By Zack Cimini
notjustagame23@gmail.com

Were getting almost to the mid point of the season. The past few weeks we’ve witnessed the teams that jumped out the gates come back to reality. The Chiefs, Buccaneers, and Bears have all dipped. Surfacing to the fore front as teams that will likely get bye weeks are only in the AFC. Pittsburgh and the Jets are playing fantastic football and look like the only clear cut teams that will solidify playoff berths. In the NFC it’s wide open. Divisions will likely flip upside down before years end with the current outlook. Track your teams and see where they fall in this weeks rankings.

1. Pittsburgh- For his first game back Big Ben brought some zeal and normalcy back to the lowest ranked passing offense in the NFL.
2. New York Jets- Sanchez threw some poor throws Sunday and was bailed out on fourth down. Great teams find ways to win and the Jets are looking mighty strong.
3. New England- Were not sold that they’re going to be able to do it in the playoffs. They’ve got a rhythm with their offense that’s just clicking well.
4. New Orleans- It was only a matter of time before this team re-awoke. Reggie Bush and Pierre Thomas should be back within weeks.
5. Baltimore Ravens- Blowing a ten point lead in the fourth quarter cancels out their Steelers win. That type of loss just can’t happen to a team expecting to go deep in the playoffs.
6. New York Giants- They’re being overlooked as everyone assumed they were headed for disaster with their early season rust. Don’t look now but the Giants are rolling.
7. Indianapolis Colts- Peyton and the Colts squeaked out yet another ugly win.
8. Houston Texans- Two improbable fourth quarter rallies have the Texans at 4-2 instead of 2-4. They’ve got to find some consistency to their play to stay in the tough AFC playoff race.
9. Atlanta Falcons- Every team has had their ugly outing thus far this season. This past week was the Falcons. They’ll regroup.
10. Philadelphia Eagles- The play of their quarterbacks seems like a good thing, but will likely cause some in-house issues once Mike Vick is 100 percent.
11. Minnesota Vikings- The probability of the Vikings rolling off a four or five game win streak is looking pretty good.
12. Tennessee Titans- Here’s a team that is actually living more off their defense than their offense. The big games from Vince Young haven’t happened, and Chris Johnson’s had to earn every yard.
13. Green Bay Packers- Two straight overtime losses spells trouble.
14. Miami Dolphins- Gaining a victory either over the Pats or Jets would have the Dolphins in prime divisional shape. They’re a solid team but likely not playoff bound.
15. Chicago Bears- Fading quicker than the transition from fall to winter in Chicago.
16. Washington Redskins- Sixteenth bodes them perfectly. They’ll be right at 8-8 when the years done.
17. San Diego Chargers- When will they ever play a whole season up to the caliber of their potential?
18. Dallas Cowboys- A below .500 year is not acceptable for Mike Singletary and the 49ers. If it happens in Dallas who knows how closed door meetings will be.
19. Denver Broncos- An extremely tough game to lose. That’s what happens when you have no running game to close out victories.
20. St. Louis Rams- They’ve got a true quarterback. That’s saying something to around eight to twelve teams that absolutely don’t.
21. Kansas City Chiefs- They had two backs rush for nearly 100 yards each and faulted. Reason why is under center. Matt Cassel should be a backup.

Best of the rest
22. Arizona Cardinals
23. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
24. Cincinnati Bengals
25. Jacksonville Jaguars
26. Oakland Raiders
27. Seattle Seahawks
28. San Francisco 49ers
29. Detroit Lions
30. Cleveland Browns
31. Buffalo Bills
32. Carolina Panthers

Joe Lopat, Zack Cimini, and Jabbar Harris return once again to talk football hot topics, as well as their usual fantasy football segments. They’ll tell you who to start/sit and provide spread picks for week seven.

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 Zack Cimini

We’re getting close to the mid season stretch. There’s no bye weeks in the fantasy world and a shortened fantasy season at that. It’s basically panic time to do a trade or find that waiver wire gem to convert your team if you’re winless or only have a win or two. Whose available to look at? Last year we told you to snag Jamaal Charles around this time before Larry Johnson went his final slide. We’ve got some backs we think we’ll enter the fold this year and provide a huge mid to late season spark for your teams.

Quarterbacks

Josh Freeman- Of the young quarterbacks in the league Freeman is starting to emerge from the pack. He has a solid reportoire of throws and doesn’t destroy a fantasy team with interceptions. He is consistently targeting rookie Mike Williams and taking a bigger role with a lackluster running game. As the season wears on Freeman is going to be counted on to make even bigger plays with his arm. They’ve been winning tight games to have a winning record at 3-1. Take a flyer on Freeman if you’re hurting at quarterback or looking for one that will be pivotal during fantasy playoffs.

Kevin Kolb- Chances are he was abandoned by any owner that drafted him once Vick entered the fold. He made some solid plays against the 49ers and the Eagles got a pivotal win. The back and forth circus with the Eagles quarterbacks is going to have to end soon. A hot streak by Kolb would force the Eagles to keep playing whose winning games.

David Garrard- Garrard’s put together two solid fantasy games in a row. Scoring three touchdowns in both. The yardage isn’t there and at best Garrard is only an option in deep fantasy leagues. You could plug him in as a bye week filler or give him a shot a few times when matchups present themselves.

Running Backs

Fred Jackson- With Marshawn Lynch out of the fold we all did not know how the Bills would divide carries amongst Jackson and Spiller. Jackson seems to be the number one back as he doubled Spiller’s Sunday. It could be a back and forth carry load between the two. Value is there with Jackson though especially with the Bills trying to control the ball and limit their passes.

Javon Ringer- Keep an eye on the Titans love affair to fill Chris Johnson’s preseason predictions. They’re giving him a ton of carries and he has taken a beating for five games for it. The breakaway runs are not occurring at the high pace we saw last year. He’s still piling hundred yard games but they’re in the power back style of yards not the flashy explosive way of a year ago. If this style keeps up there is no doubt Johnson will get hurt. He doesn’t have the size to take the hits he has for sixteen games. Ringer can fill in and prove to be a fantasy midseason gem.

LeGarette Blount- Tampa Bay needs to make a decision at running back. Cadillac Williams and Earnest Graham are not going to be backs that can carry you to a playoff run. This team will fade if they keep putting it in those backs hands. Blount has had more opportunities as a young back than anyone could of imagined. The talent is there and Tampa will slowly but surely move the carries into his hands.

Jerome Harrison- He is back to full health and getting a handful of carries the past few weeks. Don’t wait for a monster game from him before getting him on your roster. Bury him now and wait for the magic.

Wide Receivers/Tight Ends

Marcedes Lewis- Sooner or later facts are just facts. His whole career Lewis had one fantasy game a year that he would dot the radar. Now he is an emerging force that has to be recognized. He has five touchdowns on the year and has bypassed all Jaguars receivers as Garrard’s favorite target. Yardage still is not very high but that’s correlated to David Garrard’s overall numbers.

Danny Amendola- The Rams are going to have to rely on Amendola the Hard Knocks profiled Cowboy of a year ago booted out. They’ve had a cast of receivers drop that made them trade for Mark Clayton. Now that he has went down it’s going to be Amendola’s show. Poor Sam Bradford.

Deion Branch- Reuniting in New England makes Branch a season long waiver wire play to a guy worth looking at. He’ll step in an offense that needs his play and is one he is familiar with. Injuries may have slowed him down but expect extra pep in his steps now that he is on a winning team.
Ted Ginn Jr.- Ginn was a first round pick do not forget. Number ninth drafted in fact. Even a year ago he was shockingly the Dolphins number one receiver. He’ll never be a number one go to guy but can flourish with his speed opposite someone like Michael Crabtree. Ever since the 49ers fired the offensive coordinator Alex Smith’s yards have went up and the offense has clicked better. Who knows how much longer Smith will be out under center for the 49ers. Ginn’s made a small impact his first two games back and should continue to get more involved as he gets back on track from early season injuries.

Steve Johnson- Any time Ryan Fitzpatrick has a decent throwing day, Johnson’s in the stat column. Four touchdowns on the year already and getting involved more and more on every down situations. Lee Evans has taken a step back this year and Johnson appears to be the emerging option as sad as that sounds.

By Zack Cimini
notjustagame23@gmail.com

With all of the underdogs that covered last week, we are just happy to deliver another week of over .500 picks. Each and every week we’ve done that thus far and will try to continue that pattern heading into week five.

Last Weeks Record: 8-6
Overall Record: 33-27-2

Baltimore -7- The Ravens will make the necessary adjustments and halt the Broncos dink and dump offense. It’s amazing they’ve put together this many wins without a running game.

Jacksonville- Pick- If David Garrard manages a game properly like he did against the Colts this should be a smooth breeze. The problem with Jacksonville is Garrard has a hard time with his consistency. We’d expect him to be able to win this matchup against Fitzpatrick. Look for Buffalo to run it a lot with Fred Jackson and CJ Spiller, but be left in the dust.

Kansas City +8- Here’s a line that’s moved considerably since opening around 8.5-9 points depending on the sports book. Indianapolis has a plethora of injuries on both sides of the ball and just isn’t near the dominating team were use to seeing. Kansas City has a new demeanor as a team and will have the physicality edge against the Colts. That may not be enough to win the game but will take the points easily.

Detroit- -3- St. Louis’s defense has been underrated this year. Their play has helped to protect rookie Sam Bradford from having to force and generate points. Detroit is a tough team to stop offensively. This week should be the first that we see a lot of Bradford mistakes.

Atlanta -3- Cleveland almost let one slip away in the fourth after outplaying the Bengals for most of the game. Atlanta is a disciplined team that has too many difference makers than the Browns.

Cincinnati -7- The lines this high for a reason. We don’t necessarily like it but sometimes you have to study the line and think why did the odds makers set it so high. Tampa Bay was a fortunate 2-0 team that made Charlie Batch look like a legit veteran.

Chicago -3- Even with Todd Collins starting the Bears can do enough offensively to put pressure on Jimmy Clausen. Plus Clausen has little weapons to utilize with Steve Smith out and receiver Dwayne Jarret cut. The Giants did wear the Bears defense down eventually with the run game. Backs such as DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart have the capabilities but how much will they be down by the fourth this game?

Washington +2.5- The Redskins jumped on the Eagles early and controlled the game the rest of it. Green Bay has quietly side stepped issues they have had barely winning games. The injury bug has hit them rough and this won’t be a game they can escape narrowly.

NY Giants +3- Andre Johnson’s dinged up and Arian Foster should come back to Earth this game. Matt Schaub has always struggled against pressure. After what New York did last week it’ll already be in his head mentally.

New Orleans -7- This line hasn’t been moving much for some reason. Even if the Saints do not score a ton offensively the points they convert off turnovers will be enough.

San Diego -6- The Raiders will be looking to run the football extensively with Michael Bush and Darren McFadden. Three of their receivers are hurt in Chaz Schilens, Louis Murphy, and Derrius Hayward-Bey. San Diego got that clinching win last week against the Cardinals that should propel them against their divisional rivals.

Dallas -6.5- Tennessee is in trouble with Chris Johnson getting drilled and having difficulty getting in the open field. Vince Young doesn’t have the arm to win a game and may see himself seated on the bench once again.

San Francisco -3.5- 49ers just keep losing the close ones. You’ve got to feel bad for them. Kevin Kolb gets a chance to put his stamp on the starting job. He didn’t handle the pressure to well the first time. After losing to McNabb and answering questions all week, we see him handling this in a poor outing.

Minnesota +4- If the Vikings would of started the year on the right foot the way people expected, this would be a pick em game. Take the points and watch the Vikings come out with the swagger that’s been missing their first three weeks. Traveling to New York in a prime time game coming off a bye week with an addition of Randy Moss, sounds like an adrenaline boost.

Tune in to this weeks new pod cast. Features fantasy segments and spread picks analysis to help you for week five.

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.

Notjustagame.com hosts another weekly podcast. We discuss hot topics of the NFL. Discussions on Jay Cutler, Randy Moss, Marshawn Lynch, dink and dump offenses, and much more. We also give a few solid spread plays and under the radar starters/benchings for the week.