Author: John Paulsen (Page 934 of 937)

RUNNING BACKS

Mewelde Moore, MIN – It’s highly doubtful Moore still on your waiver wire, but he’s now the starting running back for the Vikings and you should snatch him up immediately if he’s still available.

Marcel Shipp, ARI – J.J. Arrington has been a disappointment thus far and HC Dennis Green seems to have more confidence in Shipp at the moment. Marcel is a must-add if you already drafted Arrington.

WIDE RECEIVERS

Terry Glenn, DAL – I’m not a huge believer in Glenn, mostly due to his history of injury, but he’s caught 14 balls for 336 yards and a TD over the first three games. Those are good numbers no matter what league you’re in.

Travis Taylor, MIN – With Nate Burleson out with an injury, Taylor moved into the spotlight on Sunday catching three passes for 40 yards and two scores. He should continue to thrive with Burleson out and the offense improving.

Kevin Curtis, STL – If teammate Isaac Bruce misses any more time with his toe injury, Curtis’ value will skyrocket. With Bruce missing most of this week’s game, Curtis caught five passes for 56 yards and a score.

Greg Lewis, PHI – Over the first three weeks, Lewis has caught 15 balls for 153 yards and a touchdown, making him worth a roster spot in deeper leagues that reward receivers with 1 point per reception. He should continue to take advantage of the single coverage he receives when Terrell Owens and Brian Westbrook are on the field.

Reggie Williams, JAX – His numbers so far this season are not overly impressive (13 catches for 133 yards and zero TDs), but he’s consistently targeted and should continue to improve as the season wears on. Jimmy Smith is no spring chicken, so Reggie’s value is growing as time goes on, especially in dynasty leagues.

Bobby Engram, SEA – I talked about him last week, but he deserves another mention. In the first three games, he’s caught 18 passes for 210 yards. If your league gives one point per reception, Engram is worth having.

Last week’s picks:

START

Carson Palmer – 337 yards passing, 3 TDs, 1 INT
Ahman Green – 99 total yards
Eddie Kennison – 4 rec., 52 yards

BENCH

Chad Pennington – 190 yards passing, 2 TDs
Carnell Williams – 128 yards, 1 TD
Eric Moulds – 1 catch, 8 yards
Lee Evans – 2 catches, 12 yards

Palmer and Williams are looking like every week starters, unless you have tremendous QB or RB depth. Kennison seems like a questionable start (in a 2 WR lineup) until the KC passing game gets back on track. Moulds and Evans should be benched when they face a strong defense.

On to this week’s picks:

START

QB – Brian Griese
Unless you have a stud at this position, Griese should be a nice play this week. He faces a weak Green Bay pass defense that yielded 336 yards and 3 TDs to the Browns.

RB – Willis McGahee
Owners may be shying away from starting McGahee, who had awful numbers against a stout Tampa Bay defense last week. This week, he faces a looser Atlanta defense that gave up 144 yards rushing to Shaun Alexander last week.

WR – Donte Stallworth
Stallworth had an excellent game against the Giants on Monday night and this week he faces a porous Vikings defense. The questionable Saints defense is just what the doctor ordered for Culpepper, so this one should be a high scoring affair, leading to more opportunities for Stallworth.

BENCH

QB – Michael Vick
He’s already listed as questionable, but Vick should be benched this week if you have any other decent options at QB. Atlanta plays Buffalo, so it should be a tough game for the Atlanta offense.

RB – Ahman Green
The Packer offense looks bad and Green, while running pretty well, hasn’t been a huge part of the team’s game plan. This week, the Packers face the Buccaneers, who are playing some of the best defense in the league.

WR – Robert Ferguson
Over the course of a season, Ferguson should step into the #2 WR role in GB and put up solid fantasy numbers, but it would be a good idea to bench him this week against Tampa Bay.

KEY INJURIES

Brandon Lloyd – P
Bubba Franks – Q
Byron Leftwich – Q
Chris Brown – Q
Curtis Martin – Q
David Akers – Q
Donovan McNabb – Q
Drew Bennett – Q
Duce Staley – Q
Eric Johnson – D
Greg Lewis – P
Jay Feely – Q
Jerome Bettis – D
Lee Suggs – Q
Michael Vick – Q
Mike Anderson – P
Nate Burleson – D
Ronald Curry – O
Stephen Davis – Q
Tatum Bell – Q
Terrell Owens – P
Tom Brady – P

QUARTERBACKS

Trent Dilfer, CLE – Dilfer tore up a weak Packer secondary for 336 yards and three touchdowns. Don’t expect numbers like this every week, but with a talented group of receivers, he could be a good backup this season.

RUNNING BACKS

Travis Henry, TEN – If Henry is somehow available in your league, now would be the time to pick him up. Chris Brown sat out the second half with a concussion and his status for Week 3 is uncertain.

Mewelde Moore, MIN – Another guy probably not on your waiver wire, but make sure. With Michael Bennett getting benched after two fumbles, this might be the opportunity Moore and his owners have been waiting for.

Derrick Blaylock, NYJ – It appears that Curtis Martin might miss next week’s game with a knee injury, so if you have room on your roster and need RB help, Blaylock would be a nice addition with good upside.

Ron Dayne, DEN – Dayne carried the ball eight times for 44 yards, backing up starter Mike Anderson. The bigger story is that Tatum Bell didn’t get any work. Is Dayne rising on the depth chart? Only HC Mike Shanahan knows for sure, but Dayne’s value would skyrocket if he were to get 15-20 carries a game.

WIDE RECEIVERS

Travis Taylor, MIN – Minnesota’s passing game has yet to get on track, but Taylor shined Sunday with seven catches for 75 yards. He might be available in 10-team leagues and is worth a roster spot.

Bobby Engram, SEA – In his second straight solid outing, Engram caught five balls for 77 yards and is especially valuable in leagues that reward one point per reception.

Samie Parker, KC – The Chiefs’ #2 WR has caught five passes for 109 yards in the first two games and is worth a look for owners in deeper leagues (12+ teams) looking for WR help.

TIGHT ENDS

Steve Heiden, CLE – QB Trent Dilfer seemed very comfortable with Heiden on Sunday as the duo hooked up six times for 104 yards and two touchdowns. Heiden would make a good backup for a fantasy squad looking for TE depth.