Running Around the League Brandon Jacobs has been one of the few bright spots in the New York Giants offense this season. He has claimed the starting running back position due to injury and should have it for at least another week. He's coming off a two-touchdown game in Week 6 against a tough defense and doesn't play till Monday night, so he will be well rested for Minnesota. Keep in mind that the Giants did sign Peyton Hillis as a backup this week, but he shouldn't get too many carries. Expect Jacobs to see close to 20 touches in what may be his last week as the starting back. David Wilson and Andre Brown could be back after the bye week, which would hurt Jacobs' value. With DeMarco Murray set to miss a few weeks due to a sprained knee, Joseph Randle will step in as the lead tailback for Dallas in Week 7. Randle played the second half last week against Washington and didn't do much, but he's had a full week of practice and is expected to start on Sunday. Randle has some flex appeal this weekend, especially since he gets to run against a very weak Philadelphia run defense. The Cowboys will throw a lot in this one so expect a shootout on both sides. That being said, Randle still should see at least 12 carries and a few targets in the passing game, so if you are in need of an extra RB3/flex, take a shot. Dallas does move the ball and Randle will likely be the goal line runner as well. Shark Sleepers Keenan Allen, WR, San Diego Allen has exploded onto the scene over the last few weeks and should be on most rosters by this point, but in the rare case he's available in your league, you need to pick him up, now. He's become the favorite target of Philip Rivers, seeing more than 20 balls thrown his way over the last two games. Allen should continue to be the No. 1 receiver for the Chargers and has a dream matchup against Jacksonville in Week 7. It'll be a huge shock is he doesn't make it three straight games with more than 100 yards receiving and a touchdown. Start him with confidence. Kyle Rudolph, TE, Minnesota Last year Rudolph was one of the best tight ends in the game, snagging nine touchdown passes, but this year has been a different story. He just hasn't found a groove with Christian Ponder, but with Matt Cassel starting last week, Rudolph showed some life, catching nine balls for 97 yards and a touchdown. A lot of the damage was done in garbage time, but Rudolph will only get better as the season progresses. Minnesota has announced that Josh ...

Knowshon Moreno - Let's start with full disclosure here, I hate him. No two ways around it. I'm fully in support of LeSean McCoy's "he sucks" comment. Moreno was a full buy-in player in his rookie season when he just missed a 1,000-yard season and pitched in mightily in the receiving game. Then the wheels fell off. Moreno pulled three hamstrings (that's right, three) the following season and then suffered a significant knee injury. Adding insult to literal injury is the fact that Moreno was then arrested in the offseason for DUI. Heading in to this season, rumors swirled around Moreno being supplanted on the roster by rookie Montee Ball and being downright cut from the team. Things have certainly turned around for Moreno as he's been one of the best fantasy producers to date and is coming off a triple touchdown game. Is Moreno an unquestionable top-10 fantasy football running back? This game, and the rest of 2013, could lead us to believe so. If he continues on this pace, there is no doubting a top-10 designation next season. Brandon Jacobs - The new, old New York Giants runner had more than 20 carries last Thursday against the always powerful Chicago defense. He turned those carries into more than 100 yards and two touchdowns. With David Wilson's neck injury looking to bother him for the rest of the season, Jacobs could be in line for about 20 touches a game. It's extremely rare to find a player with such a workload at this point in the season on the waiver wire. The question is: Can Jacobs keep converting those carries into meaningful fantasy stats? Added to the question of Jacobs being able to handle such work at his age, with his offensive line, and his below average speed, is the recent pickup of Peyton Hillis. Will Hillis cut into Jacobs' touches? Will Hillis, more importantly, be utilized in the red zone, all but ending Jacobs' true value? This week will show if Jacobs is for real or just a one-and-done performer. Kyle Rudolph - Last week he had a nine-catch effort for just less than 100 yards with a touchdown. These are the kind of numbers owners were expecting from Rudolph here in 2013. The change at quarterback from Matt Cassel to newly acquired Josh Freeman could either be a blessing or a curse. In his time with Tampa Bay, Freeman leaned heavily on his wide receivers and often overlooked the tight end. There were games where Dallas Clark was effective but more often than not it was the wide receivers who handled the load. That means that ...

This bye could not come soon enough for Atlanta. Between the disappointment of a 1-4 start, injuries mounting and defensive woes, Atlanta needs the next two weeks to regroup. Likewise, Miami started strong, but has since lost two straight. But there are no bye weeks in fantasy. So it's time to scour the waiver wire in search of worthy additions to your squad. But are there really any guys available that can actually make a difference? Let's take a look. Below, I'll list a player with some upside for this week, their Week 6 matchup, and the percentage of leagues in which he is owned according to our friends at fleaflicker.com . DISCLAIMER: The hope is that you don't find yourself in a situation like this. The hope is that you dodge the bullet. But hope won't help you come Sunday. Let's move on to this week's targets, keeping in mind that these aren't every week starters. Instead, these are guys that should only be used if you're in some kind of roster emergency. QB Chad Henne at Denver -- 8 percent. The 28-point spread isn't a passive-aggressive Vegas joke. Jacksonville is going to get trounced. But because Denver has been scoring so much this season, their pass defense has actually been on the field quite a bit, and, as a result, they've given up their share of yardage through the air. Henne has a decent shot at putting up some numbers against Denver, but he's also going to need some help from those around him. Justin Blackmon is back, but Cecil Shorts missed practice on Thursday with a groin injury, and Champ Bailey figures to make his season debut for Denver. Nonetheless, I think Henne could hit the numbers we've projected: 260 yards and two touchdowns. Brandon Weeden vs. Detroit -- 33 percent. While the Detroit pass rush has been improved this season, the Lions still give up yards. This will be Weeden's first start with Josh Gordon in the lineup, and the offensive scheme will emphasize downfield throws to Gordon, Greg Little and Jordan Cameron . I know it sounds crazy, but I think Weeden can put up some decent numbers this week and should hit the Fantasy Sharks projection of 240 yards passing and a touchdown. I actually think he scores twice. Mike Glennon vs. Philadelphia -- 7 percent. Glennon is a fairly raw rookie, probably needing more time on the sideline to learn the system and adjust to the speed of the game. But if there was any doubt about Josh Freeman not getting the starting gig back before, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have left ...

We run down the dynasty implications of Josh Freeman signing in Minnesota.

Quarterbacks I was surprised that Terrelle Pryor was able to put up 20 fantasy points last week playing Denver. Even more surprising is that he's ranked as the 13th best fantasy quarterback. That means he should be owned in all fantasy leagues as a solid QB2. This week, if you have the chance, go ahead and start him. His home game against the second worst ranked Washington Redskins makes for a good matchup. Opposing Redskins quarterbacks are averaging 29 points so far this season. Michael Vick who plays a similar style to Pryor had nine runs for 54 yards and a touchdown in Week 1, and I think Pryor should be able to have some similar rushing stats to go along with his passing stats.[Editor's note: As of Thursday, Matt Flynn had been practicing with the first team and it appears that Pryor will not play in Week 4. Check back Sunday morning for official word on Pryor's status.] Temper you expectation for Matt Ryan this weekend. His matchup at New England is going to be a tough one. New England has been able to hold opposing quarterbacks to an average of 200 passing yards and less than a touchdown a game. Granted those quarterbacks were E.J. Manuel, Geno Smith, and Josh Freeman , but it's still something to hold back quarterbacks who are playing from behind. You've still got to start him. One guy you're definitely not going to want to start is Matt Schaub . His matchup with Seattle is not going to be a pretty one. Seattle is the toughest team for quarterbacks to go against. Only one quarterback has thrown a touchdown against the Seahawks this year. They were able to keep Cam Newton and Colin Kaepernick to under 130 passing yards. Don't expect Schaub to go for three passing touchdowns like he did in Week 1 and 2. If you've got Schuab keep him on your bench this week, he's a bad call. Running Backs Giovani Bernard has been increasing his fantasy points every week this season; from three, to 19, to 21. This is reflective of his expanded role in the Bengals offense, and he's currently the 16th ranked fantasy running back. His matchup this week is a favorable one, and you're going to want to make sure he's in your starting lineup. The Browns have allowed five rushing touchdowns this year, and Bernard actually got two red zone carries last week. It was assumed at the beginning of the season that BenJarvus Green-Ellis would be getting all the red zone carries. With Bernard cutting into Green-Ellis' carries it seems like the Bengals coaching staff is ...

Welcome to The Lowdown for Week 4. This is my little corner of the fantasy football universe--feel free to pull up a chair and stay a while! Tampa Tempest Last week I speculated that things were not going smoothly for Greg Schiano in Tampa, despite all the official denials. This week, we find that those denials were as legitimate as all those Clinton denials (take your pick of Bill or Hillary). QB Josh Freeman was benched in favor of rookie Mike Glennon this week. Now, I'm no fan of Freeman's-- at the time he was drafted, I stated I thought the Bucs took him about four rounds too early. But his benching was a huge slap in the face; understandably, Freeman wants a trade. I think it's unlikely a trade will happen; Freeman earns too much money and, let's face it, he really isn't all that good. You have to wonder how Schiano's handling of Freeman is affecting the team; not only is he disrupting any team cohesiveness which may have existed, he is painting himself as a huge jerk that doesn't know how to coach grown men. I'm still sticking with last week's assertion that I expect Schiano to be let go at the end of the season; he's simply too much of a jerk to be the head coach of an NFL team. If he's lucky, he might be able to find work as a coordinator somewhere. Next Time, Try DiGiorno Lions' leading receiver, WR Nate Burleson (that's right, look it up), suffered a broken arm this week in a car accident that was initiated by... a couple of pizzas. Apparently, Burleson was driving with a couple of hot pizzas in the seat next to him; at some point, he stopped short. In an effort to protect his pizzas (as any noble gentleman would do), he stuck out his right arm to keep the pizzas from sliding off the seat. I don't know what 'ol Nate likes on his pizzas, but it must've been something meaty because his act of valor ended up breaking his forearm. But don't worry, Lions' fans: Burleson should be back sometime in November. Although, because the Lions' IR-Return spot is already occupied by Monte Owens (who?), the Lions will have to essentially write off a roster spot while Burleson recuperates. Unless TE Brandon Pettigrew suddenly awakes from his slumber, Burleson may not be coming back to a contender. False Hope It's amazing how many pundits will continue to hype their preseason picks, even in the face of impending doom. I'm talking about all those bobble heads that are trying to convince us that some 0-3 teams still have a shot at "turning it ...

Dallas owner, Jerry Jones, complained about the Giants faking injuries in order to slow down the Cowboys offense. Jerry must have been upset because isn't slowing down the Cowboys offense head coach Jason Garrett's job? The NFL set a record in Week 1 by throwing for 63 touchdown passes, the most ever in one week. What makes that record even more impressive is the fact that Jake Locker and Blaine Gabbert failed to throw a single touchdown pass between them. Also, Geno Smith, Cam Newton, Christian Ponder, Ryan Tannehill, Brandon Weeden, Josh Freeman, Terrelle Pryor, Russell Wilson and Ben Roethlisberger combined for a total of nine touchdown passes; one from each of them. Can you imagine what the record could have been had every NFL team had an NFL-caliber quarterback? According to NFL media columnist Mike Silver, Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez is frustrated with the Jets. Finally, Sanchez gets to walk in the shoes of every Jets' fan. The only difference being Sanchez will get paid $8.25 million for his frustration. S anchez was seen on the field throwing the ball left-handed prior to the Jets-Patriots game Thursday night. He may actually be on to something... Patriots wide receiver Danny Amendola could miss anywhere between 2-6 weeks with a groin injury. That noise you hear coming from the New England area is the collective groan of the Patriots' brass getting kicked in the pocket book. Not only does Amendola fail to get through one game without getting hurt but Wes Welker shines in the national spotlight as he goes for 9/67/2 as Peyton Manning connected on nine of 11 targets with his new BFF. Is this another in a long line of karmic payback from Spygate? Steelers offensive coordinator Todd Haley wrote 'Chiefs suck!' on a napkin, but means no disrespect. Reportedly, this incident happened last Saturday night at a restaurant as Haley signed a napkin for a fan. The the next day the Steelers went on to lose to Tennessee 16-9, while the Chiefs blasted Jacksonville 28-2. I think what Haley meant was that the Chiefs sucked when he was their head coach and now he'll work that same magic as offensive coordinator for the Steelers. And I mean no disrespect when I say that. Steelers' offensive lineman Maurkice Pouncey had his knee blown out in Week 1 by his own teammate. Steelers' offensive lineman David DeCastro was attempting to cut-block Titans defensive tackle Sammie Hill when he missed and nailed Pouncey, ending his season. This could ...

If all of that stability and predictable excellence of the New Orleans Saints and Atlanta Falcons isn't the kind of thing that keeps you excited, boy have I got a team for you. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are as unpredictable as it gets. Sure, there are lots of extremely talented offensive skill players who will regularly make it onto Sportscenter's top 10 plays, but beyond that, anything goes. After losing five of their last six games in 2012 and losing 10 straight to close out 2011, I couldn't comfortably view them as a playoff team even if they began the season 7-0. I can't see the Buccaneers winning 12 or more games because the defense is so bad. But because that offense has so much talent and is so inconsistent, I wouldn't find an 11-5 season to be any more or less likely than a 5-11 showing. In fantasy, Josh Freeman's season stats have swung about as violently as any quarterbacks in the league. Over his first four seasons his touchdown-to-interception differential has gone from -8 to +19 to -6 to +10. Vincent Jackson, Mike Williams and Doug Martin's week-to-week fantasy totals would be charitably described as roller coasters. The team also added Kevin Ogletree and Peyton Hillis, two modern masters of the random inexplicable breakout performance. Anyone can tell you that Adrian Peterson is good and should be drafted, but this hotbed of variance and total randomness requires something a little bit more indepth. I'll try to make sense of it and tell you if you should draft him. (ADP = average draft position. It's based on data from current 12-team standard scoring drafts. I won't be analyzing kickers because even hockey players get hotter girlfriends.) Josh Freeman (ADP: Mid-Round 13): This is entirely an upside call here. His receiving tandem is one of the better combinations in all of football, and he's shown flashes of great upside in 2010 and 2012. The problem is the matter of 2011, when he was a disaster. He can run, his receivers are good and his running back is one of the most dangerous weapons in the NFL. If he finds more passing consistency and volume, we could have something here. I recommend pairing him with a Drew Brees or Aaron Rodgers-caliber quarterback. I don't want to use him to back up a more risky starter, because if your early pick busts and Freeman reverts to 2011 form, your season is effectively over. Someone like Andy Dalton or Matt Schaub is better for that situation. However, if I have one of those top studs I would take a...

The Pittsburgh Steelers are coming off a disappointing 8-8 season, but that is almost certainly the exception rather than the norm. The organization is far too well-coached and well-run to wallow in mediocrity for any extended period of time. With more Super Bowl wins than any other franchise, only one losing season in the last 13 and only three losing seasons in the last 21, poor football for multiple years is something this franchise isn't really capable of doing. Unfortunately, the Steelers are also notorious for real life success that doesn't necessarily translate to fantasy glory. Their 8-8 is far from a great record, but even bad-to-mediocre teams are usually capable of producing a few solid fantasy starters. That did not prove to be the case for the 2012 Steelers. Their highest scoring running back, Jonathan Dwyer, was 41st in standard scoring among running backs. The highest scoring wide receiver, Mike Wallace, was 25th at the position and is no longer on the team. Ben Roethlisberger had solid but unspectacular points-per-game, and missed games put him down to 19th overall amongst quarterbacks. Heath Miller had a phenomenal season, but a torn ACL puts his 2013 production in doubt. While Steelers players worth owning do exist, don't let the probability of real life success trick you into expecting the same out of your fantasy matchups. (ADP is based on data from standard scoring 12-team mock drafts on fantasyfootballcalculator.com. Players with additional points-per-reception appeal will be noted. Kickers and defenses will be ignored because they are kickers and defenses.) Ben Roethlisberger (ADP: Early Round 11): Injuries continue to take their toll on Roethlisberger, and it's reasonable to expect these kinds of issues to get worse as he moves into his 30s. He hasn't missed a great deal of action due to injury thanks to his immunity to pain, but he's had plenty of recent contests where he's opted to play through high ankle sprains and the like, and his stat sheet has suffered accordingly. Seeing as how Roethlisberger can only get older as humans tend to do and he's given every indication that he'll continue to hold onto the ball during a play as long as humanly possible, a fully healthy season is unlikely. Even if he were to stay healthy, I've always found him to be an overrated fantasy producer even back when he was regarded as a top-12 quarterback. The passing efficiency and clutch plays have always been excellent, but the actual touchdown...

For fantasy purposes, the Ravens offer an interesting mix of reliable studs and guys who make us wonder if their postseason success will translate to fantasy reliability. (ADP = Average Draft Position) Joe Flacco (ADP: Early Round 12): Many people have spent much time debating whether Flacco is worthy of being the highest-paid player in the history of his sport. Even though so much time has been spent on the debate, it can be answered with two letters (Hint: one of them is N). As a fantasy quarterback, it's easy to like Flacco's size, durability and ridiculous arm strength. Seriously, the dude throws a football like John Elway throws a Vortex. It's also easy to be optimistic that he will have an Eli Manning-like statistical improvement. Manning had a career trajectory that consisted of massive potential that resulted in crappy regular season stats until a championship gave him the confidence to bust out Pro Bowl-caliber regular season stats. Maybe this could happen for Flacco, but he has zero 4,000-yard passing seasons and zero seasons of more than 25 touchdowns to his name, and the loss of Anquan Boldin has made his receiving corps even worse. Sam Bradford, Josh Freeman, Matt Schaub and Carson Palmer all have greater upside and should be available later. Should you draft him? NO Ray Rice (ADP: 8th overall): Fears over Bernard Pierce have pushed Rice behind the likes of sexier picks such as C.J. Spiller. Yes Pierce impressed in limited action, but I'm totally sure that after a regular season where he gained more than 1,600 yards from scrimmage, scored 10 touchdowns, didn't lose a single fumble, and had the second-most receptions among running backs, the Ravens are not ready to put him out to pasture. For goodness sake, at the ripe old age of 26, I'm amazed he can still walk. Look, the emergence of a capable backup is good for Rice. Having a guy who can take some of the load off and help keep him healthy through the whole season will help ensure that Rice will be there for you when the fantasy playoffs roll around. Anyone who has ever seen Maurice Jones-Drew get banged up and finish the season as a shell of his former self can attest to the value of a capable backup. The bottom line is Rice is as close to a surefire elite running back as you can get in fantasy, and it's insane that you can still get that kind of thunder at No. 8. Should you draft him? YES Bernard Pierce (ADP: Early Round 9): In limited action in the regular season and expanded ...