The return of Santonio Holmes adds a new dimension to the WR start sit column, but is he really worth an automatic start this week?
In 2009, Holmes registered 79 catches for 1,248 yards and 5 TDs, but as you will see below, you should err to caution with his return.
In other news, the first four weeks have been rather curious for WR production, as we have seen a couple of players pop up out of nowhere ( Mark Clayton, Brandon Lloyd to name just two) while watching some other players not live up to their expectations (Andre Johnson, Larry Fitzgerald, and Mike Sims-Walker to name three)
A lot of that could be attributed to teams still putting a lot of focus on their tight ends such as seen in Green Bay, San Francisco, San Diego, Jacksonville, Indianapolis, New York (Jets), and Detroit.
Four TEs (Gates, Finley, Miller, and Clark) are in the NFLs Top 20 for receiving, but as we may see in Week five; that might drastically change, thanks to a myriad of quality matchups that are sure to give your team a nice harvest of Fantasy points.
Also remember: Miami, New England, Pittsburgh, and Seattle are all on the bye week.
Now, without further ado.
Must Start Of The Week: Roddy White – Falcons:
No other receiver thus far has been as consistent as Falcons WR Roddy White in targets, catches, and baffling opposing defense—just ask the 49ers who were “hell bent” on shutting down White, and he STILL torched them for 104 yards on 7 catches.
This week he and the Falcons face a Cleveland team that allowed the aging Terrell Owens a 10/222/1 line in week four, and if that isn’t bad enough, the best cover package the Browns can offer is a sub-par rookie nickleback named Joe Hayden, and an average CB in Sheldon Brown.
The other corner in Cleveland is Eric Wright who does have some talent, but the fact remains that even when you double team Roddy White, at best, all you’re really doing is prolonging the inevitable.
There is no real reason to believe that Cleveland will have any answer for White making him our Must Start of the Week.
Two Through Ten
| 2. Hakeem Nicks – Giants: As each week passes, Nicks continues to grow as the guy who is stealing all the targets in New York. The Giants face a Houston team that is relatively easy to pass against; making Nicks a nice play this week. |
| 3. Miles Austin – Cowboys: Even with a bye week, Austin is still a Top Ten performing receiver in the NFL. The Titans have been slipping as of late in their coverage department, so starting Austin makes perfect sense. |
| 4. Anquan Boldin – Ravens: One of only three receivers that has shown weekly consistency, and with the Broncos coming to town, you can bet on a shootout with Boldin leading the way. |
| 5. Calvin Johnson – Lions: Johnson proved the last two weeks that no matter who he plays against, he is still a top receiving and scoring threat. In his last two starts, Johnson has caught 12 balls for 142 yards and two TDs against two very good teams (Green Bay and Minnesota). Start Johnson with confidence. |
| 6. Reggie Wayne – Colts: Wayne went off last week against the Jags (15 catches for 196 yards), and that was WITH double coverage. At this point, no matter which receiver you start out of Indy, you’re bound to have a nice day. |
| 7. Mark Clayton – Rams: Clayton will take his remarkable season into Detroit to face one of the worst pass defenses in all of football. Start Clayton, and enjoy. |
| 8. Austin Collie – Colts: The Chiefs are going to have all sorts of trouble handling the Colts receivers, and I believe that Collie will get more attention, or he would be higher. He is still a Top 10 start. |
| 9. Lance Moore – Saints: The little guy is always the one you should fear the most, and Moore has been that guy. The Cardinals are absolutely horrible against the pass, so Moore is in line for another big day. |
| 10. Santana Moss – Redskins: Moss had a bad week last week against Philly, but that was simply due to McNabb not really passing all that much. Look for him to bounce back against a curiously porous Packers secondary. |
Santonio Holmes – New York Jets Highlight:
I decided to take a hard left turn in the Honorable Mentions department, to shed light on the return of WR Santonio Holmes.
This should be huge for the Jets passing game, even with the Vikings coming to town on MNF.
The Jets cleverly grabbed Holmes from Pittsburgh in the off-season, and during OTAs and preseason, Santonio Holmes was literally lights out the entire way, giving Jets’ fans, and their coaching staff, something to grin about from ear to ear.
But that doesn’t mean he’s an automatic start.
The Vikings have had a week off to regain their composure, and get things straight—not to mention they are one of the best defenses in all of football—and in his first game back, Holmes is bound to have a few setbacks.
But if you own Holmes, and you are struggling with an open roster spot due to the bye week, he may just be the perfect fill. Going forward, I am sure you will be hearing a lot from Santonio Holmes.
Honorable Start Mentions: A quick look at some additional players who should have a modest week, but significantly tougher matchups than those mentioned in the Top Ten.
Jabar Gaffney – DEN vs. BAL T.O. – CIN vs. TB
Brandon Lloyd – DEN vs. BAL Greg Jennings – GB vs. WSH
Dwayne Bowe – KC vs. IND Roy Williams – DAL vs. TEN
Devery Henderson – NO vs. ARI Braylon Edwards – NYJ vs. MIN
Must Sit of the Week: Mike Sims-Walker – Jaguars:
Something is amiss in Jacksonville. Is it the lack of Hurricanes? No. Is it the inflated prices of Orange Juice? No.
Oh yeah!
It’s the utter absence of the most electrifying WR from 2009 out of Jacksonville: Mike Sims-Walker.
It isn’t as if Sims-Walker has been playing poorly, it’s the fact that he isn’t even really being targeted right now, and there hasn’t been any actual definitive explanation.
I mean really, Tiquan Underwood is having a better season for the Jags right now, and that DOES NOT give you the green light to grab him off of waivers….he isn’t doing that good, kids.
Because of the curiosity of the situation, there are rising whispers of Sims-Walker possibly dealing with an injury that the Jags don’t want to reveal; for fear that teams will immediately adjust even further to an already anemic passing game.
The bottom line is this: Until coach Jack Del Rio lets everyone in on his crappy little secret, it would be best to keep him benched; especially against Buffalo’s talented secondary.
Two Through Ten:
| 2. Jericho Cotchery – Jets: With Holmes’ return, Cotchery will be a non-factor. |
| 3. Larry Fitzgerald – Cardinals: I knew this was coming back in August...that's the real shame of it all, but it’s also a real shame about Fitz and the QB issues the Cardinals are having. It’s even more of a shame for those of you who drafted him. Sit Fitz this week against that Saints D led by Jabari Greer. |
| 4. Andre Johnson – Texans: The ankle is still very much an issue, and even if he starts (which is unlikely at this point) he won’t be 100%. |
| 5. Steve Smith – Panthers: Another ankle victim who will either be inactive or ineffective this week. |
| 6. Ochocinco – Bengals: I don’t like the matchup Ochocinco will have in Aqib Talib this week. You may want to sit him for better options. |
| 7. Mike Williams – Bucs: Not a good option against the Bengals, trust me. |
| 8. Johnny Knox – Bears: Cutler is dealing with a concussion right now despite saying he’s feeling good. But the real issue is Knox only averaging about four catches a game, and not being a target factor in the redzone. He just doesn’t have a ton of potential value against Carolina’s LBs this week. |
| 9. Louis Murphy – Raiders: Murphy re-aggravated his collarbone and won’t be 100% against a stout Chargers defense that is picking up steam. Not a very good matchup. |
| 10. DeSean Jackson – Eagles: With Kevin Kolb at QB the Eagles will go conservative, and unless something changes in Vick’s status, the highest flying Eagle will be grounded this week. |
As always, leave your questions below if you have one, and good luck this week!
