Groin Shot of the Week Candidates

Green Bay Secondary (320 PaYd, 5 TD - in the first half!) - What the heck was that?!? Okay, so you've got some injuries, and you're up against Peyton Manning and a nice trio of receivers in their home stadium, but bloody hell - that was down right embarrassing. Am I watching Arena football? Correct me if I'm wrong but didn't the Packers draft defensive backs in the 1st and 3rd rounds this year? Yeah, good thing they got rid of defensive coordinator Ed Donatell. This new guy is working wonders...

Javon Walker (198 ReYd, 3 TD) - Oh, why not stay with the same game when it had as much impact on fantasy games in one week as the Cardinals might have all season. Walker was one of those pre-season "sleeper" picks that wasn't actually asleep at all since everyone and their mother knew who he was back on fantasy draft day. It is safe to say though this performance exceeded all upside potential expectations by the most blatant Packer homer. I wonder what round Walker was drafted in Wisconsin fantasy leagues? 3rd round? 2nd round? Still pretty good value even at that cost.

Domanick Davis (12 RuYd, 15 ReYd) - So what we learned last week with DeShaun Foster is to start pretty much any runner against the Chiefs. What we learn this week is that history sometimes means...pardon me while I borrow a Jim Mora Sr. quote..."diddly-poo" in fantasy football. Now, I don't like to get too down on a guy who gets injured, but Davis did play into the 3rd quarter and for what was the most obvious starter choice of the day, this was pretty disappointing for Davis owners.

FFTOC Update

The biggest thing I learned this week is to not wait until the last minute to work on this lineup. It takes a lot of thought to assess all the options properly. Unfortunately, I got busy and didn't make time to set this lineup until Sunday morning, and by that time with my daughter taking a shorter than expected nap, I scrambled to fill it out so I could help attend to her.

For example, I had the Steelers ready to roll all week on defense, but once I received a note from FFTOC saying we receive 0 points if that game is rescheduled again, I went with the Cowboys until such time I could confirm the Dolphins-Steelers game was a go. By the time I figured that out, it was too late to change them. I imagine this happened to a number of contestants.

Quentin Griffin was a player I planned to save until the very end, believing he would be the featured back in the vaunted Broncos running game. Since doing this at the last minute, I just slotted him in for what was surely going to be a stellar bounce back game for him. Ouch.

I actually had each of Reggie Wayne, Brandon Stokley and Javon Walker in the lineup at one time, but then caved and went with Johnnie Morton given the Chiefs injuries, which turned out to be not that significant, and Darrell Jackson as a "safer" pick.

It seems like the entire FF Today crew did poorly this week at RB, but nods to Mike K. for slotting in Walker as one of his WR.

Comments From The Couch

• From week 1 it seems the Browns figured out a way to slow down Jamal Lewis compared to last year. The Bengals, not so much.

• Even if we all agree the Broncos got the better end of the deal in the Clinton Portis for Champ Bailey trade, hopefully now we've seen the end of the inane Portis versus Quentin Griffin comparison stat charts. Well, we'll see what Portis does tonight. 90 yards Clinton! 90 yards! That's all I need from ya buddy!

• Donovan McNabb is in a zone. Eagles fans should certainly be excited about how things are playing out right now. Still a long way until that nemesis NFC Championship game though.

• Oh, so this was the week to start Onterrio Smith with Moe Williams back in the lineup, as opposed to last week when Smith was all on his lonesome. Now I get it (rolling eyes).

• Charlie Garner out for the year. Please go back to my Week 1 FF In The Groin column and read the paragraph on Curtis Martin. I have nothing further to add on the subject except upon completion of this article I'm going to toss this computer monitor out the window.

• Lightbulb goes on overhead! We need some FF In The Groin merchandise! First idea: stress relief footballs! Who wants one?

• The wife and I were ready to go 12 of 13 in her office straight up pool yesterday until the Chiefs, Titans and Rams all blew it late in the 4th quarter. 60 minutes guys. You need to play 60 minutes.

• Kurt Warner made a nice waiver pickup and spot start for me yesterday while Tom Brady had the week off. Even though he actually ended up with good stats, I'm just glad to be done with Brad Johnson. Now if I could just figure out a way to pawn off Jeff Garcia.

• I have to wonder if looking at first half stats is a better indicator of the quality of fantasy players, before they get into garbage time. Garcia has thrown for a whopping 41, 37 and 58 passing yards in the first half of his 3 games with the Browns. That's horrible.

• That was some serious slop the Steelers and Dolphins were playing in last night. Feeling under the weather myself, I went to bed at halftime. I fully expected a 3-0 final when I woke up this morning. Hines Ward caught a TD in those conditions? Ward defines the word "stud".

• For those readers returning from last season, you should know I retired the "kick 5 FG, automatically make the Groin candidate list" rule. However, that doesn't mean we can't send an emphatic F--- You to John Carney of the Saints.

• I really did not expect anything out of Aaron Stecker replacing Deuce McAllister. The Rams have now given up rushing TDs in consecutive weeks to Emmitt Smith, Warrick Dunn and now Stecker. Think Kevan Barlow and Shaun Alexander look like good plays the next couple weeks?

• Whoever came up with the idea for that Michael Vick simulator ride commercial, very nicely done. My compliments.

• I'm not even going to comment on the Steve McNair debacle this week.

And The Winner Is…

Some great choices this week but the Green Bay secondary really went above and beyond the call of duty sucking it up and helping create stellar fantasy days for Peyton Manning, Reggie Wayne and Brandon Stokley. There was still enough to go around for Marvin Harrison and an injured Edgerrin James to get in on the act. Yep, Green Bay secondary, and we'll throw in the coaching staff as well, take top spot on the FF In The Groin Wall of Shame this week.