In addition to our weekly Waiver Wire posts, we’ll also be providing valuable matchup analysis each week along with our suggestions on who to start and who to bench. If you have any additional matchup questions, or you are not sure who to start this week, feel free to post them in our Fantasy Football Forum.

Green Bay (4-3) at Tampa Bay (0-7)

Green Bay	YARDS/GAME	RANK	Tampa Bay	YARDS/GAME	RANK
Passing Defense	184.0	9th	Passing Defense	214.0	15th
Rushing Defense	99.4	9th	Rushing Defense	162.4	30th
Passing Offense	286.3	7th	Passing Offense	185.0	24th
Rushing Offense	114.0	16th	Rushing Offense	98.0	24th
Fantasy Impact: Tampa Bay might be coming off a bye however; I seriously doubt that they figured anything out. For the Bucs it is the same old story, try not to start any of them. The only possible play is Cadillac Williams as bye week replacement. Green Bay’s signal-caller, Aaron Rodgers coming off an emotional game, proved in a loss that he is an elite quarterback. Under a ton of pressure due to a weak offensive line, Rodgers had another great game. Since the Bucs cannot pressure the quarterback look for Rodgers to put up even bigger numbers this week. Greg Jennings finally caught a touchdown pass (got that one right) and this week I expect another one and maybe over 100 yards. Donald Driver will catch more balls but Jennings will get the deep ones. Ryan Grant should have a much better day facing a weak rushing defense in Tampa Bay but he has proven this year he is not an elite runner. Feel safe starting him but if he has a huge day deal him before your trade deadlines.

Arizona (4-3) at Chicago (4-3)

Arizona	YARDS/GAME	RANK	Chicago	YARDS/GAME	RANK
Passing Defense	233.0	20th	Passing Defense	199.4	12th
Rushing Defense	96.4	8th	Rushing Defense	110.6	16th
Passing Offense	279.9	8th	Passing Offense	240.0	14th
Rushing Offense	64.9	32nd	Rushing Offense	93.4	26th
Fantasy Impact: This is a big game for both teams since neither team wants to drop to .500. With that being said, I do not see much change in the Cardinals game plan. They will throw the ball all game long. The Bears have a decent secondary but Kurt Warner, Larry Fitzgerald, and Anquan Boldin should all be good plays this week. The worst has happened with the running back situation it is a 50-50 time share with the looks of Tim Hightower getting the goal line carries. Matt Forte owners got the huge day they were hoping for last week and I still think Forte is a buy low guy (the fact he gets all the carries is huge for me). Jay Cutler has been hit or miss on a weekly basis however, Devin Hester is close (not yet but close) to being an everyday start. Expect Cutler to have a nice day on Sunday which means good things for Hester owners as well.

Kansas City (1-6) at Jacksonville (3-4)

Kansas City	YARDS/GAME	RANK	Jacksonville	YARDS/GAME	RANK
Passing Defense	252.1	28th	Passing Defense	242.4	26th
Rushing Defense	131.0	26th	Rushing Defense	128.3	25th
Passing Offense	171.4	28th	Passing Offense	229.3	19th
Rushing Offense	101.3	21st	Rushing Offense	135.6	8th
Fantasy Impact: Larry Johnson is out and one of the most picked up players last week, Jamal Charles, will get the start for the Chiefs. I expect a big day out of Charles especially in a point per reception league. (bold prediction: 7 catches for over 60 yards and a touchdown) If Charles is available in your league go grab him as he is a great bye week replacement. Coming off the bye Matt Cassel hopefully regroups since he is looking like one of the biggest busts of the year thus far. If he was ever going to have a huge day and remind us of the New England version of himself, it would be this week against an awful secondary. Just like the Jags secondary the Chiefs have been awful against the pass so Mike Sims-Walker owners can expect a bounce back game. Hopefully you did not drop him and you must give him some slack since you probably picked him up in your league after week three. The expectation for Walker to have a nice day also gives reason to believe that David Garrard will as well; however only start him if you have to this week due to his extremely disappointing start against the Titans. The story for the Jags this game and the rest of the year will be Maurice Jones-Drew. Expected touches could be as many as thirty which will translate into another great game.

Miami (3-4) at New England (5-2)

Miami	YARDS/GAME	RANK	New England	YARDS/GAME	RANK
Passing Defense	236.0	21st	Passing Defense	176.3	5th
Rushing Defense	92.4	6th	Rushing Defense	109.4	15th
Passing Offense	172.1	27th	Passing Offense	297.7	2nd
Rushing Offense	153.4	3rd	Rushing Offense	115.0	14th
Fantasy Impact: Miami is coming off a great win in the Meadowlands largely due to Ted Ginn Jr. returning two kicks for touchdowns but if return yards do not count you might want to bench him. He is in less and less plays on offense and sources close the Fins say his great return game will not translate into more touches on offense. The Dolphins are a running team and one way to try and control the offense for the Patriots is not to let Tom Brady and company get the ball. Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams will be given the duty of running a ton and controlling the clock. The Pats are coming off a bye which means scary things for Dolphins defense that is 21st against the pass. Do not be surprised if Brady goes off for over 350 yards and a few touchdowns. (We told you to buy low on him) If Brady has a huge day then so will Randy Moss and Wes Welker who both may find the end zone. No need to mention the running back situation because New England is and will be for the foreseeable future a passing team.

Washington (2-5) at Atlanta (4-3)

Washington	YARDS/GAME	RANK	Atlanta	YARDS/GAME	RANK
Passing Defense	164.9	2nd	Passing Defense	256.4	31st
Rushing Defense	118.6	22nd	Rushing Defense	121.7	23rd
Passing Offense	222.3	20th	Passing Offense	235.6	16th
Rushing Offense	93.4	27th	Rushing Offense	111.1	17th
Fantasy Impact: I doubt the Washington Redskins offense figured anything out during the bye and last time they played they lost their best fantasy option Chris Cooley for at least a few weeks if not for the whole year. Jason Campbell’s safety net is Fred Davis now however; he cannot block anyone so it really hurts Campbell’s value since he will see most of the game from his back. The only chance the Skins have is for Portis to have a nice day but he is looking like the rule of thirty applies to him more and more each game. Matt Ryan will face one of the top passing defenses in the league but the Skins have trouble against tall fast receivers – hello Roddy White. I expect Ryan to hook up with White throughout this entire game and at least break one for a touchdown. Michael Turner has been one of the top fantasy players the last few weeks and I believe the Falcons will move the ball giving him plenty of opportunities to punch one in this week.

Baltimore (4-3) at Cincinnati (5-2)

Baltimore	YARDS/GAME	RANK	Cincinnati	YARDS/GAME	RANK
Passing Defense	226.1	19th	Passing Defense	253.3	30th
Rushing Defense	87.6	4th	Rushing Defense	88.0	5th
Passing Offense	264.7	10th	Passing Offense	229.7	18th
Rushing Offense	124.9	10th	Rushing Offense	127.7	9th
Fantasy Impact: Ray Rice will be drafted in the first round in every fantasy draft next year but it is Joe Flacco that should have the big day this week. The Bengals are not so good against the pass (shocker Roy Williams is starter at safety there now) so look for Flacco to hook up with Derrick Mason and Todd Heap which in turn will set up the run for Rice. Cincy leaned on Cedric Benson the last time these teams met up and he had a huge day but Ray Lewis and company will do everything to ensure that does not happen again. I expect Benson not to perform even close to what he did the first meeting but he is must start every week now (that has to be brutal for Bears fans to read). Since I expect Benson to have a long day and Carson Palmer will have to step and Chad Ochocinco is back to being a number one receiver. Expect plenty of passing yards this game with Flacco to edge out Palmer

Houston (5-3) at Indianapolis (7-0)

Houston	YARDS/GAME	RANK	Indianapolis	YARDS/GAME	RANK
Passing Defense	213.3	14th	Passing Defense	180.1	7th
Rushing Defense	113.3	20th	Rushing Defense	112.0	17th
Passing Offense	292.8	4th	Passing Offense	321.3	1st
Rushing Offense	92.5	28th	Rushing Offense	87.3	30th
Fantasy Impact: In the history of the Texans they have never won in Indianapolis but that is not the major storyline here – the major storyline is will Ryan Moats get the start. Moats, one of the most added player this week had a monster game last Sunday and if he gets the start may have huge value for the rest of the year. I still think Steve Slaton will get another chance but keep a close eye on the situation and if you can get Moats in your league, go do that now. Whether it is Moats or Slaton the Texans game plan is have Matt Schaub throw the ball to Andre Johnson which is exactly what I expect them to do. There is one major new factor however, Owen Daniels is done for the year so the Colts and Bob Sanders will be able to focus even more on Johnson. Peyton Manning is really good at football (haven’t I wrote that every week) so expect him to do what he does and hook up with Dallas Clark and Reggie Wayne once again. There is really no point to write about the Colts week to week since it is same the old story if you own anyone that catches balls or throws ball for them start them.

Carolina (3-4) at New Orleans (7-0)

Carolina	YARDS/GAME	RANK	New Orleans	YARDS/GAME	RANK
Passing Defense	160.6	1st	Passing Defense	223.9	17th
Rushing Defense	127.6	24th	Rushing Defense	102.1	11th
Passing Offense	189.6	23rd	Passing Offense	286.6	6th
Rushing Offense	148.9	5th	Rushing Offense	153.3	4th
Fantasy Impact: Carolina won last week by allowing Jake Delhomme minimal opportunities to throw it to the other team. They ran the ball a ton and will again this week. Steve Smith did find the end zone and is a decent bye week replacement (so sad I am writing that Smith is only a good bye week replacement but he has to do it another week for me to think otherwise). Carolina will have their two running back attack get plenty of touches but DeAngelo Williams and the Jonathan Stewart are facing a Saints defense that is much improved. Drew Brees is simply amazing and do not let Carolina’s number 1 ranked passing defense fool you – he will have a big day. The amazing stat is that the Saints are 5th in the league in rushing and Pierre Thomas has much to do with that as of late. Carolina is awful against the run so start Thomas confidently this week and expect at least one touchdown out of him.

Detroit (1-6) at Seattle (2-5)

Detroit	YARDS/GAME	RANK	Seattle	YARDS/GAME	RANK
Passing Defense	251.9	27th	Passing Defense	224.4	18th
Rushing Defense	117.7	21st	Rushing Defense	101.3	10th
Passing Offense	214.7	21st	Passing Offense	237.9	15th
Rushing Offense	103.0	20th	Rushing Offense	88.7	29th
Fantasy Impact: Calvin Johnson is supposedly coming back this week and if that is the case plug him into your line-ups but it will be Kevin Smith not Johnson that has a big day (if anyone can have a big day for the Lions). Seattle is injury-riddled and Smith should be able to take advantage of that. He does not have to split carries so he is a very safe play this week. The Seahawks and Matt Hasselbeck have been up and down all year and since last week was a down week this week should mean good things for Hasselbeck and TJ Houshmandzadeh whose owners have to be dying due to all the inconsistency. If you were happy with Julius Jones’ performance last week expect about the same this week but the Lions are not as bad against the rush as they were last year.

San Diego (4-3) at New York Giants (5-3)

San Diego	YARDS/GAME	RANK	New York Giants	YARDS/GAME	RANK
Passing Defense	178.4	6th	Passing Defense	165.0	3rd
Rushing Defense	132.1	27th	Rushing Defense	113.1	19th
Passing Offense	290.9	5th	Passing Offense	253.4	11th
Rushing Offense	74.7	31st	Rushing Offense	141.8	7th
Fantasy Impact: Vincent Jackson’s 1000 yards and 10 touchdown prediction is close to coming to fruition but this week might be a little tougher than most since they are facing a great defense in the Giants (I know Donavan made them look foolish but they will get to Phillip Rivers this week which mean bad things for Jackson). By no means bench Rivers or Jackson but it will not be their best weeks. It should also be long day for LaDainian Tomlinson (yes do not look at his game last week and think he is back – they played Oakland) Eli Manning should have a better day but the fantasy play in this game is Brandon Jacobs. The Chargers have not been good at stopping the run especially if the back they are facing runs the ball between the tackles and Jacobs might do that as good as any back in the league. A tight end spot start this week is Kevin Boss because the Charges still have no idea how to defend a tight end running up the seam.

Tennessee (1-6) at San Francisco (3-4)

Tennessee	YARDS/GAME	RANK	San Francisco	YARDS/GAME	RANK
Passing Defense	282.4	32nd	Passing Defense	252.1	29th
Rushing Defense	112.4	18th	Rushing Defense	84.9	2nd
Passing Offense	170.9	29th	Passing Offense	192.4	22nd
Rushing Offense	162.3	2nd	Rushing Offense	100.4	22nd
Fantasy Impact: Vince Young got the win and the storyline last week but the show belonged to Chris Johnson who might have the biggest blow-up potential out of any running back in the league (sorry AP but Johnson is always a threat to break one) This week Johnson faces a tough run defense and one can bet they will be stacking the box making Young beat them. This does not mean Nate Washington has an increased value; Young has to prove it to me for a few more weeks before I give any Titan receiver the green light. No matter who is throwing the ball for the 49ers Vernon Davis and Michael Crabtree are great plays this week and just like Johnson, Frank Gore has a ton of blow-up potential but the Titans have tough run defense as well. Start both backs but do not expect a repeat of last week for either of them.

Dallas (5-2) at Philadelphia (5-2)

Dallas	YARDS/GAME	RANK	Philadelphia	YARDS/GAME	RANK
Passing Defense	237.1	22nd	Passing Defense	193.7	10th
Rushing Defense	105.0	13th	Rushing Defense	103.1	12th
Passing Offense	272.6	9th	Passing Offense	250.7	13th
Rushing Offense	147.6	6th	Rushing Offense	114.6	15th
Fantasy Impact: Tony Romo is playing out of his mind and has Texas thinking playoffs and Superbowl again. Romo should thank Miles Austin for this. Austin is a legit number one receiver now (I need three weeks in a row and he gave that to me) but Andy Reid is a great coach and will make Roy Williams beat them. The real key to the passing attack for the “Boys” is the running game and Marion Barber should be 100 percent for the first time all year. With or without Brian Westbrook it will be the Donavan McNabb / DeShawn Jackson show for the Eagles. The Cowboys always give up big pass plays hence the poor passing defense rank and Jackson only catches balls that are big play balls. Do the math, McNabb and Jackson will have a nice day. Now keep an eye on who starts this week at running back and good bet is Westbrook which makes him a nice play this week as well.

Pittsburgh (5-2) at Denver (6-1)

Pittsburgh	YARDS/GAME	RANK	Denver	YARDS/GAME	RANK
Passing Defense	214.4	16th	Passing Defense	180.6	8th
Rushing Defense	76.6	1st	Rushing Defense	86.1	3rd
Passing Offense	295.4	3rd	Passing Offense	231.0	17th
Rushing Offense	107.0	19th	Rushing Offense	123.1	11th
Fantasy Impact: The Steelers are third in the league in passing but is facing what might be the toughest defense they have faced all year. I cannot believe I am writing that about the Broncos but this is week nine and the numbers do not lie. With all that being said I think this will be a low scoring battle so if you have better options at quarterback, receiver, and running back you might want to sit Ben Roethlisberger, Hines Ward, and Rashard Mendenhall. Now due to the byes this week and how great they have been playing that is tough to do, so if you don’t sit them that is understandable. I just feel this is will be an old school Steelers seventeen to ten kind of game. (note: Steelers win) So I bet you can guess what I think about Kyle Orton, Brandon Marshall, and Knowshon Moreno. Yep bench all of them if you can. Marshall may have a nice day since he is just a freak of nature but Moreno will be eaten up by the Steelers number one run defense.

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