By Adam and Adam:

(Feature photo by Adam Conn – His menorah. His team)

One of the keys to building a loyal base of readers at a new website is to carve out a niche for your content and then expand from there. The 411fantasy.com Experts Contest serves that purpose well. The Hanukkah Spectacular, an oldie but goody from our days with Draft Board Insider, is our way of connecting with people of all cultures and backgrounds.

It’s the Festival of Lights, everyone. In short, we celebrate the miracle in which the Maccabees reclaimed the Holy Temple of Jerusalem. Their oil defiled and ruined by the departed Greco-Syrians, it would require seven additional days to process purified oil. The Maccabees only had a single day’s supply of oil. but miraculously eight days later, the oil was still burning, hence, eight days of Hanukkah.

In bringing this as full circle as best we can, 411 celebrates Hanukkah on its eighth and final day by recognizing players who have exceeded expectations, the oil in our menorah so to speak, or those who have performed miracles before our very eyes. Unfortunately, because of the nature of fantasy football, we will also reprimand players who have disappointed us as well. Kind of like biting into a piece of gelt (kosher chocolate), which is barley a step above diabetic candy – sorry, Pops.

Glad I Drafted Him, Wish I Had Traded Him

QB Ben Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh Steelers - Roethlisberger is a perfect example of a player you were probably thrilled to have drafted, but are now wishing you had traded him. Over the first six weeks of the season Roethlisberger led the league in passing yards and was 9th in passing touchdowns. From Week 7 on he ranks 18th in passing yards and 17th in passing touchdowns. Roethlisberger as a legit top tier quarterback over the first six weeks of the season and has been a liability since.

WR Vincent Jackson, San Diego Chargers – Like Roethlisberger, Jackson was once a legit top tier performing at his position. Over the first nine weeks of the season Jackson ranked 3rd in receiving yards and 1st in receiving touchdowns among wide receivers. Since Week 9, however, he ranks 36th in receiving yards and has yet to find the end zone. Jackson some time to bounce back, but fantasy owners can’t be too comfortable heading into their playoffs having to count on Jackson.

Glad I Traded For Him Instead of Drafting Him

RB Ryan Grant, Green Bay Packers – Over the first six weeks of the season Ryan Grant ranked 18th in rushing yards and 19th in rushing touchdowns. In standard ESPN scoring leagues Grant was averaging just one more point per game than Tim Hightower during this period of time. It was starting to look like one of the players we were pretty high on at the start of the season was going to turn into a bust. Since Week 6 Grant ranks 4th in rushing yards and 8th in rushing touchdowns and has moved just four points away from being a top 10 running back in standard ESPN leagues.

RB Frank Gore, San Francisco 49ers – Gore’s inclusion here is due in large part to the injury he suffered earlier in the season. He had just one rush Week 3 and missed all of Weeks 3 and 5 before returning Week 7 against the Houston Texans. Since Week 8 Gore has scored a touchdown in six of seven games while ranking 9th in rushing yards and 4th in offensive touchdowns.

Fantasy Bust of The Year (so far)

We have a hard time knocking players who miss most of a season due to injuries, so if you blew a second round pick on Clinton Portis or got burned by Owen Daniels’ injury, those are the breaks. But taking into account each players’ ADP (average draft position) there was one player that stood head and shoulders above the rest. A few that came close but did not make the list were TE Jason Witten, WR Greg Jennings and RB Willie Parker. Here are the top four along with why they belong here and why they didn’t, or in one player’s case did, take the prize.

4. RB Michael Turner, Atlanta Falcons – After 14 weeks last year Turner ranked 2nd in rushing yards and 1st in rushing touchdowns. He currently sits at 12th and 16th respectively. Turner currently has 864 yards rushing. At this point last season he had 1,269 yards rushing. Those are pretty significant drops for a player who was drafted No. 3 overall in most leagues. Most of Turner’s drop-off can be attributed to the two ankle sprains that has resulted in him missing three starts and most of Week 10 and 12. Turner’s rushing totals where down prior to his ankle injury Week 10, but he had also scored a touchdown in every game he played in except the first week of the season. For these two reasons, Turner avoids the 2009 BOTY label.

3. RB Brandon Jacobs, New York Giants – Brandon Jacobs has 220 yards rushing and 7 rushing touchdowns less at this point in the season compared to last. This year Jacobs is rushing for 3.9 yards per carry. Last season Jacobs had five yards per carry during the regular season. With three games left in the regular season Jacobs has zero gameswith at least 100 yards rushing and has rushed for less than 50 yards five times. While Jacobs made a strong push for the top spot, Jacobs dodged winning the award because he had a lower ADP than our unlucky winner.

2. Steve Slaton, Houston Texans – We at 411 were a bit cautious with Slaton’s draft status going into the preseason. Given that he played the role of workhorse for less than a half a season in 2008, we weren’t sure of his ability to carry the load for a full 16 games. Somehow he scored seven touchdowns while compiling 854 total yards of offense barely saving him from the not-so-honorable award. In 2008 he had 138 carries through 10 games before collecting 130 over his final six. This season Slaton had 131 carries in 10 games plus one carry in one game. He rushed for 264 less yards over that period of time, but balanced that out with more receptions and receiving yards this season. Nevertheless, he was drafted as a high-end No. 2 RB and at best performed like a flex-player with just 417 rushing yards and 3.3 yards per carry. After a series of fumbles, Slaton lost his starting gig for three weeks. Upon his return to the lineup he split carries until his season ended with a shoulder and neck injury last month.

And the winner is……

1. RB Matt Forte, Chicago Bears – Forte currently has 336 offensive yards and six offensive touchdowns less than he had at this point last year. Forte has just one game with at least 100 yards rushing, seven games with less than 50 yards rushing and has found the end zone in only three games so far this season. Brandon Jacobs has seen the bigger drop-off in his stats from last this to this season, but Forte’s ADP of third overall puts him over the top.

Fantasy Player of The Year (so far)

4. Thomas Jones, N.Y. Jets – This has more to do with value than with overall scoring, although if we would have told you Jones was going to be the fifth highest scoring running back in and ESPN standard scoring system, you would have laughed quite loudly. A look back in the archives proves that 411 was a fan of Jones as someone you could draft low and get quality value. How good of value? Jones was taken on average 24th amongst running backs, 60th overall (the late sixth round, early 7th). Even funnier, his stock went down nearly all summer long, from the mid-fourth round in April. He is on pace to match last years totals of 1,300 yards rushing and 15 touchdowns although he will likely come short by about 100 yards receiving and a touchdown or two from last year – the nerve! Jones is by far the unsung hero of this season’s running back draft class (again).

3. QB Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers – There isn’t a lot separating Rodgers from Drew Brees. In fact, there is only a one point difference between two for the top spot in ESPN’s standard scoring leagues. Rodgers gets the nod of Brees because he has that one point advantage, but more important because on average Rodgers was drafted nearly two rounds later than Brees.

2. RB Ray Rice, Baltimore Ravens – Rice ranks 9th in rushing yards among NFL running backs, but his 652 yards receiving is nearly 200 yards more than second place. Rice’s increased role in the team’s passing game currently ranked fourth in points scored in ESPN’s standard scoring leagues. There were running backs that posted better numbers, but considering Rice was on average the 29th running back taken in drafts he earns the No. 2 spot on this list.

And the winner is….

1. RB Chris Johnson, Tennessee Titans – Johnson is three weeks and 374 yards rushing away from being just the sixth NFL running back to crest the 2,000 yard rushing plateau. Since Week 5 Johnson has strung together eight straight games with at least 100 yards rushing and has totaled 150 yards of offense in six of his last seven games. In ESPN’s standard scoring system Ryan Grant and LaDainian Tomlinson have six more points than Johnson….combined.

Crystal Ball

There is nothing wrong with redraft leagues. However, a true test of a fantasy owner’s skill and a way participate with fantasy football all year long is to get involved in dynasty and keeper leagues. Below is a list of players who might reach elite status in the next year or two that you can probably get at a fairly low price.

QB Jay Cutler, Chicago Bears – Cutler was never going to duplicate his 2008 numbers with the Bears. His current offensive line is worse and his wide receivers aren’t even close to what he had in Denver. Even with Cutler’s struggles this season he is closing in on a 3,500 yards passing and 20 passing touchdown season. As the team’s wide receivers continue to improve and upgrades on the offensive line are made, Cutler should see his offensive numbers rise and his interceptions decline.

QB Vince Young, Tennessee Titans – Young is proving that he can be just as dangerous in the pocket as he is outside of it. With Chris Johnson, defenses are not able to key on the passing game  and as rookie WR Kenny Britt continues to develop, Young could have a true wide receiver weapon, the first in many years for the franchise.

RB Shonn Greene, N.Y Jets – Yes, we’re fans of Thomas Jones, but the guy is ancient. How long can it last? Leon Washington entered the season as the team’s running back of the future in most people’s eyes. After a slow start to the season and an injury that put him on the IR it looks like Green could have the inside track. Greene has a similar running style to Jones and appears to be a good fit for the Jets power running game. Thomas Jones is still a valuable NFL and fantasy running back, but his mileage and age signal that the end of his value and that start of Greene’s could be soon.

WR Kenny Britt, Tennessee Titans – Much of Britt’s value will be determined upon the development of Vince Young. If Young can continue to develop as a pocket passer and the team’s open up the offense more Britt could be a valuable commodity moving forward. Britt has scored a touchdown in three of his last four games while averaging 72 yards receiving.

WR Greg Jennings, Green Bay Packers - Donald Driver has been the team’s most valuable wide receiver this season, but Jennings is the most talented. He is just one year removed from 1,292 yards receiving and 9 touchdowns. The team’s struggles on the offensive line prevented them from stretching the field as much as they would like which has limited Jennings value. Upgrading the offensive line during the offseason could go a long way in seeing Jennings return to his 2008 form.

TE Jermichael Finley, Green Bay Packers – Finley’s combination of speed and size can cause match-up problems for any defense. As Finley continues to develop and with a balanced offense to keep attention elsewhere, Finley could emerge as a valuable fantasy option over the next couple of years.

Hits and Misses From Our Articles, Blog Posts and Draft Guide

HITS

Matt Forte listed in our ‘Overrated’ section with ‘we think Forte will have a tough time meeting pre-season expectations’

In our Overrated/Underrated article we suggested looking at Matt Schaub over Tony Romo. Schaub and Romo are tied in points, but Schaub was drafted on averaged 24 picks later.

We weren’t sold on Steve Slaton. We pegged him as a running back to drop out of the top 10 rushers this year. In our ‘Texans RBs: Fantasy Impact’ article we said ‘If you’re looking for Slaton to duplicate his 2008 numbers that may be asking too much. Last season he was utilized in 432 plays (touches and targets). Of those 432 plays, 77 came in the red zone. With Slaton losing those carries to Brown, Slaton’s offensive yards and more importantly touchdowns, are likely to take a noticeable dip.’

Last year David Garrard, Jay Cutler and Matt Cassell were all top 10 in passing yards. We predicted all three would drop out of the top 10 this season. All three are good bets to do just that.

Called Dallas Clark a top five tight end that you didn’t have to over-pay for in our ‘Difference Makers’ article.

Tito’s Man Crush Ryan Grant got more ink in our Draft Guide and on the site than any other NFL player.

From Adam Conn’s article ‘Fantasy Impact: Seattle RBs’ talking about Edgerrin James and more importantly Julius Jones “I’m not endorsing either one of these guys as a starting fantasy back”.

In our ‘Fear This RBBC’ article we cautioned counting on any of the Tampa Bay running backs.

In Adam Helbling’s ‘Last Minute Predictions’ blog post he said ‘Ahmad Bradshaw makes the Giants happy they didn’t spend $17 million dollars on an overpriced back-up.

In Adam Helbling’s ‘Last Minute Predictions’ blog post he said ‘Kyle Orton end of the year statistics 3,000 yards and 22 TDs’ and ‘Robert Meachem end of year statistics: 800 yards and 5TDs’. Looking good on both of those.

Helbling also correctly predicted that Vince Young, Josh Freeman and Matt Leinart would be starting QBs by season’s end. The first two based on necessity, the last based on injury. He got all three, but Kurt Warner returned from his concussion, so we’ll give him 2.5 out of 3 on that one. Nicely done.

MISSES

Brandon Marshall listed as ‘Overrated’. Tunred out he was quite the opposite. His draft status plummeted 22nd amongst receivers (behind Eddie Royal!) and he now ranks 7th with 1,008 yards and nine touchdowns.

Earnest Graham listed as ‘Underrated’. Cadillac Williams returned and was shockingly named the starting running back one week prior to the regular season. Graham, meanwhile has been inactive more often than not. Doh. We’re not sure if that surprised us more, or the fact that Williams has remained unscathed from injury this year.

Predicting Philip Rivers to drop out of the top 10 in passing yards this season looked so guru at the start of the year. Right now it just doesn’t look very smart.

We included LenDale White as one of our difference makers…..ugh.

In Adam Helbling’s ‘Last Minute Predictions’ blog post he said ‘ Willie Parker will finish the season as a top 10 fantasy back’.

DREIDEL TIME!!!

We interrupt this self-evaluation for a quick game of dreidel. Everyone antes into the pot. Bets are placed about which letter will be facing up when the dreidel stops spinning and drops. Each side has a letter; nun, gimmel, hay and shin.

They represent the following: Nun (N): No one wins Gimmel (G): The spinner takes the pot Hay (H): Spinner gets half the pot Shin (S): Spinner puts another one into the pot.

First up, RB Darren McFadden…. And it’s NUN, as in, he did NUNthing this season. Tito (and to a lesser degree Conn) were excited about McFadden’s upside and potential this season as the Raiders playmaker. Now he looks like just another Reggie Bush.

Next is, TE Vernon Davis…. GIMMEL, and well deserved. Entering his fourth season, Davis was a, “well, I guess I need a backup, I’ll take a stab at this guy” kind of draft pick this summer. He’s now the best tight end in the league with 811 yards and 11 TDs.

Spinning next is QB Brett Favre…. HAY. Interesting because Favre is having a monster season. But he only gets half the pot because of the shameless media coverage he gets on a weekly basis. This is the only way we can think to punish him because we certainly can’t argue with his playing ability this season.

Last are WR Eddie Royal and RB Brian Westbrook…. And it’s a SHIN. Pay up. If you drafted these two, you likely spent a much higher draft pick than their proven value and it cost you. Other candidates for a SHIN were TE Chris Cooley, The Tennessee Titans defense, QB Carson Palmer and RB Marshawn Lynch.

SHOUT OUT

In celebrating the Festival of Lights, we recognize the following active Jewish players in the NFL and wish them a very Happy Hanukkah.

• David Binn, LS, San Diego Chargers
• Julian Edelman, WR, New England Patriots
• Adam Goldberg, OG, St. Louis Rams
• Cameron Goldberg, OT, Kansas City Chiefs
• Josh Miller, P, Free Agent
• Igor Olshansky, DL, Dallas Cowboys
• Adam Podlesh, P, Jacksonville Jaguars
• Sage Rosenfels, QB, Minnesota Vikings
• Mike Rosenthal, T, Miami Dolphins
• Geoff Schwartz, OT, Carolina Panthers

Please feel free to send us any players we may have accidentally left off.

Happy Holidays to one and all. Stay tuned for next week’s Ode to Festivus by Jeff Thitoff. Thanks for your continued support this season and best of luck in the playoffs!

Email Conn and/or Bling

By Adam Conn:

For Adam Helbling’s picks, click here. Tito? He’s running out of time…. Stay tuned.

Onto the game.

…… Sigh.  Has there been a quality Thursday night match up yet this season? The short weeks are really starting to burn some teams out. The Miami/Carolina game was pretty good from a fantasy perspective; Ricky Williams had one of his best career games and Steve Smith decided to show up. But the rest have either been awful one-sided contests (see all three Thanksgiving games) or snoozers (See Bears/49ers or Jets/Bills). Last week’s Pittsburgh/Cleveland match up was disappointing on all counts, both from a fantasy point of view to a WTF is going on with the Steelers point of view.

Which brings us to what supposedly could be a higher scoring affair between the Colts and Jaguars. One problem – Indy has nothing to play for with the exception of staying in game shape for the next three games. That alone is why Peyton Manning, Joseph Addai and Dallas Clark are a good bet to play 3+ quarters. Reggie Wayne? I’m not as confident about him. He’s nursing a foot injury and may take a back seat to my super-duper sleeper – Pierre Garcon.

The question is, do I have big enough cojones to put Garcon in my top five. The Jaguars have allowed 16 passing touchdowns to WRs this season, rank 26th overall against the pass and typically allow Wayne to run wild on them. With Wayne’s snap count to possibly be limited, Garcon stands to reap the benefits.

Back to that debate in a minute.  First thing’s first.  Dallas Clark will be placed third amongst my Tight Ends this week. Really, he should be No. 2 this week, but I’m reserving that spot for Redskins TE Fred Davis, who is a solid bet to score this week. Clark had three TDs last Sunday and another two weeks ago, but I’m not sold on him finishing the game, so I’m holding back just a bit.

As for the rest of the possible studs – Addai and Maurice Jones Drew, I’m going to pass. Jones-Drew hasn’t been top-5 worthy in a month, and Addai falls into the same trap as the other starters. He’s also limited by his yardage totals this season. So unless he scores twice, he won’t qualify. He will not score twice.

Defense? Nope.  Kickers? Scobee has possibilities, but outside of Jay Feely a few weeks ago, the scoring just isn’t there on a short week. I’ll pass there as well. Actually, if anything, Matt Stover may be a sneaky play. If some of the Colts starters take some time off tonight, Stover could see more field goal attempts. But I’m not confident in either kicker enough to rank them high. Pass.

By the way, all this talk of how well the Jaguars play at home?  Check the schedule. Wins against Tennessee (early in the season), St. Louis, Kansas City, Buffalo and Houston don’t impress me. Losses against the Cardinals and the Dolphins are more telling. The Jaguars will lose by 10-13 points tonight – and that’s assuming the Colts lay down in the fourth quarter.

Back to the above dilemma. I’m going to plug in QB Peyton Manning at the #5 spot. I really don’t like this pick, but I’m hoping he tosses three scores before he’s pulled – if he’s pulled – which I expect at about the eight or nine minute mark in the fourth quarter. Only way he finishes this game is if the Jaguars are within a touchdown. As mentioned earlier, TE Dallas Clark will sit in the No. 3 seat. I’m not feeling confident enough in Reggie Wayne’s health (despite his strong history against Jacksonville) or guru enough to make a splash with Garcon.

And that, my friends, is about as long-winded of an Expert Entry breakdown as I can write on a meaningless Thursday night game. Best of luck this week!

Colts 27, Jaguars 17 (thanks to a late TD by the Jags against the Colts’ reserves).

In before tl/dr.

Email Conn

Slowly but surely, CBSsportsline.com’s juggernaut Dave Richard is within my sights. With one or two solid weeks I could sit atop the fantasy pedestal next to our 2008 champ Jonathan Phillips of Roto Experts.  Read, win, repeat.

Quarterback
1. Drew Brees, New Orleans – Could have an epic performance (again) against the flailing Falcons.
2. Kurt Warner, Arizona
3. Matt Schaub, Houston
4. Donovan McNabb, Philadelphia – Despite the big win for the G-Men last week, the secondary is in shambles.
5. Philip Rivers, San Diego – Brady busted finger; Manning against a tough Broncos pass defense…. Rivers wins the shootout in Dallas.

Running Back
1. Chris Johnson, Tennessee – With Vince Young on the wrong side of questionable, his value actually may dip, but adding 5-10 more touches to his workload should help keep him in the top five. No matter – Can’t avoid this match up.
2. Thomas Jones, N.Y. Jets – Kellen Clemens under center doesn’t help, but against Tampa it won’t hurt either.
3. Ray Rice, Baltimore
4. Adrian Peterson, Minnesota
5. Jamaal Charles, Kansas City – Nobody circles running backs without tackling them like the Buffalo Bills.

Wide Receiver
1. Larry Fitzgerald, Arizona
2. Andre Johnson, Houston
3. Anquan Boldin, Arizona
4. DeSean Jackson, Philadelphia – Considered Colston, but Brees spreads the love too much. Jackson is McNabb’s only deep threat as evidenced by his six TDs all 35 yards or over… including a 54 yarder in their first meeting.
5. Wes Welker, New England – Moss draws Chris Gamble, allowing Welker to take advantage of the remaining Carolina scrubs. If Brady’s status changes for the worse between now and tomorrow morning, Colston will replace Welker.

Tight End
1. Antonio Gates, San Diego
2. Vernon Davis, San Francisco
3. Tony Gonzalez, Atlanta
4. Brent Celek, Philadelphia – Giants allowing 125 yards per game to TEs over the last month…. per game!
5. Jason Witten, Dallas

Kicker
1. Garrett Hartley, New Orleans
2. David Akers, Philadelphia
3. Rob Bironas, Tennessee – If V.Young is out, Bironas may fall in favor of Kaeding or Carpenter.
4. Billy Cundiff, Baltimore
5. Neil Rackers, Arizona

Defense
1. Baltimore
2. Green Bay
3. Tennessee
4. N.Y. Jets – Technically Pittsburgh was my #4 (lousy injured Polamalu)  dropping the Jets down one and the Saints out of the Top five.
5. New Orleans

Which one of these quarterbacks will have the most fantasy points?

Jason Campbell
Jay Cutler
Kyle Boeller
Ryan Fitzpatrick

Against the Chiefs, Fitz and T.O. will get back on track

Which one of these running backs will have the most fantasy points?

Knowshon Moreno
Brandon Jacobs
Jamaal Charles
Ryan Grant

No offense, Tito’s man crush.

Which one of these wide receivers will have the most fantasy points?

Lee Evans
Antonio Bryant
Santana Moss
Josh Morgan

Morgan has 12 receptions (on 16 targets), 99 yards and a TD the last two weeks. Opportunity knocks again against the Cardinals.

Which one of these defenses/special teams will have the most fantasy points?

Arizona
Washington
Tampa Bay
Cincinnati

Had the Redskins ready to roll this week, until the news of Haynesworth and Hall came through. Cardinals, who were impressive against the Vikings, move up accordingly.

Which one of these running backs will have the most fantasy points?

Matt Forte
Kevin Smith
Julius Jones
Cadillac Williams

It’s not that I like Jones, it’s that the others have dreadful match-ups. Even in a possible 60-40 split with Forsett against the Texans, I might drop Jones a bit in my rankings, but still keep him higher than the other three.

Questions? Comments? In awe? Email Conn.

WEEK 14 RANKINGS

Subject to change, of course.

As promised a couple of weeks ago, I will consider any running back to place in my top five as long as their opponent is the Buffalo Bills. I did not roll with Thomas Jones in Week 13 because of the short week on a Thursday night game in Buffalo. But for Charles, who has scored in four weeks straight and is averaging 19.25 touches per game, the matchup is too good to pass up.

*-The rankings for Michael Turner and Matt Ryan are based them suiting up and starting this week. So too are the rankings of their backups should Turner and Ryan be declared out on game-day.

Quarterback
1. Drew Brees, New Orleans
2. Kurt Warner, Arizona
3. Matt Schaub, Houston
4. Donovan McNabb, Philadelphia
5. Philip Rivers, San Diego
6. Tom Brady, New England
7. Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay
8. Peyton Manning, Indianapolis
9. Tony Romo, Dallas
10. Alex Smith, San Francisco
11. Joe Flacco, Baltimore
12. Brett Favre, Minnesota
13. Matt Hasselbeck, Seattle
14. Vince Young, Tennessee
15. Ryan Fitzpatrick, Buffalo
16. Chad Henne, Miami
17. Jason Campbell, Washington
18. Matt Ryan, Atlanta*
19. Eli Manning, N.Y. Giants
20. Kyle Boller, St. Louis
21. Carson Palmer, Cincinnati
22. Kyle Orton, Denver
23. Jay Cutler, Chicago
24. David Garrard, Jacksonville
25. Chris Redman, Atlanta
26. Matt Cassel, Kansas City
27. Bruce Gradkowski, Oakland
28. Kellen Clemens, N.Y. Jets
29. Matt Moore, Carolina
30. Josh Freeman, Tampa Bay
31. Daunte Culpepper, Detroit

________________________________________
Running Back
1. Chris Johnson, Tennessee
2. Thomas Jones, N.Y. Jets
3. Ray Rice, Baltimore
4. Adrian Peterson, Minnesota
5. Jamaal Charles, Kansas City
6. DeAngelo Williams, Carolina
7. Maurice Jones-Drew, Jacksonville
8. Joseph Addai, Indianapolis
9. Ryan Grant, Green Bay
10. Frank Gore, San Francisco
11. Steven Jackson, St. Louis
12. Ricky Williams, Miami
13. Knowshon Moreno, Denver
14. Pierre Thomas, New Orleans
15. Fred Jackson, Buffalo
16. Cedric Benson, Cincinnati
17. LaDainian Tomlinson, San Diego
18. Marion Barber, Dallas
19. Laurence Maroney, New England
20. Tim Hightower, Arizona
21. Michael Turner, Atlanta *
22. Mike Bell, New Orleans
23. Julius Jones, Seattle
24. Brandon Jacobs, N.Y. Giants
25. LeSean McCoy, Philadelphia
26. Justin Fargas, Oakland
27. Chris Wells, Arizona
28. Quinton Ganther, Washington
29. Justin Forsett, Seattle
30. Darren Sproles, San Diego
31. Felix Jones, Dallas
32. Jonathan Stewart, Carolina
33. Jason Snelling, Atlanta
34. Rock Cartwright, Washington
35. Marshawn Lynch, Buffalo
36. Shonn Greene, N.Y. Jets
37. Ryan Moats, Houston
38. Chris Brown, Houston
39. Willis McGahee, Baltimore
40. Matt Forte, Chicago
41. Kevin Smith, Detroit
42. Derrick Ward, Tampa Bay
43. Cadillac Williams, Tampa Bay
44. Jerious Norwood, Atlanta
45. Correll Buckhalter, Denver
46. Ahmad Bradshaw, N.Y. Giants
47. Darren McFadden, Oakland
48. Sammy Morris, New England
49. Reggie Bush, New Orleans
50. Leonard Weaver, Philadelphia
51. Chester Taylor, Minnesota
52. Kevin Faulk, New England
53. LenDale White, Tennessee
54. Mike Hart, Indianapolis
55. Tashard Choice, Dallas
________________________________________
Wide Receiver
1. Larry Fitzgerald, Arizona
2. Andre Johnson, Houston
3. Anquan Boldin, Arizona
4. DeSean Jackson, Philadelphia
5. Wes Welker, New England
6. Marques Colston, New Orleans
7. Randy Moss, New England
8. Brandon Marshall, Denver
9. Reggie Wayne, Indianapolis
10. Terrell Owens, Buffalo
11. Chad Ochocinco, Cincinnati
12. Calvin Johnson, Detroit
13. Roddy White, Atlanta
14. Miles Austin, Dallas
15. Greg Jennings, Green Bay
16. Vincent Jackson, San Diego
17. Donald Driver, Green Bay
18. Sidney Rice, Minnesota
19. Steve Smith, Carolina
20. Michael Crabtree, San Francisco
21. Pierre Garcon, Indianapolis
22. Steve Smith, N.Y. Giants
23. Robert Meachem, New Orleans
24. Jeremy Maclin, Philadelphia
25. Kenny Britt, Tennessee
26. Davone Bess, Miami
27. Percy Harvin, Minnesota
28. Derrick Mason, Baltimore
29. Devery Henderson, New Orleans
30. Josh Morgan, San Francisco
31. Donnie Avery, St. Louis
32. Santana Moss, Washington
33. Nate Burleson, Seattle
34. Torry Holt, Jacksonville
35. Roy Williams, Dallas
36. T.J. Houshmandzadeh, Seattle
37. Devin Thomas, Washington
38. Lee Evans, Buffalo
39. Jerricho Cotchery, N.Y. Jets
40. Hakeem Nicks, N.Y. Giants
41. Chris Chambers, Kansas City
42. Kevin Walter, Houston
43. Braylon Edwards, N.Y. Jets
44. Michael Jenkins, Atlanta
45. Earl Bennett, Chicago
46. Steve Breaston, Arizona
47. Antonio Bryant, Tampa Bay
48. Austin Collie, Indianapolis
49. Mario Manningham, N.Y. Giants
50. Muhsin Muhammad, Carolina
51. Andre Caldwell, Cincinnati
52. Jason Avant, Philadelphia
53. Laveranues Coles, Cincinnati
54. Justin Gage, Tennessee
55. Nate Washington, Tennessee
56. Bernard Berrian, Minnesota
57. James Jones, Green Bay
58. Eddie Royal, Denver
59. Malcom Floyd, San Diego
60. Johnny Knox, Chicago
________________________________________
Tight End
1. Antonio Gates, San Diego
2. Vernon Davis, San Francisco
3. Tony Gonzalez, Atlanta
4. Brent Celek, Philadelphia
5. Jason Witten, Dallas
6. John Carlson, Seattle
7. Dallas Clark, Indianapolis
8. Kellen Winslow, Tampa Bay
9. Jermichael Finley, Green Bay
10. Greg Olsen, Chicago
11. Fred Davis, Washington
12. Visanthe Shiancoe, Minnesota
13. Jeremy Shockey, New Orleans
14. Kevin Boss, N.Y. Giants
15. Zach Miller, Oakland
16. Todd Heap, Baltimore
17. Tony Scheffler, Denver
18. Dustin Keller, N.Y. Jets
19. Ben Watson, New England
20. Bo Scaife, Tennessee

________________________________________

Kicker
1. Garrett Hartley, New Orleans
2. David Akers, Philadelphia
3. Rob Bironas, Tennessee
4. Billy Cundiff, Baltimore
5. Neil Rackers, Arizona
6. Nate Kaeding, San Diego
7. Dan Carpenter, Miami
8. Stephen Gostkowski, New England
9. Nick Folk, Dallas
10. Jay Feely, N.Y. Jets
11. Matt Stover, Indianapolis
12. Ryan Longwell, Minnesota
13. Matt Bryant, Atlanta
14. Graham Gano, Washington
15. Ryan Succop, Kansas City
16. Sebastian Janikowski, Oakland
17. Mason Crosby, Green Bay
18. Lawrence Tynes, N.Y. Giants
19. Matt Prater, Denver
20. Joe Nedney, San Francisco
________________________________________
Defense
1. Baltimore
2. Green Bay
3. Tennessee
4. N.Y. Jets
5. New Orleans
6. New England
7. Minnesota
8. Indianapolis
9. Philadelphia
10. Arizona
11. Washington
12. Tampa Bay
13. Cincinnati
14. Miami
15. Chicago
16. Kansas City
17. Oakland
18. San Diego
19. Denver
20. Jacksonville

Questions? Comments? In awe? Email Conn

As always, keep posted for any late breaking injury updates, particularly on Steven Jackson, DeAngelo Williams, Justin Forsett and Kurt Warner.

Quarterback

1. Matt Schaub, Houston
2. Brett Favre, Minnesota
3. Donovan McNabb, Philadelphia
4. Philip Rivers, San Diego
5. Tom Brady, New England
6. Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay
7. Peyton Manning, Indianapolis
8. Drew Brees, New Orleans
9. Kurt Warner, Arizona
10. Matt Hasselbeck, Seattle
11. Carson Palmer, Cincinnati
12. Ben Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh
13. Kyle Orton, Denver
14. Vince Young, Tennessee
15. Alex Smith, San Francisco
16. Kyle Boller, St. Louis
17. Jay Cutler, Chicago
18. Eli Manning, N.Y. Giants
19. David Garrard, Jacksonville
20. Tony Romo, Dallas
21. Jason Campbell, Washington
22. Josh Freeman, Tampa Bay
23. Matt Cassel, Kansas City
24. Joe Flacco, Baltimore
25. Chad Henne, Miami
26. Matt Moore, Carolina
27. Chris Redman, Atlanta
28. Bruce Gradkowski, Oakland
29. Matthew Stafford, Detroit
30. Brady Quinn, Cleveland

Running Back

1. Maurice Jones-Drew, Jacksonville
2. Adrian Peterson, Minnesota
3. Rashard Mendenhall, Pittsburgh
4. Frank Gore, San Francisco
5. DeAngelo Williams, Carolina
6. Chris Johnson, Tennessee
7. Steven Jackson, St. Louis
8. LaDainian Tomlinson, San Diego
9. Matt Forte, Chicago
10. Cedric Benson, Cincinnati
11. Knowshon Moreno, Denver
12. LeSean McCoy, Philadelphia
13. Jamaal Charles, Kansas City
14. Laurence Maroney, New England
15. Ricky Williams, Miami
16. Pierre Thomas, New Orleans
17. Ryan Grant, Green Bay
18. Ray Rice, Baltimore
19. Marion Barber, Dallas
20. Joseph Addai, Indianapolis
21. Jerious Norwood, Atlanta
22. Brandon Jacobs, N.Y. Giants
23. Jonathan Stewart, Carolina
24. Julius Jones, Seattle
25. Mike Bell, New Orleans
26. Cadillac Williams, Tampa Bay
27. Larry Johnson, Cincinnati
28. Felix Jones, Dallas
29. Chris Brown, Houston
30. Kevin Smith, Detroit
31. Jason Snelling, Atlanta
32. Rock Cartwright, Washington
33. Tim Hightower, Arizona
34. Derrick Ward, Tampa Bay
35. Chris Wells, Arizona
36. Jerome Harrison, Cleveland
37. Correll Buckhalter, Denver
38. Darren Sproles, San Diego
39. Willis McGahee, Baltimore
40. Justin Fargas, Oakland
41. Chester Taylor, Minnesota
42. Willie Parker, Pittsburgh
43. Kevin Faulk, New England
44. Mewelde Moore, Pittsburgh
45. Tashard Choice, Dallas
46. Darren McFadden, Oakland
47. Brandon Jackson, Green Bay
48. Donald Brown, Indianapolis
49. Chris Jennings, Cleveland
50. Kolby Smith, Kansas City

Wide Receiver

1. Randy Moss, New England
2. Andre Johnson, Houston
3. Reggie Wayne, Indianapolis
4. Sidney Rice, Minnesota
5. Vincent Jackson, San Diego
6. Wes Welker, New England
7. Chad Ochocinco, Cincinnati
8. Larry Fitzgerald, Arizona
9. Jeremy Maclin, Philadelphia
10. Brandon Marshall, Denver
11. Percy Harvin, Minnesota
12. Nate Burleson, Seattle
13. Roddy White, Atlanta
14. Steve Smith, N.Y. Giants
15. Marques Colston, New Orleans
16. Donald Driver, Green Bay
17. Mike Sims-Walker, Jacksonville
18. Steve Smith, Carolina
19. T.J. Houshmandzadeh, Seattle
20. Santana Moss, Washington
21. Miles Austin, Dallas
22. Anquan Boldin, Arizona
23. Michael Crabtree, San Francisco
24. Hines Ward, Pittsburgh
25. Donnie Avery, St. Louis
26. Jason Avant, Philadelphia
27. Kenny Britt, Tennessee
28. Derrick Mason, Baltimore
29. Santonio Holmes, Pittsburgh
30. Greg Jennings, Green Bay
31. Devin Hester, Chicago
32. Kevin Walter, Houston
33. Roy Williams, Dallas
34. Laveranues Coles, Cincinnati
35. Antonio Bryant, Tampa Bay
36. Chris Chambers, Kansas City
37. Robert Meachem, New Orleans
38. Michael Jenkins, Atlanta
39. Devery Henderson, New Orleans
40. Mario Manningham, N.Y. Giants
41. Steve Breaston, Arizona
42. Calvin Johnson, Detroit
43. Bernard Berrian, Minnesota
44. Hakeem Nicks, N.Y. Giants
45. Austin Collie, Indianapolis
46. Pierre Garcon, Indianapolis
47. Mike Wallace, Pittsburgh
48. Andre Caldwell, Cincinnati
49. Davone Bess, Miami
50. Malcom Floyd, San Diego
51. Torry Holt, Jacksonville
52. Darrius Heyward-Bey, Oakland

Tight End

1. Antonio Gates, San Diego
2. Tony Gonzalez, Atlanta
3. Jason Witten, Dallas
4. Dallas Clark, Indianapolis
5. Vernon Davis, San Francisco
6. Brent Celek, Philadelphia
7. Kellen Winslow, Tampa Bay
8. Greg Olsen, Chicago
9. John Carlson, Seattle
10. Tony Scheffler, Denver
11. Visanthe Shiancoe, Minnesota
12. Zach Miller, Oakland
13. Heath Miller, Pittsburgh
14. Fred Davis, Washington
15. Jeremy Shockey, New Orleans
16. Kevin Boss, N.Y. Giants
17. Anthony Fasano, Miami
18. Bo Scaife, Tennessee
19. Marcedes Lewis, Jacksonville
20. Todd Heap, Baltimore

Kicker

1. Nate Kaeding, San Diego
2. Ryan Longwell, Minnesota
3. David Akers, Philadelphia
4. Shayne Graham, Cincinnati
5. John Carney, New Orleans
6. Matt Prater, Denver
7. Nick Folk, Dallas
8. Olindo Mare, Seattle
9. Robbie Gould, Chicago
10. Matt Byrant, Atlanta
11. Matt Stover, Indianapolis
12. Dan Carpenter, Miami
13. John Kasay, Carolina
14. Stephen Gostkowski, New England
15. Mason Crosby, Green Bay
16. Rob Bironas, Tennessee
17. Jeff Reed, Pittsburgh
18. Neil Rackers, Arizona
19. Kris Brown, Houston
20. Joe Nedney, San Francisco
21. Lawrence Tynes, N.Y. Giants
22. Josh Scobee, Jacksonville
23. Billy Cundiff, Baltimore
24. Connor Barth, Tampa Bay

Defense

1. Cincinnati
2. Pittsburgh
3. San Diego
4. New Orleans
5. Minnesota
6. Chicago
7. Philadelphia
8. Seattle
9. Dallas
10. Green Bay
11. Indianapolis
12. Tennessee
13. Houston
14. Carolina
15. New England
16. San Francisco
17. Denver
18. Arizona
19. N.Y. Giants
20. Baltimore

Email Conn

According to Jay Glazer of Fox Sports, Pittsburgh Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger will not play this Sunday night at Baltimore. After a symptom free early week of practice, Big Ben experienced headaches after Wednesday and Thursday’s practice. Erring on the side of caution, he’ll be forced to miss Week 12’s tussle with the Ravens, a game both teams need to stay in the Wild Card mix.

With backup Charlie Batch (wrist surgery) out for six weeks the lead role will be played by Dennis Dixon…. Dennis Dixon?

Dixon, in his second year out of Oregon and is still very much an inexperienced pro with just one NFL career pass, a three-yard completion. in 2007, Dixon passed for 2,136 yards, 20 touchdowns and only four interceptions in nine-plus games played. He was a Heisman candidate through the first half of his senior season, but a knee injury derailed a promising year and he dipped into the fifth round of the 2008 NFL draft.

Like Big Ben, Dixon can make things happen with his legs and can improvise out of the pocket, but obviously he’s nowhere close to Roethlisberger when it comes to pocket presence and decision making. Dixon had a fairly erratic preseason in two games played, completing 18 of 35 passes (51.4 percent) for 180 yards. He threw zero touchdowns and no interceptions, was sacked once and ran for 20 yards on three carries. Not exactly a resume to get excited about heading into Baltimore in an AFC North defensive showdown.

The Ravens, sporting the leagues fifth best run defense, would be wise to load up the box with eight-man fronts and force Dixon to beat them downfield. While Baltimore has tendencies to give up the deep ball, it’s unrealistic to believe Dixon has what it takes to exploit a pro-defense in his first NFL start. The Steelers have a wildcat package for Dixon, but the team has only a day or so to prepare having just made the announcement. Former Pitt graduate Tyler Palko, signed this week to the practice squad, will be brought on board as the No. 2 QB. Big Ben will be tagged the emergency No. 3 signal caller for now, although if he’s scratched that job may go to WR Hines Ward.

In short, this does not bode well for Pittsburgh, and the Ravens defense will be licking their chops. Downgrade all Pittsburgh offensive starters, especially the receivers. However, expect running backs Rashard Mendenhall, Willie Parker and Mewelde Moore to see an increase in carries – that doesn’t mean they’ll fare any better. PK Jeff Reed will be the player most likely to score points for Pittsburgh, unless the defense comes up with a first-half gem. Upgrade the Ravens defense and Ray Rice, who could get more touches with a swing in TOP (time of possession).

Email Conn-Job

* Subject to change, but since I’m out of town – doubtful.*

The Dolphins draw the Bills this week, which is an automatic Top 5 placement for the opposing running back. This week it earns Ricky Williams top billing. Adjust accordingly for updates regarding Cedric Benson/Bernard Scott and-or Michael Turner/Jason Snelling. This, by the way, does not include any Thursday Turkey Day games, a few of which landed in my top five…. Stay tuned for my expert entry and breakdown.

WEEK 12	RANKINGS
Quarterback
Philip Rivers, San Diego
Matt Ryan, Atlanta
Kurt Warner, Arizona
Tom Brady, New England
Peyton Manning, Indianapolis
Matt Schaub, Houston
Drew Brees, New Orleans
Matt Hasselbeck, Seattle
Carson Palmer, Cincinnati
Brett Favre, Minnesota
Alex Smith, San Francisco
David Garrard, Jacksonville
Kyle Boller, St. Louis
Donovan McNabb, Philadelphia
Ben Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh *** OUT ***
Jay Cutler, Chicago
Ryan Fitzpatrick, Buffalo
Josh Freeman, Tampa Bay
Vince Young, Tennessee
Jason Campbell, Washington
Mark Sanchez, N.Y. Jets
Joe Flacco, Baltimore
Matt Cassel, Kansas City
Chad Henne, Miami
Jake Delhomme, Carolina
Brady Quinn, Cleveland Dennis Dixon, Pittsburgh
Running Back
Ricky Williams, Miami
Steven Jackson, St. Louis
Frank Gore, San Francisco
Maurice Jones-Drew, Jacksonville
Chris Johnson, Tennessee
Adrian Peterson, Minnesota
LaDainian Tomlinson, San Diego
Thomas Jones, N.Y. Jets
DeAngelo Williams, Carolina
LeSean McCoy, Philadelphia
Joseph Addai, Indianapolis
Pierre Thomas, New Orleans
Michael Turner, Atlanta
Bernard Scott, Cincinnati
Justin Forsett, Seattle
Ray Rice, Baltimore
Jamaal Charles, Kansas City
Chris Wells, Arizona
Tim Hightower, Arizona
Rashard Mendenhall, Pittsburgh
Laurence Maroney, New England
Mike Bell, New Orleans
Shonn Greene, N.Y. Jets
Rock Cartwright, Washington
Jonathan Stewart, Carolina
Steve Slaton, Houston
Matt Forte, Chicago
Derrick Ward, Tampa Bay
Cadillac Williams, Tampa Bay
Darren Sproles, San Diego
Marshawn Lynch, Buffalo
Reggie Bush, New Orleans
Kevin Faulk, New England
Chris Brown, Houston
Fred Jackson, Buffalo
Jamal Lewis, Cleveland
Jason Snelling, Atlanta
Donald Brown, Indianapolis
Sammy Morris, New England
Chester Taylor, Minnesota
Kolby Smith, Kansas City
Mewelde Moore, Pittsburgh
Willie Parker, Pittsburgh
Leonard Weaver, Philadelphia
LenDale White, Tennessee
Larry Johnson, Cincinnati
Rashad Jennings, Jacksonville
Kahlil Bell, Chicago
Brian Leonard, Cincinnati
Earnest Graham, Tampa Bay
Wide Receiver
Randy Moss, New England
Andre Johnson, Houston
Chad Ochocinco, Cincinnati
Larry Fitzgerald, Arizona
Reggie Wayne, Indianapolis
Vincent Jackson, San Diego
Marques Colston, New Orleans
Roddy White, Atlanta
Wes Welker, New England
Sidney Rice, Minnesota
Anquan Boldin, Arizona
Mike Sims-Walker, Jacksonville
DeSean Jackson, Philadelphia
Terrell Owens, Buffalo
Jerricho Cotchery, N.Y. Jets
Steve Smith, Carolina
Nate Burleson, Seattle
Michael Crabtree, San Francisco
T.J. Houshmandzadeh, Seattle
Hines Ward, Pittsburgh
Jeremy Maclin, Philadelphia
Steve Breaston, Arizona
Devery Henderson, New Orleans
Devin Hester, Chicago
Derrick Mason, Baltimore
Santonio Holmes, Pittsburgh
Andre Caldwell, Cincinnati
Santana Moss, Washington
Antonio Bryant, Tampa Bay
Percy Harvin, Minnesota
Donnie Avery, St. Louis
Pierre Garcon, Indianapolis
Lee Evans, Buffalo
Laveranues Coles, Cincinnati
Mohamed Massaquoi, Cleveland
Chris Chambers, Kansas City
Davone Bess, Miami
Kenny Britt, Tennessee
Braylon Edwards, N.Y. Jets
Robert Meachem, New Orleans
Mike Wallace, Pittsburgh
Jason Avant, Philadelphia
Austin Collie, Indianapolis
Nate Washington, Tennessee
Kevin Walter, Houston
Michael Jenkins, Atlanta
Bernard Berrian, Minnesota
Muhsin Muhammad, Carolina
Torry Holt, Jacksonville
Brandon Gibson, St. Louis
Tight End
Antonio Gates, San Diego
Tony Gonzalez, Atlanta
Dallas Clark, Indianapolis
Vernon Davis, San Francisco
Kellen Winslow, Tampa Bay
Greg Olsen, Chicago
Brent Celek, Philadelphia
Visanthe Shiancoe, Minnesota
Fred Davis, Washington
John Carlson, Seattle
Heath Miller, Pittsburgh
Jeremy Shockey, New Orleans
Dustin Keller, N.Y. Jets
Marcedes Lewis, Jacksonville
Daniel Fells, St. Louis
Bo Scaife, Tennessee
Ben Watson, New England
David Thomas, New Orleans
Todd Heap, Baltimore
Leonard Pope, Arizona
Kicker
Nate Kaeding, San Diego
Ryan Longwell, Minnesota
Olindo Mare, Seattle
Stephen Gostkowski, New England
Shayne Graham, Cincinnati
Rob Bironas, Tennessee
David Akers, Philadelphia
Dan Carpenter, Miami
John Carney, New Orleans
Jason Elam, Atlanta
Jay Feely, N.Y. Jets
Matt Stover, Indianapolis
Josh Scobee, Jacksonville
Neil Rackers, Arizona
Kris Brown, Houston
Joe Nedney, San Francisco
Josh Brown, St. Louis
Connor Barth, Tampa Bay
Jeff Reed, Pittsburgh
Billy Cundiff, Baltimore
Rian Lindell, Buffalo
Phil Dawson, Cleveland
Defense
San Diego
Cincinnati
Miami
Minnesota
Philadelphia
Pittsburgh
Baltimore
Seattle
San Francisco
Arizona
Atlanta
Indianapolis
New Orleans
N.Y. Jets
Carolina
Chicago
New England
Jacksonville
Buffalo
Tennessee
Houston
St. Louis

Email Conn-Job

Had a big spiel written out full of  funny quips, logical analysis, the works. Then had formatting issues and hit control z way too many times… Ironic since I’ve been backpedaling in the overall standings the last couple of weeks.

My Week 11 expert entry.

RB

1 Maurice Jones-Drew, Jacksonville

2 Chris Johnson, Tennessee

3 Steven Jackson, St. Louis

4 Rashard Mendenhall, Pittsburgh

5 Ricky Williams,  Miami

QB

1 Drew Brees, New Orleans

2 Peyton Manning, Indianapolis

3 Kurt Warner, Arizona

4 Matt Schaub, Houston

5 Tom Brady, New England

WR

1 Reggie Wayne, Indianapolis

2 Andre Johnson, Houston

3 Marques Colston, New Orleans

4 Wes Welker, New England

5 Larry Fitzgerald, Arizona

TE

1 Dallas Clark, Indianapolis

2 Greg Olsen, Chicago

3 Tony Gonzalez, Atlanta

4 Brent Celek, Philadelphia

5 Kellen Winslow, Tampa Bay

K

1 David Akers, Philadelphia

2 John Carney, New Orleans

3 Neil Rackers, Arizona

4 Lawrence Tynes, N.Y. Giants

5 Rob Bironas, Tennessee

DEF/ST

1 Cincinnati

2 Green Bay

3 Pittsburgh

4 Philadelphia

5 San Diego

Which one of these quarterbacks will have the most fantasy points?

Eli Manning
Matt Ryan
Tony Romo
Alex Smith

Which one of these running backs will have the most fantasy points?

Justin Forsett
Steve Slaton
Tim Hightower
Beanie Wells

Which one of these wide receivers will have the most fantasy points?

Donnie Avery
Chris Chambers
Devery Henderson
Jeremy Maclin

Which one of these defenses/special teams will have the most fantasy points?

Indianapolis
San Diego
Detroit
Jacksonville

Which one of these running backs will have the most fantasy points?

Marion Barber
Ladell Betts
Reggie Bush
Marshawn Lynch

WEEK ELEVEN
Guru-ific !!!	RB	CONN
	1	Maurice Jones-Drew, Jacksonville
	2	Chris Johnson, Tennessee
	3	Steven Jackson, St. Louis
	4	Rashard Mendenhall, Pittsburgh
	5	Adrian Peterson, Minnesota
	6	Pierre Thomas, New Orleans
	7	Kevin Smith, Detroit
	8	Brandon Jacobs, N.Y. Giants
	9	Frank Gore, San Francisco
	10	Ray Rice, Baltimore
	11	Thomas Jones, N.Y. Jets
	12	LaDainian Tomlinson, San Diego
	13	LeSean McCoy, Philadelphia
	14	Ryan Grant, Green Bay
	15	Jason Snelling, Atlanta
	16	Ladell Betts, Washington
	17	Justin Forsett, Seattle
	18	Joseph Addai, Indianapolis
	19	Marion Barber, Dallas
	20	Chris Wells, Arizona
	21	Matt Forte, Chicago
	22	Bernard Scott, Cincinnati
	23	Knowshon Moreno, Denver
	24	Laurence Maroney, New England
	25	Cadillac Williams, Tampa Bay
	26	Ahmad Bradshaw, N.Y. Giants
	27	Derrick Ward, Tampa Bay
	28	Marshawn Lynch, Buffalo
	29	Jamal Lewis, Cleveland
	30	Tim Hightower, Arizona
	31	Mike Bell, New Orleans
	32	Jamaal Charles, Kansas City
	33	Steve Slaton, Houston
	34	Sammy Morris, New England
	35	Felix Jones, Dallas
	36	Shonn Greene, N.Y. Jets
	37	Kevin Faulk, New England
	38	Fred Jackson, Buffalo
	39	Ryan Moats, Houston
	40	Darren Sproles, San Diego
	41	Leonard Weaver, Philadelphia
	42	Brian Leonard, Cincinnati
	43	Tashard Choice, Dallas
	44	Donald Brown, Indianapolis
	45	Darren McFadden, Oakland
	46	Justin Fargas, Oakland
	47	Chester Taylor, Minnesota
	48	Rashad Jennings, Jacksonville
	49	Arian Foster, Houston
	50	Larry Johnson, Cincinnati
	QB	CONN
	1	Drew Brees, New Orleans
	2	Peyton Manning, Indianapolis
	3	Kurt Warner, Arizona
	4	Matt Schaub, Houston
	5	Tom Brady, New England
	6	Donovan McNabb, Philadelphia
	7	Brett Favre, Minnesota
	8	Ben Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh
	9	Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay
	10	Matt Hasselbeck, Seattle
	11	Philip Rivers, San Diego
	12	Eli Manning, N.Y. Giants
	13	Carson Palmer, Cincinnati
	14	Matt Ryan, Atlanta
	15	Joe Flacco, Baltimore
	16	Tony Romo, Dallas
	17	David Garrard, Jacksonville
	18	Jay Cutler, Chicago
	19	Vince Young, Tennessee
	20	Marc Bulger, St. Louis
	21	Josh Freeman, Tampa Bay
	22	Jason Campbell, Washington
	23	Mark Sanchez, N.Y. Jets
	24	Matthew Stafford, Detroit
	25	Alex Smith, San Francisco
	26	Matt Cassel, Kansas City
	WR	CONN
	1	Reggie Wayne, Indianapolis
	2	Andre Johnson, Houston
	3	Marques Colston, New Orleans
	4	Wes Welker, New England
	5	Larry Fitzgerald, Arizona
	6	Randy Moss, New England
	7	Roddy White, Atlanta
	8	Sidney Rice, Minnesota
	9	Calvin Johnson, Detroit
	10	Chad Ochocinco, Cincinnati
	11	DeSean Jackson, Philadelphia
	12	Hines Ward, Pittsburgh
	13	Miles Austin, Dallas
	14	Steve Smith, N.Y. Giants
	15	Vincent Jackson, San Diego
	16	Anquan Boldin, Arizona
	17	Santana Moss, Washington
	18	Donald Driver, Green Bay
	19	Mike Sims-Walker, Jacksonville
	20	T.J. Houshmandzadeh, Seattle
	21	Devin Hester, Chicago
	22	Steve Breaston, Arizona
	23	Jerricho Cotchery, N.Y. Jets
	24	Santonio Holmes, Pittsburgh
	25	Jeremy Maclin, Philadelphia
	26	Eddie Royal, Denver
	27	Devery Henderson, New Orleans
	28	Roy Williams, Dallas
	29	Brandon Marshall, Denver
	30	Greg Jennings, Green Bay
	31	Derrick Mason, Baltimore
	32	Lee Evans, Buffalo
	33	Braylon Edwards, N.Y. Jets
	34	Pierre Garcon, Indianapolis
	35	Hakeem Nicks, N.Y. Giants
	36	Nate Burleson, Seattle
	37	Percy Harvin, Minnesota
	38	Donnie Avery, St. Louis
	39	Mario Manningham, N.Y. Giants
	40	Austin Collie, Indianapolis
	41	Laveranues Coles, Cincinnati
	42	Mike Wallace, Pittsburgh
	43	Michael Crabtree, San Francisco
	44	Terrell Owens, Buffalo
	45	Bernard Berrian, Minnesota
	46	Mohamed Massaquoi, Cleveland
	47	Antonio Bryant, Tampa Bay
	48	Andre Caldwell, Cincinnati
	49	Chris Chambers, Kansas City
	50	Kenny Britt, Tennessee
	TE	CONN
	1	Dallas Clark, Indianapolis
	2	Greg Olsen, Chicago
	3	Tony Gonzalez, Atlanta
	4	Brent Celek, Philadelphia
	5	Kellen Winslow, Tampa Bay
	6	Antonio Gates, San Diego
	7	John Carlson, Seattle
	8	Jason Witten, Dallas
	9	Jeremy Shockey, New Orleans
	10	Vernon Davis, San Francisco
	11	Heath Miller, Pittsburgh
	12	Fred Davis, Washington
	13	Visanthe Shiancoe, Minnesota
	14	Dustin Keller, N.Y. Jets
	15	Brandon Pettigrew, Detroit
	16	Jermichael Finley, Green Bay
	17	Ben Watson, New England
	18	Tony Scheffler, Denver
	19	Kevin Boss, N.Y. Giants
	20	Zach Miller, Oakland
	K	CONN
	1	David Akers, Philadelphia
	2	John Carney, New Orleans
	3	Neil Rackers, Arizona
	4	Lawrence Tynes, N.Y. Giants
	5	Rob Bironas, Tennessee
	6	Matt Prater, Denver
	7	Stephen Gostkowski, New England
	8	Kris Brown, Houston
	9	Shayne Graham, Cincinnati
	10	Josh Scobee, Jacksonville
	11	Ryan Longwell, Minnesota
	12	Nick Folk, Dallas
	13	Mason Crosby, Green Bay
	14	Connor Barth, Tampa Bay
	15	Jeff Reed, Pittsburgh
	16	Nate Kaeding, San Diego
	17	Matt Stover, Indianapolis
	18	Robbie Gould, Chicago
	19	Jason Elam, Atlanta
	20	Jason Hanson, Detroit
	DEF/ST	CONN
	1	Cincinnati
	2	Green Bay
	3	Pittsburgh
	4	Philadelphia
	5	San Diego
	6	Dallas
	7	San Francisco
	8	New England
	9	N.Y. Giants
	10	Washington
	11	Indianapolis
	12	Minnesota
	13	New Orleans
	14	Arizona
	15	Detroit
	16	Jacksonville
	17	Houston
	18	Tennessee
	19	N.Y. Jets
	20	Buffalo

By Adam Conn:

Go directly to the waiver wire; Do not pass go; Do not collect $200.

Captain Obvious:

RB Ladell Betts, Washington Redskins – Betts stepped into the limelight in place of Clinton Portis (concussion). The once stout Broncos run defense allowed Betts to rumble for 114 yards and add a six-yard reception. While Betts is a no-braider waiver wire pickup the Redskins’ schedule isn’t all that rosy. Up next is Dallas followed by Philadelphia, two top ten ranked rushing defenses and both away from D.C. In their first meeting against Philly, the Skins had 62 yards rushing (Portis 14-43). Washington and Dallas have yet to hook up this season, but the Cowboys are allowing just 99 yards rushing a game over the last month. The one thing Betts has that Portis doesn’t is rest, nearly three years of it, watching Portis eat up 667 carries and 21.875 touches per game over the last 40.

RB Justin Forsett, Seattle Seahawks – Forsett’s value has been gaining steam ever since the release of RB Edgerrin James. Of course, if you read 411’s Waiver Wire last week, you already have him on your roster. On Sunday he received his first legit opportunity and took full advantage (123 yards rushing, 26 receiving and a touchdown). With Julius Jones (fraud) out for at least a week with a bruised chest Forsett will command a full load of carries at Minnesota. Will it prove successful against the 6^th ranked run defense? “We’re going to find out, because he’s going to be carrying the ball a lot this week,” HC Jim Mora said.  The Seahawks have the Rams (ranked 28 against the run) Thanksgiving weekend. Even when Jones returns, Forsett is likely to participate in some form of committee.

RB Jason Snelling, Atlanta Falcons – At least for one week it appears that Snelling will take the leading role for the Falcons. Snelling had 18 carries, 61 yards, 32 receiving yards and a touchdown in relief of the injured Michael Turner, who could miss significant time with a high ankle sprain. What does not help Snelling’s stock is the eventual return of Jerious Norwood, who has been nursing a hip strain and just began running last week. But for a one-week plug-in, Snelling would get the bulk against the Giants and certainly be called upon at the goal line. The Giants are better than average against the run (106.4 ypg), but have allowed 12 rushing touchdowns to date.

Best of the rest:

RB Bernard Scott, Cincinnati Bengals – Cedric Benson’s injury appears to be minor, and assuming all goes well, he will be back in the lineup on Sunday. Should Benson suffer a setback, Scott is next in line. The recent addition of Larry Johnson sent waiver wires into a frenzy Monday afternoon, but for now L.J. appears to be insurance policy. Scott rushed for 33 yards on 13 carries against the Steelers, but Cincy’s opponent Week 11 is the Raiders. If Benson sits, Scott is a solid option.

RB Larry Johnson, Cincinnati Bengals – For now Johnson is only stash-worthy. But his resume allows for the possibility that he could see significant action if Cedric Benson suffers a more serious injury. Clearly, the Bengals offensive line is sure to give Johnson more daylight than he’s seen in the last two seasons in Kansas City. Given Benson’s workload this season, it may be a good idea to carry another back who can handle 20+ carries a game.
RB Sammy Morris, New England – Morris began practicing last week and may return to the lineup in the next week or so. Before his injury he filled in for Fred Taylor with 6 carries, 21 yards and a touchdown followed by his first start in Week 5, when he gained 68 yards on 17 carries. In those games combined he had eight receptions and 74 yards. Laurence Maroney is currently the starter, but Morris is also a proven back within the Patriots system and he didn’t just recently fumble inside the five yard line.

WR Brandon Gibson, St. Louis Rams – In just a little over a half, Gibson collected 7 passes for 93 yards against the Saints. WR Keenan Burton is done for the year, allowing Gibson to remain as the No. 2 receiver opposite Donnie Avery. As dismal as the passing offense has been this season, Gibson may go unnoticed for one more week, but if you have the room, take a flyer pickup on him. The Rams will need to stay in attack mode against the Cardinals this week, so another nine targets isn’t out of the question.

WR Chris Chambers, Kansas City Chiefs – Chambers went from invisible on the Chargers, to free agent, to desperate signee in Kansas City to… No. 1 wideout?  It was announced today that Dwayne Bowe is suspended for the next four games effective immediately for violation of the league’s substance abuse policy, effectively making Chambers top dog in an offense full of dog…. well, you get the idea. Be that as it may, Chambers will likely be among the top targeted receivers on the team over the next month and may be worth a pickup.

QB Vince Young, Tennessee Titans – Relax, we don’t think Young is going to light up the scoreboard or put on a performance that resembles 2006. But if you’re in a deep league and need to acquire some depth, Young could be used as a serviceable backup in case of an injury. The Titans face the Texans, Cardinals and Colts over the next three weeks. All three are allowing at least 229 yards passing and 1.3 or more touchdowns a game in the last month. Young is completing 65.7 percent of his passes in three starts and has 78 rushing yards plus a touchdown. He also had his best game on Sunday with 210 yards passing and a touchdown against the ninth-ranked Bills pass defense, in which opposing QBs have the second lowest rating in the league.

Batimore Ravens future kicker – At one point it was looking like Mike Nugent was the front runner after the Ravens announced it was releasing Steve Hauschka. But now it appears as if it will be either Martin Gramatica or Billy Cundiff. The Ravens rank 11^th in the league with 24.7 points scored per game. Assuming there is nothing attractive on the waiver wire, the next Ravens kicker could be a decent replacement for Hauschka.

DT Jonathan Fanene, Cincinnati Bengals – You are welcome, IDP’ers. Fanene took over for the injured Antwaan Odom and has three sacks in four games (four in five) including 13 solo tackles. Up coming opponents include Oakland, Cleveland and Detroit, who have allowed 27, 23 and 29 sacks respectively.

Quesetions? Comments? Email Shaka-Conn