Marc Bulger has has a rough year, but there's a good chance that he'll have a breakout second-half for fantasy owners.

Last week, I told our radio listeners that the Colts had given the Pats all they could handle and then some in their classic showdown two weeks ago.  In fact, I would have narrowly leaned in their favor against the same Pats in the playoffs, because they played so well for 3½ quarters without their starting left tackle and Marvin Harrison.  That might all be wishful thinking now, because Harrison doesn’t appear to be getting any better and Dwight Freeney is lost for the season.  I wasn’t too concerned about the loss to the Chargers, because the rest of their schedule is a cakewalk.  However, the loss of Freeney is huge.  His pass rush can change the way the Pats operate on offense, and his loss will be nearly impossible for the Colts to make up.

I left the A-Rod news for last, because it’s not football related, but it’s certainly been the talk of the sports world since the story broke on Wednesday.  I won’t bore you with all the details, but here is my take on the whole thing.  This is a match made in heaven, because A-Rod is a disingenuous phony who’s only after the money-- signing with a disingenuous team that only knows how to spend money.  Keep in mind that I am a Yankee fan!  The thing that really bugs me is that the Yankees are not completely taking their old offer off the table in the current negotiations.  The team is trying to save face by claiming that they are deducting $21 million from the current offer.  Also, the latest offer of $275 million is far short of the $350 million his agent, Scott Boras, was demanding from them prior to his opting out of his contract.  That may all be true, but it fails to recognize one basic fact.  The only reason that A-Rod came groveling back to them is because there were no other offers that came close to satisfying his ridiculous greed.  The Yankees are basically bidding against themselves!  What they should do is if offer the same average salary BUT for half the years with a TEAM option to terminate the deal after three years.  That translates to $140 million over 5 years.  It’s fair, because he’s still getting a raise of over $3 million per year over his old contract, yet it allows the team the flexibility to get out of the deal if his skills erode prematurely.  Who am I kidding?  The Yankees have never cared about money, so they’ll probably give A-Rod his insane 10-year deal and complain about it later.  Oh well.  You can’t say I didn’t give it a shot!

Stock Up

QB Marc Bulger, Rams
He’s risen from the dead like Lazarus and posted two strong games in a row sandwiched around the bye week.  Bulger is talented enough to improve any team that doesn’t already have a top quarterback, so don’t let the terrible start deter you from trying to pick him up for the stretch run.

QB Matt Hasselbeck, Seahawks
Hasselbeck has had four straight good starts and he’s likely to continue putting up good numbers the rest of the way with Shaun Alexander ailing.  The team will rely on him heavily with the running game being so inconsistent, so it’s quite possible that he’ll be one of the better quarterbacks in the second half.  Hasselbeck is very good when he’s in a rhythm, so jump on him while he’s hot. 

RB Warrick Dunn, Falcons
The diminutive runner has posted two strong games in a row after a forgettable seven games to start the season.  Dunn is as streaky as they come, so don’t ignore him down the stretch.  The team needs to know whether they can count on him for the future, so he’s playing for his job down the road.

RB Marshawn Lynch, Bills
All the talk about Adrian Peterson has left Lynch as the forgotten rookie running back.  That’s not fair, because he’s pretty good in his own way.  Lynch will never dazzle you with long touchdown runs like Peterson, but he’s bruising back that knows how to pick up the tough yards.  Lynch is improving as a receiver as well, so he’ll help you in PPR leagues.

WR Torry Holt, Rams
His strong games have coincided with Bulger’s, and that’s no coincidence.  The two need each other, so it shouldn’t come as a surprise that they’re both playing well at the moment.  Holt is one of the leading candidates at his position to post huge numbers in the second half, so his owners that stuck with him will be well rewarded.

Stock Down

QB Vince Young, Titans
Young had his first good game since Week 3 last Sunday, but I’m not predicting a big second half.  Scouts say that his passing has regressed this year, and he’s developed some bad habits.  The Titans are largely a running team, so it’s unlikely that he’ll ever throw for big yardage.   

QB Carson Palmer, Bengals
I’m a huge Palmer fan, so the lukewarm first half (by his standards) has surprised me.  I expected a huge year even with the absence of Chris Henry, so perhaps I got greedy.  It’s interesting that some folks around league circles don’t consider him the best quarterback not named Brady or Manning anymore.  That mantle seems to have passed to Romo.

RB Jamal Lewis, Browns
The Head Honcho had me shaking my head last week when he sang the praises of Lewis simply because he’s not part of a RBBC.  Well, he should be!  He’s only posted two good games all year in eight starts. 

WR Kevin Curtis, Eagles
Curtis is the definition of inconsistency among wide receivers, because he’s only had two strong games all season.  What’s troubling is that McNabb has had five relatively good games in a row, and Curtis has impressed in only one of them.  That means that McNabb is targeting other receivers.

WR Steve Smith, Panthers
This one is really shocking, because Smith was considered by just about everyone to be one of the top five players at his position.  He’s currently ranked 10^th in HEAT scoring, but that’s extremely deceptive.  Smith has had three huge games all season and only ONE since Week  2.