Matthew Berry - The Talented Mr. Roto

  (3:03 PM)

Hi gang... Some breaking news to pass along... Looks like Steven Jackson is going to play this week... as you know, he writes a column for us...as he has no setbacks, he'll be on the field...

Matthew Berry - The Talented Mr. Roto

  (3:04 PM)

Hey gang ... I've been called out at the last second... Eric Karabell, Scott Engel and Tristan Cockroft are gonna handle for me today... thanks for understanding...

Lost In The Sauce Fairfax VA

Please pick me. I have a great question. Am I crazy for thinking this but if I own Addai and Keith is it nutty to start them both? My other main backs are K.Jones & L. Jordon. In a ppr league.

Scott Engel

  (3:07 PM)

Not crazy at all, but I would rather start Jones for more guaranteed touches

Jon (FL)

Any chance Alexander turns things around this season? 'Buy Low' on him?

Scott Engel

  (3:09 PM)

I would avoid him - Holmgren has admitted the offensive line is a big problem and there are no possible upgrades there

Jason, (MI)

I have been offered Hasselbeck for Welker. My other WR's are Housh, Plax and Wayne (3WR league). My other QB's are Warner, Garrard, Bulger and Pennington. Should I make the trade and cut some dead weight or hold out for more?

Scott Engel

  (3:11 PM)

Welker is not "dead weight" - he is coming off two great games and I think you can do a bit better - he may not fit in your lineup, but he is a surefire starter for someone else

Lee (MN)

Scott...has Ronnie gone on IR yet? Any chance of a second opinion? I need to be sure before I dump him in two leagues. Thx.

Scott Engel

  (3:12 PM)

Go ahead and cut him. There are no uncertainties I know of surrounding the situation. Don't second-guess the move, just do it

Steve (Philly)

Should I trade Lynch and Welker for Addai? Kieth scares me...my other WR are Smith, Marshall, Bowe and Ward so i think i can take the depth hit there...

Scott Engel

  (3:13 PM)

I would keep Welker over Marshall for sure and Lynch is very solid, so you don't really need Addai - he's a luxury

Eddie (BadQB'sVille)

Is now a good time to see what i can get for chad johnson? chris henry's on his way back, which may reduce cj's looks. should i use cj and donovan to try to get peyton or favre, or should i stick it out with mcnabb?

Scott Engel

  (3:14 PM)

I don't think those two could get Manning for you, and Johnson will continue to produce, even with Henry on the way back

Todd (Bellevue, Ohio)

Hey Scott, who would you go with in a flex spot in Week 8? Jesse Chatman or Lee Evans...Is Chatman going to be as good as Ronnie Brown or what?..thx

Scott Engel

  (3:15 PM)

I would use Chatman because he will get more guaranteed touches, but he doesn't have the talent level of Brown and will be a No. 2 fantasy RB at best

Darius (NJ)

Mr Engel, help! I have Hasselbeck on a bye and have Campbell on the bench with a tough NE matchup. Should I drop Campbell for M Bulger, T Edwards, or make a move for J Cutler? Thanks

Scott Engel

  (3:16 PM)

I would take the shot with Cutler, who looked good against Pittsburgh

Kevin (NJ)

Is M. Harrison going to perform this year? Would you trade Harrison to get H. Ward? Thanks.

Scott Engel

  (3:17 PM)

I think once he fully gets over the injury he will produce better and I would much rather have him than Ward

Kenny Watson's Mom (OH)

Gang- The Kenny Watson Experience? Is it over? Should I try to move him to a Rudi Johnson owner?

Scott Engel

  (3:18 PM)

I would sell high on him if you can - even if Watson continues to start he will be hard-pressed to have a big game again

Joe (Boston)

Would you trade welks with edge to try and get fast willie?

Scott Engel

  (3:19 PM)

I would keep Welker - no reason to try and sell high on him - he is for real

Nate (Ohio)

With Ronnie Brown now out I am in desperate need of help. I am still first in my 12 team keeper league and therefore last in waiver order. Rudi, Jamal, and Kenny Watson are my other RB's. Will these 3 be good enough to fill in a roster every week and therefore I can hang on to Brown for next year (4 keepers) or should I dump him to try and pick up someone else? Thanks

Scott Engel

  (3:20 PM)

I owuld not cut Brown in a keeper league. You need a betetr fill-in for him but maybe you can make a trade for a more solid replacement

Chace (LA)

LenDale White or Jesse Chatman for the rest of the year? And what kind of WR could I get for either of them?

Scott Engel

  (3:21 PM)

I would rotate them based on matchup. You could get a top 20 WR or top 12 QB if you target the right trade partner

jeremy(ohio)

I was offered Housh for MBIII, should i take it id have wynn and foster to use at RB2, and plax, colston and housh at WR

Scott Engel

  (3:22 PM)

I think you need to have better replacement options at RB before you make that move

Jesse (Forest Hills, NY)

I have bye week issues at RB with both LJ and McGahee. Ive been offered Bush and Braylan Edwards for McGahee and Crayton. No brainer, right?

Scott Engel

  (3:23 PM)

I would do that, especially since you get Edwards

Mike in Dallas

Deion Branch? Thoughts? Please gimme some sugar.

Scott Engel

  (3:24 PM)

He may return after the bye and is easily the most productive WR on the Seahawks and a fine No. 2 WR in fantasy

Winston (Fargo)

I know I am getting ahead, but is D Branch a go for week 9?

Scott Engel

  (3:25 PM)

Too early to tell, and I suggest you focus on Week 8 for now ;)

Mike (IA)

I HATE KENTON KEITH. Did he totally ruin the fantasy supremacy of Addai? Will Addai ever get 100+ yds again? How many more TDs will be vultured by Keith and Peyton. I hate everything right now. Should I deal him? Who should I expect in return? Your thoughts please?

Scott Engel

  (3:26 PM)

Addai was coming off an injury, but Dungy has wanted a time share as well - Peyton won't take too many but goal-line chances could be shared with Keith - Addai will still be very good - you will find no shortage of tarde takers and let them come to you

Dan - San Jose

Been offered Ladell Betts for Kenton Keith. I do not own Addai, but I do own Portis. Could I start Kenton if Portis goes down and be okay with it?

Scott Engel

  (3:28 PM)

I would not give up Keith to get Betts - I know you want the handcuff, but you desrve a bit more in return - Keith is not yet a good starter as anything more than a flex

Brent (OKC)

I had Ronnie Brown and need to do some waiver wire work, between Kenny Watson, and Jesse Chatman who would you go with i can also trade Calvin Johnson for Thomas Jones as an option.

Scott Engel

  (3:28 PM)

I would add Chatman and also trade for Jones, who may play better if and when the Jets make a QB change

Geoff, CT

Scott, In a vaccum would you trade TJones and JAX for S Holmes?

Scott Engel

  (3:30 PM)

Sure, especially of you need the WR boost! And now, the screen pass to Tristan H. Cockroft (the H is for "hands"!)

Bob (MD)

Who is a better waiver pickup, norwood or Chris Henry (Ten)?

Tristan H. Cockcroft

  (3:32 PM)

Hi Bob, happy to help out ... I'd go for Jerious Norwood, frankly. Jeff Fisher already has said Chris Brown is going right back into the mix once healthy, so that leads me to believe Henry is being worked in ultra-slowly. It's the LenDale White show there, anyway. I'd go Jerious Norwood, who really does deserve more work than he gets.

Michael (Louisiana)

In a PPR, is trading K. Jones and Marshall for Welker too much?

Tristan H. Cockcroft

  (3:33 PM)

I think so only in that the Lions are going to use Kevin Jones more than you think, he was a PPR machine last season and Brandon Marshall isn't a bad weekly No. 2/3 option, especially with Javon Walker out. Wes Welker's a No. 3 receiver on his own team, albeit in a great offense. Still, that's just not enough coming back your way.

Urso (Pittsburgh)

Tristan, Steven Jackson rumored to be back this week, what do you expect playing at home against Cleveland??

Tristan H. Cockcroft

  (3:34 PM)

I expect a gradual return to his former self. Emphasis on "gradual." If Jackson gets the full go-ahead, I consider him a flex option, with No. 2 option upside, based on the matchup. Still, with the state of affairs in St. Louis so iffy right now, I'm playing it conservative. He'll have better weeks, for sure.

Lee (MN)

I'm starting Favre. Who's the better option at WR2...Hines Ward @ CIN or Driver @ DEN?

Tristan H. Cockcroft

  (3:35 PM)

Well, we don't know Champ Bailey's status for Week 8, but if he's in there, it drops Donald Driver's appeal ever-so-slightly. I like the Ward matchup, against a dreadful Bengals D. He's my pick.

Matt (Morgantown)

Running back timeshare question: Am I nuts to want Peterson instead of Addai due to upside?

Tristan H. Cockcroft

  (3:36 PM)

No, but it's a timeshare, again, and I do see a couple matchups in Adrian Peterson's future that do limit that massive upside of his. He might be a tad frustrating here or there, while I call Joseph Addai the safe, consistent play. I usually want that type, given the choice.

Gray (Chicago)

Which back up in Cleveland would you rather have and is Jamal Lewis going to play this week?

Tristan H. Cockcroft

  (3:37 PM)

Jerome Harrison did look pretty good filling in here and there for Jason Wright. I believe Jamal Lewis is supposed to play this week -- still too early to tell -- but if you're talking Week 8 play, it has to be Wright if Lewis is ruled out. To me, Harrison is merely a guy you stash on a deep bench, and monitor to see how he fares the next week or two.

Jared, Charleson, SC

how much time will brown likely miss next year? he's been dropped in a keeper league, should i go get him?

Tristan H. Cockcroft

  (3:39 PM)

It's a little early to tell for sure, since we'll have a better sense after the surgery, but I don't see why Ronnie Brown would miss too much time to begin 2008. It shouldn't take THAT long for him to return to the field, though I will note, it takes a guy sometimes up to a year and a half to get back to his old form, meaning Brown might not be what he was for the past month until 2009. Think of it much the way you would a Tommy John surgery returnee in baseball.

Frank, Portland, OR

Need a WR - who's the best WW add for this week (and beyond?) Stallworth, Hilliard, Curry, Mushin or Roydell?

Tristan H. Cockcroft

  (3:40 PM)

I can't believe Donte' Stallworth is available in any league. Really, I just can't. Ronald Curry needs to owned, too, and I think Muhsin Muhammad's matchup this week is rather fantasy-friendly.

mike - miami

better flex: c.taylor or lee evans?

Tristan H. Cockcroft

  (3:41 PM)

Good matchup for Evans this week. Isn't it amazing that I can finally say that about him for once?

Nick (Cleveland)

Who do you like for the rest of the year in a TD heavy league (only 1 pt per 20 yrds rec; but 6 pts per TD) -- Dallas Clark or Jason Witten?

Tristan H. Cockcroft

  (3:42 PM)

I like Witten a little more, not as a knock on Clark by any means, but both are trusted red-zone targets, so I break the "tie" by saying the Cowboys' No. 2 receiver is weaker than the Colts', so those extra throws get dished off to Witten a little more frequently than they do Clark.

Crew (Ann Arbor)

Better pick up off the waiver wire: Kenny Watson or Jesse Chatman?

Tristan H. Cockcroft

  (3:43 PM)

I really think it's Watson. No, he won't get nearly the carries the rest of the year -- and you know, I can't even GUARANTEE you that's 100 percent true -- but he's also in the much deeper offense, and more likely to exploit favorable matchups. I just can't see Chatman getting a lot of great opportunities, bad as things have become in Miami.

Tim (North Carolina)

D. Rhodes or D. Ward this week?

Tristan H. Cockcroft

  (3:44 PM)

I'm hearing Derrick Ward is probably going to be limited in practice this week, and it's a long travel time for him, so that increases the chance he sits. The decision could be made for you, but if he gets the go-ahead, I absolutely trust him more.

Sonny (Beantown)

How likely is it that Travis Henry sits this week with the ribs?

Tristan H. Cockcroft

  (3:44 PM)

I really don't think it's all that likely, but then again, I'm not a doctor. Mike Shanahan's words Monday seemed to suggest Henry should be fine, but then again, he's Mike Shanahan, he has a way of fooling you. Every Henry owner really needs to have Selvin Young as a handcuff, both for this week AND the future.

JJ (St Pete)

Which do you like better - Chambers, Evans or M Muhammid? Thanks, Tristan.

Tristan H. Cockcroft

  (3:45 PM)

I like the latter two better, but forced to pick, I'll hope for the mini-"hot streak" by Lee Evans continues. Good matchup there.

Steve (NY)

Some fool cut Maroney in my league. I could probably snag him. Only options to drop are Chatman or...Alexander?!? Is it time to rid myself of the old man? He has no trade value in my league...

Tristan H. Cockcroft

  (3:46 PM)

I'd let Jesse Chatman given the choice. You just can't give up on a guy like Shaun Alexander, struggling as he has of late. The offense is clearly deeper, which will keep him in games more, at the very least.

Fantasy Football Loser (Your League)

RUDI! RUDI! So, what the real deal with Rudi Johnson. When is coming back? Will he get all the carries when he does? Or will he share with Watson?

Tristan H. Cockcroft

  (3:47 PM)

Hey, I own both in my league, you lied! I think it's a steady increase for Johnson, nothing dramatic. Important handcuff situation, and for now, I trust Watson a heck of a lot more.

Tristan H. Cockcroft

  (3:48 PM)

Time to hand it off to Eric Karabell, who will take you through the top of the hour!

Eric Karabell

  (3:48 PM)

Wow, what an honor. Thanks Tristan. How's that search for Yankees manager coming? Did you apply. OK, let's get a few questions in here.....

Jim (Orlando)

Will Norwood take over as the starter this year?

Eric Karabell

  (3:50 PM)

I think at some point Norwood will actually get the carries fantasy owners expect, like 15-18, and he'll probably be a letdown. I mean, we've built this guy up so much. Starter? Yeah, at some point. Certainly own him, but it might take an actual Warrick Dunn injury to get Norwood carries.

Steve (NY)

Eric, those other guys ignored me for 50 minutes. I'm counting on you. Maroney on wire. Can cut Chatman or Alexander. Tell me what to do.

Eric Karabell

  (3:51 PM)

Yeah, I would begrudgingly get Maroney for Chatman, but I gotta be honest, it wouldn't surprise me ONE bit if Chatman is better in fantasy than both of them. Chatman has some game, and Ronnie Brown did just fine for Miami. But if it's all about value, then yeah, Maroney needs to be owned. And really, at some point I expect Maroney to play really well. Then get hurt.

Lee (MN)

Tell Steve to pay attention. Tristan just answered his question!

Eric Karabell

  (3:52 PM)

I'm sure I had a different take...

Skipples (Andover)

Hey Karablog, love to read your column, which 3 RB would you pick for Week 7: T. Jones, L. White, L. Jordan, D. Wynn or S-JAX?

Eric Karabell

  (3:52 PM)

I would take Steven Jackson. Then T.Jones and then Jordan. But that's just me.

Paul (Lansing, MI)

Eli or Kitna the rest of the way: pick just one, rotate them based on matchup, or trade for an upgrade elsewhere? If I trade, what I can expect for one of these studs. Thanks, Matty...err Scotty, err Tristan...ERIC?!

Eric Karabell

  (3:54 PM)

Yeah, it really does take an army for this chat.... anyway, Eli and Kitna are both top-10 QBs, so I don't think you need to upgrade, unless you can acquire Brady. Eli is a nice option this week. If you trade one of them, go get a running back.

Chris_CT

K-Bell! Sell high on Earnest Graham or can he keep this up? Also should I trade Bowe for Driver?

Eric Karabell

  (3:55 PM)

I know nobody here agreed with my Graham assessment last week. I ripped Bennett a bit, saying it shouldn't be assumed he either takes over for Graham, or plays well. And then Graham played really well. So I think it's a timeshare at best for Bennett at this point. I'd keep Graham around... and yeah, I'd prefer Driver, but it's close.

Nick (Cleveland)

Awesome?a double dose of Karabell this week! What do you expect from B. Jacobs here on out? Top 15 guy? Durability an issue? What order do you put the following in for the rest of the year: Jacobs, T. Jones, K. Jones (standard scoring).

Eric Karabell

  (3:57 PM)

I had Jacobs in my top-10 last week, and probably will again. I think durability is some issue, but he's played so well, I do trust him. Remember, very few RBs are safe enough to be top-15. And i might switch the Joneses in your rankings, but Jacobs is first.

Jim (Dallas)

Time's running out...need help...Maroney, Wynn, Bennett or Chatman. Please rank for rest of the year.

Eric Karabell

  (3:58 PM)

Maybe I like Chatman more than most, but I think he'll be pretty good. Can't rank ahead of Maroney, but wouldn't surprise me...

Greg (LA)

Hi Karagod, which QB do you like to backup/matchup mix with Big Ben: K. Warner or J. Garcia? I am wary of the Ravens, Jags and Pats matchups the rest of the way

Eric Karabell

  (3:59 PM)

I'm not a Warner fan. He's erratic, sometimes good and sometimes bad, and mostly hurt. Garcia is safer.

Jim (Dallas)

You're the man. Thanks for answering me.

Eric Karabell

  (4:00 PM)

Thank you for asking. And thanks for the hour, ladies and gents. Hope Scott, Tristan and myself filled in well. Adios. I'll be chatting Wed morning...