Let’s take a look at the best and worst from Week 15.

Studs

QB Matt Cassel, New England Patriots: Tom Brady’s replacement had to endure a real life puke-and-rally as he dealt with the passing of his father and came back a la Brett Favre to put up great numbers in a critical game. His four touchdowns led the Patriots over the Raiders.

RB Michael Turner, Atlanta Falcons: I guess you have to consider Turner a legit MVP candidate as his 150+ yards Sunday put him over 1,400 rush yards for the year to go with his 15 touchdowns.

WR Andre Johnson, Houston Texans: AJ went bananas against the Titans as he racked up 207 yards and a score, making him the highest scoring player of the week.

Duds

QB Jay Cutler, Denver Broncos: If you have been riding the Cutler stat train to the playoffs, it came to an end this weekend. In a tough road game versus the Panthers, Cutler was held to 170 yards passing with a TD and a pick.

RB Brian Westbrook, Philadelphia Eagles: This is a prime example of how you can get screwed with matchups either way. The Eagles blow out a crappy team in the Browns and B-West only gets a few touches. I guess it is best to play mediocre teams that can keep it close, therefore keeping your guy on the field.

WR Anquan Boldin, Arizona Cardinals: The Cardinal offense was slowed by the Minnesota defense, which limited Boldin to 34 yards receiving and a lost fumble. This game was rather meaningless for the Cardinals since they have wrapped up the God-awful NFC West.

Call of the Week

My call of the week at QB is to start Tyler Thigpen at home against the Miami Dolphins. I have Thigpen as the fifth-rated QB this week, so if you do not have Cassel, Peyton Manning, Donovan McNabb or Cutler, I would suggest throwing Thiggy out there.

My call of the week at RB is to start Steve Slaton of the Houston Texans in Oakland. The Texans will continue to build this year and let Slaton get carries against the Raiders. He should have a good game with at least 15 fantasy points.

My call of the week at WR is to bench Roddy White of the Atlanta Falcons in Minnesota. I  strongly feel that this game Matt Ryan finally will struggle, even though the Vikings will be without Pat Williams in the middle. You see what this defense did to Boldin, right?

Good luck this week.

Let’s take a look at some studs and duds from last weekend.

Studs

QB, Matt Schaub, Houston Texans: Fighting off Sage Rosenfels on the depth chart, Schauby came back from his injury strong, as he threw for over 400 yards and a pair of scores. In the offseason, I propose a battle royale for next season’s starting gig. I can see it now: “In the Cage versus Sage: A Matt Schaub Story.”

QB, Matt Ryan, Atlanta Falcons: Matty Ice (as he was affectionately known during his Boston College days) has officially surpassed the wildest expectations for his rookie season. First year quarterbacks in the NFL just do not play this consistently. Ryan just added another 300-yard, two-touchdown game to his brief professional resume.

RB, Brian Westbrook, Philadelphia Eagles: It is always impressive when your back racks up over 200 yards and two scores, but this was against the Giants. Nice.

RB, DeAngelo Williams, Carolina Panthers: The Panther back teamed up with his buddy Jonathan Stewart to metaphorically gang bang the vaunted Buccaneer defense. Gotta love that Monte Kiffin “O” face.

WR, Antonio Bryant, Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Bryant has taken on a huge role in the Buc passing offense as he went for 200 yards and two scores. He has made aging Joey Galloway an afterthought.

WR, Vincent Jackson, San Diego Chargers: Vinny-J had a nice game against a decent Raider pass defense. Oakland shut out Antonio Gates, but let Jackson run wild in the secondary as he went over 150 yards receiving with a touchdown.

Duds

QB, Tony Romo, Dallas Cowboys: I told you last week to bench Romo as he faced a tough Pittsburgh defense. He managed the game well until the fourth quarter, when he gift wrapped the game for the black and gold.

RB, Brandon Jacobs, New York Giants: The human bulldozer only gained 52 yards with no scores in a game in which the Giants were upset by the Eagles. Also, he left the game early with an injury, which limited his production.

RB, Joseph Addai, Indianapolis Colts: I am pretty sure that current Addai owners will never again blow a first round pick on him. He just cannot be counted on fantasy-wise.

WR, Anquan Boldin, Arizona Cardinals: The week’s top projected wide out had limited projection against a weak Ram secondary.

WR, Greg Jennings, Green Bay Packers – Jennings was expected to produce more than 70 yards and no scores. He was among the top five projected wide outs for last week.

Call of the Week

At QB, my call of the week is to start Jason Campbell of the Washington Redskins in Cincy. I am calling a slump buster of a game here. Campbell has faced the Ravens’, Steelers’, and Giants’ defenses in the last few weeks, so facing the Bengals will be welcomed. This is like when you swing a baseball bat with a donut for a couple weeks, and then take it off. All I am saying is that Campbell will have bat speed this week.

At RB, my call of the week is to bench Larry Johnson of the Kansas City Chiefs at home against the Chargers. I just do not think he is a reliable play, especially in your fantasy playoffs. If you have other options you may want to go with them.

At WR, my call of the week is to bench Roddy White of the Atlanta Falcons at home vs. Tampa Bay. This may seem crazy, but the Buc defense is pissed after getting embarrassed on national TV. I think Tampa Bay will control the clock and keep the ball out of Ryan’s hands, therefore reducing White’s potential numbers.

Sleeper of the Week

My sleeper of the week is running back Pierre Thomas of the New Orleans Saints, who head to Chicago on Thursday night. Going up against an overrated Bear defense, the Saints will be able to move the ball. Even with Reggie Bush back in the mix, the Saints have made a great effort to get Thomas his touches.

Good luck!

Let’s take a look at some studs and duds.

Studs

Donovan McNabb, QB, Philiadelphia Eagles: McNabb proved that you don’t need to know the rules to throw for four touchdowns in an NFL game.

Tony Romo, QB, Dallas Cowboys: Mr. Simpson is back at it with a 300+ yard passing day which included three scores.

Brian Westbrook, RB, Philadelphia Eagles: B-West straight balled to over 100 yards, in addition to two rushing scores, while also catching two of McNabb’s touchdown passes.

DeAngelo Williams, RB, Carolina Panthers: Who scores four touchdowns but only has 72 yards rushing, and is not named LenDale White?

Mark Clayton, WR, Baltimore Ravens: I think Clayton is definitely one to watch over the next couple of years. Seems like he has developed some chemistry with Joe Flacco, as the two combined for 160 yards through the air and which included a touchdown.

Duds

Peyton Manning, QB, Indianapolis Colts: If you were to tell me that Manning would score fewer fantasy points than his commercials would air during the game, I would say the Colts would lose. Well the stud QB had an awful game, but the even more awful Browns found a way to lose it.

Matt Cassel, QB, New England Patriots: If you were delusional enough to start Cassel against the Steelers, you met your deserved fate. Just because you can carve up (thanksgiving pun…) the Jets and Dolphins, does not mean you can run away from the Steel Curtain sackmasters.

Clinton Portis, RB, Washington Redskins: The Giant defense rendered the league’s second leading rusher ineffective.

Frank Gore, RB, San Franciso 49ers: Fantasy owners expected a bit more from Gore in this spot. His team won the game and he gained close to 100 combined yards, but he did not score and put the ball on the turf (if your IQ is below 90, that means he fumbled).

Anquan Boldin, WR, Arizona Cardinals: Boldin only had 63 yards receiving with a fumble.

Reggie Wayne, WR, Indianapolis Colts: If you have Peyton Manning, hopefully you did not have Wayne as well.

Call of the Week

My call of the Week at QB is to sit Tony Romo of the Dallas Cowboys in Pittsburgh. Romo and the crew take on the Steelers and their effective pass rush. I think Romo will have a poor game and you should look elsewhere for a starting QB this week.

My call of the week at RB is to start Peyton Hillis of the Denver Broncos at home against Kansas City. After last week’s breakout performace, Hillis has the confidence of the coaching staff to get 20 carries a game. The Broncos face the Chiefs this week and should be able to move the ball and have chances in the red zone.

My call of the week at WR is to start Dwayne Bowe of the Kansas City Chiefs in Denver. The Chiefs face a very poor defense this week in the Broncos and Tyler Thigpen should have plenty of opportunities to hook up with Bowe. Bowe’s production has been down lately, but I am high on him this week.

Sleeper of the Week

My sleeper of the week is WR Mark Bradley of the Kansas City Chiefs in Denver. Bradley has had some decent games this year and he gets another chance this week going against a weaker Bronco secondary.

Let’s take a look at some studs and duds.

Studs

Matt Cassel, QB, New England Patriots – Does Cassel’s performance downgrade the numbers Tom Brady has put up in the past? Either Cassel is the product of the system or a damn good NFL quarterback. Matty C threw for over 400 yards (again!) with three passing touchdowns, and even added a rushing touchdown for good measure.

Trent Edwards, QB, Buffalo Bills – Edwards threw for 273 yards, but he had four total touchdowns, including two on the ground. Those rushing TDs help out a lot if you are in a four-point passing TD league.

Chad Pennington, QB, Miami Dolphins – In the Fins/Pats shootout, Pennington accounted for four scores and 341 yards through the air.

Drew Brees, QB, New Orleans Saints – Brees put on a passing clinic on Monday night as he inched closer to the single season passing yards record.

Michael Turner, RB, Atlanta Falcons – Anytime your running back scores four times, you are very happy. Add in a 100-yard rushing day and you are ecstatic. Looks like the Chargers got rid of the wrong running back.

Matt Forte, RB, Chicago Bears – Forte, by far, has been the most consistent fantasy player all year. This continued in Week 11 as he accumulated 146 yards and two scores.

Randy Moss, WR, New England Patriots – Looks like No. 81 has his head back in the game as he racked up 125 yards and a trio of touchdown catches.

Terrell Owens, WR, Dallas Cowboys – How much man love does TO have for Tony Romo? Owens had one of his best games of the year as he went over 200 yards with a score.

Duds

Donovan McNabb, QB, Philadelphia Eagles – First he does not know games can end in a tie, and then he forgets how to play quarterback. Not a good week for McNabb. He needs some more Chunky soup, obviously. And no, we didn’t make any money from that sentence. Crap.

Brady Quinn, QB, Cleveland Browns – If for some reason you are counting on this first time starter to carry your fantasy squad, look elsewhere.

Reggie Wayne, WR, Indianapolis Colts – I am always surprised to see a Colt victory with Wayne only gaining 34 yards and no scores.

Roy Williams, WR, Dallas Cowboys – You would think he would be making a bigger splash, but TO still wants the damn ball. As Roy Williams No. 2 will quickly learn, TO will always want the damn ball.

Frank Gore, RB, San Francisco 49ers – The ‘Niners stud back was held to 32 total yards as San Francisco was forced to play catch up and throw the ball an inordinate amount of times.

Chris Johnson, RB, Tennessee Titans – If you were to tell me that LenDale White would only get three touches, I would think CJ had a field day. In actuality, the rookie RB had only 61 total yards and lost a fumble. Looks like someone ran into the rookie wall and did not hold onto the ball.

Call of the Week

The call of the week at QB is to start Donovan McNabb of the Philadelphia Eagles on Thursday at home against ‘Zona. McNabb will bounce back on Turkey Day and have himself a feast. The Eagles throw a lot anyways, but will be keeping the aerial attack going all night as they try to keep up with the Cardinal offense.

The call of the week at RB is to sit Larry Johnson of the Kansas City Chiefs in Oakland. LJ goes up against an underrated Raider defense and he has been so inconsistent this year. If you have other options, take advantage of them.

The call of the week at WR is to sit T.J. Houshmandzadeh of the Cincinnati Bengals at home against Baltimore. The one-win Bengals face the Ravens this week and I expect B-More to totally engulf the Cincy offense. I would stay miles away from any Bengal this week.

Sleeper of the Week

The Sleeper of the Week is Justin Fargas, RB, Oakland Raiders, at home against KC. Fargas is a talented runner who finally is healthy. He will be complimented by Darren McFadden and they are going up against a battered Chief defense. If you need a RB, Fargas is a decent option.

Good luck!

Let’s take a look at this week’s best and worst.

Studs

Matt Cassel, QB, New England Patriots: Cassel had a bomb Thursday night game against the Jets. I am sort of surprised that a quarterback can throw for 400 yards and three touchdowns without an interception this early in his starting career.

Peyton Manning, QB, Indianapolis Colts: The Colt offense is back. I know it helps having the Texans on the schedule, but now you can expect Peyton to but up big numbers every week.

Joseph Addai, RB, Indianapolis Colts: Finally this first round fantasy pick paid some dividends as he racked up over 150 combined yards with two scores.

Marshawn Lynch, RB, Buffalo Bills: The man with the gold grill was seen running all over the field Monday. The former Cal running back gained over 170 combined yards and added a score.

Anquan Boldin, WR, Arizona Cardinals: I think Boldin should now be mentioned as a top three WR in the league. His domination continues as he caught 13 balls for 186 yards. If you had him in a point per reception league, this week was especially good for Boldin.

T.J. Houshmanzadeh, WR, Cinncinati Bengals: It seems as though Ryan Fitzpatrick has established a great rapport with Houshmanzadeh, making T.J. a much better fantasy option than Chad Johnson at this point.

Duds

Phillip Rivers, QB, San Diego Chargers: The Chargers have been so disappointing this year. If you started Rivers last week you could not have expected much more than the handful of fantasy points he got you this week.

Tony Romo, QB, Dallas Cowboys: It was a slow start for Romo as his threw a couple of picks (not all on Tony) and did not really put up great numbers. The game was won with Marion Barber, who just trucked fools for eight to 10 yards at a time.

Brian Westbrook, RB, Philadelphia Eagles: The Bengals did a good job containing Westbrook and held him to 70 combined yards.

Tim Hightower, RB, Arizona Cardinals: If you started Hightower, you were expecting more than 35 yards, but why run when you can pass? Kurt Warner spent the whole afternoon chucking the ball downfield to Larry Fitzgerald and Boldin.

Santana Moss, WR, Washington Redskins: This Cowboy killer was held in check all game as he only gained 29 yards.

Terrell Owens, WR, Dallas Cowboys: Is there a receiver in the league that has worse hands? I think Hanon, the wide out from Little Giants has better hands than T.O. If you are unfamiliar with this reference, add the movie to your Netflix queue and watch it with your kids.

Call of the Week

The call of the week at QB is to start Brady Quinn at home against the Houston Texans. You can throw against the Texans and Quinn has shown he is a competent NFL quarterback. Unless you have a stud like Warner or Peyton Manning, I think Quinn would be a good look in this spot.

The call of the week at RB is to sit Brian Westbrook on the road against the Baltimore Ravens. The Eagles are clearly not the Giants, as they will not run all over the Raven defense. Westbrook has shown to be quite inconsistent this year and he is a very risky start this week. Go elsewhere at RB if you have options.

The call of the week at WR is to start Santana Moss on the road against the Seahawks. I think Jason Campbell is poised to have a great game against Coach Jim Zorn’s old team. Campbell will target Moss often and he should put up great numbers.

Sleeper of the Week

The sleeper of the week is Warrick Dunn, RB, of the Tampa Bay Bucs, who are in Detroit. With Earnest Graham on IR, Dunn will be forced to have a greater impact on the ground game. Do not sleep on Dunn’s ability to run for about five yards a carry. Look for a decent output this week as he goes up against the winless Lions.

Perfect example: This week Eli Manning goes up against Baltimore. If he is your guy, your stud, your horse, just take a step back and analyze the situation. The Raven defense has been very stout this year so Manning will not have the opportunities he usually does to throw. Both teams will try to establish a running game and the clock will be moving fast. Look at Tyler Thigpen or even Ryan Fitzpatrick this week. They have better match-ups and will be in situations where I see them putting up more fantasy points than Manning.

Only an idiot would start Thigpen over Manning, right? As long as I am a winning idiot, I don’t care what I am labeled! Just give it a thought.

Let’s take a look at this past week’s best and worst performances.

Studs

Jay Cutler, QB, Denver Broncos: He threw for 447 yards and three scores in a gutsy effort on the road. How’s that for heavy lifting?

Kurt Warner, QB, Arizona Cardinals: The Cardinal bench is now molded to the shape of Matt Leinart’s ass. While Warner continues to pick apart defenses week after week, Leinart is busy perfecting the beer bong. Who needs job skills, when you have life skills?

Adrian Peterson, RB, Minnesota Vikings: Is there a more explosive back in the league? All-Day had 192 rushing yards, 33 receiving yards, and a touchdown.

Thomas Jones, RB, New York Jets: Jones stole three touchdowns from Brett Favre, as the Jets stomped the Rams. TJ also had 149 yards on the ground. Get that man some more accessories!

Eddie Royal, WR, Denver Broncos: Eddie Money continues to outshine Brandon Marshall. Royal had 164 yards, 93 of which came on one play for his only TD of the day.

Anquan Boldin, WR, Arizona Cardinals: It is good to see Boldin has recoved from that nasty hit a few weeks back. He caught two touchdowns this week to bump his season total to 10.

Duds

Aaron Rodgers, QB, Green Bay Packers: Rodgers put up poor numbers, but that was to be expected against a tough Minnesota defense.

Jake Delhomme, QB, Carolina Panthers: I can not imagine a quarterback winning a game with a 72-yard, four-interception performance unless they played the Raiders. Well, he did.

Brian Westbrook, RB, Philadelphia Eagles: The Giants bottled up the superstar and held him to a combined 69 yards.

Chris Johnson, RB, Tennessee Titans: The Bears stacked the box against the Titans and forced Kerry Collins to beat them through the air. This resulted in basically no output from Johnson. In related news, LenWhale White still managed to score a TD.

Steve Smith, WR, Carolina Panthers: The fiery wide out can not be happy with only nine yards. Maybe somebody should punch him in the face.

Braylon Edwards, WR, Cleveland Browns: This guy has all the talent in the world, yet he drops more balls than Terrell Owens. Whoops! How about going to some old school stick ‘em?

Calls of the Week

My call of the week at QB is to bench Eli Manning of the New York Giants at home against B-More. The G-Men face a very strong Raven defense this week and I believe their plan of attack will be on the ground. Look for limited opportunities for Manning to make big plays through the air. There are better options available for this weekend (Tyler Thigpen and Ryan Fitzpatrick should both put up better numbers).

My call of the week at RB is to bench LaDainian Tomlinson of the San Diego Chargers in Pittsburgh. If you are deciding between LT and another quality back this week, you may want to consider the unthinkable and bench Tomlinson. I figure the Chargers to be trailing most of the game at Pittsburgh, forcing Philip Rivers to throw a lot. Tomlinson has been inconsistent this year, and I just think he has a down week.

My call of the week at WR is to start Michael Jenkins of the Atlanta Falcons at home against Denver. With Matt Ryan leading the Atlanta offense against the a horrible Denver defense, he will be able to put up some gaudy numbers. Look for Jenkins to be quite involved in the game plan, especially if Denver chooses to double Roddy White.

Sleeper of the Week

My sleeper of the week is QB Tyler Thigpen of the Kansas City Chiefs at home against New Orleans. I like the matchup this week against the Saints. Thigpen seems to have grasped the offense and almost pulled an upset against the Chargers last week. The Saint secondary is suspect and Thigpen finally has a good rapport with the receivers. Larry Johnson should be back, so that will take some of the pressure off the young QB. Look for Thigpen to pile up the numbers — I am thinking 275 yards and two scores, at least.

Good luck!

In other news, I still hate Hines Ward and his annoying smirk. I would personally put up a bounty for Ray Lewis to knock his ass out. C’mon Ray-Ray, finish him.

Let’s take a look at the best and worst from Week Nine.

Studs

Kurt Warner, QB, Arizona Cardinals – If the Cardinals keep it up and make noise in the east, will Warner be mentioned for MVP? He put up 342 yards and two touchdowns.

Donovan McNabb, QB, Philadelphia Eagles – McNabb was impressive on the road versus the Seahawks as he threw for 350 yards and two touchdowns.

Chris Johnson, RB, Tennessee Titans – CJ gained 161 yards combined through the ground and air, and added a touchdown. He has AFC ROY all but locked up.

Adrian Peterson, RB, Minnesota Vikings – Peterson gained 139 yards and added a score, as he continues to dance by defenders.

Donald Driver, WR, Green Bay Packers – Driver dusted off the cobwebs and racked up 136 yards through the air. Oh yeah, he also scored too. Those are big numbers against the Titan defense.

Derrick Mason, WR, Baltimore Ravens – Who would of thought that Joe Flacco-to-Mason would be a prime time connection? Mason matched Driver’s numbers down to the yard.

Duds

Jason Campbell, QB, Washington Redskins – The Steeler defense suffocated Campbell as he threw for only 200 yards and tossed his first two interceptions of the year.

Matt Schaub, QB, Houston Texans – He got hurt midway through the game, but he was not playing too well either. You will need to look elsewhere if you have been starting Schaub.

Steven Jackson, RB, St. Louis Rams – He made a big deal about how he was ready to play this weekend. He psyched his fantasy owners into starting him and he only gave them 17 yards.

Joseph Addai, RB, Indianapolis Colts – In his first game back from injury, he only had 42 total yards. It looks like it will take a few weeks for him to be back to normal production as the Colts seem comfortable using Dominic Rhodes quite frequently.

Brandon Marshall, WR, Denver Broncos – Boy, has his production gone down from what we have come to expect. He was held for under 30 yards receiving. However, there was a questionable penalty that called back a 70-yard TD reception.

DeSean Jackson, WR, Philadelphia Eagles – Considering the numbers McNabb put up, Jackson was not very involved in the passing game. Now that Brian Westbrook and Kevin Curtis are back, Jackson will start to take a back seat in the offense.

Calls of the Week

At QB, my call of the week is to sit Peyton Manning of the Indianapolis Colts at Pittsburgh. Ya, I said it. The Steel Curtain will throw Manning off his game and he will not put up usual numbers. I will go as far as saying I am pretty sure that Tyler Thigpen of the Chiefs will put up better numbers this week.

At RB, my call of the week is to start Tim Hightower of the Arizona Cardinals Monday night at home against the 49ers. This rookie back out of Richmond is now the featured back and will run wild against a poor San Francisco defense.

At WR, my call of the week is to sit Braylon Edwards of the Cleveland Browns Thursday night at home againstDenver. Brady Quinn will be starting his first game in the NFL, and I would feel shaky starting my stud WR with a new QB at the helm. We shall see what happens.

Sleeper of the Week

My sleeper of the week is Michael Jenkins , WR, of the Falcons going against the Saints in Atlanta. Jenkins is most likely available in your league and will be a good play this week, especially if he is a fill in for a bye week WR. The Falcons and Saints should score plenty points as both teams rely heavily on their aerial attacks.

Good luck!

The Saints ended up winning the game, but the big winner was the NFL, as it continues to expand its product into new markets. I would be surprised if there ever comes a year when a regular season game is not played overseas. Just another reason why NFL is king.

Studs

Drew Brees, QB, New Orleans Saints – He continues to put up huge numbers. He threw for 339 yards and three touchdown, with no picks.

Philip Rivers, QB, San Diego Chargers – Rivers joined Brees in entertaining the London crowd with 300+ yards passing and three touchdowns of his own.

Brian Westbrook, RB, Philadelphia Eagles – He came back strong from his broken ribs, putting up over 200 total yards with two scores to earn top player of the week honours.

LaDainian Tomlinson, RB, San Diego Chargers – LT is rounding into form as he accumulated 170 yards and a touchdown.

Santana Moss, WR, Washington Redskins – After a few mediocre weeks, Moss broke out big against the Lions.

Roddy White, WR, Atlanta Falcons – Matt Ryan to White could be a deadly combo for years to come. White added two touchdowns to his season total.

Duds

Ben Roethlisberger, QB, Pittsburgh Steelers – Big Ben has been getting hit hard all year. He threw four picks on Sunday, which is reason to be concerned about his decision making.

J.T. O’Sullivan, QB, San Francisco 49ers – This season long dud may finally be buried on the bench, being replaced by Shaun Hill.

Maurice Jones-Drew, RB, Jacksonville Jaguars – MJD is the ultimate feast or famine running back. You went hungry if you started him this past week.

Steven Jackson, RB, St. Louis Rams – I am sure there were a few disappointed owners as Jackson sat out when it was thought that he would likely give it a go. If you set your lineup early, that could have hurt you.

Reggie Wayne, WR, Indianapolis Colts – Where has the Peyton Manning-to-Wayne connection gone?

Plaxico Burress, WR, New York Giants – The G-Men managed to win despite only 15 yards receiving from their well-behaved wide out.

Call of the Week

My call of the week at QB is to start Kyle Orton at home this week against the Lions. QBs have made a living off the Lions this year, so Orton should be good for 280+ yards passing and two scores. Lock it up.

My call of the week at RB is to sit Steve Slaton against the Vikings in Minnesota. If you have been starting Slaton and getting decent results, please do not start him this week. He will be shut down by the Vikings’ strong run defense.

My call of the week at WR is to sit Dwayne Bowe at home against the strong Tampa Bay defense. Also, Tyler Thigpen is starting at QB for the Chiefs, so that slightly downgrades Bowe. Thigpen will have difficulty reading the tough Buccaneer secondary and most likely will not move the ball well.

Sleeper of the Week

My SOW is WR Donnie Avery of the St. Louis Rams who are at home against ‘Zona. I am sure you have seen Mr. Avery make some plays over the past few weeks, I know I have. The Rams will get into a shootout with the Cardinals this week which will force Marc Bulger to throw the ball a lot. Avery has shown himself to be a reliable receiver so he should get his fair share of balls thrown his way.

Have a great Week Nine.

With all that said, lets take a look at this week’s best and worst (other than Denver, of course).

Studs

Matt Cassel, QB, New England Patriots – Matty-C finally showed the potential to put up numbers in this offense. However, as we discussed, the Bronco defense is horrible. Seriously, other than Champ Bailey, this is the worse NFL defense I think I have ever seen.

Jeff Garcia, QB, Tampa Bay Bucs – T.O.’s best friend made Jon Gruden happy for one week. Looks like he has his hands on a starting role again.

Steven Jackson, RB, St. Louis Rams – Jackson ran all over the Cowboys for 160 yards and three scores, finally showing he was worth that first round fantasy pick.

LenDale White, RB, Tennessee Titans – I believe LenWhale is still finishing up his 80-yard touchdown run. Lenny Cheeseburger scored three times and supersized his afternoon with 150 rushing yards.

Calvin Johnson, WR, Detroit Lions – Johnson was the only bright spot on a rather dull team — going for 150 yards and a score is always solid.

Randy Moss, WR, New England Patriots – Mr. Monday Night added two more touchdowns to his career total. The Patriot offense could be back on track, which is good for Moss owners.

Duds

Peyton Manning, QB, Indianapolis Colts – Manning only threw for 229 yards and had two picks. I thought Indy’s offense was on its way back. Guess not. We’re not seeing any Peyton commercials this year…

Brett Favre, QB, New York Jets – Apparently, the Raider secondary is not too bad; it shut down Brett the Jet.

Frank Gore, RB, San Francisco 49ers – Only 50 yards and no scores make Frank a dull boy.

Ronnie Brown, RB, Miami Dolphins – Wildcat who? Twenty-eight total yards is more like a quiet meow.

Reggie Wayne, WR, Indianapolis Colts – This Colt offense is frustrating with Wayne getting only 24 yards.

Greg Jennings, WR, Green Bay Packers – Jennings had only 32 yards receiving, although the Pack offense was quite effective.

Call of the Week

At QB, my call of the week is to start Jason Campbell of the Washington Redskins in Detroit. After a couple of sub par fantasy weeks, Campbell is poised to light up the scoreboard against the hapless Lions. Hopefully, his groin has healed so the playbook is not limited.

At RB, my call of the week is to sit Dominic Rhodes of the Indinapolis Colts on Monday night in Tennessee. If you picked up Rhodes for a spot start, look elsewhere. The Colts go up against the Titans’ dominate defense, so Rhodes has virtually no shot for 75 yards and I dare to say he will not score.

At WR, my call of the week is to start Antonio Bryant of the Tampa Bay Bucs in Dallas. The Cowboy defense is short a Pac Man, and Garcia will be looking to throw the ball to Bryant.

Sleeper of the Week

Malcolm Floyd, WR, San Diego Chargers (@ NO) – If you need a spot start, look to Floyd. The Chargers should be throwing plenty to keep up with the Saint offense and Floyd has filled in nicely for Chris Chambers.

Good luck this week!

Studs

Tony Romo, QB, Dallas Cowboys – What does three touchdowns and 321 yards through the air get you? A loss, a broken pinkie, and some lovin’ from none other than Daisy Mae Duke. Tough life.

Drew Brees, QB, New Orleans Saints – Brees continues to put up huge numbers with 320 yards passing to go with his three touchdowns. Long live the face mole.

Philip Rivers, QB, San Diego Chargers – Can you say anything bad about someone who throws for 306 yards, three scores, and no picks? I am sure plenty of Patriot fans could.

Peyton Manning, QB, Indianapolis Colts – Manning continues to right the ship with a big week. I am sure there are plenty to follow. He threw for 271 yards and three touchdowns.

Maurice Jones-Drew, RB, Jacksonville Jaguars – MJD always will be an inconsistent fantasy back. But on the good weeks, he is quite impressive. Last week’s line of 148 yards and two scores is definitely some nice production.

Clinton Portis, RB, Washington Redskins – Portis continued a solid campaign with another 100-yard day and also scored twice. Beware that hip flexor, however. He should be good to go Sunday, but that workload is adding up.

Braylon Edwards, WR, Cleveland Browns – Finally we got a breakout game for the big play receiver.

Andre Johnson, WR, Houston Texans – Johnson is yet another receiver who lived up to his potential in Week Six.

Duds

Jake Delhomme, QB, Carolina Panthers – “The Man?” I think not. He had a horrible week with three interceptions and zero scores.

Brett Favre, QB, New York Jets – A week of under 200 yards is never good for Favre owners.

Michael Turner, RB, Atlanta Falcons – “The Burner” was on simmer as this speedy back only gained 50 yards and went scoreless.

Joesph Addai, RB, Indianapolis Colts – Sucks if you started him. He had only three yards and got injured.

Terrell Owens, WR, Dallas Cowboys – Everyone loves when T.O. has bad weeks. I think Romo gets some perverse enjoyment out of it too.

Santana Moss, WR, Washington Redskins – I was expecting huge numbers for Santana against the Rams. Oh, contraire.

Call of the Week

At QB, my call of the week is to start Jeff Garcia of the Bucs versus the Seattle Seahawks. Garcia is going against a weak pass defense and he plays well at home.

At RB, my call of the week is to start Steve Slaton of the Houston Texans versus the Detroit Lions. He should finally get a chance to put up big numbers.

At WR, my call of the week is to sit Marques Colston of the Saints, who travel to Carolina to take on Panthers. He is not ready yet to start. Colston will be eased into the offense, so I would wait at least another week before I consider him fantasy-ready.

Sleeper of the Week

The SOW is Dominic Rhodes, RB, Indianapolis Colts, who are at Green Bay. With Addai out of the picture for a few weeks, Rhodes should put up solid numbers, especially this week against the Pack, who struggle against the run. Manning will open up the ground game by softening up the defense.

Good luck this week!

Studs of the Week

Aaron Rodgers, QB, Green Bay Packers – Brett Favre Aaron Rodgers overcame injuries to throw for 313 yards and three scores. Note: Packers were made one dimensional due to the score, but a good fantasy output nonetheless.

(I hate when I read blogs and people do the cross out dealio…but I had to do it. Just once.) [Editor's note -- we will hold Alex to this.]

Kyle Orton, QB, Chicago Bears – As I predicted, it was a big week for Orton against the hapless FCS Detroit Lions. After throwing for 334 yards and two TDs, he will be scooped up in any leagues where he is a free agent.

DeAngelo Williams, RB, Carolina Panthers – If you happened to start Williams, you were rewarded handsomely (maybe even with a gold $ chain?) with 148 yards and three TDs. Most likely he was on your bench though.

Clinton Portis, RB, Washington Redskins – CP is having a bomb year and he continued with 145 yards rushing and a score against an aggressive Philly defense.

T.J. Houshmandzadeh, WR, Cincinnati Bengals – T.J. was the top fantasy WR of the week with 85 yards and two touchdowns.

Roddy White, WR, Atlanta Falcons – Matty to Roddy has been a frequent occurrence so far this year. A dynamic duo for years to come? He had 132 yards and a TD against the Packers. Nice.

Duds of the Week

Donovan McNabb, QB, Philadelphia Eagles – Such a baby. He has the nerve to say his team is better than the Redskins after he was smothered to the tune of 196 passing yards with no TDs.

Brian Griese, QB, Tampa Bay Bucs – For those of you who though you could start Griese against a weak Bronco defense, I think not. He was knocked out after throwing for 88 yards.

Adrian Peterson, RB, Minnesota Vikings – It’s a shocker that All Day only had a combined 40 yards against the Saint defense and the Vikings still won. Long live Gus Frerotte.

Larry Johnson, RB, Kansas City Chiefs – I saw LJ on my milk carton this morning over breakfast. Two yards?

Brandon Marshall, WR, Denver Broncos – Looks like defenses have adjusted and taken away Marshall to a certain extent the past few weeks. His mere 25 yards this week will frustrate his owners.

Lance Moore, WR, New Orleans Saints – Everyone was picking him up before this week. Only 31 yards and no scores will send him back into fantasy free agency with Marques Colston returning soon.

Call of the Week

At QB, my call of the week is to sit the 49ers’ J.T. O’Sullivan at home against the Eagles. The Philly defense will be mad and blitzing all afternoon. If you are thinking of starting J.T., look elsewhere.

At RB, my call of the week is to sit Joseph Addai at home vs. B-More. The Raven run defense has been smothering and it won’t change this week. Go against the grain and sit your first round pick here.

At WR, my call of the week is to play Jerrico Cotchery at home against Cincy. Favre will be slinging against the Bengals and I think Cotchery is primed for a big game as the Bengals will focus on Laveranues Coles who is coming off a bomb game.

Sleeper of the Week

Cedric Benson, RB, Cincinnati Bengals (@NYJ): He looked pretty good against the Cowboys last week. Chris Perry has fumbling issues and I think he will start to lose carries to our favourite boat driver.

Until next week, have a great Week Six!

Studs of the Week

Brett Favre, QB, New York Jets – No brainer here. Favre had a career game with six TD passes. He most likely led your team to victory if you started him.

Matt Schaub, QB, Houston Texans – Schaub delivered a bounce back performance and he did it in a hostile environment. He gave his team every chance to win, throwing for 300+ yards, three touchdowns and no turnovers.

Larry Johnson, RB, Kansas City Chiefs – Grand-ma-ma says give me the damn ball! They did and he ran for nearly two bills on 28 carries. LJ looked great.

Steven Jackson, RB, St. Louis Rams – Another disgruntled running back had a great game, as Jackson accounted for 188 yards and a score in a 17-point loss at home.

Laveranues Coles, WR, New York Jets – After a slow start, Coles made up for lost time with three TD grabs. Anyone have a Favre-Coles combo on their team? If so, I would venture to say you did well this week.

Greg Jennings, WR, Green Bay Packers – Jennings turned in a surprisingly good performance in Tampa, where the Tampa Two defense usually keeps offenses in check. He had six catches for 105 yards and two touchdowns.

Duds of the Week

Philip Rivers, QB, San Diego Chargers – After looking like a top three NFL quarterback during last week’s MNF game, Rivers looked average here as he was 14-of-25 for 180 yards, with one TD and an interception. His team still won, but his owners were left desiring more.

Derek Anderson, QB, Cleveland Browns – Quinn Watch 2008 is now in full effect after another week of less-than-gaudy numbers from Anderson. Anderson just sucked less on this Sunday as the Battle for Ohio set back American football a few decades. Gross.

Marion Barber, RB, Dallas Cowboys – He never even had a chance. The Redskins kept the Cowboys off the field and Tony Romo kept the ball in the air as Barber only had eight carries resulting in a negligible fantasy output.

Reggie Bush, RB, New Orleans Saints – I am telling you this guy is a scratch off lottery ticket from week to week. Week Four: Please Play Again.

Andre Johnson, WR, Houston Texans – A big game from Schaub usually results in big numbers for Johnson, but not so this week as he went for three and 38. Meanwhile, Owen Daniels had seven catches for 87 yards. Weird.

Donald Driver, WR, Green Bay Packers – I think this will be a trend for Driver. He was Favre’s comfort blanket, but it seems Aaron Rodgers likes to throw to Jennings much more. The aging Driver had just one catch for eight yards. Jordy Nelson seems to be stepping in to produce more as well.

Calls of the Week

Note: Last week I said to start J.T. O’Sullivan (bad call; I realize now that he is not a good QB), sit Michael Turner (18 carries, 56 yards), and play Santana Moss (140 receiving yards). That’s a solid 2-for-3 performance. Now to Week Five calls of the week.

At QB, my call of the week is to start Kyle Orton in Detroit. What!? Yes. I expect Orton to put up good numbers this week. If you do not have a top flight QB with a good matchup, and have Orton, play his ass! I expect 250 yards and three TDs against a pourous Lion pass defense.

At RB, my call of the week is to sit Chris Johnson in Baltimore. The Titan rookie has been awesome early in the season, but in Week Five he will be going against a Raven defense that just does not let teams run on them. This is a nice spot to “rest” the rookie, and go with a better matchup.

At WR, my call of the week is to start Steve Smith of the New York Giants who are at home vs. the Seahawks. Steve Smith No. 2 is getting more looks lately and, combined with the Plaxico Burress fiasco, it will result in him getting a lot of action. The fact that Seattle is among the NFL’s worst at defending against the pass, I expect upwards of eight catches for around 100 yards and hopefully a score. Smith would be a nice WR3 start, especially filling in for someone who has a bye week.

Sleeper of the Week

Miles Austin, WR, Dallas Cowboys (vs. CIN) – Miles is being worked into the game plan well. I think the Bengals key on Terrell Owens, leaving plenty of opportunity for other Cowboy receiving options. I would only start him as my WR3 for fill in duty if necessary. Do note that despite its awful record, Cincy has fared well against the pass.

Note: Last week’s SOW, Chris Perry, seemed to be sleeping during the game as well, as he was totally ineffective (although he did manage five receptions).

Have a wonderful Week Five!

Studs of the Week

Drew Brees, QB, New Orleans Saints – Brees racked up 421 yards passing with a TD and no interceptions. He was 39-for-48 passing and he played well enough for a win, but the defense could not hold the explosive Broncs.

Philip Rivers, QB, San Diego Chargers – I guess the Chargers could not go wrong with whatever QB they chose to keep (Rivers vs. Brees, circa 2006). Rivers showed great command of the offense as he piled up big fantasy points with 250 yards passing to go along with three touchdowns.

Ronnie Brown, RB, Miami Dolphins – Wow, this performance came out of nowhere. On the road against the Pats and he accounts for five touchdowns!? It is sad because he was most likely on the bench in over 50 per cent of leagues.

Michael Turner, RB, Atlanta Falcons – The Burner continues his streak of playing well at home. A day of 100+ yards and three scores makes fantasy owners gleeful.

Brandon Marshall, WR, Denver Broncos – This may be a common theme this year, Marshall being a stud. Baby T.O. went for 155 yards and a score. Can he continue his pace?

T.J. Houshmandzadeh, WR, Cincinnati Bengals – Finally a positive performance from one Bengal. After a day of 146 yards and a TD, T.J. owners have to feel a little more comfortable with him.

Duds of the Week

Ben Roethlisberger, QB, Pittsburgh Steelers – Like I predicted last week, he did not make it through the game as a result of the physical Philly defense and his injuries. Roethlisberger’s day of 131 yards and a pickle does not cut it.

Matt Schaub, QB, Houston Texans – What happened to Matty? He threw for 188 yards and had three picks against a very tough Tennessee defense.

Brian Westbrook, RB, Philadelphia Eagles – Although his performance was not a dud, his resulting stats were. The DeMatha High School product was injured early in the game and did not have a chance to put up numbers.

Willie Parker, RB, Pittsburgh – Twenty yards rushing? Remember Week One? This is what happens when you sell your soul for three touchdowns in a week. Equilibrium, baby!

Terrell Owens, WR, Dallas Cowboys – Well, the Packers held T.O. in check. Hopefully that was their gameplan because they certainly could not stop anyone else. Seventeen yards receiving is not a typical Owens’ prime time performance.

Braylon Edwards, WR, Cleveland Browns – Edwards continues to be a bust. After a game of only 27 yards receiving, he is the leading candidate for WR Bust of the Year!

Randy Moss, WR, New England Patriots – It is just a matter of time before Moss gets cranky and causes problems. No Tom Brady = no touchdowns.

Note: Last week, I suggested you sit Derek Anderson and Big Ben, and play J.T. O’Sullivan and Brett Favre. Cha-Ching. I recommended starting Turner, and sitting Larry Johnson, Jonathan Stewart, and Darren McFadden. That was a mixed result as Turner beasted, but so did LJ, and Stewart got a TD. At WR, I said start Santana Moss (75 yards, TD), sit Steve Smith (70 yards), start Ike Bruce (TD), and start James Hardy (bad call). Let’s take a look at this week’s “Call of the Week” at each position.

At QB, my call of the week is to start O’Sullivan. The 49ers are traveling to New Orleans where the dome setting is perfect for the Mike Martz passing attack. The Saint defense has been pourous so far, but their offense scores a great deal of points. This will resulting in SF playing from behind and throwing the ball a ton. Big numbers to come.

At RB, my call of the week is to sit Turner. The Falcons head to Charlotte, where they take on the Panthers. I think the Carolina defense, led by Jon Beason, will shut down the run first, then come after Matty Ryan.

At WR, my call of the week is to start Santana Moss in Dallas. He is really developing a good relationship with Jason Campbell and is becoming a reliable WR again after last year’s injury-riddled efforts. Remember two years ago when Moss caught two bombs for TDs in Big D? Well, I think he could put up those kind of numbers again.

Sleeper of the Week

Chris Perry, RB, Cincinnati – The Bengals host the Browns in Week Four and I think it sets up Perry well to turn his season around.

Until next week, good luck!

Studs of the Week

Jay Cutler, QB, Denver Broncos: He accumulated 350 yards, four touchdowns, and a whole mess of angry Charger defensive backs. While Cutler should have only had the chance to throw for three scores, owners caught a break and racked up the points.

Darren McFadden, RB, Oakland Raiders: Run DMC clocked 164 yards and a TD on 21 carries in Arrowhead Stadium — one of the most hostile environments in the NFL. This was a very impressive performance from a guy who did not do a whole lot last week.

Anquan Boldin, WR, Arizona Cardinals: If he is trying to play himself out of Arizona, this is not the way to go about it. Mr. Muscles racked up 140 yards and three touchdowns, which probably helped carry your team to victory.

Duds of the Week

Matt Hasselbeck, QB, Seattle Seahawks: This was Hasselbeck’s second straight dreadful performance. He should be relegated to fantasy purgatory until his receivers get healthy. Going 18-for-36 with two pickles just does not get the job done.

LaDainian Tomlinson, RB, San Diego Chargers: In a shootout style game that could have been great for LT owners, injuries limited his action. He only gained 40 yards; not enough production for your No. 1 overall pick.

Chad Johnson, WR, Cincinnati Bengals – Another horrible performance by the Bengal offense led to another sub par Ocho Cinco effort. A mere 37 yards hurts your production at WR.

Sit or Start

Note: Last week, I suggested that you start Aaron Rodgers, Chris Johnson, and Laurence Maroney. I would say I was 2-for-3 as Maroney did not get the touches. I also suggested that you sit Michael Turner, Reggie Bush, and Matt Forte. I would argue that I nailed all three right there. Now, on to my selections for this coming week.

Derek Anderson , QB, Cleveland Browns: The Brown offense has somewhat surprisingly sputtered to start the season and things will not get easier as they travel to Baltimore. This game has 13-10 written all over it. If you have a better option, you may want to sit Anderson.

J.T. O’Sullivan, QB, San Francisco 49ers: Give me a Mike Martz QB against the Lion defense and I will show you a goldmine. O’Sullivan played much better this week against the Seahawks and now gets a treat. He will have all day to throw and pick apart the secondary. Unless I have a top four fantasy QB, I would start O’Sullivan.

Ben Roethlisberger, QB, Pittsburgh Steelers: Big Ben is a gamer, but he is banged up and now he will go to Philly where the Eagles will bring the heat all game. I would be surprised if Roethlisberger finishes this game. I would sit Big Ben.

Brett Favre , QB, New York Jets: Monday night against a defense that has allowed some points? Start Brett the Jet.

Michael Turner , RB, Atlanta Falcons: Look for a bounce back week for the Burner. I like the matchup against the KC defense in the dome. Start Turner.

Larry Johnson , RB, Kansas City Chiefs: I expect LJ to be just as ineffective as I expect Turner to be effective, if that makes any sense. Sit Johnson.

Jonathan Stewart , RB, Carolina Panthers: Expect the Viking defense to bottle up this explosive rook. Sit Stewart.

McFadden, RB, Oakland Raiders: He’s battling turf toe and coming off a big game. I just do not see a repeat here. Sit Run DMC.

Santana Moss , WR, Washington Redskins: Look for Jason Campbell and Moss to continue to be on the same page. I like Moss at home here. Start Santana.

Steve Smith , WR, Carolina Panthers: After doing his best Mike Tyson Punch-out impersonation on Ken Luca, Smith is back on the field. I think the Panther offense will struggle to incorporate him against a stout Viking defense. I would wait it out and Sit Smith.

Isaac Bruce , WR, San Francisco 49ers: He still has it. Old reliable Ike Bruce will have a big game against the Lions. Start Bruce.

James Hardy , WR, Buffalo Bills: Look for this rookie to start to get more and more action. If you are thin at WR or need a spot start, I think Hardy would be a good choice, especially since the Raiders have not looked good against the pass so far this season. If you need to, I would start Hardy.

Good luck this week, and may you make all the correct fantasy decisions!