Message-ID: <1807450.1075854668620.JavaMail.evans@thyme> Date: Thu, 30 Nov 2000 03:31:00 -0800 (PST) From: noreply@ccomad3.uu.commissioner.com Subject: Commissioner.COM E-Reports for Big E 11/30/00 Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ANSI_X3.4-1968 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-From: "Commissioner.COM" <noreply@ccomad3.uu.commissioner.com> X-To: undisclosed-recipients:, X-cc: X-bcc: X-Folder: \Eric_Bass_Dec2000\Notes Folders\Notes inbox X-Origin: Bass-E X-FileName: ebass.nsf [IMAGE] Fantasy Basketball is here...and it's FREE! Join a league or create your own. It's a slam dunk! http://fantasybasketball.commissioner.com Run your Fantasy Basketball league for FREE with our fully-customizable league management service! http://basketball.commissioner.com The tab for SportsLine's FREE Fantasy Football is being picked up by Miller Lite, our favorite beer around here. Check them out offline at your local bar or online with us. Grab a Miller Lite. It's Miller Time! Half Time is the perfect time to visit Half.com. Half.com offers Music, Books, Movies & Games at HALF the price. Win The Fantasy Football Trip Of A Lifetime! Love to surf the cbs.sportsline.com site? You could win a 4-day/3-night weekend in Florida to attend Cris Carter's FAST Program in Florida! Click here to get started now! Brought to you by Sponsorship Bar You are receiving these e-reports because you have signed up for CBS SportsLine Fantasy Football. To customize, reschedule, or turn off these reports please click here Player Updates?NFL Reports? Latest NFL Player News Corey Bradford , WR GB - Free Agent Updated 11/30/00 After missing most of the season because of a broken leg, Bradford is now recovering from torn cartilage in his right knee. He still hopes to return for a December 10 game against the Lions. Right now he is having trouble pushing off on his knee. Stay away from Bradford in your Fantasy league until next season. Elvis Grbac , QB KC - Eric Bass Updated 11/30/00 Grbac returned to practice on Wednesday and will likely return for Monday night's game against New England. Although he is still listed as questionable on the injury report, Head Coach Gunther Cunningham is optimistic. "Right now, I'd say he'll play," said Cunningham, "but we'll see what (today) brings." Since Grbac isn't a definite starter this week, it would be wise to use another quarterback if your roster allows it - especially with the Fantasy playoffs beginning. Lamar Smith , RB MIA - Fear Updated 11/30/00 Smith's injured right hamstring has made significant progress since he missed last week's game against the Colts, and the Dolphins are cautiously optimistic that he could return for this week's game against Buffalo. Despite experiencing a slight "tweak" in the hamstring after Wednesday's practice, Smith still believes he will be ready to go. "I feel fine," Smith said, "I have no pain in my leg. I'm running and cutting without any pain." Those Fantasy owners with a deep running back rotation, however, would be wise to steer clear of Smith this week. Playing in the cold at Buffalo could hinder Smith's performance, which is a chance you won't want to take at this point of the season. Jay Fiedler , QB MIA - McKay Neal Updated 11/30/00 Contrary to earlier reports, the Dolphins are now "optimistic" that Fiedler will be their starting quarterback for this week's game against Buffalo. He took 75 percent of the snaps with the first team during Wednesday's practice and reported that he felt fine. It would be a remarkable recovery for Fielder, who couldn't even raise his right arm on Sunday. "If he's OK (today), he's starting," said Head Coach Dave Wannstedt. Even if he does start, Fielder isn't a very strong option for Fantasy owners who have advanced to their league's playoffs. Curtis Enis , RB CHI - FIBSABs Updated 11/30/00 Enis has vowed to be lighter and mightier next season. Where have we heard this before? During the offseason Enis bulked up to 250 pounds and promised to run over the opposition. He looked slow carrying the ball this season and was replaced at HB by James Allen. With HB Marlon Barnes and Allen in tow, Enis may have to take his leaner physique elsewhere. He is down to 242 pounds already and would like to reach 235. Even if he does reach this goal don't count on him being too productive. Wait and see if he re-emerges as a star before you gamble and put him on your Fantasy team next year. Cade McNown , QB CHI - Top Dogs Updated 11/30/00 McNown is listed as questionable but will be the emergency QB for sunday's game against the Bears, behind Shane Matthews and backup Mark Hartsell. It appears that McNown is done for the Fantasy season. His seperated shoulder rendered him helpless for the latter part of 2000, but even when he was healthy he didn't produce too much. Shaun King , QB TB - Tori Kuykendall Updated 11/30/00 King practiced Wednesday and will start Sunday against Dallas. He sat out a workout Monday because of a lower back strain, but said he felt fine after taking most of the snaps as the Bucs began preparations for the Cowboys. King hasn't been too productive in recent weeks and don't expect that to change against Dallas this week. The Cowboys have only allowed 185.5 passing yards per game this season. But King is still one of the better QBs in the league. He may not have a stellar game this Sunday but will be good enough to help your Fantasy team in the playoffs. Wane McGarity , WR DAL - Free Agent Updated 11/30/00 McGarity injured his left ankle in practice on Wednesday, leaving him questionable for Sunday's game at Tampa Bay. The Cowboys, who have been devastated by injuries all season long, can ill-afford to lose McGarity, who has become one of their more consistent receivers in recent weeks. Fantasy owners should avoid starting any of Dallas' receivers other than James McKnight for the duration of the season. Chris Greisen , QB ARI - Free Agent Updated 11/30/00 With the shoulder injury to backup Dave Brown, Greisen will likely be Arizona's number two quarterback this week against the Bengals. He has only thrown nine passes in three career appearances, but could see some playing time this week if starter Jake Plummer re-aggravates the rib injury that kept him out of last week's game against the Giants. Fantasy owners should avoid Arizona quarterbacks this week at all costs, especially with the playoffs beginning for most leagues. Ricky Williams , RB NO - Free Agent Updated 11/30/00 Williams could be back in time for the final regular season game on December 24. "There's a chance he can come back," coach Jim Haslett said. "We're kind of shooting for the last game, but hopefully the playoffs." Most Fantasy leagues will be over by Week 17. But if your team is still playing having Williams will definitely help. Terrell Owens , WR SF - Martin Cuilla Updated 11/30/00 Owens will play this week against the Chargers but at this point he is not healthy enough to take a gamble on. "I'll definitely play this week," said Owens. "It's all a matter of how much pain I can tolerate." Owens' toe is purple and swollen, and he can't run at top speed. Don't expect him to put up good numbers this week. Use another receiver instead of Owens if possible. Joe Jurevicius , WR NYG - Free Agent Updated 11/29/00 Jurevicius did a good job replacing Ike Hilliard last week, catching six passes for 70 yards in New York's 31-7 win. He will start in place of his injured teammate once again, but don't expect the same type of numbers against the Redskins. It would be wise to use other receivers on your roster this week if possible, especially considering that Jurevicius will probably find himself lined up across from Deion Sanders for most of the day. Amani Toomer , WR NYG - McKay Neal Updated 11/29/00 Toomer accounted for 89 yards of total offense and a touchdown in last Sunday night's 31-7 win over Arizona. He will face off against a talented Redskins' secondary this week that held him to only three catches and 31 yards in the team's first meeting. If your other wideouts have more favorable matchups this week, it might be wise to bench Toomer. Ike Hilliard , WR NYG - Tori Kuykendall Updated 11/29/00 Hilliard will miss his second straight game this week against Washington. He is still suffering from a punishing hit from Lions' safety Kurt Shultz two weeks ago that resulted in a bruised sternum. Joe Jurevicius will replace Hilliard once again. Tiki Barber , RB NYG - The Klap Updated 11/29/00 Barber is having a surprisingly solid Fantasy season. He accounted for 82 yards from scrimmage and a touchdown in last week's win over the Cardinals. The Giants will no doubt continue to use Barber as one of their main offensive threats, so he will always have a chance at being productive. Unless you have a stacked backfield, you could do a lot worse than putting Barber in your starting lineup. Ron Dayne , RB NYG - Martin Cuilla Updated 11/29/00 Dayne ran the ball 24 times for 85 yards and a touchdown in last Sunday's win over Arizona. Don't expect those types of numbers this week, however, as the G-Men face off against a Washington squad that will be hungry for a win. In Week Four, the 'Skins held Dayne to only 23 yards rushing, and this week shouldn't be much different. Keep Dayne on your bench if your roster allows it. Kerry Collins , QB NYG - Matt Lenhart Updated 11/29/00 Collins completed 20-of-30 passes for 232 yards and one touchdown in last week's win over Arizona. He has been playing well in recent weeks, throwing eleven touchdown passes in his last five games. He will face off against a tougher opponent this week, namely the Washington Redskins and their fifth ranked pass defense. Collins was unimpressive in the team's first meeting, so you may want to consider benching him this week if your roster allows it. Mike Vanderjagt , K IND - Top Dogs Updated 11/29/00 Vanderjagt missed his only field goal attempt against the Dolphins, a 59-yarder at the end of regulation that would have sent the game into overtime. The miss was his first since Week Two against Oakland. Vanderjagt remains one of Fantasy's best kickers, so continue to start him as you enter your league's playoffs. Marvin Harrison , WR IND - Eric Bass Updated 11/29/00 Harrison only caught four passes last week against Miami - lucky for Fantasy owners that two of them were for touchdowns. He will go up against a Jets' secondary this week that held him to only four catches and 34 yards in Week Ten. It's now time for the playoffs, however, so Harrison should be in your lineup every week until your season ends, one way or another. Edgerrin James , RB IND - Martin Cuilla Updated 11/29/00 "The Edge" just keeps on producing, rushing for 118 yards and catching five passes for 37 yards in last week's loss to Miami. He faces the Jets this week, a team he lit up for 131 yards rushing and a touchdown in Week Ten. Indianapolis needs this game to stay in the playoff hunt, and James, as always, will be the Colts' main man on offense. Peyton Manning , QB IND - Tori Kuykendall Updated 11/29/00 Manning completed 16-of-34 passes for 209 yards and two touchdowns in last Sunday's loss to Miami. He will face the Jets this week in New York, which may not be a good sign for Fantasy owners. The Colts haven't faired well in the cold this season, losing on the road to both Chicago and Green Bay. Start Manning this week as always, and hope that he can break away from his team's cold weather misfortunes. Chris Chandler , QB ATL - Hunter Shively Updated 11/29/00 Chandler will be replaced at QB by rookie Doug Johnson for the final three games. The team stated that this move is aimed at allowing Chris Chandler some time to heal his wounds. It will also give them a chance to evaluate Johnson. Considering Atlanta's passing performances it would be wise to avoid picking up Johnson, especially as your team enters the postseason. Keep an eye on him though. If he plays well he may be worth drafting next year. Carl Pickens , WR TEN - The Klap Updated 11/29/00 Pickens tested his hamstring before Sunday's game against Jacksonville, but the team decided not to let him play just before gametime. He is close to being ready for a return, but likely needs to get more involved in practice first. "Carl practiced last week, but we felt and he felt if he had gone out and pushed it a little bit he had that risk factor of reinjuring it," said Coach Jeff Fisher. "I would assume he'd be close to play [Sunday against Philadelphia]." Don't expect solid Fantasy numbers out of him, however, as he hasn't had a reception since October 1. Troy Edwards , WR PIT - FIBSABs Updated 11/29/00 Edwards impressed Coach Bill Cowher with a 27-yard reception against Cincinnati last Sunday, but he hasn't yet put himself back in the Steelers' receiving picture. As long as Hines Ward continues to play well at flanker, don't expect anything from Edwards over the season's final weeks. Check back with him next season. Doug Johnson , QB ATL - Free Agent Updated 11/29/00 Johnson will start the team's final three games of the season in place of the battered Chris Chandler. Don't expect Johnson to do too much better. He should have a good game against the Seahawks this week, but overall the Falcons receivers don't get open enough. Jerome Bettis , RB PIT - Fear Updated 11/29/00 The Steelers have listed Bettis as questionable with a calf injury on their injury report for Sunday's game against Oakland. He has routinely been listed as probable for games this season, yet has played every game. More surprising is that Bettis has performed well in recent weeks despite the absence of center Dermontti Dawson. Dawson has missed three games with a hamstring injury, and is listed as questionable this week, but don't allow his absence to affect your decision on whether to start Bettis. Courtney Hawkins , WR PIT - Free Agent Updated 11/29/00 Hawkins will be listed as questionable on the Steelers' injury report for Sunday's game against Oakland. He is expected to play, though, as he was also listed as questionable last Sunday but made the start anyway. If he can't go, then Plaxico Burress, the man Hawkins replaced in the lineup, would probably get the call. Chris Fuamatu-Ma'afala , RB PIT - Free Agent Updated 11/29/00 Fuamatu-Ma'afala will miss his sixth straight game on Sunday against Oakland with a broken foot. He is expected to run this week for the first time since he suffered the injury, so he should be able to return by the following week. Don't expect anything out of Fuamatu-Ma'afala over the final weeks, though, as Jerome Bettis has a firm grip on the starting job. Aaron Stecker , RB TB - Free Agent Updated 11/29/00 Stecker is still recovering from a bruised knee and is not expected to play against the Cowboys Sunday. He rarely fields kicks anymore and is used primarily as a blocker on the return team. Az-Zahir Hakim , WR STL - FIBSABs Updated 11/29/00 Hakim injured his wrist in last Sunday's game against the Saints and is questionable for this week's matchup against the Panthers. If he is unable to play, look for Ricky Proehl to receive extended action as the third receiver. Given Proehl's performance last week in which he caught a TD he might be worth picking up to replace Hakim if you play in a Fantasy league that allows more than two receivers. More Updates Player News?Teams? Eric Bass Player News Lions , Active DT Updated 11/29/00 The Lions' defense will have to pick their poison Thursday when they face the Vikings. Will they double-team Randy Moss or Cris Carter? Or both? What will they do about QB Daunte Culpepper and RB Robert Smith? It may not matter too much if they double-team Moss. He has been known to make catches in double coverage but Carter is a different story. They focused their energies on stopping Carter in the first game and held him to three catches for 30 yards, but Moss had 168 receiving yards and three TDs. Thursday's game could be a long one for the Lions' defense. If you have them hope that they can find a way to contain Minnesota and score some points for your Fantasy team. Elvis Grbac , Active QB Updated 11/30/00 Grbac returned to practice on Wednesday and will likely return for Monday night's game against New England. Although he is still listed as questionable on the injury report, Head Coach Gunther Cunningham is optimistic. "Right now, I'd say he'll play," said Cunningham, "but we'll see what (today) brings." Since Grbac isn't a definite starter this week, it would be wise to use another quarterback if your roster allows it - especially with the Fantasy playoffs beginning. Terrell Davis , Reserve RB Updated 11/29/00 An MRI performed on Davis' leg Tuesday showed a "stress reaction on the mid-lower leg," which is a precursor of a stress fracture. He will have his leg placed in a boot for about three weeks to prevent a stress fracture, meaning he will essentially miss the remainder of the regular season. If you have Davis on your Fantasy team and you're not in a keeper league, it's not worth holding onto him at this point. Kimble Anders , Reserve RB Updated 11/29/00 The Kansas City Star says the Chiefs intend to stick with veterans down the stretch. That means Anders will continue to start at halfback over Mike Cloud. Frank Moreau, however, might see tiem at fullback in place of Donnell Bennett and Warren Moon will continue to be the No. 2 QB over Todd Collins. Robert Smith , Active RB Updated 11/27/00 Smith carried 21 times for 148 yards and a touchdown in Thursday's game against the Cowboys. With Marshall Faulk recovering from injury and Edgerrin James struggling, Smith is without a doubt the best Fantasy RB right now. Look for him to have another solid outing against the shaky Lions' run defense this Thursday. Marvin Harrison , Active WR Updated 11/29/00 Harrison only caught four passes last week against Miami - lucky for Fantasy owners that two of them were for touchdowns. He will go up against a Jets' secondary this week that held him to only four catches and 34 yards in Week Ten. It's now time for the playoffs, however, so Harrison should be in your lineup every week until your season ends, one way or another. Donald Hayes , Active WR Updated 11/28/00 Hayes was deactivated for Monday's game against Green Bay with a groin injury. Isaac Byrd, his replacement, had no catches in the game. As long as Hayes remains out, Muhsin Muhammad should be expected to be the focus of the Panthers' passing game, much like he was Monday night. Donovan McNabb , Reserve QB Updated 11/27/00 McNabb was McNasty against Washington, accounting for 262 yards of total offense and two touchdowns in the Eagles' 23-20 win at FedEx Field. He put the offensive unit on his shoulders and single-handedly kept Philadelphia in first place in the NFC East. Up next, McNabb will face a tough Tennessee squad who will no doubt be fired up after losing to the Jaguars. Don't expect huge numbers from McNabb this week, but do expect him to be the focal point of Philadelphia's offense once again. Joe Nedney , Active K Updated 11/09/00 Nedney has made 16-of-17 field goals this season but told the Charlotte Observer that he will play elsewhere next season rather than try to compete with incumbent kicker John Kasay next year. Nedney will be an unrestricted free agent in March and has been filling in for Kasay who tore the ACL in his kicking leg during the preseason. "It's not that I'm not enjoying my time here," said Nedney. "It's a great scenario to be doing this well, but I was brought in as somebody's replacement - and when that person gets better, he'll be the guy." Joe Horn , Active WR Updated 11/27/00 Horn was productive once again Sunday catching seven passes for 77 yards. He is still the primary receiver but his numbers could suffer in upcoming weeks. New starter Aaron Brooks spreads the ball around and scrambles more than Jeff Blake. Marcus Robinson , Reserve WR Updated 11/29/00 Not having QB Cade McNown throw to him has really hurt Robinson's numbers. While playing with McNown in his first six games this season, Robinson had 32 receptions for 506 yards (15.8 average) and four touchdowns. In his last five contests, Robinson has just 23 catches for 232 yards (10.1 yards), with one touchdown. Except for one quarter against the Eagles, Jim Miller and Shane Matthews were the quarterbacks in those ballgames. McNown is still another week or so away from playing so look for Robinson to continue to struggle. James Allen , Active RB Updated 11/29/00 Despite his three fumbles on Sunday, Allen remains in the Bears plans for 2001, and why wouldn't he. He is the Bears' starting halfback and leading rusher, gaining 840 yards this season. Allen will be a restricted free agent after this season but Personnel VP Mark Hatley has stated that he would like to bring him back next season. If Allen remains confident he will be a good Fantasy backup next season. Look for him to have a big game this week against a Packers defense that allowed Carolina rookie RB Brad Hoover to run all over them Monday. Sylvester Morris , Reserve WR Updated 11/17/00 Morris is starting to fade after some first-half heroics. He has been very inconsistent and don't be hesitant to bench him at this important point of the season. Ravens , Reserve DT Updated 11/27/00 Although Cleveland scored a touchdown on its opening drive Sunday, becoming the first team to achieve the feat this season, the Ravens' defense posted yet another dominating performance. Foiled in its quest to post its record-tying fifth shutout of the season, Baltimore held the Browns to just seven points and a staggering 112 net yards. The Ravens also had six sacks, an interception and two fumble recoveries in the game. It's probably safe to say that owners of this defense are already playoff-bound. Although Baltimore has its bye week next, Fantasy owners have to be happy to sport this defense during their playoff run, as the team faces weaker offenses San Diego and Arizona coming off the bye. Copyright 2000 Commissioner.COM Inc and SportsLine.com Inc. Your site is always at http://football.commissioner.com/ene FB10SP