FANTASY FOOTBALL IN-SEASON FEATURES

Prediction: DEN 27, ARI 10

Update: Matt Prater has been ruled out this week and Steven Hauschka has been signed for at least this week if not more depending on Prater's groin injury.

Well. Someone has to win this.

Pregame Notes: The Broncos said au revoir to their headcoach Josh McDaniels before he could trade away any more talent and promoted up RB coach Eric Studesville as the interim head coach. He's already come out with the obligatory statement about not changing quarterbacks. The question this week is if the Broncos can follow the lead of Dallas and Minnesota by winning games after canning a coach. In this case, the Broncos get the easiest pickings. Maybe in the entire league.

QUARTERBACK: Kyle Orton will remain the starter for this year and Tim Tebow gets to wait for the offseason. Orton scored in every game until last week's debacle in Kansas City. There is no way of knowing what changes there will be in play calling but chances are the RB coach is going to call more RB plays. Facing the #32 defense against the running backs will make that move look pretty smart.

Still have to figure on Orton throwing for decent yardage and at least one score. It is a habit by now and the Cardinals are pretty accommodating.

I am loving the chance for a defensive score in this game. Champ Bailey on Fitzgerald and a rookie quarterback with no one to catch the ball but defenders.

RUNNING BACKS: Cannot hurt to have the RB coach as the interim head coach and Knowshon Moreno has really stepped up in the last four games. He scored in three of them and had well over 100 total yards in each. He rushed for 161 yards on just 23 carries in Kansas City. He's become more proficient as a receiver and since the team has stuck with him, the results have been good and getting better. Losing Josh McDaniels can only help Moreno.

The Cardinals rank #32 against running backs. They have allowed 15 touchdowns to the position this year and six runners topped 100 yards against them. This should be the one week that Moreno is a lock to have a good game.

WIDE RECEIVERS: The switch at head coach draws risk to assume what the play calling will be this week but the Cardinals are weak against everything including wideouts. Brandon Lloyd should still be a safe start and could have a big game here but Eddie Royal and Jabbar Gaffney should just be considered for moderate yardage until the offense is clear again. All three could have big games here but more likely Moreno will with a dash of Lloyd just because they can.

TIGHT ENDS: No fantasy value.

Pregame Notes: The Cardinals are merely pre-firing of their own head coach with a seven game losing streak that really is not that much the fault of the coach as it is the ownership who allowed the good players to all leave besides Larry Fitzgerald. Now that even the bad quarterbacks have been lost for the season, the Cardinals are down to barely scoring in games anymore and yet still giving up at least 27 points in five of the last six games. The Cardinals still serve a great purpose in fantasy football, it is just from the other side again.

QUARTERBACK: Derek Anderson had a concussion last week and has not yet passed the tests. If he is lucid at all, he should just fake negative results before he ends up with a life-changer on this offense. Max Hall came in last week and then went back out to the injured reserve when he dislocated his shoulder. That leaves the rookie John Skelton to be the starter though the Cards quickly signed Richard Bartel to compete for the job. Skelton already knows the offense though and he's young and can take a hit. Skelton makes for a risky play this week though along with all Cardinals.

RUNNING BACKS: Beanie Wells not only is playing worse with each week including missing blocks that result in quarterback injuries, but he has been reduced down to only four touches last week and six touches the previous game. Tim Hightower is not really an answer either but there is no one else to turn to so he gets most of the action on this unit that ranks #32 among running backs in the league.

And yet - the Broncos are ranked 31st against running backs so there is no doubt that the game will feature as much running as the Cards can get away with if only to reduce the need to rely on John Skelton as quarterback.

it is hard to rely on an offense without a touchdown in two games but this is a great chance for at least one score that would have to be with Hightower.

WIDE RECEIVERS: The only reason why Champ Bailey would not be covering Larry Fitzgerald would have to do with some documents over at WikiLeaks. The entire offense really revolves around Fitzgerald who remarkably has maintained fantasy value despite the constant double coverage and lack of any other threats on the team to concern the defense. Fitzgerald has five scores on the year but only one in the last five games. He has the subject of a dozen or so targets every week but those turn into wildly varying results depending on the defense. Figure on no scores here and likely marginal yardage unless there is so much trash time that Fitzgerald gets a chance like Dwayne Bowe did a month ago. That's just not likely though.

TIGHT ENDS: No fantasy value.