Let’s start off this week’s column with a joke (I can do this because I feel like it and it’s my column).
Q: What’s invisible and smells like carrots?
A: Bunny Farts! 

Now that we’ve broken the ice, I want to take a minute and discuss what may be happening in your fantasy football season so far. You’ve spent high draft picks on certain players who aren’t performing. Your team looks good on paper, yet you’re not seeing results. I urge you to be patient. If you’ve got a good team and are losing on a weekly basis by less than ten points, you’ll be ok. I was 0-3 in one league and was looking to make some moves. I didn’t and now have won 2 in a row and have climbed back into the picture. Now, if you’re not seeing results after Week 7 or 8, it might be time to re-evaluate your team. But for now, hang in there.
On a side note, don’t forget that fantasy basketball is right around the corner. For you NBA fans, it’s great being able to have someone on your fantasy team playing every day. I’m coming off a second place finish last year after an incredible playoff run. Looking to bring home the gold this year, and it’s a virtual lock if I get a top 2 pick.
Ok, let’s get on with why most of you are reading this.

The Good:

Ray Rice (@ Minnesota): I know the Vikings defense is good. The Williams Wall has been stuffing the run all year. Yet Rice has looked better and better with each game. His ability to catch the ball sets him apart from a lot of running backs. Also, McGahee did virtually nothing last week against the Bengals, which means the Ravens could lean on Rice even more heavily this week. Rice should have another solid double-digit fantasy performance this week.

Matt Hasselbeck (Arizona): He’s baaaaaaaaaaaaaaack! He’s looked very good this year when he’s healthy, and the he gets the Cardinals at home. Look for Houshmandzadeh and Hasselbeck to continue to look good together. I’m predicting a possible upset here, and if Hasselbeck can throw two or three touchdowns, it should make for a great game against Arizona.

Mark Sanchez (Buffalo): The kid looked night and day different in a good way on Monday against the Dolphins. As bad as he looked against New Orleans, he looked great this past weekend. While he only threw one touchdown, the stat that jumps out at me is that he had no interceptions. Plus, having Braylon Edwards deep ball ability will only help Sanchez. I’m expecting two touchdowns from the former USC great and a Jets win to get them back on track.

The Bad:

Steve Slaton (@ Cincinnati): Slaton hasn’t been very productive yet this season, and I look for that trend to continue against an underrated Bengals defense. Throw that into the mix in addition to the Texans lackluster defense, it could mean playing from behind for Houston. I know a lot of you aren’t very good at math, so I’ll give you a simple equation: More Schaub Passes = Less Slaton Runs (Note: I’m partial to Schaub because I own him in two leagues, so I hope this is the case).

Percy Harvin (Baltimore): Harvin didn’t practice Wednesday because of an injured shoulder. Add that to the fact that he gets a Baltimore defense that is just coming off of a tough loss, and the outlook is gloomy for Percy. Plus, the Ravens just gave up over 100 yards to Cedric Benson. The Vikings will probably look to duplicate his success and give AP plenty of chances. There are better options than Harvin this week.

Ben Roethlisberger (Cleveland): Ok, allow me to elaborate. He’s not in this section because he plays for the Steelers and I’m a Browns fan. He’s in this section because the Browns defense is better than people think. Plus, with Fast Willy Parker back and Mendenhall running well, I look for Big Ben to only have to throw 20-25 times. He’ll be ok I think, but he won’t have a 350 yard and 4 touchdown performance. He’s average this week. That being said, GO BROWNIES!
The Ugly

Sammy Morris (Tennessee): Fred Taylor is out, and Morris seems to be the lead back in New England. Tennessee could have problems scoring, especially if the Patriots put eight in the box and force Kerry Collins to try and beat them. Morris could not only have a big day, but he could also get some mop-up duty points that count just the same as yards in a close game.

Chris Henry (Houston): Ultimate risk-reward type of receiver. Definitely has the talent for a big day, and the Texans defense will be focusing on Ochocinco and Cedric Benson. If Henry can catch a deep bomb for a score (he’s been getting more looks from Palmer as of late), he’s worth a flex play this week.

Kyle Orton (@ San Diego): The Broncos are undefeated. Josh McDaniel’s is laughing hysterically in his office at all of the people who doubted him this preseason. They just beat New England people! While the Patriots were distracted by those awful yellow and brown uniforms, Orton threw 48 passes. Now he gets an overrated Chargers defense on Monday night. Orton is definitely fantasy relevant, and that won’t change this week. So if you own Peyton Manning or another quarterback on a bye, give him a shot.

As always, I can’t give you analysis on every player. So if you’ve got some questions regarding your team, let me know and we’ll see if I can help at all. Via Twitter to @Schelldawg, or Schelldawg@airxxi.com. Good luck this week. You stay classy, world.

1. mark Says:
   October 22nd, 2009 at 2:40 pm

   you were right with what you said about roethlisberger