Once again, Cam Newton (409 total yards, 3 TDs, 1 INT) tried to single-handedly will his team to victory, putting up more ridiculous yardage totals on his way to a another close loss.  Jay Cutler (104 total yards, 1 INT) did not look good at all, but wasn’t asked to do much as the Bears’ running game, defense, and special teams took care of all the scoring.
Steve Smith (8-181) continues to be the main benefactor of Newton putting up video game numbers, as he had yet another huge game as the favored target.  Greg Olsen (5-50, 1 TD) also had a good game, including the late TD, while Brandon LaFell (4-42) was again the third look for Newton after Smith and Olsen.
Johnny Knox (3-48) as asserted himself as the only Bears receiver that is worth owning, and on a day when Cutler barely cleared the century mark for passing yards, even that wasn’t very noteworthy.
The Panthers running game finally showed up, but Newton still called his own number on the two rushing scores for the day.  Deangelo Williams (10 car., 82 yards) and Jonathan Stewart (8 car., 52 yards; 4 rec., 33 yards) had passable numbers, but with their numbers being cannibalized not only by each other but by Newton as well, neither is worth anything but maybe a spot start during the bye weeks.
Lo and behold, the Bears can actually run the ball!  Matt Forte (25 car., 205 yards, 1 TD; 4 rec., 23 yards) broke out in a big way as his offensive line finally didn’t stink as he rolled up over 200 yards and a rushing TD.  Marion Barber (4 car., 17 yards, 1 TD) did steal a goal line TD late in the game, but that didn’t take away anything from Forte’s monster numbers.
 

The Harvard Man, Ryan Fitzpatrick (204 total yards), finally came back to earth with his first really pedestrian game of the year as he never got the chance to rally his team at the end of the game.  Andy Dalton (310 total yards, 2 TDs, 2 INTs) continues to look more like a savvy veteran than a green rookie as he led his team with poise and precision during the Bengals’ final drive for the game-winning field goal.
For the first game of the year, the Bills receivers were not notable, as only Stevie Johnson (4-58) had a decent enough game.  As a whole, Donald Jones (3-21), David Nelson (2-18), and Scott Chandler (2-8) were all a disappointment this week.
AJ Green (4-118) has the look of a monster for years to come, as the Bills didn’t have a lot of answers for the rangy rookie.  Jermaine Gresham (4-70, 1 TD) also was impressive, especially on a fade route TD.  It appears these two will form a great young nucleus with Dalton for years to come.
Fred Jackson (17 car., 66 yards, 1 TD; 5 rec., 32 yards) continues to just make plays, as he scored yet another TD and is quickly becoming a fixture in the top 10 for running backs, and is an every week starter regardless of scoring system or opponent.
Cedric Benson (19 car., 104 yards) had his second 100 yard rushing game of the year, and was used extensively at the end of the game to wear down the Bills defense and keep Fitzpatrick off the field.  Brian Leonard (4 car., 36 yards; 1 rec., 15 yards) also had a few key runs in the second half and is one to watch if and when Benson serves his 3 game suspension.
 

Matt Hasselbeck (225 total yards, 3 TDs, 1 INT) made enough big throws early in the game to give the Titans a huge lead toward their third win of the year, while Colt McCoy (366 total yards, 1 TD, 1 INT) had to throw a ridiculous 61 passes to try to catch up for the majority of the game.
Jared Cook (2-93, 1 TD) was pegged as a sleeper TE by a lot of people this year, and finally paid some dividends for those who drafted him… too bad he was probably on the bench for most owners.  Nate Washington (2-62) also made a couple of nice grabs, and Damien Williams (1-4, 1 TD), replacing Kenny Britt, made his only catch count for a TD.
McCoy did a good job of spreading the ball around, with Ben Watson (6-48, 1 TD), Greg Little (6-57) and Mohammed Massaquoi (6-46) all catching 6 passes.  Josh Cribbs (5-50) also chipped in with 5 receptions, as none of the receivers have really separated themselves as a favored target so far.
Chris Johnson (23 car., 101 yards, 2 rec., 11 yards) finally looked a little bit more like himself, finally clearing the century mark in a game this year.  No other RBs had any carries of note.
Peyton Hillis (10 car., 46 yards; 5 rec., 23 yards) didn’t get a lot of chances to run with the ball due to the Titans leaping out to the big early lead, and Montario Hardesty (7 car., 22 yards; 5 rec., 49 yards) did share quite a bit with him when they did call running plays.  Hardesty is a must grab for Hillis owners as his sure fire handcuff.
 

Matthew Stafford (239 total yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT) started out having a terrible game, but came on in the second half to take advantage of Tony Romo’s (331 yards, 3 TDs, 3 INTs) miscues to give the Lions a 4-0 start to the season.  Romo looked good early on, but imploded with two straight pick six interceptions to open the door for Stafford and the Lions.
Calvin Johnson (8-96, 2 TDs) does nothing but catch two TDs per game this year, and is on pace for a whopping 32 on the season… so much for not being the best WR in the NFL, huh Rob Ryan?  Brandon Pettigrew (6-64) was the second leading receiver again, while Titus Young (3-41) did a good job catching the tough passes in the middle of the field.
Laurent Robinson (7-116) did his best Miles Austin impression, going over 100 yards for the day.  Jason Witten (8-94, 1 TD) once again led the Cowboys in receptions as Romo’s safety valve, and Dez Bryant (3-37, 2 TDs) had two early TDs in an attempt to trump Megatron but was quiet the rest of the day.
Jahvid Best (11 car., 47 yards; 2 rec., 23 yards) had another pedestrian afternoon as the Lions abandoned the run to play catch up for most of the game.  It was interesting to note that it was Keiland Williams (4 car., 14 yards) who was in the game in short yardage and goal line situations.
Felix Jones (16 car., 57 yards; 5 rec., 19 yards) showed no ill effects from his shoulder injury suffered two weeks ago, but was mostly contained by a stout Lions’ rush defense.  Tashard Choice (6 car., 39 yards; 4 rec., 23 yards) played quite a bit on third down, and is looking more and more like the main handcuff for Jones.

Neither passing game looked good in this game, as Ben Roethlisberger (217 total yards, 1 INT) was under duress from the intense Texans pass rush and evidently injured his foot during the Steelers’ final drive.  Matt Schaub (139 total yards, 1 TD) didn’t post big numbers, but he was efficient enough to get the victory.
Mike Wallace (4-77) had his streak of 100 yard games stopped at six, and Antonio Brown (5-67) is starting to solidify his hold on the #2 WR spot with another solid performance.  No other receivers caught passes of note.
Andre Johnson (4-36) went down in the first half with a hamstring injury that did not look good, and the only other player that caught any passes of note was tight end Owen Daniels (5-69, 1 TD), who might get more looks if Johnson is out for an extended period of time.
Rashard Mendenhall (9 car., 25 yards, 1 TD) also went down with an injury early in the game, but not before he was able to rumble into the endzone.  Isaac Redman (6 car., 40 yards; 1 rec., 12 yards) took over as the primary back with Mendenhall out of the game, and would be the back to get if Mendenhall misses any time.
Arian Foster (30 car., 155 yards, 1 TD; 3 rec., 11 yards) got back on his horse in a big way, tearing through the vaunted Steelers defense that looked old and a step slow in trying to keep up with last year’s rushing title holder.  Ben Tate (2 car., 20 yards) went back to being inconsequential, but should be held on to by Foster owners as insurance.
 

Drew Brees (361 total yards, 1 TD, 2 INTs) wasn’t quite as sharp as he normally is, but he still threw for over 350 yards in a big road win over what could have been a trap game.  Blaine Gabbert (210 total yards, 1 TD, 1 INT) misfired on quite a few passes, completing an abysmal 16 of 42 passes for less than 200 yards.
Jimmy Graham (10-132, 1 TD) was simply unstoppable and is starting to not only look like Brees’ favorite target, but may very end up being the best TE in fantasy football when it’s all said and done.  Robert Meachem (4-59) and Lance Moore (5-50) were next in line for the receivers, while Marques Colston (1-8) didn’t do much in his return.
Mike Thomas (5-73) led the way for the Jaguars WRs, followed by Marcedes Lewis (3-38).  Zach Miller (1-14, 1 TD) caught a TD with his only catch, and no other Jags made receptions of note.
Mark Ingram (17 car., 55 yards; 2 rec., 3 yards) led the Saints in carries, and in what’s becoming a theme for the season, Darren Sproles (7 car., 75 yards; 5 rec., 56 yards) was the team’s most effective weapon out of the backfield.  Pierre Thomas (6 car., 36 yards; 4 rec., 43 yards) also got 10 total touches, and so far only Sproles is looking like an every week RB3/Flex play or RB2 in PPR leagues.
Maurice Jones-Drew (11 car., 84 yards; 1 rec., 3 yards) continues to be the only bright spot so far for the maligned Jaguars offense, as no other RBs did anything of note.
 

In a battle of two front frontrunners in the “Suck for (Andrew) Luck” sweepstakes, Donovan McNabb (202 yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT) once again led the Vikings to a very close loss, dropping the Vikings to 0-4 and looking very much like the worst team in the NFL in the process.  Matt Cassel (280 total yards, 1 TD) on the other hand looked fairly efficient in dispatching the Vikings, as the Chiefs look like they might salvage something of their season yet.
Visanthe Shiancoe (6 rec., 58 yards) led the way for the Vikings along with dual threat Percy Harvin (5-42, 4 car., 67 yards), who did more damage running the football than receiving.  Michael Jenkins (1-1, 1 TD) only had one catch for one yard, but it did go for a touchdown.
Dwayne Bowe (5-107, 1 TD) had his second straight 100 yard game as he finally looks like he’s getting in a grove with Cassel.  Steve Breaston (4-91) also showed up for the first time with a noteworthy receiving game.
Adrian Peterson (23 car., 80 yards; 1 rec., 3 yards) had a surprising tough go of it against a Chiefs defense that hasn’t been that good against the run, and you would have to think frustration is starting to set in for him.  The Vikings’ offensive line hasn’t been able to open many holes for Peterson, and he hasn’t been used near as much as one would think the best RB in the game would be.
Thomas Jones (11 car., 37 yards) led the Chiefs in carries, but Dexter McCluster (7 car., 26 yards; 3 rec., 12 yards) looked like the more dynamic back with the ball in his hands.  Neither Chiefs RB is worth putting in fantasy lineups at this time, however.
 

Michael Vick (491 total yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT) had almost 500 yards of total offense, but still couldn’t muster enough scoring to put away the scrappy 49ers, as the fans in South Philly have to be worried that their team is nothing but smoke and mirrors at this point.  Alex Smith (290 total yards, 2 TDs) was poised and turnover-free in orchestrated a furious second half comeback and has led his team to a surprising 3-1 start.
Desean Jackson (6-171) had a monster yardage game after a couple of quiet weeks, while both Jeremy Maclin (7-74) and Jason Avant (6-69) were targeted early and often by Vick.  Backup TE Clay Harbor (3-55, 1 TD) also got loose a couple of times and scored a touchdown.
Michael Crabtree (5-68) led the 49ers in receiving for the first time this season, but it was Vernon Davis (4-45, 1 TD) and Josh Morgan (3-65, 1 TD) who did the scoring.  Crabtree is one to watch in future games, as he looks like he might be shaking the rust off and earning Smith’s trust. 
While Vick was able to rack up 75 yards rushing, LeSean McCoy (9 car., 18 yards; 6 rec., 34 yards, 1 TD) was bottled up for most of the game, but did manage to score a TD receiving.  Ronnie Brown (3 car., 15 yards) did play on a couple of series, but was most notable for fumbling the ball away on a key Eagles drive down inside the 5 yard line.
Frank Gore (15 car., 127 yards, 1 TD; 2 rec., 12 yards) finally justified his status as owners’ RB1 with a big game against an Eagles defense that has been vulnerable to the rush all season long.  Kendall Hunter (9 car., 38 yards, 2 rec., 62 yards) did split quite a bit of time with Gore early, but wasn’t nearly as effective, save for one 44 yard reception.
 

While the Redskins are now 3-1, fans have to be worried about Rex Grossman (145 total yards, 1 TD, 2 INTs), as he did not look good for the second week in a row, even though this week he played against what has been a horrid Rams secondary.  Sam Bradford (164 yards, 1 TD) continues to look for some kind of weapon in the passing game, and has been taking a beating in the process (sacked 7 times in the game).
Santana Moss (5-39, 1 TD) had a low yardage total as a direct result of Grossman’s inability to get the ball down the field, but did get a touchdown to save his fantasy day.  Jabar Gaffney (4-62) had a decent day, and has been right around a dependable 4-5 catches and 50-70 yards all season long.  Fred Davis (4-34) had his second straight quiet game.
Once again Sam Bradford’s receiving corps wasn’t much help, as only Danario Alexander (3-46) was able to get loose against the Redskins secondary for any receptions of significant yardage.  Lance Kendricks (4-33) also got a handful of catches, but did have a couple of bad drops, including what would have been a touchdown in the second half.
Let the Shanahan-igans begin!  Tim Hightower (8 car., 24 yards; 1 rec., 4 yards) started the game but was mostly ineffective, so in came 3^rdstring RB Ryan Torain (19 car., 135 yards, 1 TD) who tore it up for over 130 yards and a TD.  Roy Helu (8 car., 35 yards) continued to serve as the change-of-pace back, and now it appears that Hightower may be relegated to the bench.  While the smart money will be on Torain getting the start next week, you can’t count out Hightower or Helu getting starts in the future.
Steven Jackson (17 car., 45 yards; 4 rec., 19 yards, 1 TD) made his return to the Rams’ lineup after being out with an injured quad, and while was mostly quiet did catch a TD pass in the 4^thquarter.  Cadillac Williams didn’t get a carry.
 

The Giants were down 27-17 late in the 4^thquarter when Eli Manning (318 total yards, 2 TDs) led the charge in the final minutes of the game to throw two TD passes and steal the game from Kevin Kolb (238 total yards, 1 INT) and the Cardinals.  Kolb did not look sharp most of the game, but with the running game clicking he wasn’t asked to do too much.
Hakeem Nicks (10-162, 1 TD) had a monster game and showed that he is over the knee ailment that has been bothering him for the past couple of games.  Victor Cruz (6-98) had another good game out of the slot, but had a late gaff by going to the ground in the 4^thquarter and letting the ball go without contact that the officials mistakenly called as Cruz giving himself up.
Larry Fitzgerald had another 100 yard game as Kolb’s favored receiver, while both Early Doucet (3-42) and Todd Heap (4-41) also got several targets from Kolb.  At this point, Doucet is easily the second WR on the team over Andre Roberts, but hasn’t been worth adding to fantasy lineups as of yet.
Both Ahmad Bradshaw 12 car., 39 yards, 1 TD; 4 rec., 11 yards) and Brandon Jacobs (9 car., 18 yards, 1 TD) scored rushing TDs, but neither had the kind of success that most people were expecting against a Cardinals team that has not been very good against the rush this season.
Beanie Wells (27 car., 138 yards, 3 TDs) finally had a big game for the Cardinals after missing last week with a bad hamstring, scoring the touchdown trifecta.  As long as he’s healthy Wells is easily a strong play as a RB2 in most fantasy lineups, even though his value in PPR leagues can be limited by the fact that he does not catch many passes.
 

The Atlanta Falcons came into Seattle and barely escaped with a win most expected to come much easier.  Matt Ryan (317 total yards, 1 TD) was efficient and turnover free, moving the Falcons into scoring position on most drives throughout the game.  Tavaris Jackson (335 total yards, 3 TDs, 2 INTs) also had moments of brilliance, slinging 3 TD passes with a pair of interceptions that were more the fault of the receivers than Jackson.
Julio Jones (11-127) continued his rookie season breakout, looking positively dominating against a Seahawks secondary that had no answers for him.  Roddy White (6-78) took a backseat to the rookie in this game, which may happen more often as Jones and his immense talent starts catching up to the speed of the NFL game.  Tony Gonzalez (7-56, 1 TD) was also a key safety valve for Ryan on third downs, and was a frequent target in the red zone.
Sidney Rice (3-79, 1 TD) had a spectacular long touchdown in the first half, but Doug Baldwin (5-84) was the receiver the Jackson looked for whenever he needed to move the chains.  Mike Williams (3-36, 1 TD) also got into the scoring act after getting blanked in the last game, while Ben Obomanu (3-25, 1 TD) came up with a late touchdown to help the Seahawks make a game of it.
Michael Turner (26 car., 70 yards, 2 TDs; 2 rec., 18 yards) was back to his bulldozing ways early in the game, scoring two touchdowns to help the Falcons jump out to a 24-7 half time lead.  Jacquizz Rodgers (6 car., 25 yards; 1 rec., 10 yards) got quite a bit of playing time on passing downs and is Turner’s handcuff as long as Jason Snelling remains out.
Marshawn Lynch (8 car., 24 yards, 1 TD; 3 rec., 33 yards) didn’t find much running room, but did half a touchdown run in the second half as well as a couple of nice catches out in the flat.  This unit might be turning the corner, which would make Lynch at least useable as a plug in player during the coming bye weeks.
 

Wow.  That’s all anyone can say about Aaron Rodgers (444 total yards, 6 TDs, 1 INT), who won a lot of fantasy games this week by scoring 6 total touchdowns (4 passing, 2 rushing).  Rodgers is simply amazing and will undoubtedly be the QB on a lot of fantasy championship teams this year.  Kyle Orton (280 total yards, 3 TDs, 3 INTs) tried in vain to keep pace, but his three interceptions, including a pick six, helped to kill the Broncos’ chance of staying in this one.
Greg Jennings (7-103, 1 TD) led the way as Rodgers’ preferred target, while Jordy Nelson (5-91, 1 TD) caught yet another long touchdown, this one from 50 yards out.  James Jones (3-48, 1 TD) got in on the scoring action, as did Donald Driver (3-20, 1 TD).  Jermichael Finley (3-28), one game removed from his touchdown hat trick was shut out of the endzone.
Brandon Lloyd (8-136) finally had a 100 yard receiving game for the Broncos this year, following a week of practice in which he voiced his frustration over not getting the football thrown his direction.  Eric Decker (5-56, 2 TDs) also caught a pair of touchdowns, bringing his total to five on the season.
Willis McGahee (15 car., 103 yards; 2 rec., 10 yards) got the start again for the Broncos, even though Knowshon Moreno (2 car., 4 yards; 1 rec., 7 yards) was back from his hamstring injury.  For now, this looks like McGahee’s gig, while Moreno will serve as the change of pace back.
With Ryan Grant out with a bruised kidney, James Starks (13 car., 63 yards; 5 rec., 38 yards) had the rushing duties mostly to himself and did a decent job, rolling up over 100 total yards.  Starks showed that he can succeed as the primary back, but also didn’t impress so much that Grant won’t come back and share a significant amount of carries when he’s healthy.
 

This was the first game of the season that Tom Brady (225 total yards, 2 TDs) find yardage a little harder to come by, but did enough to guide the Patriots to a hard-fought win over a physical Raiders team.  Jason Campbell (373 total yards, 1 TD, 2 INTs) ended up with over 370 total yards while playing from behind most of the game in a losing effort.
Wes Welker (9-158, 1 TD) continues to be one of the best receivers in fantasy football this season as the human slot machine, and accounted for most of Brady’s yards in this game.  Rob Gronkowski (1-15) was unusually quiet as the Raiders did a good job of taking away the middle of the field.  The Raiders also put quite a bit of pressure on Brady, which meant that Gronk, being the only TE active for the game, had to stay in to block on several plays.
For the Raiders, Darrius Heyward-Bey (4-115) actually posted a respectable game, going over the century mark for the first time on the season.  Kevin Boss (4-78) also finally showed up healthy, posting a very useable stat line from the tight end position.  Waiver wire phenom Denarius Moore (3-19, 1 TD) was quiet most of the game, but did manage a late touchdown to save his fantasy day.
The Patriots running game looked very good in this game, helping take the load off Brady so he didn’t have to win the game with his arm.  Rookie Stevan Ridley (10 car., 97 yards, 1 TD; 1 rec., 3 yards) looked quite impressive in limited action, while BenJarvus Green-Ellis (16 car., 75 yards, 1 TD; 1 rec., 9 yards) also had an excellent game.  This looks more and more like the timeshare of choice for the Patriots, and Ridley might end up being the most valuable for fantasy owners.
Darren McFadden (14 car., 75 yards; 4 rec., 48 yards) didn’t get into the endzone this game, but still managed over 120 total yards in a respectable effort.  Michael Bush (8 car., 26 yards, 1 TD; 4 rec., 55 yards) once again stole a goal line carry and got into the endzone, and Bush is actually looking useable as a flex option during the coming bye weeks.
 

Another game and another Chargers win in which they didn’t look too impressive in getting there.  Philip Rivers (324 total yards, 1 TD) was turnover free and posted good stats, but more often than not had to use a dink and dunk passing game to get the ball down the field.  Chad Henne (28 yards, 1 INT) got knocked out of the game early with a shoulder injury; Matt Moore (167 yards, 1 INT) came into the game and was barely adequate.
Vincent Jackson (3-108, 1 TD) was in and out of the game after re-aggravating his abdominal strain, but was in the game long enough to catch a 55 yard bomb from Rivers.  With Jackson hobbled, the rest of the Chargers receivers didn’t pick up the slack, as none did anything of note.
Brandon Marshall (5-52) led the way for the Dolphins, but all in all it was a pretty sorry day for Dolphins receiving efforts, as no other receivers caught more than three passes.
Ryan Mathews (16 car., 81 yards; 5 rec., 68 yards) continued to look very impressive and could force his way into the top 10 at his position due to his ability as both a runner and a receiver out of the backfield.  Mike Tolbert (6 car., 17 yards, 1 TD; 5 rec., 51 yards) turned in a decent stat line as well, and reasserted himself as the goal line back with a one yard TD plunge.
Reggie Bush (13 car., 50 yards; 2 rec., 15 yards) got the running duties mostly to himself with Daniel Thomas out with a hamstring injury, but didn’t end up doing much with hit.  Lex Hilliard (6 car., 20 yards, 1 TD; 1 rec., 18 yards) got the short yardage work, which included a one yard touchdown early in the game.
 

In a game where most of the scoring was done by defenses and special teams, the quarterback that was going to get the win was the one that didn’t make the most mistakes.  Mark Sanchez (122 total yards, 1 INT) ended up imploding the most, losing three fumbles, including one for a touchdown, and throwing a pick six.  Joe Flacco (160 total yards, 1 INT) wasn’t much better, also getting picked for six but only losing one fumble in what was a good enough effort to get the win.
Ugly, ugly, ugly.  That’s all that can be said about the Jets’ receiving game with Sanchez under pressure all game long.  Plaxico Burress (3-33) and Santanio Holmes (3-33) didn’t do much, and Dustin Keller (2-12) was all but invisible.
The Ravens side of the ball wasn’t quite as ugly, if only because they actually got the win.  Ed Dickson (4-45) led the way for the receiving crew, while no one else caught more than one pass.
Another ugly effort for the Jets’ “Ground and Pound” running game, which just looks like “Grounded and Pounded”.  Shonn Greene (10 car., 23 yards) wasn’t able to find any running room, while LaDainian Tomlinson (3 car., -3 yards; 1 rec., 4 yards) was lucky to not have negative total yards.
Ray Rice (25 car., 66 yards, 1 TD; 2 rec., 64 yards) was the only shining beacon of offensive light, garnering 130 total yards and a touchdown.  Ricky Williams (12 car., 49 yards) also had quite a few carries spelling Rice in the physical contest.

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