In Week 4 of the **Home Team Challenge**, the free fantasy football game with great prizes on HoustonTexans.com, the winning player will take home a Texans mini-helmet autographed by Owen Daniels.
Here's my weekly fantasy advice, with a few players I like and a few players I don't:
PRICE IS RIGHT
RB LaDainian Tomlinson, SD, 55 points (@ OAK): Why would the highest-priced fantasy running back be my "Price is Right" pick? After seeing Tomlinson and the Chargers' offense running on all cylinders last week against the Jets, I'm just convinced that he is worth it. After losing their first two games of the season on last-minute plays, San Diego is playing like they have something to prove. That means riding their best player, Tomlinson, as long as they can. And what's more, it's against a sub-par Oakland defense. Tomlinson, who had two rushing touchdowns last week despite a nagging toe injury, should rack up yards against the Raiders and probably will score a touchdown or two as well.
VALUE PICK WR Donald Driver, GB, 24 (@ TB): Driver isn't Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers' favorite target, but that doesn't mean he doesn't get catches. He has 15 receptions for 166 yards and a touchdown on the season, and that doesn't include a 68-yard touchdown catch he had against Minnesota that was called back for holding. With the Buccaneers lining up their best cornerback on teammate Greg Jennings, it could mean that Driver will find room to get open. If you're looking for a cheaper receiver with great potential, this could be your man.
NOT WORTH IT RB Larry Johnson, KC, 36 (vs. DEN): I would stay away from Johnson for now. Even though he had a pretty good game last week, the quarterback carousel going on with the Chiefs is hurting his value. Without a valid passing attack to take the pressure off of Johnson, defenses will be able to concentrate on stopping him. At 36 points, he isn't absurdly expensive, but there is better value elsewhere.
WR Santana Moss, WAS, 31 (@ DAL): Santana has been the best Moss in fantasy this season so far, but I'm not sold on him yet. The Redskins seem like they have an improved offense from last season, but I think they will look for Clinton Portis to carry the team this week against Dallas and keep Tony Romo and Co. off the field. The Cowboys have one of the league's best secondaries, which is another reason Moss could struggle this week. For about the same price as Moss, you could get a player with a better matchup like Denver's Brandon Marshall or Cincinnati's T.J. Houshmanzadeh.
SLEEPER SPECIAL
RB Chris Perry, CIN, 25 (vs. CLE): All signs point to a high-scoring affair in this game. Neither team has a great defense and, when running smoothly, both teams have a good offense. The Bengals' passing game has struggled a little this season, so they might be tempted to lean on the running game this week to try and control the game. Perry has scored a touchdown in his last two games and has improved his total yards in each game this season. This week, 100 yards and a touchdown is not out of the question.
A LITTLE BIT EXTRA ADVICESpending a little bit extra on a defense can make or break your fantasy team, but selecting the right defense can be tricky. Make sure to look at the matchups. A favorable matchup can turn a decent fantasy defense into a great fantasy defense. An example would be Buffalo's defense (33 points) this week against St. Louis. As I said last week, the Rams have not been able to get their offense going. The Bills have looked good in the first three weeks of the season, especially their special teams. With that said, you might get the production out of the Bills' defense this week that you usually would see in a higher-priced defense like Chicago's.
TEXANS FANTASY STARTER OF THE WEEK
Steve Slaton, HOU, 20 (@ JAC):The rookie running back had a successful first-career start last week against Tennessee. Slaton ran for 116 yards on 18 carries with a touchdown. He found room to run against a tough Titans defense and will be tested again this week in Jacksonville. But Slaton doesn't have much competition from other players to steal carries from him, so he could be a useful running back in your fantasy lineup.
To register for the Home Team Challenge, click **here**. Make sure to set your lineups by Sun., Oct. 21 at 10:00 a.m.
