Fantasy Football: Week 6
-Akash Desai

As we enter the new week in the 2007-2008 National Football League season, there are plenty of new things to talk about. From bye weeks to waiver wire pickups to replace those injuries, there is plenty to do before Sunday comes around.

The byes in this week are: the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Denver Broncos, the Detroit Lions, the Indianapolis Colts, the Buffalo Bills, and our very own San Francisco 49ers. This is a critical week for many fantasy players – these teams are recognized for their wide option of fantasy picks. Though they may not have the best records thus far in the season, the players on the teams play a crucial role. The most likely starters who will be on bye this week are Ben Roethlisberger, Jon Kitna, Peyton Manning, Joseph Addai (injured), Calvin Johnson, Travis Henry, Marvin Harrison, Reggie Wayne, Dallas Clark, Lee Evans, Marshawn Lynch, Frank Gore, and possibly more. This clearly is not a week to sit around and hope for the best.

So in the midst of the barrage of byes, what can one do to prepare to win this week? There are several key pickups available, opened up by injuries and surprising performances.

At quarterback the main option would be Kurt Warner. Leinart being injured and out for the season, Warner presents a highly accurate option who has seen play recently and looks sharp, throwing for 190 yards last week with only limited time. Another option would be a solid looking Brian Griese, on a revamped Chicago Bears offense.

At wide receiver the best options at this point look like Andre Davis of the Texans and Dwayne Bowe of the Chiefs. The Texans 1^st and 2^nd receivers, Andre Johnson and Jacoby Jones, are both out on injury, and Davis has already proved himself as a solid second option. Dwayne Bowe has also seen a good year thus far. If Damon Huard can get passing yards, its either him or Tony Gonzalez getting the receiving yards at this point, so with a match up against Cincinatti who has shown a weak pass defense until this point, he should be fine.

And at running back, with some major gaps to fill, there are also a couple decent pickups to look into. The first would be Ron Dayne of the Houstan Texans. With Ahman Green having injury troubles, he could be looking at the majority of carries. He has had carries in double digits every week so far, and he is clearly Houston’s goal line option, so expect a good chance of touchdowns this week. Another option would be Jason Wright of the Cleveland Browns. Seeing a good amount of touches every week, and with Jamal Lewis being out with injury, Wright has potential for a big week, especially against the worst run defense in the NFL.

This week has a lot of wildcards and x-factors, and in fantasy football, there is always that unpredictability. But, if you are in need of a good filler option, take these players into account, and they may just give you another point in the win column.