QB:
Jon Kitna - He left last Sunday's game early in the 2nd quarter with a mild concussion, but returned late in the 4th quarter and led the Lions to victory. Given the doctors allowed him to return to the game and he threw the ball well, it appears that Kitna should definitely play in week 3.
Eli Manning - He defied all odds and not only played on Sunday, but played pretty well. He seems to be a lock to start week 3.
Josh McCown - He also defied odds and played last Sunday, but unlike Eli, he did not play well. The time is ticking for McCown to be replaced, but he's currently healthy.
Steve McNair - He sat out last Sunday's game against the Jets, but appears ready to go in week 3. He practiced fully on Wednesday.
Chad Pennington - He sat out last Sunday's game against the Ravens, but appears ready to go in week 3.
RB:
Clinton Portis, Thomas Jones, Cadillac Williams - They're officially off the injury report after handling the majority of the carries for their respective teams.
Brian Westbrook - He left last Monday night's game briefly with a knee problem, but then returned. It was initially deemed minor since he continued playing, but it has been reported on Wednesday that he will be re-evaluated and undergo an MRI. Westbrook has a history of knee problems in the past, but he has played through most of them. He missed practice on both Wednesday and Thursday, so this has become a concern.
LaMont Jordan - He sat out practice on Wednesday with a back injury, but returned to practice on Thursday. Many veterans get Wednesdays off during the season, so I wouldn't worry too much about this. Still, it's something to monitor given Jordan's recent back troubles over the past year.
LenDale White - He was limited in practice on Wednesday with a foot injury, but he returned to practice on Thursday. White has been bothered by numerous minor injuries so far in his young career, but unless he continues to be limited or miss practice, it shouldn't be a problem.
Kevin Jones - He looks to be ready to play in week 3, but in a limited role. Don't start him, but with Tatum Bell not performing well, the job is KJ's once he's ready to play the whole game. He practiced in a limited fashion on Wednesday.
Brandon Jacobs - He's definitely out for week 3, but he might practice in a limited fashion this week.
Chester Taylor - He sat out last Sunday's game against the Lions, and while Adrian Peterson didn't put up the same guady numbers as in week 1, it seems unlikely that Chester will resume starting when healthy. He was limited in practice on both Wednesday and Thursday. If Chester misses this Sunday's game, Adrian Peterson will be a safer start.
Ron Dayne - He hurt his chest in last Sunday's game against the Panthers, but finished the game. He missed practice on both Wednesday and Thursday, and he appears to be in danger of missing this Sunday's game. If he sits out, then Ahman Green becomes a solid start.
WR:
Andre Johnson - He left last Sunday's game with a sprained MCL, but it looks like he avoided a disaster. AJ is out for this week, and he'll be re-evaluated on Friday to get a better grasp on his timetable.
Plaxico Burress - He left last Sunday's game with a sprained ankle, but he said after the game that he expects to start in week 3. He missed practice on both Wednesday and Thursday, but this was by design. He's expected to practice on Friday and start on this Sunday.
Steve Smith (NYG) - He left last Sunday's game with a fractured shoulder blade. He didn't have fantasy value currently, but might have started pushing Toomer for a starting role eventually. He'll be out 2-6 weeks.
Darrell Jackson - He left last Sunday's game and missed chunks of time with a bothersome back. He missed practice on Wednesday with the injury, but is expected to return on Thursday.
Mark Clayton - He only played on 3rd downs in last Sunday's game against the Jets, but reports are that he'll resume practicing normally this week and start in week 3. I'd give him another week on your bench to make sure he's worth using again.
Donte Stallworth - He missed part Thursday's practice with a knee injury after practicing on Wednesday. Given his fragility and the Patriots refusal to be honest with their injuries, he becomes an even riskier play than usual. His absence would make both Wes Welker and Ben Watson slightly stronger starts.
Greg Jennings - He sat out last Sunday's game against the Giants, and James Jones turned in a nice performance. He might have a bit of competition moving forward. He missed practice on Wednesday and Thursday, so his availability for week 3 is in doubt.
James Jones - He left Wednesday's practice early with a hamstring injury, and that's never a good sign. If both Jennings and Jones miss this Sunday's game, Ruvell Martin will start in their place. Just another very good reason not to use Favre against the Chargers.
TE:
None.
K:
None.
D:
Trevor Pryce - He left last Sunday's game with a broken wrist. He'll miss at least 3 weeks, and Baltimore's pass rush won't be quite as effective without him.
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
Atlanta Falcons Sign QB Byron Leftwich
The Atlanta Falcons have signed former Jacksonville Jaguars QB Byron Leftwich.
Leftwich is a good fit for Bobby Petrino's offensive strategy. Petrino likes to mix a power running game with a vertical passing game, and there's no doubt that Leftwich has the arm necessary to throw the ball down the field, and he's also known as a pretty accurate passer. Leftwich got a raw deal in Jacksonville as they never surrounded him with reliable weapons in the passing game. The same holds true for Atlanta's receiving weapons, or at least that we know of now. It remains to be seen if the receivers truly made Vick look worse than he really was, or vice versa. It was likely a combination of both, but there's some talent here. Atlanta might have found their next franchise QB.
Fantasy Impact: Unless Harrington has some career revelation and becomes the QB everyone thought he would be coming out of Oregon, Leftwich should be starting by mid-season. Those in 2 QB leagues with an empty roster spot should stash Leftwich, but those in 12 team leagues shouldn't bother right now. Leftwich has QB2 upside if he grasps the offense and starts. Joe Horn is aging, but he's still a reliable receiver. Roddy White is a great downfield threat, but he's struggled with drops. Michael Jenkins is a good redzone target, but lacks the speed to separate down the field. Leftwich is worth keeping an eye on once he takes over in all leagues.
Leftwich is a good fit for Bobby Petrino's offensive strategy. Petrino likes to mix a power running game with a vertical passing game, and there's no doubt that Leftwich has the arm necessary to throw the ball down the field, and he's also known as a pretty accurate passer. Leftwich got a raw deal in Jacksonville as they never surrounded him with reliable weapons in the passing game. The same holds true for Atlanta's receiving weapons, or at least that we know of now. It remains to be seen if the receivers truly made Vick look worse than he really was, or vice versa. It was likely a combination of both, but there's some talent here. Atlanta might have found their next franchise QB.
Fantasy Impact: Unless Harrington has some career revelation and becomes the QB everyone thought he would be coming out of Oregon, Leftwich should be starting by mid-season. Those in 2 QB leagues with an empty roster spot should stash Leftwich, but those in 12 team leagues shouldn't bother right now. Leftwich has QB2 upside if he grasps the offense and starts. Joe Horn is aging, but he's still a reliable receiver. Roddy White is a great downfield threat, but he's struggled with drops. Michael Jenkins is a good redzone target, but lacks the speed to separate down the field. Leftwich is worth keeping an eye on once he takes over in all leagues.
NFL Week 2: Monday Night Game Wrapup
Washington Redskins at Philadelphia Eagles
Jason Campbell - 16/29, 209 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT, 6/39. I really like Campbell as an NFL QB. He shows excellent poise in the pocket, especially last night against a sometimes frantic Eagles blitz. He still has to learn how to control his throws as he missed a wide open Santana Moss on a 60+ yard TD pass by overthrowing him by about 5 yards. He's a solid QB2, but be wary of his matchup on your starter's bye week.
Donovan McNabb - 28/46, 240 yards, 0 TD, 0 INT, 2/15. He still doesn't look right. His WRs weren't getting open for him last night, but when they did, he often airmailed the throw over their head. He had an easy TD to Kevin Curtis last night in the 4th quarter, but he threw wide right of his target. Hopefully you picked a backup QB earlier than usual given the concerns about his health, and depending on who it is, I'd think about starting him instead until McNabb shows improvement. An Eagles fan I know stated that McNabb is playing through a lot of pain because he's afraid Kolb will steal his job, and that makes sense given what we've seen from McNabb so far. A slow start should have been expected given the injury he suffered last year, and the slow start Palmer got off to last year, by comparison.
Clinton Portis - 17/69, 1/7, 1 TD. He's still not posting great yardage, but the overhaul the Eagles performed on their LB corp in the offseason seems to have improved their porous run defense. He averaged 4.1 YPC, and took 17/23 carries given to the RBs in this one. He's definitely back as the clearcut starter for the Redskins.
Brian Westbrook - 17/96, 8/66. Westbrook continues to rack up the yardage, but the struggling McNabb is holding him back from reaching the endzone. Expect improved TD production once McNabb gets himself back together. Westbrook remains a solid RB1.
Santana Moss - 6/89. Campbell did a better job hitting him on intermediate routes, and Moss caught a 48 yard bomb before stumbling after the catch, possibly preventing him from scoring. As I mentioned above, he also broke open for what would have been an easy 64 yard TD, but Campbell overthrew him. It was a much better showing from Moss who should prove to be a WR2 this year as Campbell improves.
Antwaan Randle-El - 4/44. Back to earth for Randle El. He's not a bad WR5, but he's nothing more.
Chris Cooley - 2/25, 1 TD. Campbell hit him for a TD at the end of the 2nd quarter on a beautiful pass towards the corner of the endzone. He was catching more balls last year, so expect continued improvement.
Reggie Brown - 2/27. He should have had a TD, but as was the theme last night, McNabb overthrew him. He's been a bust so far as a WR2, but that's more McNabb's fault than his own. I'd downgrade him to a WR3, or possibly to your bench depending on your options for now. Detroit is up next week, so giving him another shot is a smart move.
Kevin Curtis - 4/28. See above, but he was drafted more as a WR3/4 type.
L.J. Smith - 2/12. He's not 100% healthy, and he's in the same boat as Brown and Curtis. He's nothing more than a decent TE2 right now.
Jason Campbell - 16/29, 209 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT, 6/39. I really like Campbell as an NFL QB. He shows excellent poise in the pocket, especially last night against a sometimes frantic Eagles blitz. He still has to learn how to control his throws as he missed a wide open Santana Moss on a 60+ yard TD pass by overthrowing him by about 5 yards. He's a solid QB2, but be wary of his matchup on your starter's bye week.
Donovan McNabb - 28/46, 240 yards, 0 TD, 0 INT, 2/15. He still doesn't look right. His WRs weren't getting open for him last night, but when they did, he often airmailed the throw over their head. He had an easy TD to Kevin Curtis last night in the 4th quarter, but he threw wide right of his target. Hopefully you picked a backup QB earlier than usual given the concerns about his health, and depending on who it is, I'd think about starting him instead until McNabb shows improvement. An Eagles fan I know stated that McNabb is playing through a lot of pain because he's afraid Kolb will steal his job, and that makes sense given what we've seen from McNabb so far. A slow start should have been expected given the injury he suffered last year, and the slow start Palmer got off to last year, by comparison.
Clinton Portis - 17/69, 1/7, 1 TD. He's still not posting great yardage, but the overhaul the Eagles performed on their LB corp in the offseason seems to have improved their porous run defense. He averaged 4.1 YPC, and took 17/23 carries given to the RBs in this one. He's definitely back as the clearcut starter for the Redskins.
Brian Westbrook - 17/96, 8/66. Westbrook continues to rack up the yardage, but the struggling McNabb is holding him back from reaching the endzone. Expect improved TD production once McNabb gets himself back together. Westbrook remains a solid RB1.
Santana Moss - 6/89. Campbell did a better job hitting him on intermediate routes, and Moss caught a 48 yard bomb before stumbling after the catch, possibly preventing him from scoring. As I mentioned above, he also broke open for what would have been an easy 64 yard TD, but Campbell overthrew him. It was a much better showing from Moss who should prove to be a WR2 this year as Campbell improves.
Antwaan Randle-El - 4/44. Back to earth for Randle El. He's not a bad WR5, but he's nothing more.
Chris Cooley - 2/25, 1 TD. Campbell hit him for a TD at the end of the 2nd quarter on a beautiful pass towards the corner of the endzone. He was catching more balls last year, so expect continued improvement.
Reggie Brown - 2/27. He should have had a TD, but as was the theme last night, McNabb overthrew him. He's been a bust so far as a WR2, but that's more McNabb's fault than his own. I'd downgrade him to a WR3, or possibly to your bench depending on your options for now. Detroit is up next week, so giving him another shot is a smart move.
Kevin Curtis - 4/28. See above, but he was drafted more as a WR3/4 type.
L.J. Smith - 2/12. He's not 100% healthy, and he's in the same boat as Brown and Curtis. He's nothing more than a decent TE2 right now.
Monday, September 17, 2007
NFL Week 2: Late Game Wrapup
Seattle Seahawks at Arizona Cardinals
Matt Hasselbeck - 22/36, 281 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT, 2/6. Another solid outing from Hasselbeck, but like I said in my preseason QB review, there continues to be little upside here. He's still a solid fantasy QB regardless, though.
Matt Leinart - 23/37, 299 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT, 1/-4. Much better outing from Leinart. Wisenhunt will continue to learn the strengths and weaknesses of Leinart as the season progresses, and Leinart will continue to improve. He makes a better QB2 than a QB1, but he definitely still has upside.
Shaun Alexander - 18/70, 2/5, 1 TD. Another unimpressive outing from Alexander, but he scored again for a solid afternoon. I remain highly skeptical about his value this season, but if he stays healthy, he's going to score. His upside as an elite RB is definitely gone, and he's an injury risk thanks to his career workload and advanced age.
Edgerrin James - 24/128, 2/22, 1 TD. The Edge looked much better in week 2 as he consistently churned out yardage, but since his TD came from 17 yards out (another positive about his afternoon), we're not sure what the goal line RB situation is in Arizona yet. The blocking looks better so far this year.
Deion Branch - 7/122. Much better. I promised that he'd be a bigger part of the gameplan, and the Seahawks made me look smart. Branch should continue to emerge as the go-to guy for Hasselbeck as he's a smart route runner and quick. I like him as a solid WR2.
Bobby Engram - 5/71. He might play the slot, but he's far more consistent than anyone they line up opposite Branch. He's not a bad guy to have as a WR5 as a non-exciting but reliable backup.
Larry Fitzgerald - 7/87. Much better. They did a much better job getting Fitz the ball downfield a bit as well as underneath. I don't like him as a WR1, but he's a very good WR2 with upside.
Anquan Boldin - 4/83. See above.
Detroit Lions at Minnesota Vikings
Tavaris Jackson - 17/33, 166 yards, 0 TD, 4 INT, 5/16, 1 TD. Leave him on the waiver wire, obviously.
Jon Kitna - 22/33, 245 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT, 3/13, 1/9. Yes, he caught his own pass and ran 9 yards with it. Could you imagine what fantasy nation would be saying had he scored with it? He was knocked out of the game with a concussion, but later returned to lead the Lions to victory. He appears to be fine for week 2, and would have had enormous numbers had he not gotten hurt.
Adrian Peterson - 20/66, 4/52. Another example of why the surrounding offense is almost as important as the talent level of a player. He started off with several great runs, but Detroit eventually crept up to the line to stop the only thing Minnesota was doing well on offense. His talent is undeniable and he'll post solid RB2 numbers when starting, but his surrounding offensive situation will hold him back from being elite.
Tatum Bell - 9/14, 4/25. So much for starting. Minnesota stuffed him, and the Lions don't like running anyways. KJ looks ready to play next week on a limited basis, so don't think about starting Tatum again. He's still worth stashing deep on your bench though.
Roy Williams - 7/111, 1/9, 1 TD. Big game from Williams, and it might have been bigger had Kitna not gotten hurt. Roy should maintain his status as a WR1 this season. Calvin Johnson might seem like a threat thanks to his incredible talent, but experience is important at the WR position, and Roy will remain the go-to target this year.
Calvin Johnson - 4/61, 1 TD. He was utilized on a jump ball in the redzone by backup O'Sullivan and hauled it in. Get used to it...there's no corner that will outjump or outmuscle Johnson for those. He remains solid WR3 with upside as he learns the NFL game.
Shaun McDonald - 7/71. Is it possible for the Lions to have 3 fantasy-worth WRs? With as much as they want to throw, it's becoming possible. Stash him as your WR5.
Dallas Cowboys at Miami Dolphins
Tony Romo - 14/29, 186 yards, 2 TD, 0 INT, 4/36. He didn't have to throw much, but made use of his targets and tossed 2 TDs. He remains a solid QB1.
Trent Green - 23/40, 287 yards, 2 TD, 4 INT, 5/9. He had to throw often, and the results were rather ugly. He still looks like an unexciting QB2, however.
Julius Jones - 15/32, 1/24. Outproduced by Barber again. One has to wonder that with Parcells gone how long the new coaching staff will continue splitting carries if Jones keeps running like this.
Marion Barber - 14/89, 2/6, 1 TD. He just won't stop scoring, but this TD was a 40 yarder. He does a lot of damage against tired defenses in the 4th quarter, but it'd be interesting to see what he could do given the majority of the carries.
Ronnie Brown - 11/33, 2/36. I don't understand how he wastes all this talent. His line doesn't help, but he should be making more of what he's given. He remains a very risky RB2 thanks to the present of Chatman in the gameplan.
Terrell Owens - 5/97, 1 TD. Romo continues throwing to him as much as he can, and Owens remains one of the best WR1s in the game.
Jason Witten - 2/27. He slowed down a bit, but that's the nature of the TE position. He remains a solid TE1.
Chris Chambers - 9/109, 1/-5. He continues piling up the yardage as Green looks his way often. Fantasy nation was down on him this year, but he's emerging as a WR2 if he continues seeing all these targets. The TDs should came given that trend as well.
Marty Booker - 4/79, 1 TD. Unless you're really hurting at WR, I'd leave him out there. I'm not confident the Dolphins can produce 2 fantasy wideouts.
Baltimore Ravens at New York Jets
Kellen Clemens - 19/37, 260 yards, 1 TD, 2 INT, 3/2. He looked like a first year starter, but he definitely didn't crumble like many though he would against the elite Ravens defense. Pennington looks likely to start next week.
Kyle Boller - 23/35, 185 yards, 2 TD, 0 INT, 3/7. He looked solid in this start, but his yards per completion was low as he played it safe. Baltimore won't have a problem if McNair misses more time, and a deep threat like Clayton would benefit from Boller's presence.
Thomas Jones - 24/67, 2/20. Poor YPC, but a solid effort against the Ravens. His carries show that he's healthy, so he's not a bad buy-low candidate as a RB2. Things look to get easier from here on out.
Willis McGahee - 26/97, 2/6, 1 TD. McGahee still looks like he's running in quicksand. He has not regained the explosiveness he had prior to the knee injury in college. With his projected workload and the decent Baltimore offense, he can't help but put up solid numbers, though.
Jerricho Cotchery - 7/165. Clemens definitely paid benefits for Cotchery's owners as he put up a massive yardage total. He'll go back to being solid with Pennington, but Clemens' stronger arm would allow Cotchery more chances for bigger plays. He's very similar to Boldin after the catch.
Laveraneous Coles - 6/57. Another solid outing from Coles, but no 2 TDs this time. He'll benefit from Pennington's return.
Derrick Mason - 8/54. Another solid effort from Mason who remains far more valuable in PPR leagues. He's not a bad WR4/5 to have on the bench, however.
Todd Heap - 7/76, 1 TD. Heap made a terrific one-handed catch while dragging his feet inbounds to score his TD. He remains a great TE1.
Kansas City Chiefs at Chicago Bears
Damon Huard - 19/28, 175 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT, 1/1. It's hard to do much of anything against the suffocating Bears defense, and Huard wasn't that bad considering how undermanned this Chiefs team is at the WR position. Huard has decreasing job security on a bad offense, so he's not worth touching in 12 team leagues.
Rex Grossman - 20/34, 160 yards, 1 TD, 2 INT, 3/-3. I expected more against the KC defense. He isn't being allowed to throw down the field very often which explains his dismal yards per completion. He had a tendency to light up weak defenses last year, so if you have him as your backup, I'd hang on a bit longer. Make sure he faces a weak defense the week your starter has a bye, though.
Larry Johnson - 16/55, 3/32. LJ looks fine, but the Bears defense looks as tough as ever against opposing RBs this season, and his surrounding offense is pathetic. The Chiefs are going to have to feed LJ a lot in order to have a chance this season, but it looks like he may struggle against tough opposing defenses this year.
Cedric Benson - 24/101, 1/9. That's better, although he still looks sluggish and seems to lack acceleration. I saw him run much better in college, so I'm not sure what's changed. The Bears offensive line isn't as good as it was last year, so perhaps that's the issue. It was nice to see him get 24/26 carries that the team generated yesterday. He remains a solid RB2 that will get a lot of carries this year.
Dwayne Bowe - 2/22, 1 TD. He should have had a 2nd TD, but it was called back due to an illegal shift on the offense. He's going to be inconsistent thanks to the poor offense and the fact he's a rookie, so leave him on the waiver wire for now.
Bernard Berrian - 5/65, 1 FL. Berrian is suffering a bit from the fact the Bears are so conservative on offense right now, but he's rounding out his game well by making more short and intermediate catches to become a more consistent fantasy option. He should remain a solid WR3.
Muhsin Muhammad - 1/7. Dump him. He was likely drafted late in your draft, but he's not rosterable at the current time.
Denver Broncos at Oakland Raiders
Josh McCown - 8/16, 73 yards, 1 TD, 3 INT, 2/28. The Raiders must have really felt uncomfortable starting Culpepper this week, although that's not a bad idea. If they're still questioning his knowledge of the offense at the moment, throwing him to the wolves against a great Denver secondary wouldn't have been a smart move. It's only a matter of time til Culpepper does take over for good, however.
Jay Cutler - 23/33, 269 yards, 1 TD, 2 INT, 2/-2. Not a great game from Cutler, but Oakland's secondary is pretty solid as long as they don't get spread out too thin. Cutler has great weapons around him and will continue to improve, plus Shanahan has a great track record and is working with his most talented QB since Elway. Cutler remains a lower tier QB1.
LaMont Jordan - 25/159. Jordan is back as a great RB2 option. He was my favorite value pick at RB this year, and all he needed was a non-inept coach and offensive coordinator to bring his talent back out. Plus it helps that he's 100% as well. I'm surprised the Raiders didn't look to get him more involved in the passing game given how great Bailey and Bly are in the Denver secondary.
Travis Henry - 26/128, 2/8. Henry put up another big yardage day, but Cecil Sapp punched it in from 4 yards out. There's been some rumors that Sapp is the goal line back for Denver, but I'm not buying it right now given the fact that Sapp lined up as the FB and it was a nice misdirection play. Don't read too much into that yet, but keep an eye on who's scoring next time out.
Selvin Young - 3/43, 1/1. He's a must-have for all Henry owners. He busted out a very nice 40 yard run and has defintely passed Mike Bell as Denver's backup. I'm not sure he'd be a 25 carry guy if Henry got hurt, but he's worth owning to find out.
Ronald Curry - 2/12. The Champ Bailey factor. Do not worry about this, and get him in your lineup next week.
Jerry Porter - 1/46, 1 TD. Yes, he burned Bly down the sideline for a long score, but he's not doing a damn thing in games other than this. Don't pick him up.
Javon Walker - 8/101. Not even a talented corner like Asomugha could slow Walker down. Walker remains a borderline WR1 in 12 team leagues, and it's only a matter of time until he start catching a few bombs from Cutler. His speed and Cutler's arm are a perfect match.
San Diego Chargers at New England Patriots
Phillip Rivers - 19/30, 179 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT, 1/6. Another mediocre effort from Rivers, but his first two games have come against 2 of the 3 best defenses in the NFL (CHI, NE). Don't read too much into this, but Rivers just doesn't have the talent at the WR position to post big numbers against great defenses. Keep that in mind given his matchups, but SD's schedule gets a lot easier after this.
Tom Brady - 25/31, 279 yards, 3 TD, 1 INT, 1/2. He just makes it look so easy. SD stiffled him in the playoffs last year despite NE"s best attempt to spread them out, but the added talent at the WR position made all the difference. Brady is an elite QB1.
LaDainian Tomlinson - 18/43, 4/15. Tomlinson is not a stranger to slow starts, and much like I mentioned with Rivers above, his schedule so far has done him no favors. He will get going, there's still no one I'd rather own in fantasy football. See what his potentially frustrated owner thinks of him right now, just for kicks.
Laurence Maroney - 15/77. It'd be interesting to see what Maroney's stat line would look like if NE wasn't blowing their opponent out. Given their love to spread the field and pass the ball, it was really hard to see why Maroney was going in the first round despite his talent. Sammy Morris took the goal line carry later in the game, but don't read too much into that yet as it was alreayd 31-14 at that point. If he replaces Maroney in a closer game, then I'd worry.
Antonio Gates - 7/77, 1 TD. This is why he was being drafted so high this year. He started slow last year as Rivers adjusted to the NFL game, but he's off to an outstanding start this season with almost 200 yards and 2 TDs. He's the best TE in football.
Vincent Jackson - 4/53. He'll make some plays downfield and score some TDs, but this overrated sleeper will probably put up more games like this than he will big ones. He's still a solid WR3.
Randy Moss - 8/105, 2 TD. Did I mention he's back? This is for those who didn't get the memo.
Wes Welker - 8/91. He's a solid option as a WR3 who will consistent rack up targets and catches, but he's going to have to break a big one by himself since Brady is rightfully using Moss to stretch the field.
Donte Stallworth - 2/19. Another overrated WR heading into the year. He's clearly the 3rd (or arguably the 4th) option, and nobody would fault you for dropping him if you prefer someone on your waiver wire instead. He's a WR5.
Ben Watson - 5/49, 1 TD. Another TD. He's going to be inconsistent with yardage thanks to the other options on the team, but he's not a bad TE1 as he'll score several TDs this year. He's a great redzone target.
Matt Hasselbeck - 22/36, 281 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT, 2/6. Another solid outing from Hasselbeck, but like I said in my preseason QB review, there continues to be little upside here. He's still a solid fantasy QB regardless, though.
Matt Leinart - 23/37, 299 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT, 1/-4. Much better outing from Leinart. Wisenhunt will continue to learn the strengths and weaknesses of Leinart as the season progresses, and Leinart will continue to improve. He makes a better QB2 than a QB1, but he definitely still has upside.
Shaun Alexander - 18/70, 2/5, 1 TD. Another unimpressive outing from Alexander, but he scored again for a solid afternoon. I remain highly skeptical about his value this season, but if he stays healthy, he's going to score. His upside as an elite RB is definitely gone, and he's an injury risk thanks to his career workload and advanced age.
Edgerrin James - 24/128, 2/22, 1 TD. The Edge looked much better in week 2 as he consistently churned out yardage, but since his TD came from 17 yards out (another positive about his afternoon), we're not sure what the goal line RB situation is in Arizona yet. The blocking looks better so far this year.
Deion Branch - 7/122. Much better. I promised that he'd be a bigger part of the gameplan, and the Seahawks made me look smart. Branch should continue to emerge as the go-to guy for Hasselbeck as he's a smart route runner and quick. I like him as a solid WR2.
Bobby Engram - 5/71. He might play the slot, but he's far more consistent than anyone they line up opposite Branch. He's not a bad guy to have as a WR5 as a non-exciting but reliable backup.
Larry Fitzgerald - 7/87. Much better. They did a much better job getting Fitz the ball downfield a bit as well as underneath. I don't like him as a WR1, but he's a very good WR2 with upside.
Anquan Boldin - 4/83. See above.
Detroit Lions at Minnesota Vikings
Tavaris Jackson - 17/33, 166 yards, 0 TD, 4 INT, 5/16, 1 TD. Leave him on the waiver wire, obviously.
Jon Kitna - 22/33, 245 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT, 3/13, 1/9. Yes, he caught his own pass and ran 9 yards with it. Could you imagine what fantasy nation would be saying had he scored with it? He was knocked out of the game with a concussion, but later returned to lead the Lions to victory. He appears to be fine for week 2, and would have had enormous numbers had he not gotten hurt.
Adrian Peterson - 20/66, 4/52. Another example of why the surrounding offense is almost as important as the talent level of a player. He started off with several great runs, but Detroit eventually crept up to the line to stop the only thing Minnesota was doing well on offense. His talent is undeniable and he'll post solid RB2 numbers when starting, but his surrounding offensive situation will hold him back from being elite.
Tatum Bell - 9/14, 4/25. So much for starting. Minnesota stuffed him, and the Lions don't like running anyways. KJ looks ready to play next week on a limited basis, so don't think about starting Tatum again. He's still worth stashing deep on your bench though.
Roy Williams - 7/111, 1/9, 1 TD. Big game from Williams, and it might have been bigger had Kitna not gotten hurt. Roy should maintain his status as a WR1 this season. Calvin Johnson might seem like a threat thanks to his incredible talent, but experience is important at the WR position, and Roy will remain the go-to target this year.
Calvin Johnson - 4/61, 1 TD. He was utilized on a jump ball in the redzone by backup O'Sullivan and hauled it in. Get used to it...there's no corner that will outjump or outmuscle Johnson for those. He remains solid WR3 with upside as he learns the NFL game.
Shaun McDonald - 7/71. Is it possible for the Lions to have 3 fantasy-worth WRs? With as much as they want to throw, it's becoming possible. Stash him as your WR5.
Dallas Cowboys at Miami Dolphins
Tony Romo - 14/29, 186 yards, 2 TD, 0 INT, 4/36. He didn't have to throw much, but made use of his targets and tossed 2 TDs. He remains a solid QB1.
Trent Green - 23/40, 287 yards, 2 TD, 4 INT, 5/9. He had to throw often, and the results were rather ugly. He still looks like an unexciting QB2, however.
Julius Jones - 15/32, 1/24. Outproduced by Barber again. One has to wonder that with Parcells gone how long the new coaching staff will continue splitting carries if Jones keeps running like this.
Marion Barber - 14/89, 2/6, 1 TD. He just won't stop scoring, but this TD was a 40 yarder. He does a lot of damage against tired defenses in the 4th quarter, but it'd be interesting to see what he could do given the majority of the carries.
Ronnie Brown - 11/33, 2/36. I don't understand how he wastes all this talent. His line doesn't help, but he should be making more of what he's given. He remains a very risky RB2 thanks to the present of Chatman in the gameplan.
Terrell Owens - 5/97, 1 TD. Romo continues throwing to him as much as he can, and Owens remains one of the best WR1s in the game.
Jason Witten - 2/27. He slowed down a bit, but that's the nature of the TE position. He remains a solid TE1.
Chris Chambers - 9/109, 1/-5. He continues piling up the yardage as Green looks his way often. Fantasy nation was down on him this year, but he's emerging as a WR2 if he continues seeing all these targets. The TDs should came given that trend as well.
Marty Booker - 4/79, 1 TD. Unless you're really hurting at WR, I'd leave him out there. I'm not confident the Dolphins can produce 2 fantasy wideouts.
Baltimore Ravens at New York Jets
Kellen Clemens - 19/37, 260 yards, 1 TD, 2 INT, 3/2. He looked like a first year starter, but he definitely didn't crumble like many though he would against the elite Ravens defense. Pennington looks likely to start next week.
Kyle Boller - 23/35, 185 yards, 2 TD, 0 INT, 3/7. He looked solid in this start, but his yards per completion was low as he played it safe. Baltimore won't have a problem if McNair misses more time, and a deep threat like Clayton would benefit from Boller's presence.
Thomas Jones - 24/67, 2/20. Poor YPC, but a solid effort against the Ravens. His carries show that he's healthy, so he's not a bad buy-low candidate as a RB2. Things look to get easier from here on out.
Willis McGahee - 26/97, 2/6, 1 TD. McGahee still looks like he's running in quicksand. He has not regained the explosiveness he had prior to the knee injury in college. With his projected workload and the decent Baltimore offense, he can't help but put up solid numbers, though.
Jerricho Cotchery - 7/165. Clemens definitely paid benefits for Cotchery's owners as he put up a massive yardage total. He'll go back to being solid with Pennington, but Clemens' stronger arm would allow Cotchery more chances for bigger plays. He's very similar to Boldin after the catch.
Laveraneous Coles - 6/57. Another solid outing from Coles, but no 2 TDs this time. He'll benefit from Pennington's return.
Derrick Mason - 8/54. Another solid effort from Mason who remains far more valuable in PPR leagues. He's not a bad WR4/5 to have on the bench, however.
Todd Heap - 7/76, 1 TD. Heap made a terrific one-handed catch while dragging his feet inbounds to score his TD. He remains a great TE1.
Kansas City Chiefs at Chicago Bears
Damon Huard - 19/28, 175 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT, 1/1. It's hard to do much of anything against the suffocating Bears defense, and Huard wasn't that bad considering how undermanned this Chiefs team is at the WR position. Huard has decreasing job security on a bad offense, so he's not worth touching in 12 team leagues.
Rex Grossman - 20/34, 160 yards, 1 TD, 2 INT, 3/-3. I expected more against the KC defense. He isn't being allowed to throw down the field very often which explains his dismal yards per completion. He had a tendency to light up weak defenses last year, so if you have him as your backup, I'd hang on a bit longer. Make sure he faces a weak defense the week your starter has a bye, though.
Larry Johnson - 16/55, 3/32. LJ looks fine, but the Bears defense looks as tough as ever against opposing RBs this season, and his surrounding offense is pathetic. The Chiefs are going to have to feed LJ a lot in order to have a chance this season, but it looks like he may struggle against tough opposing defenses this year.
Cedric Benson - 24/101, 1/9. That's better, although he still looks sluggish and seems to lack acceleration. I saw him run much better in college, so I'm not sure what's changed. The Bears offensive line isn't as good as it was last year, so perhaps that's the issue. It was nice to see him get 24/26 carries that the team generated yesterday. He remains a solid RB2 that will get a lot of carries this year.
Dwayne Bowe - 2/22, 1 TD. He should have had a 2nd TD, but it was called back due to an illegal shift on the offense. He's going to be inconsistent thanks to the poor offense and the fact he's a rookie, so leave him on the waiver wire for now.
Bernard Berrian - 5/65, 1 FL. Berrian is suffering a bit from the fact the Bears are so conservative on offense right now, but he's rounding out his game well by making more short and intermediate catches to become a more consistent fantasy option. He should remain a solid WR3.
Muhsin Muhammad - 1/7. Dump him. He was likely drafted late in your draft, but he's not rosterable at the current time.
Denver Broncos at Oakland Raiders
Josh McCown - 8/16, 73 yards, 1 TD, 3 INT, 2/28. The Raiders must have really felt uncomfortable starting Culpepper this week, although that's not a bad idea. If they're still questioning his knowledge of the offense at the moment, throwing him to the wolves against a great Denver secondary wouldn't have been a smart move. It's only a matter of time til Culpepper does take over for good, however.
Jay Cutler - 23/33, 269 yards, 1 TD, 2 INT, 2/-2. Not a great game from Cutler, but Oakland's secondary is pretty solid as long as they don't get spread out too thin. Cutler has great weapons around him and will continue to improve, plus Shanahan has a great track record and is working with his most talented QB since Elway. Cutler remains a lower tier QB1.
LaMont Jordan - 25/159. Jordan is back as a great RB2 option. He was my favorite value pick at RB this year, and all he needed was a non-inept coach and offensive coordinator to bring his talent back out. Plus it helps that he's 100% as well. I'm surprised the Raiders didn't look to get him more involved in the passing game given how great Bailey and Bly are in the Denver secondary.
Travis Henry - 26/128, 2/8. Henry put up another big yardage day, but Cecil Sapp punched it in from 4 yards out. There's been some rumors that Sapp is the goal line back for Denver, but I'm not buying it right now given the fact that Sapp lined up as the FB and it was a nice misdirection play. Don't read too much into that yet, but keep an eye on who's scoring next time out.
Selvin Young - 3/43, 1/1. He's a must-have for all Henry owners. He busted out a very nice 40 yard run and has defintely passed Mike Bell as Denver's backup. I'm not sure he'd be a 25 carry guy if Henry got hurt, but he's worth owning to find out.
Ronald Curry - 2/12. The Champ Bailey factor. Do not worry about this, and get him in your lineup next week.
Jerry Porter - 1/46, 1 TD. Yes, he burned Bly down the sideline for a long score, but he's not doing a damn thing in games other than this. Don't pick him up.
Javon Walker - 8/101. Not even a talented corner like Asomugha could slow Walker down. Walker remains a borderline WR1 in 12 team leagues, and it's only a matter of time until he start catching a few bombs from Cutler. His speed and Cutler's arm are a perfect match.
San Diego Chargers at New England Patriots
Phillip Rivers - 19/30, 179 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT, 1/6. Another mediocre effort from Rivers, but his first two games have come against 2 of the 3 best defenses in the NFL (CHI, NE). Don't read too much into this, but Rivers just doesn't have the talent at the WR position to post big numbers against great defenses. Keep that in mind given his matchups, but SD's schedule gets a lot easier after this.
Tom Brady - 25/31, 279 yards, 3 TD, 1 INT, 1/2. He just makes it look so easy. SD stiffled him in the playoffs last year despite NE"s best attempt to spread them out, but the added talent at the WR position made all the difference. Brady is an elite QB1.
LaDainian Tomlinson - 18/43, 4/15. Tomlinson is not a stranger to slow starts, and much like I mentioned with Rivers above, his schedule so far has done him no favors. He will get going, there's still no one I'd rather own in fantasy football. See what his potentially frustrated owner thinks of him right now, just for kicks.
Laurence Maroney - 15/77. It'd be interesting to see what Maroney's stat line would look like if NE wasn't blowing their opponent out. Given their love to spread the field and pass the ball, it was really hard to see why Maroney was going in the first round despite his talent. Sammy Morris took the goal line carry later in the game, but don't read too much into that yet as it was alreayd 31-14 at that point. If he replaces Maroney in a closer game, then I'd worry.
Antonio Gates - 7/77, 1 TD. This is why he was being drafted so high this year. He started slow last year as Rivers adjusted to the NFL game, but he's off to an outstanding start this season with almost 200 yards and 2 TDs. He's the best TE in football.
Vincent Jackson - 4/53. He'll make some plays downfield and score some TDs, but this overrated sleeper will probably put up more games like this than he will big ones. He's still a solid WR3.
Randy Moss - 8/105, 2 TD. Did I mention he's back? This is for those who didn't get the memo.
Wes Welker - 8/91. He's a solid option as a WR3 who will consistent rack up targets and catches, but he's going to have to break a big one by himself since Brady is rightfully using Moss to stretch the field.
Donte Stallworth - 2/19. Another overrated WR heading into the year. He's clearly the 3rd (or arguably the 4th) option, and nobody would fault you for dropping him if you prefer someone on your waiver wire instead. He's a WR5.
Ben Watson - 5/49, 1 TD. Another TD. He's going to be inconsistent with yardage thanks to the other options on the team, but he's not a bad TE1 as he'll score several TDs this year. He's a great redzone target.
NFL Week 2: Early Game Wrapup
Houston Texans At Carolina Panthers
Matt Schaub - 20/28, 227 yards, 2 TD, 0 INT, 2/3. Schaub has turned himself into a legit QB2 option, so if you need to replace your backup QB and Schaub is available, do it. I would use him against an elite defense even on a bye week, but it's clear that he's making smart decisions, and that he knows how to get AJ the ball downfield. I wouldn't start him while Andre Johnson is out, and I'll cover that injury in just a bit.
Jake Delhomme - 27/41, 307 yards, 3 TD, 1 INT, 1/13. Delhomme has gone back to being a solid QB2 who can have QB1 outings when the matchup is right. Houston doesn't have anyone that can cover Steve Smith (does any team?), and odds are most opponents won't either. There's just enough talent opposite Smith to help Delhomme produce more solid games than bum ones.
Ahman Green - 15/71, 1 TD. Houston is doing a good job limiting Green's load, and he looked better running the ball this week than he did last week. He remains a solid RB3 going forward, but he doesn't get the ball enough to be an every week starter.
DeShaun Foster - 9/22, 4/20. Foster had a promising week 1, but he turned in a horrible week 2. Houston's defense has actually put up 2 straight weeks of solid run defense, although LJ was limited a bit in the opener. It's too early to tell how tough they are on D, but Carolina fell down 3 scores early in the 2nd half and was forced to abandon the running game. Foster better rebound next week to maintain his RB3 status.
DeAngelo Williams - 8/31, 5/20, 1 FL. He's looking overrated so far as Foster has outproduced him 2 weeks in a row despite being drafted several rounds later. Williams is a very dicey RB3 right now given the strict RBBC status that the team is employing.
Andre Johnson - 7/120, 2 TD. Another monster game from Johnson as he finally has a QB that can get him the ball downfield. The bigger news here, however, is the sprained knee that Johnson suffered. He's being called doubtful for week 3, and owners have to pray that nothing big comes from Monday's scheduled MRI. Hopefully he doesn't miss too much time, but he looks to be out at least a week right now.
Owen Daniels - 5/58, 1 FL. He emerged as Schaub's 2nd favorite receiver in this one, and look for his role to expand next week if Johnson does indeed miss week 3's game. He's emerged as a great TE2, and perhaps a borderline TE1 moving forward.
Steve Smith - 8/153, 3 TD. Elite WRs have been the way to go so far through the first 2 weeks. Smith's monster game was nothing out of the ordinary, especially given Houston's bad safety group. He remains one of fantasy football's best WRs.
Cleveland Browns at Cincinnati Bengals
Carson Palmer - 33/50, 401 yards, 6 TD, 2 INT, 2/10. Palmer predictably had a big game against Cleveland, but it was even bigger thanks to Cincinnati's horrific defensive showing, forcing Palmer to throw constantly in the 2nd half. If Cincy's defense continues its poor play, it'll give Palmer even more opportunities to throw the ball and rack up fantasy points.
Derek Anderson - 20/33, 328 yards, 5 TD, 1 INT. Where the hell did this come from? Anderson will be a popular pickup this week, and this should starve off the Brady Quinn talk for a week or two, so he's not a bad QB2 to be started in the right matchups. Anderson will have a chance to start most of the year as long as he doesn't turned the ball over and make poor decisions which plagued him in the preseason. With Edwards and Winslow, he definitely has great talent to throw to.
Rudi Johnson - 23/118, 4/33, 1 TD, 1 FL. As promised, Johnson bounced back and put up a very nice fantasy effort. The only disappointment was that he didn't score on the ground, and he would have had an even bigger game had Cincy's defense allowed them to get a lead later on. His increased involvement in the passing game so far is an excellent surprise. Expect him to remain a solid, but not spectacular RB1 for this season as he's always been.
Jamal Lewis - 28/215, 1 TD. Where the hell did this come from? Lewis hasn't showed breakway speed in over 3 years, but he busted a long 66 yard TD and another 47 yard run in this game. If you have another solid RB3, this is a perfect opportunity to sell high to a RB-starved team. He should be a decent RB3 moving forward, but this is not the re-birth of Jamal Lewis.
Chad Johnson - 11/209, 2 TD. CJ hauled in over half of Palmer's yardage in a monster performance against the cross-town rivals. He's easily living up to the pre-season ranking among the elite fantasy WRs. He was maddeningly inconsistent last season, but he change that this year and provide much better weekly output this year. This could prove to be his career year.
T.J. Houshmandzadeh - 8/69, 2 TD. CJ is hogging all the downfield action, but Housh has been the elite WR2 he was drafted to be so far. He will continue to be among the most consistent fantasy WRs in football thanks to his excellent possession skills.
Braylon Edwards - 8/146, 2 TD. Much like AJ, all he needs is a QB to get him the ball. His skills are excellent and he'll continue to post numbers with solid QB play. If Anderson settles in as a solid starting QB, Edwards will be a great WR2.
Kellen Winslow - 6/100, 1 TD. He seems to produce no matter what's going on around him. Overlooked in drafts heading into the season, Winslow is proving fully recovered from offseason microfracture knee surgery and producing just like last season. Lke Edwards, if Anderson settles in, it'll only help. He's a great TE1.
Joe Jurevicius - 4/44, 2 TD. He'll probably be a popular waiver wire pickup, but unless you're really hurting at WR, I'd pass. He's the 3rd option in an average passing attack.
Jacksonville Jaguars at Atlanta Falcons
Joey Harrington - 12/20, 200 yards, 0 TD, 0 INT, 2/2. He had 174 yards at halftime, so obviously he was horrible in the 2nd half. He didn't turn the ball over, but he was sacked 7 times due to solid pressure and his tendency to hold the ball too long. He's not worth owning in 12 team leagues.
David Garrard - 17/25, 272 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT, 5/20. Garrard turned in another solid performance and remains a solid QB2 option to be used against weaker defenses. If the Jaguars could settle on their WR corp, Garrard would be able to build chemistry which would lead to more consistent outings.
Warrick Dunn - 13/50, 1/4, 1 TD. Another mediocre outing from Dunn. He's barely a RB3 as is, and makes for a boring RB4. Expect him to continue losing carries to Norwood.
Jerious Norwood - 9/30, 1/13. He needs to make use of every touch he gets in his quest to overtake Dunn as the starter. He didn't do that last night, so he'll likely remain the backup in week 3.
Fred Taylor - 16/56, 1/11. I expected more from Taylor who literally did nothing with his last 9 carries. He might give way to MJD later in the year if he continues his subpar play.
Maurice Jones-Drew - 11/31, 1/10. Continuing to prove that he was extremely overrated heading into the year. Nobody doubts his talent, but he's not being given much of an opportunity to post fantasy numbers. The Jacksonville ground game has been nowhere near as proficient as last year so far, so hopefully the new offensive coordinator finds a way to get his two most talented players (Taylor, MJD) going and soon.
Roddy White - 4/81. He's not a bad guy to stash as a WR5. Barring injury, he will lead the Falcons in receving yards and remains their best downfield threat. His numbers overall won't be that great, but he could emerge useful as the season wears on.
Green Bay Packers at New York Giants
Brett Favre - 29/38, 286 yards, 3 TD, 1 INT, 2/-2. Favre posted excellent numbers against a mediocre Giants secondary. Favre remains a solid QB2 with excellent upside against weaker defenses.
Eli Manning - 16/29, 211 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT. Well, I guess he's healthy. He exited the game early, but that was due to the score and not due to re-injury. Manning should start next week and is a high upside QB2.
Brandon Jackson - 17/35, 4/24. Pathetic against an average NYG rush defense. He had the opportunity to really take hold of the starting job and failed miserably posting a horrible stat line. He'll start losing carries to Wynn, and he's already being pulled on 3rd downs and at the goalline. He's worth stashing, but don't let him anywhere near your starting lineup.
Deshawn Wynn - 10/50, 2/18, 2 TD. 38 of these yards were on a long TD run in the 2nd half, but Wynn has worked his way into the RB rotation in GB and is definitely worth picking up in fantasy leagues. Don't go starting him as Jackson remains the starter, but he's an interesting guy to have on your bench.
Derrick Ward - 15/90, 4/35. I was concerned about the Giants signing FB Hedgecock thinking it might be an indication that the Giants would use Droughns in a committee with Ward, but Ward was the only RB to log a carry in week 2 and looks to be a very solid RB2 option with Jacobs hurt.
Donald Driver - 8/73, 1 TD. Driver remains an outstanding WR2 with another solid performance. Like I said before, he remains Favre's go-to target with all the youth around him and remain very consistent from week to week.
James Jones - 4/75. He's worth owning with Greg Jennings out as the impressive rookie will likely be Favre's 2nd target in the passing game. When Jennings does return, he'll still be an injury risk given his first 1+ years in the league, so stash him as a WR5.
Plaxico Burress - 2/32, 1 TD. Thankfully he scored before departing with an ankle injury. He suffered the injury initially during the offseason, so this is a bit of a concern. He claims he'll play in week 3, but stay tuned to his practice schedule during the week for confirmation on his week 3 status.
Jeremy Shockey - 5/60. Another solid outing from Shockey, and if Burress misses week 3, he'll probably be looked to more in the redzone. Manning's health is great news for Shockey who remains a solid TE1 with Manning starting.
Pittsburgh Steelers at Buffalo Bills
J.P. Losman - 15/25, 154 yards, 0 TD, 0 INT, 4/38. Another poor performance against an elite defense. He looked much improved in the 2nd half of last season, but he's started out this season in an ugly fashion. He's a mediocre QB2, but he'd make for a very inconsistent weekly starter as he's much better used in advantageous matchups.
Ben Roethlisberger - 21/34, 242 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT, 1/10. Much more was expected against Buffalo, but he still played great. I did catch part of the game where he underthrew his FB which would have been an easy score, so at least one more TD should have been a part of his statline. I still view him as a solid QB1.
Marshawn Lynch - 18/64, 1/21. 85 total yards behind a medicore offensive line and against the Pittsburgh defense is a pretty solid effort from Lynch. He'll struggle against great defenses thanks to the surrounding talent, but he remains a solid RB2 thanks to getting the majority of the carries and his talent.
Willie Parker - 23/126, 2/7, 1 TD. Parker busted out several of his patented long runs thanks to his patience en route to a very good day. He was a soild RB1 on draft day and should continue to post solid numbers all season long.
Lee Evans - 2/17. He's perilously close to being a candidate for the bench against great defenses. With NE up next, it's very hard to recommend starting him no matter what round you drafted him in. His schedule gets a lot better in the 2nd half, so monitor his progress and keep him in mind as a buy-low candidate.
Hines Ward - 5/55. Boring output from Ward this week, but the Steelers had control of this game for most of the day, and Ward almost had a TD mixed in here which would have given him a much better stat line. Consider him a very solid WR2.
Santonio Holmes - 3/53. Half of his yards come on a big play, and like I said before, his ability to make those plays make him a quality WR3 this season.
Heath Miller - 2/34. A 29 yard catch saved his day. He remains a borderline TE1/2, and he'll have more value when the Steelers have to throw more. Bigger days are ahead.
San Francisco 49ers at St. Louis Rams
Alex Smith - 11/17, 126 yards, 0 TD, 0 INT, 2/-1. An ugly outing against the Rams is a reason to get concerned. That's 2 bad outings in a row against questionable defenses, but since Smith is probably your QB2, you can afford to be patient. They have to get better.
Marc Bulger - 24/41, 368 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT. Bulger posted another great yardage day, but they couldn't punch it into the endzone more than once, and of concern is the beating he took with Pace out of the lineup. Things figure to get better going forward as the Rams adjust to not having Orlando Pace, but securing a reliable QB2 option is probably a good idea.
Frank Gore - 20/81, 2/4, 2 TD. Gore busted out a terrific 43 yard TD run on a 4th and 1 after initially being bottled up. I expected better yardage from a Rams D that stuffed him throughout most of the day, but the passing game is doing him no favors as teams will continue to stack 8 in the box until Smith improves his play. Expect it to happen soon.
Steven Jackson - 21/60, 3/36. Yes, Jackson has been insanely frustrating so far, but don't even think about giving up on him. Much like Bulger, he's suffering a bit with the loss of Pace, and the Rams will eventually adjust and find the right replacement. Better days are ahead, and now's not a bad time to inquire about what his price is right now.
Darrell Jackson - 3/61. A nice 34 yard grab saved his day, but Alex Smith is holding him back. He's a dicey WR3 until Smith gets going, but he looks healthier with each week.
Vernon Davis - 2/23. Progress, I guess. Davis called for the ball after this week, so expect the 49ers to work on that in week 3. Things will continue to get better as the 49ers would be foolish not to continue working on getting him the ball.
Torry Holt - 5/74, 1 TD, 1 FL. Another solid performance from Holt as he showed an improved YPC. Better protection for Bulger will improve Holt's downfield ability.
Isaac Bruce - 8/145. Bruce, the ageless wonder, puts up yet another great game. He'll continue to be a solid WR3 despite his advanced age, and will likely be as consistent as any WR3 out there thanks to the Rams passing attack.
New Orleans Saints at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Drew Brees - 26/44, 260 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT, 3/10. Don't be fooled...most of these stats occurred during garbage time when the Bucs stopped caring. The Saints offense looks horrible so far, but with a depleted Titans secondary up next, giving Brees another shot is a smart idea.
Jeff Garcia - 10/16, 243 yards, 2 TD, 0 INT, 2/6. Garcia is maintaining his value as a solid QB2 as Gruden has turned him into a fairly consistent fantasy player...like he does with many veteran QBs. There's no upside here, but with a healthy Joey Galloway, that's enough to get it done most weeks.
Deuce McAllister - 10/49, 1/7, 1 FL. The whole offense sucks right now, so continue leaving Deuce on your bench until they figure things out. He's still a fairly solid RB3.
Reggie Bush - 10/27, 6/43. Ditto with McAllister. He may have been drafted as your RB1, but as much as it pains you, treat him as an RB3 until the Saints get themselves straightened out. I expected big things from Bush this year after a great finish to the 2006 season, but he's been a bust so far.
Carnell Williams - 24/61, 2 TD. Don't read too much into the final statline as Cadillac produced 16 rushes for 52 yards in the 2nd half, so he improved greatly after halftime. His improved production in the 2nd half makes him a solid RB2 for week 3. The 2 TDs from 1 yard out proves that he's the goal line back, enhancing his fantasy value. Expect improved yardage.
Marques Colston - 8/70, 1 TD. Thanks, garbage time. He's still a weekly starter, but he's proving overvalued as a WR1 so far thanks to the struggles of the Saints offense. Defenses are playing deeper against Brees now, and while that kills the value of the rest of the receivers, Colston does his best work underneath and will continue to have solid fantasy value.
Eric Johnson - 3/18. Not a TE1 yet, but still a solid TE2.
Joey Galloway - 4/135, 2 TD. He's the best of the ageless wonders as his speed is still elite. He's started off in a big way, and looks to be a WR2 as it stands right now. Garcia hardly has a cannon, but he's very accurate when he throws downfield, and that's good enough to get Galloway the ball.
Indianapolis Colts at Tennessee Titans
Peyton Manning - 28/42, 312 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT, 1/-2. A subpar game for Manning given only 1 TD, but Tennessee has played them very tough last year, winning once, and they continued that tendency yesterday. Still, Manning did just fine and posted solid fantasy numbers once again.
Vince Young - 17/27, 184 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT, 5/53. A solid effort from Young against an improved Colts defense. I'm still wary on starting him every week, but his rushing totals, much like Michael Vick, will aid his stats and help prevent him from horrible outings.
Joseph Addai - 20/81, 2/6, 1 TD. I'm very surprised that the Colts aren't getting Addai the ball more in the passing game so far, but he'll likely score most weeks thanks to the Colts offense, and he'll always be putting up solid yardage total. He's a very safe RB1 with the potential for a few monster games.
LenDale White - 15/64, 1 TD. White was much better than Chris Brown this week, and he'll still have the chance to win most of the carries come season's end. Given the fact he's the goalline back, he has far more upside than Brown. He makes for a pretty solid RB3 as VY will keep the Titans in most games.
Chris Brown - 12/34, 1/2. Unless White gets hurt, Brown won't come close to doing anything like week 1. He's a RB4.
Marvin Harrison - 6/87. Good ole Harrison. No scores this week, but solid yardage per usual.
Reggie Wayne - 5/70. Good ole Wayne. See above.
Dallas Clark - 7/69, 1 TD. Is he rising to TE1? His skills are great and he works the middle of the field very well. Anthony Gonzalez's progression might get in his way, however.
Matt Schaub - 20/28, 227 yards, 2 TD, 0 INT, 2/3. Schaub has turned himself into a legit QB2 option, so if you need to replace your backup QB and Schaub is available, do it. I would use him against an elite defense even on a bye week, but it's clear that he's making smart decisions, and that he knows how to get AJ the ball downfield. I wouldn't start him while Andre Johnson is out, and I'll cover that injury in just a bit.
Jake Delhomme - 27/41, 307 yards, 3 TD, 1 INT, 1/13. Delhomme has gone back to being a solid QB2 who can have QB1 outings when the matchup is right. Houston doesn't have anyone that can cover Steve Smith (does any team?), and odds are most opponents won't either. There's just enough talent opposite Smith to help Delhomme produce more solid games than bum ones.
Ahman Green - 15/71, 1 TD. Houston is doing a good job limiting Green's load, and he looked better running the ball this week than he did last week. He remains a solid RB3 going forward, but he doesn't get the ball enough to be an every week starter.
DeShaun Foster - 9/22, 4/20. Foster had a promising week 1, but he turned in a horrible week 2. Houston's defense has actually put up 2 straight weeks of solid run defense, although LJ was limited a bit in the opener. It's too early to tell how tough they are on D, but Carolina fell down 3 scores early in the 2nd half and was forced to abandon the running game. Foster better rebound next week to maintain his RB3 status.
DeAngelo Williams - 8/31, 5/20, 1 FL. He's looking overrated so far as Foster has outproduced him 2 weeks in a row despite being drafted several rounds later. Williams is a very dicey RB3 right now given the strict RBBC status that the team is employing.
Andre Johnson - 7/120, 2 TD. Another monster game from Johnson as he finally has a QB that can get him the ball downfield. The bigger news here, however, is the sprained knee that Johnson suffered. He's being called doubtful for week 3, and owners have to pray that nothing big comes from Monday's scheduled MRI. Hopefully he doesn't miss too much time, but he looks to be out at least a week right now.
Owen Daniels - 5/58, 1 FL. He emerged as Schaub's 2nd favorite receiver in this one, and look for his role to expand next week if Johnson does indeed miss week 3's game. He's emerged as a great TE2, and perhaps a borderline TE1 moving forward.
Steve Smith - 8/153, 3 TD. Elite WRs have been the way to go so far through the first 2 weeks. Smith's monster game was nothing out of the ordinary, especially given Houston's bad safety group. He remains one of fantasy football's best WRs.
Cleveland Browns at Cincinnati Bengals
Carson Palmer - 33/50, 401 yards, 6 TD, 2 INT, 2/10. Palmer predictably had a big game against Cleveland, but it was even bigger thanks to Cincinnati's horrific defensive showing, forcing Palmer to throw constantly in the 2nd half. If Cincy's defense continues its poor play, it'll give Palmer even more opportunities to throw the ball and rack up fantasy points.
Derek Anderson - 20/33, 328 yards, 5 TD, 1 INT. Where the hell did this come from? Anderson will be a popular pickup this week, and this should starve off the Brady Quinn talk for a week or two, so he's not a bad QB2 to be started in the right matchups. Anderson will have a chance to start most of the year as long as he doesn't turned the ball over and make poor decisions which plagued him in the preseason. With Edwards and Winslow, he definitely has great talent to throw to.
Rudi Johnson - 23/118, 4/33, 1 TD, 1 FL. As promised, Johnson bounced back and put up a very nice fantasy effort. The only disappointment was that he didn't score on the ground, and he would have had an even bigger game had Cincy's defense allowed them to get a lead later on. His increased involvement in the passing game so far is an excellent surprise. Expect him to remain a solid, but not spectacular RB1 for this season as he's always been.
Jamal Lewis - 28/215, 1 TD. Where the hell did this come from? Lewis hasn't showed breakway speed in over 3 years, but he busted a long 66 yard TD and another 47 yard run in this game. If you have another solid RB3, this is a perfect opportunity to sell high to a RB-starved team. He should be a decent RB3 moving forward, but this is not the re-birth of Jamal Lewis.
Chad Johnson - 11/209, 2 TD. CJ hauled in over half of Palmer's yardage in a monster performance against the cross-town rivals. He's easily living up to the pre-season ranking among the elite fantasy WRs. He was maddeningly inconsistent last season, but he change that this year and provide much better weekly output this year. This could prove to be his career year.
T.J. Houshmandzadeh - 8/69, 2 TD. CJ is hogging all the downfield action, but Housh has been the elite WR2 he was drafted to be so far. He will continue to be among the most consistent fantasy WRs in football thanks to his excellent possession skills.
Braylon Edwards - 8/146, 2 TD. Much like AJ, all he needs is a QB to get him the ball. His skills are excellent and he'll continue to post numbers with solid QB play. If Anderson settles in as a solid starting QB, Edwards will be a great WR2.
Kellen Winslow - 6/100, 1 TD. He seems to produce no matter what's going on around him. Overlooked in drafts heading into the season, Winslow is proving fully recovered from offseason microfracture knee surgery and producing just like last season. Lke Edwards, if Anderson settles in, it'll only help. He's a great TE1.
Joe Jurevicius - 4/44, 2 TD. He'll probably be a popular waiver wire pickup, but unless you're really hurting at WR, I'd pass. He's the 3rd option in an average passing attack.
Jacksonville Jaguars at Atlanta Falcons
Joey Harrington - 12/20, 200 yards, 0 TD, 0 INT, 2/2. He had 174 yards at halftime, so obviously he was horrible in the 2nd half. He didn't turn the ball over, but he was sacked 7 times due to solid pressure and his tendency to hold the ball too long. He's not worth owning in 12 team leagues.
David Garrard - 17/25, 272 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT, 5/20. Garrard turned in another solid performance and remains a solid QB2 option to be used against weaker defenses. If the Jaguars could settle on their WR corp, Garrard would be able to build chemistry which would lead to more consistent outings.
Warrick Dunn - 13/50, 1/4, 1 TD. Another mediocre outing from Dunn. He's barely a RB3 as is, and makes for a boring RB4. Expect him to continue losing carries to Norwood.
Jerious Norwood - 9/30, 1/13. He needs to make use of every touch he gets in his quest to overtake Dunn as the starter. He didn't do that last night, so he'll likely remain the backup in week 3.
Fred Taylor - 16/56, 1/11. I expected more from Taylor who literally did nothing with his last 9 carries. He might give way to MJD later in the year if he continues his subpar play.
Maurice Jones-Drew - 11/31, 1/10. Continuing to prove that he was extremely overrated heading into the year. Nobody doubts his talent, but he's not being given much of an opportunity to post fantasy numbers. The Jacksonville ground game has been nowhere near as proficient as last year so far, so hopefully the new offensive coordinator finds a way to get his two most talented players (Taylor, MJD) going and soon.
Roddy White - 4/81. He's not a bad guy to stash as a WR5. Barring injury, he will lead the Falcons in receving yards and remains their best downfield threat. His numbers overall won't be that great, but he could emerge useful as the season wears on.
Green Bay Packers at New York Giants
Brett Favre - 29/38, 286 yards, 3 TD, 1 INT, 2/-2. Favre posted excellent numbers against a mediocre Giants secondary. Favre remains a solid QB2 with excellent upside against weaker defenses.
Eli Manning - 16/29, 211 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT. Well, I guess he's healthy. He exited the game early, but that was due to the score and not due to re-injury. Manning should start next week and is a high upside QB2.
Brandon Jackson - 17/35, 4/24. Pathetic against an average NYG rush defense. He had the opportunity to really take hold of the starting job and failed miserably posting a horrible stat line. He'll start losing carries to Wynn, and he's already being pulled on 3rd downs and at the goalline. He's worth stashing, but don't let him anywhere near your starting lineup.
Deshawn Wynn - 10/50, 2/18, 2 TD. 38 of these yards were on a long TD run in the 2nd half, but Wynn has worked his way into the RB rotation in GB and is definitely worth picking up in fantasy leagues. Don't go starting him as Jackson remains the starter, but he's an interesting guy to have on your bench.
Derrick Ward - 15/90, 4/35. I was concerned about the Giants signing FB Hedgecock thinking it might be an indication that the Giants would use Droughns in a committee with Ward, but Ward was the only RB to log a carry in week 2 and looks to be a very solid RB2 option with Jacobs hurt.
Donald Driver - 8/73, 1 TD. Driver remains an outstanding WR2 with another solid performance. Like I said before, he remains Favre's go-to target with all the youth around him and remain very consistent from week to week.
James Jones - 4/75. He's worth owning with Greg Jennings out as the impressive rookie will likely be Favre's 2nd target in the passing game. When Jennings does return, he'll still be an injury risk given his first 1+ years in the league, so stash him as a WR5.
Plaxico Burress - 2/32, 1 TD. Thankfully he scored before departing with an ankle injury. He suffered the injury initially during the offseason, so this is a bit of a concern. He claims he'll play in week 3, but stay tuned to his practice schedule during the week for confirmation on his week 3 status.
Jeremy Shockey - 5/60. Another solid outing from Shockey, and if Burress misses week 3, he'll probably be looked to more in the redzone. Manning's health is great news for Shockey who remains a solid TE1 with Manning starting.
Pittsburgh Steelers at Buffalo Bills
J.P. Losman - 15/25, 154 yards, 0 TD, 0 INT, 4/38. Another poor performance against an elite defense. He looked much improved in the 2nd half of last season, but he's started out this season in an ugly fashion. He's a mediocre QB2, but he'd make for a very inconsistent weekly starter as he's much better used in advantageous matchups.
Ben Roethlisberger - 21/34, 242 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT, 1/10. Much more was expected against Buffalo, but he still played great. I did catch part of the game where he underthrew his FB which would have been an easy score, so at least one more TD should have been a part of his statline. I still view him as a solid QB1.
Marshawn Lynch - 18/64, 1/21. 85 total yards behind a medicore offensive line and against the Pittsburgh defense is a pretty solid effort from Lynch. He'll struggle against great defenses thanks to the surrounding talent, but he remains a solid RB2 thanks to getting the majority of the carries and his talent.
Willie Parker - 23/126, 2/7, 1 TD. Parker busted out several of his patented long runs thanks to his patience en route to a very good day. He was a soild RB1 on draft day and should continue to post solid numbers all season long.
Lee Evans - 2/17. He's perilously close to being a candidate for the bench against great defenses. With NE up next, it's very hard to recommend starting him no matter what round you drafted him in. His schedule gets a lot better in the 2nd half, so monitor his progress and keep him in mind as a buy-low candidate.
Hines Ward - 5/55. Boring output from Ward this week, but the Steelers had control of this game for most of the day, and Ward almost had a TD mixed in here which would have given him a much better stat line. Consider him a very solid WR2.
Santonio Holmes - 3/53. Half of his yards come on a big play, and like I said before, his ability to make those plays make him a quality WR3 this season.
Heath Miller - 2/34. A 29 yard catch saved his day. He remains a borderline TE1/2, and he'll have more value when the Steelers have to throw more. Bigger days are ahead.
San Francisco 49ers at St. Louis Rams
Alex Smith - 11/17, 126 yards, 0 TD, 0 INT, 2/-1. An ugly outing against the Rams is a reason to get concerned. That's 2 bad outings in a row against questionable defenses, but since Smith is probably your QB2, you can afford to be patient. They have to get better.
Marc Bulger - 24/41, 368 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT. Bulger posted another great yardage day, but they couldn't punch it into the endzone more than once, and of concern is the beating he took with Pace out of the lineup. Things figure to get better going forward as the Rams adjust to not having Orlando Pace, but securing a reliable QB2 option is probably a good idea.
Frank Gore - 20/81, 2/4, 2 TD. Gore busted out a terrific 43 yard TD run on a 4th and 1 after initially being bottled up. I expected better yardage from a Rams D that stuffed him throughout most of the day, but the passing game is doing him no favors as teams will continue to stack 8 in the box until Smith improves his play. Expect it to happen soon.
Steven Jackson - 21/60, 3/36. Yes, Jackson has been insanely frustrating so far, but don't even think about giving up on him. Much like Bulger, he's suffering a bit with the loss of Pace, and the Rams will eventually adjust and find the right replacement. Better days are ahead, and now's not a bad time to inquire about what his price is right now.
Darrell Jackson - 3/61. A nice 34 yard grab saved his day, but Alex Smith is holding him back. He's a dicey WR3 until Smith gets going, but he looks healthier with each week.
Vernon Davis - 2/23. Progress, I guess. Davis called for the ball after this week, so expect the 49ers to work on that in week 3. Things will continue to get better as the 49ers would be foolish not to continue working on getting him the ball.
Torry Holt - 5/74, 1 TD, 1 FL. Another solid performance from Holt as he showed an improved YPC. Better protection for Bulger will improve Holt's downfield ability.
Isaac Bruce - 8/145. Bruce, the ageless wonder, puts up yet another great game. He'll continue to be a solid WR3 despite his advanced age, and will likely be as consistent as any WR3 out there thanks to the Rams passing attack.
New Orleans Saints at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Drew Brees - 26/44, 260 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT, 3/10. Don't be fooled...most of these stats occurred during garbage time when the Bucs stopped caring. The Saints offense looks horrible so far, but with a depleted Titans secondary up next, giving Brees another shot is a smart idea.
Jeff Garcia - 10/16, 243 yards, 2 TD, 0 INT, 2/6. Garcia is maintaining his value as a solid QB2 as Gruden has turned him into a fairly consistent fantasy player...like he does with many veteran QBs. There's no upside here, but with a healthy Joey Galloway, that's enough to get it done most weeks.
Deuce McAllister - 10/49, 1/7, 1 FL. The whole offense sucks right now, so continue leaving Deuce on your bench until they figure things out. He's still a fairly solid RB3.
Reggie Bush - 10/27, 6/43. Ditto with McAllister. He may have been drafted as your RB1, but as much as it pains you, treat him as an RB3 until the Saints get themselves straightened out. I expected big things from Bush this year after a great finish to the 2006 season, but he's been a bust so far.
Carnell Williams - 24/61, 2 TD. Don't read too much into the final statline as Cadillac produced 16 rushes for 52 yards in the 2nd half, so he improved greatly after halftime. His improved production in the 2nd half makes him a solid RB2 for week 3. The 2 TDs from 1 yard out proves that he's the goal line back, enhancing his fantasy value. Expect improved yardage.
Marques Colston - 8/70, 1 TD. Thanks, garbage time. He's still a weekly starter, but he's proving overvalued as a WR1 so far thanks to the struggles of the Saints offense. Defenses are playing deeper against Brees now, and while that kills the value of the rest of the receivers, Colston does his best work underneath and will continue to have solid fantasy value.
Eric Johnson - 3/18. Not a TE1 yet, but still a solid TE2.
Joey Galloway - 4/135, 2 TD. He's the best of the ageless wonders as his speed is still elite. He's started off in a big way, and looks to be a WR2 as it stands right now. Garcia hardly has a cannon, but he's very accurate when he throws downfield, and that's good enough to get Galloway the ball.
Indianapolis Colts at Tennessee Titans
Peyton Manning - 28/42, 312 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT, 1/-2. A subpar game for Manning given only 1 TD, but Tennessee has played them very tough last year, winning once, and they continued that tendency yesterday. Still, Manning did just fine and posted solid fantasy numbers once again.
Vince Young - 17/27, 184 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT, 5/53. A solid effort from Young against an improved Colts defense. I'm still wary on starting him every week, but his rushing totals, much like Michael Vick, will aid his stats and help prevent him from horrible outings.
Joseph Addai - 20/81, 2/6, 1 TD. I'm very surprised that the Colts aren't getting Addai the ball more in the passing game so far, but he'll likely score most weeks thanks to the Colts offense, and he'll always be putting up solid yardage total. He's a very safe RB1 with the potential for a few monster games.
LenDale White - 15/64, 1 TD. White was much better than Chris Brown this week, and he'll still have the chance to win most of the carries come season's end. Given the fact he's the goalline back, he has far more upside than Brown. He makes for a pretty solid RB3 as VY will keep the Titans in most games.
Chris Brown - 12/34, 1/2. Unless White gets hurt, Brown won't come close to doing anything like week 1. He's a RB4.
Marvin Harrison - 6/87. Good ole Harrison. No scores this week, but solid yardage per usual.
Reggie Wayne - 5/70. Good ole Wayne. See above.
Dallas Clark - 7/69, 1 TD. Is he rising to TE1? His skills are great and he works the middle of the field very well. Anthony Gonzalez's progression might get in his way, however.
Friday, September 14, 2007
Weekend Sabbatical
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!
Have a great weekend and see you guys (girls?) on Sunday!
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.
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