Before we get to the weekend roundup there are some important bits of information you need to pay close attention to!! First, I will announce the winner of the Pay The Fan team tonight on Twitter @ChetRazzball and in the comments of the Podcast Contest post. So there’s still time to get your Podcast name entered (and remember, only one per contestant).
Secondly, we are still adding teams to the Commenter Leagues every day so do your thing in the comments there. Also we have a Fantasy Football newbie league started up by Razzball great, New Zealand Steve, so if you are still a little shaky on your fantasy football feet give Steve a shout at sglyon [at] gmail [dot] com and get in his league!
Now here is some football stuff that went on in football land:
If you own Arian Foster in a dynasty league or drafted him early this season, you must have been living right or you’re into some stanky voodoo, because Ben Tate ended his season a little prematurely with a junked up ankle and Steve Slaton coughed up the ball yet again. And you know how coach Kubiak can’t stand that ball coughing, unless it’s the turn your head variety. This set of events leaves Arian sitting in the cat bird seat or looking like the cat who just ate the canary or just a cat you want to own this season. I’ve updated the Top 100 and you’ll notice he has shot up the rankings.
This could also help Slaton in the long run, but the fact that he fumbled 9 times last season (losing 5) and Kubiak’s utter disdain for anything resembling a fumble, he is on a short leash (so in this metaphor, rather than a cat, Slaton is a dog). I still see Slaton as a more than capable receiver and third down back while Foster will be the goal line, early down back.
Ryan Mathews: Mathews showed a good burst and vision and all those things you need when running with a football. He also had three pass targets and caught two of them. If he can get 30+ receptions, which under Norv Turner is a good possibility as long as he isn’t completely incompetent, his value goes up significantly. I only have him at 10 receptions right now, with the thinking that he didn’t catch much in college and Sproles is there to catch a bunch, but I could easily see that 10 going up to 30 as long as he continues to get some receptions and 3rd down work in preseason.
Jerome Harrison: With Hardesty out and listed as the 4th string back, Harrison looks to be getting the shot he deserves. He didn’t have a huge game against the Packers, but got in on a 4 yard touchdown which once again proves he can work in short yardage. It’s still not his job to lose, but it could be his to win.
Legedu Naanee: Rivers hit him with a beautiful touchdown pass and targeted him early. It is looking like Floyd and Naanee will be the 1 and 2 and Rivers is too good to keep from connecting with whoever is out there. Add that to the very good chance that Vincent Jackson won’t be playing with the Chargers this season and we have some receivers sleepless in San Diego.
Lynell Hamilton: Lynell is not well after he tore his ACL, but now Pierre will not have to share his goal line wares.  I could go on rhyming, but I’ve lost my timing, whoops. The Saints are looking for another power back so who knows how this will play out, but for now P.T.’s mojo is rising.
Major Wright: I’m not an IDP guru, but I did see rookie safety Major Wright tackling Bolts in bunches. It looks likely that he will end up starting and could accumulate a goodly amount of tackles.
Dwayne Jarrett: It was looking like the Subway guy was on his way to taking a back seat to Brandon LaFell, but Jarrett has had a strong camp and looks to have finally “got it” according to Carolina beat writers. This doesn’t mean you need to run out and draft him, but this does mean you need to temper expectations for LaFell since he’s LaFalling in the rankings.
Mike Williams: Yes, Mike Williams will be the Buccaneers starting receiver, but I’m referring to the other Mike Williams, the one in Seattle who was a bit of a fatty and a loser in Detroit (took after Matt Millen). He has been getting a lot of training camp praise and then had a nice preseason game, so with the sorry supply of receivers up that way, he needs to be monitored.
Johnny Knox: Yes Devin Aromashodu had the numbers against the Chargers, but Johnny Knox got the start and made two nice grabs from Cutler on the first series before sitting for the rest of the game. The Aroma got a ton of work against the 2nd and 3rd teamers and looked good, but Knox is the man until further notice. Devin Hester didn’t do much and it’s hard not to see him being moved to the slot at some point, but for now, he’s the starter out wide.
C.J. Spiller: Spiller owners, much like Foster owners, must have had their voodoo dolls out in force during the Bills first preseason game because both Marshawn Lynch and Fred Jackson left with injurie. Jackson could miss the first regular season game and Lynch most of the preseason. This of course helps Spiller gain a foothold on the job if he plays well, but I’m only inching him up the rankings for now. Lynch and Jackson aren’t going anywhere and have enough experience that they aren’t going to lose a ton by sitting on the sidelines.
Anthony Dixon: Glen Coffee was summoned to a higher calling by Tim Tebow, so Anthony Dixon is now Frank Gore’s back up. And he solidified that position with a big preseason game going for 122 total yards and looked good in doing so.
Torry Holt: He has taken a trip to IR which will probably end his illustrious career and will also give youngster Brandon Tate a chance to get into the action. Tate is extremely fast and good at what he does, but there is a lot of competition for receptions in New England. Keep him on your radar for now.
Cedric Benson: For all the T. Old and Chad Johnson talk, there is little doubt that the offensive line, Cedric Benson and the defense are what will keep the Bengals in the hunt. I doubted Ced Ben last season and he proved me wrong over and over. If he hadn’t been injured, his season could have easily been 1500 yards rushing with 8 or 9 TDs. That puts him in the top 10 for RBs. He looked fine in his first preseason game and got into the end zone which was what held him back some last year. Don’t be afraid to draft him at his forgiving ADP.
Jermaine Gresham: Besides having a kick ass last name he looked very capable in his first pro-type game last night. He made some nice catches and looked good after the catch. If the Bengals use him like they should, he will become fantasy relevant this season.
