Sunday's Best

Long season starting to take toll on numbers

Marshall Faulk hammered Atlanta for 198 total yards and three TDs. AP

By James Quintong, CNNSI.com

Looking over the numbers for this past weekend, you can tell it's starting to get late in the season. While weather across most of the country has been seasonable, or even slightly warmer, scoring and total offense appears to be down in general. Sure, we still had our share of big games, but for the most part, they were in the warmer climates or indoors.

However, while there may not have been a lot of memorable numbers for fantasy purposes, there were plenty of solid outings -- the 75-yard, one-touchdown type -- that don't often get mentioned here but can add up to wins on a week-to-week basis.

Top 10 Studs

1. Marshall Faulk, RB, Rams (12 carries, 70 yards; 6 catches, 128 yards, 3 TDs): After struggling on Monday night, Faulk came back in a big way in the fast track of the Georgia Dome. This was Faulk's first 100-yard receiving game, and those three receiving scores were a big surprise. Otherwise, this was the type of performance expected from Faulk at least two or three times a year.

2. Kurt Warner, QB, Rams (17-23, 342 yards, 4 TDs): Warner enjoys feasting on the Falcons, and this weekend was no different. In fact, he matched his four-TD performance from the last time he was in Atlanta. Not throwing an interception was the real surprise.

3. Aaron Brooks, QB, Saints (26-40, 330 yards, 3 TDs, 1 INT; 5 carries, 18 yards): I'm still not sure how New Orleans kept the Panthers in the game in the first place, but Brooks found his way to victory. Since that dreadful game against the Jets, Brooks has put together four very good weeks (at least in fantasy terms). He's proving to be the real deal again.

4. Derrick Mason, WR, Titans (3 catches, 122 yards, 2 TDs): Mason had battled injuries most of the season, but in the past two weeks, he's put up 236 total receiving yards plus two long scores. If you're in a league that uses both receiving and return yards, Mason's fantasy value is climbing up the charts quickly.

5. Joe Horn, WR, Saints (13 catches, 150 yards, 1 TD): He's another slow starter who's come on huge in recent weeks, averaging 116 yards his last six games. If not for a collision with an official, Horn could have had a second touchdown.

6. Randy Moss, WR, Vikings (8 catches, 144 yards, 1 TD): Sometimes he won't do anything, other times he'll come up huge. You can never tell anymore.

7. Rich Gannon, QB, Raiders (29-45, 302 yards, 3 TDs, 2 INTs): The two interceptions put Oakland in an early hole against the Cardinals, but he recovered to get the game into overtime. The loss hurt Oakland in a big way, but fantasy players probably came out ahead with all the passing he had to do late.

8. Peyton Manning, QB, Colts (27-48, 310 yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT): Another week, another interception returned for a score. Otherwise, he piled up the fantasy numbers as usual with Marvin Harrison and Marcus Pollard coming up big. Unfortunately, this is starting to look a lot like 1998, when Manning had big numbers but his team came up empty.

9. Duce Staley, RB, Eagles (25 carries, 80 yards; 4 catches, 66 yards, 1 TD): Staley owners are probably disappointed that it's taken him this long to get going. However, he has become not only the top runner on the team but also Donovan McNabb's top target.

10. Garrison Hearst, RB, 49ers (25 carries, 124 yards, 1 TD; 2 catches, 18 yards): Another week, another big game for Hearst. All of the conditions were ripe for a big game -- he's running well, a bad Buffalo team was coming in from the other side of the country and primary backup Kevan Barlow was injured.

Just missing: Steve McNair, QB, Titans (11-17, 244 yards, 3 TDs; 2 carries, 10 yards); Donovan McNabb, QB, Eagles (18-26, 269 yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT; 9 carries, 41 yards); David Boston, WR, Cardinals (6 catches, 106 yards, 1 TD); Emmitt Smith, RB, Cowboys (25 carries, 102 yards, 1 TD); Tim Brown, WR, Raiders (5 catches, 63 yards, 2 TDs).

Top 5 Duds

1. Travis Henry, RB, Bills (6 carries, 9 yards; 2 catches, 4 yards): He has plenty more talent than the numbers show, but the woeful offensive line doesn't help things at all. Henry deserves a lot more than that.

2. Tony Gonzalez, TE, Chiefs (4 catches, 28 yards): The Kansas City passing game is still a mess, even if Derrick Alexander did score a touchdown last Thursday. Gonzalez had his worst game all season, and that's not a good sign for the rest of the passing attack.

3. Jim Miller, QB, Bears (17-34, 124 yards, 1 INT): Chicago did continue its winning ways, but it definitely wasn't pretty. The Bears are 9-2, but you wouldn't know it by looking at Miller's numbers.

4. Doug Flutie, QB, Chargers (19-33, 195 yards, 2 INTs): Is the magic over for Flutie? Since the beginning of November, Flutie has three touchdowns and eight interceptions. He did have a 300-yard game last week, but he's definitely not as sharp as he was earlier in the year.

5. Maurice Smith, RB, Falcons (14 carries, 23 yards; 1 catch, 4 yards): A sprained ankle slowed him down, and the fact that Atlanta went down big limited his carries later in the game.

Top 5 Surprises

1. Moe Williams, RB, Ravens (24 carries, 111 yards; 3 catches, 27 yards): He figured to be a good start with the Colts' defense in town. However, few would've believed he would have the Ravens' first 100-yard rushing game this season. Terry Allen is supposed to be back soon, so this could be just a one-week anomaly.

2. Obafemi Ayanbadejo, RB, Ravens (3 carries, 9 yards, 1 TD; 4 catches, 40 yards, 1 TD): While Williams got the yards, Ayabadejo scored the touchdowns. Again, Allen's return could limit his scores, although he'll still get a couple of catches a week out of the backfield.

3. Todd Bouman, QB, Vikings (11-15, 200 yards, 2 TDs): With Daunte Culpepper struggling with his injured knee, Bouman came in and did an admirable job, nearly leading a crazy comeback against a good Steelers team.

4. Terrell Davis, RB, Broncos (20 carries, 97 yards): In his first start in nearly a month, Davis ran well against a good Dolphins defense. If he can stay healthy, he'll be a solid back down the stretch. Emphasis on the word "if."

5. Chris Fuamatu-Ma'afala, RB, Steelers (12 carries, 74 yards): When Jerome Bettis went down with a hip injury in the fourth quarter, Fu stepped in and did an excellent job. Bettis doesn't expect to miss much time, however, so Fu might be back on the bench next week.

James Quintong is Fantasy Sports producer at CNNSI.com.

Related information
Stories
Sunday's Best: Week 11 Fantasy File: Injuries a nagging part of fantasy football Back Page: Random observations Warden Report: Week 12
Multimedia
Visit Video Plus for the latest audio and video
Search our site	Watch CNN/SI 24 hours a day
	Sports Illustrated and CNN have combined to form a 24 hour sports news and information channel. To receive CNN/SI at your home call your cable operator or DirecTV.