This week’s bye team: Buffalo, Jacksonville and
PhiladelphiaAFC East
Indianapolis — The Colts’ defense has had a terrible time of late, especially
against the run, and things don’t look to improve this week. The Colts face the
Raiders, who have a stocked stable of quality running backs who can do it all. This week
would not be a good week to start the Colts’ defense. … If you have WR Jerome
Pathon (foot), it might be wise to hold out on turning in your lineup as long as
possible. It is still uncertain whether or not he’ll play this week. If Pathon
can’t play, rookie WR Reggie Wayne should step into his spot.
Miami — RB Lamar Smith has quieted his critics, and could have another big
game this week against a Jets defense that still has questions along its defensive line.
The Jets have been unable to stop opposing running backs so far this season, and Smith
shouldn’t be an exception. … If he’s still available in your league, scoop
up WR Chris Chambers before he enters the Dolphins’ starting lineup and busts
out. He seems on his way to putting up great fantasy numbers.
New England — While the Patriots will face a great San Diego defense, you
don’t have to shy away from RB Antowain Smith. Smith seems to be running well
again and did a decent job against the Dolphins’ defense, which is also strong
against the run. Smith has three touchdowns in the past two games, and with young QB Tom
Brady calling the shots, Smith should see plenty of action.
N.Y. Jets — The Jets are slowly weaning themselves off using RB Curtis Martin
too much in games and looking to other targets in the offense. While Martin may not post
huge receiving totals as frequently as he had in the past, his rushing numbers
shouldn’t be hurt too much so long as the Jets don’t fall behind in games.
AFC Central
Baltimore — A Ravens offense that is starting to show a lot more balance will get
a good test vs. Green Bay’s sticky defense. Baltimore’s ground game might be
starting to come around behind much better run-blocking. While veteran Terry Allen
(22-108-1 last week in win over Titans) remains the featured back, Jason Brookins
(15-68-1) is an emerging force who many feel will be the featured guy before too long.
Brookins has much better athleticism and elusiveness than Allen and can break more
tackles, although the two are complementing one another quite well at the moment. The same
goes for WRs Travis Taylor and Qadry Ismail, who are now starting outside
and giving QB Elvis Grbac some extremely inviting targets on the edges to go with
always-reliable TE Shannon Sharpe underneath. Taylor has taken over for Brandon
Stokley, whose role in the offense seems to have been whittled down. Rookie TE Todd
Heap (ankle) is extremely questionable for the game in Green Bay.
Cleveland Browns — Even though he has bruised ribs and is experiencing pain, RB James
Jackson will start this week in Cincinnati. … WR Kevin Johnson is really
in sync with QB Tim Couch this year, and people in Cleveland are predicting big
numbers for the wideout in the weeks to come.
Pittsburgh — Another huge game could be in store for RB Jerome Bettis
against Kansas City, who hasn’t been able to corral opposing running backs this
season. The problem with Bettis from a fantasy perspective though, is that he hasn’t
scored a touchdown since Week 13 of last season. With the emergence of RBs Chris
Fuamatu-Ma’afala and Amos Zereoue as capable change-of-pace backups, the
outlook may look grim as far as Bettis’ scoring totals go. But be patient. Bettis
will come through eventually. If you’re in a yardage league, you’re in great
shape. … If you bought into the Hines Ward free-agent frenzy, you may have
made a mistake. While Ward is the go-to guy in the Steelers’ offense, the Steelers
haven’t opened the offense up yet because Kordell Stewart hasn’t looked
comfortable enough to throw the ball downfield.
Tennessee — Titans RB Eddie George suited up for practice Thursday, but his
sprained ankle limited him to just warming up. George is questionable for Sunday’s
game, but head coach Jeff Fisher said the running back’s condition has improved. Said
Fisher: "If he improves (Friday) like he did from (Wednesday) to (Thursday), then
I’d say he’s got a chance." Even if George does play, he’ll likely
lose carries to reserve RBs Mike Green and Skip Hicks. … Keep an eye on
TE Erron Kinney, the one bright spot of a sputtering offense. With Frank Wycheck
playing more of an H-back/FB role, Kinney has caught a lot of the passes that would have
gone to Wycheck. Last week Kinney led the Titans with seven receptions for 75 yards.
AFC West
Denver — RB Terrell Davis returned to practice on Wednesday, and while he
won’t commit to any timetable in terms of his return, we’re hearing early
November is a logical timeframe barring any setbacks. … Look for WR Keith Poole
to see some significant playing time in the next few weeks. The Broncos are desperate for
a No. 2 wide receiver, and with Eddie Kennison’s lack of production and Kevin
Kasper’s ankle injury likely to keep him out a few more weeks, the spotlight
could fall on Poole now that he’s recovered from a hamstring injury. … RB Mike
Anderson ran for 326 yards and four touchdowns in two games vs. Seattle last year.
Kansas City — The Chiefs’ defense has given up a fair number of yards on the
ground and has proven to be very soft up the middle — not a good sign with Jerome
Bettis and the run-happy Steelers coming to town. … While Tony Gonzalez
remains the best tight end in the game and is coming off his first 100-yard game since
Week 14 of last year, he said this week that he is continually facing two and sometimes
three defenders in the red zone. … Don’t expect WR Derrick Alexander to
play this week, as back spasms and the sore Achilles kept him out of practice. Journeyman Chris
Thomas will step in to try to fill the void.
Oakland — The Raiders’ defense will get a huge boost from the return of DT Darrell
Russell this week. The defensive line has been banged up lately, and Russell came back
from his suspension in great shape. … QB Rich Gannon had a huge day vs. the
Colts last season, rushing for three touchdowns. Oakland’s running backs should be in
your lineup this week, as the Colts’ run defense has been torched as of late.
Seattle — RB Shaun Alexander proved more than capable of being a fantasy
starter last week and should remain in the lineup despite the Broncos’ improved play
vs. the run. … The Seahawks WR corps has yet to catch a touchdown pass this season,
but with Trent Dilfer getting the nod at quarterback, Koren Robinson and Darrell
Jackson have a better chance of producing.
NFC East
Arizona Cardinals — Michael Pittman is clearly emerging as the team’s
No. 1 running back over Thomas Jones. However, it might not be the best week to
play him, considering he will be running against a Bears defense that has allowed just
three touchdowns all season, with only one of those being a rushing TD.
Dallas Cowboys — There could be some hope for Cowboys WR Joey Galloway,
after all. After replacing the injured Quincy Carter at quarterback last week in
Oakland, Anthony Wright quickly connected with Galloway on a 40-yard TD strike.
Wright may not be headed to the Hall of Fame, but he is further along in his development
than Carter. … The Cowboys signed Ryan Leaf, and will initially fill the No. 3
QB spot. However, the coaches say that he could quickly move up the depth chart.
New York Giants — Keep Tiki Barber parked on the bench this week, as his
nagging hamstring injury will keep him out for a second straight week. The injury is
taking longer to heal than originally thought. Ron Dayne has returned to practice
and says he expects to play vs. the Rams on Sunday. However, be wary of starting him this
week because his neck injury is still a little bothersome. Damon Washington came
close to 100 yards in relief of Dayne last week, but he has a shoulder injury. … Ike
Hilliard is getting in on about 20 plays per game, but Joe Jurevicius continues
to start along side Amani Toomer.
Washington Redskins — If you are desperate for a quarterback in the coming weeks,
you might want to consider Kent Graham. He has already overtaken rookie Sage
Rosenfels as Tony Banks’ backup. There are now strong indications that
unless Banks improves greatly in a hurry, Graham could be bumped into the starting lineup
in the coming weeks.
NFC Central
Chicago — It’s time to keep a close eye on rookie RB Anthony Thomas.
The second-round pick capped the Bears’ scoring last week with a 32-yard TD run and
finished with a team season-high 57 rushing yards. Though head coach Dick Jauron remains
committed to James Allen for the time being, Thomas will continue to see action,
and he’ll have a favorable matchup Sunday against a weak Cardinals run defense.
Another standout performance could vault Thomas into the spotlight and push Allen
backstage. … WR Marcus Robinson missed most of practice Wednesday and Thursday
with stiffness. Since this week will mark the first time this season Robinson will play
back-to-back games — he missed Week One following back surgery — his condition
is being monitored closely. However, after a promising practice Friday, Robinson is
expected to play Sunday.
Detroit — QB Charlie Batch returns to the staring lineup this week vs.
Minnesota, and believe it or not, he has a pretty good matchup against a suspect defense.
The Vikings have barely mounted a pass rush, and the unit is filled with youth and
inexperience. That said, it would be quite risky to even activate Batch in fantasy
leagues, let alone start him. Though head coach Marty Mornhinweg believes the quarterback
has improved since being benched, we’ll wait to see it rather than believe it. …
RB James Stewart ran well Monday night vs. St. Louis (91 yards), and he merits a
shot this week against a Vikings defense that surrendered 160 rushing yards to New Orleans
last week.
Green Bay — WR Antonio Freeman may want the ball more, but his matchup
against CBs Chris McAlister and Duane Starks doesn’t bode well for any
success Sunday. Freeman continues to struggle getting separation from defenders, and
he’s not particularly athletic. In fact, the Packers probably need to scheme Freeman
for him to be very effective. He’s caught nine passes in four games and was thrown to
only twice last week vs. the Buccaneers. Meanwhile, WR Bill Schroeder has jumped
ahead of Freeman on our team fantasy value chart, and TE Bubba Franks is also in
the mix.
Minnesota — If you haven’t benched RB Michael Bennett by now, give him
this week as a last-chance game. The Lions’ defense has struggled out of the gate,
particularly against the pass, so if QB Daunte Culpepper gets things going, it
could open up some holes for Bennett. Head coach Dennis Green has admitted that the
Vikings will not be a good running team. Instead, they’ll likely try to use their
short-passing game in place of the running game — and that includes passes to
Bennett. But if they have success moving the ball against the Lions, Bennett could finally
strut his stuff as a rusher.
Tampa Bay — Though he was expected to miss 3-4 weeks with a sprained foot, RB Warrick
Dunn looked fine in practice Friday running with the first team, and there’s a
strong chance he could play Sunday, thus missing just one week. Dunn was sharp, and he was
cutting and darting like he was fully healthy. He said he still feels some pain but
admitted he’ll have to play with it and is ready to go. However, that doesn’t
mean the Bucs will play him. Head coach Tony Dungy will make the final decision on game
day.
NFC West
Atlanta — After getting clobbered by the Bears last weekend, Atlanta’s
offense is really dinged up. QB Chris Chandler, who was knocked out of the game vs.
Chicago with a concussion after hurling three interceptions and looking shaky for the
first time this season, will start vs. the Niners this Sunday, with rookie Michael Vick
again slotted as his backup. But it really remains to be seen who Chandler will be
throwing to, considering the Falcons’ WR corps is being held together with chewing
gum and baling wire at the moment. WR Tony Martin (collarbone) remains out, while Terance
Mathis (hip flexor), Shawn Jefferson (sprained back) and Brian Finneran
(herniated disc) are all expected to play, albeit at less than full strength. RB Maurice
Smith (17-71 vs. Chicago) wasn’t too bad in his first start replacing the injured
Jamal Anderson (out for the season), as the Falcons have rushed for 100 yards in
each game this season.
Carolina — We’ll find out just how unflappable rookie QB Chris Weinke
is this weekend when he faces a sack-happy Saints defense (six last week vs. Minnesota)
that registered 16 sacks in its two games vs. Carolina last year. Weinke will continue to
concentrate on hitting WR Muhsin Muhammad, the team’s leading receiver despite
at least one costly drop in each game so far this season, and veteran TE Wesley Walls,
who has become much more of a factor since complaining about his role a few weeks ago. As
far as the ground game goes, Tshimanga Biakabutuka will probably start, with Richard
Huntley and possibly Brad Hoover entering the mix. Nick Goings,
meanwhile, seems to have dropped off the radar screen after a decent start. WR Patrick
Jeffers (knee) is close to being able to come back, but few people believe he can come
anywhere close to being as effective as he was in his breakout campaign two seasons ago.
New Orleans — RB Ricky Williams, who is coming off a huge game vs.
Minnesota, could have a field day vs. a Panthers LB corps that is really banged up with
Dan Morgan and Hannibal Navies definitely out with injuries. QB Aaron Brooks, who
has a 6-1 TD-intercpetion ratio in his last three road games, could also excel. It appears
that Willie Jackson (14-200 in last two games) might have become Brooks’ new
go-to receiver, replacing Joe Horn in that role. But this could be the weekend in
which Horn gets his act together a la the 2000 season.
San Francisco — While the 49ers’ double-barreled ground game featuring RBs Garrison
Hearst and rookie Kevan Barlow appears to be operating on all cylinders,
don’t be surprised if they emphasize more of an aerial attack vs. the Falcons’
31st-ranked pass defense. Keep an eye on 49ers WRs J.J. Stokes and Tai
Streets, who had decent outings in the season opener vs. Atlanta in San Francisco but
haven’t done anything since. TE Greg Clark (hamstring) remains out.
St. Louis — The same offensive stalwarts as usual figure to be as potent as ever
on their home field, where QB Kurt Warner has yet to lose. Warner has completed
72.4 percent of his passes so far this season and has five receivers who are already in
double figures, led by double-threat RB supreme Marshall Faulk (22 catches), who
leads the NFL with 615 yards rushing and receiving. Warner also leads the league with 11
TD passes. Meanwhile, the Rams’ defense also warrants strong fantasy
consideration after pitching its first shutout since moving to St. Louis (last Monday
night vs. the listless Lions). With the Giants’ backfield really banged-up, could
another sterling defensive performance by the Rams’ defenders be in the offing? |
