Are you fired up for Week Four?
I bet you can't wait to see rookie Mark Sanchez try to out-throw Drew Brees. Or how about a Gillette show featuring two of the leagues top downfield gunslingers -- Joe Flacco and Tom Brady?
Yeah right, you're waiting for Monday night. You're waiting for Hank Williams Jr., to bust out some Monday night Viking-Packer rhymes. You're waiting for those Metrodome horns and their ability to overpower Mike Tirico's play by play.
Most of all, you're waiting for Brett Favre, Aaron Rodgers and Ted Thompson's grumpy face to keep you glued to your television set until the fourth quarter clock hits 0:00. As for fantasy football...
Well, all you have to do is read this column and visit the RapidDraft.com blogs every week, and I guarantee you will be champion someday. While you are at it, sign-up for a weekly RapidDraft; if you're really fast it takes about 15 minutes. You won't regret it. Enjoy this week's 4-cast.
Week 4 Player Watch
Brett Favre: What would week four be without good old No. 4 himself? He'll lead his new and undefeated NFC North teammates at home in a showdown for the ages (literally) against the green and gold; something that no Packers fan probably ever expected to see in their lifetime. It'll be the greatest Midwestern shootout in the dome, probably in the history of both franchises. This game may be just as exciting as the Super Bowl.
Mark Sanchez: The frontrunner for Rookie of the Year thus far will take his undefeated 3-0 Jets to New Orleans for a showdown with the 3-0 Drew Brees-led Saints. Sanchez has only thrown four touchdown passes and is averaging 202 passing yards per game, so he's not exactly a fantasy star, but he manages the game well. This week could see a different result, though. The Jets defense only allows 82.7 yards per game on the ground, so Brees will be passing a lot, which could mean a lot of points. On the other side, the Saints defense is allowing 368 yards per game through the air; a weakness Sanchez has the ability to exploit. With a shootout possible, this could be Sanchez's week to break out some huge fantasy numbers.
Glen Coffee: The Brett Favre magic wasn't the only headline created during the 49ers loss to the Vikings at the Metrodome on Sunday. San Francisco's featured runner Frank Gore, who was limping last week, suffered a high ankle sprain and is slated to miss three weeks. Insert Glen Coffee, who was the NFL's leading rusher during the preseason, and a runner the Niners and coach Mike Singletary are comfortable relying on in a pinch. The 49ers will host the Rams, a team that is currently allowing an average of 148 rushing yards per game through three weeks. Coffee will be a hot name this week, and is definitely a player to watch and start, especially with bye weeks starting.
Davone Bess: Bess looks like he'll be the most reliable target for new starting quarterback Chad Henne moving forward. What about Ted Ginn Jr.? Ginn Jr. was shut out in Week 3, and word around the team is that he looks for the sidelines as opposed to heading up field when getting the ball in his hands, so he may not be the kind of receiver Henne can trust, especially in key situations. Now, the Dolphins will host a Buffalo defense that is allowing 273.3 passing yards per game thus far this season, so the openings will be there for the taking. I suspect Bess will continue to show that he is the top target, and this is the perfect game for him to do so, which could ultimately solidify him as a No. 3 or great back-up option for the upcoming bye weeks.
Week 4 Obvious, Dubious, and Hideous Starts
Detroit vs. Chicago
Obvious -- Calvin Johnson, Matt Forte, Jay Cutler, Earl Bennett, Greg Olsen,
Dubious -- Matthew Stafford, Johnny Knox, Kevin Smith, Chicago DST, Devin Hester
Hideous -- Detroit DST, Bryant Johnson
Cincinnati vs. Cleveland
Obvious -- Carson Palmer, Cedric Benson, Braylon Edwards, Chad Ochocinco
Dubious -- Brady Quinn, Cincinnati DST, Laveranues Coles, Andre Caldwell
Hideous -- Cleveland DST, Jamal Lewis, James Davis
Seattle vs. Indianapolis
Obvious -- Peyton Manning, Reggie Wayne, Donald Brown, Julius Jones, Dallas Clark, Nate Burleson
Dubious -- TJ Houshmandzadeh, Pierre Garcon, Indianapolis DST, Austin Collie, John Carlson, Joseph Addai
Hideous -- Seattle DST, Seneca Wallace
NY Giants vs. Kansas City
Obvious -- Eli Manning, Ahmad Bradshaw, Brandon Jacobs, Steve Smith, NY Giants DST
Dubious -- Mario Manningham, Kevin Boss,
Hideous -- Matt Cassel, Larry Johnson, Dwayne Bowe, Kansas City DST
Tampa Bay vs. Washington
Obvious -- Santana Moss, Washington DST, Chris Cooley
Dubious -- Jason Campbell, Derrick Ward, Clinton Portis
Hideous -- Josh Johnson, Tampa Bay DST
Tennessee vs. Jacksonville
Obvious -- Chris Johnson, Justin Gage, Tennessee DST
Dubious -- Maurice Jones-Drew, David Garrard, Mike Simms-Walker, Torry Holt, Kerry Collins
Hideous -- Jacksonville DST
Oakland vs. Houston
Obvious -- Darren McFadden, Zach Miller, Owen Daniels, Matt Schaub
Dubious -- Andre Johnson, JaMarcus Russell, Houston DST
Hideous -- Oakland DST, Kevin Walter
Baltimore vs. New England
Obvious -- New England DST, Baltimore DST, Randy Moss, Willis McGahee
Dubious -- Joe Flacco, Tom Brady, Ben Watson, Ray Rice
Hideous -- Wes Welker, Mark Clayton, Fred Taylor
New York Jets vs. New Orleans
Obvious -- Drew Brees, Mark Sanchez, Jerricho Cotchery, Marques Colston, Dustin Keller
Dubious -- Pierre Thomas, Thomas Jones, Leon Washington, Devery Henderson
Hideous -- NY Jets DST, Chansi Stuckey, New Orleans DST
Buffalo vs. Miami
Obvious -- Davone Bess, Terrell Owens, Ronnie Brown, Miami DST
Dubious -- Marshawn Lynch, Fred Jackson, Trent Edwards, Ricky Williams, Lee Evans
Hideous -- Ted Ginn Jr, Buffalo DST, Chad Henne
Dallas vs. Denver
Obvious -- Tony Romo, Jason Witten, Correll Buckhalter
Dubious -- Roy Williams, Brandon Marshall, Kyle Orton, Knowshon Moreno, Dallas DST, Denver DST
Hideous -- Marion Barber III, Felix Jones, Tashard Choice, Eddie Royal, Tony Scheffler
St Louis vs. San Francisco
Obvious -- Glen Coffee, Vernon Davis, Steven Jackson, San Francisco DST, Isaac Bruce
Dubious -- Shaun Hill, Kyle Boller, Donnie Avery
Hideous -- Laurent Robinson, St Louis DST, Josh Morgan
San Diego vs. Pittsburgh
Obvious -- Philip Rivers, Antonio Gates, Vincent Jackson, Santonio Holmes
Dubious -- Darren Sproles, Ben Roethlisberger, Willie Parker, Hines Ward
Hideous -- Ladainian Tomlinson, Heath Miller, Rashard Mendenhall
Green Bay vs. Minnesota
Obvious -- Aaron Rodgers, Brett Favre, Bernard Berrian, Greg Jennings, Donald Driver, Percy Harvin
Dubious - Adrian Peterson, Visanthe Shiancoe, Sidney Rice, Green Bay DST, Minnesota DST
Hideous - Ryan Grant, Jermichael Finley
Expert Questions Answered
RapidDraft writers Eric Huber, Matt Schauf and Frank Mazzola put their knowledge to the test and give insight on four burning questions heading in to Week Four.
Huber: This one is too close to call for me. No matter what the game plan is for the Vikings, you know Brett Favre is going to change it on the fly and at the line just to make sure he posts great numbers against his former team. On the other side, Aaron Rodgers and the Packers' offense will be moving the ball via the air, especially after seeing the Vikings limit 49ers running back Glen Coffee to just 54 yards on 25 carries just one week ago. I suspect a shootout either way.
Schauf: Brett Favre gets the slight edge with me because the Packers are in rough shape at safety and bring a less-reliable pass rush.
Mazzola: Rodgers will have the more productive game for a few reasons: A) Better receivers... B) While the Vikings haven't been as impressive against the run this year as they have in the past, Green Bay will still look to exploit them through the air and, C) The Vikings will look to let Adrian Peterson control the clock for them.
Is this the week Matt Forte finally breaks out? And is this the week to trade for him?
Huber: Yes and Yes. Forte is due in a major way for a huge game, and I think this week could finally be the week for it. His trade value is fairly low right now, and he can probably be snatched from a desperate team searching for their first win or already playing the "don't care" card.
Schauf: I'm not ready to predict huge yardage for Forte even against the Lions, but I think we'll finally see his first touchdown of the season this week. I do think it's a good time to trade for him, which I did last week in one of my leagues. At the least, Jay Cutler has started to throw Forte the ball.
Mazzola: While I would definitely trade for him now (and have tried to in several of my leagues), I don't necessarily think Forte blows up against the Lions. Though still far from being a good defense, Detroit has not been horrible against the run this year so far as they've yielded a middle of the pack 111 yards per game average and only one rushing touchdown.
Will Vincent Jackson continue to be the Chargers and Philip Rivers' big play featured receiver?
Huber: I don't see why he won't. His quarterback trusts him, and the Chargers don't seem to have much of a running game without Ladainian Tomlinson. Schauf: All year. Of course, I don't mean that he'll have a good game every week, but yeah, I'd start Vincent Jackson every time. He's tall, fast and gets the ball in a strong offense. It's tough to ask for much more.
Mazzola: Yes. Jackson has now learned how to translate his enormous physical gifts into fantasy production and that's not going to change any time soon. Start him with confidence every week.
Name your "best" and "bust" players at each position (QB, RB, WR, TE).
Huber: QB -- Best: Peyton Manning, Bust: Matt Cassel RB -- Best: Brandon Jacobs, Bust: Maurice Jones-Drew WR -- Best: Donald Driver, Bust: Andre Johnson TE -- Best: Chris Cooley, Bust: Tony Scheffler
Schauf: QB -- Best: Peyton Manning, Bust: Joe Flacco RB -- Best: Chris Johnson, Bust: Ryan Grant WR -- Best: Reggie Wayne, Bust: Marques Colston TE -- Best: Owen Daniels, Bust: Zach Miller
Mazzola: QB -- Best: Peyton Manning, Bust: Matt Schaub RB -- Best: Cedric Benson, Bust: Darren Sproles WR -- Best: Jerricho Cotchery, Bust: Marques Colston TE -- Best: Antonio Gates, Bust: Visanthe Shiancoe
Individual Defensive Player Insight
Browns safety Abram Elam isn't exactly a household name, but his IDP value is starting to rise. The former Jet turned Cleveland Brown has recorded 26 tackles in three games, and will continue to rack up tackles. He has been one of the most consistent players on the Brownies defense, and is worth a waiver wire pick-up immediately.
4 Locks
Jared Allen: What are the odds, right? The truth is, though, the Packers have allowed a league high 12 sacks through three games, and most of them have come via opposing edge rushers. There's no reason not to start the All-Pro pass rushing specialist.
Keith Ellison: Ellison has been the most consistent performers on the Bills defense ( at least 9 total tackles in each of the first three games), and I suspect nothing will change anytime soon. With both Donte Whitner and Leodis McKelvin lost to injury Ellison will have to continue to play at an elite level, something I feel he will do this week against the Ronnie Brown-led Dolphins.
Demeco Ryans: The Raiders would love nothing more than to use Darren McFadden's speed against the 32nd ranked Texans run defense. Ryans is the Texans leading tackler and will get plenty opportunities from his middle linebacker spot to make sure McFadden doesn't break any daylight.
Sabby Piscitelli: The Buccaneers starting safety has given up his fair share of big plays this season, but at the same time has also made plenty. He'll have his hands full this week with tight end Chris Cooley and red hot wideout Santana Moss roaming the secondary, but that also means he'll get plenty of opportunities for those big plays and/or big tackles.
Game 4 Fantasy Breakdown: Green Bay vs. Minnesota
It's the prime matchup everyone in the NFL world has been waiting for over the last four weeks. Radio stations and television newscasts across the state seem to be desperate to find new ways to introduce it. And quite frankly, I find myself, well, obsessing over it; for different, fantasy, reasons of course. So which players have the upper-hand from a fantasy standpoint?
Quarterback -- Aaron Rodgers vs. Brett Favre
The best part about this first Rodgers-Favre match-up is the no wind factor. NFL fans and fantasy owners will get to see first hand who is the more efficient quarterback. Both have first rate weapons to work with, and both will be up against pretty good defenses. So who wins this fantasy battle? It'll be too close to call. Advantage: Draw (first ever).
Running back -- Ryan Grant vs. Adrian Peterson
Right away I know what you're thinking -- why even discuss this one, right? I mean, Adrian Peterson is unbelievable and did record 192 yards on the ground the last time these two teams met last season in the Metrodome on Nov. 9. However, I do want to point out that in that same game Grant did average 4.7 yards per carry and did score a touchdown. He was also one of the only players, if not the only to rush for over 100 against the purple and gold back in 2007 when they allowed a league low of 74.1 against the run. Nevertheless, I can't go against No. 28. He's just that good! Advantage: Peterson.
Wide receiver -- Greg Jennings, Donald Driver and Jordy Nelson vs. Bernard Berrian, Sidney Rice and Percy Harvin
I have to be honest here -- I try so hard every week to figure out a way to justify going against Jennings and Driver, but I just can't. So I've added a third player to the mix hoping to make some progress in not making the Packers pair look so great this time. It didn't work. Why? To me rookie Percy Harvin, sadly, is the best fantasy option of the three Vikings receivers listed above. Bernard Berrian is averaging 3.3 receptions and 34 yards this season. And Sidney Rice seems to only show up on the fantasy radar when he out-leaps a defender in the end zone, and has yet to record a 100-yard performance in 29 career games. Driver alone is probably a better fantasy play than Berrian and Rice combined. Plus, let's not forget about last week's purple hero Greg Lewis. Advantage: Jennings, Driver and Nelson.
Tight End -- Donald Lee vs. Visanthe Shiancoe
I'm sure you're asking why fantasy owners, like yourself, jumped the gun on the Jermichael Finley preseason phenomenon. The answer is in this week's tight end match-up. Now, don't get me wrong -- Donald Lee is a serviceable tight end, but serviceable isn't good enough in the fantasy world. The skills and potential that Finley displayed in the preseason are what fantasy owners get behind. The same can be said about Visanthe Shiancoe. Most jumped on his bandwagon this preseason after seeing big production last season combined with the new Favre factor. Six catches and 49 yards later he's warming fantasy benches. The bottom line here is that unless you have a bye week to cover don't waste your time with any Packers or Vikings tight ends until they prove they can produce consistently good numbers. Advantage: Who cares?
2009 NFL Defensive Ranks
Green Bay -- Rushing Yards/Game: 23rd. Passing Yards/Game: 13th. Points/Game: 18th.
Minnesota -- Rushing Yards/Game: 12th. Passing Yards/Game: 4th. Points/Game: T-15th.
Whether you love or hate Mr. Favre you will be watching. Enjoy the next best thing to the Super Bowl on Monday night, and thanks for reading!
