With Ben Roethlisberger out one would have to conclude the Steelers were going to struggle with Dennis Dixon under center. Dixon had only thrown one pass in his two year career and this week he was on the road against the Ravens in his first NFL start.

Beating the Odds

Until Dixon’s final throw of the game (interception in overtime) this young quarterback had himself a good day. Not only did Dixon throw a touchdown pass to Santonio Holmes, but he ran a touchdown in as well from 24-yards out.

Dixon has always had speed and was especially effective when he was a starter for the Oregon Ducks.

With Dixon in the game Rashard Mendenhall saw more carries as he received over twenty for close to 100 yards rushing. We should see more of this in the coming week’s because, even if Roethlisberger is back they will play a bit more conservative.

Running the football more will insure that Big Ben isn’t getting knocked around.

Next week the Steelers face the Raiders, and I expect the team to have an easy win in that contest.

Ray Rice the Workhorse

Joe Flacco, Derrick Mason and Mark Clayton all had good days in the passing game, but it was running back Ray Rice that was the star again. Rice totaled over 150 total yards from scrimmage as he kept drives going all game long.

At the end of the game in overtime Rice pounded the rock down inside the red zone for an easy field goal opportunity for Billy Cundiff. The Ravens’ kicker made the field goal and the Ravens won the game.

Now that the Ravens are well in the thick of the playoff hunt, they should be ready to play some consistent football.

Clayton stepped his game up for seven catches and 129 yards receiving, if the team is going to beat the Packers next week they need another strong effort from Clayton.

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

Last week Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger suffered a concussion in an overtime loss to the Chiefs. Once Roethlisberger left the game, the team turned the rains over to steady veteran Charlie Batch to finish the game.

Unfortunately, for the Steelers, Batch suffered a wrist injury and will be out for the rest of the regular season. Because of this key injury, the team is now left with inexperienced but talented young quarterback Dennis Dixon to backup Roethlisberger.

Likely In, Likely Out

For most of the week, it looked like the Steelers would have their star quarterback under center for an all important game on Sunday night against the Ravens. Roethlisberger passed all medical tests and was given a clear bill of health to play but in spite of all that Big Ben told his coach, he might not play on Friday.

Roethlisberger needed to sleep on his decision to play and on Saturday mourning Fox sports Jay Glazer broke the news that the Steelers would be without their star quarterback for this week’s game.

Now Pittsburgh is faced with starting 2nd year quarterback Dixon who has thrown one completion (last year) in his short NFL career.

In the Heat of the Night

While Dixon had a fabulous career with the Oregon Ducks he will now be tested against one of the best defenses the NFL has to offer in his first career start. The Ravens thrive on playing offenses that have problems stretching the field with the deep passing game.

If the Steelers are not able to make the Ravens’ respect the passing game down the field than Ed Reed and the secondary players will sit on the Steelers short passing routes.

Not only that but when the Ravens are able to play that kind of game you can forget about running the football with regular effectiveness.

One of Dixon’s weapons that should give the Ravens problems is his ability to move out of the pocket and pick up first downs with his legs.

The main question for Dixon is will he be able to handle playing at the NFL speed?

Fantasy Outlook

Unless you don’t have good options on your bench, I would suggest you bench your Steeler fantasy players for this contest. We don’t know what Dixon will be able to do, but in a game like this, on the road, the odds are that it won’t be good.

That is not to say that Dixon can’t be a good quarterback in the future but in this game, I’m not sure he can sustain drives down the field to give fantasy owners the stats they need for success.

Next week the Steelers will face the Raiders in Pittsburgh and in that game if Dixon is in you should definitely get your main players in.

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 pathetic display of an offense yet again by the Cleveland Browns, as they were shut out at home against the Ravens. I’m not sure how long it’s going to be before this organization turns things around, but it will take a few years.

Ravens Defense Pitches Shutout

This was the kind of game the Ravens’ defense needed as they dominated the Browns’ offense all game long. Not only did the Ravens shut out the Browns, but they also scored a defensive touchdown in the process.

Next week the Ravens will face much stiffer competition when they play against the Indianapolis Colts offense at home.

Peyton Manning has had this team’s number over the years, and it will be interesting to see if the Ravens can hold this team out of the end zone.

Browns Suck

Brady Quinn may end up being a decent backup quarterback one day, but he’s never going to make it as a starter with the Browns. Unfortunately, the Browns seem to not believe in throwing the football farther than five yards down the field.

If they could ever show some creativity in the passing game (down the field passing) then maybe we could find out if Quinn could get something done.

In the end fantasy football owners should look to start all defenses that play against this offense. The Browns are the worst offense in football (worse than the Raiders), and they’re not getting better any time soon.

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

Chicago Bears’ running back Matt Forte has had a bust season for fantasy football owners in 2009. Forte was a top four draft pick in many fantasy leagues, and he’s been unable to get things going most of the year.

Even this past week against the 49ers when Forte had 161 total yards from scrimmage he only had 41 yards rushing on twenty carries.

For the season Forte has 143 carries for 482 yards and a woefully bad 3.4 yards per carry. I don’t believe Forte will do much better in this area for the rest of the season as his offensive line just doesn’t run block well.

Beyond the line blocking issues the Bears will face the Eagles, Vikings, Rams, Packers, Ravens and Vikings for the rest of the fantasy football season. The one strong matchup Forte has for the rest of the fantasy season (unless you’re in a league that plays week 17 when the face the Lions) and that’s not great news for fantasy owners.

Catching the Ball for Production

If Forte is going to be a consistent fantasy player for your fantasy team than he will need to continue his production in the passing game.

In the past two weeks Forte has 14 receptions for 194 yards in the air. This is especially useful for fantasy owners in PPR leagues as you receive points just for his catches alone.

Another area that needs to improve is Forte’s touchdown total that stands at three for his first nine games of the year.

If Forte can sustain consistency in these area’s than he can still help fantasy owners earn a playoff spot this season.

Fantasy Football Ranking for Matt Forte

Forte’s fantasy football value has dropped from a top four pick this year to a No.2 running back on your team for next year. The Bears offensive line changes this offseason didn’t do Forte any favors, and it seems the coaching staff is content with Jay Cutler slinging the football.

As long as Cutler continues to find Forte underneath than the Bears starting running back is still a starter in fantasy.

Look for Forte to help your team as the season winds down but don’t expect him to be a driving force for your success.

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

This season has truly been a breakout year for Philadelphia Eagles tight end Brent Celek. With such are solid performance one has to question why Celek wasn’t a full time start before this year?

One of the reasons Celek wasn’t used more often in his first two years is because L.J. Smith was still with the team. Towards the end of last season and in the playoffs Celek proved why he was a worthy every week starter to head coach Andy Reid.

In the offseason Smith left and signed with the Ravens, leaving the door open for Celek to start full time.

Taking Flight

This summer I liked the explosion that the Eagles’ offense was putting together for the big play. Donovan McNabb has always been good at throwing the football vertically and with DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin at receiver, I figured this team would excel down the field.

My main question (outside of Brian Westbrook’s health) was, “how would the Eagles find a steady target inside the red zone. ”

The natural answer to this question pointed to the Eagles new starting tight end Celek as he had the size that the Eagles’ receivers lacked for success in close quarters.

So far, Celek is providing that target for McNabb and is on his way to the pro bowl (probably not, but he deserves it) if he continues this success.

In his first eight games of the year Celek has 40 receptions for 486 yards and four touchdowns. This means he is on pace for a total of 80 receptions for 972 yards and eight touchdowns this season.

Not only is Celek having a solid year for his team, but he is making fantasy football owners smile with steady production throughout the season.

Fantasy Football Player Rankings for Brent Celek

Look for Celek to continue this strong play throughout the second half of the fantasy football season. The Eagles have a huge need for what he provides in the middle of the field and down inside the red zone.

Hopefully, the Eagles offensive line will get better over the course of the next month as this will help McNabb and Celek continue their strong production.

Celek may or may not reach 1,000 yards receiving this season, but I do believe he has a chance to score double digit touchdowns this year.

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

Many NFL annalists felt that there was no way the Bengals would beat the Ravens for a second time this year. The Ravens were coming off a dominant performance against the Broncos last week and looked like they were ready to start a winning streak.

Cedric Benson Runs Hard

This season has been a great one for fantasy football owners with Cedric Benson on their team(s).

The last time Benson played the Ravens, he posted the first 100 yard rushing game against their defense in years. This time around one had to believe that the Ravens would be ready for Benson and not allow him to go over the century mark twice.

By games end Benson posted 34 carries for 117 yards rushing and a touchdown run. The Bengals road Benson for their second win against the Ravens and their 4th win in the division.

The Bengals are still atop the division as they get ready for the Steelers next week . If they can win that game, they will have swept the Steelers and Ravens for the season.

Joe Flacco Struggles

The Bengals defense sure seems to have Joe Flacco’s number as they frustrated him two times this season.

Whatever this defense has figured out on how to stop his talented quarterback has sure worked.

I still believe the Ravens will make a run for the playoffs but one has to believe that the team will have to get in as a wild card.

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

This game was a big one for the Baltimore Ravens, who were coming off three straight losses in their schedule. On paper, the matchup didn’t look easy as they had to take of the undefeated Denver Broncos at home.

The Ravens won the game without much of a fight as they crushed the Broncos 30 to 7.

Ray Rice Continues to Produce

Coming into this season I liked Ravens starting running back Ray Rice as a sleeper fantasy pick. This season he is exceeding even my expectations and is putting together a Pro Bowl season.

By now, if you have Rice on your fantasy football team, you must feel like you’ve gotten away with one in the later rounds of your draft.

Today, Rice had another touchdown and had over 100 total yards from scrimmage. Look for Rice to continue his strong season as he is clearly the top runner in the Ravens’ offense.

Broncos Offense Flat

The Broncos showed that they still have a lot of work to do on the offensive side of the football. This team was down by more than ten points going into the final quarter of the game and the Broncos couldn’t move the ball.

Kyle Orton only threw for 152 yards passing and Brandon Marshall had four receptions for just 24 yards. If this team is going to win the AFC West Division they will need to start throwing the football down the field.

Dink and dunk passing has helped them win some contests early this season but that won’t last forever.

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

Beyond all the blowout wins this week we actually have a few notable players that broke out in a big way. Players like Michael Crabtree, Shonne Greene, Miles Austin and Cedric Benson all had strong days.

In Crabtree’s case, I was amazed to see a rookie receiver come in and not just catch five passes but play almost every snap. Crabtree’s success is a testament to his conditioning and studying when he was on his own.

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

2009 NFL Regular Season Week Seven

• Texans vs 49ers
• Steelers vs Vikings
• Bengals vs Bears
• Cowboys vs Falcons
• Saints vs Dolphins
• Jets vs Raiders
• Cardinals vs Giants

Regular Season First Six Weeks

• Week One
• Week Two
• Week Three
• Week Four
• Week Five
• Week Six
  

Fantasy Football Regular Season Week Seven Notes:

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.

Austin Goes Wild

For the game Austin had six receptions for 171 yards receiving and two touchdowns. No doubt, Austin is now the true No. 1 receiver on this team and is a scary fantasy football receiver to face.

Look for the Cowboys to continue to make a drive for a wild card spot as they have a good team. This game was a big one for Dallas as they needed to show they could beat a good opponent.

Next week they play the Seahawks at home and should roll to an easy win.

Running Like a Beast

Benson had his revenge on the Bears as he carried the football and amazing 37 times for 189 yards and a touchdown. This was a complete blowout by the Bengals as they crushed the Bears 45 to 10.

Not only did Benson have a great game but quarterback Carson Palmer also had a solid performance as well. On the day Palmer had five touchdown passes as the Bengals had it going from the first quarter to the fourth quarter.

Now, the Bengals are 5-2 and are still a top the AFC Central. After their bye week in week eight they have to play the Ravens and Steelers again.

We will see if they can produce wins against these competitive teams once again this season.

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