Last Minute Decisions

[Hache Man]

Last Minute Decisions

Each week, Last Minute Decisions is your final stopping point before setting your lineups Sunday morning. I'll tell you Game-Time Decisions to watch, provide matchup rundowns you won't find anywhere else, and focus on some players not to underestimate.

Important Week 6 Game-Time Decisions

LenDale White – has the flu, will travel with the team, a decent flex if he goes
Roy Williams – probable and practiced Friday, "should play" says Mike Martz
Drew Bennett – returned Friday, rebound week in store versus Washington?
Dante Hall – also practiced Friday, will handle all normal duties
Donte' Stallworth – doubtful and missed all week, don't count on him
Laveranues Coles – fully expected to play, great matchup vs. hurting Miami
Brian Westbrook – a weekly GTD, Westbrook missed Friday but should play
Jerious Norwood – explosive third-rounder didn't miss a practice this week
Cedric Houston – not expected to go, could eventually surpass Kevan Barlow
Fakhir Brown – missed portions of practice all week, Tye Hill may start again
Walt Harris – Niners weak pass D may turn to first-round bust Sammy Davis
Takeo Spikes – practiced all week, ready to return after missing four games
Nate Clements – practiced Friday, expected to match up with Mike Furrey
Adewale Ogunleye – didn't practice all week, Mark Anderson's role to grow
John Abraham and Edgerton Hartwell – both are ready to go health-wise
Simeon Rice – returned Friday, great matchup vs. struggling Bengals o-line
Travis Daniels – not expected to play, Jets wideouts should have nice days
Larry Allen, Jonas Jennings – Alex Smith a tough play if minus line leaders
Shaun Williams – odds look long for Williams after missing Friday workout
Dexter Jackson – downgraded to doubtful, likely to miss game vs. old team
Deshea Townsend – hurt hammy Wednesday, Bryant McFadden set to start
Cornelius Griffin, Joe Salave'a – both unlikely to play, upgrade Titans RBs

Already Ruled Out for Week 6

Shaun Alexander – Maurice Morris should fare well vs. weak Rams rush D
Daunte Culpepper – ruled out through Week 7, Joey Harrington now the man
Larry Fitzgerald – could be out over a month, Bryant Johnson a must-grab
David Givens – droppable in fantasy leagues, Brandon Jones in as starter
Marty Booker – Derek Hagan may start but Wes Welker should get the looks
Trent Green – no exact timetable set for Green to return from head injury
Chris Perry – knee should be close to 100 percent in time for Week 7 return
Robert Ferguson – likely headed to I.R., Koren Robinson to be No. 3 receiver
Aaron Brooks – may or may not retake starting job upon return
Vernon Davis – Eric Johnson has been a disappointment in his place
Bobby Engram – could be back for Week 7, Deion Branch will start outside
Erron Kinney – placed on injured reserve, Bo Scaife a nice sleeper tight end
Anthony Wright – Doug Johnson will serve as Bengals backup quarterback
DeAngelo Williams – DeShaun Foster has no competition for carries vs. BAL
Priest Holmes, Curtis Martin – veterans' situations to be revisited in Week 7
Chris Simms – Marshall Faulk says Bruce Gradkowski will lead Bucs to win
Michael Bennett – after L.J., rookie Derrick Ross next in line for carries?
Shaun Cody, Kenoy Kennedy, Alex Lewis – Willis McGahee in for big day
Joey Porter – injured while practicing, Arnold Harrison to start, trade block?
Courtney Brown – had microfracture surgery, Brown's career may be over
John McCargo – first-round disappointment done for 2006 with broken foot
Kendrick Clancy – Cards to be without best stopgap, upgrade Thomas Jones
Rex Tucker, Ross Verba, Damien Woody – Lions o-line in terrible shape
Roman Harper – Omar Stoutmire could be oldie but goodie as an IDP

What Is Up With Jamal Lewis?

In short, he's done. Gregg Rosenthal estimated that several factors have contributed: O-line.

400+ touches. (387 + 26 receptions in 2003)

Past injuries.

Money.

Prison.

Lewis, 27, is a young back. He hasn't been on the injury report the past two weeks. There aren't excuses, and his downfalls are plentiful. Lewis doesn't use a stiff-arm like he once did, he's hesitant if and when a hole opens, he often goes down on first contact, he can't catch, and he's extremely late to accelerate. Clued-in Ravens beat writer Mike Preston estimates that the former 2000-yard rusher will get "one more chance", likely meaning a week, to prove himself before he hits the bench, possibly for good. I see no reason why giving him 30 carries in Week 6, watching him run for 49 yards, then sitting Lewis squarely on the pine in favor of Musa Smith and/or Mike Anderson wouldn't be the best move for the Ravens' organization. Re-installing Kyle Boller at quarterback would then be next on the to-do list.

Week 6 Matchups to Exploit/Avoid

Bills @ Lions
Game Time: 12:00 CT/1:00 ET

Gap-shooting defensive tackle Shaun Cody, both would-be starting strong-side linebackers Teddy Lehman and Alex Lewis, and strong safety Kenoy Kennedy are all "out" for the Lions. Willis McGahee, coming off by far his lightest workload of the season and a virtual "week of rest" against the Bears, visits Ford Field in a highly favorable matchup. The Buffalo coaching staff had been making a weekly effort to feature McGahee until they got behind early to Chicago. With fresh legs beneath him, quick-healing right guard Chris Villarrial in front of him, and multiple rookie and journeymen-type starters attempting to tackle him, McGahee should break a long one or three playing his first game of the season on turf…

On the other side, three projected Lions starting offensive linemen, Ross Verba, Rex Tucker, and Damien Woody, who was placed on injured reserve Wednesday, are all out for Sunday. Takeo Spikes, Buffalo's best run-stopping linebacker, appears likely to play after missing the past four games. A quick study of the injury report would indicate Kevin Jones is a fantasy start to write off in Week 6.

Bengals @ Bucs
Game Time: 12:00 CT/1:00

Who called Bruce Gradkowski versus the Saints? Eric Karabell said he did too. With that behind us, B-Grad's a riskier play against the turnover-creating Bengals' defense. But Carnell Williams, coming off his first 100-yard performance of the season during which his back looked to be 100 percent, could be in store for a huge day. Cincinnati's rush defense currently ranks 29th in the league. Starting strong-side linebacker Rashad Jeanty and strong safety Dexter Jackson both missed practice all week. They were downgraded to doubtful Friday. Make certain Caddy is in your Week 6 starting lineup, take a look at his second-half schedule, and sell high. Always sell high…

On the other side, and speaking of sell high, Chris Perry is expected to come off the Physically-Unable-to-Perform List in Week 7 at or close to full health. Bengals starter Rudi Johnson is on pace for the biggest workload of his six-year career. Perry will be used initially on third downs, which will reduce Johnson's touches, mostly in the passing game. Rudi will remain the primary ball carrier, but his early-season usage is destined to catch up with him late in the year. With no starting backs having yet to go down for an extended period as of yet, we're looking for candidates. Rudi, tied for the league lead in touchdowns and playing a suddenly porous Bucs defense in Week 7, can be safely sold if he turns in another big effort this Sunday.

Bears @ Cardinals
Monday Night Game Time: 7:30 CT/8:30 ET

It's easy to think "don't use your players against the Bears' D." But prior to last week's blowout of Buffalo, opposing No. 2 receivers had been faring very well versus Chicago, as evidenced by the six-catch performances of Mike Furrey and Travis Taylor in Weeks 2 and 3, and a productive combined effort by Deion Branch, Nate Burleson, and Bobby Engram in Week 4. With Larry Fitzgerald out due to a bum hammy, Bryant Johnson moves into the role of second wideout for Arizona. Facing Charles Tillman, a fourth-year corner known for his tackling rather than his ability to halt big plays, Johnson, a late-blooming big-play specialist, could register better numbers than most have him scheduled for…

On the other side, Cedric Benson put together an impressive Week 5 on paper. By scoring two touchdowns, catching a career-high two passes, and carrying a season-high 14 times in a blowout win, Benson turned in what appeared to be his breakout week. A less-than-in-depth look at his numbers will show Benson still barely averaged over 3.4 yard-per-carry, a touch above his glorious season average (3.1). Though Ced-Ben may continue to vulture an unearned touchdown here and there as the year progresses, the Bears' backfield belongs to Thomas Jones, who has totaled over 100 yards the past two games. With Arizona's best run-plugging defensive tackle Kendrick Clancy likely out, Jones is an excellent fantasy play in a game that will be nationally televised.

Do Not Underestimate

Tatum Bell

If there is one breakout candidate for the second half of the season, could there be a better place to find him than in Denver's backfield? Maybe because he's yet to reach the end zone, Tatum Bell seems currently to be flying under the radar. Nobody's talking about him. Despite scoring eight times as a "backup" last season, Bell is not proven on the goal line. He "lost" his starting job to an undrafted rookie in training camp. The Broncos didn't think he was a 25-carry back. These are the knocks. But with the threat of Mike Bell and a bye week in the books, Oakland, Cleveland, and an undersized, overrated, Corey Simon-less Colts run defense next up on the schedule, Tatum Bell should work his way into the end zone and the fantasy top ten within the next three weeks.

Answer Absolutely Not to the Following Questions

Is Terrell Owens not due for a breakout week against Lewis Sanders and the Texans this Sunday?
After picking three Steve McNair passes Monday night, can Denver's team defense be on fantasy league waiver wires versus Oakland and at Cleveland the next two weeks?
How about Wes Welker (@ NYJ, vs. GB)?
Is Chad Johnson (18-201-1) going to keep this up? Note: The List is back.
Is THIS Carson Palmer spoof not just a little over the top?
Should Nate Kaeding (@ SF) be on fantasy benches this week?
Following the multiple Week 5 failures of Michael Robinson, is Frank Gore out of the goal-line picture?
Do the following trade rumors not at least make some sense: Jerry and Joey Porter to San Francisco, Randy Moss to Pittsburgh, Joey Galloway to Baltimore, Favre to Dallas, baby?