Week Three — Late-week fantasy tips

New England Patriots — Head coach Pete Carroll hasn’t lost faith in WR Terry Glenn, who dropped three passes in New England’s first two games. However, Drew Bledsoe has been spreading the ball around so far, preventing anyone from really emerging as a go-to guy. … TE Ben Coates, who missed last week’s game, is questionable for this week but likely will convince Carroll that he’s ready to go. Still, if you have a comparable option (such as a third wide receiver), you may want to keep Coates on the bench just in case.

New York Jets — It’ll probably come down to a game-time decision for Jet QB Glenn Foley, who has some separated cartilage in his right rib cage. Foley is a tough competitor who has earned the benefit of the doubt with Bill Parcells, who’s unlikely to start Vinny Testaverde in a must-win situation.

Pittsburgh Steelers — Kordell Stewart hasn’t been his usual running, scrambling, free-flowing self so far, but that could change, starting this Sunday. Head coach Bill Cowher met with offensive coordinator Ray Sherman and Stewart this week to discuss ways to take the harness off the quarterback formerly known as "Slash." Expect Stewart to run more vs. an aggressive, overpursuing Dolphin defense.

Cincinnati Bengals — RB Corey Dillon has had problems in the past with dislocated kneecap. It hasn’t kept him out of any action, but it’s certainly something to keep in the back of your mind.

Denver Broncos — Today (Friday) is the key day for Bronco QB John Elway, who is nursing a tender hamstring. If he can practice today, Elway will be in the lineup on Sunday. If he can’t go Friday, it’ll be a game-time decision. The Broncos vow to keep the game plan the same if Bubby Brister is forced into action.

Kansas City Chiefs — WR Andre Rison, who has been nursing a hamstring injury, should play this week, meaning Rison and Derrick Alexander will be on the field together for the first time. … Kimble Anders may be the Chiefs’ No. 2 RB option if Donnell Bennett can’t get the job done. Anders is worth having on your team if no one else does.

Oakland Raiders — TE Rickey Dudley has been a dud so far. Part of it has to do with the Raiders’ shoddy offensive line, which forces Dudley to stay in and block more than he’d like. He also has yet to find his niche in the West Coast offense, which isn’t designed to take advantage of Dudley’s deep speed.

San Diego Chargers — As of Friday, QB Ryan Leaf was hospitalized with a leg infection. His status is up in the air for Sunday. Regardless of whether Leaf plays, you ought to stay away from Charger receivers this week, when San Diego visits Kansas City.

Baltimore Ravens — Ted Marchibroda has yet to name a starter at quarterback or running back. Injuries may give the edge to Eric Zeier and Jay Graham, respectively. Jim Harbaugh is listed as probable, but his injured finger could be aggravated if he plays. Errict Rhett is listed as questionable with a thigh injury.

St. Louis Rams — Early word out of St. Louis is that rookie RB Robert Holcombe once again will be inactive this week. Greg Hill will get the start and the majority of the carries.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers — The Buccaneer WR situation is a mess right now. Without the injured Bert Emanuel, the Bucs don’t have a legitimate deep threat. Reidel Anthony is young and inconsistent, and he struggles to beat man-on-man coverage. Karl Williams is more of a No. 3/slot receiver who struggles to beat the jam at the line of scrimmage. Jacquez Green, who took a punt back for a touchdown last week, is out with a thumb injury. The one guy who could benefit from all this is Warrick Dunn, who could be the Bucs’ leading receiver vs. the Bears in Week Three.

Green Bay Packers — With Dorsey Levens out up to three months, the Packers will turn to Raymont Harris and Travis Jervey. With Jervey banged up this week, Harris likely will get the start. The Packers seem more concerned about their passing game without Levens than their running game. Levens is a better receiver than Harris or Jervey, and Levens also excels at blitz pickup. … TE Mark Chmura, who’s listed as questionable with an Achilles injury, probably will play this week. … WR Robert Brooks has been kind of an odd man out so far, but it does not appear to be intentional, and Brooks could break out at any time.

Detroit Lions — Charlie Batch is in, Scott Mitchell is out and it appears Mitchell isn’t coming back anytime soon. Being dropped to No. 3 on the depth chart is a bad sign for Mitchell, who’s buried so deep in Bobby Ross’ doghouse that he might survive a Nuclear holocaust. One guy who could benefit from Batch’s promotion is No. 3 WR Germane Crowell, who seemed to have very good chemistry with Batch during the preseason.

Minnesota Vikings — The Vikings don’t plan to change much with Randall Cunningham starting in place of the injured Brad Johnson. The coaches have tons of confidence in Cunningham, who led the NFL in passer rating during the preseason. … WR Cris Carter is questionable with ankle and calf injuries. If he can practice today (Friday), he’ll likely play on Sunday. If he can’t go today, it’ll be a game-time decision.

Tennessee Oilers — Rookie WR Kevin Dyson will dress this week, but his playing time could be limited. The Oilers have a plethora of capable wideouts. … Steve McNair’s elbow is still bruised, but he will play through the pain. … The key to Eddie George’s success very well may be the health of C Mark Stepnoski. If Stepnoski plays — he’s listed as questionable with a knee injury — George could have a big day.

Arizona Cardinals — Second-year QB Jake Plummer has struggled to this point in the season. So far, head coach Vince Tobin has shown patience with Plummer, but one has to wonder how long that will last. It may be wise to start someone else for the time being.

New York Giants — RB Tyrone Wheatley was inactive in the first two weeks of the season because he has not gotten his weight down to the limit head coach Jim Fassel set for him. Stay away from Wheatley until he can control his appetite. … Fassel still says that he believes Tiki Barber can be the Giants’ No. 1 back.

Jacksonville Jaguars — The Jaguar running game has been very good so far this season. James Stewart had more than 100 rushing yards in each of the first two games. He may be worthy of a starting nod in larger fantasy leagues.

Dallas Cowboys — Now that Jason Garrett is filling in for the injured Troy Aikman at quarterback for at least four weeks, it would be wise to take a wait-and-see approach with the Cowboy offense. It remains to be seen how effective Garrett can be throwing the ball and whether his presence will adversely effect Emmitt Smith and the running game.

Washington Redskins — If you’re looking for a sleeper at wide receiver, try Leslie Shepherd. He caught one TD pass last week vs. San Francisco and had another score called back because of a Michael Westbrook penalty. Shepherd also had a TD catch in Week One.

Click here to return to our main site ProFootballWeekly.com

© 1998-2001 by Pro Football Weekly, a Primedia publication. All rights reserved. Reproduction without permission is prohibited.