Monday Final Countdown

Week 8 Monday Night Final Countdown is now active.

Culpepper Out For Season

NFL.com wire reports: EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. (Oct. 31, 2005) -- An already dire situation got worse for the demoralized Minnesota Vikings with confirmation that quarterback Daunte Culpepper will miss the rest of the season with a devastating injury to his right knee.

Culpepper, a three-time Pro Bowl pick coming off a career year whose effectiveness had fallen off dramatically this season, tore his anterior cruciate, medial collateral and posterior cruciate ligaments Oct. 30 in a 38-13 loss at Carolina.

Once the swelling subsides, the 28-year-old Culpepper will have surgery and several months of arduous rehabilitation. An injury of this nature typically takes a year to recover, but at least right now the Vikings are optimistic about his status for 2006.

Vikings QB Culpepper Sprains Knee

Viking quarterback Daunte Culpepper left his team's game against the Carolina Panthers with a sprained right knee. His return is doubtful.

Culpepper ran for an 18-yard gain on the final play of the first quarter when he was hit by multiple defenders. Carolina cornerback Chris Gamble came in from the side and tackled Culpepper's leg and he immediately grabbed his knee.

Culpepper was helped off the field and taken to a cart for the ride into the locker room.

Week 8 Final Countdown

Week 8's Final Countdown is now active.

49ers To Start Ken Dorsey vs Bucs

Ken Dorsey, the 49ers' No. 3 quarterback eight days ago, will start against the NFL's top-ranked defense in place of injured rookie QB Alex Smith. Smith missed practice again Thursday with strained ligaments in his right knee, and coach Mike Nolan said that means Dorsey will start and see his first action of the season against Tampa Bay.

Fantasy Football Impact: It's going to be another tough week for the 49ers. Dorsey either does very well - or very poor. In his last 4 games he had two QB Ratings below 50 (46.5 and 26.7) and two in the 90's (92.5 and 99.0). If the "good" Ken Dorsey shows up, don't be surprised if the Niners play a little more like they did against St. Louis and Dallas, and a little less like they did against the Eagles and the Redskins.

Ahman Green Out For Season

Green Bay Packers' running back Ahman Green is lost for the season with a ruptured right thigh tendon Sunday.

On Monday, coach Mike Sherman announced that Green will undergo surgery this week and that wide receiver Robert Ferguson will miss up to a month with a torn lateral cruciate ligament in his left knee.

Fantasy Football Impact: With Green gone, there is not much hope for a Green Bay running game. How Favre continues to produce fantasy points will be the big question.

Monday Night Final Countdown

Week 7 Monday Night Final Countdown is active. Click on the link avove to access.

Week 7 Fantasy Football Backfield Heroes

In a week where LaDainian Tomlinson and Shaun Alexander were shut down, Clinton Portis of the Redskins and LaMont Jordan of the Raiders hit paydirt three times each on Sunday.

Other RB's with great games included:

• Edgerrin James with 139 yards and two touchdowns
• Mike Anderson with 120 yards and one touchdown
• Steven Jackson with 116 all-purpose yards and two touchdowns
• Thomas Jones with 139 yards rushing
• Willie Parker with 131 yards rushing

Stay Tuned

The Final Countdown will continue to post last minute player updates through the start of today's late games. We'll also be here 1 hour prior to the start of Monday's game.

Garcia Gets Start For Lions

Jeff Garcia gets the nod over Joey Harrington to be the starting QB for the Detroit Lions in Week 7. Harrington has the worst QB rating in the NFL.

For more pre-game updates, check out Final Countdown

Week 7 Final Countdown is now active

Go to the Final Countdown link above for last minute player updates.

"Official" Commentary

Over the last couple of weeks we have heard lots of fuss about all the flags flying at NFL stadiums. I'm not talking "Old Glory", I'm talking those little yellow rags the officials toss at offending players.

One unhappy person last week was the Saints' Jim Haslett. Coach Haslett was fined 20K for his comments about the officiating in the Saints game against the Falcons. A defensive holding call allowed the Falcons to try the kick again and win the game.

What gets me is that you always hear people say that "the ref's shouldn't make those calls - that they should let the guys play."

These guys are the finest football players on the planet. Many are paid millions of dollars over their career. Most have been playing since they were 8 years old. Do you think that anybody during that time might have showed them how to block? Do you think they have any drills where they practice blocking? Yes, of course.

So the next time you see somebody ruin his team's chances of winning by being a blockhead - don't blame the official. A penalty is a penalty - no matter when it occurs. If you don't want to be called for holding, then don't.

Others will tell you that "holding" can be called on every play. That's simply an easy excuse for sloppy play - and even if true, simply represents a "Russian roulette" that the players play at their own risk.

The only true demands one can have of officials is:

1. That they know the rules
2. That they apply them consistently

Leave the ref's alone! Hold the players accountable for playing by the rules - because a game without rules is called "recess."

Volek Gets The Start For Titans In Week 7

Titans' QB Steve McNair stayed home as the rest of the team flew to Arizona prepared for Billy Volek to get his first start of the 2005/2006 season.

Volek threw for 2,486 yards, 18 touchdowns and 10 interceptions in 2004. He became only the fourth quarterback in NFL history to throw for at least 400 yards in consecutive games.

Fantasy Football Scratches For Week 7

Early outs with earliest expected return:

• TEN RB Travis Henry - Week 8
• BAL QB Kyle Boller - Week 8
• DET WR Charles Rogers - Week 9
• NYJ QB Jay Fiedler - Week 9
• TEN WR Drew Bennett - Week 9
• SEA WR Bobby Engram - Week 9
• SEA WR Darrell Jackson - Week 10
• PHI K David Akers - Week 10
• NE RB Kevin Faulk - Week 11
• DAL WR Patrick Crayton - Week 12
• CHI QB Rex Grosman - Week 13

Week 7 Doubtfuls

Doubtfuls for week 7 include:

• BAL WR Mark Clayton
• SF WR Arnez Battle
• OAK WR Randy Moss
• ATL RB T.J. Duckett

Final Countdown - Friday Edition

Our special edition of The Final Countdown is now active.

Specia Friday Final Countdown

Due to the rescheduling of the Chiefs - Dolphins game to Friday night, there will be a special edition of the Final Countdown starting at 6:00 PM Eastern (3:00 on the Left Coast).

Injuries Keep Moss Doubtful for Sunday

The Oakland Raiders' Randy Moss is unlikely to play Sunday against the Buffalo Bills. Moss is currently listed on the injury report as "doubtful."

The receiver is still nursing bruised ribs, a strained groin and a bruised pelvic area after getting hurt in a hard fall while trying to make a leaping catch in the Raiders' 27-14 loss to the San Diego Chargers.

Fantasy Football Impact: If Moss can't go, look for the Raiders to count on Jerry Porter and possibly Courtney Anderson to play bigger roles Sunday.

No Surprise - Griese Out For The Year

Tampa's move to pick up Tim Rattay told us all that they knew their starting QB would miss the rest of the season.

Now they have made it official.

Griese was injured during the second quarter of Sunday's 27-13 victory over Miami, and just before Tuesday's NFL trade deadline the Bucs acquired Tim Rattay as a backup for Chris Simms and Luke McCown.

Fantasy Football Impact: Look for Rattay to get the nod if Simms struggles more than a game or two.

Lions Begin Looking At Garcia

Joey Harrington and Jeff Garcia split the snaps in practice Wednesday, although coach Steve Mariucci would not commit to a change at quarterback for the Lions in Cleveland on Sunday.

Doctors cleared Garcia to play at Cleveland. Garcia injured his ankle and leg in the final preseason game after signing with Detroit as a free agent. He played last season with the Browns.

Garcia started 81 games for San Francisco and Cleveland from 1999-2004. In 10 starts last year with the Browns, he threw 10 TDs and nine interceptions, but Mariucci knows him as a three-time Pro Bowler he coached with the 49ers.

Fantasy Football Impact: Pick up Garcia if you are in a league where good #2 QB's are scarce - you can guarantee Garcia will get a start this year, and if he does well, will keep the job the rest of the season.

Rattay traded from 49ers to Buccaneers

The AP is reporting that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers acquired Tim Rattay from the San Francisco 49ers to back up young quarterbacks Chris Simms and Luke McCown.

Their staring QB Griese injured his left knee during Sunday's 27-13 victory over Miami, however the Bucs still haven't commented publicly on his condition or said how long he will be sidelined after helping them to a 5-1 start.

"We're getting some more analysis," general manager Bruce Allen said. "He's still on the team. He is wanting to play. We're hopeful that he can. But we're going to get the proper medical opinion."

Allen declined to discuss specifics of the injury, which occurred when Dolphins linebacker Zach Thomas rolled into Griese's leg, or what doctors have told the team about the quarterback's status.

What's clear, though, is Griese will be out for a lengthy time.

The Bucs sent what was believed to be a sixth-round draft choice to the 49ers for Rattay, a six-year veteran who lost the starting job in San Francisco after four weeks to No. 1 overall draft pick Alex Smith.

Allen said the Bucs explored the prospect of acquiring Rattay during the offseason and were excited to find he was available before the NFL trading deadline of 4 p.m. Tuesday.

"We feel he'll be a great fit for our team," Allen said. "He'll come in and be our No. 3 quarterback. It gives us some great insurance and a feeling that we can sleep at night that we have a bona fide NFL starter."

Rattay, a seventh-round pick in 2000, started nine games last season and beat out Smith in training camp this year. But he performed poorly after an opening victory over St. Louis and was benched by coach Mike Nolan.

Week 6 Final Countdown

Just a reminder that Week 6's Final Countdown will start at 11:00 Eastern. For those new to our site, The Final Countdown provides last minute player updates to assist you in setting your lineups. We pull together information from our multiple sources and present it to you in one place so you don't have to worry about looking all over the web for the information you need.

Sporting News Fantasy Football - Week 6

Fantasy Football Defense - Week 6's Best Bets

Sporting News - Salary Cap, Masters, Ultimate

1. Indianapolis - 336 pts.
2. Cincinnati - 276 pts.
3. Tampa Bay - 262 pts.
4. Pittsburgh - 240 pts.
5. Chicago - 236 pts.

Sporting News - Commissioner, Experts, Competitor,

1. Indianapolis - 16 pts.
2. Chicago - 14 pts.
3. NY Giants - 13 pts.
4. Cincinnati - 12 pts.
5. Tampa Bay - 11 pts.

These rankings are based on the default Sporting News scoring systems. To find out what our point projections are for other top leagues, including FOX Sports, Yahoo!, NFL, AOL, CBS Sportsline, and ESPN, join today!

NFL Fantasy Football - Week 6

NFL Fantasy Football Top-10, Week 6

Wide Receivers:

1. Randy Moss, OAK - 15 pts.
2. Steve Smith, CAR - 15 pts.
3. Terry Glenn, DAL - 14 pts.
4. Keenan McCardell, SD - 13 pts.
5. Plaxico Burress, NYG - 12 pts.
6. Santana Moss, WAS - 12 pts.
7. Chad Johnson, CIN - 12 pts.
8. Muhsin Muhammad, CHI - 12 pts.
9. Eddie Kennison, KC - 11 pts.
10. Hines Ward, PIT - 9.75 pts.

Quarterbacks:

1. Drew Bledsoe, DAL - 32 pts.
2. Carson Palmer, CIN - 28 pts.
3. Eli Manning, NYG - 21 pts.
4. Mark Brunell, WAS - 21 pts.
5. Kerry Collins, OAK - 21 pts.
6. Payton Manning, IND - 21 pts.
7. Matt Hasselbeck, SEA - 20 pts.
8. Tom Brady, NE - 16.2 pts.
9. Drew Brees, SD - 16 pts.
10. Jake Plummer, DEN - 15 pts.

These rankings are based on the default NFL Fantasy Football scoring system. To find out what our point projections are for other top leagues, including FOX Sports, Yahoo!, AOL, CBS Sportsline, Sporting News, and ESPN, join today!

Steelers' Backfield A Fantasy Football Question Mark?

The Pittsburgh Steelers have the luxury of having a strong stable of running backs again! The bad news for fantasy football owners is "who do I start?"

We recommend you look at the backfield as it was projected at the start of the season - Staley and Bettis. Only now, you substitute the name "Willie Parker" for Staley.

It is looking more and more like Duce Staley is the odd-man out in the rotation, and his play will be severely limited unless one of the other backs gets injured/re-injured. That also means people who have relied on Parker bailing them out during the early season will be hit and miss the rest of the year. With any luck, you traded Parker after Week 2 for a reliable contributor.

You know how it goes: Bettis gets three TD's on 12 yards rushing one week and Willie Parker gets 140 yards and 2 TD's the next. It's going to be tough to predict - matchups will be the key; combined with a few "lucky guesses" thrown in for good measure.

Fantasy Football Impact: We suggested you trade Parker after Week #2 (when he was hot, see Random Thoughts,) and he has done nothing since! (55 yards 0 TD/bye week/26 yards 0 TD) Don't get me wrong, Parker will have other weeks where he performs well, he just won't be the week in and week out workhorse that many of the early bandwagon jumpers were hoping for.

Roethlisberger Has Hyperextended Knee

Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger reportedly has a hyperextended left knee and a bone bruise sustained during the Steelers' victory over San Diego on Monday night.

At this time Roethlisberger hasn't been ruled out of Sunday's game against Jacksonville.

Week 5 Injuries

As we reported earlier, Saints RB Deuce McAllister suffered what's believed to be a season ending knee injury during Sunday's game against Green Bay. RB Antowain Smith is expected to move up to starter. RB Aaron Stecker will also see additional action.

Bears RB Thomas Jones left Sunday's game with an injured knee. The MRI shows a mild knee sprain. Jones' status for this week's game is uncertain at this time. Expect Cedrick Benson to start if Jones can't play.

Lions WR Roy Williams strained his left quadriceps in Detroit's victory over the Ravens. His status is uncertain.

Cowboys RB Julius Jones suffered an ankle injury during Sunday's game. X-rays taken were negative but his status for this week's game is uncertain. Expect rookie RB Tyson Thompson to start if Jones is unable to play.

Packers RB Najeh Davenport broke his right ankle late in the first half of the Packers game against New Orleans. GB is hoping Ahman Green will be able to return after their bye this week.

Jets #2 RB Derrick Blaylock is out for the season with a broken foot. Rookie RB Cedric Houston will likely move into the backup position.

Patriots RB Corey Dillon left Sunday's game early with a leg injury. His status is uncertain at this time.

Texans WR Andre Johnson who left Sunday's game against Tennessee with a calf injury. His status is also uncertain at this time. Expect WR Corey Bradford to start if Johnson is unable to play.

Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger suffered a knee injury late in last night's victory over the Bolts. His status is uncertain.

McAllister likely Out For Season

The AP is reporting that Deuce McAllister likely will miss the remainder of the season after suffering a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee Sunday at Green Bay.

Saints coach Jim Haslett said Monday that the running back got a second opinion Monday in San Antonio. He'll get a third opinion from Dr. James Andrews in Birmingham, Ala., later this week.

"If that's the case, a torn ligament, he's out for the year," Haslett said. "I feel bad first of all for Deuce. He's worked hard to get to this point. He's a great football player."

McAllister became the leading career rusher for the Saints earlier this season. He's had three straight 1,000-yard rushing seasons plus three straight seasons with 30 or more receptions coming out of the backfield.

He has rushed for 335 yards and a 3.6 average this season with three touchdowns.

Fantasy Football Injuries

Week #5 Key Fantasy Football Injuries

Check the status of player injuries with last minute pre-game updates from StatLeader.com

Current key injuries:

1. Cadillac Williams RB, Bucs
2. Michael Vick QB, Falcons
3. Ahman Green RB, Packers

Find out which are inactive for today's games at StatLeader.com's Final Countdown.

Week 5 Final Countdown

Week 5's Final Countdown is now active.

Vick Downgraded To Questionable

Michael Vick has been downgraded to questionable by the Atlanta Falcons for Sunday's contest.

Coach Jim Mora, who listed Vick as probable the last three days, now believes the two-time Pro Bowl selection has just a 50 percent chance of playing.

Vick did not practice and is a game time decision. Check this weekend's Final Countdown to be sure!

Where Is Tony Gonzalez?

So far, 2005 has been a bust for Tony Gonzalez.

The All-World tight end has less yardage than 14 other tight ends - 4 of those have even played in one less game. He has yet to score a touchdown this year, and his yards per game is less than half of what it was in 2004.

In most leagues, there are 25-30 tight ends with a better fantasy points per game average - meaning that you wasted a perfectly good draft pick when you could have picked up an equal scorer as a free agent.

Truth is, we think Tony will rebound this year, but as it stands today, he has been anything but the Tony Gonzalez everyone expected him to be.

FOX Sports / MSN Fantasy Football - Week 5

Fantasy Football Week #5: FOX Sports/MSN

Best Bets for Week#5

Fantasy Football Wide Receivers:

1. Steve Smith, Panthers
2. Terrell Owens, Eagles
3. Joey Galloway, Bucs
4. Torry Holt, Rams
5. Chad Johnson, Bengals
6. Chris Chambers, Dolphins
7. Donald Driver, Packers
8. Keenan McCardell, Chargers
9. Jimmy Smith, Jaguars
10. Marvin Harrison, Colts

Fantasy Football Quarterbacks:

1. Peyton Manning, Colts
2. Donovan McNabb, Eagles
3. Ben Roethlisberger, Steelers
4. Matt Hasselbeck, Seahawks
5. Marc Bulger, Rams
6. Brett Favre, Packers
7. Steve McNair, Titans
8. Drew Bledsoe, Cowboys
9. Aaron Brooks, Saints
10. Michael Vick, Falcons

Get our full rankings including projected point totals for all offensive players, defenses/special teams, and kickers - over 600 projections!

AOL Bid To Play Fantasy Football - Week 5

Fantasy Football - Week 5

AOL BID TO PLAY: Best Bets - Tight Ends

1. Michael Gaines, Panthers
2. Randy McMichael, Dolphins
3. Steve Heiden, Browns
4. L. J. Smith, Eagles
5. Antonio Gates, Chargers

AOL BID TO PLAY: Best Bets - Running Backs

1. LaDainian Tomlinson, Chargers
2. Shaun Alexander, Seahawks
3. Stephen Davis, Panthers
4. Thomas Jones, Bears
5. Brian Westbrook, Eagles

Get our full rankings including projected point totals for all offensive players, defenses/special teams, and kickers - over 600 projections!

Fantasy Football Player Rating - Week 5

Who is this years Fantasy Football MVP? Which player has meant the most to their team so far in 2005?

The StatLeader Player Rating is our snapshot of who has been scoring the most - most consistently - in each league we track.

It's obvious that, for the average joe playing fantasy football, if you have two players averaging 10 pts per week, with one scoring 0/20/0/20 and the other scoring 10 points each week - the consistent 10 point player is a better choice even though they are each averaging the same points per week. The StatLeader Player Rating rewards consistency - because fantasy football is often a head to head match-up that you want to win each week - not every other week.

However, if you can pick this week's hot stock, or can predict the "pop" of the real estate bubble - then you would use the erratic player and just sit him on the weeks he is going to score "0" pts. But then you don't really exist, do you?

The rating tool can be a great deal of help when comparing free agents to pick-up or deciding who to sit between two of your starters. Of course each of our tools are best used in concert with each other.

• Weekly Player Point Projections
• StatLeader Player Rating
• Player Participation (last game, last three weeks, to date)

For the Yahoo! league (default scoring system) the top 5 rated players as of Week #5 according to the StatLeader Player Rating are:

1. Donovan McNabb, QB Player Rating: 18
2. LaDainian Tomlinson, RB Player Rating: 17
3. Carson Palmer, QB Player Rating: 16
4. Ben Roethlisberger, QB Player Rating: 16
5. Eli Manning, QB Player Rating: 15
6. Drew Bledsoe, QB Player Rating: 14

Good Luck in Week #5!

Chiefs Lineman Sampson Hospitalized

The Associated Press reports that Kansas City offensive tackle Kevin Sampson was admitted to a New Jersey hospital Thursday morning after apparently suffering a seizure, Chiefs coach Dick Vermeil has confirmed.

"I'm very, very concerned," Vermeil told The Kansas City Star on Thursday. "I've been trying all afternoon to get information. I haven't heard from anybody."

The Jersey Journal in Jersey City reported in Friday's editions that Sampson, 24, called 911 at about 10 a.m. Thursday complaining about not feeling well. When an ambulance arrived at an apartment building in Hoboken, Sampson asked to be taken to a hospital, but collapsed.

The Journal reported that the 6-foot-4, 312-pound Sampson, in his second year with the Chiefs, was taken to the emergency room of St. Mary Hospital in Hoboken, and was passing in and out of consciousness.

A hospital spokesman told The Associated Press on Thursday night that no information about Sampson was available.

Told Ya So!

Check NFL.com tonight and you'll find the headline "Bills to bench QB Losman, start Holcomb".

Now, back in my August 11 post I told you to keep an eye on Kelly Holcomb as a potential sleeper. This came after watching J.P. Losman's futile performance in the Buffalo - Green Bay Scrimmage.

Several of our readers ripped into me, one even posting: "Please don't print any more non-news just to fill our your article! Give us something we can use. Bledsoe wasn't traded to make room for Holcomb. Losman will play all 16 games unless injured."

With all due respect, last I checked with our math expert Rocket Man, 4 (the number of games Losman has started this season) is somewhat less than 16.

We take great pride in what we do here at StatLeader. A considerable amount of research and discussion goes into our projections before we post them for you. As this situation demonstrates, we don't post "non-news" just to fill out our articles.

P.S. Thanks again Mister2 for covering my 6 on that one.

Need Fantasy Football Bye Week Help?

If the Bills name QB Kelly Holcomb as the starter - you can probably find Lee Evans, WR on the waiver wire by now. We are very high on Evans - we simply underestimated how low even J.P. Losman could go.

Anybody notice that David Givens WR of New England has had 15 receptions in his last two starts?

With Cadillac Williams on the injury list we doubt he is going to get 30 carries in Week 5. Is Michael Pittman available? He is a good choice for a number 3 RB or flex player!

The Seahawks are being hit by the injury bug too this week. Both WR's Bobby Engram and Darrell Jackson are on the injury list as doubtful. It is very possible that Peter Warrick and Joe Jurevicius will be the Seahawks' starting wideouts this week. We like Jurevicius best of the two because of his nose for the end zone (2 TD's on 7 receptions through Week 4.)

Green Bay may be a good place to find a fill-in wideout. Check if WR Antonio Chatman is available in your free agent pool - he will be a good third receiver.

Keep an eye on Final Countdown this week - if T.J. Houshmandzadeh's injury keeps him out of the game this week, think about the Bengals' Chris Henry as your third receiver.

Have a good week of fantasy football!

Fantasy Football vs. Reality - You Must Know The Difference To Win!

StatLeader.com Fantasy Football is always harping on the fact that too many fantasy football owners let "real life" get in the way of their victories.

In fantasy football - who the star is, which team is undefeated and who is leading their Division is all stuff that makes no difference. I love to look at "Power Rankings" and other nonsense offered by other sites that provides absolutely no insight to how to pick fantasy players, who to start or sit, and how to win.

A perfect example is the San Francisco 49ers' defense. I picked them up in three of my leagues this year - and some people "smacked" me about such a dumb move. One person who gave me grief had the Jaguar defense.

Well, in real life, I would rather have the Jacksonville's defense over the 49ers any day. (I hear that they can actually defend against the pass.) In the fantasy football world however, my 49er defense scored me 21 points in our league last week where the Jag's defense scored only 7.

How can this be?

In most leagues, there is no penalty for yards given up by a defense. Also, the points for holding opponents to a certain score are usually undervalued so much that any score outside of a shut-out provides very few fantasy points to the defense. On the other hand, defensive sacks, ints, and touchdowns usually score big. The San Francisco front 7 are good enough, and opportunistic enough to score in these categories - no matter how many long passes the secondary surrenders. In the Yahoo fantasy football league I play in - the 49ers' Defense is the second ranked defense by fantasy points scored.

It is also frequently overlooked that the 49er defense is on the field so long that they have as much as a 30% increased exposure to their opponents offense to GET those points. It's like you get a defense that plays an extra quarter each game. That exposure is killing the 49ers, but not the defense points scored in fantasy football!

Who cares if the 49ers lose by 30 if their defense scores you 21 pts?

Remember: Look at how statistics affect your fantasy points - not the win-loss column in the newspaper. Our fantasy football point projections are based strictly on how real-life performance translates to fantasy football league scoring.

What Some Teams Won't Do For A First Down!

In an effort to try and get his defense off the field by some means other than halftime and the final gun, Coach Mike Nolan has promoted Alex Smith to the starting quarterback position.

Smith will make his first NFL start on Sunday against Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts at Candlestick Park. The former Utah star played in two of the 49ers' first four games, mopping up in losses to Philadelphia and Arizona.

"I feel that Alex gives us the best chance to win, and I believe he's ready," San Francisco coach Mike Nolan said. "Tim has handled everything very well, but at this time in the process, I believe it's time to get Alex in the game. At 1-3, we didn't draft Alex to just sit him on the bench. At 1-3, I believe we need to begin to utilize him."

You can feel for Nolan and the 49ers. Their defense has spent more time on the field then President Bush has been spending in New Orleans the last few weeks.

"He's been well-prepared every week," Nolan said. "That's one of the things that's impressed me. I've watched that, and he's prepared from that standpoint. If he gets hit hard or makes a mistake, it's not very often that he comes back and does the same thing."

The good thing for Smith is that nobody expects the 49ers to have a chance with their totally-depleted secondary against Peyton Manning - so if Smith manages to get some first downs and one TD it will be a welcome improvement over the offense under Tim Rattay.

Week 2 Report Card for StatLeader Fantasy Football

Ever wonder just how accurate the experts are? There are a lot of places on the web where you can go to get fantasy football information. A lot of it is free too!

Serious fantasy football players want to win, and finding accurate information is a key factor in developing a winning strategy.

We at StatLeader.com are not afraid to make our performance known. For the second week of the season, or projections were accurate 80% of the time. As you are aware, early season projections are the most difficult due to a variety of factors. Combine that with injuries that occur during games and blow-outs and you can imagine the difficulty in having accurate projections.

In spite of all that, you can look at StatLeader.com's projections and know that in 8 out of 10 times, our numbers are going to be right on the money! This performance already has us beating our competitors, but the truth of the matter is, that this accuracy will increase week after week due to our proprietary analysis routines.

Our staff's insight and knowledge, backed with statistical data points and scientific analysis.

Knowing fantasy football gets you in the door - combining that knowledge with statistics provides the true winning edge. We are at 80% now and leading the pack - but the best is yet to come.

Join now and get the best player point projections available.

Undefeated Bucs Face Injuries

Is the Cadillac in the shop for Week 5?

Carnell Williams will be limited in practice this week because of a sore hamstring and sprained foot.

Coach Jon Gruden stressed Monday it was too early to say if the rookie running back will play against the New York Jets.

"If he's ready to go, he'll play," Gruden reiterated. "All I can say is the doctors will let us know. Carnell's going to let us know."

Medical Reason for Misfires?

Quarterback Brian Griese, who suffered a concussion after a second-quarter collision with Lions linebacker Boss Bailey on a 7-yard scramble, reported he had a headache and some neck stiffness.

"When you get into the heat of the battle and you're competing, you want to get the extra yards, sometimes you can dive and be safe doing it," Griese said. "In that instance, I didn't get down as fast as I wanted to."

After the injury, Griese missed the mark on five of his next seven passes, including two that were intercepted. But he said he made the right decision to remain in the game.

"If I was ever in a position where I didn't think I could play effectively or I didn't feel like I knew the offense or going through my reads, I wouldn't go out there," Griese said.

Lions' Rogers to be suspended?

ESPN is reporting that Detroit Lions receiver Charles Rogers will be suspended for four games for violating the NFL's substance abuse policy, ESPN reported Monday night.

Unless Rogers appeals, the suspension could be announced this week, ESPN reported, citing sources.

"A player's status in the National Football League substance abuse program is strictly confidential unless the NFL announces a player's suspension," the Lions said in a statement. "Any questions regarding the policy should be directed to the NFL."

NFL spokesman Greg Aiello said the league had no comment. A message seeking comment from Rogers' agent, Kevin Poston, was left Monday night.

Monday Night Final Countdown

Just a reminder that Monday night's Final Countdown (reporting last minute player status) will begin at 8:00 PM Eastern Time (That's 4:00 AM Tuesday in Moscow, 7:00 AM in Dhaka, and noon tomorrow in Auckland ... so there.)

Eli's Coming

Eli Manning wouldn't be born for another 12 years when Three Dog Night sang "Eli's Coming" to the top of the Billboard charts - but if his last two games are any indication, Eli Manning may be #1 himself soon.

It's clear that Eli Manning is beginning to find his way - and get comfortable in his role as the Giants' main man. It is also easy to see that the Giants are now finally comfortable with Eli at the helm.

Manning has thrown 9 TD's with only 1 INT in four games this season. In nine games last year, Eli had 6 TD's and 9 INTs. His quarterback rating is up over 42 points.

The Giants are sure to have success this year if Manning continues to play at this season's level - and that means good fantasy numbers for Burress, Barber, and Shockey.

J.P. Losman Keeps His Job

Head coach Mike Mularkey replaced second-year quarterback J.P. Losman with nine-year veteran Kelly Holcomb on the team's first possession of the fourth quarter. However, with Holcomb directing the offense, the Bills didn't fare any better.

During his Postgame press conference, Mike Mularkey reiterated that J.P. Losman is the team's starting quarterback.

"J.P. is the starter and we're going with J.P," said the second-year head coach. "I think everybody understands that."

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CBS Sportsline Fantasy Football Player Point Projections

Week 4 Best-Bets for CBS Sportsline

Running Backs:

1. Brian Westbrook
2. LaDainian Tomlinson
3. Julius Jones
4. Shaun Alexander
5. Corey Dillon
6. Edgerrin James
7. Stephen Davis
8. Tiki Barber
9. Carnell Williams
10. LaMont Jordan

Check out this weeks fantasy football player point projections for all offensive players, kickers, and defense/special teams specifically for CBS Sportsline Fantasy Football League.