As with any waiver wire report, you always have to not only err to the side of caution, but also ensure that the player mentioned fits your league setup.

Too often, fans simply read a waiver wire report that is hefty, and simply grab the player mentioned thinking he will produce, just because he is in the report, which isn’t always the case.

As if that’s not enough, fantasy owners are sucked into writers who simply scour their own league’s fantasy “waiver wire report” to find guys to create an article out of, hence the reason why most of them are produced on Tuesdays or later, so make sure you can utilize the mentioned player before you run out and grab him.

Let’s take a look at my fantastic four for Week 6.

Buffalo D/ST: I start this week’s report with a defense that has seemingly occupied more shelf space in most leagues than roster space.

The Buffalo Bills defense, before Week 5’s contest, led the league in interceptions with 8, and two of them being returned for scores.

But Buffalo added to that by grabbing three more INTs against the Eagles before the half, and five total turnovers in the game which added even more points to their season total.

In Yahoo! leagues specifically, Buffalo is still occupying space on waivers, and any manager could easily scoop them up and enjoy the ride for weeks to come.

The Bills get the Giants secondary in Week 6 that allowed a combined 315 yards to Seattle’s horrid defense. With Buffalo’s passing attack, one could easily argue that Giants may wind up playing from behind next week against the Bills, suggesting that this upcoming contest would lend favor to more turnovers.

Devin Aromashodu – Vikings: This mention is more for owners who have an open spot on their roster who are willing to take a long-term chance on a potential prospect at WR.

Many Vikings fans and fantasy football owners were surprised to learn that Bernard Berrian was inactive in Week 5 without being listed on the Vikings injury report, and that was because of a disciplinary action on behalf of the organization.

Here’s the short skinny regarding the matter.

It was already clear that Berrian was under performing yet again—only Vikings fans really know what I am talking about here—and with the benching, it was Devin Aromashodu who showed that, yes if you give me a chance, I can provide.

Again, for those of you who are looking for someone to add to a roster with an open spot, Aromashodu is a nice fit since his fantasy radar needle is beginning to point upward, while Berrian’s needle continues to point south. But for those looking for a bye week fill, Aromashodu is nothing more than high risk/ medium reward against the Bears this week, until we see more.

Curtis Painter – Colts: It’s always a difficult position to support when mentioning a QB this far into the fantasy football season, but there are still a few of you out there that are in search of a possible suitor for QB 2 on your roster.

Painter looked absolutely superb through two and a half quarters of play against Kansas City, but looked a little shaky the rest of the way. Still the guy completed 15 passes out of 27 attempts for 277 yards and two TDs.

Sometimes, when reading waiver wire articles, fantasy football owners don’t want to know about players who they need to pick up for the next week, rather, who they could entertain giving a shot for the weeks to come.

Painter is one of those guys, but he comes with a caveat.

In the next two weeks, Painter faces the Bengals and Saints—two unfavorable matchups—but afterwards, faces the Falcons, Jaguars, Panthers and Patriots who are all solid defense for a fantasy quarterback to exploit.

Painter is worth a grab for those of you in deeper leagues looking for a bye week fill down the road.

Victor Cruz – Giants: Back on September 27th, I first mentioned Victor Cruz as a guy you perhaps wanted to consider taking a strong chance on, as he seemingly passed Manningham in regard to passing consideration.

Well, Manningham has gone by the wayside, and Cruz continued to deliver making my claim true, so hopefully a few of you listened to me.

In a losing effort against the Seahawks in Week 5, Cruz yet again went off catching 8 passes for 161 yards and a score.

I told you back then that Cruz was going to be plugged in as the primary slot receiver, and even with Manningham as the primary wide-out number two, it was Cruz who made good on my analysis and proved yet again he is a worthy waiver wire grab.

If you are lucky enough to grab him NOW, make sure to do so this time, lest miss out.

Stay tuned for Greg Brosh’s selections.

QUARTERBACKS
Tim Tebow – Denver: I am still a bit surprised that the Broncos didn’t at least give Tebow a chance to compete for the starting job once the lockout ended. But VP John Elway seemed to shoot Tebow down any chance he had, saying that the former Florida star didn’t have the “it” factor to be an NFL starter. After a slow start, John Fox finally had enough of Kyle Orton during the team’s game against the Chargers and made the switch to Tebow. Tebow didn’t do much in regards to passing yards with only 79, but he did throw for a score and also showed he is willing to make things happen with his legs after rushing for another 38 yards and a rushing touchdown. Tebow had big games near the end of 2010, but don’t forget this is a much different offense under Fox. Tebow will continue to start as long as he shows he can command the offense, but don’t jump in and plug him in as a starting fantasy option just yet. At best, he might be useful in the right matchups and as a QB2 in leagues where you can start two quarterbacks.

Matt Cassel – Kansas City: Cassel got off to a terribly slow start in Weeks 1-3. But in the last two games, Cassel has started looking much more comfortable in the offense. After averaging 143 passing yards through the first three weeks, that number has jumped to 258 over the last two, with five touchdown passes and zero interceptions. He won’t be a starting-caliber fantasy option, but he is starting to improve back to a QB2 again.

Alex Smith – San Francisco: Smith followed up a big game against the Eagles in Week Four with a three-touchdown performance against the Buccaneers Sunday. The biggest change that Jim Harbaugh has on Smith is his vast improvement in his TD:INT ratio, which now stands at 7:1. If Smith is still on your waiver wire and your QB2 is sliding, he could be worth a pickup. It’s looking like Harbaugh’s quarterback magic might be taking affect.

RUNNING BACKS
Jackie Battle – Kansas City: Lets face it, Thomas Jones is no longer the Thomas Jones we saw as a Jet. It was only a matter of time before Ken Whisenhunt had to make a switch. But unfortunately, Dexter McCluster is simply too small to be a lead back. Enter Battle, who rocked 119 yards off 19 carries against the Colts. An HB/FB in the mold of Peyton Hillis, Battle doesn’t have a lot of speed and doesn’t have much burst, but he doesn’t give up on a run after the first tackle, keeping his legs in motion throughout a play. He won’t blow up like Hillis did last year. But when you have a player run for over 100 yards given his first chance at a big role, he is always worth a pickup. Just keep in mind that the Chiefs have a Week-Six bye.

Delone Carter/Donald Brown – Indianapolis: After Joseph Addai went down with a hamstring against the Chiefs, the Colts gave Carter 14 touches and Donald Brown 8. The bad thing was that Carter was only able to total 22 carries off 12 carries, but he did get a cheap touchdown when the Colts were near the goal-line. Brown made more out of his opportunities, averaging 4.7 yards-a-carry off of those 8 carries. If Addai is out for any amount of time, the Colts figure to give Carter and Brown equal opportunities, but neither are anything more than flex options at best. We’ve seen what Brown can do as a starter and it’s not pretty.

Jonathan Dwyer – Pittsburgh: It sucks when a player has so much fantasy hype going into the weekend, only for someone else to get the glory. We saw this with Isaac Redman and Jonathan Dwyer. Redman racked up 61 total yards, but cramps in the third quarter knocked him out for the rest of the game. Thus paving the way for Dwyer to go off for 107 rushing yards. If Rashard Mendenhall can return from a hamstring injury, Dwyer’s value isn’t all that great. But at the very least, he may have bumped his value up in dynasty leagues.

Bernard Scott – Cincinnati: With Cedric Benson’s suspension looming, the Bengals’ coaching staff may have started wanting to work Scott more into the offense early like we saw in Week Five. Scott rushed six times, more than any other game so far this year, but he only averaged 3.3 yards per carry. He did, however, score his first rushing score of the season and should still be on the radar if we wind up finding out Benson’s fate for Week Six early this week.

WIDE RECEIVERS
Doug Baldwin – Seattle: Baldwin now has three 80+ receiving-yard games through the first five weeks. Against the Giants, he picked up a lot of the slack with Mike Williams (concussion) out, catching 8 passes for 136 yards and a 27-yard touchdown that sealed a win in an upset. Owners in larger PPR leagues should definitely pick Baldwin up this week. Just be aware that the Seahawks are on a Week-Six bye.

Darrius Heyward-Bey – Oakland: Buyer beware? Through two weeks, DHB has totaled 11 receptions, 214 receiving yards and a touchdown. But owners know it’s hard to get excited about DHB because he has led us down this path before, only to stink it up the rest of the way. I have to include him on the waiver-wire list given his recent stats, but owners should keep his inconsistent history in the back of their minds.

Jason Hill – Jacksonville: Don’t let Hill’s Week-Five performance, 5/126/1, against the Bengals fool you. Outside of a 74-yard touchdown burn in blown safety coverage, Hill would have put up a meager four receptions for 52 yards.

Steve Breaston – Kansas City: With Matt Cassel reverting back to his glory days, Breaston has gone on a little three-game fantasy streak, capping Week Five with two touchdowns. The Chiefs should continue to get their passing game going after the Week-Six bye, making Breaston a decent low-end flex option. However, there is still a chance the Chiefs offense could peter out at the blink of an eye.

Damian Williams – Tennessee: Williams is on a two-week touchdown streak, but it’s hard to imagine him being anything more than a low-end option in 14-16 team leagues.

Jason Avant – Philadelphia: As a true-blue Eagles fan, I can honestly say that Avant’s 15 receptions over the last two weeks are nothing more than “right place/right time” numbers. As the third guy behind DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin, Avant simply isn’t consistent enough to be able to put up WR3 stats over the course of the year. I’d ignore him.

Kevin Walter – Houston: While Jacoby Jones was getting all the hype, Walter got the points, hauling in five passes for 81 yards and a touchdown against the Raiders. Walter does a little bit of everything, but nothing about him really sticks out. Still, since Jones was only able to catch 1 of his 11 targets, Matt Schaub could look Walter’s way more going forward while Andre Johnson sits.

TIGHT ENDS
Jake Ballard -New York Giants: Ballard now has two-straight games with a touchdown, but he is only a must-add option if you are that desperate because of injuries and bye weeks.

Sure, after the Top 10 it isn’t that difficult to figure out who’s who, but the Top 10 is a completely different beast this week, particularly with who exactly will occupy the Top three slots.

Yeah? You don’t need me to tell you—each week—to start Aaron Rodgers or Drew Brees? Well is it equally easy to tell who the better start is?

No, not at all—not that easy and there are quite a few owners out there who need questions like that answered.

For this week, I will forgo my usual Top 5, to focus on why the Top 3 are the Top 3, then follow suit with my normal commentary on the remaining balance, and keep in mind, Baltimore, Miami, Cleveland, Dallas, Washington and St. Louis all have the bye week in Week 5.

Top 3 Quarterbacks for Week 5

Aaron Rodgers – QB – Packers: For the second week in a row, Aaron Rodgers is atop the fantasy football rankings, and with very good reason.

Aaron Rodgers was last week’s top fantasy football player and quarterback, and this week, out of all the quarterbacks, he has the best matchup overall, slightly edging Michael Vick and Drew Brees.

Rodgers has faced three bottom feeding pass defenses thus far in New Orleans (20th), Chicago (29th) and Denver (23rd) while facing one very good team against the pass in Carolina who is ranked 6th.

But the rankings aren’t the only factor here.

When you face teams that are bad you are supposed to consistently take care of business which is what is what Rodgers has done better than Drew Brees and Michael Vick.

To help fantasy owners, Green Bay’s pass defense is so bad, that the Packers have to throw as much as possible, since it is their only true neutralizer.

Atlanta is currently ranked 24th against the pass, and 12th in interceptions, while also possessing their own potent offense, so Rodgers is due for yet another shootout that will only benefit fantasy owners better than any other quarterback this week.

Drew Brees – QB – Saints: Similarly to Rodgers, Drew Brees has faced two terrible teams against the pass in Green Bay (31st) and Chicago (29th). But Brees has also faced two pretty good teams in Houston who is ranked 10th against the pass and Jacksonville who is ranked 14th against the pass.

Against Houston and Jacksonville, however, Brees accumulated four total interceptions which has this week’s matchup against the 6th ranked Panthers pass D, a little hairy.

Yes, Brees will put up a ton of passes and yards and will even throw a few TDs, but fantasy owners are going to have to live with a strong possibility of a turnover or two.

For the record, Brees is 5-5 with a 64.8% completion rate and a 12:7 TD:INT ratio lifetime against the Panthers.

Michael Vick – QB – Eagles: Coming in at number three is good Ol’ Mike Vick. Through four games, Vick has faced what is arguably the stiffest completion out of the three—not by any separate measure though—in St. Louis (13th), Atlanta (24th), New York Giants (18th) and San Francisco (27th)—passing rankings.

But there are a few issues to look at here as they get ready to face a Buffalo Bills team that ranks 25th against the pass, but 1st in the NFL in interceptions.

Vick has thrown just six TDs to three INTs, and can’t seem to find his true swagger.

The Eagles have failed miserably each week to protect Vick consistently, Vick himself is mildly injured and against teams that are good at intercepting the ball, Vick has developed a small penchant for just that—interceptions.

So why list him at number 3? Because he is Michael Vick, and despite the insane amount of adversity that would otherwise cripple a sub-par quarterback, Vick is still a Top 5 fantasy QB every single week when everything is said and done, that’s why.

He’ll have a nice day, but not as well as Brees and Rodgers.

The Remaining Balance:

If I showed you the next page you would have seen the last of 11 week 3 match-ups which was a $9 win in a heads up expert only game. Expert only means you get less $$$ to play with. Expert get $55,000 - standard gets $60,000 and Beg. get $65,000

Here is what I do to find the excellent match ups headed into the week and rank them accordingly.

1. Get the top 10 or so fantasy points allowed by position (listed below)
2. Find the obvious studs with great match ups (high dollar value guys on fanduel)
3. Find the “flex starts” with great match ups that present high upside (low dollar value guys on fanduel)
4. TOP 10 Teams allowing the most fantasy points to opposing QB’s this year.

You can use this method to determine who is a great weekly fantasy play based on match up, helpful for you guys without a backup for Antonio Gates, more on that later.

I’ll start at the Quarterback position.

Eli Manning comes to mind over the next several weeks, this week he face the Cardinals who allow the 8th most fantasy points to Quarterbacks.

TOP 10 Teams allowing the most fantasy points to opposing QB’s this year.

1. New England Patriots vs. QB – 1,163 yards – 6 TD
2. Green Bay Packers vs. QB – 1,153 yards – 6 TD
3. Oakland Raiders vs. QB 937 yards 6 TD
4. Miami Dolphins vs. QB 957 yards 8 TD
5. St. Louis Rams vs. QB 799 yards 7 TD
6. Buffalo Bills vs. QB 829 yards 7 TD
7. New Orleans Saints vs. QB 929 yards 7 TD
8. Arizona Cardinals vs. QB 884 yards 4 TD
9. Kansas City Chiefs vs. QB 796 yards 8 TD
10. Minnesota Vikings vs. QB 956 yards 5 TD

QB Match-ups to exploit in week 4 are:

• Jason Campbell faces the New England Patriots who, as you see above, are allow a sever amount of fantasy stats to opposing QB’s.
• Rex Grossman AKA “Sexy Rexy” have a juicy match-up against St. Louis Rams who rank 5th in most fantasy points allowed.
• Andy Dalton should bounce back this week versus the Bills, who rank 6th in points allowed to opposing QB’s.
• Eli Manning comes to mind over the next several weeks, this week he face the Cardinals who allow the 8th most fantasy points to Quarterbacks. Excellent Value on Fanduel.

The obvious starter with exceptional match ups:

• Tom Brady obviously.. Oakland just sweetens the pot.
• Phillip Rivers is another no brain-er with a sweet match-up versus Miami who ranks 4th in most points allowed.

Here are are WEEK 4 Quarterback Rankings

Either Cedric Benson (if allowed to play) or Bernard Scott should have success this week versus Buffalo however, I'd only start Bernard Scott in PPR leagues as the Bengals will have to play from behind.

TOP 10 Teams allowing the most fantasy points to opposing RB’s this year.

1. Philadelphia Eagles vs. RB 394 yards 2 TD, 15 Catches for 185 yards 3 TD
2. Kansas City Chiefs vs. RB 360 yards 5 TD, 16 Catches for 153 1 TD
3. Oakland Raiders vs. RB 305 yards 2 TD, 24 Catches for 283 2 TD
4. St. Louis Rams vs. RB 399 yards 2 TD, 19 Catches for 187 1 TD
5. Minnesota Vikings vs. RB 190 yards 3 TD, 27 Catches for 256 2 TD
6. New York Jets vs. RB 356 yards 4 TD, 15 Catches for 106 0 TD
7. Buffalo Bills vs. RB 292 yards 2 TD, 25 Catches for 152 2 TD
8. New England Patriots vs. RB 202 yards 2 TD, 30 Catches for 271 1 TD
9. Indianapolis Colts vs. RB 315 yards 4 TD, 11 Catches for 73 0 TD
10. Atlanta Falcons vs. RB 277 yards 2 TD, 18 Catches for 165 1 TD

RB Match-ups to exploit in week 4 are:

• Dexter McCluster faces the Vikings BUT WAIT they got back some players in Week 3 and picked up the run stuff. Only consider McCluster in PPR leagues as a strong FLEX.
• BenJarvus Green-Ellis / Stevan Ridley are both good flexes this week versus the porous Raiders. I like Ridley this week to get plenty of chances as New England burns the clock holding a lead.
• Frank Gore could easily bounce back this week against the Eagles who are allowing the most points to RB’s this year.
• Tim Hightower should toss the Rams salad this week, they rank 4th in points allowed.
• LeGarrette Blount should have a bounce back week against Indy, but don’t keep your hopes to high.
• Either Cedric Benson (if allowed to play) or Bernard Scott should have success this week versus Buffalo however, I’d only start Bernard Scott in PPR leagues as the Bengals will have to play from behind.

The obvious starter with exceptional match up:

• A. Peterson is an obvious start any week but this week is exceptional as he faces the Chief’s who can’t stop tumbleweed from blowing across the field.

Here are our Week 4 Running Back Rankings

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TOP 16 Teams allowing the most fantasy points to opposing WR’s this year.

Denarius Moore is poised for a break out game.

1. New England Patriots vs. WR 48 catches for 794 yards and 4 TD
2. Green Bay Packers vs. WR 42 catches for 660 yards and 4 TD
3. St. Louis Rams vs. WR 34 catches for 535 yards and 6 TD
4. Miami Dolphins vs. WR 37 catches for 578 yards and 5 TD
5. New Orleans Saints vs. WR 39 catches for 525 yards and 3 TD
6. San Francisco 49ers vs. WR 36 catches for 514 yards and 5 TD
7. New York Giants vs. WR 41 catches for 606 yards and 3 TD
8. Baltimore Ravens vs. WR 50 catches for 600 yards and 3 TD
9. Arizona Cardinals vs. WR 41 catches for 581 yards and 3 TD
10. Houston Texans vs. WR 37 catches for 503 yards and 4 TD
11. Kansas City Chiefs vs. WR 37 catches for 484 yards and 4 TD
12. Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. WR 44 catches for 582 yards and 2 TD
13. Oakland Raiders vs. WR 45 catches for 519 yards and 3 TD
14. Buffalo Bills vs. WR 36 catches for 517 yards and 3 TD
15. Denver Broncos vs. WR 42 catches for 517 yards and 3 TD
16. Carolina Panthers vs. WR 20 catches for 437 yards and 4 TD

WR Match-ups to exploit in week 4 are:

• Brandon Lloyd and Eric Decker should have a good day against Green Bay who allow the 2nd most fantasy points to WR so far this year.
• Oakland has some nice flex plays lined up for you this week but gamble at your own risk here, while someone in Oakland is going to have a great day it’s hard to predict. I expect the Pats to stack the box and force Campbell to pass, Denarius Moore is poised for a break out game.
• Santana Moss WILL have a big day versus the Rams. I don’t think the Rams will move the ball on offense and Washington will be able to air it out versus their weak secondary who ranks 3rd in points allowed.
• Minnesota has a possible deep sleeper in PPR formats, deep leagues only, Michael Jenkins is on the rise as a nice match-ups based flex starter and this week he gets the Chiefs who rank 11th in points allowed.

More obvious starters with great match-ups

• Larry Fitzgerald versus NYG
• Vincent Jackson, especially if Gates returns to the line-up. Miami allows the 4th most points to WR.
• Hakeem Nicks / Mario Manningham or Victor Cruz depending on Manninghams status – Arizona allows the 9th most fantasy points to WR.

Greg Olsen has a great match-up versus the Bears, nice flex play in your a Antonio Gates owner in a time of need.

TOP 10 Teams allowing the most fantasy points to opposing TE’s this year.

1. Miami Dolphins vs. TE 25 catches for 315 yards and 3 TD
2. San Diego Chargers vs. TE 14 catches for 180 yards and 4 TD
3. Chicago Bears vs. TE 19 catches for 237 yards and 3 TD
4. New Orleans Saints vs. TE 14 catches for 259 yards and 2 TD
5. Kansas City Chiefs vs. TE 12 catches for 159 yards and 3 TD
6. Cincinnati Bengals vs. TE 17 catches for 217 yards and 2 TD
7. Dallas Cowboys vs. TE 15 catches for 214 yards and 2 TD
8. Jacksonville Jaguars vs. TE 21 catches for 207 yards and 2 TD
9. Green Bay Packers vs. TE 9 catches for 178 yards and 2 TD
10. Buffalo Bills vs. TE 13 catches for 164 yards and 2 TD

• Greg Olsen has a great match-up versus the Bears, nice flex play in your a Antonio Gates owner in a time of need.
• Marcedes Lewis is a deep sleeper in DEEP leagues – he faces the Saints who can’t cover TE and you can bank that the Saints will score a lot of points.
• Randy McMichael (If Antonio Gates sits out) has a DECENT match-up versus Miami, but they’re ranked number one in points allowed due to the thrashing they took in week 1 versus the Pats.
• Jermaine Gresham is another Antonio Gates weekly flex replacement – the Bungles will have to air it out versus the Bills who rank 10th in points allowed.

More obvious starters with great match-ups this week:

• Jimmy Graham get the Jags who have trouble with tall TE’s.
• Scott Chandler gets the Cincinnati Bengals and they can’t cover TE either, rankings 6th in points allowed. Chandler has a TD in every game this year, it won’t stop this week.

Bouns Round for Kickers – top 10 teams allowing the most Kicker Fantasy Points

1. Cleveland Browns vs. K 10.7 points allowed
2. Kansas City Chiefs vs. K 10.3 this week they face Ryan Longwell
3. Indianapolis Colts vs. K 10.0 points allowed
4. Atlanta Falcons vs. K 9.7 points allowed
5. New Orleans Saints vs. K 9.3 points allowed
6. Chicago Bears vs. K 9.0 points allowed
7. Green Bay Packers vs. K 8.7 points allowed
8. Denver Broncos vs. K 8.7 this week they facec Jason Hanson
9. Dallas Cowboys vs. K 8.3 points allowed
10. Seattle Seahawks vs. K 8.3 points allowed

Locks this week are:

Ryan Longwell and Jason Hanson – both kickers present favorable TOP 10 match-ups this week and they’re in the TOP 10 in regards to FG and XP attempts.

Paul Posluszny- Signed with Jacksonville Jaguars- Poz signing with Jacksonville is a huge development. Firstly, he is young (only 26) and should anchor that defense for the next half decade. Secondly, everyone (myself included) was hoping Kirk Morrison was going to fill the void at MIKE linebacker in Jax last year and make us all reminisce about the days of Mike Peterson in the middle there. He didn’t. Poz will. Peterson averaged 120 tackles, 86 solos and 4 sacks a year in Jax from 2003-2005. Poz should get those numbers at a minimum. For all the hype about how Poz is better suited for a 4-3 then a 3-4, he sure performed exceptionally last year. Poz’s tackles per game have steadily increased from 6.9 to 9.3 to 10.8 during the last three years. He is trending up and should remain a top-5 LB now.

Kelvin Sheppard- Buffalo Bills Rookie- With Posluszny leaving town, Sheppard may be given a crack at a starting job as an ILB in Buffalo’s 3-4. Buffalo invested a 3^rd round pick in Sheppard and the LSU product has great size and lateral movement for the position (6’2”, 250 lbs).  If you look at the last few stars to man the middle/inside in Buffalo you see that London Fletcher averaged 145 tackles and 99 solos per year there from 2002-2006. Poz averaged 142 tackles and 106 solos per 16 game season from 2008-2010. Heck, even John DiGiorgio racked up 113 tackles and 86 solos there in 2007. Watch this situation closely. If Buffalo does not sign some big-ticket free agent to replace Poz, then Sheppard could be a sleeper that puts up HUGE numbers early and often.

Charles Johnson- Re-Signed with Carolina Panthers-  Pass rushers come at a premium and Johnson was a prime example of this. After refusing to pay Julius Peppers big money, Carolina had to turn around and pay Peppers-type money to Johnson in order to keep their best and seemingly only pass rusher. Johnson just racked up a 62 tackle, 11.5 sack season. He is only 25 years old and is entering the prime of his career. His staying in Carolina likely means we can expect more of the same from him and that will mean a top-15 DL with annual top-10 or even top-5 upside going forward.

Takeo Spikes- Signed with San Diego Chargers- Spikes may be older and he is no spring chicken at 34. However, he is coming off of his best season since 2003. Last season playing inside in a 3-4 next to tackle machine Patrick Willis, Spikes still managed to rack up 109 tackles (82 solo). San Diego desperately needs linebacker help. This likely signals the end of the line for Stephen Cooper in San Diego and it also gives them some leverage/coverage if Kevin Burnett walks in free agency. With the Chargers likely letting Brandon Siler and Cooper walk, they now have Spikes as one starter. If Burnett can be re-signed he will start next to Spikes. If not, San Diego will either let rookie Jonas Mouton or 2^nd year player Donald Butler compete for the job. Either way, there is a good chance for a 100+ tackle season again for Spikes now.

NaVorro Bowman- San Francisco 49ers- With Takeo Spikes leaving for San Diego, Bowman is ready to step in next to Patrick Willis and man the other ILB spot in SF. Bowman is young (24) and ready for the challenge and ascension. He only had one start last year as a rookie, but he racked up 8 total tackles (6 solo) to Spikes’ 3 tackles and 2 solos during that game. He should be a very solid LB4 and is a steal as LB5 depth for your fantasy team.

Quintin Mikell- Signed with St. Louis Rams- Steve Spagnuolo just keeps remaking this improving defense. Enter Mikell.  Mikell has averaged 92 tackles, 13 passes defensed and 3 interceptions per year over the past 3 years. St. Louis had a glaring need at safety and Mikell will fill it quite nicely. He is good in run support and above average in coverage and will man the strong safety spot in St. Louis this coming season. If Craig Dahl can average 6.7 tackles per game over the past 2 seasons during his 21 starts, then Mikell should be exceptional there. I expect a 100+ tackle season out of him and top-10, maybe top-5 DB numbers.

Ike Taylor- Re-Signed with Pittsburgh Steelers- Taylor is set for more of the same now that he has resigned with Pitt. Expect his usual 68 tackles, 14 passes defensed and an interception of two this coming season. In leagues that require you to start CBs, he is a solid option as a CB2 with low end CB1 upside.

Defensive Tackle

Last year, the Bills’ front seven gave up just under 170 rushing yards per game, which was by far the worst figure in the league. To make matters worse, Buffalo lost 10-year veteran Marcus Stroud to the New England Patriots in free agency. While some coaches had noticed Stroud slowing down and his effectiveness was diminished entirely amid Buffalo’s transition to a 3-4 base defense, the Bills lost a starter and three-time Pro Bowler in Stroud, and it’s never easy to watch a player of that caliber go on to become depth for one of your division rivals. In rounds 2 and 3 of the 2010 draft, the Bills took defensive linemen Torell Troup and Alex Carrington, and both will compete for playing time this year. Still, the Bills need better than a rag-tag defense if they are to return to prominence. With their defensive front seven a shambles, Buffalo needs to acquire elite talent at this position to ensure opponents have less rushing room in the trenches.

Quarterback

For a team amid a rebuild with a pedestrian offensive line, Ryan Fitzpatrick is a fine quarterback. He plays well enough to keep the team in the game, but the consensus is he’ll never lead a team on a deep playoff run. While this may be true, the Bills aren’t likely to have a chance at selecting Auburn star Cam Newton, and at this moment there don’t appear to be any quarterback prospects worthy of going in the top 5. If Buffalo does have the chance to take Cam Newton at the third pick, I am absolutely convinced that he’s their guy. But since I feel Carolina will take him with the first pick, the Bills will have to patiently wait to get somebody else. They may grab somebody later in this draft, but like I said, this team isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. They might as well fill up their bigger holes and see what they can get from Fitzpatrick.

Cornerback

Along with having one of the league’s worst defenses on the ground last year, the Bills were not very capable of defending the aerial attack either. Their 192 passing yards per game allowed— third lowest in the league— proved misleading. This mostly had to do with the fact that teams passed less on them to exploit their weak defense against the run. Through the air, the Bills gave up a sixth-worst 28 passing touchdowns, and a hideous first-down-percentage just under 38%. 30 year-old Terrence McGee is injury prone and likely past his prime, and Drayton Florence’s contract is up. Assuming Cam Newton isn’t available, the Bills will have a very hard time deciding what to use their number three pick on. Fill the defensive line need with Marcell Dareus or Nick Fairley, or fill the cornerback need with Patrick Peterson? Assuming all three of these guys pan out, there’s no wrong choice here, but that doesn’t mean it’s an easy one.

What’s intriguing at this juncture is the amount of interest both by fans and teams alike in a player who has had a subpar and oft-injured journey of real and fantasy irrelevancy.

Despite all of the reports out there about Young’s lack of work ethic, and him being a diva, there is no question that he can still play the game better than most quarterbacks in the league.

The question remains, are the skills that made him the third pick in the 2006 draft ever going to make an appearance at the pro level. Can he succeed on another team or under a different coach. One way or another we’re likely to find out in 2011.

Dismiss him as we may in fantasy circles he does manage to win more games than he loses. His career record of 30-17 looks mighty inviting. Still, he’s never been a big play guy, and he seems to squeak by most of the time.

In 2010, VY was saddled with a thumb injury which prematurely ended his season. However, Young seemed to be on course for a career year. But that is always the case for VY. In fact, he hasn’t played a full season yet, and has failed to start more than 10 games every season since 2007. He’s managed just 19 starts over the last 48 regular season games.

So who is going to want this guy? Here are a dozen teams tied to Young’s rumor mill so far.

Tennessee Titans ~ Despite all the grumbling and fanfare over his performance and now his imminent departure, owner Bud Adams may want to rethink casting him away. Jeff Fisher was never really a VY fan, and perhaps under a new coach he could prove to be better than we’ve seen. It would be awfully painful for Adams to move him and have him pay deep dividends elsewhere.

Buffalo Bills ~ Let’s be honest, Ryan Fitzpatrick is not the answer at quarterback, and at this point the Bills will be looking at any arm attached to a breathing body. This doesn’t seem like a good fit for Young though, who would surely struggle to find success on a team lacking in so many other places. The same holds true for the Carolina Panthers.

Cincinnati Bengals ~ Carson Palmer wants out and the team is likely to honor his request if they can move his fat contract. This is one team that could give Young a real chance to erupt, or at least refresh his withering career.

Miami Dolphins ~ We’ve been hearing their name tied to Kevin Kolb and every other potential free agent or piece of QB trade bait on the market. There is no doubt the Fins need to upgrade at QB, but is Young even an upgrade at this point?

Minnesota Vikings ~ This rumor’s been floating around the longest. Favre is gone and the team really has no solution in the wings. Young would immediately have an arsenal of weapons at his disposal, and of all the teams he could go to this may be the only one that gives him a fantasy pulse in 2011.

Arizona Cardinals ~ While we may hear more of this rumor, I don’t envision Young playing in the desert in 2011. He has too many character flaws and injury concerns for this franchise to take a leap of faith in. In fact I could make this same argument for several other teams on the west coast rumored to have interest; San Francisco 49ers, Oakland Raiders and Seattle Seahawks. Though if any of them were to take the chance it would likely be Pete Carroll and the Seasquabs.

Philadelphia Eagles ~ The Eagles are going to move Kevin Kolb, and backing Mike Vick up with a guy who could step right in if needed would be an excellent move. In the meantime it would give VY a wealth of on field education from the resurgent Vick.

Washington Redskins ~ Well the Donovan McNabb project turned out to be a bust. Daniel Snyder is the king of taking big risks. So why not. However I think he might clash with coach Mike Shanahan just as McNabb did.

The most likely job for Young in 2011 will be a back-up role or on a desperate team. Regardless of where he ends up, his fantasy value is arguably going to remain minimal except as a back-up or #2 option. Only a move to the Vikings may prove that wrong.