A Year Without the NBA

David Stern and the rest of the owners have been saying "No" to the proposed offers, prolonging the NBA Lockout.

Kevin Durant and other NBA players cannot be happy about being locked out. 

"It looks like the 2011-12 season is really in jeopardy”, said NBA commissioner David Stern. Ugh. Yet another opportunity to end the NBA lockout has failed.  Why can’t the two sides agree? This isn’t about healthcare,  IT'S ABOUT BASKETBALL FOR CRYING OUT LOUD!!

How popular is basketball these days?  Ask anyone who has witnessed people shooting a piece of crumpled-up paper into a trash can while shouting “Kobe”!  How popular is the NBA? Everyone plays NBA 2K11. Fantasy basketball is the fastest growing fantasy sport. Basketball also has some of the more interesting metric stats, which gets statisticians involved and interested. Also, more and more youth are leaning towards playing basketball over other sports. The NBA also has more mainstream superstars than the other four major sports. Don’t believe me? How many big name players can you name in the MLB? Albert Pujols, Derek Jeter, and A-Rod are the only players right? In the NFL, there are countless top quarterbacks and running backs; but can you name your favorite team’s starting left guard? Didn’t think so. In hockey, with the exception of Alex Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby, there really aren’t many that superstars.  The NBA has the most stars by far than any other sport. To name a few of these players: Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Derrick Rose, and Kevin Durant; but  the list goes on and on. 

So what will “The Big 3” do in their second season? Will Cuban and Dirk win another championship? Can Kobe win without Phil?  The world may never know the answers to these important questions. The games are canceled through November. Commissioner Stern may cancel more. 

So what does this mean? The last time a major sport didn’t have a season was in 2004-05 when the NHL was locked out for a year. Though there are still some devoted fans, Hockey fandom has gone down in the U.S. Who knows what will happen with the NBA. Will people still watch it when it returns? Will the players recover? How will the coaches ready their teams with such short notice? These and other essential questions will hopefully be answered this year. Hopefully soon. 

Will there be an NBA season? Depends on who you ask. For optimists, there will be one by Christmas. Pessimists hardly believe,  another National Basketball Association game is possible. Sadly, no one can predict when the NBA will return. We’re hoping for a gamewinner from MJ, to save the day. 

Week 10 Sunday Night Football

Note: After intense deliberation, the writer of this blog has decided to only go in-depth for the Sunday Night football game. (in the play-offs it will be a different story).  With the exception of this week, for the remainder of the NFL season there will still be picks. But no longer in-depth analysis of every game. Just this one. Don’t worry there’s still going to be picks each week. 

The New England Patriots vs. The New York Jets. An interesting matchup. A rivalry. A game of strategic coaching. A game with high-profile receivers. One team has one of the best defenses in the NFL, while the other has the worst. One team has an all-star quarterback, while the other passer is a work in progress. 

Patriots Offense: The New England Patriots’ attack, as usual starts with Tom Brady. Brady is having yet another fantastic year for the Pats. Wes Welker. Wes Welker is a monster. 66 catches on the year, 13 more than second place, [Dolphins receiver]  Brandon Marshall. Welker also has 6 touchdowns thus far. In the running game, the Patriots have struggled to find a primary back. Rookie Stevan Ridley had a couple solid games, but has unable to gain the starting job. Kevin Faulk had a decent game, but went down with a knee injury. Danny Woodhead and BenJarvus Green-Ellis also have carried the ball for the Patriots. 

Jets Offense: Mark Sanchez has struggled for the Jets. He is ranked 20^th in passing yards. Ouch. On the receiving side, Plaxico Burress and Santonio Holmes have combined for about 50 catches. Another ouch. Their receptions combined are less than Welker’s receptions by himself. Shonn Greene has also been running for the Jets. He has 502 yards and 2 touchdowns for the Jets. 

Edge: Patriots 

Patriots Defense: This is an extremely sad topic. The Patriots have the worst passing defense in the NFL. It probably is one of the worst in recent years. The passing defense has contributed to the team’s recent 2 game losing streak. Even though Sanchez is not exactly an All-pro, he could torch the defense tonight.  Good news for the Patriots, the run defense is pretty top-notch. The team’s rushing defense is ranked 9^th. 

Jets Defense: The Jets’ defense is what has kept them in contention this season. The team is ranked 7^th in total yards. Another bonus, the passing defense is fantastic. They are ranked 4^th in yards per game. The secondary should give Tom Brady a hard time. The rushing defense is a work in progress, but is satisfactory enough to get by. 

Edge: Jets 

The Pick: Both of these teams have their strengths and weaknesses. The best offense in the league, against one of the top defenses. An okay offense, against the league’s worst defense. This game should be close. The game’s result comes down to the Patriots defense and Mark Sanchez. If the Patriots defense can hold up, the Patriots should rout the Jets. If it can’t, the Patriots will slowly drop out of contention. If Sanchez does his job, the Jets will remain in the game for a while. If he doesn’t, it could be a long game. I’m betting that the Pats’ defense holds up and snaps the team’s losing streak. 

Patriots 31- Jets 20

Confessions of a Patriots Fan

Tom Brady and the Patriots, slowly falling from the top teams in football.

Whenever someone asks me about my team, I will defend the team in the best way possible.  No matter what sport. Even if the team is not doing well, or the player is facing something. It is my team, and I was given a choice to support it, and have to support it until the very end.  However, one must say everything about their team. Not just the team’s triumphs, but its struggles as well. A person who can admit all of these facts about their team is a true fan. 

Tom Brady is no longer the best quarterback in the NFL. That being said, he is still in the top-tier of quarterbacks. Just not the best quarterback. The Patriots are a great team. They are just not the greatest team anymore. These are facts that every Patriots fan should realize. 

Yes, yes it’s true. A Patriots fan acknowledging that his favorite team is not the premier team in football. I remember when I first became a Patriots fan. I was 5-6 at the time, and it was when the Patriots were in the Superbowl. The first football game I watched was Superbowl XXXVI, when Adam Vinateri kicked the game winning field goal to beat the Rams 20-17. Ever since then, I have watched Tom Brady win two other Superbowl games, and have an (almost) perfect season. 

After the win against the Rams, the Pats took a year off, and then proceeded to win 2 straight Superbowl championships. Following the win against the Eagles 2 years later,  the Patriots have yet to win another championship. They came close, losing to the Giants in the Superbowl because of a catch some guy made who isn’t in the NFL anymore.  They have failed to win a play-off game since the 2007 season. 

So why then does everyone think the team is a play-off contender? Because of Thomas Edward Brady. Brady is a fantastic quarterback, who has the ability to lead a team. He is surrounded with fantastic receivers, and the coach of the decade, Bill Belichick. A fantastic team on paper, but on the field...

The truth is, the team is not as good as it used to be. Sure the Patriots had Wes Welker, Randy Moss, Adalius Thomas, and other notable players at one point. But when a team has countless stars, and have already won 3 championships in the past 4 years; they are expected of winning everything. When this team was formed, a new Patriots dynasty was expected to have started. It lasted about a season and a half, before Moss was released, and the team couldn’t win in the play-offs.

The glory days of the Patriots are behind them. Vinateri is gone. Deion Branch is no longer the Superbowl MVP winning receiver, and sadly, Brady is getting old.  Every football fan has the team as one of their picks to win the Superbowl each year, but the team can’t do it.  It’s almost as if the team is cursed. They cannot seem to win, anymore. In fact, the Patriots lost to the Bills this year for the first time since 2003. In the current season, the Patriots are in a 2 game losing streak that could extend to 3 games this week. 

Patriots fans, we must come to the realization that our team needs to be improved. We need to continue cheering our hearts out for victories, because our team isn’t as good as it used to be. The Patriots need our support We need to still root for our team, and be loyal. And never give up. Go Patriots, and let’s beat the Jets on Sunday! 

Top Players of Week 9

Top Players of the Day

Quarterbacks: 

Philip Rivers- 385 yards, 4 touchdowns, and 3 interceptions

Ben Roethlisberger- 365 yards 1 touchdown and 1 interception 

Tom Brady- 342 yards, 2 touchdowns, and 2 interceptions 

Running backs: 

Willis McGahee- 163 yards and 2 touchdowns

Marshawn Lynch- 139 yards and 1 touchdown

Steven Jackson- 130 yards

Receivers: 

Vincent Jackson- 7 catches for 141 yards and 3 touchdowns

Wes Welker- 9 catches for 136 yards 

Julio Jones- 3 catches for 131 yards and 2 touchdowns 

Week 9 Recap

Week 9 in Review

It was a hard week. Not many games went in our favor. The Patriots, Rams, Bills, Chiefs, and Raiders. The Bengals-Titans game was not part of this pick process. However, the Falcons, Saints, Texans, 49ers, Ravens and Cowboys all won their games. This leaves us with a weekly record of: 6-5

The Arizona Cardinals ended the momentum of the St. Louis Rams. John Skelton managed to throw for 222 yards and a touchdown, to make up for their struggling rushing game. Early Doucet had 78 yards receiving, and Larry Fitzgerald scored their only touchdown. Sam Bradford threw for 255 yards, but no touchdowns. This game featured 2 safeties, two tackles of Skelton in the endzone. The game was won in overtime, by Patrick Peterson’s 99 yard kick return. Steven Jackson also had another great rushing game, rushing for 130 yards. 

The Miami Dolphins win! The Dolphins routed the Chiefs 31-3 and earned their first victory of the season. Matt Moore threw for 3 touchdowns and 244 yards. A great game for him, and his ranking as a quarterback becomes higher. Reggie Bush ran for 92 yards as a touchdown as well. Matt Cassel threw for 253 yards for the helpless Chiefs. This was a game which the Chiefs just struggled. There was no turnovers in the game, which is pretty interesting. The Chiefs’ winning streak comes to an end at 4 games after their loss to the Dolphins. 

What an offensive attack by the Falcons. Julio Jones had 131 receiving yards and 2 touchdowns. Michael Turner ran for 71 yards and a touchdown, and what a game by Matt Ryan. Matt Ryan threw for 275 yards and 3 touchdowns. The Falcons beat the Colts 31-7. Curtis Painter played one of his worst games. He threw for just 98 yards and an interception. Jerraud Powers returned an interception for a touchdown, the Colts’ only one of the game. The Colts’ loss makes 0-9. They remain the only winless team in the NFL. 

Take that Bucs. The Saints avenged their Week 6 loss to beat the Buccaneers 27-16. Drew Brees threw for 2 touchdowns, and Pierre Thomas ran for one as well. For the Buccaneers, Josh Freeman threw for 281 yards and a touchdown, and LeGarette Blount ran for 72 yards. The Saints wanted to win after their loss to the Rams last week. This win over their division rivals puts them in first place, while the Buccaneers’ loss puts them in third. 

When you lead 13-3 after the first half, the game is pretty much in your hands. For the San Francisco 49ers, it was indeed. The 49ers held on to their lead, and won 19-11 against the Washington Redskins. Alex Smith threw for 200 yards and a touchdown, and Frank Gore ran for 107 yards. For the Redskins, John Beck threw for 254 yards and a touchdown. Roy Helu had a fantastic receiving game, with 14 catches for 105 yards.The win gives the 49ers yet another W, for the second best record in the NFL. 

After a deadlocked first half, the Cowboys broke away from the Seahawks and won 23-13. Tony Romo threw 2 touchdowns for 279 yards, and Dan Bailey kicked 3 field goals. DeMarco Murray had a great rushing game for the Cowboys, rushing for 139 yards. Tarvaris Jackson had a great game, throwing for 221 yards, and kept his team in the game throughout the first half. Marshawn Lynch had a great game, after a horrible one last week, rushing for 139 yards and a touchdown. The Cowboys avenged their embarrassing loss last week to the Eagles. 

Well that’s ironic. Jake Ballard, who caught Eli Manning’s game winning pass over the Patriots wore David Tyree’s number. Even though he may not be playing football anymore, he’s still in the hearts of the Giants, as they won 24-20 over the Patriots. Tom Brady had a great game for the Patriots, throwing for 342 yards and 2 touchdowns. Manning threw for 250 yards and 2 touchdowns. The Patriots lose their second game in a row, as they head to the Meadowlands to play the Jets. The Giants win their second game in a row, and are in first place in the NFC East. 

Aaron Rodgers rolls on. The Packers are now 8-0, as they continue their dominance, by beating the Chargers 45-38, in a shootout. Rodgers threw for 247 yards and 4 touchdowns to 4 different receivers. Phil Rivers also had a great game of his own, throwing for 385 yards and 4 touchdowns of his own. Unfortunately for him, he also threw 3 interceptions. Vincent Jackson had a monster game for the Chargers as well, catching 7 passes for 141 yards and 3 touchdowns. The Packers prevailed as they took a lead in the first half from 2 interception return touchdowns. The Packers are still the only undefeated team in the NFL, while the Chargers lose their second in a row. 

Tebow wins it. Well, critics, please be quiet. Tim Tebow threw for 124 yards and 2 touchdowns, and ran for 117 yards as well. He helped the Broncos orchestrate a comeback over the Raiders after being down 17-7 after the first half. The final score of the game was 38-24 Broncos. Willis McGahee ran for 163 yards and 2 touchdowns to help the Broncos. For the Raiders, Carson Palmer had a fantastic game, throwing for 332 yards and 3 touchdowns. T.J. Houshmanzadeh, in his first NFL game in a year, caught 1 pass for 28 yards for the Raiders.

The Jets took an early 13-0 lead, and never looked back as they beat the Bills 27-11. Mark Sanchez threw for 230 yards, and Nick Folk kicked two 50 yard field goals. For the Bills, Ryan Fitzpatrick threw for 191 yards, and Fred Jackson ran for 82 yards. The Jets’ victory puts the AFC East standings in chaos. The win puts the Jets, Bills, and Patriots in a 3-way tie for first place. The Jets take on the Patriots next week at home. 

The Houston Texans could be in the play-offs. Yes, you read that right. The Texans beat the Browns 30-12, to stay in first place in the AFC South. Arian Foster ran for 124 yards and a touchdown, and Ben Tate ran for 115 yards and a touchdown to help the Texans. Colt McCoy threw for 146 yards for the Browns. Chris Ogbannaya got his carries, 13 of them actually; unfortunately could not execute them well enough, garnering just 28 yards. The loss puts the Browns in last place, in a very, very hard AFC South. 

Go Bengals. The Bengals continue their dominance this season, as they beat the Titans 24-17. Andy Dalton threw for 3 touchdowns and 217 yards. A.J Green had a great game, catching 7 balls for 83 yards, and Cedric Benson, playing his first game in 3 weeks, ran for 78 yards. Matt Hasselbeck threw for 272 yards and 2 touchdowns. Chris Johnson continues to struggle, gaining just 64 yards for the Titans. 

It came down to the wire. The Ravens were beating the Steelers 16-6 at the end of the 3^rd quarter. That was before Roethlisberger went into dominant mode, and led his team to what should have been a 20-16 victory. With 2:17  left on the clock, Joe Flacco led a 92 yard drive to the endzone which culminated on a 26 yard pass from Flacco to Torrey Smith. Flacco finished with 314 yards and the one touchdown to Smith. Ben Roethlisberger had a fantastic game, with 365 yards passing. Antonio Brown finished with 5 catches and 105 yards receiving. The win for the Ravens makes it a season sweep for them over the Steelers. It also puts them in a first place tie with the Bengals in the AFC North. 

The Ravens showcased their status as one of the AFC’s best teams, beating the Steelers for the second time this season. The Packers yet again demonstrated their dominance, beating the Chargers. The Patriots continue to struggle, going on a losing streak. The Texans continue their play-off run in the dreadful AFC South. And the Colts….still haven’t won. Stay tuned for next week in the NFL! You never know what can happen. 

Week 9 Picks

Week 9 Picks

Peyton Manning still hasn’t thrown a pass. The Colts have not yet won a game this season. Chad Henne is on injured reserve. The Dolphins can’t win either. As we pass the midway point in the season, the Colts and Dolphins cannot seem to find a way to win. 

Meanwhile, The Great Packshow, led by quarterback Aaron Rodgers, are the only undefeated team in football. They could be repeat champions, but more importantly; could be the first team since the ’08 Patriots to have an undefeated season. Hopefully, a man named David Tyree won’t end their quest for a repeat. The Packers visit sunny San Diego to play the Chargers. This is a matchup of two division leaders. Also in this matchup, are two top 10 quarterbacks in Rodgers and Rivers. Rivers has had a great season thus far, and is leading the Chargers to a surprisingly good start, but have been struggling of late; losing their last 2 games.  For Rodgers its been business as usual, as he has thrown for 20 touchdowns for best in the NFL.  

Packers over Chargers

Speaking of David Tyree, the New York Giants visit the New England Patriots in a rematch of Superbowl XLII. The Patriots lost to the Steelers last week. It was the first time this season that Tom Brady has failed to throw for 200 yards. Brady should be able to come back however, because the Giants defense will not be able to contain him. Also, top pass catcher Wes Welker is due for another big game. Welker has struggled recently, and will need to get back to his old form in order for the Patriots to succeed. For the Giants, Eli Manning had a great game last week, throwing for 349 yards. The Giants are leading the NFC east by 2 games. Patriots over Giants 

In other Week 9 news, the Baltimore Ravens visit the Pittsburgh Steelers, in an AFC North battle. The last time these two foes faced off was in Week 1, when the Steelers were demolished 35-7. We will see if Ray Rice can build on his 3 touchdown game last week. The Ravens also have the best defense in football. They have become unstoppable, with Rice and quarterback Joe Flacco. It will be difficult to tame Ben Roethlisberger, who has been unstoppable of late but the Ravens should be able to somehow manage.  

Ravens over Steelers

Picks: 

Seattle Seahawks at Dallas Cowboys

The Seahawks are on a 2 game losing streak, while the Cowboys were embarrassed on Sunday Night Football against the Philadelphia Eagles. The Cowboys still have Tony Romo, who is a solid quarterback, while the Seahawks have Tarvaris Jackson. Jackson is not exactly a Tony Romo. Heck, he’s not even an Andy Dalton. After Marshawn Lynch’s terrible game last week, all signs are pointing to the Cowboys, who if DeMarco Murray shows up, should cruise to victory. Cowboys over Seahawks 

Miami Dolphins at Kansas Chiefs

After starting out 0-3, and losing the hope of countless fans, the Chiefs have turned it around. The Chiefs have won 4 in a row, without Jamaal Charles, who is on injured reserve, and with an unspectacular quarterback. It doesn’t matter how pretty you do it,  they’ve managed to win games. The Dolphins don’t have that power. They cannot seem to find a starting running back, and Matt Moore has been rather disappointing in filling in for Matt Moore. The Chiefs should extend their win streak easily. Chiefs over Dolphins

Tampa Bay Buccaneers at New Orleans Saints 

Ouch. The Saints lost to the Rams last week, to help the Rams win their first game of the season. It would be hard to pick against the Saints this week, as they do have one of, if not if the best quarterback in the NFL. The Bucs are coming off a bye-week. Josh Freeman has been a solid passer for his squad. LeGarrette Blount has ran well for the Bucs, who beat the Saints the last time these division rivals faced each other. The Saints are coming off a bad loss to the Rams, and want avenge the Buccaneers for their  week 6 loss. Saints over Buccaneers

San Francisco 49ers at Washington Redskins

What a surprise. The 49ers have a winning record, and seem assured of a play-off spot in the dreadful NFC West division. The ‘Skins’ have managed to have a 3-4 record despite having quarterbacks who would be a backups in Division II. Tim Hightower has managed to run the ball well enough for his team, to help them get those three W’s.  The Niners have been playing really well of late. Though the team is due for a loss, Alex Smith and Frank Gore should be able to contain the ‘Skins’ defense. 

49ers over Redskins

Cleveland Browns at Houston Texans

Another quality quarterback matchup. This game features Colt McCoy of the Browns and Matt Schaub of the Texans. The Texans could make the play-offs for the first time in their team’s history this season. Arian Foster has been dominant for the Texans. The Browns, with injuries to Peyton Hillis and Montario Hardesty, are forced to start Chris Ogbonnaya. His name says it all.  Texans over Browns 

New York Jets at Buffalo Bills 

The Buffalo Bills are everybody’s surprise team. Fred Jackson is one of the best running backs this season, and Ryan Fitzpatrick has used his Harvard to degree for some use. Being an NFL quarterback. The Jets were known for their defense, which has been good, but is not as good as in previous years. Sanchez has not been that good for the Jets this season, and the Jets’ winning chances will most likely rest on his shoulders. 

Bills over Jets

Atlanta Falcons at Indianapolis Colts 

Poor Curtis Painter. No matter how good he will turn out to be in the NFL, everyone will always see him as the guy who couldn’t win with the Colts. That shouldn’t be the case, as his defense is excruciatingly painful to watch. Matt Ryan, Michael Turner, and Roddy White will take full advantage of this defense. Expect another blowout. Again, poor Curtis Painter. Falcons over Colts 

Denver Broncos at Oakland Raiders 

Tim Tebow. The most controversial quarterback in America. He has plenty of haters. Not many lovers. Yet, he’s an NFL quarterback, and your on your couch watching him. The guy is criticized too much. Give him some slack, but not a lot of it. He hasn’t exactly been a good quarterback. Meanwhile, the Raiders have a situation of their own. Jason Campbell is out and so is Darren McFadden. Which means Carson Palmer/ Kyle Boller and Michael Bush have to start. It should be interesting game for these AFC West rivals. 

But the Raiders should prevail. Raiders over Broncos 

St. Louis Rams at Arizona Cardinals 

The Rams have moved up in everybody’s ranks after the victory over the Saints last week. Unfortunately, that meant from being among worst teams to being among one of just 2, one loss teams. Fortunately for the Rams, the other team in that category happens to be the Cardinals, their opponent this week. Kevin Kolb is unlikely to start for the Cardinals, so rookie John Skelton will get the start. If Sam Bradford is unable to participate, A.J Feeley will be throwing the ball, who managed to lead his team to victory last week. The Rams are riding on a hot streak right now, while the Cardinals have lost 6 in a row. Rams over Cardinals 

Chicago Bears at Philadelphia Eagles 

You saw it. It was on national television. The Dream Team beat America’s Team. LeSean, and Michael (not Jordan) were unstoppable. Now comes the real test. A team with a solid defense. The Bears come into this game after a bye week. Matt Forte is one of everybody’s favorite running backs this year. Unfortunately the other one, is LeSean McCoy, who’s running against the Bears. Expect another great performance from McCoy, and another equally fantastic one from Vick. Eagles over Bears 

What a great selection of games this week. This week’s most important, and probably the most interesting to watch will be Ravens vs. Steelers. The Ravens will be looking to continue their dominance on defense, while Ben Roethlisberger will attempt to continue his stellar season. The Packers face the struggling Chargers, who hope to end a losing streak against the reigning Superbowl champions. 

Pick results: Last week- 10-3

Week 9 Fantasy Advice

You know that feeling. It’s Thursday night, and you need help. Your team is on the cusp of clinching the play-offs. But you have a problem. Standing in your way is the best team in the league. The one who picked the best players, best sleepers, the best all around team. How do you beat him or her? Listen to some guy give you advice on how to beat ‘em or play solely by the rankings, which are often wrong. OR…. You could read this blog entry, which tells you who to play, who not to play, and guys to pick up as Sunday approaches. 

Quarterbacks: 

Who you should start: 

Eli Manning. Manning is facing one of the worst passing defenses in history in the New England Patriots. Manning has great receivers in Victor Cruz, Mario Manningham, and Hakeem Nicks. Manning had a great game last week against Miami throwing for 349 yards and 2 touchdowns. Expect a fantastic game from the younger, and only Manning currently playing.

Matt Ryan: Ryan is facing the 3^rd worst passing defense in the NFL, in the Indianapolis Colts. The Colts are winless, and are not expected to win this game. Ryan has had a solid season, but we expected better from a guy with Roddy White, Michael Turner, and Tony Gonzalez, and Julio Jones. This is his chance to throw for 300+ yards. The Colts have been unable to do anything on offense, and the Falcons defense should be able to stop Curtis Painter & Co. 

Drew Brees: The NFL’s leader in passing yards should break out in this game. After throwing 3 picks in Tampa Bay earlier in the season, he should perform significantly better in this matchup, with the best tight end in football in Jimmy Graham, and solid receiving corps. 

Running backs:

Who you should start: 

Beanie Wells: If he is able to start the game, (as of tonight, November 3, he was a limited participant in practice). He should dominate. Playing against one of only four teams that have allowed 1000+ rushing yards he should have a huge game of the season. A game similar to one that a running back had this year, and in some leagues received 40 points. (If you don’t know who I’m talking about see Foster, Arian Week #7.) The Rams were able to squeak one away from the Saints last week, but that was pure luck, Beanie should kill ‘em this week. 

Michael Turner: Yes, yes another Falcon. I know. But the Colts’ run defense is second worst in the NFL, and if Matt Ryan struggles, (which he most likely won’t) Turner will take more of the load. Turner is having a great year for the Falcons, who has a team have not been. Expect the Falcons to run all over the Colts, and give them a drubbing similar to their 62-7 loss to the Saints. 

Steven Jackson: After starting out the season slow. I mean really, really slow. He has started to wake up and become himself. After a fantastic week last week, leading his team to their first victory of the season, expect to have another 100+ yard rushing game.  Jackson keeps improving, and you should absolutely start him. 

Wide Receivers: 

Who you should start: 

A.J Green: Andy Dalton has been throwing well enough for Green, and the Bengals are starting to become a team to watch this season. Though the Titans’ passing defense is good, Green is all the Bengals have at receiver, and he should get the ball a lot. If your league does PPR, play this guy, he will do you some good. 

Wes Welker: Everyone in PPR leagues was worried there. Is Welker not going to play? The good news is, ladies and gentlemen, he has been upgraded from questionable to probable. He practiced today, Thursday. Welker has struggled in the past few games. But do not rule him out, everyone keeps waiting for him to bounce back, and this might be the game. After a tough game at Pittsburgh, he goes back home to Foxborough to face the Giants. Everyone is hoping for a big game from good ‘ol Wes. And this week, his owners will get one. 

Dwayne Bowe: 

Dwayne Bowe? That guy, I remember him. He helped Matt Cassel and the Chiefs reach the play-offs right? He was a solid receiver. What’s he doing this year? Well, Bowe is doing well. He, like Welker is in a 2 week slump, but should get out of it in Miami. Why? Simply because Miami can’t beat anybody. Bowe is all the Chiefs have at receiver. He’ll dominate against the Dolphins, and help the Chiefs get back to the play-offs. 

Who you should not start, a simple list. 

Rashard Mendenhall-He is not that good this season, and he’s facing the Steel Curtain.‘Nuff said. 

Ben Roethlisberger-He is doing extremely well, unfortunately, he also has the pleasure of facing the Steelers. Start at your own risk, but just know you were warned. 

Any Patriots running back-Their main back alters every game. Usually its BenJarvus, but every now and then Woodhead or even Faulk will get carries. Don’t count on their backfield. 

Chris Johnson- Mr. Disappointment. He has gotten one 100 yard game this season. In addition, Javon Ringer rushed for 60 yards last game. You’re better off not starting him, especially against the Bengals stellar rushing defense. 

DeSean Jackson- Yes, yes he had that great play against the Giants. But other than that, he hasn’t been that good of a receiver. He’s scored only 2 touchdowns this season, and has just had 77 yards receiving in his past 2 games. 

Who you should pick up: 

Vernon Davis-  Great tight end. He is in a really rough patch, but he should be able to fix that against the Redskins. Pick him up and put him on your roster, if Alex Smith continues throwing the way he has been, Davis should get some yardage and catches soon. 

Colt McCoy- The Texans’ defense is great, but McCoy is a solid quarterback, who has thrown for 175+ yards every game this season. Sure his team’s not that good, but McCoy is a solid pickup, and if your in need of an emergency quarterback, choose him. 

Chris Ogbonnaya- What a name. This guy will play though. With both Peyton Hillis and Montario Hardesty nursing injuries, Ogbonnaya should get plenty of rushing attempts. He should be okay, and if you need a guy who can get some carries and a few yards, here’s your man. 

Early Doucet- After an early season struggle, Doucet has been coming up the ladder these past few games. He’s been scoring a bit too. If you have Fitzgerald already, you might as well add Doucet, who’s on a touchdown streak. 

Take heed of this advice and use it wisely. Using this advice, you have found out players to play and to pick up in this Week 9. Fantasy owners, good luck and may your team prosper.