Week 13 fantasy football

Wednesday, Nov. 22, 2000

NEW ENGLAND at DETROIT

New England — You might think about benching QB Drew Bledsoe this week vs. the Lions. Bledsoe’s thumb should be closer to 100 percent this week, but he will face a pretty good Lions secondary. Bledsoe hasn’t been great this year, but he has answered criticism that his abilities were on their way down. In Bledsoe’s defense, his receivers haven’t been great, and he could have a tough time vs. the Lions, who usually have a good showing on Thanksgiving. … The Patriots’ RB situation is more muddled than ever after rookie Patrick Pass shouldered most of the load last week. Reports out of New England have the Patriots going back to J.R. Redmond under the assumption that he is the No. 1 back. Pass was played in order to evaluate his running style last week, apparently.

Detroit — Was the Lions’ breakout performance vs. the Giants on Sunday a sign of things to come? We think so. Most of the acclaim goes to the passing game, which hasn’t looked better all season. New head coach Gary Moeller is made his confidence in QB Charlie Batch be known, and the quarterback has responded. Batch had his first three-TD game since Week Six, and he spread the ball around to nine different receivers — all on the road and on grass. Lions teams just don’t do that. But Batch did. If you’re in dire straits at the QB position, Batch may be the answer to your prayers. … WR Herman Moore has caught nine passes with one touchdown in his first two games under Moeller. Moore appears to be back in the offensive flow, making him a suitable No. 3 receiver in fantasy leagues. … RB James Stewart returned to practice Tuesday after suffering a hip-pointer in Sunday’s game.

MINNESOTA at DALLAS

Minnesota — RB Robert Smith should be another good play this week vs. a Cowboys defense that has allowed 171.1 rushing yards per game. Smith has broken the 100-yard mark in three straight games. … QB Daunte Culpepper has bounced back big time from his two-game slump, in which he threw five interceptions. He had begun the season throwing seven picks in seven games. Now, in his last two outings, Culpepper has a TD-interception ratio of 6-1, and he’s broken the 300-yard mark twice. … When’s the last time you saw this? Two wide receivers from the same team break 100 yards and score a touchdown in back-to-back games. Cris Carter and Randy Moss did in Weeks 11 and 12. Obviously, both are must plays. … Speaking of Moss, the last time he played the Cowboys on Thanksgiving, he torched them for three touchdowns and 163 yards — on three catches.

Dallas — The Cowboys are one of the league’s most banged-up teams right now. They are entering this game with a total of eight starters out of action because of injuries. One player who will take the field — but you would wise not to play — is QB Troy Aikman. He’s been battered and bruised for much of the season, and now he’s going to be even more fragile after just four days of rest. Furthermore, he will be taking snaps from someone other than C Mark Stepnoski, who is out with a knee injury. That means there could be problems with the QB-center exchange, which could impact the entire offense.

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