Week 2
9/16/06
One week down, sixteen more to go. Remember that because it's
important. If the team you drafted came out flat in week one,
don't declare a fire sale just yet. Players like Drew Bledsoe
and LaMont Jordan may have been major disappointments, but there's
no sense in trading them away for nothing. In the world of fantasy
football, sometimes all it takes is one or two bad outings at
the start of the season for owners to panic and sell their star
players at a fraction of their true value. Just as importantly,
you shouldn't be getting overly excited about the performances
of players such as Heath Miller and Rex Grossman. Here's a look
at which players are worth acquiring, and which ones have given
cause for concern, as you attempt to shape your team throughout
the year.
Steppin' Up
Chad Pennington, NYJ: Considered
a borderline back-up in leagues prior to the opener, Pennington
popped up on the fantasy radar after completing 24 of 33 passes
(72.7%) for 319 yards and 2 touchdowns last Sunday against the
Titans. His performance should ease concerns about surgery to
his shoulder during the offseason, and is reason to consider starting
him against weaker opponents. Should he and wide receiver Laveranues
Coles continue the chemistry they had during the 2002 campaign,
the last time they played a full season together, Pennington may
be one of the surprise performers at the QB position this year.
Byron Leftwich, JAX: No longer
aided by the presence of Jimmy Smith at wideout, Leftwich made
his 2006 debut by throwing for 237 yards, 1 TD and 1 INT, while
completing 23 of 34 attempts (67.6%) at home against the Cowboys.
He also took one in on the ground with a QB draw called at the
goal line. Smith's retirement in the offseason took away Leftwich's
security blanket in the passing game, but it didn't seem to phase
him as he connected with wide receivers Matt Jones, Ernest Wilford
and Reggie Williams a combined 14 times for 176 yards and 1 TD.
In Week 2 Leftwich faces a difficult challenge against the Steelers,
but with two games each against the Texans, Titans and Colts remaining
on the schedule, you'll have reason to play him at some point
during the season.
Steppin' Down
Jake Plummer, DEN: Plummer got
off to a rough start as his 13 of 26 (50.0%), 138 yard and 3 pick
outing against the St. Louis Rams was all too reminiscent of his
days in a Cardinals uniform. He'll be given a few games to work
things out, and the addition of Javon Walker in the offseason
should ultimately improve his production from a year ago, but
if Plummer's struggles extend past the Broncos bye in Week 4,
you'll begin to hear plenty of whispers about when Jay Cutler
could be taking over.
Aaron Brooks, OAK: It's hard
to say what we should expect from anybody on Oakland's offense
this season, but at the moment, Brooks would seem to be the most
in jeopardy of losing his starting position early in the year.
With a Week 2 match-up against the Ravens, expect things to get
worse in Oakland before they get better. The early bye should
do the Raiders well before they return to action in Week 4 against
the Browns, and the following week against the 49ers. If Brooks
can't rebound in those two outings, he may be benched.
Steppin' Up
Frank Gore, SF: Gore followed
his strong preseason with an even more impressive outing in the
opener. The former Miami Hurricane, selected by San Francisco
in the 3rd round of the 2005 draft, carried 16 times for 87 yards
and scored 2 touchdowns in a loss against the Cardinals last Sunday.
He also had 83 receiving yards on 6 receptions during the game.
The 49ers were willing to part with Kevan Barlow before the start
of the season based on what they felt they had in Gore, and it
looks like they made the right decision. Don't expect this type
of production from the second year back on a weekly basis, but
he should produce as a solid #2 fantasy back this season.
Laurence Maroney, NE: Maroney
began the game by rushing for more than 50 yards on his first
two carries and finished with 17 attempts for 86 yards. Corey
Dillon, his partner in the backfield, carried 16 times for 73
yards. The Patriots may have the best QB in the league, but with
the loss of starting wide receivers David Givens, and more recently
Deion Branch, from last years roster, you can expect them to lean
heavily on the run this season. As the year progresses, expect
Maroney to take more and more of the carries out of the Pats backfield.
Chester Taylor, MIN: After
watching Taylor log more than 30 carries on Monday Night Football
last week, his fantasy owners may be feeling they got one of the
steals of the draft. Brad Childress stems from Andy Reid's staff
in Philadelphia, and as anyone familiar with the Eagles running
game over the years knows, their backs don't carry the ball 30
times combined, let alone as a group in one game. Along with the
88 yards Taylor totaled on his 31 carries, he ran for a touchdown
and caught 4 balls for 43 yards. If he continues to be this involved
in the Vikings offense, he could finish among the Top 12 fantasy
backs this season.
Reggie Bush, NO: Bush made
his long awaited NFL debut over the weekend and didn't disappoint.
He carried 14 times for 61 yards and was active in the passing
game with 8 receptions for another 58 yards. He was also used
on special teams, returning 3 punts for an additional 13, bringing
his game totals to 26 touches for 132 yards. Once he begins finding
the endzone, Bush could be cracking the top 15 backs on a regular
weekly basis as he splits time with Deuce McAllister in the backfield.
In leagues that score points for receptions, Bush appears to already
be a safe #2 back throughout the year.
Steppin' Down
Edgerrin James, ARI: While James'
73 yards rushing and 1 TD outing against the 49ers in his Cardinals
debut made his fantasy owners happy, his 2.8 yards per carry is
cause for concern. If the Cardinals run blocking doesn't improve,
those that used a 1st round pick on James may be disappointed
as the season progresses to find their #1 back is producing like
a #2.
LaMont Jordan, OAK: See Aaron
Brooks above. All of the Raiders had a poor outing Monday night
against the Chargers, so it'd be foolish to write all of them
off after just one game, but it definitely raises some eyebrows.
Unfortunately for LaMont Jordan owners, his value is likely to
take another hit this week as Oakland faces a tough Ravens defense.
He'll have a bye in Week 3 before coming back to face some easier
competition in the likes of Cleveland and San Francisco. Those
two games should give a more accurate reflection of what we can
expect from the Raiders offense throughout the year. In the meantime,
suck it up and wait it out Jordan owners.
Steppin' Up
Donte' Stallworth, PHI: It didn't
take long for Stallworth to make an impact in Philadelphia. In
his Eagles debut, just weeks after being acquired in a trade with
the Saints, Stallworth posted 6 receptions for 141 yards and a
touchdown against the Texans secondary. It's still early, but
it appears the late addition to the Eagles receiving core is well
on his way to the first thousand yard season of his career. If
he remains healthy, he'll flirt with the 10 TD mark as well.
Troy Williamson, MIN: The seventh
overall pick in the 2005 draft, Williamson is now starting for
the Vikings in just his second season. He opened the year with
a 4 catch, 77 yard performance on Monday night against the Redskins,
but he had the opportunity to do more. If it weren't for a few
dropped passes by the young receiver, he would have had 5-7 receptions
for well over 100 yards. With Koren Robinson released before the
start of the season, Williamson looks to be Brad Johnson's best
option in the passing game. If the Vikings offense continues to
run smoothly, and Williamson gets over his case of the "dropsies",
he may push the thousand yard mark this season.
Marques Colston, NO: The fourth
to last pick in this years draft, Colston worked his way from
the bottom of the Saints receiver depth chart to number two opposite
Joe Horn during the preseason. In his NFL debut, the rookie had
4 receptions for 49 yards and caught his first touchdown pass.
A tight end in college out of Hostra University, the 6'4",
231 pound Colston could be a frequent target in the redzone for
Saints quarterback Drew Brees, throughout the year. Consider Colston
a solid receiver off the bench at this early point in the season.
If he remains active in the Saints offense on a weekly basis,
he could be a valuable #3 in fantasy leagues.
Steppin' Down
Steve Smith, CAR: The number
one fantasy receiver a year ago, Smith missed the Panthers opener
with a pulled hamstring in his right leg. The injury now has his
status in doubt for a match-up this week against the Vikings,
and it appears we'll have to wait until next Sunday for Smith
to make his 2006 debut. If he doesn't practice with the team on
Friday, don't expect him to be on the field this Sunday. He's
considered day-to-day, but hamstring injuries tend to linger and
it could be a while before Smith is back to feeling 100%.
Steppin' Up
Chris Baker, NYJ: Baker made
a splash on the fantasy scene a year ago after recording 7 receptions
for 124 yards and a TD during the opener. This year, he didn't
have as quite as impressive a debut, but he did have 4 receptions
for 34 yards and another a touchdown. Baker's production dropped
off after his week one heroics last season, but with a healthy
Pennington under center, he could be a valuable #2 TE this season
and is worth consideration off the waiver wire during your starters
bye week.
Steppin' Up
Detroit Lions: The Lions held
All-Pro running back Shaun Alexander to 51 yards on 19 carries,
recorded 5 sacks, forced 2 fumbles, and held the defending AFC
Champions to just 3 field goals in a 9-6 loss to the Seahawks
last Sunday. With former Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive line coach,
Rod Marinelli now running things in Detroit, there's reason to
expect more good things to come from the Lions defensive unit
as the season progresses.
Steppin' Down
Miami Dolphins: Once one of
the better units in fantasy football, the Dolphins D took a giant
step backwards Thursday night as Charlie Batch threw 3 TD passes,
and Willie Parker carried 29 times for 115 yards, as the Steelers
went on to beat Miami 28-17 in the league's opening game of the
2006 season. Pittsburgh's offense isn't known for scoring points,
and with Batch filling in for an injured Ben Roethlisberger, no
one was expecting the Dolphins defense to perform so poorly. They
should be able to rebound over the next few weeks with upcoming
games against the Bills, Titans and Texans, but this isn't the
same unit that we became accustomed to seeing over recent years.
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