LeSean McCoy, Matt Forte,  Arian Foster and Marshawn Lynch

Tier 1

DeMarco Murray vs. Stl. – The massive Cowboys OL is giving him room to run. He’ll top 100 yards with a few TDs.

Le’veon Bell vs. Car – Expect him to be used more heavily in the passing game.

Darren Sproles vs. Was – He’s been dynamic in this offense.

Alfred Morris vs. Phi – Cousins’ entry enhances his value.

Bobby Rainey vs. Atl – The Bucs speedster will have all sorts of room to run on TNF.

Giovani Bernard vs. Ten – The dynamic RB will top 20 fantasy points vs. a Titans D that was worn down a week ago.

Andre Ellington vs. SF – The dynamic back will break a long one.

CJ Spiller vs. SD – The Bills will use him as a pass catcher out of the backfield.

Stevan Ridley vs. OAK – Tough to start him with confidence but Belichick went back to him in Week 2.

Zac Stacy vs. Dal – The Rams will feed him the ball all afternoon.

Frank Gore vs. Arz – SF will pound the rock with their veteran.

Chris Johnson / Chris Ivory vs. Chi – The Bears run D ranks very low. Both Jets runners should do well.

Tier 2

Khiry Robinson vs. Min – He’ll get 11-15 fantasy points vs. the Vikings.

Lamar Miller vs. KC – He’s more of a flex even with Knowshon Moreno out.

Rashad Jennings vs. Hou – He’s a No. 2 who improves in PPR leagues.

Jeremy Hill vs. Ten – He’s a good flex play and a goal line threat.

Fred Jackson vs. SD – The Bills two headed attack will be used heavily.

Matt Asiata vs. NO – He becomes the man in Minnesota and brings value in PPR leagues too.

Bust

Montee Ball vs. Sea – Seattle is a tough place to run.

Fantasy Sleeper

Knile Davis vs. Mia – He’s a solid fantasy sleeper with Charles out.

Must Start

Adrian Peterson, LeSean McCoy, Jamaal Charles, Matt Forte

Tier 1

Le’veon Bell vs. Bal – Looks poised to take a huge step forward this year. Will play big on TNF.

Arian Foster vs. Oak – He’ll have a lot of room to work with this week. 100 yards and 2 TDs.

DeMarco Murray vs. Ten – Murray has a massive OL to run behind. He’ll top 100 again.

Marshawn Lynch vs. SD – The bruising back is running behind a healthy OL.

Montee Ball vs. KC – The Chiefs D is depleted.

Alfred Morris vs. Jax – The Skins will wear this unit down on the ground.

Knowshon Moreno vs. Buf – He’ll top 100 yards and a TD.

Shane Vereen vs. Min – The Patriots plan to utilize him heavily.

Frank Gore vs. Chi – The 49ers will get back to pounding the ball vs. the Bears.

Giovani Bernard vs. Atl – The Bengals will use their all purpose back all afternoon.

Khiry Robinson vs. Cle – New Orleans is committed to the run this year.

Rashad Jennings vs. Arz – Jennings will top 80 yards with a score.

Tier 2

Trent Richardson vs. Phi – The Eagles D is vulnerable. Solid as a receiver out of the backfield.

Darren Sproles vs. Ind – Chip Kelly will keep him involved as a runner and 3rd down receiver.

Chris Johnson vs. GB – The Packers smaller front 7 is an area New York will attack. Expect Johnson’s role to increase as the year goes on.

Reggie Bush vs. Car – The Lions will use him as a receiver predominantly here.

Andre Ellington vs. NYG  - He’s a No. 2 this week and has a banged up foot.

CJ Spiller vs. Mia – He’s not much more than a flex at this stage.

Bernard Pierce vs. Pit – He’ll be the featured back again this week. More of a flex / high No. 2.

DeAngelo Williams vs. Det – Newton’s return will benefit Williams, but Lions are stout in the middle.

Bust

Zac Stacy vs. TB – The Rams have no threat of a passing game which impacts everything.

Fantasy Sleeper

Toby Gerhart vs. Was – The Skins once again have a porous D.

Seattle Seahawks (+2.5) vs. Den – I’m not entirely sure how Denver is the favorite although the “Peyton Manning mania” set in immediately after Championship Sunday. The Seahawks opened up as favorites but then saw the betting line turn and now they’re underdogs.

Let’s look at the game which features the NFL’s best offense vs the NFL’s best D.

When the Broncos have the ball, look for Peyton Manning to run a spread offense and dink and dunk to his receivers. This will act as a rushing attack because Knowshon Moreno will not be able to get going against the Seahawks front.

However, the Broncos will not want or be able to abandon the run because Seattle’s attacking D will make Manning’s life miserable if it turns Denver one dimensional. The two wild cards will be WR Eric Decker and TE Julius Thomas.

While WR DeMaryius Thomas is a tremendous receiver, CB Richard Sherman should be able to contain him. Welker will be contained for the most part, too, as Seattle is excellent covering the middle of the field. Decker could make some plays on the outside as could Julius Thomas, but that will come when they move the TE outside on an island. Seattle’s safeties Kam Chancellor and Earl Thomas are the best duo in the game. Look for Denver to put up between 14-20 points on the day.

When Seattle has the ball, look for them to pound Marshawn Lynch mercilessly into Denver’s D. And look for him to have success. The Seahawks OL is big and matches up well with Denver’s front. This will set up the pass. QB Russell Wilson’s struggled lately, but he won’t be asked to put the offense on his shoulders.

When he throws the ball, it will come off play action and by moving him around, and he’ll find some success on the intermediate to deeper routes. Also, expect slant patterns mixed in to keep the chains moving. The Wild Card is Percy Harvin, but even 30-40 yards from him on a few plays will add another dimension to the Seahawks. All in all it’s not flashy, but this offensive unit is physical and efficient.

When the clock hits 0:00, look for Seattle to win by 4-10 points. Super Bowls tend to remain closer in our era of parity, but Seattle is the better and more complete team. And high flying passing games haven’t had much success in the big game facing dominant defenses.

The Seahawks are bullies and will wear this Denver team down late 24-17 or 27-17.

Seattle is solid on the money line (+115) too.

1. Jamaal Charles vs. Ind – Charles unreal fantasy effort in Week 15 will be followed up by a 150 yard effort and multiple TDs.

2. Adrian Peterson vs. Cin – Look for Peterson to top 125 yards with a score.

3. LeSean McCoy vs. Chi – The Bears have had difficulty stopping the run all season.

4. Marshawn Lynch vs. Arz – The Seahawks will ride Lynch to the top seed in the NFC.

Not far behind

Matt Forte vs. Phi – Forte will top 100 yards with 1-2 TDs.

Frank Gore vs. Atl – The 49ers will be playing with a large lead in this one.

Eddie Lacy vs. Pit – GB will ride its horse again in this one.

Rounding things out

Reggie Bush vs. NYG – Look for the dynamic threat to hurt the Giants in the passing game.

Alfred Morris vs. Dal – The Cowboys run D is atrocious.

Giovani Bernard vs. Min – The dynamic rookie will excel in the passing game.

DeMarco Murray vs. Was – Murray’s been on a roll of late and that will continue here.

Shane Vereen vs. Bal – Expect Vereen to be used more heavily than last week.

Ray Rice vs. NE –The Pats run D has many holes in it.

CJ Spiller vs. Mia – He has performed much better at home in ’13.

Knowshon Moreno vs. Hou – Moreno will bounce back this week.

Ryan Matthews vs. Oak – Matthews has raised his game in McCoy’s offense. This will be another 100 yard effort.

Le’veon Bell vs. GB – Bell will hit 12-15 fantasy points on Sunday.

Chris Johnson vs. Jax – Look for Johnson to reach the end zone and top 80 yards.

Lamar Miller vs. Buf – He’s a No. 2 / flex play due to his time split with Daniel Thomas.

Potential Bust – Beware

Andre Brown vs. Det – Look for the Lions D Line to overwhelm the Giants offense and stuff Brown.

1. Adrian Peterson vs. Chi – Peterson catches a Bears D that is terrible. Look for Peterson to top 150 yards and 2 TDs.

2. Marshawn Lynch vs. NO – Expect Lynch to top 125 yards with 2 TDs.

3. LeSean McCoy vs. Arz – Expect a top performance out of McCoy this week.

4. Jamaal Charles vs. Den – The Chiefs will ride Charles all day.

Not far behind

Reggie Bush vs. GB – The Lions RB will top 20 fantasy points in a big-time performance on Turkey day.

Matt Forte vs. Min – Expect the Bears to take advantage of the Vikings front 7.

Alfred Morris vs. NYG – The Giants had difficulty stopping Morris a year ago.

Rounding things out

Fred Jackson vs. Atl – The Falcons are planning their January vacations.

Andre Brown vs. Was – Brown has come back running with authority and will top 100 yards vs. the Skins.

Frank Gore vs. Stl – Gore lit up the Rams in their last contest.

Giovani Bernard vs. SD – The Bengals will continue incorporating Bernard into the game plan. He has a great match-up here.

Knowshon Moreno – His match-up is even more appealing if his health is good.

Shane Vereen vs. Hou – He’s the only reliable Pats RB and tremendous for PPR leagues.

Danny Woodhead vs. Cin – He will reach 12-15 points in this one.

CJ Spiller vs. Atl – His ankle should be healthy and he is a threat to break a long one.

Chris Johnson vs. Ind – Just two weeks ago he torched the Colts for 2 TDs.

DeMarco Murray vs. Oak – Expect Murray to top 85 yards with a score.

Eddie Lacy vs. Det – The Packers will continue to ride their back on Thanksgiving.

Chris Ivory vs. Mia – Rex Ryan and Co. will get back to pounding the rock at home.

Darren Sproles / Pierre Thomas vs. Sea – Expect both to be active in the passing game.

Potential Bust – Beware

Le’veon Bell vs. Bal – The Ravens D at home will clamp down on the Steelers running game.

1. Marshawn Lynch vs. Min – Beast mode will roll for 125 yards and 2 TDs.

2. Jamaal Charles vs. Den – He’ll light up the Broncos D on SNF.

3. Reggie Bush vs. Pit – Bush will top 125 total yards and find the end zone.

4. Frank Gore vs. NO – Expect the 49ers to rely heavily on the run game this week.

Not far behind

LeSean McCoy vs. Was – Expect a repeat of Week 1.

Adrian Peterson vs. Sea – He’ll find it tough sledding in Seattle but All Day is always a threat to break one.

Alfred Morris vs. Phi – Morris will hit the 100 yards mark again and find the end zone.

Rounding things out

Chris Johnson vs. Ind – There will be room to run vs. the Colts on Thursday.

Andre Brown vs. GB – The Giants have recommitted to the run game.

DeAngelo Williams vs. NE – Williams will top 80 yards with a score.

Knowshon Moreno vs. KC – The passing game will open up holes for Moreno. He’ll hit 75 yards with a TD.

Giovani Bernard vs. Cle – The big play rookie will be a threat as a receiver as well as runner.

Darren Sproles vs. SF – He’ll make a major impact in the passing game, primarily on screens.

Ben Tate vs. Oak – The Raiders just got run over by the Giants.

Le’veon Bell vs. Det – He’ll catch 4-5 balls in addition to his rushing yards.

Danny Woodhead vs. Mia – The Chargers will continue to give him No. 1 touches.

Eddie Lacy vs. NYG – The Giants have been tough on opposing RBs so this lowers him a bit.

Potential Bust – Beware

Stevan Ridley vs. Car – The Panthers front 7 is extremely physical and good against the run.

1. Adrian Peterson vs. GB – Last year he went off against the Packers. He’ll top 125 yards with 1-2 TDs in this one.

2. LeSean McCoy vs. NYG – He’s been a nightmare for the Giants historically.

3. Marshawn Lynch vs. Stl.- Beast mode will top 100 yards with multiple scores in this one.

4. Jamaal Charles vs. Cle – The Chiefs are getting the most out of Charles this year. Expect another stellar afternoon in this one.

Not far behind

Frank Gore vs. Jax – He would rate higher but it’s likely that the 49ers will have their back-ups in by the 3^rd quarter.

Reggie Bush vs. Dal – Expect the Lions to isolate Bush on passes out of the backfield this week.

Knowshon Moreno vs. Was – The passing game will open up holes all afternoon for Moreno.

Rounding things out

Eddie Lacy vs. Min – The injuries at receiver have forced GB to rely more heavily on the running game.

Stevan Ridley vs. Mia – TE Gronkowski’s return will open up things for the Ridley and the running game.

Alfred Morris vs. Den – The Redskins will try and play keep away from Manning.

Le’veon Bell vs. Oak – The Steelers commitment to the run has been a boon to this offense.

Darren Sproles vs. Buf – If TE Jimmy Graham is out, Sproles importance in the passing game increases exponentially.

Fred Jackson vs. NO – He has supplanted CJ Spiller as the top RB with the latter being less than 100%.

Giovani Bernard vs. NYJ – His ability to catch passes out of the backfield will serve him well vs. a Jets team that defends the run well.

Chris Ivory vs. Cin – He’s a flex play vs. the Bengals this week.

Darren McFadden vs. Pit – Coming off the bye, his leg should be completely healed.

Rashad Mendenhall vs. Atl – The Falcons D can be run on.

Lamar Miller vs. NE – The Patriots surrendered a lot of yards on the ground vs. the Jets.  Miller is a flex play until he proves otherwise.

Potential Bust – Beware

CJ Spiller vs. NO – Spiller’s been a huge fantasy disappointment and will find it tough to run in NO.

1. Arian Foster vs. Stl – Foster will top 125 yards with 2 TDs.

2. Matt Forte vs. NYG – The Giants D is a sieve.

3. Jamaal Charles vs. Oak – Look for Charles to torch the Raiders on the ground and as a receiver out of the backfield.

4. Doug Martin vs. Phi – The Eagles D is horrible and this may be a game that Martin breaks out.

Not Far Behind

Marshawn Lynch vs. Ten – The Seahawks will get back to feeding Lynch the rock and he’ll respond with a 100 yard game and a TD.

Adrian Peterson vs. Car – Peterson may need to break a long one to end up with a big day. The Panthers front 7 is tough on running games.

LeSean McCoy vs. TB – McCoy will top the century mark and find the end zone vs. the Bucs.

Rounding Things Out

Frank Gore vs. Arz – The 49ers running game and offensive line will push Arizona around.

Alfred Morris vs. Dal – Morris will find room to run against the Cowboys.

DeMarco Murray vs. Was – The Skins D ranks near the bottom of the league.

Reggie Bush vs. Cle – Bush will heavily incorporated in the passing game.

Trent Richardson vs. SD – The Colts may give Richardson the ball 25 times on Monday.

CJ Spiller vs. Cin – Spiller finally broke a long TD on Thursday.

Ray Rice vs. GB – The Packers may be without Clay Matthews which is a blow for GB. Expect Baltimore to put new LT Eugene Monroe in which should help.

Darren Sproles vs. NE – Expect a lot of passes – and dump offs – in this one.

Knowshon Moreno vs. Jax – The Broncos may be running the clock out from the 1^st quarter.

Fred Jackson vs. Cin – The Bills wanted to give all of the carries to Spiller but Jackson’s play won’t allow it. He’ll be good for another 65-70 yards and a TD.

Le’veon Bell vs. NYJ – Bell will be the primary ball carries vs. the Jets.

Danny Woodhead vs. Ind – Expect Woodhead to have the bigger role of the Chargers RBs on Monday.

Giovani Bernard vs. Buf – The fumbles may limit his carries if they continue but he’s a strong goal line threat nonetheless.

Stevan Ridley vs. NO – The addition of Gronkowski to the passing game will open things up for Ridley.

Bilal Powell vs. Pit – The Steelers D isn’t stopping much of anything thus far.

DeAngelo Williams vs. Min – Better play at the QB position will impact Williams positively. He’s a No. 2 RB / flex play this week.

Potential Bust – Beware

Eddie Lacy vs. Bal – The Ravens D is exceptionally tough at home.

1. Chris Johnson - He HAS to get back on track this week. It’s the Colts.

2. Maurice Jones-Drew - He’ll find a ton of running room against the Raiders front seven.

3. Michael Turner - Turner will easily top 100 yards with a TD vs. the Panthers.

4. Adrian Peterson – He is always tough on the New York Giants.

Next In Line

LeSean McCoy - The 2nd year runner will light it up on Sunday Night.

Peyton Hills - This is a very nice matchup for Hillis. The Bills don’t stop much of anything on the ground.

Rashard Mendenhall - Look for the Steelers to ride their back all day vs. the Bengals.

Rounding Out the List

Ray Rice - Rice will top 100 yards with a TD on Monday Night.

Ahmad Bradshaw - He’s holding onto the ball and finding the end zone. He’ll play big vs. the Vikings.

Brandon Jacobs - The carries are down but the yards and TDs are up.

Benjarvus Green-Ellis - The Pats RB will top 100 yards and find the end zone in Chicago.

Legarrette Blount – The Skins allowed 200 yards to the Giants. Blount will easily top 100.

Jamaal Charles - He’ll be a major factor running as well as receiving the ball.

Knowshon Moreno - Everyone runs on these Cardinals. Everyone.

LaDainian Tomlinson - The old man will find the end zone against the Dolphins on Sunday.

Arian Foster - His number will be called plenty against the Ravens on Monday Night

Darrren McFadden - There will be nice holes to gash against the Jaguars

Fantasy Sleeper of the Week

Brian Westbrook - The 49ers will be able to run on Seattle all afternoon. Look for Westbrook to top 100 yards and find the end zone at least once. He’s a strong fantasy sleeper this week.

1. LaDainian Tomlinson

Although Tomlinson is clearly on the downside of his career, he still ranks atop a weak class of runners in the AFC West. Ever since his MVP, 31-TD season in 2006, Tomlinson’s numbers have steadily dropped while his injuries are on the rise. But our thinking is that his decreasing numbers are the result of Norv Turner’s offensive running scheme more so than a deterioration of his skills.

While he’ll definitely give up carries to Sproles in 2009, look for Tomlinson to break the 1,200-yard mark and put up double digit TDs.

2. Larry Johnson

Johnson, like the Chiefs in general, suffered through a miserable 2008 campaign. Yet he still managed nearly 900 yards and five TDs, although he missed four and a half games. This year there’s a new coach (Todd Haley) at the helm, and he brings with him an offensive mindset from his days with the Arizona Cardinals.

While there were offseason rumors that Johnson might be shipped out of town, those appear to be dead now; so expect a strong rebound in 2009, which will also increase the trade value for the Chiefs. We like him to post similar numbers to Tomlinson.

3. Knowshon Moreno

With the loss of  Jay Cutler this offseason, the Broncos are poised to take a step back offensively in 2009, but they didn’t invest the 12th overall pick in the draft on Moreno if they didn’t plan to make him the primary ball carrier.  And with Orton most likely at the helm, McDaniels will need to protect him.

Look for Moreno to handle the rock at least 225-250 times and hit the thousand yard mark with at least eight TDs. He’ll also be used as a receiving threat out of the backfield.

4. Darren McFadden

McFadden was largely a bust as a rookie because he was unable to stay on the field. But in the short time he played, he put his enormous skills on display and posted 500 yards and five TDs.

While it’s still a crowded backfield with Fargas commanding over 200 carries and Michael Bush coming on strong towards the end of ’08, the Raiders didn’t use the No. 4 pick last year’s NFL Draft to have him be a fill-in player. So look for McFadden to be given a long look as the No. 1 back and step up in year two. Nine hundred yards and between seven to nine TDs should be expected

5. Darren Sproles

Sproles did an amazing job last year filling in when Tomlinson was out. And because of that success, the Chargers were forced to franchise the 5’6″ back and pay him like a starter.

And that means that he’ll get at least 10-12 carries per game in ’09, which will also help keep Tomlinson’s body healthy. But Sproles can take it all the way on any occasion, so even though he’ll probably only get 35-40 percent of the carries, he could put up big yardage and take a few long ones to the house, both on hand offs and as a receiver out of the backfield.

6. Michael Bush

While Justin Fargas has been a solid running back for the Raiders,  look for Bush to supplant him as one of the team’s top two backs in 2009. His HUGE game in the season finale (vs. the Bucs) showed his rare combination of size and speed.

After amassing over 400 yards and three TDs on just 95 carries, look for Bush to jump closer to the 800-1,000 yard mark and be the primary back at the goal line.

Draft Tip

Tomlinson is still worthy of a 1st round pick, but it can’t come earlier than pick No. 9. We think picks nine to 12 provide good value. Johnson will be available in round two and could have a big bounceback year as he looks to improve his trade value and work his way out of Kansas City.

McFadden and Moreno will be available in round’s three through five and Sproles would be a good flex option in round six to eight. Bush should be around in rounds nine through 11 and could turn into an excellent sleeper pick.