Here is some last minute analysis on for week 9.  This is a make or break week and there have been many injuries and some intriguing matchups, this may help you as you look at your lineup Sunday morning.

Washington at Atlanta- The Redskins off a bye week and the Falcons are coming off a shootout loss against the Saints.  Even with the bye week the Skins are still lousy, but ATL’s defense has not been great this year and they are susceptible to the pass, with other teams on a bye, you can take a gamble on Santana Moss, and maybe even a look at Fred Davis, who is taking over for Cooley.  As for the Falcons, go ahead and play their top guys, I expect them to win easily.

Baltimore at Cincinnati- Great match up division rivals.  Baltimore’s offense is an enigma to me, I just do not get it, so many check downs.  Ray Rice is a fantasy must start as he benefits from the check downs, look for Flacco to put together something this week as well.  As for the Bengals, Carson Palmer has been great this year and I do not think that the Ravens D puts fear into teams as it once did, he should have a great game.  Look for Chad Ochocinco to make them “kiss the babies!”   Be careful of Cedric Benson, he has had a great season, but the Ravens know he was the first back to have 100 yards against them in about 2 years, they will be focused on stopping him.  Look for Chris Henry to make some big plays for the Bengals as well.

Arizona at Chicago- Wow, two teams that are some much alike, good one week and horrible the next.  I have been waiting for Fitzgerald and Boldin to do something, I have a feeling it may be this week, but the offensive line will have to protect Warner.  For Chicago, they will ride Forte as far as they can, I do expect Jay Cutler to have a good game as the Cards will put 8 in the box to stop the run.  Devin Hester has been averaging 80 yards a game the last few weeks, he is becoming a must start as a receiver.

Houston at Indianapolis- This is the biggest game in the Texans history and the Colts have lost Bob Sanders, and two cornerbacks to season ending injuries.  Look for a strong passing game for Matt Schaub.  We all know about Andre Johnson, but look at Jacoby Jones and Kevin Walter to get some looks as well as Ryan Moats to take some carries from Steve Slaton.  I still think the Colts will win, because they are the Colts and that’s what they do, for their players, its business as usual, play all of their normal guys and look for Garcon and Collie to make more of a difference this week.

Miami at New England- The Pats after a bye are unstoppable, but the ‘Fins have the Pats number.  We all know this is the matchup that started the “Wildcat” phenomenon, the the second matchup Bellichek stopped it completely.  With that said, you still have to play Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams, they will get the ball early and often.  Keep this name in mind, Devon Bess, he may be a difference maker is this game as the Pats will look to stop Ted Ginn, Jr.  On the Pats side, play all of their receivers, and shy away from any of their RBs, as the Dolphins cornerbacks are young and Brady will be passing all day.  A few sleepers for the Pats, Sam Aiken, a third receiver who will be open because of Moss and Welker, and Chris Baker, TE, Watson has been banged up, this guy can catch the ball too.

Green Bay at Tampa Bay- Poor Tampa Bay, they have the Pack after they lost to Brett Favre last week.  I see no problem playing Rodgers, Driver, Jennings, and Grant and their Defense as Josh Freeman, the Bucs 1^st round pick will be making his first start.  The only bright spot for the Bucs is that Charles Woodson is out for GB, they may have a long pass play, that’s about it, stay away from any player on the Bucs.

Kansas City at Jacksonville- Bad teams means ugly games.  On the Jax side, MJD is a must start, and even Garrard and Sims Walker are guys to consider starting against a bad team.  For KC, wow, this is tough because they have some decent receivers but they cannot catch the ball and they are one of the worst offenses in the league, play guys at your own risk.

Detroit at Seattle- This is what Seattle needs, a team like Detroit to come in and help jump start their offense.  The Seahawks let Edge go, so they must like what they have at RB, but I don’t, these guys are not Stephen Jackson, but of you have to, you know Julius Jones will get touches.  Look at John Carlson and Deion Branch to have decent games as well.  For Detroit, Kevin Smith is a must start as Seattle’s defense has injury problems.  Megatron (Calvin Johnson) is still a game time decision, so keep an eye on the reports.  If you have to pick someone up, look at Bryant Johnson, he will have increased targets if Megatron does not play.

Carolina at New Orleans- I still do not think that the Panthers have solved their offensive problems, but they realized that they have to run the ball, so look at De Angelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart to get a lot of touches.  Do not count the original Steve Smith out, he makes things happen, keep him on your radar.  For the Saints, like the Colts, business as usual, I like all of their guys, Brees, Colston, Shockey, Thomas, and look at Bush to get more touches, they have been increasing each week.

San Diego at New York Giants- Two more teams that look great and then horrible, but I expect a shoot out and the Giants to win.  San Diego will throw the ball and Vincent Jackson is on fire, so look at Rivers and Gates to have big games too.  I am still not sold on their running game, but they are giving Tomlinson the ball, so he is a good play too, stay away from Sproles as his touches are going down. Manning will have a good game, but look for the Giants to run early and often, Bradshaw has been quiet, but I feel he will have a good game.  Their receivers have been good, but each week a new one steps up, Steve Smith is consistent, but Manningham and Nicks can be good plays as well in deep leagues.

Tennessee at San Francisco- Vince Young is back and the Titans have won, his stats are ugly, but the guy wins.  Chris Johnson is having a great season and should have another good game but do not expect a 200 yarder this week.  Nate Washington is healthy and coming along as well, keep an eye on him to see if VY looks at him more.  For San Fran, Frank Gore is back and running well, he is a safe play the rest of the year.  Michael Crabtree is for real and will eat up the Titans secondary.  Alex Smith and Vernon Davis are solid starts here too.

Dallas at Philadelphia- This should be a great game, an offensive game.  The Eagles have been putting McNabb in the shot gun more and it has paid off he is throwing better and more touchdowns.  Expect the Eagles speedy receivers to give the Dallas defense a hard time, Desean Jackson should continue to light up defenses.  Brian Westbrook should play this weekend, but look at the rookie, Lesean McCoy to steal some touches from him.  On the Cowboys side, I am not sold on Romo this game, the Eagles have stout defense and may great jumps in the passing lanes.  With that said, they have enough fire power to make this a great game.  Miles Austin will be held in check, but look for Jason Witten to finally have a good game, and Roy Williams is doing his best T.O. impression, he may do well also.  Don’t sleep on Marion Barber either.

Pittsburgh at Denver- Just like the Pats, the Steelers are great after a bye.  Denver is licking their wounds from another AFC North Team’s beat down last week in Baltimore, now they have the Steelers to deal with.  Expect the Steelers defense to pressure Orton and stop the Denver running game, in my opinion, only Brandon Marshall is a good start for Denver.  For the Steelers, Big Ben wants to be in the no huddle more, look for that this Monday, he has been great this year and is becoming a top fantasy QB.  With Ty Law expected to play corner back for the Broncos this week, that means their defense is banged up, look for the Steelers receivers to make a lot of plays, and look at Mike Wallace to have a deep pass in the play action.  Don’t worry about Hines Ward, he won’t be shut out this week.  Look for Mendenhall to carry the load on the ground, with Parker getting some touches.

Follow me on twitter at www.twitter.com/sportsguymike and ask me questions about your lineup Sunday morning.

You can also email me at sportsguymike@gmail.com with fantasy questions and suggestions for my weekly blog!

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With week 7 in the books, I want to look back on my blogs last week to see what I actually got right and laughing at how wrong I was on other things.  Point for a correct player, minus one for a bad call.

Must Start Results

Donald Driver- GB- 2 Catches 84 Yards and one Touchdown- I’ll take that!  He has been the most consistent receiver that Green Bay has.  Winfield is out for the Vikings this week, look to start him again along with the other WRs for GB.  I’ll take a point!

Zach Miller- Oak- 2 Catches and 15 yards, this was a miss.  I was burnt the week before by Miller in two leagues, I thought Russell finally had something, I was wrong.  At this point, there is NO Raider worth starting.  Minus point, back to zero!

Wes Welker- NE- 10 Catches, 107 Yards and a TD.  He is steady and healthy and even returning punts again, I will take that W, and say that he is a must start in any league now.  Point!

Cedric Benson- Cincy- 37 Carries, 184 Yards and a TD.  Wow, wow, wow, that is all I have to say.  I watched this guy in college and seeing him in Chicago, I never thought he was going to pan out.  He is having a great season and has the workload, must start every week, and I will take a point!

Tashard Choice- Dal- 0 Carries, 1 reception, 23 Yards.  A huge miss, or was Felix Jones healthier than we thought, either way, a big fat 0!

I went 3 for 5, 1 point, but I will take that point!

Sleepers Results

Mike Wallace- Pitt- 2 carries 19 yards, 3 receptions 72 yards and a TD.  He improves every week, and he continues to impress the Steelers and Big Ben.  If you have a league with 10 or more teams, look to grab him and have him on your bench.  ESPN has him owned in 6.1% of their leagues. Point for the sports guy!

Andre Caldwell- Cincy- 2 receptions for 19 yards.  Palmer threw to Ochocinco a lot this weekend and Chris Henry actually showed up for a game, and don’t forget Benson got 37 carries against his former team.  Keep Caldwell on your radar for deeper leagues, 11.4% owned in ESPN leagues.  Not happy, minus a point.

Shonn Green- NYJ- 19 carries 144 yards, 2 TDs.  I liked him before Washington got hurt, but now his stock has grown.  He runs hard and will share carries with Thomas Jones (stock up as well).  Pick him up if you can!  Point to me!

Sam Aiken- NE- 2 Catches 66 Yards and a TD.  Another weapon for Brady, with Galloway gone and Welker Jr (Edelman) injured, he is not a bad flex option as the Pats look to throw early and often.  Point again!

Ahman Green- GB- Nothing, inactive.  He will be for a week or two to get acclimated to the offense; I am giving myself a push!

3 for 4 with the fifth being a push, I will take that!  Total points this week 3!  More to come, later in the week!

Follow me on twitter at www.twitter.com/sportsguymike and email me with questions, comments, suggestions, or complaints, sportsguymike@gmail.com

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What a great day, Sunday, watching sports, some great games, and yes, looking at all the schedules to see what players have the edge on who they are playing today.  Here is my take on some of the games today.

Vikings @ Steelers- This should be the best game today.  Fantasy wise, be careful with Parker and Mendenhall, the Vikes have a great run defense and with Antoine Winfield, their starting CB out, look for Big Ben to go to the pass early.  Which leads me to say, play the Steelers WRs and TEs.  For the Vikes, they are facing a great defense as well, but with Aaron Smith out, the are not as tough against the run, Peterson is still a must play.  Polamalu is scheduled to start so be a little weary  about the Vikes WRs but Shiancoe is a must play and Chester Taylor is a sleeper, remember the Steelers blitz often especially with Polamalu in the line up, Farve will look to dump offs and TEs.  Both Defenses are a must play.

49ers @ Texans- Wow, what a fantasy game to watch!  Frank Gore is 100% according to Mike Singletary, he will get a lot of touches early and often.  What do we expect from Michael Crabtree?  He has two weeks of practice and he is starting this week, either he is that good, or their receivers are that bad, my take, its a little of both.  I suggest if you have him, sit him this week and look at his targets, he needs to get comfortable with Hill.  As for the Texans, Matt Schaub is on fire, and no matter what coverage is out there, he is still getting the ball to AJ, and nothing should change today.  I expect a super high scoring game, play all relevant 49ers, except Crabtree and Coffee, play all Texans, as there should be alot of throwing.  A great sleeper is Jacoby Jones (HOU), he is a speedster that is a return guy and is now becoming a target for Schaub.

Falcons @ Cowboys- “The most important game in the Cowboy’s season,” according to their coach Wade Phillips.  Dallas is a mess and have some guys banged up.  Roy E Williams may not go and Patrick Crayton is mad that he lost his starting position.  Even so, I am not sold on ATL’s defense, there will be a steady dose of Barber and Choice and that should open up the passing game for Romo.  If you need to play a receiver due to byes, I believe Crayton and Austin are still good plays, and of course Witten.  For ATL, “Matty Ice” is a definite play against a hurting Dallas D.  Ryan spreads the ball around alot, so you can get a TD from any receiver and TE, but he loves White and Gonzo.  Norwood is hurt again, so Michael Turner will be in on all plays.  A sleeper, Jason Snelling (ATL), see above, with Norwood out, more touches and targets out of the back field.

Cards @ Giants- Boldin is questionable, and I have not seen a lot from him this year.  They have a two headed rushing attack and they have yet to really get it going in my opinion.  Look to Warner to be on the ground alot as the Giants defense is very mad about last week and getting embarrassed by the Saints.  Of course start Fitzgerald and do not forget that Neil Rackers has a great leg, should get some extra points on long field goals.  For the G-Men, they opened up the season with wide receiver questions and no the question is which one is better?  The Cards have a good run defense, but I wouldn’t worry about Jacobs or Bradshaw, they will get there years, I really expect the Giants to roll in this game and bounce back well.  So to circle back, play Fitzy, Rackers, and Warner (if you need too).  For the Giants, play everyone, you should not have a problem this week.  Sleepers? Urban (AZ) if Boldin is not a go, he is a good pickup, works the slot and has great hands.

Enjoy the games, good luck with your teams, and feel free to contact me via twitter at www.twitter.com/sportsguymike and you can email me at mikesutt23@gmail.com with questions or suggestions!

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So let’s face it. We’re here for a reason whether it’s Football, Baseball or Basketball… We love Fantasy Sports or in my case, I live and breathe it.

Once the pre-season starts, we begin looking for sleepers, the busts and the players ready to breakout. We check the wire for injury reports, trade rumors and other inside info that would help us come draft day. This is how we hope it would be, smooth sailing but sometimes “Life” has other plans for us and make things a lil bit more complicated (like a rookie wide receiver holding out) but like the true fantasy junkies that we are… We adjust, we adapt and we thrive under pressure. (Like Brett Favre throwing a miracle TD pass to kill the 49ers)

Once you’re locked in to the season, you can’t just shut that mojo off. Like a true GM you’re always searching, wondering and analyzing the endless possibilities to improve your team. We do this at work, in the car, at the mall, gym and especially at home(even in our sleep sometimes). It’s not always easy cuz you’re comparing stats of 2 available free agents while your boss suddenly walks up behind you and you rush to hide the screen or pretend that you’re going on your break. Doesn’t the boss know that making that free agent pick up can make or break your season? Rude! When you get back to your desk and put that screen up again, you kinda have to make sure if the people next to you(who happen to be in the same pool too) doesn’t see which player you have your eye on. Fantasy Sports is SERIOUS like any espionage movie, information is everything. Hide it at all cost and if a group discussion ever comes up about the pool, you always say nothing about the players that you want and big up the ones that you have no plans of picking up. Like Fox Mulder once said, Trust No One.

So just like the shifty QB that you are, after avoiding the opposing team’s pass defense at work… You’re back at home facing blitzes from your family. This aint no regular Blitzing, this is your 1985 Chicago Bears Blitz, you got people coming from every direction and you simply got no where to go. The wife and child are channeling Mike Singletary and the rest of the Bears’ defense. We always have to be prepared for these blitzes like watching a live chat on “who to pick up for these weekend’s games or who to sit or play” while the lil one is tugging on your shirt asking you to help with his homework. Homework can wait, dear child, Daddy’s working. Another blitz would be being invited to a big event on the same day that your draft is being held… I’m sorry the only event that can prevent me from attending my draft would be my wife going on labor and so far we have no plans of having any more kids.(at least that’s what i think) So when you dodge that one, you still have to put up with usual comments about why you’re constantly staring at the screen full of names and numbers when they don’t even CHANGE… Actually honey, they do. I have stat-tracker and the screen updates in real time. See! Chris Johnson just scored a TD! Yesss!

So at the end of the day you pretty much know how you’re team is doing, you would think you’ll have a good night’s sleep. Unless of course you have players playing in the late game or Monday nighter and you can’t really stay up so late cuz you have to be at work really early the next day.This is another one of life’s way of making things more interesting. So you put your Blackberry by your bedside and somehow just wake up at roughly 1 am so you can check the boxscore of that game and see how your player fared… Only then will you actually get the deep sleep that your body is craving for but if that player stank, you’ll torture yourself cuz you benched Steve Smith from the Giants cuz you thought the Bills were gonna make T.O. happy by throwing more to him. A big mistake that will keep you up all night. There goes your rest and that sets the tone for tomorrow when you face the GM for the team that beat you… You feel like Lebron after losing in the eastern finals not wanting to shake anyone’s hands cuz you know you should’ve won and the other team just got lucky.

So why do we do it? Why do we put up so much time and effort to play this game? Is it the money? $30 a pop on a 12-team league is not bad. Is it the online hardware that will permanently appear on our fantasy profile for everyone else to see and be jealous about? Is it for the bragging rights that comes along with besting everyone else at work? Maybe it’s about making BIG decisions that we’re normally afraid to make in the real world. Maybe it’s the illusion of power that comes with being in control of larger than life superstars by drafting, trading, benching or waiving them makes up for the lack of power that we have in our real lives.

For me, it’s all of the above.

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While most of us are tired of hearing about him at this point in his self-produced soap opera, Brett Favre could be the guy who launches Bernard Berrian into fantasy football stardom.

In 2008, Bernard Berrian had a decent first year after signing his free agent deal with the Minnesota Vikings. He hauled in only 48 catches, but took them for a total of 964 yards and seven touchdowns (the latter two being career highs). Berrian definitely benefits from coaches stacking the box with defenders to help minimize the damage done by Adrian Peterson, but if a certain quarterback takes the reins, fantasy owners should expect big things from the 28 year old wide receiver.

Bernard Berrian’s yards have increased steadily every year over his five seasons in the NFL. Those stats alone are appealing to a fantasy owner, but become a little surprising when reflecting on who was throwing him the ball. In 2006 and 2007 while Berrian was in his last two seasons with the Bears, Rex Grossman and Brian Griese were the primary gunslingers in Chicago. While Griese had his good years in Denver and Grossman showed promise once in a blue moon, they were never close to fulfilling Chicago’s desire of finding that franchise quarterback that they longed for so badly nor did they provide ample support for the up and coming Berrian.

Berrian then jumped ship to another NFC North team when he signed with Minnesota hoping he would benefit from the team’s offensive firepower which generated from the tandem of Peterson and Chester Taylor who were toting the rock up, over, and around defenses all over the league. One thing he didn’t have though was a steady ring leader as Tarvaris Jackson made a feeble attempt of backing up his coach’s expectations and Gus Frerotte tried desperately to show the world he could still play. Neither of these guys had what it took to lead their team to even one playoff win. And here is where Favre steps in.

While Brett Favre struggled at times in his days wearing Jets green, he also threw for just under 3500 yards and 22 touchdown passes. Just about half of the yards and more than half of the touchdowns went to his numbers one and two receivers, Laveranues Coles and Jerricho Cotchery. Favre has always had good relationships with his two main targets whether it was Coles and Cotchery in New York or Greg Jennings and Donald Driver in Green Bay. This only leads to good things happening for Berrian as 2009 approaches.

The addition of Brett Favre would make the Vikings an entirely different team offensively. In 2008, coaches were cautious with the explosive Peterson in the backfield and sometimes put as many as nine guys in the box to help curb his negative effects on a team’s defense. Part of this was due to Peterson’s abilities which made him arguably the best back in football. What people did not recognize as regularly was that part of it was because teams didn’t fear Jackson or Frerotte beating them with the air attack.

If Favre dons the purple number 4 in 2009, opposing defenses won’t know what to do with themselves. They can drop back in coverage and get burned by the Vikings’ all pro star or crash the trenches and risk the deep ball being thrown to Minnesota’s stellar receiving core which includes Berrian, Sidney Rice, and rookie Percy Harvin. Coach Brad Childress kept teams on their toes in his years as offensive coordinator in Philadelphia, and that was when he had names like James Thrash, Todd Pinkston, and Greg Lewis gracing his roster.

Combining Berrian’s underrated skills with Favre’s unquestioned football and quarterback IQ, will allow Minnesota to cook up something more on offense than just a slashing and dashing from the backfield. While the Vikings as a whole would benefit from a steady quarterback under center in 2009, Berrian would also be experiencing his first season with a proven team leader which will do volumes to unleash his full potential.

Bernard Berrian has been inching closer and closer to his first 1000 yard season for years now and if Favre is leading the team there’s a very good chance of reaching that milestone and becoming one of the top 10 wide receivers in fantasy football. Grab him while it’s early.

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