Let’s face it, unless Michael Turner’s ankle has a miraculous recovery this weekend he will be out of action against the Giants. Turner’s loss is a major blow to fantasy football owners that drafted him as he was a top five selection on draft day.

With Turner out the Falcons will turn to fullback- running back Jason Snelling to carry the load. Snelling filled in for Turner after he left the game last week against the Panthers.

Against the Panthers, Snelling carried the football 18 times for 61 yards rushing and a touchdown run. When you match his numbers against Turner’s in the same game (nine carries for 111 yards) it is clear to see that Snelling isn’t an explosive runner.

This running back’s assets are his size and strength, which allows him to carry the football twenty plus times a game and get goal line work.

How Long Will Turner Be Out of Action?

The Falcons and Turner are refusing to put a timetable on when fantasy football owners can expect their stud running back in their lineups again. At this time, it looks like Turner will probably miss this week and next week.

This is unfortunate as we are in the final weeks of the regular season for fantasy, but at least it looks like he will be back for the playoffs. When you consider that some fantasy owners (hopefully you don’t have both) just lost Ronnie Brown for the season, this injury doesn’t look so bad.

With Turner out and Jerious Norwood still limited in his return from a hip problem, Snelling will get plenty of work.

This week Snelling has a decent matchup against the Giants but next week he has a gem against the Buccaneers. Assuming Turner or Norewood don’t make miraculous recoveries and play next week, Snelling is a must start in that game.

Fantasy Football Outlook

If and when Turner can comeback and play for the Falcons, it would be a good idea to hold onto Snelling if he plays effectively. The Falcons won’t use him as much as Turner but if their star running goes down to injury they would use him again.

Beyond that I would definitely get him in your lineups next week against the Buccaneers defense. That is a perfect game for a fantasy running back to give you solid production.

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

Adam Schiefter of ESPN reports today that the Dolphins star running back Ronnie Brown has been placed on injured reserve. This is a major blow to the Dolphins and the team is now in jeopardy of missing the playoffs

With Brown down the Dolphins’ success on offense will now hinge of the shoulders of Ricky Williams.

Williams has had one of the more checkered pasts of any sports player I can remember. From wearing a wedding dress on an ESPN cover with Mike Ditka to leaving the game to smoke weed around the world.

This guy has sure had some off the field notable’s but he’s also had success on the field in his career as well.

Turning a Career Around

Last year Bill Parcels gave Williams another chance to help the Dolphins and prolong his career after coming back from a yearlong suspension ( he actually came back in ‘07 but only played one game). In 2008 Williams ran hard and with conviction as he helped the Dolphins win their division and go to the playoffs.

This season Williams is running more effective than ever before and is helping fantasy football owners weekly.

So far, this season Williams has 105 carries for 558 yards rushing (5.3 yard per carry average) and six rushing touchdowns. Not only is Williams helping out in the run game, but he also has 18 receptions for 193 yards ( over ten yards a catch) and one touchdown.

These numbers are almost amazing for a running back that is now 32 years of age and supposedly on the tail end of his career.

Fantasy Breakdown Going Forward

With Brown out of the lineup Williams makes for a very strong fantasy football start every week. Not only will Williams see a majority of the touches and goal line opportunities, but he will play the Panthers and Bills these next two weeks.

Hopefully, you have Williams on your fantasy roster or at least don’t have to play him in that time.

Williams now makes for a top 15 fantasy football running back for the rest of the season. He should get the ball twenty plus times a game and be a strong producer most weeks.

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

For the second week in a row the Tampa Bay Buccaneers put up a strong showing against a solid opponent. In the end, the Dolphins marched down the field with little time left and won the game on a field goal.

Kellen Winslow has 100 Yard Day

Buccaneers star tight end Kellen Winslow finally showed life this weekend as he caught seven passes for 102 yards. Winslow hasn’t been fantasy worthy for most of the season, but he may be a reasonable option from here on out.

I base this on the fact that young quarterbacks like Josh Freeman tend to lock onto their tight end. If Winslow continues to get the looks from his quarterback, he can be effective.

This team is starting to turn its season around, and it looks like they aren’t a great play if you’re looking for an easy fantasy matchup for defensive points.

Dolphins Run Well

This week was another strong effort from the Dolphins running game. Before Ronnie Brown left the game he had twelve carries for 82 yards and a touchdown run.

Ricky Williams put the game away with twenty carries for 102 yards.

For the Dolphins to win football games, they need performances like this one from their running backs. Next week they play the Panthers on Thursday night, and it will be interesting to see if Brown can play in the game.

Kicker Dan Carpenter also had a very good game as he was four of four on field goal attempts. Carpenter is having a good year in 2009 and he looks like a kicker that could have some value in fantasy football in the coming weeks and years. Only in his second season, if Carpenter continues to kick well he will gain the confidence of his coaching staff to let him kick the long field goals more of the time.

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

The Falcons were expected to win this game but found themselves in a bad position when Michael Turner left the game in the first half. In the end, the Panthers put the game away with a 45-yard touchdown run by Jonathan Stewart.

Michael Turner Suffers High Ankle Sprain

This game was very promising for Turner as the Panthers have struggled to stop the run this season. Turner started the game off with a bang with nine carries for 111 yards on the ground.

Unfortunately, in the process of Turner’s dominant first half he had his ankle rolled up on and suffered a game ending injury. This was clearly a game changer for both teams as the Falcons had to play on without their stud.

From a fantasy football perspective, this was a killer blow for fantasy owners this week. Beyond losing a potential dominant performance Turner may be out for a few week’s with the injury.

We will know more about the ankle come Monday so stay tuned for updates on our weekly Starter Help column on Monday.

Jonathan Stewart Scores Twice

Both Stewart and Steve Smith scored twice for the Panthers to help them win the game. Stewart’s final touchdown put the team up for good as they had a 28 to 19 lead with little time left.

This was a big win for the Panthers as it keeps them in the playoff hunt for at least a few more weeks.

Next week they will play an early game on Thursday night against the Dolphins. Ronnie Brown was injured this week against the Buccaneers, and we will see if he can play on short rest.

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

As we move into week ten for the NFL football season there are still two teams that are undefeated and atop the NFL power rankings. Outside of the Colts and Saints fabulous starters we still have other teams like the Vikings, Patriots, Steelers and even Bengals that are closing in the rankings.

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 (8-0)

Drew Brees and the Saints are still winning ball games but the last three weeks they’ve been close to losing.

Looking past this teams recent struggles it is easy to see they are vastly improved from last year. The big turnaround for this team is when they picked up defensive coordinator Greg Williams.

His impact on the defense has given them respectability on that side of the football. Not to mention fantasy football relevance.

2. Colts (8-0)

Peyton Manning and the Colts’ offense have slowed down in touchdown production the past two weeks. If they have any shot of staying undefeated this week against the Patriots, they will need to turn up the point scoring once again.

3. Vikings (7-1)

Brett Favre has made a major impact on this team as they now have balance on offense and as a team. With Favre at the helm forgotten receivers like Sidney Rice have come out of the wood work and become fantasy starting players.

As long as Favre continues to stay healthy this team will continue to roll and could be atop the NFL power rankings soon.

4. Patriots (6-2)

The Patriots’ offense has come on strong in the past three games and Tom Brady is looking better all the time. If the Colts continue their struggles in scoring offense than I fully expect the Patriots to win this weekend.

Going forward I wouldn’t be surprised if the Patriots’ defense gets stronger and the end up in the Super Bowl.

5. Steelers (6-2)

Sure the Bengals are 6 and 2 and have beaten the Steelers this year, but I’m still going with the champs. The Steelers proved on Monday night against the Broncos why they are still one of the best teams in football.

With the emergence of Rashard Mendenhall in the running game the Steelers can now lean on the running game when they need to. I expect them to win this weekend against the Bengals.

6. Bengals (6-2)

This season has been a pleasant surprise for the Bengals. With Cedric Benson doing his best Rudi Johnson impersonation and the defense emerging this team is ready for the playoffs.

Cincinnati has already beaten the Ravens twice this season and beat the Steelers. This week they play the Steelers in Pittsburgh, and I expect the Bengals to lose. If the Bengals do, in fact, win, they will be the clear favorite to win the AFC North.

7. Broncos (6-2)

The past two weeks have been tough for the once undefeated Denver Broncos. This weekend they should get healthy with a blowout win against the Redskins.

From a fantasy perspective, we need to see this team go down the field more often. Doing so with help fantasy football values of Kyle Orton, Brandon Marshall, Eddie Royal and Tony Scheffler.

8. Cowboys (6-2)

If the Cowboys can put two road wins together this weekend against the Packers I will truly believe in their turnaround. As it stands right now Dallas is the favorite to win the NFC East as they are in first place.

Miles Austin has made a major impact on this team and will be a top 15 fantasy receiver coming into next year.

9. Falcons (5-3)

Having the Falcons ranked this high is very debatable, but I just believe they are the more balanced team of all the 5 and 3 teams. With Matt Ryan’s steady play in the passing game and Michael Turner’s re-emergence, this team is rolling.

10. Cardinals (5-3)

I would have the Eagles above the Cardinals if they prove to me, they can win without the big play in the air. For a team like the Eagles to drop a game to the Raiders is just not worthy of being in the top ten teams right now.

While the Cardinals haven’t run the ball great they have proven they can win on the road this season. Because of their undefeated record on the road and solid run defense, I’m willing to give them a pass for their loss to the Panthers.

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

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

The Atlanta Falcons started the season strong with a four and one record but then dropped their past two to the Cowboys and Saints. This week they needed to get back on the winning track and looked to their running game to lead the way.

Michael Turner is Officially Back

Michael Turner has put back the burner in his game as he’s been on fire the past two weeks. Against the Saints, Turner had 151 yards rushing and a touchdown on twenty carries.

This week Turner topped those totals and with fewer touches for the game. On eighteen carries Turner torched the Redskins for 166 yards rushing and two touchdowns of 30 yards or longer.

Turner now has a total for ten touchdowns in only eight games for the season and is now looking like a top fantasy running back.

Next week Turner and the Falcons take on the Panthers and Turner should have another strong game for fantasy owners.

Clinton Portis Leaves With Concussion

Redskins running back Clinton Portis left the football game in the first half with a concussion and Ladell Betts took over in his absence.

For the game Betts posted 15 carries for 70 yards and a touchdown. Betts also flashed his receiving abilities with one catch for 23 yards. While Betts had a decent game for his team, I wouldn’t recommend you pick him up on your team, unless Portis misses some time.

This team has one of the worst offenses in football, and it’s hard to start anyone on this team moving forward.

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

Early this week it looked like the Panthers might bench quarterback Jake Delhomme in favor of backup Matt Moore. In the end, head coach John Fox decided to stick with his veteran quarterback for another game and Delhomme rewarded him with a victory.

Delhomme and Smith Hook Up

This season hasn’t bee a good one for fantasy football owners with Steve Smith on their rosters. Smith didn’t have a touchdown coming into this game but by the end of this contest, he did get a 50-yard touchdown catch.

Smith has now put together a couple of nice games since his horrible game against the Buccaneers in week six.

Next week the Panthers play against the Saints and I’m sure Smith with have plenty of opportunities to produce in that game.

Panthers Running Games Goes Wild

The Panthers running game was supposed to struggle against the Cardinals’ league leading defense against the run. Instead DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart dominated the Cardinals and shredded their defense all day.

Williams had over 150 yards and Stewart had two rushing touchdowns.

If the Panthers can continue to run the football this way they may pull out a decent season after all.

Kurt Warner Turns the Ball Over Six Times

Many expected the Cardinals to have a strong game against the Panthers and run away with a victory. Instead Kurt Warner and the Cardinals struggled all day long and had a very bad loss.

Arizona had a golden opportunity to advance their lead over the 49ers with a victory but they failed to get the job done.

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

This week the Carolina Panthers announced they plan to stick with their struggling veteran quarterback Jake Delhomme. This news came as a surprise to some but not to me. I say that not because I believe it’s the right move but because head coach John Fox is too loyal to his veterans.

This is not the first time we have seen coach Fox be overly loyal to veterans as just a few years ago he continued to start DeShaun Foster over DeAngelo Williams. Foster wasn’t cutting it and Williams was the more explosive player.

In the end, it really wasn’t until the next season in 2008 that Williams was given a chance to start. This was also funny given the fact that the Panthers drafted a relatively high first round pick on running back Jonathan Stewart.

The reason Fox makes these moves is because he believes in playing his veteran over a younger player.

Sometimes that works for Fox and other times like this situation between quarterbacks (and Foster over Williams) it really hurts the team.

How Long Will it Last?

Although Fox is overly loyal to his veteran players, I don’t believe Delhomme will play much longer if he doesn’t improve. This weekend the Panthers travel to Arizona to take on the Cardinals.

Remember, last year in the playoffs Delhomme was intercepted five times by this same secondary. One could easily build a case that Delhomme has never been the same since that very game.

If Delhomme should struggle early on than I believe you will see coach Fox turn to Matt Moore in the middle of the game.

What Happens After That?

Once Moore takes over as quarterback we will probably see him play for a few weeks. In that time if the Panthers offense should continue to struggle I would expect to see quarterback A.J. Feeley get the nod.

Feeley had success with the Philadelphia Eagles in the past and is a more proven player than Moore. If Feeley is in, he should be able to at least move the offense with better efficiency than Delhomme.

If either Feeley or Moore get on a hot streak they could help bring back the fantasy values of the key players in the offense.

Right now, Delhomme is killing the fantasy values of Williams, Stewart and highly talented receiver Steve Smith.

Hopefully, change will come and it will be very soon. Fantasy football owners are being killed by Delhomme.

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

Last week we saw the big quarterback like Tom Brady and Drew Brees come out and have big weeks. This week I expect these men to continue their strong play as Brady faces the Buccaneers and Brees goes to play the Dolphins.

Hopefully, if you’re in a head to head fantasy football league you don’t have to face either of these players.

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.

Every week we will start off with our wounded warrior’s section. These are the key players that are on the injury report that you need to pay attention too before games begin.

Wounded Warriors

Quarterbacks

Matthew Stafford Bye Week: There have been rumors in recent days that Matthew Stafford’s season may be overdue to a knee injury. Stafford has come out and said the rumors are just that, and he doesn’t believe his season is over.

IF Stafford should miss more time after the bye, then Daunte Culpepper should continue to start. Last week Culpepper was replaced by Drew Stanton because he tweaked his hamstring.

Running Backs

Adrian Peterson @ Steelers: The Vikings star running back Adrian Peterson injured his ankle in the Vikings’ contest against the Ravens. On Monday, Peterson said that the ankle feels fine, and he will be ready to go for this week.

Frank Gore @ Texans: The 49ers top offensive weapon Frank Gore will be a go this weekend against the Texans. Gore had missed the past two games with an ankle injury he suffered against the Vikings week three.

Look for Gore to carry the offense as they will have Michael Crabtree starting at receiver.

Wide Receivers

Steve Smith vs Bills: The Panthers top receiver Steve Smith limped off the field with a knee injury against the Buccaneers. He did come back and play in the second half but only had one reception for four yards.

Smith is having a very bad start to the season as he does not have a touchdown. Teams are double teaming him and there is no other receiver to help take pressure off him. Hopefully, the knee injury doesn’t linger and effect his speed.

Donnie Avery vs Colts: Donnie Avery injured his hip during the game against the Jaguars. After testing it has been determined that Avery is day to day with his injury.

This is an unfortunate injury as Avery had an early touchdown, and it looked like he might have a big day. Hopefully, he can recover soon.

Quarterbacks

• Tom Brady vs Buccaneers (Game is in England)
• Drew Brees @ Dolphins
• Peyton Manning @ Rams
• Philip Rivers @ Chiefs
• Aaron Rodgers @ Browns
• Matt Schaub vs 49ers
• Ben Roethlisberger vs Vikings
• Kurt Warner @ Giants
• Eli Manning vs Cardinals
• Donovan McNabb @ Redskins
• Jay Cutler @ Bengals
• Tony Romo vs Falcons
• Matt Ryan @ Cowboys
• Carson Palmer vs Bears
• Brett Favre @ Steelers
• Shaun Hill @ Texans

Running Backs

• Adrian Peterson @ Steelers
• Frank Gore @ Texans
• DeAngelo Williams vs Bills
• Matt Forte @ Bengals
• Thomas Jones @ Raiders
• Ronnie Brown vs Saints
• Steven Jackson vs Colts
• Brian Westbrook @ Redskins
• Michael Turner @ Cowboys
• Marion Barber vs Falcons
• Pierre Thomas @ Dolphins
• Cedric Benson vs Bears
• Steve Slaton vs 49ers
• Ahmad Bradshaw vs Cardinals
• Jonathan Stewart vs Bills
• Ryan Grant @ Browns
• LaDainian Tomlinson @ Chiefs
• Marshawn Lynch @ Panthers
• Joseph Addai @ Rams
• Brandon Jacobs vs Cardinals
• Larry Johnson vs Chargers
• Rashard Mendenhall vs Vikings
• Cadallac Williams vs Patriots (Game is in England)
• Laurence Maroney vs Buccaneers (Game is in England)
• Jamal Lewis vs Packers
• Donald Brown @ Rams
• Tim Hightower @ Giants
• Ricky Williams vs Saints
• LeSean McCoy @ Redskins
• Darren Sproles @ Chiefs
• Leon Washington @ Raiders

Wide Receivers

• Randy Moss vs Buccaneers
• Andre Johnson vs 49ers
• Reggie Wayne @ Rams
• Santonio Holmes vs Vikings
• Larry Fitzgerald @ Giants
• Greg Jennings @ Browns
• Roddy White @ Cowboys
• Marques Colston @ Dolphins
• Wes Welker vs Buccaneers
• Chad Ochocinco vs Bears
• DeSean Jackson @ Redskins
• Dwayne Bowe vs Chargers
• Vincent Jackson @ Chiefs
• Miles Austin vs Falcons
• Steve Smith (NY) vs Cardinals
• Donald Driver @ Browns
• Hines Ward vs Vikings
• Steve Smith (Car) vs Bills
• Devin Hester @ Bengals
• Pierre Garcon @ Rams
• Donnie Avery vs Colts ( Check Injury Report)
• Terrell Owens @ Panthers
• Braylon Edwards @ Raiders
• Mario Manningham vs Cardinals
• Steve Breaston @ Giants
• Sidney Rice @ Steelers
• Ted Ginn Jr. vs Saints
• Lee Evans @ Panthers
• Santana Moss vs Eagles
• Kevin Walter vs 49ers
• Johnny Knox @ Bengals
• Lavernous Coles vs Bears
• Jeremy Maclin @ Redskins
• Bernard Berrian @ Steelers
• Robert Meachum @ Dolphins

Tight Ends

• Antonio Gates @ Chiefs
• Dallas Clark @ Rams
• Jason Witten vs Falcons
• Tony Gonzalez @ Cowboys
• Brent Celek @ Redskins
• Owen Daniels vs 49ers
• Visanthe Shaincoe @ Steelers
• Vernon Davis @ Texans
• Heath Miller vs Vikings
• Kellen Winslow vs Patriots
• Greg Olsen @ Bengals
• Chris Cooley vs Eagles
• Dustin Keller @ Raiders
• Jermichael Finley @ Browns
• Zach Miller vs Jets
• Jeremy Shockey @ Dolphins

Kickers

• Nick Folk vs Falcons
• Stephin Gostkowski vs Buccaneers
• Mason Crosby @ Browns
• Jason Elam @ Cowboys
• Nate Kaeding @ Chiefs
• Robbie Gould @ Bengals
• Joe Nedney @ Texans
• Shayne Graham vs Bears
• Lawrence Tynes vs Cardinals
• Niel Rackers @ Giants
• Kris Brown vs 49ers
• John Kasey vs Bills
• Dave Akers @ Redskins
• Ryan Longwell @ Steelers
• Rian Lindell @ Panthers
• Josh Brown vs Colts

Defense/ ST

• Packers @ Browns
• Jets @ Raiders
• Eagles @ Redskins
• Colts @ Rams
• Patriots vs Buccaneers
• Chargers @ Chiefs
• Saints @ Dolphins
• Vikings @ Steelers
• Panthers vs Bills
• Giants vs Cardinals
• Bears @ Bengals
• Cowboys vs Falcons
• Bengals vs Bears
• Falcons @ Cowboys
• Steelers vs Vikings
• Redskins vs Eagles

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