Intelligence Report

I Think... By Peter King

. . . I would make a deal for Chris Chambers and start him immediately.

You've had your fantasy heart broken by Chambers more times than you can count; in six-plus seasons in Miami the talented receiver has never quite become a go-to guy. He's had 11 touchdowns in a season twice (good), but more than 70 catches and more than 1,000 yards only one time each (not good). In his last game with the Dolphins before being traded to San Diego last week, he had six catches for 73 yards and no touchdowns against the Browns; but he also had nine other balls thrown to him, and five or six were catchable judging from video of the game. While Chambers had a good day, he should have had a monster day.

Now that he is surrounded by such offensive stars as LaDainian Tomlinson and Antonio Gates with the Chargers, Chambers will have to respond to the pressure of playing on a very good team. He hasn't scored a touchdown in his last 14 games, so you should be able to pry him from his owner or even pick him up off waivers. Chambers is 29, healthy, motivated and a great gamble right now.

EPSTEIN 'S THEORY ON Insurance Backs

IT'S ALMOST midseason. You already know which players are going to carry your fantasy lineup. You don't have the trade bait to land Randy Moss. And your league's waiver wire looks like your sock drawer: not a lot of good matches. You may feel as if you're along for the ride the rest of the season, but here's something you can do to improve your roster: grab insurance for your star running back. A lot of top backs—Joseph Addai, Steven Jackson, Rudi Johnson, Brian Westbrook, for example— have missed games, and more will go down in the second half of the season. Be prepared to plug in, say, Kenton Keith (left), who piled up 158 total yards and scored two TD s as a replacement for Addai in Week 5. Many other backups, such as Correll Buckhalter, Najeh Davenport, Anthony Thomas and Derrick Ward, have the ability to put up numbers, given the chance. You need guys like them on your bench, even if you hope never to use them.

David Sabino's

Market Watch

WHO'S UP

CHRIS HENRY

Bengals WR Cincy's third receivers have been disappointing (16 catches, one TD ) and Henry is eligible to return from his suspension in Week 10; grab him early and stash him on your bench for a week.