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The inaugural season for StatLeader.com has been exciting and successful.

As the 2004/2005 season draws toward the playoffs, we would like to offer a Holiday Gift to you - and an opportunity for us to introduce more people to our service.

Join StatLeader.com at no cost for the remainder of the season! Get the sports most unique and exclusive statistical projections for the final weeks. Try us out, and we are sure you will be back next year.

Free Fantasy Football Stats for Yahoo, NFL, ESPN, Best Buy, CBS, FOX Sports, Sporting News, Sportsline, and more.

Happy New Year from StatLeader.com

Starting QBs

The following QBs are expected to start in week 17:

• Pit - Tommy Maddox in place of Ben Roethlisberger
• Cin - John Kitna for Carson Palmer
• Mia - Sage Rosenfels will start in place of A.J. Feeley

Roethlisberger questionable for season finale.

Steeler's QB Ben Roethlisberger's ribs are only bruised and Pittsburgh Steelers coach Bill Cowher listed the rookie quarterback as questionable for Sunday's regular-season finale at Buffalo.

The game is meaningless for the Steelers, who have clinched home-field advantage for the playoffs in the AFC. The Bills are fighting for a wild-card playoff berth.

"The last thing you can do when you go into any football game is to diminish the importance of it," Cowher said. "Certainly you're going to keep the big picture in mind, but we're going to prepare this week as we always have, to go up there and win this football game."

Fantasy Football Analysis: It would be nice if teams that have clinched their playoff berths could still fight hard and play their stars through the regular season - but it would be ridiculous for the Steelers to risk their rookie in a meaningless game.

Eagles lay down for Rams

Resting their stars, the Philadelphia Eagles kept the woeful Rams' playoff hopes alive.

The Rams manhandled the Eagles' backups in a 20-7 win. Desperately needing a win to stay in the NFC playoff picture, the Rams played like it, especially running back Steven Jackson. His best pro performance Monday night keyed the victory over the Eagles, who just wanted to get out of town healthy.

Preliminary report says "lung ailment."

NFL great Reggie White may have died because of a respiratory disease combined with other health problems, a preliminary autopsy report said Monday.

White most likely had a condition that affected the amount of air his lungs could hold, resulting in "fatal cardiac arrhythmia," said Dr. Mike Sullivan, the medical examiner for Mecklenburg County and a forensic pathologist.

The report issued by Sullivan's office also said sleep apnea may have been a factor.

The report is a preliminary one; determining a final cause of death could take up to three months, Sullivan's office said

Reggie White dies at 43

The Associated Press is reporting that Reggie White, one of the greatest defensive players in NFL history, died Sunday. He was 43.

"Today our beloved husband, father and friend passed away," White's wife, Sara, said in a statement through a family pastor. "His family appreciates your thoughts and prayers as we mourn the loss of Reggie White. We want to thank you in advance for honoring our privacy."

A cause of death was not immediately known, though the NFL's Web site listed it as a massive heart attack.

A two-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year, White played a total of 15 years with Philadelphia, Green Bay and Carolina. He retired in 2000 as the NFL's all-time leader in sacks with 198. The mark has since been passed by Bruce Smith.

"We are deeply saddened by the passing of one of the greatest men ever to play the game of football," Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie said in a statement. "On behalf of the entire Eagles family, our condolences go out to his wife, Sara, to his children, and to all those who have been touched by Reggie throughout his life. His legacy on and off the football field will never be forgotten."

A member of the NFL's 75th anniversary team, White was elected to the Pro Bowl a record 13 straight times from 1986-98. He was the NFL's Defensive Player of the Year in 1987 and 1998, and was also an ordained minister.

"Reggie's records and accomplishments say it all," said George Seifert, who coached him on the Panthers. "He is a Hall of Fame player and possibly the best defensive lineman ever to play the game."

Long Fantasy Football Weekend!

It's a long weekend of fantasy football! With games Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday - it's a football lover's dream!

Final Countdown, StatLeader.com's late breaking news and player status information service, will be running each day. Friday's Final Countdown begins 1:30 Eastern.

Get Final Countdown and all of the other StatLeader.com services FREE for the remainder of the 2004/2005 season with no strings attached. Join Now!

Yahoo Fantasy Football Starters - Week 16

Hot players for week 16 - Yahoo Fantasy Football League

Quarterback:

1. Daunte Culpepper, 26 pts.
2. Payton Manning, 23 pts.
3. Donovan McNabb, 19 pts

Running Back:

1. Shaun Alexander, 12 pts.
2. Michael Pittman, 11 pts.
3. Tiki Barber, 11 pts.
4. LaDainian Tomlinson, 11 pts.

Wide Receiver:

1. Randy Moss, 10 pts.
2. Javon Walker, 9 pts.
3. Marvin Harrison, 9 pts.
4. Joe Horn, 9 pts.
5. Eddie Kennison, 9 pts.

Good Luck - and don't forget that StatLeader.com is FREE for the rest of the season!

PAY ATTENTION

OK, now that we have your attention, remember, Week 16 kicks off Friday with a 3:00 Eastern (Noon Pacific) game between Green Bay and the Vikings. Be sure your lineups are set in time. (Especially YOU, Best Buy team owners).

The Final Countdown will be active at 1:30 PM Eastern (10:30 AM out here on the left coast) on Friday, 3:00 Eastern (Noon) on Christmas Day, 11:00 AM (8:00) Sunday, and 8:00 PM (5:00 out west) on Monday.

Cowboys - no playoffs in sight for this team!

Parcells makes Henson third QB, insists it's not a demotion

Drew Henson lasted just two quarters as the starting quarterback of the Dallas Cowboys. Three weeks later, he's not even their top backup.

Henson was dropped to No. 3 this week, with Tony Romo moving up to No. 2. Romo has been with the team since the start of last season without taking a snap in a regular-season game.

Romo revealed the change Wednesday, soon after Parcells said he hadn't set the depth chart. At his daily news conference Thursday, Parcells insisted the new order was no big deal, saying he likes to flip-flop them every so often "to make sure they are staying in tune with what we're doing and preparing for the game like they're going to play in it."

Carson Palmer will miss Sunday's Game

Carson Palmer was still on crutches Wednesday and resigned to missing the Cincinnati Bengals' next game because of a sprained left knee.

Jon Kitna ran the offense in practice, getting ready to make his first start of the season against the Buffalo Bills. Kitna was the league's Comeback Player of the Year last season, but hadn't taken a snap until Palmer got hurt last Sunday.

"I know he's excited," Palmer said. "I'm happy for him. He's getting a chance. I and the rest of the team are completely confident in him, that he's going to go out and not lose a step from where this offense has left off."

The offense is performing at an all-time high for the franchise, putting together three consecutive 450-yard games for the first time. Palmer twisted his knee when he was tackled in the third quarter of a 35-28 loss in New England on Sunday, forcing Kitna to finish.

McMahon could get the Nod for Lions

Lions coach Steve Mariucci has yet to decide who will start at quarterback Sunday against the Vikings. "We haven't made any decisions on any of that just yet," Mariucci said at his weekly news conference. "We think about those things every week, as coaches, on every position." Mariucci added that incumbent starter Joey Harrington, who was five-for-22 for 47 yards in Sunday's loss to the Packers, still must prove he is the team's long-term answer at quarterback.

Fantasy Football Analysis: If you are starting a Lions' QB, your fantasy team needs a new general manager.

FOX Sports Fantasy Football - Week 14

Is your team in FOX Sports / Sporting News Ultimate Salary Cap League, then here are your best bets at QB for Week 14

1. Donovan McNabb, 489 pts.
2. Peyton Manning, 441 pts.
3. Daunte Culpepper, 423 pts.
4. Jake Plummer, 312 pts.
5. Drew Brees, 307 pts.
6. Jake Delhomme, 299 pts.
7. Matt Hasselbeck, 296 pts.
8. Brett Favre, 276 pts.
9. Trent Green, 258 pts.
10. Kerry Collins, 255 pts.

Good Luck!

Final Countdown - More Important Each Week

StatLeader.com's Final Countdown service is the web's best fantasy football source of all-day player status updates.

Each and every game day, Final Countdown provides player status updates through the last game of the day.

Questions going into this week include:

• Who will start in the Rams backfield: Jackson, Faulk, Harris?
• Will Steve McNair be good to go?
• Darrell Jackson and Jerry Rice are both sitting out pracice sessions: Will they both start?
• Trent Green has made 60 consecutive starts for the Chiefs: Will his sore ribs keep him from his 61st?
• Emmitt Smith has been upgraded to "questionable": Wouldn't you like the game-time decision?

Good Luck this week, and don't forget to check StatLeader.com

NFL Fantasy Football Wide Receivers - Week 14

Week 14 Wide Receivers for the NFL Fantasy Football default scoring system.

Well, we know you won't be starting Plexico Burress...

1. Terrell Owens, 19 pts.
2. Mushin Muhammad, 14 pts.
3. Derrick Mason, 12 pts.
4. Javon Walker, 12 pts.
5. Marvin Harrison, 12 pts.
6. Reggie Wayne, 11 pts.
7. Torry Holt, 11 pts.
8. 6 tied with 10 pts: Darrell Jackson, Eddie Kennison, Brandon Stokley, Joe Horn, Isaac Bruce, Randy Moss

Priest Holmes Out for Season

Kansas City Chiefs star running back Priest Holmes will miss the rest of the season with a knee injury.

Holmes, who was leading the NFL in scoring and rushing when he got hurt Nov. 7, was placed on injured reserve Thursday but will not require surgery.

"It was the best thing to do for Priest Holmes and his future," coach Dick Vermeil said. "I think he'll be 100 percent within a month, two months at least."

Vermeil said Holmes might have remained on the roster if the Chiefs (4-8) were headed for the playoffs. But he had already been declared out for Monday night's game at Tennessee, and the Chiefs will play only three more times after that.

"The rehab is taking longer and with the season only four weeks to go and Priest feeling the pressure to get ready to play...obviously he wasn't going to be able to," Vermeil said. "There was some talk that in a couple of weeks he might start practicing with a brace on the knee."

"But we aren't going to do that to Priest Holmes."

Holmes was injured on what appeared to be a routine tackle at Tampa Bay, forcing an early end to what was shaping up as a terrific year.

He had been the NFL's player of the month for October, when he had three 100-yard rushing games, rushed for nine touchdowns and caught 10 passes for 170 yards and a touchdown.

Yahoo Fantasy Football - Week 14

Hello Yahoo Fantasy Football Coaches!

Who to start at running back in Week 14? Try these ten ball carriers!

1. Julius Jones, 16 pts.
2. Shaun Alexander, 14 pts.
3. Corey Dillon, 11 pts.
4. LaDanian Tomlinson, 11 pts.
5. Willis McGahee, 9 pts.
6. Tiki Barber, 9 pts.
7. Michael Pitman, 8 pts.
8. Domanick Davis, 8 pts.
9. Ahman Green, 8 pts.
10. Edgerrin James, 8 pts.

Point projections are for the Yahoo Fantasy Football default scoring system.

Barlow, Rattay Out Against Arizona

SF49ers.com is reporting that Kevan Barlow and Tim Rattay will not be in uniform this Sunday when the 49ers take the field against the Arizona Cardinals. Rattay will miss the game with a torn plantar fascia in his right foot and Barlow will miss his start with concussion symptoms.

McNabb Sets Record

Donovan McNabb broke an NFL record by completing 24 consecutive passes over two games.

McNabb completed his first 14 passes in Philadelphia's 47-17 victory over Green Bay on Sunday. He had completed his last 10 passes in a victory over the New York Giants the previous week.

Joe Montana held the old record with 22 straight completions against Cleveland and Green Bay in 1987.

McNabb finished 32-of-43 for a club-record 464 yards and a career-high five-touchdown performance against the Packers.

Commentary: While McNabb isn't qualified to hold Montana's jock - it's a great showing nonetheless. Donovan has been distributing the ball well, and his efficiency has greatly improved.

Introducing "The Crew Chief"

As many of you are aware, StatLeader has started covering NASCAR. While I don't want to give too much away, we expect to offer some really great things, amongst which will be the same commentary and statistical analyses you have come to expect for the NFL.

As part of this expansion, I would like to introduce the newest member of the StatLeader staff and our resident NASCAR expert, The Crew Chief. The Chief, who has been following NASCAR religiously since the age of 13, is extremely well versed (and opinionated) when it comes to the world of racing. Never at a loss for words, CC has always strived to maintain the appearance of impartiality (yeh right) despite being a devout Tony Stewart fan.

This past year, The Crew Chief was on-site at three Nextel Cup races, two in Richmond and one in Dover, and met with several drivers, (tough assignment)... all in preparation for the new StatLeader NASCAR activities (Well OK, mostly in preparation for our new activities).

So, as the football season draws towards a close, and a new NASCAR season prepares to start in February, we hope you will enjoy the many things StatLeader has in store for you, not the least of which are the mad ramblings of Mister2, The Crew Chief, and yours truly, Old Doc.

CBS / Sportsline Fantasy Football - Week 13

Hello CBS / Sportsline Fantasy Football Fans! Your free week 13 information is here!

Your top ten scorers (default scoring system) for Week 13 are as follows:

1. Donovan McNabb - 31 pts.
2. Peyton Manning - 30 pts.
3. Daunte Culpepper - 27 pts.
4. Marc Bulger - 23 pts.
5. Baltimore Ravens - 21 pts.
6. Jake Plummer - 20 pts.
7. Jake Delhomme - 20 pts.
8. Terrell Owens - 19 pts.
9. Corey Dillon - 19 pts.
10. Drew Brees - 19 pts.

If you don't have a team in the CBS / Sportsline league - Join StatLeader.com! We provide exclusive player point projections and analysis for over a dozen leagues including Yahoo, NFL, ESPN, FOX Sports, Sporting News, and Best Buy! Use the coupon code "best buy" during sign-up and pay only $5.00!

Best Buy Fantasy Football Bargains

If you play Best Buy Fantasy Football Challenge - you need to know who to pick every week!

Some of this weeks best bargains are:

1. Michael Pittman, RB - 1.05 points per dollar
2. Donovan McNabb, QB - 1.14 points per dollar
3. Baltimore Ravens, D - 1.04 points per dollar

Would you like to have the projected points, salary cap costs, average points per game (best buy scoring system) and more for hundreds of players? We also provide projected points for 12 other leagues including Yahoo, ESPN, CBS, FOX Sports, Sporting News, and more! Join now to get it all!