I hope everyone had a good week. And I hope you and your teams didn’t suffer too many concussions over the weekend, they sure seemed to be going around. Some of those guys may just be starting to remember who they are. The NFL is planning to crack down on these hard hits but I’m not really sure what they can do. Guys want to cause turnovers and sometimes hitting someone else really hard will knock the ball loose. I doubt that most of them are intending to inflict pain but maybe a few are. I guess the NFL can always just change the rules and move to two hand touch. Depending on where someone is on the field and whether someone is jumping or not, I think there are always going to be hits that end up causing a concussion. Maybe they can make the helmets about three times bigger and put some pillows in there. Sure, everyone is going to look like a bobble-head but that might just add some entertainment right?

I had some really nice scores this week but several teams had just a few more points. And while Andre Johnson was great for me in one league, he killed me in another. I try to pick a lot of the same players in my leagues so that I run into this as little as possible. But you can’t always get the same stars. I even tied in one league. That’s terrible, you should always use fractional points. Sure, you might lose a game by less than a point but is a tie really better? Hell no. Granted, on that team I lost Antonio Gates to injury so I got one whole point from him. Had he not been hurt, he surely would have done something to get one more point. But that’s how it goes sometimes.

Brandon Jacobs (RB, Giants) – He’s probably a guy that was drafted and then cut in your league. I know that I sure cut him at one point. He wasn’t playing and definitely wasn’t playing well when he did. His biggest highlight of the season was tossing his helmet into the stands in one game. But he’s started to play more lately and seems to be getting the goal-line carries. I used him as a fill-in last week and he rewarded me with two scores.

Davone Bess (WR, Dolphins) – Brandon Marshall is the star receiver on this team but Bess has been getting better. He has scored a touchdown in his last two games and looks like the Dolphin’s second best option at receiver. You know the Dolphins are going to run but they’ve been in some close games and they’re going to have to pass too. Bess has the ability to get behind the defense and break one open.

Steve Johnson (WR, Bills) – I know what you’re thinking…”hey, this guy plays for Buffalo”. He can’t possibly help your team right? Well, it’s not like he’s getting a ton of catches as he’s only averaging about 3 per game. But he has 4 scores in his last three games. And if I remember correctly, touchdowns get you the most points.

Deion Branch (WR, Patriots) – Welcome back to New England Deion! After pretty much doing nothing all season, he is reunited with Tom Brady and gets 9 catches for 98 yards and a score. Will this happen every week? Not likely. Brady has no problem with spreading it around and there are other options. But the opportunity is there.

Danny Woodhead (RB, Patriots) – I’ve already mentioned BenJarvis Green-Ellis here before but he seems to be splitting carries with Danny Woodhead now. Woodhead can also catch though so he’s getting more and more time on the field. Last week, he rushed for 63 yards and caught 5 passes for 52 yards. So while Green-Ellis might rush for a touchdown, Woodhead is able to rush for one or catch one. And the more they work him into the passing game, the more valuable he’ll be.

Derrick Ward (RB, Texans) – Here’s another player back from the dead. He was a fantasy star two years ago that fell off the earth. Now he’s with a new team and getting new life. Ward has a touchdown in three straight games and they plan to use him more so that Arian Foster doesn’t get worn out. The Texans are on a bye this week so this might be your last chance to pick him up.

Owen Daniels (TE, Texans) – Again, the Texans are on a bye this week so you’d have to stash him for now. Daniels is another guy that was drafted but possibly cut by now. He did not look healthy to start the season and was a big disappointment (cough, cough. Especially to anyone that drafted him). But he’s looking a lot healthier now and just had 5 catches for 79 yards. If he’s healthy now, he’s going to be a bigger part of that offense.

Patrick Crayton (WR, Chargers) – Crayton played well on and off for Dallas but hasn’t had a lot of opportunity with the Chargers. But after Antonio Gates and Malcom Floyd went down with injuries, Crayton got that chance. He grabbed 6 catches for 117 yards. It looks like Floyd may miss a game so if you need a fill-in, Crayton might work out for you.

So good luck this week. You’ve got bye weeks to account for and several players that are going to be out or iffy with injuries. Hopefully some of these guys can help you out.

Charlie Hustle