Things are going from bad to worse in the NFL. Just four years after the 7-9 Seattle Seahawks became the first team in history to get to the playoffs holding a losing record, we could see the first 10-loss playoff team this year. All members of the awful NFC South have losing records, but despite how bad they’ve been this season, they still have a chance to make it to the playoffs.

If the season ended today, the 4-7 Atlanta Falcons would be in the playoffs and they are on pace to win just six games. The Falcons are listed as betting long shots to win the Super Bowl listed at +10,000 at most online sports betting sites.

To make things even more ridiculous, not only the Falcons could make the playoffs at 6-10 as NFC South champions, they would host a first-round playoff game against a Wild Card team that is likely to have 10 or 11 wins. Just one game behind the 4-5 Saints, the Falcons own a division-best 3-0 mark with one victory over New Orleans and two against the floating Bucs.

If that really happens, Atlanta would become just the second team in league lore to make the playoffs after losing five straight tilts during the regular season.That would be an embarrasement for the NFL, but will open the chance to analyze and implement the playoff format that the head of the competition committee has been proposing for years.

NFL’s head of the competition committee, Rich McKay, has made several tries to change the playoff format. The changes suggested include the fact that teams that play during the first weekend of playoff games (seeds 3-6) are seeded according to their regular season records and tiebreakers, regardless of whether they are a division champion or a Wild Card team.
A 6-10 playoff teams, or even worse, a 5-11 playoff team which is still possible, is probably what we need to get the number of votes needed to make bring some changes to the NFL.

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Black Friday and Thanksgiving are just a week away. That means fantasy playoffs are ever-so-close. Prepare yourself for that last stretch by reviewing possible player adds following week eleven’s games.

Andy Dalton
People love to hate Dalton but he is still a young quarterback in this league. Other quarterbacks have struggled at stretches of season’s and not taken as much ridicule as Dalton. With AJ Green and him connecting at a high rate it automatically catapults Dalton to a second tier fantasy QB (12th-17th).

Jonas Gray
Gray’s outing on Sunday night football speaks for itself. Now fantasy owners have to play the bidding war with fellow league mates or hope they have the first waiver wire priority.

Jerrick McKinnon
There are plenty of fantasy leagues where owners anticipated AP coming back and dropped McKinnon in advance. That has backfired as AP has been suspended. This is a premium position to go ahead and grab McKinnon as he has been an advanced PPR running back and a consistent all-purpose yards back.

Isiah Cromwell
The Browns decision to cut Ben Tate cements the new load Cromwell has been receiving. Cromwell and West have paired to be a solid backfield. With the cloud of Tate gone, Cromwell can be a solid fantasy contributor the remainder of the season.

Stephfan Taylor
It’s clear that Andre Ellington has been playing at less than 100% all season. The speed he possessed last season just isn’t there, which is probably due to the foot injury he suffered in preseason. Taylor returned last week against the Lions in a limited role, but don’t be shocked to see his carries climb up to the levels we saw before his injury.

Kenny Britt
Britt may be a one week wonder but his past stats as a Titan make him a worthwhile boom/bust addition to team’s struggling at wide receiver. His big play came early and proved to be all the separation the Rams needed to defeat the Broncos.

By Zack Cimini

　notjustagame23@gmail.com

Teams that are transitioning are going to shuffle their lineups frequently. Toronto’s been in that scenario for many years. In the past though, they had the reliability of Chris Bosh. The over haul of the franchise features new guards in Jerryd Bayless, Leandro Barbosa, Sonny Weems, and DeMar Derozan. A backcourt nucleus they’re trying to figure out along with veteran Jose Calderon.

It’s definitely a team that is going to be in the cellar of the eastern conference and NBA for many years. Give credit to Raptors fans though. They show tremendous support unlike what they do for the Blue Jays. If this team is going to make any kind of shift it’ll start in the interior. We profiled Ed Davis a few weeks ago, but there are a couple of other guys to follow.

Amir Johnson, owned by just 57% of Yahoo fantasy rotisserie owners needs to be picked up immediately. Toronto seems to be leaning more in more in Johnson’s direction. He gives the team energy inside and brings it on both ends. Earlier on in the year he was foul prone, but lately he has been able to stay in games. In the month of January he is averaging near twelve points and eight rebounds a game. Remember, Johnson came straight out of high school in 2005 and went late in the second round. So he is starting to blossom just at the right point you see most young athletes do in the NBA.

If Johnson or Davis goes down, the Raptors have another big man that is still a project in Alexis Ajinca. A first round pick out of France a few years ago, he just hasn’t panned out to the NBA style. Against Milwaukee, January 28^th, he did give the Raptors a solid twelve minutes. He is used sparingly though as he is too much of a liability currently on the court. A development player that is probably a year or two away from getting regular bench minutes.

By Vidur Malik

notjustagame23@gmail.com

David Garrard – Fresh from his game-winning hail-Mary throw to Mike Thomas against the Houston Texans in week 10, Garrard should have another good game against the Cleveland Browns on Sunday. The Browns are 24^th in the league in pass defense, and Garrard has been on a roll in recent weeks, with a four-touchdown game against the Dallas Cowboys in week eight, and his game against Houston, which came after a bye week.

Matt Cassel – Cassel’s highest single-game passing total during the first nine weeks was a modest 250 yards, but against the Denver Broncos in week 10, he put 469 yards and four touchdowns. Those are rare numbers, but look for Cassel to continue producing against the Arizona Cardinals, who are 27^th in the league in pass defense, and last in scoring defense, giving up 29 points per game.

Don’t Do It: Ryan Fitzpatrick – Fitzpatrick and the Buffalo Bills play the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday, who held Peyton Manning to only 185 yards and no touchdowns. Fitzpatrick put up similar numbers last week with 146 yards and a touchdown in the Bills’ first win of the season. The combination of a Bengals’ pass defense coming off of a good week and Fitzpatrick coming off of a bad one should be enough for you to bench him.

Rashard Mendenhall – Mendenhall should have a big game against the Oakland Raiders on Sunday, who give up almost 125 rushing yards per game. The Raiders are also second in pass defense, so Mendenhall could be a big contributor.

Peyton Hillis – Hillis and the Cleveland Browns should have a productive day against a weak Jacksonville Jaguars’ defense. The Jags give up almost 115 rushing yards per game, and Hillis is also second the Browns in receptions, increasing his potential for fantasy points on Sunday.

Don’t Do It: Darren McFadden – McFadden is having a great season, and should continue that for the rest of the year, just not on Sunday against the Steelers. They are first in rushing defense, but 26^th in pass defense, which means the Raiders should get move the ball through the air on Sunday.

DeSean Jackson – Anytime Michael Vick is starting at quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles, you should start Jackson. Vick’s arm strength and Jackson’s speed can combine for a big play at any moment. Jackson has a 21.5 yards per catch average, and though the Eagles play the New York Giants, who have a great pass defense, Jackson and Vick are too dangerous of a duo right now.

Reggie Wayne – The Indianapolis Colts face the New England Patriots, in what has been the NFL’s best rivalry for years. Manning should have no trouble throwing the ball against the Patriots, who are 30^th in pass defense. As Manning’s most dependable target, look for Wayne to get a good chunk of the numbers Manning puts up.

Don’t Do It: Michael Crabtree – Crabtree and the San Francisco 49ers play the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, a team that opposing wideouts have struggled against recently. Atlanta Falcons’ receiver Roddy White had a tough game against them in week nine, as did receiver Steve Smith and the Carolina Panthers in week ten. Don’t expect Crabtree to put up many points on Sunday.

Jabbar Harris and Zack Cimini discuss the Mike Vick/Kevin Kolb controversy at quarterback. Coaches on the hotseat. Start em/Sit’ em Fantasy players. Lock and upset underdog choices this weekend and much more.

It used to be that teams would carry two main tight ends on their roster: one receiving threat, and one blocking tight end. Now that tight ends have become like an extra wide receiver on the field, the number of receiving tight ends on NFL rosters has increased, which means that there are plenty of players at that spot that can produce fantasy points, even if they are backups. Two such players are David Thomas of the New Orleans Saints, and the San Francisco 49ers’ Delanie Walker. They’re worth a look during the beginning of the season, and could be good waiver wire picks if they show promise.

David Thomas- The Saints might be the only team in the NFL that has backup players at every position that could be starting. Tight end David Thomas is no exception. While Jeremy Shockey has been solid as the team’s starting tight end, Thomas showed last year that he could deliver if given playing time. Thomas spent his first three seasons with the New England Patriots, and didn’t record impressive numbers there, but caught 35 passes for 356 yards and a touchdown last year while Shockey was hurt. In an offense with so many weapons, it will be tough for Thomas to get starter-level stats, but he’s shown that he deserves a spot in the Saints’ arsenal, and if any quarterback can get everyone involved, it’s Drew Brees. He may not get much playing time this season, but a few good weeks in a row for him should be enough for you to claim him off waivers.

Delanie Walker- Like Thomas, Delanie Walker is playing behind an elite tight end, but has some skills of his own. Like 49ers starter Vernon Davis, Walker has the speed to stretch the middle of the field and provide another downfield threat. After Davis’s breakout 2009, he figures to be a crucial part of the offense in 2010. That will reduce Walker’s minutes, but in two tight end sets, or when the 49ers put more receivers on the field, Walker can be just as big a threat as anyone else on any given play. His career numbers so far are nothing special, and he may not significantly improve upon them, but it would be smart to keep an eye on him this year. During the preseason, Walker and quarterback Alex Smith have looked like they have good chemistry, which should translate to the regular season. He’s got the quickness to create mismatches, and with the talented players around him, he should get opportunities when he’s on the field.