FOURTH AND INCHES WEEK 12 RANKINGS

Quarterback

1. Tom Brady at PHI

2. Cam Newton at IND

3. Drew Brees vs NYG

4. Ben Roethlisberger at KC

5. Matt Ryan vs MIN

6. Vince Young vs NE

7. Eli Manning at NO

8. Sam Bradford vs ARI

9. Tim Tebow at SD

10. Christian Ponder at ATL

11. Carson Palmer vs CHI

12. Andy Dalton vs CLE

13. Philip Rivers vs DEN

14. Matt Hasselbeck vs TB

15. Mark Sanchez vs BUF

16. Matt Leinart at JAX

17. Rex Grossman at SEA

18. Josh Freeman at TEN

19. Curtis Painter vs CAR

20. Caleb Hanie at OAK

RUNNING BACK

1. Arian Foster at JAX

2. Matt Forte at OAK

3. Rashard Mendenhall at KC

4. Lesean McCoy vs NE

5. Chris Johnson vs TB

6. Michael Turner vs MIN

7. LeGarrette Blount at TEN

8. Marshawn Lynch vs WAS

9. Steven Jackson vs ARI

10. Maurice Jones-Drew vs HOU

11. Cedric Benson vs CLE

12. Beanie Wells at STL

13. Michael Bush vs CHI

14. Willis McGahee at SD

15. Darren Sproles vs NYG

16. Shonn Greene vs BUF

17. Donald Brown vs CAR

18. Benjarvus Green-Ellis at PHI

19. Ryan Matthews vs DEN

20. Jonathan Stewart at IND

21. CJ Spiller at NYJ

22. Toby Gerhart at ATL

23. Mike Tolbert vs DEN

24. Roy Helu at SEA

WIDE RECEIVER

1. Steve Smith at IND

2. Wes Welker at PHI

3. Larry Fitzgerald at STL

4. Roddy White vs MIN

5. Mike Wallace at KC

6. Brandon Lloyd vs ARI

7. Hakeem Nicks at NO

8. Andre Johnson at JAX

9. Santonio Holmes vs BUF

10. Marques Colston vs NYG

11. DeSean Jackson vs NE

12. Percy Harvin at ATL

13. Antonio Brown at KC

14. Vincent Jackson vs DEN

15. Victor Curz at NO

16. Eric Decker at SD

17. Julio Jones vs MIN

18. Santana Moss at SEA

19. Mike Williams at TEN

20. AJ Green vs CLE

21. Dwayne Bowe vs PIT

22. Pierre Garcon vs CAR

23. Damian Williams vs TB

24. Vincent Brown vs DEN

25. Plaxico Burress vs BUF

26. Riley Cooper vs NE

27. Steve Johnson at NYJ

28. Deion Branch at PHI

29. Darrius Heyward-Bey vs CHI

30. Nate Washington vs TB

31. Earl Bennett at OAK

32. Brandon LaFell at IND

33. Lance Moore vs NYG

34. Jerome Simpson vs CLE

35. Reggie Wayne vs CAR

36. Sidney Rice vs WAS

TIGHT END

1. Rob Gronkowski at PHI

2. Jimmy Graham vs NYG

3. Aaron Hernandez at PHI

4. Antonio Gates vs DEN

5. Tony Gonzalez vs MIN

6. Jermaine Gresham vs CLE

7. Brent Celek vs NE

8. Fred Davis at SEA

9. Heath Miller at KC

10. Jacob Tamme vs CAR

11. Greg Olsen at IND

12. Owen Daniels at JAX

13. Kellen Winslow at TEN

14. Jared Cook vs TB

15. Jake Ballard at NO

KICKER

1. Neil Rackers at JAX

2. John Kasay vs NYG

3. Stephen Gostkowski at NE

4. Shaun Suisham at KC

5. Robbie Gould at OAK

6. Sebastian Janikowski vs CHI

7. Nick Novak vs DEN

8. Matt Bryant vs MIN

9. Josh Scobee vs HOU

10. Olindo Mare at IND

11. Ryan Longwell at ATL

12. Josh Brown vs ARI

DEFENSE/SPECIAL TEAMS

1. Steelers at KC

2. Texans at JAX

3. Jets vs BUF

4. Bengals vs CLE

5. Bears at OAK

6. Broncos at SD

7. Falcons vs MIN

8. Seahawks vs WAS

9. Redskins at SEA

10. Rams vs ARI

11. Raiders vs CHI

12. Titans vs TB

Week 12: Rejoice With Some NBA Action!

It’s a short week with a trio of NFL games having been played on Thanksgiving Day, but on the other hand, the bye weeks are thankfully over and done with.

But before we get to the football talk, I felt it necessary to take a quick K-turn. The NBA announced they have reached a labor deal, meaning the abbreviated season will begin on Christmas Day.

If you’ve never been a part of an NBA fantasy league, I suggest you give it a try. (How else are you going to get your competition fix between December and April?)

Without fantasy, I could care less about the NBA. The games are often hard to watch and there are so many bad teams. If you happen to be a fan of one of those bad teams (Sixers, cough), then you are staring at roughly 50 games during a regular season between dreck and muck.

That is where fantasy comes in to play. Don’t know who Andris Biedrins or Tyrus Thomas is? (Please refrain from saying ‘no and I’m glad I don’t). Join a fantasy league and you’ll look forward to checking the boxscore of the Hawks v Warriors game.

More good news: The new labor agreement will make NBA fantasy even that much more fun.

One of the big turnoffs of watching the NBA is seeing guys dogging it, one or two years into a seven year guaranteed contract.

It’s also infuriating seeing guys who are mediocre at what they do, getting paid boatloads of money.

To win in the NBA, you need superstars. You don’t need mid-level exceptions earning $8 million a year to play 6 minutes a game (Luke Walton, come on down!).

 You also don’t need guys who are good, but not great, earning $19 million a year. (Joe Johnson, I’m calling you out!)

It sounds as if the new labor agreement will put an end to that.

Not to dwell on poor Luke, but he’s scheduled to earn $5.68 million this year. Kobe Bryant will earn $25.2 million. Is Kobe 5 times better or more valuable than Luke? Unless you are mama Walton, your answer will be yes. In fact, Kobe is 10 times more valuable. So pay him accordingly. I have no doubt that the Luke’s of the world will be able to scrape by on $1-2 million a year.

Some tips to make your NBA fantasy league as fun as possible:

Make technical fouls a good thing: Dwight Howard led the league last year with 18 technical fouls. He would be a first round pick regardless. But did you know that Andray Blatche had 11? Did you know that Andray Blatche was an actual person? Give away points for technical fouls and then grab the rough and tumble Wizards forward.

Give bonus points when a team wins: Then Cleveland plays Minnesota, you’ll be extra happy when rebound machine Kevin Love leads his team to a win. It’s like gambling, but not. But is.

Five point bonus each week based on your players hairstyles: The NBA is loaded with hideous hair, so why not make it a contest. Got Tyler Hansborough and his bowl cut? Bonus! Anderson Varejao? Bonus! Andrew Bogut? Double bonus!

Make turnovers a good thing: I never understood why you should lose points if your guy turns the ball over. He’s just trying to make a play! Why punish a guy for effort? I’m not saying you give out points for turnovers, but don’t make them a negative.

Buzzer beaters: If your player makes a buzzer beater from beyond mid-court, 25 points. It happens a handful of times a season…why not make it a true milestone? If I made a shot from the opposing free throw line, I’d want more than 3 points. MTV Rock and Jock got this one right.

Even if you are not a fan of the NBA, give NBA fantasy a shot. You might end up becoming a convert. Lord knows the league could use the fans.

On to the NFL!

PUT’EM IN!

QB: Vince Young vs NE: The Pats have come out and stated the obvious. Their goal this week is to contain Shady McCoy. That leaves the game in VY’s Cristal loving hands. New England gives up the third most fantasy points to QB’s and the most points to WR’s. Even without Jeremy Maclin, Young should put up a bushel of points.

RB1: Chris Johnson vs TB: The Bucs have fallen apart against the run. CJ2.9YPC keeps getting delicious matchups and doing little with them. He’s killed you all year long, but you’ve got to ride him until he is dead and buried. The Bucs have allowed a RB touchdown in six straight games and are catching the Panthers in worst rush defense.

RB2: Donald Brown vs Panthers: Joe Addai practiced on Friday, but is still listed as questionable. Joe Addai wants nothing more than this season to be over. Brown, on the other hand, has taken over as the lead back in Addai’s absence. The Panthers are allergic to tackling guys who run with the ball, so this could be the one week you can get some points out of DB.

WR1: Percy Harvin at ATL: Adrian Peterson is out, but I think Harvin might end up with more rushing yards than Toby Gerhart. Harvin has carried 28 times on the year, averaging 8 yards per rush. Harvin has yet to gain 100 yards receiving in any single game, but he could easily get 100 yards combined this week.

WR2: Vincent Brown vs DEN: Champ Bailey is still a shutdown corner and should be focused on Vincent Jackson this week. That leaves Brown, who let down a lot of owners last week with his 1 catch performance. Rookie receivers are always sketchy, but this is a good spot for the youngster.

WR3: Santana Moss at SEA: Back after missing four games with a hand injury. He should instantly return to being Rex Grossman’s favorite target (not sure if that is actually a good thing or not). The Jabar Gaffney ride is officially over.

TE: Heath Miller at KC: Can you believe that the Chiefs will be on primetime for the 2^nd straight week? Gotta like Miller against the team giving up the third most tight end points. Anthony Fasano scored twice on them!

D/ST: Steelers at KC: Not to beat a dead horse, but Tyler Palko last week looked like a right handed person trying to throw a ball with their left hand. The Steelers have actually been a pretty lousy fantasy defense this year (only 1 TD), but this week will change all that.

TAKE’EM OUT!

QB: Matt Leinart vs HOU: The Texans are saying all the right things, trying to keep the pressure off of Leinart. But this week will be the Arian Foster show. The Jags hold QB’s to the 7^th fewest points and have nearly as many interceptions (10) as TD passes allowed (12).

RB1: Ahmad Bradshaw at NO: In one of the biggest games of the year for the G-Men, Bradshaw remains out. The Giants’ running game has come to a screeching halt without him and it will have to wait one more week to get back on track.

RB2: Kevin Smith vs himself: I know Smith played on Thanksgiving Day, but if you watched the game, you also know that he got hurt. There is a reason this guy was serving me a chalupa at Taco Bell one month ago. He’s just way too injury prone. I suggested you pick him up last week and it worked out for some of you. But he’s not durable enough to be a number one guy. Sorry to burst your bubble.

WR1: Steve Johnson vs BUF: I’ve officially given up on Stevie J. I own him in several leagues, but he has become unstartable. The Darrelle Revis matchup only makes it worse. Johnson put up 80 yards on Revis in their first matchup this year, but I could care less. Ryan Fitzpatrick is showing the world why the only college that wanted him was Harvard.

WR2:  AJ Green vs JAX: Joe Haden, shut down corner. He’s done an amazing job all year long. Throw in the fact that Green is coming off an injury and this is one of the very few weeks that Green gets benched.

WR3: Sidney Rice vs WAS: Which team has allowed the fewest WR touchdowns on the year? If you said the Redskins, you must be DeAngelo Hall (in which case, thanks for reading DeAngelo!) Rice has been a disappointment all year long with just 484 yards and 2 scores through 11 weeks.

TE: Visanthe Shiancoe at ATL: Typically, rookie QB’s develop a rapport with their tight ends, mainly as a safety blanket. That hasn’t happened with Christian Ponder and Shiancoe. Visanthe has been lousy from start to finish, never topping 58 yards in a single game. He’s been targeted a mere 11 times over the last three games and gets tough matchup at Atlanta, a team that has allowed just 2 touchdowns by a tight end all year.

D/ST: Eagles vs NE: The Birds defense had its best game of the season last week against the Gints. But Nnamdi and DRC are both questionable with leg injuries. That leaves Joselio Hanson, Curtis Marsh and Brandon Hughes to team with Asante Samuel in stopping Tom Brady. Not good.

Be sure to tune into Z88.9 FM Sunday at noon for our live fantasy football pregame show.

Also, if you have a fantasy question you need answered, send us an e-mail at fantasyfootballonz889@hotmail.com. We’ll read your question live on the air on Sunday and give you our opinion of what you should do.

Week 11 Player Rankings

Here are your weekly player rankings. Houston, New Orleans, Indianapolis and Pittsburgh have a bye this week. The Broncos and the Jets played Thursday night, so any players involved in that game are not included in these lists.

Tune into Z88.9 FM Sunday from noon to one for our weekly fantasy football chat. Or listen online at www.z889.com.

Also, you can e-mail us at fantasyfootballonz889@hotmail.com with any fantasy football questions you would like to have answered.

On to the rankings:

Quarterback

1. Aaron Rodgers vs TB

2. Tom Brady vs KC

3. Tony Romo at WAS

4. Cam Newton at DET

5. Carson Palmer at MIN

6. Ryan Fitzpatrick at MIA

7. Jay Cutler vs SD

8. Eli Manning vs PHI

9. Matthew Stafford vs CAR

10. Philip Rivers at CHI

11. Vince Young at NYG

12. Sam Bradford vs SEA

13. Matt Ryan vs TEN

14. Matt Hasselbeck at ATL

15. Alex Smith vs ARI

16. Matt Moore vs BUF

17. Joe Flacco vs CIN

18. Christian Ponder vs OAK

19. John Skelton at SF

20. Josh Freeman at GB

RUNNING BACK

1. LeSean McCoy at NYG

2. Adrian Peterson vs OAK

3. Michael Turner vs TEN

4. Matt Forte vs SD

5. Fred Jackson at MIA

6. Steven Jackson vs SEA

7. Ray Rice vs CIN

8. Michael Bush at MIN

9. Frank Gore vs ARI

10. James Starks vs TB

11. Maurice Jones Drew at CLE

12. DeMarco Murray at WAS

13. Brandon Jacobs vs PHI

14. Reggie Bush vs BUF

15. Chris Johnson at ATL

16. Marshawn Lynch at STL

17. LeGarrette Blount at GB

18. BenJarvus Green-Ellis vs KC

19. Cedric Benson at BAL

20. Ryan Matthews at CHI

21. DeAngelo Williams at DET

22. Maurice Morris vs CAR

23. Jackie Battle at NE

24. Roy Helu vs DAL

WIDE RECEIVER

1. Larry Fitzgerald at SF

2. Calvin Johnson vs CAR

3. Greg Jennings vs TB

4. Steve Smith at DET

5. Wes Welker vs KC

6. Brandon Marshall vs BUF

7. Roddy White vs TEN

8. Steve Johnson at MIA

9. Dwayne Bowe at NE

10. Dez Bryant at WAS

11. Percy Harvin vs OAK

12. Hakeem Nicks vs PHI

13. Brandon Lloyd vs SEA

14. Sidney Rice at STL

15. Laurent Robinson at WAS

16. Jordy Nelson vs TB

17. Vincent Jackson at CHI

18. Earl Bennett vs SD

19. Mario Manningham vs PHI

20. DeSean Jackson at NYG

21. Anquan Boldin vs CIN

22. David Nelson at MIA

23. Denarius Moore at MIN

24. Deion Branch vs KC

25. Damian Williams at ATL

26. Michael Crabtree vs ARI

27. Steve Smith at NYG

28. Torrey Smith vs CIN

29. Vincent Brown at CHI

30. Mike Williams at GB

31. Early Doucet at SF

32. Victor Cruz vs PHI

33. Braylon Edwards vs ARI

34. Jabar Gaffney vs DAL

35. Greg Little vs JAX

36. Steve Breaston at NE

TIGHT END

1. Rob Gronkowski vs KC

2. Jason Witten at WAS

3. Vernon Davis vs ARI

4. Antonio Gates at CHI

5. Tony Gonzalez vs TEN

6. Aaron Hernandez vs KC

7. Jermichael Finley vs TB

8. Greg Olsen at DET

9. Brent Celek at NYG

10. Ben Watson vs JAX

11. Jake Ballard vs PHI

12. Brandon Pettigrew vs CAR

13. Fred Davis vs DAL

14. Visanthe Shiancoe vs OAK

15. Kellen Winslow at GB

16. Jermaine Gresham at BAL

17. Ed Dickson vs CIN

18. David Nelson at MIA

KICKER

1. Dan Bailey vs WAS

2. Jason Hanson vs CAR

3. Robbie Gould vs SD

4. David Akers vs ARI

5. Billy Cundiff vs CIN

6. Sebastian Janikowski at MIN

7. Mason Crosby vs TB

8. Stephen Gostkowski vs KC

9. Rob Bironas at ATL

10. Olindo Mare at DET

11. Matt Bryant vs TEN

12. Mike Nugent at BAL

DEFENSE/SPECIAL TEAMS

1. Ravens vs CIN

2. Patriots vs KC

3. 49ers vs ARI

4. Giants vs PHI

5. Packers vs TB

6. Cowboys at WAS

7. Jaguars at CLE

8. Bears vs SD

9. Lions vs CAR

10. Bengals at BAL

11. Seahawks at STL

12. Eagles at NYG

13. Browns vs JAX

14. Falcons vs TEN

15. Dolphins vs BUF

Week 11: No More Mr. Nice Guy

Over the past month, I decided to take the high road in many of these posts. I tried to not be overly critical. I wanted to try to come across all warm and fuzzy. I wanted to be more like the Muppets and less like Sifl and Olly. (Crescent fresh!)

But that ends today! Being a nice guy might work for Justin Bieber and George Clooney, but they can go jump in a lake. They don’t own a fantasy team that has lost six games in a row after starting the year 4-0.

I’ve been mollycoddling my players for too long. They’ve become complacent and I need to show them who is in charge. DJ Hurricane, hit me with that bass:

Andy Reid: You are Rex Ryan, but without the mouth of a Florence football fan. (Go to a Maple Shade vs Florence football game and you’ll understand.) You are an overrated coach whose ego is only matched by your belly. You are so conceited that you thought this team could beat Arizona without DeSean Jackson, so you suspended him to prove a point.

There are high school teams that wouldn’t suspend a player for missing a meeting. Any other team would fine a guy for such an infraction. But to prove a point, you told him to stay home. Unfortunately, the rest of your team decided to stay home as well.

(Also, you just know that this team is going to somehow beat the Giants this Sunday night, making those losses to Chicago, Arizona and Buffalo just that much more painful)

DeSean Jackson: I’m not letting you off the hook either, small fry. Didn’t you see “Jerry Maguire”? How did Rod Tidwell earn his big contract? Not by skulking around like a sissy and alligator arming passes left and right. Put up or shut up. Now, partly due to you not playing last week, you are going to have Vince Young throwing you the ball. That should help your stats tremendously. Have fun playing for Cleveland next year. The grass is always greener, my friend.

Mike Shanahan: I’ve been Shanahan’d at least three times this season. The point has become clear: Shanahan hates fantasy football. Whatever he says during the week, you have to do the opposite. Heading into the game with Miami, he praised Roy Helu as if he had been drinking the blood of Earl Campbell. So obviously, nobody was surprised when Ryan Torain played the entire first half. Tashard Choice should be active for the first time this weekend. Shanahan has said Torain isn’t ready for a full workload. Add it up.

Indianapolis Colts: You are terrible, I get that. You have awful quarterbacks, but still a good receiving corps. You are going to lose every game no matter what you do. If I was Jim Caldwell, here would be my play call each and every time. ‘Okay, take a seven step drop and throw it as far as you can.’ Why the hell not? Maybe you’ll hit four or five in a game, maybe more. You’ve scored 27 points over the last four games. Is there a downside to this? Could you somehow be doing worse? Reggie Wayne, Pierre Garcon, Austin Collie. These guys didn’t turn into Na Brown overnight.

Tim Tebow: You completed just two passes against a horrendous KC defense and won. Aaron Rodgers completed two passes while sitting on the can this morning. I understand that you have won two in a row. But your own coach said this week “We decided that if Tim is going to be our guy, we can’t do that other crap.” That other crap is running an NFL offense. There is a reason that no teams run the option in the pros. Who will be the first coach to get the cajones to say ‘screw the pitch, just knock that guys lights out.’ It’s coming Timmy. You have been warned.

Lions, Bills, and Redskins: 10-2 combined over the first four weeks. 4-11 since. At least the Eagles stunk from the get go.

Packers Opponents: Not sure if you noticed or not, but the Packers like to throw the ball. A lot. Am I the only one that sees that they are a below average team running the ball as well as an average defense? Zero 100 yard rushers. One touchdown from a tailback. From a team that has been on the right side of some blowouts. Drop 8 guys back into coverage every single play! Dare James Starks to beat you.

49ers: Well on their way to earning at least the number 2 seed in the playoff, a first round bye and a home game in the divisional round. Which I can tell you right now, on November 16, they have zero chance of winning. Every year there is one. The Cowboys in 2007. The Titans in 2008. The Chargers in 2009. The Falcons in 2010. Each team finished 13-3 and a bye. And each team was one and done, embarrassed in front of their home fans. Bet the Niners in that divisional game. I flat out dare you.

Steve Smith: Remember how for a short while when people would say ‘the good Steve Smith’ and it meant the current stiff on the Eagles roster, not the stud in Carolina? From here on out, he will be known as ‘the coward Steve Smith’. Any of you who saw the Eagles game last week knows what I’m talking about. Third and long, Smith makes a catch just short of the marker and instead of putting his head down and working for the first down, he falls to the ground rather than take a hit. On Arizona’s next drive, I saw Larry Fitzgerald fight through three Eagles to make a first down in a similar situation. ‘The Coward Steve Smith’ should have been released on Monday.

Jay Cutler: I still despise you. I’m envisioning your face in my head and it makes me angry. My worst nightmare: Locked in a room with Jay Cutler with Dave Matthews music piped in and being forced to watch the hot garbage that is ‘Bridesmaids’ on a continuous loop.

Matt Schaub: I’ve held on to Andre Johnson in far too many leagues to have you go and ruin it for me. Lisfranc schmisfranc. Get your foot in a boot and your ass on the field. Andre don’t want no Matt Leinart throwing him the ball.

Owners Who Don’t Update their Lineups: Last but definitely not least. Kenny Britt has been out since week 3. Randy Moss isn’t even on an NFL team. I’d be lying if I said it takes five minutes to set a legal roster. It takes less than that. Unless you are in prison, outer space or Alabama, you have internet access. And if you’ve ever watched ‘Oz’, it’s possible you might have net access even when you are locked up. You might also be locked up with the ‘mayhem’ guy, but nevertheless. SET YOUR TEAM!

I feel better now, thanks.

Put 'Em In

QB: Carson Palmer at MIN: That was some major QB carnage last week. Palmer might still be out there on waivers and if so, this is the week to grab him. Vikes have given up 12 passing TD’s over their last 4 games.

RB1: Kevin Smith vs CAR: For deep leagues. The Lions found Smith selling newspapers at busy intersections in downtown Detroit. Two days later he passed Keiland Williams on the depth chart. (Time to find a new occupation Mr. Williams). Mo Morris is the only thing standing between Smith and a starting tailback job on a contending team. Mo Morris.

RB2: James Starks vs TB: If there is ever a game for Starks to break out, it might be this one. The Tampa defense hates opposing running backs. So much so that they don’t even want to make contact with them. 9 rushing touchdowns allowed in the last 5 weeks.

WR1: Damian Williams at ATL: Nate Washington has been the topic of debate all year long, but Williams is now the guy to own in Tennessee. Since week 4: Williams-38 targets, 4 TD’s. Washington-31 targets, 1 TD.

WR2: Steve Johnson at MIA: Time to buy low. Johnson has been crummy, scoring just once over the past 6 games and having yet topped 100 yards in a game this season. But the schedule opens up from here, starting with Miami this weekend. New England, Denver, and another game against Miami lie in wait.

WR3: Early Doucet at SF: Fitzgerald is obviously the stud, but Doucet has turned himself into a solid complement, even though you might not have noticed. TD’s in three of the last four games and averaging over 6 targets per game.

TE: Ed Dickson vs CIN: Gotta love how those tight ends just fall out of trees. 16 targets! Joe Flacco threw 16 balls Dickson’s way last week and he caught 10 of them. His 68 targets are 6^th most among all tight ends.

D/ST: Cowboys at WAS: The Redskins have scored 20 points in three weeks. Meanwhile, Dallas has allowed just 20 points since losing to the Eagles.

Take 'Em Out

QB: Matt Cassel vs his hand: Cassel is likely done for the year with a hand injury, which might actually be a good thing. It can’t get much worse. Take out the game against the putrid Colts and Cassel has a horrible 6:9 TD to INT ratio. Despite no running game, his single game high in yardage was 261. Good riddance.

RB1: Beanie Wells at SF: The numbers simply don’t lie. You can’t run on San Fran, though they have allowed the second most receptions by running backs (56). Since catching 4 balls in week one, Beanie has all of 2 receptions. Next week against St. Louis Beanie, I promise.

RB2: Chris Johnson at ATL: The Falcons are 2^nd only to the 49ers in rushing yards allowed by RB’s. Johnson’s coach Mike Munchak said the gold toothed one was close on several occasions last week to breaking the big one. Just like I was close to Scarlet Johansson when her plane flew over top of New Jersey on its way to New York.

WR1: Chad OchoCinco vs KC: Despite Cris Collinsworth slobbering all over him on Sunday night football, number 85 only had two balls thrown his way all night, compared to 9 to Branch, 8 to Welker, and 11 to Gronkowski. Listen to Chuck D and don’t believe the hype.

WR2: Darrius Heyward-Bey at MIN: At the end of week 7, Heyward-Bey had just wrapped up a 4 game stretch where he caught 22 balls for nearly 400 yards. Since then, he has zero and has only been thrown to once. I’m not sure what the former first round pick did to upset Coach Jackson, but it must have been something pretty bad.

WR3: Vincent Jackson at CHI: The Bears defense bends against wide receivers (128 receptions allowed, 2^nd most in the league), but they don’t break (4 touchdowns allowed by wideouts, 2^nd best in the league). And we know that it’s all about the TD’S!

TE: Dustin Keller at DEN: Since starting off the year with scores in each of the first two games, Keller has become mundane. 20 catches and zero scores in his last seven weeks. Blah. Broncos defend the tight end well, allowing third fewest points on average.

D/ST: Lions vs CAR: The Lions have been one of the best D/ST’s of the year, but consider this a fair warning. Their next three opponents (Carolina, Green Bay, New Orleans) all know how to put points on the board. You might want to have a backup plan until week 14 and the Vikings roll around.

Week 10 Player Rankings

FOURTH AND INCHES WEEK 10 PLAYER RANKINGS

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QUARTERBACK

1. Aaron Rodgers vs MIN

2. Drew Brees at ATL

3. Michael Vick vs ARI

4. Cam Newton vs TEN

5. Tony Romo vs BUF

6. Tim Tebow at KC

7. Matt Ryan vs NO

8. Ben Roethlisberger at CIN

9. Matthew Stafford at CHI

10. Tom Brady at NYJ

11. Eli Manning at SF         

12. Ryan Fitzpatrick at DAL

13. Matt Cassell vs DEN

14. Matt Schaub at TB

15. Rex Grossman at MIA

16. Mark Sanchez vs NE

17. Sam Bradford at CLE

18. Christian Ponder at GB

19. Jay Cutler vs DET

20. Andy Dalton vs PIT

21. Matt Moore vs WAS

22. Joe Flacco at SEA

23. Matt Hasselbeck at CAR

24. Josh Freeman vs HOU

RUNNING BACK

1. Arian Foster at TB

2. LeSean McCoy vs ARI

3. Maurice Jones-Drew at IND

4. Adrian Peterson at GB

5. Matt Forte vs CHI

6. Steven Jackson at CLE

7. BenJarvus Green-Ellis at NYJ

8. Fred Jackson at DAL

9. Chris Johnson at CAR

10. Michael Turner vs NO

11. Ray Rice at SEA

12. Frank Gore vs NYG

13. Willis McGahee at KC

14. DeMarco Murray vs BUF

15. Beanie Wells at PHI

16. Darren Sproles at ATL

17. Shonn Greene vs NE

18. Roy Helu at MIA

19. Reggie Bush vs WAS

20. Rashard Mendenhall at CIN

21. Jackie Battle vs DEN

22. LeGarrette Blount vs HOU

23. James Starks vs MIN

24. Cedric Benson vs PIT

25. Chris Ogbonnaya vs STL

26. Ben Tate at TB

27. Brandon Jacobs at SF

28. Marshawn Lynch vs BAL

29. Donald Brown vs JAX

30. Jonathan Stewart vs TEN

WIDE RECEIVER

1. Calvin Johnson at CHI

2. Greg Jennings vs MIN

3. Jeremy Maclin vs ARI

4. Marques Colston at ATL

5. Steve Smith vs TEN

6. Dwayne Bowe vs DEN

7. Mike Wallace at CIN

8. Brandon Marshall vs WAS

9. Wes Welker at NYJ

10. Anquan Boldin at SEA

11. Larry Fitzgerald at PHI

12. Dez Bryant vs BUF

13. Brandon Lloyd at CLE

14. Santonio Holmes vs NE

15. Percy Harvin vs GB

16. Roddy White vs NO

17. Steve Johnson at DAL

18. Hakeem Nicks at SF

19. Julio Jones vs NO

20. AJ Green vs PIT

21. Jordy Nelson vs MIN

22. Laurent Robinson vs BUF

23. Plaxico Burress vs NE

24. Victor Cruz at SF

25. Michael Crabtree vs NYG

26. Antonio Brown at CIN

27. Earl Bennett vs DET

28. Steve Breaston vs DEN

29. Jabar Gaffney at MIA

30. Eric Decker at KC

31. Torrey Smith at SEA

32. Reggie Wayne vs JAX

33. Jason Hill at IND

34. David Nelson at DAL

35. Kevin Walter at TB

36. Pierre Garcon vs JAX

TIGHT END

1. Jermichael Finley vs MIN

2. Jason Witten vs BUF

3. Owen Daniels at TB

4. Jimmy Graham at ATL

5. Rob Gronkowski at NYJ

6. Brandon Pettigrew at CHI

7. Greg Olsen vs TEN

8. Tony Gonzalez vs NO

9. Visanthe Shiancoe at GB

10. Brent Celek vs ARI

11. Aaron Hernandez vs NYJ

12. Fred Davis at MIA

13. Scott Chandler at DAL

14. Jake Ballard at SF

15. Kellen Winslow vs HOU

16. Vernon Davis vs NYG

17. Ed Dickson at SEA

18. Heath Miller at CIN

19. Dustin Keller vs NE

20. Anthony Fasano vs WAS

KICKER

1. Josh Scobee at IND

2. John Kasay at ATL

3. Neil Rakcers at TB

4. David Akers vs NYG

5. Mason Crosby vs MIN

6. Robbie Gould vs DET

7. Dan Bailey vs BUF

8. Nick Folk vs NE

9. Rob Bironas at CAR

10. Stephen Gostkowski at NYJ

11. Billy Cundiff at SEA

12. Matt Bryant vs NO

DEFENSE/SPECIAL TEAMS

1. Ravens at SEA

2. Eagles at ARI

3. Jets vs NE

4. 49ers vs NYG

5. Packers vs MIN

6. Texans at TB

7. Jaguars at IND

8. Steelers at CIN

9. Giants at SF

10. Lions at CHI

11. Bengals vs PIT

12. Dolphins vs WAS

Week 10: Learn from your mistakes

Is there anything worse than admitting you were wrong about something?
According to my wife, I never admit I’m wrong. And I retort, “why would I? I’m not wrong.”
And that’s when the real fun starts.
But in fantasy, looking back at mistakes made on draft day has always been a fun time to me. Mainly because it is other people who are making those mistakes.
With less than half the season to go, I figured now was the perfect time to take a look back at average draft positions from 2011. I’ll let you know who I picked and when and also make fun of some of my leaguemates along the way.
(The draft results are based on ESPN online leagues and their average draft positions. Number in parenthesis is where that player would likely be selected if draft were held today.)
1. Adrian Peterson (4) —Despite a dismal passing game, AP is still a beast with 3-100 yard games and touchdowns in 6 of 8 games. Solid as can be.
2. Chris Johnson (45) —That didn’t take long, did it? CJ2.8YPC has eclipsed 65 yards in a game only once all year, despite a soft schedule which has included Indianapolis, Denver, Cleveland and Jacksonville. I did draft CJ and was happy to do so with the No. 6 pick. At least he hasn’t gotten hurt; which takes us to…
3. Jamal Charles (INC) — You hope to get more than 83 yards on the season from your first round draft pick.
4. Aaron Rodgers (3) —There is a lot of Aaron Rodgers love going around, but have you really looked at the numbers? Twenty-four TD’s to 3 INT. Double digit TD’s in every single game. Lowest yardage total in a single game is 247. His passer rating is 129.1 while Drew Brees is second at 100.6. He’s not human and he’s not on any of my teams. Sad.
5. Arian Foster (1) — Some were scared off by the hamstring monster, but Foster has rewarded his owners with four, 100-yard games since returning in week four. If there was a redraft for the rest of the year, Foster would be my No. 1 pick. Again, not on any of my teams.
6. Ray Rice (9) — You can’t call Rice a disappointment, but I think a lot more was expected of him this year with the jettisoning of Willis “the vulture” McGahee. Rice has 8 overall touchdowns, but is 15th in the league in rushing yards, despite being healthy all year.
7. Michael Vick (22) —There is no doubt that more was expected of what Vick has given you so far. Zero rushing TD’s hurts (though the 456 yards on the ground is nice). His turnover total, 11, don’t help either. 
8. LeSean McCoy (2) —The first player who was drafted WAY too low. McCoy leads all RB’s in fantasy points and is as dangerous on the ground as he is through the air. Currently on pace to rush for more than 1,600 yards and also haul in 56 passes. Only Foster is a better double threat.
9. Andre Johnson (33) —The first wideout off the board, Andre owners have been bit in the tookus by the injury bug. It also doesn’t help that Johnson has been teasing us owners for weeks about a potential return but still nada. His talent is unquestionable, but this ain’t the first time he’s had leg issues.
10. Maurice-Jones Drew (11) — Many MJD owners are upset about his production thus far, but with Blaine Gabbert under center, how much more do you want? MJD has rushed for at least 63 yards in every game. Even McCoy and AP can’t say that.
11. Drew Brees (13) — The second QB drafted is currently second in touchdowns (21) and second in INT’s (11). He’s already thrown for more than 350 yards in a game a remarkable five times.
12. Rashard Mendenhall (19) — The eighth RB taken is currently behind the likes of Ben Tate, DeMarco Murray and Willis McGahee in terms of yardage, with Michael Vick nipping at his heels. He’s carried more than 19 yards in a game only once.
13. Roddy White (31) — Slowly turning into a mundane possession receiver while Julio Jones is the home run threat. Currently 25th in the league in receiving yards and on pace for a whopping 6 TD’s. He should be getting more heat for being a bust, but for some reason he isn’t.
14. Tom Brady (17) —After throwing for more than 900 yards in the first two weeks, Brady owners were crowing. Now, after throwing 5 TD’s over his last 5 games, we wish we would have sold high.
15. Michael Turner (8) — I keep waiting for this dude to come down to earth, but it just ain’t happening. 4-100 yards games, 7 touchdowns and on pace for close to 1,400 yards.
16. Greg Jennings (18) — Always somehow under the radar, Jennings is once again on pace for double digit scores and 1400 yards receiving.
17. Frank Gore (6) — The knock on Gore has always been health and again this year he is playing through injuries. Five 100 yard games and 5 TD’s. The only thing that has gone missing has been his pass catching (13 receptions).
18. Calvin Johnson (7) — The guy Roddy White owners should have selected (patting myself on the back). Megatron is the best receiver in football and don’t even try to argue it. Eleven touchdowns, five 100 yard games, plus a remaining schedule that includes porous secondaries such as Oakland, Green Bay, Minnesota and New Orleans.
19. Philip Rivers (58) — Not sure what happened here, but 14 interceptions compared to 11 touchdowns does not a good quarterback make. Also doesn’t help that he throws the football like it was a 50 pound weight.
20. Steven Jackson (16) — Always have been a fan of S-Jax and wished that he would be dealt to a real team. Still, he keeps grinding away and you never hear him complain. Averaging 5.1 ypc and looks like he is getting stronger.

Put ’em in
QB: Tim Tebow at KC: He’s going to turn the ball over, probably numerous times. It’s inevitable with those tiny, feminine hands of his. But he could also run for 100 yards. And unless turnovers count as -5 in your league, it is worth the risk. The KC defense allowed Matt Moore to throw three TD’s on them last week. Matt Moore. I’ll be starting Tebow over Tom Brady this week, no lie.
RB1: Steven Jackson at CLE: The Browns have allowed five 100 yard rushers and two more RB’s to reach 90 yards in a game. S-Jax is on fire with 289 yards in the last two weeks. The only way Jackson will get stopped is when the Rams are getting blown out and playing from behind. Can you envision the Browns doing that?
RB2: Ben Tate at TB: Despite being a backup, Tate has 623 yards on the ground and four 100 yard games. He’s rushed for 261 yards over the past three weeks. Those numbers are all better than Rashard Mendenhall, Ray Rice, Cedric Benson and Beanie Wells. Tampa gives up the 5th most fantasy points to RB’s.
WR1: David Nelson at DAL: Last week, Nelson moved back to the slot with the return of Donald Jones from injury. Nelson responded with his best game in weeks, racking up his most targets since week 4 and his first TD since week 5. Change is good.
WR2: Earl Bennett vs DET: Five balls thrown his way Monday night, five catches.
Compare that to Roy Williams (6 targets, 3 catches) and Devin Hester (5 targets, 1 catch). Bennett also registered zero drops in 2010. If you were Jay Cutler, who would you throw the ball to?
WR3: Laurent Robinson vs BUF: What Cowboys receiver leads the team in 100 yard games? It’s not Dez Bryant. It’s not Miles Austin. It’s this guy, who will be starting the next few weeks while Miles rehabs yet another injury. You know how soft those Monmouth guys can be.
TE: Brandon Pettigrew at CHI: The Bears defense does a lot of things right. Defending the tight end is not one of them. Opposing tight ends have amassed 5 or more catches in every game this year against the Bears.
D/ST: Jets vs NE: The Patriots have been unmasked and their offense has become very pedestrian, averaging just 18 points per game over the last three weeks. There should be no hesitation in starting the Jets defense in prime time.

Take ’em out
QB: Josh Freeman vs HOU: The Texans are one of six teams that have more interceptions than passing TD’s allowed. Freeman is one of two QB’s who have started every game for their team and thrown more picks than touchdowns. See, math can be fun!
RB1: Pierre Thomas/Chris Ivory at ATL: Only three running backs have reached the endzone against the Falcons this year. The big problem is that there is no way of knowing who will get the points in the Saints backfield. Ivory had more carries last week, but Thomas got the score.
RB2: Brandon Jacobs at SF: The 49ers continue to dominate opposing RB’s, yet to allow a rushing TD and still no 100 yard games given up. Jacobs scored last week against the Pats, but still was only able to muster 72 yards. Plus, he’s fat.
WR1: Nate Washington vs CAR: You might think he is the number one receiver on the Titans, but take a closer look at the numbers. Lavelle Hawkins and Damian Williams both have more targets over the past five weeks. Plus, Carolina is so bad against the run that most teams don’t even have to throw on them.
WR2: Greg Little vs STL: Yes he leads the team in targets, but that’s akin to being the smartest Kardashian sister. With 31 catches on the year for 295 yards, he still hasn’t a sniff of the endzone. No thanks.
WR3: Austin Pettis at CLE: Good grief the Rams like to throw the ball! So much so that this third round pick from Boise State made it onto the field last week and actually had four targets (after Greg Salas broke his leg). Cleveland gives us the fewest points in the league to wideouts, but Pettis isn’t worth the ink. Plus he’s competing with Brandon Lloyd who is muy macho.
TE: Vernon Davis vs NYG: 15 targets in four weeks. Things aren’t look up for the guy affectionately known as VD. Also, the G-Men have allowed just two touchdowns to tight ends all year.
D/ST: Bengals vs PIT: A top 5 defense in the majority of standard scoring fantasy leagues. They have given up more than 20 points in a game just once all year (week 2). However, the Bengals have played only 1 good team all year (San Fran) and even they don’t have an elite offense. The Steelers have an axe to grind after Sunday night’s loss and Cincy will bear the brunt of that rage.

Week 9 Player Rankings

Quarterback

1. Aaron Rodgers at SD

2. Matt Ryan at IND

3. Drew Brees vs TB

4. Michael Vick vs CHI

5. Tom Brady vs NYG

6. Phillip Rivers vs GB

7. Tony Romo vs SEA

8. Eli Manning at NE

9. Matt Schaub vs CLE

10. Andy Dalton at TEN

11. Matt Cassel vs MIA

12. Ben Roethlisberger vs BAL

13. Jay Cutler at PHI

14. Josh Freeman at NO

15. Matt Hasselbeck vs CIN

16. Alex Smith at WAS

17. Tim Tebow at OAK

18. Tarvaris Jackson at DAL

19. Joe Flacco at PIT

20. Mark Sanchez at BUF

RUNNING BACK

1. Arian Foster vs CLE

2. Lesean McCoy vs CHI

3. Frank Gore at WAS

4. Michael Turner at IND

5. Fred Jackson vs NYJ

6. Beanie Wells vs STL

7. Matt Forte at PHI

8. LeGarrette Blount at NO

9. Steven Jackson at ARI

10. Ray Rice at PIT

11. Michael Bush vs DEN

12. Mike Tolbert vs GB

13. Shonn Greene at BUF

14. DeMarco Murray vs SEA

15. Cedric Benson at TEN

16. Darren Sproles vs TB

17. Rashard Mendenhall vs BAL

18. Willis McGahee at OAK

19. Benjarvus Green-Ellis vs NYG

20. Chris Johnson vs CIN

21. Jackie Battle vs MIA

22. Daniel Thomas at KC

23. Brandon Jacobs at NE

24. James Starks at SD

25. Marshawn Lynch at DAL

26. Joseph Addai vs ATL

27. Pierre Thomas vs TB

28. Chris Ogbonayya at HOU

29. Ryan Torain vs SF

30. Reggie Bush at KC

WIDE RECEIVER

1. Wes Welker vs NYG

2. Mike Wallace vs BAL

3. Roddy White at IND

4. Greg Jennings at SD

5. Brandon Lloyd at ARI

6. Larry Fitzgerald vs STL

7. Dwayne Bowe vs MIA

8. Marques Colston vs TB

9. AJ Green at TEN

10. Mario Manningham at NE

11. Miles Austin vs SEA

12. Vincent Jackson vs GB

13. Jeremy Maclin vs CHI

14. Pierre Garcon vs ATL

15. Sidney Rice at DAL

16. Brandon Marshall at KC

17. Anquan Boldin at PIT

18. DeSean Jackson vs CHI

19. Dez Bryant vs SEA

20. Julio Jones at IND

21. Victor Cruz at NE

22. Santonio Holmes at BUF

23. Michael Crabtree at WAS

24. Jordy Nelson at SD

25. Mike Williams at NO

26. Deion Branch vs NYG

27. Antonio Brown vs BAL

28. Jabar Gaffney vs SF

29. Steve Johnson vs NYJ

30. Kevin Walter vs CLE

31. Eric Decker at OAK

32. Darrius-Heyward Bey vs DEN

33. Nate Washington vs CIN

34. Reggie Wayne vs ATL

35. Plaxico Burress at BUF

36. Jon Baldwin vs MIA

TIGHT END

1. Jimmy Graham vs TB

2. Antonio Gates vs GB

3. Jermichael Finley at SD

4. Jason Witten vs SEA

5. Owen Daniels vs CLE

6. Rob Gronkowski vs NYG

7. Jake Ballard at NE

8. Brent Celek vs CHI

9. Fred Davis vs SF

10. Vernon Davis at WAS

11. Dustin Keller at BUF

12. Aaron Hernandez vs NYG

13. Tony Gonzalez at IND

14. Dallas Clark vs ATL

15. Zach Miller at DAL

KICKER

1. Mason Crosby at SD

2. Neil Rackers vs CLE

3. David Akers at WAS

4. Dan Bailey vs SEA

5. Sebastian Janikowski vs DEN

6. Rob Bironas vs CIN

7. Robbie Gould at CHI

8. Nick Novak vs GB

9. Stephen Gostkowski vs NYG

10. Matt Bryant at IND

DEFENSE/SPECIAL TEAMS

1. Ravens at PIT

2. Jets at BUF

3. 49ers at WAS

4. Eagles vs CHI

5. Cowboys vs SEA

6. Texans vs CLE

7. Falcons at IND

8. Steelers vs BAL

9. Raiders vs DEN

10. Bengals at TEN

11. Chiefs vs MIA

12. Bills vs NYJ