Week 3
9/22/06
Through two weeks, there have been some early surprises taking
place in the NFL. We knew we could expect Chicago's defense to
remain among the best units in the league, but the offense's explosive
air attack has come from nowhere. In the AFC East, Chad Pennington's
healthy return has once again breathed life into the Jets offense.
Their running game is lacking, but Laveranues Coles and Jerricho
Cotchery have been reliable weapons at the wide out position.
With game day approaching, here's a look at situations around
the league placing fantasy players stock on the rise and the decline.
Steppin' Up
Rex Grossman, CHI: Through two
games, Grossman has thrown for 551 yards, completed 71.7% of his
passes, averaged 10.4 yards an attempt and has thrown 5 touchdowns
to just 1 interception. During the preseason, his poor play had
fans asking for free agent signee Brian Griese, to get the starting
nod opening day. Lovie Smith stood by Grossman however, and now
that decision is paying off. Desmond Clark, who had just 24 receptions
in each of the last two seasons, has reemerged as a reliable target
in the passing game and third year wide receiver Bernard Berrian
is proving to be a dangerous deep threat. Muhsin Muhammad remains
a productive vet on the opposite side of the field. It's too early
to expect this type of production from Grossman on a regular basis,
but at the very least he's worth adding to your roster, especially
if your starter is struggling in the early goings.
David Carr, HOU: As expected,
the new offensive system head coach Gary Kubiak brought with him
from Denver to Houston, has been beneficial to quarterback David
Carr. He's completed an outstanding 75.5% of his passes in the
first two weeks, and thrown 4 touchdown passes without turning
the ball over. The addition of Eric Moulds in the offseason has
also made a positive impact in the Texans passing game. Both Moulds,
and lead receiver Andre Johnson, have been frequent targets of
Carr's with 10 receptions each for a combined 284 yards. Undrafted
in many leagues, it appears Carr will be a solid fantasy back-up
throughout the year.
Steppin' Down
Chris Simms, TB: Going into
the season, Simms was a legitimate sleeper candidate amongst quarterbacks.
Having performed sufficiently as a starter in 10 games last year,
he was dubbed the starter in the offseason and expected to guide
the Buccaneers to the playoffs. Instead, he's off to terrible
start having thrown six interceptions in the first two weeks alone.
His completion percentage is hovering just below 55% and his yards
per attempt is a measly 5.4. If Simms continues to throw interceptions
at this rate, and fails to connect with his receivers in the endzone,
expect him to be benched by midseason.
Jake Delhomme, CAR: With Steve
Smith sidelined due to an injured hamstring, Delhomme is finding
it difficult to get things going with the Panthers passing game.
In outings against the Falcons and the Vikings, he failed to surpass
200 passing yards despite throwing more than 30 times in each
contest. He's yet to find the endzone, and his 5.1 yards per attempt
is less than appealing. If Smith's hamstring hampers him throughout
the year, Delhomme's value takes a big hit.
Steppin' Up
DeAngelo Williams, CAR: After
handling zero carries and just one reception out of the backfield
in the opener, fans were wondering how long it may be before Williams
began seeing sufficient playing time on a weekly basis. It didn't
take long to find out. Last Sunday against the Vikings, the Panthers
first round pick was more involved with the offense as he carried
13 times for 74 yards and 1 touchdown. He also had 5 receptions
for 24 yards. In comparison, DeShaun Foster, listed atop the teams
depth chart, had just 26 yards on his 13 carries and added 17
more on 2 receptions. Whether or not Foster remains the Panthers
starter at the position, there's good reason to believe Williams
will continue getting looks out of the backfield as the season
progresses. If Foster fails to impress, the rookie may take over
as the team's lead back.
Joseph Addai, IND: Another
rookie expected to make an impact this season, many feel it's
just a matter of time until Joseph Addai replaces Dominick Rhodes
as the Colts starting tailback. In Week 1, neither really stood
out, but Addai had managed 48 yards on his 10 touches (7 carries,
3 receptions), while Rhodes was held to 43 yards on 19 touches
(16 carries, 3 receptions) throughout the game. Last Sunday, it
was the first round pick making the bigger impact against the
Texans. While Rhodes had 37 yards and a TD on 14 carries during
the game, Addai carried 16 times for 82 yards and scored on a
21 yard TD reception. Both backs will remain involved in the game
plan, but as the season progresses expect Addai to start receiving
15 or more carries on a regular basis.
Steppin' Down
Reuben Droughns, CLE: Through
two games, Droughns has carried just 25 times for 59 yards (2.4
an attempt). The offseason additions of free agent center LeCharles
Bentley, and left tackle Kevin Shaffer, to the offensive line
were expected to provide a boost to the Browns ground game. Bentley
was lost for the season on the first day of training camp however,
and since then the Browns hopes of a winning season have slowly
diminished. If the first two games of the season are a sign of
what to expect from Cleveland's offense the rest of the way, Droughns
will have a difficult time cracking 1,000 yards for a 3rd consecutive
year. The lack of opportunity for him to find the endzone also
keeps his value at a lower level. Until Cleveland can start getting
him near 20 carries a game, Droughns will remain a risky starting
option for fantasy owners.
Carnell "Cadillac" Williams,
TB: Like Droughns, Williams has managed just 59 rushing
yards through the first 2 weeks of the season. The struggles of
third year QB Chris Simms are partly to blame, but injuries to
both of the Buccaneers starting guards are causing problems as
well. Don't bail on a player of Williams caliber just yet, but
if he continues to be surrounded by poor play at both the QB position,
and from his lineman up front, the "Cadillac" could
have a difficult time getting himself started.
Steppin' Up
Laveraneus Coles, NYJ: Coles'
14 receptions ranks fourth in the league and his 253 yards receiving
is tops in that category. After a disappointing outing in 2005,
in large part due to injuries New York suffered at the QB position,
it appears Coles is back on track. He has quickly re-established
himself as Chad Pennington's favorite target. In 2002, the last
time the two played a full season together, Coles posted a career
high 1,264 yards on 89 receptions with 5 TDs. If Pennington remains
healthy for most of the season, Coles could go on to reach those
totals again.
Andre Johnson, HOU: The fourth
year wide out is attempting to rebound from his worst season as
a pro and re-establish himself as one of the elite receivers in
the league. With reliable vet Eric Moulds playing opposite him,
Johnson finally has somebody to draw attention from the secondary
other than himself. The new offensive system should also benefit
the 6'2", 221 pound receiver. Don't be surprised if Johnson
goes on to record career highs across the board this season.
Reggie Williams, JAX: Williams
may have gone undrafted in most leagues while his counterparts
Matt Jones and Ernest Wilford were off the board in the mid-to-late
rounds, but it's Williams that is leading the team in receptions.
His 10.1 yards per catch isn't impressive, but his 14 receptions
ranks 4th in the league. Williams may not go on to wow you with
his totals this season, but he's on his way to becoming one of
the more productive #3 fantasy receivers around. He has the upside
of being Leftwich's top target in the passing game, but don't
get too excited about him just yet.
Steppin' Down
Nate Burleson, SEA: As the number
two receiver in Seattle this season, Burleson was expected to
easily reach the 500-600 yard mark and come with the upside of
producing like a #3 WR in fantasy leagues. In his first two games
however, the former Viking has just two receptions for 43 yards.
The recent acquisition of Deion Branch in a deal with the Patriots
only further serves to limit the production we can expect from
Burleson this year. With Bobby Engram firmly entrenched as the
team's slot receiver, Burleson could become buried on depth chart
once Branch becomes more involved with the offense.
Steppin' Up
Desmond Clark, CHI: It's been
three years since Desmond Clark held any relevance in fantasy
football, but with the emergence of a passing game in Chicago,
he once again is making his presence known. Rex Grossman's early
tear has resulted in 10 receptions for 162 yards and 1 TD for
Clark. Don't expect him to keep pace with the elite tight ends
in the league, but as long as Grossman keeps playing at this level,
you can expect Clark to easily rank among the top 10 at the end
of the year.
L.J. Smith, PHI: Coming off
a 7-catch, 111-yard performance against the Giants last week,
L.J. Smith is well on his way to matching the totals he reached
in a career year for himself a season ago. His 13 receptions is
2 more than both Donte' Stallworth and Brian Westbrook for the
team lead, and his 167 receiving yards is tops in the league among
tight ends. Look for Smith to be a fairly consistent performer
on a weekly basis as he should get at least 3-4 receptions in
most games.
Steppin' Up
Robbie Gould, CHI: With the
Bears offense suddenly capable of putting points on the board,
Gould becomes one of the more attractive kickers to own in fantasy
leagues.
John Carney, NOS: Carney's
age may have had most of us overlooking him during draft day,
but through two weeks he is 6 for 6 on field goal attempts and
one of the better options available.
Steppin' Down
Michael Koenan, ATL: The rookie
that won the Falcons kicking job in the preseason is just 2 for
8 on field goal attempts and as a result, the Falcons have signed
Morten Anderson to convert their short yardage field goals.
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