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NFC South Week 13 Fantasy Outlook

November 29, 2007 @ 14:22:08

By Michael Egnak
Edited by Matthew Scott Carr

Note: All statistics appearing in this article are from Weeks 9-12, unless otherwise noted.

Do Not Bench List - All Positions

Quarterback Drew Brees, New Orleans Saints: Brees was 24-for-36 for 260 yards with three touchdowns and one interception against the Carolina Panthers during Week 12. He also had one run for eight yards which he took into the endzone. Brees is averaging 316.8 passing yards per game over his past four games. He is also averaging 2.25 passing touchdowns, 1.25 interceptions and 0.25 rushing touchdowns. Even though he is a weak play for Week 13, Brees is still worth starting for your fantasy team.
Wide Receiver Marques Colston, New Orleans Saints: Colston caught seven passes for 93 yards with a four-yard touchdown reception during Week 12. Colston is averaging 8.50 receptions, 124.8 receiving yards and 0.25 receiving touchdowns over his past four games. He is a weak play for Week 13, but he's still worth starting.

Quarterbacks

Player	Team	Gm	Pass Yds/G	Pass TD/G	INT/G	Rush Yards/G	Rush TD/G
Joey Harrington	Atlanta Falcons	4	156.0	0.75	0.75	4.8	0.00
Vinny Testaverde	Carolina Panthers	2	205.5	1.00	1.00	11.5	0.00
Jeff Garcia	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	3	121.3	1.00	0.00	10.3	0.00

Harrington - Harrington was 14-for-30 for 155 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions during Week 12 against the Indianapolis Colts. QB Byron Leftwich (tailbone) should be available for Week 13 against the St. Louis Rams. In all likelihood, Harrington will earn the start, not that it will matter for fantasy owners. He should still be benched as he is a weak play.

Testaverde - Testaverde (back) missed the team's Week 12 game. He will start during Week 13 if he is healthy enough to play, according to head coach John Fox. If he starts against the San Francisco 49ers, he would be a very low-end No. 1 fantasy option at quarterback.

Garcia - Garcia (back) completed two out of his four passes for nine yards before a deep back bruise forced him out of the team's Week 12 game. Garcia is questionable for Week 13, so fantasy owners will want to monitor his situation throughout the week before using him. If he does start, Garcia would be a weak play who should remain benched.

Running Backs

Player	Team	Gm	Util (%)/G	RZ (%) Plays/G	Rush Yds/G	Rush TD/G	Rec/G	Rec Yards/G	Rec TD/G
Warrick Dunn	Atlanta Falcons	4	26.25 (41.45)	3.00 (49.92)	72.8	0.50	3.25	25.2	0.00
Jerious Norwood	Atlanta Falcons	3	5.67 (6.71)	0.33 (4.16)	25.3	0.00	1.00	6.3	0.00
DeAngelo Williams	Carolina Panthers	4	7.00 (11.05)	1.00 (15.29)	20.8	0.00	0.75	7.0	0.00
DeShaun Foster	Carolina Panthers	4	18.25 (28.82)	2.00 (30.58)	51.0	0.00	1.50	12.0	0.00
Reggie Bush	New Orleans Saints	4	21.00 (30.34)	3.50 (36.80)	38.8	0.50	6.75	42.5	0.25
Aaron Stecker	New Orleans Saints	4	7.75 (11.20)	1.25 (13.14)	23.0	0.25	1.75	9.0	0.00
Earnest Graham	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	3	27.00 (44.97)	5.00 (59.71)	100.3	1.00	1.67	9.3	0.00

Dunn - Dunn was solid during Week 12, averaging 4.1 yards per carry off of 17 carries for 70 rushing yards. He also caught two passes for another 10 receiving yards. The 70 yards gave him 10,054 career rushing yards, making Dunn the 22nd running back in league history to reach the 10,000-yard mark. Dunn will play the St. Louis Rams during Week 13, where he is a solid No. 2 fantasy running back.

Norwood - Norwood managed 33 yards on just six carries for an average of 5.5 yards per carry during Week 12. Norwood has earned six carries in six of his 10 games, and he's failed to earn more than nine carries in a game all season. With such limited playing time, it's hard for him to rack up many points for fantasy owners. As a result, he should only be viewed as an injury replacement for Week 13.

Williams - For once, Williams was the more productive back out of the team's backfield. He carried the ball four times for 19 yards during Week 12 as running back DeShaun Foster struggled to get anything going. Williams is still only worth using as a low-end No. 3 fantasy running back, or as an injury replacement for Week 13 against the San Francisco 49ers. However, he is a strong play for the game.

Foster - Foster carried the ball nine times during Week 12, but he ended up going backwards over the course of the game. He finished with a loss of five rushing yards against the New Orleans Saints for the game, and he also fumbled twice. He did, however, catch two passes for 16 receiving yards. He is a strong play for Week 13 and worth using as a No. 3 fantasy running back.

Bush - Bush (shin) was limited in his work load for Week 12, finishing with just nine carries for 32 rushing yards and three receptions for 30 receiving yards. He is expected to play during Week 13, where he is a weak play but worth starting as a low-end No. 1 or a No. 2 fantasy running back.

Stecker - With Bush dinged up for the Week 12 game, Stecker was the team's leading rusher with 13 carries for 42 yards. He also caught two passes for eight receiving yards. Bush is expected to play during Week 13 and he could take a larger role in the offense for the game, making Stecker only worth using as an injury replacement for the game.

Graham - Graham carried the ball 21 times for 75 yards with a one-yard touchdown run during the team's Week 12 game. He also caught two passes for nine yards during the game. With running back Michael Pittman (ankle) questionable to play with an ankle injury, Graham continues to do well as the Bucs' main threat in the backfield. Graham is a weak play for Week 13 against the New Orleans Saints, but he is worth using as a low-end No. 1 or a No. 2 fantasy running back.

Wide Receivers

Player	Team	Gm	Util (%)/G	RZ (%) Plays/G	Rec/G	Rec Yards/G	Rec TD/G
Roddy White	Atlanta Falcons	4	9.00 (14.21)	0.25 (4.16)	4.75	61.0	0.25
Steve Smith	Carolina Panthers	3	11.33 (13.42)	1.00 (11.47)	4.67	41.0	0.00
Joey Galloway	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	3	6.00 (9.99)	0.67 (7.96)	3.00	56.0	0.67
Ike Hilliard	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	3	4.67 (7.77)	0.00 (0.00)	4.00	42.7	0.0

White - White was productive again during Week 12, hauling in six passes for 104 yards with one touchdown against the Indianapolis Colts. With the exception of two games, White has racked up 55 or more receiving yards in each game this year. White is a solid No. 3 fantasy receiver for Week 13 against the St. Louis Rams.

Smith - Smith caught six passes for 47 yards during the team's Week 12 game. He was also their leading rusher, running one play for 22 yards. Smith is a strong play for Week 13, but he is only worth using as a solid No. 3 fantasy wide receiver.

Galloway - With quarterback Jeff Garcia (back) sidelined, Galloway struggled to put together a strong game during Week 12. He finished with just two receptions for 21 yards, his worst performance since his one reception, seven-yard game during Week 4. Galloway is a strong play for Week 13, and he is worth using as a low-end No. 1 or a No. 2 fantasy receiver.

Hilliard - Hilliard was also affected by the loss of Garcia, catching just four passes for 44 yards during the game. Hilliard is a strong play for Week 13, but his value is still limited to being just an injury replacement.

Tight Ends

Player	Team	Gm	Util (%)/G	RZ (%) Plays/G	Rec/G	Rec Yards/G	Rec TD/G
Alge Crumpler	Atlanta Falcons	3	5.00 (5.92)	0.33 (4.16)	2.67	27.0	0.33
Jeff King	Carolina Panthers	4	5.75 (9.08)	0.50 (7.64)	2.75	23.5	0.00
Eric Johnson	New Orleans Saints	4	3.00 (4.33)	0.25 (2.63)	2.50	25.2	0.25
Alex Smith	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	3	4.00 (6.66)	0.67 (7.96)	2.67	35.0	0.33

Crumpler - While wide receiver Roddy White enjoyed success during Week 12, the rest of the Falcons' receivers struggled to get anything going. Crumpler was able to catch three passes, but he was only able to gain 14 yards. And he was the team's second-leading receiver for the week! With the offense struggling as much as it is, Crumpler is a very-low No. 1 fantasy tight end option for Week 13.

King - King caught five passes for 36 yards during the team's Week 12 game. He's a weak play for Week 13 that should remain benched.

Johnson - Johnson continues to play a small role in the offense, catching just one pass for 19 yards during Week 12. He's a weak play who should be benched for the Saints' Week 13 game.

Smith - Quarterback Bruce Gradkowski looked for Smith fairly often during Week 12. As a result, Smith finished with three catches for 41 yards. He's a strong play and is worth using as a low-end No. 1 tight end for Week 13 against the New Orleans Saints.

Place Kickers

Player	Team	Gm	XP/G	XPA/G	FG/G	FGA/G	Kick Pnts/G
Morten Andersen	Atlanta Falcons	4	1.50	1.50	1.50	1.50	6.0
John Kasay	Carolina Panthers	4	1.00	1.00	1.25	1.50	4.8
Olindo Mare	New Orleans Saints	4	2.75	2.75	1.00	1.75	5.8
Matt Bryant	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	3	2.33	2.33	2.00	2.67	8.3

Andersen - Andersen continues to be an accurate kicker, going five consecutive games without a missed field goal and 9-for-9 over that span. Andersen was able to convert a 34-yard and a 30-yard field goal during the team's Week 12 game. Despite his recent accuracy, Andersen is still a weak play who should be benched for Week 13.

Kasay - Kasay accounted for all of the team's scoring during Week 12, successfully converting both of his field goal opportunities. Kasay was good from 45 and 29 yards out, his first successful field goal from 40 yards or longer since Week 6. He is a weak play for Week 13 and should stay benched.

Mare - Mare was 1-for-2 on field goals during Week 12, converting a 46-yard field goal but missing from 57 yards to end the first half. He also successfully converted all four of his extra point attempts. Mare is a weak play who should be benched for Week 13.

Bryant - Bryant was called on to kick four field goals during Week 12, and he was able to convert all four successfully. Bryant was good from 35, 27, 43 and 39 yards against the Washington Redskins. He is worth starting for your fantasy team against the New Orleans Saints this upcoming week.

Defensive Teams

Team	Gm	Off Pnts Allw/G	INT/G	Sacks/G	FR/G	DEF/ST TD/G
Atlanta Falcons	4	19.8	1.25	2.2	1.00	0.0
Carolina Panthers	4	24.0	0.75	1.5	0.75	0.2
New Orleans Saints	4	21.0	1.50	2.0	0.75	0.2
Tampa Bay Buccaneers	3	10.0	2.00	2.0	2.00	0.3

Falcons - The Falcons managed to sack Indianapolis Colts QB Peyton Manning three times during the Week 12 game, but they were shredded for 31 offensive points and allowed 374 net yards. The Falcons will play against the St. Louis Rams during Week 13, where their defense should be viewed as a low-end No. 1 fantasy option.

Panthers - The Panthers allowed 31 offensive points and 373 net yards to the New Orleans Saints during Week 12. The Panthers did manage one interception during the game, but that was about the only positive aspect of their defensive effort. The team's defense should be considered a low-end No. 1 defense against the San Francisco 49ers for Week 13.

Saints - The Saints allowed just six offensive points and 195 net yards to the struggling Carolina Panthers on Week 12. They also intercepted three passes, recovered one fumble and recorded one sack. The Saints' defense is a weak play against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for Week 13, and they should stay on your fantasy team's bench.

Buccaneers - Even though the Bucs' defense gave up 412 net yards, they held the Washington Redskins to just 13 offensive points while forcing six turnovers (four interceptions and two fumbles) and registering two sacks. The Buccaneers will play the New Orleans Saints for Week 13, where they should be viewed as a very low-end No. 1 fantasy option.

Author Bio

Michael Egnak
Michael Egnak is a Hot Off The Wire Analyst at KFFL and has been with the company since 2005. Covering both NFL and MLB, Egnak is also a key contributor to KFFL's fantasy services.