Fantasy football: Tricks, treats, second-half stars

We did it again. We ate all the candy and had to hide from trick-or-treaters on the living room floor with the lights off. Sitting in the dark is not where you want to be when you're looking into your crystal ball, so we can't give you the 100 percent money-back guarantee that usually comes with the Fantasy Reality. That won't stop us, however, from following last week's First-Half Fantasy Team with our sugar-fueled, live-from-the-living-room-floor Second-Half All-Fantasy Team prediction:

• Quarterback: We're not saying Carson Palmer is going to outscore Tom Brady, but we do love his fantasy playoff schedule (Rams, Niners and Browns in 14, 15 and 16). And Brady owners out there who haven't yet spent their league's championship money, this news might cause you to break out the MasterCard. His Week 16 Fantasy Bowl tilt: home vs. the Dolphins, whom he shredded for six TDs in about a half-day's work two weeks ago.

• Running backs: If the Pats are going to have a bunch of 21-point leads, wouldn't Laurence Maroney make sense here? And Joseph Addai's 25-plus carries Sunday in Indy's victory over New England kicks off his monster second half. Addai owners will love his Raiders- Texans finish, too. Here's hoping the Pats and Colts are vying for home-field advantage all the way through Week 16 and the studs keep playing. And sorry, LT, no first-half Fantasy All-Stars allowed on the second-half team.

• Wide receivers: With first-halfer Randy Moss off the board, we'll take a reach on Anquan Boldin, who has a nice schedule and has been a monster when healthy, and Plaxico Burress, who gets to face the friendly Cowboys, Lions and Vikings coming off this week's bye.

• Tight end: Houston forgot to cover Antonio Gates last week. Note to Vikings: That's a very bad idea.

• Kicker and defense: We see the Cowboys getting into some late-season shootouts, so give us Nick Folk. And the Vikings face a turnover-prone QB almost every week from here on out.

THE LINE LAST WEEK: 3-0 / SEASON: 12-10-3

Our first perfect week comes thanks to ... Lee Evans?!?. The weirdness continues ...

Selvin Young -2 over Willis McGahee

The Steelers have slammed the door on much better RBs than McGahee, and Young's versatility will get points in Detroit.

Ryan Grant -3 over Chris Henry

Two RBs worth picking up, but Grant, the Packers' 45th back this season, is the guy to start. Henry has sparked the Titans, but LenDale White is in the way.

David Patten -3 over Calvin Johnson

Patten is a good pickup in yardage leagues. Injuries haunt CJ.

NOTHING TO SNEEZE AT

If you say "Adimchinobe Echemandu" your neighbor might say "Bless you." If he's the Texans' starter vs. bad Oakland, use him.

Chris Carr • fantasy@startribune.com