So how are you feeling about your team? Are you riding high at 3-0? Doing fine at 2-1? Moderately frustrated at 1-2? Or ready to jump off a cliff at 0-3?
Take it from a guy who’s got a team in each of those situations…it’s early. There is still plenty of time to get it together.
Post all of your fantasy questions here.
QUARTERBACKS
Chad Pennington, David Carr, Jon Kitna, Rex Grossman, Alex Smith, Charlie Frye
I covered all of these QBs on last week’s WWW and they all played well enough in Week 3 to merit a roster spot. They aren’t yet safe to put in on a weekly basis, but they are all capable of putting up very good numbers against poor to mediocre defenses.
J.P. Losman, BUF
Losman played well against a decent Jets defense, throwing for 328 yards, 1 TD and 1 INT, while also rushing for a TD. Is this a one-week flash or could he put up these numbers consistently? The Bills have a pretty conservative attack, so I wouldn’t expect them to throw this much (38 attempts) on a regular basis.
Vince Young, TEN
There are some rumblings that Young will be starting for the Titans, even as early as Week 4 against the Cowboys. I have my doubts that Young will be able to light it up this early in his career, but the team has some weapons and Tennessee will be constantly trying to come from behind, so he may hold some value to fantasy owners in dire straits at the QB position.
Bruce Gradkowski, TB
Chris Simms is out for a while recovering from his spleen operation. (That still boggles my mind.) Gradkowski will get first shot at replacing him, but he’s a rookie, so it’s hard to expect too much. The Bucs have a bye week to get him ready, and then they face the Saints in New Orleans before playing the Bengals and Eagles at home, so the schedule isn’t exactly favorable. Tampa Bay should be playing quite a bit of catch up, so you never know.
Andrew Walter, OAK
Aaron Brooks is out for a little while longer, so Walter will have his chance to shine. He’s got a big arm, but no mobility, so the key to his success will be how well the Oakland offensive line can protect him. Considering how badly they looked against the Chargers, it’s not an enticing prospect. Still, with games against the Browns and the 49ers the next two weeks, the schedule isn’t exactly tough.
RUNNING BACKS
It is highly unlikely that Laurence Maroney, DeAngelo Williams or Jerious Norwood are available in your league, but if they are, stop reading and go pick them up. Seriously – stop reading. Go.
Still here?
Maurice Morris, SEA
With the news that Shaun Alexander is going to miss a few games with a broken foot, expect a mad rush to the waiver wire to grab Morris, who instantly becomes the starter in Seattle. He isn’t as talented as Alexander, but he’s quick and he can catch the ball. Smart Alexander owners would have already secured him, especially after the news that Shaun was suffering from a sore foot, but Morris will be out there in a few leagues. Go get him.
Travis Henry, TEN
Does anyone truly know what’s going on in the Titans backfield? I certainly don’t. One thing’s for sure: Henry will get some work if he’s healthy. I was expecting he and LenDale White to split the carries, but Henry turned 23 touches into 70 yards, while White only had two touches for four yards. Chris Brown is waiting on the injury report to screw with your head some more.
Maurice Jones-Drew, JAX
Drew turned 17 touches into 135 yards and a touchdown, and it’s clear that the team wants to use him to keep Fred Taylor fresh. He didn’t do anything in the first two games, but this performance probably earned him some touches in the next few weeks. He is a must-handcuff for any “Fragile” Fred Taylor owners, though it’s not clear how many carries LeBrandon Toefield would get in that scenario.
Michael Robinson, SF
Frank Gore should be back for Week 4, but now his owners know who exactly is backing him up. Gore has struggled his whole career with injuries, so it would be a very good idea to grab Robinson, who rushed five times for 29 yards and two touchdowns in Gore’s absence.
Ron Dayne / Samkon Gado, HOU
Dayne got the nod and the load this week, rushing 14 times for 58 yards while also turning one reception into 13 yards. Gado just got one carry. Is Gary Kubiak a big Dayne fan? Maybe, but it’s hard to ignore his history of disappointment. I think Gado is the better back, but Kubiak is in control of the carries. Forget about Wali Lundy, at least for now.
WIDE RECEIVERS
I mentioned Jerricho Cotchery, Marques Colston, Bernard Berrian, Reggie Williams and Chris Henry, and if they are still on your waiver wire, they are good options for your lineup. I’d probably pick them up in the order listed. Obviously, if Amani Toomer is still out there, he would top that list.
Mark Clayton, BAL
Clayton may have been drafted in your league and then dropped. He’s playing opposite Derrick Mason and Todd Heap, so he’ll see lots of one-on-one coverage. He caught eight passes for 74 yards against the Browns, snagging three passes on the Ravens’ game-winning drive.
Mike Furrey, DET
Furrey has supplanted Corey Bradford on the Lions’ depth chart and has caught 14 passes for 160 yards in three games. These numbers could grow as the team gets more comfortable with Mike Martz’ offense.
Chad Jackson / Doug Gabriel, NE
Gabriel caught six passes for 65 yards and a score against the Broncos, while Jackson missed the game with an injury. They have to contend with Troy Brown and Reche Caldwell, but Jackson and Gabriel will probably be starting by year’s end.
TIGHT ENDS
Eric Johnson, SF
Vernon Davis is going to miss some time with a broken leg, so look for Eric Johnson to step in and provide good production for a TE. You probably won’t get the 7-87-1 that he put up against the Eagles every week, but he and Alex Smith already have a rapport, so good numbers aren’t out of the question.
Owen Daniels, HOU
Daniels has a TD catch in each of the last two weeks. He’s a rookie, so he’ll struggle at times, but he should be a decent backup over the course of the season.
Chris Baker, NYJ
Baker caught three passes for 15 yards and a TD this week. That was his second TD of the season. He’s a bye week filler at this point in the season.
George Wrightster, JAX
Wrightster was only able to turn eight targets into four catches for 25 yards. Still, eight targets for a TE is a lot, so expect his numbers to improve if he keeps getting that much opportunity.
Shaun Alexander has a “cracked foot” (?) and could miss a month, according to ESPN’s John Clayton. Mike Holmgren confirmed the injury.
Maurice Morris will take over lead RB duties while Alexander recovers. Obviously, his value skyrockets with this news.
I guess there is something to that Madden Curse after all.
All eyes should be on New Orleans tonight as the Saints have a home game for the first time since Hurricane Katrina. Moreover, U2 and Green Day are performing during the pregame, both teams are 2-0, and it’s the home debut of Reggie Bush.
NFL
Mon, 8:30 PM: Atlanta @ New Orleans – ESPN
CFB
Thurs, 7:30 PM: (2) Auburn @ South Carolina – ESPN
MLB
Thurs, 1:05 PM: Toronto @ Detroit – ESPN2
Thurs, 7:05 PM: Baltimore @ NY Yankees – ESPN2
I like what Brad Childress is doing in Minnesota. He has expunged the sex boat escapades of the past and has turned the Vikings into a stingy, aggressive football team. Chester Taylor is a great back and gives them a versatile player who can run and catch the ball. Troy Williamson, while still plagued by the occasional hands of stone, can get open at will against single coverage and is becoming the team’s most exciting playmaker.
But Childress a couple of questionable calls during the Vikings’ final drive, that had his team trailing, 19-16. With 1:18 to play, Minnesota had a 3rd and 7 at their own 41-yard line, and Childress called a running play to Mewelde Moore. That play call itself wasn’t all that bad – it gained five yards and put the Vikings in a 4th and 2 situation. Still, I don’t know why Taylor isn’t in the game in this situation. Apparently, Childress feels that Moore is the better receiver, but Taylor has shown the ability to make something happen after then catch. Regardless, with 1:10 to play near midfield, and the Vikings needing only a field goal to tie, Childress called a deep pass to Williamson, which wasn’t even close to being completed. Williamson was double covered.
This offseason, the team went out and signed Ryan Longwell for just this situation. The Vikings had plenty of time to run a couple of more plays to get into position for a game-tying field goal. Instead, Childress went for the jugular and it backfired. I don’t mind the aggressiveness, but throw that pass on third down, not fourth. In that situation – at home, down by three – you just have to keep moving the chains and give your kicker the opportunity to send the game to overtime.
Childress was the offensive coordinator in Philadelphia, but Andy Reid called all the plays. I wonder if he was a little unsure of himself, since it was the first time he was calling the shots in a pressure situation in quite a while.
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