Pittsburgh Steelers' defense no longer safe fantasy option

The Pittsburgh Steelers (2-2) have struggled out of the gate this NFL season, thanks in large part to injuries. And while Ben Roethlisberger (sprained foot) and Rashard Mendenhall (hamstring) grab most of the headlines, the Steelers' defense has not been immune to the injury bug.

COMMENTS

The 0-3 Rams Will Make The Playoffs. No, Seriously.

Their schedule gets much easier after Week 9 and they're in a very bad division

With the first three weeks of the NFL season in the books, there are five teams — Indianapolis Colts, Kansas City Chiefs, Miami Dolphins, Minnesota Vikings and St. Louis Rams — who have yet to win a game. According to research done by the NFL Network, teams that start the season 0-3 have a 2.8 percent chance of making the playoffs.

COMMENTS

Beanie Wells Misses Practice With Hamstring Issue; Is He Startable? (Updated)

Should you start Beanie Wells this week against the Seahawks?

Update: Cardinals coach Ken Whisenthnt said on Friday that Beanie Wells will be a gametime decision this Sunday against the Seahawks. This is not good news, as Beanie was expected to be fine after tweaking his hamstring. The Cards play at 4:15 so most of your lineup will have to be set by the time his game starts. Do yourself a favor and look elsewhere this week. Beanie may not be worth the headache against an already solid run defense.

COMMENTS

Arian Foster and Beanie Wells are Both Game Time Decisions This Sunday

"Game time decision" are the worst three words in fantasy football.

"Game time decision" may be the worst three words fantasy football owners can hear.

But that's exactly what owners of Arian Foster and Beanie Wells have to deal with this week.

Both players are still struggling with hamstring injuries and both are listed as questionable, and both should not be started this week.

Arian Foster:

COMMENTS

Arizona Cardinals 2011 NFL Team Preview

We break down the Cardinals chances at making a Super Bowl run this season.

It seems patently unfair to say this is a critical season for Cardinals coach Ken Whisenhunt. After all, Whisenhunt led the moribund Arizona franchise to the Super Bowl just three seasons ago.

But NFL fans have short memories, and Whisenhunt’s botched handling of the quarterback situation last year has some folks wondering if that Super Bowl run had more to do with quarterback Kurt Warner than the Cardinals’ coach.

COMMENTS

Fantasy Football: Breaking down the Arizona Cardinals

ARIZONA
• Inside the Locker Room
With Scott Bordow of the Arizona Republic

Can we trust any Arizona RB this year? *
Don’t spend a high draft choice on any Cardinals running back, because it’s uncertain if any of their backs will get the majority of the touches. Arizona loves Williams’ potential, but he’s a rookie, and the club wants to give Wells one last shot to see if he can prove he was worth a first-round pick. Also, LaRod Stephens-Howling could be the third down back, further limiting the fantasy value of the others.
*analysis prior to Williams season-ending injury

Is the Cardinals defense worth a look as a starting defense in fantasy football this season?
The defense is worth a look only if it picks up a pass-rusher in free agency and top pick Patrick Peterson proves to be a shutdown corner. If the DBs can bottle up the receivers, Arizona’s pass rush — while not the best in the league — could still rack up a few sacks.

• Fantasy Playoff Run — Weeks: 14-16: SF, CLE @CIN
Larry Fitzgerald was third in targets (173) and fourth in catches (90) without a QB and now gets Kevin Kolb. Fitz should have a strong stretch run as he goes against the pass defenses of the 49ers (24th), Browns (18th) and Bengals (14^th). All three opponents surrendered at least 96.7 yards rushing per game, as well.

• Athlon Best Bets
Sleeper: Beanie Wells, RB
Deep-Sleeper: Rob Housler, TE
Overvalued: Kevin Kolb, QB
Top Rookie: Patrick Peterson, DB
Bounce-Back: Larry Fitzgerald, WR
Top IDP: Kerry Rhodes, DB

• Try to Avoid
Todd Heap, TE
The tight end class is one of the deepest it’s ever been, and Heap is on the back end of it. He still has momentary flashes of greatness, but we would rather play for the upside at this position.
WAIT UNTIL: 19^th Rd

• Draft Class Fantasy Impact (analysis prior to Williams season-ending injury)
Williams was a surprising selection in the second round, especially with Tim Hightower and Beanie Wells already in the mix. Barring injury, Williams will likely hold only RB4 value with the Cardinals using a committee approach on the ground. Arizona tight ends caught only 25 passes last season, which could open the door for Housler to play soon. However, the acquisition of Todd Heap may hinder that plan.

More Fantasy Football Cheat Sheets and Rankings:
2011 Fantasy Football Rankings: Top 280
2011 Fantasy Football Rankings: Top 240 w/ IDPs
2 011 Fantasy Football Rankings: Quarterbacks
2 011 Fantasy Football Rankings: Running Backs
2011 Fantasy Football Rankings: Wide Receivers
2011 Fantasy Football Rankings: Tight Ends
2011 Fantasy Football Rankings: Kickers
2011 Fantasy Football Rankings: Defense/Special Teams

COMMENTS

Quarterback Carousel

The NFL’s quarterback landscape has seen considerable changes since the lockout ended.

Kevin Kolb, Cardinals
Arizona traded away 2008 first-round pick (No. 16 overall) and 25-year-old Pro Bowl cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie along with its 2012 second-round pick to acquire the young gun with seven career starts under his belt.

COMMENTS

NFL's Ten High-Priority Moves as Lockout Ends

With player transactions about to kick off, some teams have big moves to make

By Scott Henry (Twitter: @4QuartersRadio)

With free agency’s usual five-month time frame being condensed into five weeks, the phones of both team executives and the players they’re pursuing are about to be set ablaze with constant activity. Some teams would rather lay low, but the ten teams that follow have one available move that would fill a tremendous need, offer roster or cap flexibility, or simply get the fan base excited.