Now that the dust has finally settled and we have two left standing nothing could be more appropriate than Drew Brees versus Peyton Manning. The Saints signal caller on the cusp of greatness taking on the great Mr. Manning who continues to write his own legacy. With his fourth NFL MVP award, Manning will try to secure his second NFL title and cement himself as one, if the not the greatest ever.

While his counterpart would appear to have much to play for, Drew Brees is not without his own personal motivation. Brees has become the face of a franchise that not only represents a city, but represents so much more. Following the Katrina disaster the Saints have led a march of great hope and resolve and the face out front of this march has been Drew Brees.

Brees has often been compared to the great names in today’s game; Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, and Brett Favre, and though he lacks the hardware (Lombardi Trophies and MVP awards) he has the numbers. His first appearance should not legitimize his greatness; he has been great since he arrived to New Orleans. His first appearance in the Big Dance should be the next chapter to his own legacy.

What to Expect

While both teams have two very quick and opportunistic defenses, there is little doubt that this game is going to be all about the two gunslingers calling the signals. The Saints (4th) and Colts (2nd) offenses finished the 2009 season ranked in the top five passing and both clubs were in the top seven in scoring.

While the Saints were second in the league with 39 takeaways, they are going to find it difficult to capitalize on Manning who has just one turnover in 83 passes this post season. Like his counterpart Brees has been steady taking care of the ball with no turnovers in 63 passes.

The Saints led the league in scoring and finished number one in yards per game; they will surely test the Colts defense all game long. And when Manning takes the field with his number two ranked passing offense (9th overall) the Saints defense will face their ultimate test this season.

Don’t expect too many punts or a lot of stops, this one could easily turn into a regular shootout at the O.K. corral with the quarterback with the ball last deciding this classic matchup of a pair of gunslingers.

Injury notes for Sunday…

RB-Pierre Thomas (Saints)…..ribs-probable.

RB-Joseph Addai (Colts)…..shoulder-probable.

WR-Robert Meachum (Saints)….ankle-probable.

TE-Jeremy Shockey (Saints)….knee-questionable

DB-Darren Sharper (Saints)…..knee-probable.

DL-Will Smith (Saints)….groin-probable.

DL-Dwight Freeney (Colts)….ankle-questionable

Quick Notes:

The Saints wide receiver Robert Meachum has resumed full participation in practice and looks to be ready for the big dance. Meachum could be a big key in the Saints passing game on Sunday. He tied with Colston for the team lead with nine touchdowns this season and finished the year with 45 catches for 722 yards receiving (16.0 yards per catch).

The Colts have made their name on the passing of Peyton Manning all season, but it wouldn’t surprise to see Joseph Addai taking on a larger role in the run game this Sunday. In the AFC title game Addai finished with 80 yards averaging five yards a carry against a pretty good Jets run defense; Saints rank 21st against the run.

“The Collector”

(courtesy of the Fantasy Football Gang)

Once again “The Collector” is back this week to let all of you fantasy owners know about those not-so-highly known fantasy gems that continue to score big points. While these diamonds in the rough make noise, we also have some of your weekly Studs that looking more like Duds.

When you need a big week, sometimes you can count on your regular sources of scratch to pay-off, “The Collector” will tell you who is dropping the most coin and who you should maybe just drop.

Here were the Studs (Earners) and Duds (bums) for Week 8;

The Earners (Studs)

(Min 15 fantasy points)

Another week of what could have been and maybe what should be (for next week). Here are this past weekend’s top fantasy point getters and those players that maybe need another bye week or just a good-bye.

Is it really that much of a surprise to everyone to see the 40-year old kid still playing at the highest level. The Vikings quarterback Brett Favre was one of week eight’s biggest “earners” torching the Packer’s secondary on Sunday for the second time in the past five weeks. Favre completed 17 of 28 passes for 244 yards and threw four touchdowns on the afternoon. (33 fantasy points)

When one player is dropping all of the loot, sometimes you have to make a change which is what the Texans did on Sunday. With running back Steve Slaton (7 fumbles in 2009) fumbling away the game, the Texans turned to running back Ryan Moats. The backup runner was brilliant cashing in big with 126 yards on the ground and three touchdowns. (32 fantasy points)

The Jet’s rookie quarterback Mark Sanchez did his best impression of a green scoring machine on Sunday. Sanchez completed 20 of 35 passes for 265 yards passing and three touchdowns (including one rushing). (28 fantasy points)

If Tony Romo isn’t your weekly starting quarterback you could missing out on some serious coin. The Cowboys quarterback knows green, especially the kind you find in the end-zone. Romo passed his way to 256 yards on Sunday and threw three touchdowns. (27 fantasy points)

The Saints have their own two-headed monster in the backfield that they can now boast and on Monday night, one of them got loose. Running back Pierre Thomas was cash money rushing for 91 yards and scoring twice; one rushing and one receiving. (21 fantasy points)

The Seahawks quarterback Matt Hasselbeck did his best on Sunday to earn his keep for every fantasy lineup he was Sunday. Hasselbeck completed 22 of 39 passes for 249 yards and threw two touchdowns. (21 fantasy points)

The Panthers used their two headed rushing attack out of the backfield to ground the Cardinals. Running back number two, Jonathan Stewart was a Sunday cash cow hitting paydirt twice and rambling his way to 87 yards on 17 carries. (20 fantasy points)

The Eagles rookie running back LeSean McCoy made the most of his opportunity with a rare start. The rookie feasted on the spotlight gaining 82 yards on the ground including a dynamite 66-yard scamper to pay-dirt. (15 fantasy points)

Players not quite earning their way to this honor roll, but drawing some attention include;

TE-Spencer Havner……….(21-yards, 2-touchdowns)

WR-Percy Harvin………….(86-yards, 1-touchdown)

RB-Justin Fargas…………..(79-yards, 1-touchdown)

TE-Dustin Keller……………(76-yards, 1-touchdown)

FB-Leonard Weaver……….(75-yards, 1-touchdown)

WR-Braylon Edwards…….(74-yards, 1-touchdown)

TE-Kevin Boss……………….(70-yards, 1-touchdown)

The Bums (Duds)

(Less than 5 fantasy points)

And of course where you find the “haves” you will find the “have-nots.” Here are your week 8 fantasy studs that left their “A” game for another day and brought their “D” for “Dud” game instead.

There is word that Trent Edwards could return to the lineup; after Ryan Fitzpatrick’s 117 yard passing day with two interceptions and no touchdowns, the sooner the better. (zero fantasy points).

After scoring in three straight games, the Dolphins running back Ronnie Brown only totaled 29 yards on Sunday. That won’t pay the rent. (two fantasy points)

The Jet’s rookie running back Shonn Greene goes from the penthouse one week, to the outhouse the next. Greene rushed for only 18 yards on eight carries with a fumble. (minus one fantasy point)

The Jaguar’s top receiver Mike Sims-Walker scored twice in their first meeting, but on Sunday he was a huge disappointment against the Titans. Sims-Walker finished with just nine receiving yards. (zero fantasy points)

There was no bigger disappointment on Sunday than the one for all of the Steve Slaton fantasy owners. Slaton was expected to be a player this season, but on Sunday he hardly played after a costly fumble (his seventh this season). Slaton finished the day with 11 total yards. (minus one fantasy point)

Fantasy owners that are waiting on wide receiver Eddie Royal to get going in 2009 are only becoming more frustrated. The Broncos speedy wideout finished Sunday with just 10 receiving yards. (one fantasy point)

For all the money the team paid to wide receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh, they are just not seeing any returns this season; 24 receiving yards on Sunday. (two fantasy points)

The Bronco’s wide receiver Brandon Marshall may be saying all the right things now off the field, but he’s still yet to do all the big things he did a season ago; 24 receiving yards on Sunday. (two fantasy points)

The Rams second year receiver Donnie Avery is just not having that breakout season some fantasy owners had hoped he would have; 15 receiving yards on Sunday. (one fantasy points)

Injuries played a huge part in putting these two duds on our list this week; Anquan Boldin caught just three passes for 23 yards and Owen Daniels had just one catch for 22 yards.

Rice is the man in Baltimore…

There is no longer any debate, discussion over. While many teams in the NFL embrace the running back by committee formula, the Ravens no longer appear to be a believer in that theory. Over the past several weeks there were tell-tale signs indicating that second year back Ray Rice was the featured ball carrier, but his 28 touches on Sunday against the Broncos proved his case without a shadow of a doubt. In his two previous starts Rice had his number called 21 and 22 times, but on Sunday he finished with 28 touches (23 carries, 5 receptions). As far as fantasy goes, his 874 total yards and five touchdowns also put him in rare company this season.

Miles Austin has arrived….

In case you haven’t been noticing the playmaking receiver in Dallas these days is not Roy E. Williams, not Terrell Owens, and not even tight end Jason Witten. From out of nowhere 4^th year receiver Miles Austin has arrived under the big top in Big-D to lead the Cowboys aerial attack. Austin has caught 21 balls for 482 yards and five touchdowns in his last three games. Now implanted as one of the starting wideouts in Dallas fantasy owners can make ready for a big second half from a receiver who had only caught 18 passes in 37 career games prior to the start of the 2009 season.

Looking under the microscope

While there was so much debate in the offseason surrounding the Cutler trade to Chicago, the biggest question had to be who would Jay throw to. After looking over the past eight weeks of football it becomes clear; it’s not a former teammate, a surprise rookie, or a projected all-pro potential tight end. Over the past three weeks wide receiver Devin Hester appears to be blossoming into the role quite comfortably. Both he and his quarterback seem to be developing a very good chemistry with Cutler looking his way 27 times over the past three weeks. In the same span Hester has caught 21 of those balls for 265 yards and one touchdown. The 4^th year receiver from the University of Miami still has some work to do with his route running, but there now seems to be little doubt about who Cutler will be throwing to these days.

More fantasy Notes

One of the biggest notes from this past weekend had to be the emergence of running back Ryan Moats in Houston. With starting running back Steve Slaton handing the ball away like a concert flyer (has fumbled seven times this season), the door has been swung wide open for Moats. On Sunday he seized the day rushing for 126 yards and scoring three times. His performance was so strong the question is raised “should Moats start?”

While some fantasy owners may have run out of patience, those that stayed the course with Bears running back Matt Forte reaped big rewards on Sunday. In Forte’s two previous starts he had totaled just 109 yards with zero scores. Sunday was a different story for the Bear’s back as he carried the ball 26 times, caught a couple of balls, totaled 121 yards and scored two touchdowns. Welcome back Matt Forte!

With his fumbling woes in 2009, the Texan’s running back Steve Slaton pulled the biggest disappearing act on Sunday finishing the day with just three touches for 11 total yards and one turnover.

Target Practice: Week Nine in the NFL

It’s always tough to find the right receivers each week for your fantasy matchup. One of the keys is not just what a player has done, but in a lot of cases you have to consider the potential of a player when you look their matchup. Another factor that needs to be included into this equation is which players are getting their number called most.

Look Who’s Hot….

If you are a fan of, and more importantly a participant in, a PPR league than you have to love what you are seeing from wide receiver Devin Hester. In the last three weeks he’s averaged nine targets per game and with so many chances he’s delivered. Hester has 21 receptions for 265 yards and is looking more and more like a go to receiver in Chicago. He can only get better and if you drafted him as your number three, you’ve got yourself what looks to be a great steal in the second half.

It’s not taking much effort, but the Eagle’s second year receiver DeSean Jackson is quickly emerging as an elite player in this league. He’s only needed ten targets in his last two games and three touches in each to find the end zone three times. With two receptions and one scintillating 67-yard end around in week seven Jackson scored twice. Last Sunday he only needed three catches to work his magic and find pay-dirt. The explosive receiver is averaging a little more than four touches per game and around 20 yards per touch. Now that’s explosive!

Who’s worried….
If you drafted Michael Crabtree back in August and have had the patience to wait all this time, relax because not only are you the most patient ever, but the pay-off could be coming soon. In his first two games as an NFL receiver Crabtree has had plenty of chances with 15 targets, but more importantly he’s already starting to produce with 11 receptions for 137 yards (projected over 16 games; 88 receptions, 1,096-yards)

For some fantasy owners, it might be time to worry when your number one receiver has only 125 yards combined in his last two games and has not scored a touchdown in his last three starts. Add to the facts that he was just injured a week ago and questionable for most of the week and it might make sense for panic to set in, but when that receiver is Andre Johnson you really haven’t much to worry about. This little dip in production is a mere bump in the road. Johnson was back on the field Sunday, he’s still one of the most targeted receivers in the game with (80) and a tremendous receiving talent.

Keep your Eye on these gems…
The Jets tight end Dustin Keller has been on a bit of a circus string with his numbers fluctuating from week to week. In the two previous weeks Keller has seen his target numbers go from 10 in week six down to just four in week seven. Week eight treated the Jet’s second year tight end much better with 13 targets and his production improved greatly with eight grabs for 76 yards and a touchdown. As the rookie Mark Sanchez continues to mature under center, we’d expect to see him lean more on his tight end going forward.

A couple of players that fantasy owners should continue to monitor are a pair of Indy receivers. With Reggie Wayne drawing a lot of attention and well deserved with 20 targets in week eight, Austin Collie and Pierre Garcon continue to warrant some discussion. Over the past two weeks both receivers have seen plenty of action in the Colts passing game with 14 and 16 targets respectively. As long as number 18 is under center, these two will at least merit WR3 considerations moving ahead. Also, the real missing stat here is Manning’s 26 completions per game!

Here is the breakdown for fantasy pass catchers (targets) this season;

Through Eight weeks:

Top-10 Targeted Pass-catchers

Player                                                   Targt    Recpt    FPTS

Johnson, Andre WR HOU      80     44     92

Smith, Steve WR NYG         78     53     87

Wayne, Reggie WR IND        77     51     102

Fitzgerald, Larry WR ARI      73     47     78

Burleson, Nate WR SEA        66     38     59

Moss, Randy WR NE             66     43     77

White, Roddy WR ATL                 66     37     88

Smith, Steve WR CAR         65     30     47

Ochocinco, Chad WR CIN      64     39     82

Welker, Wes WR NE            62     46     70

[points based on traditional scoring]

The Collector knows who your every week cash-cows (Brees, Brady, Peterson) are; they’re going to have their great weeks and those not so great weeks, but after checking the books and tallying the weekly balance sheets it’s time to once again see who this weeks Earners (Studs) are and who are the Bums (Duds)

The Earners (Studs)

(Note: Not your normal stars/check the wire. Min 16 fantasy points)

The Viking’s quarterback Brett Favre is quickly becoming a huge cash cow with 278 passing yards and three touchdowns (12 touchdowns in 2009) in week six. (29 fantasy points)

The Bronco’s quarterback Kyle Orton keeps the money coming in with 229 yards passing and two touchdowns in week six. (22 fantasy points)

The Panther’s second running back Jonathan Stewart brought home the bacon last Sunday with 17 carries for 110 yards rushing and a touchdown. (15 fantasy points)

The Patriot’s running back Laurence Maroney scored some big green on Sunday with 123 yards rushing and a 45-yard touchdown scamper. (19 fantasy points)

The Vikings wide receiver Sidney Rice was the big man on campus last Sunday with a jail-break performance catching six passes for 176 yards receiving. (17 fantasy points)

The Giant’s rookie wide receiver Hakeem Nicks cashed in big last Sunday catching five passes for 114 yards with a touchdown. (17 fantasy points)

The Bronco’s tight end Tony Scheffler racked in big green this past Monday night catching six passes for 101 yards receiving and a touchdown. (16 fantasy points)

The Bums (Duds)

(Note: We expect more from these guys/be careful starting. Less than 5 fantasy points)

The Seahawks quarterback Matt Hasselbeck coming off a great week five was not-so-great last weekend completing only 10 passes and not throwing a touchdown. (zero fantasy points)

It’s not that so much is expected of the rookie Mark Sanchez, but no one should ever be this bad, 10 of 29 passing and five interceptions. (minus six fantasy points)

The Giant’s running back Brandon Jacobs disappears in Sunday’s ambush and brings home empty pockets with just 33 yards rushing. (3 fantasy points)

The Steeler’s former starting running back Willie Parker struggles in week six with just seven carries for 26 yards with a fumble. (zero fantasy points)

The Seahawk’s wide receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh was almost M.I.A. on Sunday finishing with just four catches for 34 yards receiving. (3 fantasy points)

The Bill’s wide receiver Terrell Owens was a non-factor and disappointment on Sunday finishing the day with only three catches for 13 yards. (one fantasy point)

The Jet’s tight end Dustin Keller could not connect with his quarterback much on a Windy Sunday in the Meadowlands; he finished with two catches and 16 yards. (one fantasy point)

So once again grab a cold one (better make it two) and tae a lot of notes, and just remember Wayne is working hard, so you don’t have to and because he’s got nothing better to do!

Week Seven
After spending the first five weeks of the season dormant, the Saints wide receiver Lance Moore has awaken from his slumber. Slowed by injuries, Moore has played very little in 2009 missing a few games and being limited, but on Sunday it was a different story. Finally looking healthy Moore resembled more of his 2008 self catching six passes for 78 yards, including a 12-yard score. With the Saints flying high and Brees getting the ball to everyone, Moore looked very good on Sunday and could be one of those options down the road with a big game here and there. He’s definitely going to figure into the Saints passing attack and if available needs to be on someone’s roster.

With the Panther’s return to doing what they do best, run the ball running back Jonathan Stewart will figure into this equation. Last week against the Buccaneers Stewart saw his fair share of carries with 17. He gained 110 yards on the ground and scored a rushing touchdown. With the inconsistent play from the passing game it's safe to expect the Panthers to run the ball. As long as Carolina is committed to the run, expect Stewart to have good value always with plenty of chances to score. Coming off the injury bug Stewart should be available and would be a good bye week fill-in.

The Raiders have had more than their share of offensive woes in this young season, but just last Sunday there was a ray of some hope. With injuries sidelining Darren McFadden, running back Justin Fargas has had opportunity this season. This past week Fargas earned 23 carries and totaled 98 yards. In one game Fargas doubled his carries for the season and with the Raiders in search of any kind of offense, expect head coach Tom Cable to start with Fargas. The former SC Trojan running back is not going to blow up, but he's a solid runner and a decent fill-in to cover a bye or injury.

When Fred Taylor went down, the Patriots turned to Sammy Morris, now that Morris is down they'll look to running back Laurence Maroney. In his first extended action of the season or the past decade (injured in 2008) or so Maroney jumped all over the chance and made the most of his time in the spotlight. As the team’s featured snowplowing machine this past Sunday Maroney touched the ball 19 times and totaled 133 yards of offense. With numbers like this the Patriots will more than likely stay with the hot hand and keep feeding the horse. With the schedule sitting right in the middle of the byes, Maroney becomes an appealing fill-in option with the Bucs up next.

“Wayne’s Word”

Enough with the running back theme, looking for a hot tip or just some helpful advice, either way Wayne has the latest insight for this week. Another worthy spot where you can find some good help is the tight end position and with this week’s hottest pickup Wayne offers you these words;

Over the past several weeks the Vikings tight end Visanthe Shiancoe has quickly become quarterback Brett Favre’s most reliable target. Shiancoe is not being heavily targeted, but he’s not dropping many of Favre’s rockets. In the past three weeks the tight end has seen 11 passes thrown his direction and he’s managed to snag everyone; more importantly he’s making the most of his opportunities. Shiancoe has four touchdown receptions in his last three games and has five for the season. With Favre spreading the ball so well, expect him to keep looking for Shiancoe in the critical moments and in scoring position. As long as Shiancoe remains a favorite of Favre’s his numbers figure to improve. His fantasy scoring for the past three games is 7-points, 10-points, and 16-points.

Last Sunday we saw some old stock rebound off the market floor and regain new life when quarterback Matt Hasselbeck took the field. Against the Jaguars, the Seahawks quarterback was silky smooth passing for 241 yards and tossing four touchdowns to lead his team to a much needed win.

Hasselbeck played like a savvy and crafty veteran last Sunday completing 60 percent of his passes averaging eight yards per pass and his 35 fantasy points were tops among all quarterbacks last week.

Week Five’s “Mr. En Fuego”

QB-Matt Hasselbeck (Sea)

30 pass attempts, 18 pass completions,

241 yards passing, four touchdowns!!

3 runs, 23 rushing yards.

Aside from your normal weekly studs, when playing with the fantasy football stock market, the key is always finding great value and knowing when to drop dead weight. After five weeks now of gridiron action there are plenty of stocks on the move;

Week five Stock Exchange Notes:

How your fantasy stocks are doing as of last Week…

The Quarterbacks…

Fire (Rising stock): The Texans’ quarterback Matt Schaub is on the move again with his stock on the rise. Last week Schaub complete 70 percent of his passes for 371 yards and tossed two touchdowns.

Fire (Rising stock): The Eagles’ quarterback Donovan McNabb has only played one game in the past several weeks, but his 264-yards passing and three touchdown passes performance last weekend has his stock on the rise.

Ice (falling stock): The Titans’ quarterback Kerry Collins has been off target this season completing just 54 percent of his passes. Collins also has five turnovers in his last three games and passed for only 164 yards and no touchdowns last week.

The Running Backs…

Fire (Rising stock): Last Sunday against a very tough Raven defense, Cedric Benson did where 40 others had failed. He rushed for more than 100 yards, totaling 136 yards on the day.

Fire (Rising stock): The Bronco’s rookie runner Knowshon Moreno had a solid day as the starter last week totaling 124 yards of offense against the Patriots.

Fire (Rising stock): The Giants shifty small running back Ahmad Bradshaw was dynamite a week ago against the Raiders, doing most of his damage in the first half. Last week Bradshaw scampered his way to 110 yards on 11 carries with two touchdowns.

Ice (falling stock): Against the Browns last week, running back Fred Jackson was just a shell of himself. The Bills’ back gained only 30 yards on the ground and added a just a mere 17 yards receiving.

The Wide Receivers…

Fire (Rising stock): Last week no receiver was as hot as the Cowboys Miles Austin. The speedster blew past the Chief’s secondary for 250 receiving yards with two touchdowns.

Fire (Rising stock): Owners were waiting and he finally arrived. Last Sunday Falcons wideout Roddy White exploded for 210 receiving yards and tow scores catapulting his way up our stock charts.

Fire (Rising stock): The Cardinal’s receiver has been up and down a bit this season, but no question last week Larry Fitzgerald was hot. The wideout grabbed five passes for 79 yards, including two touchdowns.

Ice (falling stock): The Bengals receiver Laveranues Coles was held without a catch last week against a shaky Baltimore secondary ranked 26^th against the pass.

Ice (falling stock): The Patriots receiver Julian Edelman had only 15 yards receiving last week; something he’s likely to see reoccur more with the return of Welker.

The Tight Ends…

Fire (Rising stock): The Buccaneer’s tight end Kellen Winslow Jr. blew up for big numbers last Sunday as did his stock. Winslow had a huge game catching nine passes for over 100 yards and scored twice.

Fire (Rising stock): The Texan’s tight end Owen Daniels, after a slight stumble is climbing up the charts again coming off his eight receptions for 94 yards last week.

Ice (falling stock): The Jet’s second year tight end Dustin Keller is not having quite the season most thought. Through five games this season he has just 12 catches, including the infamous donut on Monday night.

STOCK WATCH

Pure Speculation

With Fred Taylor out indefinitely, it appears the running duties will belong to Sammy Morris. Last Sunday against the Broncos Morris toted the rock 17 times (2^nd highest total of carries in a game this season for a New England running back) for 68 yards. Morris also adds the dimension of a pass receiver with 134 receiving yards this season. With no other runner in the Patriot’s backfield having quite the same success, this could be the Morris show looking ahead.

The Ram’s offense has yet to get anything going this season other than running back Steven Jackson. Last Sunday quarterback Marc Bulger made his return to the field and seemed to click with his number one wideout Donnie Avery. Bulger could be playing for a job as the season goes and Avery could benefit. These two made a few highlights last season for the reel and with a favorable matchup this Sunday, both could be looking to repeat. Avery has big play potential, but we have yet to see it; Sunday could be a good day to be looking.

It doesn’t take a genius to see a big arm with a talented wideout equals great things. In Miami this appears to be the potential with wide receiver Ted Ginn Jr. and the team’s newly discovered passer. Quarterback Chad Henne and Ginn Jr. connected on one big play for a 53 yard scoring strike against the Jets. If Henne is as good as he looked Monday night, with still 11 games left on the schedule Ginn Jr. could be hooking up with his field general for several more strikes along the way.

This Week’s “Stock Trends”

Need to know what stocks to play?

Here’s how they are doing;

(thumbs up)

Peyton Manning, QB-Colts

The best of the best, Manning’s stock has been riding a whirlwind; this season he’s thrown 12 touchdowns and passed for over 1,600 yards (329 yards per game) in his five starts this season.

Kyle Orton, QB-Broncos

Over the past several weeks, Orton’s numbers have gradually getting better. In his last two starts Orton has completed 55 passes for 573 yards (286.5 yards per game) and thrown four touchdowns.

Ben Roethlisberger, QB-Steelers

Not normally a big stats guy, the Steeler’s big armed quarterback has been pretty warm over the past several weeks. In his last three starts Big Ben has 886 yards passing, six touchdown throws, and just two picks.

Steven Jackson, RB-Rams

His stock is not great yet, but the Ram’s running back seems to be one of the safest. Despite an inept offense, he’s averaging 108 yards per game of offense (rushing and receiving).

Michael Turner, RB-Falcons

With his three touchdowns last week, Turner is one of the hottest stocks on the market. Turner has now scored in his last three starts and is averaging 86 yards on the ground over the same span.

Hines Ward, WR-Steelers

The All-Pro Receiver has been locked-in and steady the last two weeks with 15 receptions, 198 receiving yards, and a touchdown.

T.J. Houshmandzadeh, WR-Seahawks

The Hawks high priced free agent has been doing his best the past two weeks to earn his keep with 13 receptions for 180 yards, including two touchdowns last week.

Brandon Marshall, WR-Broncos

The 4^th year wideout from Central Florida has been on the move up the charts over the past couple of weeks. Marshall has 17 receptions for 222 yards and four touchdowns in his last three games.

Vernon Davis, TE-Niners

The 4^th year tight end has re-emerged as a playmaker this season, 15 receptions for 190 yards receiving and three touchdowns in his last three games.

Brent Celek, TE-Eagles

This season the Eagle’s tight end has been a steady play and in his last three games he’s caught a total of 20 passes for 266 yards and a score.

Dallas Clark, TE-Colts

Perhaps one of the best stocks on the market today, Clark is averaging eight catches for 73 yards per game in his last three starts.

(thumbs down)

Trent Edwards, QB-Bills

The Bills quarterback is just back stock this season. Even with two talented wideouts like Owens and Evans, Edwards can only muster five touchdowns to six picks. In his last three starts he thrown five picks to just one touchdown and averaged a meager 166 yards per game passing.

Jason Campbell, QB-Redskins

Campbell has regressed in his last two starts completing just 27 passes for a total of 315 yards with three touchdowns and four turnovers.

Larry Johnson, RB-Chiefs

The running back has been receiving a steady diet of carries, but just can find any holes. In his last three games he’s averaging more than 19 carries per game, but just 42 yards on the ground.

Brandon Stokley, WR-Broncos

The Bronco’s slot receiver has been missing in action in his team’s last three games. Stokley has only six catches this season and has gone without a grab in his last three games.

Michael Clayton, WR-Buccaneers

The sixth year receiver has been anything, but reliable this season. Clayton has just 10 grabs and has gone without a catch in two of his five starts this season.

Zach Miller, TE-Raiders

Clearly the team’s best pass receiving option, Miller has just 15 receptions this season stuck on a struggling offense. His 69 yards last week was his best production thus far this season and through the team’s first five games, he has yet to score.

Brandon Pettigrew, TE-Lions

The rookie tight end has yet to record more than four catches in any one game and is averaging a paltry 31 yards receiving per game.

Remember to check back every week for more “Fire & Ice!”

We are always in search of knowledge and more importantly that all important commodity information. If you are planning on setting a winning fantasy football lineup for week 5, then you better be in the know and certain which players are going to perform this week.

Now that we are a quarter of the way into the season, we can start to discuss trends, note tendencies, but more notably recognize that numbers don’t lie. This week’s focus for the fantasy fanatics is more target practice. If you are looking for much needed help heading into week 5, you’ve targeted the right place and we’ve got your fix.

Who’s worried….

The numbers are down somewhat at the moment, but fantasy owners should not panic when it comes to the Falcon’s wide receiver Roddy White. In his first three games this season he has been targeted 26 times, indicating it’s just a matter of time before he’s back on track. Taking into account White’s late arrival to camp, he’s sure to have shaken the rust by now, so owners can expect to see better production from him soon.

His first two games were quiet, just 61 yards receiving, but over the past two weeks it appears the Bronco’s playmaking receiver Brandon Marshall is starting to come to life. In the past two weekends Marshall has grabbed nine balls for 158 yards and scored two touchdowns. For the season Marshall has been targeted consistently (28 times) and it finally looks like he’s starting to heat up. Fantasy owners can now look forward to seeing more great things from “Baby T.O.”

One of the newer additions to the Titan’s passing game this season is former Steeler’s receiver Nate Washington. He was brought in to give quarterback Kerry Collins and the Titan’s a legitimate deep threat in the aerial attack and while things haven’t quite panned out as planned fantasy owners shouldn’t get too nervous. While Washington does only have 14 receptions for 135 yards, he’s had plenty of opportunity with 31 targets this season indicating the prospect of a much better second quarter of the season.

Another pass catcher off to a disappointing start that should not be overlooked is the Bear’s tight end Greg Olsen. With just 10 receptions and only 94 yards, it becomes very easy for owners to give up on the former Miami Hurricane; mistake. In the team’s first four games, Olsen has been consistently targeted and has seen a total of 25 balls thrown his direction. The numbers aren’t there yet, but give it time he and his quarterback will soon be on the same page.

Keep your Eye on these gems…

If you caught the matchup between the Bengals and Browns this past Sunday, sure it was a marathon of a lot of nothing, but after taking a closer look it’s hard to avoid the emergence of rookie receiver Mohamed Massaquoi. The kid snagged eight balls for about a buck and a half, but the more compelling factor were the 13 balls thrown his way. With Derek Anderson now in the huddle, Massaquoi looks like he’ll be the favorite by far.

After seeing only one pass in his direction in week one, the Jaguars receiver Mike Sims-Walker is quickly regaining some of the notoriety he earned in small stints a year ago. In his past three starts Walker has seen a total of 30 balls thrown his way and he has delivered with fantasy-like production; 19 receptions, 278 yards, 3 touchdowns.

Here is the breakdown for fantasy pass catchers (targets) this season;

Through four weeks:

Top-30 Targeted Pass-catchers

Player         Targt

Smith, Steve-WR, NYG                   45

Moss, Randy-WR, NE                     44

Burleson, Nate-WR, SEA                41

Johnson, Calvin-WR, DET              40

Wayne, Reggie-WR, IND                40

Houshmandzadeh, T.J.-WR, SEA  38

Johnson, Andre-WR, HOU             38

Ochocinco, Chad-WR, CIN             36

Smith, Steve-WR, CAR                   36

Gates, Antonio-TE, SD                              35

Holmes, Santonio-WR, PIT            35

Cotchery, Jerricho-WR, NYJ                   34

Clark, Dallas-TE, IND                     33

Mason, Derrick-WR, BAL               33

Ward, Hines-WR, PIT                     33

Carlson, John-TE, SEA                             32

Cooley, Chris-TE, WAS                            32

Manningham, Mario-WR, NYG     32

Sims-Walker, Mike-WR, JAC         31

Washington, Nate-WR, TEN                    31

Gage, Justin-WR, TEN                    30

Ginn Jr., Ted-WR, MIA                   30

Murphy, Louis-WR, OAK               30

Winslow, Kellen-TE, TB                  30

Clayton, Mark-WR, BAL                 29

Driver, Donald-WR, GB                   29

Fitzgerald, Larry-WR, ARI              29

Jackson, Vincent-WR, SD               29

Moss, Santana-WR, WAS               29

Daniels, Owen-TE, HOU                 28

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