ESPN Fantasy Football

Week 4 Best-Bets for ESPN Fantasy Football

Quarterbacks:

ESPN Yardage

1. Kerry Collins
2. Tom Brady
3. Drew Bledsoe
4. Marc Bulger
5. Michael Vick

ESPN Performance

1. Drew Bledsoe
2. Kerry Collins
3. Carson Palmer
4. Donovan McNabb
5. Marc Bulger

ESPN Scoring

1. Drew Bledsoe
2. Kerry Collins
3. Carson Palmer
4. Donovan McNabb
5. Jake Delhomme

ESPN Traditional

1. Drew Bledsoe
2. Kerry Collins
3. Carson Palmer
4. Marc Bulger
5. Michael Vick

A quick look at the player rankings above illustrates the difference between scoring systems and their effects on player value.

Would you like to know how a player is going to score in your league? We have projected points for all offensive players, DST, and PK based on over 25 of the top league's default settings. Whether you are in a CBS Sportsline, Yahoo, ESPN, AOL, NFL, or other top league - you need StatLeader.com Fantasy Football

Yahoo Fantasy Football

Week 4 Best-Bets for Yahoo Fantasy Football:

Tight Ends

1. Antonio Gates
2. Daniel Wilcox
3. Ernie Conwell
4. Alex Smith
5. Jason Witten

Kickers

1. Shayne Graham
2. Rian Lindell
3. Neil Rackers
4. Jay Feely
5. Adam Vinatieri

Defenses

1. Cincinnati
2. Indianapolis
3. Tennessee
4. Tampa Bay
5. NY Giants

For more sure bets and Week 4 point projections for every offensive player, join StatLeader Fantasy Football today!

Million Dollar (Cry)Babies

I know that there are many people that happily side with the million-dollar-babies of the NFL.

I am not one of them.

49er Coach Mike Nolan has sent a message to his team that they need to "trust" and execute his system - or they will be out. Linebacker Jamie Winborn got that message Wednesday when the Niners basically asked him to "go home until we ditch your butt." Maybe Winborn will move to a team that has a better record and will think he got the best of it - but Nolan has clearly shown that if you want to be with the 49ers, you will play as a team or you will go home.

One moron with the San Jose Mercury News has said that this is Nolan just trying to show everybody that "he's in charge." Will guess what Tim Kawakami - you have no idea what is going on behind closed doors between Nolan and his players - and maybe letting them know that the coaching wimps of the recent past are gone may be just what they need. They were losers with Jamie Winborn - do you think they can do worse without him? I don't think so.

Everyone could see in last year's team that they were perfectly happy sucking. Nolan is letting the players and the fans know that the 49ers are not going to be happy anymore just playing games close - or barely holding on to victories. Mr. Kawakami was happy with the fact that Jamie made some plays. Wow! I guess he should be able to do whatever he wants then!

This week 3's biggest cry baby is Jeremy Shockey. Shockey blasted his Coach for holding Plaxico Burress out for a quarter in San Diego's rout of the Giants. Plaxico apparently can't find team meetings on time. Burress has been quoted as stating "I can't say it won't happen again."

Why blame the Coach for taking action? Why hasn't Shockey and his teammates bitch-slapped Plaxico into line instead? Is it really too much for you to do your job? If so, give it to somebody who wants it.

But then that's just my opinion, I could be wrong. (apologies to Dennis Miller)

Chad Pennington Update

After examining injured Chad Pennington, Birmingham's Dr. James Andrews did not believe the quarterback blew out his shoulder again although an MRI was inconclusive.

The Jets quarterback had dye injected into the shoulder and if there was a tear there would have been leakage, none of which was prevalent.

The plan for now is to let Pennington rest for 10 days to two weeks and then have him re-examined. In the meantime, the Jets doctors and team officials will reconvene Wednesday with the new information and make a determination, but as of now the Jets do not plan to put him on the injured reserve list.

"At least we know it's not a career-threatening thing," said one source. "That's encouraging and we'll go from there. We also have to see where Chad wants to go with this before anyone makes a decision on putting him down for the year."

In addition to Pennington, the Jets now believe backup Jay Fiedler could return within six to eight weeks. His injury at first was feared to be worse than Pennington's, but his examination also showed less damage than originally believed.

In the meantime, the team will likely sign Kliff Kingsbury on Wednesday to be the No. 3 quarterback behind Brooks Bollinger and Vinny Testaverde. Kingsbury needs to pass a physical Wednesday morning.

As for Pennington, after the two-week period the doctors will see if he progresses enough to simply rehab or possibly do a scope to assist in his recovery.

Testaverde In As Jets New Signal Caller

Vinny Testaverde, who spent some of his best NFL seasons with the New York Jets, is set to rejoin the team to replace Chad Pennington, lost for the season with a shoulder injury.

The agreement was confirmed to The Associated Press on Tuesday by a person with knowledge of the deal, but who declined to be identified.

The Jets are desperate for a veteran quarterback with the loss of Pennington, and his backup, Jay Fielder, who also injured his shoulder after replacing Pennington in Sunday's loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Travis Henry Makes Chris Brown a Bye Week Special!

Tennessee Titans' running back Travis Henry was suspended for four games by the NFL for violating the league's substance abuse policy.

Henry's suspension begins immediately. He will miss the Oct. 2 game with AFC South rival Indianapolis and won't be back until Oct. 24 before the game with Oakland.

Fantasy Football Impact: With the bye weeks in full swing and the absence of Henry - Chris Brown will be a coveted free agent to bolster your running back core.

Monday Night Final Countdown

Week 3's Monday night Final Countdown is now active.

LT Goes Crazy, Willie Falls To Earth

In my article Week 3: Random Thoughts I wrote about how a few early season surprises would work themselves out over the course of the season. Well three of the early season surprises started "correcting" themselves in Week 3.

LaDainian Tomlinson ran for 192 yards with three rushing touchdowns - and he threw for another as the San Diego Chargers rolled over the New York Giants. LT also got his first 6 receptions of the season after no catches in weeks 1 and 2.

Daunte Culpepper threw for 300 yards and 3 touchdowns (no interceptions) with a QB rating of 140.0 as the Vikings beat the Saints. Culpepper also rushed for 36 yards on 8 attempts.

Pittsburgh's RB Willie Parker was held to just 55 yards after back-to-back 100+ yard games. Coming out of next week's bye, the Steelers' will probably have Staley, Bettis, and Parker - which means another team with the "running back by committee" approach that drives fantasy football fanatics mad!

Week 3 Final Countdown

Due to popular request we will be starting this week's Final Countdown at 10:30 AM Eastern time (that's 7:30 LA time dudes). We'll be here until the start of the Giants - Chargers game tonight at 8:30 PM Eastern.

Fantasy Football Injuries

Fantasy Football Injuries - The list grows for Week 3

Key Players to Watch:

Miami Dolphins: Backup RB Sammy Morris practiced again Friday and is expected to play.

New England Patriots: QB Tom Brady practiced fully again Friday and is expected to start. Backup WR's Andre' Davis and WR Bethel Johnson practiced on a limited basis again Friday but remain questionable to play.

New York Jets: Starting RB Curtis Martin practiced for the second straight day on Friday and is expected to start.

Cincinnati Bengals: Rookie WR Chris Henry practiced again Friday and will likely play on Sunday.

Cleveland Browns: Third-year RB Lee Suggs practiced fully for the third straight day on Friday and likely will come in off the bench on Sunday at the Colts. Backup FB Corey McIntyre was limited again Friday and remains questionable to play. TE Aaron Shea (shoulder-questionable) practiced Friday and probably will be able to play on Sunday.

For the rest of the weeks injury updates, up to the minute player changes, and inactives - check out our LIVE game day status report Final Countdown

Niner TE Eric Johnson Moved to IR

OK - If you drafted Eric Johnson as your tight end - it's time to free up that roster spot and go grab a free agent!

Eric Johnson, the San Francisco 49ers' leading receiver last season, was placed on injured reserve Thursday with a torn muscle in his left foot.

Johnson, who hasn't been healthy since before training camp, will miss his second full season in three years. The Yale graduate sat out all of 2003 after breaking his collarbone in the 49ers' first exhibition game, but had 82 catches for 825 yards last season.

Waiver acquisition Trent Smith might get his first chance to play for the 49ers on Sunday. Smith, 6-foot-5 and 245 pounds, was inactive for the 49ers' first two games, but coach Mike Nolan suggested that he could play a role Sunday against the Dallas Cowboys. It would be the first NFL action for Smith, 26, who spent his first two years in the league on Baltimore's injured-reserve list recovering from a severely broken left leg.

"He has the potential to be a weapon in the passing game, but we're still working him in and we'll see how it goes," Nolan said.

The Niner's need a TE to play a bigger part in their offensive scheme, so keep and eye on Smith in case he becomes next week's "Steve Heiden."

To All of You Whose Teams Officially Suck

Yep, it's Week 3, the first of the dreaded BYE weeks. The first two weeks have shown us just how good or bad our "perfectly drafted" team is. For many, that means it is now official. Your team is worse that Roseanne Barr's version of the National Anthem.

If you are one of those there is a light at the end of the tunnel and no, it's not a train coming the other way. The good news, we can help.

Our statistical analysis tools will help you figure out who to play, who to bench, who to dump and who (whom?) to pick up in their place.

The season is young and many a playoff team has started 0-2. So take the "Doc's" advice and let us provide the CPR to revive your team and save you season.

Browns Have A Passing Fancy

The personality of the Cleveland Browns' new offense shows that they will throw before they run.

Through two games, they have thrown 75 times and ran 41. That 65-to-35 ratio is not abnormally high, but it is much higher than you might expect. Especially for a team with three decent running backs in Droughns, Green, and Suggs - and one average QB in Trent Dilfer.

The Indianapolis Colts, whom the Browns play Sunday, have a 50-50 ratio despite having Peyton Manning, the preeminent quarterback in the NFL

In 1997, the season Trent Dilfer earned his only Pro Bowl selection of his career, he averaged 24 passes a game with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. In 2000, when he "managed" the Ravens to the Super Bowl championship, Dilfer averaged 27 passes in his eight regular-season starts. That figure decreased to 18 passes in his four postseason starts.

Dilfer's 336-yard, three-touchdown, no-interception performance in the 26-24 victory over the Packers earned him the AFC offensive player-of-the-week award. A surprising performance from a QB with more interceptions than touchdowns in his career.

He wouldn't have piled up those numbers had not coach Romeo Crennel given him the green light to throw in the fourth quarter.

The Browns were up, 19-10, with 11:40 to play and Dilfer came out throwing on first, second and third down on a series that began at the Browns' 40. They had to punt.

After a long Green Bay touchdown drive cut the lead to 19-17, Dilfer took over at the Browns' 20 with 3:32 to play. And he threw again three plays in a row.

Fantasy Football Impact: If this trend continues, look for Cleveland to lose more games than it wins, and Browns' running backs to have much less value than originally perceived. Here is a great example of where StatLeader.com player participation stats can help you decide which players to start and which to sit each week.

Ravens Target Late October for Boller Return

Baltimore Ravens' quarterback Kyle Boller is likely to be out until the end of October with his injured right toe.

Team officials said Tuesday that Boller will not require surgery on the toe, but will need at least another three weeks to heal. The earliest he could return is Oct. 16 against the Cleveland Browns. But it's more likely he would be back Oct. 23 against the Chicago Bears or Oct. 31 against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Boller, who was on crutches and wearing a cast Tuesday at the team's training complex, got a second opinion on Monday from the North Carolina foot specialist.

Boller was injured in the 24-7 season opening loss to the Indianapolis Colts on a sack by defensive tackle Larry Triplett. Anthony Wright started Sunday in a 25-10 loss to the Tennessee Titans and remains a fantasy football question-mark to say the least!

NFL's Hurricane Relief Weekend

The NFL's Hurricane Relief Weekend is culminating with an unprecedented night of football, music and relief efforts. Chris Berman and Robin Roberts are the hosts for a telethon live from Times Square (please call 1-888-635-5944). Then the Giants vs. Saints will kick off at 7:30 p.m. ET where honored guests and special musical performances will highlight the night. The Redskins and Cowboys will face off at 9 p.m. ET.

StatLeader.com has donated 10% of our August sales to the United Way for Hurricane Relief - won't you join us and do what you can.

Monday Night Final Countdown Starts in 5 Minutes

Click on the link above and sign in (or sign in and click on the link above).

Curtis Martin Strains Right Knee

The Associated Press is reporting that Jets running back Curtis Martin has a strained right knee and his status is uncertain for Sunday's game against Jacksonville.

Coach Herman Edwards said Monday that Martin was undergoing tests, and would wait for results before determining whether the back can play. Martin was injured in the first quarter but stayed in the game and finished with 72 yards on 31 carries.

"We don't know where he's at," Edwards said. "He's been a work force, he's been a guy that's always answered the bell. We'll see where he's at."

Losing Martin would be a blow for the Jets' offense combined with the fact that both fullbacks also got hurt. Starter Jerald Sowell and B.J. Askew have sprained right ankles. If Martin can't play, Derrick Blaylock would get the start.

Fantasy Football Impact: Remember Derrick Blaylock? He's the guy that has a touchdown to carries ratio of 1 TD every 15.8 carries. It would be nice to see what he could do getting the bulk of the carries - but don't count on Martin setting out this weeks game yet.

Houston Texans Fire Offensive Coordinator

Houston Texans' head coach Dom Capers dismissed offensive coordinator Chris Palmer and elevated Joe Pendry Monday. Steve Marshall, who coached the offensive tackles while Pendry handled the centers and guards, will now coach the entire offensive line.

"After evaluating the tape of our game against the Steelers, we decided that we needed to make a move to improve our offense," Capers said. "We promoted Joe to offensive coordinator because we feel that he will be able to help us turn this around."

This is Pendry's 19th NFL season and second in Houston. He previously served as offensive coordinator under Capers with the Panthers from 1995-97. Carolina posted a 27-23 record with one NFC Championship Game appearance over those three seasons.

Edgerrin James - Still Not a Top 5 Fantasy Running Back

We told you so. Were you listening?

While other "guru" services were ranking "Edge" in the top five running backs, StatLeader.com had him well back in the pack.

The history of Edgerrin James has played out the same year after year - good yardage, few TD's - and depending on which fantasy football league you play in, that can mean trouble!

Last year James rushed for over 1500 yards with only 9 TD's. (compare that to ten other backs with 10 or more.) Another way to look at it is that Emmitt Smith had as many TD's as James in 2004 with less games and with less carries.

This year - after two weeks, James has yet to see the end zone. 24 other RB's have hit paydirt (30 if you count receiving TDs) - and 10 have two or more rushing touchdowns. 14 backs have a better yards per carry average.

Did you know that Edgerrin James has only a single receiving TD in the last 5 seasons?

Edgerrin James has gotten more carries this year (50) than all but two running backs - and they each have 51 carries.

It is still very early in the season, so there is time for James to get some scores - but the good 'ol days of 1999/2000 are long gone.

Two QB's Hurt in Week 2

Falcon signal caller Michael Vick and Jaguar's QB Byron Leftwich were injured in Sunday's games.

Michael Vick had to be replaced twice during Atlanta's loss at Seattle because he felt his left leg cramping.

After the Falcons got the ball back with 2:39 left at their 27 needing a field goal to send the game to overtime, Vick was sacked on third down and came out,

He also had to come out during an earlier drive after scrambling for 32 yards and finding Brian Finneran for 11 more. He left with the ball at the Seattle 5-yard-line, holding his left leg.

Jacksonville's Byron Leftwich appeared to injure his left leg as he was bent over backward late in the team's loss at Indy, but returned with 1:44 remaining.

Leftwich was in obvious pain as he limped from play to play on the Jaguars final drive. He got Jacksonville to the Colts 22, but his final pass intended for Jimmy Smith in the end zone was broken up by Colts safety Bob Sanders.

He was taken for X-rays after the game.

"I don't want to say what it is right now, but it wasn't the knee," Leftwich said. "I'm happy the knee is OK."

We will keep you posted on each player's status as the week progresses!

Tomlinson Rushing TD streak to record 14

San Diego's LaDainian Tomlinson took a pitch from QB Drew Brees and ran for a 16-yard touchdown against Denver to set an NFL record with a rushing touchdown in 14 consecutive games.

That TD broke the record he shared with John Riggins (1982-83) and George Rogers (1985-86), both of whom set it with the Redskins.

The last team to deny Tomlinson a touchdown rushing was Denver, who held him scoreless last Sept. 26.

The touchdown also tied Tomlinson with O.J. Simpson for second on the list for most consecutive games with a touchdown either receiving or rushing. Tomlinson needs to score in his next five games to match the record held by Lenny Moore, who set it with the Baltimore Colts from 1963-65.

Final Countdown is Active

Sunday's Final Countdown is now active. Click on the link above and sign in for the latest pregame player information.

The Final Countdown will remain active until the start of tonight's Raiders-Chiefs game at 8:30 PM Eastern.

Sunday's Final Countdown

A reminder that the latest pre-game player status for Sunday's games will be presented in The Final Countdown starting a 11:30 AM Eastern (8:30 Pacific) tomorrow morning. Final Countdown will stay active until the start of tomorrow night's Raiders - Chiefs game at 8:30 PM Eastern.

The Final Countdown will also be active starting at 6:30 PM (Eastern) Monday night and will remaiin active until the start of the second game at 9:00.

Find out whose playing, whose starting, and who is out on The Final Countdown.

Week 2 Player Status

Week 2 player updates:

Ravens QB Kyle Boller is out, Anthony Wright gets the start.

Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger remains questionable.

Steelers RB Willie Parker will make his second start this week. Duce Staley returned to practice and should back up Parker.

Jacksonville WR Cortez Hankton is out.

Bills No. 2 TE Tim Euhus is out, Ryan Neufeld will replace him.

Lions QB Jeff Garcia and starting FB Cory Schlesinger are both out.

Kyle Orton will continue to start at QB for the Bears.

Pats QB Tom Brady will start.

Eagles QB Donovan McNabb returned to practice and at this time is expected to start.

Seattle TE Itula Mili missed practice and remain doubtful.

Cardinals RB J.J. Arrington has come down with a stomach virus. It caused him to miss practice and may limit his use on Sunday.

Miami RB Ronnie Brown is expected to start.

San Diego TE Antonio Gates is expected to start.

Oakland WR Doug Gabriel missed practice and remains questionable.

Saints TE Ernie Conwell, WR Az-Zahir Hakim, TE Shad Meier are all questionable.

Washington QB Mark Brunell will start, while K John Hall is unlikely to play.

Rookie Alert

Keep an eye on Green Bay rookie WR Terrence Murphy. With the season-ending injury to Javon Walker, Robert Ferguson has moved into the starting lineup. However, Ferguson has not impressed the Packers since being drafted in 2001.

Murphy has done just the opposite. "I like everything about him," said Green Bay head coach Mike Sherman. Sherman further stated "There's a sense of urgency to push the envelope and get him ready to play this week."

Don't expect Murphy to move into a starting position immediately, but we wouldn't be surprised to see him there in the next few weeks.

Running Wild in Pittsburgh

The emergence of RB Willie Parker has allowed Pittsburgh the luxury of not rushing injured running backs Duce Staley and Jerome Bettis back to the football field.

Parker had a rushing TD and 161 yards on the ground against the Titans, and will get the bulk of carries this week against the Texans. Don't expect 200 combined yards this week against a defense that will not take Parker lightly.

Chiefs' RB Larry Johnson Arrested

Larry Johnson turned himself in to face an assault charge after an altercation with his girlfriend at a bar, the latest in a series of troubles with the law for the Kansas City running back and other Chiefs players.

Chiefs coach Dick Vermeil said the incident will not affect Johnson's standing with the team. Johnson, a backup to starter Priest Holmes, ran nine times for 119 yards against the New York Jets on Sunday.

An Early Look Ahead to Week 2

As you are planning your moves for Week #2, consider the following:

Denver RB Mike Anderson has separated cartilage in his ribs and his availability for Week 2 against the Chargers will be evaluated later in the week. Tatum Bell is looking good for Week 2...

Most of you probably skipped the opportunity to take WR Peerless Price in your draft - and with good reason. The play of Dallas wideout Patrick Crayton will probably keep Price on the sideline another week.

49ers' veteran wide receiver Johnnie Morton, who left Sunday's game against the Rams with a concussion, will be ready for Week #2 against the Eagles according to Coach Mike Nolan. On the other hand, TE Eric Johnson is listed as doubtful for Wednesday's practice - which does not bode well for a Week #2 start.

Michael Bennett and Moe Williams will reportedly continue to share the carries for the Vikings, with Coach Tice naming Bennett his Week #2 starter. Nothing kills your fantasy team like a two-headed backfield! (except maybe a three-headed backfield)

Javon Walker, the Packers' and Brett Favre's best target, will miss the rest of the season with a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee. After Week #1's performance and the loss of Walker, all of us "Favre" owner's have something to think about... Hey! Who picked Donald Driver? Keep an eye on Green Bay's wideout situation - a new star may emerge from the opportunity.

Mark Brunell Alert! The Redskins have announced that QB Mark Brunell will start Monday against the Cowboys. Joe Gibbs said: "I'm looking for someone to establish himself as our quarterback." Aren't we all?

Stay tuned, and good luck this week!

Monday Night Final Countdown

Just a reminder that tonight's edition of The Final Countdown will begin at 7:30 P.M. Eastern. Click on the link above and sign in (if you haven't already) for the last minute player status for tonight's Eagles - Falcons game.

Sunday's Fantasy Football Player Status

The Final Countdown is now active for today's games. We will be providing last minute player status until 8:00 PM Eastern tonight.

Fantasy Football Player Point Projections Posted

StatLeader.com's exclusive fantasy football player point projections are posted! Projections have been adjusted according to the official NFL injury report and are set for Week 1 of the fantasy football season.

We provide fantasy football point projections for the default settings of the following Leagues:

1. Yahoo
2. NFL
3. CBS Sportsline
4. ESPN Performance
5. ESPN Scoring
6. ESPN Standard
7. ESPN Traditional
8. FOX Sports
9. AOL Bid to Play
10. AOL Draft to Play
11. CDM Fantasy Challenge
12. CDM Fantasy Football
13. EA Sports Standard
14. EA Sports Yardage
15. Sporting News Commissioner
16. Sporting News Ultimate
17. Sporting News Competitor
18. Sporting News Experts
19. Sporting News Masters
20. Fanball Exit 42
21. American Fantasy Football League
22. Fantasy Football Challenge
23. World Championship of Fantasy Football
24. and others!

Good Luck with Week 1!

What's Ahead

Now that the 2005 Fantasy Football season is officially underway, we wanted to give you a preview of things to come.

Our statistical analysis tools will soon begin to provide the best point projections available on the web based on this years numbers. Obviously everything to date has been based on information from previous seasons along with a dash of intuition as to who will play and how much.

Now with the actual numbers coming in you'll see all kinds of useful information. First will be the weekly point projections. By week 4, we have enough data to give you consistency information, +/- ranges on the projected points, participation and scoring trends, and much more. (and yes, we'll tell you how to use them all effectively)

The Final Countdown, our pre-game player status update service will be online starting at 11:00 AM Eastern Sunday, and will continuously provide updated information untill kickoff of final game of the night. Final Countdown will also be active starting at 7:30 P.M. Eastern (4:30 in LA, SF, and other West Coast areas) on Monday night.

The new StatLeader is available to everyone (that's right even non-members). So feel free to sign up and enjoy swapping information with your fellow Fantasy Footballers.

Add to this our rather unique perspective on the Fantasy Football world, and what you have ahaead is a really good time.

Glad to have you aboard.

Final Countdown Will Be Active Tonight

The first edition of this season's Final Countdown will start at 7:30 Eastern (4:30 Pacific) tonight. Just click on the link above and sign in if you haven't already.

Lions Dependency - Dome Down? - Player Status

With the injury to Jeff Garcia, the Detroit Lions now find themselves in the unenviable position of having rookie Dan Orlovsky as the only other QB on their roster. Garcia could potentially be out for the entire season so watch for the Lions to sign someone with a little more experience to back up Joey Harrington.

• Note to Tim Couch: Better start stretching it out, this could be your big opportunity.

During Last night's FSU-Miami game ABC Reported that the Superdome was going to be torn down due to the damage suffered by Hurricane Katrina. If so, this would disrupt a Saints organization already looking for solutions as the where to play this season. Our particular choice: LSU Tiger Stadium. Able to hold 92,000 fans, "Death Valley" is located in nearby Baton Rouge. The primary concern is whether or not the turf would be able to handle both college and pro games.

Sports have been and will continue to be something that helps us heal after a disaster. Remember the football games, baseball games and NASCAR races after 9/11. We believe that it is essential to keep the Saints as close to New Orleans as possible. For the team, for the fans.

• Perhaps with some scheduling help from NFL officials the Saints would be able to stay close to home.

Some player status for week 1:

• Duece Staley (knee) - Looks like he will play
• Jerome Bettis (calf) - Still unsure
• Koren Robinson - Reportedly to sign a 2 year $1.5 M deal with the Vikings
• Eli Manning (elbow) - Expected to start
• Brett Favre (ankle)- Expected to start
• Brandon Stokley (shoulder) - Likely to play
• Jerry Porter (hamstring) - Expected to play
• Keep an eye on Colts WR Troy Walters' status. Released to make room for LB Keith O'Neil, Walters could be back with Indy game time.

Tune in to The Final Countdown prior to Thursday's, Sunday's, and the Monday's games for late breaking player status news

Fantasy Football Player News

The Oakland Raiders cut tight end Teyo Johnson. A second round pick in 2003, Johnson fell out of favor with Coach Norv Turner and was cut with 23 other players on Oakland's final cutdown day.

QB Gus Frerotte is expected to be named Miami's starting quarterback.

Miami Dolphins' added running back Jesse Chapman who spent the last three years with the San Diego Chargers.

Kansas City Chiefs terminated the contract of CB Ashley Ambrose.

Carolina Panthers place rookie RB Eric Shelton on injured reserve.

Dallas Cowboys get one-year deal with WR Peerless Price.

Jeff Garcia Out with Broken Left Fibula

Fantasy Football Sleeper QB and insurance policy for quarterback Joey Harrington was lost on Friday when backup Jeff Garcia fractured his left fibula in the first quarter of the team's preseason finale against the Buffalo Bills.

Garcia scrambled for a 28-yard run on the final play of the first quarter but was tackled by Bills defensive back Terrence McGee by the right sideline and immediately went down in pain.

Steve Mariucci said "He has a broken fibula up high on his left leg, and a possible ankle sprain as well." "We are going to get an MRI in the morning just to see how badly the ankle might be sprained."

Fantasy Football Player Point Projections

Fantasy Football Player Point Projections: It's a long phrase, but it describes what we do best here at StatLeader.com! The regular season is upon us - and it is now that we turn our attention toward telling you just how many points your players will score each week.

Beginning next week, we will begin posting projected points for over 400 players, kickers, and Defenses. We do this each week of the season.

So don't worry about who to start/sit/pick-up/release - the info will be here, all season long.