I will be heading to St. Louis this weekend to watch the Cubs game Friday night and Saturday night, and to check out the city during Saturday afternoon since I haven't visited the downtown area of St. Louis before. I won't be able to update practice reports for Friday, and I won't be getting back into town until right around gametime on Sunday, so I can't promise that I'll have an inactive list for everyone on Sunday morning. If I get back on time I will, but if I don't, I'll definitely have the fantasy-relevant inactives for the 3:15 PM CST games.
Have a great weekend and see you guys (girls?) on Sunday!
Friday, September 14, 2007
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
NFL Week 2: Injury Report
Instead of creating a new post each day, I will update this list here throughout the week as I read updated news on the injuries of fantasy-relevant players.
QB:
Eli Manning - He did not practice Wednesday or Thursday and his week 2 status remains in doubt. He said he could play if he practices on Friday, but that seems like quite a long shot. Odds are he's your backup QB anyways.
Josh McCown - He did not practice Wednesday, but he returned to practice on Thursday. He and Daunte Culpepper split first team snaps. His week 2 status is in question, but Culpepper is getting closer to starting. Once head coach Kiffin feels comfortable with his grasp of the playbook, he'll be starting. McCown has very little fantasy value.
Steve McNair - He did not practice Wednesday, but was limited in practice on Thursday. His week 2 status remains in doubt.
RB:
Clinton Portis - He has practiced fully this week and should receive more week than in week 1. He's a strong RB2 play.
Thomas Jones - He was limited in practice on Wednesday on Thursday, but doesn't appear to be in risk of not playing in week 2. Still, he has a very rough matchup against the Ravens and you should consider your other options.
Cadillac Williams - He was limited in practice on Wednesday, but returned fully to practice on Thursday. He has a good shot to play this week now, but his role could still be somewhat reduced. He'll get New Orleans on Sunday, which projects to be a favorable matchup.
Kevin Jones - He was limited in practice on Thursday and has a chance of being active this week. Do not start him, but this indicates that he's recovering well.
Brandon Jacobs - He was walking around just fine on Wednesday. He's definitely out this week, but it seems like he'll return sooner than later.
Chester Taylor - He was limited in practice on Wednesday and Thursday. His week 2 status is in question, and all Adrian Peterson owners have to be smiling.
Jesse Chatman - He did not practice on Wednesday or Thursday. Chatman himself doesn't have much fantasy value, but his absence from the active list on Sunday would make Ronnie Brown a much better play.
T.J. Duckett - He did not practice on Wednesday or Thursday. Tatum Bell will see a full load this weekend, and Kevin Jones seems to be progressing well. He can be dropped in all leagues.
WR:
Mark Clayton - He was limited in practice on Wednesday and Thursday. He still seems to be dealing with a bit of an ankle problem, and he appears questionable to start week 2.
Greg Jennings - He practiced on Wednesday, but was sore on Thursday and was limited in practice. After appearing to be ready to play in week 2, he seems rather questionable at this point.
Drew Bennett - He practiced on Wednesday and appears ready to play in week 2. You shouldn't be starting him unless you're desparate, however.
TE:
None.
K:
Shayne Graham - He practiced fully on Thursday, but remains an injury risk. He's a very good fantasy kicker when healthy, but there's no upside to risking starting him. Go with a safer option.
D:
Ray Lewis - The MRI showed that it's a tricep strain and not a tear. He plans to play in week 2.
QB:
Eli Manning - He did not practice Wednesday or Thursday and his week 2 status remains in doubt. He said he could play if he practices on Friday, but that seems like quite a long shot. Odds are he's your backup QB anyways.
Josh McCown - He did not practice Wednesday, but he returned to practice on Thursday. He and Daunte Culpepper split first team snaps. His week 2 status is in question, but Culpepper is getting closer to starting. Once head coach Kiffin feels comfortable with his grasp of the playbook, he'll be starting. McCown has very little fantasy value.
Steve McNair - He did not practice Wednesday, but was limited in practice on Thursday. His week 2 status remains in doubt.
RB:
Clinton Portis - He has practiced fully this week and should receive more week than in week 1. He's a strong RB2 play.
Thomas Jones - He was limited in practice on Wednesday on Thursday, but doesn't appear to be in risk of not playing in week 2. Still, he has a very rough matchup against the Ravens and you should consider your other options.
Cadillac Williams - He was limited in practice on Wednesday, but returned fully to practice on Thursday. He has a good shot to play this week now, but his role could still be somewhat reduced. He'll get New Orleans on Sunday, which projects to be a favorable matchup.
Kevin Jones - He was limited in practice on Thursday and has a chance of being active this week. Do not start him, but this indicates that he's recovering well.
Brandon Jacobs - He was walking around just fine on Wednesday. He's definitely out this week, but it seems like he'll return sooner than later.
Chester Taylor - He was limited in practice on Wednesday and Thursday. His week 2 status is in question, and all Adrian Peterson owners have to be smiling.
Jesse Chatman - He did not practice on Wednesday or Thursday. Chatman himself doesn't have much fantasy value, but his absence from the active list on Sunday would make Ronnie Brown a much better play.
T.J. Duckett - He did not practice on Wednesday or Thursday. Tatum Bell will see a full load this weekend, and Kevin Jones seems to be progressing well. He can be dropped in all leagues.
WR:
Mark Clayton - He was limited in practice on Wednesday and Thursday. He still seems to be dealing with a bit of an ankle problem, and he appears questionable to start week 2.
Greg Jennings - He practiced on Wednesday, but was sore on Thursday and was limited in practice. After appearing to be ready to play in week 2, he seems rather questionable at this point.
Drew Bennett - He practiced on Wednesday and appears ready to play in week 2. You shouldn't be starting him unless you're desparate, however.
TE:
None.
K:
Shayne Graham - He practiced fully on Thursday, but remains an injury risk. He's a very good fantasy kicker when healthy, but there's no upside to risking starting him. Go with a safer option.
D:
Ray Lewis - The MRI showed that it's a tricep strain and not a tear. He plans to play in week 2.
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
NFL Week 1: Injury Wrapup
Here are all the fantasy-relevant injuries from week 1. I mentioned most of them in my game wrapups, but I know it'll be easier to keep track of them with a list. This was a brutal week for injuries...I don't remember one this bad before.
QB
Eli Manning - Sprained AC Joint. This injury was originally rumored to be a separated shoulder, but the doctor's report that came out this evening stated that it was a sprained AC joint instead. Marc Bulger missed several games with this injury in both 2004 and 2005, but apparently Manning can play as long as he can tolerate the pain. If I remember correctly he continued playing for a bit Sunday night, so there's a chance that he can play this week. I'll report if he practiced or not during the week.
Chad Pennington - High ankle sprain. He's out 1-2 weeks. Kellen Clemens will start if he can't go.
Josh McCown - Cracked finger. He's questionable for week 2, and Daunte Culpepper would start if McCown can't go. Just another reason not to waste a roster spot on him.
RB
Brandon Jacobs - Sprained MCL. He's out 3-5 weeks. It looked like he probably tore his ACL from the play, so he's lucky that it's not worse. Hang onto him, and pick up backup Derrick Ward if you can from waivers this week.
Cadillac Williams - Bruised ribs. He's out for week 2, and week-to-week after that. Michael Pittman will start for him, and it seems like Earnest Graham will see action as well. Pittman is a decent flex option.
Chester Taylor - Oblique contusion. His status for week 2 is questionable. Adrian Peterson owners need to keep an eye on this.
WR
D.J. Hackett - High ankle sprain. He's out indefinitely and worth dropping in fantasy leagues.
K
Josh Scobee - Strained quad. He's out for a few weeks. Drop him in fantasy leagues.
OL
Orlando Pace - Torn labrum/rotator cuff. He's out for the season. The Rams offense don't have Todd Steussie available right now to back him up, so their offensive line definitely takes a hit here.
Jonathan Ogden - Hyper-extended toe. He's out indefinitely. This is a huge blow to the Ravens offensive line who lack a quality replacement for Ogden. Downgrade McGahee and the passing game a bit.
Jon Jansen - Broken ankle. He's out for the season. The Redskins have a viable alternative in Todd Wade, but he's definitely not on the same level that Jansen is.
Defense
Ray Lewis - Torn right tricep. He's likely out for the year. There's a lot of varying reports coming out about this, but this appears to be the case. If this is true, downgrade Baltimore's defense with Lewis gone. Don't do anything until it's made official, however.
Lito Sheppard - Sprained right MCL. He's out for week 2, and week-to-week after that. Santana Moss and Randle El get an easier time of it this weekend.
Mike Brown - Torn ACL. He's out for the season. The Bears defense is not the same without Brown, especially the run defense. Daniel Manning will start, but downgrade the Bears D a bit. They suffered a decent dropoff when he got hurt last year, but don't panic.
Dusty Dvoracek - Torn ACL. He's out for the season. He was a young run stopper who was starting, but the Bears D has a quality alternative in Darwin Walker.
Osi Umenyiora - Torn MCL. He's out 4-8 weeks. This hurts the pass rushing ability of the Giants defense, although after watching the game against Dallas Sunday night, it's not like you'd want to use them anyways.
Jason Ferguson - Torn right bicep. He's out for the season. The Dallas defense was thought of highly headed into the season, but with Ferguson gone and Newman on the mend, they are hardly a good play right now.
B.J. Sams - Torn ACL. He's out for the season. Not a big name, but he's been a solid returner for the Ravens when healthy.
QB
Eli Manning - Sprained AC Joint. This injury was originally rumored to be a separated shoulder, but the doctor's report that came out this evening stated that it was a sprained AC joint instead. Marc Bulger missed several games with this injury in both 2004 and 2005, but apparently Manning can play as long as he can tolerate the pain. If I remember correctly he continued playing for a bit Sunday night, so there's a chance that he can play this week. I'll report if he practiced or not during the week.
Chad Pennington - High ankle sprain. He's out 1-2 weeks. Kellen Clemens will start if he can't go.
Josh McCown - Cracked finger. He's questionable for week 2, and Daunte Culpepper would start if McCown can't go. Just another reason not to waste a roster spot on him.
RB
Brandon Jacobs - Sprained MCL. He's out 3-5 weeks. It looked like he probably tore his ACL from the play, so he's lucky that it's not worse. Hang onto him, and pick up backup Derrick Ward if you can from waivers this week.
Cadillac Williams - Bruised ribs. He's out for week 2, and week-to-week after that. Michael Pittman will start for him, and it seems like Earnest Graham will see action as well. Pittman is a decent flex option.
Chester Taylor - Oblique contusion. His status for week 2 is questionable. Adrian Peterson owners need to keep an eye on this.
WR
D.J. Hackett - High ankle sprain. He's out indefinitely and worth dropping in fantasy leagues.
K
Josh Scobee - Strained quad. He's out for a few weeks. Drop him in fantasy leagues.
OL
Orlando Pace - Torn labrum/rotator cuff. He's out for the season. The Rams offense don't have Todd Steussie available right now to back him up, so their offensive line definitely takes a hit here.
Jonathan Ogden - Hyper-extended toe. He's out indefinitely. This is a huge blow to the Ravens offensive line who lack a quality replacement for Ogden. Downgrade McGahee and the passing game a bit.
Jon Jansen - Broken ankle. He's out for the season. The Redskins have a viable alternative in Todd Wade, but he's definitely not on the same level that Jansen is.
Defense
Ray Lewis - Torn right tricep. He's likely out for the year. There's a lot of varying reports coming out about this, but this appears to be the case. If this is true, downgrade Baltimore's defense with Lewis gone. Don't do anything until it's made official, however.
Lito Sheppard - Sprained right MCL. He's out for week 2, and week-to-week after that. Santana Moss and Randle El get an easier time of it this weekend.
Mike Brown - Torn ACL. He's out for the season. The Bears defense is not the same without Brown, especially the run defense. Daniel Manning will start, but downgrade the Bears D a bit. They suffered a decent dropoff when he got hurt last year, but don't panic.
Dusty Dvoracek - Torn ACL. He's out for the season. He was a young run stopper who was starting, but the Bears D has a quality alternative in Darwin Walker.
Osi Umenyiora - Torn MCL. He's out 4-8 weeks. This hurts the pass rushing ability of the Giants defense, although after watching the game against Dallas Sunday night, it's not like you'd want to use them anyways.
Jason Ferguson - Torn right bicep. He's out for the season. The Dallas defense was thought of highly headed into the season, but with Ferguson gone and Newman on the mend, they are hardly a good play right now.
B.J. Sams - Torn ACL. He's out for the season. Not a big name, but he's been a solid returner for the Ravens when healthy.
NFL Week 1: Monday Night Game Wrapup
Baltimore vs. Cincinnati
Steve McNair - 20/34, 203 yards, 0 TD, 1 INT, 1/0, 3 FL. A disasterous game for McNair who not only turned the ball over 4 times, but he also overthrew numerous open WRs during the game. He shouldn't be anywhere near a starting lineup right now, but he's a lower end QB2 as he'll have better days.
Carson Palmer - 20/32, 194 yards, 2 TD, 0 INT, 3/0. A solid performance against the elite Baltimore defense. Palmer mostly took what the defense gave him, although he definitely turned in a poor 2nd half. Still, this is what you get from an elite QB against an elite D...solid production that won't hurt your team whatsoever.
Willis McGahee - 19/77, 3/34. A solid effort from McGahee. Many people were worried when Musa Smith stole a rushing TD early in the game, but McGahee was in there on the final drive, although he only received 2 carries out of the 7 plays inside the 5 that Baltimore had in the closing minutes of the game. Billick has to be to blame here, although McGahee isn't known for his short yardage proficiency. Baltimore raved about his redzone work in the preseason, but he was stuffed on both goalline carries this game. Hopefully this won't be a problem.
Rudi Johnson - 18/50, 3/26, 1 FL. About what owners should have expected against the Baltimore D. It's a shame he didn't get a chance to score to save his day, and he coughed up what would have been a key fumble had Baltimore not stalled near the goalline to end the game. He should rebound next week, so no worries here. It was nice to see him a bit more involved in the passing game.
Derrick Mason - 7/76. Mason did a great job finding open spots and moving the chains. He is what he is at this point in his career, a solid possession receiver. He's a steady WR4.
Mark Clayton - 0/0. He was targeted twice, including once in the endzone, but Demetrius Williams saw more of the field than Clayton did throughout the game. I'm not sure what's going on here, but perhaps his ankle was sore and it prevented him from playing like he usually does. Keep an eye to see if he practices this week.
Todd Heap - 4/29. Heap had a TD to tie the game in the closing minutes, but was flagged for a bullshit pass interference call. This was definitely not a good week for TEs not named Gates and Witten, but thus is the nature of the position. Heap remains a solid TE1.
Chad Johnson - 5/95, 1 TD. Unfortunately this was his stat line at halftime. Baltimore clamped down on the passing game in the 2nd half and CJ didn't manage another catch. He still burned Samari Rolle for a 39 yard TD and doned a beige "HOF" jacket on the sideline as his celebration. Pretty clever given the limitations.
T.J. Houshmandzadeh - 9/50, 1 TD. Housh did an excellent job of taking what the Baltimore defense gave him, and he put up a great line in PPR leagues. Housh remains an excellent WR2.
Arizona vs. San Francisco
Matt Leinart - 14/28, 102 yards, 1 TD, 2 INT, 6/35. This was just a flatout ugly game on both sides. Two normally mediocre defenses put forth a good effort. Leinart was on the run most of the game, and his WRs weren't getting open for him. Let's hope Wisenhunt and Grimm get this straightened out for next week.
Alex Smith - 15/31, 126 yards, 0 TD, 0 INT, 3/36, 1 FL. Much like Leinart above, he encountered some protection problems, and he also lost a TD thanks to a Darrell Jackson drop. Smith remains a QB2 with upside, but the offensive play calling has to take better advantage of the skill players around him for them to succeed.
Edgerrin James - 26/92, 2/20, 1 TD. Edge had a great first half with 11 carries for 56 yards, but the SF defense clamped down on him after halftime and he didn't even manage 2.0 YPC during the 2nd half. Run blocking continues to be a problem, and Edge never regained the speed he possessed prior to his torn ACL years ago. The blocking should get better with improved talent and coaching, but Edge remains a RB2 without much upside.
Frank Gore - 18/55, 1/21, 1 TD. Gore also struggled in this game to find running room after a solid 1st half. Worth noting here is the 2 drops he had as his broken hand appears to be less than 100%, but he'll be much better going forward.
Larry Fitzgerald - 3/20. Arizona needs to go back to the drawing board and learn how to use Fitzgerald and Boldin properly. Fitzgerald is at his best in jumpball situations down the field, but Arizona just didn't have enough time to throw it deep. They must fix this in order for Fitzgerald to have WR1 value like he was drafted. I'm a bit worried about his production here, but it's only week 1.
Anquan Boldin - 4/22, 1/14, 1 TD. Thanks to his late TD, Boldin turned in a decent outing. Read above, but Boldin is at his best after the catch. Utilizing him on screens and hitting him on slants and patterns that allow him some space to work with will benefit him the best.
Darrell Jackson - 4/36. He dropped a TD pass, and all in all he was very overrated heading into the season. He was a force when healthy on Seattle, but the health of his toe remains a question, and his signature drops continue to be a problem. He's a weak WR3 until he proves otherwise, but he will improve as Smith gains chemistry with him.
Arnaz Battle - 5/60. Battle quietly continues to be the best WR on the 49ers. He's not a speedster and won't light up the scoreboard, but he's a steady WR who Smith can count on to make the catch. He's not a bad guy to stash as your WR5, depending on your roster.
Vernon Davis - 2/4. Well, at least he got his worst game of the season out of the way early. SF needs to utilize him like San Diego does with Gates...he's easily the most talented receiving option the 49ers have. Let's hope that starts next week, but Wisenhunt barely used the TE in his offense in Pittsburgh. That's something I didn't consider when drafting him in all of my leagues.
Steve McNair - 20/34, 203 yards, 0 TD, 1 INT, 1/0, 3 FL. A disasterous game for McNair who not only turned the ball over 4 times, but he also overthrew numerous open WRs during the game. He shouldn't be anywhere near a starting lineup right now, but he's a lower end QB2 as he'll have better days.
Carson Palmer - 20/32, 194 yards, 2 TD, 0 INT, 3/0. A solid performance against the elite Baltimore defense. Palmer mostly took what the defense gave him, although he definitely turned in a poor 2nd half. Still, this is what you get from an elite QB against an elite D...solid production that won't hurt your team whatsoever.
Willis McGahee - 19/77, 3/34. A solid effort from McGahee. Many people were worried when Musa Smith stole a rushing TD early in the game, but McGahee was in there on the final drive, although he only received 2 carries out of the 7 plays inside the 5 that Baltimore had in the closing minutes of the game. Billick has to be to blame here, although McGahee isn't known for his short yardage proficiency. Baltimore raved about his redzone work in the preseason, but he was stuffed on both goalline carries this game. Hopefully this won't be a problem.
Rudi Johnson - 18/50, 3/26, 1 FL. About what owners should have expected against the Baltimore D. It's a shame he didn't get a chance to score to save his day, and he coughed up what would have been a key fumble had Baltimore not stalled near the goalline to end the game. He should rebound next week, so no worries here. It was nice to see him a bit more involved in the passing game.
Derrick Mason - 7/76. Mason did a great job finding open spots and moving the chains. He is what he is at this point in his career, a solid possession receiver. He's a steady WR4.
Mark Clayton - 0/0. He was targeted twice, including once in the endzone, but Demetrius Williams saw more of the field than Clayton did throughout the game. I'm not sure what's going on here, but perhaps his ankle was sore and it prevented him from playing like he usually does. Keep an eye to see if he practices this week.
Todd Heap - 4/29. Heap had a TD to tie the game in the closing minutes, but was flagged for a bullshit pass interference call. This was definitely not a good week for TEs not named Gates and Witten, but thus is the nature of the position. Heap remains a solid TE1.
Chad Johnson - 5/95, 1 TD. Unfortunately this was his stat line at halftime. Baltimore clamped down on the passing game in the 2nd half and CJ didn't manage another catch. He still burned Samari Rolle for a 39 yard TD and doned a beige "HOF" jacket on the sideline as his celebration. Pretty clever given the limitations.
T.J. Houshmandzadeh - 9/50, 1 TD. Housh did an excellent job of taking what the Baltimore defense gave him, and he put up a great line in PPR leagues. Housh remains an excellent WR2.
Arizona vs. San Francisco
Matt Leinart - 14/28, 102 yards, 1 TD, 2 INT, 6/35. This was just a flatout ugly game on both sides. Two normally mediocre defenses put forth a good effort. Leinart was on the run most of the game, and his WRs weren't getting open for him. Let's hope Wisenhunt and Grimm get this straightened out for next week.
Alex Smith - 15/31, 126 yards, 0 TD, 0 INT, 3/36, 1 FL. Much like Leinart above, he encountered some protection problems, and he also lost a TD thanks to a Darrell Jackson drop. Smith remains a QB2 with upside, but the offensive play calling has to take better advantage of the skill players around him for them to succeed.
Edgerrin James - 26/92, 2/20, 1 TD. Edge had a great first half with 11 carries for 56 yards, but the SF defense clamped down on him after halftime and he didn't even manage 2.0 YPC during the 2nd half. Run blocking continues to be a problem, and Edge never regained the speed he possessed prior to his torn ACL years ago. The blocking should get better with improved talent and coaching, but Edge remains a RB2 without much upside.
Frank Gore - 18/55, 1/21, 1 TD. Gore also struggled in this game to find running room after a solid 1st half. Worth noting here is the 2 drops he had as his broken hand appears to be less than 100%, but he'll be much better going forward.
Larry Fitzgerald - 3/20. Arizona needs to go back to the drawing board and learn how to use Fitzgerald and Boldin properly. Fitzgerald is at his best in jumpball situations down the field, but Arizona just didn't have enough time to throw it deep. They must fix this in order for Fitzgerald to have WR1 value like he was drafted. I'm a bit worried about his production here, but it's only week 1.
Anquan Boldin - 4/22, 1/14, 1 TD. Thanks to his late TD, Boldin turned in a decent outing. Read above, but Boldin is at his best after the catch. Utilizing him on screens and hitting him on slants and patterns that allow him some space to work with will benefit him the best.
Darrell Jackson - 4/36. He dropped a TD pass, and all in all he was very overrated heading into the season. He was a force when healthy on Seattle, but the health of his toe remains a question, and his signature drops continue to be a problem. He's a weak WR3 until he proves otherwise, but he will improve as Smith gains chemistry with him.
Arnaz Battle - 5/60. Battle quietly continues to be the best WR on the 49ers. He's not a speedster and won't light up the scoreboard, but he's a steady WR who Smith can count on to make the catch. He's not a bad guy to stash as your WR5, depending on your roster.
Vernon Davis - 2/4. Well, at least he got his worst game of the season out of the way early. SF needs to utilize him like San Diego does with Gates...he's easily the most talented receiving option the 49ers have. Let's hope that starts next week, but Wisenhunt barely used the TE in his offense in Pittsburgh. That's something I didn't consider when drafting him in all of my leagues.
Monday, September 10, 2007
NFL Week 1: Late Game Wrapup
Detroit vs. Oakland
Jon Kitna - 27/36, 289 yards, 3 TD, 2 INT, 3/17. A great game from Kitna against a solid secondary. The Lions will throw early and often all year along, and even moreso with Kevin Jones recovering from his foot injury. Kitna utilized his new WRs Calvin Johnson and Shaun McDonald well and spread the ball around efficiently. Kitna had a great fantasy season last year, and with improved weapons around him along with a similar propensity to throw, and he could be in for a big year.
Josh McCown - 30/40, 313 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT. McCown was fairly solid, utilizing his weapons and making a few horrible throws as well. The starting situation is up in the air still despite his performance, so don't waist your waiver priority on him.
Tatum Bell - 15/87, 4/6, 1 TD. An impressive performance from Bell against what projected to be a fairly tough Oakland defense. Duckett sprained his ankle and is questionable for next week, so if he's out, Bell has even more value. Minnesota's outstanding run D is up next, however, so his matchup is not favorable despite being on turf.
LaMont Jordan - 15/70. 9/89, 1 TD. Jordan is back. Forget how incredibly brutal the Oakland offense was last year, because that offense and Jordan's injuries were what held him back, not his talent. Jordan is back as a RB2 alternative for all teams and will remain an even better force in PPR leagues.
Roy Williams - 4/20, 1 TD. Nmamdi Asomugha is to blame for this as he is quietly one of the best CBs in the NFL today. Roy is still the focal point of this offensive attack and Kitna wisely utilized his other options. Luckily he got open in the endzone and scored to save his fantasy day.
Calvin Johnson - 4/70, 1 TD. While not the starter, he saw the field plenty and made a couple of great plays. He's a solid WR3 in a pass happy offense that will use him more and more as the season moves along. His skills are freakish, and he's just a mean old bully after the catch.
Shaun McDonald - 6/90, 1 TD. Don't pick him up. He's the 4th WR on this offense and will not be posting stats like these with any regularity unless someone gets hurt in front of him. He'll be on the field a decent bit given how often the Lions will go 4 wide, but he's not going to be a fantasy option.
Ronald Curry - 10/133, 1 TD. Use your waiver wire spot to grab him if he's available...Curry is for real. After playing QB in college, he's adjusted himself to the WR position at the NFL level and is incredibly talented. He will be Oakland's #1 WR, and their offense is much improved over last year thanks to the coaching change. He's a solid WR3.
Zach Miller - 3/23, 1 FL. He's a rookie TE and can't be relied upon, but he should become a factor in their passing game and has solid receiving skills. Keep an eye on him.
Chicago vs. San Diego
Rex Grossman - 12/23, 145 yards, 0 TD, 1 INT. He predictably struggled against the imposing SD defense. He didn't win the game, but he didn't lose the game either. He's not a bad QB2 if you have an elite starter, and Grossman has a good matchup the week of your starter's bye. Grossman has shown he can carve up weaker secondaries.
Phillip Rivers - 22/31, 190 yards, 0 TD, 1 INT, 5/-1. It was not to be against the elite Chicago defense. He'll have much better days when he's not facing Chicago.
Cedric Benson - 19/42, 1 FL. He looks sluggish even when he does have an opening. He'll exploit weaker defenses, so don't read too much into a horrible matchup against the vaunted SD rush defense. He's a decent RB2, but you should consider your options based on what Benson's matchup is.
LaDainian Tomlinson - 17/25, 7/51, 1 TD, 1/1, 17 yards, 1 TD. The greatest fantasy RB ever to play the game. Even on a day when Chicago engulfed him, he still managed to find paydirt on a great run in the redzone, and he found Gates for a TD on a RB toss/pass play.
Bernard Berrian - 5/83. He is clearly Grossman's go-to guy and is a solid WR3 with a bit of upside. He did have a boneheaded play where he gave up on a route which allowed McCree to have an easy INT of a Grossman pass, but fantasy owners could care less about that.
Muhsin Muhammad - 1/8. He's a WR5 at best.
Antonio Gates - 9/107, 1 TD. The game's best TE comes up with a huge game against a great opponent. There's a reason he goes in the 3rd round as he's worth the investment to those willing to take a WR that high.
Vincent Jackson - 3/28. He was an overhyped "sleeper" who will likely be inconsistent from week to week. He has the ability to get open deep and is great in the red-zone, but with LT and Gates hogging most of the TDs, I'm not sure how many he'll score this year. He won't put up consistent yardage thanks to the offensive system and how he's essentially the 3rd option in the passing game despite being the #1 WR.
Jeff Garcia - 19/27, 201 yards, 0 TD, 0 INT, 1/3. He's a mediocre QB2 with little upside given the weapons around him.
Matt Hasselbeck - 17/24, 222 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT, 2/7. Solid game against a solid defense, but I honestly don't think he'll crack the top 12 starters come year's end despite being drafted as one. He'll have some great games, but he's better as a matchup starter.
Carnell Williams - 12/60, 2/14, 1 FL. He was running well before getting hammered and hurting his ribs. Reports have him missing at least one game, so hopefully you drafted a RB3 early given the risk surrounding Cadillac. It's questionable when he'll return right now. Pick up Michael Pittman if he's avaiable as he'll start while Williams is hurt.
Shaun Alexander - 27/105, 2/12, 1 TD. He had a couple big runs late in the game, but I believe his fantasy value these days is closely tied to a big workload, and given his age, I don't think he can handle it. I'm very pessimistic regarding Alexander this year, and I advise you to think about selling high after a strong first game. The 3.9 YPC just isn't vintage Alexander.
Joey Galloway - 5/72. He's still a great wide receiver with incredible speed for his age. He has no problem getting open and will be a solid WR3 this season assuming he stays healthy.
Deion Branch - 0/0. Just what owners wanted, right? No? WTF. No explanation for this.
D.J. Hackett - 1/7. Hackett suffered the dreaded high ankle sprain, so he's out indefinitely. Go ahead and drop him unless you have a deep bench and don't like the WW guys this week. Nate Burleson will start, and he's not the worst guy you could have stashed. Don't waste your waiver wire priority on him, however.
New York Giants vs. Dallas
Eli Manning - 28/41, 312 yards, 4 TD, 1 INT, 1/2. What a start to the season for Eli. He shredded the Cowboys defense, throwing often as his team got down quickly and stayed down for much of the contest. The bad news, however, is the reported sprained AC joint that he endured. There's conflicting reports as to what exactly his injury is, but that's what it is being called at the moment. Stay tuned for his real status, but consider him out for this week.
Tony Romo - 15/24, 345 yards, 4 TD, 1 INT, 3/11.. Ditto for Romo, proving that his ADP was no fluke. Romo is for real as a great NFL QB and he showed it in this one, shredding the Giants secondary with big plays to both Owens and Witten all game long. Very few QBs can put up 300+ yards with only 15 completions.
Brandon Jacobs - 6/26. Jacobs left early in the 2nd QTR with a knee sprain, and luckily it's turned out to be a sprained MCL and not a torn ligament. He's being called week-to-week right now, but he should definitely be out for this coming week. Here's to a quick recovery for a RB I thought was severely undervalued in drafts this year.
Julius Jones - 16/66, 1/11. Jones got more of the carries, but looked like the worse RB, just like last season. This is going to be more of a 50/50 split unless he starts to run better. He's a questionable RB3.
Marion Barber - 11/65, 1/29, 1 TD. He seems to be the better of the two RBs to everyone but the Cowboys' coaching staffs. Still, he should start to see more carries if he continues to outproduce Jones. I can't imagine Phillips being as patient with Jones as Parcells was. Barber is a great RB3 with upside for more.
Plaxico Burress - 8/144, 3 TD. Holy crap. Burress torched the Cowboys secondary all game long and was in complete rhythm with Eli. He got open more than he was thrown to and could have had an even bigger day. His owners have to hope that Eli's injury isn't too serious as he'll definitely lose value while Eli is out.
Amani Toomer - 9/91. He's rosterable again as a WR5, but is unusable with Eli out. With Eli healthy, he's not a bad bye-week fill-in.
Jeremy Shockey - 5/41. You'd assume bigger numbers from him given the score, but Burress stole most of the throws. Shockey looked healthy and is a TE1 in all leagues.
Terrell Owens - 3/87, 2 TD. Still elite. He made the most of his 3 catches by getting open deep and outrunning defenders. He's a great WR1.
Jason Witten - 6/116, 1 TD. He torched the middle of the Giants secondary all game long and was in complete rhythm with Romo. He's a great TE1 with Romo starting as Romo loves looking his way.
Patrick Crayton - 3/51. He's the third receiving option on the team, but he's worth owning as a WR5 while Glenn is out, possibly for the season.
Jon Kitna - 27/36, 289 yards, 3 TD, 2 INT, 3/17. A great game from Kitna against a solid secondary. The Lions will throw early and often all year along, and even moreso with Kevin Jones recovering from his foot injury. Kitna utilized his new WRs Calvin Johnson and Shaun McDonald well and spread the ball around efficiently. Kitna had a great fantasy season last year, and with improved weapons around him along with a similar propensity to throw, and he could be in for a big year.
Josh McCown - 30/40, 313 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT. McCown was fairly solid, utilizing his weapons and making a few horrible throws as well. The starting situation is up in the air still despite his performance, so don't waist your waiver priority on him.
Tatum Bell - 15/87, 4/6, 1 TD. An impressive performance from Bell against what projected to be a fairly tough Oakland defense. Duckett sprained his ankle and is questionable for next week, so if he's out, Bell has even more value. Minnesota's outstanding run D is up next, however, so his matchup is not favorable despite being on turf.
LaMont Jordan - 15/70. 9/89, 1 TD. Jordan is back. Forget how incredibly brutal the Oakland offense was last year, because that offense and Jordan's injuries were what held him back, not his talent. Jordan is back as a RB2 alternative for all teams and will remain an even better force in PPR leagues.
Roy Williams - 4/20, 1 TD. Nmamdi Asomugha is to blame for this as he is quietly one of the best CBs in the NFL today. Roy is still the focal point of this offensive attack and Kitna wisely utilized his other options. Luckily he got open in the endzone and scored to save his fantasy day.
Calvin Johnson - 4/70, 1 TD. While not the starter, he saw the field plenty and made a couple of great plays. He's a solid WR3 in a pass happy offense that will use him more and more as the season moves along. His skills are freakish, and he's just a mean old bully after the catch.
Shaun McDonald - 6/90, 1 TD. Don't pick him up. He's the 4th WR on this offense and will not be posting stats like these with any regularity unless someone gets hurt in front of him. He'll be on the field a decent bit given how often the Lions will go 4 wide, but he's not going to be a fantasy option.
Ronald Curry - 10/133, 1 TD. Use your waiver wire spot to grab him if he's available...Curry is for real. After playing QB in college, he's adjusted himself to the WR position at the NFL level and is incredibly talented. He will be Oakland's #1 WR, and their offense is much improved over last year thanks to the coaching change. He's a solid WR3.
Zach Miller - 3/23, 1 FL. He's a rookie TE and can't be relied upon, but he should become a factor in their passing game and has solid receiving skills. Keep an eye on him.
Chicago vs. San Diego
Rex Grossman - 12/23, 145 yards, 0 TD, 1 INT. He predictably struggled against the imposing SD defense. He didn't win the game, but he didn't lose the game either. He's not a bad QB2 if you have an elite starter, and Grossman has a good matchup the week of your starter's bye. Grossman has shown he can carve up weaker secondaries.
Phillip Rivers - 22/31, 190 yards, 0 TD, 1 INT, 5/-1. It was not to be against the elite Chicago defense. He'll have much better days when he's not facing Chicago.
Cedric Benson - 19/42, 1 FL. He looks sluggish even when he does have an opening. He'll exploit weaker defenses, so don't read too much into a horrible matchup against the vaunted SD rush defense. He's a decent RB2, but you should consider your options based on what Benson's matchup is.
LaDainian Tomlinson - 17/25, 7/51, 1 TD, 1/1, 17 yards, 1 TD. The greatest fantasy RB ever to play the game. Even on a day when Chicago engulfed him, he still managed to find paydirt on a great run in the redzone, and he found Gates for a TD on a RB toss/pass play.
Bernard Berrian - 5/83. He is clearly Grossman's go-to guy and is a solid WR3 with a bit of upside. He did have a boneheaded play where he gave up on a route which allowed McCree to have an easy INT of a Grossman pass, but fantasy owners could care less about that.
Muhsin Muhammad - 1/8. He's a WR5 at best.
Antonio Gates - 9/107, 1 TD. The game's best TE comes up with a huge game against a great opponent. There's a reason he goes in the 3rd round as he's worth the investment to those willing to take a WR that high.
Vincent Jackson - 3/28. He was an overhyped "sleeper" who will likely be inconsistent from week to week. He has the ability to get open deep and is great in the red-zone, but with LT and Gates hogging most of the TDs, I'm not sure how many he'll score this year. He won't put up consistent yardage thanks to the offensive system and how he's essentially the 3rd option in the passing game despite being the #1 WR.
Jeff Garcia - 19/27, 201 yards, 0 TD, 0 INT, 1/3. He's a mediocre QB2 with little upside given the weapons around him.
Matt Hasselbeck - 17/24, 222 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT, 2/7. Solid game against a solid defense, but I honestly don't think he'll crack the top 12 starters come year's end despite being drafted as one. He'll have some great games, but he's better as a matchup starter.
Carnell Williams - 12/60, 2/14, 1 FL. He was running well before getting hammered and hurting his ribs. Reports have him missing at least one game, so hopefully you drafted a RB3 early given the risk surrounding Cadillac. It's questionable when he'll return right now. Pick up Michael Pittman if he's avaiable as he'll start while Williams is hurt.
Shaun Alexander - 27/105, 2/12, 1 TD. He had a couple big runs late in the game, but I believe his fantasy value these days is closely tied to a big workload, and given his age, I don't think he can handle it. I'm very pessimistic regarding Alexander this year, and I advise you to think about selling high after a strong first game. The 3.9 YPC just isn't vintage Alexander.
Joey Galloway - 5/72. He's still a great wide receiver with incredible speed for his age. He has no problem getting open and will be a solid WR3 this season assuming he stays healthy.
Deion Branch - 0/0. Just what owners wanted, right? No? WTF. No explanation for this.
D.J. Hackett - 1/7. Hackett suffered the dreaded high ankle sprain, so he's out indefinitely. Go ahead and drop him unless you have a deep bench and don't like the WW guys this week. Nate Burleson will start, and he's not the worst guy you could have stashed. Don't waste your waiver wire priority on him, however.
New York Giants vs. Dallas
Eli Manning - 28/41, 312 yards, 4 TD, 1 INT, 1/2. What a start to the season for Eli. He shredded the Cowboys defense, throwing often as his team got down quickly and stayed down for much of the contest. The bad news, however, is the reported sprained AC joint that he endured. There's conflicting reports as to what exactly his injury is, but that's what it is being called at the moment. Stay tuned for his real status, but consider him out for this week.
Tony Romo - 15/24, 345 yards, 4 TD, 1 INT, 3/11.. Ditto for Romo, proving that his ADP was no fluke. Romo is for real as a great NFL QB and he showed it in this one, shredding the Giants secondary with big plays to both Owens and Witten all game long. Very few QBs can put up 300+ yards with only 15 completions.
Brandon Jacobs - 6/26. Jacobs left early in the 2nd QTR with a knee sprain, and luckily it's turned out to be a sprained MCL and not a torn ligament. He's being called week-to-week right now, but he should definitely be out for this coming week. Here's to a quick recovery for a RB I thought was severely undervalued in drafts this year.
Julius Jones - 16/66, 1/11. Jones got more of the carries, but looked like the worse RB, just like last season. This is going to be more of a 50/50 split unless he starts to run better. He's a questionable RB3.
Marion Barber - 11/65, 1/29, 1 TD. He seems to be the better of the two RBs to everyone but the Cowboys' coaching staffs. Still, he should start to see more carries if he continues to outproduce Jones. I can't imagine Phillips being as patient with Jones as Parcells was. Barber is a great RB3 with upside for more.
Plaxico Burress - 8/144, 3 TD. Holy crap. Burress torched the Cowboys secondary all game long and was in complete rhythm with Eli. He got open more than he was thrown to and could have had an even bigger day. His owners have to hope that Eli's injury isn't too serious as he'll definitely lose value while Eli is out.
Amani Toomer - 9/91. He's rosterable again as a WR5, but is unusable with Eli out. With Eli healthy, he's not a bad bye-week fill-in.
Jeremy Shockey - 5/41. You'd assume bigger numbers from him given the score, but Burress stole most of the throws. Shockey looked healthy and is a TE1 in all leagues.
Terrell Owens - 3/87, 2 TD. Still elite. He made the most of his 3 catches by getting open deep and outrunning defenders. He's a great WR1.
Jason Witten - 6/116, 1 TD. He torched the middle of the Giants secondary all game long and was in complete rhythm with Romo. He's a great TE1 with Romo starting as Romo loves looking his way.
Patrick Crayton - 3/51. He's the third receiving option on the team, but he's worth owning as a WR5 while Glenn is out, possibly for the season.
NFL Week 1: Early Game Wrapup
Denver vs. Buffalo
Jay Cutler - 23/39, 304 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT, 4/18. Cutler put together a great 2007 debut as he moved the offense effectively against Buffalo for most of the game. The only problem was the 5 FG attempts versus 1 TD as they often stalled as they got close. Still, he showed excellent chemistry with Javon Walker, which bodes well for the season.
J.P. Losman - 12/21, 97 yards, 0 TD, 1 INT, 2/13. With Champ Bailey hounding Lee Evans all day, the lack of WR depth for the Bills proved to be a large problem. Considering how stout the cornerbacks are for Denver, I'm willing to give him a pass, especially given how strong he closed the 2006 season. Still, it's a concern against defenses with a shutdown corner moving forward.
Travis Henry - 23/139, 3/44. Bigtime yardage numbers as they hype about Henry proved real. They often stalled near the redzone which prevented Henry from scoring, but given how well the offense moved the ball, he'll be scoring plenty soon enough.
Marshawn Lynch - 19/90, 1 TD, 2/9. Lynch had an excellent debut versus a very good Denver defense. Hopefully he'll start to get more involved in the passing game going forward so that Losman has a reliable safety valve, and his skills definite support such growth.
Javon Walker - 9/119. Great first game for Walker who didn't have much of a chemistry with Jay Cutler last season, but proved his doubters wrong with a great first game. He'll remain both the primary target and the primary deep threat, and should come close to posting WR1 numbers all year long.
Brandon Marshall - 5/52, 1 TD. Marshall showed off his redzone skills with a great catch near th sidelines for the only Denver TD of the game. He was a popular sleeper heading into the season as a WR5, and he could prove to have WR3 upside depending on how much Shanahan wants Cutler to throw the ball. He should be a solid bye-week fill-in at worst this season.
Lee Evans - 2/5. As mentioned before, this was Champ Bailey's doing. Evans was drafted as a WR2, and I was high on him heading into the season until reading about how brutal his schedule is to start the season as he faces. Up next is Pittsburgh with their aggressive blitzing and then Asante Samuel, so Evans might become a great buy-low after 3 weeks.
Pittsburgh vs. Cleveland
Ben Roethlisberger - 12/23, 161, 4 TD, 0 INT, 1/2. A great start of the season for my favorite fantasy QB heading into the season. He wasn't the most accurate and didn't throw for a lot of yards, but he had great protection and had 2 scoring strikes of 20+ yards along with a couple 5 yard TD passes. The short TD passes are of not here as Pittsburgh is traditionally a smashmouth team on the ground, and this indicates the change of guard with new coordinator Bruce Arians. Big Ben will become even more efficient as he continues to learn the new offense.
Browns QB Situation - Frye was pulled due to complete ineptitude, but Anderson wasn't much better after he took over. Brady Quinn will be starting sooner than later, and owners of both Edwards and Winslow can only pray that it's as soon as week 2.
Willie Parker - 27/109, 1/-2, 1 FL. Great yardage totals, but he didn't convert on his chances inside the 10, and Pittsburgh threw twice from the 5 yard line. His TD totals might drop a bit because of Pittsburgh's new scheme, but Pittsburgh will continue to use him plenty as long as his fumbling doesn't become a consistent problem. I imagine he'll be passed to more often as the season moves along as well.
Jamal Lewis - 11/35. Pittsburgh didn't give him any room and got up big early, but don't let that sway you from the fact that Jamal Lewis sucks. They even threw playaction from the 1 yard line.
Hines Ward - 3/51, 1 TD. Workman like game from Ward, and expect him to post better yardage totals as the season progresses and Pittsburgh throws more often when they aren't leading by 200. He's a good WR2.
Santonio Holmes - 2/55, 1 TD. Another preseason sleeper favorite who posted a solid first game. He'll be a bit inconsistent as Pittsburgh's secondary option and primary deep threat, but he'll probably post at least one big play each game. He's a good WR3.
Heath Miller - 4/35, 1 TD. Pick him up if he's still out there. He was incredibly under-utilized since being drafted, but he has great receiving skills and will likely break out this season. He'll be a borderline starter.
Braylon Edwards - 3/49. His QBs are a joke. He's a borderline WR3 while Frye and Anderson exchange poor performances, but he'll become a much better option once Quinn takes over.
Kellen Winslow - 4/83. What a great performance coming off microfracture surgery. Winslow produces regardless of who is under center, and he is a great TE1. Perhaps he is a soldier afterall?
Philadelphia vs. Green Bay
Donovan McNabb - 15/33, 184 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT, 4/9. Green Bay was in his face all game long, and he looked a bit rusty to boot. As I mentioned in my pre-season QB summary, it might take McNabb a bit to get adjusted, but he'll be fine soon enough. The thing to note here is how good GB's defense is, and to watch their performance over the next few weeks to see if they're ready to join the great NFL defenses this season. They have a ton of talent.
Brett Favre - 23/42, 206 yards, 0 TD, 1 INT. Favre should be a solid fantasy backup this season, but he's going to be erratic. He's best owned when your starter has a bye week the same week that Favre has an advantageous matchup. His history versus Philly wasn't good, and he struggled once again. It'll take a bit for him to get used to all the youngsters that surround him.
Brian Westbrook - 20/85, 6/46. Westbrook had yet another great yardage game. McNabb's ineffectiveness prevented Westbrook from having a strong chance of scoring, but he'll get more chances once McNabb re-acclimates himself.
Brandon Jackson - 15/40, 4/35. Philly was brutal against the run last season, but re-loaded their LB corps and did a good job here. The GB line projects to be pretty solid, but I'm not sold on Jackson's skills. He's a RB3 if for nothing else other than his workload, but he's going to have to show more than this over the next few weeks.
Reggie Brown - 1/14. A victim of poor QB play and a tough GB secondary. I expect much better results moving forward.
Kevin Curtis - 2/53. He made a couple big plays and makes for a solid WR3. He'll get more consistent as McNabb finds his game.
Donald Driver - 6/66. He'll continue to rack up the catches as Favre's clear go-to guy this season. He looks recovered from his preseason foot injury and should be a good WR2 this season. Expecting a repeat of last year's top 5 finish would be foolish, however.
Kansas City vs. Houston
Damon Huard - 22/33, 168 yards, 0 TD, 2 INT, 1/0. He just doesn't have much to work with at the WR position, and Tony Gonzalez might be asked to block more often depending on how the line holds up this season. Not only that, but Brodie Croyle will probably take his job after KC gets off to an inevitable slow start. There's no upside to owning him in 1 QB leagues.
Matt Schaub - 16/22, 225, 1 TD, 1 INT, 1/-1. Schaub showed up exactly as advertised, showing solid pocket presence and a strong arm. He remains a solid QB2, but the lack of an established secondary threat across from Andre Johnson limits his upside. Look to Phillip Rivers' progression last year as Schaub's potential this season.
Larry Johnson - 10/43, 7/44. He was saved in PPR league scoring, but very mediocre in standard scoring. LJ is going to be the victim of a poor offense, but expect more carries moving forward since KC simply doesn't have anything else. He's likely close to 100% game shape now.
Ahman Green - 16/73, 4/23. Green should remain a solid RB3 this season. Owners might be annoyed at only 16 carries in a win, but given Green's injury history and propensity to wear down as the season progresses, along with his age, Houston will be smart to limit his touches.
Eddie Kennison - 0/0. Kennison left hurt, and given the pathetic passing game, dropping him for someone like Ronald Curry, Brandon Marshall, or even Antwaan Randle El wouldn't be frowned upon. Plus he's old.
Tony Gonzalez - 5/28. He's still a fine TE, but his surrounding offense will limit him. He's probably going to have some huge games, but he'll be less consistent than usual thanks to the lack of talent around him.
Andre Johnson - 7/142, 1 TD, 1 FL. So that's what he can do with a real NFL QB. Schaub hit him for a 77 yard bomb that went for a TD, ironically the longest catch of his career. Schaub will have some rough games mixed in since he's still relatively unexperienced in NFL games, but he's going to help take AJ to a borderline WR1 this season for once and utilize his tremendous physical skills. The progression of rookie playmaker Jacoby Jones will help as well.
Owen Daniels - 1/14. Don't forget about him, and don't drop him if you own him as a TE2. Schaub will start to use him more as the season moves along.
Tennessee vs. Jacksonville
Vince Young - 11/18, 78 yards, 0 TD, 1 INT, 11/22, 1 TD. This is why he's an overrated QB1. His passing skills need work, and his receivers are among the worst in the NFL. He'll obviously have better games than this, but Jacksonville presents a strong defensive opponent, and he'll have to get used to using what he has.
David Garrard - 17/30, 204 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT, 5/24. Garrard remains a solid QB2 option who won't put up huge passing numbers, but he should be solidly consistent and add good rushing totals as well.
Chris Brown - 19/175. Possibly the biggest surprise of week 1. Brown shredded Jacksonville's run defense for the weekly high in yardage. No one was ever doubted Brown's skills, and he might finally be over the turf toe injury that lingered. His durability remains a huge concern, but he's definitely created an RBBC situation. LenDale White owners aren't happy.
LenDale White - 18/66. White ran tough, but he just doesn't possess the same game-slashing, breakaway ability that Brown possesses. He's still a vital member to this now RBBC situation, and Chris Brown could go down at any time. He's well worth owning given this.
Maurice Jones-Drew - 7/32, 3/28, 1 FL. This is exactly why Jones-Drew was a bad pick this year. He was incredibly overrated, going as high as the early 2nd round in some drafts. His owners are speculating on Fred Taylor's injury, and while it's probably Taylor will miss a few games, that's exactly what needs to happen for Jones-Drew to have considerable value. He made the most of his touches per usual.
Fred Taylor - 6/16. Jacksonville just didn't run much and Taylor's numbers suffered. He's still a solid RB3 as he'll probably be far closer to 20 carries than 6 most weeks.
TEN/JAX WRs - It's arguable that no WRs from these two teams are worth owning. Matt Jones didn't even catch a pass, and he's probably the most owned from this group. Brandon Jones is worth stashing as a WR5 unless the WW options available to you this week are more enticing. Young just won't make him very consistent whatsoever.
Atlanta vs. Minnesota
Joey Harrington/Tavaris Jackson - Neither of these guys are worth owning in 1 QB leagues. They are bottom of the barrel NFL starters who don't have very much talent to throw to.
Warrick Dunn - 22/55. Petrino needs to quickly learn that Dunn's time has passed and that his true value at this stage in his career is as a 3rd down specialist/backup. If he's smart, this will be Dunn's year-high in carries unless Norwood gets hurt.
Jerious Norwood - 5/33. His time is coming, so be patient.
Chester Taylor - 3/18, 1/3. He left the game with an oblique contusion, which is new to me. The reports right now have him returning to practice as soon as later this week, but since he's likely no better than an RB3 on your squad, I doubt you're very concerned.
Adrian Peterson - 19/103, 1/60, 1 TD. Hello, Adrian Peterson. This kid's talent is undeniable, and he's an outstanding RB2 if Chester misses any time. Keep an eye on Chester's health this week before plugging him into your lineup for week 2.
Alge Crumpler - 4/40. Harrington still looks his way, but this offense is definitely not the same without Vick. Crumpler should still remain a decent TE1 as he remains the focal point of the passing game.
Joe Horn - 1/14. Don't let the big name fool you, Horn is not the same, and he's on one of the NFL's worst passing attacks. Don't let him near your starting lineup unless you have no other options.
Roddy White - 4/29. If Harrington could get the ball down the field, White will benefit as the team's best deep threat. He's not worth rostering, but you should keep an eye on him.
New England vs. New York Jets
Tom Brady - 22/28, 297 yards, 3 TD, 0 INT, 1/4. Brady likes his new toys. He'll be among the best fantasy QBs this season, as he always is.
Chad Pennington - 16/21, 167 yards, 2 TD, 0 INT, 1/3. Pennington left with a badly swollen ankle, and he'll likely miss at least a game. Mangini doesn't reveal much about injuries, but it'd be a shock if he practiced this week. Kellen Clemens will take over, and he might have a shot to be the starter the rest of the season depending on how well he performs, and if Pennington misses several weeks.
Laurence Maroney - 20/72. Pretty boring game from Maroney, especially considering the Patriots scored 38 points. The passing game should eventually open up holes for Maroney, but he still dances too much and isn't decisive about where he's running. I like him much better as a RB2, but he was likely drafted as your RB1.
Thomas Jones - 14/42. Jones has a brutal start to the season, facing the Patriots yesterday, and then Baltimore and Miami are up the next two weeks. He's a weak RB2 play in the meantime, but things get easier after that. Hopefully Clemens fills in capably for Pennington to keep the defenses from stacking 8 in the box.
Randy Moss - 9/183, 1 TD. All he needed was a team that actually wanted to win. NE likely played it safe with their new acquisition after his hamstring injury, but he proved he's just fine with yesterday's monster performance. I remain skeptical that he'll post big numbers this season given the Patriot's tendency to spread the ball around, but he's far and away the best WR Brady has ever had or currently has, so hopefully for us owners he'll be utilized consistently as such.
Wes Welker - 6/61, 1 TD. He should be owned in all leagues and remains a great WR4/WR5 bye-week fill-in. Brady trusts him over the middle and Welker is very quick and good after the catch.
Donte Stallworth - 1/19. He's fast, but he's just not that great of a WR. Who knows if he's healthy, and best of luck trying to figure out when his random big games will be. He's not a bad WR4, but starting him every week just isn't worth it.
Ben Watson - 2/9, 1 TD. Like Stallworth, Watson might get lost on occasion among all the receiving threats NE has now. He remains a good TE2 for your bye week and potential injuries, but starting him every week isn't advised.
Laveraneous Coles - 7/59, 2 TD. Pennington loves Coles, and Coles owners hope that Clemens loves Coles as well. Downgrade him a bit when Clemens starts, but he's still arguably the best WR on the team. Clemens has a much better arm than Pennington and could use Coles on deeper routes more often, but as I said before, his consistency will be questionable.
Jerricho Cotchery - 6/57. Cotchery is great after the catch and will remain a solid WR3 this season. Clemens might slow the offense down somewhat, so as with Coles, downgrade him a bit with Clemens until we see him in action. Nobody knows who Clemens' favorite target might be.
Carolina vs. St. Louis
Jake Delhomme - 18/27, 201 yards, 3 TD, 0 INT, 3/12. Delhomme still adores Steve Smith, but who doesn't. The possible emergence of Drew Carter and the hopefully in-season progression of Dwayne Jarrett will give him additional targets. He remains a solid QB2, and given the lack of options alongside Steve Smith, he's better suited as a backup to those who have an elite QB1.
Marc Bulger - 22/42, 167 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT, 3/18. A very ho-hum day for Bulger. The biggest news of the game here is the season-ending injury to Pro-Bowl LT Orlando Pace. His loss is a big downgrade to the offensive line and will affect all Rams players. They'll turn to youngster Alex Barron at LT now, and who knows who they'll plug in at RT. His protection won't be as good.
DeShaun Foster - 17/94, 1/7, 1 FL. An impressive performance from Foster who's well suited for the new zone-blocking scheme. DeAngelo Williams remains the more talented player, but Foster was quite talented in his own right prior to the microfracture knee surgery he underwent early in his NFL career. He had a great preseason and started off strong here. His value is on the rise and he might be a solid RB3 with the right matchup.
DeAngelo Williams - 15/62, 1/13, 1 FL. Williams ran well too, but Foster outproduced him. Fox has always shown loyalty to Foster, and given his better fit in the new running scheme, Williams' value remains questionable at the moment. He's still a part of this RBBC and his passing game skills are superior to Foster's, but Fox might start using Foster more going forward. Keep an eye on things.
Steven Jackson - 18/58, 1/3, 2 FL. Thud. Jackson looked terrible, and Pace's injury hurts his value. On the bright side, Carolina has a very good run defense when Dan Morgan is healthy, so don't read too much into this. Just hope that the line can find a suitable replacement with Pace out for the year.
Torry Holt - 8/73, 1 TD. A solid game, but his long of 18 is a bit worrisome. Holt has struggled to gain separation from cornerbacks since his knee troubled him again towards the end of last year. Holt remains a no-brainer every week starter and an elite route runner, but throwing in a big catch would help him keep his yardage consistent. This remains a slight source of concern.
Isaac Bruce - 3/20. Bruce turned in a fine season last year when on the field and remains one of the best route runners in the game, but WRs at his age start to slow down a bit, and that loss of separation does hurt their production. That being said, this is only one game, but keep an eye on him if you're starting him as your WR3.
Randy McMichael - 2/24. Given the other weapons on offense and the Rams' long history of not using their TE very much, and I find it hard to believe that McMichael will be a TE1 this year. He's better off served as your TE2.
Miami vs. Washington
Trent Green - 24/38, 219 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT. Green might be a decent QB2 this year if he picks up Cam Cameron's offense, and odds are he will. He doesn't have the weapons to have much upside, and he's an injury risk thanks to his severe concussion last year and his advanced age. Still, he'll probably post fairly solid numbers this year.
Jason Campbell - 12/21, 222 yards, 0 TD, 2 INT, 4/29. Campbell is a QB with upside, but the season-ending injury to RT Jon Jansen is a blow to their offensive line. Luckily they have a capable backup in Todd Wade, but he's not as dominant as Jansen is. Campbell should improve as the season progresses.
Ronnie Brown - 11/32, 6/40. Brown owners have to be fuming at the timeshare situation that has developed in Miami. Brown is still the superior talent, so Cameron must see something in Chatman, or he must be frustrated with something he sees with Brown. He's a very risky RB2 until he wins the job outright.
Clinton Portis - 17/98, 1 TD. He looks healthy to me. Portis exploded for a 19 yard TD in the 3rd quarter and had several nice runs throughout the game. He should start to seize the featured RB role as soon as next week and is a great RB2 play.
Ladell Betts - 17/59, 1/16. Betts was solid, but Portis outplayed him and remains the superior talent. Look for Betts to have his role reduced as the weeks progress, but he remains a great RB4 due to Portis' questionable durability.
Chris Chambers - 6/92. Revived! Green and Chambers showed solid chemistry, and Chambers has emerged as a solid WR3 target with upside. He's the clear #1 on this team, and despite his overrated talent, he should emerge as a consistent fantasy option with Green as his QB now.
Santana Moss - 3/28. Campbell just didn't do a good job getting him the ball when he was open. Expect this to be one of the worst days of his season as Campbell will start connected deep with him, and Randle El's big game will give the defense something else to think about.
Antwaan Randle El - 5/162. A huge game and likely one of the most popular week 1 pickups. Given Moss' role as the #1 WR, I just cannot see this happening again. If you pick him up for depth, don't start him unless he shows consistency.
Chris Cooley - 1/10. Just a bad game, so don't overreact. Cooley is a TE1, and Campbell will do a better job as the season moves along.
Jay Cutler - 23/39, 304 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT, 4/18. Cutler put together a great 2007 debut as he moved the offense effectively against Buffalo for most of the game. The only problem was the 5 FG attempts versus 1 TD as they often stalled as they got close. Still, he showed excellent chemistry with Javon Walker, which bodes well for the season.
J.P. Losman - 12/21, 97 yards, 0 TD, 1 INT, 2/13. With Champ Bailey hounding Lee Evans all day, the lack of WR depth for the Bills proved to be a large problem. Considering how stout the cornerbacks are for Denver, I'm willing to give him a pass, especially given how strong he closed the 2006 season. Still, it's a concern against defenses with a shutdown corner moving forward.
Travis Henry - 23/139, 3/44. Bigtime yardage numbers as they hype about Henry proved real. They often stalled near the redzone which prevented Henry from scoring, but given how well the offense moved the ball, he'll be scoring plenty soon enough.
Marshawn Lynch - 19/90, 1 TD, 2/9. Lynch had an excellent debut versus a very good Denver defense. Hopefully he'll start to get more involved in the passing game going forward so that Losman has a reliable safety valve, and his skills definite support such growth.
Javon Walker - 9/119. Great first game for Walker who didn't have much of a chemistry with Jay Cutler last season, but proved his doubters wrong with a great first game. He'll remain both the primary target and the primary deep threat, and should come close to posting WR1 numbers all year long.
Brandon Marshall - 5/52, 1 TD. Marshall showed off his redzone skills with a great catch near th sidelines for the only Denver TD of the game. He was a popular sleeper heading into the season as a WR5, and he could prove to have WR3 upside depending on how much Shanahan wants Cutler to throw the ball. He should be a solid bye-week fill-in at worst this season.
Lee Evans - 2/5. As mentioned before, this was Champ Bailey's doing. Evans was drafted as a WR2, and I was high on him heading into the season until reading about how brutal his schedule is to start the season as he faces. Up next is Pittsburgh with their aggressive blitzing and then Asante Samuel, so Evans might become a great buy-low after 3 weeks.
Pittsburgh vs. Cleveland
Ben Roethlisberger - 12/23, 161, 4 TD, 0 INT, 1/2. A great start of the season for my favorite fantasy QB heading into the season. He wasn't the most accurate and didn't throw for a lot of yards, but he had great protection and had 2 scoring strikes of 20+ yards along with a couple 5 yard TD passes. The short TD passes are of not here as Pittsburgh is traditionally a smashmouth team on the ground, and this indicates the change of guard with new coordinator Bruce Arians. Big Ben will become even more efficient as he continues to learn the new offense.
Browns QB Situation - Frye was pulled due to complete ineptitude, but Anderson wasn't much better after he took over. Brady Quinn will be starting sooner than later, and owners of both Edwards and Winslow can only pray that it's as soon as week 2.
Willie Parker - 27/109, 1/-2, 1 FL. Great yardage totals, but he didn't convert on his chances inside the 10, and Pittsburgh threw twice from the 5 yard line. His TD totals might drop a bit because of Pittsburgh's new scheme, but Pittsburgh will continue to use him plenty as long as his fumbling doesn't become a consistent problem. I imagine he'll be passed to more often as the season moves along as well.
Jamal Lewis - 11/35. Pittsburgh didn't give him any room and got up big early, but don't let that sway you from the fact that Jamal Lewis sucks. They even threw playaction from the 1 yard line.
Hines Ward - 3/51, 1 TD. Workman like game from Ward, and expect him to post better yardage totals as the season progresses and Pittsburgh throws more often when they aren't leading by 200. He's a good WR2.
Santonio Holmes - 2/55, 1 TD. Another preseason sleeper favorite who posted a solid first game. He'll be a bit inconsistent as Pittsburgh's secondary option and primary deep threat, but he'll probably post at least one big play each game. He's a good WR3.
Heath Miller - 4/35, 1 TD. Pick him up if he's still out there. He was incredibly under-utilized since being drafted, but he has great receiving skills and will likely break out this season. He'll be a borderline starter.
Braylon Edwards - 3/49. His QBs are a joke. He's a borderline WR3 while Frye and Anderson exchange poor performances, but he'll become a much better option once Quinn takes over.
Kellen Winslow - 4/83. What a great performance coming off microfracture surgery. Winslow produces regardless of who is under center, and he is a great TE1. Perhaps he is a soldier afterall?
Philadelphia vs. Green Bay
Donovan McNabb - 15/33, 184 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT, 4/9. Green Bay was in his face all game long, and he looked a bit rusty to boot. As I mentioned in my pre-season QB summary, it might take McNabb a bit to get adjusted, but he'll be fine soon enough. The thing to note here is how good GB's defense is, and to watch their performance over the next few weeks to see if they're ready to join the great NFL defenses this season. They have a ton of talent.
Brett Favre - 23/42, 206 yards, 0 TD, 1 INT. Favre should be a solid fantasy backup this season, but he's going to be erratic. He's best owned when your starter has a bye week the same week that Favre has an advantageous matchup. His history versus Philly wasn't good, and he struggled once again. It'll take a bit for him to get used to all the youngsters that surround him.
Brian Westbrook - 20/85, 6/46. Westbrook had yet another great yardage game. McNabb's ineffectiveness prevented Westbrook from having a strong chance of scoring, but he'll get more chances once McNabb re-acclimates himself.
Brandon Jackson - 15/40, 4/35. Philly was brutal against the run last season, but re-loaded their LB corps and did a good job here. The GB line projects to be pretty solid, but I'm not sold on Jackson's skills. He's a RB3 if for nothing else other than his workload, but he's going to have to show more than this over the next few weeks.
Reggie Brown - 1/14. A victim of poor QB play and a tough GB secondary. I expect much better results moving forward.
Kevin Curtis - 2/53. He made a couple big plays and makes for a solid WR3. He'll get more consistent as McNabb finds his game.
Donald Driver - 6/66. He'll continue to rack up the catches as Favre's clear go-to guy this season. He looks recovered from his preseason foot injury and should be a good WR2 this season. Expecting a repeat of last year's top 5 finish would be foolish, however.
Kansas City vs. Houston
Damon Huard - 22/33, 168 yards, 0 TD, 2 INT, 1/0. He just doesn't have much to work with at the WR position, and Tony Gonzalez might be asked to block more often depending on how the line holds up this season. Not only that, but Brodie Croyle will probably take his job after KC gets off to an inevitable slow start. There's no upside to owning him in 1 QB leagues.
Matt Schaub - 16/22, 225, 1 TD, 1 INT, 1/-1. Schaub showed up exactly as advertised, showing solid pocket presence and a strong arm. He remains a solid QB2, but the lack of an established secondary threat across from Andre Johnson limits his upside. Look to Phillip Rivers' progression last year as Schaub's potential this season.
Larry Johnson - 10/43, 7/44. He was saved in PPR league scoring, but very mediocre in standard scoring. LJ is going to be the victim of a poor offense, but expect more carries moving forward since KC simply doesn't have anything else. He's likely close to 100% game shape now.
Ahman Green - 16/73, 4/23. Green should remain a solid RB3 this season. Owners might be annoyed at only 16 carries in a win, but given Green's injury history and propensity to wear down as the season progresses, along with his age, Houston will be smart to limit his touches.
Eddie Kennison - 0/0. Kennison left hurt, and given the pathetic passing game, dropping him for someone like Ronald Curry, Brandon Marshall, or even Antwaan Randle El wouldn't be frowned upon. Plus he's old.
Tony Gonzalez - 5/28. He's still a fine TE, but his surrounding offense will limit him. He's probably going to have some huge games, but he'll be less consistent than usual thanks to the lack of talent around him.
Andre Johnson - 7/142, 1 TD, 1 FL. So that's what he can do with a real NFL QB. Schaub hit him for a 77 yard bomb that went for a TD, ironically the longest catch of his career. Schaub will have some rough games mixed in since he's still relatively unexperienced in NFL games, but he's going to help take AJ to a borderline WR1 this season for once and utilize his tremendous physical skills. The progression of rookie playmaker Jacoby Jones will help as well.
Owen Daniels - 1/14. Don't forget about him, and don't drop him if you own him as a TE2. Schaub will start to use him more as the season moves along.
Tennessee vs. Jacksonville
Vince Young - 11/18, 78 yards, 0 TD, 1 INT, 11/22, 1 TD. This is why he's an overrated QB1. His passing skills need work, and his receivers are among the worst in the NFL. He'll obviously have better games than this, but Jacksonville presents a strong defensive opponent, and he'll have to get used to using what he has.
David Garrard - 17/30, 204 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT, 5/24. Garrard remains a solid QB2 option who won't put up huge passing numbers, but he should be solidly consistent and add good rushing totals as well.
Chris Brown - 19/175. Possibly the biggest surprise of week 1. Brown shredded Jacksonville's run defense for the weekly high in yardage. No one was ever doubted Brown's skills, and he might finally be over the turf toe injury that lingered. His durability remains a huge concern, but he's definitely created an RBBC situation. LenDale White owners aren't happy.
LenDale White - 18/66. White ran tough, but he just doesn't possess the same game-slashing, breakaway ability that Brown possesses. He's still a vital member to this now RBBC situation, and Chris Brown could go down at any time. He's well worth owning given this.
Maurice Jones-Drew - 7/32, 3/28, 1 FL. This is exactly why Jones-Drew was a bad pick this year. He was incredibly overrated, going as high as the early 2nd round in some drafts. His owners are speculating on Fred Taylor's injury, and while it's probably Taylor will miss a few games, that's exactly what needs to happen for Jones-Drew to have considerable value. He made the most of his touches per usual.
Fred Taylor - 6/16. Jacksonville just didn't run much and Taylor's numbers suffered. He's still a solid RB3 as he'll probably be far closer to 20 carries than 6 most weeks.
TEN/JAX WRs - It's arguable that no WRs from these two teams are worth owning. Matt Jones didn't even catch a pass, and he's probably the most owned from this group. Brandon Jones is worth stashing as a WR5 unless the WW options available to you this week are more enticing. Young just won't make him very consistent whatsoever.
Atlanta vs. Minnesota
Joey Harrington/Tavaris Jackson - Neither of these guys are worth owning in 1 QB leagues. They are bottom of the barrel NFL starters who don't have very much talent to throw to.
Warrick Dunn - 22/55. Petrino needs to quickly learn that Dunn's time has passed and that his true value at this stage in his career is as a 3rd down specialist/backup. If he's smart, this will be Dunn's year-high in carries unless Norwood gets hurt.
Jerious Norwood - 5/33. His time is coming, so be patient.
Chester Taylor - 3/18, 1/3. He left the game with an oblique contusion, which is new to me. The reports right now have him returning to practice as soon as later this week, but since he's likely no better than an RB3 on your squad, I doubt you're very concerned.
Adrian Peterson - 19/103, 1/60, 1 TD. Hello, Adrian Peterson. This kid's talent is undeniable, and he's an outstanding RB2 if Chester misses any time. Keep an eye on Chester's health this week before plugging him into your lineup for week 2.
Alge Crumpler - 4/40. Harrington still looks his way, but this offense is definitely not the same without Vick. Crumpler should still remain a decent TE1 as he remains the focal point of the passing game.
Joe Horn - 1/14. Don't let the big name fool you, Horn is not the same, and he's on one of the NFL's worst passing attacks. Don't let him near your starting lineup unless you have no other options.
Roddy White - 4/29. If Harrington could get the ball down the field, White will benefit as the team's best deep threat. He's not worth rostering, but you should keep an eye on him.
New England vs. New York Jets
Tom Brady - 22/28, 297 yards, 3 TD, 0 INT, 1/4. Brady likes his new toys. He'll be among the best fantasy QBs this season, as he always is.
Chad Pennington - 16/21, 167 yards, 2 TD, 0 INT, 1/3. Pennington left with a badly swollen ankle, and he'll likely miss at least a game. Mangini doesn't reveal much about injuries, but it'd be a shock if he practiced this week. Kellen Clemens will take over, and he might have a shot to be the starter the rest of the season depending on how well he performs, and if Pennington misses several weeks.
Laurence Maroney - 20/72. Pretty boring game from Maroney, especially considering the Patriots scored 38 points. The passing game should eventually open up holes for Maroney, but he still dances too much and isn't decisive about where he's running. I like him much better as a RB2, but he was likely drafted as your RB1.
Thomas Jones - 14/42. Jones has a brutal start to the season, facing the Patriots yesterday, and then Baltimore and Miami are up the next two weeks. He's a weak RB2 play in the meantime, but things get easier after that. Hopefully Clemens fills in capably for Pennington to keep the defenses from stacking 8 in the box.
Randy Moss - 9/183, 1 TD. All he needed was a team that actually wanted to win. NE likely played it safe with their new acquisition after his hamstring injury, but he proved he's just fine with yesterday's monster performance. I remain skeptical that he'll post big numbers this season given the Patriot's tendency to spread the ball around, but he's far and away the best WR Brady has ever had or currently has, so hopefully for us owners he'll be utilized consistently as such.
Wes Welker - 6/61, 1 TD. He should be owned in all leagues and remains a great WR4/WR5 bye-week fill-in. Brady trusts him over the middle and Welker is very quick and good after the catch.
Donte Stallworth - 1/19. He's fast, but he's just not that great of a WR. Who knows if he's healthy, and best of luck trying to figure out when his random big games will be. He's not a bad WR4, but starting him every week just isn't worth it.
Ben Watson - 2/9, 1 TD. Like Stallworth, Watson might get lost on occasion among all the receiving threats NE has now. He remains a good TE2 for your bye week and potential injuries, but starting him every week isn't advised.
Laveraneous Coles - 7/59, 2 TD. Pennington loves Coles, and Coles owners hope that Clemens loves Coles as well. Downgrade him a bit when Clemens starts, but he's still arguably the best WR on the team. Clemens has a much better arm than Pennington and could use Coles on deeper routes more often, but as I said before, his consistency will be questionable.
Jerricho Cotchery - 6/57. Cotchery is great after the catch and will remain a solid WR3 this season. Clemens might slow the offense down somewhat, so as with Coles, downgrade him a bit with Clemens until we see him in action. Nobody knows who Clemens' favorite target might be.
Carolina vs. St. Louis
Jake Delhomme - 18/27, 201 yards, 3 TD, 0 INT, 3/12. Delhomme still adores Steve Smith, but who doesn't. The possible emergence of Drew Carter and the hopefully in-season progression of Dwayne Jarrett will give him additional targets. He remains a solid QB2, and given the lack of options alongside Steve Smith, he's better suited as a backup to those who have an elite QB1.
Marc Bulger - 22/42, 167 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT, 3/18. A very ho-hum day for Bulger. The biggest news of the game here is the season-ending injury to Pro-Bowl LT Orlando Pace. His loss is a big downgrade to the offensive line and will affect all Rams players. They'll turn to youngster Alex Barron at LT now, and who knows who they'll plug in at RT. His protection won't be as good.
DeShaun Foster - 17/94, 1/7, 1 FL. An impressive performance from Foster who's well suited for the new zone-blocking scheme. DeAngelo Williams remains the more talented player, but Foster was quite talented in his own right prior to the microfracture knee surgery he underwent early in his NFL career. He had a great preseason and started off strong here. His value is on the rise and he might be a solid RB3 with the right matchup.
DeAngelo Williams - 15/62, 1/13, 1 FL. Williams ran well too, but Foster outproduced him. Fox has always shown loyalty to Foster, and given his better fit in the new running scheme, Williams' value remains questionable at the moment. He's still a part of this RBBC and his passing game skills are superior to Foster's, but Fox might start using Foster more going forward. Keep an eye on things.
Steven Jackson - 18/58, 1/3, 2 FL. Thud. Jackson looked terrible, and Pace's injury hurts his value. On the bright side, Carolina has a very good run defense when Dan Morgan is healthy, so don't read too much into this. Just hope that the line can find a suitable replacement with Pace out for the year.
Torry Holt - 8/73, 1 TD. A solid game, but his long of 18 is a bit worrisome. Holt has struggled to gain separation from cornerbacks since his knee troubled him again towards the end of last year. Holt remains a no-brainer every week starter and an elite route runner, but throwing in a big catch would help him keep his yardage consistent. This remains a slight source of concern.
Isaac Bruce - 3/20. Bruce turned in a fine season last year when on the field and remains one of the best route runners in the game, but WRs at his age start to slow down a bit, and that loss of separation does hurt their production. That being said, this is only one game, but keep an eye on him if you're starting him as your WR3.
Randy McMichael - 2/24. Given the other weapons on offense and the Rams' long history of not using their TE very much, and I find it hard to believe that McMichael will be a TE1 this year. He's better off served as your TE2.
Miami vs. Washington
Trent Green - 24/38, 219 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT. Green might be a decent QB2 this year if he picks up Cam Cameron's offense, and odds are he will. He doesn't have the weapons to have much upside, and he's an injury risk thanks to his severe concussion last year and his advanced age. Still, he'll probably post fairly solid numbers this year.
Jason Campbell - 12/21, 222 yards, 0 TD, 2 INT, 4/29. Campbell is a QB with upside, but the season-ending injury to RT Jon Jansen is a blow to their offensive line. Luckily they have a capable backup in Todd Wade, but he's not as dominant as Jansen is. Campbell should improve as the season progresses.
Ronnie Brown - 11/32, 6/40. Brown owners have to be fuming at the timeshare situation that has developed in Miami. Brown is still the superior talent, so Cameron must see something in Chatman, or he must be frustrated with something he sees with Brown. He's a very risky RB2 until he wins the job outright.
Clinton Portis - 17/98, 1 TD. He looks healthy to me. Portis exploded for a 19 yard TD in the 3rd quarter and had several nice runs throughout the game. He should start to seize the featured RB role as soon as next week and is a great RB2 play.
Ladell Betts - 17/59, 1/16. Betts was solid, but Portis outplayed him and remains the superior talent. Look for Betts to have his role reduced as the weeks progress, but he remains a great RB4 due to Portis' questionable durability.
Chris Chambers - 6/92. Revived! Green and Chambers showed solid chemistry, and Chambers has emerged as a solid WR3 target with upside. He's the clear #1 on this team, and despite his overrated talent, he should emerge as a consistent fantasy option with Green as his QB now.
Santana Moss - 3/28. Campbell just didn't do a good job getting him the ball when he was open. Expect this to be one of the worst days of his season as Campbell will start connected deep with him, and Randle El's big game will give the defense something else to think about.
Antwaan Randle El - 5/162. A huge game and likely one of the most popular week 1 pickups. Given Moss' role as the #1 WR, I just cannot see this happening again. If you pick him up for depth, don't start him unless he shows consistency.
Chris Cooley - 1/10. Just a bad game, so don't overreact. Cooley is a TE1, and Campbell will do a better job as the season moves along.
Sunday, September 9, 2007
Noteable Inactives
RB Lorenzo Booker
RB Chris Henry
RB Vernand Morency
WR Drew Bennett
WR Greg Jennings
WR Dwayne Jarrett
WR Reggie Williams
Make sure to get them out of your lineup if you had planned on starting them.
RB Chris Henry
RB Vernand Morency
WR Drew Bennett
WR Greg Jennings
WR Dwayne Jarrett
WR Reggie Williams
Make sure to get them out of your lineup if you had planned on starting them.
Saturday, September 8, 2007
L.J. Smith Downgraded To Questionable
The Philadelphia Eagles downgraded TE L.J. Smith to questionable as he recovers from his hernia surgery.
Fantasy Impact: Mid-week downgrades are usually a very bad sign. I would not start him tomorrow. If he's the only TE on your roster, look to sleeper candidates Bo Scaife from Tennessee or David Martin from Miami for a possible replacement.
Fantasy Impact: Mid-week downgrades are usually a very bad sign. I would not start him tomorrow. If he's the only TE on your roster, look to sleeper candidates Bo Scaife from Tennessee or David Martin from Miami for a possible replacement.
Greg Jennings Game-Time Decision
Green Bay Packers WR Greg Jennings looks to be a game-time decision with the hamstring he hurt on Wednesday.
Fantasy Impact: Green Bay plays at 12 PM CST, so you'll have time to see if he's in the lineup if you plan on starting him. Be prepared with a backup plan in case he doesn't go. James Jones would start in his place.
Fantasy Impact: Green Bay plays at 12 PM CST, so you'll have time to see if he's in the lineup if you plan on starting him. Be prepared with a backup plan in case he doesn't go. James Jones would start in his place.
D.J. Hackett and Nate Burleson To Split Snaps
The Seattle Seahawks have announced their intention to split snaps between WRs D.J. Hackett and Nate Burleson. Hackett is the better all-around receiver who runs solid routes and has good hands, but Burleson possesses more speed. This comes as a bit of a surprise as Hackett has proven himself at the professional level far more than Burleson, and Burleson seems much better suited for the slot. Unfortunately Bobby Engram is a very solid slot WR in his own right, so there's no room for Burleson there.
Fantasy Impact: This makes Hackett a risky WR3 play in fantasy leagues. Nobody doubts his ability to produce in what projects to be a good Seattle offense, but if he's sharing time, that ability will be limited. He has a good matchup against Tampa Bay, but he comes with risk based on how much time he'll spend on the field.
Fantasy Impact: This makes Hackett a risky WR3 play in fantasy leagues. Nobody doubts his ability to produce in what projects to be a good Seattle offense, but if he's sharing time, that ability will be limited. He has a good matchup against Tampa Bay, but he comes with risk based on how much time he'll spend on the field.
Terry Glenn To Undergo Knee Surgery
Dallas Cowboys WR Terry Glenn is going to undergo knee surgery, but which knee surgery he will choose isn't known. If Glenn chooses arthroscopic knee surgery, he might return to the field in a few weeks, but that surgery is not guaranteed to fix his knee problems. If Glenn chooses microfracture surgery, it will fix the problem, but given his age, it's doubtful he'd ever play again. He's reportedly leaning towards arthroscopic surgery right now, but no final decision has been made.
Fantasy Impact: Terry Glenn is out indefinitely as it stands right now, so prepare to be without him for the season since that remains a strong possibility. It definitely hurts those who drafted him as he was likely drafted as a WR3, or a WR4 at worst.
Pick up Patrick Crayton in all leagues. He will line up as the starter across from Terrell Owens, and Romo utilitzed him well in the slot last year as Crayton put up 516 yards and 4 TDs. They already have a solid chemistry. With Owens attracting much of the secondary's attention, Crayton should be able to work underneath and put up some very nice WR3 numbers while Glenn is out, which could be the rest of the season. He doesn't possess the speed that Glenn has, but he has outstanding hands and knows how to get open.
Fantasy Impact: Terry Glenn is out indefinitely as it stands right now, so prepare to be without him for the season since that remains a strong possibility. It definitely hurts those who drafted him as he was likely drafted as a WR3, or a WR4 at worst.
Pick up Patrick Crayton in all leagues. He will line up as the starter across from Terrell Owens, and Romo utilitzed him well in the slot last year as Crayton put up 516 yards and 4 TDs. They already have a solid chemistry. With Owens attracting much of the secondary's attention, Crayton should be able to work underneath and put up some very nice WR3 numbers while Glenn is out, which could be the rest of the season. He doesn't possess the speed that Glenn has, but he has outstanding hands and knows how to get open.
Friday, September 7, 2007
Colts/Saints Recap
Drew Brees - 28/41, 192 YDS, 1/4, 0 TD, 2 INT, 1 FL. The Colts put pressure on him quite often last night, and then towards the end of the game, Brees made a couple throws that hail from the WTF catagory. There are some doubters out there regarding how good the Saints offense will be now that the league has gotten a whole year's look at them, but obviously 1 game doesn't prove anything. He's definitely put his owners in a hole in week 1, but he will bounce back from this ugly outing.
Deuce McAllister - 10/38, 2/7. If the Saints D is going to play like that all year, they'll be best served using McAllister far more often to establish an inside running attack and control the clock a bit. McAllister is going to be very inconsistent this year, which is exactly why he's best suited as an RB3/Flex fantasy player this year. He will have games where he approaches 20 carries and scores at least once, and then he'll have games where he's not on the field as often as Bush due to the passing game. If you play in a standard 2 RB league, odds are you weren't starting him last night anyways.
Reggie Bush - 12/38, 4/7. I know this is an RBBC, but given how often Bush was on the field in passing situations, especially during garbage time, it's ridiculous that this is all he could produce. He still dances too much in the backfield instead of taking what the defense gives him. It will get better, but one has to wonder why exactly he was going 3-4 rounds ahead of McAllister.
Marques Colston - 6/47. So goes Brees, so goes Colston. The pressure of the front line and solid job of the secondary completely limited what the Saints were able to accomplish, and Colston never got open downfield. He figured to be a bit overvalued this season as owners expected him to become an elite WR1, but expecting WR2 numbers is probably more reasonable.
Devery Henderson - 3/34. Henderson will make some big downfield plays this year, but he figures to be an inconsistent WR3. It's much better to use him during quality matchups rather than relying on him to be an every week starter. As I said before, the Colts didn't let them get deep, and Henderson isn't a very well-rounded receiver.
Eric Johnson - 8/57. Johnson figures to be a quality TE2 this year until he gets hurt. He racked up about half of his yards during garbage time, but he looks to be a nice checkdown receiver for Brees. He's always been talented in the passing game, but has never stayed healthy long enough to fully show it. Expect him to be a good bye-week fill-in, or a borderline starter in PPR leagues.
Peyton Manning - 28/41, 288, 3 TD. Vintage Manning. He started off slow in the first half, but he made his usual 2nd half adjustments and came out blazing in the 2nd half, torching former teammate Jason David for all 3 of his TDs, all of which were 25+ yards. He's given his owners a very nice start to week 1.
Joseph Addai - 23/118, 3/25, 1 TD. Addai came exactly as advertised last night, carrying the load, putting up a great yardage total, and punching one in from 2 yards out. Owners endured a brief scare when he came out with a slight ab injury on the first play, but he returned the next series and started racking up the yardage. As long as Addai can handle the full load, he's going to be very consistent thanks to the explosive Colts offense giving him plenty of room to run and numerous scoring opportunities. He looks much improved in short yardage situations, boding well for his goal line carries this year. Manning ran a playaction pass on 1st and goal, but had to throw the ball out of the endzone, and then gave it to Addai on the next play. This figures to be a frustrating theme all season long for Addai owners, but he's a lock for 10+ TDs. I don't think you'll be able to differentiate Edge's numbers from his last few Colts seasons and Addai's this season.
Marvin Harrison - 4/83, 1 TD. Harrison made an excellent TD catch, dragging his feet in bounds along the back of the endzone on a deep pattern. He's going to remain a consistent WR1 this year, but unless he has a huge finish like last season, expect this to be the year that Wayne outproduces him.
Reggie Wayne - 7/115, 2 TD, 1 FL. Wayne had his owners pissed at halftime, posting 3 catches for 4 yards and a lost fumble returned for a TD. He blew up in the 2nd half, catching 4 balls for 111 yards and 2 TDs to leave his owners smiling come game's end. Wayne will be an elite WR1 this year, and like I said above, I believe he'll outproduce Harrison this season.
Dallas Clark - 2/48, 1/14. Not a bad outing, but he's going to rely on deep routes down the middle for his value, leaving him as an inconsistent TE1 option, but a solid TE2 option. Owners in decimal scoring leagues are probably happy with the 6.2 point production from their TE, though, if they started him.
Deuce McAllister - 10/38, 2/7. If the Saints D is going to play like that all year, they'll be best served using McAllister far more often to establish an inside running attack and control the clock a bit. McAllister is going to be very inconsistent this year, which is exactly why he's best suited as an RB3/Flex fantasy player this year. He will have games where he approaches 20 carries and scores at least once, and then he'll have games where he's not on the field as often as Bush due to the passing game. If you play in a standard 2 RB league, odds are you weren't starting him last night anyways.
Reggie Bush - 12/38, 4/7. I know this is an RBBC, but given how often Bush was on the field in passing situations, especially during garbage time, it's ridiculous that this is all he could produce. He still dances too much in the backfield instead of taking what the defense gives him. It will get better, but one has to wonder why exactly he was going 3-4 rounds ahead of McAllister.
Marques Colston - 6/47. So goes Brees, so goes Colston. The pressure of the front line and solid job of the secondary completely limited what the Saints were able to accomplish, and Colston never got open downfield. He figured to be a bit overvalued this season as owners expected him to become an elite WR1, but expecting WR2 numbers is probably more reasonable.
Devery Henderson - 3/34. Henderson will make some big downfield plays this year, but he figures to be an inconsistent WR3. It's much better to use him during quality matchups rather than relying on him to be an every week starter. As I said before, the Colts didn't let them get deep, and Henderson isn't a very well-rounded receiver.
Eric Johnson - 8/57. Johnson figures to be a quality TE2 this year until he gets hurt. He racked up about half of his yards during garbage time, but he looks to be a nice checkdown receiver for Brees. He's always been talented in the passing game, but has never stayed healthy long enough to fully show it. Expect him to be a good bye-week fill-in, or a borderline starter in PPR leagues.
Peyton Manning - 28/41, 288, 3 TD. Vintage Manning. He started off slow in the first half, but he made his usual 2nd half adjustments and came out blazing in the 2nd half, torching former teammate Jason David for all 3 of his TDs, all of which were 25+ yards. He's given his owners a very nice start to week 1.
Joseph Addai - 23/118, 3/25, 1 TD. Addai came exactly as advertised last night, carrying the load, putting up a great yardage total, and punching one in from 2 yards out. Owners endured a brief scare when he came out with a slight ab injury on the first play, but he returned the next series and started racking up the yardage. As long as Addai can handle the full load, he's going to be very consistent thanks to the explosive Colts offense giving him plenty of room to run and numerous scoring opportunities. He looks much improved in short yardage situations, boding well for his goal line carries this year. Manning ran a playaction pass on 1st and goal, but had to throw the ball out of the endzone, and then gave it to Addai on the next play. This figures to be a frustrating theme all season long for Addai owners, but he's a lock for 10+ TDs. I don't think you'll be able to differentiate Edge's numbers from his last few Colts seasons and Addai's this season.
Marvin Harrison - 4/83, 1 TD. Harrison made an excellent TD catch, dragging his feet in bounds along the back of the endzone on a deep pattern. He's going to remain a consistent WR1 this year, but unless he has a huge finish like last season, expect this to be the year that Wayne outproduces him.
Reggie Wayne - 7/115, 2 TD, 1 FL. Wayne had his owners pissed at halftime, posting 3 catches for 4 yards and a lost fumble returned for a TD. He blew up in the 2nd half, catching 4 balls for 111 yards and 2 TDs to leave his owners smiling come game's end. Wayne will be an elite WR1 this year, and like I said above, I believe he'll outproduce Harrison this season.
Dallas Clark - 2/48, 1/14. Not a bad outing, but he's going to rely on deep routes down the middle for his value, leaving him as an inconsistent TE1 option, but a solid TE2 option. Owners in decimal scoring leagues are probably happy with the 6.2 point production from their TE, though, if they started him.
Wednesday, September 5, 2007
Mid-Week Football Injury/Player Updates:
QB:
Donovan McNabb - Nothing to note here, but he looked sharp this pre-season, so don't worry about him for week 1. He might start a bit slow with his conditioning not having played a full game in almost a year, but it shouldn't be a concern.
Jon Kitna - He missed a little bit of practice time in the preseason along with the preseason finale with back spasms, but he returned to practice and is ready to go for week 1.
RB:
Frank Gore - As most of you know, Gore missed the preseason with a broken hand. The hand is healing well, and he'll wear a pad on it to protect it, but he's ready to roll in week 1.
Willie Parker - Parker missed the first 2 preseason games with a knee ailment, but got plenty of work in the 3rd preseason game and is ready to go in week 1.
Larry Johnson - LJ missed most of the preseason in a contract holdout, but returned for the preseason finale to carry the ball a few times. The coaching staff is a bit concerned about what kind of "football shape" LJ is in right now, and while he might be a bit limited in week 1, he's good enough to start against Houston regardless. I remain very down on LJ this year. He's lost 2 HOF lineman the last two years (Willie Roaf after the 2005 season, Will Shields after the 2006 season), Herman Edwards' offense is nowhere near as good of a system as Dick Vermeil used, and the history of RBs carrying the ball 375 or more times is horrible in the next season. LJ carried it an NFL record 429 times last year including the playoffs, and he was also worked very hard after Priest Holmes went down in 2005. It is worth nothing that last year was his first year as the primary RB for all 16 games, but history is not on his side whatsoever, plus him not being in football shape yet further complicates matters. Want a few numbers? Only 3 of 19 RBs met or slightly decreased the following year as to where the other 16 had a very noticeable drop in fantasy value. These RBs averaged a drop of 107.9 fantasy points in the year following a 375+ carry season. Given the obvious drop in production due to a lesser workload combined with the degrading offense around him, and I'm fairly certain LJ will bust this year.
Laurence Maroney - Maroney's hush-hush offseason shoulder injury was the cause of concern for those looking to draft him, but he carried the ball 15 times in the 3rd preseason game, easing worries that he might not be ready to start the season. He remains a bit of an injury risk moving forward, but he's 100% for week 1.
Travis Henry - Henry's initial knee injury in week 2 of the preseason caused a lot of concern, but he was held out of the final 2 preseason games as a precaution and is ready to roll for week 1. He's also an injury risk given his history and Shanahan's reputation for over-working his primary RBs, but Shanahan's depth chart games continue with Selvin Young the current backup and Mike Bell the current FB. My take? I think this is simply motivation for Mike Bell to fix whatever problems Shanahan saw from him.
Thomas Jones - Jones' suffered a calf injury in the preseason and was held out of the remaining preseason games, but that time off is supposed to make him near 100% for the season opener. Jets' coach Eric Mangini is from Bill Belichick's School of Silent Treatment regarding injuries, so it's hard to say for sure where exactly Jones stands right now. If he's active on gameday, start him.
Clinton Portis - Portis' true health remains very much in doubt. He battled 2 separate instances of knee tendonitis this offseason, missed all 4 preseason games, and rarely practiced. It's possible that the Redskins are simply being cautious with their superstar, but the more likely scenario is that Portis still isn't 100%. He's likely not in football shape due to all the missed time, but he's going to start in week 1. Reports indicate that Betts will split time with him, and one has to wonder if that split will be 50/50, or even favor Betts in week 1. Depending on who your RB3 is, Portis remains a very risky RB2 start in week 1.
Warrick Dunn - Dunn returned quickly from back surgery to participate in the Falcons' preseason finale, but looked old and out of shape. He will remain a huge injury risk this season due to his age, career workload, smaller size, and preseason back injury. He shouldn't be anywhere near your starting roster.
Michael Turner - Turner suffered what was originally reported as a high ankle sprain, but apparently he's feeling better and might be ready for week 1. It's pretty much a non-story as he's nothing more than the handcuff to the most durable RB in the NFL, although odds are that he will get more work than last year once he's healthy.
WR:
Torry Holt - Coach Scott Linehan reported that Holt looked 100% to him, so I might have jumped the gun a bit. I still stand by my statement, though, as Holt's knee injury has lasted for about 2 years, and it was definitely a concern that Holt stated he only felt 75% just a few weeks ago. Plus, this is the time of year when coaches start hiding injury severity for strategic purposes, so it's very hard to take what they say very seriously. He remains a risk until he proves that he's healthy on the field.
Marques Colston - Colston battled a bum knee for much of the preseason, but started in the preseason finale, proving that he's 100%, or very close to it. Consider him ready for week 1.
Randy Moss - Moss has made quite a few headlines recently. He's missed all of training camp and the preseason with a mysterious hamstring ailment, and then was wildly rumored to be on the chopping block come 53 man roster cuts. He obviously survived the cuts, and one has to wonder if he's just milking this so he didn't have to go through practices. It's still a concern, but he has appeared at the media portion of practice the first two days this week. Keep an eye on the gameday inactive list, but if he's active, he'll be worth starting.
Donald Driver - Driver suffered what was originally thought to be a serious foot injury, but it's been labeled a sprain to this point and he appears healthy in practice and should be ready to go in week 1.
Mark Clayton - Clayton suffered a sprained ankle earlier in the preseason, but he returned to practice on Monday and appears ready to roll in week 1.
Darrell Jackson - Jackson has missed a lot of camp with turf toe that continues to bother him from last year, and he's also missed time recently thanks to a hamstring injury. It looks like another year of monitoring the injury reports for owners of DJax. He's rumored to be ready to play in week 1, but given his questionable health and the fact he plays on MNF, it's hard to recommend starting him unless he practices at some point this week.
Terry Glenn - Glenn is troubled by his bothersome knees and remains questionable for week 1. Patrick Crayton would make for a fine start if Glenn is to miss this game, and he's well worth picking up as a WR5 if he went undrafted in your league. Glenn's status is uncertain at this time.
TE:
Alge Crumpler - Crumpler battled a bum knee for much of the offseason, including surgery, but he returned to catch a couple passes in the preseason finale. He looks ready to go for week 1.
Jeremy Shockey - Shockey missed a bit of time in the preseason with a hamstring issue, but he's fine now and is probably as healthy as he'll be all season.
L.J. Smith - Smith returned to practice after hernia surgery and appears ready go in week 1. He's a weak start at TE, however, even at 100%.
Donovan McNabb - Nothing to note here, but he looked sharp this pre-season, so don't worry about him for week 1. He might start a bit slow with his conditioning not having played a full game in almost a year, but it shouldn't be a concern.
Jon Kitna - He missed a little bit of practice time in the preseason along with the preseason finale with back spasms, but he returned to practice and is ready to go for week 1.
RB:
Frank Gore - As most of you know, Gore missed the preseason with a broken hand. The hand is healing well, and he'll wear a pad on it to protect it, but he's ready to roll in week 1.
Willie Parker - Parker missed the first 2 preseason games with a knee ailment, but got plenty of work in the 3rd preseason game and is ready to go in week 1.
Larry Johnson - LJ missed most of the preseason in a contract holdout, but returned for the preseason finale to carry the ball a few times. The coaching staff is a bit concerned about what kind of "football shape" LJ is in right now, and while he might be a bit limited in week 1, he's good enough to start against Houston regardless. I remain very down on LJ this year. He's lost 2 HOF lineman the last two years (Willie Roaf after the 2005 season, Will Shields after the 2006 season), Herman Edwards' offense is nowhere near as good of a system as Dick Vermeil used, and the history of RBs carrying the ball 375 or more times is horrible in the next season. LJ carried it an NFL record 429 times last year including the playoffs, and he was also worked very hard after Priest Holmes went down in 2005. It is worth nothing that last year was his first year as the primary RB for all 16 games, but history is not on his side whatsoever, plus him not being in football shape yet further complicates matters. Want a few numbers? Only 3 of 19 RBs met or slightly decreased the following year as to where the other 16 had a very noticeable drop in fantasy value. These RBs averaged a drop of 107.9 fantasy points in the year following a 375+ carry season. Given the obvious drop in production due to a lesser workload combined with the degrading offense around him, and I'm fairly certain LJ will bust this year.
Laurence Maroney - Maroney's hush-hush offseason shoulder injury was the cause of concern for those looking to draft him, but he carried the ball 15 times in the 3rd preseason game, easing worries that he might not be ready to start the season. He remains a bit of an injury risk moving forward, but he's 100% for week 1.
Travis Henry - Henry's initial knee injury in week 2 of the preseason caused a lot of concern, but he was held out of the final 2 preseason games as a precaution and is ready to roll for week 1. He's also an injury risk given his history and Shanahan's reputation for over-working his primary RBs, but Shanahan's depth chart games continue with Selvin Young the current backup and Mike Bell the current FB. My take? I think this is simply motivation for Mike Bell to fix whatever problems Shanahan saw from him.
Thomas Jones - Jones' suffered a calf injury in the preseason and was held out of the remaining preseason games, but that time off is supposed to make him near 100% for the season opener. Jets' coach Eric Mangini is from Bill Belichick's School of Silent Treatment regarding injuries, so it's hard to say for sure where exactly Jones stands right now. If he's active on gameday, start him.
Clinton Portis - Portis' true health remains very much in doubt. He battled 2 separate instances of knee tendonitis this offseason, missed all 4 preseason games, and rarely practiced. It's possible that the Redskins are simply being cautious with their superstar, but the more likely scenario is that Portis still isn't 100%. He's likely not in football shape due to all the missed time, but he's going to start in week 1. Reports indicate that Betts will split time with him, and one has to wonder if that split will be 50/50, or even favor Betts in week 1. Depending on who your RB3 is, Portis remains a very risky RB2 start in week 1.
Warrick Dunn - Dunn returned quickly from back surgery to participate in the Falcons' preseason finale, but looked old and out of shape. He will remain a huge injury risk this season due to his age, career workload, smaller size, and preseason back injury. He shouldn't be anywhere near your starting roster.
Michael Turner - Turner suffered what was originally reported as a high ankle sprain, but apparently he's feeling better and might be ready for week 1. It's pretty much a non-story as he's nothing more than the handcuff to the most durable RB in the NFL, although odds are that he will get more work than last year once he's healthy.
WR:
Torry Holt - Coach Scott Linehan reported that Holt looked 100% to him, so I might have jumped the gun a bit. I still stand by my statement, though, as Holt's knee injury has lasted for about 2 years, and it was definitely a concern that Holt stated he only felt 75% just a few weeks ago. Plus, this is the time of year when coaches start hiding injury severity for strategic purposes, so it's very hard to take what they say very seriously. He remains a risk until he proves that he's healthy on the field.
Marques Colston - Colston battled a bum knee for much of the preseason, but started in the preseason finale, proving that he's 100%, or very close to it. Consider him ready for week 1.
Randy Moss - Moss has made quite a few headlines recently. He's missed all of training camp and the preseason with a mysterious hamstring ailment, and then was wildly rumored to be on the chopping block come 53 man roster cuts. He obviously survived the cuts, and one has to wonder if he's just milking this so he didn't have to go through practices. It's still a concern, but he has appeared at the media portion of practice the first two days this week. Keep an eye on the gameday inactive list, but if he's active, he'll be worth starting.
Donald Driver - Driver suffered what was originally thought to be a serious foot injury, but it's been labeled a sprain to this point and he appears healthy in practice and should be ready to go in week 1.
Mark Clayton - Clayton suffered a sprained ankle earlier in the preseason, but he returned to practice on Monday and appears ready to roll in week 1.
Darrell Jackson - Jackson has missed a lot of camp with turf toe that continues to bother him from last year, and he's also missed time recently thanks to a hamstring injury. It looks like another year of monitoring the injury reports for owners of DJax. He's rumored to be ready to play in week 1, but given his questionable health and the fact he plays on MNF, it's hard to recommend starting him unless he practices at some point this week.
Terry Glenn - Glenn is troubled by his bothersome knees and remains questionable for week 1. Patrick Crayton would make for a fine start if Glenn is to miss this game, and he's well worth picking up as a WR5 if he went undrafted in your league. Glenn's status is uncertain at this time.
TE:
Alge Crumpler - Crumpler battled a bum knee for much of the offseason, including surgery, but he returned to catch a couple passes in the preseason finale. He looks ready to go for week 1.
Jeremy Shockey - Shockey missed a bit of time in the preseason with a hamstring issue, but he's fine now and is probably as healthy as he'll be all season.
L.J. Smith - Smith returned to practice after hernia surgery and appears ready go in week 1. He's a weak start at TE, however, even at 100%.
Monday, September 3, 2007
Roger Clemens To Have MRI
Roger Clemens is scheduled for an MRI after feeling discomfort in his right elbow in his start yesterday.
Fantasy Impact: Considering where Clemens was drafted in most leagues, he's probably not a big part of your rotation, but he's been a fairly solid contributor since joining the Yankee rotation during the season. He's going to miss at least one start, and could be headed to the DL depending on the results of the MRI. I'll update this once the MRI results are released.
Fantasy Impact: Considering where Clemens was drafted in most leagues, he's probably not a big part of your rotation, but he's been a fairly solid contributor since joining the Yankee rotation during the season. He's going to miss at least one start, and could be headed to the DL depending on the results of the MRI. I'll update this once the MRI results are released.
Correction: Kevin Jones Not Headed To PUP
Several media outlets were claiming that the Detroit Lions were set to place Kevin Jones on PUP, but it appears that is not the case. This only slightly changes the outlook for Jones as he's still not going to play the first 4-6 weeks in all likelihood. If Jones were placed on PUP, he wouldn't have been allowed to do anything with the team the first 6 weeks, so this allows him to practice with the team. Supposedly he's still not doing much cutting, and that's obviously essential to all RBs.
Fantasy Impact: If you haven't drafted yet, I wouldn't let this change your outlook of him. Yes, he's eligible to play before week 6, but I can't see him missing less than the first month. Their bye is in week 6, so it makes the most sense that the Lions hold him out of the first 5 games, and then start him in week 6. If he were on PUP, he would have to sit out the 6th game after the bye week as that is based on games and not weeks, and that might be why the Lions chose to go this route.
Fantasy Impact: If you haven't drafted yet, I wouldn't let this change your outlook of him. Yes, he's eligible to play before week 6, but I can't see him missing less than the first month. Their bye is in week 6, so it makes the most sense that the Lions hold him out of the first 5 games, and then start him in week 6. If he were on PUP, he would have to sit out the 6th game after the bye week as that is based on games and not weeks, and that might be why the Lions chose to go this route.
Thursday, August 30, 2007
Kevin Jones To PUP
The Detroit Lions placed RB Kevin Jones on PUP with an injured foot.
KJ still isn't healthy enough to play, and the Lions are doing the smart thing here by allowing him 6 additional weeks of rest and hoping he's available by week 6. KJ continues to mend from the Lisfranc foot fracture he suffered last year.
Fantasy Impact: None that wasn't expected. Tatum Bell will start and have the most fantasy value, and he'll continue to start until KJ returns unless he gets hurt. He's a solid RB3/Flex player with upside to be an RB2 depending on how many carries he'll get. Bell has had problems in short yardage and goal line situations, so the Lions also signed T.J. Duckett over the offseason to fill that role as he did for the Atlanta Falcons prior to his trade to the Redskins. Favor Duckett in TD-heavy leagues, although this just further confirms that the Lions will be throwing as much as any team in the NFL this season.
KJ still isn't healthy enough to play, and the Lions are doing the smart thing here by allowing him 6 additional weeks of rest and hoping he's available by week 6. KJ continues to mend from the Lisfranc foot fracture he suffered last year.
Fantasy Impact: None that wasn't expected. Tatum Bell will start and have the most fantasy value, and he'll continue to start until KJ returns unless he gets hurt. He's a solid RB3/Flex player with upside to be an RB2 depending on how many carries he'll get. Bell has had problems in short yardage and goal line situations, so the Lions also signed T.J. Duckett over the offseason to fill that role as he did for the Atlanta Falcons prior to his trade to the Redskins. Favor Duckett in TD-heavy leagues, although this just further confirms that the Lions will be throwing as much as any team in the NFL this season.
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
RB Depth Chart Update
As we close in on week 1 of the NFL season, I wanted to run down the RB situation for each team again.
Buffalo Bills - Starter: Marshawn Lynch, Backup: Anthony Thomas
Marshawn Lynch has received solid work in the preseason, and while he definitely has some skills, his offensive line is really a problem. Plus, Jauron has talked about a committee. Lynch is nothing more than a RB3 as of right now, but I still expect him to receive more carries than Anthony Thomas.
Miami Dolphins - Starter: Ronnie Brown, Backup: Jesse Chatman
Ronnie Brown has looked impressive in spurts, but much like Buffalo, his offensive line is truly offensive. Cam Cameron seems intent on motivating Brown by publically claiming not to have chosen his starter yet. There's no doubt in m mind that it will be Brown, but this appears to be the third year in a row that he'll be held back by the talent around him. He could emerge as a buy-low candidate once the season gets going as the team acclimates itself to a new offensive system.
New England Patriots - Starter: Laurence Maroney, Backup: Sammy Morris
Laurence Maroney shed the non-contact jersey and also put in a nice workload in his first preseason game, carrying the ball 15 times. He's ready to roll and should put up good numbers in what appears to be an explosive offense. He better stay effective in the redzone as Morris is a powerful back who remains a threat to take the redzone carries in NE's share-the-wealth offensive system.
New York Jets - Starter: Thomas Jones, Backup: Leon Washington
Thomas Jones suffered a calf injury during the preseason, but he appears to be fine and should be ready for week 1. His all-around skills will keep him on the field for most of the game, and he was an effective redzone runner in his stay with the Bears. Washington remains an explosive backup, but should only be used as a change-of-pace RB.
Baltimore Ravens - Starter: Willis McGahee, Backup: Mike Anderson
Willis McGahee has reported been very impressive in redzone drills during the preseason, but Baltimore beat reporters say that he stills lacks explosiveness. If they're correct, then don't expect to see many big plays out of McGahee this year. Regardless of that fact, he remains the unquestioned starter on this team with reliable veteran Mike Anderson backing him up.
Cincinnati Bengals - Starter: Rudi Johnson, Backup: Kenny Watson
Rudi Johnson is in store for another large workload, although one must wonder if he can play yet another 16 game season of 325+ carries. However, the fact is that he has handled the large workload just fine so far in his career, and the offense around him should be great. Watson will be used as a 3rd down back, but he probably won't receive all the carries should Rudi get hurt.
Cleveland Browns - Starter: Jamal Lewis, Backup: Jason Wright/Jerome Harrison
This probably the most talent-bereft backfield in all of football. Lewis claims that he's over his ankle injury, but he looks just about done judging from his last 2 seasons of work. He remains the unquestioned starter, however. Should Lewis get hurt, a committee of Wright and Harrison would take his place.
Pittsburgh Steelers - Starter: Willie Parker, Backup: Najeh Davenport
Willie Parker should benefit from the new offensive system that spreads the field more, which plays to his strength of outrunning everyone. Plus, he'll probably be more involved in the passing game as new coordinator Bruce Arians loves to use all options on the field. Davenport is a fine backup who is talented in his own right, but often hurt. If Parker struggles again in goal line work this season, look for the Steelers to find an alternative goal line RB.
Houston Texans - Starter: Ahman Green, Backup: Ron Dayne
Ahman Green should remain a fairly valuable starter while healthy, but at age 30 with a fairly large workload and several injuries in his past, one has to wonder if he'll play 16 games this season. Odds are strong against that. The Texans' offense this year should play to his strength, although rumors about Dayne being used around the goal line persist. Dayne would be a fairly productive RB if Green went down.
Indianapolis Colts - Starter: Joseph Addai, Backup: DeDe Dorsey
Joseph Addai will put his all-around skills on display for 320+ touches this season, and only his durability remains a question. He'll be on the field the majority of the time, and when he's not, it sounds like DeDe Dorsey will spell him. Dorsey and Kenton Keith are battling for the backup spot, but it seems as though Dorsey will get that job. Should Addai go down, Dorsey should be a solid option.
Jacksonville Jaguars - Starter: Fred Taylor, Backup: Maurice Jones-Drew
The Jaguars didn't pay Fred Taylor $5 million to come back this year to sit on the bench, so he's being very overlooked in drafts this year, currently carrying a 7.11 ADP value. Taylor is still the starter of this team, and still a talented one at that. Jones-Drew will be used on 3rd downs, but his goal line role is undefined with the return of Greg Jones. Taylor should remain healthier than usual being spelled more often by Jones-Drew as evidenced by last season. If Taylor went down, Jones-Drew would become a fantasy stud, however.
Tennessee Titans - RBBC : LenDale White and Chris Brown
Jeff Fisher seemed impressed with Chris Brown's work so far in the preseason, and he has stated that this will be a committee with him and LenDale White. White is far more suited to be a 300 carry RB than Chris Brown is, but his conditioning and knack for minor injuries is holding him back. White will have every chance to win this job outright, but consider it RBBC to start the season. Chris Brown should be the 3rd down back regardless.
Denver Broncos - Starter: Travis Henry, Backup: Mike Bell
Travis Henry tweaked his knee in the preseason, but all signs point to him being 100% for week 1. Mike Bell also suffered an injury of his own to his hip, but he has also returned to practice and appears ready for the start of the season. Henry is the unquestioned starter of this team, but Bell will get more work than most backups due to Denver's love of running the ball. If Henry went down, Bell would be a very good fantasy RB.
Kansas City Chiefs - Starter: Larry Johnson, Backup: Michael Bennett
Who really believed that Larry Johnson was going to holdout? He's signed and ready for a bit of action in the final preseason game, so he should be 100% ready to go for week 1. The Chiefs want to ease off of him a bit this year, and given his 416 carries last year, that obviously seems like a good idea. Bennett remains the backup for now, but given his incredibly unreliable he is, Kolby Smith should overtake him at some point. If LJ went down, it would probably be a RBBC until Smith outplayed Bennett enough to take the carries from him.
Oakland Raiders - Starter: LaMont Jordan, Backup: Justin Fargas (until week 6), Dominic Rhodes (after week 6)
LaMont Jordan has looked explosive in the preseason so far, so it appears that he's over the bcak injury that plagued him over the summer somewhat. It remains a bit of a concern going forward as most back injuries would, but he looks fine on the field. Jordan definitely has the talent to take this job over in the first 4 weeks while Rhodes is suspended, and as long as he stays healthy, I expect him to do so. Rhodes averaged 3.4 YPC in a great Indy offense last year (Addai posted a 4.8 YPC), so I fail to see how he'd be a superior option. He's an all-around back that should be on the field most of the game, and Rhodes would take over after his suspension if an injury would befall Jordan.
San Diego Chargers - Starter: LaDainian Tomlinson, Backup: Michael Turner
Any questions here? I didn't think so. Turner suffered what some believed to be the dreaded high ankle sprain in the last preseason game, but recent reports have given a more positive diagnosis. Turner is questionable for week 1, and should LT go down while Turner is not 100%, Darren Sproles would take over. Sproles is explosive, but he doesn't possess the size to be a 25 carry RB.
Dallas Cowboys - Starter: Julius Jones, Backup: Marion Barber III
Julius Jones is still the starter of this team with the new coaching staff, and he might actually get more work than under Parcells where he was pulled in 3rd down and goal line situations. Jones won't get all the touches like most unquestioned starters would as Barber will still play plenty on 3rd downs and around the goal line, but their roles don't seem to be as clearly defined as last year. If Jones were to get hurt, Barber would be a very valuable fantasy commodity.
New York Giants - Starter: Brandon Jacobs, Backup: Derrick Ward/Ryan Grant
If you didn't believe me before, you will now. Brandon Jacobs is the unquestioned starter of this team, and the Giants are actually moving Reuben Droughns back to the fullback position that he played in Detroit. That should provide the Giants with some flexibility on their playcalling with both on the field. Should Jacobs go down, it appears as though some committee between Derrick Ward and Ryan Grant would form, although you can't rule out the possibility of the Giants moving Droughns back to RB at that point.
Philadelphia - Starter: Brian Westbrook, Backup: Correll Buckhalter
Brian Westbrook remains the multi-talented, unquestioned starter who will line up all over the field and be used in a variety of ways. The backup situation is a bit muddled, but the Eagles have stated that Buckhalter will resume his role as the primary backup RB. Rookie Tony Hunt should also be used as the Eagles like to do different things of offense, and Hunt also remains a candidate to take goal line carries this year. The goal line situation is a big question mark here.
Washington Redskins - Starter: Clinton Portis, Backup: Ladell Betts
Clinton Portis has been battling knee tendonitis for some time now, but the Redskins state that he could have played more in the preseason, and also that he's in line for a few carries in their last preseason game. Portis is the unquestioned starter if he's healthy, but that's a big if right now. We all saw what Betts could do last year as the starter, and he remains the unquestioned backup RB who would be very valuable if Portis goes down again. He'll probably receive more work than most backups depending on Portis' knee.
Chicago Bears - Starter: Cedric Benson, Backup: Adrian Peterson
Cedric Benson gets his wish as the unquestioned starter, but he'll give way on 3rd downs to a combination of Peterson and Wolfe depending on the play being called. He should get plenty of touches, but it remains a question what exactly he'll do with them. He's looked sluggish and unexplosive in my eyes, but perhaps he's saving himself for the regular season. I can only hope. Peterson has retained the backup position over rookie Garrett Wolfe, and he'd likely be a solid fantasy RB should Benson get hurt.
Detroit Lions - Starter: Tatum Bell, Backup: T.J. Duckett
Kevin Jones' health remains a mystery, and he's scheduled to see a doctor on Thursday to see if he'll be medically cleared. It would be a shock if he didn't start the year on PUP. Until he returns, Tatum Bell will be the primary ball carrier while Duckett steals short yardage and goal line carries. Once KJ returns, his role will be determined by exactly how healthy it is. As you can see, this situation is a bit of a mess.
Green Bay Packers - Starter: Brandon Jackson, Backup: Vernand Morency
Brandon Jackson has won the starting job if for no other reason than Morency hurting his knee very early in preseason. Jackson also hurt himself, suffering a concussion in the last preseason game. He'll be held out of the final preseason game, but appears ready to roll in week 1. Morency's status for week 1 is questionable, and Jackson will receive the majority of carries and a chance to win the job outright depending on how he performs. Morency would likely be at least a 3rd down back when he returns, which is what he's best suited for.
Minnesota Vikings - RBBC: Chester Taylor and Adrian Peterson
Chester will technically remain the starter for the Vikings, but Peterson was clearly a very impressive runner and showed off his talent as well. They will split carries in some fashion with a slight edge to Chester to start the season, but if the Vikings season goes in the tank early, expect Peterson to start getting more carries. Peterson has obviously been medically cleared regarding his collarbone, but it's a smart move here to continue using Chester and breaking Peterson into the NFL game slowly. They'll have to run the ball a lot to stay in games and protect raw QB Tavaris Jackson.
Atlanta Falcons - Starter: Warrick Dunn, Backup: Jerious Norwood
Warrick Dunn will start week 1 as the coaching staff seems to prefer the veteran at this point. Dunn came back incredibly quick after back surgery, but he looked horrible in his first preseason game. He's not in shape yet, but that hasn't deterred Petrino from naming Dunn the week 1 starter. I just can't see that lasting very long, and I expect Norwood to take over at some point as the team's starter once he proves that he's better on the field. Dunn has been a great NFL RB, especially for his size, but I don't think he has it anymore, and he's not a good fit for this new offensive system.
Carolina Panthers - Starter: DeShaun Foster, Backup: DeAngelo Williams
Foster has run fairly well in the preseason and has maintained his starter's status. He should run for a higher YPC this year while he's healthy as the new zone-blocking technique that Carolina has implemented plays to his quickness. Williams is no doubt the better talent, but John Fox has remain loyal to his veteran, and just like Fred Taylor, he wasn't re-signed to sit on the bench. Williams will play more than most backups, especially on 3rd down, but unless he blows Fox's socks off while in the game, this is Foster's job.
New Orleans Saints - RBBC: Deuce McAllister and Reggie Bush
This will be a full blown RBBC, but McAllister should take most of the goal line work, and Bush should take most of the 3rd down work. This is probably the most jumbled of all RBBCs as Bush will be involved around the goal line as well, McAllister is not a bad pass catching back, Bush will be lined up all over the field, and both will be on the field at the same time in certain packages. As I stated before, expect more of the same as last year, but also expect Bush to get more touches this year as McAllister should slowly give way to him. If one gets hurt, the other would gain a lot of value.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Starter: Cadillac Williams, Backup: Michael Pittman
Cadillac has solidified the starting job here, and Tampa Bay hasn't used him much in the preseason, just like his rookie year. Gruden wanted Williams to become a 3 down back, but reports are that he's dropping too many passes in practice, and that Pittman will likely resume his role as the 3rd down back. Alstott has retired, so Williams will be used around the goal line far more often, giving his value a boost. Should Williams go down, Pittman would become a fairly solid fantasy RB.
Arizona Cardinals - Starter: Edgerrin James, Backup: Marcel Shipp
Edgerrin James is the unquestioned starter, but the questionable part of his role is the goal line work. There's been rumors that Wisenhunt prefers Marcel Shipp around paydirt, and Edgerrin's already depressed value given his age and career workload would take another hit if that plays out. It's something to monitor, and Shipp would like split 3rd down duties with J.J. Arrington if Edge were to go down. Edge remains the preferred 3rd down back due to his impressive passing game skills.
Seattle Seahawks - Starter: Shaun Alexander, Backup: Maurice Morris
Shaun Alexander returns as the unquestioned stater, and Morris remains the boring but fairly reliable backup. Alexander's career workload and performance last season after he returned from the cracked foot (he simply put up good numbers via pure volume) make him a questionable bet to finish the season, so Morris will likely make at least one start during the season. Morris will also continue his work on 3rd down situations.
San Francisco 49ers - Starter: Frank Gore, Backup: Maurice Hicks
Frank Gore owners received a scare when he broke his hand in the offseason prior to the start of preseason, but he's continued working out as much as possible prior to the season and should be 100% by week 1. There were rumors that he'd play some in the preseason finale, but there's no reason for the 49ers to risk him in a meaningless game. If Gore were to miss time, Hicks is techincally the backup, but I imagine Michael Robinson would split work with him in some fashion.
St. Louis Rams - Starter: Steven Jackson, Backup: Brian Leonard
Steven Jackson barely saw the field in the preseason, much like LT does each season, and it's a good idea given the workload he took on last season. He remains the unquestioned starter and all-world talent on a great offense. If Jackson got hurt, Leonard would assume the starting position and likely post great numbers. He didn't have a big time college career, but he possesses great all-around skills and looked solid in the preseason.
Buffalo Bills - Starter: Marshawn Lynch, Backup: Anthony Thomas
Marshawn Lynch has received solid work in the preseason, and while he definitely has some skills, his offensive line is really a problem. Plus, Jauron has talked about a committee. Lynch is nothing more than a RB3 as of right now, but I still expect him to receive more carries than Anthony Thomas.
Miami Dolphins - Starter: Ronnie Brown, Backup: Jesse Chatman
Ronnie Brown has looked impressive in spurts, but much like Buffalo, his offensive line is truly offensive. Cam Cameron seems intent on motivating Brown by publically claiming not to have chosen his starter yet. There's no doubt in m mind that it will be Brown, but this appears to be the third year in a row that he'll be held back by the talent around him. He could emerge as a buy-low candidate once the season gets going as the team acclimates itself to a new offensive system.
New England Patriots - Starter: Laurence Maroney, Backup: Sammy Morris
Laurence Maroney shed the non-contact jersey and also put in a nice workload in his first preseason game, carrying the ball 15 times. He's ready to roll and should put up good numbers in what appears to be an explosive offense. He better stay effective in the redzone as Morris is a powerful back who remains a threat to take the redzone carries in NE's share-the-wealth offensive system.
New York Jets - Starter: Thomas Jones, Backup: Leon Washington
Thomas Jones suffered a calf injury during the preseason, but he appears to be fine and should be ready for week 1. His all-around skills will keep him on the field for most of the game, and he was an effective redzone runner in his stay with the Bears. Washington remains an explosive backup, but should only be used as a change-of-pace RB.
Baltimore Ravens - Starter: Willis McGahee, Backup: Mike Anderson
Willis McGahee has reported been very impressive in redzone drills during the preseason, but Baltimore beat reporters say that he stills lacks explosiveness. If they're correct, then don't expect to see many big plays out of McGahee this year. Regardless of that fact, he remains the unquestioned starter on this team with reliable veteran Mike Anderson backing him up.
Cincinnati Bengals - Starter: Rudi Johnson, Backup: Kenny Watson
Rudi Johnson is in store for another large workload, although one must wonder if he can play yet another 16 game season of 325+ carries. However, the fact is that he has handled the large workload just fine so far in his career, and the offense around him should be great. Watson will be used as a 3rd down back, but he probably won't receive all the carries should Rudi get hurt.
Cleveland Browns - Starter: Jamal Lewis, Backup: Jason Wright/Jerome Harrison
This probably the most talent-bereft backfield in all of football. Lewis claims that he's over his ankle injury, but he looks just about done judging from his last 2 seasons of work. He remains the unquestioned starter, however. Should Lewis get hurt, a committee of Wright and Harrison would take his place.
Pittsburgh Steelers - Starter: Willie Parker, Backup: Najeh Davenport
Willie Parker should benefit from the new offensive system that spreads the field more, which plays to his strength of outrunning everyone. Plus, he'll probably be more involved in the passing game as new coordinator Bruce Arians loves to use all options on the field. Davenport is a fine backup who is talented in his own right, but often hurt. If Parker struggles again in goal line work this season, look for the Steelers to find an alternative goal line RB.
Houston Texans - Starter: Ahman Green, Backup: Ron Dayne
Ahman Green should remain a fairly valuable starter while healthy, but at age 30 with a fairly large workload and several injuries in his past, one has to wonder if he'll play 16 games this season. Odds are strong against that. The Texans' offense this year should play to his strength, although rumors about Dayne being used around the goal line persist. Dayne would be a fairly productive RB if Green went down.
Indianapolis Colts - Starter: Joseph Addai, Backup: DeDe Dorsey
Joseph Addai will put his all-around skills on display for 320+ touches this season, and only his durability remains a question. He'll be on the field the majority of the time, and when he's not, it sounds like DeDe Dorsey will spell him. Dorsey and Kenton Keith are battling for the backup spot, but it seems as though Dorsey will get that job. Should Addai go down, Dorsey should be a solid option.
Jacksonville Jaguars - Starter: Fred Taylor, Backup: Maurice Jones-Drew
The Jaguars didn't pay Fred Taylor $5 million to come back this year to sit on the bench, so he's being very overlooked in drafts this year, currently carrying a 7.11 ADP value. Taylor is still the starter of this team, and still a talented one at that. Jones-Drew will be used on 3rd downs, but his goal line role is undefined with the return of Greg Jones. Taylor should remain healthier than usual being spelled more often by Jones-Drew as evidenced by last season. If Taylor went down, Jones-Drew would become a fantasy stud, however.
Tennessee Titans - RBBC : LenDale White and Chris Brown
Jeff Fisher seemed impressed with Chris Brown's work so far in the preseason, and he has stated that this will be a committee with him and LenDale White. White is far more suited to be a 300 carry RB than Chris Brown is, but his conditioning and knack for minor injuries is holding him back. White will have every chance to win this job outright, but consider it RBBC to start the season. Chris Brown should be the 3rd down back regardless.
Denver Broncos - Starter: Travis Henry, Backup: Mike Bell
Travis Henry tweaked his knee in the preseason, but all signs point to him being 100% for week 1. Mike Bell also suffered an injury of his own to his hip, but he has also returned to practice and appears ready for the start of the season. Henry is the unquestioned starter of this team, but Bell will get more work than most backups due to Denver's love of running the ball. If Henry went down, Bell would be a very good fantasy RB.
Kansas City Chiefs - Starter: Larry Johnson, Backup: Michael Bennett
Who really believed that Larry Johnson was going to holdout? He's signed and ready for a bit of action in the final preseason game, so he should be 100% ready to go for week 1. The Chiefs want to ease off of him a bit this year, and given his 416 carries last year, that obviously seems like a good idea. Bennett remains the backup for now, but given his incredibly unreliable he is, Kolby Smith should overtake him at some point. If LJ went down, it would probably be a RBBC until Smith outplayed Bennett enough to take the carries from him.
Oakland Raiders - Starter: LaMont Jordan, Backup: Justin Fargas (until week 6), Dominic Rhodes (after week 6)
LaMont Jordan has looked explosive in the preseason so far, so it appears that he's over the bcak injury that plagued him over the summer somewhat. It remains a bit of a concern going forward as most back injuries would, but he looks fine on the field. Jordan definitely has the talent to take this job over in the first 4 weeks while Rhodes is suspended, and as long as he stays healthy, I expect him to do so. Rhodes averaged 3.4 YPC in a great Indy offense last year (Addai posted a 4.8 YPC), so I fail to see how he'd be a superior option. He's an all-around back that should be on the field most of the game, and Rhodes would take over after his suspension if an injury would befall Jordan.
San Diego Chargers - Starter: LaDainian Tomlinson, Backup: Michael Turner
Any questions here? I didn't think so. Turner suffered what some believed to be the dreaded high ankle sprain in the last preseason game, but recent reports have given a more positive diagnosis. Turner is questionable for week 1, and should LT go down while Turner is not 100%, Darren Sproles would take over. Sproles is explosive, but he doesn't possess the size to be a 25 carry RB.
Dallas Cowboys - Starter: Julius Jones, Backup: Marion Barber III
Julius Jones is still the starter of this team with the new coaching staff, and he might actually get more work than under Parcells where he was pulled in 3rd down and goal line situations. Jones won't get all the touches like most unquestioned starters would as Barber will still play plenty on 3rd downs and around the goal line, but their roles don't seem to be as clearly defined as last year. If Jones were to get hurt, Barber would be a very valuable fantasy commodity.
New York Giants - Starter: Brandon Jacobs, Backup: Derrick Ward/Ryan Grant
If you didn't believe me before, you will now. Brandon Jacobs is the unquestioned starter of this team, and the Giants are actually moving Reuben Droughns back to the fullback position that he played in Detroit. That should provide the Giants with some flexibility on their playcalling with both on the field. Should Jacobs go down, it appears as though some committee between Derrick Ward and Ryan Grant would form, although you can't rule out the possibility of the Giants moving Droughns back to RB at that point.
Philadelphia - Starter: Brian Westbrook, Backup: Correll Buckhalter
Brian Westbrook remains the multi-talented, unquestioned starter who will line up all over the field and be used in a variety of ways. The backup situation is a bit muddled, but the Eagles have stated that Buckhalter will resume his role as the primary backup RB. Rookie Tony Hunt should also be used as the Eagles like to do different things of offense, and Hunt also remains a candidate to take goal line carries this year. The goal line situation is a big question mark here.
Washington Redskins - Starter: Clinton Portis, Backup: Ladell Betts
Clinton Portis has been battling knee tendonitis for some time now, but the Redskins state that he could have played more in the preseason, and also that he's in line for a few carries in their last preseason game. Portis is the unquestioned starter if he's healthy, but that's a big if right now. We all saw what Betts could do last year as the starter, and he remains the unquestioned backup RB who would be very valuable if Portis goes down again. He'll probably receive more work than most backups depending on Portis' knee.
Chicago Bears - Starter: Cedric Benson, Backup: Adrian Peterson
Cedric Benson gets his wish as the unquestioned starter, but he'll give way on 3rd downs to a combination of Peterson and Wolfe depending on the play being called. He should get plenty of touches, but it remains a question what exactly he'll do with them. He's looked sluggish and unexplosive in my eyes, but perhaps he's saving himself for the regular season. I can only hope. Peterson has retained the backup position over rookie Garrett Wolfe, and he'd likely be a solid fantasy RB should Benson get hurt.
Detroit Lions - Starter: Tatum Bell, Backup: T.J. Duckett
Kevin Jones' health remains a mystery, and he's scheduled to see a doctor on Thursday to see if he'll be medically cleared. It would be a shock if he didn't start the year on PUP. Until he returns, Tatum Bell will be the primary ball carrier while Duckett steals short yardage and goal line carries. Once KJ returns, his role will be determined by exactly how healthy it is. As you can see, this situation is a bit of a mess.
Green Bay Packers - Starter: Brandon Jackson, Backup: Vernand Morency
Brandon Jackson has won the starting job if for no other reason than Morency hurting his knee very early in preseason. Jackson also hurt himself, suffering a concussion in the last preseason game. He'll be held out of the final preseason game, but appears ready to roll in week 1. Morency's status for week 1 is questionable, and Jackson will receive the majority of carries and a chance to win the job outright depending on how he performs. Morency would likely be at least a 3rd down back when he returns, which is what he's best suited for.
Minnesota Vikings - RBBC: Chester Taylor and Adrian Peterson
Chester will technically remain the starter for the Vikings, but Peterson was clearly a very impressive runner and showed off his talent as well. They will split carries in some fashion with a slight edge to Chester to start the season, but if the Vikings season goes in the tank early, expect Peterson to start getting more carries. Peterson has obviously been medically cleared regarding his collarbone, but it's a smart move here to continue using Chester and breaking Peterson into the NFL game slowly. They'll have to run the ball a lot to stay in games and protect raw QB Tavaris Jackson.
Atlanta Falcons - Starter: Warrick Dunn, Backup: Jerious Norwood
Warrick Dunn will start week 1 as the coaching staff seems to prefer the veteran at this point. Dunn came back incredibly quick after back surgery, but he looked horrible in his first preseason game. He's not in shape yet, but that hasn't deterred Petrino from naming Dunn the week 1 starter. I just can't see that lasting very long, and I expect Norwood to take over at some point as the team's starter once he proves that he's better on the field. Dunn has been a great NFL RB, especially for his size, but I don't think he has it anymore, and he's not a good fit for this new offensive system.
Carolina Panthers - Starter: DeShaun Foster, Backup: DeAngelo Williams
Foster has run fairly well in the preseason and has maintained his starter's status. He should run for a higher YPC this year while he's healthy as the new zone-blocking technique that Carolina has implemented plays to his quickness. Williams is no doubt the better talent, but John Fox has remain loyal to his veteran, and just like Fred Taylor, he wasn't re-signed to sit on the bench. Williams will play more than most backups, especially on 3rd down, but unless he blows Fox's socks off while in the game, this is Foster's job.
New Orleans Saints - RBBC: Deuce McAllister and Reggie Bush
This will be a full blown RBBC, but McAllister should take most of the goal line work, and Bush should take most of the 3rd down work. This is probably the most jumbled of all RBBCs as Bush will be involved around the goal line as well, McAllister is not a bad pass catching back, Bush will be lined up all over the field, and both will be on the field at the same time in certain packages. As I stated before, expect more of the same as last year, but also expect Bush to get more touches this year as McAllister should slowly give way to him. If one gets hurt, the other would gain a lot of value.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Starter: Cadillac Williams, Backup: Michael Pittman
Cadillac has solidified the starting job here, and Tampa Bay hasn't used him much in the preseason, just like his rookie year. Gruden wanted Williams to become a 3 down back, but reports are that he's dropping too many passes in practice, and that Pittman will likely resume his role as the 3rd down back. Alstott has retired, so Williams will be used around the goal line far more often, giving his value a boost. Should Williams go down, Pittman would become a fairly solid fantasy RB.
Arizona Cardinals - Starter: Edgerrin James, Backup: Marcel Shipp
Edgerrin James is the unquestioned starter, but the questionable part of his role is the goal line work. There's been rumors that Wisenhunt prefers Marcel Shipp around paydirt, and Edgerrin's already depressed value given his age and career workload would take another hit if that plays out. It's something to monitor, and Shipp would like split 3rd down duties with J.J. Arrington if Edge were to go down. Edge remains the preferred 3rd down back due to his impressive passing game skills.
Seattle Seahawks - Starter: Shaun Alexander, Backup: Maurice Morris
Shaun Alexander returns as the unquestioned stater, and Morris remains the boring but fairly reliable backup. Alexander's career workload and performance last season after he returned from the cracked foot (he simply put up good numbers via pure volume) make him a questionable bet to finish the season, so Morris will likely make at least one start during the season. Morris will also continue his work on 3rd down situations.
San Francisco 49ers - Starter: Frank Gore, Backup: Maurice Hicks
Frank Gore owners received a scare when he broke his hand in the offseason prior to the start of preseason, but he's continued working out as much as possible prior to the season and should be 100% by week 1. There were rumors that he'd play some in the preseason finale, but there's no reason for the 49ers to risk him in a meaningless game. If Gore were to miss time, Hicks is techincally the backup, but I imagine Michael Robinson would split work with him in some fashion.
St. Louis Rams - Starter: Steven Jackson, Backup: Brian Leonard
Steven Jackson barely saw the field in the preseason, much like LT does each season, and it's a good idea given the workload he took on last season. He remains the unquestioned starter and all-world talent on a great offense. If Jackson got hurt, Leonard would assume the starting position and likely post great numbers. He didn't have a big time college career, but he possesses great all-around skills and looked solid in the preseason.
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
Torry Holt's Knee
St. Louis Rams WR Torry Holt's knee is starting to become a serious problem. He estimates that he's only 70-80% healthy, and he also stated that he wasn't sure if it would ever heal all the way. This is a problem that he's been dealing with for about 2 years now. He had offseason surgery on it, but his knee clearly has not recovered yet.
Fantasy Impact: I would avoid taking him in the 2nd round as your WR1 as his ADP is 2.10. There are plenty of WR1s being taken in the same vicinity of Holt such as Chad Johnson, Steve Smith, Marvin Harrison, Reggie Wayne, and Terrell Owens. All have similar upside, and none of them have current health issues. Take any one of them before Holt and let someone else gamble that Holt will be his usual self this year. Holt might end up being fine, but why take the risk with your top WR?
The other person affected here is Marc Bulger. If Holt isn't 100%, Bulger loses big production from one of the best WRs in football and obviously his favorite target. Isaac Bruce and Drew Bennett are quality options, but Bruce is aging, and Bennett is overrated as a true starter. The Rams offense won't be quite the same, and that leads me to believe that Bulger would suffer from it. More of the offense might go through Steven Jackson. Bulger will still have solid options, but he becomes a riskier pick, and you have to factor that in if you're going to use your 4th rounder on him. It might be wiser to use that on a WR2 instead, and go after a better value pick at the QB position a bit later in the draft.
Fantasy Impact: I would avoid taking him in the 2nd round as your WR1 as his ADP is 2.10. There are plenty of WR1s being taken in the same vicinity of Holt such as Chad Johnson, Steve Smith, Marvin Harrison, Reggie Wayne, and Terrell Owens. All have similar upside, and none of them have current health issues. Take any one of them before Holt and let someone else gamble that Holt will be his usual self this year. Holt might end up being fine, but why take the risk with your top WR?
The other person affected here is Marc Bulger. If Holt isn't 100%, Bulger loses big production from one of the best WRs in football and obviously his favorite target. Isaac Bruce and Drew Bennett are quality options, but Bruce is aging, and Bennett is overrated as a true starter. The Rams offense won't be quite the same, and that leads me to believe that Bulger would suffer from it. More of the offense might go through Steven Jackson. Bulger will still have solid options, but he becomes a riskier pick, and you have to factor that in if you're going to use your 4th rounder on him. It might be wiser to use that on a WR2 instead, and go after a better value pick at the QB position a bit later in the draft.
Monday, August 27, 2007
Fantasy Football QB Analysis
I'm going to note the ADP for each QB that I believe are viable starting QBs in your standard 12 team, 1 starting QB league. Like I've said before, it's not about ranking players, but it's about analyzing where players are going and whether or not they're worth the price you have to pay to acquire them. The 1st number is the round, followed by a dot, and then the 2nd number is the pick in the round.
1.11) Peyton Manning - Manning is over-valued this year. I'm not a fan of taking a QB this early, especially this year when there are less RBs with 300 carry potential due to the growing popularity of the Running Back By Committee (RBBC) strategy. This ADP might be inflated by people who take him very early, however. I would not want to take Manning over clearcut starters like Laurence Maroney, Ronnie Brown, Willis McGahee, and Brandon Jacobs due to the reason I outlined above. All of those RBs have top 10 potential. I understand the certainty that you're paying for with him, but QB is usually deeper than most people think, and if you're starting only one QB versus 2 RBs (possibly 3 with a flex), you need those RBs to field a strong lineup. I would happily take Manning once you get down to the Shaun Alexander (although he goes way higher than I'd take him), Thomas Jones, Edgerrin James, Cadillac Williams, and Cedric Benson type RBs, however. Manning is a better bet than those guys who are available around the same time. I'd also take Manning over every WR. That being said, I won't own him in any league this year thanks to his high price tag.
3.02) Carson Palmer - Palmer is a good value this year, and a much better value than Manning. If you want to take a QB this high, I'd happily take Palmer in the 3rd round. He's 100% this year after having that time to recover from the knee injury suffered in the 2005 playoffs, and his much stronger 2nd half last year proved it once he finally got comfortable again. Moving forward, I think it'll be hard to tell Palmer and Manning apart stats-wise, which makes Palmer a much better pick. His WRs are just as talented as Manning's are. Imagine having LT or Steven Jackson plus Palmer. Now that's a foundation.
3.10) Tom Brady - Brady is a decent value this year. Brady plays in a very spread-the-wealth offense, and given that he's surrounded by the best talent of his career with the additions of Randy Moss, Donte Stallworth, and Wes Welker, plus TE Ben Watson, he's never had so many weapons, especially downfield receivers. There's a good chance that he'll turn in one of the finest seasons of his career and he could give Manning and Palmer a run for their money, but he's going to have to finish #3 to warrant this pick. He's a solid option here, although I'd prefer him a bit better in the 4th round.
3.12) Drew Brees - Brees is over-valued this year. He had one of the most surprising rebound seasons in recent memory last year, including an incredible stretch of 5 straight 300+ yard passing games. He's going to have to repeat his career season in order to justify that ADP, and it's hard to ask someone to have 2 consecutive career seasons. Joe Horn is gone, and while he was injured last year and the Saints were in too much of a groove to notice, don't underestimate the savvy veteran's impact on the team. I know Colston filled in just fine for a while, but it's a lot to ask a 2nd year WR to become the focal point of the passing game and stay among the NFL's best. You're not getting any value here as his ceiling will be the only thing that makes him worth taking this high. Plus with Bush's better knowledge of how to run at the NFL level, the Saints should take advantage of their talented RBs to keep their suspect defense off the field a bit more.
4.05) Marc Bulger - Bulger is a solid value this year. He had a terrific year last year, finally staying healthy for 16 games, and he thrived in Linehan's offense. He didn't throw an INT until week 6. The Rams added Drew Bennett to the slot, and they also added Randy McMichael as a passing game presence at the TE position. The Rams were pass-happy in the redzone, although given the effectiveness of Steven Jackson down the stretch around the goal line, I don't expect them to throw quite so much around the goal line this year. Still, with a great pass catching RB, added weapons in the passing game, and a solid offensive system, Bulger looks set to repeat last season's numbers. A warning though...don't forget about Holt's troublesome knee. He's the key to this powerful offense, and Bulger would go from solid value to a bit over-valued if Holt continues to struggle with that injury.
4.10) Donovan McNabb - There's a lot of varying opinions on him this year, but I believe McNabb is a solid value. Last year, we saw Carson Palmer start off cold until he became re-adjusted to the pocket. We also saw Daunte Culpepper look absolutely brutal before shutting it down, but his knee injury was a lot more serious than McNabb's. All preseason reports on McNabb have been good as he looks comfortable in the pocket and his throws look strong. He was the #1 fantasy player last year before going down, putting up a huge season like what happened to him back in 2002. I doubt he runs anywhere close to what he usually does, but even as just a passer, he's arguably a top 5 QB. Westbrook is amazing out of the backfield, Reggie Brown has another year of experience, and they replaced the injury-prone Stallworth with an equally fast, smarter, and more durable Kevin Curtis. Expecting a slow start isn't a bad idea, but he'll be just fine when it counts. Make sure to take a backup higher than the other top guys if you select him due to the injury history.
6.01) Jon Kitna - Kitna is a good value this year. Kitna looked like a more injury-prone Marc Bulger last season. He makes too many stupid throws and is careless with the ball in the pocket at times, but he threw for a ton of yards and should find the endzone plenty this year. Kevin Jones is probably headed to the PUP list and is replaced by Tatum Bell. Bell is far less reliable out of the backfield, so expect even more passing. The Lions added Calvin Johnson, who is arguably the most physically gifted WR to come out of college. His blend of size and speed is unheard of, and he's a hard-working, smart player to boot. Expect a much smaller learning curve for him as compared to most rookies, and he'll immediately become a huge upgrade opposite the equally-talented Roy Williams. Furrey, a wonderful safety valve, was re-signed and moves to the slot which suits his skills much better. With the upgraded talent and the reliance on the passing game, only health with prevent Kitna from putting up a big year.
6.09) Matt Hasselbeck - Hasselbeck is over-valued this year. He's coming off a disasterous season, but fantasy owners obviously expect a rebound by drafting him as the 8th QB off the board. The Seattle system is very good for producing solid fantasy numbers. While having Deion Branch in their offense will definitely help improve the chemistry between him and Hasselbeck, he'll be flanked by D.J. Hackett. Branch and Hackett are good system receivers, but they just don't possess the type of talent that Darrell Jackson and Koren Robinson had. Alexander is non-existant out of the backfield in the passing game, and Marcus Pollard is an aging, decent option at TE. I think Hasselbeck will be solid, but I don't see any upside here.
7.05) Tony Romo - Tony Romo is a good value this year. Fantasy owners must not think he was for real last season, or else he'd be going ahead of Hasselbeck. He easily put up top 10 numbers in the 12 weeks that he played, and he's only going to get better. Terrell Owens remains a bit of a risk as a #1 WR, but he should drop less passes this year after fixing the torn tendon in his finger. He's still a monster in the redzone. Glenn is a solid #2, and while he's a big health risk, I believe Patrick Crayton can easily fill his role in the offense if necessary. Witten provides a very good TE in the passing game, and Barber is great out of the backfield. The weapons are there, and Romo should capitalize with a solid season. He also provides a bit of value on the ground as he's a very mobile QB despite not being fast.
7.05) Phillip Rivers - Rivers is slightly over-valued. He had an incredible first season that exceeded all expectations, but I don't think he has the talent around him at the WR position that will allow him to take the next step. LT is incredible out of the backfield, and Norv Turner loves throwing to his RBs. Antonio Gates is the best TE in football. Vincent Jackson is an emerging deep threat, but his all-around game needs work and he doesn't have much on-field experience yet. Rookie Craig Davis flanks him, and while his speed is great, his hands remain suspect, and he's replacing the reliable, if unspectacular Eric Parker who's out at least 6 weeks with a broken foot. He's a fairly solid choice, but like with Hasselbeck, I don't see much further upside.
8.06) Vince Young - Vince Young is slightly over-valued. I question him as a starting fantasy QB this year, but that's exactly what he's being drafted as. His ceiling is higher than that of Michael Vick's thanks to his better work ethic and leadership qualities, but much like Vick, the weapons around him are subpar at best. He'll make up for the lack of passing yards with the rushing numbers, but exactly how much he'll be able to make up is the question. It should at least keep him fairly consistent from week to week. With a WR corp that includes the talented but struggling Brandon Jones, the aging Eric Moulds, and the inexperienced Roydell Williams, things don't look good. Bo Scaife is a solid TE and possibly the most reliable receiver on the team. Young has incredible upside for the future, but his surrounding cast will continue to limit his present upside. The only thing that holds me back from completely avoiding him is his incredible ability to prove all doubters wrong at every level.
8.06) Matt Leinart - Matt Leinart is a good value. He's being drafted as a fringe starter, and I think that's his downside this season. Arizona's new coaching staff is from the old Pittsburgh regime under Bill Cowher, so while they'll work to build around the running game, there's just too much offensive talent here in the passing game not to use it. Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin form the most physically talented WR duo in the NFL, and Bryant Johnson has been an adequate 3rd WR. They don't have much in the way of TEs, but the Steeler's offense under Ken Wisenhunt severely under-used Heath Miller, so it's not much of a loss. Edgerrin James is an accomplished receiver out of the backfield. Leinart should take a step forward this year, and he has a smart offensive mind that's backing him. It remains to be seen how stubborn Wisenhunt will be with the running game this year given the questionable offensive line to see exactly how much Leinart will throw, which directly correlates to fantasy value. Still, there's a lot to like here.
9.02) Jay Cutler - Jay Cutler is a good value. He's also being drafted as a fringe starter, and I also believe that's his downside this season. Shanahan immediately trusted Cutler more than Plummer last year, and he threw for 2 TDs in his first 4 starts. Javon Walker is one of the game's best deep threats, and Cutler has a cannon for an arm. The only problem is the 2nd WR slot. Brandon Marshall is immensley talented, but he's raw and still learning the NFL game. Rod Smith will start the season on the PUP list, and that will hurt as having a savvy veteran WR as a safety valve is a great thing for a QB. The Broncos signed Daniel Graham, and while he's a blocking specialist, he's still a solid option as a receiver. Tony Scheffler will play plenty in 2 TE sets, and Cutler showed off his chemistry with Scheffler down the stretch last year. Shannahan has a great system and I'd be surprised if Cutler didn't finish in the top 12 QBs at least come year's end, with the possibility of a huge leap still an option.
9.12) Eli Manning - Manning is a good value. His value fell from last year when many expected him to become among the fantasy elite. I believe last year is his The Giants remained among the biggest jokes in football this offseason as it was marred by Tiki's retirement and slams against the team, Burress and Shockey spending too much time training on their own instead of building a chemistry with their QB, and the loss of LT Luke Pettigout who arguably received more criticism than he deserved as he was solid protecting Manning's blindside. Eli returns with a new LT, a new RB in Brandon Jacobs who is underrated in the passing game, and hopefully a new attitude towards being a leader. Burress remains a tremendous deep option, although he's still not a well-rounded WR. Toomer returns from a torn ACL, but at his age it remains to be seen how well he'll recover. A underrated addition was the drafting of WR Steve Smith, who will eventually turn into a very good NFL receiver and a reliable target for Manning. Toomer and Smith will be the keys to what sort of upside Manning has the season, but it figures to continue getting better for Eli.
10.03) Ben Roethlisberger - Roethlisberger is my favorite value pick at QB this season. Throw last year out the window as it was ruined by his motorcycle accident. Former offensive coordinator Ken Wisenhunt and former line coach Russ Grimm stated that they believed the Steelers rushed Big Ben back onto the field when he wasn't ready, and I think his performance proves that. Given Roethlisberger was a very efficient QB his first two seasons, his performance last year as an interception-prone QB with a 75.4 QB rating was a complete anomaly. He had posted 2 straight seasons with a QB rating right at 98 prior to that, so it's painfully clear that his head was not in the game last season. Big Ben was a top 5 fantasy QB during the last 12 weeks of the 2006 season, amazingly enough. Mike Tomlin is the new head coach and Bruce Arians takes over as offensive coordinator. Gone are the grind-it-out days of the Cowher regime...Arians loves to spread the field and throw the ball. With the steady Hines Ward, the emerging Santonio Holmes, Cedric Wilson, Nate Washington, and the under-utilized Heath Miller at TE, the Steelers have quality receiving options, and Willie Parker will be thrown to more as well. With a pick this late, there's nothing but upside here.
1.11) Peyton Manning - Manning is over-valued this year. I'm not a fan of taking a QB this early, especially this year when there are less RBs with 300 carry potential due to the growing popularity of the Running Back By Committee (RBBC) strategy. This ADP might be inflated by people who take him very early, however. I would not want to take Manning over clearcut starters like Laurence Maroney, Ronnie Brown, Willis McGahee, and Brandon Jacobs due to the reason I outlined above. All of those RBs have top 10 potential. I understand the certainty that you're paying for with him, but QB is usually deeper than most people think, and if you're starting only one QB versus 2 RBs (possibly 3 with a flex), you need those RBs to field a strong lineup. I would happily take Manning once you get down to the Shaun Alexander (although he goes way higher than I'd take him), Thomas Jones, Edgerrin James, Cadillac Williams, and Cedric Benson type RBs, however. Manning is a better bet than those guys who are available around the same time. I'd also take Manning over every WR. That being said, I won't own him in any league this year thanks to his high price tag.
3.02) Carson Palmer - Palmer is a good value this year, and a much better value than Manning. If you want to take a QB this high, I'd happily take Palmer in the 3rd round. He's 100% this year after having that time to recover from the knee injury suffered in the 2005 playoffs, and his much stronger 2nd half last year proved it once he finally got comfortable again. Moving forward, I think it'll be hard to tell Palmer and Manning apart stats-wise, which makes Palmer a much better pick. His WRs are just as talented as Manning's are. Imagine having LT or Steven Jackson plus Palmer. Now that's a foundation.
3.10) Tom Brady - Brady is a decent value this year. Brady plays in a very spread-the-wealth offense, and given that he's surrounded by the best talent of his career with the additions of Randy Moss, Donte Stallworth, and Wes Welker, plus TE Ben Watson, he's never had so many weapons, especially downfield receivers. There's a good chance that he'll turn in one of the finest seasons of his career and he could give Manning and Palmer a run for their money, but he's going to have to finish #3 to warrant this pick. He's a solid option here, although I'd prefer him a bit better in the 4th round.
3.12) Drew Brees - Brees is over-valued this year. He had one of the most surprising rebound seasons in recent memory last year, including an incredible stretch of 5 straight 300+ yard passing games. He's going to have to repeat his career season in order to justify that ADP, and it's hard to ask someone to have 2 consecutive career seasons. Joe Horn is gone, and while he was injured last year and the Saints were in too much of a groove to notice, don't underestimate the savvy veteran's impact on the team. I know Colston filled in just fine for a while, but it's a lot to ask a 2nd year WR to become the focal point of the passing game and stay among the NFL's best. You're not getting any value here as his ceiling will be the only thing that makes him worth taking this high. Plus with Bush's better knowledge of how to run at the NFL level, the Saints should take advantage of their talented RBs to keep their suspect defense off the field a bit more.
4.05) Marc Bulger - Bulger is a solid value this year. He had a terrific year last year, finally staying healthy for 16 games, and he thrived in Linehan's offense. He didn't throw an INT until week 6. The Rams added Drew Bennett to the slot, and they also added Randy McMichael as a passing game presence at the TE position. The Rams were pass-happy in the redzone, although given the effectiveness of Steven Jackson down the stretch around the goal line, I don't expect them to throw quite so much around the goal line this year. Still, with a great pass catching RB, added weapons in the passing game, and a solid offensive system, Bulger looks set to repeat last season's numbers. A warning though...don't forget about Holt's troublesome knee. He's the key to this powerful offense, and Bulger would go from solid value to a bit over-valued if Holt continues to struggle with that injury.
4.10) Donovan McNabb - There's a lot of varying opinions on him this year, but I believe McNabb is a solid value. Last year, we saw Carson Palmer start off cold until he became re-adjusted to the pocket. We also saw Daunte Culpepper look absolutely brutal before shutting it down, but his knee injury was a lot more serious than McNabb's. All preseason reports on McNabb have been good as he looks comfortable in the pocket and his throws look strong. He was the #1 fantasy player last year before going down, putting up a huge season like what happened to him back in 2002. I doubt he runs anywhere close to what he usually does, but even as just a passer, he's arguably a top 5 QB. Westbrook is amazing out of the backfield, Reggie Brown has another year of experience, and they replaced the injury-prone Stallworth with an equally fast, smarter, and more durable Kevin Curtis. Expecting a slow start isn't a bad idea, but he'll be just fine when it counts. Make sure to take a backup higher than the other top guys if you select him due to the injury history.
6.01) Jon Kitna - Kitna is a good value this year. Kitna looked like a more injury-prone Marc Bulger last season. He makes too many stupid throws and is careless with the ball in the pocket at times, but he threw for a ton of yards and should find the endzone plenty this year. Kevin Jones is probably headed to the PUP list and is replaced by Tatum Bell. Bell is far less reliable out of the backfield, so expect even more passing. The Lions added Calvin Johnson, who is arguably the most physically gifted WR to come out of college. His blend of size and speed is unheard of, and he's a hard-working, smart player to boot. Expect a much smaller learning curve for him as compared to most rookies, and he'll immediately become a huge upgrade opposite the equally-talented Roy Williams. Furrey, a wonderful safety valve, was re-signed and moves to the slot which suits his skills much better. With the upgraded talent and the reliance on the passing game, only health with prevent Kitna from putting up a big year.
6.09) Matt Hasselbeck - Hasselbeck is over-valued this year. He's coming off a disasterous season, but fantasy owners obviously expect a rebound by drafting him as the 8th QB off the board. The Seattle system is very good for producing solid fantasy numbers. While having Deion Branch in their offense will definitely help improve the chemistry between him and Hasselbeck, he'll be flanked by D.J. Hackett. Branch and Hackett are good system receivers, but they just don't possess the type of talent that Darrell Jackson and Koren Robinson had. Alexander is non-existant out of the backfield in the passing game, and Marcus Pollard is an aging, decent option at TE. I think Hasselbeck will be solid, but I don't see any upside here.
7.05) Tony Romo - Tony Romo is a good value this year. Fantasy owners must not think he was for real last season, or else he'd be going ahead of Hasselbeck. He easily put up top 10 numbers in the 12 weeks that he played, and he's only going to get better. Terrell Owens remains a bit of a risk as a #1 WR, but he should drop less passes this year after fixing the torn tendon in his finger. He's still a monster in the redzone. Glenn is a solid #2, and while he's a big health risk, I believe Patrick Crayton can easily fill his role in the offense if necessary. Witten provides a very good TE in the passing game, and Barber is great out of the backfield. The weapons are there, and Romo should capitalize with a solid season. He also provides a bit of value on the ground as he's a very mobile QB despite not being fast.
7.05) Phillip Rivers - Rivers is slightly over-valued. He had an incredible first season that exceeded all expectations, but I don't think he has the talent around him at the WR position that will allow him to take the next step. LT is incredible out of the backfield, and Norv Turner loves throwing to his RBs. Antonio Gates is the best TE in football. Vincent Jackson is an emerging deep threat, but his all-around game needs work and he doesn't have much on-field experience yet. Rookie Craig Davis flanks him, and while his speed is great, his hands remain suspect, and he's replacing the reliable, if unspectacular Eric Parker who's out at least 6 weeks with a broken foot. He's a fairly solid choice, but like with Hasselbeck, I don't see much further upside.
8.06) Vince Young - Vince Young is slightly over-valued. I question him as a starting fantasy QB this year, but that's exactly what he's being drafted as. His ceiling is higher than that of Michael Vick's thanks to his better work ethic and leadership qualities, but much like Vick, the weapons around him are subpar at best. He'll make up for the lack of passing yards with the rushing numbers, but exactly how much he'll be able to make up is the question. It should at least keep him fairly consistent from week to week. With a WR corp that includes the talented but struggling Brandon Jones, the aging Eric Moulds, and the inexperienced Roydell Williams, things don't look good. Bo Scaife is a solid TE and possibly the most reliable receiver on the team. Young has incredible upside for the future, but his surrounding cast will continue to limit his present upside. The only thing that holds me back from completely avoiding him is his incredible ability to prove all doubters wrong at every level.
8.06) Matt Leinart - Matt Leinart is a good value. He's being drafted as a fringe starter, and I think that's his downside this season. Arizona's new coaching staff is from the old Pittsburgh regime under Bill Cowher, so while they'll work to build around the running game, there's just too much offensive talent here in the passing game not to use it. Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin form the most physically talented WR duo in the NFL, and Bryant Johnson has been an adequate 3rd WR. They don't have much in the way of TEs, but the Steeler's offense under Ken Wisenhunt severely under-used Heath Miller, so it's not much of a loss. Edgerrin James is an accomplished receiver out of the backfield. Leinart should take a step forward this year, and he has a smart offensive mind that's backing him. It remains to be seen how stubborn Wisenhunt will be with the running game this year given the questionable offensive line to see exactly how much Leinart will throw, which directly correlates to fantasy value. Still, there's a lot to like here.
9.02) Jay Cutler - Jay Cutler is a good value. He's also being drafted as a fringe starter, and I also believe that's his downside this season. Shanahan immediately trusted Cutler more than Plummer last year, and he threw for 2 TDs in his first 4 starts. Javon Walker is one of the game's best deep threats, and Cutler has a cannon for an arm. The only problem is the 2nd WR slot. Brandon Marshall is immensley talented, but he's raw and still learning the NFL game. Rod Smith will start the season on the PUP list, and that will hurt as having a savvy veteran WR as a safety valve is a great thing for a QB. The Broncos signed Daniel Graham, and while he's a blocking specialist, he's still a solid option as a receiver. Tony Scheffler will play plenty in 2 TE sets, and Cutler showed off his chemistry with Scheffler down the stretch last year. Shannahan has a great system and I'd be surprised if Cutler didn't finish in the top 12 QBs at least come year's end, with the possibility of a huge leap still an option.
9.12) Eli Manning - Manning is a good value. His value fell from last year when many expected him to become among the fantasy elite. I believe last year is his The Giants remained among the biggest jokes in football this offseason as it was marred by Tiki's retirement and slams against the team, Burress and Shockey spending too much time training on their own instead of building a chemistry with their QB, and the loss of LT Luke Pettigout who arguably received more criticism than he deserved as he was solid protecting Manning's blindside. Eli returns with a new LT, a new RB in Brandon Jacobs who is underrated in the passing game, and hopefully a new attitude towards being a leader. Burress remains a tremendous deep option, although he's still not a well-rounded WR. Toomer returns from a torn ACL, but at his age it remains to be seen how well he'll recover. A underrated addition was the drafting of WR Steve Smith, who will eventually turn into a very good NFL receiver and a reliable target for Manning. Toomer and Smith will be the keys to what sort of upside Manning has the season, but it figures to continue getting better for Eli.
10.03) Ben Roethlisberger - Roethlisberger is my favorite value pick at QB this season. Throw last year out the window as it was ruined by his motorcycle accident. Former offensive coordinator Ken Wisenhunt and former line coach Russ Grimm stated that they believed the Steelers rushed Big Ben back onto the field when he wasn't ready, and I think his performance proves that. Given Roethlisberger was a very efficient QB his first two seasons, his performance last year as an interception-prone QB with a 75.4 QB rating was a complete anomaly. He had posted 2 straight seasons with a QB rating right at 98 prior to that, so it's painfully clear that his head was not in the game last season. Big Ben was a top 5 fantasy QB during the last 12 weeks of the 2006 season, amazingly enough. Mike Tomlin is the new head coach and Bruce Arians takes over as offensive coordinator. Gone are the grind-it-out days of the Cowher regime...Arians loves to spread the field and throw the ball. With the steady Hines Ward, the emerging Santonio Holmes, Cedric Wilson, Nate Washington, and the under-utilized Heath Miller at TE, the Steelers have quality receiving options, and Willie Parker will be thrown to more as well. With a pick this late, there's nothing but upside here.
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