FANTASY

Fantasy Player Projections

Quarterbacks

Rank	Team	Player	Projection	Opponent
1			Robert Griffin III 245 pass yards, pass TD, INT, 45 rush yards, rush TD RGIII had a disappointing week against the Steelers, with just 177 passing yards and 10 rushing yards, but he should bounce back against the Panthers in Week 9 if his receivers don't drop as many passes as they did in Week 8. He has seven touchdown passes and three interceptions on the season, and this is the last game before the Redskins' bye.	vs
2			Matthew Stafford 296 pass yards, 3 pass TDs, INT Stafford finally got his groove back last week, notching his first multiple touchdown pass game of 2012. The fact that it came against one of the league's best defenses (Seattle) should give fantasy owners instant confidence that Stafford is back in the saddle again.	at
3			Ben Roethlisberger 318 pass yards, 2 pass TDs, 11 rush yards New York allows 273.5 passing yards per game (ranking 29th) and made Tony Romo look like a god in the second half of last week's contest. Roethlisberger has been one of the league's most accurate passers and should do well against a young Giants secondary that is still finding its way.	at
4			Michael Vick 256 pass yards, 2 pass TDs, INT, 42 rush yards It appears the Eagles are going to stick with Vick for another week. It seems only fair. Vick has suffered through his worst season to date; why not give him a crack at one of the worst pass defenses in football? New Orleans allows 304.5 passing yards per game.	at
5			Cam Newton 260 pass yards, 2 pass TDs, INT, 34 rush yards While Newton was able to throw for more than 300 yards for the second time this season, he didn't throw or run for any touchdowns, and he fumbled near the goal line against the Bears. It's doubtful you're going to want to sit Newton, but his must-start status is gone.	at
6			Aaron Rodgers 254 pass yards, 2 pass TDs, 14 rush yards Rodgers has thrown 11 touchdowns and no interceptions in his last three games. He faces one of the league's top-ranked pass defenses this week, but matchups do not seem to affect him right now, and he should have a healthy receiving corps at his disposal.	vs
7			Drew Brees 318 pass yards, 2 pass TDs, INT Don't confuse the Saints' miserable 2012 campaign with Brees' fantasy record -- he continues to be one of the safest players at his position. Brees has thrown at least two touchdowns in six of seven games and has been held to less than 300 yards just twice.	vs
8			Matt Ryan 287 pass yards, 2 pass TDs, INT, 12 rush yards Ryan has thrown three touchdowns in four of Atlanta's wins so far this season, and he has attempted fewer than 30 passes just once. It's hard to say if he should be placed alongside the league's elite quarterbacks, but he deserves to be called an elite fantasy passer.	vs
9			Carson Palmer 265 pass yards, 2 pass TDs Palmer threw for two touchdowns against the Chiefs, bringing his total to nine this season, to go with five interceptions. The Buccaneers' secondary is dealing with some issues, and Palmer should do well against their 31st-ranked pass defense.	vs
10			Josh Freeman 280 pass yards, 2 pass TDs, INT, 13 rush yards Over Freeman's past three games, he has averaged 337 passing yards and three touchdowns. His success should continue against a Raiders pass defense that ranks near the bottom-third in the NFL.	at
11			Peyton Manning 305 pass yards, 2 pass TDs, INT For the fourth week in a row, Manning threw for three touchdowns and more than 300 passing yards, this time against the Saints. There are only six quarterbacks with better fantasy totals than Manning right now.	at
12			Joe Flacco 246 pass yards, 2 pass TDs Flacco is on the cusp of being an every-week starter in most fantasy leagues. The yards are there, but the touchdowns are not (he has just nine in seven games). Last time he faced Cleveland, Flacco threw for a score and rushed for another, so it's a favorable matchup.	at
13			Tony Romo 229 pass yards, 2 pass TDs, INT, 13 rush yards It's hard to say what to make of last week's loss to New York. Romo was both terrible and marvelous, and had both the yards and interception to prove it. The Falcons' secondary is not as inexperienced as New York's, so this game could provide more bad than good memories for Romo owners.	at
14			Eli Manning 236 pass yards, 2 pass TDs, INT Last week Manning was roughed up by Dallas' secondary. Now he must face the top-ranked Steelers pass defense. He has completed less than 60 percent of his passes in three of New York's last five games. Time to panic? Nah, ride out the storm. He's a Manning, after all.	vs
15			Jay Cutler 232 pass yards, 2 pass TDs, INT The matchup may be favorable, but here are three reasons to keep Cutler out of your lineup this week: 1) He has thrown just one more touchdown than interception this year; 2) his last 300-yard game came in Week 1; and 3) Russell Wilson has a higher QB Rating.	at
16			Matt Schaub 232 pass yards, 2 pass TDs, INT Schaub has been a mild fantasy disappointment this season, but now he faces a Bills defense that has allowed 14 passing touchdowns. He's a solid fantasy starter in Week 9.	vs
17			Andrew Luck 260 pass yards, pass TD, INT Luck came just three yards short of his third 300-yard game of the season in an overtime win against the Titans. He did throw a game-winning touchdown pass, but he has just one touchdown in his past three games. The Dolphins allow passing yards, but not many touchdowns.	vs
18			Christian Ponder 225 pass yards, pass TD, INT, 14 rush yards Ponder has thrown for more than 250 yards in three of his past four games, and he has six touchdown passes in that span. The Seahawks' defense is tough, though, so look elsewhere for fantasy help in Week 9.	at
19			Russell Wilson 215 pass yards, pass TD, 2 INTs, 26 rush yards Wilson turned in his best road game of the season, throwing for 229 yards, two touchdowns and one interception at Detroit in Week 8. He's a fantasy backup in Week 9 against the Vikings, but he's gaining some positive attention.	vs
20			Philip Rivers 225 pass yards, pass TD, INT Rivers was a major fantasy disappointment once again in Week 8, and he now has just six touchdowns in his past five games. Other quarterbacks are starting to pass him up in the top 12, like Josh Freeman and Andrew Luck.	vs
21			Matt Hasselbeck 216 pass yards, pass TD, INT The Titans are chained to Hasselbeck until Jake Locker receives medical clearance to return. The results with Hasselbeck in the lineup haven't been horrible. In fact, his best two fantasy performances have come against the best two defenses he's faced: Houston and Pittsburgh. That doesn't makeus believers this week against Chicago, though.	vs
22			Brandon Weeden 215 pass yards, pass TD, INT Poor weather may have been responsible for last week's 129-yard performance, but this week the culprit will be the Ravens' attacking defense. Weeden no longer leads the league in interceptions, but his 70.8 QB Rating ranks ahead of only Matt Cassel.	vs
23			Andy Dalton 235 pass yards, pass TD, 2 INTs, 12 rush yards Dalton and his Bengals teammates are coming off a bye week. While he has thrown three touchdown passes in three games this season, he has just five touchdowns in his past three games. He's a tough play against an above-average Broncos pass defense.	vs
24			Matt Moore 215 pass yards, pass TD, INT Moore threw for 131 yards and a touchdown in place of rookie quarterback Ryan Tannehill (knee, thigh) against the Jets. Even if Moore plays in Week 9, fantasy owners should look elsewhere.	at
25			John Skelton 211 pass yards, pass TD, INT Skelton put the ball in the air 52 times Monday, but managed just 5.6 yards per attempt. The Cardinals have had trouble sustaining drives and Skelton has thrown just one touchdown on 126 attempts this season.	at
26			Blaine Gabbert 202 pass yards, pass TD, INT Gabbert showed toughness last week, but his shoulder injury hindered him at times. That, coupled with the lack of a running game, brought the Jaguars' offense to a halt. Not much will change in Week 9.	vs
27			Ryan Fitzpatrick 225 pass yards, pass TD, 2 INTs After not throwing a touchdown pass in back-to-back games, Fitzpatrick threw for three scores against the Titans in Week 7. But the new Houston team is much better defensively than the old Houston team, making the Bills' quarterback an unwise start.	at
28			Matt Cassel 120 pass yards, pass TD, 2 INTs After replacing Brady Quinn (head) against the Raiders, Cassel threw for 218 yards, one touchdown and one interception in Week 8. Cassel remains a major fantasy question mark for Week 9.	at
29			Brady Quinn 0 pass yards After getting knocked out of Sunday's game against the Raiders, the Chiefs have ruled Quinn out for Week 9. No matter who starts for the Chiefs, fantasy owners will want to steer clear for now.	at
30			Ryan Tannehill 0 pass yards The rookie quarterback suffered a bone bruise on his knee and a deep thigh bruise against the Jets. Matt Moore played well in his place, and depending on the injury, Moore might have to start in Week 9. Even when healthy, Tannehill is still just a fantasy backup.	at

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