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Linebackers
WHO'S HOT
Edgerton Hartwell, Baltimore Ravens, hasn't exactly
become the forgotten man on this team, but with Ray Lewis
playing healthy, there's really only been so many tackles
to go around. Hartwell has, however, remained constant,
which carries a lot of weight in fantasy football. If
you can count on a player to provide double digit production
for you every week, he belongs in your line up. In Hartwell's
case, you also know he's going to explode if Lewis were
to ever relapse into injury. Against the Cincinnati Bengals,
Edge posted 5 solo and 2 assisted tackles and two sacks. Remember
the days when the name Jessie Armstead, Washington Redskins,
used to invoke thoughts of MLB dominance, primarily from
his days as a New York Giant? Well, now he shares tackling
opportunities with two other highly-productive linebackers,
Jeremiah Trotter and LaVar Arrington, and he's not prone
to as many eye-popping Sunday outings as he once was. Against
the Buffalo Bills, however, Armstead was machine-like once
again, netting 10 solo and 1 assisted tackles, and a sack. One
thing is for sure. as long as the Redskin offense continues
to flounder, scoring opportunities for Armstead and company
will rise accordingly. Another struggling offense can
be found in nearby Philadelphia, and similar escalated
opportunities present themselves for that defense. MLB Mark
Simoneau, Philadelphia Eagles, is beginning
to flourish in his new defensive role, after having spent
several years in Atlanta. While most would argue that
the Eagles didn't participate enough in free agency in
the off-season to improve their team (especially after
losing stud veterans Hugh Douglas and Shawn Barber), Simoneau
is turning out to be the viable exception. While smallish,
he's lightening quick and unafraid to stick his nose into
the fray. Against the New York Giants, Simoneau was a
game breaker, grabbing 8 solo and 2 assisted tackles, a
sack, and a forced fumble that stopped what was probably
a game-saving drive. As mentioned above, the Eagles D
should find itself on the field with regularity, and Simoneau
should provide excellent production for fantasy owners. Other
LB's of note in Week 7: Donnie Edwards, SD Chargers; Dexter
Coakley, DAL Cowboys; Jamie Sharper, HOU Texans; all SEA
Seahawks LB's; LaVar Arrington, WAS Redskins; Carlos Emmons,
PHI Eagles; Al Wilson, DEN Broncos; Zach Thomas, MIA Dolphins;
and Chris Claiborne, MIN Vikings.
WHO'S NOT
Ouch. as a fellow Keith Brooking, Atlanta Falcons,
owner, this steady-production player will be sorely missed
over the next 6 or so weeks. Apparently, the damage to
his back is more severe than originally thought, and will
require more down time and treatment than Daunte Culpepper,
who had a very similar injury. The Falcons have just played
horribly in Michael Vick's absence, but that hasn't stopped
Brooking from realizing excellent fantasy production. It
is hard to say who will pick up his tackling stats, but
odds are that Matt Stewart and Chris Draft should benefit. Another
player I drafted this year has been more reliable. reliably
injured. Once again, MLB Dan Morgan, Carolina Panthers,
is rendered useless, as he was knocked out of the Panther's
first loss in week 7 with a concussion. I waived Morgan
several weeks back when he backed out of a game with a
hamstring problem. Some poor sap picked him up, got a
decent game out of him, and then realized the errors of
his ways this past week. It is really a shame, but steer
clear of injury-prone Morgan, and stick with Will Witherspoon,
who is enjoying a solid and consistent season.
Start 'em if you got 'em
Will Witherspoon, CAR Panthers, against the NO Saints
Tedy
Bruschi, NE Patriots, against the CLE Browns
Derrick Brooks,
TB Bucs, against the DAL Cowboys
Al Wilson, DEN Broncos, against
the BAL Ravens
Ray Lewis, BAL Ravens, against the DEN Broncos
Mike Barrow,
NY Giants, against the MIN Vikings
Chris Claiborne, MIN Vikings,
against the NY Giants
Anthony Simmons, SEA Seahawks, against
the Cincinnati Bengals
Keith Bulluck, TEN Titans, against
the JAX Jaguars
Ronald McKinnon, AZ Cardinals, against the
SF 49ers
David Thornton, IND Colts, against the HOU Texans
Sam Cowart,
NY Jets, against the PHI Eagles
Takeo Spikes, BUF Bills, against
the KC Chiefs
Scott Fujita, KC Chiefs, against the BUF Bills
Zach Thomas,
MIA Dolphins, against the SD Chargers
Defensive Linemen
WHO'S HOT
Corey Simon, PHI Eagles, is one of the more athletically
gifted defensive linemen in the league and, while he is
definitely missing Hugh Douglas on the line, is starting
to come on this season. As mentioned above, the Eagle
D could find itself on the field disproportionately this
year, and Simon has the durability to play every down and
realize solid tackling opportunities. Against the Giants,
Simon had 6 solo and 1 assisted tackles, and a sack - solid
numbers for a linebacker. One of the more consistent defensive
linemen has been Aaron Schobel, Buffalo Bills. Schobel
can be counted for a sack practically every game, and the
defense, one with tremendous potential, appears to be gelling. Against
the struggling Redskins, he pulled in 3 solo and 1 assisted
tackles, and a sack. Another consistent defensive lineman
this year has been Leonard Little, St. Louis Rams. Little,
like Simon, is extremely athletically gifted and utilized
his speed both on the corners and in run support to realize
outstanding sack and tackling opportunities. With other
teams having to place focus on Grant Wistrom on the other
end, Little has tormented opposing quarterbacks this year. Against
the Packers, Little applied pressure on Brett Favre all
day, and posted 4 solo tackles and an interception. Other
DL's of note in Week 7: Courtney Brown, CLE Browns; Tony
Weaver, BAL Ravens; Shaun Ellis, NY Jets; Mike Rucker and
Julius Peppers, CAR Panthers; Jevon Kearse, TEN Titans;
Michael Strahan, NY Giants; and Kevin Williams, MIN Vikings.
WHO'S NOT
How many injuries can a team incur? Just ask the Saints,
as another defensive lineman goes down. Grady Jackson,
New Orleans Saints, is the latest casualty with an
injured left pinky finger, of all things, and he's listed
as questionable to play in this week's match up with the
Carolina Panthers. The good news is that DE Darren Howard
should return mid-November from wrist surgery, completing
what was considered early in the year one of the most feared
and athletic defensive lines.
Start 'em if you got 'em
Julius Peppers/Mike Rucker, CAR Panthers, against the
NO Saints
Courtney Brown, CLE Browns, against the NE Patriots
Simeon
Rice, TB Bucs, against the DAL Cowboys
Trevor Pryce, DEN
Broncos, against the BAL Ravens
Michael Strahan, NY Giants,
against the MIN Vikings
Leonard Little, STL Rams, against
the PIT Steelers
Jevon Kearse, TEN Titans, against the JAX
Jaguars
Andre Carter, SF 49ers, against the AZ Cardinals
Dwight
Freeney, IND Colts, against the HOU Texans
Shaun Ellis,
NY Jets, against the PHI Eagles
Aaron Schobel, BUF Bills,
against the KC Chiefs
Jason Taylor, MIA Dolphins, against
the SD Chargers
Defensive Backs
WHO'S HOT
Kwamie Lassiter, San Diego Chargers, came up big
this past week, providing a huge contribution to the team
realizing its first win of the season. Before coming to
San Diego, it could be argued that Lassiter was Arizona's
most impact player on defense. I, like many, pegged Lassiter
as a highly ranked DB before the season started, but he'd
not really performed to expectations early on. It was
good to see him break out somewhat in Week 7, as he contributed
4 solo tackles and an interception for a touchdown, and
I expect Lassiter to experience continued success for the
remainder of the year. We are starting to see why Bill
Belichick found Lawyer Milloy expendable heading into the
season, as veteran stud safety Rodney Harrison, New
England Patriots, has been a force on defense. It
is obvious that it took both preseason and a few regular
season games for Harrison to get "up to speed" in his new
surroundings, but he's posted strong, consistent numbers
in recent weeks. In a huge win against division rival
Miami, Harrison manned up with 9 solo and 2 assisted tackles,
and a forced fumble. He is definitely making a positive
impact, and is on pace to make another visit to Hawaii
this year. Corey Harris, Detroit Lions, is having
a solid performance this year, largely because he is often
the last line of defense and is forced to make plays. Harris
is a big hitter, is often used in blitz packages, and should
finish out the year with good production numbers, as the
defense as a whole will likely continue to both struggle
and be on the field a majority of the game. Against the
Cowboys, Harris posted 4 solo tackles, a sack, and a forced
fumble. Other DB's of note in Week 7: Robert Griffith,
CLE Browns; Sam Garnes, NY Giants; Eric Brown, HOU Texans;
Mike Brown, CHI Bears; Darren Sharper and Antwan Edwards,
GB Packers; Matt Bowen, WAS Redskins; and Sammy Knight,
MIA Dolphins.
WHO'S NOT
Brian Kelly, Tampa Bay Buccaneers will miss the remainder
of the year with a torn pectoral muscle that will require
surgery. This is a significant blow to the vaunted Buc
D, as Kelly forced teams to stay honest to both sides of
the field, therefore providing stud CB Ronde Barber ample
opportunities to make big plays. Also, John Lynch,
Tampa Bay Buccaneers, is doubtful with an injured shoulder. Lynch
is one of the leaders on the field, and is a key factor
in run support. Expect replacements Tim Wansley and John
Howell to fill in for Kelly and Lynch, respectively. Howell
could be a good start against the upstart Cowboys this
weekend if Lynch cannot find his way onto the field.
Start 'em if you got 'em
Jay Bellamy, NO Saints, against the CAR Panthers
Rodney
Harrison, NE Patriots, against the CLE Browns
Roy Williams,
DAL Cowboys, against the TB Bucs
Ed Reed, BAL Ravens, against
the DEN Broncos
Mike Brown, CHI Bears, against the DET Lions
Corey Chavous,
MIN Vikings, against the NY Giants
Ken Hamlin, SEA Seahawks,
against the CIN Bengals
Adrian Wilson, AZ Cardinals, against
the SF 49ers
Mike Doss, IND Colts, against the HOU Texans
Greg Wesley,
KC Chiefs, against the BUF Bills
Kwamie Lassiter, SD Chargers,
against the MIA Dolphins
Team Defenses
- BAL Ravens vs. DEN Broncos - Danny Kanell. meet Ray
Lewis
- MIN Vikings vs. NY Giants - Vikings D improved; NYG
too many turnovers
- TB Bucs vs. DAL Cowboys - Bucs D needs to and will
prove it's worth
- IND Colts vs. HOU Texans - After week's rest, good
IND D will dominate
- NE Patriots vs. CLE Browns - Which CLE QB will start? Does
it matter?
- SF 49ers @ AZ Cardinals - 49ers D getting more solid
each week
- STL Rams @ PIT Steelers - Rams Cover 2 will test Maddox
and company
- KC Chiefs vs. BUF Bills - Arrowhead and Chiefs D will
be factors in game
- MIA Dolphins @ SD Chargers - Junior's return; MIA D
will be fired up
- CAR Panthers @ NO Saints - Panther D stinging after
1st loss
- NY Jets @ PHI Eagles - Jets DL producing sacks a plenty
- TEN Titans @ JAX Jaguars - JAX will make mistakes playing
keep up
As always, make sure you check the injury reports when
deciding who to start each week. Good luck, and thanks
for supporting The Huddle!
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