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Week 7 Moving Up, Moving Down

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Moving Up

  • Carson Palmer, Bengals – I was ready to write Palmer off for 2009 after he averaged 229 yards passing over the first 6 weeks of the season with 8 TD against 7 interceptions. However, he was on target this week against the Bears, going 20 of 24 for 233 yards and 5 TD. It looks like he’s back.
  • Thomas Jones and Shonn Greene, Jets – It’s not so much that Jones and Greene each had a monster game against the pathetic Raiders this week with each going over 100 yards (Jones – 121, Greene – 144) and Greene scoring 2 TD to 1 for Jones. The big news is that Leon Washington suffered a broken leg and is likely out for the year. Look for Jones to get increased touches and for Greene to be used slightly less than Washington was. However, with the Jets committed to the run, Greene figures to be a decent flex option in games against suspect run defenses.
  • Miles Austin, Cowboys – Just another game with well over 100 yards receiving and multiple TD. Austin turned 8 targets into 6 receptions for 171 yards and 2 TD this week, bringing his 2 game totals to 16 receptions for 421 yards and 4 TD. Reports out of training camp were that Austin was getting separation from coverage but having difficulty catching the ball. Looks like he’s found his confidence and arrived as the Cowboys top wide receiver.
  • Cedric Benson, Bengals – Benson got his revenge on the Bears and their defense, whom he accused of cheapshotting him at practice during his time in Chicago, with 189 yards and a TD on 37 carries. After 7 weeks, Benson is the NFL’s leading rusher with 720 yards on the ground and is on pace to finish with an astounding 1,645 rushing yards.
  • Vincent Jackson, Chargers – It’s time to crown Jackson as a top 10 fantasy wideout, if not top 5. In 6 games, he’s hit double digit fantasy points five times and is on pace to finish with over 210 fantasy points. Basically, it’s solid production on a consistent basis. What’s not to like?
  • Ricky Williams, Dolphins – Coming off his 92 total yards, 3 TD performance this week against the Saints, Williams is now the 10th ranked fantasy running back. Between now and Week 16, the Dolphins face seven defenses ranked 20th or lower against the run as well as the Jaguars (12th) and Titans (10th) which means you can plug Williams in as a solid flex option or even as a low end RB2.
  • Owen Daniels, Texans – Owning Daniels in 2007 and 2008 was extremely frustrating for his fantasy owners as he churned out 1,630 receiving yards but a measly 5 TD. That’s all changed in 2009 as Daniels is in pace to finish with over 1,100 receiving yards and 11 TD, which would likely result in him being the top ranked tight end. With the Texans passing offense clicking and the running game struggling, Daniels production should stay steady for the remainder of the season.
  • Vernon Davis, 49ers – I’ve been down on Davis for years but this is the week that turned the tide. With Alex Smith on in relief, Davis had 7 receptions for 93 yards and 3 TD in the 2nd half, all from Smith. Over the last 4 games, Davis has been targeted 37 times, resulting in 22 catches for 283 yards and an amazing 6 TD. Oh yeah, he’s also the top ranked fantasy tight end on a points per game basis.
  • Tony Romo, Cowboys – The Romo equation this year has been solid against bad D’s and average or worse against good ones. However, he put up a solid game this week against the Falcons with 311 yards passing, 3 TD and no picks. There are a number of solid pass defenses on the schedule for the Cowboys (Eagles – 5th, Giants – 1st as well as the Redskins’ 3rd ranked pass defense twice) but the emergence of Austin could change the Romo equation in those contests.
  • Michael Crabtree, 49ers – Nothing too exciting in Crabtree’s first game, with 5 receptions for 56 yards. However, he was only targeted 6 times, 3 of his receptions resulted in first downs and he played extensively, coming out for only a few plays. Basically, Crabtree was impressive in his debut, his conditioning is good and there’s little reason to doubt that the 49ers will be increasing his role in the coming weeks.
  • Mike Bell, Saints – After Pierre Thomas struggled in the 1st half this week against the Dolphins, Bell got the call in the 2nd half and put up 80 yards on 12 carries. He seemed to run with much more authority than Thomas, regularly taking on linebackers and bouncing off them for extra yardage. With neither player contributing much in the passing game, the Saints coaching staff will likely continue to go with the hot hand running the ball and this game showed that Thomas will get the hook if he struggles.
  • Alex Smith, 49ers – Playing exactly half the game, Smith went 15 of 22 for 206 yards and 3 TD. Incumbent starter Shaun Hill passed for 209 yards in Week 1 but hasn’t topped 200 yards since, averaging just 157 passing yards a game. He’s passed for only 5 TD in 6 games. Head coach Mike Singletary is saying he needs to see the film before deciding who starts next week. However, with the team having lost 3 of 4 with the lone win coming against the also-ran Rams, look for Smith to be behind center next week against the Colts.
  • Jason Snelling, Falcons – With Jerious Norwood having a subpar season and now out with a hip injury, Snelling came to the rescue for the Falcons this week against the Cowboys with 68 yards rushing on 7 carries and a reception that went for 10 yards. Snelling’s rushing totals topped those of Michael Turner and he displayed good moves and speed on his runs. With Turner struggling to regain his form of 2008 and Norwood also struggling, there’s a reasonable chance that Snelling will continue to get 6-8 touches a game.

Moving Down

  • Roy Williams, Cowboys – Austin has clearly established himself as Tony Romo’s go-to wide receiver and the Cowboys best big play threat. On the other side of the equation is Williams, who still doesn’t seem to be on the same page as Romo and even when he is, he seems to drop the ball or make a play of little consequence. Hard to believe a player with his considerable physical ability produces so little.
  • LaDainian Tomlinson, Chargers – The good news is that the Chargers fed him the rock in close numerous times this week. The bad news is that the only time LT found the end zone the play was nullified by a penalty. Until the Chargers improve in short yardage, LT’s upside is limited.
  • Greg Jennings, Packers – Jennings is still a solid receiver but the bottom line is that after scoring 21 TD over the last 2 seasons, he has lost his knack for finding the end zone. Defenses are focusing on shutting him down and the Packers have had to rely on a short passing game due to their inability to pass protect. Jennings isn’t producing big plays and he is one the biggest fantasy disappointments at wide receiver thus far in 2009.
  • Steven Jackson, Rams – Another game, another 100-plus total yards and again no trips to the end zone. Jackson is now up to 164 touches and 804 total yards on the season without a score.
  • Anquan Boldin, Cardinals – Boldin’s stat line looks decent enough with 3 catches for 75 yards. However, he was clearly struggling and by the end of the game had no chance of generating any separation in man coverage. It looks like the high ankle sprain he suffered last week will result in him having to take at least a week off at some point in order for him to recuperate.
  • Larry Johnson, Chiefs – Another frustrating performance this week for LJ owners. Against a suspect Chargers run defense, he managed only 49 yards on 16 carries which actually RAISED his yards per carry average to 2.7. Touchdowns on the year – nada. At some point, the rebuilding Chiefs have to go to Jamaal Charles or even Kolby Smith (just reinstated from the PUP) to see what they have in those two players.
  • Jay Cutler, Bears – The interception barrage continues for Cutler who is now up to 10 picks on the year and on pace for a whopping 27 by season’s end. Simply put, owning Cutler in leagues that penalize interceptions is a big negative on his value. His propensity for interceptions and the potential for bad weather games late in the season make owning him as your starting quarterback extremely risky.
  • Dwayne Bowe, Chiefs – Sure, he had 7 fantasy points this week on 11 receiving yards and a TD. Bowe now had 301 receiving yards and 4 TD in 6 games. It says here that at some point, the touchdowns are going to stop coming and he’s going to be a 50 yard a game guy. That’s my prediction. Nothing more, nothing less.
  • Ahmad Bradshaw, Giants – He didn’t have a good game this week against the Cardinals with only 32 yards on 12 carries and earned the wrath of the coaching staff by losing a key fumble in the 4th quarter and then taking an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on the team’s last gasp final drive. At that point, he got yanked. Whether that’s the end of the message or was just the beginning will be determined next week against the Eagles.
  • Mario Manningham, Giants – Another sub-60 yard outing for Manningham this week, making it 6 such outings in 7 games this year. That and the fact he dropped a long pass this week that would have been a touchdown are the downsides. On the plus side, he is averaging over 7 targets a game this year and could have significantly more fantasy points if he were making the most of his chances.
  • Tashard Choice, Cowboys – With all 3 Cowboys backs healthy this week, Choice had a reception for 23 yards and didn’t get a single carry, the first time that has happened in his career. He’s clearly third in the pecking order which makes him useless in standard leagues unless Marion Barber and/or Felix Jones gets hurt. Granted, both players have shown a propensity to miss time over the last 2 seasons.
  • Ted Ginn Jr., Dolphins – Ginn seemed to be on the verge of a breakthrough after his 11 recepetion, 108 yard performance against the Colts in Week 2. Since then, he’s managed just 5 receptions for 77 yards and a TD. This week, he caught 2 balls on 8 targets for 16 yards and suffered a couple of bad drops. If anything, he seems to have regressed.

Week 3 Moving Up, Moving Down

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Week 3 of fantasy football season is in the books and it was an interesting week. While some players rebounded from a poor start to the season (Matt Forte, Steve Slaton, Santana Moss), others confirmed that it might be a long season for their fantasy owners (hello Clinton Portis, Terrell Owens and Darren McFadden). Plus, there were a couple of players who cemented their status with solid performances. Let’s get to them off the top.

Moving Up

  • Cedric Benson, Bengals – It’s official: Benson has arrived. After solid performances against the Broncos and Packers, Benson faced a stiff test this week against the Steelers and put up 76 yards and a TD on the ground. Here’s what you need to know. The Bengals defense is solid, Benson isn’t splitting time, he’s scoring against solid defenses, he’s second in the league in touches to Fred Jackson and I can’t find a reason why any of this would change.
  • Willis McGahee, Ravens – Fantasy afterthought to RB1 status. My how things can change in only three weeks. Whereas the Ravens backfield was a three-headed fantasy mess in 2008, the roles are clearly defined this year. Ray Rice gets the work between the 20’s while McGahee spells him, gets the goal line work and finishes games off. With 6 TD in 3 games, McGahee is the leading candidate for Fantasy’s Comeback Player of the Year Award (there’s no such award but it sounds nice and helps my argument).
  • Ray Rice, Ravens – McGahee is getting all the pub in fantasy circles because he’s such been such a surprise. However, Rice is on pace for 1,475 combined yards and 5 TD which makes him a solid RB2.
  • Santana Moss, Redskins – He wasn’t listed as moving down after putting up just five catches for 41 yards over the first two games because of his well earned reputation for being streaky. However, it was nice to see that head coach Jim Zorn finally figured out how to get him more involved this week against the Lions to the tune of 10 receptions for 178 yards and a score.
  • Pierre Thomas, Saints – What is there to say? Whoever runs the ball for New Orleans is apparently guaranteed of putting up a stud performance. Thomas notched 24 fantasy points this week (124 yards and 2 TD) on just 14 touches. It’s worth noting that one of Thomas and Mike Bell have had a significant injury in every game this season so we don’t yet know how head coach Sean Payton will split the carries. Nonetheless, Thomas was supposed to be the starter entering the season and this performance was good enough for him to continue in that role.
  • Knowshon Moreno, Broncos – Moreno and Correll Buckhalter split the carries in Week 1 but it’s been close to a 2-1 split since then in favour of Moreno and he has 24 fantasy points over the last two weeks. The next 8 weeks look tough with only the Chargers (twice) looking like a nice matchup but the last four weeks of the season could be bountiful for Moreno owners (Chiefs, Colts, Raiders, Eagles).
  • Joe Flacco, Ravens – Flacco is off to a phenomenal start in his sophomore season and is averaging 280 passing yards and 2 TD per game. He hasn’t faced great defenses (Chiefs, Chargers and Browns) and there is an argument to sell high on him but he’s been much better than anticipated. While Matt Ryan was the consensus bust out sophomore QB candidate in most fantasy circles (not here), it looks like Flacco may take that title from him. Unfortunately, we can’t say we predicted that either.
  • Donald Brown, Colts – It’s officially a time share in Indy. Joseph Addai has had more touches every week but the difference has been reduced each week (9 to 2 to 1). Although Addai seems to be getting more red zone work, Brown is finishing off the games.
  • Brent Celek, Eagles – I liked him before the season (12th ranked TE) and I like him even more now. He’s had a pile of targets and converted them into 22 catches for 245 yards and 2 TD. The Eagles offense is moving and Celek is their leading receiver thus far.
  • Donald Driver, Packers – Defenses have been rolling coverages towards Greg Jennings and Driver is taking advantage of it. At 34 years old entering the season, Driver seemed like a candidate for a drop off but he’s on pace for his best season since 2006.
  • Ahmad Bradshaw, Giants – I wasn’t sold on Bradshaw entering the season, not because he isn’t talented but more because of his off the field issues and uncertainty surrounding how much trust the team would place on him. However, he went over 100 yards this week against the Bucs and is on pace to better Derrick Ward‘s 1,025 rushing yard campaign of a year ago. Unfortunately, he hasn’t found the end zone yet, a problem Ward also had a year ago when he only scored twice.
  • Willie Parker, Steelers – I wrote him off last week and then he puts up 93 yards on the ground to go along with 36 and a TD through the air. He’s still RB3 material and you should peddle him if the matchups aren’t good for the weeks when your starters have byes.
  • Glen Coffee, 49ers – The 3rd round pick was all the rage in the preseason but the buzz died down once he put up 10 yards on 10 carries over the first two weeks of the season. Coffee struggled this week against the Vikings tough run defense, putting up just 54 yards on 25 carries after subbing in for an injured Frank Gore. With Gore expected to miss time with an ankle strain, Coffee looks like a solid Week 4 play against a struggling Rams team.
  • LeSean McCoy, Eagles – With Brian Westbrook out with inflammation in his ankle, McCoy stepped up this week against the Chiefs, posting 20 carries for 84 yards and a TD. McCoy also ran well in Week 1 against the Panthers. With Westbrook showing signs of wear and tear, McCoy is a must have handcuff and a decent option in deep flex leagues.
  • Pierre Garcon, Colts – I said last week that Garcon may see significant time over the remainder of the season and he backed that up this week with 3 receptions for 64 yards and a nice TD.
  • Jerome Harrison, Browns – With Jamal Lewis out with a hamstring injury, Harrison put up 85 yards on 21 touches against a tough Ravens defense. Rookie 6th round pick James Davis was relegated to the backup role behind Harrison and didn’t see significant time. With the Browns likely to struggle this season and uncertainty whether the 30-year old Lewis is in the team’s plans for next season, Harrison’s role could expand as the season progresses.

Moving Down

  • Clinton Portis, Redskins – It was understandable that Portis struggled in Week 1 against the Giants but over the last two weeks against the Rams and Lions he put up 136 total yards and 0 TD. The Redskins had success through the air this week so there is some hope but the offensive line isn’t opening up any holes on the ground and Portis might finally be in decline.
  • Terrell Owens, Bills – T.O. had his first 0-fer this week since Week 7 of his rookie season back in 1996, ending his consecutive games with a reception streak at 185. Surprisingly, Mount Owens didn’t erupt during his post-game press conference. But, yes, it is coming. The eruption, that is, not necessarily the production. T.O. hasn’t topped 100 yards FOR THE SEASON and rookie offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt doesn’t seem to know how to get him involved.
  • Michael Turner, Falcons – It’s not so much that Turner hasn’t produced because he is on pace for just over 1,200 yards and 11 TD, which is fine production from your RB1. However, it’s also a far cry from last year’s 1,699 yard, 17 TD performance. With no truly bad defenses on the horizon until week 12 (the Bucs), it’s highly unlikely that Turner is going to approach his numbers from last year.
  • Tom Brady, Patriots – Similar theme to Turner. The good news this week was that the team found a way to pass protect. The bad news is that they had to settle for 4 FG to go along with 2 TD. A couple of years ago, this would have been a 42-10 thrashing of the Falcons. Brady isn’t quite as accurate as he used to be, Moss isn’t quite as explosive, Welker may be iffy all year and Joey Galloway better improve or he’s headed for the unemployment line (7 receptions for 67 yards on 19 targets).
  • Darren McFadden, Raiders – The 3 fumbles this week (4 on the year) aren’t going to cause McFadden to go to the bench because the Raiders aren’t going anywhere this year anyway. The problem is that the offense led by JaMarcus Russell is simply putrid and finding somebody now willing to predict a breakout year for McFadden is like looking for a needle in a haystack.
  • T.J. Houshmandzadeh, Seahawks – With 145 yards and 0 TD over three games, he is on pace for just 77 fantasy points. He isn’t even the Seahawks best receiver (Nate Burleson is). Just saying.
  • Darren Sproles, Chargers – I honestly never thought he was up to the task of replacing LaDainian Tomlinson and the last 2 games proved it. Removing his 81-yard TD against the Ravens which was courtesy of a blown coverage, Sproles had just 124 combined yards and 0 TD in his two starts. LT owners can breathe easy that Sproles won’t be taking the job other than because of injury.
  • Chris Wells, Cardinals – It didn’t help that the Cardinals got behind early but the bottom line is that he fumbled twice in Week 2 and got 2 carries in Week 3. I guess there’s a reason they made him carry a football around all week and sent a message in how he was used this week. His time is coming but it might be further off than originally thought.
  • Ted Ginn Jr., Dolphins – Ginn was moving up last week courtesy of an 11 reception, 108 yard performance in Week 2. However, he dropped a couple this week (one was difficult) and figures to suffer with Chad Henne stepping in for Chad Pennington, who suffered a shoulder injury this week and is out for the season.
  • Donnie Avery, Rams – The plus for Avery owners is that Laurent Robinson went out a knee injury and may miss significant time. The bad news is that Robinson went down early this week and Avery still didn’t produce (3 catches for 12 yards). At this point, it’s safe to conclude that the ankle injury he suffered during the preseason is still affecting his performance.
  • Chris Chambers, Chargers – I wrote him off last week and he had no catches on 3 targets this week. I like it when that happens. I just wish it would happen more.
  • Chris Brown, Texans – When you’re the goal line back, you’re not supposed to fumble at the opponents 1-yard line with time winding down. Sorry but that’s just the way it is. It also doesn’t help when you haven’t scored a TD in three weeks. With the Texans offense looking like a potential juggernaut entering the season and Brown expected to get the goal line work, he seemed like a decent flex option. Now, not so much.
  • Randy McMichael, Rams – He’s had some bad drops over the last two weeks and with Robinson out, Avery struggling and the team needing a big play, they twice went to backup TE Daniel Fells on out and up calls. End result – 2 TD for Fells and the end of McMichael’s fantasy relevance.

Not Sold Yet

  • Julius Jones, Seahawks – It’s time for some honesty. There are only two categories you will see Jones in this year. One is Not Sold Yet and the other is Moving Down. It just doesn’t matter what he does. I’ve been burned too many times. Go somewhere else if you want objectivity on Jones.
  • Nate Burleson, Seahawks – I said above that he is the Seahawks best receiver. That doesn’t mean I’m sold on him. In fact, I probably never will be but the bottom line is that he has 33 targets in 3 weeks and he’s putting up some numbers.
  • Felix Jones, Cowboys – Watching the game on Monday night, I had decided it was a good idea to trade for Jones in one of my dynasty leagues. Then Jon Gruden said he was hurt. Which made me think, this guy is always hurt. On talent, he looks like the Cowboys best RB but I’d like to see him stay healthy for a few weeks before I make a move for him.
  • Vernon Davis, 49ers – Davis had by far his best day as a pro this week, posting 96 receiving yards and 2 TD. The last time Davis scored double digit fantasy points was during Week 15. Of the 2007 season. In 43 career games, he’s hit double digit fantasy points 5 times. In case you’re not good at math, I’ll spell it out. Using the law of averages, he is likely to score double digit fantasy points one more time this season.

Week 3 Buy Low, Sell High

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Week 2 of the fantasy season has come to a close and there are likely numerous 0-2 teams whose owners are wondering what exactly happened at your league’s draft or auction. Although they aren’t likely ripe for the picking just yet, there’s always a chance they are ready to pull the trigger and give up on a player or players they were high on.

With a number of high profile players struggling to get fantasy points due mainly to poor schedules, it’s time to get aggressive on the trade front. As my gramma used to say, “if you snooze, you lose.”

Sell High

Cedric Benson, Bengals – Benson is here reluctantly and let me explain why. You likely got him cheaply in your draft or auction, he’s coming off two solid games and there are a number of disappointing backs whose owners would love to get some RB depth. The downside is that the Bengals will face the Ravens and Steelers twice and the Vikings once over the remainder of their schedule and last year they were not able to run against solid run defenses. Maybe that’s changed, maybe not. Benson’s likely your third back so check out when you need him. If those matchups aren’t favourable, move him now before his week 3 matchup against the Steelers.

Ronnie Brown, Dolphins – Hey, Brown is coming off a 2 TD, 136 yard performance – what’s not to like? Well, Ricky Williams showed Monday night why the platoon system in Miami isn’t going away any time soon. He’s too good to sit on the bench. The Dolphins run plenty so Brown will be useful against bad or mediocre run defenses but will likely have a number of 40-50 yard, 0 TD performances given their schedule. He’s worth hanging on to this week since they face a severely run challenged Charger defense. After that, it might be time to unload him.

Tim Hightower, Cardinals – Hightower is coming off two nice games. He benefitted in week 1 because the Chargers were hurting at wide receiver and playing from behind, hence his 121 yards receiving. In week 2, they got ahead early and ran often plus backup Chris Wells fumbled twice, hence 72 yards and a TD on the ground for Hightower. The schedule is soft with the Colts, Texans and Seahawks up next so his value could be up. Unfortunately, that could prove fatal if Wells moves ahead of Hightower on the depth chart during that time.

Cadillac Williams, Bucs – Williams is clearly a great story and his fantasy owners definitely got him on their rosters for ten cents on the dollar. However, he struggled in week 2 against a Bills run defense without Paul Posluszny at middle linebacker. His fantasy stats were saved by 56 yards and a TD through the air but that won’t happen many weeks. If Caddy is your RB4 and a team wants him as their RB3 and is willing to pay up, kiss him goodbye.

Trent Edwards, Bills – After two weeks, Edwards is the 8th ranked QB for fantasy purposes. However he has put up decent numbers against a Pats defense that struggled week 1 and a Bucs defense that might struggle all year. Bottom line is that he’s known as Mr. Checkdown for a reason and the weather in Buffalo isn’t exactly balmy in November and December. If someone is buying, you should be selling.

Buy Low

Matt Forte, Bears – Forte will likely never be considered a top five back in terms of talent but he is good enough to succeed in the NFL. He had an impressive rookie season but has struggled during the first two weeks of the season. However, Forte is ready to come out of his slumber with the Seahawks, Lions, Browns, Bengals and Cardinals on the schedule during the Bears next six games. Basically, it’s buy now on Forte before his stock begins to rise. It’s worth noting the Bears face the Ravens and Vikings in weeks 15 and 16.

Steve Slaton, Titans – Slaton’s poor start is even more understandable than Forte’s given he has had to face the Jets and Titans. However, head coach Gary Kubiak called him out this week, hinting the team was disappointed not to have signed Cedric Benson in the offseason. Ouch. With that extra piece of motivation and the Jags, Raiders, Cards and Bengals up next, Slaton should get it going. Week 14-16 matchups against the Seahawks, Rams and Dolphins enhance his attractiveness.

Brandon Jacobs, Giants – 121 total yards and 0 TD in two weeks isn’t what Jacobs owners envisioned. With the Giants surprisingly effective in the passing game and struggling on the ground, Jacbobs owners have to be concerned about the effectiveness of the team’s offensive line and the coming of age passing game. It says here that these are aberrations and the running game will click into high gear for the next several weeks with the Bucs, Chiefs, Raiders, Saints and Cards next on tap. Get aggressive on this one.

Brandon Marshall and Eddie Royal, Broncos – Marshall occupied this slot last week and this week he’s joined by his running mate in Denver. Both have been major fantasy disappointments but are too talented not to get it going. Marshall obviously carries some additional risk (editorial restraints restrict from listing all of his issues) but there’s a reason he caught 206 passes over the last two years. If you think Marshall and Royal are too good to be in a rotation with Brandon Stokley and Jabar Gaffney (and you should), then take a look at these two guys.

Carson Palmer, Bengals – With four picks in two games, the rust is clearly showing. However, the Bengals go four deep at wide receiver and Palmer is a big time talent. With Benson running well, the team’s offense could surprise this year provided the offensive line holds up its end of the bargain (no guarantee, mind you). If Palmer struggles this week against the Steelers, see what it would take to get him.

Fred Jackson, Bills – This one is for flex leagues only. He’s not here for poor performance but if Jackson’s owner is fixated on the fact Marshawn Lynch returns in week 4, then grab him. After two weeks, he has earned additional playing time when Lynch returns and there is no reason for Bills coaches to rush Lynch into the mix given Jackson’s outstanding performance. More likely, they will ease Lynch into the game plan, making Jackson pretty attractive over the next few weeks.

Donnie Avery, Rams – This isn’t a ringing endorsement for Avery. He’s been horrible over two weeks but he is the team’s most talented wide receiver. Sorry folks, there’s a reason the Falcons gave up on Laurent Robinson although he has looked good. Odds are decent that he’s available on the waiver wire in some leagues or viewed as a WR5 on many rosters. He’s worth taking a shot on if you can get him cheap.

Hold Tight

Willis McGahee, Ravens – Generally drafted as a RB3 or RB4, McGahee is looking like gold after two weeks. We had him as a sell high last week but he ran well this week and looked better than Ray Rice did. Plus, he’s been getting the goal line work.