49ers @ Chargers - (Eakin)

Passing Game Thoughts: It shouldn’t have come as a shock to anyone that Alex Smith put together perhaps the best game of his career last week. Smith is much better playing in the shotgun spread offense – an offense they are free to run now that Frank Gore is no longer the centerpiece. Smith also had the advantage of facing a poor Seattle secondary - an advantage he will not enjoy this Thursday night in San Diego. The Chargers’ CBs should be able to stay with outside WRs Michael Crabtree and Josh Morgan. The 49ers best matchups in the passing game will be with RB Brian Westbrook and TE Vernon Davis. Both can beat the Chargers LBs and should have productive numbers.

Running Game Thoughts: The 49ers power run game for most of the season has been spearheaded behind rookie G Mike Iupati. He suffered a stinger last week and remains questionable to play. San Diego’s physical front seven has been good at stuffing the run, ranking 4th in the league. They will have the advantage causing the 49ers to spend less effort trying to run the ball. The majority of their rushing yards may be on draws or occasional counters that will suit the skills of Westbrook more so than Dixon.

Projections:
Alex Smith: 225 yds/1 TD/1 INT
Michael Crabtree: 55 yds
Josh Morgan: 40 yds
Vernon Davis: 80 yds/1 TD
Brian Westbrook: 45 yds/40 rec

Passing Game Thoughts: Philip Rivers got back on track in huge way leading the Chargers to a 31-0 blanking of the Chiefs after their surprising loss to the Raiders the week prior. The Chargers vertical passing game really matches up well with the 49ers defense. The Niners struggle against the pass, especially big plays. Their safeties haven’t done a good job keeping WRs in front of them. San Diego may have to make do without their most consistent deep threat option however. Malcom Floyd didn’t practice Wednesday after possibly re-aggravating his hamstring injury. If he’s out, it will be on Vincent Jackson’s shoulders to fill the void. Jackson played a handful of snaps last week after missing time with calf injuries. He will be closer to full speed and is very capable of making the big plays downfield. Joining Jackson will be Legedu Naanee. TE Antonio Gates and WR Patrick Crayton are doubtful to play on the short week. Randy McMichael has performed well when called on to fill in for Gates and should be used for fantasy teams that don’t have a top TE.

Running Game Thoughts: Tolbert and Mathews has nearly identical stat lines last week. Now that they are both healthy they will get even splits in carries. The 49ers are normally a tough matchup for opposing RBs thanks in large part to their two MLBs Patrick Willis and Takeo Spikes. However both LBs suffered similar injuries to their right forearms last week. They both had cast on their right arms this week. Willis didn’t practice and Spikes practiced only on a limited basis. Past history shows that both have a knack for playing through injuries but if one or both are a scratch the Chargers will look to exploit the void. With the LBs playing, Mathews and Tolbert make decent flex plays. The Chargers could pound the ball late after getting developing a comfortable lead in what is a must win for them to remain in the race to win the west.

Projections:
Philip Rivers: 260 yds/2 TDs
Legedu Naanee: 50 yds
Vincent Jackson: 75 yds/1 TD
Antonio Gates: 55 yds/1 TD
Ryan Mathews: 55 yds/20 rec
Mike Tolbert: 65 yds/20 rec/1 TD

Prediction: Chargers 31, 49ers 13 ^ Top

Cardinals @ Panthers - (Caron)

Passing Game Thoughts: In what will likely be the poorest display of quarterbacking between two teams in the NFL this season, Arizona will turn back to rookie quarterback John Skelton for the second straight game. With Derek Anderson out again as he recovers from a concussion, Skelton remains the only option for the Cardinals at this point. He went just 15-for-37 for 146 yards in his first professional start against a mediocre Denver secondary. On the bright side, Larry Fitzgerald had his best fantasy game of 2010 (six catches for 72 yards) in that blowout win over the Broncos. No other receiver in this offense is really a fantasy option, especially with Skelton at quarterback.

Skelton’s subpar performance against the Broncos’ 30th-ranked fantasy defense doesn’t bode well as he matches up against the Panthers’ fifth-ranked fantasy defense. Carolina hasn’t allowed multiple passing touchdowns since Week 10, including holding Matt Ryan to just 11 fantasy points last week. While the Panthers aren’t a great secondary on paper, it’s actually their terrible performance against the run that often allows teams to run the ball rather than chance passing it and potentially throwing interceptions. Skelton, in his second game as a pro, is not a fantasy option for anyone but the most desperate of owners in two-quarterback leagues.

Running Game Thoughts: The smoke appears to be clearing from the Arizona backfield. Beanie Wells seemed to be the obvious choice for fantasy owners at the beginning of the season, but Tim Hightower has been the better choice down the stretch. Hightower had his biggest game of 2010 last week when he ran wild all over the Broncos for 148 yards and two touchdowns. Wells, meanwhile, took just six carries, which he converted for only 16 yards. Neither player has been used very much in the passing game this season, which is an interesting turn from 2009 when Hightower caught 63 passes.

Hightower has another great matchup this week as he faces a Panthers defense that has been embarrassed for nine rushing touchdowns in just the past three weeks. This season they have allowed over 110 yards rushing in nine games, including five of their last six. Carolina has been blown out in so many games that teams often turn to the run early and continue with it often, leading to inflated rushing and deflated passing numbers. But the Panthers actually have a chance to stay in this game, so don’t expect quite as many rushing attempts as we have seen against them in recent weeks.

Projections:
John Skelton – 140 yards passing / 0 touchdowns / 1 INT
Tim Hightower – 95 yards rushing / 1 TD / 5 yards receiving / 0 TD
Chris Wells – 25 yards rushing / 0 TD
Larry Fitzgerald – 90 yards receiving / 0 TD
Steve Breaston – 25 yards receiving / 0 TD

Passing Game Thoughts: Another week, another terrible performance by Jimmy Clausen and the Carolina Panthers passing game. It has gotten ridiculous—even comical at this point. The Panthers are averaging a league-worst 151 yards passing per game, which is 31 yards less than the next worse team—their opponent this week, the Arizona Cardinals. Jimmy Clausen has not thrown a passing touchdown since Week 4 and has now thrown seven interceptions on the year.

Absolutely no one in this passing game has done anything this year, so even when they are playing an awful pass defense like the Cardinals, it’s hard to justify starting any of them in fantasy football. To make matters worse, the Cardinals have actually played fairly well against opposing quarterbacks in recent weeks. They have forced four interceptions and haven’t allowed a passing touchdown in their last two games—that includes a game against one of the league’s best pass offenses in the Broncos. If Jimmy Clausen is really a consideration for your fantasy team this week, you might as well concede now.

Running Game Thoughts: While Jonathan Stewart has been a major disappointment, due both to injury and to the general ineptitude of the Panthers offense, he has been turning it on in recent weeks. Now receiving the vast majority of the carries, Stewart has rushed for 90-plus yards in three straight contests. His 133 yards against the Falcons in Week 14 was a great sign that he may finally be ready to contribute for fantasy owners in the ever-important playoff weeks.

This is the kind of matchup we have been waiting for all year. With Stewart on a hot streak and Mike Goodson having rushed for a touchdown in three straight games, you could actually start a couple of Panthers for your fantasy team this week. The Cardinals rank an NFL-worst in stopping opposing running backs this season and have allowed at least 15 fantasy points to opposing backs in every game but two. While there is somewhat of a backfield-by-committee in Carolina right now, both players have the potential to do some damage this week against this horrendous defense.

Projections:
Jimmy Clausen – 140 yards passing / 0 TD / 1 INT
Jonathan Stewart – 120 yards rushing / 1 TD
Mike Goodson – 35 yards rushing / 1 TD / 10 yards receiving
Steve Smith – 40 yards receiving / 0 TD
Brandon LaFell – 35 yards receiving / 0 TD
David Gettis – 20 yards receiving / 0 TD

Prediction: Cardinals 13, Panthers 17 ^ Top

Eagles @ Giants - (Marcoccio)

Passing Game Thoughts: Michael Vick is having a tremendous season, and is finally living up to his status as the ultimate weapon – in that he can beat you with his legs and/or light up your secondary with deep and accurate passing. As I’ve said in the past, DeSean Jackson is the second most dangerous player in the league with the ball in his hands, and he showed last week that even a simple swing pass in the flat can go for a 92-yard TD. Jeremy Maclin isn’t quite as dynamic, but is bigger and a better route runner and isn’t exactly a slouch when it comes to running after the catch.

The Giants wrote the book on defending Vick when they last met, which most teams of course can not take full advantage of. The key is to blitz him from the left side so that he is forced to roll to his right. Once he does, he no longer looks to pass and takes off into the waiting arms of a few defenders. The trouble is, he’s so muck quicker and faster than most defenders that he can still break free most of the time. However, he showed last week why it can be an effective strategy. Against the Cowboys, he threw an interception while trying to roll to his right. The Giants speed at the DE position does make them better suited than most teams to keep Vick contained... we'll see if they can duplicate their strategy.

Running Game Thoughts: LeSean McCoy is a dynamic runner with adequate speed and good hands in the passing game. He is running with authority this season, which is the biggest reason why he is one of the NFL’s most improved second-year players. He caused the Giants fits a few weeks back and should be a key component to the Eagles game plan if they want to make the Giants pay for focusing on Vick.

The Giants excel at stopping the run however, allowing only 95.2 ypg and 8 TDS on the season. Last week they completely shut down Adrian Peterson in their rout of the Vikings. Of course this week the Eagles present a different challenge than most other teams, as the Giants will need to stop both RB LeSean McCoy and QB Michael Vick from gaining big chunks of yards on the ground.

Projections:
Michael Vick: 255 yds passing 1 TD / 40 yds rushing, 1 TD
Jeremy Maclin: 75 yds receiving, 1 TD
DeSean Jackson: 85 yds receiving
Brent Celek: 40 yds receiving
LeSean McCoy: 90 yds rushing / 40 yds receiving

Passing Game Thoughts: Last week Eli Manning got all his weapons back, namely Hakeem Nicks and Steve Smith. Unfortunately for Manning’s owners the Giants didn’t really need to use any of them. Both Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw went for over 100 yards and a score, so the passing game was an afterthought. Eli did manage to toss a TD to Kevin Boss, but his yardage totals were lower than normal. The reunion between Manning and his two receivers will be short-lived as Smith is now out for the year after having knee surgery. This week could be another down week from Manning, if the December weather in New Jersey continues to be nasty and if the Giants decide its in their best interest to run the ball and keep Michael Vick on the sidelines for as long as possible.

The Eagles have been a poor defense against the pass particularly in recent weeks as injuries are starting to mount. Asante Samuel missed last week’s game and Ellis Hobbs was lost for the season in the last game against the Giants. Philly is allowing 224.3 ypg game and 26 TDs through the air in 2010, so if the Giants do attack their secondary they should be successful. Bear in mind the Giants were not able to do much on the ground against them last time they faced them so they could be forced back into an aerial attack.

Running Game Thoughts: Over the last two games both Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw have produced. Each has scored three TDs and the duo has amassed close to 400 yards between them. Big Blue did face one of the top ranked run defenses in Minnesota (err..Detroit), and still ran well so a tough Eagles defense may not be a hindrance. The Eagles allow 103.5 ypg and have given up 10 rushing TDs this season. Despite the tough match-up, I’d expect the Giants to concentrate on running the ball this week at the New Meadowlands Stadium.

Projections:
Eli Manning: 225 yds passing 1 TD, 1 Int.
Hakeem Nicks: 75 yds receiving, 1 TD
Mario Manningham: 45 yds receiving
Kevin Boss: 35 yds receiving
Ahmad Bradshaw: 80 yds rushing, 1 TD / 30 yds receiving
Brandon Jacobs: 85 yds rushing, 1 TD

Prediction: Giants 24, Eagles 20 ^ Top

Saints @ Ravens - (Autry)

Passing Game Thoughts: The fact that the New Orleans Saints have scored 30 or more points in five straight games is evidence that the passing game has awakened after the offense—by New Orleans standards—hit a few stumbling blocks earlier in the year. Drew Brees is doing what he usually does—hitting open receivers regardless of who it is. Marques Colston has raised his game too. After going scoreless through the season’s first six games, he’s now scored seven TDs in the last seven games. So even though Brees is known for spreading the ball around, Colston still gets his fair share of action.

The Saints will face a Baltimore team that was bewildered by the Houston Texans last week. The Ravens pass defense has had some real head-scratchers this season—week five against Denver, week seven against Buffalo—but they seem to always make the plays when necessary. They have sort of an advantage this week because the game will be played in Baltimore in what may be cold temperatures, but keep in mind that both the Denver and Buffalo games were played in Baltimore too.

Running Game Thoughts: Pierre Thomas returned last week and received more touches than he thought he would. But his return coincided with Chris Ivory getting banged up, and his availability is unknown at this time. Thomas saw his first action in about two months and as would be expected didn’t set the world on fire with his play. But his presence this week will be needed to help fend off a Baltimore defense that, although it has struggled at times this year, remains a top-10 unit. Reggie Bush is also back and healthy, but his role will be more that of a receiver. The Saints could have a mismatch with Bush, so look for him to have his best game since returning from injury.

Projections:
Drew Brees – 280 yards / 2 TDs / 1 INTs
Pierre Thomas – 55 yards / 1 TD
Reggie Bush – 35 yards rushing / 40 yards rec
Marques Colston – 90 yards / 1 TD
Lance Moore – 65 yards / 1 TD
Robert Meachem – 30 yards
Jeremy Shockey – 45 yards

Passing Game Thoughts: Joe Flacco is in the middle of one of the best streaks of his career. He’s thrown only two INTs in his last nine games, and while his yards may not be Brady-like, he’s also thrown 16 TDs during that stretch. But what gets Anquan Boldin owners in a tizzy is how he has the propensity to get lost in Baltimore’s passing game. For Boldin to be the supposedly #1 option on his team, he has way too many 2-receptions-for-30-yards games for my liking. He’s probably too valuable to your team to bench, but just keep in mind that his production (or lack thereof) can go any number of places.

The Saints, however, have quietly fielded one of the toughest pass defenses in the league. They’re ranked fifth in the league in that category and have given up an NFL-low eight TD passes through 13 games. So those looking for a Boldin explosion this week could be disappointed. And Derrick Mason, while he’s hardly ever on the weekly must-start list, is always a sneaky start. With Boldin presumably getting the most attention from defenses, Mason usually shines, much like he did last week with a pair of TDs. Head coach John Harbaugh indicated that Todd Heap could return this week, so maybe that will help open things up for both receivers.

Running Game Thoughts: Ray Rice is money, no doubt about it. But his lack of quality scoring opportunities is a real downer to his value. The way he’s utilized in the passing game and all the fantasy points that are derived from that role gives his owners solid numbers, but can you imagine throwing in a score or two with that kind of production? The fact is, however, he only has three scores on the season, and two of those came in one game. Don’t expect him to hit pay dirt this week either, as the Saints have a stingy defense. Savor those points you get from in via the passing game because that’s what makes him a solid #1 fantasy RB—but it’s okay to dream about what could be if he crossed the goal line more often.

Projections:
Joe Flacco – 220 yards / 2 TDs / 1 INT
Ray Rice – 65 yards rushing / 45 yards rec
Anquan Boldin - 70 yards
Derrick Mason – 50 yards / 1 TD
Todd Heap – 35 yards / 1 TD

Prediction: New Orleans 21, Baltimore 17 ^ Top

Chiefs @ Rams - (Eakin)

Passing Game Thoughts: Let’s face it; a major factor in how this game goes is dependent on the availability of QB Matt Cassel. Brodie Croyle is a limited backup and failed to get the chiefs on the scoreboard against the Chargers. At this point, there’s no way to know how Cassel’s gametime decision will go. With Cassel, they can get Dwayne Bowe back on track after two poor outings. Croyle lacks the poise and accuracy to sustain drives and take advantage of the aggressive pass rush of the Rams. The Rams are short handed in the secondary with top cover CB Ron Bartel and backup Justin King both unlikely to play with shoulder injuries.

Running Game Thoughts: The Chiefs need to get their running game back on track to be successful. Both Jones and Charles struggled to find any room with Croyle at QB (Jones, more so than Charles). Charles makes a strong RB2 this week. His quickness and ability to make cuts will be well suited for the turf in St. Louis. The Rams run blitzing is much more effective against slower, power backs like Jones. Jones is a flex play only and a risky one at that.

Projections:
Matt Cassel: 245 yds/2 TDs
Dwayne Bowe: 70 yds/1 TD
Dexter McCluster: 40 yds
Tony Moeaki: 45 yds/1 TD
Jamaal Charles: 75 yds/30 rec/1TD

Passing Game Thoughts: Bradford and the Rams have made great strides this year but last Sunday versus New Orleans showed they are not quite ready to compete with the big boys. In fairness, the Saints have been one of the best passing defenses all year. After several games with the WR corps at full strength it appears Brandon Gibson has stepped forward as the lead target. Danario Alexander has yet to reclaim the form he burst on to the scene with despite getting his share of targets. Danny Amendola has followed his three-game midseason scoring streak with a four-game drought. Beyond not scoring, he’s really not catching many passes either. Gibson is the fantasy worthy option and he’s a risky play himself. The Chiefs CBs (the Brandon’s), have been a strength on defense.

Running Game Thoughts: The second biggest key to the game besides Matt Cassel's status is Steven Jackson. Jackson remains the centerpiece of the Rams offense even if his numbers are slightly down this year. The Chiefs have struggled of late to stop the run. Derrick Johnson and Javon Belcher have cooled off from their hot start to the year. Johnson was playing for a big contract and Belcher is not at full strength. They need to stop Johnson from controlling the game and set up play action passes.

Projections:
Sam Bradford: 200 yds/1 TD
Brandon Gibson: 70 yds/1 TD
Danny Amendola: 35 yds
Daniel Fells: 35 yds
Steven Jackson: 90 yds/35 rec/1 TD

Prediction: Chiefs 24, Rams 20 ^ Top

Jaguars @ Colts - (Caron)

Passing Game Thoughts: David Garrard finally got back to throwing touchdown passes last week after two straight games of being held without one by the Giants and the Titans. Garrard broke through with his fourth three-plus passing touchdown game of the season, this time against the Raiders. He tossed two of those touchdowns to his favorite targets in Mike Sims-Walker and Marcedes Lewis while throwing the other to Jason Hill. The interesting outcome from this game is that while Garrard seemed to be back in the groove, his leading receiver this season, Mike Thomas, was held without a catch for just the second time this season. Any of the Jaguars receivers—with the exception of tight end Marcedes Lewis—remain very deep plays at best.

Garrard will hope to match his excellent performance the last time these two teams played. He threw for two touchdowns while adding 44 yards and a touchdown on the ground when Jacksonville defeated Indianapolis back in Week 4. The Colts have been very good against the pass for the most part this season, but a shockingly bad performance against the Titans last week allowed three touchdowns to Kerry Collins. Garrard is surely more talented than Collins, and while he may not have the offensive weaponry, he does possess a significantly better fantasy track record.

Running Game Thoughts: Keep rolling, MJD! Maurice Jones-Drew has now rushed for 100-plus yards in six straight games. Despite sharing some carries with backup Rashad Jennings lately, Jones-Drew remains a top-tier fantasy option just about every week and should continue to be so through the end of the year. Jones-Drew’s recent hot streak has been a welcome return to glory after he had rushed for 100-plus yards just once in his first seven games.

Coincidentally, that one time early in the season came against the Colts, who he faces again this week as his team makes a push for the AFC South crown. If Jones-Drew can get to the 100-yard mark again this week, he will tie an NFL record with his seventh consecutive game at that level. With the Colts having allowed 100-plus yards rushing in 11 games already this season, his chances are pretty good. Rashad Jennings may even get another chance to shine this week—that’s how bad the Colts are at stopping the run.

Projections:
David Garrard – 180 yards passing / 1 TD / 1 INT / 25 yards rushing
Maurice Jones-Drew – 130 yards rushing / 1 TD / 15 yards receiving
Rashad Jennings – 35 yards rushing / 1 TD
Mike Thomas – 50 yards receiving / 0 TD
Mike Sims-Walker – 30 yards receiving / 0 TD
Marcedes Lewis – 45 yards receiving / 1 TD

Passing Game Thoughts: Peyton finally got back to being Peyton last week as his Colts took care of business against the Titans. Manning had been on a career-worst streak, throwing 11 interceptions in his past three games; but he was able to turn that around with a nice 319-yard, 2-touchdown, 0-interception performance against Tennessee. While there was some concern that Manning has had a case of happy feet in the pocket due to the increased pass rush he has seen in recent weeks, there was no question that he would eventually get back to being the fantasy stud we have seen him be for years now.

It could be back-to-back big games for Manning this week when he faces the Jaguars and their 29th-ranked fantasy pass defense. Jacksonville has been absolutely terrible at stopping quarterbacks this season, having allowed multiple touchdown passes in nine games already, one of which was the game against Peyton and the Colts back in Week 4. The Colts still have practically no running game to speak of, so don’t be surprised to see lots of passing from Manning as Indianapolis tries to regain control of the AFC South.

Running Game Thoughts: It sounds like a broken record, but it has to be said: What running game? While the Colts didn’t completely humiliate themselves on the ground last week, when Javarris James and Donald Brown rushed for a combined 87 yards, it’s sad when that can be considered one of the high points of the season for your team’s rushing attack. With Joseph Addai out, the Colts just have not looked like the same team on the ground, and no one has really stepped up to be much of a fantasy force.

Even with Javarris James having rushed for three touchdowns over his past two games, it’s just too risky to start a guy who had only carried the ball a total of 11 times in the three games before his 17-carry performance last week against the Titans. James has been better than former first-round pick Donald Brown, but both players have been so inconsistent that it’s very difficult to put either in your fantasy lineup. Addai could potentially return this week, which would actually negatively affect the fantasy values of all three players; the Colts probably wouldn’t give Addai the majority of the carries in just his first week back.

Projections:
Peyton Manning – 330 yards passing / 3 TD / 1 INT
Javarris James – 30 yards rushing / 1 TD
Donald Brown – 35 yards rushing / 0 TD / 20 yards receiving
Reggie Wayne – 140 yards receiving / 0 TD
Pierre Garcon – 75 yards receiving / 1 TD
Austin Collie – 35 yards receiving / 1 TD
Blair White – 25 yards receiving / 0 TD
Jacob Tamme – 35 yards receiving / 1 TD

Prediction: Jaguars 21, Colts 31 ^ Top

Texans @ Titans - (Caron)

Passing Game Thoughts: A tough loss to the Ravens last week knocked the Texans out of the NFL playoff hunt, but that doesn’t mean that Andre Johnson and Matt Schaub can’t continue to carry your team in the fantasy playoffs. Johnson continued to prove his dominance last week as he had his second straight 140-plus yard game, adding two touchdowns. This week he will face Cortland Finnegan for the first time since the two were ejected earlier this season for an on-field fistfight. With Johnson on a hot streak, expect him to bring his “A” game against the cornerback who he would like to beat more than any other in the entire league.

If Johnson can get open, Schaub should be able to find him against a Tennessee defense that he threw two touchdown passes and zero interceptions against back in Week 12. With multiple touchdowns in four of his last five games, Schaub has been lately what fantasy owners wanted him to be early in the year—a fantasy stud. With Johnson and Owen Daniels now apparently healthy, look for the Texans to pass a bit more than they otherwise might have.

Running Game Thoughts: Despite the Texans’ throwing the ball more last week than they normally do, Arian Foster remained a rock-solid pillar of fantasy goodness. His 100-yards on the ground and 25 receiving gave him his 13th double-digit fantasy day of the year and kept him on top of the fantasy scorers at running back this season.

Foster destroyed the Titans for 143 yards rushing and 75 yards receiving earlier this season, and Tennessee could be in for more of the same. The Texans are beginning to move the ball on offense even better than they were when these teams last met. Schaub has been passing to his receivers more often than he has to Foster out of the backfield, but Foster has remained enough a part of the passing game to contribute a good number of points in that aspect, in addition to his excellent rushing numbers.

Projections:
Matt Schaub – 315 yards passing / 2 TD / 2 INT
Arian Foster – 125 yards rushing / 1 TD / 40 yards receiving / 1 TD
Andre Johnson – 115 yards receiving / 1 TD
Kevin Walter – 45 yards receiving / 0 TD
Jacoby Jones – 30 yards receiving / 1 TD
Owen Daniels – 70 yards receiving

Passing Game Thoughts: An impressive performance by Kerry Collins last week against the Colts makes him an interesting play this week against the Texans. Collins threw for 244 yards and 3 touchdowns with no interceptions in the loss last week. With Kenny Britt now healthy, the Titans passing game is finally starting to look up. Britt made a couple of excellent catches in his first game back and drew a pass interference call down the field as well. He should be the Titans’ top receiver both this week and going forward, as long as he can stay on the field.

Make no mistake, the Titans are still a run-first offense as long as Chris Johnson is in the backfield. But maybe—just maybe—Collins can play hero for some fantasy owners this week. The Texans rank dead last in the league in points allowed to opposing quarterbacks—this even after the last time these two teams played and Rusty Smith threw three interceptions with no touchdowns. A healthy Collins means the potential for some decent fantasy statistics against this porous defense.

Running Game Thoughts: The Titans were eliminated from playoff contention last week, leaving statistics as the only thing they really have to play for over the rest of the season. Johnson had one of his bigger fantasy days of the year in the loss to Indianapolis last week as he ran for 111 yards and a touchdown while adding a season-high 68 yards receiving.

No player loves statistics more than Chris Johnson, who vowed to break 2,000 yards again this season, but will likely fail to do so barring some sort of miracle. Johnson is, however, in the range of getting to 1,500 yards—a number which still brings a lot of prestige and could go a long way in proving his worth as he tries to get a new contract. The problem is that he will be facing a Texans defense that held him to a career-low 5 yards rushing just three weeks ago. Things should be different this week, though, as the defense will actually have to defend the pass now that Collins is behind center instead of Rusty Smith. Johnson could be in for another nice fantasy day.

Projections:
Kerry Collins – 235 yards passing / 2 TD / 1 INT
Chris Johnson – 105 yards rushing / 1 TD / 15 yards receiving
Kenny Britt – 105 yards receiving / 1 TD
Nate Washington – 40 yards / 0 TD
Randy Moss – 20 yards receiving / 0 TD

Prediction: Texans 30, Titans 24 ^ Top

Lions @ Buccaneers - (Caron)

Passing Game Thoughts: Drew Stanton has not been the fantasy option that Matt Stafford or even Shaun Hill had been before their injuries, but Stanton has been able to throw a touchdown in each of his three starts this season. He has accompanied that with three interceptions—but, hey, if you’re digging this deep, that’s probably about as good as you can expect from a guy who was the third-string quarterback on a horrendously bad team going into the season. On the bright side, Calvin Johnson has caught passes for 256 yards and two touchdowns in Stanton’s three starts.

Stanton and the Lions’ chances increase a bit this week as they face a Tampa Bay secondary that will be without their top cornerback, Aqib Talib. It’s not that Talib could have single-handedly shutdown Calvin Johnson (and really no cornerback can), but simply having him off the field makes Stanton less likely to throw a pick when he feels pressure from the defense and inevitably forces the ball to Johnson. Johnson will now be covered by some less-talented corners that he may be able to physically abuse, especially near the goal line.

Running Game Thoughts: The Detroit running game continues to be a major area of concern and a frustrating situation for fantasy owners. Since Jahvid Best returned in Week 13, Maurice Morris has taken 21 carries to Best’s 22, and neither player has really stood out fantasy-wise. The Lions will likely continue to employ this backfield-by-committee approach as they hope to ease Best back into the starting role.

While neither player is a particularly excellent fantasy option by themselves, the duo does have a chance to do some damage against the Buccaneers’ 25th-ranked fantasy run defense. Tampa is coming off of a terrible performance against Ryan Torain and the Washington running backs, who ran for 188 yards and caught seven passes for 98 yards last week. The Bucs have allowed 26 pass completions to opposing running backs in the past four weeks, which may make Best the better of the two Detroit running backs this week.

Projections:
Drew Stanton – 155 yards passing / 1 TD / 1 INT / 20 yards rushing
Maurice Morris – 35 yards rushing / 1 TD / 5 yards receiving
Jahvid Best – 45 yards rushing / 0 TD / 30 yards receiving
Calvin Johnson – 100 yards receiving / 1 TD
Nate Burleson – 20 yards receiving / 0 TD
Brandon Pettigrew – 20 yards receiving / 0 TD

Passing Game Thoughts: Tampa Bay quarterback Josh Freeman has had between 11 and 19 fantasy points in every game but one this season, making him possibly the most consistent fantasy quarterback in the league this year. While he hasn’t set the world on fire with any three-touchdown or 300-yard games, he has stayed very steady as the Buccaneers push toward their goal of winning the NFC South. Don’t expect Freeman to have a monster game this week, but his consistency and lack of mistakes make him a good option as a QB2—or even as a QB1 for very strong teams that just need a decent day from their quarterback.

Rookie receiver Mike Williams has been a bit inconsistent recently, alternating between good and bad fantasy games, but should be a solid fantasy start this week against a Lions defense that ranks 25th in the league against opposing passing games. The Lions padded their numbers a bit last week when Aaron Rodgers went down early for the Packers, but they had allowed eight passing touchdowns in their previous three games.

Running Game Thoughts: LaGarrette Blount remains one of the least consistent fantasy running backs in the league right now as he seemingly alternates from mediocre to good fantasy days on a week-to-week basis. The nice thing, however, is that Blount has averaged about 17 carries per game since taking over the lead back role in Tampa Bay back in Week 7.

As long as Blount is touching the ball that often, he is certainly worthy of fantasy consideration. It would be nice if Freeman would teach him a thing or two about consistency, but at least Blount has done fairly well against the bad defenses he has faced—22 fantasy points against the Cardinals and 15 against the Panthers. The Lions fit that bill as they currently rank 26th in the league in points allowed to opposing running backs.

Projections:
Josh Freeman – 225 yards passing / 2 TD / 0 INT / 15 yards rushing
LeGarrette Blount – 90 yards rushing / 1 TD
Cadillac Williams – 10 yards rushing / 0 TD / 35 yards receiving / 0 TD
Mike Williams – 85 yards receiving / 1 TD
Kellen Winslow – 35 yards receiving / 1 TD

Prediction: Lions 17, Buccaneers 27 ^ Top

Browns @ Bengals - (Autry)

Passing Game Thoughts: Colt McCoy looks to return after three weeks of recuperation from an ankle injury. Hopefully his return will help spark an offense that’s scored more than 20 points only once in the last five weeks. This team’s passing offense is one of the worst in the league, as only two teams have thrown fewer TDs than Cleveland’s nine. The combination of a less-than-average receiving corps and no consistent and reliable QB creates the ugly passing attack that’s come to define the Browns in 2010. It’s a big indictment when a team’s top two receivers are a 240 lbs. RB and a TE. Run as far away from anyone not named Peyton Hillis on this team.

Running Game Thoughts: Recent history says Peyton Hillis will rebound after two subpar games. He hasn’t scored in two straight games and he’s yet to go more than two games without scoring in 2010. Hillis actually produced well the last time he played Cincinnati, going for over 100 yards and a score. That Hillis has been as productive as he has in such an anemic offense is amazing. He’s a one-man wrecking crew and will continue to be the focus of the Browns’ offense. It’s been a month since Cincy held a team to less than 123 yards on the ground, so expect a bounce-back game from Hillis—both on the ground and through the air.

Projections:
Colt McCoy – 190 yards / 1 TD / 2 INTs
Peyton Hillis – 110 yards rushing / 45 yards rec / 1 rushing TD
Mohamed Massaquoi – 60 yards
Brian Robiskie – 35 yards
Ben Watson – 45 yards / 1 TD

Passing Game Thoughts: Outside of a few fairly productive games this year, Carson Palmer has been dreadfully average in 2010. Even though he’s thrown a TD in every game except one (in week two), he’s been less than reliable from a fantasy perspective. He has three TDs and five INTs in his last three games, and threw for less than 200 yards in two of those games. WR Terrell Owens has slowed down considerably after having one of the most surprising seasons during the first half of 2010. He’s yet to total more than 64 yards receiving in the last five games and has only two scores in that stretch. Chad Ochocinco has only five 100 yard games in his last 41 contests, so clearly he’s on the backside of his career. Plus he’s battling an ankle injury and may be limited this week. And sure, Cleveland has struggled this season, but keep in mind their defense beat and held down the offenses of New Orleans and New England in consecutive weeks earlier this year. So they’re capable; they’re just inconsistent.

Running Game Thoughts: Cedric Benson’s yardage totals this season haven’t been much to write home about and his TDs are hit or miss, but he remains the only viable option on the ground for Cincinnati. And the fact that he continues to put up pedestrian numbers despite not sharing much is a true indictment on both Benson and the offense as a whole. In fact, the game in week 12 was the first time he ran for multiple TDs in a single game since week five in 2006; he’s only run for multiple TDs in a game twice in his career. And with Cleveland surrendering the fewest rushing TDs this year (four allowed), you can be assured that Benson won’t make it three.

Projections:
Carson Palmer – 210 yards / 1 TD / 1 INT
Cedric Benson – 60 yards
Terrell Owens – 80 yards / 1 TD
Chad Ochocinco – 55 yards
Jermaine Gresham – 45 yards

Prediction: Cleveland 17, Cincinnati 13 ^ Top

Bills @ Dolphins - (Marcoccio)

Passing Game Thoughts: Perhaps QB Ryan Fitzpatrick’s 15 minutes of fame as a fantasy star is slowly coming to an end. The last couple of weeks his number have fallen off the pace that put him very near the top of the QB rankings. As an NFL QB however, he’s doing his damndest to stay relevant. By beating the Browns last week, he put the Bills another game farther away from the No. 1 draft spot that could be used to secure Stanford QB Andrew Luck. Under Fitzpatrick, third year WR Steve Johnson has developed into a fantasy stud receiver as well, but like Fitzpatrick his number have tailed off a little in recent weeks. Lee Evans’ owners were finally put out of their misery and can now drop him freely with his season ending injury. Either Donald Jones or David Nelson should start in Evans’ place, however both should be real long shots to crack fantasy line-ups.

Miami has played the pass well all season, ranking at the No. 6 spot, while allowing 200.6 ypg and 15 TDs on the season. Vontae Davis has developed into a big time cornerback and could keep Steve Johnson under wraps for most of this game.

Running Game Thoughts: The Bills have found some success on the ground riding veteran Fred Jackson in recent weeks after struggling earlier in the season. Jackson has done a fantastic job of finding positive yards and is explosive in open space. The Bills should ride him into the ground to finish the season before giving way to CJ Spiller in 2011, provided of course Spiller proves that he can handle the rushing load next season – something he has failed to do so far this season.

Miami’s run defense has done a nice job holding down opposing running backs in 2010. They are allowing 98.6 ypg and only 6 TDs this season. Channing Crowder has a big mouth, but at least he also backs it up by playing big.

Projections:
Ryan Fitzpatrick: 215 yds passing, 1 TD, 1 Int. / 30 yds rushing
Donald Jones: 50 yds receiving
Steve Johnson: 65 yds receiving
Jonathan Stupar: 25 yds receiving, 1 TD
Fred Jackson: 75 yds rushing / 40 yds receiving
C.J. Spiller: 25 yds rushing / 10 yds receiving

Passing Game Thoughts: Chad Henne was put on notice that over the last four games of the season he would be auditioning for the role of the Dolphins’ QB of the future. How did he respond? He completed 5 passes for 55 yards last week in New Jersey. He did at least throw a TD to Brandon Marshall that was the difference in the game. He’ll obviously need to show more these last three weeks or he could end up being a career backup.

On paper it looks like another extremely tough matchup for Henne and his receivers as the Bills pass defense is ranked 4th in the NFL. While they are only allowing 197.5 passing yards per game, the 22 TD passes thrown against them tells a different story. Also when you are the worst run defense in the NFL, teams tend to run the ball against you.

Running Game Thoughts: At the risk of sounding like a broken record, neither Ronnie Brown nor Ricky Williams have looked all that impressive this season. Whether it’s age or injuries that have caught up to the duo it’s apparent that Miami will likely need to infuse some new blood next season in order to return to the ball control offense favored by Coach Tony Sporano. I liked what I saw out of RB Lex Hilliard last season and it would be nice to see Miami give him an audition over the next three weeks, but with Tony Sporano potentially coaching for his future with the organization, expect him to play it safe and go with his vets.

Could Ronnie Brown or Ricky Williams have one last bug game left in them? Buffalo is terrible against the run. ‘Nuff said.

Projections:
Chad Henne: 195 yds passing, 1 TD, 2 Ints.
Brandon Marshall: 55 yds receiving, 1 TD
Brian Hartline: 10 yds receiving
Davone Bess: 45 yds receiving
Anthony Fasano: 40 yds receiving, 1 TD
Ronnie Brown: 95 yds rushing, 1 TD / 10 yds rec.
Ricky Williams: 60 yds rushing

Prediction: Dolphins 20, Bills 16 ^ Top

Redskins @ Cowboys - (Marcoccio)

Passing Game Thoughts: There’s some buzz that Mike Shanahan may bench Donovan McNabb this week and see what the team does with Rex Grossman under center. If that does happen, it’s a sure sign that the Skins will not be paying McNabb’s $10M roster bonus this offseason, thus negating the contract extension he signed earlier this season. Perhaps Shanahan is thinking that the team will draft their QB of the future and use a cheap option like Grossman as the bridge to that rookie quarterback’s transition to starter. Needless to say, that this change likely does not bode well for any of the Skins’ skill players. Should McNabb start (which is my assumption for this piece), Santana Moss could be a decent option against a suspect Dallas secondary, but most playoff teams should have more consistent options at their disposal.

The Cowboys will look to put serious pressure on either QB, as both are susceptible to poor decisions while under duress. McNabb was bailed out by the Tamp Bay defenders last week who dropped a number of potential interceptions. Dallas is allowing 254.4 ypg and has given up 27 passing TDs on the season so they can be thrown on. However, the Washington passing game has just been too unreliable to rest your playoff hopes on.

Running Game Thoughts: Ryan Torain has been the Redskins most reliable starting running back by far this season. Torain is not fast or shifty but runs with a purpose and gains yards after the initial contact. Shanahan reconnecting with his former diamond in the rough from his Denver days has been one of the few things that have worked out well for him during his initial season in Washington.

The Cowboys can be run on, as they have allowed 112.7 rushing yards per game and 11 rushing TDs on the season. Torain should be able to run well against the “smallish” Dallas front seven and Washington would be wise to try and control the clock and keep the score low if they want to stick it to their biggest rival on the road in what has been an otherwise down season.

Projections:
Donovan McNabb: 245 yds passing, 1 TD, 2 Ints. / 15 yards rushing
Santana Moss: 65 yds receiving, 1 TD
Anthony Armstrong: 40 yds receiving
Chris Cooley: 60 yds receiving
Keiland Williams: 10 yds rushing / 30 yds receiving
Ryan Torain: 105 yds rushing, 1 TD

Passing Game Thoughts: Jon Kitna has performed solidly since replacing Tony Romo, and has helped the Cowboys turn a lost season into a respectable one. Kitna lacks a big arm or athleticism, but is fairly accurate and a gritty leader. Having talents like Miles Austin, Dez Bryant (now on IR) and Jason Witten as his top targets certainly has helped him find success. Austin now returns to his perch as the top outside target for the Boys after spending some time as second fiddle to the rookie Bryant. It’s been TE Jason Witten, however, that has been the true top dog in the passing game the last couple of weeks.

The Skins have been amongst the worst passing defense in the league all season, allowing 260.5 passing ypg and 19 passing TDs this year. There is some talent in the secondary, but for some reason they’ve had trouble putting it all together. Expect the Cowboys to attack thie weakness early and often, despite their recent efforts to transition back to a more balanced offense.

Running Game Thoughts: Tashard Choice and Felix Jones have been a formidable one-two punch since Marion Barber went down with an injury, all but assuring that the highly paid Barber will be let go this offseason. Choice doesn’t run with the reckless abandon that Barber did in his prime, but he is a hard runner in his own right and is arguably the most complete back on the Cowboy roster. Jones’ added weight this offseason has kept him healthy so far (although one can argue that correlation does not equal causation in this instance), but it seems to have sapped some of his explosiveness. Still he’s performed well in the role of lead back for most of the season and may finally end all of the talk that he can’t handle a full workload and stay healthy.

Projections:
Jon Kitna: 275 yds passing 2 TDs, 1 Int. / 10 yds rushing
Roy Williams: 45 yds receiving
Miles Austin: 105 yds receiving, 1 TD
Jason Witten: 85 yds receiving, 1 TD
Felix Jones: 60 yds rushing / 40 yds receiving
Tashard Choice: 55 yds rushing, 1 TD

Prediction: Cowboys 27, Redskins 17 ^ Top

Falcons @ Seahawks - (Eakin)

Passing Game Thoughts: The Falcons passing game boasts a young 3000 yard passer in Matt Ryan and the league’s leading WR in yards and receptions in Roddy White. Ryan is a smart decision maker that can make all the throws. White is a tremendous athlete once criticized for not having good hands. Their improvement has made them perhaps the league’s top passing duo. Add to the mix a future hall of fame TE Tony Gonzales, a deep threat on the outside in Mike Jenkins, and a solid possession WRs Brian Finneran and Harry Douglass, and you have a dynamic passing attack that Seattle’s porous secondary could struggle mightily to slow down. Seattle Safety Lawyer Milloy is great at run support but no longer has the speed to keep big play WRs like White in front. The balance of the Eagle offense with an effective running game will make Seattle have to put an extra man in the box and expose them on play action passing.

Running Game Thoughts: The Falcons will get back one of the league’s best backup RBs in Jason Snelling this week. His presence as a compliment to Turner will mean they can run the ball as much as they want without worrying about wearing down Turner. They should run right through a Seattle defense that has been trampled by opposing rushers in recent weeks. Turner is a must start while Snelling is a marginal flex play based on his ability to make big plays. The Seahawks like to bring Milloy in to support the run but will have to play him honest with the Falcons dangerous pass attack.

Projections:
Matt Ryan: 245 yds/2 TDs
Roddy White: 90 yds/1 TD
Michael Jenkins: 55 yds
Tony Gonzalez: 65 yds/1 TD
Michael Turner: 90 yds/2 TDs

Passing Game Thoughts: Seattle QB Matt Hasselbeck struggled last week throwing three INTs. His WR core was not at full strength with Mike Williams and Ben Obomanu both struggling with injuries. They key to their success against the Falcons could be their pass protection. The small but fast Atlanta Des Kroy Biermann and John Abraham have played at a high level and is a top ten sack combo. It will be critical for rookie LT Russell Okung to keep Abraham out the backfield. Seattle will struggle to make big plays. Hasselbeck doesn’t have mobility to buy time, and the Falcons Safeties do a good job of keeping WRs in front of them. This means Seattle will have to complete a lot of short passes to sustain drives. A tough task in Atlanta with one of the biggest home field advantages for a team that has struggled in road games.

Running Game Thoughts: The Seahawks won’t have a chance in this game unless Marshawn Lynch has a big game on the ground. It will buy time for Hasselbeck, force Atlanta to bring in bigger DEs, and keep the Flacons offense off the field. Their running game has been inconsistent but so has the Flacon run defense. Lynch has a reasonable chance to do well early but the most likely scenario will have them falling behind and having to pass the ball in the second half.

Projections:
Matt Hasselbeck: 225 yds/1 TD/2 INTs
Mike Williams: 65 yds/1 TD
Ben Obomanu: 56 yds
Marshawn Lynch: 60 yds

Prediction: Falcons 34, Seahawks 16 ^ Top

Broncos @ Raiders - (Eakin)

Passing Game Thoughts: The once highflying Denver passing game has been grounded in recent weeks. Orton has struggled and is now fighting sore ribs. With the season meaningless and a questionable status, there is a chance American Hero Tim Tebow could play in his place. The Broncos WR corps, namely Brandon Lloyd, is already a risky proposition and should be avoided completely if Tebow plays. With Nnamdi Asomugha helping to eliminate Lloyd’s big play ability, the entire Broncos passing game will struggle.

Running Game Thoughts: The only safe fantasy play on the Denver offense is Knowshon Moreno. Moreno has been rushing well, has no competition for carries, and will play a big part in the Denver passing attack - he caught two TD passes in their week seven matchup. Moreno is a mid level RB1 option against an Oakland defense that is best attacked on the ground. Their LBs struggle to maintain gap integrity at times and Denver’s OTs do a good job of blocking on the outside where Moreno has enough speed and shiftiness to get into the second level of the defense.

Projection:
Kyle Orton: 200 yds/1 TD/1 INT
Brandon Lloyd: 65 yds
Jabar Gaffney: 50 yds/1 TD
Eddie Royal: 40 yds
Knowshon Moreno: 70 yds/40 rec/1 TD

Passing Game Thoughts: Raiders QB Jason Campbell had one of his best games as a pro, despite losing to the Jaguars, throwing for three scores and 324 yards. The Raiders WR corps is young and has improved throughout the year and are finally healthy. The three-headed deep play threat of Jacoby Ford, Darrius Heyward-Bey, and Louis Murphy give Campbell a lot of options and speed. They are balanced with TE Zach Miller’s terrific all around game and Darren McFadden’s ability to turn a short pass into a big gain. They could hit some big plays on a Denver defense that was embarrassed by the Raiders running game in their first mathcup.

Running Game Thoughts: Denver has struggled against the run all year. No team had more success than the Raiders when they absolutely destroyed them at home 59-14 with McFadden gouging them for 165 yards. McFadden is a top-10 fantasy RB this year and is a must start against a weak run defense that he has already conquered once this season. Michael Bush could have a big day in the backup role as well. The Broncos will be focused on not letting the Raiders runners break their outside containment, which is where most of the damage was done their first match. This will leave them more vulnerable to the physical between the tackle pounding Bush excels at.

Projections:
Jason Campbell: 240 yds/2 TDs
Louis Murphy: 60 yds
Jacoby Ford: 60 yds/1 TD
Zach Miller: 55 yds/1 TD
Darren McFadden: 115 yds/40 rec/1 TD
Michael Bush: 40 yds/1 TD

Prediction: Oakland 34, Denver 20 ^ Top

Jets @ Steelers - (Autry)

Passing Game Thoughts: This is just what a struggling Mark Sanchez needs, right? A battle with the league’s fourth-ranked defense in its backyard while in the midst of the worst three-game stretch of his career? Not a good recipe for success. Sanchez has only one TD pass and five interceptions in his last three games—two of which were at home. It doesn’t help either that his receivers drop pass after pass. Santonio Holmes, Braylon Edwards and Jerricho Cotchery have all has a case of the butterfingers lately, further hamstringing young Sanchez.

If Pittsburgh has a weakness on its team it is the pass defense. What’s good, though, is that their struggles have come against teams that are known to cause havoc via the passing game—New Orleans, New England—but they’ve shut down the teams that have a tendency to struggle offensively at times—Oakland, Cincinnati. New York, especially recently, has fallen into the latter category. Consequently, there’s no reason to start any Jets passing game component this week. Leave that to somebody else.

Running Game Thoughts: So much for the resurrection of the old LaDainian Tomlinson. After running for five TDs through the season’s first six games, he’s gone scoreless in the last seven and hasn’t rushed for more than 57 yards in any of them. Meanwhile, Shonn Greene has been invisible as well with only one rushing TD all season. So without the component of their offense that they’ve prided themselves on, and quite frankly the component they must be successful at in order to do anything of significance week after week, the Jets are in trouble long term. LT and Greene aren’t starter-worthy this week in any league. If New York’s struggles aren’t enough to keep them on your bench, maybe Pittsburgh’s #1 rush defense will. Both RBs will be fantasy afterThoughts: by halftime.

Projections:
Mark Sanchez – 185 yards / 1 TD / 2 INTs
LaDainian Tomlinson – 45 yards rushing / 25 yards rec
Shonn Greene – 35 yards
Santonio Holmes – 55 yards
Braylon Edwards – 45 yards
Jerricho Cotchery – 30 yards
Dustin Keller – 25 yards / 1 TD

Passing Game Thoughts: The Steelers have won four in a row, but Ben Roethlisberger didn’t have a ton to do with it. He’s thrown a total of one TD with one INT in the last three, and without the help of the defense last week, we’d probably be asking what’s wrong with Ben. He has one of the best deep threats in the league in Mike Wallace and one of the best possession guys in Hines Ward, so his struggles leave one perplexed.

The New England game aside, the Jets have actually played well in two of the last three games, surrendering a total of 20 points to Cincinnati and Miami. For all the pressure that New York puts on opposing QBs, though, the fact that they only have seven INTs (31st in the league) on the year is mind-boggling. It will be interesting to see who CB Derrelle Revis locks in on. If he’s on Wallace, you can still expect a deep pass to the speedster, as Revis is more of a technician at CB than a speedy, athletic type. I’d still err on the side of caution and not start any Pittsburgh WR. This promises to be a low scoring game and WRs in this contest could be relegated to useless status.

Running Game Thoughts: This part of the game will be that immovable object vs. the irresistible force thing. Pittsburgh wants to run the ball but stopping the run is the strength of the Jets. Rashard Mendenhall will surely get his carries, but what will he do with them? He has two TD runs in his last five games, and only one game in which he ran for more than 66 yards in that stretch (151 yards @ Buffalo). Expect an average game from Mendenhall, although don’t be surprised if he runs in for score on a short run.

Projections:
Ben Roethlisberger – 200 yards / 1 TD
Rashard Mendenhall – 55 yards / 1 TD
Mike Wallace – 60 yards
Hines Ward – 50 yards
Antwaan Randle El – 30 yards
Heath Miller – 35 yards

Prediction: Pittsburgh 14, New York 10 ^ Top

Packers @ Patriots - (Marcoccio)

Passing Game Thoughts: With Aaron Rodgers suffering his second concussion of the season, the odds are stacked against him starting in what is a vital game to the Packers’ playoff hopes. Third year QB Matt Flynn replaced Rodgers last week after he left the game and looked as overmatched as one would expect. It would be tough to recommend Flynn despite what appears to be a golden matchup, and personally I’d only really feel safe playing Greg Jennings from the Packers’ passing attack. Jennings should still be targeted and semi-productive like he was last week, but expectations must be tempered of course with the drop-off at QB.

The Pats’ young secondary has gained some experience and has played a lot better over the last couple of weeks than the overall numbers would indicate. On the season the team is amongst the worst pass defenses in the NFL (266.2 ypg and 21 TDs allowed this season). However, they held the Jets and the Bears in check over the last two weeks and should have little trouble with the inexperienced Flynn this week.

Running Game Thoughts: The Packers have done very little via the ground this season, and will be hard pressed to do much against a decent run defense and without the threat of a passing game this week. Brandon Jackson may see a good amount of dump off passes so he could be an option in ppr leagues. James Starks looked like the answer to the Packers running game woes his first week back from the PUP list, but did very little last week against the Lions. He’s a hard runner, but one would need to be seriously desperate to pin their playoff hopes on the rookie out of Buffalo who has missed most of the season and all of the pre-season.

Projections:
Matt Flynn: 195 yds passing, 1 TD, 2 Ints. / 25 yards rushing
Greg Jennings: 60 yds receiving, 1 TD
Donald Driver: 30 yds receiving
James Jones: 40 yds receiving
Andrew Quarless: 15 yds receiving
James Starks: 55 yds rushing / 5 yds receiving
Brandon Jackson: 35 yds rushing / 40 yds receiving

Passing Game Thoughts: Since Randy Moss’ departure, the Pats have revised their offensive game plans and have returned to their dink and dunk style of attack. They often feature two TE sets and have a very talented pair of rookie TEs in Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez. While the Pats have moved back to being a spread the wealth offense which looks to exploit matchups each week, they have not lost any offensive fire power and they’ve still managed to put points on the board each week. Tom Brady continues to show why he’s in the conversation for the best of his generation as he can win in any style offense and with various casts of characters in support. While I could not recommend benching any Pats that you would normally start, bear in mind that the passing offense may be able to take it easy this week with the Packers starting the inexperienced Matt Flynn at QB.

Running Game Thoughts: BenJarvis Green-Ellis has stepped up his game in 2010. He’s a no nonsense North-South runner, but has developed a little more shiftiness than he’s shown in the past. Look for Danny Woodhead, to be utilized heavily by Bellichick this week as he can cause the Packers banged up defense fits with his quickness and ability to catch the ball out of the backfield.

Projections:
Tom Brady: 245 yds passing, 2 TDs
Deion Branch: 40 yds receiving
Wes Welker: 60 yds receiving
Rob Gronkowski: 45 yds receiving, 1 TD
Aaron Hernandez: 50 yds receiving
Danny Woodhead: 55 yds rushing / 30 yds receiving, 1 TD
BenJarvis Green-Ellis: 90 yds rushing, 1 TD / 5 yds receiving

Prediction: Patriots 24, Packers 13 ^ Top

Bears @ Vikings - (Autry)

Passing Game Thoughts: Jay Cutler last week reverted back to the Jay Cutler from yesteryear—erratically inconsistent and throwing INTs. But truth be told, the entire Chicago Bear team was in flux, thanks in no small measure to the New England Patriots. The Bears were out of it before the crowd’s hot chocolate got a chance to get cold on that frigid Sunday afternoon. Cutler should bounce back this week, though, after tossing only one TD in the last two. Minnesota is a collection of guys simply playing out the string. Their stadium is screwed up, their QB situation is screwed up, and they don’t know who their head coach is going to be next year; basically, it’s a wrap. Those are not conditions suitable for success in the NFL. If Cutler can’t exploit this defense—regardless of where they play—you should be concerned.

Running Game Thoughts: Minnesota’s game last week in Detroit against the New York Giants was proof positive that the Vikings are waving the white flag. The allowed the Giants’ two RBs to both rush for more than 100 yards. And the biggest key of all was how they allowed 260 lbs. Brandon Jacobs to rumble for more than 70 yards on one play—a career high. Matt Forte is similar in style to neither Jacobs nor Ahmad Bradshaw, but he’s good enough where he can and should exploit the disinterested Minnesota defense. Defense, especially against the run, is about attitude, and the Vikings are without it. The weather conditions could cause a problem if they play the game outdoors at the University of Minnesota football stadium, but Forte should be productive in this game even if they choose to play in the Metrodome parking lot.

Projections:
Jay Cutler – 220 yards / 2 TDs
Matt Forte – 75 yards rushing / 30 yards rec / 1 rushing TD
Johnny Knox – 60 yards / 1 TD
Devin Hester – 45 yards
Earl Bennett – 35 yards
Greg Olsen – 40 yards / 1 TD

Passing Game Thoughts: Things have gone from worse to nightmarish in Minnesota country. First Brett Favre’s issues—physical and otherwise—then Tarvaris Jackson can’t execute a simple handoff and hurts himself in the process, and now rookie Joe Webb takes the reins of an offense that taking on water. Webb’s presence under center affects everybody around him, especially the WRs. Sidney Rice had made good strides in the game against Buffalo several weeks ago, and even started last week’s game against the Giants pretty well. But once the issues at QB surfaced, his value and that of his receiving colleagues plummeted. Percy Harvin is on pace to return to action, but again, what good is it when you’re down to your #3 QB and will more than likely be playing in a foreign stadium? Ouch.

Running Game Thoughts: I know Adrian Peterson has battled through an ankle injury recently, but for him to have no more than 17 carries in any of the last seven games is ridiculous. AP has been the best and perhaps the most consistent offensive threat on the team, yet he turns invisible in Minnesota’s game plan. You can best believe that he will see eight or nine defenders in the box all game long, and if the weather conditions are as bad as they’re saying they’ll be, the passing game for the Vikings will be an afterthought. So now the time of year is here when we fantasy owners look to count on our studs to take us to the promised land, only to have players such as AP disappoint us. Again, not necessarily through any fault of his, but his ineffectiveness and lack of productivity looks the same on the stat sheet regardless of the reasons behind it. You may have no choice but to start him; if so, good luck.

Projections:
Joe Webb – 115 yards / 0 TDs / 2 INTs
Adrian Peterson – 45 yards / 1 TD
Sidney Rice – 40 yards
Percy Harvin – 30 yards
Visanthe Shiancoe – 25 yards

Prediction: Chicago 21, Minnesota 10 ^ Top