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

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

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

2009 NFL Regular Season Week Ten

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

Regular Season First Nine Weeks

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

Fantasy Football Regular Season Week Ten Notes:

Rice and Peterson Dominate

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

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

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

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

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

Johnson goes for 100/100 Game

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

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

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

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

LT’s Not Done Yet

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

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

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

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

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

LT’s Not Done Yet

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

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

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

Donovan McNabb Has 450 Yards Passing

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

From Bad to Worse

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Fantasy Football Ranking for LaDainian Tomlinson

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

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

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

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

This was a big win for whichever team came out on top in this contest. In the end, the San Diego Chargers came into New York and won a close game.

Vincent Jackson Having a Pro Bowl Year

I talked Vincent Jackson up this summer as a receiver that should build on his solid numbers from a year ago. Jackson not only has great strength and size, but he is quick to get down the field.

This combo of size and skill makes Jackson a very attractive No.1 fantasy receiver for fantasy football owners to have.

This season fantasy owners were able to grab Jackson up as a No.2 receiver. Jackson has rewarded fantasy teams with strong play all year, and today he had another solid day.

Jackson had five catches for 58 yards and two touchdowns. The final touchdown came late in the game and help put the team on top 21 to 20 with little time left.

Look for Jackson to continue his strong play the rest of the season as he is truly the top target for the Chargers.

LT is Done

It’s time to say that LaDainian Tomlinson is washed up as a fantasy football running back. In this game Tomlinson had twelve carries for a measly 22 yards.

I would seriously suggest you look for another option in your fantasy roster and keep LT on your bench until he shows more.

Giants Lose Again

After starting the season winning their first five games the Giants have now dropped their last four.

I’m sure this team will turn things around and find a way back into the playoffs come December. Right now this team needs to use their bye week and take a step back and refocus.

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

The Chargers looked to gain ground on the Denver Broncos with a win this week over the Raiders. In the end, San Diego pulled out the win 24 to 16 but this game was closer than one would have figured.

LaDainian Tomlinson Scores Twice

It’s been a long frustrating first half of the season for fantasy football owners that drafted LaDainian Tomlinson. This preseason I was concerned that LT didn’t seem to have an ability to turn on the speed when he it the hole.

This lack of speed has continued into the season and Tomlinson has struggled to produce fantasy points. This week Tomlinson had a good game as he found the end zone two times.

Hopefully, this will help jump start Tomlinson to at least give fantasy owners a respectable second half of the season.

Other than that his days of being a true fantasy stud are long gone as he has too much tread on his tires.

Vincent Jackson Continues To Produce

Chargers No. 1 receiver Vincent Jackson has been a consistent producer for fantasy teams this season. Because of Tomlinson’s continued struggles on the ground, the Chargers have had to throw the football more.

Jackson had eight catches for 103 yards and a touchdown for the game, and I would expect him to continue his success. Look for Jackson to finish as one of the top ten fantasy scoring receivers this season.

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

Last weeks waiver wire was all about the Giants young receivers in Mario Manningham and Steve Smith. This week brings us a new bunch of players that are hot on the waiver wire as injuries are mounting up around the league.

Waivers for the next seven weeks are going to be vitally important to most fantasy owners as they will have all their key players out on bye weeks at different times. This week the Cardinals, Falcons, Eagles and Panthers are all off so you will need to rely on your depth to win.

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

Dolphins- Chad Henne- Bye Week 6

Ok, Chad Henne has not proven a darn thing in this league yet, and he may not be all that great in the end. However, if your desperate for a starting quarterback this week ( if you have Kurt Warner, Eagles quarterback, or Matt Ryan) you could do worse with no quarterback.

Ted Ginn Jr tore up the Bills’ defense last year at home, and maybe he will do it again. In the end, Henne is a starting quarterback, and he should give you some points while your starter is out.

Browns- Derek Anderson- Bye Week 9

It’s getting to that point in time that Derek Anderson will probably see his opportunity to start once again. The Browns pulled Brady Quinn out of last weeks game and outside of Anderson’s interceptions, the coaching staff liked what they saw.

Quinn may get another chance to prove himself this week against the Bengals, but if he should falter in the first half, Anderson will get the call.

49ers- Glen Coffee- Bye Week 6

With Frank Gore out the next two games, rookie runner Glen Coffee makes for an excellent waiver pick up this week. This weekend the 49ers play at home against the Rams and one would have to figure Coffee will have a solid day.

What I like most about Coffee is that the 49ers coaching staff is committed to using him as a feature runner. Last week against the Vikings, Coffee had 22 carries. Look for Coffee to have a fine day for your fantasy football team this week.

Cowboys- Tashard Choice- Bye Week 6

If for some reason, Tashard Choice is still on your waiver wire you should strongly consider picking him up. Marion Barber’s status for this week is up in the air and Felix Jones is out for the next three weeks with a knee injury.

If Choice should get the start he will be a fine play against, the Broncos defense.

Steelers- Rashard Mendenhall- Bye Week 8

Today the Steelers announced that Willie Parker has a turf toe injury. At this point in time, the team is saying he could still play this week against the Chargers. If the team is smart they will hold him out as this injury usually makes runners ineffective.

If a player does not rest on this injury it can bother them for the rest of their career (Hello LaDainian Tomlinson). Look for Rashard Mendenhall to get the bulk of work in the Steelers offense this weekend.

Jaguars- Mike Sims-Walker- Bye Week 7

You might have heard of Mike Sims-Walker before when he didn’t have the Sims attached to his name. In August, Walker changed his name to Sims-Walker in honor of his father passing away from colon cancer last December.

Every week Walker is becoming David Garrard’s go to guy in the passing game. In the past two weeks Walker has had 12 catches for 187 yards and a touchdown. Look for Walker to continue his strong play in the offense as he is now a starter.

This week Walker should continue his success against the Titans poor pass defense (feels weird saying that) and should catch at least another 5 balls.

Titans Nate Washington- Bye Week 7

Nate Washington was slowed up by a hamstring injury week one but has since come back and scored each of the last two weeks. Look for Washington to continue being a factor in the Titans’ offense as he is their new Derrick Mason.

Panthers- Daunte Rosario- Bye Week 4

The Panthers are finally waking up and getting the football to their receiving tight end Daunte Rosario. In the last two games Rosario has had three catches and a touchdown and Jake Delhomme looks comfortable throwing the ball his way.

Carolina is desperate for someone other than Steve Smtih to step up and help in the passing game and Rosario looks like a good fit.

Unfortunately, Rosario is on a bye week this week but all that means is that you can pick him up within the next two weeks.

49ers- 49ers Defense/ Special Teams- Bye Week 6

It’s time to give the 49ers defense it’s do as the team looks like a contender this season. Right now the 49ers are leading the NFC Western division and Mike Singletary has his defense playing some inspiring football.

This defense may always be a risk when they go on the road against a good team but this week they play at home against the Rams. This is a great week to have the 49ers in a pinch.

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

There is a reason why week one is not easy to predict. That reason is because every team is healthy to start the year and everyone has a fresh slate. With new beginnings come the belief that every team feels they have a chance to win.

With that new belief comes close games like the 49ers beating the Cardinals or the Bills taking the Patriots to the wire.

Of course you still have some teams like the Lions and Rams still playing bad football and getting blown out.

Below I have some observations from the first week of the regular season and how I see those points of interest playing out from a fantasy perspective. I also have listed directly below six games I believe we’re worth a closer look.

2009 NFL Regular Season Week One

Steelers vs Titans

Eagles vs Panthers

Cowboys vs Buccaneers

Bears vs Packers

Patriots vs Bills

Chargers vs Raiders

Fantasy Football Week One Regular Season Notes:

Chiefs Hang Tough with Ravens

You would not know the Chiefs stayed with the Ravens by the statistics, but they did play hard all game. If the Chiefs can play with this kind of energy most weeks in 2009 than they might have a decent season.

I will be interested to see if the Chiefs can get Larry Johnson going at home next week against the Raiders.

49ers Beat Cardinals

Some how the 49ers generated a pass rush and did not allow passes down the field all day. In the end San Francisco’s offense was bad, but they did put an 80 yard drive together for a Frank Gore touchdown, when they needed to.

I will be interested to see if Kurt Warner and the Cardinals’ offense continue their struggles against the Jaguars next week. At this point in time, Warner really needs Anquan Boldin and Steve Breaston to get healthy.

Tomlinson Washed Up?

This off season much had been made about LaDainian Tomlinson and if the game had passed him by. Through the spring and summer, I was on board with Tomlinson have a strong comeback. When the preseason came along, I was concerned about how I saw him run the ball.

My opinion on Tomlinson changed completely when Norv Turner held LT out of the third preseason game. Turner noted that Tomlinson was not injured, but he did say he was concerned about him running on turf.

Last year Tomlinson played on turf toe all year, and I was concerned if he did long term damaged to the toe. When he was held out because Turner was “concerned” I believed the toe was still a problem.

In Monday nights game Tomlinson only carried the ball 13 times, and he rolled his ankle in the first half.

This led to Darren Sproles playing full time at the end of the game when the Chargers were making their comeback.

Tomlinson is in no way the best running back in football anymore. At this time, he should be considered a decent No.2 back for your fantasy team.


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

Just like the Patriots vs Bills game, the Chargers were supposed to blow out the Raiders, on Monday Night. However, the Raiders gave the Chargers all they could handle, until they lost the game at the end.

LT Fading?

This off season much had been made about LaDainian Tomlinson and if the game had passed him by. Through the spring and summer, I was on board with Tomlinson have a strong comeback. When the preseason came along, I was concerned about how I saw him run the ball.

My opinion on Tomlinson changed completely when Norv Turner held LT out of the third preseason game. Turner noted that Tomlinson was not injured, but he did say he was concerned about him running on turf.

Last year Tomlinson played on turf toe all year, and I was concerned if he did long term damaged to the toe. When he was held out because Turner was “concerned” I believed the toe was still a problem.

In Monday nights game Tomlinson only carried the ball 13 times, and he rolled his ankle in the first half.

This led to Darren Sproles playing full time at the end of the game when the Chargers were making their comeback.

Tomlinson is in no way the best running back in football anymore. At this time, he should be considered a decent No.2 back for your fantasy team.

Michael Bush Runs Hard

Running backs Darren McFadden and Michael Bush ran the football well all night. Unfortunately, for fantasy owners with McFadden, it looks like Bush will split time.

What hurts McFadden’s fantasy value most is that the Raiders gave Bush the football at the goal line. If Bush continues to receive the carries inside the five, then he may have more fantasy value than McFadden.

Louis Murphy Looks Good

If you are looking for a receiver to pick up this week, Raiders’ rookie Louis Murphy is a decent option. Tonight Murphy had four catches for 87 yards and a touchdown. Murphy also had another touchdown taken away on a bad call.

If Chaz Schilens cannot come back healthy from his foot problem then look for Murphy to be JaMarcus Russell’s top receiver all year.

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