Sometimes it's just too easy.

No, it's not simple to win at Fantasy Football. But flying off the handle when you lose by three points with Jerome Bettis' first touchdown of the season on your bench is a piece of cake.

I can't blame The Bus … he's been broken down so long that he was bound to have a tune-up sooner than later.

I have nobody to blame but myself, as my fiancee reminds me so swiftly and succinctly every Sunday night as I rifle through boundless webpages at 256 kilobytes per second.

There is no guaranteed formula for knowing what professional athlete will earn his money and your first-round draft pick from week to week. Predictions are comparisons on paper and a whole lot of talk -- like John Randle in his heydays at the Metrodome.

The moment of truth comes when Mark Brunell hands the ball off to Stacey Mack instead of Fred Taylor inside the 5-yard-line, when Tom Brady tosses a touchdown pass to linebacker Mike Vrabel instead of tight end Christian Fauria, and when Oakland gets two punt returns for touchdowns.

It's inside these special moments that people like me -- self-proclaimed fantasy sports junkies -- can choose to lose our cool or head back to the internet for a feast of factoids focusing on quarterback tendencies and defense's weak spots.

Here, in search of perfection, is where we find this week's sure things and weaklings.

Easy money

Ray Lewis is out of the lineup for the Baltimore defense, opening the window of opportunity for Edgerrin James, who has been surprisingly quiet in the first one-fourth of the NFL season. Count on James to turn the Ravens' defense inside-out.

But when James is done it will be Jamal Lewis' turn, and he will not be outdone while running against Indianapolis' poor front four. After last week's breakout 187 yards, put Lewis down for another big day.

Drew Bledsoe puts a weekly scare into Dan Marino's grasp of the record books, and this Sunday should be no different. The Bills travel to Houston, and Peerless Price -- playing opposite Eric Moulds -- is the third-leading receiver in the league. Count on top-rate totals from the entire Buffalo offense, perhaps even Travis Henry.

Stay away

Atlanta backup quarterback Doug Johnson was a lot of things for the Falcons when Michael Vick went down two weeks ago, but Johnson will never be Vick. That is why Brian Finneran's two touchdowns are a mere abbaration, especially this Sunday in the Meadowlands.

Clinton Portis had his breakout game (as luckily predicted by me) last week for the Broncos. Denver plays host to Miami, however, and Portis' party will soon be spoiled.

Choosing between Charlie Garner and Tyrone Wheatley is anything but easy. Garner has been limited in practice this week with a sore hamstring, but Wheatley is still not 100 percent. Even if Garner doesn't practice this week, he's still my favorite choice in an Oakland backfield that has done more blocking for Rich Gannon than running of the football. Either way, St. Louis' defense won't be able to stop them.

Ross Thede is the Herald sports editor. His Fantasy Football column runs every Friday in the Herald. E-mail him your fantasy football questions at sports@austindailyherald.com