Category: Fantasy Football (Page 264 of 324)

Thanks to a bout of food poisoning, my week 3 recollections are a bit hazy. However, I was able to glean a few useful tidbits for fantasy owners, including Ronnie Brown’s return to a feature role, Marion Barber’s arrival in Studsville and Tom Brady’s heist of Peyton’s QB crown. It’s all in my latest column.

Every week, I highlight a few players to start and a few players to sit at each position. I’m a firm believer in starting your studs, so I won’t tell you about how Carson Palmer or LaDainian Tomlinson has a tough matchup – just go ahead and start them. I’ll focus on the borderline guys – players you’ll only start under the right circumstances. It’s important to note that depending on your roster and situation, you may not be able to follow these recommendations. For example, if I suggest you bench a solid starter like Ben Roethlisberger, only do so if you have a clearly better option on your bench.

START ‘EM

QB: Chad Pennington has a nice matchup against Buffalo, who has yielded 286 yards and 2 TD per game to opposing QBs this season…Jeff Garcia is also a decent option for those in need of QB help. The Panthers have given up 252 yards and 1.7 TD per game through the air thus far…Everything is lined up for Brian Griese for his first start of the season. He faces the Lions, who have allowed a league-worst 296 passing yards per game this season, along with an average of 2 pass TD per game…At this point in his career, Steve McNair is a dicey start, but he has a great matchup with Cleveland. The Browns have given up an average of 263 passing yards and 3.7 pass TD in three games.

RB: Marshawn Lynch is a good start against the Jets, who have allowed an average of 121 yards and 1 TD on the ground in three games…Definitely start Thomas Jones against Buffalo – the league’s worst rush defense…He’s been spotty thus far, but Cedric Benson should be good for 90 yards and a score against a Detroit defense that is 23rd against the run and has allowed 2 rush TD per game.

WR: It seems strange, but the Ravens have been pretty mediocre against the pass (255 yards per game), and especially bad against opposing WRs. This means Braylon Edwards could be in for a big day…Dwayne Bowe is coming on and he’s facing a Chargers defense that has allowed 264 yards per game. He’s an option for those needing help at WR…Chris Chambers (vs. OAK), Wes Welker (@ CIN), Laveranues Coles and Jerricho Cotchery (@ BUF) all have favorable matchups this week.

SIT ‘EM

QB: Don’t count on much from Matt Leinart, who faces a Steelers defense that is on fire. He may also be reeling from being benched last week…Jay Cutler (@ IND) and Phillip Rivers (vs. KC) have difficult matchups this week…Be sure to stay away from Jake Delhomme if at all possible. Not only is he iffy to play, he faces a Bucs defense that is playing great right now; they’re allowing just 187 yards per game.

RB: Edgerrin James faces a Steelers defense that has allowed just 80 yards a game on the ground and has yet to allow a rushing TD…Rudi Johnson is out for Monday’s game against the Patriots, but you should also stay away from his backup, Kenny Watson. The Pats have yielded an average of just 74 yards on the ground and 0.3 rush TD per game…Jamal Lewis should be avoided, if possible. The Ravens are the league’s #1 rush defense (62 yards per game) and haven’t allowed a rushing TD yet this season.

WR: Those hoping for Andre Davis to produce again this week may be disappointed. Atlanta is 0-3, but they are pretty good at suppressing their opponents’ WRs…Anquan Boldin and Larry Fitzgerald are still startable, but they are up against a tough Steelers D. The entire Arizona passing game figures to struggle…For those of you that haven’t heard, Craig Davis is now “Buster” Davis. He had a nice game against Green Bay, but don’t expect him to do too much against the Chiefs, who have been surprisingly good against the pass (183 yards per game).

SLEEPER OF THE WEEK

Ron Dayne (@ ATL)
I’ve been burned by Dayne before (haven’t we all?) but he shouldn’t be a bad start for those desperate souls dealing with bye week issues. With Ahman Green out, he figures to be the main ball carrier and he has a favorable matchup against Atlanta, who has allowed 142 yards a game on the ground.

TOUGH SLEDDING

Larry Johnson (@ SD)
The LJ saga continues. He’s still worth a start (assuming he plays), but he has a tender hammy and he’s facing a tough Chargers defense that has only yielded 88 yards per game. But there’s good news for Johnson owners: his schedule lightens up considerably after week 5 and he has two great matchups in weeks 15 and 16. Let’s hope he lasts that long!

You’ve got questions, we’ve got answers.

Let’s do this!

Each week, I highlight a few players that you should target in waivers. I’ll use the ESPN league data when filtering players, so the only players eligible for discussion here are those that are available on the waiver wire of at least 40% of ESPN’s leagues. I’ll list each player’s percentage-owned after their name so you have an idea of how available they are in leagues around the country. I’ll always try to talk about a player or two that are available in 90% of leagues for those of you in 12-team leagues or leagues with big rosters.

QUARTERBACKS

Matt Schaub (49.3) is still available in over half of ESPN’s leagues. Even without Andre Johnson and facing a pretty good Colts defense, he put up decent numbers. If AJ misses a lot of time, it would hurt Schaub, but with Johnson back in the lineup, he’s a dangerous QB2…David Garrard (35.3) threw for 152 yards and a score against the Broncos, who have one of the best pass defenses in the game. He also added 52 rushing yards in the victory. On the season, he’s averaging 210 pass yards, 1 TD and 32 yards on the ground. That’s 17.5 points per game in a standard scoring format, which makes him a good QB2… Jason Campbell (26.3) didn’t light up the Giants as expected (190 yards, 1 TD), but he wasn’t bad either. I think he’ll continue to improve and is a good backup for a QB1 with a bye week of 9 or 11…He didn’t throw for a ton of yards, but Chad Pennington (55.4) did throw for two scores and led the Jets to a win. He has a pretty favorable schedule ahead of him, so he should continue to be a decent QB2 as long as he stays healthy… Jeff Garcia (30.2) didn’t do anything to help is stock on Sunday, but he’s still a good option for those in need of a spot starter in week 4 (when the Bucs face the Panthers)…Derek Anderson threw two picks, but he also posted 248 yards and two scores, one on the ground and one through the air. His schedule is mediocre, for the next few weeks, so he isn’t a bad option for those desperate for some production at the QB position…Damon Huard (7.1) had a great 2006, and had a pretty nice game against Minnesota (206 yards, 1 TD). Dwayne Bowe is coming on, which will only help Huard’s chances.

RUNNING BACKS

Given my criteria, the pickings are pretty slim at RB. With Ahman Green hobbled, Ron Dayne (15.7) might be worth a pickup for those owners in a tough spot in week 4. If he can’t go Samkon Gado (0.2) would probably get the start…Brian Leonard (9.0) should get the start now that Steven Jackson is out for a week or two…Earnest Graham (0.2) filled in admirably for Cadillac Williams, who left the game with fumbling problems (or an injury, depending on whom you believe). After the game, Gruden said that he needed to find a way to get Graham involved. He is 27 and from Florida, and hasn’t had much of a shot in his young career. When he was a rookie, he played behind Michael Pittman, and then Williams came in a year later, so the PT just hasn’t been there…Sammy Morris (14.2) continues to vulture carries from Laurence Maroney, and that will continue for the foreseeable future…Kenny Watson (2.5) would be a good stopgap RB if Rudi Johnson misses any time with the hamstring injury that forced him out of Sunday’s action.

WIDE RECEIVERS

Brandon Marshall (47.9) looked great against the Jags, racking up seven catches for 133 yards and should be owned in all leagues…Shaun McDonald (24.7) had another big day (5-76-1) and should continue to thrive in Detroit’s wide-open offense…Even with Greg Jennings back, James Jones (13.1) looked good, catching six passes for 79 yards, and he almost scored. The Packers threw 45 times on Sunday and figure to pass the ball a lot the rest of the way…Roddy White (1.8) has caught 11 balls for 208 yards and a score over the last two weeks and it looks like a light has finally switched on. He was highly touted coming out of college and is in his third year, which is a common year for WRs to breakout. A word of warning: Joey Harrington looks his way a ton, but Byron Leftwich may not…Nate Burleson (5.7) has really come on as the starting flanker in Seattle. Over the past two weeks he has caught eight balls for 115 yards and two scores…Dwayne Bowe (11.8) has caught a TD in each of the last two weeks and is emerging as a viable threat alongside Tony Gonzalez in the KC passing game…Bobby Engram (7.9) has gone over 60 yards in each of the first three games. With D.J. Hackett out, he has value, especially in PPR leagues…Andre Davis (0.2) caught four passes for 70 yards against the Colts, and with both Andre Johnson and Jacoby Jones out with injuries, he should get a bunch of snaps.

TIGHT ENDS

Owen Daniels (43.1) is a no-brainer pickup with Andre Johnson hobbled…Eric Johnson (24.5) continues to play an important role in the New Orleans passing game…Donald Lee (2.0) seems to be Brett Favre’s security blanket over the middle. He’s not a burner, but he has nice hands and finds ways to get open…Jeff King (1.4) has 13 catches on the season and scored on Sunday. Those desperate for TE help should grab him.

The news that Brian Westbrook was going to have a MRI on his knee was incorrect. It’s not the same knee that has bothered him in the past, but Westbrook has been held out of practice. However, the general feeling is that he’s going to play on Sunday…LaMont Jordan returned for an intense practice on Thursday, which is a good sign, but he’s still listed as questionable, leaving Sunday’s game in doubt. Some believe this is just gamesmanship on the part of Lane Kiffin, but since the Raiders have a late game, those owners with another good option may want to use it…Andre Johnson is going to miss Sunday’s game and he may be out for a while. There are both optimistic and pessimistic reports, so it’s tough to tell which way this is going to go, but you can definitely bench him this week…Plaxico Burress returned to practice today, so he should be good to go for Sunday’s game…Darrell Jackson has sat out of two straight days of practice, but is still expected to start. He faces a tough Steelers defense, so he should be benched if possible. If you don’t have any good options, see if he practices today before inserting him in your lineup…James Jones and Greg Jennings are both iffy for Sunday with bad hamstrings, but Jones seems to be a better bet to start…With Tavaris Jackson still hobbled (and coming off a four-interception game), Kelly Holcomb will likely start at QB for the Vikings. He’s not a good fantasy option at the moment, but he’s someone to keep an eye on…Redskins guard Randy Thomas will not be placed on IR in the hopes that he’ll be able to return in 10-12 weeks. Washington has already lost tackle Jon Jansen, so the Thomas injury is another big blow to Clinton Portis’ prospects for the season. Thomas is considered to be the team’s best run blocker. Portis has nice matchups over the next two games, so after Week 5, it might be a good time to move him…Vernand Morency is going to miss more time, which means DeShawn Wynn should have a shot to take over RB1 duties from rookie Brandon Jackson…Kevin Jones returned to practice, but has been limited. The Lions are saying that they want to get him in for 15-20 snaps, which means he might see 5-10 touches in Sunday’s game. Keep him on your bench until he’s named the starter…Chad Pennington and Jerricho Cotchery have been limited in practice, but both are expected to play…L.J. Smith had surgery to clean out scar tissue in his groin. Man, that sounds bad. Anyway, he’s listed as “week-to-week” and owners can’t be blamed for cutting him at this point if there are better options at TE on the waiver wire.