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Re: NFL Fantasy Football News/Articles - ESPN Insider 2 New Articles Added 9/30/06)
Re: NFL Fantasy Football News/Articles - ESPN Insider 2 New Articles Added 9/30/06)
Oct. 2, 2006, 9:29 PM
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Engel: Week 4 wrapup
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By Scott Engel
ESPN Fantasy Games
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Here's a quick-hitting recap of key performances and news from the fourth week of the NFL season, complete with in-depth fantasy analysis.
Warner done as a starter: After the Cardinals dropped their third consecutive game, head coach Dennis Green confirmed rookie Matt Leinart will be his starter next week against Kansas City. Warner's early-season struggles continued, as he fumbled twice, losing one, and was intercepted once before Leinart replaced him with 13 minutes remaining in a loss to Atlanta. Leinart also a lost a fumble and threw an interception. Meanwhile, the numbers of the top Arizona wide receivers continued to be disappointing, as Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin combined for 108 receiving yards and neither scored. Leinart does have a lot of promise, but his experience, plus the continued shaky pass protection of the offensive line, could really continue to hurt the Cardinals' offense in the weeks ahead. Fitzgerald and Boldin might look like risky starters because of the QB change. But it's clear the Cardinals are going to play from behind often, which means Leinart should throw to them quite often in the weeks ahead, and Fitzgerald and Boldin remain top starting options. Leinart is too unproven to use as a fantasy starter, but he is a smart, young QB and worth adding as a reserve if you need QB help in a league of 12 of more teams.
Miami Dullfin: For the second consecutive week, the Dolphins' passing game mostly sputtered against what seemed like a favorable opponent. Last week, Miami looked unimpressive at home against the Titans, and in their Sunday matchup with the normally vulnerable Texans, Daunte Culpepper endured the same old problems that have plagued him throughout the early weeks. Culpepper was sacked five times and pressured often, even though he frequently worked out of the shotgun. Culpepper threw for 249 yards, but tossed only one late TD pass. Chris Chambers did catch that scoring toss, but finished with only three catches for 28 yards. If Culpepper can't deliver more than 13 fantasy points against the Texans, he should be pinned to your bench until further notice. Culpepper's performance was proof that some players simply shouldn't be used as a starter because they have a friendly matchup.
The Indianapolis duo: It doesn't appear that a clear leader will emerge for the Colts' No. 1 RB job anytime soon. Both veteran Dominic Rhodes and rookie Joseph Addai played well in the Colts' thrilling 31-28 win over the Jets. Addai scored the first rushing TD of his pro career, and finished with 99 total yards from scrimmage. Rhodes scored on a six-yard run, his third rushing TD of the season. He continues to be a dependable short-yardage back for the Colts despite a smallish frame that has been vulnerable to injuries in the past. Addai hasn't quite blossomed to the level expected yet, and Rhodes is continuing to be dependable for the Colts in many key situations. Both are decent flex options. Addai should eventually become the clear starter, but that might not happen anytime soon. The Indy RBs look like they are headed for a time share for many weeks ahead.
Owens draws attention: Despite all the controversy he attracts off the field, what is important to fantasy owners is all the attention Terrell Owens draws when he is on the field. Owens was able to play with a plate on his broken hand, yet he still caught five passes for 88 yards. That's encouraging for owners of Owens, but Terry Glenn's fantasy owners enjoyed watching him score as Owens drew extra defenders and Glenn faced single coverage. A fine passing game also opened up the running game, as Julius Jones rushed for 122 yards and a TD, and Marion Barber and Tyson Thompson also scored. Like him or not, when Dallas has Owens, it gives the offense more balance. A minor concern, though, is that Bledsoe threw for just 179 yards and was intercepted once by Tennesssee, not the most formidable opponent. Bledsoe did throw two TD passes, but his owners might have expected better numbers is a seemingly favorable matchup, and Bledsoe certainly isn't a surefire top starter with Owens in the lineup.
Kansas City surprise: No one expected the Chiefs to dominate the 49ers like they did, especially with Damon Huard running the Kansas City offense. But Huard proved he can manage a game respectably, and put the ball where his receivers can make plays and do more work for him. Huard stunned the Niners with 208 passing yards, two TDs and no interceptions. Eddie Kennison showed he is still a viable starter with Trent Green out, as he caught six passes for 86 yards, including a 34-yard TD reception. And further pleasing owners of Larry Johnson, Huard performed well enough to keep the Niners from keying on Johnson too often. Johnson relieved his owners of any major concerns, as he scored his first two rushing TDs of the season and finished with 142 yards from scrimmage. There are no real reasons to worry about Johnson, as Huard has proved he can keep defenses honest, at least when the matchup is right.
They left their hearts in San Francisco: The 49ers seemed to be in a funk that lingered from their decisive loss to the Eagles last week. Very early in the year, it appeared Frank Gore was ready to become a top fantasy RB, and Alex Smith was quickly starting to emerge as a respectable fantasy option. Fumbling problems and injuries have lowered Gore's appeal a bit recently. Gore lost yet another fumble in the loss at Kansas City, and finished with only 65 rushing yards. While his yards per carry continue to look good (he carried 14 times), Gore hasn't been dependable for the Niners, and he doesn't appear to be quite the lock as a No. 2 fantasy starter he was two weeks ago. Smith was awful under the pressure of playing from behind, as he threw for only 92 yards, threw two interceptions, and fumbled once. Smith should only be used as an emergency bye week option until he proves himself further.
Kevin Jones rises again: Where do we draw the line with this guy? First, we thought he was a future fantasy standout, and he let us down. By this season, many of us had given up on him, and here comes Jones looking like an improved all-around player and tougher runner. Jones has now rushed for three TDs in his past two games, including two scores on Sunday in an exciting contest at St. Louis. One of Jones' scoring runs was a pretty 35-yarder in which he showed off strength, quickness and big-play ability. So is Jones suddenly looking like a must-start fantasy option again? I wouldn't recommend him as a top starter and would still consider benching him in a tough matchup, but it's apparent he can at least deliver respectable totals, even if he will never be as explosive as some experts once thought. He'll be a solid, but unspectacular fantasy RB.
Patriot party: Two New England players had major performances of note in a somewhat stunning rout of the Bengals. RB Laurence Maroney had a breakthrough performance, rushing for 125 yards and two TDs. He had a long run of 41 yards and one of his scores came on a 25-yard run. Maroney was stuffed at times in the first half, but eventually, he showed he was a great package of vision, toughness, and nifty moves, plus a very effective stiff arm in the open field. Even though Maroney doesn't start, he gets enough touches to be an outstanding flex player and a fine starting option as a No. 2 RB when the matchup is right. Doug Gabriel, who showed flashes of promise as a deep receiver in Oakland in the past, caught a TD pass from Tom Brady for the second consecutive week. He has quickly emerged as a Brady favorite and should be a regular No. 3 starter as a fantasy wide receiver.
Reggie's for real: He's no longer a bust. Reggie Williams has definitely become Jacksonville's best wide receiver from a fantasy perspective. Williams had been a major disappointment until this year, and then showed some signs of possibly improving in the preseason and at the very beginning of the 2006 season. But Williams totaled only eight receiving yards against the Colts last week, and doubts started to surface about him again. But Williams, who had heard knocks about dropped passes and the inability to absorb big hits, made some important grabs against the Redskins. He finished with 93 receiving yards on five receptions, including TD catches of 33 and 21 yards. On one of the scoring passes, Williams took a hard hit, but still scored. It's time to believe in Williams and give him regular starting consideration. Redskins revival: I must admit, the performance of Mark Brunell last week, in which he completed a record-setting 22 passes, didn't really impress me. Many of Brunell's completions were of the flat and underneath variety against a rather soft Houston defense. Little did I know the game against Washington would propel Brunell to a truly impressive performance against a much better opponent. Brunell threw for 329 yards and three TDs, and was intercepted just once by his former team. All of his TD tosses were to Santana Moss, who finished with 138 receiving yards on just four catches. Moss had not scored in the first three games, but quelled some worries about a mediocre start. I'd still like to see one more quality performance from Brunell before I'm fully sold on him again, but he has at least regained my backing as a quality fantasy reserve. But it appears the Redskins' receiving corps might finally starting to become more comfortable with each other as a unit, and the rumored threats of Brunell possibly getting benched have pumped some new life back into him, at least temporarily.
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Re: NFL Fantasy Football News/Articles - ESPN Insider 2 New Articles Added 9/30/06)
Oct. 2, 2006, 9:29 PM
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Engel: Week 4 wrapup
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<!-- firstName = Scott --><!-- lastName = Engel -->
By Scott Engel
ESPN Fantasy Games
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Here's a quick-hitting recap of key performances and news from the fourth week of the NFL season, complete with in-depth fantasy analysis.
Warner done as a starter: After the Cardinals dropped their third consecutive game, head coach Dennis Green confirmed rookie Matt Leinart will be his starter next week against Kansas City. Warner's early-season struggles continued, as he fumbled twice, losing one, and was intercepted once before Leinart replaced him with 13 minutes remaining in a loss to Atlanta. Leinart also a lost a fumble and threw an interception. Meanwhile, the numbers of the top Arizona wide receivers continued to be disappointing, as Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin combined for 108 receiving yards and neither scored. Leinart does have a lot of promise, but his experience, plus the continued shaky pass protection of the offensive line, could really continue to hurt the Cardinals' offense in the weeks ahead. Fitzgerald and Boldin might look like risky starters because of the QB change. But it's clear the Cardinals are going to play from behind often, which means Leinart should throw to them quite often in the weeks ahead, and Fitzgerald and Boldin remain top starting options. Leinart is too unproven to use as a fantasy starter, but he is a smart, young QB and worth adding as a reserve if you need QB help in a league of 12 of more teams.
Miami Dullfin: For the second consecutive week, the Dolphins' passing game mostly sputtered against what seemed like a favorable opponent. Last week, Miami looked unimpressive at home against the Titans, and in their Sunday matchup with the normally vulnerable Texans, Daunte Culpepper endured the same old problems that have plagued him throughout the early weeks. Culpepper was sacked five times and pressured often, even though he frequently worked out of the shotgun. Culpepper threw for 249 yards, but tossed only one late TD pass. Chris Chambers did catch that scoring toss, but finished with only three catches for 28 yards. If Culpepper can't deliver more than 13 fantasy points against the Texans, he should be pinned to your bench until further notice. Culpepper's performance was proof that some players simply shouldn't be used as a starter because they have a friendly matchup.
The Indianapolis duo: It doesn't appear that a clear leader will emerge for the Colts' No. 1 RB job anytime soon. Both veteran Dominic Rhodes and rookie Joseph Addai played well in the Colts' thrilling 31-28 win over the Jets. Addai scored the first rushing TD of his pro career, and finished with 99 total yards from scrimmage. Rhodes scored on a six-yard run, his third rushing TD of the season. He continues to be a dependable short-yardage back for the Colts despite a smallish frame that has been vulnerable to injuries in the past. Addai hasn't quite blossomed to the level expected yet, and Rhodes is continuing to be dependable for the Colts in many key situations. Both are decent flex options. Addai should eventually become the clear starter, but that might not happen anytime soon. The Indy RBs look like they are headed for a time share for many weeks ahead.
Owens draws attention: Despite all the controversy he attracts off the field, what is important to fantasy owners is all the attention Terrell Owens draws when he is on the field. Owens was able to play with a plate on his broken hand, yet he still caught five passes for 88 yards. That's encouraging for owners of Owens, but Terry Glenn's fantasy owners enjoyed watching him score as Owens drew extra defenders and Glenn faced single coverage. A fine passing game also opened up the running game, as Julius Jones rushed for 122 yards and a TD, and Marion Barber and Tyson Thompson also scored. Like him or not, when Dallas has Owens, it gives the offense more balance. A minor concern, though, is that Bledsoe threw for just 179 yards and was intercepted once by Tennesssee, not the most formidable opponent. Bledsoe did throw two TD passes, but his owners might have expected better numbers is a seemingly favorable matchup, and Bledsoe certainly isn't a surefire top starter with Owens in the lineup.
Kansas City surprise: No one expected the Chiefs to dominate the 49ers like they did, especially with Damon Huard running the Kansas City offense. But Huard proved he can manage a game respectably, and put the ball where his receivers can make plays and do more work for him. Huard stunned the Niners with 208 passing yards, two TDs and no interceptions. Eddie Kennison showed he is still a viable starter with Trent Green out, as he caught six passes for 86 yards, including a 34-yard TD reception. And further pleasing owners of Larry Johnson, Huard performed well enough to keep the Niners from keying on Johnson too often. Johnson relieved his owners of any major concerns, as he scored his first two rushing TDs of the season and finished with 142 yards from scrimmage. There are no real reasons to worry about Johnson, as Huard has proved he can keep defenses honest, at least when the matchup is right.
They left their hearts in San Francisco: The 49ers seemed to be in a funk that lingered from their decisive loss to the Eagles last week. Very early in the year, it appeared Frank Gore was ready to become a top fantasy RB, and Alex Smith was quickly starting to emerge as a respectable fantasy option. Fumbling problems and injuries have lowered Gore's appeal a bit recently. Gore lost yet another fumble in the loss at Kansas City, and finished with only 65 rushing yards. While his yards per carry continue to look good (he carried 14 times), Gore hasn't been dependable for the Niners, and he doesn't appear to be quite the lock as a No. 2 fantasy starter he was two weeks ago. Smith was awful under the pressure of playing from behind, as he threw for only 92 yards, threw two interceptions, and fumbled once. Smith should only be used as an emergency bye week option until he proves himself further.
Kevin Jones rises again: Where do we draw the line with this guy? First, we thought he was a future fantasy standout, and he let us down. By this season, many of us had given up on him, and here comes Jones looking like an improved all-around player and tougher runner. Jones has now rushed for three TDs in his past two games, including two scores on Sunday in an exciting contest at St. Louis. One of Jones' scoring runs was a pretty 35-yarder in which he showed off strength, quickness and big-play ability. So is Jones suddenly looking like a must-start fantasy option again? I wouldn't recommend him as a top starter and would still consider benching him in a tough matchup, but it's apparent he can at least deliver respectable totals, even if he will never be as explosive as some experts once thought. He'll be a solid, but unspectacular fantasy RB.
Patriot party: Two New England players had major performances of note in a somewhat stunning rout of the Bengals. RB Laurence Maroney had a breakthrough performance, rushing for 125 yards and two TDs. He had a long run of 41 yards and one of his scores came on a 25-yard run. Maroney was stuffed at times in the first half, but eventually, he showed he was a great package of vision, toughness, and nifty moves, plus a very effective stiff arm in the open field. Even though Maroney doesn't start, he gets enough touches to be an outstanding flex player and a fine starting option as a No. 2 RB when the matchup is right. Doug Gabriel, who showed flashes of promise as a deep receiver in Oakland in the past, caught a TD pass from Tom Brady for the second consecutive week. He has quickly emerged as a Brady favorite and should be a regular No. 3 starter as a fantasy wide receiver.
Reggie's for real: He's no longer a bust. Reggie Williams has definitely become Jacksonville's best wide receiver from a fantasy perspective. Williams had been a major disappointment until this year, and then showed some signs of possibly improving in the preseason and at the very beginning of the 2006 season. But Williams totaled only eight receiving yards against the Colts last week, and doubts started to surface about him again. But Williams, who had heard knocks about dropped passes and the inability to absorb big hits, made some important grabs against the Redskins. He finished with 93 receiving yards on five receptions, including TD catches of 33 and 21 yards. On one of the scoring passes, Williams took a hard hit, but still scored. It's time to believe in Williams and give him regular starting consideration. Redskins revival: I must admit, the performance of Mark Brunell last week, in which he completed a record-setting 22 passes, didn't really impress me. Many of Brunell's completions were of the flat and underneath variety against a rather soft Houston defense. Little did I know the game against Washington would propel Brunell to a truly impressive performance against a much better opponent. Brunell threw for 329 yards and three TDs, and was intercepted just once by his former team. All of his TD tosses were to Santana Moss, who finished with 138 receiving yards on just four catches. Moss had not scored in the first three games, but quelled some worries about a mediocre start. I'd still like to see one more quality performance from Brunell before I'm fully sold on him again, but he has at least regained my backing as a quality fantasy reserve. But it appears the Redskins' receiving corps might finally starting to become more comfortable with each other as a unit, and the rumored threats of Brunell possibly getting benched have pumped some new life back into him, at least temporarily.
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