Many of the same athletes are back, including Matt Cassel, Jon “Bones” Jones, Jillian Michaels and Patrick Willis, and this time around Mark Cuban and Michael Bay were added into the mix.  And if that wasn’t enough, we are even introduced to the Kenny Powers Transformer, which is pretty motherf*cken badass.

On second thought, the whole damn commercials is pretty motherf*cken badass.  Check it out.

Another week.  Another hand-full of fantasy starters that look like they are headed for extended stays in the trainers room.  The likes of DeSean Jackson, Joseph Addai, Antonio Gates and Malcolm Floyd are just a few of the players that went down this week.  Perhaps the NFL’s initiative to take care of helmet-to-helmet hits will somehow begin to decrease the number of fantasy stars we are seeing go down with each passing week, but for now we will simply have to settle with searching through the waiver wire to find our weekly replacements.

Here is a look at some guys you should consider picking up if they are available in your league.

Matt Cassel, QB, KC - Last week we advised that you pick up Cassel because of his week 6 match-up against a poor Texans secondary.  Those who listened were rewarded to the tune of 200 yards and 3 touchdowns.  Once again we will offer the same advice to those in need of a quarterback for week 7.  PICK UP CASSEL!!!  This time he will be facing a Jaguars secondary that is just about as bad as Houston’s.  Even Kerry Collins was able to put up a passing touchdown on them during last night’s Monday Nighter, and we believe he could have put up more had the game been closer and the Titans needed to score.

Mike Hart, RB, IND – Indianapolis has had a difficult time keeping their running backs healthy this season and with Donald Brown already out, Joseph Addai suffered a shoulder injury that caused him to have it in a sling following the game.  The Colts have a bye this week, but if these injuries continue to linger, Hart could get a bulk of the carries beginning in week 8.

Chris Ivory, RB, NO - The Saints have been waiting for Ivory to show them something and he did just that in their week 6 game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.  The rookie running back went off for 158 yards on just 15 carries, which works out to an incredible average of 10.5 yards per carry.  With no timetable set on Pierre Thomas’ return, Ivory should continue to get a lead role in the Saints backfield, making him well worth the roster spot on any fantasy team.

Deion Branch, WR, NE – Deion Branch is back!  He may have been gone for a few years, but now that he is back in New England, the former Super Bowl MVP looked like he never left during his week 6 game against the Ravens.  Branch recorded an impressive 9 receptions for 98 yards and a touchdown.  Look for him to only get better as he regains his comfort in the Patriots’ offensive system.

Danario Alexander, WR, STL – When Mark Clayton was declared out for the season with a knee injury, many believed it would be Danny Amendola who would receive the majority of his targets.  However, it appears as though Sam Bradford has another wide receiver in mind and his name is Danario Alexander.  The former practice-squad player recorded four receptions for 72 yards and a touchdown in Sunday’s victory over the Chargers.  He may be just the deep-ball threat that the rookie quarterback needs in order to work the ball down field, and if that turns out to be the case, those who pick him up should be rewarded.

If you were one of the many owners who figured the Green Bay Packers would boast one of the league’s most dynamic offenses, and as a result, drafted several of their players for your fantasy team, you may very well find yourself in a desperate position to fill the void caused by injuries to several of the Packers’ key players.  With starting running back Ryan Grant already out for the season, the injury bug continued to bite Mike McCarthy’s squad in week five as quarterback Aaron Rodgers went down late in the game with a concussion, and tight end Jermichael Finley suffered a knee injury that is expected to force him out of action for anywhere between 3 to 6 weeks.

Other key players who suffered week five injuries include Rams receiver Mark Clayton and Lions receiver Calvin Johnson.  That means there should be plenty of owners out there looking for replacements at the quarterback, wide receiver and tight end positions.  Here are a few players you may want to grab off your league’s waiver wire.

Vince Young, QB, TEN – Vince Young may not be the most reliable fantasy quarterback out there, but he has managed to put up four touchdowns and no interceptions over his past three games.  And in week seven he will face a Jaguars defense that allowed Ryan Fitzpatrick and the Buffalo Bills to pass for three touchdowns this past Sunday.  If you had Aaron Rodgers and are looking for a one week replacement, Young just might be the perfect fit.

David Garrard, QB, JAC – Perhaps Vince Young is not available in your league.  If that is the case, you may want to look for his Monday night opponent, David Garrard.  After getting off to a soild start, the Titans pass defense has been terrible over their past two games, allowing an average of 272 yards and five total touchdowns against through the air.  Garrard may not duplicate those numbers, but he should be able to find some success against the Titans’ secondary.  If you are in need of a one week replacement, and he is available, he should be able to provide your team with some much needed points.

Matt Cassel, QB, KC – Now we are getting into desperation mode.  I would rarely recommend acquiring or starting Cassel, but if there was one week where he may actually have some sort of value for fantasy owners, it is week six when his Chiefs travel to Houston to take on the Texans and their bottom-ranked secondary.  It seems like no matter what quarterback the Texans face, they are destined to allow him to find the end zone a few times and put up some rather impressive numbers.  Cassel may turn out to be the exception, but if you are desperate, I recommend you follow this trend.

Danny Amendola, WR, STL – Mark Clayton’s season-ending injury will no doubt hurt the Rams offense, but it will certainly help increase the value of Amendola, who is likely to become Sam Bradford’s top target.  Amendola has good hands and great toughness, and playing for a team that finds themselves trailing more often than not, he should see plenty of opportunities to post some big numbers for the remainder of the season.

Brandon Tate, WR, NE - Perhaps no player will benefit more from the Randy Moss trade than Brandon Tate.  The second-year receiver is expected to become the new down-field threat for the Pats, and Brady has never been one to shy away from throwing the deep-ball, so he should get plenty of opportunities to shine in New England’s potent offense.  The Pats’ coaching staff has placed great expectations on Tate, and if he can deliver, he may turn out to be one of the great waiver wire steals of this NFL season.

It can be difficult to identify such players, and that is why we here at TPS are going to help you out. Each Tuesday for the remainder of the season, we will give you some players to look out for that may be on your waiver wire. These players are the ones we assume are available in most leagues, but beware. There may be better free agents out there that we have not listed because we just assume that someone should already have taken them. If one of those guys is a free agent in your league, PICK HIM UP!

Here is a look at some guys you may want to take a look at in you league:

Kyle Orton, DEN, QB: We are now going into week 6 and Kyle Orton has his Denver Broncos at 5-0.  With that being said, it may finally be time to pick him up and put him on your fantasy team.  His numbers may not be mind-blowing, but Orton has consistently put up decent fantasy totals and has steadily improved throughout the year thus far.  That was evident in a 330 yard, two touchdown performance Sunday against the New England Patriots.  With coach Josh McDaniels guiding him along the way, and growing increasingly confident in Orton, the Broncos QB is well worth a backup role on most fantasy teams.

Matt Cassel, KC, QB: After missing the first week with an injury and having a rough week two against the Raiders, many owners may have jumped the gun quick on Cassel and kicked him to the curb.  Now after three consecutive weeks of two touchdown performances, those same owners should be scrambling to pick him back up off waivers, and so should you.  The Chiefs often find themselves playing from behind, and that means you can expect Cassel to be airing the ball out quite a bit for the remainder of the season.

Jamal Lewis, CLE, RB: Many owners fell off the Jamal Lewis bandwagon after Jerome Harrison‘s big week four performance.  It was expected that Harrison would be a great week five start against the Bills poor run defense, but Lewis stole the show with a whopping 31 carries for 117 yards.  That is even more impressive when you consider how poorly the Browns passing game was (only two completions) allowing the Bills defense to anticipate run.  The Browns backfield depth chart may continue to change throughout the season, but for now Lewis has reclaimed the top spot.

Jeremy Maclin, PHI, WR: Eagels quarterback Donovan McNabb was back in action Sunday and that meant great things for rookie receiver Jeremy Maclin.  The man out of Missouri was a popular target against the Bucs, catching 6 passes for 142 yards and two touchdowns.  As long as McNabb is in the lineup and teams look to clamp down on DeSean Jackson, Maclin may continue to put up some numbers in the Eagles deadly offensive attack.

Eddie Royal, DEN, WR: Eddie Royal was expected to have a breakout yer prior to the beginning of this season, but after four games he recorded only 8 receptions.  That caused many owners to drop the second year man out of Virginia Tech, but after a 10 catch performance for 90 yards against the Patriots, Orton and Royal may have finally found their comfort level.  This could just be a one game thing, but if the two can build off their week 5 chemistry, Royal may quickly reestablish himself as a No. 2 fantasy receiver.

While my advice would be to start the players that are getting you the points you need week by week, no matter where you drafted them, your best bet is to stay away from potential busts altogether on draft day.

Here is a look at five guys who I believe may not end up being all that you think they are.  Consider them the early favorites for 2009 “bust of the year”:

Steven Jackson, RB, STL : Jackson finds himself to be a high pick on many draft boards, but if you can, I would suggest staying away.  He plays on a terrible Rams team that will often be playing from behind.  That means limited rushing opportunities, and he hasn’t exactly been the healthiest guy either missing four games in each of the past two seasons.  Also worth noting is that Jackson has only recorded over 10 touchdowns once in his five year career, back in 2006 when he had 15 total.

Matt Cassel, QB, KC : Matt Cassel was a pleasant surprise last year and a solid replacement for owners of fantasy stud Tom Brady.  His 3693 yards, 21 touchdowns and 11 interceptions were so impressive that he was given a big contract by the Chiefs, but things aren’t going to be as bright in Kansas City.  He will no longer have Randy Moss and Wes Welker to throw to and Bill Belichick calling the plays.  To make things worse, there are already talks that he may not even have the starting job secure.  A couple bad games and it could be Brodie Croyle under center for the Chiefs.

Joseph Addai, RB, IND : As quickly as he rose to the ranks of a top fantasy running back, Joseph Addai has fallen back down to reality.  After an impressive 2007 campaign where he gained a total of 1436 yards and 15 total touchdowns, Addai was only able to come up with 750 yards and 7 touchdowns in 2008.  He also suffered through injuries and with the Colts picking up Donald Brown with their first round pick, it could be time to look past this former top fantasy running back.

Brandon Marshall, WR, DEN : He has loads of skill, but many have questioned his attitude.  While that may not hold Marshall back on the field, the addition of Kyle Orton at quarterback very likely will.  Marshall has been a fantasy stud at wide receiver the past two seasons, posting over 100 catches each year and over 1250 yards as well, but don’t be surprised if he becomes ‘ second favorite option behind second-year man Eddie Royal.

Antonio Bryant, TB, WR : Antonio Bryant had a breakout season last year posting 1248 receiving yards and 7 TDs, and that has increased his value in the eyes of many owners, but don’t expect a repeat in 2009.  Bryant will no longer have Jeff Garcia throwing to him and it doesn’t help his cause that he will be out for the remainder of the preseason and possibily the beginnig of the regular season with a knee injury.

Cutler and his agent Bus Cook are saying that there were not multiple attempts made over the last week and a half to contact Cutler from the Broncos, but at this point isn’t that what we would expect out of this situation?  Is anyone surprised that both sides had completely different stories on what happens?  You shouldn’t be.

So where could Cutler end up?  The Lions are supposed to be one of the leaders in the Cutler sweepstakes but if they are sold on Matt Stafford they can get him for one first round pick, opposed to the multiple picks or players they would have to package to get Cutler.  The Browns are a possibility because they have two QBs in Quinn and Anderson to trade that could start for the Broncos.   Eric Mangini might not be sold on either of the QBs leading his team and might welcome the idea of adding Cutler.

Derek Anderson is similar in body and skill set to Matt Cassel but then the Browns would have a bit too much money locked into their QB position with Quinn and Cutler (two first rounders) under contract going into the season.  The Bucs could try and get in on it, but I don’t know if they have the ammunition for this type of trade, namely because they don’t have a QB or a D-Lineman to give them, so they would most likely need to get another team like the Browns involved to land Cutler.

The other side of this story is what will become of Denver’s QB position.  They have Chris Simms signed to an oddly large contract for a back up (six million for two years, more than either Orton or Grossman got from the Bears last season), he has lead a team to the playoffs before, and was once considered a bright young arm in the league.  But he has only thrown two passes since his freak spleen injury after which he was completely shunned and held hostage by John Gruden as the number three QB on the Bucs roster since he returned from the injury.

If the Browns are involved in the trade for Cutler the Broncos could end up with either Brady Quinn or Derek Anderson as their starting QB.  The wild-card scenario is drafting a QB, possibly by trading up in the draft using the picks they get for Cutler.  Word around the league as of late is that McDanniels is enamored with Mark Sanchez out of USC.  McDanniels thinks that Sanchez’s mix of leadership, accuracy, and work ethic to be a top notch QB in the league.  However, he does come from the Bellichick team which is used to winning with 6th rounders (Brady) or 7th rounders (Cassel) so grabbing a QB that high might not be in the plan, but at the same time it might make McDanniels ok with sitting Sanchez behind Simms for a season.

Whatever happens I would not be surprised if it happens soon so teams can get their draft boards straightened out.

Is this really a fair comparison?  Cutler has already been to a Pro Bowl in just his third season (second as the full time starter) and George never made it to the pro bowl after more than a decade in the league, but he also only threw eighteen interceptions once in his career and Cutler, as already done that one too. The question with Cutler, as with any “gunslinger” type of QB, does his ability to make plays that other QBs can’t over shadow the amount of turnovers he produces when trying to make the tough throw and not succeeding?

Last year Cutler’s interception percentage was 2.9, not horrible, but far from great.  In fact, that is the same interception percentage put up but Tyler Thigpen of the Chiefs, who had many less weapons around him and was forced to create his own play because of it more than Cutler.  That was 2.9 is higher than the 2.3 that Philip Rivers turned in on his way to leading the league in QB rating and touchdowns before getting snubbed out of the Pro Bowl for Cutler who threw for five hundred more yards and seven more interceptions.

In fact, only one QB threw more interceptions than Cutler last year, and almost every other young QB had a lower interception percentage, including but not limited to: Matt Cassel, Aaron Rodgers, Tyler Thigpen, Joe Flacco, Trent Edwards, Matt Ryan, Derek Anderson, JaMarcus Russell, Jason Campbell.  But out of that group only two QBs threw more touchdowns than Cutler’s 25 (Rivers, 34, Rodgers, 28).

This is where the future of Cutler becomes a question mark.  He can obviously do some great things on the football field, but he if moves teams will he be able to continue to complete 62.5 percent of his passes? Will his touchdown percentage of 4.4 be as high if he is on a team that doesn’t have as good of a receiving core and pass protection as the Broncos did last year (which is most)?  And that is why Cutler needs to stop complaining that the new head couch didn’t immediately give the job of franchise savior to him and why he needs to stay and prove that he can be exactly that.  Because he will most likely not find a better place to prove Mel Kiper wrong, and if he talks his way out of a good situation he just may have Kiper saying,  “I told you so” and using Cutler as an example of why teams shouldn’t draft “gunslinger” QBs for the next few years.

Singletary started the off-season with what most people would consider two back-up quarterbacks in Shaun Hill and Alex Smith (Who just reworked his contract to stay with the team) and so far has only added another in Damon Huard.  With no attempts made to acquire a young QBs with starting experience through either trade or free agency (namely Chris Simms, Brady Quinn, Derek Anderson, Matt Cassel, or Jay Cutler), and not much expressed interest in taking a QB high in the draft, it seems as if Singletary is handing the reigns of the offense over to Hill.

Singletary has said that it is going to be an open competition between Hill and Smith for the starting job.  However, it doesn’t seem likely at this point the first thing Smith is going to do after getting healthy is going to be winning the starting job from a guy that has a career QB rating of 90.4 and career 7-5 record with the organization (Opposed to a rating of 63.5 and a record of 11-19 for Smith).

But is this a bad thing? Hill has competed 64% of his passes as a 49er and has a 2:1 touchdown to interception ratio.  Granted he doesn’t have the arm strength one would like out of a starting QB but neither does Chad Pennington and look what his mix of leadership ability and football smarts brought to his team, same goes for Jeff Garcia who has been to 4 Pro Bowls.  Hill may not be our answer for the next decade, but he just may be the answer for the next two to five years, and until then the 49ers can save a bit of cap room by not signing a big name QB and building up their Offensive and Defensive lines.

Unless your name is Scott Pioli, you’re probably a very nervous Chiefs fan right now. This week saw Matt Cassel swap New England for Kansas City, but also saw Denver implode, Detroit and Tampa left standing and the much hated Patriots demonize themselves further.

Here is an attempt at creating some sort of time line: Denver QB coach Jeremy Bates leaves for USC, Cutler wants out so Denver call Tampa. If Cutler goes, former Patriot now Broncos head coach Josh McDaniels wants his boy Cassel. A three way deal is setup which sees a first round pick to New England from Tampa, Cutler to Tampa and Cassel to Denver. The same three way deal is setup with Detroit instead of Tampa. Somewhere someone panics – my money’s on Cutler – and the two deals on the table stall. New England trade Cassel to the Chiefs. Complicated much? I’m not really buying the whole ‘Belichick deliberately tried to screw McDaniels for leaving his fold’ story, Cutler’s innocent victim act isn’t washing either and despite the protests I still think Denver are shopping Cutler about. As for Kansas, a player who has one season since high school in a high powered offense is, to put it lightly, a risk. I understand you want to transition from the unsustainable Thigpen spread offense, but why risk it with Cassel when Sanchez is yours at 3? Best case scenario Cassel is Jason Campbell 2.0, worst case he’s next year’s Derek Anderson – I would be nervous.

Last week also saw the Giants very quietly assert themselves atop of next year’s power rankings. Chris Canty adds depth to the line at either defensive end or tackle, whilst Michael Boley is a cheap young linebacker who has off the chart athletic ability and closing speed but is coming off a down season. The criticism you can level at him is his lack of physicality, but with Tuck, Cofield and the returning Umenyiora to focus on he isn’t getting double teamed and will often find himself with a free run at the quarterback. I really like this move and think Boley is going to make a name for himself in a system that suits his talents perfectly.

It was one in and one out for the Bengals, as TJ Houshmandzadeh returned to his north-west roots as a Seahawk and Laveranues Coles was brought in as his replacement. I think that Coles could be an efficient number two if Marvin Lewis has resurrected Chad Johnson, but relying on Coles as Palmer’s primary target is a step down from Houshmandzadeh however you want to spin it. I also think it backs the Bengals into a corner, forcing them to draft a receiver inside the first four rounds. As for Seattle’s offseason plans nothing much changes; even though they filled one of their problems positions they will likely move for Crabtree anyway.

I also like the Earnest Graham/Derrick Ward partnership that I hope the Bucs cultivate. Graham between the tackles and Ward catching balls out of the backfield will offer much needed support for whoever starts under center on opening day, since in all likelihood that QB won’t have much NFL experience. Hopefully head coach Raheem Morris doesn’t ask Ward to play every down, since he’s the prototypical change of pace back and I’d have durability concerns if he was to carry the ball 30 times a game.

The Jets’ Rex Ryan continued his Raven import policy with the promising Jim Leonhard, whilst the Ravens signed center Matt Birk. Since Birk isn’t the player he used to be he’ll adopt the leader role, but does a big new voice in the Ray Lewis locker room end in friction?

Who’s Out

Terrell Owens: 3 teams, 3 acrimonious endings. If it doesn’t work in Jerry Jones’ Dallas then where will it work Terrell? His best shot at the Superbowl was with the Cowboys, since I doubt any other contenders (New England, Pittsburgh, Giants, Carolina) would take him on board. As for the Cowboys, Roy E Williams will be glad to get himself on the opposite side of Jason Witten. As a split end he will face more man coverage than zone, and can use his freak physical ability instead of relying on his weak route running. As for the unemployed Roy Williams; he can make big hits for You Tube but is nowhere in coverage, meaning the Cowboys will be glad to see the back of him.

3 to Watch…

1)  Terrell Owens – Obviously he’s the big story next week, since someone will like his talent more than they dislike his attitude. I know I mentioned the Redskins as a suitor a few weeks ago, but with the Haynesworth deal I doubt this happens. Likely new home: Raiders or Broncos. Long shot: 49ers or Texans.

2)  The Rams to trade either Orlando Pace or Tory Holt. Depending on who goes, Jason Smith or Michael Crabtree will be their selection.

3)  More rumblings from Miami along the lines of “our starting QB will be called Chad. Henne or Pennington is our prerogative”.