NFL Week 2: Early Game Wrapup

Houston Texans At Carolina Panthers


Matt Schaub - 20/28, 227 yards, 2 TD, 0 INT, 2/3. Schaub has turned himself into a legit QB2 option, so if you need to replace your backup QB and Schaub is available, do it. I would use him against an elite defense even on a bye week, but it's clear that he's making smart decisions, and that he knows how to get AJ the ball downfield. I wouldn't start him while Andre Johnson is out, and I'll cover that injury in just a bit.

Jake Delhomme - 27/41, 307 yards, 3 TD, 1 INT, 1/13. Delhomme has gone back to being a solid QB2 who can have QB1 outings when the matchup is right. Houston doesn't have anyone that can cover Steve Smith (does any team?), and odds are most opponents won't either. There's just enough talent opposite Smith to help Delhomme produce more solid games than bum ones.

Ahman Green - 15/71, 1 TD. Houston is doing a good job limiting Green's load, and he looked better running the ball this week than he did last week. He remains a solid RB3 going forward, but he doesn't get the ball enough to be an every week starter.

DeShaun Foster - 9/22, 4/20. Foster had a promising week 1, but he turned in a horrible week 2. Houston's defense has actually put up 2 straight weeks of solid run defense, although LJ was limited a bit in the opener. It's too early to tell how tough they are on D, but Carolina fell down 3 scores early in the 2nd half and was forced to abandon the running game. Foster better rebound next week to maintain his RB3 status.

DeAngelo Williams - 8/31, 5/20, 1 FL. He's looking overrated so far as Foster has outproduced him 2 weeks in a row despite being drafted several rounds later. Williams is a very dicey RB3 right now given the strict RBBC status that the team is employing.

Andre Johnson - 7/120, 2 TD. Another monster game from Johnson as he finally has a QB that can get him the ball downfield. The bigger news here, however, is the sprained knee that Johnson suffered. He's being called doubtful for week 3, and owners have to pray that nothing big comes from Monday's scheduled MRI. Hopefully he doesn't miss too much time, but he looks to be out at least a week right now.

Owen Daniels - 5/58, 1 FL. He emerged as Schaub's 2nd favorite receiver in this one, and look for his role to expand next week if Johnson does indeed miss week 3's game. He's emerged as a great TE2, and perhaps a borderline TE1 moving forward.

Steve Smith - 8/153, 3 TD. Elite WRs have been the way to go so far through the first 2 weeks. Smith's monster game was nothing out of the ordinary, especially given Houston's bad safety group. He remains one of fantasy football's best WRs.


Cleveland Browns at Cincinnati Bengals


Carson Palmer - 33/50, 401 yards, 6 TD, 2 INT, 2/10. Palmer predictably had a big game against Cleveland, but it was even bigger thanks to Cincinnati's horrific defensive showing, forcing Palmer to throw constantly in the 2nd half. If Cincy's defense continues its poor play, it'll give Palmer even more opportunities to throw the ball and rack up fantasy points.

Derek Anderson - 20/33, 328 yards, 5 TD, 1 INT. Where the hell did this come from? Anderson will be a popular pickup this week, and this should starve off the Brady Quinn talk for a week or two, so he's not a bad QB2 to be started in the right matchups. Anderson will have a chance to start most of the year as long as he doesn't turned the ball over and make poor decisions which plagued him in the preseason. With Edwards and Winslow, he definitely has great talent to throw to.

Rudi Johnson - 23/118, 4/33, 1 TD, 1 FL. As promised, Johnson bounced back and put up a very nice fantasy effort. The only disappointment was that he didn't score on the ground, and he would have had an even bigger game had Cincy's defense allowed them to get a lead later on. His increased involvement in the passing game so far is an excellent surprise. Expect him to remain a solid, but not spectacular RB1 for this season as he's always been.

Jamal Lewis - 28/215, 1 TD. Where the hell did this come from? Lewis hasn't showed breakway speed in over 3 years, but he busted a long 66 yard TD and another 47 yard run in this game. If you have another solid RB3, this is a perfect opportunity to sell high to a RB-starved team. He should be a decent RB3 moving forward, but this is not the re-birth of Jamal Lewis.

Chad Johnson - 11/209, 2 TD. CJ hauled in over half of Palmer's yardage in a monster performance against the cross-town rivals. He's easily living up to the pre-season ranking among the elite fantasy WRs. He was maddeningly inconsistent last season, but he change that this year and provide much better weekly output this year. This could prove to be his career year.

T.J. Houshmandzadeh - 8/69, 2 TD. CJ is hogging all the downfield action, but Housh has been the elite WR2 he was drafted to be so far. He will continue to be among the most consistent fantasy WRs in football thanks to his excellent possession skills.

Braylon Edwards - 8/146, 2 TD. Much like AJ, all he needs is a QB to get him the ball. His skills are excellent and he'll continue to post numbers with solid QB play. If Anderson settles in as a solid starting QB, Edwards will be a great WR2.

Kellen Winslow - 6/100, 1 TD. He seems to produce no matter what's going on around him. Overlooked in drafts heading into the season, Winslow is proving fully recovered from offseason microfracture knee surgery and producing just like last season. Lke Edwards, if Anderson settles in, it'll only help. He's a great TE1.

Joe Jurevicius - 4/44, 2 TD. He'll probably be a popular waiver wire pickup, but unless you're really hurting at WR, I'd pass. He's the 3rd option in an average passing attack.


Jacksonville Jaguars at Atlanta Falcons


Joey Harrington - 12/20, 200 yards, 0 TD, 0 INT, 2/2. He had 174 yards at halftime, so obviously he was horrible in the 2nd half. He didn't turn the ball over, but he was sacked 7 times due to solid pressure and his tendency to hold the ball too long. He's not worth owning in 12 team leagues.

David Garrard - 17/25, 272 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT, 5/20. Garrard turned in another solid performance and remains a solid QB2 option to be used against weaker defenses. If the Jaguars could settle on their WR corp, Garrard would be able to build chemistry which would lead to more consistent outings.

Warrick Dunn - 13/50, 1/4, 1 TD. Another mediocre outing from Dunn. He's barely a RB3 as is, and makes for a boring RB4. Expect him to continue losing carries to Norwood.

Jerious Norwood - 9/30, 1/13. He needs to make use of every touch he gets in his quest to overtake Dunn as the starter. He didn't do that last night, so he'll likely remain the backup in week 3.

Fred Taylor - 16/56, 1/11. I expected more from Taylor who literally did nothing with his last 9 carries. He might give way to MJD later in the year if he continues his subpar play.

Maurice Jones-Drew - 11/31, 1/10. Continuing to prove that he was extremely overrated heading into the year. Nobody doubts his talent, but he's not being given much of an opportunity to post fantasy numbers. The Jacksonville ground game has been nowhere near as proficient as last year so far, so hopefully the new offensive coordinator finds a way to get his two most talented players (Taylor, MJD) going and soon.

Roddy White - 4/81. He's not a bad guy to stash as a WR5. Barring injury, he will lead the Falcons in receving yards and remains their best downfield threat. His numbers overall won't be that great, but he could emerge useful as the season wears on.


Green Bay Packers at New York Giants


Brett Favre - 29/38, 286 yards, 3 TD, 1 INT, 2/-2. Favre posted excellent numbers against a mediocre Giants secondary. Favre remains a solid QB2 with excellent upside against weaker defenses.

Eli Manning - 16/29, 211 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT. Well, I guess he's healthy. He exited the game early, but that was due to the score and not due to re-injury. Manning should start next week and is a high upside QB2.

Brandon Jackson - 17/35, 4/24. Pathetic against an average NYG rush defense. He had the opportunity to really take hold of the starting job and failed miserably posting a horrible stat line. He'll start losing carries to Wynn, and he's already being pulled on 3rd downs and at the goalline. He's worth stashing, but don't let him anywhere near your starting lineup.

Deshawn Wynn - 10/50, 2/18, 2 TD. 38 of these yards were on a long TD run in the 2nd half, but Wynn has worked his way into the RB rotation in GB and is definitely worth picking up in fantasy leagues. Don't go starting him as Jackson remains the starter, but he's an interesting guy to have on your bench.

Derrick Ward - 15/90, 4/35. I was concerned about the Giants signing FB Hedgecock thinking it might be an indication that the Giants would use Droughns in a committee with Ward, but Ward was the only RB to log a carry in week 2 and looks to be a very solid RB2 option with Jacobs hurt.

Donald Driver - 8/73, 1 TD. Driver remains an outstanding WR2 with another solid performance. Like I said before, he remains Favre's go-to target with all the youth around him and remain very consistent from week to week.

James Jones - 4/75. He's worth owning with Greg Jennings out as the impressive rookie will likely be Favre's 2nd target in the passing game. When Jennings does return, he'll still be an injury risk given his first 1+ years in the league, so stash him as a WR5.

Plaxico Burress - 2/32, 1 TD. Thankfully he scored before departing with an ankle injury. He suffered the injury initially during the offseason, so this is a bit of a concern. He claims he'll play in week 3, but stay tuned to his practice schedule during the week for confirmation on his week 3 status.

Jeremy Shockey - 5/60. Another solid outing from Shockey, and if Burress misses week 3, he'll probably be looked to more in the redzone. Manning's health is great news for Shockey who remains a solid TE1 with Manning starting.


Pittsburgh Steelers at Buffalo Bills


J.P. Losman - 15/25, 154 yards, 0 TD, 0 INT, 4/38. Another poor performance against an elite defense. He looked much improved in the 2nd half of last season, but he's started out this season in an ugly fashion. He's a mediocre QB2, but he'd make for a very inconsistent weekly starter as he's much better used in advantageous matchups.

Ben Roethlisberger - 21/34, 242 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT, 1/10. Much more was expected against Buffalo, but he still played great. I did catch part of the game where he underthrew his FB which would have been an easy score, so at least one more TD should have been a part of his statline. I still view him as a solid QB1.

Marshawn Lynch - 18/64, 1/21. 85 total yards behind a medicore offensive line and against the Pittsburgh defense is a pretty solid effort from Lynch. He'll struggle against great defenses thanks to the surrounding talent, but he remains a solid RB2 thanks to getting the majority of the carries and his talent.

Willie Parker - 23/126, 2/7, 1 TD. Parker busted out several of his patented long runs thanks to his patience en route to a very good day. He was a soild RB1 on draft day and should continue to post solid numbers all season long.

Lee Evans - 2/17. He's perilously close to being a candidate for the bench against great defenses. With NE up next, it's very hard to recommend starting him no matter what round you drafted him in. His schedule gets a lot better in the 2nd half, so monitor his progress and keep him in mind as a buy-low candidate.

Hines Ward - 5/55. Boring output from Ward this week, but the Steelers had control of this game for most of the day, and Ward almost had a TD mixed in here which would have given him a much better stat line. Consider him a very solid WR2.

Santonio Holmes - 3/53. Half of his yards come on a big play, and like I said before, his ability to make those plays make him a quality WR3 this season.

Heath Miller - 2/34. A 29 yard catch saved his day. He remains a borderline TE1/2, and he'll have more value when the Steelers have to throw more. Bigger days are ahead.


San Francisco 49ers at St. Louis Rams


Alex Smith - 11/17, 126 yards, 0 TD, 0 INT, 2/-1. An ugly outing against the Rams is a reason to get concerned. That's 2 bad outings in a row against questionable defenses, but since Smith is probably your QB2, you can afford to be patient. They have to get better.

Marc Bulger - 24/41, 368 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT. Bulger posted another great yardage day, but they couldn't punch it into the endzone more than once, and of concern is the beating he took with Pace out of the lineup. Things figure to get better going forward as the Rams adjust to not having Orlando Pace, but securing a reliable QB2 option is probably a good idea.

Frank Gore - 20/81, 2/4, 2 TD. Gore busted out a terrific 43 yard TD run on a 4th and 1 after initially being bottled up. I expected better yardage from a Rams D that stuffed him throughout most of the day, but the passing game is doing him no favors as teams will continue to stack 8 in the box until Smith improves his play. Expect it to happen soon.

Steven Jackson - 21/60, 3/36. Yes, Jackson has been insanely frustrating so far, but don't even think about giving up on him. Much like Bulger, he's suffering a bit with the loss of Pace, and the Rams will eventually adjust and find the right replacement. Better days are ahead, and now's not a bad time to inquire about what his price is right now.

Darrell Jackson - 3/61. A nice 34 yard grab saved his day, but Alex Smith is holding him back. He's a dicey WR3 until Smith gets going, but he looks healthier with each week.

Vernon Davis - 2/23. Progress, I guess. Davis called for the ball after this week, so expect the 49ers to work on that in week 3. Things will continue to get better as the 49ers would be foolish not to continue working on getting him the ball.

Torry Holt - 5/74, 1 TD, 1 FL. Another solid performance from Holt as he showed an improved YPC. Better protection for Bulger will improve Holt's downfield ability.

Isaac Bruce - 8/145. Bruce, the ageless wonder, puts up yet another great game. He'll continue to be a solid WR3 despite his advanced age, and will likely be as consistent as any WR3 out there thanks to the Rams passing attack.


New Orleans Saints at Tampa Bay Buccaneers


Drew Brees - 26/44, 260 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT, 3/10. Don't be fooled...most of these stats occurred during garbage time when the Bucs stopped caring. The Saints offense looks horrible so far, but with a depleted Titans secondary up next, giving Brees another shot is a smart idea.

Jeff Garcia - 10/16, 243 yards, 2 TD, 0 INT, 2/6. Garcia is maintaining his value as a solid QB2 as Gruden has turned him into a fairly consistent fantasy player...like he does with many veteran QBs. There's no upside here, but with a healthy Joey Galloway, that's enough to get it done most weeks.

Deuce McAllister - 10/49, 1/7, 1 FL. The whole offense sucks right now, so continue leaving Deuce on your bench until they figure things out. He's still a fairly solid RB3.

Reggie Bush - 10/27, 6/43. Ditto with McAllister. He may have been drafted as your RB1, but as much as it pains you, treat him as an RB3 until the Saints get themselves straightened out. I expected big things from Bush this year after a great finish to the 2006 season, but he's been a bust so far.

Carnell Williams - 24/61, 2 TD. Don't read too much into the final statline as Cadillac produced 16 rushes for 52 yards in the 2nd half, so he improved greatly after halftime. His improved production in the 2nd half makes him a solid RB2 for week 3. The 2 TDs from 1 yard out proves that he's the goal line back, enhancing his fantasy value. Expect improved yardage.

Marques Colston - 8/70, 1 TD. Thanks, garbage time. He's still a weekly starter, but he's proving overvalued as a WR1 so far thanks to the struggles of the Saints offense. Defenses are playing deeper against Brees now, and while that kills the value of the rest of the receivers, Colston does his best work underneath and will continue to have solid fantasy value.

Eric Johnson - 3/18. Not a TE1 yet, but still a solid TE2.

Joey Galloway - 4/135, 2 TD. He's the best of the ageless wonders as his speed is still elite. He's started off in a big way, and looks to be a WR2 as it stands right now. Garcia hardly has a cannon, but he's very accurate when he throws downfield, and that's good enough to get Galloway the ball.


Indianapolis Colts at Tennessee Titans


Peyton Manning - 28/42, 312 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT, 1/-2. A subpar game for Manning given only 1 TD, but Tennessee has played them very tough last year, winning once, and they continued that tendency yesterday. Still, Manning did just fine and posted solid fantasy numbers once again.

Vince Young - 17/27, 184 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT, 5/53. A solid effort from Young against an improved Colts defense. I'm still wary on starting him every week, but his rushing totals, much like Michael Vick, will aid his stats and help prevent him from horrible outings.

Joseph Addai - 20/81, 2/6, 1 TD. I'm very surprised that the Colts aren't getting Addai the ball more in the passing game so far, but he'll likely score most weeks thanks to the Colts offense, and he'll always be putting up solid yardage total. He's a very safe RB1 with the potential for a few monster games.

LenDale White - 15/64, 1 TD. White was much better than Chris Brown this week, and he'll still have the chance to win most of the carries come season's end. Given the fact he's the goalline back, he has far more upside than Brown. He makes for a pretty solid RB3 as VY will keep the Titans in most games.

Chris Brown - 12/34, 1/2. Unless White gets hurt, Brown won't come close to doing anything like week 1. He's a RB4.

Marvin Harrison - 6/87. Good ole Harrison. No scores this week, but solid yardage per usual.

Reggie Wayne - 5/70. Good ole Wayne. See above.

Dallas Clark - 7/69, 1 TD. Is he rising to TE1? His skills are great and he works the middle of the field very well. Anthony Gonzalez's progression might get in his way, however.