Player Notes

Tom Brady^P (NE - QB)

Nov 6 - Brady (shoulder) will be facing a Dolphins' defense Sunday that will be starting two rookie cornerbacks.

Recommendation: Fresh off a bye week and with his arm reportedly feeling great -- despite the standard "probable" designation -- Brady slots in as the No. 1 QB on the Week 9 RotoWire Value Meter.

Nov 6 - Brady (shoulder) will be facing a Dolphins defense Sunday that will be starting two rookie cornerbacks.

Recommendation: Fresh off a bye week and with his arm reportedly feeling great -- despite the standard "probable" designation -- Brady slots in as the No. 1 QB on the Week 9 RotoWire Value Meter.

Nov 4 - Brady (shoulder) said earlier this week that he feels as good now as he's ever felt over his career, ESPN.com reports. "I don't think I've been hit a whole lot this year, it's just been one of those years where I haven't had many sacks (eight)," Brady said. "I understand how to take care of my body, get the treatment I need, so it's been a good year thus far."

Recommendation: Though Brady is an automatic "shoulder/probable" on the injury report virtually every week, he has been saying that his arm feels great. More importantly, he has not reported any setbacks with his surgically-repaired knee and while he was never the fleetest of foot, he's been getting around okay in the pocket thus far.

Nov 3 - QB Tom Brady has returned from major knee injury to impressive results with 15 touchdowns in seven games while on pace for a 4,000-yard season. With the knee injury now in the past, Brady is most excited by how his arm felt at the bye week. "I feel the best I've ever felt," Brady told WEEI in Boston.

Nov 2 - QB Tom Brady feels at the top of his game physically and no longer appears to be a concern as the Patriots approach the stretch run. "I feel the best I've ever felt," Brady said. "Guys retire at the quarterback position and other positions because they can't run anymore. That's what the game comes down to for 90 percent of the players. For a quarterback, it's not an issue. I was slow to start, and I'm slower now, and I'll be slower 10 years from now, and so is Favre, and so is Peyton Manning. All these guys, no one can run."

Matt Forte (Chi - RB)

Nov 2 - Forte ran for two touchdowns as the Bears beat the bumbling Browns 30-6 Sunday.
Advice: Forte had 90 yards on 26 carries - an unimpressive 3.5-yard average - and he still has just one 100-yard game this season, but the two scores were a nice reward for fantasy owners who've stuck with Forte through his struggles. He faces Arizona's ninth-ranked rushing defense this week, but the Cardinals were just gouged for 270 yards on the ground by Carolina.

Nov 1 - Forte had one of his best performances of the season Sunday against the Browns, rushing for 90 yards and two touchdowns on 26 carries.

Recommendation: Sunday marked the first time Forte reached the end zone since Week 4 and was exactly the kind of performance fantasy owners were looking for after he had rushed for just 47 yards over the last two weeks. Forte will have a tough time following up this bounce back performance next weekend, however, as the Bears face a Cardinals rushing defense that is allowing a league-best 67.5 yards per game.

Ray Rice (Bal - RB)

Nov 3 - RB Ray Rice has scored four touchdowns in his past three games after not scoring a touchdown last season as a rookie. He has solidified himself as the Ravens' No. 1 running back.

Nov 2 - Rice ran for 84 yards, the most by one player against Denver this season, and added a touchdown as the Ravens won 30-7 on Sunday.
Advice: Rice's 3.7 yard-per-carry average wasn't impressive, but his overall results were against the league's third-ranked rushing defense. He'll have another tough matchup on Sunday - Cincinnati ranks fifth against the run.

Nov 1 - Rice ran for 84 yards on 23 carries and scored a touchdown in Sunday's 30-7 win over Denver. Rice added five receptions for 24 yards.

Recommendation: Rice was held in check most of the day, but was able to score from seven yards out with a couple of minutes left in the game to ice the win. Meanwhile, Willis McGahee touched the ball just three times (two rushes, one reception) so it's becoming pretty clear that Rice is the focal point of Baltimore's running game.

Nate Burleson (Sea - WR)

Nov 3 - WR Nate Burleson led the team in receptions against Dallas, finishing with six catches for 89 yards.

Nov 2 - Burleson caught six passes for 89 yards Sunday, but did not get into the endzone.

Recommendation: A score would have been nice, but Seattle's offense struggles to move the ball these days. Burleson was targeted a team-high 12 times.

Wes Welker (NE - WR)

Nov 3 - WR Wes Welker's team-leading 46 catches in seven games rank tied for fourth in the NFL through Week 8.

Chad Ochocinco (Cin - WR)

Nov 3 - WR Chad Ochocinco averages 4.8 catches and 73.6 yards per game in 18 career meetings against Baltimore. He also has seven TDs against the Ravens.

Brent Celek (Phi - TE)

Nov 3 - TE Brent Celek has a team-high 37 catches in the Eagles' first seven games. He had a touchdown catch against the Cowboys in their last meeting last season.

Nov 2 - Celek had four catches for 61 yards and a touchdown during Philadelphia's Week 8 win.

Recommendation: Celek bounced back from an uncharacteristically quiet game in Week 7 and is now on pace to finish the season with 85 receptions, 1,028 yards and seven scores.

Nov 2 - Celek had another solid performance with four receptions for 61 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's 40-17 rout of the visiting New York Giants.
Advice: Celek is in the top five among tight ends with 37 catches for 447 yards, both career highs. He's also tied for seventh with three TDs.

Matt Prater (Den - K)

Nov 3 - K Matt Prater is having a season similar to last year. He is making 75 percent of his attempts, compared to 73.5 last year. And with 16 attempts, he will probably come close to last year's 34 attempts. Prater scored 114 points last year, and has 50 this season.