– Pierre Thomas didn’t get a carry, but Mike Bell (17 carries, 86 yards, TD) left the game with a MCL sprain, so Thomas should see his workload increase greatly next week, assuming his knee holds up.
– Wow, 284 total yards and three TD for Chris Johnson. And to think, a couple of owners on our Fantasy Q&A were wondering if they should bench him this week after a subpar outing against the Steelers.
– Beanie Wells fumbled, so Tim Hightower (18 touches, 84 yards, TD) got most of the work in the Arizona backfield. Wells looked more explosive, but Hightower is more dependable right now.
– Leon Washington (16 touches, 76 yards) out-touched Thomas Jones (15 touches, 53 yards), and is a solid RB2/flex start in PPR leagues.
– It might be a good time to make an offer for Steve Slaton (20 touches, 59 yards), who has faced two tough rush defenses in the Jets and the Titans so far.
– Cedric Benson (29 carries, 141 yards) is starting to look like an every-week start. He is running with speed, power and elusiveness, and is turning into the back that the Bears thought they drafted a few years ago. Sometimes a change of scenery is all a guy needs.
– This season, the Falcons have been unable to line up and run the ball down the opponent’s throat. Michael Turner (28 carries, 105 yards, TD) had trouble finding running lanes early on, but managed to score late. He is going to be spotty week to week.
– The Bucs couldn’t run the ball, but Carnell Williams was heavily involved in the passing game, catching seven passes for 56 yards and TD. This was the role that I thought Derrick Ward (10 touches, 37 yards) was brought to Tampa to fill.
– Fred Jackson (34 touches, 185 yards) has been the man with Marshawn Lynch out and has proven that he deserves some touches even when Lynch returns. Still, I don’t think he’ll hold up if he’s getting 25-30 a game, so expect him to take a more complementary role in Week 4.
– Matt Forte (18 touches, 62 yards) didn’t have a very good fantasy line, but at least he was involved in the passing game (with five catches).
– We didn’t really see the RBBC that we were supposed to see in the Steeler backfield. Willie Parker had 15 touches (50 yards), Rashard Mendenhall had four touches (for 52 yards, including a 39-yard scamper) and Mewelde Moore had five touches (for 28 yards).
– Willis McGahee (17 touches, 89 yards, 2 TD) out-carried Ray Rice (13 touches, 82 yards) 15 to 8, but Rice was more involved in the passing game (5-46). McGahee looks like the better start right now given his goal line duties.
– Darren Sproles couldn’t run the ball (10 carries, 26 yards), but he was very productive through the air (7 catches, 124 yards, TD). Pick him up if available.
– Knowshon Moreno got 19 touches (for 97 yards) to Correll Buckhalter’s 10 (for 106 yards), so it appears that the team wants to feature the rookie more than they did in the first game at Cincy.
– Marion Barber (20 touches, 155 yards, TD) was a beast on Sunday night. That is, until he strained his quad. Keep an eye on him this week and grab Felix Jones if he’s available.
