The Problem with Trading

I have something you need to make your team better.
You have something I need to make MY team better.
Interestingly, we're completely unable to make a deal that's acceptable to both sides.

Why?

Scott Burton of Football Outsiders and ESPN.com Insider wrote a very interesting theory about the difficulties involved with trading. Burton uses an interesting metaphor to describe it:

14,000 people stood in line for tickets to an exclusive event. Half of them would get tickets based on a random lottery. Before the lottery to decide who would get tickets, presumably everyone would agree to pay the same amount for the tickets. Everyone's time is just as valuable and everyone wants the tickets just as much as the others.
But after? Surprisingly, the people who LOST the lottery were only willing to pay about $200 for the tickets, while people who WON were ASKING about 10 times that amount. What's the difference, though? The difference is that people are much less willing to part with what they OWN. This connection is an irrational, emotional connection, according to Burton.

We don't play Fantasy Football with emotion, though. We play with numbers. And here's the main problem: Some owners, especially the ones who drafted stars that aren't performing, are very reluctant to ditch the stars they have an emotional connection to. This makes people unwilling to trade an under-performing Roddy White and his 119 yards and 1 in exchange for Mario Manningham and his 300 yards and 2 TDs.
The evidence is there that Manningham is a more reliable receiver than White. White has struggled since the addition of Tony Gonzalez. Worse, the Atlanta offense didn't struggle until they played the Patriots while White was offering little contribution. Yes, they probably used their bye week to figure out how to get him more involved.

Roddy White was ranked as a top 4 WR (in my book, anyway) in the preseason. He's currently ranked about 80th. Manningham wasn't even actually ranked in the preseason. He's currently ranked about 7th. So, really, isn't it foolish NOT to trade for him if you're a White owner? If you have legit playoff aspirations, you simply can't hold on to, or keep starting, players that simply aren't producing. Fantasy football is played with numbers, not emotions or projections.

Ride 'Em, Rest 'Em: Week 4

Abridged version this week. Start your studs. All of them. No matter what the matchup is. Unless they're on a bye week.

Ride 'Em:

Jay Cutler, QB, CHI - He's playing against the worst pass defense in the league in Detroit.

David Garrard, QB, JAC - It's tough to run on Tennessee, but they give up big plays in the passing game and lots of TDs through the air.

Shaun Hill, QB, SF - St. Louis has a horrid defense all around. It's pretty amazing they keep drafting defensive players, but still never get better...

Cedric Benson, RB, CIN - Cleveland's run defense is god-awful.

Darren McFadden, RB, OAK - Houston's run defense is god-awful-er.

Steve Slaton, RB, HOU - He's finally gonna have a good game!

Brandon Marshall, WR, DEN - Shootout is likely in this one and Marshall is due for another good game.

Mike Sims-Walker, WR, JAC - See David Garrard, above.

Kevin Walter, WR, HOU - Matt Schaub is going to find whoever ISN'T being covered by CB Asomugha.

Greg Olsen, TE, CHI - Detroit's defense is still poor against the pass.

Anthony Fasano, TE, MIA - Buffalo is the worst in the league against the TE.

Kevin Boss, TE, NYG - Hasn't shown it yet, but a breakout could happen this weekend.

Rest 'Em:

Matt Cassel, QB, KC - NYG pass rush is fierce and Bowe might be out again.

Fred Jackson, RB, BUF - Miami is good against the run and now he shares the load with Lynch.

Ryan Grant, RB, GB - Minnesota is good against the run and this could be the Aaron Rodgers show.

Darren Sproles, RB, SD - Shredded Pittsburgh last time, but LT is back.

Santonio Holmes, WR, PIT - He's facing a Chargers D that is very good against the pass, and Pittsburgh may run all day against crippled defensive front.

Marques Colston, WR, OAK - Likely matched up against Revis all day, meaning poor numbers and few targets.

Roy Williams, WR, DAL - Still kind of overrated and Denver's pass defense has been pretty good.

John Carlson, TE, IND - Indy is really good against TEs and Seattle should be trying to run it down their throats most of the day.

It's Week 4, They are (not) who you thought they were.

Sorry I haven't been active the last few days (Jewish High Holidays, family issues) but I'm back.
So, it's week 4. You've got three weeks of data to use when trying to set your fantasy lineups this week. By now, you know who can throw, catch and run, and who can play defense. Of course, with extra information, you get bye weeks. Arizona, Carolina, Philadelphia and Atlanta are all off this week. These are fantasy juggernaut teams, littered with first and second-round picks. Which means you need to turn to some waiver wire pickups, some fantasy underachievers and some otherwise undesirable players to help your fantasy team to victory.

Strong Plays

Brandon Jacobs, RB, NYG - Ahmad Bradshaw is hurting and KC offers little resistance. He's under-achieved so far, but he should have a second consecutive strong outing this week.

Greg Olsen, TE, CHI - Could be great against a poor Detroit pass defense. Devin Hester and Earl Bennett are strong plays, as well. Even the much-maligned Matt Forte should have a decent game, in spite of Detroit having a stronger-than-expected run defense.

Steve Slaton, RB, HOU - Oakland is much better against the pass than the run, so I could see him having his first 100-yard game this week, and maybe a TD or two.

Cedric Benson, RB, CIN - Cincinnati has been running effectively, and he even did well against Pittsburgh last week. A TD is almost guaranteed and a hundred yards seems very likely.

David Garrard, QB, JAC - Tennessee is absolutely terrible against the pass, so I think good things are in store for him, Mike Sims-Walker and Marcedes Lewis this week.

Glen Coffee, RB, SF - He's getting a full workload this week with Gore sidelined with an injury and the Rams have proven they can be run on.

Knowshon Moreno, RB, DEN - They're having a hard time moving the ball through the air, so Moreno and backfield mate Correll Buckhalter should get lots of touches this week.

Darren McFadden, RB, OAK - The Houston (poor excuse for a) defense has surrendered two of the biggest fantasy games of the year to running backs this season. At the very least, he should have 100 yards of total offense.

Don't Buy the Hype on:

Vernon Davis, TE, SF - I think it was Minnesota's coverage schemes that allowed Davis to get open and score twice last week. Lots of owners rushed to pick him up, but don't feel bad if you missed out on him. I have my doubts that he'll repeat this week.

Jason Campbell, QB, WAS and Santana Moss, WR, WAS - Detroit was the most beatable pass defense in the league last year and they haven't done anything to show it's improved this year. Yeah, Moss went off last week, and Campbell played well enough to win a few people their leagues, but unless you are absolutely desperate (Own Matt Hasselbeck AND Donovan McNabb, for example, and missed out on Kevin Kolb) you don't start this guy. Sorry, I don't like the Redskins offense even a little.

Brett Favre, QB, MIN - Don't love him this week even a little. All the signs are there for him to have a 2-3 INT game. #1. It's a revenge game for him, meaning he might try to squeeze some throws in that he otherwise wouldn't attempt. #2. He has thrown only one pick this year, but this defense robbed similar QB Jay Cutler 4 times in week 1. #3. Adrian Peterson could have a good day running the ball as GB gives up a lot on the ground. Bottom line: Just because he was the hero last week, doesn't mean he's into your starting lineups this week.

I'll have more fantasy advice and info later this week, and my Ride 'Em, Rest 'Em will come out early this week, as I'll be out of town Saturday and Sunday.

Sunday Quick Hits

3:47 left in the 2nd Quarter of the Houston vs. Jacksonville Game:
- One of the great things about owning a piece (or several pieces) of the Houston passing offense is how horrible their defense is. Schaub and the Houston offense in the last 6 quarters have changed leads consistently, which leads to plenty of opportunities for the passing game to shine.
- Kevin Walter is having a nice first game back from injury. Hopefully the aforementioned defense continues to hemorrhage points, meaning more work for the offense.
- Frank Gore has been the best rusher in the NFL through the first two weeks. But he left the game Saturday against Minnesota in the first quarter with an ankle injury. Add Glen Coffee immediately if you're a Gore owner, because if the injury lingers, Gore's not going to be easy to replace.
- Kyle Boller replaced Marc Bulger at QB for the Rams today. Bulger sustained an injury, but this was coming for a long time, in my opinion. He immediately led the Rams on two nice scoring drives. This could be the situation Boller was missing in Baltimore, so he's a guy to keep your eye on in deep leagues.
- Detroit is shutting out Washington right now. Yeah, Washington might be the NEW worst team in the league. If you own Santana Moss or, really, any Redskin offensive players, sell them off cheap (if you can). Or feel free to drop them. I have no problem with that.
- ON CUE: Jason Campbell passed to Santana Moss for a 57-yard touchdown. Hmph. Still, it's against the Lions. Sell while the price is moderately above low.
- Andre Johnson doesn't play great against the Jags, for whatever reason. He's doing okay today, but Shaub now has 3 TD passes, none of them went to Johnson. Schaub is the poor man's Drew Brees, I think, as he's got nothing specific going on in the run game.
- Tony Gonzalez is without a catch in the first half against the Pats. I'm not watching closely, but they don't appear to be targeting him. Michael Turner scored in that game, which makes me feel better about him.
- Donald Driver is officially no longer underrated. In consecutive weeks, he's scored along with plenty of yards.
- Adrian Peterson has 11 rushes for only 59 yards. Chris Johnson has 10 rushes for 48 yards. These were the two top scoring RBs in weeks 1 and 2. Goes to show how unpredictable the NFL really is.
- I still think that San Francisco and Minnesota is a playoff preview. They both play great defense and you can't expect great things from your players against these defenses.
- Brandon Jacobs has officially joined the 2009 season with a TD and 70 yards on 20 attempts. But Ahmad Bradshaw still looks like the better option at RB for the Giants. He has 8 carries for 81 yards and has run with more authority. UPDATE: Jacobs is inching toward 100 yards, but he's doing it 2 yards at a time.
- Willis McGahee is a consistency king. 2 TDs in three straight weeks.
- I doubt you need to be told, but keep playing your RBs against Houston. Maurice Jones-Drew just scored his second TD of the day and has 81 yards rushing. It's gonna be like this for a while, I think (hope).
- Steve Smith (the Little Giant, as I want to call him) seems like the receiver to own in New York, especially in PPR leagues. He's got 7 catches for 68 yards and just converted on 3rd Down. Eli likes him in those situations.
- The Giants have 22 first downs right now. The Bucs? 1. Seriously. 1. Giants have a good defense, but ONE first down in 3 quarters? Bench Leftwich, PLEASE!!
- Kelley Washington has a quiet 5 catches for 66 yards for Baltimore. He's been something of a favorite target for Joe Flacco. And he made a great adjustment and nearly hauled in a poorly thrown ball in the end zone.
- Percy Harvin has 3 TDs in 3 NFL games. He just returned a kickoff for 101 yards. I'll do all I can to sit him next week, so everyone else can continue to reap the benefits.
- DeSean Jackson is someone you start each week from here out. He's got 6 catches for 149 yards and a TD. It doesn't matter who's throwing to him, he's okay.
- Tony Gonzalez finally got his first catch! It was for 16 yards. Woo!
- MJD is over the century mark and has three TDs. One would assume that Darren McFadden has a big game in his VERY near future, right?
- Derrick Mason just joined DeSean Jackson and Santana Moss as 100+ yard receivers. Joe Flacco hit him for a 72-yard score, giving Flacco 342 yards on the day.
- Josh Johnson is in at QB for the Bucs. See? People listen when I blog!
- Kevin Kolb just threw his second TD of the game. He's also run for one. Brent Celek now has over 100 yards on 8 catches, and a TD. Not bad for a guy you could have found on waivers after your draft.
- Flacco's day is done in Baltimore. Another week, another 30+ points. A visit to the field from Troy Smith. This team is scary, but they haven't exactly faced the best competition yet, have they? Have they even faced mediocre competition yet?
- Vernon Davis has two TDs against Minnesota and 88 yards on 6 catches. This guy was in the dog house last year, but apparently the new, improved Davis is playing well and getting red zone attention.
- 7:04 to go in the fourth quarter in Houston, and I'm excited to maybe see another Matt Schaub drive for a game-tying TD. He got sacked on the last possession and maybe the hit will get in his head. It will have to be a long drive if he hopes to tie the game. The Texans are starting at their own 11.
- It was one completion and out for the Texans, as Schaub got sacked again, this time by Clint Ingram on third down. MJD and the Jags can bleed some clock and with a few first downs, they could run it out.
- Mostly garbage time stuff, but Matt Cassel has 2 TDs, too. Only 90 yards passing, though. The Eagles secondary is tough, and without his best receiver, it's been a rough day for KC.
- John Kuhn (formerly of the Steelers, now of the Packers) has 2 short TDs today. You couldn't possibly have predicted that, and no one expects to see that again, so don't get excited.
- Keary Collins just turned it over for the second time today. It's the fourth turnover of the day for Tennessee. If they can't hold onto the ball, they'll have no shot at winning another GAME much less the division.
- Not sure if I mentioned this already, but Mark Sanchez is having a useful fantasy day. He's thrown 2 TDs and rushed for one more, but he's also turned the ball over twice.
-2:00 left in New York and the Jets hold a 7-point lead. Titans ball on their own 33 yard line and it's 3rd down and 23 yards. 2 incomplete passes by Collins. Turnover on downs.
- The Texans got one more chance to get back into this game, but they made the mistake of trusting one of their RBs at the goal line. Chris Brown fumbled this time. This is good news for no one. It means that teams will start ripping at the ball more often and playing the pass near the goal line.
- One of the worst feelings you can have in fantasy football is being up while your opponent still has players left. It's truly awful. I'm up by nearly 70 right now, but if Ben Roethlisberger, Willie Parker, and John Carlson go off (and Lewis Murphy plays adequately) I could be cooked. Boy, I wish Houston's coaches would have called a pass play near the goal line...

Ride 'Em or Rest 'Em: Week 3

Cleveland at Baltimore
Ride 'Em:
Ravens Defense - Jamaal Lewis is doubtful, thus eliminating all Cleveland offensive threats.

Joe Flacco, QB, BAL - A good matchup, but they might just decide to run the ball all day...

Rest 'Em:
Braylon Edwards, WR, CLE - After two weeks he's pretty much shown that last year wasn't the fluke year we all thought it was.

Washington at Detroit
Ride 'Em:
Santana Moss, WR, WAS - If he can't do it here, he's not gonna do it anywhere (indoor, fast track, lousy secondary on bad defense)

Kevin Smith, RB, DET - Detroit wants to run the ball, and Steven Jackson put up 104 on them last week on 17 carries.

Calvin Johnson, WR, DET - I try not to be obvious with my picks because if you have him you, you start him. But this matchup should be great unless DT Haynesworth becomes dominant again.

Rest 'Em:
Clinton Portis, RB, WAS - Portis may be seriously showing his age. He's questionable and even if he plays, Detroit did an okay job of defending Adrian Peterson, so is Portis going to be better?

Jacksonville at Houston
Ride 'Em:
Torry Holt, WR, JAC - I've got a feeling that he scores here. Nate Washington did it last week against the Texans.

Matt Schaub, QB, HOU - Jacksonville has been fairly brutal against the pass, so far. No reason to expect that to change here.

Rest 'Em:
Steve Slaton, RB, HOU and Kevin Walter, WR, HOU - Slaton needs a week on your bench after catching fumble-itis... Just make sure it's not contagious. Walter is just coming back from injury and still hasn't made it through a full week of practice... Don't rush him back until he plays a full game.

San Francisco at Minnesota
Ride 'Em:
Brett Favre, QB, MIN - It's not going to be easy to run on the Niners. The short passing game will work okay, though, and that's Favre's specialty right now.

Shaun Hill, QB, SF - It's not going to be easy to run on the Vikes. The short to intermediate passing game will work okay, though. These teams really are mirrors of each other. This could be an NFC Title game preview.

Rest 'Em:
Frank Gore, RB, SF - I was up on him last week and he produced big time, but unfortunately, it's not quite as easy to run on Minnesota.

Percy Harvin, WR, MIN - Scores in two straight weeks. I don't really expect that to continue, as he's only getting a few looks per game.

Atlanta at New England
Ride 'Em:
Matt Ryan, QB, ATL - The Patriots pass defense has been very beatable. Actually, their defense as a whole has been very beatable. Ryan should exploit some holes in the secondary.

Michael Turner, RB, ATL - Turner could beat down this front seven for a while, then break some big runs as long as they stay with the run.

Rest 'Em:
Any Patriots you have - I'm so sick of the Patriots coaching staff announcing injuries that aren't there and not announcing injuries that ARE there. I can't deal with it. Randy Moss, Wes Welker are both listed as questionable, but I expect at least Moss will play. It could be worse, at least it's an early game...

Kansas City at Philadelphia
Ride 'Em:
Kevin Kolb, QB, PHI - Put up some decent numbers last week. Plus, the nonexistent KC pass rush shouldn't hurt his cause.

Dwayne Bowe, WR, KC - Well, someone needs to do well on the KC offense. Colston had two TDs last week, so he has a chance.

Rest 'Em:
Brian Westbrook, RB, PHI - Surprise! He's hurting and he's probably lacking explosiveness and won't actually be needed.

Green Bay at St. Louis
Ride 'Em:
Greg Jennings, WR, GB - St. Louis pass rush is weak and he had a poor game against Cincinnati last week, so I expect him to play with a vengeance in this game.

Steven Jackson, RB, STL - Cedric Benson put up 141 against the Packers last week, so the explosive Jackson could have a chance if they don't get behind too early.

Rest 'Em:
Donnie Avery, WR, STL - He hasn't done anything noticeable this season and GB secondary is good.

New York Giants at Tampa Bay
Ride 'Em:
Eli Manning, QB, NYG - He's on fire, and the Bucs don't have a good defense anymore. His emerging targets should continue to produce, too.

Derrick Ward, RB, TB - He's starting this game with Cadillac Williams and Earnest Graham hurting, so he's got a chance to produce if he gets 20 carries, even against stout defense.

Rest 'Em:
Byron Leftwich, QB, TB - Bad matchup against phenomenal pass rush. He's been doing well, but lack of mobility hurts against speedy rushers.

Tennessee at New York Jets
Ride 'Em:
Dustin Keller, TE, NYJ - Tennessee's vulnerable through the air and not much else... And QB Sanchez may use him a security blanket along with RB Washington.

Rest 'Em:
Chris Johnson, RB, TEN - After a historic game last week, the speedster might get held in check against a Jets defense that hasn't allowed a TD yet.

New Orleans at Buffalo
Ride 'Em:
Marques Colston, WR, NO - Drew Brees said he trusts him more than any of his other receivers, and I trust him more than Buffalo's secondary.

Fred Jackson, RB, BUF - Last chance to make an impact before Lynch returns, and Buffalo will need to play ball-control if they want to keep up with NO offense.

Rest 'Em:
Either team's defense - Both had decent games in recent weeks, but unusable here as this will likely be a shootout.

Chicago at Seattle
Ride 'Em:
John Carlson, TE, SEA - Seneca Wallace starting means a conservative offense, but Carlson should still be active and productive.

Rest 'Em:
Jay Cutler, QB, CHI - Seattle defense and homefield advantage will make it tougher on Cutler in this one.

Denver at Oakland
Ride 'Em:
Broncos Defense - Russell hasn't been playing well at all, they produced some sacks against Cleveland and Oakland is missing G Gallery.

Rest 'Em:
Any Raiders offensive player - RB Darren McFadden looked uninspired against the Chiefs, WR Louis Murphy is unreliable and TE Zach Miller didn't have a catch. I expect better this week, but not much.

Miami at San Diego
Ride 'Em:
Ronnie Brown, RB, MIA - SD Defense has some injuries and Brown has to be considered the straw that stirs Miami's drink.

Vincent Jackson, WR, SD - Really, I just like touting this guy. You probably got him in the 5th or 6th round, but are getting 2nd round production from him. Love it.

Rest 'Em:
Ted Ginn Jr., WR, MIA - Over 100 yards last week, but he wasn't as good as the box score. He dropped a lot of balls, and was unreliable in the red zone, too.

Pittsburgh at Cincinnati
Ride 'Em:
Willie Parker, RB, PIT - Historically, if there's a game against the Bengals, Parker gets into gear against them.

Santonio Holmes, WR, PIT - He's could be a good play as he usually does really well in his home state of Ohio.

Rest 'Em:
Pittsburgh Defense - Holding the score down, but not causing a ton of sacks or turnovers, and less explosive without S Polamalu.

Indianapolis at Arizona
Ride 'Em:
Reggie Wayne, WR, IND - Had a poor outing last week, but should be more involved in offense this week. Only potential problem: He's had a hard time with CB McFadden in the past ('05 playoffs)

Tim Hightower, RB, ARI - Colts can be run on and Wells fumbled his way out of carries last week, so expect a decent game from Hightower.

Rest 'Em:
Joseph Addai and Donald Brown, RBs, IND - Arizona plays pretty good run defense at home, so tough to expect much from this duo.

Spin-juries: Down Goes Barber

One big injury this week:

Injury: Marion Barber, RB, DAL - He was off to the races Sunday night, on his way to scoring his second TD of the night when everything turned to suck. He keeled over, untouched by a defender, and grabbed his leg. This wasn't pretty.

Spin: Barber will likely miss 1-2 weeks as a result of a quad strain. It's bad news for his owners, unless they managed to secure Felix Jones and/or Tashard Choice as his backup. If Jones can get 15-20 carries, he's practically a must-start, as he's a threat to score any time he touches the ball. The worse news for Barber owners is that Jones has a really good chance to excel while Barber's out. That means more carries for Jones, even when Barber returns.

Double Takes: Reviewing Week 2

I just want to take a second to let you bask in the glory of this week and the beauty of fantasy football. It changes so much from week to week. I can truly say that I DON'T hate to say "I Told You So!"

So, if you had a poor week one and rebounded for a huge week 2, you shouldn't be surprised. Brace yourself, because this is how the whole season tends to go.

Players who Wow-ed:

Chris Johnson, RB, TEN - This guy is so All-World it hurts. Also, Houston's general apathy when he lined up on the outside helped tremendously. Don't expect such ridiculous numbers again, but he should have some more big games throughout the rest of the season.

Andre Johnson, WR, HOU - Apparently, the Jets Defense IS that good. Being away from Darrelle Revis helped Andre Johnson break out again for 10 catches and 149 yards, to go along with 2 TDs. You drafted him to be a stud, and a stud he was.

Matt Schaub, QB, HOU - This just in: passing is possible against the Titans. After allowing 363 yards to Ben Roethlisberger in week 1, TEN allowed 357 yards to Schaub and he had easily the best day of any QB, with 4 TDs and 0 INTs.

Frank Gore, RB, SF - 207 yards on the ground against the Seahawks and 2 TDs. The Niners appear to be committed to the run, so his numbers shouldn't come as a surprise, nor should you expect them to drop off down the line. A minor injury late may scare some owners, but don't worry about it too much.

Marion Barber, RB, DAL - 155 total yards and a touchdown against a very stout defense. He might have had another TD, too, but he apparently injured his hamstring on a run in the fourth quarter. Felix Jones becomes very valuable if Barber has to miss time.

Willis McGahee, RB, BAL - Unfortunately, he probably wasn't in your lineup. But, he's clearly the goal-line back in Baltimore, and he's going to continue to get playing time. Baltimore has some juicy matchups down the line, so look to acquire McGahee for a bye-week fill-in.

Mario Manningham and Steve Smith, WRs, NYG - Each had 10 catches, over 130 yards, and a TD. The running game wasn't working at all, so they were used on screens instead of a traditional handoff running game, especially Manningham. He's elusive and if Dominik Hixon's injury is serious, Manningham is an interesting add.

Marques Colston, WR, NO - Drew Brees is going to throw. He's going to throw a lot. He's going to throw a lot for Marques Colston. Obviously you can't complain, but an extra 2 yards would have pushed him over 100 yards, meaning yardage bonuses. Still, you can't argue with 2 TDs.

Vincent Jackson, WR, SD - You probably drafted him as a number 2 or 3 receiver, but you have to be pleasantly surprised by his #1 receiver-type numbers.

Players who Failed:

Greg Jennings, WR, GB - In what was allegedly an excellent matchup, he didn't manage a single catch. Credit the Bengals secondary and the Packer's O-line play for shutting him out.

Tom Brady, QB, NE - Yeah, even the incomparable Tom Brady is capable of having a poor outing now and again. He went up against an elite defense, so don't worry about this performance. Better days are ahead.

Brian Westbrook, RB, PHI - 66 yards and an injury. Weak sauce. And maybe look to get LeSean McCoy if he's available.

Thomas Jones, RB, NYJ - 53 total yards after a 100-yard, 2 TD performance. Not a very good encore, especially considering what Fred Jackson did to them last weekend.

Randy Moss, WR, NE - If we've learned one thing so far this season, it's that Darrelle Revis is one HELL of a cover corner. He shuts down even the most elite receivers.

Kevin Smith, RB, DET - 93 total yards, but he failed to cross the end zone, and losing a fumble hurts a lot.

Shocker of the Week:

Julian Edelman, WR, NE - 8 catches, 98 yards. Filling in for Wes Welker, Edelman was very good. Actually, I thought his numbers didn't do him justice and he could have been even better. He ran with some authority after the catch and he had some really slick moves. In a strange twist, he's also QB-eligible and owned in virtually 0% of fantasy leagues. If you are without Donovan McNabb or Matt Hasselbeck (or both), and you're in a PPR league, he might be worth a flier.

Monday Night Ride 'Em, Rest 'Em:

Ride 'Em:
Peyton Manning, QB, IND - Slinging the ball should be necessary against a Miami defense that is better at defending the run.

Reggie Wayne, WR, IND - Duh. After that week 1, what's he going to do for an encore now that he's the only man in town.

Rest 'Em:
Ronnie Brown, RB, MIA - Seems like Miami will have to pass to keep up with Manning's offense.

Tedd Ginn Jr., WR, MIA - He wasn't good last week, and he's not getting deep on the Colts.