Patriots-Colts offers handful of sleepers

It's always entertaining when Tom Brady and Peyton Manning get together. The two quarterbacks have battled head to head 10 times during their NFL careers and have been intertwined in a decade of excellence with the road to the Super Bowl leading through one of them.

Baseball had Koufax-Gibson. Basketball had Bird-Magic. Likewise, Brady-Manning has become one of the most epic matchups in sports.

With the exception of a cold playoff game at New England in 2004, nine contests between the Patriots and Indianapolis Colts have produced more than 44 points and in many cases well more than 51 points. That means several players on both offenses -- and their fantasy football owners -- should reap the rewards Sunday.

This is essentially a fantasy all-star game also featuring wide receivers Reggie Wayne, Randy Moss and Wes Welker, tight end Dallas Clark and underrated running back Joseph Addai.

Those guys will get their points, but there are sure to be leftovers for players who might be sitting on your bench, or remain free agents, and could make an impact.

Laurence Maroney is the Patriots' feature back with no one else rotating in on running downs because of injuries. He has rushed for 258 yards in his past three games, scoring in all three.

Kevin Faulk remains one of Brady's favorites on third downs and is third on the team in receptions. He's a good fill-in for a point-per-reception league.

New England wideout Sam Aiken benefits by being on the field with Brady, and Aiken has the chance to steal a few points from Moss and Welker. Colts receivers Austin Collie and Pierre Garcon are available in many leagues.

• GOOD BETTS -- The fantasy pickup of the week is Washington Redskins running back Ladell Betts, who is expected to start in place of Clinton Portis (concussion).

Betts filled in for Portis in Week 9 against Atlanta and had 16 touches for 103 yards and a score, and he's facing the Denver defense this week. The Broncos are on the mend after losing two physical games and allowing 324 yards to opposing backs.

Portis has been banged up all season, so it's possible Betts could be more than a one-week rental and surge to glory as he did in 2006, when he helped boost several fantasy squads down the stretch by rushing for more than 100 yards in five straight games.

• OTHERS TO WATCH -- One of the fantasy darlings has been Kansas City receiver Chris Chambers, who had two touchdowns in Week 9 at Jacksonville. It's hard to ignore the scores, especially coming from a veteran player who had little practice with the team after San Diego released him.

But a more consistent threat from the Chiefs' mild aerial attack could be Lance Long, who caught eight passes for 74 yards in Week 9 and could develop into more of a focal point.

Oakland's Darren McFadden is back along with two starters on the Raiders' offensive line, and those additions should help the running game against a Chiefs defense that has allowed 5 yards per carry since Week 5.

McFadden has had some of his better games against Kansas City during his two injury-plagued seasons in the league. In three games against the Chiefs, he has two touchdowns and an average of 97 total yards.

Jamaal Charles and Kolby Smith will share carries in Kansas City following the release of Larry Johnson, but Charles has more value because of his skills on third down.

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