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Bye Weeks: Atlanta, Denver, Kansas City, Miami, Philadelphia,
San Diego
Grab a Helmet
Alex
Green @ STL: I love the Packers. I don’t love Packer running
backs. They’re a sideshow on the best of days and a complete afterthought
on the worst of them. This guy intrigues me a little, however.
He’s bigger than you’d think (6’0”, 225 pounds), has a decent
burst and above-average agility, and has pretty soft hands (which
shouldn’t surprise anyone since he played at the University of
Hawai’i). Oh, and he also hails from the Shot Caller’s very own
hometown of Portland, Oregon (bonus points!). Ced Benson is on
the league’s new short-term injured reserve list and Brandon Saine
will be out for the year, so the job is clearly Green’s for the
foreseeable future. He carried the rock 22 times in the surprise
blowout at Reliant Stadium last Sunday night and he’s probably
good for at least 18-25 totes in games the Pack controls. I expect
them to control this Sunday’s matchup against the Rams so get
Green in your lineup.
Vick
Ballard v. CLE: Unfortunately, I was asleep at the wheel in
most of my various leagues and failed to secure the services of
Mr. Green. Accordingly, I set my sights on the other favorite
waiver wire pickup from last week, Mr. Ballard. Though not exactly
smitten by him (he’s a rookie, after all), I reasoned he’d be
facing two of the league’s worst run defenses in his first two
starts. That’s not a bad way to break in a noob if you ask me.
Just one problem, however: Somebody forgot to tell Rex Ryan his
boys are lousy at stopping the run. The Jets were practically
in Ballard’s hip pockets from the get-go last weekend, swarming
him at every opportunity and limiting the rook to just 25 yards
on eight measly carries. So much for that sneaky start, eh? I’m
willing to give the Mississippi St. product one more chance this
weekend because, on paper, Cleveland isn’t a whole lot better
at stopping opposing running backs. The Browns are surrendering
4.6 yards/carry and over 130 yards/game on the ground and though
I wouldn’t expect quite so much from Ballard, he’s got a decent
chance at 75 yards and an outside shot at triple digits. And yes,
I’m a very wishful thinker.
Someone still believes n CJ2K.
Chris
Johnson @ BUF: I separated my shoulder in a single-bike accident
cruising around Rip City earlier this month (bicycle + streetcar
line = ER visit), but if I had full use of my wing, I’d be using
it to wave a white flag about right now. You win, Chris Johnson.
You. Win. I simply have no idea how productive you’ll be on a week-in,
week-out basis. I do know this, however, since I spent a fair amount
of time trying to solve this riddle of a running back during my
convalescence: He’s faced 6 of the league’s 12 best run defenses
to start the season. Hmmm. Could it be we’ve ignored the most obvious
reason why Johnson has been so staggeringly uneven thus far, that
he’s simply faced some of the league’s best run defenses? I wasn’t
going anywhere in my “big” money league, anyway, so I did what any
reasonable Packer fan who likes to gamble would do in that circumstance:
I traded the farm to my kid brother for Aaron Rodgers and C2K. Ha!
You heard that right: I actually TRADED FOR HIM! Talk about your
wishful thinking. I’m insane, by the way.
Grab a Gatorade
Shonn
Greene @ NE: If I wasn’t totally insane before last Sunday,
Shonn Greene nudged me a whole lot closer to the edge with his
32-carry, 161-yard, THREE-touchdown performance against the Colts,
for which he earned a colorful (and off-color) new middle name
in my household that rhymes with…oh, never mind. I was irritated
because I faced him, of course, but there were probably a lot
of other folks out there irritated for a slightly different reason:
They sat Greene and his 34.1 fantasy points on the bench. The
former Hawkeye is unlikely to cause so much consternation in Week
7 as he squares off against an angry Patriots crew, no doubt made
angrier by Sexy Rexy’s predictably blustery boasts. New England
is giving up just 3.4 yards/rush (82.7 yards/game) and stoned
Marshawn Lynch in Seattle. Moreover, Greene has only scored once
against the Pats in five career meetings and has averaged barely
50 yards per tilt. Sit him down with confidence this weekend.
Marshawn
Lynch @ SF: If ever there was a time to sell high on the aforementioned
Lynch, now is the time to do it. He’s been arguably the league’s
most productive workhorse through six games but now faces a veritable
murderer’s row of run defenses (San Francisco, Detroit, Minnesota,
Miami, and Chicago are five of his next six opponents). That’s
ghoulish, folks, and just in time for Halloween. Should you manage
to navigate that minefield, you’re staring at a rematch with the
Niners in Week 16, likely your league’s championship week. Ugh.
If the prospect of tougher run-stopping units doesn’t frighten
you, by the way, take a look at last Sunday’s boxscore. The Pats
were actually the first tough matchup of this rough stretch for
Lynch and he only managed 41 yards on 15 carries. That’s a preview
of things to come, I fear, so either trade him or lower your expectations.
Frank
Gore v. SEA: Not that the Seahawks are any slouch against
the league’s best running backs, mind you. A Facebook commenter
questioned my recommendation of Stevan Ridley last Sunday, calling
the Seattle defense “legit.” Yeah, I think that’s a pretty accurate
assessment. (And yeah, that was another of my lousy recommendations.)
At this point of the season, only three qualifying backs have
averaged more yards per carry than the Niners’ Gore: C.J. Spiller
(27 fewer carries), Robert Griffin III (he’s not a running back),
and Kendall Hunter (he’s Gore’s backup). Clearly, San Francisco’s
running attack is similarly “legit.” So what happens when Seattle’s
immovable object meets Frisco’s irresistible force? I guess we’ll
find out for sure on Thursday, but you already know how I think
it’ll go down. Sit Gore if you’ve got some other options on your
bench.
Wide Receivers 
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