Here are some great reads I checked out while recently doing some research for my fantasy teams:

Weekly Average Cheatsheet (FantasySportsCentral.com) - UPDATED version of our average weekly cheatsheet with 6 sites included. Updated Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights.

The Road Ahead (SI.com) - With the NFL in constant flux, here's a look at the players with favorable matchups and those facing tough tests in the coming weeks. 

Player Upgrades (FFToolbox.com) - These players' stock is rising and should try to be acquired.

Matchups to Exploit or Avoid (ProFootballWeekly.com) - A short article on who to sit or start.

Trendspotting (ESPN.com) - Ken Daube looks at the trends that portend future productivity.

Fantasy Football fantasy advice, week 4

I'm not surprised to see it, but the Cleveland Browns have pulled the plug on Brady Quinn three games into the season and named Derek Anderson their starting quarterback for Week Four's tilt with the Bengals.

Head coach Eric Mangini told the Cleveland Plain-Dealer that "giving Derek the opportunity is something I think will help us offensively.'' He said Anderson's performance on third down Sunday in Baltimore -- including 3-of-4 on a field goal drive -- helped him clinch the job. He said he needs to improve on throwing interceptions, after throwing three in Baltimore.

He also said he expects Quinn to continue to work hard. "I'm not saying it's all Brady,'' said Mangini. "Derek did some things that were positive and that's what it's based on.

Quinn has completed 45 of 74 passes for 400 yards and 1 TD, but has been picked off three times and fumbled twice in three games.

NFL cleveland browns, derek anderson, brady quinn

Fantasy Football fantasysportsgirl.com, fantasy advice, week 4

SI.com's Jon Heyman put together an eye-opening piece about big-market teams this year in MLB:

• The Yankees, with baseball's highest payroll at $202 million (figures used here are Opening Day payrolls adjusted for acquisitions), are baseball's best team.

• Teams with payrolls No. 4 through 8 are all playoff-bound as of right now: the No. 4 Red Sox ($127 million), No. 5 Tigers ($119 million), No. 6 Angels ($116 million), No. 7 Phillies ($115 million) and No. 8 Dodgers ($103 million).

• The only teams currently in playoff position that aren't among baseball's eight biggest spenders are the Cardinals and Rockies, who rank 13th and 18th in player payroll, respectively. The Braves, who with a $99 million payroll rank 10th, still have an outside chance to overtake the Rockies, particularly with four more games remaining against the Nationals disgrace. If the Braves do make it, it will only turn this season even further into "The Year of the Big Spender." Although the Twins, who rank a lowly 24th in spending at $68 million, still have hope of overtaking the Tigers, which would make it a slightly less lopsided payroll scoreboard.

• The only teams in the top eight of payroll that won't be in the playoffs are baseball's two most disappointing teams, the Cubs (who are second at $136 million) and the Mets (third at $135 million).

COMPLETE ARTICLE

MLB mlb playoffs, mlb payroll, new york yankees, boston red sox, chicago cubs

Here are some recommended waiver wire pick-ups heading into Week Four:

QB – Mark Sanchez (NYJ): Sanchez is the first rookie to start 3-0 and he’s still available in nearly 40 percent of the fantasy leagues out there.  He is showing great poise for such a young quarterback and has a favorable schedule ahead. He makes for a solid fantasy QB2 moving forward.

RB – Glen Coffee (SF): With Frank Gore’s ankle a sidelining him for three weeks, it’s time for a Coffee break for the 49ers. With favorable match-ups with the Rams and Falcons ahead, he could turn into a real San Francisco treat for owners.

RB – Tashard Choice (DAL): Felix Jones has already been ruled out for Week 4’s tilt vs. the Broncos and Marion Barber is nursing a bad quad. That makes Tashard an appealing Choice on this week’s waiver wire. He proved last year he can excel when given the opportunity.

RB – Fred Taylor (NE): He may be the oldest starting running back in the league at 33, but early on Taylor has emerged in a cluttered Patriots’ backfield. Don’t get carried away by him running for 105 yards this past weekend, but clearly he’s worth a spot with bye weeks looming.

WR – Mike Sims-Walker (JAC): If he didn’t get picked up last week in your league, the chances are that the Jaguars’ rookie wideout will get snatched this time around. He has been targeted 20 times in just two weeks and is emerging over Torry Holt as the Jaguars’ No. 1 wideout.

WR – Mike Wallace (PIT): It may a bit early to award him a roster spot, but after his seven-catch, 102-yard performance last week against the Bengals and the Steelers being forced to throw more frequently than expected, Wallace is worth keeping your eyes on in  all formats and a nice grab in deeper leagues.

TE – Vernon Davis (SF): Davis emerged as quarterback’s Shaun Hill’s main man versus Minnesota, grabbing seven balls for 96 yards and a pair of scores. He only mustered just 31 catches for 358 yards a year ago, but Davis is on pace for 70+ catches and 850 yards this season. 

DEF/ST – Bengals (CIN): Cincinnati’s defense has a new attitude this season and has shown a penchant for creating turnovers. They make for a good bye-week filler with a match-up against the lowly Browns and could prove to be a nice option for owners down the stretch.

CHECK OUT THESE LINKS:
--FANTASY PLAYBOOK: Monday QB (9/28)
--Follow GSI on Twitter
--Become our fan on Facebook
--Trade Analyzer (KFFL.com)

Fantasy Football fantasy advice, waiver wire, fantasy pick-ups, fantasy sleepers

One of the close stats I keep my eyes on when accessing wide receiver and tight ends is targets. How many times is their quarterback looking their way? Remember, in fantasy opportunities are everything. I normally look at the weekly numbers, but three weeks in I wanted to look at the top players on the list year-to-date:

Randy Moss (NE) - 40 targets/142 total passes (28%)

Steve Smith (CAR) - 35 targets/108 total passes (32%)

Nate Burleson (SEA) - 33 targets/121 total passes (27%)

Santonio Holmes (PIT) - 30 targets/109 total passes (28%)

Andre Johnson (HOU) - 30 targets/107 total passes (28%)

Reggie Wayne (IND) - 29 targets/96 total passes (30%)

Larry Fitzgerald (ARI) - 29 targets/130 total passes (22%)

Steve Smith (NYG) - 28 targets/94 total passes (30%)

Ted Ginn Jr (MIA) - 27 targets/94 total passes (29%)

Brent Celek (PHI) - 27 targets/117 total passes (23%)

T.J. Houshmandzadeh (SEA) - 27 targets/121 total passes (22%)

Kellen Winslow (TB) - 27 targets/118 total passes (23%)

Calvin Johnson (DET) - 27 targets/103 total passes (26%)

Roddy White (ATL) - 26 targets/91 total passes (29%)

John Carlson (SEA) - 26 targets/121 total passes (21%)

DeSean Jackson (PHI) - 26 targets/117 total passes (22%)

*6 players tied with 25 targets

Fantasy Football fantasy advice, targets

The graph below indicates the fantasy points allowed by each team by position, ranked from 1 through 32. The higher the number means the better the match-up...

(from AskTheCommish.com): Scoring System Used - Passing Yards: 1 point per 30 yards; Rushing Yards: 1 point per 15 yards; Receiving Yards: 1 point per 15 yards; Passing TDs: 4 points per TD pass; Rushing TDs: 6 points per TD run; Receiving TDs: 6 points per TD reception; Interceptions: -2 points per interception; Fumbles: -2 points per fumble lost; Two Point Conversion: 2 points per pass, run, or reception; Field Goals Made: 3 points per field goal made; Field Goals Missed: -1 point per field goal missed; Extra Points: 1 point per extra point; Missed Extra Point: -1 point per missed extra point.

Fantasy Football fantasy advice, fantasy points allowed

The Cincinnati Bengals snapped their five-game home losing streak to the Pittsburgh Steelers with a hard-fought victory over the Super Bowl Champions, winning 23-20.

The win puts the Bengals into great position inside the division, trailing the 3-0 Baltimore Ravens by one game heading into next week’s contest at Cleveland:

THE GOOD
Toughness – These Bengals have an attitude, especially of defense. They went to battle with one of the league’s most fearsome team and hung in like a heavyweight fighter going for the knockout in the 15th round.  The attitude is something we have not seen in years in the Queen City.

Strong Finish – Carson Palmer drove them 16 plays, 71 yards, while converting two fourth downs and then got the two-point conversion.

Andre Caldwell – The final stat line of six receptions for 52 yards and a touchdown isn’t overwhelming, but the second-year wideout made big plays all day. It started with his electrifying opening kickoff and ended with his first career touchdown winning the team the game. Maybe fans should temper their demands for Chris Henry.

Brian Leonard – The second-team running back converted the biggest play of his career when his second effort on a screen pass on 4th down at 10 allowed the drive continue and prevented the loss. Seconds later the Bengals scored the winning touchdown.

THE BAD
First Quarter – The first two drives were stalled by stupid penalties and the Steelers outgained the Bengals 152 to -10 in total yards.

THE UGLY
The Snap – For the second time this year long-snapper Brad St. Louis sailed one over the head of holder Kevin Huber. This time it was on an extra-point conversion, but it was terrible. If it hadn’t been for the amazing comeback this could have been looked at as one of the plays that cost the Bengals the game.

QUOTE TO NOTE
I think the guys are doing a good job of really working together. They keep growing, and keep getting better and better. We just have to keep working. I think it's been good, those five guys working together. – head coach Marvin Lewis on the play of the offensive line

NEXT UP: at Cleveland (0-3, 0-1 in AFC North)

NFL cincinnati bengals, andre caldwell, brian leonard, marvin lewis

Join Rick Broering and fantasy guru Dan Clasgens every Monday LIVE at 1PM (anytime on demand) on GetSportsRadio.com with the Fantasy Playbook: Monday QB.

--Studs & Duds of Week 2

--The Fantasy Infirmary

--Trend or Mirage

--Wire Watch

--MNF Predictions/Sleeper of the Week

LISTEN ON-LINE

Fantasy Football getsportsradio.com, fantasy playbook, fantasy advice

Here's a quick look at some of the injuries suffered during Sunday's action:

QUARTERBACKS
Marc Bulger (STL) - rotator cuff; season threatening

Chad Pennington (MIA) - dislocated shoulder (possible tear)

RUNNING BACKS
Kevin Smith (DET) - shoulder (waiting further test)

Frank Gore (SF) - high ankle sprain

DEFENSE
DL - Dwight Freeney (IND) - right quadriceps

DL - Albert Haynesworth (WAS) - leg

DB - Donte Whitner (BUF) - right thumb injury

Fantasy Football, NFL fantasy advice, injury report, week 3

QB Game Ball - Joe Flacco, Baltimore - 25/35, 342 yards, 1 TD
Flacco topped 300 yards for the second time in the short season. Sure those were performances against the Chiefs and Browns but he has picked up where he left off last season. The Ravens still have a solid defense and a good running game but Flacco is showoing they can win through the air too.

QB Honorable Mention - Brett Favre, Minnesota - 24/46, 301 yards, 2 TDs, 1 Int (Old #4 pulled out another miracle win.)

RB Game Ball - Pierre Thomas, New Orleans - 14 carries, 126 yards, 2 TDs
I don't know how many plays Thomas was on the field for in the first half but I do know he didn't carry the ball until the third quarter. So, yes, those numbers represent a half game worth of work. And it wasn't just 'mop-up' yardage. The Saints had just a six point lead before Thomas took charge.

RB Honorable Mention - Maurice Jones-Drew, Jacksonville - 23 carries, 119 yards, 3 TDs (Huge game after a couple of mediocre performances.)

WR Game Ball - DeSean Jackson, Philadelphia - 6 catches, 149 yards, 1 TD
With McNabb and Westbrook sitting out and Vick taking all the pre-game hype, Jackson showed that he can be a star in Philly too. His young QB, Kevin Kolb finished with 327 passing yards and rookie RB LeSean McCoy ran for 84 yards and a score. It helped playing the Chiefs but it does show that the Eagles may have a bright future.

WR Honorable Mention - Santana Moss, Washington - 10 catches, 178 yards, 1 TD (but you lost to the Lions!!!)

Game Used Sock Award - Jamarcus Russell, Oakland - 12/21, 61 yards, 0 TD, 2 Int
Although the Raiders have been a mess for a few years now, it looked as if they may actually be competive entering this season. They have good young talent at RB and WR and an improved defense. But it is hard to overcome a horrible quarterback. Russell has just one touchdown in three games to go with a total of 378 passing yards and four picks. That's not going to get it done on any level of football. The only thing that's going to get anyone is a dirty, stinky sock.

Stinky Sock Honorable Mention - Washington Redskins (after barely beating the Rams they lose to the Lions - ouch!

Fantasy Football, NFL game balls, week 3, joe flacco, pierre thomas, desean jackson, jamarcus russell

The University of Cincinnati football team moved up in rankings after a 28-20 home win over Fresno State at Nippert Stadium on Saturday, with the program achieving its highest ever weekly ranking.

The Bearcats (4-0) check in at No. 10 in the Associated Press poll and No. 11 in the USA Today Coaches poll. UC's previous best ranking in all polls was No. 12. The Bearcats ranked No. 12 in the AP, USA Today, and Bowl Championship Series Standings entering the 2009 FedEx Orange Bowl. UC also held down the No. 12 spot in the AP poll on Nov. 8, 1954.

Ohio State (3-1) checks in at No. 9 in both polls. Meanwhile, Flordia, Texas, and Alabama hold down both polls' top three spots respectively.

COMPLETE RANKINGS

College Football ap poll, coaches poll, cincinnati bearcats

It's official!!! Despite winning 17 of their last 23 games, the Reds ensured their ninth straight losing season when they fell to the Houston Astros on Sunday.

The team stands at 74-82 with six games to play. Even if they win all of them it would leave the team with a 80-82 mark.

So much for pwner Bob Castellini's promise to bring a winner. No matter what they do, the Reds seemingly can't put together enough good months.

Here is a month-by-month recap of how the team fared:

April: 11-10
May: 15-13
June: 11-15
July: 8-19
August: 13-16
September (thru Sunday): 16-9

MLB cincinnati reds

Be sure to follow GetSportsInfo.com on Twitter for last minute injury news.

Here is a list of some players ruled out for Week 3 already, according to ESPN:

RB Brian Westbrook (PHI)
QB Donovan McNabb (PHI)
WR Wes Welker (NE)
QB Matt Hasselbeck (SEA)
WR Dwayne Bowe (KC)
RB Jamal Lewis (CLE)
RB Mike Bell (NO)
WR Lance Moore (NO)

MORE INJURY NEWS (Rotoworld.com)

Fantasy Football fantasy advice, injury updates, week 3

Florida quarterback Tim Tebow has been released from a Lexington, Ky., hospital, about 12 hours after taking a hard hit to the head against Kentucky.

Coach Urban Meyer said Sunday that Tebow sustained a concussion when he was sacked by defensive end Taylor Wyndham in the third quarter Saturday night. Tebow's head struck teammate Marcus Gilbert's leg, violently bending his neck forward.

"Tim is doing fine this morning," Meyer said in a statement. "His CT scans came back and indicated that Tim suffered a concussion. Our medical and athletic training staff will continue to monitor him to determine how much rest and recovery he needs. We will have additional information and updates this week."

MORE (Gainesville Sun)

College Football flordia gators, tim tebow