The Rookie Impact

I figured I’d throw in who I feel should get the Rookie Of The Year awards…Granted, many players are deserving. Mark Anderson, Vince Young, Marques Colston, Maurice Jones-Drew, Devin Hester, DeMeco Ryans, Ernie Simms, Marcus McNeil, and so on are all deserving. A few however, stand out above the rest.

Maurice Jones-Drew – He’s put up amazing stats, especially considering he shares carries. However, to rain on Maurice’s parade...he’s got two knocks on him. 1) he’s in an offense built to run, 2) he plays a position where one can be considered a bust or a success after only one year. His stats aren’t that amazing after looking at Cadillac Williams’ numbers last season. Still, 12 TDs and 1100 yards is tough to top when you’re splitting carries and still have 2 weeks left to play.

Marcus McNeil – LT is possibly the hardest position to play in the NFL. McNeil has done it amazingly this season, making room for LT and keep Philip Rivers upright. McNeil has done possibly the best job and isn’t a product of the system.

Marques Colston – 7^th round rookies never go for 1000+ yards and 7+ TDs as a WR! This is unheard of. Colston is my pick simply because of his accomplishments in regards to his draft status, the stats he put up before his injury (missed 3 games), and the fact he faced double teams quite often.

DeMeco Ryans – Ryans was a steal where the Texans got him. He’s a great player and is making an instant impact in Houston…moreso than Mario Williams. Ryans leads the league in tackles; but that’s not hard to do when your team barely has the ball on offense and the other team runs at you on every play.

Ernie Simms – Simms is a solid player with great football instincts. He’s durable (somewhat surprisingly) and he’s what Detroit wanted in the 9^th overall pick. Simms has made a larger impact than AJ Hawk, in my opinion, though they’re both less of an impact than Ryans has made in Houston. None of these top three linebackers from the 2006 draft class have really improved their team’s defense, but rather, have provided an additional body for opposing teams to run through.

Tamba Hali – This is my favorite for DROTY. Watching him, the guy is everywhere – he’s got a nonstop motor. He’s putting up good stats this year – 50 tackles, 6 sacks, 4 FF, and 1 INT. Solid stats at DE and has really improved the Kansas City pass rush. However, Mark Anderson has 10 sacks on a Bears DL that, when healthy, is considered possibly the best in the league. 10 sacks is an amazing number you just can’t ignore.

Rookies of the Year:
Offensive ROTY – Maurice Jones-Drew (Marques Colston SHOULD get it though)
Defensive ROTY – DeMeco Ryans

By the way – a running back has won the OROTY award 30 out of 40 times.

Week 15 - Comments and Concerns

It was a bad week for most receivers. It was a bad week for many running backs as well. When Ahman Green scored more fantasy points than Willis McGahee, Larry Johnson, Shaun Alexander, and Rudi Johnson, you know it’s a rough week.

As much as pass catching backs rule fantasy football leagues, you need help from your WRs. At times like these when Roy Williams is getting owned by Al Harris, Steve Smith is useless with Chris Weinke starting, Darrell Jackson is out with turf toe, and Randy Moss is considered a laughing stock, we need to plan for these types of events.

Steve Smith is essentially no better than a #3 WR with Jake Delhomme out. Deion Branch is seeing around 5 targets per game with Darrel Jackson out – pathetic. It’s times like these when backups shine and the highly drafted WRs make you pay. That’s one reason why highly drafted WRs never pan out well. Sure, Chad Johnson and Steve Smith are studs, but if Palmer/Delhomme gets hurt, these guys look average. This is why your first four rounds or so should be invested in running backs – Tomlinson, Johnson, Jones, Westbrook, Barber, Portis, Parker, etc.

Sure, guys like Terrell Owens have topped 1000 yards and gone for 11 scores…but Marques Colston missed three games and still has over 1000 yards and 7 TDs. My point is, guys like Marques Colston, Bernard Berrian, Mike Furrey, Eddie Kennison can get you to the playoffs in any fantasy league…as long as you rely on those pass catching backs for the bulk of your points. DJ Hackett was a solid pickup, as was Jeremy Stevens, Vernon Davis, and even Ronald Curry.

I guess I was wrong about the Seattle/San Fran game. The winds weren’t very bad at all and there was little to no rain. Vernon Davis produced, Alex Smith had a great day, Frank Gore produced, and Shaun Alexander laid an egg. Jeremy Stevens is a guy who could see more action in the coming weeks, so see if he’s available on the waiver if you need a TE for the playoffs. Why does Seattle to continually underutilize Deion Branch???

Roy Williams held to one catch? Al Harris is good, but not that good. Come on Roy, start playing like a pro. Why does Jon Kitna continually get free passes from Detroit media and the coaching staff? The guy is putting up terrible stats, as many fantasy players have found throughout this season; 350 yards means squat if he throws 3 picks and no TDs. Arlen Harris is not a substitute for Kevin Jones either, as you may have found out the hard way. With the way Chicago' s defense played last week, it's not hard to imagine a huge day for Roy Williams this week.

Ladell Betts is the real deal in Washington. Rumors are floating that the Skins want to unload Clinton Portis for someone like Shaun Rogers. Betts is continually a great flex back start in all formats.

Don’t fear – the Saints/Redskins game was merely a bump in the road. Brees, Colston, Bush, McAllister and co will be back to normal form this week against New York, now that the Saints aren’t a shoe-in for the bye.

Indianapolis is not as good as they seemed and neither is Dwight Freeney. Sure, Freeney sees a lot of double teams, but he’s not a continual double-digit sack type of guy, despite what his resume says. Some team will throw a lot of money away trying to get him for the next 6 years. Indy is playing up to their potential, but this past week, Cincinnati played down. By that, I mean they barely tried. Indy is a good team, but they’re extremely beatable...just ask the Titans.

The Titans – Wow. Vince Young is making an impact…too bad it’s hurting the stats that the rest of his team puts up. Tennessee’s defense is impressive. I thought they would have done pretty well against Jacksonville’s pass defense, but not as well as they did. I’m surprised Matt Jones did not work the Titan’s smallish CBs more.

The Bears gave up 31 points to a terrible Tampa Bay squad? Personally, my fantasy teams were strongest in the running backs, defense, and IDP areas…but last week they all failed miserably. Larry Johnson was owned by terrible play calling, Chicago stunk it up, Jacksonville stunk it up, Carolina has been terrible this year and should continue to be terrible as they have many holes to fill, Randy McMichael has become nonexistent in Miami, and so on.

One final question – where has Denver’s defense gone? Giving up 20 points to Arizona and over 100 yards rushing? Arizona is 31^st in the league in rushing. Denver still has the wild card race, so why let Arizona make you look bad? Denver’s in for a world of hurt if they end up playing Jacksonville in the wildcard game.

Week 15, SF @ SEA - Start and Bench

So the weather for tonight's game in Seattle is supposed to be awful. By awful, I mean 25 mph winds with 50 mph gusts and 100% chance of rain. With that in mind, let's look at tonight's start and bench.

Seattle
Matt Hasselbeck - BENCH. Wind and rain. Hasselbeck could have a huge week or a terrible week. Who knows? With a heavy dose of Alexander expected, I don't see Hasselbeck throwing more than 35 times. If you have other decent options take them. Numbers that you should expect - 18/32 210 yards, 2 TDs, 2 INTs.
Shaun Alexander - START, START, START. Possibly a bigger fantasy day than his 202 yard performance. With the rain and wind, Alexander will carry the load. I imagine a lot of missed tackles and a lot of yards/TDs for Alexander. The weather won't affect him either, as he's shown he can carry the rock in incliment weather.
Darrell Jackson - BENCH. Jackson is OUT this week and Burleson will be starting in his place.
Deion Branch - BENCH. The weather should result in a 3-4 catch 50 yard performance for Branch. If I'm taking one Seattle WR, I'd be Deion Branch based on potential alone. Maybe Hasselbeck will realize he exists and can excel at running drags and posts?
Nate Burleson - BENCH. Despite the fact that he's getting the start, more DJ Hackett is expected than Nate Burleson. I don't like any Seattle WR due to the wind and rain.
Jeremey Stevens - RISKY START. Hasselbeck should be looking more for his TE in a game that should see a run dominated offense with very short passes spread throughout.
Seattle DEF - START. They've got good chances to shut down the Niners tonight considering the weather.

San Francisco
Alex Smith - BENCH. He's an okay fantasy backup, but he's never played in weather like this as a pro.
Frank Gore - RISKY START. Gore is a must start in any format in my opinion. The guy is #3 in rushing this season and one of the top 3 most productive fantasy backs. He consistantly puts up great numbers and he'll carry the load tonight in terrible weather. Keep in mind that he'll more than likely have at least one fumble, but don't let that discourage you as he COULD easily see the ball 30 times and go over 100 yards with a score (as well as 2 fumbles), all depending on the weather. However, it's hard to imagine Seattle NOT putting 9 guys in the box to shut him down. Check your options and then make a tough decision (Betts, Jones-Drew, and Morris would all be much better starts). See Vernon Davis below...
ALL SF WRs - BENCH. Alex Smith won't do much in 25 mph wind, especially with Antonio Bryant as his #1 WR.
Vernon Davis - START. The lack of production expected from Smith's WRs leads me to Davis. Hurt for most of the year, he's practically a WR when healthy. He's healthy and had a very good game last week. Expect Smith to use him quite often in the short passing game as the wind is going to definately be a factor. Dare to say, 6 catches 80 yards and a TD?
San Francisco DEF - BENCH. Two words: Shaun Alexander.

Check the blog out tomorrow for a full weekly start and bench.

Week 14 Questions

Q: I want to pick up Cedric Houston as a FA but I have to drop somebody. I have 6 RBs so I think one of them has got to go.

Which one do I release that has the least potential to be a move that comes back to kick me:

Benson, Mike Bell, Droughns, Rhodes, Brandon Jacobs

I am keeping Dillon as he has been my every week starter.

Also there are not many WR options out there so I have been starting Chambers as my flex WR/RB but do any of these guys warrant a start over him?


A:I'd drop Mike Bell. After Tatum's domination last week against the Seattle run D, I don't think we'll see much more Mike.

DeAngelo Williams looked awesome last week and may still be around. He gets a lot of catches and would be a great flex back. Would let you start Chambers at WR instead of at the flex.

Wali Lundy is a solid option. He's facing some awful run defenses in the next few weeks. He's starting too, so that's a plus. He's another guy who gets his share of catches and would be a good flex start.

Sammy Morris is starting in Miami with Ronnie Brown out with a broken hand.

Santonio Holmes is starting with Cedrick Wilson out this week (ankle). Would be a decent start against Cleveland.

Matt Jones might still be available. He's only good when he matches up on small corners playing man though. Those good matches for him are few and far between, but when he does get one, he can really dominate.

Whoever plays the Lions should have a good week in terms of WRs. I actually like Marcus Robinson this week. He's got a huge frame and good body control. He's got decent hands and should be able to fight for the ball easily over our weaker, smaller DBs.

Mark Bradley should start seeing more action as the Bears start resting Moose and Berrian a little more than normal. Bradley is quick, runs solid routes, and can stretch the field. I love what the guy brings to the team, he's far too underused.

I think we'll see much, much more Brandon Jacobs in the coming weeks, especially considering Tiki has been talking retirement. Jacobs should start seeing more than just goal line duty.

Also, I think Jerious Norwood is going to start seeing many more carries, as Warrick Dunn will be 32 at the end of the season and has more wear on him than Tiki Barber, who's already talking retirement. Dunn's a good player, but with Atlanta at 6-6 and in the wildcard hunt, they're going to build for the future while keeping their players healthy and rested. Norwood is a very fast back, who's similar to Dunn...so the drop off wouldn't be huge.

There may be a Travis Henry is the FA/waiver pool as well...you never know.

Week 13 - Start and Bench

START
QB
Rex Grossman, Chicago – After a long, disappointing drought, Grossman is back this week against the 31^st ranked pass defense in the league. If Matt Leinart can throw for 400+ without the hint of a running game, the two speedsters Berrian and Bradley will have a field day on Fred Smoot, Darren Sharper, and Antoine Winfield. Expect another big game from Berrian.
Tom Brady, New England – Do I really have to say anything more than he’s playing the Lions. However, the Lions typically win the games they’re most likely to lose (Atlanta this season, Baltimore last season) and lose the games they could win.
Tony Romo, Dallas – After last week, you just can’t bench this guy. The Giants are in shambles, with Tiki Barber seeing all his goal line TDs go to a backup, Michael Strahan spouting off at reporters, and the huge amount of injuries that have plagued this team, especially defensively. Romo uses all his weapons, and uses them equally as well. Consistency is the key once again.
Marc Bulger – Bulger faces an Arizona defense that is fairly solid, but lacks consistency. Bulger needs more production of the rest of his offense, rather than relying on Steven Jackson to rack up 192 offensive yards. I expect Torry Holt to show an inexperienced Antrel Rolle how to run routes and be effective, even as an aging player.

RB
Sammy Morris, Miami – So Ronnie Brown is out for a few weeks with a broken hand, which means Morris is the main-man in Miami. He's facing a tough Jacksonville run defense, but Miami is better than they show and Morris should be able to break in and prove he's a solid back, averaging 4.7 yards per carry this season.
Travis Henry, Tennessee – Once again Henry is facing the league’s 31^st ranked rush defense in the Colts. The first time, he ran for 123 yards on 19 carries as the Titans lost 14-13 to the Colts. The Titans are hungry and a win here would really help this team and their confidence. I think Henry will go for just over 100 and a score in this game. Plus, LenDale White has a minor injury and Chris Brown could be active.
Ahman Green, Green Bay – Green has been terrible this year, but it doesn’t help he’s got two rookies blocking for him, a new system, and a new staff. Green has to break out of this funk he’s in, and there’s no better time to do so than against the Jets
Edgerrin James, Arizona – James is worth a start against the league’s worst rush defense, the Rams. James proves he still has some speed left, as she demonstrated against the Lions patchwork Cover 2.

WR
Jerrico Cotchery, NY Jets – It’s safe to assume that Al Harris will be matching up on Laveranues Coles for most of the game, leaving Charles Woodson on Jerrico Cotchery. Woodson’s had one good game this season, last week. However, expect the Jets to air the ball out much more than Hasselbeck did last week, resulting in Green Bay relying on their safeties to help with deep coverage…the team’s biggest weakness.
Bernard Berrian, Chicago – After allowing 312 receiving yards on 20 receptions to Anquan Boldin and Larry Fitzgerald, Bernard Berrian is a safe start this week, as he’s sure to torch an awful Minnesota secondary.
Santonio Holmes, Pittsburgh – With Hines Ward out this week, Nate Washington and Santonio Holmes should both see a much increased role in the Pittsburgh offense. Holmes has been targeted six times per game, with four catches for over 50 yards in each of the past four weeks.
Torry Holt, St. Louis – As I mentioned with Marc Bulger, I see Torry Holt regaining his role as the main-man in this receiving group. He’s one of the best in the game and will show an inexperienced Antrel Rolle how to run routes and make plays.

W/R
Joseph Addai, Indianapolis – Addia is officially the man in Indy, in my opinion. His carries have dominated Dominick Rhodes, who has been producing little compared to Addai. Addai’s monster game last week shows that he can run well and he can catch extremely well.
Marion Barber III, Dallas – Barber has been continually stealing carries from Julius Jones over the season. Barber has 9 total TDs compared to Jones’ 3, plus he’s averaging 1.1 yards per carry more than Jones. Last week, he had 2 receptions, both for TDs. He’s the go-to guy in Dallas. Against the Giants, Barber should continue to see all goal line attempts as well as a larger load.
Ladell Betts, Washington -- Atlanta's defense has been terrible lately, especially against the pass. Betts is a great backup, possibly on the waiver wire, and sees a lot of action out of the backfield. He's a great flex start this week against a thin, hurting Falcon defense.

TE
Chris Cooley, Washington – Cooley has been the second top producing fantasy TE since Week 8. Jason Campbell has been targeting Cooley more than Santana Moss lately, giving Cooley three long balls for a score. What really helps for Cooley is that Jason Webster and Jimmy Williams are both hurt, so Omare Lowe may get the nod. That’s good for any receiver.
Ben Watson, New England – Watson is the primary receiving target in New England and has a great rapport with Tom Brady. Detroit is awful against TEs, with a young linebacking corps and a secondary that can’t even stop Matt Leinart.

K
Jeff Wilkins, St. Louis – Wilkins has been at the top of his game this season. St. Louis should move the ball pretty easily against the Cardinals, who have given up 22 field goals this season (tied for 3^rd most in the league) in addition to 28 PATs (25^th in the league).

DEF
Pittsburgh – Tampa’s offense has been weak for the bulk of the season. Tampa is 29^th in the league in passing and 31^st in rushing, despite only giving up 21 sacks (12^th best in the league). Pittsburgh’s secondary is hurting, but it’s good enough to shut down Tampa’s lack of passing attack.
Kansas City – Though the Chiefs aren’t better than average in pass or rush defense, the Browns are pretty bad in both areas. The Browns have a 16 total TDs…they’ve also thrown 16 INTs. That’s pretty bad.

BENCH
QB
Aaron Brooks, Oakland – Any QB facing Houston’s pass defense is a tempting start, but Brooks showed last week, that despite starting off hot, he can throw a game away. He also exposed some weaknesses in the San Diego defense.
Trent Green, Kansas City – Cleveland has an underrated pass defense…13 TDs allowed and 14 picks on the season. Green has been barely average in his time back, completely relying on Larry Johnson to do it all. Don’t expect Tony Gonzalez to dominate this week either. Cleveland prepares against one of the best TEs in the league in Kellen Winslow, every single week.
Bruce Gradkowski, Tampa Bay – Bruce is a solid QB, especially for a rookie, but Pittsburgh’s defense is still tough, without Troy Polamalu. Joey Galloway is about as inconsistent as you can get and should not be a problem for Pittsburgh’s corners. Clayton is essentially a non-threat, so it all relies on Galloway.

RB
Julius Jones, Dallas – Jones is steadily losing carries to Marion Barber, especially goal line carries. Last week, Jones didn’t see any catches, while Marion Barber saw two…both for TDs. Jones is essentially a non-scoring factor, unless he breaks one for over 30 yards. I wouldn’t worry about that either – his longest run this year is 33 yards.
Thomas Jones, Chicago – Nobody runs against Minnesota…so they throw. Minnesota’s top rushing defense in the league means that the dancer, Thomas Jones, should stay on the bench this week. Expect to see more of Cedric Benson, who’s a much more powerful runner.
Willis McGahee, San Diego – Why don’t I like McGahee against a San Diego defense that allowed over 110 rushing yards per week in weeks 9 through 12? Shawne Merriman. He’s back and he’s going to be making up for the four games he missed.
DeShaun Foster, Carolina – Foster has an elbow injury, so he may or may not play this week. If he does play, he’ll definitely split a lot of time with rookie DeAngelo Williams. Williams is a much better ball catcher, so expect Williams to see an additional role for that reason as well.

WR
Chris Chambers, Miami – Chambers hasn’t even topped 75 yards receiving this season. Harrington has mad man-love for Marty Booker, which was unexpected. Chambers has looked bad enough, not even getting open against crappy cornerbacks.
Plaxico Burress, NY Giants – When Eli’s bad, Plax is bad. Eli should be bad again this week against a steadily improving Dallas defense. After the job they did against Eli’s brother and co (limiting the Colts to 14 points), it’s a safe bet to keep Plax on the bench until he starts finishing some routes.
Deion Branch, Seattle – Jackson is still the main target in Seattle, meaning he’ll get most of the matchups on Champ Bailey, possibly the league’s top corner. Branch has been underperforming for the amount of times he’s targeted and doesn’t seem to be playing to his full potential. Branch will still see matchups on Darrent Williams, who’s no slouch himself.
Reggie Williams, Jacksonville – Williams has been inconsistent the entire season, not just since David Garrard took over. Last week Williams saw 4 catches for a whopping 31 yards, while Garrard has been using Wrightster, Jones-Drew, and Taylor in more of the primary role than his receivers.

TE
Desmond Clark, Chicago – Clark has been terrible after the early beginning of the season, when he was one of the hottest TEs in the league.

K
Olindo Mare, Miami – He’s average at best, but he always blows one the long kick he needs to make. Jacksonville still has a tough defense and Miami is running with Ronnie Brown. Harrington forces throws, so expect a couple turnovers and Mare having to kick from 45+ when he gets the chance. He’s 1 for 6 from 50+ and 7 for 9 from 40-50.

DEF
Denver – I like Denver’s defense, but I think Seattle has a good shot at putting up 17+ on the Broncos this week. Shaun Alexander proved he was healthy and that he was still dangerous last week, pounding out 40 carries for 200+ yards. Hasselbeck made some bad decisions last week, but should see an average game of 210 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT.

Week 12 - Comments and Complaints

Joey Harrington returned to Detroit to prove that he wasn’t the only problem. He torched Detroit 213 yards and 3 TDs. His one INT came on a bad decision that he should have let go out of bounds. Not only did Harrington torch the Lions, but he did so with Marty Booker, kudos to those of you who started Booker. I knew they had some chemistry, but you figured with the gambling style of play by Dre Bly, Chris Chambers was sure to be the one going over 100 yards. For future reference, keep Jon Kitna on the bench. He’s not starter worthy until he avoids sacks a little better and makes decisions quicker. By the way, expect a lot more Sammy Morris now that Ronnie Brown is out for a few weeks with a broken hand.

If I thought of stats like 22/29 305 yards, 5 TDs, 0 INTs…the first name that would come to mind would probably be Peyton Manning, not Tony Romo! 110.8 passer rating, nearly 1700 yards, 13 TDs, and 5 INTs throughout five games. Nuff said. Romo’s a fantasy stud…which only makes Jason Witten, Terry Glenn, and TO’s value shoot through the roof. Even Pat Crayton has fantasy value once again. One stud who’s taken a back seat is Julius Jones. Jones is splitting carries with Marion Barber III and is being hurt by the goal line passing. Against the Bucs, the Cowboys passed for TDs FOUR times within the 10 yard line, though, two were to Barber.

As well, the Dallas Cowboys defense seems to be getting better and better. They’re a very good start from now on, but have some tough matchups. If they can play at the level they did against Tampa Bay, they’re unstoppable.

Jake Plummer yanked for Jay Cutler; no surprise there. Shanahan won’t deal with Plummer’s mediocre play. Of course, the fact that Denver’s running game has been awful for a few weeks doesn’t help at all. Denver’s been relying on the pass with a struggling QB, which doesn’t work very well – ask Ben Roethlisberger, Jon Kitna, or Charlie Frye. Mike Bell looked like a stud in training camp, what happened to him?

Larry Johnson is carrying the Chiefs, as many people expected. Replacing Huard with Green has seemed to have hurt the value of Eddie Kennison and Tony Gonzalez. KC really needs a playmaker at WR. Johnson’s carries were sure to skyrocket with Herm Edwards making the calls. I am surprised that Michael Bennett hasn’t gotten very many carries. Speaking of carries, Shaun Alexander got 40 in his healthy return against the Packers and ran for over 200! Regarding the Packers, Ahman Green looked like garbage, once again. The Packers offensive line just doesn’t run block very well. Green has been running with some injuries and has been running strong, but doesn’t seem to have the quickness and the burst he did last season, even against a weak Seattle front seven.

Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin are both superstuds. They both went over 140 yards against a decent Minnesota pass defense. Arizona will be lucky to squeeze another win this season with the schedule they have. Edge has been a complete bust this year, which I’m faulting to his pathetic OL and the fact that Arizona has played some very good run defenses. Troy Williamson has stunk this year and nobody has picked up the slack. Somehow, Brad Johnson managed 271 yards and 3 TDs last week. I’m not sure how with Marcus Robinson as his leading receiver. Don’t count on this “chemistry” sticking, because Robinson is inconsistent.

Hines Ward (out for Week 13) and fast Willie Parker have both stunk lately. Pittsburgh is officially in the tank at 4-7, unless you somehow see them running the table and winning the last five. Pittsburgh’s OL has allowed Big Ben to be sacked 39 times…in comparison, Detroit has allowed 44 sacks. That’s pretty pathetic considering how many Pro Bowlers are on Pittsburgh’s line.

Carolina’s offense is awful without Steve Smith having monster days, day in and day out. Jake Delhomme has shown that if Steve Smith is shut down, which is rare, he doesn’t have the playmakers in Keyshawn, Drew Carter, and Keary Colbert. It’s pretty sad when your first two WRs have a combined 114 catches and your #3 and #4 have a combined 23 catches. Keyshawn is a possession man and Smith is the playmaker. Carolina needs someone else.

Well, the bi-polar Rex Grossman let down a lot of fantasy owners, once again. But, don’t get used to it, he’ll more than likely tear it up this week. Wait to see the start/bench. Thomas Jones surprised me, 1 yard shy of triple digits. Benson looked very good as well. The Bears contained the run pretty well, which surprised me, but they did get eaten up by Ben Watson, who torched them for 87 yards on 6 grabs. Look for a lot more Watson this week against the Lions, who have terrible coverage LBs. After Asante Samuel’s 3 INT day, he could see some serious cash come free agency.

Jeff Garcia looked good against the Colts, but why is he not using LJ Smith more? As much as he bird-dogged Marcus Pollard in Detroit, I figured that Westbrook and Smith would turn into fantasy superstuds.

Joseph Addai with 200 all purpose yards? If you told me that in August I would have said you’re crazy. Addai is the man in Indy, as his numbers have dwarfed Rhodes for the past few weeks. Keep in mind, anyone facing Philly’s run D is a solid start!

Jason Campbell has brought back Chris Cooley’s once solid fantasy reputation.

Maurice Jones-Drew has been looking great this season. It’s only a matter of time before he takes over for Fred Taylor as the full-time back, which is bound to happen since Taylor is injury prone. Surprisingly, Taylor’s stayed healthy this season and has been running well. As well, Willis McGahee looked good returning from his injury.

TJ Houshmandzadeh has, arguably, number one fantasy WR status now that Chad Johnson is drawing double coverage. That is one nasty passing attack that Cinci brings. Now only if Rudi Johnson could start doing something. On the other end, the Browns have been ravaged by injuries and are awful. Their OL is looking like swiss cheese. Three out of the four Cinci sacks came on blitzes by LBs and safeties. Cleveland can’t pick up a blitz at all.

I was impressed with Aaron Brooks until he threw the game away in the 4th. What’s new, I guess? Antonio Gates was disappointing for a few weeks, but came back with a big week last week, thankfully.

Travis Henry helped to ruin me last week, but this week he’s going to run all over the Colts, just like he did the first time around this season. Vince Young had his best day and looked like he did at the Rose Bowl last year. I was impressed with his decision making, his running, and his accuracy/velocity on his passes.

NYG is in disarray. It’s getting rough for Coughlin when Tiki is upset and not getting any goal line touches. It’s just a matter of time before Tiki’s touches drop below 15 and Brandon Jacobs shoot up past 15. Time will tell.

Devery Henderson had a big week last week, but both Marques Colston and Joe Horn were hurt, so don’t expect another big repeat week. IF Colston is healthy (day-to-day), expect Colston to start and Henderson to backup. Where are all the Reggie Bush lovers at nowadays?