Who will win, step up and get beat down in Week Nine of the NFL season...

These fantasy musings do not reflect the opinion of FFToolbox.com, but just a solo fantasy writer with too much time on his hand who no longer has to waste energy rooting against the New York Yankees, the best baseball team money can buy...

Last week: 8-5 straight, 6-7 spread

Overall: 76-40 straight; 58-57-1 spread

Jacksonville 27 Kansas City 21 (+7): MJD owners have to be thrilled to hear that the Jags are going to do all they can to give the Human Bowling Ball more touches. Considering he has had 12 or less carries in three of his last four starts, it is about time. Whether he busts off two long scoring runs as he did last week, Maurice Jones-Drew will be in the mix for top fantasy RB of the week...Dwayne Bowe's overall numbers have been spotty at best, though he has racked up four scores for the offensively challenged Chiefs. He adds one, nay, two touchdowns and tops the century mark for the second time this year against the Jags 26th ranked pass defense...

Baltimore 21 Cincinnati 20 (+3): The toughest game to pick on the board, as the Ravens look for revenge, but giving points on the road. Joe Flacco has had a stellar sophomore season, but he and top wideout Derrick Mason struggled in their matchup with the Bengals. Expect the Ravens to continue to lean on their other stud fellow second-year player Ray Rice as they get back to a more balanced attack...The Bengals fantasy weapons have a tough stretch with games against the Ravens and Steelers, though continue to start Cedric Benson and Chad Ochocinco per normal. Owners will have any short term decline made up for them with a three-game stretch against the Raiders, Browns and Lions starting in Week 11.

Indianapolis 28 Houston 27 (+8.5): We all know how great the Colts offense is and their defense has been solid this season, but that side took not one, not two, but three losses to the secondary this week. All everything SS Bob Sanders has been (shocker!) placed on IR, where he joined starting CB Marlin Jackson. All of this is great news for Texans QB Matt Schaub, though he enters the game without injured TE Owen Daniels. The Texans are oh so close to becoming as legit AFC contender, but the Peyton Manning factor is too much to overcome in this thriller...

Atlanta 26 (-10) Washington 13: Odd stat of the week - Matt Ryan has completed exactly 19 passes in three straight games. In it of itself, that means nothing, but completing only 51.8% of his throws in that stretch is a bit concerning and now he faces the NFL's #2 ranked pass defense. The Falcons should end their two-game losing streak in style, but Ryan should not be viewed as a lock fantasy starter for now...The Redskins have scant fantasy options across the board, though Jason Campbell has a chance to post decent yardage totals against the Falcons 31st ranked pass defense. Regardless, he will not find the end zone enough for a big fantasy day, though TE Fred Davis is the best bet among the Redskins receivers to score...

Green Bay 31 (-10) Tampa Bay 16: Though Donald Driver (stinger) is now listed as probable this week, expect James Jones to be more involved in the Packers passing attack. Considering the third-year receiver has yet to catch more than two passes in any game this season, that is not saying much, but Jones has two scores and is averaging a staggering 22.9 yards per catch. Look for him to have a big catch or two against the porous Bucs secondary...The debut of rookie QB Josh Freeman makes essentially all Bucs skill players not worth starting, though Cadillac Williams and Derrick Ward should receive plenty of carries as long as the game stays close...

Arizona 24 (+3) Chicago 20: Kurt Warner threw a whopping five picks last week, but he settles back into a groove and throws for two scores against the Bears. On the flip side, the Cardinals eighth-ranked rush defense puts the Bears offense into enough 3rd-and-longs to force Jay Cutler into tough throws down the field.

New England 27 Miami 17 (+10.5): The Dolphins will do all they can to control the clock, but the Brady-Moss-Welker trifecta will not need a lot of time to post big numbers against their sub-standard secondary...Following his breakout performance against the Jets in Week Five, Chad Henne has averaged less than six yards per attempt in two starts. He will need to do much better than that against a Pats defense that figures to be ready to stop the Dolphins Wildcat attack.

New Orleans 30 Carolina 23 (+13): The Superdome has been a home away for home for the Panthers, who have won seven straight in the Big Easy. With their running game leading the way and Steve Smith showing signs of life, the Panthers have won three of four games overall and face a Saints defense that has allowed an average of 29.3 points over their last three games. Still, the difference at quarterback will be too much to overcome for the Panthers unless the Saints continue to turn over the ball at an alarming rate. All the obvious fantasy plays are worth starting in this one.

Seattle 27 (-10) Detroit 16: The less said about this yawner of a game the better, but Calvin Johnson (knee) is looking like a better bet to play this week, though he will be a game-time decision...Matt Hasselbeck threw three touchdowns against the Rams and four versus the Jags earlier this season. He could have a similar day going up against a team that has allowed 18 scores through the air, second most in the NFL.

Tennessee 16 (+4) San Francisco 13: One thing that Vince Young knows how to do is win games. Sadly, he won't be helping fantasy owners do the same with his paltry passing stats, which in turn lowers the value of the Titans receivers, but his presence gets the Music City squad their second straight win...The Michael Crabtree experience continues to perform to rave reviews and the Niners rookie posts his first NFL score, along with 75 yards on five catches.

NY Giants 27 (-4.5) San Diego 22: If Brandon Jacobs has any real game in him, it will come out this week against a Chargers defense that is vulnerable up the middle to a bruising back. Considering the struggles Eli Manning has had dealing with his foot injury, look for the Giants to run Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw early and often...When the Chargers are on offense, they will attack, attack, attack the Giants secondary over the middle, meaning Antonio Gates is in line for a big day.

Philadelphia 30 (-3) Dallas 17: The Cowboys three-game winning streak has been highlighted by the Tony Romo-Miles Austin connection that should find the end zone for the fourth straight game, but will not compare to the numbers DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin post for the other side.

Pittsburgh 24 (-3) Denver 20: The Broncos soon-to-be two game losing streak says more about their opponents then their own squad, which remains one of the best in the AFC. After losing to the Ravens in Week Eight, the Broncs face a Steelers squad that is ready to start the playoff push a little earlier than normal in the highly competitive AFC North. Big Ben Roethlisberger, coming off a season-low 175 yards in his last outing, smacks the Broncos for 250+ yards and two scores in the win.

Survivor Picks: These are my personal picks each week for my various (cough, cough) pools

Week 9 - Atlanta (A very sketchy week. Falcons matchup not ideal, playing a top-5 defense and coming off a bye, but better than taking Seahawks, Jaguars or Packers on the road)

Week 8 - Chicago (Colts are good if available. Chargers are ok, but hard to trust the Bolts and it is a division game)

Week 7 - Indianapolis (the Colts and Pats are the only worthy options this week, even with the road and neutral sites)

Week 6 - Green Bay (Jacksonville against the Rams is the gutsier call, but another week of strong options)

Week 5 - Philadelphia (though there are waaaaaay to many good options this week so everyone "should" advance)

Week 4 - San Francisco (Chicago is a close second)

Week 3 - Baltimore

Week 2 - Washington, Green Bay (and one pool goes by the wayside)

Week 1 - New Orleans, Baltimore

Who will win, step up and get beat down in Week Eight of the NFL season...

These fantasy musings do not reflect the opinion of FFToolbox.com but just a solo fantasy writer with too much time on his hand, but who got this posted late because the dog ate his homework...

Last week: 8-5 straight, 6-6-1 spread

Overall: 68-35 straight; 52-50-1 spread

Baltimore 23 (-3.5) Denver 17: The Broncos are legit, but no way this Ray Lewis led squad loses four in a row. This could even get ugly if the Ravens defense smells blood, though Kyle Orton will post fantasy-worthy numbers. So will Ray Rice, arguably the first-half fantasy MVP.

Chicago 34 (-13) Cleveland 17: When a 3-3 team that lost 45-10 the week before is a 13-point favorite the following week, you know it is an odd NFL season. Matt Forte should finally get some production going.

Houston 24 (-3.5) Buffalo 16: Only because the Texans defense is ordinary but at times brutal do the Bills have a shot at staying close. Week two with Ryan Fitzpatrick under center is not good news for any offense and he can't keep up with Matt Schaub.

Green Bay 27 (-3) Minnesota 20: For all that is holy, please, please, please let Aaron Rodgers throw three scores in a Packers win while Favre turns back into Turnover Favre in his return to the land of cheese.

Indianapolis 31 (-13) San Francisco 17: Alex Smith may ultimately be better than Shaun Hill, but right now he is not in the same universe as Peyton Manning, who gets back into 300 passing yards mode in the win.

NY Jets 17 (-3) Miami 13: Two of the harder teams to gauge in terms of whether they really can contend for a playoff berth or not. The Jets defense rises to the challenge, keeping Ronnie and Ricky at least slightly under wraps while setting up two scores after confusing Chad Henne.

Detroit 27 (-3.5) St. Louis 17: If two horrid teams play in a game that is blacked out in the local market, does it make a sound? As long as they do not snatch defeat from the jaws of victory, the Lions fans should have a rare chance to cheer as the home squad takes down the brutal Rams.

Dallas 30 Seattle 21 (+9.5): Miles Austin touchdowns versus DeMarcus Ware sacks. Playing against the Seahawks suspect secondary and leaky offensive line, could go either way. The proposition, not the game.

San Diego 31 Oakland 16 (+16.5): Unless the Raiders can control the clock with their solid road game, they have no chance against the Chargers potent attack. Tomlinson finally hits pay dirt and racks up 90+ total yards.

Tennessee 28 Jacksonville 27 (+3): Once again David Garrard and the Jags passing game light up the Titans secondary, but Chris Johnson dominates and Vince Young makes enough plays for Tennessee's first win.

Arizona 24 Carolina 17 (+10): Beanie Wells establishes himself as the Cards top runner with a power running performance against the Panthers shoddy run defense.

NY Giants 20 (-1) Philadelphia 13: Only because the Redskins continued their slide into the NFL's basement did the Eagles poor showing on Monday night get overlooked. Brian Westbrook is likely out and Donovan McNabb is in one of those Chuck Knoblauch type grooves with all his throws. That is a bed recipe against a Giants team entering on a two-game losing streak.

New Orleans 34 Atlanta 24 (+11): And this week's winner in the "who will be the Saints other productive receiver besides Marques Colston...Lance Moore, come on down! You are the winner of six receptions for 72 yards and a score!

Survivor Picks: These are my personal picks each week for my various (cough, cough) pools

Week 1 - New Orleans, Baltimore

Week 2 - Washington, Green Bay (and one pool goes by the wayside)

Week 3 - Baltimore

Week 4 - San Francisco (Chicago is a close second)

Week 5 - Philadelphia (though there are waaaaaay to many good options this week so everyone "should" advance)

Week 6 - Green Bay (Jacksonville against the Rams is the gutsier call, but another week of strong options)

Week 7 - Indianapolis (the Colts and Pats are the only worthy options this week, even with the road and neutral sites)

Week 8 - Chicago (Colts are good if available. Chargers are ok, but hard to trust the Bolts and it is a division game)

Who will win, step up and get beat down in Week Seven of the NFL season...

We'll skip the normal intro and get right into the picks, which of course are for informational purposes only. In addition, these fantasy musings do not reflect the opinion of FFToolbox.com but just a solo fantasy writer with too much time on his hands...

Last week: 7-7 straight, 6-8 spread

Overall: 60-30 straight; 46-44 spread

Kansas City 23 (+4.5) San Diego 20: The majority of football observers have been quick to lump the Chiefs in with the ever growing list of NFL bottom feeders, but that may be a case of judging a book by its cover. Nobody is going to confuse the Chiefs with a playoff team and the defense still has a ways to go, but the Todd Haley coached offense has shown signs of life over the last month. Matt Cassel, who missed nearly the entire preseason while trying to learn Haley's offense, threw two touchdowns in four straight games before being shutout in last week's over the Redskins and even Larry Johnson has shown signs of life. After taking the Cowboys to overtime and knocking off the Redskins, the Chiefs keep momentum going behind the legs of LJ against their division rival. With that said, Johnson remains a long-term "sell" candidate...

Indianapolis 34 (-13) St. Louis 14: In addition to the obvious Peyton Manning-Reggie Wayne-Joseph Addai must starts, the likes of Donald Brown, Austin Collie, Pierre Garcon and the Colts defense are all worthy bye week starts against the lowly Rams. Factor in kicker Matt Stover, who is filling in for the injured Adam Vinatieri, and the Colts have what might be an unprecedented eight worthy starts in one game this season. Ride the hot hand of Collie over Garcon if you have that choice...on the flip side, Steven Jackson and Donnie Avery (hip) are the only worthy plays for the lowly Rams, who may be "looking ahead" to their epic Week Eight battle with the Lions, their one legit shot to win a game this year. Avery has been limited in practice, but is expected to play.

Cincinnati 20 (-1) Chicago 17: The Cedric Benson bowl matches the NFL's third-leading rusher against the Bengals sixth-ranked rush defense. Unless you have two other significant RB's, stick with Benson in this revenge battle, but the Bears will likely have more success with Jay Cutler throwing against a defensive unit that is allowing 254.8 yards per game, 28th in the league...Chad Ochocinco (hip) sat out the Bengals Friday morning practice. The injury is not expected to keep him out of the lineup, but be sure to check his status Sunday morning as late week practice absences are worrisome. Assuming he is active, continue to start one of the league's most consistent receiving weapons.

Green Bay 33 (-9) Cleveland 13: Going up against one of the NFL's worst teams for the second straight week provides Aaron Rodgers the more than realistic opportunity to throw two touchdown passes in his fourth straight game. As long as he can survive the beatings his offensive line subjects him too, Rodgers will remain a top tier QB the rest of the way...Seriously, how much must Eric Mangini loathe Brady Quinn to not get the Browns one-time golden boy in the lineup after Derek Anderson has delivered the following totals over the last two games; 11-for-41, 145 yards, one TD, two picks.

Pittsburgh 27 (-5) Minnesota 20: The pass happy Steelers will need to throw to beat the Vikings and without CB Antoine Winfield on the field, they should have little problem. The Big Ben-to-Hines Ward connection should produce another score, while Rashard Mendenhall owners will want to look elsewhere...The Sidney Rice breakout season is a legit development and more to the point, puts him ahead of Bernard Berrian the rest of the fantasy season. Though Brett Favre spreads the wealth, he typically falls in love with certain targets and Rice and Visanthe Shiancoe are clearly the apple of eye over Berrian.

New England 41 (-14.5) Tampa Bay 17: The London Bowl is a one-sided affair that will be interesting only to see how many points the Tom Brady led offense can generate. Unlike like last week, Brady plays into the 4th quarter, but the overwhelming result remains the same. Laurence Maroney should run well against a Bucs defense that allowed 267 yards on the ground last week and he gets the added boost of Sammy Morris being left behind for this overseas matchup.

Houston 24 (-3) San Francisco 20: Shaun Hill deserves kudos for all that he has done since being inserted into the Niners starting lineup, but he lacks the firepower to keep up with the Matt Schaub-led Texans offense. He gets a boost from the expected return of Frank Gore, who should post strong numbers against a suspect Texans rush defense, but the visits to the red zone do not produce enough touchdowns to win.

NY Jets 17 Oakland 14 (+6): The Mark Sanchez to the Hall of Fame campaign took a big hit with his brutal five-pick outing last week and with Jerricho Cotchery (hamstring) expected to miss his second straight game, the rookie does need to get fitted for his beige jacket quite yet...

Carolina 23 Buffalo 14 (+7): Here is what I wrote last week about Steve Smith; "As long as Steve Smith (knee) is on the field - and he is expected to play - he will torch the Bucs secondary as he did twice last year. If not, it is officially panic time for his fantasy owners (myself included)." For most of this week, I did all I could to move Smith in the league I own him or look for a viable alternative, but as the days passed, hope returned. From Smith's own comments about feeling marginalized in the Panthers offense to the Bills ruling out both of their starting safeties, I have decided to get on board with the star receiver one more time. Factor in the Ryan Fitzpatrick starting for the Bills factor and the Panthers get their third straight win.

Miami 27 (+6) New Orleans 24: The upset special. With this game sandwiched in between the blowout win over the Giants and a battle with the division rival Falcons, the Saints do not have the juice to stop the Wildcat offense, though Drew Brees will throw for tons of yards. Ronnie Brown continues his Pro Bowl level season with 120+ total yards and at least one score.

Atlanta 24 (+4) Dallas 23: Roddy White and Michael Jenkins should have their way against the Cowboys secondary, while Miles Austin shows his epic Week Six performance was not a total fluke with 100 yards and a score. Sadly for Cowboy fans, he doesn't play defense which is the side of the ball Dallas comes up short in.

NY Giants 30 (-7) Arizona 21: Steve Smith, Hakeem Nicks and Mario Manningham are all strong to solid plays against a Cardinals defense that is 31st in pass defense, allowing 265 yards per game. Smith has cooled down some after his hot start, but the rookie Nicks has picked up his production with scores in three straight weeks...Despite his role as the cards third receiver, Steve Breaston has at least 66 receiving yards in four straight weeks and he looks to be in a good position to do that again with Anquan Boldin (ankle) a game-time decision.

Philadelphia 23 (-7) Washington 14: As if the situation is not bad enough in Washington, the Redskins get a pissed off Eagles squad coming off an embarrassing loss to the lowly Raiders. With that said, Donovan McNabb did not throw a touchdown pass in two games versus Washington last season and the Redskins defense currently ranks third in the NFL...Start Clinton Portis if he is your best RB option, but the rest of the Redskins skill players are bench options playing behind an inadequate offensive line.

Survivor Picks: These are my personal picks each week for my various (cough, cough) pools

Week 1 - New Orleans, Baltimore

Week 2 - Washington, Green Bay (and one pool goes by the wayside)

Week 3 - Baltimore

Week 4 - San Francisco (Chicago is a close second)

Week 5 - Philadelphia (though there are waaaaaay to many good options this week so everyone "should" advance)

Week 6 - Green Bay (Jacksonville against the Rams is the gutsier call, but another week of strong options)

Week 7 - Indianapolis (the Colts and Pats are the only worthy options this week, even with the road and neutral sites)