Quarterback
IMichael Vick didn't throw a touchdown pass in
Week 14, yet he finished as fantasy football's second ranked
quarterback in terms of points scored (by Huddle scoring).
Many owners probably thought Vick might be a bit gun-shy
after such a long layoff. However, he was his usual marvelous
self, rushing for 141 yards. Get Vick in your lineup this
week. If he had that kind of success against a quality
run defense like that of the Panthers, he should fare well
against the Colts, who give up 4.6 yards per carry and
nearly 118 rushing yards per game. This contest could quickly
develop into a shootout, so I expect Vick to post two touchdowns,
200 yards passing and 70 yards rushing. - It's tough to
bet against a gritty competitor like Steve McNair,
especially when his team is coming off a loss. However,
I don't like his matchup this week against the Bills. Buffalo
allows just 170.5 passing yards per game and they've limited
quarterbacks to just 11 passing touchdowns this season
(tied for second best in the NFL). What's more, they've
held opponents to 17 points or less in every game since
their bye back in Week 9. If you can afford to bench the
hobbled McNair, do so this week. I don't expect more than
180 yards passing and one touchdown. - In a pinch, use Jake
Delhomme this week against Cardinals. Although the
Panthers are on a three-game losing streak, Delhomme has
strung together three straight weeks with at least one
passing touchdown. Meanwhile, the Cardinals were last seen
surrendering six total touchdowns to Jeff Garcia.
I expect Delhomme to finish with solid stats Sunday, two
touchdowns and 210 yards passing. - Very quietly Brett
Favre has posted 23 passing touchdowns this season
and he ranks tops in the league in that category. While
Favre's yardage statistics are down, he still can be counted
on for quality starts most weeks. Activate him for Sunday's
game against the Chargers. The warm weather should help
his injured hand get a better grip on the ball and San
Diego's pass defense is the league's worst. I expect 175
yards and three touchdowns from Favre.
This Week's Sleepers: Jake Delhomme, Brad Johnson
and Anthony Wright
Running Back
Colts running back Edgerrin James needs just 82
yards to reach 1,000 on the season. I wouldn't be surprised
if he comes close to that mark shortly after halftime.
The Falcons haven't been able to stop many running backs
this season. More importantly for James owners, Atlanta
has given up a league-high 20 rushing touchdowns. While
the firing of Dan Reeves and the return of Michael Vick
may bring some added intensity to the Falcons, I still
expect James to find a lot of success. He should finish
with 130 all-purpose yards and two scores. - Cheers to Travis
Henry. Henry rushed for a career high 169 yards in
Sunday's win over the Jets. It was his second straight
100-yard game. That's not too shabby for a guy who's playing
with a cracked bone in his leg. With double-digit touchdowns,
Henry is the type of running back who likely should be
in your lineup every week. Even so, Henry owners face a
difficult decision this week because Henry visits Tennessee.
The Titans have allowed just one 100-yard rusher in their
last 24 games and zero in their last 27 home games. Start
Henry this week unless you have a strong backup, but don't
expect more than 70 yards rushing. - The top sleeper play
this week is Thomas Jones of the Buccaneers. Last
week, Jones carried the ball 20 times for 89 yards. He
didn't score a touchdown, but don't let that concern you
too much because he has been Tampa's goal-line back for
several weeks. Sunday they face the Texans, who just gave
up 200+ yards last week to the Jaguars. I'd be surprised
if Jones didn't finish this game with at least 90 yards
and a touchdown. - If Jerome Bettis has been idling
on your bench this season, now would be a good time to
rev up the Bus. Bettis has scored in two straight games
and he posted his first 100-yard performance of the season
last week against the Raiders. He's a strong play again
this Sunday when Pittsburgh travels to New Jersey to face
a Jets defense that ranks dead last against the run. Bettis
should be good for 90 yards and a touchdown this week.
This Week's Sleepers: Thomas Jones, Jerome Bettis
and Jamel White
Wide Receiver
After a scorching five week stretch in which he racked
up 514 yards and four touchdowns, Steve Smith has
cooled off and has averaged less than 70 yards in his last
four games. But keep Smith in your lineup. He should find
some success this week against an Arizona defense that
has given up an average of 38 points in the last four games.
In fact, the Cardinals have been so awful lately that the
on-again off-again Muhsin Muhammad should have a
good game, too. Look for 100 yards and a touchdown from
Smith and 70 yards and a score from Muhammad. - Keenan
McCardell has become the poor man's Hines Ward.
While he won't always get you 80 yards and a touchdown,
more often than not he'll get you one or the other. McCardell
has averaged more than seven receptions per game over the
past five weeks. Activate him for Sunday's game against
the Texans and expect no less than 90 yards and a touchdown. - While
Seattle gets a bad rap for playing poorly on the road,
no one is worse than the 49ers, a team that hasn't sniffed
a road victory all season. In their last two road games,
the 49ers have given up 64 points and four passing touchdowns.
Keep your Bengals receivers in your starting lineup this
week and bank on good performances. Chad Johnson should
bounce back nicely after posting just 15 yards last week.
I expect 90 yards and two touchdowns for Johnson and 85
yards for Peter Warrick. - With both David Carr
and Tony Banks injured, keep Andre Johnson and the
rest of the Houston receivers as far away from your starting
lineup as possible. Johnson has just two receptions in
his last two games and can no longer be trusted. - Even
though they've maintained their number one ranking in pass
defense, the Cowboys have given up six passing touchdowns
in the past two weeks. That's a good sign for Laveranues
Coles, who typically has his best games at home, where
he'll be Sunday. Start him and look for at least 75 yards
and a touchdown. - I could be wrong, but this could very
well be the first time in 15 years that the Green Bay Packers
don't have a fantasy receiver ranked among the top 20 wideouts
in the league (or even the top 30 for that matter). While
you can't count on him to post the touchdowns of Sterling
Sharpe or the yardage of Robert Brooks, Javon Walker is
turning out to be a quality fantasy player. Walker has
scored a touchdown in three straight games and is Brett
Favre's go-to-guy. This week, the Packers travel to San
Diego to face a Chargers defense that has given up 29 passing
touchdowns this season. Start Walker this week. He has
an excellent chance to post his first 100-yard game of
the season Sunday.
This Week's Sleepers: Javon Walker, Robert Ferguson,
Muhsin Muhammad and Curtis Conway
Tight End
Shannon Sharpe needs 67 yards this week to reach
10,000 on his career. With the unabashed tight end potentially
retiring after this season, Week 15 could mark his final
home game in Denver. (The Broncos are on the road for the
final two weeks of the regular season and they're unlikely
to host a postseason game.) Sharpe certainly isn't showing
his age. He's ranked second in the league among tight ends
with 643 receiving yards. He's been rock solid all season
for fantasy owners, really only posting two poor games
in all of 2003. Look for another strong game this week
against the Browns. Cleveland has allowed a touchdown to
a tight end in three of their last four games. Sharpe has
a good chance to finish Sunday with 70 yards and a touchdown. - If
you could use some added points from your tight end position
this week, consider Wesley Walls. Brett Favre has
thrown his way 10 times in the last two weeks, including
once in the endzone in Week 14. The week the Packers face
a Chargers defense that continues to be victimized by tight
ends. They've given up six scores to tight ends in their
last four games. While a touchdown pass could very well
go to Bubba Franks, Walls gets more looks from Brett
Favre and is a safer choice.
This Week's Sleepers: Wesley Walls and Alge Crumpler
Kicker
Baltimore's Matt Stover ranks third in the league among
kickers with 116 points. He trails only Jeff Wilkins and Mike
Vanderjagt, who are in a league of their own. Last
week, Stover failed to connect on multiple field goals
for the first time in six games. Look for a bounce back
performance from him this week against the Raiders, a team
that has allowed 22 or more points in five of their last
six games. Stover should finish with 8-10 points - Shayne
Graham continues to be one of my top sleeper kickers.
Graham isn't likely to get you a dozen points, but he won't
hurt you either. That's often all you can ask from a kicker.
Look for another quality performance this week when Graham
faces the 49ers. I expect a minimum of seven points.
This Week's Sleepers: Shayne Graham, Morten Andersen,
and Martin Gramatica
Defense
If your defense has been merely average all year, don't
hesitate to stir the pot a bit and acquire a new team for
the playoffs. In particular I like the New Orleans Saints this
week against the Giants. New York quarterback Kerry Collins
is out for Sunday's game, leaving Jesse Palmer to take
the reins. Last week in limited action, Palmer was sacked
five times and coughed up a fumble behind a terrible offensive
line. Look for the Saints to frustrate Palmer this weekend
and finish with at least three turnovers and four sacks. - The Green
Bay Packers were recommended here last week and they
satisfied owners by causing five turnovers, racking up
three sacks and scoring a touchdown. Start Green Bay again
this week against the Chargers. Word out of San Diego is
that Drew Brees may start this week. In his last full game,
Brees threw three interceptions and was sacked six times.
While I expect San Diego will score some points with LaDainian
Tomlinson, count on at least two turnovers and three sacks
by the Packers. - Look for the ball hawking Minnesota
Vikings defense to feast on rookie quarterback Rex
Grossman this week. Minnesota has an excellent chance to
score a defensive touchdown and should cause a minimum
of three turnovers.
This Week's Sleepers: New Orleans Saints, Green
Bay Packers and Minnesota Vikings
The 6-Pack
Last Week's 6-Pack: Redhook ESB Amber Ale
Price Paid: $6.29
What the Bottle Tells Us: Redhook is brewed by
the Redhook Ale brewery and uses 100% barley malt.
What I Say: Redhook ESB is presented in a basic
brown longneck and adorned with a bright yellow and red
label. This is a microbrew that has grown up and is now
distributed on a national scale. Along the way, I suspect
it has been transformed and probably cheapened. Even so,
Redhook has a lot to offer the beer drinker. It's a moderately
aromatic ale that brings a fresh, grassy smell to the nose.
In the glass, Redhook pours to an airy head that fades
quickly into a thin white layer of foam. The beer itself
is very clear with no yeast remnants and features an orange/rust
color; it's a nice looking ale. My first sip of Redhook
felt a bit like a slap upside my head delivered by my mother
after I made an ill-advised comment. It took me off guard.
Expansive hop flavor along with malt, caramel and citrus
undertones make for a raucous combination of tastes. Also
of note: There's something about this beer makes it slick
on the tongue. Most of the flavor seems to be experienced
on the back of your throat, rather than your taste buds.
It's an interesting quality that actually makes the beer
go down fairly well despite the hard-hitting flavors. Redhook
does leave a mildly bitter aftertaste resembling citrus
rind and tea, thus the name ESB (Extra Special Bitter).
It may turn off some beer drinkers, but not this one. On
the downside, Redhook doesn't have a signature characteristic
that would make it a staple in my fridge. However, it's
a good beer in this price range and its sheer drinakability
has persuaded me to purchase and partake again.
What Readers Say: Scott Schroeder of Detroit chimed
in this week. Like me, Scott was impressed with Redhook's
complex flavors. He writes, "I have had many occasions
to take a swig, slam the bottle down on the table and exclaim, 'Damn!
There's a LOT going on in this here bottle!' Hopefully
you will enjoy the experience as much as I have."
This Week's 6-Pack: Beck's
It's been awhile since we sampled a German beer and I
want to get one more in before the season is over. Beck's
seems like the logical choice since it's by far Germany's
number one exported beer. This week go out and grab a 6-Pack
of Beck's to enjoy with your fantasy team's playoff victory
and e-mail me your comments this week at: paul.sandy@frontiernet.net.
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