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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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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As training camps creep closer and closer, there is undoubtedly at least one position on most teams where fans can look and see a hole that could be filled with a capable veteran. While these players are not expected to come in and shine for an organization, it is typically thought that they can offer unparalleled knowledge and can serve the role of a capable backup in case the main guy at a position goes down with an injury. Ten years removed from being the NFL Rookie of the Year, Edgerrin James is fitting that mold in 2009.

James was drafted fourth overall out of Miami in 1999 and dazzled the football world when in his first two years he became the perfect complement to budding quarterback Peyton Manning. He ran for 1553 yards and 13 touchdowns his rookie year and followed up with a sophomore surge of 1709 yards and another 13 touchdowns. Clearly, James was on the road to becoming one of the greatest of all time. However, in 2001, James tore his ACL and following the surgery put up only 1600 yards over the next two years and a combined five touchdowns which led critics to believe that another knee injury had claimed yet another talented runningback.

James proved the naysayers wrong when from 2003 through 2007 in his time in Indianapolis and Arizona, he never posted less than 1150 yards rushing and six touchdowns. Despite recording over 1200 yards and seven touchdowns on the ground in 2007, Arizona decided that they would focus on their passing game and abandoned the ground attack for the better part of 2008 which significantly hindered James. He only had 133 carries (the lowest of his career) and reached the endzone just three times. In fact, over the course of weeks eight through 16 in which James played in six games, he had just 18 carries. With Tim Hightower already in the fold, the Cardinals drafted Ohio State runningback Chris Wells in this year’s draft which was consequently Edgerrin’s ticket out of Arizona.

Here we are as July comes to a close and James still hasn’t signed on with a team. His name has been linked to New Orleans and Philadelphia at different times throughout the offseason, but still no team has even stepped up to make an offer. In a recent article in the Fort Myers News-Press, James was candid about his thoughts on playing again when he said, “There are not 32 backs out there who are better than me…I want to continue to play. I can play at a high level.”

There is no doubt in this writer’s mind that James can still bring it on the football field. Despite having passed the foreboding age of 30, James stepped it up last year as the Cardinals began to balance their offense toward the end of the season. He recorded a 100 yard game in week 17 against Seattle on just 14 carries and had almost 75 yards rushing against both Atlanta and Philadelphia in postseason play (in each of those games he averaged 4.6 yards per carry). If James had not stepped it up when his number was finally called as the season wore on, the Cardinals may not have made it to the Super Bowl.

For some reason, James has been given a bad label of being injured and not quite the player he once was. But since his injury season of 2001, James has missed just nine games in seven seasons and continues to increase his career totals in yardage which now stands at 12,121. If James were to have a 1000 yard season in 2009, he would jump to seventh on the all-time rushing list just behind Eric Dickerson and would only be looking at Jerome Bettis, Curtis Martin, Barry Sanders, Walter Payton, and Emmitt Smith in front of him.

James has been around the block for quite some time in the NFL. While he is not looked at as the flashy rookie of the year winner that he was in the early and mid-parts of the decade, James still has gas left in the tank and if he were to sign on with a team, would immediately provide the squad with a more than dangerous backup to spell a starter. Not only that, but his successes in the league would be invaluable from a teaching standpoint.

Even when James is signed, he will most likely not be the number one guy in a given city. New Orleans loves what they have in Pierre Thomas behind Reggie Bush and Philadelphia is slowly falling in love with rookie LeSean McCoy who is seated nicely underneath Brian Westbrook on the team’s depth chart. No matter what team James ends up with (and trust me, he’ll be playing in 2009), he will immediately become a stellar fantasy handcuff to a franchise’s lead back. Keep an eye on news surrounding James as the weeks go by and when he signs, don’t hesitate to give him a good look.

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Now that the All Star Break is upon us, it’s time to reflect on the first half of the fantasy baseball season and pay homage to those who helped us soar to new heights (at least at their positions). If I could field a team of offensive fantasy all stars, this is who I would take the field with. Remember, despite if players are an everyday fixture at a certain position, if they are eligible for another position on your fantasy roster, they’re eligible for recognition at that position in this list as well as at their normal spot. As always, feel free to share your opinions in the comments section.

Catcher – Joe Mauer, Min: Here’s a no-brainer. Mauer has proven to be everything advertised since coming up to the show in 2004. He has lived up to the hype as the number one overall pick in 2001 and fantasy owners simply get giddy when his name is said. I personally tried my hardest to trade for Mauer at the beginning of the season, but the other fantasy owner who was in desperate need of help at first base which I had plenty of, declined the offer and justifiably so. Mauer is hitting .373 with 15 HR and 49 RBI. Not to mention the fact that he’s also scored 49 runs and has even stolen a base this year. Mauer probably won’t top .400, but his fantasy value has never been higher. If you were lucky enough to draft him a couple of months ago, drop down on your knees and thank the fantasy gods because he will give you nothing but fantastic numbers the rest of the way.

First base – Albert Pujols, StL: Pujols is without a doubt the one sure thing going into each year’s draft. It baffles me that Prince Fielder, Hanley Ramirez, and Jose Reyes were oftentimes taken before Pujols in some of my friends’ fantasy drafts. I understand that Fielder is all muscle and Ramirez/Reyes score loads of runs, steal tons of bases, and rack up nice overall stats, but Pujols can hit for average (.332), smack homeruns (he has 32), knock people in (87 RBI), score (73 runs), and even swipe a bag (he has 10 steals this year, one less than Jose Reyes who has been on the DL forever). He has won two MVPs and has come up just short on multiple occasions. Pujols was named the best current player in baseball by The Sporting News earlier this year and he is certainly living up to that lofty title. Expect Pujols to keep on keeping on and for him to grab his third MVP award in the fall.

Second base – Chase Utley, Phi: The debate for the best second baseman is baseball is usually a heated one. AL fans claim that it’s Ian Kinsler while NL fans clamor for Utley. In this case, the NL fans have it right. To be honest, their stats are almost identical. They each have 20 HR and 62 runs scored going into the all star break. Utley has six more RBI (61 to 55), but Kinsler has more stolen bases (18 to 9). The difference is in the category of batting average where Utley is hitting .313 while Kinsler has settled in at a mediocre .250. Utley has had fewer at-bats, but if he had the same amount of plate appearances as Kinsler, he would have about 22 more hits if the averages stayed the same. Those hits are crucial each week in fantasy matchups, not to mention the fact that Utley’s OBP of .430 far outweighs Kinsler’s .327 and with Ryan Howard, Raul Ibanez, and Jayson Werth hitting 4-5-6 behind Utley, it means that over the long haul he will probably score more runs. While this contest of who’s number one seems close at first, when you really dig deep into the numbers, Utley clearly takes the edge.

Third base – Mark Reynolds, Ari: Let’s get one thing straight, I am not a big Reynolds fan. I had the opportunity to draft him in nearly every one of my leagues, but passed him up every time. As I sit here and write this, I still can’t kick myself in the back side for shaking my head politely at him on draft day, but his numbers are starting to add up. He is only hitting .258, but he is putting up more consistent all-around numbers than anyone else that is third base-eligible. He has 24 HR, 62 RBI, 55 runs scored, and even 15 stolen bases (not something that you can usually count on with a sheer power guy). The thing that scared me away from Reynolds was his strikeout tendencies, which you are bound to get with a slugger, and consequently, his OBP. Despite already striking out 123 times this year and being on pace to shatter his own record for whiffs in a season (204 in 2008), his OBP still sits at a smooth .349. Reynolds may not have gotten onto the NL All Star squad, but he definitely deserved it, and I will gladly give him the nod here.

Shortstop – Hanley Ramirez, Fla: Ramirez was the first pick in nearly every league this year and rightfully so. As described before, he can run, he can hit for average, and he has some power too. Derek Jeter is giving him a run for his money as the top overall shortstop this year, but the difference is that Hanley finds ways to drive in runs every opportunity that he gets. To go along with his scorching .349 average, Ramirez has scored 53 runs, driven in 61, and could reach the 30-30 club for the second time in his career if he puts a few more balls over the fence in the second half of the season than he did in the first. Ramirez does leave something to be desired in the stolen base department since he has only swiped 13 bags this year, but I guess no one is perfect. Among shortstops, Ramirez is leading the league in average and RBI and is just two homeruns off of the league lead in homeruns. Expect Ramirez to continue to do more of the same in the second half and if the Marlins can stay in the race for the NL East, don’t be surprised if Ramirez starts stealing more bases to set up opportunities for his team to score more runs.

Outfield 1 – Carl Crawford, TB: Crawford doesn’t have huge power numbers by any means and he’s not a name that is even to the household level in some cases, but he has been delivering night-in and night-out. Crawford has 109 hits halfway through the season and to add insult to injury, has stolen 44 bases. You read that right, but do a double take if you have to. Through 89 games, he has stolen 44 bags, which puts him on pace to steal just about 80 right on the nose. This of course leads to high run totals (he’s crossed the plate 58 times), but he has also knocked in 39 runs of his own which isn’t too bad for a guy who isn’t swinging for the fences every time he steps to the plate. Crawford and teammate B.J. Upton have combined for 75 steals before the all-star break and are two of the main reasons why Tampa Bay is still holding on as they try to defend their AL crown. Crawford is pure speed on the base paths and if you own him, he has probably helped you to capture the stolen base category in your league week to week. Don’t count on Crawford to propel you to wins in the homerun or RBI categories, but your team’s average, stolen bases, or runs totals will continue to blow out the competition as long as Crawford can stay healthy.

Outfield 2 – Torii Hunter, LAA: When Hunter jumped ship from the Twins in 2007 and headed to put on his halo, I thought he would just be another guy who thrived in one city, signed a fat contract, and then fell off the face of the earth (I’m talking to you Andruw Jones). Hunter has been nothing close to this though. Last year wasn’t his best as his average, homerun, and RBI totals all fell from the year before, but 2009 has been Hunter’s best not only in Los Angeles, but in his career. Never has he hit over .300 (he’s hitting .305), had more than 31 homeruns (he’s on pace for 36), nor had more than 110 RBI (he’s on pace for 137). The Angels as a whole have been playing very well offensively and Hunter is just one more piece to the puzzle that may help launch the team back to the World Series for the first time since they won it all in 2002. Hunter recently went on the DL with a strained adductor, but doctors said that there were no tears and Hunter is eligible to come off in time to play the last week of July. Hunter has been a pleasant surprise for fantasy owners this season and this injury is just one little hiccup on his way to having a career year.

Outfield 3 – Raul Ibanez, Phi: This is not meant to be a snub at Ryan Braun or Jason Bay. When you look at the outfielders in baseball today, there is a seemingly infinite list to choose from when looking for the best, but Ibanez has delivered more than anyone thought possible and is still ahead of Bay and Braun in both homeruns and RBI despite having 52 and 73 less at bats than each of them respectively. When Philadelphia brought him in to replace Pat Burrell, fans weren’t too happy with the front office for giving so much money to an old guy who was supposed to be just as much of a defensive liability as the guy he was taking over for. However, the friendly confines of Citizens Bank Park have warmly embraced Ibanez offensively and defensively. It is known that he is already having the best season of his life as he hits .309 with 22 HR and 60 RBI while also scoring 53 runs, but he is also playing the ball at better angles and doesn’t have as much field to cover with centerfielder Shane Victorino zipping across the outfield whenever a ball is hit. Ibanez was just activated from the DL after suffering a nagging groin injury or else he might be close to 30 HR and 80 RBI by now. I’m not sure if Ibanez will keep playing at the pace he set in the early going, but I can tell you that right now, he is on pace for 56 homeruns and just over 150 RBI and if anyone is projecting those kinds of numbers at the midway point of the season, I’ll take my chances with him.

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