Its getting to that time of the year when everybody has their list of Heisman trophy candidates. This year's no different and I keep hearing the similar group of nine or so guys: QB's Colt Brennan, Tim Tebow, Todd Reesling, Chase Daniel, Matt Ryan, Pat White & Andre Woodson & RB's Steve Slaton & Darren McFadden. While all the conjecture is fine and dandy, and quite frankly a requirement for the media to entertain its audience, this is, in my opinion, a two horse race.

This past Thursday night another Pac Ten team failed to show it had the mental makeup of a champion, and passed up a tremendous opportunity to rise up from middling bowl team to be a national player. That school was the University of Oregon, which had three games left on its schedule, none of which vs. a team with a better than .500 record. They sat in an enviable position as the #2 overall BCS team in the country, all they had to do was win out to represent the Pac Ten in the BCS title game and show the country that the Pac Ten isn't just a one team conference.

With all the holiday planning, don't forget that there are 3 NFL games this year on Thanksgiving. The traditional two with Detroit playing Green Bay in the day's most interesting game, then Dallas hosting the New York Jets in what likely will be a blow out and the NFL Network showcasing a night game between the Indy Colts and Atlanta Falcons. For all of you with fantasy players on those teams (ok, you shouldn't need to worry about Atlanta or Jets but the Colts, Packers, Cowboys and Lions have plenty of fantasy talent to go around), don't forget to set your respective lineup.

Each week I attempt to compile a diverse list of potential Waiver Wire / Free Agent pickups for week 10 of the NFL season. I play in a 16 team league where we start 9 players (no defense, only 1 kicker) so we're always looking for that #3 QB or RB who emerges to be the final piece on a playoff run.

This is a list of potentially valuable Waiver Wire / Free Agent pickups for week 9 of the NFL season. Maybe some of these guys aren't worth a damn in shallow leagues but what's the fun in dropping Marvin Harrison b/c he's out a week for a guy like Wes Welker who is available as the #3 receiver in New England. Ok, Welker shouldn't be available in ANY league format but you get the point. Guys like Green Bay's Ryan Grant, SF's Michael Robinson and others.

Here are the my hot free agent / waiver wire pickups for week 7 In my fantasy league we have 16 teams which start 9 guys each (no defense, 1 Kicker, 1 TE, 2 RB, 2 WR & 1 QB with 2 flex spots). So these may not be relevant to all fantasy leaguers but most are valuable guys who either will immediately have value or will in weeks ahead. Most of these are valuable regardless of league format.

The later it gets in the season, the more it becomes about bye week / injury replacements and less big pickups which can turn into fantasy studs. That said they do exist, think Larry Johnson in 2004 when he scored 10+ TD's so anything is possible.

In our fantasy football league, we have a complex contractual system that allows teams to keep players up to 6+ years. We have a set salary cap ($500 a year) and allow teams to place players on long-term contract, which secures them for 3 seasons (that can be extended one year by placing them on an inactive Developmental Squad spot - each team gets 2 of these which are transferable), at the end of those three years a team has the right to keep them for another three years at which time they must be available to the general league for auction. Which leads us to the purpose of this post, what is the short vs. long term value of fantasy football players.

Here are the my hot free agent / waiver wire pickups for week 6 In my fantasy league we have 16 teams which start 9 guys each (no defense, 1 Kicker, 1 TE, 2 RB, 2 WR & 1 QB with 2 flex spots). So these may not be relevant to all fantasy leaguers but most are valuable guys who either will immediately have value or will in weeks ahead. Most of these are valuable regardless of league format.

Here are some deep league hot free agent fantasy football waiver wire pickups for week 5. There are some obvious ones but in our deep league (16 teams) its about getting the guys that could break out in the weeks to ahead - though there are the key ones like Michael Pittman & Justin Fargas.

Here is a list of some of the top free agent / waiver wire pickups for fantasy leaguers following week 2. Some of these guys may not be available in your respective leagues and its possible your league is extremely shallow (meaning you have obvious pick ups like RB LaMont Jordan, QB David Garrard or WR Braylon Edwards are available).

Don't be stunned if this isn't the beginning of a divorce between New England Patriots HC Bill Belichick and the public-relations conscious owner Robert Kraft, who has already had issues with the way Belichick portrays himself publicly and the way he cloaks his players from the fans via his stringent media policies.

Watching the Notre Dame Fightin' Irish get dominated for yet another week, particularly on the offensive side of the ball where Notre Dame has never been as inept as they are today, one has to wonder whether Charlie Weis' reputation was built on the back of New England's ability to know defensive calls.

The 2007 Irish team has failed to score an offensive TD in 10 quarters of play, during which time they've compiled a total of -8 yards rushing and scored a grand total of 13 points. Over the past 5 games the Irish have given up 30+ points and are on track to lose their fifth straight game by a 20+ point margin.

It appears the Detroit Lions WR Roy Williams is a fantasy geek, playing in 5 leagues and being the commissioner of his Lions teammates league...

NFL.com's Michael Fabiano pinpoints nearly a dozen selections that would make good fantasy pickups for week 2. They are:

QB David Garrard...

Want your girlfriend/wife to stop nagging you while you're watching football? This girl (football fan) shows you how to show her the light...