By Adam Conn:

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

Captain Obvious:

(photo by espn.com)

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.

(photo by stltoday.com)

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.

(photo by espn.com)

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

I’m one for two in calling out my fellow fantasy experts. But last week’s thumping by Dave Richard was humbling if not humiliating. So this week’s effort is a more focused one, with the long-term goal in mind. No need for motivation, just make solid picks and grind out a victory.  My Week 10 experts picks….

Quarterback

Drew Brees, New Orleans

Tom Brady, New England

Kurt Warner, Arizona

Peyton Manning, Indianapolis

Brett Favre, Minnesota – You live or die with this guy, as I did back in 1999 in the Athens Fantasy Football League. No doubt, he’ll throw a pick in the final seconds (I’m not bitter!). Also considered Romo, Rodgers and Flacco. Lots of good match ups this week. We’ll give the old guy a shot against the lowly Lions.

Running Back

Chris Johnson, Tennessee – Best match up of the year?

Adrian Peterson, Minnesota – Should be plenty of touchdowns to go around. ADP banks 150 total and a score.

Ray Rice, Baltimore

Frank Gore, San Francisco – Good, but not great game. Hopefully he can hang on to fifth.

Ronnie Brown, Miami – Really want to put Steven Jackson in my top five, but the Rams just don’t score enough. This week, it’s Brown’s turn for multiple TDs in Miami.

Wide Receiver

Larry Fitzgerald, Arizona

Wes Welker, New England – Indy’s secondary is beat up, Welker gets the domino effect coverage.

Marques Colston, New Orleans

Randy Moss, New England – Hedging my bets.

Vincent Jackson, San Diego – May regret this one. Philly gives up the big play, but not nearly as often as the Giants, whom Jackson torched in the fourth quarter Week 9.

Tight End

Dallas Clark, Indianapolis

Antonio Gates, San Diego

Visanthe Shiancoe, Minnesota – Lions have allowed seven TDs to tight ends. Hoping Favre has three of em’, one to this guy.

Brandon Pettigrew, Detroit – Okay, I may be getting a bit too caught up in match ups, but Calvin is banged up, so is Kevin Smith. Vikings are among the league’s worst against the tight end.

Jeremy Shockey, New Orleans

Kicker

John Carney, New Orleans

Neil Rackers, Arizona

Ryan Longwell, Minnesota

Rob Bironas, Tennessee – As Titans offense improves, so does Bironas.

Stephen Gostkowski, New England – Want to go Carpenter, Feely or Hauschka but something tells me a few more field goals are in order at Indy…. so long as Moss and Welker score touchdowns as well.

Defense

New Orleans

Minnesota

Baltimore – Could easily flip flop Ravens with Vikings or Saints. Browns are gawd-awful.

Denver

Arizona

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

Mark Sanchez Josh Freeman Matt Cassel Chad Henne

All clustered together in my rankings 15 through 18. In order, Henne, Sanchez, Freeman, Cassel.

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

Knowshon Moreno Shonn Greene Beanie Wells LeSean McCoy

Of the group Moreno gets the most carries.

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

Michael Crabtree Steve Smith (NYG) Steve Smith (Carolina) Austin Collie

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

Indianapolis Pittsburgh Baltimore Cincinnati

Even as a Steelers fan, this is a slam dunk. Next?

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

Ladell Betts Jamaal Charles Cadillac Williams Justin Fargas

Without the ankle injury, Betts may have gotten the nod, but Fargas should be able to hold off McFadden for one more week and has a very good match up against the Chiefs.

Questions, comments? Email Conn.

Jim "CFO" Herbeck beat the experts, but follows the Redskins.... Push.

Columbus, Ohio native Jim Herbeck, Chief Financial Officer of a swanky family salon, and IDP fantasy football fanatic, became the second 411fantasy.com fan to best all three 411 experts; Adam Conn, Jeff Thioff and Adam Helbling. Herbeck’s fantasy track record includes two titles in three years in the Worthington Area Fantasy Football League (guess who has the other title?). The WAFFL league isn’t your average league, however. It includes 37 rounds and a full roster of IDPs, 11 starters and the appropriate number of reserves. Next year when 411 is a fantasy empire, we’ll include IDP’s in our rankings to make Herbeck feel more at home…. maybe.

Herbeck’s score of 20 would have landed him in 7th place in the experts contest, one ahead of Conn. We asked Herbeck about his Week 9 picks, his affinity towards Futurama and took a shot at his NFL team. Read on….

411: Congratulations, Jim! It took you several weeks – Twice you came close including losing a tie-breaker (a-la blackjack, dealer wins) and just a couple points shy in Week 8 – but you finally cracked the code and knocked us out. Pacing yourself, or blind nut?

CFO: I’d love to tell you in a “wanna-be cool kid” apathetic tone that I could care less about this…but frankly, I’m still annoyed about the Beat Conn/Beat Helbling/Tied Thitoff score I had in Week 3. So it’s nice to get over the hump, but it’s long overdue.

411: Did you have an idea you were on pace for a HOF caliber week or do you bury your head once kickoff starts and track your scores later?

CFO: After I click submit on that form, I rarely remember who I picked at ANY position, so in answer to your question, head buried. While I appreciate the Kudos from you guys, once the ball’s in the air on Sunday morning (lousy Thursday night games that I can’t watch), I’m 100% focused on my lineup in my full defense league (in which I’m currently in 1st place and beating Conn — yes, I’m that shameless).

411: You were one of few that included Joseph Addai amongst your top five running backs. Granted, Houston’s defense is a bit softer than San Francisco (Indy’s Week 8 opponent), but Addai struggled without Donald Brown against the Niners. What told you Addai was a solid play against the Texans?

CFO: I was a big fan of Donald Brown as a sleeper coming into the season, but with him nicked up, I thought it was a good opportunity for Addai to post big numbers. I wound up being surprised when that game wasn’t a more high-scoring affair.

411: In a multiple choice question, you chose Matt Forte over Marion Barber, Steve Slaton and your boy, Clinton Portis. As bad as Forte’s been this season (his 33 yards rushing were bailed out by 74 receiving), why did you go with him over the others?

CFO: Oh sure, just because I beat you guys, you have to be sore losers. Fine, I’ll admit it — I’m a Redskins fan. Hopefully Thitoff will have some consoling words of wisdom as a Browns fan. In regards to Forte, I went with him less because I thought he was due for a breakout week, and more because I hated the other three options. Process of elimination = success; Sherlock Holmes would be proud of me.

411: Of your selections, which player(s) turned into a pleasant surprise and which player(s) disappointed you the most?

CFO: The fact that Defenses helped me beat you guys was clearly the biggest surprise. The only league I’m in right now is a full defense league, so I usually have a very hard time picking team defenses. As for disappointments, how can I be disappointed if I won? But I suppose it would be QBs. That’s what I get for going with (mostly) chalk, I suppose

411: Which Futurama alias will you go with in Week 10 on your entry form, and will you have enough names to last you the season?

CFO: I’m enough of a hardcore fan (read: nerd) that I think I can make it through the rest of the season. The only question is whether Scruffy the Janitor’s picks will be as successful as Zapp Brannigans?

411: As a reward, Jim, your name and a photo will appear in the 411fantasy.com Hall of Fame along side our first winner, Tom Suitt. In addition, your opinion is now highly regarded by our site…. for now…. and we’d like for you to give us a sneak peak into Week 10. Give us a couple of players you like that may not be on everyone else’s radar.

CFO: I’m not very plugged in to what the rest of the league sees, but I’ve been driving the Pierre Thomas bandwagon since July, and don’t see any reason to stop now. Also, if you’re in a full defense league, I like Michael Boley’s return to the Giants. I think he’s got a good shot to help them turn things around and post some solid individual stats while he’s at it. Also, with the hapless Packers O-line taking on Dallas, I like just about anybody on the Dallas defense to get a hand in on a sack or two, with Mr. Ware obviously getting the MVP award.

Thanks Jim, and congrats again.

Chad Ochocinco’s antics will cost him again. The league’s MVP will be fined $20,000 for his “bribe” attempt during last week’s game against the Ravens, a 17-7 win for Cincinnati. Settle down, I don’t mean Ochocinco is the best player in the game, far from it. I mean he is the league’s MVP when it comes to marketing and promoting the game as a fun sport, something the NFL has feverishly tried to squash.

The dance continued last Sunday.

(photo by faniq.com)

Ochocinco attempted to hand a referee a $1 bill during a replay review. The official ignored the gesture so the prank didn’t go through. But in a post game interview Ocho admitted to trying to jokingly bribe the official, but also said that’s all it was, a joke, going so far as to look into the camera and apologize to Commissioner Roger Goodell, “I might get fined. Mr. Goodell, I’m sorry. I’m just having fun.”

Ray Anderson, the league’s executive vice president of football operations, sent a letter to Ochocinco stating that the “The very appearance of impropriety is not acceptable. Your conduct was unprofessional and unbecoming an NFL player.”

Anderson then said in a statement:

“Ochocinco was disciplined for violating a rule that “prohibits use of abusive, threatening or insulting language or gestures toward game officials. He was also in violation of Rule 12, Section 3, Article 1 (f) of the Playing Rules which prohibits possession or use of extraneous objects that are not part of the uniform during the game on the field or sideline.”

Fair enough, but this begs the question…. Why wasn’t Sanchez fined for his hot dog?

Email Conn

By Adam Conn:

We hate Thursday games – Except for Thanksgiving, of course. But for all fantasy owners, the Thursday game disrupts the flow of the week. Information is rushed and incomplete, and for crying out loud not everyone has the NFL Network, denying millions of cable subscribers a chance to watch prime time football. Not to mention, there’s some psychological disadvantage in playing your guys early leaving you with a little less ammo to fire out on Sunday and/or Monday night. Regardless, two teams will face off every Thursday between now and Week 16 and the match ups will be dictated primarily on their strengths and weaknesses – just like every other week. Long story short (too late), Here’s the 411 breakdown of tonight’s game between the Bears and 49ers.

Running Back:

CHI: True, the Titans Chris Johnson ran wild against the 49ers, but overall San Fran has been quite good against the run, fourth in the league at 90.5 rushing yards allowed per game. Even with last week’s 153 yards rushing for Tennessee, the 49ers have remained strong over the last month allowing just 101 yards per game, 10th best in the league. Clearly last week was the exception to the rule, which is why I’m not a fan of Matt Forte, who is as close to a first round flop as it gets. He has just three touchdowns and what we would consider two quality starts under his belt this season, both against dismal run defenses (Detroit, Cleveland). What keeps Forte on the radar is his contributions in the passing game. He averages 87.5 total yards per game, which translates into a very respectable 1,400 yards, But without touchdowns, his value is barely that of a No. 2 fantasy back. Start with caution.

SF: Gore’s value took a hit with an early season foot injury, but he’s been easily forgiven based on the games he has played in full. After a rough first game back in Week 7 (47 total yards), Gore has amassed 174 rushing yards, 118 receiving yards and two touchdowns. Going up against a declining Bears defense means more of the same. The Bears rank 21st against the run, but over the last month they rank 26th. Gore is a must start in all formats. Consider him a top-end fantasy back even on just a few days of rest.

Quarterback:

CHI: Last week the 49ers were beat up on the ground, and as a result limited the Titans to 163 passing yards, but overall they rank 24th against the pass allowing 241 passing yards per game. Most weeks San Francisco is at a disadvantage, although S Michael Lewis (quadriceps) will return to the lineup, and Jay Cutler ideally has a good match up in front of him. Despite his struggles on the road (7 TDs, 10 ints), Cutler should be able to take advantage of a 49ers defense that has given up over 30 points per game in its last four contests.

SF: Alex Smith has improved the 49ers passing attack as proven by his six touchdown passes in three games (compared to the five Shaun Hill threw between Weeks 1-6), but he also added a turnover element with five picks and a fumble lost in those three games. That aside the Bears have been less than impressive against the pass, allowing 16 touchdown passes, including five last week against Arizona and five to Cincinnati in Week 7. Smith wont come close to that mark, but he seems to be developing better relationships with his receivers than Shaun Hill did. He’s not the most attractive option this week, but if Smith is your backup to Matt Schaub or Eli Manning, you could do worse.

Wide receiver:

CHI: Devin Hester remains the top target for the Bears. Over the last four weeks he’s averaging a hair under seven receptions and 90 yards a game and he’s put an end to the speculation as to which Bears receiver will emerge this week debate. He is worth a look this week as a fair No. 2 or great flex option against the 49ers, who have allowed three 100+ yard receivers in the last four games (Tennessee’s Nate Washington had 94 yards last week).

SF: While Michael Crabtree had a set back last week (3-30), he quickly has become Smith’s second favorite target (23 in three weeks) while compiling 14 receptions and 167 yards. They have yet to hook up in the end zone, but their time is coming. The Bears have allowed five 100 yard receivers this season. Josh Morgan looks like he’ll start over Issac Bruce (ankle), and Jason Hill will play out of the slot as the No. 3 wideout. Hill had four receptions, 50 yards and two touchdowns last week, but it was also his only statistical output all year. To expect a repeat performance is unrealistic. Stick with Crabtree as a No. 3 receiver.

Tight End:

CHI: If it weren’t for his six touchdowns, TE Greg Olsen would be having a Matt Forte-esque kind of season. He’s fifth on the team with 27 receptions. He ranks 15th and 16th in receptions and yards respectively among tight ends. The 49ers, however, have been a little loose in the tight end category lately, allowing 242 yards on 17 receptions to opposing tight ends in their last three games. Considering the trend, this presents a good match up for Olsen.

SF: Vernon Davis has emerged as one of the elite tight ends in the league. He’ll need to match that intensity today after he put out the bulletin board material, calling out Chicago’s defensive front. The Bears haven’t been as forgiving against opposing tight ends as the 49ers have been, 11-103 over the last four games, but four catches have gone for touchdowns, something Davis has been collecting in bulk (seven in his last five games). As the top targeted receiver on the team he has proven to be a must start.

Defense:

The Bears are not what they once were, in large part due to injuries to LB Brian Urlacher and LB Pisa Tinoisamoa who are both done for the year; SS Al Afalava and S Kevin Payne haven’t practiced this week and likely won’t play; CB Charles Tillman left last week’s game and was limited this week; DT Tommie Harris may be suspended for his sucker punch of OL Deuce Lutui last week. This is a banged up and depleted unit and should not be considered in fantasy circles.
The 49ers have been a bit erratic lately and haven’t generated enough fantasy prowess to be considered on a weekly basis. Once in a while a match up presents itself to be great, but this isn’t one of them. Their 24th ranked pass defense combined with Jay Cutler’s ability to play like a top 10 quarterback isn’t worth the risk this week.

Kicker:

The way both defenses have been performing lately, Robbie Gould or Joe Nedney could be considered decent starts. Weather doesn’t appear to be a factor tonight (%20 chance of showers), so if you play kicker roulette, flip a coin and enjoy roughly seven to nine points out of either one.

Prediction: San Francisco 24, Chicago 20.
Email Conn

I’m coming after you, Boggis !!!

QB

Brees, NO

P.Manning, IND

Garrard, JAX – Threw for 323 and 2 in first meeting with Titans, who have given zero reasons why that will be any different this time around.

Romo, DAL – Maybe drinking the Cowboys kool-aid, but Dallas doesn’t appear to be slowing down.

Aaron Rodgers – If the Packers can cut down on giving up a couple of sacks, Rodgers can match his performance from their first meeting (384 and 2).
RB

MJD, Jax

St.Jackson – Best non-scoring RB in the league. Today, he finds end-zone glory… twice.

Steve Slaton – Juicy.

Matt Forte – Really tired of this guy’s slump, but the Browns already helped Ryan Grant turn it around. Now it’s Forte’s turn.

Kevin Smith – Lions banged up at QB and WR, Smith should get 30 touches today and they can get away with that against the Rams.

– Having a hard time leaving Chris Johnson off this list – He’s Top 5 worthy, no question –

WR

Colston, NO

Fitzgerald, AZ – This is one of those, he’s that good and has to be ranked. A case could be made for others.

Wayne, IND

Jennings, GB – Winfield out again for the Vikings, Jennings returns to No. 1 status this week.

D.Jackson, PHI – He is the Eagles’ best weapon and should compensate for Westbrook’s absence.

– Also considered: Roddy White, Sidney Rice and Miles Austin.

TE

Clark, IND

Gates, SD

Daniels, HOU – May be leaned on more heavily with a less than healthy A.Johnson gasping for air.

Gonzo, ATL – Against the Saints, they’ll be throwing quite a bit.

Celek, PHI – See D.Jackson.

PK

Carney, NO

Kaeding, SD

Prater, DEN

Folk, DAL

Feely, NYJ

DEF

Chargers

Cardinals

Colts

Cowboys

Bears

Multiple Choice:

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

Ryan Fitzpatrick Chad Henne Alex Smith Derek Anderson

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

Beanie Wells Shonn Greene Knowshon Moreno Julius Jones

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

Michael Crabtree Lance Moore Terrell Owens Derrick Mason

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

Buffalo Carolina St. Louis Tennessee

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

Frank Gore Ricky Williams Justin Fargas Reggie Bush

Guru.

We consider 411fantasy.com to be like the 2007 New England Patriots; We’ll leave you a small window of opportunity to upset us, but you have to be damn near perfect to pull it off. Meet Tom Suitt of Milton, Georgia. Tom, a 14-year veteran of fantasy football, is the first fan of our site to unseat all three experts, Adam Conn, Jeff Thitoff and Adam Helbling, in the 2009 Experts Contest. He correctly named two players at each skill position, three teams on defense (including the Jets as the No. 2 unit), one kicker and one multiple choice question.

Tom's attire makes up for the fact that he beat the 411 experts. Well played, Mr. Suitt.

Tom’s score was equivalent to fourth last week amongst the experts and he even took down his “arch rival” Jeff Boggins of Fantasy Sports Empires. We spent a few minutes with Tom to see where the genius lies within his fantasy mind.

411: Congratulations, Tom. In Week 7 you were able to nail down two players each at RB and QB and TE, along with most everyone else, but not nearly as many had Vincent Jackson and Wes Welker among their top five receivers. Did you know Jackson, who had all 142 of his yards in the first half, was going to be that effective against the Chiefs, or just playing a hunch on match up?

Tom: Hunch on the match up. KC hasn’t shown much on any side of the ball, and even with LT and Sproles, (Norv Turner) has shown that he and Rivers love to sling the ball. I had picked up Malcom Floyd as a WR fill-in for a league and he did well enough for me also. Plus, Welker is a points machine. New England is the closest thing to a run-and-shoot offense out there, and Welker probably gets looks on every play. With Tampa’s defense, that’s an easy match-up.

411: Of the possible choices at defense, you liked San Diego against the Chiefs. What was it about the Chargers defense, which has struggled against the run this season, that made you choose them over Buffalo, Carolina and Chicago?

411: Once again, KC has looked almost as bad on offense as St. Louis, and the Chargers have a pretty decent defense. Carolina’s defense is being brought down by their offense – why Carolina did not continue their Tampa Bay game plan and just run, run, run vs. the Bills crappy run D just stuns me. Which is why I didn’t go for the Bills defense as well. Chicago’s defense has yet to impress me this year. Allowing 21 points to the Lions in the first half, and hemorrhaging LBs does not inspire me…. However, I do like them this week vs. the Browns as a fill-in for a bye week defense like the Steelers or Patriots.

411: After re-reading the first two questions, it dawned on me…. are you a closet Chargers fan?

Tom: No. An emphatic “no”. I am a Steelers fan. Been one since Super Bowl XIII. (Two out of three 411 members approve, Tom.)

411: Of the 30 players/teams you selected, which one(s) impressed you the most, and which one(s) were you most disappointed in?

Tom: Vincent Jackson was the most pleasant surprise, I think. I expected him to do well, but not that well. For most disappointing…honestly, this may sound strange, but I was disappointed that Brady threw two picks and only 3 TDs after the run against Tennessee. And as I said before, I was disappointed that DeAngelo Williams didn’t get more against a bad Bills defense.

411: You noted in an email, “As long as I’m beating Jeff Boggis, I’m happy.” It will please you to know that you did in fact outscore the No. 1 overall ranked expert, Mr. Boggis of Fantasy Sports Empires. Thoughts?

Tom: The thought of beating Boggis makes me smile for the week. Seriously though, I used to work with Jeff, and we used to discuss FFL strategies a lot, and I was in a league with him at the company we worked at (I won the league that year), and we have fun with the trash-talking. Plus, he posts a lot on his Facebook about how well he’s doing on 411Fantasy.com, so I thought he needed a little jabbing this week.

411: As a reward, Tom, your name and a photo will appear atop the 411fantasy.com Hall of Fame (we can barely afford T-shirts for ourselves). In addition, your opinion is now highly regarded by our site – until you fall back down to earth, that is – and we’d like for you to give us a sneak peek into Week 8. Give us a couple of players you like that may not be on everyone else’s radar.

Tom: Since it’s a bye week for some pretty good QBs (Brady, Roethlisberger, Palmer), if you haven’t already grabbed the 49ers Alex Smith and you’re incredibly desperate for a fill-in QB, keep an eye on AJ Feeley. Delhomme will be on a VERY short leash this week vs. Arizona’s not-so-great pass defense, and Steve Smith and his owners are dying to have someone that can actually get him the ball. Arizona’s #1 rush defense will stack the box and dare Carolina to run. And speaking of DeAngelo Williams, if you could sell high on him right now, I’d give it a look. His schedule during the FFL playoffs is brutal (Patriots, Vikings, Giants, Saints). I’d also give Devin Hester a serious look vs. Cleveland’s defense. The magic number for WRs is 3 years, but this is only year 2 for him being a full-time WR…. However, he got some good points vs. a decent Cincy defense last week, and I’d look for him to do well again this week. Lastly, if their defenses play up to par, the Ravens/Broncos game could be a kicking fest.

411: Spoken like a true expert. Nicely done, Tom.

Hot Dog Gate: Why?

The saga continues to the point where Jets QB Mark Sanchez donated 500 hot dogs and 500 hamburgers to a the  Community Soup Kitchen of Morristown, N.J. Great. I’m a fan of charity. But it comes off the heels of guilt for eating a $4 hot dog during last week’s game. A hot dog that is so frowned upon that he tried to hide it under his legs while on the bench. A hot dog so controversial that he had to apologize for eating it in the post game press conference.

Sanchez was the subject of criticism — and he later issued an apology — when he was caught on camera Sunday eating a hot dog on the sideline during the Jets’ 38-0 victory against the Raiders.

“Caught on camera”? Who is he, Bill Belichick?

The guy was sick earlier in the day and did not eat. He was feeling better and was hungry. Where’s the mystery? Where’s the foul? Most people eat at work when they get hungry. Maybe not in a meeting, sure. Maybe not in an NFL game, okay. But when you’re sick and need calories? You eat a hot dog… or a snickers bar, if you’re former NFL punter Mitch Berger, who after every punt would take a bite of the bar… which he kept in his shoe… Why wait?

aconn@411fantasy.com

Sitting at No. 2 overall in the experts contest, I guess expectations are rising.  Everywhere I turn, it’s “Should I make this trade?” or “Is Mendenhall the real deal?” or “Does your back hurt from carrying 411fantasy.com every week?” I can only put out so many fires, folks. That said, I’m not feeling entirely confident in my picks this week. Quarterbacks should be fairly easy, but it’s hard leaving guys like Roethlisberger and Schaub of the list. And I may be getting a bit too frisky with some other selections. Without further ado, here are my Week 7 top players, plus my multiple choice answers.

One for the money, two for the show (photo by espn.com)

Quarterback

Tom Brady, New England

Peyton Manning, Indianapolis

Matt Ryan, Atlanta – This is my wild card this week. Schaub and Big Ben are two of the hottest QBs in the league right now, but the Ryan-to-White combo is heating up and the Cowboys don’t give up many rushing TDs.

Drew Brees, New Orleans

Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay – Should be among the top listed, but I have a feeling Grant may steal one of his TDs, leaving him just shy of Top 5 worthiness. Still, a juicy match up that cannot be ignored.

Running Back

DeAngelo Williams, Carolina

Matt Forte, Chicago – I think the Bengals just lost another defensive lineman.

Thomas Jones, N.Y. Jets – I’m betting Rex Ryan doesn’t pass it 46 times against the Raiders this week.

Ryan Grant, Green Bay – This is the line in the sand for Grant. **** or get of the pot, Ryan.

Jonathan Stewart, Carolina – Maybe I’m a bit high off of the Jets performance against the Bills last week, but Williams and Stewart are the league’s best 1-2 combo and the Panthers’ only reliable weapons. 100 yards and a touchdown is expected. Anything more = Gurulicious.

Wide Receiver

Andre Johnson, Houston

Reggie Wayne, Indianapolis

Roddy White, Atlanta – Again rolling with the Falcons. Hoping the hot streak continues.

Randy Moss, New England

Wes Welker, New England

Tight End

Tony Gonzalez, Atlanta – See also Ryan and White.

Jason Witten, Dallas

Antonio Gates, San Diego

Dallas Clark, Indianapolis

Greg Olsen, Chicago – Thought of H.Miller and Daniels, but Olsen is catching fire much like Miller did a few weeks ago.

Kicker

Stephen Gostkowski, New England

Jason Elam, Atlanta

Nate Kaeding, San Diego

Mason Crosby, Green Bay

Jeff Reed, Pittsburgh

Defense

Philadelphia

Green Bay

New England

Indianapolis

N.Y. Giants – Prediction?  Pain.

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

Matt Cassel
Marc Bulger
Shaun Hill
Chad Henne

Chargers defense just too soft. Hill has a shot, but Texans can build a lead and force Hill out of his game.

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

Matt Forte
Rashard Mendenhall
Joseph Addai
Steve Slaton

Originally thought this was an even group, but the status of Cincy’s D-line gives Forte a clear edge. Addai may be in his sweats by the fourth quarter.

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

Hakeem Nicks
Austin Collie
Andre Caldwell
Lance Moore

Collie gets the start and has Peyton Manning, which is enough to push him past the others.

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

Chicago
Carolina
San Diego
Buffalo

Was leaning Bears, but can’t ignore the fact that Buffalo is rolling out QB Ryan Fitzpatrick.

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

Leon Washington
Larry Johnson
Justin Fargas
Jonathan Stewart

Almost went L.J., but my Stewart premonition is too strong. Truth be told, I like all four backs to have above average games. Stewart is the only one with the potential to be great.

Email Shaka-Conn

bigdaddyweek7

Amendment: It has come to our attention that Cowboys WR Roy Williams may not play after all due to the slow healing of his burised ribs (Thanks, Romo). But as a man of my word, I, Adam Conn, will gladly take the field against Tito’s selection of Miles Austin in terms of who will have more receiving yards for Dallas this week against Atlanta.  Patrick Crayton… that guy’s awesome.

Amendment II: Twice I refered to Jay Cutler being off this week, only later to announce I liked him over Brett Favre this week.  Of course I was referring to Broncos QB Kyle Orton as the QB who is off this week.