Another exciting week of football has just ended, and just like the previous one, it included an exciting shootout between two highly skilled quarterbacks.

Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints visited Tom Brady and the New England Patriots in a game that went down to the wire.  Down by four points with less than 10 seconds remaining, Brady threw a strike to Kenbrell Thompkins, putting the Patriots up for good and completing the last minute comeback.

This continued a trend that has been developing this year, in which Brady turns no-name players into useful offensive weapons.  Though he likes to spread the ball around (much like Peyton Manning), most of the starting receivers on the Patriots are viable fantasy football players, if only as a flex player or bye-week replacement.

These players are even more valuable in Points Per Reception formats, because Brady likes to throw the ball a lot, which leads to many receptions by the receivers.  These players are not surefire starters, but I would keep my eye on them, and add them if they develop into better fantasy receivers.

Nick Foles has been a pleasant surprise to any who took a chance on him as a bye-week replacement for their quarterback.  Foles, of the Philadelphia Eagles, is currently starting in place of the injured Michael Vick.

He has raised eyebrows by throwing for five touchdowns and zero interceptions over two games, as well as earning an average of 27 points (in my league at least) in games he has started.  There is no guarantee that he will start this week’s game against the rival Dallas Cowboys, as Vick may be back from injury by that point.

However, if you need a quarterback for one week, I would recommend monitoring the status of Vick’s injury over the next few days, and picking up Foles if Vick does not play.  Foles is owned in only 2.6 percent of ESPN leagues (since he is a backup quarterback), so you could probably pick him up if you want to.   Though it is true that the Cowboys defense has been pretty good this year, Foles is hot right now, and I would hop on for the ride before it’s too late.

The St. Louis Rams, whose offense boasts a number of talented young receivers, has largely disappointed to date.  Their top two weapons, Chris Givens and Tavon Austin, have not performed up to scratch, and cannot be considered viable fantasy starters at this point in time.

Many people (myself included) felt that these young players had enormous upside, and drafted them accordingly.  However, they have only combined for 430 yards and two touchdowns through six weeks, which is absolutely horrible.

There is still a chance that they will break out this season, but that is getting less and less likely as the weeks go by.  I cannot recommend picking either of these players up, despite their upside, and would suggest that those who currently own them bench them without a second thought.

Finally, an intriguing player to watch is the former Patriot, and current San Diego Charger, Danny Woodhead.

Although he has not put up outstanding numbers as a running back this year, he has been serviceable to the team.  His true value lies in his ability to become a receiver seemingly at will.  Woodhead still has yet to score a rushing touchdown in six games, but has caught three receiving touchdowns in those same six games.  Considering he is listed as a running back, scoring an average of a touchdown every other game is no small feat.  He can become a very valuable PPR player is his pass-catching ways continue, so I would pick him up if your league plays by that format.

That’s all the advice I have for this week, I’ll see you next Wednesday with more advice and suggestions.

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