Hello again loyal readers and fantasy football people. Well here we are in Week 4 of the 2009 NFL season ( seems to be going fast huh? ). Ok so here’s where we seperate the true draft gurus from everybody else playing as the bye weeks are now in effect.

Do you have the back-ups good enough to survive? Do you feel you may need some extra advice going into this week? Well don’t worry because as an added bonus to my fantasy start ‘em or sit em segment known as “Flash and Crash” I will also offer some waiver wire pick up ideas and some good guys to start this week. So sit back and relax, read along and go get em in week 4!

Ok so my coulmn isn’t always perfect but when I mention guys like Johnny Knox and he does his deed it makes me feel pretty good. Or when I say Matt Schaub is good for 3 TDS and he throws 3 TDS, well you get the point, so here is what I like this week.

Quarterbacks:

Flash

Eli Manning, Giants at Kansas City
It doesn’t even matter to me anymore about that mystique at Arrowhead, the Chiefs defense is awful. After watching a newbie like Kevin Kolb go off last week, a Super Bowl winning QB like Manning should have a field day. Eli appears to have finally found his receivers, his running game is working wonders, and the Giants as a whole are on quite a roll. Start Eli with lots of confidence and 3 TDs could be easy.

Jay Cutler, Bears vs Detroit
I understand the Lions won their first game in 20 attempts last week, but let’s face it, they are still the Lions. Jay Cutler seems to finally be doing what he was brought in to do, throw TDs and win games. Cutler has 5 TDs in his last 2 games and guys like Devin Hester and Johnny Knox are developing into good downfield receivers. You also have to believe that the running game can get it going so Cutler will have all day to go nuts. 3 TDs for JC? Why not?

Aaron Rodgers, Packers at Minnesota
In this Monday night affair Rodgers finally gets to go head to head against the man he replaced in Green Bay. Rodgers has come on the last few weeks and is using his entire arsenal of weapons to move the ball down the field. The Vikings boast a very tough run defense so to win this one the Packers will have to rely heavily on the pass. Plus we all know that Rodgers would like nothing more to win against Brett Favre. You may have to worry about some early jitters but he should be just fine.

Crash

Tony Romo, Cowboys at Denver
This is one of those picks I could easily be yelled at for on Monday, but lets face facts. In the last 2 weeks Romo has thrown just 1 TD against 4 interceptions. The Cowboys have turned him into a game manager. In those 2 weeks with only 1 TD from Romo the Cowboys have still managed to score 51 points. He seems to lack the big time receivers to put up huge numbers. Forget what he did opening day against Tampa, because everybody seems capable of that. Until Romo shows us otherwise, you may have to bench him.

Matt Cassel, Chiefs vs New York Giants
Cassel is making people wonder how he got such a big contract from a team in obvious rebuilding mode. He is not a savvy veteran leader that is teaching anything, and he doesn’t appear to be working any wonders with this club. He looked helpless last week against the Eagles and now he is facing possibly the toughest defense in the league. Mean pass rush and no rushing attack at all spell a long day for Mr Cassel in this backfield. Forget about 5 dollar footlongs, I think Justin Tuck and the G-Men will be having Cassel for lunch.

Whoever Miami puts out there at QB
Chad Pennington was laid out this past week and Chad Henne showed us that it doesn’t matter what “Chad” they put out there, the Dolphins just aren’t very good. I like the idea of Pat White running within the Dolphins Wildcat offense but I don’t see him leading a big charge, and Henne isn’t looking as if he is offering much either. In fact I would expect the Dolphins to use Ronnie Brown most of the day and to see the Dolphins reach 20 passing attempts would be stunning.

Sleeper – QB: Shaun Hill, 49ers Handle with care: Joe Flacco, Ravens

Running Back

Chris Johnson, Titans at Jacksonville
Johnson should play every week despite an off day here and there. He is always a bomb just waiting to explode. The Jaguars don’t have the scary defense of old and the Titans are desperate for a win. Johnson will certainly be used for about 80 percent of this offense and his numbers this week should be huge.

Willis McGahee, Ravens at New England
How is this possible? This guy was shunned on draft day like an 8 year old with cooties on the playground. All McGahee has done is score 6 TDs in his first 3 weeks. He has become the main red zone weapon for the 3-0 Ravens and the Patriot defense isn’t so tough this year. In a game that should have some scoring going on I think McGahee is as safe to use as he’s been all year.

Steve Slaton, Texans vs Oakland
Last week I sent out the same notice to Matt Forte owners, and even though he didn’t go nuts he still produced decent points. Ok so now it is Slatons turn. Before you click on and put him on your bench, let him have one shot against a suddenly struggling Raiders defense. Last week Denvers Correll Buckhalter ran up and down the field on them for 104 yards on just 12 carries so I would find it impossible that Slaton does not finally have the day that we all dreamed of on draft day. I expect him to get some catches, find some holes and finally meet the end zone this week.

Crash
Ryan Grant, Packers at Minnesota
I have been saying all season that you can’t start a back against the Viking defense and I’m sticking to it. Frank Gore went down with an injury and Glen Coffee had an average day in his place against them last week. As much as I think Grant has become under-rated and overlooked I don’t see this as a big matchup for him. Plus as I wrote earlier, you know Aaron Rodgers is going to do all he can to show up Brett Favre.

Reggie Bush, Saints vs New York Jets
I try not to dislike Bush, but only consider him in a point per catch league this week. The Jets actually play very good defense and it may be put on Drew Brees to win this week. Plus Pierre Thomas stepped up and showed the league that he’s just as good as hyped this pre-season with a 126 yards and 2 TDs on 14 carries in just one half last week. From this point on you have to believe the Saints will use Thomas and Mike Bell(when he returns) to do the majority of the running and Bush as a special plays type back. Too risky for me.

Steven Jackson, Rams at San Franciso
Jackson has become the ultimate enigma in fantasy football. This week it looks as if the Rams will be going with Kyle Boller again at QB, and I can’t see the 49ers defense giving him that much respect so they will focus on the run game. Last week Adrian Peterson looked average against these Niners and they are not too shabby at stopping the run, so expect the same average effort from Jackson this week.

Sleeper pick - Ahmad Bradshaw, Giants

Handle with care - Julius Jones, Seahawks

Wide Receiver:

Flash

Steve Smith, Giants at Kansas City
I said earlier that Eli Manning was a great start so why not use his new favorite receiver as well. Smith has found the end zone the last 2 weeks and the Chiefs defense is bad. At the beginning of this season this WR corp was full of names but no one with the gumption to step up. After producing 16 catches and 2 TDs in his last 2 outings it appears that Smith has become that guy. Did I mention that the Chiefs defense stinks?

Reggie Wayne, Colts vs Seattle
The Seahawks secondary didn’t impress me much last week against the Bears, but Wayne sure did with one handed grabs and explosions down field. Wayne is in fact the new Harrison in Indy and he seems to progress every week. Wayne has always been a bit of a slow starter so here in week 4 I believe he’s ready for take off.

Brandon Marshall, Broncos vs Dallas
I know what you are all thinking but it’s time to forgive and forget with Marshall. Last week he had 5 catches 60 plus yards and a touchdown against Oakland and the very tough Asmougha at corner. Josh McDaniels team is 3-0 and to remain successful Marshall will become more part of his plan as he will be happy with winning. Kyle Orton isn’t the best QB in the league but Dallas has showed a severe lack of pass rush so far and he may have the time to work. Marshall may very well be back to form of the guy that caught over 200 passes the last 2 years, and against a decent opponent he may decide to hold a coming out party.

Crash

Santonio Holmes, Steelers vs San Diego
I don’t like to print bad stuff about this guy as I feel he’s always capable, but where has he been the last 2 weeks? He has shown little since his opening day explosion against the Titans and in comes an aggressive San Diego defense that will make things tough on his QB, Big Ben. Holmes has been rumored to be a lazy player when things aren’t going his way and if the last 2 weeks show me anything is that well, baby isn’t getting his bottle.

Terrell Owens, Bills at Miami
I’m going to make this simple, I think he has lost all desire to play. T.O. seems to have become a shell of himself in 1 years time, and is lost in this system. As sad as it is when a once superior athlete fades away, it looks like it is happening to Owens.

Braylon Edwards, Browns vs Cincy
This guy should have been traded when he had the chance. The QB situation in Cleveland stinks, Coach Mangini has no clue how to run a ball club, and the very talented Edwards, who had a real good pre-season is lost in the mix. If Derek Anderson starts he may do a little something as Anderson has always been an “Edwards guy”, but if it’s Quinn forget it, much the way Quinn forgets Edwards is on his team. These guys are a mess and one of the best tooled wideouts in the game is punished because of it.

Sleeper pick - Nate Burleson, Seahawks Handle with care: Randy Moss, Patriots

Defense

Flash

49ers vs Rams

Bears vs Lions

Bills at Dolphins

Crash

Seahawks vs Colts

Jets at Saints

Jaguars vs Titans

Ok so as promised some nice waiver wire gems for you to dig for. If you have some bye weeks to contend with and don’t have the best bench you may want to run out and grab these guys and give them a look.

Johnny Knox, WR, Bears
Knox has scored TDs in the last 2 games and has become the most solid route runner of anyone in Chicago. Add to that the fact that the Bears will be at home this week against a poor Lions secondary and Knox could be up for his best pro game to date. Many close to this team have said that Knox is actually faster then (get this) Devin Hester? Sounds like it’s worth a look to me.

Glen Coffee, RB, 49ers
Frank Gores ankle injury will probably keep him down for a week or 2 so in steps Coffee. Just a rookie but he has the tools to take over right where Gore left off. He has a good mix of speed and power, and has the luxury of playing a bad Rams team this week. One of the true sleeper starts of this week.

Mike Wallace, WR, Steelers
Ok throw in your “60 Minutes” jokes because this rookie wide out plays 60 minutes hard for sure. He had his best day yet in his brief career last week with 8 catches and over 100 yards plus a TD for the Steelers. As I said earlier Holmes is becoming lost, so I think Wallace is now found! The matchup isn’t great against San Diego this week, but if you’re in a jam take a chance at this kid.

Mike Syms-Walker, WR, Jaguars
Who is this guy you may ask? Well he is a third year wideout out of USC and has become David Garrards favorite target in Jacksonville. The Jags have always struggled at wide out and sure have had a cast of characters go through town, but Syms-Walker seems to be settling in. The past 2 weeks he has delievered 12 catches for close to 200 yards and a TD, which is big stuff for a Jag receiver. This week he has the Titans to deal with, but I don’t see it as impossible. This guy deserves some looks, and seems like that guy that will make opponents cry in fantasy playoffs.

Josh Johnson, QB, Buccaneers
Byron Leftwich was told to sit down last week, as always, and in came Johnson. The Bucs used a first round pick this year on QB Josh Freeman but don’t feel he’s quite ready to take over and with Leftwich being just brutal, its Johnsons team now. He showed nice flashes last week against the Giants and is a decent scrambler. He may not put up huge numbers but in a pinch I think his “nothing to lose” mentality will garnish some points in a pinch.

Good luck in week 4 and don’t forget as always to check out “Beat The Shark” every Friday as we have a lovely new female going one on one with me in picking NFL games. Thanks as always for reading!

If you’d like to hear anything else from me on topics or ideas I can be reached at phillyphan1971@yahoo.com

Read the Football Outsiders Almanac 2009: The Essential Guide to the 2009 NFL and College Football Seasons by clicking here.

Place your NFL bets with BetUs.com or Bodog.com.

 Get your NFL swag discounted on Amazon.com now by clicking here

Play and Win Fantasy Football with the National Football Post – Buy Now

Use Fantasy Football Commissioner for all of your FF needs at www.fflcommish.com/.

Your favorite NFL teams and players gone big – Fathead.com

Order the Madden NFL 10: Official Strategy Game Guide by clicking here..