Arizona Cardinals - Max Hall returned to practice this week, but I'm not sure if Hall or Derek Anderson will start. Regardless of who's under center, Larry Fitzgerald is the only receiver worth playing on this team. Hall may have looked bad, but he's the best bet to get Fitz the ball consistently. Breaston and Doucet's returns will help keep some defensive attention away as well. Wells has been disappointing so far, but he will have a breakout game soon. Given all the byes this week, it's a great week to get him in your lineup. Hightower's mediocre talent is finally getting pushed aside, although he'll still remain relevant on passing downs.
Atlanta Falcons - The big 3 of Ryan, White, and Turner all had their best games of the season in week 7 right before the bye week. Gonzalez has been quite disappointing this year, but unless you have a good backup, it's best to stick with him. The Falcons are on bye this week.
Baltimore Ravens - Joe Flacco has had two straight good weeks, so he's built up some nice momentum heading into the bye week. Unfortunately Boldin is the only receiver on the Ravens worth using. Ray Rice continues to disappoint as a top 5 pick, and judging from last week, McGahee might have taken back goal line duties. The Ravens are on bye this week.
Buffalo Bills - Holy Ryan Fitzpatrick. Not many people saw this coming, but as I mentioned in this week's waiver wire article, Chan Gailey has a history of creating unique offenses based around mobile, but marginally talented QBs. Scouting reports seem to think Fitzpatrick can maintain some level of success over the rest of the season. He's obviously playing out of his mind right now and that won't continue, but thanks to the emergence of Steve Johnson as a big bodied WR who can get open, he has a nice pair of WRs to throw to. Fred Jackson owners smart enough to keep him stashed now have a solid RB3 as it's clear that Jackson will be the featured RB compared to CJ Spiller.
Carolina Panthers - Matt Moore re-energized this offense last week, and it certainly helped that Steve Smith returned as well. David Gettis and Brandon Lafell both had the best receiving yardage games of the season for this team, but expect Smith to regain #1 WR status this week. Gettis and Lafell emerging will only help. DeAngelo Williams is out, possibly for a couple weeks, with a foot sprain. Jonathan Stewart is set to explode in the meantime as the featured RB.
Chicago Bears - The offense has gone to shit, to put it bluntly. The problems are threefold: the offensive line is playing horribly, Cutler hangs onto the ball too long trying to make a play down the field, and Martz hasn't modified the offense to overcome his team's weakness up front. This has all played a part in a swift downfall in what looked like a very promising situation to start the season. Luckily Johnny Knox has remained very consistent from week to week when Cutler has been under center, so he's been a steady WR3. The running game has been a disaster, and it only gets worse for Matt Forte owners as Chester Taylor has taken over as the new goal line back. Forte is now a weak RB2 outside of PPR leagues. The Bears are on bye this week.
Cincinnati Bengals - Carson Palmer has been rather jeckyl/hyde so far this season. He's had 3 amazing games and 3 terrible games. I still don't believe in him as anything other than a QB2, but Terrell Owens' playmaking has indeed helped his fantasy value. Cedric Benson has been chugging along as a solid RB2 all season, and he's the focal point of the offense, so I don't expect that to change.
Cleveland Browns - Peyton Hillis continues to post solid RB2 numbers, and he also continues to be the only player worth discussing here.
Dallas Cowboys - Losing Tony Romo obviously hurts, but Jon Kitna is a solid veteran QB who can help this team win a few games. He's surrounded by talented weapons and has a decent line in front of him. Miles Austin will probably no longer be as explosive with the QB switch, but he should still post solid numbers. Dez Bryant was targeted heavily and has a chance to break out in the 2nd half of the season. Jason Witten was also targeted heavily and will arguably see a slight rise in value with Kitna not looking down the field as much. Roy Williams will probably be impacted the most and shouldn't be started. Felix Jones will likely see more work. With all the good RBs on bye this week, he's a solid RB2.
Denver Broncos - Kyle Orton had a miserable game last week against Oakland of all teams, but he should bounce back somewhat this week against a mediocre SF secondary. Just keep your expectations in check due to the forecast of sloppy weather. Lloyd and Gaffney will remain solid WR3s, but Royal is battling an injury and shouldn't be used. Unfortunately it's starting to look like a lost season for Demaryius Thomas. Knowshon Moreno had another issue with his hamstring at practice this week, and while it looks like he'll play, he's even riskier with the chance for re-injury. I'd only use him if he's clearly better than your other options.
Detroit Lions - With all of its playmakers now healthy, the arrow is pointing back up for this offense. Matthew Stafford returns this week, and while I expect some rust, he's a solid QB1 with the big bye week. Calvin Johnson is off the injury report, so he's set to resume beast mode. Nate Burleson is healthy, and he'll provide a solid secondary target. Tony Scheffler will likely take over as a preferred TE target down the field, so Brandon Pettigrew owners should take note. Jahvid Best isn't 100%, but he's close and should resume being an explosive RB2. I think this offense will be quite good, especially the passing game, in the 2nd half.
Green Bay Packers - Aaron Rodgers has been a bit disappointing after being the #1 fantasy QBs drafted in numerous leagues, but he's still been quite good. The loss of Finley has hurt the explosiveness a bit, as has the nagging injuries that Donald Driver is starting to accumulate. Greg Jennings has benefited by posting his 2 of his best games this year in back to back weeks. James Jones was also quite involved last week, and he makes for an interesting WR3 this week. Brandon Jackson has slowly started to come around, and he's turned himself into a solid RB2 with his recent play.
Houston Texans - With the bye week coming at a perfect time to get AJ some additional rest, Schaub and company are set to embark and what should be an improved 2nd half. Jacoby Jones is healthy, and Owen Daniels posted his best game of the season in week 6. Unfortunately Kevin Walter he has mostly disappeared, but Jones is the better talent and could take the job away. Arian Foster has been lighting it up all season. Kubiak has actually incited some concern saying that Ward will get more touches, but don't over-react to this. I think Kubiak fully understands that Foster has never been a featured RB at the NFL level before, and there's no reason to run him into the ground. There's no concern here as Foster is clearly the superior talent.
Indianapolis Colts - Manning has been dealt some adversity with injuries to both Austin Collie and Dallas Clark. Indy will look to newbie TE Jacob Tamme, Anthony Gonzalez, and Blair White to pick up the slack over the middle while Reggie Wayne and Pierre Garcon continue to dominate outside the hashmarks. Tamme is not a bad stash to see how he's used, especially since Clark is out for the season. If Gonzalez was healthy he'd be the no brainer replacement for Collie, but that's rarely been the case over the past two seasons. I'd hold off on using him unless you're desperate, even though he does still possess upside. Joseph Addai is out as well, and there is conflicting opinions on whether Donald Brown will suit up. If he's healthy and ready to go, some sort of split will occur between Brown and Hart, making both much weaker RB2 plays. If Brown sits, then Hart might border on RB1 value this week. Keep an eye to see if Brown is active or not before making a final decision.
Jacksonville Jaguars - This offense is still an absolute mess, and only MJD is worth starting.
Kansas City Chiefs - Cassel and Bowe have exploded the last two weeks, but allow me to remind everyone that they faced two of the absolute worst secondaries in football in Houston and Jacksonville. I don't think it's a bad time to sell high on Bowe if someone thinks he's reached his potential as a top WR talent. While I don't doubt his actual talent, my greater concern lies with Cassel. It's possible that he's turned the corner for this team, but I need to see it against a legit secondary before I believe. Thomas Jones has been solid, and as the normal goal line back, he's a solid RB2. Charles did score from 4 yards out last week, but that was after a 70 yard run by Jones that left him winded. A nice bonus for us Charles owners!
Miami Dolphins - This offense has been somewhat of a mess. Henne has been very inconsistent, and thus Marshall has as well. Davone Bess has been a great story and a surprise WR3 this year, and his emergence can only help Marshall in the 2nd half to give the defense someone else to pay attention to. The running game has been non-existent, and both RBs are sharing carries as well. The good news is the schedule is a creampuff one during the playoff weeks, so trying to get Brown or Williams for cheap with an eye on those weeks isn't a terrible idea.
Minnesota Vikings - Brett Favre's ankle is yet again a big story, but it looks like he'll start in week 8. Whether or not he finishes the game is a completely different story, so I wouldn't start him unless you're out of options. His likelihood of starting certainly increases the prospects of solid games from Moss and Harvin, so you can use them like you normally would. Peterson has been his normal beast self all season.
New England Patriots - This offense is starting to warrant some concern, and for good reason. Without a legit deep threat on the roster, defenses are starting to sag in to cover the short and intermediate routes the Patriots are consistently running with the possession receivers, tight ends, and RBs. Aaron Hernandez remains a decent TE1 and Danny Woodhead is emerging as the lead RB for this team, and a solid RB3, but that's about where it stop. Welker is only useful as a WR3 in PPR leagues.
New Orleans Saints - Well, that was the worst Saints game in quite some time. Drew Brees had a pretty terrible game with 4 INTs, including a back-breaking pick 6 with the game on the line. Marques Colston is still an every week WR even though he's been rather quiet, but Sean Payton is so intent on spreading the ball around and getting so many people involved that it's become impossible to rely on anyone else. I think he'd be better off attempting to get Colston and Meachem the ball as much as he can when they pass. Chris Ivory crashed back to earth last week, but he'll remain the lead RB for this offense until Thomas returns. Speaking of Thomas, there's still no timetable on his return.
New York Giants - The Giants have completely turned things around and are arguably the hottest team in football right now. Eli was on fire last week, utilizing Hakeem Nicks and Steve Smith to perfection as they shredded the Dallas secondary. Both Nicks and Smith are every week starters. Ahmad Bradshaw has been amazing so far in his first season as the featured RB, but there's concern that he's going to break down given his injury history and lack of experience handling this many touches. It's hard to sell on someone who's had consistent success, but if you can use him to get a more reliable workhorse, it's not a bad idea. His owners should at least try to acquire Brandon Jacobs as insurance. The Giants are on bye this week.
New York Jets - Sanchez has come back down to earth prior to the Jets' bye week, and after an early season hot streak, he has settled back into managing the game. Braylon Edwards has been shockingly consistent as their big play threat, and hopefully the bye week will allow Santonio Holmes to get up to speed in the offense. His snap count has been in the 40% range while Cotchery and Edwards hover in the 80% range. It's only a matter of time before Holmes passes Cotchery as Cotchery is doing very little. LT is going to be spelled a bit more in the 2nd half, and given he's a 31 year old with a lot of carries in his career, it's a great idea, especially since their backup is the ultra-talented Shaun Greene. LT will remain a very solid RB2 moving forward, and with the way the Jets like to run, Greene could work his way back into the fantasy picture as well.
Oakland Raiders - Darren McFadden ruined several fantasy owners on Sunday...both those who played against him and those who sat him after he claimed he was only 70%. Turns out there was a bit of gamesmanship on hand there. Louis Murphy is hurt again, and all Raiders receivers are hands off outside of Zach Miller. Defenses are really keying in on Miller, but you can't sit him as he's the focal point of the Raiders passing attack. It would be nice if either Murphy stayed healthy or someone else emerged to open up the middle some more.
Philadelphia Eagles - Kolb bombed in his final audition to remain the starting QB over the rest of the season, so Vick will take the starting job back after the bye. DeSean Jackson's week 9 status is completely up in the air. The Eagles are on bye this week.
Pittsburgh Steelers - Big Ben picked up right where he left off last year and has been awesome through 2 weeks. His return has allowed both Mike Wallace and Hines Ward to re-emerge as every week starters in fantasy leagues. There was a bit of concern when the Steelers said they wanted to reduce Mendenhall's touches a bit, but considering how Isaac Redman is a battering ram and Mendenhall was on pace for a monster workload, it makes a lot of sense. This doesn't change anything about how Mendenhall is a RB1 for the rest of the season.
San Diego Chargers - Rivers continues to chug along despite the loss of Malcolm Floyd. He's not throwing deep down the field as often for obvious reasons, but Crayton, Davis, and the rest of the receivers made enough plays to keep the offense moving. Antonio Gates is obviously not 100%, but he's probably not going to miss a game, and he proved last week that you can't bench him. He'll probably have some off games while battling his toe injury, but those will have to be lived with. The greatest concern here is how often they abandon the running game. Ryan Mathews is finally healthy, but they went very pass heavy even in a close game against NE last week. Mathews belongs on benches until they show a willingness to keep him involved. There's no reason not to.
San Francisco 49ers - Alex Smith is out a couple of weeks, and instead of turn to backup David Carr, they're going with Troy Smith. If they felt Troy Smith was the better QB, then he should have been working with the second team all along. You can't tell me that Carr's terrible, albeit very limited, action last week was what made this decision. It just goes to show how inept this coaching staff is right now. Frank Gore will continue to post yardage, but his TDs are down thanks to this mess. Vernon Davis needs to be started as well as you figure Smith will target him often. Crabtree belongs on benches.
Seattle Seahawks - Hasselbeck has been fairly solid so far, and Mike Williams has emerged as his go-to receiver over the last two weeks. Before we get too crazy here, Mike Williams is a big bodied WR who lacks the speed to get open on a weekly basis. He uses his size well, but his abysmal 10.9 YPC tells a different tale. He's a possession receiver and a red zone threat, but that's it. If you can get someone that will overvalue him, take advantage. If Williams starts seeing extra defensive attention, Deon Butler could emerge. Marshawn Lynch has taken over this backfield, and while he's not going to break big runs, he's going to get enough carries and redzone looks to remain a low end RB2.
St. Louis Rams - Sam Bradford has his work cut out for him now. First Clayton tears his knee and goes out for the year, then Danario Alexander has yet another setback with his knee and probably won't play for some time. There's simply not enough talent left, and the Rams should have given more consideration to dealing for Vincent Jackson. They should at least go after him this offseason. Steven Jackson had minor surgery on his finger, but he'll be just fine and ready to roll this week.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Josh Freeman and Mike Williams continue to show impressive chemistry, and they are the foundation of this passing game. Freeman has been a rock solid QB2, and Williams has emerged as an every week WR3. The bigger news is the rushing attack as LaGarrette Blount was featured in the 2nd half of last week, and he racked up 72 yards on 11 carries, and had 2 big runs called back on unrelated penalties as well. It's possible that he'll emerge as the primary ball carrier for this team, and considering Cadillac Williams is just a name at this point, there's no reason not to. Williams will remain the passing down back at least, though. Blount is not a bad bye week fill-in for this week.
Tennessee Titans - Vince Young will return to the starting lineup this week, but he's not going to be 100%, and he'll be facing a very tough SD secondary, so he's hands-off for this matchup. It was just announced that Kenny Britt will face no further punishment from his team, but keep in mind the league could still send down further punishment if he's convicted later on. He's in the clear for the short term, however, so he's fine to use this week. Chris Johnson continues to struggle in the YPC category, but he's made up for it with a big workload.
Washington Redskins - McNabb has been decent, and he's been proficient and getting the ball to both Santana Moss and Chris Cooley, both of whom are every week starters. Ryan Torain has emerged as a force on the ground, but after this week's game against Detroit, his schedule gets awfully tough. Given his injury history, it's a great idea to sell high.
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