This week’s bye teams: Chicago, Detroit and TennesseeAFC
East
Buffalo — Don’t automatically shy away from Bills RB Travis Henry this
week just because he’s playing a strong defense in Pittsburgh. Henry did well against
the Saints in Week One, a defense many consider better than the Steelers’ defense.
Also, the Steelers are coming off a 21-day stretch without a game, so the defense could be
rusty. … WR Eric Moulds has to break out of the two-game funk at some point,
in which he has just three catches. Don’t give up on him yet.
Indianapolis — It seems the Colts have found a delicate balance on offense as far
as fantasy owners are concerned. You would have thought that the Colts’ No. 2
receiver couldn’t bust out without taking away from the production of the
"Triplets," but Jerome Pathon has. Pathon seems to be the real deal at
No. 2 for the Colts, but not as a surefire fantasy starter yet as far as consistency goes.
Give him one more game to prove he’s over the inconsistency that plagued him through
his career and then feel free to start him.
Miami — QB Jay Fiedler is slowly working his way into starting lineups in
bigger leagues, and if he keeps improving, he might just — dare we say it — be a
preferred starter on smaller-league teams. He’s earned the Dolphins’ trust and
should have yours as well. … The Dolphins’ defense should benefit this week when
DT Tim Bowens returns to action.
New England — Keep an eye on QB Tom Brady, but don’t snap him up just
yet. Brady will replace Drew Bledsoe in the starting lineup, and he will likely
remain there as long as Bledsoe is out. Brady is more mobile than Bledsoe, but he has a
weaker arm than Bledsoe. Brady played OK in relief in Week Two. … As if we
didn’t have enough to muddle through in picking a Patriots running back, now word out
of New England is that Marc Edwards is being called the Patriots’ best runner
by head coach Bill Belichick. Aside from a fumbling problem in Week Two, Edwards
ran well.
N.Y. Jets — WR Matthew Hatchette, the perceived physical replacement for
Keyshawn Johnson, has caught a pass yet, and the Jets know it. Head coach Herman
Edwards admitted that they’d gotten away from their original plan of spreading
the offense a bit, and said he needs to make sure that Hatchette gets the ball more in
games. … TE Anthony Becht has had two solid games but hasn’t scored yet.
However, he seems more viable in yardage leagues at this point, since the Jets tend to
lean on RB Curtis Martin in the red zone. If you’re in a yardage league and
can get Becht, do so.
AFC Central
On bye: Tennessee
Baltimore — The Ravens are continuing to go with Terry Allen as the
starting running back, but don’t look for him to improve much unless the Ravens’
offensive line — especially on the right side — does an about-face from its
sorry outing in the loss to Cincy. More likely, QB Elvis Grbac will continue to
emphasize the passing game, but with head coach Brian Billick rotating his receivers in
and out on a regular basis, the only pass catcher who is really worth playing on your
fantasy team is TE Shannon Sharpe, who played well in the playoff win over Denver
last year (53-yard TD). WR Brandon Stokley is questionable with a knee injury, and
rookie TE Todd Heap, who has been a factor in two-TE sets, is doubtful with a
sprained ankle.
Cleveland — The time has come for rookie RB James Jackson. After rushing
for 124 yards on 31 carries, it finally looks like head coach Butch Davis has found
himself a No. 1 running back. So instead of worrying if Jackson will have to share time
with Jamel White and Ben Gay, you can now start Jackson with confidence.
Jacksonville — Although it’s probably too late, if you have a chance to pick
up Stacey Mack (and you have a need at running back), do so now. He will be
starting in place of the injured Fred Taylor for at least the next two weeks. Mack
looked pretty good in relief of Taylor last week, rushing for 80 yards, including a
22-yard TD run. Even after Taylor gets back, you may want to keep Mack around if he does
anything in the next two games, as it’s not unlikely that Taylor will go down again
later in the year.
Pittsburgh — Don’t be concerned with RB Jerome Bettis’ poor
performance in Week One. Bettis is historically a slow starter. He might be able to break
out against a Buffalo defense that has holes bigger than Rhode Island in it.
AFC WEST
Denver — Expect to see more of the same from Denver’s ground game. Head coach
Mike Shanahan has no problem playing both Mike Anderson (19 carries for 58 yards
last week) and Olandis Gary (14 carries for 90 yards), which provides quite a
quandary for fantasy owners with one of those backs in their possession. The Broncos got
by the Cardinals with a huge day from WR Rod Smith, but they definitely will need Eddie
Kennison to step up down the road. Kennison is probably best left as a reserve until
he becomes more of a focal point in the Broncos’ offense.
Kansas City — WR Derrick Alexander could be a game-time decision with his
sore Achilles. Rookie Marvin Minnis won’t play due to the lingering effects of
a concussion.
Oakland — While there are several new faces on the Seahawks’ defense this
season, Raiders RB Tyrone Wheatley rushed for over 300 yards and a touchdown in his
two games against Seattle last year. The Seahawks’ secondary is finally starting to
get healthy, but it was burned deep several times vs. the Eagles and often gave too much
of a cushion. The Raiders’ veteran tandem of Tim Brown and Jerry Rice
may be able to teach the Seahawks’ young corners a thing or two if they do the same
this week.
San Diego — The confidence the Chargers have in offensive coordinator Norv Turner
could go a long way in terms of production for the likes of QB Doug Flutie, RB LaDainian
Tomlinson, TE Freddie Jones and WR Curtis Conway. One Charger who has
suffered through a slow start, however, is WR Jeff Graham. The Chargers’
defense also will have DE Marcellus Wiley in the lineup for the first time this
season, which should be a big boost for the pass rush. CB Alex Molden (knee) should
return next week.
Seattle — With QB Matt Hasselbeck looking like a deer in headlights vs. the
heavy blitzes he’s seeing on a regular basis, you probably would be best served to
leave him and WRs Darrell Jackson and Koren Robinson on your bench unless
you have no other choice.
NFC EAST
Arizona — RB Thomas Jones had trouble hitting the hole in the opener vs.
the Broncos, and also lost a fumble. Needless to say, the Cardinals weren’t thrilled
with his showing. Throw in the fact that the Cardinals get Michael Pittman
back this week, after he served his one-game suspension, and you could have a difficult
decision to make if you have a Cardinals running back on your roster. They will probably
share time this week, so it might be a good idea to avoid playing either one until a
pattern is developed.
Dallas — QB Quincy Carter will miss Week Three because his thumb injury
continues to be a problem. But hear this, once he is healthy, Carter remains the starting
quarterback — no matter what Emmitt Smith says. Smith, of course, made a stink
this week over the Cowboys’ decision to go with Carter over Anthony Wright as
the full-time starter, putting a rookie’s development ahead of the team’s
chances of winning games now. Anyway, Wright will be the starting quarterback against the
Eagles. … Don’t play Raghib Ismail in the next couple of weeks, as he
will definitely miss Weeks Three and Four with a sprained MCL in his right knee. He might
be able to come back for Week Five, but that’s not a sure thing.
N.Y. Giants — WR Ike Hilliard may get on the field this week, but it
isn’t a wise idea to play him just yet. He is still bothered by the toe that has kept
him sidelined, and we hear that it could be a chronic problem. You will want to see how he
fights through the pain, and how it impacts his production, before inserting him into your
starting lineup. Meanwhile, Joe Jurevicius has caught 12 passes in two games, which
is half of his previous best for an entire season (24). The Giants like what they have
seen from Jurevicius and he could be a nice pickup to have on your roster in case he
really breaks through.
Philadelphia — An interesting short-term pickup might be rookie Correll
Buckhalter, who will be starting in place of the injured Duce Staley this week.
Staley has a shoulder injury, and could also miss Week Four. The Eagles have been
impressed with the way Buckhalter has picked up the offensive system, and he could prove
productive against a suspect Dallas defense. However, once Staley is healthy again, he
will get back his starting job. At the same time, though, Staley’s production may
take a hit, as the Eagles want to find ways to get Buckhalter on the field.
Washington Redskins — Shy away from Redskins wide receivers for the moment. There
is obviously a ton of turmoil on that team now that Jeff George has been cut. Tony
Banks gets the start at quarterback this week, but he still doesn’t have the
greatest grasp of the offense, considering he has only been with the team for a few weeks.
Wait and see how he works with his receivers before committing to play either Michael
Westbrook or Rod Gardner.
NFC CENTRAL
On bye: Chicago, Detroit
Green Bay — Keep an eye on TE David Martin. The Packers made him a
prominent part of their game plan in their win over the Redskins, though a shoulder injury
limited his use. Martin is listed on the injury report as probable, but he should play
Sunday vs. Carolina. The Packers want to exploit Redskins SS Sam Shade’s lack of
speed with Martin, who is a lot faster than Green Bay’s No. 1 tight end, Bubba
Franks. Before leaving the game, Martin caught a 31-yard pass, his second catch of the
year. This week the Packers might try to exploit a young Panthers secondary with Martin.
He could see a lot of SS Mike Minter, who has been battling a knee injury.
Minnesota — For those Michael Bennett owners out there, it might be time to
start worrying. In two games, the team’s No. 1 draft pick has 93 rushing yards on 27
carries for a paltry 3.4-yard average. His biggest problem has been patience. He’s
either waited too long for a hole to develop, or he hasn’t waited long enough.
It’s obvious that the Vikings can’t wait too long for Bennett to catch on, but
the feeling is, when he finally breaks his first long run, he might snowball into
something big. But until that happens, you might be better off starting another running
back if you have a better alternative. On the bright side, Bennett is second on the team
with seven receptions.
Tampa Bay — Sunday’s game at Minnesota could be a big one for WR Keyshawn
Johnson. In last season’s game at the Metrodome, you’ll recall, Johnson
fumbled early and never got on the scoreboard. This time around, don’t be surprised
if the Bucs look to him early to get him on track. Johnson is 100 percent recovered from
his thigh contusion, and he’s been looking to prove to people that he belongs in Randy
Moss’ class of wide receivers. … Though QB Brad Johnson passed for
only 195 yards and no touchdowns in the season opener, don’t be afraid to start him
against Minnesota. It shouldn’t feel like a road game for the former Viking, who will
be making his first return to the city where his NFL career started.
NFC West
Atlanta —RB Jamal Anderson looks more and more like the Jamal of ’98
every time he touches the ball and warrants strong fantasy consideration vs. an Arizona
defense that had trouble keeping the reins on the Broncos’ offense last Sunday night.
Anderson’s role figures to be enhanced since two other key weapons — WR Tony
Martin and QB Michael Vick — are suffering from shoulder and rib/back
injuries, respectively. Martin, who was the Falcons’ leading receiver, could be out
4-6 weeks with a clavicle injury. Vick has been downgraded from questionable to doubtful
with a rib/back injury. Shawn Jefferson moves into Martin’s starter’s
role. He led the team in receptions last season, but he doesn’t have the same kind of
chemistry with QB Chris Chandler as Martin has. Brian Finneran moves into
the third-WR role.
Carolina — While head coach George Seifert was refusing to tip his hand regarding
the team’s backfield plans vs. Green Bay, it looks like steady but unspectacular Nick
Goings, who is fourth among NFC rushers, will start and share playing time with Richard
Huntley, who Seifert finally believes is ready to strut his stuff after being limited
by a lingering hamstring injury. Tshimanaga Biakabutuka, meanwhile, looks like
he’s become a benchwarmer because of his continued fumble problems. Keep an eye on TE
Wesley Walls, who was shut out last week and complained after the game that he
wasn’t used enough. It’s almost become an annual ploy by Walls to make this
complaint, and in times past, it has resulted in more balls coming his way, since he is
indeed a proven commodity inside the red-zone. Rookie QB Chris Weinke, who has
looked very solid so far (TD runs in each game so far), has indicated he will look more
toward Walls, but be leery of Weinke forcing the ball in Walls’ direction and
possibly doing more harm than good.
New Orleans — The big news on the Saints’ fantasy front is the sudden
re-occurrence of TE Cam Cleeland’s Achilles problems that could limit his
effectiveness. All the other Saints’ fantasy weapons, though, are very well-rested
heading into the Giants’ game, with 21 days off since their last outing. Keep an eye
on WR Joe Horn, who could be ready to explode.
San Francisco — True to his word, 49ers head coach Steve Mariucci is splitting
playing time evenly in the backfield between Garrison Hearst and rookie Kevan
Barlow. Both backs have the exact same numbers heading into the 49ers’ Monday
nighter with the Jets (18 carries for 58 yards). Barlow showed some surprising shiftiness
on his TD run vs. the Rams. Keep an eye on WR Terrell Owens, who could be
determined to make amends for a subpar outing last week in which he dropped four catchable
passes. Owens was so upset with himself after that performance that he watched film of the
game late into the night and took copious notes. He did the same thing last year following
a bad game vs. the Panthers and proceeded to go on a major tear, scoring 10 TDs in his
next six games.
St. Louis — The Rams’ usual high-powered suspects could get their biggest
challenge of the year going up against Miami’s magnificent secondary. Keep an eye on
WR Isaac Bruce, who so far this season has been the biggest factor in clutch
situations. |
