Last Minute Looks for Week 4

Arizona @ Atlanta

The Falcons are looking to bounce back from their Monday night defeat at the hand of the Saints and should go back to rushing the ball down the Cards throats. Both Michael Vick and Warrick Dunn should rack up some good yardage. For the Cards, it all comes down to Kurt Warner. If he's on his game then they should put up big points, but if he falters (which is likely), we could get a long second half look at rookie Matt Leinart.

Dallas @ Tennessee

The Cowboys are rested and will look to take advantage of a very weake Titans defense. Look for him to use Julius Jones and Marion Barber all game long. The Titans have finally decided to shake up the offense and are giving Vince Young the start this week. He may need a game or two to get the offense clicking together, but I didn't draft him in the late rounds for nothing.

Indianapolis @ NY Jets

Lots of running this week, and the Colts won't be any different. The Jets have one of the worst rushing defenses in the league and the tandem of Dominic Rhodes and Joseph Addai should be punishing. This of course opens up the passing game which is really not something the Jets want to do with Peyton Manning at the helm. Look for the Jets to fall behind early, which should make them abandon what little running game they have. Chad Pennington should rack up some serious yardage against a banged up Indy secondary.

Miami @ Houston

If the Fins don't put it together this week, then there's no hope. Ronnie Brown should put up huge numbers and even Daunte Culpepper should find some success against a horrible Texas defense. On the other side, the Texans offense is picking up some steam. Not from the running game though. The tandem of Ron Dayne and Samkon Gado is almost laughable. David Carr will continue to have to air it out for most of the game which should mean good things for Andre Johnson, Eric Moulds, and Owen Daniels.

Minnesota @ Buffalo

As much as I like Chester Taylor, he's no reason to stay on any Vikings bandwagon. Brad Johnson is showing his age and there's no receiver that puts any fear into the opponents' eyes. Willis McGahee will look to build on his 150 yard performance last week and QB J.P. Losman is still feeling his after throwing for over 300 yards with a passing TD and a rushing TD. The Bills D is also looking for some retribution after looking hapless against the Jets.

New Orleans @ Carolina

This is the big letdown for the Saints this week. The Panthers are looking to recalim their spot amongst the NFC's best. Steve Smith is at full strength and his presence alone will allow Carolina to build up a strong ground attack. Look for more of DeAngelo Williams than you saw last week. The Saints offense still hasn't found it's groove yet. They're playing O.K., but it's not great football...especially for fantasy purposes. Reggie Bush still hasn't found the endzone and I'm still looking for Joe Horn to do something. I think I saw him for like 3 minutes last week.

San Diego @ Baltimore

Regardless of the prowess of the famed Ravens defense, I just don't see the Chargers being shut down at all. LTD should continue to have strong numbers and a much more confident Phillip Rivers should find success in the passing game. Could this be the week we re-acquaint ourselves with Antonio Gates? The Ravens, on the other hand, should find it difficult on offense all day long. San Diego should hold off Jamal Lewis forcing Steve McNair to take his chances with a strong Charger secondary.

San Francisco @ Kansas City

I think the only thing the Chiefs have going for themselves is the fans at Arrowhead Stadium. Maybe it's just me, but it looks like Herm Edwards is jinxed when it comes to starting QBs. He'll give another shot to Damon Huard, but it's looking more and more like the team will make a trade. As long as there's no QB, look for Larry Johnson to put up another sub-par performance (in comparison to his 2005). The Niners should have Frank Gore back but Michael Robinson should see his share of carries. The big matchup to watch here though is TE Eric Johnson vs. the K.C. linebackers. They're not good coverage guys, so expect to see Alex Smith look Johnson's way often.

Detroit @ St. Louis

Don't expect much out of Kevin Jones or Steven Jackson this week. The Lions put up some points last week and Mike Martz is anxious to do the same against his former team. I see lots of Jon Kitna to Roy Williams with a splash of Mike Furrey and Az Hakim. Dan Campbell should see some nice action too. The Rams will happily counter as Mark Bulger should ring up 300+ passing yards and find Torry Holt in the endzone a couple of times. Even old man Isaac Bruce should get some action and maybe...just maybe...the re-emergence of Kevin Curtis.

Cleveland @ Oakland

The lesser of two evils here? While I like guys like Braylon Edwards, Kellen Winslow and even Charlie Frye, I don't see them finding as much success as they should. They run into a Raiders team in desperate need of a win this week coming off the bye. Lamont Jordan should see more extensive action as Andrew Walter is replacing Aaron Brooks. Maybe Randy Moss can reach deep down into that afro of his and pull out some gamebreaking catches. Tough choices for fantasy owners here. Treat 'em like the Dolphins...one last chance against a weak opponent. If you fail, then you're on the bench for good.

Jacksonville @ Washington

The Skins had a great week last week with Clinton Portis, Ladell Betts and Mark Brunnell putting up great numbers. But it ends here. The Jags D is not the pushover Houston is. Expect the numbers to drop off significantly. With Fred Taylor still healthy and a slightly banged up Maurice Jones-Drew, maybe we're looking at a Fragile Fred breakout? We'll see. I predict one of those really aggravating 13-6 games.

New England @ Cincinnati

This is a much different Patriots team we've seen in a while. The three-headed monster in the backfield needs a big day because Tom Brady is struggling and still doesn't know who his wideouts are. oh yeah...and Tom...? Meet Ben Watson. He's your tight end and you should think about getting the ball to him more. For the Bengals...well...c'mon. If you're not starting your Bengals, then you've got problems. Something tells me you'll be hearing the "Who dey!" chant from me on Tuesday morning...again.

Seattle at Chicago

A big one this week for the Seahawks. They need to prove that their offense can run efficianly even without Shaun Alexander. Can Maurice Morris save the day? Probably not. The Bears defense will put a quick stop to him and force Matt Hasselbeck to keep it in the air. 5 passing TD's last week you say? I could throw for 5 TDs against the Giants' secondary. The big matchup here is Bears RB Thomas Jones vs. the Seattle defensive line. If Jones can find some success, then Rex Grossman should have an easier day finding Bernard Berrian down field.

Green Bay @ Philadelphia

Points, points, and more points. A MNF barnburner. The Eagles will use every offensive weapon they have, so if you have one on your team, start him. Both Brian Westbrook and Donte Stallworth returned to practice this week and should be ready to go. Brett Favre may not have Ahman Green, so he'll have to keep it in the air. Recently acquired back up Verrand Morency has some talent but he's still new to the group. Besides, once Philly goes up 35-0, Favre will have to air it out big time to try and play catch up.

Week 4 Preview

Sitting out this week are the Giants, Steelers, Broncos and the Bucs. Make sure your lineups are set accordingly. Nothing a football league hates more than a guy who doesn't pay attention to the bye weeks and starts a player/defense on a bye. Ugh. Here's a quick look at the upcoming matchups.

Atlanta Falcons over the Arizona Cardinals

Standouts: Michael Vick, Warrick Dunn, Anquan Boldin, Edgerrin James

Dallas Cowboys over the Tennessee Titans

Standouts: Drew Bledsoe, Julius Jones, Terry Glenn, Jason Witten, Drew Bennett

Indianapolis Colts over the New York Jets

Standouts: Peyton Manning, Dominic Rhodes, Joseph Addai, Chad Pennington, Laveraneus Coles

Miami Dolphins over the Houston Texans

Standouts: Ronnie Brown, Daunte Culpepper, Randy McMichael, David Carr, Andre Johnson

Buffalo Bills over the Minesota Vikings

Standouts: Willis McGahee, Lee Evans, Bills Defense, Chester Taylor

Carolina Panthers over the New Orleans Saints

Standouts: Jake Delhomme, Steve Smith, Panthers Defense, Drew Brees, John Carney

San Diego Chargers over the Baltimore Ravens

Standouts: LaDanian Tomlinson, Antonio Gates, Chargers Defense, Matt Stover

Kansas City Chiefs over the San Francisco 49ers

Standouts: Larry Johnson, Tony Gonzalez, Laurence Tynes, Frank Gore, Eric Johnson

St. Louis Rams over the Detroit Lions

Standouts: Mark Bulger, Torry Holt, Steven Jackson, Jon Kitna, Roy Williams

Oakland Raiders over the Cleveland Browns

Standouts: Lamont Jordan, Courtney Anderson, Charlie Frye

Jacksonville Jaguars over the Washington Redskins

Standouts: Fred Taylor, Byron Leftwich, Ernest Wilford, Jaguars Defense, Santana Moss

Cincinnati Bengals over the New England Patriots

Standouts: Carson Palmer, Rudi Johnson. T.J. Houshmanzadeh, Chad Jackson, Laurence Maroney

Chicago Bears over the Seattle Seahawks

Standouts: Thomas Jones, Bernard Berrian, Robbie Gould, Bears Defense, Darrell Jackson

Philadelphia Eagles over the Green Bay Packers

Standouts: Donovan McNabb, Brian Westbrook, Donte Stallworth, Brett Favre, Greg Jennings

Last Week: 10-4
Overall: 33-13

QB Rankings -- Week 4

We're only in to Week 4 and we're already hearing the grumblings from some unhappy people. Already gone from starter staus is Oakland's Aaron Brooks and it looks like Arizona's Kurt Warner and Tennessee's Kerry Collins are ont heir way out soon too. Looks like you'll have to wait for Week 5, but get ready for the Matthew Leinart/Vince Young era to begin.

In the meantime, here are the Week 4 quarterback rankings. Please note that highlights in green are against teams that rank in the bottom 5 against the pass while red highlights are against teams that rank in the top 5 against the pass. Players highlighted in orange are banged up for this week, and you might need to check their status just before game time.

1. Donovan McNabb, PHI -- vs. GB
2. Peyton Manning, IND -- @ NYJ
3. Carson Palmer, CIN -- vs. NE
4. Matt Hasselbeck, SEA -- @ CHI
5. Mark Bulger, STL -- vs. DET
6. Tom Brady, NE -- @ CIN
7. Drew Bledsoe, DAL -- @ TEN
8. Daunte Culpepper, MIA -- @ HOU
9. Michael Vick, ATL -- vs. ARI
10. Drew Brees, NO -- @ CAR
11. Jake Delhomme, CAR -- vs. NO
12. Brett Favre, GB -- @ PHI
13. Charlie Frye, CLE -- @ OAK
14. Chad Pennington, NYJ -- vs. IND
15. Alex Smith, SF -- @ KC
16. Kurt Warner, ARI -- @ ATL
17. Jon Kitna, DET -- @ STL
18. David Carr, HOU -- vs. MIA
19. Rex Grossman, CHI -- vs. SEA
20. Byron Leftwich, JAC -- @ WAS
21. Steve McNair, BAL -- vs. SD
22. Philip Rivers, SD -- @ BAL
23. Mark Brunnell, WAS -- vs. JAC
24. J.P. Losman, BUF -- vs. MIN
25. Brad Johnson, MIN -- @ BUF
26. Damon Huard, KC -- vs. SF
27. Andrew Walter, OAK -- vs. CLE
28. Kerry Collins, TEN -- vs. DAL
29. Vince Young, TEN -- vs. DAL
30. Matt Leinart, ARI -- @ ATL

Phil Brody’s Commentary

Phil Brody’s Commentary

Week Three Commentary: Quote/Unquote


I think Socrates said it WELL when he said, “The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing.”

He followed that up with a BETTER one. “And in knowing that you know nothing, that makes you the smartest of all.”

Yeah, I’m in touch with that emotion. I know I know nothing. Nothing.

Which reminds me that Sergeant Hans Schultz actually always said it BEST every time he stammered, “I know nothing, NOTHING!”

No offense to Socrates, but Schultzie obviously knows his stuff. Where was I? Oh yeah, my inanity.

I thought Chad Johnson was the man in Cincinnati, but then along comes Houshyourchrishenry. Ugh.

I thought Fred Taylor was a prime candidate for Comeback Player of the Year (ala Jim Thome in fantasy baseball), but then I saw Maurice Jones-Drew enfold the rock and run, run, run. I don’t know, looks like a keeper to me.

I thought Steve Smith wasn’t going to suit up. Then I thought he was going to play decoy. Then I pondered, “even if her plays, he’s facing a mad-as-hell-and-not-going-take-it-anymore D in Tampa.” Then Mr. Smith rung up 112 yards. Needless to say, I was reminded Steve Smith is still Steve Smith.

I thought Shaun Alexander was the best overall pick in the draft. Didn’t have a #1 pick in any draft, mind you, but had I, Shaun would’ve been my choice. What do I know?

I also did not believe in the Madden Curse. Key word: “did”

After last week, I thought there might be a RBBC in Carolina, but then DeAngelo Williams received a measly four carries.

I thought Jevon Kearse’s season ended after he suffered a fully torn MCL and partially torn PCL. Ouch. Then I read he also suffered a popped hamstring tendon, strained his quadriceps tendon, dislocated his kneecap, fractured his tibia, and ALSO tore the capsule that holds it together. Wow. I think I’ve seen this show! “We can rebuild him. We have the technology.”

I thought Samkon Gado might be (or become) the man in Houston, not Former Heisman Trophy Winner Ron Dayne or even that Wali Lundy guy . Then Former Heisman Trophy Winner Ron Dayne (I think that should always be his full name, by the way) started on Sunday, which is exactly what his coach said all week -- but I did not know we were supposed to believe anything any coach told us anymore, especially one that learned under Mike Shenanigans.

I thought receivers had to be taller than me to play in the NFL, then I saw JP Losman look for and connect with some short guy named Roscoe Parrish again and again and again.

See? What do I know? Nothing, NOTHING! But I can admit it, which brings me back to Socrates, and somehow makes me the smartest of all. Or at least more smarter than you.


WHAT I'M WATCHING THIS WEEK: Kurt Warner/Matt Leinart, Bruce Gradkowski, Maurice Morris, Big Ben, Little Parrish, Fast Willie, Slow Defensive Linemen Scoring TDs, Seahawks versus Bears, Twins, Dodgers.


RANT OF THE WEEK: Monday Night Football, 4th Quarter, 13:10 remaining. Saints 23, Falcons 3. On third down, Drew Brees is sacked for the first time in the game, a loss of 11 yards. Joe Theisman: “That might be the play the Saints need to be able to get things started.” Um, Joe, first of all you obviously meant the Falcons, not the Saints, but therein lies the problem. You like to hear yourself talk so much you don’t even know what you’re saying. You contradict yourself every five minutes. Somehow every call you make is wrong. I hate listening to you more than I hate listening to jazz music. And I detest jazz. Final score: Saints 23, Falcons 3, Theisman 0

Tuesday Morning Quarterback

Player of the Week: Brett Favre became only the second QB in NFL history to throw for 400 TDs. He did it on his first TD of the game, a 75 yarder to Greg Jennings. He threw for a total of 340 yards and had another 2 TDs after.



Week 3 was good to you if you started:

QB Brett Favre, GB: 340 passing yards-3TD-0 INT
QB Matt Hasselbeck, SEA: 227-5-3
QB Jake Plummer, DEN: 256-2-0
QB Jon Kitna, DET: 342-2-1, 18 rushing yards
RB Brian Westbrook, PHI: 117 rushing yards-2 TD, 47 receiving yards-1 TD
RB Willie Parker, PIT: 133-2, 13 rec. yards
RB Clinton Portis, WAS: 86-2, 78 rec. yards
WR Javon Walker, DEN: 130 receiving yards-2 TD
WR Braylon Edwards, CLE: 116-1
WR Roy Williams, DET: 138-1
WR Keyshawn Johnson, CAR: 97 receiving-1 TD, 4 rushing-1 TD
TE Kellen Winslow, CLE: 92 receiving yards
TE Todd Heap, BAL: 30 receiving yards-1 TD
TE Dallas Clark, IND: 36-1
K John Kasay, CAR: 4 FG, 2 XP
K Robbie Gould, CHI: 4 FG, 1 XP

It was a rough week for you if you had:

QB Ben Roethlisberger, PIT: 208 passing yards-0 TD-3 INT
QB Daunte Culpepper, MIA: 168 passing yards
QB Brad Johnson, MIN: 194 passing yards
QB Michael Vick, ATL: 137 passing, 57 rushing
RB Frank Gore, SF: 52 rushing yards, 22 receiving yards, FL
RB Tiki Barber, NYG: 64 rushing, 14 receiving
RB Warrick Dunn, ATL: 44 rushing, 2 receiving
RB Rudi Johnson, CIN: 47 rushing, 10 receiving
WR Donte Stallworth, PHI: did not play
WR Plaxico Burress, NYG: 23 receiving yards, FL
WR Hines Ward, PIT: 17 receiving yards
WR Chad Johnson, CIN: 11 receiving yards
TE Randy McMichael, MIA: 15 receiving yards

You should grow a long white beard and be sitting on a mountain top in Tibet if you started:

QB J.P. Losman, BUF: 328 passing yards-1 TD-1 INT, 14 rushing yards-1 TD
QB Charlie Frye, CLE: 298-1-1, 6 rushing yards-1 TD
RB Ladell Betts, WAS: 124 rushing yards-1 TD, 27 receiving yards
RB Maurice Jones-Drew, JAC: 103 rushing, 32 receiving-1 TD
WR Roscoe Parrish, BUF: 104 receiving yards-1 TD
WR Greg Jennings, GB: 101-1
TE Eric Johnson, SF: 87 receiving yards-1 TD
TE Bo Scaife, TEN: 53-1, FL
DEF N.Y. Jets: 1 INT, 3 Sacks, 2 DFR, 1 DTD

News and notes:

Could it have been scripted any better for the Saints? First game back at the Superdome, Monday Night Football, a rout of the Falcons, they stay undefeated...the reality of it was absolute beauty....fantasy wise, what a stinker. You got hosed, unless you own John Carney.

So either the Titans got miraculously better over the past week or we all have vastly overrated Daunte Culpepper and the new Miami offense. Hmmm. Let's see....Ronnie Brown still looks good...Chambers was looking great last year...I'm gonna go with option B, Chuck.

Now I'm not saying he's ready, but could Matt Leinart do any worse than Kurt Warner? C'mon now...you've got Edge, Anquan and Fitzgerald. Ridiculous. I don't care what your offensive line is like. You've got the weapons. Just get it done.

Oh yeah....and nice double fumble at the end of that game there.

Remember last week when I said that the only guy worth owning in the Baltimore/Cleveland was Phil Dawson? Um...yeah. I meant to spell it B-R-A-Y-L-O-N-E-D-W-A-R-D-S. Sorry for the typo.

Well now you know Houston's gotta be bad when Mark Brunnell sets the consecutive completions record against you. Congrats Mark. Guaranteed to be your high point of the season. Too bad it's only week 3.

Who else got boned when Donte Stallworth was declared inactive? ::shamefully raises hand::

Not Brian Westbrook owners, that's for sure.

Down go Frank Gore and Vernon Davis, in come Michael Robinson and Eric Johnson. It looks like Alex Smith ain't so bad after all. He's getting it done for fantasy owners no matter who's in there.

Scratching my head about Green Bay vs. Detroit. Was it Mike Martz finally jump start the offense but just got beat by a "vintage" Brett Favre? Or was it that both defenses were so atrocious that people couldn't help but score and we only caught a glimpse of some "vintage" Brett Favre?

Carson and his Bengals push Ben and his Steelers around on the playground all day and the only guy who stood up for himself was Willie Parker. Are the Super Bowl champs really 1-2?

Thank you Carolina for proving me right that you can only win with Steve Smith in the lineup. Who else can get Keyshawn to have his best game since '98 and still rack up 100+ yards?

Free agent mental note: Robbie Gould, Robbie Gould, Robbie Gould

What a bail job by Eli Manning!! Saved his owners with 3 4th quarter TD's. What a horror show before that though.

Shaun Alexander. Ouch. If you didn't catch it before, I'll tell you again. You should pick up Maurice Morris, but don't expect anything out of him until week 6 at the earliest. Seattle travels to Chicago next week and they have a bye in week 5.

Are my Jets really 2-1? That's one more game than I thought they'd win all year. Unfortunately it could be back to reality with upcoming games against Indy and Jacksonville....or could it?

One For the Waiver Hounds

2005's leading rusher, Shaun Alexander, takes a seat for the next few weeks with a broken bone in his foot.



Some key injuries and a few other developments happened on Sunday. If you can make pickups today, then you're going to want to get ahead of your competition here. Red = injured/replaced player; Green = player to be picked up as replacement; Blue = second option for pickup

1. Seahawks RB Shaun Alexander is out indefinitely (possibly 4-6 weeks) with a broken foot. His primary backup is Maurice Morris and he'll get the carries until Alexander gets back. Word of Caution: The Seahawks play in Chicago for week 4 and then are on a bye in week 5. You shouldn't expect anything out of him until week 6 at the earliest.

2. Tampa QB Chris Simms is probably out for the year after having his spleen removed in emergency surgery last night. Grab Bruce Gradkowski, the primary backup, but if he fails, Tim Rattay is the next in line.

3. Niners rookie TE Vernon Davis is out atleast 4 weeks with a broken fibula. Eric Johnson, who had a big game in week 3 should be a nice pick up.

4. Also for San Fran, RB Frank Gore left Sunday's game with an abdominal strain. Watch his status this week as you may need to pick up Michael Robinson or Maurice Hicks.

5. Vince Young and Matt Leinart could both see starting action this week which puts Kerry Collins and Kurt Warner on the bench.

6. If Donte Stallworth can't go again, then Greg Lewis or even Hank Baskett may be worth a look.

7. Too bad Laurence Maroney is probably taken in your league, but I'm sure Kevin Faulk is available. Corey Dillon has an arm injury and may miss week 4.

A Deeper Look Into Week 3

So I gave you my picks and some suggested standouts, but let's delve a little deeper here in each game with some note worthy thoughts of mine...

Carolina @ Tampa Bay

It appears that WR Steve Smith will play on Sunday and that has fantasy owners salivating. But hold the phone here. Tampa's corners are solid and they rank in the top 5 in passing defense. Look for the Panthers to use Smith as a decoy and watch Keyshawn Johnson come away with more receptions. The battle here is going to be won on the ground.

Chicago @ Minnesota

While I think QB Rex Grossman should have a good game, it's not going to be the free for all he had last week. Bernard Berrian is becoming a favorite, so he should fare well, but the big matchup here is the Chicago D stopping Chester Taylor. If they do that, which for them isn't that difficult, then they're going to force Brad Johnson into a lot of passing mistakes. I like the Bears here in a low scoring affair.

Cincinnati @ Pittsburgh

This is not the same Steelers team we saw last year. If they're letting Fred Taylor run on them for 90+ yards last week, then how are they stopping Rudi Johnson? That alone will make it an easier day for the banged up Bengals wideouts. I see lots of points for Cincy....probably more than the Steelers. Big Ben is still not 100% so he's going to have to rely a lot on Willie Parker.

Green Bay @ Detroit

I'm still trying to figure out this one. Brett Favre should eat up the Detroit secondary, but with such a suspect running game, will Favre even be allowed to? At some point, Mike Martz needs to get this offense in motion. With such a crappy D in Green Bay, this is make or break for guys like Kevin Jones, Jon Kitna and Roy Williams.

Jacksonville @ Indianapolis

The Colts and Jags have been at each other for some time now and it always seems like the Jags get the better of them. Peyton Manning should still put up decent numbers, but the Jags D is going to be in his mug all day long. The key is going to be the Colts defense. They need to contain Fred tayor and they need to put a lot of pressure on Byron Leftwich. If they don't then you could see a lot of Ernest Wilford and, if he plays, Matt Jones.

NY Jets @ Buffalo

A good matchup here as the Jets will get another solid divisional test. So far Chad Pennington has looked good in his revived relationship with Laveraneus Coles, and even better is the threesome they've invited Jerricho Cotchery into. No ground game though coul dmake for a long afternoon. The Bills D should have a decent day...possibly even better than their offense. J.P. Lost-man doesn't look good out there. That sound you hear is Kelly Holcombe laughing as he warms up on the sidelines.

Tennessee @ Miami

A King of the Hill/Suicide Pool favorite here. The Titans look awful on both sides of the ball. Kerry Collins will get the start but I bet Vince Young gets the finish. I don't care what coach Jeff Fisher says, Vince will be his starter at some point very soon. This is the week you Daunte Culpepper owners have been waiting for. The Fins will establish a ridiculously effective ground game with Ronnie Brown and the Culpepper/Chris Chambers hook-up will be big here.

Washington @ Houston

Just like Miami, Washington could be headed for a breakout day here. The Texans D is just laughable at times. Even Mark Brunnell could look good. Clinton Portis is back and with him, Ladell Betts, and T.J. Duckett getting some work, it should allow Brunnell to find Santana Moss and maybe even Chris Cooley. Th eTexans will use Ron Dayne as the primary this week, so that should be interesting. Look for David Carr to have to start airing it out big by the middle of the second quarter as he tries to play catch up.

Baltimore @ Cleveland

This one has Jamal Lewis written all over it. He is notorious for abusing the Browns defense. Look for him to start strong and open the door for Steve McNair to hook up with Todd Heap and Derrick Mason. The only Cleveland player I start here is Phil Dawson and even that's a reach. The Browns could put up a big goose egg this week.

NY Giants @ Seattle

Big Blue is still looking for some payback from last year, but this could be a tough one. The Seattle D is strong and could hold Tiki Barber in check forcing Eli Manning to air it out more than Tom Coughlin would like. Owners are still waiting for Shaun Alexander to break out, but if you watched what McNabb and the Eagles did last week, you know that the Giants' pass defense is the Achilles heel. Still, I expect a high scoring game here and maybe Jay Feeley gets redemption.

Philadelphia @ San Francisco

The Eagles kept Tiki in check last week....can they do the same with Frank Gore? I don't know about that with the loss of Jevon Kearse and a banged up linebacking corps. Unfortunately, we might not get to see as much of him (Gore) as we'd like. The Niners pass defense is amazingly suspect and Donovan McNabb and Donte Stallworth could hook up a few times early putting the Niners on their heels. If that's the case, then hello Antonio Bryant and Vernon Davis.

St. Louis @ Arizona

If you own players on either team, now is the time to start them. Barn-burner doesn't even come close to what's going to happen here. Both teams will try to establish a ground game early, but this has all the earmarks of turning into a passing shootout. That is of course, unless either Steven Jackson or Edgerrin James makes their mark early enough. Either way, I'm sensing a lot of yards both ways with a very high score.

Denver @ New England

In the past 2 weeks we've seen to games finish up 9-6. This could be the third. It has all the makings of a big snoozer. Jake Plummer is still playing like Jake the Fake and the multi-Bell running game will have a tough time against the Pats D. On the other side of the ball, the Broncos should stack the box considering Tom Brady's passing options are very limited and they should keep the 3 headed monster of Corey Dillon-Kevin Faulk-Laurence Maroney in check. For all you weekly gamblers out there, I say take the under.

Atlanta @ New Orleans

A big Monday night matchup here as MNF returns to NOLA. Michael Vick has never looked better in the fantasy world and Warrick Dunn is running like a champ. But these ain't your daddy's Saints and this one could be a breeze for Brees; Drew that is. The Falcons have a decent defensive line, but their corners are terrible. And even if they pull the linebackers back into coverage, the dump offs to Reggie Bush are going to be huge.

Good luck to you all this week.

Week 3 Preview

Well, week 3 is here and it's the first week of the season that includes a bye for a few teams. Taking a break this week are San Diego, Kansas City, Dallas and Oakland. Now I'm sure no one's upset that they have to officially sit their Raiders, but the loss of players like LaDanian Tomlinson, Larry Johnson and Terry Glenn could put some teams in your league in jeapordy this week. Let's take a look at the matchups. Remember, the picks are based without the spread...King of the Hill -- good, weekly gambling -- bad.

Carolina Panthers over the Tampa Bay Bucaneers

Standouts: DeShaun Foster, DeAngelo Williams, Joey Galloway, Alex Smith

Chicago Bears over the Minnesota Vikings

Standouts: Bernard Berrian, Desmond Clark, Chicago Defense, Marcus Robinson

Cincinnati Bengals over the Pittsburgh Steelers

Standouts: Carson Palmer, Rudi Johnson, Heath Miller, Willie Parker

Green Bay Packers over the Detroit Lions

Standouts: Brett Favre, Robert Ferguson, Donald Driver, Jon Kitna, Roy Williams

Jacksonville Jaguars over the Indianapolis Colts

Standouts: Fred Taylor, Byron Leftwich, Matt Jones, Peyton Manning, Reggie Wayne

New York Jets over the Buffalo Bills

Standouts: Chad Pennington, Laveraneus Coles, Willis McGahee, Lee Evans, Buffalo Defense

Miami Dolphins over the Tennessee Titans

Standouts: Ronnie Brown, Daunte Culpepper, Chris Chambers, Drew Bennett

Washington Redskins over the Houston Texans

Standouts: Clinton Portis, Santana Moss, Andre Johnson, Jeb Putzier, Ron Dayne

Baltimore Ravens over the Cleveland Browns

Standouts: Jamal Lewis, Steve McNair, Derrick Mason, Baltimore Defense, Dennis Northcutt

New York Giants over the Seattle Seahawks

Standouts: Eli Manning, Plaxico Burress, Tiki Barber, Matt Hasselbeck, Deion Branch

Philadelphia Eagles over the San Francisco 49ers

Standouts: Donovan McNabb, Donte Stallworth, Frank Gore, Vernon Davis, Antonio Bryant

Arizona Cardinals over the St. Louis Rams

Standouts: Kurt Warner, Larry Fitzgerald, Anquan Boldin, Steven Jackson, Torry Holt

New England Patriots over the Denver Broncos

Standouts: Tom Brady, Chad Jackson, Laurence Maroney, Tatum Bell, Javon Walker

New Orleans Saints over the Atlanta Falcons

Standouts: Drew Brees, Reggie Bush, Joe Horn, Michael Vick, Warrick Dunn


Last Week: 13-3
Overall: 23-9

QB Rankings -- Week 3

Here are your QB Rankings for week 3. Highlights in green are against teams that rank in the bottom 5 against the pass while red highlights are against teams that rank in the top 5 against the pass. Players highlighted in orange are banged up for this week, but should still play.

1. Donovan McNabb, PHI -- @ SF
2. Peyton Manning, IND -- vs. JAC
3. Kurt Warner, ARI -- vs. STL
4. Mark Bulger, STL -- @ ARI
5. Eli Manning, NYG -- @ SEA
6. Carson Palmer, CIN -- @ PIT
7. Matt Hasselbeck, SEA -- vs. NYG
8. Michael Vick, ATL -- @ NO
9. Tom Brady, NE -- vs. DEN
10. Drew Brees, NO -- vs. ATL
11. Steve McNair, BAL -- @ CLE
12. Brett Favre, GB -- @ DET
13. Daunte Culpepper, MIA -- vs. TEN
14. Chad Pennington, NYJ -- @ BUF
15. Jake Delhomme, CAR -- @ TB
16. Rex Grossman, CHI -- @ MIN
17. Alex Smith, SF -- vs. PHI
18. Byron Leftwich, JAC -- @ IND
19. Ben Roethlisberger, PIT -- vs. CIN
20. Jon Kitna, DET -- vs. GB
21. Jake Plummer, DEN -- @ NE
22. David Carr, HOU -- vs. WAS
23. Mark Brunnell, WAS -- @ HOU
24. Brad Johnson, MIN -- vs. CHI
25. Charlie Frye, CLE -- vs. BAL
26. Chris Simms, TB -- vs. CAR
27. J.P. Losman, BUF -- vs. NYJ
28. Kerry Collins, TEN -- @ MIA
29. Vince Young, TEN -- @ MIA
30. Bruce Gradkowski, TB -- vs. CAR

Phil Brody’s Commentary

Week Two Commentary: You & What Army?

“I’m going to kick your a** this weekend.”
“Yeah? You and what army?”

I’ve never really understood weekly trash talking in fantasy football. Love the game, but, to me, trash talking within the game is like Napoleon Dynamite’s Uncle Rico wishing he could go back in time to “take State.” It’s inane.

It’s like every ploy hatched by a supervillain against any superhero. Futile.

Now, mind you, I boasted about my teams shortly after every one of my drafts, but that was when everything was on paper. Now it’s on TV, and it’s been mighty disheartening for me to watch. My teams aren’t doing well. Ugh. But that’s not why I refrain from trash talking once the season starts. I refrain because I feel the weekly outcome of games is a tad out of one’s control. Sure, we draft our teams and set our line-up, but, after that, the outcome belongs to the roto gods above.

This is a great game we play, one I spend way too much time analyzing and contemplating, but, come kickoff, it’s beyond my control. I’ve come to accept that. I wish I could control it more, but in reality, fantasy football kind of resembles the game Risk.

Remember Risk?

The description of the game (both games, actually) reads, “Isn’t it about time you ruled the world? In this combat classic, all you need to do is plan carefully, make decisions quickly and move boldly.”

Sounds great, but let’s read on.

“The outcome of battles is decided by rolling dice.”

Risk is the game of World Domination. Fantasy football is the game of League Domination. In both, you employ an army, set them on the battlefield and then you roll the die.

You roll the die.

So, how do you win fantasy football if it’s out of one’s control? Easy. You build a better army.

I’ve always been a fan of trading, of taking risk. To me, it a part of game, as much a part as drafting, setting your line-up and praying to the roto gods that Steve Smith suits up next week for the Panthers or that sports doctors happen upon a cure for tight hamstrings. Better yet, invent the hamstringetctomy -- which, by the way, will need to be an outpatient procedure.

But I digress. Trade. Improve your team. Build a better army. Sure, you might make mistakes, but that’s one to grow on.

A few years ago, I traded Kevin Barlow (the year Barlow became a late-season force), and ended up facing the team I traded him to (for Hines Ward) in the league’s championship. I lost the game. Moral of the story? I got to that championship game, having built a better army.

I was talking trade with a fellow owner in one league last week, but was inundated with these kinds of responses as I inquired about a player:

“Are you saying your WRs are better than mine? Mine out scored yours last week.”

“Winning starts with the front office. One must have a master plan and be willing to follow through, while being honest enough to recognize when change is necessary. So far, I believe in my system, the players I drafted.”

“If I don't believe in the team I drafted, then why draft?”

“Not interested.”

Spoken like a true winner at a press conference for and about winners. Too bad the team is 0-2.

Moral of the story: Don’t be afraid to trade. You’re smarter than that. Don’t think you’re getting ripped off. You’re smarter than that. If you trade, don’t get ripped off. You’re smarter than that.

Build a better army. It’s the smart thing to do.

------

REAL LEAGUE THOUGHTS: Peyton, Carson and Donovan look like heroes. A few more weeks of heroic actions like that might earn them the label of superheroes. Grossman had a heroic day, but he’s not being labeled a hero just yet.

Other could-be heroes: Eli, Burress, Toomer, Stallworth, Pennington, Coles, Driver, Bryant. Lots of mid/late rounds gold there.

Frank Gore runs like a villain. If he continues, he will enter supervillain status very quickly. LT already runs like a supervillain, but this we knew.

Other villains: Rudi, Chester Taylor, Mike Vick.

It’s early, but Plummer’s throwing the ball much like Uncle Rico in Napoleon Dynamite. Without that elusive time machine, that’s not good.

------

RANT OF THE WEEK: Anyone/everyone see that commercial for NFL Replay? I could not believe my eyes, my ears when I first saw it, then I got to see it about 15 more times during Sunday’s games. Ugh! Who directed that ad? Same guy that directed Moulin Rouge? Looked like it.

Tuesday Morning Quarterback

You probably cruised through week 2 if you started:

QB Peyton Manning, IND: 400 passing yards-3 TD-0 INT
QB Eli Manning, NYG: 371-3-1
QB Brett Favre, GB: 340-3-1
QB Donovan McNabb, PHI: 350-2-0
RB Rudi Johnson, CIN: 145 rushing yards-3 receiving yards-2 TD
RB LaDanian Tomlinson, SD: 71-51-2
RB Frank Gore, SF: 127-10-1
WR Amani Toomer, NYG: 137 receiving yards-2 TD
WR Antonio Bryant, SF: 131-1
WR Darrell Jackson, SEA: 127-1
WR Plaxico Burress, NYG: 114-1
WR Laveraneus Coles, NYJ: 100-1
TE Desmond Clark, CHI: 85 receiving yards-1 TD
TE L.J. Smith, PHI: 111-0
K Ryan Longwell, MIN: 3 FG-1 XP-1 TD pass
K Nate Kaeding, SD: 4 FG-4XP
DEF Baltimore Ravens: 3 INT-1 SFTY-6 sacks-3 DFR

You were left with the short end of the stick if you started:

QB Jake Plummer, DEN: 173 passing yards-0 TD-1 INT
QB Mark Brunnell, WAS: 197-0-1
QB Jake Delhomme, CAR: 181-0-0
RB Cadillac Williams, TB: 37 rushing yards-0 TD
RB Lamont Jordan, OAK: 35-0
RB Willie Parker, PIT: 22-0
RB Kevin Jones, DET: 44 rushing-38 receiving-2 FL
WR Randy Moss, OAK: 32 receiving yards-0 TD
WR Larry Fitzgerald, ARI: 52-0
WR Terrell Owens, DAL: 19-0
WR Hines Ward, PIT: 29-0
TE Alge Crumpler, ATL: 22 receiving yards-0 TD
TE Heath Miller, PIT: 11-0

You were a fantasy genius if you started:

QB Rex Grossman, CHI: 289 passing yards-4 TD-0 INT
QB Chad Pennington, NYJ: 306-2-1
RB Michael Turner, SD: 138 rushing yards
WR Jericho Cotchery, NYJ: 121 receiving yards-1 TD
WR Chris Henry, CIN: 113-0
TE John Gilmore, CHI: 8 receiving yards-2 TD

News and Notes:

Who's the consensus #1 pick? So the Giants fans stop whining about some crack head from the 80's, I'll start referring to the greatness in San Diego as LTD from now on. I wake up every Sunday and thank the good Lord that I have him on my fantasy team each and every year.

Something tells me San Francisco's offense was verrrrry underrated by the fantasy experts this year, huh? Trading Kevan Barlow just looks like sheer genius right now.

And speaking of the woeful Jets...a nice tough battle this week with the rival Patriots. Maybe Chad and his receivers will be solid options in the first few weeks. Unfortunately, their running game is Kevan Barlow.

**sigh** If only Peyton could play the Texans every week. Not that he's going to suck against the rest, but these games are just so much fun for his fantasy owners.

Maybe it's time to start thinking about benching guys when they have to face the Jags. That D looks pretty mean.

The Saints are showing they can do it in the air as well as on the ground. The Reggie Bush Experience takes center stage on a big Monday night next week.

13 points in 2 games??? What happened to Martz being an offensive guru? These Lions look rough. Maybe Kevin Jones really does stink.

With Trent Green down, one of my rivals had to start Rex Grossman this week. DOH!!!

Against a good D or a bad one, these Raiders look pretty punchless. Did I ever tell you the story about the time I traded Lamont Jordan?

Once again Larry Johnson fails to make it into the endzone. Sure, yardage is great but we need to see some scores!! With the QB situation shaky, Johnson's value drops more every week. Stack 'em up in the box, boys! Herm Edwards and his staff have no offensive creativity.

Vintage Favre? Yeah if you consider a year or two ago vintage. He's still going to struggle against the league's tougher defenses.

Fact or fiction? The Panthers can't win without Steve Smith. Starting to look like fact right about now...

It just went from bad to worse for Philly on Sunday. They lose the game and they lose Jevon Kearse for the year. Did Trent Cole really kick that guy? Not to take away from Eli and the Giants, but the Eagles really lost that game.

You think Warrick Dunn had fun running all over his old team? 134 yeards...boo yah!!

Looks like it's T.Oh-no these days. Out 2-4 weeks with a broken finger?!? I've got a finger for him right here.

And what a stinker that Arizona/Seattle game was. How many fantasy points did Boldin, Fitzgerald and Shaun Alexander combine for? Barely 20? Ugh.

Who dey?!? With Carson back and Rudi runnin' we don't think anyone can beat them Bengals!!

Week 2 Preview

Let's hope this week is a little more exciting than last. Here's a quick look at the upcoming matchups and who I think the fantasy standouts will be. Keep in mind, the picks are made without the spreads involved. Good for King of the Hill/Suicide Pools, not always good for weekly gambling habits. For what it's worth, I went 10-6 last week.

Miami Dolphins over the Buffalo Bills

Standouts: Ronnie Brown, Daunte Culpepper, Randy McMichael, Willis McGahee

Minnesota Vikings over the Carolina Panthers

Standouts: Chester Taylor, Brad Johnson, DeShaun Foster

Cincinnati Bengals over the Cleveland Browns

Standouts: Carson Palmer, Chad Johnson, Rudi Johnson, Dennis Northcutt

Chicago Bears over the Detroit Lions

Standouts: Rex Grossman, Thomas Jones, Chicago Defense, Roy Williams

Indianapolis Colts over the Houston Texans

Standouts: Peyton Manning, Marvin Harrison, Reggie Wayne, Dallas Clark, Andre Johnson

New Orleans Saints over the Green Bay Packers

Standouts: Drew Brees, Reggie Bush, Joe Horn, Donald Driver

Philadelphia Eagles over the New York Giants

Standouts: Donovan McNabb, Donte Stallworth, Eli Manning, Jeremy Shockey

Baltimore Ravens over the Oakland Raiders

Standouts: Steve McNair, Derrick Mason, Todd Heap, Baltimore Defense, Lamont Jordan

Tampa Bay Bucaneers over the Atlanta Falcons

Standouts: Cadillac Williams, Alex Smith, Warrick Dunn, Michael Vick

Seattle Seahawks over the Arizona Cardinals

Standouts: Shaun Alexander, Matt Hasselbeck, Kurt Warner, Larry Fitzgerald, Anquan Boldin

San Francisco 49ers over the St. Louis Rams

Standouts: Alex Smith, Frank Gore, Steven Jackson, Torry Holt

Denver Broncos over the Kansas City Chiefs

Standouts: Jake Plummer, Javon Walker, Tatum Bell, Denver Defense, Larry Johnson

New England Patriots over the New York Jets

Standouts: Tom Brady, Ben Watson, Laveraneus Coles

San Diego Chargers over the Tennessee Titans

Standouts: LaDanian Tomlinson, Antonio Gates, Phillip Rivers, San Diego Defense, Drew Bennett, Chris Brown

Dallas Cowboys over the Washington Redskins

Standouts: Drew Bledsoe, Terrell Owens, Terry Glenn, Julius Jones, Ladell Betts

Jacksonville Jaguars over the Pittsburgh Steelers

Standouts: Fred Taylor, Byron Leftwich, Matt Jones, Willie Parker, Heath Miller

QB Rankings -- Week 2

1. Peyton Manning, IND: This should be a fun one for Manning owners. The lack of hype, a la Manning Bowl I, and a lack of a good secondary in Houston will allow him to relax, take his time, and slowly pick apart the Texans. Expect big yardage and atleast 3 TDs.

2. Donovan McNabb, PHI: He's healthy and has a new primary target in Donte Stallworth. He missed both games against the Giants last year so he's excited about the divisional matchup. He should find some nice targets in Stallworth and TE L.J. Smith which should lead to a very successful Sunday.

3. Carson Palmer, CIN: The home opener and his favorite punching bag, the Browns secondary. Look for a big comeback from last week's disappointing performance and expect some long hook ups with favorite target, Chad Johnson.

4. Matt Hasselbeck, SEA: You can always expect a shootout when facing divisional rival Arizona. The Seahawks should run Shaun Alexander hard from the opening which will open up the passing game better this week. He won't have Deion Branch just yet, but Nate Burleson and Darrell Jackson should find their way into the endzone for a couple of TD passes.

5. Kurt Warner, ARI: The Seattle defense is a lot tougher than that of the Niners, but the offensive line didn't look as bad as everyone said they were going to look. With receivers like Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin, and a back that can make catches in the flat like Edgerrin James, you can expect another high scoring week for the Cardinals' QB.

the rest of them...

6. Tom Brady, NE
7. Eli Manning, NYG
8. Mark Bulger, STL
9. Michael Vick, ATL
10. Drew Brees, NO
11. Jake Plummer, DEN
12. Jake Delhomme, CAR
13. Phillip Rivers, SD
14. Daunte Culpepper, MIA
15. Steve McNair, BAL
16. Drew Bledsoe, DAL
17. Ben Roethlisberger, PIT
18. Byron Leftwich, JAC
19. Brad Johnson, MIN
20. Chad Pennington, NYJ
21. Brett Favre, GB
22. Mark Brunnell, WAS
23. Alex Smith, SF
24. Rex Grossman, CHI
25. David Carr, HOU
26. Charlie Frye, CLE
27. Chris Simms, TB
28. Kerry Collins, TEN
29. Jon Kitna, DET
30. J.P. Losman, BUF
31. Aaron Brooks, OAK
32. Damon Huard, KC

Phil Brody's Tangent/Rant of the Week

Two things!

1) How come, as fantasy football becomes bigger, better, more enjoyable for us all, the media seems to understand it less and less? Anyone see that ESPN Fantasy Football special a few weeks ago? Pathetic and an embarrassment to the sport. On Monday Night Football, every time Tony Kornheiser said, “my fantasy football team,” I felt like I was listening to my parents singing along to U2 songs on the radio in the car when they came to visit me in Los Angeles. Ugh. Annoying, uncomfortable and wrong.

2) Um, when did ESPN become so uncool? Back in the day (I’m so old), they were smart, savvy, and on the cutting edge. They created catchphrases and they seemed like people I wanted to have a beer with at my local bar. These days, I cannot believe my eyes, my ears, nor trust my memory. Was that Dr. Phil I saw on ESPN GameDay? WTF? I feel embarrassed to say I watch this show. And if I see those loud-mouth has-beens take off their suit coats and play “football” on that dumb in-studio field one more time, I swear to god I am tuning into Fox and will start watching/listening to Terry Bradshaw. Swear to god.

What I’m watching this week: Cinci with Carson, KC sans Green, Arizona with Edge, Carolina sans Wharton (and maybe Smith), Houston with Gado, Jax sans Hayward, N.E. with Gabriel, Cleveland sans Jurevicius (and a prayer), Pitt with Big Ben (maybe) -- and (another tangent) two of the funnest baseball teams to watch, both with playoff aspirations: The Marlins & The Twins.

The above commentary was written by RotoBuzz's newest writer Phil Brody.

Week 1 Commentary: "Throw the Bomber-rooskie!"

The following commentary is written by RotoBuzz's newest writer, Phil Brody:

So, I’m watching all the NFL action on Sunday when mid-morning (NFL starts at 10 AM in LA) suddenly becomes late morning and the third quarter in the games. I’m scanning the scores and I see 3-0, 7-6, 10-0, 7-7, and I say out loud, “Wait. This is the season? This is the way the 2006 season begins?”

How anticlimactic.

I wanted fireworks. I wanted offense. I wanted long runs, longer throws. I wanted high-scoring affairs and creative TD dances. I got none of that. I found myself quoting Bum Phillips when he roamed the sidelines, coaching the Houston Oilers. “Throw the bomber-rooskie. Throw the bomber-rooskie!”

I kept watching, but the afternoon went on sans fireworks, sans offense, sans bomber-rooskies. Did everyone feel the same? Did you all feel my pain? I think that’s it. My pain. The lack of offense was felt most within the team of supposed studs I spent weeks considering, hours amassing. Then, one by one, they, for the most part, did not bother to show up on this given Sunday, this Week One Sunday.

Ugh.

It wasn’t supposed to start like this, with a loss, sans fireworks.

Today I eat a big bowl of extra-crunchy humility, with a slice of humble pie. It tastes awful. Just awful. Thanks Carnell. Thanks Roy. Good show Cowboys. Way to be Jake the Fake.

If you read defeat in these words, please reread. It’s disgust and disappointment, but it is sans defeat. Defeat, in fact, is not an option. Never. This is a test. For me. For my teams. I will not do anything rash. I will not trade (yet), will not drop anything for anyone (yet). There are 12 weeks to toil, fix, revenge. It’s only Week One. Yes it was a weak one for me, for most, but one weak week does not make a season. Next week looms large, another Sunday full of games, another set of match-ups for my fantasy squad. And the outcome of those match-ups will not be the same in any way, shape or form. Mark my words.

Mark. My. Words.

Newest RotoBuzz Writer

RotoBuzz would like to welcome Phil Brody to the writing staff for fantasy football. He's a writer from the West Coast that I met somewhere along the way during baseball season and is ready to help make this blog a top source for, not just fantasy information, but for insights and general football commentary as well.

Thanks for joining, Phil, and I hope the RotoBuzz faithful enjoys!!

Sincerely,
Howard Bender

Tuesday Morning Quarterback

You probably sailed through Week 1 if you started:

Kurt Warner, QB ARI: 301 passing yards-3 TD, 1 Fumble Lost
Donovan McNabb, QB PHI: 314 passing yards-3 TD
Michael Vick, QB ATL: 140 pasing yards-2 TD, 48 rushing yards
LaDanian Tomlinson, RB SD: 131 rushing yards, 18 receiving yards, 1 TD
Frank Gore, RB SF: 87 rushing yards, 83 receiving yards, 2 TD
Tiki Barber, RB NYG: 110 rushing yards, 61 receiving yards
Donte Stallworth, WR PHI: 141 receiving yards, 1 TD
Laveranues Coles, WR NYJ: 153 receiving yards
Larry Fitzgerald, WR ARI: 133 receiving yards
Heath Miller, TE PIT: 101 receiving yards, 1 TD
Tony Gonzalez, TE KC: 81 receiving yards, 1 TD
Kellen Winslow Jr., TE CLE: 63 receiving yards, 1 TD
Jeff Wilkins, K STL: 6 FG
Chicago Bears Defense: 2 INT, 1 DFR, 1 DTD, 0 PA

You probably pained through Week 1 if you started:

Matt Hasselbeck, QB SEA: 210 passing yards, 15 rushing yards
Drew Bledsoe, QB DAL: 246 passing yards-1 TD-3 INT
Carson Palmer, QB CIN: 127 passing yards
Jake Delhomme, QB CAR: 186 passing yards-1 INT
Shaun Alexander, RB SEA: 51 rushing yards, FL
Reuben Droughns, RB CLE: 27 rushing yards
Cadillac Williams, RB TB: 22 rushing yards, 25 receiving yards
Randy Moss, WR OAK: 47 receiving yards
Javon Walker, WR DEN: 41 receiving yards
Roy Williams, WR DET: 36 receiving yards
Jason Witten, TE DAL: 33 receiving yards

You're a fantasy genius if you started:

Charlie Batch, QB PIT: 209 passing yards-3 TD, FL, 17 rushing yards
Chad Pennington, QB NYJ: 319 passing yards-2 TD
Travis Henry, RB TEN: 22 rushing yards, 2 TD
Michael Jenkins, WR ATL: 77 receiving yards, 1 TD
Jericho Cotchery, WR NYJ: 65 receiving yards, 1 TD
Daniel Wilcox, TE BAL: 52 receiving yards, 1 TD
Robbie Gould, K CHI: 4 FG, 2 XP

Some guys really earned their money this week and some guys most certainly did not. Here are a few notes:

All you Larry Johnson owners better beware. Don't expect the huge numbers he gave last year. Herm Edwards coaching this team is a lot different than Dick Vermeil.

If you're a Drew Bledsoe owner, you better grab Tony Romo and stash him away.

Put your Raiders on hold until that offensive mess gets sorted out. Was that Aaron Brooks on the sidelines or Martin Lawrence? Um, yeah Drew. I got it.

Who dey? Who dey? Who dey think they can beat them Bengals?!? You're gonna hear that all year long. Carson Palmer isn't going to be a bust. Get ready for a big year from these guys, even if it doesn't start until week 3 or 4.

My guess is that Chester Taylor is going to be one of the most underrated running back this year.

The McNabb/Stallworth connection is the real deal.

The Jets are not.

It looks like Reggie Bush could have a fun season this year. The Saints got him in everywhere and he's returning punts too. Lots of potential points this year.

Say what you want about their offensive line -- the Arizona Cardinals are going to put up a lot of points this year. Start them all; even when Kurt Warner gets hurt.

Peyton- 1
Eli- 0
NFL- $100 mil

First Sunday of the Season

If you found your way over to here, you probably have been reading the baseball blog this season. Well, just like baseball, it's going to be a little bit before I get into the full swing. This year, you can expect fantasy insights on the major positions each week, and hopefully we'll help put you on track to clean up in your league.

For now I'll give you a peek at what I think could end up happening tomorrow and as the week progresses, we'll get into some more efficient detail.

Philadelphia Eagles over the Houston Texans

Major fantasy standouts: Donovan McNabb, Brian Westbrook, Donte Stallworth, Andre Johnson

New England Patriots over the Buffalo Bills

Standouts: Tom Brady, Ben Watson, Lee Evans

Denver Broncos over the St. Louis Rams

Standouts: Jake Plummer, Mark Bulger, Steven Jackson, Torry Holt

Baltimore Ravens over the Tampa Bay Bucaneers

Standouts: Steve McNair, Todd Heap, Derrick Mason, Cadillac Williams

New York Jets over the Tennessee Titans

Standouts: none come to mind

Seattle Seahawks over the Detroit Lions

Standouts: Shaun Alexander, Matt Hasselbeck, Kevin Jones, Jon Kitna, Roy Williams

New Orleans Saints over the Cleveland Browns

Standouts: Deuce McAllister, Reggie Bush, Dennis Northcutt

Kansas City Chiefs over the Cincinnati Bengals

Standouts: Larry Johnson, Rudi Johnson, Chad Johnson

Carolina Panthers over the Atlanta Falcons

Standouts: Jake Delhomme, DeShaun Foster, Warrick Dunn, Alge Crumpler

Dallas Cowboys over the Jacksonville Jaguars

Standouts: Drew Bledsoe, Terrell Owens, Terry Glenn, Jason Witten, Fred Taylor

Chicago Bears over the Green Bay Packers

Standouts: Chicago Defense

Arizona Cardinals over the San Francisco 49ers

Standouts: Kurt Warner, Anquan Boldin, Larry Fitzgerald, Frank Gore

Indianapolis Colts over the New York Giants

Standouts: Peyton Manning, Marvin Harrison, Joe Addai, Tiki Barber, Jeremy Shockey

Washington Redskins over the Minnesota Vikings

Standouts: T.J. Duckett, Santana Moss, Chester Taylor, Brad Johnson

San Diego Chargers over the Oakland Raiders

Standouts: LaDanian Tomlinson, Antonio Gates, LaMont Jordan

Always keep in mind, these picks are strictly for fun. Going out and betting your house on them is not recommended.

Steelers/Dolphins Roundup

O.K., so maybe it was a bit much on my part to go against the defending Super Bowl champs in their home opener, but for a little bit, it looked like it could fall my way. I did get the over though, so I'm not completely disappointed.

Fantasy notables:

Charlie Batch (no really, I'm serious), QB -- 209 passing yds, 3 TD's, 1 fumble lost
Heath Miller, TE -- 101 receiving yds, 1 TD
Hines Ward, WR -- 53 receiving yds, 1 TD
Nate Washington, WR -- 32 receiving yds, 1 TD
Willie Parker, RB -- 115 rushing yds, 13 receiving yds.
Ronnie Brown -- 30 rushing yds., 32 receiving yds, 2 TD's

Major disappointments:

Daunte Culpepper, QB -- 262 passing yds, 8 rushing yds, 2 INT's
Chris Chambers, WR -- 59 receiving yds
Randy McMichael, TE -- 10 receiving yds

Some fantasy items to note:

It made you want to reach into the TV and smack Bill Cowher in the head when he took out Parker at the 1 yard line and was going to give the carry to Verron Hayes. Yeah, that's right; as a Parker owner, myself, I was glad to see Batch fumble the handoff. Serves you right Bill. Maybe next time you'll stick with the guy who got you there. Fast Willie looked good tonight.

Culpepper looked a little hesitant out there and his accuracy wasn't looking too good either. I still think he'll need a couple of more games to really get the offense in sync, but if he does, look out! He could have a real nice year if the knee holds.

I'm still waiting for someone to wake up my sleeper of the game. Where'd you go Cedrick Wilson? Were you wearing Nate Washington's jersey tonight?

Ronnie Brown will need to get better yardage, but that will come against the weaker defenses. He's primed for a great year. 2 TD's and counting...

Sunday's right around the corner...

2006-07 Begins Tonight!!!!

Dolphins at Steelers tonight!!

First game of the season!!!

Fantasy-wise, I love: Ronnie Brown, Chris Chambers, Willie Parker

I like, but I'm not 100% sold on: Daunte Culpepper, Marty Booker, Hines Ward, Heath Miller

Safe to start: Randy McMichael, Dolphins D, Steelers D, Jeff Reed, Olino Mare

Stay away from: Charlie Batch, Santonio Holmes

Possible sleeper: Cedrick Wilson

My pick: I like the Fins and, believe it or not, the over

Booms and Busts

While I'm sure most of you have already drafted your teams for the season, the following lists are the players who I think you should look out for this season...for both good reasons and bad. Who knows...maybe some of them will be available to you as free agents; maybe for some you'll have to work out a trade. Either way, I'm gonna start you off with some "projections" of a sort here:

Booms

1. Drew Bledsoe, QB DAL: Coach Parcells has given him all the weapons he needs to succeed. Touchdown passes and yardage galore with T.O., Terry Glenn and Jason Witten as potential targets. The dual backfield of Julius Jones and Marion Barber will keep defenses honest.

2. Kurt Warner, QB ARI: Everyone's knocking his health and his offensive line. The O-line will jell sooner rather than later and with Edge, Fitzgerald and Boldin, he's puttin gup big numbers again. Leinart is a solid handcuff just to make sure.

3. Aaron Brooks, QB OAK: He's got the arm strength and he's got the targets. He's got the solid back in Lamont Jordan. If he can keep his bad decisions to a minimum, he can excel in the AFC.

4. Jon Kitna, QB DET: Laugh if you want, but I think the Mike Martz offense is going to be great for Kitna. Martz will open things up and as long as Kevin Jones remains a decent player,he'll keep the defenses honest. Kitna's accuracy is in question, but if he throws the ball 30 to 40 times a game he should still put up solid stats.

5. Edgerrin James, RB ARI: Goes from Peyton and Co. to Warner and Co. While the O-line is not the same, I think Fitzgerald and Boldin will spread out the defense enough to allow James some solid running room.

6. Fred Taylor, RB JAC: Fragile Fred rides again. With Greg Jones being lost for the year, there's no one else to take away carries from Taylor. Sure LaBrandon Toefield will spell him once in a while, but he's not good enough to start pulling away the goal line carries. If he stays healthy, he's gonna be huge.

7. Frank Gore, RB SF: No more Kevan Barlow means the former Hurricane gets the job to himself this year. It's not the greatest team in front of him, but 4.8 yards per carry is nothing to thumb your nose at.

8. Ronnie Brown, RB MIA: As long as Culpepper stays healthy, Brown is going to be a monster this year. He's got all the skills to become a premier back in the NFL and I think will put up some killer numbers --rushing and receiving!

9. Derrick Mason, WR BAL: Already in most people's top 25 for wideouts. With Air McNair leading the charge in Baltimore these days, look for Mason's numbers to increase even more.

10. Donte Stallworth, WR PHI: Out of lowly New Orleans, he's goin gto end up the go to guy for McNabb this year. Once the two hook up early and often, Reggie Brown will be an afterthought.

11. Matt Jones, WR JAC: a sleeper pick here for me. He's just an amazing athlete and with the departure of Jimmy Smith, the team needs a new #1. He'll get the catches, he'll get the rushes on the gimmicks and reverses, and he'll get an increase in TD's this year.

12. Troy Williamson, WR MIN: With Koren Robonson gone and Marcus Robinson's best years behind him, look for the second year wideout to be Brad Johnson's favorite target this year.

13. Ben Watson, TE NE: With Deion Branch turning into the next T.O, who else are they going to throw to? Reche Caldwell? He's going to be a huge red zone target.

14. Randy McMichael, TE MIA: All the talk surrounds Culpepper's knee and the year Chris Chambers is supposed to have. McMichael is a great pass catching tight end who, as long as Culpepper is healthy, should put up some great numbers this year.

15. Kellen Winslow, Jr., TE CLE: A lost season last year due to stupidity means he's got a lot to prove this year. He needs to develop a better rapport with Charlie Frye, but he could get some nice red zone looks this year.

Busts

1. Matt Hasselbeck, QB SEA: Everyone rates this guy in the top 5, but I have my reservations. Darrell Jackson is a question mark, Jerramy Stevens is lost for 6 weeks. It's gonna be run run run...all year long.

2. Marc Bulger, QB STL: Another one people are high on, but I'm not so sure. Steven Jackson's role increases and the only reliable wideout is Torry Holt. Isaac Bruce is too old these days and Kevin Curtis is like a poor man's Ed McCaffrey. A more conventional offense puts him down the list in my eyes.

3. Brett Favre, QB GB: I only wished that the Packers could have won the Super Bowl last year so that he would retire. I think he's fantastic, but his time has passed. I only hope he can ride into the sunset with some dignity.

4. Clinton Portis, RB WAS: A bum shoulder and T.J. Duckett in town to steal goal line carries now? He would barely make my top 10, let alone everyone else's top 5.

5. Julius Jones, RB DAL: A solid back who I would normally be high on, but after watching his injuries each year and Marion Barber in there stealing carries, I don't think he'll put up the great numbers of which he is capable.

6. Corey Dillon, RB NE: Just a guy on the decline if you ask me. I see Laurence Maroney being the featured back sometime around week 5 or 6.

7. Chris Brown, RB TEN: Another fragile guy who is looking over his shoulder. Travis Henry is still around and lookin gover both their shoulders' is LenDale White. I don't see him staying healthy and I don't see him keepin ghis job all year.

8. Hines Ward, WR PIT: Too many consider him a WR1 when he's really not much more than a WR2. He's got hamstring problems, Big Ben is down again and he's really the only option the Steelers have. I think I'd rather take a shot on the Steelers' other wideout, Cedrick Wilson.

9. Donald Driver, WR GB: Before even thinking about questioning his inclusion here, you should go back 6 places and read about Favre. This might not be such a fun year for Green Bay's #1 wideout.

10. Joey Galloway, WR TB: Am I the only one who thinks this guy overachieved last year? I just don't see the same results this year...not even close.

11. Andre Johnson, WR HOU: There's just no backfield in Houston anymore. Wali Lundy? Ron Dayne? C'mon now. Double team city here for Andre who, without Domanick Davis, will not get a chance to redeem himself this season.

12. Keenan McCardell, WR SD: A shaky Philip Rivers, LT2, and the best pass catching tight end in Gates? We know where the ball is going this year and unfortunately it's not McCardell's way.

13. Vernon Davis, TE SF: Hype, hype and more hype. Doesn't anyone remember that Alex Smith is the one throwing the ball? You're headed for disappointment if you think he's going to be any better than you average run of the mill tight end. Now put him with a better QB and maybe I'll sing a different tune.

14. Jerramy Stevens, TE SEA: All set to be a red zone target for the Seahawks, and now you won't see him until week 6 or 7 at the earliest. Surgery on the left knee again (had it done in April) doesn't bode well for even a strong midseason comeback.

15. Neil Rackers, K ARI: C'mon...one good year and he's the #2 kicker by most experts' opinions? With Edge in the backfield joining the rest of the high flying offense, look for more TD's and less field goals. Rackers fantasy value will fall back to mediocrity this year.