Fantasy Football News 2011/2012

[HacheMan]

Unsettled situations clearing up

How running back battles shake out; Marshall, Eli poised for big performances



By Christopher Harris
ESPN.com


Five In Depth:

1. Packers RB shuffle. According to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, James Starks was on the field for 45 plays in the Thursday night opener against the New Orleans Saints, while Ryan Grant was out there for 16. If anyone had any lingering doubt whether the Green Bay Packers consider Starks a playmaker, this should about settle it. You saw Grant start the New Orleans game, but once Starks got his first carry with 9:39 left in the second quarter, the difference between the two backs was obvious:

<TABLE><THEAD><TR><TH></TH><TH>ATT </TH><TH>YDS </TH><TH>AVG </TH><TH>TD </TH></TR></THEAD><TBODY><TR class=last><TD>Ryan Grant </TD><TD>6 </TD><TD>21 </TD><TD>3.5 </TD><TD>0 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD>James Starks </TD><TD>12 </TD><TD>56 </TD><TD>4.7 </TD><TD>1 </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>



Plus I think Starks' so-called pass-blocking "deficiencies" are being overstated, in part because of comments Cris Collinsworth made during the telecast (and I truly do love Collinsworth as an announcer, by the way). On a play-action pass out of a shotgun formation, Starks made his ball fake as planned on the left side, then watched Aaron Rodgers get tackled by a blitzer coming from the right. Collinsworth said Starks should've seen that coming, abandoned the fake and dived to make a block. Watching the tape, it seems to me, if Starks had done this, he would have run Rodgers over.


Anyway, whether it's because Grant is a step slower than he was before his ankle injury last year, or because Starks is simply a more powerful guy at this stage in his career, the younger player has an early leg up in this platoon. It's worth noting that when John Kuhn scored his 1-yard TD early in the fourth quarter, Starks was the halfback behind him in a goal-line situation. Hey, things change week to week. Grant is still 28 years old and has two career 1,200-yard seasons in his past. There will be weeks -- maybe as soon as Sunday versus the Carolina Panthers -- in which the prideful veteran will stake his claim to more carries. But as of this moment, based on what I've seen so far, Starks is the guy I'd rather own.


2. Peyton Hillis has offensive line issues. Kudos to my ESPN colleague and pal Keith Lipscomb, who was at the Cleveland Browns-Cincinnati Bengals game Sunday, for calling my attention to this and sending me back to review the game footage. Hillis' mediocre 87 yards on 23 touches wasn't a result of a personal regression, but rather poor blocking. Until midway through the second quarter, Hillis couldn't find a crease against what's supposed to be a fairly average Bengals front seven. He had four carries for six yards, mostly on up-the-gut-style runs, when he finally broke a 17-yarder off left tackle, where Manny Lawson allowed himself to be stiff-armed out of a takedown for a loss. Hillis never had another carry for more than six yards the entire day, and often had to grind through multiple tacklers to get what he could.


If I'm somewhat circumspect about a full-throated endorsement of Hillis this week against a beatable-looking Indianapolis Colts defense, that's why. Much has been made about the left side of the Browns' offensive line, and that left guard Eric Steinbach, out for the year with an injured back, has been replaced by fifth-round rookie Jason Pinkston. But an underreported story is how important the right side of this offensive line was last year:


<TABLE><THEAD><TR><TH></TH><TH>ATT </TH><TH>YDS </TH><TH>AVG </TH><TH>TD </TH></TR></THEAD><TBODY><TR class=last><TD>Running Left </TD><TD>119 </TD><TD>511 </TD><TD>4.3 </TD><TD>6 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD>Running Middle </TD><TD>46 </TD><TD>149 </TD><TD>3.2 </TD><TD>0 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD>Running Right </TD><TD>105 </TD><TD>517 </TD><TD>4.9 </TD><TD>5 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD colSpan=4>(Source: STATS, Inc.)</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>



Unfortunately, in Week 1, it was the right side that was most problematic for Hillis:


<TABLE><THEAD><TR><TH> </TH><TH>ATT </TH><TH>YDS </TH><TH>AVG </TH><TH>TD </TH></TR></THEAD><TBODY><TR class=last><TD>Running Left </TD><TD>8 </TD><TD>45 </TD><TD>5.6 </TD><TD>0 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD>Running Right </TD><TD>9 </TD><TD>12 </TD><TD>1.3 </TD><TD>0 </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>



Right tackle Tony Pashos missed the Bengals' game with an injured ankle and is out for this week's contest, too. His replacement, Oniel Cousins, isn't a very good player. And the right guard, Shawn Lauvao, struggled during his rookie year in 2010 as a reserve and looked shaky as a starter Sunday. Listen, I still have Hillis rated No. 10 this week, because running backs who get 20 carries (and 23 touches) don't grow on trees. But be careful assuming there's an automatic 100-yard day coming versus Indy.

3. Targeted to a fault? Fantasy owners are rarely going to complain when their starting fantasy wideout gets so many targets, even the TV announcers are like, "C'mon, this is getting predictable." Such was the case (OK, I'm paraphrasing) Monday night, when Mike Tirico evinced surprise about how often Chad Henne looked for Brandon Marshall, especially in the red zone. As a Marshall owner in a couple leagues, I wasn't sad to witness these developments. Marshall tied Roddy White for the most wideout targets in Week 1, with 13. (Antonio Gates had 14.)


Marshall was awesome. It was like last year never happened. The New England Patriots' defense (more on them in a moment) had no answers as Marshall lined up all over the place, getting matched up on multiple corners and safeties at various times. He had five receptions of at least 18 yards and wound up with seven grabs for 139 yards total. The Miami Dolphins took a couple deep shots his way, including a marginally poor Henne pass with about five minutes left in the third quarter and the game still in question on which Marshall made a terrific catch over his head despite illegal contact from the defender (Ras-I Dowling) and lunged to the 1-yard line. It was on the conclusion of this series, in which Henne threw two poor balls for Marshall in the end zone, that Tirico made his comment about forcing it into the big wideout. Frankly, I'm all for it. Marshall looked to be his same unstoppable self from the Denver days.


What can we expect against the Houston Texans? Well, Reggie Wayne put together some nice numbers on paper in Week 1 against the Texans, but we all know it was mostly garbage time. Wayne didn't see any one defender devoted to him: He had Kareem Jackson on him early, but Jason Allen forced him out of bounds on a second-quarter reception and was matched up against him again later in the second. Johnathan Joseph seems to stay on the defensive left side against all formations, and he's the guy Marshall will want to avoid. Given the way the Dolphins moved him around versus the Patriots, I think he'll be able to. Until I see otherwise, Marshall is back to being an every-week starter. He's that talented.
4. Stew Beef. I'm a big DeAngelo Williams fan. I was all-in on D-Willy in '08 when he ran for 18 scores. But even I have to face one cold, hard fact: He's really only ever put together one complete season in his five-year career. There were the dark days of sharing time with DeShaun Foster in '06 and '07. And there were leg injuries galore in '09 and '10. What Williams showed against the Arizona Cardinals in Week 1 was a steaming pile of ugly. He had 12 carries for 30 yards and never broke anything bigger than 8 yards. It's simplistic to say his legs aren't under him. I can't really tell that from one game's worth of film. But in the first quarter, Williams had four carries for minus-1 yards and was consistently taken down by a single tackler.


Jonathan Stewart got the first series of the second quarter and on his first carry took a shotgun draw up the middle and turned nothing much into an 11-yard gain in which he carried three guys on his back. Then midway through the second quarter, he turned in the best running play the Carolina Panthers had all day, a cutback run in which he eluded just about every Cardinals defender on the field and gained 29 yards, only to see it called back on a holding penalty. But seriously, you didn't see anything like that broken-field running from Williams in Week 1.


Let's go ahead and not make too much of this. Williams still played more and saw the ball more. He's also the guy making $21 million guaranteed, while Stewart is in the second-to-last season of his rookie deal. I'm still ranking Williams ahead of Stew Beef. But the gap is closing just a bit. Remember, Stewart rushed for 10 TDs in both '08 and '09 in mostly a part-time role. I think he's a sneaky flex play many weeks, and this is one of them. Over the past few seasons, the Packers have been easier to run against than throw against (granted that was before B.J. Raji started doing his best Gilbert Brown impression). Take note of whether mauling Panthers right tackle Jeff Otah is limited by a possible concussion before your make your lineup decision here.


5. The Phoenix Suns of the NFL. Regular readers know I'm a New England Patriots fan. But I get a nervous feeling about this team. The same kind of nervous feeling I often got last year when the defense would allow another long drive, then get rescued (in the regular season) by Tom Brady and the offense. The Pats have nice strength at defensive tackle and middle linebacker, and Devin McCourty is the real deal as their top corner. But I saw a whole lot of feh everywhere else Monday.


Did this squad record a respectable 36 sacks last season, good for 14th in the NFL? It did. But that wasn't thanks to outside pressure. Tully Banta-Cain was the best defensive end/outside linebacker in that regard in '10, with five sacks, and he's gone. The bulk of quarterback pressure from this defense comes (when it comes) from the middle, from Vince Wilfork, Mike Wright (when he's healthy), Myron Pryor and (maybe eventually) Albert Haynesworth. Last year, when they gave you their 3-4 look, it was so-so players such as Banta-Cain and Jermaine Cunningham rushing the quarterback. Now, in their 4-3, you're talking about retreads such as Andre Carter and Shaun Ellis. Really, I don't think we know how good the non-McCourty pass-coverage players are in New England, because too often Henne had all night to throw.
Yes, to some extent it's revisionist history to say, "The Patriots built their huge winning streak in the regular season simply by outscoring teams, and only when they met a defense that could stop them did their fatal flaw shine through." Heck, I watched that New York Jets playoff game last year and was as surprised as the next guy. But Mark Sanchez did throw for three TDs and no picks in that game, and Ray Rice did trample the Pats to the tune of 159 yards and two TDs in the Ravens' playoff win in New England back in '09. In both cases, you saw the Patriots' spread-them-out offense run up against a defense that wasn't impressed. In both cases, you saw Brady play poorly and dig a hole that his defense just wasn't equipped to get out of.


Fantasy-wise, I guess all this is to say: I'm at a loss to explain why I'm the only ESPN ranker who wants you to steer far, far away from the Pats D this week against Philip Rivers. The transitive property doesn't apply week to week in the NFL, so it's not good analysis to say, "Man, if Chad Henne can throw for 416 yards against the Pats, imagine what Rivers can do!" But it is good analysis to observe that Rivers went for 336 against New England last year. I'll be surprised if Pats/Chargers isn't a shootout of one degree or another Sunday, and as such, I'd strongly advise against using either fantasy D.


Five In Brief:

6. Eli and the golden fleece. Eli Whitney invented the cotton gin. Jason and the Argonauts were after the wool of some magic ram. I don't know, in my fevered brain there's some connection there. Anyway, I'm surprised how quickly our rankers have given up on Eli Manning. No, he wasn't particularly good against the Washington Redskins. But this is a guy whose memory is shorter than ... well ... my memory, apparently, when it comes to invention history and/or mythology. The St. Louis Rams have lost starting corner Ronald Bartell for the season with a neck injury, and might be without their other starting corner Bradley Fletcher this week because of a toe injury. Suddenly Justin King, who was considered possible roster chaff just a few weeks ago, and the immortal (perhaps literally) Al Harris may be the starters. Harris is 36 and was last seen getting bounced off the Saints' roster last year. I never consider Eli a top-10 QB and I don't this week. But I'll leave him right where he normally falls in my ranks. By the way, it sounds as if Hakeem Nicks may try and give it a go Monday night; if you're inclined to wait it out with him, handcuff Domenik Hixon and plug in Hixon if Nicks winds up inactive.


7. What happened to not chasing touchdowns? I agree that Mike Tolbert should probably be ranked above Ryan Mathews right now, because when you have a job that seems pretty much split 50-50 in terms of workload, you err on the guy who appears to be the clear short-yardage option and who's coming off a three-TD game. But our rankers are going bonkers for Tolbert, wouldn't you say? I was the only one not to put the big guy in my top 20 RBs this week, and I put him 28th (with Mathews 32nd). Nothing I saw out of Tolbert indicates that he's anywhere close to winning a full-time role, and if statistical analysis tells us anything about short TDs it's that they can be mighty fickle. I'll grant you that it's nice to see Tolbert catch nine passes against the Minnesota Vikings (two of which accounted for scores), and there's little reason to suspect Tolbert won't be the primary third-down back against the Pats this week. But to my eyes, Mathews didn't play poorly in Week 1, and in fact showed that he's a far better player than Tolbert is when he gets the ball in space. Combine that with Tolbert having a balky knee, and I'd consider neither of them better than flex material.


8. Cedric Benson runs left. Once again, Keith Lipscomb clued me into this one: Benson had 27 carries against the Browns in Week 1, and 17 of them were to the left side, in the general direction of tackle Andrew Whitworth. Sure, Benson broke his game-clinching run with less than two minutes to play by running right, but that was a go-for-broke play by the Browns, and Benson could've driven a truck through the hole that sprung him for his 39-yard score. I hate it when so-so backs put together so-so days for 58 minutes, then break a long one late to make it look like they had a huge fantasy day. We all know what Benson is. He's a plugger. But against a Denver Broncos' defensive right side that features injury fill-ins Derrick Harvey, Jason Hunter and Wesley Woodyard, I can see a bunch more running left, and a bunch more slow-and-steady success for Benson.
9. Malcom X. That's Malcom Floyd, who is typically the San Diego Chargers' "X" receiver. As I mentioned above, I'm wholly unconvinced that the Patriots' defense will put nearly as much pressure on Rivers as the Vikings did last week, and I think Gates, Vincent Jackson and Floyd can all benefit. Realize this about Floyd's Week 1 performance: He had eight targets to Jackson's three. Sure, Jackson was the wideout with the best chance at a TD, a would-have-been 43-yarder late in the second quarter that Rivers barely overthrew (V-Jax was wide open). But Floyd will usually get the shorter stuff, regardless of his good size/speed combo, and that can add up. A couple of our ESPN rankers say to forget Floyd in leagues that start three wideouts. I'm actually OK with using him in such leagues.


10. Cam or Fig? Part of the radioactive phenomenon that was Cam Newton throwing for a ludicrous 422 yards in his career opener last week will be explained this Sunday. You'll get to see Newton going up against an elite pass defense (and an elite pass rusher in Clay Matthews), and you'll get to see Rex Grossman play versus the defense Newton torched, the woeful Cardinals. Despite the fact that Newton was added in a whopping 53.4 percent of ESPN.com leagues this week -- which I understand -- I can't imagine too many fantasy owners in standard-sized leagues are plugging him into their starting lineups. Right? Right? (Please don't do that.) On the other hand, Peyton Manning owners who've rightly given up on their one-week Kerry Collins experiment could very well look Grossman's way for Week 2. Now, let's not get crazy about Sexy Rexy and his four career starts for the Redskins, in which he has three 300-yard games. If Grossman is one thing, it's a would-be gunslinger who's often a few bullets shy of a full bandoleer. But seeing how wide-open Steve Smith got versus Patrick Peterson and the other Cardinals DBs, well, it makes me believe Newton's performance was more about the defense. If Grossman does his part and goes wild, we'll have our proof.

 

[HacheMan]

Other Broncos WRs poised to break out

Eric Karabell

Not only did the Denver Broncos lose to the Oakland Raiders on Monday night, but it's been an unsettling few days since then for the team's key fantasy options. First, most people in Denver have seemingly forgotten how good Kyle Orton can be, and they're predictably and impatiently calling for Tim Tebow. Let me remind you that Orton is so awful that he was leading the NFL in passing yards through 11 games last season with 3,370, and had 20 touchdown passes with only six interceptions at the time. The benching wasn't exactly his fault.


Next, disappointing running back Knowshon Moreno and his sore hamstring are likely to be nowhere near the field this week, making the choice easy for frustrated fantasy owners on the fence about using him anyway and meaning Willis McGahee made a really good call signing a contract in Denver (and DeAngelo Williams did not). McGahee is going to be like Cadillac Williams this week, a nice free-agent add who will put up big numbers, just a day earlier, and who's still out there in many leagues.
Then there's Brandon Lloyd. Ho hum. Anyone remember him? The best wide receiver in fantasy a season ago pulled a hamstring in the loss to the Raiders, and did not practice Wednesday or Thursday. His participation in Sunday's game seems unlikely at this point, enough for me to lose faith and remove him from the Friday updated rankings (my cohorts agreed). OK, so Lloyd probably will not play, but Orton was given a vote of confidence ... someone's got to catch the ball!
We welcome back to fantasy relevance Eddie Royal and also shine the spotlight on exciting sophomore Eric Decker. Royal had a nice first month or so last season with Orton, catching 25 passes in four games and scoring a few touchdowns, until Lloyd pretty much did everything after that point. Decker wasn't a factor last season, but on Monday he caught three passes for 53 yards and made people ooh and aah with a 90-yard punt return. It sure looks like this kid can play. And as bad as Orton was made out to be, he did throw for 304 yards, though I admit it wasn't one of the better performances.
The Broncos are not my team of rooting interest and I don't have an investment in Orton's career, but I have to say I think the panic buttons are being pushed way too early in Denver. We can debate all day what the Broncos should do at quarterback and whether Moreno is ever going to be a legitimate, reliable and consistent running back -- I have a good idea what people think about Orton, Tebow and Moreno, incidentally -- but looking solely at the matchup this Sunday against the Cincinnati Bengals, I see opportunity. Orton is going to throw the football 35 times, at least. He should complete more than half of them and approach 300 passing yards. I neither ranked Royal nor Decker as fantasy starters for this week, but I wouldn't want to see my opponent using them either. Each is capable of a 100-yard game with a score.
Injuries are a part of football, and often the best statistics come from these opportunities. Looking around the league at other relevant players that could miss Week 2, I feel like we've discussed Cadillac Williams/Steven Jackson, Domenik Hixon/Hakeem Nicks and of course Ben Tate/Arian Foster quite a bit. Why not the Broncos? It sure appears the Denver defense, despite awesome new linebacker Von Miller, is going to be kind to opposing offenses, which is good news for Orton. Perhaps you don't like Orton; that's OK, I wasn't calling him a fantasy starter in the first place, more like the mid-teens in the rankings. But Lloyd became a star and this week someone among the wide receiver crew -- Matt Willis and tight end Daniel Fells should also see targets -- will be stretching the field.
Have a great weekend and good luck in Week 2 and beyond!

 

[HacheMan]

Sneaky fantasy pickups heading into Week 2


Eric Karabell

Last week's sneaky pickup was a wide receiver I expect to eventually emerge this season based on his own considerable talents, not so much because someone ahead of him on the depth chart gets injured. Pittsburgh Steelers receiver Antonio Brown caught two passes in the opener, but was targeted nine times, so there's good and bad, depending on your viewpoint. There's also talk from Steelers practices that he is, shall we say, raw and unfinished. Hey, in the Friday sneaky pickup blog entry, we're not concerned as much with the pending week; we're thinking a month or two ahead of time.

So this week it seems wise to focus on one of the top handcuff running backs, San Francisco 49ers spark plug Kendall Hunter. Let's be clear: Recommending Hunter to deep-league owners -- and perhaps even standard-league ones -- is hardly an indication that I want or expect starter Frank Gore to get hurt. Then again, Gore hasn't been the healthiest guy. He suffered a season-ending hip injury after 11 games last season, and he hasn't played a full 16-game season since 2006. Gore, 28, is a really good player, a fact proven by his annual status as a late first-round fantasy pick, and the 49ers signed him to a shiny new contract extension and gave him 22 carries in Week 1 … but at ESPN Fantasy we're all about planning ahead.
Hunter received a mere two carries in Week 1, and while he was listed as the team's No. 1 kick returner prior, clearly Ted Ginn missed that memo. Hey, that's fine. Don't use Hunter on kickoffs. He's fun to watch, though, and had a monster preseason (NFL-leading 231 rushing yards on 6.6 yards per tote), which in itself is rather meaningless unless he gets opportunity; the 5-foot-7, 199-pounder reminds people of Baltimore Ravens stud Ray Rice (5-foot-8, perhaps 210 pounds). Gore looked perfectly healthy in Week 1, but 49ers personnel say Hunter is next in line over Anthony Dixon, and that could certainly come into play at any point. Even if you don't own Gore, it seems to me that finding room for Hunter before something befalls Gore is a wise move.


Let's go by position again to find some other sneaky pickups on my mind this fine Friday, and in general I'm looking at players owned in fewer than 10 percent of ESPN standard leagues.


Quarterback: Last week I mentioned Colt McCoy and Rex Grossman, and each performed well. I'd lean to McCoy, though, if you're thinking of switching up backups. As always, if you own a clear starter like Philip Rivers, your backup is just for the bye week, you hope. Well, compare the schedules of your potential backup options! By the way, I blogged about this more than a month ago, but Vince Young is a capable quarterback. The Philadelphia Eagles have many weapons. Michael Vick was hit hard in Week 1. It seems wishful thinking to expect 16 games out of Vick.


Running back: Watching large Oakland Raiders fullback Marcel Reese do his thing on Monday night, I wondered if he could become the next Mike Tolbert. The main difference is Darren McFadden probably doesn't need the help. But he's not the most durable guy, either. In Tennessee, I think Chris Johnson has another tough week against the stout Baltimore Ravens, but he is healthy. If you want the Titans handcuff, I think Jamie Harper has emerged. And I thought about leading today's blog entry with Tampa Bay Buccaneers veteran Kregg Lumpkin, but I just don't believe it, in part because LeGarrette Blount is a top buy-low option for me. Keep Indy's Delone Carter on your short list, too.


Wide receiver: New York Giants third wheel Domenik Hixon caught a few passes in Week 1, and if stud Hakeem Nicks misses Monday's game, Hixon likely will start. Add him now but consider him a Nicks handcuff as well. Most of the wide receivers I'm thinking about this week have immediate value as well as future gains; Brandon Gibson and Dexter McCluster jump to mind. In Oakland, Jacoby Ford is going to emerge eventually, but he's dealing with a sore hamstring. Perhaps former first-rounder Darrius Heyward-Bey gets opportunity. By Week 15, it could be Terrelle Pryor throwing to him.

 

[HacheMan]

Shonn Greene again disappointing owners

Eric Karabell


I'm not one to give up on players early in a season, but let's just say New York Jets running back Shonn Greene didn't impress me Sunday night against the Dallas Cowboys. I should be used to this. For much of last season, Greene was pretty disappointing as well, topping 72 rushing yards just once and scoring two touchdowns in 15 games. And while I should be patient and wait as long as it takes for someone in this advantageous situation, I find myself with low expectations only one week into the season.


Greene is one of those players who should have the statistical world at his feet. The Jets want to run the ball and grind out games; they have the large men on the line to handle that responsibility and an elite defense on the other side of the ball that can maintain leads so a guy like Greene can run out the second-half clock. And then you watch a game like Sunday night, and he gets 10 carries and does little with them. Greene ended up with 26 yards. The 56-year-old LaDainian Tomlinson, as always, it seems, looked considerably better.
I have Greene in two leagues, and I'm not going to do anything silly, such as dump the guy for Cam Newton (yep, I had to go there!) or trade him for a defense or kicker. I'll wait. And you can see from the staff rankings and my flex rankings that Greene is in there, and I probably ranked him a bit too well. I'm conflicted. This guy must produce eventually, right? But on the teams I have him on, I'm lucky enough that I don't need to use him this week, and I feel good about that. Now I'm starting to wonder whether I'll ever want to use him.
Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez threw the football 44 times Sunday, which is a lot for him. In fact, it tied his career high. I know plenty of people trying to tell me the Jets -- and other NFL teams such as the Miami Dolphins and Denver Broncos -- have changed their offensive philosophies this season, but again, I'm not really buying it. The Jets want to throw that much, with an inaccurate quarterback? No way. They want to run the ball. They might just realize they don't have the running back to do so. I think the Dolphins and Broncos are in the same boat, incidentally.
Greene is likely to be far more like Cedric Benson than Jamaal Charles, if you want a comparison of running backs. He is big and doesn't make people miss, but he's a handful. I don't expect many big plays, but I did expect 18 to 20 carries per game. I mean, the Jets can't expect Tomlinson to be a major player (not that he was Sunday). Greene averaged 4.1 yards per carry last season but topped 20 yards on only one play. He wasn't featured at the goal line, either. Well, what else is there? Benson remains fantasy-relevant because of the sheer bulk of his rushing attempts, and he has no competition in Cincinnati. If Greene were to get 20 touches -- he's not much of a receiver -- we'd be fine with even 3.8 yards per tote. But I don't think the Jets trust him even for that anymore, unless it's the playoffs. Greene seems to play better in January.
Look, perhaps this is the week Greene steps up and really plays well. I'm not reading anything into the fact the Jacksonville Jaguars, this week's foe, held mighty Chris Johnson in check in Week 1. It hardly means they'll control Greene as well. But one of these days, we'll have to just stop expecting big things, no matter the defense.
Here are three other running backs that, even though it's early, I could see floating into fantasy obscurity along with Greene pretty soon:
Ryan Grant, Packers: It sure seems like James Starks is becoming "the guy" and the Packers think Grant's 1,200-yard seasons are done.
Knowshon Moreno, Broncos: I ranked him appropriately this week (31st), meaning I think he plays but again underachieves. Jonathan Stewart, Panthers: He's not the starter, but it's not like the starter (DeAngelo Williams) looked so hot.

 

[HacheMan]

Dez's Destiny

It had all the makings of an arrival game.

Less than five minutes after going over the middle for a 42-yard grab on Dallas’ third play from scrimmage, Dez Bryant overpowered and out-jumped Antonio Cromartie for a three-yard touchdown.

The Cowboys had struck first in their showdown opening night with the Jets, and had their often mercurial, sometimes injured and always electrifying 2010 first-round pick to thank.

Like any noteworthy event these days, the effort lit up Twitter, with fans and experts alike heralding the arrival of perhaps the game’s new best receiver.

Only then the magic stopped. Just one series after his score, Bryant fielded a T.J. Conley punt, returning it 12 yards. It was a highly uneventful play, or so it seemed.

In the process, Bryant took a helmet to his quad, rendering him unable to go full speed for the rest of the evening. He would make one more breathtaking play on Dallas’ next series, skying over the league’s best defensive back Darrelle Revis for a 26-yard sideline grab, but then essentially turned invisible as the Cowboys settled in for a dogfight on national T.V.

It was a familiar scenario. Just three weeks after turning in his first 100-yard performance last season, Bryant was lost for the year after breaking his ankle on a kick return.

Two steps forward, one special teams aided step back for one of the NFL’s most gifted young players. Predictably, with encouragement from owner Jerry Jones, the Cowboys have decided to scale back their superstar in the making’s use on special teams. Less predictable, however, is if it will have any effect on the frequency with which Bryant gets hurt.

As for this week, Bryant has yet to practice but will almost certainly give it a go against the 49ers. He played through the injury for three quarters on Sunday, after all.

As for the season? It’s clear it will belong to Dez Bryant if he’s able to stay on the field. What’s not clear is if he will.

Editor’s Note: For early rankings, exclusive projections, chats, the Running Back Report and much more, check out the Season Pass!


NEWS OF THE DAY #2
So you're telling me there's a chance? That’s what Steven Jackson (quad) did on Wednesday when he refused to rule himself out for Monday Night Football against the Giants.

From many players, this would be an empty statement. Everyone thinks they will play until they don’t. From Jackson — who, in no particular order, has played through groin, finger, hamstring, leg, back, hip and ankle injuries in addition to more than one quad ailment during his seven-year career — it’s something.

If he does play, it will almost surely be without the benefit of any practice time this week, and as a true game-time decision. That means leaving him in your lineup on Sunday morning probably isn't a gamble not worth taking, especially if you have any depth at all at running back.

NEWS OF THE DAY #3
After disgruntled fantasy owners weighed in for a nearly a week with their complaints about James Jones', one-catch, one-target performance in Green Bay’s Week 1 win over the Saints, Jones finally did the same on Thursday. "I'm not selfish; I understand we've got a lot of weapons, so I'm not saying I want the ball every play,” Jones said. “But I think I deserve to be on the field more than I was. And I want to say half of (the snaps I took) were ‘jumbo’ run plays. I'm here, I practice hard, work hard, do what I've got to do and hopefully the opportunities come my way."

Packers WRs coach Edgar Bennett heard his wideout’s words and responded with encouragement instead of anger. "When your opportunities come, take full advantage of it," Bennett said. "And for (Jones), they'll come." Good news for those looking from contributions from Jones in deeper leagues.

That is, if you choose to ignore another Thursday report from Packers’ beat writer Tom Silverstein, who passed along his belief that Jordy Nelson has “firmly grabbed hold of the Packers' No. 3 receiver position.”

Jones was targeted 23 more times than Nelson last season, but the scales apparently tipped during Nelson’s dominant playoff run (21 catches for 286 yards in four games compared to Jones’ 11 for 144).

If you used a late-round pick on Jones and have decided to remain patient, excellent. Patience is a virtue. But don’t be surprised if in this case patience only ends up earning you a few more zero-point days before you drop Jones and look to a depleted waiver wire for a replacement.

NEWS OF THE DAY #4
The only thing worse than injury keeping a player out of a practice is an injury that comes out of nowhere keeping a player out of practice.

That was the case with Steve Johnson on Thursday, who sat out with an apparently lingering groin ailment. Buffalo’s No. 1 receiver didn’t appear encumbered in Week 1’s vanquishing of the Chiefs, making four catches for 66 yards and a score on six targets, so he should be ready to take on the Raiders on Sunday. His situation will be one to monitor through the weekend, however.

NEWS OF THE DAY #5
Darrius Heyward-Bey took a rare step forward against the Broncos on Monday, making four catches for 44 yards as he led the Raiders with seven targets in the absence of Jacoby Ford (who went down in the third quarter), Louis Murphy and Chaz Schilens.

That could only mean one thing: it was time for third-year pro to take a step back, which is exactly what he did on Thursday when he was unable to finish practice due to knee pain.

For now, the injury is believed to be minor, and no tests are scheduled. But in case you wanted another reason not to take a flier on the stone-handed burner, you’ve got it.

INJURY QUICK SLANTS
“I felt wonderful...today I took a huge step forward." Those were the words of Arian Foster (hamstring) after practice on Thursday. He will play on Sunday against the Dolphins. … The news was less positive for Brandon Lloyd (groin) and Knowshon Moreno (hamstring), who both appear in danger of missing Week 2. … One day after being a surprise entry on the Browns’ injury report with a hamstring issue, Mohamed Massaquoi fully participated in practice on Thursday, and should be ready to serve as Cleveland’s No. 1 wideout (if there is such a thing) against the Colts. … Harry Douglas (concussion) participated in Falcons practice in limited fashion on Thursday, a good sign he’s passed his baseline test and will be ready to suit up against the Eagles. … A “long shot” to take the field against Pittsburgh according to his coach, plan to again be without Sidney Rice. … Lee Evans must be a quick healer. One day after sitting out with a protective boot on his injured ankle, the veteran deep threat was able to go "full tilt” on Thursday. He’ll play this weekend.

 

[HacheMan]

Matchups: Climb & Ride Hillis

Every year, fantasy owners across the nation jump to panicked conclusions based on Week 1 statistics. Don't be like that. Integral to fantasy football excellence is the ability to comprehend why players did or did not fare well, and apply that information going forward. This particular column will cater especially to fantasy leaguers with hanging Week 1 questions. I've watched or re-watched games, charting them play by play where necessary. Vincent Jackson isn't a bum, and Scott Chandler isn't necessarily a stud. Lopsided time of possession and game flow heavily and adversely influenced backfields in New Orleans, Tampa Bay, Tennessee, Kansas City, Indianapolis, and New Jersey. Week 1 carry and touch distributions don't always forecast workloads to come.

So take a deep breath. Get a big cup of coffee. Bear with me. We're going to talk about it all.

And if an opposing owner tries to trade you a Colts player while you're mid-column, confidently hit the reject button.
You do not want any of them.

1:00PM ET Games


Seattle @ Pittsburgh

Confirming his quiet preseason was a mirage, Mike Wallace paced Pittsburgh in Week 1 targets (11), catches (8), and yards (107). Wallace is a more complete wideout than given credit; OC Bruce Arians uses him as a true No. 1, sending Wallace all over the formation on a complex route tree. Wallace will give oversized Seahawks RCB Brandon Browner (6'4/221) 60 Minutes of hell with game-breaking quicks and speed. ... Whereas Wallace was an August no-show, Antonio Brown was huge in exhibition games. It didn't translate to the first real one, with Brown managing just 14 yards on nine targets in an incredibly inefficient performance. Games like this get young players benched by coaching staffs. ... Emmanuel Sanders finished Week 1 with two catches for 20 yards on three targets, including an 11-yard score. He remains the superior long-term bet.

Ben Roethlisberger produced a five-turnover Week 1 clunker, getting bludgeoned by the Ravens' pass rush behind one of the NFL's worst O-Lines. Big Ben will fare better against defenses that struggle to hurry the passer. Seattle qualifies after failing to register an Opening Day sack against a 49ers team that allowed 13 in preseason. The Seahawks' secondary personnel is also putrid. Roethlisberger has a 13:2 TD-to-INT ratio in his last six home games, with two rushing scores. ... Including the playoffs, Hines Ward is averaging 43 yards in his last seven games. Heath Miller is at 38 yards, and will keep blocking with RT Willie Colon (triceps) on I.R. ... Rashard Mendenhall is a better bet to score this week than last, but don't take Seattle's run defense lightly. They're healthy with run-plugging LE Red Bryant and MLB David Hawthorne back from knee injuries, and held Frank Gore to 59 Week 1 yards on 22 carries (2.68 YPC). Over the past two years, Seattle allows 2.87 yards a carry to opposing first-team tailbacks when Bryant starts and finishes games.

You were probably dealt negative points if you started Pittsburgh's fantasy defense in Week 1, but they're back in business this Sunday. The Seahawks field the worst collection of skill players and offensive linemen in football. Seattle yielded five sacks to an unimposing 49ers defense last week, opening up just enough holes for Seahawks ball carriers to average 2.91 yards a rushing attempt. I bet you can't name a worse starting running back in the league than Marshawn Lynch. Against San Francisco, Tarvaris Jackson completed just one of his 37 passes for a gain longer than 13 yards, went 5-for-15 on third-down conversions, and was still checking down to running backs late in the fourth quarter with Seattle trying to come back. (I think they were trying to come back.) There isn't a single Seahawk worth using in fantasy football leagues, this week or beyond.

Score Prediction: Steelers 31, Seahawks 10


Cleveland @ Indianapolis

The Colts' backfield isn't a committee, at least not yet. Delone Carter finished Week 1 with seven carries to Joseph Addai's eight, but Addai played the vast majority of first-half snaps and got the game's first five touches. Carter didn't see significant action until Indy was down 34-0. Neither back will do much damage in an offense that can't move the ball behind a line that opens no holes, but Addai remains the clear lead back. Addai also outperformed Carter in terms of yards per carry (4.88 to 3.57). I've seen enough of Carter at Syracuse, in preseason, and now Week 1 to conclude that I'm not a fan. Carter is a zero in the pass game, lacks elusiveness as a runner, and will struggle for quality snaps without an Addai injury. Addai is the better player. ... Perhaps Dallas Clark will turn it around against the Browns, but he blocked on more snaps than he ran pass routes last week. That's highly concerning considering the Colts were in comeback mode early.

The Browns will apparently not let Joe Haden shadow Reggie Wayne in Week 2, which is a blow to Cleveland's chances. With no running threat at all and Clark getting manhandled as a blocker (two 1-on-1 sacks allowed to Mario Williams last week), Wayne is Indianapolis' one and only offensive threat. Defensive coordinators will recognize this on game film and move quickly to erase Wayne from the offense. Playing from behind may save his stats some weeks, but Wayne is an ideal sell-high candidate after his 7-106-1 Week 1 line. Keep in mind that Wayne was stuck on two targets (both caught for 24 yards) until late in the first half, at which point Indy was already down 27-zip. The Colts proceeded to throw on 25 of their final 34 offensive snaps. ... Instead of Wayne, Haden will go to waste shutting down Colts RWR Pierre Garcon in this one. Haden didn't allow a single catch to A.J. Green last week, other than on a Bruce Gradkowski quick snap that caught Cleveland still in its defensive huddle. Green didn't have a defender on him. ... The outlook is even gloomier for Austin Collie. He's been weeded out of the offense in favor of a blocker.

The Colts' run defense is what the doctor ordered after Peyton Hillis' slow opener. Texans reserve backs gashed Indy for 167 yards and two touchdowns on 37 carries (4.51 YPC) last week, and the Colts will play this game without MLB Gary Brackett (shoulder). WLB Kavell Conner is also battling a left foot sprain. Word out of Houston is that the Colts' front four was so discombobulated that D-Linemen were literally drawing up plays in the dirt. On both offense and defense, the Colts are going nowhere quick. ... The early real-game returns on Colt McCoy's big preseason aren't promising. McCoy looked uncomfortable in the pocket throughout Week 1, managing a 47.5% completion rate and 5.32 YPA against a Bengals pass defense that isn't as good as Indianapolis'. It is particularly worrisome that the Browns will trot out Oniel Cousins as their starting right tackle. Cousins is a sack waiting to happen in "protection," and will be no match for LE Robert Mathis.

The Browns' pass-catching corps is a carbon copy of the 2010 Rams; a six-way rotation made up of Mohamed Massaquoi, Brian Robiskie, Evan Moore, Ben Watson, Jordan Norwood, and Greg Little, with Hillis also in the mix for catches. Coach Pat Shurmur was the offensive coordinator in St. Louis last year, and there wasn't a single dynamic fantasy receiver or tight end on the Rams. In Week 1, no Browns pass catcher topped four targets during a game that saw McCoy throw 40 times. One of the above will inevitably lead Cleveland in receiving in a given week, but it's going to be awfully difficult to predict, and to acquire fantasy value they'll certainly need more efficient quarterback play.

Score Prediction: Browns 17, Colts 13


Kansas City @ Detroit

If the Chiefs' Week 1 game plan was any indication, the coaching staff has no faith in Matt Cassel. (For good reason.) Despite facing a Bills defense that can't rush the passer, K.C. employed an exceptionally conservative two- and three-step passing game, discarding any hint of downfield aggressiveness. Cassel was bad enough to keep the staff's confidence low, averaging 2.8 yards per pass play, with 6-of-22 completions going for negative yards and 14 for fewer than six. Cassel notched his first career reception when one of his throws was batted back to him, catching it for a loss of four. In a home game against the Bills. It was mentioned in Week 1 Matchups, and Russ Lande of Sporting News agrees: "Losing coach (Charlie) Weis will turn out to be K.C.'s biggest loss of the year." Cassel's stats since it was announced last winter that Weis wouldn't return: 48.3% completions, 3.49 YPA, 1:6 TD-to-INT ratio. ... Thomas Jones got two carries last week. It may be unfair to write him off because the Chiefs trailed all game and Jones doesn't play in passing situations, but his tank was already on E. Drop Jones and don't look back.

Owners may have been a bit disappointed in Jamaal Charles' Week 1 production (12.5 standard-league fantasy points, 17.5 in PPR), but there were positives. After starting all four preseason games, Charles again drew the start and is officially the first-team tailback. No other K.C. runner touched the ball until the second quarter -- when the Chiefs were already down 14-0 -- and after his second-quarter fumble Charles went right back in to score a touchdown on the ensuing series. It may pain Todd Haley to admit, but force feeding Charles is the only way his offense can move the ball. Don't forget that Haley has a history of using Charles as a feature back with success. During the 2009 stretch run, Charles averaged 27 touches for 185 yards in Weeks 14-17, scoring four TDs. He's a plug-and-play RB1 at Detroit. ... Dwayne Bowe's stats may be down across the board this year, and he's coming off an awful game that included one ugly drop and two catches on seven targets. He's still an every-week WR3, at least. You can't sit him against the Lions.

The Lions allowed the fewest sacks in the league (3) this preseason, which I initially chalked up as a worthless stat. When the Detroit O-Line didn't surrender a single quarterback hit to the Bucs in Week 1, I looked into it more seriously. As much as we'd love explanations for Matthew Stafford's injury history (and everything else), protection really isn't his problem. Football Outsiders ranked the Detroit offensive line as the NFL's fourth-best pass protecting unit last season. Pro Football Focus had the Lions a more realistic, if still passable 14th. It's more confirmation that all Stafford needs is better luck. Based on his routinely dominant on-field performances (e.g. 305 yards, 73% completions, three touchdowns in Week 1), Stafford is the complete package when healthy. He'll now square off with a Chiefs defense that allowed four Ryan Fitzpatrick touchdown passes in the opener, in the process losing star safety Eric Berry to a season-ending torn ACL.

There's a lot not to like about Jahvid Best's inside running ability, and what Detroit's O-Line does well in pass pro doesn't carry over into the ground game. But you can't argue with Best's PPR value. His 25 Week 1 touches tied for third in the league, and Best is a dangerous weapon when the Lions get him in space. The TD total may not be high, but Best's total yardage should be. This week, Berry's absence is just as much a plus for Detroit's ground game as it is for Stafford. Berry was a monster in run support. ... Calvin Johnson's missed practice time due to a rolled ankle isn't a Week 2 concern. He was in on the Lions' final possession last week, after the tweak occurred. ... Best (5), Brandon Pettigrew (6), and Nate Burleson (5) all finished with similar Opening Day target counts, while Tony Scheffler caught a touchdown pass in the red zone. It's going to cause headaches trying to guess whether Pettigrew or Burleson will have a big game in a certain week, and they could just as easily both be quiet. You should be able to find better fantasy starters.

Score Prediction: Lions 27, Chiefs 17

Baltimore @ Tennessee

The Titans' Week 1 box score is skewed by the fact that they only possessed the ball for 20:22, getting off 25 fewer plays than the opposing Jaguars. It speaks to Kenny Britt's playmaking ability that he still exploded for 136 yards and two TDs, racing through the Jacksonville defense on his initial 80-yard score and out-efforting top CB Rashean Mathis for the second. Britt's talent is on par with any receiver's in football, and his chemistry with Matt Hasselbeck has room to grow. Britt is a WR1. He's a must-start against Baltimore's inexperienced corner duo. ... Each week, I create our Sunday schedule to ensure all 16 games are covered by a writer. I assigned myself Titans-Jags in Week 1 because I wanted to observe a Tennessee offense very high on potential but extremely high on offseason turnover. It wasn't good. The Titans return all five O-Line starters, so I anticipated that unit to be the one thing Tennessee could count on. Turns out, the line was to blame for the offensive woes. I'm not recommending to sit Chris Johnson, but can assure you he'll struggle for holes if the front five plays like last week. Non-Johnson owners need to immediately target CJ2K for a buy low if the Ravens shut him down. He gets the Broncos and Browns next.

Ravens-Titans has Week 2's lowest over-under with 38 projected points. It's going to be hard to justify starting Tennessee skill players other than Britt and Johnson. ... Hasselbeck was overwhelmed by the Jags' pass rush last week, so it's scary to think how poorly he'll fare against Baltimore's. He's a very low-end QB2. ... Nate Washington posted a respectable 67 yards on six receptions against Jacksonville, but he's a deep threat in an offense that doesn't figure to have time to go long. It's not a good situation. ... According to Pro Football Focus, Jared Cook played a promising 43-of-53 snaps (81.1%) in Week 1. That's the good news. The bad news is Cook was targeted just twice on 34 Hasselbeck attempts and blocked poorly. He's fantasy backup for now.

Ray Rice lit up Pittsburgh for 149 total yards and two touchdowns on Opening Day, needing only 23 touches and 57.6% of Baltimore's offensive snaps to do it. He'll be a top-five fantasy play for the foreseeable future. ... Lee Evans was a fantasy non-factor in Week 1, but he's already making life exponentially easier on Anquan Boldin. An every-week WR2 again, Boldin caught four balls for 71 yards and a score against Pittsburgh, and had another 27-yard TD overturned when he got a bit too handsy with Steelers RCB Ike Taylor. Boldin can expect to see quite a bit of Titans RCB and slot cornerback Cortland Finnegan this week. ... Evans' late-preseason ankle injury has lingered to the point where he's not a fantasy option until he shows in a game that he can be productive and healthy. After a catchless opener, fantasy owners shouldn't find it hard to sit him.

I want to see a more wide-open Ravens offense before declaring this Joe Flacco's breakout year, but he got off to a nice start with three touchdowns and 224 yards on 29 attempts (7.72 YPA) in last week's drubbing of Pittsburgh. Flacco took one sack in 30 drop-backs, and might have the best protection of his career with an in-shape Bryant McKinnie at left tackle, and Michael Oher back on his natural right side. There's no reason to think the Titans' defense presents a tough matchup. ... The Ravens won't have the pass attempts volume the Patriots offer, but Baltimore is using Ed Dickson and Dennis Pitta pretty similarly to Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez. At least in Week 1, however, there was a sizable gap between the two. Pitta got only 22 snaps and two targets. Dickson played 64-of-66 snaps with five targets, all caught for 59 yards. Dickson has a big leg up, though that could change during games in which the Ravens have more passing downs. They routed Pittsburgh last week, scoring a first-drive touchdown and never looking back.

Score Prediction: Ravens 27, Titans 14


<!--RW-->Chicago @ New Orleans

Mark Ingram needs the Saints' defense to play better to realize his fantasy potential. New Orleans got down early to Green Bay last week, and Ingram only saw 18 snaps because he doesn't play on passing downs. Darren Sproles led the backfield with 30 plays. The good news for Ingram is that his team will have the lead more often than not over the course of the season. Expect big increases in snaps and touches going forward. The Saints are a better team than the Bears and should not play from behind on Sunday. Ingram remains the heavy favorite for goal-line carries. ... Anyone else notice how small Olin Kreutz looked in the NFL opener? Down to 260 pounds -- tops -- Kreutz got pushed around by Green Bay's powerful interior tandem of B.J. Raji and Howard Green. The Saints may continue to struggle against mammoth nose tackles, but the Bears prefer quick, gap-shooters inside. Starters Matt Toeaina and Henry Melton combine to average 37 fewer pounds than Raji and Green. Expect better push for Ingram on short-yardage and goal-line plays.

I saw some Sproles hype after his seven-reception opener, ostensibly from box-score readers (not game watchers). Owners need to understand that game flow dictated Sproles play far more than he normally will. In 78 games with the Chargers, Sproles topped five receptions three times. Sproles was an excellent addition for the Saints and is an upgrade on Reggie Bush, but he won't play and get the ball that much on a regular basis. He's a risky flex in PPR. ... Pierre Thomas remains a candidate for 9-12 touches, but a poor bet to score. ... Jimmy Graham worked as a pass-blocking H-back all too often Thursday because the Saints went to pass-heavy mode after getting down 21-7 in the first quarter. Drew Brees still looks for Graham when he's in trouble, and Chicago's Cover 2 is susceptible to tight ends. Graham's targets will rise with Marques Colston (collarbone) out until Week 6. ... It's a week to wait on Robert Meachem and Devery Henderson. Meachem is the preferred WR3, but deep threats fare poorly against the Bears' scheme. ... Lance Moore (groin) will be too much of an in-game injury risk for confident Week 2 fantasy usage. His groin has been balky since August 25 and incurred a setback a week later. Moore will be a strong bet for consistent snaps and targets once he proves his health, but he's hands-off this Sunday.

The Saints' defense generated no Week 1 pressure, so look for playcaller Gregg Williams to dial up creative blitzes as his Week 2 focus. Chicago's front five is ripe for an attack after serving up five sacks and eight quarterback hurries to an Atlanta team that played from behind all game (reducing pass-rush chances). As well as Jay Cutler performed in the opener, his porous line will haunt him sooner rather than later. The Bears aren't built to withstand an aggressive defense or play without the lead. On both sides of the ball, a better Saints team will get Chicago out of its comfort zone. I wouldn't trust Cutler as more than a QB2. ... Roy Williams (groin) appears headed for a game-time decision in Week 2. Williams is a terrible player and non-factor in fantasy, but keep an eye out if he's declared inactive. Johnny Knox is Williams' backup at the X receiver, and he'll square off with RCB Patrick Robinson if Knox draws the start. Robinson was demolished by Greg Jennings and Jordy Nelson last Thursday. Per Pro Football Focus, Robinson allowed all five balls thrown in his direction to be completed for 80 yards and Jennings' seven-yard touchdown.

Matt Forte may hover around 4.0 YPC for most of the year, just because Mike Martz's system is rushing unfriendly. There is no lead blocker, and running lanes are small on the rare occasion the line creates one. But Forte is a candidate to lead the NFL in total yards because of his difference-making versatility. Forte caught all of his five Week 1 targets for 90 yards, knifing through the Atlanta defense for his 56-yard TD on a first-quarter screen. Kahlil Bell got ten carries, though five came in late fourth-quarter garbage time, and none in the red zone. ... Marion Barber (calf) was held out of Thursday's practice after being limited Wednesday, indicating a setback. He shouldn't be any kind of factor, if he's even active Sunday. ... Devin Hester saw 46 Week 1 snaps, finishing with five targets. Earl Bennett had 50 snaps and four targets. These guys cancel each other out.

Score Prediction: Saints 24, Bears 13

Oakland @ Buffalo

Not to take away from Chan Gailey's tried-and-true offensive system, but key to Buffalo's Week 1 scoring bonanza was a Chiefs defense that generated no pressure. Monday night watchers may have noticed ESPN's Trent Dilfer raving about the Oakland front seven last week. It's a legit force. A Raiders defense that quietly ranked second in the NFL in sacks last season hung four of them and a forced fumble on Kyle Orton, also holding Broncos backs to a paltry 25 yards in 12 carries (2.08 YPC). The talent differential between Oakland's trench men and Buffalo's is sizable. I'd have trouble using the Bills-Chiefs Week 1 game as basis to start Buffalo skill players, most notably Ryan Fitzpatrick and Fred Jackson. ... Blowout wins skew backfield distribution, as teams tend to give weaker players more reps with a comfortable lead. But Jackson started and got 11 first-half touches, compared to C.J. Spiller's four, before the game got out of hand. I'm not bullish on using Jackson against the Raiders, but he's the clear-cut feature back and Spiller is the pace change.

In my game reviews, I entered Bills-Chiefs expecting to find reasons why Scott Chandler was a fluke. Another Frisman Jackson or Dante Rosario -- flash-in-the-pan Week 1 stars of the past. Chandler caught all five of his targets for 63 yards and two touchdowns at Kansas City. Long (6-foot-7), lean, and pretty athletic, Chandler worked often in the slot and was heavily involved in the passing game. Chandler's downside is that he's a rotational player, seeing only 38-of-57 (66.7%) offensive snaps on Opening Day. I still wouldn't be surprised if he scored 5-7 more touchdowns this season. Gailey's Pistol Spread offense floods the field with receivers, and Fitzpatrick gets the ball out quickly. Chandler is a nice post-up target deep in the red zone. Just don't expect much yardage. ... The Bills' one must-start skill player remains Steve Johnson, who's scored 11 TDs in the 15 games since Fitzpatrick became Buffalo's starter. His latest, in Week 1, came on a 27-yard go route with Chiefs top CB Brandon Flowers in coverage. Johnson is a legit playmaker and WR2.

With Jacoby Ford nursing a bum hamstring, Chaz Schilens an unsafe bet to stay healthy for the next hour, Kevin Boss coming off a lost preseason, Louis Murphy out indefinitely, and Darrius Heyward-Bey injuring his own knee in Thursday's practice, Denarius Moore's opportunity may be nigh. The camp sensation is listed directly behind Heyward-Bey on the Raiders' depth chart, so Moore will be in line to start if DHB misses the game. Though obviously a roll of the dice, Moore has superior big-play ability and should be able to get open against the Terrence McGee-less Bills secondary. It'd be a real stretch to start Moore at Buffalo, obviously. Just don't be surprised if this is his breakout game. ... The Raiders figure to employ a run-heavy game plan just as they did in Week 1, limiting Jason Campbell to 13 completions for a measly 103 yards. He's a weak QB2.

The Bills limited Kansas City to 108 yards rushing in Week 1, but Jamaal Charles and Dexter McCluster's combined 7.0 YPC suggests they remain vulnerable to the run, even post-M.D. (Marcell Dareus). Odds are, Darren McFadden will light them up. ... Michael Bush received nine Week 1 carries, but Hue Jackson is clearly still employing a one-back system. Bush wouldn't have played as much if not for a mid-game McFadden shoulder injury caused by a Broncos defender foolishly ripping his helmet off, before late-game clock-killing mode. Bush is just a handcuff.

Score Prediction: Raiders 21, Bills 17


Arizona @ Washington

The Rex Grossman bandwagon is becoming popular again with three 300-yard games in his last four starts. I've seen too many flops over the years to join in, but wouldn't discourage a desperate Peyton Manning drafter from using Grossman against perhaps the league's worst pass defense. Shredded by Cam Newton for 24-of-37 (64.9%) passing, 422 yards, and two TDs last Sunday, the Arizona secondary is a nightmare with two first-year starting corners and an Adrian Wilson of whom coach Ken Whisenhunt said this week, "it looks like he hasn't played in awhile." Playcaller Kyle Shanahan has let Grossman attempt an average of 40 passes in his four Redskins starts. Rex offers sneaky upside in a plus matchup with what projects as plenty of volume. ... Santana Moss led Washington in Week 1 targets (8), hauling in six for 76 yards. He's an every-week WR3.

Playing time has long been Fred Davis' insurmountable obstacle, but the Shanahans are rolling away the stone. Davis is playing even more snaps than Chris Cooley, and after his 105-yard opener a thrilled Grossman observed that Davis "stretches the field vertically as well as any tight end in the league." Arizona was gashed by tight ends all last year, and promptly coughed up 129 yards on seven catches to Carolina's Greg Olsen-Jeremy Shockey duo in Week 1. Davis is a top-ten option in this matchup. ... Feel free to drop Cooley in all leagues. ... No running back in the NFL had more Opening Day touches than Tim Hightower, who rang up 97 yards and a touchdown on the Giants. Hightower is a true every-down back and borderline RB1 until proven otherwise. ... Jabar Gaffney is purely a possession receiver and Anthony Armstrong is fourth or fifth in line for targets in the Redskins' offense. Don't be hoodwinked by their Week 1 red-zone touchdowns.

Larry Fitzgerald had a quiet 62 yards on three Week 1 catches, walled off by Carolina's bracket coverage with Chris Gamble pressing him at the line. Defenses will think twice about copying the Panthers' approach, because the fallouts were 5.0 yards a carry for Beanie Wells, 105 yards and a touchdown for Early Doucet, and a win for Arizona. Expect Fitz to rebound big against a Skins defense that let Hakeem Nicks get loose for 122 yards on seven receptions on Opening Day. ... Doucet's measly three targets and 37.3 snap percentage against Carolina suggest a notorious Week 1 fantasy tease. Doucet is a nice player, but Fitzgerald will catch more than three passes in the majority of games, and Todd Heap will have more than two targets going forward. Andre Roberts is getting considerably more playing time than Doucet. Look elsewhere for sleepers.

The Redskins have pieces to field a formidable run defense, but Beanie Wells is going to be near-impossible to sit when he's running with as much purpose and burst as he did in Week 1. Healthy after last year's season-long knee injury, Wells is the key to keeping double teams off Fitzgerald. The coaches know it. Wells played 50-of-59 offensive snaps (84.7%) in Week 1, suggesting the staff is pleased with his pass protection and receiving, as well. It's a boon to Wells' value across the board. He set career highs in receptions and snap count in the opener. ... Kevin Kolb threw for 309 yards and two TDs last week, averaging 11.44 yards per attempt with a 66.7 completion rate against a hapless Carolina pass defense. The Redskins' pass rush is much more fierce with an array of ballhawks in the back end, so give Kolb another week before anointing him a QB1.

Score Prediction: Redskins 24, Cardinals 20


<!--RW-->Tampa Bay @ Minnesota

The Vikings' O-Line was painful to watch in the opener. LT Charlie Johnson was predictably one of the culprits after a miserable camp, getting dominated on snap after snap by Shaun Phillips and rookie Corey Liuget. The rest of the front five was pushed back on virtually every play, consistently losing the battle up front while the San Diego back four easily held outside receivers Bernard Berrian and Molasses Michael Jenkins to a combined three catches for 26 yards. Minnesota's offense is easy to defend because there is zero perimeter threat, and the line can't pass protect. Donovan McNabb should top 39 passing yards in most weeks, but jeez, he's nowhere near the fantasy radar. ... The Vikes were forced to keep tight ends in as help blockers, with Kyle Rudolph and Visanthe Shiancoe seeing just one target apiece. It's a nightmare fantasy situation for them.

Vikings OC Bill Musgrave is going to have to do much better than this: His unit only got off 43 Week 1 plays, but Percy Harvin's 27 snaps are a serious problem. Aside from Adrian Peterson, Harvin is Minnesota's lone offensive threat. McNabb can legitimately expect to hover around or even under 100 passing yards if Berrian and Molasses Mike are playing more than the Vikings' best receiver. ... Adrian Peterson hung a 6.14 YPC clip on what will be a solid Chargers run defense last week. He should have his way with the Buccaneers. All Day will square off with a Tampa defense breaking in five new starters in the front seven, including rookies at middle linebacker and right end. There's not a stronger fantasy running back play in the NFL this week.

I devoted a paragraph to the LeGarrette Blount dilemma in last week's Matchups column. The guy doesn't play on passing downs and won't get the ball when the Bucs fall behind. Blount is still a threat for double-digit scores this season, but he's very reliant on his teammates. The good news is that the Bucs should be more competitive against a bad Vikings team that will play without suspended DT Kevin Williams and may also be dealing with a knee injury at middle linebacker after E.J. Henderson came up lame in practice. Consider Blount a better bet for a touchdown in Week 2. ... No player in the league was targeted more than Antonio Gates in the opener, while the Chargers largely ignored Vincent Jackson. Perhaps Norv Turner saw something on tape from the Vikings’ preseason that made him think Minnesota is especially susceptible to tight ends. It could be a bit of good news for Kellen Winslow, who had a solid six catches on eight Week 1 targets.

Mike Williams South finished Week 1 with 50 yards on four catches as a five-yard touchdown saved his fantasy day. I don't think he'll repeat last year's top-11 receiver finish, but he's a playmaker with a good Week 2 matchup. Williams will spend most of his time against Vikings outside CBs Cedric Griffin and Chris Cook because Antoine Winfield covers the slot on pass downs. ... Scratch Earnest Graham off your sleepers list, despite his 14-touch opener. He's a plodding third-down back only. ... Arrelious Benn had an ugly Week 1 with two drops and a pass target that resulted in an interception. He played only 57.5% of the snaps. Dezmon Briscoe played 40.9%, indicating a rotation. ... Josh Freeman struggled against a shaky Lions secondary on Opening Day, finishing with a 6.02 YPA, interception, and two fumbles. He was always more QB2 than fantasy starter.

Score Prediction: Bucs 21, Vikings 17

Jacksonville @ NY Jets

The Jets employed a surprisingly pass-happy game plan in Week 1, attacking an injury-ravaged Dallas secondary rather than the front seven. A whopping 34 of New York's offensive plays came out of the shotgun formation. Rex Ryan is a run-first coach, so Mark Sanchez can't count on this strategy becoming an every-week institution. Sanchez also came out of the game with what the Jets initially believed may have been a concussion, and that alone may scare the offensive staff into reverting to the run. ... Coming off a 10-carry opener, Shonn Greene should be a benefactor, but there is also reason to be concerned. The alleged "bell cow" of the Jets' offense won't play when his team falls behind, or when they install game plans as described above. And, truthfully, Greene isn't that good. He's been a very ordinary runner since his breakout in the 2009 playoffs.

Santonio Holmes has another good matchup with a Jaguars defense that let Kenny Britt get off for 136 yards and two TDs in Week 1. It can't hurt that Jacksonville is without starting RCB Derek Cox (ribs), ushering nickel back Drew Coleman onto the first team. Coleman is a former Jet and didn't play well enough for New York to re-sign him in the offseason. The Jets will pick on him in the slot, with Will Middleton manning the outside corner opposite Rashean Mathis. ... Plaxico Burress can't separate anymore, but remains an effective red-zone target, evidenced by last week's 26-yard touchdown. He's an option in TD-heavy leagues. ... Dustin Keller played a promising 55-of-65 offensive snaps (84.6%) in the opener, which is a big step up from last year. Perhaps it was due to the Jets' pass-heavy approach, but it may also be a sign of things to come, because he played well as a receiver and blocker. I'd trot him out as a low-end TE1 this weekend.

Update: Holmes is listed as questionable on the injury report with quadricep and knee ailments. Keep a close eye on Sunday morning reports on his status. Give Burress a bump in your projections if Holmes is declared inactive Sunday. He and Keller could get a few more targets.

You'll want to avoid Jaguars pass catchers across the board in this matchup. Split end Jason Hill has a balky hip, Mike Thomas is likely to see an awful lot of Darrelle Revis, and Marcedes Lewis (calf) is doubtful to play in the game. ... The Jags aren't asking much of Luke McCown. He was purely a game manager in Week 1, throwing 24 passes compared to Jacksonville's 47 rushing attempts. In the Titans-Jaguars play-by-play on NFL.com, 23 of McCown's 24 attempts were rather hilariously characterized as "pass short." This might be the least vertical offense in football. ... Deji Karim received a career-high 17 touches in the opener because the Jags had Maurice Jones-Drew on a snap count. They won't be able to keep MJD limited against opponents tougher than transitioning Tennessee. Be aware that Jones-Drew has a rough matchup against a Jets defense that confined Dallas rushers to a 2.84 YPC average in Week 1. You just don't have to worry about Jones-Drew's ball-carrying volume.

Score Prediction: Jets 20, Jaguars 13


Green Bay @ Carolina

Everyone wants to know about Cam Newton: Is he for real? Looking beyond Newton's monster opener, there's something you need to consider. In 2007, a big-armed, inaccurate passer named Derek Anderson threw for 29 touchdowns, led the Browns to a 10-6 record, and made the Pro Bowl. Anderson's offensive coordinator was Rob Chudzinski. Three years later, "Chud" is the coordinator in Carolina and his prized pupil is a rocket-armed, supposedly erratic quarterback with athleticism of which Anderson can only dream. I personally think Green Bay will steamroll the Panthers, but am confident Newton is capable of top-15 quarterback stats this season. In Week 1, he consistently connected with open receivers against eight-man fronts, and he'll be facing them for the foreseeable future. ... One factor working against Newton and the entire Carolina offense this week is the absence of standout RT Jeff Otah (concussion). His replacement in the starting lineup will be undrafted rookie Byron Bell. Clay Matthews plays over the opposing right tackle.

Ride Steve Smith while he's hot. For most of this game, Smith will square off with Packers RCB Tramon Williams, who was burned for a long touchdown in last Thursday's NFL opener and also missed practice this week with a shoulder injury. ... Newton is more likely to hover around 200 passing yards than last week's 422, leaving scraps for the likes of Brandon LaFell and Legedu Naanee. ... Greg Olsen opened the year with 78 yards on four receptions. He moves all around the formation ala Jimmy Graham, who posted four catches for 56 yards and a TD at Green Bay in Week 1. Olsen also blocks less than Graham. ... Despite DeAngelo Williams' big offseason contract, he is a committee back in Carolina. Williams played 42 Week 1 snaps, finishing with 13 touches. Jonathan Stewart outgained Williams by four yards on four fewer touches and 12 fewer snaps. Mike Goodson cleaned up the rest. This backfield has the look of a fantasy headache.

Update: Tramon Williams' shoulder threatens to keep him out of this game entirely. Williams' absence would make Smith's matchup that much more favorable. Smith is a WR2 this week.

Including the 2010 playoffs and 2011 preseason, Aaron Rodgers is 198-of-279 (71.0%) for 2,434 yards (8.72 YPA), 21 touchdowns, and three interceptions since Week 16 last year. He can't miss. ... James Jones played 20-of-67 snaps (29.8%) last Thursday and is a fantasy non-factor barring injury to Jordy Nelson, Donald Driver, or Greg Jennings. ... Randall Cobb had a huge rookie debut with two touchdowns, the first on a 32-yard catch-and-run against Saints coverage-deficient SS Roman Harper in the slot, and the second on a 108-yard kick return. Cobb adds a lot to Green Bay, but doesn't play enough to be fantasy viable. He saw seven snaps (10%), later admitting he blew his route on the initial score. ... Fresh off roasting Saints RCB Patrick Robinson for most of his 7-89-1 line in Week 1, Jennings will likely square off with Panthers CB Chris Gamble for the majority of Sunday. In two career meetings with Gamble, Jennings has 15 catches and two TDs. ... Nelson tied Jennings for the team lead with eight Week 1 targets, recording six grabs for 77 yards and a score. With Jones being weeded out of the offense, Nelson is an every-week WR3.

James Starks is a far better option than Ryan Grant, and the Packers know it. Starks played 45 snaps to Grant's 16 in the opener, also emerging as the heavy favorite for red-zone work. Grant received one snap and touch (first-drive five-yard run) inside the Saints' 20. Starks took the field for eight red-zone snaps, including every down the Packers played inside the 10. There is risk involved, but Starks will be tough to sit in matchups like this, when Green Bay can dominate on the ground. Carolina was touched up for 120 yards and a touchdown by Arizona backs last week. ... Jermichael Finley's Week 1 production underwhelmed (3-53-0), mostly because the Saints double teamed him all game. He'll see less loaded coverage as opponents grow more concerned with Starks and the Jennings-Nelson-Driver three-receiver set. You won't want to sit Finley. Ever. ... Driver is still fairly effective in the slot, but he's been bumped to fourth in line for targets behind Jennings, Finley, and Nelson. Driver finished Week 1 with 41 scoreless yards on four catches.

Score Prediction: Packers 31, Panthers 14


4:05PM ET Game


Dallas @ San Francisco

Tony Romo's late-game bad decision making matters not in fantasy. Romo showered 342 yards and two touchdowns on Darrelle Revis' Jets in Week 1, and he's now averaging 314 yards with a 23:10 TD-to-INT ratio in the last 12 games he's played start to finish. Start 'em against a banged-up San Francisco secondary. ... Dez Bryant is a beastly, top-five NFL wideout kind of talent, and you saw it when he blew through New York's defense on a 42-yard catch-and-run, beat Antonio Cromartie for a three-yard score on a fade, and then out-leaped Revis for a 26-yard gain all in the first quarter. Bryant was plagued by leg cramps the rest of the game, but he'll be sure to hydrate for Week 2. You can't ever sit him. ... Miles Austin's per-game averages across Romo's last 13 starts: Seven catches for 96.5 yards. Austin has 90 or more yards in nine of those games.

Update: Bryant's status for Week 2 is now in doubt due to a thigh injury stemming from his cramping in the opener. Kevin Ogletree would likely draw the start if Bryant can't play. Ogletree is not a fantasy option. Austin and Jason Witten project to see more targets if Bryant sits.

It's hard to find a bad stat on the Cowboys' offense, which is one of the reasons we ranked Romo as a preseason top-six fantasy QB. In his last seven games, Jason Witten is averaging over seven catches for 79 yards, and he has six TDs. ... Felix Jones is an every-down back, evidenced by his 74.3-percent Week 1 snap count. Dallas backs combined for 27 touches in the opener, 20 of them going to Felix. Neither DeMarco Murray nor Tashard Choice touched the ball in the red zone. Jones had three red-zone touches, scoring from a yard out in the fourth quarter.

Frank Gore managed 59 yards on 22 runs against Seattle as San Francisco's O-Line struggled mightily to open holes. I put a stat in the Seahawks-Steelers matchup breakdown (Page One) that should make Gore owners feel at least a little bit better. Simply put, Seattle can stop the run. The Cowboys probably can, too, after holding Jets ball carriers to 2.81 YPC last week, but it will be hard to ever sit Gore when he's the clear focal point of his offense. Coach Jim Harbaugh is going very run heavy, maintaining a 32:20 Opening Day run-to-pass ratio and giving Gore 25 touches to Kendall Hunter's two. Anthony Dixon played only on special teams. Gore's performance wasn't at fault in Week 1; the weak per-play production is on the front five. He's still plenty capable of hitting long runs, appearing as quick, decisive, and smooth as ever on the rare occasions holes were opened. Gore got a one-yard touchdown run "vultured" by Alex Smith at the end of the first half. It would've saved his fantasy day. Gore -- not Dixon or Hunter -- was in the backfield on the play.

In the pass game, Harbaugh is asking Smith to take three-step drops and get rid of the ball quickly, probably due to a lack of trust in Smith and his line's ability to pass protect. Vernon Davis' numbers will rise, because even as bad as Smith is, the 49ers will top 124 passing yards far more often than not. Game flow will require it. Davis still led the team in Week 1 targets, catches, and yards. Owners can hang their hats on that, as well as the fact that Dallas served up six catches, 94 yards, and a TD to Jets tight ends in Week 1. ... Michael Crabtree played 13 snaps versus Seattle, but only one in the second half after his twice-surgically repaired foot flared up again. He's one of the bigger in-game injury risks in the league and off the fantasy radar. ... The cornerback picture is messy in Dallas, but it's hard to justify Josh Morgan or Braylon Edwards as fantasy viable because of Harbaugh's offensive philosophy. Edwards is the slightly better bet of the two.

Score Prediction: Cowboys 23, 49ers 16



<!--RW-->4:15PM ET Games


Cincinnati @ Denver

Andy Dalton will apparently start despite a sprained throwing wrist. Playing two quarters in Week 1, Dalton didn't complete a pass to A.J. Green, who notched his lone catch on an essentially broken play after Bruce Gradkowski's quick snap caught the Browns' defense off guard. While Champ Bailey's (hamstring) possible absence would improve Green's matchup, you can safely expect the Bengals' offense to be extremely run-heavy in Week 2. It's their M.O. anyhow, and will be even more so with a rookie quarterback who isn't 100 percent. You're banking on a deep ball from a banged-up, weak-armed passer if you're starting Green. ... Coming off a 6-58-1 line on eight targets (six from Dalton), Jermaine Gresham will be a bigger fantasy factor than he was last season. His explosion is back two years removed from a college knee injury, and Gresham is an excellent complement to Dalton's arm over the middle. He should push for top-12 tight end stats.

Cedric Benson ranked second in the league in Week 1 touches (26), trailing only Tim Hightower. The Bengals want to keep it that way. What Benson has lost in short-area burst he can make up in volume, particularly in a favorable matchup. The banged-up Denver front seven was slammed for 191 yards on 30 carries (6.37 YPC) by Oakland backs last Monday night, and is now playing on a short week. You don't have to particularly like Benson to start him in fantasy. ... With Green getting shut down last week, Jerome Simpson saw a team-high nine targets. Expect regression for both Bengals wideouts. Simpson is a far lesser fantasy option than the rookie. ... Slot man Jordan Shipley only played 49% of the Bengals' Week 1 snaps, seeing two targets. Jay Gruden's extremely conservative system has weeded Shipley out of the offense in favor of a run blocker.

The Broncos' backfield should be avoided this week. While Willis McGahee may appear headed for lots of carries because of Knowshon Moreno's bum hamstring, McGahee has done nothing recently to justify fantasy start-ability. McGahee finished last season with a career-low 3.76 yards per carry, including the playoffs, and there is little burst left in his legs after over 1,700 career touches. He had three yards on four Week 1 attempts. The matchup isn't enticing after Cincinnati stumped Browns rushers for 83 scoreless yards on 26 carries (3.19 YPC) last week. I wouldn't be surprised if Lance Ball outplayed McGahee on Sunday. ... Kyle Orton didn't do enough in his first start under John Fox to make anyone think he'll be more than a mid-range to low-end QB2 without Josh McDaniels. Take this to the bank: Tim Tebow will make starts at some point this season.

Even if he plays, Moreno isn't a fantasy option after his third hamstring injury over the past two seasons. ... Denver beat writers consider Brandon Lloyd unlikely to play after pulling his groin in the opener. Fox is reticent about injury situations, so don't expect confirmation from the team until the inactives list is released Sunday afternoon. That makes it tough to count on injured Broncos skill players with healthy options available in early games, and it doesn't help that they're coming off a short week. ... If Lloyd sits, Eric Decker and Eddie Royal will get the starts at receiver. Decker's long-term upside is capped by Fox's offensive philosophy, but he showed better big-play ability than advertised on a third-quarter, 90-yard punt return touchdown in Week 1, and also hauled in three of his five targets for 53 yards. Decker would be a better bet than Royal against Cincinnati.

Score Prediction: Bengals 17, Broncos 13


San Diego @ New England

Vegas has a whopping 53.5-point over-under on Bolts-Pats, the biggest projected total of Week 2 and easily bigger than any Week 1 over-under. This is going to be a shootout, so start your Pats and Chargers. ... Look for San Diego to attack rookie RCB Ras-I Dowling, who got the surprise Week 1 start over Leigh Bodden. Vincent Jackson plays both receiver positions (X, Z) and will draw Dowling plenty. Antonio Gates was a target monster in the opener with 13 balls thrown his way. Malcom Floyd had eight. Jackson only got three balls, but these numbers will draw closer to a mean going forward. With a plus matchup in a high-scoring game, expect a monstrous rebound from V-Jax. ... Gates has at least 108 yards or a touchdown in four career meetings with the Patriots. Not even Bill Belichick has figured out how to stop him. ... With slot receiver Patrick Crayton (ankle) returning and getting Jackson the ball more sure to be a focus of Philip Rivers, Floyd's fantasy appeal will continue to dip. He's a dicey WR3, better used in bye-week crunches.

You can't name four better Week 2 quarterback plays than Rivers against a Patriots defense that Chad Henne just smoked for 416 yards and two touchdowns. ... Mike Tolbert owners should be thrilled with his Week 1 game. The backfield distribution confirmed that he plays on all passing downs and dominates red-zone work for an offense that will consistently move the chains. He's just not nearly as good as his Opening Day fantasy points indicate. Particularly if Tolbert punches in another goal-line carry or two in this game, he'll be an ideal sell high to a running back-needy owner heading to Week 3. ... Ryan Mathews got 36 Week 1 snaps, "good" for a 42.8 percentage. I'd still play him over Tolbert because Mathews has so much more talent as a runner. The Chargers' coaching staff gave Mathews a big vote of confidence this week. His snaps will rise.

Both Patriots tight ends look like plug-and-play TE1s. Aaron Hernandez is slightly more subject to down weeks because he only plays in passing and shotgun formations, but when you combine his game-breaking athleticism and soft hands with a pass-heavy attack and the NFL's most efficient passer, it's all you need. And let's get this straight: Hernandez, coming off a 7-103-1 shredding of Miami, is a wideout. He never blocks. ... Rob Gronkowski is more the manchild of the two. He levels ends and linebackers in the run game, then uses his physicality and deceptive vertical speed to make plays downfield. Gronkowski is just unstoppable. He had six catches for 86 yards and a touchdown against the Fins. ... If you read this column last year, you may recall discussion of Wes Welker's post-Randy Moss production dip. Defenses began double teaming Welker after the Week 5 Moss trade, and he didn't score a touchdown or top 53 yards in the next four games. Then, Gronk Nation and Nando happened. Welker will prey on single coverage in the slot all year long.

San Diego held Donovan McNabb to 39 yards last Sunday, but the Vikings asked for it by using Percy Harvin as a part-timer, leaving McNabb with only the worst outside receiver duo in football to throw to. Tom Brady is a no-brainer top-five QB1. ... It wasn't a great sign for BenJarvus Green-Ellis, the Pats' "keep the lead" back, that Danny Woodhead played over him with New England controlling the Monday nighter. Law Firm only played 23-of-80 snaps (28.8%), and Woodhead is being used between the tackles more. Sell BJGE if he scores this week. He's also got Stevan Ridley to worry about. ... It's worth noting the Patriots often divvy up backfield playing time based on week-to-week game plans. Perhaps they identified a heavy Dolphins front line of Paul Soliai, Randy Starks, Kendall Langford as a better fit to run the shiftier Woodhead against. Who knows, really? What we do know is Green-Ellis can hold his own in a non-PPR league with red-zone TDs. Woodhead will probably get 14-17 touches. ... Feel free to drop Chad Ochocinco. He's clearly behind Deion Branch, putting Ocho sixth in line for receiving targets behind Welker, Gronkowski, Hernandez, Branch, and Woodhead. I wouldn't bet on Ochocinco picking it up soon, either.

Score Prediction: Patriots 38, Chargers 35


Houston @ Miami

Jacoby Jones gets the playing-time bump with Kevin Walter (shoulder) out indefinitely, but Owen Daniels is the most fantasy-viable beneficiary. Daniels now has a clear path to possession targets while Andre Johnson burns defenses with the deep stuff. ... We discussed this last week: The Texans' offense is headed for a major drop in pass attempts, because they can impose their will with the run. Arian Foster and Ben Tate are good players, but it barely matters the back. The zone-blocking scheme wears teams out. Matt Schaub is going to need better opposing play to approach top-ten QB stats. Sell now. ... Dolphins CB Nolan Carroll got whipped for six receptions and 103 yards in last week's loss to the Patriots. Carroll often mans the right corner, where Johnson plays in the base offense. That's quite a mismatch, even if they only face off five times on Sunday. ... Jones is worth rostering to see what happens, but don't expect much. There won't be enough volume in the Houston passing offense to support more than two big receiving games.

All signs point to Foster (hamstring) returning this week, and he's a plug-and-play RB1 if all goes well Friday. Coach Gary Kubiak has been clear that Foster will dominate the workload when he's in the game. ... Tate needs another blowout to accrue a worthwhile number of touches. The Texans will take out Foster if they get a big lead, but the Dolphins' offense was competitive enough Monday in New England that you can't count on it. Tate needs to be on fantasy benches. Barring a surprise inactive listing for Foster on Sunday ... Derrick Ward can be dropped. He's injured and not remotely as effective as Foster or Tate.

Update: Kubiak announced Friday that Foster will play against Miami, but Tate will "definitely" see carries, probably off the bench. Your best approach is to continue to monitor the situation into Sunday morning, gathering as much information as possible. A rotation is likely either way. It's still hard to imagine sitting Foster if he's active for the game. Ward has been ruled out.

Pocket poise and downfield accuracy have been Chad Henne's downfalls as a pro. Since an awful preseason opener, he seems to have turned a corner. On paper at least, Henne shredded the Pats' secondary for 416 yards, two touchdowns, and one late, inconsequential interception in the Monday night opener. This is great news for Brandon Marshall, Davone Bess, and Reggie Bush. Be wary of trusting Henne as more than a QB2, but early signs are promising. ... Marshall finished Week 1 in a three-way tie for the league lead for targets (13), equaling Antonio Gates and Roddy White. The Texans, like most everyone else, will struggle to stop him. ... Daniel Thomas will supposedly return this week. I don't get how he's a threat to Bush's workload, seeing as Thomas isn't any good and Bush adds a new dimension to the Dolphins' offense. Thomas is an RB4.

Score Prediction: Texans 30, Dolphins 20


Sunday Night Football


Philadelphia @ Atlanta

Eagles-Falcons has Week 2's second highest over-under, behind only Chargers-Pats. The Vegas oddsmakers have a better feel for NFL scoring than most folks reading or writing this column, and their confidence suggests all is not lost for Mike Smith's team after its 30-12 Week 1 drubbing in Chicago. Trot out your studs. ... Before curiously scrapping its no-huddle offense in the second half last week, Atlanta moved the chains better than the box score indicates. The Falcons opened with a 10-play drive, but unlucky turnovers (Charles Tillman strip of Michael Turner, Brian Urlacher fumble recovery of Matt Ryan) got Atlanta out of its comfort zone. The Eagles are no pushover, but Ryan owners need to keep the faith. This will be a high-powered offense when all's said and done, and this projects as a high-scoring game. It makes Ryan tough to sit unless you have a Stafford or Big Ben on the bench. ... Nnamdi Asomugha stayed at RCB for the vast majority of his Week 1 snaps. Julio Jones and Roddy White move around, so you can't say Asomugha will be "on" one of them. White tied for the league lead in Week 1 with 13 targets. Start 'em confidently.

Jones did play more snaps than White at LWR last week, the receiver spot Asomugha covers. I still like Jones as a WR3 in any potential shootout, but use that fact to break ties if you have other great options. ... Turner ran with more short-area burst than anticipated in the opener, busting up the gut for repeated long runs against the Bears. Fantasy owners need to ride Turner while he's hot, and then sell high on the 29 1/2-year-old back. This is a good matchup for Turner. Smallish in the front four with liabilities throughout the linebacker corps, Philadelphia was touched up for 169 yards and a touchdown on 25 carries (6.76 YPC) in Week 1. Eagles WLB Moise Fokou got pancaked by Rams FB Brit Miller on Steven Jackson's 47-yard TD run on first play of the game. Falcons Pro Bowl FB Ovie Mughelli might chuck Fokou into the stands. ... Tony Gonzalez's 5-72 Week 1 line should be taken with a grain of salt. The Bears' Cover 2 kept the Atlanta wideouts in check on deep routes, allowing Gonzalez to "beat them" over the middle. Gonzalez is just a TE2.

I gave you some indoor stats when the Eagles visited the Edward Jones Dome last week. Philly opens the season with two straight games indoors, so here's an update as Andy Reid's team flies south to the Georgia Dome: LeSean McCoy's last three dome games: 47 carries, 391 yards (8.31 YPC), five all-purpose touchdowns, nine catches. ... DeSean Jackson, career (five games): 124.2 total-yard average with three touchdowns. ... Falcons DT Jonathan Babineaux is out 3-5 weeks with a torn MCL, which is a very big blow to Atlanta's interior pass rush. The interior offensive line also happens to be the Eagles' most glaring offensive weakness, so Michael Vick is catching a pretty big break. In last Sunday's trouncing of the Rams, Vick improved his career TD-to-INT ratio in the month of September to 20:5, and his September yards-per-rushing attempt average to an indefensible 7.69. In Vick's return to Atlanta, he's going to shower the Falcons with fantasy points.

Steve Smith got five Week 1 snaps and isn't on the fantasy radar. ... Jason Avant is a pedestrian slot receiver. It's a big week when Avant tops 60 yards. ... Brent Celek was such a non-factor on Opening Day that our Eagles-Rams game charter didn't even deem him worth a post-game blurb. Celek saw three targets, catching one for 13 yards. ... I'd be concerned about Jeremy Maclin's strength and speed after an offseason on the couch nursing a mysterious illness. Can he get open? Vick apparently didn't think so in the opener, targeting Maclin three times with one completion. I'd be hesitant to consider Maclin a great buy low, though more glass half-full owners can fall back on his last game against Atlanta for a short-term confidence boost. Maclin busted up the Falcons for seven catches, 159 yards, and two touchdowns in Week 6 last year. He's still a high-risk WR3.

Score Prediction: Falcons 34, Eagles 27


Monday Night Football


St. Louis @ NY Giants

Sam Bradford has targeted Danny Amendola 120 times since Week 1 of last season -- easily a team high -- so the slot receiver's dislocated elbow creates a combustible powder keg for other Rams wideouts. While a committee approach involving Brandon Gibson, Mike Sims-Walker, Greg Salas, and Lance Kendricks may emerge, what we do know is Gibson and Sims-Walker are the outside receivers with Salas in Amendola's old slot position. It's a week to hold off on starting any of them. But observe closely. ... Sims-Walker can expect a snaps increase at the very least after playing 44-of-73 (60.3%) in the opener. Coaches have talked up MSW's versatility, and he's the Rams' best wideout bet in Week 2. Only start Sims-Walker if you're desperate. ... Kendricks saw 63 Week 1 snaps (86.3%), which is the positive news. The negative is that Kendricks dropped two balls, including a would-be six-yard touchdown. Games like that get rookie tight ends benched, and not just in fantasy.

Salas is worth grabbing in all leagues, particularly PPR, to at least see what happens. Amendola wasn't a difference maker, and Salas could make it a competitive situation if he plays well over the next few weeks. Salas was handpicked by Josh McDaniels; Amendola is a holdover. ... Steven Jackson (quad) is expected to miss this game, but is pushing the medical staff to let him play. With a Monday start, S-Jax's toughness makes Cadillac Williams not worth the risk as what will probably end up a one-week spot start in an unfavorable matchup. A Justin Tuck-less Giants front seven stuffed Redskins backs for 74 yards on 26 carries (2.85 YPC) in Week 1, and Tuck is back now. ... Bradford might have been an intriguing QB1 play against New York's battered pass defense had Kendricks not bombed the opener and Amendola gotten hurt. Instead, Chris Wesseling and Gregg Rosenthal had no choice but to rank Bradford 19th among Week 2 quarterbacks -- a low-end QB2.

Eli Manning has looked befuddled since former Giants slot receiver Steve Smith went out for the season late last year. Since Week 16 of 2010, Manning is 52-of-94 (55.3%) with a 3:6 TD-to-INT ratio. Include the 2011 preseason, and Eli's numbers plummet even further to 79-of-149 (53.0%) with three touchdowns and eight picks. This matchup looks good on paper, but I'd want to see Manning play well before using him. He hasn't done that in awhile, and Rams coach Steve Spagnuolo knows all about Eli's deficiencies after coordinating the Giants' defense in 2007-2008. ... The Rams lost LCB Ronald Bartell (neck) for the season in Week 1, and it was reported early this week that RCB Bradley Fletcher (toe) will "probably" miss Monday night's game. My bet is on Fletcher playing, but it's conceivable that he'd be in and out of the lineup if the ailment is turf toe. Hakeem Nicks (knee) is worth the wait as a game-time decision. Mario Manningham could go bonkers if Nicks sits out.

The Giants' Week 1 loss didn't provide an ideal snapshot because they played from behind for 2-of-4 quarters, but I charted Ahmad Bradshaw and Brandon Jacobs' usage anyway. Bradshaw got the start and 14 touches. Jacobs only had six carries, but was in for Manning's early two-yard touchdown run (goal-line offense). Bradshaw scored deep in the red zone late in the first half, immediately following a 14-yard Jacobs run to the Redskins' six. Bradshaw got more second-half work due to game flow, and the fact that Jacobs doesn't play on passing downs. The takeaway is that the backfield, from early appearances, is an early-down rotation and the Giants seem to view Bradshaw and Jacobs as interchangeable in short-yardage and red-zone situations. I wouldn't be surprised if the two finished close together in final fantasy back rankings, assuming good health. Bradshaw and Jacobs are still both worthwhile flex options against a Rams defense that couldn't stop the run in August, then gave up 236 yards (7.38 YPC) and a TD to Eagles runners last week.

Score Prediction: Giants 20, Rams 16

 

[HacheMan]

Unsettled situations clearing up

How running back battles shake out; Marshall, Eli poised for big performances




By Christopher Harris
ESPN.com


Five In Depth:
1. Packers RB shuffle. According to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, James Starks was on the field for 45 plays in the Thursday night opener against the New Orleans Saints, while Ryan Grant was out there for 16. If anyone had any lingering doubt whether the Green Bay Packers consider Starks a playmaker, this should about settle it. You saw Grant start the New Orleans game, but once Starks got his first carry with 9:39 left in the second quarter, the difference between the two backs was obvious:

<TABLE><THEAD><TR><TH></TH><TH>ATT </TH><TH>YDS </TH><TH>AVG </TH><TH>TD </TH></TR></THEAD><TBODY><TR class=last><TD>Ryan Grant </TD><TD>6 </TD><TD>21 </TD><TD>3.5 </TD><TD>0 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD>James Starks </TD><TD>12 </TD><TD>56 </TD><TD>4.7 </TD><TD>1 </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>



Plus I think Starks' so-called pass-blocking "deficiencies" are being overstated, in part because of comments Cris Collinsworth made during the telecast (and I truly do love Collinsworth as an announcer, by the way). On a play-action pass out of a shotgun formation, Starks made his ball fake as planned on the left side, then watched Aaron Rodgers get tackled by a blitzer coming from the right. Collinsworth said Starks should've seen that coming, abandoned the fake and dived to make a block. Watching the tape, it seems to me, if Starks had done this, he would have run Rodgers over.


Anyway, whether it's because Grant is a step slower than he was before his ankle injury last year, or because Starks is simply a more powerful guy at this stage in his career, the younger player has an early leg up in this platoon. It's worth noting that when John Kuhn scored his 1-yard TD early in the fourth quarter, Starks was the halfback behind him in a goal-line situation. Hey, things change week to week. Grant is still 28 years old and has two career 1,200-yard seasons in his past. There will be weeks -- maybe as soon as Sunday versus the Carolina Panthers -- in which the prideful veteran will stake his claim to more carries. But as of this moment, based on what I've seen so far, Starks is the guy I'd rather own.


2. Peyton Hillis has offensive line issues. Kudos to my ESPN colleague and pal Keith Lipscomb, who was at the Cleveland Browns-Cincinnati Bengals game Sunday, for calling my attention to this and sending me back to review the game footage. Hillis' mediocre 87 yards on 23 touches wasn't a result of a personal regression, but rather poor blocking. Until midway through the second quarter, Hillis couldn't find a crease against what's supposed to be a fairly average Bengals front seven. He had four carries for six yards, mostly on up-the-gut-style runs, when he finally broke a 17-yarder off left tackle, where Manny Lawson allowed himself to be stiff-armed out of a takedown for a loss. Hillis never had another carry for more than six yards the entire day, and often had to grind through multiple tacklers to get what he could.


If I'm somewhat circumspect about a full-throated endorsement of Hillis this week against a beatable-looking Indianapolis Colts defense, that's why. Much has been made about the left side of the Browns' offensive line, and that left guard Eric Steinbach, out for the year with an injured back, has been replaced by fifth-round rookie Jason Pinkston. But an underreported story is how important the right side of this offensive line was last year:


<TABLE><THEAD><TR><TH></TH><TH>ATT </TH><TH>YDS </TH><TH>AVG </TH><TH>TD </TH></TR></THEAD><TBODY><TR class=last><TD>Running Left </TD><TD>119 </TD><TD>511 </TD><TD>4.3 </TD><TD>6 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD>Running Middle </TD><TD>46 </TD><TD>149 </TD><TD>3.2 </TD><TD>0 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD>Running Right </TD><TD>105 </TD><TD>517 </TD><TD>4.9 </TD><TD>5 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD colSpan=4>(Source: STATS, Inc.)</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>



Unfortunately, in Week 1, it was the right side that was most problematic for Hillis:


<TABLE><THEAD><TR><TH> </TH><TH>ATT </TH><TH>YDS </TH><TH>AVG </TH><TH>TD </TH></TR></THEAD><TBODY><TR class=last><TD>Running Left </TD><TD>8 </TD><TD>45 </TD><TD>5.6 </TD><TD>0 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD>Running Right </TD><TD>9 </TD><TD>12 </TD><TD>1.3 </TD><TD>0 </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>



Right tackle Tony Pashos missed the Bengals' game with an injured ankle and is out for this week's contest, too. His replacement, Oniel Cousins, isn't a very good player. And the right guard, Shawn Lauvao, struggled during his rookie year in 2010 as a reserve and looked shaky as a starter Sunday. Listen, I still have Hillis rated No. 10 this week, because running backs who get 20 carries (and 23 touches) don't grow on trees. But be careful assuming there's an automatic 100-yard day coming versus Indy.

3. Targeted to a fault? Fantasy owners are rarely going to complain when their starting fantasy wideout gets so many targets, even the TV announcers are like, "C'mon, this is getting predictable." Such was the case (OK, I'm paraphrasing) Monday night, when Mike Tirico evinced surprise about how often Chad Henne looked for Brandon Marshall, especially in the red zone. As a Marshall owner in a couple leagues, I wasn't sad to witness these developments. Marshall tied Roddy White for the most wideout targets in Week 1, with 13. (Antonio Gates had 14.)


Marshall was awesome. It was like last year never happened. The New England Patriots' defense (more on them in a moment) had no answers as Marshall lined up all over the place, getting matched up on multiple corners and safeties at various times. He had five receptions of at least 18 yards and wound up with seven grabs for 139 yards total. The Miami Dolphins took a couple deep shots his way, including a marginally poor Henne pass with about five minutes left in the third quarter and the game still in question on which Marshall made a terrific catch over his head despite illegal contact from the defender (Ras-I Dowling) and lunged to the 1-yard line. It was on the conclusion of this series, in which Henne threw two poor balls for Marshall in the end zone, that Tirico made his comment about forcing it into the big wideout. Frankly, I'm all for it. Marshall looked to be his same unstoppable self from the Denver days.


What can we expect against the Houston Texans? Well, Reggie Wayne put together some nice numbers on paper in Week 1 against the Texans, but we all know it was mostly garbage time. Wayne didn't see any one defender devoted to him: He had Kareem Jackson on him early, but Jason Allen forced him out of bounds on a second-quarter reception and was matched up against him again later in the second. Johnathan Joseph seems to stay on the defensive left side against all formations, and he's the guy Marshall will want to avoid. Given the way the Dolphins moved him around versus the Patriots, I think he'll be able to. Until I see otherwise, Marshall is back to being an every-week starter. He's that talented.

4. Stew Beef. I'm a big DeAngelo Williams fan. I was all-in on D-Willy in '08 when he ran for 18 scores. But even I have to face one cold, hard fact: He's really only ever put together one complete season in his five-year career. There were the dark days of sharing time with DeShaun Foster in '06 and '07. And there were leg injuries galore in '09 and '10. What Williams showed against the Arizona Cardinals in Week 1 was a steaming pile of ugly. He had 12 carries for 30 yards and never broke anything bigger than 8 yards. It's simplistic to say his legs aren't under him. I can't really tell that from one game's worth of film. But in the first quarter, Williams had four carries for minus-1 yards and was consistently taken down by a single tackler.


Jonathan Stewart got the first series of the second quarter and on his first carry took a shotgun draw up the middle and turned nothing much into an 11-yard gain in which he carried three guys on his back. Then midway through the second quarter, he turned in the best running play the Carolina Panthers had all day, a cutback run in which he eluded just about every Cardinals defender on the field and gained 29 yards, only to see it called back on a holding penalty. But seriously, you didn't see anything like that broken-field running from Williams in Week 1.


Let's go ahead and not make too much of this. Williams still played more and saw the ball more. He's also the guy making $21 million guaranteed, while Stewart is in the second-to-last season of his rookie deal. I'm still ranking Williams ahead of Stew Beef. But the gap is closing just a bit. Remember, Stewart rushed for 10 TDs in both '08 and '09 in mostly a part-time role. I think he's a sneaky flex play many weeks, and this is one of them. Over the past few seasons, the Packers have been easier to run against than throw against (granted that was before B.J. Raji started doing his best Gilbert Brown impression). Take note of whether mauling Panthers right tackle Jeff Otah is limited by a possible concussion before your make your lineup decision here.


5. The Phoenix Suns of the NFL. Regular readers know I'm a New England Patriots fan. But I get a nervous feeling about this team. The same kind of nervous feeling I often got last year when the defense would allow another long drive, then get rescued (in the regular season) by Tom Brady and the offense. The Pats have nice strength at defensive tackle and middle linebacker, and Devin McCourty is the real deal as their top corner. But I saw a whole lot of feh everywhere else Monday.


Did this squad record a respectable 36 sacks last season, good for 14th in the NFL? It did. But that wasn't thanks to outside pressure. Tully Banta-Cain was the best defensive end/outside linebacker in that regard in '10, with five sacks, and he's gone. The bulk of quarterback pressure from this defense comes (when it comes) from the middle, from Vince Wilfork, Mike Wright (when he's healthy), Myron Pryor and (maybe eventually) Albert Haynesworth. Last year, when they gave you their 3-4 look, it was so-so players such as Banta-Cain and Jermaine Cunningham rushing the quarterback. Now, in their 4-3, you're talking about retreads such as Andre Carter and Shaun Ellis. Really, I don't think we know how good the non-McCourty pass-coverage players are in New England, because too often Henne had all night to throw.
Yes, to some extent it's revisionist history to say, "The Patriots built their huge winning streak in the regular season simply by outscoring teams, and only when they met a defense that could stop them did their fatal flaw shine through." Heck, I watched that New York Jets playoff game last year and was as surprised as the next guy. But Mark Sanchez did throw for three TDs and no picks in that game, and Ray Rice did trample the Pats to the tune of 159 yards and two TDs in the Ravens' playoff win in New England back in '09. In both cases, you saw the Patriots' spread-them-out offense run up against a defense that wasn't impressed. In both cases, you saw Brady play poorly and dig a hole that his defense just wasn't equipped to get out of.


Fantasy-wise, I guess all this is to say: I'm at a loss to explain why I'm the only ESPN ranker who wants you to steer far, far away from the Pats D this week against Philip Rivers. The transitive property doesn't apply week to week in the NFL, so it's not good analysis to say, "Man, if Chad Henne can throw for 416 yards against the Pats, imagine what Rivers can do!" But it is good analysis to observe that Rivers went for 336 against New England last year. I'll be surprised if Pats/Chargers isn't a shootout of one degree or another Sunday, and as such, I'd strongly advise against using either fantasy D.
Five In Brief:



[+] Enlarge

<CITE>Andrew Mills/US Presswire</CITE>Eli Manning is poised for a much better Week 2 than his Week 1 outing against the Redskins.




6. Eli and the golden fleece. Eli Whitney invented the cotton gin. Jason and the Argonauts were after the wool of some magic ram. I don't know, in my fevered brain there's some connection there. Anyway, I'm surprised how quickly our rankers have given up on Eli Manning. No, he wasn't particularly good against the Washington Redskins. But this is a guy whose memory is shorter than ... well ... my memory, apparently, when it comes to invention history and/or mythology. The St. Louis Rams have lost starting corner Ronald Bartell for the season with a neck injury, and might be without their other starting corner Bradley Fletcher this week because of a toe injury. Suddenly Justin King, who was considered possible roster chaff just a few weeks ago, and the immortal (perhaps literally) Al Harris may be the starters. Harris is 36 and was last seen getting bounced off the Saints' roster last year. I never consider Eli a top-10 QB and I don't this week. But I'll leave him right where he normally falls in my ranks. By the way, it sounds as if Hakeem Nicks may try and give it a go Monday night; if you're inclined to wait it out with him, handcuff Domenik Hixon and plug in Hixon if Nicks winds up inactive.


7. What happened to not chasing touchdowns? I agree that Mike Tolbert should probably be ranked above Ryan Mathews right now, because when you have a job that seems pretty much split 50-50 in terms of workload, you err on the guy who appears to be the clear short-yardage option and who's coming off a three-TD game. But our rankers are going bonkers for Tolbert, wouldn't you say? I was the only one not to put the big guy in my top 20 RBs this week, and I put him 28th (with Mathews 32nd). Nothing I saw out of Tolbert indicates that he's anywhere close to winning a full-time role, and if statistical analysis tells us anything about short TDs it's that they can be mighty fickle. I'll grant you that it's nice to see Tolbert catch nine passes against the Minnesota Vikings (two of which accounted for scores), and there's little reason to suspect Tolbert won't be the primary third-down back against the Pats this week. But to my eyes, Mathews didn't play poorly in Week 1, and in fact showed that he's a far better player than Tolbert is when he gets the ball in space. Combine that with Tolbert having a balky knee, and I'd consider neither of them better than flex material.


8. Cedric Benson runs left. Once again, Keith Lipscomb clued me into this one: Benson had 27 carries against the Browns in Week 1, and 17 of them were to the left side, in the general direction of tackle Andrew Whitworth. Sure, Benson broke his game-clinching run with less than two minutes to play by running right, but that was a go-for-broke play by the Browns, and Benson could've driven a truck through the hole that sprung him for his 39-yard score. I hate it when so-so backs put together so-so days for 58 minutes, then break a long one late to make it look like they had a huge fantasy day. We all know what Benson is. He's a plugger. But against a Denver Broncos' defensive right side that features injury fill-ins Derrick Harvey, Jason Hunter and Wesley Woodyard, I can see a bunch more running left, and a bunch more slow-and-steady success for Benson.
9. Malcom X. That's Malcom Floyd, who is typically the San Diego Chargers' "X" receiver. As I mentioned above, I'm wholly unconvinced that the Patriots' defense will put nearly as much pressure on Rivers as the Vikings did last week, and I think Gates, Vincent Jackson and Floyd can all benefit. Realize this about Floyd's Week 1 performance: He had eight targets to Jackson's three. Sure, Jackson was the wideout with the best chance at a TD, a would-have-been 43-yarder late in the second quarter that Rivers barely overthrew (V-Jax was wide open). But Floyd will usually get the shorter stuff, regardless of his good size/speed combo, and that can add up. A couple of our ESPN rankers say to forget Floyd in leagues that start three wideouts. I'm actually OK with using him in such leagues.


10. Cam or Fig? Part of the radioactive phenomenon that was Cam Newton throwing for a ludicrous 422 yards in his career opener last week will be explained this Sunday. You'll get to see Newton going up against an elite pass defense (and an elite pass rusher in Clay Matthews), and you'll get to see Rex Grossman play versus the defense Newton torched, the woeful Cardinals. Despite the fact that Newton was added in a whopping 53.4 percent of ESPN.com leagues this week -- which I understand -- I can't imagine too many fantasy owners in standard-sized leagues are plugging him into their starting lineups. Right? Right? (Please don't do that.) On the other hand, Peyton Manning owners who've rightly given up on their one-week Kerry Collins experiment could very well look Grossman's way for Week 2. Now, let's not get crazy about Sexy Rexy and his four career starts for the Redskins, in which he has three 300-yard games. If Grossman is one thing, it's a would-be gunslinger who's often a few bullets shy of a full bandoleer. But seeing how wide-open Steve Smith got versus Patrick Peterson and the other Cardinals DBs, well, it makes me believe Newton's performance was more about the defense. If Grossman does his part and goes wild, we'll have our proof.

 

[HacheMan]

Week 2 Injury Questions

So much for the afterglow.

Although Week 1 had one towering injury concern in Arian Foster, he headlined a mercifully small list of banged up star players heading into the season’s first week.

We have no such quiet in Week 2, where Foster finds himself joined by another RB1 in Steven Jackson and a trio of elite wideouts in Hakeem Nicks, Santonio Holmes, Dez Bryant.

They are joined by a host of other notables, including Brandon Lloyd, Steve Johnson, Sam Bradford, Knowshon Moreno, Danny Amendola, Sidney Rice and Jacoby Ford.

It’s going to be tough sledding for a number of fantasy owners this week, but the blow can be lessened if you know which gambles to take and which to leave to someone else.

Before we get going, here are a few invaluable links for your Sunday morning decision making: Rotoworld News Page, Week 2 rankings from Gregg Rosenthal and Chris Wesseling and Evan Silva’s almost impossibly great Matchup Column.

And if you want to draft a new team just for this week, check out SnapDraft here.

1 P.M. GAMES
RAIDERS at BILLS
* Jacoby Ford (hamstring) has been ruled out for Week 2, and his Week 3 status is looking iffy at best.
* Darrius Heyward-Bey (knee) finds himself sidelined right when it appeared he might finally be on the verge of becoming a (small) factor in Oakland’s receiver corps. He’s 50/50 to play, but should remain benched in all formats.
* Darren McFadden (shoulder) practiced in full on Friday and is ready to test a Bills’ run defense that looked much improved in Week 1.
* Steve Johnson (groin) gave fantasy owners a scare when he missed practice on Thursday, but was back to full participation on Friday, and is ready to serve as the Bills’ WR1 and your high-end WR2.

CHIEFS at LIONS
* Calvin Johnson (ankle) will be active and ready to go off against a Chiefs secondary adjusting to life without Eric Berry.

BEARS at SAINTS
* Marion Barber (calf) is doubtful. Kahlil Bell should serve as Matt Forte’s backup for the second straight week.
* Roy Williams (groin) is looking dicey after two no-shows and one limited practice this week. Hopefully for both the Bears and fantasy owners’ sake, Williams is inactive, paving the way for a far more dynamic player in Johnny Knox to start.
* Lance Moore (groin) appears set to play despite being limited on Friday. Unless you have no other options for your WR3, he’s probably best left on your bench for another week.

BROWNS at COLTS
* Mohamed Massaquoi (hamstring) will start against the Colts, but is off the fantasy radar until the Browns prove their passing game isn’t the chicken with its head cut off it appeared to be in Week 1.
* Anthony Gonzalez (hamstring) has resumed practicing in full, but won’t be a factor if he’s active tomorrow.
* Blair White (back) remains sidelined. He has next to go value without Peyton Manning under center in Indy.

BUCS at VIKINGS
*Michael Jenkins (groin) will play. The touchdown he scored in Week 1 was 50 percent of his 2010 total.

PACKERS at PANTHERS
* Jermichael Finley (ankle) was limited all week in practice, but is listed as probable and almost certainly ready to dominate a Panthers defense that’s going to allow a lot of week-winning fantasy performances this season.
* Kealoha Pilares (ankle) is expected to make his NFL debut, but won’t be a fantasy factor this season.

SEAHAWKS at STEELERS
* Sidney Rice (shoulder) is out again for Week 2, but supposedly a good bet to be ready for Week 3. Ben Obomanu will start opposite Big Mike Williams.
* Jerricho Cotchery (hamstring) is out for the second straight week. The veteran isn’t worth holding onto in any format.

RAVENS at TITANS
* Lee Evans (ankle) is close to 100 percent after turning in a full week of practice, but is probably best left on your bench until he proves he’s going to be a contributor in Baltimore.
* Javon Ringer (hip, back) practiced without restriction this week, and should be in line for 3-to-4 carries behind Chris Johnson.

CARDINALS at REDSKINS
* LaRod Stephens-Howling (hand, biceps) is questionable, but likely to serve as Arizona’s third-string back with Chester Taylor finally up to speed on the offense.
* Chris Cooley (knee) should suit up after putting in a full week of practice, but has been left in the dust by Fred Davis. He’s no longer the tight end to own in Washington.

JAGUARS at JETS
* Marcedes Lewis (calf) is doubtful, and expected to be spelled by the “other” Zach Miller, an intriguing athlete who’s flashed decent pass-catching ability the past two seasons. If you’re a Lewis owner in a deeper league, it’s not outside the realm of possibility Miller could get you a few points.
* Santonio Holmes (knee, quad) will be a game-time decision, with there being a real possibility he doesn’t go. If he’s active, however, he’ll still be a solid play against a woefully thin Jaguars secondary.

4 P.M. GAMES
COWBOYS at 49ERS
* Dez Bryant (quad) will be a true game-time decision, and is unlikely to go according to Sports Illustrated’s Peter King. Bryant, of course, played through the same injury for three quarters last Sunday, but was ineffective in doing so. He’s an extremely risky start with the game coming at 4 ET. If you have depth at wideout, this is the week to use it.
* Miles Austin (hamstring) was only a limited participant in practice on Friday after participating in full on Wednesday and Thursday, but is fully expected to play and shoulder a big load with Bryant appearing ever less likely to play.
* Martellus Bennett (ankle) will be a game-time call after not playing in Week 1.
* Michael Crabtree (foot) is a game-time decision, and you’re best off looking elsewhere for the two fantasy points Crabtree will provide if active.

BENGALS at BRONCOS
* Andy Dalton (wrist) will start at quarterback barring a last-minute setback in warmups.
* Brandon Lloyd (groin) practiced in a limited fashion on Friday, but is no slam dunk to be active. Playing in the afternoon, he could be a zero waiting to happen if you roll the dice and start him.
* Knowshon Moreno (hamstring) is officially questionable, but widely expected to sit. Jalopy Willis McGahee will start in his place and is a good bet to find the end zone at least once.

CHARGERS at PATRIOTS
* Patrick Crayton (ankle) practiced in full this week, and will be in the slot against a Patriots’ pass defense that surrendered 416 yards to Chad Henne in Week 1.

TEXANS at DOLPHINS
* Arian Foster (hamstring) is healthy, starting and reportedly in line for the neighborhood of 20 touches. Ben Tate (quad) will spell him off the bench to the tune of 10 or so touches. Foster is the only clear play in the Texans’ backfield this weekend.
* Derrick Ward (ankle, shoulder) is out one week after taking the ball 11 times for 39 yards. Unless you’re a Foster owner who missed out on Tate in a deeper league, Ward can be safely dropped in all formats.
* Kevin Walter (shoulder, quad) is a game-time decision who won’t be active unless he’s miraculously pain-free in pregame warmups. Jacoby Jones will start opposite Andre Johnson in his absence.
* Daniel Thomas (hamstring) will make his NFL debut, and should be in line for roughly 5-to-6 carries behind Reggie Bush’s 15-to-18. He’s ignorable in all formats until further notice.

SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL
EAGLES at FALCONS
* Vince Young (hamstring) will be available if Michael Vick goes down in his return to Atlanta.
* Steve Smith (knee) will be active, but won’t make an impact one week after a limited-snap, zero-target performance against the Rams.
* Harry Douglas (concussion) is set to go just seven days after getting his bell rung against the Bears, but is a shaky play coming off a four-target performance.

MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL
RAMS at GIANTS
* Danny Amendola (elbow) is doubtful, but almost certain not to play. Rookie Greg Salas will get the start in the slot for St. Louis.
* Steven Jackson (quad) is a true-game decision, but all signs are pointing toward Cadillac Williams making his first start as a Ram. Caddy’s the fantasy play in the Rams’ backfield this week.
* Sam Bradford (finger) will play, though the absence of his favorite target Amendola could make it a long night for the second-year signal caller against a defense that’s not going to skimp on pressure.
* Michael Hoomanawanui (calf) is questionable, but will be used primarily as a blocker if active.
* Hakeem Nicks (knee) is officially questionable, but is trending toward being a game-time decision for Monday Night Football despite his Friday guarantee that he’ll play. If you have options at receiver, it could be a good week to keep your WR1 benched.
* Travis Beckum (hamstring) is out for the second straight week. Jake Ballard will again start in his place, and could be asserting himself as the Giants’ TE1.

SURVIVOR PICK OF THE WEEK
Did you see the Chiefs play last week? It’s never prudent to declare a team done after just one bad performance, but if you saw Todd Haley’s gang get throttled at home by the fourth best team in the AFC East, you probably realized they’re going to be in for another long day against the Lions.

If Matthew Stafford was able to throw for 265 yards against the Bucs in the first half last Sunday, what’s he going to do to a Chiefs secondary that’s now minus Eric Berry?

Throw in the fact that the game is on the fast track in Detroit, and you have all the makings of a game that could get ugly before the first T.V. timeout. The question is not if the Lions will win, but by how much they will win.

MY TOUGHEST DECISION OF THE WEEK
At the flex spot in my 14-team full PPR league, I was faced with starting the remains of what used to be Joseph Addai for another weekend or going with one of my many WR 4/5s, Randall Cobb, Chaz Schilens, Greg Little or Harry Douglas. Instead of trying to guess which wideout might score a lucky touchdown (and between the four of them, one of them will), I decided to abide by one of my guiding fantasy football principles: running back over receiver.

Yes, it’s a PPR league, but yes Addai is still the most likely to find the end zone. In a league this deep, that’s often all you can hope for from your flex. I’m well aware Delone Carter is the new short-yardage sheriff in Indianapolis, but I’m also aware the Colts are going to have to run to have any shot at winning. Addai is still in line for carries, and his chances of reaching pay-dirt are greater than you might think.

 

[HacheMan]

Instant Impressions: Week 2

Injuries strike Charles, Cowboys, Foster, Vick; Cam Newton for real


• As of this writing, there isn't 100 percent confirmation that Jamaal Charles tore the ACL in his left knee, but it's widely presumed that the tremendous Kansas City Chiefs RB is out for the year after an awkward fall out of bounds Sunday against the Detroit Lions. It's the first truly devastating blow of the fantasy season, as Charles was a top-five pick in all leagues, and while I wasn't quite as high as on him as some, for me it feels like an illness in the family, because I was in on the ground floor with J-Mail last year. Charles' fantasy owners have no good recourse. Sure, if you're in a league where Ben Tate is somehow still kicking around on the waiver wire, by all means grab him. But in most leagues the best you're going to do is Thomas Jones, who presumably takes over as Kansas City's top back. But Dexter McCluster got work on gadget-ish plays out of the backfield (to the tune of 12 touches Sunday), so this will likely be a partial platoon. Plus it's not impossible the team calls on someone like Clinton Portis for depth.

• Michael Vick was knocked out of the Sunday night game with a concussion and his availability for Week 3 against the New York Giants is in question. With Vince Young also inactive, Mike Kafka took the first regular-season snaps of his NFL career and acquitted himself well; despite Jeremy Maclin's huge statistical night, it was Maclin's fourth-down drop that sealed Philly's fate. Vick's injury isn't considered a long-term worry at this point, but his offensive line is. The Atlanta Falcons brought big pressure against Vick and got several shots on him. I still think Vick misses multiple games this year.


• For the second straight week, Michael Turner's numbers look better than he actually played. Turner was bottled up by the Philadelphia Eagles' D until he broke a 61-yard run late and subsequently plunged in for the game-winning touchdown. Turner has 31 carries on the season. Two of them have gone for 114 yards, and the other 29 have gone for 100 yards. I grant you, the Burner showed excellent speed for a man his size on the game's key play last night, but I worry a couple of fluke plays are covering up for a problem that began at the end of last year. This doesn't look like a running back at the top of his game.


• Speaking of RBs not at the top of their games, how about Chris Johnson? Yikes. Yes, it was a bad matchup against the Baltimore Ravens, but CJ2K looked -- dare I say it? -- slow. That is to say, he looked slow to the hole. This is a player whose greatest asset has been his combination of vision and upfield explosiveness, and neither was in evidence Sunday. Is this rustiness? One presumes so. When will it shake off? Well, Tennessee gets Denver and Cleveland in its next two games.


• Tony Romo's late-game heroics against the 49ers covered up for what's becoming a M*A*S*H unit among the Cowboys' skill-position players. Romo himself apparently has fractured ribs, though he was able to play despite them Sunday, so you'd imagine he won't miss a start. Dez Bryant was inactive with a quad injury. Felix Jones left the game early with a shoulder problem, and played sporadically thereafter; there are reports that he may have suffered a partially separated shoulder. And Miles Austin, who was an absolute force grabbing nine passes for 143 yards and three TDs, left the game at the end of regulation with a hamstring injury that ESPN's Chris Mortensen is reporting will keep Austin out for multiple weeks.

• How can I be on my sixth instant impression, and only just now be getting to Cam Newton? Say what you want about the advisability of the Carolina Panthers' offensive strategy (Really? 46 passes and 21 runs? In a game you were winning at halftime?), but Newton is officially a fantasy factor. He's got two 400-yard games in two career starts and Carolina was in four-wide formations for much of the game. Jonathan Stewart may not have done anything running the ball (six carries for five yards), but he was all over the place as the apparent pass-catcher of choice: eight grabs for 100 yards. There are no "opponent" excuses after this one. Green Bay has talent in the defensive secondary. Newton made too many mistakes to lead his NFL team to a win, but there's no doubt now that he's a viable starter at least in deeper fantasy leagues.


• After his team's win over the Miami Dolphins, Houston Texans coach Gary Kubiak told reporters that Arian Foster simply left the game because he was "fatigued." However, Foster himself subsequently told the media that he "pulled himself out because I felt it [his injured hamstring] was getting a little tight." Great. Even worse for those fantasy owners who invested a top-five pick in Foster is the fact Ben Tate is doing a fine job in Foster's absence. Tate got 20 second-half carries with the Texans in clock-killing mode, and looks as beastly running over defenders as Foster ever did. Stay tuned.


• Thanks for playing, Antonio Gates. Hey, it's not like teams haven't double-teamed Gates before, but the New England Patriots did it as successfully as any squad in recent memory. Gates had one target and zero catches, despite being healthy and playing all day. Malcom Floyd played well for a quarter before injuring his groin, but the real beneficiary here was Vincent Jackson, who caught 10 passes for 172 yards and two scores. (Think the Pats might have trouble covering big receivers? Combined, Brandon Marshall and Jackson have gone for 17 grabs for 311 yards in the season's first two weeks.) One assumes Philip Rivers didn't feel the need to force anything to Gates considering how easily he was connecting with V-Jax. But still. And Vernon Davis didn't have it much better, catching his only two targets Sunday for 18 yards. Davis was reportedly required to stay in and block DeMarcus Ware for much of the game.


• Daniel Thomas was active for the first time Sunday and, a momentum-crushing, third-quarter fumble notwithstanding, he played well, instantly asserting himself into, at the very least, a backfield platoon with Reggie Bush. Bush totaled only six carries and one catch against the Texans, while Thomas got 18 carries and one grab himself. Suddenly it's as though an entire preseason of doubt surrounding Thomas never happened. He looks like a potential starter, and Bush looks like the supplemental player. On the off chance Thomas was dropped in your league (he's available in about 8 percent of ESPN leagues), grab him.
• Tim Hightower seemed to be having a swell game against his former mates, with 15 carries for 83 yards and a score in the first half. But Hightower got only five more carries in the second half (for 13 yards), while Roy Helu became the focus of the Washington Redskins' game plan. And Helu looked good. He had 10 carries for 74 yards and three catches for another 38. Most importantly, seven of his 10 runs went for 7 yards or more. This wasn't a case of one big run skewing the stats. When you watched these two backs go, the difference was palpable. Hightower is a try-hard plodder, and Helu is fast and elusive. I don't know if I'm buying Mike Shanahan's explanation for the change in workload during the game (he claimed Hightower was tired). I'm guessing this develops into a platoon.


• By throwing for 358 yards against the Baltimore Ravens, Matt Hasselbeck proved he's got something left. Kenny Britt is climbing into the NFL's elite at WR, and Nate Washington was open all day, as well. Hass gets the Denver Broncos next week, making him a potential sneaky play in deeper leagues.


• Denarius Moore is the first alumnus of my 2011 Super-Deep Sleepers column to make regular-season NFL noise. The star of the Oakland Raiders' training camp was forced into full-time action because Jacoby Ford and Darrius Heyward-Bey sat out with injury, and he was all over the field, showing terrific athletic ability and a nose for the football. He wound up with five catches for 146 yards and a circus grab on a 50-yard score that momentarily put Oakland ahead. I view Moore as worth adding in all leagues. I can't see how the DHB experiment lasts too much longer by the Bay.


• Who's the worse quarterback, Luke McCown or Tarvaris Jackson? In Week 2, McCown went 6-of-19 for 59 yards and four interceptions. Jackson's numbers look much better than that (20-of-29 for 159 yards and no turnovers), but there's a hopelessness surrounding that Seattle Seahawks offense, which has scored 17 points total in two games. At least McCown was put out of his misery, getting yanked Sunday against the New York Jets in favor of rookie Blaine Gabbert. Pete Carroll reportedly won't pin his team's problems on Jackson, which sounds noble, but also suspiciously like a ploy to win the Andrew Luck derby. Those two pass offenses. Oy.

 

[HacheMan]

Four Downs: Stafford, V-Jax prove worth

Eric Karabell

I had Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford ranked eighth among quarterbacks for Week 2, similar to my colleagues, so I can't profess at being too surprised he carved up the lowly Kansas City Chiefs for 294 passing yards and four touchdowns Sunday. Stafford certainly showed signs of being a legitimate fantasy option last season, his second in the NFL, when he threw four touchdown passes against the Washington Redskins in Week 8, then produced three touchdowns (one rushing) the following week against the mighty New York Jets.

Of course, that Week 9 game against the Jets was also the last time we saw Stafford; he injured his throwing shoulder in the fourth quarter and didn't play again the rest of the season. Stafford's season also ended prematurely as a struggling rookie. That's basically my concern with Stafford, the durability, because it's not his ability. This guy was the first overall draft pick in 2009, which in itself isn't important -- other top picks have failed -- but I think the fellow has serious game. But the injury history is why I can justify ranking him in the top 10 for a given week, in a beautiful matchup when he's healthy, but not for the season. Who knows how many games he ends up starting?


Stafford is 100 percent owned -- and should be. I think I might even be able to find a place for him in my top 10 quarterbacks in my end-of-season rankings Tuesday, though at the back end. For example, I still can't move him ahead of reliable veterans such as Matt Schaub and Ben Roethlisberger, or Tony Romo (if he's healthy), but that No. 9 spot, where the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' Josh Freeman previously was, is looking good. I like Freeman, but if you're comparing upside, I'll take Stafford. Calvin Johnson is a monster and Jahvid Best looks special, as well. Of course, his rookie season was noteworthy for the injuries, as well. Here's hoping all Lions overcome this and stay healthy.
Stafford has been impressive, and hopefully he'll follow in the footsteps of someone like Schaub, who proved he can start 16 games and flourish statistically. I'm buying on Stafford, but if we ever see backup Shaun Hill warming up …
Here are some other thoughts from a busy Sunday in the NFL, the good, the bad and the ugly: Second down: San Diego Chargers wide receiver Vincent Jackson was unstoppable in the loss at New England, catching 10 passes for 172 yards and a pair of touchdowns. For all those wondering why we kept placing Jackson in our top-10 wide receiver rankings despite spotty performance (when he played) last season and only three receptions in Week 1, this is why. Philip Rivers is a top-5 quarterback and Jackson a top-10 wide receiver. The fact he was targeted 15 times and all the other Chargers wide receivers and tight ends received seven (only one for Antonio Gates?) is telling. It's also telling that for the second consecutive week the New England Patriots just could not handle a quarterback-wide receiver combo (it was Chad Henne and Brandon Marshall in Week 1). Ryan Fitzpatrick and Steve Johnson have to be licking their chops for Week 3.


Third down: Cam Newton is awesome. There, I said it. He carved up the defending-champion Green Bay Packers just like he did the Arizona Cardinals. It's awfully impressive, and historic, that he has thrown for 854 yards in two weeks. Own him in every league if you want, though as I said with Stafford, I still see eight safe, reliable signal-callers I would sit only in the very worst of matchups (and even then it'd be hard) in Aaron Rodgers, Michael Vick, Drew Brees, Tom Brady, Rivers, Romo, Schaub and Roethlisberger. But after that I could certainly see why Matt Ryan or Joe Flacco owners -- perhaps Eli Manning and Josh Freeman owners, as well -- would trade for Newton and start him.
However, Newton is apparently producing this magic to the detriment of his team's running game. DeAngelo Williams has six fantasy points in two games, split evenly. He's averaging 2.5 yards per rush. Jonathan Stewart has been no better, though he did catch 100 yards worth of passes Sunday. While Newton has made me a believer, don't look for Williams in my top 20 running backs this coming week. It really is a new Panthers era. Fourth down: Three Seahawks entered Sunday owned in more than 80 percent of leagues, but that might not be the case by Week 3. Marshawn Lynch rushed six times for 11 yards in the 24-0 loss in Pittsburgh on Sunday. Yawn. Wide receiver Sidney Rice still hasn't played, and I'm not sure he'll want to. And tight end Zach Miller, who looked so good in an otherwise moribund Oakland Raiders passing offense the past few seasons, has caught just three passes in two weeks, totaling two fantasy points. Tarvaris Jackson shouldn't have been expected to light up the Steelers, and it's tough to be a fan of backup Charlie Whitehurst; there's absolutely no reason to play a Seahawk in fantasy. Own Lynch, but if you want to part with Rice, Miller and Mike Williams, even in a 10-team standard league, I wouldn't stop you.

 

[HacheMan]

What are Jamaal Charles owners to do?

Eric Karabell

I'd sure like to be optimistic about the 0-2 Kansas City Chiefs from this point forward, but I just can't do it. Sure, with fantasy stud Jamaal Charles likely out for the season after tearing his left ACL, that brings opportunity for veteran Thomas Jones and versatile youngster Dexter McCluster. And with the running game looking a whole lot different/worse, I suppose I could make the case this is a good time to trade for wide receiver Dwayne Bowe, because the Chiefs will be throwing a lot. Bottom line is it sure looks like a 3-13 season for the defending AFC West champs. Andrew Luck, anyone?

It stinks that Charles, a consensus top-three fantasy pick this season, has rushed for his last yard until 2012, but that's what it looks like after he ruined his left knee on the first drive of Sunday's demolition in Detroit. While I ranked Charles well for this week, it certainly was in the back of my mind that the team's embarrassing 41-7 home loss to the Buffalo Bills in Week 1 was not a fluke, and it could prevent Charles from repeating his terrific 2010 campaign, when only Arian Foster and Adrian Peterson scored more standard fantasy points among running backs. Now it really doesn't matter.


Jones is an obvious top free-agent pickup for Week 2, following in the footsteps of other old, past-their-prime running backs who have become relevant recently, including Willis McGahee and Cadillac Williams. What is this, 2005?
For all the hate directed at Jones, he did rush for 896 yards and score six touchdowns last season, earning him a tie for 24th among running backs (with LeGarrette Blount) in fantasy points. I mean, people have done worse. He was Cedric Benson-like with his unimpressive yards-per-carry -- 3.7 for the season, but 2.8 in the second half -- and he doesn't catch passes out of the backfield, but every starting running back matters in fantasy. I just wouldn't think he'll be worth activating at any point soon, if ever.
The wild-card here is Ole Miss product McCluster, a smallish speed demon in the DeSean Jackson mold who did his best work in the return game as a rookie. In ESPN leagues, he is already eligible at running back and wide receiver -- he's this year's version of Danny Woodhead, I suppose -- and the Chiefs have given him 12 rushing attempts through two weeks. He has gained 93 yards that way, a cool 7.7 yards per tote. Could he be the next Charles? It's unlikely. McCluster is 5-foot-8 and 170 pounds (at best), and if it's going to be a lost year, setting him up for a potential injury seems an odd move. I'm thinking the Chiefs trust Jones to handle most of the rushing attempts, and they will sprinkle in McCluster at times. I thought McCluster would be a factor at wide receiver last season, but it didn't happen. The home run hitter here, of course, is not Jones. The veteran was a 14th-round pick in ESPN average live drafts, but his owners quickly lost interest, and now he's among the most dropped players. That will change Tuesday. McCluster is out there in more than 93 percent of leagues. That should change as well. Honestly, I don't think Jones will be good enough to help a fantasy team win a championship; add him if you must and enjoy his eight fantasy points for one of those annoying bye weeks when you're down to nothing. McCluster could be much more. Or the dreck surrounding him on the Chiefs could simply make everyone on this team irrevelant.

A week ago I wrote positively about Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Reggie Wayne remaining relevant while most of his teammates looked awful. That's Dwayne Bowe now. Matt Cassel is going to be busy throwing the football, and Bowe should have some decent games. But I'm not optimistic he'll approach what he did last season. The nasty Chiefs schedule had me thinking that anyway, but now that the Chiefs have been outscored 89-10 and a road tilt in San Diego awaits, I can't say Bowe is a lock for my top-20 wide receivers anymore. If you own Charles, I think you'll need to make a trade for a comparable fantasy option, but good luck with that. Charles was a top-five guy. Jones won't cut it. Neither will McGahee or Williams. Perhaps you can trade for someone who struggled in Week 1, such as Chris Johnson or LeGarrette Blount. Heading into Sunday, I did see some interesting running backs owned in barely any ESPN leagues, but they all need opportunity. Deji Karim of the Jacksonville Jaguars needs Maurice Jones-Drew to limp around. Kendall Hunter in San Francisco awaits a Frank Gore injury. Delone Carter in Indy has promise and his team's attention (11 carries Sunday). Put simply, you Charles owners will have to see if you can make a deal using quarterback or wide receiver depth to replace him.

 

[HacheMan]

Injuries: Jamaal is Closed

Week 2 saw notable injuries (and aggravations of injuries) to prominent names such as Arian Foster, Miles Austin, Tony Romo, Felix Jones and Michael Vick, but the impact from one knee resonated more loudly than any other ligament or tendon on Sunday. We’re referring, of course, to the injury sustained by Jamaal Charles against Detroit.

Lunging toward the sideline midway through the first quarter, KC's dynamo RB landed hard on his left knee, resulting in what’s believed to be a season-ending torn ACL, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter (Charles is slated for an MRI Monday to confirm the diagnosis).

Unfortunately for fantasy owners, there’s no dynamic backup-in-waiting here, and Charles’ injury likely signals the finishing kick for a Chiefs offense that was arguably already dead (KC has now been outscored 89-10 through two games). Thomas Jones (12 rush, 40 yds) could have a handful of decent games in the right matchup, but obviously doesn’t have much left at age 33. Meanwhile, the diminutive Dexter McCluster (8 rush, 51 yds; 4 rec, -2 yds) could have a little bit of value in PPR formats, but there’s simply no replacing Charles, especially in an offense that was already sputtering horrendously in the first place.

In other Week 2 injury headlines:

Arian Foster (hamstring) started, but didn’t finish. Foster (10 rush, 33 yards) was featured early, but appeared to be lacking his usual burst before spending the second half on the sidelines. Gary Kubiak tried to downplay the issue in his press conference, saying that Foster was primarily dealing with fatigue, but beat writer John McClain reports that Foster admits his hamstring “was getting a little tight.”

We likely won’t have a clear read on Foster’s status until later in the week, but this is obviously becoming a frustrating situation for fantasy owners. At this point, it might be better for Foster’s long-term fantasy outlook if the Texans hold him out for a week or two. And either way, Ben Tate (23 rush, 103 yds; 4 rec, 32 yds) needs to remain owned in all leagues for the foreseeable future.

Miles Austin went berserk against the 49ers (9 rec, 143 yds, 3 TDs), but re-injured his hamstring. And on that front, the news is not good, with ESPN’s Chris Mortensen reporting that Austin may be out until after Dallas’ Week 5 bye. The biggest beneficiary here would be Dez Bryant, who would get a ton of targets as Dallas’ WR1 – assuming he can get healthy and stay that way after missing Week 2 due to quad issues.

In another piece (but not the last piece) of Cowboys news, Felix Jones separated his right shoulder, but was able to play through it. Obviously it’s a good sign that Jones returned after the injury, but it’s unclear what the injury means for the brittle RB’s status next week. If Jones is out, I’d prioritize adding Tashard Choice over DeMarco Murray, but it seems likely that they’d operate in something resembling a committee after both had seven touches on Sunday.

Meanwhile, Tony Romo suffered two cracked ribs in the first half, but returned to engineer an OT victory, finishing with 345 yards and two TDs. Romo is reportedly headed for a CT scan on Monday, but beat writer Matt Mosley predicts that Romo will play through the injury next week. It looks like Romo has a good chance to suit up (presumably with a flak jacket) during Week 3, but Jon Kitna (6-for-10, 87 yds, TD, 2 INTs) would get the start if Romo is unable to go.

Follow me on Twitter: @MattStroup

In the Sunday night game, Michael Vick sustained a neck/head injury after falling head-first into his own offensive lineman on a third quarter hit. Vick was taken to the locker room and didn't return, with NBC's Al Michaels reporting that Vick suffered a concussion (which would help explain why he didn't re-enter a close game with the Eagles trailing). The full extent of Vick's injury was unclear when this column was posted late Sunday night, so make sure to check back on Rotoworld Monday for more updates.

Steve Johnson lit up the Raiders (8 rec, 96 yds, 1 TD), but limped off late. There’s a chance it’s nothing to worry about, but Johnson – who was dealing with a nagging groin issue coming into Week 2 – had a noticeable limp when he walked off late in Sunday’s game. At this point we’ll consider no news to be good news, but we’ll be watching Johnson’s practice activity closely. David Nelson, already an intriguing waiver wire add after his 10-83-1 day, would be an even more appealing consideration if Johnson is out.

Aaron Hernandez had another big game (7 rec, 62 yds, 1 TD against the Chargers), but was limping “badly” due to a knee injury after the game, according to beat writer Shalise Young. The Patriots initially announced that Hernandez was probable to return, but he never did. As of Sunday night, the extent of this injury remained unclear. Stay tuned.

Ben Roethlisberger injured his knee, and in a not remotely shocking development, returned to play through it. Mike Tomlin said that Big Ben will likely have a precautionary MRI, but Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports that Roethlisberger is “okay.” This doesn’t sound like any cause for concern.

Eddie Royal (groin) went down, and Eric Decker’s stock surged upward. With Royal and Brandon Lloyd out, Decker shredded the Bengals with an eye-catching 5-113-2 line (including a fumble). Targets won’t be as plentiful once Lloyd is back, but Decker has done enough in the first two weeks to warrant consideration in most leagues.

Brandon Pettigrew suffered a shoulder injury, but eventually returned. Pettigrew finished with just one catch for seven yards on the day. If Pettigrew misses any time, Tony Scheffler (1 rec, 36 yds, 1 TD) would benefit considerably.

Editor’s note: If you want to play Daily Salary Cap Fantasy Baseball for real money, check out SnapDraft here.

Other Injury Notes: Braylon Edwards (knee) is headed for an MRI Monday … Jay Glazer of Fox Sports reports that Sidney Rice has a torn labrum, but the Seahawks are still hoping he can return in Week 3 … Malcom Floyd left Sunday’s game with a groin injury … Jordan Shipley (knee) left the stadium on crutches with a seemingly serious knee injury … Nick Mangold appears likely to miss multiple weeks with a high ankle sprain, which is bad news for the Jets offense on the whole … Roscoe Parrish was carted off with an ankle injury … The Ravens lost NT Terrence Cody due to a concussion … Packers FS Nick Collins was carted off with a neck injury, but he was seen waving to fans as he left, and a CT scan reportedly came back negative … Packers DB Tramon Williams (shoulder) is hoping to return for Week 3 … Aaron Kampman (knee) is expected to miss Week 3 … Dolphins DB Vontae Davis left with a hamstring injury … Cowboys guard Phil Costa (knee) left in the fourth quarter with a knee injury, leaving Dallas’ struggling offensive line even more depleted.

 

[HacheMan]

Marino in the Crosshairs
That didn't take long. The Patriots' single-game passing mark stood for 51 years before Tom Brady's 517-yard torching of the Dolphins Monday night. Cam Newton's record of 854 passing yards in the first two games of an NFL season lasted a short-lived three hours until Brady cruised by at 940 yards. Though Brady fell five yards shy of Phil Simms' two-game record, he did become the first quarterback in NFL history to follow a 500-yard game with a 400-yard game. The Patriots have scored 30+ points in 10 consecutive regular-season games, four short of the Rams' 1999-2000 record. Over that 10-game span, Brady remains unbeaten with a 29:1 TD-to-INT ratio and a passer rating over 100.0 in each contest.

Brady has won his last 29 regular-season home starts, in large part due to the evolution of the Patriots offense. As we saw in NFL Network's excellent documentary Bill Belichick: A Football Life, Belichick had an epiphany late in the 2009 season that led to the drafting of dynamic tight ends Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez. "You just take Moss away in the deep part of the field and get down on Welker," Belichick said in a staff meeting. "We're done. We're done. We can't run the ball. We can't throw it to anybody else. We're done." As the Rookie Scouting Portfolio's Matt Waldman explains, Belichick has essentially turned the spread offense inside-out with a two- and three-tight end approach allowing the Pats to add flexibility and exploit mismatches at the line of scrimmage. Brady has mastered the tight-end spread to the tune of a 128.0 passer rating through two weeks.

We've seen Drew Brees, Kurt Warner, Peyton Manning, and Philip Rivers make a run at Dan Marino's 5,084 passing yards, only to come up short. This may be the year that Marino's 1984 mark finally falls. Brady (7,520), Newton (6,832), Rivers (5,704), Brees (5,512), and Tony Romo (5,496) are all on pace to shatter the mark after two games. While those numbers are sure to plummet, Brady is on pace to break the record by Week 11. He needs to average just 296 yard per game the rest of the way to top Marino. Considering the Patriots defense has surrendered an average of 479 yards through two weeks, Brady isn't going to be slowing down anytime soon.


Game Balls


Cam Newton / Steve Smith - I am absolutely floored by Newton's historic start after struggling in exhibition action. By the end of the first quarter Sunday, he already shattered Hall of Famer Otto Graham's record for most yards by a quarterback in his first two starts. Graham was a 28-year-old NFL rookie with four years of AAFC experience, a year of professional basketball, and a couple of years of WWII service under his belt when he passed for 523 yards in his first two starts after the Browns switched leagues in 1950.

By the end of his second game, Newton had become the first player in NFL history to post two consecutive 400-yard passing games to enter the season and the only player to throw for 400 yards in his first two starts. In fact, Newton is just the fifth quarterback in the past quarter century to record consecutive 400-yard games at any point in the season.

"I knew he would be good, but if I told you I knew he'd be this good this early, I'd be lying to you," said Packers NT B.J. Raji. "He doesn't get frustrated. We threw a lot of stuff at him today and he was able to sit back there and make some of the plays they needed." The best sign for Newton's fantasy value is that the coaching staff is already designing entire game plans around his unique talents after just one year as a college starter followed by a lost offseason. As Evan Silva pointed out late last week, Panthers OC Rob Chudzinki turned a "big-armed, inaccurate passer" into a 29-touchdown Pro Bowler behind an aggressive downfield mentality back in 2007. He's following the same blueprint this year with one of the most physically gifted quarterbacks in the league while breaking records. Jonathan Comey of ColdHardFootballFacts.com suggests Newton's first two games are the best "opening statement by any rookie player in any major sport." I can't argue with that bold statement. Neither can Smith, who has compiled 63 more yards than the next-closest NFL receiver through two weeks.

Matthew Stafford / Calvin Johnson / Jahvid Best - In the last seven games in which Stafford has attempted at least 20 passes, Johnson has scored 10 times. That includes matchups against Darrelle Revis and Charles Woodson that resulted in a line of 3/23/1 over two games. Capable of making any throw, Stafford showcased his maturity in utilizing Best, Nate Burleson, Titus Young, and Tony Scheffler with Johnson double-covered. Sunday’s 48-3 beatdown was the largest margin of victory in the history of a Detroit franchise going back more than 80 years. This is arguably the most productive fantasy offense in the league.

Tony Romo / Miles Austin - Statistically one of the NFL’s most effective fourth-quarter passers and a better quarterback in close games than Aaron Rodgers or Philip Rivers, Romo still needed a clutch performance to get the media-manufactured “choker” label off his back. The only Cowboys quarterback to throw a touchdown pass in 20 consecutive games, Romo shook off a fractured rib to lead a furious comeback, outscoring the 49ers by 10 points in the fourth quarter and overtime. "Tony Romo had every excuse to quit," said NBC analyst Rodney Harrison. It didn’t happen. Romo and Austin carried the team into overtime. Once Austin aggravated his hamstring injury, Romo dusted off benchwarmer Jesse Holley -- former winner of Michael Irvin’s 4th and Long reality show on Spike TV -- for the game-winning touchdown drive. Romo is averaging nearly 320 yards with a 25:10 TD-to-INT ratio in the last 13 games he’s finished.

Andy Dalton / A.J. Green - Dalton set a Bengals rookie record with 332 passing yards, edging past golden-armed Greg Cook’s 327 from 1969. Dalton’s 280 yards in the second half alone were more than Carson Palmer posted in 11 full games last year. Ex-scout Dave Razzano came away convinced that Dalton is the "real deal," though I’d like to see a similar performance against a defense not missing its best pass rusher and cover corner before buying in. Green took advantage of Champ Bailey's absence with an impressive 10/124/1 line on 14 targets. I’m still trying to figure out how he caught this touchdown pass.

Fred Jackson / Ryan Fitzpatrick - A favorite of @ProFootbalFocus and Rotoworld’s @greggrosenthal, F-Jax may just be the best-kept secret in the NFL. Since taking over for Marshawn Lynch in Week 5 of last season, Jackson has rushed for 1,069 yards in 14 games at 4.51 yards a pop. He made Raiders safety Matt Giordano look like a fool on his 43-yard touchdown run.

Coach Chan Gailey has succeeded with Jay Fieldler, Neil O’Donnell, and Mike Tomczak, so it’s hardly a surprise that his offense exploded for a franchise-record 35 first downs behind the arm of the Amish Rifle on Sunday. The Bills’ 79 points lead the NFL, and Fitzpatrick is tied with Matthew Stafford for the most passing scores after racking up 35 second-half points in a come-from-behind victory over the Raiders. “[Gailey] has an incredible ability to call the right play at the right time,” said Fitzpatrick. “... It’s not just about drawing up plays on Tuesday and Wednesday. IIt’s the timing of making a call and knowing when the exact right time is to pull out a play. I never get nervous in a situation like that.”

Jeremy Maclin - It’s a shame the back-breaking late-game drop overshadowed an otherwise fantastic performance from a player whose season was in question at this time a month ago. Maclin’s 13 receptions against the Falcons are the third-most in franchise history behind Don Looney’s 14 in 1940 and Brian Westbrook’s 14 in 2007. He loves playing the Falcons, becoming just the third Eagles receiver with 150+ receiving yards against the same team twice in his career. Maclin is back to WR2 status with plenty of upside the rest of the way.

Dustin Keller - The long-awaited breakout season may finally be here. With defenses rolling coverage to Santonio Holmes and Plaxico Burress, Keller has averaged a 5.5/81/1 line through two games. "If teams want to line up and play us like that with split safeties,” explained Plaxico, “I mean Dustin will just tear them to pieces.” Burress and Derrick Mason can no longer separate from tight coverage, leaving Keller as the second option in the passing attack. “I put Dustin in the same category as Tony Gonzalez,” said Darrelle Revis after Sunday’s game.

Denarius Moore - The rookie whose impressive training camp inspired the phrase “Mama, mama, there goes that man again,” tortured Leodis McKelvin for 146 yards and a spectacular 50-yard touchdown grab in traffic. He nearly came down with the Hail Mary on the game’s final play as well. It was a coming out party for a receiver who is light years ahead of Darrius Heyward-Bey. Moore changes the dynamics of Oakland’s offense to the point where only a case of neglect and incompetence could send him back to the bench. With Al Davis running the show, anything is possible. I'm still placing Moore atop this week's Waiver Wired list. If he's out there, go get him.

<!--RW-->Sell High

Peyton Hillis - Courtesy of @evansilva, Hillis is averaging a red-flag worthy 3.21 yards per carry since Week 14 of last season. Since Week 10 of last year, Hillis has a 3.67 YPC average. The decline in effectiveness is hardly unusual for bigger backs who run to contact.

Michael Turner - It’s hard to argue with Turner’s numbers -- including a gaudy 6.9 yards per carry -- through two games, but I’m going to give it a whirl anyway. It’s what makes a prime sell-high candidate. For the second straight week, more than half of his rushing yards came on one carry through a gaping hole. For the second straight week, it was evident to even the casual observer that Turner wouldn’t have been caught from behind two years ago. I’m not a fan of taking away a back’s two longest runs, but it’s instructive if we believe the plays in question are unrepeatable. Outside of Turner’s two long rumbles, he’s averaged less than 3.5 yards per tote. I think that’s closer to the number we will see the rest of the way.

Tony Gonzalez - Once again, it’s hard to argue against the Falcons’ best offensive player from Sunday night’s victory. The matchup is instructive, though. With shutdown corners Nnamdi Asomugha and Asante Samuel tying Roddy White and Julio Jones up, Gonzalez led the team in targets while also serving as the lone viable red-zone presence. That won’t be the case going forward. Gonzalez is still a good bet for a half-dozen scores the rest of the way, but his receptions and yards will plummet as the wide receivers take over the offense.

LeGarrette Blount / Shonn Greene - "Famine, famine, feast" may work just fine as Adrian Peterson’s calling card, but it’s a recipe for fantasy-league disaster. Owners in droves realized the inherent inconsistency of backs without a role in the passing game after disappointing Week 1 performances from Blount and Greene. Here’s your chance to shine up those Week 2 fantasy numbers.

Buy Low

Roddy White / Julio Jones / Matt Ryan - How do we explain this odd confluence of events? Ryan squared off against arguably the league’s top pass defense Sunday night. He responded with a career-high four touchdowns while playing like bollocks for most of the game. For the second straight week against a dominant front four, Ryan was hurried and harassed into a happy feet routine while his outside receivers faced umbrella coverage down the field. It’s hard to imagine two worse matchups from Ryan, yet he’s managed to throw up a 300-yard game and a four-touchdown performance. Opponents and teammates alike noticed Sunday night that Ryan didn’t really get going until the no-huddle/two-minute offense came from upstairs. The talented wideout duo will be more involved as the focal point of the offense going forward. The passing game’s sailing is much smoother from here, with the Bucs, Seahawks, Packers, Panthers, and Lions on the docket before Atlanta’s Week 8 bye.

Chris Johnson - There’s no question that CJ2K is rusty, showing obvious hesitation against defenses stacking the box to shut down his running lanes. The smart money is on one of the league’s most dynamic players knocking off that rust in plus matchups against the Broncos and Browns the next two weeks. As Matt Hasselbeck continues to dial up Kenny Britt and Nate Washington with effectiveness, Johnson’s holes will widen going forward. If you find a panicked Johnson owner, don’t be afraid to fleece him. Jamaal Charles owners, in particular, should target Johnson.

Vernon Davis - I’m not buying Gore, but I am buying Alex Smith’s go-to receiver. Davis won’t be asked to stay in against the league’s premier pass rusher every week like he was against the Cowboys. Right now, he’s the only viable receiver in San Francisco.

Mark Ingram - This one is not for the faint of heart. Ingram has led the Saints in rushing both games thus far, but he’s playing limited snaps in a rotation with Darren Sproles and Pierre Thomas. I’m willing to buy because Ingram’s talent is obvious, and coach Sean Payton is going to keep giving him the rock at the goal-line. The scoring opportunities and clock-killing carries have nowhere to go but up from here.

Don’t Buy

Chiefs and Colts: Matt Cassel just lost his best offensive player, a dynamic running back averaging 6.1 yards per carry for his career. This comes just two weeks after losing his only viable pass-catching tight end. Cassel hasn’t moved the ball since Charlie Weis announced his departure late last season. As SI.com’s Chris Burke points out, the Chiefs are "in danger of totally imploding" after six turnovers and four personal foul penalties against Detroit in Week 2. Coach Todd Haley knows the sky is falling. … Let me know when Kerry Collins gets comfortable in the Colts offense. Twitter faithful suggested Collins was well on his way early in Sunday’s game, only to see the washed-up gunslinger fail to reach the end zone against the Browns until there were just 24 seconds left on the clock. The slippery-mitted statue has four fumbles in two games. The Colts are going to have to give Curtis Painter a look at some point because Collins is who we thought he was.

Frank Gore: I’m going against our game charter’s advice on this one. Defenses are stacking the box against the 49ers because they know Alex Smith won’t beat them through the air. We have no reason to believe Smith will convince defenses to do otherwise going forward. Perhaps even more worrisome, Gore clearly lost a step last season, finishing in the bottom-six of Football Outsiders’ broken tackle rate in 2010. The only feature backs with a lower broken-tackle rate last season were LaDainian Tomlinson and BenJarvus Green-Ellis. The Niners offensive line isn’t creating running lanes, and Gore is no longer turning decent runs into long gainers.

Injury Ward

Michael Vick - Concussion
Tony Romo - Ribs
Jamaal Charles - Torn ACL
Arian Foster - Hamstring
Felix Jones - Separated Shoulder
Miles Austin - Hamstring
Steve Johnson - Groin?
Braylon Edwards - Knee
Lee Evans - Ankle
Malcom Floyd - Groin
Jordan Shipley - Knee
Earl Bennett - Chest
Roscoe Parrish - Ankle
Aaron Hernandez - Knee
Julius Thomas - Ankle
Nick Collins - Neck
Karlos Dansby - Groin
Vontae Davis - Hamstring

Check out @MattStroup’s "Jamaal Is Closed” for in-depth analysis of Sunday’s M*A*S*H unit fallout.

<!--RW-->Awards Section

Stat of the Week: Michael Silver of Yahoo! Sports is one of the best national writers covering the league. He insists Matt Cassel’s “alarmingly high level of play” last season was due to Todd Haley's coaching. Coordinator Charlie Weis, who decided to leave before the season finale, was "completely unenthused about the prospect of coaching Cassel.” Whatever the case, Cassel’s numbers in four games since Weis abandoned the Chiefs are staggeringly rotten: 57-of-109 (52.3 percent) for 437 yards (145.7 per game), 4.0 YPA, and a 1:9 TD-to-INT ratio.

Runner-Up: According to FOX’s game coverage, Jay Cutler was either hit or knocked down 26 times in New Orleans Sunday. “We kicked their ass,” said one unnamed Saints defender. "They refuse to block blitzes. It was unbelievable how much we hit Cutler.”

Second Runner-Up: Ben Tate became the first NFL player with 100+ rushing yards in each of his first two games since Cadillac Williams in 2005. Daniel Thomas is the first Dolphins rookie with 100+ rushing yards in a game since Ronnie Brown in 2005.

Quote of the Week: From Jaguars receiver Jason Hill, who missed the Jets game with a hip injury: “I think sometimes [the Jets secondary] gets overhyped. I talked to Drew [Coleman]. He says it’s just the aura of New York. They got a big media. That’s not the Jacksonville paper, that’s the big New York Times paper so they get more pub. That’s what it is. … He been playing the game, Revis, just as long as I’ve been playing. This is a game full of good players making plays. He just made a lot more plays on TV than we’ve made being here in Jacksonville. … I think the whole of New York is overhyped.”

Darrelle Revis responding to Hill after Sunday’s 32-3 blowout: "I’m going to give him some advice: When you call people out, make sure you go out and play. I was in tears that he didn’t play. … If you do talk trash, you got to be able to back it up. I guess he got the New York Jets flu or something.”

Runner-Up: From Clark Judge of CBSSports.com: “The more I see of Tom Brady the less Eli Manning reminds me of him.”

Tweet of the Week: From Bart Hubbuch of the New York Post after watching NFL Network’s Bill Belichick: A Football Life: “Re: Belichick vs. Brady as source of Pats dynasty, Barry Switzer said it best: ‘It ain't the Xs & the Os, it's the Bobbys and the Joes.’”

Runner-Up: Eagles beat writer Les Bowen of the Philadelphia Daily News, working from home Sunday night: “Good God, you folks have to listen to this pregame blather every week?”

Fantasy MVP of Week 2: Tom Brady, Patriots

Fantasy Breakout Player of Week 2: Denarius Moore, Raiders

Fantasy Rookie of Week 2: Cam Newton, Panthers / A.J. Green, Bengals

Fantasy Disappointment of Week 2: Antonio Gates, Chargers

Fantasy Fraud of Week 2: Reggie Bush, Dolphins

Fantasy Fluke of Week 2: Jesse Holley, Cowboys

Fine Fifteen Fantasy Offenses

1. Patriots
2. Eagles
3. Lions
4. Packers
5. Texans
6. Chargers
7. Saints
8. Cowboys
9. Steelers
10. Falcons
11. Panthers
12. Bills
13. Ravens
14. Cardinals
15. Redskins

Falling Out: Giants, Buccaneers

Early Waiver Look

QB: Vince Young, Mike Kafka, Rex Grossman (42 percent), Matt Hasselbeck, Andy Dalton
RB: Roy Helu (31 percent), Delone Carter (32 percent), Dexter McCluster, Thomas Jones, DeMarco Murray, Tashard Choice, LeRon McClain
WR: Denarius Moore, Eric Decker, David Nelson, Nate Washington, Jerome Simpson, Brandon LaFell, Jabar Gaffney, Titus Young, Greg Little, Preston Parker
TE: Fred Davis (25 percent), Tony Scheffler

 

[HacheMan]

MNF Matchup: Rams @ Giants
St. Louis @ NY Giants

Sam Bradford has targeted Danny Amendola 120 times since Week 1 of last season -- easily a team high -- so the slot receiver's dislocated elbow creates a combustible powder keg for other Rams wideouts. While a committee approach involving Brandon Gibson, Mike Sims-Walker, Greg Salas, and Lance Kendricks may emerge, what we do know is Gibson and Sims-Walker are the outside receivers with Salas in Amendola's old slot position. It's a week to hold off on trusting any of them. But observe closely. ... Sims-Walker can expect a snaps increase at the very least after playing 44-of-73 (60.3%) in the opener. Coaches have talked up MSW's versatility, and he's the Rams' best wideout bet in Week 2. Sims-Walker wouldn't be a bad late-minute plug-and-play option for owners awaiting Hakeem Nicks' (knee) game-time decision. ... Kendricks saw 63 Week 1 snaps (86.3%), which is the positive news. The negative is that Kendricks dropped two balls, including a would-be six-yard touchdown. Games like that get rookie tight ends benched, and not just in fantasy.

Salas is worth grabbing in all leagues, particularly PPR, to see what happens. Amendola wasn't a difference maker, and Salas could make it a competitive situation if he plays well over the next few weeks. Salas was handpicked by Josh McDaniels; Amendola is a holdover lacking in big-play ability. ... Steven Jackson (quad) is expected to miss this game, but is pushing the medical staff to let him play. With a Monday start, S-Jax's toughness made Cadillac Williams not worth the risk as what will probably end up a one-week spot start in an unfavorable matchup. A Justin Tuck-less Giants front seven stuffed Redskins backs for 74 yards on 26 carries (2.85 YPC) in Week 1, and Tuck is expected back now. ... Bradford might have been an intriguing QB1 play against New York's battered pass defense had Kendricks not bombed the opener and Amendola gotten hurt. Instead, Chris Wesseling and Gregg Rosenthal had no choice but to rank Bradford 19th among Week 2 quarterbacks -- a low-end QB2.

Eli Manning has looked befuddled since former Giants slot receiver Steve Smith went out for the season late last year. Since Week 16 of 2010, Manning is 52-of-94 (55.3%) with a 3:6 TD-to-INT ratio. Include the 2011 preseason, and Eli's numbers plummet even further to 79-of-149 (53.0%) with three touchdowns and eight picks. This matchup looks good on paper, but I'd want to see Manning play well before using him. He hasn't done that in awhile. Rams coach Steve Spagnuolo also knows all about Eli's deficiencies after coordinating the Giants' defense in 2007-2008. ... The Rams lost LCB Ronald Bartell (neck) for the season in Week 1, and it was reported early this week that RCB Bradley Fletcher (toe) will "probably" miss Monday night's game. My bet is on Fletcher playing, but it's conceivable that he'd be in and out of the lineup if the ailment is turf toe. In fantasy leagues, Nicks (knee) was always worth the wait despite his questionable listing. Nicks' status will be determined by the Giants' medical staff just before game time. Mario Manningham could go bonkers if Nicks sits out.

The Giants' Week 1 loss didn't provide an ideal snapshot because they played from behind for 2-of-4 quarters, but I charted Ahmad Bradshaw and Brandon Jacobs' usage anyway. Bradshaw got the start and 14 touches. Jacobs only had six carries, but was in for Manning's early two-yard touchdown run (goal-line offense). Bradshaw scored deep in the red zone late in the first half, immediately following a 14-yard Jacobs run to the Redskins' six. Bradshaw got more second-half work due to game flow, and the fact that Jacobs doesn't play on passing downs. The takeaway is that the backfield, from early appearances, is an early-down rotation and the Giants seem to view Bradshaw and Jacobs as interchangeable in short-yardage and red-zone situations. I wouldn't be surprised if the two finished close together in final fantasy back rankings, assuming good health. Bradshaw and Jacobs are still both worthwhile flex options against a Rams defense that couldn't stop the run in August, then gave up 236 yards (7.38 YPC) and a TD to Eagles runners last week.

Score Prediction: Giants 20, Rams 16

 

[HacheMan]

Not Super Mario

Mario Manningham should have hauled in an easy 60-yard touchdown pass at the end of the second quarter Monday night. Instead, he inexplicably bobbled the perfect throw and then slammed his head into the New Meadowlands turf while diving for it. Manningham’s night was over due to a concussion.

It’s a reminder of how thin the line between success and failure is in fantasy football. The league was ravaged by injuries in Week 2 and chances are your team was hit. See below for some fallout and be sure to check out Chris Wesseling’s Waiver Wired column Tuesday for recovery ideas.

As for the Giants, they are getting really thin at receiver. In addition to losing Manningham last night, Domenik Hixon dealt with cramps in his calf. That left Victor Cruz as the No. 2 receiver and newly acquired Brandon Stokley as the slot man. Remember that Kevin Boss is a Raider, opening up even more targets. Cruz has been wildly inconsistent and often drawn the ire of the coaching staff, but he is a talent. Desperate deep-leaguers can take a gander and see what develops. And if Hixon proves to be healthy, he'll be an option as well.

RAMS at GIANTS RANDOM THOUGHTS
Mike Sims-Walker was the clear beneficiary of the Danny Amendola injury. He consistently got open and racked up 11 targets. MSW was on the field for all two-wide sets and plenty of single-wide formations as well. … Greg Salas did not impress. He filled in for Amendola in the slot, but muffed a punt, had a couple really bad drops and failed to separate. He finished with just four catches for 27 yards on eight targets. … Hakeem Nicks’ knee did not appear to be an issue. The Giants sat on a lead for much of the game and Bradley Fletcher did a surprisingly good job on him. … Steven Jackson (quad) appeared legitimately close to playing. He should be fine for Week 3. … Danario Alexander is someone to watch. He was used mostly in the red zone and has special talent when healthy. The snap count just isn't there yet.

Editor’s Note: For early rankings, projections, the Running Back report, the top-200 going forward list and much more, check out the Season Pass!

NEWS OF THE DAY #1
Disaster became official on Monday as the Chiefs placed Jamaal Charles (torn ACL) on injured reserve, ending his season. So what now for the backfield as Kansas City's season circles the toilet bowl? Well, it’s not going to be pretty.

Thomas Jones will start, but he’s 33 and has averaged 3.62 yards per carry over his last 18 games. Todd Haley was phasing him out of the offense for a reason. There won’t be much upside there. If I’m making an add here, it’s going to be Dexter McCluster. At a generously listed 5’8/170, McCluster can’t carry much of a load, but does have excellent receiving skills. He has wide receiver eligibility in most fantasy formats, making him worth a look in PPR formats. McCluster would have value with something around 7-9 carries and 4-6 catches per game.

NEWS OF THE DAY #2
It was ecstasy and then agony for Miles Austin owners. Just as he was rounding into dominating form with his good buddy Tony Romo, he aggravated his hamstring on one of the final plays of regulation. Now, the Cowboys are reportedly going to sit him down through their Week 5 bye. It’s a smart move to get him back to 100 percent, but there is no great replacement here. Dez Bryant and Jason Witten will become target monsters, leaving Kevin Ogletree to pick up the scraps.

NEWS OF THE DAY #3
Aaron Hernandez owners are feeling similar to Austin owners. They had a gem and now they don’t. Hernandez sprained his MCL on Sunday and is out at least 1-2 weeks. One report out of Comcast SportsNet New England says Hernandez could cost him 4-6 weeks. Look for Rob Gronkowski to absolutely go off and Chad Ochocinco to actually get on the field. The Pats will have to scrap their wildly effective two-tight end sets in favor or three-wide sets that use Ocho.

NEWS OF THE DAY #4
If this was a few years ago, Michael Vick probably would have come back and finished out Sunday night’s loss to the Falcons. But we are in a heightened era of concussions, so Vick was held out.

Eagles trainer Rick Burkholder said Monday that Vick barely even had a concussion according to baseline tests and medical standards. Still, he’ll have to go through the protocol this week before being cleared. The feeling in Philadelphia is that Vick will be able to play in Week 3, but we won’t know for sure until late in the week. Mike Kafka figures to practice with the first unit on Wednesday as Vince Young (hamstring) has fallen behind.

NEWS OF THE DAY #5
Eddie Royal (groin) is expected to miss 2-4 weeks. When he gets back, he likely won’t have a starting job. I was assigned to the Bengals/Broncos game on Sunday and Eric Decker is a real player. He has excellent ball skills, is really physical and has the trust of Kyle Orton. Even with Brandon Lloyd (groin) likely to play in Week 3, Decker will be worth a look as a WR3.


INJURY QUICK SLANTS
Felix Jones (shoulder) is expected to play next week, but his role is in doubt. Given his history, the Cowboys may be inclined to sprinkle in Tashard Choice more. … Sidney Rice has a torn labrum but is going to try to play through it. Keep expectations low. … Tony Romo is expected to play in Week 3 despite a punctured lung. … Lee Evans (ankle) took plays off last week and may need to sit down this week. … Kevin Walter (shoulder) is expected to play in Week 3. … Brandon Lloyd (groin) was a last-minute scratch in Week 2. He should be fine.

DEPTH CHART QUICK SLANTS
Coach Hue Jackson confirmed that Denarius Moore has earned a larger role. If he doesn’t start over Darrius Heyward-Bey going forward, the Raiders are a joke. Add Moore. … Coach Gary Kubiak confirmed that Ben Tate will be the lead back until Arian Foster fully heals. Meanwhile, Derrick Ward (ankle) is not expected to play in Week 3. … Percy Harvin played on just 44.1 percent of the offensive snaps in Week 2. It’s unexplainable. … Coach Mike Munchak said he wants to increase Javon Ringer’s role. … Josh Cribbs has passed Brian Robiskie as the Browns’ starting No. 2 wideout. … The Jags are refusing to name a starting quarterback for Week 3. … Daniel Thomas played 33 snaps on Sunday compared to 25 for Reggie Bush. … James Starks played 37 snaps on Sunday compared to 16 for Ryan Grant.

Editor’s Note: Sick of your team already? Get a new one and win real cash with SnapDraft!

WAIVERS
DEFENSIVE SPOT STARTS
Adding a different defense/special teams each week based on matchups is a fine strategy. Personally, I’m looking for one as the Texans were my unit in most spots and I’ll be sitting them against the Saints. Here are units that might be on waivers to consider this week for streaming purposes:

1. CHARGERS vs. Chiefs - San Diego is likely on waivers due to their matchup in New England last week. But now they get the reeling Chiefs at home without Jamaal Charles. Remember that the Chargers led the entire league in yards allowed per game at just 271.6.

2. LIONS at Vikings - At this point, Detroit should be owned in all formats as an every week kind of unit. But this is an especially nice spot against a Vikings team that is averaging just 120.0 passing yards per game through two weeks. The Lions’ secondary is susceptible to big plays, but the Vikings aren’t a threat.

3. PANTHERS vs. Jaguars - I’m not in love with this one as the Panthers have already lost Thomas Davis and Jon Beason to knee injuries this year. But Chris Gamble is back playing at a high level, they are home and the Jaguars have major quarterback issues. We could do worse.

 

[HacheMan]

There Goes That Man Again

As Evan Silva pointed out Tuesday morning, this week’s waiver wire boasts three promising receivers reminiscent of the Miles Austin vs. Jeremy Maclin vs. Donnie Avery dilemma two years ago. We advised grabbing Austin then based on his obvious playmaking and upside in a best-case scenario. The waiver receiver who best matches that description this time around is Raiders rookie sensation Denarius Moore, coming off a human highlight-reel performance against the Bills.

Moore slipped to the fifth-round coming out of Tennessee, leading ESPN NFL analyst Ross Tucker to call for an investigation into the matter. As soon as training camp opened, Moore immediately began catching the eye of the coaching staff, teammates, and beat writers. Moore continued to make the spectacular catch look routine, leading coach Hue Jackson to exclaim, "Mama, there goes that man again.” The phrase became a familiar refrain among beat writers, tweeted throughout training camp practices.

By mid-August, Steve Corkran of the Contra Costa Times called Moore not only the best receiver on the team but often the best player, period. “It has reached the point,” said Corkran, “where this isn’t some one-week wonder, flash in the pan or fluke. The man can flat out play.” In any other NFL city Moore would have been in the starting lineup by the first preseason game. Under stubborn owner Al Davis, though, Darrius Heyward-Bey continued to coast by on scholarship. That’s about to change.

Asked if Moore’s impressive showing would lead to more playing time going forward, coach Hue Jackson responded, "Oh boy, you better believe [it]. There’s no doubt. You can’t deny that one. What the guy’s doing … he’s done it in training camp, he’s done it in practice, he’s done it in preseason games and he’s done it in regular season games. He is as advertised. It’s going to be hard to keep that young man off the field.” Nothing is guaranteed with the mercurial Davis running the show, but Moore's talent gives him the edge over David Nelson and Eric Decker this week.

On to the players. Here is how I rank the top players at each position as we head into Week 3. Full writeups of each player are below.

Editor’s Note: Join subscriber only chats, get weekly rankings before anyone else, plus exclusive weekly projections, stat tools, dynasty ranks, columns, and much more including the Rotoworld Oracle in our Season Pass.

Quarterbacks
Mike Kafka
Rex Grossman
Matt Hasselbeck
Jason Campbell
Andy Dalton
Donovan McNabb

Runnning Backs
Roy Helu
Delone Carter
Dexter McCluster
DeMarco Murray
Tashard Choice
Thomas Jones
Javon Ringer
Toby Gerhart

Wide Receivers
Denarius Moore
David Nelson
Eric Decker
Nate Washington
Kevin Ogletree
Jabar Gaffney
Brandon LaFell
Danario Alexander
Titus Young

Tight Ends
Fred Davis
Scott Chandler
Evan Moore
Tony Scheffler

Defense/Special Teams
Bengals
Panthers
Cowboys

Quarterbacks

Mike Kafka, Eagles - Here are the facts as it relates to the Eagles’ starting quarterback job for Week 3: Vick’s concussion tests conducted in the locker room were a “little bit off” from his baseline. Since the NFL instistuted stricter guidelines for concussions two years ago, only one of nine concussed Eagles players has returned the following week. The Eagles are “holding out hope” that Vick can play against the Giants. Vince Young is still not quite 100 percent recovered from his hamstring injury. Coach Andy Reid is kicking himself for not placing more trust in an impressive Mike Kafka late in Sunday night’s loss to the Falcons.

Here are the opinions as it relates to the starting job for Week 3: Beat writers Les Bowen and Reuben Frank both suspect Kafka would start over Young if Vick can’t play. Kafka played well enough in relief of Vick, is healthy enough to practice all week, has a stronger understanding of the offense, and the support of his head coach. Any quarterback throwing to DeSean Jackson, Jeremy Maclin, and LeSean McCoy is worthy of a spot-fantasy start against the Giants’ injury-depleted defense. If the coaching staff switches gears and throws their weight behind Young later this week, by all means make the adjustment.

Recommendation: Worth a look as a spot starter.

Rex Grossman, Redskins - Grossman started out the Cardinals game as “Bad Rex” with two picks, but rallied for 291 yards and two touchdowns in a winning effort. Through two weeks, Rex is sixth in the NFL pass attempts, tied for sixth in passing scores, and ninth in passing yards. The plus matchups continue this week against Dallas’ banged-up secondary.

Recommendation: Should be owned in 12-team leagues.

Matt Hasselbeck, Titans - Hasselbeck received unexpectedly stout protection against Baltimore’s pass rush, air-mailing pinpoint passes to Nate Washington and uncoverable Kenny Britt for 358 yards -- his third-highest output since 2005. With defenses stacking the box against Chris Johnson, Hasselbeck proved plenty capable of making defenses pay. He has the weapons to finish the season as a solid QB2 in an underrated offense.

Recommendation: Should be owned in 12-team leagues.

Jason Campbell, Raiders - Largely on the strength of two rushing scores and a shootout with the Bills, Campbell enters Week 3 in 11th place among fantasy quarterbacks. Although his outlook is looking up with Denarius Moore emerging as a go-to receiver down the field, Campbell is hands-off for this week’s game against a Jets secondary that just got Luke McCown fired.

Recommendation: Worth a look in deeper leagues.

Andy Dalton, Bengals - We covered Dalton’s Week 2 performance in Monday’s Morning After column. Dalton set a franchise rookie record with 332 passing yards, including 280 in the second half with the Bengals playing from behind against an injury-riddled Broncos defense. Ex-scout Dave Razzano came away convinced that Dalton is the “real deal,” but I’m advising skepticism until this performance is repeated against a quality defense.

Recommendation: Should be owned in two-quarterback leagues.

Donovan McNabb, Vikings - No fantasy owner outside of two-quarterback leagues should feel the need to roster McNabb even after improving from 39 yards to 228 in Week 2. Molasses Mike Jenkins and Bernard Berrian are gaining no separation down the field, and coordinator Bill Musgrave is oddly under-utilizing Percy Harvin. McNabb is in no danger of losing his job yet, but this is one of the least dynamic passing offenses in the NFL.

Recommendation: Worth a look in two-quarterback leagues.

Cut Bait: Matt Cassel, Kerry Collins, Luke McCown

Now in the Andrew Luck derby, touchdowns are scarce in Kansas City and Indianapolis. … McCown is coming off one of the worst games we’ve ever seen from a starting quarterback.

Hold Off: Blaine Gabbert

<!--RW-->Running Backs

Roy Helu, Redskins - Taking over as primary runner in the second half of Week 2, Helu showed impressive explosiveness, elusiveness, and pass-catching ability as the offensive MVP against the Cardinals. Coach Mike Shanahan praised Helu’s “big-play capability” after the game, but suggested his role increased only because Tim Hightower got “a little bit tired.” Helu will enter Week 3 as Hightower’s change-of-pace, but this has a committee-attack feel over the long haul. Hightower is averaging just 3.73 yards per carry compared to Helu’s inescapable 6.91.

Recommendation: Should be owned in all leagues.

Delone Carter, Colts - Carter played just 14 snaps in Week 2 compared to 55 for Joseph Addai, but the rookie still carried the ball 11 times against the Browns. As Pro Football Focus points out, Carter has gotten the rock on 60 percent of his snaps thus far. That number will continue to grow after Carter showed impressive tackle-breaking power up the gut as the only player breathing life into the home crowd. By mid-October the Colts will have little to gain by adding to the wear and tear on Addai’s body in a lost season.

Recommendation: Should be owned in 12-team leagues.

Dexter McCluster, Chiefs - Already playing a Reggie Bush-lite role in the Chiefs offense, McCluster will see extended snaps with Jamaal Charles done for the year. Through two games, he’s averaged an impressive 7.8 yards on 12 attempts as a change-of-pace option but also an embarrassingly low 2.6 yards per on nine receptions. With wide receiver eligibility, McCluster does carry value in PPR leagues. Just don’t expect much scoring in a Chiefs offense that has gone in the tank.

Recommendation: Should be owned in PPR leagues.

DeMarco Murray, Cowboys - There’s still no clarity in the Dallas backfield behind Felix Jones. Through two weeks, Murray and Tashard Choice both have three fantasy points. Murray has averaged 2.6 yards on eight carries versus Choice’s 1.1 average on eight totes. With Jones now playing through a slightly separated shoulder, this backfield split is one to monitor.

Recommendation: Worth a look in 12-team leagues.

Tashard Choice, Cowboys - Choice has a reputation in fantasy circles as an underappreciated back with the potential for RB2 value if only he was afforded the opportunity for feature-back carries. The problem is that he hasn’t put that ability on tape since the 2009 season, and the Cowboys coaches have lost faith over the past year and a half. If Felix Jones misses time, Choice would likely split touches with DeMarco Murray.

Recommendation: Worth a look in deeper leagues.

Thomas Jones, Chiefs - Jamaal Charles’ season-ending ACL tear likely means that Jones will lead the Chiefs in carries this season. I can’t recommend him as any more than a RB4, though, as a step-slow runner in a committee attack for an offense that will struggle to move the ball and score points. I wouldn’t waste the waiver move or the roster spot in 12-team leagues.

Recommendation: Worth a look in deeper leagues.

Javon Ringer, Titans - Chris Johnson found himself on the sidelines for one stretch against the Ravens, watching Ringer run with more authority and confidence. Ringer isn’t a threat once Johnson rounds into regular-season form, but he’s reclaimed the No. 2 job after an injury-filled preseason.

Recommendation: Worth a look in deeper leagues.

Toby Gerhart, Vikings - Last year’s second-round pick finally showed playmaking ability in Week 2, breaking loose for a 42-yard reception and a 31-yard run. If Adrian Peterson goes down, Gerhart will have RB2 value with his three-down skill-set. It’s hard to carry handcuffs through the bye-week crunch, but Gerhart does make for handy Peterson insurance.

Recommendation: Worth a look in deeper leagues.

Cut Bait: Marshawn Lynch, Justin Forsett, Leon Washington

Watch List: Steve Slaton, Le'Ron McClain, Jerome Harrison, Isaac Redman, Joe McKnight, Marion Barber, Montario Hardesty, Lance Ball, Jacquizz Rodgers

<!--RW-->Wide Receivers

Denarius Moore, Raiders - We’ve been hyping Moore nonstop as a bonafide sleeper since the beginning of training camp, but he’s still owned in just eight percent of CBSSports.com leagues. That will change after his highlight-filled 171-yard breakout game at Buffalo. While the performance may have surprised casual fantasy leaguers, Moore’s spectacular leaping grabs have become a common spectacle at Raiders practices. Moore may not be guaranteed starters snaps every week, but his difference-making talent is undeniable. It changes the dynamics of the Raiders offense.

Recommendation: Should be owned in all leagues.

David Nelson, Bills - Rotoworld’s Evan Silva has been pounding the drums for Nelson since training camp, and the beat is getting louder after a 10/83/1 breakout game in Week 2. As Silva explains, the primary slot receiver in Chan Gailey’s offense is heavily targeted, and Nelson also has plenty of red-zone potential at 6’5” and 220 pounds. With Roscoe Parrish (ankle) out long-term and Stevie Johnson playing through a nagging groin injury, Nelson could end up as Ryan Fitzpatrick’s top receiver. The one clear advantage Nelson has over Denarius Moore is Fitzpatrick, Gailey, and the Bills’ passing attack.

Recommendation: Should be owned in all leagues.

Eric Decker, Broncos - Decker has been Denver’s best player through two weeks. A first-round talent who fell to the third due to a foot injury in 2009, Decker proved capable of filling the No. 1 receiver role with a 5/113/2 line in place of Brandon Lloyd. Even if Lloyd returns this week, as expected, Decker will continue to start with Eddie Royal (groin) out. Decker is good bet to hang on to that job long-term, but his fantasy outlook takes a hit with Lloyd returning as the top dog. While there’s plenty of upside with Decker, my concern is that he still has more future value than present.

Recommendation: Should be owned in 12-team leagues.

Nate Washington, Titans - It’s time to get adjusted to the new realities of the 2011 season. The Ravens defense had no answer for Matt Hasselbeck and the Titans aerial attack. If defenses are going to stack the box on Chris Johnson and send their best cover corner to Kenny Britt’s side, Washington has a shot at WR3 production the rest of the way. Through two weeks, he’s 18th in targets, tied for 10th in receptions, and 16th in yards among receivers.

Recommendation: Should be owned in 12-team leagues.

Kevin Ogletree, Cowboys - Ogletree’s situation is similar to Devery Henderson’s going into last week. Even with Miles Austin (hamstring) sidelined, his outlook is sketchy if Dez Bryant (quad) plays against the Redskins. If Bryant is unable to go for a second straight week, though, Ogletree would take over as the No. 1 receiver in a typically high-scoring offense. Keep tabs on Bryant’s progress later this week.

Recommendation: Worth a look as a spot starter.

Jabar Gaffney, Redskins - Through two weeks with Rex Grossman, Gaffney is 25th among receivers in targets and 31st in fantasy points -- squarely in WR3 territory. It’s hard to get excited about his upside, but Gaffney will be an ideal bye-week fill-in over the next couple of months.

Recommendation: Worth a look in PPR leagues.

Brandon LaFell, Panthers - LaFell continues to show steady improvement after a mixed rookie season, outplaying starter Legedu Naanee in each of the first two games. According to Pro Football Focus, though, Naanee has edged LaFell in snaps by an average of nearly 30 per in the first two games. LaFell certainly has the talent to flip that. Even in Cam Newton’s newly invigorated passing attack, LaFell is not going to be worthy of WR3 consideration until Naanee is out of the picture.

Recommendation: Worth a look in deeper leagues.

Danario Alexander, Rams - DX is the Rams’ version of Evan Moore. The size/speed package is a handful for any defender to cover one-on-one, but playing time issues curtail fantasy consistency. Alexander racked up 122 yards and a touchdown against the Giants Monday night on just 16-of-69 offensive snaps. With chronic knee issues, that snap count isn’t likely to climb steadily.

Recommendation: Worth a look in deeper leagues.

Titus Young, Lions - One of the reasons we were so high on Matthew Stafford this offseason was the addition of Young, who drew comparisons to DeSean Jackson in predraft workouts. As the third receiver and deep threat, he adds yet another dynamic weapon to Stafford’s arsenal. Young certainly has the talent to boom in Detroit, but he’s likely to bust most weeks with so many mouths to feed.

Recommendation: Worth a look in deeper leagues.

Cut Bait: Early Doucet, Earl Bennett, Derrick Mason, Mike Williams (SEA), Steve Breaston, Greg Salas

Doucet simply doesn’t see consistent targets. … Bennett is banged up and being out played by Dane Sanzenbacher. … Just like the end of last season, Mason can’t separate from defenders. .. Salas isn’t ready for prime time.

Watch List: Jerome Simpson, Greg Little, Steve Smith (PHI), Victor Cruz, Domenik Hixon, Emmanuel Sanders, Dane Sanzenbacher, Derek Hagan

The Bengals aren’t going to throw for 300 yards every week. Simpson picked on a defense missing its top two players in Week 2. Make him prove it again. … I still don’t understand how Smith will see enough snaps to have a fantasy impact. … Cruz and Hixon are worth monitoring if Mario Manningham (concussion) can’t play in Week 3, but there’s little separation there. … Sanzenbacher is on the radar in PPR leagues.

Hold Off: Jesse Holley, Preston Parker

Holley is purely a special teamer, who came down with the catch of his life in overtime at San Fran. Ogletree is a better pickup. … Parker has taken over as Tampa’s slot receiver, but he won’t repeat that Week 2 production.

<!--RW-->Tight Ends

Fred Davis, Redskins - Davis has the look of a top-five fantasy tight end for the entire season, and he’s still owned in just a quarter of CBSSports.com leagues. It should be apparent now that Chris Cooley isn’t getting his job back when Davis is the most effective offensive player on the team. Through two weeks, Davis is second only to Jason Witten in tight-end yards and fourth in tight-end receptions. He’s a stud for the long haul.

Recommendation: Should be owned in all leagues.

Scott Chandler, Bills - Evan Silva noted after Week 1 that Chandler spent quite a bit of time in the slot and was heavily involved in the passing game. Chandler saw only one fewer target in Week 2, but his production dropped to two catches for 16 yards to go with another touchdown. He has the size and athleticism to continue to be an asset in the red zone, but Chandler won’t be a reliable weekly start.

Recommendation: Worth a look in touchdown-heavy leagues.

Evan Moore, Browns - The good news is that Colt McCoy looks Moore’s way whenever the athletic mismatch is in the game. The bad news is that Moore is purely a niche weapon, averaging just 11 offensive snaps through two weeks. Moore could end up with 8-10 touchdowns, but his yards and receptions will be hit-or-miss.

Recommendation: Worth a look in touchdown-heavy leagues.

Tony Scheffler, Lions - Scheffler is the No. 11 fantasy tight end through two weeks, purely on the strength of two touchdown receptions. He’s been targeted just five times compared to nine for Brandon Pettigrew, but Matthew Stafford looks Scheffler’s way in field-goal territory. Scheffler
may be worth a look in TD-heavy leagues, but he’s going to be an inconsistent fantasy producer.

Recommendation: Worth a look in touchdown-heavy leagues.

Cut Bait: Chris Cooley, Heath Miller, Zach Miller

Cooley has two catches in two games as the Redskins’ No. 2 tight end. … Heath Miller is concentrating on blocking at the expensive of his receiving. … Zach Miller is stuck in a dysfunctional offense.

Hold Off: Jeremy Shockey

Defense/Special Teams

Bengals - Cincinnati is ninth in total defense and eighth in pass defense through two weeks. They host a 49ers offense ranked 31st overall and 29th in passing.

Recommendation: Worth a look as a matchup play.

Panthers - Carolina is nobody’s idea of a strong defense -- especially after losing Jon Beason and Thomas Davis -- but they’re going to host raw rookie Blaine Gabbert or turnover-happy veteran Luke McCown. The knock on Gabbert remains poor pocket presence, which often leads to sacks or turnovers.

Recommendation: Worth a look as a matchup play.

Cowboys - The Cowboys return home to square off against a surprisingly undefeated Redskins squad. Rex Grossman is moving the offense, but he’s also turning the ball over -- as always. Dallas’ defense is worth a look in a pinch purely for the chance that “Bad Rex” shows up on the road.

Recommendation: Worth a look as a matchup play.

 

[HacheMan]

Free-agent finds

Helu emerging in Washington, Moore taking advantage of opportunity in Oakland


By Christopher Harris
ESPN.com

The flags are flying at half-mast here in flag-planting country, as Jamaal Charles is out for the year with a torn ACL. He was my poster child last season and did me right to the tune of a 1,935-total-yard season and 6.4 yards per carry. This season, he was a top-five pick in nearly all drafts, and there just isn't a viable long-term replacement for him. The best his fantasy owners can do is cobble something together from what remains on the scrap heap.


So let's cobble.


ESPN Standard-league finds



Dexter McCluster, RB/WR, Kansas City Chiefs (owned in 6.8 percent of ESPN.com leagues): Thomas Jones is owned in 62.6 percent of leagues, and in terms of workload, he probably benefits most from Charles' injury, if only because he's still the best-equipped guy on the Kansas City roster to handle interior carries. And Jones did look good on a few carries against the Lions after J-Mail's injury. Until the Chiefs add someone else, Jones is the first add. But assuming he's gone in your league, I don't hate the idea of taking a look at McCluster. He's tiny (listed at 5-foot-8 and 170 pounds, and I'm skeptical on both numbers) and almost certainly can't hold up to an every-down pounding. But once upon a time, Todd Haley was actually known as an innovative offensive mind, and he did try some two-back formations and reverses with McCluster as Sunday's game progressed. I have a tough time envisioning fantasy owners being able to start McCluster, but that's not a reason not to roster him. Maybe my vision is just cloudy from the Charles-inspired tears.

Roy Helu, RB, Washington Redskins (9.9 percent): As I wrote in my Week 2 reaction piece, Helu dominated backfield touches for the Redskins in the second half. Maybe it was because Washington was in catch-up mode, or maybe Mike Shanahan was telling the truth when he said Tim Hightower was tired. Or maybe, just maybe, Shanny likes what he sees from Helu, a much quicker, more dynamic player than Hightower. Listen, Hightower has 193 total yards and two TDs through two weeks, so I'm not telling you to drop him. But I am saying that Helu passes the eye test, and then some. If and when Hightower spits the bit, I think the Redskins will be looking at a platoon of one kind or another, and I like Helu to gradually win such a battle. As such, I think he can be stashed away in all leagues.


Delone Carter, RB, Indianapolis Colts (3.3 percent): The production isn't there yet for Carter, partly because it's not there yet for any Indianapolis player. This team is painful to watch on offense. Kerry Collins just isn't the man to lead them; he's a 2-yard gain on first and second down and an incomplete pass on third down waiting to happen. But while Joseph Addai produced a few (for him) gashing plays, we should note that Carter got 11 carries to Addai's 16, albeit in much more of a "spelling-the-starter" role. But to watch Carter play is to see the anti-Donald Brown: Carter doesn't mess around looking for the best hole, he simply hammers where he's supposed to go, and bowling-balls through unprepared tacklers. There's still very little to be gained by starting Carter. Heck, against the Steelers next week, there's very little to be gained by starting Addai. But fantasy owners who are casting around for longer-term solutions with the upside to actually be a starter at some point this year should add the Colts rookie.


Nate Burleson, WR, Detroit Lions (39.7 percent): Burleson was on this list last week, and his ownership nearly doubled. It's not enough. No, he's probably not catching 96 passes for 1,224 yards, which is his current pace. But Burleson is just about the only way you can buy into what looks like a truly explosive Detroit offense. Matthew Stafford, Calvin Johnson and Jahvid Best just aren't available. But Burleson is the clear No. 2 receiver, and plays opposite Megatron, which sometimes gives him the advantage of less defensive attention. I daresay I might have Burleson ranked among my top 30 fantasy receivers for Week 3's game against the Vikings.


Fred Davis, TE, Redskins (15.3 percent): Chris Cooley played in Week 2 and was on the field for more snaps than Week 1, as he recovers from a knee issue. But Davis stole the show again. He's got 11 grabs for 191 yards and a score so far this year, and is back to making plays down the field, just as he did in 2009, when Cooley was out with a broken ankle. This particular gravy train really could end in any given week, because the Redskins love Cooley (and have a $14 million guaranteed investment in him), but right now there's absolutely no doubt which Washington tight end you should think about starting. And it ain't Cooley.


Eric Decker, WR, Denver Broncos (4.4 percent): I put Decker on the "Deeper-League Finds" list last week after putting him on my Super-Deep Sleeper list last month. It's ever upward for Mr. Decker, apparently. With Brandon Lloyd a relatively surprising inactive Sunday against the Bengals, Decker grabbed five of his nine targets for 113 yards and two scores, looking every bit as good as Minnesota Golden Gophers fans remember. Lloyd's groin injury isn't expected to linger, but Eddie Royal suffered a relatively serious groin injury of his own, and will be sidelined for as long as a month. Reading the tea leaves, it seems likely Decker would continue to start, though Lloyd will be the first option presuming he returns in Week 3. Still, Decker is a talented kid who's showing his ability right away, and can be owned in all leagues.


Denarius Moore, WR, Oakland Raiders (0.6 percent): Moore was also on the Super-Deep Sleeper list in August, and when Jacoby Ford and Darrius Heyward-Bey were inactive in Buffalo on Sunday, Moore stepped up in a huge way, to the tune of five grabs for 146 yards and a long score, plus he also nearly came up with a winning Hail Mary at game's end. Because everyone who's supposed to be ahead of him on the Raiders' receiver depth chart seems to have the healing abilities of an 85-year-old lady, Moore looks like an instant starter, and his ball skills are something you can't teach. Unlike Decker, Moore is a rookie, so he's likely to be even more up-and-down. But he's had the look of a breakout player for six weeks now, and I won't be surprised if he hooks up with Jason Campbell for a few more big games.


Matt Hasselbeck, QB, Tennessee Titans (9.3 percent): Hass looks like an interesting two-week add, because the Titans get the Broncos and Browns for their next two games. There's no doubt the Ravens focused most of their energy on Chris Johnson on Sunday, and succeeded in limiting Tennessee's most important weapon to 53 yards rushing on 24 carries. But in the process, they left their defensive backs singled-up on Titans receivers Kenny Britt and Nate Washington, and Hasselbeck took advantage, to the tune of 358 yards passing. Granted, in today's NFL, that's not a completely eye-popping total, but it's better than a punch in the stomach. It won't always be so easy for Hass, a quarterback who's had trouble producing passing TDs the past three-plus seasons. But desperate fantasy owners should take a look at him for the rest of September.


Deeper-league finds



DeMarco Murray and Tashard Choice, RBs, Dallas Cowboys (5.4 and 2.0 percent): Felix Jones suffered an injured shoulder in Week 2, and there was scuttlebutt that he might miss some future game action. But that never seemed likely, considering Jones returned to the 49ers contest after he got hurt. Still, it's a reminder that Felix isn't exactly king when it comes to staying healthy. Certainly, his fantasy owners should consider grabbing a backup, and even owners in deeper leagues who don't own Jones could grab either Murray or Choice. My preference is Murray. It seems to me that Jason Garrett has given enough indication over the past few years that Choice simply doesn't float his boat, and Murray was the better player in San Francisco on Sunday anyway (he had six carries for 21 yards, while Choice had five for 5).

David Nelson, WR, Buffalo Bills (0.5 percent): It's that point in the year where we shouldn't be overly swayed by stats, and that only gets more difficult over the next couple of weeks. It's highly possible for an NFL offense to find a sweet spot for a few games and look like world beaters, only to find their usual level in the long term. That said, Nelson looks like a pretty dangerous guy, more dangerous than Donald Jones (owned in 0.1 percent of leagues), and with Roscoe Parrish potentially out for a while with a bad ankle, Nelson is a strong bet to see time all over Buffalo's offensive formations, including his customary slot position. He's got 14 grabs for 149 yards and a score so far. I won't be surprised to see Nelson get high-single-digit targets in many games this year, but I do question whether he'll be "downfield" enough to convert that into startable fantasy performances.


Evan Moore, TE, Cleveland Browns (1.0 percent): Forced to choose between Moore and Scott Chandler (owned in 30.7 of leagues, and thus probably by definition not a "deeper-league" find), I might actually take Moore, who is essentially a wide receiver listed on the roster as a tight end. Chandler is going to be utterly feast-or-famine: He's got three red zone TDs, and may already have seen his high-water mark for receiving yards this year when he reached 63 in Week 1. But Moore has two TDs himself and is used in a variety of situations. The reason he's not a 10-team-league option is that Benjamin Watson is still around in Cleveland. But deep-leaguers would be making a smart investment to store Moore away for a rainy day.


Kevin Ogletree, WR, Cowboys (0.9 percent): Let's just say Mr. Ogletree didn't exactly light it up subbing for Dez Bryant as the Cowboys' starting split end Sunday. He got four targets and caught two of them for 50 yards, and lost yardage on a reverse attempt. But now it sounds like Miles Austin is fixing to miss a few games, and we don't really know whether Bryant is ready to return from his injured quad. I assume so, plus Jason Witten is always around to hoard targets, but just in case, speculative-minded deep-leaguers could take a shot that Ogletree -- who's always possessed a fascinating size/speed combination -- improves. Of course, Jesse Holley was the Week 2 hero, grabbing a bomb in overtime to help Dallas win.


Mike Kafka, QB, Philadelphia Eagles (0.1 percent): It's very early in the week to be predicting that Michael Vick won't be able to play against the Giants in Week 3, and all early reports seem to be if Vick suffered a concussion, it was a minor one. We also don't know when Vince Young's injured hamstring will be ready for game action. So while my strong suspicion is that Vick will play next week, savvy deep-league owners with roster spots to play with could try Kafka (or, frankly, Young, who's owned in 1.3 percent of leagues). Either guy would have elite weapons to play with, and while Kafka didn't bowl anyone over with awesome play in the fourth quarter Sunday night, he was at least as good as Kevin Kolb during his Philly days.

 

[HacheMan]

2011 ranks update: Stafford on the rise

Eric Karabell

We now have two full weeks of action to learn from. As such, you'll see some interesting changes in this week's end-of-season rankings update, starting at the top of a position or two, and attacking the starting options as well. I'm often asked when to buy into a certain player or give up on another, and really there is no right answer. Study the performances and what the numbers suggest, but also go with your gut.


As always, these rankings are not for Week 3. They're for the rest of the season, as if nothing that has already happened is computed and we're simply playing from this point on. Obviously we've learned a lot already, and these would be my rankings if I had a draft today. Enjoy, and I'll try to follow along with your comments below and check in when applicable. Quick click by position, for easy reference:


Top 40 Quarterbacks


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<TABLE style="MARGIN: 0px; WIDTH: 100%"><THEAD><TR><TH style="WIDTH: 50px; VERTICAL-ALIGN: bottom"><CENTER>Rank </CENTER></TH><TH style="WIDTH: 200px; VERTICAL-ALIGN: bottom">Player <CENTER></CENTER></TH><TH style="WIDTH: 50px; VERTICAL-ALIGN: bottom"><CENTER>Team </CENTER></TH><TH style="WIDTH: 50px; VERTICAL-ALIGN: bottom"><CENTER>Prev. </CENTER></TH></TR></THEAD><TBODY><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>1 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Tom Brady </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>NE </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>2 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>2 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Aaron Rodgers </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>GB </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>1 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>3 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Drew Brees </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>NO </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>3 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>4 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Philip Rivers </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>SD </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>5 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>5 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Michael Vick </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>Phi </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>4 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>6 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Tony Romo </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>Dal </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>6 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>7 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Matt Schaub </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>Hou </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>7 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>8 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Ben Roethlisberger </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>Pit </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>8 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>9 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Matthew Stafford </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>Det </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>13 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>10 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Josh Freeman </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>TB </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>9 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>11 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Eli Manning </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>NYG </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>10 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>12 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Cam Newton </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>Car </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>21 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>13 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Joe Flacco </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>Bal </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>11 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>14 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Kevin Kolb </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>Ari </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>12 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>15 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Matt Ryan </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>Atl </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>14 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>16 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Kyle Orton </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>Den </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>16 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>17 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Ryan Fitzpatrick </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>Buf </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>19 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>18 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Mark Sanchez </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>NYJ </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>18 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>19 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Sam Bradford </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>StL </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>15 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>20 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Jay Cutler </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>Chi </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>17 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>21 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Jason Campbell </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>Oak </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>24 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>22 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Rex Grossman </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>Was </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>27 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>23 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Matt Hasselbeck </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>Ten </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>25 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>24 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Colt McCoy </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>Cle </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>22 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>25 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Donovan McNabb </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>Min </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>23 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>26 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Matt Cassel </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>KC </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>20 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>27 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Chad Henne </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>Mia </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>26 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>28 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Andy Dalton </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>Cin </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>34 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>29 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Alex Smith </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>SF </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>29 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>30 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Kerry Collins </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>Ind </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>31 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>31 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Blaine Gabbert </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>Jac </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>37 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>32 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Tarvaris Jackson </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>Sea </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>30 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>33 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Vince Young </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>Phi </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>36 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>34 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Jon Kitna </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>Dal </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>NR </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>35 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Luke McCown </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>Jac </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>28 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>36 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Peyton Manning </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>Ind </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>33 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>37 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Mike Kafka </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>Phi </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>NR </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>38 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">John Beck </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>Was </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>38 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>39 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Charlie Whitehurst </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>Sea </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>39 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>40 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Shaun Hill </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>Det </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>40 </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>



• Well, I don't expect New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady to remain on pace for 7,520 passing yards -- do you? -- but I still feel compelled to switch him and Green Bay Packers stud Aaron Rodgers. Brady is just playing too well to be No. 2. Of course, it's not like it matters much. Brady and Rodgers are owned in every league anyway, and even if you own the great Cam Newton, I don't think it's a wise move to trade Brady/Rodgers and trust the rookie.
• At the back end of the top 10 you'll see one major change, as Detroit Lions monster Matthew Stafford continues his meteoric rise into the top 10. Some will say I didn't go far enough with Stafford, but I'm going to stop short of moving him ahead of Tony Romo, Matt Schaub and Ben Roethlisberger for now. Those fellows are statistically reliable, and still possess plenty of upside. I'm thinking even if Romo misses a game, he deserves this ranking.
• The other big riser of the week is the obvious choice, Mr. 400 passing yards. I still don't view Newton as a safe starter -- yes, I would prefer Stafford -- but let's just say I have my eye on Josh Freeman and Eli Manning. As in, Newton is just about to that level. Look, Newton will make mistakes; he did Sunday, in fact, with the three interceptions. I feel a bit queasy about jumping him ahead of a guy that tossed four touchdowns on Philly (Matt Ryan) and a safe veteran who started last season with five picks the first two weeks, then threw five the final 14 games (Joe Flacco). I stopped at the healthy Manning, who by the way is one of only five quarterbacks with 4,000 passing yards each of the past two seasons. Perhaps Newton gets to 4,000; he needs to average a mere 225 passing yards per game to get there!
• A few other quarterbacks moved up in the rankings and deserve mention, from Washington Redskins veteran Rex Grossman to Cincinnati Bengals rookie Andy Dalton. … In Jacksonville, it doesn't matter to me so much who starts this week, but for the rest of the year I'll take their rookie (Blaine Gabbert) over their veteran (Luke McCown), though I recommend you take neither. … I never thought I'd have three quarterbacks from any one team in the top 40, but the Philadelphia Eagles did it. Michael Vick -- who could miss more than one game -- drops only one spot for now, banged-up backup Vince Young moves up a few spots, and then there's former Northwestern quarterback Mike Kafka entering the list, perhaps just for a week. Hey, he looked fine Sunday night, and he does, as the kids say, have weapons. If Young starts this weekend, he's viable.
Top 60 Running Backs


<STYLE type=text/css>.mod-inline td img {margin: 0px;}</STYLE>
<TABLE style="MARGIN: 0px; WIDTH: 100%"><THEAD><TR><TH style="WIDTH: 50px; VERTICAL-ALIGN: bottom"><CENTER>Rank </CENTER></TH><TH style="WIDTH: 200px; VERTICAL-ALIGN: bottom">Player <CENTER></CENTER></TH><TH style="WIDTH: 50px; VERTICAL-ALIGN: bottom"><CENTER>Team </CENTER></TH><TH style="WIDTH: 50px; VERTICAL-ALIGN: bottom"><CENTER>Prev. </CENTER></TH></TR></THEAD><TBODY><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>1 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Adrian Peterson </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>Min </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>1 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>2 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">LeSean McCoy </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>Phi </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>5 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>3 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Ray Rice </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>Bal </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>4 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>4 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Chris Johnson </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>Ten </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>2 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>5 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Darren McFadden </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>Oak </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>13 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>6 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Maurice Jones-Drew </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>Jac </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>7 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>7 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Rashard Mendenhall </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>Pit </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>8 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>8 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Michael Turner </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>Atl </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>9 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>9 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Peyton Hillis </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>Cle </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>12 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>10 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Matt Forte </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>Chi </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>11 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>11 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Ahmad Bradshaw </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>NYG </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>14 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>12 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Arian Foster </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>Hou </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>6 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>13 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Frank Gore </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>SF </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>10 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>14 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">LeGarrette Blount </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>TB </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>16 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>15 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">BenJarvus Green-Ellis </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>NE </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>18 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>16 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Beanie Wells </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>Ari </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>19 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>17 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Steven Jackson </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>StL </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>15 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>18 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Jahvid Best </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>Det </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>21 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>19 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Fred Jackson </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>Buf </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>28 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>20 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Cedric Benson </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>Cin </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>22 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>21 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Ben Tate </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>Hou </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>34 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>22 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Mike Tolbert </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>SD </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>24 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>23 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Felix Jones </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>Dal </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>23 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>24 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Ryan Mathews </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>SD </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>25 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>25 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">DeAngelo Williams </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>Car </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>17 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>26 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">James Starks </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>GB </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>30 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>27 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Tim Hightower </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>Was </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>29 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>28 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Thomas Jones </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>KC </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>44 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>29 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Jonathan Stewart </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>Car </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>27 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>30 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Daniel Thomas </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>Mia </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>41 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>31 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Pierre Thomas </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>NO </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>31 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>32 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Shonn Greene </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>NYJ </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>26 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>33 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Knowshon Moreno </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>Den </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>20 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>34 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Marshawn Lynch </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>Sea </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>32 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>35 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Joseph Addai </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>Ind </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>33 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>36 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Roy Helu </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>Was </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>NR </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>37 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Darren Sproles </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>NO </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>47 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>38 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Mark Ingram </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>NO </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>36 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>39 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">C.J. Spiller </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>Buf </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>38 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>40 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Reggie Bush </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>Mia </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>35 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>41 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Willis McGahee </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>Den </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>46 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>42 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Dexter McCluster </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>KC </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>NR </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>43 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">LaDainian Tomlinson </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>NYJ </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>40 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>44 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Michael Bush </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>Oak </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>43 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>45 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Tashard Choice </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>Dal </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>48 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>46 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Brandon Jacobs </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>NYG </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>42 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>47 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Ryan Grant </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>GB </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>37 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>48 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Cadillac Williams </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>StL </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>39 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>49 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Danny Woodhead </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>NE </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>50 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>50 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Delone Carter </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>Ind </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>56 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>51 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Derrick Ward </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>Hou </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>45 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>52 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Keiland Williams </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>Det </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>NR </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>53 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Ricky Williams </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>Bal </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>49 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>54 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Montario Hardesty </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>Cle </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>51 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>55 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">DeMarco Murray </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>Dal </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>NR </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>56 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Javon Ringer </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>Ten </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>NR </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>57 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Kendall Hunter </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>SF </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>NR </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>58 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Isaac Redman </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>Pit </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>NR </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>59 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Le'Ron McClain </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>KC </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>NR </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>60 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Deji Karim </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>Jac </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>60 </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>



• It's time for a change in the top five, as let's face it, Tennessee Titans stud Chris Johnson just doesn't look the same. Sure, the Baltimore Ravens defense had something to do with keeping him in check in Week 2, but the other Titans skewered said defense. Johnson remains in my top five, but he drops a bit as LeSean McCoy and Ray Rice vault over him. I certainly thought about moving the Oakland Raiders' Darren McFadden over Johnson as well. I did move McFadden -- and a bunch of others, for that matter -- ahead of last year's top fellow, Arian Foster. I think we have to face reality that Foster might need a few weeks off, and when he returns he might find Ben Tate in his way. Tate came thisclose to making my top 20, and he's going to be in there for Week 3. He's looking really good.
• Meanwhile, way, way back in 2008, the best player in fantasy was DeAngelo Williams of the Carolina Panthers. A few weeks ago I had relatively high hopes for Williams, even though he played in a mere six games last season and the threat of backup Jonathan Stewart remained. Through two weeks, though, the Panthers' offense is all about Cam Newton, and the running game has done shockingly little. Say goodbye to any Panthers among the top 20 running backs.
• Jamaal Charles was the No. 3 running back a week ago, but now the only Chiefs in the top 60 are Thomas Jones, moving up from No. 44 to 28, and Dexter McCluster, who wasn't ranked at all last week and debuts at No. 42. I also wedged another Chiefs player (Le'Ron McClain) into the top 60, a sneaky sort of move. I'd still recommend Jones if you must choose between them; it's unlikely the slightly built McCluster gets major carries, though he should be involved plenty.
• Other movers in the right direction include Fred Jackson of the resurgent Buffalo Bills, James Starks for last year's champs and a pair of rookies in Daniel Thomas and Roy Helu. Sure, I'm conservative when it comes to first-year players, but Thomas blew right past Reggie Bush in his first game. Bush was given only six rushing attempts and caught one pass. There's likely to be more of a timeshare moving forward, but the Dolphins quickly showed that all the talk of Chad Henne and an adjusted focus on big-time passing was a crock. Thomas probably will be a bit overrated this week, but the Dolphins will try to keep him busy. As for Helu, I realize everyone and their mailman just loves Tim Hightower, but Helu looked terrific in the second half Sunday. In a few weeks we might see Helu consistently get more touches than the veteran by design, as colleague Christopher Harris also notes in his Tuesday waiver-wire column.
• As for movers in the wrong direction, we have Knowshon Moreno in Denver, Cadillac Williams for the Rams (don't punt Steven Jackson; he might return in Week 3), the very average Shonn Greene for the Jets, and we say goodbye to Jerome Harrison, Earnest Graham and Anthony Dixon.
Top 60 Wide Receivers


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<TABLE style="MARGIN: 0px; WIDTH: 100%"><THEAD><TR><TH style="WIDTH: 50px; VERTICAL-ALIGN: bottom"><CENTER>Rank </CENTER></TH><TH style="WIDTH: 200px; VERTICAL-ALIGN: bottom">Player <CENTER></CENTER></TH><TH style="WIDTH: 50px; VERTICAL-ALIGN: bottom"><CENTER>Team </CENTER></TH><TH style="WIDTH: 50px; VERTICAL-ALIGN: bottom"><CENTER>Prev. </CENTER></TH></TR></THEAD><TBODY><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>1 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Andre Johnson </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>Hou </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>1 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>2 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Greg Jennings </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>GB </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>3 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>3 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Roddy White </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>Atl </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>2 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>4 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Calvin Johnson </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>Det </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>5 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>5 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Vincent Jackson </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>SD </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>10 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>6 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Hakeem Nicks </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>NYG </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>4 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>7 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Larry Fitzgerald </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>Ari </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>6 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>8 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Mike Wallace </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>Pit </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>7 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>9 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Kenny Britt </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>Ten </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>16 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>10 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Dez Bryant </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>Dal </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>9 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>11 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">DeSean Jackson </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>Phi </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>12 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>12 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Brandon Marshall </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>Mia </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>24 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>13 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Brandon Lloyd </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>Den </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>8 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>14 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Jeremy Maclin </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>Phi </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>21 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>15 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Mike Williams </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>TB </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>14 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>16 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Dwayne Bowe </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>KC </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>15 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>17 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Santonio Holmes </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>NYJ </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>17 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>18 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Reggie Wayne </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>Ind </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>13 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>19 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Wes Welker </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>NE </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>18 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>20 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Steve Johnson </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>Buf </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>20 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>21 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Miles Austin </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>Dal </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>11 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>22 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Steve Smith </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>Car </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>23 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>23 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Mario Manningham </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>NYG </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>19 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>24 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Percy Harvin </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>Min </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>22 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>25 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Santana Moss </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>Was </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>27 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>26 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Robert Meachem </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>NO </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>26 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>27 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Anquan Boldin </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>Bal </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>25 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>28 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Mike Thomas </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>Jac </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>28 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>29 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">A.J. Green </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>Cin </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>35 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>30 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Jordy Nelson </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>GB </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>38 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>31 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Nate Burleson </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>Det </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>45 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>32 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Chad Ochocinco </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>NE </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>30 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>33 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Eric Decker </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>Den </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>NR </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>34 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Austin Collie </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>Ind </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>32 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>35 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Devery Henderson </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>NO </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>58 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>36 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Johnny Knox </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>Chi </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>33 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>37 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Marques Colston </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>NO </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>34 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>38 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Plaxico Burress </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>NYJ </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>36 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>39 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Pierre Garcon </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>Ind </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>31 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>40 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Braylon Edwards </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>SF </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>37 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>41 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Deion Branch </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>NE </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>47 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>42 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Jerome Simpson </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>Cin </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>NR </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>43 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Lance Moore </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>NO </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>39 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>44 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Sidney Rice </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>Sea </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>29 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>45 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Malcom Floyd </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>SD </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>40 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>46 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Julio Jones </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>Atl </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>44 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>47 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">David Nelson </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>Buf </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>NR </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>48 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Denarius Moore </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>Oak </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>NR </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>49 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Jacoby Ford </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>Oak </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>43 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>50 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Davone Bess </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>Mia </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>46 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>51 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Mike Sims-Walker </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>StL </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>57 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>52 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Hines Ward </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>Pit </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>48 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>53 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Danario Alexander </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>StL </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>49 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>54 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Mike Williams </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>Sea </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>42 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>55 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Michael Crabtree </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>SF </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>53 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>56 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Dexter McCluster </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>KC </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>NR </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>57 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Titus Young </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>Det </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>NR </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>58 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Jabar Gaffney </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>Was </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>NR </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>59 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Jacoby Jones </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>Hou </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>54 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>60 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Steve Smith </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>Phi </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>NR </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>



• The top guys at wide receiver seem largely stable, more so than at running back it appears, so there was not much movement in the top 10. The Titans' Kenny Britt is just so talented that he has forced his way into the top 10, and that's with us knowing that Matt Hasselbeck will probably have just as many rough games as standout ones. It won't matter for Britt; he'll rock with any quarterback. Back in Hasselbeck's old haunting ground in Seattle, Sidney Rice and Mike Williams take major falls. Who knows when Rice, now diagnosed with a torn labrum, will even play again?
• Like Britt, the Dolphins' Brandon Marshall is also looking like a safe weekly starter, whether Henne puts up numbers or not. Marshall crashes the top 20, joining Philly's Jeremy Maclin -- who is clearly over any fatigue issues he had over the summer -- as the lone wide receivers new to WR2 status. Denver's Brandon Lloyd and Indy's Reggie Wayne drop some, but they remain in the top 20. Lloyd missed a game but should be active this coming week. Wayne still has a quarterback looking in his direction, at least.
• Quite a few wide receivers that weren't ranked at all had nice performances in Week 2 and now find themselves very much ranked, starting with the Broncos' Eric Decker, the Bengals' Jerome Simpson, the Bills' David Nelson and Oakland's Denarius Moore. Decker gets my vote to come closest to flex-option consideration; Kyle Orton looked better in Week 2, and we have to remember he should, as he did last year, pile on the passing yards. Someone must catch those passes, and it won't be Eddie Royal for a month. Decker should shine. Simpson and fellow Bengal A.J. Green each moved up quite a bit, but it's warranted, as rookie quarterback Andy Dalton looks legit.
• Of course, when wide receivers rise in the ranks, some must fall. Miles Austin was fantasy's top wide receiver in Week 2, scoring three touchdowns, but a hamstring injury could keep him out for a month. Naturally, that affects his season value. Dez Bryant remains in the top 10, but I resisted the urge to move any other Cowboys wide receivers into the top 60. Jason Witten, however, should be busy. James Jones, Lee Evans, Steve Breaston and Donald Driver -- yes, two Packers, but Jordy Nelson moved way up -- drop out of the rankings.
Top 30 Tight Ends


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<TABLE style="MARGIN: 0px; WIDTH: 100%"><THEAD><TR><TH style="WIDTH: 50px; VERTICAL-ALIGN: bottom"><CENTER>Rank </CENTER></TH><TH style="WIDTH: 200px; VERTICAL-ALIGN: bottom">Player <CENTER></CENTER></TH><TH style="WIDTH: 50px; VERTICAL-ALIGN: bottom"><CENTER>Team </CENTER></TH><TH style="WIDTH: 50px; VERTICAL-ALIGN: bottom"><CENTER>Prev. </CENTER></TH></TR></THEAD><TBODY><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>1 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Antonio Gates </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>SD </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>1 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>2 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Jason Witten </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>Dal </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>2 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>3 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Jermichael Finley </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>GB </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>4 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>4 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Vernon Davis </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>SF </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>5 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>5 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Owen Daniels </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>Hou </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>6 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>6 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Jimmy Graham </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>NO </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>8 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>7 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Rob Gronkowski </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>NE </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>11 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>8 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Dallas Clark </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>Ind </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>3 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>9 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Kellen Winslow </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>TB </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>7 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>10 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Dustin Keller </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>NYJ </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>15 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>11 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Aaron Hernandez </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>NE </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>13 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>12 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Tony Gonzalez </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>Atl </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>16 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>13 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Greg Olsen </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>Car </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>10 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>14 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Fred Davis </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>Was </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>18 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>15 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Marcedes Lewis </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>Jac </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>9 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>16 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Brandon Pettigrew </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>Det </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>14 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>17 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Zach Miller </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>Sea </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>12 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>18 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Chris Cooley </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>Was </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>17 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>19 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Scott Chandler </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>Buf </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>21 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>20 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Jermaine Gresham </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>Cin </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>19 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>21 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Tony Scheffler </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>Det </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>NR </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>22 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Lance Kendricks </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>StL </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>20 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>23 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Jared Cook </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>Ten </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>22 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>24 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Evan Moore </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>Cle </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>23 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>25 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Jeff King </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>Ari </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>NR </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>26 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Ed Dickson </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>Bal </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>24 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>27 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Benjamin Watson </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>Cle </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>26 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>28 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Visanthe Shiancoe </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>Min </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>28 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>29 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Todd Heap </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>Ari </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>27 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>30 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Jeremy Shockey </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>Car </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>30 </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>



• First of all, don't panic at the top. Antonio Gates was statistically invisible Sunday, getting held without a reception for the first time since 2003 and seeing just one target. But in Week 1, he was targeted 13 times. I have no concerns there. The Patriots did a great job on Gates. Speaking of Patriots, I'm now convinced both Aaron Hernandez and Rob Gronkowski can thrive together. Hernandez is going to miss a week or two with a sprained MCL, however, so make sure you have another tight end ready to activate. Gronkowski should be awfully busy during that time. This position remains deep, so for a week or two, you can find plenty of choices.
• I've also become convinced, from watching him the past two weeks, that despite evidence to the contrary last season, future Hall of Famer Tony Gonzalez can remain productive enough to start in a 12-team league. Gonzalez is off to a terrific start, on pace to top 1,000 receiving yards for the first time since 2008. Other tight ends that moved up are the Jets' Dustin Keller, Washington's Fred Davis and Buffalo touchdown-maker Scott Chandler, who didn't see much attention Sunday, but he scored again. Chris Cooley hasn't officially ceded top-tight end duties on his 2-0 team to Davis, but Davis is the one putting up the numbers.
Top 32 Defense/Special Teams


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<TABLE style="MARGIN: 0px; WIDTH: 100%"><THEAD><TR><TH style="WIDTH: 40px; VERTICAL-ALIGN: bottom"><CENTER>Rank </CENTER></TH><TH style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: bottom">Player <CENTER></CENTER></TH><TH style="WIDTH: 40px; VERTICAL-ALIGN: bottom"><CENTER>Byes </CENTER></TH><TH style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffffff; WIDTH: 5px; VERTICAL-ALIGN: bottom"><CENTER></CENTER></TH><TH style="WIDTH: 40px; VERTICAL-ALIGN: bottom"><CENTER>Rank </CENTER></TH><TH style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: bottom">Player <CENTER></CENTER></TH><TH style="WIDTH: 40px; VERTICAL-ALIGN: bottom"><CENTER>Prev. </CENTER></TH></TR></THEAD><TBODY><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>1 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Pittsburgh Steelers </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>1 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle></TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>17 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Washington Redskins </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>25 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>2 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">New York Jets </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>2 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle></TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>18 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Tampa Bay Buccaneers </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>17 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>3 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Baltimore Ravens </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>3 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle></TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>19 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Cleveland Browns </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>19 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>4 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Green Bay Packers </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>4 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle></TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>20 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Buffalo Bills </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>26 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>5 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Philadelphia Eagles </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>5 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle></TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>21 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Miami Dolphins </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>20 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>6 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Chicago Bears </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>6 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle></TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>22 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Tennessee Titans </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>22 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>7 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">New Orleans Saints </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>10 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle></TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>23 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">St. Louis Rams </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>18 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>8 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Detroit Lions </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>11 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle></TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>24 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Minnesota Vikings </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>24 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>9 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Atlanta Falcons </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>9 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle></TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>25 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Kansas City Chiefs </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>15 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>10 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">San Diego Chargers </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>7 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle></TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>26 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Seattle Seahawks </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>21 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>11 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">New York Giants </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>12 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle></TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>27 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Cincinnati Bengals </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>27 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>12 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">New England Patriots </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>8 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle></TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>28 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Indianapolis Colts </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>28 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>13 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Oakland Raiders </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>14 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle></TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>29 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Arizona Cardinals </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>29 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>14 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Houston Texans </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>23 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle></TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>30 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Denver Broncos </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>31 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>15 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Dallas Cowboys </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>13 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle></TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>31 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Jacksonville Jaguars </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>30 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>16 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">San Francisco 49ers </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>16 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle></TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>32 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Carolina Panthers </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>32 </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>



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<TABLE style="MARGIN: 0px; WIDTH: 100%"><THEAD><TR><TH style="WIDTH: 50px; VERTICAL-ALIGN: bottom"><CENTER>Ovr.
Rank </CENTER></TH><TH style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: bottom">Player </TH><TH style="WIDTH: 50px; VERTICAL-ALIGN: bottom"><CENTER>Team </CENTER></TH><TH style="WIDTH: 50px; VERTICAL-ALIGN: bottom"><CENTER>Pos.
Rank </CENTER></TH><TH style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: bottom"><CENTER>Next 3
Weeks </CENTER></TH><TH style="WIDTH: 50px; VERTICAL-ALIGN: bottom"><CENTER>Prev. </CENTER></TH></TR></THEAD><TBODY><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>1 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Adrian Peterson </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>Min </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>RB1 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>DET, @KC, ARI </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>1 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>2 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">LeSean McCoy </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>Phi </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>RB2 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>NYG, SF, @BUF </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>5 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>3 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Ray Rice </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>Bal </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>RB3 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>@STL, NYJ, bye </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>4 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>4 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Chris Johnson </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>Ten </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>RB4 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>DEN, @CLE, @PIT </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>2 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>5 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Darren McFadden </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>Oak </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>RB5 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>NYJ, NE, @HOU </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>17 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>6 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Maurice Jones-Drew </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>Jac </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>RB6 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>@CAR, NO, CIN </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>7 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>7 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Rashard Mendenhall </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>Pit </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>RB7 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>@IND, @HOU, TEN </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>8 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>8 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Andre Johnson </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>Hou </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>WR1 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>@NO, PIT, OAK </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>10 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>9 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Michael Turner </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>Atl </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>RB8 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>@TB, @SEA, GB </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>9 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>10 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Peyton Hillis </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>Cle </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>RB9 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>MIA, TEN, bye </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>16 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>11 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Matt Forte </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>Chi </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>RB10 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>GB, CAR, @DET </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>13 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>12 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Greg Jennings </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>GB </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>WR2 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>@CHI, DEN, @ATL </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>15 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>13 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Ahmad Bradshaw </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>NYG </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>RB11 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>@PHI, @ARI, SEA </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>25 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>14 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Tom Brady </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>NE </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>QB1 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>@BUF, @OAK, NYJ </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>18 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>15 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Roddy White </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>Atl </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>WR3 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>@TB, @SEA, GB </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>12 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>16 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Arian Foster </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>Hou </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>RB12 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>@NO, PIT, OAK </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>6 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>17 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Frank Gore </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>SF </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>RB13 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>@CIN, @PHI, TB </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>11 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>18 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Aaron Rodgers </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>GB </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>QB2 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>@CHI, DEN, @ATL </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>14 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>19 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Calvin Johnson </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>Det </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>WR4 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>@MIN, @DAL, CHI </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>20 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>20 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Vincent Jackson </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>SD </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>WR5 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>KC, MIA, @DEN </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>29 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>21 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Drew Brees </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>NO </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>QB3 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>HOU, @JAC, @CAR </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>21 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>22 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Hakeem Nicks </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>NYG </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>WR6 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>@PHI, @ARI, SEA </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>19 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>23 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Philip Rivers </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>SD </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>QB4 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>KC, MIA, @DEN </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>31 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>24 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Larry Fitzgerald </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>Ari </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>WR7 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>@SEA, NYG, @MIN </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>22 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>25 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">LeGarrette Blount </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>TB </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>RB14 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>ATL, IND, @SF </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>33 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>26 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Mike Wallace </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>Pit </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>WR8 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>@IND, @HOU, TEN </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>24 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>27 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Kenny Britt </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>Ten </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>WR9 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>DEN, @CLE, @PIT </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>45 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>28 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">BenJarvus Green-Ellis </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>NE </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>RB15 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>@BUF, @OAK, NYJ </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>37 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>29 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Dez Bryant </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>Dal </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>WR10 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>WAS, DET, bye </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>27 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>30 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">DeSean Jackson </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>Phi </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>WR11 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>NYG, SF, @BUF </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>32 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>31 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Michael Vick </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>Phi </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>QB5 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>NYG, SF, @BUF </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>23 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>32 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Brandon Marshall </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>Mia </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>WR12 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>@CLE, @SD, bye </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>58 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>33 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Beanie Wells </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>Ari </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>RB16 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>@SEA, NYG, @MIN </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>38 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>34 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Brandon Lloyd </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>Den </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>WR13 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>@TEN, @GB, SD </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>26 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>35 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Steven Jackson </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>StL </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>RB17 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>BAL, WAS, bye </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>28 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>36 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Jeremy Maclin </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>Phi </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>WR14 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>NYG, SF, @BUF </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>52 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>37 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Jahvid Best </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>Det </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>RB18 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>@MIN, @DAL, CHI </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>41 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>38 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Fred Jackson </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>Buf </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>RB19 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>NE, @CIN, PHI </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>70 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>39 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Cedric Benson </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>Cin </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>RB20 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>SF, BUF, @JAC </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>44 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>40 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Tony Romo </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>Dal </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>QB6 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>WAS, DET, bye </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>40 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>41 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Ben Tate </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>Hou </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>RB21 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>@NO, PIT, OAK </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>90 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>42 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Antonio Gates </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>SD </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>TE1 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>KC, MIA, @DEN </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>42 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>43 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Mike Williams </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>TB </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>WR15 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>ATL, IND, @SF </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>36 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>44 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Mike Tolbert </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>SD </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>RB22 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>KC, MIA, @DEN </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>56 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>45 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Dwayne Bowe </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>KC </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>WR16 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>@SD, MIN, @IND </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>43 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>46 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Santonio Holmes </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>NYJ </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>WR17 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>@OAK, @BAL, @NE </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>46 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>47 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Felix Jones </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>Dal </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>RB23 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>WAS, DET, bye </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>47 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>48 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Reggie Wayne </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>Ind </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>WR18 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>PIT, @TB, KC </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>34 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>49 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Jason Witten </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>Dal </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>TE2 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>WAS, DET, bye </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>49 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>50 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Wes Welker </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>NE </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>WR19 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>@BUF, @OAK, NYJ </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>48 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>51 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Ryan Mathews </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>SD </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>RB24 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>KC, MIA, @DEN </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>57 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>52 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Steve Johnson </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>Buf </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>WR20 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>NE, @CIN, PHI </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>51 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>53 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Miles Austin </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>Dal </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>WR21 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>WAS, DET, bye </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>30 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>54 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Matt Schaub </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>Hou </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>QB7 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>@NO, PIT, OAK </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>53 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>55 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Steve Smith </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>Car </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>WR22 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>JAC, @CHI, NO </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>55 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>56 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Mario Manningham </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>NYG </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>WR23 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>@PHI, @ARI, SEA </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>50 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>57 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">DeAngelo Williams </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>Car </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>RB25 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>JAC, @CHI, NO </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>35 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>58 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Percy Harvin </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>Min </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>WR24 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>DET, @KC, ARI </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>54 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>59 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Santana Moss </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>Was </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>WR25 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>@DAL, @STL, bye </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>64 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>60 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">James Starks </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>GB </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>RB26 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>@CHI, DEN, @ATL </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>74 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>61 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Robert Meachem </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>NO </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>WR26 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>HOU, @JAC, @CAR </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>61 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>62 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Ben Roethlisberger </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>Pit </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>QB8 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>@IND, @HOU, TEN </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>62 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>63 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Jermichael Finley </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>GB </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>TE3 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>@CHI, DEN, @ATL </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>69 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>64 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Anquan Boldin </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>Bal </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>WR27 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>@STL, NYJ, bye </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>59 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>65 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Tim Hightower </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>Was </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>RB27 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>@DAL, @STL, bye </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>71 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>66 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Mike Thomas </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>Jac </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>WR28 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>@CAR, NO, CIN </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>66 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>67 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">A.J. Green </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>Cin </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>WR29 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>SF, BUF, @JAC </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>83 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>68 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Matthew Stafford </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>Det </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>QB9 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>@MIN, @DAL, CHI </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>NR </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>69 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Vernon Davis </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>SF </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>TE4 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>@CIN, @PHI, TB </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>76 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>70 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Thomas Jones </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>KC </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>RB28 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>@SD, MIN, @IND </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>NR </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>71 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Jonathan Stewart </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>Car </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>RB29 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>JAC, @CHI, NO </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>65 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>72 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Jordy Nelson </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>GB </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>WR30 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>@CHI, DEN, @ATL </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>89 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>73 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Nate Burleson </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>Det </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>WR31 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>@MIN, @DAL, CHI </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>NR </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>74 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Daniel Thomas </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>Mia </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>RB30 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>@CLE, @SD, bye </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>NR </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>75 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Josh Freeman </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>TB </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>QB10 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>ATL, IND, @SF </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>68 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>76 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Owen Daniels </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>Hou </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>TE5 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>@NO, PIT, OAK </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>87 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>77 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Eli Manning </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>NYG </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>QB11 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>@PHI, @ARI, SEA </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>75 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>78 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Chad Ochocinco </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>NE </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>WR32 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>@BUF, @OAK, NYJ </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>72 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>79 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Eric Decker </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>Den </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>WR33 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>@TEN, @GB, SD </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>NR </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>80 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Pierre Thomas </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>NO </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>RB31 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>HOU, @JAC, @CAR </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>80 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>81 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Austin Collie </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>Ind </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>WR34 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>PIT, @TB, KC </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>78 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>82 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Shonn Greene </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>NYJ </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>RB32 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>@OAK, @BAL, @NE </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>60 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>83 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Devery Henderson </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>NO </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>WR35 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>HOU, @JAC, @CAR </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>NR </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>84 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Knowshon Moreno </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>Den </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>RB33 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>@TEN, @GB, SD </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>39 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>85 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Johnny Knox </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>Chi </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>WR36 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>GB, CAR, @DET </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>79 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>86 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Cam Newton </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>Car </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>QB12 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>JAC, @CHI, NO </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>NR </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>87 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Jimmy Graham </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>NO </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>TE6 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>HOU, @JAC, @CAR </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>NR </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>88 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Marques Colston </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>NO </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>WR37 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>HOU, @JAC, @CAR </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>81 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>89 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Plaxico Burress </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>NYJ </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>WR38 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>@OAK, @BAL, @NE </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>85 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>90 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Marshawn Lynch </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>Sea </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>RB34 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>ARI, ATL, @NYG </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>82 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>91 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Joseph Addai </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>Ind </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>RB35 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>PIT, @TB, KC </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>84 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>92 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Roy Helu </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>Was </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>RB36 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>@DAL, @STL, bye </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>NR </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>93 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Pierre Garcon </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>Ind </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>WR39 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>PIT, @TB, KC </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>73 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>94 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Braylon Edwards </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>SF </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>WR40 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>@CIN, @PHI, TB </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>88 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>95 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Darren Sproles </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>NO </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>RB37 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>HOU, @JAC, @CAR </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>NR </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>96 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Mark Ingram </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>NO </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>RB38 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>HOU, @JAC, @CAR </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>NR </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>97 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Rob Gronkowski </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>NE </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>TE7 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>@BUF, @OAK, NYJ </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>NR </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>98 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">C.J. Spiller </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>Buf </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>RB39 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>NE, @CIN, PHI </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>96 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>99 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Reggie Bush </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>Mia </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>RB40 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>@CLE, @SD, bye </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>91 </TD></TR><TR class=last><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>100 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Deion Branch </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>NE </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>WR41 </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>@BUF, @OAK, NYJ </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" align=middle>NR </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

 

[HacheMan]

Pass Plays: McCluster's time

Good value options to add, players who can't sustain current totals and a trade target



By KC Joyner
ESPN Insider


It has been said that one of the traits that separates great football coaches from their brethren is the ability to adapt quickly when the game plan isn't working.


A similar thing can be said about fantasy football owners. Everyone prepares like crazy for the draft, but the best owners are those who can take a team with injuries and/or disappointing performances from top players and find a way to turn that club back into a contender.


This NFL season is giving many fantasy owners the opportunity to showcase those skills very early, and this week's Pass Plays aims to help them with many personnel acquisition suggestions.


Pass Plays



Rex Grossman (available in 83.3 percent of ESPN leagues)

Most fantasy owners shy away from Grossman because of his reputation for making far too many risky throws, but concentrating on that trait can prevent one from seeing an even more important trait -- Grossman's success on vertical passes (vertical being defined as a pass thrown 11 or more yards downfield).
<OFFER>To put his 11.3 vertical YPA over the first two games into perspective, consider that the 11.5 vertical YPA mark was the cutoff for the top 10 in that category last year. With matchups against the banged-up Dallas and St. Louis secondaries coming up in the next two weeks, it's very likely Grossman's total here will improve, much to the benefit of his fantasy owners.

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Jerome Simpson (available in 51.2 percent of ESPN leagues)

Simpson hit the radar screen of many fantasy owners late last year when he posted 18 receptions for 247 yards and three touchdowns in the final two games of the 2010 season.


So far this year, Simpson is showing why those numbers may not have been a fluke. He has been targeted for 12 vertical passes this year and has caught five of them for 160 yards. Two games isn't a huge sample size, but if he continues anything close to that kind of target and productivity pace, Simpson will rank in the top 25 in both of those categories at year's end. Matchups against the San Francisco, Buffalo and Jacksonville secondaries over the next three weeks certainly will help Simpson toward that goal.

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Nate Burleson (available in 60.0 percent of ESPN leagues)

Getting in on the ground floor of an explosive offense can be a near impossibility after the season starts. This is one of those rare opportunities to do so, as the Lions have the second-hottest offense in the NFL, and Burleson, the team's primary possession target (he has caught 12 of the 14 passes directed toward him this year), is still available in six out of 10 ESPN leagues.

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Dexter McCluster (available in 92.5 percent of ESPN leagues)

The thing to remember about McCluster is that last year, the modus operandi of the Chiefs was to pound opponents with Thomas Jones as the setup guy and then hit them with Jamaal Charles once they were worn down. There is little reason to think that philosophy will change now, but McCluster is the obvious candidate to take over the finisher role for Charles.


Through two games, Kansas City's run blockers have given the Chiefs' ball carriers a good blocking situation 56.5 percent of the time (a good blocking situation being loosely defined as when the blockers do not allow the defense to do anything to disrupt the run). That is slightly higher than the 53.8 percent good blocking rate the Chiefs had last year (a total that was tied for sixth best in the league) and shows that this group is still doing a terrific job of creating rushing lanes. The run just hasn't been featured because the Chiefs have been down early in both games.

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Pass/Fail



This section uses metrics to determine if the current performance of a player is likely to continue or change. A passing grade means the player should be kept or acquired and a failing grade means it's time to give up on him.


Vernon Davis (owned in 100 percent of ESPN leagues, started in 95 percent last week)

One of the biggest impediments to Davis' productivity is that he is playing in a Jim Harbaugh offense. Harbaugh's collegiate coaching history suggests that tight end receptions will comprise about 20 percent of his team's overall completions.


If that pace holds up in the NFL, it means San Francisco tight ends will catch somewhere in the neighborhood of 60-70 passes total. Some of those will go to other tight ends and it means Davis' current pace of seven receptions every two games will likely continue.


It is also worth noting that 46 of Davis' 89 targets last year occurred when he was lined up as a wide receiver, but only one of his eight targets this year has come when he was flexed out in that manner.


Pass or Fail: FAIL

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Pass It On



This section uses tape review and metrics to help make a trade recommendation for a player whose recent performance suggests he is either a buy-low or sell-high candidate.


Ryan Mathews

Mathews has posted solid fantasy numbers the past two weeks, but Mike Tolbert has him beat in targets (18 to 14) and receptions (17 to 10), and has nearly equaled him in rush attempts (21 to 24).


Those numbers make it look like this will be a 50/50 platoon situation for the rest of the year. But Mathews' showing in the good blocking yards per attempt (GBYPA) metric indicates that could be changing soon.


GBYPA measures how productive a ball carrier is when he receives a good blocking situation. A season-ending mark of 6 yards in this category is considered solid, with less than that being subpar and more being above average.


Look at Mathews' and Tolbert's numbers after two games:


Mathews: 11 good blocking attempts, 90 yards gained, 8.2 GBYPA


Tolbert: nine good blocking attempts, 30 yards gained, 3.3 GBYPA


While it's a very small sample size, with that kind of variance in productivity it won't be long before Chargers head coach Norv Turner will have no choice but to start giving Mathews a higher percentage of the workload. That makes him a great trade target

 

[HacheMan]

Titans running back Chris Johnson should find daylight soon

Chris Johnson's fantasy owners might be getting nervous. The Tennessee Titans running back was held to 53 rushing yards on 24 carries in a 26-13 victory against the Baltimore Ravens. In the season opener, Johnson mustered 24 yards in a loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars.
But before giving up on the player who was a high first-round pick in nearly every fantasy draft, remember Johnson typically generates huge production in spurts. In 2010, he had seven games with less than 60 yards rushing while scoring two total touchdowns in those outings. He posted eight games, however, with at least 110 rushing yards while finding the end zone 10 times.
And as teams begin to devote more attention to the Titans' surprisingly productive passing game, Johnson will likely find a little more room to run. Johnson's first explosion might come next week at home vs. the hurting Denver Broncos.
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