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 2010.
^ 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.
^ By the way, here are your core players who should not be benched if healthy or available (players listed in their order on our draft board):
QB: Drew Brees, Peyton Manning, Matt Schaub, Aaron Rodgers, Philip Rivers, Tom Brady, Michael Vick
RB: Chris Johnson, Adrian Peterson, Ray Rice, Maurice Jones-Drew, Steven Jackson, Michael Turner, Rashard Mendenhall, Ryan Mathews, Jamaal Charles, Knowshon Moreno, Shonn Greene, Matt Forte, Cedric Benson, Jonathan Stewart, LeSean McCoy, Ronnie Brown
WR: Andre Johnson, Randy Moss, Reggie Wayne, Roddy White, Miles Austin, Greg Jennings, DeSean Jackson, Larry Fitzgerald, Brandon Marshall, Anquan Boldin, Marques Colston, Steve Smith (Carolina), Chad Ochocinco, Calvin Johnson, Steve Smith (NY Giants), Dwayne Bowe, Michael Crabtree, Donald Driver, Vincent Jackson
TE:, Antonio Gates, Vernon Davis, Brent Celek, Jason Witten, Tony Gonzalez, Jermichael Finley
^ Here are the players who have been added to the list this season:
QB: Michael Vick
RB: Arian Foster, LaDainian Tomlinson, Peyton Hillis
WR: Wes Welker, Terrell Owens, Hakeem Nicks, Brandon Lloyd, Steve Johnson, Mike Wallace
TE: none
^ Here are the players who have been removed from that list this season:
QB: Tony Romo, Brett Favre
RB: Ryan Grant, DeAngelo Williams, Beanie Wells, Frank Gore
WR: Pierre Garcon, Mike Wallace (since restored to the list, see above)
TE: Dallas Clark
^ Links for each game take you to the NFL.com home page for each game, with stats and analysis.
^ All times listed are EDT.
^ Teams listed as “All-In” have a combination of all of the above players and any marginal players reaching a status where QB/RB1/RB2/WR1/WR2/TE all should be played. Teams listed as “All-Out” should have only the above “locks” for their team in a fantasy lineup, with all marginal players being benched.
^ All advice is relative, because there are exceptions to every rule. There are no marginal players who absolutely should be played or benched, but the ones we refer to here should be in the vast majority of circumstances.
^ Of the non-gimme players we like this week, the stronger plays are the ones in all caps.
Sun. Jan. 02
Dolphins at Patriots, 1:00 PM All-out on marginal Dolphins and Patriots
Buccaneers at Saints, 1:00 PM RB Blount, WR L Moore, TE Winslow
Panthers at Falcons, 1:00 PM All-out on marginal Panthers, QB Ryan
Cowboys at Eagles, 4:15 PM All-out on marginal Cowboys, WR MACLIN
Raiders at Chiefs, 1:00 PM TE Miller, all-out on marginal Chiefs
Titans at Colts, 4:15 PM WR Britt, all-out on marginal Colts
Jaguars at Texans, 4:15 PM QB GARRARD, all-out on marginal Texans
Bengals at Ravens, 1:00 PM QB Palmer, WR MASON
Bears at Packers 4:15 PM All-out on marginal Bears and Packers
Vikings at Lions, 1:00 PM All-out on marginal Vikings, TE Pettigrew
Giants at Redskins, 4:15 PM QB E MANNING, RB Bradshaw, WR Manningham, TE Cooley
Steelers at Browns, 1:00 PM QB Roethlisberger, all-out on marginal Browns
Bills at Jets, 1:00 PM WR S Johnson, all-out on marginal Jets
Chargers at Broncos, 4:15 PM All-out on marginal Chargers and Broncos
Rams at Seahawks, 8:20 PM All-out on marginal Rams and Seahawks
Cardinals at 49ers, 4:15 PM All-out on marginal Cardinals and 49ers
