There were some huge games week seven in the NFL. The Cincinnati Bengals demolished the Chicago Bears. The New Orleans Saints made a historic comeback against the Miami Dolphins to remain undefeated. The Pittsburgh Steelers defeated the Minnesota Vikings in a highly anticipated match up. We also got to see the 2005 first overall draft pick Alex Smith take the field and throw three touchdowns.
Let’s now take a look at who is hot, who is cold and who is injured.’
The Hot:
Nobody was hotter than Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer Sunday. Palmer completed 20 of his 24 passes, threw for 233 yards and a season high five touchdowns. Fantasy owners should hope that Palmer continues this positive trend. Palmer has been relatively inconsistent this year but due to his recent success, he should be considered a solid start in all fantasy formats.
Palmer’s fellow teammate’s running back Cedric Benson and wide receiver Chad Ochocinco also had huge games Sunday against the Bears. Benson rushed for a career high 189 yards and a touchdown against his former team while Ochocinco caught 10 balls for 118 yards and two touchdowns. Benson has emerged as an elite fantasy back this year; he should be starting in all fantasy leagues. Ochocinco has re-established himself as an elite fantasy wide receiver; Ochocinco’s fantasy owners should just smile and reap the benefits.
Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Miles Austin had another huge game Sunday against the Falcons. Austin caught six passes for 171 yards and two scores.. Austin has emerged into a breakout fantasy receiver this year; he should be considered a legitimate starter in all fantasy leagues.
Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo continued his up and down season Sunday against the Falcons. Romo threw for 311 yards and three touchdowns. Romo is one of those fantasy quarterbacks that you pretty much have to start every week because you never know when he is going to put up monster numbers. If you are a Romo owner you are going to want to get him active week eight against the Seahawks.
San Francisco 49ers tight end Vernon Davis had a break-out game Sunday against the Texans. Davis caught seven passes for 93 yards and a season high three touchdowns. After trailing 21-0 at halftime, 49ers head-coach Mike Singletary benched starting quarterback Shaun Hill in favor of Alex Smith. Smith connected with Davis for all three touchdowns. It is most likely that Smith is going to take over the starting duties, according to www.cbssportsline.com, so Davis owners could only hope that the touchdown trend continues.
Miami Dolphins running back Ricky Williams rushed for 80 yards and scored three touchdowns Sunday vs. the New Orleans Saints. Williams easily enjoyed his best game of the season Sunday. Williams is splitting time with Ronnie Brown this season so his value is slightly lower than other stud backs but none the less he should be starting in most fantasy formats due to his big play explosiveness. If you are a Williams’s owner you are going to want to get him active next week against the Jets.
Some other hot players for week seven include; Phillip Rivers, Sidney Rice, Peyton Manning, Vincent Jackson, Ryan Grant, Aaron Rodgers and Tom Brady.
The Cold:
Chicago Bears running back Matt Forte continued his relatively disappointing season Sunday at the Bengals. Forte only rushed for 24 yards in the loss. Forte was most likely a top five pick in all fantasy drafts this year so games like this have continued to disappoint Forte owners. The Bears play the Browns week eight so Forte could potentially have a break-out game. Forte can’t be considered a stud back this year but you have to consider he will bounce back sometime.
Buffalo Bills wide receiver Terrell Owens continued his disappointing 2009 campaign Sunday at the Panthers. Owens only caught 3 passes for 27 yards. Owens is having a disappointing first season with the Bills. Owens has yet to break 100 yards receiving and has only scored one touchdown, according to www.cbssportsline.com.
New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning had a pretty poor performance Sunday night against Arizona. Manning threw for 243 yards, one touchdown and three interceptions. Manning has had a pretty solid season this year so you have to consider games like this will happen. Consider Manning a decent fantasy starter when the match-ups are right. The Giants play the Philadelphia Eagles week eight so if you don’t have a better option start Manning.
Pittsburgh Steelers smash-mouth wide receiver Hines Ward only managed one catch for three yards Sunday vs. the Vikings. Ward is leading the league in receiving yards; you should trust that Ward won’t have games like this to often. The Steelers are on a bye week eight but when they return to action week nine against Denver you should get him active.
Doctors’ Reports:
Houston Texans star wide receiver Andre Johnson left Sunday’s game with an apparent lung injury. He is listed as day-to-day but is expected to play next week against the Bills, according to www.cbssportsline.com. Johnson owners are collectively letting out a sigh of relief. Johnson is one of the top receivers in football and should be starting every week for your fantasy team when healthy.
Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Reggie Wayne left Sunday’s game at St. Louis with a groin injury. Wayne should be ok for week eight against the 49ers, according to Colts head coach Jim Caldwell. Wayne is a surefire number one fantasy receiver and should be starting in all formats.
New York Jets wide receiver Leon Washington left Sunday’s game against Oakland with a broken leg. Washington is expected to miss the remainder of the 2009 season. Washington is not even a starter on the Jets so his fantasy value is pretty limited. Obviously you want to cut Washington from your fantasy roster because of the injury.
San Francisco 49ers running back Frank Gore only managed 34 rushing yards in his return from injury, Sunday against the Texans. If you are a Gore owner you have to figure Gore is just a little bit rusty. Don’t hesitate to start Gore next week against the Colts.
Philadelphia Eagles running back Brian Westbrook left Monday Night’s game against the Redskins. Brian Westbrook might as well be called Nancy Westbrook, because he is one of the most injury prone players in the NFL. It is not known how serious this injury is but you are a Westbrook owner you might want to look for alternatives.
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