BY ADAM RONIS
Carson Palmer will have his elbow examined by Mets doctor David Altchek Monday morning. Palmer hopes that his elbow has improved enough so he could practice this week and faces the Steelers Sunday. Palmer said his elbow is getting better.
BY ADAM RONIS
CARDINALS 30, COWBOYS 24 (OT)
A special teams TD opened the game and ended it for the Cardinals. Kurt Warner went 22 of 30 for 236 yards, 2 TDs and 1 INT. He has thrown multiplle TDS in 5 consecutive games and is a strong fantasy play. Larry Fitzgerald had 79 yards on 5 catches and a TD. He is one of the best fantasy WRs. Steve Breaston had 8 catches for 102 yards and a TD. His value takes a hit when Anquan Boldin returns, but he should be held on to in most leagues. The Cardinals throw often and he'll still have some good games.
Tony Romo went 24 of 39 for 321 yards and 3 TDs. He lost a fumble and looks shaky at times, but he's a fantasy stud. He sprained a pinky finger on his throwing hand. Marion Barber only gained 45 yards on 17 carries, but he had 11 catches for 128 yards and a TD. Terrell Ownes had 4 catches for 36 yards. Here comes the complaining. Jason Witten had 4 catches for 55 yards Felix Jones strained his hamstring. Patrick Crayton had three catches for 84 yards and a TD.
JAGUARS 24, BRONCOS 17
David Garrard went 25 of 34 for 276 yards and 1 TD. Maurice Jones-Drew, a recommended start in Friday's column, had 125 yards rushing and 2 TDs and 2 catches for 23 yards. Fred Taylor missed most of the game after taking a helmet-to-helmet hit. Matt Jones had 69 yards on 7 catches and is the favorite target of Garrard. Jerry Porter didn't have a catch for the second straight game.
Jay Cutler went 21 of 37 for 192 yards, 2 TDs and 1 INT. Several of the Broncos WRs were out or injured. Brandon Stokley had 3 catches for 29 yards and a TD, but left the game with a head injury. Michael Pittman had 109 yards on 20 carries and had 3 catches for 16 yards. Andre Hall didn't get a carry. Brandon Marshall had 98 yards on 9 catches, but did fumble.
PACKERS 27, SEAHAWKS 17
Aaron Rodgers has been good despite a sore shoulder. He went 21 of 30 for 208 yards, two TDs and rushed for a TD. Ryan Grant had 33 carries for 90 yards and has been a big disappointment. Greg Jennings had 5 catches for 84 yards and a TD. He's been very consistent.
Matt Hasselbeck didn't play because of a hyperextended knee and could be out for a while. He needs more tests on the knee. Charlie Frye started and wasn't good. He went 12 of 23 for 83 yards, 2 TDs and 2 INTs. Julius Jones had 44 yards on 12 carries. I said sell high a few weeks ago. Maurice Morris returned and had 12 yards on 4 carries and had 2 catches for 13 yards. John Carlson had 4 catches for 22 yards and a TD. He's a solid option, but the Seahawks QB situation is ugly.
EAGLES 40, 49ERS 26
Donovan McNabb went 23 of 36 for 280 yards, 2 TDs and 1 INT. Correll Buckhalter had 93 yards on 18 carries and a TD and had 7 catches for 85 yards. He's very valuable if Brian Westbrook is out.
J.T. O'Sullivan went 16 of 29 for 212 yards with two INTs and a fumble. Play him only when the matchup is right. Vernon Davis had 6 catches for 75 yards after being non-existent much of the season. Frank Gore had 101 yards on 19 carries and a TD and had 3 catches for 16 yards.
CHARGERS 30, PATRIOTS 10
LaDainian Tomlinson had 20 carries for 74 yards and had 3 catches for 44 yards. Antonio Gates had 4 catches for 35 yards and a TD. He also dropped a TD and hasn't been as good as he has in the past, but he doesn have 4 TDs. Malcolm Floyd had 3 catches for 75 yards and a TD. He'll have some value if Chris Chambers misses time. I said in my Friday column Vincent Jackson was a good start, especially with Chambers out and he didn't disappoint. He had 5 catches for 134 yards and a TD. Phillip Rivers threw 3 TDs for the 4th time this season. He went 18 of 27 for 306 yards and is a borderline No. 1 fantasy QB.
Randy Moss had 3 catches for 26 yards. Hope you sold high last week. He was targeted in the end zone, but Matt Cassel is hurting Moss. Cassel went 22 of 38 for 203 yards. He took four sacks and is struggling to complete long passes. Wes Welker isn't scoring, but he's still helping in PPR leagues. He had 73 yards on nine catches. Sammy Morris had 10 carries for 26 yards and a late TD to at least give owners something. Laurence Maroney and Lamont Jordan were inactive.
Here is an archive to all shows.
BY ADAM RONIS
COLTS 31, RAVENS 3
Welcome back Peyton. For those who shoveled some dirt on Manning, you brought out the shovels a little prematurely. He went 19 of 28 for 271 yards, 3 TDs and 0 INTs. All the more impressive since it came against the Ravens and Joseph Addai left the game in the first quarter with a hamstring injury. Dominic Rhodes had 73 yards on 25 carries and a TD. Make sure he is owned in all leagues, especially if Addai misses time. Marvin Harrison had 3 catches for 83 yards and 2 TDs. Reggie Wayne had 118 yards on 8 catches and a TD.
With the Ravens falling behind quickly, the running game was abandoned. Willis McGahee had 18 yards on 8 carries; Le'Ron McClain had 2 carries for -2 yards and Ray Rice had 23 yards on 6 carries.
FALCONS 22, BEARS 20
The Falcons are one of the surprises so far in the NFL with a 4-2 record. Matt Ryan has looked very good for a rookie. He completed 22 of 30 for 301 yards, 1 TD and 0 INT. He's a low-end No. 2 QB. Michael Turner rushed for 54 yards on 25 carries. The Falcons best fantasy player continues to be Roddy White, who had 9 catches for 112 yards and a TD. The most impressive thing about him is he doesn't have any other major threat along side him and he's still been excellent.
Kyle Orton had a solid game going 26 of 43 for 286 yards, 1 TD and 0 INT. He's a good No. 2 QB. Matt Forte had 76 yards on 20 carries and a TD and had 5 catches for 34 yards. He's getting a lot of touches and as a rookie that isn't used to playing a 16-game schedule, you have to be a little concerned. If you can sell high and get someone more reliable, I'd make the move. Devin Hester had 87 yards on 6 catches. He should see more targets if Brandon Lloyd remains out. Rashied Davis had four catches for 41 yards and a TD.
TEXANS 29, DOLPHINS 28
Like I said last week, don't give up on Matt Schaub. He has a lot of potential and has survived an early tough schedule. He went 22 of 42 for 379 yards, 1 TD and 2 INTs. He rushed for a 3-yard TD in the waning seconds to win the game. He finally had a great connection with Andre Johnson, who had 10 catches for 178 yards and a TD. Don't be surprised if he finishes as a top-5 WR. Kevin Walter had 98 yards on 4 catches. Owen Daniels had 4 catches for 70 yards is a solid TE. Steve Slaton had 58 yards on 15 carries and one catch for 3 yards. Ahman Green had 41 yards on 8 carries and 1 catch for 2 yards, but he's not a great option.
Chad Pennington went 19 of 25 for 284 yards, 2 TDs and 1 INT. He's a low-end No. 2 QB. Ronnie Brown had 50 yards on 13 carries and a TD and Ricky Williams had 46 yards on 11 carries with a TD. If you had Patrick Cobbs in the lineup, it better be a 30-team league and if you did, please tell me why. He had 138 yards on 3 catches and two TDs.
VIKINGS 12, LIONS 10
Leave it to the Vikings to almost hand the Lions a win. Gus Frerotte went 18 of 33 for 296 yards, 1 TD and 1 INT and at least gives the Vikings a threat in the passing game.
Adrian Peterson rushed for 111 yards on 25 carries, but lost two fumbles. Bernard Berrian had 131 yards on 5 catches with a TD and has come alive with Frerotte at QB.
Dan Orlovsky filled in for Jon Kitna and went 12 of 21 for 150 yards, 1 TD and 0 INT. Rudi Johnson rushed for 38 yards on 17 carries. Kevin Smith had 62 yards on 5 carries, but didn't play in the second half because of a shoulder injury. He's the better option the rest of the season. Calvin Johnson had 85 yards on 4 catches and a TD, but since he's a Lion, of course, he got hurt and left the game. He took a helmet-to-helmet hit and at blurry vision.
SAINTS 34, RAIDERS 3
Drew Brees is ridiculous. He went 26 of 30 for 320 yards, 3 TDs and 0 INTs and once again spread the ball around hitting nine different receivers. Reggie Bush is a PPR stud and in standard leagues he's not as good. He still can't run the ball that well, gaining 27 yards on 14 carries, but he did scored. He had 40 yards on 3 catches and a TD. Deuce McAllister had 65 yards on 13 carries. Lance Moore had 97 yards on 7 catches and will still have value when Marques Colston returns.
Justin Fargas returned and had 35 yards on 10 carries. Darren McFadden had 30 yards on 8 carries.
JETS 26, BENGALS 14
Brett Favre still looks shaky at times. He's a borderline No. 1 QB. I had him ranked just outside of that before the season and I think that's where he will finish at. He went 25 of 33 for 189 yards with 1 TD and 2 INTs. Thomas Jones rushed for 65 yards on 17 carries and two TDs. He also had 3 catches for 13 yards and a TD. Jerricho Cotchery (85 yards) and Lavernaues Coles (61 yards) each had 8 catches.
Ryan Fitzpatrick went 20 of 33 for 152 yards with 0 TDs and 0 INTs. The Bengals have no running game right now. Chris Perry looks like he's too worried about holding on to the ball instead of running hard. Cedric Benson had just 6 yards on 4 carries. He could get more carries, but don't expect too much. Chad Johnson had 57 yards on 5 catches and T.J. Houshmandzadeh had 49 yards on 7 catches. Their value takes a hit if Fitzpatrick is at QB.
BUCCANEERS 27, PANTHERS 3
Jeff Garcia went 15 of 20 for 173 yards, 1 TD and 0 INTs. He's a low-end No. 2 QB, but don't expect great numbers. Warrick Dunn had 22 carries and gained 115 yards. Earnest Graham , who shifted to fullback because of injuries, had just five carries for 11 yards. He had 2 catches for 47 yards.
Jake Delhomme had an awful game going 20 of 39 for 242 yards, 0 TDs and 3 INTs. He's a No. 2 QB. DeAngelo Williams had 27 yards on 11 carries and Jonathan Stewart had 12 yards on 6 carries as the Panthers were shut down by the Bucs defense. Steve Smith had 112 yards on 6 catches and Mushin Muhammad had 68 yards on 4 catches.
RAMS 19, REDSKINS 17
How many of you took the Redskins in a suicide pool? Jason Campbell went 18 of 26 for 208 yards with 0 TDs and 0 INTs, but some fumbles by his receivers hurt him. Clinton Portis remains one of the best fantasy backs as he gained 129 yards on 21 carries and scored twice.
Marc Bulger went 15 of 26 for 136 yards with 0 TDs and 0 INTs. Steven Jackson had 79 yards on 22 carries and 3 catches for 32 yards. Donnie Avery had 4 catches for 73 yards.
Here is an archive to all shows.
BY ADAM RONIS
The Warriors suspended guard Monta Ellis for 30 games without pay for violating his contract when he got into an accident riding a moped. He severely sprained his ankle in a crash in late August. He signed a six-year deal for $66 million in July. Four preseason games are included in the suspension and he is eligible to return Dec. 17. He recently underwent surgery to repair a torn ligament and isn't expected to be ready by the time he is eligible to be back. Ellis lied to the Warriors saying he was hurt in a pickup game before telling the team the truth several days later.
BY ADAM RONIS
1. Chris Paul (Hornets): An argument can be made for Paul being the top-ranked player overall. He's definitely top 3. His three-point shot is getting better and he provides a great number of assists and steals.
2. Dwyane Wade (Heat): He looked very good in the Olympics. He'll help in many categories, but is an injury risk with the way he throws his body around.
3. Baron Davis (Clippers): Health is the main issue for Davis, who played all 82 games last season. He is a great source of points, threes, assists and steals. Losing some weight should help, too.
4. Allen Iverson (Nuggets): He has to share shots now with another star in Carmelo Anthony, but it helped his field goal percentage improve. His assists and steals are still there, too.
5. Deron Williams (Jazz): Averaged 18.8 points and 10.5 assists last season. He shot 50 percent from the field and 80 from the free-throw line. I am a huge fan of Williams. Compared to the other guards in this tier, he doesn't shoot as many three's and needs to cut down his turnovers. He did shoot a lot of threes in the postseason and if he can carry that over to this season, he'll be a great fantasy player.
6. Steve Nash (Suns): Nash will turn 35 this season. He did play 81 games last season and the talk of limiting his minutes last season never came to fruition, but it might happen this season. He shoots around 50 percent from the field and 90 percent from the foul line. He'll give you a lot of assists and threes.
7. Chauncey Billups (Pistons): Always a good value considering where he gets drafted. He's a great guy if you need three-pointers and he'll shoot around 90 percent from the foul line.
8. Jose Calderon (Raptors): He exceled when T.J. Ford missed time last season. Now, Ford is gone and Calderon is the full-time starter. He won't score much, but he'll provide a lot of assists and shoots well from the field and foul line. He averaged 8.3 assists in 30 minutes. He averaged just 1.5 turnover per game. As a starter, he averaged 13 points, 9.1 assists, 1.2 threes, 1.2 steals, shot 53.1 percent from the field and 91 percent from the free-throw line.
9. Jason Kidd (Mavericks): His game is declining and althought he won't score as much, he still rebounds very well for a guard and should still have a good amount of rebounds and steals.
10. Mo Williams (Cavaliers): Williams lands in a good situation with LeBron James. LeBron will get most of the attention and that should open things up for Williams.
11. Andre Miller (76ers): The addition of Elton Brand will boost his assists totals. His scoring may go down, but he shoots well from the field, gets steals and could average 4 rebounds.
12. Devin Harris
13. Jamal Crawford
14. Mike Bibby
15. T.J. Ford
16. Tony Parker
17. Randy Foye
18. Lenardo Barbosa
19. Jameer Nelson
20. Rajon Rando
21. Jason Terry
22. Kirk Hinrich
23. Raymond Felton
24. Derrick Rose
25. Rafer Alston
26. O.J. Mayo
27. Marcus Williams
28. Gilbert Arenas (injured)
29. Earl Watson
30. Beno Udrich
31. Mike Conley
32. Monta Ellis (injured)
33. Antonio Daniels
34. Ramon Sessions
35. Antonio Daniels
36. Chris Duhon
37. Rodney Stuckey
38. Louis Williams
39. Jerryd Bayless
40. Jordan Farmar
41. Roger Mason
42. Luke Ridnour
Here is an archive to all shows.
BY ADAM RONIS
Brian Griese missed another practice and Jeff Garcia will likely start in a tough matchup against the Panthers.
Matt Hasselbeck missed his third consecutive practice with a knee injury and will be a game-time decision against the Packers. Charlie Frye would start in his place.
Eddie Royal is questionable and will be a game-time decision. I'd keep him reserved. Darrell Jackson is probable and could see more time if Royal is out.
Roddy White has a head injury and missed his second straight practice.
Mike Walker is out with an MCL sprain.
Donte Stallworth practiced all week and is expected to play against the Giants.
Brandon Lloyd missed his third straight practice. Marty Booker will start in his place.
BY ADAM RONIS
Marques Colston targeted Week 8 as his return from thumb surgery, but he returned to the practice field Wednesday and could play this week against the Raiders. Check back Sunday to find out if he will play and how many snaps he will get. He might just play in multiple-wide sets.
BY ADAM RONIS
Brian Westbrook and Reggie Brown won't play Sunday. Westbrook has broken ribs and will miss his second game of the season. The Eagles have a bye next week, so Westbrook could return in Week 8. Brown is out with a groin injury. Kevin Curtis (groin) could get some snaps, but he is a risky play.
BY ADAM RONIS
Carson Palmer won't start on Sunday against the Jets as his throwing elbow continues to bother him. Ryan Fitzpatrick will start in his place. Palmer missed the game against the Browns two weeks ago before returning last week against the Cowboys and threw two TDs. He could be the backup Sunday.
