PHILADELPHIA — Fantasy sports brings out the coldest hearts.

Reuben Droughns gets a DUI and all the guys in your league chuckle, except for the poor soul who owns him.

The Vikings' Daunte Culpepper rips up his knee and fantasy owners ignore the quarterback's agony and think only of the repercussions for their team. (I confess to a similar reaction when Green Bay receiver Javon Walker went down earlier this year.)

Culpepper owners sigh as if to say, "OK, now I finally have the excuse to stop playing him."

Except for two games, Culpepper's season was a disaster. The reasons vary — from Randy Moss' departure to a depleted offensive line to a team in general turmoil. Culpepper's injury left most fantasy teams in shambles, as well.

With Culpepper officially out for the year with torn knee ligaments, here is how some fantasy players are dealing with it:

Yvonne Dennis, of Philadelphia, dropped Culpepper and picked up Dallas running back Marion Barber. She turns (gulp) to Vinny Testaverde. "Don't laugh," Dennis said, "my previous backup was Kurt Warner."

Brian Hasson, of Oreland, Pa., had to trade Deion Branch to get Drew Brees because Culpepper was the only quarterback on his roster.

Paul DeMito, of East Norriton, Pa., is about the luckiest owner we heard from. He grabbed Eli Manning off the waiver wire and has Ben Roethlisberger on the pine.

Ryan Wood, from Lawrence, Kan., picked up Kyle Orton, but will start Trent Dilfer. "I (also) drafted Joey Harrington late as a backup," Wood said, "but he imploded."

Then there's Jay Trespalacios, of Philadelphia, who sums up the often bitter fantasy fan by explaining: "I am not going to drop him because my team is so bad it's not worth the $5 to pick up another quarterback. I'll now start David Carr."

Cincinnati receiver Chad Johnson said: "This is my week here, man. This is the week of all weeks. I've been waiting for Baltimore."All right Chad, let's see what you have.We'll give a Philadelphia Daily News fantasy football T-shirt to the reader who comes closest to Johnson's receiving yards for the week. As a tiebreaker, how many catches will he have?Send your guess by fax (215-854-5524) or e-mail to fantasyfootball@phillynews.com by noon Sunday. Include your name and hometown. In the event of a tie, one winner will be chosen randomly.

<B>Lions running back Kevin Jones:</B> The Lions have several appetizing matchups remaining on their schedule, including this week at Minnesota. Try to get Jones now, while his trade value is low.<B>Chiefs running back Larry Johnson:</B> The Chiefs are calling Priest Holmes' injury from Sunday "mild head trauma." Playing in the NFL with "mild head trauma" is like running a NASCAR race with "slightly blurred vision." This doesn't sound good. Play Johnson.<B>Chargers defense-special teams:</B> A good option — against the pathetic Jets offense — if your regular squad is on bye.

<B>Ravens defense-special teams:</B> Looking at a motivated Chad Johnson without linebacker Ray Lewis and safety Ed Reed. Yeah, they're second in the league in yards allowed, but they're 25th in turnovers forced.<B>Cardinals quarterback Kurt Warner:</B> He's on the down list this week because he's not worth a start against Seattle. But with Arizona playing at St. Louis, San Francisco and Houston down the line, Warner is worth a pickup, especially in leagues that use two quarterbacks.<B>Seahawks wide receiver Darrell Jackson:</B> Keep tabs on this. Whispers out of Seattle indicate Jackson, out since Oct. 3 with a knee injury, could be returning in time to help a playoff push.

There's not much happening on the weather front this weekend. Rain is expected in Baltimore (vs. Cincinnati), Cleveland (vs. Tennessee) and Green Bay (vs. Pittsburgh), but the call is for clear skies everywhere else.