Category: Fantasy Football (Page 291 of 324)

Every week in The Pregame, I’ll suggest a few players to start and a few to bench. These recommendations are based on that player’s strength of schedule (SOS) for that particular week or that player’s specific situation.

I’m a strong advocate of always starting your studs, so I won’t be telling you about Shaun Alexander’s tough matchup or how Peyton Manning and company will light it up against a bad defense. Anyone can make those calls. I’ll be discussing marginal fantasy starters – guys that can start for you, but only under certain circumstances. So let’s get to it.

START

For those of you thinking about jumping off the DAUNTE CULPEPPER bandwagon, grab a seat, at least for another week. It’s true, Pepper hasn’t looked very good the last couple of weeks, making a lot of Miami fans yearn for Drew Brees, but he has faced two tough defenses and, with this week’s matchup against the Titans, things are about to get a lot easier. Tennessee gave up an average of 269 yards and 1.5 TD through the air in the first two games, and has yet to pick off a pass. Most importantly, the Titans have only two sacks on the year, so Daunte should be able to survey the field for minutes at a time, as he’s so fond of doing. If the Miami offense can’t do it this week, they may never get it together…Neither guy is dependable, but JON KITNA and MARK BRUNELL have great matchups this week against the Packers and the Texans, respectively. If you’re dealing with a disappointing, marginal QB as your starter (I’ve got Jake Plummer and Trent Green on one team), these guys should make good fill-ins this week…Look for JAMAL LEWIS and WILLIS MCGAHEE to have solid weeks. They face the Browns and Jets, respectively. The Browns have given up 316 rush yards and 2 TD on the ground in the first two games, while the Jets have allowed 233 and 4 TD on the ground thus far…DERRICK MASON should also be productive against the Browns, who have given up 246 yards per game through the air…Suffice to say, ANTONIO BRYANT is becoming a must-start, but be sure to insert him into your lineup this week as he’ll face an Eagles defense that has yielded 245 pass yards and 2 TD per game this season. They are also without Jevon Kearse, which will hurt their pass rush. For the same reasons, ALEX SMITH is a nice start this week.

BENCH

If you have a good alternative, this would be a good week to give DREW BREES a seat on the bench. He’s facing a tough Falcons defense that has picked off four passes and has yet to give up a TD through the air. Brees is on a roll, so if you’re other options aren’t good, stick with the hot hand…REUBEN DROUGHNS is going to find the going quite tough against the Ravens, who lead the league in rushing yards allowed (33 per game)…Unless JOSEPH ADDAI is involved in the passing game, I doubt he’ll find much success as he faces a Jacksonville defense that has given up just 57 rush yards per game on the ground…LAVERANUES COLES is off to a great start, but has been hampered this week with a calf injury. He’s questionable, so keep an eye on this situation this weekend. If you have another good option, it might not be a bad game to sit him as he faces a pretty tough Bills defense this week. Plus, Buffalo shouldn’t score much, so the Jets probably won’t be in catch up mode the entire game.

Look for all the injury information later today, in The Update.

In the last half of August, Daunte Culpepper’s Average Draft Position (ADP) at Antsports.com was 7.02, making him the eighth QB off the board, ahead of Jake Delhomme, Kurt Warner, Drew Bledsoe, Trent Green and Mike Vick.

Owners that drafted Culpepper were probably did so because of his 2004 season, one of the greatest statistical performances ever turned in by a QB. He threw for 4717 yards and 39 touchdowns against only 11 picks, yielding a stellar QB rating of 110.9. He also rushed for 406 yards and two scores. In 2003, he threw for 3479 yards and 25 scores against 11 picks, yielding a very good QB rating of 96.4. That season, he also rushed for 422 yards and four touchdowns.

From a performance fantasy perspective, Culpepper averaged a phenomenal 32.6 ppg in 2004 and a very good 24.4 ppg the year before. So it seemed reasonable to some that those numbers were within reach after he joined an up-and-coming Miami team with several good weapons – Ronnie Brown, Chris Chambers and Randy McMichael – to work with.

But, coming into the season, Culpepper’s value was held down by glaring problem – the 2005 season. Before suffering a brutal knee injury in Week 8, Culpepper (and his team) were off to one of the worst starts of his career. Not counting the game in which he got injured, he threw for a respectable 1536 yards, but only threw six touchdowns against 12 interceptions. This projects out to 4096 yards, 16 touchdowns and 32 interceptions. His QB rating for 2005 was 72.0, the worst of his career.

So what happened to Culpepper in 2005? Well, he lost his best WR, Randy Moss. Despite his good career completion percentage (64.2%), Culpepper isn’t all that accurate of a thrower. Many of the passes he completed to Moss were bombs, where he simply threw the ball up and Moss went and got it. Culpepper is a talented deep thrower, and he was at his best when he had Moss to throw to. Chris Carter’s phenomenal hands also had a positive effect on Culpepper’s career accuracy.

Thus far, in two games with the Dolphins, he’s thrown for 512 yards, one touchdown and three interceptions, which projects to 4096 yards, eight scores and 24 picks over the course of a full season. Only he might not make it through 16 games. He’s been sacked nine times in two games, and is holding the ball way to long in the pocket. With the knee injury limiting his mobility, he’s a statue back there. He’s never been a guy that was effective at buying himself time within the pocket – when the pressure came, he would either tuck the ball and run or he would quickly roll out of the pocket to make the throw. His mobility always had to be accounted for, so linebackers would cheat up in coverage to keep an eye on him. This opened up throwing lanes behind the LBs – lanes that are no longer there. He needs to adjust to his new reality and make decisions more quickly in the pocket. The days of him buying time with his feet are long gone.

In fairness, Culpepper has faced two tough defenses in Pittsburgh and Buffalo. I expect his numbers to improve over the next two weeks as he faces a porous Tennessee and Houston defenses. The Dolphins have designs on the playoffs and desperately need two wins against two subpar opponents to get back to .500. The remaining schedule isn’t exactly easy, and Culpepper will have to step up his play dramatically if the Dolphins hope to reach the postseason. Fantasy owners with Culpepper on their roster need to keep their fingers crossed.

According to ESPN, Billy Volek has been traded to the Chargers for a late-round draft pick, and will serve as the backup to Phillip Rivers. Considering how badly the Tennessee offense is looking, I’m not sure why they wouldn’t want to keep Volek around as an option, but it appears that if they grow tired of Kerry Collins, they’re ready to move forward with Vince Young…Steve Smith reportedly flew to Alabama to seek a second opinion on his hamstring. This is very bad news for Smith owners as it appears that the hammy is not healing as expected. Don’t be surprised if he misses more time. That sound you’re hearing is Drew Carter‘s stock slowly rising…T.J. Houshmandzadeh should be ready to go in Week 3. It’s time for Housh to strap ’em up.

The byes start this week, so be sure you don’t sleep on your starting lineup. Post your fantasy football questions here.

The RB pickings continue to be pretty slim on the wire, but there are probably a few decent options at the other positions. This weekend, Jerricho Cotchery and Marques Colston proved that last week’s performances weren’t flukes, while Rex Grossman had a career day against the Lions. Here is a list of players that may be available on your league’s waiver wire.

QUARTERBACKS

Chad Pennington, NYJ
Pennington probably isn’t out there on too many waiver wires, but he’s a great option at QB for teams with a weakness in that area. In two games, he’s thrown for 625 yards and four touchdowns against only one interception. In Laveranues Coles and Jerricho Cotchery, he’s got two very good wideouts to work with (not to mention two of the more difficult names to spell). The Jets will be playing from behind much of the season, so most weeks you can expect 200+ yards and a TD or two from Pennington.

David Carr, HOU
Like Pennington, Carr is probably not on your waiver wire, but he’s worth a look if he is there. After a big game against the Colts last week, Carr is up to 427 yards and four TDs on the year and seems to be playing better. It’s not clear if he can keep it up, but like the Jets, the Texans will be behind a lot this year and Carr has two good receivers to throw to in Andre Johnson and Eric Moulds.

Jon Kitna, DET
Kitna is at the helm of a Mike Martz offense that should be productive. So far, he’s thrown for decent yardage (459) in two games, but hasn’t yet found the endzone. That said, he has faced two of the best defenses in the league in Seattle and Chicago, so an easier schedule in the upcoming weeks might provide better results.

Rex Grossman, CHI
Grossman followed up a pretty good showing against Green Bay with an excellent game against the Lions, throwing for 289 yards and four touchdowns in a 34-7 win. The Bears drafted Grossman to be their franchise quarterback and so far this season, he’s playing like one.

Alex Smith, SF
Over the last two weeks, Smith has thrown for 521 yards and two touchdowns, and looks light years ahead of where he was at this time last season. He has three pretty good weapons in Frank Gore, Vernon Davis and Antonio Bryant, and should provide decent backup numbers the rest of the season.

Charlie Frye, CLE
Frye didn’t exactly light it up against the Bengals. The young QB threw for 244 yards and two interceptions, but rushed four times for 10 yards and a score. The Browns are going to live and die with Frye, so expect him to put up some decent numbers in garbage time as the team will be constantly trying to catch up.

RUNNING BACKS

Ladell Betts, WAS
What’s going on with Clinton Portis’ shoulder? That’s the million-dollar question in Washington. Joe Gibbs said that Portis was experiencing pain in a different part of the shoulder, and maybe I’m jumping to conclusions, but that doesn’t sound very good. You should snatch Betts up if he’s available.

Samkon Gado, HOU
So much for all the Wali Lundy hype. After he acquired Gado and Ron Dayne, Gary Kubiak said they were going to use a RBBC, and they did, splitting 20 carries this way: 11 for Dayne, six for Lundy and three for Gado. Only Gado was actually productive, turning those three carries into 36 yards. I think he’s got the best chance of becoming the man, though the RBBC will probably continue for a few more games.

Ron Dayne, HOU
I don’t really recommend putting any faith in Dayne, who has seemingly squandered every opportunity he’s had over the past several years. But Kubiak acquired him for a reason, and was already familiar with the back from his years in Denver. He may develop into the starter, so he’s worth a roster spot if you have room.

WIDE RECEIVERS

Jerricho Cotchery, NYJ
Cotchery proved Sunday that last week was no fluke. He caught six passes for 121 yards, including a 71-yard TD catch. He has been targeted 17 times in the past two weeks and will continue to be a large part of the Jets’ offense. They’ll be behind quite a bit this season, so Cotchery will have a lot of balls thrown his way. If he’s still out there, be sure to add him to your roster.

Marques Colston, NO
Colston is another young receiver that is making the most of his opportunity. With Donte Stallworth gone, Colston has moved into the starting lineup opposite Joe Horn and has the confidence of Drew Brees, who has targeted him 17 times. Through two games, he has eight catches for 107 yards and two scores. Not bad for a rookie.

Reggie Williams, JAX
Williams followed up a 6-47-1 effort last week with an 8-95 performance against the Steelers on Monday night. The Jaguars are looking to get him the ball with the short stuff, which makes him especially valuable in PPR leagues. Williams might just be tapping into that potential that made him the ninth overall pick in 2004.

Bernard Berrian, CHI
Berrian hasn’t been targeted a ton (nine in two games), but he’s been productive, catching six balls for 138 yards and two scores. I’m not sure that the Bears will keep up this production through the air, but Berrian seems to be the second best WR on the roster after Muhsin Muhammad.

Patrick Crayton, DAL
Crayton hasn’t done much this season, but if Terrell Owens misses any games, he stands to benefit. The Cowboys’ bye is next week, so T.O. has two weeks before his next game. He’s expected to miss 2-4 weeks for recovery, so it’s unclear if he’ll really miss any time.

Chris Henry, CIN
After putting up dismal numbers in the first game (1 catch for –5 yards), Henry bounced back in a big way against the Browns, catching five passes for 113 yards. As long as T.J. Houshmandzadeh continues to miss time, Henry has decent WR2 value.

Drew Carter, CAR
Speaking of guys filling in for an injured starter, Carter has caught nine passes for 96 yards with Steve Smith out for the last two games. Once Smith comes back, Carter will have minimal value, but he’s a decent spot starter with Smith out.

Chad Jackson, NE
Jackson missed much of the preseason with a hamstring injury, but caught two passes for 42 yards and a score on Sunday. With the way that Tom Brady spreads the ball around, New England WRs are notoriously undependable, but Jackson is the most athletic of the group.

TIGHT ENDS

Desmond Clark, CHI
I mentioned Clark last week, and after Sunday’s nice game, he’s now caught 10 passes for 162 yards and a score. He obviously has the confidence of his QB, as he only trails Muhammad by one (14 to 13) in targets on the season. Anyone looking for TE production should add Clark immediately.