We near the halfway point in the NFL season and so very little is settled. The old adage that the cream rises to the top is apparent, and from a fantasy perspective, that is just as true. With that being said, here's this week's Game Balls.

QB
Matthew Stafford, DET, 352 yards passing, 3 passing TDs, 1 rushing TD - Well how do you do? Stafford finally puts up big numbers (remember, the cream rises to the top). This is the Stafford everyone enjoyed last year, and he did those stats with little to nothing (again) from Calvin Johnson. To me, this is a trend not a fluke, as Stafford is too good to underperform as he has. If you benched him, get him back in your lineup.

Blaine Gabbert, JAX, 303 yards passing, 1 TD - There were other QBs who put up better numbers, but since this was the rookie's first 300-yard passing game, he deserves his recognition here. Maybe not relying so heavily on Maurice Jones-Drew, who is injured, actually helps Gabbert's statistics.

Honorable mention: Tom Brady, 304 yards, 4 TDs - A jolly good performance from Brady in London. As expected.

RB
Doug Martin, TB, 135 rushing yards, 1 TD, 79 receiving yards, 1 TD: And there's the highly drafted rookie's coming out party. Martin was doing okay up until this week. But his owners had been waiting for a true breakout game, and they got it Thursday night. Martin is fully entrenched in the Tampa offense and is now borderline start-every-week type of RB.

Willis McGahee, DEN, 122 rushing yards, 1 TD: On Sunday night, McGahee exerted his will and showed that the Broncos are a balanced attack. With Peyton looking more and more like Peyton, McGahee will likely have looser defenses to face. Expect more of these type of performances from McGahee.

Honorable mentione: Steven Ridley, NE, 127 yards, 1 TD: Ridley is quietly a fantasy star. He consistently puts up solid fantasy numbers for the Patriots.

WR
Titus Young, DET, 9 catches, 100 yards, 2 TDs: I had been touting Young all year, and now the Lions have finally discovered another receiver other than Calvin Johnson. In fact, with Megatron's struggles, Young is stepping up his game, finally.

Julio Jones, ATL, 5 catches, 123 yards, 1 TD: This just in, Julio Jones is pretty good. The only problem with the Falcons offense is that there are so many weapons, that you just don't know who's going to step up. This week was Jones' turn.

Honorable mention: Denarius Moore, OAK, 5 catches, 96 yards, TD - Moore is making his case as a WR1 in most fantasy formats.

TE
Jason Witten, DAL, 18 catches, 167 yards - The only thing negative you can say about Witten is that he didn't score this week. Otherwise, in a PPR format league, Witten was an absolute beast.

Rob Gronkowski, NE, 8 catches, 146 yards, 2 TDs - I never condoned taking Graham as early as he was being drafted. But those who invested in Gronk are seeing their dividends pay off week after week. Wow, that's all you can say about the New England tight end.

Honorable mention: Heath Miller, PIT, 4 catches, 46 yards, 1 TD: Miller is quietly becoming a must-start tight end in all leagues.

GAME-USED SOCK AWARD
Eli Manning, NYG, 192 yards, 0 TDs, 1 INT - No one has been bigger fan of Eli than me. I still consider him an elite fantasy quarterback, but this week, against the Cowboys, Eli floundered. His owners suffered this week, and may have taken a loss as a result. So, for that Ei, here's a game used sock, worn by a large offensive lineman.

Follow Jimmy Dinsmore, The Fantasy Geek, on Twitter @fantasy_geek

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INSIDE THE NUMBERS
The Patriots tight end duo of Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez combined for 169 catches for 2,237 yards and 24 touchdowns in 2011. Gronkowski emerged as the most elite fantasy option at the position with 21 touchdowns in 19 games (including playoffs) and now has 32 total scores since the start of the 2010 season. Hernandez also is a top five TE option for owners to consider after averaging 11.5 yards per catch. New England used two tight ends or more on 70 percent of their plays and passed to a tight end 40 percent of the time last season.

SCHEDULE
Three of the Patriots first four and four of their first six games come on the road. Conversely, three of their final four contests come at home. They draw the NFC West this year, which aside from the tilt with the 49ers should lead to hefty fantasy numbers. Many have circled their calendars for the Week 5 showdown vs. Denver as another chapter in the epic Brady vs. Manning rivalry. The fantasy playoff matchups of Houston, San Francisco and at Jacksonville could be better, but with Brady and company owners shouldn’t fret.

STUD
After throwing for a career-high 5,235 yards and 39 touchdowns in 2011 Tom Brady could be poised for an even bigger season in 2012 with all of the weapons he has available to him. Arguably the safest pick in fantasy football, Brady threw for multiple scores in 14 of his 16 starts a year ago. Durability is also a great asset for the Patriots’ signal caller. Aside from 2008 when he suffered a season-ending knee injury in Week 1 Brady has started every game since 2002 for New England.

DUD
New England has a long history of signing veterans on the downward spiral of their career and squeezing a last bit of juice out them.  This year’s again addition is former Colts’ running back Joseph Addai. The 29-year old is likely to lose out to some of the team’s younger options and might not even make the team. Addai hasn’t been able to stay healthy in recent years, playing in just 20 games since the start of the 2010 season. During that span he’s scored just five times and he’s averaged over 4.0 yards per carry just once over the last four years.

SLEEPER
Somebody has to replace Benjarvus Green-Ellis and his 25 touchdowns over the past two years and second-year running back Stevan Ridley is the primary candidate to do so. He’s easily the most physical runner in the team’s crowded backfield. Ridley averaged 5.1 yards a carry with 87 attempts for 441 yards and one touchdown as a rookie and is going to see those numbers rise significantly in 2012. The Patriots backfield often provides fantasy headaches, but the potential for 1,000 yards and double-digit touchdown totals are there for Ridley.

NEW ADDITION
True to his word free agent Brandon Lloyd followed Josh McDaniels, who helped resurrect his career in 2010 while in Denver.  McDaniels, now the Patriots’ offensive coordinator, knows how to get the most out of Lloyd. After splitting time between Denver and St. Louis last season, Lloyd will settle in to a New England offense that is loaded with weapons. At best, he will become Brady’s third option in the passing game though with both Gronkowksi and Wes Welker likely to get more targets. There should be enough balls to go around though making him a viable WR2 in most fantasy lineups.

POSITION BATTLE
While Ridley is likely to get the bulk of the short-yardage work and lead the team in carries, it will be interesting to see how Shane Vereen and Danny Woodhead split time working as the change-of-pace back and third-down option. Woodhead has produced decently in recent years, but the Patriots invested a second-round pick in the 2011 draft on Vereen and that suggests that the youngster is going to get every opportunity to succeed.

BENCH BUILDER
Jabar Gaffney will be hard pressed to match 2011 career totals, but landing in New England does bring some familiarity. He played for the Patriots from 2006-08 and under McDaniels in Denver two years ago. Targets will be tough to come by, but the possession receiver should see enough balls to warrant being looked as a WR4 or WR5 in deeper formats. If an injury occurs his value will only rise. You can do much worse with a pick in the latter rounds than the veteran wideout.

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TWO WEEKS – There’s no question in mind that Bill Belichick is the best coach in the league as far as preparing for an opponent and coming up with customized game plan to maximize the Pats’ opportunities to expose an opponent’s weaknesses.  With the extra week to get ready for the Giants and having already been familiar with them in a Nov 6 matchup it is scary to think what the Jedi mind master comes up with for this tilt.

TOM BRADY – A win would give Brady a record 17th post-season victory and tie him for the all-time lead at quarterback with four Super Bowl rings. Need I say more?

REVENGE – Though Belichick and Brady would never admit it, the taste of the Giants beating them in Super Bowl XLII and spoiling their crack at an unblemished 19-0 season still eats at them.  Nothing would satisfy the Pats and their fans more to topple the Giants this time around.

TIGHT ENDS – The Patriots’ two-headed monster at tight end of Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez have had their way with opponents all season, including combining for 12 catches, 136 yards and two touchdowns against New York last time out.

OFFENSIVE LINE – New England’s offensive line has gotten better as the year has gone on and have been key in the Pats’ prolific passing attack. The unit will need to have one of its best performances of the season if they are going to prevail on Sunday.

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As I begin to prepare my first official 2011 fantasy football rankings, I reflect on the 2010 fantasy season:

2011 TOP FIVE
--Aaron Rodgers: The passing yards (4,468) and touchdowns (34) are there, but his ability to pick up rushing numbers is hugely overlooked as he finished with 373 yards and five scores on the ground. That element of his game makes him my No. 1 pick at the position.

--Peyton Manning: For the fourth time in five years the Colts’ quarterback surpassed the 30-touchdown plateau while throwing for a career-high 4,925 yards. Injuries hampered the Colts’ badly, but Manning still proved fantasy worthy and perhaps the safest pick.

--Phillip Rivers: He set a career high in passing yards for the third straight season and emerged as an elite fantasy option. The 13 interceptions were a bit higher than we are used to seeing but when you consider all of the weapons that he was missing you have to really appreciate his 2010 effort.

--Drew Brees:  It’s hard to believe that Brees actually set a career-high this past season with 35 passing touchdowns. His 5,024 passing yards were the second most of his career.  His 22 interceptions were way too many, but there’s no reason not to keep him as a tier one fantasy option moving forward.

--Tom Brady: After a record streak of 335 passes without an interception and passing for 36 touchdowns with only four picks during the regular season, Brady reminded all fantasy owners that he can carry a team. Add to the fact he averaged 299 yards per game and consistency was king.

YOU KNOW WHAT YOU GET
--Michael Vick: Huge upside, big games, but with big injury risk
--Matt Ryan: Steady, but very few breakout games
--Ben Roethlisberger: He wins games, but doesn’t post huge fantasy numbers
--Tony Romo: Big numbers in pass-happy system; not dependable
--Eli Manning: Capable of big days, but hard to figure when they’ll come
--Jay Cutler: Decent yards and TD totals with a ton of turnovers

ON THE RISE
--Josh Freeman: The nucleus of a talented, young and exciting Bucs’ offense
--Mark Sanchez: Highly underrated with room to grow on talented team
--Sam Bradford: A stunning effort as a rookie suggests bigger things to comes

WAIT AND SEE
--Joe Flacco: Didn’t take a step to the next level even with newly added weapons
--Matt Schaub: Burned many owners as he took a back seat to Arian Foster
--Matt Cassell: Fool’s gold. Shined at times, but will find it tough to repeat in 2011

FADING FAST
--Carson Palmer: Threats of retirement shows how badly he needs a change of scenery
--Donovan McNabb: Ages every second. Skills are declining and needs to find a good fit
--Chad Henne: Proved he is not the long-term answer in Miami

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Rarely are there impact trades in the NFL. But this week, there were two, including one involving a future Hall of Famer.

Marshawn Lynch gets traded to the Seahawks

Rumors had swirled that Lynch was going to be dealt, probably to the Packers. It was a little shocking when news broke of his deal to the Pacific Northwest instead of the Frozen Tundra. To make room for Lynch, the Seahawks cut Julius Jones who was fantasy irrelevant anyway.

Winners of the trade: Obviously Lynch benefits from this deal as he steps into a bigger role on Seattle on a slightly better team. Lynch will need some time to learn some plays and he likely will get at least 10 touches initially. Fred Jackson and CJ Spiller also come out with a better value as a result. For some reason, the Bills were not giving their young talented RBs enough touches. With Lynch gone, that problem is remedied. Look for Jackson to gain the most from this deal with Spiller's value increasing as well. In PPR leagues, Jackson makes for a nice pickup.

Losers of the trade: Justin Forsett and Leon Washington are the biggest losers of this deal. Clearly, the Seahawks front office didn't like what they saw from Forsett. Washington had started performing and will still have a role. Forsett's value drops down an entire tier (or about 10 rating points) as a result of this deal.

Randy Moss goes back to Minnesota

When the Patriots make up their mind to do something, they do it. And they rarely make bad personnel moves, but this one looks like a head scratcher. Moss, a future HOF WR, goes to Brett Favre's Vikings for a fourth round draft pick. Major win for the Vikings.

Winners of the trade: Brett Favre's value goes way up as he finally gets the deep threat he desperately needed. Additionally, Adrian Peterson's value goes even higher as now defenses have to stop stuffing the line and will have to gameplan for Moss. Moss' value neither goes up or down. He's still an elite WR who should be started every week. On the Patriots, Brandon Tate comes out as the big winner. He steps in now as a starting WR for a pass-first team. He's a great waiver wire pickup this week, while the Pats are on bye. Julian Edelman's value also gets a bump. Aaron Hernandez had been excelling as a potential rookie of the year and now his value goes sky high. I can see where Hernandez gets moved to the slot, away from tight end. Hernandez has the sure hands Brady loves. Look for his targets to go up as a result.

Losers of the trade: It's hard to call Tom Brady a loser (although with that hair cut it gets easier). But his value takes a small hit with his big time receiver gone. I don't anticipate it to cause Brady owners too much concern though. Wes Welker will now get the #1 cornerback assignment and double/triple teams. Welker is, by far, the biggest loser of the Moss trade. He's such a great route runner, that he's not going to disappear, but I would drop his value an entire tier until you see what comes of this.

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QB Game Ball - Tom Brady, New England - 25/35, 258 yards, 3 TD, 0 Int
It seems like there has not been much talk about the Patriots this pre-season. But after the hurt they put on the Bengals on Sunday, people may just start chatting again about the best team of the last decade. Brady certainly has not missed a beat as he tore apart what was an excellent Cincinnati defense a year ago. He hooked up with seven different receivers with Wes Welker emerging as the star.

QB Honorable Mention - Peyton Manning, Indianapolis - 40/57, 433 yards, 3 TD (great numbers except for the '1' in the loss column.)

RB Game Ball - Arian Foster, Houston - 33 carries, 233 yards, 3 TD
The Texans have had a revolving door at the running back position since their inception. This pre-season has not been an exception with Foster battling Steve Slaton for carries. But the second year back may have just secured his job for a while. This was a big win for Houston and a lot of it came on the shoulders, and legs, of Foster.

RB Honorable Mention - Matt Forte, Chicago - 17 carries, 50 yards, 7 catches, 151 yards, 2 TD (anyone remember what Marshall Faulk did when Mike Martz was his offensive coordinator?)

WR Game Ball - Mark Clayton, St. Louis - 10 catches, 119 yards
A week ago Clayton was traded from a contending team, the Ravens, to a team that won four games last year and is starting a rookie QB. So what does he do in his first game? He has a career day. The Rams may not actually win many more than the four games they won last year, but they are going to get better as the season progresses. And Clayton may just be the guy for the young Sam Bradford. He's sure to be on the 'most-added' list this week.

WR Honorable Mention - Chad Ochocinco, Cincinnati - 12 catches, 159 yards, 1 TD (may need T.O. to put up similar numbers in same game for the Bengals to win.)

The Game Used Sock Award - Alex Smith, San Francisco - 26/45, 225 yards, 0 TD, 2 Int
The 49ers enter the season as one of the hot picks in the NFL. The NFC West seems to be weak and San Fran looks to be on the rise. Apparently no one told all of that to the Seahawks. Smith looked bad in Seattle on Sunday. Sure the running game never got going as Frank Gore had just 38 yards on 17 carries. But Smith runs the offense and this offense only mustered two field goals against a team that is supposedly rebuilding. Sure, it's only week one and Niners, and Smith, will rebound. But now he has to do it wearing nasty, sweaty game-worn socks.

Stinky Sock Honorable Mention - Michael Turner - 19 carries, 42 yards (sure, it was against the Steelers but still....)

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Fantasy Sports Girl newbie Brittani has the New England Patriots camp preview...

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After a solid first round things started to get interesting in Round Two of the GSI Mock Draft...

RECAPS: Round One

ROUND TWO
13. BROERING - WR L. Fitzgerald (ARI)
14. SIMON - WR R. Moss (NE)
15. DINSMORE - WR A. Johnson (HOU)
16. BRYANT - RB S. Slaton (HOU)
17. WETZEL - RB C. Portis (WAS)
18. SCHMITT - WR R. Wayne (IND)
19. SIMS - WR C. Johnson (DET)
20. MURDICO - RB B. Jacobs (NYG)
21. ANSELMO - WR A. Boldin (ARI)
22. CLASGENS - QB P. Manning (IND)
23. FISCHER - QB T. Brady (NE)
24. HUMBERT - WR G. Jennings (GB)

POSITION BREAKDOWN: WR (7), RB (3), QB (2)

MY PICK: There are three quarterbacks that I consider Tier 1 candidates - Drew Brees, Peyton Manning, and Tom Brady. Brees (who was taken 4th overall) went in the opening round and I was a bit surprised to see Manning and Brady both fall to me with the 22nd overall pick. I was anticipating both of them going sooner and turning to my WR1 here, but I will take a franchise quarterback. Ultimately, Brady has more upside than Manning, but Peyton is the "safer" bet in my eyes. His '08 numbers were a bit disappointing for owners, but too many people disregarded his preseason knee surgery that limited him to just three TD passes in the team's first three contests. I'm not buying into the Harrison departing hurts him theory either. Harrison was a non-factor (no TD's or fewer than 50 yards) in 10 games last season and Manning still averaged 230 yards per game and threw 14 TD's in those outings.

BEST VALUE PICK: Some owners will be a bit gun shy to pull the trigger on Tom Brady, but they shouldn't be. The Patriots were confident enough in his recovery from knee surgery to send backup Matt Cassel to Kansas City. If the veteran signal caller even comes close to sniffing 2007 numbers, he will make the owners that passed him over for a wideout. Outside the top three or four receivers, the difference between No. 5 and No. 12 is marginal. The same can't be said at quarterback.

MOST LIKELY TO DISAPPOINT: Once again it's hard to nit pick some of the top 25 players taken in a fantasy draft, but if I had to pick a guy that could disappoint from this round I go with Steve Slaton. Just by looking at my Cheat Sheet you can see that I am not as high on him as Ron Bryant is as I have ranked as the No. 14 running back at this point. Slaton is solid and has the ability to score on any play. He may not carry a huge workload, but the production is there. However, I likely would have went after a receiver here.  It is a long time before Ron gets to pick again. He could have had a stud quarterback or an elite wideout and instead opted for a running back that most websites don't have in the Top 10. There will be more running backs to choose from in Round Three than there will be QB's and WR's.

FINAL TAKE: A solid round by all. As predicited the run on receivers came and came large. Expect Round Two in your league to be the same way.

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Also posted on BleacherReport.com: 

It was just two years ago that Randy Moss helped re-write the record books, catching 24 touchdowns as the Patriots rolled through a perfect season.

Moss, who was hands down fantasy’s top wideout at this time last year, suffered a bit of setback in 2008 after Tom Brady went down in week one to a season-ending knee injury.

There’s no doubt Moss still has the potential to be fantasy’s top wideout.  At 32, there is still enough gas in the tank and he's always had the speed, size and athleticism to cause havoc for opposing defenses.

However, with the emergence of Larry Fitzgerald, Andre Johnson and Calvin Johnson, it’s hard to justify putting Moss atop the wide receiver rankings to start the season.

Expect 90 receptions for about 1,300 yards and 15 touchdowns. If those numbers hold true Moss will be a steal as early as Round 2 on draft day.

COMPLETE ARTICLE

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