Cowboys to ride Barber vs. Giants

It might not be Tony Romo's time to shine when the Dallas Cowboys visit the New York Giants on Sunday.

The Giants have had 10 days to prepare their No. 4-ranked pass defense for Romo. The last time these teams met in Week 2, it was Dallas' rushing attack that did the most damage, gaining 251 yards in a game won by the Giants, 33-31.

Eli Manning had a spectacular game, passing for 330 yards as Steve Smith and Mario Manningham emerged as go-to receivers.

Giants linebacker Antonio Pierce is out for the season, and that should be good news for running back Marion Barber. The Cowboys have kept Barber fresh for the December run, a time when Dallas and coach Wade Phillips have typically faltered.

Look for Barber to have his best game since that Week 2 encounter, and expect Manning to produce one of his better efforts in a must-win game for New York.

The New Orleans Saints come off their big Monday night win against New England and now face the Washington Redskins in what could be a huge letdown spot. Between the short week and the Redskins' 3-8 record, there is a good chance the Saints could take the game lightly.

Washington has the NFL's top pass defense, led by a great secondary, and will take aim at slowing Drew Brees and a great passing offense. The Redskins won't stop the Saints, but they should contain them.

Saints wideout Robert Meachem, who has scored in four straight games, somehow is still available in most leagues.

DeSean Jackson is likely to be out for Philadelphia at Atlanta, meaning Jason Avant will see many more passes thrown his way from Donovan McNabb.

In his past three games, even with Jackson in the lineup, Avant has 273 yards with a touchdown. Look for the Eagles to thrive against the Falcons' No. 27-ranked defense, which should please fantasy owners of Jeremy Maclin, Brent Celek, McNabb and Avant.

Owners of Carolina running backs DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart get a break this week with quarterback Jake Delhomme injured. The move to Matt Moore will undoubtedly force the Panthers to go with their bread and butter: running the ball.

Delhomme knows plenty about throwing interceptions, but no one has done it better (or worse) than the Chicago Bears' Jay Cutler, who has tossed a league-high 20 picks.

But Cutler should enjoy one of his better games of the season as the Bears face the Rams. Look for Cutler's red-zone mistakes to be limited as he finds Devin Hester, Johnny Knox and Greg Olsen often.

Count on Cincinnati's Carson Palmer having a big week against the Lions, who have allowed four straight 300-yard passers.

Denver rookie Knowshon Moreno is starting to evolve into the every-down back that many fantasy owners thought he would become. He has run for at least 80 yards in each of the Broncos' past three games. He has a favorable matchup this week against Kansas City, which features another good back in Jamaal Charles, who is still widely available.

Micah Roberts is a Las Vegas-based writer who contributes weekly fantasy football outlooks for the Las Vegas Review-Journal. He can be reached at MM.Roberts7@gmail.com.