NFL Fantasy Player Tracker Buy or Sell

September 27, 2013 by James Kaikis Leave a Comment

The Cover 4.com presents you with the NFL Fantasy Player Tracker Buy or Sell! Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter at @thecover4 or facebook at theCo VerFour

Must Buy

#1. Cleveland Browns TE: Jordan Cameron

Cameron has been on my radar since the end of last season. He is another big and physical tight end that has been the primary target for Weeden, and now Hoyer, since Josh Gordon has been gone. Managing to have 5+ receptions in the first three weeks is one thing, but averaging more than 10 yards per reception is another. Head Coach Rob Chudzinski and Offensive Coordinator Norv Turner are getting him more involved with the offense by finding new ways to utilize his catching abilities, as seen in his touchdown reception on a fake field goal. One might think that his fantasy stock has fallen with Wide Receiver Josh Gordon back on the field, but that only helps to take the defense’s focus off of him. He has 4 touchdowns in 3 week. Cameron is a no brainer as top tier (ie Jimmy Graham) fantasy tight ends are hard to come, especially by this season. Trade for Cameron if you are able to as his production should continue for the rest of the season.

#2. Cincinnati Bengals RB: Giovani Bernard

The running back has finally made use of his reps and has given Head Coach Marvin Lewis a reason to continue to give him more. The Bengals have always been known as a tough, hard-nosed football team but Bernard has brought speed and explosiveness to the team that is now taking focus off the All-Pro wide receiver AJ Green. Bernard has made himself a viable starter in most fantasy leagues at the flex position because of his ability to find ways to get in the end zone. With 4 scores in three weeks I do not see why he’d rot on someone’s bench.

#3. Buffalo Bills QB: EJ Manuel

As a rookie he is showing no signs up backing down to veteran defenders in this league. After being sacked by the New York Jets Defense eight times, Manuel stood strong in the pocket, throwing for 243 yards and 1 touchdown while also making plays happen on his feet (see his 40 yards rushing). He is a versatile player that is continuing to gain chemistry with fellow rookie WR Robert Woods, as well as his #1 receiver Stevie Johnson. There is Russell Wilson type potential in Buffalo; Wilson took the first half of the year to learn and then lit up the league in the final weeks. He might not be your starter yet but he is a strong backup/bye week option and short term replacement for struggling quarterbacks like Colin Kaepernick.

#4. St. Louis Rams WR: Austin Pettis

Although not a household name, yet, Pettis is making himself known as one of the top receivers in St. Louis. He has a sure set of hands and has been quarterback Sam Bradford’s safety blanket and red zone target. He has great route running skills and finds the windows in the opposing defenses. With 114 yards receiving and two touchdowns, he is not going to have huge games but will certainly find a way to get open. Pettis will have a decent showing Thursday night against a weak 49er secondary. The 49ers’ defense has struggled in past weeks and is plagued by ailing injuries; with ILB Patrick Willis (Groin), DB Carlos Rogers (Knee), Nnadmi Asomugha (knee), DE Justin Smith (Shoulder) all potentially out, look for Pettis to get open and for the Rams to get into the end zone. He is a definite trade worthy receiver for the remainder of the season.

#5. Houston Texans WR: DeAndre Hopkins

Hopkins is a very special rookie that has shown promise dating to the preseason. He might be the #2 receiver behind Andre Johnson but he is looking like a top fantasy wide out more each week. For the past 3 weeks, Hopkins has had 5+ receptions as well as 50+ yards with a touchdown. Hopkins has shown that he can fill in for a hurt Andre Johnson; see week #2 when he had 117 yards receiving and a touchdown against the Tennessee Titans. Quarterback Matt Schaub is really beginning to trust him and his playmaking abilities. With Johnson still hurting, expect Hopkins to get a lot more balls thrown his way the rest of the season. On a side note, Hopkins faces Seattle Seahawks CB Richard Sherman and, although unpopular, I like this matchup for him. We can all flashback to when Falcons’ WR Roddy White torched the Seattle Defense in the 2012-2013 Playoffs.

Must Sell

#1. New York Giants QB: Eli Manning

Elite? Right now it doesn’t look like it. Without an o-line and a running game, it is really hard for a defense to respect Manning. Last week, Manning was sacked 7 times and looked silly against the Panthers D. Eli is a pocket passer, who needs the time to make the right decisions and deliver a completed ball. He is playing with frustrations and that will only force him to make more mistakes. Until Eli steps up and calms down, he is not a starting fantasy quarterback. Moving forward, I don’t see the Giants having a major turnaround.

#2. New England Patriots RB: Stevan Ridley

Right now there is no hope for Ridley as a reliable fantasy number one running back. The Patriots offense does not look like the Patriots offense of the past. With multiple wide receiver and running back options, Ridley looks irrelevant; He has failed to get 50+ yards in any of the three weeks against the Buffalo Bills, New York Jets, and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. His terrible play has caused him to lose carries to running backs LeGarrette Blount and Brandon Bolden. Until Gronkowski and Amendola make their ways back to the field to take pressure off the running game, Ridley will continue to struggle.

#3. Dallas Cowboys WR: Miles Austin

In a blowout on Sunday against the St. Louis Rams, Miles Austin only pulled in 2 receptions for 22 yards. His production has been on a decline since his decent performance in week 1 where he hauled in 10 receptions for 72 yards. With WR Dez Bryant getting most of the targets and Austin suffering from a hamstring injury, it is hard to say that he will be back up to par soon. Hamstring injuries are nagging injuries that take time to heal before getting back to 100%, just ask Arizona Cardinals WR Larry Fitzgerald. Somewhere down the line this season once he is healthy, consider him a valuable pick up but as of right now he is not the receiver everyone drafted him to be and he won’t be that guy for the next couple of weeks. Sell now!

#4. New York Giants DST

Unfortunately, the Giants look old and tired. Their defense looks slower than in years past and it seems to me that they are lacking leadership. There is no one on that defense that tries to regroup the defense, not even defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul. They’re simply not getting to the quarterback. With only 3 sacks, they are allowing opposing quarterbacks to pick apart their coverages.

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Filed Under: Fantasy Sports, Football Tagged With: Austin Pettis, back, Buffalo Bills, DeAndre Hopkins, EJ Manuel, Eli Manning, fantasy football, Giovani Bernard, injuries, Jordan Cameron, Louis Rams, Manning, Miles Austin, National Football League, New York, New York Giants, New York Jets, nfl, QB, quarterback, quarterbacks, RB, season, the cover 4, thecover4, Week 4, WR

Mark Sanchez: The NFL’s Most Unfortunate Quarterback.

December 8, 2012 by James Kaikis Leave a Comment

Playing quarterback in the NFL is a lot like being the President of the United States. I know what you’re thinking, and you’re right, playing quarterback is probably more difficult. All jokes that are only funny because a lot of people think they’re true aside, both jobs come with a distinct view on their output by the American people. When things go accordingly to plan we grant both quarterbacks too large a piece of the pie: Obama doesn’t really hunt terrorist, the well-trained super soldiers of our military do. And, in the most obvious vice-versa known to man, Obama has no real control over the economy, fiscal cliff, or how terrible your job is. Our government was written with a unique set of checks and balances to prevent such things, as is our favorite gladitorial past time. When our favorite NFL teams win, we rush to dole out a vast array of superlatives upon the crown of said team’s quarterback, and with each loss we heap just as much, if not more, vitriol upon their broad shoulders. How many times has Eli Manning gone from a Bum to Elite in the past 4 years? Are we even sure what to call Joe Flacco anymore? As a rookie, Andrew Luck has transformed an egregiously poor Colts team seemingly over night, escorting them single-handedly(if Sportscenter tells it right) from last place to the playoffs. But what about the Brady Quinn’s and Tim Couch’s off the world? Were they any less impressive in college? Did their skills somehow fade? Why is it we call the NFL “the ultimate team sport” and then collectively agree to forget the “team” part when it comes to this one position? More importantly, what does any of this have to do with Mark Sanchez?

Simple, Mark Sanchez is the most under-rated, unfortunate quarterback in the NFL and no one is talking about it.

Team A: 1st in the league in rushing, 1st in the league in points given up, 1st in the league in total defense

Team B: 4th in the league in rushing, 6th in the league in points given up, 4th in the league in total defense

Team C: 22nd in the league in rushing, 20th in the league in points given up, 11th in the league in total defense
Who are these 3 teams you ask? These are the New York Jets from 2009, Mark Sanchez’s rookie year, until 2011. If you noticed one thing it’s that the team that built itself on rushing and defense has, over the course of 3 years, gotten significantly worse in both categories. It is a substantial decline to say the least. You would expect that for a team to slide this progressively over 3 years that they would have to either spend money to improve their deficiency or be inefficient enough to draft high and upgrade at lacking positions. Well, in the Jets case, you’d be wrong…twice. In fact, since 2009, the New York Jets are in the bottom half of league in both “Points Scored” and “Drafted Players Still With Team”. The players drafted by the Jets are either high end busts(Kyle Wilson, Shonn Greene, Muhammad Wilkerson) or low end back ups. In fact, in a great state of irony befitting this team, Greg McElroy, Jeremy Kerley, and Bilal Powell, all drafted in the 4th round or later of the 2011 draft, have been the highlights of this Jets season. So what about upgrading this pedestrian offense through free agency? The Jets idea of improving their offense has been to import every 30 year old skill player past their prime (Ladanian Tomlinson, Plaxico Burress), an oft hurt hothead other championship teams can’t stand (Santonio Holmes), and exporting the figurehead behind their rushing success (Thomas Jones).
You still might be asking yourself “How does all of this make Mark Sanchez both under-rated and unfortunate, he landed on a pretty good team.” Exactly. In the modern NFL, there might not be a greater curse than landing on a “pretty good” team”. Not only is more expected of you, but your team is good enough to make your failures unrewarded. Charles Barkley said it best when talking about the Phoenix Suns, “In this world you either need to be really good or really bad. Being in the middle is for suckers”. The Jets with Mark Sanchez haven’t been good enough to beat the best teams and not bad enough to get high draft picks. If this wasn’t unfortunate enough for Mark Sanchez, he was drafted by a defensive minded head coach who doesn’t believe in throwing the ball downfield, or spending money and draft picks on skill position players. He’s cursed with a General Manager whose overseen an offense that has devolved at every level. Where the Jets offensive line was once the league’s best, it’s now a poultry sum of journeymen surrounding All Pro Nick Mangold. Thomas Jones was replaced. Santonio Holmes has missed more games in 2012 than he’s played and there are only 6 people on Earth who can name the rest of the Jets receivers. As if this wasn’t enough, Darrelle Revis, the core of the entire Jets defense, is out for the year with an ACL tear, exchanging a once feared blitz-heavy defense with a mediocre “bend don’t break” replacement.

Returning to Andrew Luck and our opening salvo as to the credit placed with a winning quarterback, think of what the Indianapolis Colts did to place him in a winning position. They retained a Pro Bowl receiver in Reggie Wayne, spent 5 draft picks on skill players, and catered the offense to his style of play. The Seahawks signed Sidney Rice, drafted Golden Tate, grabbed Marshawn Lynch in free agency, and then drafted their rookie QB Russel Wilson. The Redskins incorporated RGIII’s college offense, drafted a running back, and signed a plethora of receivers .Having great skill position players doesn’t guarantee a great quarterback, as Matt Leinart can attest to, but it certainly increases your chances. Of the past 5 quarterbacks to win NFL MVP, all 5 of them have been accompanied by Pro Bowl receivers. But the Jets have turned a blind eye to the modern game and insisted on an style more befitting the upcoming Alabama/Notre Dame game—-if only said game was being played in 1966. This is the unfortunate circumstance of the modern NFL quarterback. In the ultimate group game, they are asked to put the I in Team. While no sport requires more of a specific player, no player needs so much from not just his fellow players, but his coach, general manager, and owner.

When Braylon Edwards tweeted, “Don’t blame Sanchez. I played there. Blame the idiots calling shots. Mark is a beast and will prove it when given a proper chance.” he could’ve been speaking for a dozen other quarterbacks in NFL history whose teams never gave them a chance to succeed. But right now, in 2012, on the team smack dab in the middle of the ravenous New York Media, and even more carnivorous fans, on a team whose best player is out for the season and whose team has gotten worse with each year, who brought in Tim Tebow for…religious purposes (LOL), Mark Sanchez might just be the most unfortunate quarterback in the history of the NFL.
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Filed Under: Football Tagged With: 2012, Andrew Luck, back, coach, draft, Mark Sanchez, New York, New York Jets, nfl, Pro Bowl, quarterbacks, Santonio Holmes, sport, Thomas Jones, year

Big Ten Seeing Green with Expansion

November 20, 2012 by James Kaikis 1 Comment

At least Dr. Wallace Loh, the President of the University of Maryland, was honest when explaining why his university was jumping from the Atlantic Coast Conference to the Big Ten.

“We’re still living paycheck to paycheck [in the ACC],” Loh said during a press conference that announced the Terrapins’ move to the Big Ten.

Loh is right. This is all about money for both parties. Maryland, which will begin Big Ten play in 2014-15, and Rutgers, whose entry in the Big Ten will be reportedly finalized in the coming days, offer very little in the Big Ten’s cash crop (football).

Make no mistake about it. Rutgers and Maryland will be interchangeable with the likes of Indiana, Minnesota, Purdue and the other bottom-feeders that have seemingly made the Big Ten into a bottom-heavy conference.

But what they bring to the table is eyeballs. Since the Big Ten Network launched in 2007, it has become a financial windfall for the 11 original members. Now, the conference gets to add two enormous television markets and make even more revenue.

According to a Big Ten athletic department employee, the Big Ten charges $0.12 per customer a month for those living in a state without a Big Ten team. For those living in the middle of the Big Ten footprint, the Big Ten Network receives $0.36.

While the details of the television agreements have yet to be announced, it’s only logical for the Big Ten to mandate New York City and the DMV area be included as part of the Big Ten footprint.

Does this make any of the parties better?

Sure, the Big Ten Network is able to charge more per customer in two critical media markets, but now that money is getting split up among 14 teams instead of 12 (and just two years ago, 11). The addition of Rutgers and Maryland would seem to open up the possibility of Big Ten championship games to escape god forsaken Indianapolis. Perhaps the conference could alternate the basketball championship between Madison Square Garden, Barclays Center and the Verizon Center.

Considering the conference’s fascination with Indianapolis — both the basketball and football championships are held there — I’ll hold my breath on that happening.

The only gain for the Big Ten is money. Is there any for the two teams coming?

Rutgers is a top-25 football team this year, but it plays in the Big East, so it doesn’t really count. Maryland is an unmitigated disaster. In Randy Edsall’s two years as the coach at Maryland, the program is gutted. Of course they’ve had bad luck this year — all of the Terps’ scholarship quarterbacks are for the season and the team starts a former linebacker who wears No. 31 —but Under Armour has to be running low on patience for its flagship university.

Both Rutgers and Maryland will get increased exposure for playing in the second-most recognizable conference in the country (behind the SEC of course) but it’s not going to matter. New Jersey and Maryland were already fertile grounds for one Big Ten team — Penn State — now add 11 more competitors for in-state talent.

There was legitimate excitement among people with vested interest in the Big Ten when Nebraska joined. Yes, I know the financial implications of adding Maryland and Rutgers but Big Ten expansion rumors used to be about adding Notre Dame or bringing in Pitt to revive a dormant rivalry.

Today, the only reaction is mild disappointment.

Brendan Shorts

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Filed Under: Basketball, Football Tagged With: ACC, Big East, Big Ten, Big Ten Network, DMV, football, Jersey, Madison Square Garden, New York, New York City, Notre Dame, Penn State, quarterbacks, Randy Edsall, SEC, Wallace Loh, year

Week 11 NFL Predictions!

November 15, 2012 by James Kaikis 2 Comments

Can Andrew Luck lead the Colts to an impressive road victory in New England?

A tie, really? Can you believe it? Mind the ghetto video I found on youtube but..

Well don’t think we saw that coming between the 49ers and Rams (any given Sunday at its finest). This week wasn’t great for some starting quarterbacks who left their games due to injuries; Jay Cutler, Ben Roesthlisberger, Alex Smith, & Michael Vick all left their respective games and did not return. Big Ben & Vick will be on the shelf this week so it is up to the backups to lead these two teams to victory.

What a call on Bengals/Giants! How many people read that and said “he is an idiot”. Yup, I’m talking about you and the rest of the 95% of people who thought I was crazy. The Bengals were poised to win that game and it showed. Now I am 2-0 versus the spread. Will this week be three in a row?

I’m very fortunate for how things have gone for The Cover 4 this season. Not only have winners been accurately predicted but the analysis, key players & fantasy studs have been on point. Turning non-believers into believers and consistent readers; I promise you this will continue!

Another theme of last week is how I can’t accurately predict the Dolphins & Titans; I just can’t get it with these two teams. The presences of Locker and the re-emergence of Chris Johnson helps solidify this Titan squad. If only they figured out how to get Kenny Britt and Jared Cook involved more.

Results speak for themselves: 11-2-1 last week.

I’m expecting a wild week as some dogs are looking good (especially versus the spread). Let’s look at this weeks matchups.

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Miami Dolphins @ Buffalo Bills
Analysis: Two of my favorite teams right now (insert sarcastic emoji here :p.. Haha). I’m gonna say it again, I like Tannehill’s potential but I think he belongs on the bench this year. The guy can make all the big throws in the NFL but I’m more on the Moore bandwagon (like that?). The Dolphins were eaten up by the Titans last week while the Bills kept it close with the Patriots. I expect the Bills to take advantage of the Dolphins coming off a bad loss on a short week.

Key Players: Reggie Bush & Ryan Tannehill. Bush needs to find his game after being benched last week. As for Tannehill, he needs to limit his turnovers to keep the Dolphins offense on the field.

Fantasy Stud: Bills Wr Stevie Johnson. Expect the burner to be open all day.

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Arizona Cardinals @ Atlanta Falcons

Analysis: The nonsense of the Falcons going undefeated is now out of the way with last weeks loss to the Saints (you liked that score prediction though right?- right score, wrong teams). The Falcons defense will be the key for the rest of the season as this unit has been overachieving. I believe this defensive unit should be able to get things together this week versus Arizona. As for the Cardinals, who are coming off a much needed bye (as every struggling team is), they must establish some sort of a running game. This team ranks dead last in rushing and has been very one-dimensional.

Key Players: John Skelton. The quarterback must keep this offense moving and convert on third down for the Cardinals to hang with the powerful Atlanta offense.

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Cleveland Browns @ Dallas Cowboys

Analysis: The Cowboys are heavy favorite in this matchup after a solid game against Philadelphia last week. The Browns used the bye week to recover from their heart breaking loss to Baltimore two weeks ago. Quarterback Brandon Weeden must limit his turnovers after throwing 2 ints two weeks ago. Look for Trent Richardson to have another solid game in this one.

Fantasy Stud: Jason Witten. I think Witten has another solid game as Romo is looking Wittens way more after his 18 catch effort a few weeks ago. The Browns are allowing tight ends to have average days but they haven’t faced a tight end of Wittens caliber.

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Green Bay Packers @ Detroit Lions

Analysis: The Packers are winners of four straight and things are slowly coming together for this team. The Lions are the number one passing offense in the league and should continue to throw the ball around in this one. The absences of Clay Matthews & Charles Woodsen is big for this Packers defense. I expect a high scoring game with the Packers taking this one.

Players to Watch: Matthew Stafford & Calvin Johnson. After a slow start, the dynamic duo is starting to click again (forget the Madden curse). Megatron is putting up mega numbers and propelling one of my fantasy teams into the playoffs.

Score Prediction: Packers 31 – Lions 27

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Cincinnati Bengals @ Kansas City Chiefs
Analysis: The Bengals are coming off an impressive (cough called that cough cough) win against the Giants. Dalton looks terrific passing the ball as his offensive line is giving him ample time to sling the rock; it also helps that his weapons are making plays. Kansas City is coming off a devastating overtime loss to the Steelers. I think this game will be close but the Bengals pull it out.

Key Players: Matt Cassel. I don’t know how to put it any other way except that this team only goes as far as Cassel can take them. His career (including college) has been an up and down roller coaster but something needs to give.

Player to Watch: Vontaze Burfict. The undrafted linebacker is thriving in Cincinnati. Character issues were a concern but a player of his caliber is too hard to pass up. Burfict is second on the team in tackles and watch him have another nice game this weekend.

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New York Jets @ St. Louis Rams

Analysis: It’s funny because I had a dream I was talking with Rex Ryan over some beers about how he is losing control of the team. It dawned on me that if he keeps riding Sanchez and the team keeps underperforming, he is going to go down with the ship. It may not be this year but Ryan could be on the hot seat (I think GM Mike Tannebaum is the first one to go). The Jets are just in a free fall mode right now as Sanchez and the rest of the offense continue to fail the team. Rex Ryan has his hands full with defending this team against the media. On another note, the Rams are coming off an impressive tie against a tough 49er squad. I expect the Rams to take full advantage of a defeated Jets squad.

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Philadelphia Eagles @ Washington Redskins

Analysis: The Redskins are coming off a bye as the team started hot and is cooling off a bit. RGIII has been named a team captain and they say he’s “hungrier than ever”. The Eagles will rely on rookie Nick Foles to lead them into Washington for a much needed victory. Andy Reid is going to need to rely on his running game to take the pressure off his rookie QB.

Key Matchup: Eagle Wr Desean Jackson versus Redskins Cb DeAngelo Hall. Both tiny speedsters are known for being feisty players on the field, especially after the whistle. I expect these two to be battling all day. This will be an exciting matchup to watch!

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Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ Carolina Panthers

Analysis: This is a good ole’ fashion division rivalry game right here. These two teams will be in a seesaw battle as both teams will get things going on offense; Newton vs Freeman is going to bee fun to watch. In the end, I like my boy Josh Freeman (and all of his offensive weapons) to lead the Buccs to a victory.

Fantasy Dud: All Carolina Panther running backs. Just avoid them!

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Jacksonville Jaguars @ Houston Texans

Analysis: This one could get ugly between the battle of 8s (1-8 v 8-1). You have to feel bad for the Jaguar team as they just can’t put it together. Hopefully the long week (and much needed rest) gives them ample time to pregame for the red-hot Texans, who just came away victors in a defensive battle against the Bears.

Fantasy Stud: Arian Foster. Expect a monster day on the ground and in the air from the league’s top running back.

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New Orleans Saints @ Oakland Raiders

Analysis: Someone call the Sheriff because we have a shoot out brewing!! Oh I think this is going to be a game right here. The Saints are starting to gain some steam but so are the Raiders (at least on offense). Expect a very high scoring game with long touchdown after long touchdown. I wouldn’t doubt if this game torches the over (54.5) and heads into the 60s.

Fantasy Studs: Every quarterback and receiver on both teams! Both secondaries are weak and being exploited by passing offenses. Look at what Baltimore did to the Raiders last week.

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Pick Center of the Week: San Diego Chargers + 8 @ Denver Broncos

Analysis: There are a number of games I want to use as pick center this week but I believe this to be the strongest one. The Chargers, well, are the typical Chargers (very inconsistent) thus you never know which team is coming to play. These two teams were in a dogfight earlier in the season with a Rivers meltdown that led to the Bronco victory. I can’t see this division matchup being a two score game. Expect a tight game in this one with the Chargers definitely covering 8 points.

Fantasy Stud: Danario Alexander. Who you ask? The Charger wide receiver is getting a few more looks his way with Malcom Floyd playing well this season. Expect close to 80 yards and a touchdown.

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Indianapolis Colts @ New England Patriots

Analysis: This game will be a nice matchup of quarterbacks showing off their finest skill sets. Brady has more weapons than the US Military while Luck is playing with subpar talent (besides Reggie Wayne of course). The Patriot offense will be too much for Indy to handle in this one. Expect some points on the board when this game is said and done.

Key Player: Andrew Luck. Luck has the potential to put up some monster numbers in this game and lead his 6-3 Colts to an impressive road victory. We all know he doesn’t have much talent around him but he will have to make play after play or this is gonna be real ugly.

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Game of the Week: Baltimore Ravens @ Pittsburgh Steelers

Analysis: There is nothing like a division rivalry game between the Ravens and Steelers as both teams despise each other. Unfortunately the Steelers won’t have Big Ben due to multiple injuries. Bryon Leftwich is a solid backup but I don’t think this matchup really works to his favor. The Steelers will be getting the ground game going early and often in this one. I hate to say it but I do believe the Ravens will squeak this one out.

Key Players: Rashard Mendenhall, Issac Redman & Jonathan Dwyer. Whoever is in the game at running back for the Steelers must get things going against a depleted Ravens defense. If the run game isn’t established, it will be a long day for this Steelers offense.

Score Predictor: Ravens 24 – Steelers 20

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Chicago Bears @ San Francisco 49ers

Analysis: As of now, Jay Cutler is yet to be cleared to practice while Alex Smith participated in non-contact drills Wednesday. This defensive battle (every week is a defensive battle against the Bears) will be interesting if both starting quarterbacks are held out of the game. I am going to predict this matchup as if both quarterbacks are healthy and starting. If so, I expect the 49ers to take care of business against the Bears (Sorry Bears fans- I know, I know). Jay Cutler relies heavily on the passing game, which plays into the 49ers defense strategy.

Key Players: Matt Forte & Frank Gore. These two running backs are going to have a tough time getting things going against stellar defenses. Whichever running back has a better game will result in his team getting the W.

If the status of one of these quarterbacks change, expect a nice large REVISED by the title.

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Finally, video of the week. I know some of you out there are struggling in your fantasy leagues. We understand your pain….so does this guy!