Week 10: Player Upgrades

When the careers of Peyton Manning and Tom Brady are over, they will likely go down as the greatest quarterbacks to ever play in the NFL. Peyton Manning has already broken or will (by the time he hangs the cleats up) break more records than I have time or space to list, already won a Super Bowl, 3 NFL MVP's and has perfected the quarterback position in the modern era of the league.

Tom Brady eclipsed Peyton Manning's single season record for touchdown passes in a season with one of -- if not -- the most prolific offensive season in the history of the NFL in 2007. Brady is already a 3 time Super Bowl Champion, 2 time Super Bowl MVP, and NFL MVP; while he won't break nearly as many career records as Peyton Manning, he and Manning are clearly the greatest quarterbacks of their era. The rivalry continues Sunday Night when the New England Patriots take on the Indianapolis Colts in what has turned into the biggest rivalry of the past decade.

This Week 10 Player Upgrades edition provides fantasy owners with not only 9 players to target either in a trade or off of the wavier wire (whose fantasy stock is on the rise and should be acquired), but the official breakdown of Week 10's marquee match-up between the New England Patriots and Indianapolis Colts featuring the keys to victory for each team on both offense and defense.

Keys to Victory for New England Defense

1. Don't Pressure Manning?

It is a common belief that pressuring Peyton Manning -- especially up the middle -- will lead to him making mistakes. Nothing could be further from the truth. All bringing an extra rusher will do is put New England's inexperienced secondary one-on-one where Manning will pick apart the most favorable match-up. New England will bring pressure with OLB Tully Banta-Cain, but expect them to drop back into zone coverage and rely on their front four to generate pressure rather than bringing extra blitzers.

2. Keep Dallas Clark and Austin Collie from owning the middle of the field

The best way to disrupt the timing of Clark and Collie's routes is to press Collie and jam Clark when he comes off the line. In past meetings Dallas Clark has killed the Patriots over the middle because the Pat's linebackers aren't able to match Clark's athleticism. Safeties Brandon Meriweather and Brandon McGowan need to gamble and jump routes in this game. The difference makers for the Patriots in the past were Ty Law and Asante Samuel. Why? They were gamblers who would take chances, sit on routes, and jump them therefore making key interceptions.

3. Concede the short stuff; don't let Wayne beat you

Shawn Sprins is an intelligent veteran cornerback who will give Reggie Wayne a five yard comeback all game, but won't get burned deep. Expect the Patriots to give Wayne plenty of cushion, because if they don't Wayne will take over the game.

Keys to Victory for Indianapolis Offense

1. Establish the run

It's cliche, but establishing the run will be critical for the Colts. Joseph Addai has had a lot of success in the past against New England because so much attention has been focused on the passing game. Addai won't see many run blitzes from the Patriots, and has the potential to make a huge difference as a receiver out of the backfield. Addai and Donald Brown (if he plays) are the X factors for Indianapolis because the Pats won't be able to shut them and the Colts' receivers down at the same time.

2. Pick on Darius Butler

No other corner on New England gets beat as often as the talented rookie from UCONN. Leigh Bodden, Shawn Springs, and Jonathan Wilhite are more experienced and tougher to pick on. If Butler is on the field, expect Peyton Manning to go after him.

3. Dallas Clark and Austin Collie are the difference

Reggie Wayne will have a big game, and if Dallas Clark and Austin Collie can get open (even with the Patriots focusing on them), it will go a long way to the Colts getting the victory.

Keys to Victory for Indianapolis Defense

1. Double team Randy Moss

With all of the injuries to the Colts secondary -- now missing Kelvin Hayden, Bob Sanders, and Marlin Jackson -- the last man standing is Tim Jennings. Jennings is a solid cover corner, but he doesn't match-up one-on-one with Randy Moss (few corners in the NFL do). Jennings is going to need safety help over the top to prevent Moss from destroying them deep. Indianapolis has done this in the past with Antoine Bethea; expect it to happen again Sunday Night.

2. Keep your head on a swivel

New England utilizes the screen game as an extension of the running game, and is one of the best teams in the league at running the screen. Wes Welker and Kevin Faulk will destroy the Colts if they don't sniff out and tackle well on screens.

3. Keep everything in front of you

The X factors in this game will be Wes Welker, Ben Watson, Sam Aiken, Brandon Tate, and Kevin Faulk. Jerraud Powers will be starting opposite Tim Jennings, and while he has played well this year, he and Melvin Bullitt (replacing Bob Sanders at safety) need to play extremely well and not get burned by the Patriots' supporting cast in this game. New England was a Jabar Gaffney drop of a long touchdown from beating the Colts last year. The Colts' replacements in the secondary need to play great if they want to win.

Keys to Victory for New England Offense

1. Protect Tom Terrific

Rookie LT Sebastian Vollmer has been excellent filling in for Matt Light, and the massive rookie will face his biggest challenge of the year against Dwight Freeney and his dynamic spin move. Freeney is going to pressure Brady, but it can't be consistent if New England is going to stay in the game. If Indianapolis gets ahead and turns Freeney and Mathis loose, then New England is in trouble. Look for Chris Baker and Kevin Faulk to help out Vollmer.

2. Life Without Randy

Moss won't be open often, and that means that Wes Welker will have to be. Opposing defenses can't focus on Welker because (as Miami found out this past weekend) it is suicide to play Moss one-on-one. Welker won't catch any long passes, but against an inexperienced banged up secondary Welker's excellent route running and ability after the catch will cause headaches for the Colts.

3. Kevin Faulk has to be a factor

Kevin Faulk is critical to the Patriots winning this game. Whether it is pass protection or a draw play, or as a receiver out of the backfield, Faulk can be a difference maker for the Patriots as he has been in the past against Indianapolis.

The New England vs Indianapolis match-up is a huge game for both teams; the outcome will have major playoff implications. Remember, I'm biased as a Patriots fan, but I believe that New England's offensive weapons will be too much for the Colts' banged up secondary. No matter who wins, you can believe that this will be one of the best games of the entire regular season.

Best of luck to all fantasy owners in Week 10, and enjoy the game!

QB Kurt Warner, ARI

This past Tuesday on the FFToolbox Week 9 Podcast (which I advise all fantasy owners tune into each week) I advised fantasy owners to start Kurt Warner with confidence. I prefaced my comments by saying I know he looked terrible with five interceptions against the Panthers, but he will light up the Chicago Bears. Charles Tillman and Zach Bowman aren't the best cornerback tandem in the league, and Warner will have no problem beating them; That's exactly what happened. Kurt Warner completed 22 of 32 passes for 261 yards with 5 touchdowns even without star wide-out Anquan Boldin inactive. Now that I'm done tooting my own horn, here's some actual fantasy advice.

Kurt Warner still has the arm (and the ability to go along with extra-ordinary talent at wide receiver) to be able to shred weaker secondaries in the league. There is concern that Warner could go down at any moment, but his lingering hip issues from offseason surgery haven't affected his play so far. The schedule opens up for the Arizona Cardinals, featuring a number of tasty match-ups for fantasy owners over the remainder of the season. The Cardinals face off with Seattle, St. Louis, Tennessee, Minnesota, San Francisco, Detroit, St. Louis, and Green Bay over the final half of the season and their respective secondaries rank 17th, 22nd, 32nd, 21st, 24th, 31st, 22nd, and 8th against the pass. The greatest news for fantasy owners is that the only match-up where weather could be an issues is in Week 17.

If a fantasy owner in your league is looking to sell high on Kurt Warner, it would be to your advantage to make a trade for the grizzled veteran gunslinger.

RB Ladell Betts, WAS

Clinton Portis was literally knocked out of the Redskins' loss to the Atlanta Falcons this past weekend with an apparent concussion. Portis has been labeled as doubtful and is extremely unlikely to play in Week 10 when Washington faces off with the reeling Denver Broncos. Ladell Betts (Portis' longtime backup) took over on Sunday, carrying the ball 15 times for 70 yards and 1 touchdown. The one thing the Washington Redskins have done relatively well on offense this season is run the ball. On Monday Night, Rashard Mendenhall accumulated 155 yards on 22 carries against the Denver Broncos, showing that Denver's lofty run defense rank (3rd) going into the game was a bit misleading.

Betts has instantly become a huge sleeper fantasy owners need to pick up off the wavier wire, because not only is he valuable for this weekend, but with the severity of the concussion unknown, Betts could hold onto the starting role for a number of weeks. Any starting running back in the league has fantasy value, and the fact that Betts has had success in the past as a starter makes him a very valuable investment for fantasy owners.

RB Brandon Jacobs, NYG

Brandon Jacobs has been unspectacular, and the New York Giants have been reeling in recent weeks. After a disappointing 11 carries for 67 yards this past weekend against one of the weaker run defenses in the NFL, Jacobs is a tremendous buy-low opportunity for fantasy owners during the Giants' Bye Week this week. The weather is going to change, its going to get colder, and the Giants are going to get back to their smash-mouth running style featuring Brandon Jacobs when they come out of the Bye Week. The New York Giants have a very difficult schedule in the second half of the season, but in order to get back in the playoff race they need to get Brandon Jacobs back in gear. Fantasy owners, Brandon Jacobs' fantasy value is at an all-time low, but it is going to improve when the Giants turn it around.

RB Laurence Maroney, NE

Laurence Maroney has emerged as a reliable feature back for the New England Patriots with the absence of both Sammy Morris and Fred Taylor the past couple weeks; he will shoulder a full workload this weekend against the Indianapolis Colts. As a Patriots fan, I am skeptical that free agent Larry Johnson will be joining the Patriots even if he clears waivers. Johnson has a ton of baggage, and wouldn't be a great fit at this point in the season for New England.

This past weekend against division rival Miami, Maroney ran extremely hard, and had what many Patriots fans will tell you was his best game in recent memory rushing for 82 yards and 1 touchdown on 20 carries. Maroney needs to get 20 plus carries in order to be effective. Against Peyton Manning the Patriots will need to run the ball to keep Manning and the Colts offense off the field. Maroney is lined up for another quality game for fantasy owners this weekend, and while he becomes dropable when Morris and Taylor return, Maroney is a quality flex option until that happens.

RB LeSean McCoy, PHI

In addition to dealing with post-concussion symptoms, Brian Westbrook is also experiencing pain in his surgically repaired right ankle according to the Philadelphia Inquirer. Brian Westbrook has been the most injury prone player in the NFL the past few years, and he may finally be breaking down completely. LeSean McCoy may be easing into the starting role permanently with Brian Westbrook looking extremely unlikely to play for the third straight week. McCoy may see almost all of the carries this weekend against the 26th ranked San Diego Charger defense with fellow backfield mate Leonard Weaver dealing with a sprained ankle.

With Brian Westbrook's status in doubt (not only for this weekend, but possibly for the remainder of the season), McCoy's playing time and fantasy stock is slowly rising. This past weekend in his second consecutive (and third) start of the season, McCoy rushed for 54 yards on 13 carries, and also contributed as a receiver -- leading the Eagles in receiving, catching 5 passes for 61 yards against Dallas. McCoy is a huge second half sleeper because of Westbrook's durability or lack thereof; fantasy owners should target McCoy in a trade or pick him up if he is available on the wavier wire.