Last Minute Looks for Week 6
Buffalo @ Detroit
After the beating they took last week, the Bills are looking for some major redemption. Willis McGahee should find some success early on against a pretty weak Lions rushing D which in turn will open it up for J.P. Losman to find Lee Evans and Peerless Price downfield. To counter, Mike Martz knows he has to take it to the air. The Lions offensive line is way too banged up to give much room for Kevin Jones to find. Roy Williams looks like he'll play, so expect to see Jon Kitna hit him and #2 receiver Mike Furrey to stay in the game. Expect a high scoring affair here.
Carolina @ Baltimore
A defensive battle that drives fantasy owners nuts. Your fantasy starters here look to be both team defenses, Matt Stover and John Kasay. Expect it to be a low scoring game. Jake Delhomme will be running for his life all day and will be hard pressed to get the ball to wideouts Steve Smith and Keyshawn Johnson. Those Ravens' corners are strong. On the other side, it's going to need to be all Steve McNair again as Jamal Lewis will find very little running room. Todd Heap and Derrick Mason may get some looks, but is it going to help your fantasy team when these guys finish a 9-6 game?
Cincinnati @ Tampa Bay
The Bengals are rested and are looking to get back on track this week. Tampa's D is usually tough, but for how long can they withstand the passing attack? Both teams will start with the run -- Rudi Johnson has been a workhorse and Carnell Williams is coming off his best game of the year to face a poor rushing defense in Cincy. But the 2nd half is where the fireworks will start. The trio of Carson Palmer, Chad Johnson and T.J. Houshmandzadeh will be too tough to keep down and they should combine for some serious points. Look for Bruce Gradkowski and Joey Galloway to try and keep up, but just falling short in the end.
Houston @ Dallas
This one's making me nuts. On a personal note, I have both Drew Bledsoe and Terry Glenn so I'm rooting for big points here. Am I going to get it? Not sure. I have more faith in Dallas using Glenn more than Terrell Owens, but you never know which Bledsoe is gonna show up. Julius Jones should also factor strongly against a weak Houston run defense, so they may not even need for Bledsoe to air it out at all. I hate relying on these guys right now. On the other side of the ball you know exactly what you're getting. Forget the running game for the Texans. It doesn't exist. It's all about David Carr playing catchup airing the ball out to Andre Johnson. It won't help them win the game, but the garbage time points will do wonders for your fantasy team.
NY Giants @ Atlanta
OK....so I'm taking a shot here pickign the Giants to win this one outright. Not because I'm a Giants fan (unfortuantely loyal to the Jets) but because I truly think that if you can stop the run against Atlanta you can win the game. The secondary for the Giants is their weakness and aside from Alge Crumpler, Michael Vick has very little to throw to. I think The Giants' D can have a big game forcing Vick to spend the afternoon in the air. Big Blue needs to come up big on offense which means that they need big games from Eli Manning, Plaxico Burress, Tiki Barber, and Jeremy Shockey. I think they're able and a strong lead to start will keep Vick from beating them on the ground. John Abraham's presence isn't going to make that big an impact for the Falcons' D.
Philadelphia @ New Orleans
I see another high scoring affair here. Both offenses are loaded with weapons, although Philly still seems a little banged up. Donte Stallworth is out...again. And Brian Westbrook is still hurting. But it's Donovan McNabb's show out there. He has run this offense like...well, a supervillain, as Phil Brody puts it. If the Saints can contain him then they can win this game. The pass D needs to come up big. For the Saints on offense, well, Deuce McAllister owners are still walking tall. If anything, the presence of Reggie Bush has made him a better back. While defenses are concentrating on the speedy, elusive Bush, McAllister has done a great job between the hashmarks. Look for him to continue the trend. The Drew Brees/Joe Horn connection still hasn't been met and needs to if they want to continue their quest for the playoffs.
Seattle @ St. Louis
I like the Rams here. I think they should all be in your active lineup. Steven Jackson should see an increased workload over time, but for now, let the ball fly with Mark Bulger. He's looking great right now and he's had no trouble finding Torry Holt in the endzone week after week. Seattle's D can be tough, but not enough for them to hold the high scoring Rams down. For the Seahwaks it's a little different. Not that Shaun Alexander was tearing it up, but they are a much different team without him. Maurice Morris does not keep defenses honest. Expect to see the ball aired out by Matt Hasselbeck for a lot of the day. Darrell Jackson and Deion Branch should figure to have strong days and there's always the addition of TE Jerramy Stevens.
Tennessee @ Washington
The Titans are satill terrible and the Skins need a big bounce back game after losing to the Giants last week. Clinton Portis should break out big this week which will allow Mark Brunnell the chance the find Santana Moss and maybe even Chris Cooley throughout the game. For the Titans, Vince Young is developing, but not enough to start him just yet. He can rush for the TD right now, but he needs to work on his passing a little better. If he clicks with it this week and he and Drew Bennett can connect, then he could be a good play later on in the year. For now though, most...hell, all Titans...should be on your bench.
Kansas City @ Pittsburgh
The Steelers are in need of a win...big time. They just can't affors to drop this game. The banged up D should have it's hands full with Larry Johnson, but as we've seen in the first 2 or 3 weeks, he can be contained. After that, it's back in Damon Huard's hands. Someone's due for a letdown. The Steeler seconday is still tough to get through. On offense for Pitt, it's going to be a lot of Willie Parker. Ben Roethlisberger is still not 100% and Hines Ward is still hurting. This is just the kind of week Big Ben needs to hook up woith Heath Miller in the red zone.
Miami @ NY Jets
Either a confidence builder for the Jets or a desperation win for the Fins. One or the other, I suppose. The Jets are still using Kevan Barlow as their primary back and rightfully so. As flashy as Leon Washington can be, he's more of an open field runner and that's not going to do it the whole way. Expect another meek running game for the Jets and watch for Chad Pennington to avenge his poor performance against the Jags last week. Jerricho Cotchery and Laveraneus Coles should be solid plays here. For the Fins, Ronnie Brown should be starting for you. The Jets have one of the worst rushing defenses and can make any back look good. The Joey Harrington experiment is still in it's early stages, but I don't see it getting any better. The only way you're going to be able to start Chris Chambers is if he gets traded to another team.
San Diego @ San Francisco
If the cure for the Niners last week was a visit from the Raiders, then the cure for LaDanian Tomlinson this week is a trip to San Fran. He's gone through his bye week and back to back tough defenses and he's ready to break out this game. Expect him to crush in the first half and allow Phillip Rivers to take his time finding Antonio Gates later on. Michael Turner will certainly see extensive second half action if Alex Smith, Frank Gore and Antonio Bryant can't keep the 49ers in it. This might be a good week to sit Gore against a tough Charger D, but Smith and Bryant and even Eric Johnson look like good plays as the Niners play catch up the whole day.
Oakland @ Denver
Start your Broncos, sit your Raiders. This one could get ugly. The Broncos have one of the top defense, so you're not seeing much out of Lamont Jordan or Andrew Walter or Randy Moss. This team is just in shambles right now. Denver will take full advantage. Tatum Bell should have a solid game and Jake Plummer should have no problem finding Javon Walker all day long. Maybe Rod Smith can ride last week's momentum too, making him a decent WR3 option.
Chicago @ Arizona
This has to be a scary matchup for the Cardinals offensive line, which doesn't bode well for rookie QB Matt Leinart. Losing Larry Fitzgerald and backup Bryant Edwards falling out of favor won't help either. Edgerrin James should have a tough day as well, making Anquan Boldin probably your best Cardinal play of the day. Think Lee Evans from last week. For the Bears, well, it's just another day at the office. Rex Grossman should be a solid play, Bernard Berrian and Mushin Muhammed should fare well, and even Thomas Jones should be a solid start, despite Cedric Benson's TD poaching last week. And as if I even need to mention it, the Bears D should be a great point scoring machine...again.
After the beating they took last week, the Bills are looking for some major redemption. Willis McGahee should find some success early on against a pretty weak Lions rushing D which in turn will open it up for J.P. Losman to find Lee Evans and Peerless Price downfield. To counter, Mike Martz knows he has to take it to the air. The Lions offensive line is way too banged up to give much room for Kevin Jones to find. Roy Williams looks like he'll play, so expect to see Jon Kitna hit him and #2 receiver Mike Furrey to stay in the game. Expect a high scoring affair here.
Carolina @ Baltimore
A defensive battle that drives fantasy owners nuts. Your fantasy starters here look to be both team defenses, Matt Stover and John Kasay. Expect it to be a low scoring game. Jake Delhomme will be running for his life all day and will be hard pressed to get the ball to wideouts Steve Smith and Keyshawn Johnson. Those Ravens' corners are strong. On the other side, it's going to need to be all Steve McNair again as Jamal Lewis will find very little running room. Todd Heap and Derrick Mason may get some looks, but is it going to help your fantasy team when these guys finish a 9-6 game?
Cincinnati @ Tampa Bay
The Bengals are rested and are looking to get back on track this week. Tampa's D is usually tough, but for how long can they withstand the passing attack? Both teams will start with the run -- Rudi Johnson has been a workhorse and Carnell Williams is coming off his best game of the year to face a poor rushing defense in Cincy. But the 2nd half is where the fireworks will start. The trio of Carson Palmer, Chad Johnson and T.J. Houshmandzadeh will be too tough to keep down and they should combine for some serious points. Look for Bruce Gradkowski and Joey Galloway to try and keep up, but just falling short in the end.
Houston @ Dallas
This one's making me nuts. On a personal note, I have both Drew Bledsoe and Terry Glenn so I'm rooting for big points here. Am I going to get it? Not sure. I have more faith in Dallas using Glenn more than Terrell Owens, but you never know which Bledsoe is gonna show up. Julius Jones should also factor strongly against a weak Houston run defense, so they may not even need for Bledsoe to air it out at all. I hate relying on these guys right now. On the other side of the ball you know exactly what you're getting. Forget the running game for the Texans. It doesn't exist. It's all about David Carr playing catchup airing the ball out to Andre Johnson. It won't help them win the game, but the garbage time points will do wonders for your fantasy team.
NY Giants @ Atlanta
OK....so I'm taking a shot here pickign the Giants to win this one outright. Not because I'm a Giants fan (unfortuantely loyal to the Jets) but because I truly think that if you can stop the run against Atlanta you can win the game. The secondary for the Giants is their weakness and aside from Alge Crumpler, Michael Vick has very little to throw to. I think The Giants' D can have a big game forcing Vick to spend the afternoon in the air. Big Blue needs to come up big on offense which means that they need big games from Eli Manning, Plaxico Burress, Tiki Barber, and Jeremy Shockey. I think they're able and a strong lead to start will keep Vick from beating them on the ground. John Abraham's presence isn't going to make that big an impact for the Falcons' D.
Philadelphia @ New Orleans
I see another high scoring affair here. Both offenses are loaded with weapons, although Philly still seems a little banged up. Donte Stallworth is out...again. And Brian Westbrook is still hurting. But it's Donovan McNabb's show out there. He has run this offense like...well, a supervillain, as Phil Brody puts it. If the Saints can contain him then they can win this game. The pass D needs to come up big. For the Saints on offense, well, Deuce McAllister owners are still walking tall. If anything, the presence of Reggie Bush has made him a better back. While defenses are concentrating on the speedy, elusive Bush, McAllister has done a great job between the hashmarks. Look for him to continue the trend. The Drew Brees/Joe Horn connection still hasn't been met and needs to if they want to continue their quest for the playoffs.
Seattle @ St. Louis
I like the Rams here. I think they should all be in your active lineup. Steven Jackson should see an increased workload over time, but for now, let the ball fly with Mark Bulger. He's looking great right now and he's had no trouble finding Torry Holt in the endzone week after week. Seattle's D can be tough, but not enough for them to hold the high scoring Rams down. For the Seahwaks it's a little different. Not that Shaun Alexander was tearing it up, but they are a much different team without him. Maurice Morris does not keep defenses honest. Expect to see the ball aired out by Matt Hasselbeck for a lot of the day. Darrell Jackson and Deion Branch should figure to have strong days and there's always the addition of TE Jerramy Stevens.
Tennessee @ Washington
The Titans are satill terrible and the Skins need a big bounce back game after losing to the Giants last week. Clinton Portis should break out big this week which will allow Mark Brunnell the chance the find Santana Moss and maybe even Chris Cooley throughout the game. For the Titans, Vince Young is developing, but not enough to start him just yet. He can rush for the TD right now, but he needs to work on his passing a little better. If he clicks with it this week and he and Drew Bennett can connect, then he could be a good play later on in the year. For now though, most...hell, all Titans...should be on your bench.
Kansas City @ Pittsburgh
The Steelers are in need of a win...big time. They just can't affors to drop this game. The banged up D should have it's hands full with Larry Johnson, but as we've seen in the first 2 or 3 weeks, he can be contained. After that, it's back in Damon Huard's hands. Someone's due for a letdown. The Steeler seconday is still tough to get through. On offense for Pitt, it's going to be a lot of Willie Parker. Ben Roethlisberger is still not 100% and Hines Ward is still hurting. This is just the kind of week Big Ben needs to hook up woith Heath Miller in the red zone.
Miami @ NY Jets
Either a confidence builder for the Jets or a desperation win for the Fins. One or the other, I suppose. The Jets are still using Kevan Barlow as their primary back and rightfully so. As flashy as Leon Washington can be, he's more of an open field runner and that's not going to do it the whole way. Expect another meek running game for the Jets and watch for Chad Pennington to avenge his poor performance against the Jags last week. Jerricho Cotchery and Laveraneus Coles should be solid plays here. For the Fins, Ronnie Brown should be starting for you. The Jets have one of the worst rushing defenses and can make any back look good. The Joey Harrington experiment is still in it's early stages, but I don't see it getting any better. The only way you're going to be able to start Chris Chambers is if he gets traded to another team.
San Diego @ San Francisco
If the cure for the Niners last week was a visit from the Raiders, then the cure for LaDanian Tomlinson this week is a trip to San Fran. He's gone through his bye week and back to back tough defenses and he's ready to break out this game. Expect him to crush in the first half and allow Phillip Rivers to take his time finding Antonio Gates later on. Michael Turner will certainly see extensive second half action if Alex Smith, Frank Gore and Antonio Bryant can't keep the 49ers in it. This might be a good week to sit Gore against a tough Charger D, but Smith and Bryant and even Eric Johnson look like good plays as the Niners play catch up the whole day.
Oakland @ Denver
Start your Broncos, sit your Raiders. This one could get ugly. The Broncos have one of the top defense, so you're not seeing much out of Lamont Jordan or Andrew Walter or Randy Moss. This team is just in shambles right now. Denver will take full advantage. Tatum Bell should have a solid game and Jake Plummer should have no problem finding Javon Walker all day long. Maybe Rod Smith can ride last week's momentum too, making him a decent WR3 option.
Chicago @ Arizona
This has to be a scary matchup for the Cardinals offensive line, which doesn't bode well for rookie QB Matt Leinart. Losing Larry Fitzgerald and backup Bryant Edwards falling out of favor won't help either. Edgerrin James should have a tough day as well, making Anquan Boldin probably your best Cardinal play of the day. Think Lee Evans from last week. For the Bears, well, it's just another day at the office. Rex Grossman should be a solid play, Bernard Berrian and Mushin Muhammed should fare well, and even Thomas Jones should be a solid start, despite Cedric Benson's TD poaching last week. And as if I even need to mention it, the Bears D should be a great point scoring machine...again.
posted by Howard Bender at
12:51 AM
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