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Each week, TSN.ca Fantasy Editor Scott Cullen, NFL Editor Ben Fisher, and Isaac Owusu discuss three hot fantasy football topics. Will Marc Trestman be benching a QB1 in Josh McCown when Jay Cutler returns healthy? Cullen: For the last three weeks, yes, Josh McCown has been performing like a QB1, but that alone does not a QB1 make. Prior to this unexpected bit of brilliance from a 34-year-old journeyman, McCowns last 300-yard passing game was in September, 2007! That said, I could easily justify the Bears riding the hot hand until its not hot anymore because the NFL is unrelenting and the Bears can ill-afford to take a game or two for Jay Cutler to find his form. Of course, in addition to being unrelenting, the NFL is a business, and when prospective free agent quarterback Jay Cutler is ready to return, expect the Bears to go back to him, as a conditioned reflex – remember, starting quarterbacks dont lose their job due to injuries…at least not to a 34-year-old backup, but ask Alex Smith, the story is different if that backup is Colin Kaepernick. Fisher: I agree with pretty much everybody else that going back to Cutler over McCown at this point would be a mistake on Trestmans part, but Ill stop short of saying hes benching a QB1. McCown averages out as a QB1 over the past four weeks but thats largely aided by his tremendous Monday Night performance this past week. His five starts previous to that, McCown ranked as a high-end QB2. His journeyman status makes it hard for me to believe hed continue putting up 30+ point games like he did against the Cowboys if given the chance, but hes still a tough QB to lose for fantasy teams. Owusu: In a word, yes. But, its not so much about the guy taking the snaps, but the guy calling the plays. Trestman has put together an offence that would appear to be at the centre of a controversy, but unlike the Alex Smith/Colin Kaepernick situation in San Francisco last season, his coaching staff and players have stood firm in supporting the injured Cutler as their starter. Chicagos quarterback position, whether it be (a healthy) Cutler or McCown, remains worthy of a start this deep in the fantasy playoffs, due to having what can be argued as the leagues most talented receiving corps, featuring Brandon Marshall, Alshon Jeffery, Matt Forte and Martellus Bennett. Its almost an expectation that whoever is throwing the ball would rack up 200+ yards and at least two touchdowns. In fact this season Cutler has had five of those games and McCown has had four, coming off his third straight 300+ yard passing game. The main concerns with Cutler would be a matter of him being fully healthy going into the game and getting back in sync with the plethora of weapons at his disposal. The latter shouldnt be a major concern, as evidence by the 250 yards and touchdown pass he threw in his Week 10 return (before leaving again to yet another injury). This deep into the season, with all the implications, fantasy owners would prefer the Bears keep the hot McCown out there, but even if Cutler comes in, there shouldnt be a downgrade in performance. Also, owners should consider that this week the Bears are in Cleveland, a team that hasnt held a QB to under two touchdowns passes since Week 5, so whichever quarterback the Bears turn to should be a dependable option and all the Bears receiving targets remain must-start status. Trust in the quarterback whisperer, Marc Trestman. Has Cordarelle Patterson proven enough for a fantasy playoff team to take a flyer on him? Cullen: Patterson had a breakthrough game last week – five catches, 141 yards and a touchdown – and he is probably the most dangerous Vikings receiver for the rest of the season, but he had one catch for four yards in Week 12 and still has Matt Cassel throwing to him, so there are reasons to be hesitant on Patterson. I have him ranked at 35 for Week 15, which puts him on the edge of either WR3 or FLEX positioning. Fisher: Nope. One good week does not a starter make. Patterson has looked better in recent weeks, highlighted by his 20-point performance in Week 13, and I think hes got a shot at being a solid WR2 next season, but he still has Matt Cassel throwing him the ball. I cant rely on Patterson to score more than eight or nine points per week (his previous season-high) the rest of the way and that isnt going to cut it for a playoff team. Owusu: The regular season is three games away from completion and it almost appears that the Minnesota Vikings finally figured out how to use the elusive receiver that they traded up to pick in the draft. Patterson is worthy of taking a flyer on based on the increased attention that hes gotten. Heading into Week 5s bye week, Patterson only saw 2.25 targets per game, however in the nine games following he has seen that number boost to 5.5 per game, and garnered 7.75 looks in his last four games. In last Sundays wild matchup against at the Baltimore Ravens, Pattersons seven targets and five catches was one thing, but then there was the 114 yards he gained after the catch. Patterson has shown that he is Mr. High Risk/High Reward with the ability to turn the smallest plays into large gains, similar to another guy who once wore No. 84 for the Vikings about a decade ago. Patterson is not just a threat on offence but special teams as well, so if youre in a league that rewards individual players for their returns along with their catches and rushes then Patterson should appeal to you as a low-end WR2 or a definite Flex going forward in the playoffs. The Vikings are at home against the high-powered Philadelphia Eagles and will likely not have their star running back Adrian Peterson, so expect them to be playing a bit of catch up in this game, and Matt Cassel should keep looking for the blossoming receiver. For the Gronk owners, which replacement will prove more valuable: Dennis Pitta, recently returned from a hip injury; or Jacob Tamme, filling for Wes Welker in the slot in Denver? Cullen: If forced to choose for the rest of the season, I prefer Pitta, because in his first game of the season for the Ravens, he was targeted 11 times, tied with Marlon Brown for most on the Ravens against Minnesota. There is also the matter of sustainability. Tammes value is tied to Wes Welkers concussion and if Welker returns at some point in the next few weeks, that would dramatically cut out the looks that Tamme would presume to get in the slot. In Pittas case, hes a good bet to be a prime target for Joe Flacco over the rest of the season. Fisher: I think it depends if youre playing the short game or the long game. I think Tamme, filling in for a concussed Wes Welker in the slot in Denver, will have a more productive Week 14 in what should be a high-scoring Thursday Nighter. Tamme had four catches on five targets in a little more than two quarters action; thats a handsome stat line projected out to a full game. If youre a semifinals underdog, he might be the way to go to secure a spot in the finals at all cost. But if youre playing the long game, Pitta, who returned from injury to put up a double digit point total in his season debut last week, should be able to supply two productive weeks, as where Tamme could become useless in Week 15 if Welker returns. Owusu: As appealing as it is to take an available Peyton Manning target in Jacob Tamme, the answer for this week, next week and however long your fantasy playoffs may last is Dennis Pitta. Throughout his career, the Baltimore Ravens tight end has been a safety net for Joe Flacco. Pitta was projected to be a top-five pick at tight end prior to his injury and in his first game of the season last week he rewarded owners who took a chance on him in the playoffs with six catches for 48 yards and a touchdown. The worry about Pitta initially was the expectation for him to be on a limited snap-count, but he made the most of the 11 targets that came his way. Tamme was a pleasant surprise last Sunday filling in for the injured Wes Welker, seeing six targets and pulling in four catches for 47 yards. On the field, theres always a chance that teams forget about Tamme while theyre busy focusing on Mannings three other fantasy studs Eric Decker, Demaryius Thomas and Julius Thomas. Tamme should see some involvement in the Denver Broncos explosive offence Thursday night, but expectations for his value to be greater than Pittas for Baltimore should be tempered. Though Pitta was in for 36 snaps, two of his 11 targets came in the red zone. Facing the Detroit Lions who have a sweltering run defence, theres a tall order for Flacco to deliver in the passing game so expect a good dose of Pitta. Unless its a Percy Harvin type of setback, he should see increased work as a means for the Ravens to make a playoff push. Cheap NFL Jerseys China Wholesale . -- Trail Blazers forward LaMarcus Aldridge will be out for a week because of a left groin strain. Cheap NFL Jerseys . -- Free agent running back Tim Hightower has re-signed with the Washington Redskins. http://www.jerseysnflcheap.us.com/ . Its the second of three meetings between these teams this season. Vancouver was a 2-1 winner on home ice December 22nd. Cheap NFL Jerseys Free Shipping . The All-Star point guard will miss at least two weeks with a strained biceps tendon, but hes hopeful his season is not over. Irving said following shootaround Tuesday at the Cleveland Clinic Courts, "If you could take a positive from the situation, obviously that would be one, that at this point, I dont have to get surgery, which is tremendous. Cheap NFL Jerseys China Free Shipping . The full extent of the injury wont be known for certain until Yakupov gets an MRI done upon his return to Sarnia. Yakupov, a potential first-overall pick for this Junes NHL Entry Draft and ranked first in TSN Scout Craig Buttons monthly draft ranking, had nine assists in seven games at the tournament.KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Jason Vargas pitched seven shutdown innings, Mike Moustakas cracked a two-run homer and the Kansas City Royals romped to a 5-0 victory over the Minnesota Twins on Friday night. Alcides Escobar had three hits and Omar Infante also drove in two runs for the Royals, who followed up a sweep at the hands of Minnesota last weekend by sweeping Houston and then taking the first of their three-game set against the Twins this weekend. Ricky Nolasco (1-2) gave up five runs on 11 hits in 5 2-3 innings for the Twins. He was coming off a 7-1 win over Kansas City in which he allowed one run on four hits in eight innings. Vargas (2-0), who signed a $32 million, four-year deal in the off-season, allowed seven hits while striking out four in another dazzling start. The crafty left-hander lowered his ERA to 1.24 while going at least seven innings in each of his four outings this season. Vargas put runners on base each of the first five innings, though he was never in serious trouble. Only twice did a runner reach second base and each time a lazy fly ball ended the inning. Even when the Twins hit a ball hard, Alex Gordon was there to make a play. The Royals Gold Glove left-fielder threw a strike from the warning track to second base in the fourth inning, cutting down Josmil Pinto as he tried to stretch a single. Two innings later, Gordon made a running catch into the padding in foul territory on Jooe Mauers fly ball.dddddddddddd Escobar sent a charge through the Royals anemic offence with a double in the third inning, and consecutive singles by Nori Aoki, Infante and Eric Hosmer staked them to a 2-0 lead. Infantes single drove in Escobar to make it 3-0 in the fifth. Billy Butler, in the throes of a massive slump, singled in the sixth before Moustakas, also off to a slow start, sent a pitch sizzling into the seats in right. His second homer of the season made it 5-0 and chased Nolasco from the game. Neither team threatened to score again, the Royals wrapping up their first shutout win and the Twins getting blanked for the first time this season. NOTES: The Royals placed OF Jarrod Dyson on the bereavement list and recalled INF/OF Jimmy Paredes was recalled from Triple-A Omaha before the game. ... An MRI exam on Royals OF Lorenzo Cain (strained groin) came back negative. Manager Ned Yost hopes to have him back after a 15-day DL stint. ... Twins OF Jason Kubel got the night off from the starting lineup. He flied out as a pinch hitter in the seventh. ... LHP Bruce Chen (sore back) will start for KC on Saturday. He was initially scheduled to pitch Thursday. RHP Kevin Correia will start for the Twins. ... There was a moment of silence before the game for the victims of the shootings Sunday at a Jewish community centre and nearby senior living centre in suburban Kansas City. cheap jerseys wholesale jerseys ' ' '