This week's byes are being taken by the Cleveland Browns, Oakland Raiders, St. Louis Rams, and New York Jets. With three of these four teams being very disappointing, there are a surprising number of fantasy football starters amongst them. Fortunately, bad teams' fantasy starters tend to be less productive than their perceived values. A Le'Ron McClain or Rudi Johnson can provide enough production for the team who has to replace RB Steven Jackson for a week or Jamaal Lewis.
Tougher will be finding a replacement for Packers' QB Aaron Rodgers if your back-up was Brett Favre, Marc Bulger or Derek Anderson. After QB JaMarcus Russell's production against the San Diego Chargers, even he would have been a free agent pool option. Instead one is left scrambling amongst the likes of Gus Frerotte, Kerry Collins, Kyle Orton, Matt Ryan, Brian Griese and Joe Flacco. Yikes.
The answers I seek will come the following list of questions.
Kansas City Chiefs at Carolina Panthers 1:00 PM
Q: Does RB Larry Johnson produce enough to shift responsibility for this loss to the passing game?
Q: Can RBs D'Angelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart run enough to "hurt" the fantasy value of WRs Steve Smith and Muhsin Muhammed?
Chicago Bears at Detroit Lions 1:00 PM
Q: Will the Bears rush the ball well enough to protect the passing game?
Q: Coming off the bye, can the Lions be effective on offense (Rbs Rudi Johnson and Kevin Smith, QB Jon Kitna and WRs Calvin Johnson and Roy Williams)?
Atlanta Falcons at Green Bay Packers 1:00 PM
Q: Is RB Michael Turner a poor road performer or just a RB who can't get things going against bad rush defenses?
Q: Will RB Ryan Grant carry the offense without QB Aaron Rodgers?
San Diego Chargers at Miami Dolphins 1:00 PM
Q: Can RB Ladainian Tomlinson dispel all notions that he is no longer the best RB in fantasy football?
Q: How does RB Ronnie Brown follow-up his 5 TD Week Three effort?
Seattle Seahawks at New York Giants 1:00 PM
Q: How well does QB Matt Hasselbeck do with real NFL WRs Bobby Engram and Deoin Jackson?
Q: How well does QB Eli Manning do without an above-average WR?
Washington Redskins at Philadelphia Eagles 1:00 PM
Q: Does WR Santana Moss continue to be an elite fantasy WR?
Q: Will RB Brian Westbrook return to his elite production against the 4th best rushing defense?
Tennessee Titans at Baltimore Ravens 1:00 PM
Q: Can the Titans be the first team in 2008 to rush for 100 yards as a team against the Ravens, and, if it does, will that equal a victory?
Q: Does RB Le'Ron McClain continue to produce now that he is a known fantasy football commodity?
Indianapolis Colts at Houston Texans 1:00 PM
Q: Will QB Peyton Manning be Peyton Manning?
Q: Does QB Matt Schaub follow-up last week's 300 yard/3 TD effort with another similar effort?
Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Denver Broncos 4:05 PM
Q: Does QB Brian Griese exploit the weak Denver pass defense or do RBs Earnest Graham and Warrick Dunn exploit the weak Denver rush defense?
Q: Will head coach Mike Shannahan alter his game plans if the Broncos passing game struggles?
Buffalo Bills at Arizona Cardinals 4:15 PM
Q: Will the Bills avoid a shoot out on the road, and, if there is one, how does QB Trent Edwards do?
Q: Will WR Steve Breaston effectively replace WR Anquan Boldin?
New England Patriots at San Francisco 49ers 4:15 PM
Q: Did the bye allow WR Randy Moss and QB Matt Cassel to develop some chemistry?
Q: Can RB Frank Gore do what RBs Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams did to the Pats rush defense (200+ yards)?
Cincinnati Bengals at Dallas Cowboys 4:15 PM
Q: If QB Carson Palmer plays, will the Bengals be surprisingly effective against a surprising ineffective Dallas defense - 16th in rushing yards allowed and 25th in passing yards allowed over past three games?
Q: Will RB Marion Barber III have his number called enough to compensate for not having it called enough last week?
Pittsburgh Steelers at Jacksonville Jaguars 8:15 PM
Q: How does Pittsburgh spread the rushing carries amongst Mewelde Moore, Casey Davis and company?
Q: Will RBs Fred Taylor and Maurice Jones-Drew be effective?
Minnesota Vikings at New Orleans Saints 8:30 PM
Q: Can QB Gus Frerotte pile-up impressive passing yards without WRs Bernard Berrian and Sidney Rice (or with less than 100% Berrian/Rice)?
Q: Will the Saints be able to win through the air while they get pounded on the ground?