by Michael Conroy - AP

Can Donnie Avery give fantasy owners something to dance about?

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One win and a near upset of the undefeated New Orleans Saints and all of the sudden the St. Louis Rams aren't so easy for fantasy players to ignore. The team still lacks reliable, every week fantasy players outside of RB Steven Jackson. At this point, guys like Donnie Avery, Brandon Gibson and Daniel Fells offer respectable, sneaky bye week options. This week's game against the Arizona Cardinals will go a long way toward answering whether or not those players could move beyond bye week fill-ins to guys worthy of keeping on your roster. The first question we need to ask is whether or not we are seeing real progress from the Rams offense? Three things indicate that the answer is yes.

1. The offensive line is playing well. Signing C Jason Brown and drafting Jason Smith represented a major investment for the team and provided the basis for the rebuilding project as Spagnuolo builds from the foundation up. Smith is anchoring the right side of the line, overcoming any preseason questions about his adjustment to the three-point stance. The Rams favor the middle and right side for their running game, and Jackson continues to rack up more and more yards thanks to the entire offensive line functioning well as a unit.
2. Offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur is finally opening the play book. Besides a stellar job in run blocking, the OL is giving Marc Bulger time in the pocket, and the passing game is now throwing the ball downfield to Donnie Avery, forcing defenses to respect his speed and ability to get behind safeties.
3. The WR situation may be resolved. Maybe. Last week, Bradon Gibson, acquired from Philly in the Will Witherspoon trade, made a real impression, pressed into service for the injured Keenan Burton. One week wonder or not? It's hard to say, but against the Saints Gibson showed great hands and the athleticism to get yards after the catch, exactly what the Rams have been missing from the wide receivers this season. If he's the real deal, the Rams might have an effective enough passing game to score some points.

Obviously, Steven Jackson is a must start this week or any week. The Cardinals gave up 123 yards to Justin Forsett against the Seahawks last week. In week 8, DeAngelo Williams picked up 158 yards.

Donnie Avery looks like a good player to start this week too. The Cardinals allow 253.4 yards passing on average, and have allowed the fourth most, 32, passing plays of 20 yards or more.

Brandon Gibson is a risky start because he's still relatively unknown. If he has another good week, definitely grab him off the waiver wire.

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Would you start Randy McMichael on your fantasy team this week?

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Let's shift the discussion from political fantasies to fantasy football. Sitting at 0-5 with an offense that's averaging just 6.8 points per game. The Rams have entered that blackhole of fantasy sports, where almost nobody on the team merits a starting spot on your roster. Could that chance this week against the Jaguars? Let's take a look.

The Jags defense is allowing an average of 380 yards per game, only two teams have a worse YPG stat. They're giving up an average of 25.4 points per game; the Rams are giving up 29.2, FWIW. Against the run, the Jags allow an average of 107.6 YPG and 273 YPG in the air. In terms of DVOA, Jacksonville's defense has a 35.8% DVOA (28th) against the pass and a -17.2% (10th) against the run. On to the players.

RB Steven Jackson - Jacksonville's rushing defense has been pretty good, but Jackson has the added advantage for fantasy GMs in that he can catch passes. SJ has picked up solid yardage against better defenses though. Is this week he scores his first TD of the season?

WR Donnie Avery - Avery had a nice game last week, finally getting the ball deep and taking advantage of his speed. Against a lesser Jacksonville pass defense, could Avery have a break out game?

QB Marc Bulger - No Rams QB has been on anyone's fantasy radar, nor should  they be. But this is a pretty favorable matchup for Bulger.

TE Daniel Fells & Randy McMichael - Rams tight ends combined for 8 catches last week, and every since the Green Bay game Pat Shurmur has been using, successfully, plenty of two TE sets. It's very possible one of these guys will have a good game...providing of course they can hang onto the ball.

Rams DST - Can the Rams start getting some action on turnovers this week? Can Danny Amendola run one in? Can Josh Brown double his season's output in one game?

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He's trying to get you some fantasy points.

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In fantasy sports - well, at least baseball and football, since that's where my fantasy experience is - it seems like there's always that one team where you don't want any of the players they have. Have the St. Louis Rams become that team? Running back Steven Jackson is still an elite player, but in terms of fantasy points, the Rams are holding him back...well, not just in terms of fantasy points either, I guess. Here's what I wrote for SBN Fantasy Friday:

It’s a tough week to recommend anybody from the St. Louis Rams for your fantasy lineup. The Rams play the Minnesota Vikings this week, and it’s one of the best overall defenses they’ll see this year. RB Steven Jackson is a good bet for 20+ carries, but with Jason Smith not starting on the offensive line I question whether or not Jackson can rack up 100 yards. A touchdown almost seems out of the question based on the stagnant play of the rest of the Rams offense.

With a capable guy like Jackson, you can usually throw the Rams kicker, Josh Brown, into the mix for a decent fantasy option. Not this year. So far, the Rams have hit just 1 of 4 field goals. They do play at the Dome this week, which is a bit more favorable than the windy fields up and down the West Coast, but the offense will likely need to collect more than three points at a time.

The Rams have quickly become one of those teams you generally avoid in fantasy play, especially this week. On the flip side of that, it’s probably a great week to play any Vikings you might have on your roster.

Is this accurate? Do you avoid the Rams in fantasy? How many people out there start other RBs over Steven Jackson?

You can get more fantasy reports every week via SBN's Fantasy Friday. 

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St. Louis Rams' FS Oshiomogho Atogwe will be looking for another big game against the Redskins this week.

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The St. Louis Rams are not high on anybody's fantasy football radar, but there are a few players who could make a difference for your fantasy hopes this week.

RB Steven Jackson
St. Louis offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur took plenty of heat on the blogs and in the local press for his sparing use of Steven Jackson in last week's blowout loss to the Seahawks. Despite the top line numbers, Jackson ran well when he did carry the ball, even averaging a yard better per attempt against an eight-man front than other defensive formations. The Rams do not seem likely to repeat that decision this week, and will run the ball more as well as throw more screens to Jackson. They have to given the match up in Washington.

QB Marc Bulger
For a guy playing for his future, Bulger didn't exactly make a statement against a relatively week Seattle secondary. In his defense, the problems plaguing the offense were not Bugler's fault. The receivers looked rusty, and struggled with their timing and routes to get adequate separation. Though the pass protection showed significant improvement, the line had trouble with the snap count with the Qwest Field crowd noise. FedEx Field won't make that any easier. Look for the offense to tighten up in the wake of last week's game, but leave Bulger on your bench.

TE Randy McMichael
The offense should play better this week, and McMichael is the go-to-guy for the short routes scripted into the Rams offense. Without having to face the Seahawks linebackers, his numbers this week ought to make him a decent option at TE.

Rams Defense
The Rams defense had three turnovers last week. Steve Spagnuolo's units have a history of making life hard for Washington QB Jason Campbell, so this could be a sneaky little play for your fantasy team this weekend. Rams FS O.J. Atogwe returned a fumble for a 75-yard TD against the Redskins last year, a game where the Rams defense had three turnovers.

Hey fantasy football aficionados, how about another shot at fantasy glory?

The Turf Show Times free fantasy football league is here. It's on the Fleaflicker system (the one with ads all over this site). Standard rules for the league (unless someone has a compelling suggestion otherwise) with 12 teams and 3 divisions.

Sign up here. You'll need a Fleaflicker account if you don't already have one. I set it up as a private league, so here's the info you'll need to join:

League name: Turf Show Times

Password: Spagnuolo

The draft is tentatively set for Thursday, August 27 at 7 p.m. Central time.

Have at it!

More photos » by Jeff Roberson - AP

Rams RB Steven Jackson can lead you to fantasy glory in '09. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)

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I know lots of people are gearing up for fantasy football, and even though it's a bit early in my opinion (why draft now when there's a month full of training camp injuries and position battles still to come?) I thought it was as good a time as any to take a look at the Rams roster and fantasy implications. Sort of a public service announcement from TST.

Now, since lots of our fellow TST'ers play fantasy football on top of following the Rams, you've got to make you voice heard on this.

Below the jump, I've listed Rams players capable of making a fantasy impact, ranking them based on their likelihood of contributing something to your team.

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A run down of the fantasy impact from the Rams this week. For our friends local and beyond...

Steven Jackson, RB - The one everyone's thinking about. Jackson himself is optimistic, and he'll test his thigh today in practice. If he does play, he'll be an important part of the Rams game plan, running the ball and catching passes. Officially, he's a game time decision.

Marc Bulger, QB - The Rams will pass this week against an Arizona secondary that does allow yards, 28th most passing yards per game. He'll get fantasy points this week, but the question for fans is whether or not he can be nails, making key throws and beefing up the Rams third down and red zone conversion rates. 

Donnie Avery, WR - The secret's out on Avery. The first WR drafted this year leads the Rams in receiving yards and TDs. You can bet the Rams are counting on Bulger to find him deep this week, again. Speaking of deep passes, the Rams have 10 pass plays of at least 30 yards, 6th most in the league; Avery has 4 catches for more than 40 yards. 

Torry Holt, WR - With all the attention on Jackson's thigh, people aren't saying much about Holt. However, the Rams need Holt, who has just 6 catches in the last 2 games, threatening defenses again. Part of that has resulted from teams keeping Holt in double coverage, but with Avery now established, teams can't afford to defend one over the other. This could be Holt's week.

Josh Brown, K - The NFC Special Teams Player of the Month has a golden leg this season. Best free agent pick up in a long time. As long as the Rams are playing, Brown is going to nail a field goal or two. 

Rams, DST - The Rams have 9 turnovers in their last three games, and coach Jim Haslett knows that trend has to continue to beat the Cardinals. OJ Atogwe has four INTs on the season already. Watch to see what the status of DE Leonard Little and DT Adam Carriker is for the week though. Both are vital to the pass rush.

Antonio Pittman, RB - Pittman made 19 of the Rams 26 total rushing attempts last week, breaking off some nice runs and racking up 83 yards. If Jackson sits this week, Pittman will again get most of the work. He'd be a decent start if your big name backs are on a bye. 

Anyone I forgot? Sleeper picks?

A look at the fantasy implications for the Rams players this week.

Steven Jackson, RB - This is the big question mark. Jackson sat out practice all week with a thigh bruise he suffered late in last week's win over the Cowboys. Watch what happens today. If he practices with the team, he'll play. If he doesn't or is limited, Haslett will make it a game time call. What to expect if he does play? The Patriots have been getting beat through the air, so opposing back haven't had big games. Our QnA with Pats Pulpit revealed mixed results from the Pats run defense. Tomlinson had 74 against them 2 weeks ago. The Broncos last week were the first team to rush for 100+ yards (they had 106) against NE since Miami embarassed them with the WildHog formation, racking up 216 rushing yards and 4 TDs. The Rams will have to use the run to balance their attack, so if Steven Jackson plays, he's a decent start.

Marc Bulger, QB - The Rams passing attack is now finding its feet after struggling all season. Bulger has connected with his receivers for some big plays, like the 42 yard TD to WR Donnie Avery, and they'll be looking for that again this week against a susceptable group of defensive backs.  Pro Bowl LT Orlando Pace is playing this week, so that should help the passing game. Beware though, of the 5 times the Cowboys sacked Bulger, three came because he held the ball too long, not because of a failure in protection.

Torry Holt, WR - The Rams need the usually reliable Holt to get going. He's on pace for just 61 catches and 696 yards this season. Of course, much of that has been the slow starts from other parts of the offense. With Donnie Avery emerging as a threat as the Rams #2 WR, teams will have to give him more attention and loosen up their coverage of Holt.

Donnie Avery, WR - Is Avery still a sneaky sleeper pick after last week? Just 22% of the teams in ESPN's fantasy universe own Avery, so there's a good chance you can still grab him. And pick him you should. He'll most certainly be part of the game plan this week, and as the Rams schedule softens a bit, the playmaking opportunities will only grow.

Josh Brown, K - The best, at least the most consistent, fantasy player on the Rams. Brown has been nails this season, hitting 4 of 6 FGs for 50+ yards and a perfect 4 for 4 on FGs in the 40-49 yard range. You can bet he'll be kicking a few more this week.

Rams DST - Since Haslett took over as head coach, they've held both opponents to fewer than 20 points in two straight wins. That they've done that mostly thanks to big turnovers and a defensive TD should impress fans and fantasy players alike. A sneaky pick if you're DST is on a bye or you don't have one of the biggies.