Week 9 saw some highs and some lows, but I've got to say the lowest of the lows has to be the Dallas Cowboys team as a whole. I know this is a fantasy article, but their troubles filter over into the fantasy sector as well. In fact, the only player that doesn't seem to be troubled is rookie Dez Bryant. Many of the Cowboys starters were drafted to start for fantasy teams and now many of those teams are floundering at the depths of fantasy leagues because of it.
Outside of that, Austin Collie suffered a concussion that rendered him unconscious. Look, anytime a player loses consciousness on the field, you can bet he won't be back in a game until multiple doctors have given him a green light. Because of this, Pierre Garcon should have WR2 value in fantasy leagues.
Winners
Philip Rivers:I had a good feeling about Rivers this weekend because the Texans are just that bad against the pass. Rivers finished the day with 295 passing yards, four TDs and one INT. If you listened to me, then you had the #1 fantasy QB in your lineup this weekend.
Brett Favre: Favre turned back the clock and went off for 446 yards in the air. He also threw a pair of TDs and a pair of picks, but there is always something wrong with him these days. I don't personally own Favre in any of my leagues, but if you do and you started him, good for you.
Peyton Hillis: Hillis is by far one of the best stories in the NFL this season, and in fantasy leagues, too. This weekend he found a way to rumble for 184 rushing yards, 36 receiving yards and two TDs. Hillis is still on the Browns, but he is worth starting despite of it.
Arian Foster: Foster is the one guy you can count on from the Texans these days, so it is no surprise that he racked up 127 rushing yards, 70 receiving yards and two end zone visits. Foster is going to finish the season as a top-three RB, so take pride if you were smart enough to draft him.
Terrell Owens: T.O. has seen his fantasy stock skyrocket this season and he has the trust of Carson Palmer helping him. Owens finished Monday night's game with 10 catches for 141 yards and two TDs. The stats could have been even better had it not been for a 4th-quarter pass interference call against the Steelers.
Seyi Ajirotutu:See if you can pronounce his name… go ahead, I'll wait. Seriously, I am willing to bet that not a single reader in here actually owns him and yet he still put up 111 receiving yards and two scores on just four catches. The crazy YPC average means this is more than likely a one-and-done, so no reason to pick him up just yet.
Jacob Tamme: Tamme is the hot waiver wire pick at the mid-point of the season, and he justified it this weekend with his 11 catches for 108 yards and a TD. I told you about Tamme before he hit the big time… did you listen or ignore me?
Green Bay Packers defense: I knew they would end the week at the top of the defensive rankings after this weekend, but playing the Cowboys has a way of doing that very thing. They allowed just seven points while amassing four sacks, two INTs, two fumble recoveries and two defensive TDs. These numbers are ones that will haunt former head coach Wade Phillips as he thinks back on what could have been.
Losers
Matt Schaub:Schaub has the weapons to be one of the best fantasy QBs in the league. But instead, Schaub went out and threw up 266 yards, one INT and no TDs. The running game is locked and loaded, but the passing game is all over the map with value.
Ben Roethlisberger: Monday night was not a good night for Big Ben as he finished with just 163 passing yards, one TD and one INT. Of those 163 yards, 110 of them went to one receiver, Mike Wallace. The stats are what they are, so loser list it is for Roethlisberger.
Jahvid Best:Best was far from the best at RB this weekend as he finished the game with 48 yards rushing and 40 yards receiving. He failed to score this weekend, so the 88 total yards land him on the losers list for Week 9. But then again, I told you to sit him.
LeGarrette Blount:I knew the Blount story was too good to be true and warned you not to buy into the hype either. Blunt put up an empty 46 yards rushing this weekend, which means he got you about 4-5 points in standard scoring formats, hardly worth playing with those numbers.
Andre Johnson: As always, when your QB makes the losers list, there is a pretty good chance your WR will make it, too. Johnson is the best receiver in football, yet he finished the game with four catches for 41 yards and no end zone visits.
Anquan Boldin: Boldin's move to Baltimore has been pretty good for fantasy owners, but this weekend did more harm than good. When you finish with two catches and 28 yards, fantasy teams suffer. Boldin is still a WR1, but closer to the bottom of the tier than the top.
Kellen Winslow: Winslow is one of those guys that I don't own and purposely don't draft. He has all the skills in the world and yet never seems to really capitalize on them. This weekend he racked up three catches for 31 yards, but TE is an all-or-nothing position anyway.
New England Patriots defense: Playing the Browns isn't an easy win like it once was, as the Patriots found out this weekend. The defense allowed 34 points and was only able to manage a single recovered fumble on the day.
As for this week, I was really only wrong on two picks – Matt Forte and Tony Moeaki. Forte finished the game with 49 rushing yards and 12 receiving yards, despite being on my start 'em list… didn't anyone tell him? Moeaki had six catches for 63 yards and that is not bad for a TE. Still, 14-16 is still 87.5 percent and I will take those numbers any day of the week and so should you.
