This week’s bye team: PittsburghAFC East
Buffalo — Featured WR Eric Moulds should be stoked for a big game vs. a
wounded Packers secondary missing CB Keith McKenzie. Moulds was a bit unhappy last week
that he caught only two balls, neither of which came from starting QB Rob Johnson.
But one of those catches was a 36-yarder that set up the winning FG vs. Tennessee. Moulds
late in the week said he wasn’t angry at Johnson for not getting him the ball but
rather the Bills’ offensive line, which left a lot to be desired vs. the Titans,
allowing five sacks and exposing Johnson to constant pressure that could turn him into a
bit of a fantasy risk if it continues. Peerless Price, who has a string of three
straight games with a TD catch, could also be a good play this week. On the RB front, Wade
Phillips is saying that, while Antowain Smith is still the main man on first and
second downs, a RB-by-committee approach also utilizing Jonathan Linton (ribs;
questionable), Shawn Bryson and Sammie Morris will be used more often.
Indianapolis — WR Terrence Wilkins will not play again this week, as he has
yet to be given medical clearance following a concussion in the preseason. Look for Jerome
Pathon to start opposite Marvin Harrison.
Miami — RB J.J. Johnson’s future is in limbo right now. After losing
the starting job to Lamar Smith, Johnson was inactive for the Dolphins’ opener
last Sunday. The Dolphins are happy playing Smith until he can’t run anymore, and
they like going to Thurman Thomas and Rob Konrad on occasion. That leaves
Johnson on the outside looking in. However, the Dolphins are wary of Johnson losing his
confidence, and considering Smith has never been a featured runner for an entire season,
they may need to turn to Johnson before the year is out. (Remember, Miami went through
five starting running backs last season.) Johnson will dress this week, but he
doesn’t figure to have a large role.
New England — The team and Drew Bledsoe are equally excited about the more
opportunities coming WR Troy Brown’s way.
New York Jets — RB Curtis Martin (knee sprain) rested both Wednesday and
Thursday and is expected to be in the starting lineup Monday night vs. New England.
However, fantasy owners have to be concerned about Martin’s workload. He had 36
touches last week vs. Green Bay, and it’s unlikely he’ll be able to do that on a
weekly basis. The Jets need to find someone from their RB corps to help out. Candidates
include (in order of fantasy value) Richie Anderson, Bernie Parmalee and Jerald
Sowell.
AFC Central
Baltimore — Don’t be fooled by how basic the Ravens’ offense was vs. the
Steelers. Head coach Brian Billick can hardly wait to get creative with all kinds
of multiple sets and formations vs. the Jaguars, unless he sees early on, as was the case
in Pittsburgh, that RB Priest Holmes is running effectively inside the tackles.
Holmes looked as good as he has ever looked vs. the Steelers, which means you
shouldn’t expect a lot of No. 1 pick Jamal Lewis, who has the brace off his
elbow now but will continue to be worked gradually into the scheme of things. WR Patrick
Johnson is healthy again, and his deep speed should help open up the Ravens’
attack. No. 1 draft choice Travis Taylor still starts ahead of Johnson,
however, at least for the time being. Continue to play Qadry Ismail, who has picked
up where he left off last season.
Cleveland— Don’t be too alarmed by Tim Couch’s bout with
tendinitis. He has been toughing it out since mid August, and the condition didn’t
seem to have a major impact on how he played last week vs. the Jaguars. In fact, vs.
Jacksonville, Couch completed more than 70 percent of his passes.
AFC West
Denver — It looks as though Terrell Davis and his injured ankle will be
ready to go, but how many carries he gets won’t likely be determined until Sunday.
Rookie Mike Anderson will split time with him.
Kansas City — TE Tony Gonzalez was reportedly frustrated by the constant
double-teams he faced in Week One. The extra attention paid to Gonzalez allowed WR Derrick
Alexander to sneak to the endzone and catch a touchdown on a post route last week.
San Diego — The Chargers may start to open things up for Ryan Leaf. The
quarterback complained that the team was too conservative in Week One and wants more WR
options, and the coaching staff is apparently listening.
Seattle — Rookie WR Darrell Jackson has been working with the first team in
practice in place of Derrick Mayes this week.
NFC East
Arizona— Despite an unimpressive debut, rookie RB Thomas Jones remains
the starter ahead of Michael Pittman. Jones rushed 12 times for 16 yards in the
opener. He goes against a Dallas defense that allowed over 300 rushing yards to the Eagles
in Week One.
Dallas— Randall Cunningham gets the start this week vs. the Cardinals
because Troy Aikman is sidelined with a concussion. Cunningham might not be such a
bad play this week, as he still has Rocket Ismail and James McKnight
— two speedsters — to throw to. Cunningham has become a
schoolyard-style quarterback who loves to just heave the ball downfield, which could mean
good things for Ismail and McKnight.
New York Giants — Tiki Barber and Ron Dayne combined for a
phenomenal 222 rushing yards and three touchdowns in Week One. But remember, that was
against a very weak Cardinals defense. Also, be wary of Barber. He is not the most
consistent player in the world.
Philadelphia— Rookie WR Todd Pinkston looked decent in the season opener.
He caught three passes for 29 yards vs. the Cowboys. He also took some hard shots and held
on to the ball well. Because Torrance Small has a hamstring injury and has missed
some practice time this week, Pinkston could get his first NFL start vs. the Giants.
NFC Central
Chicago — The reason RB Curtis Enis carried only four times last week vs.
Minnesota had to do with the team’s personnel, not his ability. A lot of the sets in
which Enis plays include two tight ends, but John Allred was out with a shoulder
injury and Dustin Lyman was inactive. That left the Bears with one tight end and
Enis without much playing time. Chicago will continue to play both Enis and James Allen
this week vs. Tampa Bay, and the two could end up with a similar number of carries. Of
course, the Bears could also just stick with the hot hand, should one develop. But they
are not bailing on Enis for good — yet.
Green Bay — QB Brett Favre threw the ball a lot better this week in
practice than last week, so he may be getting his groove back. … RB Dorsey Levens
(knee) is out this week and probably next week too. But Ahman Green ran well vs.
the Jets for having a brace on (he had three carries for 34 yards wiped out by penalties).
Though he fumbled once, he ran very tough, and that surprised some people.
Minnesota — Though TE Andrew Jordan was benched in last week’s win
over Chicago, he will start this week vs. Miami. Jordan dropped two passes, including a
would-be TD pass, and the Vikings wanted him to sit back and reflect on his misdeeds. But
keep an eye on backup TE John Davis. He played pretty well last week and made a
nice catch to set up a touchdown.
Tampa Bay — RB Warrick Dunn had a big play of 30-35 yards called back by a
penalty last week vs. New England. Look for more flashes of Dunn’s ability, as the
Bucs continue to call his number for plays on the perimeter. … For those of you
concerned with the Bucs’ offense being too conservative under new coordinator Les
Steckel, there is hope. The Bucs have shown a little more imagination than some have
given them credit for. They’ve looked more fluid and shown more potential.
NFC West
Atlanta — RB Jamal Anderson’s 24 carries vs. the Niners last week was
a major surprise and a very positive sign for the Falcons' offense, which is pretty
effective if he is able to crank out a decent ground game to balance things out. Was WR Shawn
Jefferson’s 147-yard, one-TD performance a fluke? We think not. Jefferson and QB Chris
Chandler have really hit it off, and Jefferson could have fun this weekend vs. a
Broncos secondary still recovering from the shock of dealing with the Rams six days
earlier.
Carolina — This couldn’t be a better time to be playing San Francisco’s
shaky, young defense, considering how much the Carolina offense struggled vs. Washington
last week. Look for the Panthers to unleash everything they’ve got, but keep an eye
on featured WR Muhsin Muhammad, whose shaky hamstring is acting up again. TE Wesley
Walls figures as a solid fantasy play this week, and Donald Hayes, who
didn’t do badly in the Panthers’ opener, is also worth considering. RB Tshimanga
Biakabutuka also looked decent vs. Washington, and he could have a big game, provided
the Panthers’ shaky offensive line helps him out a little more.
New Orleans — RB Ricky Williams gave everybody a scare early in the week
when he showed up at practice with a very swollen ankle. But he should be OK, and the
Saints should benefit by the fact the Chargers’ defensive front is really banged up.
On the other hand, the Saints' offense has been pretty poor so far. Except for Williams,
the suggestion here is to steer clear of Saints players for fantasy purposes (although the
Saints’ defense could be worth considering in your lineup after the way it played in
defeat vs. Detroit).
St. Louis — The Rams are the Rams. Three 100-yard receivers last week vs. Denver (Marshall
Faulk, Az-Zahir Hakim and Torry Holt) speaks volumes. QB Kurt
Warner looks just as sharp passing as he did last year, although his three picks
last week were a little scary. Veteran WRs Isaac Bruce (he could explode
this week) and Ricky Proehl (TD vs. Broncos) also merit consideration.
Also, keep an eye on rookie Trung Canidate, who we hear has been
sprinting around in practice like a gazelle and could be ready for some dangerous spot
duty vs. Seattle.
San Francisco — QB Steve Garcia had some nice numbers in the 49ers’
opener, but the big story from a fantasy standpoint was FB Fred Beasley, who
touched the ball eight times vs. Atlanta and scored three TDs. RB Charlie Garner
had his moments, too, rushing behind an offensive line that continues to do a fine job
despite constant reshuffling. Garcia, Beasley, Garner and WRs Terrell Owens and Jerry
Rice all could have good fantasy-type games vs. a Panthers defense that failed to
generate much of a pass rush last week despite all the changes it has made. |
