To prepare you as best we can for your week of Fantasy Football, we've devised this series of previews for each NFL game. We'll give you a taste of what to expect, then rank each significant Fantasy contributor on a scale from 0-5 logos (with five logos suggesting can't-miss; a player or unit without any logos suggests you probably shouldn't start him under any circumstances). The rankings take the matchup into account, but injuries and other significant factors also contribute.
Minnesota Vikings at Pittsburgh Steelers Sunday, 1:00 pm, Heinz Field
The Vikings found a way to put up 33 points at home against the Ravens, but the Steelers' defense has played stronger and will be a tougher challenge. Their secondary matches up very well with the Vikings' receivers, especially with Troy Polamalu healthy. The passing game will come down to how well Brett Favre reacts to the Steelers' blitz and if he can hit the open receiver. It would not be a surprise to see the Vikings use a spread approach that utilizes rhythmic short-area passing -- that in turn would negate the blitz and keep the Steelers defense on the field longer. The Bears did a lot of that in Week 2 and beat the Steelers, so it's something the Vikings should at least look at. Naturally, they'll also try to muscle their way on the ground with Adrian Peterson. Look for the Vikings to run to the right side of their O-line to test defensive end Travis Kirschke, the replacement for Aaron Smith, and outside linebacker LaMarr Woodley. That's not the strong side of the Minnesota O-line, but they might make some headway there and give Peterson a chance at being a factor. The Steelers are going to see the Vikings' secondary as a weakness and focus on cornerback Karl Paymah with starter Antoine Winfield unlikely to play. They'll also utilize tight end Heath Miller as safety Tyrell Johnson has not been playing good ball lately. In this game, the pass might set up the run, which means Rashard Mendenhall won't be a huge factor early. There's also the issue of the Vikings' pass rush against the Steelers' offensive line. That's not a strong matchup for Pittsburgh, but Ben Roethlisberger has lined up in the shotgun for much of the season and should do fine there. If the pass rush is getting to him, look for Miller and Hines Ward, along with Mendenhall and Willie Parker, to see a healthy amount of targets and receptions.
San Francisco 49ers at Houston Texans Sunday, 1:00 pm, Reliant Stadium
The 49ers enter the game well rested and with Frank Gore and Michael Crabtree in the starting lineup. There's no guarantee that Gore will get all the reps since he's seeing his first game action since re-injuring his ankle, but expect him to get the majority of work over Glen Coffee. With a week to re-tool the offensive line, expect San Francisco to spend a lot of reps running the football. Shaun Hill will use his rookie weapon to help spread defenders, and it's possible Crabtree puts up a decent stat line, but Vernon Davis is expected to do better, especially if more coverage is assigned to Crabtree in three-receiver sets, which is something the 49ers have not had much success with this season. Texans safety Bernard Pollard will be tested by Davis. Houston has become a passing team, so much so that running the ball really isn't something it does much, or does well. After a terrible performance against the Falcons before their bye, expect the 49ers' front seven to be up to the challenge versus a less-than-dominant Texans O-line. Their pass rush might not be solid since they'll want to cover all of the Texans' receivers, which will mean another good week for Matt Schaub and all of his targets. Kevin Walter might especially be successful if the 49ers continue to put pressure on opposing tight ends. The only questionable Texan is Steve Slaton, who hasn't run the ball well most weeks and is unlikely to right his ship here. He might once again make a bigger dent catching the ball than running it.
San Diego Chargers at Kansas City Chiefs Sunday, 1:00 pm, Arrowhead Stadium
Not a lot of great defense is expected in this one, and that combined with both teams' offensive line woes could make for an interesting game. The Chargers come into Arrowhead on a short week and will surely look to attack the Chiefs through the air. That's not to say LaDainian Tomlinson won't be used -- he should be very effective -- but the Chargers have far too many weapons in the passing game and the Chiefs won't be able to combat that. With little pressure being put on Philip Rivers, expect a solid week from the Chargers' pass game staples. If you want a deep sleeper, Malcom Floyd has had success against the Chiefs and has taken on a little bit more work in the San Diego offense. Deep-league Fantasy owners should consider him. All signs point to the Chiefs doing what everyone else does against the Chargers and run the ball. The Broncos did a lot of that last week but didn't score and didn't have many big plays. Kansas City doesn't have the line Denver has, so I'd be surprised if the Chiefs were able to open up holes consistently for Larry Johnson. The Chargers' pass rush has been weak, but so has the Kansas City offensive line. Chiefs quarterbacks have been sacked 22 times this year, so even with San Diego's pass rush fairly tame, they could get to Matt Cassel. Still, expect Dwayne Bowe to get his stats and look for Bobby Wade and tight end Sean Ryan to be decent options as short-area targets.
Indianapolis Colts at St. Louis Rams Sunday, 1:00 pm, Edward Jones Dome
The Colts should have a field day in St. Louis as the Rams don't have a defense that can come close to limiting Peyton Manning's offense. With Anthony Gonzalez still hobbled, look for lots of basic two-tight end and three-receiver sets from Indy. Honestly, anyone with a blue horseshoe on his helmet is worth starting this week, including Donald Brown and Pierre Garcon as low-end flex or No. 3 options. Especially look for Joseph Addai and Brown to eventually do some clock killing toward the end of the game. Now, this doesn't mean that St. Louis won't score any points. They should, though they'd especially benefit from Donnie Avery taking the field. Their plan is to likely grind the clock with Steven Jackson and also take some safe downfield shots, but this matchup is great for the Colts. They're rested, their defensive line should be ready to battle the Rams' O-line and even safety Bob Sanders is expected to be back. Steven Jackson's inability to find the end zone might continue, but he'll be the most productive Ram by far.
New England Patriots vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers Sunday, 1:00 pm, Wembley Stadium
The first thing that strikes me is how both teams are preparing for this game. According to the respective head coaches of both teams, the Patriots will practice Thursday and then fly to London while the Bucs will not practice Friday and fly out in the morning. The Patriots just might have an edge in preparation because they could conceivably get a Friday practice in and have a little extra time to get acclimated to London. Will it matter? Probably not either way as the Patriots should find the matchup to their liking. Unlike last week against the Titans, the Patriots might be a little more balanced and run more than throw as Tampa's run defense is miserable. Expect Tom Brady to still get his stats along with Randy Moss and Wes Welker, with Benjamin Watson and Sam Aiken potential sleeper candidates. But Laurence Maroney should also see plenty of touches against a Buccaneers defense that is toothless against the run. The Bucs have allowed four 100-yard rushers in their last five games, including two last week. Maroney is a fairly safe No. 2 option. As for Tampa Bay's offense, expect them to lean on Cadillac Williams, but his success will be limited. The Patriots will play the run and force Josh Johnson to throw, which has worked well for Tampa Bay's recent opponents. If any Bucs players score, it might come late in a blowout loss.
Green Bay Packers at Cleveland Browns Sunday, 1:00 pm, Cleveland Browns Stadium
The Packers shouldn't have much trouble here, even with their slowly improving offensive line. Not only is Cleveland's defense not a threat, but the players are sick as the flu bug spread in the locker room, knocking several players -- including defensive tackle Shaun Rogers -- out of practice for part of the week. Expect Aaron Rodgers to have some great stats thanks to routine completions to Donald Driver, tight end Jermichael Finley and Greg Jennings. Jennings' numbers haven't been great lately but it's only a matter of time before defenses begin to key in on Driver more, giving Jennings more room to operate. Once a lead is built, Ryan Grant could pile up solid yardage, and expect Brandon Jackson, not Ahman Green, to see potential garbage-time stats. The Browns' offense, assuming it's healthy, won't be very effective as the Packers' run defense is on the rise and their pass defense matches up extremely well with the Browns offense. Jamal Lewis might break a run here or there, and Mohamed Massaquoi could build up some moderate totals as he did last week, but this anemic unit isn't expected to post a lot of points. For the second week in a row, the Packers DST looks like a gem.
N.Y. Jets at Oakland Raiders Sunday, 4:05 pm, Oakland Coliseum
These teams played last season and the Jets did very well running the ball. Expect offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer to focus on doing the same thing, not only because it's a weakness the Raiders have but also because it takes pressure off of slumping rookie passer Mark Sanchez. Thomas Jones should be great, and Leon Washington might not be so bad, either. When the Jets pass, look for options other than Braylon Edwards to be successful. Edwards should see tight coverage by the Raiders, leaving tight end Dustin Keller to reap some rewards, and David Clowney still could show some sizzle in spite of last week's goose egg. The Raiders are going to attack with the run as they did last week, and they could find some success with monster nose tackle Kris Jenkins out for the season. Interior runs by Justin Fargas and Michael Bush might be just enough to keep the chains moving. Even with Zach Miller playing well last week and Chaz Schilens returning to the offense, don't count on the Raiders to throw with much success against a good Jets secondary that will not only benefit from the poor throwing of JaMarcus Russell, but also a pass rush that continues to receive attention. Do not be shocked to see a fast game with plenty of running.
Buffalo Bills at Carolina Panthers Sunday, 4:05 pm, Bank of America Stadium
Ryan Fitzpatrick will be under center for the Bills. He's a smart passer, but not as athletically gifted as others in the league. He did come into last week's game and target Terrell Owens a bunch, but he ultimately struggled. The Panthers are good against the pass, which doesn't help his case or the case of the Buffalo receivers. Look for the offense to lean on Marshawn Lynch as they test the Panthers run defense, which has improved over the last two weeks from awful to decent. Carolina won't have such problems -- the Bills have allowed a 100-yard rusher in each of the last four weeks, including 210 yards to Thomas Jones last week. It's doubtful they've fixed their problems for Week 7, and the Panthers have rediscovered their rushing attack. DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart are in line for huge days. That's great for them but bad for the unhappy Steve Smith since he won't be an asset in this game. He might get a token touchdown just to appease him, but really he's not going to be a strong option in weeks where Jake Delhomme can be successful handing off or throwing short darts.
Atlanta Falcons at Dallas Cowboys Sunday, 4:15 pm, Cowboys Stadium
The Falcons offensive line was great two weeks ago at San Francisco but regressed a bit against Chicago last week. Look for them to have their hands full again here as the Cowboys are coming off their bye and bring a strong pass rush and run-stuffing front. And for all their pass defense woes, they haven't allowed a 100-yard receiver since Week 2. Expect the Falcons to focus on getting the ball to tight end Tony Gonzalez and testing safety Pat Watkins. That might work in the red zone, but typically the Cowboys have not allowed huge gains to tight ends. This could mean a low yardage total for Matt Ryan, who also might not be able to rely on Michael Turner much because the Cowboys' run defense will be up to the challenge. Could be a long week for the Falcons because their defense has some holes in it that will appeal to the Cowboys. Atlanta has fixed its run defense, but look for Dallas to try and overpower with their offensive line and physical running attack (that's what the Falcons did in Week 4 at San Francisco). That, combined with the Falcons' hit-and-miss pass rush will give Tony Romo time to find open receivers. Look for Jason Witten to pick up some good yardage against the Falcons, who have struggled in pass coverage against tight ends, and also look for Dallas to test new starting cornerback Brent Grimes, who was replaced earlier this season by veteran Brian Williams, but is forced back into the lineup because of Williams' torn ACL. If Miles Austin can escape jams at the line when matched up against Grimes, look for him to have a couple of big catches.
New Orleans Saints at Miami Dolphins Sunday, 4:15 pm, Land Shark Stadium
This is a very interesting game. The more creative the Dolphins' blitz is, the better chance they'll have to rattle Drew Brees and keep this game close. It's clear that the Saints' offensive line can handle just about anything thrown at them, so even the duo of Joey Porter and Jason Taylor shouldn't scare them off. The Dolphins haven't been gashed by the run yet this season and are rested after their bye week, which means the Saints should opt to throw more than run -- not exactly a surprise. Miami's secondary has been burned by strong pass offenses from Indy and San Diego already this season, so Drew Brees shouldn't have a problem spreading the ball around and attacking downfield when his receivers and tight ends have good matchups. Jeremy Shockey is a candidate to have another good week as the Dolphins have struggled against tight ends, and Lance Moore and Reggie Bush both might produce decent stats and find the end zone as short-area targets (that was their role last week). The Dolphins will really test that Saints run defense with a heavy dose of Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams. Check out the trench battle in this matchup as the Dolphins O-line will try to out-muscle the Saints' front. It's worked against good run defenses in the past, so don't discount Brown and Williams just because of the Saints' high-ranking run defense. The Dolphins also need to keep the game close, so running the ball will help keep Brees on the sidelines. Running well will also set up the pass, and it wouldn't be a surprise to see Miami take some shots deep with Ted Ginn, Jr., as the Saints' pass rush might not be good enough to get close to Chad Henne because of the line's pass blocking. The Dolphins offense will have a good chance to keep this game close.
Chicago Bears at Cincinnati Bengals Sunday, 4:15 pm, Paul Brown Stadium
The Bears might have wanted to take advantage of Cincinnati's banged up defensive line, but they'll only catch a break throwing the ball in that regard, not running the ball. Don't expect a huge game from Matt Forte since Cincy is fairly deep at defensive tackle and will have Domata Peko playing after hurting himself last week. What Chicago will discover is that without defensive end Antwan Odom, the Bengals pass rush should be minimal. That should bode very well for Jay Cutler to find open receivers downfield, including tight end Greg Olsen, who should be covered by Chinedum Ndukwe and as such have an excellent game. Devin Hester and Johnny Knox might also put up some moderate totals. The Bengals are expected to stick to their plan of running a lot with Cedric Benson, who will be motivated to show up his former team. The Bears have done a nice job against the run but Benson has played well in bigger games against better run defenses, so as long as Cincy gives him 20-plus carries, which they'll do so long as they don't turn the ball over, he should be productive. It only helps him that defensive tackle Tommie Harris is doubtful to play. The Bengals will need him to do well as Chicago's pass defense is fairly strong, and with Cincinnati failing to have a tight end threat to break up the Bears' pass coverage, it could be a tough week for Carson Palmer. Chad Ochocinco will have a shot at 100 yards receiving with enough receptions but the rest of the passing game doesn't match up well against the Bears. Save for the Bengals going to a no-huddle approach in a three- or four-receiver set, expect Palmer's stats to be fair, which they've pretty much been for the entire season.
Arizona Cardinals at N.Y. Giants Sunday, 8:20 pm, Giants Stadium
Let's start with Kurt Warner, who will pretty much have to pass in this game no matter what the situation is. The Giants should be good enough to stop the run, which means Warner will have to throw in order to put points up. And if the Giants build a lead, Warner will also have to drop back. He's going to produce so long as he stays upright, which is a bit of an issue since he's been sacked a bunch and the Giants should have a measure of success getting to him, a problem they had last week against the Saints. He'll throw some picks and maybe fumble, but he'll also put up a lot of passing yards. The Cardinals could negate the blitz with short-area passing to Tim Hightower and Steve Breaston, and that's something they've done before. Hightower is a good option this week since he could be in line for 10-plus carries, five-plus catches and goal-line work. Breaston should do fine for the second week in a row, especially if Anquan Boldin plays and commands some decent coverage. Even if Boldin is out, though, Breaston will see a lot of work. Expect the Giants offense to have more success this week than last week, especially through the air. Look for their three-receiver sets to be especially solid as the Cardinals won't have a chance to properly cover Steve Smith, Mario Manningham and Hakeem Nicks all at the same time. With the Giants O-line giving Eli Manning enough time to throw, he should carve up the Cardinals' 30th-ranked pass defense. Do not take Arizona's performance at Seattle last week as an indication that their pass coverage is strong -- they're in for a much tougher challenge here. As for the Giants' run game, so long as the score is close you can expect to see Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw see a lot of work. Once again, Bradshaw is the safer option over Jacobs based on the matchup (Arizona has been good against the run) and based on playing time (they're getting closer to a 50-50 split). The Giants would be nuts not to give Bradshaw a chance to make some plays.
Philadelphia Eagles at Washington Redskins Monday, 8:30 pm, FedEx Field
Historically, both teams have not done well throwing the ball in this series. All of the Redskins' problems have been on offense, not defense, which means that the Eagles might have a hard time finding points again this week. Brian Westbrook has typically been their catalyst against Washington, so expect to see him get a bump in touches after just six carries in each of the last two weeks. But if he's bottled up, the Eagles will have to get creative. The Redskins secondary should be able to hang with DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin, even after last week's totals by Dwayne Bowe. With Donovan McNabb potentially handcuffed, he could look to his tight end, Brent Celek, and third receiver Jason Avant (or Kevin Curtis if he's healthy). Those outlets, along with Westbrook, might be the best chance McNabb has to throw a touchdown. Left tackle Jason Peters is expected to be OK for the game, but if he's not 100 percent he could be exposed. The Redskins offense knows they must perform if they want to save their coach, not to mention their season, but the matchup is equally bad for them. Previously the team has used Clinton Portis as their offensive weapon, but with the Eagles' run defense getting re-tooled and the Redskins offensive line a mess, Portis might have a hard time finding room. That's going to put the ball in Jason Campbell's hands, and that's not good. Campbell, like McNabb, has struggled in most of his games in the series and doesn't have a good matchup. Even a short-area spread approach would only do so much damage here. The Eagles might win this on the back of their defense, and the Redskins' passing woes might be magnified even more.
(POLL)
Could use a little advice - Farve against a good team (which he has produced his best games against) or Cassel against a porous defense this week?
