Here’s a few standard preface notes:
^ Notwithstanding the claims of any website to be your “home for Sunday morning injury report news,” nothing beats Google News – nothing. Entering a player name into this search engine trumps any other means of gathering information because it culls the data from an unbelievably wide variety of sources.
^ Especially earlier in the season, it’s always good to refer to a strong baseline of where players should have been drafted – and nothing beats FANTASY FOOTBALL DRAFTOLOGY 2009.
^ Unless there are any injury questions, we never discuss “gimme” players. Such core players should be started week in and week out unless there is any question surrounding their playing status. Winning teams only need to worry about “playing the matchups” with one, two or (at the most, during bye weeks) three spots in the lineup. With a full slate of games, and players drafted in a certain order for a multiplicity of reasons, we especially don’t advocate much juggling for the first two weeks of the season. Some websites promise you a crystal ball for how to manage high-risk, high-reward juggling during the season. We don’t. We play the percentages. That approach may be boring, but it’s highly effective and much more intellectually honest in what we promise you.
^ Links for each game take you to the CBS Sports home page for each game, with stats, analyis and even video previews.
^ All times listed are EDT.
^ Of the non-gimme players we like this week, the stronger plays are the ones in all caps.
Sunday, Sept. 13
Miami at Atlanta, 1 p.m. All-out on the marginal players – WR Jenkins would be the closest.
Kansas City at Baltimore, 1 p.m. RB RICE.
Philadelphia at Carolina, 1 p.m. WR Jackson – and RB Westbrook should be good to go.
Denver at Cincinnati, 1 p.m. WR Henry, RB Benson, QB Palmer, QB Orton, WR Royal and RB Moreno (notwithstanding the preseason injury).
Minnesota at Cleveland, 1 p.m. QB Favre – stay away from WR Berrian with the injury questions.
N.Y. Jets at Houston, 1 p.m. QB Schaub, RB Jones and TE Keller. No WR Walter as he is not likely to be healthy enough to contribute much.
Jacksonville at Indianapolis, 1 p.m. Jags are all-out, Colts are all-in – which really means that the only marginal players, RB Addai and WR Gonzalez, are decent bets.
Detroit at New Orleans, 1 p.m. All-in for the Saints (except for injury question mark RB Bush) – RB SMITH for the Lions.
Dallas at Tampa Bay, 1 p.m. All-out for the non-gimmes here.
San Francisco at Arizona, 4:15 p.m. WR Boldin should be good to go. RB Wells (and not Hightower!), WR Breaston and TE Davis.
Washington at N.Y. Giants, 4:15 p.m. WR Moss and WR Nicks.
St. Louis at Seattle, 4:15 p.m. QB Hasselbeck and RB JONES.
Chicago at Green Bay, 8:20 p.m. WR Driver, QB Cutler and TE Olsen.
Monday, Sept. 14
Buffalo at New England, 7 p.m. All-out on the marginal players.
San Diego at Oakland, 10:15 p.m. RB McFadden.
Fantasy Drafthelp. Week 1 NFL Fantasy Advice
