Week 8
10/27/06
Steppin' Up
Tony Romo, DAL: With Bill Parcells'
benching of Drew Bledsoe following the first half of Monday night's
game, Tony Romo is now the leader of the Dallas Cowboys offense.
Despite throwing 3 interceptions in one half of football, the
fourth-year vet will be making his first NFL start on the road
this Sunday against Carolina. While turnovers were a problem for
Romo, he managed to throw for 227 yards and 2 touchdowns in two
quarters of play. It's impossible to predict how Romo will perform
from here on out, but with Terrell Owens, Terry Glenn and Jason
Witten surrounding him in the passing game, it's reasonable to
expect 200-plus yard outings, along with a touchdown or two, more
times than not when he takes the field. If he doesn't produce,
Bledsoe could be back under center before too long.
Seneca Wallace, SEA: While
Romo is getting his opportunity due to Bledsoe's lack of productivity,
Wallace is getting his for other reasons. Seattle Seahawks starting
quarterback Matt Hasselbeck went down in the 3rd quarter of last
week's game with a sprained right knee. The injury is expected
to keep him out 2-4 weeks. Wallace stepped in during his absence,
completing 14 of 25 passes for 134 yards with no touchdowns and
2 interceptions. That performance isn't anything to get excited
about, but the Seahawks offense is quite capable of scoring points
through the air with Darrell Jackson and Deion Branch at Wallace's
disposal. If you're struggling at the QB position, Wallace is
worth taking a flier on--but remember, he's only a temporary fix
at best.
Steppin' Down
Brad Johnson, MIN: Despite attempting
30 or more passes in all but 1 game this season, Johnson has thrown
for over 225 yards just twice this year. His touchdown totals
are lacking as well. In 6 games, he has just 4 touchdowns, and
is yet to find a target in the end zone more than once in any
game this season. When Brad Childress was hired in the offseason,
it was expected he would emphasize the passing game on the offensive
side of the ball, making Johnson a legitimate "sleeper"
at the position. The opportunity is there, but the production
is not. If Johnson is on your roster, it may be time to look for
a more reliable backup in the event that your starter goes down
with an injury.
Steppin' Up
Leon Washington, NYJ: Washington
was first mentioned here back in Week Five's edition, when it
was expected he would see increased action in the Jets backfield
due to an injury suffered by Cedric Houston. Since then, he has
carried the ball 54 times for 288 yards (5.3 YPC) and 2 touchdowns.
While the rookie fourth round pick is still likely to split carries
with veteran Kevan Barlow, he is well on his way to becoming a
reliable #2 RB in fantasy leagues. If you were unable to get him
in the first go-round, you may still be able to acquire him in
a trade for a low end #2, or high end #3 receiver, if his current
owner is already set at the RB position.
Marion Barber III, DAL: While
most thought Barber's true value this season would come in the
form of him unseating Julius Jones as the Cowboys starting halfback,
he has proven valuable in a back-up role nonetheless. Barber has
been featured as the Cowboys third down back and often gets looks
from inside the five yard line--evidenced by his 4 touchdowns
in 6 games. Not only is he a legitimate scoring threat from week-to-week,
but he does a nice job compiling yardage with the limited number
of opportunities he receives, averaging 5.0 yards a carry and
12.5 yards per reception. Due to his limited role in the offense,
it can't be recommended that you use Barber as a starter on a
weekly basis, but he makes for a very reliable #3 fantasy back.
Wali Lundy, HOU: As quickly
as Lundy had his name pop up on the fantasy radar, it disappeared.
After starting for Houston in Week 1, the University of Virginia
product quickly fell to 3rd on the depth chart behind free agent
signee Ron Dayne, and Samkon Gado, acquired from the Packers in
a trade prior to Week 2. After five weeks of watching Dayne and
Gado struggle to make an impact in the backfield, Lundy has once
again entered the scenario. Carrying the ball last week for the
first time since Week 3, Lundy rushed 19 times for 93 yards and
scored the first touchdown of his career. Given Houston's struggles
with the ground game prior to last week, it may be best to keep
Lundy reserved until he strings together a couple productive outings,
but he is once again worth owning as a 3rd or 4th running back
in fantasy leagues.
Steppin' Down
Laurence Maroney, NE: Following
a breakout performance in Week 4 against the Bengals, Maroney
has struggled in his two outings since. In games against the Miami
Dolphins and the Buffalo Bills, with a bye week sandwiched in
between, the first round pick has compiled just 57 yards on 26
carries ( 2.2 YPC). While there's no reason to bail on the Minnesota
product this season (he'll still receive nearly 15 carries a game),
the last two outings have clearly hurt his value. If you need
depth at the position, now may be a good time to pursue Maroney.
LaMont Jordan, OAK: Despite
his poor start to the season, Jordan's Week 4 performance against
the Cleveland Browns, in which he rushed for 128 yards and 1 touchdown,
provided a major boost to his value. Since then however, Jordan
has gone back to his disappointing ways, totaling 131 yards on
35 carries (3.7 YPC) with zero touchdowns. Last week, he missed
the game altogether with back spasms which places him in jeopardy
of missing another game this week. If you used a first round pick
on Jordan and are holding onto him in the hopes he will turn things
around, it is recommended you find yourself another starter--even
if it means trading Jordan, along with your top rated receiver,
to do so.
Steppin' Up
T.J. Houshmandzadeh, CIN: Since
missing the first two games on the schedule with an injured hand,
Houshmandzadeh has returned averaging 7.5receptions and 88 yards
a game. He has also scored in 3 of 4 games played this year, with
4 total touchdowns to date this season. While Chad Johnson continues
to grab all the headlines in Cincinnati, it's Houshmandzadeh that
is producing as Carson Palmer's lead receiver.
Steppin' Down
Santana Moss, WAS: Coming off
a career year in 2005, there were lofty expectations placed upon
Santana Moss this season. He got off to a solid start, recording
13 receptions for 188 yards through 3 games, before blowing up
with a 138-yard, 3-touchdown outing against the Jaguars in Week
4. In his past 3 outings however, Moss is averaging a lowly 36.3
yards a game and just under 10 yards per reception. To compound
the issue, the 3 touchdowns he scored in Week 4 are his only trips
to the end zone this season. While Moss should remain in your
starting line up on a weekly basis, it's becoming more and more
unlikely he will approach the numbers he recorded a year ago.
Derrick Mason, BAL: Being reunited
with Steve McNair in Baltimore this season gave reason to expect
an increase in Mason's production from last year, when he recorded
83 receptions for 1073 yards and 3 touchdowns. Through 6 games
however, Mason is yet to reach the end zone and is on pace to
finish with 61 receptions for 827 yards--which would be his lowest
totals since the year 2000. Now that Brian Billick is taking over
the play calling in Baltimore, there is reason for Mason owners
to be optimistic. Until that translates into success on the field
however, Mason will continue to be viewed as a disappointment.
Steppin' Down
Eric Johnson, SF: After filling
in for an injured Vernon Davis, and recording 7 receptions for
87 yards and a touchdown, part way through a Week 3 game against
the Philadelphia Eagles, there was reason to expect Eric Johnson
to be a capable starter until Davis' return. Since that time,
Johnson has caught 3 passes in each of the past 3 games, but has
only totaled 66 yards. Needless to say, his production has been
lacking and Johnson can not be relied on as a productive starter
on a weekly basis.
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