Hey what’s a top ten list of players to play without a top list of players not to play…right?  Aside from the injuries that have occured and the players that will not be playing this week…the list is below…there are players that you seriously should consider sitting this week.

The “Will Not” Play list:  Clinton Portis - RB - Washington.  Steven Jackson - RB - St. Louis.  Reggie Bush - RB - New Orleans.  Heath Miller - TE - Pittsburgh.  Felix Jones - RB - Dallas.  

The Top 5 To Sit:  Week 11

5:  Jason Witten - TE - Dallas:  If you can afford to sit him, sit him.  NFL.com is saying that he is still having issues with his broken rib although he is playing through it.  Last week he had no catches and this week faces a Redskins team that has only given up 25…count that TWENTY-FIVE…receptions to a TE this year.  Romo may be back but use caution with Witten.

4:  The Tampa Bay RB’s:  Tampa faces a very stoudt Viking defensive front and it appears that the leading contender to get the ball for Tampa is recently cleared Cadillac Williams who has been out of football since last season’s week 4 match-up when he tore his knee.  While you shouldn’t be relying on CW for a starter on your team this late in the season, any of the Bucs’ RB’s is not a good idea this week.

3:  Ryan Grant - RB - Green Bay:  This is not looking like a good match for the GB RB.  Chicago’s defense is back to being one of the best when it comes to stopping the run and this week really shouldn’t be much difference.  The success of Grant will be completely on the shoulders of Aaron Rodgers and the GB passing game.  

2:  Matt Ryan - QB - Atlanta:  Ryan is having a superb season thus far but against Denver the Falcons are more likely to run the ball far more than passing it so this is an indictment on Denver’s run defense than Ryan.  That could hurt his numbers on the day.  Ryan may toss for 2 but if the Falcons get an early lead they won’t likely be putting the game on Ryan…keep that in mind and see if your other QB has a better match for a passing game.

1:  Brandon Jacobs - RB - NYG:  Jacobs will face a stingy Baltimore Ravens defense that will keep his numbers down.  The Giants will likely try and pass to a win to open up the line which will then allow some productive running plays.  The problem is that “productive” against the Ravens is never much.  Look at your roster and find someone else.

Reggie Bush missed practice again on Friday and will not be available for the Saints when they visit Kansas City on Sunday,

Deuce McAllister will get a majority of the carrries and should be a in for a good day against the Chiefs. The Chiefs rank dead last in rushing yards given up per game (172.3). Also the Chiefs look to be without LB Derrick Johnson, DE Tamba Hali, and MLB Pat Thomas. Pierre Thomas will back-up Deuce and could see some touches, but he will not be worthy of a start.

One of our readers has Emailed me and asked about the current state of RB’s.  With Clinton Portis likely out this week the question is “should I pick up his back-up or go for someone else?”.  First let’s look at Portis’ back-up and the match-up against the Dallas Cowboys.

Ladell Betts is a question mark and that leaves Shaun Alexander…yes the same Shaun from Seattle.  Personally, I don’t take either one of them.  Betts’ injury concern could be problamatic as he may not see a full load of carries and Alexander is not appealing because he has been out of football too long…game football that is.  Still there are some options.  Not many but a few.

Cadillac Williams has been gone for a year and he may get the nod this week in Tampa.  Activated for the first time this season, Williams will fill a roll in Tampa’s offense.  The Buc’s are hurting with injuries at the RB spot.  While Williams may not be the go to guy this week for a full load, he has more chances to carry the ball than say Alexander unless Betts is out.

Another back is Tatum Bell who has just been signed by the Broncos.  The Broncos have only one RB healthy and he is a rookie.  Bell knows the Shanahan system so acclimation will not be as taxing for him.  The Broncos need a good RB and Bell should step in and play right away.

Felix Jones is set to return to the Dallas lineup and should be his explosive self.  If you have him available in your league, it might be a good risk this week.  Washington is good but they are not that good and when Jones touches the ball he seems to score.

QUESTION 2:

What to do with my TE’s?:

This is the end of the bye-weeks and as noted on some of the other fantasy football league hosting sites, you no longer need to carry the dead weight.  This is the time to dump your back-up TE that you have been flexing.  Dump your back-up QB as well if you have a stud…face it, if your stud QB goes down…so will your team and the back-up at this point won’t matter.  Of course if your BUQB is a good one…let him sit so your opponents don’t get better.  Kickers and STDEF should also be dumped about now.  You can find weekly match-ups on the waiver list if you don’t like yours.

Time to get it moving folks.  This is week number 11 and for most leagues, playoffs start in 3 to 4 weeks.

Tony Romo will play on Sunday…good news for the Cowboys.  Ben Rothlisberger apparently received a mental signal that he “gets” and is practicing even with a sprained shoulder…he should be playing as well.  Now word out of Seattle is that Matt Hasselbeck has returned to practice as has Deion Branch.  

For the Seattle Seahawks this is huge news.  The ‘Hawks have struggled with Seneca Wallace at QB…not that they weren’t with Matt, but the return of another viable WR option will help either QB.  The Seahawks have been decimated by injuries this season at the WR position so this return should help open the offense up just a bit.  Just in time for the season to wrap up in 7 weeks so Mike Holmgren can take a year off.

Here are my top 10 fantasy “studs” for this upcoming week 11:

10:  DeAngelo Williams - RB - Carolina.  This week Williams will face a very poor run defense in the Detroit Lions.  Williams will take most of the carries as rookie Jonathan Stewart is coming off a minor injury that will likely allow the coaches to take it easy on him.  Williams has been very good the last few weeks and there is little chance that he will falter this week.  Must start if you have him.

9:  Drew Brees - QB - New Orleans.  If he is on your roster your going to start him anyways, but if you play in a league where you choose different players each week…he is good bet against a weak Kansas City team.  Brees and the rest of the team has struggled of late and KC may be what the doctor ordered to get back on track.

8:  Frank Gore - RB - San Francisco.  Mike Singletary and the rest of the SF coaching staff are still seething over the final 4 seconds of last weeks loss to the Cardinals.  Martz faces his old St. Louis Rams and the ‘9ers should be able to run significantly on the poor defensive front.  Gore stands to have a huge game.  However, they are both 2-7 for a reason.

7:  Ronnie Brown - RB - Miami.  The Dolphins are at home this weekend to face the Oakland Raiders.  The Raiders are up and down and on some days they can actually stop a run and then on others they can’t.  If the Dolphins can play like they do against teams with winning records, then Ronnie Brown should post 100 plus yards on the ground and a touchdown or two, and catch another 20 to 30.

6:  Michael Turner - RB - Atlanta.  The Broncos are a horrid team stopping the run and the Atlanta Falcons found a gem when they signed Turner in free agency.  He is quick and big which is a rare NFL combination.  He can also catch and the Falcons are very pleased with the play of rookie Matt Ryan.  Turner is a good bet for over 100 yards and a couple of touches.  If the Falcons can exploit a weak Bronco secondary early, Turner could see even more touches as they try and play a clock management game.

5:  Anquan Boldin, Larry Fitzgerald, Kurt Warner, and Tim Hightower:  Take a pick.  The Cardinals will face off against the 2-7 Seattle Seahawks and right now, both WR’s are studs in the fantasy world, Warner is a stud QB…AGAIN, and Hightower has all but knocked Edgerrin James off the Cards roster.  Bolding and Fitz stand to have huge games but if neither are available to you, look to Steve Breaston who despite the return of Boldin is still posting very good numbers and legit target for Warner.

4:  Tennessee.  I can’t believe that I would actually put a defense in this list.  Still, it’s hard not to put the Titans up on any list right now and they face the Jacksonville Jaguars who got beat two weeks ago by the Bengals.  No one is running the offense for the Jags right now and the line play is atrocious.  Maurice Jones-Drew is all but invisible.  Tennessee should have a big game with a couple of take-aways and a couple of sacks of Dave Garrard.  They should also hold the Jags offense to under 14 points.

3:  Donovin McNabb - QB - Philly.  The Eagles face the Bengals this week and the Eagles are not the Jaguars.  McNabb loves to throw the ball deep which means that rookie DeSean Jackson could have another very solid performance.  McNabb will try and put this game away early and it’s not out of the question that they team doesn’t post a 40 point performance.

2:  Jay Cutler - QB - Denver.  The Broncos have a one dimensional offensive attack and that is on the shoulder and arm of Jay Cutler.  The Falcons will try and tear up the Denver defense which, well…sucks.  Cutler could find himself playing from behind once again as he did in Cleveland and if that is the case, Cutler will toss the rock 40 times in the game.  

1:  Brian Westbrook - RB - Philadelphia.  Westbrook should explode this weekend against the Bengals.  He can run and he can catch and when you think you have that covered, he will throw it.  There is no reason that BW shouldn’t put up at least 3 touchdowns this weekend and that is why he is my must play fantasy stud of the week.

It appears that Dallas Cowboys QB Tony Romo will be starting this coming weekend against the Washington Redskins.  Romo has missed the last 4 games with a broken finger and the Boy’z are coming off their bye week.  After struggling with him at QB and even moreso without him.  The Cowboys will look to get back on track in the tough NFC East that only a short two months ago was a lock for a Cowboys win.

Over in Pittsburgh it appears that the on again off again injury bug for Steeler RB Willie Parker is on again.  Parker is said to be slated to start this coming weekend when Pitt takes on the Chargers.  The Chargers have had problems stopping solid running games.  In his absence Mewelde Moore has played well and will once again resume the responsibility of giving Parker rests.  While this week should be an even split a healthy Parker will definately cut into the carries of Moore.

In New England, the defense took a huge blow today when it was announced that LB Adalius Thomas will miss the rest of the season with a broken arm that requires surgery.  The Patriots have already lost Tom Brady, Lawrence Maroney, and Rodney Harrison for the season…they still remain tied for the AFC East lead.

The Pittsburgh Steelers have announced that WR Santonio Holmes will miss this Sunday’s game against the N.Y. Giants because of internal reasons.  The team did not say that it is disciplinary for Holmes being pulled over with Mary-Jane blunts in his car.  Now, the fine from the cops will be minimal and it is a misdemeanor.  He wasn’t arrested and wasn’t even ticketed.  That will come through the mail.  However, the NFL does not like drugs and they hate Marijuana…ask Ricky Williams.

The NFL will likely find a way to test Holmes and if he tests positive he will be placed into the drug program and will be tested often.  He will also be suspended by the league and could easily miss another game after this one, or maybe even 4 total.  (May want to trade him if you can).  In any case, get Nate Washington who is available in almost all the leagues out there…he will at least start this weekend.

It’s not just Holmes though.  The NFL is throwing down a serious hammer going into the weekend.  Miami Dolphins special teams player Brandon Loyd was fined 5K for a hit that didn’t even draw a penalty during the game last Sunday.  The larger fine however belongs to the big-mouthed Plaxico Burress who apparently learned nothing from his team suspension.

Burress was fined 20K on 3 separate incidents, two on the field for unsportsmanlike conduct and then again for post game comments regarding the officiating.  A total of 45K has been added to Plax’s already bulging donation file for 2008….of course it’s not tax deductible.

Burress isn’t the only one though, not even the 2nd one who is reeling from the ire of his own team and the NFL.  Browns TE Kellen Winslow will miss the weeks game after comments he made following last weekends game in which he criticized the Browns and their organization regarding the “staph” infection he got while injured.  The Browns obviously didn’t like what they heard and suspended him this weekend.

With the amount of fines and the reasons they are levied continue to increase, so does the possibility that an NFL player can be suspended for taking the wrong supplements.  The NFL has informed players, a long time ago, that they are responsible for what goes in their bodies and their blood.  Very few “prohibited” chemicals are allowed to be taken by physician approval for any specific ailment or rehabilitation procedure.  According to a New York Times article, at least 8 NFL players could be facing suspension for a substance called Bumetadine.

The issue at hand is that the drug, found in a weight loss supplement, can “possibly” be used to mask urine drug tests.  The bigger name on that list may be New Orleans Saints RB Deuce McCallister.  

According to Dr. Don Catlin, the former director of the Olympic testing lab at U.C.L.A., bumetanide is banned in sports because it can be used to dilute a banned substance.

“It can be seen as a masking agent because it produces so much water that it dilutes drugs in the system,” Catlin said Friday in a telephone interview. “But we haven’t seen it used by athletes to mask drugs in over 20 years.”

He added: “It is also banned because some athletes need to make weight and it helps flush water out of an athlete’s body. In general, though, it is used by physicians to control blood pressure and reduce the amount of excess water in the body.”"

The other names have not been released and the NFL and the Saints have no comments.  Still, keep an ear out for those names should the NFL deem it necessary to suspend those players.

A reader named John Emailed us today and asked who he should start at WR.  He says he can start 2 of the following three.  Mushin Muhammad, Torry Holt, and Lance Moore.  Thank you for your Email John.

Hi John,

Thank you for asking us who you should start this week.  

Your 3 WR’s are Torry Holt, Mushin Muhammad, and Lance Moore of which you can start two.

If given the choice I would go with Torry Holt and Lance Moore.

The reason is that Carolina tries to run the ball far more than it makes sense to start anyone other than Steve Smith.  Lance Moore has another good week in him until he starts fighting for the 2nd WR job with Devery Henderson.  This week Marques Colston could see playing time but Moore should see plenty of balls thrown his way making him a good option.

Holt and the Rams look to play from behind most of the game and that means passing the ball.  The Dallas defense has some holes as evidenced by their win/loss record and the Rams could be looking at Holt quite often.  

Good luck!

Week 7 is a day away and last minute roster moves are being made everywhere.  Some like LaDainian Tomlinson and Adrian Peterson are weekly no-brainers but what match-ups look good this week?

Dallas Vs. St. Louis:  

Even with Tony Romo questionable…and he shouldn’t play this week in my opinion…the Cowboys look like they have a dream fantasy match-up.  Jason Witten is a must start in any league you have him in.  Witten could be the go to guy for Brad Johnson if he starts over Romo and if Romo does start, his finger may not allow him to throw an accurate deep ball wich means Witten should get some extra looks there as well.

Marion Barber stands to get a lot of touches no matter who starts at QB and with Felix Jones out with an injury, Barber will be the featured back all game long.  He should be able to break some runs for big gains against a very weak Rams defense.

Terrell Owens will be your starter if you have him on your roster, mainly because you can’t afford not to.  However, this could be a weak, week for him unless Romo shows no ill signs of his broken finger or Brad Johnson just lets her rip downfield.

Denver Vs. New England:

Whichever side of the coin your roster lies on, you have some options albeit they are much better on the Denver side of things.  

Wes Welker could have a big day as he is an outlet receiever and Patriot QB Matt Cassell will probably look his way often.  Randy Moss on the other hand is not likely to be a huge part of the game for New England as the Broncos will likely take him out by rolling coverages.

The Patriots have no running game and the Broncos defense is weaker in that department so it could be a long day for the NE offense.

Brandon Marshall could have a very good game but with news that Eddie Royal is back in the lineup, I would expect Royal to benefit more than Marshall as the Patriots will work hard to stop Marshall from stretching the field.

Jay Cutler is a must start.  After watching what SD did the Patriots Cutler has to be smiling at the thought of facing them so soon after that horrendous game.

There is no one worth starting at the Denver RB position as they have no one.  Ryan Torain is looking as though he will be back soon, so you may want to start looking for a way to hide him on your roster.

Pittsburgh Vs. Cincy:

The Steelers will run the ball often and when the Bengals look like they have it stopped, Big Ben will unload the ball downfield.

Ben Rothlisberger is a must start if you have him.  He will probably toss at least 3 TD passes and honestly I think he goes for 4.

Mewelde Moore will be the starting tailback this week as Willie Parker is still unable to go it full speed.  Moore should put up really good numbers against a poor defense.

Indy Vs. Green Bay:

This has to be the most fun of all the games.  It could become explosive with both teams struggling on defense.

Peyton Manning should have a very good game and starting him along with Reggie Wayne will make a ton of sense.  3 touchdowns for Manning and 2 for Wayne is my prediction.

Aaron Rodgers will likely be tossing the rock quite a bit as well and Greg Jennings should receive more looks than anyone else.  Truth be told, I think Mason Crosby the GB kicker is a good start this week and I see him putting up at least 3 FG’s when the GB offense sputters in the red-zone.

Ah the love between two QB’s.  Brett Favre the ageless one and the youngster out of Dallas.  One grew up idolizing the other so when the phone rang and Tony Romo heard the voice of his idol Brett Favre, he knew this was more than a “keep your chin up kid” kind of phone call.  Brett Favre offered some advice, if you can play you owe it to your teammates to play, if you can’t than don’t.  Or something like that.  

Well apparently it has hit it’s mark as Romo has informed his team and coaches that he intends to play on Sunday vs. the no longer winless St. Louis Rams.  So now you are faced with the task of decision.  Start Tony Romo against one of the weakest pass defenses in the league or sit him in favor of someone else.

I say sit him.  There is no need for Romo to play this week.  He has a 30 game consecutive start streak…big deal.  He has a broken pinkie finger…and that is the big deal.  The Cowboys don’t need Romo this week.  Brad Johnson is more than capable of tossing a few balls to Terrell Owens to keep him happy while handing off to Marion Barber most of the game instead.  Romo may play and if he does his affectiveness may hurt you more than it helps.  

After breaking the finger last Sunday, Romo tossed a few wobbler’s and a few days of practice and a splint isn’t going to make that go away.  Unless your in one of my leagues that has to start Dan Orlosvky this week with Romo being hurt…your better off sitting him.

Triage and Dishcharge:

Willie Parker was back and now he is gone again.  Parker injured his knee three weeks ago and was set to start playing this week against the Bengals.  Well, he reinjured the knee in practice this week so Mewelde Moore will get the nod against a poor defensive team.

Calvin Johnson appears to be fine in Detroit and is expected to play, however, Dan Orlosvky will be throwing him the balls and right now, the bigger concern is whether or not Dan can figure out how to not run out of the back of the endzone.

Chad Ocho Cinco is complaining about his touches.  He believes that his off-season attempts to get released is being used against him by the coaching staff.  Doesn’t matter that his QB Carson Palmer should have shoulder surgery and right now it’s Ryan Fitzpatrick tossing the rock.  If you have Palmer on your roster, keep a close eye on his situation.  The Bengals don’t think he needs surgery and only rest instead.  He could be out a very long time or reaggrevate it if they play him too soon.  He should be just placed on IR, but don’t dump him yet.

Marques Colston practiced this week and it appears that he will play.  He is still a risky choice unless you have no other options.  Colston may have practiced but a decision likely won’t come until later this weekend.  Make sure you check back in to your league injury reports.

Eddie Royal looks to be a good bet this weekend for the Broncos and that’s good news for fantasy owners.  Royal is a favorite target of Jay Cutler and the rookie is productive.  Against the Patriots, he should see quite a few balls thrown his way.  Brandon Stokley on the other hand is not a good choice at this point as he has missed practice time.  

Ryan Torain is due back week 10 but he already is practicing with the team in a limited fashion.  Keep an eye on his progress as he is available in 99 percent of the leagues out there.  When he is ready to come back he figures to see more playing time than any of the other backs inclcuding Selvin Young who has been a monumental dissappointment this season.

The Detroit Lions traded disgruntle WR Roy Williams to the Dallas Cowboys yesterday just prior to the league mandated trade deadline.  For those fantasy teams that have Roy Williams, you are probably smiling from

ear to ear as he now becomes a bit more valuable.  For those of you holding Terrell Owens, your probably not quite sure what this means.

First the trade itself is causing some serious head-scratching around the league.  A 1st, 3rd, 6th, and possibly a 7th for the 27 year old youngster who is about to see his contract expire has some in the league wondering what Jerry Jones was thinking…of course, everyone wonders what Jerry Jones is thinking.

There are two issues at hand here.  One is the obvious issue with signing Roy Williams to a long term contract where he will probably be asking for top dollar amounts similar to that given Larry Fitzgerald this past off-season in Arizona.  While Williams will not likely make close to that amount, it will be the starting point and with money tied to Owens and Marion Barber, as well as Tony Romo, the Dallas Cowboys could be setting themselves up for a financial problem in the next couple of years.

The second problem, and more in line with your fantasy dilemma is, how many balls are there to go around?  Terrell Owens only two weeks ago was calling for the ball more, in Detroit, Williams was asking for the ball more.  The Cowboys have TE Jason Witten, RB Marion Barber, Patrick Crayton who signed a contract extension last year, and rising star Miles Austin.

It is obvious that Austin and Crayton will lose touches, the Cowboys can ill afford to keep Witten out of the mix and Barber will still be the outlet on passing downs.  With Owens and Williams lining up opposite each other, keeping the two of the happy will not be easy, especially given the QB situation for the next 4 weeks with Romo sidelined with a busted finger on his throwing hand.

From a fantasy standpoint, the only way you are truly screwed is if you have more than two of the above mentioned Cowboys on your roster.  Witten and Barber is fine, Witten and Owens is fine.  What if you drafted Roy Williams?  Witten, Owens, and Williams, is not fine and you will need to start trying to trade someone.

The best estimate given the way the Cowboys work their offense, is that Barber should see better yards with the secondary now pulling back with Williams a much bigger threat than Crayton, who will likely be moved to the slot.  Witten will still get his touches and may find more early success as teams try to cover up more on the two outside WR’s.

How does it all add up for your team?  Tough question to answer but here is what I expect their returns to be after the return of Romo.  Brad Johnson should have a good game this weekend, but it will be the weekends after that will spell out the Cowboys immediate record and the return on your drafting investment in the Cowboys offense.

Terrell Owens: The first thought is that he will see less rolling coverage and will find more daylight to work with.  That should be true as the Cowboys need to keep Owens happy so his mouth stays shut.  He should still get 7-10 balls a game if not more.

Roy Williams: Don’t expect too much from Roy in the first week or two as he adjusts to his new surroundings.  Eventually Williams will get his money and with that will come his touches on the field.  The Cowboys like to show off their new toys though so it is possible to see them throw early to him first game out…just don’t expect it to continue the whole game.

Jason Witten: I don’t expect Witten to lose much in the offense but could find himself more available to the QB as defenses will need to put more attention on Williams compared to Crayton or Miles.  Witten should see no production drop and could see more production with the back-up QB in the offense now.

Marion Barber: The signing of Williams should help Barber more in the running game as defensive secondary’s will not be crowding up.  Safeties will have to be on their toes to account for Williams and Owens together and Barber could find some holes when he turns up-field where defensemen have vacated with the WR’s.

Patrick Crayton: Crayton stands to lose a lot with the signing of Williams.  He will be relegated to the 4th option now behind Owens, Williams, and Witten and his production is likely going to tumble to the point that in 3 weeks he may not be worth a roster spot.

Miles Austin: Austin has been a popular waiver wire pick up in most fantasy leagues.  Now, he will likely be a popular choice to being dropped back to waivers.