Category: NFL (Page 1209 of 1282)

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.