The Chicago Blackhawks lost in Game Seven of the Western Conference Final, to the eventual Stanley Cup champions, and it says something about the calibre of this team that not winning the Stanley Cup comes as something of a disappointment. Nick Bosa Super Bowl Jersey . First World, Second City problems. Off-Season Game Plan looks at a Blackhawks team that may be able to bring back largely the same cast next season, and they probably should. While the Blackhawks might need to make moves if next seasons salary cap comes in lower than expected, their roster is sound and doesnt require dramatic changes. Thus, the first priority for GM Stan Bowman is to work on contract extensions for Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews, the clubs two cornerstone forwards. While thats of obvious importance to the future of the franchise, both are signed for next season, so while other teams are scrambling this summer to fill holes in their lineup, the Blackhawks dont have that same urgency. They were the leagues second-best puck possession team, and if a few bounces had gone theo their way, that could have been enough to alter the outcome of the Western Conference Final. So, if the summer means a few minor changes, letting Michal Handzus ply his trade elsewhere next season and opening up a spot or two for a prospect to join the roster, well, thats an entirely reasonable plan of attack. Unless the salary cap dictates change, theres just not much incentive to dramatically change a roster that was very close to winning another Stanley Cup. Maybe the Blackhawks plan for the offseason ought to be working out in front of pictures of the Los Angeles Kings celebrating their Cup win. A little added motivation for what is looking like a very promising rivalry between teams that have won four of the past five Stanley Cups and will expect to contend for the next couple. The TSN.ca Rating is an efficiency rating based on per-game statistics including goals and assists -- weighted for strength (ie. power play, even, shorthanded) -- Corsi, adjusted for zone starts, quality of competition and quality of teammates, hits, blocked shots, penalty differential and faceoffs. Generally, a replacement-level player is around a 60, a top six forward and top four defenceman will be around 70, stars will be over 80 and MVP candidates could go over 90. Sidney Crosby finished at the top of the 2013-2014 regular season ratings at 87.12. Salary cap information all comes from the indispensable www.capgeek.com. CF% = Corsi percentage (ie. percentage of 5-on-5 shot attempts), via www.extraskater.com. GM/COACH Stan Bowman/Joel Quenneville Returning Forwards Player Rating GP G A PTS CF% Cap Hit Patrick Kane 78.42 69 29 40 69 55.1% $6.3M Jonathan Toews 78.37 76 28 40 68 59.3% $6.3M Patrick Sharp 78.38 82 34 44 78 57.2% $5.9M Marian Hossa 77.67 72 30 30 60 57.8% $5.275M Bryan Bickell 64.60 59 11 4 15 58.0% $4.0M Kris Versteeg 63.83 81 12 24 36 54.2% $2.2M Andrew Shaw 67.29 80 20 19 39 56.9% $2.0M Marcus Kruger 65.55 81 8 20 28 51.4% $1.325M Brandon Bollig 61.50 82 7 7 14 50.9% $1.25M Brandon Saad 72.04 78 19 28 47 57.7% $764K Free Agent Forwards Player Rating GP G A PTS CF% Class 13-14 Cap Hit Ben Smith 66.17 75 14 12 26 51.1% RFA $563K Michal Handzus 58.93 59 4 12 16 51.8% UFA $1.0M Peter Regin 59.12 61 4 7 11 52.6% UFA $750K In seven seasons that Patrick Kane has been in the league, hes scored 493 points, which ranks 11th. Hes a rare talent with the puck on his stick, able to create scoring opportunities either with his patience and puck skills or his ability to find an open teammate. Advanced metrics show how the Blackhawks tilt the ice in Kanes favour, starting the vast majority of his shifts in the offensive zone, and while that indicates that Kanes possession numbers could be better than theyve been over the past couple seasons, starting in the offensive zone is merely the best way to maximize his talent. His playoff performance was underwhelming, but Patrick Sharp had a fantastic season, scoring a career-high 78 points, and his 53 even-strength points ranked 11th in the league; not bad for the guy who gets lost in Kane and Toews respective shadows. He is a fine two-way player, but Sharps has made his mark as a sniper too. Since 2007-2008, Sharp has scored 194 goals, tied with Marian Hossa and one behind Jonathan Toews. Consistently mentioned as one of the best all-around players in the game, Jonathan Toews had his points-per-game decline for the first time in his career last season, and his 2.54 shots on goal per game was his lowest since 2008-2009. Toews is both a dominant possession player and a consistently high-percentage finisher. Part of the reason that Toews is such an elite finisher is that he perennially has an average shooting distance of less than 25 feet, always ranking near the top of the league. Five points away from 1000 in his career, Marian Hossa ranks seventh among active scorers (moving to sixth with Teemu Selannes retirement) and 35-year-old Hossa remains a productive first line player, a star who backchecks and, last season, faced extra tough opposition. One of the reasons that the Blackhawks are right in the title mix is that they have been able to inject young forwards into the lineup and get inexpensive production in prominent roles. Brandon Saad is an emerging power forward who struggled late in his second season, scoring one goal and six points in the last 21 regular season games, but he was a force in the postseason (scoring 16 points in 19 games) and has been a high-end possession player early in his career. Some of that has to do with playing in an offensive role with Patrick Kane, but Saad is also a beast down low in the offensive zone and that helps keep the Blackhawks on the attack. A steal of a fifth-round pick in 2011, Andrew Shaw continues to improve and had a career-high 20 goals and 39 points last season. He doesnt have the same skill as other Blackhawks top forwards, but Shaw is effective because of his relentless style of play. Coach Q made it known at the end of the season that Kane, Saad and Shaw could be a line for a long time, so Shaw can continue to improve his work in the face-off dot if hes going to man the second-line centre spot on a permanent basis. One of the reasons that the Blackhawks can turn loose their best players in the offensive zone is that they saddle Marcus Kruger with a heavy dose of defensive zone starts. Not surprisingly, his possession stats arent great, but hes better than break-even despite starting 20.9% of his shifts in the offensive zone; thats good. If not for his playoff exploits, scoring 16 goals in 42 games over the past two postseasons, Bryan Bickell might well be an obscure part of the Chicago forward group. Hes never matched the 37 points hs scored as a rookie in 2010-2011, and while hes overpaid at $4-million per, Bickell is effective enough as a complementary player. Re-acquired from Florida, Kris Versteeg wasnt as productive as he had been in previous seasons and was a non-factor in the playoffs (with three points in 15 games), so it wouldnt be out of the realm of possibility that hes moved to increase the Blackhawks cap room. At the same time, if Versteeg improves his conditioning, hed be a nice top-nine forward because, as a four-time 20-goal scorer, he knows his way around the net. The Blackhawks enforcer, with 19 fights in 125 games over three seasons, Brandon Bollig plays a similar role to Kruger, buried in the defensive zone to start, yet still managing more shot attempts than their opponents. The Blackhawks have a lot of continuity up front, if they choose to keep the same faces. Maybe Teravainen makes an impact at some point, maybe there is an inexpensive veteran added for depth, but there arent a lot of changes required. Returning Defence Player Rating GP G A PTS CF% Cap Hit Brent Seabrook 75.27 82 7 34 41 56.8% $5.8M Duncan Keith 77.86 79 6 55 61 56.6% $5.538M Niklas Hjalmarsson 66.93 81 4 22 26 53.3% $4.1M Johnny Oduya 64.75 77 3 13 16 53.0% $3.375M Nick Leddy 66.38 82 7 24 31 57.1% $2.7M Michal Rozsival 62.84 42 1 7 8 58.8% $2.2M David Rundblad 57.79 17 0 1 1 55.9% $785K Free Agent Defence Player Rating GP G A PTS CF% Class 13-14 Cap Hit Sheldon Brookbank 58.56 48 2 5 7 51.6% UFA $1.25M A favourite for the Norris Trophy as the leagues best defenceman, Duncan Keith had the second-best offensive output of his career, with 61 points, yet for the second straight season, he played under 25 minutes per game. Keith has been freed up, to some degree, by the Blackhawks playing Niklas Hjalmarsson and Johnny Oduya against the oppositions top line, so that Keith and Seabrook have more favourable matchups. While he can get beaten by speed on occasion, Brent Seabrook remains a physical force on the Blackhawks blueline. His 41 points last season was the second-best of his career, his possession stats were strong and Seabrook has missed a total of 10 games over the past nine seasons. Thats a reliable presence to have night-in and night-out. As the Blackhawks have shifted their defensive responsibilities, Niklas Hjalmarsson has been taking on the hardest assignments for the past couple seasons, and while he put up a carer-high 26 points while playing a career-high 21:17 per game last season, Hjalmarsson has proven to be very effective preventing shots against (which, it turns out, is quite useful for a defenceman). Nick Leddys role has been reduced over the past couple seasons, as hes settled on Chicagos third pairing, but Leddy continues to put up excellent possession numbers, playing well enough against lesser competition to consider the possibility that he could handle more responsibility. Over the past three seasons, most of which Johnny Oduya has spent in Chicago, Oduya has been one of the leagues best at preventing shots on goal and, over the last two seasons, its been done while facing top opposition. Hjalmarsson and Oduya arent as heralded as Keith and Seabrook, but are vital to the Blackhawks defensive effort. Michal Rozsival doesnt play big minutes for the Blackhawks, and has dressed for 69 of 130 games over the past two regular seasons, but he thrives on the third pairing, putting up tremendous possession stats. Its not looking too likely that David Rundblad will be what he was supposed to be when he arrived from Sweden, where he scored 50 points in 55 games as a 20-year-old, but played well enough in 17 NHL games last season that he could be considered for the seventh defence spot, at the very least. Returning Goaltender Player Rating GP W L OTL GAA SV% Cap Hit Corey Crawford 69.51 59 32 16 10 2.26 .917 $6.0M Free Agent Goaltenders Player Rating GP W L OTL GAA SV% Class 13-14 Cap Hit Antti Raanta 55.24 25 13 5 4 2.71 .897 RFA $1.4M Nikolai Khabibulin 30.42 4 1 0 1 5.01 .811 UFA $2.0M Corey Crawford doesnt have the rep that some other Cup-winning goalies get to revel in, but hes been above average in three of his four NHL seasons. Among the 27 goaltenders to play at least 3000 5-on-5 minutes in the past two seasons, Crawford ranks 11th with a .928 even-strength save percentage. Its reasonable enough to consider Crawford average to above average as an NHL starter, yet still have questions about whether paying him $6-million per season over the next six years is the best use of cap space. Antti Raanta was pretty good through the first half of his rookie season, particularly in December, when he was playing regularly with Crawford hurt, but from January on, Raanta had an .872 save percentage in 10 games, so that was less than ideal, but hes a good option to back up Crawford next season. Top Prospects Player Pos. Team/League Stats Teuvo Teravainen C Jokerit Helsinki (SML) 9-35-44, -2, 49 GP Ryan Hartman RW Plymouth (OHL) 25-28-53, -14, 52 GP Jeremy Morin LW Rockford (AHL) 24-23-47, +9, 47 GP Adam Clendening D Rockford (AHL) 12-47-59, +5, 74 GP Mark McNeill C Rockford (AHL) 18-19-37, -12, 76 GP Kevin Hayes C Boston College (HE) 27-38-65, +34, 40 GP Joakim Nordstrom C Rockford (AHL) 17-16-33, +9, 58 GP Stephen Johns D Notre Dame (HE) 8-12-20, +5, 40 GP Klas Dahlbeck D Rockford (AHL) 10-25-35, +21, 75 GP Phillip Danault C Rockford (AHL) 6-20-26, +11, 72 GP Dillon Fournier D Rouyn-Noranda (QMJHL) 13-19-32, +10, 36 GP One of the premier prospects outside the NHL, Teuvo Teravainen was the 18th pick in 2012 and scored 75 points in 93 games in Finland over the past couple seasons before coming to North America late last season. The 19-year-old is expected to be Chicagos number two centre, eventually, but the Blackhawks are good enough that they can take their time and make sure hes ready before getting pressed into duty. A second-round pick in 2011, Adam Clendening is a puck-moving defenceman who isnt big, and is improving his skating, but has 105 points in 147 games over two AHL seasons since leaving Boston University. Hes likely ready for a shot in the NHL, if the Blackhawks have an opening. Illinois native Ryan Hartman was the 30th pick in 2013 and the energetic winger had 113 poins and 211 penalty minutes in 108 games over two OHL seasons. A late-season look in the AHL was a good opportunity for Hartman, who contributed seven points (3 G, 4 A) in nine games. Acquired as part of the Dustin Byfuglien trade with Atlanta, Jeremy Morin is a scoring winger who is improving his skating and had a strong year in 2013-2014, scoring a point-per-game in the AHL then adding 11 points (5 G, 6 A) and strong possession numbers in 24 games with the Blackhawks. The 18th pick in 2011, Mark McNeill is a big forward who has some skill. While he slumped late in his first pro season, scoring seven points in his last 18 games, McNeill had 54 shots on goal in that span, so opportunities were still coming. If he delivers a strong year in the AHL, he should be ready to compete for a job. Drafted in the first round in 2010, Kevin Hayes had a monster senior year at Boston College, scoring 65 points in 40 games while playing with Johnny Gaudreau and Bill Arnold. Hes on the Blackhawks top prospectd list for now, but if he doesnt sign by August 15, Hayes will be a free agent, able to sign with any team. Picked in the third round in 2010, Joakim Nordstrom got into 16 games with the Blackhawks, playing a defensive role, using his speed as an asset. Stephen Johns was picked in the second round in 2010 and played four seasons at Notre Dame before joining Rockford late in the year, contributing five points (1 G, 4 A) in eight games. Hes big and moves well for his size, but needs to play with discipline as he climbs the ladder. A third-round pick in 2011, Klas Dahlbeck made nice strides in his second AHL season, enough that he cant be too far away from getting his first taste of NHL action. A two-way forward who struggled to score in his first pro season, Phillip Danault was the 26th pick in 2011. Hes only 21-years-old, so he has some time, but could use a more productive season next year. Picked in the second round in 2012, Dillon Fournier is a strong skater who was having a good season before a shoulder injury cut short his year. Hell get some time in the AHL to get stronger and develop before he gets a shot in the NHL. Blackhawks advanced stats and player usage chart from Extra Skater DRAFT 27th - Connor Bleackley, Nikolay Goldobin, Ryan MacInnis. FREE AGENCY According to www.capgeek.com, the Blackhawks have approximately $65.8M committed to the 2014-2015 salary cap for 18 players. Check out my possible Blackhawks lineup for next season on Cap Geek here. Needs: Depth forwards, one depth defenceman. What I said the Blackhawks needed last year: One top six forward, depth forwards, one or two defencemen, backup goaltender. They added: Ben Smith, Brandon Pirri, Joakim Nordstrom, Nikolai Khabibulin. TRADE MARKET Kris Versteeg, Johnny Oduya, Michal Rozsival. Scott Cullen can be reached at Scott.Cullen@bellmedia.ca and followed on Twitter at http://twitter.com/tsnscottcullen. For more, check out TSN Fantasy on Facebook. Raheem Mostert Super Bowl Jersey . The Blue Jays lost to the New York Yankees 3-1 Tuesday night, their seventh defeat in 10 games. Rasmus was put on the 15-day DL on May 15 because of a sore right hamstring. Hes hitting .222 with nine home runs and 19 RBIs. Jimmie Ward Super Bowl Jersey . 1. Lions WR Calvin Johnson (6 REC, 101 YDS, 1 TD, 10 targets) leads receivers with 1,299 yards and 12 touchdowns, though his 118.1 receiving yards per game ranks second behind Clevelands Josh Gordon. Gordon (10 REC, 261 YDS, 2 TD, 15 targets) is emerging as a superstar, putting up huge numbers even with Jason Campbell and Brandon Weeden at quarterback.A pinball game in Dallas, with Tony Romo and Peyton Manning putting on an aerial show, Grahams greatness, Charles in charge, Vick to the sidelines and more in Scott Cullens 50 Points on NFL Week Five. 1. While he threw an interception -- a spectacular diving effort by Broncos LB Danny Trevathan, incidentally -- that ultimately led to the Broncos game-winning field goal, Cowboys QB Tony Romo (25-for-36, 506 YDS, 5 TD, 1 INT) had an unbelievable game, engineering four touchdown drives longer than 75 yards. Though coming up short in that spotlight feels all too familiar for Romo, that performance was not one that should have been denigrated in any way. 2. Broncos QB Peyton Manning (33-for-42, 414 YDS, 4 TD, 1 INT) had another crazy game, but may have been the second-best quarterback on the field at Dallas. 3. Broncos RB Knowshon Moreno (150 YDS, 1 TD 24 touches) again asserted his position at the top of the Broncos running back depth chart, ahead of Ronnie Hillman (59 YDS, 11 touches) and Montee Ball (1 YD, 1 carry). 4. Starting in place of an injured Miles Austin, Cowboys WR Terrance Williams (4 REC, 151 YDS, 1 TD, 4 targets) got deep, while WR Dez Bryant (6 REC, 141 YDS, 2 TD, 10 targets, 1 fumble) and TE Jason Witten (7 REC, 121, 1 TD, 10 targets) also had huge production. 5. Broncos TE Julius Thomas (9 REC, 122 YDS, 2 TD) is tied for second in the league with six touchdowns and ranks fourth among tight ends with 359 yards receiving. 6. Saints QB Drew Brees (29-for-35, 288 YDS, 2 TD) was efficient against the Bears, hooking up with TE Jimmy Graham (10 REC, 135 YDS, 11 targets) again. Graham leads the league with 593 receiving yards, averaging 31.0 yards per game more than Antonio Gates, the tight end with the second highest per-game yardage (87.6). Grahams dominance in the Saints passing game, has left WR Marques Colston (2 REC, 15 YDS, 2 targets) on the outside looking in, to some degree. His 62.6 yards per game ranking as a career low for a receiver that has gone over 1,000 yards in six of his seven previous NFL seasons. 7. Chiefs RB Jamaal Charles (145 YDS, 1 TD, 1 fumble, 27 touches) continues to rack up yards. He ranks second in yards from scrimmage with 647, behind only LeSean McCoy (700). 8. Eagles QB Michael Vick (6-for-14, 105 YDS) suffered a hamstring injury that will keep him out of action in Week Six. The goods for the Eagles is that Nick Foles (16-for-25, 197 YDS, 2 TD) was instrumental in Philadelphias win over the Giants on Sunday and Foles should be prepared to run the offence smoothly, possibly on a more even keel than Vick, who varies from higher highs to lower lows. 9. Raiders QB Terrelle Pryor (18-for-23, 221 YDS, 2 TD; 31 YDS, 11 carries) was very effective against San Diego. The Chargers dont have a good defence, ranking 29th in yardage allowed, but Pryor continues to give the Raiders reason for hope. 10. Packers RB Eddie Lacy (99 YDS, 23 carries) returned to action and carried the load, exactly the kind of game that the Packers expected from the physical back when they drafted him in the second round. 11. Ravens WR Torrey Smith (6 REC, 121 YDS, 9 targets) leads all wide receivers with 556 yards this season. (Atlantas Julio Jones plays Monday night and has 481 yards.) Eagles WR DeSean Jackson (7 REC, 132 YDS, 1 TD, 13 targets) now ranks second among wide receivers with 525 receiving yards. 12. Jaguars WR Justin Blackmon (5 REC, 136 YDS, 1 TD, 6 targets) and Cecil Shorts (5 REC, 74 YDS, 1 TD, 10 targets) had productive game against St. Louis, though both would be better with a higher-calibre quarterback. 13. Rams WR Austin Pettis (4 REC, 49 YDS, 2 TD, 5 targets) is emerging as a bit of playmaker, with four touchdowns on the season. Hes been targeted 36 times in five games, more than Steve Smith, T.Y. Hilton and Denarius Moore. 14. It came in a losing effort, but Chargers QB Philip Rivers (36-for-49, 411 YDS, 2 TD, 3 INT) had another big game against the Raiders and now ranks third in yardage (1,610) and second in touchdown passes (13) this season. 15. Dolphins WR Mike Wallace (7 REC, 105 YDS, 16 targets) was targeted a lot against Baltimore, and while he went over 100 yards, he caught fewer than half of the balls sent his way. Among 33 players with at least 40 targets through five games, Wallace has the fourth-worst receiving percentage (50.0%), ahead of Kenbrell Thompkins, Vincent Jackson and Robert Woods. 16. Giants wide receivers Hakeem Nicks (9 REC, 142 YDS, 12 targets) and Rueben Randle (6 REC, 96 YDS, 2 TD, 13 targets) had big games agains the Eagles, while Victor Cruz (5 REC, 48 YDS, 12 targets) was largely kept under wraps. 17. Bears WR Alshon Jeffery (10 REC, 218 YDS, 1 TD, 13 targets) had a monster game against the Saints as the preferred target of QB Jay Cutler (24-for-33, 358 YDS, 2 TD). WR Brandon Marshall (4 REC, 30 YDS, 1 TD, 5 targets) wasnt used as much, but had missed practice time during the week with a foot injury, so its not altogether surprising that Jeffery took on a bigger role. 18. Saints RB Pierre Thomas (91 YDS, 2 TD, 28 touches) had a productive, if not terribly efficient, day in Chicago. With Mark Ingram sidelined, there are more carries available for Thomas. 19. With RB Stevan Ridley hurt, LeGarrette Blount (51 YDS, 1 fumble, 12 carries) had the chance to carry the mail, but a lost fumble worked for him the same way it did for Ridley early in the year. Brandon Bolden (64 YDS, 11 touches) continued to be productive with limited touches. 20. Against his former team, Bengals RB BenJarvus Green-Ellis (67 YDS, 1 TD, 19 carries) took on a bigger role with the Bengals than he had in previous weeks. Giovani Bernard (69 YDS, 1 fumble, 15 touches) also lost a fumble, so perhaps that running back competition is a little closer than it looked heading into Week Five. 21. Chargers RB Ryan Mathews (8 YDS, 3 carries) suffered a concussion against Oakland so, once again, Danny Woodhead (71 YDS, 1 TD, 18 touches) was the productive one in the San Diego backfield. 22. Rams RB Zak Stacy (78 YDS, 14 carries) had most of the backfield action against Jacksonville, with more touches than Daryl Richardson (48 YDS, 13 carries). 23. Ravens RB Ray Rice (102 YDS, 2 TD, 1 fumble, 33 touches) had the yards and scores, but took a lot of touches to get there against Miami. 24. With WR Calvin Johnson out for the Lions, RB Reggie Bush ended up with 69 yards on 17 touches. WR Kris Durham (3 REC, 30 YDS, 1 TD, 8 targets) was the most targeted Lions wide receiver and Ryan Broyles (2 REC, 27 YDS, 2 targets) may as well have been an afterthought. With Johnson and Nate Burleson sidelined, QB Matthew Stafford (25-for-40, 262 YDS, 1 TD) was missing his top two receivers. Lions tight ends Brandon Pettigrew (4 REC, 59 YDS, 5 targets) and Tony Scheffler (4 REC, 55 YDS, 7 targets) led the Lions receiving corps with Calvin Johnson out. 25. The San Diego passing game has thrived despite season-ending injuries to Danario Alexander and Malcom Floyd. Vincent Brrown (8 REC, 117 YDS, 9 targets) and rookie Keenan Allen (6 REC, 115 YDS, 1 TD, 9 targets) played big parts against the Raiders, while Eddie Royal has seen his role decline. Jerry Rice Super Bowl Jersey. 26. Since scoring five touchdowns in the first two games, Royal has eight catches for 102 yards and no scores in three games. 27. Colts WR T.Y. Hilton (5 REC, 140 YDS, 2 TD, 6 targets) had a big game against Seattles top-flight secondary. Darrius Heyward-Bey had nothing on six targets, making Hilton the clear No. 2 among Indy wide receivers behind Reggie Wayne. 28. Packers WR James Jones (4 REC, 127 YDS, 1 TD, 6 targets) was tops among Green Bay receivers and has pulled just ahead of Randall Cobb in yardage (339 to 325) for the season. 29. In Kansas City, WR Donnie Avery (3 REC, 91 YDS, 4 targets) is emerging as a more productive option than big-money WR Dwayne Bowe (4 REC, 35 YDS, 6 targets). For the season, Avery has 304 yards and one touchdown, while Bowe has 183 yards and two scores. While this can be considered a credit to Avery, its also an indictment of Bowe, who is barely a factor in the Chiefs offence. 30. Seahawks QB Russell Wilson had another tough day passing (15-for-31, 210 YDS, 2 TD, 1 INT), but made a difference on the ground (102 YDS, 13 carries) against Indianapolis. WR Golden Tate (5 REC, 61 YDS, 1 TD, 11 targets) and WR Doug Baldwin (5 REC, 80 YDS, 9 targets) got most of the looks from Wilson. 31. Panthers QB Cam Newton (21-for-39, 308 YDS, 3 INT, 1 fumble) had a dud of a game against Arizona. Hes still ranked seventh in fantasy points per game (18.7) on TSN, but consistency remains a problem. 32. Bills QB E.J. Manuel (11-for-20, 129 YDS) suffered a knee injury in the Thursday nighter, and was replaced by Jeff Tuel (8-for-20, 80 YDS, 1 INT) with predictable results. 33. With Manuel out for 4-8 weeks, Thad Lewis has been named as the Bills new starter, which seems like bad news for Bills recievers Robert Woods (5 REC, 64 YDS, 13 targets) and Stevie Johnson (2 REC, 19 YDS, 3 targets; also hurt Thursday). 34. Browns QB Brian Hoyer (2-for-4, 25 YDS) suffered a season-ending ACL injury, opening the door for Brandon Weedens (13-for-24, 197 YDS, 1 TD) return. Weeden at least has some weapons, with TE Jordan Cameron and WR Josh Gordon giving him a chance to be productive, but Weeden hasnt distinguished himself in 18 career games, throwing 16 touchdowns and 20 interceptions. 35. Bills RB C.J. Spiller (66 YDS, 1 TD, 8 carries) was productive thanks to a 54-yard touchdown run and Fred Jackson (93 YDS, 2 TD, 21 touches) carried the bulk of the workload against Cleveland. With limited appeal to their passing game, expect Spiller and Jackson to get plenty of touches going forward. The issue, for those who thought Spiller could be an elite fantasy runner, is that Jackson has 82 touches to Spillers 83. Tough to be a top producer with such an even split. 36. Good thing Titans RB Chris Johnson had a 49-yard touchdown catch and run, because his rushing numbers (17 YDS, 10 carries) were abysmal again. Johnsons 58.8 rushing yards per game is a career low. 37. Jaguars QB Blaine Gabbert (9-for-19, 181 YDS, 1 TD, 2 INT) suffered a hamstring injury against the Rams, which brought Chad Henne (7-for-13, 89 YDS, 1 TD) in off the bench. 38. With Ravens receivers Marlon Brown and Jacoby Jones out, Tandon Doss (3 REC, 58 YDS, 5 targets) stepped into a bigger role. 39. Eagles RB LeSean McCoy (92 YDS, 1 TD, 26 touches) didnt get loose against the Giants like he did against other opponents, but he still leads the league in yards from scrimmage. 40. Giants RB David Wilson (16 YDS, 1 TD, 6 carries) suffered a neck injury against Philadelphia, leading to Brandon Jacobs (37 YDS, 1 fumble, 11 carries) stepping in. Its hard to count on Wilson who is averaging a paltry 29.2 rushing yards per game, even if he is a starting running back. 41. Patriots QB Tom Brady (18-for-38, 197 YDS, 1 INT), struggled in the rain at Cincinnati, ending his 52-game touchdown streak, WR Danny Amendola (4 REC, 55 YDS, 9 targets) returned and was targeted most by Brady, but his overall production -- like all Patriots receivers -- wasnt great. 42. Panthers RB DeAngelo Williams (69 YDS, 14 touches) ranks 15th in yards from scrimmage (371), but hasnt scored a touchdown yet, which limits his fantasy appeal. 43. Making the most of his few opportunities, Panthers WR Ted Ginn Jr. (4 REC, 78 YDS, 5 targets) leads Carolina wideouts with 221 receiving yards on 18 targets. His emergence is at least costing Brandon LaFell, if not Steve Smith, looks in the Carolina offence. 44. Cardinals RB Andre Ellington (83 YDS, 11 touches) had more yardage than starter Rashard Mendenhall (50 YDS, 1 TD, 19 touches). 45. Texans QB Matt Schaub (19-for-35, 178 YDS, 3 INT) appears to be melting down. Hes thrown an interception returned for a touchdown in four consecutive games, an NFL record. Schaub remains the Texans starter, but that leash is getting shorter and T.J. Yates will be next in line if Schaub is benched. 46. 49ers QB Colin Kaepernick (6-for-15, 113 YDS, 1 TD) didnt do much of anything, yet his team still won 34-3. Kaepernick passed for 411 yards in the season opener and has passed for 557 yards (144.3 per game) in the four games since. 47. Raiders RB Rashad Jennings (41 YDS, 10 carries) was supposed to get most of the work in Darren McFaddens absence, but Jennings suffered a hamstring injury Sunday night, so Marcel Reese (57 YDS, 10 touches) got some touches too. 48. The highest-scoring players that are owned in fewer than half of TSN fantasy leagues, by position (min. 3 GP): QB - Matt Schaub (16.3, 35.1%), RB - James Starks (9.0, 25.8%), WR - Ted Ginn (9.0, 7.3%) and TE - Charles Clay (8.8, 28.2%). The least-productive players owned in more than 80% of TSN fantasy leagues, by position (min. 3 GP): QB - Eli Manning (12.0, 91.9%), RB - David Wilson (1.5, 91.5%) WR - Kenny Britt (0.8, 81.3%) and TE - Kyle Rudolph (3.5, 90.2%) 49. Cardinals ILB Daryl Washington (9 tackles, 2 sacks, 1 INT, 1 TFL) was a beast in his first game back from suspension. 50. Other defenders with productive days: Bears OLB Lance Briggs (14 tackles, 1 sack, 2 TFL), Patriots ILB Brandon Spikes (12 tackles, 1 INT, 2 TFL), Lions MLB DeAndre Levy (14 tackles, 3 TFL), Colts ILB Jerrell Freeman (13 tackles, 1 TFL), Jaguars S Jonathan Cyprien (13 solo tackles), Eagles OLB Mychal Kendricks (4 tackles, 1 INT, 1 FR), Eagles CB Bradley Fletcher (9 tackles, 5 PD), Giants S Ryan Mundy (15 tackles, 2 TFL), Panthers MLB Luke Kuechly (9 tackles, 1 sack, 1 TFL), Cardinals OLB Karlos Dansby (8 tackles, 2 sacks, 1 INT), 49ers ILB Michael Wilhoite (13 tackles, 3 TFL), 49ers ILB Navorro Bowman (13 tackles); Raiders OLB Kevin Burnett (14 tackles, 1 sack), Cowboys ILB Sean Lee (16 tackles, 1 TFL). Scott Cullen can be reached at Scott.Cullen@bellmedia.ca and followed on Twitter at http://twitter.com/tsnscottcullen. For more, check out TSN Fantasy on Facebook. ' ' '