Fantasy Football Week 2 Winners, Losers, And Waiver Wire Wonders

By Derek of The Sportmeisters

Week Two of the season is in the books and what a week it was for upsets. The Bengals, Bears, Ravens, and Texans all pulled out victories over their favored opponents. Here are my winners, losers, and waiver wire wonders blog from last year. Let’s go!

Winners

QB – Matt Schaub – Houston Texans – 25 Completions, 39 Attempts, 357 Yards, 4 TD, 0 INT

Schaub had a monster game against a very tough Tennessee D last week, throwing for 357 Yards and four Touchdowns. If he can stay healthy, he has the weapon around him to wind up a Top 5 fantasy QB at the end of the year.

QB – Eli Manning – New York Giants – 25 Completions, 38 Attempts, 330 Yards, 2 TD, 0 INT

Eli’s coming! The Giants were forced to rely on the arm of Manning last week as the Cowboys D stopped the running game in their tracks. However, they weren’t expecting Manning to be able to burn them for 330 Yards and two Touchdowns and a late fourth quarter drive that led to the game winning Field Goal. It looks like Eli could be on his way to joining his brother atop the fantasy charts.

RB – Frank Gore – San Francisco 49ers – 16 Carries, 207 Yards, 2 TD, 5 Receptions, 39 Yards

There was no stopping Gore last week as he had two Touchdown runs over 75 Yards (79 and 80 to be exact). He would up with 207 Yards on the ground and added five Receptions for 39 Yards. This is the guy we have been waiting for him to become and it looks like he could be on his way to fantasy greatness.

RB – Chris Johnson – Tennessee Titans – 16 Carries, 197 Yards, 2 TD, 9 Receptions, 87 Yards, 1 TD

WOW! What a game for “Every Coaches Dream”. He not only ran for 197 Yards and two Touchdowns, but also had nine Receptions for 87 Yards and another Touchdown. He should continue to have the same success, but keep your expectations low against a very good Jets D this week.

WR – Andre Johnson – Houston Texans – 10 Receptions, 149 Yards, 2 TD

Johnson shrugged off his bad week one and had a monster week two. He caught 10 balls for 149 Yards and two Touchdowns against a good Tennessee D. He is an elite fantasy Receiver and should be started at all times.

WR – Mario Manningham – New York Giants – 10 Receptions, 150 Yards, 1 TD

Who needs Plaxico Burress and Amani Toomer? Not Eli Manning! He has showed plenty of trust in the young 2^nd year Receiver, completing thirteen balls for 208 Yards and two Touchdowns to him in two games.

WR – Steve Smith – New York Giants – 10 Receptions, 134 Yards, 1 TD

Who needs Plaxico Burress and Amani Toomer? Not Eli Manning! He has showed plenty of trust in Smith throwing his way often, completing sixteen balls for 214 Yards and a Touchdown to him in two games. Smith is the obvious number one in New York and is especially useful in PPR leagues.

TE – Dallas Clark – Indianapolis Colts – 7 Receptions, 183 Yards, 1 TD

With the injury to Anthony Gonzalez, Clark will be counted on much more than everyone thought. However, that proved to be a good thing for fantasy owners as he owned the Dolphins secondary on Monday night, catching seven passes for 183 Yards and a Touchdown. He already was an elite fantasy option before the Gonzalez injury and now it looks even more true.

Losers

QB – Tony Romo – Dallas Cowboys – 13 Completions, 29 Attempts, 127 Yards, 1 TD, 3 INT

Romo was good in week one, but was terrible in week two against the Giants. He threw for just 127 Yards and three Interceptions. He will bounce back, so don’t give up on him after just one bad game.

QB – Matt Cassel – Kansas City Chiefs – 24 Completions, 39 Attempts, 241 Yards, 1 TD, 2 INT

So far, Cassel has not lived up to his huge offseason contract. He missed week one with an injury and was less than stellar in week two, throwing two Interceptions. He is definitely not someone that you should be counting on to lead your fantasy team right now.

RB – Joseph Addai – Indianapolis Colts – 6 Carries, 32 Yards, 1 Reception, 7 Yards

So far, Addai hasn’t regained his 2007 form. He has only 23 Carries for 74 Yards and a Touchdown to go with six Receptions for 42 Yards and a Fumble in the first two games. He plays with a very good offensive team with an elite QB in Peyton Manning, so don’t worry yet as it is still very early.

RB _ Matt Forte – Chicago Bears – 13 Carries, 29 Yards, 5 Receptions, 33 Yards, 1 Fumble

Forte has not had a great start to the 2009 season. He has rushed for just 84 Yards on 38 Carries and has just five Receptions for 33 Yards and a Fumble. He has yet to find the end zone, but it is still very early in the year and you shouldn’t panic. He will bounce back very soon and become the elite RB that you drafted in the first round.

WR – Santana Moss – Washington Redskins – 3 Receptions, 35 Yards, 1 Fumble

Talk about inconsistency. Moss is one of the most inconsistent Receivers in fantasy and has just five Receptions for 41 Yards in two games. He should pick it up eventually, but until then you may want to stash him on the bench.

WR – Chris Chambers – San Diego Chargers – 2 Receptions, 30 Yards

Chambers has been on the downslide ever since his injury in week five of last season. He caught just 22 passes for 236 Yards after the injury and has just two Receptions for 30 yards in two games this year. He is not fantasy relevant right now, but you never know when he could pick it up again, so stash him away on the bench until he becomes useful again.

TE – Ben Watson – New England Patriots – 3 Receptions, 23 Yards

Talk about a one week wonder. Watson caught six passes for 77 Yards and two Touchdowns in week one, but then fell to just three catches for 23 Yards in week two. Tight Ends have never been a big part of the offense in New England and Watson may not have another good game like he did in week one. If you have him, keep him for your bye week fill in, but if not, don’t grab him off the waiver wire just yet.

Waiver Wire Wonders

WR – Mario Manningham – New York Giants – 10 Receptions, 150 Yards, 1 TD

Who needs Plaxico Burress and Amani Toomer? Not Eli Manning! He has showed plenty of trust in the young 2^nd year Receiver, completing thirteen balls for 208 Yards and two Touchdowns to him in two games. He is going fast, being owned in 94 percent of CBS Sports/NFL.Com leagues, 77.7 percent of ESPN leagues, and 86 percent of Yahoo leagues, so grab him fast, if he’s still available.

WR – Steve Smith – New York Giants – 10 Receptions, 134 Yards, 1 TD

Who needs Plaxico Burress and Amani Toomer? Not Eli Manning! He has showed plenty of trust in Smith throwing his way often, completing sixteen balls for 214 Yards and a Touchdown to him in two games. Smith is the obvious number one in New York and is especially useful in PPR leagues. He is going fast, being owned in 97 percent of CBS Sports/NFL.Com leagues, 66.8 percent of ESPN leagues, and 79 percent of Yahoo leagues, so grab him fast, if he’s still available.

TE – Brent Celek – Philadelphia Eagles – 8 Receptions, 104 Yards

Celek was the player that benefitted most from Kevin Kolb being the QB instead of Donovan McNabb last week. He now has 14 Receptions for 141 Yards and a Touchdown in two games this season and looks to be becoming a big part of the offense. He is owned in 71 percent of CBS Sports/NFL.Com leagues, 30.9 percent of ESPN leagues, and 51 percent of Yahoo leagues, so go ahead and grab him while you can.

That’s all for now sports fans. Any questions or concerns, email me at Derek@Sportmeisters.com.

This post was submitted by The Sportmeisters.

Happy Hour Fantasy Football Chat Sunday September 27th!

The Happy Hour Fantasy Football Chat is back! Join Derek this Sunday at 10:45 AM – 12:45PM EST as he tells you who he thinks you should start and who you should sit on your Fantasy team. Derek is a multiple league winner in various fantasy football formats. He is ranked in the top fifteen in Fantasy Sports Writing on Bleacher Report, and his articles have been featured on Fox Sports. Join in & get your questions answered. You MUST register to ask a question but don’t worry that’s free. Join The Chat at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/FlashChat/Chat.aspx?HostUserURL=Sportmeisters

This post was submitted by The Sportmeisters.

India Fight Back Well But Lose

On Saturday night India lost to arch rivlas Pakistan in their first ODI of the ICC Champions Trophy. Let us look at the match facts.

The Pakis won the toss and elected to bat. Unfortunately the pitch was a batsman favouring one, and Pakistan made good use of it.

The openers Imran Nazir and Kamran Akmal started smashing. But Ashish Nehra got both of them out quickly to put some pressure on the Pakis. Then pacer Ishant Sharma bowled a couple of maidens to increase the pressure. R.P Singh was expensive but took the important wicket of Younis Khan which was a huge setback for the Pakis.

The Indians were in a good position and their confidence was very high.

But suddenly there was a huge partnership which shattered all hopes of the Indians. Shoaib Malik(128) and Mohammad Yousuf(87) put up a huge partnership of 206 runs to help the Pakis post a total of 302 runs.

After these star batsmen fell the wickets started tumbling like pins and Pakistan ended their innings at 302/9 in 50 overs.

India have had a poor record of chasing under lights recently, and chasing such a huge target was really difficult.

But they did not lose hope and started batting. Gautam Gambhir came out with the Master Blaster to open. The Master Blaster unfortunately couldn’t show his magic and departed on 8. This was a huge setback for the Indians.

But Gautam Gambhir didn’t lose hope and smashed 57 of just 49 balls. He was looking in good touch when he was run out in a suicidal fashion by Younis Khan.

Then Virat Kohli and M.S Dhoni fell cheaply and India were looking as if their innings would collapse soon.

But then Suresh Raina came in and smashed 46 of just 41 balls and contributed to a 72 run partnership with Rahul Dravid to keeps the Indian hopes alive. But he too had to finally depart.

Then came India’s last hope Yusuf Pathan but lost his wicket very quickly. Now it was only up to Rahul Dravid to smash and guide India to a narrow win.

He was looking in good touch and tried to do his job but unfortunately his partner Harbhjan Singh was the cause for his run out dismissal and the Indian hopes’ shattering.

Then the Paki bowlers got the tailenders’ wickets quickly and wrapped up the Indian innings for 248.

Now India need two must wins against the mighty Aussies and the weak Windies in its next two matches.

So I conclude this article as I wish the Indians luck for their next two ODIs.

This post was submitted by Vishrut Aggarwal.

Undisciplined India Humbled

India Vs Pakistan is like Manchester United Vs Manchester City X 500, or Real Madrid Vs Barcelona X 200. After all, it is country against country and that too – rival and warring countries.

India went into the Champion’s Trophy game against Pakistan, as the Top ODI side in the world. However, that element of attitude was hard to witness in the game. The loss of major players like Sehwag, Zaheer Khan, and Yuvraj Singh affected the morale of the team dearly.
In the absence of such important players, it was imperative that everything else went along perfectly well in the team, and that is just what we did not see happening. After the 3 early wickets, India was on top of the game before Dhoni made a blunder by allowing Shoaib Mallik and Mohammed Yousuf to settle down.

New batsmen to the crease are more vulnerable and must be attacked. This is an instruction even a captain of an under-14 club team is expected to follow. Yet, in an all-important India-Pakistan encounter, this was not followed. From the time when both these batsmen were into their 10`s and 15`s, the field was spread out and they were allowed to take singles and read the bowlers. This cost the Indian team greatly later on, as the batsmen settled and whacked the sorry bowlers all over the park.

Another fact that Dhoni failed to realize was that he was bowling Yousuf Pathan – who is not a regular bowler and RP Singh and Ishant Sharma – who were not in their best form. They bowled all over the wicket and the fielders were merely left to pick the ball from the boundary.
Any team that allows the opposition to get from 30/3 to 260/3 is at fault, no matter how brilliant the batsmen are. And this time, that team was India. The irresponsible bowling spells was also another big factor in Pakistan reaching 303 in 50 overs.

Even so, the loyal Indian fans had some hope, wishing that the return of Gambhir to the side would add some might in their chase. In-form Sachin, as always, carried bunch of the pressure on his back. Dravid tried to elevate his game to his best slowcoach style and ended up playing a sheet anchor role as wickets tumbled. Gambhir and Raina made most of the occasion and provided some fireworks. Raina was wrongly adjudged LBW, which had a huge impact on the game. Yousuf Pathan continued his irresponsible act from his bowling to his batting task and managed to knick one to the well placed 2nd slip.

As a normal cricket fan can easily derive, the number of mistakes made by Indian team was too much for their potential to bear. Now they face the Top ODI side Australia in a do-or-die match. Let’s hope they make fewer mistakes this time.

This post was submitted by Chinmay Aradhye.

Rampage Jackson Says He’s Done With Dana White

By Contributing Blogger Nick for The Sportmeisters

Quinton “Rampage” Jackson is a fighter who has had an illustrious career in MMA. Now, Jackson is retiring from the sport he was so well known for, in favor of another career instead.

Jackson declared on his website’s blog that he would no longer be fighting former UFC Light Heavyweight champion Rashad Evans at an upcoming UFC pay-per-view event that was supposed to take place in his hometown of Memphis.

“All we had to do was come to a certain type of agreement or understanding, which later came after a lot of trash talk from Dana [White]. My manager flew to Vegas & talked to them & tried to work things out like a MAN,” said Jackson in his blog.

Jackson also went on to say that White, in essence, lied to him, saying he changed his mind when Jackson made it clear he wanted to fight current UFC Light Heavyweight champion Lyoto Machida for the title.

“ … When Rashad got knocked out [by Machida at UFC 98], I told them I wanted to fight Machida for the belt, but Dana told me if I coach TUF against Rashad that I could fight Machida afterwards cause this was a different type of Ultimate Fighter show they were doing. After I signed the contract, Dana then changes his mind and says I have to fight Rashad and even told me what to say in the press and so my fans think I was scared to fight Machida. After all that, I still never complained and I did it all.”

Jackson’s main issue appeared to be with White’s inconsideration for Jackson’s role in an upcoming A-Team movie in which Jackson stars as Sgt. Bosco ‘B.A.’ Baracus, played in the original series by Mr. T.

White responded to Jackson’s blog, saying, “All he’s been telling me since he got in the UFC is that he wants to fight in Memphis in front of his home town. We make the fight in Memphis and then he pulls out of the fight and is going to do a movie instead because it has so much sentimental value to him. Come on man.”

Though the two appeared to be at opposite ends, White also said that he and Jackson have talked, and White is confident Jackson will remain fighting.

“We kind of made up,” White said. “We’re going to figure it out. [Jackson] wants the Rashad fight. He’s in Vancouver doing this movie. It is what it is. Now we just have to figure out when. We’ll see what happens.

This post was submitted by The Sportmeisters.

What We Learned: NFL Week 3

By Ryan of The Sportmeisters

Week three had some major upsets, and a few tricks thrown in as well. Let’s take a look back at some of the big stories.

That Old Favre Magic

Two weeks into the NFL season, and Brett Favre has done little more than manage a game, a task either of his backups could do, and still make them 2-0. They do have one of the top NFL running backs in Adrian Peterson. However, Favre was finally called on in the fourth quarter against San Francisco, and boy, did he deliver. With 89 seconds to go, the Vikings were down 24-20, starting on their own 20 yard line. Favre drove them, completing all five of his passes, leading them to the 32 yard line of San Francisco’s with 12 seconds left. On the next play, Favre found little-used WR Greg Lewis in the back of the end zone to complete his 40^th career game-winning drive. This one play just summed up why Minnesota took such a chance to get Favre back one last time.

An Unimpressive Beginning

It’s been two years and three games since Michael Vick played in an NFL game. Finally, on Sunday, September 27^th, 2009, Vick came back and did…..absolutely nothing. Well, that’s not all true. Vick, who has only practiced with the Philadelphia Eagles for a short amount of time, played his responsibility as a decoy well. Overall, Vick was on the field for 11 snaps, and had a total of seven yards on one rush. Ironically, it was the other Eagle backups, QB Kevin Kolb and RB LeSean McCoy who had a big day for the Iggles, who won 34-14 over Kansas City. As the season progresses, look for Vick to get some more action while he adjusts to his new team.

The First One Is Always The Sweetest

December 23, 2007 was the last positive day for Lions fans. That day has since been replaced with September 27, 2009 as the Detroit Lions won their first game in their last 20, beating the Washington Redskins 19-14. Coach Jim Schwartz and rookie QB Matt Stafford also celebrated their first career victories. While their 19-game losing streak will go down in history as the second longest in NFL history, for the Lions and their fans, all they’re concerned with is a new streak. This one has a more winning attitude to it.

Kudos must also go to Schwartz, who sent his team back out to celebrate the victory with the 40,000 plus fans who have been supporting the Lions through thick and thin.

All-Star Injury Squad

The NFL talks of adding an extra game or two, but at the rate of the injuries occurring, they’re won’t be anyone left to play that extra game. In fact, an all-pro team could be designed with the injured players. Key injuries include RBs LaDanian Tomlinson, Frank Gore, Jamal Lewis, Marion Barber, LB Brian Urlacher, DE Dwight Freeney, QBs Donovan McNabb and Chad Pennington, WR Wes Welker, CB Aaron Ross, S Troy Polamalu, and others. It’s a long season, and for some teams, a key injury to a franchise guy can really affect the team’s psyche and performance.

Way Too Early MVP Predictions

1.Peyton Manning – 983 yards and seven touchdowns in just three games, he is the reason the Colts have once again taken first place in the AFC South, and the team shows no signs of turnover issues with a new coaching staff in place.

2. Adrian Peterson – Even after his non-breakout game against San Francisco, the Minnesota Vikings RB is still a huge reason for their 3-0 start, with 357 yards and four touchdowns on the ground in 2009.

3. Drew Brees – The Greatest Show In The Air is led by Brees, with his 841 yards and 9 touchdowns already. He had a non-descript game against Buffalo, but still has the talent and the tools to put points up and lead New Orleans to victory in the coming weeks.

Contenders and Pretenders

It’s early in the season, but who’s getting off on the right foot?

Are the Jets for real? Raise your hand if you saw them 3-0 after games against New England and Tennessee. Well, it’s true, behind rookie QB Mark Sanchez and the suffocating defense, the Jets are 3-0 heading into a showdown against New Orleans this weekend.

The New York Giants recommitted themselves to the rushing game this past week, and it showed as that and a combined defense effort led them in shutting out the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 24-0. It was the first road shutout for the G-Men since 1983. The Giants are 3-0 for the second straight season.

The Baltimore Ravens are using their offense to put points on the board, and it has given them a 3-0 start in coach John Harbaugh’s sophomore season.

As always, there are teams struggling to live up to the hype early on this season as well.

Three losses last year, three losses this year. It’s the same old for the Tennessee Titans, except they’ve lost all three games in a row this season. Who would have thought Albert Haynesworth made that much of a difference.

An inept win over St. Louis and a pathetic loss to Detroit makes the Washington Redskins a huge pretender. Combine that with the NFC East division, and coach Jim Zorn might not make it out of week two.

The Miami Dolphins are stuck with one of the hardest schedules this season, and it is clearly affecting last year’s AFC East champs, as they are 0-3 already this season.

This post was submitted by The Sportmeisters.

Fantasy Football – Week 3 Start ‘Em and Sit ‘Em

Welcome to the best time of the year Sports Fans. Here is where I will tell you who I think you should start or who I think you should sit for your fantasy team. This year, I will give you your obvious must starts (guys you start every week no matter who they play), a few players from each position who you should start, a sleeper start em’, and a must sit em’. Also, I will be giving projections for those players. Enough talk, let’s get down to business!

QB Obvious Must Starts

Drew Brees – NO vs. BUF – Projection: 315 Yards, 4 TD, 1 INT

Peyton Manning – IND vs. ARI – Projection: 300 Yards, 2 TD, 1 INT

Tom Brady – NE vs. ATL – Projection: 275 Yards, 2 TD, 1 INT

Philip Rivers – SD vs. MIA – Projection: 300 Yards 2 TD, 1 INT

Aaron Rodgers – GB vs. STL – Projection: 285 Yards, 3 TD, 0 INT

Kurt Warner – ARI vs. IND – Projection: 250 Yards, 2 TD, 1 INT

QB Start Em’

Matt Schaub – Houston Texans vs. JAX – Schaub looked very good against a good Tennessee D last week and this week goes up against the 26^th ranked Pass D of the Jacksonville Jaguars. Start Em’. Projection: 250 Yards, 2 TD, 1 INT

Trent Edwards – Buffalo Bills vs. NO – Edwards has been surprisingly good for the first two weeks, throwing for 442 Yards and four Touchdowns to just one Interception. This week, he gets the 28^th ranked Pass D of the New Orleans Saints. Start Em’. Projection: 255 Yards, 2 TD. 1 INT

Eli Manning – New York Giants vs. TB – Eli is moving on up to the top of the fantasy charts and has already thrown for 586 Yards and three Touchdowns in two games. This week he gets the 27^th ranked Pass D of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Sleeper Start Em’. Projection: 255 Yards, 2 TD, 0 INT

QB Sit Em’

Matt Cassel – Kansas City Chiefs vs. PHI – Cassel still has issues with that knee and threw two Interceptions last week. This week, he gets the 12^th ranked Pass D of the Philadelphia Eagles. Sit Em’. Projection: 200 Yards, 1 TD, 2 INT

Carson Palmer – Cincinnati Bengals vs. PIT – Palmer had a decent game last week, throwing for 185 yards with three Touchdowns, but also threw two Interceptions. This week, he gets the Pittsburgh Steelers, who are much better than their 19^th ranked Pass D shows. I don’t like the matchup, so I say Sit Em’. Projection: 265 Yards, 1 TD, 1 INT

Shaun Hill – San Francisco 49ers vs. MIN – If you are starting Shaun Hill then you must not have any other choice at QB and your team is in big trouble. He goes against the 5^th ranked Pass D of the Minnesota Vikings this week. Must Sit Em’. Projection: 125 Yards, 1 TD, 2 INT

RB Obvious Must Starts

Adrian Peterson – MIN vs. SF – Projection: 105 Yards Rushing, 1 TD, 2 Receptions, 20 Yards

Michael Turner – ATL vs. NE – Projection: 100 Yards, 1 TD

Maurice Jones-Drew – JAX vs. HOU – Projection: 85 Yards Rushing, 1 TD, 6 Receptions, 45 Yards

Steven Jackson – STL vs. GB – Projection: 80 Yards Rushing, 4 Receptions, 30 Yards, 1 TD

Matt Forte – CHI vs. SEA – Projection: 125 Yards Rushing, 2 TD, 5 Receptions, 45 Yards

Chris Johnson – TEN vs. NYJ – Projection: 90 Yards Rushing, 1 TD, 4 Receptions, 40 Yards

RB Start Em’

Ryan Grant – Green Bay Packers vs. STL – Grant hasn’t been great in the first two weeks, but you just can’t sit him when he’s playing the 25^th ranked Run D of the St. Louis Rams. Start Em’. Projection: 90 Yards Rushing, 1 TD, 3 Receptions, 20 Yards

Clinton Portis – Washington Redskins vs. DET – Portis looked good last week against a weak St. Louis Defense and he gets a Detroit Defense that is without their best Linebacker in Ernie Sims and are ranked 22^nd in the NFL in Run D. Start Em’. Projection: 110 Yards, 2 TD, 3 Receptions, 25 Yards

Brandon Jacobs – New York Giants vs. TB – The big boy has been held in check so far this year, only rushing for 104 Yards and no Touchdowns in two games, but he should hit pay dirt this week against the 27^th ranked Run D of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Start Em’. Projection: 80 Yards Rushing, 1 TD, 2 Receptions, 10 Yards

Tim Hightower – Arizona Cardinals vs. IND – Hightower has been very surprising this year. He has 87 Yards rushing, with a Touchdown, and has 15 Receptions for 133 Yards. This week he gets the 30^th ranked Run D of the Indianapolis Colts, who allowed 239 Yards rushing to the Dolphins last week. Sleeper Start Em’. Projection: 70 Yards Rushing, 1 TD, 5 Receptions, 30 Yards

RB Sit Em’

Frank Gore – San Francisco 49ers vs. MIN – Even with his 207 Yard performance last week, you have to consider benching him this week against the Vikings D, who are currently ranked 15^th in the NFL in Run D, but we all know they are much tougher than that. Sit Em’. Projection: 55 Yards Rushing, 5 Receptions, 30 Yards

Cedric Benson – Cincinnati Bengals vs. PIT – Even though Benson ran for 141 Yards last week against Green Bay, you have to sit him this week against the 8^th ranked Run D of the Pittsburgh Steelers, who have held Chris Johnson and Matt Forte to a combined 86 Yards in the first two games. Sit Em’. Projection: 40 Yards Rushing

Willie Parker – Pittsburgh Steelers vs. CIN – Willie Parker is no longer “Fast”. He appears to have lost more than a step and has rushed for just 66 Yards on 27 Carries. Not to mention that the Bengals D has been surprisingly good this year and are ranked 11^th in the NFL in Run D. Must Sit Em’. Projection: 45 Yards Rushing

WR Obvious Must Starts

Randy Moss – NE vs. ATL (Questionable) – Projection: 7 Receptions, 90 Yards, 1 TD

Wes Welker – NE vs. ATL (Questionable) – Projection: 10 Receptions, 80 Yards, 1 TD

Andre Johnson – HOU vs. JAX – Projection: 8 Receptions, 100 Yards, 1 TD

Larry Fitzgerald – ARI vs. IND – Projection: 6 Receptions, 75 Yards, 1 TD

Anquan Boldin – ARI vs. IND – Projection: 6 Receptions, 85 Yards, 1 TD

Steve Smith – CAR vs. DAL – Projection: 8 Receptions, 80 Yards, 1 TD

Reggie Wayne – IND vs. ARI – Projection: 8 Receptions, 105 Yards, 1 TD

Calvin Johnson – DET vs. WAS – Projection: 6 Receptions, 75 Yards, 1 TD

Greg Jennings – GB vs. STL – Projection: 8 Receptions, 100 Yards, 1 TD

Marques Colston – NO vs. BUF – Projection: 7 Receptions, 70 Yards, 1 TD

Roddy White – ATL vs. CAR – Projection: 6 Receptions, 65 Yards, 1 TD

Terrell Owens – BUF vs. NO – Projection: 6 Receptions, 80 Yards, 1 TD

WR Start Em’

Vincent Jackson – San Diego Chargers vs. MIA – Jackson has emerged as the favorite target in San Diego and has 11 Receptions for 197 Yards and two Touchdowns in two games this year. This week he gets the 23^rd ranked Pass D of the Miami Dolphins. Start Em’. Projection: 7 Receptions, 100 Yards, 1 TD

Steve Smith and Mario Manningham – New York Giants vs. TB – These two guys have emerged as the Go to Guys for Eli Manning and have a combined 29 Receptions for 422 Yards and three Touchdowns in two games. This week they get the 27^th ranked Pass D of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Start Em’ Both. Projections: Manningham: 7 Receptions, 95 Yards, 1 TD – Smith: 10 Receptions, 85 Yards, 1 TD

Santana Moss – Washington Redskins vs. DET – Moss has not been very useful so far this season, only catching five balls for 41 Yards. However, you just can’t sit him against the 24^th ranked Pass D of the Detroit Lions. Start Em’. Projection: 5 Receptions, 75 Yards, 1 TD

Jerricho Cotchery – New York Jets vs. TEN – Cochery has been a consistent target of rookie QB Mark Sanchez so far this year, catching 10 balls for 177 Yards in two games. This week he gets the 32^nd ranked Pass D of the Tennessee Titans. Sleeper Start Em’. Projection: 7 Receptions, 90 Yards, 1 TD

WR Sit Em’

Brandon Marshall – Denver Broncos vs. OAK – Last year, Marshall was a Top 10 fantasy WR. However, the offseason problems have dropped him and now you really can’t even start him as he still doesn’t fully know the new playbook and has a tough matchup against the 20^th ranked Pass D of the Oakland Raiders this week, being matched against Nnamdi Asomugha. Sit Em’. Projection: 4 Receptions, 40 Yards

Bernard Berrian – Minnesota Vikings vs. SF – Berrian hasn’t been fully involved in the offense yet and that doesn’t look to change this week against a surprisingly good San Francisco D that is ranked 20^th vs. the Pass. Sit Em’. Projection: 6 Receptions, 55 Yards

Justin Gage – Tennessee Titans vs. NYJ – Gage has been Kerry Collins’ favorite target, but he faces a tough matchup against the 9^th ranked Pass D of the New York Jets. Must Sit Em’. Projection: 5 Receptions, 50 Yards

TE Obvious Must Starts

Jason Witten – DAL vs. CAR – Projection: 7 Receptions, 70 Yards, 1 TD

Antonio Gates – SD vs. MIA – Projection: 7 Receptions, 80 Yards, 1 TD

Tony Gonzalez – ATL vs. NE – Projection: 6 Receptions, 75 Yards, 1 TD

Dallas Clark – IND vs. ARI – Projection: 6 receptions, 75 Yards, 1 TD

TE Start Em’

Chris Cooley – Washington Redskins vs. DET – Cooley has been extremely involved in the Offense in the first two weeks, catching 14 passes for 151 Yards and a Touchdown. This week he faces the not so tough Detroit Lions 24^th ranked Pass D. Start Em’. Projection: 7 Receptions, 70 Yards, 1 TD

Dustin Keller – New York Jets vs. TEN – Keller has been one of Mark Sanchez’s favorite targets early in this season. Keller has seven Receptions for 116 Yards and a Touchdown in two games. This week he gets the 32^nd ranked Pass D of the Tennessee Titans. Start Em’. Projection: 4 Receptions, 50 Yards, 1 TD

Jeremy Shockey – New Orleans Saints vs. BUF – Shockey has started this year n fire with eight Receptions for 80 Yards and two Touchdowns. With Drew Brees at QB and against a Buffalo Bills D that is ranked 31^st against the Pass, he is definitely a Sleeper Start Em’. Projection: 4 Receptions, 50 Yards, 1 TD

TE Sit Em’

Greg Olsen – Chicago Bears vs. SEA – So much for Olsen being a huge part of the offense. So far this year he has just four catches for 49 Yards and no Touchdowns. The Seahawks have the 2^nd ranked Pass D in the NFL, so I don’t see him being heavily involved this week either. Sit Em’. Projection: 3 Receptions, 20 Yards

Ben Watson – New England Patriots vs. ATL – Watson started hot and then cooled off in week two. This week he gets the 17^th ranked Pass D of the Atlanta Falcons. Sit Em’. Projection: 3 Receptions, 30 Yards

D/ST Start Em’

Philadelphia Eagles vs. KC – I don’t like Matt Cassel and the Eagles have a very good Defense despite their poor performance against New Orleans last week – Start Em’.

Washington Redskins vs. DET – Strong Pass rush against a Rookie QB who has thrown five Interceptions. I like it! Start Em’.

D/ST Sit Em’

Buffalo Bills vs. NO – Never start a Defense against the best Offense in the NFL. Sit Em’.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. NYG – Eli’s coming and the G-Men should light up this Defense. Sit Em’.

There you have it Sports Fans. Any questions or concerns, please email me at Derek@Sportmeisters.com and look for my weekly Sunday Morning Start Em’/Sit Em’ Chat.

This post was submitted by Derek of The Sportmeisters.

Florida State: A Tale Of Two Teams

I’ve been a Florida State fan probably as far back as 1993, but my love for the Seminoles didn’t truly grow until I became one, attending FSU from 2002-2006. While growing up in the 90s, the Seminoles were the team to beat. Two national championships (1993 and 1999), two Heisman Trophy Winners (QBs Charlie Ward and Chris Weinke), a number of All-Americans, NFL first round draft picks, top five finishes, and other accolades. The 1999 team even became the first team to go wire to wire as the number one team in the country.

Following the 2001 National Championship loss to Oklahoma, the wheels started coming off somewhere. Whether its an improvement in recruiting from the rest of the ACC, or just resting on their laurels by Florida State, they were a shell of their former selves.

I went to Florida State from 2002-2006, seeing the Chris Rix, Wyatt Sexton, and Drew Weatherford era’s, surrounded by the offensive leadership of Jeff Bowden, Coach Bobby Bowden’s son. Granted, by the time I left, FSU had achieved some milestones worthy of praise for other universities. Two BCS bowl games (Sugar, 2002, Orange, 2005), Three ACC Championships (2002, 2003, 2005), and a host of All-Americans and NFL Draft picks. Since 2005, FSU started to fall under the weight of their own achievements.

Consecutive 7-6 seasons in 2006 and 2007 brought more questions than answers, but in 2008, after more ups and downs, it looked like the Seminoles had finally turned the corner, thanks to a dominanting team performance in the Champs Sports Bowl against Wisconsin, a 42-13 win that cemented a 9-4 season. They weren’t the Seminoles of old, but were instead making a name as a new brand of Florida State.

2009 brought renewed hope and aspirations for this young squad. A returning QB (Christian Ponder), with all of his lineman returning. There is a coaching staff, still led by Bobby Bowden, but designed around Head-Coach-In-Waiting Jimbo Fisher, who finally had the pieces together to form a competitive offense. It also saw Mickey Andrew’s defense, though young, with enough talent to hold their own. Critics and pundits alike picked FSU to represent the ACC Atlantic in the ACC Championship, and people finally thought this team would get back on track to the FSU of old.

So far, as we round the one-fourth mark of the NCAA Season, FSU still looks like a team struggling to find its identity. A team reminiscent of the 2006-2008 era, who would win the hard ones, but fall flat against games they were expected to destroy.

When I look at the FSU vs. Jacksonville State matchup, a cupcake game designed to help FSU after a tough ACC matchup against Miami. Already 0-1 after a tough Labor Day matchup, the Seminoles were expected to dominate, and tune-up themselves nicely for their upcoming games. That didn’t happen.

FSU played like a pee-wee team matched up against their FCS opponents, needing two scores in the final minute to come from BEHIND and win 19-9. No doubt that a loss would have set the Seminoles back plenty in their quest to relive the glory days. At the time, FSU played like a team that had never played football before. They rushed for a combined 78 yards, turned the ball over three times, and were inconsistent across the field. The only saving grace was Ponder’s 22-35 for 324 yard performance, and Kevin McNeil’s fumble return for a touchdown with less than a minute to go. After this game, many thought Florida State were ways from being back, and were walking into the “Cougars” den, with a matchup against BYU on deck.

The FSU-BYU game came and went, and FSU looked nothing like the team that struggled to win their first game of 2009, or even the team that fell short against Miami in week one. FSU put up 54 points on BYU, forced five turnovers, racked up over 500 yards of offense (300+ rushing), and, outside of a few defensive breakdowns, looked like the team everyone was talking about this season. The question remains though; which FSU team is the real team?

The season is far from over, with tough matchups against Georgia Tech, North Carolina, and the always dangerous Florida Gators still on tap. The Seminoles have the potential to win most of these games (even I think Florida will have our number this season), culminating in an ACC Atlantic title, and potentially an ACC Championship victory to go back to the BCS.

Florida State is two teams combined into one. They’re a team of dominance and winning, invoking memories of the 90s. They field the talent and have the ability to destroy any team lying in its path.

They’re also a meek team, afraid to play up to the challenge, hampered by their own expectations of winning that they fall flat, and lose games (or come close too), that they should win.

With nine games remaining, starting this Saturday against South Florida, the questions remain; which Florida State team will show up, and how long (for Seminole fans), until the teams of the 90s return?

This post was submitted by Ryan of The Sportmeisters.

Avoiding a Letdown: The Tale of Two Texans

Last week’s victory against the Oilers (err…Titans), left only a sense of uncertainty about the identity of the Texans. Rightfully so, Coach Gary Kubiak and several Texans players offered displeasure about the game with hopes of stepping-up execution. Let’s hope that the Texans that set off an offensive explosion last week, carrying over that momentum. However, this week’s game against the Jacksonville Jaguars could be one of the defining games of the 2009 season.

This week’s game against the Jags could be a letdown game for the Texans. Granted they own the overall win-loss record at 8-6, with five of those wins coming at home. However, which Texans team will show-up? The one we saw last week or the one that forgot to show against the New York Jets?

The Texans have a history of letdowns after big games. Case in point: last year’s Monday night win against the Jags. Remember DE “Super” Mario Williams going off on offensive tackle Khalif Barnes and his three sack performance, or rookie RB Steve Slaton having a coming out party with 182 yards from scrimmage? Sounds like last week, does it not?

However, the following week, they traveled and laid an egg against the Oakland Raiders. The similarities are there that Jacksonville could be last season’s Oakland. Luckily both games are at home but Jacksonville may be poised to hand the Texans a letdown. Let’s now look at the matchup against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Defensively, the Jags are a step-down from the Jets and Oilers from weeks one & two, respectively. Don’t think that they will lay down and let the Texans go off. Remember, this is another bitter division rivalry and nothing should be taken for granted. The Texans must do what they did last week and get QB Matt Schaub and WR Andre Johnson involved early.

This should do two things: 1) create other open receivers (such as TE Owen Daniels & WR Kevin Walter) and 2) assist the run game. The Texans can score on the Jags but they need to get into an early rhythm, stay on the field and put points on the board in the red zone (TDs>FGs). Execution is this week’s offensive mantra.

Offensively, the Jags have been somewhat anemic the last two weeks but playing the NFL’s worst defense could bring some relief. We know that the Jags are going to run A LOT with RB Maurice Jones-Drew then take shots vertically downfield to WR Torry Holt, but look out for QB David Garrard. Not with his arm but with his feet. He has made big plays against the Texans when he has alluded the rush or just tucked and run. The Texans (especially the young ends of Williams and Amobi Okoye) should be able get to him but they will need to hit, wrap and tackle.

The strategy is the same as against the Oilers; force Garrard to stand and stay in the pocket and throw. Aggressiveness and assignments are this week’s defensive mantras.

If the Texans want to be a playoff team this year, they will have to execute and build (not demolish) upon their success from last week. It is time for them to create an identity for themselves, as they proved last week that they can come back and beat a better team. Let’s just hope that they come to play and alleviate any sense of doubt.

This post was submitted by Contributing Blogger Scott The Sportmeisters.

How To Get Your Small-Market NCAA Team On TV

About a year ago, I had the chance to meet with Randy Spetman, Florida State Athletic Director, and he told me the way to get into a career in sports, was to be able to sell your product. So, it’s time for me to earn my marketing degree and explain how to get your small-market college football team some better exposure.

Back in 2004, ESPN hyped what was arguably the greatest time for a football fan, and that was 19 straight days of at least one live football telecast (college or NFL). Now, we’re used to Saturday, Sunday, Monday, and the occasional Thursday game, which is now becoming a weekly standard, and even a Friday game is becoming commonplace. But games being played on Tuesday and Wednesdays? Yes it happened, and with 119 different FBS teams, there are thousands of fans who I’m sure tuned on those days to see their small-market school that don’t quite get the prime-time love on a Saturday night. Which, right there, is the key.

Small market schools from conferences such as the WAC, MAC, Sun Belt, C-USA, MWC, and so forth, aren’t top tier teams. Granted, the MWC is slowly making a name for themselves, but that’s semantic details. Financially, they don’t pull in the big bucks that the bigger teams do, and in today’s cutthroat environment, especially for coaches, those with smaller budgets have to think outside the box to pull in the top recruits. What else says free publicity like a weekday game nationally televised by ESPN? For example, both Tuesday and Wednesday games for two weeks during the 19 days of Football Television, were played by C-USA schools. That’s eight teams getting a national audience to show their product. What team wouldn’t take that opportunity?

In the earlier days of football, teams could use the prestige angle and the exposure of being a big-time school to help lure recruits, because it was only those handfuls of schools getting the attention that would turn the head of NFL scouts. Now, those same teams that used that recruiting pitch can’t anymore, or at least not with the same effect, because we’re having these smaller schools get attention because they play games on “off-nights”. Twenty years ago, how many NFL scouts and high school recruits would have been interested by the fact that, during his period at UCF, Kevin Smith ran for the second most yards in a single season, with 2,567? He ended up being televised twice on national television, with one of those games coming on a Sunday night. A night not designated for football, and on that night, third round draft pick , and starter for the Detroit Lions, Kevin Smith rushed for 175 yards and two touchdowns. Would anyone have cared otherwise?

I know, I’m focusing heavy on one specific conference, but let’s face it, all the smaller conferences are using the fact that they will be televised to market themselves, and they’re playing harder than ever for the recruit’s attention! The following non-automatic qualifier teams played on another day other than Saturday in just the first month: Tulsa, Tulane, Toledo, Fresno State, Boise State (even nationally ranked teams need exposure), and Nevada.

Even for the smaller schools in the bigger conferences that don’t get a lot of attention, they take advantage of this opportunity. We hear the ESPN pundits’ discussing the Thursday upsets constantly while these games happen. A short week against a small school can make the favorite look past the underdog, and then, Upset City!

Let’s look at a team using this purely to their advantage in the 2009 season, and that’s Boise State. Already Cinderella darlings for their upset of Oklahoma a few years back, the Broncos have led the way to non-automatic qualifiers getting exposure. This exposure helps them recruit players, bar none. These top recruits then help this team earn their top ten national ranking that they currently have.

In 2009, Boise State has no less than seven games not being played on a Saturday. As a top team in the polls, they bring in an extra audience already. However, a mid-week game helps give them a one-up on recruiting by showing potential Broncos that they can get on TV, and gain national exposure. For a school without a big financial budget in athletics, this is an easy way to show notice, not only to them, but their conference as well.

If I was an Athletic Director, and I needed to market my small-market team, I’d do like Boise State, only take it one step further: Every game is a weekday game. Outside of the one or two non-conference games (to earn the big paycheck for getting whooped, and some of those games get televised), I would just play them all on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday, and promote to my recruits that we can get you the national exposure to help get you to the next level, and win you the big awards, and all the while, the school rakes in the dough from it. A complete win-win for all members.

So there you have it, my plan to make even the smallest mid-major conference school just as competitive as the big boys, and I for one, always look forward to sitting down and watching a football game, regardless of the date, time, and who’s playing.

This post was submitted by Ryan of The Sportmeisters.

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