Is it too late to throw Ricky Williams on this week’s edition of Can’t-Pass-Up Matchups? Sadly yes, but there are plenty of big names ready to do some big things in Week 11.

Every now and then the best matchup belongs to a player who will obviously be started, so I leave him off the list because I figure everyone knows that. Well, just in case, I will point out now that Drew Brees can literally do whatever he wants on Sunday and get away with it against a truly wretched Buccaneers defense. Here are the other players that may be inclined to go Nutrageous on their opponents this week:

Maurice Jones-Drew vs. Bills

This is one that I have had circled on the calendar for quite some time. Jones-Drew has been a man possessed since Week 6 (seven touchdowns in four games) and is set to go against a Bills defense that has been shredded by the run worse than any other team in the league (173 yards per game, 14 touchdowns through 9 games—both statistics are NFL-worsts). Jones-Drew has certainly lived up to the hype in his last three games, and you’d be a fool to think he will begin to derail a career year now. He enters Week 11 just one rushing touchdown shy of his career-high of 13 (achieved in 2006), and it is a near certainty—barring injury— that he will have his first 1,000-yard season of his career, as he is currently just 140 yards away at 860. There is no back out there with bigger potential in Week 11, so keep Jones-Drew in your lineup. Hopefully, that goes without saying every week based on the monster season that the fourth-year back is turning in.

Chris Johnson vs. Texans

As good as Johnson has been lately, I’m not sure who will be more responsible for Johnson’s inevitable huge game. On one hand you have the star back that has gone for over 130 yards and two touchdowns in each of the last three weeks. On the other hand you have what appears to be a middle-of-the-pack run defense until you look at the staggering number of rushing touchdowns allowed (12). Vince Young has been decent since stepping in as the starter at quarterback, but the increased carries for Johnson since the quarterback switch is only further proof that the Titans’ offense lives and dies by their second-year back. They do it for good reason, as Johnson is taking the expression “gold among garbage” to an entirely new level.

Bengals defense vs. Raiders

If the Bengals could stop the Steelers last week, does anyone think they will have even the slightest bit of difficulty with the Raiders? To be fair to Oakland, Tom Cable really made a statement for change when he benched a terrible quarterback (JaMarcus Russell) for a terrible quarterback (Bruce Gradkowski). The offense will continue to be dreadful in Oakland and my guess is the Bengals will add to their 10 interceptions on Sunday as a result.

Matt Schaub vs. Titans

Going from a bye week to facing the Titans is just about as close to two weeks off without injury as it gets in the NFL. Schaub was disappointing in Week 8 against Buffallo (no touchdowns and two picks) and just stayed afloat against the Colts, but a week off and an easy matchup should be enough to prevent those traces of a funk to grow into anything substantial. There have been plenty of readers who have gotten jazzed about the Titans beginning to play some solid defense, but anyone can silent David Garrard and Trent Edwards. It’s the upper-echelon quarterbacks such as Schaub that will be an absolute handful for Tennessee.

Steelers defense vs. Chiefs

I was nice to Dwayne Bowe by leaving him off Thursday’s list of players that owners likely aren’t thankful for, but anyone who invested anything in Bowe has to be miffed by the fact that they will be without his services for the next four weeks. Matt Cassel obviously hasn’t put up the numbers he put up last year with New England, but did anybody really expect him to? Cassel is the type of quarterback that doesn’t make many mistakes (six picks on the year), but will also produce zilch when going up against a strong defense like Pittsburgh. With Chris Chambers as Cassel’s No. 1 option this week, we could see a Raiders-like ineffectiveness out of Kansas City’s offense.

CLOSE CALLS

Kurt Warner vs. Rams

Between his nine touchdowns in his last three games and average of two touchdowns per game against his old team, one would think that Warner will dominate in St. Louis. The defense has slowly been shaping up for the Rams, however, so don’t be surprised if Warner is nothing more than mediocre on Sunday.

Philip Rivers vs. Broncos

Do you think Rivers is scared of a defense that has allowed 27 or more point in each of the last three weeks? Something tells me ever-proud Rivers will desperately try to prove that his three-fumble game against the Broncos in Week 6 was a one-time thing.

Carson Palmer vs. Raiders

With everyone unsure of how much— if at all– Cedric Benson will see the field on Sunday, the Bengals would undoubtedly be better off electing to throw the ball more as opposed to giving it to Larry Johnson.  Palmer has treaded water against some mediocre defenses this year, but more opportunity to pass just may lead to big numbers. He won’t throw for five touchdowns like he did against the Bears, but Palmer may be in line to surpass his season-high in passing yards (271).

Trade deadline approaching in your league? Send all your fantasy questions, including ones about potential trades, to djbean@weei.com and I will do everything I can to make sure you rip off the rest of your league to the point of them wondering where their teams went. Don’t forget to join me for our Sunday chat as we set rosters and discuss all things fantasy football.

With Thanksgiving just a week from Thursday, it only seems appropriate next week to give recognition to the fantasy players we are thankful for in 2009. No, I’m not talking about first-rounders who have done what they were supposed to do, but more the sleepers and late pickups that have helped make your roster indestructible. Since there is no such thing as good without the bad, perhaps it’s logical to prepare you for that list by shedding light on the players who have the players that have underperformed, had an injury hurt both themselves and your point totals, or let your team down in any other way. Here are the biggest fantasy disappointments so far of ’09.

Matt Forte

Yeah, yeah, the catches make him more valuable in PPR leagues, but there isn’t much else to suggest Forte hasn’t been one of the bigger fantasy letdowns this season. The second-year back has churned out decent rushing numbers in just two games – Week 4 vs. Detroit and Week 8 vs. Cleveland—and those happened to be the only two games in which Forte has seen the end zone. Disappointed owners can’t blame the unsatisfactory numbers entirely on Forte, as decreased opportunity has also been a factor. In 2008, Forte had twenty or more carries in seven of his first nine games, giving him a total of 189. This season, he has 143 carries and just three total touchdowns, a far cry from his seven at this point in ’08. Even if Forte picks it up from here on out, it’s nearly a certainty that the numbers in the end won’t compare to his rookie totals.

Roy E. Williams

Trust me, Miles Austin will be on the list of players we should be thankful for, but that is both a product of his emergence and Williams’ failure to establish himself as the threat Dallas thought they were getting when they sent a first-rounder to Detroit last season. Yes, in the last two weeks Williams’ production has skyrocketed to just about the level at which people expected him to play, but I don’t see it lasting. Though he has actually been Dallas’ most productive receiver over the past two weeks (his back-to-back games of a season-high five catches have increased his ownership to 73.2 in ESPN leagues—still pretty low for a guy who was a projected fantasy fifth-rounder heading into the season), Austin remains Tony Romo’s number one option and Williams’ fantasy output will continue to be spotty at best.

Two star backs, two touchdowns apiece

Brandon Jacobs

Many readers in the Sunday chats have brought up how frustrated they have been with Jacobs’ production this season, but their disappointment is only partially warranted. Yes, the point total isn’t anywhere near what it usually is due to his uncharacteristically low two touchdowns on the season, but it’s not for lack as though he’s softened up or lost a step. As hard to believe as it is, Jacobs is actually on pace for a career high in rushes (268) and rushing yards (1097). He is still getting his carries in the red zone (49 on the season), so the potential for him to improve his touchdown total exists, though owners who expected the 15 Jacobs scored last year are going to be let down either way.

Steven Jackson

This is one that is totally unfair because Jackson could be a potential MVP candidate right now were it not for him being stuck on the Rams. The man averages over 100 yards a game but has seen the end zone just twice all season. Unlike some of the players on this list, owners shouldn’t feel dumb for drafting Jackson, as he has been the only good thing going for the Rams. Unfortunately, this is fantasy football and things like potential field position need to be taken into account. Remember that stat on Jacobs getting 49 carries in the red zone? Jackson, who gets far more carries (191) than Jacobs (151), has gotten less than half Jacobs’ number of red zone opportunities (23).

Brian Westbrook

With Westbrook set to miss his fourth game of the season due to a concussion, non-Westbrook owners are certainly laughing at some poor sap in their league by playing the “that’s what you get for taking an aging and fragile running back in the first round” card. While I have personally left Westbrook off my draft board for two seasons now, it appears that Westbrook’s time as a fantasy first-rounder has come to an end. The first round is about finding that rock that will get you points every week, and while Westbrook’s versatility is unquestioned, it doesn’t mean anything if he’s not on the field. Westbrook is currently on pace for his lowest total yards from scrimmage (677) and touchdowns (four) since his rookie year in 2002. Does this mean that LeSean McCoy will suddenly become a fantasy first-rounder come next August? Probably not, but one would be naïve to assume that the Westbrook of 2007 will show his face again.

Terrell Owens

What, one touchdown isn’t what you were looking for out of your third (or fourth) round pick? While essentially everything has gone wrong in Buffalo this season, any fantasy team that relied on Owens for anything big is probably in as good of shape as the Bills. Some of the guys on this list can and potentially will improve their numbers, but unless Ryan Fitzpatrick and Owens become best friends immediately, Owens likely isn’t a candidate for a strong finish.

LaDainian Tomlinson

Some people may see LT’s four touchdowns in the last three games as a return to prominence, but I find it unlikely that Tomlinson will have many more performances like last week’s 96-yard, two-touchdown showing. We all know at this point that Darren Sproles isn’t as big a threat to Tomlinson’s carries as was initially believed, but Tomlinson has had four games of 18 carries or more (including 23-and-24-carry games) and has rushed for 90 yards just once. Take away the two touchdowns against the Raiders (who have given up the most rushing touchdowns in the league this season) and you’ve got a first-round running back with three touchdowns in parts of seven games.

Check back Friday morning for Can’t-Pass-Up Matchups, which will undoubtedly be more spread-out thanks to bye weeks no longer part of the picture. Keep sending your questions to djbean@weei.com, as they will both help your team and warm me up for our weekly chats, which have been more packed with each passing week. Keep up the good work guys!

While Bill Belichick probably still is letting the repercussions of his decision to go for it set in, Reality Bites is upping the ante and letting the fantasy impact from all over the league set in. Here are some things we took from a big week of football.

Running backs had big days — if they stayed healthy, that is.

I wrote last week in Can’t-Pass-Up Matchups of how masterful both Adrian Peterson and Chris Johnson would be against the Lions and Bills, respectively. And as I told a reader in Sunday’s live chat, I was very intrigued by Cedric Benson going against the Steelers for a second time after having a mediocre game in Week 3 (76 yards, TD). The first two players definitely played out the way I expected them to, as Peterson absolutely made that Lions defense look foolish (133 yards and a pair of touchdowns) and Johnson was even more incredible (232 total yards and a pair of touchdowns). It was Benson, however, who bucked the trend. By leaving with a hip injury after seven carries, Benson left much to the imagination, and he wasn’t the only star back to pull up lame. Ronnie Brown was able to bring a decent game (82 yards and a touchdown) into the third quarter before leaving with an ankle injury that both kept out of the remainder of the game and put him on crutches. The impact is obvious for both. If Benson is kept out by his hip in the future, Abilene Christian product Bernard Scott is the replacement, while Ricky Williams’ stock would be boosted by a serious Ronnie Brown injury. Meanwhile, Michael Turner, who left after an impressive 111 yards on nine carries, may see his team struggle more with Jerious Norwood also out.  Heeeere’s Jason Snelling! *Gulp*

Is Steven Jackson back after another solid performance?

No.

Let me correct that: Not in Week 11 against the Cardinals he’s not, though he’s making strides with over 130 yards and a rushing touchdown in each of his last two games. It’s taken him a while to find the end zone due to how bad the Rams are, but it’s looking as though Jackson will have some fantasy value — I would just wait a week before expecting to see it.

Drew Brees continues to make everybody relevant.

Question: Did anyone out there have any money on Saints tight end David Thomas tying Devery Henderson for the team lead in targets (six) this week? Obviously, owners were probably expecting a little more than what they got out of Brees (223 yards, two TD, two INT) against a horrible St. Louis defense, but he at the very least continued to spread the catches around against a bad team. I had listed Robert Meachem as a good option as a spot-starter in the Week 10 edition of Living with the Bye, with the rationale being that though he may not bring in a ton of catches, he will get enough attention against a bad D. Well, one catch proved to be enough, as it went for a 27-yard touchdown. Jeremy Shockey finished one target behind Henderson and fellow tight end Thomas with five, but all in all Brees threw multiple passes to six receivers on the day. Marques Colston proved to be quite a disappointment on the day, as he finished with just two catches for 17 yards. When your quarterback is as generous to all his receivers as Brees is, you have to expect that to happen every now and then.

I had a feeling by the end of the live chat that Ladell Betts was going to have a big game just so I would look bad.

Isn’t that how it works? Sunday’s live chat was an old-fashioned Betts bash, and I was at the helm, having a grand old time. Whether it was Betts or Player A, Betts or Player B, or Betts or Air Bud, I was taking the other option every time and attaching a “Hunter Smith has as many touchdowns as Betts, and he’s a punter!” quip as often as possible. 114 rushing yards and a touchdown later, I can do nothing more than swallow my pride and admit that I was wrong. Or I can just start with the “Ladell Betts only has one touchdown more than Hunter Smith, a punter!” quips. Yes, I think I will do that.

Eagles WR update: Role reversal?!

How many weeks have I been yammering about how Jeremy Maclin is Philadelphia’s No. 1 receiver, and he gets targeted more, and blah, blah, blah. Even I am tired of hearing myself say it, though it is a great point (every now and then I have one). DeSean Jackson usually rides one big play to the bank and calls it a day and takes all the attention away from Maclin, who is generally Donovan McNabb’s favorite target. Things were much different in Week 10, however. It was Jackson who was targeted twice as much as Maclin (16 to eight) and Maclin who stole the attention with a touchdown despite fewer catches. Now I’ll be honest, I’ve gotten positive feedback and not-so-positive feedback regarding my Danny-Glover-in-Saw-like obsession with the Eagles receivers and who is the favorite, but I am very excited by this turn of events and – sorry to some—will continue to follow it.

There was nothing fascinating about the MNF game, so I’m instead going to write about Alex Smith.

Smith obviously hasn’t panned out yet as a viable fantasy option, but I said that it would take time. The problem is that it seems the 49ers either let him throw all day (45 pass attempts against the Titans) or barely let him throw it at all (23 attempts against the Bears). Obviously, owners would want to know which Smith they are getting before they make him their No. 2 QB in two-quarterback leagues. With the Packers up next, owners should be a bit more conservative with Smith, though as I have said before, Smith shouldn’t even be getting consideration in standard leagues that feature just one quarterback spot.

Three Week 10 success stories:

– Michael Bush — Raiders running backs are allowed to rush for 100 yards?

– Jonathan Stewart — He was a good option going in regardless of DeAngelo Williams’ availability, and unlike the Betts situation, Stewart made me look good with his two touchdowns.

– Steve Smith (Panthers) — One of our readers, Austin, was considering using him as a throw-in in a proposed trade, and I encouraged it. Two touchdowns later, Smith may be waking up from his season-long hibernation, though the catches still aren’t there.

Three Week 10 failures:

– Jay Cutler — I made fun of Cutler enough after his five-pick game on Thursday, so I’ll ease up here.

– Chad Ochocinco — Maybe he should have just pulled out his surprise despite not scoring. America wanted more than two catches and 29 yards.

-- Santana Moss — A ton of fantasy players got carried away with his increasing catches from week to week. I was not one of them.

I was right about:

Mike Sims-Walker scoring despite going against the fantastically overrated Darrelle Revis.

I was wrong about:

Reggie Wayne. Close call, my eye!

I wrote last night of how party-poopingly riveting Monday Night Football would be this week, but at least it’s over. So is Week 10 and we can now move forward to Living Without the Bye! See what I did there? If you just don’t trust yourself to run your team, send your questions to djbean@weei.com.

WEEI.com Fantasy Editor D.J. Bean promises that if you join him at 11 a.m. on Sunday for the Fantasy Football Live Chat, you will not look as bad as did Bears quarterback Jay Cutler in his stinkfest for the ages on Thursday. Bean will provide last-minute advice on who to start and who to sit, keeping pace with the last-minute pre-game updates.

It’s safe to say that nobody playing in Thursday night’s Bears/49ers game was worth being on this week’s list (see below for Cutler talk). That being said, there are plenty of players in position to do some big things in Week 10. Here are the guys you won’t want exploding on your bench this week.

Chris Johnson vs. Bills

Get psyched, Johnson owners, because it gets no better than this. Arguably the most explosive back in the league is facing a Pop Warner defense that is coming off a bye looking worse than ever. The Bills currently rank last in the league against the run and have given up an astonishing 12 rushing touchdowns, second to only the Raiders (13). Johnson has an amazing 363 yards and four rushing touchdowns over his last two games combined. Though he didn’t exactly rack up those numbers against elite defenses, the Jaguars and 49ers were far more daunting than the Bills. The second-year pro has yet to face the Bills in his young career, but something tells me the first one will be a memorable one. The possibilities are truly endless for Johnson this week, but don’t think the party will end there. Johnson and the Titans go against the Texans, who have also given up 12 rushing touchdowns on the season, in Week 11.

Aaron Rodgers vs. Cowboys

Rodgers has been on this list plenty of times this season, which says two things: 1. That the Packers have faced some pretty weak defenses and 2. Rodgers has yet to disappoint on this list, which gives me confidence in him as he prepares to go against a Cowboys defense that has given up 54 points over the last three weeks. During that span, Rodgers has thrown eight touchdowns. Rodgers should be able to light up a secondary that has been thrown on all season for at least three touchdowns. In fact, if Rodgers throws for less than three touchdowns on Sunday I will consider it a bigger failure than the time I guaranteed a big week for Steve Slaton in what became Ryan Moats’ breakout game.

Michael Turner vs. Panthers

I wrote in a previous entry that Turner had finally returned to his 2008 form, and boy has that continued as of late. With 307 yards and three touchdowns in his last two games, he is set for another huge day Sunday in Carolina. Though the Panthers are third in the league in rushing, their defense is 23rd in the league against the run. Turner could easily go over 150 yards for the third consecutive week while also adding a couple of touchdowns. I know that I had to say it about Tom Brady a few weeks back based on some emails from readers, but Turner is officially back to elite, start-every-week status.

Brett Favre vs. Lions

And Favre finally appears on Can’t-Pass-Up Matchups. The reason? Well, aside from the fact that he is going against the second-worst defense against the pass, Favre has had just as many three-touchdown games (three) as the likes of Drew Brees, Peyton Manning, Matt Schaub, Tony Romo, and Philip Rivers. My feeling is that Sunday will be remembered for what Adrian Peterson does against the Lions, but Favre is more than capable of having a big enough first half to make up for the almost inevitable run-heavy second half.

Ray Rice vs. Browns

Rice hasn’t gone for more than 100 yards rushing since Week 4 against the Patriots, but this matchup isn’t about yards. Because Rice is facing Cleveland, this matchup is about the 13 rushing touchdowns the Browns have already allowed through eight games. Earlier in the season I wrote of how special Rice would be if the offense relied on him more by increasing his carries. Now that he is the guy for the Ravens he has not disappointed, as his four touchdowns over his last three games would suggest.

Larry Fitzgerald vs. Seahawks

Fitzgerald was last on this list in Week 6 when he was also going against Seattle, and prior to that game I put together a statistical platter of reasons why Fitzgerald would own the Seahawks. He didn’t do anything too extraordinary, but he did manage 100 receiving yards and a touchdown on 13 catches. Fitzgerald now has eight touchdowns in 11 games against the Seahawks, so that alone should be reason enough for owners to be licking their chops. If for some reason it isn’t, consider that No. 11 is on a roll after nine-catch, 123-yard, two-touchdown performance in Week 9 against the Bears. Sunday’s bout with Seattle could be Fitzgerald’s biggest game of the season.

CLOSE CALLS

Reggie Wayne vs. Patriots

You would think he would have more than two touchdowns in his career against New England, wouldn’t you? Either way,he’s seen the end zone in five of his last six games.

Kurt Warner vs. Seahawks

Like Fitzgerald, Warner has killed the Seahawks over the years. He should be fine as long as he’s not turning the ball over, which is a legitimate concern.

Marques Colston vs. Rams

I wrote earlier this week that Robert Meachem might be an option as a spot-starter this week because of how much Brees spreads the ball against bad defenses. Even if the catches are split up between four guys, it’s almost a given that the big output will come from Colston.

Not sure of who to start this week? Send all of your questions to djbean@weei.com and I will do everything I can to prevent you from looking as bad as Jay Cutler looked Thursday night against the 49ers. Speaking of Cutler, did anyone see his face after he threw that fifth interception? He even looked disappointed in himself before the ball left his hand. Anyway, shoot me an email and check in for the Sunday live chat and I promise you’ll be better off come game time than Cutler.

Try not to get emotional, but with Week 10 being the last week of byes in the NFL (and only two teams on the bye), this marks the season finale of Living With the Bye. Fear not, for with all teams soon in play, Reality Bites will continue to hit you with the latest fantasy insight just as it always does.

QUARTERBACK

Starters with byes: Matt Schaub, Eli Manning

Potential spot-starters: Alex Smith (vs. Bears), Chad Henne (vs. Buccaneers)

The rub: Smith was listed last week as a viable spot-starter and, despite throwing three more interceptions than one would have liked, got the job done with a pair of touchdowns. Obviously, facing the Bears is a shade more difficult than facing the Titans, but Chicago has one of the more overrated defenses in the league. Plus, their defensive backs are hurting as Sunday approaches. Though the team hasn’t won since he took over, Smith just may regain his “quarterback of the future” status in San Francisco if he can finish out the season strong. Henne clearly has the more favorable matchup but also has just one passing touchdown over his last three games. I would say that the aforementioned statistic will almost certainly change against Tampa Bay, but this Dolphins offense is far too unpredictable to assume a touchdown pass will actually come from the quarterback.

RUNNING BACK

Starters with byes: Brandon Jacobs, Ahmad Bradshaw, Steve Slaton, Ryan Moats

Potential spot-starters: Justin Fargas (vs. Chiefs), Shonn Greene (vs. Jaguars)

The rub: Isn’t it always around Week 10 where the waiver wire starts looking about as picked-over as the Salvation Army at Halloween? Sleepers have emerged and are now both starting and commonly owned. Lucky for those who are in dire need, good ol’ Justin Fargas is still around to prove that he is far and away the most undesirable starting back in the NFL. His touchdown in Week 8 against the Chargers may be the only thing of value he has done since being the handed job, but he faces an absolute cake defense in the Chiefs. The 28th-ranked run defense should has allowed a touchdown per game and should make Vargas’ work easier than it has been against the likes of the Giants, Eagles, and Jets.

As for Greene, maybe it’s time the Jets rookie be given another shot. The last time I put him on this list he did zilch on just one carry. He followed that stinker with a two-touchdown gem against the Raiders and an 18-yard performance against the Dolphins. Conclusion: Greene is about as reliable as a pre-owned Edsel, but he is capable of putting up numbers against bad defense, which is what the Jaguars (23rd in the league) are.

WIDE RECEIVER

Starters with byes: Andre Johnson, Steve Smith (NYG)

Potential spot-starters: Jason Hill (vs. Bears), Jeremy Maclin (vs. Chargers), Davone Bess (vs. Buncaneers), Robert Meachem (vs. Rams)

The rub: Before people begin losing their minds over the lowly Davone Bess’ presence on the above list, keep in mind that three things led to this conclusion. For starters, the options on the wire are probably more limited at receiver at this point of the season than in any previous week. Second, Bess has seen his catches increase steadily over the last three weeks. Lastly, and yes, if you have read previous posts of mine you should have seen this coming, he is facing the Buccaneers, so why not? Like Greene, he is a big risk/reward guy, but if you don’t have anybody on your bench that you would prefer to start, he may be one of your only options. And believe me, he is almost definitely an option (owned in just 1.7 percent of ESPN leagues).

People don’t show the Maclin the love he deserves so it is only fitting that he appear on the final edition of Living With the Bye.

With regard to Hill, consider me carried away. I don’t care what the depth chart used to say, a guy who gets targeted and can see the end zone is worth a second look. His four catches and two touchdowns in Week 9 against the Titans may have just a career performance that won’t be repeated, but he is going against a mediocre Bears defense and might be worth a shot.

Finally, Meachem has sprinkled in some solid fantasy numbers every few weeks, but like many others you find on Living With the Bye, he hasn’t put together a consistent enough season to warrant a starting job. Keep in mind how much Drew Brees enjoys spreading the ball against bad defenses. The proof is in Week 1’s pudding, as Meachem caught one of Brees’ six touchdowns against the Lions. Meachem also had a season-high five catches in Week 10 against the Panthers.

TIGHT END

Starters with byes: Kevin Boss

Potential spot-starters: Todd Heap (vs. Browns), Zach Miller (vs. Chiefs)

The rub: Boss is the only decent tight end on a bye this week, so owners likely won’t be scrambling for spot-starters. Heap is a better option than the ever-popular Miller based solely on his quarterback and the fact that he stands a better chance of getting into the end zone against the Browns than Miller does against the Chiefs.

This concludes the last edition of Living With the Bye. We will see you back here Friday morning for Can’t-Pass-Up Matchups. Also, keep those questions coming to djbean@weei.com.

After a hectic Sunday morning kept me away from the goodness that is the weekly fantasy chat (Alex Speier and Joey the Fish are both exponentially cooler than me, but I feel as though you already knew that), a glorious week of football ensued, and some storylines from Week 8 continued. From the Houston backfield to the Eagles receivers, nothing went unnoticed, and now that the day is done, it’s time to make sense of it.

Jump on the Ryan Moats bandwagon at your own peril. (AP)

We can’t be too sure of what is happening with Houston’s running backs, so don’t move either one of them yet.

As was expected going in, Ryan Moats served as the lead back against the Colts and received more than two-thirds of the carries. Of course, he did his best impression of teammate Steve Slaton by fumbling on the 1-yard line in the second quarter, which probably had a lot to do with Gary Kubiak’s decision to use Slaton on the goal line for the Texans’ fourth-quarter touchdown. Moats was unremarkable on his 16 carries, gaining less than three yards a pop. He added three catches for 15 yards and a touchdown, but the cloud of confusion in Houston regarding who the starter will be down the stretch is overwhelming. Slaton, despite only being handed the ball five times, clearly still has value, though that fourth-quarter touchdown might make him fool’s gold for owners.

It’s hard to type these things when you’re patting yourself on the back.

Such is my case. I pointed out last week that beginning in Week 9, Matt Ryan would hit his most difficult stretch against the top three pass defenses in the league and, based on how he’s fared against tough defenses (with the exception of the Panthers in Week 2), would not statistically rise to the occasion. Just 135 passing yards later, Ryan owners once again are bummed. Though Ryan tossed three touchdowns in that Week 2 contest, you might want to look at other options before starting Ryan in Week 10.

Ben Patrick is working his way toward appearing on the radar.

There was a time when people believed that Joe Flacco was only good at the University of Delaware because he had such an impressive tight end in Ben Patrick. Until Super Bowl XLIII, that argument probably was Patrick’s claim to fame. Now that he is silently becoming something of value to Kurt Warner, he might be a pretty decent pickup for Week 10, which is the final week of byes. Though he hasn’t had more than two catches in a game this season, he has touchdowns in each of his last two games. Keep an eye peeled.

It’s hard to type these things after being embarrassed by Josh Freeman.

Such is my case. I don’t think anyone saw a big game coming from Freeman in his first career start, but I can assure you that I won’t be changing my stance on him any time soon, because that Buccaneers offense is so dreadful. The Packers defense wasn’t even a close call for Week 9’s Cant-Pass-Up Matchups, but Freeman’s touchdowns humiliated both Dom Capers and yours truly. Glancing at Tampa Bay’s remaining schedule, I think it’s pretty fair to assume that Sunday was Freeman’s last three-touchdown day of the season. The rookie is definitely not even worth looking at unless you are in a two-QB league and really are in a pinch.

Eagles receivers update

It figures that on the one week I finally accept the ways of DeSean Jackson, he goes out and has the type of performance that I had spent the previous weeks warning people about. He once again was targeted less than Jeremy Maclin (9-5 in favor of Maclin), but since there was no one explosive play (owners were getting used to him being good for at least one), there were no significant points — just two catches and 29 yards.

Add a couple of inches to Jackson and you have Mike Wallace

Performance-wise, at least. Though Jackson obviously has the edge in touchdowns, they are both overrated flashy receivers who don’t catch enough passes to be a true sure-thing. That being said, Wallace is a solid flex option but shouldn’t be depended on as a top receiver. As Jackson proved this week, two catches doesn’t do you any good if they aren’t in the end zone. Wallace has been there twice over his last two game, so perhaps owners should change the fact that he is owned in only 19.2 percent of ESPN leagues.

But enough about Peyton …

It’s the quarterback of the other team that has turned more heads. My guess is that, going into the season, the average fan would say that Manning throwing for more than 300 yards in seven of his first eight games was more realistic than Matt Schaub doing it in five of his first nine. For those who think Schaub has been hype this season — trust me, there still are enough people out there crazy enough to believe it — just consider the fact that he threw for 300 yards just three times last year and once in ’07. Matt Schaub officially is a top-tier fantasy quarterback, whether naysayers like it or not.

Marion Barber hasn’t had 55 rushing yards in a game since Week 2.

Yowsers! Injuries aside (he did miss Week 3), owners aren’t thrilled after Barber’s fast start led to mediocrity (he also has just one touchdown in his last four games). The struggles likely will continue in Week 10 against the Packers, who are ninth in the league against the run, so it may be time to look to your bench until Barber returns to form.

Well, Jamaal Charles got exactly half of the handoffs for the Chiefs

Yep, six carries was enough to be half for a Chiefs team that only ran the ball 12 times the entire day. Chalk it up to Matt Cassel finally having a good game, albeit vs. a weak Jacksonville pass defense, but even if Charles begins to take carries away from Larry Johnson he might not be much of a fantasy asset right away. Week 9 was Charles’ big chance to prove his worth, but it appears he wasn’t even given that chance. Considering that the Chiefs’ rushing touchdown total is a little south of one on the season, none of their backs should get consideration until further notice, though Charles’ emergence certainly would have been a great fantasy story in light of all that is surrounding Johnson.

That’s it for the Week 9 wrap-up. Check back Wednesday for the latest (and, come to think of it, last for the rest of the season) edition of Living With the Bye. As always, send all your fantasy questions my way at djbean@weei.com.