Week 4 Questions

Q: Chad Pennington or Charlie Frye (#1 QB has a bye)?
A: Pennington is facing a pretty good Indy D who pretty much shut down Leftwich last week. Pennington should have a decent game (240 yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT...Coles is questionable, but is definately startable matching up against Jason David and should have a big day since Bob Sanders is out), but Frye will be more efficient against a bad Oakland D.

Q: Braylon Edwards or Antonion Bryant as a 3^rd WR?
A: Bryant's been having big games, but Edwards is the start here. He's shown he's 'the man' after coming back from his ACL injury and he's going to get a lot of looks. Asomugha and Washington both have minor injuries (foot and hammy, respectively) which should be in Edwards favor. Keep in mind, that the Niners play the Chiefs who've allowed less than 175 passing yards in their first two games, with no passing TDs.

Q: Thoughts on the Saints defense (#1 D has a bye)?
A: The Saints defense had a great week last week. However, for those who think they're coming around, I say not this week. Carolina has Steve Smith back and scored 26 on a much better Tampa D. While I do think NO will snag a couple of sacks and possibly a pick, they're going to give up more than 20. See if the Browns are on the waiver.

Q: Which three WRs – Roy Williams, Chad Johnson, Anquan Boldin, or Andre Johnson?
A: Williams, Johnson, and Johnson. Andre Johnson's going to have a huge day matching up against Will Allen. Johnson's been dominating single coverage all season and is a magnet for the ball. He's a must start. I personally think Roy is going to near-match his last week's numbers and is sure for a score. Chad Johnson is a must start under any circumstances, as long as he's got Palmer throwing to him. Bench Boldin, as he'll be matching up against a solid Falcon secondary and Warner is on a short leash...a short fumbling leash.

Q: As a second RB, Ronnie Brown or Stephen Jackson?
A: Ronnie Brown. Ronnie Brown is going to have a big day against Houston (see the who to start/bench/waiver below). Ladell Betts+Clinton Portis=200 yards rushing against the Texans. Brown is going to run for 120 and a score. Stephen Jackson should have a good day, especially receiving, but the Lions have done a very good job against the run this season.

Q: McMichael or Watson at TE?
A: Randy McMichael has been aweful thus far and TEs haven't really torched Houston (see Chris Cooley's performance last week). Houston is containing TEs pretty well, but not receiving backs. New England is facing Cinci, who's done a good job on TEs and they have a defense that is much better than Houston...so McMichael is the start this week.

Q: Which two RBs, Dominick Rhodes, DeAngelo Williams, or Corey Dillon?
A: Williams and Rhodes. DeAngelo Williams should get more carries this week against the Saints while Dillon should lose carries to Maroney against the Bengals. Rhodes is the starter in Indy and is splitting carries, but he should get more goal line opportunities than Addai and Indy is facing a weaker defense this week in the Jets.

Week 4 - Start, Bench, and Waiver

Start
Marc Bulger, QB, Rams – Bulger has a history of being accurate and he’ll stand in the pocket, taking shot after shot in order to deliver a ball. Detroit’s pass defense has been non-existent the past two games, along with their pass rush. Bulger could have a 400 yard day and 2 TDs against a terrible secondary.
Charlie Frye, QB, Browns – Get him off the waiver and start him, especially if your #1 QB is on a bye week. Frye has a good match up against Oakland’s secondary with Edwards and Winslow spreading the defense out. Both Oakland’s starting CBs have minor injuries (Asomugha and Washington).
Jake Delhomme, QB, Panthers – The Panthers offense is starting to come back to their 2005 form, with Steve Smith back in action. New Orleans defense had a great game last week and completely stuffed the Falcons league-best running attack. Don’t expect the same this week as the Panthers tear it up through the air.
Julius Jones, RB, Cowboys – The Cowboys will be running the ball often and will gain big yardage on the ground versus a bad Titans defense. The Titans were torched on the ground by San Deigo, giving up over 200 yards and 3 TDs on the ground. Start Jones and possibly use Marion Barber as your flex back, as he could see a nice amount of playing time if the game is an early blowout.
Frank Gore, RB, 49ers – Gore should come back to form against Kansas City this week, who’s failed to hold opponents under 115 rushing yards. Gore should see more red zone opportunities this week, as KC’s defensive line isn’t as stout as Phily’s.
Ronnie Brown, RB, Dolphins – Brown will bust his first 100 yard game of the year this week against a Texans defense that was torched for 200 yard by Portis and Betts last week. Brown should find the endzone at least once as well.
Braylon Edwards, WR, Browns – Edwards had a big game last week against a good Ravens secondary. Expect much of the same this week as he’s facing a much worse Raiders defense. Oakland is ranked 2^nd against the run, but they’ve also faced teams that love to run the ball (San Diego and Baltimore).
Reggie Brown, WR, Eagles – Stallworth has a hamstring injury and is listed as questionable. Last week, when Stallworth was on the sidelines against the Niners, Brown had a big day with over 100 yards. Expect much of the same from Brown, who is facing a Packer D that was torched through the air by Detroit.
Roy Williams, WR, Detroit – Jon Kitna is an accurate QB, but his WRs need to learn better routes – a staple of a Martz offense. Kitna likes to spread the ball around and use his backs, but Williams is too talented for an average secondary who’s given up over 120 yards to both Antonio Bryant and Anquan Boldin in the past two weeks.
Laveranues Coles, WR, Jets – Coles has a good matchup this week on Jason David, who is not very good in zone coverage. Coles will demand a lot of safety help (Bob Sanders is out with a knee injury) and Coles will be able to exploit his matchup and have a nice day.
Andre Johnson, WR, Texans – Johnson has put together some very good games already this season. Matching up on Will Allen should be a blessing for Johnson, as he’s been able to dominate single coverage all season and is a magnet for the ball. Johnson should go for another 100 yards and a score this week.
Kellen Winslow, TE, Browns – Winslow has been one of the hottest TEs in the league to date. Oakland gave up a TD to Antonio Gates and Todd Heap, expect Winslow to do much of the same. He’ll stay minimal in yardage, but he’ll net a score.
Joel Klopfenstein, TE, Rams – The Lions linebackers are terrible and have been owned over the middle this season. They allowed Desmond Clark to go over 80 yards and a score, Ahman Green, Bubba Franks, and Donald Lee to catch over a combined 150 yards and a TD last week. Note - Stephen Jackon is a no brainer this week!
Robbie Gould, K, Bears – Gould has been a great kicker this season and he should see a lot of attempts a solid Seattle defense. I expect the Bears to move the ball pretty well, but fail in the red zone more than once. Gould should net around 9 points this week.
Eagles, DEF – The Eagles have a pretty good defense and will score a lot of points against a bad Packer D. The Packers will be playing from behind and we all saw how Favre performs when trying to come from behind. Last season he threw 23 of 29 picks when coming from behind and forcing balls into coverage.

Bench
Matt Hasselbeck, QB, Seahawks – Hasselbeck is a stud (anyone who can throw for 5 TDs against a solid Giants D is a stud in my book), but he’s facing an awesome Chicago defense this week. Losing Alexander to injury for awhile doesn’t cripple this team, but Hasselbeck will be throwing the ball often against a good secondary. Expect a 230 yard 2 TD, 2 INT from Hasselbeck. There are better matchups to exploit this week with lesser QBs.
Kurt Warner, QB, Cardinals – Warner was rumored to be yanked for Leinart, but we all found out that was just some miscommunication. Keep Warner on the back burner, since Green doesn’t want to throw Leinart into the fire against very good teams like Atlanta. Warner is a fumble factory and should ride the pine this week.
Philip Rivers, QB, Chargers – Rivers is efficient and can get the job done, but he’s faced bad teams with bad secondaries so far (Oakland and Tennessee). Rivers doesn’t need to do a lot because he has the two best safety valves in the game, but he’s going to get more pressure this week and should only produce average numbers.
Rex Grossman, QB, Bears – Finally the Bears should be able to go back to their run first philosophy. The Bears will have to run the ball to control the clock, as Grossman should give up at least one turnover in this game. Grossman looked bad last game, throwing off his back foot under pressure rather than throwing the ball away. Grossman should ride the pine as he faces another good secondary.
Chester Taylor, RB, Vikings – The Bills have been stout against the run this season, since giving up over 170 to the Pats (less than 90 to the Dolphins and less than 70 to the Jets). Taylor should go somewhere around 80 (3 ypc roughly) and should be held scoreless.
Edgerrin James, RB, Cardinals – James is definitely riding the bench this week, facing a good Atlanta defense that is coming off a huge blowout to the Saints. The Falcons were dissected last week, on offense and defense and will rebound against the Cardinals. This will not be a good day for anyone in a Cards uniform, especially James, who has yet to run over 93 yards this season.
Jamal Lewis, RB, Ravens – Lewis has yet to go over 86 yards this season, though averaging 4 ypc. San Diego has given up less than 130 yards on the ground in two games, so expect them, coming fresh off of a bye week, to stay solid against the run.
Ahman Green, RB, Packers – Green had an unexpectedly good week last week, but he’s still got some lingering injuries and he’s facing a very good Phily defense this week, who’s done a great job against the run this season. Expect Morency to see a few carries this week as well and Favre to throw the ball 45 times as this will be a blowout for the Eagles.
Randy Moss, WR, Raiders – I almost get tired of saying this every week. Moss is a talented WR, even with Andrew Walter as the QB. The Raiders passing game stinks and with Jerry Porter in the doghouse, Alvis Whitted and Ronald Curry aren’t doing much as #2 and #3 guys. Moss will get CB and S help all game.
Nate Burleson, WR, Seahawks – Burleson will be losing time to Deion Branch in a 2 or 3 WR set and Holmgren plans on running a lot of 4 WR sets with Jeremy Stevens out, so Burleson will lose additional looks that way. Not to mention, the Seahawks are playing the Bears who have a very good pass defense.
Troy Williamson, WR, Vikings – Williamson will be matched up on Nate Clements and an underrated Bills defense (most allowed this season were a 250 yard day by Culpepper and a 2 TD day by Brady). Williamson has speed, but he’s had a case of the dropsies this season. Expect guys like Marcus Robinson to get the red zone looks if there are any.
John Gilmore, TE, Bears – Don’t buy into the Gilmore hype because it’s possible that Clark may not play. Gilmore should see some grabs, but he’s no Clark. Let him stay on the waiver as his 2 TD game against Detroit’s terrible linebacking corps was a fluke.
Chris Cooley, TE, Redskins – I remember being blasted for calling Cooley a bust this year, but he’s been just that. 7 catches for 38 yards over three games is terrible (almost as bad as Randy McMichael). Keep him on the bench until Brunell starts throwing him the ball.
Baltimore, DEF – Baltimore has played some teams in rough shape (Tampa Bay, Oakland, and Cleveland) and they barely squeaked by Cleveland. I’m counting a loss for Baltimore this week and a big game from both Gates, Tomlinson, and Turner.

Waiver
Marques Colston, WR/TE, Saints – Colston is a good player. In most leagues you can use him as a WR or TE and he is consistent. He rarely drops a pass and he can get open. Great waiver wire pickup.
Maurice Morris, RB, Seahawks – Seattle will run the ball against the Bears. Seattle has a plethora of good WRs, but their OL has to fend off the best front 7 in the league. I think Holmgren will be running the ball and Morris will get good numbers for a backup.
Maurice Jones-Drew, RB, Jaguars -- I see Jones-Drew unseating Taylor for the starting spot in Jacksonville very soon. Jones-Drew is a good RB and he could be a good #2 RB in a couple weeks.
Browns, DEF – Cleveland has a good match up against a bad offense this week. Cleveland should make a very good bye replacement defense.
Mercedes Lewis, TE, Jaguars – Lewis will see an increased role this week in the offense, as Matt Jones still has some lingering effects from his groin injury. Lewis was drafted to be a nice safety valve for Leftwich, like Gates is in San Deigo. Lewis should evolve into a nice waiver pickup in the next few weeks.

Week 3 - Studs, Duds, and Surprises

Studs
QB
Mark Brunell, Redskins – 24/27 261 yards 1 TD
Brett Favre, Packers – 25/36 340 yards, 3 TDs
Matt Hasselbeck, Seahawks – 24/33 227 yards, 5 TDs, 3 INTs
Donovan McNabb, Eagles – 18/33 296 yards, 2 TDs
Carson Palmer, Bengals – 18/26 193 yards, 4 TDs, 2 INTs, 1 lost fumble

RB
Bryan Westbrook – 8 rushes 117 yards, 2 TDs, 4 catches 47 yards 1 TD
Ladell Betts, Redskins – 16 rushes, 124 yards, 1 TD, 3 catches 27 yards
Clinton Portis, Redskins – 16 rushes 86 yards, 2 TDs, 2 catches 78 yards
Kevin Jones, Lions – 17 rushes 81 yards, 1 TD, 5 catches 44 yards
Willis McGahee, Bills – 26 rushes 150 yards
Willie Parker, Steelers – 31 rushes 133 yards, 2 TDs

WR
Andre Johnson, Texans – 11 catches 152 yards
Roy Williams, Lions – 7 catches 138 yards, 1 TD
Roscoe Parrish, Bills – 4 catches 104 yards, 1 TD
TJ Houshmandzadeh, Bengals – 9 catches 94 yards, 2 TDs
Braylon Edwards, Browns – 5 catches 116 yards 1 TD
Darrell Jackson, Seahawks – 7 catches 57 yards, 2 TDs
Torry Holt, Rams – 8 catches 120 yards, 1 TD
Javon Walker, Broncos – 3 catches 130 yards, 2 TDs

TE
Bo Scaife, Titans – 3 catches 53 yards, 1 TD, 1 lost fumble
Kellen Winslow, Browns – 7 catches 92 yards
Eric Johnson, 49ers – 7 catches 78 yards, 1 TD

K
John Kasay, Panthers – 4/4 FGs, 2/2 XP
Robbie Gould, Bears – 4/4 FGs, 1/1 XP

DEF
New Orleans – Allowed 3 points on 254 yards total offense, 4 sacks, 2 FF

Duds
QB
Byron Leftwich, Jaguars – 16/28 107 yards, 1 TD, 2 INT, 6 rushes 14 yards, 1 TD
Chad Pennington, Jets – 19/29 183 yards, 1 TD
Ben Roethlisberger, Steelers – 18/39 208 yards, 3 INTs
Rex Grossman, Bears – 23/41 278 yards, 1 TD, 2 INTs
Kurt Warner, Cardinals – 19/28 256 yards, 1 TD, 3 INTs, 1 lost fumble
Michael Vick, Falcons – 12/31 137 yards, 6 rushes 57 yards

RB
Fred Taylor, Jaguars – 21 rushes 74 yards, 1 catch -1 yards
Rudi Johnson, Bengals – 19 rushes 47 yards, 2 catches 10 yards
Thomas Jones, Bears – 18 rushes 54 yards, 3 catches 11 yards
Tiki Barber, Giants – 14 rushes 64 yards, 4 catches 14 yards
Frank Gore, 49ers – 16 rushes 52 yards, 6 catches 22 yards, 1 lost fumble
Laurence Maroney & Corey Dillon, Patriots – combined 17 rushes 34 yards
Warrick Dunn, Falcons – 13 rushes 44 yards, 2 catches 2 yards

WR
Reggie Williams, Jaguars – 2 catches 8 yards
Chris Chambers, Dolphins – 4 catches 39 yards, 1 rush 39 yards
Chad Johnson, Bengals – 1 catch 11 yards
Hines Ward, Steelers – 2 catches 17 yards
Plaxico Burress, Giants – 1 catch 23 yards, 1 lost fumble
Antonio Bryant, 49ers – 4 catches 36 yards

TE
Randy McMichael, Dolphins – 2 catches 15 yards
Heath Miller, Steelers – 3 catches 34 yards
Desmond Clark, Bears – 2 catches 21 yards

K
Josh Scobee, Jaguars – 0/2 FG, 2/2 XP

DEF
New York Giants – Allowed 42 points on 333 total yards of offense, 3 INTs

Surprises.
Ladell Betts, RB, Redskins – Outstanding performance last game coming off the bench. He’s a must start as a flex back if your league has them.
Owen Daniels, TE, Texans – Scored a TD in each of his last 2 games. Is looking like a go-to red zone pass catcher.
Marques Colston, WR/TE, Saints – 7 catches 97 yards against the Falcons - 15 catches for 204 yards and 2 TDs through the first three games; starting the last two. Colston is a must start as a third WR and could still be had on the waiver in some leagues.

Week 3 – Start, Bench, and Waiver

Start
Michael Vick, QB, Falcons – Vick should have a big day against a Saints defense that’s in rough shape. The Saints have given up a lot of yards in their two games and the Falcons will dominate them on the ground. Vick should have another 80+ yard rushing game in addition to 150 yards through the air. Vick should score twice and Dunn should score once.
Mark Brunell, QB, Redskins – Brunell isn’t as bad of a QB as he’s been playing lately. It’s not hard to torch the Texans, just ask Peyton, who threw for 400 yards last week. Brunell has the weapons and the best OC in the game; he just needs to use them. Having Portis back should help out a lot as well.
Ronnie Brown, RB, Dolphins – Miami just lost their RG for the season, but Brown is too talented of a RB not to run for 100 yards and a score against a beat up, bad Tennessee defense.
Edgerrin James, RB, Cardinals – Edge has been in a slump lately, with a 3.1 ypc. His runs aren’t looking that bad, especially considering the state of his OL. Against St. Louis, who gave up 127 yards to Frank Gore last week (without Larry Allen and with an injured Jonas Jennings), Edge should top the 100 yard mark and put down a score.
Clinton Portis, RB, Redskins – Portis should be ready to go this week and should run all over a Texans defense. Expect him to play sparingly, since Betts has done pretty well in a starting role, but whenever Portis is in the game, he’s always a threat.
Antonio Bryant, WR, 49ers – Bryant has been huge this season. He was a good pickup for the Niners, but who knew he’d have so many huge plays? The Eagles haven’t done that well against the pass this season, giving up an average of two TDs through the air. Alex Smith should ride the pine, but Bryant should produce a score.
Donald Driver, WR, Packers – Driver puts up impressive numbers week in and week out. It’s partially because he’s the only WR who could actually be #1 someplace else, but Favre and Driver are practically best friends. Expect Driver to torch a beat up Lions defense.
Chris Chambers, WR, Dolphins – After an average outing last week, expect Chamber to have a big day against a terrible Tennessee team that was torched through the air last week. This is a no-brainer.
Desmond Clark, TE, Bears – Clark has been one of the hottest TEs in the league the first two weeks. Where he’s been the past couple years, I have no idea, but he’s a must start on a weekly basis, especially considering that the Bears run game will be relied upon more this week to help the passing game. The Vikings haven’t played the run that well this year and their linebackers are merely average, especially in coverage.
Randy McMichael, TE, Dolphins – McMichael is a top TE in the league, but he’s not getting many looks from Culpepper. McMichael has a great matchup this week and should have see around 4 catches for 50 yards and a score (he has been getting a lot of red zone looks so far).
Jason Hanson, K, Lions – Green Bay has been pretty good in the redzone this season and the Lions offense has stalled before getting to the redzone. The Lions should move the ball quite easily, but Hanson should get more than a couple FG opportunities. He’s a reliable kicker who should net around 10 points this week.
Washington, DEF – Washington faces a Texans team that is weak at RB and has a terrible OL. David Carr has been extremely accurate (75.5%, 4 TDs, 0 INTs), but he’s been sacked 9 times. Carr should throw for 1 TD, but the offense is going to fall on his shoulders because the Redskins should score early and often, leaving Carr to play catch up.

Bench
Drew Brees, QB, Saints – New Orleans looks to light it up at the Superdome for the first time since Hurricane Katrina. However, Monday night won’t be that night. The Falcons will torch the Saints on the ground and force the Saints to play catch up all night long. Atlanta has a pretty good secondary (4 INTs through 2 games).
Rex Grossman, QB, Bears – Grossman faces a much better defense this week in the Vikings. The Vikes, however, have been poor at rushing the passer, with only 2 sacks on the season. Erasmus James is out and the Bears OL is excellent. The Vikes have done very well on third downs and have kept offenses out of the endzone. Grossman confuses Bears fans with an average 220 yard, 1 TD, 1 INT performance after his “superman” type performance last week.
Cadillac Williams, RB, Buccaneers – Davin Joseph out has been starting at RG this season and is out, which hurts an already shady ground game for the Bucs. Williams has been averaging 2.6 ypc, which is aweful, especially for those who drafted him in the first two rounds. This week, Cadillac will look to improve against a Carolina run defense that has forced teams to run and given up huge yardage. Look for Carolina to turn the corner and their run defense to improve this week.
Dominic Rhodes & Joseph Addai, RB, Colts – Until this ‘running back by committee’ approach is over, keep these guys on the bench when the Colts are playing very good defenses such as the Jaguars, who have an excellent run defense.
Jamal Lewis, RB, Ravens – Lewis has a thigh injury and Jon Ogden has a knee injury. Add those together and you have Lewis riding the pine this week. Musa Smith and Mike Anderson should get a good number of carries in this game as well.
Ahman Green, RB, Packers – Green is going against a front four who are very good at stopping the run. Jason Spitz is questionable with a thigh injury, which won’t help matters either, since he’s one of the Packers two starting rookie gaurds. It’s rumored that Morency could be starting week 3 anyway with Green hurt.
Brian Westbrook, RB, Eagles – The Eagles defense should have a good day against a young, inexperienced offense, leaving their offense with less to live up to. Westbrook should get some rest as this won’t be a close game. Expect Buckhalter to get more time, especially with Westbrook being listed as questionable.
Laveranues Coles , WR, Jets – Coles is limited in practice due to a calf injury, so keep him on the bench for this game. Start Jericho Cotchery instead as he should have another big day. The Jets go against a pretty good Buffalo defense, but Pennington is a good QB and he’s smart. He’ll limit the mistakes, but he won’t hit the 300 yard mark today.
Nate Burleson, WR, Seahawks – Burleson will be splitting time with Branch this week and Branch looks to prove himself, he definitely wants to start. Burleson hasn’t been worth his $49 million contract thus far and Branch has tons of talent.
Joey Galloway, WR, Buccaneers – He had an excellent week last week, but don’t expect him to put up anywhere near those numbers against Carolina. Simms won’t throw the ball 53 times every week and Galloway won’t get as many looks as he did (somewhere around 15).
Matt Jones, WR, Jaguars – Jones has missed practice all week with a groin injury. He’ll most likely be inactive this week, so expect Reggie Williams and Ernest Wilford to be big players on the fantasy charts this week against a banged up Indy secondary.
Vernon Davis, TE, 49ers – Davis has done very well so far as a rookie, especially with the offense surrounding him. However, the Eagles are much better than the Cardinals and the Rams and will shut down Davis like they did last week to Jeremy Shockey.
Adam Vinatieri, K, Colts – The Colts ruled him out for week 3, so don’t even bother.
Buffalo, DEF – Buffalo has a good defense and proved it after holding Miami, with a potent offense, to a mere 6 points. The Jets have a good aerial game, but have nothing on the ground. Buffalo has very good corners in Clements and McGee and should provide tough days for Cotchery and Coles.

Waiver
Jericho Cotchery, WR, Jets
Owen Daniels, TE, Texans
Desmond Clark, TE, Bears
Marques Colston, WR/TE, Saints
Verand Morency, RB, Packers

Week 2 -- Studs, Duds, and Surprises

Studs
QB
Peyton Manning, Colts -- 26/38 400 yards 3 TDs
Rex Grossman, Bears – 20/27 289 yards, 4 TDs
David Carr, Texans -- 22/26 219 yards 3 TDs, 3 fumbles (1 lost)
Brett Favre, Packers – 31/55 240 yards, 3 TDs, 1 INT
Eli Manning, Giants – 31/43 371 yards, 3 TDs, 1 INT
Chad Pennington, Jets – 22/37 306 yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT

RB
Rudi Johnson, Bengals – 26 rushes 145 yards, 2 TDs
Warrick Dunn, Falcons – 21 rushes 134 yards
DeAngelo Williams, Panthers – 13 rushes 74 yards, 1 TD, 5 catches 24 yards
Bryan Westbrook, Eagles – 19 rushes 68 yards, 1 TD, 7 catches 56 yards (1 lost fumble)
Frank Gore, 49ers – 29 catches 127 yards, 1 TD, 1 lost fumble
LaDainian Tomlinson, Chargers – 19 rushes 71 yards, 2 TDs, 7 catches 51 yards
Larry Johnson, Chiefs – 27 rushes 126 yards, 5 catches 41 yards, 1 lost fumble

WR
Jericho Cotchery, Jets – 6 catches 121 yards, 1 TD
Donte Stallworth, Eagles – 5 catches 81 yards, 1 TD
Donald Driver, Packers – 8 catches 153 yards
Joey Galloway, Buccaneers – 9 catches 161 yards
Amani Toomer, Giants – 12 catches 137 yards, 2 TDs
Antonio Bryant, 49ers – 4 catches 131 yards, 1 TD
Darrel Jackson, Seahawks – 5 catches 127 yards, 1 TD

TE
Desmond Clark, Bears -- 5 catches 85 yards, 1 TD
LJ Smith, Eagles – 7 catches 111 yards
Owen Daniels, Texans – 4 catches 45 yards, 1 TD

K
Adam Vinatieri, Colts -- 3/3 FGs, 4/4 XP
Nate Kaeding, Chargers – 4/4 FGs, 4/4 XP

DEF
Ravens – 6 points allowed on 201 total yards, 6 sacks, 3 INTs, 5 FFs
Bears – 7 points allowed on 276 total yards, 6 sacks, 3 FFs
Chargers – 7 points allowed on 218 total yards, 2 INTs
Jaguars – 0 points allowed on 167 total yards, 2 sacks, 2 INTs

Duds
QB
Charlie Frye, Browns – 20/33 244 yards, 2 INTs, 1 fumble (lost)
Steve McNair, Ravens – 16/33 143 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT
Chris Simms, Buccaneers – 28/53 313 yards, 3 INTs
Matt Hasselbeck, Seahawks – 12/27 221 yards, 1 TD, 2 INTs
Ben Roethlisberger, Steelers – 17/32 141 yards, 2 INTs

RB
Ahman Green, Packers – 16 rushes for 42 yards, 6 catches 48 yards, 1 lost fumble
Reggie Bush, Saints – 6 rushes 5 yards, 8 catches for 68 yards
LaMont Jordan, Raiders – 19 rushes 35 yards
Kevin Jones, Lions – 12 rushes 44 yards, 2 lost fumbles
Cadillac Williams, Buccaneers – 15 rushes 37 yards
Willie Parker, Steelers – 11 rushes 20 yards

WR
Randy Moss, Raiders – 2 catches 32 yards
Derrick Mason, Ravens – 5 catches 46 yards
Mushin Muhammad, Bears – 4 catches 59 yards
Ashlie Lelie, Broncos – 3 catches 22 yards
Lee Evans, Bills – 2 catches 19 yards
Larry Fitzgerald, Cardinals – 4 catches 52 yards

TE
Alge Crumpler, Falcons – 1 catch 22 yards
Jeremy Shockey, Giants – 2 catches 17 yards
Randy McMichael, Dolphins – 3 catches 34 yards
Ben Watson, Patriots – 3 catches 39 yards
Tony Gonzalez, Chiefs – 2 catches 7 yards
Heath Miller, Steelers – 1 catch 11 yards

K
Neil Rackers, Cardinals – 1/3 FGs, 1/1 XP

DEF
Lions – 34 points allowed on 378 total yards, 1 FF
Giants – 24 points allowed on 457 total yards, 1 sack, 1 FF
Redskins – 27 points allowed on 375 total yards, 1 sack, 1 FF
Texans – 43 points allowed on 525 yards, 2 sacks, 1 FF

Surprises
Chris Henry, WR, Bengals – 5 catches 113 yards
-- Henry came up with a great game. He’s got tons of talent if he can stay out of trouble.
Michael Turner, RB, Chargers – 13 rushes 138 yards
-- Turner was many people’s “sleeper” pick for week 2. It was obvious that SD would dominate Tennessee and that LT would get some rest if the game was a blowout. Turner made a great day out of his opportunity.
Ladell Betts, RB, Redskins – 11 rushes 40 yards, 7 catches 57 yards
-- I thought Portis would have played in this game. Betts looked pretty good, but he’s got to get more than 11 carries as the feature back if Portis is out, especially with Brunell stinking up the place.
Owen Daniels, TE, Texans – 4 catches 45 yards, 1 TD
-- Jeb Putzier isn’t anything special and Daniels put on a pretty good show, especially for being a rookie. I look for more Carr/Daniels connections, he’ll be a decent pick up on the FA market if you’re stuck in a bind and you’re #1 TE is on a bye week.

Start, bench, and the waiver - Week 2

Start:
Philip Rivers, QB, SD – I’ve been a Rivers fan since before the draft. He’s got a quick release and can beat the blitz, along with the two best safety valves in the game; Gates and LT. Don’t expect Rivers to light up the FF stat line, but he’s efficient, doesn’t make mistakes and should have the consistency of Big Ben – 14/19 220 yards, 2 TDs.
Drew Brees, QB, NO – Green Bay gave up good numbers to an Rex Grossman, so Brees is sure to do pretty well. Brees is a smart QB who has some weapons that he’ll use over the middle, on an inexperienced linebacking corps (see Desmond Clark last week). Colston, Conwell, and Bush could have surprisingly big days.
Steve McNair, QB, BAL – Look for Baltimore to do to Oakland what San Deigo did to Oakland on Monday. McNair throws for 250 yards and 2 scores (note – start Heap and Mason).
Reggie Bush, RB, NO – Bush looked great last week. While McAllister is still the starter and will get around 20 touches every game, Bush showed that he can do everything. Bush is going against a Green Bay defense that let Chicago have their way; outside of the red zone. Bush should net a score in this game and have a repeat performance of last week.
Isaac Bruce, WR, STL – Bulger will be much better this week than last, as he’s throwing against a San Fran defense who gave up huge yardage to Arizona. I’ve seen Bruce on the waiver wire in a couple leagues already, so grab him and start him, as he’ll have a good week.
Marques Colston, WR/TE, NO – Colston has the size to matchup on Green Bay’s inexperienced linebackers (Poppinga specifically). Brees will use Colston’s size and should have a repeat from last week. Snag him off the waiver wire and use him as your TE.
San Diego, DEF – This is one of the biggest must starts in week 2. San Diego shut down what was supposed to be a very good offense this season. They made Brooks, Moss, and Jordan all look bad.
Cincinatti, DEF – The Bengals did a good job on Kansas City last week, but won the game handily because of time of possession. Cleveland struggled against New Orleans’ defense last week, so expect this game to be a blowout for Cinci.

Risky Starts:
Roy Williams, WR, DET – Roy guaranteed a win against the league’s best defense. Roy has done well in his three starts against Chicago: 12 grabs for 197 yards and 1 TD. This is a boom or bust game for Roy, who usually puts up fairly inconsistent numbers, so I’m expecting a big game from him this week.
Frank Gore, RB, SF – Gore had an awesome week last week, with over 150 total yards and two scores. This week he’s facing a Rams run defense that was torched by Denver on 161 yards on 25 carries. However, Gore will be missing Larry Allen (knee - out) and Jonas Jennings (ankle - doubtful). Start him depending on whether or not these guys are back and ready to go.
Jake Delhomme, QB, CAR – Jake had a bad week last week and IF Steve Smith will be back this week, Jake should look back to his old form. Minnesota didn’t collect a sack or an INT last week against Washington, and Delhomme should have more time to throw and won’t have to worry about John Abraham owning him.
Dominic Rhodes, RB, IND – Westbrook had a huge day last Sunday against the Texans run D. Rhodes did next to nothing, outside of one TD on less than 2 ypc, but that was against a much better NYG run D. Start Rhodes as a #2, or even a flex back in your league, as he should have those type of numbers against a weak Houston run D. Keep in mind, Indy has THREE OL starters who are questionable this week.

Bench:
Drew Bledsoe, QB, DAL – I believe Bledsoe got his worst outing of the season out of the way already, however, Bledsoe faces another good defense this week in Washington. Bledsoe will need a couple weeks go get into a rhythm, then I believe he'll put up a consistant 18-20 fantasy points per game. Keep him on the bench until Tennessee next week.
Chad Pennington, QB, NYJ – Pennington looked great in the opener, but that was against a bad Tennessee defense. Pennington has a ton of talent, but the Jets need to establish a run game first and foremost. The more Pennington throws, the more mistakes he’ll make, especially against New England.
Kurt Warner, QB, AZ – Warner looked great last week, outside of his consistent fumble-itis. Warner is facing a solid pass D this week that basically shut down Mike Martz and a slew of talented pass catchers. Fitzgerald and Boldin are great players, but Warner could make more mistakes and should lose a couple fumbles facing a much better pass rush.
Edgerrin James, RB, AZ – James is running behind a bad OL where he managed a measily 2.8 ypc against San Francisco. Combine that with a much better run defense in Seattle this week, who held Kevin Jones to 2.5 ypc, and James should be on the bench this week.
Thomas Jones, RB, CHI – Jones has a minor hamstring injury which could limit his playing time against a Detroit defense that held Shaun Alexander to a 2.7 ypc last week. Expect Benson to play a bigger role throughout the entire game this week as well.
LaMont Jordan, RB, OAK – 10 carries for 20 yards. Possibly the second biggest disappointment for fantasy owners this weekend and going against Baltimore won’t help Jordan’s case in the least bit. Baltimore spanked Tampa Bay; holding the biggest disappointment of all fantasy drafts (Cadillac Williams) to just 22 yards.
Randy Moss, WR, OAK – Moss had 4 catches for 47 yards against Jammer and Florence; McAlister and Rolle will do a better job than that. Moss will still get 50-60 yards, but no scores and he’ll earn every yard; it’ll show on the sidelines too.
Troy Williamson, WR, MINN – Carolina looked terrible last week and gave up two TDs to Michael Vick, but their secondary looked better than the stats show. With Gamble, Lucas, and Minter in the secondary, Williamson is safer on the bench this week.
Kellen Winslow, TE, CLE - Winslow had a great showing last week, but the Browns are facing a very good Bengals defense. Despite the fact that Tony Gonzalez produced very good numbers last week against the Bengals, it’s still safe to bench Winslow.
Minnesota, DEF – Minnesota’s defense had a very good outing in the opener against Washington, but don’t expect them to be stellar this week against a hungry Carolina team – especially if Steve Smith is ready to go. Carolina’s offense will regain its last year form and the ground game is sure to pick up as well.
Indianapolis, DEF – They have more questionable players on defense than one can count on both hands (three healthy starters – Mathis, Freeney, and June). Do yourself a favor and bench the Indy D, even though they’re going against the Texans.

Waiver wire:
Seek out these guys if they’re still available:
Philip Rivers, QB, SD
Marques Colston, WR/TE, NO
Jerious Norwood, RB, ATL
San Deigo, DEF

Week 1 - Studs and Duds

Studs
QB
Kurt Warner – 23/37 301 yards, 3 TDs, 3 fumbles (1 lost)
Charlie Batch – 15/25 209 yards, 3 TDs, 7 rushes for 17 yards
Donovan McNabb – 24/35 314 yards, 3 TDs, 1 INT, 4 rushes for 7 yards
Chad Pennington – 24/33 319 yards, 2 TDs, 2 rushes for 7 yards, 1 fumble

RB
LaDainian Tomlinson – 31 rushes for 131 yards, 1 TD, 3 catches for 18 yards
Frank Gore -- 16 rushes for 87 yards, 2 TDs (1 lost fumble), 6 catches for 83 yards
Warrick Dunn – 29 rushes for 132 yards, 1 catch for 10 yards
Stephen Jackson – 22 rushes for 121 yards, 4 catches for 19 yards
Fred Taylor – 21 rushes for 74 yards, 1 TD, 6 catches for 41 yards,
Brian Westbrook – 17 rushes for 71 yards, 4 catches for 61 yards, 1 TD
Chester Taylor – 31 rushes for 88 yards, 1 TD, 3 catches for 43 yards
Tiki Barber – 18 rushes for 110 yards, 5 catches for 61 yards

WR
Donte Stallworth – 6 catches for141 yards, 1 TD
Laveranues Coles – 8 catches for 153 yards
Eric Moulds – 6 catches for 68 yards, 1 TD
Terrell Owens – 6 catches for 80 yards, 1 TD
Marvin Harrison – 9 catches for 113 yards
Plaxico Burress – 4 catches for 80 yards, 1 TD
Larry Fitzgerald – 9 catches for 133 yards

TE
Heath Miller – 3 catches for 101 yards, 1 TD
Tony Gonzalez – 10 catches for 81 yards, 1 TD
Kellen Winslow – 8 catches for 63 yards, 1 TD
Jeremy Shockey – 5 catches for 59 yards, 1 TD
Desmond Clark – 5 catches for 77 yards

K
Jeff Wilkins – 18 points
Robbie Gould – 14 points
Adam Vinatieri – 14 points

DEF
Chicago – gave up 0 points on 289 yards of offense, 3 sacks, 2 INTs, 1 FF, 1 PR for TD
Baltimore – gave up 0 points on 163 of offense, 3 sacks, 3 INTs (1 INT return for TD)
Atlanta – gave up 6 points on 251 yards of offense, 4 sacks, 1 INT, 3 FF
San Deigo -- gave up 0 points on 183 yards of offense, 9 sacks

Honorable Mentions
Drew Bennett -- 8 catches for 106 yards
Antonio Bryant – 4 catches for 113 yards
Donald Driver – 7 catches for 96 yards
Andre Johnson – 6 catches for 101 yards
Mushin Muhammad – 6 catches for 102 yards
Travis Henry – 9 rushes for 22 yards, 2 TDs
Ahman Green – 20 rushes for 110 yards, 3 catches for 22 yards
Reggie Bush – 14 rushes for 61 yards, 8 catches for 58 yards
Mike Bell – 10 rushes for 58 yards, 1 TD, 4 catches for 30 yards
Willie Parker – 29 rushes for 115 yards, 3 catches for 13 yards
Rudi Johnson -- 28 rushes for 96 yards, 1 TD, 1 catch for 7 yards

Duds
QB
Daunte Culpepper – 18/37 262 yards, 2 INTs, 3 rushes for 8 yards
Carson Palmer -- 13/19 127 yards, 2 fumbles (1 lost), 2 rushes for -1 yards
Jake Delhomme – 21/39 186 yards, 1 INT, 2 fumbles (1 lost)
Chris Simms – 17/29 133 yards, 3 INTs, 1 rush for 3 yards
Jake Plummer – 13/26 138 yards, 3 INTs
Drew Bledsoe – 16/33 246 yards, 1 TD, 3 INTs, 2 rushes for 3 yards
Brett Favre – 15/29 170 yards, 2 INTs

RB
Shaun Alexander – 19 rushes for 51 yards, 2 fumbles (1 lost), 2 catches for 1 yard
Ronnie Brown – 15 rushes for 30 yards, 2 TDs, 1 fumble, 3 catches for 32 yards
Kevin Jones – 14 rushes for 35 yards, 5 catches for 45 yards
Lamont Jordan – 10 rushes for 20 yards
Reuben Droughns – 11 rushes for 27 yards
Dominick Rhodes – 16 rushes for 29 yards, 1 TD

WR
Randy Moss – 4 catches for 47 yards
Chad Johnson – 5 catches for 48 yards
Javon Walker – 3 catches for 41 yards
Darrell Jackson – 5 catches for 47 yards

TE
Randy McMichael – 1 catch for 10 yards
Ben Troupe – 1 catch for 23 yards

K
Josh Brown – 3/5 FGs, 2 blocked (not bad for a rookie though)

DEF
Miami – gave up 28 points on 352 yards of offense, 3 sacks
Jacksonville – gave up 24 points on 315 yards of offense, 1 sack, 1 INT