoe, baby Jesus and eggnog milkshakes? Halloween has cool costumes, Independence Day has fireworks even Easter has colorful eggs hidden all over the yard. Heck, St. Patrick’s Day has magical Leprechauns and $4 pitchers of Guinness at most bars on the South Side of Chicago! Thanksgiving? A big fat turkey and pies made out of former Halloween decorations. Perhaps Thanksgiving needs a new publicist.

If you really think about the holidays and what each one really means there may be none more simple yet as important than Thanksgiving. With each passing year I am finding myself more and more excited about the holidays. It is a weird realization that I have been slow to admit even to myself. Why, I can remember being a kid and all I could think about was Christmas and being off of school for a couple of weeks and dreaming of all the shiny new toys that would be left under that tree each year. I never gave a damn about Thanksgiving. In fact, I hated having to get dressed up and go to my Uncle’s house and amuse myself in the basement while the adults sat around doing nothing but TALKING!

I’m not sure exactly when it was that I started realizing that these holidays meant more than just long car rides and presents. It may have been that one Christmas Eve in 1990, our first in a new house that my folks would share with both of my older Brothers. It was the first Christmas Eve we had ever really celebrated. Up until then it would usually be just me and my Mom sitting in a dark living room looking at the lights on the Christmas tree waiting for my Dad to come home from work. That year my Mom and future Sister-In-Law prepared all kinds of food, we turned up the Christmas music, sat around the living room cracking jokes while my oldest Brother Frank took it all in on his brand new video recorder.

It’s probably pathetic but I’ve watched that tape every single year since I moved away. I laugh out loud every time I see my Brother Dave’s reaction to a far away coyote howl as he tosses the firewood and runs around in the snow. I’m amazed at how tall my Mother once was and how strong her bones used to be. A roaring fire in the fireplace, the tree wrapped in sparkling tinsel, the bellowing laughter, the near full moon shining through the window, my Dad lying on the floor singing Dean Martin. Sometimes I pause the VCR on myself and just stare at the screen. I don’t remember what exactly I was thinking in these moments but I do remember thinking it was as happy as I had ever been in my life.

It’s unbelievable when you realize that 20 years have gone by since that night. To think of all that has happened since. Dad’s been gone for over 10 years, Mom is confined to a chair most of the time while tanks of oxygen help her breathe, Frank moved to Myrtle Beach and the house sits empty waiting to be sold for only a little more than my parents had bought it for all the way back in 1990. It breaks my heart knowing I’ll never share another night like that with them again. Thank god for the pause button.

Nowadays, every holiday get together means so much to me. Because deep down I realize we only have so many of these times left. People say that holidays are overrated and are just a gimmick to sell cards, candy, turkey’s, toys and other random merchandise. Maybe. But I look at them now as snapshots of our lives. Moments of time to stop with all of the hassles and stresses of life and just be happy we are all still together. To be thankful.

I am as guilty as anyone of constantly singling out anything and everything that is wrong in my life and in the world. But as I sit here, at this moment in this quiet house with my beautiful wife and children sleeping safely upstairs I am truly thankful. Thankful for my family, my friends, thankful for everything that has brought me to this moment right here and thankful for the blessed opportunities that each tomorrow may bring. Because for all the bad things, the pain, the suffering, the loss, the depression and all the heartbreak there is a tomorrow. And tomorrow is the opportunity to take another snapshot, to hit that glorious pause button again. So what if the traffic is bad or the turkey is undercooked. So what if Donald Driver scores 3 touchdowns or there is no cool whip to go on my pumpkin pie. I can’t change the fact that so many people that I would like to be spending Thanksgiving with will not be there or that I have to write an article at night or be up early for work on Friday morning and work another 18 hour day. For a few hours I just want to sit around and talk to whomever is around about whatever is on their mind. I want to eat without worrying about how may calories or carbs I am ingesting. I want to listen to my kids tell me how boring it is to sit around and talk.

These times pass so fast. Seems like every year our Thanksgiving table is changing. You never know who will or won’t be here next year or why. All we can do is enjoy these moments while we’re in them. Before long they will all be gone and all we’ll have is hopefully a tape or DVD to remind us of how great they actually were.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING ONE AND ALL!!

Waiver Wednesday: The Hot 8

Get your waiver claims in quickly this week as there are 3 games this Thursday.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYBODY!!


1) Rock Cartwright -- RB -- Redskins -- With Clinton Portis and LaDell Betts out for an extended period the RB1 job in Washington falls to the Rock. Although I like both Quinton Ganther and Marcus Mason better, the Redskins coaching staff has faith in Cartwright and appears ready to give him a heavy workload this week against the Eagles. The good news is that Cartwright is a powerful runner who excels in short yardage situations which is ideal for goal line duty. This is a good pickup if you are desperate for a RB this week or just want to keep a desperate opponent from claiming him and getting steady points.


2) Kyle Boller -- QB -- Rams -- I've said all season long that I like Boller far better than Marc Bulger and I strongly believe he is a better QB overall than Bulger is. Boller is a smart player with a very strong arm and the ability to escape pressure and make plays with his feet. While I expect the Rams to continue leaning on Steven Jackson and the run game, I believe Boller can get the ball to developing WR's like Brandon Gibson and Donnie Avery in situations where they can produce. This is the best QB option you are going to get on the free agent wire until Kurt Warner goes down for good and Matt Leinart is again usable.


3) Kevin Boss -- TE -- Giants -- I have to admit that I have not been high on Boss all season. But it is clear that he is now a major factor in the Giants red zone passing game and Eli Manning has gone to him a ton in recent weeks overall. Boss is a solid backup TE at least and can definitely be used as a starter in favorable matchups.


4) Chris Jennings -- RB -- Browns -- I've said all season long that the Browns offensive line is actually pretty darn good. Even mediocre RB's could run well behind it and that is basically what Jamal Lewis is at this point. Enter Chris Jennings who is a solid talent and has gained the confidence of the coaching staff and thus more playing time. Expect Jennings to see the majority of carries going forward as the Browns find out what exactly they have in him as they play for the only thing they have going for them...the future!


5) Daunte Culpepper -- QB -- Lions -- One week start alert! Culpepper will start this week against the banged up Packers on Thanksgiving Day. As you all know by now my official policy is any QB throwing to Calvin Johnson is a QB worthy of fantasy consideration. If Megatron indeed plays on Thursday and you are desperate for a QB and are looking for big upside, Culpepper is your man.


6) Ernest Graham -- RB -- Buccaneers -- I'm starting to feel the Bucs resurgence of sorts as Josh Freeman has really motivated this offense to the brink of mediocrity. Head coach Raheem Morris is looking to solidify the running game and came out this week saying that Ernest Graham will no longer be needed as a blocker and will see an increase in carries starting this week against the Falcons. I believe that Graham makes the most of this opportunity and takes over as the primary ball carrier and short yardage/goal line back. He's worth an addition in deep leagues or by those who like to play aggressive.


7) Jason Avant -- WR -- Eagles -- There are those who would never recommend an Eagles WR but I ask you this: Why would you not want a receiver whose team throws the ball 40+ times in most games? Especially when that receiver has been seeing more and more targets and receptions the past few weeks and is getting red zone opportunities as well? Never say never in fantasy football my friends because in order to win you have to think unlike your opponents. Avant is a guy to stash for now and could be a weekly starter very, very soon.


8) Marcus Mason -- RB -- Redskins -- Well, in the beginning of the season I had Mason on my deep sleeper radar. The Redskins cut him back in October but now with Portis and Betts being out, there is a legitimate opportunity for someone to step up and show what they can do. If Mason is active this Sunday, it means he will see carries because he is no special team player like Quinten Ganther. Mason has a great skill set Speed, reckless cut-back ability and an eye for the endzone no matter where on the field he gets the ball. This is a homerun pick. Rock Cartwright is the primary guy for now but a few carries from Mason could change that dramatically.






That is The Hot 8 for this week. What do you guys think? Agree? Disagree? Post your comments below or email me at thefantasyscout@gmail.com

The Monday After: Week 11

It appears that Lions QB Matthew Stafford will not play on Thanksgiving Day as he is dealing with a possible separated left shoulder that he suffered late in Sunday's game. Daunte Culpepper will get the start and shouldn't hurt the value of Calvin Johnson or Kevin Smith very much.


The Redskins placed RB Ladell Betts on injured reserve this morning ending his season. Betts tore both his ACL and MCL early on in yesterday's game and will need major reconstruction surgery right away. It is a shame too because Betts had always been a real good RB whom I always thought would do well if given a full time gig. He was on his way with Clinton Portis ready to sit out most of the rest of this season, but unfortunately we'll never know what Betts could have done. The Redskins signed Marcus Mason today, who they cut just weeks ago after he made the team out of training camp and the RB3. I like Mason a lot actually and believe he could finally get the carries he needs to prove he can be a feature RB in the NFL. Finally, I have a reason to watch Washington Redskins football again!!


In quarterback news, both Kurt Warner and Ben Roethlisberger appear to have escaped any serious issues resulting from their mild concussions yesterday. In fact, Warner would have and was actually told to be ready on the sidelines as the Rams mounted a comeback. I've been informed that if the Rams had indeed tied up that game, Warner would have come back in. The Steelers aren't even confirming that Roethlisberger suffered a "concussion" yesterday. The "C" word as it is referred to these days is a label nobody in the league wants attached to them right now.


Marc Bulger looked like he was out on his feet in the final moments of Sunday's loss to Arizona. Bulger appeared concussed after his helmet was slammed into the Edward Jones Dome field turn on the final drive. Bulger kept closing his eyes and wobbling as if he were about to fall flat. The Rams say Bulger suffered hamstring, knee and head injuries in the game as is undergoing MRI's this evening. I expect him to miss next week against the Seahawks in which Kyle Boller would once again start for the Rams.


A couple of WR's established themselves as their teams WR1 yesterday:

Chris Chambers stepped up big time for the Chiefs and was their go-to guy in their big comeback against the Steelers. Chambers made a few real good catches and also drew a key pass interference call which setup the Chiefs game tying field goal. Chambers is back to fantasy relevance people especially while Dwayne Bowe sits out his 4 game suspension.

Brandon Gibson, whom I recommended heavily in The Hot 8 for the past couple of weeks is without question the best WR in St. Louis right now. Gibson hauled down several big time catches and was targeted over and over again late in the ballgame. The only issue was that Bulger and Gibson's timing appeared a bit off at times, something that will correct itself with a little more practice and time in the system.

Friday Night Injury Report

Here are the status updates for all significant fantasy players this week. Tune into The Sunday Morning Kickoff Show on Sunday Morning for final status updates on all these players and much more.



OUT

Ronnie Brown -- Lisfranc Injury (Out For Season)
Cedric Benson -- Hip
Michael Turner -- High Ankle Sprain
Lance Moore -- Ankle
Brian Westbrook -- Concussion (Will miss at least 3 weeks)
Alberty Haynesworth -- Ankle
Clinton Portis -- Concussion
Anthony Gonzalez -- Knee Surgery



QUESTIONABLE

Kyle Orton -- Sprained Ankle
Todd Heap -- Sore Ribcage
Jamal Lewis -- Ankle
Bernard Berrian -- Hamstring
Pierre Garcon -- Ankle
Sammy Morris -- Knee
Roddy White -- Knee (Likely to play)
Jerious Norwood -- Hip
Reggie Bush -- Knee (You deserve this if you actually own him!)
Jacoby Jones -- Calf



PROBABLE

Jermichael Finley -- Knee
Steve Breaston -- Knee
Antonio Bryant -- Knee

Thursday Night Roundup

Don't forget there is a game tonight!!

Miami at Carolina is on at 8:20 PM EST tonight on the NFL Network.

_______________________________________________________

Make sure you have your lineups correct before the game starts as you don't want to leave DeAngelo Williams or Ricky Williams out or leave someone like Ronnie Brown in. Do a check right now before you keep reading tonight's blog...


OK, now that you've done that here are a few things I need to get off my chest right away. For starters, PLEASE don't buy into Reggie Bush after his 2 TD performance last week. This guy is not even worth a roster spot quite honestly let alone be anywhere near your starting lineup. Bush has two bad knees, is one of the easiest players to tackle in the NFL and is only a role player in the New Orleans offense these days. As much as I don't like Mike Bell, he is more useful fantasy player right now than Reggie Bush. So, don't get caught up in the hype. Use your waiver claims and roster better by picking up players with higher upside and less injury risk.


It is looking more and more like Cedric Benson will not play this week at Oakland. This is an incredible shame because he could have posted some monster numbers in this matchup. Instead, the Bengals will roll with a bit of a committee situation in having Bernard Scott start the game, Brian Leonard serving as a third down back and giving Larry Johnson some carries as well. This is a total waste of a great fantasy matchup if indeed it works out this way. Pay close attention tomorrow when the official injury report comes out to see what Benson's status really is.


I am really disappointed in the play or WR Pierre Garcon. Between all of the dropped passes, sluggish routes and stupid holding penalties he has really let me down this season. I still like his fantasy appeal and I personally own him in multiple leagues, but it is getting harder and harder to trust a player who continually makes all of these mistakes.


A guy who has officially made it onto my radar is Houston Texans TE James Casey. He is a former Pitcher in the Chicago Whitesox organization and thus he has my attention. Casey is raw but he has incredible athletic ability. He has such great hands for a TE and he has pretty much the exact same body and makeup of Owen Daniels. The Texans hope that Casey can come in and play anywhere near the level that Daniels was before he got injured. Casey will be the Texans best pass catching option once he is cleared for game action and he has a chance to be a real big sleeper TE down the stretch this season.



Got a question for me? Email me at thefantasyscout@gmail.com.

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Tuesday Night at 10 PM EST
Friday Night at 12 AM EST (Fantasy Sports Channel Show)
Sunday Morning at 11:30 AM EST

Waiver Wednesday: The Hot 8

...And just like that the waiver wire becomes your best friend once again. Just when pickings were getting slimmer and slimmer all hell breaks lose on valuable fantasy property and suddenly some little known backups are commanding big time attention. With the injuries to Brian Westbrook, Ronnie Brown, Julius Jones, Michael Turner, Marion Barber Kyle Orton and many others, there is suddenly a wealth of players on the waiver wire this week. Quite a bit of these players have already been featured here in The Hot 8 this season (take a look through the archive!) so if there is a name missing chances are I have grown tired of telling you about him this season. Here are this weeks top picks:


RED HOT

1) Ricky Williams -- RB -- Dolphins -- I know this is a bit of a longshot that he is available but my investigating has shown Williams is only owned in 65% of leagues right now. Ronnie Brown is now out for the season with a severe foot injury leaving Boy Ricky as the clear RB1 in Miami. Williams has been running very well as it was this season and his newfound playing time will allow him to be a very good contributor to both the Dolphins and fantasy teams fortunate to have him now. This is the clear #1 waiver wire play to make this week and hopefully your fellow owners weren't stashing him and he is now available to you now.

2) Jason Snelling -- RB -- Falcons -- Michael Turner suffered a high ankle sprain last week and will miss at least 1-2 games. The Falcons are already without backup RB Jerious Norwood who's missed the past few weeks with a hip injury. This leaves fullback Jason Snelling as the main ball carrier now for Atlanta and he is definitely worth a roster addition for what should be a pretty solid stretch these next couple weeks. Snelling carried the ball 18 times for 61 yards last week against Carolina and also found the endzone. An interesting fact about Snelling, he is the only epileptic RB in the NFL and is an spokesperson and activist for the disease. This weeks game against the Giants isn't the greatest of matchups but in Atlanta's system the RB is always a safe bet for fantasy production. Oh, and the big payoff of Snelling may very well be in week 12 when he takes on the lowly Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

3) Brandon Gibson -- WR -- Rams -- Well that sure didn't take long! Last week in this very article I wrote that most football fans had never heard the name Brandon Gibson. Then poof! Keenan Burton goes down with a serious knee injury and Gibson takes the opportunity and catches 7 balls for 93 yards against the Saints. I really like this kid and believe he has all the tools to be a starting WR in the NFL for a long time. The Rams were wise when they got him from Philly at the trade deadline for LB Wil Witherspoon. With improved offensive line play, Steven Jackson's never say die spirit and a few under the radar receivers the Rams actually have the makings of a real NFL offense. You could be using Gibson as a WR2 in the weeks ahead.



WARMING UP

4) Justin Forsett -- RB -- Seahawks -- Just another RB that I've had here in The Hot 8 several times this season. In fact, I feel that I shouldn't even be recommending Forsett anymore because he should be owned in most leagues already, right? Well he's not and after last weeks breakout performance he is probably the hottest waiver claim this week. But I am asking you to use caution with Forsett at this time. He is a very good third down back type who is great on draws, delays and in passing situations. However, I just don't see Forsett as a full time RB in the NFL. He is a smaller guy who's body doesn't seem as if it'd be able to take the constant punishment of a 20+ carry RB. Also, there is another runner in the Seattle backfield that I see as a potential home run threat every time he touches the ball...

5) Louis Rankin -- RB -- Seahawks -- I had Rankin in The Hot 8 last week as well as a guy to follow for a few weeks in case he gets a chance. Well, that chance seems to be coming a lot quicker now that Julius Jones is out for a few weeks with a bruised lung and ribs. Rankin has got such great quickness and raw speed that he makes defensive tacklers look goofy. I am sure he will get at least a few carries this week against the Vikings and on that turn against a very aggressive defense I can see a couple of long runs out of him. The ideal situation for the Seahawks is to have Rankin as the primary ball carrier and Forsett as the third down RB.

6) Josh Freeman -- QB -- Buccaneers -- I watch every single NFL game every single week without missing a single one. How? I have a wall of 5 TV's in my basement, have multiple laptops at my disposal and have the quickest remote trigger in all of Chicagoland. The difference in the Buccaneers offense from the Byron Leftwich and Josh Johnson weeks to the current Josh Freeman era is unbelievable. Maybe it is a coincidence but whatever it is Freeman looks like a much more polished NFL QB than anybody thought he was coming out of school this spring. Freeman is using his main weapon in Kellen Winslow often and making plays with his legs that are keeping drives going and putting more points on the scoreboard. One more solid week and he may have to be considered a sleeper for your lineups in good matchup weeks. For now, I think adding Freeman as a backup QB for your team wouldn't be a bad idea.


SCORCHING SLOT WR'S

7) Lance Long -- WR -- Chiefs -- Long almost made it the cut as well last week after an impressive 8 catch performance against the Jaguars. Now with Dwayne Bowe suspended for the next 4 games, I see the Chiefs and Matt Cassel leaning heavily on Long in the short passing game. Cassel is comfortable and proven to be effective when using his slot WR's in a short quick passing scheme as he did with Wes Welker and the Patriots last year. Long is the Welker of the Chiefs and is very sure handed and an effective route runner. Cassel has come out publicly and praised Long's hands and his work ethic which is a great sign that he is quite comfortable with Long.

8) Julian Edelman -- WR -- Patriots -- Just a few weeks ago it was Edelman who was out of the picture as I talked up both Sam Aiken and rookie WR Brandon Tate as a possible sleeper for the Pats. Now Edelman is back and recovered from a fracture in his wrist and Tate is out for the season with a knee injury and Aiken is questionable with a hip injury. This leaves Edelman to step back into a prominent role in the Pats offense for rest of the season.




That is The Hot 8 for this week. What do you guys think? Agree? Disagree?

Send me an email at thefantasyscout@gmail.com or leave your comments down below.

Friday Night Injury Report

Here's what the injury situation looks life heading into week 10. Remember to check back here Sunday Morning for a full list of In-actives or listen to the Sunday Morning Kickoff Edition of Fantasy Football Tonight (11:30 AM EST-Kickoff) for all the last minute news and advice for this weeks matchups.



OUT

Sammy Morris -- Knee
Brandon Tate -- Knee
JerMichael Finley -- Knee
Antonio Bryant -- Knee Flareup
Lance Moore -- Ankle
Justin Gage -- Broken Bones in Back
Clinton Portis -- Concussion (Could miss 2+ weeks)
Anthony Gonzalez -- Knee Surgery



QUESTIONABLE

DeAngelo Williams -- Knee, Gametime Decision
Derrick Ward -- Knee
Terrell Owens -- Hip, Should Be Fine
Anthony Fasano -- Leg
Bernard Berrian -- Hamstring
Roddy White -- Knee
Jerious Norwood -- Hip



PROBABLE

Brian Westbrook -- Ankle/Concussion
Maurice Jones-Drew -- Knee, didn't practice but will play
Darren McFadden -- Knee Surgery, may not start
Donald Brown -- Shoulder
Chris Chambers -- Foot
Chaz Schilens -- Foot, will play sparingly
Anquan Boldin -- Ankle

Waiver Wednesday: The Hot 8

This is an admittedly weak list of sorts mostly because at this point I have already uncovered most of the impact free agents that you guys are now adding to your rosters and using to win you games. At this point in the season, the waiver wire starts to become less about upside and more about instant impact. Therefore, you'll be seeing me recommend some really iffy players at least on the surface but usually these guys will have premium matchups or opportunities right away. On this weeks Hot 8 however, I have included 2 players who I really want you guys to watch out for over the remainder of the season. These are guys who won't make an impact quite yet but may be poised to do so in weeks #14-17 which may be after your leagues waiver move deadline.


STARTABLE RIGHT NOW

1) LaDell Betts -- RB -- Redskins -- I like Betts a lot and at this point I actually rate him as a better RB than Clinton Portis. Portis has lost a step, become too much of a character and hates his coach so much that he's become barely usable even when healthy. Portis will be taking at least a week off after being knocked unconscious early in last weeks game. Betts takes over the feature RB role and should be a decent low RB2 this week. Betts runs hard and picks up good yardage after contact. He also is a threat out of the backfield which is good for PPR leagues. Best of all there is nobody else to steal carries away from him so make sure he is your top priority if you need a RB this week.

2) Bo Scaife -- TE -- Titans -- That's right, Bo Scaife is startable this week. He has always been Vince Young's favorite target since their college days together and that hasn't changed a bit. Since Young has taken over, Scaife is the only Titans TE to see any significant playing time. Though he's only caught 6 passes in the past two weeks, he's also been targeted 14 times, dropped 2 catches and had a short TD pass called back for holding last week. I think Scaife is a very solid start in week 10 against the Buffalo Bills as Vince Young stays away from the Bills ball hawking defensive backs.


PROCEED WITH CAUTION

3) Chris Chambers -- WR -- Chiefs -- I am the only person I know who actually liked Chambers fit in K.C. Now, in no way do I expect him to be the TD machine he was in his first game with the team, but I do believe he offers a decent second option opposite Dwayne Bowe for Matt Cassel and this pass heavy offense. Guys like, Bobby Wade, Mark Bradley, Terrence Copper and Lance Long are below mediocre as far as skill level goes and Chambers at least offers experience, size and good hands when he does get the ball. People have overreacted to what happened to him in San Diego. He isn't quite the receiver he was in his Miami days, but he isn't a total lost cause either. He can become a solid flex option here in Kansas City and may just play well enough to be back with the Chiefs in 2010.

4) Chaz Schilens -- WR -- Raiders -- Is this the week Schilens finally comes back? Yeah I think this time we will see the big man back on the field. I honestly believe that if Schilens would have not broke his foot in the last week before the season, JaMarcus Russell wouldn't suck this bad. Schilens is an incredible talent who possesses all the skills you want in a WR. The only questions that linger are can he stay healthy and can Russell get him the damn ball? If so, you will be getting yourself a pretty darn good WR for the stretch run.

5) Josh Freeman -- QB -- Buccaneers -- Freeman had himself a big first start in the NFL but I must warn everybody that he is still a long term project. Freeman is going to be erratic as a passer for the foreseeable future but will make some plays with his legs that will keep his fantasy points very close to respectability. I recommend taking a shot on him as your QB3 if you have deep enough rosters. He has a few decent matchups remaining on the schedule and even if you don't start him you don't want one of your opponents to pick him up and beat you with him now do you?

6) Kolby Smith -- RB -- Chiefs -- My buddy and Fantasy Football Tonight co-host Ted "Hawkeye" Schuster loves Jamaal Charles and is telling anyone who will listen that he's the impact RB you want for the rest of this season. But what I saw on Sunday was Kolby Smith not only getting a bit more playing time but also receiving all of the red zone carries for the Chiefs. Charles is a good pass catcher and has blazing speed but also is a notorious fumbler and is obviously not trusted anywhere near the goal line. Smith is going to be a factor in the K.C. backfield and may be worth an end of the roster flier right now. I wouldn't get my hopes up for him necessarily but if you are in need of RB help there are worse options than Kolby Smith already on fantasy rosters.


BOOM or BUST

7) Brandon Gibson -- WR -- Rams -- Another player you probably won't hear about anywhere but on The Hot 8. Gibson was a 6th round pick of the Eagles in this years NFL draft and was traded at the deadline for LB Wil Witherspoon. Gibson is a very talented WR and would have been a possible first day pick if he'd have left Washington St. after his junior year. Instead, he stayed in school and his stock plummeted as the team took a major nose dive and thus his production tumbled. Gibson is a professional WR in many ways. He has natural instincts and mechanics that just cannot be taught. He has a nose for the football and adjusts his body real well to make difficult catches look easy. He has above average height and speed for an NFL WR and is very strong to fight off even the most aggressive defensive backs. I strongly believe in this kid and his pro potential going forward. Whether that happens this season or not I cannot say. But he is in a great situation here in St. Louis to at least get some looks this season. The team obviously must see what I see in him or they would not have paid such a high price to acquire him. Don't be surprised to see him starting for the Rams by season's end.

8) Louis Rankin -- RB -- Seahawks -- I almost put Rankin in The Hot 8 last week when the Seahawks let go of Edgerrin James but figured I had at least another week or two before the glut of fantasy football band wagon jumpers even knew his name. Leave it to loyal reader and listener, Corey Benjamin (CB31 for those who know!) to ruin that for me last week when he brought up Rankin during my LIVE Seahawks game chat right here on Fantasy Football Search. This kid is the real deal. As we've learned with the Titans Chris Johnson, speed kills in the NFL and Rankin has plenty of it. I first learned of Rankin's NFL prospects when my Chicago Bears sent some scouts out to work him out before the draft and eventually brought him in for a visit to Halas Hall. When he wasn't drafted, Rankin had a choice of several invitations to camp and he chose the Oakland Raiders. In his first preseason game with the Raiders Rankin took the ball and busted something like a 60 yard TD run on his first carry. He was eventually cut and hooked onto Seattle's practice squad for the beginning of the season. I am pretty sure that my beloved Bears started sniffing around and forced the Seahawks to protect Rankin and thus cut Edgerrin James loose. Rankin nearly busted 2 kickoffs for touchdowns in the game against the Lions last week but got caught once by a diving arm tackle and another time by the kicker. He is an explosive player who deserves your attention right now. I wouldn't use a roster move on him quite yet (COREY!), but keep watching for Rankin's playing time to increase. It is possible that he gets some serious action in the final few weeks of this season and I will bet you anything that he puts up numbers.




That is The Hot 8 for this week. What do you guys think? Agree? Disagree? Leave your comments below or email me at thefantasyscout@gmail.com

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The Monday After

Don't forget that Thursday Night Football begins this week with the Chicago Bears visiting the San Francisco 49ers. That means from here on out the weeks are a heck of a lot shorter to pick up free agents, make certain lineup decisions and recover from injuries. At this point in the season it is vital that you have usable players throughout your roster just in case you get stuck in a Thursday night quandary with and either start a player who does nothing or don't start someone and are left short come Sunday.


The Larry Johnson derby is starting to heat up already with several teams making contact with Johnson's agent Peter Schaffer. So far the Bears, Texans and Seahawks have declared some level of interest and the Cleveland Browns are deliberating internally about their interest as well. I would expect Johnson to clear waivers because of his contract status but once he does it will be somewhat of a frenzy to acquire his services. Possible darkhorse teams that could make a run include Detroit, Tampa Bay, Washington and Green Bay. The best fit for LJ in my mind however is in Cleveland where he will have little pressure on him and a pretty good offensive line to run behind. I could see him getting his career back on track much like Cedric Benson did in Cincinnati if LJ were to join the Cleveland Browns. Only time will tell...


Frank Gore got poked in the eye while on the bottom of a pile Sunday and suffered an eye contusion as a result. Gore admitted that his vision was impaired during the 49ers loss to the Titans after the incident but he believe he will be fine by Thursday to face the Bears.


You can pretty much jettison LenDale White at this point. He has been seeing less and less goal line action in recent weeks and after being stuffed from the 2 yard line on Sunday, the Titans decided to go for it on fourth down and had Chris Johnson turn a 5 yard loss into a 2 yard TD run. Johnson had a goal line carry and TD later on in the game as well. This leaves LenDale White worthless to anybody who isn't looking to handcuff him to Chris Johnson. Hit the waiver wire, there are many better options out there than waiting on LenDale to come around again.


Clinton Portis is unlikely to face the Denver Broncos in week 10 after being knocked out cold in the first quarter on Sunday. Portis suffered a major concussion and in today's NFL there is no chance of them letting him get back on the field anytime soon. Portis could miss up to 3 weeks total depending on how he fares on post concussion tests they'll give him every week. LaDell Betts will draw the start and is a decent option for fantasy players. Betts runs harder and picks up a bit more yardage after contact then Clinton Portis does. If your league allows for 3 RB's, Betts may not be that bad of an option this week.


Bengals WR and my preseason pick for stardom has officially been put out of his misery today as the Bengals placed him on season ending injured reserve after breaking his arm in two places yesterday. Henry is an impending free agent and would be a downright steal for any franchise who takes a shot on him for what will be a much lower asking price than was going to be expected. The arm is a major break but will not impact his future ability at all and should be just fine by the time the free agent period in the NFL opens its doors.

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Sunday Night Recap

INJURIES

Clinton Portis -- RB -- Redskins -- Concussion
Chris Henry -- WR -- Bengals -- Broken Left Arm (Out For Season)
Austin Collie -- WR -- Colts -- Neck
Jason Campbell -- QB -- Redskins -- Ankle & Chest
Brandon Jacobs -- RB -- Giants -- Knee
Glen Coffee -- RB -- 49ers -- Concussion
Andre Johnson -- WR -- Texans -- Back
Garrett Wolfe -- RB -- Bears -- Back



BREAKOUTS

Dallas Clark -- TE -- Colts -- 14-119 Yards
Josh Freeman -- QB -- Buccaneers -- 14-31 265 Yards, 3 TD's
Greg Olsen -- TE -- Bears -- 5-71 Yards, 3 TD's
Chris Chambers -- WR -- Chiefs -- 3-70 Yards, 1 TD
Lance Long -- WR -- Chiefs -- 8-74 Yards
Robert Meachem -- WR -- Saints -- 5-98 Yards, 1 TD
James Jones -- WR -- Packers -- 4-103 Yards, 1 TD
Kurt Warner -- QB -- Cardinals -- 22-31 261 Yards, 5 TD's
LaDell Betts -- RB -- Redskins -- 15-70 Yards, 1 TD



DISAPPOINTMENTS

Roddy White -- WR -- Falcons -- 2-27 Yards
Calvin Johnson -- WR -- Lions -- 2-27 Yards
Joe Flacco -- QB -- Ravens -- 18-32, 195 Yards
Derrick Mason -- WR -- Ravens -- 3-31 Yards
Fred Davis -- TE -- Redskins -- 2-26 Yards
Jamaal Charles -- RB -- Chiefs -- 6-36 Yards Rushing/ 3-19 Yards Receiving




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Friday Night Injury Report

OUT

JerMichael Finley -- Knee
Garrett Hartley -- Foot
Bob Sanders -- Torn Biceps (Out For Season)
Anthony Gonzalez -- Knee Surgery
Lance Moore -- Ankle
Jerious Norwood -- Hip
Mushin Muhammad -- Knee



QUESTIONABLE

Calvin Johnson -- Knee
Kevin Smith -- Shoulder
Donald Brown -- Shoulder
Devin Hester -- Ankle
Ben Watson -- Back
Roddy White -- Knee
Anquan Boldin -- Ankle
Brian Westbrook -- Concussion
Antonio Bryant -- Knee
John Kasay -- Groin


PROBABLE

Steve Breaston -- Knee
Mario Manningham -- Shoulder
Aaron Rodgers -- Foot/Ankle
Donald Driver -- Neck

Waiver Wednesday: The Hot 8

If you are a loyal reader of The Hot 8 first of all, thank you. Secondly, you'll notice some very familiar names on this weeks list in Ryan Moats, Justin Forsett and Vince Young. As many rush out to their waiver wires this week to get one of these emerging stars, you should be either kicking yourself or sending me a six pack of Bud Light Lime depending on if you took my advice weeks ago. Every week I compile The Hot 8 with a couple of obvious choices and give you my expectations for them and also fill it with guys who are closing in on being the next big fantasy free agent. You come here to get this knowledge first. So please, stay ahead of the curve and read through all the names and breakdowns on this list and be ready to pounce on these guys before they have their breakout week.


SURE BETS

1) Ryan Moats -- RB -- Texans -- I really like him in the Texans one-cut zone blocking system. It fits his skills perfectly and Moats showed exactly what he is capable last week against Buffalo. Don't expect him to take over the feature RB role just yet, but he's earned himself a solid share of the carries going forward. If Steve Slaton doesn't step up his performance or continues putting the ball on the ground then Moats will continue to take carries and eventually be the man in Houston.

2) Malcom Floyd -- WR -- Chargers -- With the release of Chris Chambers, the Chargers have made Floyd their WR2 as he continues to impress the team with his sure hands and bit target. at 6'5", Floyd creates a mismatch for any cornerback in the league. This is especially useful in the red zone, an area where the Chargers have been struggling as of late. Phillip Rivers is an every week starting QB in fantasy football and so is Vincent Jackson. If Floyd continues to make plays he will not only be a must have on your roster but also a good flex start week in and week out.

3) Vince Young -- QB -- Titans -- I promise this is the last week for Vince Young. What I really want to say right now is, "I told you so" to those emailers who rode me for the past 2-3 weeks saying there was no way the Titans turn back to Young to be their QB. While he will not produce the kind of passing numbers Kerry Collins would, Young makes up plenty of ground using his feet. That is a big bonus in fantasy, when your QB can pick up bonus points with rushing yards and TD's as well as passing one's. Take a shot...the upside is big and who the heck else do you have as your backup QB, Trent Edwards? Give me a break!


GOOD ODDS

4) Justin Forsett -- RB -- Seahawks -- The release of Edgerrin James gives Forsett the clear RB2 job in Seattle for now with sights set on overtaking the ineffective Julius Jones soon enough. Forsett is a great pass catching RB who has the speed to take it to the house at any given time. He is very similar to Darren Sproles actually but has better balance and vision and a bit less speed. I like his upside potential and believe Forsett is on the verge of putting together some very impressive weeks this season.

5) Ted Ginn Jr. -- WR -- Dolphins -- What are you guys doing? Stop buying into every single story you read on Rotoworld cause Ginn is still very much a part of the Dolphins offensive plans. Sure, they "benched" him and all that last week but that was just another attempt to motivate the speedy WR and not necessarily a mark against his skills. I am confident that Ginn will find his niche as a downfield threat now with strong armed Chad Henne at QB for the Dolphins. Ginn is the only WR on the team who can stretch the field and give both Henne and both the Dolphins RB's some breathing room. He has been dropped in far too many leagues I am noticing and he is a guy you can scoop up off the waiver wire right now and have it pay off in a big way down the road.

6) Bo Scaife -- TE -- Titans -- A recent emailer of mine commented that there were very few usable TE's left in most leagues right now. That got me to thinking about what TE's are about ready to bust out and become fantasy worthy very soon? That brought me to Bo Scaife who, when Vince Young is his QB, becomes a frequent pass target. Young is good friends with Scaife and the two are former teammates in college and have a long history together. Look back at when VY was the Titans starter a few years back and notice how Scaife was also a top fantasy TE at that time too. Scaife is only owned in 7% of Yahoo leagues and 10% of CBS leagues right now meaning he is readily available for anybody looking for a productive TE right now.


LONG SHOTS

7) Brandon Tate -- WR -- Patriots -- Everything I hear about Tate out of Patriots staff and New England reporters says he is impressing the hell out of everybody. His knee appears 100% healed and he doesn't seem to have lost any of his top end speed during his recovery. This kid would have been a top 10 draft pick had he not blown out his knee so you know that the talent is there. I am hearing he has already passed up Sam Aiken for the WR3 gig and is going to give Tom Brady yet another strong option to throw to in the passing game.

8) Chris Chambers -- WR -- Chiefs -- I haven't been impressed with Chambers for going on 2 years now. He's lost some speed and just isn't playing as tough as he had in his finer days in Miami. Still, the Chiefs are desperate for a WR who can catch the ball and head coach Todd Haley is good at getting the most out of his WR's. The potential for Chambers in K.C. is as good as it would be anywhere and if the veteran wideout has any intention of resurrecting his career he will be going all out to make a statement with the Chiefs the rest of the way. There is some solid potential here with Chambers so don't give up on him quite yet. Maybe, just maybe all that he needed was another chance.




That is The Hot 8 for this week. What do you guys think? Agree? Disagree?

Post your comments below or email me at thefantasyscout@gmail.com