Projo Fantasy Sports Blog

By Michael Salfino

Week 15 in the league where they play for pay. And now, thanks to the fantasy football playoffs and your prize pool, you do, too. Remember to check the injury news provided here by my colleague David Ferris every Saturday. This piece is filed before the first official injury reports are released Wednesday night.

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Selvin Young, RB, Broncos: We didn't think we'd get through a whole season without a curveball in Denver. What better time than the first playoff week for some traditional Mike Shanahan running-back shenanigans. After all, Travis Henry (knee) wasn't even on the injury report last week after winning an appeal of a drug suspension that would have lasted at least a year. Henry is expected to come off the bench this week. But Shanahan, of course, refuses to commit, saying only that he plans to use three backs this week. Young got 17 carries for 156 yards last week while Henry did nothing except score a short TD versus the Chiefs.

Andre Johnson, WR, Texans: I admit to thinking Sage Rosenfels and the Bucs' defense were going to be problems last week. But the mistake was assuming that it was Matt Schaub that Johnson had some special chemistry with when Rosenfels hadn't gotten a chance to play with Johnson. Sage threw Johnson 14 passes last week; Johnson caught 9 for 116 yards. Don't worry about the Broncos corners this week; no single human can match up physically with Johnson. Hope that the Broncos will be dumb enough to try the shut-down route.

Kurt Warner, QB, Cardinals: He had a garbage-time feast in Seattle last week, but he's been productive all year despite losing some easy TD passes on the goal line. He's no longer being removed down close with his left elbow sufficiently healed. Larry Fitzgerald (groin) and Anquan Boldin (toe) both might go against a terrible Saints pass defense (32nd in yards allowed per pass attempt and 29th in passing yardage). Fitzgerald seems a lock to play after he showed off a new girdle last week and remained productive.

Saints Passing Game: The Cardinals have yielded 12 TD passes the last five games. Marques Colston is again a No. 1 fantasy wide receiver (ignore the oddity about him only scoring TDs on the road this year). Brees and Colston are hot. David Patten is impossible to predict, but does offer upside (three 100-yard games including the monster Week 14) if you're hurting for a fix at third wideout.

Aaron Stecker, RB, Saints: He had 20 carries for 100 yards versus the Falcons, proving that the Saints are not going to abandon the running game despite losing Deuce McAllister and Reggie Bush for the year. With all the money those two guys cost, it's fitting that New Orleans' best running day of the year was turned in by this bargain-basement journeyman.

Jason Witten, TE, Cowboys: WR Patrick Crayton's foot was heavily wrapped after Sunday's win in Detroit and teams are devoting lots of resources to stopping Terrell Owens. So Witten is a good bet for a good day again this week, though you can never expect 15 catches in one game.

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Javon Walker, WR, Broncos: Went full speed according to Shenanigans (oops, I mean 'Shanahan'). Can we trust what he says? No way. Given the reported severity of Walker's knee injury, he's too risky and likely too rusty to use with all the chips on the table, even if Brandon Stokley (knee) can't go.

Jerricho Cotchery, WR, Jets: He scored in all three games versus the Patriots last year and had a big Week 14 versus the Browns (119 yards). The prospect of garbage time looms, with the Jets 24-point underdogs. Plus Laveranues Coles is really gimpy with a high ankle sprain.

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Roddy White, WR, Falcons: He's been hot, no doubt. But this was a Bobby Petrino offense and now Petrino has left to return to the college coaching ranks at Arkansas. I understand that this week's opponent, Tampa Bay, was scorched last week by Rosenfels. But that will only make the Bucs more angry, I suspect. With all the negative buzz in Altanta and given the tough matchup, White is a WR3 at best.

Shaun Alexander/Maurice Morris, RBs, Seahawks: This is a total time share. Alexander is likely to get the easy TDs, but Morris got a carry inside the 10 last week. Morris likely needs to score from a distance to have value and that's not easy to do. Alexander is a shell of his former self and will be lucky to get 15 touches. Bench them both.

Brandon "Butterfingers" Jacobs, RB, Giants: You can forget him getting carries anywhere near the goal line after he laid the rock down on the turf in Philly multiple times last week. He'd been replaced by Reuben Droughns as the goal-line runner anyway. Why not give the 260-pound back the short yardage hauls? Ask Tom "Crafty" Coughlin. The fear now is that Droughns will get more carries between the 20s, too.

Donte Stallworth, WR, Patriots: He had less snaps than Jabar Gaffney last week (42 to 32). Plus Gaffney started. So Stallworth should be benched even given the Pats passing proclivity.

Marshawn Lynch, RB, Bills: Time-share with Fred Jackson. Enough said.

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