Week 6 pickups

Let's get this party started! The life of the party is returning. Bench your fill-in and activate the NFL’s favorite bachelor Ben Roethlisberger. I’m pretty sure the league wants Ben to succeed. They reduced his sentence, gave him a bye week to prepare for his debut, and served him the soft Cleveland Browns for his homecoming.

If you’re a Roethlisberger owner, cheers to that.

Even with all the media hype surrounding Ben’s suspension, his return isn’t the headliner. And neither is the widespread injury plague which is sidelining running backs. It’s the Bret Favre drama that I can’t even write about. He is totally disgusting. Allegedly.

Enough of that fantasy disaster. Let’s see what players are worth adding, dropping and pausing.

Pickups

Danny Amendola – Insert Amendola as the new lead wideout with Mark Clayton’s season-ending injury. In Sunday’s game against Detroit, he reeled in a career-high 12 catches for 95 yards. Available in 55 percent of Yahoo leagues.

Brandon Jackson – The Green Bay back is an interesting pickup. He notched 115 yards and a touchdown, including a stat-skewing 71-yard run. The Packers will rely on Jackson more heavily if Aaron Rodgers is out. Appears to be the favored back over John Kuhn at this point. Available in 34 percent of Yahoo leagues.

Kevin Kolb – Kolb looked pretty good last week vs. San Francisco, going 21-for-31 with 253 yards and one touchdown. This week, he faces a weaker pass defense in Atlanta. A good flavor-of-the week start. Available in 53 percent of Yahoo leagues.

Deion Branch – Branch was shipped across the country to former team New England. He hasn’t been the same since 2005 when he caught five touchdowns for nearly 1,000 yards. Quarterbacks apparently matter. I don’t expect an immediate impact, but he’s worth stashing if you’re weak at WR. Available in 73 percent of Yahoo leagues.

Mike Hart – Joseph Addai isn’t 100 percent, and neither is Donald Brown. While the starter hasn’t been declared yet, Hart is a good start as your No. 2 if he gets the nod. Faces the Redskins who are generous to opposing RBs. Available in 91 percent of Yahoo leagues.

Kenny Britt and Vince Young – Jacksonville matchup. No brainer.

News and notes

Michael Bush - We could have a runningback controversy when the fragile Darren McFadden returns. Bush looked like a starter, mustering 104 yards and a score last week. While McFadden will play this weekend vs. San Francisco, Bush will get the start. He's a strong No. 2 play.

Aaron Rodgers – Rodgers owners are watching this closely. While he says he’s very optimistic that he'll play, players always say that. Do better than the Packers with your backup pick. Matt Flynn only has 17 career passes. I like either Alex Smith vs. the Raiders or Josh Freeman vs. the Saints.

Calvin Johnson – Questionable for Sunday’s matchup vs. Giants. Shaun Hill’s value decreases also. Poor Lions.

Miles Austin – Minnesota ’s secondary is minus an injured Cedric Griffin. Nice for Austin owners.

Ray Rice – Hmmm. He got the nod on two short-yard TD carries. Has the McGahee handcuff been unlocked?

Brandon Lloyd – Denver matches up against the Jets, who have one of the league’s best run defenses. Kyle Orton will be slinging it all day. Lloyd and other Broncos wideouts will benefit.

Felix Jones – The new No. 1 RB in Dallas . Available in 27 percent of Yahoo leagues.

Jamaal Charles – On pace to rush for over 1,700 yards. Come on, Haley. Is the decision really that hard?

Brett Favre – I thought Favre was annoying as a sulker and a whiner. Until I saw the 41-year old chest bump repeatedly on Monday Night Football. And then I saw him sulk again at the end. Can’t decide which is more pathetic.

Have a question for Erin Skelley? E-mail her at erskelley@yahoo.com. Also, tune in to Erin 's fantasy advice on Sports Radio 610 every Friday morning at 9:00, or during the Texans pre-game show every Sunday at 9:30.