? 

Hi Folks,

A couple of quick notes before we get to  this week,s Upgrades and Downgrades.

?

Replacing Ricky  Williams:?? Contrary to published reports,  Ricky Williams 
bypassed surgery today to seek another opinion according to  ESPN.? The word 
is that Jim Haslett  will likely not go outside the team for a back.? Chad 
Morton and Jerald Moore will likely  be the choices with Morton getting first 
shot.? Morton,s a little undersized at 5, 88  and 186 but so is San 
Francisco's Charlie Garner and he manages pretty  well.??Morton came from a 
big  time program at USC and averaged 20+ carries a game last year so it,s 
not like  he isn,t used to carrying the load.?  We,ll see.

Don,t Count Out Brett  Favre:? According to ESPN, Brett Favre,s foot is  much 
better and he may practice this week.?  Even if he doesn't practice, he 
thinks he may be able to play and keep his  record streak of consecutive 
starts intact.

Akili Smith Benched.? Not  just benched.? Benched for Scott  Mitchell.? That,
s gotta  hurt.

Marshall Faulk Raring to  Go?? With Trung Canidate out for the  year with a 
broken wrist, Marshall Faulk has reportedly told the coaches he may  be able 
to play this week.? Most  think that,s too optimistic but it,s nice to see 
the desire there.? 



Jeff George to  Start??According to the Redskins, Jeff George will start  
again this week at QB.? Coach Norv Turner has stated the starting QB job is  
Brad?Johnson's when he's?healthy, possibly in?week 13.  ?

?

Let's jump right into our Upgraded and  Downgraded Players.? As we head down 
the home stretch, identifying  those players moving up or down can be the 
difference between making the  playoffs or watching from the sidelines.?  As 
we head into our 12th week of listing these players, it,s  inevitable that 
some players will have made both the upgrade or downgrade  list.? Make sure 
you understand,  what we,re talking about is players that are moving.? In 
other words, a player like TE Chad  Lewis could appear on the downgrade list 
and still be good enough to be a  starter in your league.? It just  means I,m 
concerned about the way he seems to be heading.? Likewise, a player like WR 
Laveranues  Coles may make the upgrade list even though he,s still fairly far 
down the list  of WRs.? It,s all about which  direction players are moving.?  
Keeping an eye on these trends can very often make all the  difference.

Joe

?

Upgrades and  Downgrades.? Some of these  players are obvious moves up or 
down and some aren't as clear.? Here's my  list of guys I see moving this 
week.

QBs Moving Up

QB Mark  Brunell (Jac)?? I,m one of those guys who quickly  points out 
Brunell has never put together fantasy numbers to warrant the hype he  
receives but you can,t deny what Brunell has done lately.? Behind a beat up 
line, he,s standing in  there (while taking a beating) and delivering the 
ball.? Jimmy Smith made a roaring comeback and  paired with Keenan McCardell, 
they,re one of the better WR tandems in the  league.?  

QB Kerry  Collins (NYG)? A few weeks ago, I took some (deserved)  lumps for 
my early praise of Collins but he,s kicking his game up a notch of  late.? He 
looks more comfortable in  the pocket, especially in his footwork and drop 
backs.? Watch to see how Amani Toomer is doing  but when he,s healthy, Toomer 
and Ike Hilliard make a great WR corps.? A?solid ground game in Ron Dayne and 
Tiki  Barber continue to help the passing game.

QB? Donovan McNabb (Phi)? With  Deuce Staley gone, McNabb,s had to shoulder 
the offense and this week he came  through with flying colors.? The bad  news 
is he only completed 47% of his passes Sunday.? The good news is he threw the 
ball 55  times.? When a QB airs it out 55  times in one game, it doesn,t 
usually bode well for the team,s chances of  winning but it,s certainly a 
plus for your FF team to see that many  attempts.? With that many chances,  
it,s like allowing yourself to double the stats a Jeff Blake (23 attempts 
this  week) or Jeff Garcia (25 attempts) puts up.? Unless you have a really 
good feeling  about Stanley Pritchett or Darnell Autry, I,d think you,ll see 
him continue to  throw often.

QB Trent  Dilfer (Bal)?? Remember, this list is  relative.? While he may not 
be a  starter, Dilfer is definitely moving up the charts and that,s what this 
list is  all about.? He actually looked very  good at times in the huge 
victory over Tennessee Sunday.? He showed nice poise coming back after  
basically throwing the game away a few plays earlier.? Brian Billick did 
wonders with a  marginally talented Tony Banks in 1999 and it,s conceivable 
he might do it here  again with Dilfer.? They play Dallas  and Cleveland next 
but keep in mind Baltimore has a bye on December  3.

QB Troy  Aikman (Dal)? When I,m bashing Mark Brunell as a  Fantasy QB, I 
usually compare him to Troy Aikman ) Great real NFL QB but not a  much for 
Fantasy GMs.? Notice a  pattern here?? After being named the  starter Sunday, 
Aikman went out and lit up the Bengal Defense which was ranked #  20 over the 
last 4 weeks.? It,s hard  to put too much faith in him but if you,re 
desperate for a QB, he could be worth  a gamble.? Tough matchup this week  vs 
Baltimore but he gets the Vikings in week 13.

QB Jeff  Blake? (NO)? You of course know by now that RB Ricky Williams is  
gone for 6-8 weeks.? I hate it for  Williams owners (I,m one) but what,s done 
is done.? All we can do now is look forward.? And looking forward, I see 
Blake being  forced to carry an increased load.?  QB Donovan McNabb threw the 
ball 55 times Sunday in the wake of losing RB  Deuce Staley and I could 
easily see a similar type situation in New Orleans with  Blake throwing a lot 
more passes.

QB Rob  Johnson (Buf)? I make it a point to hold my tongue on  coaching 
issues but I,ve gotta say I think Mr. Charisma with the Spiffy  Sweaters, 
Wade Phillips, is 100% wrong in going to Johnson.? In terms of roster 
management, he,s  hands down the worst in the NFL in my opinion.? But none of 
that really matters as Rob  Johnson has to make the upgrade list since he,s 
been named the starter for this  week.? Don,t get too excited,  though.? 
Johnson finishes roughly  half the games he starts and the next three weeks 
vs Kansas City, Tampa Bay and  Miami could be brutal.?  

QB Matt  Hasselbeck (GB)? Hasselbeck played nicely replacing Favre  this 
week.? Remember there was even  some talk about trading Favre and starting 
Hasselbeck this summer when Favre,s  elbow was a big concern.? Before you  
give up the farm to snare Hasselbeck, you should know Brett Favre is 
reportedly  feeling better and hoping to play this week.? We,ll keep you  
posted.

QB Shane  Matthews / Cade McNown (Chi)? Again, I,m highlighting guys moving  
up.? With the injury to Jim Miller,  Shane Matthews will be thrust into the 
starting role.? The injury will also likely add a little  fire under Cade 
McNown who may be rushed back a little sooner than he would have  been if 
Miller was performing well.?  Matthews looked very rusty but it,s tough to 
judge a QB when he,s thrust  into the game like that.? I,d look  for Matthews 
at least for this week against a tough Tampa Bay defense and then  we,ll 
see.?  

?

RBs Moving Up

RB Lamar  Smith (Mia)? You have to keep giving this guy his  props after 
another great game.?  Although, if you,ve got an owner salivating over Smith 
and you can get a  lot in return, it might be a great time to trade him.? I 
can,t imagine his value being any  higher.? His yard per carry number  dipped 
to 2.6 in Sunday,s game and he faces the Jets this week plus a brutal  
matchup against Tampa Bay in week 15.?  



RB Edgerrin  James (Ind)? It,s tough to upgrade a guy already near  the top 
but he put in another great game Sunday with 155 total yards and shows  
little sign of slowing down.? He  averaged 4.2? yards per carry Sunday  and 
the Colts are leaning heavily on him.?  Watch out for a tough November 26 
matchup vs Miami  though.

RB Robert  Smith (Min)? Smith quietly is having an incredible  year.? He,s 
put those hang nail  injury jokes way behind him as he,s become one of the 
best RBs in the  league.? He,s running between the  tackles for the tough 
yards and catching the ball exceptionally well.? Keep an eye on that tasty 
week 13  matchup against the Cowboys.?  

RB Fred  Taylor (Jac)? Jaguar Fans may be distraught, but Fred  Taylor owners 
have to be happy, at least lately.? Taylor,s running as well as he has in  
his career, even if his team is struggling.? One can only wonder what he,d be 
doing  with a healthy supporting cast.?  He,s got two tough weeks coming 
against Pittsburgh and Tennessee.? But as everyone knows, Taylor has a  great 
stretch run of opponents in weeks 14-16 when he faces Cleveland, Arizona  and 
Cincinnati.?  

RB Jamal  Anderson (Atl)? If you didn,t know better, you might  have thought 
you were watching tape from 1998 if you saw Anderson Sunday.? He ran hard and 
with the power and  quickness that pushed him to stardom.?? Hopefully, he,ll 
be able to  maintain that form.

RB Michael  Pittman (Ari)? Pittman,s nursing a chest / rib injury  so keep an 
eye on that but assuming he,s ok, he has to make the upgrade  list.? He 
scored a TD Sunday and  averaged 4.2 yards per carry on 12 carries.? He also 
added 8 receptions.? His main competition for carries, Thomas  Jones, had a 
yard per carry average that equaled his fumbles Sunday:? 1.00???

RB Justin  Watson (StL)? Watson held his own Sunday as he rushed  for 62 
yards on 17 carries.??  He likely won,t be a factor long as Marshall Faulk is 
already itching to  get back on the field but he might be worth a shot for 
one more  week.?

RB Ahman  Green (GB)? With Dorsey Levens, troubles, Green  clearly shoots up 
the charts.? He,s  an enormously talented RB, but he,s got to learn how to 
turn that talent into on  the field production.? After a tough  Tampa Bay 
game last Sunday, he faces a soft schedule with the Colts, Panthers,  Bears, 
Lions and Minnesota coming up.



RB Chad  Morton (NO)? With Ricky Williams out for the next 6-8  weeks, the 
logical guy to attempt to fill his shoes is the rookie from USC,  Morton.? 
He,s Detroit WR Johnnie  Morton,s little brother and was reportedly extremely 
close to Ricky Williams and  shaken with his injury.? He,s small  but very 
quick.? He,s not as big as  you,d probably like but neither is Charlie 
Garner.? Last year at USC, he carried a full load  as the featured rusher so 
he,s capable.?  The team hasn,t announced their plans yet and bringing in a 
free agent is  a possibility but I,d expect Morton to get a shot first.? New 
Orleans has a fairly favorable  rushing schedule ahead with Oakland, Denver, 
San Francisco and Atlanta all  ahead. 

??

WRs Moving Up

WR James  McKnight (Dal)? Wow.? What else can you say but give the man  
credit.? 8 catches for 164 yards  with a TD is a pretty good day.?  Whether 
he and Troy Aikman can keep it rolling is the question but you  have to like 
what he,s done thus far.?  He,s got a brutal matchup next week in Baltimore 
but he might be worth  grabbing to play against the Vikings in week 13.?

WR Sean  Dawkins? (Sea)? Excuse  us for not getting excited about a guy who 
was buried on the Seahawks a few  weeks ago and had Jon Kitna throwing to 
him.? But Kitna,s looking better and Dawkins  responded with a great game.? 
Like  McKnight, the question is whether he can keep it up but he,s worth a 
roll of the  dice.?

WR Torry  Holt (StL)? I drew a few snickers a month ago when I  said I 
thought Derrick Mason was the best WR on the Titans.? I,m just about ready to 
call Torry Holt  the best WR in St. Louis.? And  that,s no knock on Isaac 
Bruce.?  Holt,s really coming into his own and to be honest, benefits greatly 
from  the attention Isaac Bruce draws.? He  does face a couple of strong 
defenses in Washington and New Orleans but I,m  betting he manages to produce 
against tough competition.?

WR Derrick  Mason (Ten)? Mason is clearly the best WR on the  team. Partly by 
default as Kevin Dyson,s gone and Carl Pickens is injured.? But partly 
because he,s just that  good.? The Titans had their running  game shut down 
by Baltimore Sunday and they were forced to the air.? And much to the 
surprise of many, QB  Steve McNair fared pretty well and Mason was a big part 
of that  success.?

WR Ricky  Proehl (StL)? Great, just what Fantasy GMs need )  Another Ram WR 
to worry about.?  Proehl caught 6 passes for 53 yards and a TD Sunday.? In an 
offense missing RB Marshall Faulk  as high powered as the Rams, there,s 
probably room for another WR at the  trough.???

WR Patrick  Johnson (Bal)? Johnson replaced Travis Taylor in the  lineup and 
came up big with the game winning TD.? He only caught 3 passes but 
understand  that he,s the 3rd receiver behind TE Shannon Sharpe and WR Qadry  
Ismail.? Still though, it,s a Brian  Billick team and Trent Dilfer is playing 
better with each series it  seems.?

WR Jimmy  Smith? (Jac)???  With 10 catches for 117 yards, I guess you can say 
he,s back.? The Jags may be struggling but Smith and  QB Mark Brunell are 
back in synch.?  Ride it while the combo is hot.?

WR Jerome  Pathon (Ind)? Terrence Wilkins had a firm grasp on the  #2 WR spot 
early in the season but Pathon seems to be taking over there.? Pathon is 
playing with more confidence  and more importantly, seems to have the 
confidence of QB Peyton Manning.? He had 3 catches for 42 yards  Sunday.?

?

TEs Moving Up?

TE Bubba  Franks (GB)? For a long while Franks and TE Tyrone  Davis had 
battled for time.? It,s  now looking like Franks has prevailed as Davis is 
seeing very little time.? Franks made a great catch of the fake  kick TD and 
is showing some of the athleticism that caught the Packers, eye in  the draft.

TE Rod  Rutledge (NE)? So much for Eric Bjornson.? Rutledge seems to be the 
new TE threat  for the Patriots and you know Drew Bledsoe likes to throw to 
the TE.? If he can just get that thumb  healthy(?

TE Shannon  Sharpe (Bal)?? After some quiet weeks, Sharpe has  returned to 
his place of one of the premier TEs in the game.? He,s clearly the best 
receiver on the  team and has the confidence of QB Trent Dilfer.? Just as 
importantly, he seems to have  confidence in Dilfer.

???

QBs Moving  Down?

QB Trent  Green (StL)? Mike Martz said a couple of weeks ago he  felt that 
having Green behind center was &just like having Kurt in there8.? We believe 
him.? If you,re going to deal him, now,s the  time.? Even as well as he,s 
been  playing, the league MVP Warner does not lose his job to a broken hand.? 
The team is talking about December 3 as  a possible date he,ll be back but I,
ve heard even sooner.? Regardless, you have to figure his days  are 
numbered.? Plus, upcoming games  against Washington and New Orleans in the 
next two weeks could pose a  threat.?

QB Doug  Flutie? (Buf)? Right  or wrong, Flutie takes a seat as Rob Johnson,s 
been named the starter this  week.? Hold onto him though as I,ve  got to 
think the chances of Johnson staying healthy for long are  slim.



QB Drew  Bledsoe (NE)? So much for the Boston Globe,s Bill  Belichick 
conspiracy that Bledsoe would miss several weeks.? Still though, you could 
clearly see he  wasn,t 100% with the thumb.???

QB Brett  Favre (GB)? As you know, Favre suffered a sprained  foot against 
Tampa.? While everyone  was shouting about how many weeks he,d miss, Favre 
told anyone who,d listen  today that he looked to be ready for this week,s 
game against Indianapolis.? Players are notoriously optimistic so  keep an 
eye on it.?

QB Elvis  Grbac (KC)? Don,t get me wrong, Grbac is still a top  QB.? He just 
showed Sunday he,s  human.? He really should have done  more against San 
Francisco though.?  On a side note, didn,t he say he,d shave that goofy beard 
when they  lost?(?

QB Brian  Griese (Den)? It,s the 3rd quarter of the  Monday Night game as I 
type this and it,s pretty obvious Brian Griese is at less  than 100% arm 
strength.? Keep an eye  on this.? He,s a gutsy kid and has  played through a 
lot but it does seem to be affecting his  play.?

QB Charlie  Batch (Det)Another game, another  less than impressive 
performance.?  Batch just seems to struggle to get anything done.???

QB Akili  Smith (Cin)? I,ve been ripping this guy for weeks and now I feel  
sorta bad for him as he,s been benched(for Scott Mitchell. That,s gotta  
hurt.?

QB Jim  Miller (Chi)? Talk about blowing an opportunity.? Miller had been 
moving the Bears and  looked to be the spark Chicago was missing with Cade 
McNown.? And then Mr. Achilles decided he didn,t  want to participate.? Nasty 
injury  and too bad as he was showing promise.???

?

RBs Moving Down?  

RB Charlie  Garner (SF)? Garner,s been a regular on the upgrade  list and he 
had another huge game Sunday where he posted 141 total yards with a  TD 
against the Chiefs.? Two big days  loom on the horizon though.? I  promise 
you he,ll be shut out in week 13(he has a bye.? And then he faces San Diego 
and New  Orleans in week 14 and 15.? He,s a  great player and one of the best 
RBs in the game but he,ll be facing some tough  matchups coming up.?

RB Ricky  Williams (NO)? As I reported yesterday to our email  subscribers, 
Ricky Williams suffered a broken ankle and will miss 6-8  weeks.? I had to 
chuckle watching  Saints Head Coach Jim Haslett talk about how Ricky doesn,t 
play defense and  didn,t make any of those sacks or force any fumbles and 
about how Ricky,s just  one guy and they,ll be fine.? Yada yada  yada. ?That 
sounds good Jim but you,re in for a rude awakening if  you really believe 
that (I don,t think he does)? Chad Morton will be the likely  replacement.? 
Jerald Moore will get  a shot too.???

RB Tshimanga  Biakabutuka (Car)? 1.7 yards per carry will not get it done for 
a  featured RB in this league and that,s exactly what Biakabutuka posted  
Sunday.? He,s got to get back on  track if the Panthers are to be effective 
as a team.?

RB Mike  Alstott (TB)? It seems as if Alstott is less of a factor every  
game.? He only had 9 rushing  attempts Sunday for 38 yards.? If I  were him, 
I,d pay Keyshawn to tell the coaches I needed some  carries(?

RB Emmitt  Smith (Dal)? What a disappointing game vs the Bengals Sunday.? 
Smith fumbled early on what should have  been a sure TD and never seemed to 
recover.? I thought he,d carry the load for a  struggling Aikman.? Turned out 
the  other way around.?

RB Shaun  Alexander (Sea)? So much for the idea of coach Mike  Holmgren 
throwing in the towel for 2000 and starting the young players like  
Alexander.? The rookie is a fine  player and will get his time but for now, 
it doesn,t, seem to be happening  anytime soon.?

RB Trung  Canidate? (StL)?  Canidate broke his wrist Sunday and will miss the 
rest of the  season.? I have no idea how the Rams  will function without 
him.?

?

WRs Moving Down?

WR Marvin  Harrison (Ind)? Is it just me or is Marvin Harrison  getting more 
and more quiet with each game?? He only had 4 catches for 34 yards  Sunday 
and didn,t seem to be a big factor.?  He,s still one of the best WRs out 
there but I,m worried about his  production.?

WR Terry  Glenn (NE)? Glenn,s faded down the stretch and the  Bledsoe thumb 
injury won,t help his play one bit.? Don,t be too down on him as he does 
have  some favorable matchups on the horizon.?  But if Bledsoe can,t go, it,s 
trouble for Glenn.?

WR Marcus  Robinson (Chi)? The loss of QB Jim Miller is huge.? The Bears are 
now with their #3 QB and  you can only expect so much.?  Robinson will make 
any QB better but there,s only so much he can  do.?

WR Antonio  Freeman (GB)? Freeman appears to be headed toward the  path he 
was on a few weeks ago ) mediocrity.? And that was with a healthy Favre.? 
With a?less than  healthy?Favre, it could be worse.???

WR Jacquez  Green (TB)? Keyshawn Johnson,s gain is Green,s loss  as QB Shaun 
King seems locked in on Johnson.? Green will still catch the occasional  long 
ball but it appears for now, he,s the clear cut #2 WR.?

WR Terrence  Wilkins (Ind)? Suddenly, Terrence Wilkins is the  forgotten man 
in the Colts passing game.?  For some reason, Peyton Manning just isn,t 
giving him the looks.???

?

TEs Moving Down?

TE Kyle  Brady (Jac)? Brady,s still a solid TE but with the  return of Jimmy 
Smith, it,s clear that he won,t be the big target he had  been.???

TE Jay  Reimersma (Buf)? Reimersma was a total non factor in  Sunday,s game 
catching only 1 pass for 7 yards.? One has to think the QB shuffle could  
have an effect.?

TE Itula  Mili (Sea)? Mili,s yielded his starting TE job to  Christian Fauria 
and Fauria seems fairly intent on keeping it.? Mili may be a contributor but 
it looks  like he wont, see enough action to make him a consistent  threat.

?

?

?


 To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
cheatsheets-unsubscribe@egroups.com