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. 20
Carolina at Atlanta, 1 p.m. Offensively, we say all-out on the marginal players here. The Atlanta D is a good bet, though.
Minnesota at Detroit, 1 p.m. QB Favre, WR Berrian, RB K Smith
Cincinnati at Green Bay, 1 p.m. WR Driver
Arizona at Jacksonville, 1 p.m. RB Wells (WR Boldin and Breaston not good bets because of injury)
Oakland at Kansas City, 1 p.m. RB MCFADDEN (QB Cassel was looking like a good bet, but now is still questionable due to injury)
New England at N.Y. Jets, 1 p.m. RB T JonesN
ew Orleans at Philadelphia, 1 p.m. All-in for borderline Saints with RB Bell for Thomas due to injury, WR D Jackson (no on QB Kolb, who hasn't proven he is up to a situation such as this
Houston at Tennessee, 1 p.m. RB White, TE Daniels
St. Louis at Washington, 1 p.m. QB Campbell, WR S Moss
Tampa Bay at Buffalo, 4:05 p.m. TE Winslow, RB F JACKSON, WR EVANS
Seattle at San Francisco, 4:05 p.m. QB Hasselbeck, RB J Jones, TE V Davis
Pittsburgh at Chicago, 4:15 p.m. QB Roethlisberger, all-out on marginal Bears
Cleveland at Denver, 4:15 p.m. All-out on non-gimme starters in this one
Baltimore at San Diego, 4:15 p.m. All-out for marginal Charger starters (including RB Sproles, who starts for the injured LT), RB RICE, TE Heap
N.Y. Giants at Dallas, 8:20 p.m. QB E Manning, all-out on other borderline starters in this game (due to the WR situation for both teams still being very fluid and unpredictable)
Monday, Sept. 21
Indianapolis at Miami, 8:30 p.m. All-out for both teams
Fantasy Drafthelp: Week 2 NFL Fantasy Advice
