Category: Fantasy Football (Page 293 of 324)

Every week in the Pregame, I’ll provide 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.

START

This is a great week to start MARK BULGER, who faces a San Francisco defense that gave up 301 yards and 3 TDs to the Cardinals last week…PHILLIP RIVERS also has a great matchup against Tennessee, but the Chargers are going to have to let him put up more than the 11 passes he threw against Oakland if he’s going to be a productive fantasy quarterback…Expect a better game from BRETT FAVRE, who plays the Saints at home. He played well through three quarters against one of the best defenses in the league last week, so his final numbers were a bit misleading…It goes without saying that after last week’s performance, you should start FRANK GORE this week against the Rams, who yielded 161 yards on the ground to the Broncos. But I’ll say it anyway, just to be sure…JAMAL LEWIS should be able to find running room against an Oakland defense that let the Chargers run for 194 yards on Monday night…I’m not so sure that Steve Smith will make it back this week, so KEYSHAWN JOHNSON should be a good start against Minnesota, even though the Vikings’ pass defense is improved. Somebody has to catch passes for the Panthers…ANDRE JOHNSON should receive plenty of targets in his matchup with the Colts. Indy is a little suspect against the pass and Houston will probably be playing from behind most of the game.

BENCH

Don’t expect AARON BROOKS and the rest of the Oakland offense to look as bad as they did Monday night, but they probably won’t do very well against a Baltimore defense that blanked the Bucs last week…LAMONT JORDAN couldn’t run against the Chargers, and he’s not going have an easy time against the Ravens, either…If you have a guy like Reggie Bush or Frank Gore on the bench, it might be a good time to bench EDGERRIN JAMES, but only if you have another good option…Unless you’re desperate, MICHAEL CLAYTON should probably ride the pine until the Bucs’ offense shows us something.

INJURY UPDATE

CLINTON PORTIS, TODD HEAP, JAMAL LEWIS didn’t practice on Thursday, but all are expected to play on Sunday…CARNELL WILLIAMS missed practice as well. Be sure he practices on Friday before setting your lineup…BRIAN WESTBROOK left practice on Thursday with a knee injury and was added to the injury report as “probable.” Mid-week downgrades should raise red flags, so keep an eye on this one…T.J. HOUSHMANDZADEH also missed practice, but is expected to play…TRAVIS HENRY “looked much better” to Jeff Fisher, and should play this weekend…STEVE SMITH missed practice again, and it’s looking more and more like he won’t be back until Week 3. DREW CARTER would start in his place, but KEARY COLBERT would also get some action.

Ben Roethlisberger practiced on Wednesday and looked pretty good, according to reports. Keep an eye on how his body reacts over the next couple of days, but it looks like he will play this week…John Gruden said that the back spasms that Cadillac Williams experienced in the game against Baltimore affected his play, and that he’s expected to be ready for Week 2. If I’m a Williams owner, I’m starting to get worried about this recurring injury. Michael Pittman is quickly becoming a must-handcuff for Caddy…Steve Smith missed practice on Wednesday and is still only nine days out from the hamstring injury he suffered on September 5. He’ll need to practice before he plays, but it’s quite possible that he’s going to sit out another week and let it heal. Since Carolina lost to Atlanta last week, I’m sure there is a sense of urgency to get him back on the field…Joe Jurevicius did not break any ribs but will be out at least this week…Roy Williams said that he wants Mike Williams to start opposite of him. I’m sure the current starter, Corey Bradford, is happy to hear that…Mike Holmgren doesn’t think Deion Branch will be ready to play this week, so he is expected to sit out until Week 3 or 4 so that he can learn the offense…Jake Plummer and Drew Bledsoe got votes of confidence from their coaches, and are still the starters for their respective teams. However, Skeletor’s quote was more encouraging than Parcells’, so keep an eye on Tony Romo. With a solid group of receivers, he could be a productive QB…T.J. Houshmandzadeh is listed as probable, but missed a portion of practice Wednesday. We’ll have more for you later in the week…Vernand Morency will play on third downs for the Packers, which is going to hurt the value of Ahman Green in most leagues. Green used to be the best receiving RB on the team, but with Morency’s arrival, he won’t see many third down targets as the team will try to keep him as fresh as possible.

Remember, if you have any fantasy-related questions, be sure to post them on the Q&A.

ProFootballTalk.com is reporting that the Texans and Packers have swapped Vernand Morency and Samkon Gado. Keep in mind that this report is from a “league source” and is as of yet unconfirmed by either team.

If true, this move certainly helps the fantasy value of Gado, who played well for Mike Sherman last season, rushing for 574 yards and six touchdowns in just seven games before suffering a season-ending knee injury. Gado’s straight-ahead running style is a better fit for the zone-blocking system that Houston uses. Wali Lundy should continue to start for the time being, but Gado is capable of winning the job as the season wears on.

Conversely, Morency will compete for the right to backup Ahman Green, who is a talented injury risk. Oddly, the Packers are using the same run-blocking system as the Texans, yet they acquired a player whose running style hasn’t worked in that system. Still, Morency showed flashes in the preseason, so he could be effective if Green were to go down.

4:50 PM update: The Houston Texans official website has confirmed this trade. Don’t go nuts to get him, but Gado is a nice add this week.

Unfortunately for Willie Parker owners, Bill Cowher doesn’t seem satisfied with him as the goal line back. “Somebody will hopefully come in and fill that role,” said Cowher. Look for Najeh Davenport to have first crack at it. Owners in TD-leagues should add Davenport if they have the roster space…Chris Brown and Travis Henry are both suffering from turf-toe type injuries. Turf-toes can heal quickly or they can linger for some time. This RB situation will continue to be murky until an injury or trade clears it up…Joe Gibbs said that “T.J. Duckett was scheduled to take all the goal-line stuff” but that they “had Ladell [Betts] and Clinton [Portis] in there.” So let me get this straight: Duckett was supposed to take the goal-line carries but he didn’t because there were two other RBs already in the game? That explanation doesn’t really make any sense. Expect Clinton Portis to carry the full load in Week 2…Trent Green is out of the hospital, but probably won’t return to the field until after the team’s bye week, which would put him back under center in Week 4 against the 49ers.

As Week 1 approached, the running back situations for 21 NFL teams (Buffalo, Miami, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Jacksonville, Kansas City, Oakland, San Diego, New York Giants, Philadelphia, Washington, Detroit, Green Bay, Minnesota, Atlanta, Tampa Bay, Arizona, St. Louis, San Francisco and Seattle) were pretty clear. Each of those teams had an established starter who would carry the load. For the other 11 teams, things were a bit (or a lot) murkier.

Let’s check in with the Muddy 11 and see if their running back situations are any clearer:

Houston Texans
Starter: Wali Lundy, Challenger(s): Vernand Morency, Ron Dayne
HC Gary Kubiak indicated that Lundy and Morency would split time, with Lundy getting the starting nod and an extra series or two. After showing some signs of life in the preseason, the Texans’ running game was pretty awful in Week 1. Lundy finished with 32 yards on 11 carries (2.9 ypc), while Morency (5-13) didn’t fare any better. Lundy caught two passes for –1 yard, and Morency finished with six yards on one catch.
Prognosis: Expect this 2 to 1 ratio to continue until one guy proves himself.

New England Patriots
Starter: Corey Dillon, Challenger(s): Laurence Maroney
Maroney is emerging as the best rookie running back not named “Bush.” He had 17 carries for 86 yards (5.1 ypc), while Dillon rushed 16 times for 73 yards (4.6).
Prognosis: As long as Dillon stays healthy and reasonably productive, he’ll continue to start, but Maroney is making his case to be the starter. He’s still struggling in pass protection, so he’s still got some work to do before he’s capable of being an every down back.

New York Jets
Starter: Derrick Blaylock, Challenger(s): Kevan Barlow, Brad Smith
Blaylock carried the ball 19 times for 36 yards (1.9 ypc) and caught two passes for 10 yards. Barlow carried 11 times for 35 yards (3.2 ypc) and did not catch a pass. Smith is a rookie – he carried twice for 13 yards and caught a pass for another 13 yards.
Prognosis: If Blaylock continues to put up such a low ypc average, expect Barlow to get more work. Smith is a darkhorse.

Indianapolis Colts
Starter: Dominic Rhodes, Challenger(s): Joseph Addai
With some pretty big shoes to fill, Rhodes carried 16 times for 29 yards (1.8 ypc) and one touchdown, while catching three passes for 14 yards. Addai carried seven times for 26 yards (3.7 ypc) and also caught three passes for 22 yards.
Prognosis: If Rhodes continues to struggle with his ypc, Addai will continue to get more work. By midseason, Addai could very well be the starter.

Tennessee Titans
Starter: Chris Brown, Challenger(s): Travis Henry, LenDale White
Brown carried 16 times for 64 yards (4.0 ypc), while Henry had nine carries for 22 yards (2.4 ypc) with two touchdowns. It’s clear that Henry is the Titans’ goal line back, but Brown was pretty effective as well. White didn’t play and has had a tough time fitting in with his teammates. (Spitting on them doesn’t really help.)
Prognosis: Expect this situation to stay muddled for a while – only an injury or a trade will clear this situation up.

Denver Broncos
Starter: Tatum Bell, Challenger(s): Mike Bell, Cedric Cobbs
Skeletor is at it again. Tatum Bell carried 15 times for 103 yards, while Mike Bell carried 10 times for 58 yards and a touchdown. Mike also caught 4 passes for 30 yards while Tatum wasn’t involved in the passing game.
Prognosis: Expect more of the same. Both guys will have decent fantasy value as long as they get 14-16 touches per game. It looks like Mike will be more involved at the goal line and in the passing game.

Dallas Cowboys
Starter: Julius Jones, Challenger(s): Marion Barber III
So much for Jones and Barber being, as HC Bill Parcells put it, “interchangeable.” Jones carried 17 times for 72 yards (4.2 ypc) and a score, while also catching one pass for 39 yards. Barber carried three times for 13 yards (4.3 ypc) and caught two passes for 13 yards.
Prognosis: At least for this week, Jones is the clear-cut #1 RB in Dallas. His stock fell quite a bit in preseason and fantasy owners that were able to pick him up in the third or fourth round (or later) will get great value if this ratio of carries continues.

Carolina Panthers
Starter: DeShaun Foster, Challenger(s): DeAngelo Williams
Apparently the Carolina coaching staff doesn’t think that Williams is ready for prime time. He didn’t register a single carry and just had one catch for 8 yards. Meanwhile, Foster racked up 54 yards on 15 carries (3.6 ypc) while catching four passes for 20 yards.
Prognosis: Foster should be more effective once Steve Smith returns, but Williams looks like he’ll be on the bench for a while, at least until Foster goes down.

Baltimore Ravens
Starter: Jamal Lewis, Challenger(s): Mike Anderson, Musa Smith
Lewis shrugged off a hip injury and carried the ball 18 times for 78 yards (4.3 ypc) and found the endzone once. Anderson (7-25) and Smith (2-6) gave Lewis a few breathers. The Baltimore RBs were not very involved in the passing game.
Prognosis: This is Lewis’ job to lose. Expect him to get 15-25 carries as long as he’s healthy and effective.

Chicago Bears
Starter: Thomas Jones, Challenger(s): Cedric Benson
Jones carried 21 times for 63 yards (3.0 ypc) while Benson had 11 carries for 34 yards (3.1 ypc), so it’s safe to say that neither guy outplayed the other. Benson doesn’t have the respect of the teammates, so he’s got some work to do before he’s a serious threat to Jones.
Prognosis: Expect TJ to hold onto the job (and the carry ratio to continue) until one guy separates himself.

New Orleans Saints
Starter: Reggie Bush/Deuce McAllister, Challenger: Reggie Bush/Deuce McAllister
The Saints proved on Sunday that the two players could co-exist. McAllister rushed 22 times for 90 yards (4.1 ypc), while Bush turned 14 carries into 61 yards (4.4 ypc). Bush also led the Saints in receptions (8-58) and it’s clear that the team will try to use him any way they can.
Prognosis: We’ll see more of the same. McAllister will get more carries, but Bush will be heavily involved in the passing game.