More photos » by Bill Kostroun - AP

Hakeem Nicks could be looking at a big day against the Falcons struggling secondary. (AP Photo/Bill Kostroun)

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The Giants get back to action on Sunday after an excruciatingly long bye week on the heels of four straight losses. While the Giants were resting up, our fantasy teams were chugging along without them (and mine suffered its worst loss of the season - I need you Steve Smith!). What can we expect from them this weekend? Here's some advice:

Start

Brandon Jacobs, RB, NYG - Fully rested after the bye week and coming off four straight good performances only limited by the Giants not giving him the ball, I think the Juggernaut breaks free this weekend. The Falcons have the #25 ranked run defense, so there should be some holes for Jacobs to exploit. The only people that will stop Jacobs this Sunday are the Giants coaches.

Steve Smith, WR, NYG - Did you know Smith is the #6 receiver in points-per-receptions leagues and only drops to #10 in non p.p.r. leagues? Even in his "quiet" weeks he's been a solid option. The Falcons have the 28th ranked pass defense, so I expect another good week from Mr. 3rd Down.

Hakeem Nicks, WR, NYG - After scoring in four straight games, Nicks has quited down a bit, but everytime he touches the ball he's a threat to take it to the house. Call it a gut feeling, but against a bad pass defense I think the Giants will be able to spread the ball around a bit, and I think Nicks could actually have a better game than Smith.

Tony Gonzalez, TE, ATL - Maybe the best tight end in NFL history, the big guy's still got it. 44 catches for 501 yards and 4 TD's through 9 games - he's no longer the best TE in the league, but he's still in the top 10 and should be starting in almost any league.

Jason Snelling, RB, ATL - Just because the Giants shut down LaDanian Tomlinson's corpse doesn't mean I'm ready to trust their run D. They always seem to struggle against backup running backs (Tashard Choice & the Eagles fullback are just two of the more recent examples), so Snelling scares me a little bit.

Roddy White, WR, ATL - He's one of the best fantasy receivers in the league, and has really only had two subpar performances this year. He's coming off of two straight games without a TD, and I wouldn't be shocked if that changed against the Giants secondary.

Eli Manning, QB, NYG - I debated this one a bit. On the one hand, Eli had three terrible performances in a row before a very good game against the Chargers. On the other hand, he looked great against the Chargers, has had two weeks to rest up his foot, and is going against the #28 pass D in the league. Ultimately I felt like the pros outweighed the cons, so I think he'd be a good bet to start and at least have a passable game this Sunday.

Sit

Matt Ryan, QB, ATL - Ryan has thrown an interception in his last 6 games, and at least two INT's in 4 of those games. He definitely seems to have regressed after his brilliant rookie year and a strong start to this season. The Giants pass D is still statistically one of the best in the league (I know: lies, damn lies, and statistics), and looked a bit better without CC Brown against the Chargers (until the final drive, anyway). They're also should be getting Aaron Ross back. Matty Ice still has a great future ahead of him, but I don't think you'll be able to tell this weekend.

Ahmad Bradhsaw, RB, NYG - He's been pretty awful lately, averaging under 3.0 YPC over the past three games. I don't trust his ankle right now, and until he proves on the field that he's healthy and can make the cuts that make him so effective, I wouldn't start him.

Michael Jenkins, WR, ATL - He hasn't caught a TD all year and has been flat-out mediocre at best. That could change this weekend, but I wouldn't bank on it.

Before getting into the preview, I wanted to give a mid-season update of the Big Blue View Fantasy Football League. Right now posters hocke26 and XLII are in first place in their respective divisions at 6-2 each (fleaflicker divides the league into 2 divisions, though I don't think it makes any difference when it comes to the playoffs). Aceholioo, gobs56, MahmoodZaky, and myself round out the potential playoff teams, all with 5-3 records. Frequent poster Woogie526 has had a rough season so far, with a 1-7 record. I'll admit I was beginning to doubt my fantasy football credentials after a 1-3 start to the season, but with a 4 game winning streak, I feel competent enough to continue with these posts.

Anyway, onto the preview:

Start

Brandon Jacobs, RB, NYG - I swear, this is the week the Giants are going to remember they are a power-running team. They have to, right? Jacobs has actually been pretty darn good the last 3 weeks when he's been given the ball, averaging 4.9 YPC on 40 carries. Extend that back to week 4 and he's averaging 4.2 YPC over his last 82 carries. The past 3 weeks he's gotten 7, 13, and 20 carries, so I'd expect him to be over 20 again this week, especially if the defense can keep the Giants in the game.The Chargers run defense is also the 6th worst in the NFL, giving up 132 yards per game and 4.2 YPC. I expect Jacobs to have a "break-out" game this week.

LaDanian Tomlinson, RB, SD - This is definitely not the BLT of 2006, and at this point he's probably not even a top 20 fantasy running back. That said, he's facing a run defense that's in the bottom half of the league and would almost certainly be lower if it weren't for some of the awful teams they played to open the season. When Leonard Weaver runs for 75 yards and almost 10 YPC, you've gotta like BLT's chances.

Philip Rivers, QB, SD - CC Brown's not starting, but let's just say I don't have much faith in anyone in the Giants secondary right now. Rivers is one of the best fantasy QB's out there, and he's facing a team that has been lit up by Drew Brees and Donovan McNabb in recent weeks. Until the Giants D proves they can stop an elite QB, consider whoever they're facing to be a safe bet.

Vincent Jackson, WR, SD - Jackson has scored a TD in 3 straight games, has back-to-back 100 yard games, and is one of the better receivers in the league. He's a safe bet against the Giants secondary.

Antonio Gates, TE, SD - Noticing a trend here? To say that I'm down on the Giants defense right now would be a bigger understatement than saying Saddam Hussein probably didn't like the Bush family.

Steve Smith, WR, NYG - He hasn't had a huge game in 5 weeks, but he always ends up with a handful of catches and 60+ yards receiving. He's a solid #3 fantasy receiver even when he's not being targeted as much as we'd all like, and if the Giants ever get their O sorted out, I have no doubt he'll be amongst the top receivers in the league again.

Sit

Eli Manning, QB, NYG - I think his foot is more hurt than he's letting on (and it sounds like Jerry Reese does too). He has not looked good at all the past three weeks, playing more like pre-2007 playoffs Eli, which is not good enough to be a fantasy starter.

NYG Defense - They suck right now. Until they stop sucking, you probably shouldn't play them.

Ahmad Bradshaw, RB, NYG - Averaging 2.5 YPC over the past two weeks on 21 carries. He's clearly not at 100% strength right now. It's a shame, b/c he was having such a good season. Also, it's a bit of a travesty that someone as quick and explosive as Bradshaw has only caught 7 passes this season. I think Tiki Barber would struggle to get 1,500 total yards in this offense where wide receivers seem to be the only guys allowed to be targeted, with the occasional Madison Hedgecock pass thrown in. This applies to Kevin Boss, as well.

This week the Giants play the Eagles in a very important NFC East showdown, and a rematch of the Giants playoff loss last season. Revenge will be on the Giants minds, but this definitely won't be an easy game for either team.

Start:

DeSean Jackson, WR, PHI - With Brian Westbrook most likely not playing on Sunday, DeSean Jackson will be the focal point of the Eagles offense. Jackson has 3 receiving TD's, a rushing TD, and a punt return TD, and has two 100+ yard receiving games, a 94 yard game, and a 69 yard game. He's one of the better playmakers in the league, and with the Giants secondary woes, I expect Jackson to break a big play or two this weekend as well.

Steve Smith, WR, NYG - Even with three straight down weeks, Smith has still had flashes that he's a stud wide receiver. Against a banged up Eagles defense, I think Smith will have a big week this week.

Brandon Jacobs, RB, NYG - The juggernaut finally looked like he was getting untracked last week, until Kevin Gilbride shut him down. I think this is the week the Giants remember they're a running team and Jacobs breaks out with 100+ yards and a score or two.

Giants Defense - I don't think it's going to be a repeat of the 12 sack game, but I think the Giants D-line is gonna get to McNabb a couple of times, and I wouldn't be surprised if they force a turnover or two. I'm actually expecting this to be a lower scoring game.

Eagles Defense - Mostly the same reasoning as for the Giants. The Eagles have a tendency of making big plays on D, and Eli has struggled against them at times, not to mention the last few weeks. I'd say the chances of an interception or two are fairly high.

Donovan McNabb, QB, PHI - I went back and forth about where to categorize McNabb. I expect him to have a decent game - ~250 yards passing, a TD or two, maybe an INT. Chances are you don't have a better QB option than McNabb this weekend, so I'd start him.

Sit

Eli Manning, QB, NYG - Let's be honest, Eli has not looked good the past few weeks, and his last two games against the Eagles have been pretty awful. I think Eli might struggle a bit this week and throw a pick or two.

Ahmad Bradshaw, RB, NYG - Bradshaw had one good run last week, and fumbled away the best chance the Giants had of tying the game. With the news that his foot is broken, I'm not too optimistic about his chances this week. Hopefully I'm wrong, but play it safe and start someone else.

LeSean McCoy, RB, PHI - Without Brian Westbrook, expect Andy Reid's already minimal interest in running the football to disappear completely. I know everyone in Philly wants to believe McCoy is the next Westbrook, but I haven't seen anything from him to suggest that's the case. Stay away.

More photos » by Paul Sakuma - AP

Do NOT start this man. And if you're in the stadium and you see him about to throw, duck. (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma)

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This one's going to be pretty short, because frankly, the fantasy prospects for this game aren't too great.

Start

Brandon Jacobs, RB, NYG - Whether Eli or David Carr makes the start, I expect the Giants to rely on the running game this weekend. The potential is there for Jacobs to have his breakout game of 2009.

Ahmad Bradshaw, RB, NYG - see above. I think this could be the week Bradshaw finds the end zone.

Steve Smith, WR, NYG - I struggled over whether to recommend starting Smith or not. For one, he's going up against the best shutdown corner in the league. For two, at best he'll have an injured Eli Manning throwing him the ball, at worst David Carr. That said, the guy leads the league in every meaningful receiving category. At this point, I think he's earned starting status until he has a few bad games in a row.

Giants Defense - They're playing against JaMarcus Russell. Enough said.

Sit

Eli Manning, QB, NYG - He might not even start, and if he does we have no idea how effective he'll be. Check him at game time, but unless your backup is, well, JaMarcus Russell, I'd sit him this week (and if you have JaMarcus on your fantasy team, you fail at life.)

Any Giants receivers not named Steve Smith - Like I said above, I expect the Giants to rely on the run, and even when they're passing, I'm not sure if Manningham or Hicks will get enough looks to make it worthwhile to start.

The Raiders. All of them - I think the Giants are gonna jump out to an early lead, which means the Raiders are going to be passing a lot - and by passing, I mean throwing the ball 10 yards past their receivers on 3 straight plays then punting.

More photos » by Brian Blanco - AP

Eli Manning has finally arrived as a top fantasy football QB. (AP Photo/ Brian Blanco)

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This is an interesting game for fantasy purposes, because I think the Giants have the ability to blow the Chiefs away, but I wonder if they get a big lead whether they'll pull off the throttle or not. Sometimes, blowouts are terrible for fantasy football, especially if you have the QB or receivers. Anyway, here's my sit/start advice for this week:

Start

Eli Manning, QB, NYG - I've finally made the leap. Eli Manning is a top 10 fantasy QB right now, especially against a team that's giving up 243 yards per game through the air (20th in the league). Eli's got a 104.3 QB rating, and even in a blowout like last week, where he barely threw the ball after half time, he still threw 2 TD passes. I'd expect a similar line this week against the Chiefs.

Steve Smith, WR, NYG - I love both Smith and Manningham, but I think in games like this one, Smith is the more valuable fantasy player, for one simple reason: first downs. If, like last week, the Giants are winning big, it'll be Smith's ability to move the chains and keep the clock moving that will see him get more targets than Manningham's big play ability.

Brandon Jacobs, RB, NYG - Call it a hunch, but with all the talk about his "tip-toeing" this week, I think the big guy's gonna come out looking to wreak havoc. Combined with Bradshaw's injury, I think Jacobs will take the lions share of the carries and be looking to prove the doubters wrong. I fully expect 100 yards and at least one touchdown.

Giants Defense - I think this one speaks for itself. If you have them, they should be starting anyway (seriously, there's no reason to waste a bench spot on a second defense), but after their dominating performance last week, play them until further notice.

Bobby Wade, WR, KC - This one should be a game time decision, based on whether Dwayne Bowe is playing or not. If he's not, definitely start Wade. You may be getting the sense that I'm expecting the Giants to win fairly easily, which I am. That means the Chiefs should be throwing a lot, and Matt Cassell is a much better QB than the tag-team the Bucs threw at the G-Men last week. If Bowe's out, Wade should be getting a lot of opportunites. If Bowe's in, however, I really have no idea which receiver will get more looks, and I'd just as soon stay away from both.

Sit

Ahmad Bradshaw, RB, NYG - I'm a little worried about his ankle, and I think Jacobs' is due for a big game. I wouldn't be surprised if Bradshaw saw limited action this week.

Larry Johnson, RB, KC - He's averaging 2.5 yards per carry so far this season, and I don't expect that to change much this week. After an awful game against the Cowboys, the Giants run D showed up in force last week, and I think they'll be back again against the Chiefs. The Larry Johnson who ran for 1700+ yards in 2005 and 2006 is long gone, and I don't think he's ever coming back.

Only if You Don't Have a Better Option

Matt Cassell, QB, KC - He's actually been pretty decent this season, but he's far from a great fantasy QB, and the Giants pass D has been stout this year (124 Yards per Game, best in the league, and only 2 TDs to 5 picks). I think he'll be passing a lot, but I'm not sure how effective his passing will be. I'd avoid him unless your starting QB has a bye.

Mario Manningham, WR, NYG - I pretty much explained my reasoning above, but basically I think the Giants are gonna be relying on the run game and keeping the chains moving with Steve Smith. Unless Manningham breaks a big play early, I don't think he'll have a huge impact this week.

I think I've settled on a format for the Fantasy Friday posts that I like: from here on out, I'll give you a fantasy preview of the Giants upcoming game. So this week, let's take a look at the Giants-Cowboys matchups.

Cowboys: It's been well-documented that Tony Romo has had success against the Giants in the past (at least in the regular season). The Cowboys are 4-0 in Romo's regular season starts against the Giants, and in the last 3 of those, here are Romo's stats: 345 yards, 4 TDs, 1 INT; 247 yards, 4 TDs, 1 INT; 244 yards 2 TDs, 0 INT. Hate the guy all you want, but he's a great fantasy quarterback and he always brings it against the Giants. If you have him on your fantasy team, he should be starting anyway, but definitely play him this weekend.

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by Bill Kostroun - AP

3 months ago: New York Giants' Ahmad Bradshaw, left, breaks a tackle by Carolina Panthers' Chris Harris to score a touchdown in the first quarter of a preseason NFL football game at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J., Monday, Aug. 17, 2009. (AP Photo/Bill Kostroun)

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I would give you all an update on the Big Blue View League, but there's nothing to update yet - the draft is scheduled for Monday night. In lieu of that (and at the risk of giving away part of my draft strategy), I figured I'd give you guys my own personal preview of the fantasy implications for our 2009 New York Giants.

Players To Target:

Ahmad Bradshaw - I wrote a piece back in July about my optimism over the running backs not named Brandon Jacobs, and the injury to Andre Brown hasn't dampened my enthusiasm. While I also like Danny Ware, he's a third stringer who isn't going to make much of a fantasy impact. Bradshaw, on the other hand, figures to get most of the playing time that Derek Ward got a year ago, with which Ward racked up 1,000+ yards rushing and 384 yards receiving. I think Bradshaw is a more talented running back than Ward, both out of the backfield and catching the ball. Couple that with the fact that Brandon Jacobs always gets nicked up and is no guarantee to make it through 16 games, and I think #44 is one of the best fantasy sleepers in the whole NFL.

Hakeem Nicks - If you've been paying attention the past two weeks, this shouldn't surprise you. Nicks has looked like the real deal, catching 3 impressive touchdown's against the Jets and Patriots. Nicks is going undrafted in a lot of leagues, and would be a great waiver wire pickup to replace the Isaac Bruce's of the world - especially in keeper leagues. Nicks has the potential to step up and have a big year right off the bat, and it probably wouldn't hurt to have him at the back of your bench.

Kevin Boss - I've said a few times this offseason that I wouldn't be at all surprised if Boss leads the team in receptions this year, and I fully expect him to lead the team in receiving touchdowns, as he did last year. Boss has solid hands, is a good route runner, and is more athletic than people give him credit for. He's not in the Jason Witten/Tony Gonzalez/Antonio Gates group of tight ends, but I don't think I'm being too big a homer to say he's already in the next group down (he was 3rd in TE touchdown's last year). If there's a run on tight ends and you miss out on the top guys, don't feel bad about waiting a few rounds and coming up with a steal in the Boss Man.

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From here on out I'll be taking over Big Blue View's fantasy football coverage from Ed. I've been playing fantasy football for about 6 years now, and while I'm far from an expert I do participate in a pretty competitive league with a few college friends, so hopefully my credentials are up to par.

My first order of business as the "BBV Fantasy Guru" (ha!) is to announce the Big Blue View Fantasy Football League. SBN has set up a deal with FleaFlicker.com, so each blog is allowed to run a fantasy league there. As much as I would love to have everyone from BBV in a league, I had to limit it to 12 teams. If you're interested, send me an e-mail at cjmulrain@yahoo.com, with the subject line "Fantasy Football." In the e-mail, just let me know what your BBV screenname is. I'm going to try to give preference to frequent posters, but if you're not a frequent poster and want to participate still send me an e-mail, because I don't know what type of response I'm going to get for this.

Here's a couple of fantasy football nuggets to help prepare you for whatever league(s) you end up playing in:

• ESPN.com offers a mock draft service. Personally, I find the draft to be the best part of the fantasy season, and this gives you an opportunity to participate against real people to hone your drafting skills. Of course, while it's fun, the draft is also given a disproportionate amount of attention (just like the real draft!). Real fantasy football winners are made on the waiver wire. 
• The staff writers at KFFL list their top 5 sleepers. Giant running back Andre Brown gets a mention. They've also listed their top 5 busts, and luckily no Giants make any of their lists.