The Cardinals and Texans should produce plenty of points for fantasy owners

 
Minnesota @ St Louis
Normally this might be a spot where I would expect the Vikings to have a down week. On the road with a short week coming off a great performance against a divisional rival. You could say the Vikings are in for a let down this week. But as fate would have it they are playing the awful St. Louis Rams. Minny may not beat the Rams as badly as they should, but I certainly don’t expect a close game. To top it off it looks like Ram’s QB Marc Bulger will miss another game, not that he would make a big difference anyway. 

Fantasy Projections

Brett Favre – 225 passing yards, 2 TDs

Adrian Peterson – 140 total yards, 1 TD

Chester Taylor – 80 total yards

Bernard Berrian – 4 receptions 80 yards, 1 TD

Percy Harvin – 60 total yards

Visanthe Shiancoe – 5 receptions 60 yards, 1 TD

Kyle Boller- 120 passing yards, 0 TD 3 INTs

Steven Jackson – 80 total yards

Donnie Avery – 5 receptions 60 yards

Final Score – Minnesota 24, St Louis 6

Oakland @ NY Giants
Eli Manning may miss this one with a sore heel which would be somewhat concerning for ownersof the Giants receivers. Keep an eye on the situation and if David Carr gets the start you should consider other options if you own Steve Smith, Mario Manningham, Kevin Boss or any other Giants pass-catcher. Whether Manning plays or not the Giants will have little trouble running on the Raiders, making Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw solid starts.

Fantasy Projections

JaMarcus Russell – 150 passing yards 0 TD 2 INT

Michael Bush – 100 total yards 1 TD

Louis Murphy – 3 receptions 50 yards

Zach Miller – 5 receptions 50 yards

David Carr – 200 passing yards 1 TD 1 INT

Brandon Jacobs- 100 total yards 2 TDs

Ahmad Bradshaw – 100 total yards

Steve Smith  – 5 receptions 75 yards

Mario Manningham – 4 receptions 75 yards

Kevin Boss – 3 receptions 40 yards

Final Score – NY Giants 27, Oakland 7

McNabb should have a great game in his return

Tampa Bay @ Philadelphia
I can’t remember a season when there were so many terrible teams in the NFL, and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are very close to the bottom. Cadillac Williams and Kellen Winslow are threats in the red zone, but the Bucs get there so rarely they are just borderline starters. For the Eagles, Donovan McNabb returns from his week 1 rib injury to face the 23rd ranked Tampa pass defense. McNabb, DeSean Jackson, and Brent Celek are all must-starts.

Fantasy Projections

Josh Johnson- 175 passing yards 1 TD 2 INTs 50 rushing yards

Cadillac Williams – 110 total yards

Antonio Bryant – 4 receptions 50 yards

Kellen Winslow – 6 receptions 60 yards

Jerramy Stevens – 5 receptions 40 yards

Donovan McNabb- Over 300 passing yards, 3 TDs

Brian Westbrook – 80 total yards 1 TD (receiving)

LeSean McCoy – 100 total yards

DeSean Jackson – 5 receptions 120 yards, 1 TD

Brent Celek – 7 receptions 90 yards, 1 TD

Final Score – Philadelphia 30, Tampa Bay 13

Pittsburgh @ Detroit
Well, the Lions failed to make it two in a row. Now they have the defending champs in town coming off an impressive offensive performance against San Diego on Sunday Night. The Lions offense is pretty banged up right now, Kevin Smith’s shoulder appeared to be fine on Sunday, but neither Matthew Stafford or Calvin Johnson practiced Wednesday. Offensive Tackle Gosder Cherilus also missed practice, which is not a good sign as they go up against the NFL’s #3 defense.

Willie Parker looks doubtful, but his time as the #1 guy appears to be over with Rashard Mendenhall’s breakout game. Expect a heavy dose of Mendenhall against a defense surrendering 119 rushing yards per game.

Fantasy Projections

Ben Roethlisberger- 275 passing yards, 2 TDs

Rashard Mendenhall – 100 total yards, 1 TD

Santonio Holmes – 4 receptions 80 yards, 1 TD

Hines Wards – 6 receptions 80 yards

Heath Miller – 4 receptions 50 yards, 1 TD

Stafford/Culpepper- 250 passing yards 1 TD 2 INTs

Kevin Smith – 80 total yards

Calvin Johnson – 6 receptions 120 yards, 1 TD

Brandon Pettigrew – 4 receptions 60 yards

Final Score  – Pittsburgh 24, Detroit 13

Washington @ Carolina
The Panther offense has been absolutely putrid this season, but the defense hasn’t helped. Playing from behind a majority of the time has forced the Panthers to get away from their strength; running the football. Jake Delhomme has proven he cannot handle the load by himself, but he could still be efficient if the defense and running game get on track.

The Redskins haven’t had as many offensive problems, until they get close to the end zone where they have not been able to punch it in. Santana Moss has been a bright spot with long TD catches in his last two games but week-to-week consistency for all Redskins is a big concern. 

Fantasy Projections

Jason Campbell- 250 passing yards 2 TDs 2 INTs

Clinton Portis – 130 total yards

Santana Moss – 4 receptions 120 yards, 1 TD

Chris Cooley – 6 receptions 80 yards, 1 TD

Jake Delhomme – 175 passing yards 1 TD 1 INT

DeAngelo Williams- 110 total yards 2 TDs

Jonothan Stewart – 90 total yards

Steve Smith – 6 receptions 90 yards, 1 TD

Dante Rosario – 4 receptions 50 yards

Final Score – Carolina 21, Washington 17

Atlanta @ San Fransisco
This is a good matchup between two up and coming NFC teams. The Falcons surprised everyone last year with their run to the playoffs. Their defense, however, has not been good thus far this season ranking 31st in the NFL. Matt Ryan has remained an efficient and effective starter but has yet to cross the barrier, as many expected, to elite status.

The 49ers have been great running the football and stopping the run, but they still need some work in the passing game on both sides of the ball. With Frank Gore out for another week life will be tough for San Fran’s offense, but the weakness of Atlanta’s D should make for an interesting matchup. As a side note, if you drafted or picked up Michael Crabtree he should not be in your starting lineup now that he has signed. Give him until at least after the bye week, but even then its unlikely he will make a huge impact this season as a rookie who has already missed a quarter of the season.

Fantasy Projections

Matt Ryan – 250 passing yards, 1 TD

Michael Turner – 75 total yards, 1 TD

Roddy White – 5 receptions 75 yards

Tony Gonzalez – 5 receptions 60 yards, 1 TD

Shaun Hill – 220 passing yards 1 TD

Glen Coffee – 12o total yards, 1 TD

Isaac Bruce – 5 receptions 75 yards

Vernon Davis – 5 receptions 65 yards

Josh Morgan – 3 receptions 50 yards, 1 TD

Final Score – Atlanta 23, San Fransisco 20

Jacksonville @ Seattle
The Jaguars offense was fired on all cylinders last week, with David Garrard coming up with one of the best performances of his career. Maurice Jones-Drew may be the best all-around back in the league and Mike Sims-Walker is emerging as the go-to target Jacksonville fans have been craving since the retirement of Jimmy Smith. Its a tough road trip from Jacksonville to Seattle but the Jags matchup well against the Seahawks defense.

Matt Hasselbeck probably won’t play, and he would make a big difference. After putting up 28 points in the opener, Seattle has failed to crack 20 in the three games Hasselbeck missed significant time. Julius Jones has been a pleasant surprise and could have some success as long as Seneca Wallace does reasonably well in the passing game.

Fantasy Projections

David Garrard- 275 passing yards 2 TDs 1 INT 40 rushing yards

Maurice Jones-Drew – 120 total yards 2 TD

Mike Sims-Walker – 6 receptions 100 yards, 1 TD

Torry Holt – 3 receptions 70 yards 1 TD

Seneca Wallace- 225 passing yards 1 TD 2 INTs

Julius Jones- 130 total yards 2 TDs

TJ Houshmandzadeh – 6 receptions 60 yards

Nate Burleson – 5 receptions 90 yards

John Carlson – 4 receptions 50 yards 1 TD

Final Score – Jacksonville 28, Seattle 21

Houston @ Arizona
The Cardinals and Texans are very similar teams. Both put up big passing numbers but struggle to run the ball and play defense. That paradigm worked well for Arizona last year during their Super Bowl run, but with a combined record of 3-4 these two teams would prefer to have more reliance on their respective ground attacks. An expected shootout like this is fun to watch for fantasy owners, unless of course your opponent has more offensive players than you. Every significant offensive player in this game can be considered a good start, and obviously avoid both defenses.

Fantasy Projections

Matt Schaub- Over 300 passing yards, 3 TDs

Steve Slaton – 110 total yards, 1 TD

Andre Johnson- 8 receptions 130 yards, 2 TDs

Owen Daniels – 5 receptions 80 yards 1 TD

Kurt Warner- Over 300 passing yards 3 TDs

Tim Hightower – 90 total yards, 1 TD

Larry Fitzgerald – 6 receptions 100 yards, 1 TD

Anquan Boldin – 6 receptions 90 yards, 2 TD

Final Score – Houston 34, Arizona 28

Cutler has been great since his week 1 debacle

Detroit @ Chicago – The obvious story here is the Lions finally ending their 19-game losing streak and looking to ride that momentum into an actual winning streak. That will not be easy this week as they go into Chicago to face a Bears offense that is starting to come together after a slow start. Jay Cutler looked like the man Chicago traded for, completing 78% of his passes for 3 TDs. Matt Forte looked a little better, coming up with 106 total yards, but still averaged just over 3 yards per carry. The Bears will look to get him rolling early in this one and hopefully open up speedsters Devin Hester and Johnny Knox downfield.

Detroit’s offense has been noticeably hampered by the inexperience of rookie QB Matthew Stafford. Stafford has completed just 53% of his passes for the season, but the more telling stat is his 5.8 yards per attempt. Even with the big-play ability of Calvin Johnson the Lions have not had much success with deep passes as of yet this season.We all know Stafford has the physical tools to throw the deep ball, so my guess is he will improve emphatically as the season progresses. That would be great news for Johnson and Kevin Smith owners, both of whom would be top-end fantasy options with a more efficient field general. Speaking of Smith, he is battling a bruised shoulder suffered late in their win over Washington in week three. He had said he would be fine and hoped to play Sunday, but he was limited in practice on Wednesday and will be a gametime decision. 

Fantasy Projections

Matthew Stafford - 250 passing yards 1 TD 2 INT

Kevin Smith - 110 total yards (if active)

Calvin Johnson - 6 receptions 120 yards 1 TD

Bryant Johnson - 5 receptions 70 yards

Jay Cutler – 275 passing yards 2 TD 1 INT

Matt Forte – 140 total yards 1 TD

Devin Hester – 4 receptions 60 yards

Earl Bennett – 6 receptions 60 yards 1 TD

Johnny Knox – 2 receptions 50 yards 1 TD

Greg Olsen – 5 receptions 65 yards

Final Score – Chicago 27, Detroit 13

Tampa Bay @ Washington – After an embarrassing loss to Detroit last week Jim Zorn is officially coaching for his job this week. If Washington were to lose at home to the offensively impotent  Bucs in QB Josh Johnson’s first NFL start Zorn may be gone before he leaves the stadium. The Redskin offense has been bad, but Jason Campbell has once again been an efficient passer. Campbell is completing 68% of his passes with a 7.8 yards-per-attempt average. Those kind of efficiency numbers usually lead to fantasy production, but the ‘Skins have been unable to score touchdowns from inside the redzone. Campbell could have a big game this week at home against a weak defense, or maybe Shaun Suisham will just continue to kick short field goals.

The Buccaneers were the first team to yank their starting quarterback this season after an awful offensive performance last week, getting shutout and passing for just 58 yards between two QBs. Josh Johnson did infuse some excitement into the offense, so he will get his shot with a full week of preparation as the starter. Tampa Bay had been running the ball fairly well in the first two weeks, but they managed just 28 yards rushing on only 10 rushes last week. They will have to get the running game going early to take the pressure off of their new QB, but in the end Tampa Bay just does not have the offensive weapon to win this game or warrant any fantasy starters.

Fantasy Projections

Josh Johnson- 150 passing yards 50 rushing yards 2 INTs

Cadillac Williams - 90 total yards

Derrick Ward – 50 total yards

Kellen Winslow – 6 receptions 50 yards

Jason Campbell- 275 passing yards 2 TDs

Clinton Portis – 100 total yards 1 TD

Santana Moss – 4 receptions 100 yards 1 TD

Antwaan Randle El – 6 receptions 75 yards

Chris Cooley – 5 receptions 60 yards 1 TD

Final Score – Washington 31, Tampa Bay 6

NY Jets @ New Orleans – Mark Sanchez has been excellent in his first three NFL games, but lets not call him a top ten QB just yet. His completion percentage is slightly below average at 59% and he is averaging just 200 yards per game. Yes, those are very good numbers for a rookie QB, but I do not expect a spike in production during the course of the season. Although he has thrown only 2 interceptions, he has made several questionable throws that could/should have been picked. His style is very Cutler/Romo-like, but as a rookie that will eventually lead to mistakes and ultimately will cost the Jets some games. Don’t get me wrong, I love that style of quarterbacking and I love Sanchez long-term, but I don’t see him as a top fantasy option for the remainder of this season. The defense is the squad that propels this team and they will have their hands full this week against the TD-happy Saints.

Cornerback Darrelle Revis has the potential to shut down Marques Colston, so Devery Henderson and Robert Meachem are good options this week. Pierre Thomas looked like a man on a mission last week, returning from injury to re-claim his spot atop the depth chart. He run better than Mike Bell and catches almost as well as Reggie Bush, so look for the Saints to get the ball in his hands often in this one and for the rest of the year. The Jets D has been blitzing an astounding 62% of the time thus far, but if they continue that trend against Drew Brees and all his weapons New Orleans will take advantage with some big plays.

Fantasy Projections

Mark Sanchez- 250 yards 2 TDs

Thomas Jones – 90 total yards

Leon Washington – 125 total yards 1 TD (receiving)

Cotchery/Stuckey – 4 receptions 70 yards (each)

Dustin Keller – 5 receptions 60 yards 1 TD

Drew Brees – 300 yards passing 2 TD

Pierre Thomas – 100 total yards 1 TD

Reggie Bush – 100 total yards

Marques Colston – 4 receptions 50 yards

Robert Meachem – 2 receptions 50 yards 1 TD

Devery Henderson – 4 receptions 120 yards 1 TD

Jeremy Shockey – 4 receptions 60 yards

Final Score – New Orleans 30, NY Jets 20

St Louis @ San Fransisco – Marc Bulger may not play in this one, but the Rams may be better off with Kyle Boller who lead the Rams to 17 points when they had only scored 7 in the first two games of the season. Steven Jackson continues to produce nice yardage numbers but on such a terrible team he will be limited because of a lack of touchdown opportunities. The loss of Laurent Robinson for the season is a big blow to Jackson owners as opposing defenses can pretty much ignore everyone else on the Rams offense now.

Frank Gore has been the centerpiece of the ’9ers offense this year, but now he will miss at least two games due to an ankle injury. Rookie back Glen Coffee look good in preseason, but has averaged just 1.8 YPC in the regular season. Obviously he will need to improve that greatly to replace Gore’s production. Shaun Hill has been predictably solid but restrained under Mike Singletary’s defensive-minded scheme. With Gore out San Fran may have to open the passing game up a bit, and Hill can handle the pressure if they decide to put it on him. His career TD/INT ratio is 2/1 and his growing rapport with Vernon Davis could spell a decent fantasy week for Hill.

Fantasy Projections

Bulger/Boller – 175 passing yards 2 INT

Steven Jackson – 100 total yards 1 TD

Donnie Avery – 4 receptions 70 yards

Shaun Hill – 240 passing yards 1 TD

Glen Coffee – 80 total yards

Vernon Davis – 6 receptions 80 yards 1 TD

Isaac Bruce – 4 receptions 60 yards

Final Score – San Fransisco 19, St Louis 7

"All Day" will have a great game Monday Night

Green Bay @ Minnesota – The Packer offense has not been nearly as good as expected after a good year in ’08 and a fantastic preseason. Aaron Rodgers has been inaccurate on the deep pass, which was his meal ticket last season. A big part of that has been the protection, or lack thereof. Rodgers has been sacked or hurried seemingly every time he has dropped back this season. The Packer injured and inexperienced offensive line needs to get better fast or the Vikings defense will have a field day and Rodgers will be running for his life. Greg Jennings has been oddly invisible so far, with just 8 receptions. His 26 yards-per-reception has slightly made up for it, but he has to find a way to get open and get the ball in his hands.

Story of the season so far: Brett Favre plays his first game against the Packers after spending 16 years in the Green and Gold. Actual story of this game: how many yards will Adrian Peterson rack up against Green Bay’s defense, which has given up 141 and 117 rushing yards to Cedric Benson and Steven Jackson respectively. Not to mention Peterson’s 225 yard performance the last time these teams met. I wouldn’t expect a huge game out of Favre unless the Pack somehow manages to corral Peterson.

Fantasy Projections

Aaron Rodgers- 275 passing yards 2 TDs

Ryan Grant – 75 total yards

Greg Jennings – 4 receptions 80 yards 1 TD

Donald Driver – 6 receptions 90 yards

Jermichael Finley – 3 receptions 45 yards 1 TD

Brett Favre – 200 passing yards 1 TD

Adrian Peterson- 150 total yards 2 TDs

Percy Harvin - 100 total yards 1 TD

Bernard Berrian – 3 receptions 75 yards

Visanthe Shiancoe – 4 receptions 50 yards

Final Score – Minnesota 24, Green Bay 20

Antwan Odom will try to get Big Ben in the sack

The surprises and shake ups continue as we roll into week three. Last week I went 11-5 in my picks, though I did make some bold predictions. I really thought the Lions had a chance. I did go against my Pittsburgh Steelers, calling for a Chicago Bears upset, which was provided off the foot of Jeff Reed, who missed two field goals. That makes me 24 – 8 through two weeks. Not bad. Let’s see how I fair this week.

–Defensive Soundbites–

Through two weeks, the best NFL defense has been the New York Jets. The best fantasy defense has been the Philadelphia Eagles. The Jets have been awful in terms of fantasy production (ranked 26th), despite allowing only 16 total points. The Eagles have surrendered 58 points but also have 7 sacks, 6 interceptions, a safety, a defensive TD, and a kick return TD on special teams. The stingiest defense is not always the best fantasy defense.

The Cincinnati Bengals lead the league in sacks, with 9. Antwan Odom has 7 of them. This week he faces one of the league’s worst offensive lines, and a QB, Ben Roethlisberger, who holds onto the ball longer than any QB in the NFL.

The New York Giants received a big blow with the loss of safety Kenny Phillips, who had to be placed on the IR this week. Add to that, DE Justin Tuck is unlikely to play this week, thanks to the Cowboys Flozell Adams, laying the smackdown on him. This week’s match-up with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers could be an all out offensive blow out.

The worst fantasy defense through Week 2? The Dallas Cowboys have totaled a whopping goose-egg in fantasy points. The Miami Dolphins are second worst.

–IDP Start ‘em ~ Week 3–

–Defensive Linemen–

Antwan Odom, DL, CIN - As mentioned above, it’s almost a lock that Odom will add to his league leading 7 sacks this week. Ben Roethlisberger better hope Odom uses Altoids, because they be face to face a lot.

Ray Edwards, DL, MIN – The San Francisco 49ers have already allowed 6 sacks. I like Edwards and of course Jared Allen to have a nice match-up.

Cullen Jenkins, DL, GBP – Hello Mr. Bulger, would you assume the position please? I think Bulger will be on his back more than Paris Hilton this week.

–Linebackers–

Omar Gaither, LB, PHI – Gaither hasn’t been a powerhouse yet this season, but no one surrenders more tackles to linebackers than the 49 the Kansas City Chiefs have given up. Gaither will be storming the Cassel all day. I’d have put Akeem Jordan here, but he’s a no brainer already.

Rey Maualuga, LB, CIN – Willie Parker and Rashard Mendenhal, say hello to my little friend. “Who Dey” Rey got his first sack last week, and he should have a big day against the Steelers.

E.J. Henderson, LB, MIN – EJ’s looked good since returning from a year off, but I expect a huge day from him against the San Francisco 49ers. They’ll try to use Frank Gore a lot, which will keep Henderson busy, and they surrender a lot of sacks.

One interception coming up!

–Defensive Backs–

Brian Dawkins, DB, DEN – Dawk has looked solid so far for the Broncos, but I really expect a big against DuhMarcus Russell and the Raiders.

Leodis McKelvin, DB, BUF – The Saints pass the ball a lot so it’s no surprise they surrender the 4th most points to DBs. This week McKelvin covers Marques Colston. Give it to me baby, uh huh, uhuh.

Terrence McGee, DB, BUF – Did I mention the Saints throw a lot of passes? Mcgee will be covering Devery Henderson.

–IDP Sit ‘em ~ Week 3–

–Defensive Linemen–

Justin Tuck, DL, NYG – He’s hurt and may not play. Keep him out this week.

Justin Smith, DL, SFO - He’s just not getting enough OLB sots and it’s killing his value.

Elvis Dumervil, DL, DEN – He plays LB this year but still qualifies as a DL. Last week he exploded. This week I think he’ll fizzle.

–Linebackers–

Lofa Tatupa, LB, SEA – He can’t stay healthy. Heep him benched until he shows us something.

Channing Crowder, LB, MIA - Clam Chowder has really hurt teams who were counting on numbers similar to last year’s production. There’s better tools on the waiver wire. Bench him or dump him, but don’t play him.

–Defensive Backs–

Kenny Payne, DB, CHI – Coach Lovie Smith has yanked Payne in favor of Daniael Manning.

Michael Huff, DB, OAK - Huff has re-ingratiated himself with the Raiders coaching staff after starting off with 3 interceptions in 2 games. He was a hot waiver wire commodity this week. Odds of him getting an INT this week against the Broncos? Next to nil.

Cedric Griffin, DB, MIN – The 49ers don’t have much of a passing game yet, and Griffin should line up against Josh Morgan who has yet to be utilized in the pass game. It looks like an unproductive fantasy day for C.G.

–Team Defense Start and Sit – Week 3–

Key:

———————————————————————————————————————————————————–

Cleveland Browns at Baltimore Ravens

24 -17

The Ravens defense is almost always a good start because they generally keep the score low and they have a lot of play-makers. That side, they are middle of the pack in fantasy scoring through two weeks. The Browns would not seem to be a good defensive start this week, but they have been one of the best at limiting fantasy production to quarterbacks, and they are pretty solid against the receiving game. Look for the Ravens to stay on the ground Sunday.

Washington Redskins at Detroit Lions

23 -13

Would it surprise you to know the Lions are ranked 6th in fantasy points for defense after week 2? The Redskins are 24th. Both teams will play desperate football this week looking for a win. There will be a lot of balls flying around. Insert your own bad joke here. Jason Campbell will have to prove he can make things happen this week or his days in D.C. are numbered. That means ample interception and turnover opportunities. As always expect 3-4 interceptions from Lion’s QB Matthew Stafford.

Jacksonville Jaguars at Houston Texans

28 - 17

Neither of these teams have been good fantasy options through weeks one and two and it’s not likely to change this week. This game could be a low scoring defensive affair or it could blow up like the Texans Titans game last week. Expect both offenses to exploit the others defense weaknesses. regardless it won’t parlay into fantasy value.

Atlanta Falcons at New England Patriots

27 - 17

Either of these team’s could be a plug and play option this week in what looks to be a air show between Matt Ryan and Tom Brady, but neither QB makes many mistakes, limiting the opportunities for pick offs and turnovers. Neither is a threat for a big special teams play; kick off or punt return for TD, so I’d go with better options this week.

Green Bay Packers at St. Louis Rams

24 -21

Despite looking like a train wreck on both sides of the ball last week, the Green Bay Packers defense has been the 4th most productive from a fantasy perspective. Against a desperate Rams team I expect that to continue. There should be enough sacks, interceptions and turnovers to reward fantasy owners this week.

San Francisco 49ers at Minnesota Vikings

27 - 21

The 49ers will have a difficult time running the ball with Frank gore against the Vikings run defense. That means Shaun Hill will have to start throwing the ball. So far he hasn’t done much of that, or at least not with any success. There is no magic connection with his receivers yet outside of Isaac Bruce, which means turnover opportunities should exist for one of the leagues better fantasy defenses.

Tennessee Titans at New York Jets

20 - 16

Both are considered top ten defenses yet both are questionable fantasy options. Why? Fantasy value is not based solely on points allowed. One expects a tight defensive game. Really fantasy value comes from tackles, sacks, turnovers, special teams and so on. Through the first two weeks the Titans and Jets are ranked 20th and 26th in fantasy scoring respectively. I have made them both plug and play options because they can both do something special on D, they just haven’t done it yet.

New York Giants at Tampa Bay Buccaneers

28 - 27

You always have to play the Giants defense, it’s just too damn good to sit. They’ll give up points this week, and they’re without Justin Tuck and Kenny Phillips, but they’re the second best fantasy producer on defense so far. Buccaneers QB Byron Leftwich throws the ball often and he makes a lot of mistakes. This bodes well for another productive turnover day for the G-men. This is still my upset pick this week though.

Kansas City Chiefs at Philadelphia Eagles

17 - 7

The Eagles are the number one fantasy producing defense, head and shoulder pads above the rest. The Chiefs are a team desperate and rather discombobulated (yeah, I had to use it) offensively. New coach Todd Haley wants to make things happen but his weapons have been miss-firing. The Chiefs are not likely to score much this week, but oh will they try. Let me hear you say, yeah! Look for a good fantasy day for the Eagles for the third straight week.

New Orleans Saints at Buffalo Bills

31 - 23

The Saints and Bills, spot starts on defense? Are you kidding me? I kid you not. Forget all the points likely to be surrendered. The Bills and Saints rank 3rd and 5th respectively in fantasy points scored. Both will be lobbing balls back and forth like watching a Venus and Serena Williams tennis match. I expect to see about 700+ yards of passing offense. Perhaps air traffic control should be notified. Look for turnovers and fantasy gold.

Chicago Bears at Seattle Seahawks

34 - 10

The Seahawks will be without QB Matt Hasselbeck this week, and Seneca Wallace is not going to strike fantasy fear into anyone’s heart. Julius Jones won’t be able to run the ball, and I suspect the Bears will be up early. Wallace will have to start forcing plays against one of the league’s better defenses. The Bears already have 6 sacks on the young season, so it may be a long day for Seahawks fans, and their poor offensive line.

Pittsburgh Steelers at Cincinnati Bengals

24 - 17

You could make an argument for benching the Steelers defense. They have been pretty solid, but from a fantasy perspective, lousy; 2 sacks 1 interception. Still, you have to play them. I’ll save my brain cells to argue the merits of starting the Bengals D. As mentioned earlier, they lead the league in sacks with 9. The Steelers offensive line is more like tinfoil, and Ben Roethlisberger holds onto the football so long you could grab a beer between snap and pass. The Steelers usually only generate enough offense to win. Combine the two and the Bengals are a decent plug and play defense option in week 3.

Denver Broncos at Oakland Raiders

17 - 12

The Broncos defense have 7 sacks and 3 interceptions, and they’ve allowed a whopping 13 points against. This week they face one of the league’s most inaccurate and sloppy passers and a flimsy offense line. If there were any week to start the Broncos D, this may be it. Oddly enough the Raiders have been one of the best teams in terms of not surrendering points to opposing defenses, but they played the sloppy Chargers and the hapless Chiefs. If JaMarcus Russell continues to throw balls everywhere but where his receivers are, the Broncos secondary will eat him alive.

Indianapolis Colts at Arizona Cardinals

31 - 28

I think the reasons to bench both of these defenses are fairly obvious. If all goes as anticipated it will keep interceptions and sacks to keep both teams out of the red with all the points they’ll be giving up. The Cards are ranked 7th in fantasy defense points because of their 8 sacks, however, Peyton Manning almost never gets sacked. There could be some costly turnovers that go for defensive scores, but they are too hard to predict. Get your defensive points elsewhere this week.

Miami Dolphins at San Diego Chargers

24 - 20

The Dolphins rank second to last in defensive fantasy production so far, with 1.5 fantasy points per game. The Chargers aren’t far behind at 3 points per game. There’s really not much else to say. This may be the lameduck game of the week on both sides of the ball.

Carolina Panthers at Dallas Cowboys

21 - 13

The league’s worst fantasy defense is the Dallas Cowboys. As I mentioned above they have zero fantasy points in two games. Ouch. The Carolina Panthers are at 3 points a game. The Monday night affair will be fun to watch, but neither team is likely to help you from a fantasy perspective in week 3. I wonder if special teams qualifies for a fantasy bonus if that hit that monster video screen hanging over the Cowboy’s field? Hmmm.

Start and Sit for Offense week 3

What I was listening to while writing this week’s article- Halestorm:

Frank Gore is good now? Who could’ve possibly seen that coming? Didn’t the Seahawks watch film of how the Cardinals worked him at all? Or were they too overconfident on the heels of that 28-0 curbstomping they gave the Rams?

I should’ve known not to put any faith in Seahawks coach Jim Mora. Coming from an insider, trust me: the guy’s a prick. I know a lot of people are picking the Seahawks to win this woebegone division – mainly due to the fact that the competition is so weak and not anything special about the Seattle – but trust me, Mora will singlehandedly lead them to ruin. He’s an awful, awful coach.

I’m not sure yet if the Cardinals or 49ers will win the NFC West, but the Seahawks won’t. They just won’t. They will not, is what I’m trying to say.

Anyway, you don’t particularly care who wins the division. You just care about your fantasy team. As well you should, because your team BLOWS. At least it does if you’ve got too many NFC West guys in your line-up. Honestly what were you thinking?

Ordinarily this division is slim pickings as it is, but particularly in Week 3, when three teams are squaring off against the NFC North (the good kind of NFC North, not the Detroit Lions kind) and the other one has to face the Colts? That, mis amigos, is time to abandon ship.

As an academic exercise and nothing more, we will go through the previews anyway, but I’m telling you now: Don’t expect much this week from this division.

San Francisco at Minnesota

We’ll start with the division leaders, my hometown 2-0 Niners. Those two wins didn’t come against the Lions and Rams, kiddies, but against honest-to-goodness almost not terrible teams in the Cardinals and Seahawks, so they deserve your respek.

Just not this week.

The Vikings had the best rush defense in the league last season, and while they’ve tailed off a bit in the early going so far (“tailing off” for them being only 15th in the league as opposed to first), their pass defense has been out of its mind, shutting down a couple of young quarterbacks in Cleveland’s Brady Quinn and Detroit’s Matthew Stafford.

Frank Gore is not going to go crazy two weeks in a row, and the Vikings are the rare team that can shut down a running game without having to commit an eighth man into the box, which means that San Francisco’s already crummy passing game – 30th in the league – is likely to get crummier.

If you do have Gore on your squad, all hope is not lost. The Vikes have shown a weakness in covering tight ends and backs, so he might get some points in the pass game. Also, since he has all four touchdowns for the Niners so far, there’s a good chance he can poach another, regardless of what kind of game he’s having overall.

The match-up I’m really excited about is the 49ers defense. They held Adrian Peterson to a career-low three yards on 14 carries the last time they faced him, in 2007, and since then their run defense has only gotten better, with the addition of DE Justin Smith and ILB Takeo Spikes. They have a couple of solid run-supporting CBs in Nate Clements and Shawntae Spencer, so the sweeps and tosses won’t be there for Peterson either.

Minnesota’s offense had the worst yards-after-catch production on passes thrown at or behind the line of scrimmage last year, so screen passes to Peterson or his backup, Chester Taylor, shouldn’t expose the 49ers LBs in pass coverage, and QB Brett Favre has yet to show that he still has the deep arm to exploit the 49ers safeties.

Why I really like San Francisco’s defense, however, is because of Minnesota’s awful coverage units, especially on punts. Cleveland’s Joshua Cribbs took one back to the house on them in Week 1 and San Francisco’s Allen Rossum popped one against the Seahawks last week, only for it to be called back on a questionable holding penalty. If your league counts return yards towards defense, you’ll need to pick up the San Francisco D this week, because Rossum is in line to have a big day.

Projected Score: Vikings 20, 49ers 16

Green Light: San Francisco Defense, ILB Patrick Willis (for defensive player leagues), RB Frank Gore

Yellow Light: TE Vernon Davis, QB Shaun Hill

Red Light: WR Isaac Bruce, WR Josh Morgan

Chicago Bears at Seattle Seahawks

Jay Cutler, the Sultan of Sulk, leads his fellow Bears into Qwest Field against a banged up Seahawks team that’s in all likelihood going to be missing four defensive starters in MLB Lofa Tatupu, OLB Leroy Hill, DT Brandon Mebane, and CB Josh Wilson, and a couple of other guys are questionable.

Meanwhile on offense, they’re probably down to their third left tackle, some schmo named Brandon Frye, and of course they’re probably going to be forced to start Seneca Wallace at QB because Matt Hasselbeck’s back collapsed in on itself like an accordion last week.

Can Seattle’s “12th Man” possibly compensate for all those injuries and Mora’s crappy coaching?

Who cares?

You just want the fantasy lowdown.

The Bears 31st rated run offense squares off against Seattle’s 26th rated run defense. Which of those two will break out? I’m betting on the former, for two reasons. First of all, the Seahawks, as I said, are beat up in their front seven and Gore treated them like extras on “Oz” last week. Secondly, I think the Bears will want to keep the game simple on the road for the easily-rattled Cutler and won’t open it up for him unless they have to. Matt Forte’s bound to show up eventually.

Frank Gore is about as likely to have a 200 yard game against the Williams bros. as Frank Stallone.

Seahawks offensive coordinator Greg Knapp specialized in the run game when he ran Atlanta’s crew, and with Wallace under center, they’re likely to play it close to the vest as well.

Two teams running the ball will mean less sacks, less picks, less turnovers, and less opportunities for defensive points.

Meanwhile, the loss of Brian Urlacher has already been felt by the Bears defense, as the Steelers, who aren’t exactly known for their running attack these days, churned out 105 yards on just 22 attempts, for 4.8 yards per carry.

My colleague, Tab, has covered this game from the Bears’ angle, and he is even less pessimistic about the Seahawks prospects than I am. Mountain Dew, meanwhile, sees some upside in T.J. Houshmandzadeh.

Projected Score: Bears 23, Seahawks 16

Green Light: TE John Carlson, RB Julius Jones

Yellow Light: Seahawks Defense

Red Light: QB Matt Hasselbeck, QB Seneca Wallace, WR T.J. Houshmandzadeh

Green Bay Packers at St. Louis Rams

Today’s math lesson: 0 points at Seattle in Week 1 + 7 points at Washington in Week 2 + Pissed off Green Bay defense in Week 3 = Stay the hell away from everyone on the Rams.

Seriously, don’t do it. You just have to trust me on this one, it’s going to be ugly. I mean, you could always hope and pray that Marc Bulger will throw for some meaningless yards and some garbage time touchdowns to Laurent Robinson or Donnie Avery, but honestly, he’s just as likely to throw it to the Packers Charles Woodson or Al Harris.

The Packers 3-4 defense hasn’t quite gelled yet and they *did* allow 141 yards to Cedric Benson, of all people, last week, so I suppose Steven Jackson wouldn’t be the worst play in the world, but honestly my advice would be to trade him while you can. Jackson actually had a decent game last week and his value might never be higher than it is now. The guy is gonna either get hurt or realize the futility of his plight any second now, and you don’t want him on your roster when it happens.

Projected Score: Green Bay 34, St. Louis 13

Green Light: RB Steven Jackson

Yellow Light: WR Laurent Robinson

Red Light: QB Marc Bulger, WR Donnie Avery, TE Randy McMichael, Rams Defense

Indianapolis at Arizona

Here’s an interesting concept: An NFC team that can throw the ball! To quote Joey Russo, “Whoa.”

Unfortunately for the Cardinals, Peyton Manning can throw it too, and the game’s on at night time, so taking the Cardinals defense is an absolute non-starter right away.

The good news, as last Monday night’s game between the Colts and Dolphins proved, is that it won’t take them very long to score, so that means plenty of opportunities for Kurt Warner to piss off Larry Fitzgerald’s English-impaired brother.

Indy’s defense should be a veritable smorgasbords of points for the entire team. The Colts are 30th in run defense, so even the Cardinals backs should be able to move the chains on them, provided that Beanie Wells doesn’t put it on the ground again.

As for the passing game, don’t be fooled by the Colts top ranked pass defense. Their first two opponents, the Jaguars and Dolphins, have one good athletic receiver between them, and Miami’s Ted Ginn had no problem getting open and putting up numbers, even with all those run attempts out of the Wildcat the Dolphins ran.

Really, it’s hard to dislike anyone here, and I’m the kind of guy who hates everybody.

Alex Olson, meanwhile, is predicting big things for everyone on the Colts, including, I think, Edgerrin James, who hasn’t even been on the team since 2006. If we’re both right, it’ll be a 54-51 game, so obviously you should bench everyone in your lineup on both teams and bet the “under” at Vegas.

Projected Score: Cardinals 34, Colts 31

Green Light: QB Kurt Warner, WR Larry Fitzgerald, WR Anquan Boldin

Yellow Light: RB Tim Hightower, RB Beanie Wells

Red Light: Cardinals Defense

Good luck in your match-ups everyone, and as always, if you root for one of these teams, I’m so very, very sorry for you.

/looks at ground

//slowly shakes head in pity

Imagine what kind of numbers Fitzy would put up without those floppy gloves distracting him as he runs his routes.

Well, as I predicted, last Sunday’s twin inter-division NFC West showdowns were ugly and about as unwatchable as NFL games can possibly get.

Unfortunately, that’s about all I got right. Some guys I liked – Marc Bulger of the Rams, Kurt Warner of the Cardinals – were absolute tire fires out there, while other ones I had high hopes for like Seattle WR Deion Branch and Cardinals WR Steve Breaston were late scratches from the lineup after not even being on the injury report.

I did nail a couple of picks, with Seahawks RB Julius Jones, 49ers WR Isaac Bruce, and Rams WR Donnie Avery having okay games, and 49ers RB Frank Gore, Cardinals RB Beanie Wells, Seahawks WR T.J. Houshmandzadeh, and Rams RB Steven Jackson crapping the bed like I thought they would, but generally it was a disaster.

In particular I feel like a bonehead for telling people to stay away from Seahawks TE John Carlson, who was an absolute beast in Week 1 with 95 receiving yards and two TDs.

Rustyn’s recap spells out all the carnage in painstaking detail and while you’re welcome to re-live the horror show, I’m ready to put it behind me and move on to Week 2. In fact, the games can’t come here soon enough.

There’s another division clash on the slate this Sunday, but the Cardinals and Rams have to head east to unfamiliar locales, with the former heading to Jacksonville and the latter to D.C. Like the doctor said to my mother when I was born, “This is going to get ugly.”

Seattle at San Francisco: The match-up I absolutely love here is the Seahawks Defense. Not only did they pitch an opening day shutout against the flaccid Rams last week, but now they face a 49ers unit that managed only 203 yards at Arizona despite winning the game and ran for only 21 yards, a franchise-low in a victory. The Seahawks sacked San Francisco 13 times in two meetings last year and the 49ers allowed four take downs of QB Shaun Hill in Week 1.

The 49ers have a miserable time covering backs and tight ends, so by all means play Jones and Carlson if you’ve got ‘em. Jones in all likelihood won’t be as productive in the running game as he was against the Rams, but he’ll make up for it as a check-down receiver for QB Matt Hasselbeck, especially if the 49ers are foolish enough to match up SS Michael Lewis or ILB Takeo Spikes on him.

I dislike all of Seattle’s WRs against San Francisco’s solid secondary, and I’m pretty lukewarm on Hasselbeck as well, as I generally dislike him on the road.

Green Light: Seattle Defense, TE John Carlson, RB Julius Jones

Yellow Light: QB Matt Hasselbeck, WR Nate Burleson

Red Light: WR T.J. Houshmandzadeh

From the 49ers perspective, Bruce remains the play as a flex receiver if you’ve got him on your roster. I expect San Francisco to be trailing from the get-go and they’ll be airing it out in the second half. The Seahawks had the worst pass defense against bombs last year and Hill and Bruce connected on a 50-yarder already last week.

If you’re in a league with individual defensive players, LB Patrick Willis is as close to a lock for a consistent performer as you can have. With San Francisco having such a weak offense you know he’s going to be on the field a ton and he plays in literally every personnel package for them. The guy is such a solid tackler and has so much range, he cleans up a lot of other people’s mistakes.

Also, if you’re in a league where you have to play two QBs, Hill would be worth a look here. He’s going to be closer to 40 pass attempts than 20 before this game’s over.

I’m still loathe to take a chance on TE Vernon Davis or Gore. Defenses are going to stack the box against him until the 49ers prove they can pass it consistently, so his only value right now is as a LaDainian Tomlinson-style touchdown poacher.

Green Light: WR Isaac Bruce, LB Patrick Willis

Yellow Light: QB Shaun Hill, RB Frank Gore

Red Light: TE Vernon Davis, WR Josh Morgan, San Francisco Defense

Projected Outcome: Seahawks 27, 49ers 20

St. Louis at Washington: Who do I like on the Rams? The easy answer is nobody, as the Rams look like they might be the worst team in football. However, often lousy teams make for fantasy gold, so with St. Louis it’s just a matter of mining the right cave.

The Redskins didn’t allow any rushing touchdowns to a load like Giants RB Brandon Jacobs, so I don’t know why anyone would expect Rams RB Jackson to be any better. Also, I took one shot with Bulger, he was completely useless for me, and I’ve just about given up on him. Both he and Panthers QB Jake Delhomme look shell-shocked to me.

The Giants secondary looked sufficiently wobbly against secondary Washington WR Antwaan Randle El for me to think it might be worth taking a chance on St. Louis WR Laurent Robinson.

Again, if you’re in a defensive player league, LB James Laurinaitis would be a good pickup. He’s going to play a lot and if he’s not making tackles for the Rams, I’m not sure who will.

Speaking of tackling, our own Ray Tannock tackled this match-up from the Washington perspective, and he was far too merciful on the lambs, I think.

Green Light: LB James Laurinaitis

Yellow Light: RB Steven Jackson, WR Laurent Robinson, TE Randy McMichael

Red Light: QB Marc Bulger, WR Donnie Avery

Projected Outcome: Washington 23, St. Louis 13

Arizona at Jacksonville: Finally we come to an intra-conference matchup, and those are always wild and wacky because of how rarely the teams play one another.

The way the Jaguars covered (or rather, didn’t) Colts WR Reggie Wayne last Sunday, those of you who have WR Larry Fitzgerald on your rosters have to be drooling this week. Fitzgerald had 71 yards and a touchdown last week, and that was an off game for him against a guy, 49ers CB Nate Clements, who plays him better than anyone.

I forecast big things for Warner last week and he failed me, but I don’t see it happening two weeks in a row. the Jags only sacked Colts QB Peyton Manning one time and the man who notched it, DE Reggie Heyward, is now on IR. I think Warner’s going to have more time to throw on Sunday than he did against San Francisco.

WR Anquan Boldin will probably be healthier with his hamstring and RB Beanie Wells should get more playing time as well, but I’d hold off on both of them for a bit. The more Wells plays, the less RB Tim Hightower will, meaning both are guys to avoid.

Green Light: WR Larry Fitzgerald, QB Kurt Warner

Yellow Light: WR Anquan Boldin

Red Light: RB Tim Hightower, RB Beanie Wells

Projected Outcome: Arizona 27, Jacksonville 26

It doesn't happen very often, but Week 1 is looking strong for Marc Bulger.

Here’s yet another reason why the NFL crushes all the other sports: Smart opening game scheduling.

Week One is simply overflowing with compelling match-ups, and no matter how much of a football nut you are, it’s going to be impossible to watch every game that you’d want to.

The defending champion Steelers are battling the Titans and towel-stompin’ LenDale White.

TO and the Bills takes on his diva nemesis, Randy Moss, with “Goldenboy” Tom Brady returning again to relevancy and bringing millions of women back into televised football.

Aaron Rodgers and the Pack are taking on their age-old rivals, da’ Bears, and their new quarterback Jay Cutler.

Philly and Carolina, two NFC heavyweights, are dueling in Carolina on Sunday morning, while Miami and Atlanta, two surprise playoff teams in 2008, are squaring off in the Georgia Dome.

Jacksonville versus Indianapolis is always a good, tight, game and the Redskins versus Giants will be another NFC Beast slobberknocker.

With all that being said, the deftest scheduling of all was sending the Rams to Seattle and the Niners to Arizona.

Instead of having the putrid NFC West pollute four opening day games with their wretchedness, the league is quietly dusting them under the opening day rug by having them play interdivision games against one another, so sensible fans the world over can ignore them guilt free.

Rams-Seahawks? Unless you’re a fan of one of those teams – and Flying Spaghetti Monster help you if you are – you’re not watching that game.

49ers-Cardinals? That’s a little bit better, and the redbirds did go to the Super Bowl last year, but again if you’re sober and excited about this afternoon tilt, chances are that you don’t have a supermodel waiting for you at home.

The good news here is that as your humble NFC West fantasy “expert” (HA HA HA HA HA HA HA) having only two games to cover means less work for me, and that is never, ever, a bad thing.

So without further ado, let’s get on with it…

St. Louis at Seattle

Guys I like:

Rams WR Donnie Avery. The Seahawks ranked dead last in the NFL last season and gave up the second most passing yards in the league. According to the 2009 Football Outsiders Almanac, they were 31st in the league in defending opponent’s number one receivers, and with Torry Holt gone, Avery’s that guy for the Rams. I’m not saying start him necessarily if you’re in a two receiver league, but if you’re in a league with a “Flex” spot or a TE/WR option, then Avery would be a good choice here.

Rams QB Marc Bulger. I almost never, ever recommend having this guy on your fantasy team, let alone playing him, but if you happen to be one of the unlucky schlubs out there who had to settle for Bulger as your No. 2 QB, then this might be the one matchup – besides Detroit – where it might be justifiable to give him the starting nod. The Seahawks will be better this season and the best scenario would be in having them up 17 points at half time, giving Bulger carte blanche to air it out in the second half.

Seahawks RB Julius Jones. Now that he’s got Edgerrin James as his understudy (in the “Manu Ginobili” role, as James called it), most fantasy gurus are completely off Jones, if they were ever on him at all. But the Rams were 29th in the league versus the run last year and Jones went off for 140 yards on 22 carries in Week 1 against them last season. I’m betting that Jones will be eager to show his coaches what he thinks of the James acquisition and he’d be a nice play as a second back.

Seahawks WR Deion Branch. First of all, don’t laugh. A lot of football pundits had Branch being a possible cut last weekend, but now that’s he’s survived the roster crunch, he’s absolutely worth a waiver claim here as a flex guy. The Rams were 31st in the league in allowing receptions to third or “other” receivers and you know their defensive game plan will be dedicated to taking away Seattle’s splashy free agent acquisition, T.J. Houshmandzadeh. The Rams nickel guys stink, and Branch could have a big day in the slot.

Guys I dislike:

Seahawks WR T.J. Houshmandzadeh. The Rams will focus on him way too much in the season opener and I want to see what kind of chemistry he and quarterback Matt Hasselbeck will have before jumping on his bandwagon. The guy doesn’t have Chad Ochocinco on the other side taking all the coverage away from him.

Seahawks TE John Carlson. I’m high on Carlson, in general, but the sorry Rams were actually middle of the road in covering tight ends last year and they have more pronounced weaknesses in their secondary that opponents will exploit. Chances are you have a better match-up elsewhere on your fantasy roster.

Rams RB Steven Jackson. For a terrible team, the Seahawks were only 18th in the league versus the run, instead of like 26th or something you’d expect. With Aaron Curry aboard, they now have a trio of speedy young linebackers that figure to play the run well and that, along with the decent chance that the game could be one-sided in the second half, might take away his carries in the third and fourth quarters.

San Francisco at Arizona

Guys I like:

Cardinals WR Anquan Boldin. The 49ers just named Shawntae Spencer as their starting right corner, to everyone’s surprise, including his. Spencer tore his ACL during the second game of the season at Seattle last year, and this opening test might be a bit overwhelming for him. Boldin is a question mark for the game because of a hamstring pull, but we’ll find out more about his status by Friday, and if he’s good to go, he’s a must play.

49ers WR Isaac Bruce. A lot of folks are high on Bruce’s young teammate, Josh Morgan, but for now I’m in a wait-and-see mode with him and would prefer to cast my lot on the dependable veteran. Like the Seahawks-Rams game, we could have a 17 point margin in this one early, so Bruce will get a lot of underneath catches in the second half and would be a decent third choice for a receiver.

Cardinals QB Kurt Warner. An absolute lock of a play. The 49ers have no pass rush to speak of, but a great run defense, so Warner is in line to have a huge day.

Guys I dislike:

Cardinals WR Larry Fitzgerald. Yes, 49ers CB Nate Clements has struggled in the preseason, but in two meetings against him Fitzgerald had 31 and 46 yards against Clements last season, his two lowest totals of the season. After his playoff heroics, a lot of attention will be paid to Fitzgerald and San Francisco will take their chances with a gimpy Boldin and Steve Breaston.

Cardinals RB Beanie Wells. While there are courageous types out there ready to ride this guy, I’m not ready to jump on him out of the chute. The 49ers front seven plays the run very well, especially against guys who aren’t speedsters, so I’m not expecting a whole lot from Wells in this one.

49ers TE Vernon Davis. Supposedly, 49ers offensive coordinator Jimmy Raye’s offense will be “tight end friendly this season. Like San Francisco coach Mike Singletary says, “Don’t tell me, show me.” Until Davis proves he can run fluid routes and doesn’t have hands of stone, I’m avoiding him like swine flu.

49ers RB Frank Gore. Probably not the best idea to tell the free world that Gore is your best playmaker and that you are looking to go to him as much as humanly possible, as Raye and Singletary did last week. I’m guessing the Cardinals will be locked on to #21 pretty good. Obviously, if he’s on your roster, chances are you picked Gore pretty high and are obligated to play him, but if you have a decent third option, you might want to think it over.

Seven-time Pro Bowler Holt is the big offseason pickup by the Jags hoping to lead a young receving corps

Holt’s production dropped last season as the Rams went from a respectable offense to a dreadful sight to watch. He caught 64 passes for 796 yards and three touchdowns, the first year he caught less than 90 receptions since 2001 when he shared the role with future Hall of Famer Isaac Bruce.

The 6’0” 200-pound, 33 year-old receiver has caught only four receptions in three of the Jaguars preseason games at Miami and Philadelphia, and vs. the Buccaneers. His only TD was on a fumble recovery near the goal line which he jumped on.

When the regular season begins, the seven-time Pro Bowler figures to get the ball in the end zone a lot more for reasons beyond being at the right place at the right time.  

Ranked number fourteen among career receiving yard leaders, with just 439 yards Holt can move ahead of Andre Reed for tenth all-time. He’s still not a lock for the Hall of Fame, but a great year could solidify his place in Canton.

Jacksonville’s best receiving performance during this year’s preseason has come from Troy Williamson who in three games has eight catches for 232 yards and a TD.

Last season Williamson, who also played three years with Minnesota before coming to Jax, grabbed only five receptions for 30 yards and a TD. He’s a little small at 6’1” 203-pounds, but he may prove to be productive on the other side of Holt.

At 5'7" 208-pounds, Jones-Drew's strength eclipses his size

Big on most people’s list of top fantasy player’s is fourth-year running back Maurice Jones-Drew, who also has to figure in as a receiving option. Last season the all-over-the-field threat increased his production in every category with 197 rushes for 824 yards and 62 receptions for 565 yards. He also had 14 total TDs as a RB, rushing and receiving.

With the departure of long-time back Fred Taylor, and without the emergence of a solid number two RB thus far in the preseason, Jones-Drew’s role will increase even more.

Quarterback David Garrard’s ability to get the ball to the open man will determine the Jaguars success in the passing game.

“When (Garrard) had the really good year, we were running the ball well and he was making a lot of plays in and out of the pocket,” Jaguars quarterbacks coach Mike Shula said. “Last year, we were struggling to run and I think he struggled a little bit, too. We’ve got to get back to that good mix. He feeds off the running game, but the running game will feed off him.”

Last season Garrard’s inconsistent play in which he had 15 TDs and 13 interceptions, was enough for fantasy owners to drop the aging 31 year old QB going into his eighth year. Although his passing yards passing yards increased from 2,509 in 2007 to 3,620 in ’08, he was sacked 42 times and the int’s caused his QB rating to fall from 102.2 to 81.7.

Garrard must bounce back to his '07 form for the Jags to be successful

Garrard would like to get more big plays out of his receivers this year. Last season his longest completion was for 41 yards. In this year’s preseason Garrard connected with Williamson on a 74-yard TD bomb vs. the Buccaneers.

In the third preseason game vs. Eagles, when starters typically play the most, Garrard was caught staring down Holt in the second quarter and Pro Bowl cornerback Asante Samuel rarely fails to take advantage of that opportunity, stealing the ball for the interception.

The veteran QB will have to continue to build chemistry with the veteran WR in order for the Jags to be successful in the passing game this year.

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