Let's take a look at who we should be picking up this week:
QB:
Michael Vick - There's just no way Kevin Kolb will be ready this week. He's not scheduled to practice until Friday at the earliest, and I don't see any reason the Eagles would rush him back to face the Lions. Vick will get at least one start, but as Reid has clearly stated, Kolb is his starter despite Vick's impressive 2nd half. Vick will be an exciting QB1 this week against the Lions, so if you're looking for a 1 week starter, he's your guy. He's also worth hanging onto in case Kolb comes back and falters again. Vick is ready to be a starting QB again in the NFL. He's worth using a waiver claim, but only if you're going to use him this week.
Sam Bradford - Bradford had a solid debut despite the interceptions, and it seems clear that the Rams are willing to let him air it out when necessary, at least for now. If you have someone like Matt Moore on your bench, I think Bradford offers more upside. He's nothing more than a backup at this stage, but he could prove to be useful on a bye week.
RB:
Brandon Jackson - Jackson is the no brainer, #1 waiver claim this week. Even if you don't need a RB, use your #1 claim on him. He's now the every down RB for the Packers, and while he might not get goal line carries as FB John Kuhn is rumored to be the top option for that role, Jackson is going to rack up total yardage and post some scores. He's immediately an every week RB2.
Peyton Hillis - Hillis is the lead RB for the Browns, surprisingly ahead of Jerome Harrison. They're going to split carries pretty much down the middle, but Hillis is the goal line RB, and he can catch passes as well. He's not an exciting pickup, but he can be a decent bye week fill-in.
Fred Taylor - With Maroney gone, the Patriots have successfully increased the average age of the RBs into somewhere near the social security range. All jokes aside, Taylor has even more job security now, and he's clearly the lead back of this offense. He's 34 and injury-prone, but he's a reasonable end-of-the-roster stash and he can be an emergency bye week fill-in during the right matchup.
WR:
Mark Clayton - Clayton emerged as the go-to WR for Bradford and the Rams immediately in week 1, so he's well worth adding for WR depth. Bradford isn't going to throw 50+ times each week, but Laurent Robinson hasn't flashed in his return from a torn ACL, and Danny Amendola is limited in talent. Clayton has a real chance to be this team's top receiver. He's always had the talent, but consistency has eluded him thus far.
Mike Williams (SEA) - Williams legitimately looked good in week 1. He's not going to blow the top off of a defense with his speed, but he flashed solid after-the-catch ability, and much like Clayton above, he doesn't have a lot of talent to compete with for looks. Deion Branch just isn't very good, and Deon Butler isn't starting yet. He's a huge target and could be a great red zone option for the Seahawks. He's good WR depth.
TE:
Tony Scheffler - I drafted him as my TE2 in both of my 12 team/16 roster spot leagues, but I don't think he's owned in a lot of leagues. He's not going to light up the scoreboard, but he's going to consistent gain yardage as essentially a slot receiver in the Detroit offense. He has the speed to make big plays as well. Stafford going out will hurt his big play ability, but he's going to rack up receptions and could be the 2nd leading receiver on the team this season. He's a great TE2.
Marcedes Lewis - I have to list him here as he'll be popular after a 2 TD week 1, but I wouldn't bother. Until I see Lewis used consistently outside of the red zone, he's just not going to be a consistent fantasy factor.
Jermaine Gresham - Gresham is a player. This guy a big-time talent as a receiver, but his upside is limited by two target hounds named Ochocinco and Owens. He's a solid TE2 worth stashing to see what happens this season, but expect inconsistency.
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Monday, September 13, 2010
Week 1 Thoughts
New Orleans Saints vs. Minnesota Vikings - Drew Brees started off on fire, but he didn't do much after the first week. No worries here, especially since Meachem and Henderson both dropped big catches in the first half that killed drives. Pierre Thomas put up a goose egg in the first half, but then took over the game in the 2nd half with 80ish total yards, and most importantly, a goal line score. If he maintains goal line duties all season, and there's no reason to think otherwise while he's healthy, then he's going to flirt with RB1 value. He'll score plenty, and while he won't receive workhorse touches, he'll get enough. All of the receivers had down weeks thanks to the low passing totals, but all will be fine. Favre looked very rusty, and he cost his team this game thanks to his selfish offseason bullshit. He was completely out of a sync with a passing game missing it's top play maker in Sidney Rice. It might take a couple weeks to figure out how they're going to move the ball in the air, although Shiancoe looked very good. If he can rack up some yards this season, he could be a nice fantasy TE this season. Percy Harvin owners need to stay patient.
Oakland Raiders vs. Tennessee Titans - Darren McFadden can play football, apparently. After 2 lost seasons marred by ineffective play and constant injuries, McFadden racked up a huge game, and he's going to bury Michael Bush if he can stay healthy. Tennessee has a pretty tough defense, so this was an impressive performance. Let's see if he can do it again. Jason Campbell is going to have to check down to McFadden and Miller a lot this year. CJ2K is in prime form already, and Vince Young looked good in his limited opportunities. Kenny Britt is an after thought and only worth an end-of-the roster stash currently.
Carolina vs. NY Giants - Matt Moore looked awful after a rough preseason, so there's cause for concern here. It remains to be seen if he'll start in week 2 thanks to a concussion, but if he's healthy, they're not going to make a switch yet. Steve Smith just needs competent QB play to be a fantasy asset, so let's hope he finds it. DeAngelo Williams dominated the backfield after another lost offseason by Stewart, which personally surprised me. Stewart has never seemed to miss a beat after lost offseasons, but this one cost him, at least for one week. Expect them to get closer to a split as the season moves along.
Indianapolis vs. Houston - Hello Arian Foster! Foster turned in a monster week 1, and boy did he look like a keeper with how his running style fits this offense. He's a keeper, but let's hope Houston doesn't plan on running him this much all season or he'll break down when we need him most. No worries about the passing game...Houston adjusted to control the clock. Peyton was awesome, but his offensive line is a serious concern. It won't do much for his fantasy value as he'll throw plenty, but it'd be nice for them to get their starters healthy.
Denver vs. Jacksonville - One of the most boring games in week 1. MJD handled a big workload just fine, so his knee is a non-issue moving forward. He was productive, but this offense is going to struggle, especially if nobody steps up opposite Mike Sims-Walker and allows him to be doubled relentlessly. Lewis will score some TDs, but he's going to need more catches away from the red zone to be a reliable fantasy option. Kyle Orton was efficient as usual, and Eddie Royal was used extensively in the slot. Royal has a chance to be the most reliable WR on this team as Gaffney will start having to fight for snaps once the rookies Thomas and Decker get healthy and acquainted with the offense.
Atlanta vs. Pittsburgh - Mendenhall saved his owners with a 50 yard game-winning TD in OT, but he was mostly bottled up all game. This is a source of concern as Pittsburgh already lost it's RT Willie Colon for the year, and now Max Starks is out a month. He's going to have a tough road ahead until Big Ben gets back. The PIT WRs are dicey fantasy starts until then as well. No worries on the Atlanta offense; they faced an elite defense. Roddy White was a target monster, and expect that to continue all season.
Miami vs. Buffalo - Another snore-fest. Ronnie Brown looks healthy, so treat him as a solid RB2. Henne looked pretty shaky, but he looked Marshall's way often. If you own Marshall, hope he can actually hang onto the big plays he'll receive here. Buffalo is simply an entire mess, and I have a feeling that I messed up going after Lee Evans again. I'll learn one of these days. Maybe.
Detroit vs. Chicago - Stafford got hurt again, but he didn't look that great prior to the injury. The bad news is that he'll be out for a number of weeks, and Shaun Hill is a pretty big downgrade at QB. The good news is that once Hill got in the game, he looked Calvin's way quite often. Hopefully volume will help make up for the lack of big plays with Stafford out. Best is a true feature back getting goal line carries, but he got very little room to run. Against a healthy Chicago defense, that wasn't a big surprise. Better days should be ahead. Cutler put up a huge stat-line, and you can thank Mike Martz for that. He didn't have much time, and while some panic is necessary, you can't just look at the "Lions" and assume the worst as their defensive line is much improved. He was also on the wrong page with his receiver on numerous occasions, and hopefully that will be rectified with time. Forte was a monster in the passing game, and it is clear that he's healthy again. He's a good RB2.
Cincinnati vs. New England - Brady looked great, and he would have had a huge game had it not gotten out of hand so fast. Welker looks healthy, and he was targeted plenty. This offense will be very good this year, but it's clear the entire backfield can be ignored. Palmer had a huge stat line, but don't be fooled into thinking Palmer is back to pre-elbow injury form. He racked up huge numbers during blow out time when he was throwing on every down, but he simply doesn't have that same arm strength anymore. Owens was also the preferred target before garbage time when Palmer locked onto Ochocinco. I'm not complete ruling out somewhat of a Palmer revival, but I still don't think he's gonna be QB1 material this year. We'll see. Benson was mostly taken out of the game thanks to the score, but Bernard Scott did more with less touches. Scott is a play maker and might force his way into a bigger piece of the pie.
Cleveland vs. Tampa Bay - Peyton Hillis surprisingly started, and then he also dominated short yardage and goal line work. James Harrison can't be started as he's right back into a time share. Mike Williams looked very good and worth the preseason hype. Once Freeman gets over his thumb injury, Williams will be a fantasy asset. Cadillac Williams looked solid, but he simply doesn't have his speed anymore. Kareem Huggins surprisingly didn't receive a single carry as Earnest Graham was the 2nd RB. If that happens again, you should consider dropping Huggins and finding another sleeper.
San Francisco vs. Seattle - Alex Smith looked like a disaster, although his top WR Michael Crabtree seemed rather disinterested in helping him out, or even being on the football field. I'm starting to get a feeling that Smith is going to be an issue for this offense. Gore got nothing going, but SF simply wasn't ready to play this game. Mike Williams is worth owning from Seattle, and he does indeed look revived. The rest of the offense is worth ignoring for now. Keep the name Deon Butler in the back of your mind in case he wins a job.
Green Bay vs. Philadelphia - Kevin Kolb looked awful being a disgusting offensive line, and then a concussion ended his day and might keep him out for a couple weeks. Michael Vick is most definitely back, and given the shape of Philly's line, he honestly makes better sense as the starting QB. Reid is standing behind Kolb for now, but if Kolb is out for a couple weeks and Vick could play his way into the starting job whether Reid wants to admit it for now. Leonard Weaver suffered a gruesome knee injury and is out for the season, so McCoy could pick up some red zone touches now. He's got a chance to exceed my expectations. Ryan Grant suffered an ankle injury, and he might be out at least a week. The passing attack wasn't as explosive as they were in the preseason, but Philly is a really tough matchup. Finely faced a lot of physicality, but expect GB to adjust and get him open more often. Explosive days are ahead.
Arizona vs. St. Louis - Derek Anderson looked exactly as advertised, and I can't imagine him lasting the season as the starter. Fitzgerald's knee flared up, and it's possible he's in for a slow start. Hopefully he'll get enough TDs to help offset the inevitable drop in yardage he'll suffer from this season. Tim Hightower started for the injured Beanie Wells, and Hightower looked decent, but fumbled twice and will lose feature back duties to Wells once he returns. Bradford looked pretty good for St. Louis despite the interceptions, and he was allowed to throw an awful lot. He'll have some good days and some bad days. Mark Clayton was his favorite receiver and might be the best WR on this team this year. Steven Jackson was productive with his touches and looked healthy. He should be a reliable low-end RB1 this year.
Dallas vs. Washington - This game was a sloppy mess as the defenses dominated. Dallas attempted to offset the offensive line injuries with a lot of short passing, but it bogged down the offense and hurt their ability to move the football. Romo will have better days ahead, and Miles Austin was a monster. He should be a great WR1 this season. Dez Bryant is so much better than Roy Williams already that it's ridiculous. He'll be starting very, very soon. Marion Barber looked healthy and explosive again, but a lack of touches will hurt his value. Still, he should be a solid RB3 this year. Felix Jones saw similar touches, but he's going to need to hit on big plays in order to have fantasy value. He also is nothing more than a RB3. McNabb's ankle looked healthy, and he'll need his mobility to offset his still-gelling line. The Skins badly need another WR as Moss and Cooley are their only capable receivers. Expect lots of targets for them this season, and they should really consider getting Davis more involved. It's clear Davis is not a threat to Cooley, however. Portis got his touches, but he's not explosive at all anymore. He's a low upside RB3.
Baltimore vs. NY Jets - As expected, this was a defensive slugfest, and the only player who posted good stats was Boldin. He's probably not going to play 16 game again, but he looked great and already showed great chemistry with Flacco. Heap also had a big game, but he's nothing more than a TE2 with Mason and TJ Housh also demanding targets. Ray Rice had a rough day, but got plenty of touches. No worries here, but this game again reminded everyone that McGahee is the goal line back. Shonn Greene had a nightmare first game, and his owners should be in full panic mode. He didn't just struggle against a mighty run defense, he flat out played horrible with 2 fumbles and a big dropped pass. LT might see more touches for the immediate future as he looked very good. The Jets passing game can be completely ignore until Sanchez shows a willingness to look downfield.
San Diego vs. Kansas City - The Bolts offense walked into an unexpected buzzsaw in KC and looked pretty lost most of the night. Mathews looked pretty solid, but he was stripped for a fumble in the first half. The announcers brought up a great point that often times rookie RBs lose their "swagger" after an early fumble, so hopefully Mathews can shake it off. Defenses should completely blanket Gates because Rivers just doesn't look comfortable throwing to anyone else yet. Todd Haley is an asshole. Thomas Jones played for 2 series and then the first carry of the 3rd series, but then Charles came in and ran for a first down and then a 56 yard TD. The next series? Thomas Jones was back out there again for the first play, and McCluster even got a carry. If this is how he's going to use Charles, then you can't start him until he's willing to consistently put his best players on the field. Charles obviously cannot sustain fantasy numbers without touches. The KC offensive line cannot pass protect, and it's dragging down the entire passing game. I'm really pissed I screwed myself into taking Bowe again this year.
Oakland Raiders vs. Tennessee Titans - Darren McFadden can play football, apparently. After 2 lost seasons marred by ineffective play and constant injuries, McFadden racked up a huge game, and he's going to bury Michael Bush if he can stay healthy. Tennessee has a pretty tough defense, so this was an impressive performance. Let's see if he can do it again. Jason Campbell is going to have to check down to McFadden and Miller a lot this year. CJ2K is in prime form already, and Vince Young looked good in his limited opportunities. Kenny Britt is an after thought and only worth an end-of-the roster stash currently.
Carolina vs. NY Giants - Matt Moore looked awful after a rough preseason, so there's cause for concern here. It remains to be seen if he'll start in week 2 thanks to a concussion, but if he's healthy, they're not going to make a switch yet. Steve Smith just needs competent QB play to be a fantasy asset, so let's hope he finds it. DeAngelo Williams dominated the backfield after another lost offseason by Stewart, which personally surprised me. Stewart has never seemed to miss a beat after lost offseasons, but this one cost him, at least for one week. Expect them to get closer to a split as the season moves along.
Indianapolis vs. Houston - Hello Arian Foster! Foster turned in a monster week 1, and boy did he look like a keeper with how his running style fits this offense. He's a keeper, but let's hope Houston doesn't plan on running him this much all season or he'll break down when we need him most. No worries about the passing game...Houston adjusted to control the clock. Peyton was awesome, but his offensive line is a serious concern. It won't do much for his fantasy value as he'll throw plenty, but it'd be nice for them to get their starters healthy.
Denver vs. Jacksonville - One of the most boring games in week 1. MJD handled a big workload just fine, so his knee is a non-issue moving forward. He was productive, but this offense is going to struggle, especially if nobody steps up opposite Mike Sims-Walker and allows him to be doubled relentlessly. Lewis will score some TDs, but he's going to need more catches away from the red zone to be a reliable fantasy option. Kyle Orton was efficient as usual, and Eddie Royal was used extensively in the slot. Royal has a chance to be the most reliable WR on this team as Gaffney will start having to fight for snaps once the rookies Thomas and Decker get healthy and acquainted with the offense.
Atlanta vs. Pittsburgh - Mendenhall saved his owners with a 50 yard game-winning TD in OT, but he was mostly bottled up all game. This is a source of concern as Pittsburgh already lost it's RT Willie Colon for the year, and now Max Starks is out a month. He's going to have a tough road ahead until Big Ben gets back. The PIT WRs are dicey fantasy starts until then as well. No worries on the Atlanta offense; they faced an elite defense. Roddy White was a target monster, and expect that to continue all season.
Miami vs. Buffalo - Another snore-fest. Ronnie Brown looks healthy, so treat him as a solid RB2. Henne looked pretty shaky, but he looked Marshall's way often. If you own Marshall, hope he can actually hang onto the big plays he'll receive here. Buffalo is simply an entire mess, and I have a feeling that I messed up going after Lee Evans again. I'll learn one of these days. Maybe.
Detroit vs. Chicago - Stafford got hurt again, but he didn't look that great prior to the injury. The bad news is that he'll be out for a number of weeks, and Shaun Hill is a pretty big downgrade at QB. The good news is that once Hill got in the game, he looked Calvin's way quite often. Hopefully volume will help make up for the lack of big plays with Stafford out. Best is a true feature back getting goal line carries, but he got very little room to run. Against a healthy Chicago defense, that wasn't a big surprise. Better days should be ahead. Cutler put up a huge stat-line, and you can thank Mike Martz for that. He didn't have much time, and while some panic is necessary, you can't just look at the "Lions" and assume the worst as their defensive line is much improved. He was also on the wrong page with his receiver on numerous occasions, and hopefully that will be rectified with time. Forte was a monster in the passing game, and it is clear that he's healthy again. He's a good RB2.
Cincinnati vs. New England - Brady looked great, and he would have had a huge game had it not gotten out of hand so fast. Welker looks healthy, and he was targeted plenty. This offense will be very good this year, but it's clear the entire backfield can be ignored. Palmer had a huge stat line, but don't be fooled into thinking Palmer is back to pre-elbow injury form. He racked up huge numbers during blow out time when he was throwing on every down, but he simply doesn't have that same arm strength anymore. Owens was also the preferred target before garbage time when Palmer locked onto Ochocinco. I'm not complete ruling out somewhat of a Palmer revival, but I still don't think he's gonna be QB1 material this year. We'll see. Benson was mostly taken out of the game thanks to the score, but Bernard Scott did more with less touches. Scott is a play maker and might force his way into a bigger piece of the pie.
Cleveland vs. Tampa Bay - Peyton Hillis surprisingly started, and then he also dominated short yardage and goal line work. James Harrison can't be started as he's right back into a time share. Mike Williams looked very good and worth the preseason hype. Once Freeman gets over his thumb injury, Williams will be a fantasy asset. Cadillac Williams looked solid, but he simply doesn't have his speed anymore. Kareem Huggins surprisingly didn't receive a single carry as Earnest Graham was the 2nd RB. If that happens again, you should consider dropping Huggins and finding another sleeper.
San Francisco vs. Seattle - Alex Smith looked like a disaster, although his top WR Michael Crabtree seemed rather disinterested in helping him out, or even being on the football field. I'm starting to get a feeling that Smith is going to be an issue for this offense. Gore got nothing going, but SF simply wasn't ready to play this game. Mike Williams is worth owning from Seattle, and he does indeed look revived. The rest of the offense is worth ignoring for now. Keep the name Deon Butler in the back of your mind in case he wins a job.
Green Bay vs. Philadelphia - Kevin Kolb looked awful being a disgusting offensive line, and then a concussion ended his day and might keep him out for a couple weeks. Michael Vick is most definitely back, and given the shape of Philly's line, he honestly makes better sense as the starting QB. Reid is standing behind Kolb for now, but if Kolb is out for a couple weeks and Vick could play his way into the starting job whether Reid wants to admit it for now. Leonard Weaver suffered a gruesome knee injury and is out for the season, so McCoy could pick up some red zone touches now. He's got a chance to exceed my expectations. Ryan Grant suffered an ankle injury, and he might be out at least a week. The passing attack wasn't as explosive as they were in the preseason, but Philly is a really tough matchup. Finely faced a lot of physicality, but expect GB to adjust and get him open more often. Explosive days are ahead.
Arizona vs. St. Louis - Derek Anderson looked exactly as advertised, and I can't imagine him lasting the season as the starter. Fitzgerald's knee flared up, and it's possible he's in for a slow start. Hopefully he'll get enough TDs to help offset the inevitable drop in yardage he'll suffer from this season. Tim Hightower started for the injured Beanie Wells, and Hightower looked decent, but fumbled twice and will lose feature back duties to Wells once he returns. Bradford looked pretty good for St. Louis despite the interceptions, and he was allowed to throw an awful lot. He'll have some good days and some bad days. Mark Clayton was his favorite receiver and might be the best WR on this team this year. Steven Jackson was productive with his touches and looked healthy. He should be a reliable low-end RB1 this year.
Dallas vs. Washington - This game was a sloppy mess as the defenses dominated. Dallas attempted to offset the offensive line injuries with a lot of short passing, but it bogged down the offense and hurt their ability to move the football. Romo will have better days ahead, and Miles Austin was a monster. He should be a great WR1 this season. Dez Bryant is so much better than Roy Williams already that it's ridiculous. He'll be starting very, very soon. Marion Barber looked healthy and explosive again, but a lack of touches will hurt his value. Still, he should be a solid RB3 this year. Felix Jones saw similar touches, but he's going to need to hit on big plays in order to have fantasy value. He also is nothing more than a RB3. McNabb's ankle looked healthy, and he'll need his mobility to offset his still-gelling line. The Skins badly need another WR as Moss and Cooley are their only capable receivers. Expect lots of targets for them this season, and they should really consider getting Davis more involved. It's clear Davis is not a threat to Cooley, however. Portis got his touches, but he's not explosive at all anymore. He's a low upside RB3.
Baltimore vs. NY Jets - As expected, this was a defensive slugfest, and the only player who posted good stats was Boldin. He's probably not going to play 16 game again, but he looked great and already showed great chemistry with Flacco. Heap also had a big game, but he's nothing more than a TE2 with Mason and TJ Housh also demanding targets. Ray Rice had a rough day, but got plenty of touches. No worries here, but this game again reminded everyone that McGahee is the goal line back. Shonn Greene had a nightmare first game, and his owners should be in full panic mode. He didn't just struggle against a mighty run defense, he flat out played horrible with 2 fumbles and a big dropped pass. LT might see more touches for the immediate future as he looked very good. The Jets passing game can be completely ignore until Sanchez shows a willingness to look downfield.
San Diego vs. Kansas City - The Bolts offense walked into an unexpected buzzsaw in KC and looked pretty lost most of the night. Mathews looked pretty solid, but he was stripped for a fumble in the first half. The announcers brought up a great point that often times rookie RBs lose their "swagger" after an early fumble, so hopefully Mathews can shake it off. Defenses should completely blanket Gates because Rivers just doesn't look comfortable throwing to anyone else yet. Todd Haley is an asshole. Thomas Jones played for 2 series and then the first carry of the 3rd series, but then Charles came in and ran for a first down and then a 56 yard TD. The next series? Thomas Jones was back out there again for the first play, and McCluster even got a carry. If this is how he's going to use Charles, then you can't start him until he's willing to consistently put his best players on the field. Charles obviously cannot sustain fantasy numbers without touches. The KC offensive line cannot pass protect, and it's dragging down the entire passing game. I'm really pissed I screwed myself into taking Bowe again this year.
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