NFL Week 6: Early Game Wrapup

St. Louis Rams at Baltimore Ravens

Gus Frerotte - 19/36, 208 yards, 0 TD, 5 INT, 1/2. Good times for those who started him. The previously not-so-dominant BAL pass D made Frerotte look horrible. So much for the progress he showed last week. The Ravens did get Samari Rolle back this week, so perhaps his presence helped alter the face of the pass D. Regardless, this is likely Frerotte's last start as Bulger is due back in week 7.

Brian Leonard - 12/18, 3/23. As expected, Leonard was shut down by the stout BAL run D. There have been rumors that Steven Jackson won't be ready until after the Rams bye in week 10, so Leonard might get 2 more starts. Those two starts are against Seattle and Cleveland, so they are definitely favorable matchups.

Torry Holt - 4/33. Gus Frerotte threw 5 INTs. Enough said. His speed is diminished as Holt has admitted his knee is still bothering him, so expect him to post more possession-type numbers the rest of the way. Getting Bulger back will definitely help, however.

Kyle Boller - 18/30, 184 yards, 0 TD, 1 INT, 2/6, 1 FL. Boller was hardly good in this game, but it seems like he'll start for at least one more week with Steve McNair banged up yet again. I thought he'd turn in a solid performance against a weak Rams D, but that obviously didn't materialize. He'll have another favorable matchup against Buffalo next time out.

Willis McGahee - 25/61, 4/9, 1 TD. Well, McGahee finally scored on the ground from 6 yards out, but he was inexplicably shut down by the Rams run D. There's really no explanation for this, so hopefully McGahee gets back on track last week. Still, since his yardage was substandard, he picked a nice week to score to make up for it. He gets a revenge game against Buffalo next week.

Derrick Mason - 5/79. Mason has seemingly been re-born this year as he continues to play like an excellent WR3. Given Buffalo is up next, expect him to continue his solid performance.

Minnesota Vikings at Chicago Bears

Tavaris Jackson - 9/23, 136 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT. 60 yards and a TD came from a blown coverage, so it's hard to get excited about anything here. His only value is on bye weeks in 2 QB leagues.

Adrian Peterson - 20/224, 1/9, 3 TD. Say hello to a top 3 pick in next year's fantasy draft. The Vikings would be smart to continue somewhat limiting his touches given he's a rookie and will likely wear down, but there's no question that he's one of the top 5 RBs in the NFL right now. He slashed the Bears defense like it was a 1-AA school, breaking tackles and making defenders look silly.

Chester Taylor - 22/83. Sure, the yardage was nice, but Taylor is hardly going to get 22 carries every week. He makes a solid handcuff for Peterson owners, but is no more than a RB4.

Troy Williamson - 2/69, 1 TD. As mentioned above, he scored on a blown coverage, and he also continued dropping the ball. Don't bother.

Brian Griese - 26/45, 381 yards, 3 TD, 2 INT, 1/1, 1 FL. Thanks to the Bears being down most of the afternoon, Griese was again asked to throw the ball 40+ times, and he against posted a solid fantasy afternoon. He made mostly wise decisions througout and is probably going to be a solid QB2 over the rest of the season. He surely won't post yardage and TD totals like this most weeks, but expecting 200+ yards and a TD most weeks is reasonable, with the potential for more unless the Bears fix their defensive issues.

Cedric Benson - 18/67, 2/18. Benson came out running well, posting 49 total yards in the first half, and then fizzled in the second half. This was actually a bit better than expected given they were facing the #1 ranked MIN run D. He actually looked good on outside runs, so perhaps the Bears will try getting him outside a bit more.

Bernard Berrian - 5/78, 1 TD. He scored from 39 yards out thanks to the corner falling down, and the safety not getting over in time. Still, his owners will happily take it, and Berrian should be a decent WR3. He's definitely the #1 target for WRs on the Bears and just needs to hang onto the ball more.

Greg Olsen - 5/63. He looks much healthier and is becoming more and more involved in the offense. He and Clark techincally split time, but the Bears will use 2 TE sets more often than most teams, and he'll be targetted plenty. He's a solid TE2 with potential for more.

Desmond Clark - 3/48. See above, but he obviously doesn't have the same upside as Olsen.

Miami Dolphins at Cleveland Browns

Cleo Lemon - 24/43, 256 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT, 4/9, 2 TD. A huge game from Lemon for fantasy purposes, but don't go rushing to pick him up as you have to consider the opponent. Still, he might be a useful QB2 used in the right matchups.

Ronnie Brown - 19/101, 9/69. It's a shame that Lemon stole both TDs with QB sneaks, but Brown against posted a monster yardage day as expected. He's faced some pretty bad defenses during his 4 week run, so if you can use him to acquire LT or someone like that, do it. Otherwise, lower your expectations a bit, but Brown has finally arrived.

Chris Chambers - 6/73. Owners probably expected a bit more against the Browns, but he was definitely Lemon's favorite target when he wasn't dumping the ball off to Ronnie Brown, and he should maintain his WR3 value. Expect a little inconsistency as Lemon is hardly an established QB.

David Martin - 3/18, 2 TD. Don't read too much into this as Lemon only looked to him near the goalline. He's a TE2 with upside, but don't go blowing your waiver priority on him. He's a talented TE when he's healthy, so it's somewhat surprising that Cameron isn't trying to utilize him more.

Derek Anderson - 18/25, 245 yards, 3 TD, 0 INT, 5/13, 1 TD. Color me shocked, but Anderson is a legit QB1 right now. With Cleveland in a playoff race and Anderson playing well, there's absolutely no chance that Brady Quinn will take the job any time soon.

Jason Wright - 20/59, 3/39, 1 TD, 1 FL. The quintessential stat line as to why leagues should use decimal scoring. On topic, however, Wright wasn't nearly as impressive as he was against NE last week, but he still posted a very solid stat line for those who used him. Given how explosive James Harrison looked (8/57, 1/15), Wright probably won't dominate the carries again.

Braylon Edwards - 5/67, 3 TD. Edwards is slowly joining the list of the best WRs in football. He makes acrobatic catches in traffic and can beat defenses deep, showing the full range of what WRs should do. He's been an outstanding value this year.

Kellen Winslow - 5/90. He continues his run as one of the best fantasy TEs in football.

Washington Redskins at Green Bay Packers

Jason Campbell - 21/37, 217 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT, 2/6, 1 TD. Campbell played well despite the rough opponent and the drops by his WRs. He continues to slowly make solid progress as a NFL QB, and is a solid QB2.

Clinton Portis - 20/64, 3/25, 1 FL. I read some recaps of this game, and people seem to think that Portis is still hurt, citing a lack of explosion and the fact that he just doesn't "look right". Given all the knee tendonitis issues he's battled before the season and the various times he's come out of a game limping, it seems like that's an issue. I'd look to deal him if possible, or perhaps swing a very minor trade to land Ladell Betts and wait.

Santana Moss - 1/0, 1 FL. Thanks for coming back, Santana. I started this prick and all he did was drop passes, fumble a reverse, and then take himself out of the game. I hate him.

Chris Cooley - 9/105, 1 TD. As the Skins makeshift line gels, it will allow Cooley to head out on pass routes more often, and that will lead to a few games like this. He's very sure-handed and is a great redzone target.

Brett Favre - 19/37, 188 yards, 0 TD, 2 INT, 3/8. The Favre we've come to know over the past few years has made a visit the last two weeks, making horrible decisions and getting picked off in crucial moments of the game. He'll have the bye week to clear his head.

DeShawn Wynn - 13/37, 1 TD. The Packers just aren't any good at running the ball. Morency is probably their most talented ball carrier, but he doesn't have the durability to be a featured RB. Wynn isn't too bad, and is certainly better than Brandon Jackson, but the team doesn't stay committed long enough to using the ground game. That all being said, Wynn is an OK RB3 and a better RB4.

Donald Driver - 5/38. Brett Favre had an off day, so Driver did as well.

Donald Lee - 3/75. Lee busted a big 60 yard gain, and of more important news, Bubba Franks suffered what could be a severe knee injury. If Franks were to go down, Lee would have a chance at becoming a lower tier TE1.

Houston Texans at Jacksonville Jaguars

Matt Schaub - 19/31, 259 yards, 0 TD, 1 INT, 2/6, 1 FL. A tough day for Schaub without his two top WRs against a great defense. He was replaced by Sage Rosenfels later on in the game, but that does nothing ot hurt his status as the unquestion starter.

Ahman Green - 16/44, 2/4. A bad day against a good defense. At least he emerged healthy.

Kevin Walter - 12/160. A monster game from Walter that came out of nowhere. He's a solid slot WR, but you obviously just saw his best day of the year. Still, he could carve out a more prominent role in the offense moving forward.

Owen Daniels - 5/79. He keeps making plays, but is being denied the endzone. Once the WRs get healthy, expect more scoring opportunities. He remains a solid TE1.

David Garrard - 22/34, 221 yards, 2 TD, 0 INT, 5/26. He keeps moving right along as a great QB2/borderline QB1 option most weeks. He posted another solid outing against Houston, but gets a stern test against Indy next week.

Fred Taylor - 6/90. Taylor ripped off a 76 yard run on his first carry, but was barely used after that, presumably because of his groin injury. Still, that one carry provided those who started him a solid point production in the RB2 spot.

Maurice Jones-Drew - 12/125, 4/59, 2 TD. MJD is back as a great RB2 option as he's breaking big plays. If Taylor were to miss a game or two, MJD would be a top 5 option. Expect some running room versus the Colts D next week.

Reggie Williams - 5/38, 1 TD, 2 FL. Even in a game where he scores, he finds a way to screw up, losing 2 fumbles. He's not usable.

Cincinnati Bengals vs. Kansas City Chiefs

Carson Palmer - 26/43, 320 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT, 1/2, 1 FL. Thanks to the struggling Bengals offensive line, Palmer is being held back. There's little running game to speak of to balance the offense, and the defense is horrible. He's still managing to post very solid numbers each week thanks to the necessity to throw the ball so often, and that should continue over the rest of the season.

Rudi Johnson - 4/8. Rudi's clearly not healthy, and with the Bengals being forced to throw so much, Kenny Watson is a much better fit for the current state of the offense. There were workload concerns regarding Rudi heading into the year, and they have definitely come to fruition. He's a guy to consider selling low on, if you can get something reasonably valuable in return.

Kenny Watson - 13/68, 3/14. He's posting solid yardage totals when he's in the game, but he's no more than a RB3.

T.J. Houshmandzadeh - 8/145, 2 TD. TJ has been the biggest beneficiary of the pass-happy offense, posting monster numbers so far this year. Expect him to turn in a career year this year.

Chad Johnson - 8/83. CJ has taken a backseat to his teammate, but he might still be slowed by the ankle injury that put him in a walking boot earlier in the week. Expect him to bounce back sooner than later. but he appears to be more boom/bust than TJ.

Damon Huard - 25/35, 264 yards, 2 TD, 0 INT, 1/-1. Huard made use of a good matchup and posted a solid game, hitting Gonzalez twice for TDs. He's clearly the superior option at the QB position, but if KC falls out of the race, expect them to turn to Croyle. Huard is a serviceable QB2 until that happens.

Larry Johnson - 31/119, 2/24, 1 TD, 1 FL. His second monster game in 3 weeks, although he was over 100 yards at half time and was completely bottled up in the 2nd half. With only 2 great games in 6 outings, he remains a big disappointment.

Dwayne Bowe - 4/46. A disappoitning outing against the weak Bengals secondary, but as rookies go, he's going to have games like this.

Tony Gonzalez - 9/102, 2 TD. Gonzalez owners have to hope the Chiefs keep winning and stay in the playoff hunt as Huard looks Gonzo's way quite often. A change to Croyle would likely hurt his value.

Philadelphia Eagles at New York Jets

Donovan McNabb - 22/35, 278 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT, 2/3. He started off on fire, but the offense slowed down, and they eventually relied on the running game to close out the contest. Owners expected a bigger bounceback game coming off of a bye, but at least it's progress.

Brian Westbrook - 20/120, 6/36. The only disappontment was that he didn't reach the endzone. He torched the Jets D while running down the clock and posted yet another monster yardage game. It appears that the rest in week 4 and the bye week did him a lot of good.

Kevin Curtis - 5/121, 1 TD. Another explosion from Curtis. He took a slant, broke 2 tackles, and outran the D to the endzone for a 75 yard score early in the game, and managed a solid day after that catch. McNabb's continued improvement is necessary for Curtis to remain a weekly start.

Reggie Brown - 6/89. The Eagles vowed to get him the ball more coming out of the bye week, and they succeeded. I believe McNabb will rebound as the season moves on and he becomes more confident with his knee, so I think Reggie Brown is a solid buy low candidate.

Chad Pennington - 11/21, 128 yards, 0 TD, 1 INT, 4/2. The Jets really need to turn to Kellen Clemens at this point, but apparently they're going to stick with Pennington for one more week. Dump him if you haven't already, but if you're desparate for a one week option next week, he's not that bad of an option versus the Bengals.

Thomas Jones - 24/130, 1/11. Jones managed a monster game versus the Jets D. He complained about his workload, was given more touches, and responded in a big way. He's a decent RB2, but beware of his matchups. Cincy next week is a good one, although I'm a bit worried about how many touches he'll get given Cincy will probably light up the Jets D.

Laveraneous Coles - 1/27. He was underthrown on a possible TD that would have saved his day. At this point, a change might be good for his value, too.

Jerricho Cotchery - 5/71. His performance despite Pennington's struggles is pretty impressive. Continue using him next week against the Bengals.

Tennessee Titans at Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Vince Young - 11/14, 120 yards, 0 TD, 1 INT, 3/6, 1 FL. He pulled up lame running out of bounds and didn't return. Madden Curse? Uh oh.

Kerry Collins - 10/20, 125 yards, 0 TD, 0 INT. He did his best to bring the Titans back, but he fell just short. He's only an option in 2 QB leagues if Young misses a game or more.

LenDale White - 25/64, 2/9, 1 TD. A disgusting effort from White after Chris Brown left with yet another ankle injury. His YPC was atrocious, but at least he scored. If Brown misses time, White makes a serviceable RB2.

Justin Gage - 4/82. No.

Jeff Garcia - 20/31, 274 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT, 2/1. He continues performing like the solid QB2 that he is.

Earnest Graham - 13/29, 6/17. Talk about doing nothing with your touches. He got all the carries, however, and that makes him worth owning. I find it hard to believe the Bucs, who are in the middle of a playoff run, don't do something to fix their injury-depleted backfield. Graham is not the answer.

Joey Galloway - 4/97, 1 TD. He got loose for a 69 yard TD, but did little else. That's more than good enough for his owners as he continues to break big plays, and Garcia has just enough arm left in his body to get it to him accurately.

Ike Hilliard - 4/59. Hilliard is still a solid WR5 as he's somewhat reborn in the Gruden offense, but he's only to be used in bye weeks and as a short-term injury replacement.