INSIDE THE NUMBERS
Over the past two seasons Stevie Johnson has pulled in 158 catches for 2,077 yards and 17 touchdowns, emerging as a stellar fantasy option. Cleary the number one option in the Bills’ passing attack, Johnson was targeted 135 times in 2011. He is still a bit underrated and should provide nice early mid-round value while making for a solid fantasy WR2.

SCHEDULE
Buffalo’s slate of games has some fantasy appeal, particularly down the stretch of the season. Starting in Week 11 they play Miami, at Indianapolis, Jacksonville and then follow it up with fantasy playoff matchups against St. Louis, Seattle, and at Miami. Expect a strong finish for most of the team’s fantasy producers.

STUD
Before breaking his leg in Week 11 a year ago Fred Jackson was one of fantasy football’s top producers at running back. Through 10 games he tallied 1,376 total yards and six touchdowns. Over the past three seasons he’s eclipsed 3,800 total yards while making 15 trips to the end zone. At 31, he may start to decline but entering 2012 he still remains the best fantasy option in a Bills’ uniform.

DUD
During the first half of 2011 Ryan Fitzpatrick was amongst the top producers at the quarterback position as he threw for 1,739 yards, 14 touchdowns and just seven interceptions, including nine TD passes in the first three games of the year. However, the second half didn’t prove as friendly as he tossed 10 touchdowns and was picked off 16 times, finishing with a league-high 23 interceptions.

SLEEPER
After Jackson went down in Week 10, CJ Spiller finally showed us a glimpse of what he was capable of and started to deliver on Buffalo’s investment. In the team’s last five games he compiled 563 total yards and five touchdowns while averaging 5.6 yards per carry. With Jackson at full health, Spiller will being splitting time but should still provide good enough value to be looked at as a stellar flex option.

NEW ADDITIONS
Looking to vastly improve their defense, Buffalo made a huge splash this offseason by adding Mario Williams and Mark Anderson to their defensive front.  The team ranked 25th in the league against the pass last season, but if they can get the pass rush they invested so heavily in expect a drastic improvement. The unit should be considered a top fantasy option.

POSITION BATTLE
While Johnson is the clear No. 1 option at receiver, there could still be additional value if either Donald Jones or David Nelson could emerge in the passing game. Both players were limited by injuries a year ago and posses limited upside. Jones can stretch the field deep while Nelson size and skill set make him an intriguing late-round option.

BENCH BUILDER
Scott Chandler emerged as a legitimate fantasy option at tight end a year ago as he caught 38 balls for 389 yards and six touchdowns after being a relatively unknown name by owners prior to the season. He may not be worth drafting in most formats, but could be a great waiver wire as bye week filler or injury replacement as he should build on his 2011 numbers.

Fantasy Football, NFL 2012 nfl preview, buffalo bills, stevie johnson, fred jackson, ryan fitzpatrick, cj spiller, mario williams, mark anderson, donald jones, david nelson, scott chandler

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
QB Cam Newton (CAR) – I will be the first to admit that I was a doubter in Cam Newton. However, after watching him have a solid preseason and blow up in Week 1, I no longer sit on that side of the fence. Temper your expectations a bit, but there is no doubt his upside long term is endless.

QB
Ryan Fitzpartick (BUF) – had the best Total QBR rating of Week 1; a nice matchup play
Chad Henne (MIA) – turned in his best game as a pro in loss to NE; could be ready for breakout
Rex Grossman (WAS) – has turned in 300+ yards passing in 3 of last 4 for WAS

RB
Cadillac Williams (STL) – value is soaring with Steven Jackson out this week and maybe longer
Jerome Harrison (DET) – appears to be the handcuff to Jahvid Best, who has durability issues
Tashard Choice (DAL) – could be worth a stash if you have the extra spot on your roster

WR
Jordy Nelson (GB) – My pick to be the WR2 to emerge in the Packers’ explosive offense
Devery Henderson (NO) – Not a big fan but injuries have him emerging on Saints’ depth chart
Jacoby Jones (HOU) – Has the ability to produce and with Kevin Walter ailing he will get chance

TE
Fred Davis (WAS) – A huge performance in Week 1 shows he’s clearly going to be a factor
Jermaine Gresham (CIN) – Will only continue to get better as Bengals’ offense begins to gel

Fantasy Football fantasy advice, waiver wire, cam netwon, ryan fitzpatrick, chad henne, cadillac williams, jordy nelson, fred davis

QB Game Ball - Ryan Fitzpatrick, Buffalo - 29/43, 374 yards, 4 TD, 2 INT
Most of the time any player that is looking at an 0-6 record doesn't deserve a Game Ball. But this was not a typical loss for the Bills. Fitzpatrick flung the ball around againt one of the toughest defenses in the league - the Baltimore Ravens. It helps to have more than one receiver to throw the ball to. Lee Evans had 105 yards and scored three times. And if you haven't heard about Steve Johnson yet, check your league's waiver wire. All he has done is score five times in the last four games and posted 158 yards on Sunday. Sure, the Bills aren't about to turn into the 'Greatest Show' since the Rams, but given their defense and shady running game, all three of these guys should continue to put up nice numbers.

QB Honorable Mention - Todd Bouman, Jacksonville - 18/34, 222 yards, 2 TD, 2 Int (not bad for a guy that hasn't thrown a ball in a real game since 2005.)

RB Game Ball - Darren McFadden, Oakland - 16 carries, 165 yards, 3 TD, 2 catches, 31 yards, 1 TD
Not only did the Raiders spank the Broncos on Sunday, they were very happy about it! Oakland set a team record by scoring 59 points against their arch-rivals and McFadden did most of the damage. After missing a few games with hamstring issues, he showed no signs of slowing down on Sunday. He also doesn't seemed worried about Michael Bush who had one less carru but managed just 52 yards and a score. Either way, it was a crazy win for the Raiders and anyone who started McFadden on their fantasy team.

RB Honorable Mention - Thomas Jones, Kansas City - 20 carries, 125 yards, 1 TD (on his way to his 6th 1000-yard season.)

WR Game Ball - Roddy White, Atlanta - 11 catches, 201 yards, 2 TD
White set the tone early against the Benglas with a big catch in the first quarter and a score in the second. Then he put the nail in the coffin with a TD and a 2-pt. conversion in the fourth. Obviously White was out to prove a point with Chad Ochocinco and Terrell Owens on the other side of the ball. And, well, mission accomplished. But for those that have been following football closely for the past few years, this game was no fluke. Over the last three years White averaged 1246 receiving yards and eight touchdowns. This year he should top both of those numbers.

WR Honorable Mention - Kenny Britt, Tennessee - 7 catches, 225 yards, 3 TD (not bad for a guy that was nearly benched for a bar fight.)

THE GAME-USED SOCK AWARD
Brett Favre, Minnesota - 16/29, 212 yards, 1 TD, 3 INT
It's one thing to have a bad outing. It's another thing to have a bad season. It's even another thing to have a really bad game in the place where you spent most of your career. It also doesn't help to be under investigation for some strange text messages. And finally it doesn't help at all to have a fractured ankle and be walking around in a boot after one of the worst losses of your career. Brett, you can still wear your Packers jersey when you walk into the Hall of Fame but this week, along with that boot, you have to live a pair of nasty, stinky socks.

Stinky Sock Honorable Mention - Jay Cutler, Chicago - 26/40, 281 yards, 1 TD, and 4 Int (maybe you can share the sock with Mike Martz.)

Fantasy Football, NFL ryan fitzpatrick, todd bouman, darren mcfadden, thomas, jones, roddy white, kenny britt, brett favre, jay cutler

Michael Vick is a long way from returning to the NFL, heck he still has about five months to go in prison. Still, the talk of what is NFL future holds has been popular blog and sports talk radio show fodder for weeks now.

The chatter began a couple of weeks back when the Falcons announced a desire to trade the rights to the imprisoned signal caller.

Many teams in need of quarterbacks have already come out and said no thanks - the Jets, Vikings, and 49ers to name a few. Begging the question if he is indeed reinstated by NFL commissioner Roger Goodell where might he land.

For starters, there is no way the Falcons are going to trade him, the market simply is not there. That means he will most likely become waiver wire fodder.

No team has come out and said they are interested in, but that hasn't stop the speculation of where he might go. Jason Cole of Yahoo! Sports stated his case in an in-depth look at Vick's situation:

"As one NFL personnel exec put it last week, “You better have big [guts] to do this because if you take him and he screws up again, your career is probably done, too.” That certainly would be the case with the majority of executives in the NFL. Some executives, such as Bill Polian in Indianapolis or Ozzie Newsome in Baltimore, could survive a fiasco with Vick, but don’t expect either of them to take him.

The more likely scenario is that a team with strong owner influence will take a shot. Furthermore, some cities (New York and Philadelphia for example) simply wouldn’t accept Vick. Clubs needing stadium initiatives to pass (San Francisco, San Diego and Minnesota) will likely pass. And while this is purely speculative based on past personnel moves, that leaves only a few obvious candidates among the daring and desperate: Oakland, Dallas or Cincinnati."

All three teams have big money wrapped in quarterbacks, but I agree with the assesment. Mike Brown fits the bill. The guy is known for second, third, and fourth chances and has proven time and time again he is an idiot.

The thing is I wouldn't be opposed to it. The Bengals need a backup and with the questions surrounding Palmer's health, I would rather have Vick (and the baggage) than another season or Ryan Fitzpatrick.  In addition, Vick could be implemented in a "Wildcat" style of offense and his mobility could be a plus behind a subpar offensive line. Don't laugh, it could happen.  If nothing else the Bengals would definitely have a secert weapon in the annual visit to the Dawg Pound!

NFL bengals, cowboys, raiders, michael vick, ryan fitzpatrick, carson palmer, dawg pound, mike brown

The Steelers rolled the Bengals on Thursday night 27-10, here are some fantasy notes from the game...

STEELERS
--Ben Roethlisberger: Big Ben completed 17 of 30 passes for 243 and a TD and ran for another score. Owners that took a flyer on him in this match-up were rewarded. He remain a top 10 fantasy option at quarterback most weeks.

--Willie Parker: Imagine this, Parker is hurt again. Fast Willie tweaked a knee injury that cost him four weeks earlier this season. He left the game after a 15-yard run early in the thrid quarter and did not return, finishing with just 37 yards on 14 carries. Mewelde Moore gets a huge boost in value if Parker's injury forces him out of action yet again.

--Santonio Holmes: Holmes was off to a great game prior to suffering a concussion. The thrid-year wideout finished the night with 5 catches for 84 yards despite leaving the game early in the third quarter. Stay tuned to his status for Week 13.

--Hines Ward: Ward had a disappointing night, only managing to catch 1 ball for 37 yards. Still consider him a solid WR2 option against most match-ups, but be prepared for the occasional dud performance.

--Heath Miller: After missing two games due to an ankle injury Miller returned to grab 4 receptions for 44 yards and a TD against the Bengals. He has still been a bit of disappointment this season and is a marginal option as a starting tight end.

BENGALS
--Ryan Fitzpatrick: Fitzpatrick completed 17 of 30 passes for a paltry 168 yards and a TD. He has now topped 200 yards only once and has just six touchdown passes in seven starts. If you are relyinig on him right now you are in trouble.

--Cedric Benson: Playing behind a patchwork offensive line Benson only managed 35 yards on 16 carries. He has averaged less than 2.5 yards per carry in two straight games since rushing for 104 yards Week 9 against the Jaguars.

--TJ Houshmandzadeh: T.J. turned his worst outing of the season on Thursday, collecting just 20 yards on 4 catches. With Chad Johnson out of the line-up the Steelers focused their attention on Houshmandzadeh and the veteran struggled. Long-term he's still a starting option, particularly in PPR leagues.

--Chad Johnson: Ocho Stinko continue to disappoint fantasy owners by being deactivated for Thursday's game for reportedly walking out of a team meeting. Johnson clearly does not want to be in Cincinnati and this could get ugly as the season comes to a hault. Regardless, he's not a legitimate fantasy starter moving forward.

Fantasy Football bengals, steelers, ben roethlisberger, willie parker, mewelde moore, santonio holmes, hines ward, heath miller, ryan fitzpatrick, cedric benson, tj houshmandzadeh, chad johnson

The Bengals are 0-6 and once again on the road to nowhere. Their franchise quarterback has had a season he would like to forget. It started with his nose getting gashed in against the Saints in a preseason game.  Carson Palmer followed that up with his two worst performances of his NFL career. Then, just when it looked as if he was gettting going against the Giants an elbow injury surfaced.  On Monday head coach Marvin Lewis indicated that he will not play in this week's match-up with the Steelers, marking the third game in four weeks that Palmer will miss.

Palmer stayed in New York after yesterday's loss to the Jets and saw the Mets' team doctor to get a second opinion on the arm.

“We’ll talk with Carson and see what he feels, which would put him out for this game and put Ryan (Fitzpatrick) as our starting quarterback this week as we get ready for the Steelers. That’s the latest, but I’ll talk with Carson further and more in person about what the doctor found and what he felt like the options were,” Lewis said.

While Fitzpatrick starts Sunday, Lewis said nothing has been ruled out in terms of a Palmer return, according to the Cincinnati Enquirer.

“Maybe we’ll have more of an update later and we’ll see, but I don’t think any option has been closed off at this point. Let’s just see what’s the best thing,” Lewis said. “I’m going to talk with Carson and see where he is. He’s texted me a couple times but I just want to see what his thoughts are.”

I don't see what the options really are here. What are we going to bring him back for? The team will be lucky to win 4 games with him healthy. Plus, with Ryan Fitzpatrick at the helm it could turn to be a historical Bengals' season as 0-16 would become a real possibility.

NFL bengals, carson palmer, marvin lewis, ryan fitzpatrick

Carson Palmer missed Sunday's start against the Browns due to an elbow injury, breaking his streak of 52 straight starts. Now comes concern that the injury is much more serious than orginally indicated.

Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com wrote on Monday that "amid various uncorroborated and unconfirmed rumors and rumblings emanating from Cincinnati that Bengals' quarterback Carson Palmer might need Tommy John surgery, Palmer himself has hinted that the supposedly sore elbow that knocked him out of Sunday’s game against the Browns might not be something that mere rest heals.

The MRI reportedly showed no structural damage.  But when Palmer was asked on Sunday whether the images revealed anything he’d deem “scary”, Palmer said:  “I’m not going to comment on everything.”

Ryan Fitzpatrick will start in Palmer's absence. More information is going to eventually come out, but it does not appear that Palmer will be available for this week's game in Dallas. The Bengals have gotten off to a disappointing 0-4 start. If Palmer is lost for an extended period of time we could be looking at a full-blown disaster.

NFL bengals, carson palmer, ryan fitzpatrick

Well Bengal fans, it's officially time to STOP going to the game. At 0-4 we are well on our way to being laughing stocks again and Mike Brown will count his money and not give one crap about it.

• Eric Ghiaciuc - Why is this guy our starting center? He can't block anyone. On any given play one of two things has happened. Either Ghuicic has been knocked back on his ass or he's standing around looking for someone to hit while his QB or RB get killed. Find someone else to snap the ball.

•  Chris Perry - Was getting rid of Rudi and handing the duties over to Perry the right idea. First, 4 fumbles in 4 games is absolutely unacceptable. Second, he averages now less than 3 yards per carry. Is it his fault or the offensive line? Rudi averaged about the same and rarely fumbled the ball.

• It's time for Bob Bratkowski to go. He needs to be the first firing. His play calling is terrible. The WR routes are boring and predictable. Their play calling is stale and predictable.

 • How hurt is Carson Palmer? Watching him on the sideline, his elbow didn't look injured at all. How come we never heard about this injury until late week? How come he was still able to play well against the Giants after taking this hit? The injury doesn't add up. I'm not a conspiracy theorists at all, I'm more questioning Carson's toughness. At a crucial time you can't suit up and play?

• Ryan Fitzpatrick is not going to create any kind of quarterback controversy. He looked very bad. Poor decisions, poor passes. I believe that had Carson played, with the protection that Fitzpatrick had, that Carson would've shredded the Browns defense. Fitzpatrick is a very, very average quarterback, who without his scrambling, would've been an absolute trainwreck.

• Lastly, and this isn't related to the Bengals, but the announcers for this game were awful. Perhaps you get the same level announcers as what's on the field? They stumbled over names, screwed up playcalling and even flubbed advertising plugs and CBS promos. Just awful. 

NFL bengals, eric ghiaciuc, chris perry, bob bratkowski, carson palmer, ryan fitzpatrick

As I sit here and watch Ryan Fitzpatrick and Jeff Rowe both look pretty impressive against the Colts' eighth stringers, I am feeling a bit more secure about the Bengals' backup quarterback situation.

Fitzpatrick is smart, mobile, and accurate. He finished his brief stint in the game by completing 5 of his 8 passes for 35 yards and a TD while picking up another 35 yards on 4 carries. Rowe completed 6 of his first 9 passes and is a lock to be the team's No. 3 QB when the season begins. 

Though these backups are adequate, I am not feeling as comfortable as I did in 2005 when Jon Kitna was the team's No. 2 signal caller. At that time the Bengals arguably had the best 1-2 punch at the position. With that in mind who are the NFL's top backup quarterbacks this season? Here's my top 5:

• 1. Brian Griese (TB) - Laugh all you want, but Griese is the perfect fit for Jon Gruden's system and has experience. Just ask Bears' fans how much they would like to have him now.
  
• 2. Todd Collins (WAS) - He led the Redskins on a late-season run after getting the call and may get a shot to do so again this year even if Jason Campbell doesn't get hurt.
• 3. Billy Volek (SD) -  His playoff performance in Indy was enough to put him on this list. I still can't believe he didn't get a longer look at being a starter longer than he did.
• 4. Sage Rosenfels (HOU) - I'm not crazy about this guy, but he did go 4-1 as a starter in relief for the Texans in '07.
• 5. Trent Green (KC) - He should stay clear of concussions on the sidelines, but few backups have as much game experience as Green does. 

NFL backup qb, ryan fitzpatrick, jeff rowe, brian griese, todd collins, billy volek, sage rosenfels, trent green