Week 4 is on the way, and this questions and answers section is getting hot! I love to toot my own horn, so let me tell you, my advice last week was extraordinary, staying on par with the rest of my life – check out this week’s question and answers section… – Papa Weimer

Drop me your Fantasy Questions @ papaweimer50@hotmail.com

Papa, can you rank these defensive options Hou vs Atl. ( I don’t think Joey can have 2 good games in a row because I am from the Detroit area – I know better), GB vs Minn ( Minn QB situation) and Minn vs GB (No running game and Minn will key on the pass and Brett has the tendency to throw interceptions).

Also which of these RBs will play this week? I need a replacement for Deuce. Graham TB, Buckhalter Phil, Watson Cinn. and Gado Hou. It would be nice to know if Rudi, Brian or Caddie wasn’t going to play. I don’t have that luxury, but I have the next best thing you, so impart some words of wisdom…. -David Balog of the Detroit Area

Dave, solid questions, and it looks like you need some answers, so here you go:

I would rank your 3 defenses as follows; Green Bay, Minnesota, and Houston – I guess I have a couple reasons for my rankings. 1- I think Green Bay is not only the best defense of the bunch, but Minnesota has the toughest time putting drives together of all 3 opponents listed. With or without their starting quarterback, they have no passing attack, and Green Bay will easily slow that rookie’s rushing game down. 2- I like Minnesota’s defense a lot, and I think Green Bay has put up a few too many points lately, and I don’t expect them to light up the Vikings – but, this is a new season, and maybe all those points aren’t an aberration after all, so that’s why the Vikings slip to #2 – and that is a close #2 to Houston’s #3. See, I still have trouble believing that the Texans are for real, and thus I’ll drop them to 3, plus Joey Harrington showed he can toss a ball up for grabs here and there, and Atlanta’s big receivers can definitely grab that ball every once in a while, putting up points on defenses. However, Houston has been a very good defense to start the season, even against the Colts, so they are still a very good option, plus we all know Joey likes to throw the ball to defensive backs. That’s my rankings, but I don’t think you can go wrong here. Green Bay is probably the safest and Minnesota has the most risk, while Houston will almost surely sack Joey a handful of times and cause a turnover or two. Good luck, I’d go with Green Bay.

As for your running back dilemma, how about trying to pick of Brian Leonard? I know the Rams offensive output hasn’t been appealing at all, but Leonard is a great receiver and a good vision runner – and who knows, with the 20+ carries he’ll get, he might just be the change of pace guy the Rams need to get going. I know he’s starting, and he could be starting for a couple weeks, and I also know he’s going up against Dallas’s tough run defense – but when you’re going for a backup runner to have a fantasy-worthy day, why not take a guy whom you know is going to get carries? Between the guys you offered up, I’d rank them as follows; Gado (because Ahman Green is the closest to sitting out this week, and Atlanta’s defensive front has been brutal), Graham (because he played well with what he got, and Carolina’s defense looks like a shell of their former selves while Cadillac Williams has shown that he needs some help in the backfield to keep him healthy). The next two, I wouldn’t pick up. I think Rudi will almost certainly play, and the Bengals play the Patriots anyway, and who has done anything against them? And Buckhalter might not even get the majority of the carries if Westbrook is out (but I think Westy will be fine and play) – the Eagles still like their rookie, Tony Hunt. I’d roll the dice on Leonard first, then Gado, then Graham.

I am in a full keeper Dynasty League, and I have Steven Jackson and LaDainian Tomlinson at running back, with Ahman Green and Mike Turner as my backups. I have Plaxico, and that’s about it at receiver (Mushin Muhammad, Wes Welker, and Drew Bennett are my #2s). I have an offer giving me Frank Gore and Andre Johnson for LT – I never thought I’d trade LT, but Gore is 3 years younger and Johnson looks like he’s going to be a beast for 6-7 more years. I have to take this, don’t I? Mikeal Virta – I come from Finland

Mr. Virta, surely, I would take the offer given to you. It makes your team better, now and in the future. I think this is a bad time to trade LT, but it looks like you are getting fair value even with the running back’s struggles. Frank Gore is very young, and looks like he’s going to beast defenses long into the future while Andre Johnson, thought injured, has looked absolutely great in his first two weeks with Matt Schaub – and that looks like its going to be a great match-up for years to come. LT is a fantasy god, but when I look at your team, I think you will get more fantasy production from the duo of Gore and Johnson than you would with LT and Drew, Wes, or Muhammad. So, in a few words, it’s a good deal, you should take it.

Reggie Bush is on a bye week, but he looks like a good bet to start doing big things for the Saints, now, doesn’t he? Because he’s on a bye, and he’s looked God-awful, I have a chance to trade De’Shaun Foster to get him – Foster is my 3rd running back, and we only need to start 2 – the 3rd option is a flex – you make that deal on upside alone, right? – Coach K, one trade away, in Alabama

You betcha! Thanks to De’Shaun for blowing up just in the nick of time for you trade to go through. Hurry and take it before this guy has a second chance to realize that Foster is about to get hurt, he’s still going to share time with DeAngelo Williams, and he’s not going to play the Falcons every single week. Honestly, I think Reggie Bush is a good film session away from becoming a good running back in the NFL. If I were his coach, I would tell him that he is not allowed to make a move before he gets to the line of scrimmage. On both of his touchdowns last night, he just went forward, or to the corner, or wherever – he just went, that’s the key. He didn’t pause and wait for something to open up. When the NFL people say the biggest difference between college football and the NFL is the speed, they don’t mean the speed of the players, thought that changes a bit too. The speed of where and how holes open up, and the angles that need to be taken, that is the biggest change in speed. See, in college, Bush could wait for the holes to open, then hit them, and his speed would get him there. In the NFL, you have to hit a non-hole as if its going to be a hole when you get there, you have to be going full speed or when the hole opens up for that split second you’ll never be there in time. Bush needs to go forward, he can’t dance his way out of the club in this league. I’d make the trade, because I believe the Saints and Bush will eventually turn it around.

Papa Weimer, thanks for your advice last week with Ronnie Brown, I don’t even feel like throwing rocks at his car anymore. He single handily won my fantasy game for me, and now I’m getting a fat-head of the guy, coming to my front steps on Friday – Now that Cam Cameron has his nuts on straight, he should give Ronnie more touches for the rest of the season. But now what should I do with Lee Evans? I could pick up Shaun McDonald, Greg Jennings, or Rhoddy White – would you drop Lee for any of those donkeys? … PK Palmer from the U

PK, good thing you stuck with Ronnie, he absolutely balled the Jets this weekend, and is a good reason why the Dolphins might still win a few games this season. As for Lee, I’d keep him an start him this weekend against the Jets. Even with JP Losman out, I think Lee could have a huge day against New York. See, Lee is a lot like Steve Smith, but he just needs a quarterback to give him chances. If the Bills want any chance to win this weekend, you can bet that Lee will have about 10-15 balls float his way, if he catches half, that’s 150 yards and a touchdown. So, while he’s not the safest bet around, he’s about twice as talented as any of the three guys you listed, combined, so I’d stick with Evans and hope the Bills can turn it around under Trent Edwards. The kid throws a nice ball and is a pretty smart football player, so maybe he leads the Bills to an improved showing this weekend. Its worth the shot. Don’t drop Lee.

Last Weeks Questions

Papa Weimer – **52 y/o – two open Heart surgeries and a nasty attitude**