Kessenich on Cade McNown: "It's reached a point now where the Bears might as well just leave Cade McNown in the lineup and let him take his lumps and hope it pays off next year."

Were you able to snare a fantasy stud like Brian Griese at QB late in your draft? Or has Kerry Collins let you down? Did you grab RB Charlie Garner in the middle rounds and watch him perform like a first-round pick or were you burned by spending a high pick on Terrell Davis or Jamal Anderson?

Well, the season may be almost half over, but it's hardly time to pack it in. Not by a longshot. The smart owner realizes a waiver wire move made now could pay big dividends down the stretch. Finding those one or two players who are about to emerge can turn your fortunes around immediately and make you forget all about the headaches of the first half of the year.

If you need a RB, for example, one guy to keep an eye on is Buffalo's Sammy Morris. Jonathan Linton is a horrible starter and Shawn Bryson appears best suited for a third-down role. Although Morris is the team's fullback, he has shown great burst (evidenced by his 32-yard TD run last week) and is averaging an impressive 6.2 yard per carry. Don't ignore Bryson, since he will remain a big part of the offense, but grab Morris now if you can since he could be the next back in line to try and provide some spark to Buffalo's lackluster ground game.

Need a WR? Take a good look at Cleveland's Dennis Northcutt. The Browns' passing game is a mess, but Northcutt could provide some needed help. Remember, Tim Couch was a much better QB during the second half of last year once he found a reliable weapon in WR Kevin Johnson. Northcutt could be that option this year. He has been quietly impressive the past two games, catching 8 passes for 147 yards. Depending on the severity of his ankle injury, he could replace the injured David Patten as a starter this week. A good game may keep him in the starting lineup for the rest of the season.

Looking for a QB in a deep league? Seattle's Brock Huard is a strong option. Unlike Jon Kitna, Huard isn't afraid to throw the ball down the field, much to the delight of Seattle's WRs. With Huard starting the last two games, WR Sean Dawkins has had a bigger role on offense and rookie WR Darrell Jackson continues to be a solid fantasy producer. Huard threw 3 TDs last week and has several matchups in the coming weeks against suspect pass defenses (Oakland twice, San Diego, Jacksonville and Atlanta). Remember how Collins, Jeff Blake and Tony Banks emerged as second-half stars last year? Huard could be the 2000 version.

Now let's take a look at the action for Week 8. Don't forget, the Packers, Giants and Chargers all have byes this week and there's a Thursday night tilt as the Lions take on the Buccaneers.

Detroit at Tampa Bay (THURSDAY NIGHT):
The Lions will face a frustrated Tampa defense without the services of their best offensive weapon - WR Germane Crowell, who is out 5-7 weeks with a foot injury. Crowell's injury opens the door for Herman Moore to become a starter again. Although age and injuries have robbed Moore of his past greatness, the Lions will have to lean on him now with Crowell out so grab him if he's available in your league. Just don't expect a big game from him this week, not against the Bucs' ferocious defense (272.3 yards a game). In a 31-10 loss to the Bucs in Week 3, QB Charlie Batch threw for 277 yards and 1 TD - a 50-yard bomb to Crowell. Tampa took Moore (5 catches for 41 yards) and WR Johnnie Morton away (3 catches for 37 yards) and held RB James Stewart to just 13 yards on 8 carries. Batch will have better luck throwing to Morton (7 catches for 107 yards at Tampa last year) and the two will connect for Detroit's only offensive TD of the day.

Mired in a three-game losing streak, the Bucs need a win or else their Super Bowl hopes may head right out the door. They'll also need a stronger game from QB Shaun King than he's shown of late. King threw for only 211 yards in the Week 3 win, but he tossed a TD and ran for one. In last year's home win over the Lions, King threw for 297 yards and 2 TDs. He'll strike up a good rapport with WR Keyshawn Johnson, who enjoyed a productive game in the first meeting (8 catches for 84 yards). Detroit is not very good stopping the run (120.7 yards a game), so look for FB Mike Alstott to pound away and soften up the Lions' defense. Alstott has been held under 35 yards rushing twice in the last three games by Detroit, but he has scored 3 TDs. He'll get 1 this week and King will connect with WR Jacquez Green for another TD as the Bucs get back on the winning track.

GREEN LIGHT: Jason Hanson, Martin Gramatica.
YELLOW LIGHT: Charlie Batch, Johnnie Morton, Shaun King, Mike Alstott, Warrick Dunn, Keyshawn Johnson, Jacquez Green.
RED LIGHT: James Stewart, Herman Moore, Germane Crowell (injured), David Sloan, Reidel Anthony, Dave Moore.

Arizona at Dallas:
The Cardinals beat Dallas 32-31 in a wild Sunday night affair in Week 2 as Jake Plummer led another fourth-quarter comeback, tossing a game-winning TD to WR Frank Sanders. The Cowboys' defense hasn't gotten much better since then as they allow 350 yards and 27.8 points a game. Dallas continues to have all sorts of problems stopping the run (182.3 yards a game). Their best game came against the Cardinals in Week 3 and Thomas Jones still picked up 70 yards. So this is a good week to start Michael Pittman. In three games as a starter, he has rushed for 216 yards with 1 TD. He'll get at least 75 yards with another score this week. Dallas' pass defense isn't bad (167.7 yards a game), but Plummer will attack the secondary and have a good day working with WR David Boston (6 catches for 102 yards in the first game), who will have at least 70 yards receiving and a score.

It's hard to believe Cowboy fans are calling for Troy Aikman's head, but that's the current scenario in Big D. Aikman has been terrible this season, tossing only 2 TDs with a ghastly QB rating of 38.5. Head coach Dave Campo and owner Jerry Jones are sticking by Aikman, but you have to believe another outing like last week (5 INTs, 0 TDs vs. the Giants) will pave the way for Randall Cunningham to get behind center. That said, this is a very good matchup for Aikman to exploit. The Cardinals give up 210.2 passing yards a game and Aikman had 2 TD passes in a home win over Arizona last year. One of those TDs was to WR Raghib Ismail, who had 4 catches for 101 yards. He'll get 75 yards receiving this week with another score. The best way to help Aikman, though, will be lots and lots of RB Emmitt Smith. Arizona's run defense stinks (149.2 yards a game) and even though the Cardinals held Smith to 59 yards in the first meeting, he'll erupt for at least 95 yards with 2 scores as Dallas keeps Aikman in the starting lineup for at least one more week with a victory.

GREEN LIGHT: Michael Pittman, David Boston, Cary Blanchard, Emmitt Smith, Tim Seder.
YELLOW LIGHT: Jake Plummer, Thomas Jones, Frank Sanders (if he plays), Troy Aikman, Raghib Ismail, Jackie Harris.
RED LIGHT: Terry Hardy, Chris Warren, James McKnight, David LaFleur.

Buffalo at Minnesota:
A lot of Buffalo fans have been clamoring for Doug Flutie to get a chance to start at QB. Well it's Flutie's time again with Rob Johnson out 2-4 weeks with a shoulder injury. Flutie's first start comes against a Minnesota defense that gives up 216.8 passing yards a game. Flutie will get WR Eric Moulds very involved and Moulds will finish with at least 85 yards and a score. Flutie also loves to throw to his TEs, so if Jay Riemersma returns from his knee injury, he'll have a productive day. If Riemersma sits again, Bobby Collins is a good play this week since Flutie will make sure his TEs are involved. As I mentioned earlier, Morris may begin to see more action as the Bills try to bolster their rushing attack against a defense that gives up 99.2 rushing yards a game. Look for Morris and Bryson to combine for at least 100 yards and Morris will score.

Buffalo has a very good defense, allowing just 257.7 yards a game. But last week, the Bills surrendered 287 yards and TD strikes of 60 and 52 yards to San Diego QB Jim Harbaugh. If Harbaugh can do that, how badly will Daunte Culpepper tear into them? How about at least 265 yards and 2 TDs through the air and another TD on the ground? That's what Culpepper will produce this week as he continues to be a fantasy machine. WR Randy Moss will have a strong game again, topping 100 yards receiving with 1 score. WR Cris Carter, who caught his first TD last week, will catch another and finish with at least 55 yards. RB Robert Smith is staying healthy and becoming a Top 5 fantasy back. The Bills will hold him under 70 yards, but he will score as Minnesota remains unbeaten.

GREEN LIGHT: Eric Moulds, Steve Christie, Daunte Culpepper, Robert Smith, Randy Moss, Gary Anderson.
YELLOW LIGHT: Doug Flutie, Sammy Morris, Shawn Bryson, Peerless Price, Jay Riemersma (if he plays), Bobby Collins (if Riemersma sits), Cris Carter.
RED LIGHT: Rob Johnson (injured), Jonathan Linton, Antowain Smith, Jeremy McDaniel, John Davis.

Chicago at Philadelphia:
It's reached a point now where the Bears might as well just leave QB Cade McNown in the lineup and let him take his lumps and hope it pays off next year. Chicago is 1-6 and going nowhere this year, so making a QB switch won't change the course of this season. The Bears need to find out if McNown will be their QB of the future. Like most young QBs, McNown gets flustered easily and that isn't a good trait when facing an aggressive defense like Philadelphia's, which allows only 14.4 points a game. The Eagles give up just 175.7 passing yards a game, so McNown will have a long day trying to make anything happen. He'll throw 1 TD to WR Marcus Robinson (who will be held to under 70 yards), but will also throw at least 2 INTs as the Eagles pressure him into numerous mistakes. Philly can be run on (107.7 yards a game), but RB James Allen won't get more than 50 yards and won't score.

Duce who? The Eagles don't seem to miss RB Duce Staley all that much, do they? Last week against Arizona, Darnell Autry ran for 64 yards and a score and QB Donovan McNabb continued his quiet emergence as an upper-level fantasy QB. McNabb threw for 226 yards and a score and added 35 yards rushing with another TD. McNabb will have another quality outing against a lackluster Chicago defense (258 passing yards a game). He'll pass for at least 225 yards with 2 TDs to WR Charles Johnson, who will have at least 75 yards receiving. TE Chad Lewis won't score, but will continue to work the middle of the field, finishing with at least 55 yards receiving. The Bears also give up 101.4 rushing yards a game, so Autry is a solid play. He'll rush for at least 65 yards, but will lose a goal-line TD to Stanley Pritchett as the Eagles crush the hapless Bears.

GREEN LIGHT: Donovan McNabb, David Akers.
YELLOW LIGHT: Cade McNown, James Allen, Marcus Robinson, Darnell Autry, Stanley Pritchett, Charles Johnson, Torrance Small, Chad Lewis.
RED LIGHT: Curtis Enis, Eddie Kennison, Marty Booker, Kaseem Sinceno, Paul Edinger.

Cleveland at Pittsburgh:
Tim Couch engineered a victory at Pittsburgh last year and also beat the Steelers at home this year. Can he make it three in a row? I think he can. I'm not sold on the Steelers being all that tough. They allow 197.5 passing yards a game and Couch has thrown for 515 yards and 4 TDs in the two wins, including a 316-yard, 2-TD effort earlier this year. Couch rediscovered WR Kevin Johnson last week (8 catches for 60 yards) and coupled with Northcutt's emergence will give Pittsburgh's secondary some problems. Look for Johnson to get at least 70 yards with his first TD of the year, while Northcutt also catches a TD pass and finishes with at least 55 yards. Pittsburgh allows 90.7 rushing yards a game, so RB Travis Prentice won't have a huge day. He will score on a short run, however, as the Browns' success throwing the ball this week enables them the ground game an option on offense.

Take away a 77-yard TD to Hines Ward (which was all Ward) and QB Kent Graham did nothing last week in the win over Cincinnati. Facing a horrible Bengals' team, Graham passed for only 96 yards excluding the long TD. The best option Pittsburgh has on offense remains RB Jerome Bettis, but the Steelers' ground game suffered a huge blow this week when fullback Jon Witman was lost for the year with a knee injury. Witman's absence won't be felt too greatly this week since the Browns give up 141.9 rushing yards a game. So look for Bettis (who had 122 yards rushing with a TD in Week 3) to top 100 yards again with another TD. However, Graham simply isn't a threat at QB and that will be the Steelers' undoing this week. He'll be held under 180 yards passing without a TD and will throw a costly INT as the Browns spring the upset on the road.

GREEN LIGHT: Jerome Bettis, Kris Brown.
YELLOW LIGHT: Tim Couch, Travis Prentice, Kevin Johnson, Dennis Northcutt, Aaron Shea, Phil Dawson, Hines Ward.
RED LIGHT: David Patten (injured), Kent Graham, Chris Fuamata-Ma'afala, Richard Huntley, Plaxico Burress, Troy Edwards, Mark Bruener.

Denver at Cincinnati:
The Broncos have the league's second-best scoring offense (31 points a game) and they certainly won't be slowed down by a Cincinnati defense that allows 23.8 points a game. The Bengals have a porous run defense (138.3 yards a game) and Denver may get RB Terrell Davis back from his ankle injury this week. Whoever starts at RB for the Broncos (Davis or Mike Anderson) can expect to have a very fine day this week. My guess is Davis will get another week to rest with the bye coming up in Week 9 and Anderson will be the workhorse. He'll respond with at least 90 yards and a TD. Brian Griese has been an elite fantasy QB all year long and he won't be derailed this week against a defense that allows 191.5 passing yards a game. Griese will find Rod Smith and Ed McCaffrey all day long and finish with at least 235 yards and 3 TDs - one to Smith, one to McCaffrey and one to TE Dwayne Carswell. Smith will also finish with at least 90 yards, while McCaffrey tops 65.

Here's my favorite stat of the week. The Rams are averaging 11 points a quarter this season. The Bengals are averaging six points a game. It's truly unbelievable how bad this team is. Last week, the Bengals were shut out for the third time this year by Pittsburgh. They'll do the impossible this week and actually score as Akili Smith proves that even really horrible QBs can get lucky sometimes. Denver gives up a lot of passing yards a game (238.4), but Smith is far too terrible to take advantage. Instead, he'll be lucky to throw for 100 yards although he will toss a TD. The Broncos give up just 65.1 rushing yards a game, so Corey Dillon won't go anywhere this week. He'll be held under 50 yards as the Bengals are blasted at home.

GREEN LIGHT: Brian Griese, Mike Anderson, Rod Smith, Ed McCaffrey, Jason Elam.
YELLOW LIGHT: Terrell Davis (if he plays), Dwayne Carswell, Desmond Clark, Tony McGee.
RED LIGHT: Byron Chamberlain, Akili Smith, Corey Dillon, Peter Warrick, Ron Dugans, Neil Rackers.

New England at Indianapolis:
Drew Bledsoe stunned the Colts at New England two weeks ago as he threw 2 fourth-quarter TDs to beat Indy. In a loss at Indianapolis last year, Bledsoe threw for 379 yards and 1 TD. The Colts are giving up 208.7 passing yards and nearly 2 TD passes a game, so look for Bledsoe to throw for at least 220 yards and 2 scores. He'll connect with WR Terry Glenn (5 catches for 51 yards and a TD in Week 6) for one and WR Troy Brown for another. Kevin Faulk and J.R. Redmond combined for 109 rushing yards against the Colts in Week 6. They'll team for at least 95 this week but won't find the end zone.

In Week 6, QB Peyton Manning threw for 334 yards and a TD against New England, but was picked off 3 times. The Patriots' pass defense (215.9 yards a game) won't have as much success the second time around. In a home win over New England last year, Manning threw for only 186 yards, but had 2 TDs and 0 INTs. He'll pass for at least 235 yards this week with TD strikes to Marvin Harrison (26 catches for 382 yards and 4 TDs in his last 3 games vs. New England) and another to WR Terrence Wilkins (6 catches for 78 yards in Week 6). I thought RB Edgerrin James would finally bust out last week against Seattle and he did in a big way, rushing for 219 yards and 3 TDs. He'll live large against New England's run defense (111.3 yards a game) as he finishes with at least 95 yards rushing with a TD. Indy's "Triplets" will team up to bury the Patriots and improve Indy's record to 5-2.

GREEN LIGHT: Terry Glenn, Adam Vinatieri, Peyton Manning, Edgerrin James, Marvin Harrison, Mike Vanderjagt.
YELLOW LIGHT: Drew Bledsoe, Kevin Faulk, Troy Brown, Eric Bjornson, Terrence Wilkins, Ken Dilger.
RED LIGHT: J.R. Redmond, Tony Simmons, Jerome Pathon, Marcus Pollard.

New Orleans at Atlanta:
Ricky Williams' emergence has been one of the more interesting fantasy stories of the year. He has rushed for 100 yards or more in his last four games, tossing in 3 TDs for good measure. He won't slow down this week against an Atlanta defense giving up 129 rushing yards a game. In his only game vs. the Falcons last year, he was held to just 53 yards on 19 carries, but hešll get at least 90 with 1 TD this week as the Saints continue to play off his strength running the football. The Falcons give up a whopping 258.3 passing yards a game, so Jeff Blake is a good play as well. He'll throw for at least 225 yards and 2 TDs, one to WR Joe Horn (who will get at least 75 yards) and another to TE Andrew Glover. One note: WR Jake Reed broke his leg in practice this week and will be out for at least 6 weeks. Hešll be replaced by Keith Poole, who has great deep speed, but has yet to show any consistency to his game.

I know the Saints have the No. 1 defense in the league (220.7 yards a game) and I've been saying for weeks this is a defense you just don't want to deal with. But the Falcons are due. Boy, are they ever due. Atlanta has lost four in a row and have been whipped in each of those defeats. The Falcons would love to turn the game over to RB Jamal Anderson, but that won't happen against a defense that gives up just 74.2 rushing yards a game. The Saints will hold Anderson to less than 65 yards and 0 TDs. But that means QB Chris Chandler will have to step up and I believe he will. New Orleans only gives up 146.5 passing yards a game, but in a home win over the Saints last year, Chandler threw for 233 yards and 2 TDs. He'll hit WR Tim Dwight for a long TD and TE Reggie Kelly with another. The rest of the scoring will be done by K Morten Andersen, whose third and final FG of the day will lift the Falcons to a narrow home victory.

GREEN LIGHT: Ricky Williams, Joe Horn, Doug Brien.
YELLOW LIGHT: Jeff Blake, Andrew Glover, Chris Chandler, Terance Mathis, Tim Dwight, Reggie Kelly, Morten Andersen.
RED LIGHT: Jake Reed, Keith Poole, Jamal Anderson, Shawn Jefferson (injured).

St. Louis at Kansas City:
Everybody keeps waiting for the first game when the Rams will truly be tested. Could this be the week? The Chiefs have a strong pass defense (189.2 yards a game), but unfortunately for them, they give up 135.2 rushing yards a game. That means the Rams could get Marshall Faulk going early and then let Kurt Warner destroy the Chiefs late. OK, late in the first quarter. That's about as late as the Rams will wait before unleashing their aerial assault. In last week's loss to the Raiders, KC gave up 244 passing yards to Rich Gannon. And he has only one decent player to throw the ball to (Tim Brown). Warner has the luxury of numerous weapons and he'll use them all. Faulk will erupt for another 100-yard rushing day with 2 scores (one receiving, one rushing), WR Isaac Bruce will get at least 70 yards receiving with a score and WR Torry Holt will add another. In the end, Warner will finish with at least 285 yards and 3 TDs. K Pete Stoyanovich will haunt his former team with 2 FGs as he fills in for the injured Jeff Wilkins.

The good news for the Chiefs is the Rams defense gives up 348.2 yards a game, including 258.3 through the air. That means QB Elvis Grbac and his trio of targets (TE Tony Gonzalez and WRs Derrick Alexander and Sylvester Morris) are all good plays this week. The bad news is the Chiefs just aren't explosive enough to keep pace with the Rams for very long. Grbac will make things interesting, passing for at least 230 yards and 2 TDs (to Alexander and Morris), while Gonzalez finishes with at least 70 yards receiving but no TDs. The problem with Kansas City is it will not be able to do anything running the ball against the Rams (89.8 rushing yards a game). I keep saying Tony Richardson is the only back on this team worth owning and he added another TD last week (his 4th of the year) to further prove my point. He may score, but it won't be enough as the Chiefs become the Rams' latest victims.

GREEN LIGHT: Elvis Grbac, Derrick Alexander, Sylvester Morris, Tony Gonzalez, Kurt Warner, Marshall Faulk, Isaac Bruce, Torry Holt.
YELLOW LIGHT: Tony Richardson, Todd Peterson, Robert Holcombe, Az Hakim, Roland Williams, Pete Stoyanovich.
RED LIGHT: Mike Cloud, Donnell Bennett, Kimble Anders, Frank Moreau, Justin Watson, Jeff Wilkins (injured).

San Francisco at Carolina:
OK, we know the Cowboys had the first "Triplets" in Aikman, Smith and Irvin. And we know the Colts are now claiming that nickname with Manning, James and Harrison. But shouldn't the 49ers get a vote somewhere too? After all, Jeff Garcia, Charlie Garner and Terrell Owens have all become fantasy stars this year. Garcia's 4 TDs last week at Green Bay gave him 19 for the season. Garner, meanwhile, scored again and topped 80 yards rushing and receiving while Owens scored twice and topped 90 yards receiving. Potent threats all. And they won't be halted this week by the Panthers, who give up 324.3 yards a game. Carolina is especially bad defending the run (135.2 yards a game), so look for Garner to step up with another strong game. He'll rush for at least 90 yards with a score. But Garcia will be the star once again. He passed for 539 yards and 3 TDs vs. Carolina last year and will get at least 245 yards and three TDs on Sunday, including a TD strike to Owens, who will finish with at least 80 yards receiving, and one to WR Jerry Rice (2 TDs vs. Carolina last year).

I just want to state for the record there is absolutely no truth to the rumor that WR Muhsin Muhammad's hamstring began acting up only after I traded for him two weeks ago. I do think, however, that I strained my hamstring watching him struggle to get off the line of scrimmage last week against New Orleans (2 catches for 27 yards). You have to proceed with caution with Muhammad, but it's tough to sit him this week vs. a pass defense that gives up 269.4 yards a game. In two games vs. the 49ers last year, Muhammad caught 17 passes for 222 yards and 4 TDs. He'll be held under 60 yards this week but will show some signs of life with a TD catch. WR Donald Hayes will be the featured receiver with at least 80 yards on the day. TE Wesley Walls (ribs) is also banged up but hopes to play. If he does, he will fare well since he owns his former team (8 catches for 127 yards, 1 TD vs. San Francisco last year). Tim Biakabutuka is also a good play against a poor run defense (130.7 yards a game). He'll be good for at least 75 yards, but Garcia will make one too many big plays as the Niners win a shootout.

GREEN LIGHT: Jeff Garcia, Charlie Garner, Terrell Owens, Wade Richey, Steve Beuerlein, Tim Biakabutuka, Donald Hayes, Wesley Walls (if he plays), Joe Nedney.
YELLOW LIGHT: Jerry Rice, Muhsin Muhammad.
RED LIGHT: Fred Beasley, J.J. Stokes, Greg Clark, Natrone Means, Isaac Byrd.

Seattle at Oakland:
Huard put together a solid outing in his second start last week against Indianapolis, passing for 226 yards and 3 TDs before leaving with knee and groin injuries. The knee is fine, but the groin could keep him out of some practices this week. However, head coach Mike Holmgren expects Huard to start and this is a good matchup for him. The Raiders surrender 250.3 yards a game and if Huard plays, he'll throw for at least 220 yards with TD strikes to WRs Sean Dawkins and Darrell Jackson, who will both finish with at least 60 yards receiving. If Seattle can keep the game close, RB Ricky Watters (122 yards, 2 TDs vs. Oakland last year) should have some success against since the Raiders' run defense (108.3 yards a game). A close game will help Watters finish with at least 65 yards rushing and a TD.

Rich Gannon Superstar. Has a nice ring to it, doesn't it? It sure does if he's your fantasy QB. In his last two games, he's passed for 554 yards and 4 TDs. In two games vs. Seattle last year, Gannon passed for 473 yards and 4 TDs. Seattle allows 244.1 passing yards a game, so Gannon will have another strong game this week, passing for at least 235 yards with TDs to WRs Tim Brown and Andre Rison. Brown (10 catches for 131 yards, 3 TDs vs. Seattle last year) will have at least 75 yards. After not catching a pass last week against a team he owned last year (Kansas City), it's time to officially call TE Rickey Dudley a bust. Put him on your bench until he shows some sign of snapping out of his season-long funk. Don't bench RB Tyrone Wheatley (180 yards, 1 TD vs. Seattle last year) against a defense that allows 137.9 rushing yards a game. He'll be good for at least 85 yards and a score as the Raiders win a wild one at home.

GREEN LIGHT: Darrell Jackson, Rich Gannon, Tyrone Wheatley, Tim Brown.
YELLOW LIGHT: Brock Huard (if he plays), Ricky Watters, Sean Dawkins, Itula Mili, Rian Lindell, Andre Rison, Sebastian Janikowski.
RED LIGHT: Shaun Alexander, Derrick Mayes, Christian Fauria, Napoleon Kaufman, James Jett, Rickey Dudley.

Tennessee at Baltimore:
Eddie George has gotten into a tremendous groove lately, rushing for more than 100 yards in each of his past three games with 3 TDs. He'll have a tough time making it four straight 100-yard games against a defense that held him to 87 yards in 2 games last year and allows only 57.9 rushing yards a game. He'll struggle to reach 55 yards on Sunday and won't score. The Ravens have had some problems in terms of pass defense, however, (202.1 yards a game), so QB Steve McNair will make some things happen. He'll continue to utilize TE Frank Wycheck (14 catches for 106 yards vs. the Ravens last year) as his primary option. Wycheck will finish with at least 65 yards receiving, but backup TE Erron Kinney will catch McNair's only TD pass. K Al Del Greco will have a busy day, booting 3 FGs.

Tony Banks remains the starter, but a poor start could mean a quick seat on the bench in favor of ... Trent Dilfer? Something tells me the Titans would love to see that switch made. Banks threw for 332 yards and 4 TDs in a home win over the Titans last year, but this isn't the same Tony Banks as we saw a year ago. This one will succumb to Tennessee's constant pressure. The Titans give up less than 1 TD pass per game and will hold Banks to less than 210 yards and 1 TD (to WR Qadry Ismail, who will finish with at least 50 yards). Tennessee gives up 100.3 rushing yards a game, but don't expect big things from RB Jamal Lewis, who has struggled of late (77 yards the last 2 weeks). He'll be held under 55 yards as the Titans' defense rises up and strangles the Ravens at home.

GREEN LIGHT: Al Del Greco, Matt Stover.
YELLOW LIGHT: Steve McNair, Eddie George, Derrick Mason, Frank Wycheck, Erron Kinney, Qadry Ismail, Shannon Sharpe.
RED LIGHT: Carl Pickens, Yancey Thigpen, Jamal Lewis, Priest Holmes, Travis Taylor, Ben Coates.

Washington at Jacksonville:
The Redskins aren't exactly the NFC East version of the Rams, but they continue to pick up victories. QB Brad Johnson faces a Jacksonville defense that gave up 234 yards and 2 TDs to Steve McNair last Monday night. Johnson has formed a strong connection with WR James Thrash (11 catches for 107 yards the last two games). Look for them to hook up for a TD pass on Sunday and Thrash to finish with at least 70 yards. WR Albert Connell, meanwhile, was held without a catch last week. He'll have less than 50 yards receiving on Sunday, but will score as Johnson finishes with at least 215 yards and 2 TDs. RB Stephen Davis is a must start against a run defense that gives up 112.4 yards a game. He'll be good for at least 85 yards with a score.

The Jaguars continue to slide down the standings. WR Jimmy Smith will play despite a knee problem, but he won't have great success against Washingtonšs solid pass defense (163.3 yards a game). Look for Smith to be held under 75 yards although he will score. WR Keenan McCardell will be held under 50 yards without a TD. QB Mark Brunell. Washington gives up just 163.3 passing yards a game, so don't expect more than 200 from Brunell and only 1 TD. The Redskins are also tough to run on (94 yards a game), so RB Fred Taylor won't have the big day the Jaguars will need if Smith is out. Hešll be held under 75 yards although he will score. Jacksonville's struggling offense and lackluster defense will add up to a Washington road victory. GREEN LIGHT: Stephen Davis.
YELLOW LIGHT: Brad Johnson, Larry Centers, James Thrash, Albert Connell, Stephen Alexander, Kris Heppner, Fred Taylor, Jimmy Smith, Kyle Brady, Mike Hollis.
RED LIGHT: Irving Fryar (injured), Mark Brunell, Keenan McCardell, R. Jay Soward.

Miami at NY Jets (MONDAY NIGHT):
If only the Dolphins had an offense to go with their fantastic defense. But with Jay Fiedler at QB, it's going to be difficult for Miami to put up big numbers offensively. That will hold true again this week against a Jets defense that gives up only 279.3 yards and 17.2 points a game. The Jets allow 100.8 rushing yards a game, so look for Miami to try and get RB Lamar Smith going early. He'll have some first-quarter success, but then will struggle and finish with less than 65 yards and 0 TDs. Fielder will have to make some big plays to win and he won't get the job done against a pass defense that allows 178.5 yards a game. He'll throw less than 205 yards and only 1 TD.

With Vinny Testaverde struggling (508 yards, 2 TDs in his last 3 games), the Jets have turned the offense over to RB Curtis Martin. And Martin has responded in a big way. He ran all over the Patriots last week (143 yards, 3 TDs) and will have another productive game against a Miami run defense that allows 106.2 yards a game. In two games vs. the Dolphins last year, Martin ran for 147 yards and 1 TD. He'll finish with at least 80 yards and a TD this week. Testaverde will not have a big game against Miami's tough pass defense (175 yards a game). He'll be held under 205 yards and will only throw 1 TD (to rookie WR Laveranues Coles). Fortunately for the Jets, they won't need to put up a lot of points to beat Miami. Two TDs and one John Hall FG will lift them to the win.

GREEN LIGHT: Olindo Mare, Curtis Martin.
YELLOW LIGHT: Lamar Smith, Oronde Gadsden, Wayne Chrebet, Laveranues Coles, John Hall.
RED LIGHT: Jay Fiedler, Thurman Thomas, Tony Martin (injured), Vinny Testaverde, Dedric Ward, Anthony Becht.

(Tom Kessenich is the associate editor of Fantasy Sports Magazine, the only national newsstand publication devoted exclusively to the growing fantasy sports industry. The Web site is http://www.fantasysportsmag.com)