This week’s bye team: ChicagoAFC East
Buffalo — TE Jay Riemersma (groin) is listed as questionable but probably
will sit out this week. The Bills don’t want to risk losing Riemersma for the rest of
the season. … Thurman Thomas’ return to the lineup means the Bills will
use three tailbacks: Thomas, Antowain Smith and Jonathan Linton. The
RB-by-committee system — with Smith and Linton splitting time on first and second
downs and Thomas playing on third downs — does not help anyone’s cause from a
fantasy football perspective.
Indianapolis — After struggling against the Dolphins last week, WR E.G. Green might
be bounced from the starting lineup again in favor of Terrence Wilkins. Either way,
Wilkins is a better fantasy option. … TE Ken Dilger had his best game of the
season last week, catching five passes for 80 yards. He could play a big role down the
stretch as defenses continue to pay a lot of attention to WR Marvin Harrison.
Miami — QB Dan Marino says he is encouraged by the way his arm has been
feeling the last few days. … WR O.J. McDuffie is still being bothered by a toe
injury and may not play. That increases the value of Oronde Gadsden, who caught six
passes for 103 yards and a touchdown last week with McDuffie sidelined.
New England — Top CB Ty Law plans to play with a cast on his broken right
hand. It remains to be seen how effective he’ll be covering Colts WR Marvin
Harrison. … The Patriots are using more five-WR sets in hopes of spreading the
field and sparking their slumping passing attack. … TE Ben Coates is expected
to play the whole game after being limited by a foot injury vs. the Cowboys.
N.Y. Jets — QB Ray Lucas twisted his ankle last week but is not listed on
the injury report. … Look for the Jets to get back to basics this week and run the
ball a lot more than they did vs. the Giants last week. The Jets fell behind 17-0 in the
first quarter vs. Big Blue, forcing them out of their game plan.
AFC Central
Tennessee — The next TD reception by the Titans will be their first since Week
Eight, when RB Eddie George caught an offering from QB Steve McNair. The
last receiver to catch a TD pass was WR Kevin Dyson in Week Six. What does all this
mean? Tennessee’s offense has been predicated on the running of George, who has
carried at least 21 times in three of the last four games, getting two 100-yard
performances in that stretch. The passing game has suffered from dropped passes by
receivers and poor throwing from McNair, who has completed only 52 percent of his passes
since returning from a back injury in Week Eight. The Titans compensate by relying on
George and the ground game — unless they fall behind the way they did in last
Sunday’s 41-14 loss to Baltimore. While McNair has faltered in the passing game, he
has rushed for six touchdowns in seven games this season.
Jacksonville — All signs point toward RB Fred Taylor playing this week. A
10-day layoff between games has helped him mend, and he has practiced at full speed at lot
of the week. But the Jaguars say that James Stewart will still start. What does
this mean for fantasy owners? It’s worth considering both Stewart and Taylor, since
both should get some carries. If you have both players, lean toward Taylor, who has more
explosiveness and therefore the ability to make the most out of limited carries.
Cleveland — WR Kevin Johnson is worth a start this week. The
Bengals’ secondary is one of the worst in the league, so Johnson should be able to
make some big plays down the field. … WR Leslie Shepherd (hamstring) has
been placed on injured reserve and is out for the year. If you have him, clear that roster
spot for someone who can help.
Pittsburgh — C Dermontti Dawson is expected to return to the lineup this
week after missing six consecutive games. Dawson’s return should boost the
Steelers’ slumping running game. … Kordell Stewart will play wide
receiver again this week and could start if Pittsburgh opens in a three-WR set. A return
to quarterback for the Steelers’ final three games has not been ruled out for
Stewart.
Baltimore — RB Errict Rhett may not be a fantasy starter any longer. He was
injured last week, and Priest Holmes, a 1,000-yard rusher for the Ravens last
season who is finally healthy again, stepped in to gain 100 yards on nine carries.
AFC West
Oakland — Head coach Jon Gruden said this week that Zack Crockett,
not Tyrone Wheatley, is his No. 1 choice in goal-line situations. Wheatley is still
a decent fantasy option, although he has more value in yardage leagues than scoring
leagues. Crockett has very limited value, and that only in scoring leagues.
Denver — Brian Griese will be the Broncos’ starting QB the rest of the
season. … It appears that Chris Miller’s career is over.
There’s no reason to keep him on your roster at this point.
Kansas City — It looks as though Rashaan Shehee has lost his spot in the
Chiefs’ crowded RB derby. Shehee was healthy but inactive last week in Denver. The
Chiefs wanted Bam Morris, a bigger back, available, but lingering concerns about
Shehee’s durability also played a role in the decision. Right now, Donnell Bennett
and Mike Cloud are far more attractive fantasy players than Shehee. Tony
Richardson, who had a career game against the Broncos, may also play a role. The
Chiefs will be inclined to use their bigger backs — Bennett, Morris and Richardson
— in cold-weather game.
San Diego — Ryan Leaf’s 1999 debut continues to be pushed back.
Reports say that Leaf will the Chargers’ No. 3 QB this week, which means he will not
play before the fourth quarter unless both Jim Harbaugh and Moses Moreno are
hurt. Still, the Chargers would like to get Leaf on the field at times this season. That
diminishes Harbaugh’s fantasy value for the last four games of the season.
Seattle — RB Ahman Green has a hamstring injury. He is listed as
questionable this week. Under no conditions should you stick him in your lineup.
NFC East
Dallas — The Cowboys are expected to sign 43-year-old PK Eddie Murray to
replace Richie Cunningham, who was cut earlier this week. Considering Murray’s
age and the fact that he hasn’t kicked in an NFL game since 1997, we suggest you wait
and see how he does this week before considering whether to pick him up. … The
Cowboys plan to use Deion Sanders at wide receiver starting this week. The question
is whether he will play enough as a wideout to be useful in fantasy football. If
Sanders’ brief résumé as a wide receiver tells us anything, it’s that he is
more likely to make one big play that goes for a touchdown than to catch several passes in
a traditional WR role. Youngsters Jeff Ogden and Jason Tucker will also get
a lot of playing time for the Cowboys.
Arizona — The Cardinals are coming, tra la, tra la — which means QB Jake
Plummer is on the prowl. It’s no coincidence that WRs Rob Moore and Frank
Sanders have started to get their mojos working since Plummer returned for the second
half of Arizona’s Week 12 game vs. the Giants. Look for more contributions from both
pass catchers, as Plummer continues to shake off the rust from a broken finger and regain
his rhythm. … RB Michael Pittman, who has been out since Nov. 15 with turf
toe, practiced this week and is expected to play Sunday. He gained 133 yards in his one
start before the injury.
N.Y. Giants — QB coach Sean Payton took over the play-calling
responsibilities for head coach Jim Fassel last week, and the Giants posted
season-highs in total yards and points in their 41-28 win over the Jets. QB Kerry
Collins passed for more than 300 yards, RB Joe Montgomery ran for more than 100
yards and WRs Amani Toomer and Ike Hilliard each had more than 100 yards
receiving. Fassel said he plans on sticking with the more aggressive Payton on a permanent
basis.
NFC Central
Chicago — It’s no surprise that WR Marcus Robinson had his worst
statistical day last Sunday since Week Four. With Shane Matthews at quarterback,
the Bears’ deep-passing game, which flourished under the direction of Cade McNown
and Jim Miller, went south. Now that McNown is back in charge, look for Robinson to
again play an active role down the field. Not convinced? Just look back at the Bears’
second half vs. Washington in Week Eight, when McNown connected with Robinson for two long
scores in a relief appearance. In fact three of Robinson’s six TD catches have come
from McNown.
Detroit — Head coach Bobby Ross said that when QB Charlie Batch is
healthy enough, he will regain his starting job. When that will happen exactly remains
unanswered. "When he can throw with accuracy and velocity, Batch will be back in the
starting job," Ross said Monday. Meanwhile, Ross, Batch and Gus Frerotte will
do their best to handle an awkward situation. Batch and Frerotte split practice time with
Wednesday, but Ross most likely won’t announce a starter until late this week.
Green Bay — RB Dorsey Levens, who missed last Sunday’s game in Chicago
with a cracked rib, is listed as questionable for this weekend’s game vs. Carolina.
Levens was to be examined later in the week, but we hear that GM Ron Wolf is
concerned that one more hit to Levens’ midsection could force the running back to
miss the rest of the season. With that in mind, look for the team to be very cautious with
Levens down the stretch. Luckily, rookie RBs De’Mond Parker and Basil
Mitchell have performed very well. If Levens can’t play Sunday, Parker would
probably be the starter.
Minnesota — Neither PK Gary Anderson nor special-teams coach Gary Zauner
can pinpoint the reason for Anderson’s struggles this season. The veteran
kicker’s 65.4 percent success rate ranks as the fourth lowest in the league. His nine
failures are only two fewer than he missed in his last three seasons combined. And he is
the only regular kicker without a kick of longer than 40 yards. Despite all of this,
fantasy owners need to keep trotting Anderson out there because the offense he kicks for
puts him in position to score a lot.
Tampa Bay — RB Warrick Dunn returned to practice Wednesday after missing
Monday night’s game with a sprained ankle. Dunn took part in about three-quarters of
the session and will be continually evaluated as week goes on. The team is confident,
however, that Dunn will be ready for Sunday’s game vs. Detroit. Said head coach Tony
Dungy: "(Dunn) helps us out in a lot of ways. We’re really concerned just
having Mike (Alstott) as the primary ballcarrier. But if we have to, we will
go that route, but I think Warrick should be ready to go and ready to help us."
NFC West
New Orleans — RB Ricky Williams is listed as questionable this week with
his lingering turf-toe problem, but head coach Mike Ditka said the rookie probably
won’t play against the Rams.
Atlanta — QB Chris Chandler has been hot of late, throwing six touchdowns
and running for another in the Falcons’ last two games. This week he’ll face a
49ers defense that surrendered 44 points to the Bengals a week ago and has one of the
weakest secondaries in the NFL.
St. Louis — The bumps and bruises WR Isaac Bruce suffered in a minor
one-car accident earlier this week won’t affect his playing time Sunday. |
