Fantasy Focus: Fantasy Football Analysis Week 5

Week 4 was historic, it was the first week that I didn’t finish first in overall fantasy rankings, a little competition we have here at LuckyLester.com. For those of you that don’t know, the staff gets together their fantasy rankings for the week, and in the Fantasy Focus review everybody gets graded based on their picks. I won the first 3 weeks before getting ousted by my chubby and generally crazy uncle. I haven’t heard the end of it since he knew he took home the gold. But hey, I still finished tied for “next” with Red Red Ryan, yet another guy that keeps telling me he’s just as good as me. It’s a tough crowd, you fall a step back one week and now you’re not the best. We’ll see… This week we have four more teams on bye, Bears, Packers, Saints, Chargers – so don’t get caught with any of those circus-squads in your starting lineup. Dream big in Week 5, almost 1/3 of the way through the fantasy season. Craziness…

Elite Starters: Guys picked early that I love this week…

1. Peyton Manning – Come on, free money, against the Titans D, he should be even better than normal.
2. Adrian Peterson – I liked him last week against the Packers, and while he didn’t do well, I won’t hesitate against STL.
3. Maurice Jones-Drew – This cat is physical, ask Frank Gore what physical runners do to Seattle…
4. Matt Schaub – The Cardinals are really good against the run, good enough to score a lot, thus Matt will have a day.
5. Reggie Wayne – I can’t get enough of Reggie, he’s such a sure thing, and I expect him to do bad things to Tennessee.

Solid Starters: Guys picked in middle rounds that should outplay their ranking/draft position this week…

1. Julius Jones– Julius and the Hawks were brutal last week, but against Jax’s defense, I like his upside.
2. Santana Moss – If Carolina knows what’s good for them, they’ll stack the line. That should open a few up for Moss.
3. Tim Hightower– I’d say Tim was picked in the low rounds, but he’s not full sleeper. Against Houston he could score twice.
4. Carson Palmer – I like Carson again, even against a good Ravens D – there’s room to pass in that secondary.
5. Hines Ward –Hines, like Carson, finds himself on this list for the 2nd straight week. He didn’t let me down last time.

Sleeper Starters: Guys ranked low, drafted low or not at all, but I still like them this week…

1. Tashard Choice – He might be a back-up again, but if Dallas is up early, why waste Marion? They won’t, Choice gets 20 totes.
2. Jerome Harrison – I’ve always loved his vision; thought he’d do big things with lots of carries; he’ll get them again this week.
3. Mohamed Massaquoi –He’s the #1 in Cleveland now, and Derek Anderson likes him. A good play this week.
4. Steve Breaston– You can probably pick up breast in most leagues; he could be huge against Houston.
5. Eddie Royal – I have to go to this well one more week, he’s as talented as little guys come, could be huge!

Sit ‘Em Son: I don’t care where they were drafted, I don’t like these guys starting this week…

1. Ray Rice – I would sit Rice this week, I think Cincinnati really shuts him down in Week 5.
2. Steven Jackson – Minnesota, ick. I’d rather start Mendenhall, Hightower, or Julius Jones.
3. Matt Ryan – I’d look for a better option than San Francisco’s solid defense coming off two weeks of prep.
4. Roddy White –If I don’t like Matty Ice, I really don’t like Roddy going against Nate Clements all day long.
5. Larry Johnson – Get ready for less than 3 yards per rush against Dallas.

PS – Bye weeks are back, and here for some time, recognize! Mind the gap!

Week 5 Fantasy Pre-Rankings

Ryan Kauffman	        Josh Arsenault		Papa Weimer		Lucky Lester

QBs----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1.Peyton Manning   	1.Peyton Manning	1.Matt Schaub   	1.Peyton Manning
2.Kurt Warner   	2.Tom Brady     	2.Kurt Warner     	2.Matt Schaub
3.Ben Roethlisberger 	3.Donovan McNabb     	3.Tony Romo     	3.Donovan McNabb
4.Joe Flacco     	4.Matt Schaub     	4.Peyton Manning 	4.Carson Palmer
5.Tom Brady     	5.David Garrard    	5.Donovan McNabb	5.Kurt Warner
RBs-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1.Adrian Peterson	1.Maurice Jones-Drew	1.Adrian Peterson	1.Adrian Peterson
2.Chris Johnson 	2.Brandon Jacobs  	2.Rashard Mendenhall  	2.Maurice Jones-Drew
3.Maurice Jones-Drew	3.DeAngelo Williams  	3.Chris Johnson 	3.Brandon Jacobs
4.DeAngelo Williams	4.Clinton Portis    	4.Brian Westbrook 	4.Rashard Mendenhall
5.Brandon Jacobs 	5.Rashard Mendenhall   	5.Glen Coffee   	5.Tim Hightower

WRs-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1.Reggie Wayne	        1.Reggie Wayne          1.T.J. Housmandzadeh 	1.Reggie Wayne
2.Andre Johnson 	2.Andre Johnson   	2.Reggie Wayne		2.DeSean Jackson
3.Larry Fitzgerald  	3.Anquan Boldin 	3.Larry Fitzgerald   	3.Anquan Boldin
4.Derrick Mason    	4.Brandon Marshall 	4.Andre Johnson 	4.Chad Ochocinco
5.Hines Ward    	5.Calvin Johnson	5.Mike Sims-Walker	5.Andre Johnson

TEs-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1.Dallas Clark  	1.Dallas Clark  	1.Dallas Clark  	1.Dallas Clark
2.Jason Witten		2.Jason Witten		2.Tony Gonzalez 	2.Chris Cooley
3.Chris Cooley		3.Tony Gonzalez		3.Vernon Davis  	3.Owen Daniels
4.John Carlson   	4.Brent Celek   	4.Chris Cooley		4.Tony Gonzalez
5.Vernon Davis  	5.Vernon Davis   	5.Dustin Keller 	5.Jason Witten

DSTs-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1.Vikings		1.Vikings		1.Giants		1.Giants
2.Steelers		2.Giants        	2.Vikings		2.Vikings
3.Giants 		3.Eagles 		3.Eagles		3.Jets
4.Jets   		4.Cowboys  		4.Ravens		4.Eagles
5.Patriots		5.Jets  		5.Steelers		5.Steelers

Kickers-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Laces out, just like our kickers, out of the rankings! When the toe kick returns, we're back in!

Fantasy Focus REVIEW: Week 1

This is where I review everything I predicted from my fantasy focus article every week. It’s pretty easy to follow, always feel free to write in if you have any questions. As for my fantasy predictions in Week 1, some good, some bad, just like my fantasy teams. I’ve graded out each fantasy pick, and as you’ll see, I killed my sleeper picks for Week 1.

See how everyone did with Week 1’s overall positional rankings (PPR) listed next to each player’s name from Team Lucky Lester’s Week 1 projections below. Some hits and misses for all, no doubt, but naturally, I came out ahead of the group…

Elite Starters: Guys picked really early that I love this week…

1. DeAngelo Williams – He finished 10th prior to Monday Night’s action, 17 fantasy points, they got way down early…. B-
2. Tom Brady – Tom started slow but ended up with 376 yards and 2 TDs. The guy is a sniper. A
3. Larry Fitzgerald – 6 catches for 71 yards and a TD: Not terrible, but worst than I expected, that offense was bad on Sunday. B
4. Randy Moss – Randy may have not caught any TDs, but his 12 catches for 141 yards totaled 26 fantasy points. Not bad. A
5. Brian Westbrook – Westy had just 15 fantasy points in a decent amount of action. The Eagles D was scoring too much for Eagle offensive players to light up the fantasy boards. B-

Solid Starters: Guys picked in middle rounds that should outplay their ranking/draft position this week…

1. Eddie Royal – I thought he’d grab 10, he grabbed 2. F
2. Reggie Bush –Reggie had 7 fantasy points, not getting into the scoring fun against the Lions. F
3. Ray Rice – Ray didn’t get involved in the passing game too much, but still had 13 fantasy points after rushing for over 100. B
4. Joseph Addai – He wasn’t too efficient, but scored and had just under 80 total yards. 5 catches were nice to see. 16 pts. B+
5. Matt Hasselbeck – Matt was #4 overall going into Monday, tossing for 279 yards and 3 TDs (2 ints as well). 22 pts. A

Sleeper Starters: Guys ranked low, drafted low or not at all, but I still like them this week…

1. Donnie Avery – Donnie had 6 receptions for 46 yards, but lost a fumble too, finishing with 8 fantasy points. C-
2. Julius Jones – Jones was huge today (117 rushing yards and a score to go with 2 catches for 19 yards), most of it came on one huge run, but you can’t really take that away from him. A
3. Tim Hightower – I’m glad I got my hands on Hightower in some leagues, he caught 12 balls for 121 yards – 25 pts. A
4. Mark Sanchez – 272 yards, a TD and an INT – nice game for the rookie in a big win. Decent fantasy day. B
5. Nate Burleson – 2 fantasy points like ESPN projected? Ha. 7 grabs for 74 yards and a TD. Nate posted 20 pts for my team. A

Sit ‘Em Son: I don’t care where they were drafted, I don’t like these guys starting this week…

1. Carson Palmer – 247 yards, 0 TDs, 2 ints… You’re welcome for this sit. A
2. Clinton Portis – 16 rushes for 60 yards. 1 catch for 10 yards. Could have been worse, but are you angry I told you to sit him? B
3. Willie Parker – 13 rushes for 19 yards. 1 catch for 5 yards. You’re welcome for this one too. A
4. Devin Hester – 4 catches for 90 yards and a nice long touchdown. Yeah, I was dead wrong about Devin. F
5. Hines Ward – 8 grabs for 103 yards was a good day, and even with the fumble he still put up 16 pts. Solid day. Sorry. F+

PS – I hope you didn’t start Marshawn Lynch like 33% of ESPN Leagues….

Week 1 Fantasy Rankings

Josh Arsenault		Ryan Kauffman		Papa Weimer		Lucky Lester

QBs----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1.Peyton Manning 9	1.Tom Brady 4		1.Drew Brees 1		1.Tom Brady 4
2.Drew Brees 1		2.Drew Brees 1		2.Peyton Manning 9	2.Drew Brees 1
3.Tom Brady 4		3.Matt Ryan 8		3.Chad Pennington 26	3.Peyton Manning 9
4.Jay Cutler 25		4.Aaron Rodgers	13	4.Donovan McNabb 7	4.Aaron Rodgers 13
5.Phillip Rivers 15	5.Peyton Manning 9	5.Kyle Orton 14 	5.Matt Schaub 31

RBs-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1.Adrian Peterson 1	1.Adrian Peterson 1	1.Michael Turner 46	1.DeAngelo Williams 11
2.DeAngelo Williams 11	2.DeAngelo Williams 11	2.Adrian Peterson 1	2.Brian Westbrook 15
3.Steven Jackson 43	3.Matt Forte 48		3.LaD. Tomlinson 30	3.Maurice Jones Drew 6
4.Ray Rice 20		4.Reggie Bush 31	4.Frank Gore 10		4.Adrian Peterson 1
5.Willie Parker	65	5.Knowshon Moreno 69	5.Ryan Grant 19		5.Ronnie Brown 34

WRs-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1.Andre Johnson	52	1.Calvin Johnson 35	1.Steve Smith 61	1.Randy Moss 3
2.Reggie Wayne 1	2.Terrell Owens	56	2.Reggie Wayne 1	2.Larry Fitzgerald 10
3.Randy Moss 3		3.Steve Smith 61	3.Marques Colston 33	3.Reggie Wayne 1
4.Vincent Jackson 18	4.Andre Johnson 52	4.Randy Moss 3		4.Andre Johnson 52
5.Calvin Johnson 35	5.Wes Welker 8		5.Eddie Royal 77	5.Greg Jennings 4

TEs-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1.Antonio Gates	12	1.Jason Witten 13	1.Dallas Clark 21	1.Dallas Clark 21
2.Jason Witten 13	2.Antonio Gates	12	2.Tony Gonzalez	4	2.Antonio Gates 12
3.Dallas Clark 21	3.Dallas Clark 21	3.Antonio Gates	12	3.Jason Witten 13
4.Greg Olsen 40		4.John Carlson 1	4.Owen Daniels 16	4.Zach Miller 7
5.Dustin Keller	12	5.Brandon Petitgrew 00	5.Jason Witten 13	5.John Carlson 1

TEs-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1.Ravens 21		1.Ravens 21		1.Giants 3		1.Vikings 8
2.Steelers 9		2.Cowboys 29		2.Ravens 21		2.Ravens 21
3.Giants 3		3.Seahawks 4		3.Chargers 16		3.Cowboys 29
4.Patriots 24		4.Redskins 26		4.Saints 13		4.Giants 3
5.Bengals 12		5.Patriots 24		5.Steelers 9		5.Bengals 12

Kickers-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

We still don't care about kickers, but these guys were the Top 5 point producers...

1. Neil Rackers 2. Lawrence Tynes 3. Nick Folk 4. Jason Hanson 5. Joe Nedney

Looking back at the week's action.. Drew Brees was the #1 overall QB if averaged
out amongst our picks. The #1 overall running back was Adrian Peterson. So, as a
group, we got two right on the button. The #1 overall receiver, Reggie Wayne, was a
Top 3 receiving options on 3 writer's lists, making him the highest pre-rated receiver
on our boards as well. So, while none of us picked everything right, our highest
averaged players at the 3 key positions all finished #1 for the week. Now that's good
work. TE was a little bit different as only one guy, Red-Red Ryan Kauffman even had
John Carlson, this week's #1 TE, on his board. As for defenses, we all missed out on
the Eagles, who just happened to put up one of the all time great defensive point
scoring shows of all time on the unsuspecting Panthers. At least we didn't expect it.
What about the worst picks on our lists? Papa Weimer's WR chart had some issues as #1
Steve Smith had a terrible day, almost as bad as his #5 Eddie Royal. Arse's picks of
Steven Jackson and Willie Parker hurt his RB respect, and Andre Johnson as his #1
busted him, and everyone besides Papa. Ronnie Brown sure looked average in my Top 5,
and Matt Schaub finished well out of the Top 15 as well. Papa, Arse and I took big
chances putting Orton, Pennington, and Schaub in our Top 5 lists, none of which pay
off, making us look bad with 9, 8, and 4 points a piece. Obviously I looked the worst
in that gong show. We all picked the Ravens to finish either 1 or 2, they finished 21.
Who did we miss? Tony Romo and Joe Flacco went 2 and 3 for QBs in Week 1. Both went
unpicked by our four fantasy writers. Hasselbeck and Trent Edwards finished 5th and
6th respectively. Nobody picked the top defense (Philadelphia) to finish in the Top 5.
Nobody picked the second ranked defense (Atlanta) either.

Keeping score for week 1! This is the positional breakdown based on Week 1's rankings:
Josh Arsenault		Ryan Kauffman		Papa Weimer		Lucky Lester

1.QBs 2         	1.QBs 1		        1.QBs 3  		1.QBs 4
2.RBs 3		        2.RBs 4	   	        2.RBs 2                 2.RBs 1
3.WRs 2		        3.WRs 4		        3.WRs 3         	3.WRs 1
4.TEs 4  		4.TEs 3          	4.TEs 2         	4.TEs 1
5.DST 2         	5.DST 4         	5.DST 1         	5.DST 3

One for Wednesday

Watch out Horse Fans: The Colts are Bad…. 

I’m sorry but the Colts are bad. I’d be worried about owning Joseph Addai and maybe even Peyton Manning – definitely Marvin Harrison. Reggie Wayne and Dallas Clark are still legit. The scarriest guy to have is Addai because you blew a Top 5 pick on him and now look at his game. Unless the Colts stop being brutal, they are always going to be playing from behind, and that doesn’t bode well for the running game. You add Dominic Rhodes to the equation and now his catches are coming down as well. The Colts offensive line is really struggling and they should really be 0-4. I think the Colts are worse than their record, and if you can pick up a nice runner for Addai, meaning if there is someone out there that loves Joseph, you might want to see what you can get – that’s my advice.

theRUNDOWN Review: Week 2

Couldn’t even break 100… Got crushed by a couple guys and finished with 95 points. This was the damage!

QB: Peyton Manning vs. Minnesota: 311 yards, sure, but his 1 touchdown and 2 picks didn’t help me much. Peyton was only good for 14 fantasy points.

RB: LaDainian Tomlinson vs. Denver: 10 carries for 26 yards, 2 catches for 12? Oh no you didn’t LT. This point total bruises my soul, 5 fantasy points for the king. His toe injury hurt him, but his stat line killed me.

RB: Adrian Peterson vs. Indianapolis: Without scoring a touchdown, Peterson still finished tied for 4th amongst running backs with 22 fantasy points – he now leads the league in rushing yards.

WR: Randy Moss vs. Jets: 2 catches for 22 yards. Dang it! I was brutal a couple times this week.

WR: Reggie Wayne vs. Minnesota: 20 fantasy points, good for 10th amongst receivers.

TE: Heath Miller vs. Cleveland: 5 fantasy points – should have taken Scheffler (24 fantasy points) should have done a lot in all these years, this wasn’t my worst decision.

K: Rod Bironas vs. Cincinnati: 6 points- 1 field goal, 3 extra points – actually a good day for my kickers – still, not great considering all the options (30).

D: Giants vs. St. Louis: 19 fantasy points, good for 3rd amongst defenses – solid pick. That’s what 6 sacks and 1 interception return for a touchdown will do for ya.

PAPA’S Week 1 SLEEPERS

JaMarcus Russell: “220+ and 2 scores… Doubt me? We’ll see who is right.” Oh dang it! My foot tastes so bad after walking around bare-foot all weekend. 2 freaking fantasy points – doubters, you got me on this one! F

Aaron Rodgers: 4th amongst quarterbacks after throwing 3 touchdown passes against the Lions. He now has accounted for 5 touchdowns and zero turnovers in two games. A+

Chris Johnson: Gathered over 100 yards this week, 2 catches for 12 yards as well. He’s legit. B

Julius Jones: 4th overall running back in Week 2 – A+ for me on that one.

Laurence Maroney: Maroney looked off before an injury took him out of the game. Maybe I’m just wrong about this kid? F

Antwaan Randel El: 4 catches for 53 yards, looks like Jason Campbell figured out who to give more looks to last week (see Santana Moss’s totals in your fantasy league). D+

Anthony Gonzalez: Great day for Gonzo – those that played him reaped the benefits – 22 fantasy points good for 7th amongst wide receivers… Has he taken over Marvin’s spot as the #2? A+

Robert Meachem: He only had 1 catch for 19 yards, but that one was a touchdown. He’ll turn up the heat, still, 8 fantasy points didn’t kill anyone. C-

Dustin Keller: 1 catch for 19 yards… ugh… F

Cardinals: Just 12 fantasy points, they allowed less than two touchdowns for the 2nd straight week, but just 2 sacks limited their fantasy potential. Still, not bad. B

Papa’S Week 1 Splinter-Butts (bench him, son)

Chris Perry: Perry actually had a pretty nice day considering. He played against the Titans, and the Benglas passing attack as sucked. He managed 64 rushing yards and a touchdown. I’ll say I was wrong here.

Steven Jackson: Jackson had 13 carries for 53 yards and 7 catches for 37 yards. No scores. 8 fantasy points in a non PPR – 15 in a PPR. Exactly what I expected, sit him if you had better options.

Chris Chambers: 13th overall in fantasy last week – tricked me good. This one was a failure.

Devery Henderson: 2 fantasy points – right on the number with this one.

2007 Fantasy Football theRUNDOWN Week 14

This Week’s Top Team: The search for 140…. If this were a PPR format – that would be easy breezy!

QB: Tony Romo vs. Detroit: Romo against the Lions secondary – boy, I love that lineup so much I’m scared to use it. Oh well, I had a piece of pie, and I’m not scared anymore – this seems too good to be true. 300+ and 3 TDs… Anyone?

RB: Adrian Peterson vs. San Francisco: A great line and a relatively small defensive run stopping unit that hasn’t succeeded in anything except stopping their own pathetic offense in practice during scrimmages all year long. (Exhale) Peterson is a beast – and even with 15-20 carries, you’d think he’ll put up 130+ and a TD or two.

RB: LaDainian Tomlinson vs. Tennessee: I don’t care who he’s playing, I’d probably take him against the armies of hell and Mordor combined into one wretched pack of homely beasts. I think the Titans will feel a little ego bruising after LT is done with them.

WR: Randy Moss vs. Pittsburgh: I’ll ride Randy’s low point, and expect a big week from the super-talented wide receiver this week in Pittsburgh. It doesn’t hurt that I think the Pats will put it on the Steel Show.

WR: Reggie Wayne vs. Baltimore: The Ravens were solid in shutting down Randy Moss last week, but Reggie is all Peyton has, and I think the Ravens will bow out early against the Colts – they have to be questioning themselves, their coaches, and of course life in general after last week’s last second loss.

TE: Antonio Gates vs. Tennessee: Gates had 1 catch for -1 yard last week – not really the stats you’d like to have from the solid pass catching tight end. This week, the Titans will do their damnedest to stop LT, and Gates should find a few open holes to take advantage of less defensive coverage.

K: Nick Folk vs. Detroit: I think Folk could have a big week – but I’m always wrong. So, just in case, I’m hoping my back kicker luck could wear on the Cowboys and maybe give the Lions a much needed upset – mainly so TO will start another week for my fantasy playoffs. So what? I have an ulterior motive here – big whoop.

D: Jaguars vs. Carolina: Carolina stinks – they should get hammered by the Jags – a shutout possibly? I sure hope so.

LUCKY’S Week 14 SLEEPERS

Marc Bulger: I like Bulger against the Bengals almost as much as I like Palmer against the Rams – and Bulger is a much bigger sleeper at this point.

Earnest Graham: I’ll ride this kid’s bandwagon once again -hell, I’ll drive the damn thing. Graham has been all kinds of great, and though he may not be much of a sleeper – there’s still leagues in which he’s a free agent – that’s just plain stupid.

Ryan Grant: This one is pretty easy – he’s a beast and he’s rolling up against the Raiders – aka – have your best game of the season, a coke, and a smile.

Maurice Jones Drew: I’m feeling a day full of magic from this mighty little fellow – and I say little lightly – lets be honest, 5’8″ and 215 pounds isn’t small by any means. That’s a huge short guy.

Sydney Rice: Much will be focused on the Vikings run game against the 49ers, and while they still won’t be able to stop it, Rice will get his chance to get deep on a few play action options.

Roddy White: He shouldn’t be a sleeper, but I just picked him up last week – and that’s absurd. Against the Saints, he’s got to be a top 20 option this week.

Vernon Davis: The Niners won’t be able to run, and they’ll have to pass to keep in this game – Davis is their best option. I’m not crazy about this pick, but he’s an option.

Mercedes Lewis: The only pass catching tight end option in Jacksonville, and he has an accurate and safe passer throwing the ball. That’s a good combination for a tight end that is probably on your waiver wire. Add that to his size and hands – you have to like this play.

Buccaneers: The Texans can put up points, but the Bucs have been good at shutting squads down all year long. I like Tampa’s chances against a Sage Rosenfell and Ron Dayne led offense. (I guess Andrew Johnson is the real leader, but he’s a WR, they don’t count)

LUCKY’S Week 14 Splinter-Butts (bench him, son)

Eli Manning: Because he’s brutal.

Joseph Addai: The Ravens should stop him just like they’ve stopped every other running back. I sure like Addai though, and I know I can’t sit him – it’s just that I don’t think he’ll be good this week.

Justin Fargas: This young back has been dynamite since getting the starting gig, but I don’t see the Packers letting him run around much on Sunday.

Javon Walker: I like the Chiefs’ defense, and Walker has been slow to return from injuries. He’s still a week or two off, and the Broncos are still trying to figure their lives out.

2007 Fantasy Football theRUNDOWN Week 13

This Week’s Top Team: And 140 is… here?

QB: Tom Brady vs. Baltimore: Teams can’t run against Baltimore, but passing has come very easily. This should be one of those “pile it on” games, which Tom likes to throw 4 or 5 touchdowns in. Needless to say, I like my chances with this year’s fantasy hero.

RB: Brian Westbrook vs. Seattle: Westy is too good for the Hawks. He’s too fast, he’s too shifty, and he’s too versatile to take out of an offense. Running backs with elite speed that run hard seem to give the Hawks trouble, and Seattle’s run-stuffing defensive line isn’t the strength of their team

RB: LaDainian Tomlinson vs. KC: If the Chargers are going to win this game, they’ll need to pass the ball – but that doesn’t eliminate LT. He can catch the rock just fine, and he will this week. Norv Turner wants to lead this team to a playoff win, but he has to get them there first. I know if I needed a win, and had LT, the ball would be in his hands 30 times or more.

WR: Randy Moss vs. Philadelphia: A bad week last week, blowing up this week. Baltimore can’t guard this guy – and they had to see that doubling him just leaves everyone else open for business. This week, Randy and Tom hook up in the zone again.

WR: Reggie Wayne vs. Jacksonville: The Colts will need to put up points, and the Jaguars haven’t been known for their stellar secondary play. With Marv out, Reggie is definitely the man. He’ll get his fair share of looks on Sunday, and that means a TD catch or two.

TE: Kellen Winslow vs. Arizona: I like KWII to have a very good week against the Cardinals. Arizona’s best safety is out for the season, leaving a hole just for Kellen to take advantage of.

K: Adam Vinitieri vs. Jacksonville: I just pick a kicker and that seems to make them have a bad week. So now, I’m picking kickers of teams I want to lose – it worked last week, here goes nothing. A Jaguar win in Indy would be nice, and it’d tie things up in the South.

D: New England vs. Baltimore: I get big points for shutouts, and I think there’s a solid chance the Patriots could get one of those in Baltimore.

LUCKY’S Week 13 SLEEPERS

Kellen Clemens: Against the Dolphins, Kellen has a good shot to make up for the terrible week he had against Dallas on Thanks Giving.

Earnest Graham: I like Earnest as a sleeper every single week – he doesn’t get near the credit he deserves. Same goes for this week, especially against a Saints team that doesn’t tackle very well. TB will want to keep Brees and company off the field, so Earnest will become a major factor.

Jesse Chatman: Jesse is said to be healthy which means YHATZEE! Against the Jets. New York hasn’t stopped the run worth beans all season long, and Miami has a physical rushing attack that could mean big yards for Jesse.

Thomas Jones: Jones goes up against Miami, and it’s time for him to start going off. He’s had a slow season, has been a major disappointment, but the Jets have to take advantage of a bad Dolphins run defense.

Donte Stallworth: He didn’t do much this week, but I think he could go off against the Ravens. Tom doesn’t look to him first or even second, but the Ravens have to pay less attention to one of the main three, and I think Stallworth will benefit from that this week.

Nate Washington: With Santonio Holmes out for a 2nd straight week, Washington gets his chance to go up against the Bengals and prove he can do work in a big conference game. The Bengals can put points up on anyone, which should mean the Steelers will have to let a few loose. Washington is a cheap pick up, and he could get you into the playoffs this week.

Owen Daniels: With Matt Schaub back, the whole Texans’ receiving corps gets a boost, and that’s a good thing for the 2nd year tight end. Daniels has reliable hands, and against a Titans’ secondary that has been loosey goosey, I think OD is a nice pick this week.

Chargers: I see the Chargers bringing the house at the Chiefs – that will cause turnovers and quite possibly defensive scores.

LUCKY’S Week 13 Splinter-Butts (bench him, son)

Rex Grossman: He hasn’t been bad, but this week looks scary against that Giants’ pass rush.

Laurence Maroney: I love this kid, as much as he’s struggled fantasy-wise this season, but he should only struggle more in this game. The Ravens are deadly to fantasy running backs, and the Patriots can pass downfield so easily, why run into a brick wall.

Warrick Dunn: WD40 is a great little back, but the Rams are plenty fast, and have been decent against the run in all but a couple games this season. Dunn has been decent of late, but not this week.

Deion Branch: I see the Hawks using Branch as more of a decoy this week in Philly, plus Seattle doesn’t play well on the road. Steer clear of the former Patriot.