The Jets needed a win to keep any hope of making the playoffs this season and came up with a solid win on the road. Just like the last time the Jets played the Bills, they leaned on their running game to lead the way.

Winning on the Road

The Jets have a great offensive line, and tonight they pushed the Bills’ defense around for 249 yards on 43 total rushing attempts. Thomas Jones led the way with 23 carries for 109 yards on the ground.

This hundred yard game marked the sixth time Jones has reached that accomplishment this season. Jones now has over 1,000 yards rushing for the season to go with nine touchdowns on the year.

This marks the second rock solid fantasy football season Jones has had in a row, and he should continue his success for the rest of the year.

Braylon Edwards also hooked up through the air with Mark Sanchez for a touchdown. Edwards stats were cut a bit short as Sanchez had to leave the game early with a knee injury. The injury is not expected to keep Sanchez out for next week, however.

Lynch Responds with Touchdown

Marshawn Lynch has lost his starting role to Fred Jackson, but tonight it was Lynch that posted solid stats. Lynch only received six carries for the game but had 60 yards rushing and a 15-yard touchdown run.

I wouldn’t recommend either running back for the rest of the season until one of the runners steps up and gets consistent work.

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

With Cedric Benson down for another week and Marshawn Lynch banged up the door is open for production from backup running backs. At this time of year it is vitally important that you have your running game scoring well for you as you will need it to win a fantasy football championship.

While hot waiver pickups like Justin Forsett are probably long gone, you can still get players like Fred Jackson or Larry Johnson to help you out.

Below we have the top players you might want to pay attention to, for waiver pickups. Even if you don’t select a waiver (or have already done so) it’s good to keep these names in mind for the future weeks.

Quarterbacks

Dennis Dixon (Steelers)

The one time great quarterback for the Oregon Ducks received his first NFL start against the Ravens on Sunday night football. While this was not the ideal team to face on the road for your first real work as a quarterback Dennis Dixon did a good job.

Dixon threw a nice touchdown pass to Santonio Holmes and flashed his trademark running skills with a 24-yard scamper for a touchdown. If Ben Roethlisberger is out next week against the Raiders Dixon should put up decent stats in his absence.

Running Backs

Fred Jackson (Bills)

Marshawn Lynch’s backup Fred Jackson received a lot of play early in the year because of Lynch’s suspension for the first three games of the season. Now, Jackson is receiving the starter work load once again with new head coach Perry Fewell calling the shots.

Last week against the Dolphins, Jackson totaled over 110 total yards from scrimmage and two rushing touchdowns. This was a huge difference to his counterpart in Lynch whom received only four touches for 15 total yards.

Look for Jackson to continue as the starting tail back next week in a great matchup against the Jets.

Larry Johnson (Bengals)

If Cedric Benson can’t return from his hip injury next week against the Lions then expect Larry Johnson to have another solid game. Last week against the Browns, Johnson had 107 yards rushing on 22 carries.

Johnson should continue to be the top man for carries if Benson is out because he is a bigger runner than Bernard Scott. Look for Johnson to also be a threat to score from the goal line as well.

Wide Receivers

Mark Clayton (Ravens)

This is a desperate move, but if you’re in great need of a receiver for your fantasy football team you might want to give Mark Clayton a try. Clayton seems to start showing up in production around this time every year and last week he had a good performance.

Against the Steelers, Clayton had seven catches for 129 yards. Next week he will play the Packers, and they are without Al Harris. Look for Joe Flacco to go Clayton’s way a decent amount as Derrick Mason should be covered by Charles Woodson all game.

Jason Avant (Eagles)

If DeSean Jackson is out this week because of concussion issues than Eagles third receiver Jason Avant will start. Avant has had three solid weeks in a row and will get a decent amount of looks from Donovan McNabb.

Avant also has very good size and strength, this is an assest when you look at the other receivers around him that are skinny and undersized. Look for Avant to be a nice weapon for McNabb inside the red zone.

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

It sure didn’t seem to matter for the Dolphins that they lost Ronnie Brown for the season tonight as Ricky Williams put on a show. In the first half, he scored on a touchdown run and a touchdown catch. In the fourth quarter, he put the Panthers away on a long touchdown run.

Ricky Williams a Top Ten Fantasy Football Running Back

Now that Brown is out of the way, Williams can turn up his fantasy production into high gear for the rest of the season. Tonight on short rest (Thursday game) Williams ran the football 22 times for 119 yards and two rushing scores.

Running wasn’t the only part of Williams game as he had two receptions for 19 yards and a touchdown in the passing game.

Not only did Williams put the numbers up, but he took snaps out of the quarterback position for the wildcat offense.

Look for Williams to continue his surge of fantasy football production next week against the Buffalo Bills horrible run defense.

Panthers Continue Their Passing Struggles

The Carolina Panthers seemed to have no problems running the football. DeAngelo Williams had 122 yards on the ground on only 13 carries for the game.

The Panthers struggles in this game are the same struggles they’ve had as an offense all season long and that is passing the football.

Sure, star receiver Steve Smith had a solid game with seven receptions for 87 yards and a touchdown score, but that was about it for the team.

Jake Delhomme was coming of a solid performance against the Falcons last week, but tonight he was off on most of his passes. To his credit, he did only have one interception on 42 pass attempts but only completed 19 attempts. For those of you scoring at home that is a completion percentage of less than 50 percent.

Next week Delhomme’s competition won’t be any easier as the Panthers travel to New York and take on the Jets solid pass defense.

The running backs should have another solid game but Smith should be the only player from this team’s passing attack that is worth a look the rest of the season.

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

I’m not one that usually writes a down piece about an organization or team, but it’s time to talk about the Cleveland Browns and their situation. After an embarrassing loss, this past Monday night to the Ravens it’s easy to see why fantasy owners will have continued success against this team.

This offseason I was willing to see the bright side of things for this team and where they could be headed.

I liked the fact that head coach Eric Mangini traded his top five draft pick down and got a bunch of picks for in return. Not only did the Browns acquire more picks, but they also got some decent defensive players from the New York Jets.

Seeing that Mangini was the head coach of the Jets just the season before it only seemed to make sense that these players would make an impact.

When Cleveland finally selected their first round pick, they took Cal Bears star center Alex Mack. I believed this was another strong move (still do) because it would help give them another talent on the offensive line.

Mangini did a nice job in New York building up his offensive line so this move only seemed to help the passing and running game.

A Step Towards Success / A Step Towards Disaster

As the summer progressed, I believed that the Browns would be fine in the long run if they could get Brady Quinn and Braylon Edwards going. Quinn needed to establish himself as the clear starter on the team and Edwards needed to re-establish himself as a true No.1 receiver.

Unfortunately, both of those players failed to do that and by week five of the season Quinn was benched for Derek Anderson and Edwards was traded away.

Before Anderson was benched after the team’s week eight loss to the Bears the offense didn’t produce much. One bright spot in that time was the off and on play of rookie wide receiver Mohamed Massaquoi.

Massaquoi was one of two second round receivers (other was Brian Robiskie) drafted by the Browns in April.

His highlight performance was against the Bengals week four when he totaled eight receptions for 148 yards. In that game, the Browns had their best offensive game of the season and this young receiver led the way.

Unfortunately, for Massaquoi, the team traded away Edwards the next week and now the rookie has to deal with being the top receiver on the team. With that title defenses will line up their best corner on you every week and this coverage hasn’t helped Massaquoi’s chances to produce.

Outside of Massaquoi development there isn’t much else to say about this offense in a positive light.

A Team Going Nowhere

With Quinn’s arrival back in the starting lineup on Monday night the team has become more conservative than ever. I’m not certain but I can’t remember more than maybe one play late in the game where the Browns’ threw a pass farther than ten yards.

That is bad against just about every defense in football but especially bad against the Baltimore Ravens. Just two week’s ago the Ravens dominated the Denver Broncos as their offense tried the same approach.

Defense’s will feed on an offense that can’t challenge down the field, and if you don’t try to get the ball down there they can easily keep the game in front of themselves.

If the Browns continue to play offense this way and run the football ineffectively than you should continue to start your fantasy players against this team.

As far as starting anyone on the Browns I can only recommend maybe Jamal Lewis or Massaquoi for this weekend coming up. Both players aren’t great plays, but they are getting an opportunity to play against the Detroit Lions.

Rookie running back Chris Jennings is starting to take work away from Lewis and if Lewis should suffer an injury, he might be worth a look.

Jennings isn’t an explosive runner, but he should be able to handle the ball twenty plus times for the last month or so of the season.

After this Season

It’s clear that Mangini needs to leave this organization, and they need a new outlook and fresh start. I’m not sure what it’s going to take for this team to get going in a positive direction, but they could use a strong running game for starters.

With a strong running game, they can keep their defense from staying of the field for long periods of time. This will be key because I can’t see the passing game being dependable in the next few seasons.

In short, it’s going to be awhile before this team is strong again so start your fantasy defenses against them and enjoy.

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

This was a big game for both teams as they were both looking to stay in the playoff hunt. The Jaguars pulled out the road victory over the Jets, as they squeaked by with a 24 to 22 victory.

MJD Headlines Win

Maurice Jones-Drew will be one of the top three running backs taken in fantasy football drafts next season and this week’s performance is a reason why.

For the game MJD had 24 carries for 123 yards rushing and a touchdown. Not only did Drew help out on the ground but he also had two receptions for 22 yards in the passing game.

Drew has the ability to not only be a force on the ground but he is a terrific touchdown maker and a solid pass catcher. His fantasy value is best served in PPR leagues and in fantasy leagues that give bonus points for long touchdown scores.

Another player that is helping this offense is breakout No. 1 receiver Mike Sims-Walker. This third year receiver had another solid game this week with three catches for 49 yards and a touchdown score.

Look for Walker to continue to help your fantasy team for the rest of the season as they need his production in the air.

Thomas Jones has Decent Day

Fantasy football owners with Thomas Jones will take his 77 yards and touchdown run on the ground, but I’m sure they were hoping for more. The Jets were not able to open the big holes for Jones to have a monster day in this one.

While it is disappointing to see Jones not produce more yardage in this game I’m sure will have some big games the rest of the way.

Next week the Jets play the Patriots but after that they face the Panthers, Bills and Buccaneers all in a row. Everyone of those games Jones should have solid days.

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

Week nine marks the final week that we will see a significant amount of NFL teams on bye weeks. After this week only the Giants and Texans will have bye weeks left on their schedule and that mean fantasy owners will have their full rosters.

This week the Bills, Browns, Vikings, Jets, Raiders and Rams are all on bye weeks and fantasy owners will be in need of production.

Below we have our top border line players at different positions that are worth starting and worth sitting for the ninth week of the NFL fantasy football season.

Start’Em

Quarterbacks

• Matt Ryan vs Redskins
• Jay Cutler vs Cardinals

Running Backs

• Jamaal Charles @ Jaguars
• Ryan Moats @ Colts (If Moats Gets a Chance to Start)
• Ryan Grant @ Buccaneers

Wide Receivers

• Devin Hester vs Cardinals
• Austin Collie vs Texans
• Michael Crabtree vs Titans
• Steve Breaston @ Bears (Boldin may Sit this Week)
  

Tight Ends

• Jeremy Shockey vs Panthers
• Fred Davis @ Falcons

Kickers

• Josh Schobee vs Chiefs
• Rob Bironas @ 49ers

Defense/ ST

• Packers @ Buccaneers
• Falcons vs Redskins

Sit’Em

Quarterbacks

• Kyle Orton vs Steelers

Wide Receivers

• Ted Ginn Jr. @ Patriots (Great on Kickoffs but Not Starting)
• Roy Williams @ Eagles (Austin has Taken Over)

Defense/ ST

• Dolphins @ Patriots
• Bears vs Cardinals

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

Much has been made of Michael Crabtree and his failure to sign in a timely fashion with the San Francisco 49ers. Some believe he delayed his signing because other teams (like the Jets) were under suspicion of tampering with the young receiver.

Others questioned if this young man had the desire to play at the NFL level.

At the end of the day Crabtree finally signed in October and started in his first game against the Houston Texans.

Impressive First Game

By the end of Crabtree’s first start in the NFL, I was more impressed that he could play the entire game than his stats. Crabtree started the game and played nearly every snap throughout the contest.

Crabtree hasn’t played a football game for almost a year and remember he missed a good amount of time with the foot injury this spring and summer. Not to mention that he didn’t practice with the team during OTA’s, preseason or the first month of the regular season.

For the game, Crabtree had five receptions for 59 yards and flashed his strong hands and route running skills.

After the game 49ers head coach Mike Singletary told Crabtree that all his hard work and study that he put in when he was away from the team, showed on the football field.

This was clearly not the performance of a young player that, “didn’t care” about the game.

Lets See it Again

Now, what fantasy football owners want to see from Crabtree is another good performance against the Indianapolis Colts this Sunday.

Once this young receiver takes the next step and starts becoming the true go to receiver in the offense, he will be a strong fantasy worthy option.

At this point in time, he is worth a waiver wire pickup, but I wouldn’t recommend starting him until he shows more.

From his performance against the Texans, one has to believe that this up to tick in production will come by years end.

The Future Looks Bright

It looks like the 49ers have themselves a super start talent, and they must feel good about holding their ground throughout the negotiations.

As long as Crabtree doesn’t turn into a Terrell Owens type of primadona on the field than they should have a solid player for years to come.

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

This week was a very interesting one for players on the waiver wire and past players worth picking up. One receiver that everyone was talking about two weeks ago was Cowboys’ receiver Miles Austin.

This week we needed to see if Austin could produce as Tony Romo’s main man. For the game Austin had another fabulous stat line as he totaled over 170 yards receiving and two touchdowns.

Austin is a true starter every week and is fast becoming one of the more dangerous fantasy receivers in the 2009 season.

Below we have the top players you might want to pay attention to, for waiver pickups. Even if you don’t select a waiver (or have already done so) it’s good to keep these names in mind for the future weeks.

Running Backs

Jets- Shonn Greene- Bye Week Nine

The time has come for Jets’ rookie running back Shonn Greene to be a fantasy football factor. Greene had been a non factor this year until Leon Washington went down with a broken fibula this past weekend.

Greene stepped in against the Raiders and did a heck of a job as he rumbled for 144 yards rushing and two scores.

Since Greene will now be Thomas Jones backup and will play every week you should pick him up in your league.

Cardinals- Chris “Beanie” Wells- Bye Week Four (Done)

Many fantasy football owners that drafted Chris “Beanie” Wells already gave up on him a few weeks ago. This past week Wells started to show why he is the better running back in Arizona with 67 yards rushing and a nice touchdown run.

For the game, Wells had 14 carries as Tim Hightower only had four. Look for Wells to slowly take more of a work load in the Cardinals’ offense.

Wells is at least worth holding onto for the fantasy playoffs in weeks 14 through 16. In those games, he plays the 49ers, Lions and Rams. This young man could do a lot of damage for your fantasy team in those weeks.

Wide Receivers

49ers- Michael Crabtree- Bye Week Six (Done)

I watched the 49ers – Texans’ game this weekend and was blown away by Michael Crabtree’s performance. Sure, he only had five catches for 56 yards, but he played nearly every snap on offense.

It is easy to see why Crabtree was a two time Fred Biletnikoff winner in college as he has a great pair of hands. On one play, he caught the back end of the football. To do something like that only shows that this youngster could be the real deal.

To see that Crabtree could play all the downs and play effectively, speaks volumes about what this kid was doing in his off time.

Crabtree may not be a fantasy starter right away, but he is no doubt worth holding onto.

Vikings- Sidney Rice- Bye Week Nine

I recommended Sidney Rice as a waiver pickup last week, and I’m doing it again. This kid is Brett Favre’s top target and is worth starting on your fantasy team. If you are in need of a receiver than this young man is a good option.

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

The New York Jets looked to snap their three game losing streak against the Raiders this week by pounding the football and playing shut down defense. In this game, the Jets did just that as they rolled to a huge shutout victory.

Shonn Greene a Hot Waiver Pickup

This weekend Jets’ rookie running back Shonn Greene saw his fantasy football value sky rocket with Leon Washington breaking his fibula. Washington went down in the game and is already declared done for the rest of the season.

Greene got the opportunity to back up Thomas Jones in this game and didn’t disappoint as he rumbled for 144 yards on 19 carries. Beyond the very impressive yardage numbers from the rookie, he also found the end zone twice.

This running back is a very hot waiver pickup as he will now be active in the Jets’ offense every week.

Raiders Suck

Well, it didn’t take long for the Raiders to start sucking again after they beat the Eagles last week.

JaMarcus Russell was benched in the second half of the game, and he is probably going to be a bust for his entire career.

Raiders are going to lose for a long time if they don’t get things turned around.

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

Since Ted Ginn Jr. was drafted by the Dolphins ,out of Ohio State, fantasy football owners have waited for him to produce. In 2008 Ginn Jr. made strides from his rookie season as he totaled nearly 800 receiving yards.

Personally, I thought this talented receiver could be at least useful to fantasy football players because he was heading into his third season. The third year in a receiver’s progression, is usually when they break out and start producing.

2009 So Far

So Far, this season Ginn Jr. has 16 receptions for 195 yards and one touchdown reception through five games. At this time, he may not be producing enough to be a fantasy starter, but I do see signs that he still could be in the future.

In week two, Ginn Jr. had an almost great game against the Indianapolis Colts as he had eleven receptions for 108 yards. Problem is he dropped a few touchdown opportunities in the end zone that cost his team the game.

Another big play he made was in his last game on Monday night against the Jets. In that game, he beat Darrelle Revis deep and made a 53-yard touchdown. Revis has shut down Randy Moss, Andre Johnson and Marques Colston this season. To see Ginn Jr beat him deep says something about his skills.

You wouldn’t of seen happen with former quarterback Chad Pannington because he doesn’t have the arm to make that throw.

Second year starting quarterback Chad Henne does have that kind of arm and hit Ginn right in the hands, down field. With Henne in at quarterback, Ginn Jr. value is higher because the team can finally utilize his deep speed.

Fantasy Football Ranking for Ted Ginn Jr.

Look for Ginn Jr. to continue his growth at receiver as the season moves along. At this time, Ginn Jr. will be dependent on how fast his new starting quarterback can mature.

If Henne continues to play the way he did on Monday night than Ginn Jr. will be a decent option for fantasy football owners. Especially fantasy owners that are in leagues like Yahoo.com, where you are forced to start three receivers.

Other than that I would at least have Ginn Jr. on your fantasy football roster and hold onto him. Until we see more consistency, Ginn Jr. is nothing more than a bye week fill in.

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