Fantasy source

PLAY ACTION

by ROB HURTT

Fantasy owners won't shed any tears when they say goodbye to the off-weeks after Week 10. In fact, many will welcome the opportunity to shed excess players from their rosters.

While having a deep bench is critical in September and October, it's less imperative once teams quit having open dates. Maximizing the on-field talent becomes key. Owners need to recognize this midseason change in philosophy and prepare early.

Depth isn't a bad thing, of course. A solid backup is necessary to take over when injuries strike or awful matchups occur. However, owners need to be smart about how they use that depth. Having too much of a good thing could keep you from having a great starting lineup. Why let that quality player rot on the bench down the stretch? Try packaging him with another part-time starter to net a great player you can use every week.

Would you rather head to the playoffs with two stars and a scrub (LaDainian Tomlinson, Edgerrin James and Miami's running back du jour) or travel with three middle-of-the-road options (Rudi Johnson, Travis Henry and Duce Staley)? I'd take my chances with the elite players and hope they stay healthy.

Owners with four high-quality receivers might decide they have no need to carry a sixth or even a fifth. If your starting defense can shut down any team in the league, why own two? These lineup spots could be put to better use.

To figure out where your team has excess depth, print out your roster. Highlight the players who will start every week. This group is the core of your team; find a way to add to it. For example, find owners who have no running back depth. Offer them two of your average starters for their top guys. Then, you'll be on your way to maximizing the talent in your starting lineup, giving you a better chance in the playoffs.

STUDS, SLEEPERS & STUMBLERS

Week 8 calls from Fantasy Source experts Chris Bahr, Mike Nahrstedt
and Georqe Winkler:

  Expert       Stud                     Sleeper

QBs
  Bahr         Trent Green, K.C.        Vinny Testaverde, Dal.
  Nahrstedt    Peyton Manning, Ind.     Tim Rattay, S.F
  Winkler      Byron Leftwich, Jac.     Kurt Warner, NYG
RBs
  Bahr         Thomas Jones, Chi.       Jonathan Wells, Hou.
  Nahrstedt    Clinton Portis, Was.     Thomas Jones, Chi.
  Winkler      Clinton Portis, Was.     Kevin Jones, Det.
WRs
  Bahr         Marvin Harrison, Ind.    Lee Evans, Buf.
  Nahrstedt    Marvin Harrison, Ind.    Eddie Kennison, K.C.
  Winkler      Eric Moulds, Buf.        Brandon Lloyd, S.F.
Defense
  Bahr         Denver                   Chicago
  Nahrstedt    Philadelphia             Buffalo
  Winkler      Philadelphia             N.Y. Jets

  Expert       Stumbler

QBs
  Bahr         Michael Vick, Atl.
  Nahrstedt    Ben Roethlisberger, Pit.
  Winkler      Jake Delhomme, Car.
RBs
  Bahr         Ahman Green, G.B.
  Nahrstedt    Curtis Martin, NYJ
  Winkler      Warrick Dunn Atl.
WRs
  Bahr         Hines Ward, Pit.
  Nahrstedt    Javon Walker, G.B.
  Winkler      Peerless Price, Atl.
Defense
  Bahr         Jacksonville
  Nahrstedt    N.Y. Giants
  Winkler      Kansas City

M@IL BONDING

ROB HURTT ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS

Is it too dangerous to have two studs from the same team?

Thorn Thirenovic, Detroit

Thom: It depends on where you draw the line for "stud" qualification. There's nothing wrong with owning Peyton Manning and Edgerrin James, or Daunte Culpepper and Randy Moss. In those cases, you can feel confident that both players will produce. Owning two starters from the same team becomes dicey with players who are good but not great. This risk intensifies during the fantasy playoffs, where one bad game could cost your team the title. Diversifying for the postseason could make more sense.

To submit a question to our fantasy experts, dick on Daily Mail at fantasygames. sportingnews.com/football.

TOOLBOX

Did you know the Jagaur's Byron Leftwich and the Cowboy's Vinny Testaverde are tied for second in the NFL with three 300-yard passing games apiece? The Sporting News Fantasy Source puts stats like that at your fingertips, allowing you to make educated decisions on what players to trade for as your league's deadline approaches. Premium subscribers can access our "Scoring Breakdown" tool by rolling their cursor over "Stats/Rankings" on our homepage and clicking on the third dropdown menu from the left.--Roger Kuznia

To see other tools Fantasy Source offers, take a tour at: fantasy.sportingnews.com/nfl/tour/archive.html.

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