Fantasy Football Preview - Week 10

With the Giants on their bye this week, I am at least guarenteed to not have to spend half the day jumping from video stream to video stream as they get shut down, just to watch a secondary that can't cover a bed with an oversized mattress.

In other news, I avoided the calling of the McRib in Santa Barbara this weekend to bring you this week's preview (so you better be appreciative because good lordy are those things delicious).

So here we go, reverse standings order as always with the game of the week at the end.

LT Get Outta My Way (2-7) vs. The New Good Ones (5-4)

LT currently holds a 20-13 lead after Thursday's Bears vs. 49ers game.
Having used a RB and a DB to build a 7 point lead shouldn't have the New Good Ones shaking in their shoes, with their opponent not actually existing and therefore, not likely to replace out for the season TE Owen Daniels. The one possible problem would be if QB Kurt Warner threw for 5 TDs again this week, but that's something you always have to deal with. The New Good Ones are already out to a good start though with RB Matt Forte putting up 13 points in a losing effort, and doing so on a night when the Bears couldn't run the football at all. That sort of versatility has to make the NGOs happy because if your RB gets shut down, it's awfully hard to come back from. Their other RB, Thomas Jones is coming off a bye week and facing the Jacksonville Jaguars who I've heard are not very good, especially against the run. They are the team that gave up over 200 yards on the ground to Chris Johnson, two weeks ago. Even though Jones isn't Johnson, I doubt that the Jaguars (man that's a lot of Js) will be able to hold him under 100 yards and a score. With WR Anquan Boldin expected to play this week the New Good Ones get their talented receiver corps on the field and could potentially blow this game away with double digit performances from each of the three. The concern will have to be how Philip Rivers plays against the Eagles defense.

Mr. Scott's F**kUps (2-7) vs. Wide Right (4-5)

Oh it seems so long ago that the F**kUps were on a two game roll and looking at becoming contenders. A 2 game slide has put them back into overlookville heading into this week. With Giants QB Eli Manning on his bye week the move to Roethlisberger is both necessary and well timed as he at least has an offense capable of putting up points. A questionable move at RB with Cadillac Willams starting over Cedric Benson this week. Despite playing the Steelers, Benson did have over 100 total yards against the Steel Curtain in their previous matchup and this season has been far and away better than Williams. WRs Randy Moss and DeVry Henderson may need to pick up the slack (as they have all season) for the injured T.O., who, at less than 100% should really be considered as a backup option to Colts WR Austin Collie. Rounding out the starting lineup is injured and not playing TE Chris Cooley and the Patriots defense who face the undefeated Colts, at home. Perhaps an early morning adjust that puts TE Brent Celek and the Arizona defense into the starting lineup is in order.
Wide Right seems content to keep their starters in, no matter what. They have shown total confidence in RB Steve Slaton, although it appears that he may now be locked into a timeshare at running back, and are even planning on starting the 2nd year back on his bye week. I've never been a huge Marshawn Lynch fan, but I would have to suspect that even against the Titans defense, Lynch can put up more than 0 points. QB Tom Brady will take center stage on Sunday Night in the start studded QB battle that is Brady vs. Manning. As great as last season was, I really think it missed this game the way it's going to be played this week. 2 premier QBs flinging the ball all over the field and making defenses look silly. Should be fun. Panthers RB Jonathan Stewart is listed as questionable for the game with an injured Achilles, so he may not play. Then again, starting RB DeAngelo Williams is questionable with a knee injury, so Steward might start. How's that for trying to manage your team? WRs Steve Breaston and Jeremy Maclin are likely to have slack to pick up as Dwayne Bowe will be shadowed by Nnamdi Asomaghu most of the day in Oakland. (I think I'm getting better at spelling that, I really do).

NY DAs Office (3-6) vs. Beer Burgers & Blue (6-3)

The DAs Office is coming off an impressive victory over big brother (not the all-knowing, ever watching government program to keep us in line; his actual brother) last week. The DAs Office will be hoping for a similar high scoring output this weekend as they face the #2 team in the league. QB Peyton Manning looks to shine in primetime against arch rival Tom Brady (seriously though, which one is supposed to be the pretty boy and which one is the edgy rebel? Brady was the rebel before, but c'mon, now he's married to Gisele). WR Johnny Knox turned in a disappointing performance on Thursday night leading to only 2 points to start the week for the DAs office. Fellow receivers Mike Sims-Walker and former BBBer Bernard Berrian will need to compensate if the Office hopes to top 140 points again. RB Joseph Addai has managed to stay healthy this late into the season, something I wasn't expecting, however, in what is sure to be a Colts/Patriots pass fest may not factor in so much. Then again, he did throw a TD a few weeks ago so who knows.
Beer Burgers & Blue snapped a 2 game losing streak and is now looking to reverse field and head for the top of the charts. Brett Favre steps in as QB while Matt Schaub is on his bye week and the ageless gunslinger will be at home against the Detroit Lions. BBBs running game has started to develop nicely with 3 top tier backs now that Steven Jackson has found the endzone this season. This weekend it appears that Jackson and fantasy breakout stud Ray Rice will be in the backfield flanked out to the sides by the returning Calvin Johnson and the Great White Hope, Wes Welker. The search for a #3 WR continues, this week with Robert Meachem auditioning for the role. IDPs Dashon Goldson and Patrick "What you talking about" Willis have already combined for an impressive 17.5 points to give 3Bs the lead, but fantasy is a crazy game and the scores change every minute, so you can be sure that they're putting the pedal to the metal to drive this one home.

Wandering Jews (4-5) vs. Giant Ten Pins (5-3-1)

The Jews stopped their freefall last week with a win and how are looking to continue their streaky ways in the opposite direction. TE Greg Olsen scored them 6.5 points on Thursday night to give them a good start, but it will take the rest of the team to match his performance if they want to make it to Streak: W2. QB Joe Flacco will face the, well pitiful Cleveland Browns. Sorry Matt and Jay if you still have love for your once hometown team, but they are really bad. And I know something about bad teams - I'm a Mets fan. Anyway, Flacco should be able to right his ship against a defense that probably shouldn't scare anyone. However, if Flacco goes wacko and throws and early pick will Baltimore ground him and turn the game over to RB Ray Rice? The RB tandem of DeAngelo Williams and LaDanian Tomlinson has a few problems. 1) Williams is hurt and may not play 2) Tomlinson hasn't scored a TD this season against a team not named the Raiders and 3) 2009 is not 2008. That said, Williams if he plays, is capable of a solid game against the Falcons. The same cannot be said for Tomlinson who faces an Eagles defense likely to swallow him up into fantasy irrelevance for another week. In related news former RB Larry Johnson is out of football. The pressure will be on the receivers this week if the backs can't get it done.
The Giant Ten Pins are currently the hottest team in the league, riding a 3 game win streak. Sitting a mere 2.5 games out of first place they are looking to keep inching their way up the ladder. Despite a disappointing 1.5 point performance from TE Vernon Davis, DP Lance Briggs was able to accumulate 9 points to at least lessen the burden of the remaining players. QB Matt Ryan looks to rebound for several consecutive sub-par weeks, but as always will have RB Michael Turner at his back as they face Carolina this weekend. Banking on Eagles RB Brian Westbrook being hurt and unable to play all game (usually a good bet), RB LeSean McCoy steps in and hopes to help keep the streak alive. WRs Hines Ward, Donald Driver and Miles Austin all have favorable matchups this week and should provide the offense with some nice balance to go along with the running game. The remaining roster players should be able to at least hold onto their current 4 point lead.

Vick's Vet Service (8-1) vs. The Breakfast Club (4-5)

Oh how time changes things and people meet at certain times. Early in the season it was the Breakfast Club who looked like easy favorites to dominate the league, while Vick's Vet Service toiled away in the middle of the rankings. Now, in week 10 VVS finds itself nearly uncontested at the top and the Breakfast Club is looking to regroup. Thanks to WR Devin Hester, VVS currently has a 5.5 point advantage in the matchup. QB Tony Romo will be facing the Green Bay Packers this week, who were lit up by an unknown (as I, I have no idea who he is) QB playing for Tampa Bay. That fact alone should give Vick's Vet Service a reason to smile. But the strength of this team has been the running game, powered by Maurice Jones-Drew and Ricky Williams. These backs have been consistent, high producers - the kind of guys you'd promote in a corporate setting or risk losing to your competitors. Although less in the name department, WRs Roddy White and Vincent Jackson have also been important contributors, matching up with each opponents best WRs, no matter what their names are. And of course there is TE Dallas Clark, who in a Sunday Night Game against the Patriots is almost guaranteed to have a big night.
The Breakfast Club is looking for something to hang their hat on. They have QB Drew Brees. But even though he has come close to single-handedly winning games on his own, he never has. The running game this week is Kevin Smith and Ryan Grant, two backs who haven't really had the rebound seasons they were expected (or hoped) to have. At the receiver spot, Chad Johnson is enjoying a glorious return season, however, Andre Johnson's production has dipped and to make matters worse, he is on his bye this week. Stepping in are Sidney Rice and Bryant Johnson. Rice will have the benefit of facing the Lions while, Johnson is one. TE Tony Gonzalez has all but disappeared from the Falcons passing game and TBC is hoping that he gets back on the same playbook page with Matt Ryan soon and begins to produce. Despite the apparent lack of firepower on their roster, The Breakfast Club does have a secret weapon - the Saints opportunistic defense who this week will face the St. Louis Rams. If they can convert a few turnovers into scores, TBC may be back on their way to the top and leave VVS wondering if things will end the way they started.

And now, this week's Game of the Week:

Dogs and Guns (4-4-1) vs. Any Given Sunday (6-3)

The former champ is storming back with a 2 game win streak and looking to break into the top tier of teams. This week will be a challenge, but that the thing with former champs, they know how to win when they need it most. Despite tossing nearly a half dozen INTs, QB Jay Culter set his team up with 19.5 points, which combined with K Robbie Gould's 8 and DB Charles Tillman's 4.5 to give D&G an even 32 going into Sunday. Of course now only having 12 players left and having used (presumably) their biggest bullet in Cutler, D&G must now rely on the rest of the roster to keep the pace up. RB Chris Johnson is coming off of another big game and will face the Buffalo Bills and their lack of a run defense. Thanks to the wildcat formation and partly to Chad Pennington's injury, Ronnie Brown is guaranteed to touch the ball about 20 times per game. When you put those facts together it almost doesn't matter that D&G also has Larry Fitzgerald. Fitzgerald, however, is the only WR worth mentioning as T.J. Houshmandzadeh has absolutely sucked it up this year. He's killed me several times in my money league and unless the league conspired to kill the deal, I will finally be rid of him tomorrow morning. I say good riddance to you.
Any Given Sunday has to show that she can hang with the big boys. All of her wins, except for one, have come against teams that do not have a winning record at this moment. The three losses? Against teams with winning records. So here lies the conundrum, this weeks opponent has the perfectly balanced record, so on which side will Sunday fall? Rookie WR Michael Crabtree is making progress, scoring 5 points on Thursday night and providing some solid production in the receiver group. However, veterans Steve Smith and Santana Moss will need to do more than that if they want to keep pace with Dogs & Guns. The runningbacks aren't ever really a concern for Sunday with Adrian Peterson and Marion Barber. However, Barber has been dealing with injuries and the Cowboys do have 2 other backs they can put in the mix and take away Barber's carries. Peterson is likely to get the ball all day as the Vikings beat down the Lions. If the Lions can avoid the blowout, Peterson may still be scampering for 5 yards a carry in the 4th quarter, after having amassed 150 yards and 2 scores. QB Aaron Rodgers will look to improve his game as his team faces the Cowboys. The Cowboys have a weak secondary but the Packers haven't exactly been giving Rodgers time to find receivers downfield. If the O-line can hold on just a little longer, Rodgers may be able to make the big plays that give Sunday her first big win.