It’s been a while coming for Eagles’ slot receiver Jason Avant to get his chance to help fantasy football owners to victory. For the past four season’s Avant has been a non reinvent backup receiver, but now it appears that this young player is ready to produce in fantasy lineups.

Last week fantasy stud receiver DeSean Jackson suffered a concussion and upon his absence quarterback Donovan McNabb looked Avant’s way more often.

Now, Jackson has come out and told the press he doesn’t believe he will be ready to face the Falcons’ fantasy friendly secondary. This will leave the door open for Avant to cash in and help fantasy owners to the playoffs.

Three Solid Weeks

Last week wasn’t the first game Avant put up decent fantasy numbers as he’s been solid for the past three in a row. Over that span Avant has been targeted twenty times and has seventeen receptions off of those targets.

Three weeks ago against the Chargers, Avant had eight catches for 156 yards receiving. The next week against the Bears he scored a touchdown and last week he had a good stat line again.

With Jackson out of the lineup, I wouldn’t be surprised to see McNabb target Avant at least nine times in this game. The Falcons aren’t that bad against the run but have struggled against the pass in the last couple months.

A big reason for this is because the Falcons have suffered key injuries in the secondary and haven’t been able to slow down opponents in the passing game since.

Look for Avant to make a run at 100 yards receiving and a touchdown score this weekend.

Beyond Atlanta

Upon Jackson’s return Avant’s fantasy football value will drop. Jackson is by far the best receiver on the team and Avant is usually used as the slot receiver in the offense.

As long as Jackson is out of the lineup I would suggest you use Avant but when he returns expect Avant’s numbers to be sporadic.

NFL Fantasy Football Player Rankings writer Sean E. Douglas: fantasy-info.com

What a game it was to see the Saints’ stomp all over the Patriots in all phases of the game. Drew Brees headlined a monumental victory that has now officially landed New Orleans on the map of true elite football teams.

As for Tom Brady and the Patriots, I haven’t given up hope for them to make a playoff run but the defense needs to step it up.

Below we have a short right up on the top ten teams on our power rankings for this season. These teams are important to know as they are playing well and should continue to help fantasy teams.

Furthermore, pay attention to the worst teams on the list as they are the teams you want to have your players going against down the stretch.

1. Saints (11-0)

After a huge decisive win against the New England Patriots the Saints are now a top our NFL Power Rankings once again. Drew Brees probably won the MVP award after he blasted the Patriots’ defense for five touchdowns and 371 yards passing on only 23 pass attempts!

This was an amazing performance and is one of those games that will be looked back on for a long time when people mention Brees and the Saints from this era. Look for New Orleans to roll over the Redskins next week and move to twelve and zero.

2. Colts (11-0)

The Colts haven’t won games in a pretty fashion the last month or so but they have won all their games. The Saints were this way until they stomped on the Patriots in a big time national televised game.

This up coming week the Colts will host the Titans in a big time clash of two strong teams. Look for the Colts to find a way to pull out another close victory.

3. Vikings (10-1)

It’s almost hard to remember the Steelers actually beating this team because the Vikings have played so well since that game. I actually had to look back at the schedule just to remember who actually beat this great team from Minnesota.

The Steelers had a few lucky turnovers and won the game in the fourth quarter, and I would suspect that is the only way a team can beat this squad. The Vikings are firing on all cylinders and are taking no prisoner’s.

Expect them to beat the Cardinals in Arizona this weekend by a decent margin.

4. Chargers (8-3)

This is a team I truly thought would never reach the top five teams in the NFL power rankings after the first month of play. Since losing to the Broncos in week six the Chargers haven’t lost a game and are winning in convincing fashion.

I fully expect them to smash the Browns next week in Cleveland. Get your fantasy football players in for that game.

5. Bengals (8-3)

After a quick dip to the Raiders two weeks ago the Bengals polished off the Browns at home. With Cedric Benson out the team turned to Bernard Scott and Larry Johnson to put the game away.

Both running backs had strong games and Johnson ran for over 100 yards. This week Benson is back and Scott has turf toe, so expect the Bengals to run Johnson and Benson together. There is no reason they shouldn’t beat the Lions this weekend.

6. Cowboys (8-3)

The Cowboys need to beat the Giants this weekend if they are going to win their division. Dallas has already lost to the Giants this year, and if they lose this game, they will only be one win better than the Giants.

That means if the Giants should mount a comeback and have the same record as Dallas than they will win the division. Look for the Cowboys to run the football and control the clock on the road.

7. Patriots (7-4)

Watching the Patriots get rolled over by the Saints only goes to show you that this team does not have the defense to be a Super Bowl team right now. I will never put it past this organization to put a run together in the playoffs but right now they are not a top five team in the NFL power rankings.

8. Cardinals (7-4)

The Cardinals lost a heart breaker to the Titans without Kurt Warner on the field. This weekend they may be without Warner again as they take on the Vikings at home. If the Cardinals lose this week and the 49ers win, than next week will be a huge game between the two in San Francisco.

It’s still a long shot for the 49ers to win the division, but if they do beat the Cardinals next week they will have the season sweep against them. If both teams comedown to a tie in record at the end than the 49ers would win the division in that scenario.

9. Eagles (7-4)

The Eagles pulled out a win against the lonely Redskins, but they had to do it in comeback fashion. In that game DeSean Jackson suffered a concussion and may miss this weeks tilt against the Falcons in Atlanta.

Even if Jackson is out I expect the Eagles to win the game with Matt Ryan and Michael Turner likely out.

10. Broncos (7-4)

The Broncos were able to stop their four game skid on Thanksgiving against Giants and won in convincing fashion. It looks like quarterback Kyle Orton is back and healthy as he had no problems finding his receivers all game long.

Expect the Broncos to make quick work of the Chiefs this weekend in Kansas City.

• 11. Packers (7-4)
• 12. Ravens (6-5)
• 13. Steelers (6-5)
• 14. Titans (5-6)
• 15. Giants (6-5)
• 16. Jaguars (6-5)
• 17. Falcons (6-5)
• 18. Texans (5-6)
• 19. 49ers (5-6)
• 20. Dolphins (5-6)
• 21. Jets (5-6)
• 22. Seahawks (5-6)
• 23. Panthers (4-7)
• 24. Bears (4-7)
• 25. Bills (4-7)
• 26. Chiefs (3-8)
• 27. Redskins (3-8)
• 28. Raiders (2-9)
• 29. Lions (2-9)
• 30. Buccaneers (1-10)
• 31. Browns (1-10)
• 32. Rams (1-10)

NFL Fantasy Football Player Rankings writer Sean E. Douglas: fantasy-info.com

This football game almost perfectly mirrored what happened in last weeks clash between the Broncos and Chargers, except in reverse. This week it was the Broncos that walked all over their opponent in Mile High.

Brandon Jacobs: A Huge Disappointment

Hopefully, this season doesn’t mark the end of a short stay in the top twenty fantasy football running backs for Brandon Jacobs. This season only marks the third year that Jacobs has been the starting tailback for the Giants and fantasy owners have been very disappointed in this big backs performance.

Coming into this season Jacobs was a clear top twelve fantasy running back after he had a big year in 2008.

Sure, Jacobs missed three games last year and has always been a little injury prone, but you could count on him to have some big rushing days and always score touchdowns. Those expectations were backed by his four games with over 100 yards and 15 touchdowns from a year ago.

This year through week twelve of the fantasy football season Jacobs has zero 100 yard games and only three touchdown scores.

Because of his lack of production the Giants were rolled over by the Broncos and have lost five of their last six games.

If Jacobs can’t turn his season around, I fully expect the Giants to miss the playoffs this season.

From a fantasy perspective, I wouldn’t recommend starting this runner until he starts showing signs of playing the way his is capable.

Denver Wins Big Game

The Broncos needed this game big time, and they won this game by pounding the football and going down the field to Brandon Marshall.

Between Knowshon Moreno and Correll Buckhaulter the Broncos controlled the game and wore the Giants’ defense down.

Moreno is starting to show why he was the top running back selected in this year NFL draft. He is running with explosion and in this game he held onto the football.

If he continues this play than he makes for a very solid No.2 / flex play in fantasy football the rest of the season.

Next year he should be drafted somewhere around the first four rounds of all fantasy drafts and will be a decent No.2 running back for your fantasy squad.

As for Marshall, he is a must start the rest of the season. Next year he should have an even better year as he will be a year removed from his hip surgery and will have an entire offseason to work with Kyle Orton.

Look for the Broncos to be strong again next year as long as they keep their defense solid.

NFL Fantasy Football Player Rankings writer Sean E. Douglas: fantasy-info.com

Last week was definitely a weird one in the world of fantasy football. Players like Bernard Scott and Jason Snelling came out of the wood work and helped fantasy owners win crucial games down the stretch of the season.

We even saw a flash from the past as players like Ricky Williams and Chris Chambers help lead their teams to victory.

Below we have a short right up on the top ten teams on our power rankings for this season. These teams are important to know as they are playing well and should continue to help fantasy teams.

Furthermore, pay attention to the worst teams on the list as they are the teams you want to have your players going against down the stretch.

1. Colts (10-0)

The Colts made it out of Baltimore with another victory but just barely as they won the game 17 to 15. This up coming week the Colts will travel to Houston to take on the Texans. The last time these two teams played in Indianapolis the Colts won a close game.

Look for the Texans to give the Colts everything they can handle, and I wouldn’t be surprised if they win.

2. Saints (10-0)

The Saints beat the Buccaneers for their tenth win of the season. Next week they will play the Patriots on Monday night, and I believe they will lose that game.

Fortunately the Saints will get back key players on both the offensive and defensive sides of the ball. Drew Brees should have a huge fantasy football scoring day against the Patriots as the game will be a scoring extravaganza.

3. Vikings (9-1)

If it wasn’t for the Saints and Colts being undefeated the Vikings would be on the top of our list of the power rankings. This team is strong in just about every category and this team should have home field advantage in the NFC when the regular season is over.

With Brett Favre playing on top of his game and Adrian Peterson in the backfield the Vikings should roll to the super bowl.

4. Patriots (7-3)

The Patriots bounced back strong after losing to the Colts at the last minute. This week they should put up a big scoring game against the New Orleans Saints on Monday night.

Look for Brady, Moss and Welker to have big days as the Patriots need to put up a lot of points to win in New Orleans.

5. Chargers (7-3)

Since losing to the Broncos in week six the Chargers have won their last five games. Just when you thought this team was down for the count with a bad offensive line, a defense that couldn’t stop the run and LT not playing up to his standards, they turn it all around.

Expect the Chargers to win the AFC West and probably finish in the AFC with the third or fourth best record.

6. Bengals (7-3)

After two big division wins the Bengals dropped a disappointing game to the Raiders in Oakland. This week they will come back home and play their final game in their division for the regular season against the Browns.

Look for Bernard Scott to continue as the starting tail back if Cedric Benson is out for this week. Carson Palmer and Chad Ochocinco should have strong games.

7. Cardinals (7-3)

The Cardinals are moving past the Cowboys in our NFL power rankings more because Dallas has played that bad than the Cardinals have played that good. Last week the Cardinals held on to beat the Rams without Kurt Warner, but it wasn’t pretty.

It looks like Warner will be a go this week against the Titans and that is good because they wouldn’t win this game without him.

8. Cowboys (7-3)

This season has been a major up and down year for the Cowboys’ passing game. All of a sudden, defense are putting their top corner on Miles Austin, and he is having problems beating coverage.

If the Cowboys’ struggle on Thanksgiving against the Raiders I wouldn’t be surprised.

9. Steelers (6-4)

The Steelers lost a gimmy game against the Chiefs and one has to think it’s because they failed to dominate in the running game. Rashard Mendenhall is a capable running back but if the Steelers don’t start showing a need to run the ball they will lose more games like this past week to the Chiefs.

Sooner or later the Steelers will have to run the ball to either keep Ben Roethlisberger healthy or because Roethlisberger is knock out and injured.

10. Eagles (6-4)

The Eagles make it back to the top ten teams on our NFL power rankings because the Broncos are backsliding into outer space.

This past week the Eagles won a hard hitting road game and proved they could run the football when they needed to. Running the ball is very important for all teams in the NFL and now that the Eagles have shown success under pressure it should help open up the deep ball again.

• 11. Packers (6-4)
• 12. Broncos (6-4)
• 13. Giants (6-4)
• 14. Jaguars (6-4)
• 15. Titans (4-6) Still a very good team when healthy
• 16. Ravens (5-5)
• 17. Falcons (5-5)
• 18. Texans (5-5) Need a new kicker
• 19. Dolphins (5-5)
• 20. 49ers (4-6)
• 21. Panthers (4-6)
• 22. Seahawks (4-6)
• 23. Jets (4-6)
• 24. Bears (4-6)
• 25. Chiefs (3-7)
• 26. Bills (3-7)
• 27. Redskins (3-7)
• 28. Raiders (2-8)
• 29. Lions (2-8)
• 30. Rams (1-9)
• 31. Buccaneers (1-9)
• 32. Browns (1-9)

NFL Fantasy Football Player Rankings writer Sean E. Douglas: fantasy-info.com

This week Falcons running back Jason Snelling will make for a sneaky play in survivor fantasy if Michael Turner is still out with his ankle injury. Another solid player should be Chiefs wide receiver Chris Chambers, and he returns to San Deigo and plays the Chargers.

Finding fantasy football players that aren’t house hold names for productivity can help you win in all fantasy football formats.

Below we have our survivor pool rankings split into three sections, and they are studs, mid range and poor plays. We hope these survivor pool rankings help you choose those stud players you need this week for a successful start to the 2009 survivor fantasy season.

Quarterbacks

Studs

• Tom Brady @ Saints
• Drew Brees vs Patriots
• Peyton Manning @ Texans
• Aaron Rodgers @ Lions
• Brett Favre vs Bears
• Matt Ryan vs Buccaneers

Mid Range

• Eli Manning @ Broncos
• Donovan McNabb vs Redskins
• Matt Hasselbeck @ Rams
• Carson Palmer vs Browns

Poor Plays

• Vince Young vs Cardinals
• Kurt Warner @ Titans
• Ben Roethlisberger @ Ravens

Running Backs

Studs

• Adrian Peterson vs Bears
• Chris Johnson vs Cardinals
• Maurice Jones-Drew @ 49ers
• Ryan Grant @ Lions
• Steven Jackson vs Seahawks
• Jason Snelling vs Buccaneers

Mid Range

• Joseph Addai @ Texans
• LaDainian Tomlinson vs Chiefs
• Marion Barber vs Raiders
• Justin Forsett @ Rams
• Bernard Scott vs Browns (If Benson is Out)
• LeSean McCoy vs Redskins

Poor Plays

• Matt Forte @ Vikings
• Beanie Wells @ Titans

Wide Receivers

Studs

• Randy Moss @ Saints
• Andre Johnson vs Colts
• Reggie Wayne @ Texans
• Vincent Jackson vs Chiefs
• DeSean Jackson vs Redskins
• Wes Welker @ Saints
• Chad Ochocinco vs Browns
• Roddy White vs Buccaneers
• Sidney Rice vs Bears

Mid Range

• Donald Driver @ Lions
• Greg Jennings @ Lions
• Chris Chambers @ Chargers
• T.J. Houshmandzadeh @ Rams
• Terrell Owens vs Dolphins (Playing Well of Late)
• Mike Sims-Walker @ 49ers
• Michael Crabtree vs Jaguars

Poor Plays

• Miles Austin vs Raiders (Starting to Fade)
• Steve Smith (Car) @ Jets
• Santonio Holmes @ Ravens

Tight Ends

Studs

• Dallas Clark @ Texans
• Tony Gonzalez vs Buccaneers
• Vernon Davis vs Jaguars
• Antonio Gates vs Chiefs

Mid Range

• Greg Olsen @ Vikings
• Brent Celek vs Redskins
• Visanthe Shaincoe vs Bears
• Jason Witten vs Raiders

Poor Plays

• Todd Heap vs Steelers
• James Casey vs Colts
• Kevin Boss @ Broncos

Kickers

Studs

• Rob Bironas vs Cardinals
• Dave Akers vs Redskins
• Stephen Gostkowski @ Saints
• Nate Kaeding vs Chiefs

Mid Range

• Shayne Graham vs Browns
• Robbie Gould @ Vikings
• Billy Cundiff vs Steelers
• Mason Crosby @ Lions

Poor Plays

• Kris Brown vs Colts

Defense/ ST

Studs

• Eagles vs Redskins
• Cowboys vs Raiders
• Packers @ Lions

Mid Range

• Chargers vs Chiefs
• Ravens vs Steelers
• Bengals vs Browns
• Steelers @ Ravens

Poor Plays

• Saints vs Patriots
• Patriots @ Saints
• Broncos vs Giants

NFL Fantasy Football Player Rankings writer Sean E. Douglas: fantasy-info.com

Week 12 in the NFL is all about the Monday night contest between the Saints and Patriots. No doubt we should see a shootout that should rival the Patriots vs Colts’ game we saw a few week’s ago.

This week we have our weekly section on wounded warriors, as well as our top rankings for top position players. We have the top 16 ranked QB, TE, K and D/ST ranked. We also have the top 30 RB’s and top 35 WR’s as well.

Wounded Warriors

Quarterbacks

Lions- Matthew Stafford- Unfortunately, Matthew Stafford injured his collar bone in the Lions come from behind victory against the Browns. Even more disappointing for Stafford is that he was just starting to find his grove with over 400 yards passing and five touchdowns in that game.

It looks like Stafford will miss this week’s early contest on Thanksgiving, but he will hopefully be back for week 13.

Broncos- Kyle Orton- The Broncos starting quarterback Kyle Orton didn’t start the game against the Chargers, but it did finish it. On Monday Orton practiced with the team and should play on Thanksgiving against the Giants.

Steelers- Ben Roethlisberger- The Steelers star quarterback suffered a concussion in over time against the Chiefs. So far, signs look good for Ben Roethlisberger’s odds of playing this week at Baltimore.

If he is unable to go than Dennis Dixon will get the start because Charlie Batch is out for the next six weeks.

Cardinals- Kurt Warner- The Cardinals lost Kurt Warner to a mild concussion against the Rams in the first half. It looks like Warner should play against the Titans, but if he is unable to go than Matt Leinart would start.

Rams- Marc Bulger- Just as the Rams were starting to play some solid football, they lose their starting quarterback for three to six weeks with a fractured tibia. This will probably end Marc Bulger’s season as the team will look to Kyle Boller the rest of the way.

Running Backs

Falcons- Michael Turner- The Falcons are still playing mind games about Michael Turner’s status. At this time, I would say he won’t be a go, unless he can practice in full at some point this week. The likely hood of him playing or practicing this week is not strong.

Look for Turner to probably not play as Jason Snelling will have a great start this week against the Buccaneers.

Bengals- Cedric Benson- It’s unknown if Cedric Benson will play this week against division rival Cleveland Browns. Just like Michael Turner’s situation, I believe we will need to see Benson practice in order for him to play.

If Benson doesn’t play this week than Bernard Scott should have another productive day against the Browns.

Seahawks- Julius Jones- The news on Monday from Seattle is that Julius Jones is supposed to come back to practice this week. Being able to practice and handling contact are two separate things for Jones in his situation.

Against the Cardinals, he injured his ribs and had been bleeding in his lung.

Look for Jones to practice but don’t be surprised if he doesn’t play this weekend. If he does suit up this week I would be very surprised if he starts over Justin Forsett.

Bills- Marshawn Lynch- The Bills lost their starting running back in the middle of last week’s game against the Jaguars. For now, the Bills are saying that Marshawn Lynch is day to day with a shoulder injury.

I wouldn’t be surprised if Lynch plays this week against the Dolphins but check his status before their early game on Sunday.

Wide Receivers

Lions- Calvin Johnson- This is probably the most unfortunate injury of the week as Calvin Johnson was just getting his grove back. In Johnson’s great performance against the Browns, he injured his hand and knee again.

Right now, it is believed that he is very doubtful to play in the Lions early Thursday game on Thanksgiving. Hopefully, the Lions and fantasy football owners will get Johnson back for week 13.

Quarterbacks

• Tom Brady @ Saints
• Drew Brees vs Patriots
• Aaron Rodgers @ Lions
• Peyton Manning @ Texans
• Matt Schaub vs Colts
• Philip Rivers vs Chiefs
• Donovan McNabb vs Redskins
• Brett Favre vs Bears
• Eli Manning @ Broncos
• Kurt Warner @ Titans (Assuming He Plays)
• Ben Roethlisberger @ Ravens (Assuming He Plays)
• Matt Ryan vs Buccaneers
• Carson Palmer vs Browns
• Matt Hasselbeck @ Rams
• Tony Romo vs Raiders
• Vince Young vs Cardinals

Running Backs

• Adrian Peterson vs Bears
• Chris Johnson vs Cardinals
• Maurice Jones-Drew @ 49ers
• Steven Jackson vs Seahawks
• Frank Gore vs Jaguars
• DeAngelo Williams @ Jets
• Ray Rice vs Steelers
• Ricky Williams @ Bills
• Thomas Jones vs Panthers
• Ryan Grant @ Lions
• Jason Snelling vs Buccaneers (Don’t Use if Turner Plays)
• LeSean McCoy vs Redskins
• LaDainian Tomlinson vs Chiefs
• Justin Forsett @ Rams (Should Start Even if Jones Plays)
• Marion Barber vs Raiders
• Pierre Thomas vs Patriots
• Joseph Addai @ Texans
• Steve Slaton vs Colts (He’s Back)
• Bernard Scott vs Browns (Don’t Start if Benson Plays)
• Knowshon Moreno vs Giants
• Kevin Smith vs Packers
• Rashard Mendenhall @ Ravens
• Brandon Jacobs @ Broncos
• Jonathan Stewart @ Jets
• Matt Forte @ Vikings
• Laurence Maroney @ Saints
• Beanie Wells @ Titans
• Marshawn Lynch vs Dolphins (Banged Up)
• Jamaal Charles @ Chargers
• Carnell Williams @ Falcons

Wide Receivers

• Randy Moss @ Saints
• Andre Johnson vs Colts
• Reggie Wayne @ Texans
• Vincent Jackson vs Chiefs
• Larry Fitzgerald @ Titans
• DeSean Jackson vs Redskins
• Mike Sims-Walker @ 49ers
• Sidney Rice vs Bears
• Chad Ochocinco vs Browns
• Wes Welker @ Saints
• Marcus Colston vs Patriots
• Roddy White vs Buccaneers
• Donald Driver @ Lions
• Anquan Boldin @ Titans
• Steve Smith (NY) @ Broncos
• Hines Ward @ Ravens
• Greg Jennings @ Lions
• Santonio Holmes @ Ravens
• Chris Chambers @ Chargers
• Miles Austin vs Raiders (What Have You Done Lately?)
• T.J. Houshmandzadeh @ Rams
• Mario Manningham @ Broncos
• Terrell Owens vs Dolphins (Turning Things Around)
• Brandon Marshall vs Giants
• Devin Hester @ Vikings
• Percy Harvin vs Bears
• Steve Smith (Car) @ Jets
• Jerricho Cotchery vs Panthers
• Lee Evans vs Dolphins
• Donnie Avery vs Seahawks
• Kenny Britt vs Cardinals
• Derrick Mason vs Steelers
• Mohamed Massaquoi @ Bengals
• Roy Williams vs Raiders
• Robert Meachum vs Patriots (All He Does is Catch Touchdowns)

Tight Ends

• Dallas Clark @ Texans
• Vernon Davis vs Jaguars
• Antonio Gates vs Chiefs
• Tony Gonzalez vs Buccaneers
• Brent Celek vs Redskins
• Visanthe Shaincoe vs Bears
• Jason Witten vs Raiders
• Greg Olsen @ Vikings
• Heath Miller @ Ravens
• Dustin Keller vs Panthers
• Jermichael Finley @ Lions
• John Carlson @ Rams
• Jeremy Shockey vs Patriots
• Todd Heap vs Steelers
• James Casey vs Colts
• Kevin Boss @ Broncos

Kickers

• Dave Akers vs Redskins
• Stephen Gostkowski @ Saints
• Nate Kaeding vs Chiefs
• Mason Crosby @ Lions
• Rob Bironas vs Cardinals
• Robbie Gould @ Vikings
• Shayne Graham vs Browns
• Kris Brown vs Colts
• Billy Cundiff vs Steelers
• Nick Folk vs Raiders
• Josh Brown vs Seahawks
• Josh Scobee @ 49ers
• Joe Nedney vs Jaguars
• Ryan Succop @ Chargers
• John Kasey @ Jets
• Niel Rackers @ Titans

Defense/ ST

• Eagles vs Redskins
• Cowboys vs Raiders
• Packers @ Lions
• Vikings vs Bears
• Ravens vs Steelers
• Chargers vs Chiefs
• Steelers @ Ravens (No.3 defense if Roethlisberger is Out)
• Bengals @ Browns
• Jets vs Panthers
• Jaguars @ 49ers
• Falcons vs Buccaneers
• Seahawks @ Rams
• 49ers vs Jaguars
• Giants @ Broncos
• Broncos vs Giants
• Patriots @ Saints

NFL Fantasy Football Player Rankings writer Sean E. Douglas: fantasy-info.com

This week was highlighted by the AFC showdown between the Indianapolis Colts and the New England Patriots. While it appeared to be the Patriots’ game until the two minute warning, it was the Colts that end the game victorious.

Both passing attacks had great games for fantasy football owners with players on both respective teams. Expect both teams to provide solid fantasy points moving forward.

Below I have some observations from the tenth week of the regular season and how I see those points of interest playing out from a fantasy perspective.

2009 NFL Regular Season Week Ten

• 49ers vs Bears
• Panthers vs Falcons
• Dolphins vs Buccaneers
• Vikings vs Lions
• Jaguars vs Jets
• Bengals vs Steelers
• Saints vs Rams
• Titans vs Bills
• Redskins vs Broncos
• Chiefs vs Raiders
• Packers vs Cowboys
• Cardinals vs Seahawks
• Chargers vs Eagles
• Colts vs Patriots
• Ravens vs Browns

Regular Season First Nine Weeks

• Week One
• Week Two
• Week Three
• Week Four
• Week Five
• Week Six
• Week Seven
• Week Eight
• Week Nine
  

Fantasy Football Regular Season Week Ten Notes:

Rice and Peterson Dominate

It’s time to say that Sidney Rice is the true No. 1 receiver for the Vikings this season. The third year receiver is having a breakout season, and today he caught seven passes for 201 yards. This now gives Rice 786 yards receiving on the season already.

Start Rice every week from here on out and expect him to help you the rest of the way. Rice is a solid No.2 receiver for fantasy football teams going forward.

Running back Adrian Peterson got things going this week as he posted 133 yards rushing and two touchdowns.

Fantasy owners wanted to see Peterson get his production going again as he had a slow couple weeks against the Steelers and Packers.

Look for Peterson to put up a huge second half of the season and lead teams to the fantasy football playoffs.

Johnson goes for 100/100 Game

In this contest Chris Johnson put together another massive day as he had 132 yards rushing and 100 yards receiving.

On the ground Johnson had 26 carries for the 132 yards and rushed for two touchdowns. In the passing game Johnson had nine receptions for 100 yards.

This performance is the reason why Johnson will be the number one pick in many fantasy football leagues next year. His production is just too solid to ignore as he has the best skill set overall for fantasy owners.

Look for Johnson to continue his strong season as he helps fantasy owners win games and take them to the playoffs.

LT’s Not Done Yet

This past week I wrote a column saying LaDainian Tomlinson was washed up and done as a fantasy football running back. I considered him to be nothing more than a flex play for the rest of the season and I felt the Chargers would let him go at year’s end.

Today Tomlinson had a much better game than we’ve seen from him this entire season as he had two touchdowns and 96 yards on the ground.

Unless this game marks a 180 degree turnaround for Tomlinson I would suspect that he may have games like this from time to time. Beyond that don’t be surprised if he has some bad games as well.

NFL Fantasy Football Player Rankings writer Sean E. Douglas: fantasy-info.com

San Diego is starting to put things together as they have now won four games in a row. This week they beat another formidable opponent and have a chance to take the division lead next week against the Broncos.

LT’s Not Done Yet

This past week I wrote a column saying LaDainian Tomlinson was washed up and done as a fantasy football running back. I considered him to be nothing more than a flex play for the rest of the season and I felt the Chargers would let him go at year’s end.

Today Tomlinson had a much better game than we’ve seen from him this entire season as he had two touchdowns and 96 yards on the ground.

Unless this game marks a 180 degree turnaround for Tomlinson I would suspect that he may have games like this from time to time. Beyond that don’t be surprised if he has some bad games as well.

Donovan McNabb Has 450 Yards Passing

The Eagles were a pass happy team in this game as Donovan McNabb had 55 pass attempts for the game. This team may have run the ball more often, but they got down early and were forced into throwing more than usual.

For the game McNabb had 450 yards passing and had two touchdown passes.

While the Eagles have been a heavy passing team this year they will probably have to continue to pass now that Brian Westbrook suffered another concussion.

Westbrook may very well be done for the season and the team will have to lean on LeSean McCoy for rushing production going forward.

NFL Fantasy Football Player Rankings writer Sean E. Douglas: fantasy-info.com

The Broncos started out fast but the Redskins battled back and pulled the upset victory out for the home town fans. The victory was led by starting running back Ladell Betts, who ran for over 100 yards.

Ladell Betts Runs Well

This week there were concerns that Betts wouldn’t even play in this game because of a bad ankle. Instead of missing the game Betts thrived as he carried the football 26 times for 114 yards and a touchdown run.

This was a driving force in the Redskins comeback win against the Broncos.

Look for Betts to continue to start for the Redskins as Clinton Portis will be out for at least a few more weeks with a concussion problem. Next week Betts and the Redskins will play the Cowboys, and he should be a decent play in that game.

Brandon Marshall Scores Twice

On Brandon Marshall’s first two receptions, he had two touchdowns and 115 yards receiving. Unfortunately, for the Broncos Marshall only totaled 19 yards the rest of the game.

It was nice to see the Broncos have a few plays down the field but at the end of the day they dropped their third game.

If they lose next week against the Chargers they will fall out of first place. This would be the second year in a row that the Broncos gave up an early lead in the standings to the Chargers later in the season.

Hopefully, the team will have quarterback Kyle Orton ready for this important game. Orton was seen leaving the stadium on crutches because of a bad ankle.

NFL Fantasy Football Player Rankings writer Sean E. Douglas: fantasy-info.com

Last season fantasy football players could see that LaDainian Tomlinson had lost a step and wasn’t the dominant player of years past. Before the pre-season started, I was in Tomlinson corner believing that he could mount a comeback this year.

I felt that his poor season (for his standards) was mainly because he chose to play on his turf toe injury that he suffered week one of the season.

My thoughts about Tomlinson change when I saw how he was running in the pre-season. Each time Tomlinson was about to burst through the line and into the secondary he stumbled and went to the ground.

This was concerning because of his toe issue and the fact that he had a groin problem at the end of the season.

Before the Chargers third pre-season game against the Falcons’ head coach Norv Turner decided to sit Tomlinson for the game. Turner was concerned about running Tomlinson on the turf in Atlanta.

When I heard this, I was convinced that it was time to rank the once great running back down to at least a second round pick in ten to twelve team leagues.

From Bad to Worse

While Tomlinson didn’t have a good pre-season I never thought he would fall as hard as he has this season.

Just a season ago Tomlinson was one of only nine running backs to total over ten touchdowns and over 1,500 all purpose yards. As mentioned before, he posted those numbers while battling turf toe all year.

This season Tomlinson was injured week one against the Raiders and missed the next few games.

For the season Tomlinson has just 289 yards rushing on 91 carries and is averaging 3.2 yards per carry. Not only that but Tomlinson’s receiving totals are down to an all time low with nine receptions for only 40 yards.

This is not the running back that fantasy football players have known for so long, and I don’t believe we will see that runner again.

Tomlinson’s worst performance may have come last week against the Giants when he carried the football twelve times for only 22 yards. After the game Tomlinson was even talking about retirement as he was questioning if he would ever play in New York again.

Star players are usually the last person to realize that they are washed up and done. Seeing that even Tomlinson is starting to acknowledge this is saying a lot about his future.

Fantasy Football Ranking for LaDainian Tomlinson

At best I would consider Tomlinson a flex play option for the rest of this season. There are already rumors that Tomlinson will be released after this season, and I believe that is what the Chargers will do.

This team needs a new running back to go with their stealer passing attack.

Tomlinson will continue to start for the rest of the season and is always has a chance to score at the stripe. Other than that this runner has seen his better days, and if he can’t start playing better this year he should retire this offseason.

NFL Fantasy Football Player Rankings writer Sean E. Douglas: fantasy-info.com