Q: Will RB Cedric Benson emerge?

A: Was this a serious question?  Benson followed-up his 10-carry Bengals' debut with four carries.  In neither case, did I mention the yardage gained.

Given how poorly RB Chis Perry has run (96 carries 2.6 YPC), any glimmer of success would mean increased carries for Benson going forward.  it looks like the Rb who will supplant Henry is yet to be identified.

Q: Does QB Brett Favre continue to air it out?

A: Brett Favre completed 25 of 33 passes.  However, he had just 189 yards and three turnovers.  That is secondary.  Favre is averaging more than 32 attempts per game and completing 71% of those.  He remains a solid QB1.

Fantasy Player To Watch:  WR Jerricho Cotchery. 18 of his 26 receptions came in two games.  as a result, he may be a little under-valued.  Grab him if you can.

Q: Does QB JaMarcus Russell air it out?

A: ....yes?  Russell threw 35 passes, but managed just 13 completions.  Of course, being down 24-3 at the end of three quarters making passing inevitable.  Nevermind, the Raiders were largely ineffective running the ball.  Is Lane Kiffen smiling this morning?

Q: If WR Marques Colston returns, how are the WR touches distributed?

A: While reports had Colston as a likely start, he was inactive.  Amongst the receivers, third-year man Lance Moore caught seven passes, and no one else had more than 3.  Moore looks like the #2 when Colston returns and that seems as safe a prediction as one can make.

Fantasy Player To Watch:  WR Lance Moore.

Q: Can QB Dan Orlovsky get solid production from WRs Calvin Johnson and Roy Williams?

A: That darn "and"!  WR Calvin Johnson had 85 yards and a TD pass from Dan Orlovsky, who did not turn the ball over but only gathered 150 yards passing on 12 of 21 attempts.  He would have to have another 75+ yards to get quality production from two WRs.

Whether Orlovsky, or Drew Stanton, is the answer to the Lions longer-term QB problems, one can't tell.  However, the Lions should make every effort to find out.  Using a top 5 draft choice on a QB next April won't help the team too much in 2009.  Expect to see Orlovsky to have the shackles loosend over the next three or four games.  A 7.5 YPA makes me think he can do much better.

Q: How much does RB Adrian Peterson rebound from last week's 32-yard disaster?

A: 111 yards qualifies as a "rebound".  No TDs and two lost fumbles, though, makes the effort less impressive.

Fantasy Player To Watch:  WR Bernard Berrian.  Another 100+ yard game and a TD game makes Berrian a solid WR2.  Considering where he was drafted (7th round?), he will be part of successful fantasy teams who didn't look to be so successful right after the draft.

Q: Is this the game RB Willis McGahee or Le'Ron McClain breaks out?

A: No.  Any chance of a breakout game from either RB ended with the 22-yard TD pass to Reggie Wayne in the 1st quarter.  That made the score 14-0.  There is no way the Ravens would be able to win if forced to throw the ball.

Willis McGahee rushed eight times for 19 yards, and Le'Ron McClain failed miserably with -2 yards and two carries.  But just as one looks for those two to be productive, rookie RB Ray Rice catches seven passes for 64 yards.

Q: Tick, tock.  Will the real Peyton Manning show up?

A: "This one calls for the old Billy Barule. Oh, Billy, Billy, Billy. This is a biggie! Don't let me down, Billy! Forty thousand dollars...Billy"

Peyton, Peyton, Peyton.  271 yards and 3 TDs.  That's what I'm talking about!

Fantasy Player To Watch: RB Dominick Rhodes.  As long as Joseph Addai sits, Rhodes is a solid RB2

Q: Can QB Kyle Orton have another great passing game against a weak Falcons defense?

A: "Great" may have been too high a bar to set.  Kyle Orton threw for 286 yards and a TD without tossing an INT.  He missed "greatness" by a TD.  But he has four consectuive good/great games.  Look for continued performances like this to make his receving weapons "fantasy-viable."

Q: Is it home-cooking or poor defenses for RB Michael Turner?

A: A 2.2 YPC in 25 carries answers, "Poor defenses."  As I have pointed out previously, Turner doesn't catch passes so this poor rushing effort has nowhere else to go for additional support.  As an example, look at Dallas Cowboys' RB Marion Barber III.  He had just 45 yards rushing (4 pts), but caught eleven passes for 128 yards and a TD (18-34 points depending on format).

Fantasy Player To Watch: WR Devan Hester.  After disappointing for the first month, note the recent efforts  He has 11 receptions, 153 yards and a TD in the past two games.

This week's byes have four starting RBs riding the pine - Marshawn Lynch of the Buffalo Bills, Chris Johnson of the Tennessee Titans, Larry Johnson of the Kansas City Chiefs and Willie Parker of the Pittsburgh Steelers.  Add in the unlikelihood of Philadelhpia Eagles' RB Brian Westbrook playing at anything close to 100% (if at all), I will be interested to see which RBs offer unexpectedly good efforts.

On to this week's fantasy- and non-fantasy related questions.

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Man, this season has been tough for RB Joseph Addai, and now he has to run into a fearsome Baltimore rush defense.  The Ravens haven't allowed more than 73 yards rushing in any game.  I'm glad I was taking Marion barber in the same area others were taking Addai.  He's got to wait another week for a chance at redeming his Top 5 ADP.

The Chicago Bears will get to show the football world that the NFL's leading rusher, michael Turner, cannot effectively run against good defenses.  Turner has been stunning at home and that may be what many pundits concentrate on, but not me.   Turner has to prove his mettle against good defenses.

The Ten Best Rush Defenses:

An awful Indianapolis Colts rush defense against an awful Baltimore Ravens offense.  Both Willis McGahee and Le'Ron McClain look like solid starts.  The biggest worry is the Colts getting two TDs ahead which could force the Ravens to try and throw.  QB Joe Flacco against the Colts pass defense is not necessarily the match-up the Ravens want to try and escape with a road victory.

Two of the four worst RYA teams face-off in Seattle as the Seahawks host the Green Bay Packers.  With Qb Aaron Rodgers nursing a sore throwing shoulder, one can easily imagine the Pack trying to pound the ball.  But will RB Ryan Grant be able to take advantage?  He ran for 83 yards against a better Atlanta Falcons club so I'll say yes as strongly as anyone can say it for Ryan Grant.

The Ten Worst Rush Defenses:

With the New York Jets sitting atop this ignonimous pile, one can't help thinking the Cincinnati Bengals and Carson Palmer will get off the snide this week.  But one will have to recall the Jets' PYA will be digesting the 426 yards effort of Kurt Warner and the Arizona Cardinals for the next three weeks.  Just keep in mind the Jets rank 7th in Rushing Yards Against over the same three-game period.  

Which Jay Cutler or Brandon Marshall owner doesn't see this list and drool?  The Jacksonville Jaguars go to Denver with the 30th ranked PYA combined with the Broncos desire to throw at at costs means...head coach Mike Shannahan is going to run the ball.  Even worse, he'll give it to Andre Hall and not the most widely-owned Michael Pittman.

In new head coach Tom Cable's first game as the Oakland Raiders' #2, he faces a poor Saints pass defense.  Does Cable let QB JaMarcus Russell air it out and justify some of owner Al Davis' press conference?  There could be a sneaky start here in Russell of TE Zach Miller.

The 10 Worst Pass Defenses:

Over their past three games, the Cleveland Browns have the best Passing Yards Against average?  After watching the New York Giants demolish the Seattle Seahawks, I have a hard time believing the hapless Browns will shut down the Giants' passing game, but Monday Night Football in Cleveland do smell a little like an upset, doesn't it?  Maybe it isn't really important because the Browns struggle against the run ranking 18th in that category over the past three games, and that plays directly into the Giants' strength.

Top 10 Pass Defenses: