-Torry Holt is the bomb. Fantasy's most reliable WR added 154 receiving yards and three TDs to his resume. Unfotunately it wasn't enough to save the Rams from a Josh Brown FG and a Seattle victory.
-Despite three-TD efforts from Holt against the Seahawks and Terrell Owens against Houston, the fantasy game ball from Week 6 goes to the amazing LaDainian Tomlinson. Sure, he rushed for just 71 yards against San Fran, but he added another 64 through the air ... and oh yeah, he had FOUR FREAKIN TOUCHDOWNS on the ground, a personal best. If you've got LT2 on your team, you can never count yourself out.
-As for another stud RB ... Larry Johnson managed only 26 yards on the ground against Pittsburgh but salvaged a decent day with another TD. However, there wasn't much going on in the passing game this week (six receiving yards), and LJ faces a tough San Diego D next week. Hey, at least he's healthy.
-Tiki Barber had a big day (185 yards rushing, plus another 45 receiving), but it could have been a MONSTER day. He had a TD called back when it was ruled he stepped out of bounds on a replay, and the G-Men opted to go to Jeremy Shockey and vulture extraordinaire Brandon Jacobs on two goal-line possessions. I guess that's the trade-off for owning Tiki.
-Barber's counterpart, Atlanta's Warrick Dunn, wasn't looking so hot until he busted loose with a franchise-record, 90-yard scoring run. Trust me, if you had him in your lineup Sunday it was a thing of beauty.
-Hank Baskett, Week 5: three catches, 112 yards, TD. Hank Baskett, Week 6: zero catches, zero yards, zero TDs. That's why you don't just jump on a hot WR who comes out of nowhere to put up a big game, no matter how cool his name is.
-Baskett's QB, Donovan McNabb, continues to spread the ball around for Philly. This week it was Reggie Brown (six catches, 121 yards, TD) and L.J. Smith (four catches, 48 yards, TD) getting slices of the pie against New Orleans as Donte Stallworth was inactive (again) against his former team. Brian Westbrook compiled 72 yards on the ground but surprisingly was a non-factor in the passing game. Not waht we had in mind against the Saints' D. The good news for Westbrook owners is his knee is still intact for another week.
-There was also a Joe Horn sighting in New Orleans as he cracked the 100-yard receiving mark and scored a TD. It was the first time he had done either since Week 2 of last year (the infamous "home" game at Giants Stadium). Break out the cell phone!
-I was wrong about Kevin Jones this week. Really wrong. He had 127 yards and a score. This despite the Lions missing three-fifths of their starting OL against Buffalo. Jones was good. I still don't like the guy though ... and yeah, it's kind of personal. Ask another Penn State fan and you'll know why.
-Roy Williams looked just fine (161, TD) despite last week's neck stinger. Meanwhile, teammate Mike Williams has dropped behind dudes named Devale Ellis and Shaun Bodiford on the Lions' WR depth chart. The next stop is the practice squad. What happened to this guy?
-Laveranues Coles' two scores Sunday give him nine TDs in 10 career games against the Dolphins, and at least one TD in four straight against the Fins. The Jets are at Miami in Week 16. Circle your calendar.
-Kyle Boller threw three TD passes Sunday. Yup, THAT Kyle Boller. Steve McNair left after getting his bell rung, and Boller hit Mark Clayton twice (once on a tipped pass intended for Derrick Mason, who had no receptions by the way) and the ever-reliable Todd Heap once. The McNair injury doesn't appear serious right now, and he's got a bye next weekend to rest up, meaning Boller will probably be back on the bench.
-Carolina's DeShaun Foster didn't get much done (58 yards, fumble) with DeAngelo Williams out of the picture this week, but he was going against Baltimore. Plus, with Steve Smith (189 yards, TD) looking like his old self, Foster didn't have to do much. He did get 26 carries, however, and if Williams can't go again in Week 7, Foster's in line for a nice game against Cincinnati. Second-year man Eric Shelton (one yard on first NFL carry) is not a threat at this point, no matter what anyone tells you, Peter King included.
-Rookie Bruce Gradkowski worked his magic again. Bruce Almighty utilized talented TE Alex Smith again (second straight game with a TD), and he even hit Michael Clayton (yup, THAT Michael Clayton) for what proved to be the game-winning TD as the Bucs got their first W. Cadillac Williams even came close to 100 rushing yards. Jon Gruden has an even bigger man-crush on Gradkowski now. Does anyone else thing Chris Simms just got Wally Pipp-ed?
-Chad Johnson was pretty good for the Bengals (six catches 99 yards), but he still hasn't topped the century mark and has just one TD all year. His numbers this week were slanted by a 51-yard catch. T.J. Houshmandzadeh (10, 102, TD) has been getting all the love lately for Cincy.
-Julius Jones cracked 100 yards against Houston, but Marion Barber III stole another TD. Drats.
-I'm no John Madden, but I don't think it's a good thing when David Carr leads your team in rushing, and he rushes for 15 yards.
-Travis Henry (178 yards, TD) was a pleasant surprise for the second straight week. An even bigger surprise: the Titans beat the Redskins. Henry's got a good matchup against the Texans after this week's bye, so hang on to him for now. Things get considerably tougher after that, though.
-That means there's only one winless team left in the NFL ... Surprise, it's Oakland. Checking in on the only two Raiders worth owning: Randy Moss had arguably his best game this year (five for 82) but didn't score. I wouldn't mind playing him against Arizona next week. As for LaMont Jordan, he was predictably mediocre, gaining 60 yards on 23 carries and fumbling against a fired-up Denver defense. At least Justin Fargas won't be stealing carries for the time being, as he left the game after injuring his arm and had it in a sling.
-Deion Branch had the game we've been waiting for, finding the end zone twice. He's got a sweet schedule coming up and will see more action with Bobby Engram battling a thyroid condition. ... Meanwhile, Seattle TE Jerramy Stevens (knee) was supposed to play for the first time this year but didn't suit up. He's still worth grabbing if he's available, but you'll have to play it by ear.
-San Francisco's Alex Smith did manage two TD passes to two different receivers Sunday against San Diego. Their names? Bryan Gilmore and Moran Norris. Those aren't misprints.
-As always, if you have any fantasy questions, want advice on trades or just need to vent, you can e-mail me at jbartolone@semosportsweb.com or post a message right here at the end of this blog.
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4 comments:
David Carr really let me down with 1 fantasy point this week. I have got to get a respectable QB.
You're right, Carr was very disappointing against the Cowboys, which was somewhat of a surprise because he had actually been a passable fantasy QB up to that point. He'll have better matchups in the near future, but I certainly don't like him this week at Jacksonville.
Here are a couple guys who could be available in your league this week:
Byron Leftwich: Lots of soft defenses on the horizon, starting with the Texans this week. 'Nuff said.
Jon Kitna: Roy Williams and Kevin Jones are starting to come around and could be in a shootout with the Jets this week.
Joey Harrington: He hasn't looked that great, but he's throwing a lot and he faces the Packers, who are allowing a league-worst 275 yards a game.
Matt Leinart: Things should be considerably easier the next two weeks (at Oakland, at Green Bay) than Monday night's debacle, although he played well in the first half.
I also like Alex Smith, but he's not an option the next two weeks (bye, at Chicago). The schedule lightens up after that.
I just picked up Drew Brees. I have Leftwich as my back up. What do you think about Brees? He's putting up some good numbers.
I like Brees the rest of the way out. He looks comfortable, has some weapons, and the shoulder looks fine. You should be fine with him from here on out, with Leftwich filling in here and there as the matchups warrant.
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