Assessing the Results (and New Polls)

Well, suffice it to say that the People's Pigskin did not have the Monday night it wanted. The Internet's favorite fantasy football team now trails the Houston Wreckin' Crew by a score of 65-54. We now have a week to make up the 11-point deficit. Here's a breakdown of the week 14 results.

Kurt Warner, QB. The stats: 16 of 29 passing for 178 yards, 2 interceptions, 1 fumble and 1 fantasy point. We were counting on Warner to have a decent night against the San Francisco 49ers. He did not.

Matt Forte, RB. The stats: 12 rushes for 51 yards, 4 receptions for 17 yards and 6 fantasy points. Not the type of numbers one would want to see from a first-round fantasy pick.

Julius Jones, RB. The stats: 10 rushes for 39 yards, 1 reception for 4 yards and 3 fantasy points. Being your team's primary running back becomes less meaningful when your team falls behind by 27 points with a quarter to go.

T.J. Houshmandzadeh, Flex. The stats: 4 receptions, 52 yards and 5 fantasy points. On the other hand, when you're down that much, you would expect the receivers to benefit.

Greg Jennings, WR. The stats: 3 receptions, 56 yards, a 2-point conversion and 7 fantasy points. All that's missing are the touchdowns.

Chad Ochocinco, WR. The stats: 3 receptions, 27 yards, 1 touchdown and 8 fantasy points. See? All it takes is one trip to the end zone.

Jeremy Shockey, TE. The stats: 4 receptions, 46 yards and 4 fantasy points. Jeremy just keeps chugging along in fantasy mediocrity.

Nick Folk, K. The stats: 1 of 2 on field goals, 2 of 2 on PATs and 4 fantasy points. More on him later.

Philadelphia Eagles, D/ST. The stats: 4 fumble recoveries (1 returned for a touchdown), 3 sacks, 1 punt returned for a touchdown, 38 points allowed and 16 fantasy points. The defense was by far the top performer for the People's Pigskin. And that's not a good thing.

Bench. Chris "Beanie" Wells scored 13 fantasy points. The San Francisco defense/special teams scored 24.

Time for a couple of new polls. The first one deals with Austin Collie, whose Indianapolis Colts play the Jacksonville Jaguars on Thursday night. The poll asks whether Collie (who scored 9 fantasy points last week) should start for our team. If you vote to bench him, T.J. Houshmandzadeh will move (temporarily, at least) into his spot. This poll will close Thursday morning.

The other poll deals with our kicker. Nick Folk, now tied for 19th in fantasy points among kickers, is getting the heave-ho, and you have three candidates to take his spot.

Jay Feely, 6th among kickers with 108 points.

Matt Prater, 9th among kickers with 97.

Dan Carpenter, 10th among kickers with 95.

This poll will close Saturday. Please vote.

Pick the People's Team - Week 14

While you contemplate who needs to take Steve Slaton's place, it's time to consider the People's Pigskin's consolation round matchup against the Houston Wreckin' Crew. Here's how the lineup looks now.

Quarterback. After a phenomenal Sunday night against the Minnesota Vikings, Kurt Warner returns to our starting lineup. This week he gets to play the San Francisco 49ers on Monday night. (And since he needs to look no further than his own home to see what a head injury can do, it's safe to say he's not going to lie to the trainers to get back on the field.) Matt Cassel is available to come off the bench.

Running back. The starting lineup contains one familiar face (Matt Forte) and a newcomer, Julius Jones, the person that you, the Internet, said should replace Jamal Lewis. Forte faces the Green Bay Packers, while Jones gets the Houston Texans. If you want to bench one of them, we can call on Chris "Beanie" Wells.

Flex. One side benefit of following the People's Pigskin for fantasy football fans is that you will never have to wonder how to spell T.J. Houshmandzadeh's name again. Anyway, he gets the Texans, and Beanie Wells can take his spot if necessary.

Wide receiver. Two more familiar names here. Greg Jennings faces the Chicago Bears, while Chad Ochocinco gets the Minnesota Vikings. Nate Washington is waiting in the wings.

Defense/special teams. After a big Sunday, the Philadelphia Eagles rank second in fantasy points. This week they get the New York Giants on Sunday night. The San Francisco 49ers are available on the bench.

The song remains the same at tight end (Jeremy Shockey) and kicker (Nick Folk).

The poll is up. This one, along with the two below it, will close Saturday night or Sunday morning. Be sure to vote, and be sure to enjoy tonight's Steelers-Browns game.

The People's Assessment

The Landshark Maniacs regular season has come to an end, and for the People's Pigskin, it came to an end with a 74-70 loss to the D.C. Destroyers. Here's a breakdown of this week's results.

Matt Cassel, QB. The stats: 10 of 29 passing, 84 yards, 2 interceptions, 3 rushes for 17 yards, and 0 fantasy points. Cassel was pressed into service by the questions surrounding Kurt Warner's concussion. Maybe we would have been better off with this guy in the starting lineup.

Matt Forte, RB. The stats: 24 rushes for 91 yards and a touchdown, 1 reception for 5 yards, 1 fumble and 13 fantasy points. Another day of many touches and fewer yards than you might have a right to expect.

Chris "Beanie" Wells, RB. The stats: 13 rushes, 28 yards and 2 fantasy points. These stats are all the more glaring when you consider the way the Arizona Cardinals beat up the Minnesota Vikings.

T.J. Houshmandzadeh, Flex. The stats: 5 receptions, 37 yards and 3 fantasy points. Another underwhelming performance for T.J. and the rest of the Seattle Seahawks offense, despite their win over the San Francisco 49ers.

Greg Jennings, WR. The stats: 6 receptions, 77 yards and 7 fantasy points. Jennings was targeted time and time again on Monday night, but he drew more than his fair share of pass interference penalties in an ugly contest against the Baltimore Ravens. These penalties were good for the Packers, but not the Pigskin.

Chad Ochocinco, WR. The stats: 9 receptions, 137 yards, 1 touchdown and 19 fantasy points. If everyone else on the Pigskin had performed as well as Ochocinco, we might be contending for the title.

Jeremy Shockey, TE. The stats: 4 receptions, 47 yards and 4 fantasy points. You'd think an offense like the New Orleans Saints would find more use for its tight end, especially when that offense needs overtime to beat the Washington Redskins.

Nick Folk, K. The stats: 1 for 3 on field goals, 3 for 3 on extra points, and 4 fantasy points. It's a good thing Folk doesn't kick for Jim Zorn, or he'd be on the street right now.

Philadelphia Eagles, D/ST. The stats: 2 interceptions (1 returned for a touchdown), 1 fumble recovery, 2 sacks, 7 points allowed and 18 fantasy points. Whew. That's better.

Bench. Kurt Warner scored 28 fantasy points. (Yes, that makes me want to scream, too.) Steve Slaton was inactive. Nate Washington scored 4.

The People's Pigskin ends the regular season in 7th place with a record of 5-9. However, our work is not over yet.

In 10-team ESPN fantasy football leagues, the top four teams make the playoffs. (Congratulations to the Northeast Dragons, Big Lough O, Tinks Revenge and the Hawaiian Surfriders for making the real postseason.) The other teams are put in a consolation bracket where No. 5 plays No. 6, No. 7 plays No. 8 and No. 9 plays No. 10. It's kind of like those holiday basketball tournaments where the winners meet in the championship in prime time while the losers have to be at the gym at the crack of dawn for their consolation match.

In our case, that means facing the Houston Wreckin' Crew in a two-week battle (kind of like a Jeopardy tournament final) for the right to play in the fifth-place match to end the season. And as you might have guessed from the recent poll about abandoned teams, the People's Pigskin does not believe in abandoning its fantasy football obligation simply because a team is in the consolation bracket. We will fight to the bitter end. (Insert your favorite rallying speech here.)

Be sure to vote in the waiver and trophy polls. We'll be back tomorrow with a ridiculously early set of predictions, followed by a poll on what to do with our lineup for week 1 against the Wreckin Crew.

Wednesday's "Oh, Crap" Update

The People's Pigskin has just learned that the Cleveland Browns have put Jamal Lewis on the injured reserve list. That means the end of his season (and possibly his career).

In light of this, we have moved T.J. Houshmandzadeh into the starting lineup. We've also updated the lineup poll.

Flex. Houshmandzadeh is now in that spot. If you vote to bench him, we can start Chris "Beanie" Wells.

Wide receiver. You can still vote to bench either Greg Jennings or Chad Ochocinco, but if you do so, Nate Washington will get that spot.

The poll is updated and open, along with the poll on abandoned fantasy football teams. We'll be back tomorrow with another early edition of the Landshark Maniacs predictions.

Last Week's Results (and This Week's Prospects)

The People's Pigskin had a simply awful week. The Internet's favorite fantasy football team was clobbered by the Hawaiian Surfriders by a score of 94-37. The Surfriders should get the credit for a great week, but the Pigskin got subpar results from everyone on its roster. Here's a brief breakdown:

Matt Cassel, QB. The stats: 19 of 31 passing for 178 yards, 6 rushes for 22 yards, 1 touchdown, 1 interception, 1 fumble and 9 fantasy points.

Matt Forte, RB. The stats: 8 rushes for 27 yards, 4 receptions for 34 yards and 5 fantasy points.

Chris "Beanie" Wells, RB. The stats: 8 rushes for 20 yards, 1 reception for 21 yards and 4 fantasy points.

Greg Jennings, Flex. The stats: 4 receptions, 53 yards and 5 fantasy points.

T.J. Houshmandzadeh, WR. The stats: 2 receptions, 14 yards and 1 fantasy point.

Chad Ochocinco, WR. The stats: 3 receptions, 38 yards and 3 fantasy points.

Jeremy Shockey, TE. The stats: 1 reception, 15 yards and 1 fantasy point.

Nick Folk, K. The stats: 1 for 2 on field goals, 3 for 3 on PATs and 5 fantasy points.

Philadelphia Eagles, DEF/ST. The stats: 2 interceptions, 1 sack, 24 points allowed and 4 fantasy points.

Bench. Steve Slaton scored 9 fantasy points. Nate Washington scored 6. The San Francisco 49ers scored 17. Kurt Warner was inactivated shortly before his game.

The Pigskin's record is now 5-7. Next up is the D.C. Destroyers, another 5-7 team. Here's how our lineup looks now.

Quarterback. Matt Cassel remains in the starting spot for the moment, since Warner still seems to be battling concussion symptoms. If you believe he'll be cleared to play this Sunday, you can vote to move him into the lineup.

Running back. Matt Forte keeps his spot, and Steve Slaton returns to the starting roster. If you want either of them benched, Beanie Wells can take the spot.

Flex. This week's flex starter is Jamal Lewis. If you disagree with this, you can vote to put T.J. Houshmandzadeh in this spot.

Wide receiver. Back to the well we go with Greg Jennings and Chad Ochocinco. Again, Houshmandzadeh awaits if one of these receivers should be benched.

Defense/special teams. The Philadelphia Eagles remain in the starting lineup, unless you vote to put the San Francisco 49ers into that spot.

There are no changes at tight end (Jeremy Shockey) or kicker (Nick Folk).

The lineup poll is now open. Please vote. The lineup is in your hands. Thanks.

Pick the People's Team - Week 12 (and Thanksgiving Help)

First of all, Happy Thanksgiving to all of you who have kept this blog going with your visits, comments and votes. We couldn't do it without you.

We had two polls close last night. The first one was about whether Greg Jennings and/or Nick Folk should start for the People's Pigskin today or be benched. You voted to keep them both in the lineup, so they'll stay right there.

The second poll was about how much football you plan to watch this weekend. As the results (at the bottom of this post) show, you won't exactly be camped out at your local retailer all weekend.

While you're waiting for the turkey to roast -- or fry; I'm not one to look down on those of you daring enough to do this -- it's time to consider the rest of this week's lineup for our matchup against the Hawaiian Surfriders. (And at the end of this post, we'll have a link to help you deal with relatives today. Stay tuned.)

Quarterback. At the moment we have Kurt Warner as our starter. He reportedly expects to play Sunday against the Tennessee Titans, despite last week's injury. If you're nervous enough to bench him, Matt Cassel can start in his place.

Running back. Our current starters are Steve Slaton, who missed practice Wednesday with a shoulder injury, and Chris "Beanie" Wells, who is asserting himself more and more each week. If we bench one of these runners, we'll start Matt Forte.

Flex. Greg Jennings is in this slot and should be carving up the Lions at about the time you're carving up your poultry.

Wide receiver. Our starting lineup has T.J. Houshmandzadeh and Chad Ochocinco, who hopefully won't fumble any boxing references (or footballs) this week. If either receiver is benched, Nate Washington will move into that spot.

Defense. At the moment, we have the Philadelphia Eagles ready to go against the Washington Redskins. If you would rather insert the San Francisco 49ers (who face the Jacksonville Jaguars), vote accordingly.

You already know about the kicker, and there is no change at tight end (Jeremy Shockey).

The new poll is up. Please vote.

Now a public service announcement from the People's Pigskin. If you're a fantasy football player who's visiting or hosting some non-fantasy players today, it's possible that you'll be asked the question, "What is this fantasy football everyone's talking about?" The likelihood of this skyrockets in one of the following scenarios.

1. You excuse yourself from a conversation about Uncle Henry's surgery to go to your computer and adjust your lineup.

2. You hear over your shoulder that your quarterback is out, and you immediately ask your host for permission to use his/her computer to fix your lineup.

If they ask about fantasy football while you're at the computer, you could try to fumble your way through an explanation yourself, or  you could just click here for a quick video tutorial and thank the People's Pigskin later.

[polldaddy poll=2257311] [polldaddy poll=2292722]

The People's Win (and Plans for Thursday)

The People's Pigskin bounced back this week by defeating the Houston Wreckin' Crew by a score of 68-38. The Crew didn't get any favors from Michael Turner, who was ruled inactive for the Atlanta Falcons, but even with a typical Turner performance, you, the Internet, would have prevailed in this fantasy football contest. Here's the breakdown.

Kurt Warner, QB. The stats: 15 of 19 passing, 203 yards, 2 touchdowns, 1 fumble and 14 fantasy points. The big news here, of course, is the injury Warner suffered shortly before halftime. He's saying that the injury wasn't serious, but it's well worth monitoring this week.

Matt Forte, RB. The stats: 14 rushes for 34 yards, 4 receptions for 20 yards, a 2-point conversion and 7 fantasy points. No member on the Chicago Bears covered himself in glory Sunday night, except perhaps for Robbie Gould.

Chris "Beanie" Wells, RB. The stats: 14 rushes for 74 yards, 1 touchdown, 2 receptions for 11 yards and 14 fantasy points. Wells' campaign for Pleasant Fantasy Surprise of the Year continues and may even get a lift if Warner can't go Sunday.

Greg Jennings, Flex. The stats: 5 receptions, 126 yards, 1 touchdown and 18 fantasy points. Whew. That's more like it.

T.J. Houshmandzadeh, WR. The stats: 4 receptions, 36 yards and 3 fantasy points. It seemed as if the Seattle Seahawks offense was swallowed whole by the Minnesota Vikings.

Chad Ochocinco, WR. The stats: 4 receptions, 67 yards and 6 fantasy points. Another high-powered offense fell flat against the Oakland Raiders. Can anyone figure that out?

Jeremy Shockey, TE. The stats: 2 receptions, 17 yards and 1 fantasy point. The New Orleans Saints spread the ball around in their thumping of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Can't decide whether they spread it too much or not enough.

Nick Folk, K. The stats: 0 for 1 on field goals, 1 for 1 on extra points and 0 fantasy points. Ugh.

Philadelphia Eagles, D/ST. The stats: 1 interception, 1 sack, 1 blocked kick, 20 points allowed and 5 fantasy points. The Eagles late plays on defense and special teams saved their game and their fantasy value at the same time.

Bench. Matt Cassel scored 15 points, while Jamal Lewis scored 10. The 49ers defense/special teams had minus-2.

Now let's talk about Thanksgiving. The People's Pigskin has two players who will be working on that day: Greg Jennings, whose Green Bay Packers visit the Detroit Lions, and Nick Folk, whose Dallas Cowboys entertain the Oakland Raiders. A poll about whether to bench either (or both) of these players is now up and will close on Thanksgiving morning. If we bench Jennings, Nate Washington will be moved into the starting lineup, though there will be time to switch him for someone else by Sunday. If we bench Folk, a kicker will be picked up from the waiver wire.

Again, the poll is up. Please vote. We'll be back later with more football thoughts.

Pick the People's Lineup - Week 11

The People's Pigskin doesn't have any players in Thursday night's game between the Miami Dolphins and the Carolina Panthers. However, this team does need to get on a winning streak in a hurry, so we'll need your help.

This week's opponent is the Houston Wreckin' Crew. Here is how our lineup looks now.

Quarterback. The one and only Kurt Warner is starting. He's now in the top 10 among fantasy quarterbacks, and he gets the St. Louis Rams this week. If that matchup isn't to your liking, you can vote to start Matt Cassel instead.

Running back. Last week's starters are, at least for now, this week's starters. Matt Forte gets the Philadelphia Eagles this week. Chris "Beanie" Wells gets the Rams. If you wish to bench one of these players, we can start Jamal Lewis, who gets to play the Detroit Lions at least once more before he hangs up his cleats.

Flex. For now we have Greg Jennings in this spot. If he plays, he gets the San Francisco 49ers this week. The Green Bay Packers have said he'll miss practice time with his knee injury, but so far there's no indication that he'll miss playing time. If you think Jennings should sit, Lewis can come off our bench.

Wide receiver. Yes, it's the old Bengals duo of Chad Ochocinco and T.J. Houshmandzadeh. Ochocinco gets to face the Oakland Raiders this week, and he might be doing this now that both the Baltimore Ravens and the Pittsburgh Steelers are in his rear-view mirror. Houshmandzadeh gets the Minnesota Vikings. If you wish to bench one of these players, Nate Washington (whose Tennessee Titans play Monday night) is ready to play.

No changes at tight end (Jeremy Shockey) or kicker (Nick Folk). But we have to discuss one more position.

Defense/special teams. We've started the Philadelphia Eagles every week except their bye week. They are in the starting lineup now, and they get the Chicago Bears on Sunday night. Facing the Bears with Jay Cutler at the helm can be feast or famine for a fantasy football player, and the Eagles haven't exactly covered themselves in glory in games shown on NBC.

This week, and for the rest of the season, the defense/special teams will appear in our lineup poll. If you want to sit the Eagles, we can call on the 49ers, who face the Packers.

The poll is up. Please vote. This fantasy football team is counting on you.

By the way, you may remember that the folks at Fantasy Sports Shack invited me to play their Name Your Sleepers game. The result: the People's Pigskin defeated the Shack. Thanks to the Shack for inviting me to play, and yes, I'll remember next time to follow the rules, or they'll do this to me.

We'll be back tomorrow with some thoughts about everyone's favorite game of all-stars.

Behind the People's Loss

The People's Pigskin needed the Baltimore Ravens defense/special teams to come up small against the Cleveland Browns on Monday night. They didn't, and as a result, the Internet's favorite fantasy football team lost by a score of 104-84 to Big Lough O, lowering the season record to  4-6. Here's the breakdown.

Kurt Warner, QB. The stats: 29 of 38 passing, 340 yards, 2 touchdowns and 21 fantasy points. Warner remains the straw that stirs the Arizona Cardinals. But as we'll see in a moment, he's getting some help.

Matt Forte, RB. The stats: 20 rushes for 41 yards, 8 receptions for 120 yards and 16 fantasy points. Lost in the tumult over Jay Cutler's performance was the fact that Forte put up solid numbers and did not turn the ball over.

Chris "Beanie" Wells, RB. The stats: 16 rushes for 85 yards, 2 receptions for 32 yards, 2 touchdowns, and 23 fantasy  points. A tremendous call by you, the Internet, to put Wells in our starting lineup. He started the year as a backup, but now he's earning at least equal time in the backfield with Tim Hightower. And you have to love it when the guy you just put into the lineup is being called a "big weapon."

T.J. Houshmandzadeh, Flex. The stats: 9 receptions, 165 yards and 16 fantasy points. T.J. continues to be a frequent target for the Seattle Seahawks, and his targets may rise even higher if Julius Jones misses significant time with his lung injury. (And to tell you the truth, "lung injury" is painful even to type.)

Greg Jennings, WR. The stats: 4 receptions, 45 yards and 4 fantasy points. The Green Bay Packers say Jennings suffered a knee contusion in Sunday's game against the Dallas Cowboys. He may miss practice time, but he's expected to be ready to play against the San Francisco 49ers.

Chad Ochocinco, WR. The stats: 2 receptions, 29 yards and 2 fantasy points. Chad goes from facing the Pittsburgh Steelers to facing the Oakland Raiders. We'll have to hope his numbers benefit from the switch.

Jeremy Shockey, TE. The stats: 3 receptions, 42 yards and 4 fantasy points. The New Orleans Saints flirted with disaster against the St. Louis Rams, and Shockey paid the price. Drew Brees threw two interceptions, and Shockey was the target both times.

Nick Folk, K. The stats: 1 missed field goal, 1 extra point and 0 fantasy points. The Dallas Cowboys were shut down most of the day (scoring only a garbage time touchdown), so Folk got few opportunities.

Philadelphia Eagles, D/ST. The stats: 2 sacks, 31 points allowed and minus-2 fantasy points. The team that entered week 10 ranked second in fantasy points got pummeled by the San Diego Chargers. One factor was Philadelphia's inability to run, and that concern could be a permanent one if Brian Westbrook can't bounce back from his concussions.

Bench. Nate Washington scored 9 fantasy points. Jamal Lewis (who was benched in favor of Wells) scored 3. The San Francisco 49ers defense/special teams, who I thought would draw at least one trade offer during bye weeks, scored 17.

We'll be back tomorrow with our game plan for week 11.

Pick the People's Team - Week 10

The final score of last week's matchup with the Northeast Dragons was 122-83. Our fantasy football team's record is now 4-5. Next up is a date with Big Lough O. And here is how our lineup looks now.

Quarterback. Kurt Warner, having rebounded from a 5-interception performance with a 5-touchdown one, gets the Seattle Seahawks this week. If that matchup isn't to your liking, Matt Cassel awaits on the bench.

Running back. We've already discussed Matt Forte, who gets his own poll because the Chicago Bears play on Thursday. Steve Slaton has a bye (and this, thank the deity of your choice, is the last week of bye weeks), so the other starting spot is currently being held by Jamal Lewis, who faces the Baltimore Ravens this week and may get Brady Quinn in his backfield. The Ravens aren't quite as scary for opposing running backs as they used to be. Just ask Cedric Benson. But if you don't want Lewis or Forte in our lineup, we can call on Chris "Beanie" Wells.

Flex. Once again, T.J. Houshmandzadeh occupies the flex spot. His Seahawks take on the Cardinals. If you want to send him to the bench, we can call up Mr. Wells to take this spot.

Wide receiver. Two more familiar faces occupies these slots: Greg Jennings, whose Green Bay Packers take on the Dallas Cowboys, and Chad Ochocinco, who gets the Pittsburgh Steelers and hopefully won't offer any gratuities to the officials this week. If you want to bench one of these receivers, we can insert Nate Washington into the lineup.

No changes at tight end (Jeremy Shockey), kicker (Nick Folk), or defense/special teams (Philadelphia Eagles).

The new poll is up. Please vote. We'll be back tomorrow with some recommended reading.

Looking Back (and Ahead)

Even though the Monday night game has yet to kick off, the People's Pigskin has racked up another loss. We currently trail the Northeast Dragons by a score of 93-83. The Dragons will start Brandon Marshall and the Steelers defense/special teams tonight, but unless Brandon has a few "Wrong Way" Marshall plays in him, the Pigskin's record will drop to 4-5.

Here's a breakdown of our results.

Kurt Warner, QB. The stats: 22 of 32 passing, 261 yards, 5 touchdowns, 1 rush for 3 yards, and 30 fantasy points. A week after his disastrous five-interception outing, Warner made mincemeat of the the Chicago Bears defense. If the rest of our fantasy football team played the way he did, we'd be talking about a resounding victory instead of a defeat.

Matt Forte, RB. The stats: 5 rushes for 33 yards, 6 receptions for 74 yards, and 10 fantasy points. For what it's worth, Forte is one of the few running backs who doesn't become irrelevant in fantasy football when his team gets behind, because he can do as much damage as a receiver as he does as a runner.

Steve Slaton, RB. The stats: 6 rushes for 17 yards, 3 receptions for 12 yards, 1 touchdown, and 8 fantasy points. This week it was Ryan Moats' turn to fumble the ball for the Houston Texans. Slaton held the ball long enough to get it in the end zone -- always a plus for fantasy players.

T.J. Houshmandzadeh, Flex. The stats: 6 receptions, 34 yards, 1 touchdown, and 9 fantasy points. The Seattle Seahawks were able to beat the Detroit Lions, but no Seahawk covered himself in fantasy glory.

Greg Jennings, WR. The stats: 5 receptions, 61 yards, and 6 fantasy points. Jennings should have had a much bigger day against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who got their first win of the season in spite of their ugly Popsicle-colored uniforms.

Chad Ochocinco, WR. The stats: 5 receptions, 66 yards, 1 fumble, and 4 fantasy points. It's never a good sign when the most memorable part of your starting receiver's day is his attempt to give an official a dollar in exchange for a replay call. (He may end up giving the NFL more than a dollar for that stunt.)

Jeremy Shockey, TE. The stats: 3 receptions, 26 yards, and 2 fantasy points. You would think Shockey would have gotten more involved in the New Orleans Saints come-from-behind win over the Carolina Panthers.

Nick Folk, K. The stats: 2 for 2 on field goals, 2 for 2 on extra points, and 8 fantasy points. Folk made the most of his chances in a surprising Dallas Cowboys victory over the Philadelphia Eagles. Speaking of which...

Philadelphia Eagles, D/ST. The stats: 1 interception, 4 sacks, 20 points allowed, and 6 fantasy points. The Eagles did everything right except keeping the Cowboys out of the end zone.

Bench. Matt Cassel got 20 fantasy points in his debut on the People's Pigskin bench, while Derrick Ward earned 11.

Now, while we wait for the Monday night game, it's time to look ahead to another night: Thursday night. The NFL Network Thursday slate starts this week with the Chicago Bears taking on the San Francisco 49ers. That means we can't wait until Saturday night to make the call on whether Matt Forte should start. As a result, this week we'll have a special poll for Forte alone. This poll will close Wednesday night. Please vote.

We'll be back tomorrow with a more detailed look at next week's matchup.

Pick the People's Team - Week 9

While you consider what quarterback to pick up off waivers (and that poll will close Wednesday night), it's time to start gearing up for our upcoming fantasy football game. This week's opponent is the 7-1 Northeast Dragons. You can look at our current lineup here. And here's the breakdown.

Quarterback. For the moment, Kurt Warner remains in the starting lineup. There's no question that he had a rough time last week, but the Arizona Cardinals are showing no signs of either shifting their offensive focus away from the passing game or benching Warner. Bonus stat: He's tied with Matt Schaub for most pass attempts this season. If you want to bench Warner anyway, we can start the QB we pick up off waivers. (You can still vote on that, btw.)

Running back. Right now our starters are Matt Forte and (take a deep breath here) Steve Slaton. Yes, Slaton was benched last week after an early fumble, but Gary Kubiak has said Slaton will get some playing time this week against the Indianapolis Colts. If you wish to bench either Forte or Slaton, we can call on Chris "Beanie" Wells.

Flex. We currently have T.J. Houshmandzadeh in this spot. He put up disappointing numbers last week but was still targeted 11 times last week and gets to face the Detroit Lions, whose fans seem to be turning on Matthew Stafford already. Nate Washington can be called into service if you want to bench Houshmandzadeh.

Wide receiver. We get to welcome back to the lineup Chad Ochocinco, who ranks in the top 10 in receiving yards per game. He joins Greg Jennings, who gets to face the winless Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who probably wish they could be facing the Florida Tuskers instead. If you want to bench one of these receivers, T.J. Houshmandzadeh could fill one of these slots, and Nate Washington could take the flex spot.

No changes this week in tight end (Jeremy Shockey), kicker (Nick Folk), or defense/special teams (Philadelphia Eagles).

The new poll is up, along with the quarterback and fantasy team ones. Please vote. We'll be back with more tomorrow.

Behind the Week 8 Loss

No two ways about it -- this one hurt.

Despite the best efforts of you, the Internet, to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat, the fantasy football gods decided it wasn't enough. The People's Pigskin lost its rematch against Ravens Fan T Sizzle by a score of 74-72. Here's a breakdown of our team's performance.

Kurt Warner, QB. The stats: 27 of 46 passing for 242 yards, 2 touchdowns, 5 interceptions, 1 rush for 8 yards, 1 fumble, and 5 fantasy points. His Arizona Cardinals suffered a horrible loss to the Carolina Panthers. It felt like a fluke, and we have to hope it was.

Matt Forte, RB. The stats: 26 rushes for 90 yards and 2 touchdowns, 2 receptions for 31 yards, and 24 fantasy points. Now, that's the Matt Forte that was getting such high praise when everyone was having their drafts. It's too bad the Chicago Bears can't play the Cleveland Browns every week.

Steve Slaton, RB. The stats: 1 rush for 1 yard, 2 receptions for 10 yards, 1 fumble, and minus-1 fantasy point. It's one thing if you lose a fantasy player to an injury. It's another thing when your fantasy starter is benched for a fumble while his team rolls to an easy victory.

If Houston Texans coach Gary Kubiak is reading this, let me say something on behalf of fantasy football players everywhere. We know you're in no rush to name a starting running back, and we know you're looking out for your team, not ours. But if you feel compelled to punish a player, we'd prefer it if you fined him or made him run extra laps or forced him to watch Cougar Town or something.

Chris "Beanie" Wells, Flex. The stats: 8 rushes for 47 yards and 4 fantasy points. Wells' fantasy stats will depend on scoring touchdowns, and the Cardinals fell far enough behind to have to throw the rest of the game.

Greg Jennings, WR. The stats: 8 receptions for 88 yards, 1 touchdown, and 14 fantasy points. It wasn't a happy homecoming as far as Green Bay Packers fans were concerned, but Jennings continued to show his value to his team and to fantasy football.

T.J. Houshmandzadeh, WR. The stats: 4 receptions for 24 yards and 2 fantasy points. The Seattle Seahawks looked flat as a whole against the Dallas Cowboys.

Jeremy Shockey, TE. The stats: 5 receptions for 72 yards and 7 fantasy points. Shockey almost led the comeback against the Sizzle, but it ended up falling short.

Nick Folk, K. The stats: 1 for 2 on field goals, 5 for 5 on extra points, and 8 fantasy points. Steady production is the best one can expect from a kicker.

Philadelphia Eagles, D/ST. The stats: 2 interceptions, 1 fumble recovery, 2 sacks, 17 points allowed, and 9 fantasy points. These stats look better when you consider that they were compiled against the New York Giants, a preseason Super Bowl contender.

Bench. Nate Washington put up 8 points, while Jamal Lewis put up 6.

At this point, the People's Pigskin's record is 4-4, and I just have to hope you, the Internet, won't fire me like George Kokinis.

We'll be back tomorrow with a preview of our next matchup. In the meantime, be sure to vote, both in our polls and at your local precincts.

Pick the People's Team - Week 8

While you decide how to vote in our tight end and TV watching polls, it's time for a look at the week ahead.

The People's Pigskin puts its 4-3 record on the line this week in a rematch against Ravens Fan T Sizzle. Our last meeting (in week 1 of the Landshark Maniacs season) resulted in a 104-103 win for you, the Internet. Anything can happen on any given week in fantasy football, so don't let the Sizzle's 1-6 record fool you. This team is dangerous, and we need your help assembling this week's lineup. Here are our current starters.

Quarterback. Once again we feature Kurt Warner in the starting spot. As long as he stays upright, and as long as the Cardinals feature a pass-first offense, Warner will remain a fantasy football threat. If you disagree, we can pull a quarterback off the waiver wire.

Running back. Both of our starters have some tasty matchups: Matt Forte (against the Cleveland Browns) and Steve Slaton (against the Buffalo Bills). If you're tired of either of these options, we can call Jamal Lewis off the bench.

Flex. Please welcome back to the lineup Chris "Beanie" Wells, who scored 13 fantasy points (primarily from a touchdown) on the bench last week. If you think that score was a fluke, we can use Jamal Lewis instead.

Wide receiver. Greg Jennings remains in the lineup, but Chad Ochocinco has a bye week, so he's been replaced by his former teammate, T.J. Houshmandzadeh. If you want to replace one of these receivers, Nate Washington awaits on the bench.

You already know what's going with the tight end. There are no changes in kicker (Nick Folk) or defense/special teams (Philadelphia Eagles).

The new poll is up and will be open until Saturday night. The tight end poll will close tonight. Please vote.

Behind the Loss

There was no miraculous comeback for the People's Pigskin, which fell to Tinks Revenge by a final score of 110-79. The season record is now 3-3. Here's the breakdown of the breakdown.

Kurt Warner, QB. The stats: 32 of 41 passing for 276 yards, 2 touchdowns, 1 interception, 1 fumble, and 15 fantasy points. Warner once again was the engine for the Arizona Cardinals offense, but the turnovers held down Kurt's fantasy numbers. (So did Seattle's lack of offense, which kept Kurt from having to throw deep late in the game.)

Matt Forte, RB. The stats: 15 rushes for 23 yards, 5 receptions for 37 yards, 1 fumble, and 3 fantasy points. Matt had a golden opportunity to score a touchdown for the Bears, but his goal-line fumble was a killer for the Chicago Bears.

Steve Slaton, RB. The stats: 19 rushes for 43 yards, 6 receptions for 102 yards, 1 touchdown, 1 fumble, and 18 fantasy points. We can't complain about Steve's Sunday, but his point total simply could not compete with the Revenge's big numbers from DeAngelo Williams (29) and Ray Rice (30).

Chad Ochocino, Flex. The stats: 5 receptions, 103 yards, and 10 fantasy points. The Cincinnati Bengals had a rough outing against the Houston Texans. Chad needs to start finding the end zone again.

Greg Jennings, WR. The stats: 6 receptions, 64 yards, and 6 fantasy points. The Green Bay Packers put up 26 points against the lowly Detroit Lions, but Jennings couldn't get a piece of that.

T.J. Houshmandzadeh, WR. The stats: 4 receptions, 34 yards, and 3 fantasy points. The Seattle Seahawks had a miserable outing against the Arizona Cardinals. And from T.J.'s numbers, you'd think Seneca Wallace was the starting quarterback.

Chris Cooley, TE. The stats: 5 receptions, 57 yards, and 5 fantasy points. Perhaps Cooley should spend a little less time at the pottery wheel and a little more time in the end zone.

Matt Prater, K. The stats: 2 field goals, 4 extra points, and 9 fantasy points. Thanks for playing, Matt. It was fun while it lasted.

Philadelphia Eagles, D/ST. The stats: 2 interceptions, 2 sacks, 13 points allowed, and 10 fantasy points. The defense did its part against the Oakland Raiders, though the offense laid an Eagle-size egg.

Bench. Not much help there: Jamal Lewis scored 3 points, and Chris "Beanie" Wells scored 2.

We'll regroup and offer a week 7 preview tomorrow.

Pick the People's Team - Week 6

Thanks to everyone who voted in this week's waiver polls. The winners (if someone being picked up from waivers for fantasy football can be called a winner) were Nate Washington and Matt Prater. Both of them are now part of our roster.

Now, it's the moment you've been waiting for all week -- the chance to pick the starters for the Landshark Maniacs matchup between the People's Pigskin and Tinks Revenge. Here's a look at the current starters and the options for lineup changes.

Quarterback. Once again, Kurt Warner is our starter. And despite predictions for more balance in the Arizona Cardinals play calls, he remains an invaluable part of any fantasy team. If you disagree, you can vote to bring Trent Edwards off the bench (and persuade your friends to do likewise).

Running back. Our starters are Matt Forte (who is reportedly recovered from his knee injury) and Steve Slaton, who faces the Cincinnati Bengals. If you want to send one of these players to the bench, we can put Derrick Ward into the lineup.

Flex. America's favorite touchdown celebrator, Chad Ochocinco, is in our flex spot this week. He didn't get to unveil his "Ricky Bobby" tribute last week, so maybe we'll get to see it this week. Hopefully, it won't involve praying to Tom Cruise. Anyway, if you want to take a pass on his antics, Nate Washington is an option.

Wide receiver. Our current starters are Greg Jennings (whose quarterback is showing his loyalty to his offensive line) and T.J. Houshmandzadeh, who caught two touchdowns for the Seattle Seahawks last week. If you want to bench one of them, Nate Washington can fill in.

We already discussed our kicker. There are no changes at tight end (Chris Cooley) or defense/special teams (Philadelphia Eagles).

Here's the poll. This system depends on votes by you, the Internet, so be sure to participate. And don't forget about our team loyalty poll. We'll be back with a Landshark Maniacs preview and/or some random thoughts.

[polldaddy poll=2123764]

The People's Loss (and the Next Step)

Congratulations are in order for t-day jacks 151rum stumblrs, who defeated the People's Pigskin by a score of 77-76. Each team had two players put up zero points, so this one could easily have gone either way. Here's a breakdown of our team's letdown.

Kurt Warner, QB. The stats: 26 of 38 passing, 302 yards, 2 touchdowns, and 20 fantasy points. His team had to sweat a goal-line stand by its defense, but the Arizona Cardinals offense clearly goes through Warner.

Steve Slaton, RB. The stats: 13 rushes for 39 yards, 6 receptions for 59 yards, and 8 fantasy points. One has to wonder what would have happened, for both the Houston Texans and the People's Pigskin, if Slaton had been on the field for that goal-line stand.

Donald Brown, RB. The stats: 6 rushes for 22 yards, 2 receptions for 13 yards, and 3 fantasy points. The Indianapolis Colts did go into preserve-the-lead-and-kill-the-clock-with-runs mode with Brown late in the game, but Brown still couldn't find holes in the Tennessee Titans defense.

Brandon Stokley, Flex. The stats: 0 receptions, 1 target, and 0 fantasy points. More on him later.

T.J. Houshmandzadeh, WR. The stats: 5 receptions, 77 yards, 2 touchdowns, and 19 fantasy points. Now, there's the T.J. we all know and love. Matt Hasslebeck's return to form was a godsend for fantasy players who did not give up on his receivers.

Chad Ochocinco, WR. The stats: 7 receptions for 94 yards, 1 fumble, and 7 fantasy points. His Cincinnati Bengals rallied to beat the Baltimore Ravens, but Ochocinco was kept out of the end zone.

Chris Cooley, TE. The stats: 0 catches, 0 targets, and 0 fantasy points. Cooley was held without a catch for the first time since 2004, when he was a rookie. Hopefully, this won't become a trend.

Nick Folk, K. The stats: 2 for 3 on field goals, 2 extra points, and 7 fantasy points. Fantasy football players who started Folk may be the only people outside of Kansas City who were disappointed that Miles Austin scored in overtime to give the Dallas Cowboys a victory.

Philadelphia Eagles, D/ST. The stats: 3 interceptions, 1 safety, 14 points allowed, and 12 fantasy points. Yes, these numbers came against the hapless Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but as long as they keep coming (and as long as Donovan McNabb stays upright), we'll take them.

Bench. Jamal Lewis put up 11 points, and Trent Edwards put up 8.

Now, about Stokley, who was held without a fantasy points for the third straight week, it's time for him to go. (Yes, I'm being Mr. Obvious here.) That means it's time for you, the Internet, to vote on who should be picked up off the waiver wire. Here are the nominees.

Nate Washington, Tennessee Titans. He's averaging 7.5 fantasy points a game, and that average would have made the People's Pigskin 4-1 today instead of 3-2.

Kenny Britt, Tennessee Titans. Yes, another Titan, but this one has at least a point in every game this season.

Kelley Washington, Baltimore Ravens. His team is becoming a passing one as much as a running one, so Washington has as good a chance as anyone to get scores on any given week.

Earl Bennett, Chicago Bears. This receiver, whose team had a bye this week, has at least 2 fantasy points in every game this season.

Bobby Wade, Kansas City Chiefs. He has 2 touchdowns to his name so far this season, and this team seems ready to beat somebody.

Those are the nominees. Here is the poll. It will stay open until Wednesday. Please vote now.

[polldaddy poll=2109615]

Pick the People's Team - Week 5

Thanks to those who voted in the latest waiver poll. Unfortunately, your unanimous choice (Jerome Harrison) got scooped up by someone else, so the People's Pigskin went "off the board" by making a claim on Chris Cooley of the Washington Redskins. This transaction would not be processed until Sunday morning, when Cooley would replace Kellen Winslow, who has become a nonentity in fantasy football for the time being.

Anyway, now it's time to prepare for this week's contest against the t-bay jacks 151 rum stumblrs. Let's take a look at our current lineup.

Quarterback. Kurt Warner, fresh off his bye week, returns to the starting lineup and faces the Houston Texans. Trent Edwards goes back to the bench but is available if you deem it necessary.

Running back. Matt Forte's Bears have their bye week, so our current starters are Steve Slaton (against the Arizona Cardinals) and Donald Brown (who faces the Tennessee Titans. If one of them is not to your liking, we can have Jamal Lewis (if he's healthy enough to play) or Chris "Beanie" Wells (if Lewis can't go).

Flex. Yes, it's another Brandon Stokley sighting. His Broncos get the New England Patriots. The other option is to insert Wells/Lewis here. (Again, Lewis would get the start if he's healthy, and Wells would get it if Lewis is still hurt.)

Wide receiver. With Greg Jennings having his bye week, we have a reunion of sorts: T.J. Houshmandzadeh (who faces the Jacksonville Jaguars) and Chad Ochocinco (who gets the Baltimore Ravens). If you want to bench one of them, we could go to the waiver wire for a replacement.

We already discussed the tight end situation. Nick Folk remains our kicker, and the Philadelphia Eagles defense/special teams return to the starting lineup this week.

Here's the poll. You should know the drill by now -- it will close Saturday night. Please vote now, and feel free to comment.

[polldaddy poll=2093245]

How We Did (and What We Do Next)

The People's Pigskin is now 1-1 after a 67-50 loss to Big Lough O. Kudos to the Os, who are now also 1-1. Here's a breakdown of our team's performance.

Kurt Warner, QB. The stats: 24 for 26 passing, 243 yards, 2 touchdowns, and 17 fantasy points. The press may be gaga over Kurt's record-setting accuracy, but a stellar accuracy percentage does not translate into stellar fantasy stats. I don't want to sound ungrateful, but you'd think a game like that would have delivered something more.

Derrick Ward, RB. The stats: 9 rushes for 32 yards, 1 reception for 5 yards, and only 3 fantasy points. Clearly, this player will have a ceiling at Tampa Bay. But one would hope it's not this low.

Jamal Lewis, RB. The stats: 14 rushes for 38 yards, 1 reception for 8 yards, and another 3 fantasy points. This against a Denver Broncos team that, despite its 2-0 record, still seems vulnerable.

Chris "Beanie" Wells, Flex. The stats: 7 rushes for 44 yards, 1 fumble lost, and 2 fantasy points. With a day like that, he's going to remain behind Tim Hightower on the depth chart for a while.

Greg Jennings, WR. The stats: 0 catches, 0 fantasy points. He was targeted five times and didn't make a single catch. The only Packers-related people who covered themselves in glory this week were the fans who didn't flip the bird when Chad made his leap.

T.J. Houshmandzadeh, WR. The stats: 4 receptions, 62 yards, and 6 fantasy points. In fantasy, it's not just about the health of your players. It's also about the health of your player's teammates. Matt Hasselbeck's rib fracture will certainly hurt T.J.'s value for weeks to come.

Kellen Winslow, TE. The stats: 7 receptions, 90 yards, 1 touchdown, and 15 fantasy points. At least we know we can get points from the tight end spot.

Nick Folk, K. The stats: 1 field goal, 4 extra points, and 8 fantasy points. The best part: If he hits the scoreboard at Cowboys Stadium, his fantasy points won't be hurt at all.

Eagles D/ST. The stats: 1 interception, 1 safety, 48 points allowed, and minus-4 fantasy points. We have no right to expect 35 fantasy points from the defense every week, but even if we had gotten a decent day from the Eagles, we would have been in the running for a win, despite the lack of production elsewhere. This game was brutal for those wearing green. I'm not ready to panic, though. Drew Brees is off to a stellar start this year, and I have to think the Eagles will bounce back now that Drew is in the rear view mirror.

I'm not ready to sit still, though. As baseball managers like to say, it's time to make a change. The People's Pigskin plans to dump Josh Morgan, who didn't get so much as a target this week and clearly isn't part of the 49ers offense right now. And this wouldn't be the People's Pigskin if we didn't have a poll. Here are the three contenders to take his WR spot from the waiver wire.

Brandon Stokley, Denver. He has 21 points this season and a penchant for long touchdowns, as Cincinnati learned in week 1.

Louis Murphy, Oakland. This rookie Raider has come up with 16 points of his own (while the other one has only 1) , and his value doesn't fall when JaMarcus Russell throws a pick.

Chansi Stuckey, N.Y. Jets. This guy has 15 points, and since Mark Sanchez isn't peeing his pants in big games, he could have some value.

We have until Thursday to make waiver wire requests, so this poll will close Wednesday night. Please vote now.

[polldaddy poll=2022265]

Week 1 Breakdown

The People's Pigskin finished the first week with 104 fantasy points and a 41-point lead over Ravens Fan T Sizzle heading into the Monday night games. Before someone asks me for my brain, here's a look at our players and their results.

Kurt Warner, QB. The stats: 26 of 44 passing, 288 yards, a touchdown, two interceptions and 11 fantasy points. A surprisingly low total. As Michael Silver points out in his always-excellent Morning Rush, the Cardinals as a whole disappointed, despite Anquan Boldin's injury (and Steve Breaston's). In Silver's words, it's time "to shake off that hangover and get back to work."

Matt Forte, RB. The stats: 25 rushes for 55 yards and 5 fantasy points. The most telling number is zero. That's the number of passes Forte caught. If Jay Cutler & Co. expect to contend, Forte needs to be part of the passing game, too.

Steve Slaton, RB. The stats: 9 rushes for 17 yards, 3 catches for 35 yards, a fumble, and 2 fantasy points. The Houston Texans as a whole looked awful against Mark Sanchez and the Jets. We've gotta hope this was just a bad day against a great defense.

Chad Ochocino, Flex. The stats: 5 catches for 89 yards, 1 rush for 8 yards, and 8 fantasy points. As far as I can tell, no tweets. The good news is that he seems to be Carson Palmer's primary target. The numbers here will get better.

Greg Jennings, WR. The stats: 6 catches for 106 yards, 1 touchdown, and 18 fantasy points. The 50-yard game-winning touchdown may also prove to be our game-winning TD.

T.J. Houshmandzadeh, WR. The stats: 6 catches for 48 yards and 4 fantasy points. Not sure what to make of this. Seattle scored 28 points with T.J. essentially as an afterthought.

Kellen Winslow, TE. The stats: 5 catches for 30 yards, 1 rush for 7 yards, 1 touchdown, and 9 points. Winslow is, for better or worse, a main cog of Tampa Bay's offense. And if they fall behind the way they did Sunday against the Dallas Cowboys, this cog will get plenty of action.

Nick Folk, K. The stats: 2 for 2 on field goals (including one for 50+ yards), 4 for 4 on extra points, and 12 fantasy points. A workmanlike effort.

Philadelphia Eagles D/ST. The stats: 5 interceptions, 2 fumble recoveries (one returned for a touchdown), one punt return for a touchdown, 10 points allowed, and 35 fantasy points. Were the Carolina Panthers that bad, or are these Eagles just that good? We'll find out soon enough.

Bench. 14 points from Derrick Ward, and 9 from Jamal Lewis.

Don't forget to vote in the TV poll. More thoughts and a poll on this week's lineup coming Tuesday.