Last week we told you to start players like Steve Slaton, Corell Buckhalter, Isaac Bruce and Roddy White in the flex position. Those players, among others, rewarded their fantasy owners with good results. Players that are hot, getting a chance because of injury, or at least assured touches are always useful for the flex spot and as bye-week or injury replacements.

Regardless, every week owners are put to the test with the critical decisions in the flex spot that can determine the outcome of your game. If you have guys like RB DeAngelo Williams going against a struggling Chiefs run defense or WR Amani Toomer, who is stepping up as New York’s primary receiver, feel comfortable putting them, among the eight others below, into the flex slot in Week 5.

Read more »

We’re just about a quarter of the way through the season already and many leagues are beginning to take shape. If you are comfortable at the top of your league, or embarrassed while at the bottom, just remember there is still a long way to go. All it takes is some good management and your team could go from pretender to contender, or the other way around, in a matter of weeks. Just make sure you have the right players in every week.

Here is a look at some of the most intriguing Week 5 matchups. It’s all about starting quality players when they have a favorable matchup, and the most savvy owners know when it’s time to take a chance on lesser players facing softer defenses. Take the first step here – in the fourth edition of The Good, Bad and Ugly.
Read more »

Three weeks is plenty of time to see monumental changes in the ever-evolving National Football League. Of course, Tom Brady’s injury was a huge blow, in fantasy and reality alike, but a multitude of other changes can and will take place for the remainder of the year. Gus Frerotte, Ronnie Brown and Rudi Johnson were some of the biggest beneficiaries of Sunday’s changes, as all three saw their fantasy stocks soar.

Injuries open doors immediately for opportunities in fantasy, but ineffecitiveness can do the same, albeit at a much slower pace. With a little projection, one can see backup Brady Quinn taking the reins of Cleveland’s offense by the end of September, Drew Stanton doing the same in Detroit, or New York’s Steve Smith emerging in the face of constant double teams on star wideout Plaxico Burress. Read more »

Let Rudi Johnson’s release from the Cincinnati Bengals hammer the point home that sure things do not exist in fantasy football. Exactly one year after fantasy owners went bonkers for his all-but-guaranteed 1,300 yards and 12 touchdowns, Johnson is a constantly injured man without a team. He was replaceable, and former first round pick Chris Perry did to Johnson what he did to former starter Corey Dillon four years ago. Things change - fantasy owners must be ready to roll with the punches.

The Bengals reportedly made Johnson, who missed all four of the team’s preseason games, available via trade, but couldn’t find any takers. The 28-year old will almost certainly be picked up by another team, but it’s tough to find a situation where he’d have immediate fantasy value. What’s more likely is he plays a backup role on a team hurting for backfield depth, then maybe gets a chance down the road. Read more »