That said, his fantasy football value for the 2009 season drops after this news. The Panthers are secretive about their injuries so it’s never good to have one of their players on your fantasy team who has a nagging injury. Additionally, Smith has had a number of shoulder issues over the last couple of years.

If you decide to pick the 30-year-old wide receiver in your fantasy draft, it’d probably be a good idea to handcuff one of the other wideouts on the Panthers. Muhsin Muhammad is the logical choice, however Dwayne Jarrett could become a sleeper if Smith misses significant time.

This news about Smith also lowers the value of quarterback Jake Delhomme. Without Smith, Delhomme will be short of receiving options.

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Saturday, January 3rd – 4:30 PM Eastern
Atlanta Falcons at the Arizona Cardinals

Saturday, January 3rd – 8:00 PM Eastern
Indianapolis Colts at San Diego Chargers

Sunday, January 4th – 1:00 PM Eastern
Baltimore Ravens at Miami Dolphins

Sunday, January 4th – 4:30 PM Eastern
Philadelphia Eagles at Minnesota Vikings

Bye Week: Tennessee Titans, Pittsburgh Steelers, New York Giants, Carolina Panthers

Photo credit: Newscom

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RB DeAngelo Williams, Carolina Panthers
Coming into the 2008 fantasy football season, DeAngelo Williams wasn’t a wanted man in the fantasy world. He was a part of a dreaded running back by committee situation in Carolina. However, now he’s emerged as the hottest back in fantasy football and is suddenly a must start each and every week.

WR Kevin Walter, Houston Texans
Kevin Walter showed some promise in 2007 but nobody could have imagined him becoming a top ten wide receiver in 2008. While he’s still not quite as valuable as teammate Andre Johnson, Walter has had a huge year and seems to be playing better and better as the season has progressed. Going into 2009, Walter will be a household name in the fantasy football world.

TE Visanthe Shiancoe, Minnesota Vikings
Prior to 2008, Visanthe Shiancoe was known as a player who didn’t always give great effort. He was also known for his bad hands. In 2008, Shiancoe has become a very productive tight end who is currently ranked in the top five. While he’s not overly consistent, he’s capable of scoring a touchdown in any given week.

Photo credit: Newscom

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RB DeAngelo Williams, Carolina Panthers
Earlier in the season, DeAngelo Williams was almost worthless due to his running back by committee situation. But he’s now thriving with the Panthers and had four touchdowns this weekend. He has to be considered a top ten fantasy running back at the moment.

WR Mark Clayton, Baltimore Ravens
Mark Clayton was all over the field for the Ravens on Sunday. Not only did he having a receiving touchdowns and plenty of receiving yards, he also threw a touchdown pass of his own. While he’s not a great start on a weekly basis, he could be worth the gamble in upcoming weeks after seeing what he’s capable of doing.

TE Tony Gonzalez, Kansas City Chiefs
Although he didn’t have a touchdown, Tony Gonzalez continues to prove he’s a fantasy football powerhouse right now. He’s undoubtedly the best fantasy tight end and should head into the 2009 fantasy football season as a top three tight end — even though he’s no longer a spring chicken.

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RB DeAngelo Williams, Carolina Panthers
Early in the season, it appeared as if DeAngelo Williams would never live up to his expectations. Now, Williams is regarded as one of the best fantasy football running backs in 2008. In Week 11, Williams finished the game with two touchdowns and 120 yards rushing on 14 attempts. Combining with Jonathan Stewart, the Panthers have a very formidable one-two punch.

WR TJ Houshmandzadeh, Cincinnati Bengals
Even thought the Bengals have been a big disappointment and quarterback Carson Palmer has missed a lot of time, TJ Houshmandzadeh has actually been quite good. He still has been able to get open and he still has very good hands. He finished this week’s game with 12 catches for 149 yards and a touchdown receptions. If it wasn’t clear last year, it’s clear this year — Houshmandzadeh is simply a better wide receiver than Chad Johnson.

TE Benjamin Watson, New England Patriots
Cassel’s main target against the Jets was tight end Benjamin Watson. Watson has very good ability to go along with great size and athleticism, however he’s had a difficult time putting it all together. For a week, at least, he did just that. He finished Week 11 with eight catches for 88 yards and a touchdown grab to be the top fantasy football tight end for the week.

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RB Frank Gore, San Francisco 49ers
Although the St. Louis Rams showed a little bit of life a couple weeks ago, they seem to have reversed a bit. Against the New York Jets last weekend, they got demolished — with a lot of the damage coming from running back Thomas Jones. That’s why Frank Gore is such a good start this week. Gore has played very well this week and this juicy matchup has him at the top of the running back list in Week 11.

WR Steve Smith, Carolina Panthers
When it comes to bad defenses, it doesn’t get much worse than the Detroit Lions. The Lions will face off against the Panthers this week, which likely means a big game for Steve Smith. Smith will draw a lot of attention, no doubt, but Detroit still won’t be able to stop him. The only way Smith doesn’t explode is if the Panthers are up early and stop passing the ball.

TE Tony Gonzalez, Kansas City Chiefs
Tony Gonzalez has a very good matchup this weekend against the New Orleans Saints. With Tyler Thigpen playing very well at quarterback, Gonzalez is now a threat to have a big game each and every week. Coming off of a quality fantasy football performance, look for him to follow it up with more big numbers in Week 11 of the fantasy season.

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9) Carolina Panthers
With Steve Smith back in action, the Panthers should make a legitimate push for the playoffs and could be a sleeper Super Bowl pick.

8) Buffalo Bills
At 3-0 it is hard to ignore the Bills. However, they still have a lot more to prove before people believe they are ready for the playoffs.

7) Green Bay Packers
Without Brett Favre, the Packers are still very good. They lost against the Cowboys this week but they should bounce back.

6) Pittsburgh Steelers
A loss against the Eagles doesn’t hurt the Steelers’ rank too much. They remain very good defensively and explosive offensively.

5) Denver Broncos
Speaking of explosive offenses, is there a more unexpectedly explosive passing attack than the one found in Denver?

4) Philadelphia Eagles
The Eagles are playing very solid football in 2008. Their defense is deceptively fantastic and their offense is more than capable.

3) Tennessee Titans
The Titans have perhaps the most deadly defensive attack in the NFL. Their offense can be ugly but their duo at running back (Chris Johnson and LenDale White) is impressive.

2) Dallas Cowboys
The Cowboys are at 3-0 and appear to be the best team in the NFL at the moment. On both sides of the field, the Cowboys have a huge amount of talent.

1) New York Giants
The Giants are coming off of their 2007 Super Bowl championship and have started the season with three straight wins — which is good enough for the number one spot in the power rankings.

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RB Michael Bush, Oakland Raiders
The Raiders like to run the ball. A lot. With Justin Fargas going down with a groin injury and Darren McFadden favoring an injured toe, Michael Bush could be the starter before long in Oakland.

WR Muhsin Muhammad, Carolina Panthers
Not too long ago, Muhsin Muhammad and Steve Smith formed a lethal combination. With Steve Smith making his debut for the Panthers this week, Muhammad could become a favorite target for Jake Delhomme in the end zone.

TE John Carlson, Seattle Seahawks
If John Carlson is available in your fantasy football league’s waiver wire, be sure to snag him up as soon as possible. The rookie tight end for the Seahawks promises to be a big part of the team’s offense, especially with all their injuries at the wide receiver position.

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Running Back – Willie Parker, Pittsbugh Steelers
Willie Parker scored three touchdowns in Week 1. Last year, he scored two touchdowns total. Knowing that, you can’t expect Parker to remain a touchdown threat all season long. Trade him now if you can get a good value.

Wide Receiver – Wes Welker, New England Patriots
While Randy Moss is sure to be affected as well, Wes Welker might be most hurt by Tom Brady being out for the season. Brady loved dumping the ball off to Welker. Now Cassel won’t be able to use him as much.

Tight End – Dante Rosario, Carolina Panthers
With Steve Smith set to come back in Week 3, Dante Rosario is a good tight end to claim on the waiver wire and then trade. He likely will see a lot less passes coming his way once Smith returns to the lineup.

Steve Smith looms on the horizon for the Panthers.

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Running Back – Michael Turner, Atlanta Falcons
The Falcons’ big offseason signing paid dividends right away in Week 1. In 22 carries, Turner had 220 yards and two touchdowns. While he obviously will come back down to earth, Turner could very easily finish the season as a top ten fantasy football running back.

Wide Receiver – Hines Ward, Pittsburgh Steelers
Hines Ward is getting up there in years and it’s easy to forget that he’s an elite fantasy football receiver. Ward reminded fantasy owners of his capabilities in Week 1 as he finished with two touchdown catches and 76 yards receiving.

Tight End – Dante Rosario – Carolina Panthers
With Steve Smith suspended, someone on the Pathers receiving corps needed to step up. Dante Rosario, the team’s starting tight end, was that man. Rosario had seven catches for 96 yards and the game-winning touchdown as the time expired.

Donovan McNabb was able to prove doubters wrong in Week 1.

Photo: Newscom

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