NFL Fantasy Football News 2009-2010

[HacheMan]

Don't be swayed by opening statements in fantasy football


By Matt Pitzer, USA TODAY

Whether it was six touchdown passes by New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees or the Arizona Cardinals playing like their Super Bowl run was years ago, it doesn't take fantasy owners long to get back into regular-season mode.

And that dose of reality leads to a slew of Week 1 lessons, some of which turn out to be wildly inaccurate. Look up Carolina Panthers tight end Dante Rosario's performance from last year if you have forgotten.
We do learn plenty right out of the gate, though, and your ability to adjust to the unexpected twists could prove vital to determining how your season turns out.

Let's look at which Week 1 developments will impact fantasy teams throughout the season.


FANTASY JOE: Target opportunity to find success

•Who needs Terrell Owens, right? Overreacting to Tony Romo's career high in passing yards is easy, so let's wait to see how he does in a tougher test against the New York Giants. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have many defensive issues, so putting Romo and Roy Williams atop the fantasy world is premature. They could be stars against many of the pushovers on their schedule.

It is the other half of their games in which Cowboys players need to prove they can thrive before we anoint them as every-week regulars.
•Minnesota Vikings rookie Percy Harvin will make some incredible plays as the team rewrites its playbook for him. The tough question is when and how much he will play, meaning any time you count on him, you risk getting virtually nothing.
Harvin had five touches (a number that will increase in some weeks) and a touchdown in his debut. When you get stuck looking for an extra starter because of injuries or bye weeks, he is a name to remember.
•Week 1's most stunning stats came from Baltimore Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco, who had career highs in attempts (43), yards (307) and TD passes (three). Keep an eye on Flacco to see whether those attempts continue (and definitely pick him up if he is a free agent). Likewise, if Flacco is rolling, wide receivers Derrick Mason and Mark Clayton and tight end Todd Heap will have reasonable value. Give them a little more time — and look for success in a tough road game vs. the San Diego Chargers— before throwing everyone in your lineup.
•All of the talk about the Jacksonville Jaguars improving their offense looks like a bunch of chatter after they made their debut with a whopping 114 passing yards against the Indianapolis Colts. Their season will be all about Maurice Jones-Drew, so if you have him, you'd better hope you run out to a huge league lead before Jones-Drew wears down.
Torry Holt was the only wide receiver with more than one catch, again quieting the idea that Troy Williamson or Mike Sims-Walker is ready to emerge. When one of those guys has one good game, remember: It's fool's gold.
•Don't overreact if the Houston Texans' Matt Schaub, Andre Johnson and Steve Slaton have another bad game this week vs. the Tennessee Titans. Opening with the New York Jets and Titans is difficult, so bad numbers are not unreasonable.
The way to take advantage of that is to try to trade for one of them on the cheap if their owners are not so patient after Week 2.
•If we can make season-long conclusions about the Jets' rushing game after one game, Thomas Jones is the runner you want. Leon Washington is more electric and had 19 touches to Jones' 20 in the opener. But Jones had two TDs. Washington is good enough to turn some of those chances into big plays over the course of a season.
On a week-to-week basis, however, Jones consistently will have more regular chances and ought to get nearly all of the TD attempts.
•Expecting 363 yards from Pittsburg Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger and two 100-yard wide receivers would be nice but not realistic. Figuring out how the Steelers will run is a bit more difficult. Give them a break for facing a very tough Titans defense in Week 1, but be concerned that Willie Parker, Rashard Mendenhall and Mewelde Moore showed little potential.
Until we see serious improvement, do not expect Parker to develop into a reliable starter.
•The Detroit Lions still might not be any good, and fantasy owners don't care when or if they win a game. But they ought to at least put up meaningful stats this year while they are playing so poorly. Running back Kevin Smith scored in an otherwise poor Week 1 game, and Calvin Johnson nearly added a TD to his team-high 90 receiving yards. Granted, the 27 points the Lions scored are the equivalent of about 14 against any team other than the Saints. Still, there were no signs that Johnson and Smith should not remain regular starters.
•I have been wrong multiple times about Carnell Williams, and we're only through one weekend. Rushing out to pick up Williams after his 97-yard, one-TD debut is rather obvious. Derrick Ward, however, still is the Bucs running back to have. Based on Williams' history, Ward appears more capable of handling 15 to 20 carries every week, plus Ward is better in short yardage.
Earnest Graham (one carry) did not have a role in Week 1.
•Before completely casting the Washington Redskins aside for doing nothing to improve their offense, let's see how they respond during a stretch of games against the St. Louis Rams, Detroit, Tampa Bay, Carolina and Kansas City Chiefs. It's early, but those teams could be five of the worst in the league. A Redskins offense that did not score a touchdown against the New York Giants until late in the fourth quarter could gain confidence against those pushovers.
The alternative is that the Redskins prove they are helpless; more likely is Santana Moss, Clinton Portis and Chris Cooley will have some better-than-expected games.
•Nothing we saw from the Miami Dolphins in Week 1 (and we saw very little) is reason to worry. The Dolphins are a limited offensive team that will struggle to score points consistently and will have games like their wipeout at the Atlanta Falcons.
Two points to keep in mind: Davone Bess led the team with seven catches after having at least five receptions in five of the final six games last year; and Ricky Williams scored the team's only TD, which will worry Ronnie Brown owners.

 

[HacheMan]

Scorn on the Kolb

Speaking with the utmost confidence yesterday, Andy Reid said Kevin Kolb will be his starter this week if Donovan McNabb can't play. Reid was so sure of himself, you would think he used a second-round pick on the guy in 2007. Oh, that's right, he did.

Kolb has appeared in a regular season game eight times in his career. He has looked like a legit NFL quarterback exactly zero times. He's thrown four interceptions, fumbled three times and scored no touchdowns.

The only reason to think Kolb will play well enough Sunday to keep Jeff Garcia on the bench is that Kolb has never actually prepared to start a game. The most extensive action of his career came last season against the Ravens, when McNabb was shockingly benched at halftime. Here's a helmet Kolb, don't get killed by the best defense of the decade. That's not exactly putting your young quarterback in a position to succeed.

So what should you do with your Eagles? The Saints defense is vastly improved and you know they'll make Kolb beat them. There will be chances for DeSean Jackson and Kevin Curtis to make big plays, but with Kolb under center it's a risky situation. The Birds will run the ball as much as Reid can stomach. Garcia will probably get in the game at some point. It's a lot of "what ifs" to digest, with the biggest question being how much will the week of preparation help Kolb? Probably not enough.

Bottom line: It would stun everyone if McNabb plays, but Reid might not make the final decision until Sunday morning, so check back then. Assuming Kolb starts, Brian Westbrook is in for a huge workload. Brent Celek will be heavily involved in the underneath passing game. The Eagles will find creative ways to get DeSean Jackson the ball such as the Wildcat and wide receiver screens. D-Jax is still a WR3. Don't touch Kevin Curtis. And obviously, don't touch Mr. Kolb.

Editor's Note: For early rankings, complete projections, and a host of other exclusive material for Week 2, head to Rotoworld's Season Pass.

NEWS OF THE DAY #2
The odds of Kurt Warner duplicating his season from a year ago were always long. He's 36, he's coming off hip surgery and he lost in the Super Bowl last year. Losing in the Super Bowl isn't a "curse" - it's just a fact that a natural regression that occurs after great years. Out of the last 15 quarterbacks that have lost in the Big One, only Jake Delhomme (2004) has improved from a fantasy perspective the following year.

So with all that going against him before the season even started, Warner didn't need these extra problems already. Steve Breaston's knee problem isn't going away as he missed practice yesterday and is questionable for Sunday. Anquan Boldin (hamstring) practiced on a limited basis yesterday.

Additionally, in Sunday's loss to the Niners, Warner's offensive line let him down. He was hurried eight times, sacked three times and rarely had time to get anything going down the field. One of those hits in the first half led to a "stinger."

"My right hand kind of went numb for a while there, but I came back in the second half, so I'm fine," Warner said.

Maybe that stinger is what led to Tim Hightower seeing 14 passes come his way. Or maybe Warner's hip is still bothering him. Either way, we'll find out more this week since Captain Kurt has a very favorable matchup with the Jaguars.

NEWS OF THE DAY #3
Justin Fargas (hamstring) returned to practice Wednesday, raising questions about how the Raiders will use their three running backs. Coach Tom Cable quickly put to sleep any notion of Darren McFadden getting less work.

"I look at it as Darren is the starter and the other two guys are his backup," Cable said.

Expect Michael Bush to be McFadden's primary backup and handle short-yardage/goal-line duties. Fargas will have a very limited role.

Editor's Note: For early rankings, complete projections, and a host of other exclusive material for Week 2, head to Rotoworld's Season Pass.

INJURY QUICK SLANTS
Pierre Thomas (knee) practiced fully Wednesday and tweeted that he's "full go Sunday baby!" Thomas wore a big brace at practice. … Matt Cassel (knee) took limited reps in practice Wednesday. He'll probably try to give it a go against the Raiders Sunday. … Jamal Lewis (neck) was limited in practice but should be fine for Sunday. … James Davis (shoulder) didn't practice, meaning Jerome Harrison may back up Lewis Sunday. … Tony Romo tweaked his ankle against the Bucs but wasn't listed on the injury report. … Kevin Walter (hamstring) will play a full compliment of snaps as the No. 2 wideout this week. … Limas Sweed hurt his foot in practice Wednesday and his status for Sunday Night Football is up in the air. Mike Wallace got virtually all the snaps as the No. 3 wideout last week anyway. … Bernard Berrian is over his hamstring injury and wasn't on the injury report. Now he just needs to get some chemistry with Brett Favre. …The Colts waived K Shane Andrus, meaning Adam Vinatieri (hip) is healthy. … Javon Walker will be active this week but won't be a factor in the passing game. … Antonio Bryant sat out practice as he's still not over his knee surgery. … Greg Jennings (wrist) was limited in practice but it's nothing to worry about.

BACKUP WATCH
A quick look at which No. 2 running backs got at least 10 carries last week:

Leon Washington: 15
Derrick Ward: 12
Michael Bush: 12
Ahmad Bradshaw: 12
Jonathan Stewart: 11
Donald Brown: 11
Edgerrin James: 11
Willis McGahee: 10

 

[HacheMan]

Week 2 Rankings


Nothing stays the same in fantasy football; players are either getting better or they are getting worse.

Matt Ryan and the Atlanta passing game is getting better, especially for fantasy purposes.

Ryan threw 36 passes against the Dolphins, six more than he did in any victory last year. (Ryan averaged 23 passes in victories in 2009.) The Falcons aggressively passed throughout the opener despite being in total control of the game throughout the second half. The running game was clearly not working, so offensive coordinator Mike Mularkey let Ryan go to work.

This wasn't Ryan's best game either. His accuracy was off at times, especially deep to Roddy White. But Atlanta's flexible offensive approach allowed him to put up 229 yards and two scores on a mediocre afternoon.

This is the next step for outstanding, every-week fantasy starters: They put up numbers even during blah games. This would not have happened last year.

The shift away from Michael Turner to Matt Ryan was one of the seeds planted in Week One that we'll watch grow for the rest of the season. Owners shouldn't over react to the opener, but they also shouldn't ignore it. Some other big picture takeaways from games I watched in Week one:

1. Either Denver and Cincy's defense are both a lot better than expected (and they did play hard), or the Bengals/Broncos offense has some growing to do. Denver's pass attack especially looked in the embryonic stages under Josh McDaniels, which could slow things down for Brandon Marshall and Eddie Royal for a while. The Bengals moved the ball fairly well, but just came up short on big downs. The Ocho Cinco revival looks for real.

2. Tampa's offense could be a lot friskier than people think. They moved the ball largely at will against Dallas, keyed by a very strong offensive line performance. (Although they just lost center Jeff Faine for 4-6 weeks.) Byron Leftwich will have to throw plenty to keep up with Tampa's poor defense, and both Cadillac Williams and Derrick Ward ran well.

3. Indianapolis' offensive line needs to play a lot better or both Joseph Addai and Donald Brown will disappoint.

Editor's Note: The response to the season premier of Fantasy Fix Live was mind-altering. In a good way. We know it's tough to get through on the phones, so send us your questions via webcam and be part of the show.

[SIZE=+1]Week 2 Quarterbacks[/SIZE]

<TABLE width="100%"><TBODY><TR class=TableTopRed><TD>Rank</TD><TD>Player Name</TD><TD>Opponent</TD><TD>Notes</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>1</TD><TD>Drew Brees</TD><TD>at PHI</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>2</TD><TD>Tom Brady</TD><TD>at NYJ</TD><TD></TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>3</TD><TD>Aaron Rodgers</TD><TD>vs. CIN</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>4</TD><TD>Tony Romo</TD><TD>vs. NYG</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>5</TD><TD>Peyton Manning</TD><TD>at MIA</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>6</TD><TD>Matt Ryan</TD><TD>vs. CAR</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>7</TD><TD>Kurt Warner</TD><TD>at JAC</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>8</TD><TD>Ben Roethlisberger</TD><TD>at CHI</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>9</TD><TD>Matt Hasselbeck</TD><TD>at SF</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>10</TD><TD>Matt Schaub</TD><TD>at TEN</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>11</TD><TD>Philip Rivers</TD><TD>vs. BAL</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>12</TD><TD>Jay Cutler</TD><TD>vs. PIT</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>13</TD><TD>Carson Palmer</TD><TD>at GB</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>14</TD><TD>Joe Flacco</TD><TD>at SD</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>15</TD><TD>Trent Edwards</TD><TD>vs. TB</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>16</TD><TD>Eli Manning</TD><TD>at DAL</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>17</TD><TD>Byron Leftwich</TD><TD>at BUF</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>18</TD><TD>Jason Campbell</TD><TD>vs. STL</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>19</TD><TD>Brett Favre</TD><TD>at DET</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>20</TD><TD>David Garrard</TD><TD>vs. ARZ</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>21</TD><TD>Matt Cassel</TD><TD>vs. OAK</TD><TD>Status Uncertain (knee)</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>22</TD><TD>Kyle Orton</TD><TD>vs. CLE</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>23</TD><TD>Shaun Hill</TD><TD>vs. SEA</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>24</TD><TD>Kerry Collins</TD><TD>vs. HOU</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>25</TD><TD>Chad Pennington</TD><TD>vs. IND</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>26</TD><TD>Brady Quinn</TD><TD>at DEN</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>27</TD><TD>Kevin Kolb</TD><TD>vs. NO</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>28</TD><TD>JaMarcus Russell</TD><TD>at KC</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>29</TD><TD>Jake Delhomme</TD><TD>at ATL</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>30</TD><TD>Marc Bulger</TD><TD>at WAS</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>31</TD><TD>Mark Sanchez</TD><TD>vs. NE</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>32</TD><TD>Matthew Stafford</TD><TD>vs. MIN</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>33</TD><TD>Pat White</TD><TD>vs. IND</TD><TD>- </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

QB Notes: Life without Terrell Owens started smoothly for Tony Romo, to no surprise. The amazing thing about his 327, 13 YPA opener is how many throws Romo missed. The Cowboys are going to see more eight-man fronts than ever before because they are using the run to set up the pass. Defenses will have a hard time matching up; on Roy Williams' 66-yard touchdown, for instance, Williams was lined up in the slot with Jason Witten and Martellus Bennett as the wide receivers. The Dallas line gets a stern test this week against the Giants, but Romo is an every-week must start until proven otherwise.

Tom Brady's performance was uneven against Buffalo and he seemed to feeling the pass rush around him. But the Patriots also moved the ball throughout and owners have to love seeing 53 pass attempts. New England's offensive line, which looked shaky, faces a tougher test this week. … Peyton Manning has his work cut out for him this year with no Anthony Gonzalez (for a while), and a running game that isn't scaring defenses. I wrote this on Twitter already, but it's worth repeating for those who have smartly stayed free of Twitter's grasp: Jacksonville used seven defensive backs at times against the Colts. Pierre Garcon and Austin Collie will have to grow up fast for Manning to put up top-five numbers.

Kurt Warner looked terrible in the opener, but he still put up decent stats. Jacksonville's secondary is very thin. … Matt Schaub and Jay Cutler both may get knocked around this week, but there are big plays to be had against the Tennessee and Pittsburgh secondaries. … Tampa's safety play – Sabby Piscatelli and Jermaine Phillips – was terrible against Dallas. That makes Trent Edwards a sneaky option this week if you need help. Joe Flacco is another fine backup pick if you don't like your starter's matchup.

Byron Leftwich is not a bad pickup you need help at quarterback. He received outstanding protection against Dallas and defenses will load up to stop the Bucs running. Leftwich was somewhat erratic and struggled with touch passes, but he also made some gorgeous throws and the Bucs did not struggle to move the ball. The Tampa receiver group is lame, but they could be passing a lot because their defense is poor. … David Garrard's wide receiver group and lack of protection is going to make life difficult on him.
<!—RW-->
Note: For of every player ranked here, not to mention Top-200 rankings, Evan Silva's running back report, and a million other goodies, check out Rotoworld's Season Pass.
<!--RW-->[SIZE=+1]Week 2 Running Backs[/SIZE]
<TABLE width="100%"><TBODY><TR class=TableTopRed><TD>Rank</TD><TD>Player Name</TD><TD>Opponent</TD><TD>Notes</TD></TR>
<TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>1</TD><TD>Adrian Peterson</TD><TD>at DET</TD><TD>- </TD></TR>
<TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>2</TD><TD>Maurice Jones-Drew</TD><TD>vs. ARZ</TD><TD>- </TD></TR>
<TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>3</TD><TD>Chris Johnson</TD><TD>vs. HOU</TD><TD>- </TD></TR>
<TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>4</TD><TD>Frank Gore</TD><TD>vs. SEA</TD><TD>- </TD></TR>
<TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>5</TD><TD>Ray Rice</TD><TD>at SD</TD><TD>- </TD></TR>
<TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>6</TD><TD>Michael Turner</TD><TD>vs. CAR</TD><TD>- </TD></TR>
<TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>7</TD><TD>Brian Westbrook</TD><TD>vs. NO</TD><TD>- </TD></TR>
<TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>8</TD><TD>Steven Jackson</TD><TD>at WAS</TD><TD>- </TD></TR>
<TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>9</TD><TD>Clinton Portis</TD><TD>vs. STL</TD><TD>- </TD></TR>
<TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>10</TD><TD>DeAngelo Williams</TD><TD>at ATL</TD><TD>- </TD></TR>
<TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>11</TD><TD>Darren McFadden</TD><TD>at KC</TD><TD>- </TD></TR>
<TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>12</TD><TD>Matt Forte</TD><TD>vs. PIT</TD><TD>- </TD></TR>
<TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>13</TD><TD>Fred Jackson</TD><TD>vs. TB</TD><TD>- </TD></TR>
<TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>14</TD><TD>Steve Slaton</TD><TD>at TEN</TD><TD>- </TD></TR>
<TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>15</TD><TD>Marion Barber</TD><TD>vs. NYG</TD><TD>- </TD></TR>
<TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>16</TD><TD>Cedric Benson</TD><TD>at GB</TD><TD>- </TD></TR>
<TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>17</TD><TD>Brandon Jacobs</TD><TD>at DAL</TD><TD>- </TD></TR>
<TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>18</TD><TD>Ryan Grant</TD><TD>vs. CIN</TD><TD>- </TD></TR>
<TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>19</TD><TD>Kevin Smith</TD><TD>vs. MIN</TD><TD>- </TD></TR>
<TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>20</TD><TD>Thomas Jones</TD><TD>vs. NE</TD><TD>- </TD></TR>
<TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>21</TD><TD>Ronnie Brown</TD><TD>vs. IND</TD><TD>- </TD></TR>
<TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>22</TD><TD>Leon Washington</TD><TD>vs. NE</TD><TD>- </TD></TR>
<TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>23</TD><TD>Derrick Ward</TD><TD>at BUF</TD><TD>- </TD></TR>
<TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>24</TD><TD>Mike Bell</TD><TD>at PHI</TD><TD>- </TD></TR>
<TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>25</TD><TD>Larry Johnson</TD><TD>vs. OAK</TD><TD>- </TD></TR>
<TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>26</TD><TD>Donald Brown</TD><TD>at MIA</TD><TD>- </TD></TR>
<TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>27</TD><TD>Joseph Addai</TD><TD>at MIA</TD><TD>- </TD></TR>
<TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>28</TD><TD>Julius Jones</TD><TD>at SF</TD><TD>- </TD></TR>
<TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>29</TD><TD>Jonathan Stewart</TD><TD>at ATL</TD><TD>Probable(heel)</TD></TR>
<TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>30</TD><TD>Reggie Bush</TD><TD>at PHI</TD><TD>- </TD></TR>
<TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>31</TD><TD>Pierre Thomas</TD><TD>at PHI</TD><TD>Questionable(knee)</TD></TR>
<TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>32</TD><TD>LaDainian Tomlinson</TD><TD>vs. BAL</TD><TD>Questionable(ankle)</TD></TR>
<TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>33</TD><TD>Willie Parker</TD><TD>at CHI</TD><TD>- </TD></TR>
<TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>34</TD><TD>Carnell Williams</TD><TD>at BUF</TD><TD>- </TD></TR>
<TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>35</TD><TD>Chris Wells</TD><TD>at JAC</TD><TD>- </TD></TR>
<TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>36</TD><TD>Tim Hightower</TD><TD>at JAC</TD><TD>- </TD></TR>
<TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>37</TD><TD>Knowshon Moreno</TD><TD>vs. CLE</TD><TD>- </TD></TR>
<TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>38</TD><TD>Michael Bush</TD><TD>at KC</TD><TD>- </TD></TR>
<TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>39</TD><TD>Felix Jones</TD><TD>vs. NYG</TD><TD>Probable(thigh)</TD></TR>
<TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>40</TD><TD>Jamal Lewis</TD><TD>at DEN</TD><TD>Questionable(neck)</TD></TR>
<TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>41</TD><TD>Darren Sproles</TD><TD>vs. BAL</TD><TD>- </TD></TR>
<TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>42</TD><TD>Ahmad Bradshaw</TD><TD>at DAL</TD><TD>- </TD></TR>
<TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>43</TD><TD>Willis McGahee</TD><TD>at SD</TD><TD>- </TD></TR>
<TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>44</TD><TD>Correll Buckhalter</TD><TD>vs. CLE</TD><TD>- </TD></TR>
<TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>45</TD><TD>LeSean McCoy</TD><TD>vs. NO</TD><TD>- </TD></TR>
<TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>46</TD><TD>LenDale White</TD><TD>vs. HOU</TD><TD>- </TD></TR>
<TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>47</TD><TD>Ladell Betts</TD><TD>vs. STL</TD><TD>- </TD></TR>
<TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>48</TD><TD>Laurence Maroney</TD><TD>at NYJ</TD><TD>- </TD></TR>
<TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>49</TD><TD>Chester Taylor</TD><TD>at DET</TD><TD>- </TD></TR>
<TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>50</TD><TD>LeRon McClain</TD><TD>at SD</TD><TD>- </TD></TR>
<TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>51</TD><TD>Jamaal Charles</TD><TD>vs. OAK</TD><TD>- </TD></TR>
<TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>52</TD><TD>Mewelde Moore</TD><TD>at CHI</TD><TD>- </TD></TR>
<TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>53</TD><TD>Fred Taylor</TD><TD>at NYJ</TD><TD>- </TD></TR>
<TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>54</TD><TD>James Davis</TD><TD>at DEN</TD><TD>Status Uncertain </TD></TR>
<TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>55</TD><TD>DeShawn Wynn</TD><TD>vs. CIN</TD><TD>- </TD></TR>
<TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>56</TD><TD>Rashard Mendenhall</TD><TD>at CHI</TD><TD>- </TD></TR>
<TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>57</TD><TD>Ricky Williams</TD><TD>vs. IND</TD><TD>- </TD></TR>
<TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>58</TD><TD>Kevin Faulk</TD><TD>at NYJ</TD><TD>- </TD></TR>
<TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>59</TD><TD>Glen Coffee</TD><TD>vs. SEA</TD><TD>- </TD></TR>
<TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>60</TD><TD>Edgerrin James</TD><TD>at SF</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>61</TD><TD>Chris Brown</TD><TD>at TEN</TD><TD>- </TD></TR>
</TBODY></TABLE>
RB Notes: Tampa's running game could be very good this year. Cadillac Williams runs with such insane abandon, we wonder if he can hold up all year. But he'll be fun to watch in the meantime. Derrick Ward remains the stronger weekly play because of his receiving skills and power combination. Ward had a couple early cracks inside the ten-yard line early in Tampa's loss, then Caddy finished it off from the one. Ward scored later in the game and broke a lot of tackles in a game that helps show he's not just the product of New York's running game. If Tampa could push around Dallas up front, they can run on Buffalo.

The Cowboys weren't kidding about a three-man running back rotation. Tashard Choice was in on the third play from scrimmage Sunday, and took more traditional third-down back snaps than Felix Jones. Choice also played in the Wildcat. This hurts Jones' potential more than Marion Barber, who is still "The Closer." Barber owners should be a little concerned MBIII didn't have any catches in Week 1, but he clearly has his explosion back after toe injuries last year. … After a preseason of talking up Glenn Coffee's role in the offense, the 49ers ignored him in Week 1. Their offensive line really struggled to carve out room for Frank Gore, but Gore was the entire offense. Their first six plays of the second half were all to Gore; two three and outs.

San Francisco risks overworking Gore, but the usage is a good sign; we wouldn't worry about the lack of yardage last week. … Maurice Jones-Drew is another back that basically was the entire Jaguars offense. (Montell Owens was the only other Jacksonville back to get a carry.) Mo-Jo took a lot of punishment against Indy, but looked good doing it. Look for another big day against Arizona, but the Jaguars would be wise not to wear their horse down too much early. … Miami's inability to make plays vertically will make life harder for Ronnie Brown, who had very little running room against Atlanta. Look for the Dolphins to try to impose their will physically on a smaller Colts line this week. Ricky Williams looked rather good in relief, which won't help Brown if it keeps up every week.

Tony Gonzalez already has shown he's a huge addition to the Atlanta passing game. He's not going to help Michael Turner, though. Gonzo whiffed a few blocks that got Turner killed in the Miami game. Turner is not a special running back talent; he gets what's blocked. Until the final meaningless drive last Sunday, he had 41 yards on 18 carries. Turner finished with 65 total yards, Jerious Norwood had 56, mostly on third-down catches. Carolina's rush defense is not impressive, so it's fair for Turner owners to be concerned if he struggles again this week. … Jonathan Stewart is already a bigger part of the Carolina offense than expected. Now the Panthers just need to play with the lead.

Pierre Thomas, Mike Bell, and Reggie Bush are ranked as if Thomas will play. He's still wearing a large brace on his knee, so they Saints are likely to work him into the mix slowly. But the job will be his eventually; he's simply more talented than Bell. … Tim Hightower's receiving numbers last week smacked of a fluky performance. He struggled on the ground, just like last year. … Knowshon Moreno looked tentative in his debut. He's not a lead back yet. … Michael Bush would be ranked higher, but the Raiders are threatening to possibly play Justin Fargas over him. This makes me angry; did Cable watch Bush run over the Chargers?

[SIZE=+1]Week 2 Wide Receivers[/SIZE]

<TABLE width="100%"><TBODY><TR class=TableTopRed><TD>Rank</TD><TD>Player Name</TD><TD>Opponent</TD><TD>Notes</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>1</TD><TD>Larry Fitzgerald</TD><TD>at JAC</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>2</TD><TD>Andre Johnson</TD><TD>at TEN</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>3</TD><TD>Calvin Johnson</TD><TD>vs. MIN</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>4</TD><TD>Randy Moss</TD><TD>at NYJ</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>5</TD><TD>Reggie Wayne</TD><TD>at MIA</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>6</TD><TD>Roddy White</TD><TD>vs. CAR</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>7</TD><TD>Greg Jennings</TD><TD>vs. CIN</TD><TD></TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>8</TD><TD>Chad Ochocinco</TD><TD>at GB</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>9</TD><TD>Marques Colston</TD><TD>at PHI</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>10</TD><TD>Steve Smith</TD><TD>at ATL</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>11</TD><TD>Wes Welker</TD><TD>at NYJ</TD><TD>Questionable(knee)</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>12</TD><TD>Anquan Boldin</TD><TD>at JAC</TD><TD>Probable(hamstring)</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>13</TD><TD>Vincent Jackson</TD><TD>vs. BAL</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>14</TD><TD>Santonio Holmes</TD><TD>at CHI</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>15</TD><TD>Dwayne Bowe</TD><TD>vs. OAK</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>16</TD><TD>Braylon Edwards</TD><TD>at DEN</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>17</TD><TD>Eddie Royal</TD><TD>vs. CLE</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>18</TD><TD>Terrell Owens</TD><TD>vs. TB</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>19</TD><TD>Jerricho Cotchery</TD><TD>vs. NE</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>20</TD><TD>Roy Williams</TD><TD>vs. NYG</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>21</TD><TD>Brandon Marshall</TD><TD>vs. CLE</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>22</TD><TD>Lee Evans</TD><TD>vs. TB</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>23</TD><TD>Bernard Berrian</TD><TD>at DET</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>24</TD><TD>Santana Moss</TD><TD>vs. STL</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>25</TD><TD>DeSean Jackson</TD><TD>vs. NO</TD><TD>Probable(groin)</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>26</TD><TD>Devin Hester</TD><TD>vs. PIT</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>27</TD><TD>T.J. Houshmandzadeh</TD><TD>at SF</TD><TD></TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>28</TD><TD>Hines Ward</TD><TD>at CHI</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>29</TD><TD>Donald Driver</TD><TD>vs. CIN</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>30</TD><TD>Antonio Bryant</TD><TD>at BUF</TD><TD>Keep eye on knee; could move down</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>31</TD><TD>Kevin Walter</TD><TD>at TEN</TD><TD>Expected to return</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>32</TD><TD>Lance Moore</TD><TD>at PHI</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>33</TD><TD>Patrick Crayton</TD><TD>vs. NYG</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>34</TD><TD>Steve Smith</TD><TD>at DAL</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>35</TD><TD>Josh Morgan</TD><TD>vs. SEA</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>36</TD><TD>Donnie Avery</TD><TD>at WAS</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>37</TD><TD>Earl Bennett</TD><TD>vs. PIT</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>38</TD><TD>Justin Gage</TD><TD>vs. HOU</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>39</TD><TD>Davone Bess</TD><TD>vs. IND</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>40</TD><TD>Nate Burleson</TD><TD>at SF</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>41</TD><TD>Derrick Mason</TD><TD>at SD</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>42</TD><TD>Mark Clayton</TD><TD>at SD</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>43</TD><TD>Percy Harvin</TD><TD>at DET</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>44</TD><TD>Mark Bradley</TD><TD>vs. OAK</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>45</TD><TD>Torry Holt</TD><TD>vs. ARZ</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>46</TD><TD>Domenik Hixon</TD><TD>at DAL</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>47</TD><TD>Nate Washington</TD><TD>vs. HOU</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>48</TD><TD>Kenny Britt</TD><TD>vs. HOU</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>49</TD><TD>Chris Henry</TD><TD>at GB</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>50</TD><TD>Louis Murphy</TD><TD>at KC</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>51</TD><TD>Devery Henderson</TD><TD>at PHI</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>52</TD><TD>Ted Ginn Jr.</TD><TD>vs. IND</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>53</TD><TD>Miles Austin</TD><TD>vs. NYG</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>54</TD><TD>Mario Manningham</TD><TD>at DAL</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>55</TD><TD>Kevin Curtis</TD><TD>vs. NO</TD><TD>Probable(knee)</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>56</TD><TD>Laurent Robinson</TD><TD>at WAS</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>57</TD><TD>Laveranues Coles</TD><TD>at GB</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>58</TD><TD>Steve Breaston</TD><TD>at JAC</TD><TD>Questionable(knee)</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>59</TD><TD>Andre Caldwell</TD><TD>at GB</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>60</TD><TD>Troy Williamson</TD><TD>vs. ARZ</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>61</TD><TD>Michael Clayton</TD><TD>at BUF</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>62</TD><TD>Chris Chambers</TD><TD>vs. BAL</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>63</TD><TD>James Jones</TD><TD>vs. CIN</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>64</TD><TD>Austin Collie</TD><TD>at MIA</TD><TD>- </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
WR Notes: Brandon Marshall seemed to be lacking some explosion in Week 1 and dropped a few passes, but at least he was out there. It could take some time for him to get in the flow of the offense, but he's too talented to sit in leagues you start three wideouts.

Miles Austin didn't get a lot of targets, but he was a bad Tony Romo pass away from having two touchdowns over 40 yards. It's hard to play him, but he should be owned in all leagues and will benefit from a lot of matchups against sub-par defenders. … Michael Clayton no longer gets anyone excited, but he'll probably see enough targets all year to be worth owning in deeper PPR leagues, especially if Antonio Bryant can't get healthy.

The Jaguars are very thin in the secondary after Rashean Mathis. Since Mathis is staying on one side of the field primarily, all the Cardinals receivers should get a crack at Derek Cox and the other complementary corners in Jacksonville. (And safety Reggie Nelson gives up way too many big plays.)

Roy Williams made some difficult grabs for first downs in addition to his long score, a good sign. There are so many options on that offense, though, he's going to have quiet weeks. Patrick Crayton won't get many long scores, but he should be a very consistent WR3. We'd put Steve Smith of the Giants in the same class, as a fine every-week WR3/flex option in PPR leagues. Dude makes tough grabs and Eli Manning knows it. … Antonio Bryant doesn't look fully healthy yet, and is a risky play.

Davone Bess is clearly Chad Pennington's most trusted playmaker to move the chains. He may not make many big plays, but he's a serious threat to top 80 catches. … Miami's offensive line was awful against the Falcons, and faces another tough test against the Colts pass rush. There's not much reason to think they will give Chad Pennington enough time to find Ted Ginn deep. ... Laveranues Coles is the fourth-best wide receiver on the Bengals. His opening week drops were uncharacteristic, but it was telling that Andre Caldwell was the guy moving the chains with the game on the line.
<!--RW-->
[SIZE=+1]Week 2 Tight Ends[/SIZE]

<TABLE width="100%"><TBODY><TR class=TableTopRed><TD>Rank</TD><TD>Player Name</TD><TD>Opponent</TD><TD>Notes</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>1</TD><TD>Antonio Gates</TD><TD>vs. BAL</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>2</TD><TD>Jason Witten</TD><TD>vs. NYG</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>3</TD><TD>Tony Gonzalez</TD><TD>vs. CAR</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>4</TD><TD>Dustin Keller</TD><TD>vs. NE</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>5</TD><TD>Dallas Clark</TD><TD>at MIA</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>6</TD><TD>Chris Cooley</TD><TD>vs. STL</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>7</TD><TD>Owen Daniels</TD><TD>at TEN</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>8</TD><TD>John Carlson</TD><TD>at SF</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>9</TD><TD>Kellen Winslow</TD><TD>at BUF</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>10</TD><TD>Zach Miller</TD><TD>at KC</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>11</TD><TD>Jeremy Shockey</TD><TD>at PHI</TD><TD>Probable(ankle)</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>12</TD><TD>Greg Olsen</TD><TD>vs. PIT</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>13</TD><TD>Brent Celek</TD><TD>vs. NO</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>14</TD><TD>Vernon Davis</TD><TD>vs. SEA</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>15</TD><TD>Visanthe Shiancoe</TD><TD>at DET</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>16</TD><TD>Todd Heap</TD><TD>at SD</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>17</TD><TD>Heath Miller</TD><TD>at CHI</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>18</TD><TD>Randy McMichael</TD><TD>at WAS</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>19</TD><TD>Tony Scheffler</TD><TD>vs. CLE</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>20</TD><TD>Bo Scaife</TD><TD>vs. HOU</TD><TD>Questionable(knee)</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>21</TD><TD>Jermichael Finley</TD><TD>vs. CIN</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>22</TD><TD>Anthony Fasano</TD><TD>vs. IND</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>23</TD><TD>Marcedes Lewis</TD><TD>vs. ARZ</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>24</TD><TD>Robert Royal</TD><TD>at DEN</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>25</TD><TD>Chris Baker</TD><TD>at NYJ</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>26</TD><TD>Shawn Nelson</TD><TD>vs. TB</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>27</TD><TD>Ben Watson</TD><TD>at NYJ</TD><TD>Probable(hamstring)</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>28</TD><TD>Martellus Bennett</TD><TD>vs. NYG</TD><TD>- </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
TE Notes: Matt Ryan threw a few passes to Tony Gonzalez that he probably shouldn't have – Gonzo wasn't open. And yet Gonzalez responded by making awesome grabs with defenders draped all over him. Throw in his juke on Yeremiah Bell for a score, and Gonzalez was pretty unstoppable in Week 1. He won't get as many receptions in Atlanta's offense, but he could get more scores.

More rankings and matchup talk explanation to be added later this week, but the rankings must go up! We also have a Season Pass Chat coming Friday.</B>

[SIZE=+1]Week 2 Team Defense[/SIZE]

<TABLE width="100%"><TBODY><TR class=TableTopRed><TD>Rank</TD><TD>Player Name</TD><TD>Opponent</TD><TD>Notes</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>1</TD><TD>Vikings Def/Spec Team</TD><TD>at DET</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>2</TD><TD>Steelers Def/Spec Team</TD><TD>at CHI</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>3</TD><TD>Ravens Def/Spec Team</TD><TD>at SD</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>4</TD><TD>Redskins Def/Spec Team</TD><TD>vs. STL</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>5</TD><TD>Giants Def/Spec Team</TD><TD>at DAL</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>6</TD><TD>Titans Def/Spec Team</TD><TD>vs. HOU</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>7</TD><TD>Falcons Def/Spec Team</TD><TD>vs. CAR</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>8</TD><TD>Packers Def/Spec Team</TD><TD>vs. CIN</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>9</TD><TD>Colts Def/Spec Team</TD><TD>at MIA</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>10</TD><TD>Cowboys Def/Spec Team</TD><TD>vs. NYG</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>11</TD><TD>Bears Def/Spec Team</TD><TD>vs. PIT</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>12</TD><TD>Seahawks Def/Spec Team</TD><TD>at SF</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>13</TD><TD>Patriots Def/Spec Team</TD><TD>at NYJ</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>14</TD><TD>Eagles Def/Spec Team</TD><TD>vs. NO</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>15</TD><TD>Dolphins Def/Spec Team</TD><TD>vs. IND</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>16</TD><TD>Bills Def/Spec Team</TD><TD>vs. TB</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>17</TD><TD>Fortyniners Def/Spec Team</TD><TD>vs. SEA</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>18</TD><TD>Saints Def/Spec Team</TD><TD>at PHI</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>19</TD><TD>Jaguars Def/Spec Team</TD><TD>vs. ARZ</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>20</TD><TD>Broncos Def/Spec Team</TD><TD>vs. CLE</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>21</TD><TD>Chiefs Def/Spec Team</TD><TD>vs. OAK</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>22</TD><TD>Raiders Def/Spec Team</TD><TD>at KC</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>23</TD><TD>Cardinals Def/Spec Team</TD><TD>at JAC</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>24</TD><TD>Browns Def/Spec Team</TD><TD>at DEN</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>25</TD><TD>Buccaneers Def/Spec Team</TD><TD>at BUF</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>26</TD><TD>Jets Def/Spec Team</TD><TD>vs. NE</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>27</TD><TD>Bengals Def/Spec Team</TD><TD>at GB</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>28</TD><TD>Chargers Def/Spec Team</TD><TD>vs. BAL</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>29</TD><TD>Panthers Def/Spec Team</TD><TD>at ATL</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>30</TD><TD>Texans Def/Spec Team</TD><TD>at TEN</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>31</TD><TD>Rams Def/Spec Team</TD><TD>at WAS</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>32</TD><TD>Lions Def/Spec Team</TD><TD>vs. MIN</TD><TD>- </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

[SIZE=+1]Week 2 Kickers[/SIZE]

<TABLE width="100%"><TBODY><TR class=TableTopRed><TD>Rank</TD><TD>Player Name</TD><TD>Opponent</TD><TD>Notes</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>1</TD><TD>Rob Bironas</TD><TD>vs. HOU</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>2</TD><TD>Stephen Gostkowski</TD><TD>at NYJ</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>3</TD><TD>Ryan Longwell</TD><TD>at DET</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>4</TD><TD>Nate Kaeding</TD><TD>vs. BAL</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>5</TD><TD>Nick Folk</TD><TD>vs. NYG</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>6</TD><TD>Kris Brown</TD><TD>at TEN</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>7</TD><TD>John Carney</TD><TD>at PHI</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>8</TD><TD>Lawrence Tynes</TD><TD>at DAL</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>9</TD><TD>David Akers</TD><TD>vs. NO</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>10</TD><TD>Jeff Reed</TD><TD>at CHI</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>11</TD><TD>Neil Rackers</TD><TD>at JAC</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>12</TD><TD>Josh Scobee</TD><TD>vs. ARZ</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>13</TD><TD>Robbie Gould</TD><TD>vs. PIT</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>14</TD><TD>Olindo Mare</TD><TD>at SF</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>15</TD><TD>Ryan Succop</TD><TD>vs. OAK</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>16</TD><TD>Joe Nedney</TD><TD>vs. SEA</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>17</TD><TD>Jason Elam</TD><TD>vs. CAR</TD><TD>Probable(hamstring)</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>18</TD><TD>Matt Prater</TD><TD>vs. CLE</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>19</TD><TD>Adam Vinatieri</TD><TD>at MIA</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>20</TD><TD>Mason Crosby</TD><TD>vs. CIN</TD><TD>Probable(abdomen)</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>21</TD><TD>Steven Hauschka</TD><TD>at SD</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>22</TD><TD>Shayne Graham</TD><TD>at GB</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>23</TD><TD>Jay Feely</TD><TD>vs. NE</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>24</TD><TD>John Kasay</TD><TD>at ATL</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>25</TD><TD>Sebastian Janikowski</TD><TD>at KC</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>26</TD><TD>Jason Hanson</TD><TD>vs. MIN</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>27</TD><TD>Rian Lindell</TD><TD>vs. TB</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>28</TD><TD>Dan Carpenter</TD><TD>vs. IND</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>29</TD><TD>Shaun Suisham</TD><TD>vs. STL</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>30</TD><TD>Phil Dawson</TD><TD>at DEN</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>31</TD><TD>Mike Nugent</TD><TD>at BUF</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>32</TD><TD>Josh Brown</TD><TD>at WAS</TD><TD>- </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
Notes: There's no point handing on to a slumping kicker and Jason Elam looked bad last week. … Nick Folk, on the other hand, looked outstanding. Okay, that's all the kicker analysis you get. Good luck to everyone this week.

 

[HacheMan]

Studs, duds and sleepers: Clark, McFadden will play big; DeAngelo may disappoint


Studs

Dallas Clark, TE, Colts. The easiest solution to Indianapolis' lack of depth at wide receiver is to split out Clark wide. He's capable of it, and the Miami Dolphins had problems defending Atlanta Falcons tight end Tony Gonzalez (five catches, 73 yards, TD). Expect Clark to shine on Monday Night Football.
Jerricho Cotchery, WR, Jets. New York will likely have trouble hitting big plays against the savvy New England Patriots defense and should focus on shorter passes, which means plenty of work for Cotchery coming off his team-high six receptions for 90 yards Week 1 at the Houston Texans.
Andre Johnson, WR, Texans. Scared to play any Texan against the Tennessee Titans? Remember, Johnson had a team-record 207 yards the last time the two teams met. The Titans also allowed Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger to complete 76.7% of his passes on his way to racking up 363 yards.
Chris Johnson, RB, Titans. Tennessee needs to kick-start its run game after a poor beginning in Pittsburgh, which means roughly 20 carries for Johnson. Houston gave up 190 yards and two touchdowns on the ground in its loss to the Jets.
Darren McFadden, RB, Raiders. Last year in Week 2 in Kansas City, McFadden woke up the NFL with a 164-yard game. This year, Oakland is in a similar situation, and the Chiefs might be worse on defense. They allowed the Baltimore Ravens 198 rushing yards on 41 carries.
Duds
Braylon Edwards, WR, Browns. Barely a factor in Cleveland's Week 1 loss with one catch for 12 yards, Edwards should be on your bench until he improves. He also faces Champ Bailey and a Denver Broncos' pass defense that was surprisingly effective in denying the Cincinnati Bengals any scores through the air.
Carson Palmer, QB, Bengals. So much for the idea Cincinnati solved its offensive problems in the offseason. Now the Bengals go on the road to face the Green Bay Packers' revamped defense. They might have trouble scoring more than the meager seven points they managed against the Broncos.
Willie Parker, RB, Steelers. After an embarrassing team effort of 36 yards on 23 carries against Tennessee, don't play Parker until we see improvement from Pittsburgh's running game. It's doubtful it will happen against a Chicago Bears defense that will be fired up in its home opener and out to prove itself even without injured Pro Bowl linebacker Brian Urlacher.
Darren Sproles, RB, Chargers. A hot name in San Diego with LaDainian Tomlinson already hurt, Sproles faces a tough challenge. He is not consistent against physical defenses _ and you don't get much more physical than the Ravens. Plus, Baltimore has not allowed a 100-yard rusher in 36 games.
DeAngelo Williams, RB, Panthers. The Carolina back hasn't had much luck against the Falcons (51.8-yard average in six games), plus Jake Delhomme's meltdown means the Falcons can focus most of their attention on Williams. Atlanta also held the Miami Dolphins' Ronnie Brown to 43 yards in the opener.
Sleepers
Correll Buckhalter, RB, Broncos. Expect him to start again as rookie Knowshon Moreno still doesn't look 100% healthy. Also not looking good is the Browns run defense, which was trampled by Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson for a league-high 225 yards and three touchdowns.
Jason Campbell, QB, Redskins. As bad as he was against the New York Giants on the road, the St. Louis Rams' defense was equally atrocious as it allowed three passing TDs at the Seattle Seahawks. Take a chance on Campbell in Washington's home opener as St. Louis faces another difficult road trip.
Mark Clayton, WR, Ravens. If Baltimore's pass-happy offense is for real, it will create a bunch of new fantasy starters, including Clayton, who had a team-high 77 yards and a TD last week. The Chargers appear to have problems defending the pass, so give Clayton another start.
Devery Henderson, WR, Saints. With New Orleans coming off a 45-point blowout in Week 1, try to play any of its starters you own. The streaky Henderson had 103 yards, including a 58-yard score against the Detroit Lions, and is the kind of player you want only when he is on a roll.
Torry Holt, WR, Jaguars. Jacksonville's passing offense was atrocious, so starting Holt is risky. But he loves seeing the Cardinals; he averages 96.6 yards with six 100-yard games in 14 tries and has scored a career-best nine times against Arizona.
-- Matt Pitzer

 

[HacheMan]

Raging against the dying light


Age mows down even the best athletes. Welsh poet Dylan Thomas urged us all "not to go gentle into that good night," and Kurt Warner is doing his best to rage against the dying of the light. While admitting that he's still feeling the effects of offseason labrum surgery in his hip, the 38-year-old insists this is the best he's been since the initial injury and that it's steadily improving.

Even if Warner has our unwavering admiration for continuing to overcome unbelievably long odds throughout his storybook career, it's hard to miss the warning signs flashing in neon red above his 2009 season.

Only two quarterbacks in NFL history – Warren Moon and Brett Favre – have thrown for more than 3,600 yards or 25 touchdowns at age 38 or older. Dan Marino, Joe Montana, and John Elway all went into their age 38 seasons aiming to dethrone Father Time, and the Hall of Famers all came up empty. A more recent example, Rich Gannon, posted a career-year at age 37 with 4,689 yards, 26 TDs, and a 67.6 completion percentage. The next season was the beginning of the end with just 1,274 yards and six touchdowns. He was out of the league less than a year later.

If you missed the Cardinals season opener against the 49ers, Warner exhibited a startling loss of arm strength and accuracy. Unable to get the ball down the field, he settled for checkdowns throughout the game, as evidenced by Tim Hightower's 12 receptions. Even more immobile than usual, Warner was constantly harassed by the Niners defense. Defensive end Justin Smith was credited with an eye-popping nine hits alone on Warner.

Though the Cardinals offense clearly misses Todd Haley's playcalling, it's worth pointing out that backup Matt Leinart enjoyed his most successful preseason while Warner failed to muster any offensive success whatsoever. As hard as it is to believe, some fans are already beating the drums for Leinart in Arizona. History says they're going to get their wish sooner rather than later.

Editor's Note: For early rankings, complete projections, and a host of other exclusive material for Week 2, head to Rotoworld's Season Pass.

Bucs WR Antonio Bryant missed practice Thursday, but coach Raheem Morris refused to label it a setback in his recovery from knee surgery. Indicating that Bryant is simply dealing with pain and inflammation in the knee, Morris suggested that it's not a long-term concern.

"It's not an injury,'' Morris said. "He's just hurt right now. We're not real concerned. We're just disappointed for his sake. You want Antonio to play, of course, so it's obviously a disappointment. We've got guys on this team that have got to play, that have got to go in there."

While Bryant's status for this week is in doubt, it's a little early to cut bait on a potential WR2/WR3. We'd hold off for another week to see if he shows improvement.

Pierre Thomas (knee) "tweeted" Wednesday night that "I've been working hard preparing for week 2. I'm full go Sunday baby! Lets get it!" Unfortunately, he followed that up by being limited in Thursday's practice after participating in full the day before. Expect Thomas to be listed as questionable for Sunday's game, though beat writer Jeff Duncan remains skeptical that he'll be in the lineup. Thomas owners should roll with Mike Bell again and re-evaluate next week.

LaDainian Tomlinson (ankle) missed a second straight practice on Thursday, and his ankle remains in a protective boot. We expect him to be listed as "questionable" on Friday's official report, and it looks like he's headed for the dreaded "game-time decision" tag. Even if he plays, he'll be splitting carries with Darren Sproles and Michael Bennett behind a patchwork offensive line against a stout Ravens defense. Look elsewhere for a fantasy starter this week.

Two-Minute Drill: Anthony Gonzalez's sprained PCL will not require surgery, and he hopes to return after the Colts' Week 6 bye. … With Donovan McNabb (ribs) still not practicing, Kevin Kolb will start and the Eagles insist he'll play the whole game. … Broncos coach Josh McDaniels wants to get more touches for Knowshon Moreno, Brandon Marshall, and Eddie Royal, but he's not willing to force the ball into their hands. … Terrell Owens is undermining his quarterback again, saying "Trent [Edwards] has to better assess what he's seeing out there and take some shots down the field."… The Colts signed Hank Baskett to act as a fourth receiver and special teamer. … Coaches credited 49ers DE Justin Smith with 13 QB pressures and nine hits on Kurt Warner. … Texans CB Dunta Robinson was fined $25,000 for wearing a "Pay me Rick" message on his shoes in the opener.

Red Zone: Though Anquan Boldin (hamstring) was limited for a second straight day, but he's feeling much better this week. … Steve Breaston (knee) returned to a limited practice after missing Wednesday's session. … T.J. Houshmandzadeh (back spasms) missed a second straight practice but is expected to start on Sunday. … Wes Welker (knee) was limited again on Thursday, but there's been no indication that he's in danger of missing this week's game. … Matt Cassel (knee) feels much better this week and is expected to start against the Raiders. Coach Todd Haley said, however, that he could use multiple QBs for the contest. … Cowboys RB Felix Jones (thigh) practiced in full on Thursday. … DeSean Jackson (groin) was upgraded to full participation. … Jeremy Shockey (ankle) returned to a limited practice and is line to start Sunday. … Bo Scaife (knee) missed another practice, but rookie Jared Cook (ankle) participated in a limited fashion. …Steelers ILB Lawrence Timmons (ankle) reportedly "made great strides" on Thursday. … Giants DL Chris Canty will miss this week's game – and likely next week's as well – after coming down with a severe craft strain.

 

[HacheMan]

Week 2 Game Matchups

We can't draw sweeping conclusions from opening-day NFL games. It's the season's most unpredictable week, and well-prepared teams usually come out on top. It's just difficult to tell which teams have prepared the best. The 2008 Lions are the ultimate case in point. They went 0-16 after finishing the exhibition season 4-0.

What we can do is recognize trends and weaknesses. Zach Miller's 96-yard Monday night effort plus San Diego's failed offseason attempts to upgrade at safety say the Chargers will struggle to stop tight ends again this year. Mike Bell's 143-yard gashing of the Lions all but confirms that new DTs Grady Jackson and Sammie Lee Hill won't cure Detroit's run defense woes. The Patriots (moving to a 4-3), Chiefs (moving to a 3-4), and most surprisingly the Ravens (moving to a 4-3) are all works in progress defensively. Free safety Tanard Jackson's four-game suspension has adversely affected the Bucs' secondary.

Applying information like this, we can make educated guesses about which matchups are to be exploited, and which we should avoid. Let's go.

[SIZE=+1]1:00PM ET Games[/SIZE]

Houston @ Tennessee

Despite generating no Week 1 points (S Dominique Barber's 48-yard fumble return was Houston's lone score), all is not lost for the Texans' offense. Kevin Walter's (hamstring) absence caused a ripple effect, allowing the Jets to shadow Andre Johnson with Darrelle Revis and mix in double teams, mitigating Johnson's impact. Walter's return is major for Gary Kubiak's club...Titans RCB Cortland Finnegan has a big name, but Johnson has his number. In their last meeting, A.J. went for 207 yards and a touchdown on 11 catches. Finnegan was also burned repeatedly last Thursday night by Santonio Holmes (9-131-1) and Hines Ward (8-103). Expect a monster rebound game for Johnson...Matt Schaub and Owen Daniels need to stay in fantasy lineups. Finnegan's bookend is declining 35-year-old LCB Nick Harper. Other than FS Michael Griffin, there's not much to love about Tennessee's pass defense...It's not surprising that a Rex Ryan defense shut down Steve Slaton in the season opener. Slaton should get it going against an undersized Titans front four.

It's probably old news to offensive coordinator Mike Heimerdinger, but Justin Gage has emerged as the Titans' clear No. 1 receiver. Seeing a team-high 11 targets in Week 1, Gage rang up seven catches for 78 yards and a touchdown against a typically stingy Pittsburgh secondary. The Texans return LCB Jacques Reeves this week, but he will likely struggle coming off a fractured fibula. Start Gage against a Houston pass defense that made Mark Sanchez look like a rookie Pro Bowler last Sunday...Chris Johnson will get back on track against a Texans team that served up 190 rushing yards in the opener. LenDale White is worth consideration as a flex play...Nate Washington is off the injury report and will resume seeing starter's snaps, pushing rookie Kenny Britt back into a third receiver role. We'd take a wait and see approach before using Washington.

Arizona @ Jacksonville

Kurt Warner's health remains a major concern, but he gets another ripe matchup to prove doubters wrong. The Jags' pass defense is in a sorry state, with LCB Rashean Mathis already getting torched and third-round rookie RCB Derek Cox in the starting lineup. Jacksonville also expressed concern with its secondary earlier this month by signing journeyman Brian Russell, who may threaten FS Reggie Nelson's job. Expect the Cards' pass attack to bounce back, Anquan Boldin included...It's worth noting that the Cardinals use Larry Fitzgerald similar to how the Colts employ Reggie Wayne. Wayne busted loose for 162 yards and a touchdown on 10 receptions last Sunday. Arizona plans to increase Chris Wells' usage this week, but the Jags are playing the run well with new 321-pound nose tackle Terrance Knighton leading the way. Wells only saw seven carries in the opener. Check-down magnet Tim Hightower remains a safer fantasy start.

Coach Jack Del Rio criticized David Garrard's inaccurate season opener after he missed multiple open receivers and generated a measly 4.3 yards per attempt against a Colts secondary that started rookie Jerraud Powers at right corner. Aging Torry Holt (3-47) was the Jags' only semi-productive receiver. Avoid Jacksonville's passing game completely until it shows something...The Cardinals are transitioning to a full-fledged 3-4 defense under new coordinator Bill Davis and were fantastic against both the run and pass in Week 1. Time will tell if the change pays season-long dividends, but it's something to keep in mind...Maurice Jones-Drew won't have many truly bad games this year because his week-to-week workloads will be massive. No. 2 back Rashad Jennings didn't play a single snap in Week 1, and Greg Jones didn't touch the football once.

New Orleans @ Philadelphia

Coming off a cake matchup against the Lions, Drew Brees squares off against an Eagles defense that made Jake Delhomme look like a retirement candidate in Week 1. Philadelphia's fire-zone blitzes remain intact under new coordinator Sean McDermott. Brees is an every-week play, but the Birds will pose problems for fill-in LT Jermon Bushrod, who isn't 100 percent...Stay away from the Mike Bell-Pierre Thomas situation this week, unless Thomas (knee) is inactive. If both backs are up, they will likely share carries. Reggie Bush is a must-start in PPR leagues, but is only a changeup back between the tackles and won't see goal-line work...Don't chase Jeremy Shockey's Week 1 stats and use him over an Owen Daniels or Chris Cooley, but Shockey's two-touchdown effort is further proof of the fantasy depth at tight end. Consider selling high on a Tony Gonzalez or John Carlson type if you have Shockey in reserve and can upgrade a thinner skill position.

The Eagles plan to start Kevin Kolb with Donovan McNabb (cracked rib) likely to be inactive. Kolb has a 0:4 TD to INT ratio with three fumbles in eight career spot appearances, keeping the Saints' fantasy defense playable for another week...Philadelphia will rely heavily on the run Sunday. It's worth noting that Brian Westbrook would've received more than 16 touches last week had the Birds not obliterated Carolina. LeSean McCoy (47 yards on 10 touches) was only in for mop-up duty...Kolb is a fairly accurate passer, but has below-average arm strength. It's a concern for speedy wideouts DeSean Jackson and Kevin Curtis, neither of whom topped 21 yards in Week 1. Brent Celek (6-37-1 in the opener) and slot receiver Jason Avant are nice sleepers.

Oakland @ Kansas City

Michael Bush got the first carry in Week 1, but the Raiders started in a two-back set. Darren McFadden is the first-team tailback. He may need to score his touchdowns from 10+ yards away, but is a threat for major yardage against a Chiefs defense that allowed Ravens backs to gain a mind-boggling 237 total yards and score twice in Week 1. K.C. is also playing musical chairs at inside 'backer, while defensive backs Maurice Leggett and Mike Brown are the club's top two tacklers -- a bad sign...Zach Miller will lead Oakland in receiving for a second straight year. The Chiefs let Todd Heap rack up 74 yards and a score last Sunday (his best game since Week 2 in 2007) and won't have any answer for Miller. Miller dominated San Diego's safeties on Monday night...Rookie Louis Murphy, who should've had a second TD against the Bolts, is the Raiders' lone wideout worth consideration, but will lose significant snaps when Chaz Schilens (foot) returns.

Look for Matt Cassel (knee) to debut in Week 2, but this is not a favorable matchup. You already know about RCB Nnamdi Asomugha, but the rest of Oakland's secondary is playing at a very high level. FS Michael Huff appears reborn and speedy SS Tyvon Branch may be the surest tackler on the roster...Chiefs coach Todd Haley has a knack for putting players in the best position to excel, so don't expect Bowe to square off against Asomugha all day. Bowe will likely go in motion often as Haley tries to get him singled up against LCB Chris Johnson or oft-burned nickel back Stanford Routt. Start Bowe with confidence...Street free agent signee Bobby Wade is no threat to flanker Mark Bradley's snaps. Wade might be active to return punts this week, but doesn't know Haley's offense...Larry Johnson, coming off an 11-carry, 20-yard effort, is merely a low-end RB2 play against the Richard Seymour-led Raiders front seven. The K.C. line isn't creating any holes.

New England @ NY Jets

We wondered last week whether new coach Rex Ryan would continue Eric Mangini's tactic of using LCB Darrelle Revis in "shadow" coverage against opponents' top receivers. Andre Johnson found out quickly. Don't sit Randy Moss, but his history against Revis isn't promising. Moss had just five grabs for 58 yards in last year's two meetings with the Jets...Slot receiver Wes Welker, on the other hand, went for a combined 180 yards on 14 catches in those games. Welker is already on pace to lead the NFL in receptions, and his knee "injury" isn't a concern...Ben Watson's two late-game TDs in Week 1 were fluky. The Bills ignored the middle of the field in the fourth quarter in an effort to stop Welker and Moss. Ryan definitely won't let that happen. It will probably go down as Watson's best game of the season...The Patriots are letting game plans and matchups dictate their running back pecking order. Sammy Morris now appears to be a fullback, while Fred Taylor, Laurence Maroney, and Kevin Faulk share time at tailback. Avoid the situation entirely.

The Texans paid for not taking Mark Sanchez seriously in Week 1, but Bill Belichick won't make the same mistake. New England's new 4-3 scheme allows for lots of up-field penetration, and the Pats will get more hits on New York's rookie passer. Sanchez's ceiling is similar to Matt Ryan's last year (16 touchdowns). He isn't suddenly a fantasy starter...Of course, the Patriots will have to keep in mind the Jets' ground game, which exploded in the second half of their opener. Thomas Jones went for 106 yards and a TD on 15 second-half totes, while the Jets kept their promise to involve Leon Washington (19 touches, 84 yards) more. Shonn Greene isn't a factor yet because he can't cover kicks, but Jones and Washington will be hard for the Pats to stop without ILB Jerod Mayo (knee)...Dustin Keller and Jerricho Cotchery, who's long given the Patriots fits, should stay in fantasy lineups. Make Chansi Stuckey prove he can produce against a good defense before using him.

Minnesota @ Detroit

You know the drill with Adrian Peterson...Bernard Berrian's removal from the injury report bodes well. He is a risky play after catching no passes and seeing two targets from Brett Favre on 55 snaps in the opener, but Berrian can be plugged in as an upside WR3. The Lions will have to stack the box with eight defenders and Berrian will be in single coverage all day against 32-year-old RCB Anthony Henry. For Berrian, it only takes one play...Lions nickel back Eric King, forced to start Week 1 with Phillip Buchanon (neck) a late scratch, was exposed ruthlessly by Drew Brees. King surrendered touchdowns to Marques Colston and Robert Meachem, and a 58-yard connection to Devery Henderson. With Buchanon back, King will likely be asked to cover the slot. The Vikings' inside receiver is first-round pick Percy Harvin...Now is the time to start Brett Favre. His pass attempts total won't be high, but the matchup doesn't get better.

The important thing isn't that Calvin Johnson caught just three balls in Week 1. It's that Matthew Stafford targeted him 13 times. Detroit's offense will improve by the week, and eventually the 10 incompletions will turn to catches. Keep Calvin going as he squares off against 32-year-old LCB Antoine Winfield. Who do you think wins in a race?...Kevin Smith's 20 yards on 15 carries were disappointing, but his opening-day usage was reassuring. No. 2 back Maurice Morris didn't play a snap and Smith dominated goal-line and receiving-game work, catching seven balls for 52 yards and punching in his score from four yards out. He's quietly emerging as one of the NFL's truest every-down backs and would be hard to sit even in this matchup...Brandon Pettigrew wasn't targeted once in Week 1. Stafford didn't like throwing to his tight ends in college either.

<!--RW-->

Cincinnati @ Green Bay

Aaron Rodgers didn't meet Week 1 expectations due to Chicago's relentless pressure. Bears LE Adewale Ogunleye owned RT Allen Barbre, sacking Rodgers twice. Chicago doled out four total Rodgers takedowns and ten QB hits. The athletic yet undersized Barbre (6'4/305) gets a more favorable matchup this week against Bengals LE Robert Geathers, who is faster than O-Gun but not nearly as powerful and plays with an iffy motor. Geathers was stoned by Broncos RT Ryan Harris last week, registering just three assists. A-Rod will benefit...Cincinnati's defense has improved, but Green Bay presents a mismatch. The Bengals are awfully thin at corner with David Jones (foot) still out. The Packers would be smart to spread the field with their four starting-caliber wideouts and expose this weakness. That could also mean more lanes for Ryan Grant.

This is not a good matchup for Carson Palmer, but Palmer owners need not worry after his weak on-paper (no TD, two picks) Week 1 effort. Palmer consistently moved the offense and exhibited superb arm strength. The fantasy stats will catch up...Green Bay got excellent push up front last Sunday night and bottled up Matt Forte for 55 yards on 25 carries. Expect a similar line from Cedric Benson, who won't be helped by the return of Packers first-round pick B.J. Raji (ankle)...Chad Ochocinco is an every-week starter again. He'll square off with both Al Harris and Charles Woodson at times Sunday, but mostly the 34-year-old Harris, who lines up on Ocho's side in base formations...Don't expect a repeat of slot receiver Andre Caldwell's 6-for-54 Week 1. The Bengals want to get Chris Henry more involved after he saw just 18 snaps in the opener.

St. Louis @ Washington

John Carlson lived behind the Rams' defense in Week 1 as SS James Butler and FS O.J. Atogwe consistently bit on play-action fakes. Washington uses a ton of play action, and Chris Cooley is next to benefit. He'll mostly face Butler, who the Giants let go due to coverage woes...Clinton Portis' Week 1 line (16-62) wasn't impressive, but the overworked two-down back showed he has life in his legs with a 33-yard burst on his opening carry. He was never going to fare well against the Giants, but the Adam Carriker-less Rams won't win the trench war. Sell high after Portis' big game...Antwaan Randle El's move to slot receiver may add a few years onto his career. St. Louis is weak at slot corner. The Skins shouldn't have to pass 30 times to beat the Rams, but Randle El remains a fine PPR dice roll...Expect Santana Moss to have the biggest game by a Redskins wideout as he sees RCB Jonathan Wade in primary coverage. Wade can run with Moss, but struggles with technique and was victimized for most of Nate Burleson's 7-74-1 line last week.

The Skins' run defense will improve once Albert Haynesworth gets in shape, but he isn't yet. Giants backs generated 134 yards against Washington in Week 1. Steven Jackson, who will surely be more involved in the passing game after coordinator Pat Shurmur flipped on last week's tape, needs to stay in lineups...After catching five balls for 87 yards against Seattle, Laurent Robinson can stay hot against Skins RCB DeAngelo Hall. Donnie Avery will likely be covered by underrated LCB Carlos Rogers for the majority of Sunday...Still, all St. Louis receivers' ceilings are limited by Marc Bulger. Bulger remains afraid of the pass rush and is no longer an accurate passer.

Carolina @ Atlanta

The Panthers' run defense is as bad as we thought it was. They gave up 119 Week 1 yards on 23 touches to an Eagles backfield consisting of a 30-year-old coming off dual leg surgeries and a second-round rookie. Michael Turner will get on track after averaging just three yards a carry in the opener. He averaged 4.2 yards a crack in his two Panther games last year, and that's when Carolina still had NT Maake Kemoeatu. Turner also scored four TDs in their last meeting...Expect a run-heavy game plan from the Falcons after they threw 36 times last week. Roddy White is obviously an every-week play, but TE Tony Gonzalez is unlikely to repeat his big Week 1. He'll be on the line blocking more...Matt Ryan is close to an every-week fantasy starter, but consider a QB with more upside if you can. The Panthers' strength is their pass defense. They held DeSean Jackson to two catches for nine yards in Week 1, and Kevin Curtis to 21 yards on two grabs.

Atlanta picked up new LCB Brian Williams after final cuts and changed its safety lineup late in the preseason, but it's still unclear if the secondary woes are solved. Week 1 vs. Chad Pennington wasn't a good litmus test. Jake Delhomme probably isn't either, but at least we'll know more after Sunday...In any event, Steve Smith is a top-ten receiver option. He owns Falcons RCB Chris Houston, going for an amazing 264 yards and a touchdown on 14 catches against Houston last year...Muhsin Muhammad, 36, looks slower than ever and is barely roster-able in fantasy leagues, especially with Delhomme struggling. He has no upside...Jonathan Stewart and DeAngelo Williams will likely see a similar carry split to last week's. Williams had 14 carries to Stewart's 11. Stewart is getting Wednesday practices off, but his health is not a concern at this time.

[SIZE=+1]4:05PM ET Games[/SIZE]

Tampa Bay @ Buffalo

As expected, safety play is a major concern for Tampa Bay. SS Sabby Piscitelli was the victim on Patrick Crayton's 80-yard Week 1 touchdown, and the Bucs too often let short pass plays go for huge gains against Dallas. Even if Trent Edwards stays unaggressive, that's good news for Bills wideouts. Lee Evans and Terrell Owens have the speed to capitalize and should be in fantasy lineups despite slow games on Monday night...Fred Jackson may be the smoothest receiving back in the league. He is also adept at falling forward to pick up extra yards after contact and can make a man miss if needed. The Bucs' run defense remains a work in progress behind new starting LE Jimmy Wilkerson and DT Ryan Sims. Jackson is a rock-solid RB2 play and will be hard for Buffalo to pull off the field when Marshawn Lynch returns from three-game suspension.

With tackle-first, cover-later strong safety Bryan Scott in the lineup, the Bills' Cover 2 defense is weak down the middle. Pats TE Ben Watson exploited that in Week 1, hauling in six balls for 77 yards and two scores. Kellen Winslow has better hands than Watson and plays faster. He'll be a handful for Buffalo...Antonio Bryant's potential absence due to ongoing knee woes will get Michael Clayton more targets, but Clayton still isn't a great bet for high yardage totals. He's no threat after the catch and the Bills' corners all tackle well. Clayton will likely face RCB Leodis McKelvin in primary coverage Sunday. It's not a matchup we love, assuming McKelvin's game-blowing Week 1 kickoff fumble hasn't gotten to his head...The Bucs are now using Earnest Graham to lead block while Carnell Williams and Derrick Ward rotate in the backfield. Cadillac and Ward are both worth consideration as FLEX plays against a Bills defense that won't have Paul Posluszny (arm) and is starting 2008 undrafted free agent Marcus Buggs at middle linebacker.

Seattle @ San Francisco

The Seahawks put up a bunch of fantasy points in Week 1 against the Rams. We'll see if they're for real against a Niners defense that shut down Arizona's vertical passing game last Sunday and was solid against the run. Don't bet on it...T.J. Houshmandzadeh is likely to be held in check for another week by 49ers LCB Nate Clements, who is a better version of Week 1 cover man Ronald Bartell. Housh just can't create anything for himself...As promised by Jim Mora, Julius Jones was used as a feature back vs. St. Louis. Edgerrin James entered in garbage time and looked slow, managing just 30 yards on 11 carries. It appears San Francisco will be tough to run on all year, but Jones is bordering on strong RB2 status. He's even playing on third downs...John Carlson is an excellent player, but he's going to be blocking way more against Mike Singletary's suddenly pressure-filled defense. Don't expect him (or Nate Burleson) to go off like they did in Week 1.

The offense is bound to regress, but this is a very good Seattle front seven, even without WLB LeRoy Hill (torn groin). The line is big and athletic, and LBs Aaron Curry and Lofa Tatupu won't let much get into the second level. Thankfully for Frank Gore owners, his workload will be heavy. Rookie Glen Coffee played just three snaps in Week 1, losing three yards on his lone carry. Gore is a 25-30 touch threat every game...San Francisco is running a decidedly smash-mouth offense under new boss Jimmy Raye; long gone are Mike Martz's four- and five-wide looks. It's a two-receiver system with a lead blocker and frequent two-tight end sets. That means Vernon Davis and Josh Morgan are true every-down players. Morgan started slowly (3-38) against Arizona, but he's worth a long look as a WR3 this week. The Niners' split end will square off against declining RCB Ken Lucas, who was victimized for a healthy chunk of Rams split end Laurent Robinson's 87 Week 1 yards.

<!--RW-->

[SIZE=+1]4:15PM ET Games[/SIZE]

Baltimore @ San Diego

Week 2 will go a long way towards proving whether Todd Heap's rebirth is real. The 29-year-old enjoyed his best game in nearly two years last Sunday against Kansas City, and now faces a Chargers team that has serious problems stopping the tight end. They were the worst NFL team at doing so in 2008, and opened 2009 by surrendering 96 yards on six catches to Zach Miller. And Miller wasn't just getting open, he was wide open...San Diego's run defense is also vulnerable with every down-line starter (DEs Jacques Cesaire and Luis Castillo, and NT Jamal Williams) dealing with an ailment. That bodes well for Ray Rice, whose quicks and ability to turn the corner are a mismatch for the heavy Chargers front seven...Don't expect Joe Flacco to throw 43 times in a game again this year. This remains a run-heavy team, and it would be impossible for Baltimore to regularly dominate time of possession like it did in Week 1 (40:20).

We can safely chalk up Chris Chambers as done. He just doesn't get open anymore...Same goes for LaDainian Tomlinson, who showed no burst on his preseason runs, or in Week 1 against a Raiders defense he once routinely dominated. A phantom ankle injury has LT2 "questionable" for this game. We never saw the injury happen and he had ten carries after it, including gains of 11 and 13. Seems like an excuse for his obviously declining role. Even if he's active, he's not to be touched in fantasy leagues...Don't believe speculation that Michael Bennett, 31, will get a large dose of carries if Tomlinson is out. Darren Sproles is much more likely to be employed as an every-down back than Bennett is to help your fantasy team...Except for Chambers, get your members of the Bolts' passing attack going against Baltimore. If the Ravens have shown a weakness under new coordinator Greg Mattison, it's that they'll struggle to stop the pass.

Cleveland @ Denver

The early outlook for Knowshon Moreno is gloomy. Denver is opening with a matchup-based four-man committee that starts Correll Buckhalter and uses Peyton Hillis and LaMont Jordan as well. Moreno ran scared in his debut against the Bengals, was severely outplayed by Buckhalter, and even blew a blitz pickup to get Kyle Orton drilled. At this rate, Moreno may not be usable in fantasy for several weeks...Orton, who's finally healed after a preseason finger laceration, is a nice sleeper QB1 play. The Broncos have no rhythm to their ground attack as they struggle to adjust from zone blocking to a power system, and may need to resort to the pass. Orton will benefit from a full week of practice together with Brandon Marshall, who should also be in lineups...Eddie Royal is a strong buy-low candidate if you can pull off a late-week trade. Royal, coming off a two-catch, 18-yard opener, will face Browns RCB Brandon McDonald, who he roasted for 164 yards and a TD on six grabs last year.

Braylon Edwards' one-catch, 12-yard opener is a definite concern. He's a deep threat playing with a quarterback that's not being encouraged to throw downfield. Brady Quinn threw a pretty deep ball at Notre Dame, but either it hasn't translated to this level or it's on the coaching staff. Until coordinator Brian Daboll comes up with creative ways to get Edwards the football, he needs to be on benches...Keep a close eye on the Browns' running back situation this week. 2008 third-down back Jerome Harrison returns from a knee injury, but both James Davis (shoulder) and Jamal Lewis (neck) are banged up. Ideally, Cleveland would be using a Davis-Harrison rotation by midseason that could provide explosion and two pass-catching threats out of the backfied. But the matchup is right for Lewis, so use him as a low-end RB2 or FLEX if he starts at Denver.

Pittsburgh @ Chicago

The loss of Brian Urlacher won't be as apparent this week with Willie Parker showing no pop as a runner and allegedly still nursing a preseason hamstring injury...Look for the Steelers to take to the air again as Chicago breaks in a new starting right corner (Zackary Bowman, replacing Nathan Vasher) and likely a new safety (Danieal Manning, replacing Al Afalava). Pittsburgh will probably be minus Limas Sweed (foot), but Santonio Holmes is poised for another big game. He's a similar player to Greg Jennings, who burned up Chicago for 6-106-1 in the opener...Wait a week to use any members of the Pittsburgh ground "attack." If the Steelers do go to a spread-type offense as it's been rumored and coordinator Bruce Arians would probably like, Mewelde Moore could wind up as the featured ball carrier. Parker and Rashard Mendenhall simply aren't getting the job done.

The Packers double-teamed Greg Olsen in every possible passing situation last Sunday night, resulting in his Week 1 one-catch flop. The Steelers are without SS Troy Polamalu (knee), however, and probably won't take the same approach because of their blitzing priorities. Olsen may also run more pass routes to account for Desmond Clark's (cracked rib) loss. Keep Olsen in your lineup; he's certain to come back around...You may not even have heard of him, but third receiver Devin Aromashodu's return from a quadriceps injury is major for Chicago. A deep threat with good size (6'2/200), Aromashodu was a training camp hero and will push rookie Johnny Knox out of the wideout rotation. Knox had 80+ yards in the opener, but too often cut off his routes. It cost Jay Cutler at least one interception...The matchup is terrible for Matt Forte, but he remains a strong bet for 20+ touches and should get a goal-line carry or two. He's always hard to sit.

 

[HacheMan]

Value meter: Brees, Peterson and Fitzgerald lead the way



No big surprises on top of Matt Pitzer's Week 2 Value Meter. Some interesting rankings to note: Brett Favre's matchup with the woeful Lions gives him the nod as the No. 8 quarterback while Kyle Orton's finger and a two-catch performance in Cincinnati has Eddie Royal dropping to 27th among receivers.

Quarterbacks
<TABLE border=1 width=420 align=center><TBODY><TR><TD>1</TD><TD>Drew Brees, N.O.</TD></TR><TR><TD>2</TD><TD>Tom Brady, N.E.</TD></TR><TR><TD>3</TD><TD>Aaron Rodgers, G.B.</TD></TR><TR><TD>4</TD><TD>Peyton Manning, Ind.</TD></TR><TR><TD>5</TD><TD>Kurt Warner, Ari.</TD></TR><TR><TD>6</TD><TD>Tony Romo, Dal.</TD></TR><TR><TD>7</TD><TD>Philip Rivers, S.D.</TD></TR><TR><TD>8</TD><TD>Brett Favre, Min.</TD></TR><TR><TD>9</TD><TD>Matt Hasselbeck, Sea.</TD></TR><TR><TD>10</TD><TD>Matt Ryan, Atl.</TD></TR><TR><TD>11</TD><TD>Ben Roethlisberger, Pit.</TD></TR><TR><TD>12</TD><TD>Kevin Kolb, Phi.</TD></TR><TR><TD>13</TD><TD>Jason Campbell, Was.</TD></TR><TR><TD>14</TD><TD>Eli Manning, N.Y.-G</TD></TR><TR><TD>15</TD><TD>Jay Cutler, Chi.</TD></TR><TR><TD>16</TD><TD>Joe Flacco, Bal.</TD></TR><TR><TD>17</TD><TD>Matt Schaub, Hou.</TD></TR><TR><TD>18</TD><TD>Carson Palmer, Cin.</TD></TR><TR><TD>19</TD><TD>Trent Edwards, Buf.</TD></TR><TR><TD>20</TD><TD>David Garrard, Jac.</TD></TR><TR><TD>21</TD><TD>Shaun Hill, S.F.</TD></TR><TR><TD>22</TD><TD>Kyle Orton, Den.</TD></TR><TR><TD>23</TD><TD>*Matt Cassel, K.C.</TD></TR><TR><TD>24</TD><TD>Chad Pennington, Mia.</TD></TR><TR><TD>25</TD><TD>Mark Sanchez, N.Y.-J</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
Running backs
<TABLE border=1 width=420 align=center><TBODY><TR><TD>1</TD><TD>Adrian Peterson, Min.</TD></TR><TR><TD>2</TD><TD>Maurice Jones-Drew, Jac.</TD></TR><TR><TD>3</TD><TD>Frank Gore, S.F.</TD></TR><TR><TD>4</TD><TD>Chris Johnson, Ten.</TD></TR><TR><TD>5</TD><TD>Michael Turner, Atl.</TD></TR><TR><TD>6</TD><TD>Ryan Grant, G.B.</TD></TR><TR><TD>7</TD><TD>Brandon Jacobs, N.Y.-G</TD></TR><TR><TD>8</TD><TD>Clinton Portis, Was.</TD></TR><TR><TD>9</TD><TD>Brian Westbrook, Phi.</TD></TR><TR><TD>10</TD><TD>DeAngelo Williams, Car.</TD></TR><TR><TD>11</TD><TD>Darren McFadden, Oak.</TD></TR><TR><TD>12</TD><TD>Joseph Addai, Ind.</TD></TR><TR><TD>13</TD><TD>Matt Forte, Chi.</TD></TR><TR><TD>14</TD><TD>Steven Jackson, St.L.</TD></TR><TR><TD>15</TD><TD>Derrick Ward, T.B.</TD></TR><TR><TD>16</TD><TD>Marion Barber, Dal.</TD></TR><TR><TD>17</TD><TD>Jamal Lewis, Cle.</TD></TR><TR><TD>18</TD><TD>Fred Jackson, Buf.</TD></TR><TR><TD>19</TD><TD>*LaDainian Tomlinson, S.D.</TD></TR><TR><TD>20</TD><TD>Ronnie Brown, Mia.</TD></TR><TR><TD>21</TD><TD>LenDale White, Ten.</TD></TR><TR><TD>22</TD><TD>Correll Buckhalter, Den.</TD></TR><TR><TD>23</TD><TD>*Mike Bell, N.O.</TD></TR><TR><TD>24</TD><TD>Thomas Jones, N.Y.-J</TD></TR><TR><TD>25</TD><TD>Ray Rice, Bal.</TD></TR><TR><TD>26</TD><TD>Cedric Benson, Cin.</TD></TR><TR><TD>27</TD><TD>Steve Slaton, Hou.</TD></TR><TR><TD>28</TD><TD>Julius Jones, Sea.</TD></TR><TR><TD>29</TD><TD>Carnell Williams, T.B.</TD></TR><TR><TD>30</TD><TD>Kevin Smith, Det.</TD></TR><TR><TD>31</TD><TD>Willie Parker, Pit.</TD></TR><TR><TD>32</TD><TD>*Darren Sproles, S.D.</TD></TR><TR><TD>33</TD><TD>Larry Johnson, K.C.</TD></TR><TR><TD>34</TD><TD>Fred Taylor, N.E.</TD></TR><TR><TD>35</TD><TD>*Knowshon Moreno, Den.</TD></TR><TR><TD>36</TD><TD>Leon Washington, N.Y.-J</TD></TR><TR><TD>37</TD><TD>Jonathan Stewart, Car.</TD></TR><TR><TD>38</TD><TD>*Pierre Thomas, N.O.</TD></TR><TR><TD>39</TD><TD>Reggie Bush, N.O.</TD></TR><TR><TD>40</TD><TD>Felix Jones, Dal.</TD></TR><TR><TD>41</TD><TD>Tim Hightower, Ari.</TD></TR><TR><TD>42</TD><TD>Laurence Maroney, N.E.</TD></TR><TR><TD>43</TD><TD>Ricky Williams, Mia.</TD></TR><TR><TD>44</TD><TD>LeSean McCoy, Phi.</TD></TR><TR><TD>45</TD><TD>Michael Bush, Oak.</TD></TR><TR><TD>46</TD><TD>Edgerrin James, Sea.</TD></TR><TR><TD>47</TD><TD>Chris Wells, Ari.</TD></TR><TR><TD>48</TD><TD>Le'Ron McClain, Bal.</TD></TR><TR><TD>49</TD><TD>Rashard Mendenhall, Pit.</TD></TR><TR><TD>50</TD><TD>Chester Taylor, Min.</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
Wide receivers
<TABLE border=1 width=420 align=center><TBODY><TR><TD>1</TD><TD>Larry Fitzgerald, Ari.</TD></TR><TR><TD>2</TD><TD>Marques Colston, N.O.</TD></TR><TR><TD>3</TD><TD>Reggie Wayne, Ind.</TD></TR><TR><TD>4</TD><TD>Roddy White, Atl.</TD></TR><TR><TD>5</TD><TD>Randy Moss, N.E.</TD></TR><TR><TD>6</TD><TD>Terrell Owens, Buf.</TD></TR><TR><TD>7</TD><TD>Greg Jennings, G.B.</TD></TR><TR><TD>8</TD><TD>Calvin Johnson, Det.</TD></TR><TR><TD>9</TD><TD>Andre Johnson, Hou.</TD></TR><TR><TD>10</TD><TD>Vincent Jackson, S.D.</TD></TR><TR><TD>11</TD><TD>Roy Williams, Dal.</TD></TR><TR><TD>12</TD><TD>T.J. Houshmandzadeh, Sea.</TD></TR><TR><TD>13</TD><TD>Santonio Holmes, Pit.</TD></TR><TR><TD>14</TD><TD>Anquan Boldin, Ari.</TD></TR><TR><TD>15</TD><TD>Chad Ochocinco, Cin.</TD></TR><TR><TD>16</TD><TD>Steve Smith, Car.</TD></TR><TR><TD>17</TD><TD>Wes Welker, N.E.</TD></TR><TR><TD>18</TD><TD>Brandon Marshall, Den.</TD></TR><TR><TD>19</TD><TD>Dwayne Bowe, K.C.</TD></TR><TR><TD>20</TD><TD>Santana Moss, Was.</TD></TR><TR><TD>21</TD><TD>Derrick Mason, Bal.</TD></TR><TR><TD>22</TD><TD>Donald Driver, G.B.</TD></TR><TR><TD>23</TD><TD>Braylon Edwards, Cle.</TD></TR><TR><TD>24</TD><TD>DeSean Jackson, Phi.</TD></TR><TR><TD>25</TD><TD>Hines Ward, Pit.</TD></TR><TR><TD>26</TD><TD>Jerricho Cotchery, N.Y.-J</TD></TR><TR><TD>27</TD><TD>Eddie Royal, Den.</TD></TR><TR><TD>28</TD><TD>Mark Clayton, Bal.</TD></TR><TR><TD>29</TD><TD>Antonio Bryant, T.B.</TD></TR><TR><TD>30</TD><TD>Torry Holt, Jac.</TD></TR><TR><TD>31</TD><TD>Isaac Bruce, S.F.</TD></TR><TR><TD>32</TD><TD>Donnie Avery, St.L.</TD></TR><TR><TD>33</TD><TD>Patrick Crayton, Dal.</TD></TR><TR><TD>34</TD><TD>Nate Burleson, Sea.</TD></TR><TR><TD>35</TD><TD>Devery Henderson, N.O.</TD></TR><TR><TD>36</TD><TD>Davone Bess, Mia.</TD></TR><TR><TD>37</TD><TD>Justin Gage, Ten.</TD></TR><TR><TD>38</TD><TD>Chansi Stuckey, N.Y.-J</TD></TR><TR><TD>39</TD><TD>Percy Harvin, Min.</TD></TR><TR><TD>40</TD><TD>*Bernard Berrian, Min.</TD></TR><TR><TD>41</TD><TD>Lee Evans, Buf.</TD></TR><TR><TD>42</TD><TD>Devin Hester, Chi.</TD></TR><TR><TD>43</TD><TD>Lance Moore, N.O.</TD></TR><TR><TD>44</TD><TD>Nate Washington, Ten.</TD></TR><TR><TD>45</TD><TD>Steve Smith, N.Y.-G</TD></TR><TR><TD>46</TD><TD>Michael Clayton, T.B.</TD></TR><TR><TD>47</TD><TD>Louis Murphy, Oak.</TD></TR><TR><TD>48</TD><TD>Josh Morgan, S.F.</TD></TR><TR><TD>49</TD><TD>Ted Ginn, Jr., Mia.</TD></TR><TR><TD>50</TD><TD>Earl Bennett, Chi.</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
Tight ends
<TABLE border=1 width=420 align=center><TBODY><TR><TD>1</TD><TD>Jason Witten, Dal.</TD></TR><TR><TD>2</TD><TD>Antonio Gates, S.D.</TD></TR><TR><TD>3</TD><TD>Dallas Clark, Ind.</TD></TR><TR><TD>4</TD><TD>Tony Gonzalez, Atl.</TD></TR><TR><TD>5</TD><TD>Owen Daniels, Hou.</TD></TR><TR><TD>6</TD><TD>Chris Cooley, Was.</TD></TR><TR><TD>7</TD><TD>Greg Olsen, Chi.</TD></TR><TR><TD>8</TD><TD>Todd Heap, Bal.</TD></TR><TR><TD>9</TD><TD>Dustin Keller, N.Y.-J</TD></TR><TR><TD>10</TD><TD>Zach Miller, Oak.</TD></TR><TR><TD>11</TD><TD>Jeremy Shockey, N.O.</TD></TR><TR><TD>12</TD><TD>John Carlson, Sea.</TD></TR><TR><TD>13</TD><TD>Bo Scaife, Ten.</TD></TR><TR><TD>14</TD><TD>Kellen Winslow, T.B.</TD></TR><TR><TD>15</TD><TD>Vernon Davis, S.F.</TD></TR><TR><TD>16</TD><TD>Heath Miller, Pit.</TD></TR><TR><TD>17</TD><TD>Robert Royal, Cle.</TD></TR><TR><TD>18</TD><TD>Anthony Fasano, Mia.</TD></TR><TR><TD>19</TD><TD>Brent Celek, Phi.</TD></TR><TR><TD>20</TD><TD>Visanthe Shiancoe, Min.</TD></TR><TR><TD>21</TD><TD>Tony Scheffler, Den.</TD></TR><TR><TD>22</TD><TD>Jermichael Finley, G.B.</TD></TR><TR><TD>23</TD><TD>Kevin Boss, N.Y.-G</TD></TR><TR><TD>24</TD><TD>Marcedes Lewis, Jac.</TD></TR><TR><TD>25</TD><TD>Brandon Pettigrew, Det.</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
Kickers
<TABLE border=1 width=420 align=center><TBODY><TR><TD>1.</TD><TD>Stephen Gostkowski, N.E.</TD></TR><TR><TD>2.</TD><TD>Lawrence Tynes, N.Y.-G</TD></TR><TR><TD>3.</TD><TD>Ryan Longwell, Min.</TD></TR><TR><TD>4.</TD><TD>Mason Crosby, G.B.</TD></TR><TR><TD>5.</TD><TD>David Akers, Phi.</TD></TR><TR><TD>6.</TD><TD>John Carney, N.O.</TD></TR><TR><TD>7.</TD><TD>Nick Folk, Dal.</TD></TR><TR><TD>8.</TD><TD>Robbie Gould, Chi.</TD></TR><TR><TD>9.</TD><TD>Nate Kaeding, S.D.</TD></TR><TR><TD>10.</TD><TD>Jason Elam, Atl.</TD></TR><TR><TD>11.</TD><TD>Joe Nedney, S.F.</TD></TR><TR><TD>12.</TD><TD>Rob Bironas, Ten.</TD></TR><TR><TD>13.</TD><TD>Jeff Reed, Pit.</TD></TR><TR><TD>14.</TD><TD>Steven Hauschka, Bal.</TD></TR><TR><TD>15.</TD><TD>John Kasay, Car.</TD></TR><TR><TD>16.</TD><TD>Neil Rackers, Ari.</TD></TR><TR><TD>17.</TD><TD>Dan Carpenter, Mia.</TD></TR><TR><TD>18.</TD><TD>Adam Vinatieri, Ind.</TD></TR><TR><TD>19.</TD><TD>Rian Lindell, Buf.</TD></TR><TR><TD>20.</TD><TD>Kris Brown, Hou.</TD></TR><TR><TD>21.</TD><TD>Jay Feely, N.Y.-J</TD></TR><TR><TD>22.</TD><TD>Josh Scobee, Jac.</TD></TR><TR><TD>23.</TD><TD>Olindo Mare, Sea.</TD></TR><TR><TD>24.</TD><TD>Matt Prater, Den.</TD></TR><TR><TD>25.</TD><TD>Jason Hanson, Det.</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
Defenses
<TABLE border=1 width=420 align=center><TBODY><TR><TD>1</TD><TD>Minnesota</TD></TR><TR><TD>2</TD><TD>Tennessee</TD></TR><TR><TD>3</TD><TD>New England</TD></TR><TR><TD>4</TD><TD>Atlanta</TD></TR><TR><TD>5</TD><TD>Green Bay</TD></TR><TR><TD>6</TD><TD>Pittsburgh</TD></TR><TR><TD>7</TD><TD>New York Jets</TD></TR><TR><TD>8</TD><TD>Baltimore</TD></TR><TR><TD>9</TD><TD>Denver</TD></TR><TR><TD>10</TD><TD>San Diego</TD></TR><TR><TD>11</TD><TD>New York Giants</TD></TR><TR><TD>12</TD><TD>Buffalo</TD></TR><TR><TD>13</TD><TD>Chicago</TD></TR><TR><TD>14</TD><TD>San Francisco</TD></TR><TR><TD>15</TD><TD>Dallas</TD></TR><TR><TD>16</TD><TD>Seattle</TD></TR><TR><TD>17</TD><TD>Cleveland</TD></TR><TR><TD>18</TD><TD>Jacksonville</TD></TR><TR><TD>19</TD><TD>Indianapolis</TD></TR><TR><TD>20</TD><TD>Tampa Bay</TD></TR><TR><TD>21</TD><TD>Washington</TD></TR><TR><TD>22</TD><TD>Carolina</TD></TR><TR><TD>23</TD><TD>Arizona</TD></TR><TR><TD>24</TD><TD>Miami</TD></TR><TR><TD>25</TD><TD>Kansas City</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

 

[HacheMan]

C.J. goes wild against Texans

Week 2 featured just as many big performances as Week 1 – who woulda thunk it?

While there were many "standout" fantasy days – Chris Johnson and Frank Gore are still running – there were just as many players that made you want to say, "Wah, wah, wah." For that reason, I'll keep it short this week and get right into the action.

Top 5 Quarterbacks:

1. Matt Schaub – 357 Pass Yds, 4 TDs, 0 INTs – After being in the Bottom 5 last week, Schaub bounced back in a big way on Sunday, against a tough Titans' D to boot. It didn't hurt that the Texan's running game couldn't get going at all, forcing Schaub to air it out often and hook up with his two favorite targets – Andre Johnson and Owen Daniels. The performance by Schaub and Co. should answer any questions that doubters may have had about the Texans's offense – there should have been none to begin with.

2. Drew Brees – 311 Pass Yds, 3 TDs, 1 INT – Just another day at the office for Mr. Brees. There comes a point where you run out of things to say about Brees, because you know what you're going to get from him every single week. The count is on: Two weeks in and two weeks in the Top 5.

3. Carson Palmer – 185 Pass Yds, 3 TDs, 2 INTs, 1 Rush TD – It wasn't pretty, but Palmer got the job done on Sunday. The main thing for Palmer is his health because, if he can stay off the sideline, his play on the field will speak for itself. Look for more games like this from Palmer as he looks to get back into a groove with his wideouts.

4. Philip Rivers – 436 Pass Yds, 2 TDs, 2 INTs, 10 Rush Yds – With Tomlinson out the Chargers put extra onus on the passing game and Rivers delivered – at least from a fantasy perspective. Last year was a clear indication that the Bolts are not afraid to let Rivers chuck it up, and that makes him an explosive player to start week-in and week-out.

5. Byron Leftwich – 296 Pass Yds, 3 TDs, 2 INTs – I didn't see this one coming, but I guess when you throw the ball fifty times you're bound to get lucky sometimes. Don't look too much into this performance because there will be many more dud than stud games from Leftwich this season.

Top 5 Running Backs:

1. Chris Johnson – 197 Rush Yds, 2 TDs, 9 Rec, 87 Yds, 1 TD – Johnson took AP's monster game last week and raised him one. CJ did it all on Sunday and then some, as all of his scores came from over 50-yards out. Yikes! Even more impressive was his 12.3 yards-per-carry, because he needed only 16 carries to do all of his damage.

2. Frank Gore – 207 Rush Yds, 2 TDs, 5 Rec, 39 Yds – Gore turned on the afterburners for both of his long scores, running right by the Seahawks' secondary all day long. Sunday's performance was a little better than his 30-yard output last week, and look for more positive production from Gore here on out.

3. Marion Barber – 124 Rush Yds, 1 TD, 2 Rec, 31 Yds – MBIII looked explosive on Sunday night, and would have had another touchdown if he didn't strain his quad when the endzone was in sight. The bottom line is that he had his way with a tough Giants' defense, and had more than double the carries that Felix Jones had – 18 vs. 7.

4. Darren Sproles – 26 Rush Yds, 0 TDs, 7 Rec, 124 Yds, 1 TD – Sproles filled in quite admirably for LT2 on Sunday, just further solidifying that there will be a time share even once Tomlinson returns. How he was so wide open on his touchdown score still amazes me, but you won't hear owners complain who took the risk of starting him against the staunch Ravens defense.

5. Willis McGahee – 79 Rush Yds, 2 TDs, 2 Rec, 10 Yds – "What you talking bout Willis?" If you told me that McGahee would be in the Top 5 two straight weeks I would have told you that you were crazy. But apparently the joke is on everyone that didn't draft McGahee, because he looks like he'll capitalize once the Ravens get inside the 10-yardline.

Top 5 Wide Receivers:

1. Andre Johnson – 10 Rec, 149 Yds, 2 TDs – AJ owners can now all take a collective sigh of relief, even though there was no need to worry – he also made an unbelievable juggling catch. It's scary once him and Schaub get firing on all cylinders, as Johnson can reel off games like this on a consistent basis, because he's a PPR machine.

2. Marques Colston – 8 Rec, 98 Yds, 2 TDs – Colston now has three touchdowns on the young season, and he has now firmly re-cemented himself as Brees' favorite target. As of right now, an injury is the only thing that can get in Colston's way.

3. Mario Manningham – 10 Rec, 150 Yds, 1 TD – Manning to Manningham sounds pretty catchy and, if the second-year wideout continues to play like this, it will become a household name. Hit the waiver wire if he's still out there, because Manning looked his way a ton.

4. Vincent Jackson – 6 Rec, 141 Yds, 1 TD – See a common trend here? It's no mistake that the top wideouts coincide with the top quarterbacks of the week. V-Jax has started off the '09 campaign right where he left off in 2008, and Rivers is a large part of the reason why.

5. Steve Smith – 10 Rec, 134 Yds, 1 TD – So much for the Giants not having any fantasy worthwhile receivers. Two 100-yard receivers in a given week is quite an accomplishment, and says a lot about the Cowboys' secondary. Smith also has 16 receptions in the first two weeks, making him a viable PPR player.

Top 5 Tight Ends:

1. Kellen Winslow – 7 Rec, 90 Yds, 1 TD – Two weeks in Tampa and two consecutive weeks with a score – boy, is he happy he's out of Cleveland. Kellen "the soldier" will have a bounceback year as the main target in a weak Buc's offense.

2. Owen Daniels – 6 Rec, 72 Yds, 1 TD – Everyone benefited from Schaub's big day, and Daniels was able to make his first trip into the Top 5. He figures to be here often this season, so get used to it.

3. Tony Gonzalez – 7 Rec, 71 Yds, 1 TD – Tony G makes a living in the Top 5. It feels like he's here every…single…week, and it's because he actually is. No matter who is throwing him the rock, he always finds a way to get the job done.

4. Marcedes Lewis – 3 Rec, 62 Yds, 1 TD – I wouldn't get too caught up in this performance because the Jags fell behind early, forcing them to abandon the run. Lewis was one of those beneficiaries, but he's far too inconsistent.

5. Brent Celek – 8 Rec, 104 Yds, 0 TDs – This kid looks like he's the real deal. The Eagles are going to find ways to get him the ball, and you have to consider starting him going forward.

Bottom 5 Quarterbacks:

1. JaMarcus Russell – 109 Pass Yds, 0 TDs, 0 INTs
2. Tom Brady – 216 Pass Yds, 0 TDs, 1 INT – Not often you see him here.
3. Matt Hasselbeck – 97 Pass Yds, 0 TDs, 0 INTs, 12 Rush Yds – Got hurt.
4. Brady Quinn – 161 Pass Yds, 0 TDs, 1 INT, 1 FL – "Derek, Derek, Derek." I can hear it now.
5. Matthew Stafford – 152 Pass Yds, 1 TD, 2 INTs

Bottom 5 Running Backs:

1. Laurence Maroney – 23 Rush Yds, 0 TDs
2. LenDale White – 25 Rush Yds, 0 TDs – "Flash" stole the show.
3. Matt Forte – 29 Rush Yds, 0 TDs, 5 Rec, 33 Yds – Second straight subpar performance.
4. Jamal Lewis – 38 Rush Yds, 0 TDs, 1 Rec, 8 Yds
5. Willie Parker – 47 Rush Yds, 0 TDs, 1 Rec, 3 Yds

Bottom 5 Wide Receivers:

1. Greg Jennings – 0 Rec, 0 Yds – Big time shocker here, because Rodgers usually always looks his way.
2. Randy Moss – 4 Rec, 24 Yds, 0 TDs – Running into Darrelle Revis is starting to become a problem for wide receivers.
3. Justin Gage – 2 Rec, 22 Yds, 0 TDs
4. Donnie Avery – 1 Rec, 4 Yds, 0 TDs, 1 FL
5. Roy Williams – 1 Rec, 18 Yds, 0 TDs

Bottom 5 Tight Ends:

1. Kevin Boss – 1 Rec, 13 Yds, 0 TDs
2. Zach Miller – 0 Rec, 0 Yds – Russell struggled getting the ball to anyone.
3. Benjamin Watson – 3 Rec, 23 Yds, 0 TDs
4. Donald Lee – 4 Rec, 28 Yds, 0 TDs
5. Heath Miller – 3 Rec, 27 Yds, 0 TDs

 

[HacheMan]

Beyond the Box Score - Week 2



[SIZE=+1]#5. Ravens 31 Chargers 26[/SIZE]

BEYOND THE BOX SCORE

* The Chargers aren't going to overuse Darren Sproles in the running game. They tried to limit the number of hits he took by taking him off kickoffs intermittently and giving Michael Bennett a series. They got him the ball in space with screens and swing passes.

* Vincent Jackson is a beast. He's bigger than everyone and he's faster than everyone too. This is his real breakout year.

* Willis McGahee is the clear goal-line back. There's no question. He converted two chances from inside the five-yard line and Ray Rice didn't sniff a chance.

* Todd Heap only had one catch, but he moved well. He got open and Joe Flacco looked to him in the red zone.

GOING FORWARD

* The biggest thing to come out of this game is that the Ravens' running back situation is far from clear-cut. Rice started but never really was given an opportunity to get anything going. McGahee ran really well and looked like his old self and the Ravens stuck with him. Based on this game, this is looking like an even timeshare.

* Chris Chambers is in trouble. He's getting pushed by Malcolm Floyd and Legedu Naane and has had some drops. There's not much upside with him going forward.

[SIZE=+1]#4. Texans 34 Titans 31[/SIZE]

BEYOND THE BOX SCORE

* Jacoby Jones filled in well for the injured Kevin Walter. He registered two catches for 73 yards and a touchdown, and showed that he can fill in when needed and be a legitimate deep threat for Matt Schaub and the Texans.

* Owen Daniels is Matt Schaub's favorite target on third downs. When the Texans and Schaub need a big first down, Daniels is the first guy they look to as he recorded four third down receptions that led to first downs.

* The safeties for the Titans, Michael Griffin and Chris Hope, bit hard on Matt Schaub's play fakes. Jones and Andre Johnson were consistently open downfield for long completions, and Schaub took advantage by having six completions of 20 yards or more.

GOING FORWARD

* Chris Johnson is the second most dangerous player in the NFL, behind Adrian Peterson. He had one of the best games in history, running for 197 yards and netting 87 yards in receiving. Johnson had three total touchdowns on the day. Don't expect him to stop it anytime soon, as he also had a great game in Week 1 against the Steelers. He will face a tough test in the New York Jets in Week 3. They have only allowed 16 points and 83 yards rushing in the first two games combined this season.

* Andre Johnson is one of the top three receivers in the league. After being shut down by Darrelle Revis in Week 1, Johnson torched the Titans' defensive backs for 149 yards and two touchdowns. He'll be up against Rashean Mathis and Derek Cox or Scott Starks of the Jaguars in Week 3. Reggie Wayne of the Colts dominated this group in Week 1, so Johnson figures to do the same.

* Matt Schaub is very streaky. He has had two very different games to open up the season. Schaub played terrible against the Jets in Week 1 and showed signs of greatness on Sunday in Tennessee. He can be one of the best fantasy quarterback options in the league when caught on the right day. The Jags have given up big games to Peyton Manning and Kurt Warner so far this season. Schaub seems like a very good play in Week 3.

[SIZE=+1]#3. Jets 16 Patriots 9[/SIZE]

BEYOND THE BOX SCORE

* Rex Ryan pressured Tom Brady with blitzes throughout the game to the point where Brady seemed hurried on most of his throws. The Pats offense never could get in sync.

* Edelman was targeted 16 times with Welker out. He's not quite as reliable as the safety blanket Welker, but he's pretty close.

* Randy Moss was shadowed all over the field by Revis, and the Jets corner picked off the pass when the Pats finally did try to go deep.

* Former deep threat Joey Galloway was used as a possession receiver. It's far from an ideal role for him.

* Sanchez should have had another touchdown. He hit Chansi Stuckey in the corner of the end zone for a touchdown, but the catch was overturned on replay. On the next play Sanchez threw a nice pass to a wide open Stuckey, but the receiver tripped over his own feet just as the ball was arriving.

GOING FORWARD

* Darrelle Revis has reached Nnamdi Asomugha status as a shutdown corner. He's blanketed two of the top-5 receivers in the game the past two weeks.

* This Patriots offense can't even sniff the 2007 version.

* Dynasty leaguers take note: rookie Julian Edelman can do a very convincing Wes Welker impression.

* Leon Washington and Thomas Jones are splitting carries right down the middle. Shonn Greene isn't a factor.

* Mark Sanchez didn't stand out like he did in Week 1, but he definitely has the "it" factor.

* The Patriots running game is useless for fantasy purposes.


[SIZE=+1]#2. Bears 17 Steelers 14[/SIZE]

BEYOND THE BOX SCORE

* Jay Cutler seemed to be on the same page with his receivers this week after the four interception game in Green Bay last week. He led the Bears to 10 unanswered points in the fourth quarter to earn his first victory as the Chicago quarterback. Cutler completed a big pass to Devin Hester for a first down to set up a game-winning field goal for kicker Robbie Gould with 15 seconds left in regulation. Cutler got his shot at redemption and came through.

* Willie Parker still looked a little bit on the slower side in Chicago on Sunday. He played better than what he did in the Week 1 opener, but still didn't show the burst and speed that he has shown in previous years. The Steelers have faced two tough defenses in Chicago and Tennessee, though, and next week Parker will have a chance to run on the Bengals.

* Rookie receiver Mike Wallace didn't do anything to show the Steelers' coaching staff that he should be the third receiver ahead of the inactive Limas Sweed. He only registered two catches for 13 yards against a struggling Bears secondary.

* Greg Olsen and Cutler haven't quite yet developed that chemistry that they had in preseason. Olsen has only four catches in the team's first two games. He'll be up against the Seahawks' defense next week, who have kept the Rams' Randy McMichael and 49ers' Vernon Davis in check in the first two weeks.

GOING FORWARD

* Rookie receiver Johnny Knox seems to be Jay Cutler's favorite target thus far in 2009. Cutler doesn't have a Brandon Marshall this year and he has to work with what he has, but he may have found someone in the speedy Knox. He led the team in receptions and yards on Sunday with six and 70 respectively. Knox warrants consideration in most fantasy leagues and is a good play in Week 3 against a weak Seattle secondary.

* Hines Ward is still going at it at the age of 33. He has 14 catches for 160 yards in the Steelers' first two games of the season. He isn't the team's No. 1 receiver anymore, but he is far too consistent and reliable to take out of fantasy lineups.

[SIZE=+1]#1. Giants 33 Cowboys 31[/SIZE]

BEYOND THE BOX SCORE

* Roy Williams' game was disconcerting. He was almost never open, dropped a tough but catch-able ball in the end zone and his timing with Tony Romo looked off. Outside of that blown coverage in Week 1 against the Bucs, this year hasn't looked all that different than last year for Williams.

* Don't overreact to the bad numbers from Brandon Jacobs. The Cowboys tried to stop Jacobs and dared Eli Manning to beat them.

* Steve Smith was really impressive once again. The guy just gets open and Manning loves throwing to him. There's no reason Smith can't catch 85 balls this season.

* It's safe to drop Martellus Bennett until you see something from him. Catching the ball is not in the Cowboys' plans for the talented tight end right now.

GOING FORWARD

* Mario Manningham is no joke. He's a little unheralded because he ran a 4.59 40-yard dash coming out of Michigan, but he is really explosive. He didn't go down on the first hit and was willing to catch slants over the middle. He's a great pickup in all leagues.

* Felix Jones is poised to put up huge numbers with a few more carries. He cuts so quickly that it's hard to get a square hit on him. If Marion Barber's quad limits him at all, Jones will be a must-start.

 

[HacheMan]

Making a statement

The second Sunday of the 2009 NFL season was home to big, bold statements. Matt Schaub said he's too dangerous to sit in fantasy leagues, even if he's not as consistent as you want. (Andre Johnson said the same thing, but you knew that … right?)

Chris Johnson reminded us that he could take any touch the distance.

Frank Gore said that he's finally ready to party like it's 2006 again.

Over the course of the season, roster depth will win fantasy championships. Every member of your team will have to contribute to survive the ups and downs, the injuries and bad breaks.

But on any given Sunday, sometimes all you need is one giant knockout punch. Slowly churning out yardage is the recipe for lasting success, but there is nothing more devastating than an 80-yard touchdown.

You either owned one of these guys on Sunday or you got out of the way. And if you owned one of them and still lost, well, you deserved to lose.

[SIZE=+1]Don't Panic [/SIZE]

1. Matt Forte caught five passes against the Steelers, but averaged 2.2 yards-per-carry for the second straight week. The Chicago offensive line looks rough, and the Bears have played a lot of catch-up football. But Forte didn't forget how to run after his rookie season. Panic if he continues to struggle against the Seahawks and Lions the next two weeks. I'm hearing from too many owners that are ready to sell-low.

2. Greg Jennings and Aaron Rodgers should be at the point of their careers where we don't even have to list them here, even if they didn't connect one time against the Steelers. There is legitimate concern about the way Rodgers is getting pounded, but the schedule opens up with the Rams, Browns, and Lions in a four-week stretch.

3. Just as the Houston passing game rose Sunday, their running game will eventually follow suit. Gary Kubiak has created rushing yards out of lesser talent. I was worried to see Chris Brown closing the game out over Steve Slaton, but the starter still got his 20 touches. He's a nice buy-low.

4. When you play with JaMarcus Russell, o-fers will happen occasionally. That's why Zach Miller is a top-12 tight end, not a top-five tight end.

5. It sounds like Mike Bell won't be 100% for this Sunday, if he plays at all. And this comes just in time for Pierre Thomas to get healthy. Thomas got in the Eagles game for a few plays and should resume his role as lead back Sunday. Reggie Bush is who we thought he was. And whom Sean Payton knows he is.

6. Coming off such a lost offseason, we expected Brian Westbrook to be eased into the lineup. 26 carries, six catches, and a score in two weeks sounds about right. Westbrook is missing some explosion, but his role should increase in the coming weeks, minor ankle injury be damned.

7. Tony Romo is prone to stinkers and head-scratching throws. But the Dallas offense, especially their running game, is too explosive to hold him down for prolonged stretches. We're not worried at all.

8. New York's offensive line doesn't look as dominant in the running game as they were last year, but Brandon Jacobs will get his yards, and rushing touchdowns before we're through.

[SIZE=+1]Brady [/SIZE]

I was without DirecTv on Sunday for the first time in years, so got a chance to really focus on the local game in New York: Jets-Patriots. (At least until I realized how sweet the online component of Sunday Ticket is. No, Rotoworld is not endorsed by them. But we're available.)

It doesn't take a former player to know that Tom Brady hasn't looked the same in the first two weeks. The Patriots invited the Jets to blitz, as they often do, except Brady couldn't make them pay. He was falling away from throws, ala Eli Manning. He was throwing the ball too hard when it required touch or just missing his target occasionally, even when there was no pressure.

Julian Edelman and Joey Galloway had some bad drops, but that doesn't explain Brady completing less than 50% of his passes for a 4.6 yards-per-attempt average (YPA).

This isn't the 2007 Patriots offense, and they have plenty of work to become the 2004 Patriots. But Brady's insane number of pass attempts - 100 – will make him a better fantasy quarterback, until his "reality" skills catch up.

The next two weeks will be challenging against Atlanta and Baltimore, but there still isn't a fantasy quarterback other than Drew Brees that is clearly more valuable than Brady.

[SIZE=+1]Some Panic is Acceptable [/SIZE]

1. It doesn't matter that the rotation in Pittsburgh is, Willie Parker hasn't been effective when handed the football for quite a while.

2. If only Bernard Berrian and Brett Favre were teammates a decade ago. That Favre would have appreciated such a vertical burner. But Berrian is stuck with the Favre that likes dumping the ball off. No Viking receiver topped ten yards-per-catch Sunday. Against the Lions! No one had more than six targets in Minnesota's spread-the-wealth passing attack.

3. Laveranues Coles caught a touchdown, but he's strictly a possession receiver, and not even the best one on the Bengals.

4. Aside from some short-yardage woes, the Patriots have been reasonably effective when they have tried to run the ball. They just don't do it very often. And when they do, it's split evenly between Fred Taylor, Laurence Maroney, and Kevin Faulk. It's hard to imagine trusting any of these guys in your lineup.

5. Larry Johnson owners were encouraged because he topped 100 yards from scrimmage against the Raiders. But he still averaged fewer than three yards-per-carry, and it's not too exciting if this is his "good week.

6. Encouraging for Johnson: Jamaal Charles was a healthy scratch. That should help get LJ some extra catches. And get Charles dropped in a lot of leagues.

7. When does Jason Campbell turn from developing prospect to steady, boring veteran? Most of Washington's problems aren't his fault, but the ceiling is low if they can't score a touchdown at home against the Rams.

8. Bad luck or not, it didn't take Matt Hasselbeck long to have injury concerns again.
<!--RW-->[SIZE=+1]When good quarterbacks have bad teammates [/SIZE]

Fantasy numbers don't occur in a vacuum. Football is the ultimate team sport, and forces outside a player's control have a huge impact on their production. Frank Gore probably isn't any better this year than the last two, but I strongly believe he'll post better numbers than the last two because the situation around him is better.

Ben Roethlisberger and Byron Leftwich are two quarterbacks who are benefiting from things outside of their control.

Leftwich is saddled with a terrible defense that will have him throwing all game to catch up. Throw in a solid running game and offensive line, and Leftwich has borderline QB1/2 potential to help out needy fantasy teams.

Roethlisberger is helped by the bankrupt Pittsburgh running game. The Steelers recognize that all their talent resides in the passing game, so Big Ben should put up the best yardage totals of his career. He was drafted as the QB13 in many leagues, but can produce like a top-6-8 guy.

[SIZE=+1]When good Raiders have bad quarterbacks [/SIZE]

JaMarcus Russell is wildly inaccurate and makes poor decisions, which is a rough double whammy for a quarterback. He's going to make life harder on Darren McFadden and Michael Bush, as teams load the box to stop the Oakland running game. We are still bullish on the pair, but Kansas City effectively shut them down.

(The positive for Russell: The go-ahead touchdown to Louis Murphy in Week 1 was perhaps the best Oakland moment of the last five years, at least until they lost the game. And given a chance to go on a game-winning touchdown drive in a game Oakland didn't deserve to win, Russell came through against Kansas City. The Raiders would not have won that game last year.)

[SIZE=+1]Stepping Off the Ledge [/SIZE]

1. Let's not get carried away yet, but Carson Palmer's afternoon in Lambeau was as encouraging a performance as we've seen from him since 2007.

2. Jake Delhomme's career won't end this week. That doesn't mean you want to race to the waiver wire to pick him up.

3. If the Packers offensive line can't protect Aaron Rodgers, he'll have to look to his shorter route runners like tight end Jermichael Finley more often.

[SIZE=+1]Rams in quicksand[/SIZE]

Marc Bulger and the Rams offense looks even worse than expected, and it threaten to swallow Donnie Avery and Steven Jackson whole. The only positive here is that things can't get much worse. But Jackson would absolutely be ranked a round lower if we were re-drafting. And that previous sentence just guaranteed I won't be able to deal Jackson in my office league, so you know I mean it. (The sacrifices I make for readers.)

Jackson has always been overly reliant on big plays. He'll get his yardage in the end, but he's got a tough road to reach ten touchdowns.

[SIZE=+1]Week 1 heroes that kept it rolling [/SIZE]

1. Moving to Atlanta may have actually helped Tony Gonzalez, despite all odds. He'll score more touchdowns.

2. Adrian Peterson is on pace for 40 catches after two games. It's way too early for "on pace" numbers, but playing with the Lord dump-off could help All Day.

3. Cedric Benson can't keep up this workload (50 carries in two weeks), but he's an every-week fantasy starter until he breaks down.

4. Antonio Bryant's knee injury could be a season-long factor in Tampa, which is going to help Kellen Winslow continue to rack up targets.

5. Fred Jackson's first two weeks have been a nightmare come true for Marshawn Lynch owners.

[SIZE=+1]The kids are alright [/SIZE]

Joe Flacco and Matt Ryan were the two most impressive rookie quarterbacks of the decade, and their second-year leap is going even better than expected. Maybe we should have expected it.

Flacco's accuracy on intermediate routes is underrated. He throws one of the prettiest passes in the league, and is testing the edges of the field more than last year. It's still early, but Ryan owners should also feel very good about where they drafted him.

[SIZE=+1]Short, declarative sentences about defenses [/SIZE]

Minnesota's rush defense may not be as fearsome as it once was. Tennessee's pass defense is definitely not as good as it once was. Denver's defense is scrappy enough to shut down below average teams. The Bengals defense is vastly improved and worth starting in the right matchup. The 49ers defense is a little naughty.

[SIZE=+1]Committee Wars[/SIZE]

1. Ray Rice's road to fantasy mega-stardom took a detour in San Diego Sunday. The Ravens are clearly happy to ride the hot hand once they get into the game, and Willis McGahee is playing as well as he has in years.

McGahee seems to be getting more goal-line snaps. The Ravens are powerful enough to support two excellent fantasy options, so Rice should still be a top-15-20 option most weeks. But this could prevent him from going higher.

2. Tim Hightower didn't catch 12 passes again Sunday (he got three), but he did something far more valuable in the long run. He helped the Cardinals finish off a victory. Playing with the lead throughout, Hightower had 15 effective carries. Beanie Wells is averaging 5.2 yards-per-carry, but has only 14 attempts in two games. The Cardinals are slow-playing his introduction to the offense.

3. You didn't expect Julius Jones to be great every week, did you? Justin Forsett stole a lot of time Sunday because the Seahawks were trailing, rather than Edgerrin James. Either way, Julius is not a great option on passing downs.

[SIZE=+1]Overrated Summer storylines?[/SIZE]

1. Jonathan Stewart's Achilles injury hasn't changed his role at all. He has 20 carries for 100 yards through two weeks despite the Panthers trailing throughout both games. Stewart is also getting involved in the passing game; he has five catches and 46 receiving yards after recording 8 for 47 all of last year.

2. Glenn Coffee is a fine-looking backup, but he doesn't hurt Frank Gore's value.

3. Buffalo and Tampa fired their offensive coordinators just before the season, but have looked surprisingly competent in all phases for the first two weeks. Kansas City is struggling as expected, but Matt Cassel has some garbage time potential and should throw the ball plenty.

4. James Davis wasn't given the ball much in Week 1, and wasn't healthy enough to play in Week 2. He's still someone that we'd stash or pick up off the wire because he's got a good chance to start this year.

[SIZE=+1]Summer storylines rated appropriately[/SIZE]

1. Many folks wondered how much Kyle Orton would hurt Brandon Marshall and Eddie Royal. Most everyone agreed that Marshall was headed for some fall, especially after his rough offseason Through two weeks, he has seven catches for 61 yards. At least he's playing and staying quiet, so there is hope for serious growth.

More concerning is Eddie Royal's role in the offense. Orton has targeted him 13 times this season, completing five passes for 38 yards. Not exactly Wes Welker of the Rocky Mountains.

The Broncos offense showed signs of growth against the Browns, and I expect both talented wideouts to be worth starting in fantasy leagues in the long run. But if there was a redraft this week, there's no way Royal would go in the top-20 wideouts.

2. Brady Quinn has lived up to his reputation as captain checkdown. He's not playing with any confidence, and he's not good enough to lift up a terrible offense around him. The Browns have thrown one pass this season inside their opponent's 20-yard line.

Quinn has been sacked nine times, and hasn't topped 6 YPA in four of his five career starts. The Browns should give him time to develop, but there is no guarantee they will for long if this continues.

 

[HacheMan]

Week 2 recap: Johnson dazzles in loss; Patriots fizzle


The Patriots were not embarrassed on Sunday, but they did not acquit themselves on offense very well either against the Jets. Rather, a second shaky showing in a row raises significant questions.
First, the Patriots do not have a consistent run game. They ran for 83 yards against the Jets after a 73-yard day in the opener against the Bills. Fred Taylor leads the team with 71 yards but aside from the occasional touchdown, don't expect much on the ground from the Patriots.
Second, they have little receiving depth. That was clear with Joey Galloway looking like he should have retired last year instead of trying to replace the injured Wes Welker. Rookie Julian Edelman did his best Welker impersonation with eight catches for 98 yards. But without the real Welker, defenses can focus on taking away Randy Moss and the Patriots' deep passing game.
Are you benching Moss or Tom Brady any time soon? Of course not. But instead of looking for another 50 TDs out of Brady, you ought to make sure the rest of your roster is strong enough to give you what the Patriots will not.
Elsewhere around the league in Week 2:
--The Titans aren't winning, but Chris Johnson turned in what might be one of the games of the year with 284 total yards and three TDs. Be careful if the Titans do not start winning, however. They face a difficult schedule over the next month and not being in the playoff hunt would make Johnson a far less reliable starter.
--The Chargers have problems with their offensive line and at running back. The results were predictable Sunday: A career-high 436 passing yards, along with two TDs, for quarterback Philip Rivers. After two weeks, this season is shaping up a lot like 2008 for San Diego. Rivers needs to throw for the Chargers to have a chance to win, and that will be why Rivers remains a top-five quarterback.
--Quarterbacks Matt Schaub and Carson Palmer shook off ugly openers with four overall touchdowns each on Sunday in road games against what looked like difficult opponents. That ought to show the importance of not overreacting to everything bad you saw in Week 1.
--Carolina's Jake Delhomme (308 yards, one TD) did not respond as well as Schaub and Palmer, but he extended his career as a starter for at least a few more weeks and wiped away some concern about Steve Smith (131 yards) and DeAngelo Williams. Williams has scored twice in two weeks and Smith will be an automatic start as long as Delhomme plays at least as well as he did Sunday.
--A few of Sunday's injuries might have long-last effects. Saints running back Mike Bell hurt his knee just in time for the recovering Pierre Thomas to return to a significant role. . . . The Eagles' Brian Westbrook injured the same ankle that gave him trouble in the offseason; even if he can play next week, don't be surprised if it is a lingering problem. . . . If Matt Hasselbeck's injuries mark a return of last year's problems, the Seahawks' offense, especially receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh, could be in for a long year again.
--The lesson from the Eagles piling up 463 total yards against the Saints? Keep playing anybody you can against New Orleans. The Saints look unstoppable on offense and they also look like they will allow every opponent to pile up stats in a shootout. That means the Bills' Trent Edwards and Terrell Owens in Week 3. -- Matt Pitzer

 

[HacheMan]

Freshman Flops?


When Donald Brown ran over and around the Dolphins for an impressive 15-yard touchdown Monday night, I rubbed my eyes.

Was that actually a rookie running back doing something productive? Indeed it was, but Brown still ended up with just four carries for 26 yards. Numbers like those have been the norm for this year's class of freshmen backs through two games this season. And if you spent a mid-round pick on one of them, you're probably regretting it already.

It's not too soon for these guys to be making their mark. Steve Slaton's breakout last year came in Week 2 at Tennessee. Matt Forte had 123 rushing yards and a touchdown in his first career game. Chris Johnson had over 100 total yards in each of this first two games. Yeah, those were special guys. But maybe the point is that this year's class isn't so special.

All isn't lost though. Brown's emphatic touchdown run could propel him to more snaps. A couple rookie backs have a good chance to follow suit. Here's a look at how the top backs selected in fantasy drafts have fared so far:

* Knowshon Moreno: 25 carries for 94 yards, 2 catches for 22 yards - Correll Buckhalter has looked better in both games, but Moreno really came on in Week 2. It was against the lowly Browns but Moreno still warrants RB2 consideration immediately.

* Chris Wells: 14 carries for 73 yards - Wells fumbled twice against the Jaguars Sunday, which won't help him get past Tim Hightower on the depth chart. It could take longer than we thought for Wells to emerge as the feature back.

* Donald Brown:15 carries for 59 yards, 1 TD, 3 catches for 32 yards - Joseph Addai watched as Brown was in the game for the key series Monday night. Expect this timeshare to be pretty even through the year.

* Shonn Greene: Inactive for Week 1, zero touches in Week 2. He's nowhere close to making an impact.

* James Davis: 4 carries for 5 yards, 3 catches for 4 yards. The preseason darling dealt with a shoulder problem and was inactive for Week 2. Davis will eventually get his chance to unseat Jamal Lewis, but it may not be until the Browns are far out of the playoff race.

Colts vs. Dolphins quick hitters:
Dallas Clark completely embarrassed the Dolphins. He is a wide receiver in a tight ends' body and can't be covered by a linebacker or safety. He could see some double-teams in the near future. … Pierre Garcon got just three targets but looked quick and caught one deep ball that was out of bounds. He's worth consideration in deep leagues. … Ted Ginn had one of the more disappointing 11 catch, 108 yard games you'll ever see. He showed nothing after the catch and dropped a couple tough deep balls. The good news is Chad Pennington was locked onto Ginn. … Ricky Williams still has something left in the tank. He hit the hole really hard and will continue to split carries fairly evenly with Ronnie Brown, who was also impressive out of the Wildcat. … With Pennington under center, it's hard to see any of the Dolphins' receivers putting up big numbers. It's just not in his DNA to go deep anymore.

Editor's Note: For early rankings, complete projections, and a host of other exclusive material for Week 3, head to Rotoworld's Season Pass.

NEWS OF THE DAY #2
Here are the facts: Brandon Marshall is a rotational receiver for the Broncos right now. He has seven catches in the first two games of the season after averaging 6.64 catches per game over the last two seasons. He also sat out for the majority of the second quarter while Jabar Gaffney got the majority of the snaps.

Here is what we can assume: Marshall is fuming and coach Josh McDaniels is showing the petulant receiver who is boss. McDaniels was asked point-blank how a player of Marshall's caliber can watch from the sidelines for so long. "We have got a lot of guys that deserve to play. That is how we are going to play, period," McDaniels said.

Marshall can't complain too loudly considering the Broncos are 2-0. But if continues to get lumped in with Brandon Stokley and Gaffney, this situation is going to explode before long.

NEWS OF THE DAY #3
Mike Bell (knee) will probably miss this week's game against at Buffalo. It's pretty ironic that the same injury that gave Bell an opening will give Pierre Thomas that same opening back a few weeks later. What a wacky, wild world this is.

Thomas played on kickoffs and in one offensive series in Week 2. He came out healthy but wore a bulky brace on his knee. This will be a huge week for him to prove he can be the featured back and squash the loud notions that Bell should at least be in a timeshare when they are both healthy.

NEWS OF THE DAY #4
Brian Westbrook's ankle injury is not serious, but it's more concerning than your normal sprained ankle. This is the same foot that B-West had surgery on in June and it's the exact kind of nagging injury that made him fall in fantasy drafts. He's yet to make that "wow" play this season like we're so used to seeing and you have to think the tread on his tires has something to do with it.

The Eagles didn't feel the need to give Westbrook an MRI on the ankle, so he'll probably be able to play Sunday against the Chiefs. But this is a reminder that LeSean McCoy should be on a roster in all leagues.

Editor's Note: For early rankings, complete projections, and a host of other exclusive material for Week 3, head to Rotoworld's Season Pass.

INJURY QUICK SLANTS
Matt Hasselbeck has a fractured rib but says he "absolutely" wants to play this week. This sounds a lot like Donovan McNabb last week. … Speaking of McNabb, the Eagles wouldn't rule him out but Peter King reported he's doubtful for Sunday's game against the Chiefs. Kevin Kolb will likely get his second career start. … Marion Barber is day to day with a strained quadriceps but this will bother him even if he plays Monday. Felix Jones is looking like a good start against the Panthers' woeful run defense. … Lance Moore (hamstring) barely played Sunday, but the Saints say he could be ready for Week 3. … Brett Favre has a bent fingernail (we're not kidding) but will be fine. Drama just follows this guy. … Chaz Schilens' (foot) chances of returning this week are slim. … DeSean Jackson strained his groin late in Sunday's blowout loss and is day to day. He'll be limited in practice but the initial feeling is he'll be able to go.

DEPTH CHART QUICK SLANTS
Johnny Knox took Earl Bennett's split end spot in the second half of Sunday's game and is very much in the Bears' receiving rotation. … With Antonio Bryant's (knee) status still unclear, it's Maurice Stovall stepping up over rookie Sammie Stroughter. … Josh Morgan got zero targets Sunday but it's not an indictment on the popular preseason sleeper. It's a case of the offense not playing to his skills. … Mike Sims-Walker is the Jaguars' No. 2 receiver with Troy Williamson (shoulder) out for the year and Nate Hughes cut. Sims-Walker is worth a look in deep leagues. … There was a report yesterday that Rashard Mendenhall will take over as the lead back in Pittsburgh, but don't buy that. As bad as Willie Parker has looked, Mike Tomlin won't turn his back on the veteran yet. … Eric Mangini confirmed that Brady Quinn will keep his starting job for Week 3, hurting Braylon Edwards' value a little.

DEFENSE SPOT STARTS
Here are three ideas for owners adding a new defense each week based on matchups:

EAGLES vs. Chiefs - The Birds' D could be available after getting shredded by the Saints Sunday. You can be sure they'll come out angry this week.

REDSKINS at Lions - Matthew Stafford has five interceptions and a fumble in his first two NFL games. The 'Skins defense won't be the reason they miss the playoffs this season.

COWBOYS vs. Panthers - It's Mike Jenkins' turn to start instead of Orlando Scandrick, which should shore up Dallas' ugly pass-defense we saw in Week 2. The Cowboys owe Jerry Jones a dominating performance on national television.

POSITIONAL SPOT STARTS
Chris Wesseling will cover this topic from head-to-toe in his Waiver Wired column, but here are three guys that are worth a quick add:

WR Mario Manningham - His performance Sunday night was not a fluke. Manningham breaks tackles with ease and willingly goes over the middle. He's a little unheralded because he ran a slow 40-yard dash coming out of Michigan, but he's the big-play threat the Giants need.

WR Laurent Robinson - It's amazing this guy is only 10 percent owned in Yahoo! leagues. He's quickly moved past Donnie Avery in the Rams' receiving pecking order.
QB Matt Leinart - Kurt Warner is not going to make it through this season, as discussed above. When he does miss a game, his owners are likely better off with Leinart than a QB2 like David Garrard or Kyle Orton.

 

[HacheMan]

Manning Loves Manningham

When Eli Manning and the Giants passing game collapsed after losing Plaxico Burress' last December, conventional wisdom posited that GM Jerry Reese had to go out and acquire a legit No. 1 receiver. Reese held firm to his beliefs that the NFL is not a wide receiver driven league, pointing out that Larry Fitzgerald, Randy Moss, Terrell Owens, Calvin Johnson, and Andre Johnson have yet to win Super Bowl rings. Nobody even remembers the wide receivers from the Patriots' first Super Bowl upset over the Rams.

Instead of pulling the trigger on a big-name receiver, Reese decided to "put more of an onus" on Eli. I've certainly been one of Eli's harshest critics over the past few seasons, as he's simply been too inaccurate and turnover prone to be taken seriously as an elite NFL quarterback. Early indications from this season, however, indicate that Eli is becoming a more consistent passer. As long as teams keep loading up on Brandon Jacobs and daring Eli to beat them, then Manning is in for a career statistical year with Steve Smith and Mario Manningham as his top two targets. While two weeks is an awfully small sample size, Eli's 67.2 completion percentage, 8.7 yards per attempt, and 293 yards per game are promising signs for the Giants formerly anemic passing attack.

Smith is owned in the majority of leagues, so he won't be listed among this week's top pickups at wide receiver. If he's unowned in your league, he should rival Manningham for top overall honors. Smith is the better pick in PPR leagues, while Manningham's big-play ability and upside make him the choice in standard scoring leagues.

On to the lists. Here is how I rank the top players available 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.

Wide Receivers
1. Mario Manningham, Giants
2. Laurent Robinson, Rams
3. Mike Sims-Walker, Jaguars
4. Johnny Knox, Bears
5. Julian Edelman, Patriots
6. Devery Henderson, Saints
7. Nate Washington, Titans

Running Backs
1. Tashard Choice, Cowboys
2. Rashard Mendenhall, Steelers
3. Michael Bush, Raiders
4. Justin Forsett, Seahawks
5. Chris Brown, Texans

Quarterbacks
1. Matt Cassel
2. Byron Leftwich
3. Jake Delhomme
4. Kevin Kolb

Tight Ends
1. Brent Celek, Eagles
2. Todd Heap, Ravens
3. Marcedes Lewis, Jaguars

Defenses
1. 49ers
2. Broncos
3. Packers


</FONT+1>WIDE RECEIVERS

Mario Manningham, Giants – Manningham made the most of his four targets in Week 1, hauling in three passes and showing nice moves down the sideline for a 30-yard score. Already poised to bypass Domenik Hixon in Week 2, Manningham exploded on the Cowboys for 10 catches, 150 yards, and one touchdown on 13 targets Sunday night. Forget the slow forty time. Manningham is now exhibiting the explosiveness and toughness that highlighted his Michigan career. While Steve Smith will remain the possession receiver, Manningham is clearly the Giants best playmaker. He'll have a major role in the passing attack going forward.

Recommendation: Should be owned in all leagues

Laurent Robinson, Rams – The St. Louis offense keeps sputtering, but Robinson somehow keeps producing. After being targeted 10 times in Week 1, Robinson saw nine passes against the Redskins and outproduced Donnie Avery for the second straight week. He's clearly emerged as the Rams' No. 1 receiver and is certainly a viable WR3/flex option.

Recommendation: Should be owned in 12-team leagues

Mike Sims-Walker, Jaguars – MSW's Week 2 stats were padded in garbage time, but any receiver who can throw up five catches for 107 yards and a touchdown in just over a quarter has obvious talent. In Sims-Walker's case, he possesses the size, speed, body control, hands and route running expertise to become the Jags most relevant fantasy receiver since Jimmy Smith. Jack Del Rio knows he must open up his passing offense, and David Garrard was given a mandate to take shots down the field. Now 100 percent healthy with Troy Williamson out of the picture, Sims-Walker has a shot at WR3 status the rest of the way. If he stays healthy, he'll produce.

Recommendation: Should be owned in 12-team leagues

Julian Edelman, Patriots – If Wes Welker is going to miss more time, "Mini-Me" is a no-brainer pickup. The problem is we're not likely to have a good read on Welker's status until game time on Sunday. Edelman was targeted an incredible 16 times in his first start while doing a very credible Welker impersonation. Welker owners should move him up the list for insurance purposes, but others will want to hold off until the Patriots' plans for Week 3 become clear. Unless the starter misses multiple weeks, Edelman won't accrue fantasy value.

Recommendation: Worth a look in 12-team leagues

Johnny Knox, Bears – Chicago receivers may be hit-and-miss all season, but Knox's upside with Jay Cutler is certainly worth a roll of the dice. After Earl Bennett was targeted 14 times as Cutler's go-to guy in Week 1, Knox sent him to the bench for stretches in Week 2. Beat writer Brad Biggs expects Knox to push for the starting job immediately, and he's currently leading the team in receiving yards.

Recommendation: Worth a look in 12-team leagues

Devery Henderson, Saints – Henderson is similar to Knox in that Drew Brees is spreading the ball to all of his receivers as well as tight end Jeremy Shockey. Profiling as a situational deep threat, Henderson is hardly the type of receiver I go for in fantasy leagues, but he's been the second most targeted Saints wideout for two straight weeks. He'll continue to be a risk/reward fantasy play, but Brees' MVP caliber play in the high-flying New Orleans offense makes him a worthwhile gamble for now.

Recommendation: Worth a look in 12-team leagues

Nate Washington, Titans – Washington looked fully healthy in Week 2, rushing one time for 14 yards and adding four receptions for 36 yards and a touchdown on seven targets. The Titans have a tough matchup against the Jets in Week 3, but Washington should be a fantasy option the following week against the Jaguars' leaky secondary.

Recommendation: Worth a look in 12-team leagues

Watch List - Nate Burleson, Steve Breaston, Chansi Stuckey, Chaz Schilens, Bobby Wade, Jason Avant, Kelley Washington

<!--RW-->

</FONT+1>RUNNING BACKS

Tashard Choice, Cowboys – An MRI confirmed that Marion Barber has a quadriceps strain, which certainly isn't a surprise to anyone who saw him go down like he got snipered Sunday night. Coach Wade Phillips is in "wait and see" mode on MBIII's availability for Monday Night Football, but a Dallas TV station is reporting that the starter will miss 1-2 weeks. If the latter is true, Felix Jones would likely split carries with Choice, making Choice an intriguing flex play against the Panthers this week.

Recommendation: Should be owned in 12-team leagues

Rashard Mendenhall, Steelers – I'm with Michael Lombardi on this one. With no burst or explosion, Willie Parker is either injured or done as a starting running back. Lombardi predicts that Mendenhall will take over as "the main back" and that Week 2 "might be the last time we see Willie Parker." Mike Tomlin won't see it as quite so cut-and-dried, so Parker isn't out of the picture just yet. Mendenhall is worth stashing in case he takes over as the lead back, but he's not a starting option until that happens.

Recommendation: Should be owned in all leagues

Michael Bush, Raiders – Though he's not necessarily the goal-line back, Bush is being used as the thunder to Darren McFadden's lightning. Through two games, he has 21 rushes to 29 for McFadden. Expect this situation to mirror that of Tennessee's backfield. Bush won't see as many vulture opportunities as LenDale White, but he's a more dynamic runner.

Recommendation: Should be owned in 12-team leagues

Justin Forsett, Seahawks – Let's not get overly excited just yet. Forsett is a better use of a roster spot than Edgerrin James, but his late-game production against the 49ers was a product of situation. As the Seahawks best pass-catching back, Forsett was filling the Mewelde Moore role in a comeback attempt. Starter Julius Jones was ineffective and had his forearm wrapped in ice after the game, but there's been no indication that the injury will affect his Week 3 status. Expect Forsett to continue to be used in a change of pace role.

Recommendation: Should be owned in deeper leagues

Chris Brown, Texans - Starter Steve Slaton has already come under fire, with coach Gary Kubiak concerned that he's fumbled three times in 26 carries. Slaton is averaging a unbelievably low 2.0 yards per carry thus far, significantly below Brown's own mediocre 3.6 average. Slaton is obviously in no danger of losing the job outright, but Brown is already taking red zone carries. With Slaton's checkered injury history at West Virginia, Brown is worth a stash in larger leagues.

Recommendation: Worth a look in deeper leagues

Watch List - Michael Bennett, Lynell Hamilton

</FONT+1>QUARTERBACKS

Matt Cassel, Chiefs – After starting the season on the sidelines with a knee injury, Cassel was dropped in quite a few leagues. While he's still plenty rusty and facing a tough early-season schedule, Cassel's 39 pass attempts against the Raiders were promising. Todd Haley will continue to run a spread-heavy offense, and the pass attempts will remain high to compensate for a generous defense. If Cassel was dropped, pick him up and stash him as a QB2.

Recommendation: Should be owned in 12-team leagues

Byron Leftwich, Buccaneers – These aren't your Monte Kiffin Bucs. The defense has been unable to stop big plays on the ground and through the air, leaving Leftwich to chuck the ball 91 times in two games. There's no quick defensive fix on the horizon either. As much as they want to control the clock on the offense, they'll have to continue to air it out. Leftwich makes for a fine QB2 as a bye week fill-in.

Recommendation: Should be owned in 12-team leagues

Jake Delhomme, Panthers – Understandably left for the dead after a disastrous Week 1 effort, Delhomme was subsequently dropped in many leagues. The hardened veteran bounced back against the Falcons, avoiding a turnover until his 41st and final throw of the game. Better still, he topped 300 yards for the first time since early in the 2007 season. With the Panthers defense taking a major step back from last season, Delhomme's pass attempts will be on the rise.

Recommendation: Worth a look in 12-team leagues

Kevin Kolb, Eagles – Kolb's Week 2 stats were fluky, coming as they were with the Eagles in catch-up mode against the Saints high-powered offense. Expect Philly to run more against the Chiefs this week, leaving Kolb with a significant drop in passing attempts. With Michael Vick also looming for 10-12 Wildcat plays, Kolb shouldn't be used except in leagues that start two quarterbacks.

Recommendation: Worth a look in deeper leagues

Watch List - Seneca Wallace

</FONT+1>TIGHT ENDS

Brent Celek, Eagles – He's still unowned in too many leagues. Celek is averaging seven catches through two games and is right there with DeSean Jackson as the first looks in the passing game. Donovan McNabb's injury is a non-factor as Celek's roommate Kevin Kolb targeted the tight end 11 times in the Week 2 loss to the Saints. Pick him up in all leagues that utilize tight ends.

Recommendation: Should be owned in all leagues

Todd Heap, Ravens – Joe Flacco's improvement is for real, and Heap is his steadiest red zone weapon. The Ravens will continue to be a run-first offense, which will leave Heap just shy of TE1 status all season. Consider him a better pickup in TD-heavy leagues.

Recommendation: Should be owned in 12-team leagues

Marcedes Lewis, Jaguars – The former first-rounder was targeted five times in Week 2, hauling in three passes for 62 yards and a touchdown. He had just three catches for 23 yards in Week 1, so keep expectations in line. Lewis is little more than a bye week fill-in.

Recommendation: Worth a look in deeper leagues

Watch List - Jermichael Finley, Shawn Nelson, Brandon Pettigrew

</FONT+1>DEFENSE/SPECIAL TEAMS

49ers - The run defense is allowing just 1.6 yards per carry to starting running backs and putting pressure on opposing quarterbacks. Mike Singletary's smashmouth unit is one of the NFL's 10 best defenses.

Recommendation: Worth a look in 12-team leagues

Broncos - Currently the NFL's second-ranked defense after allowing just 13 total points to the two Ohio teams, Mike Nolan's new 3-4 scheme is producing immediate results. The Broncos head to Oakland to face the league's most inaccurate quarterback in Week 3.

Recommendation: Worth picking up as a matchup play

Packers - Cedric Benson rolled right over them on Sunday, but the secondary has been ballhawking the first two weeks. In Week 3, they have an inviting matchup against a Rams team struggling to pass block to the point where they've scored just six points on the season.

Recommendation: Worth picking up as a matchup play

 

[HacheMan]

Fence-Sitting with MBIII


An MRI on Marion Barber's leg confirmed that he has a quadriceps strain. ESPN.com's Matt Mosley first reported that he has a 50-50 shot to play against the Panthers on Monday Night Football with official word from Wade Phillips being "wait and see." KSAX-TV in Dallas-Ft. Worth then reported that MBIII is out 1-2 weeks, but no other outlet picked up on that timetable. Later in the day Mosley updated his report, indicating that Barber was still holding out hope of playing after receiving treatment in the morning. ESPN's Ed Werder agreed, labeling Barber's status as "day to day."

The upshot is that MBIII owners will be playing the waiting game, possibly going down to the wire on Monday night. Considering the nature of the injury and the Cowboys' possession of a quality backup, Tashard Choice, it would be surprising if Dallas pushed the issue. Barber owners facing a Monday night do-or-die decision should seek alternatives this week.

Should Barber miss the contest, Choice and Felix Jones would both be in line for heavier workloads. Choice tore through a string of dominant defenses last December, so fantasy owners know he can produce if given the opportunity. He and Jones would likely split carries, leaving the duo as intriguing flex plays against a vulnerable Panthers run defense hurting for defensive tackles. Unfortunately, Choice may not be worth the risk unless we receive indications before Sunday that Barber will be held out for Week 3.

Editor's Note: For early rankings, complete projections, and a host of other exclusive material for Week 3, head to Rotoworld's Season Pass.

Texans coach Gary Kubiak was hardly a staunch Steve Slaton supporter on Monday, criticizing his production and early-season fumbling issues. "He can definitely run better," Kubiak said. "My concern with him, as I told him today, he's got three balls on the ground in (26) carries in two games. That can't happen."

As if the fumbling and 2.0 yards per carry weren't depressing enough, Kubiak piled on, expressing regret for passing on Bengals RB Cedric Benson in free agency. "We had our chance with Cedric in free agency. It just didn't work out," said Kubiak. "You know, hindsight is 20-20. We've got to play with the people we've got." Kubiak's comments aren't exactly a ringing endorsement of Slaton, who has been the lynch-pin in the NFL's worst rushing attack.

I had a hard time seeing the merits of Slaton as a first- or even second-round pick this year, so I'd stop short of recommending him as a buy-low even with his obvious early struggles. Chris Brown saw 25 second-half snaps in Week 2 versus just eight for the starter. Unless he gets injured – a distinct possibility – Brown isn't going away in the red zone. If you were hoping that Slaton would match last year's production, it's time to adjust expectations. He's a RB2 at best right now.

Chargers coach Norv Turner is holding out hope that LaDainian Tomlinson (ankle) will play in Week 3, but said he'll prepare to play the Dolphins without him. The same goes for center Nick Hardwick (ankle). Beat writer Kevin Acee raised the possibility that the Chargers could hold out both players through their Week 5 bye, but it seemed like speculation rather than reporting. Regardless, Darren Sproles is looking like a good start again this week.

An MRI revealed that Mike Bell has a sprained MCL but no structural damage. While it's good news for Bell, early indications are that his Week 3 status is in jeopardy.
It's the same injury that has kept Pierre Thomas out for nearly a month. The Saints have yet to put a timetable on Bell's recovery, but expect Thomas and Reggie Bush to share the load this week.

Two-Minute Drill: Plaxico Burress was sentenced to two years in prison Tuesday morning and has already begun serving his sentence. … Chiefs coach Todd Haley confirmed that Matt Cassel will start against the Eagles, but he's on a short leash this season with the coaching staff confident in backup Brodie Croyle. … Brandon Marshall is reportedly struggling early this season because he doesn't have a firm grip on the Broncos offense. All of the offseason drama is catching up to him on the field. … The Chicago Sun-Times expects rookie WR Johnny Knox to start pushing Earl Bennett for the starting job. … Steelers ILB Lawrence Timmons (ankle) will resume every-down duties this week against the Bengals. … Jags WR Mike Sims-Walker has ascended to the starting lineup with Troy Williamson (shoulder) out for the season. … Giants WR Domenik Hixon has already lost the starting flanker job to Mario Manningham. … Cowboys signed former Jags RB Chauncey Washington to the practice squad. … Browns waived 2008 fourth-round TE Martin Rucker and replaced him with former Jaguars TE Greg Estandia. … Ravens traded LB Prescott Burgess to the Pats for a conditional seventh-round draft pick.

Red Zone: Donovan McNabb's rib injury is improving, but he doesn't know if he'll be ready for Sunday's game against the Chiefs. Philly has a Week 4 bye, so we expect to see Kevin Kolb for one more game. … Coach Jim Mora is planning to face the Bears with Seneca Wallace, but Matt Hasselbeck (fractured ribs) hasn't been ruled out yet. … Bucs WR Antonio Bryant said a bone bruise – not complications from August knee surgery – is keeping him sidelined. He won't play in Week 3. … Coach Gary Kubiak said it "looks positive" for Kevin Walter's (hamstring) status this week, but make sure he puts in a full week of practice. … Santonio Holmes was sporting a large wrap on his wrist/hand, but the injury isn't expected to threaten his Week 3 status. … Seahawks WR Deion Branch (hamstring) is expected to practice fully this week. … Giants DE Justin Tuck is expected to miss 1-2 weeks with the shoulder injury suffered in Sunday night's game. … Bills placed TE Derek Schouman and RT Brad Butler on injured reserve with knee injuries. … Bucs FS Jermaine Phillips is out for the season with a broken thumb

 

[HacheMan]

Red Zone Report

Although there are still the rare Adrian Petersons of the world, the majority of RBs we use in fantasy football have the threat of other players on their own team stealing valuable carries from them. While many fantasy owners rely on familiar stats to confirm their beliefs that their players will produce touchdowns and all around fantasy goodness, they don't tell the whole story.

Any player can get a couple of long fluke runs, but the majority of a valuable RBs' touchdowns will come in typical scoring situations: inside the red zone (20 yards and in) and inside the goal line (5 yards and in).

Consequently, you should pay attention to stats that reflect how often your backs are getting the ball in scoring situations (because that's where the bulk of fantasy points are found). This is where I come in. The stats you will see here are found nowhere else, and will give you insight into which running backs are most likely to score touchdowns and win you your fantasy league.

The two most important stats you'll see are Red Zone Carry % and Goal Line Carry %, these stats are pretty self explanatory, and they indicate what percentage of his team's carries a running back is getting in each situation: the higher, the better. With all that said, let's get to what we've seen the past 2 weeks.

Stock Up

Cedric Benson, Bengals RB

After failing in spectacular fashion in Chicago, Benson is running like its 2004 and he's a Longhorn at Texas. He seems to have regained some of the burst and decisiveness that was missing in Chicago (and missing is kind, he looked less athletic than Tom Delay on Dancing With The Stars), and the Bengals have become believers.

Benson has gotten the call on 89% of Cincinatti's handoffs in the Red Zone, and more importantly, has received every Goal Line carry. With Carson Palmer looking like he's close to returning to 06' form, and the Bengals having no viable challengers to steal his carries, its looks like Cedric Benson owners may have gotten one of the steals of the draft.

Reggie Bush, Saints RB

We frequently see athletes who have been so lamented for being overrated, that they end up becoming underrated. Reggie Bush is a perfect example of this. No, he's not going to match the hype of being the next Barry Sanders, but don't sleep on him for disappointing you, he can still be a very valuable player, especially in Fantasy Football.

Contrary to popular belief, Bush has not been relegated to only catching screen passes, while leaving the hand offs for the big boys. Bush has seen a large chunk of the Saints Red Zone carries (45%), and 1 of the 3 carries from the Goal Line. And while this is an encouraging sign that Bush is a major part of the running game in scoring situations, there's even more to get excited about.

Bush has also been targeted with 5 passes inside the Red Zone. All this attention has resulted in Bush having the MOST Red Zone attempts (carries + targets) in the NFL with 13, meaning he's getting more chances to score than anyone in football. This could be Reggie Bush's breakout year, the one we have all stopped waiting for.

Leon Washington, Jets RB

Since being drafted, the conventional wisdom concerning Leon Washington was: "he's good in small doses, but his weaknesses would be exposed as an every down running back." Each year since being plucked out of the 4th round from Florida State, Leon has chipped away at this reputation; it looks like he may have finally cracked it.

Despite being paired up with 08 AFC rushing champ, "Little" Leon has secured 66% of the Jets' Red Zone carries. Most likely this number won't continue to be so high, but if it can hover around 45%, these new scoring opportunities give the explosive back (who has breakaway speed, ala Chris Johnson) a huge boost in value.

Jets coach Rex Ryan came from Baltimore's 3 back running game, so there's no reason to think his usage of Leon in the first 2 weeks is a fluke. Also, don't bailout on Thomas Jones quite yet, the Jets run dominant offense should ensure plenty of carries for both players.

Marion Barber, Cowboys RB

While this "Stock Up" may strike you as odd because of his injury issue, Barber's dominance of the running game in Dallas has forced him here. The eye opening performances of Felix Jones and Tashard Choice, coupled with Barber's poor second half of 08', led many to believe the Cowboys would use a 3-headed monster at RB this year.

It seemed that Barber's value would be diminished as a result of sharing valuable carries with the two 2nd year RBs. Unexpectedly, Barber has been given nearly all the important carries for the Cowboys. He has gotten 80% of Red Zone carries and 6 out of the 7 Goal Line carries, which leaves him tied with Adrian Peterson for the most GL carries on the season (not bad company, huh?). As long as his injury doesn't end up being too bad, Barber should find himself back among the top 10 RBs.
<!--RW-->

Situations to Watch Very Closely

DeAngelo Williams vs. Jonathan Stewart, Panthers RBs
DeAngelo Williams was the biggest surprise of last season, and while it seems like he'll still be a quality RB, a healthy Jonathan Stewart looks like he will have an impact of his value this season. In the first 2 weeks it has looked like the Panthers are content with splitting carries at a 60:40 ratio (30 carries for DeAngelo so far, 20 for Stewart) In scoring situations, however, the split has been much more even with DeAngelo receiving 4 GL carries to Stewarts 3 (6 to 5 in the Red Zone total).

On a talent basis alone, both RBs have the ability to be every down players, Williams edge appears to be his pass catching ability. The Panthers targeted him with 7 of their 14 Red Zone passing attempts, tying him with Reggie Bush for the lead in RZ chances. This will most likely be a situation similar to the Jets, where the unreliable Quarterback results in enough carries for both players to be valuable. However, with Stewart leeching valuable touches, it seems unlikely that DeAngelo Williams will end up being worth the first round pick that it took to get him.

Ray Rice vs. Willis McGahee vs. Le'Ron McClain, Ravens RBs
Coming into this season, it was announced that Ray Rice would be the starting RB for that Ravens, it looks like Coach John Harbaugh isn't so sure about that. While Ray Rice has gotten his fair share of carries between the 20s, he has only received 17% of Goal Line carries (25% of Red Zone carries). This should be very alarming for anyone who drafted
Rice with the intention of starting him.

The once forgotten Willis McGahee has been called on for 66% of the Ravens' Goal Line carries, and he looks to be the favorite to continue getting chances in scoring opportunity.

Unlike last season, McClain doesn't seem to be much of a factor in stealing Goal Line carries, only receiving 17% so far.
Although I believe in Ray Rice's ability to be an every down back, it looks like the Ravens might not; it may be time to move Ray Rice for 70 cents on the dollar, while he still has a value near the one you drafted him at.

Cadillac Williams vs. Derrick Ward, Bucs RBs

After signing Derrick Ward, it appeared the Buc's had found their feature running back. Then, just before the start of the season, Cadillac Williams was named the Buc's starter. And while Cadillac has been impressive in the first 2 weeks, Ward has also gotten his share of the pie. In fact, Ward was called upon for 60% of the Bucs Goal Line carries, converting for 1 TD.

Cadillac also scored a touchdown on one of his 2 Goal Line carries, but if this split persists, buying into the Cadillac hype could get you burned. Despite naming Cadillac, the Bucs have split the carries quite evenly, and certainly won't forget about Derrick Ward, their biggest summer acquisition. It's still just 2 games, but this is definitely a situation worth watching, as Ward and Cadillac both seem to have the talent to excel if one of them gain control in this Goal Line timeshare.

LaDainian Tomlinson vs. Darren Sproles, Chargers RBs

LT still thinks he's an elite RB, but he might be the only one. Although the Chargers have had only 3 Goal Line carries (2 of which went to Darren Sproles), it seems like LT has lost his tight grasp of the job. I don't think Sproles will get even 50% of the Goal Line carries when LT comes back, but if the little RB can get 40%, it will take a huge chunk of value out of the fallen fantasy stud LT.

Ole Reliable

Steven Jackson, Rams RB
Jackson has gotten 100% of Goal Line carries and Red Zone carries, and this shocks no one. Start him with confidence each week.

Maurice Jones-Drew, Jaguars RB
As expected, MJD has been called on for all of the Jaguars Goal Line carries, and 89% of Red Zone carries. With Fred Taylor gone, it looks like this will continue all year.

Michael Turner, Falcons RB
"The Burner" also has been given 100% of his teams' carries from the 5 yard line and in, and only lost 1 carry in the Red Zone to another player. Much like last season, Turner will be the Falcons horse, in and out of scoring situations.

Clinton Portis, Redskins RB
Portis has gotten the nod for 11 of 13 Red Zone carries (good for the highest total in the NFL), he also received the 1 Goal Line carry the Redskins had. CP is another sure fire back, who will get nearly all of Washington opportunities to score on the ground.

Kevin Smith, Lions RB
Once again, Smith is the Lions most reliable offensive player (Calvin Johnson must rely on Stafford to get him the ball), and despite his lack of breakaway speed, Smith is going to get close to all of the Lions' carries in scoring situations. On the year he has 80% of Goal Line carries, 82% of Red Zone carries, and is near the top of the NFL with his 11 Red Zone chances (carries + targets). He's not a stud, but as a result of his death grip on the Lions job, he should be a solid RB2 each week.

Adrian Peterson, Vikings RB
This goes without saying, but I'll say it. All Day has gotten 6 of 7 Goal Line carries, clearly still has his firm grip on the job (yea, I know that's obvious, that's why its at the end).

 

[HacheMan]

Hold the applause for possible frauds

By Matt Pitzer,

Think you might have been a little over the top if you were ready to dump Jay Cutler, Jake Delhomme, Matt Schaub or Carson Palmer after their ugly games in Week 1?
Those quarterbacks saved their fantasy reputations with impressive games in Week 2. Going forward, you can depend on them for some production instead of worrying about them turning into complete busts.
Certainly, other potential sleepers, including players such as the Washington Redskins' Jason Campbell and the Jacksonville Jaguars' David Garrard, have yet to show much. If you were counting on those players or teams, you might need to reassess.
A look at some of the early-season ugly ducklings and their future prospects:
•Arizona Cardinals: You might not need to immediately dump star wide receivers Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin, but all is not good for the Cardinals. Kurt Warner put up solid numbers and an incredible 92% completion percentage against the Jaguars, but he looks old and bothered by hip and/or shoulder injuries. Stay with Warner if he is your starter, but make sure to have adequate backup plans. Likewise, as long as Warner is serviceable, you can start Fitzgerald and Boldin. But just for giggles, you might see what you can get in a trade.

•Carolina Panthers: Against the Atlanta Falcons, Jake Delhomme showed he still has something in the tank. Should you start him with confidence? Not yet, especially against what will be a fired-up Dallas Cowboys team Monday night. But don't have a fire sale for Steve Smith and DeAngelo Williams, both of whom had strong games in Week 2 despite another Panthers loss.
•Chicago Bears: Don't sound the all-clear for Cutler even after he beat the defending Super Bowl champion Pittsburgh Steelers. With Cutler, you will have to take the good and bad games. If you can predict them, great. If you can't, then Cutler turns into a risky start.
The next two games, at the Seattle Seahawks and at home against the Detroit Lions, look good for him on paper, but don't try predicting beyond the Bears' bye week. Plus, the team's wide receiver rotation is no more clear than it was two weeks ago, and as the Bears crank up running back Matt Forte, Cutler's chances will go down.
•Cincinnati Bengals: In hindsight, Palmer's first game back after missing most of last season against what now looks like a better-than-expected Denver Broncos defense might not have been the best time to judge him. Palmer ought to continue to get more comfortable, although he might not return to being an automatic start. The Bengals will lose too many games, and Palmer looks like he has the interception bug.
•Houston Texans: In reality, Schaub and wide receiver Andre Johnson are neither as awful as they looked in Week 1 nor as unbeatable as they were against the Tennessee Titans. And Steve Slaton is not as useless as he has been for two weeks; don't make the mistake of dumping him. Check out the Texans' schedule: home against the Jaguars and Oakland Raiders, then at Arizona and at the Bengals. That could be a good offensive month, especially now that the Texans have some confidence after a 34-31 victory in Tennessee.
•Jacksonville Jaguars: A couple of last-gasp touchdowns in a futile comeback effort do not obscure the Jaguars' more significant problems. Simply put: They have no reliable offensive playmakers outside of running back Maurice Jones-Drew. Sometimes, you might stumble across a good game, but do not be fooled into thinking it's more than an aberration.
•Washington Redskins: Scoring only three field goals against the St. Louis Rams is a giant red flag. While Campbell has completed almost 69% of his passes through two starts, he also is wildly erratic when he misses. Tight end Chris Cooley is the only safe receiving option. Even Santana Moss against the Lions is a risky play.

 

[HacheMan]

Problems for Pierre?

Pierre Thomas can accept missing more than a month because of a knee injury. He understands that Reggie Bush is going to get five to ten carries per game. He might even be able to deal with Mike Bell tearing through defenses and forcing himself into a potential timeshare.

But one name Thomas probably can't wrap his head around is Lynell Hamilton. As in, am I seriously going to share carries with Lynell Hamilton this week?

According to yesterday's news out of Saints' practice, that's exactly what is going to happen. Hamilton, Thomas and Bush shared the first-team reps while Bell watched with a knee injury of his own. And according to one report, Hamilton got the majority of those reps. First, let's meet Mr. Hamilton.

He was a decent prospect when he arrived at San Diego State but injuries marred his college career. Hamilton went undrafted in 2008, latched onto the Saints practice squad and impressed coaches with his power at 6'0/235. Despite averaging 3.2 yards per carry (YPC) and fumbling twice in the preseason, he made the team as the No. 4 running back over P.J. Hill.

The real story here is that Thomas is not 100 percent yet. He wore a big brace while playing sparingly in Week 2 and said he felt fatigued from it. It's not in the Saints' best interests right now to give Thomas 20 touches. Reggie Bush isn't a good running back and coach Sean Payton knows that. So it only makes sense that Hamilton is in the mix.

Bottom line: Add Hamilton in deep leagues but only use him as a desperation flex play. Use Thomas a low-end flex play. Bush's role will not be much different than what it was in Weeks 1 and 2.

Editor's Note: For rankings, complete projections, and a host of other exclusive material for Week 3, head to Rotoworld's Season Pass.

NEWS OF THE DAY #2
Matt Forte has 84 rushing yards and an ugly 2.2 YPC so far this season. The Bears have 74 passing attempts vs. 49 rushing attempts. So here's a quote from coach Lovie Smith that should make Forte owners back away from the ledge:

"As much as anything we have to keep the carries going. The amount of carries will keep going what you want with the running game," Smith said. "We want to get the running game going."

The Bears are breaking in three new offensive linemen, but that's not a major concern. If Forte doesn't go for 120 total yards against the Seahawks Sunday, then we'll be worried. Consider Forte a strong buy low for the next three days.

Speaking of buy lows, here's our top five right now:
1. Matt Forte - See above.
2. Greg Olsen - Jay Cutler said he's just taking what is given. Defenses are taking Olsen away right now, but Cutler warned that "[Olsen] might have a 10-catch game coming up."
3. Greg Jennings - Pounce on him if anyone is panicking off the zero-catch disaster in Week 2.
4. Steve Slaton - The same people that wrote off Matt Schaub after Week 1 are writing off Slaton now.
5.Derrick Ward - Not to be mean, but does anyone really think Carnell Williams is going to get through a whole season?

NEWS OF THE DAY #3
The most surprising injury development of the day was that Marion Barber (quad strain) actually practiced. Just three days after looking like he got shot while going in for a touchdown, the Barbarian was out there jogging and catching balls like he normally would.

Running backs coach Skip Peete evaluated the situation most clearly: "The other two know that their roles are going to have to be picked up a bit. Even if [Barber] is healthy, he may not be able to take as much of a load as he has taken in the past."

Peete was referring to Felix Jones and Tashard Choice. They should both be owned in all leagues.

Editor's Note: For rankings, complete projections, and a host of other exclusive material for Week 3, head to Rotoworld's Season Pass.

INJURY QUICK SLANTS
LaDainian Tomlinson (ankle) didn't practice and ESPN's Adam Schefter thinks the Chargers will consider it a "bonus" if LT2 plays Sunday. It will likely be the Darren Sproles show again. … Jamal Lewis missed practice with a hamstring injury. He could be even slower than usual if he plays Sunday. … Adrian Peterson surprisingly showed up on the injury report with a back injury and was limited in practice. He'll be fine for to take on the 49ers. … Donovan McNabb (ribs) missed practice again but did some light throwing. It would be a shock if Kevin Kolb doesn't start again this week. … The swelling in Brian Westbrook's ankle has gone down but he missed practice and will probably be questionable this week. You knew this was coming when you drafted him. … DeSean Jackson (groin) missed practice but his injury is not considered serious. … Antonio Bryant (knee) participated in a walkthrough but still isn't practicing fully. Don't count on him. … Kurt Warner practiced fully despite saying he aggravated a shoulder injury in Week 2. … Wes Welker (hamstring) didn't take any reps at practice and will probably be a game-time decision again. … Kevin Walter (hamstring) returned to a limited practice and will also probably be a game-time decision. … Shawn Nelson (shoulder) was limited but should be fine for Sunday. He's the Bills' best receiving tight end and should see more snaps with Derek Schouman out for the year. … Maurice Stovall (knee) sat out Bucs practice, opening the door for rookie Sammie Stroughter or Brian Clark. … Limas Sweed (foot) returned to practice and will resume his efforts to take the No. 3 job away from Mike Wallace.

DEEPER THAN DEEP
In honor of Lynell Hamilton and Julian Edelman, here are five guys that aren't doing anything right now but could be before it's all said and done:

1. Matt Leinart - If I own Warner, I also own Leinart right now. If/when Captain Kurt goes down, Leinart will be better than the Kyle Orton/David Garrard tier.
2. Shonn Greene - The rookie is one Thomas Jones ankle sprain away from meaningful carries.
3. LeRon McClain - Willis McGahee's knees aren't exactly in tip-top shape.
4. Dantrell Savage - He's moved ahead of Jamaal Charles for now on Todd Haley's wacky depth chart.
5. Ladell Betts - Clinton Portis is screaming down the other side of that mountain pretty quickly.

 

[HacheMan]

Week 3 Rankings

Calvin Johnson owners don't need to worry about Matthew Stafford.

The transition to a rookie quarterback is a big concern for any wide receiver, much less a guy that owners invested a top-15 pick on. But watching Johnson in his third year, it doesn't take long to remember that he's not any wide receiver. He's Adrian Peterson lined up wide. Megatron breaks the rules.

The new Lions staff know what they have in Johnson, and seem determined to feed him the ball, on short routes and longs, and on handoffs. He's more versatile than a season ago. Johnson's numbers don't jump off the page yet, but he was a penalty and an overthrow from Stafford away from another 100 yards and a score last week.

Stafford's typical rookie mistakes – throwing across his body, trying to force the action – do not cover up his talent. He makes a few throws per game that wow you, and he doesn't lack aggressiveness, which is important for Johnson owners.

Stafford won't rack up the rookie wins of Matt Ryan, Joe Flacco, or Mark Sanchez, but we think the NFL has found a quality pair of rookie quarterbacks for the second straight year. With Stafford forced to throw so often because the Lions are trailing, Johnson will rack up consistent numbers throughout the year.

By December, when Stafford has learned a few more tricks, Calvin should be ready to pass that other Johnson and Larry Fitzgerald as fantasy's best.

Editor's Note: Fantasy Fix Live</B> is back for season 3, coming at you every Sunday at 11AM. We know it's tough to get through on the phones, so send us your questions via webcam and be part of the show.

[SIZE=+1]Week 3 Quarterbacks[/SIZE]

<TABLE width="100%"><TBODY><TR class=TableTopRed><TD>Rank</TD><TD>Player Name</TD><TD>Opponent</TD><TD>Notes</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>1</TD><TD>Drew Brees</TD><TD>at BUF</TD><TD>Probable(shoulder)</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>2</TD><TD>Peyton Manning</TD><TD>at ARZ</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>3</TD><TD>Matt Schaub</TD><TD>vs. JAC</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>4</TD><TD>Tom Brady</TD><TD>vs. ATL</TD><TD></TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>5</TD><TD>Philip Rivers</TD><TD>vs. MIA</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>6</TD><TD>Aaron Rodgers</TD><TD>at STL</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>7</TD><TD>Tony Romo</TD><TD>vs. CAR</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>8</TD><TD>Matt Ryan</TD><TD>at NE</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>9</TD><TD>Eli Manning</TD><TD>at TB</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>10</TD><TD>Ben Roethlisberger</TD><TD>at CIN</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>11</TD><TD>Carson Palmer</TD><TD>vs. PIT</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>12</TD><TD>Kurt Warner</TD><TD>vs. IND</TD><TD></TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>13</TD><TD>Trent Edwards</TD><TD>vs. NO</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>14</TD><TD>Jay Cutler</TD><TD>at SEA</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>15</TD><TD>Joe Flacco</TD><TD>vs. CLE</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>16</TD><TD>Byron Leftwich</TD><TD>vs. NYG</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>17</TD><TD>David Garrard</TD><TD>at HOU</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>18</TD><TD>Kyle Orton</TD><TD>at OAK</TD><TD>Probable(finger)</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>19</TD><TD>Jason Campbell</TD><TD>at DET</TD><TD></TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>20</TD><TD>Matt Cassel</TD><TD>at PHI</TD><TD>Probable(knee)</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>21</TD><TD>Kevin Kolb</TD><TD>vs. KC</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>22</TD><TD>Jake Delhomme</TD><TD>at DAL</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>23</TD><TD>Seneca Wallace</TD><TD>vs. CHI</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>24</TD><TD>Mark Sanchez</TD><TD>vs. TEN</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>25</TD><TD>Brett Favre</TD><TD>vs. SF</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>26</TD><TD>Chad Pennington</TD><TD>at SD</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>27</TD><TD>Kerry Collins</TD><TD>at NYJ</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>28</TD><TD>Shaun Hill</TD><TD>at MIN</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>29</TD><TD>JaMarcus Russell</TD><TD>vs. DEN</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>30</TD><TD>Marc Bulger</TD><TD>vs. GB</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>31</TD><TD>Matthew Stafford</TD><TD>vs. WAS</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>32</TD><TD>Brady Quinn</TD><TD>at BAL</TD><TD>- </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

QB Notes: Brett Favre's attempts to throw deep have been few and far between. When he's tried to throw the ball further than 20 yards, the attempts have been ugly. He's faced two poor defenses thus far, and a solid unit like San Francisco should make life very difficult on him. With that said, Favre still made a few awesome slants with pressure in his face. He can still clearly work the short game with confidence.

Tom Brady missed some throws, but last week's game was a scheme problem as much as anything. There were free rushers coming at Brady every play. The Patriots are usually good fixing these types of problems long term. Atlanta's defense has impressed thus far and John Abraham could destroy Matt Light. … Aaron Rodgers has easily built up enough faith over his 18 starts to play him with confidence in St. Louis, no matter how many times he got sacked last week.

Matt Schaub deserved the player of the week award. He padded his stats with a few plays on blown coverages, but he also put some amazing passes into tiny windows. I was especially impressed because he threw a couple of them with pressure in his face. Jacksonville's secondary can't hold up against the Houston passing attack for four quarters. … Philip Rivers has a chance to be a top-three fantasy quarterback with the way this Chargers season is setting up, and he's certainly good enough to pull it off. … Eli Manning should have another strong day against a decrepit Bucs defense. He's playing excellent football, a continuation of his maturation from the start of last year.

Trent Edwards should rack up a lot of yards against New Orleans, trying to keep up with the Saints offense. … There is very little separating our tenth quarterback and Joe Flacco at 15. They are all quality options. … The Steelers are a lot easier to throw against than run, so I'm not that worried abut Carson Palmer. … The Cardinals offense isn't explosive yet, and the Colts defense will make them move the ball slowly. Kurt Warner is a good, not great, option at this stage. It sounds weird, but the Cardinals post hip surgery offense has some developing to do.

Note: For projections to every player ranked here plugged into your league's scoring system, check out Rotoworld's Season Pass
<!--RW-->
[SIZE=+1]Week 3 Running Backs[/SIZE]

<TABLE width="100%"><TBODY><TR class=TableTopRed><TD>Rank</TD><TD>Player Name</TD><TD>Opponent</TD><TD>Notes</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>1</TD><TD>Adrian Peterson</TD><TD>vs. SF</TD><TD></TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>2</TD><TD>Maurice Jones-Drew</TD><TD>at HOU</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>3</TD><TD>Frank Gore</TD><TD>at MIN</TD><TD></TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>4</TD><TD>Chris Johnson</TD><TD>at NYJ</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>5</TD><TD>Matt Forte</TD><TD>at SEA</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>6</TD><TD>Fred Jackson</TD><TD>vs. NO</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>7</TD><TD>Michael Turner</TD><TD>at NE</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>8</TD><TD>Clinton Portis</TD><TD>at DET</TD><TD>Probable(ankle)</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>9</TD><TD>DeAngelo Williams</TD><TD>at DAL</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>10</TD><TD>Steven Jackson</TD><TD>vs. GB</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>11</TD><TD>Steve Slaton</TD><TD>vs. JAC</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>12</TD><TD>Brandon Jacobs</TD><TD>at TB</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>13</TD><TD>Ronnie Brown</TD><TD>at SD</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>14</TD><TD>Darren McFadden</TD><TD>vs. DEN</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>15</TD><TD>Darren Sproles</TD><TD>vs. MIA</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>16</TD><TD>Brian Westbrook</TD><TD>vs. KC</TD><TD></TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>17</TD><TD>Willis McGahee</TD><TD>vs. CLE</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>18</TD><TD>Ryan Grant</TD><TD>at STL</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>19</TD><TD>Ray Rice</TD><TD>vs. CLE</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>20</TD><TD>Tashard Choice</TD><TD>vs. CAR</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>21</TD><TD>Felix Jones</TD><TD>vs. CAR</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>22</TD><TD>Kevin Smith</TD><TD>vs. WAS</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>23</TD><TD>Tim Hightower</TD><TD>vs. IND</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>24</TD><TD>Jonathan Stewart</TD><TD>at DAL</TD><TD>Probable(heel)</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>25</TD><TD>Reggie Bush</TD><TD>at BUF</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>26</TD><TD>Cedric Benson</TD><TD>vs. PIT</TD><TD>Probable(ankle)</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>27</TD><TD>Leon Washington</TD><TD>vs. TEN</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>28</TD><TD>Donald Brown</TD><TD>at ARZ</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>29</TD><TD>Thomas Jones</TD><TD>vs. TEN</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>30</TD><TD>Carnell Williams</TD><TD>vs. NYG</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>31</TD><TD>Derrick Ward</TD><TD>vs. NYG</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>32</TD><TD>Chris Wells</TD><TD>vs. IND</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>33</TD><TD>Lynell Hamilton</TD><TD>at BUF</TD><TD></TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>34</TD><TD>Joseph Addai</TD><TD>at ARZ</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>35</TD><TD>Ahmad Bradshaw</TD><TD>at TB</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>36</TD><TD>Pierre Thomas</TD><TD>at BUF</TD><TD>Questionable(knee)</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>37</TD><TD>Michael Bush</TD><TD>vs. DEN</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>38</TD><TD>Knowshon Moreno</TD><TD>at OAK</TD><TD>Probable(knee)</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>39</TD><TD>Willie Parker</TD><TD>at CIN</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>40</TD><TD>Larry Johnson</TD><TD>at PHI</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>41</TD><TD>Julius Jones</TD><TD>vs. CHI</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>42</TD><TD>LeSean McCoy</TD><TD>vs. KC</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>43</TD><TD>Jamal Lewis</TD><TD>at BAL</TD><TD>Questionable(neck)</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>44</TD><TD>Correll Buckhalter</TD><TD>at OAK</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>45</TD><TD>Fred Taylor</TD><TD>vs. ATL</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>46</TD><TD>Rashard Mendenhall</TD><TD>at CIN</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>47</TD><TD>LenDale White</TD><TD>at NYJ</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>48</TD><TD>Laurence Maroney</TD><TD>vs. ATL</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>49</TD><TD>Chris Brown</TD><TD>vs. JAC</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>50</TD><TD>Ricky Williams</TD><TD>at SD</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>51</TD><TD>Justin Forsett</TD><TD>vs. CHI</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>52</TD><TD>Ladell Betts</TD><TD>at DET</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>53</TD><TD>Chester Taylor</TD><TD>vs. SF</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>54</TD><TD>Glen Coffee</TD><TD>at MIN</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>55</TD><TD>Mewelde Moore</TD><TD>at CIN</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>56</TD><TD>LeRon McClain</TD><TD>vs. CLE</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>57</TD><TD>Dantrell Savage</TD><TD>at PHI</TD><TD>- </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

RB Notes: Even when Willie Parker finds a crease, he's looking for a place to lie down by the end of his runs. It's hard to say if Rashard Mendenhall would be much better, but the Steelers need to find out before long. … Steve Slaton should bounce back, but Houston's offensive line could struggle against big defensive fronts for most of the year. They just lost guard Chester Pitts for the season and were manhandled in the first two weeks. Slaton is running like he's thinking about his fumbling problem, which hasn't helped his fumbling problem. If they can't run on Jacksonville, then we have a problem. The bet here is that they will be fine.

Chris Johnson doesn't have many 4-5 yard gains, so he's been prone to down weeks more than most top backs early in his career. This week against the Jets is a great test of where he is. You obviously can't sit him, but a 100-yard effort against a quality defense will be a great sign that he's headed for 2,000 yards from scrimmage. … The Titans have much better goal-line options through the air than they did a year ago, so LenDale White is getting lost in the shuffle.

The Fred Jackson three-game path of destruction is even more delightful than I could have possibly imagined. Expect a lot of points in the Bills-Saints game, with plenty of dump off passes to Jackson. … We're not sure what Dallas rush defense is going to show up in given week, but DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart are both doing a fair impression of their 2008 roles, minus the insane amount of touchdowns. … I like Willis McGahee a little better than Ray Rice this week because his role on the goal line is hard to deny, but the key here is that they are both quality RB2s in a matchup that could results with 15-20 touches each. … San Diego's defense has lacked toughness in both of their games. Miami's running game has plenty of it; Ronnie Brown is a must-start RB2.

Cedric Benson is playing well, but not well enough to be a top-25 play against the Steelers. He runs hard and gets what's blocked. Against the Steelers, that should be good for 20 carries and 70 yards. … For now, Jerious Norwood, LaDainian Tomlinson, and Marion Barber aren't ranked. If Barber misses the game, we'd take Tashard Choice over Felix Jones. The problem here is that we won't know MBIII's status until Monday night, so you can't wait to find out unless you have Choice and Barber on your squad.

It's too early in the week to know what to think of the Lynell Hamilton situation. It could be a bluff, but we hear the Saints coaches just aren't confident in Pierre Thomas' knee yet. That makes both Hamilton and Thomas risky RB3/flex types. Reggie Bush's role shouldn't change much.

[SIZE=+1]Week 3 Wide Receivers[/SIZE]

<TABLE width="100%"><TBODY><TR class=TableTopRed><TD>Rank</TD><TD>Player Name</TD><TD>Opponent</TD><TD>Notes</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>1</TD><TD>Andre Johnson</TD><TD>vs. JAC</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>2</TD><TD>Randy Moss</TD><TD>vs. ATL</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>3</TD><TD>Larry Fitzgerald</TD><TD>vs. IND</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>4</TD><TD>Calvin Johnson</TD><TD>vs. WAS</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>5</TD><TD>Reggie Wayne</TD><TD>at ARZ</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>6</TD><TD>Marques Colston</TD><TD>at BUF</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>7</TD><TD>Roddy White</TD><TD>at NE</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>8</TD><TD>Steve Smith</TD><TD>at DAL</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>9</TD><TD>Greg Jennings</TD><TD>at STL</TD><TD>Probable(wrist)</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>10</TD><TD>Vincent Jackson</TD><TD>vs. MIA</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>11</TD><TD>Chad Ochocinco</TD><TD>vs. PIT</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>12</TD><TD>Santonio Holmes</TD><TD>at CIN</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>13</TD><TD>Wes Welker</TD><TD>vs. ATL</TD><TD>Questionable(knee)</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>14</TD><TD>Dwayne Bowe</TD><TD>at PHI</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>15</TD><TD>Terrell Owens</TD><TD>vs. NO</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>16</TD><TD>Anquan Boldin</TD><TD>vs. IND</TD><TD></TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>17</TD><TD>Jerricho Cotchery</TD><TD>vs. TEN</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>18</TD><TD>Braylon Edwards</TD><TD>at BAL</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>19</TD><TD>DeSean Jackson</TD><TD>vs. KC</TD><TD></TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>20</TD><TD>Roy Williams</TD><TD>vs. CAR</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>21</TD><TD>Lee Evans</TD><TD>vs. NO</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>22</TD><TD>Santana Moss</TD><TD>at DET</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>23</TD><TD>Steve Smith</TD><TD>at TB</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>24</TD><TD>Hines Ward</TD><TD>at CIN</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>25</TD><TD>Brandon Marshall</TD><TD>at OAK</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>26</TD><TD>Donald Driver</TD><TD>at STL</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>27</TD><TD>Mario Manningham</TD><TD>at TB</TD><TD>Probable(shoulder)</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>28</TD><TD>Bernard Berrian</TD><TD>vs. SF</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>29</TD><TD>T.J. Houshmandzadeh</TD><TD>vs. CHI</TD><TD></TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>30</TD><TD>Kevin Walter</TD><TD>vs. JAC</TD><TD>Questionable(hamstring)</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>31</TD><TD>Percy Harvin</TD><TD>vs. SF</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>32</TD><TD>Lance Moore</TD><TD>at BUF</TD><TD>Questionable(hamstring)</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>33</TD><TD>Eddie Royal</TD><TD>at OAK</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>34</TD><TD>Derrick Mason</TD><TD>vs. CLE</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>35</TD><TD>Mike Sims-Walker</TD><TD>at HOU</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>36</TD><TD>Nate Washington</TD><TD>at NYJ</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>37</TD><TD>Patrick Crayton</TD><TD>vs. CAR</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>38</TD><TD>Devin Hester</TD><TD>at SEA</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>39</TD><TD>Ted Ginn Jr.</TD><TD>at SD</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>40</TD><TD>Justin Gage</TD><TD>at NYJ</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>41</TD><TD>Devery Henderson</TD><TD>at BUF</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>42</TD><TD>Josh Morgan</TD><TD>at MIN</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>43</TD><TD>Davone Bess</TD><TD>at SD</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>44</TD><TD>Nate Burleson</TD><TD>vs. CHI</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>45</TD><TD>Torry Holt</TD><TD>at HOU</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>46</TD><TD>Pierre Garcon</TD><TD>at ARZ</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>47</TD><TD>Johnny Knox</TD><TD>at SEA</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>48</TD><TD>Laurent Robinson</TD><TD>vs. GB</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>49</TD><TD>Donnie Avery</TD><TD>vs. GB</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>50</TD><TD>Earl Bennett</TD><TD>at SEA</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>51</TD><TD>Mark Clayton</TD><TD>vs. CLE</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>52</TD><TD>Steve Breaston</TD><TD>vs. IND</TD><TD>Probable(knee)</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>53</TD><TD>Isaac Bruce</TD><TD>at MIN</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>54</TD><TD>Kevin Curtis</TD><TD>vs. KC</TD><TD></TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>55</TD><TD>Louis Murphy</TD><TD>vs. DEN</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>56</TD><TD>Mark Bradley</TD><TD>at PHI</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>57</TD><TD>Laveranues Coles</TD><TD>vs. PIT</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>58</TD><TD>Chris Henry</TD><TD>vs. PIT</TD><TD></TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>59</TD><TD>Andre Caldwell</TD><TD>vs. PIT</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>60</TD><TD>Miles Austin</TD><TD>vs. CAR</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>61</TD><TD>Michael Clayton</TD><TD>vs. NYG</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>62</TD><TD>Kenny Britt</TD><TD>at NYJ</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>63</TD><TD>James Jones</TD><TD>at STL</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>64</TD><TD>Antwaan Randle El</TD><TD>at DET</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>65</TD><TD>Chris Chambers</TD><TD>vs. MIA</TD><TD>- </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

WR Notes: This isn't a great week for Kurt Warner to make Marcus Fitzgerald happy and throw to his brother deep. The new Colts defense looks just like the old one: they prevent big plays and make you work methodically down the field. That makes it sound like an Anquan Boldin type of game. … Roddy White hasn't broken out yet, but there isn't one iota of doubt that he's a top-ten talent and the improvement of the Atlanta passing attack will help him plenty in the end. Be patient. … Vincent Jackson has quietly made another leap forward from his 2008 season. The increase in the number of pass attempts in San Diego combined with the utter crapitude of Chris Chambers should make him a top-ten player over the course of the season.

I didn't expect Percy Harvin to be so strong. There may not be a receiver in the league his size that is better breaking tackles and pushing the pile. That's a key skill for him to have because most of touches are essentially long handoffs. … Nate Washington should be owned in all leagues. He recovered from his hamstring injury faster than expected and looked explosive on an end-around last week. He also made a gorgeous touchdown grab. He could be a WR3 for teams in need this week.

Jerricho Cotchery has quietly started a nice bounce back campaign. This is another choice matchup for him. The Titans will be very tough to push around up front, so Mark Sanchez will have to throw the ball to win. Nick Harper and the Titans safeties have had a lot of breakdowns in their secondary. Cotchery is a solid WR2, especially in PPR leagues. … Santonio Holmes and Hines Ward both should perform at a tier higher than they were drafted. Holmes had a lot of missing yardage last week, and he still put up numbers. Ward is showing no signs of aging. And the lack of a quality third receiver, not to mention running game, will help them both.

Braylon Edwards quietly had a productive day against Denver. While Baltimore's defense is still excellent, their secondary isn't what it once was. Edwards remains a solid WR2. … I'm a sucker for raw talent and I'm not going to sit Brandon Marshall for other questionable WR3 types yet. … The Bills should be throwing early and often to try to keep up with the Saints. Lee Evans and Terrell Owens are solid plays. Buffalo's passing attack has some growing to do, but it's further along than expected at this stage of the season. … The Giants wideouts are set up for an encore performance against one of the worst defensive backfields in the league in Tampa.

The 49ers/Vikings game probably isn't going to feature a lot of yards to wide receivers. Shaun Hill has not been able to stretch the field, which makes Josh Morgan a shaky play. We'd hold on to him, though. … Mike Sims-Walker wasn't a one-week wonder. The Jaguars have no other great options to throw to deep. He may not stay healthy for long, but he's a reasonable WR3 in the meantime. … The presence of Seneca Wallace will hurt Nate Burleson and T.J. Houshmandzadeh this week. … Pierre Garcon can't be trusted fully yet, but he showed be owned in all league. Donnie Avery needs to be out of lineups. … Devery Henderson will move up if Lance Moore is out.

Note:Check out Gregg's late-night ramblings on Twitter. Not to mention powerhouses Evan Silva, Chris Wesseling, and the Rotoworld football news feed.
<!--RW-->
[SIZE=+1]Week 3 Tight Ends[/SIZE]

<TABLE width="100%"><TBODY><TR class=TableTopRed><TD>Rank</TD><TD>Player Name</TD><TD>Opponent</TD><TD>Notes</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>1</TD><TD>Antonio Gates</TD><TD>vs. MIA</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>2</TD><TD>Tony Gonzalez</TD><TD>at NE</TD><TD>Probable(back)</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>3</TD><TD>Dallas Clark</TD><TD>at ARZ</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>4</TD><TD>Jason Witten</TD><TD>vs. CAR</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>5</TD><TD>Dustin Keller</TD><TD>vs. TEN</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>6</TD><TD>Kellen Winslow</TD><TD>vs. NYG</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>7</TD><TD>Owen Daniels</TD><TD>vs. JAC</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>8</TD><TD>Brent Celek</TD><TD>vs. KC</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>9</TD><TD>Chris Cooley</TD><TD>at DET</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>10</TD><TD>John Carlson</TD><TD>vs. CHI</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>11</TD><TD>Jeremy Shockey</TD><TD>at BUF</TD><TD>Probable(ankle)</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>12</TD><TD>Greg Olsen</TD><TD>at SEA</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>13</TD><TD>Zach Miller</TD><TD>vs. DEN</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>14</TD><TD>Vernon Davis</TD><TD>at MIN</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>15</TD><TD>Todd Heap</TD><TD>vs. CLE</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>16</TD><TD>Heath Miller</TD><TD>at CIN</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>17</TD><TD>Marcedes Lewis</TD><TD>at HOU</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>18</TD><TD>Visanthe Shiancoe</TD><TD>vs. SF</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>19</TD><TD>Jermichael Finley</TD><TD>at STL</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>20</TD><TD>Kevin Boss</TD><TD>at TB</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>21</TD><TD>Anthony Fasano</TD><TD>at SD</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>22</TD><TD>Randy McMichael</TD><TD>vs. GB</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>23</TD><TD>Tony Scheffler</TD><TD>at OAK</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>24</TD><TD>Martellus Bennett</TD><TD>vs. CAR</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>25</TD><TD>Ben Watson</TD><TD>vs. ATL</TD><TD>Probable(hamstring)</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>26</TD><TD>Robert Royal</TD><TD>at BAL</TD><TD>- </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

TE Notes: The amazing depth at the tight end position has resulted in Antonio Gates and Jason Witten not being worth their draft slots to this point. But Gates is healthy and the Chargers are clearly a pass-first offense. He'll have his big days. Witten hasn't been targeted deep down the seams often yet, a problem that won't keep up all year. … The Titans had all sorts of problems with tight ends thus far, giving up big days to Heath Miller and Owen Daniels. Dustin Keller could run wild in that secondary.

In case you didn't realize it from watching Monday night's game, the absence of Anthony Gonzalez is going to help Dallas Clark more than anyone in the Colts offense. … The Chiefs shut down Zach Miller last week, but that's because he was the focus of their game plan. Brent Celek should be a popular target for Kevin Kolb again. … We're worried about Miller suddenly playing four games against the Belichick tree a year. The Chiefs knew that Miller is the key to Oakland's passing attack, and shut him down. Denver could try the same strategy.

He's ranked rather low, but Marcedes Lewis could be a big part of the Jacksonville passing attack, especially this week against a poor Houston secondary. The TE2s available on the waiver wire in most 12-team leagues are so good that there is no need to keep two on your roster at the same time. Pick him one a week or two before you bye hits.

[SIZE=+1]Week 3 Team Defense[/SIZE]

<TABLE width="100%"><TBODY><TR class=TableTopRed><TD>Rank</TD><TD>Player Name</TD><TD>Opponent</TD><TD>Notes</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>1</TD><TD>Ravens Def/Spec Team</TD><TD>vs. CLE</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>2</TD><TD>Steelers Def/Spec Team</TD><TD>at CIN</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>3</TD><TD>Giants Def/Spec Team</TD><TD>at TB</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>4</TD><TD>Vikings Def/Spec Team</TD><TD>vs. SF</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>5</TD><TD>Eagles Def/Spec Team</TD><TD>vs. KC</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>6</TD><TD>Broncos Def/Spec Team</TD><TD>at OAK</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>7</TD><TD>Bears Def/Spec Team</TD><TD>at SEA</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>8</TD><TD>Fortyniners Def/Spec Team</TD><TD>at MIN</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>9</TD><TD>Packers Def/Spec Team</TD><TD>at STL</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>10</TD><TD>Jets Def/Spec Team</TD><TD>vs. TEN</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>11</TD><TD>Cowboys Def/Spec Team</TD><TD>vs. CAR</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>12</TD><TD>Redskins Def/Spec Team</TD><TD>at DET</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>13</TD><TD>Colts Def/Spec Team</TD><TD>at ARZ</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>14</TD><TD>Bengals Def/Spec Team</TD><TD>vs. PIT</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>15</TD><TD>Falcons Def/Spec Team</TD><TD>at NE</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>16</TD><TD>Chiefs Def/Spec Team</TD><TD>at PHI</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>17</TD><TD>Titans Def/Spec Team</TD><TD>at NYJ</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>18</TD><TD>Patriots Def/Spec Team</TD><TD>vs. ATL</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>19</TD><TD>Seahawks Def/Spec Team</TD><TD>vs. CHI</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>20</TD><TD>Raiders Def/Spec Team</TD><TD>vs. DEN</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>21</TD><TD>Cardinals Def/Spec Team</TD><TD>vs. IND</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>22</TD><TD>Chargers Def/Spec Team</TD><TD>vs. MIA</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>23</TD><TD>Dolphins Def/Spec Team</TD><TD>at SD</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>24</TD><TD>Saints Def/Spec Team</TD><TD>at BUF</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>25</TD><TD>Bills Def/Spec Team</TD><TD>vs. NO</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>26</TD><TD>Jaguars Def/Spec Team</TD><TD>at HOU</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>27</TD><TD>Panthers Def/Spec Team</TD><TD>at DAL</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>28</TD><TD>Texans Def/Spec Team</TD><TD>vs. JAC</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>29</TD><TD>Lions Def/Spec Team</TD><TD>vs. WAS</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>30</TD><TD>Buccaneers Def/Spec Team</TD><TD>vs. NYG</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>31</TD><TD>Rams Def/Spec Team</TD><TD>vs. GB</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>32</TD><TD>Browns Def/Spec Team</TD><TD>at BAL</TD><TD>- </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

[SIZE=+1]Week 3 Kickers[/SIZE]

<TABLE width="100%"><TBODY><TR class=TableTopRed><TD>Rank</TD><TD>Player Name</TD><TD>Opponent</TD><TD>Notes</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>1</TD><TD>Nate Kaeding</TD><TD>vs. MIA</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>2</TD><TD>Stephen Gostkowski</TD><TD>vs. ATL</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>3</TD><TD>Nick Folk</TD><TD>vs. CAR</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>4</TD><TD>Lawrence Tynes</TD><TD>at TB</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>5</TD><TD>Rob Bironas</TD><TD>at NYJ</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>6</TD><TD>Kris Brown</TD><TD>vs. JAC</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>7</TD><TD>John Carney</TD><TD>at BUF</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>8</TD><TD>Ryan Longwell</TD><TD>vs. SF</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>9</TD><TD>Neil Rackers</TD><TD>vs. IND</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>10</TD><TD>David Akers</TD><TD>vs. KC</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>11</TD><TD>Robbie Gould</TD><TD>at SEA</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>12</TD><TD>Joe Nedney</TD><TD>at MIN</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>13</TD><TD>Jason Elam</TD><TD>at NE</TD><TD>Probable(hamstring)</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>14</TD><TD>Rian Lindell</TD><TD>vs. NO</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>15</TD><TD>Jeff Reed</TD><TD>at CIN</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>16</TD><TD>Sebastian Janikowski</TD><TD>vs. DEN</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>17</TD><TD>Adam Vinatieri</TD><TD>at ARZ</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>18</TD><TD>Mason Crosby</TD><TD>at STL</TD><TD>Probable(abdomen)</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>19</TD><TD>Josh Scobee</TD><TD>at HOU</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>20</TD><TD>Olindo Mare</TD><TD>vs. CHI</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>21</TD><TD>Matt Prater</TD><TD>at OAK</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>22</TD><TD>Jay Feely</TD><TD>vs. TEN</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>23</TD><TD>Shayne Graham</TD><TD>vs. PIT</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>24</TD><TD>Ryan Succop</TD><TD>at PHI</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>25</TD><TD>Steven Hauschka</TD><TD>vs. CLE</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>26</TD><TD>Shaun Suisham</TD><TD>at DET</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>27</TD><TD>John Kasay</TD><TD>at DAL</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>28</TD><TD>Mike Nugent</TD><TD>vs. NYG</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>29</TD><TD>Jason Hanson</TD><TD>vs. WAS</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>30</TD><TD>Dan Carpenter</TD><TD>at SD</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>31</TD><TD>Phil Dawson</TD><TD>at BAL</TD><TD>- </TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>32</TD><TD>Josh Brown</TD><TD>vs. GB</TD><TD>- </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

 

[HacheMan]

Studs, duds and sleepers: Jones should soar with bigger workload



A look at the upcoming weekend's fantasy football landscape:

Studs
Maurice Jones-Drew, RB, Jaguars. Jacksonville can't throw well and should not have to against Houston. The Texans are last in the league at 215 rushing yards allowed per game, and the Jaguars will lean heavily on Jones-Drew. He is averaging 5.4 yards in 42 career carries against them.
Felix Jones, RB, Cowboys. With Marion Barber III nursing an injury, Jones slides into a bigger role for the league's No. 1 rushing offense. He gets to do it against a Panthers defense that is thin and injured up the middle.
Matt Ryan, WR, Falcons. Ryan is off to a hot start with five TD passes, including a career-high three last week. The Patriots' defense has been inconsistent and has no interceptions.
Steve Slaton, RB, Texans. This should be the week for frustrated Slaton owners. With the Texans' offense in gear after a poor Week 1, Slaton will be back in gear against the struggling Jaguars. He hammered them for 130 yards and two TDs at home last year.
Steve Smith, WR, Panthers. The Cowboys' pass defense was exposed last week by the Giants and Dallas still has no sacks. Smith is better now with QB Jake Delhomme finding himself last week.
Duds
Cedric Benson, RB, Bengals. As good as he was last week with 141 yards against the Packers, Benson will have a tough day against the Steelers, who already have shut down the Tennessee and Chicago running games.
Brett Favre, QB, Vikings. The 49ers are not giving up big plays, and Favre is not trying to hit any. Favre is averaging just 5.5 yards an attempt in the Vikings' dink-and-dunk offense, about 1.5 yards under his career average.
T.J. Houshmandzadeh, WR, Seahawks. Playing the Bears is not the problem, although Houshmandzadeh is off to a slow start. His big issue will be dealing with Seneca Wallace throwing to him.
Chris Johnson, RB, Titans. A week after going for 284 total yards and three TDs, Johnson faces the Jets, who are allowing just 60.5 rushing yards in two games and have yet to give up any kind of offensive TD.
Santana Moss, WR, Redskins. Even in what looks like a juicy matchup against the Lions, Moss belongs on your bench. The Redskins' passing offense is going nowhere, the team has one offensive TD and Moss has just five catches.
Sleepers
Jason Avant, WR, Eagles. Avant stepped in with a TD last week when teammate DeSean Jackson was dinged up. He'll get another chance if Jackson is out. The Chiefs should not present much of a challenge to Philadelphia's offense.
Denver Broncos defense. The Broncos are benefiting by playing the scraps of the NFL. They have allowed just 13 points in two games, only six fewer than the number of passes opposing quarterback, Oakland's JaMarcus Russell, has completed this season.
Trent Edwards, QB, Bills. The Saints' explosive offense forces opponents to the air to keep up. The Eagles finished with 378 passing yards last week and Edwards is next after he hit Terrell Owens and Lee Evans on TD passes last week.
Tim Hightower, RB, Cardinals. Hightower has had two effective (albeit different) games and will be a main option at home against the Colts, who were run over by the Dolphins last week and who figure to be tired with a long road trip on a short week.
Maurice Stovall, WR, Buccaneers. Don't look for Antonio Bryant to be a factor any time soon. Instead, it's Stovall responding with career-high 80 yards last week. The Bucs should be trailing early against the Giants, giving Stovall more chances for a sneaky good week. -- Matt Pitzer

 

[HacheMan]

Matchups: Train Rolls to Tampa


After two games, it's easier to pick up on trends, weaknesses, and strengths because most teams have faced at least one quality opponent. The Broncos' defense isn't going to finish No. 2 in the league, but we know Mike Nolan is running a competitive unit. Having shut down Frank Gore and Maurice Jones-Drew, Arizona's run defense appears to be for real. You don't need to be a special back to excel as the "lead" runner in New Orleans' offense. Michael Clayton, Mario Manningham, and probably everyone else can roast Dallas' right cornerback combo of Orlando Scandrick and Mike Jenkins.

We'll get better at matchup assessment each week, while also keeping close tabs on injury situations. But we can apply the emerging realities from Weeks 1 and 2 to break down game-by-game outlooks for Week 3 with solid confidence. Let's have at it.

[SIZE=+1]1:00PM ET Games[/SIZE]

Kansas City @ Philadelphia

Kevin Kolb's Week 2 line (391 yards, two TDs) looks swell on paper, but much of it came in garbage time of a loss to New Orleans, and he was erratic with three INTs. If there's one thing the Chiefs do well it's cover receivers, especially with top CB Brandon Flowers healthy again...Coordinator Clancy Pendergast preaches aggressive, press-man coverage that will entail frequent "jamming" of Kevin Curtis and DeSean Jackson. The wideouts have enough speed to blow by Flowers and LCB Brandon Carr, but Kolb doesn't have the arm to go deep. Brent Celek remains the Eagles' best bet for receptions...Not helping Kolb's cause is Michael Vick's activity. Vick isn't a fantasy option, but will steal 8-15 valuable snaps.

Brian Westbrook is a full-blown game-time decision, and it's not hard to imagine the Birds holding him out. Westbrook's injury is to the same ankle he had surgically repaired this summer and Philadelphia goes on a bye in Week 4, potentially giving the 30-year-old three weeks of rest. The Eagles can win starting LeSean McCoy, especially with Chiefs top inside 'backer Derrick Johnson (groin) out.

Expect Philly to be leading the NFL in sacks by 4ET Sunday. The Birds already have seven (Cincinnati is first with nine), despite facing Drew Brees' amazingly quick release in Week 2, and the Chiefs' line is a swinging gate. Even LT Branden Albert isn't playing well. Matt Cassel's brutal first-half schedule continues...Dwayne Bowe, though, remains an every-week starter. He hasn't had a truly big game yet, but has converted on nine of his ten targets (efficiency Todd Haley is sure to appreciate) and made a Larry Fitzgerald-esque diving touchdown grab last Sunday. Fitz, of course, was Haley's pupil a year ago.

Larry Johnson exhibited more quickness than expected last week against Oakland, but managed just 3.2 YPC on 24 carries thanks to the Chiefs' awful front five. L.J. also whiffed on blocks and isn't worth toying with Sunday in Philadelphia...K.C. is using a rotation opposite Bowe. In Week 1, Mark Bradley (4-73) was the guy. Last week, it was street free agent Bobby Wade (6-72). Avoid the situation entirely.

Cleveland @ Baltimore

Perhaps they'll fix it eventually, but Baltimore's pass defense is struggling mightily. With speedy but slight Domonique Foxworth (5'11/180) and Fabian Washington (5'11/180) on the corners, big receivers Vincent Jackson (6-141-1), Dwayne Bowe (4-40-1), Antonio Gates (5-78), and Mark Bradley (4-73) have all produced against the Ravens. After a slow opener, Braylon Edwards (6'3/215) is coming off a 92-yard game against a strong Broncos secondary. He can build on that this week.

The Browns have no chance to run on Baltimore, so expect another pass-attempts (and sacks) binge for Brady Quinn. The targets will be there for Edwards. The Joshua Cribbs-Mohamed Massaquoi-Mike Furrey rotation opposite him isn't working...After a shocking 104-yard Week 1 from Jamal Lewis, he thankfully proved he was what we thought he was (done) last Sunday against the Broncos. This should be now-healthy rookie James Davis' backfield in due time, with some Jerome Harrison sprinkled in.

It may sound stupid, but I wasn't sold on Joe Flacco after his rookie season. Coordinator Cam Cameron protected him all year with low-risk throws outside the numbers and a three-headed run game. After two weeks, Flacco leads the AFC with five touchdown passes, has been much more aggressive over the middle, and is completing a Joe Cool-62.3% of his throws. He's on pace for 552 attempts after just 428 as a rookie. Flacco is bordering on fantasy-starter status.

Ray Rice is still the Ravens' starter, but Cameron is riding the hot hand week by week. Willis McGahee, the club's designated goal-line back, finished Week 2 with 17 touches to Rice's 13. Both are worth using against a Browns defense that has served up 5.6 YPC (fifth worst in the league) and an NFL-most five rushing TDs, but McGahee is obviously a better bet for scores. Rice should still lead the way in yardage against a big, slow, and old Cleveland front seven.

NY Giants @ Tampa Bay

Brandon Jacobs, sitting on just 121 yards through two weeks, is poised to bust out against a Bucs defense yielding the NFL's fourth-most rushing yards (336) and fourth-highest YPC against (5.7). Without run-stopping FS Jermaine Phillips (6'2/230), Tampa turns to lanky Will Allen (6'1/200) opposite Sabby Piscitelli. A poor tackler, Allen won't stop the 260-pound Train at the second level. A run-heavy game plan is likely from playcaller Kevin Gilbride despite Eli Manning's improved accuracy (67.2 completion rate for the career 56.2-percent passer).

Mario Manningham was a hot waiver add after last week's 10-catch, 150-yard effort, but isn't facing Orlando Scandrick anymore. Look for Mario to line up opposite Bucs RCB Ronde Barber often. Barber and LCB Aqib Talib are too physical to continue to let Manningham generate sizable post-catch gains. Steve Smith will also see a lot of Barber, who moves to the slot on third downs...Kevin Boss isn't involved enough in the passing game to capitalize on the Bucs' safety woes as Jason Witten (5-71) and Derek Schouman (6-62) have. Almost strictly a blocker, Boss has just five targets through two games.

CB Aaron Ross (leg) will miss a third straight game, but it hasn't hurt New York's smothering pass defense. With Corey Webster shadowing No. 1 wideouts (he's held Roy Williams and Santana Moss to a combined 24 yards on three grabs) and Terrell Thomas proving an adequate fill in for Ross, the Giants rank fourth against the pass. New York can survive SS Kenny Phillips' loss with 47-career game starter C.C. Brown joining the ones. Byron Leftwich won't stay hot, and Michael Clayton is a candidate to be shut out.

The Giants have allowed only two passing scores this year, and they're both to tight ends (Chris Cooley, Jason Witten). With Antonio Bryant (knee) and Maurice Stovall (knee) almost certainly out, Kellen Winslow will be a target monster. He's already the Bucs' clear No. 1 option with a 12-120-2 line through two weeks...Carnell Williams' 97-yard Week 1 may turn out to be a fluke. He was bottled up for nine yards on seven carries by Buffalo's wish-washy run defense last Sunday. Other than Winslow, avoid the Bucs' skill players.

Atlanta @ New England

The Pats' pass-nutty ways (first in attempts) will keep Tom Brady's value afloat as he overcomes mechanical issues coming off knee surgery. He's the best buy-low QB in the league and shouldn't have trouble tossing multiple TDs versus an Atlanta secondary allowing a 64.8 completion rate with seven plays of 20+ yards against...Julian Edelman made a name for himself in Week 2, but was prone to drops and will immediately become a non-factor with the expected return of Wes Welker (knee). Dolphins slot guy Davone Bess dropped seven grabs on the Falcons two weeks ago. Welker is a must-start if he's active.

Randy Moss will see double teams all season, but Welker's return will also help him tremendously. The Mossman had 12 catches in the game Welker played this year; to two in the contest Welker missed...New England's backfield remains a fantasy wasteland. The touches-per-back breakdown: committee members Fred Taylor (17) and Laurence Maroney (18); third-down back Kevin Faulk (13); fullback Sammy Morris (3).

Tony Gonzalez is the No. 2 fantasy tight end so far, but the genius schemes of Bill Belichick may quiet the 33-year-old. Through two games, the Pats have allowed a weekly average of four catches for 38 yards to tight ends. Gonzo is better than any TE New England has faced (including Dustin Keller), but no coach touches Belichick when it comes to stopping an opponent's hottest threat.

If the Pats game plan for Gonzalez as we suspect, Roddy White may see single coverage most of the day. SS Brandon Meriweather would be assigned to Gonzo, decreasing "safety help" over the top. White's been relatively quiet with 95 yards and a TD on 11 catches (8.6 yards per reception for the career 15.1 YPC wideout), but an explosion is imminent...New England's new 4-3 scheme is aimed more at getting pressure on the QB than stopping the run. The Bills (146 total yards, TD) and Jets (129 yards) have capitalized. Michael Turner is on tap.

<!--RW-->Tennessee @ NY Jets

Titans FS Michael Griffin is a Pro Bowler, but he's trying to do too much with Tennessee getting manhandled by the pass. In Week 2, Griffin blew his assignment on Andre Johnson's second-quarter 72-yard touchdown, leaving Johnson one-on-one with 35-year-old LCB Nick Harper. With RCB Cortland Finnegan also playing overaggressive, Mark Sanchez could have a third straight solid game. Keep Jerricho Cotchery and <DEL>tight end</DEL> slot receiver Dustin Keller going...The Titans' run defense has been the league's stingiest through two weeks, surrendering a league-low 1.9 yards per carry and no rushing touchdowns. That's bad news for Thomas Jones, who was outplayed (53 yards, 15 touches) by Leon Washington (16-76) in Week 2. The Jets, by the way, are employing a true 50:50 rotation. Rookie Shonn Greene remains without a game-day role.

The Jets have used lockdown CB Darrelle Revis to shadow No. 1 receivers, but it's unclear if he'll keep it up against Justin Gage. Nate Washington was more productive last week, and usually lines up on the offensive right (Revis' side). It's best to avoid the situation entirely. New York hasn't given up a passing touchdown yet and is holding opponents to an NFL-low 4.8 yards per attempt.

As NBC's Peter King pointed out on Twitter this week, the deciding factor in this game may be Chris Johnson's touches total. Rex Ryan's club has been ridiculously stingy in all facets, but hasn't faced a mauling offensive line like Tennessee's yet. Obviously, Johnson is the Titans' best bet for a big play, so OC Mike Heimerdinger will likely get him the ball early and often. Something like 30 touches is within reach...Johnson gets all the work in crucial situations and this game figures to be a low-scoring war of attrition. Don't expect anything from LenDale White.

Green Bay @ St. Louis

Left tackle Chad Clifton's high ankle sprain is a concern for Aaron Rodgers, but not on Sunday. St. Louis' RE rotation of James Hall and Chris Long has just one sack so far. Rodgers will take hits, but panicking should cease until Jared Allen attacks his blind side in Week 4...Rams top CB Ronald Bartell held T.J. Houshmandzadeh to 46 yards in Week 1 and Malcolm Kelly to 41 yards last Sunday. Don't chase the Week 2 line of 6-99-1 for Donald Driver, who should see Bartell in primary coverage.

On the other side, Greg Jennings is very likely to rebound from his catch-less Week 2. He faced emerging shutdown CB Leon Hall last week, but the drop-off is severe to likely Week 3 man-on Jonathan Wade. Recall that ever-mediocre Nate Burleson burned Wade for most of his 74 yards on seven grabs with a TD in Week 1...Jermichael Finley showed signs of life last Sunday, improving to 56 yards after his six-yard opener. He's still only a desperation fantasy play, but could rack up a few big gains against the St. Louis safeties, who relentlessly bite on play-action. TEs John Carlson and Chris Cooley have combined for 13-178-2 against them so far.

Laurent Robinson has proved he's for real against Skins RCB DeAngelo Hall and Seattle RCB Ken Lucas. It's hard to recommend any passing-game player against Green Bay in an offense like St. Louis', but RCB Al Harris, 34, showed some age against Chad Ochocinco last week, and Robinson is a poor man's version. He's merely a WR3, but Robinson can reaffirm his status as the Rams' No. 1 receiver.

With just 48 yards through two games, Donnie Avery is on the verge of droppable in 10-team settings. Blanketed for two yards on one grab in Week 2, he'll likely be shut down again by Charles Woodson...Good ol' Cedric Benson showed there was some leak to the Pack's new 3-4 by raining down 141 yards on the unit last week. Ideally, the Rams will get Steven Jackson a similar number of touches (29). It's the only way St. Louis will stay in this game.

San Francisco @ Minnesota

Enough has been said of Adrian Peterson's rookie-year meeting with San Francisco (three yards on 14 carries). The Niners are playing the run well, but Peterson is more likely to turn their 2.7 YPC against on its head than get shut down again. He's gunning for Greg Manusky's unit...Brett Favre is apparently fun to bash, but he's been near perfect through two games (league-high 77.1% completions, 0 INTs) and showed improved rapport with Bernard Berrian last game, as the duo hooked up six times. No Vikings receiver (Percy Harvin included) is worth more than WR3 consideration, but the passing offense should start clicking deep down the field as the season moves forward...Visanthe Shiancoe, however, needs to be dropped or benched all year. Harvin is vulturing Shiancoe's targets (three so far), and the rookie slot man will get better by the week.

Frank Gore's Week 2 ankle injury was more of a tweak than a sprain. He'll start at the Vikings, whose run defense has been surprisingly mediocre (15th overall with 4.0 YPC allowed). That will change, but Gore is likely to get 25 touches and can't possibly be benched...Vernon Davis is the only 49ers pass catcher we'd consider in this one. The Vikes served up 40 yards on four grabs to Brandon Pettigrew last week (his first NFL production) and 60 on four receptions with a score to Robert Royal in Week 1...Josh Morgan is blocking his tail off, but must show something before he sees the light of day in fantasy lineups. Shaun Hill didn't target him once last week. Isaac Bruce may get the "shadow" treatment of Vikings Pro Bowl CB Antoine Winfield on Sunday.

Jacksonville @ Houston

Not that Matt Schaub needs it coming off a four-TD, 357-yard breakthrough, but the Jacksonville secondary is a proven cure for struggling pass attacks (see Kurt Warner). Keep that in mind for future matchup purposes, and get Schaub and your Texans pass catchers going. Kevin Walter missed the first two weeks with lingering hamstring woes, but is a sneaky play if he's active. The Jags are getting no pass rush (one sack on the year), and RCB Derek Cox is now dealing with a concussion.

Jacksonville's new 3-4 defense looked good in Week 1, but Tim Hightower and Chris Wells exposed the Reggie Hayward-less front seven for 116 yards and a score on 22 carries (5.3 YPC) last Sunday. Despite being arguably the league's worst starting tailback through two weeks (26 carries, 51 yards, three fumbles), don't bench Steve Slaton. The Jags will have to stay in a dime defense to stop Houston's red-hot passing game, creating lanes for the Texans' runner.

Mario Manningham was a hotter waiver pickup, but look for Mike Sims-Walker to pay more immediate dividends (and not to toot my own horn, but this is coming from a predictor of Mario's breakout game). In a matchup of arguably the AFC's two worst secondaries, the game sets up well for Jacksonville's only big-play wide receiver. Sims-Walker would benefit if Houston jumps out to an early lead. In that scenario, the Jags will have to throw to catch up. It's exactly how he managed 106 yards and a TD last week.

Expect a high-scoring affair, with Maurice Jones-Drew the best bet to score on either side. MoJo's Week 2 effort vs. Arizona (83 yards, 17 touches, no TDs) was fairly disappointing, but the Cards rank fifth in the league in run defense. Houston is in dead last and has already surrendered four rushing touchdowns...David Garrard is a legit QB1 play in this matchup, but Torry Holt is only a WR3. Holt continues to exhibit poor speed and is already complaining about Dirk Koetter's play calls.

<!--RW-->Washington @ Detroit

Santana Moss' slow start has owners worried, but his Week 3 matchup couldn't be better. The Lions' pass defense has somehow been worse than their run defense in the first two games. Moss, Washington's weak-side wideout, will match up frequently with Detroit weak-side corner Anthony Henry on Sunday. Henry turns 33 later this year and should be playing safety at this stage of his career due to reduced speed. Moss, a burner, will eat him alive down the left sideline...Clinton Portis was supposed to struggle in Week 1 against the Giants, but his Week 2 performance against St. Louis left too much to be desired. Seeing 19 carries, Portis' long run went for 12 yards and he rarely catches passes since losing the Skins' third-down job to Ladell Betts. Worse, top run-blocking lineman Randy Thomas is done for the year with a torn triceps. Portis owners won't get much for him now, but can only hope he feasts on Detroit. Then it's definitely time to sell high.

Matthew Stafford throws plenty of picks, but continues to target the heck out of Calvin Johnson. C.J. is seventh in the league with 20 passes thrown his way, and the connections are increasing. Johnson saw seven touches in Week 2, gaining 76 yards with a receiving score and would've had 37 more had a quick-screen hookup not been called back due to penalty. The duo will improve by the week...Kevin Smith churned out 93 hard-earned yards last week versus Minnesota. Matchups against Albert Haynesworth-led defenses are usually undesirable, but Steven Jackson exposed the Skins for 104 yards on 17 carries (6.1 YPC) in Week 2 and Smith's 27 touch-per-week average makes him un-benchable no matter the circumstance...Bryant Johnson continues to see single coverage opposite Calvin, but hasn't taken advantage. He posted a goose egg in Week 2.

[SIZE=+1]4:05PM ET Games[/SIZE]

Chicago @ Seattle

With Sean Locklear (high ankle sprain) ruled out and usual LT Walter Jones' (knee, back, age) status iffy after no preseason snaps, Seattle is certain to struggle in pass protection against Rod Marinelli's coached-up defensive line. RE Alex Brown and LE Adewale Ogunleye already have two sacks apiece. Despite Jim Mora's proclamations, it would make no sense for the Seahawks to use Matt Hasselbeck (broken rib). Seneca Wallace will start, the 'Hawks will struggle to move the ball, and Chicago's defense will have a big day.

Wallace, a check-down machine, hurts the fantasy value of virtually every skill player around him. John Carlson will likely be asked to "help" Jones and RT Ray Willis block for most of the game, while supposed deep threat Nate Burleson is a candidate to be shut out. Justin Forsett, who's moved ahead of Edgerrin James on the depth chart, could rack up 7-9 receptions. He's arguably a better fit for the offense than Julius Jones.

Expect a big rebound for Matt Forte. Seattle is already down WLB LeRoy Hill (groin surgery), while both MLB Lofa Tatupu (hamstring) and DT Brandon Mebane (calf) are questionable at best. Without those players in Week 2, Frank Gore exploded on the 'Hawks for an NFC Player of the Week Award-winning 246-yard, two-score game. Hopefully you've already bought Forte "low"...After a four-pick opener, Jay Cutler showed remarkable resiliency yet again with 236 yards and two TDs in a difficult matchup with Pittsburgh. Cutler is making do with fifth-round rookie Johnny Knox as his go-to receiver while opponents have double teamed TE Greg Olsen. Cutler won't have to work as hard this week. Seattle's secondary remains in shambles after losing LCB Josh Wilson indefinitely to a high ankle sprain. Get Cutler, Olsen, Devin Hester, and Knox in your lineup.

New Orleans @ Buffalo

It's a tough pill for Pierre Thomas drafters to swallow, but we used our early-round pick on a replaceable talent. Because Thomas isn't a "special" runner, he had to show quick-recover ability after spraining his MCL over one month ago. But Thomas didn't, lost his job to Mike Bell, and now may be passed by Lynell Hamilton. This week's situation is definitely one to avoid for Thomas owners, while Hamilton can be used as a flex in TD-heavy formats. He's likely to receive goal-line carries while the Saints wait for Thomas and Bell's knees to heal. A point to keep in mind: it's not difficult for replacement-level backs to succeed as inside runners in the Saints' offense because they see constant six-man fronts. Aaron Stecker, Bell, and a post-multiple knee surgeries Deuce McAllister have proven that.

**UPDATE:** Check the Rotoworld News Page for the latest on the Bell/Thomas/Hamilton situation.</B>

You know the drill with red-hot Drew Brees and clear-cut WR1 Marques Colston...Jeremy Shockey is also a top-five TE1 against a Bills defense that can't defend the middle of the field with Bryan Scott at strong safety. Ben Watson and Kellen Winslow have combined for 13 catches, 167 yards, and three TDs against Buffalo in the last two games.

Fred Jackson, welcome to the biggest game of your life. It's his last shot to show Bills playcaller Alex Van Pelt that he deserves to be heavily involved, and perhaps even remain a starter, before Marshawn Lynch's Week 4 return. The game also shapes up well for Jackson's versatile skill set. Currently second in the league in yards from scrimmage, F-Jax will continue to rack up catches as Buffalo tries to keep up with the NFL's by-far No. 1 offense. He's a borderline RB1 play in PPR leagues.

By mere virtue of situation, the Saints have given up the fifth-most passing yards in the league. It's because teams have to throw against them to stay in games. They've allowed just two passing TDs, an NFC-low 52.8 completion rate, and picked off an NFL-high six passes. This is a good defense, but Lee Evans, Terrell Owens, and Trent Edwards (in two-QB leagues) are all must-starts. Buffalo is going to throw 36-40 times, much to conservative head coach Dick Jauron's chagrin.

[SIZE=+1]4:15PM ET Games[/SIZE]

Miami @ San Diego

Miami is getting gashed by tight ends. With FS Gibril Wilson consistently a step late in coverage and SS Yeremiah Bell better suited to play "in the box," Tony Gonzalez and Dallas Clark dropped a mind-boggling 256 yards (21.3 YPC) and two TDs on the Fins in Weeks 1-2. Antonio Gates has a steady 10 grabs for 161 yards, but should score his first TD of the season in San Diego's new pass-first offense.

Expect the throwing parade to continue for Philip Rivers, as the Bolts will likely struggle on the ground again. Miami remains stout against the run and San Diego's team average of 3.0 YPC is third worst in the NFL. Declining LaDainian Tomlinson (ankle) is extremely doubtful and won't save this unit when he returns after it lost C Nick Hardwick until December...Vincent Jackson, on an 88-1,576-16 pace, is a true WR1. He'll likely see a lot of rookie Sean Smith in coverage Sunday. Smith will get safety help, but we've already covered that problem.

It's time for the Fins to quit the Ricky Williams-Ronnie Brown timeshare despite Ricky's solid start. A rhythm back, Brown is at his best when getting the ball consistently. After a 24-carry, 136-yard, two-score Week 2, expect Brown's role to increase against a Chargers defense that can't hope to stop the run with NT Jamal Williams done for '09 and DE Travis Johnson (groin) out. Ravens RBs burned the Bolts for 199 yards and two TDs last week.

Dolphins LT Jake Long yielded another sack to Dwight Freeney in Week 2, giving the 2008 No. 1 pick three sacks allowed on the year. Shawne Merriman (six tackles, no sacks) hasn't made an impact yet, so this is a litmus test for the speed rusher...TE Anthony Fasano's matchup is good on paper, but he risks losing snaps after following his two-fumble Week 1 with a game-costing end-zone drop on Monday night...Ted Ginn Jr. was another Dolphins pass "catcher" dropping balls against the Colts, but his deep speed will give Chargers RCB Antoine Cason fits. Stay away from the receiver rotation opposite Ginn.

<!--RW-->Denver @ Oakland

JaMarcus Russell led the game-winning drive last week against K.C., but prior to that I had not witnessed poorer QB play in four years at Rotoworld (that includes Chris Weinke). Russell is the game's most inaccurate passer (his completion rate is a league-worst 35.2; next closest is Marc Bulger's 50.0), telegraphs most of his throws, and miscommunications with his wide receivers are startlingly common. It's hard to have much hope, for Russell or Oakland's wideouts...The Raiders are at their best when Zach Miller is heavily involved. They won't win another game in which Miller is held out of the box score.

Darren McFadden isn't a tackle breaker, but we have some good news. Michael Bush is not the designated red-zone back, as it appeared in Week 1. McFadden scored from five yards out against the Chiefs. Denver's defense is playing well (No. 2 in the league), but McFadden should resume getting 18-22 touches and is an every-week play.

For reasons stated above, seriously consider Mike Nolan's defense as a fill-in fantasy start on Sunday...Broncos coach Josh McDaniels stresses fundamentals, but didn't hold Knowshon Moreno's sack-causing blown blitz pickup from Week 1 against him last Sunday. Moreno was still out-produced by Correll Buckhalter, but now has more touches (27:20) than Denver's starter on the year. It's time to begin calling Moreno an every-week RB2 in PPR leagues, although he isn't going to score touchdowns. Buckhalter and Peyton Hills are getting those opportunities for now...Sit every member of Denver's passing game against Oakland's swarming secondary. The Broncos are using a strict four-receiver rotation of Brandon Stokley, Jabar Gaffney, Brandon Marshall, and Eddie Royal. Royal, by the way, is likely to see the most of Nnamdi Asomugha.

Pittsburgh @ Cincinnati

Santonio Holmes is Pittsburgh's new No. 1 receiver, but it's fair to wonder if he's battling a wrist injury. He had three drops last week, including a would-be TD, and showed up Tuesday with a wrap on the area. Steelers OC Bruce Arians is going pass-heavy and we can't imagine sitting Holmes, but it's best to limit expectations in this one. Bengals RCB Leon Hall, who Holmes will go mostly against, held Greg Jennings catch-less in Week 2 after smothering Eddie Royal (2-18) in the opener.

Ben Roethlisberger is the top beneficiary of Pittsburgh's new-look attack. Suddenly a gunslinger, Big Ben is fourth in the NFL in pass attempts and has connected on 71.8% of them. He's only got two touchdowns, but the scores and yardage will catch up soon...40th in the league in rushing and sporting a dreadful 2.4 YPC average, Willie Parker must be on fantasy benches until he shows something. He may begin losing major work to Rashard Mendenhall, and the vastly-improved Cincinnati defense hasn't allowed a rusher to top 46 yards in a game yet.

It's hard to imagine the Steelers' pass defense finishing in the 'teens as they rank now, but the fact that no one runs on them (3.1 YPC, 0 TDs against) means opponents must resort to passing to get first downs. Carson Palmer may throw a few picks Sunday, but is a safe bet for 1-2 TDs and 250 passing yards...Note that Chad Ochocinco's biggest game in a lost 2008 came against Steelers CB Ike Taylor (8-52-1). An every-week starter again, Chad is showing game-breaking speed and is on pace for 1,440 receiving yards so far. Not even Al Harris and Charles Woodson could hold him under 90 yards in Week 2...The receiver situation opposite Ocho, however, is to be avoided. Opening-day hero Andre Caldwell regressed to the mean with 16 yards on two catches last week, while Laveranues Coles and Chris Henry have five catches combined in '09. It's a committee.

[SIZE=+1]Sunday Night Football[/SIZE]

Indianapolis @ Arizona

Arizona's tightened-up 3-4 defense under new coordinator Bill Davis is hitting on all cylinders. In Week 1, the Cards held Frank Gore to 30 yards on 22 carries. Maurice Jones-Drew managed 66 rushing yards on Davis' unit last game. It doesn't bode well for the Colts' upside-crushing series-by-series rotation of Joseph Addai and Donald Brown...Don't sweat Reggie Wayne's slow second game (3-37). The Colts had the ball for only 15 minutes and will usually win time of possession battles. They just didn't get in enough plays against Miami. Wayne will come around in what sets up as a high-scoring affair.

Dallas Clark is the biggest beneficiary of Anthony Gonzalez's knee injury, as expected. He's the top fantasy tight end after two weeks and is faster than ever...Pierre Garcon started in place of Gonzo last week, but saw just four targets (turning one into the game-winning touchdown), while slot guy Austin Collie had the same. The numbers will increase going forward, but we need to see more before using either. Garcon is the best play if you're desperate.

Chris Wells is the finest pure runner in Arizona, but two Week 2 fumbles killed his playing time. Still, he's worth consideration as a FLEX against a Colts defense allowing 4.7 YPC with three rushing scores against...Of course, Tim Hightower remains a better bet for weekly touches (he has 38 to Beanie's 14). An every-week fantasy starter until proven otherwise, Hightower stands to benefit from the likely absences of Colts MLB Gary Brackett (knee), WLB Clint Session (ankle), and SS Bob Sanders (knee). RE Dwight Freeney (back) is also less than 100 percent.

Kurt Warner got back into the groove against the Jags, but is a low-end QB1 in this one. He is also dealing with continued pain from a Week 1 shoulder stinger. Indianapolis is first in the league against the pass, likely gets back impressive rookie CB Jerraud Powers (groin), and hasn't given up a passing score through two games. A run-heavy/short-passing attack is likely. That's very good news for now-healthy possession monster Anquan Boldin.

[SIZE=+1]Monday Night Football[/SIZE]

Carolina @ Dallas

Steve Smith, the NFL's leader in targets, draws a highly favorable matchup against a Cowboys secondary that's serving up big passing plays left and right. Only Baltimore and Tennessee have given up more 20+ yard connections. Dallas surprisingly isn't using LCB Terence Newman as a "shadow" corner, so Smith will see the Orlando Scandrick-Mike Jenkins combo on Monday night. The same rotation was victimized for Mario Manningham's coming-out party, and a week earlier, Michael Clayton's best game since 2004.

It's impossible to consider sitting DeAngelo Williams, but similarly obvious that Jonathan Stewart severely curtails D-Willy's fantasy ceiling. Through two games, Williams has 37 touches to Stewart's 25, and they will likely continue to inch closer together as the Carolina coaching staff becomes more satisfied with the health of Stewart's heel. As Brad Morgan also pointed out in his magnificent Red Zone Report, there's very little separation in their battle for goal-line duties.

The Panthers' pass defense should be a strength, but Matt Ryan worked it for three scores and 220 yards while completing 77.8% of his throws last Sunday. Attempting to compensate for a porous front seven, Carolina coordinator Ron Meeks is playing his safeties closer in. That bodes well for tight ends (see Tony Gonzalez's 7-71-1) and hasn't fixed Carolina's run defense (Michael Turner still had 28-105-1)...Roy Williams went against a true shutdown corner (Corey Webster) last week, notching just one catch for 18 yards. This matchup is easier against RCB Richard Marshall, but Williams' low target total (11 in '09; four last week) is the biggest concern. He's only a WR3.
Sit Patrick Crayton, but expect a decent rebound for Tony Romo and a big one for Jason Witten...It's tough to wait on Marion Barber (strained quadriceps) in a Monday night game, but do it if you own Tashard Choice or Felix Jones. Should MB3 not play, Jones would be the favorite for touches and red-zone work. Felix got the goal-line carry in Week 2 immediately after Barber's injury.