In the second half of Thanksgiving predictability the Cowboys won another easy game against a bad football team on national television. I’m not sure who schedules the Cowboys’ game on Turkey day, but they must like to see Dallas blast an easy opponent.

Miles Austin Produces

The Cowboys’ star receiver Miles Austin has had a few quiet games of late but in this game the Raiders did him a favor by not using Nnamdi Asomugha against him most of the time. The Raiders tend to use Asomugha on one side of the field most of the time (very dumb idea) and the Cowboys were actually smart enough to put Austin away from him.

This mismatch allowed Austin to burn up the Raiders secondary for seven catches for 145 yards and a touchdown.

While this was a nice game to see from Austin, I would still expect him to struggle when a team lines their top corner on him all day. He has had trouble beating top coverage for big days and that will probably continue more often than not.

Running the Rock

What was refreshing to see from Dallas was their running game burned the Raiders for huge runs. Most of the big plays were from Tashard Choice and Felix Jones as Oakland bottled up Marion Barber most of the game.

Seeing Barber struggle isn’t that surprising against the Raiders as they tend to stop bigger sized running backs. Their horrible weakness in the run game is against small, shifty backs like Choice and Jones.

If the Cowboys can run like this in December, they will win their division and should win at least on playoff game.

Bruce Gradkowski to Darrius Heyward-Bey

One connection the Raiders’ organization is hoping will pay off more is when new quarterback Bruce Gradkowski can hit Darrius Heyward-Bey for a touchdown like he did in this game.

Heyward-Bey will always be compared to fellow Bay Area rookie receiver Michael Crabtree because Bey was drafted before the ultra talented star from Texans Tech.

So far, Bey has been a horrible failure when compared to what Crabtree has done for the San Francisco 49ers this year. Heck even if Crabtree wasn’t having a good year (or wasn’t on a team still) Bey would be a disappointment anyway.

This young receiver needs to go out in the offseason and catch a million balls to make his hands at least average for the pro game. Too many times Bey has dropped key passes that have hurt his team and made him look bad.

You could easily say that Bey isn’t even the best rookie receiver on his own team as Louis Murphey has put together a decent year for the Raiders.

For the future, I haven’t given up hope on Bey because he still has great talent. At the same time, he may need another year to mature and grow until his is ready.

Look for Bey to be a dangerous late round pick in two years when he walks into his third year as a fantasy football receiver. That season in many receivers bust out and put it together.

Just look at this years third year men like Sidney Rice, Mike Sims-Walker and Steve Smith out of New York.

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

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

This past week should have been titled, “Black Sunday” because there were a tone of injuries around the league. If you happened to lose a key running back like Ronnie Brown, Michael Turner or Cedric Benson you are no doubt scrambling to the waiver wire.

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.

Running Backs

Seahawks- Justin Forsett

Justin Forsett finally got his chance to be the starting running back when Julius Jones went down early in the Seahawks contest against the Cardinals. Forsett broke out and rushed for 123 yards and a touchdown.

Not only did Forsett do a good job in the running game, but he flashed his receiving skills with five receptions for 26 yards.

Since Jones broke his ribs it is highly unlikely that he will play this coming weekend against the Vikings. Unfortunately, this matchup isn’t a great one but Forsett is worth holding onto for the future.

Falcons- Jason Snelling

The Falcons will have to lean on running back Jason Snelling this coming weekend against the New York Giants. Michael Turner has a high ankle sprain and should be out for at least one game.

Look for Snelling to get the vast majority of the carries in the backfield and the goal line carries.

Bengals- Bernard Scott

The Bengals and Cedric Benson both say that Benson will be able to play this weekend against the Raiders. Benson suffered a hip injury against the Steelers and it was thought he might miss time because of the injury.

Look for the Bengals to rest Benson, and we will find out more on his true availability on Friday.

If Benson can’t play than expect the Bengals to lean on rookie running back Bernard Scott.

Wide Receivers

Cowboys- Roy Williams

Many fantasy football owners cut bait on Roy Williams weeks ago but in the past few weeks Williams has started to show life. This past week against the Packers, Williams had five receptions for 105 yards and a touchdown.

Now that Miles Austin is starting to see more attention from opposing defenses it is leaving Williams open on single coverage.

If Williams can stay focused and stop blaming others for his faults than maybe he can be a good receiver for your fantasy football team going forward.

Kickers

Titans- Rob Bironas

If someone in your league happened to give up on Rob Bironas early in the season it would be a good idea to get him now. Bironas struggled for production early on because his team had a horrible start.

Now, the Titans have clearly pulled it together and are starting to play good football again. Look for Bironas to have a solid second half of the fantasy season.

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

For a game that was hyped for a big scoring, it turned out to be a low scoring defensive affair. Both teams struggled to get points for most of the game but the Packers ended up winning 17 to 7.

Finding A Way

After the Packers lost an embarrassing game to the Buccaneers last week they pulled it together this week. The Packers’ defense had Tony Romo’s number for the entire game as they forced him into rushed throws and sacked him.

At the end of the game Romo padded his stats for 251 passing yards and a touchdown pass but don’t let that fool you. His performance was not as good as his numbers would indicate.

One player that did have a good game was receiver Roy Williams as he totaled five receptions for 105 yards and a touchdown catch. Williams had success throughout the game and is starting to become a factor in the offense.

Look for Williams to continue to be a factor for the Cowboys moving forward as fellow wide receiver Miles Austin is seeing more coverage.

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

This offseason the big topic out of Dallas was if Tony Romo could excel without Terrell Owens. Many believed that Romo would need to find chemistry with wide receiver Roy Williams in order to have a successful season.

I personally thought that it would be important for these two players to find success together. However, I did believe that if Williams didn’t work out someone on the Cowboys receiving core would.

In the end, I believed that Romo was too talented of a quarterback to not make someone a fantasy football stud.

The Season Begins

At the beginning of the season Romo and the Cowboys light up the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. In that game Williams had a long touchdown catch, and it seemed like the two were starting to get in rhythm.

After that game Romo and Williams have struggled to find a rhythm together. Instead of Romo finding Williams, he would soon turn to another receiver on the depth chart for stability.

That receiver just happened to be Miles Austin and in the past month no receiver has been hotter in football or fantasy. In Austin’s past four games, he has a total of 22 receptions for 531 yards and six touchdowns. No receiver in football can come close to those numbers over that time span.

Austin’s emergence in the offense should help open things up for fellow players like Jason Witten and the running game. This team now has a top target at receiver and a dangerous vertical threat.

Fantasy Football Ranking for Miles Austin

Austin should remain a starter in fantasy football lineups for the rest of the 2009 season. His fantasy value is probably in the top 15 receivers at this point and will make for a great No.2 receiver for your fantasy team in next year’s drafts.

Look for Romo to continue to look Austin’s way and have success in the passing game. There will be a game or two that Austin is slow but don’t let that fool you into benching him.

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

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

Below we have a short right up on the top ten teams on our power rankings for this season. These teams are important to know as they are playing well and should continue to help fantasy teams.

Furthermore, pay attention to the worst teams on the list as they are the teams you want to have your players going against down the stretch.

1. Saints (8-0)

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

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

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

2. Colts (8-0)

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

3. Vikings (7-1)

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

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

4. Patriots (6-2)

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

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

5. Steelers (6-2)

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

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

6. Bengals (6-2)

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

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

7. Broncos (6-2)

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

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

8. Cowboys (6-2)

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

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

9. Falcons (5-3)

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

10. Cardinals (5-3)

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

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

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

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

This was a big game for both teams as a victory would mean the lead in the NFC East. While the game was close throughout the Cowboys had the answer in the end and one on a touchdown pass to Miles Austin.

Cowboys Role to First Place

Last year the Cowboys were crushed at the end of the season when they went to Philadelphia and played the Eagles. This time around Dallas won the game 20 to 16 and now have a four game winning streak.

This winning streak has been headlined by emerging No.1 receiver Austin Miles and his terrific play. Ever since his monster game against the Chiefs, Miles has been almost unstoppable as he has a touchdown in all four games.

Tonight the Eagles were close to shutting him down as they held Miles without a catch until late in the game. Miles one catch was for 49 yards and was the winning score.

Quarterback Tony Romo has been almost perfect in his past three games and is improving in his decision making with the football.

Big Bird Shot Down

The Eagles’ offense is completely reliant on the big play and tonight the Cowboys’ defense could shut it down. If this team is going to the playoffs this year they need to get their running game going to have something to fall back on.

Running back LeSean McCoy didn’t have a bad night, but he’s clearly not able to handle the rock 25 times a game. This team needs Brian Westbrook back, and he should be on the field next week or the week after.

I thought at one point, Westbrook would play this week, but he had headaches on Friday and the team wisely kept him out.

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

This week was a very interesting one for players on the waiver wire and past players worth picking up. One receiver that everyone was talking about two weeks ago was Cowboys’ receiver Miles Austin.

This week we needed to see if Austin could produce as Tony Romo’s main man. For the game Austin had another fabulous stat line as he totaled over 170 yards receiving and two touchdowns.

Austin is a true starter every week and is fast becoming one of the more dangerous fantasy receivers in the 2009 season.

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.

Running Backs

Jets- Shonn Greene- Bye Week Nine

The time has come for Jets’ rookie running back Shonn Greene to be a fantasy football factor. Greene had been a non factor this year until Leon Washington went down with a broken fibula this past weekend.

Greene stepped in against the Raiders and did a heck of a job as he rumbled for 144 yards rushing and two scores.

Since Greene will now be Thomas Jones backup and will play every week you should pick him up in your league.

Cardinals- Chris “Beanie” Wells- Bye Week Four (Done)

Many fantasy football owners that drafted Chris “Beanie” Wells already gave up on him a few weeks ago. This past week Wells started to show why he is the better running back in Arizona with 67 yards rushing and a nice touchdown run.

For the game, Wells had 14 carries as Tim Hightower only had four. Look for Wells to slowly take more of a work load in the Cardinals’ offense.

Wells is at least worth holding onto for the fantasy playoffs in weeks 14 through 16. In those games, he plays the 49ers, Lions and Rams. This young man could do a lot of damage for your fantasy team in those weeks.

Wide Receivers

49ers- Michael Crabtree- Bye Week Six (Done)

I watched the 49ers – Texans’ game this weekend and was blown away by Michael Crabtree’s performance. Sure, he only had five catches for 56 yards, but he played nearly every snap on offense.

It is easy to see why Crabtree was a two time Fred Biletnikoff winner in college as he has a great pair of hands. On one play, he caught the back end of the football. To do something like that only shows that this youngster could be the real deal.

To see that Crabtree could play all the downs and play effectively, speaks volumes about what this kid was doing in his off time.

Crabtree may not be a fantasy starter right away, but he is no doubt worth holding onto.

Vikings- Sidney Rice- Bye Week Nine

I recommended Sidney Rice as a waiver pickup last week, and I’m doing it again. This kid is Brett Favre’s top target and is worth starting on your fantasy team. If you are in need of a receiver than this young man is a good option.

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

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

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

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

2009 NFL Regular Season Week Seven

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

Regular Season First Six Weeks

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

Fantasy Football Regular Season Week Seven Notes:

Shonn Greene a Hot Waiver Pickup

This weekend Jets’ rookie running back Shonn Greene saw his fantasy football value sky rocket with Leon Washington breaking his fibula. Washington went down in the game and is already declared done for the rest of the season.

Greene got the opportunity to back up Thomas Jones in this game and didn’t disappoint as he rumbled for 144 yards on 19 carries. Beyond the very impressive yardage numbers from the rookie, he also found the end zone twice.

This running back is a very hot waiver pickup as he will now be active in the Jets’ offense every week.

Austin Goes Wild

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

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

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

Running Like a Beast

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

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

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

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

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

In the Cowboys last contest against the Chiefs, receiver Miles Austin had two touchdowns and 250 yards. This week we needed to see if Austin could have another strong performance to be a true fantasy starter.

Austin Goes Wild

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

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

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

Michael Turner Continues his Running Slump

The Falcons have struggled to run the football all season and this week was no different. For the game Michael Turner had only 50 yards rushing on 18 carries.

One area Turner has been strong in are his abilities to run the ball into the end zone. For the season, he now has seven touchdowns in six games.

Hopefully, Turner will get his running legs going against the Saints next week.

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