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

MJD Headlines Win

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

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

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

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

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

Thomas Jones has Decent Day

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

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

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

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

What a game it was between Chris Johnson and Maurice Jones-Drew last weekend. Both running backs had at least 175 yards rushing and both had two touchdowns of 50 yards or more.

This week Ryan Grant won’t have that kind of success, but he should have one of his best games of the season. With Packers’ quarterback Aaron Rodgers playing on a bad foot the Pack will probably lean a bit more on their running game to beat the Buccaneers.

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.

Quarterbacks

Studs

• Peyton Manning vs Texans
• Tom Brady vs Dolphins
• Drew Brees vs Panthers

Mid Range

• Donovan McNabb vs Cowboys
• Aaron Rodgers @ Buccaneers (Banged Up)
• Matt Ryan vs Redskins
• Matt Schaub @ Colts
• David Garrard vs Chiefs

Poor Plays

• Carson Palmer vs Ravens

Running Backs

Studs

• Maurice Jones-Drew vs Chiefs
• Ryan Grant @ Buccaneers
• Joseph Addai vs Texans
• Kevin Smith @ Seahawks

Mid Range

• Chris Johnson @ 49ers
• DeAngelo Williams @ Saints
• Frank Gore vs Titans
• Pierre Thomas vs Panthers

Poor Plays

• LaDainian Tomlinson @ Giants
• Brian Westbrook vs Cowboys (Injured)

Wide Receivers

Studs

• Devin Hester vs Cardinals
• Randy Moss vs Dolphins
• Reggie Wayne vs Texans
• Dwayne Bowe @ Jaguars
• Nate Burleson vs Lions
• DeSean Jackson vs Cowboys

Mid Range

• Greg Jennings @ Buccaneers
• Larry Fitzgerald @ Bears
• Andre Johnson @ Colts
• Roddy White vs Redskins
• Marques Colston vs Panthers
• Miles Austin @ Eagles
• Vincent Jackson @ Giants
• Michael Crabtree vs Titans

Poor Plays

• Anquan Boldin @ Bears (May Not Play)

Tight Ends

Studs

• Dallas Clark vs Texans
• Vernon Davis vs Titans
• Brent Celek vs Cowboys

Mid Range

• Antonio Gates @ Giants
• Jason Witten @ Eagles
• Jeremy Shockey vs Panthers

Kickers

Studs

• Mason Crosby @ Buccaneers
• Stephin Gostkowski vs Dolphins
• Rob Bironas @ 49ers
• Joe Nedney vs Titans

Mid Range

• Nick Folk @ Eagles
• David Akers vs Cowboys
• Jason Elam vs Redskins
• Shayne Graham vs Ravens
• Robbie Gould vs Cardinals

Defense/ ST

Studs

• Packers @ Buccaneers
• Falcons vs Redskins

Mid Range

• 49ers vs Titans
• Seahawks vs Lions
• Jaguars vs Chiefs

Poor Plays

• Cowboys @ Eagles
• Broncos vs Steelers
• Ravens @ Bengals

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

This week was all about Brett Favre and his return to Lambeau field. Favre played an almost flawless game against his former team as he led the Vikings to victory with four touchdown passes.

Minnesota now has a commanding lead in the division and should steam roll their way to a division title. What the Vikings need to do now is win home field advantage over the undefeated New Orleans Saints.

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

2009 NFL Regular Season Week Eight

Ravens vs Broncos
Texans vs Bills
Bears vs Browns
Colts vs 49ers
Eagles vs Giants
Rams vs Lions
Titans vs Jaguars
Vikings vs Packers
Panthers vs Cardinals
Chargers vs Raiders

Regular Season First Seven Weeks

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

Fantasy Football Regular Season Week Eight Notes:

MJD and Chris Johnson Run Wild

Titans star runner Chris Johnson and Jaguars star runner Maurice Jones-Drew both had huge performances in this game.

Johnson totaled 24 carries for 228 yards rushing and the two touchdowns. This was a big game for a running back that had not accomplished much for fantasy owners since his huge game against the Texans week two.

Johnson ran his team to their first victory and looks primed to have a big second half of the fantasy football season.

Jones-Drew had 177 yards rushing on only eight carries for the entire game. The two touchdown runs were of distances of 79 yards and 80 yards.

Drew is fast becoming a top three pick for next year’s fantasy football drafts as he is proving he can handle the feature duties in Jacksonville.

The only thing we need to see from Drew now is if he can finish the season strong and hold up physically. If he continues to produce like he did today with only eight carries than he will do just fine.

Donovan McNabb has Great Game

The Eagles pro bowl quarterback Donovan McNabb came out firing as he torched the Giants secondary for three touchdowns on the day.

McNabb has been helped by emerging stars in receiver DeSean Jackson and tight end Brent Celek. Both pass catchers are having fabulous seasons and should be started every week.

Another receiver that is coming on of late is rookie Jeremy Maclin. Maclin may not be an every week starter, but he will have games like this week where he posts a big touchdown score.

All these weapons give McNabb the tools he needs to be an explosive fantasy football quarterback for your team.

Look for the Eagles to be the front runners for the division title as they make a strong run for a Super Bowl appearance.

49ers Impress On All Fronts

The 49ers may have dropped their third game in a row, but it is clear to see that this team is much improved over years past.

Quarterback Alex Smith is taking strides to actually becoming the quality quarterback the 49ers drafted him to be.

Smith’s number wouldn’t blow you away, but he did have 199 yards passing and found his favorite target in Vernon Davis for a touchdown.

Michael Crabtree had another strong performance as he totaled six receptions for 81 yards receiving. At this time, Crabtree is worth starting in PPR fantasy football leagues as he is a reception beast.

Frank Gore got things going again with a nice 64-yard touchdown run early in the game. Look for Gore to continue to stay hot as we move ahead as he now seems to be fully healthy from his ankle issue.

The 49ers defense did a great job of applying pressure on Manning for the entire game. Manning was sacked only two times this entire season coming into this game. By games end the 49ers sacked Manning a total of three times and pressured him all day long.

Look for the 49ers to give the Cardinals all they can handle for the NFC Western Division title.

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

All week the media had been talking about the return of quarterback Vince Young starting for the Titans. While Young did have a good game for his team, it was the star running backs on both teams that had the big days in this one.

MJD and Chris Johnson Run Wild

Titans star runner Chris Johnson and Jaguars star runner Maurice Jones-Drew both had huge performances in this game.

Johnson totaled 24 carries for 228 yards rushing and the two touchdowns. This was a big game for a running back that had not accomplished much for fantasy owners since his huge game against the Texans week two.

Johnson ran his team to their first victory and looks primed to have a big second half of the fantasy football season.

Jones-Drew had 177 yards rushing on only eight carries for the entire game. The two touchdown runs were of distances of 79 yards and 80 yards.

Drew is fast becoming a top three pick for next year’s fantasy football drafts as he is proving he can handle the feature duties in Jacksonville.

The only thing we need to see from Drew now is if he can finish the season strong and hold up physically. If he continues to produce like he did today with only eight carries than he will do just fine.

Young Play Well in Come Back

Quarterback Vince Young must feel good as he got back into the starting role and helped his team win their first game of the year.

Look for Young to put together a good ending to this season, and I do believe he will be the teams starting quarterback next season as well.

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

This was supposed to be the week that the Titans got their first win and started a run towards the playoffs. Apparently, the Jaguars and Mike Sims-Walker did not get the memo as they crushed Tennessee 37-to-17.

Mike Sims-Walker is Coming of Age

There is a reason why fantasy analysts like myself place an importance on third year wide receivers. Often times a receivers third year as a pro is the season they break out and become fantasy football viable.

Today, Sims-Walker had seven receptions for 91 yards receiving and two touchdowns. He is clearly David Garrard’s top target in the passing game and makes for a solid every week fantasy football starter.

In the past three weeks Sims-Walker has a total of 19 receptions for 278 yards and three touchdowns. This guy is on fire and is going to have a fine season.

Tight end Marcedes Lewis also posted a strong day as he caught four passes for 76 yards and a touchdown from over 30 yards out. If Lewis and Walker can provide this team with solid play it should help running back Maurice Jones-Drew continue his strong start to the fantasy football season.

Josh Scobee Produces

Kicker Josh Scobee’s production for this season is kind of up in the air. If the Jaguars make a playoff push this season then Scobee will receive opportunities all season long and could be a solid fantasy kicker. If the Jaguars slump at times it would hurt fantasy owners with Scobee because he won’t get good chances.

In this game Scobee received four opportunities and made three of them. This was a big win for the Jaguars as they have made life very difficult for the Titans. Look for Scobee to be a decent option for the next week or two as the Jaguars are hot right now.

Time for a Change

Now that the Titans are 0-4 it may be time for the team to consider switching back to quarterback Vince Young. While Kerry Collins was a solid quarterback last season, he has now thrown six interceptions on the season.

Today, Collins had two interceptions, and it just didn’t look like he had much going for most of the game.

This game was so out of hand that the Jaguars didn’t even bother using Maurice Jones-Drew in the fourth quarter of the game.

Next week the Titans will be back at home, but they will have to play Peyton Manning and the 4-0 Colts.

Could the Titans go to 0-5 to start the season?

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

No one can deny that the Houston Texans offense has been a pass first attack for a few years now. Understanding this it is not surprising to see Matt Schaub’s passing attempts around the mid thirties every week.

Last Sunday, Texans went pass happy against the Jaguars, and in my opinion, they lost the football game because of it. This team would have been better served running a balanced attack with Steve Slaton on the ground as they would control the football and the clock.

The biggest problem the Texans have right now is that their defense is very susceptible giving up the big play to their opponent. This defense needs all the rest they can get because when on the field too long (like any defense) they are even more prone to giving up points.

If the Texans have any hope of making it to the playoffs in 2009, they will have to change their ways and fast.

A Reason to Believe

Unfortunately, for Slaton fantasy football owners, I believe head coach Gary Kubiak lost faith in his talented runner after the Titans’ game. In the first two games to the year Slaton had three fumbles and his coach was very critical of him in the press, leading up to their week three contest.

When Slaton was given an opportunity to produce, he had 76 yards rushing on only 12 carries. That is a sparkling 6.3 yards per carry average. What is just as important for Slaton is that he did not turn the football over in the game.

My main problem with the Texans’ coaching staff last week is that they didn’t continue to feed Slaton for at least 18 carries in the game.

Maurice Jones-Drew was carving the Texans’ defense up for dinner, and they really needed to keep the ball away from him and in their possession.

Things Need to Change

This week the Raiders come to town and the one thing they can do is run the football

with Darren McFadden and Michael Bush.

Not only that but the Raiders are not bad against the pass, as they are 14th best defense in that area. They also do a fair job of keeping opponents out of the end zone with a 15th overall in that category.

One area this team is not statistically strong in is against the run, as they are 23rd overall.
If the Texans are smart they should ride Slaton and the running game, wearing down the Raiders’ defense.

Fantasy Football Ranking for Steve Slaton

It’s hard to say right now if Slaton will be able to produce the fantasy numbers he did last season. So far, he has been a major disappointment in any fantasy football league.

In his defense, he has played two top ten defenses against the run in the Titans and Jets. The other team he faced, as mentioned before, he had a nice 6.3 yard per carry average.

I believe he will have around 1,600 total yards from scrimmage as he has a good schedule to run against for the rest of the year. He’s also a very capable receiver with nine receptions for almost 100 yards receiving this year.

For Slaton to truly be worth the high fantasy football pick he was drafted to be, he will need to find the end zone.

Chris Brown is entrenched as the goal line back, but he did fumble the ball at the one yard line last week. That fumble cost the Texans the game and Kubiak may turn to Slaton if Brown should falter again.

Hopefully, that will be the case as I hate vulcher backs like Brown and how they take away another players hard earned touchdown.

Or, maybe I just hate Brown because I have Slaton on a couple of my fantasy teams.

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

Last week survivor fantasy football players with Peyton Manning on their team had a great week as Manning was awesome.

Maurice Jones-Drew also had one of his best games of the season and help many survivor football players towards success as well.

This week the bye weeks begin, and I strongly recommend you use Frank Gore’s backup Glen Coffee on your team this week.

The 49ers like to use one running back as a feature runner in their offense and last week Coffee got most of the carries. This week he will face the lonely Rams in San Francisco. With Gore out, Coffee has a very good opportunity for over 100 rushing yards and a score.

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.

Quarterbacks

Studs

• Peyton Manning vs Seahawks
• Eli Manning vs @ Chiefs
• Jay Cutler vs Lions
• Carson Palmer vs @ Browns

Mid Range

• Aaron Rodgers vs @ Vikings
• Shaun Hill vs Rams
• David Garrard vs Titans
• Matt Schaub vs Raiders
• Mark Sanchez vs @ Saints
• Joe Flacco vs @ Patriots

Poor Plays

• Tom Brady vs Ravens
• Drew Brees vs Jets
• Philip Rivers vs @ Steelers

Running Backs

Studs

• Adrian Peterson vs Packers
• Glen Coffee vs Rams
• Cedric Benson vs @ Browns
• Matt Forte vs Lions
• Ronnie Brown vs Bills
• Darren McFadden vs @ Texans
• Julius Jones vs @ Colts
• Brandon Jacobs vs @ Chiefs

Mid Range

• Chris Johnson vs @ Jaguars
• Tashard Choice vs @ Broncos
• Steven Jackson vs @ 49ers
• Rashard Mendenhall vs Chargers (If Parker is Out)
• Jerome Harrison vs Bengals
• Ahamad Bradshaw vs @ Chiefs

Poor Plays

• Maurice Jones-Drew vs Titans
• Larry Johnson vs Giants
• Ray Rice vs @ Patriots
• Fred Taylor vs Ravens
• Darren Sproles vs @ Steelers
• Ryan Grant vs @ Vikings
• Pierre Thomas vs Jets

Wide Receivers

Studs

• Reggie Wayne vs Seahawks
• Chad Ochocinco vs @ Browns
• Devin Hester vs Lions
• Mario Manningham vs @ Chiefs
• Steve Smith (NY) vs @ Chiefs

Mid Range

• Andre Johnson vs Raiders
• Jerricho Cotchery vs @ Saints
• Terrell Owens vs @ Dolphins
• Calvin Johnson vs @ Bears
• Santonio Holmes vs Chargers
• Greg Jennings vs @ Vikings
• Mike Sims-Walker vs Titans
• Donald Driver vs @ Vikings
• Santana Moss vs Buccaneers
• Braylon Edwards vs Bengals
• T.J. Houshmandzadeh vs @ Colts
• Pierre Garcon vs Seahawks
• Ted Ginn Jr. vs Bills

Poor Plays

• Randy Moss vs Ravens
• Marques Colston vs Jets
• Vincent Jackson vs @ Steelers
• Brandon Marshall vs Cowboys

Tight Ends

Studs

• Dallas Clark vs Seahawks
• Vernon Davis vs Rams
• Owen Daniels vs Raiders
• Greg Olsen vs Lions
• Zach Miller vs @ Texans

Mid Range

• Jason Witten vs @ Broncos
• Dustin Keller vs @ Saints
• Visanthe Shaincoe vs Packers
• Chris Cooley vs Buccaneers
• John Carlson vs @ Colts

Poor Plays

• Jeremy Shockey vs Jets
• Ben Watson vs Ravens
• Antonio Gates vs @ Steelers

Kickers

Studs

• Rob Bironas vs @ Jaguars
• Stephin Gostkowski vs Ravens
• Robbie Gould vs Lions
• Ryan Longwell vs Packers
• Mason Crosby vs @ Vikings

Mid Range

• Nick Folk vs @ Broncos
• Steven Hauschka vs @ Patriots
• Joe Nedney vs Rams
• Nate Kaeding vs @ Steelers
• Lawrence Tynes vs @ Chiefs
• Sebastian Janikowski vs @ Texans
• Adam Vinatieri vs Seahawks

Defense/ Special Teams

Studs

• Giants vs @ Chiefs
• Bengals vs @ Browns
• 49ers vs Rams
• Bears vs Lions

Mid Range

• Colts vs Seahawks
• Packers vs @ Vikings
• Titans vs @ Jaguars
• Cowboys vs @ Broncos

Poor Plays

• Ravens vs @ Patriots
• Jets vs @ Saints
• Steelers vs Chargers
• Vikings vs Packers

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

Three weeks of the fantasy football season are already gone, and I hope your fantasy team is having success. If you had players like Maurice Jones-Drew or Peyton Manning, you probably had a very successful week.

Unfortunately, this week like every week had fantasy disappointments and for my money Matt Forte and Steve Slaton are on top of the list. Both runners had over 100 total yards but neither has had over 76 yards rushing in any game this year.

Beyond their failures in the running game, neither of these runners have a touchdown this season. Hopefully, these running backs are not killing you so far this season as they both need to get it going.

Fortunately for both runners, they have good matchups again this week as Forte plays the Lions and Slaton gets the Raiders.

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

2009 NFL Regular Season Week Three

• Lions vs Redskins
• Jaguars vs Texans
• Vikings vs 49ers
• Jets vs Titans
• Rams vs Packers
• Falcons vs Patriots
• Eagles vs Chiefs
• Bengals vs Steelers
• Colts vs Cardinals
• Cowboys vs Panthers

Regular Season First Two Weeks

• Week One
• Week Two

Fantasy Football Regular Season Week Three Notes:

Mark Sanchez Rookie of the Year?

With this win, Mark Sanchez became the first rookie quarterback to ever start a season and win his first three games. For the game, he was only 17 of 30 passing for 171 yards, but he did have two passing touchdowns.

Early in the game Sanchez also had a 14 yard touchdown run as he pounded his way into the end zone.

This steady play means, No.1 receiver Jerricho Cotchery is now becoming a fantasy football starting receiver once again. For the game, Cotchery had 8 catches for 108 yards and a touchdown catch.

Look for Cotchery to be a steady option moving forward. The Jets will still be a run first offense, but Sanchez is playing well enough for Cotchery to produce.

Kevin Kolb, DeSean Jackson and Brent Celek have Great Games

Much has been made about Donovan McNabb’s backup Kevin Kolb, and if he is a worthy player to have on the roster. Especially when the Eagles now have Michael Vick on the roster as he is now officially back in an NFL jersey.

Today, Kolb was 24 of 34 passing for 327 yards, two touchdown passes and no interceptions. This was the kind of game that will make everyone in the Eagles organization feel better about Kolb and his abilities to run the offense.

Kolb found the Eagles two top targets in Jackson ( 6 catches, 149 yards and a TD) and tight end Brent Celek ( 8 catches, 104 yards and a TD) all game long.

This coming week the Eagles are on a bye week and the team has already announced that MacNabb will be back in week five.

If McNabb should get injured again, except Kolb to get the start over Vick as he is the more polished quarterback at this time.

Cedric Benson just keeps running

Cedric Benson has now officially restarted his career, and now he is the feature back we all thought he would be coming out of college. At the end of the last season, Benson ran hard and continued that tough running this season.

Today, on only 16 carries, Benson had 76 yards and his day was highlighted by a 23 yard touchdown.

Next week Benson plays the Browns, and he should enjoy another strong game as the Bengals are now a playoff contender.

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

In a game that was supposed to see the Texans go to 2-1, ended up being the Jaguars first win of the season. For the game Maurice Jones-Drew showed us all how effective he can be, once he has the ball as a feature runner.

Maurice Jones-Drew Goes Wild

The Texans’ defense has had their struggles this season and this week only added to their demise. MJD had a great game with 119 yards and three rushing touchdowns. This outstanding performance led many fantasy football owners to victory, as Drew led his team a win.

The Jaguars’ passing game had the kind of game that Drew will need to have for consistent success this season. They didn’t post big numbers through the air, but they did keep the chains moving.

Steve Slaton Needs More Touches

This past week head coach Gary Kubiack was critical of his running game and Steve Slaton. In today’s game Slaton had 76 yards rushing on only 12 carries.

Right now, the Texans need to run the football more so that their defense is not on the field so much.

Chris Brown has been receiving goal line touches, but he fumbled and cost the Texans the game. Hopefully, the Texans will give Slaton opportunities to score next week.

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

Last week Kurt Warner never looked sharp against the 49ers defense. He was also not helped by the fact that Anquan Boldin and Steve Breaston were not healthy. This week the Cardinals went cross country to play the Jaguars.

Warner Plays Well

The Cardinals’ quarterback only threw for 243 yards, but he was on the mark for almost every pass attempt. For the game Warner was 24/26 and had two touchdown passes.

Breaston and Boldin played well as they combined for 13 catches and 152 yards. If these two receivers can stay healthy, the Cardinals’ offense will be strong all year.

Chris Beanie Wells Fumble Twice

Tim Hightower’s grip on the starting tailback job is a little stronger now that Chris Beanie Wells fumbled twice. No head coach likes turnovers and the Cardinals’ head coach has proven he will bench talented players for not performing.

Look for Hightower to be the starter for at least the first half of this season.

Jaguars Struggling

The Jaguars just don’t look like a team that has improved enough to pull out of the AFC South gutter. Maurice Jones-Drew is a talented player but the rest of the team is just not ready to compete for the playoffs.

At this point in time, the Jags need to get Torry Holt more involved in the passing game. So far, they are 0-2, and they could easily be 0-3 next week against the Texans.

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