Week 11
11/17/06
Steppin' Up
Ben Roethlisberger, PIT: The
bad news for Roethlisberger owners is that he has thrown 14 interceptions
in his 8 games played this season. The good news however, is that
he is averaging 255 yards an outing, and all 10 of his touchdown
passes have come within the last 5 games. Coming off his best
performance of the year, in which he completed 17 of 28 passes
for 264 yards and 3 touchdowns, Roethlisberger and the Steelers
head to Cleveland for a match up against the Browns. While Cleveland
has faired pretty well defending the pass (ranked 6th overall),
they are atrocious when it comes to stopping the run (ranked 30th
overall). Expect Willie Parker to have a good day rushing the
ball, which should open things up for Roethlisberger and his receivers,
resulting in another 200-plus yard 2-3 touchdown game. The following
week he faces a difficult Ravens defense before playing home games
against Tampa Bay and Cleveland. Consider benching him against
the Ravens, but he should be a solid start at home against the
Buccaneers and Browns.
Steppin' Down
Eli Manning, NYG: Not since
Week 6 in a game against Washington has Eli Manning thrown for
more than 190 yards in a game. In fact, in the 5 games since then,
Manning is averaging just 165 yards an outing and completing a
lowly 51.7% of his passes. While Eli has thrown at least 1 touchdown
in all but 1 game this season, he has also thrown at least 1 interception
in all but 2 of them. The third-year QB still has a lot of potential
going forward and may be able to capitalize on it again this season.
But with his recent struggles and the loss of wide receiver Amani
Toomer for the season, it may be best to keep him benched and
take a wait and see approach before inserting him back into your
starting lineup.
Matt Leinart, ARI: Despite an
impressive showing in the first two starts of his career, Leinart
has looked more and more like a rookie quarterback in recent weeks.
When he took over for Kurt Warner in Week 5, the 10th overall
pick in this years draft combined for 485 passing yards and 4
touchdowns in games against the Kansas City Chiefs and Chicago
Bears. Since then, his production has dropped off significantly.
In the last 3 weeks, Leinart has thrown 7 interceptions and completed
just 44.8% of his passes. He's thrown just 1 touchdown and averaged
less than 200 yards a game during that same span. While the return
of Larry Fitzgerald provides hope for the Cardinals young QB going
forward, it's become apparent that you won't be able to rely on
him as a starter in fantasy leagues. He's worth a flier in this
weeks contest against the Lions, but only if you lack a more reliable
option.
Steppin' Up
Willie Parker, PIT: Following
the retirement of Jerome Bettis, there were questions surrounding
Willie Parker and whether or not he could handle the load of being
a full-time back in the Steelers backfield. So far Parker has
done a good job keeping his critics quiet. In six of the Steelers'
first nine games this season, Parker has carried the ball 20 time
or more. With the presence of Bettis last year, that was an accomplishment
he achieved only 5 times throughout the entire 2005 season. Not
only has Parker proven he can handle a heavy workload, but he
has also shown the ability to punch the ball into the end zone.
After rushing for 4 touchdowns last season--due to Bettis vulturing
9 scores--Parker has run for 8 touchdowns in his 9 games, adding
an additional 2 by way of receptions. Following his 213-yard outing
against the Saints last week, Parker is now averaging 4.6 yards
per carry. While he may struggle in the two games Pittsburgh has
left against the Ravens, he should find ample success this week
against the Browns, and again when he faces them on 7th of December.
He should also fair well in coming weeks against Tampa Bay and
Carolina.
Steppin' Down
Julius Jones, DAL: While Jones
has maintained his rank atop the Cowboys depth chart at running
back this season, his lack of scoring opportunities cuts into
his value dramatically. The issue hasn't been the teams inability
to put him in position to score, rather it's the fact that Marion
Barber III tends to get all the carries near the goal line. Jones
has outnumbered Barber in carries this year by a count of 180
to 73, yet he has less than half as many touchdowns as Barber.
Furthermore, Jones has struggled a bit in recent weeks, carrying
72 times for 240 yards (3.3 YPC) in his last 4 games. When Jones
is totaling nearly 100 yards a game as he did in the early parts
of the season, he makes for a solid #2 RB. When he performs like
he has in the past few weeks however, it becomes frustrating to
keep him in your starting line-up. The Cowboys contest against
the Colts this week may be just what Jones needs to get himself
back on track, so if you have him, play him. Don't hesitate to
go with other options down the stretch however if he continues
to struggle.
Steppin' Up
Donte' Stallworth, PHI: Following
the Eagles bye in Week 9, Stallworth returned to the Eagles line-up
last Sunday at the closest he's been to 100% since the 2nd week
of the season. The former New Orleans Saint has been hampered
by a hamstring injury throughout much of the year, but when healthy,
he has been ultra productive. In the 3 games he has played without
his injury being a hindrance, the 5th year vet has 17 receptions
for 361 yards (21.2 YPR) and scored a touchdown in each of those
outings. Now that the hamstring issue appears to be behind him,
expect Stallworth to continue having solid, if not spectacular,
outings on a consistent basis.
Steppin' Down
Eric Moulds, HOU: Moulds began
the season with his new team by posting 6 receptions for 68 yards
and a touchdown in Week 1 against the Eagles. He went on to record
4 receptions in each of the next 4 games for a total of 206 yards,
making him a fairly reliable #3 WR in point per reception leagues.
In the 4 games since then however, while he has steadily caught
3 passes a game, he has only totaled 89 yards--less than 30 yards
per outing. Needless to say, Moulds' lack of production in recent
weeks has made him a less attractive option than he appeared to
be at the start of the year.
Steppin' Up
Jerramy Stevens, SEA: Stevens
was inactive through the first 6 weeks of the season due to a
knee injury he suffered in August that required surgery. When
he returned to action in Week 7, he was held without a reception
before following it up with a touchdown on 3 catches for 20 yards
against the Kansas City Chiefs. He was then held without a reception
in Week 9 against the Raiders before catching another touchdown
on 3 receptions for 29 yards last Sunday against the Rams. While
Stevens yardage hasn't been impressive, his 6'7" frame makes
him a legitimate scoring threat inside the red zone. Once Matt
Hasselbeck returns to action, you may also see an increase in
Stevens' yardage production as he is capable of making plays down
the field. If you rotate players at the tight end position and
still haven't found a reliable starter on a weekly basis, Stevens
may be able to fill that void.
Steppin' Down
L.J. Smith, PHI: Smith began
the season with 13 receptions for 167 yards in games against the
Houston Texans and New York Giants. In Week 3, he recorded his
1st touchdown, and he remained active in the following 4 games
as he caught 12 passes for 187 yards and another touchdown. In
the Eagles past 2 games however, their tight end has been less
active, posting just 2 receptions for 19 yards. While it's likely
Smith will be more involved in the Eagles passing attack than
he has been in the past 2 games the rest of the way, it is a bit
concerning that he has had 2 or less receptions in 4 of their
past 6 games. If you own him, continue starting him, but consider
grabbing a tight end off the waiver wire as a second option if
there are worthy players available.
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