The Buccaneers bring take their 3-1 record on the road to face the surprising 49ers, who are also 3-1 and came within one Jesse Holley overtime grab of beating the Cowboys and being 4-0.  It’s not like the 49ers have feasted on a bunch of cakewalk teams either; they’ve beaten a physical Bengals squad and a talented Eagles squad, both on the road.  The Bucs have had three home games already, and their only road game so far almost resulted in a loss to the 0-4 Vikings.  This game will probably be a physical grind of a game, and will be a lot closer than this contest appeared to be before the season began.

Tampa Bay usually has a very balanced attack, but they do shade more toward the running game with bulldozer Legarrette Blount.  Blount started the season with a disastrous 15 yards against the Lions in Week 1, but has since come on, going from 71 yards in Week 2, to 81 yards in Week 3, and to 127 in Week 4.  Because of the tough matchup against a very good 49ers defense, Blount’s numbers will most likely be, for lack of a better word, blunted. 

If the Bucs are going to have a chance of coming away with a victory, Josh Freeman will have to make some plays from the quarterback position.  Freeman hasn’t looked as sharp this year as he was last year, but seemed to finally find his groove last week against the Colts.  Not helping matters is the fact that Mike Williams hasn’t been able to beat consistent double coverage, and Kellen Winslow has looked a step slow this season.  The difference in this game will likely be with the quarterbacks and their targets, and it’s hard to not like Freeman over Alex Smith, even with the struggles of his receiving targets.
Up until last week, Frank Gore was a huge disappointment to both the 49ers running attack and to fantasy owners.  In fact, owners didn’t even know if he would suit up last week due to an ankle injury, let alone hang nearly 140 total yards and a touchdown on the Eagles.  While Gore will likely be questionable again this week, a fully healthy Gore might still have trouble against a stout Bucs run defense, so owners should expect a repeat performance even if Gore takes the field. 

If I were to ask you which quarterback is ranked third in the NFC with a blistering 67.2% completion percentage, it would probably take you 15 or 16 tries to guess Alex Smith.  While Smith’s numbers haven’t been stellar for fantasy purposes, his ability to complete a high percentage of passes and avoid costly turnovers is a big part of why the 49ers are 3-1.  Say what you want about Jim Harbaugh and his boring offensive attack, he has his team believing and winning.

Good Start: RB Legarrette Blount, QB Josh Freeman, TE Vernon Davis
Middle of the Road: WR Mike Williams, WR Preston Parker, QB Alex Smith, RB Frank Gore, WR Michael Crabtree
Bad Start:  RB Earnest Graham, WR Arrelious Benn, RB Kendall Hunter, WR Josh Morgan
 

The Chargers are 3-1 on the season, but that record doesn’t come without alarm bells sounding.  While their record represents one of their better starts under Norv Turner, it’s come against the dredges of the NFL; three of the Chargers first four opponents are a combined 1-11, and the only team that has a winning record, the Patriots, pasted them by two touchdowns.  The Broncos on the other hand, are 1-3, and have looked just as bad as their record indicates.  Denver is coming off a visit to Lambeau Field where they ran into the Aaron Rodgers buzzsaw, which left them reeling and looking for answers on both sides of the ball.

The poor showing thus far for Philip Rivers is indicative of the struggles the Chargers have had despite their record.  Rivers has averaged over 320 yards per contest, but only has 5 TDs against 6 INTs; that puts him on pace for 20 touchdowns against 24 interceptions, and that would represent his worst season numbers by far.  Rivers has done good work against the Broncos; if he doesn’t bounce back here owners should be very worried, as he isn’t performing like a top 5 QB, which is where he was taken in most drafts. 

Luckily, Rivers’ struggles haven’t really affected Vincent Jackson, who has looked like a stud so far.  Jackson’s health is an issue though, as he seems to be getting dinged up with all the defensive secondary attention rolling toward him; a healthy Antonio Gates would help this offense immensely.
If there has been a bright side to the Chargers’ offensive issues, it has to be the showing of Ryan Mathews.  Mathews was drafted in the first round last year as the heir to Ladainian Tomlinson, and he couldn’t stay healthy for more than a couple of games at a time.  This year, he’s looked fast, strong, and has displayed outstanding hands coming out of the backfield.  The Broncos have been pretty good against the run this year, but Mathews presents a tough challenge with his receiving ability and Rivers’ penchant for stretching the field.

The Broncos continue to go with Kyle Orton behind center, which is the right call as long as they believe they’re still in the hunt for a playoff spot.  As the losses pile up, however, seeing what they have in Tim Tebow will be a good idea, since this coaching staff doesn’t have any particular loyalty to him, as he was a draft pick of the former regime.

Brandon Lloyd finally showed up healthy and looked very good against the Packers.  Lloyd should have success against the Chargers, and should find the endzone like he did in both contests last year.  Eric Decker is the wildcard here, as Decker has already amassed five touchdowns on the year, and seems to have Orton’s attention inside the red zone.

Willis McGahee was officially given the starting job, as John Fox said he’s earned the right to have the most carries.  So much for Knowshon Moreno, who will now be relegated to third down and change of pace work.

Good Start:  QB Philip Rivers, RB Ryan Mathews, WR Vincent Jackson, WR Brandon Lloyd, WR Eric Decker
Middle of the Road:  RB Mike Tolbert, RB Willis McGahee, QB Kyle Orton
Bad Start:  WR Malcom Floyd, TE Randy McMichael, RB Knowshon Moreno
 
The Patriots are 3-1 and have been impressive so far this year, scoring over 30 points in each game this year and doing it in a multitude of ways.  Last week, the Patriots put an emphasis on the running game, which accounted for over 170 yards and two touchdowns against the Raiders.  The Jets enter the game at 2-2, having lost their last two games, which were also on the road.  The Jets defense has shown a lot of cracks in it this season, and that’s not a good thing when facing Tom Brady in his own back yard.

Speaking of Brady, Tom Terrific had a quiet (for him) day in Week 4, going for a ho-hum 226 yards and two touchdowns.  Even with the lower yardage total, Brady is still on pace for over 6000 yards and 50 touchdowns, which is impressive no matter how you slice it.

The reason Brady had a quiet week was the success of the running game.  Both starter BenJarvis Breen-Ellis and rookie Stevan Ridley scored against the Raiders and rolled up good yardage.  Ridley’s worth a flyer, but it is hard to trust Bill Belichick, whose running backs are almost as much a revolving door as Mike Shannahan’s.
The main beneficiary of Brady’s passing prowess has been slot machine Wes Welker, who is also on a ridiculous pace to shatter all the receiving records.  Welker is averaging a mind-boggling 10 receptions, 154 yards, and 1.25 TDs per game; even if Welker slows down to half his current pace, he’d still end up with over 100 receptions, over 1500 yards, and over 12 TDs, which is simply amazing.  Usually you would be tempted to stay away from Revis Island, but in Welker’s case, matchup is not an issue.

Even though he had a bad game last week, Rob Gronkowski is another one that has greatly benefited from Patriots pass attack.  Gronk only had one catch for 15 yards last week, but he still is ranked at least second amongst TEs in almost every scoring format.  Look for a bounce back from Gronkowski, although his numbers might still be a little muted as he’ll be used quite a bit to block the Jets’ pass rush.

The Jets offensive line is in a shambles, which makes almost any Jets offensive skill players fantasy bench material.  Mark Sanchez shouldn’t be the disaster he was last week when he turned the ball over five times, but he won’t get much more time against the Patriots pass rush than he did against the Ravens.  The line also makes it tough to even think about starting Shonn Greene or Ladainian Tomlinson, but with bye weeks starting up, owners might have to suck it up and start one of them.

Good Start:  QB Tom Brady, WR Wes Welker, TE Rob Gronkowski, WR Santonio Holmes, TE Dustin Keller
Middle of the Road:  RB Stevan Ridley, RB BenJarvis Green-Ellis, WR Deion Branch, QB Mark Sanchez.
Bad Start:  WR Chad Ochocinco, RB Shonn Greene, RB Ladainian Tomlinson, WR Plaxico Burress.
 

The Packers are one of two 4-0 teams left in the NFL, and are the team that has made it look easiest by far.  Green Bay is coming off a total dismantling of the Denver Broncos at home, and now go on the road to face Atlanta in a rematch of the NFC Divisional playoff matchup from a year ago.  The Falcons still have a bad taste in their mouths after getting crushed in their own dome by the Packers in the playoffs, and will bring their “A” game to try to topple the champs.

As good as Tom Brady, Drew Brees, and Cam Newton have been this year, Aaron Rodgers is a head above them all.  Rodgers has put on a clinic of making quarterback play look like child’s play, on a current pace to give him over 5300 total yards and over 55 TDs on the year.  Considering how much Atlanta struggled against the pass last week in Seattle, Rodgers will present a nightmare matchup for the overmatched Falcons secondary.

If there’s a problem with Rodgers for fantasy purposes, it is the unpredictable way he spreads the ball around every game.  The only real constant has been Greg Jennings; everyone has shown they can disappear at times, including TE stud Jermichael Finley.  Because of this matchup and the fact that bye weeks are starting up, you can make a case for starting most pieces of the Packers’ passing game, whether that’s Jordy Nelson or even James Jones.
The rushing attack for the Packers hasn’t been that impressive, but James Starks did show last week he is capable of being the lead dog, going over 100 total yards against the Broncos.  Ryan Grant will likely be back this week, so it’s tough to rely on either back unless you’re forced to do so because of bye weeks.

For the Falcons, Matt Ryan has been coming on lately, averaging close to 290 total yards and 2 touchdowns in his last three games.  This game should be no different, as the Packers have been better against the run than against the pass so far this season.  The light has come on for Julio Jones, as he rolled up two 100 yard receiving games the last two weeks, and will likely get number three against a Packers team that hasn’t been able to stop the pass.  Roddy White also has a good chance of going off, and should find the endzone for only the second time this year.

Michael Turner hasn’t been that impressive so far this year, although he did score twice in the early going last week against the Seahawks.  Look for Turner to have a tough time against the Packers, and since it’s likely Green Bay will go up early, Turner’s playing time will probably be stunted anyhow while the Falcons pass to keep up.

Good Start:  QB Aaron Rodgers, WR Greg Jennings, TE Jermichael Finley, QB Matt Ryan, WR Julio Jones, WR Roddy White, TE Tony Gonzalez
Middle of the Road:  WR Jordy Nelson, WR James Jones, RB James Starks, RB Michael Turner
Bad Start: WR Donald Driver, WR Randall Cobb, RB Ryan Grant
 
The upstart Lions come into this game at 4-0, and while they haven’t looked as impressive as the Packers in getting here, they did show resolve last week in coming from over 20 points down on the road against the Cowboys.  The Bears enter the game at 2-2, having lost both the road games they’ve played so far this year.  In 2010, the Bears swept the Lions; look for that streak to stop right here.  Divisional rivalry games like this are usually close and can go either direction, but the Lions are just too explosive for the Bears to contain.

Detroit is led by Matthew Stafford, who has is in the middle of the healthiest stretch of his career so far, which is pretty sad when you think about it.  Nonetheless, Stafford has been nothing short of awesome, as he has not yet had less than two touchdowns in any game this year and is averaging over 300 yards per contest.  Look for more of the same here, as the Bears have not had any luck containing quarterbacks this year, as both Drew Brees and Cam Newton hung three touchdowns each on them. 

Of course, if Stafford is going to throw at least two touchdowns, it’s a good bet that two touchdowns will be caught by Calvin Johnson, which has been the story this year.  Megatron has 8 TD catches already, which is a pace for 32 on the season.  Johnson likely won’t catch two scores per game all year; but who’s going to bet against the streak stopping here?

The Lions’ running attack hasn’t been that impressive this year, as Jahvid Best hasn’t looked like nearly the same explosive player he showed to start off last season.  The Bears are better at stopping the run than the pass, so don’t look for Best’s rushing numbers to improve too much in this game.
For the Bears, Jay Cutler’s lack of receiving weapons finally caught up to him last week, as he barely got over 100 yards passing.  Fortunately for him, Matt Forte had over 200 yards rushing, so Cutler really didn’t have to do much.  In this game, however, the Lions will likely jump out in front, so Cutler will have to go to the air and try to make use of his hodgepodge receiving corps of Johnny Knox, Devin Hester, and Roy Williams.

While Cutler has struggled most of the year, Matt Forte has been pretty golden.  His yardage was contained mostly in the passing game until last week, when he exploded for 205 rushing yards.  That probably won’t happen this week against the Lions, but Forte should get plenty of work in the passing game as Cutler will be forced to air it out.

Good Start:  QB Matthew Stafford, WR Calvin Johnson, TE Brandon Pettigrew, RB Matt Forte
Middle of the Road:  WR Titus Young, RB Jahvid Best, WR Johnny Knox
Bad Start:  WR Nate Burleson, QB Jay Cutler, WR Roy Williams, WR Devin Hester, WR Dane Sanzenbacher
 

During the offseason, this looked like it would be a laugher of a game for the Eagles ‘Dream Team’, as Vick and company were expected to walk through teams like the Bills.  Now, the Eagles are 1-3 and in complete disarray; on the other hand, the ‘Dream Team’ this season has arguably been the 3-1 Bills, as they have been far better than anyone thought they would be.

What to think of Michael Vick?  Last week he had almost 500 yards of total offense, and yet still couldn’t score enough to hold off the 49ers at home.  Now, Vick goes on the road to visit the Bills, whose defense is far less formidable than the 49ers, but tout and offense that is leagues beyond what the 49ers can muster.  Vick will have to score touchdowns in this game, but will also have to sustain drives to keep the Bills offense off the field.

Desean Jackson finally showed up again last week, popping off for 171 yards on 6 catches.  Jackson has a good chance of having another outstanding day, as the Bills defense hasn’t been able to contain big play receivers.  Lesean McCoy should also find success in this game, since even if the Bills jump out to a lead, McCoy is very valuable as a receiving option out of the backfield.
For the Bills, there’s the Harvard Man, a.k.a. the Amish Rifle, or otherwise known as Ryan Fitzpatrick.  Fitz has had a very good year thus far, even though he came back to earth with 200 total yards and no scores against a tough Bengals defense.  The Eagles haven’t been nearly as tough as advertised, with Alex Smith tossing a pair of scores last week and Eli Manning hanging four touchdowns on them two weeks ago, so expect at least a decent outing for Fitzpatrick.

Stevie Johnson has been very consistent this year as Fitzpatrick’s top target, while David Nelson and Donald Jones haven’t been too far behind in total targets.  Johnson and Jones might have trouble with Asomugha and Samuel, so that means Nelson might have a good game, and TE Scott Chandler has a good chance of finding the endzone again.  Fred Jackson should also have success, as he’s like a poor man’s Lesean McCoy, showing good rushing instincts and excellent ability as a receiver out of the backfield.

Good Start:  QB Michael Vick, RB Lesean McCoy, WR Desean Jackson, QB Ryan Fitzpatrick, RB Fred Jackson, WR Stevie Johnson
Middle of the Road:  WR Jeremy Maclin, WR David Nelson, TE Scott Chandler
Bad Start:  TE Brent Celek, WR Jason Avant, WR Donald Jones, RB CJ Spiller
 

The scrappy 2-2 Raiders go on the road to visit a very solid 3-1 Texans team, where a win will go a long way toward either team’s playoff aspirations.  When was the last time the Raiders and Texans played each other with playoff hopes even part of the thinking?  The Raiders hosted the Patriots last week, and while they fought hard, didn’t have the horses to run with Brady and company.  The Texans were impressive on defense in putting the hurt on Ben Roethlisberger and the Steelers, looking more like a complete team on both sides of the ball than ever before.

While the Raiders try their best to not rely on the passing game, Jason Campbell has shown he is more than capable of airing it out when he has to, as displayed in his solid passing numbers against the Bills and the Patriots.  With the Texans playing sound defense for the most part, look for the Raiders to remain as balanced as possible, with at least a slight shading toward the running game to keep the Texans offense off the field.

Key to that strategy will be Darren McFadden, who should be able to dice up the Texans defense for another 100 yard game.  If the Raiders do have to take to the air, Darrius Heyward-Bey has actually shown signs of life, going for over 100 yards against the Patriots last week.  Campbell will also look for hotshot rookie Denarius Moore, who might end up having a big play or two against the aggressive Texans.

With Andre Johnson expected to miss this game plus a couple more, look for Matt Schaub to lean on Owen Daniels and Jacoby Jones when he has to pass.  The Texans will try to remain more of a running team though, since their best passing threat will be shelved.  Arian Foster should be able to find success against the Raiders, as it will be fun to watch McFadden and Foster to try to out-duel each other.  Foster will most likely get his team the win here, but McFadden may have the better fantasy day.

Good Start:  RB Darren McFadden, QB Matt Schaub, RB Arian Foster, TE Owen Daniels
Middle of the Road:  QB Jason Campbell, WR Denarius Moore, RB Michael Bush, WR Jacoby Jones
Bad Start:  WR Darrius Heyward-Bey, TE Kevin Boss, WR Kevin Walter, TE James Casey
The Titans are rolling after a Week 2 stumble while the Steelers are lucky they’re at home.
 
If you didn’t pick up Matt Hasselbeck after the first week of the season, you’re way too late now, obviously. Hasselbeck showed that there is life after Kenny Britt by throwing 3 TDs in the Titans’ throttling of Cleveland. Chris Johnson came through in his ultimate put-up-or-shut-up week, running for 101 yards against a questionable run defense. TE Jared Cook had an 80-yard reception for a TD while Nate Washington didn’t score but still had 62 yards on two receptions.
 
The only reason why Pittsburgh has a chance to win this game is because they are at home. Otherwise they would more than likely be a fairly significant underdog. Offensively, this team is a mess; Ben Roethlisberger left Houston in a walking boot, Rashard Mendenhall pulled a hamstring (both look like they’ll be able to play this week), and the team as a whole was stymied by a Texan defense that was absolutely torched the week before by New Orleans. Not that there’s necessarily any shame in that, but you would think the Steelers would have managed more than 324 total yards. The offensive line was manhandled by Houston, giving up five sacks. And oh yeah, the Titan defense is ranked tied for seventh against the pass, with only 4 TDs allowed through the air, and ranked No. 8 against the run (1 rush TD allowed). Roethlisberger is only marginally worth starting because he’s at home, but Mendenhall doesn’t look worth starting consideration even though his hamstring injury does not seem serious. Mike Wallace is about the only thing this offense has going for it but he can’t be effective if Roethlisberger is on his ass all day.
 
Pittsburgh is still solid statistically against the pass, ranking No. 1 with only 157 yards per game and 4 TDs allowed, but it’s starting to look like that vaunted Steeler run defense is a thing of the past. Indianapolis ran the ball fairly effectively in Week 3, but Arian Foster absolutely shredded them with 155 yards and a TD in Week 4. The Steelers are more vulnerable than they’ve been in recent memory on both sides of the ball. Maybe they are, indeed, getting old right in front of our eyes.
 
 
GOOD STARTS: RB Chris Johnson, QB Matt Hasselbeck, TE Jared Cook, WR Mike Wallace
MIDDLE OF THE ROAD STARTS:  QB Ben Roethlisberger, WR Nate Washington, WR Antoni Brown, RB Isaac Redman
BAD STARTS:RB Rashard Mendenhall
 
  Seattle exploded offensive but still lost, while the Giants used some last-minute heroics to pull one out in the desert.
 
Raise your hand if you started Tarvaris Jackson. Didn’t think so. Whoever started Jackson was either incredibly desperate or should instantly focus on playing the lottery – because that owner can tell the future. Jackson might have had what could have been his only brush with Fantasy relevance as he threw for 319 yards and 3 TDs. Marshawn Lynch scored but was otherwise horrible, with only 24 yards. And we actually had a Sidney Rice sighting as the former stud had 79 yards and a TD on 3 receptions.
 
The Giants played an uneven game in beating Arizona, but they sit at 3-1 and tied for the NFC East lead so they’ll take it. Eli Manning was strong with 321 yards and 2 TDs, but the run game was suspect. Both Ahmad Bradshaw and Brandon Jacobs scored but they could only manage 57 yards between them on 21 carries. Hakeem Nicks emerged from his mini-funk to nab 10 receptions for 162 yards and the game-winning TD. He was also targeted a whopping 14 times. Has Victor Cruz supplanted Mario Manningham as the No. 2 wideout? He had 98 yards on 6 receptions while Manningham had only 10 yards on 1 catch.
 
Seattle is decent against the pass, giving up only 236 yards and 3 TDs so far, while against the run they rank 13^th, allowing 105 yards and 5 scores. The Giants have allowed 244 ypg and 3 TDs passing and 116 ypg and 5 TDs running. While you shouldn’t expect lightning to strike two weeks consecutively for Jackson, Lynch might actually not be a bad play if you’re hurt by Ray Rice, Peyton Hillis and Felix Jones being on bye.
 
 
GOOD STARTS: QB Eli Manning, RB Ahmad Bradshaw, RB Brandon Jacobs,  WR Hakeem Nicks
MIDDLE OF THE ROAD STARTS: QB Tarvaris Jackson, WR Sidney Rice, WR Victor Cruz, WR Mario Manningham, RB Marshawn Lynch,
BAD STARTS: TE Jake Ballard, WR Ben Obomanu
  As bad as Andy Dalton was in the first half, he was that good in the second in the Bengals’ upset of the previously unbeaten Bills. Just add the Jaguars to the list of teams victimized by Drew Brees
 
Dalton might have been in jeopardy of being pulled after his horrible start to the game but finished with 298 yards and a TD passing and added a TD run as well. Cedric Benson took advantage of a suspect Buffalo run D with 104 yards, even though he didn’t score. He had not begun serving his suspension as of this writing, so if he gets the all clear then he might be worth starting consideration in a bye week. A.J. Green is beginning to look more and more like the real deal as he caught 4 passes for 118 yards. He was targeted 10 times to get those 4 grabs, though. Considering how Saint tight end Jimmy Graham tore up the Jaguars, Jermaine Gresham is definitely worth thinking about this week.
 
Jacksonville fought the good fight but was obviously no match offensively for the Saints. Blaine Gabbert was serviceable with 196 yards and a TD while Maurice Jones-Drew did not find the end zone but had 84 yards rushing. Mike Thomas was the leading receiver with 73 yards on 5 receptions.
 
This matchup won’t exactly draw a bunch of eyeballs even during a bye week Both defenses have been surprisingly effective, as the Bengals really limited the Bills while the Jaguars “only” surrendered 23 points to the New Orleans offensive machine. Both teams are more generous from a TD perspective through the air than on the ground.
 
GOOD STARTS: RB Maurice Jones-Drew, RB Cedric Benson, WR A.J. Green, TE Jermaine Gresham
MIDDLE OF THE ROAD STARTS: QB Andy Dalton, WR Mike Thomas
BAD STARTS: QB Blaine Gabbert
  New Orleans keeps rolling, while maybe the Panthers just need a so-so game from Cam Newton to win. Don’t count on it against a porous Saints defense, though.
 
The Saints are the Saints, and there’s no need wasting much space on them again this week. Drew Brees should threaten the 400-yard mark, Mark Ingram and Pierre Thomas could be serviceable, and it’s a complete crapshoot as far as which receiver will make the biggest Fantasy impact. In fact, I might just copy and paste this paragraph and use it the rest of the season for every New Orleans preview as long as Brees remains upright.
 
Cam Newton was again spectacular, and the Panthers once again lost in spite of it. When he was just OK last week, they actually won. But the Saints have given up loads of yards and points in just about every game. If there was ever a week that Newton was a no-brainer start, this looks like the one. Now watch him go out and throw out a clunker. The Panther run game, incredibly, actually showed a pulse against Chicago. DeAngelo Williams had 82 yards on only 10 carries while Jonathan Stewart added 52 on 8 totes. Hey, that’s progress for these guys. Steve Smith bounced back from his disappearing act against Jacksonville with 8 catches for a phenomenal 181 yards. Yeah, you can probably trust him this week.
 
If you are of the mind to do so, and you just happen to be in Vegas this week, bet the “over.” Neither defense has proven capable of doing much to stop the opposition – unless it’s Jacksonville, that is. Carolina is especially susceptible against the run, giving up 144 yards a game and 4 TDs.
 
GOOD STARTS: QB Drew Brees, QB Cam Newton, RB DeAngelo Williams, RB Mark Ingram, WR Steve Smith, TE Jimmy Graham
MIDDLE OF THE ROAD STARTS: WR Marques Colston, WR Devery Henderson, WR Robert Meachem, TE Greg Olsen, TE Jeremy Shockey
BAD STARTS: It’s hard to identify one in a game that has “shootout” written all over it.
 
  Kansas City finally got into the win column while the Colts suffered their second heartbreaker in a row to remain winless.
 
Matt Cassel finally cracked the 200-yard mark passing for the first time this season, throwing for 260 yards and a TD. The Chief run game remains absolutely toothless without Jamaal Charles, however, as the trio of Thomas Jones, Dexter McCluster and Jackie Battle could manage only a meager 85 yards on 23 carries with no TDs. Dwayne Bowe continues to be the only Kansas City player worth Fantasy consideration, as he had 5 catches for 107 yards and a TD. He has scored in his last two games and has two 100-yard games in his last three.
 
The Colts’ Curtis Painter had a solid game thanks to two long TD hookups with Pierre Garcon. He finished with 281 yards and the two passing scores. Indy still has no real running game to speak of, as Joseph Addai finished with a measly 41 yards on 11 carries. Garcon was the unquestioned star of the night, with 2 TDs and 146 yards on only 2 receptions. Reggie Wayne has neither 100 yards nor a TD in his last three games. That could change this week, because…
 
…the Chiefs are horrible against the pass. They have not only allowed 10 TD passes (they even gave up two to Donovan McNabb), they have also surrendered 17 plays of 20 yards or more. Run-wise they haven’t been a lot better, allowing 130 yards a game and 5 TDs on the ground. While we can’t recommend Addai or any Colt runner as a definite start this week, if you’re really struggling at RB he might be worth a flyer.
 
Indy’s pass D has been fairly solid. They’ve allowed an average of 252 yards a game but have only given up 4 TDs through the air. The ground is where they’ve been gashed, as opposing offenses are averaging 133 YPG and have scored 6 TDs. If the KC run game has any kind of pulse, this will be the week to show it.
 
GOOD STARTS: WR Dwayne Bowe, WR Reggie Wayne, WR Pierre Garcon
MIDDLE OF THE ROAD STARTS: RB Dexter McCluster, RB Thomas Jones, TE Dallas Clark, RB Joe Addai, WR Steve Breaston, WR Austin Collie
BAD STARTS: QB Matt Cassel
 
  The Cardinals coughed one up late to the Giants while the Vikings gave up yet another lead, this one to Kansas City, to fall to 0-4.
 
Kevin Kolb had been pretty good his first three games but he was kept out of the end zone by the New York pass defense and had only 237 yards on the day. He also turned the ball over twice. Beanie Wells was an absolute beast, however, gaining 138 yards and scoring 3 TDs. Larry Fitzgerald, as usual, was the main man in the Cardinal passing game. He didn’t score but he caught 8 passes for 102 yards and was targeted 11 times.
 
Donovan McNabb actually managed to have a multiple TD game, his first of the season. His two passing scores went to Michael Jenkins and Devin Aromashodu. The leading receiver, however, was TE Visanthe Shiancoe with 58 yards on 6 receptions. Adrian Peterson had an off day, as he could manage only 80 yards without a TD although he toted the rock 23 times. So even though they fed him the ball continuously they still couldn’t pull out the “W.” It’s hard times indeed in Minny.
 
That has a good chance of changing this week, however, as McNabb might actually be a worthy Fantasy play if you’re in a deeper league or you’re hurting for a QB due to the bye. The Cardinals are allowing an average of 282 yards a game and have given up 6 TDs passing. They have also allowed a whopping 23 plays of 20-plus yards – tied for second-most in the league. They’re in the middle of the pack against the run, giving up 105 YPG and 4 TDs. Look for those numbers to slip somewhat facing AD. For those who still insist on calling Adrian Peterson “AP,” for the 50^th time the real nickname is “AD,” as in “All Day.” It’s the nickname he was given at Oklahoma. Look it up.
 
But I digress. The Vikings have been generous against the pass (286 YPG, 6 TDs) but fairly stingy against the run (76 YPG, 3 TDs). This one smells like the Vikings’ first win of the season, and Kolb’s and Wells’ numbers could suffer.
 
GOOD STARTS:RB Adrian Peterson, WR Larry Fitzgerald, RB Beanie Wells
MIDDLE OF THE ROAD STARTS: QB Donovan McNabb, WR Percy Harvin
BAD STARTS: QB Kevin Kolb, TE Visanthe Shiancoe, WR Early Doucet

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