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/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/ Hi Folks, I know many of you have early deadlines this week so I juggled my schedule to get these early. Here's how I see the Rushing Game Matchups this week. PLEASE NOTE: See the cheatsheet online www.footballguys.com for exactly where I rank players and to determine who to start. I always receive emails asking me how I can have a guy ranked highly on the cheatsheet but listed under a matchup that favors the Defense. Just because one matchup may be more favorable than another, that doesn't necessarily mean I'd start the player with the best matchup. Ahman Green may have a horrible matchup one week but unless you're sitting on Ricky Williams or Marshall Faulk, Green's your guy no matter who he's lining up against. The matchup info is meant to be just one more tool in your box when it comes to deciding between players. Stats are provided by Mike Hall's excellent FLM League Management Software. http://www.fflm.com/ for more info. Fantasy Points Allowed by position numbers are from ESPN.com. Let's get to it. Joe /**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/ Locks: These games feature Defenses that should be overmatched against the Offense. Atlanta's Maurice Smith vs Carolina Defense Smith was upstaged last week by big Bob Christian who looked great on the TD pass reception and run. Smith had 43 yards on 19 carries (2.3 ypc) Keep an eye on his health as he was nicked in Sunday's game. Smith has been up and down but facing this Carolina defense may be what he needs. The Panthers are ranked # 31 in Rushing Yards Allowed per Game over the last 4 weeks and # 29 in Fantasy Points Allowed to RBs. If you've been thinking about starting Smith, this could be the week. Green Bay's Ahman Green vs Detroit Defense Ahman Green was semi quiet running the ball against Atlanta last week carring 17 times for 62 yards (3.6 ypc) He'll face a soft defense this week against the Lions. Detroit ranks # 26 in Rushing Yards Allowed per Game over the last 4 weeks and # 24 in Fantasy Points Allowed to RBs. Green's a sure starter here. San Diego's LaDainian Tomlinson vs Arizona Defense Everyone keeps talking about the "rookie wall" and Tomlinson just keeps plugging. Sunday, he posted 68 yards on 22 carries (3.1 ypc) plus a TD. Not bad. This week, he faces the soft Cardinal defense that ranks # 23 in Rushing Yards Allowed per Game over the last 4 weeks and # 28 for the year in Fantasy Points Allowed to RBs. If Tomlinson's been your guy, I'd certainly start him again here. Seattle's Shaun Alexander vs Kansas City Defense Alexander continues to have a bulldog like hold on the starting RB job. Coach Mike Holmgren is now softening his stance on Ricky Watters' return saying Watters might be the 3rd down back when he returns. But even that seems to be a couple of weeks away. Alexander is the man. He'll face a Chief defense that ranks # 27 in Rushing Yards Allowed per Game over the last 4 weeks. Alexander has to be licking his chops though at their # 31 ranking in Fantasy Points Allowed to RBs. /**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/ Prime Matchups: These games feature Defenses that should have trouble stopping the Offense. Baltimore's Jason Brookins vs Jacksonville Defense Brookins did a nice job last week against Cleveland carrying the ball 21 times for 89 yards (4.2 ypc) I'd expect him to improve each week as he gets more comfortable in the role of #1 RB. He didn't catch any passes so that's a little bit of a worry. This week, he faces a Jacksonville Defense that did a pretty good against Jerome Bettis last week. They rank # 21 in Rushing Yards Allowed per Game over the last 4 weeks and # 11 in Fantasy Points Allowed to RBs. Watch very closely how the team and self appointed spokesman Shannon Sharpe handle the Elvis Grbac 4 interceptions thing. Could lead to a more conservative gameplan with a focus on running the ball more. Cincinnati's Corey Dillon vs Cleveland Defense Corey Dillon showed last week why he gets saddled with the inconsistency rep. 17 carries for 38 yards (2.2 ypc) won't carry your team. The sad thing is he's so hard to predict when he'll break out. This week, he faces a Cleveland Defense that's ranked # 28 in Rushing Yards Allowed per Game over the last 4 weeks so you'd have to think he has a chance. The Browns rank # 22 in Fantasy Points Allowed to RBs as well. Chicago's Anthony Thomas vs Minnesota Defense Thomas didn't make much noise last week with just 58 yards on 23 carries (2.5 ypc) Fantasy owners are trying to decide who the real Thomas is. This week, he'll face a soft Viking defense that ranks # 30 in Rushing Yards Allowed per Game over the last 4 weeks and # 26 in Fantasy Points Allowed to RBs. I think we'll see him get back on track. The Bear passing game will definitely open up some lanes for him. Miami's Lamar Smith vs Buffalo Defense The Lamar Smith woes continue. He showed glimpses of breaking out but wound up with 53 yards on 19 carries (2.8 ypc) I'm not as worried about Travis Minor stealing too much from him as he only managed 9 yards on 6 carries (1.5 ypc) This Miami running game has faded quickly. They'll face a soft Buffalo defense this week that ranks # 22 in Rushing Yards Allowed per Game over the last 4 weeks and # 25 in Fantasy Points Allowed to RBs. New York's Tiki Barber / Ron Dayne vs Oakland Defense Barber looked very good Monday while Dayne was awful. Barber rushed 8 times for 55 yards plus he caught 4 passes for 52 yards. Dayne, on the other hand, rushed 4 times for a whopping minus 3 ypc. (NEGATIVE 0.8 ypc) The Raider defense isn't much ranking # 29 in Rushing Yards Allowed per Game over the last 4 weeks and # 19 in Fantasy Points Allowed to RBs so this is probably a good matchup. At least for Barber. I'd start Dayne at your own risk until he shows me something. New Orleans' Ricky Williams vs New England Defense Start Ricky Williams. He's rolling. 120 yards on 28 carries (4.3 ypc) plus another 48 receiving. The re-emergence of QB Aaron Brooks is a huge factor and Ricky should keep it up. New England ranks # 10 in Rushing Yards Allowed per Game over the last 4 weeks but I wouldn't let that deter me at all. San Francisco's Garrison Hearst / Kevan Barlow vs Indianapolis Defense Hearst continued the miracle story with another fine outing last week. He had 92 yards on 17 carries plus he caught 6 passes for 21 yards. He looks to be too much for Kevan Barlow to overtake at this point. Barlow did have 7 carries but it looks pretty clear that Hearst is the guy. The Colt defense ranks # 20 in Rushing Yards Allowed per Game over the last 4 weeks. For the year, they rank # 27 in Fantasy Points Allowed to RBs. St. Louis' Marshall Faulk vs Tampa Bay Defense You don't need me to tell you to start Faulk. Just do it and count your blessings that you own one of the best players in the universe. /**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/ Even Matchups: These games feature no real advantage either way Arizona's Michael Pittman vs San Diego Defense Pittman ran pretty hard last week gaining 81 yards on 23 carries (3.5 ypc) but yielded a TD to Thomas Jones last week. That's not good. This Charger defense is definitely one that can be run on as they rank # 24 in Rushing Yards Allowed per Game over the last 4 weeks. They don't give up many points though as evidenced by their # 8 ranking for the year in Fantasy Points Allowed to RBs. The Arizona offense was clicking last week (albeit against Detroit) but it's a little unclear as to exactly how Pittman fits in. Carolina's Richard Huntley vs Atlanta Defense Huntley was much more involved this past week and showed his owners some signs of life. He rushed 13 times for 63 yards (4.8 ypc) and also caught 5 passes. Encouraging signs. This week he faces a Falcon defense that could be primed for a letdown after the big Green Bay win. They rank # 25 in Rushing Yards Allowed per Game over the last 4 weeks and # 15 in Fantasy Points Allowed to RBs. Dallas' Emmitt Smith vs Denver Defense Emmitt actually looked pretty good last week returning from injury to post 80 yards on 15 carries (5.3 ypc) He was nicked late in the game so check his status this week but he looks like he'll be ok for Thursday's game. The Broncos rank # 16 in Rushing Yards Allowed per Game over the last 4 weeks but are still pretty strong for the year ranking # 9 in Fantasy Points Allowed to RBs. Denver's Mike Anderson vs Dallas Defense Anderson posted a whopping 31 yards on 13 carries (2.4 ypc) against the Redskins last week. Olandis Gary didn't do any better with 28 yards on 10 carries (2.8 ypc) At this point, you'd have to say the entire Bronco offense is in disarray. WR Rod Smith's injury is a huge factor as they're simply not the same with him less than 100%. This week, they face a pretty good defense in Dallas that ranks # 14 in Rushing Yards Allowed per Game over the last 4 weeks. For the year, they rank # 10 in Fantasy Points Allowed to RBs. Being a short week will not help matters. Indianapolis' Dominic Rhodes vs San Francisco Defense Dominic Rhodes didn't make anyone forget about Edgerrin James but he did prove what we all were thinking - Being the # 1 RB for Indy is not a bad thing. He got the score and also rolled up 67 yards on 18 carries. And he'll likely improve. Not bad for a guy who probably wasn't drafted in your league. The 49er defense is average ranking # 18 in Rushing Yards Allowed per Game over the last 4 weeks. For the year, they rank # 20 in Fantasy Points Allowed to RBs. Kansas City's Priest Holmes / Tony Richardson vs Seattle Defense After a bye week of rest, Holmes will see how he fares against the Seahawk defense. Seattle ranks # 19 in Rushing Yards Allowed per Game over the last 4 weeks and # 12 in Fantasy Points Allowed to RBs. They're nothing special but they do a nice job of shutting down Travis Henry and Buffalo last week. Oakland's Charlie Garner / Tyrone Wheatley vs New York Giants Defense Everyone (including me) hoped that Charlie Garner would take advantage of the opportunity with Wheatley out to show he could be a full time # 1 RB. Just didn't happen. Now Wheatley is reportedly back and ready to go and Garner looks to keep running it between the 20s while Wheatley or Zack Crockett punch it in at the goalline. Garner still puts the yards up though. Sunday, he rushed for 59 yards and caught another 41. The Giants defense ranks # 13 in Rushing Yards Allowed per Game over the last 4 weeks and showed last night they can be vulnerable. Washington's Stephen Davis vs Philadelphia Defense Stephen Davis continues to roll up the yards. Last week, he totaled 84 yards on 23 carries (3.7 ypc) This week, he faces a decent Eagle defense that ranks # 17 in Rushing Yards Allowed per Game over the last 4 weeks and # 14 in Fantasy Points Allowed to RBs. Tony Banks will likely be back at QB although Kent Graham did fine. /**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/ Downside Matchups: These games feature a Defense that could pose trouble for the Offense. Buffalo's Travis Henry / Larry Centers vs Miami Defense Travis Henry looked pretty bad last week. 13 carries for 29 yards (2.2 ypc) just isn't going to cut it for you. Throwing 2 fumbles on top of that could put his playing time in jeopardy. Sammy Morris and Shawn Bryson are champing at the bit. Don't forget about Larry Centers. He had 66 yards receiving on 8 passes Sunday and those are likely valuable stats in your league. The Dolphin Defense ranks # 7 in Rushing Yards Allowed per Game over the last 4 weeks so it'll be no cakewalk. Cleveland's James Jackson / Ben Gay vs Cincinnati Defense Jackson was a late scratch from Sunday's game and Ben Gay made the most of his opportunity. You gotta love this guy. He's a very hard runner and while raw, displayed some nice talent. I'm guessing Gay's play will be the best "rehab" Jackson could ever receive. Jackson is reportedly ready to go against Cincinnati this week. The Bengals are pretty tough against the run ranking # 11. For the year, they rank # 17 in Fantasy Points Allowed to RBs. New England's Antowain Smith vs New Orleans Defense Smith struggled against the Rams Sunday night with 36 yards on 15 carries (2.4 ypc) I'd expect tough going again this week against the Saints that rank # 15 in Rushing Yards Allowed per Game over the last 4 weeks and # 13 in Fantasy Points Allowed to RBs. New England seems to be coming back to earth a bit and you know the Tom Brady / Drew Bledsoe thing has to be a distraction for the team. Philadelphia's Duce Staley vs Washington Defense Any worries Duce Staley owners had about Correll Buckhalter stealing time went up in smoke last week. (sorry) Staley looked like the Duce of old rolling up 102 yards on 26 carries. He threw in 4 receptions for 31 yards to boot. Washington is surprisingly tough against the run ranking # 4 in Rushing Yards Allowed per Game over the last 4 weeks. It won't be a cakewalk but still you have to like Staley with the way they're playing now. Pittsburgh's Jerome Bettis vs Tennessee Defense Bettis was held very much in check last week with the exception of one 40 yard run. Even with the big run, his totals of 52 yards on 21 carries (2.5 ypc) weren't much. Won't be much easier this week against a good Tennesee defense that ranks # 6 in Rushing Yards Allowed per Game over the last 4 weeks. The Titans shut down Corey Dillon last week who has a similar power style. I'd have a hard time not starting Bettis though as he's definitely the focus of this offense and getting better as QB Kordell Stewart continues to improve. /**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/ Defensive Slam Dunks: These games feature a very tough Defense posing major problems for the Offense. Detroit's James Stewart / Lamont Warren / Corey Schlesinger vs Green Bay Defense Talk about a muddy situation. Last week, Lamont Warren, Corey Schlesinger, and Rueben Droughns each had at least 6 carries. And just for good measure, James Stewart is reportedly ready to play this week. Throw in the added bonus that Green Bay is very tough and ranked # 3 in Rushing Yards Allowed per Game over the last 4 weeks. That's enough to make me shy away from all these guys. (That and the fact Charlie Batch may throw it 75 times...) Jacksonville's Stacey Mack vs Baltimore Defense As we told our readers today, the news isn't good for Fred Taylor. His doc is telling him to stay out of the lineup for this week and they're sounding way too vague for my liking as to when he'll be back. That probably means Mack gets the call by default. He posted a stellar 6 yard on 8 rushes (0.8 ypc) day. Yes, ZERO point 8. Elvis Joseph can run back kicks but he only managed 6 yards on his 3 carries. And QB Mark Brunell could miss the game with his leg injury. All in all, pretty ugly going against the Ravens Defense who's fallen down to # 12 in Rushing Yards Allowed per Game over the last 4 weeks but is still nasty. Minnesota's Michael Bennett vs Chicago Defense Bennett got the carries Monday night while Doug Chapman saw no action. Bennett had 33 yards on 11 carries (3.3 ypc) so you'd have to think he's on the right track back. When Culpepper, Moss and Carter play like they did Monday, it's pretty clear the Vikings won't need a lot from their RB. This week he'll face a much tougher opponent in Chicago. The Bears rank # 5 in Rushing Yards Allowed per Game over the last 4 weeks and are playing very well. For the year, they rank # 6 in Fantasy Points Allowed to RBs so it'll be a tough matchup coming off a short week. Tampa Bay's Warrick Dunn / Mike Alstott vs St. Louis Defense Dunn and Alstott put up pitiful numbers Sunday. Dunn had 12 yards on 8 carries (1.5 ypc) Alstott had 2 yards on 4 carries (0.5 ypc) although he did get a score. Granted, it was against a tough Chicago team but that's awful. This week, they'll face an injury riddled St. Louis team that ranks # 2 in Rushing Yards Allowed per Game over the last 4 weeks. Even with the injuries, I don't like either of these RBs here. Tennessee's Eddie George vs Pittsburgh Defense It's bad when the QB out rushes the # 1 RB but that's what happened last week. George put up 61 yards on 23 carries (2.7 ypc) and seemed to take a step back. The trouble with him is that his game is so power oriented, that when the holes aren't there, he simply can't do much. This week, it'll be much tougher against the swarming Steeler defense ranked # 1 in Rushing Yards Allowed per Game over the last 4 weeks. They rank # 3 in Fantasy Points Allowed to RBs. I'm not one for benching your best players but this is one matchup you'll want to look at very closely. /**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/ That'll do it for the Rushing Matchups. Passing Matchups to follow. Joe /**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/ Bryant Analytics, Inc. All Rights Reserved 1999-2001 To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: cheatsheets-unsubscribe@egroups.com Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
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