Arizona Cardinals - At this point, you know what you're getting with the Cardinals. Warner just doesn't go deep much anymore, but he's still effective. Fitzgerald is limited to a possession receiver, but luckily the large amount of red zone looks help keep his value up as a WR1. Beanie Wells is starting to come on, and he's slowly passing Tim Hightower as the lead back. Hightower remains the starter, but he's showing the same problems as last year, while Wells looks decisive, explosive, and finishes his runs. He put another ball on the ground, but there's no question he's a better runner.
Atlanta Falcons - Just a bad game. They fell flat on their face. I wouldn't worry too much about the passing game in this one, but Michael Turner again looks slow. Luckily he keeps scoring thanks to his offense.
Baltimore Ravens - Bye week.
Buffalo Bills - Well, at least Fitzpatrick is using Lee Evans more than Trent Edwards did. Evans has emerged as a WR3 option with Fitzpatrick behind center. Lynch was stuffed quite a bit, but he did manage to score and post a decent fantasy day.
Carolina Panthers - Steve Smith was targeted more, and he posted a good yardage day, falling 1 short of 100 on the day. Williams also looked good again, and it's amazing that Carolina didn't pound the ball more. Delhomme is about done, and Carolina has to be thinking about using either AJ Feeley at this point.
Cincinnati Bengals - There's the Palmer we've been waiting for. He executed a perfect game plan against the Bears Cover 2, finding all the soft spots and repeatedly hitting Chad Johnson for big gains. They were constantly in the red zone, and Palmer tossed 5 TDs to various receivers. He was perfect, so hopefully this jump starts him into a big second half. Benson torched the Bears D as well, and unfortunately for his owners, it was mostly the Carson Palmer show near the end zone as Benson only scored once despite ripping off long gains at will.
Chicago Bears - The Bears seem to be quite bi-polar this year. Thanks to their defense, they were down big before they could find a rhythm on offense, and the ended up passing the ball almost all game. Forte again had no holes to run through, and Cutler made some poor throws trying to force things to happen. You gotta take the good with the bad with Cutler, and Forte has dropped all the way to a RB2 at this point.
Cleveland Browns - I'm not going to waste any words beyond these to describe this fantasy wasteland.
Dallas Cowboys - Holy Miles Austin. Romo has a new toy, and he's back rolling again. Austin, playing the role of Terrell Owens, is lighting up secondaries with his blend of size and speed. He runs well, jumps high, and is great after the catch. Expect him to open up this entire offense moving forward. The rushing attack took a backseat in this one, but this is good news for everyone involved in this offense.
Denver Broncos - Bye week.
Detroit Lions - Bye week.
Green Bay Packers - Rodgers continues to spread the ball around to all of his receivers, and Donald Driver is the one making big plays. This has become a serious problem for Greg Jennings as teams are keeping him from getting deep while letting other players beat them. Expect this to change as the season moves along, but after nominating Greg Jennings as my top buy-low guy, this is disappointing to say the least. Ryan Grant, the winter wonder man, turned in his best game of the season. The dude digs running in cold weather for some reason.
Houston Texans - Schaub continues to roll along, and it looks like they survived a scare with AJ's chest as it doesn't appear to be a serious injury. Owen Daniels is fantasy's top TE, and it doesn't appear like he'll slow down any time soon. Slaton continues to be more productive in the passing game than the running game, and it was also encouraging that he scored from 1 yard out in the 1st half. He fumbled again, but as long as he's productive, the coaching staff will apparently put up with it.
Indianapolis Colts - Manning had his 300 yard game streak snapped, but it's not like they needed it against the lowly Rams. It appears as though Collie has passed Garcon in terms of targets, and he's the more desirable receiver to start.
Jacksonville Jaguars - Bye week.
Kansas City Chiefs - Right after singing Cassel's praises last week, he shits the bed this week. He had been good at avoiding turnovers, but then he threw up the worst game of his season, including 3 interceptions. This isn't surprising considering he lost his best offensive lineman on a poor offensive line. As long as LT Brandon Albert is out hurt, he's going to be in trouble. Dwayne Bowe continues to save his fantasy value by scoring. Larry Johnson probably tweeted himself out of a job (he blasted just about everyone in another retarded rant), which isn't a bad thing considering that he's worthless as a RB right now. Haley has been far too patient with the washed up windbag.
Miami Dolphins - Epic fail. After going up 24-3 on the undefeated Saints, they allowed a TD sneak at the end of the 1st half, and it was all downhill from there. This team has trouble passing the ball because no receiver can consistently make a play. Ginn and Fasano, arguably the two most talented pass catchers on the team, both had bad drops that killed offensive drives. Much to the dismay of Ronnie Brown owners, Ricky Williams had two 4 yard TD runs, at least one of which he took a direct snap out of the Wildcat. Ugh.
Minnesota Vikings - The Steelers defense finally put an end to Favre-mania, much to the delight of almost every non-Vikings fan out there. Favre had a bad fumble that was returned for a defensive TD, and Chester Taylor also had a bad dropped pass that was also returned for a defensive TD. Both of those prevented probably scores, but the Vikings moved the ball fairly well against a tough defense. Sidney Rice is turning into a stud.
New England Patriots - Business as usual for the Patriots, although more was expected of Moss in this one. Maroney, ever the fantasy tease, saved his fantasy day with a late TD. He certainly didn't take the job and run with it like Mendenhall did a few weeks ago.
New Orleans Saints - Brees had a pretty bad day in this one, taking 5 sacks and tossing 3 INTs, but he righted the ship in the 2nd half and led a ridiculous comeback. Colston and Shockey both had big days, although all of Shockey's damage came in the 2nd half. The Phins successfully stuffed Pierre Thomas, but then Mike Bell ripped them up down the stretch.
New York Giants - The Giants suddenly look vulnerable after being destroyed by the Saints, and then being dink and dunked to death by the new look Cardinals. Eli mostly looked solid, but Manningham dropped some big plays, including a sure TD. Steve Smith did his damage down the stretch, and Eli has to get him more involved early on after these last two games. Jacobs looked much better, and it's surprising the Giants didn't try to run him more as he was as effective as he's been all year. This is good news heading forward for Jacobs' owners.
New York Jets - Sanchez went back to managing the game in this one as the rushing attack dominated the putrid Oakland Raiders. It's a shame for everyone, including myself, that started Leon Washington this week as a bye week fill-in as he would have posted his best game of the season. Instead, on his 2nd touch of the game, he suffered a compound leg fracture and is done for the season. Shonn Greene ripped it up in his absence, and he'll take on the lesser committee role with Thomas Jones moving forward. Braylon Edwards in NY looks like Braylon Edwards in CLE. Hopefully Cotchery can return soon.
Oakland Raiders - No.
Philadelphia Eagles - Monday night game.
Pittsburgh Steelers - Big Ben posted his worst game of the season, as did Hines Ward, in what looked like a great match up on paper against the Winfield-less Vikings' secondary. Mendenhall struggled a bit against the Williams wall, but don't put too much stock in it. It was simply an off-game for the entire offense, but they still managed a win.
San Diego Chargers - Rivers loves him some Vincent Jackson. Jackson obliterated the KC secondary in the first half, and then took the 2nd half off as the Chargers went into kill-the-clock mode almost from the first minute. LT looked spry on his first several carries, but repeated attempts to get him a TD resulted in a lot of stuffed runs. It's hard to tell if it's the offensive line or LT's inability to finish runs anymore, but he doesn't have that goal line magic anymore. He was stuffed on a LOT of carries inside the 5, so this could affect play calling down there moving forward.
San Francisco 49ers - Shaun Hill finally played himself out of the game, and Alex Smith gave the offense a much needed spark in the 2nd half. I wouldn't get too excited about this, but Crabtree (who made some plays), Morgan, and Vernon Davis could give Smith enough weapons to close the season strong. At the very least, it should help open things up for Frank Gore if Smith can continue to throw the ball well. This warrants monitoring.
Seattle Seahawks - Bye week.
St. Louis Rams - Steven Jackson continues to give it his all, but the passing game and the defense are pretty much non-existent. Donnie Avery did look mostly healthy, but had a touch match up against the stingy Colts pass D, although he did burn them long once. A match up against Detroit looms...good news for Jackson and Avery.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Josh Johnson has also played himself out of a job, with rookie Josh Freeman set to take over. Bryant finally looked healthy, catching his first bomb of the season, but the QB play will harm him over the rest of the season. He could be a WR3 in the right match up. Caddy and Derrick Ward are back to splitting time, but neither are worth using.
Tennessee Titans - Bye week.
Washington Redskins - Monday night game.
Monday, October 26, 2009
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Week 7 Injury/Depth Chart Report
Arizona Cardinals - Anquan Boldin has missed some practices, and he's questionable to play this weekend. It has already been reported that he'll probably be a game time decision, so make sure to check on game day as to whether or not he's active.
Atlanta Falcons - Jerious Norwood is likely out for a while, so Jason Snelling will take his role on passing downs. Turner even caught a couple passes last week, so perhaps he'll see a couple more looks as well.
Baltimore Ravens - Bye week.
Buffalo Bills - Trent Edwards is out at least one week, so Ryan Fitzpatrick will replace him as the starter. As we saw with Cincy last year, it's not a good thing for the fantasy value of the wideouts. Evans had a great game last week, but keep in mind he was facing a hobbled Lito Sheppard. Fred Jackson was moved onto returns, so this is an indication that Marshawn Lynch is back as the lead RB.
Carolina Panthers - Steve Smith bitched about not getting the ball, which was poor timing on his part since his team had just picked up a win. Regardless, expect him to respond with a good game this week.
Cincinnati Bengals - Benson gets a revenge game against the Bears, so this should be interesting. Perhaps the Bears D will focus on him and allow Palmer to have his overdue breakout game.
Chicago Bears - None.
Cleveland Browns - Derek Anderson will continue to start for reasons unknown to any logical football fan.
Dallas Cowboys - Miles Austin has officially won the starting job opposite Roy Williams, so this is good news for Tony Romo and the entire offense. Marion Barber claims he's alright, but his performance so far has indicated otherwise. Expect Barber and Choice to continue sharing snaps moving forward. Felix Jones is supposed to return, but don't expect him to play a major role.
Denver Broncos - Bye week.
Detroit Lions - Bye week.
Green Bay Packers - The offensive line continues to be a problem, and thanks to Clifton's re-injury and Tauscher's lack of readiness, no immediate help is on the way. Luckily they play Cleveland this week.
Houston Texans - It's worth repeating that Owen Daniels has passed Kevin Walter as the secondary option of this passing game. Walter is not a WR3, although he will have some good weeks mixed in.
Indianapolis Colts - Anthony Gonzalez, in a disappointing bit of news, is still not ready to return. Given how the Colts have handled news regarding knee injuries in the past, this isn't surprising in hindsight. Continue to stash Gonzalez, however. Pierre Garcon and Austin Collie will continue to play plenty, and both are WR3 options for bye weeks.
Jacksonville Jaguars - Bye week.
Kansas City Chiefs - None.
Miami Dolphins - None.
Minnesota Vikings - Adrian Peterson nicked his ankle last week, but it is not a concern. Sidney Rice has emerged as a fantasy force.
New England Patriots - With Sammy Morris likely out this week, Laurence Maroney returns as the featured runner, and he's a RB2 option this week in a great match up. Understand that there's some downside to using him given the nature of this team, especially if he struggles early on, but the upside for this game is great.
New Orleans Saints - Pierre Thomas is still the featured RB early on, but Mike Bell is the goal line RB, and he's also considered the closer when the Saints are winding out the clock. Thomas is a risky RB2 play, but he can be used as a bye week replacement.
New York Giants - Mario Manningham continues to hold off Hakeem Nicks for now, with Manningham remaining the starter, but both are splitting snaps. Nicks has looked excellent when on the field. Both are very risky WR3s thanks to the fact they don't play all game.
New York Jets - Jerricho Cotchery is still struggling with his hamstring injury, and while there's a chance he plays this week, I would not advise using him until he shows that he's close to 100%. Thomas Jones and Leon Washington are a good RB2s this week against the Raiders run defense, especially since I think you'll see New York pass less with Sanchez's recent struggles.
Oakland Raiders - Justin Fargas seems to have passed Michael Bush as the starter, but using either against the Jets is a poor idea.
Philadelphia Eagles - Kevin Curtis is out indefinitely, so Jeremy Maclin will start the rest of the season. He's a WR3.
Pittsburgh Steelers - Mendenhall was announced as the starter, and Parker is still battling the effects of his turf toe. Mendenhall is a borderline RB1 moving forward.
San Diego Chargers - None.
San Francisco 49ers - Gore has returned to a full practice and will resume his RB1 status. Michael Crabtree will play plenty, but there are conflicting reports on whether or not he's starting, and there's a chance he'll split snaps with Josh Morgan. The 49ers would be best served by starting both Crabtree and Morgan, but they don't appear to be interested in doing that.
Seattle Seahawks - Bye week.
St. Louis Rams - Donnie Avery is battling a hip injury that knocked him out of week 6, and he's questionable this week. I wouldn't use him.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Cadillac is the featured Bucs runner, leaving high priced free agent acquisition Derrick Ward to clean up the scraps. Earnest Graham was officially moved back to fullback with the season-ending injury to B.J. Askew, so he can safely be dropped in all leagues.
Tennessee Titans - Bye week.
Washington Redskins - Campbell will start again this week, but he's clearly on a short leash. He is in no way a fantasy option.
Atlanta Falcons - Jerious Norwood is likely out for a while, so Jason Snelling will take his role on passing downs. Turner even caught a couple passes last week, so perhaps he'll see a couple more looks as well.
Baltimore Ravens - Bye week.
Buffalo Bills - Trent Edwards is out at least one week, so Ryan Fitzpatrick will replace him as the starter. As we saw with Cincy last year, it's not a good thing for the fantasy value of the wideouts. Evans had a great game last week, but keep in mind he was facing a hobbled Lito Sheppard. Fred Jackson was moved onto returns, so this is an indication that Marshawn Lynch is back as the lead RB.
Carolina Panthers - Steve Smith bitched about not getting the ball, which was poor timing on his part since his team had just picked up a win. Regardless, expect him to respond with a good game this week.
Cincinnati Bengals - Benson gets a revenge game against the Bears, so this should be interesting. Perhaps the Bears D will focus on him and allow Palmer to have his overdue breakout game.
Chicago Bears - None.
Cleveland Browns - Derek Anderson will continue to start for reasons unknown to any logical football fan.
Dallas Cowboys - Miles Austin has officially won the starting job opposite Roy Williams, so this is good news for Tony Romo and the entire offense. Marion Barber claims he's alright, but his performance so far has indicated otherwise. Expect Barber and Choice to continue sharing snaps moving forward. Felix Jones is supposed to return, but don't expect him to play a major role.
Denver Broncos - Bye week.
Detroit Lions - Bye week.
Green Bay Packers - The offensive line continues to be a problem, and thanks to Clifton's re-injury and Tauscher's lack of readiness, no immediate help is on the way. Luckily they play Cleveland this week.
Houston Texans - It's worth repeating that Owen Daniels has passed Kevin Walter as the secondary option of this passing game. Walter is not a WR3, although he will have some good weeks mixed in.
Indianapolis Colts - Anthony Gonzalez, in a disappointing bit of news, is still not ready to return. Given how the Colts have handled news regarding knee injuries in the past, this isn't surprising in hindsight. Continue to stash Gonzalez, however. Pierre Garcon and Austin Collie will continue to play plenty, and both are WR3 options for bye weeks.
Jacksonville Jaguars - Bye week.
Kansas City Chiefs - None.
Miami Dolphins - None.
Minnesota Vikings - Adrian Peterson nicked his ankle last week, but it is not a concern. Sidney Rice has emerged as a fantasy force.
New England Patriots - With Sammy Morris likely out this week, Laurence Maroney returns as the featured runner, and he's a RB2 option this week in a great match up. Understand that there's some downside to using him given the nature of this team, especially if he struggles early on, but the upside for this game is great.
New Orleans Saints - Pierre Thomas is still the featured RB early on, but Mike Bell is the goal line RB, and he's also considered the closer when the Saints are winding out the clock. Thomas is a risky RB2 play, but he can be used as a bye week replacement.
New York Giants - Mario Manningham continues to hold off Hakeem Nicks for now, with Manningham remaining the starter, but both are splitting snaps. Nicks has looked excellent when on the field. Both are very risky WR3s thanks to the fact they don't play all game.
New York Jets - Jerricho Cotchery is still struggling with his hamstring injury, and while there's a chance he plays this week, I would not advise using him until he shows that he's close to 100%. Thomas Jones and Leon Washington are a good RB2s this week against the Raiders run defense, especially since I think you'll see New York pass less with Sanchez's recent struggles.
Oakland Raiders - Justin Fargas seems to have passed Michael Bush as the starter, but using either against the Jets is a poor idea.
Philadelphia Eagles - Kevin Curtis is out indefinitely, so Jeremy Maclin will start the rest of the season. He's a WR3.
Pittsburgh Steelers - Mendenhall was announced as the starter, and Parker is still battling the effects of his turf toe. Mendenhall is a borderline RB1 moving forward.
San Diego Chargers - None.
San Francisco 49ers - Gore has returned to a full practice and will resume his RB1 status. Michael Crabtree will play plenty, but there are conflicting reports on whether or not he's starting, and there's a chance he'll split snaps with Josh Morgan. The 49ers would be best served by starting both Crabtree and Morgan, but they don't appear to be interested in doing that.
Seattle Seahawks - Bye week.
St. Louis Rams - Donnie Avery is battling a hip injury that knocked him out of week 6, and he's questionable this week. I wouldn't use him.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Cadillac is the featured Bucs runner, leaving high priced free agent acquisition Derrick Ward to clean up the scraps. Earnest Graham was officially moved back to fullback with the season-ending injury to B.J. Askew, so he can safely be dropped in all leagues.
Tennessee Titans - Bye week.
Washington Redskins - Campbell will start again this week, but he's clearly on a short leash. He is in no way a fantasy option.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Week 7 Waiver Wire
QB:
Vince Young - You can officially stash Vince Young. The Titans go on bye in week 7, but there's little question that Kerry Collins is just about done as the starter. The Titans have nothing to lose anymore, and they need to see what they have in Young to determine if they'll need to take a QB next year. Young still has physical talent, and he's worth stashing to see how he does. He'll have solid weapons around him.
RB:
Laurence Maroney - You probably shouldn't have dropped him off the end of your roster unless you really needed the spot, but now is the time for Maroney. With Fred Taylor out indefinitely and Sammy Morris now out as well, Maroney is the lone dog for early down carries with Faulk replacing him on passing downs. He tore up what was previously a stingy Titans run defense, so he has some upside moving forward. If you need RB help, use your waiver spot on him.
Justin Fargas - I hesitantly write this, but he's seemingly passed Michael Bush as the starter. He'll get a good number of carries, though, so he's worth owning. He'd only be usable in the right match up for desperate owners.
WR:
Michael Crabtree - Not only has he signed, but he's already passed Josh Morgan on the depth chart, and he'll start in week 7. Add him immediately...he's worth the #1 waiver priority on a team that badly needs someone to step up at WR.
Hakeem Nicks - Nicks is officially breaking out, although he did his serious damage in garbage time, connecting with David Carr on a 37 yard TD. He can't be relied upon immediately as Manningham is still starting and sharing snaps with him, but Nicks could pass him soon enough as Manningham keeps getting banged up. Stash him.
Lance Moore - Moore finally showed signs of life, posting his best game of the season in week 6. He's worth adding to see if he can replicate his great stretch run last season.
TE:
Zach Miller - He's back! Miller has posted back to back solid games, and has re-emerged as a viable TE1 possiblity despite Jamarcus Russell. We're all aware of the downside, but he's playing well again and is worth using again.
Vince Young - You can officially stash Vince Young. The Titans go on bye in week 7, but there's little question that Kerry Collins is just about done as the starter. The Titans have nothing to lose anymore, and they need to see what they have in Young to determine if they'll need to take a QB next year. Young still has physical talent, and he's worth stashing to see how he does. He'll have solid weapons around him.
RB:
Laurence Maroney - You probably shouldn't have dropped him off the end of your roster unless you really needed the spot, but now is the time for Maroney. With Fred Taylor out indefinitely and Sammy Morris now out as well, Maroney is the lone dog for early down carries with Faulk replacing him on passing downs. He tore up what was previously a stingy Titans run defense, so he has some upside moving forward. If you need RB help, use your waiver spot on him.
Justin Fargas - I hesitantly write this, but he's seemingly passed Michael Bush as the starter. He'll get a good number of carries, though, so he's worth owning. He'd only be usable in the right match up for desperate owners.
WR:
Michael Crabtree - Not only has he signed, but he's already passed Josh Morgan on the depth chart, and he'll start in week 7. Add him immediately...he's worth the #1 waiver priority on a team that badly needs someone to step up at WR.
Hakeem Nicks - Nicks is officially breaking out, although he did his serious damage in garbage time, connecting with David Carr on a 37 yard TD. He can't be relied upon immediately as Manningham is still starting and sharing snaps with him, but Nicks could pass him soon enough as Manningham keeps getting banged up. Stash him.
Lance Moore - Moore finally showed signs of life, posting his best game of the season in week 6. He's worth adding to see if he can replicate his great stretch run last season.
TE:
Zach Miller - He's back! Miller has posted back to back solid games, and has re-emerged as a viable TE1 possiblity despite Jamarcus Russell. We're all aware of the downside, but he's playing well again and is worth using again.
Monday, October 19, 2009
The Sad Truth
I decided I wanted to write a small article called The Sad Truth this week. One of the toughest things to do in fantasy football is swallow your pride and adjust the value of some of your players...downward. Now that we are 6 weeks into the season, simple 1-2 week worries have emerged as true downward trends, and we must act accordingly in both our lineups and in our trade demands. As I do with everything, I'm going to break it down by position and highlight the players that we drafted high, but are simply not the player that we thought we drafted.
QB:
Tony Romo - Romo had great weeks against poor defenses in weeks 1 and 5, but was horrible in the other three weeks. The reason behind this is his weapons...the best talent on this team is at the RB position. Jason Witten still remains an excellent TE, but losing Owens has really hurt this team. Roy Williams hasn't looked any better this season, and nobody else stepped up until week 5. Miles Austin provides some hope for Romo moving ahead, but as it stands right now, Romo is best used as a match up QB1 until he proves that he can post a good game against a good defense.
Kurt Warner - Thanks to a slow recovery to his offseason hip surgery, Warner is currently ranked as the 14th best QB in terms of FPPG (fantasy points per game). He is simply not healthy enough to have the same velocity and distance on his throws, and his lack of big plays are a direct result of that. As such, his fantasy value has plummeted. His owners can hope that his hip feels better come stretch time, but odds are what you're seeing is what you'll get from him.
Matt Cassel - There's no secret as to why Cassel has not played well...his surrounding offensive situation is as bad as it gets in the NFL. I do forsee some improvement in the 2nd half, and his 7:2 TD:INT is promising, but he will continue to be limited by his situation. He can be a match up QB1, but nothing more.
Carson Palmer - Much to my dismay, Carson Palmer has not lived up to expectations. Despite being taken on the fringe of a QB1, He's the 20th best QB in FPPG. His offensive line was considered a weakness heading into the season, but he's only been sacked 11 times in 6 games. I actually think part of the problem is the running game...Cedric Benson has been so good that they haven't felt the need to throw, and I bet very few people saw that coming. Chad Ochocinco has bounced back and looks great, but Chris Henry has battled nagging injuries, and Coles has looked horrible. Andre Caldwell has been solid, but he's not a game breaker. The thing that gives me hope is that Palmer missed so much of last year and most of the preseason, so some rust should have been expected.
RB:
Michael Turner - Turner has not shown the same burst as last season, and he's only had 1 game with a YPC above 4.0. Thanks to the surrounding offense, Turner has scored enough TDs to maintain solid fantasy value, but his YPC has crashed and I don't see this magically turning itself around. If someone is willing to give top 5 value for him, do it.
Matt Forte - Forte also hasn't shown the same burst as last season, but his offensive line has been a major problem as well. I imagine Forte is among the league leaders in being hit behind the line of scrimmage, and he's not a special enough RB to overcome that situation. Few are. His workload keeps his value reasonable, but he's seeing less receptions, and most importantly, he's struggling at the goal line. He's going to be solid over the rest of the season, but he's not returning to elite.
Steven Jackson - Jackson has actually been pretty amazing given what's he's accomplished so far with his putrid surrounding offensive situation, but he hasn't scored yet, and that is murdering his fantasy value. Much like Forte, his workload (and pure determination) keeps him valuable, but he's more of a RB2 until STL can get him on the goal line more often.
DeAngelo Williams - His value shot up in the last week or two before drafts thanks to Jonathan Stewart's lingering achillies problem, but after barely doing anything all offseason, Stewart went right back to his same role as last season. Williams still looks good more often than not, but thanks to the struggles of the passing game and the presence of a healthy Stewart, his value is limited to a match up RB2...a far cry from his RB1 draft day value.
LaDainian Tomlinson - Disappointing RB #5 from this year's first round. LT started off with a solid first performance, got hurt mid-game, and has barely done anything since. He's 30, injury prone, lost several steps, and is replaced on 3rd downs and in the 2 minute drill. Age has simply caught up to one of the NFL's best RBs in history.
Brian Westbrook - He's been serviceable when he's played, but he's been hurt more often than not, and it's clear that he's a part of a committee with LeSean McCoy moving forward. His body is breaking down on him as he ages, and he's no longer the centerpiece of the Eagles offense. He's a RB2 when he plays, but that's it.
Brandon Jacobs - For reasons completely unknown to anyone except maybe the Giants staff, Jacobs has NOT been the same RB this year. There's nothing wrong with his team as Eli and his young WRs have taken a huge step forward this year, and Ahmad Bradshaw is running just fine behind the same line Jacobs. He's admitted to a bit of a "knee thing" a few weeks ago, and it would not surprise me if he's hiding an injury. As has become common on this list, his workload keeps him valuable, but he needs to start scoring more.
Clinton Portis - Portis has shown a few glimmers of hope on his runs, but he's mostly looked a step slow, and he's getting zero help from his surrounding offense. He might have been drafted as a RB1 by owners who went QB or WR in the 1st round, and he's hardly lived up to that billing. Portis is nearing the end, and his owners need to sell high while they can.
WR:
Calvin Johnson - He was actually building some momentum with Matthew Stafford, but then Stafford got hurt, and so did he. The bye week should fix what ails him, but Stafford's season is in question until we know more about exactly what's wrong with his knee. He does the best he can, but he's clearly limited by the current state of his offense.
Steve Smith - Much like a RB with the same first name, Smith is also looking for his first TD of the year. Delhomme has looked bad, and he's getting zero help from the receiving "threats" that line up opposite him. A regressing QB, regressing offense, and no help have meant constant double teams, and there's no end in sight.
Anquan Boldin - He's posted fairly solid numbers in the games he's played, but he's been limited by his usual array of nagging injuries. He simply cannot shake the injury bug, and it's had a big effect on his game thus far this season. With Warner not looking the same and apparently another injury added onto his current ailments, Boldin is not going to live up to his draft value.
Terrell Owens - It's hard to tell if his age is catching up to him since he never gets the ball. The Bills simply don't have the coaching staff or the quarterback to make use of Owens and Evans, and Owens is nothing more than a possible WR3 option this year. Owners have to pray that a miraculous trade gets him out of Buffalo, but that seems highly unlikely.
Antonio Bryant - His offseason knee surgery combined with poor quarterback play are to blame. All the warning signs were there before the season started, and unfortunately for those who still drafted him, they've all proven to be true. He's a match up WR3 at best right now.
T.J. Houshmandzadeh - He's had a 100 yard game and a 2 TD game so far, but 3 other games where he hasn't done much. Their offensive line is the root of the problem, and that's not going away. He's a solid WR3, but that's not what he was drafted to be.
Roy Williams - Outside of week 1, he's done almost nothing. He was expected to replace T.O., and he hasn't come close to doing it. Furthermore, Miles Austin might just be more talented than Williams is, and he's going to lose even more targets to Austin if he emerges. He's not even a WR3 right now.
Eddie Royal - Heading into the season, Royal was expected to man the slot and play the Wes Welker role in this offense. Instead, Royal has lined up wide and gone deep a lot. While Royal undoubtedly has deep speed, he doesn't have the size to be a consistent deep threat, and with Marshall around, he's not going to score many TDs. Week 5 provided some hope, but he's going to need to really break out to make it past being a possible WR3.
TE:
Jason Witten - Romo's struggles have hurt Witten, and Owens leaving has allowed defenses to play up closer and pay a lot more attention to the Cowboys' best receiving threat. As mentioned above, if Miles Austin can emerge, it will give Witten more room to work with over the middle. He does have some hope, but he's not going to re-emerge as the top TE in fantasy football.
Greg Olsen - After an offseason of hype, defenses were ready and Olsen has been doubled relentlessly. Moving forward, Cutler is showing improved chemistry with Devin Hester, Earl Bennett, and Johnny Knox, so hopefully their work outside will give Olsen more room to work over the middle. Also, the lack of a running game is hurting their play action, and those plays are often beneficial to getting the TE open. He'll improve, but he's not taking that huge leap that many expected.
QB:
Tony Romo - Romo had great weeks against poor defenses in weeks 1 and 5, but was horrible in the other three weeks. The reason behind this is his weapons...the best talent on this team is at the RB position. Jason Witten still remains an excellent TE, but losing Owens has really hurt this team. Roy Williams hasn't looked any better this season, and nobody else stepped up until week 5. Miles Austin provides some hope for Romo moving ahead, but as it stands right now, Romo is best used as a match up QB1 until he proves that he can post a good game against a good defense.
Kurt Warner - Thanks to a slow recovery to his offseason hip surgery, Warner is currently ranked as the 14th best QB in terms of FPPG (fantasy points per game). He is simply not healthy enough to have the same velocity and distance on his throws, and his lack of big plays are a direct result of that. As such, his fantasy value has plummeted. His owners can hope that his hip feels better come stretch time, but odds are what you're seeing is what you'll get from him.
Matt Cassel - There's no secret as to why Cassel has not played well...his surrounding offensive situation is as bad as it gets in the NFL. I do forsee some improvement in the 2nd half, and his 7:2 TD:INT is promising, but he will continue to be limited by his situation. He can be a match up QB1, but nothing more.
Carson Palmer - Much to my dismay, Carson Palmer has not lived up to expectations. Despite being taken on the fringe of a QB1, He's the 20th best QB in FPPG. His offensive line was considered a weakness heading into the season, but he's only been sacked 11 times in 6 games. I actually think part of the problem is the running game...Cedric Benson has been so good that they haven't felt the need to throw, and I bet very few people saw that coming. Chad Ochocinco has bounced back and looks great, but Chris Henry has battled nagging injuries, and Coles has looked horrible. Andre Caldwell has been solid, but he's not a game breaker. The thing that gives me hope is that Palmer missed so much of last year and most of the preseason, so some rust should have been expected.
RB:
Michael Turner - Turner has not shown the same burst as last season, and he's only had 1 game with a YPC above 4.0. Thanks to the surrounding offense, Turner has scored enough TDs to maintain solid fantasy value, but his YPC has crashed and I don't see this magically turning itself around. If someone is willing to give top 5 value for him, do it.
Matt Forte - Forte also hasn't shown the same burst as last season, but his offensive line has been a major problem as well. I imagine Forte is among the league leaders in being hit behind the line of scrimmage, and he's not a special enough RB to overcome that situation. Few are. His workload keeps his value reasonable, but he's seeing less receptions, and most importantly, he's struggling at the goal line. He's going to be solid over the rest of the season, but he's not returning to elite.
Steven Jackson - Jackson has actually been pretty amazing given what's he's accomplished so far with his putrid surrounding offensive situation, but he hasn't scored yet, and that is murdering his fantasy value. Much like Forte, his workload (and pure determination) keeps him valuable, but he's more of a RB2 until STL can get him on the goal line more often.
DeAngelo Williams - His value shot up in the last week or two before drafts thanks to Jonathan Stewart's lingering achillies problem, but after barely doing anything all offseason, Stewart went right back to his same role as last season. Williams still looks good more often than not, but thanks to the struggles of the passing game and the presence of a healthy Stewart, his value is limited to a match up RB2...a far cry from his RB1 draft day value.
LaDainian Tomlinson - Disappointing RB #5 from this year's first round. LT started off with a solid first performance, got hurt mid-game, and has barely done anything since. He's 30, injury prone, lost several steps, and is replaced on 3rd downs and in the 2 minute drill. Age has simply caught up to one of the NFL's best RBs in history.
Brian Westbrook - He's been serviceable when he's played, but he's been hurt more often than not, and it's clear that he's a part of a committee with LeSean McCoy moving forward. His body is breaking down on him as he ages, and he's no longer the centerpiece of the Eagles offense. He's a RB2 when he plays, but that's it.
Brandon Jacobs - For reasons completely unknown to anyone except maybe the Giants staff, Jacobs has NOT been the same RB this year. There's nothing wrong with his team as Eli and his young WRs have taken a huge step forward this year, and Ahmad Bradshaw is running just fine behind the same line Jacobs. He's admitted to a bit of a "knee thing" a few weeks ago, and it would not surprise me if he's hiding an injury. As has become common on this list, his workload keeps him valuable, but he needs to start scoring more.
Clinton Portis - Portis has shown a few glimmers of hope on his runs, but he's mostly looked a step slow, and he's getting zero help from his surrounding offense. He might have been drafted as a RB1 by owners who went QB or WR in the 1st round, and he's hardly lived up to that billing. Portis is nearing the end, and his owners need to sell high while they can.
WR:
Calvin Johnson - He was actually building some momentum with Matthew Stafford, but then Stafford got hurt, and so did he. The bye week should fix what ails him, but Stafford's season is in question until we know more about exactly what's wrong with his knee. He does the best he can, but he's clearly limited by the current state of his offense.
Steve Smith - Much like a RB with the same first name, Smith is also looking for his first TD of the year. Delhomme has looked bad, and he's getting zero help from the receiving "threats" that line up opposite him. A regressing QB, regressing offense, and no help have meant constant double teams, and there's no end in sight.
Anquan Boldin - He's posted fairly solid numbers in the games he's played, but he's been limited by his usual array of nagging injuries. He simply cannot shake the injury bug, and it's had a big effect on his game thus far this season. With Warner not looking the same and apparently another injury added onto his current ailments, Boldin is not going to live up to his draft value.
Terrell Owens - It's hard to tell if his age is catching up to him since he never gets the ball. The Bills simply don't have the coaching staff or the quarterback to make use of Owens and Evans, and Owens is nothing more than a possible WR3 option this year. Owners have to pray that a miraculous trade gets him out of Buffalo, but that seems highly unlikely.
Antonio Bryant - His offseason knee surgery combined with poor quarterback play are to blame. All the warning signs were there before the season started, and unfortunately for those who still drafted him, they've all proven to be true. He's a match up WR3 at best right now.
T.J. Houshmandzadeh - He's had a 100 yard game and a 2 TD game so far, but 3 other games where he hasn't done much. Their offensive line is the root of the problem, and that's not going away. He's a solid WR3, but that's not what he was drafted to be.
Roy Williams - Outside of week 1, he's done almost nothing. He was expected to replace T.O., and he hasn't come close to doing it. Furthermore, Miles Austin might just be more talented than Williams is, and he's going to lose even more targets to Austin if he emerges. He's not even a WR3 right now.
Eddie Royal - Heading into the season, Royal was expected to man the slot and play the Wes Welker role in this offense. Instead, Royal has lined up wide and gone deep a lot. While Royal undoubtedly has deep speed, he doesn't have the size to be a consistent deep threat, and with Marshall around, he's not going to score many TDs. Week 5 provided some hope, but he's going to need to really break out to make it past being a possible WR3.
TE:
Jason Witten - Romo's struggles have hurt Witten, and Owens leaving has allowed defenses to play up closer and pay a lot more attention to the Cowboys' best receiving threat. As mentioned above, if Miles Austin can emerge, it will give Witten more room to work with over the middle. He does have some hope, but he's not going to re-emerge as the top TE in fantasy football.
Greg Olsen - After an offseason of hype, defenses were ready and Olsen has been doubled relentlessly. Moving forward, Cutler is showing improved chemistry with Devin Hester, Earl Bennett, and Johnny Knox, so hopefully their work outside will give Olsen more room to work over the middle. Also, the lack of a running game is hurting their play action, and those plays are often beneficial to getting the TE open. He'll improve, but he's not taking that huge leap that many expected.
Week 6 Thoughts
Arizona Cardinals - Business as usual for the Cardinals. Lots of passing, some running, and standard stat lines for just about everyone. Steve Breaston is worth mentioning as a solid WR3 not getting a lot of press. He's kinda like Wes Welker where he catches a good amount of passes but doesn't score a lot.
Atlanta Falcons - Ryan had a low yardage game, but the Bears defense played well and kept the Falcons offense a bit out of sync. Turner is still not consistently churning out yardage whatsoever, but his scores are keeping his value afloat.
Baltimore Ravens - The conversion to a pass-first offense is officially in full effect, and despite minimal carries, Ray Rice is killing it right now with ridiculous efficiency per touch. Rice has moved into RB1 territory, and he stands to become even more involved as the season moves along.
Buffalo Bills - Lynch has taken over as the lead back of the committee, but Jackson is still plenty involved. Both are hurt quite a bit by the offensive situation, but Lynch is more valuable right now. The passing game continues to kill both Owens and Evans, although Evans showed good chemistry with Ryan Fitzpatrick.
Carolina Panthers - The Panthers ran like it was 2008 thanks to the horrid Bucs rushing defense, but both RBs remain match up RB2s thanks to the putrid passing game. Said passing game is killing Steve Smith, who's only a WR3 thanks to his situation. Steve Smith is a reminder to never stay married to just talent...you have to analyze the team situation as it most certainly can kill elite talent (Steven Jackson and Lee Evans also come to mind).
Cincinnati Bengals - Carson Palmer continues to disappoint. Not even a great match up against Houston allowed him to turn in a breakthrough performance. There's no question he has the talent and also the talent around him, so I still believe that he'll come through eventually this season. Until then, he's only a very low end QB1.
Chicago Bears - The offensive line is killing Matt Forte. He's constantly dodging defenders in the backfield on his carries and can never seem to truly get going. Luckily he continues to get plenty of touches, so you can continue playing him on a weekly basis.
Cleveland Browns - Complete disaster. I believe it's only a matter of time before Brady Quinn gets his job back, but nobody on this offense is worth thinking about right now.
Dallas Cowboys - Bye week.
Denver Broncos - Monday night game.
Detroit Lions - The offense was predictably impotent without both Matthew Stafford and Calvin Johnson. Kevin Smith continues to do the best he can, but he's getting no help when his surrounding talent level is this depleted due to injuries. He's still a RB2 thanks to his workload.
Green Bay Packers - Aaron Rodgers lived off of the short passing game, and unfortunately with the re-injury of Chad Clifton, this will probably be their identity for the near future. Given the favorable match ups against Detroit yesterday and Cleveland this upcoming Sunday, I don't know why Clifton was allowed back out there. This will continue to hurt Greg Jennings as his specialty is getting down field.
Houston Texans - The Arizona Cardinals of the AFC. With a horribly inefficient rushing attack, they will continue to go pass heavy, benefiting all owners of Schaub, AJ, Daniels, and Slaton (PPR leagues only). Unfortunately for those who own Kevin Walter, we're seeing Daniels pass him as the #2 target.
Indianapolis Colts - Bye week.
Jacksonville Jaguars - MJD got what he wanted and responded in a huge way, likely winning many fantasy match ups this weekend. Sims-Walker also got back on track with a big game. Those are the only two guys worth mentioning on this offense.
Kansas City Chiefs - The Chiefs got their first win against the Redskins this week, although it wasn't pretty on offense with Cassel throwing for less than 200 yards and taking 5 sacks. Luckily he was locked onto Dwayne Bowe, who proved he was healthy with a nice showing.
Miami Dolphins - Bye week.
Minnesota Vikings - Brett Favre continues to throw like a QB1. Sidney Rice exploded with a week-high 176 yards, further cementing himself as one of the breakthrough WRs of 2009. He's a weekly WR3 who's the top receiving target in an explosive offense.
New England Patriots - I think it's safe to say the passing attack rebounded yesterday. Let's hope this jump starts them to a strong finish as the big three all had excellent games. Laurence Maroney had his best game of the season, and there's a chance he could emerge as the primary ball carrier here thanks to Sammy Morris' injury.
New Orleans Saints - Brees rebounded in a big way, and Lance Moore finally posted a good game as well. Thomas and Bell are officially in a committee, although Thomas is definitely the lead back as Bell got more of his carries when the game was out of hand. However, Bell is the preferred goal line option now, and that kills Thomas' value as he'll have to score from distance. Thomas is a solid RB2, but lacks upside with Bell taking the goal line carries.
New York Giants - This was an all-around ugly game that should be forgotten. Luckily Bradshaw scored after Jacobs left with an injury, which allowed him to be quite useful as a RB2 this week.
New York Jets - Mark Sanchez had another meltdown, although this time it came against a mediocre Buffalo defense. Thomas Jones and Leon Washington did their best to save him, but it was to no avail. Take this opportunity to sell high on Thomas Jones...he's had 2 huge games sandwiched around a bunch of crap. Washington continues to be heavily involved in this offense, and for good reason.
Oakland Raiders - Dog's ass, meet sunshine. Justin Fargas has passed Michael Bush again, although it really doesn't matter. Zach Miller abused Philly and remains on the fantasy radar despite the crappy situation around him.
Philadelphia Eagles - Much like the Giants, although against the most polar opposite opponent you could find. This, too, is worth forgetting. Keep your Eagles going next week.
Pittsburgh Steelers - Big Ben is winging it all over the field, and while Holmes and Ward put up good games, it's worth mentioning Heath Miller. He is finally being consistently utilized in the passing game, and he's a TE1 going forward. Mendenhall is officially the lead back of the Steelers' running committee, and while he didn't have his best game in the YPC department, he got the majority of the carries, scored, and caught a couple passes.
San Diego Chargers - Monday night game.
San Francisco 49ers - Bye week.
Seattle Seahawks - Horrible. Seattle's decimated offensive line caved in against a tough Arizona front 7, and this is good information moving forward. You must not only consider the secondary when deciding to use Hasselbeck, but you must also consider the pass rush he's facing. This line can't protect him against a good front.
St. Louis Rams - The Rams looked great on the first drive, and then Donnie Avery left hurt again, and it imploded once more. The line is actually doing a solid job of protection, but with Robinson done for the year and Avery hurt again, there is no talent left at the WR position. Needless to say, this is killing Steven Jackson as he failed to score again, and has zero TDs on the year thus far.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Johnson took 4 more sacks and tossed another INT without managing a TD. Tampa scored 21, but can thank their special teams and defense for 14 of that. Caddy had a nice game, but outside of Winslow, there's no one here I'd want to start every week.
Tennessee Titans - Expect Kerry Collins to lose his job. He's making the Titans look terrible for giving him that extension this offseason. Chris Johnson salvaged his day with a couple long runs, but nobody else on this team did anything positive.
Washington Redskins - The Skins have hit rock bottom, even benching Jason Campbell for old man Todd Collins. This team is doing nowhere.
Atlanta Falcons - Ryan had a low yardage game, but the Bears defense played well and kept the Falcons offense a bit out of sync. Turner is still not consistently churning out yardage whatsoever, but his scores are keeping his value afloat.
Baltimore Ravens - The conversion to a pass-first offense is officially in full effect, and despite minimal carries, Ray Rice is killing it right now with ridiculous efficiency per touch. Rice has moved into RB1 territory, and he stands to become even more involved as the season moves along.
Buffalo Bills - Lynch has taken over as the lead back of the committee, but Jackson is still plenty involved. Both are hurt quite a bit by the offensive situation, but Lynch is more valuable right now. The passing game continues to kill both Owens and Evans, although Evans showed good chemistry with Ryan Fitzpatrick.
Carolina Panthers - The Panthers ran like it was 2008 thanks to the horrid Bucs rushing defense, but both RBs remain match up RB2s thanks to the putrid passing game. Said passing game is killing Steve Smith, who's only a WR3 thanks to his situation. Steve Smith is a reminder to never stay married to just talent...you have to analyze the team situation as it most certainly can kill elite talent (Steven Jackson and Lee Evans also come to mind).
Cincinnati Bengals - Carson Palmer continues to disappoint. Not even a great match up against Houston allowed him to turn in a breakthrough performance. There's no question he has the talent and also the talent around him, so I still believe that he'll come through eventually this season. Until then, he's only a very low end QB1.
Chicago Bears - The offensive line is killing Matt Forte. He's constantly dodging defenders in the backfield on his carries and can never seem to truly get going. Luckily he continues to get plenty of touches, so you can continue playing him on a weekly basis.
Cleveland Browns - Complete disaster. I believe it's only a matter of time before Brady Quinn gets his job back, but nobody on this offense is worth thinking about right now.
Dallas Cowboys - Bye week.
Denver Broncos - Monday night game.
Detroit Lions - The offense was predictably impotent without both Matthew Stafford and Calvin Johnson. Kevin Smith continues to do the best he can, but he's getting no help when his surrounding talent level is this depleted due to injuries. He's still a RB2 thanks to his workload.
Green Bay Packers - Aaron Rodgers lived off of the short passing game, and unfortunately with the re-injury of Chad Clifton, this will probably be their identity for the near future. Given the favorable match ups against Detroit yesterday and Cleveland this upcoming Sunday, I don't know why Clifton was allowed back out there. This will continue to hurt Greg Jennings as his specialty is getting down field.
Houston Texans - The Arizona Cardinals of the AFC. With a horribly inefficient rushing attack, they will continue to go pass heavy, benefiting all owners of Schaub, AJ, Daniels, and Slaton (PPR leagues only). Unfortunately for those who own Kevin Walter, we're seeing Daniels pass him as the #2 target.
Indianapolis Colts - Bye week.
Jacksonville Jaguars - MJD got what he wanted and responded in a huge way, likely winning many fantasy match ups this weekend. Sims-Walker also got back on track with a big game. Those are the only two guys worth mentioning on this offense.
Kansas City Chiefs - The Chiefs got their first win against the Redskins this week, although it wasn't pretty on offense with Cassel throwing for less than 200 yards and taking 5 sacks. Luckily he was locked onto Dwayne Bowe, who proved he was healthy with a nice showing.
Miami Dolphins - Bye week.
Minnesota Vikings - Brett Favre continues to throw like a QB1. Sidney Rice exploded with a week-high 176 yards, further cementing himself as one of the breakthrough WRs of 2009. He's a weekly WR3 who's the top receiving target in an explosive offense.
New England Patriots - I think it's safe to say the passing attack rebounded yesterday. Let's hope this jump starts them to a strong finish as the big three all had excellent games. Laurence Maroney had his best game of the season, and there's a chance he could emerge as the primary ball carrier here thanks to Sammy Morris' injury.
New Orleans Saints - Brees rebounded in a big way, and Lance Moore finally posted a good game as well. Thomas and Bell are officially in a committee, although Thomas is definitely the lead back as Bell got more of his carries when the game was out of hand. However, Bell is the preferred goal line option now, and that kills Thomas' value as he'll have to score from distance. Thomas is a solid RB2, but lacks upside with Bell taking the goal line carries.
New York Giants - This was an all-around ugly game that should be forgotten. Luckily Bradshaw scored after Jacobs left with an injury, which allowed him to be quite useful as a RB2 this week.
New York Jets - Mark Sanchez had another meltdown, although this time it came against a mediocre Buffalo defense. Thomas Jones and Leon Washington did their best to save him, but it was to no avail. Take this opportunity to sell high on Thomas Jones...he's had 2 huge games sandwiched around a bunch of crap. Washington continues to be heavily involved in this offense, and for good reason.
Oakland Raiders - Dog's ass, meet sunshine. Justin Fargas has passed Michael Bush again, although it really doesn't matter. Zach Miller abused Philly and remains on the fantasy radar despite the crappy situation around him.
Philadelphia Eagles - Much like the Giants, although against the most polar opposite opponent you could find. This, too, is worth forgetting. Keep your Eagles going next week.
Pittsburgh Steelers - Big Ben is winging it all over the field, and while Holmes and Ward put up good games, it's worth mentioning Heath Miller. He is finally being consistently utilized in the passing game, and he's a TE1 going forward. Mendenhall is officially the lead back of the Steelers' running committee, and while he didn't have his best game in the YPC department, he got the majority of the carries, scored, and caught a couple passes.
San Diego Chargers - Monday night game.
San Francisco 49ers - Bye week.
Seattle Seahawks - Horrible. Seattle's decimated offensive line caved in against a tough Arizona front 7, and this is good information moving forward. You must not only consider the secondary when deciding to use Hasselbeck, but you must also consider the pass rush he's facing. This line can't protect him against a good front.
St. Louis Rams - The Rams looked great on the first drive, and then Donnie Avery left hurt again, and it imploded once more. The line is actually doing a solid job of protection, but with Robinson done for the year and Avery hurt again, there is no talent left at the WR position. Needless to say, this is killing Steven Jackson as he failed to score again, and has zero TDs on the year thus far.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Johnson took 4 more sacks and tossed another INT without managing a TD. Tampa scored 21, but can thank their special teams and defense for 14 of that. Caddy had a nice game, but outside of Winslow, there's no one here I'd want to start every week.
Tennessee Titans - Expect Kerry Collins to lose his job. He's making the Titans look terrible for giving him that extension this offseason. Chris Johnson salvaged his day with a couple long runs, but nobody else on this team did anything positive.
Washington Redskins - The Skins have hit rock bottom, even benching Jason Campbell for old man Todd Collins. This team is doing nowhere.
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Week 6 Injury/Depth Chart Report
Arizona Cardinals - Hightower will continue to get more touches than Beanie Wells thanks to the pass-first philosophy of the offense, and Wells is becoming a liability as the defense knows what to expect when he's in the game.
Atlanta Falcons - None.
Baltimore Ravens - Rice got the vast majority of touches in week 5, and as the Ravens move towards more of a pass-first offense, Rice will see the field more accordingly. He's thriving in his current role, even with his inconsistent touches, so there's untapped upside if they choose to use him the majority of the time. He certainly has the skills for it.
Buffalo Bills - Lynch is slowly working his way back towards the lead back of the committee, and it seems like despite the impressive start that Fred Jackson had to the season, they prefer Lynch as their lead guy. I think Lynch can be used as an RB2 in the right match ups, but since this offense is far from explosive, you can't use him each week. Jackson is definitely worth hanging onto, though.
Carolina Panthers - Unlike last year, Stewart is arguably more productive with his touches, and could start getting more. Expect close to an even share of carries each week.
Cincinnati Bengals - Caldwell continues to outproduce Coles, and it's annoying that he hasn't passed him on the depth chart yet. He's a reasonable low-end WR3 in the right match ups as is, and he could be an every week option there if he can finally start.
Chicago Bears - Hester is expected to return this week and resume being a WR3 play. Earl Bennett and Johnny Knox will continue splitting snaps opposite Devin Hester.
Cleveland Browns - Derek Anderson will continue to start, and while he was a victim of drops in week 5, it's safe to wonder why at this point. The Browns should continue to see what they have with Brady Quinn...it's obvious that Anderson is not the future of this team. Jamal Lewis is officially back as the primary ball carrier, and Harrison goes back to his situational role.
Dallas Cowboys - Bye week.
Denver Broncos - Knowshon Moreno has officially moved into the starting RB position, but Buckhalter will return in week 6. Moreno is a RB2 regardless as the primary ball carrier in a solid match up against SD this week.
Detroit Lions - Matthew Stafford and Calvin Johnson will both miss week 6, so plan on alternatives. Dennis Northcutt will take CJ's place and is only a desperation play.
Green Bay Packers - Greg Jennings took to the media about demanding the ball more earlier this week, and I expect the Packers to get the ball to him more in week 6. Chad Clifton's return will be a boost to Rodgers' protection this week.
Houston Texans - Chris Brown continues to get the short yardage work, but after a critical fumble earlier in the season followed by getting stuffed on 4th and 1 last week to tie the game, you have to wonder if the Texans are considering alternatives here.
Indianapolis Colts - Bye week.
Jacksonville Jaguars - MJD went off on the offense today, so expect a heavy dose of him in week 6, and I'm also expecting a big game against a weak STL defense. Mike Sims-Walker: from fantasy gold to fantasy doghouse. Supposedly he stayed out too late getting laid on Saturday night, so he was punished in week 5, along with most of his fantasy owners. This was especially annoying as he was a surprise inactive during the late games, and I am extremely lucky to have Eddie Royal behind him so I could plug someone in. This is not a long term concern, and Sims-Walker has probably learned his lesson. Get him back out there in week 6.
Kansas City Chiefs - Dwayne Bowe looked 100% in week 5 and is safe to use as a WR2 moving forward. If Cassel can build off of his strong week 5 showing, Bowe could flirt with WR1 numbers. The other WR position is a fantasy wasteland.
Miami Dolphins - Bye week.
Minnesota Vikings - Sidney Rice continues to improve as the secondary receiver, and he's actually outproducing Bernard Berrian so far. Both are potential WR3s options, with Rice being a better bet for TDs. Rice is quietly emerging as a very nice NFL WR.
New England Patriots - Moss and Welker continue to miss some practices, but both are fine. If there's a week to get this passing attack back on track, it's this week's match up against the banged up TEN secondary.
New Orleans Saints - Pierre Thomas continues to battle minor injuries as he's battling an ankle problem now. Mike Bell has returned to practice at 100%. I would not be surprised if there is some sort of committee forming here given Thomas' inability to stay healthy, but Thomas is listed as probable for week 6, and I would still roll with him as a RB2.
New York Giants - Eli Manning looked great in limited action in week 5, and while he'll be limited in practice this week, there's no question in my mind that he'll start in week 6 in a battle of the unbeatens against the Saints. Jacobs continues to frustrate owners, but he's getting plenty of touches...enough to be useful. Bradshaw has been wildly productive each Sunday, and he's a solid RB2 for bye week purposes...perhaps even on non-bye week purposes depending on who else you have. I'd rather be using him than guys like Portis and Thomas Jones...
New York Jets - Thomas Jones and Leon Washington continue to split snaps, with Washington looking better. Both are reasonable RB3s, with TJ the better bet for TDs and Washington the better bet for yardage and catches. Braylon Edwards looked right at home and dominated targets...he's a WR2 with upside in NY. Cotchery is out for week 6, so David Clowney will start for him. He's only a desperation play.
Oakland Raiders - Darren McFadden is still out while recovering from his knee injury, and Michael Bush will start and see more carries each week. However, he's only a last ditch RB2 in a horrible match up against PHI this week. Oakland's schedule has been brutal with McFadden out.
Philadelphia Eagles - McNabb looked great in week 5. Westbrook looked pretty solid as well, but split carries with LeSean McCoy. There's a good chance that will continue moving forward given Westbrook's inability to stay healthy, and also McCoy's effectiveness when he's played. Jeremy Maclin took over for Kevin Curtis in week 5...and he's probably taken his job for good. He's a WR3 until he proves otherwise, but he might get a lot of Asomugha in coverage this week.
Pittsburgh Steelers - Mendenhall is battling an illness that has prevented him for practicing while Willie Parker has returned to practice in full so far this week. Thankfully, Mendenhall returned to practice on Friday and should receive the majority of the carries in week 6. Use him.
San Diego Chargers - LT figures to have benefited from a bye week, but he's still going to split work with Sproles, coming out on passing downs and in the hurry up offense. This will be a solid test of what exactly LT has left...if he can't regain some explosiveness after a week off, it'll be about time to write him off as anything more than a RB3 moving forward. He also has a stern test against DEN's surprising D.
San Francisco 49ers - Bye week.
Seattle Seahawks - Matt Hasselbeck is back, and he carved up a horrible Jacksonville secondary. Arizona provides another positive match up, and he's still a good bye week fill-in. The running game has resumed being worthless. Burleson is apparently for real while Hasselbeck is starting...he's the #5 receiver so far!! Housh is also a WR3.
St. Louis Rams - Marc Bulger came in to clean up Boller's mess and looked pretty good. He's back starting this week against a weak Jacksonville secondary, so he's a decent QB2 this week if you're lacking options. Donnie Avery is a sneaky WR3 this week as well. Also, after 5 weeks of waiting, I think this is the week that Steven Jackson finally scores a TD.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Josh Johnson will start again, but he's looked poor thus far. The running game, thought in the preseason to be a strength, has been a bit of a wasteland as Caddy/Ward split carries behind a defense that can't stop anyone. Antonio Bryant is putting up reasonable numbers, but his knee continues to limit him. He's a risky WR3.
Tennessee Titans - None.
Washington Redskins - Portis again busted in the yardage department, but 2 TDs saved his fantasy day. The current coaching staff remains loyal to him for his years of service, but if Zorn and company are fired, it might not stay that way. I would try to deal him immediately if you can.
Atlanta Falcons - None.
Baltimore Ravens - Rice got the vast majority of touches in week 5, and as the Ravens move towards more of a pass-first offense, Rice will see the field more accordingly. He's thriving in his current role, even with his inconsistent touches, so there's untapped upside if they choose to use him the majority of the time. He certainly has the skills for it.
Buffalo Bills - Lynch is slowly working his way back towards the lead back of the committee, and it seems like despite the impressive start that Fred Jackson had to the season, they prefer Lynch as their lead guy. I think Lynch can be used as an RB2 in the right match ups, but since this offense is far from explosive, you can't use him each week. Jackson is definitely worth hanging onto, though.
Carolina Panthers - Unlike last year, Stewart is arguably more productive with his touches, and could start getting more. Expect close to an even share of carries each week.
Cincinnati Bengals - Caldwell continues to outproduce Coles, and it's annoying that he hasn't passed him on the depth chart yet. He's a reasonable low-end WR3 in the right match ups as is, and he could be an every week option there if he can finally start.
Chicago Bears - Hester is expected to return this week and resume being a WR3 play. Earl Bennett and Johnny Knox will continue splitting snaps opposite Devin Hester.
Cleveland Browns - Derek Anderson will continue to start, and while he was a victim of drops in week 5, it's safe to wonder why at this point. The Browns should continue to see what they have with Brady Quinn...it's obvious that Anderson is not the future of this team. Jamal Lewis is officially back as the primary ball carrier, and Harrison goes back to his situational role.
Dallas Cowboys - Bye week.
Denver Broncos - Knowshon Moreno has officially moved into the starting RB position, but Buckhalter will return in week 6. Moreno is a RB2 regardless as the primary ball carrier in a solid match up against SD this week.
Detroit Lions - Matthew Stafford and Calvin Johnson will both miss week 6, so plan on alternatives. Dennis Northcutt will take CJ's place and is only a desperation play.
Green Bay Packers - Greg Jennings took to the media about demanding the ball more earlier this week, and I expect the Packers to get the ball to him more in week 6. Chad Clifton's return will be a boost to Rodgers' protection this week.
Houston Texans - Chris Brown continues to get the short yardage work, but after a critical fumble earlier in the season followed by getting stuffed on 4th and 1 last week to tie the game, you have to wonder if the Texans are considering alternatives here.
Indianapolis Colts - Bye week.
Jacksonville Jaguars - MJD went off on the offense today, so expect a heavy dose of him in week 6, and I'm also expecting a big game against a weak STL defense. Mike Sims-Walker: from fantasy gold to fantasy doghouse. Supposedly he stayed out too late getting laid on Saturday night, so he was punished in week 5, along with most of his fantasy owners. This was especially annoying as he was a surprise inactive during the late games, and I am extremely lucky to have Eddie Royal behind him so I could plug someone in. This is not a long term concern, and Sims-Walker has probably learned his lesson. Get him back out there in week 6.
Kansas City Chiefs - Dwayne Bowe looked 100% in week 5 and is safe to use as a WR2 moving forward. If Cassel can build off of his strong week 5 showing, Bowe could flirt with WR1 numbers. The other WR position is a fantasy wasteland.
Miami Dolphins - Bye week.
Minnesota Vikings - Sidney Rice continues to improve as the secondary receiver, and he's actually outproducing Bernard Berrian so far. Both are potential WR3s options, with Rice being a better bet for TDs. Rice is quietly emerging as a very nice NFL WR.
New England Patriots - Moss and Welker continue to miss some practices, but both are fine. If there's a week to get this passing attack back on track, it's this week's match up against the banged up TEN secondary.
New Orleans Saints - Pierre Thomas continues to battle minor injuries as he's battling an ankle problem now. Mike Bell has returned to practice at 100%. I would not be surprised if there is some sort of committee forming here given Thomas' inability to stay healthy, but Thomas is listed as probable for week 6, and I would still roll with him as a RB2.
New York Giants - Eli Manning looked great in limited action in week 5, and while he'll be limited in practice this week, there's no question in my mind that he'll start in week 6 in a battle of the unbeatens against the Saints. Jacobs continues to frustrate owners, but he's getting plenty of touches...enough to be useful. Bradshaw has been wildly productive each Sunday, and he's a solid RB2 for bye week purposes...perhaps even on non-bye week purposes depending on who else you have. I'd rather be using him than guys like Portis and Thomas Jones...
New York Jets - Thomas Jones and Leon Washington continue to split snaps, with Washington looking better. Both are reasonable RB3s, with TJ the better bet for TDs and Washington the better bet for yardage and catches. Braylon Edwards looked right at home and dominated targets...he's a WR2 with upside in NY. Cotchery is out for week 6, so David Clowney will start for him. He's only a desperation play.
Oakland Raiders - Darren McFadden is still out while recovering from his knee injury, and Michael Bush will start and see more carries each week. However, he's only a last ditch RB2 in a horrible match up against PHI this week. Oakland's schedule has been brutal with McFadden out.
Philadelphia Eagles - McNabb looked great in week 5. Westbrook looked pretty solid as well, but split carries with LeSean McCoy. There's a good chance that will continue moving forward given Westbrook's inability to stay healthy, and also McCoy's effectiveness when he's played. Jeremy Maclin took over for Kevin Curtis in week 5...and he's probably taken his job for good. He's a WR3 until he proves otherwise, but he might get a lot of Asomugha in coverage this week.
Pittsburgh Steelers - Mendenhall is battling an illness that has prevented him for practicing while Willie Parker has returned to practice in full so far this week. Thankfully, Mendenhall returned to practice on Friday and should receive the majority of the carries in week 6. Use him.
San Diego Chargers - LT figures to have benefited from a bye week, but he's still going to split work with Sproles, coming out on passing downs and in the hurry up offense. This will be a solid test of what exactly LT has left...if he can't regain some explosiveness after a week off, it'll be about time to write him off as anything more than a RB3 moving forward. He also has a stern test against DEN's surprising D.
San Francisco 49ers - Bye week.
Seattle Seahawks - Matt Hasselbeck is back, and he carved up a horrible Jacksonville secondary. Arizona provides another positive match up, and he's still a good bye week fill-in. The running game has resumed being worthless. Burleson is apparently for real while Hasselbeck is starting...he's the #5 receiver so far!! Housh is also a WR3.
St. Louis Rams - Marc Bulger came in to clean up Boller's mess and looked pretty good. He's back starting this week against a weak Jacksonville secondary, so he's a decent QB2 this week if you're lacking options. Donnie Avery is a sneaky WR3 this week as well. Also, after 5 weeks of waiting, I think this is the week that Steven Jackson finally scores a TD.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Josh Johnson will start again, but he's looked poor thus far. The running game, thought in the preseason to be a strength, has been a bit of a wasteland as Caddy/Ward split carries behind a defense that can't stop anyone. Antonio Bryant is putting up reasonable numbers, but his knee continues to limit him. He's a risky WR3.
Tennessee Titans - None.
Washington Redskins - Portis again busted in the yardage department, but 2 TDs saved his fantasy day. The current coaching staff remains loyal to him for his years of service, but if Zorn and company are fired, it might not stay that way. I would try to deal him immediately if you can.
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Week 6 Waiver Wire
QB:
Matt Hasselbeck - It is highly unlikely that he's available, but I could see someone dropping him after his injury. He's a great bye week fill-in, and can be started in favorable match ups until his next injury. Get him if he's out there.
Matt Stafford - He's worth the stash as a QB2 as long as you don't need him before week 8. Culpepper will likely start in week 6, and then they have their bye in week 7. He was doing a solid job prior to his knee injury, so odds are there's a team out there that could use him as a backup.
Chad Henne - If you're in a deep league, there's not much out there, and you need help at QB, Henne isn't a horrible add. He will be limited in attempts, isn't on the field all the time thanks to the Wildcat, and his surrounding weapons are poor, but he'll likely be efficient with his throws and has plenty of starting experience from college. He's a low end QB2.
RB:
Mike Bell - Bell will return in week 6, but his exact role is unclear. Some believe he'll split time with Pierre Thomas, but Thomas has looked way too good in the two games after returning from a knee injury. Some believe he'll take over short yardage, but Thomas has never struggled there. Thomas also holds the edge in talent. I believe Bell will see the field some as a backup, but he's not a true threat to carries. Regardless of all of this, he needs to be owned as the clear-cut backup on a powerful offense. Pierre Thomas owners especially should keep him on the end of their bench.
Ladell Betts - Portis has not looked good, even in great match ups. Changes are on the horizon for the Redskins, and there's always a chance Betts could pick up a bigger role. Plus, if Portis keeps getting 20 carries a week, he's going to break down again. There's not a lot of upside here given the state of the Redskins offense, but if you don't have a better use for a bench spot, you could speculate here.
Jamaal Charles - Another speculatory pick. Head coach Todd Haley says he's sticking with Larry Johnson and puts most of the blame for his poor performance on his offensive line. While the offensive line is no doubt a problem, LJ simply can't make things happen on his own. Charles is hardly a workhorse back, but he's a good fit into a spread offense and offers far more passing down ability than LJ does. Same opinion on stashing Betts applies to Charles.
WR:
Miles Austin - Austin is worth using your #1 waiver priority on. He carries some risk as he's always been long on talent but short on production, but the Cowboys badly need someone to step up at the receiver position. Roy Williams simply isn't cutting it, and Austin has the size, speed, and leaping ability to be their big play guy. There's a very good chance Crayton will get put into the slot with Austin replacing him out wide. If you need an immediate starting WR, Austin is your guy.
Jeremy Maclin - Maclin is also worth using your #1 waiver priority on. Kevin Curtis is too banged up to make any sort of impact as he continues to have problems with his knees, and he hasn't looked right all season. Maclin is a great fit into the west coast offense as a solid route runner with burner speed and good hands. Jackson will continue to be the #1 receiver on the team, but Maclin will explode for some good games as well, and he's an immediate WR3 candidate for your lineup.
Andre Caldwell - I know I've listed him here before, but he has to be close to replacing Coles in the starting lineup after outperforming him the past couple weeks. He's faster and even more reliable catching the ball at this stage in Coles' career. Once Caldwell overtakes him, he'll be another WR3 candidate.
Donnie Avery - I think I've listed him before as well, but with Marc Bulger expected back under center, he's going to have the same QB he built chemistry with last season. The Rams will undoubtedly be trailing a lot, and he's their best chance at making plays in the passing game. He's a sneaky WR3 against a horrible Jacksonville secondary this weekend, but he's only a match up play at this point.
Josh Morgan - He was probably dropped by a lot of teams after his slow start, but he's coming around with 2 solid fantasy weeks in a row. He'll continue to be limited by the run-first nature of the SF offense, but he's plenty talented and should be their #1 receiver for the rest of the year. He's a great guy to have on the end of your bench.
TE:
None.
Thoughts: WR is obviously very deep this week with a lot of interesting talent, but those are the only guys worth using a waiver position on. Nobody else that I listed at QB or RB (unless you need a QB and Hasselbeck is somehow available) is worth burning a waiver position on. If you can't get one of the WRs, this is a great week to take it easy and move up a few spots while the guys ahead of you use their position.
Matt Hasselbeck - It is highly unlikely that he's available, but I could see someone dropping him after his injury. He's a great bye week fill-in, and can be started in favorable match ups until his next injury. Get him if he's out there.
Matt Stafford - He's worth the stash as a QB2 as long as you don't need him before week 8. Culpepper will likely start in week 6, and then they have their bye in week 7. He was doing a solid job prior to his knee injury, so odds are there's a team out there that could use him as a backup.
Chad Henne - If you're in a deep league, there's not much out there, and you need help at QB, Henne isn't a horrible add. He will be limited in attempts, isn't on the field all the time thanks to the Wildcat, and his surrounding weapons are poor, but he'll likely be efficient with his throws and has plenty of starting experience from college. He's a low end QB2.
RB:
Mike Bell - Bell will return in week 6, but his exact role is unclear. Some believe he'll split time with Pierre Thomas, but Thomas has looked way too good in the two games after returning from a knee injury. Some believe he'll take over short yardage, but Thomas has never struggled there. Thomas also holds the edge in talent. I believe Bell will see the field some as a backup, but he's not a true threat to carries. Regardless of all of this, he needs to be owned as the clear-cut backup on a powerful offense. Pierre Thomas owners especially should keep him on the end of their bench.
Ladell Betts - Portis has not looked good, even in great match ups. Changes are on the horizon for the Redskins, and there's always a chance Betts could pick up a bigger role. Plus, if Portis keeps getting 20 carries a week, he's going to break down again. There's not a lot of upside here given the state of the Redskins offense, but if you don't have a better use for a bench spot, you could speculate here.
Jamaal Charles - Another speculatory pick. Head coach Todd Haley says he's sticking with Larry Johnson and puts most of the blame for his poor performance on his offensive line. While the offensive line is no doubt a problem, LJ simply can't make things happen on his own. Charles is hardly a workhorse back, but he's a good fit into a spread offense and offers far more passing down ability than LJ does. Same opinion on stashing Betts applies to Charles.
WR:
Miles Austin - Austin is worth using your #1 waiver priority on. He carries some risk as he's always been long on talent but short on production, but the Cowboys badly need someone to step up at the receiver position. Roy Williams simply isn't cutting it, and Austin has the size, speed, and leaping ability to be their big play guy. There's a very good chance Crayton will get put into the slot with Austin replacing him out wide. If you need an immediate starting WR, Austin is your guy.
Jeremy Maclin - Maclin is also worth using your #1 waiver priority on. Kevin Curtis is too banged up to make any sort of impact as he continues to have problems with his knees, and he hasn't looked right all season. Maclin is a great fit into the west coast offense as a solid route runner with burner speed and good hands. Jackson will continue to be the #1 receiver on the team, but Maclin will explode for some good games as well, and he's an immediate WR3 candidate for your lineup.
Andre Caldwell - I know I've listed him here before, but he has to be close to replacing Coles in the starting lineup after outperforming him the past couple weeks. He's faster and even more reliable catching the ball at this stage in Coles' career. Once Caldwell overtakes him, he'll be another WR3 candidate.
Donnie Avery - I think I've listed him before as well, but with Marc Bulger expected back under center, he's going to have the same QB he built chemistry with last season. The Rams will undoubtedly be trailing a lot, and he's their best chance at making plays in the passing game. He's a sneaky WR3 against a horrible Jacksonville secondary this weekend, but he's only a match up play at this point.
Josh Morgan - He was probably dropped by a lot of teams after his slow start, but he's coming around with 2 solid fantasy weeks in a row. He'll continue to be limited by the run-first nature of the SF offense, but he's plenty talented and should be their #1 receiver for the rest of the year. He's a great guy to have on the end of your bench.
TE:
None.
Thoughts: WR is obviously very deep this week with a lot of interesting talent, but those are the only guys worth using a waiver position on. Nobody else that I listed at QB or RB (unless you need a QB and Hasselbeck is somehow available) is worth burning a waiver position on. If you can't get one of the WRs, this is a great week to take it easy and move up a few spots while the guys ahead of you use their position.
Rant: Braylon Edwards Overturned TD Catch
I was irate at that catch Braylon Edwards made last night that was called a TD on the field, but it was eventually ruled not a TD. At the beginning of the year, the NFL stated that they wanted to have reviews not overturn calls on the field unless there was no doubt the call should be overturned. Out of all the angles they showed last night, it looked like he was probably short when his knee hit, but I didn't see a definitive angle that proved without a doubt that he was. On top of all of that, the refs and announcers completely missed the fact that he wasn't touched until he had slid into the end zone. He jumped for the catch, made it, came down and his knee probably hit when the ball was a bit short of the goal line, but the Dolphins defender didn't touch him until he had slid forward a little and the ball has broken the plane. Maybe I missed something, but after he made the catch, I don't think he was touched until the safety ran over a second later. How the hell does a paid ref, and paid NFL announcers, miss the fact you need to be touched before being considered down?
This is likely something that affected a few fantasy match ups as it cost Braylon Edwards 6 points. Luckily in both leagues I had him, the Ronnie Brown TD later on sealed a win, but you always want more points for tie breaking purposes. The Jets scored on the next play, so it became a moot point within the actual game, but I felt this was an embarrassing call on two different levels.
This is likely something that affected a few fantasy match ups as it cost Braylon Edwards 6 points. Luckily in both leagues I had him, the Ronnie Brown TD later on sealed a win, but you always want more points for tie breaking purposes. The Jets scored on the next play, so it became a moot point within the actual game, but I felt this was an embarrassing call on two different levels.
Monday, October 12, 2009
Buy Low Candidates
I wanted to write this article last week, and I regret it as I wanted to highlight Roddy White as an excellent buy low heading into this past weekend. Unfortunately I didn't get around to it, but now's not a bad time to go through everything. After 4-5 weeks in, you start to realize the trends of the new season, but it's also a great time to capitalize on the mirages of slow starts. I'm going to run through a couple guys, broken down by position, to go after in trade talks. Now when I say buy low, I don't mean send an insulting low offer and try to get them for nothing. Leagues vary with knowledge from league to league, and also from owner to owner within each league. A buy low isn't always a player you can get on the cheap, but it's also a player that someone might be willing to trade after a couple cold games when in normal circumstances he wouldn't think of it. I always suggest coming in a bit low to give yourself some wiggle room, but don't send offers that insult the other owner's intelligence.
QB:
Drew Brees - Brees is the perfect example of someone whom you might be able to land in a trade during a cold streak, when in normal circumstances his owner wouldn't think of trading him. Coming off of 2 straight TD-less weeks, you might find someone who's a bit frustrated with his recent trends, plus another huge bonus is that he is done with his bye week. You'll have to pay full price, most likely, but maybe his owner will consider it.
Tom Brady - Brady has certainly not lived up to the lofty preseason expectations, but he does figure to get better as the season moves along. Outside of Phillip Rivers last year, almost every QB that suffers a torn ACL (McNabb and Palmer come to mind for recent examples) struggle during the 1st half, and then tend to turn it on during the 2nd half. Brady should do the same, so see if you can pry him away for the stretch run.
Matt Cassel - Like I mentioned before, Cassel is playing well given his situation, but he's not doing much to help fantasy teams outside of last week. There's no question owners who drafted him as a borderline QB1 are very down on him so far, so he's a cheaper alternative if you don't have the firepower to land Brees or Brady. The running attack is simply not working for KC, so KC is going to throw it a lot. He's someone who can be a serviceable QB1 starter thanks to volume throwing, and he's someone you can get for cheap. His receivers limit his upside, but he'll get better know that he's a few weeks removed from his knee surgery and is getting to know his offensive system better.
RB:
Matt Forte - Perhaps the bye week will be the time necessary for his owners to get over his solid week 4, and if not, you could try to play up the fact he's not doing much with his touches on the season. I can only imagine things will get better for Forte as the season progresses and the offense falls into its true identity. He's playing way below his talent level, and while the offensive line isn't built to move people off the ball, Cutler will keep extra defenders out of the box, opening up more running lanes for Forte. He should be a reliable RB1 the rest of the way, but he won't come close to his receptions from last year due to Cutler's willingness to throw down the field.
Frank Gore - His ideal buy-low time would have been right after his injury since it was initially reported as a 2 week injury, but now is a good time to inquire. He's the centerpiece of a run-first offense, and while there's some risk here as he's had ankle injuries before, he's always been productive on the field, and the bye week should get him close to 100%. His owner will probably hang on, but you could try to offer a lesser RB and some of your depth to fill one of his lineup weaknesses.
Marion Barber - Barber has been suffering through a quad injury sustained three weeks ago, and it has impacted his performance over the past two. Owners might be getting frustrated, but he is still the centerpiece of this offense, and the bye week should fix his leg. He's going to score plenty when he gets healthy. Try to see if you can land him, especially if you have RB depth and the Barber owner is struggling through his bye week.
WR:
Randy Moss - I will suggest Moss for the exact same reasons as Brady above. As Brady gets better, Moss will get better. Perhaps you can get in before he inevitably has a true breakthrough game.
Greg Jennings - Jennings is my best buy low guy here. He has been hampered a bit by a minor wrist injury, and he's also been held back by the lack of protection for Aaron Rodgers...Rodgers hasn't had the time to get it to him down the field. Outside of a strong week 1, he's been very inconsistent with his targets and his production. With Chad Clifton returning and the re-signing of Mark Tauscher, Rodgers' protection is going to improve. Another bonus is that his bye week is now past him. Try your best to land him.
Dwayne Bowe - Bowe has struggled out of the gates, and he can only go as far as Cassel will allow him to. Cassel has suffered from even worse protection than Rodgers and has been abysmal so far, but he's slowly coming around, and KC's schedule lightens up. Bowe, unlike Jennings above, isn't reliant on the deep ball to post great numbers as he's more like Anquan Boldin. Now Bowe has scored 3 times, which hurts his buy low ability, but his yardage has remained very low. See if you can land him as he has the ability to post low end WR1 numbers.
Eddie Royal - This is a very cautious recommendation, but for the price he'll likely command, it's worth a WR3 shot. He finally posted a solid week 5 after 4 weeks of barf, and the coaching staff indicated that his solid performance was more of a reaction to the game than a preconceived effort to get him the ball, but this is a minor move you could make for your bench with the ability to get back to an every week starter.
Anthony Gonzalez - He's due back after the bye week, and despite the contributions of Garcon and Collie in his absence, Gonzalez should move right back into the middle of a passing attack that is on fire. His bye week is coming up, and then he is on schedule to return after that in week 7. He'd have the ability to post WR2 numbers in the 2nd half for what could be a fraction of the price.
TE:
Greg Olsen - Olsen has obviously struggled out of the gate after big preseason expectations, but you can bet the Bears worked on ways to get him the football during their bye week. Olsen still has a chance to lead this team in receiving, especially from here on out. He's a great talent, and he has a QB who has found his groove since week 1. Expect increased production moving forward, and see if you can land him on the cheap.
QB:
Drew Brees - Brees is the perfect example of someone whom you might be able to land in a trade during a cold streak, when in normal circumstances his owner wouldn't think of trading him. Coming off of 2 straight TD-less weeks, you might find someone who's a bit frustrated with his recent trends, plus another huge bonus is that he is done with his bye week. You'll have to pay full price, most likely, but maybe his owner will consider it.
Tom Brady - Brady has certainly not lived up to the lofty preseason expectations, but he does figure to get better as the season moves along. Outside of Phillip Rivers last year, almost every QB that suffers a torn ACL (McNabb and Palmer come to mind for recent examples) struggle during the 1st half, and then tend to turn it on during the 2nd half. Brady should do the same, so see if you can pry him away for the stretch run.
Matt Cassel - Like I mentioned before, Cassel is playing well given his situation, but he's not doing much to help fantasy teams outside of last week. There's no question owners who drafted him as a borderline QB1 are very down on him so far, so he's a cheaper alternative if you don't have the firepower to land Brees or Brady. The running attack is simply not working for KC, so KC is going to throw it a lot. He's someone who can be a serviceable QB1 starter thanks to volume throwing, and he's someone you can get for cheap. His receivers limit his upside, but he'll get better know that he's a few weeks removed from his knee surgery and is getting to know his offensive system better.
RB:
Matt Forte - Perhaps the bye week will be the time necessary for his owners to get over his solid week 4, and if not, you could try to play up the fact he's not doing much with his touches on the season. I can only imagine things will get better for Forte as the season progresses and the offense falls into its true identity. He's playing way below his talent level, and while the offensive line isn't built to move people off the ball, Cutler will keep extra defenders out of the box, opening up more running lanes for Forte. He should be a reliable RB1 the rest of the way, but he won't come close to his receptions from last year due to Cutler's willingness to throw down the field.
Frank Gore - His ideal buy-low time would have been right after his injury since it was initially reported as a 2 week injury, but now is a good time to inquire. He's the centerpiece of a run-first offense, and while there's some risk here as he's had ankle injuries before, he's always been productive on the field, and the bye week should get him close to 100%. His owner will probably hang on, but you could try to offer a lesser RB and some of your depth to fill one of his lineup weaknesses.
Marion Barber - Barber has been suffering through a quad injury sustained three weeks ago, and it has impacted his performance over the past two. Owners might be getting frustrated, but he is still the centerpiece of this offense, and the bye week should fix his leg. He's going to score plenty when he gets healthy. Try to see if you can land him, especially if you have RB depth and the Barber owner is struggling through his bye week.
WR:
Randy Moss - I will suggest Moss for the exact same reasons as Brady above. As Brady gets better, Moss will get better. Perhaps you can get in before he inevitably has a true breakthrough game.
Greg Jennings - Jennings is my best buy low guy here. He has been hampered a bit by a minor wrist injury, and he's also been held back by the lack of protection for Aaron Rodgers...Rodgers hasn't had the time to get it to him down the field. Outside of a strong week 1, he's been very inconsistent with his targets and his production. With Chad Clifton returning and the re-signing of Mark Tauscher, Rodgers' protection is going to improve. Another bonus is that his bye week is now past him. Try your best to land him.
Dwayne Bowe - Bowe has struggled out of the gates, and he can only go as far as Cassel will allow him to. Cassel has suffered from even worse protection than Rodgers and has been abysmal so far, but he's slowly coming around, and KC's schedule lightens up. Bowe, unlike Jennings above, isn't reliant on the deep ball to post great numbers as he's more like Anquan Boldin. Now Bowe has scored 3 times, which hurts his buy low ability, but his yardage has remained very low. See if you can land him as he has the ability to post low end WR1 numbers.
Eddie Royal - This is a very cautious recommendation, but for the price he'll likely command, it's worth a WR3 shot. He finally posted a solid week 5 after 4 weeks of barf, and the coaching staff indicated that his solid performance was more of a reaction to the game than a preconceived effort to get him the ball, but this is a minor move you could make for your bench with the ability to get back to an every week starter.
Anthony Gonzalez - He's due back after the bye week, and despite the contributions of Garcon and Collie in his absence, Gonzalez should move right back into the middle of a passing attack that is on fire. His bye week is coming up, and then he is on schedule to return after that in week 7. He'd have the ability to post WR2 numbers in the 2nd half for what could be a fraction of the price.
TE:
Greg Olsen - Olsen has obviously struggled out of the gate after big preseason expectations, but you can bet the Bears worked on ways to get him the football during their bye week. Olsen still has a chance to lead this team in receiving, especially from here on out. He's a great talent, and he has a QB who has found his groove since week 1. Expect increased production moving forward, and see if you can land him on the cheap.
Week 5 Thoughts
Arizona Cardinals - Talk about bi-polar when it comes to Warner. He lit up Houston in the 1st half, and then sucked in the 2nd half as Houston almost came all the way back. Luckily his 1st half was so good that he put up a great fantasy outing. Fitz turned in a big game, and Boldin put up a solid receiving performance, but hurt his owners by losing a fumble. Wells and Hightower split carries evenly, but neither impressed as Arizona continues to pass as often as they can.
Atlanta Falcons - Matt Ryan was great again, and I hope you were able to buy low on Roddy White as the window of opportunity slammed shut with his ridiculous performance. Michael Turner looked much better coming out of the bye, putting up his first good game with respect to YPC and also scoring 3 TDs. Gonzalez took a backseat in the high scoring affair this week. This was a very impressive performance against a good defense. Ryan, Turner, White, and Gonzalez are all great options moving forward, but I maintain my concern regarding Michael Turner's workload.
Baltimore Ravens - Flacco has officially become a QB1 as the Ravens have moved from a run-first to a pass-first offense. Flacco struggled in this one, but still tossed a TD thanks to a ridiculous play from Ray Rice on a dump-off pass. Heap managed 7 catches, which was huge for PPR leaguers. Speaking of Ray Rice, he dominated touches in the backfield in this one. He has been one of the most productive RBs in football this year on a per-touch basis, and he's even scored twice despite not being the preferred goal line runner. I apologize to anyone who used McGahee on my "solid bye-week replacement" recommendation from last week...he saw two touches all game. We'll continue to monitor this seemingly inconsistent backfield, but there's no question that Rice is here to stay as a RB2.
Buffalo Bills - Trent Edwards still sucks, and this has dragged Owens down to a WR3 and Evans to a "stay on the bench" WR. In hindsight, we all should have seen this coming from a conservative coach with a conservative QB. Lynch lead the team in both carries and catches, although he only had 4 more than Fred Jackson. Most noteworthy, however, is the fact Lynch was definitely more productive with his touches. Lynch is sneaking his way back into RB2 territory, but with an upcoming game against the Jets, he's got a touch match up ahead.
Carolina Panthers - Carolina tried to run the ball more coming out of the bye week, but they weren't very effective doing it. Delhomme looked blah again. Williams posted a miserable day including a fumble while Jonathan Stewart was more productive per rush and added a TD run. Steve Smith did about as well as expected given his current situation, but he has regressed into a WR2 with the state of this offense. Williams and Stewart are both RB2/3 moving forward and that's it. Williams better not do so little again with his touches or he's going to lose his lead back title of this committee.
Cincinnati Bengals - Palmer started off hot with a big first half in regards to yardage, but then Cincy turned to the ground game as Benson became the first 100 yard runner against Baltimore in quite some time. Palmer then saved his best for last, again, marching his team down the field and throwing the go-ahead TD pass late in the 4th quarter. He posted another solid, but not spectacular fantasy line as he's moving along as a lower-end QB1 right now.
Chicago Bears - Bye week.
Cleveland Browns - Absolute barf. Jamal Lewis came back to wreck Jerome Harrison's day by taking 31 carries and being somewhat productive with them. He's a RB3 in the right match up, but that's about all I can say regarding this offense.
Dallas Cowboys - Romo's pretty productive when his WRs make ridiculous plays for him, as they did in both week 1 and week 5. He looked shaky again, even against KC, but Miles Austin obviously made things happen after the catch. We'll try not to over-react to one big game given he hasn't done much in his career thus far, but Austin has the skills and the opportunity to be the leading receiver for the Cowboys over the rest of the year. Roy Williams and Patrick Crayton aren't doing anything, and Witten is doing a bit more blocking than usual. Someone has to step up, and Austin has the talent to do just that. Barber was again hampered by his quad injury, so once again Choice stepped in and made the most of his touches. This has been the case for two weeks now, so the bye week comes at the perfect time for Barber.
Denver Broncos - They are for real. Orton played the best game of his year as this offense is starting to get comfortable with each other. Marshall has predictably emerged as the top target, using his size and speed to get open and make plays after the catch. The rest of the receivers are still in a rotation, but Eddie Royal finally gave his owners something to cheer about with a 10/90 performance. Until he shows some consistency, and given the coaching staff said his performance was match up-based even, it's not safe to say he's back. Moreno was good with his touches, but a fumble hurt him. Unfortunately he didn't get a crack at the end zone in this one
Detroit Lions - Well, that was about as much as could be expected. Culpepper was solid, and after Calvin left in the first drive with a knee injury, he spread the ball around and also made a play or two with his legs. He'll remain the starter while Stafford recovers, but with Green Bay and their tough secondary up next, he's a low end bye week fill-in. They aren't opening up holes for Kevin Smith, but thanks to his passing game production, he's posting solid weekly yardage totals.
Green Bay Packers - Bye week.
Houston Texans - Schaub posted another monster week thanks to the nature of this offense. With Slaton not providing the same spark on the ground that he provided last year, expect Houston to pass as much as ever this season, which means big things for Schaub in most weeks. It also means big things for AJ, who posted another monster week. He's been more inconsistent than last year, but his numbers are there. Daniels continues to rack up solid yardage as well and seems to be the secondary option for Schaub. Slaton was again ineffective on the ground, but thanks to his receiving yardage, he posted another solid yardage performance.
Indianapolis Colts - Manning continues to be on fire. Wayne would have had an even bigger game had he not dropped an easy TD in the end zone at the end of the game. Clark continues to see a ton of targets, and Garcon actually took a back seat to Austin Collie in this one. I think this was because TEN used a decent bit of zone and over-the-top coverage, so the Colts passed plenty to Clark and Collie over the middle. Collie has solid tackle breaking ability. The Colts weren't able to run, but Addai benefited quite a bit from the Colts underneath passing attack, hauling in 10 passes.
Jacksonville Jaguars - Mike Sims-Walker was declared inactive right before the game for violating teams rules, and unfortunately they haven't released exactly what he did wrong. Garrard and the rest of the passing attack sorely missed the downfield element that Sims-Walker gives them, so they struggled mightily against Seattle. Holt posted the best day of the season, but don't think he's back since they had no one else to throw to. Jones-Drew was hit in the backfield quite a bit, but luckily the handful of yards he picked up in the passing game saved it from being an absolute disaster. He probably would have scored, but a reception that he took to the 1 was called back by a stupid illegal formation penalty.
Kansas City Chiefs - Well, for one week this looked like a reasonable offensive attack. Cassel has done pretty well in a real football sense so far despite getting little help, and against a mediocre Dallas defense, he actually posted a solid fantasy day. His line still has him on the run quite a bit. Dwayne Bowe benefited too, although he again posted most of his damage late in the game on the last drive, including the game tying TD. The rushing attack is miserable, and LJ is barely worth owning at this point.
Miami Dolphins - Chad Henne still isn't being asked to do much yet, but his running game is making his life easy. When he was asked to make a play, he hit Ted Ginn on a perfectly thrown play-action bomb. He's definitely a game manager, he's out there less than most quarterbacks thanks to the continued success of the Wildcat, and his receiving targets are among the worst in the league, so it's hard to recommend him as a QB2 despite the solid numbers last night. Still, there are worse options out there. The running game continues to dominate thanks to Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams. Brown has cemented himself as the top dog in this backfield since week 1, but Williams plays a very important part. Both have shown their all-around games in what makes this the best rushing attack in football through 5 weeks.
Minnesota Vikings - Favre posted another solid game this week, and while Peterson's work load was limited by the game situation, he was plenty productive with his touches, and he scored twice to make his fantasy owners plenty happy. Minnesota keeps humming along, and their defense is creating havoc.
New England Patriots - Once again, Brady looked a bit off. He's overthrowing Moss on big plays when Moss gets open, and he just doesn't look right. His ridiculous preseason performance definitely gave some false hope to all who drafted him as he has struggled to start the year, but expect him to get better. Welker continues to benefit from the situation, hauling in a bunch of passes and scoring this week. Without Fred Taylor, it appears as though Sammy Morris will carry the load of carries each week. Maroney isn't doing anything with his touches, but he's still worth stashing as a RB5 to see what happens.
New Orleans Saints - Bye week.
New York Giants - Eli Manning rewarded all who had the balls to start him by posting ridiculous numbers considering he didn't even play the full first half. Manningham bounced back with a big play TD, and Nicks also scored while Steve Smith was the leading receiver again. Jacobs continues to struggle and took a backseat production-wise to Bradshaw who posted a monster game. Jacobs continues to get his carries, but he's not doing much with them, and this has now become a serious concern. He couldn't even score from inside the 5 on their first drive, and Bradshaw replaced him on 4th down to plunge it in for the first of his two TDs.
New York Jets - Mark Sanchez had his 2nd straight shaky outing, but it was much improved over last week. He's still a decent QB2 that will improve as the season moves along. Edwards arrival gave him a big play threat, and he loved throwing it to him. It was perfect timing, too, as Cotchery did not look 100% last night and was barely targeted. Edwards is a WR3 with WR2 potential for the rest of the season now that he's in a solid offense, and the rushing attack will open up some big plays in the play-action game for him. Thomas Jones looks his age, but he's still the preferred option at the goal line, scoring twice last night. His YPC is way down, and he's a dicey RB2 moving forward who is reliant upon TDs. Leon Washington was more involved and looked great with his touches, but he tends to get himself in trouble sometimes with his dancing. He's a solid RB3.
Oakland Raiders - What's to say? Russell continues to prove his the worst QB in the NFL, and the entire team is suffering. Bush and Fargas split carries, but Bush tossed in a TD to reward those who used him on a bye week. Bush is the great part of this committee, but the fact Fargas is stealing carries on a bad offense severely limits whatever upside he could muster out of this offensive mess.
Philadelphia Eagles - McNabb looked perfectly healthy on his way to carving up the Bucs secondary, and both he and Westbrook took it easy in the 2nd half as the offense wasn't called upon to do much. Jeremy Maclin exploded onto the scene with Curtis' injury, so he'll be a hot add this week. Celek continues to rack up targets and catches. Westbrook scored to save his fantasy day.
Pittsburgh Steelers - Big Ben posted another big day by tossing 3 TDs. The Steelers inexplicably went to the air in the 2nd half despite nursing a lead, so Mendenhall was limited to 17 carries and was a slight disappointment from a fantasy standpoint, although he still generated solid yardage and a TD. The coaching staff acknowledged this mistake, so don't expect it to happen again.
San Diego Chargers - Bye week.
San Francisco 49ers - The whole team sucked this week, but at least Josh Morgan is showing some signs of life. This team will be happy to get Frank Gore back after the bye week.
Seattle Seahawks - Matt Hasselbeck continues to prove me wrong. Given he was playing at home against a bad Jacksonville secondary, I should have recommended him. It's obvious that he still has it and this offense can move the ball in the air when he's healthy. Housh and Burleson are both solid WR3s when Hasselbeck is starting. The running game can be ignored thanks to their horrible offensive line.
St. Louis Rams - Boller sucked it up again, and Bulger actually came in and looked great, although it was with an out-of-hand 31-3 game. He hooked up with Donnie Avery several times, including a TD, providing a glimmer of hope for this offense moving forward. He'll likely end up hurt again, however. Steven Jackson continues to amaze with the yardage he's cranking out behind the most inept offense in football, but he killed his owners by fumbling at the 1.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Josh Johnson actually put up solid yardage, but he didn't look that great doing it. He was under constant pressure and isn't very accurate when he has his feet set, much less throwing off of his back foot. 240 yards and 2 TDs looks good, but not when you contrast that with a 52% completion rate, 4.8 YPA, and 3 INTs. Winslow posted a huge game and Bryant looked solid, but they will be limited by Johnson for as long as he's starting. If you can sell high on Winslow after this game and get a proven stud TE on a better offense, go for it.
Tennessee Titans - 0-5...wow. What a difference a year makes. Their defensive holes are killing this team as it is not built to pass and score a lot of points. Collins looked poor again, and Chris Johnson is being held back by the state of this team. Johnson can be viewed as a RB1/2 moving forward, and Washington is a decent WR3 as their most explosive passing game option, but this has been bad news.
Washington Redskins - Campbell continues to look mediocre and will likely be gone at season's end. Moss suffered from this performance, but at least posted a few catches. Portis saved his day with 2 TDs, but he again wasn't productive with his touches. Nothing much has changed here.
Atlanta Falcons - Matt Ryan was great again, and I hope you were able to buy low on Roddy White as the window of opportunity slammed shut with his ridiculous performance. Michael Turner looked much better coming out of the bye, putting up his first good game with respect to YPC and also scoring 3 TDs. Gonzalez took a backseat in the high scoring affair this week. This was a very impressive performance against a good defense. Ryan, Turner, White, and Gonzalez are all great options moving forward, but I maintain my concern regarding Michael Turner's workload.
Baltimore Ravens - Flacco has officially become a QB1 as the Ravens have moved from a run-first to a pass-first offense. Flacco struggled in this one, but still tossed a TD thanks to a ridiculous play from Ray Rice on a dump-off pass. Heap managed 7 catches, which was huge for PPR leaguers. Speaking of Ray Rice, he dominated touches in the backfield in this one. He has been one of the most productive RBs in football this year on a per-touch basis, and he's even scored twice despite not being the preferred goal line runner. I apologize to anyone who used McGahee on my "solid bye-week replacement" recommendation from last week...he saw two touches all game. We'll continue to monitor this seemingly inconsistent backfield, but there's no question that Rice is here to stay as a RB2.
Buffalo Bills - Trent Edwards still sucks, and this has dragged Owens down to a WR3 and Evans to a "stay on the bench" WR. In hindsight, we all should have seen this coming from a conservative coach with a conservative QB. Lynch lead the team in both carries and catches, although he only had 4 more than Fred Jackson. Most noteworthy, however, is the fact Lynch was definitely more productive with his touches. Lynch is sneaking his way back into RB2 territory, but with an upcoming game against the Jets, he's got a touch match up ahead.
Carolina Panthers - Carolina tried to run the ball more coming out of the bye week, but they weren't very effective doing it. Delhomme looked blah again. Williams posted a miserable day including a fumble while Jonathan Stewart was more productive per rush and added a TD run. Steve Smith did about as well as expected given his current situation, but he has regressed into a WR2 with the state of this offense. Williams and Stewart are both RB2/3 moving forward and that's it. Williams better not do so little again with his touches or he's going to lose his lead back title of this committee.
Cincinnati Bengals - Palmer started off hot with a big first half in regards to yardage, but then Cincy turned to the ground game as Benson became the first 100 yard runner against Baltimore in quite some time. Palmer then saved his best for last, again, marching his team down the field and throwing the go-ahead TD pass late in the 4th quarter. He posted another solid, but not spectacular fantasy line as he's moving along as a lower-end QB1 right now.
Chicago Bears - Bye week.
Cleveland Browns - Absolute barf. Jamal Lewis came back to wreck Jerome Harrison's day by taking 31 carries and being somewhat productive with them. He's a RB3 in the right match up, but that's about all I can say regarding this offense.
Dallas Cowboys - Romo's pretty productive when his WRs make ridiculous plays for him, as they did in both week 1 and week 5. He looked shaky again, even against KC, but Miles Austin obviously made things happen after the catch. We'll try not to over-react to one big game given he hasn't done much in his career thus far, but Austin has the skills and the opportunity to be the leading receiver for the Cowboys over the rest of the year. Roy Williams and Patrick Crayton aren't doing anything, and Witten is doing a bit more blocking than usual. Someone has to step up, and Austin has the talent to do just that. Barber was again hampered by his quad injury, so once again Choice stepped in and made the most of his touches. This has been the case for two weeks now, so the bye week comes at the perfect time for Barber.
Denver Broncos - They are for real. Orton played the best game of his year as this offense is starting to get comfortable with each other. Marshall has predictably emerged as the top target, using his size and speed to get open and make plays after the catch. The rest of the receivers are still in a rotation, but Eddie Royal finally gave his owners something to cheer about with a 10/90 performance. Until he shows some consistency, and given the coaching staff said his performance was match up-based even, it's not safe to say he's back. Moreno was good with his touches, but a fumble hurt him. Unfortunately he didn't get a crack at the end zone in this one
Detroit Lions - Well, that was about as much as could be expected. Culpepper was solid, and after Calvin left in the first drive with a knee injury, he spread the ball around and also made a play or two with his legs. He'll remain the starter while Stafford recovers, but with Green Bay and their tough secondary up next, he's a low end bye week fill-in. They aren't opening up holes for Kevin Smith, but thanks to his passing game production, he's posting solid weekly yardage totals.
Green Bay Packers - Bye week.
Houston Texans - Schaub posted another monster week thanks to the nature of this offense. With Slaton not providing the same spark on the ground that he provided last year, expect Houston to pass as much as ever this season, which means big things for Schaub in most weeks. It also means big things for AJ, who posted another monster week. He's been more inconsistent than last year, but his numbers are there. Daniels continues to rack up solid yardage as well and seems to be the secondary option for Schaub. Slaton was again ineffective on the ground, but thanks to his receiving yardage, he posted another solid yardage performance.
Indianapolis Colts - Manning continues to be on fire. Wayne would have had an even bigger game had he not dropped an easy TD in the end zone at the end of the game. Clark continues to see a ton of targets, and Garcon actually took a back seat to Austin Collie in this one. I think this was because TEN used a decent bit of zone and over-the-top coverage, so the Colts passed plenty to Clark and Collie over the middle. Collie has solid tackle breaking ability. The Colts weren't able to run, but Addai benefited quite a bit from the Colts underneath passing attack, hauling in 10 passes.
Jacksonville Jaguars - Mike Sims-Walker was declared inactive right before the game for violating teams rules, and unfortunately they haven't released exactly what he did wrong. Garrard and the rest of the passing attack sorely missed the downfield element that Sims-Walker gives them, so they struggled mightily against Seattle. Holt posted the best day of the season, but don't think he's back since they had no one else to throw to. Jones-Drew was hit in the backfield quite a bit, but luckily the handful of yards he picked up in the passing game saved it from being an absolute disaster. He probably would have scored, but a reception that he took to the 1 was called back by a stupid illegal formation penalty.
Kansas City Chiefs - Well, for one week this looked like a reasonable offensive attack. Cassel has done pretty well in a real football sense so far despite getting little help, and against a mediocre Dallas defense, he actually posted a solid fantasy day. His line still has him on the run quite a bit. Dwayne Bowe benefited too, although he again posted most of his damage late in the game on the last drive, including the game tying TD. The rushing attack is miserable, and LJ is barely worth owning at this point.
Miami Dolphins - Chad Henne still isn't being asked to do much yet, but his running game is making his life easy. When he was asked to make a play, he hit Ted Ginn on a perfectly thrown play-action bomb. He's definitely a game manager, he's out there less than most quarterbacks thanks to the continued success of the Wildcat, and his receiving targets are among the worst in the league, so it's hard to recommend him as a QB2 despite the solid numbers last night. Still, there are worse options out there. The running game continues to dominate thanks to Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams. Brown has cemented himself as the top dog in this backfield since week 1, but Williams plays a very important part. Both have shown their all-around games in what makes this the best rushing attack in football through 5 weeks.
Minnesota Vikings - Favre posted another solid game this week, and while Peterson's work load was limited by the game situation, he was plenty productive with his touches, and he scored twice to make his fantasy owners plenty happy. Minnesota keeps humming along, and their defense is creating havoc.
New England Patriots - Once again, Brady looked a bit off. He's overthrowing Moss on big plays when Moss gets open, and he just doesn't look right. His ridiculous preseason performance definitely gave some false hope to all who drafted him as he has struggled to start the year, but expect him to get better. Welker continues to benefit from the situation, hauling in a bunch of passes and scoring this week. Without Fred Taylor, it appears as though Sammy Morris will carry the load of carries each week. Maroney isn't doing anything with his touches, but he's still worth stashing as a RB5 to see what happens.
New Orleans Saints - Bye week.
New York Giants - Eli Manning rewarded all who had the balls to start him by posting ridiculous numbers considering he didn't even play the full first half. Manningham bounced back with a big play TD, and Nicks also scored while Steve Smith was the leading receiver again. Jacobs continues to struggle and took a backseat production-wise to Bradshaw who posted a monster game. Jacobs continues to get his carries, but he's not doing much with them, and this has now become a serious concern. He couldn't even score from inside the 5 on their first drive, and Bradshaw replaced him on 4th down to plunge it in for the first of his two TDs.
New York Jets - Mark Sanchez had his 2nd straight shaky outing, but it was much improved over last week. He's still a decent QB2 that will improve as the season moves along. Edwards arrival gave him a big play threat, and he loved throwing it to him. It was perfect timing, too, as Cotchery did not look 100% last night and was barely targeted. Edwards is a WR3 with WR2 potential for the rest of the season now that he's in a solid offense, and the rushing attack will open up some big plays in the play-action game for him. Thomas Jones looks his age, but he's still the preferred option at the goal line, scoring twice last night. His YPC is way down, and he's a dicey RB2 moving forward who is reliant upon TDs. Leon Washington was more involved and looked great with his touches, but he tends to get himself in trouble sometimes with his dancing. He's a solid RB3.
Oakland Raiders - What's to say? Russell continues to prove his the worst QB in the NFL, and the entire team is suffering. Bush and Fargas split carries, but Bush tossed in a TD to reward those who used him on a bye week. Bush is the great part of this committee, but the fact Fargas is stealing carries on a bad offense severely limits whatever upside he could muster out of this offensive mess.
Philadelphia Eagles - McNabb looked perfectly healthy on his way to carving up the Bucs secondary, and both he and Westbrook took it easy in the 2nd half as the offense wasn't called upon to do much. Jeremy Maclin exploded onto the scene with Curtis' injury, so he'll be a hot add this week. Celek continues to rack up targets and catches. Westbrook scored to save his fantasy day.
Pittsburgh Steelers - Big Ben posted another big day by tossing 3 TDs. The Steelers inexplicably went to the air in the 2nd half despite nursing a lead, so Mendenhall was limited to 17 carries and was a slight disappointment from a fantasy standpoint, although he still generated solid yardage and a TD. The coaching staff acknowledged this mistake, so don't expect it to happen again.
San Diego Chargers - Bye week.
San Francisco 49ers - The whole team sucked this week, but at least Josh Morgan is showing some signs of life. This team will be happy to get Frank Gore back after the bye week.
Seattle Seahawks - Matt Hasselbeck continues to prove me wrong. Given he was playing at home against a bad Jacksonville secondary, I should have recommended him. It's obvious that he still has it and this offense can move the ball in the air when he's healthy. Housh and Burleson are both solid WR3s when Hasselbeck is starting. The running game can be ignored thanks to their horrible offensive line.
St. Louis Rams - Boller sucked it up again, and Bulger actually came in and looked great, although it was with an out-of-hand 31-3 game. He hooked up with Donnie Avery several times, including a TD, providing a glimmer of hope for this offense moving forward. He'll likely end up hurt again, however. Steven Jackson continues to amaze with the yardage he's cranking out behind the most inept offense in football, but he killed his owners by fumbling at the 1.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Josh Johnson actually put up solid yardage, but he didn't look that great doing it. He was under constant pressure and isn't very accurate when he has his feet set, much less throwing off of his back foot. 240 yards and 2 TDs looks good, but not when you contrast that with a 52% completion rate, 4.8 YPA, and 3 INTs. Winslow posted a huge game and Bryant looked solid, but they will be limited by Johnson for as long as he's starting. If you can sell high on Winslow after this game and get a proven stud TE on a better offense, go for it.
Tennessee Titans - 0-5...wow. What a difference a year makes. Their defensive holes are killing this team as it is not built to pass and score a lot of points. Collins looked poor again, and Chris Johnson is being held back by the state of this team. Johnson can be viewed as a RB1/2 moving forward, and Washington is a decent WR3 as their most explosive passing game option, but this has been bad news.
Washington Redskins - Campbell continues to look mediocre and will likely be gone at season's end. Moss suffered from this performance, but at least posted a few catches. Portis saved his day with 2 TDs, but he again wasn't productive with his touches. Nothing much has changed here.
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Week 5 Injury/Depth Chart Report
Arizona Cardinals - I'm sure the bye week was just what Kurt Warner and Anquan Boldin needed. Warner should hopefully be moving around a little bit better and be more willing to go down the field, and a match up against the horrid Texans secondary is exactly what he'll need. Same goes for Boldin, although he looked on track in week 3. Hightower will continue to get more touches than Beanie Wells thanks to the pass-first philosophy of the offense, but I expect Wells to get more than the 2 carries he got in week 3. Hightower is a reasonable bye week replacement.
Atlanta Falcons - Matt Ryan had a week off to help him rebound from a rough week 3, and hopefully this time was spent re-kindling his chemistry with Roddy White, who is off to a slow start. My guess is that after 3 weeks of mediocre production and a bye week, this is the perfect time to go after him as a buy low. Gonzalez will eat into his production a bit, but the Falcons are passing more this year.
Baltimore Ravens - Flacco is emerging as a QB1 option with Baltimore's willingness to open up the playbook for him this year. You know the deal here with the backfield...Rice is a RB2 as the guy who gets more total touches, but McGahee is a solid bye week fill-in as he splits carries and gets the goal line work.
Buffalo Bills - Lynch and Jackson will continue to share touches moving forward, and neither is more than a RB3 at this point. Jackson didn't dominate passing down work as I expected previously, so this is a true split right now. I have a hunch that Lynch might be the preferred goal line option, but this is only my personal opinion.
Carolina Panthers - Hopefully the bye week fixed Carolina's offensive philosophy and they'll focus on what they do best...pound the rock and use play action to get it to Steve Smith down the field. Williams and Stewart will continue to annoy fantasy owners by splitting carries with a slight edge to Williams.
Cincinnati Bengals - Palmer continues to disappoint with his yardage, but at least he's producing TDs enough to keep him as a QB1. Ochocinco continues to be the only WR worth starting with some sort of rotation opposite him.
Chicago Bears - Bye week.
Cleveland Browns - Goodbye Edwards, hello...Mohamed Massaquoi? He's the new #1 WR for this squad, and expect Mike Furrey, Brian Robieski, and Josh Cribbs to split time opposite him until new acquisition Chansi Stuckey is ready to start. Jamal Lewis might start losing more time to Jerome Harrison when he returns from injury, whenever that might be. Harrison is the better RB at this stage in their careers.
Dallas Cowboys - Romo's latest hospital ball has cost Roy Williams some cartilage in his ribs, and while he's vowing to play this week, there's no way you can start him as less than 100%. If Williams is out, Patrick Crayton could be a sneaky WR3 play. Barber should start again in week 5, but expect Tashard Choice to play a committee role as Barber isn't 100% yet. Felix Jones is out for another week.
Denver Broncos- Brandon Marshall is anchored back in as the top option of the passing game, and the rest of the receivers (Royal, Stokley, Gaffney) appear to be in an unproductive rotation of some sort. Buckhalter is rumored to have a high ankle sprain, so Moreno is an excellent RB2 while he's out as his touches will see an increase.
Detroit Lions - Stafford has unfortunately suffered a knee injury, and there's no reason for Detroit to rush him back out there. They are fully aware that they aren't competing for a playoff spot. Expect Daunte Culpepper to start for a couple weeks while Stafford gets back to full health. This probably isn't good for Calvin Johnson, but we'll see how it plays out.
Green Bay Packers - Bye week.
Houston Texans - Slaton returned to a full workload in week 4, but his YPC remains a major concern. It was 4.8 last year, and it's plummeted to 3.3 this year. The Texans just don't have much else to turn to, so they'll stick it out with him for now.
Indianapolis Colts - Anthony Gonzalez will remain out through the Colts' bye week in week 6, and then he's expected to return. Garcon will man the outside and be a WR3 while he's out, and Austin Collie is worth a look as a bye week fill-in for week 5.
Jacksonville Jaguars - Mike Sims-Walker has turned into fantasy gold! I will repeat that selling high is a good option given his history of knee problems, but I would only give him up to fill a major hole, or if you can get a WR you know is better in return.
Kansas City Chiefs - Dwayne Bowe played all of week 4, but he was not 100% and was clearly limited by his injury. Unless he puts in a full practice this week, I would probably bench him if you have a solid alternative.
Miami Dolphins - Ted Ginn has regressed into a WR rotation, and he's not to be anywhere near lineups until he earned full starter snaps.
Minnesota Vikings - Adrian Peterson appeared to hurt himself while having the ball stolen from him by Clay Matthews. He put up horrible YPC numbers that game, but that appeared to be more to the credit of the Packers' defense as opposed to him being limited. Keep an eye on him, but there's no indication yet that this is a problem.
New England Patriots - Wes Welker appears to be back, so he's safe to start again. Even with Fred Taylor now out indefinitely due to ankle surgery, the RB situation is a frustrating 3 man committee. However, Sammy Morris and Laurence Maroney are both worth picking up to see if one of the two emerges.
New Orleans Saints - Bye week.
New York Giants - Eli Manning suffered a plantar fascitis injury in week 4, but he appears willing to start in week 5. He was told that he can't re-injure it, but it's a painful injury. Oakland is actually solid against the pass while bad against the run, so I would avoid using Eli this week unless you have to. Ahmad Bradshaw is still dealing with an ankle injury that will limit him some in practice this week, but he is expected to be fine for week 5. He's a solid bye week fill-in against a horrible Oakland run defense.
New York Jets - They traded for Braylon Edwards, and he's fully expected to start and play the majority of snaps on Monday Night. My biggest question was how the two offensive schemes compared between the Browns and Jets, and apparently they have a lot of similarities. This makes Edwards usable as a WR3. He's a risky start, but there's no question the Jets will draw up some plays to get him the ball this week. Leon Washington had a down week, but he's going to get the ball plenty in week 5.
Oakland Raiders - Darren McFadden suffered a torn meniscus and will miss 2-4 weeks. This should be time for Michael Bush to shine, but who knows how Oakland will force Justin Fargas into the mix. The problem is they face the Giants, so I wouldn't mess with Bush unless totally desperate.
Philadelphia Eagles - The bye week has done both McNabb and Westbrook good as they will start in week 5. McNabb still isn't 100%, so he could see scaled back passing attempts against the horrid Tampa Bay rush defense, but his match up is solid, and he is a lower end QB1.
Pittsburgh Steelers - Rashard Mendenhall. He'll start again in week 5 and makes for an outstanding play against the Lions. Let's hope he finally gets it and turns in another great performance.
San Diego Chargers - Bye week.
San Francisco 49ers - Glen Coffee will start again, and he has a solid match up against Atlanta. He's a solid RB2 this week as the 49ers will continue to rely on the run.
Seattle Seahawks - Matt Hasselbeck might return this week, but he's in no way a fantasy option with the putrid offensive line that would attempt to protect him. Housh is a decent WR3, but that's about it for this offense.
St. Louis Rams - Marc Bulger is probably going to be held out again, so Kyle Boller will get another chance to start. After the mirage that was Boller's clean up performance in week 3, it seems as though Bulger is probably the best option here, but maybe Boller can do something this week for Steven Jackson's sake. Donnie Avery will continue to be the "#1" WR and is worth stashing as a WR5, but I would bench him until he shows something.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Josh Johnson will continue to start, but he had a less than stellar passing day in week 4. Antonio Bryant has returned and looks close to 100%, but his upside is severely limited by Johnson behind center. He's a WR3 in the right match up.
Tennessee Titans - Kenny Britt is pushing Justin Gage to start opposite Nate Washington, so keep an eye on their production. Britt is worth stashing as a WR5 to see how this plays out as TEN will have to pass more this season thanks to their defensive woes.
Washington Redskins - Clinton Portis is back to the full time starter despite his injury woes, and he's a reasonable RB2 in a favorable match up against Carolina.
Atlanta Falcons - Matt Ryan had a week off to help him rebound from a rough week 3, and hopefully this time was spent re-kindling his chemistry with Roddy White, who is off to a slow start. My guess is that after 3 weeks of mediocre production and a bye week, this is the perfect time to go after him as a buy low. Gonzalez will eat into his production a bit, but the Falcons are passing more this year.
Baltimore Ravens - Flacco is emerging as a QB1 option with Baltimore's willingness to open up the playbook for him this year. You know the deal here with the backfield...Rice is a RB2 as the guy who gets more total touches, but McGahee is a solid bye week fill-in as he splits carries and gets the goal line work.
Buffalo Bills - Lynch and Jackson will continue to share touches moving forward, and neither is more than a RB3 at this point. Jackson didn't dominate passing down work as I expected previously, so this is a true split right now. I have a hunch that Lynch might be the preferred goal line option, but this is only my personal opinion.
Carolina Panthers - Hopefully the bye week fixed Carolina's offensive philosophy and they'll focus on what they do best...pound the rock and use play action to get it to Steve Smith down the field. Williams and Stewart will continue to annoy fantasy owners by splitting carries with a slight edge to Williams.
Cincinnati Bengals - Palmer continues to disappoint with his yardage, but at least he's producing TDs enough to keep him as a QB1. Ochocinco continues to be the only WR worth starting with some sort of rotation opposite him.
Chicago Bears - Bye week.
Cleveland Browns - Goodbye Edwards, hello...Mohamed Massaquoi? He's the new #1 WR for this squad, and expect Mike Furrey, Brian Robieski, and Josh Cribbs to split time opposite him until new acquisition Chansi Stuckey is ready to start. Jamal Lewis might start losing more time to Jerome Harrison when he returns from injury, whenever that might be. Harrison is the better RB at this stage in their careers.
Dallas Cowboys - Romo's latest hospital ball has cost Roy Williams some cartilage in his ribs, and while he's vowing to play this week, there's no way you can start him as less than 100%. If Williams is out, Patrick Crayton could be a sneaky WR3 play. Barber should start again in week 5, but expect Tashard Choice to play a committee role as Barber isn't 100% yet. Felix Jones is out for another week.
Denver Broncos- Brandon Marshall is anchored back in as the top option of the passing game, and the rest of the receivers (Royal, Stokley, Gaffney) appear to be in an unproductive rotation of some sort. Buckhalter is rumored to have a high ankle sprain, so Moreno is an excellent RB2 while he's out as his touches will see an increase.
Detroit Lions - Stafford has unfortunately suffered a knee injury, and there's no reason for Detroit to rush him back out there. They are fully aware that they aren't competing for a playoff spot. Expect Daunte Culpepper to start for a couple weeks while Stafford gets back to full health. This probably isn't good for Calvin Johnson, but we'll see how it plays out.
Green Bay Packers - Bye week.
Houston Texans - Slaton returned to a full workload in week 4, but his YPC remains a major concern. It was 4.8 last year, and it's plummeted to 3.3 this year. The Texans just don't have much else to turn to, so they'll stick it out with him for now.
Indianapolis Colts - Anthony Gonzalez will remain out through the Colts' bye week in week 6, and then he's expected to return. Garcon will man the outside and be a WR3 while he's out, and Austin Collie is worth a look as a bye week fill-in for week 5.
Jacksonville Jaguars - Mike Sims-Walker has turned into fantasy gold! I will repeat that selling high is a good option given his history of knee problems, but I would only give him up to fill a major hole, or if you can get a WR you know is better in return.
Kansas City Chiefs - Dwayne Bowe played all of week 4, but he was not 100% and was clearly limited by his injury. Unless he puts in a full practice this week, I would probably bench him if you have a solid alternative.
Miami Dolphins - Ted Ginn has regressed into a WR rotation, and he's not to be anywhere near lineups until he earned full starter snaps.
Minnesota Vikings - Adrian Peterson appeared to hurt himself while having the ball stolen from him by Clay Matthews. He put up horrible YPC numbers that game, but that appeared to be more to the credit of the Packers' defense as opposed to him being limited. Keep an eye on him, but there's no indication yet that this is a problem.
New England Patriots - Wes Welker appears to be back, so he's safe to start again. Even with Fred Taylor now out indefinitely due to ankle surgery, the RB situation is a frustrating 3 man committee. However, Sammy Morris and Laurence Maroney are both worth picking up to see if one of the two emerges.
New Orleans Saints - Bye week.
New York Giants - Eli Manning suffered a plantar fascitis injury in week 4, but he appears willing to start in week 5. He was told that he can't re-injure it, but it's a painful injury. Oakland is actually solid against the pass while bad against the run, so I would avoid using Eli this week unless you have to. Ahmad Bradshaw is still dealing with an ankle injury that will limit him some in practice this week, but he is expected to be fine for week 5. He's a solid bye week fill-in against a horrible Oakland run defense.
New York Jets - They traded for Braylon Edwards, and he's fully expected to start and play the majority of snaps on Monday Night. My biggest question was how the two offensive schemes compared between the Browns and Jets, and apparently they have a lot of similarities. This makes Edwards usable as a WR3. He's a risky start, but there's no question the Jets will draw up some plays to get him the ball this week. Leon Washington had a down week, but he's going to get the ball plenty in week 5.
Oakland Raiders - Darren McFadden suffered a torn meniscus and will miss 2-4 weeks. This should be time for Michael Bush to shine, but who knows how Oakland will force Justin Fargas into the mix. The problem is they face the Giants, so I wouldn't mess with Bush unless totally desperate.
Philadelphia Eagles - The bye week has done both McNabb and Westbrook good as they will start in week 5. McNabb still isn't 100%, so he could see scaled back passing attempts against the horrid Tampa Bay rush defense, but his match up is solid, and he is a lower end QB1.
Pittsburgh Steelers - Rashard Mendenhall. He'll start again in week 5 and makes for an outstanding play against the Lions. Let's hope he finally gets it and turns in another great performance.
San Diego Chargers - Bye week.
San Francisco 49ers - Glen Coffee will start again, and he has a solid match up against Atlanta. He's a solid RB2 this week as the 49ers will continue to rely on the run.
Seattle Seahawks - Matt Hasselbeck might return this week, but he's in no way a fantasy option with the putrid offensive line that would attempt to protect him. Housh is a decent WR3, but that's about it for this offense.
St. Louis Rams - Marc Bulger is probably going to be held out again, so Kyle Boller will get another chance to start. After the mirage that was Boller's clean up performance in week 3, it seems as though Bulger is probably the best option here, but maybe Boller can do something this week for Steven Jackson's sake. Donnie Avery will continue to be the "#1" WR and is worth stashing as a WR5, but I would bench him until he shows something.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Josh Johnson will continue to start, but he had a less than stellar passing day in week 4. Antonio Bryant has returned and looks close to 100%, but his upside is severely limited by Johnson behind center. He's a WR3 in the right match up.
Tennessee Titans - Kenny Britt is pushing Justin Gage to start opposite Nate Washington, so keep an eye on their production. Britt is worth stashing as a WR5 to see how this plays out as TEN will have to pass more this season thanks to their defensive woes.
Washington Redskins - Clinton Portis is back to the full time starter despite his injury woes, and he's a reasonable RB2 in a favorable match up against Carolina.
WR Braylon Edwards Traded To New York Jets
The Cleveland Browns have traded WR Braylon Edwards to the New York Jets for WR Chansi Stuckey, LB Jason Trusnik, a 2010 3rd round pick, and a 2010 5th round pick.
This is a win for both sides. The Jets add a WR opposite Jerricho Cotchery who has the pure talent to be the best WR on the team, so it's a huge win for Mark Sanchez and the passing game. Whether or not they can get him to concentrate and not drop passes all the time is another story. The Browns get something for an unhappy player they probably weren't going to keep after the season was over, especially considering his clashes with head coach Eric Mangini, his bar fight, and then his public spat with Cleveland icon Lebron James. They add a solid possession WR, a LB I've never heard of, and two fairly valuable draft picks.
Fantasy Impact: Braylon Edwards' value takes a small short term hit as he'll need some time to pick up the offense, but it's not like he was producing anything in Cleveland prior to the trade. I definitely like him in the 2nd half better with the Jets than I did with Cleveland, so his 2009 fantasy value gets a slight boost, and his future value gets a big boost. This also helps Mark Sanchez quite a bit moving forward with a bigger play maker than Cotchery was. Cotchery's value unfortunately takes a hit as he'll eventually be sharing more targets with Edwards than he did anyone else on his team prior to the trade. Both guys should be WR2/3 options moving foward, but it's no slam dunk that Edwards will be a big part of the offense this week. I'll touch on that in my depth chart/injury report. Massaquoi's value is uncertain...he's a better pick up now as he's the #1 WR in Cleveland, but he did his week 4 damage with Edwards drawing constant double teams. That will be a situation to monitor before plugging him into your lineup, but he'll receive more targets as their top WR now.
This is a win for both sides. The Jets add a WR opposite Jerricho Cotchery who has the pure talent to be the best WR on the team, so it's a huge win for Mark Sanchez and the passing game. Whether or not they can get him to concentrate and not drop passes all the time is another story. The Browns get something for an unhappy player they probably weren't going to keep after the season was over, especially considering his clashes with head coach Eric Mangini, his bar fight, and then his public spat with Cleveland icon Lebron James. They add a solid possession WR, a LB I've never heard of, and two fairly valuable draft picks.
Fantasy Impact: Braylon Edwards' value takes a small short term hit as he'll need some time to pick up the offense, but it's not like he was producing anything in Cleveland prior to the trade. I definitely like him in the 2nd half better with the Jets than I did with Cleveland, so his 2009 fantasy value gets a slight boost, and his future value gets a big boost. This also helps Mark Sanchez quite a bit moving forward with a bigger play maker than Cotchery was. Cotchery's value unfortunately takes a hit as he'll eventually be sharing more targets with Edwards than he did anyone else on his team prior to the trade. Both guys should be WR2/3 options moving foward, but it's no slam dunk that Edwards will be a big part of the offense this week. I'll touch on that in my depth chart/injury report. Massaquoi's value is uncertain...he's a better pick up now as he's the #1 WR in Cleveland, but he did his week 4 damage with Edwards drawing constant double teams. That will be a situation to monitor before plugging him into your lineup, but he'll receive more targets as their top WR now.
Week 5 Waiver Wire
I sincerely apologize to the 5 of you that read my blog that I didn't get to my waiver wire article in time this week. I had sat down to do it, got distracted, and then went to softball and didn't have time to write it when I got back. Still, I'll run down who should be picked up. I continue to not repeat guys from previous articles unless they've gone from stashable to must-have.
QB:
Derek Anderson - He went from intriguing QB2 to blah QB2 with the Braylon Edwards trade. He has no proven WR to throw the ball to, and the options left lack for talent. Massaquoi could be decent, and Chansi Stuckey's addition gives them a solid possession guy, but Anderson ultimately makes a lot of bad throws and doesn't have a playmaker to overcome that. If you're desperate for QB depth he should be decent, but that's about it.
RB:
Rashard Mendenhall - You league has too many people that don't pay attention if he was still available, but he was obviously the top add of the week.
Jerome Harrison - With Jamal Lewis fading away and James Davis headed to IR, Harrison is the lead back while Lewis is injured. If Lewis is out again, Harrison is definitely RB2 material as they don't have anyone else that can help carry the ball. He's explosive and posted a solid game in week 4. He's worth a waiver add.
Michael Bush - Some may have dropped him when he disappeared after week 1, but with McFadden's knee injury, Bush has a chance to shine as long as the Raiders don't do something stupid and give Fargas a bunch of carries...which means Fargas will get a bunch of carries. Still, he's well worth adding.
WR:
Mohamed Massaquoi - Massaquoi exploded in week 1, and with Braylon Edwards gone, he'll be the top WR on the team. He's their best down field threat and playmaker. He's definitely worth adding, but I'd like to see another game with him, especially without Edwards commanding double teams, to see if he's a WR3. Those in a bye week pinch can give him a shot as he'll presumably get plenty of targets.
Kenny Britt - Britt had been quiet after a great week 1, but he exploded again in week 4. He's a great WR5 stash as a legit talent, but I wouldn't start him unless he takes Justin Gage's job. There aren't enough targets to go around for 3 WRs on Tennessee.
Austin Collie - Another WR5 stash. With Indy's passing game on fire, and a match up against the decimated TEN secondary up next, Collie is a reasonable bye week fill-in this week. Just keep your expectations tempered a bit as he's the #4 target behind Wayne/Clark/Garcon, and that he'll likely become worthless once Anthony Gonzalez returns.
TE:
Jermichael Finley - Finley busted out with a monster week 4, and it's clear that Rodgers likes throwing to him when he's on the field. He's not starting yet with Donald Lee still a superior blocker, so his upside is limited, but he'll post a few big games this week. He's a solid TE2 for bye week purposes.
Heath Miller - Miller, as I've stated before in my writing, is a very good pass catcher who has been under-utilized in Pittsburgh's run-first offense, especially since Miller is such an accomplished blocker. He's one of the most unheralded all-around TEs in the game. Pittsburgh is throwing more this year thanks to their lack of a rushing attack, and Miller exploded in week 4 as a result. Mendenhall could get their rushing attack back on track, so Miller is more of a TE2 for now, but he's definitely worth owning.
QB:
Derek Anderson - He went from intriguing QB2 to blah QB2 with the Braylon Edwards trade. He has no proven WR to throw the ball to, and the options left lack for talent. Massaquoi could be decent, and Chansi Stuckey's addition gives them a solid possession guy, but Anderson ultimately makes a lot of bad throws and doesn't have a playmaker to overcome that. If you're desperate for QB depth he should be decent, but that's about it.
RB:
Rashard Mendenhall - You league has too many people that don't pay attention if he was still available, but he was obviously the top add of the week.
Jerome Harrison - With Jamal Lewis fading away and James Davis headed to IR, Harrison is the lead back while Lewis is injured. If Lewis is out again, Harrison is definitely RB2 material as they don't have anyone else that can help carry the ball. He's explosive and posted a solid game in week 4. He's worth a waiver add.
Michael Bush - Some may have dropped him when he disappeared after week 1, but with McFadden's knee injury, Bush has a chance to shine as long as the Raiders don't do something stupid and give Fargas a bunch of carries...which means Fargas will get a bunch of carries. Still, he's well worth adding.
WR:
Mohamed Massaquoi - Massaquoi exploded in week 1, and with Braylon Edwards gone, he'll be the top WR on the team. He's their best down field threat and playmaker. He's definitely worth adding, but I'd like to see another game with him, especially without Edwards commanding double teams, to see if he's a WR3. Those in a bye week pinch can give him a shot as he'll presumably get plenty of targets.
Kenny Britt - Britt had been quiet after a great week 1, but he exploded again in week 4. He's a great WR5 stash as a legit talent, but I wouldn't start him unless he takes Justin Gage's job. There aren't enough targets to go around for 3 WRs on Tennessee.
Austin Collie - Another WR5 stash. With Indy's passing game on fire, and a match up against the decimated TEN secondary up next, Collie is a reasonable bye week fill-in this week. Just keep your expectations tempered a bit as he's the #4 target behind Wayne/Clark/Garcon, and that he'll likely become worthless once Anthony Gonzalez returns.
TE:
Jermichael Finley - Finley busted out with a monster week 4, and it's clear that Rodgers likes throwing to him when he's on the field. He's not starting yet with Donald Lee still a superior blocker, so his upside is limited, but he'll post a few big games this week. He's a solid TE2 for bye week purposes.
Heath Miller - Miller, as I've stated before in my writing, is a very good pass catcher who has been under-utilized in Pittsburgh's run-first offense, especially since Miller is such an accomplished blocker. He's one of the most unheralded all-around TEs in the game. Pittsburgh is throwing more this year thanks to their lack of a rushing attack, and Miller exploded in week 4 as a result. Mendenhall could get their rushing attack back on track, so Miller is more of a TE2 for now, but he's definitely worth owning.
Monday, October 5, 2009
Week 4 Thoughts
Arizona Cardinals - Bye week.
Atlanta Falcons - Roddy White is an awesome buy low. Try to get him.
Baltimore Ravens - Flacco continues to amaze. He's turned into one of the best QB2s around. Ray Rice continues to produce at an impressive clip despite receiving limited carries and no goal line chances. Despite 19 carries in week 1 and no more than 11 carries the next 3 weeks, he has scored no less than 8.2 points during the first month of the season. Rice is a legit RB2 thanks to his pass catching supplementing his limited carries.
Buffalo Bills - Edwards and the Bills offensive line are killing both Owens and Evans. He simply doesn't have enough time to set up to throw down the field. Both have regressed to WR4 material for the time being. Marshawn Lynch returned, and sure enough, this was about an even timeshare, even though Fred Jackson predictably outproduced him. The annoying part of this was the fact that Jackson even lost passing down work to Lynch. Neither guy is worth using as more than a RB3 until this situation becomes clearer.
Carolina Panthers - Bye week.
Cincinnati Bengals - Palmer was disappointing against a questionable Cleveland secondary, but led another late TD drive and ended up with solid fantasy numbers. It hasn't been pretty so far, but in the end, the numbers have been there for him except for week 1. I expect continued improvement.
Chicago Bears - Cutler continues a torrid fantasy pace after bombing in week 1. Those who stepped away from the ledge after one game are being rewarded as he has settled in very nicely. Forte showed some signs of life, but it was against one of the worst run Ds in the NFL, and it was mostly on 2 big runs. The Bears have clearly adjusted their game plan to pass more, and Forte doesn't appear to be the preferred option near the goal line any more either. I think he'll improve, but I don't think he has the upside many of us thought when the season began.
Cleveland Browns - Derek Anderson replaced Brady Quinn as the starter, and that wasn't good news for Braylon Edwards. At least Edwards caught a few passes with Quinn behind center. The good news for Edwards is that rookie Mohammad Massaquoi had a huge game, and if he can step up opposite Edwards, it will eliminate the relentless double teaming Edwards is seeing right now. Things will get better for Edwards...for all of Anderson's faults, he is willing to go down the field, as to where Quinn won't. Hang in there.
Dallas Cowboys - Tony Romo just doesn't have it right now. Without a WR to make plays for him like Owens did, he's stuck with mediocre options who don't consistently get open. He's also making horrible decisions and is showing inaccuracy. He's a QB2 until he proves otherwise. Barber looked pretty good, but his quad tightened up on him, and it kept him off the field in the 2nd half. Since Choice was playing so well, the Cowboys probably played it safe.
Denver Broncos - Kyle Orton has looked every bit the part of a QB2 thus far. He continues to post solid weeks despite not really making big plays down the field. Brandon Marshall is officially back and a great WR2 moving forward. Eddie Royal has officially disappeared and shouldn't see your starting lineup. I wouldn't drop him though. Keep an eye on Buckhalter's injury as that would help Moreno's already RB2 value moving forward.
Detroit Lions - Stafford looked good again while getting the ball down the field, but he's still struggling with his accuracy. CJ would have turned in an even bigger day had Stafford not misfired on 2 different passes where he was open in the end zone. Still, it's a great sign for CJ moving forward. Kevin Smith was absolutely gobbled up by the Bears D, but he scored twice and he's the lone wolf of the backfield...a rarity these days.
Green Bay Packers - Rodgers certainly didn't disappoint with a monster statistical game, but imagine what he could have accomplished with some protection? He performed great despite the circumstances. He can say it was just another game all he wanted...but you know he badly wanted to post huge numbers and a win. Ryan Grant was productive with his touches, but the nature of the game didn't allow him many. It was disappointing that Jennings didn't have a big game despite Rodgers' final numbers, but stay patient with him. The Packers lack of trust in him at the goal line showed. He was stuffed once, and then the Packers tried to throw it a couple times. That says a lot about their confidence in his goal line running.
Houston Texans - Schaub struggled a bit, but Oakland's secondary actually isn't that bad. No worries there. Slaton finally turned in a good game with a couple scores, but his YPC sucked even with the big run. The good news was that Chris Brown was barely on the field, but Slaton needs to be more productive with is touches.
Indianapolis Colts - This offense is on fire right now, and with TEN's decimated secondary next on the schedule, continued good times are ahead.
Jacksonville Jaguars - Apparently a struggling QB's remedy is to face the above mentioned TEN secondary as Garrard absolutely torched them. Mike Sims-Walker turned in another monster game, and it might be time to shop him around. He should remain productive as the top option for the Jaguars, while healthy, but I simply can't get past his long history of knee problems.
Kansas City Chiefs - This offense is such an absolute mess, there's little to say. Bowe didn't look 100%, and until he proves he's 100%, I wouldn't start him. Us owners lucked out with a TD in his first two games, but his yardage has been awful even when healthy.
Miami Dolphins - The Dolphins had a perfect first match up with Chad Henne behind center as they were able to use the ground game to punish Buffalo, and they didn't have to ask Henne to do much. Ronnie Brown looks awesome, and Ricky Williams is doing a very good job behind him. The problem is that this passing game will allow stronger run defenses, like the upcoming match up with MIN, to focus on shutting down the rushing attack. Temper expectations against said defenses, but you can't sit Brown.
Minnesota Vikings - For those who started Brett Favre expecting an inspired performance, you certainly were rewarded. The playbook is starting to open up for him, and while this remains a run-first team, Favre is starting to take more shots down the field. Given the respect the defenses have for Peterson, Favre will have some games like this. Berrian and Rice both scored. I view Berrian as a WR3, and Rice is emerging a solid bye week replacement. He's limiting Harvin to a slot WR role for now. Peterson was swallowed up by a vicious Packers run defenses, but he scored to post a decent game.
New England Patriots - Brady looks more like pre-2007 self than anything else at this point. He's a QB1, but he's not the explosive option people were expecting, especially after his excellent preseason. As I warned, Taylor's usage went back down the toilet again this week. He'll probably be worth a shot as a RB3 in the right match up, but he's nothing more than that.
New Orleans Saints - Now might be a great time to shoot an offer for Brees. You'll still have to pay full price, but you might find an owner willing to listen to deals for him after 2 straight zero TD performances instead of laughing at you. Still, the smart owners will laugh at you. Pierre Thomas looked great once more and is arguably a RB1 moving forward. His skills are legit and he's playing for a great offense.
New York Giants - The Giants keep rollin, rollin, rollin. Eli loves Steve Smith, and his young WRs are certainly stepping up to the plate and making plays. Manningham has kinda fallen off, and he's picked a bad time to do with Hakeem Nicks battling for playing time now. Expect some snap splitting between these two for now. Unfortunately for the rushing attack, the passing attack has stolen both some thunder and scoring opportunities. Jacobs should still see an uptick in scoring with the passing attack humming, so I wouldn't worry yet. All in all, hopefully Eli's injury isn't too bad.
New York Jets - Mark Sanchez turned into a toad this weekend, bombing in horrible fashion. He is just a normal rookie, after all. Not to fear, though, as I expect him to bounce back. He's still a decent QB2. This was a forgettable game on all fronts, but it was nice to see Cotchery post solid yardage despite the situation. He's been an excellent value so far.
Oakland Raiders - Barf sandwich. Much like KC, there's just nothing much to say here. To further the negative, Fargas came into the game and led the team in carries with 10. McFadden was worthless, but it's annoying that Michael Bush wasn't used more. There zero upside in giving Fargas any carries unless an injury necessitates it.
Philadelphia Eagles - Bye week.
Pittsburgh Steelers - Big Ben looked good, and Hines Ward continues to be the most reliable Steelers WR. Holmes drops too many passes and just doesn't possess the skills to go over the middle like Ward continues to do. The biggest news here, obviously, is the emergence of Rashard Mendenhall. He fully took advantage of the chance to shine, running hard and finishing his runs with authority. I'd like to see him prove it again, but he's going to have the opportunity to become the lead back here. I said Moore was a sleeper, and he posted an amusing pair of TDs on a reception and a HB toss. :) Moving forward, obviously, he's just a 3rd down back unless injuries befall the backfield again.
San Diego Chargers - This isn't your normal Chargers team. They tried to run their normal offense, but it just didn't work. Once they spread the field and started passing, granted it was against more of a prevent defense, they moved the ball at will. LT looked slow and unexplosive again, and they didn't give Sproles the chance to run much. Rivers preferred Gates in this one as he dominated the middle of the field and found holes where blitzing LBs once were. This will continue to be a pass-first offense, and Rivers, Jackson, and Gates are all top tier options at their respective positions.
San Francisco 49ers - Shaun Hill was slow and steady in this one, and if Morgan had better hands, he would have had an additional TD. Vernon Davis continues to break out and has earned the right to start every week. Glen Coffee struggled again in terms of what he did with this touches, but luckily the high amount of carries and solid passing game work allowed him to post a solid fantasy day. Ultimately the defense dominated this one with 3 scores.
Seattle Seahawks - The Seahawks offense predictably fell on it's face against a tough secondary. Given this team is not built to run the ball, they stood no chance, especially with their decimated offensive line. Seneca Wallace actually posted a solid fantasy line for a QB2, but that was about the only positive that came out of this.
St. Louis Rams - Disaster. Boller proved that last week was another fluky performance in his mostly mediocre career. Props to the heart-filled effort Steven Jackson puts on the field each and every week...he's doing everything he can.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Josh Johnson looked reasonable in his debut, although he didn't challenge down the field at all. He put his athleticism on display with 7 carries for 41 yards, and he'll continue to post Tavaris Jackson type numbers with low passing yardage, an occasional TD, and solid rushing yardage. He could be a QB2 consideration in the right match up thanks to his rushing ability.
Tennessee Titans - It's safe to wonder how long the Titans will continue to start Kerry Collins. He's making more mistakes this year, and he's not making up for it with big plays. Given the state of their defense, they need him to make more plays, and he's just not that type of QB anymore. Kenny Britt posted a huge week, and if he continues to post good numbers, he might actually overtake Gage as opposed to Washington. This is worth monitoring. Chris Johnson posted a solid yardage game in spite of the massacre, which is good news.
Washington Redskins - Campbell turned in a solid outing, but Washington ultimately relied upon Clinton Portis in this one, who carried 25 times despite injury, and almost got his 100 yards. Unfortunately for his owners, the only TD came on a bomb to Santana Moss, who only mustered 2 catches, but he made them count. He's posted back to back numbers in good match ups...just what his owners like to see.
Atlanta Falcons - Roddy White is an awesome buy low. Try to get him.
Baltimore Ravens - Flacco continues to amaze. He's turned into one of the best QB2s around. Ray Rice continues to produce at an impressive clip despite receiving limited carries and no goal line chances. Despite 19 carries in week 1 and no more than 11 carries the next 3 weeks, he has scored no less than 8.2 points during the first month of the season. Rice is a legit RB2 thanks to his pass catching supplementing his limited carries.
Buffalo Bills - Edwards and the Bills offensive line are killing both Owens and Evans. He simply doesn't have enough time to set up to throw down the field. Both have regressed to WR4 material for the time being. Marshawn Lynch returned, and sure enough, this was about an even timeshare, even though Fred Jackson predictably outproduced him. The annoying part of this was the fact that Jackson even lost passing down work to Lynch. Neither guy is worth using as more than a RB3 until this situation becomes clearer.
Carolina Panthers - Bye week.
Cincinnati Bengals - Palmer was disappointing against a questionable Cleveland secondary, but led another late TD drive and ended up with solid fantasy numbers. It hasn't been pretty so far, but in the end, the numbers have been there for him except for week 1. I expect continued improvement.
Chicago Bears - Cutler continues a torrid fantasy pace after bombing in week 1. Those who stepped away from the ledge after one game are being rewarded as he has settled in very nicely. Forte showed some signs of life, but it was against one of the worst run Ds in the NFL, and it was mostly on 2 big runs. The Bears have clearly adjusted their game plan to pass more, and Forte doesn't appear to be the preferred option near the goal line any more either. I think he'll improve, but I don't think he has the upside many of us thought when the season began.
Cleveland Browns - Derek Anderson replaced Brady Quinn as the starter, and that wasn't good news for Braylon Edwards. At least Edwards caught a few passes with Quinn behind center. The good news for Edwards is that rookie Mohammad Massaquoi had a huge game, and if he can step up opposite Edwards, it will eliminate the relentless double teaming Edwards is seeing right now. Things will get better for Edwards...for all of Anderson's faults, he is willing to go down the field, as to where Quinn won't. Hang in there.
Dallas Cowboys - Tony Romo just doesn't have it right now. Without a WR to make plays for him like Owens did, he's stuck with mediocre options who don't consistently get open. He's also making horrible decisions and is showing inaccuracy. He's a QB2 until he proves otherwise. Barber looked pretty good, but his quad tightened up on him, and it kept him off the field in the 2nd half. Since Choice was playing so well, the Cowboys probably played it safe.
Denver Broncos - Kyle Orton has looked every bit the part of a QB2 thus far. He continues to post solid weeks despite not really making big plays down the field. Brandon Marshall is officially back and a great WR2 moving forward. Eddie Royal has officially disappeared and shouldn't see your starting lineup. I wouldn't drop him though. Keep an eye on Buckhalter's injury as that would help Moreno's already RB2 value moving forward.
Detroit Lions - Stafford looked good again while getting the ball down the field, but he's still struggling with his accuracy. CJ would have turned in an even bigger day had Stafford not misfired on 2 different passes where he was open in the end zone. Still, it's a great sign for CJ moving forward. Kevin Smith was absolutely gobbled up by the Bears D, but he scored twice and he's the lone wolf of the backfield...a rarity these days.
Green Bay Packers - Rodgers certainly didn't disappoint with a monster statistical game, but imagine what he could have accomplished with some protection? He performed great despite the circumstances. He can say it was just another game all he wanted...but you know he badly wanted to post huge numbers and a win. Ryan Grant was productive with his touches, but the nature of the game didn't allow him many. It was disappointing that Jennings didn't have a big game despite Rodgers' final numbers, but stay patient with him. The Packers lack of trust in him at the goal line showed. He was stuffed once, and then the Packers tried to throw it a couple times. That says a lot about their confidence in his goal line running.
Houston Texans - Schaub struggled a bit, but Oakland's secondary actually isn't that bad. No worries there. Slaton finally turned in a good game with a couple scores, but his YPC sucked even with the big run. The good news was that Chris Brown was barely on the field, but Slaton needs to be more productive with is touches.
Indianapolis Colts - This offense is on fire right now, and with TEN's decimated secondary next on the schedule, continued good times are ahead.
Jacksonville Jaguars - Apparently a struggling QB's remedy is to face the above mentioned TEN secondary as Garrard absolutely torched them. Mike Sims-Walker turned in another monster game, and it might be time to shop him around. He should remain productive as the top option for the Jaguars, while healthy, but I simply can't get past his long history of knee problems.
Kansas City Chiefs - This offense is such an absolute mess, there's little to say. Bowe didn't look 100%, and until he proves he's 100%, I wouldn't start him. Us owners lucked out with a TD in his first two games, but his yardage has been awful even when healthy.
Miami Dolphins - The Dolphins had a perfect first match up with Chad Henne behind center as they were able to use the ground game to punish Buffalo, and they didn't have to ask Henne to do much. Ronnie Brown looks awesome, and Ricky Williams is doing a very good job behind him. The problem is that this passing game will allow stronger run defenses, like the upcoming match up with MIN, to focus on shutting down the rushing attack. Temper expectations against said defenses, but you can't sit Brown.
Minnesota Vikings - For those who started Brett Favre expecting an inspired performance, you certainly were rewarded. The playbook is starting to open up for him, and while this remains a run-first team, Favre is starting to take more shots down the field. Given the respect the defenses have for Peterson, Favre will have some games like this. Berrian and Rice both scored. I view Berrian as a WR3, and Rice is emerging a solid bye week replacement. He's limiting Harvin to a slot WR role for now. Peterson was swallowed up by a vicious Packers run defenses, but he scored to post a decent game.
New England Patriots - Brady looks more like pre-2007 self than anything else at this point. He's a QB1, but he's not the explosive option people were expecting, especially after his excellent preseason. As I warned, Taylor's usage went back down the toilet again this week. He'll probably be worth a shot as a RB3 in the right match up, but he's nothing more than that.
New Orleans Saints - Now might be a great time to shoot an offer for Brees. You'll still have to pay full price, but you might find an owner willing to listen to deals for him after 2 straight zero TD performances instead of laughing at you. Still, the smart owners will laugh at you. Pierre Thomas looked great once more and is arguably a RB1 moving forward. His skills are legit and he's playing for a great offense.
New York Giants - The Giants keep rollin, rollin, rollin. Eli loves Steve Smith, and his young WRs are certainly stepping up to the plate and making plays. Manningham has kinda fallen off, and he's picked a bad time to do with Hakeem Nicks battling for playing time now. Expect some snap splitting between these two for now. Unfortunately for the rushing attack, the passing attack has stolen both some thunder and scoring opportunities. Jacobs should still see an uptick in scoring with the passing attack humming, so I wouldn't worry yet. All in all, hopefully Eli's injury isn't too bad.
New York Jets - Mark Sanchez turned into a toad this weekend, bombing in horrible fashion. He is just a normal rookie, after all. Not to fear, though, as I expect him to bounce back. He's still a decent QB2. This was a forgettable game on all fronts, but it was nice to see Cotchery post solid yardage despite the situation. He's been an excellent value so far.
Oakland Raiders - Barf sandwich. Much like KC, there's just nothing much to say here. To further the negative, Fargas came into the game and led the team in carries with 10. McFadden was worthless, but it's annoying that Michael Bush wasn't used more. There zero upside in giving Fargas any carries unless an injury necessitates it.
Philadelphia Eagles - Bye week.
Pittsburgh Steelers - Big Ben looked good, and Hines Ward continues to be the most reliable Steelers WR. Holmes drops too many passes and just doesn't possess the skills to go over the middle like Ward continues to do. The biggest news here, obviously, is the emergence of Rashard Mendenhall. He fully took advantage of the chance to shine, running hard and finishing his runs with authority. I'd like to see him prove it again, but he's going to have the opportunity to become the lead back here. I said Moore was a sleeper, and he posted an amusing pair of TDs on a reception and a HB toss. :) Moving forward, obviously, he's just a 3rd down back unless injuries befall the backfield again.
San Diego Chargers - This isn't your normal Chargers team. They tried to run their normal offense, but it just didn't work. Once they spread the field and started passing, granted it was against more of a prevent defense, they moved the ball at will. LT looked slow and unexplosive again, and they didn't give Sproles the chance to run much. Rivers preferred Gates in this one as he dominated the middle of the field and found holes where blitzing LBs once were. This will continue to be a pass-first offense, and Rivers, Jackson, and Gates are all top tier options at their respective positions.
San Francisco 49ers - Shaun Hill was slow and steady in this one, and if Morgan had better hands, he would have had an additional TD. Vernon Davis continues to break out and has earned the right to start every week. Glen Coffee struggled again in terms of what he did with this touches, but luckily the high amount of carries and solid passing game work allowed him to post a solid fantasy day. Ultimately the defense dominated this one with 3 scores.
Seattle Seahawks - The Seahawks offense predictably fell on it's face against a tough secondary. Given this team is not built to run the ball, they stood no chance, especially with their decimated offensive line. Seneca Wallace actually posted a solid fantasy line for a QB2, but that was about the only positive that came out of this.
St. Louis Rams - Disaster. Boller proved that last week was another fluky performance in his mostly mediocre career. Props to the heart-filled effort Steven Jackson puts on the field each and every week...he's doing everything he can.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Josh Johnson looked reasonable in his debut, although he didn't challenge down the field at all. He put his athleticism on display with 7 carries for 41 yards, and he'll continue to post Tavaris Jackson type numbers with low passing yardage, an occasional TD, and solid rushing yardage. He could be a QB2 consideration in the right match up thanks to his rushing ability.
Tennessee Titans - It's safe to wonder how long the Titans will continue to start Kerry Collins. He's making more mistakes this year, and he's not making up for it with big plays. Given the state of their defense, they need him to make more plays, and he's just not that type of QB anymore. Kenny Britt posted a huge week, and if he continues to post good numbers, he might actually overtake Gage as opposed to Washington. This is worth monitoring. Chris Johnson posted a solid yardage game in spite of the massacre, which is good news.
Washington Redskins - Campbell turned in a solid outing, but Washington ultimately relied upon Clinton Portis in this one, who carried 25 times despite injury, and almost got his 100 yards. Unfortunately for his owners, the only TD came on a bomb to Santana Moss, who only mustered 2 catches, but he made them count. He's posted back to back numbers in good match ups...just what his owners like to see.
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