Rushing Matchups

When picking your starters each week, one thing that must be considered is the matchups. We’ve taken each game and broken down the matchups for you here.

PLEASE NOTE: This does NOT replace the Cheatsheet ranking. The Cheatsheet rankings are the final say on where we see a player for that week. The Matchup Breakdowns are simply one more tool in the box when it comes to helping choose your lineup.

Also note, just because a player has a "bad" matchup, it does NOT mean he's not a starter in your league. If Ahman Green is playing the toughest rush defense in the league, he's got a tough matchup that week. He's also your starter unless you're sitting on Marshall Faulk.

Let's jump to it.

Great Matchups – Defenses will have major problems with the offense in these games

New Orleans' Deuce McAllister vs. The Detroit Defense (Great Matchup)

The Saints are on a roll, but Deuce McAllister ran into some trouble last week against Chicago. His 17 rushes for 45 yards and 1 fumble (also had 4 receptions for 42 yards and 1 fumble) marked his worst effort of the season.

Luckily for McAllister, he gets to visit Detroit this weekend. The Lions' defense is a sieve - they are in the bottom tier of the league (#21) surrendering 117.3 yards per game and 5 rushing touchdowns so far this season, and are ranked 31st in the league in overall defense, surrendering 405.3 yards per game. Since McAllister is a good receiver as well as an excellent rusher, the prospects for him look good this weekend.

Toss in the fact that Detroit is definitely without starting DT Shaun Rogers (hand), starting LB Brian Williams (broken ankle), and probably without DT Travis Kirschke (severe laceration on his left leg), and it looks like McAllister should have his way at Ford Field.

Jacksonville's Fred Taylor vs. The New York Jets Defense (Great Matchup)

Despite all the blame that is being heaped on the New York Jets' offense for the 0-3 start, they aren't the only ones at fault. The rushing defense is soft - 31st in the league after 3 weeks, allowing 172 yards per game on average, and hemorrhaging 6 touchdowns so far (tied for most rushing touchdowns allowed over the first three weeks).

Meanwhile, Fred Taylor has been ramping up his performance (even though he still struggles at times behind that mediocre offensive line), and ripped off his first big touchdown run of the season week 2 against Kansas City, going 63 yards for the score (although limited to 51 yards on 19 of his 20 carries otherwise).

Frankly, given the gross ineptitude of the Jets' offense so far this season, Taylor should see plenty of opportunities to bust some long runs this week. The Jets defenders can only play so long without wearing down, and eventually they are likely to give Taylor the seam he needs to find daylight beyond the line of scrimmage. Taylor should be near the top of the fantasy football world this weekend.

Minnesota's Michael Bennett/Moe Williams vs. The Seattle Defense (Great Matchup)

While Randy Moss and Daunte Culpepper were struggling this past Sunday, their rushing attack also languished. Michael Bennett managed 23 yards on 9 carries for 1 touchdown and a fumble, Culpepper got 32 yards on 4 carries and also coughed up the ball twice. Prior to last week, Moe Williams was the team's most effective back by far, and has carried the ball 28 times for 166 yards and 1 touchdown.

Whichever Minnesota back gets the call on Sunday should have a field day, because the Seahawks are lousy at defending the run this season. Their line, without DT John Randle, looks like a turn-style, and their line-backers (without Anthony Simmons) can't tackle anyone. The Seattle defenders are giving up a league worst 188 yards per game on the ground, and giving it up without much of a fight. They have managed to keep touchdown scoring low, only surrendering 3 scores - a hobbled Tiki Barber and the Giants helped them out week 3 by not putting any balls in the end-zone.

This is the easiest matchup the Vikings backs have seen yet.

Good Matchups – Defenses will struggle to stop the offense in these games

Denver's Clinton Portis/Olandis Gary/Mike Anderson vs. The Baltimore Defense (Good Matchup)

No matter who gets the call this season for the Broncos in each game, the Denver rushing attack as a team has been very effective. All three have more than 20 carries, all three are above 4 yards per rush on average (Portis and Anderson are above 5, actually) and each one has been the workhorse for one of the Broncos' three games. Most recently, it was Clinton Portis putting up 103 yards and a rushing touchdown against the Bills last week.

The Broncos head out on the road and play a rested Baltimore (week 3 bye) on Monday night. The Baltimore defense has been quite good this season. They are smack dab in the middle of the league yardage-wise, surrendering 109.5 yards per game - but zero rushing touchdowns so far. As usual, Ray Lewis is the defenses' heart and soul, notching 19 tackles against the Bucs week 2.

The Ravens won't go down without a fight on Monday night, either. But with the Broncos mobile and effective offensive line warding off Lewis and company, the back of the night is likely to find room to run in the prime-time spotlight.

Carolina's Lamar Smith vs. The Green Bay Defense (Good Matchup)

I know it's hard to believe, but this Panther's offensive unit is stronger than you think. Lamar Smith has done the following in games vs. Baltimore, Detroit, and Minnesota: 24 rushes for 84 yards; 20 rushes for 60 yards and 2 touchdowns, with 3 receptions for 77 yards; and 30 rushes for 154 yards, 2 touchdowns, and 2 receptions for 12 yards. 84, 137, 166 - anybody else see a trend there? I see a running back getting his game back, and doing it against a tough Baltimore defense and a Minnesota defense that shut down Anthony Thomas week 1.

The Green Bay rushing defense, in contrast, has been abysmal. They are so soft, they made Detroit's James Stewart look good, in a game where his quarterback was rookie Joey Harrington - getting his first NFL start, by the way. The Packers are 26th in the league against the rush, surrendering an average of 140.3 yards per game and 6 rushing scores so far this season. And now, the Packers have to go into battle without starting DE Vonnie Holliday (torn pectoral muscle) and perhaps without DE Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila (rib injury). In Holliday's place will start 5th round pick, rookie Aaron Kampman (his first NFL game).

Throw in the fact that Muhsin Muhammad is probably out for this game with a bad hamstring, and it looks like the Panthers will want to shove the ball down the Packers throat early and often in this game. And they are likely to have good success doing it, too.

Chicago's Anthony Thomas vs. The Buffalo Defense (Good Matchup)

Anthony Thomas and the Bears got some very good news this week - blocking back Daimon Shelton returns from a four game NFL suspension (due to a banned ingredient in a dietary supplement). In the last four games Thomas enjoyed Shelton's skills, he rushed for 491 yards - in four games without Shelton, Thomas rushed for 276. His average is also significantly better with Shelton in the line-up - 4.35 yards vs. 3.17 yards per carry. Quite a difference, isn't it?

This week Thomas, Shelton and company travel to Buffalo, and face the NFL's 28th ranked rush defense, surrendering an average of 149.7 yards a game, and 3 touchdowns in the early going. Buffalo is healthy, and looking to even their record after a tough loss to Denver last week. They were very soft against the Bronco's combo of Portis and Anderson, allowing 131 yards and one touchdown to the Broncos and a total of 163 yards of rushing overall.

Look for Thomas and his compatriots to restore the Bear's rushing attack to health in this one.

Philadelphia's Duce Staley/Donovan McNabb/Brian Westbrook vs. The Houston Defense (Good Matchup)

The combination of Duce Staley and Brian Westbrook has been fairly productive for the Eagles this season. They just haven't been used very much. Staley has 48 touches (33 rushes and 15 receptions) for 242 yards and 1 touchdown so far, and Westbrook has 16 touches for 87 yards (14 rushes and 2 receptions), plus a touchdown pass to Todd Pinkston.

The team is definitely pass-first, run second, but maintains enough of a ground game (McNabb's excellent skills help out - he actually leads the team with 118 yards rushing and 2 touchdowns so far this season) to stop defenses from keying on the receivers. Looking at the opportunities he's allowed them, Coach Andy Reid appears to have little faith in his running backs.

The Texans can be run on - they currently rank 23rd in the league giving up 122.3 yards per game although only 2 rushing touchdowns. Their defense is healthy heading into Philadelphia.

Given the variety of weapons that McNabb can throw at the Texans, expect there to be running room for the Eagles at various points in the game, although it often may be McNabb who runs through the holes.

New York Giant's Tiki Barber/Ron Dayne vs. The Arizona Defense (Good Matchup)

Tiki Barber has been plagued by first hamstring problems and then a sore foot in the early going this season, but it appears that he is finally approaching full health, according to reports on Thursday. That should help him move up from #16 on the running back's fantasy points list, where he currently resides. While Barber was hampered, Ron Dayne finally had a decent game, against the Seahawks, and put up 48 yards on 11 attempts, so it appears that "Thunder and Lightning" might be back in business (although nobody mistakes the woeful Seahawks for a good rushing defense). The Giants got good news about C Dusty Ziegler, he has a 50-50 shot to be activated for this game (although he won't start).

Welcoming the Giants to the desert is a Cardinals' rushing defense that ranks 17th in the league, giving up an average of 109.3 yards per game and only 3 rushing touchdowns so far. The defense is missing LB Levar Fisher this week, out with a knee injury, but otherwise their line and linebacker's corps is healthy. Last week, the Cardinals had a tough time handling LaDainian Tomlinson, who put up 91 yards and 2 scores against the Cards on the ground.

With Tiki Barber returning to health, and a line that is blocking well, the Giants figure to have good success attacking the Cardinals down in the desert. The Giants should do well in this contest.

Miami's Ricky Williams vs. The Kansas City Defense (Good Matchup)

The Dolphins are off to a great start to the season, and it's largely due to the solid play of their offensive line and Ricky William's legs. Williams leads the NFL with 394 yards of rushing after three games, and the line has only allowed two sacks of quarterback Jay Fiedler.

This week, the Dolphins face a soft Kansas City defense at Arrowhead stadium. Though Antowain Smith did run for less than 100 yards this past Sunday (92 yards and 1 touchdown on the ground), it was more due to Tom Brady exploiting the Chiefs' weak secondary than to any virtue of the run defense. The Chiefs rank dead last in yardage surrendered per game (452.3 yards per game), and give up an average of 4.1 yards per rush to the opposition. Smith did better than that last week, averaging 5.8 yards a carry in a solid afternoon of work.

Look for Ricky Williams to gobble up the real-estate in large chunks this week. The only concern here is that given how soft the Chief's passing defense is, Williams may not get a ton of carries. The Dolphins should tear up the Chiefs' defense like a hot knife through butter.

Cleveland's Jamel White/William Green vs. The Pittsburgh Defense (Good Matchup)

Once again, Jamel White outplayed William Green against the Tennessee Titans, gaining 43 yards on 9 carries, including the crucial 34 yards during the game-tying and game-winning drives. However, the Browns continue to feed the ball to Green, who put up 8 carries for 26 yards (and two fumbles that led to 14 of the Titans' points). White is also a threat in the passing game, with 9 receptions for 38 yards in the latest game and 15 for 100 yards overall this season. How long will Butch Davis persist in pretending that Green is his best choice as a featured running back, when White is the one who gets the job done in critical situations? Your guess is as good as mine. Right now, the RBBC in Cleveland drags on.

Anyway, whoever runs against the Pittsburgh defense this week will face a unit that is currently ranked fifth against the run, allowing only 79 yards per game. Sounds stout, doesn't it? However, this time the appearance of strength is just that - only an appearance. The Steelers are getting shredded by their opposition's passing game so far, and haven't had to defend against very many rushing attempts (35 attempts in two games, second least in the league) - and they are giving up 4.5 yards per rush on average. The agony of their secondary is allowing teams to find room to run, when they choose to do so. Antowain Smith was effective late in the game for New England, and Charlie Garner torched the Steelers for 9.3 yards per rush, including a long touchdown run of 36 yards.

Cleveland's offense is looking stronger each week, and if the Browns wise up and start using the right personnel in the rushing game, they should have some success against a demoralized Steelers' defense that is currently in disarray. The potential for a successful day rushing the ball definitely exists - the only question is will the Browns realize it?

Neutral Matchups – The Defense and Offense are fairly evenly matched in these games

Tampa Bay's Michael Pittman/Mike Alstott vs. The Cincinnati Defense (Neutral Matchup)

Michael Pittman hasn't really started rolling for Tampa Bay yet this season, he's been struggling in the early part of the season to get healthy. However, he has put up at least 80 yards of rushing and receiving yardage, combined, each week and has averaged just under 4 yards per carry (3.9). Alstott appears to be in a short-yardage/change of pace role for the Buccaneers this season.

Imagine Pittman's anticipation at visiting the struggling Cincinnati Bengals this weekend. The Bengals are ranked 29th in the league vs the run, giving up an average of 153 yards per game, and 3 touchdowns so far this season. LB Adrian Ross is nursing a sore ankle, and fellow LB Brian Simmons an aching toe, so they may be limited in effectiveness.

Unfortunately for Pittman and the Bucs, starting T Kenyatta Walker is out with an ankle injury, and G Kerry Jenkins is very doubtful with a fractured leg, so just as the line was starting to jell as a unit it is torn apart again. Depth is a concern, so much so that DT Warren Sapp and Anthony McFarland might have to step into the rotation on an emergency basis if one more offensive lineman goes down to injury.

In the current situation, with inexperienced offensive linemen lining up to block against a poor rushing defense, the matchup between units looks about even.

St. Louis' Marshall Faulk vs. The Dallas Defense (Neutral Matchup)

St. Louis fans, NFL fans, and fantasy football players nation wide had a big scare Monday night, when Marshall Faulk went down with a scary-looking neck injury in the Tampa game. He also got his bell rung on that play (it didn't look like his eyes focused again until the fourth quarter). So, it was with great relief that franchises playing Faulk learned the injury isn't as serious as it appeared. Faulk has been cleared to play and will start Sunday. Lamar Gordon will be the backup but is not expected to see any more action than he normally would - which isn't much.

This week, Faulk and company have to like their chances to end their losing streak. The Cowboys are just awful on offense, and their defense isn't so hot this year, either. The Cowboys are 20th in the league against the run this season, giving up 112.7 yards per contest, but they have held opponents to only one rushing touchdown.

Making things worse will be All Pro Offensive Tackle Orlando Pace's calf injury. Pace will be out 2-3 weeks with a torn calf. He'll be replaced by free agent acquisition Grant Williams. Williams is a solid player, but he's no Orlando Pace. Not to mention OT John St. Claire is battling a hip flexor while guard Adam Timmerman is nursing a strained knee.

However, the once-mighty Rams look fairly anemic on offense, too, and Marshall Faulk has been limited by the struggles of his team-mates, especially Kurt Warner, who has one touchdown and seven interceptions in three games. Until that problem gets fixed, Faulk will remain just an ordinary running back on an ordinary NFL team.

Seattle's Shaun Alexander vs. The Minnesota Defense (Neutral Matchup)

Shaun Alexander is enduring a miserable start to his season. On 44 carries he has 110 yards and no touchdowns. That is a 2.5 yards per carry average, and it's due to terrible run blocking by the offensive line. No injuries on the line, just terrible play.

Up until last week, the Vikings were playing stout run defense. They currently rank 12th in the league, giving up an average of 91.7 yards per game and 3 touchdowns on the season. However, Lamar Smith really stuffed it down the Vikings' throat last week, he racked up 154 yards and 2 touchdowns against their formerly-solid looking unit, well over doubling the amounts surrendered in the first two games. Partly, this may have been due to LB Henri Crockett's dislocated elbow (he's out this week too). Back-up DT Talance Sawyer is also out for this game. Mostly, though, it was due to solid play by the Panther's line.

On the plus side, OT Walter Jones should be back in the flow better this week. He's a key component of this offensive line.

Look for the Vikings to snap back and challenge Alexander and his mates on the offensive line, forcing them to fight hard for every inch they gain.

Oakland's Charlie Garner/Tyrone Wheatley vs. The Tennessee Defense (Neutral Matchup)

Charlie Garner has been stellar this season. 21 rushes for 183 yards and 2 touchdowns, and 10 catches for 119 yards and another score - that is well over 8 yards per carry, and an average reception of 11.9 yards. Wow. Wheatley is his usual workhorse self again in 2002, currently notching 21 carries for 78 yards and adding 3 receptions for 18 yards. Between the two of them, they strike fear into opposing defenses.

The Titans' defense has been tough against the run this season, giving up a mere 79.7 yards per game over the past 3 contests, severely limiting Duce Staley, Emmitt Smith, and William Green's effectiveness on the ground. Only Jamel White has had much luck against the Titans so far, really.

This contest between quality units looks like a knock-down, drag-out battle of wills. No quarter asked or given, with the toughest unit still to be determined.

Kansas City's Priest Holmes vs. The Miami Defense (Neutral Matchup)

Given the pathetic play of the Chief's defense, it's a good thing for their fans that they have the services of one of the best all-around backs in the NFL. Priest Holmes and his mates on the offensive line were super last week, battering a stout New England defense for 221 yards overall (Holmes had 180 on 30 carries), for an average of 6.5 yards per carry as a team. This, against a defense that had held the Jerome Bettis' Steelers and Curtis Martin's Jets to a combined 106 yards of rushing in the first two games of the season. Holmes added 18 yards in receptions and scored 3 times (2 rushing, 1 receiving).

The Chiefs face another tough run defense this week with the arrival of the Miami Dolphins. The Dolphins are holding the opposition to an average of 84 yards rushing per game over the first three weeks (an average of 3.5 yards per rush). Defensive End Jason Taylor is expected to play Sunday, despite a mild sprain of his MCL in the left knee (he has been wearing a brace to deal with the problem this season, and will do so against Kansas City as well).

This is a gut-check type matchup, where two equally talented units battle all day and the victory goes to the team that plays all 60 minutes. Neither squad has a clear advantage over the other.

Tough Matchups – Defenses should be able to contain the offense in these games

Pittsburgh's Jerome Bettis/Amos Zereoue vs. the Cleveland Defense (Tough Matchup)

Pittsburgh's rushing game has been anemic in their first two outings of the season. Jerome Bettis has looked O.K. - 18 rushes for 76 yards - but just isn't getting enough carries due to the struggles of Kordell Stewart and the defense, which are putting the team behind by a lot, early in games. Zereoue is less impressive, 10 rushes for 26 yards, but has added 6 receptions for 38 yards. Overall, the entire team is struggling on both sides of the ball, in all phases.

The Brown's defense looked a lot stronger in week 3 than it did week one and two. Even though they gave up 3 touchdowns, two of them were due to short fields surrendered to the Titans by offensive miscues. Cleveland held the Titans to 187 total yards, and only allowed 3 third down conversions on 13 attempts. Eddie George only managed 59 yards (1 td) on 23 attempts.

Earl Holmes, Orpheus Roye and Gerard Warren were effective in controlling the line of scrimmage, and surrendered a total of 86 yards rushing to the Titans as a team. The Browns did lose back-up MLB Brant Boyer to a left leg injury, his status for Sunday's game is unclear.

There are two burning questions about this game. 1. Will the Cleveland defense bring their "A" game to Pittsburgh, or will they look more like the team that struggled against Kansas City? 2. Has Bill Cowher gotten Kordell Stewart's head straightened out over the bye week? The chances of the Browns building on their momentum seem better than the probability of Stewart and the Steelers discovering a solution to their early-season woes, so the advantage here lies with the Browns.

New York Jets' Curtis Martin vs. The Jacksonville Defense (Tough Matchup)

The debacle in New York that is the Jets' offense continues to spiral downward (much like water flushed down a toilet). Last week, they "amassed" 3 first downs by rushing the ball, Curtis Martin was held to 43 yards on 16 carries (no touchdowns, a 2.7 yard average per rush) - as a team they gained 58 yards rushing. The passing game doesn't scare anybody - thus defenses can clamp down on the line of scrimmage. The entire offensive line is run-blocking and pass-blocking poorly (3 sacks for 26 yards, and the pressure on the quarterbacks was a significant part of their 3 interceptions last Sunday) - including their veteran team members C Kevin Mawae and LT Jason Fabini (as well as newcomers LG J.P. Machado and RT Kareem McKenzie). The Jets' quarterbacks' accuracy is lousy so far. Consider this: Martin's 43 rushing yards were actually an improvement over his performance weeks one and two.

All this ineptitude has effectively eliminated the Jets' running backs' fantasy value, so far. It's so bad in New York that Thomas Jones' backup in Arizona, Marcel Shipp, has scored more fantasy football points this season than Curtis Martin has.

Curtis Martin was able to practice Thursday but still no word from Coach Herman Edwards on whether Martin will play. There has been serious discussion this week about sitting Martin. It's now looking like Edwards may wait until Saturday night to make a call.

This week the Jets stumble into Jacksonville, and face a fresh Jaguars team who have had an extra week of rest and plenty of time to game-plan against Paul Hackett's offensive "genius". Starting CB Jason Craft (deep chest bruise) and starting DE Paul Spicer (foot injury) both are still struggling to overcome their injuries, but hope to play on Sunday. Spicer has been in about 50% of the practices this week.

The Jaguars hope Spicer can get to 100% by Sunday, because the rushing defense has been strictly mediocre this season so far. Over two games, they are surrendering a healthy 122 yards per game on the ground (although they have not given up a rushing touchdown yet this season.)

However, this matchup is more about the New York Jets vs. themselves than it is about the Jets vs. the Jaguars. As long as the Jets keep shooting themselves in both feet with poor play, every NFL defense they face is going to tee off on Martin, Jordan and Testaverde. Tom Coughlin and company know this, and their team will take advantage of every Jets miscue. Advantage, Jaguars.

Detroit's James Stewart vs. The New Orleans Defense (Tough Matchup)

Detroit's top back, James Stewart, and his mates on the offensive line finally found a team they could run on last week - the soft Green Bay defense (26th in the league vs. the run in 2002, surrendering 140.3 yards per game on average). He put up the best performance by a Detroit back this season, racking up 88 yards on only 14 attempts (6.3 yards per carry average) and added 56 yards and a score on 2 receptions. Not bad at all.

This week the Lions welcome the 3-0 New Orleans Saints to town, and they are not soft against the run. On the season, the Saints are giving up an average of 97.3 yards per game, 14th in the NFL, but have allowed exactly zero rushing touchdowns against Chicago (Anthony Thomas), Green Bay (Ahman Green) and Tampa Bay (Pittman/Alstott).

There are a few questions about the linebacker's corps this week (James Allen and Darrin Smith are both questionable as of Wednesday), but the line is healthy - Norman Hand and Grady Jackson are stout against the run.

New Orleans will present a stiffer challenge to Stewart and company this week, so expect a drop-off from last week's excellent game.

New England's Antowain Smith vs. The San Diego Defense (Tough Matchup)

The words to describe Antowain Smith's 2002 season are mixed - he's been effective, even punishing, in games against the Chiefs, Jets and Steelers. His 48 rushes for 218 yards and 1 touchdown (and 1 catch for 3 yards) are good enough to place him at #21 among all running backs in terms of fantasy points scored thus far in 2002. A solid but unspectacular back running behind a solid offensive line. He did enjoy a great day against Kansas City (who doesn't?) gaining 92 yards and a TD with a 5.8 yards per carry average.

The words that describe the San Diego defense in 2002 are more forceful - excellent, outstanding, menacing. They are third in the league defending the run, allowing only 74 yards per game on average, and not a single rushing touchdown, so far. They absolutely crushed Corey Dillon, holding him to ten yards in the first game, blasted Houston's backs thoroughly (and battered David Carr for 9 sacks), and held Thomas Jones to 73 yards rushing last week.

Junior Seau did suffer a twisted ankle in the win over Arizona, but hopes to be able to play Sunday. Rookie Ben Leber is developing nicely (a quiet week 3, but a monster day week 2 vs. the Texans) and Donnie Edwards is playing great.

The Chargers defense is very strong, and it has yet to break in front of anyone's rushing attack. It may bend for Smith a few times on Sunday, but the Chargers look like a tough matchup for Smith.

San Diego's LaDainian Tomlinson vs. The New England Defense (Tough Matchup)

LaDainian Tomlinson is enjoying a fine season so far, 289 yards and 3 touchdowns on 74 carries, with 9 receptions for 76 yards. His line was so effective week one that team-mate Drew Brees compared their blocking to Moses parting the Red Sea.

Things change.

Veteran C Corey Raymer went down for the season with a ruptured left Achilles tendon (surgery was performed Tuesday to repair the injury) last Sunday, and his replacement in the lineup is undrafted rookie Jason Ball. If Ball struggles, Michael Keathley (who had been playing guard while Toniu Fonoti's shoulder recovered) has played at center during the pre-season. Veteran RT Vaughn Parker injured his groin in the Arizona game as well, and may be limited for some time. Rookie guard Toniu Fonoti is nursing a smarting shoulder. Veteran guard Bob Hallen is also dealing with a tender groin.

Coming to town is a very stout rushing defense that humiliated Curtis Martin week two and stuffed Jerome Bettis week one, before getting badly burned by Priest Holmes last week (180 yards and 2 touchdowns). The Patriots were without starting linebackers Roman Phifer and Tedy Bruschi in the Chiefs game, though, and both are expected back to play San Diego.

Given the "walking wounded" status of the Chargers' line, and the gradual return to health (and dominance) of the Patriots' line-backing corps, the advantage in this contest appears to lie with the visitors. LaDainian Tomlinson could be in for a tough day on Sunday.

Green Bay's Ahman Green/Najeh Davenport vs. the Carolina Defense (Tough Matchup)

Green Bay's Ahman Green looks like he's good to go, he's been practicing this week and so should be able to start against the Panthers. If he suffers a set back, look for Najeh Davenport, of laundry-basket fame, to be the guy. The Packers have had good success running the ball this season, Green is the #17 running back in terms of fantasy points scored in 2002, despite missing last week's game. Davenport was solid in relief last week against Detroit.

The problem the Packers face is turmoil on the offensive line, especially on the right side of the line. Starting RG Marco Rivera is out with a knee injury, and so is starting RT Earl Dotson. Veteran Center Mike Flanagan slides over to cover Rivera's spot, but in Dotson's slot the Packers have to count on rookie Kevin Barry. Also, Green's normal blocking back, William Henderson, is out with knee (MCL) trouble, so the Packers signed and will start new FB Tony Carter this week.

The loss of Rivera and Dotson also means that the line as a whole will get more reps come game time - which could mean they'll wear down late in the game.

The Carolina Panthers are playing very solid run defense this season. They stuffed the trio of Minnesota backs last week, the Vikings' top rusher was Daunte Culpepper with 32 yards, and the team as a whole only managed 73 yards. On the season, the Panthers are allowing a mere 74.3 yards per game on average (4th best in the league) and only 2 rushing touchdowns. They rank #6 in Fantasy Points Allowed to RBs.

In this game, the Panthers go to Lambeau field with a clear edge over the Green Bay Packers' rushing unit.

Buffalo's Travis Henry vs. The Chicago Defense (Tough Matchup)

After starting the season with a bang against the Jets week one (149 yards and 3 touchdowns rushing), Travis Henry has been quiet in the last two contests (65 yards rushing and 1 touchdown, 4 catches for 33 yards, total). Part of the problem last week was the stellar Denver defense, though, which leads the league in rushing defense, surrendering only 47.3 yards rushing per game.

This week Henry and his partners in Buffalo welcome a Bears' rushing defense that is playing with an injury-decimated defensive line. Starting DE Philip Daniels is out, and so is starting run stuffer DT Ted Washington. The absence of these two key linemen is apparent, as the Bears currently rank 19th in the league in rushing defense, surrendering 111.7 yards per game on the ground, although only 2 touchdowns in 3 games. Alfonso Boone, Washington's replacement, has played well so far. LB Brian Urlacher helps plug any leaks, too.

Even with Washington and Daniels out, look for Henry and his team-mates on the line to have a tough fight on their hands against Keith Traylor and Urlacher, who will give the Bills plenty to handle on Sunday.

Dallas' Emmitt Smith vs. The St. Louis Defense (Tough Matchup)

Is there a NFL team that is more frustrated than the Cowboy's offensive unit, coming off their embarrassing 44-13 whipping at the hands of the Eagles (the offensive team did not put up a touchdown in the entire game)? If there is, it just might be the St. Louis defense, which has watched their offensive teammates lie down and die, while they struggle to contain the likes of Tampa Bay.

It's not like the St. Louis rushing defense is playing poorly - on average, they've only given up 90 yards per game to rushers like Pittman/Alstott, Tiki Barber, and the Denver triple-threat - in fact, they've only given up 1 rushing touchdown all season.

The Cowboys, on the other hand, are playing poorly on offense. Emmitt Smith has managed only 178 yards on 46 rushes in 3 games, with 0 rushing touchdowns, largely due to the fact that his offensive line is fat, slow and uncoordinated (4 sacks for 20 yards allowed in the most recent contest) and Quincy Carter is inconsistent and unreliable in the passing game.

Don't expect things to get any easier for Smith against the downtrodden but stout St. Louis rushing defense in the Dome. Until Quincy Carter plays better, Smith is going to be limited in the rushing game.

Tennessee's Eddie George vs. The Oakland Defense (Tough Matchup)

Titans fans and fantasy franchises with Eddie George breathed a sigh of relief when he was able to play last Sunday, and he is reportedly completely recovered from the painful foot injury that sent him to the hospital after the Dallas game. However, George's season average of 2.8 yards per carry on 60 opportunities (166 yards) are a potential red flag. He just hasn't seen a lot of room at the line of scrimmage, so far.

This week, the struggling Titans face the Oakland Raiders, who have had an extra week of rest and plenty of time to game-plan against the Titans. They sport a surprisingly improved rushing defense that absolutely stuffed Seattle's Shaun Alexander week one and easily shut down the Steelers' backs week 2. In fact, they are currently the second-ranked rushing defense in terms of yardage allowed per game, surrendering a mere 57.5 yards per game on average and 3.4 yards per rush. That's pretty stout.

The Raiders aimed to improve their rushing defense during the off-season, and they appear to have done a spectacular job. The Titans and George are having a tough time running the ball this year. The advantage lies with the Raiders in this contest, at home in front of their rowdy fans.

Arizona's Thomas Jones vs. The New York Giant's Defense (Tough Matchup)

Thomas Jones is running hard this season, and actually having some success at it, unlike his previous seasons. One week after blasting the hapless Seahawks for 173 yards and 1 touchdown on the ground, he ground out 73 yards on 17 carries against a very nasty Charger's defense (4.3 yards per carry average). He is running on an injured ankle, though, so keep an eye on the late injury updates this week. C Mike Gruttadauria continues to battling a chronic back ache.

The Giants' rushing defense is as tough as ever in 2002, ranking 7th in the league while giving up 81.7 yards per game on average, and only 2 rushing touchdowns. LB Nick Greisen is questionable for the game with a foot injury, and LB's Kevin Lewis (sore ankle) and Brandon Short (shoulder) are nursing some aches and pains, so the depth at LB could suffer as the game goes into the later stages.

But Thomas Jones has to get past the defensive line of the Giants before he can test the linebackers - and that is a real challenge. Michael Strahan and company will make Jones fight for every inch on Sunday.

Bad Matchups – Defenses will cause major problems for the offense in these games

Cincinnati's Corey Dillon vs. The Tampa Bay Defense (Bad Matchup)

Corey Dillon has got to be wondering why he keeps playing so hard for such a rotten franchise. Many of us spectators do. It's back to the future time for the Bengals, who bring in Akili Smith, the Oregon sensation, to save their club from poor quarterback play.

Yeah, right.

Tampa Bay has a nasty rush defense that features a tenacious line - currently they are ninth in the league surrendering a mere 87.3 yards per game and only 2 touchdowns. They will stack the line of scrimmage up and try to stuff Dillon all day long, as the secondary shags errant throws from Mr. Smith. The Bengal's starting RG Mike Goff is out with a lacerated knee, as well.

This one looks as ugly as a matchup can get for Corey Dillon.

Baltimore's Jamal Lewis vs. The Denver Defense (Bad Matchup)

There is one word for Denver's rushing defense in 2002 - awesome. They have crushed Marshall Faulk like a worm, strangled Kevan Barlow and Garrison Hearst, and stifled Travis Henry. They are allowing an average of 47.3 yards per game, and only 3 rushing touchdowns so far this season.

All of the above-mentioned teams have better offenses than Jamal Lewis' Ravens. They all have better quarterbacks than Chris Redman.

The Broncos will dominate in every phase Monday night. Jamal Lewis needs some help from the passing game if he hopes to have success.

Houston's James Allen/Jonathan Wells vs. The Philadelphia Defense (Bad Matchup)

The Houston backs continue to suffer from a banged up offensive line. Tony Boselli remains very doubtful to play on Sunday, G Ryan Schau (knee) and T Ryan Young (groin) are listed as officially Out this week. James Allen is currently the 38th player listed on the running backs fantasy points list, and Jonathan Wells chimes in at 45th. Allen's dinged shoulder is not a problem, and he is expected to play as usual on Sunday. Although we look for Wells to overtake Allen, this doesn't look like a good situation for either back.

The pair of Texans will run into the Eagle's rushing defense on Sunday, a unit that is allowing only 91 yards per game (11th in the NFL) thus far in 2002, and gave up a total of one rushing touchdown over three games. DE Derrick Burgess and DT Corey Simon are out of the fray, but LB Carlos Emmons is expected to play in spite of his tweaked hamstring.

The prospects for the Texans don't look very hopeful on Sunday. The Eagles should have a decisive advantage over the struggling Texans rushing offense.