Some friday Notes - Parker and Bush

Reggie Bush was limited in practice today, however the New Orleans Times-Picayune expects him to playand if that's the case, they'll probably give him a decent load. While I hesitate to jump on the 20-25 carry bandwagon right off the back, they will probably use him both in the pass game and the ground game.

I think he will be a decent start and I think Pierre Thomas gets most of the secondary carries. McAllister? I don't know but I don't feel he is a very safe play this weekend.

I didn't have Bush on my RB rankings - I would slot him around 20 (give or take) as I am unsure what kind of touches he will get and Payton has eased his star players into the gameplan more than once. This is a game the Saints have to win though and I expect him to be a factor somehow.

Willie Parker practiced for the second straight day without any limitations, though he is still listed as Questionable for Sunday. Assuming he steps in no gopher holes, he should go against the Pats this Sunday. My biggest concern is he might tweak that knee again like he did. Add to that the fact that while the Patsies can be run on, they rarely cough up a TD (4 to Ronnie Brown way back in Week 3) and they just held the Dolphins to less than 60 yards running last week. Parker will probably better that yards total, but a TD may be hard to come by. And that's assuming he's healthy all game.

Pittsburgh Steelers vs Cincinnati Bengals - Bengals Breakdown

Ryan Fitzpatrick – Against the top pass defense in the league I would rather avoid the Harvard QB. It’s too risky most weeks to roll him out much less this week. But what to do if you have a whole bunch of question marks? I would still try to avoid him. He might not turn the ball over a lot, and the Steelers only have 10 INTs (some might claim 11 after the blown call against the Chargers) but they are tied for the league in sacks with 36. And oh yeah - The Bengals have given up 38 sacks thus far and the left side of the oline is out. Yeah, I would bench him.

Cedric Benson – At times, Benson has played very well though never great. Against the number 1 rush defense, I cannot stress enough how bad an idea it is to start him. Less than 69yds per game? Check. Just 4 TDs the season? Check. Bench for Benson? Check.

TJ Houshmandzedah – In a PPR league Housh has been money almost every week. They will still try to get him the ball and he’s probably one of your better WRs right now. He is the one person I might start on this squad. I’m still nervous and you cannot expect a ton, but he should get some catches and in a PPR league he is probably going to be a good start there, while nonPPR is a really tough matchup and it may not be worth your time to start him, though again, you may not have a whole heckuva lot of choice.

Chad Johnson – Has just been announced as inactive - don't know why, doesn't matter. get him out.

Chris Henry - Will get the start in Johnson's place. Still not worth a start unless you are very desperate.

Pittsburgh Steelers vs Cincinnati Bengals - Steelers Breakdown

Ben Roethlisberger – Big Ben has been able to put yards up lately, but he hasn’t been able to get the ball into the hands of his WRs for a TD – however, he HAS been able to get the ball into the hands of the opposing secondary, throwing 8 INTs in the last 5 games, and only 3 TDs. He faces a Bengals team that has steadily – though slowly – gotten better as the weeks have gone on. They have been able to limit passers to just over 200 yards a game but are not getting a ton of pressure on the QB (just 11 sacks) and aren’t forcing too many turnovers (just 8). They have also given 14 TDs up to date and while many of those were earlier in the season, they do give them up regularly and this could be the week that Roethlisberger’s TDs end up better than his yards. I think he’s a fine start, depending on your matchup.

Willie Parker – One reason Big Ben might have a subpar passing game yardage-wise could be a large game from Willie Parker. Parker came out firing on all cylinders in a sloppy game against the Chargers last week, and is looking a defense giving 131+ yards a game, and a dozen TDs right in the face. Parker is a good start this week, a nice RB2 or flex at least and maybe more depending upon your matchups.

Hines Ward – Ward has been pretty darn streaky this season, but is on a two game tear with over 100 yards per game. Roethlisberger is certainly looking at him a ton the last few games – and while Parker will probably control things on the ground, Ward is often Big Ben’s go to guy on short and tough crossing routes. A decent WR3 or flex depending on your roster and he should put up ok yards. He might get a TD in the redzone, but no guarantees.

Santonio Holmes – Holmes has had, for the most part, an awful year. Between his one game benching and the subpar receptions, he's been a shaky start. Could he light up the Bengals? Yup. Do I want to risk it this early? Probably not. He is a borderline WR4 – until he can prove to me he can be even a little consistent I’m not partial to him going into your lineup.

Nate Washington – There was time during the earlier part of the season where they were using Washington to stretch the field. But that time seems to have past. Like Calvin Johnson, he’s surviving on one or two long bombs most weeks – unlike Johnson he does not have the pure physicality and ability to make more out of less. Washington is just not a safe play – he did have a TD last go-round against the Bengals but unless you have to go 4 Wr and/or are in a bind, he should be on your bench.

Mewelde Moore – Moore might have some very thin value in an emergency but with Parker running the way he did this weekend, it looks grim. Moore was part of the pass game to the tune of 5 catches for 33 yards so in a PPR league he has Kevin Faulk value, but it’s risky and unless you have a real problem at RB this weekend, sit him. He might get garbage yards but on a thursday I would rather not risk it.

Heath Miller – Fresh off an injury I would hate to have to start him but let’s face it – the TE position has been a real pain in the rear in FF this year. I would rather sit him but if you have a rotating group of donuts each week, he’s worth a flier. He practiced today and so he should play.

NFL Commisioner Goodell on 'Rome is Burning'

Here is the interview I talked about on tonight's Thundering Blurb Fantasy Football Show. It runs 14 minutes and I thought it was pretty good, touching on several hot subjects from thsi week including Pacman Jones and the Pittsburgh/San Diego debacle.

Don't overvalue Mewelde Moore

Something Mr. Bloom and I disagreed on last night was the relative value of Mewelde Moore this week.

I felt - and still do - that Moore will be splitting carries this week and in a pretty tough matchup behind an inconsistent Oline, that spells flex spot and maybe not even that. Just saw this on Rotoworld though and it only makes me feel more confident Moore is a marginal play and that's all this week:

Steelers RB Gary Russell, slated to be the top backup to Mewelde Moore, could receive significant work Sunday.

Said offensive coordinator Bruce Arians, "I wouldn't mind giving it to him 20 times a game. I've been waiting a couple years to see what he can really do." Keep in mind that doesn't guarantee Russell 20 carries this week, but he should be the goal-line back. Najeh Davenport will play only in an emergency.

Now I don't expect Russell to get 20 carries - but they are going to give him the rock a bunch. As another blurb on Rotoworld says, Tomlin is ready to go RBBC this week and you'll probably see Moore more in passing downs than running downs.

Not saying he couldn't bust a long one, but I wouldn't count on production this week from him.

Just saying is all....

Rankings coming very soon.

Willie Parker out Week 4 vs Baltimore

In what has become a theme this season - players being out after having not looked injured on the Sunday before - the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette is reporting that Willie Parker will miss the matchup Monday night against the Baltimore Ravens.

Rookie Rashard Mendenhall will get the start - but before you murder people in front of you on the waiver wire list keep in mind a) is a bad matchup and b) he couldn't hold onto the ball in the preseason. Mendy will be a borderline #2 Rb or flex - startable if you have players off one of the 6(!) teams on bye this week, but don't go nuts and plug him in your #1 slot.

Mewelde Moore will probably see an uptick in carries as well. His value is even less, but someone to watch as well. Carey Davis and Gary Russell are guys to watch too.

We have no idea how long Parker will be out but when he comes back things could be very different depending on Mendy. But I think at worst it will be a split. Parker looked good before the mysterious injury - he will come back and play well from here on out if the injury isn't too serious.