NFL Week 7: Early Game Wrapup

Baltimore Ravens at Buffalo Bills

Kyle Boller - 21/36, 191 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT, 1/7. Hardly the performance against a weak BUF secondary that Boller needed to unseat McNair. Expect McNair to return as the starter after the bye as long as he's healthy.

Willis McGahee - 19/114, 2/1, 1 TD. Despite the lack of touches, McGahee busted out for a 46 yard TD. Given the concern in the preseason about his explosiveness, that was certainly nice to see. The Ravens have a bye next week, and they could get both RT Adam Terry and LT Jonathan Ogden back at that point, which would be a big plus for McGahee's value.

Derrick Mason - 7/78, 1 TD. There's always a few veterans each year that are drafted for depth, but they take their fantasy owners by surprise and turn into a fantasy starter. Mason is certainly that, putting up solid performances on a weekly basis along catching a ton of passes.

Mark Clayton - 5/49. Clayton claims he's as healthy as he's been all year, and he certainly performed better this week. Don't forget about him. McNair's arm will certainly limit his upside, but he should definitely be viewed as no worse than a WR4.

Trent Edwards - 11/21, 153 yards, 0 TD, 1 INT. He managed the game well and led the Bills to victory. He even took a shot downfield and hit Lee Evans for a 54 yard gaine, which was nice to see. Still, he's nothing more than depth in 2 QB leagues.

Marshawn Lynch - 27/84, 3/14, 1 TD. Lynch has certainly become a very solid RB2, and this was an especially impressive performance against such a strong BAL run D. His schedule eases up in the 2nd half, making his first half performance even more impressive given the defenses he's had to face.

Lee Evans - 5/98. It was just a matter of time before Evans got going, and he's actually posted solid games in 2 of the last 3 outings. He's not going to replicate the explosion he saw last season, but he's certain re-establishing himself as a WR3.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Detroit Lions

Jeff Garcia - 37/45, 316 yards, 2 TD, 0 INT, 6/10, 2 FL. Owner who used him this week because their starter was on bye or because he had a good matchup were rewarded with a very solid fantasy day. Garcia continues his resurgence under Jon Gruden.

Earnest Graham - 19/92, 13/99. A monster PPR day for Graham who kept new acquisition Michael Bennett on the bench for most of the afternoon. Don't read too much into this as it was the Lions defense, but Graham has definitely given his owners hope for RB3 value and will probably receive the majority of touches against Jacksonville next week, but he's certainly not recommended as a starter.

Joey Galloway - 5/46. It seems like unless he catches a deep TD, he's not doing much. That trend contninued today, but he's still a solid WR3.

Ike Hilliard - 9/92, 1 TD. Add him to the surprise veteran list, and he's an even bigger one than Mason since he was likely not drafted. It's amazing what a Jon Gruden system can do.

Jon Kitna - 16/20, 147 yards, 0 TD, 0 INT, 4/9. Don't read too much into this as the Bucs have a very good pass defense. Kitna has put up back-to-back poor games, but they've come against top notch secondaries. KJ's return will mean the Lions will run the ball more, but that should eventually help the passing game as defenses can't sit deep all game. He gets an injury-ravaged Chicago D next week, so expect better numbers and don't give up on him as your starter yet.

Kevin Jones - 15/76, 6/34, 1 TD. KJ is back, and he's ready to resume being the RB1 he was before his injury last year. I wouldn't expect many 25 carry games from him, but he's certainly going to be involved plenty in the passing game and has been proficient near the goal line.

Roy Williams - 3/23. He caught all 3 passes thrown to him, so you can't ask for much more. Life gets easier.

Calvin Johnson - 2/37, 1/32, 1 TD. Thanks to a 32 TD run where CJ looked like LT while stiff arming through defenders, he saved his fantasy day. Much like I said about Kitna and Roy above, better days are ahead in the passing game.

Tennessee Titans at Houston Texans

Kerry Collins - 25/42, 280 yards, 0 TD, 0 INT. He threw the ball downfield, which is something Vince Young still doesn't do very well yet. He might still have a start or two left in him with Young's status up in the air, but I don't recommend him next week against a strong OAK secondary.

LenDale White - 27/104, 4/22, 1 TD. A 28 yard run! White looked better in this effort, although he still couldn't manage 4 YPC. Regardless, he's the primary ball carrier with Chris Brown injured (who didn't see that coming), and he's a very strong play against a weak OAK run D next week.

Chris Henry - 11/57, 1 TD. He did a fine job of spelling White, and he could overtake Chris Brown as TEN's backup RB. Don't rush to pick him up, but if he's officially named the backup, he's worth rostering.

Roydell Williams - 5/124. As I said with Collins, he looked downfield far more often, and Williams was the main beneficiary. If you're deparate at WR you could try him with Brandon Jones out, but you should have better options.

Matt Schaub - 5/9, 23 yards. He got hammered a couple times and left injured. Reports indicate that he'll return nextx week.

Ahman Green - 11/39, 5.32. TEN's run D is actually strong, but Green is showing little to nothing these days on the ground. Luckily he's still proficient in the passing game.

Kevin Walter - 6/97, 1 TD. He strikes again. He gets the shaky SD secondary next week, so you can roll with him again as your WR3.

Andre Davis - 4/88, 1 TD. The Houston system is using Davis well down the field, and he caught an improbable 53 yard TD to put Houston ahead for a bit at the end of the game. Up until then he definitely took a back seat to Kevin Walter.

Owen Daniels - 2/20. Very frustrating day given the Texans threw for over 300 yards and had 4 TDs, including one thrown to his backup Jeb Putzier. Don't read too much into this as he's a solid lower tier TE1.

New England Patriots at Miami Dolphins

Tom Brady - 21/25, 354 yards, 6 TD, 0 INT. He did this is just over a half's worth of work. His owners are probably at least 5-2 at this point.

Laurency Maroney - 6/31. Frustrating for those who used him as I recommended starting him, but in hindsight I learned something. First of all, the Pats were going to blow out the Dolphins. That was a given. Knowing that, there was no reason for them to use Maroney much and risk re-injury. Expect him to get more work next week.

Randy Moss - 4/122, 2 TD. Teams are routinely double and triple covering him, but he's going to win jump balls in the endzone no matter how many guys are blanketing him. Both TDs were bombs thrown into tight coverage, but Moss just outleaped everyone. It's amazing what he can do when he tries.

Wes Welker - 9/138, 2 TD. Forget Brandon Stokley, he's the new whiteness. His incredible run continues, but I'd still try to sell him for a more established WR. See what you can get in return for him.

Donte Stallworth - 3/51, 1 TD. He continues performing like a great WR3 in one of the best offenses of all time.

Cleo Lemon - 24/37, 236 yards, 0 TD, 1 INT, 3/16, 1 TD, 1 FL. With the trade of Chris Chambers and the loss of Ronnie Brown, he has such little talent around him that it's impossible to recommend him as a QB2.

Ronnie Brown - 17/76, 5/33. Torn ACL, and he's done for the year. He's one of my favorite players, and this kills his owners as he was a draft bargain at the beginning of the 2nd round.

Jesse Chatman - 7/73, 1/9, 1 TD. He carved up the NE D in garbage time, and he'll be the #1 waiver priority for most teams this week. He has solid skills and I believe in Cameron's system, but it's going to be really hard for him to post solid RB2 numbers with the talent around him. Still, he's worth burning your waiver position for.

Marty Booker - 3/28. With the Phins at 0-7, he might start losing playing time to youngsters Derek Hagan and Ted Ginn Jr. They're battling to start opposite of Booker for now, but I wonder how much the Dolphins will attempt to get their youngsters playing time.

San Francisco 49ers at New York Giants

Trent Dilfer - 23/38, 209 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT, 3/11, 2 FL. Pathetic. Alex Smith returns next week, thankfully.

Frank Gore - 14/88, 3/23. Another solid yardage game from Gore despite a lack of touches. He hurt his ankle in the 1st half and apparently played in quite a bit of pain in the 2nd half, so monitor his status. His backup, Michael Robinson, is not an attractive pickup.

Darrell Jackson - 2/6, 1 TD. I don't think even Alex Smith can revive him.

Vernon Davis - 4/22. Let's hope Alex Smith can get him more involved. It's such a waste of talent to not be using an athlete like Davis extensively, especially given the crap they have at the WR position.

Eli Manning - 18/31, 146 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT. Not overly impressive, but the Giants had total control of this game throughout. Miami is a great matchup next.

Brandon Jacobs - 18/107, 1 TD. Jacobs ran all over SF's defense, but there are rumors that he re-injured the ankle that caused him to come out of last week's game prematurely. Keep an eye on his status this week as he has a tasty matchup against Miami up next.

Plaxico Burress - 5/43. The Giants didn't need to pass much, so his opportunities were limited.

Amani Toomer - 3/36, 1 TD. Toomer turned in another nice afternoon, and he's up there with veterans Derrick Mason and Ike Hilliard as surprise fantasy contributors.

Jeremy Shockey - 5/39, 1 TD. Same as above, but he got a redzone TD toss to give him a solid fantasy day.

Atlanta Falcons at New Orleans Saints

Byron Leftwich - 15/23, 145 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT, 3/6. Lefty was putting up a solid afternoon until a high ankle sprain ended his day early. He could be out anywhere from 2 weeks to the rest of the year, making Harrington the starter again.

Warrick Dunn - 13/28, 1/1. Petrino is being a damned moron with his running game. Dunn has accomplished absolutely nothing while Norwood provides big plays (6/38, 30 yard run) almost every game. The team isn't going anywhere, so start Norwood already.

Roddy White - 8/110, 1 TD. A spectacular performance from White who is finally putting his talent on display. Unfortunately Leftwich went down, hurting his value, but he can still be a decent WR3.

Drew Brees - 22/34, 219 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT, 2/8. He's slowly rounding back into form, and if you're struggling at QB, try to buy low on him. I don't see him exploding like he did last year, but I think he's back to stay as a QB1.

Reggie Bush - 17/54, 5/19, 1 TD. He bulled his way into the endzone on his TD reception, but looked rather ineffective outside of that. He still has a ways to go, but he's a RB1.

Marques Colston - 3/45. He's just not making big plays, but expect improvement as long as Brees is improving. Nowhere to go but up, but he's recommended as only a WR3 for now.

Devery Henderson - 1/37, 1 TD. Don't even think about it.

Eric Johnson - 5/54. He was a bit more involved this week, but he's nothing more than a boring TE2 option.

Arizona Cardinals at Washington Redskins

Kurt Warner - 27/41, 282 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT, 1/0, 1 FL. Warner was a surprise starter, and he played very well all afternoon against a tough secondary. If he can do this with a bad arm against a great secondary, he'll emerge as a strong starter against weak defenses. He'll have a bye week to heal his off-arm up.

Edgerrin James - 27/83. He had a very tough matchup, and he got enough touches to put together a solid yardage effort.

Larry Fitzgerald - 6/97. Another solid yardage game from Fitz, but Boldin took both of the scores. Warner helps his value moving forward, although it won't be what it was with Boldin hurt.

Anquan Boldin - 8/29, 2 TD. What a bizarre statline. His owners will smile and take it. Warner prefers Boldin, so his health is great news for Boldin owners.

Jason Campbell - 12/18, 95 yards, 0 TD, 1 INT, 2/7. A horrible outing from Campbell against what projected to be a solid matchup. Definitely a step back from last week's effort.

Clinton Portis - 18/43, 2/14, 2 TD. Portis continues to not look himself, but the 2 TDs saved his afternoon. I'd sell high. He should get the ball plenty, but his explosion isn't there as his knee is likely still bothering him. He hasn't shown much life over the past month.

Santana Moss - 2/8. I'd like to punch him in the face. I gave him a chance to redeem himself after last week and he does this. Dammit. He's likely still hurting.

Antwaan Randle El - 3/54. You could do worse as a WR3 while Moss is still hurting. He seems to have improved as a WR, and Campbell doesn't mind using him.

Chris Cooley - 1-3. Yay! Awesome. A victim of Campbell's poor day. No worries.