AJ Mass

  (2:59 PM)

Good afternoon and welcome to the Monday Fantasy Football chat. It's a quick week what with all the turkey to cook, so get ready for that quick turnaround gang. Bounce... Bounce... upon further review... the chat is ready to get started.

Rebecca (St Louis)

Hi AJ! I'm up 19, I have LenDale, he has Chris Brown. I can hold on, right?

AJ Mass

  (2:59 PM)

I certainly hope so. The band of renown has been AWOL since Week 1.

Off-the-air in Beverly Hills

AJ - Brandon, Selvin or another former cast member of 90210 tonight as a flex? Thx.

AJ Mass

  (3:00 PM)

I like Selvin. I have more faith in him than I do in Cutler finding Marshall.

JR (CT)

Peyton got me 4 points yesterday...FOUR POINTS!!!! AJ, that's only 4 more points than you scored. Please tell me that it's going to get better...

AJ Mass

  (3:02 PM)

Actually, I had a negative two, but it's a long story... Relax. Peyton's INTs will dip and once he gets his line back in order, all will be well. Vinatieri is the one to worry about.

Jared (Michigan)

With Kevin Jones on a short week with two poor performances should I sit him? I have Ernest Graham and Javon Walker, if healthy, on my bench.

AJ Mass

  (3:03 PM)

I would, especially facing GB. Watch the game tonight to get your Javon news. If it's not good, Graham is a decent option.

Bill (NYC)

Is Steve Smith going to have another good game this year?

AJ Mass

  (3:04 PM)

New Orleans is the team to do it against. Hopefully, with the week off he's ready to go.

Rick (NY)

Are you encouraged by Cedric Benson performance yesterday or was it just a fluke?

AJ Mass

  (3:04 PM)

Take away the TD scamper and what was it? 10 carries for 45 yards? In that neighborhood, anyways. I am not impressed.

DJ HACKETT

Am I for real...Do you consistantly start me over steve smith

AJ Mass

  (3:06 PM)

Well, Are You For Real is Hector and Victor's territory, but I'll offer my opinion that DJ is a WR1 in WR2's clothing, so yes, until Carolina gets a decent non-40 year-old QB, I do.

Jess (Seattle, WA):

Stick with Plax home against Minne this week, or switch up to Galloway finally who is home against Wash??

AJ Mass

  (3:06 PM)

I can't say I'm confident in Plaxico. I'd go with Galloway.

Deion Branch

What about ME??? Can I really play like I did with Tom Brady on this bum wheel? Man, I sure miss Tom Brady...

AJ Mass

  (3:08 PM)

I think you'll put up decent numbers, but you're getting the #1 guy defending you. You aren't 100% ready for that yet... give it a few weeks.

Steve (Philly)

Who's going to have a better rest of the year: Earnest Graham or Ryan Grant? Grahams schedule seems easier but I feel like Grant has more talent...

AJ Mass

  (3:08 PM)

Also factor in that people are going to respect Favre a lot more than Garcia. That opens up holes.

Ed (J'ville)

Anything new on the B. Jacobs front? Concerned owners are inquiring.....

AJ Mass

  (3:09 PM)

Jacobs says he feels like he will go. It's not exactly a medical verdict, but it's a plus.

Mark (STL)

Best QB in order the rest of the way? McNabb, Schaub, Warner?

AJ Mass

  (3:10 PM)

Warner. With those receivers, his only enemy is the injury bug. Schaub looks good with the return of Andre. Donovan? Urmph, I say.

D (Indiana)

how do i decide between hines and santonio each week??? been going w/ santonio lately.

AJ Mass

  (3:12 PM)

I think either one works if Parker is providing balance, and Ben isn't getting sacked repeatedly. If there's more of a rush, Ward is a better option b/c of the routes he runs.

Joe (New Orleans)

That was some coincidence that Moss just happened to get 4 TD's right after T.O got his 4 TD's, huh?

AJ Mass

  (3:12 PM)

No, it was all part of the vast Belichick conspiracy.

Eric (MA)

Need 10 points to win tonight. Start Lendale or Selvin?

AJ Mass

  (3:14 PM)

Why do people play in leagues that allow lineup changes after the week has begun? I hate that rule. I'd take my chances with White.

King - IL

AJ. Need some help with Lynch down & the short week. Flexer - K. Jones, Fargas, Boldin, Hines? Choose 2. Thanks.

AJ Mass

  (3:15 PM)

Early, of course, but I go Fargas and Hines.

Vic (Kailua, HI)

How do you feel about starting guys from the Thanksgiving games? will the short week limit them in any way? Do offenses or defenses have an advantage coming off a realy short week?

AJ Mass

  (3:16 PM)

It's a good question. From a purely selfish standpoint, I don't like starting guys on Thursday because I don't really get to enjoy the games with so many family members around. I think the short week helps offenses in general. They know what they do. Defenses are the ones who have to react to something they may not have seen much of.

Josh (Maryland)

Is it safe to bench VY for the rest of the year? Garrard is my other QB.

AJ Mass

  (3:17 PM)

I think the only way Young has fantasy value is if he starts running the ball Vick-style. Otherwise, he's average at best.

Ricky (VA)

If you were a Football, and you loved the endzone so much you considered it home, which WR would you feel will give you the best chance of going home on a weekly basis for the rest of the season? Hines Ward, DJ Hackett, or Chad Johnson?

AJ Mass

  (3:18 PM)

If I were a football, I'd pray for the home fires of 85.

Matt Schaub's mom

Please tell me that Mattie is a top 12 QB the rest of the year!

AJ Mass

  (3:19 PM)

Oh, Mrs. Schaub, you're Mattie's mom. In your eyes, he'll always be tops, just for trying his darndest.

D (Indiana)

espn leagues allow you to adjust lineups until that players game starts! "AJ Mass: (3:14 PM ET ) Why do people play in leagues that allow lineup changes after the week has begun? I hate that rule. I'd take my chances with White."

AJ Mass

  (3:21 PM)

I'm not saying it's illegal. I just wish the option weren't available. I don't run the world, you know, despite what you may have heard.

Injured Marvin Harrison (Indy)

Will I ever play again this season? Have I become fantasy irrelevant for the first time in my career? This hurts my ego.

AJ Mass

  (3:21 PM)

I think you'll play, but sadly, you are not fantasy relevant for the rest of 2007.

TreDay (Little Rock)

Defense question for next week.....CHI or GB???

AJ Mass

  (3:22 PM)

I lean GB for now, but it is hard to say until tonight's game is done. Suppose 7 Broncos get hurt?

Eric(Vegas)

Which of these split carries backs would you take for the rest of the season; MB3 or MJD?

AJ Mass

  (3:23 PM)

MB3 will get more rushing yards, but in a PPR, MJD without doubt.

Jimmy (NYC)

Any word on Ryan Grant's ankle?

AJ Mass

  (3:24 PM)

I've just heard it was a mild sprain. Mild is a good word.

Sam (Columbus)

AJ, If I'm the Jets, wouldn't I think about doubling TO forcing Romo to use other players? I'm playing against Romo this week and just want to limit his TDs.

AJ Mass

  (3:24 PM)

Because nobody's tried THAT before!

Bizarro AJ Mass

Why do people play in leagues that don't allow lineup changes after the week has begun? Allowing changes lets an owner have a handcuff RB and decide on the starter when the inactives are announced. It would be infuriating if changes aren't allowed after the first game of the week starts.

AJ Mass

  (3:26 PM)

Personally, if Owner A has to decide on his lineup at 12 Noon on Sunday between RB-X and RB-Y, even if RB-Y doesn't play until Monday - but you get to wait until Monday to decide between RB-Q and RB-Z, you have an unfair edge. That's why.

Steve (Boston)

AJ, you are now officially my new favorite #2 chatter (TMR of course being #1).. CONGRATS!!

AJ Mass

  (3:27 PM)

Golly, geez. But remember, folks, he got to wait until 3:20 to make that decision.

JB (NYC)

Sarah's gonna get all sorts of jealous over Rachel Bilson tonight. Good times for Chuck. Quick question - I'm up 2 points this week, my opponent has nobody left and I've got Tenn Def going tonight. Should I sit my Def or play it on the off chance there's an NFL stat adjustment?

AJ Mass

  (3:28 PM)

Another reason I hate swapping out folks on Monday Night. This scenario --- people sitting folks to avoid a possible negative. If you're supposed to start a complete lineup, start one. Man up!

Travis (Chesapeake, VA)

AJ, why will none of you guys answer my questions?

AJ Mass

  (3:29 PM)

Don't know.

Tim (DC)

Would you drop Priest for Morris?

AJ Mass

  (3:31 PM)

No. Seahawks game is going to steer way more towards the pass.

DJ (NJ)

AJ Great chat, does anyone who does not have Brady, Moss, Owens or Romo even have a chance in fantasy this year?

AJ Mass

  (3:33 PM)

Sure. It only takes one bad game to eliminate these guys in the playoffs. And if more than two teams get in, then someone without them is likely to have a shot.

Kiran(PA)

I have Brady and the Pats D and Im in serious danger of missing the playoffs. put up the 4th most points in league and my opponets have scored 2nd most in league.

AJ Mass

  (3:33 PM)

And then there's Kiran. See?

William (DC)

Does Peyton bounce back against the Falcons? Or is Big Ben a better play against the Dolphins?

AJ Mass

  (3:34 PM)

I think both answers are yes. Steelers at home a far better option than bruised Colts on short week, with travel.

Jon (Santa Fe)

Six points for TDs and one point for every 10 yards rushing and receiving - who do you like better, Bush or Jones-Drew?

AJ Mass

  (3:35 PM)

Just pure yardage? MJD. Bush will catch more balls, but MJD has return ability and gets more out of his rushes.

Rebecca (St Louis)

why do you hate that rule? The NFL teams that play Sunday afternoon or night and Monday night don't have to set their lineups by 1155 Sunday morning.

AJ Mass

  (3:37 PM)

Oh dearest Rebecca. So missing the point. If YOUR opponent has to set the lineup at a given time, you should have to as well. The Broncos didn't have to set their lineup at a different time than the Titans.

Majeed

Why can't you sit a guy if you're ahead? Teams sit on the ball when they're ahead and pull their starters!

AJ Mass

  (3:39 PM)

If your league rules define a starting lineup as having a Team Defense in it, and you do not start a Team Defense, you have an illegal lineup and have cheated, in my opinion. Teams that sit on the ball do not pull Tom Brady and leave the QB position vacant.

chris (tampa)

lineup debate....i see your point, but everyone is setting their lineup at the same time. 5 minutes before game time. games just start at different times. it's fair. think about the selvin-travis situation today. travis should've been kicked out of the league today. not sure what's taking so long.

AJ Mass

  (3:42 PM)

Chris, we can debate this forever. If you have to decide on whether or not to start say Byron Leftwich or Kyle Boller this week and I have to decide on John Beck or AJ Feeley, and you go with Boller and on Saturday, Boller and Beck both break their legs... you are penalized and I am not. That is inherently unfair.

Jim (Cambridge, MA)

We have a guy in our league that didn't play a wr or a te for whatever reason. His actions will likely affect those in the playoff hunt because he would have won if he played guys on his bench. How should this be treated?

AJ Mass

  (3:44 PM)

He should be kicked out of the league.

Marc (Malden, MA)

In a keeper league, for this year and beyond, would you rather have LDT or Addai? If LDT, or how many more seasons?

AJ Mass

  (3:46 PM)

I'd rather have Addai unless and until Norv Turner gets fired.

JB (Dunmore, PA)

AJ the problem with on-line leagues is that often times people who sign up fall behind and stop paying attention. This means that rosters go unfilled on game day but also means that viable players sit there with no chance to trade for them. How would you remedy this issue?

AJ Mass

  (3:48 PM)

I'd join a league with people I know and not strangers so if they bail on me, I can call them on the phone and take them to task. Online leagues with strangers = no accountability.

Jamie, Atlanta, GA

week 12: Priest Holmes vs. OAK or Chester Taylor @NYG?

AJ Mass

  (3:49 PM)

Chester.

Pappy (Rat Rocks)

Once upon a time you had to mail your lineup into the newspaper on Wednesday afternoon and you could not make any changes to your lineup until the next Wednesday. Of course the year was 1988, the Cold War was still on, and we thought Michael Jackson was "Bad". Instant lineup changes are just part of the times in 2007.

AJ Mass

  (3:50 PM)

And change is always good.

Greg (Cincinnati)

AJ- thinking about starting C Henry over R Wayne this week...am I nuts ?!!?

AJ Mass

  (3:52 PM)

I don't think you are nuts. Henry had 8 catches this past week. I still go Wayne, but it isn't nuts.

Shakespeare

All's fair in love and war and fantasy football. Also, Methinks that AJ doth protest too much! AJ, how wast thou bitten by the spiteful bug of the last-second lineup change, pray tell?

AJ Mass

  (3:54 PM)

No, good Bard. For methinkest ahead and set such rules in motion to prevent such doings ere any be bit by such a scorpion's sting.

Steve (MA via E. Hartford)

If Player 1 and 2 both have to set their lineups by 1pm Sunday, and Player 1 has to make a decision between two guys for a 1pm game, which the lineup will have been announced for, and Player 2 has to make a decision between two guys for a Monday night game without knowing who will play, who is being punished?

AJ Mass

  (3:55 PM)

If you set the deadline for 11:30AM, we have no such problem, do we?

Jason - Orlando

Also, I think it's OK as long as you can't make any more FA adds after games have started. Think about it...if Team A has managed his roster well enough so that he has two RBs that play in the Mon night game, then he should be able to choose which one he wants 5 mins before the game starts. However, if he decides he wants to start a FA that is not on his team 5 mins. before the game, he shouldn't be able to pick up that FA (and usually can't).

AJ Mass

  (3:56 PM)

Hopefully, all can agree that being able to make a FA pickup after submitting a lineup is lame.

AJ Mass

  (3:57 PM)

Folsk I have time for one more question before I go softly into that great goodnight.

Folsk

Three WR -- Colston, Plax, Hackett, Chenry, galloway?

AJ Mass

  (3:58 PM)

Touche! I sit Plax. Thanks for the debate gang. We'll be back on Wednesday for some more chattage.