By Zack Cimini

notjustagame23@gmail.com

September has concluded. The next four weeks of October are pivotal to either sustain your lead atop your fantasy league, or to start climbing back in the race. At the end of the month will you be haunted or the one causing the chaos?

Here’s a look at some athletes that should be automatics to start and others to sit.

Quarterbacks

Start: Matt Hasselbeck

Hasselbeck may be the only quarterback that can make ten completions fantasy worthy. Without Kenny Britt he has found a way. Utilizing veteran Nate Washington and tight end Jared Cook. As long as Chris Johnson continues to improve, Hasselbeck is a solid number two fantasy quarterback.

Start: Matt Cassel

Cassel should be playing basketball. When he is hot, he can be as consistent as they come at delivering your Chiefs fantasy receivers 100 yard games. When he is not, he’ll throw for under 100 yards with a pair of picks. Cassel looks to be charting back upward, so he could be a waiver wire addition consideration after this week.

Sit: Mark Sanchez

Sanchez was definitely rattled by harassed blitzes from the Ravens. Each of the past two years, Sanchez has struggled to respond when faced with adversity during the regular season. The Jets will look to control this game with the ground game. I don’t think Sanchez will have over twenty attempts in this one. Rex Ryan wants to keep his defense and the Tom Brady dink and dump offense off the field.

Sit: Ryan Fitzpatrick

Running Backs

Start: Marshawn Lynch

The New York Giants somehow win with a formula of Eli turning the ball over, and the defense giving up chunks of yards. Maybe they’re just fortunate. The opportunistic defense will force turnovers, but they offset that with allowing running backs to rush all over them.

Start: Jahvid Best

Though he has been quiet this year, Best thrives in divisional games. With teams needing to key in on the passing attack more, Best should start to see his production rise. He has it in him, and should be a top seven fantasy back heading into next year.

Sit. Joey Addai

I really like the way Addai has ran the football the past few games for the Colts. The team has fed off of its veterans but just can’t sustain the effort in the 4^th period. There comes a point when veterans use to winning hit that loser wall. This team is 0-4 and reality will set in. This team and front office will want to see where the youth lies with this team. Bring in Delone Carter, who will get more and more carries as the season goes on.

Sit: Mark Ingram

Wide Receivers

Start: AJ Green

Green gets an actual favorable match up this weekend. He has been quite a surprise on an offense not expected to do much. Rookie Andy Dalton has found a way to deliver the football, and the team remains balanced with Cedric Benson rushing the football. Green should have another solid game to pad to his stats.

Start: Mike Williams

Williams has had a tough time adjusting to defenses this season. Teams are not letting him beat them all day with intermediate routes. Josh Freeman is finding other targets such as Preston Parker and Arrelious Benn. Look for Williams to get back on track this week, with his best game of the year.

Start: Titus Young

Teams may find a way to gear up and stop Megatron. All that’s going to do is divide up more throws Young’s way. Even though Johnson typically posts great numbers against the Bears, I’m going with the Contrarian view that Young will be the Lions leading receiver.

Sit: Plaxico Burress

Sit: Marques Colston

By Zack Cimini

notjustagame23@gmail.com

At the conclusion of each September the media gets drawn into the teams off to hot starts. The opposite of that of course is berating a team for sinking and failing in September. Statistics are thrown out discounting a chance for those teams to resurrect and recover.

Teams go through waves during a season more than ever. Parity has reared it’s head in just about every division. Typically there are a fair share of teams that exceed expectations early and come back down to Earth.

Defenses have struggled horrendously throughout the NFL in September. As teams get more film study and on field action, more and more weaknesses will get exposed. Injuries will rise, which is always easier to game plan for defensively. Just ask the New York Giants and numerous other teams.

So which team has the best chance at turning things around and still making the playoffs? I will rule out the Philadelphia Eagles, as they were and are expected to turn things around.

The team I give the best chance to are the Arizona Cardinals. Many reasons favor them. Including playing in a weakened division. San Francisco currently at 3-1 has the same nucleus intact that has failed in prior years.

Alex Smith has been given opportunity after opportunity only to disappoint. The running game can carry this team on given weeks as it did last week against the Eagles. When it comes time for Smith to make the big decisive drive or key plays, do you think he will be able to do it consistently? No. He just doesn’t have the superior receivers to make him better than he is.

The Rams and Seahawks just are not the same dangerous teams as a year ago. So sitting at 1-3, the Cardinals just need to take it a game at a time. Losing their last three games by a combined seven points is truly a back breaker. All losses on stagnancy of offense in the fourth quarter.

Signs of that changing are ahead. Beanie Wells rushing for a career high in yards and touchdowns in week four is a great sign. Next will be for Kevin Kolb to work on his mechanics within the pocket and the idiosyncracies of developing in the Cardinals system. He’ll adjust as the season goes on, and those fourth quarter lulls will fade away.

Larry Fitzgerald is not going to be contained much longer with a boosted running game. Look for more play action passes and for the Cardinals to utilize their free agency acquisition of Todd Heap more. Ultimately, the Cardinals still have five games left within the division. They’ll need to win at least eighty percent of them.

From there it is gutting out a few wins over tough teams. Either victories over Pittsburgh, Baltimore, Philadelphia, or Dallas are needed. 2-2 in those games would be pivotal. Must wins have to happen versus the Bengals and Browns.

Of course this upcoming week dictates if any of that is a possibility. Going up against a Vikings team that has had more disheartening losses than them.

A 1-4 start heading into the bye week could kiss any playoff chances goodbye. Or maybe not, as a 7-9 team made the playoffs from this division a year ago.

By Zack Cimini

notjustagame23@gmail.com

Arizona has lost their last 3 games by a combined 7 points. All games they let slip away. Should they have even been in the positions they were in those contests?

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/877775-kolb-struggling-while-learning-new-cardinals-system

By Zack Cimini

notjustagame23@gmail.com

The Raiders have an offense ranked ninth in football. Ranking higher than teams such as Pittsburgh, Atlanta, and Philadelphia. Yet numerous players on their team are available in the majority of fantasy leagues.

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/877397-key-in-on-raiders-athletes-for-waiver-wire-additions

By Zack Cimini

notjustagame23@gmail.com

Double digit comebacks and continued offensive explosions keep occurring. Equating to a high amount of points being scored, and fantasy points being racked up quicker than Victor Cruz realizing he was not touched. More importantly with defenses struggling, teams are able to get production from receivers all across their depth charts. There are plenty of receivers included on this weeks waiver wire addition to help with your depth issues.

Quarterbacks:

Andy Dalton:

His second half versus Buffalo was a complete reversal. He showed the poise and had his teammates believing in the comeback. A double digit come from behind win, and solid stats to back it up. Dalton still would be ranked near the bottom of fantasy quarterbacks, but he is showing that he has valuable upside. If you’re in a tight bind with depth at quarterback, you may want Dalton for end of the season insurance.

Jason Campbell:

Entering week four, Campbell quietly was in the top ten for quarterback rating. He has also been fearless with his downfield throws and has been doing this with an injured group of receivers still sidelined. As they start returning, the Raiders are going to be even more explosive offensively. Campbell finally is able to run an offense where he has a familiarity with being in it a year ago. The first time in his career he has not had to relearn a new offensive system.

Alex Smith:

How crazy have the times become, that Alex Smith may actually be a fantasy factor? Alex Smith. It seems like he has been in the league for fifteen years, but he was only drafted in 2005.At 3-1 the 49ers have done it largely because of Smith. Frank Gore finally showed something vs. the Eagles, but the first few weeks it was Smith carrying the offense. Mistakes have declined for Smith, as he is taking what the defense gives him.

Kolb Struggling While Learning New Cardinals System

 http://bleacherreport.com/articles/877775-kolb-struggling-while-learning-new-cardinals-system

Running Backs:

Ryan Torain: Torain once again has re-entered the waiver wire sweepstakes. An explosive week four after no carries all season. Washington is going to run the football, it’s just a question of who will be doing it. Green arrows on Torain and put three red ones next to Tim Hightower.

How does Tim Hightower Fare Now?

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/876017-shanahan-does-it-again-where-does-tim-hightower-fit-now

Isaac Redman: Pittsburgh’s offense just seems like it needs to be re-tweaked. Big Ben’s nimbleness is not quite there, and the support of a running game definitely isn’t. Rashard Mendenhall has not been able to break lose, while Redman seems to be delivering when on the field.

Derrick Ward: The carousel of backfield injuries keeps rotating for the Texans. With Ben Tate’s groin injury, the majority of the work load will refocus in the hands of Arian Foster like a year ago. Ward has missed a few weeks himself, but is expected to return next week. How responsive Foster’s hamstring is will determine if Ward will get eight to ten carries or not.

Stevan Ridley: New England’s backfield never truly has had a consistent fantasy back in quite awhile. BenJarvus Green-Ellis had his brief moments, but always had the worry of Fred Taylor/Danny Woodhead/Kevin Faulk. Plus the Patriots would rather run their short yardage passing game over running. Rookie, Stevan Ridley was a high pick for Bellichick in the third round. His workload Sunday led to a solid day as he filled in for injured back Danny Woodhead.

Top Seven Fantasy Busts Heading Into Week Three

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/873636-fantasy-football-the-7-biggest-busts-of-the-season-entering-week-4

Wide Receivers

Key In On Raiders Athletes for Waiver Wire Additions

 http://bleacherreport.com/articles/877397-key-in-on-raiders-athletes-for-waiver-wire-additions

Darrius Heyward-Bey:

The first round pick is starting to show signs that he can be a force at wide receiver. He needs to stay healthy, but if so his speed complements the cannon arm of Jason Campbell. Sunday he was targeted seven times by Campbell and had his second career 100 yard receiving game.

Laurent Robinson:

One positive for Dallas is that they are scoring a high amount of points each week. It’s almost all riding on the arm of Tony Romo. Luckily from a fantasy standpoint, receivers do not have to worry about Romo’s errant mistakes. Robinson should still have fantasy value even when Miles Austin returns. This offense is just too explosive to not have three main receivers as fantasy weapons.

Randall Cobb:

Even though Donald Driver returned to action Sunday, he has clearly reached the last leg of his career. This team wants to be explosive, and is loaded with weapons. Cobb had a sixty one yard play Sunday, and needs on field action to add even a higher dimension for the Packers. It’s a crowded receiving group, but injuries are bound to happen. Scoop Cobb now in fourteen team leagues, and monitor in ten or twelve team leagues.

Arrelious Benn

Defenses have figured out a way to limit Mike Williams. It has led to an offense that has struggled a bit to find a main offensive weapon. Sooner or later a quarterback of Josh Freeman’s caliber is going to find new ways to generate offense. Benn made a couple of big plays Monday Night. One would of been a 60 yard touchdown if he did not step out of bounds.

Victor Cruz:

A dominating performance with three touchdowns last preseason saved Cruz from being a likely preseason casualty cut. Now he has made the most of his playing time with early season injuries to Manningham and Nicks. Expect the Giants to have a formidable three receiver fantasy impact as they did a year ago with Steve Smith.

Steve Breaston:

As bad as Matt Cassel has been to start the year, there is no possible way he was going to perform like that for sixteen games. He has had the same pattern of awful games as a Chief, only to bounce back when least expected. If Cassel can have eight to ten games with over 250 yards passing, it’ll make Breaston a flex option and borderline number three receiver plug. That’ll be dependant on your other receivers matchups. Breaston learned behind Anquan Boldin and Larry Fitzgerald for years, and can be a bright spot for the Chiefs. With the running game in sharp decline, more emphasis will have to be put on the passing attack.

Jared Cook:

Matt Hasselbeck continues to surprise on how well he has handled the switch to the Titans. A true veteran that should bolster and improve upon his weekly performances with Chris Johnson re-emerging. Cook made a few big catches Sunday, and should see his targets rise with Britt out for the year.

By Zack Cimini

notjustagame23@gmail.com

If you’re in a hole in your fantasy leagues, chances are you’ve cursed a name or two on the early season bust list.

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/873636-fantasy-football-the-7-biggest-busts-of-the-season-entering-week-4