Todd Lokken from Strategic Fantasy Sports Identifies The Most Dropped and Picked Up Free Agents for Week 4 of the NFL season.

Detroit Lions WR Mike Furrey, who went undrafted in almost every fantasy football league, is all of a sudden a hot commodity after a big week against the St. Louis Rams. The Lions receiver has been in the background the last few years, as the Lions loaded up on first round WR picks. However, it looks like Furrey may be the most productive acquisition. He has established himself as the number 2 receiver in the Detroit offense, and should get plenty of balls thrown his way, especially if the Lions are playing catch up. The downside of acquiring Furrey this week is playing against the Vikings in Minneapolis. “The Vikings seem to have the Lions number every year, especially in Minnesota,” says Todd Lokken, President of Strategic Fantasy Sports. Lokken continues, “Against most teams, Furrey would be a decent fantasy start. However, the Vikings usually play pretty well at home.” After the Vikings, the schedule doesn’t get any better, as the Lions take on Buffalo at home. The Bills are improved this year, so fantasy owners can only hope for a Bills blowout, and points for Furrey in catch-up time.

The next hot commodity is Washington Redskin QB Mark Brunell. “It’s amazing how a good game against a tough defense will change the view of veteran players”, says Lokken. “The only question is whether or not Brunell can last the season, as he has had a number of injuries throughout his career.” According to the CBS Sportsline, Brunell held an active roster spot in less than 50% of all fantasy football leagues before last week. Lokken says, “if players take a look now, they will see Brunell has an active spot on approximately 70% of all league rosters, so grab him if you need a QB.”

On the flip side, poor play is former fantasy stars, and team owners are making adjustments accordingly. The most prominent star losing a roster spot is Arizona Cardinals QB Kurt Warner, after a sorry performance against the Atlanta Falcons. Warner just couldn’t seem to hold onto the ball, and has now lost his job to rookie Matt Leinart. Lokken says, “Unless Leinart gets hurt, Warner will probably be on the bench the rest of the year. The Cardinals are building for future years, and Leinart needs playing time to learn the NFL game.” Lokken continues, “it’s not worth him taking up a roster spot, and you should dump him immediately.” In most leagues, there still should be a starting QB or two to help you out.

Finally this week, Lokken gives us another disappointment: Miami Dolphins QB Daunte Culpepper. The veteran has struggled all year, and when it looked like a dream matchup was in place, he had a poor outing against the lowly Houston Texans. The whispers across the league say that Culpepper just isn’t fully healthy, and Lokken points out, “Culpepper blew out his knee in October of 2005. He just may not be completely healthy to play, as he looks nothing like the fantasy stud of a few years ago.” The guess here is that barring another major injury, Culpepper will get better as the year progresses, but fantasy players may not have time to wait. “Every game is very important to win, and you just can’t wait for players to perform,” advises Lokken. “The best advice is to grab a better QB now, and get production into your offense.”

Strategic Fantasy Sports provides fantasy analysis and strategy for players of fantasy games. For more information, contact Todd Lokken at 847.985.8566, or visit www.toddlokken.com.