Week 7 Matchups

Week 7 Fantasy Football Matchups
Pittsburgh Steelers at Atlanta Falcons
October 22, 2006 - Georgia Dome
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Fantasy Spin - Pittsburgh Steelers at Atlanta Falcons Fantasy Preview

The Steelers play great when their backs are against the wall and should come out flying again in Atlanta, although they have yet to win on the road this season. Last week Atlanta allowed 24 unanswered points last week to the Giants at home after leading for much of the game and were abused on the ground by Tiki Barber. Roethlisberger (807 yards, 2 TD, 7 INT) had thrown no touchdown passes and seven interceptions through his first three games, this week expect better things. Start Willie, Roth and Ward, plus that D, but nooone else. For Atlanta the club is averaging an amazing 232 yards on the ground per game. That's nearly 74 yards more a game than the second-best running team in the NFL (San Diego). This is going to be a classic battle between teams that love to run the ball, and will be won by the team that dominates the line of scrimmage on both offense and defense.

Pittsburgh - Roethlisburger (Z), Parker (S), Ward (S), Wilson (B), Miller (Z), Steelers D (S)
Atlanta - Vick (Z), Dunn (Z), J. Norwood (B), M. Jenkins (B), , A. Crumpler (Z), Falcons D (B)

Week 7 Fantasy Football Matchups
New England Patriots at Buffalo Bills
October 22, 2006 - Ralph Wilson Stadium
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Fantasy Spin - New England Patriots at Buffalo Bills Fantasy Preview

The problem for the Bills is they have struggled the past two weeks and Bill Belichick and company are coming off a bye week healthy and well-prepared. There is playoff implication looming in this game. If the Bills can bounce back at home with a win over the Patriots, it will keep their hopes alive for a playoff spot. I've tried to wait for the Bills, and J.P. Losman, to figure things out, but to lose to the Lions, that's it, I'm done. I won't stop playing McGahee. Start Evans and that's it. Defending the pass was a major problem for New England last season and the Patriots have had their struggles at times in that area as well in 2006. The team ranks 25th in the NFL in passing yards allowed. Look for Dillon and Maroney to again have productive afternoons as New England's potent ground game eventually wears down the Bills' undersized defense. New England could have another big day on the ground against a Bills defense which allowed both Chicago's Thomas Jones (110 rushing yards) and Detroit's Kevin Jones (127 yards, TD) to have big days during the team's previous two games.

Fantasy Spin - Carolina Panthers at Cincinnati Bengals Fantasy Preview

The Bengals offensive line must find a way to control the Panthers' front seven by utilizing RB Rudi Johnson. Panthers' offensive coordinator Dan Henning will continue to rely on the Panthers' power running game against a Bengals' run defense that is allowing 140.4 yards per game. The Bengals' offense is moving the ball, but not scoring points, while the Panthers defense is led by the best defensive player in the NFL in LDE Julius Peppers. Since missing the first two games of the season, Smith has made up for lost time in a big way. The two-time Pro Bowler has 31 catches for 450 yards and a pair of touchdowns in a four-game span. DeAngelo Williams (139 rushing yards, 1 TD) will miss his second straight game with a high ankle sprain, meaning Foster will continue to carry a bulk of the load. After starting strong out of the gate, Cincinnati running back Rudi Johnson (405 rushing yards, 4 TD) has totaled just 164 yards on 50 carries. Provided James and O'Neal can handle Smith and Keyshawn as the Ravens' secondary could not a week ago, look for Carolina to experience some problems and ultimately, a loss.

Carolina - Delhomme (S), Smith (S), Johnson (S), Foster (S), Williams Inj (B), Panthers D (S)
Cincinnati - Palmer (S), R. Johnson (Z), C. Johnson (S), T.J. Housh (S), Bengals D (Z)

Fantasy Spin - San Diego Chargers at Kansas City Chiefs Fantasy Preview

At 2-3, the Chiefs have already dug themselves a hole in the ever-contentious AFC West. The Chargers, meanwhile, head into Kansas City with visions of Super Bowls dancing in their heads. Marty Schottenheimer's squad has been among the most impressive in the NFL through six weeks. The Chiefs' playoff hopes will be on the line this week as they can ill afford to fall any further down the ladder in the AFC West. Now that the Chargers have opened up their offense, you could make a case for them being the second-best team in the NFL behind the Chicago Bears. Kansas City running back Larry Johnson (357 rushing yards, 23 receptions, 4 TD) comes off his weakest outing of the season, a 15-carry, 26-yard effort in Pittsburgh. The job of slowing Tomlinson and Turner will fall to a Kansas City run- stopping unit that was tossed around in last week's loss to the Steelers. Last week vs the 49ers Rivers completed 29-of-39 passes for a career-high 334 yards and two touchdowns. Johnson rushed for 131 yards and two touchdowns in his last meeting with the Chargers, which occurred in Week 16 of last season, give KC the upset win! (even though its at home?!)

Fantasy Spin - Green Bay Packers at Miami Dolphins Fantasy Preview

The Packers needed the bye to heal up and regroup. Nick Saban is leading a team that opened the season with ambitions of winning the division and being playoff bound, yet finds itself desperate to earn a second victory. The Packers' 1-4 season has marked the continuation of a downward spiral that began when the franchise slipped to 4-12 last season. Miami returns home following an 0-3 roadswing in which it was outscored by a composite of 57-32 by the Texans, Patriots, and Jets. The Dolphins rank sixth in NFL passing offense (171.7 yards per game), but have shown their warts by allowing 10 touchdowns through the air thus far in 2006. The Packers could get a boost this week if Ahman Green (215 rushing yards, 7 receptions, 1 TD) is able to return following a two-game absence due to a hamstring injury. The Dolphins rank a modest 10th in the NFL against the run. Starting wideouts for the Packers Donald Driver (26 receptions, 1 TD) and Greg Jennings (20 receptions, 3 TD), along with tight end Bubba Franks (11 receptions), will have to pick up the slack, for the loss of Ferguson and Robinson. One too many untimely mistakes will again do the Pack in, and I doubt they can put together a complete effort this week.

Miami - Harrington (S), Mcmicheal (S), Chambers (S), Brown (S), Dolphins D (B)
Green Bay - Favre (S), Green (Z), Driver (S), Jennings (S), Herron (B), Packers D (B)

Fantasy Spin - Detroit Lions at New York Jets Fantasy Preview

New York can keep their wild-card hopes alive by beating the Lions and taking care of business against the struggling Browns next week. The Lions got their first win in Week 6 at home against an average Buffalo team. Last week Kevin Jones ran for 127 yards and scored once, while the Detroit defense held Willis McGahee to just 66 yards on the ground and forced three turnovers, this shows improvement right? Umm... Kitna is third in the NFL in passing yards with 1,584 through six games, Chad Pennington has been his short-passing, efficient self throughout six healthy weeks, completing 109 of 168 passes for 1,261 yards and eight touchdowns, start them both. Rookie Leon Washington has emerged as a play-making choice at running back en route to a team-best 217 yards on 51 carries. Wide receiver Laveranues Coles is second among NFL wideouts with 38 catches and has 537 yards to go with three touchdowns.For the Lions Roy Williams registered career-bests in receptions (10) and yards (161) against the Bills. The Lions have more talent on offense and may be just starting to tap into it now that the first win is out of the way.

Detroit - Kitna (Z), Jones (S), Williams (S), Furrey (B), Pollard (B), Lions D (B)
New York - Pennington (S), RBBC (B), Coles (S), Cotchery (Z), Jets D (B)

Fantasy Spin - Philadelphia Eagles at Tampa Bay Buccaneers Fantasy Preview

If Reid and company leave Raymond James Stadium with a defeat at the hands of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday, they will have squandered their first- place standing in the division. The Eagles can ill afford to lose two consecutive games, while the Buccaneers won their first regular-season game last week. Jim Johnson the DCoach of Phili is on the hotseat this week and must design packages that attack and confuse the young QB Bruce Gradkowski. McNabb currently tops a short list of NFL MVP candidates, as the signal-caller enters Week 7 leading the league in passing yards (1849), touchdown passes (13), and passer rating (104.8). Westbrook will get the ball between 20-25 times and has 361 rushing yards, 23 receptions, and 6 TD. Taking the pressure off of his rookie quarterback has been Tampa Bay running back Cadillac Williams (312 rushing yards, 1 TD, 13 receptions). Gradkowski will give Philly some short fields with mistakes, McNabb and the offense will take advantage, and the Eagles will get back into the left column. Oh one more thing, keep your eye on Stallworth's game time status, if he plays, he's a decent start (#2 WR)

Fantasy Spin - Jacksonville Jaguars at Houston Texans Fantasy Preview

The Texans are going to be out to prove that last week's loss to the Cowboys was not a setback in their plan to be competitive. Jacksonville has had a week off after a convincing win over the Jets and is as healthy as it has been in some time. Jacksonville entered the break with a 41-0 stomping of the New York Jets at Alltel Stadium on October 8. Houston, meanwhile, was crushed by the Dallas Cowboys at Texas Stadium 34-6 last Sunday. David Carr passed for just 128 yards with two interceptions, and Andre Johnson had nine catches for 75 yards in the losing effort. Leftwich ranks seventh in the AFC with 1,034 passing yards and fifth in the conference with seven TD passes. The ground game for Jacksonville is manned by veteran Fred Taylor, who has 367 yards and two TDs this season. This week him and Drew-Jones, or Jones-Drew will go off, both are sleepers. David Carr has been hot-and-cold, ranking 22nd in the NFL with 993 passing yards. I think Lundy starts this week for Houston. Andre Johnson and Eric Moulds are Houston's top receivers. Johnson is fifth in the NFL with 485 receiving yards on 39 catches, while Moulds has 274 yards on 22 receptions. If Gary Kubiak's Texans can post 10 points on Sunday, it will be a surprise.

Fantasy Spin - Denver Broncos at Cleveland Browns Fantasy Preview

Through the first five games, Denver's offense has scored only five touchdowns, but the defense has allowed just one touchdown. Cleveland is coming off its bye week, and an extra week of practice should be useful. The Broncos' defensive line is almost entirely ex-Browns so watch that angle in this game for laughs. The Broncos enter the week tied with San Diego atop the AFC's West division, with a two-game edge on third-place Kansas City. Cleveland, which beat Oakland on Oct. 1 for its lone win, is last in the AFC North. Plummer has three touchdowns and five interceptions, and a hardly inspiring 63.1 passer rating. Tatum Bell is second in the conference with 470 yards on the ground and third in the AFC with a 4.7-yard average. Javon Walker leads the NFL with a 19.4-yard average per reception and had a career-best 29-yard run against the Raiders. He's caught 20 passes for 388 yards and two touchdowns through five games. Frye leads the AFC in fourth-quarter passing yardage with 373, and Edwards and KW are coming on, but, not this week. Droughns goes nowhere against his old team, maybe scores a TD on a goaline carry. No brainer this week, Broncos roll.

Denver - Plummer (S), M. Bell (Z), T. Bell (S), Walker (S), R. Smith (S), Broncos D (S)
Cleveland - Frye (B), Droughns (B), Edwards (B), Winslow (S), Browns D (Z)

Fantasy Spin - Washington Redskins at Indianapolis Colts Fantasy Preview

Manning and company are coming off a bye and should be fresh to host the Redskins, who are on a roller coaster ride this season. This is a must-win for the Redskins, as the try to keep pace with the other teams in the NFC East. Last Sunday, the Redskins suffered a heart-breaking 25-22 loss to the previously-winless Titans at FedEx Field. Brunell (1239 passing yards, 5 TD, 3 INT) has posted back-to-back mediocre games. Moss had 138 yards and three TDs against Jacksonville, but has come up empty in TDs since his overtime game-winner in that victory. Clinton Portis (371 rushing yards, 6 TD) has yet to reel off any great number of big plays since posting his only 100-yard rushing game of 2006 to date against Jville, but Indy's run D flat out sux. Manning thus far with 1,278 yards and eight touchdowns to his credit versus just two interceptions. Harrison is a future Hall- of-Famer with 442 yards and one touchdown. Wayne, meanwhile, has 382 yards and one touchdown on 21 catches. I think Addai establishes himself this week as the STUD running back in the Indy offense, and gets the #1 Running back nod going forward. Don't start either defense this week, it will be a shootout.

Fantasy Spin - Arizona Cardinals at Oakland Raiders Fantasy Preview

Quarterback Matt Leinart has been a recent spark for a struggling offense. With wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald sidelined with a hamstring injury, the Cardinals need to get their run game in order to have any chance of salvaging this season. On the other side of the field, the Oakland Raiders have gotten off to their worst start in recent history. With so much dissention among the team, a win against the Cardinals will help the Raiders regain some confidence as a unit. The Raiders are the only winless team left in the NFL, after the Lions, Titans and Buccaneers all won their first games of the season this past Sunday. The Silver & Black also dropped the last six games of the 2005 schedule and haven't won since November 20, 2005 at Washington. Start Leinart (great looking rookie) Wide receiver Anquan Boldin (40 catches, 502 yards, 3 TD) and fellow wideout Bryant Johnson, plus the Arizona D. For Oakland Moss leads the team in catches (17), receiving yards (222) and TD catches (2). There is no doubt the Raiders miss the on-field contributions of Porter (susp.). This will be a tough test for the Cardinals, who had a short week to deal with the embarrassing primetime loss to the Bears. Oakland should see this as one of its better chances to get a win, Lamont Jordan could be the difference maker.

Arizona - Leinart (S), James (Z), Fitzgerald Inj. (B), Boldin (S), Pope (B), Cardinals D (Z)
Oakland - Walters (B), Jordan (S), Moss (S), Curry (B), Porter (susp) (B), Raiders D (Z)

Fantasy Spin - Minnesota Vikings at Seattle Seahawks Fantasy Preview

The Seahawks were impressive in the second half last week rallying for a win in St. Louis. It won't be easy for Seattle to maintain that momentum, as it is facing a Vikings' defense ranked fifth in the NFL. he Vikings' offense is lead by a Super Bowl winning quarterback in Brad Johnson, while Seattle's Matt Hasselbeck aims to get another shot at the title. If the Qwest field noise factor doesn't play to much of a factor this could be a shootout, as Seattle can pass the ball on anyone but the Bears, and well if losing the Vikings could need to put it up all day against a soft Seattle Pass D. The Seahawks have won their last 12 regular season games on their home turf, counting the team's two playoff victories during last year's Super Bowl campaign. 2 weeks ago Minnesota erupted for 23 fourth-quarter points and got a pair of late defensive touchdowns in the rally. The game also marks the return to Seattle for All-Pro guard Steve Hutchinson, so this is the HutchBowl. Maurice Morris (175 rushing yards) has been the Seahawks' main running back in the two games Alexander has missed, but the former Oregon standout hasn't come close to matching the 2005 MVP's production. That won't change, but Taylor should be a decent start for Minni.

Fantasy Spin - New York Giants at Dallas Cowboys Fantasy Preview

The winner of Monday night's skirmish between the New York Giants and Dallas Cowboys at Texas Stadium will be labeled a contender. The loser, meanwhile, could very well be branded a fraud. The Cowboys need a win at home, as the next three games are on the road. If the Giants can get a win on the road against the Cowboys, they could easily be 6-2 at the midway point of the season, as their next two games are against weaker opponents. As an Eagle, Owens already had 37 receptions for 556 yards and four scores through five games last season. Terry Glenn (25 receptions, 3 TD) has been the more consistent Dallas receiver, having caught at least five balls in each of his past four contests. The main directive for the Giants, as for most teams that face Dallas, will be to harass Bledsoe from start to finish. New York is better-equipped to pull that feat off than most, with last week's seven-sack effort against Michael Vick. Dallas should be able to move the ball on a Giants defense that has looked vulnerable at times in 2006. New York certainly won't be punchless in Dallas, as Manning should be able to make some strides against a Cowboys secondary that has taken plays off. But the Cowboys, who have looked a little sturdier on both sides of the ball, will have the final word.

NYG - E. Manning (S), Barber (S), Burress (S), Toomer (Z), Shockey (S), Giants D (B)
Dallas - Bledsoe (Z), J. Jones (Z), Glenn (S), Owens (S), Witten (Z), Cowboys D (B)