DeAngelo Williams, the best fantasy football trade I’ve ever made.

Thanks to several great individual performances and a bad week by my opponents, I have two wins pretty much wrapped up heading into the Monday night game. In one league, I got 40-plus points from Tony Romo and the Titans defense alone on Thanksgiving, then supplemented it with good games from Greg Jennings and Thomas Jones on Sunday to help push my score into the 110 range. That win should put me in a pretty good spot in the playoff picture — in either third or fourth place (with the top four teams making the postseason) and with a comfortable points lead over whoever is on my tail. In my other league, I’ve already clinched a playoff spot, but it’s certainly sweet to add a win over the best team in the league, thanks to DeAngelo Williams’ four TDs and an off week by my opponent. That Williams-for-Vincent Jackson trade I made a few weeks back is looking better and better.

• I know I’ve badmouthed Peyton Hillis a lot in this blog, but I have to admit: When the Broncos actually stick with only one running back, he can put up some decent numbers. Hillis (129 yards, 1 TD) has scored four TDs in his three starts as the team’s primary ball-carrier, and his yardage has increased in all three games. And all it took for the Broncos to stick with one guy was to have their other three backs all go down with injuries.
• It’s been a season of transitions in terms of fantasy football, as old reliables such as Peyton Manning, LaDainian Tomlinson, and Torry Holt have all fallen from the ranks of must-starts. It’s hard to leave those names out of your starting lineup, but sentimentality doesn’t win fantasy football championships.
• If he’s still around on the waiver wire in your league, snatch up the Saints’ Pierre Thomas. He was the fourth-string running back when the season started, but has risen basically to the team’s starter through the other backs’ injury problems and underwhelming performances. He’s shown himself a capable runner and receiver and has a nose for the end zone (4 TDs in the last three games). Even with Reggie Bush starting to come back from his injury, Thomas is still a better running back than Bush, in fantasy football and real football. Mark my words: Pierre Thomas will carve out a solid NFL career somewhere, and Reggie Bush will become one of the biggest busts in draft history.
• This blog must be a fantasy curse. Last week, I praised Clinton Portis’ season. This week, he goes for 22 yards on 11 carries. Hmm … who am I playing against next week? I should praise them all.
• Since I’m writing this from New England, I guess I should mention the Patriots. Let’s see here: Randy Moss … oh wait, he sucked. Matt Cassel … he sucked too. Wes Welker … umm … on second thought, maybe I shouldn’t mention the Patriots.