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

Let’s face it, it has been awhile since we could say nice things about the Bengals and their winning ways. Sure, it wasn’t that long ago that Cincinnati went to the playoffs (2005) but it feels like a long time.

This year, the new Cardiac Cats are putting away the demons in the closet and having one of their finest starts in franchise history.

This surge has been led with the strong play from Carson Palmer, Cedric Benson, Chad Ochocinco, the defense and Andre Caldwell’s timely touchdowns.

Who Dey No.1 Receivers

While there was talk that the Bengals defense was getting better this summer, I just didn’t believe they would be strong this season.

So far, the Bengals defense is having a fine season and for my money corner back Jonathan Joseph has all but wrote his ticket to the Pro Bowl this season.

Joseph has been leading the charge in shutting down top receivers all season long. Receivers Greg Jennings, Braylon Edwards and Derrick Mason have been held down without a catch against the Bengals.

Joseph has also held down Santonio Holmes to one catch and in that game had an interception for a touchdown that ignited the Bengals comeback win over the Steelers.

Fellow corner Leon Hall has also tag teamed with Joseph to give this team strong coverage in the secondary.

These young men are playing out of their minds, and I will be interested to see if they can continue this strong play throughout the season.

Comeback Carson

Last season was a horrible one for Palmer. The Bengals leader was out most of the year and almost had to have Tommy John surgery on his throwing arm.

I was a little concerned that he didn’t get the surgery last year because if he had a setback this year he would miss another season.

Fortunately, it looks like the arm is doing just fine, and he is playing some very solid football.

While his fantasy football numbers haven’t been awesome he has been winning games for his team. I would expect this talented quarterback to get in a groove at some point and start putting up better stats.

Cedric Benson is a Beast

It’s time to start Benson every week in your fantasy football league. This running back is getting it done against great defenses and has provided steady fantasy production all year.

Right now, Benson is the leading rusher in the NFL, and he should continue to stay in the top five for most of the season.

Look for Benson to make a run at 1,500 yards and over 10 touchdowns this season.

Bound for the Playoffs

If the Bengals are going to make it to the playoffs, they will need their defense to stay solid. Eventually, I expect opponents to start studying this team more on film and find some weaknesses in what they are doing.

This summer I wrote at the end of my article on the Bengals regular season schedule that hopefully the team would turn it around. My main reason for this was because I didn’t want to see Palmer’s career wasted on a bad team.

So far, they have turned it around, and I will be routing for these Cardiac Cats to continue their run.

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

It’s not surprising to see a team play hard in the open week for the NFL football season. Understanding this, it was not surprising to see the Bengals have a spirited effort against the Broncos to begin the season.

When the team lost the game to a heart breaking touchdown by Brandon Stokley, I figured the Bengals would start the season 0-3. On paper, it only made sense that the Bengals would struggle as they played two playoff contenders in weeks two and three.

To my surprise (and most NFL fans) the Bengals did not fold up and lose their next two games. To see this team go on the road and beat the Packers then come back home and beat the Steelers was impressive.

These victories remind me of the spirited play we saw from this organization back in 2005 when the team won the AFC Northern Division.

Turning Things Around

The Bengals poster child for their turn around from misfits to respectability has to be their feature running back Cedric Benson. This summer I considered Benson a sleeper fantasy back because he was motivated and he ran hard at the end of last season.

Not only did he seem to have a new hop in his step but he was going to be one of few runners this year that would not be in a committee running game.

Benson’s play has been very sound but probably the biggest surprise out of Cincinnati has to be the defensive play.

So for the Bengals defense is 11th overall against the run, 19th against the pass and 13th in points given up. These numbers are a great improvement over previous seasons and Marvin Lewis appears to have his guys playing strong fundamental football.

Beyond those numbers, what impresses me most is their ability to shut down the opposing teams No. 1 receiver.

Against the Packers, Greg Jennings did not even have a catch and last week Santonio Holmes only had one reception. If the defense can stay close to this production, they will be primed to go back to the playoffs.

Taking Care of Business

I will be interested to see if the Bengals put down the Browns early this weekend. I’m sure Cleveland will come out and give this team a spirited fight at home.

Derek Anderson will get the start for the Browns and if the Bengals can apply pressure, it will make for a long day for Cleveland. Anderson is not mobile and is very susceptible to giving up sacks.

If the Bengals win this game they will go to 3-1 and next week they face off against the Baltimore Ravens. That matchup could be for the early lead in the AFC North and it would be fun to see the Bengals start playing in more meaningful games.

Fantasy Football Rankings for Bengal Players

Chad Ochocinco and Cedric Benson are probably the only every week starters in fantasy from this team. Carson Palmer could be but he needs to have stronger stats than he’s posted (not counting the Packers game) so far this season.

The Bengals defense is starting to become fantasy worthy as any team that can shut down the run and the opposing teams top receiver is always intriguing.

Many defenses have bad plays this weekend and the Bengals defense would make for a sneaky play against the Browns.

If the Bengals continue to play strong than fantasy football owners will be smiling all year. Bengal players came cheep this year in fantasy football drafts and your return on investment should be strong.

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

Last week the Bengals lost a heart breaker to the Broncos at the end of the game. This week they had a tall order as they played the Packers, on the road.

Carson Palmer has Four Touchdowns

I expected to see the Bengals fold up and lose this game as they played a team that should go to the playoffs. Unfortunately, for the Packers, Carson Palmer and the Bengals were up to the task of playing good football.

Palmer spread the ball around and threw one touchdown to all three of his top receivers. Chad Ochocinco made the final touchdown catch and delivered on his promise to do the Lambeau leap.

The Bengals quarterback also added a touchdown run of his own, bringing his touchdown total for four on the day.

Cedric Benson Runs Well Again

Last week Cedric Benson had a nice running day against the Broncos and this week he was strong again. In this contest, he had 29 rushes for 141 yards rushing. Expect the Bengals to continue giving Benson the ball twenty plus times a week.

Benson is clearly the feature back on the Bengals, and it looks like he is now the runner we expected to see coming out of Texas.

This running back and the Bengals offense is in line for a very successful fantasy season.

Rodgers Sacked Six Times

Aaron Rodgers was sacked six times (5 by Antwan Odom) and if the Packers are going to make the playoffs, they need better protection. Not only did Rodgers get beat up but top receiver Greg Jennings didn’t get a reception.

Next week the Packers should get back on track against the Rams. Hopefully, fantasy owners will be happy in that game.

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

Last week Adrian Peterson was a total stud as he had 180 rushing and three touchdowns. If you used Peterson last week, it was a good game to use him for the season, as many running backs had down weeks.

While Peterson was strong other runner were more valuable this week like Thomas Jones or Julius Jones. If you happened to start either of these runners, you got great value for the one time you could use them all year.

This week a lot of big name running backs have great matchups but quarterbacks and receiver do not.

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.

Survivor Quarterback Rankings

Studs

• Drew Brees vs @ Eagles
• Aaron Rodgers vs Bengals
• Brett Favre vs @ Lions

Mid Range

• Peyton Manning vs @ Dolphins
• Matt Hasselback vs @ 49ers
• Matt Ryan vs Panthers
• Tom Brady vs @ Jets
• Trent Edwards vs Buccaneers
• Kurt Warner vs @ Jaguars
• Tony Romo vs Giants

Poor Plays

• Ben Roethlisberger vs @ Bears
• Matt Schaub vs @ Titans
• Carson Palmer vs @ Packers
• Jay Cutler vs Steelers

Running Backs

Studs

• Adrian Peterson vs @ Lions
• Frank Gore vs Seahawks
• Clinton Portis vs Rams
• Ryan Grant vs Bengals
• Larry Johnson vs Raiders
• Maurice Jones-Drew vs Cardinals

Mid Range

• Michael Turner vs Panthers
• Brian Westbrook vs Saints
• DeAngelo Williams vs @ Falcons
• Brandon Jacobs vs @ Cowboys
• Marion Barber vs Giants
• Julius Jones vs @ 49ers
  

Poor Plays

• Cedric Benson vs @ Packers
• Matt Forte vs Steelers
• Kevin Smith vs Vikings
• LaDainian Tomlinson vs Ravens
• Steven Jackson vs @ Redskins
• Thomas Jones vs Patriots
  

Wide Receivers

Studs

• Greg Jennings vs Bengals
• Terrell Owens vs Buccaneers
• Lee Evans vs Buccaneers
• Braylon Edwards vs @ Broncos
• Santana Moss vs Rams
• Bernard Berrian vs @ Lions

Mid Range

• Calvin Johnson vs Vikings
• Marques Colston vs @ Eagles
• Roy Williams vs Giants
• Steve Smith vs @ Falcons
• Chad Ochocinco vs @ Packers
• Reggie Wayne vs @ Dolphins
• Larry Fitzgerald vs @ Jaguars
• Dwayne Bowe vs Raiders
• Randy Moss vs @ Jets

Poor Plays

• Andre Johnson vs @ Titans
• Vincent Jackson vs Ravens

Tight Ends

Studs

• John Carlson vs @ 49ers
• Chris Cooley vs Rams
• Visanthe Shancoe vs @ Lions
• Zach Miller vs @ Chiefs

Mid Range

• Jason Witten vs Giants
• Dustin Keller vs Patriots
• Jeremy Shockey vs @ Eagles
• Kellen Winslow vs @ Bills
• Dallas Clark vs @ Dolphins

Poor Plays

• Owen Daniels vs @ Titans
• Antonio Gates vs Ravens
• Ben Watson vs @ Jets

Kickers

Studs

• Nick Folk vs Giants
• Ryan Longwell vs @ Lions
• Joe Nedney vs Seahawks
• Rob Bironas vs Texans
• Stephin Gostkowski- @ Jets

Mid Range

• Ryan Succop vs Raiders
• Steven Hauschka vs @ Chargers
• Nate Kaeding vs Ravens
• Matt Prater vs Browns
• Josh Scobee vs Cardinals

Poor Plays

• Mason Crosby vs Bengals (Injured)

Defense/ Special Teams

Studs

• Vikings vs @ Lions
• Steelers vs @ Bears
• Redskins vsRams

Mid Range

• Giants vs @ Cowboys
• Cowboys vs Giants
• Steelers vs @ Bears
• Bears vs Steelers
• Packers vs Bengals
• Ravens vs @ Chargers
• Chargers vs Ravens
• Titans vs Texans

Poor Plays

• Dolphins vs Colts
• 49ers vs Seahawks
• Jets vs Patriots

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

Week one of the fantasy football schedule is already behind us. Hopefully, your fantasy team got off to a good start to begin the year.

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 40 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 Warrior’s

Donovan McNabb vs Saints – McNabb has missed practice on Wednesday and Thursday, so far this week. At this point in time, it looks like he will be a scratch. Even if he can play, the Eagles will probably run the ball and throw short passes.

Matt Cassel vs Raiders- Right now I hope you have a better option than Cassel on your team to start. However, he should make players like Dwayne Bowe more valuable, when he’s on the field.

At this point in time, it looks like Cassel may in fact play, so hopefully we can expect better production from Bowe and Larry Johnson.

Kyle Orton vs Browns- Orton is still wearing padded protection in his injured finger. Eddie Royal and Brandon Marshall may suffer a bit, while Orton is recovering. At the same time, all three players should have opportunities for success this week.

LaDainian Tomlinson vs Ravens- Tomlinson has missed practice both days this week. Right now he is wearing a protective boot on his injured ankle. Even if LT does play this week he is a poor bet for production against Baltimore.

If you have other options to start, I would bench Tomlinson this week.

Pierre Thomas vs @ Eagles- Thomas has been practicing with a heavy knee brace and his status for this week is up in the air.

Thomas did say on his twitter that he is ready to go for this week. This is a good sign, but even if he does it will probably be in a limited role.

Antonio Bryant vs @ Bills- Bryant makes for a bad play this week as he is still recovering from knee surgery. Last week he pulled himself out of the game. Look for other options this week.

Anquan Boldin vs @ Jaguars- Boldin said his hamstring is much better than last week, but it is still not 100%. Unless you have a deep receiving core, I would suggest you keep Boldin in the lineup.

T.J. Houshmandzadeh vs @ 49ers- Housh is listed as probable this week with back and rib issues. He should be fine for the game as the Seahawks and 49ers fight for first place in the division.

Brandon Marshall vs Browns- Marshall is not listed on the injury report. This is a good sign, but he will still need some time to get into playing shape. If you have good depth you might consider benching him until he proves he’s back.

Jeremy Shockey vs @ Eagles- Shockey was limited on Thursday’s practice with an ankle issue. However, he is not expected to miss the game and should be a decent start this week.

Quarterback

• 1. Aaron Rodgers- Bengals
• 2. Drew Brees- @ Eagles
• 3. Peyton Manning- @ Dolphins
• 4. Tom Brady- @ Jets
• 5. Matt Hasselbeck- @ 49ers
• 6. Kurt Warner- @ Jaguars
• 7. Tony Romo- Giants
• 8. Ben Roethlisberger- @ Bears
• 9. Philip Rivers- Ravens
• 10. Carson Palmer @ Packers
• 11. Matt Ryan- Panthers
• 12. Joe Flacco- @ Chargers
• 13. Trent Edwards- Buccaneers
• 14. Brett Favre- @ Lions
• 15. Brady Quinn- @ Broncos
• 16. Donovan McNabb- Saints (Not Likely to Play)
  

Running Backs

• 1. Adrian Peterson- @ Lions
• 2. Maurice Jones-Drew- Cardinals
• 3. Chris Johnson- Texans
• 4. Frank Gore- Seahawks
• 5. Ryan Grant- Bengals
• 6. DeAngelo Williams- @ Falcons
• 7. Michael Turner- Panthers
• 8. Clinton Portis- Rams
• 9. Brian Westbrook- Saints
• 10. Larry Johnson- Raiders
• 11. Ronnie Brown- Colts
• 12. Marion Barber- Giants
• 13. Ray Rice- @ Chargers
• 14. Brandon Jacobs- @ Cowboys
• 15. Darren McFadden- @ Chiefs
• 16. Matt Forte- Steelers
• 17. Fred Jackson- Buccaneers
• 18. Steve Slaton- @ Titans
• 19. Steven Jackson- @ Redskins
• 20. Cedric Benson- @ Packers
• 21. Kevin Smith- Vikings
• 22. Leon Washington- Patriots
• 23. Julius Jones- @ 49ers
• 24. Thomas Jones- Patriots
• 25. Mike Bell- @ Eagles
• 26. Tim Hightower- @ Jaguars
• 27. Michael Bush- @ Chiefs
• 28. LaDainian Tomlinson- Ravens (Check Injury Report)
• 29. Darren Sproles- Ravens
• 30. Carnell “Cadillac” Williams- @ Bills

Wide Receivers

• 1.Greg Jennings- Bengals
  
• 2. Randy Moss- @ Jets
  
• 3. Reggie Wayne- @ Dolphins
  
• 4. Larry Fitzgerald- @ Jaguars
  
• 5. Calvin Johnson- Vikings
  
• 6. Terrell Owens- Buccaneers
  
• 7. Marques Colston- @ Eagles
  
• 8. Dwayne Bowe- Raiders
  
• 9. Steve Smith- @ Falcons
  
• 10. Andre Johnson- @ Titans
  
• 11. Roy Williams- Giants
  
• 12. Chad Ochocinco- @ Packers
  
• 13. Anquan Boldin- @ Jaguars (Check Injury Report)
  
• 14. Braylon Edwards- @ Broncos
  
• 15. Justin Gage- Texans
  
• 16. Santonio Holmes- @ Bears
  
• 17. Eddie Royal- Browns
  
• 18. Wes Welker- @ Jets (Check Injury Report)
  
• 19. Hines Ward- @ Bears
  
• 20. Lee Evans- Buccaneers
  
• 21. DeSean Jackson- Saints (Check Injury Report)
  
• 22. T.J. Houshmandzadeh- @ 49ers
  
• 23. Vincent Jackson- Ravens
  
• 24. Derrick Mason- @ Chargers
  
• 25. Brandon Marshall- Browns
  
• 26. Donald Driver- Bengals
  
• 27. Devin Hester- Steelers
  
• 28. Bernard Berrian- @ Lions
  
• 29. Josh Morgan- Seahawks
  
• 30. Torry Holt- Cardinals
  
• 31. Nate Burlson- @ 49ers
  
• 32. Santana Moss- Rams
  
• 33. Davone Bess- Colts
  
• 34. Lance Moore- @ Eagles
  
• 35. Jericho Cotchery- Patriots
  
• 36. Earl Bennett- Steelers
  
• 37. Mark Clayton- @ Chargers
  
• 38. Patrick Crayton- Giants
  
• 39. Louis Murphey- @ Chiefs
  
• 40. Ted Ginn Jr.- Colts
  

Tight Ends

• 1. Tony Gonzalez – Panthers
  
• 2. John Carlson- @ 49ers
  
• 3. Jason Witten- Giants
  
• 4. Dallas Clark- @ Dolphins
  
• 5. Antonio Gates- Ravens
  
• 6. Jeremy Shockey- @ Eagles (Check Injury Report)
  
• 7. Chris Cooley- Rams
  
• 8. Dustin Keller- Patriots
  
• 9. Greg Olsen- Steelers
  
• 10.Vernon Davis- Seahawks
  
• 11. Ben Watson- @ Jets (Check Injury Report)
  
• 12. Visanthe Shiancoe- @ Lions
  
• 13. Brent Celek- Saints
  
• 14. Zach Miller- @ Chiefs
  
• 15. Kellen Winslow- @ Bills
  
• 16. Owen Daniels- @ Titans
  

Kickers

• 1. Rob Bironas- Texans
  
• 2. Nick Folk- Giants
  
• 3. Stephin Gostkowski- @ Jets
  
• 4. Ryan Longwell- @ Lions
  
• 5. Nate Kaeding- Ravens
  
• 6. Niel Rackers- @ Jaguars
  
• 7. Lawrence Tynes- @ Cowboys
  
• 8. Josh Scobee- Cardinals
  
• 9. Kris Brown- @ Titans
  
• 10. Robbie Gould- Steelers
  
• 11. Matt Prater- Browns
  
• 12. Joe Nedney- Seahawks
  
• 13. Steven Hauschka- @ Chargers
  
• 14. Mason Crosby- Bengals (Check Injury Report)
  
• 15. Ryan Succop- Raiders
  
• 16. David Akers- Saints
  

Defense/ Special Teams

• 1. Vikings- @ Lions
  
• 2. Steelers- @ Bears
  
• 3. Redskins- Rams
  
• 4. Falcons- Panthers
  
• 5. Giants- @ Cowboys
  
• 6. Titans- Texans
  
• 7. Cowboys- Giants
  
• 8. Packers- Bengals
  
• 9. Ravens- @ Chargers
  
• 10. Patriots- @ Jets
  
• 11. 49ers- Seahawks
  
• 12. Colts- @ Dolphins
  
• 13. Cardinals- @Jaguars
  
• 14. Bills- Buccaneers
  
• 15. Chargers- Ravens
  
• 16. Raiders- @ Chiefs
  

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

It’s that time of the year again for survivor fantasy football and fantasy-info.com has their rankings for the first week of the year. Some of you may not start a survivor league until the second week of the year but for those of you that do this article is for you.

This year we will be writing an article for every week of the survivor fantasy season. Below we have our rankings split into three sections, and they are studs, mid range and poor plays.

We hope these rankings help you choose those stud players you need this week for a successful start to the 2009 survivor fantasy season.

Oh, and just a friendly reminder for those that are new to a survivor league, you usually only get to use a player one time for the season. So if you choose a stud like Adrian Peterson this week, you won’t be able to use him again.

Survivor Quarterback Rankings

Studs

• Drew Brees vs Lions
• Kurt Warner vs 49ers
• Philip Rivers vs @Raiders
• Matt Hasselbeck vs @Rams

Mid Range

• Carson Palmer vs Broncos
• Matt Ryan vs Dolphins
• Marc Bulger vs Seahawks
• Tom Brady vs Bills
• Donovan McNabb vs @ Panthers

Poor Plays

• Matt Schaub vs Jets
• Big Ben vs Titans
• Aaron Rodgers vs @ Bears
• Tony Romo vs @ Buccaneers
• Jay Cutler vs Packers

Survivor Running Back Rankings

Studs

• Adrian Peterson vs @ Browns
• LaDainian Tomlinson vs @Raiders
• Frank Gore vs @ Cardinals
• Steven Jackson vs Seahawks
• DeAngelo Williams vs Eagles
• Maurice Jones Drew vs Colts (Check Injury Report)
• Pierre Thomas vs Lions (Check Injury Report)

Mid Range

• Cedric Benson vs Broncos
• Thomas Jones vs @ Texans
• Julius Jones vs @ Rams
• Michael Turner vs Dolphins

Poor Plays

• Matt Forte vs Packers
• Larry Johnson vs @ Ravens
• Chris Johnson vs @ Steelers
• Marion Barber vs @ Buccaneers
• Clinton Portis vs @ Giants
• Brandon Jacobs vs Redskins
• Darren McFadden vs Chargers
• Steve Slaton vs Jets

Survivor Wide Receiver Rankings

Studs

• T.J. Houshmandzadeh vs @ Rams
• Larry Fitzgerald vs 49ers
• Anquan Boldin vs 49ers
• Calvin Johnson vs @ Saints
• Marques Colston vs Lions
• Roddy White vs Dolphins
• Bernard Berrian vs @ Browns (Check Injury Report)
• Donnie Avery vs Seahawks (Check Injury Report)

Mid Range

• DeSean Jackson vs @Panthers
• Derrick Mason vs Chiefs
• Ted Ginn Jr. vs @ Falcons
• Josh Morgan vs @ Cardinals
• Terrell Owens vs @ Patriots
• Jerricho Cotchery vs @ Texans
• Chad Ochocinco vs Broncos
• Vincent Jackson vs @ Raiders
• Randy Moss vs Bills
• Reggie Wayne vs Jaguars

Poor Plays

• Dwayne Bowe vs @ Ravens
• Torry Holt vs @ Colts
• Antonio Bryant vs Cowboys
• Steve Smith vs Eagles
• Greg Jennings vs @ Bears
• Santana Moss vs @ Giants
• Andre Johnson @ Jets

Survivor Tight End Rankings

Studs

• Antonio Gates vs @ Raiders
• Tony Gonzalez vs Dolphins
• John Carlson vs @ Rams
• Dustin Keller vs @ Texans
• Visanthe Shiancoe vs @ Browns
• Jeremy Shockey vs Lions

Mid Range

• Vernon Davis vs @ Cardinals
• Dallas Clark vs Jaguars
• Brent Celek vs @ Panthers

Poor Plays

• Kellen Winslow vs Cowboys
• Jason Witten vs @ Buccaneers
• Bo Scaife vs @ Steelers
• Heath Miller vs Titans
• Greg Olsen vs Packers
• Chris Cooley vs @ Giants
• Kevin Boss vs Redskins

Survivor Kicker Rankings

Studs

• Josh Brown vs Seahawks
• Nick Kaeding vs @ Raiders
• David Akers vs @ Panthers
• John Kasey vs Eagles
• Niel Rackers vs 49ers

Mid Range

• Nick Folk vs @ Buccaneers
• Kris Brown vs Jets
• Mason Crosby vs @ Bears
• Robbie Gould vs Packers
• Stephin Ghostkowski vs Bills
• Rob Bironas vs @ Steelers
• Joe Nedney vs @ Cardinals

Survivor Defense/ST Rankings

Studs

• Baltimore vs Chiefs
• San Diego vs @ Raiders
• Minnesota vs @ Browns

Mid Range

• New England vs Bills
• Pittsburgh vs Titans
• New York Giants vs Redskins
• Washington vs @ Giants

Poor Plays

• Miami vs @ Falcons
• New York Jets vs @ Texans
• Philadelphia vs @ Panthers
• Green Bay vs @ Bears
• Chicago vs Packers
• Tennessee vs @ Steelers

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

2009 Mock Draft- August Auction Draft Cheat Sheet for Fantasy Football

September Auction Mock Draft Board

With the fantasy football season starting in just a short while from now I thought it would be a good idea to have one last mock draft for auction league play. This mock is for all of you fantasy football owners that like drafting your team as close to the start of the season as possible. Below I have a link to our mock drafts for standard league play from August. If you like you can click on the link and see where different players have gone as the season has drawn closer. After the monthly mock draft postings, I have selected a few points of interest that I wanted to talk about. August Auction League Mock Draft Board Over Paying Early in the Draft The first time I selected to talk about drafted Adrian Peterson (80 dollars) and Michael Turner (65 dollars). This draft was a standard 200 dollar budget and when a fantasy owner drafts two players for 145 dollars you end up with the starting lineup below. QB.- Tom Brady RB.- Adrian Peterson RB.- Michael Turner WR.- Ted Ginn Jr. WR.- Steve Breaston Flex.-Josh Morgan TE.- Kellen Winslow K.- Robbie Gould D.- Panthers BN.- Ricky Williams BN.- Bobby Engram BN.- Jerious Norwood BN.- Mushin Muhammed BN.- Kevin Boss BN.- Glen Coffee BN.- Jake Delhomme Outside of his running backs and Tom Brady (38 dollars) this team will suffer at receiver and the depth of the team is not strong. I would definitely say that this team is one of an inexperience fantasy owner.

No doubt the team above is an extreme example of what can happen if you spend a lot of money on just a few players.

Finding Solid Balance

While the team above was spend happy early on, I noticed another team in our mock draft that did a good job of waiting for good buys and spreading his wealth out. Below is a good example of what can happen when you spend reasonably at your draft.

QB.- Matt Schaub
RB.- Marion Barber
RB.- Kevin Smith
WR.-Marques Colston
WR.-Vincent Jackson
Flex.-Derrick Ward
TE.- Jason Witten
K.- David Akers
D.- Steelers

BN.- LenDale White
BN.- Chad Ochocinco
BN.- Donovan McNabb
BN.- Knowshon Moreno
BN.- Cedric Benson
BN.- Ben Roethlisberger
BN.- Fred Taylor

The only problem I have with this team is that they don’t have a great game breaking talent at running back. Sure Barber, Smith, Ward, Moreno and McFadden are all good talents but it’s always nice to have that one player that can go off at any time. Maybe McFadden or Moreno can be that runner for this team.

Other than a great playmaker this team is loaded with talent up and down the list as they had the most balanced team of all ten fantasy owners in the draft.

Auction Draft Wrap Up

After all is said and done, in fantasy football you can draft a good team and having solid depth always helps. But if your key players get injured and your team is one of the highest teams scored against in your head to head leagues, than your in trouble.

Of the two teams listed above I would say that the second one has the best chance to go through the injuries and make it to the playoffs in their respective fantasy league. The first team mentioned had best hope that Peterson, Turner or Brady don’t go down to injury or they are finished.

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

Fantasy Football Information: Strategy for Bye Weeks

If you’ve played fantasy football for a few years, by now you’ve probably experienced the embarrassing moment at your fantasy football draft when you look down at the end of the draft and find out your backup is on the same bye week as your stud player.

What good does it do you to have a backup that you only intended to use one time and now you can’t use him? With this sheet for the 2009 NFL Bye Weeks you now have a quick reference at your draft to use so that you don’t accidentally draft Chad Pennington as your backup to your stud fantasy quarterback Peyton Manning.

Below we have selected one player for every bye week and offer you an option for success during your fantasy star players bye week.

Week 4: Football Teams on Bye Weeks- Falcons, Eagles, Panthers and Cardinals

Fantasy Info: When Michael Turner, DeAngelo Williams, Jonathon Stewart or Brian Westbrook are off use Julius Jones on your fantasy football team.

Week 4 marks the first week of the season that fantasy football owners have to start concerning themselves about bye weeks (thank goodness bye weeks aren’t all season long like 10 years ago). Right off the bat we have major runners that are on bye weeks.

For all of you that own these star runners listed above look for Julius Jones as a very nice option in week four of the season. Jones is not a great fantasy player and really has not been since his rookie season. But he can provide a spark and early in the season is when he tends to shine brightest, in the past few seasons.

Week 4 Julius gets a golden opportunity when he goes to Indianapolis and gets to run against the Colts woefully bad run defense. The Colts are particularly bad against runners that are good “slash and dash” type runners. Look for Julius to have one of his few really good games of the year in this week.

Week 5: Football Teams on Bye Weeks- Bears, Packers, Saints, Chargers

Fantasy Info: When Drew Brees, Aaron Rodgers, Jay Cutler and Phillip Rivers are on bye weeks for your fantasy football team use Brett Favre.

Yes I know I’m jumping the gun on Favre but lets face it Brett is a Viking. Once Brett Favre signs with the Vikings they will be right with the Giants and Cardinals as favorites to make the Super Bowl from the NFC.

While Brett Favre’s days of being a fantasy football star a gone he still is a good option in spots and probably will have a stretch where the Vikings will need to lean on him to win games via the pass. Week 5 is a good week to role the dice on Brett Favre, Bernard Berrian, Sidney Rice and Visanthe Shiancoe as the play the Rams in St. Louis.

Week 6: Cowboys, Colts, Dolphins, 49ers

Fantasy Info: When Marion Barber, Ronnie Brown, Frank Gore, Joseph Addai are on bye weeks use Cedric Benson on your fantasy football team.

Lets face it Texas Longhorn fans Benson’s career up to this point has been a horrible failure. But I do like the way he finished the season last year and he is now going the be the Bengals feature back this year.

Fantasy football owners are probably going to slide on all Bengal players this year as they have lost trust in this team. From Chad Ochocinco’s clowning around to Carson Palmer’s arm, it is hard to pull the trigger on players in Cincinnati. But in week 6, Cedric Benson gets a very nice match up against the Houston Texans and should do well for your fantasy football teams.

Week 7: Baltimore, Broncos, Lions, Jaguars, Seahawks, Titans

When Ray Rice, Le’Ron McClain, Kevin Smith, Knowshon Moreno, Maurice Jones-Drew and Chris Johnson are on bye weeks use Jamal Lewis for your fantasy football team.

Ok, I know I’ve used a lot of examples for running backs but lets face it runners are the heart and sole of just about every fantasy football team around. It’s not as hard to take a flair shot on a receiver or passing offense that has a hot hand, but it does take a little more sometimes to maintain a good running game. In the end their is a reason we all draft running backs so high at our respective fantasy drafts and that is because when they are gone they are gone.

Moving forward Jamal Lewis and the Cleveland Browns are in a similar situation as the Bengals. Fantasy football owners lost trust in this team and their ability’s to help a fantasy team. But Jamal is still a good option in spots and week 7 is one of those weeks that Lewis will be worth stashing on your team, as your top backup runner.

Week seven Jamal Lewis gets to face the Green Bay Packers and their bad run defense. True the Packers did draft a defensive tackle with the 9th pick overall at the NFL draft in B.J. Raji, but at this point in time Raji may not even start.

If it is true that Raji is not going to start and will just rotate in a defensive package, I will consider him a potential early bust draft pick. Either way the Packers have a lot to prove as far as stopping the run after finishing 26th against the run last year. Use Lewis and expect a fine week as your fantasy stud runner(s) are off on a bye week.

Week 8: Bengals, Chiefs, Patriots, Steelers, Buccaneers, Redskins

Fantasy Info: Chad Ochocinco, Lavernious Coles, Dwayne Bowe, Randy Moss, Wes Welker, Hines Ward, Santonio Holmes, Antonio Bryant and Santana Moss are on bye weeks use Michael Jenkins or Mushin Muhammed.

Since their are so many fantasy football receivers out on bye weeks in week 8 I choose two different receivers to keep in mind at this point of the season. Michael Jenkins is now the third option on the Falcons in the passing game behind Roddy White and tight end Tony Gonzalez. But in week 8 the Falcons will have a major shoot out against the New Orleans Saints and Marques Coltson.

In a game like this I like Jenkins as the Falcons will play a secondary that is just not very good and Matt Ryan should make them pay all day. Look for Jenkins as a nice option in this key game for both teams.

Mushin Muhammed and the Carolina Panthers have had this week circled on their calendar since the NFL schedule came out. This is the week they will look to get some revenge against the Arizona Cardinals. Look for Jake Delhomme and the boys to show they are much, much better then the way they played this team in the playoffs.

Week 9: Bills, Vikings, Jets, Raiders and Rams

Fantasy Info: When Marshawn Lynch, Adrain Peterson, Thomas Jones, Darren McFadden and Steven Jackson are on bye weeks use Willie Parker for your fantasy football team.

In the coming days I will be writing an article about Willie and why he is just not a fantasy starter for your fantasy football team every week. But in week 9 he makes for a very good start as key fantasy stars will be on bye weeks.

The Steelers will play the Denver Broncos and Parker should be able to run well over 100 yards in this game. He may even break you a long touchdown run as the Broncos are a very bad defense and that won’t change in 2009.

Week 10: Texans, Giants

Fantasy Info: When Andre Johnson, Kevin Walter, Steve Slaton, Matt Schaub and Brandon Jacobs are on bye weeks use Marc Bulger, Earl Bennett or Fred Taylor.

Since this week only has two teams on bye weeks I felt is was a good week to recommend one quarterback, running back and receiver for you to use. In some ways this might be the most important week for bye weeks in head to head leagues. The reason being is that there is a good chance you will be playing a fantasy football owner that is fully done with their respective bye weeks and you will have to face them at full strength.

You on the other hand would be down one or two of your key stars and this gives your opponent a clear advantage.

Marc Bulger is the kind of quarterback that probably makes everyone in fantasy football throw up and that includes Rams fans. But in Marc’s defense he has suffered mostly from and very bad offensive line the last three seasons. Sure some of the reason was because of injury, but the long and short of this situation is that Rams o-line is better.

In week 10 Marc gets a very good opportunity as the Rams face the New Orleans Saints. In a game like this is when Marc should have some time to throw the ball and his young talented receivers can take advantage of the Saints sorry secondary.

For receiver help I have selected Chicago Bears receiver Earl Bennett as a good option in week 10. Earl may be even more valuable then just week 10 as he faces from week 4 through week 10 the schedule below.

week 4 – Lions
week 5- bye week
week 6- at Falcons
week 7- at Bengals
week 8- Browns
week 9- Cardinals
week 10- at 49ers

All of those options (week 5 excluded of course) are good option for using Earl as a starting receiver. This makes Bennett probably the best receiver in the league (schedule wise) to count on as a backup receiver on your fantasy football team.

Fred Taylor is the runner I selected as a good backup option in week 10 as the Patriots face their arch rivals in the Indianapolis Colts. Obviously by this point of the season you will probably have a good idea how the Patriots will use their hand full of running backs.

But in my opinion New England did not bring in Fred for nothing and I do believe he will receive the largest bulk of the running load on the team for 2009. Fred has a history of shredding the Colts when he played with the Jaguars, so look for Taylor to be used in a big way as this match up kicks off.

Hope fully this information has been helpful for you. Also just so everyone knows the fantasy-info.com team will be bringing information every week during the season on pickup and starting options for your fantasy football team. So if you have any questions or concerns feel free and come back to the fantasy-info site and get the info you need.

We also have a blog talk radio show that we run every Friday night at 9:30 pm pacific coast time. Feel free to call in and as any questions you may have as well.

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

In a recent article I posted on Andre Smith and the Bengals I discussed the importance of an offensive line working together. The main idea of the piece was that all success in an offense starts up front with the offensive line.

When an offensive line runs like a well oiled machine, an offense is always going to be setup to succeed on the football field. But when an o-line is not maintained, you leave open the possibility’s to have failure.

Failures up front can happen in different ways, for example a line suffer injurys (Rams o-line last couple of years) or they can have a quarterback that holds onto the ball to long and is immobile (Chiefs before Tyler Thigpen).

While an offensive line can always suffer unfortunate hardships they can build one common bond together over time. That bond is called “chemistry” and it only comes when you have played together over time.

Major Changes on the Offensive Line

Before I get into the Bills major over haul on the offensive line I would like to stack up what they had on the line last year and what they have this year.

Fantasy Info- The Buffalo Bills Offensive Line Change

From the information listed above it is easy to see that the Buffalo Bills offensive line has gone through a MAJOR overhaul this off-season. With so much change, a fantasy football owner can only have concern that the Bills star players may have problems this season.

It’s hard enough to have two rookies on the offensive line in one season, but to have two more in different positions is killer. Throw in a backup center from another team and you have your self a problem.

Can Buffalo Players Excel for your Fantasy Team?

Let me get this out of the way right now, Terrell Owens is the only player you should select in your first seven round or so of your fantasy draft.

This season Marshawn Lynch is going to start the year with a three game suspension and Fred Jackson will take his place. When the news came down that Lynch would miss time I thought it was a good opportunity to start Jackson on fantasy teams for the first month.

But with chemistry and timing issues on the line and the fact that they play the Patriots, Buccaneers, Saints and Dolphins, he is going to have a hard time. Maybe you can start Fred against the Saints, but I caution you that the Saints strength as a defense is against the run.

If the Bills are going to find success this year, the Buffalo offensive line had best be good at protecting Trent Edwards.

While I like Trent as a quarterback there was a reason he slipped into the third round of the NFL draft in 2007 and that was because of injuries. Last season Trent was sacked only 23 times in 14 games.

What that should tell fantasy owners is that in only 23 sacks, Trent had to miss two games due to injury. What will happen if he has to suffer lets say 35 or even 40 sacks this year?

If Trent goes down the Bills will now have to rely on Bengals reject (it’s hard for me to write this guys name without becoming physically ill) Ryan Fitzpatrick or Matt Baker (zero snaps in the NFL).

It is clear to see that the Bills can not lose Edwards for anytime if they hope to make a run at the playoffs. It is also very clear that if you draft any players on the Bills this year in fantasy, you better hope that Edwards stays healthy.

Just look at what Fitzpatrick did to Chad Ochocinco and TJ Houshmanzada after Carson Palmer went down. Both of those receivers went into fantasy obscurity and the Bengals had a horrible season.

A Closer Look at the Buffalo Bills Offense

Just a couple of days ago I wrote a piece on how I believed Terrell Owens would shine for the Bills this season. While I still believe that Owens does make those around him better, he can not block for the offensive line and can’t heal an injury for his quarterback.

If the line should struggle and Edwards is hurt then Owens will have his value fall maybe even low then when Tony Romo was out last year. For those scoring at home that would mean TO would not even be worth a starting role on your fantasy team.

In closing it blows my mind that the Bills could be this irresponsible in having so much turnover on the offensive line, in one season. Not only do you have a new player starting in each position but three of those five are playing a new position.

Reports out of Buffalo are that the line is ready to prove all their doubters wrong and they will be fine for the season. That is to be expected as I’ve never seen a team in sports that put their up coming season projections in a bad light.

Unfortunately the reality here is that even if the Bills linemen do turn things around this year and do well, it is still going to take time to “jell” as an offensive unit. In all that time it takes to find chemistry they will be playing six games against Bill Parcels (Dolphins), Brian Belichick (Patriots) and Rex Ryan (Jets). Not Good!!!

Sean E. Douglas: fantasy-info.com