FANTASY FOOTBALL WEEKLY FEATURES

Prediction: ARZ 13, MIN 24

The Cardinals finally, and I mean FINALLY, won a game after eight straight losses while the Vikings are on a four game losing skid. The only thing harder to imagine than the Vikings winning a game is the Cardinals to have back-to-back wins with a road victory. Coin flip game that should also be a channel changer.

Quarterback: Matt Leinart finally has a win but what he still lacks is a road game with more than 203 passing yards or more than one touchdown. Amazingly, he has Fitzgerald back now and he isn't even using him. In three road trips so far, Leinart has only one touchdown pass against three interceptions.

Running Backs: Apparently Edgerrin James has a contract clause bonus for 100 yard games and the Cardinals are trying to save money. James comes off a 96 yard effort last week which is his second time to gain over 90 yards. He's only scored once on the road and never had more than the 84 yards in Green Bay during week eight.

Wide Receivers: Larry Fitzgerald caught six passes for 80 yards in his first game back with Leinart at the helm but last Sunday only turned in two catches for 30 yards. If this is what happens when the Cardinals win, then the fantasy football world wants no part of it. Anquan Boldin still had 87 yards last week but he has not scored in the last four games and has languished with only moderate yardage each week for the last month. Boldin also has not scored in a road game all year - nor has Fitzgerald.

Tight Ends: No fantasy value on one catch per game.

Match Against the Defense: The Vikings have only allowed one rushing touchdown to a visiting running back this year and that isn't much in the trends for James anyway. Expect only moderate yardage at best since the best runner has only managed 74 yards in Minnesota.

Leinart goes against a secondary that has uncharacteristically been torn up lately by both Favre and Brady after limiting all other quarterbacks to just one score at most. But the road Cardinals are never that good and the Vikes are beyond desperate now. Look for one passing score here as most likely but more than that would signal true progress by the Cards and a final nail in the coffin for the Vikes. Fitzgerald gets the better match-up and is due for a score.

Pregame Notes: Not only have the Vikings lost their last four games, only one of those teams has a winning record. The offense has stalled and now relies on Chester Taylor for almost all scoring. The Vikings defense scores more than Brad Johnson. Back at home this week with a game they can realistically win, this has to go well for the Vikes or there's bound to be some shake-ups in the depth chart. It will likely not get any easier than it will be this week.

Running Backs: Chester Taylor only gained 80 yards on 28 carries last week but scored twice - doubling his season touchdown total. Taylor also comes off his first game without a single catch. He remains the only consistent factor in the offense each week but that only ends up around 80 rushing yards each week.

Wide Receivers: Since the Vikings cannot win games, they have opted to challenge the Patriots for the most convoluted and ever changing use of wide receivers in the league. In week ten, the best wideouts were Bethel Johnson (2-75) and Billy McMullen (3-64, 1 TD). In week 11, it was Travis Taylor (8-67) and Troy Williamson (2-35) while Johnson had only one catch for 25 yards and McMullen had no receptions. The only thing to count on here is that none of them are going to matter much week to week. Marcus Robinson is back just to make it even more confusing. Five different wideouts and not one with fantasy significance.

Tight Ends: Jermaine Wiggins comes off a season high of six catches for 66 yards. In case you are considering Wiggins as a free agent, realize he had no receptions in the previous game.

Match Against the Defense: Have to like Taylor this week against a defense that has already allowed six touchdowns to opposing runners in road games and nice yardage to any team with a good runner. Losing Bert Berry for the year with a torn triceps won't helpo either. Figure on one score at least and possibly two with a healthy yardage total that could finally eclipse 100 yards.

Johnson - what to say? He throws one touchdown over the last four games? Johnson could throw for one score here but I like the chance that the MIN defense notches a score here and prevents Johnson from reaching the elusive six touchdowns for the year.