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Week 6 value meter

By Jeff Erickson

Week 6: Bye Week -- Buffalo, Denver, Detroit, Indianapolis, Pittsburgh, San Francisco

Returning -- Cincinnati, Minnesota, Oakland, Philadelphia

Here are our rankings for the coming week at each position to help you decide your starting lineup. Our rankings are based on the following scoring system: three points for a passing touchdown; six points for a rushing/receiving touchdown; one point for every 20 passing yards; and one point for every 10 rushing/receiving yards.

Last updated October 9. * = check status (not necessarily injury status)

Quarterback

  1. Tom Brady NE at DAL
    1. Carson Palmer CIN at KC
    2. Tony Romo DAL vs. NE
    3. Donovan McNabb PHI at NYJ
    4. Brett Favre GB vs. WAS
    5. Matt Hasselbeck SEA vs. NO
    6. Eli Manning NYG at ATL
    7. Kurt Warner AZ vs. CAR -- Note: Matt Leinart is out for the season, so we finally have some definition at the position.
    8. Derek Anderson CLE vs. MIA
    9. Matt Schaub HOU at JAC
    10. Vince Young TEN at TB
    11. David Garrard JAC vs. HOU
    12. Jeff Garcia TB vs. TEN
    13. Philip Rivers SD vs. OAK
    14. Steve McNair BAL vs. STL -- Note: Conquering the world, 5.9 yards at a time.
    15. Brian Griese CHI vs. MIN
    16. Joey Harrington ATL vs. NYG -- Note: Benched in favor of Byron Leftwich late in the game, but Leftwich was worse. The Falcons have played much better at home so far.
    17. Daunte Culpepper OAK at SD -- Note: Will get the nod this week again over McCown.
    18. Brodie Croyle KC vs. CIN -- Note: Damon Huard injured his shoulder late in last week's loss to the Jaguars. A starter will be determined later in the week.
    19. Chad Pennington NYJ vs. PHI -- Note: Really awful against the Giants in the second half; the calls for Kellen Clemens are only getting louder.
    20. Jason Campbell WAS at GB
    21. David Carr CAR at AZ -- Note: Jake Delhomme is out for the season.
    22. Drew Brees NO at SEA -- Note: The Saints' offense just looks lost out there.
    23. Cleo Lemon MIA at CLE -- Note: Trent Green is out with a concussion; when will John Beck get a shot?
    24. Gus Frerotte STL at BAL -- Note: Likely to get a second consecutive start.
    25. *Tarvaris Jackson MIN at CHI -- Note: Taking all the snaps with the first team in practice, instead of Kelly Holcomb. Does it really matter?

Running Back

  1. LaDainian Tomlinson SD vs. OAK
    1. Ronnie Brown MIA at CLE
    2. Willis McGahee BAL vs. STL
    3. Brian Westbrook PHI at NYJ -- Note: Practiced on Monday.
    4. Shaun Alexander SEA vs. NO -- Note: Lost his fullback Mack Strong to a career-ending neck injury.
    5. Larry Johnson KC vs. CIN -- Note: I'm not giving up on him yet, despite last week's major disappointment.
    6. Edgerrin James AZ vs. CAR
    7. Brandon Jacobs NYG at ATL -- Note: Now a viable option again.
    8. Reggie Bush NO at SEA
    9. Adrian Peterson MIN at CHI -- Note: Will he get more than two carries in the second half this time?
    10. Marion Barber DAL vs. NE -- Note: Only limited workload against the Bills on Monday night.
    11. Maurice Jones-Drew JAC vs. HOU
    12. Clinton Portis WAS at GB
    13. Sammy Morris NE at DAL
    14. DeShaun Foster CAR at AZ
    15. LenDale White TEN at TB
    16. Brian Leonard STL at BAL -- Note: Steven Jackson is out again.
    17. Thomas Jones NYJ vs. PHI -- Note: Diminishing workload to Leon Washington.
    18. Fred Taylor JAC vs. HOU
    19. Earnest Graham TB vs. TEN
    20. Warrick Dunn ATL vs. NYG
    21. Jamal Lewis CLE vs. MIA -- Note: Questionable with a foot injury. Jason Wright could start. If he's given the all-clear, he could move up quite a bit.
    22. Julius Jones DAL vs. NE
    23. Ahman Green HOU at JAC -- Note: Can he come back this week from the knee injury?
    24. DeShawn Wynn GB vs. WAS
    25. Justin Fargas OAK at SD -- Note: Dreaded time-share?
    26. Dominic Rhodes OAK at SD
    27. Rudi Johnson CIN at KC -- Note: Held out of practice on Monday due to his lingering hamstring injury.
    28. Kenny Watson CIN at KC -- Note: If we have some definition about Johnson's status before game time, one of the two will move up considerably.
    29. Derrick Ward NYG at ATL
    30. Laurence Maroney NE at DAL -- Note: Game-time scratch again last week.
    31. Chester Taylor MIN at CHI
    32. Chris Brown TEN at TB
    33. Vernand Morency GB vs. WAS
    34. Cedric Benson CHI vs. MIN -- Note: Nobody runs well against the Vikings.
    35. Leon Washington NYJ vs. PHI
    36. Ladell Betts WAS at GB
    37. Correll Buckhalter PHI at NYJ
    38. Ron Dayne HOU at JAC
    39. Michael Turner SD vs. OAK
    40. DeAngelo Williams CAR at AZ
    41. Aaron Stecker NO at SEA
    42. Jerious Norwood ATL vs. NYG
    43. Musa Smith BAL vs. STL
    44. Brandon Jackson GB vs. WAS
    45. Reuben Droughns NYG at ATL
    46. Greg Jones JAC vs. HOU
    47. Adrian Peterson CHI vs. MIN
    48. Samkon Gado HOU at JAC
    49. LaBrandon Toefield JAC vs. HOU -- Note: Trade target for the Bucs?
    50. Michael Bennett KC vs. CIN
    51. Maurice Morris SEA vs. NO
    52. Kevin Faulk NE at DAL
    53. Marcel Shipp AZ vs. CAR
    54. Jesse Chatman MIA at CLE
    55. Kenneth Darby TB vs. TEN -- Note: Elevated on the depth chart due to Pittman's injury.
    56. LaMont Jordan OAK at SD -- Note: Didn't practice on Monday, questionable for this week's game.
    57. Michael Pittman TB vs. TEN -- Note: Out for six-to-eight weeks.

Wide Receiver

  1. Randy Moss NE at DAL
    1. Plaxico Burress NYG at ATL -- Note: Who needs practice anyhow?
    2. T.J. Houshmandzadeh CIN at KC
    3. Chad Johnson CIN at KC
    4. Terrell Owens DAL vs. NE
    5. Larry Fitzgerald AZ vs. CAR
    6. Donald Driver GB vs. WAS
    7. Steve Smith CAR at AZ
    8. Braylon Edwards CLE vs. MIA
    9. Greg Jennings GB vs. WAS -- Note: Continuing to play through a shoulder injury. Look for him to sit out practice early in the week.
    10. Torry Holt STL at BAL
    11. Joey Galloway TB vs. TEN
    12. Jerricho Cotchery NYJ vs. PHI
    13. Patrick Crayton DAL vs. NE
    14. Laveranues Coles NYJ vs. PHI
    15. Chris Chambers MIA at CLE -- Note: Conflicting factors - Cleveland's secondary versus Miami's QB conundrum.
    16. Marques Colston NO at SEA -- Note: Tweaked back, just to make things a little worse in an already bad offense.
    17. Dwayne Bowe KC vs. CIN
    18. Antwaan Randle El WAS at GB -- Note: Hamstring injury, expects to miss practice early in the week.
    19. Anquan Boldin AZ vs. CAR -- Note: Vigorous workout on his hip on Monday.
    20. Vincent Jackson SD vs. OAK -- Note: Limited in practice this week because of a shoulder injury.
    21. Reggie Brown PHI at NYJ
    22. Donte Stallworth NE at DAL
    23. Ronald Curry OAK at SD
    24. Wes Welker NE at DAL
    25. Derrick Mason BAL vs. STL
    26. Roddy White ATL vs. NYG
    27. Jerry Porter OAK at SD
    28. Kevin Curtis PHI at NYJ
    29. Bernard Berrian CHI vs. MIN -- Note: Foot injury, MRI came clean.
    30. James Jones GB vs. WAS
    31. Bobby Engram SEA vs. NO -- Note: Taking over No. 1 Seahawks role with Branch out.
    32. Dennis Northcutt JAC vs. HOU
    33. Muhsin Muhammad CHI vs. MIN
    34. Brandon Jones TEN at TB
    35. Roydell Williams TEN at TB
    36. Andre Davis HOU at JAC
    37. Drew Bennett STL at BAL
    38. Bryant Johnson AZ vs. CAR
    39. Isaac Bruce STL at BAL
    40. Mark Clayton BAL vs. STL
    41. Nate Burleson SEA vs. NO
    42. Ernest Wilford JAC vs. HOU
    43. Devery Henderson NO at SEA -- Note: Drops are causing him to lose time on the field.
    44. Ike Hilliard TB vs. TEN
    45. Sidney Rice MIN at CHI
    46. Joe Jurevicius CLE vs. MIA
    47. Lance Moore NO at SEA -- Note: "Rotation" among Saints' No. 2 wideouts.
    48. Sam Hurd DAL vs. NE
    49. Keenan McCardell WAS at GB
    50. Bobby Wade MIN at CHI
    51. Reggie Williams JAC vs. HOU
    52. Kevin Walter HOU at JAC
    53. Demetrius Williams BAL vs. STL
    54. Amani Toomer NYG at ATL
    55. Antonio Chatman CIN at KC
    56. Marty Booker MIA at CLE
    57. Samie Parker KC vs. CIN
    58. Craig Davis SD vs. OAK
    59. Eric Moulds TEN at TB
    60. Joe Horn ATL vs. NYG
    61. Jason Avant PHI at NYJ
    62. Jacoby Jones HOU at JAC -- Note: Hoping to get him back this week.
    63. Santana Moss WAS at GB
    64. Deion Branch SEA vs. NO -- Note: Out two weeks with a sprained foot.
    65. *Andre Johnson HOU at JAC -- Note: Probably out again this week.

Tight End

  1. Antonio Gates SD vs. OAK
    1. Kellen Winslow CLE vs. MIA
    2. Jason Witten DAL vs. NE
    3. Jeremy Shockey NYG at ATL
    4. Tony Gonzalez KC vs. CIN
    5. Chris Cooley WAS at GB
    6. Owen Daniels HOU at JAC
    7. Ben Watson NE at DAL
    8. Alex Smith TB vs. TEN
    9. Desmond Clark CHI vs. MIN
    10. Greg Olsen CHI vs. MIN
    11. Alge Crumpler ATL vs. NYG
    12. Todd Heap BAL vs. STL -- Note: Said that he could have played last week if it were a playoff game, for what that's worth.
    13. Eric Johnson NO at SEA
    14. Jeff King CAR at AZ
    15. Randy McMichael STL at BAL
    16. Chris Baker NYJ vs. PHI
    17. Bo Scaife TEN at TB
    18. Marcedes Lewis JAC vs. HOU
    19. Marcus Pollard SEA vs. NO
    20. Quinn Sypniewki BAL vs. STL
    21. Bubba Franks GB vs. WAS
    22. Donald Lee GB vs. WAS
    23. John Madsen OAK at SD
    24. Leonard Pope AZ vs. CAR
    25. David Martin MIA at CLE
    26. Jeb Putzier HOU at JAC
    27. Reggie Kelly CIN at KC
    28. Visanthe Shiancoe MIN at CHI
    29. *L.J. Smith PHI at NYJ -- Note: Iffy for Week 6 with his groin problem.

Kicker

  1. Nick Folk DAL vs. NE
    1. Stephen Gostkowski NE at DAL
    2. Kris Brown HOU at JAC
    3. Matt Stover BAL vs. STL
    4. Shayne Graham CIN at KC
    5. David Akers PHI at NYJ
    6. Rob Bironas TEN at TB
    7. Josh Brown SEA vs. NO
    8. Jeff Wilkins STL at BAL
    9. Mason Crosby GB vs. WAS
    10. Shaun Suisham WAS at GB
    11. Nate Kaeding SD vs. OAK
    12. Sebastian Janikowski OAK at SD
    13. Lawrence Tynes NYG at ATL
    14. Neil Rackers AZ vs. CAR
    15. Robbie Gould CHI vs. MIN
    16. John Kasay CAR at AZ
    17. Jay Feely MIA at CLE
    18. Olindo Mare NO at SEA -- Note: Job on the line after two costly misses last week.
    19. Matt Bryant TB vs. TEN

Defense

  1. Chicago vs. Minnesota
    1. Baltimore vs. St. Louis
    2. Green Bay vs. Washington
    3. Seattle vs. New Orleans
    4. Arizona vs. Carolina
    5. Jacksonville vs. Houston
    6. San Diego vs. Oakland
    7. Minnesota at Chicago
    8. Tennessee at Tampa Bay
    9. New England at Dallas
    10. Washington at Green Bay
    11. Tampa Bay vs. Tennessee
    12. New York Giants at Atlanta
    13. Cleveland vs. Miami
    14. Philadelphia at New York Jets
    15. Kansas City vs. Cincinnati
    16. New York Jets vs. Philadelphia
    17. Dallas vs. New England
    18. Miami at Cleveland
    19. Cincinnati at Kansas City
    20. Oakland at San Diego
    21. Atlanta vs. New York Giants
    22. Houston at Jacksonville
    23. New Orleans at Seattle
    24. St. Louis at Baltimore
    25. Carolina at Arizona