Give these guys the ball
Michael Turner (RB, Atlanta Falcons): Pounding the Saints for 151 yards and a touchdown last week, Turner looked nearly unstoppable. The Washington Redskins defend the run better than the Saints, but the laws of physics suggest -- at least the way we interpret them -- that once a beast like Turner gets rolling, he's difficult to stop regardless of the opponent. If the Falcons give him the ball, so should you. They'll look to control the clock and wear out the Skins to set up occasional big plays through the air.
Jeremy Shockey (TE, New Orleans Saints): Marques Colston gets most of the glory, but when big catches are needed to spark the Saints, it often seems to be Shockey coming down with the ball. And when he gets it in his hands, he isn't content to just run out of bounds or allow himself to be tackled easily. The big boy takes the hard road, and against a Carolina Panthers defence that is working on getting the kinks out, Shockey is just the sort of receiver who can expose their weaknesses.
Randy Moss (WR, New England Patriots): Inexperience in the Dolphins secondary allowed Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints to come back on them a couple of weeks ago. The same problem could allow the Pats to rack up a big lead early on. Expect them to take shots downfield knowing the Fins will try to control the clock with the wildcat formation. They're not opposed to quick strikes, and Moss has exploded on a few occasions this year already.
Also start: WR Steve Smith, Panthers (at Saints); QB Matt Hasselbeck, Seahawks (vs. Lions); RB Frank Gore, 49ers (vs. Tennessee).
Tread carefully
Cedric Benson (RB, Cincinnati Bengals): The Bengals running back has taken the fantasy world by storm, and none of his outings was as impressive as the one in Week 5 against the stunned Ravens. He tore up a defence that hadn't allowed a 100-yard rusher in more than a year by churning out 120 yards and a touchdown. It's fair to say they underestimated him. That won't happen again, and that likely means you should temper your expectations for the Bengal this week. Think less than 100 total yards and a slight chance of seeing the endzone.
Ronnie Brown (RB, Miami Dolphins): People are hopping aboard the Ronnie Brown train based entirely on what he did to the Patriots last year -- the 113-yard, four-touchdown performance that brought the wildcat formation to prominence. But Brown shares duties with Ricky Williams, and the Pats are going to put all their energy into stuffing the running backs because there's no passing game to worry about with Chad Henne under centre and a misfit group of underachieving young wideouts to target.
Matt Forte (RB, Chicago Bears): Everyone looks good against the Cleveland Browns and Detroit Lions, and those are the only two opponents Forte -- who was picked as a top-5 running back in pretty much every fantasy league this summer -- has done any real damage in. He's not getting yards, not getting carries and, worst of all, not getting into the endzone against any respectable defence. There's a chance he could become a focal point against the Cards, but both teams are unpredictable.
Sleep on it
Deion Branch (WR, Seattle Seahawks): If you're looking for a bye-week flier and options are down to the bottom of the barrel, look for Branch to fill in as a flex or third receiver option this week. Seattle is playing the lowly Detroit Lions, and anybody who owns Nate Burleson or T.J. Houshmandzadeh will likely be starting them. Branch could have a breakout performance if the Lions focus on shutting down the other two guys.
Kevin Walter (WR, Houston Texans): When a Pro Bowl tight end like Owen Daniels goes down, someone has to pick up the slack. Odds are good it will be Walter, who has had some pretty impressive outings for the Texans the last couple of years thanks to all the attention afforded the other guy in the starting lineup at receiver -- Andre Johnson.
STEVE.MACFARLANE@SUNMEDIA.CA
