Our weekly digest of everything fantasy football. Facts don't lie and The Huddle is full of 'em. Projections for the weekend of Aug. 23-27. Stats through Aug. 22:


Philadelphia Eagles, QB
Comment: The only thing that looked awkward for McNabb against Carolina on Friday night was the bulky brace on his right knee. McNabb took a few hits and was fine. The Eagles didn't hold McNabb back at all in his first game back from an ACL tear he suffered last November. He was 6-for-9 for 138 yards and a touchdown and led the Eagles to 10 points on four possessions against Carolina. McNabb didn't scramble, so keep an eye on how he moves in the final two preseason games. McNabb hasn't played more than 10 games since 2004, so history says an injury is never far away, but feel safe ranking him between five and seven among quarterbacks.

Oakland Raiders, RB
Comment: Jordan is expected to share the load with Dominic Rhodes, but Rhodes is suspended for the first four games of the season for violating the league's substance abuse policy. Jordan missed half of training camp with a back injury, but looked good in his first appearance against San Francisco, gaining 67 yards on eight carries and scored a touchdown. Jordan rushed for 434 yards with two touchdowns and averaged 3.8 yards per carry in 10 games before season-ending surgery last season. He had 1,025 yards and nine rushing touchdowns and 70 receptions and two receiving touchdowns two years ago. Jordan has been going around the fifth and sixth rounds of most drafts and if he excels while Rhodes is out, he could be a steal.

Dallas Cowboys, WR
Comment: Crayton had three receptions for 61 yards against Denver last week. Crayton won't start because Terry Glenn is expected to start the season after going arthroscopic surgery on his right knee in July. Crayton has excellent hands and catches just about everything thrown his way. Monitor the status of Glenn and take a chance on Crayton in the late rounds of deep leagues.

Washington Redskins, TE
Comment: Cooley had five catches for 60 yards last week against Pittsburgh. Cooley started slow last season, but played much better when Jason Campbell took over. Cooley is a top-five tight end, especially since he gets many looks in the red zone.

Cincinnati Bengals, K
Comment: Graham went 4-for-4, including a 51-yard field goal on Saturday against the Saints. Graham should get plenty of opportunities with the Bengals offense. He's a top-three kicker.

Defense
Comment: The Eagles defense was very inconsistent last season, but when they have a good day, they can get you a lot of points. The Eagles first-team defense shut down Carolina on Saturday in just under one half. The Eagles limited Carolina to 37 total yards on six possessions and Lito Sheppard scored on a 40-yard touchdown return in the Eagles' 27-10 win.


New York Jets, QB
Comment: Pennington didn't attempt a pass in the first preseason game, but he did against the Vikings last week and two were intercepted for touchdowns. He went 7 of 10 for 40 yards. The moans have grown louder from some Jets fans wanting to see Kellen Clemens take the starting job, but that won't happen anytime soon. Pennington is a solid No. 2 quarterback.

Tennessee Titans, RB
Comment: The Titans want White to be the starting running back, but he hasn't done anything to seize the opportunity. White has a swollen knee and ankle and hasn't played in a game. Meanwhile, Chris Brown, whose name is a fixture on the injury report, had 67 yards on 11 carries last week. Brown might receive most of the carries early on, but White should get the most touches when he's healthy. White practiced Wednesday and could start this weekend.

Baltimore Ravens, WR
Comment: Clayton is expected to miss the rest of the preseason with a sprained right ankle. He says he'll be ready for week one. Clayton became a nice deep threat late last season, but he was either very good or very bad. The Ravens offense is inconsistent and doesn't air it out often. Clayton is a good option as a No. 3 receiver.

Cleveland Browns, TE
Comment: He has the potential to be one of the best fantasy tight ends. He's coming off knee surgery and has just one catch for six yards in two games. Throw in the fact Cleveland doesn't know who will start at quarterback. Winslow could be a top five tight end if he is healthy.

Kansas City Chiefs, K
Comment: The rookie kicker missed two of three field goals against Miami last week. He made one from 34 yards and missed from 37 and 42. Stay away.

Defense
Comment: The Broncos allowed the Cowboys to rush for 190 yards and convert 6 of 8 third downs. The starters haven't forced a punt in almost three quarters of action. The Broncos also lost defensive end Ebenezer Ekuban for the season after he tore his Achilles tendon. Many times the preseason is meaningless and this is one of those instances. The Broncos defense is a top-10 unit.


Denver Broncos, RB
Comment: Bell is the other Broncos running back that got injured against the Cowboys on Saturday. He is expected to miss two weeks with a hip injury. That gives Cecil Sapp the opportunity to show what he can do.

Washington Redskins, QB
Comment: Campbell injured his left knee against Pittsburgh last week, but an MRI revealed it's just a bruise. Campbell is a decent No. 2 quarterback.

New Orleans Saints, WR
Comment: The Saints top receiver had a second MRI performed on his knee Sunday that revealed no structural damage. Colston also had an MRI performed during training camp, but did play in the first two preseason games. Colston said it's sore from the wear and tear of training camp. Expect the Saints to play it safe to have him ready for the first game against the Colts.

Denver Broncos, RB
Comment: Henry injured his left knee against the Cowboys on Saturday, but an MRI revealed no damage. It's an MCL sprain and Henry will miss the rest of the preseason. That shouldn't deter you from drafting him. Running backs thrive in the Denver offensive system. Henry rushed for 1,211 yards on 270 carries with a 4.5 yard average and seven touchdowns for Tennessee last season. He's an excellent second-round pick.

Kansas City Chiefs, QB
Comment: The battle between Huard and Brodie Croyle hasn't been decided yet, but it doesn't look good for Huard. He has a sore calf and if he can't play Thursday, that could hand Croyle the job.


Ronis is UPDATE! NFL Editor.

45 Kansas City running back Larry Johnson finally ended his holdout. He agreed to a five-year, $45 million extension. The concern with the Chiefs is an offensive line that isn't as good as recent seasons and an unsettled situation at quarterback. Still, Herm Edwards loves to run the football, so Johnson will get a lot of touches. Johnson is a top-three pick.

70 Passing yards for Arizona quarterback Matt Leinart, who completed 7 of 7 and threw a 5-yard touchdown pass against Oakland last week. He has a lot of upside, especially with two top receivers in Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin.

18 Number of passes New Orleans quarterback Drew Brees has completed in 20 attempts against first-team defenses this preseason.

4 Number of touchdowns scored by the Vikings defense in the first two preseason games, including three against the Jets last week. The Vikings were excellent defensively at times last season, especially against the run. The Vikings are just outside the top 10 and could be a real sleeper.


Green Bay Packers, RB
Comment: Jackson appears to have earned the starting job by default since Vernand Morency hasn’t practiced, but Morency is expected to ready for the season opener. The Packers plan to use both, but Morency is coming off a knee injury and it will take him some time to get back. Jackson has started both exhibition games and gained 54 yards on 13 carries with a touchdown on Saturday against Seattle.

Green Bay Packers, WR
Comment: Jones has 10 catches and 116 yards in two games and had two touchdowns last week. The Packers must believe in him because they cut veteran Robert Ferguson and Jones is the Packers' No. 3 wideout. Jones is a nice late-round sleeper.

Buffalo Bills, RB
Comment: Lynch didn't get much action in the first week and he only gained 16 yards on five carries. Much is expected from Lynch and the Bills will give him the ball a lot. Lynch is an excellent No. 3 running back.

Minnesota Vikings, RB
Comment: Peterson had 70 yards on eight carries and a touchdown against the Jets last week. He had 33 yards on 11 carries in the preseason opener. Still, Peterson had a history of injuries at Oklahoma and Chester Taylor is still the starter after gaining 1,216 yards in 15 games last season. The Vikings should run the ball a lot with an experienced quarterback and a lack of explosive wide receivers. Peterson has more upside than Taylor, but don't draft him too early.

Cleveland Browns, QB
Comment: Before you go crazy over his stats from Saturday's game against Detroit, take the context first. Quinn went 13-for-20 for 155 yards and two touchdowns, but it was the fourth quarter against guys who might be bagging your groceries in a few weeks. Many were also short passes. Unless you are in an extremely deep league, stay away.


vs. Rams defense
Comment: Culpepper will start on Friday night and could be the starter for the Raiders to open the season. Culpepper went 6-for-8 for 75 yards and threw two touchdown passes last week against San Francisco. He also scrambled 13 yards for a first down, but he did fumble two snaps.

vs. Bears defense
Comment: Smith was 8-for-12 for 106 yards and a touchdown against Oakland last week. Many people are touting San Francisco as a sleeper and expect Smith to improve. This will be a good test against one of the best defensive teams.

vs. Jaguars offense
Comment: The Packers had seven sacks and forced six turnovers last week against Seattle, while Jacksonville scored 24 of its 31 points in the second quarter against Tampa Bay last week.



Sunday, 8 p.m. ET NBC-TV
The Steelers have yet to find success with their new offensive alignments such as four-wide sets on first and second downs. The Steelers have 21 points in two games with only three coming when Ben Roethlisberger was in the game, but keep in mind Willie Parker missed the first two games. He had four yards on four carries against Washington last week. This will be the last game the starters stay in for an extended period. Omar Gaither takes over at middle linebacker for the Eagles after Jeremiah Trotter was released this week.



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