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Fantasy Player Projections

QUARTERBACKS

Rank	Team	Player	Projection	Opponent
1		Peyton Manning	300 pass yards, 3 pass TD Manning has thrown 40 touchdown passes in 17 career games against the Texans, as Houston enters Week 8 as the worst pass defense in the league. Expect a big performance despite a depleted receiving corps.	vs
2		Jon Kitna	245 pass yards, 2 pass TD Kitna will take over at QB with Tony Romo out 6-8 weeks with a broken collarbone. As a passer he's mediocre, but Kitna will have plenty of weapons at his disposal. If you need immediate help at quarterback, give him a look this week.	vs
3		Matt Schaub	205 pass yards, 2 pass TD Schaub has four touchdown passes and five interceptions in his past three games against the Colts, but this could turn into a shootout very quickly.	at
4		Chad Henne	230 pass yards, 1 pass TD, 1 INT Detractors may mention that he should be further along at this point in his career, but Henne has done a nice job managing the offense in his second year starting. The Bengals are sound against the pass, but overall a much easier test than Pittsburgh.	at
5		Philip Rivers	225 pass yards, 1 pass TD, 1 INT Rivers put up good numbers last week despite being without both his starting wide receivers, so expect him to have a strong week against the Titans' 23rd-ranked pass defense regardless of the players that will catch his passes.	vs
6		Matthew Stafford	205 pass yards, 2 pass TD, 1 INT After missing five games following a shoulder injury, Matthew Stafford will return to the lineup this week. Stafford will take his fair share of shots downfield against a Redskins defense that is statistically second worst in the NFL.	vs
7		Mark Sanchez	235 pass yards, 2 INT Sanchez has thrown just one touchdown pass in his last two games and has been held under 200 yards in each contest. He faces a play-making Packers defense in Week 8, so those in standard leagues should use a different option.	vs
8		Ben Roethlisberger	190 pass yards, 1 pass TD, 10 rush yards, 1 INT Roethlisberger is averaging 10.3 yards per attempt since his return -- pretty sharp, especially considering he has only started two games this season. He could struggle against a Saints defense giving up just 6.5 YPA this season, however.	at
9		Kyle Orton	175 pass yards, 2 pass TD, 1 INT Orton's passing yardage has fallen in recent weeks, but he has thrown two touchdown passes in four of his seven starts this season and faces a team that has given up 11 passing touchdowns this season. Orton remains a viable option in all formats.	at
10		Aaron Rodgers	175 pass yards, 2 pass TD, 1 INT The Packers will likely throw a lot against a Jets defense that is stiff against the run, so expect another productive outing from him in Week 8.	at
11		Drew Brees	200 pass yards, 1 pass TD, 2 INT Brees looked out-of-sorts last week, throwing four interceptions. He was still a productive fantasy option, especially if your league does not subtract points for picks. He has a poor matchup against the Steelers, but is safe to roll with as always.	vs
12		Brett Favre	200 pass yards, 1 pass TD, 2 INT Favre is playing later in the afternoon on Sunday, so if there's any question about his ankle heading into the first slate of games you will probably want to leave him on the bench. After last week's performance, that's not a bad idea anyway.	at
13		Carson Palmer	190 pass yards, 1 pass TD, 1 INT In a close game the Bengals prefer to keep the ball on the ground, but when they're down Palmer gets a chance to open up like he did last week. It's risky to start a player on the hope that his team gets blown out, however.	vs
14		Donovan McNabb	170 pass yards, 1 pass TD, 15 rush yards, 1 INT McNabb struggled against the Bears last week, completing just over 50 percent passes for 200 yards and one touchdown to two interceptions. He should bounce back somewhat against the Lions, but McNabb is still a limited fantasy option.	at
15		Ryan Fitzpatrick	160 pass yards, 2 pass TD, 1 INT The Bills' passing game kicked into high gear last week, taking the Ravens into overtime in a three-point loss. Whether Fitzpatrick can stay hot remains to be seen, but this week's matchup against the Chiefs' 25th-ranked pass defense is a good one.	at
16		Josh Freeman	145 pass yards, 1 pass TD, 20 rush yards Freeman has played well this season, but his fantasy production has been average. Freeman is a good option in two-QB leagues, but those in standard leagues should use a quarterback that has put up more fantasy points.	at
17		Matt Hasselbeck	150 pass yards, 1 pass TD, 5 rush yards Hasselbeck has not thrown for more than 242 yards in a game this season, and he faces a stiff Raiders pass defense in Week 8. He will have some value in two-QB leagues, but do not expect much in terms of fantasy production.	at
18		Matt Cassel	150 pass yards, 1 pass TD Cassel has been heating up lately, but the Chiefs are still a run-first team. Against a Bills team with a robust secondary, he should be riding your bench.	vs
19		Sam Bradford	150 pass yards, 1 pass TD, 2 INT As is understandable with any rookie, the Rams feel more comfortable letting Bradford hand the ball off rather than open up down field. Unfortunately, that means his fantasy value will remain on the low end, even for a reserve.	vs
20		Tom Brady	130 pass yards, 1 pass TD Brady isn't used to sub 200-yard outings, but he now has two in his last three outings. Even if Randy Moss wasn't catching the ball, he at least opened things up for the rest of the receiving corps. Brady should be played on a per-matchup basis.	vs
21		Kerry Collins	130 pass yards, 1 pass TD, 1 INT Collins had a nice game in Week 7, and he could get another start this week with Vince Young's status uncertain. However, Collins is not a great option this week against a Chargers pass defense that is giving up fewer than 160 passing yards per game.	at
22		David Garrard	130 pass yards, 1 pass TD, 10 rush yards, 2 INT Double check that Garrard (concussion) will be able to start Sunday. If not, Trent Edwards will get the nod again. Either way, both should be avoided on a Jaguars team that has been awful.	at
23		Max Hall	150 pass yards, 2 INT Hall did not finish last week's game after suffering a minor head injury, but he is expected to start this week barring any setbacks. Hall has not thrown a touchdown pass this season, so go a different direction even if he does play.	vs
24		Matt Moore	120 pass yards, 1 pass TD, 1 INT Moore started for the first time since losing the job in Week 3, leading the Panthers in a comeback win over the 49ers. He isn't a very good weekly fantasy option, but Carolina is clearly a better offense with Moore at the helm.	at
25		Jason Campbell	105 pass yards, 1 pass TD, 1 INT Despite playing much better last week, Campbell will head back to the bench once Bruce Gradkowski is healthy. If Gradkowski misses another game, Campbell has some value in two-QB leagues against a weak Seahawks pass defense.	vs
26		Troy Smith	110 pass yards, 20 rush yards, 2 INT Smith takes over for the injured Alex Smith. You'd have to be very desperate to take a chance on him.	vs

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