FANTASY 101
--Plan For Success – Get a jump on your bye weeks: With bye weeks starting after this weekend, now is the time to start looking at when your players will be out of commission if you haven’t already done so. Every league sees an intense rush to the waiver during byes and by addressing needs in advance you will increase your chances of having adequate replacements. 


SETTING YOUR LINEUP
START 'EM
QB Ben Roethlisberger (at HOU) – Through his first three games Big Ben has averaged 314 passing yards per game, but has only managed to throw three total TD’s while being picked off four times. Expect his yardage numbers to again be high and throw in multiple TD passes as he faces a Texans’ D that allowed 354 yards and three touchdowns through the air a week ago.

RB Ryan Mathews (vs. MIA) – Few running backs have produced as well as the second-year Chargers’ back has through the first three weeks, rushing for 207 yards and three scores and catching 14 balls for 187 more yards. Look for the trend to continue on Sunday versus Miami, who is allowing 104.7 yards on the ground per game this year.

SIT' EM
QB Joe Flacco (vs. NYJ) - A week after torching the Rams for 389 yards and three touchdowns, the Ravens’ quarterback is hitting the fantasy pine this week as he’s set to face a Jets’ D that has only surrendered 203 passing yards and 0.67 TDs while forcing 1.67 interceptions per game.

WR Brandon Lloyd (at GB) – The Broncos head to Lambeau Field this week to face a Packers. While I fully expect Denver to have to play from behind and pass often, I am still not comfortable inserting Lloyd into the lineup just yet. He sat out one game and was not very productive in the two contests he played in, totaling 137 yards and no scores on 10 catches. Let Lloyd play his way into your lineup.


FANTASY INFIRMARY
RB Frank Gore (ankle) – His status for Sunday’s game is up in the air as he is battling an ankle injury and he is risky to put in to your lineup even if he plays. Expect Kendall Hunter to get the bulk of the workload in his absence.

RB Steven Jackson (quadriceps) – He was back in the mix last week, but only with four carries. Jackson is nearing 100 percent, but is still unlikely going to get a full workload this week. You will want to use him only if you have no other options.

WR Jeremy Maclin (hamstring) – He returned to practice on Thursday. Owners will want to monitor his progress as kickoff nears.

TE Antonio Gates (foot) – Gates missed last week and reports indicate he will likely rest his ailing foot a couple of more weeks. Randy McMichael gains fantasy relevance in his absence.

Other injuries of note: Beanie Wells (hamstring), Marques Colston (shoulder), Mario Manningham (concussion), Ryan Grant (kidney).


WIDEOUT BREAKOUT
Julio Jones (ATL) – The Falcons gave up a ton to land Jones in April’s draft and in just three games in you are starting to see why. He put up his best game yet last week, catching six balls for 115 yards. He hasn’t found the end zone yet but

Denarius Moore (OAK) – A week after breaking out for 146 yards and a score vs. Buffalo, the Raiders’ newest offensive weapon scored on a 23-yard TD run last Sunday. Expect Oakland to continue to get the ball in the playmaker’s hands early and often.

David Nelson (BUF) – The former Florida product has been a big part of the Bills’ success and is tied for 7th in the NFL with 20 receptions through three games. At 6-foot-5, he possesses both the size and athleticism to present headaches for opposing defenders.

Torrey Smith (BAL) – Smith’s deep-threat ability was on display last week against St. Louis and he caught three long touchdowns. Don’t expect consistent efforts like this from the Ravens’ rookie, but he is certainly capable of more big days ahead.

Fantasy Football fantasy football fantasy advice, fantasy 101, week 4

Here are the latest preseason rankings. Our rankings are based off TD+yardage, PPR-format leagues.

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*Last Updated 9/29

COMPLETE RANKINGS

2011 fantasy rankings, week 4, fantasy advice, gsi cheat sheet, fantasy projections

Here are some must-read fantasy material from around the web...

Weekly Average Cheat Sheet (FantasySportsCentral.com) - A cumulative ranking of several top fantasy sites.

Player Projections (FantasySharks.com) - Sortable player stat projections with comments.

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

Player History - (FFToday.com) Game-by-game lifetime player fantasy points against the team they are playing this week.

The Stock Report (RotoExperts.com) - Let's look at who's looking good and who's causing concern in the world of Fantasy Football.

Start 'Em (FFToolbox.com) - Players who have been inconsistent or struggled lately, but should be started on fantasy teams this week.

Trendspotting (ESPN.com) - They look at the trends that portend future productivity.

Interactive Running Back Selector (CBSSports.com) - will assist you in your search and help you find the right backs for your format.

Fantasy Football fantasy football links, fantasy advice, week 4, 2011

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...

Fantasy Football fantasy advice, fantasy points allowed by postions, fantasy points allowed

All right it’s Tuesday and that means it time to hit the waiver wire. Here’s guys you should look at listed in the order I like them position-by-position.

PICK UP WEEK
WR Nate Washington (TEN) - With the devastating news that Kenny Britt is out for the season with ACL and MCL injuries, Nate Washington officially becomes the Titans' top wideout. If he can handle the extra attention from opposing defenses, he'll pay dividends.

QB
Jason Campbell (OAK) - A nice match-up play for Week 4 against Pats' secondary
Vince Young (PHI) - Michael Vick's handcuff is now healthy. Vick owners take notice
Curtis Painter (IND) - not much value, but appers to be the new Colts' starter

RB
Bernard Scott (CIN) - Cedric Benson's suspension makes him the Bengals' starter
Kendall Hunter (SF) - going to get more touches with Frank Gore hobbled and struggling
Montraio Hardesty (CLE) - working his way in to a share of the workload in Browns' backfield
Earnest Graham (TB) - 20 catches on 24 targets makes him roster worthy in PPR leagues
Stevan Ridley (NE) - slowly working his way into Pats' mix of carries; big upside

WR
Donlad Jones (BUF) - the third Bills' receiver to fly into the fantasy radar this year
Torrey Smith (BAL) - capable of huge games, but still question his consistency
Steve Smith (PHI) - low risk investment that will likely see an increased role in Philly
Victor Cruz (NYG) - will have some value in Giants' attack with Dominic Hixon out for season

TE
Randy McMichael (SD) - with Gates' foot flaring up McMichael is going to be used
Jered Cook (TEN) - also stands to benefit from Britt's injury by receiving more targets

Fantasy Football fantasy advice, waiver wire, nate washington, jason campbell, bernard scott, donald jones, randy mcmichael

The Red Sox were 82-51 on Aug. 27. They were three games behind the Phillies for the best record in baseball.  One month later they find themselves tied with Tampa with two games to go after going 6-19 this month and dropping 17 of their last 22 games. 

If the Rays take over the wild-card spot it will mark the first-time ever a team has blow a nine-game September lead. We take a look at the 10 biggest collapses in MLB history.

It's not the first time that Red Sox fans have endured such a streak, at least this time it is not at the hands of the Yankees.

4. 1978 Boston Red Sox (Baseball-Reference.com)
Boston led by 14 in July and still held a 7.5-game lead with 32 games remaining. A 14-of-17 swoon was the opening the Yankees needed to close the gap, which included a four-game sweep at Fenway Park. The Red Sox won their final eight, and needed a Cleveland victory over New York to force a one-game playoff at Fenway Park. And that's when the name Bucky Dent became an expletive in New England, as the Yankees' light-hitting shortstop hit a home run in a 3-2 New York victory. The Yankees won their second consecutive World Series.

COMPLETE LIST (About.com)

MLB biggest mlb collapses. boston red sox, sports lists

QUARTERBACKS
Michael Vick (PHI) – Suffered a broken right hand; his status for Week 4 unclear
Kerry Collins (IND) – Forced from game with concussion; Days as starter could be over

RUNNING BACKS
Frank Gore (SF) – Limited by sprained ankle; severity of injury unclear
Darren McFadden (OAK) – Aggravated his hamstring, but didn’t appear to be major issue

WIDE RECEIVERS
Kenny Britt (SF) – Carted off with knee injury; could be an ACL – MRI on Monday
Jerry Maclin (PHI) – left loss to Giants with hamstring issue and did not return to game

TIGHT ENDS
Antonio Gates (SD) – Problems have resurfaced with plantar fascia that sidelined him last year

MORE PLAYER NEWS (KFFL.com)

Fantasy Football, NFL nfl injury report, postagme injuries, week 3, michael vick, kerry collins, frank gore, darren mcfadden, kenny britt, jerry maclin, antonio gates

We take a look at the latest rankings of the regular season:

COMPLETE RANKINGS

College Football latest polls, college football rankings, ap poll, coaches poll

QB Game Ball - Matthew Stafford, Detroit - 32/46, 378 yards, 2 TD
This pre-season the Lions were the team that a lot of people thought would break through in 2011. Well, those people were correct. The biggest improvement for the team is probably their defense, but it sure helps to have a stud quarterback. Stafford had a huge day in Minnesota on Sunday - a city the Lions have not won in since the Clinton administration. Calvin Johnson caught the two touchdown passes and set up the game winning field goal in overtime with a big catch. Tight end Brandon Pettigrew also had a great game with 112 yards on 11 catches. The Lions sit on top of the the NFC North with a record of 3-0, their best start since the Carter administration!

QB Honorable Mention - Ryan Fitzpatrick, Buffalo - 27/40, 369 yards, 2 TD, 2 Int (Bills vs. Lions in the Superbowl.)

RB Game Ball - Darren McFadden, Oakland - 19 carries, 171 yards, 2 TD
Good defense and a solid running game is often a great recipe for winning football - and that's what the Raiders have so far this year. McFadden busted the Jets with a monster day. He actually out-rushed Jason Cambell's passing total (156 yards) for the second time this season. And both of those games were wins. Michael Bush may still get some time in the backfield but it is McFadden that the Raiders are going to win with.

RB Honorable Mention - Daniel Thomas, Miami - 23 carries, 95 yards, 3 catches, 27 yards, 1 TD (clearly the top running Dolphin.)

WR Game Ball - Torrey Smith, Baltimore - 5 catches, 152 yards, 3 TD
How would you like your first NFL reception to go for a touchdown? That is what Smith did on Sunday and then added two more - all in the first quarter. While he may never have a game like that again, the Ravens look like contenders. Jow Flacco finished with 389 passing yards. Ray Rice combined for 162 total yards. And the defense not only held the Rams to seven points, but added a fumble return to finish out the game.

WR Honorable Mention - Wes Welker, New England - 16 catches, 217 yards, 2 TD (targeted 20 times.)

TE Game Ball - James Casey, Houston - 5 catches, 126 yards, 1 TD
In the shoot-out with the Saints on Sunday Casey did most of his damage coming out of the backfield. He was lining up as an 'H' back and ended up having a pretty good day. He's not going to take the place of Owen Daniels or Ben Tate or Arian Foster, but he obviously has some good skills and should continue to get into the Texans game plans.

TE Honorable Mention - Todd Heap, Arizona - 6 catches, 61 yards (still a little gas in the tank.)

GAME-USED SOCK AWARD
Chad Ochocinco, WR, New England - 2 catches, 28 yards
In a game in which Tom Brady threw 30 completions Chad had two. Brady had 387 passing yards - Chad had 28 of those. Wes Welker and Rob Gronkowski each scored twice. Not only did Chad fail to score, he dropped a game tying touchdown in the fourth quarter. In three games so far this season the New England offense has put up 104 points. Chad has not scored. Brady has thrown for 1,327 yards. Chad has 87 yards. Hey Chad, Tweet this - you stink worse than your socks.

Stinky Sock Honorable Mention - Michael Turner, RB, Atlanta - 11 carries, 20 yards (and the Falcons lost to the Bucs.)

Fantasy Football, NFL game balls, week 3, top fantasy performers, matthew stafford, darren mcfadden, torrey smith, james casey

Sirius XM's Kay Adams recaps Week 3 of the fantasy football season...

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