By Vidur Malik
notjustagame23@gmail.com

Rashard Mendenhall – Though Ben Roethlisberger is back under center for the Pittsburgh Steelers, Mendenhall should still be a crucial part of the offense. He had 27 carries in Roethlisberger’s first game on Sunday, and should continue to get plenty of touches as the team’s feature back.

Ray Rice – It’s been a tough season so far for Rice, but he should help the Baltimore Ravens run wild over the Buffalo Bills on Sunday. Rice is one of the best running and receiving threats in the game, and the Bills rank last in the league in rushing yards per game with 182.4. Look for Rice to have a big day.

Don’t Do It:
LeSean McCoy – Though the Philadelphia Eagles convincingly beat the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday, McCoy struggled, gaining only three yards per carry. His numbers probably won’t be much better this Sunday, when the Eagles play the physical Tennessee Titans. The Titans rank eighth in rush defense, and after giving up over 100 yards to Felix Jones in week five, they shut down Maurice Jones-Drew on Monday night.

Michael Crabtree – Both Crabtree and the San Francisco 49ers seemed to have picked up their game recently. The 49ers get their first win of the season in week six, and Crabtree has caught a touchdown pass in the last two games, after not catching any during the first four games. He only had 57 receiving yards after going over 100 the week before, and even though the 49ers will play a Carolina Panthers team that is fifth in the league in pass defense, Crabtree has become a primary target for the offense, and he should get a good amount of looks on Sunday.

Mike Wallace – It’s not common for your leading receiver to only have 12 catches after six games, but Wallace leads the Pittsburgh Steelers with that many receptions. The key number is Wallace’s 25.1 yards per catch average. With that kind of production, Wallace only needs a few catches a game to have a huge impact. That should be much of an issue with Roethlisberger’s strong arm.

Don’t Do It:
Marques Colston – Colston leads the New Orleans Saints in receptions and receiving yards, but doesn’t have any touchdowns this year. The Saints will always have one of the most explosive offenses in the league, and any one of their weapons can have a huge game, so don’t leave him on your bench for too long, but as Saints quarterback Drew Brees distributes touches to all his weapons, it looks like Colston’s numbers might fall a bit.

Matt Hasselbeck – Hasselbeck is coming off of a solid, but not impressive day in the Seattle Seahawks’ win over the Chicago Bears on Sunday, but he should have a more productive day this weekend, when he and the Seahawks take on the Arizona Cardinals. Arizona ranks 26th in pass defense, giving up over 240 yards per game. A smart, veteran quarterback like Hasselbeck knows how to exploit a defense’s weak spots. Look for him to do that against the Cardinals.

Aaron Rodgers – The Green Bay Packers play the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday, and Rodgers should build off of his 300+ yard performance against Miami in week six. He only threw for one touchdown in that game, but he’ll be at home and against a team that gave up three touchdowns to Tony Romo in week six. The Vikings rank sixth in pass defense, but Rodgers should also be able to throw for a few touchdowns against his archrival.

Don’t Do It :
Donovan McNabb – McNabb hasn’t thrown for more than one touchdown pass in a game so far this year, and that’s probably not going to change this week against the Chicago Bears, who are third in the league in points per game with 16.2. The Redskins are ninth in passing yards per game with 244.2, but one touchdown a game isn’t going to cut it in fantasy.

Listen in on Week Seven’s Podcast

By Vidur Malik

Quarterbacks

Vince Young – After a solid game against the Dallas Cowboys, Young and the Tennessee Titans go up against the Jacksonville Jaguars, who have a defense that ranks near the bottom of the league. They give up over 280 passing yards per game. In week five, Buffalo Bills quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick did throw three pick against them, but also had three touchdown passes and 220 yards. Look for Young to also have a good game against the Jags.

Matt Cassel – While Schaub and the Texans should focus on passing, look for Cassel and the Chiefs to do the same when they have the ball. Cassel only threw for 156 yards against the Colts in week five, and didn’t have any touchdowns, but this should be the week for him to have a big game. The Texans are last in the league in passing defense, and 31st in yards per game. Like the Chiefs, they do rank high in rushing defense, so Cassel should have an opportunity to put up big numbers.

Don’t Do It:
Shaun Hill – Hill has been a surprise this year, and ranks 12th in the league in passing yards, but don’t expect him to have a big game this week, when his Detroit Lions play the New York Giants, who have a defense that knows how to apply pressure. They are first in the league in both yards per game and passing yards per game, so Hill should have a tough game this weekend.

Running Backs

Michael Bush – Bush had a big game in the Oakland Raiders’ win over the San Diego Chargers in week five. Reports indicate Bush will get the majority of the carries in this weekend’s game against the San Francisco 49ers. The 49ers’ defense has struggled stopping the run, and are ranked 18th in rushing defense so far during their 0-5 start. Bush should be able to make plays against them.

Ryan Torain – Torain and the Washington Redskins play the Indianapolis Colts, a team that is near the bottom of the league in rushing defense, ranking 29th in that category. Torain didn’t put up big numbers last week, but he did catch four passes, which indicates that he can be a dual threat against a defense that gives up a lot of yards per game.

Don’t Do It:
Arian Foster – The Houston Texans take on the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday, and should focus on their passing game. The Chiefs only give up 80.5 rushing yards per game, but give up 239.5 passing yards, so expect Matt Schaub and the Texans to try to establish their passing game. Foster’s had a great season so far, but might not be the central focus for his offense this weekend.

Receivers

Roddy White – White has gone over 100 yards the past two games, both of which were wins for the Atlanta Falcons. They play the Philadelphia Eagles this weekend, who rank eighth in the league in pass defense, but they did give up over 100 yards and a touchdown to San Francisco 49ers’ tight end Vernon Davis in week five and to 49ers’ wide receiver Michael Crabtree, so White has a chance to put up similar numbers.

Johnny Knox – Reports indicate that Chicago Bears quarterback Jay Cutler should play against the Seattle Seahawks after sitting out with a concussion which he suffered in week four against the New York Giants. With Cutler’s strong arm back, Knox should be able to have a big game. He only has 13 catches on the year, but he’s averaging 20.9 yards per reception. That means a few over-the-top plays could be enough for Knox to have a great day over a Seahawks defense that is 31st in the league in passing defense.

Don’t Do It:
Wes Welker – With Randy Moss gone, it would seem like the New England Patriots’ offense would focus more on Welker, but he hasn’t been as big a presence as in the past. He leads the Patriots with 26 receptions, but is only averaging 8.3 yards per catch. He’s got three touchdown catches this season, but hasn’t caught any touchdowns the past two games. The Patriots will play the Baltimore Ravens this weekend, who have a great defense as usual, and are second in the league in passing defense, and fourth in points allowed, with only 14.4

By Vidur Malik
notjustagame23@gmail.com

Mark Sanchez – Sanchez takes on the Minnesota Vikings’ defense after showing that he can be an efficient, mistake-free quarterback. He hasn’t thrown an interception so far, and even though he’s going up against a tough defense, he’s got the weapons to have another solid game. Wide receiver Braylon Edwards has shown that he can still be effective, and Dustin Keller has become one of the best tight ends in the game. The Jets will also have wide receiver Santonio Holmes starting this week, which should open up the offense more.

Carson Palmer – After sub-par performances in weeks two and three, Palmer threw for 371 yards and two touchdowns in the Cincinnati Bengals’ loss to the Cleveland Browns in week four. Look for Palmer to put up similar numbers this week against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Against Cleveland, wide receiver Terrell Owens had over 200 receiving yards, showing that he is still a threat. If Palmer has found chemistry with T.O., and can still sling the ball to wide receiver Chad Ochocinco and his other weapons, he should have another great game this weekend.

Donovan McNabb- The Washington Redskins play the Green Bay Packers in week five, and McNabb should break out of his streak of average performances. He put up only 125 passing yards against the Philadelphia Eagles in week four, but can have a good game against the Packers. Though Green Bay ranks seventh in pass defense, they gave up 331 yards to Detroit Lions quarterback Shaun Hill in week four. McNabb has the talent and weapons to throw for 300+ yards this weekend as well.

Jamaal Charles – Though he’s only had 34 rushes, Charles is averaging seven yards per carry so far. The Kansas City Chiefs play the Indianapolis Colts this weekend, who are 29th in the league in rush defense. Though running back Thomas Jones has gotten the bulk of the carries this season, Charles’ explosiveness will help him and the Chiefs run through the Colts’ defense.

Tim Hightower – The Arizona Cardinals host the New Orleans Saints on Sunday, and Hightower should have a big day after his team got blown out by the San Diego Chargers in week four. Hightower averages 5.5 yards per rush, and the Saints’ defense struggles to stop the run. We had Carolina Panthers’ running back DeAngelo Williams on the week four start ‘em list for the same reason, and he had a solid game against the Saints. Hightower should do the same.

Matt Forte – When the Chicago Bears play the Carolina Panthers on Sunday, Todd Collins will be starting for Chicago, according to reports. That means that Forte should be the go-to guy for the offense, and he’s got the ability to be that guy. He’s had a tough year on the ground so far, but leads the Bears in receptions with 16, which means he can get you points on the ground and through the air.

Brandon Pettigrew – The Detroit Lions’ tight end leads the team in receiving, and should be a safe target for quarterback Shaun Hill when the Lions play the St. Louis Rams on Sunday. Though Pettigrew doesn’t have a touchdown catch yet, that can change quickly because he’s a big guy who can be a great redzone weapon. He’s coming off an eight-catch, 91-yard game against Green Bay, and should put up more good numbers against the Rams.

Derrick Mason – Mason is the most reliable target on the Baltimore Ravens’ offense, and has been doing it for years. Though wide receiver Anquan Boldin is the Ravens’ receiving leader, Mason has seen his reception totals go up with every game so far this year, and against a Denver Broncos’ defense that has a below-average pass defense, Mason should continue to see his stats rise.

Lance Moore – Of all the weapons the New Orleans Saints have on offense, it’s Moore who’s leading the team in receiving yards and touchdowns. He’s fourth on the team with 14 catches, but has a 14.9 yards per catch average, which is tops on the team. Though anyone can have a big day for the Saints, most of their weapons put up pretty consistent numbers once they become a key part of the offense. Moore has done that this year. Look for quarterback Drew Brees to stretch the Cardinals’ defense with deep throws to Moore.

By Vidur Malik

There have been plenty of significant moves around the league so far this week, which look to catapult some players to great performances in week three. Some teams have made quarterback changes to spark their offenses. These new starting quarterbacks have the potential to justify their promotions this week. Other players have the spotlight because their teammates have suffered injuries, or are not around for other reasons (Vincent Jackson). Here are some guys who should have big games in week three.

Quarterbacks

Brett Favre – It’s obviously been a tough start to the year for Favre. He has only has one touchdown pass this year and four interceptions, after throwing only seven all of last year. Favre has a chance to have his first solid performance of the year against the Detroit Lions. He’s missing wide receiver Sidney Rice, and wide receiver Percy Harvin has been injured and suffering migraines, and has a clearly weakened passing game. Sooner or later, he’ll have to work with what he has, and on a weekend when he’ll be going up against a team that gives up 305 passing yards a game, he has a chance to do that.

Bruce Gradkowski – The benching of quarterback Jason Campbell has been one of the major quarterback headlines this week, behind the Eagles’ decision to start Michael Vick. Campbell wasn’t able to energize the Raiders’ offense, and Oakland is hoping Gradkowski can get it done against the Arizona Cardinals. He’s got no shortage of weapons to give the ball to. Wide receiver Louis Murphy had 91 receiving yards and a touchdown against St. Louis in week two, and running back Darren McFadden also had a big day against the Rams. Gradkowski has shown in the past that he is a dependable backup who can play well if he is inserted into the starting role, and he should be able to do it again this week.

Alex Smith – After struggling against the Seattle Seahawks in week one, Smith had a great day against the New Orleans Saints on Monday Night Football. He threw one touchdown and two interceptions, which may not seem like a very good stat line, but many of the 49ers’ turnovers against the Saints weren’t his fault, and Smith was able to make accurate down-the-field throws and use his scrambling ability to pick up first downs. He led the 49ers down the field late in the game to a score and a two-point conversion, and almost led his team to a win against the defending champs. After the way he played against the Saints, Smith should have no problem playing well against the Chiefs in week three.

Running backs

Pierre Thomas – Though they’re still a dangerous offensive team, the New Orleans Saints haven’t put up great numbers so far. This is especially apparent in their rushing stats. They rank 31st in the NFL with only 64.5 rushing yards. This is the weekend where Pierre Thomas can change that. With running back Reggie Bush out with a broken leg, Thomas will play a bigger role in the running game against the Falcons. Thomas is a more powerful runner than Bush, but still has the speed to elude defenders. He is only averaging 3.2 yards per carry, but he can get you points through the passing game as well. He leads the Saints in receptions with 11. Running back Ladell Betts, who was signed by the Saints after Bush, may get some carries, but Thomas has been the main weapon in the Saints offense and should be an even bigger threat this weekend.

Donald Brown – There’s no doubt that the Colts’ offense starts and stops with Peyton Manning, but a good ground game is essential for a balanced and unpredictable attack. Running back Joseph Addai missed Wednesday’s practice with a knee injury. His status for Sunday’s game against the Broncos is unknown, and Brown should build off his performance against the Giants in week two. After not receiving a single carry in the season-opener, Brown had 16 rushes for 69 yards and a touchdown against New York. Addai led the way with 20 rushes, but with him injured, Brown could be the feature back against Denver. The Broncos’ rush defense is 22nd in the league, and although Manning has been lighting up defenses this season, a big day from Brown could be in the books.

Ahmad Bradshaw – Bradshaw has been playing well while teammate Brandon Jacobs has struggled so far. Now that Jacobs has shown that he has trouble keeping his helmet in the field of play, Bradshaw should have a big day. He’s averaging 4.5 yards per carry, and has managed to be a big part of an offense that has been doing most of its damage through the air. The Titans have only given up 85 passing yards a game this year, and lead the league in that category. That means Bradshaw should lead New York’s offense this weekend.

Wide Receivers

Jacoby Jones – Matt Schaub showed last week how dangerous the Houston Texans’ offense can be in their win over the Washington Redskins. Schaub threw for 497 yards in that game, and after taking a backseat to wide receivers Andre Johnson and Kevin Walter after two games, Jones should receive more reps against the Dallas Cowboys this weekend. Jones has eight receptions so far, while Walter and Johnson have 13 and 15 respectively, but Schaub is the type of quarterback who can get the ball to all his weapons. Look for Jones to get a bigger chunk of the prolific numbers the Texans’ offense can put up after other Texans wide receivers have led the team so far.

Jeremy Maclin – Whether it’s Kolb or Vick, the starting quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles this season will have several players to distribute the ball to, and Maclin should be a major contributor this week. Maclin only has 64 receiving yards this season, but leads the team with two touchdowns. After the performances of some his teammates last week, Maclin should get opportunities to have a big day. Wide receiver DeSean Jackson has shown the playmaking ability and speed that have made him the one of the most dangerous receivers in the game, and running back LaSean McCoy had a breakout game in week two.  Maclin should be able to step up this week and assert himself as a bigger weapon in the Eagles’ offense.

Malcolm Floyd – Even though the Vincent Jackson drama is still hovering over the San Diego Chargers, the wide receivers who are playing have filled in well for the All-Pro holdout. Malcolm Floyd has become the leader of the pack. He leads the Chargers with 143 receiving yards, and along with Legedu Naanee and Buster Davis, has provided a consistent target for quarterback Philip Rivers. Floyd is averaging 23.8 yards per catch, which is a promising statistic for fantasy owners.

By Zack Cimini

notjustagame23@gmail.com

Your heavyweights do most of the damage in fantasy leagues. You expect that. Where wins of the blowout variety come from are the starters under the radar. The depth building guys you drafted in mid rounds with upside. Deciding your matchups on a week to week basis with your number two’s and three’s at running back and wide receiver is a tough struggle for fantasy owners. Here’s some guys we think should do well this weekend.

Quarterback

Kyle Orton- Were not sure how Orton’s settled himself down being a Bronco. Last year he managed drives which translated to a 6-0 start. When Marshall was traded he was discounted by everyone. After a strong preseason and a solid debut, Orton looks as if he is a true veteran quarterback. He is becoming a sneaky start based upon matchups and this week figures to be one. Alex Smith made Seattle’s pass defense look a lot better than it is.

Mike Vick-  He gets the start and with Vick it’ll be boom or bust. Detroit’s young defense is quick but not disciplined enough yet. Vick should continue to excel and add on to last weeks solid performance. Andy Reid hardly ran the football week one and is notoriously known for abandoning the run game. Rolling Vick out to the left or right and letting him high tail it is sort of a running game, right? Expect LeSean McCoy to have a breakout game, and Vick to get enough rushing yards to offset a mediocre passing day.

Josh Freeman- Carolina has a lot of holes on both sides of the football. One glaring is their secondary which gave up big play after big play last week. Part of that had to do with Matt Moore’s mistakes forcing them back onto the field. Well, whether it’s Moore or Clausen the defense will be getting use to that pattern. Freeman doesn’t have the running game you’d like to support a young quarterback. Yet he has some solid young receivers that he should find for a nice fantasy day this week.

Running Backs

Brandon Jacobs- If there’s a guy that needs that big game to work out of a rut, it’s Jacobs. Last years case of blaming injuries and play call selection won’t work two years in a row. Jacobs needs to realize he is a big back that can’t wait for where he is going to go with the football. Attack the line of scrimmage and pick your lane to plow through. That’s the old Jacobs. This week against the Colts he might get away with his subtle moves in the backfield, after the Colts just were torched last weekend.

Shonne Greene- It was not a debut a running back would of liked. Greene had two fumbles and lost his grasp of the split shared carries with LT. He’ll get his chance to shine again as Rex Ryan will do everything in his power to ensure his offense does better. Greene and LT should see heavier dosages of the football as more and more eyes are beginning to distrust Sanchez. New England looked great last week but were not buying into the defense turning it around suddenly with younger legs.

Tim Hightower- Derek Anderson’s still trying to get acclimated with the offense with a non healthy Larry Fitzgerald. Beanie Wells is iffy at being available for this game against Atlanta. Even if he plays it’ll likely be a minimum amount of touches. Hightower will be the main threat, and if he can control his fumbling issues he should have a breakout game. He gets into the end zone at a fairly high rate. Rushing the football he may not get near 100 yards, but yards combined out of the backfield should equate to a decent all around game.

Wide Receivers

Lee Evans- A blowout should occur as the Bills can’t keep up with the Packers. Evans should benefit from that by getting a lot of garbage yards. He is one of the top big play receivers in the league. Unfortunately being in Buffalo he has been hindered. Four or five games a year he is a good start and this week is one of them.

Eddie Royal- Will see how heavy the Broncos look to split carries with Moreno and Maroney. Orton is most comfortable with Eddie Royal and will look for him often. Expect six to eight catches from the Broncos number one receiver. Yardage shouldn’t be a problem. Dividends will be rewarded even more if Royal can make it into the end zone.

Mike Williams (Tampa Bay)- Williams had a phenomenal catch on a tipped ball in the end zone last week. One thing fantasy fans will begin to learn about Williams is he has a knack for catching touchdowns. While at Syracuse he broke the school record by scoring a touchdown in nine straight games. He’ll quickly become Freeman’s favorite option.

Louis Murphy- Campbell played with Santana Moss for years. An inconsistent pattern for Campbell was his erratic play behind center. Raiders fans already saw a glimpse of that last week. Campbell gets a nice matchup to settle himself back down, and restart forward. One thing Campbell is good at doing is mixing up with his tight ends over the middle. By doing that and continuing to pound the ball with McFadden, we think Murphy could slip free for an “I’m back in the NFL” throw from Campbell.

The talk of the NFL recently has been about the Baltimore Ravens picking up wide receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh, and their potentially high-scoring offense that will take the field this season.

What people aren’t really talking about is the flipside of that acquisition. In order to sign Houshmandzadeh, the Ravens traded wide receiver Mark Clayton to the St. Louis Rams along with a seventh-round draft pick, and got a sixth-round draft pick from the Rams. Though Clayton may not have had all-pro numbers in his time in Baltimore, he was a dependable receiver who consistently put up solid numbers. While Houshmandzadeh can make an impact in Baltimore, Clayton can do the same in St. Louis.

In his five seasons as a Raven, Clayton recorded over 3,100 receiving yards and 12 touchdowns. Those aren’t impressive numbers, but they show that he’s been a good number two or three receiver for a long time. His best statistical season was in 2006, his second season, when he put up 939 yards and five touchdowns. Those numbers could be considered on the verge of number one receiver status, so he’s shown in the past that he can play a big role in an offense.

Going to St. Louis can be a great opportunity for Clayton to establish himself as a crucial part of the offense, and a good target for rookie quarterback Sam Bradford. With last year’s number one receiver Donnie Avery out for the season after suffering a torn ACL in the preseason, Clayton has a chance to become the main guy in St. Louis. The other Rams wide receivers are an up and coming group, but they’re young, and lack Clayton’s experience. Laurent Robinson is entering his fourth season, and his second as a Ram, and is coming back from a broken leg in 2009. He should be able to compete for a starting spot this year. Danny Amendola had 43 catches for 326 yards in his rookie year last year after bouncing around practice squads, and should also be involved in the competition at wide receiver. Rookie Mardy Gilyard played well during training camp according to reports, and should be in the mix for playing time as well.

Clayton figures to be the early number one among the receivers because of his experience. If he can build chemistry with Bradford, who has impressed in the preseason, Clayton can become the unquestioned number one receiver in St. Louis, and can up his numbers to the 1,000 yard level. Bradford has the intelligence and ability to be a smart quarterback, and having Clayton to throw to should make things easier for him. Elite running back Steven Jackson is in the backfield, and having a great back can be extremely helpful to young quarterbacks by taking the pressure off of them to win games.

Though the Rams are in a rebuilding phase, Clayton seems to be in a great situation. Don’t be surprised if he records big numbers this season.