Week 4 Rankings

The Browns offense leads the NFL in one category: excuses. Their schedule has inarguably been brutal. Derek Anderson and Braylon Edwards missed time together in the preseason because of injuries. The offensive line is banged up, and the reserve receivers caught a bad case of Steptoe with Donte Stallworth out of the lineup. The excuses end this week.

The Bengals offer Anderson a last chance to salvage his career in Cleveland or the Brady Quinn era begins, probably for good. But I'm not confident the Browns offense will take full advantage. The tough schedule isn't causing Braylon Edwards to drop passes and short-arm others in weak displays of effort. It isn't forcing Anderson to overthrow open targets. While the matchups have been difficult, this was supposed to be a high-octane offense that could compete with anyone. Instead, they have dinked and dunked to terrible effect.

The big plays have vanished from Cleveland's offense. The word is out on Anderson, who can wing it deep, but struggles with the underneath stuff. So defenses are selling out to take away the vertical threat; Anderson hasn't completed a single pass this season that traveled more than 20 yards in the air. Risk-taking Anderson owners can use him this week, but he's ranked outside of our top-12 quarterbacks because there is a chance he's replaced at halftime.

Braylon Edwards and Kellen Winslow should bounce back this season, but changing quarterbacks to a first-time starter is completely save their value. Jamal Lewis, who doesn't catch many passes and relies on the passing game loosening defenses up, is a shaky RB2. If you are looking for buy-low candidates in the battle of Ohio, I'd take the Bengals.

Week 4 Quarterbacks

Rank	Player Name	Opponent	Notes
1	Tony Romo	vs. WAS	-
2	Donovan McNabb	at CHI	Likely to start
3	Jay Cutler	at KC	-
4	Drew Brees	vs. SF	-
5	Philip Rivers	at OAK	-
6	J.T. O'Sullivan	at NO	-
7	Kurt Warner	at NYJ	-
8	Carson Palmer	vs. CLE
9	Aaron Rodgers	at TB	-
10	Trent Edwards	at STL	-
11	Brett Favre	vs. ARZ	Expected to start
12	David Garrard	vs. HOU	-
13	Jake Delhomme	vs. ATL	-
14	Matt Schaub	at JAC	-
15	Derek Anderson	at CIN	Good matchup, but short leash
16	Brian Griese	vs. GB	-
17	Ben Roethlisberger	vs. BAL	Ravens D is on fire
18	Jason Campbell	at DAL	-
19	Kerry Collins	vs. MIN	-
20	Gus Frerotte	at TEN	-
21	Trent Green	vs. BUF	Expect similar results
22	Kyle Orton	vs. PHI	-
23	Matt Ryan	at CAR	-
24	JaMarcus Russell	vs. SD	-
25	Joe Flacco	at PIT	-
26	Damon Huard	vs. DEN	-

QB Notes: We experimented last week with a game-by-game breakdowns in lieu of notes under the rankings. The reaction was very positive, although many long-time readers wanted the notes here as well. Because of some scheduling issues, I'm handling the Daily Dose tomorrow and will put game previews there, with my notes from watching games during the week. Some abbreviated rankings notes are below.

J.T. O'Sullivan is a solid QB1 weak New Orleans defense. His 9.4 YPA indicates that his fantasy numbers have room to improve. . Drew Brees may be without his top three receivers if David Patten is out, but Sean Payton always finds a way. Don't bench him. . The Bucs and Bears are usually great against the pass, but that hasn't been the case this season. Don't downgrade McNabb or Aaron Rodgers based on their matchups. I also wouldn't downgrade McNabb based on his injury. . There's no reason to think Trent Green will do any better than Marc Bulger at the helm of the Rams offense. . Trent Edwards' yardage has been consistent. This week, he should get the scores. . Brian Griese's high pass attempts are helping to cover up the fact he's not playing very well. That will eventually catch up to him. . Let's be patient with Matt Schaub and David Garrard for one more week before burying them.

Week 4 Running Backs

Rank	Player Name	Opponent	Notes
1	Frank Gore	at NO	-
2	Marion Barber	vs. WAS	-
3	Marshawn Lynch	at STL	-
4	LaDainian Tomlinson	at OAK	Expected to start
5	Reggie Bush	vs. SF	-
6	Adrian Peterson	at TEN
7	Clinton Portis	at DAL
8	Matt Forte	vs. PHI	-
9	Maurice Jones-Drew	vs. HOU
10	Steven Jackson	vs. BUF	Keep eye on practice
11	Ryan Grant	at TB	-
12	Michael Turner	at CAR	-
13	Chris Perry	vs. CLE	-
14	Thomas Jones	vs. ARZ	-
15	Larry Johnson	vs. DEN	-
16	Jamal Lewis	at CIN	-
17	Steve Slaton	at JAC	Taken over
18	Jonathan Stewart	vs. ATL	-
19	Earnest Graham	vs. GB	-
20	Selvin Young	at KC	The week to use him
21	Chris Johnson	vs. MIN	-
22	Fred Taylor	vs. HOU
23	Darren McFadden	vs. SD
24	Correll Buckhalter	at CHI	-
25	Edgerrin James	at NYJ	-
26	DeAngelo Williams	vs. ATL	-
27	Willis McGahee	at PIT	Keep eye on eye
28	Rashard Mendenhall	vs. BAL	-
29	LenDale White	vs. MIN	-
30	LeRon McClain	at PIT
31	Michael Bush	vs. SD	-
32	Felix Jones	vs. WAS
33	Fred Jackson	at STL	-
34	Pierre Thomas	vs. SF	-
35	Andre Hall	at KC	-
36	Darren Sproles	at OAK	-
37	Warrick Dunn	vs. GB	-
38	Chester Taylor	at TEN
39	Jerious Norwood	at CAR	-
40	Tim Hightower	at NYJ	-
41	Michael Pittman	at KC	-
42	Chris Taylor	at JAC	-
43	Brandon Jackson	at TB	-
44	Ray Rice	at PIT	Third on totem poll
45	Jamaal Charles	vs. DEN	-
46	Lorenzo Booker	at CHI	-
47	Leon Washington	vs. ARZ	-
48	Mewelde Moore	vs. BAL	-
49	Ladell Betts	at DAL	-
50	Kenny Watson	vs. CLE	-
51	Kevin Jones	vs. PHI	-
52	Jerome Harrison	at CIN	-

RB Notes: LaDainian Tomlinson may be far from 100%, but there's no reason to bench him against Oakland if he's in the starting lineup. Darren Sproles could have a nice clean-up game if the Chargers get off to a fast start. . Expect the Jaguars to run like crazy on Houston after finding great success against Indianapolis. . Season Pass' workload report points out that Steven Jackson is getting the highest percentage of offensive touches of any back in the league. So much for easing into the season after his holdout. That's helping to maintain his value. Matt Forte and Frank Gore are second on that list.

We're not ranking Brian Westbrook, but he'll be added to the list on the Friday evening update if he's listed as questionable. Correll Buckhalter is a competent replacement, but the Bears run defense is one of the very best, so he's not a great RB2 as a starter. . This is the week Chris Perry's high workload translates into big yardage. .The Broncos should run more in this game if they can get ahead of Kansas City early. That makes it a fine week to gamble on Selvin Young. . Steve Slaton is suddenly a rock solid RB2 playing in a runner-friendly scheme. . Expect more of the same out of the Oakland backfield with Darren McFadden still not 100%. Split carries against a tough defense limits his value. . Willis McGahee had the majority of carries for the Ravens last week before hurting his eye. Watch his status for this week.

Week 4 Wide Receivers

Rank	Player Name	Opponent	Notes
1	Brandon Marshall	at KC	-
2	Terrell Owens	vs. WAS	-
3	Larry Fitzgerald	at NYJ	-
4	Andre Johnson	at JAC	-
5	Steve Smith	vs. ATL	-
6	Anquan Boldin	at NYJ	-
7	Greg Jennings	at TB	-
8	Jerricho Cotchery	vs. ARZ	-
9	T.J. Houshmandzadeh	vs. CLE	-
10	Lee Evans	at STL	-
11	Santana Moss	at DAL	-
12	Braylon Edwards	at CIN	If he doesn't do it now .
13	Chad Ocho Cinco	vs. CLE	If he doesn't do it now .
14	Santonio Holmes	vs. BAL	-
15	Dwayne Bowe	vs. DEN	-
16	Donald Driver	at TB	-
17	Torry Holt	vs. BUF	-
18	DeSean Jackson	at CHI	Weak Chicago pass defense
19	Hines Ward	vs. BAL
20	Chris Chambers	at OAK	-
21	Laveranues Coles	vs. ARZ
22	Roddy White	at CAR	-
23	Eddie Royal	at KC	-
24	Antonio Bryant	vs. GB	-
25	Bernard Berrian	at TEN	Better with Gus
26	Bryant Johnson	at NO	Great matchup
27	Isaac Bruce	at NO	-
28	Patrick Crayton	vs. WAS	-
29	Vincent Jackson	at OAK	-
30	Matt Jones	vs. HOU	-
31	Brandon Lloyd	vs. PHI	-
32	David Patten	vs. SF	Keep eye on groin injury
33	Justin Gage	vs. MIN	-
34	Antwaan Randle El	at DAL	-
35	Hank Baskett	at CHI	-
36	Lance Moore	vs. SF	Ranked as if Patten is out
37	Ike Hilliard	vs. GB	-
38	D.J. Hackett	vs. ATL	-
39	Muhsin Muhammad	vs. ATL	-
40	Sidney Rice	at TEN	Questionable(knee)
41	Josh Reed	at STL	-
42	Kevin Walter	at JAC
43	Robert Meachem	vs. SF	Only three targets all season
44	James Jones	at TB
45	Arnaz Battle	at NO	-
46	Derrick Mason	at PIT	-
47	Justin McCareins	vs. MIN
48	Ronald Curry	vs. SD	-
49	Michael Clayton	vs. GB	-
50	Chansi Stuckey	vs. ARZ	-
51	Mark Clayton	at PIT	-

WR Notes: Lance Moore is an excellent pickup for WR3-hungry teams during this week with six teams on a bye. If David Patten is out, I'd expect him to lead the Saints in targets. . JaMarcus Russell's has rendered Raiders wideouts unplayable. . Dwayne Bowe leads the NFL in targets. With Damon Huard returning this week, he should parlay that into WR2 stats. The Chiefs are always trailing and Huard has few options to throw to. Tony Gonzalez is fifth on the list. Other surprises include Antonio Bryant and Santana Moss tied for the fifth most targeted wideouts. They are playing at high volume positions in West Coast offenses, which will keep their numbers afloat. Bryant, however, has an ugly 45% catch rate. Roy Williams, D.J. Hackett, Chris Chambers (35%!), and Braylon Edwards (32%) are some of the inefficient wideouts doing even worse than Bryant.

With six teams off, some shaky options get WR3 grades this week. After the top-30, it's guesswork. And it's amazing that Matt Jones and Brandon Lloyd have been among the more consistent targets as WR3 options. Jones finally gets a good matchup this week and Jerry Porter's status is uncertain. . Donte' Stallworth will be added if he makes it through a successful week of practice. . Chris Chambers is a risky play. He has four touchdowns on only six receptions. . If Kevin Curtis returns, downgrade DeSean Jackson and Hank Baskett slightly. . The 49ers should do well against the Saints, but they spread the targets around so well, it's difficult to guess who will step up.

Week 4 Tight Ends

Rank	Player Name	Opponent	Notes
1	Jason Witten	vs. WAS
2	Kellen Winslow	at CIN	-
3	Antonio Gates	at OAK
4	Tony Gonzalez	vs. DEN	-
5	Chris Cooley	at DAL	-
6	Tony Scheffler	at KC	-
7	Owen Daniels	at JAC	-
8	Vernon Davis	at NO	-
9	Todd Heap	at PIT
10	Heath Miller	vs. BAL	-
11	Randy McMichael	vs. BUF	-
12	Greg Olsen	vs. PHI	-
13	L.J. Smith	at CHI	Keep eye on back injury
14	Zach Miller	vs. SD	-
15	Jerramy Stevens	vs. GB	-
16	Dante Rosario	vs. ATL	-
17	Marcedes Lewis	vs. HOU	-
18	Dustin Keller	vs. ARZ	-
19	Billy Miller	vs. SF	-
20	Donald Lee	at TB	-
21	Desmond Clark	vs. PHI	-
22	Alge Crumpler	vs. MIN	-
23	Robert Royal	at STL	-
24	Visanthe Shiancoe	at TEN	-
25	Bo Scaife	vs. MIN	-

TE Notes: Give Vernon Davis at least another week in your lineup. They are trying to find him down the field a few times a game, but have struggled to connect. . I talked about the depth at tight end this season, but there have been a few disappointments thus far. Only the top-seven ranked players this week are safe to put up stats. . Greg Olsen remains a big part of the Bears offense, so don't bail on him completely. . Jerramy Stevens could be the latest one-game wonder at tight end, but he's worth grabbing if you need TE2 help to see if he sticks. There is talent there, but he's splitting the position with a few other players. . L.J. Smith's status is up in the air. . Billy Miller has averaged 36 yards in the last five games he's played, including 41 last week. You could do worse.

Week 4 Team Defense

Rank	Player Name	Opponent	Notes
1	Titans Def/Spec Team	vs. MIN	-
2	Eagles Def/Spec Team	at CHI	-
3	Steelers Def/Spec Team	vs. BAL	-
4	Bills Def/Spec Team	at STL	-
5	Chargers Def/Spec Team	at OAK	-
6	Panthers Def/Spec Team	vs. ATL	-
7	Ravens Def/Spec Team	at PIT	-
8	Vikings Def/Spec Team	at TEN	-
9	Buccaneers Def/Spec Team	vs. GB	-
10	Broncos Def/Spec Team	at KC	-
11	Cowboys Def/Spec Team	vs. WAS	-
12	Packers Def/Spec Team	at TB	-
13	Jaguars Def/Spec Team	vs. HOU	-
14	Bears Def/Spec Team	vs. PHI	-
15	Cardinals Def/Spec Team	at NYJ	-
16	Bengals Def/Spec Team	vs. CLE	-
17	Jets Def/Spec Team	vs. ARZ	-
18	Texans Def/Spec Team	at JAC	-
19	Browns Def/Spec Team	at CIN	-
20	Fortyniners Def/Spec Team	at NO	-
21	Raiders Def/Spec Team	vs. SD	-
22	Redskins Def/Spec Team	at DAL	-
23	Falcons Def/Spec Team	at CAR	-
24	Chiefs Def/Spec Team	vs. DEN	-
25	Saints Def/Spec Team	vs. SF	-
26	Rams Def/Spec Team	vs. BUF	-

Week 4 Kickers

Rank	Player Name	Opponent	Notes
1	Nate Kaeding	at OAK	-
2	Nick Folk	vs. WAS	-
3	Josh Scobee	vs. HOU	-
4	Ryan Longwell	at TEN	-
5	Matt Prater	at KC	-
6	Rob Bironas	vs. MIN	-
7	Joe Nedney	at NO	-
8	Mason Crosby	at TB	-
9	Shayne Graham	vs. CLE	-
10	John Kasay	vs. ATL	-
11	Sebastian Janikowski	vs. SD	-
12	David Akers	at CHI	-
13	Robbie Gould	vs. PHI	-
14	Martin Gramatica	vs. SF	-
15	Josh Brown	vs. BUF	-
16	Phil Dawson	at CIN	-
17	Shaun Suisham	at DAL	-
18	Matt Bryant	vs. GB	-
19	Jeff Reed	vs. BAL	-
20	Rian Lindell	at STL	-
21	Neil Rackers	at NYJ	-
22	Jay Feely	vs. ARZ	-
23	Kris Brown	at JAC	-
24	Jason Elam	at CAR	-
25	Nick Novak	vs. DEN	-
26	Matt Stover	at PIT	-