Category: Fantasy Football (Page 267 of 324)

NFL.com is reporting that Brandon Jacobs has a sprained MCL and will miss 3-5 weeks. This is great news for Jacobs’ owners; the injury was pretty ugly and it looked like the big RB may have torn something.

Derrick Ward, not Reuben Droughns, will take over RB1 duties and looked great in that role last night. Grab Ward if you can; he’ll make a serviceable fantasy RB2 until Jacobs makes it back.

Here are five observations from the Thursday night game:

1. The Colts’ D is better than advertised (or the Saints’ offense isn’t as good as advertised). The New Orleans offense had a great preseason, but was unable to get anything going against the Colts. Drew Brees was under constant pressure and was forced into a couple of boneheaded throws.

2. Joseph Addai looks like a top 5 back. Until Addai proves he is able to carry the load every week, there will continue to be questions about his durability, but he proved he could handle the workload for an entire game, gaining 143 total yards and scoring once on 26 touches. (Addai owners should handcuff Kenton Keith, who looked good in limited duty.)

3. The Colts offense looks to be in mid-season form. Let’s be clear – the Saints defense isn’t very good. But Indy didn’t play down to their level, and that’s important.

4. At times, Sean Payton forgets about the run, and it’s Reggie Bush and Deuce McAllister who’ll suffer. We saw it in the NFC Championship Game last season, and we saw it again last night. When the Saints get behind, Payton gets itchy and starts throwing the ball on every down. Against Indy, he called 41 pass plays and 25 rushes. Since New Orleans trailed for much of the second half, it makes sense that they would attempt more passes than rushes, but that’s a pretty big disparity.

5. This might be the year that Reggie Wayne usurps Marvin Harrison as the Colts’ WR1. This was the first season that I advocated drafting Wayne over Harrison, since Wayne is a player on the rise and Harrison is getting up in years. I think they’ll both have fine seasons (and should both finish in or around the top 5), but Wayne seems to be taking that next step to super-elite status. He doesn’t strike me as a “give me the damn ball” kind of guy, so Harrison/Wayne may flip flop with big games week-to-week.

Almost there…

We are just hours away from the official kickoff of the NFL season, which means it’s time for our first preview. Each week, I’ll 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 Steven Jackson 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. Right now, these matchups are based on last year’s defensive data, but it will be updated as we get deeper into the season. 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 Vince Young, only do so if you have a clearly better option on your bench.

Let’s dive right in…

START ‘EM

QBs: Tony Romo (vs. NYG), Alex Smith (vs. ARI), Matt Hasselbeck (vs. TB) and Eli Manning (@ DAL)

RBs: Edgerrin James (@ SF), Tatum Bell (@ OAK) and LaMont Jordan (vs. DET)

WRs: Braylon Edwards (vs. PIT), Darrell Jackson (vs. ARI), Mark Clayton (@ CIN) and Joey Galloway (@ SEA)

SIT ‘EM

QBs: Chad Pennington (vs. NEP), Phillip Rivers (vs. CHI), Vince Young (@ JAC) and J.P. Losman (vs. DEN)

RBs: Jerious Norwood (@ MIN), Jamal Lewis (vs. PIT), Thomas Jones (vs. NEP), LenDale White (@ JAC) and Clinton Portis (vs. MIA)

WRs: Bernard Berrian (@ SD), Randy Moss (@ NYJ) and Isaac Bruce (vs. CAR)

SLEEPER OF THE WEEK

Patrick Crayton (vs. NYG)
With Terry Glenn hobbled, Patrick Crayton figures to step in and start opposite Terrell Owens against a suspect Giants’ defense. The Cowboys passing game was terrific in 2006, so they should light it up at home against New York on Sunday night.

If you have any questions, be sure to post them on our Fantasy Q&A.

“Hype,” a noun meaning promotional publicity of an extravagant or contrived kind. Sound familiar? In my latest column, I discuss how owners have to deal with hyped players every draft season. My Hype Machine lists 10 players to watch and, more importantly, what to do about them on draft day.

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