Fantasy Football News (10/23/06)

[Hache Man]

Tight End Mania

The week of the tight end is upon us!

Tight ends were off to a disappointing start in the 2006 season. Normally reliable targets like Antonio Gates, Alge Crumpler, Tony Gonzalez, Randy McMichael and Chris Cooley were not having the big games fantasy owners were used to seeing in recent years. All five of those guys were off to below-average starts.

But a swell of tight end momentum has been building in recent weeks and the floodgates finally opened in week seven.

Crumpler (6/117, 3 TDs) went crazy against the Steelers. Gates (9/63, TD) finally looks like he's getting comfortable with Phillip Rivers. Gonzalez (6/138) seems to be gaining some rapport with Damon Huard. McMichael (7/77) has seen his numbers improve drastically with Joey Harrington at the helm. And Chris Cooley (4/42, TD) has now scored two weeks in a row. Even the forgotten man in Pittsburgh, Heath Miller (2/4, TD), scored in week seven.

If you were savvy enough to acquire one of these studs prior to the recent TE explosion, you were likely rewarded Sunday.


Emerging Trends

The Good Stuff:

872 yards of total offense. Nine passing TDs. Two top-shelf fantasy starters with three receiving TDs. The Falcons and Steelers hooked up for a fantasy bonanza of a Sunday afternoon in Atlanta.

Mike Vick (18/30, 232, 4 TDs, 2 INTs; 5/40; 1/1) did just about everything including catching one of his own passes. He set a career-high with four passing TDs—he had previously never thrown for more than two in a game.

Ben Roethlisberger (16/22, 238, 3 TDs; 3/-2) was very good before being concussed in the third quarter with the Steelers leading 24-21. Charlie Batch (8/13, 195, 2 TDs) replaced him and was equally effective.

Hines Ward (8/171, 3 TDs) and Alge Crumpler (6/117, 3 TDs) had monstrous games and both set career-highs with their trio of scoring catches. Both were fine buy-low candidates leading into this game.

Willie Parker (20/47, fum) got the goal-line carry, but was sadly left out of the scoring fun.

The furry one, Mike Furrey had another solid outing Sunday. He grabbed nine balls for 109 yards and a TD. He was clearly Jon Kitna's favorite target against the Jets and he's been a good WR3 to this point.

Truth be told, I just like writing about a guy named 'Furrey'. That he's been a surprisingly solid performer this season only makes my job easier.

The hallmark of any great fantasy player is being able to produce when he's not at his best. Donovan McNabb (22/35, 302, 3 TDs, 3 INTs; 6/76) illustrated his principle perfectly Sunday afternoon.

McNabb had his first three-interception game since 2001, but it hardly mattered as Donovan once again went over 300 yards and had his fourth game with three or more total TDs this season. He's dominating right now. He and Brian Westbrook (13/101; 7/113, TD) are carrying the Eagles.

But it's time to sell high on both of them.

After this week's performance, both of their values will be at all-time highs. The remaining Philly schedule is nothing noteworthy—some tough games, some not-so tough—but McNabb traditionally starts fast and fades over the last two months of the season. Brian Westbrook is battling a troublesome knee injury that could easily force him out of a game or two down the stretch.

Call me crazy, but I'm ringing the register on both these guys.

Joey Harrington (33/62, 414, 2 TDs, 3 INTs; 1/3) threw an absurd 62 (!) passes Sunday. 62. That's a lot.

But it's not the main story from this game.

Impossibly, Chris Chambers (2/29) did next to nothing on a day in which his quarterback completed 33 passes and amassed 414 yards.

I think this is officially Chambers' 'dark night of the soul' game. If you're a Leo Tolstoy fan, you know what I'm speaking of here. This, I imagine, will be the game from which Chambers can fall no further. He's hit his low-point. He will either kill himself or he'll come back stronger. Naturally, I'm assuming he'll opt for the latter.

I think anyone in need of a quality WR2 at a bargain-basement price could do a lot worse than Chris Chambers. He cannot get any worse.



The Bad Stuff:


Let's hope this signals the end of Byron Leftwich's days as a viable fantasy starter. Lord Byron (14/28, 125) was painfully plain Sunday, essentially ending any notions that he can be relied upon as a QB1.

For his career, Leftwich has thrown 51 TDs and 36 INTs. He's never thrown for more than 3,000 yards in a season. He's never thrown more than 15 TDs in a season.

He may set career highs this year, but that doesn't mean he belongs on your starting roster.

In my mind DeShaun Foster (14/59; 2/20) is an average RB2 at best. Nothing more. And that's when DeAngelo Williams is out of the picture. When he returns, Foster slips to 'flex' status.

Against a Bengals front that was ranked 23rd against the run and allowing 140 rushing yards per game, Foster managed 59 yards.

He's gone over 100 yards just twice this season—105 in week four and 106 yards in week five—and he's run for just one TD.

If mediocrity is your aim, Foster's got the game.

Look out! Deion Branch's stock is falling all around us!

There's nothing worse for a wide receiver's value than losing his starting quarterback. Especially when the backup's name is 'Seneca Wallace'. And that's exactly what happened to Darrell Jackson (7/136, TD) and Deion Branch (4/60) Sunday.

Matt Hasselbeck (7/17, 127, TD) injured his knee—they're calling it a sprain at time of print—and was replaced in Seattle's 31-13 loss to Minnesota.

Luckily for Jackson owners, Darrell had already put up some good numbers before Hasslebeck's injury. Unfortunately for Branch owners, Deion hadn't.

Wallace was in there when the Seahawks were trying to come back and things just didn't go well.

Is it time to lose faith in Edgerrin James (13/34; 1/4) ?

I've been defending The Edge in recent weeks because of the sheer number of touches James is getting in Arizona. But it's getting harder and harder to ignore the complete lack of production on the Cardinals' offensive line.

James' value is at it's lowest of the season, so trading him now doesn't make much sense. That said, he's still got a name and some owner might be willing to take a gamble if he's offered.

See what the market will bear for Edge. His comical yards-per-carry average of 2.7 is Dayne-like in it's glaring inefficiency. Things seem to be getting worse rather than better in Arizona.

On a side note, Denny Green is not a good football coach. And this mess in Arizona should be his last shot.

Shanahan Corner:


The Jaguars again went with a 2:1 ratio in dividing their carries. Fred Taylor (16/84; 1/19, FL) got the majority of the work, but Maurice Jones-Drew-Griffith-Joyner-Kersee (8/10, TD; 7/58) chipped in with a nice ppr effort. Maurice scored a short TD, but it came at the end of a drive that saw Fred Taylor exit for rest after a long run.

We're still not sure if Drew is the official goal-line back. But he's definitely more of a factor in the passing game and he's now score five TDs this season to Fred Taylor's two.

Make of that information what you will.

Wali Lundy (19/93, TD; 4/15) put up nice numbers in the Texans' upset of Jacksonville. He and Sam Gado (10/27; 3/15) divided the workload, though Lundy was obviously more effective.

Lundy is the back to own here and he'll be a popular pickup this week as the Titans are next on Houston's schedule.

Indianapolis divvied things up well between Joseph Addai (11/85; 1/20) and Dominic Rhodes (13/26; 1/6). But it was Addai that had the success Sunday.

Addai has the superior numbers (5.1 yards per carry vs. Rhodes' 3.2) and I can't imagine Rhodes will continue to get a 50/50 portion of the touches. Look for Addai to assume a more prominent role moving forward. He makes a great target in trade talks this week.

The Pats didn't get much done on the ground against the Bills, but Corey Dillon (14/47, 2 TDs) scored twice to lead 5-1 New England over the 2-5 Bills. Laurence Maroney ran eight times for 29 yards and caught a pass for one yard.

This is clearly an unpredictable situation--it's tough to tell which runner will shine from week to week. But I'd still rather own Maroney in yardage formats and Dillon in TD formats.

For the Jets, Leon Washington (20/129, 2 TDs; 1/8) continues to impress and Kevan Barlow (12/49, TD) continues to do a dead-on Kevan Barlow impersonation. Washington is more explosive and seems to be the best bet for Jets-backfield touches.

Barlow might still be the short-yardage guy, but with every game, Washington's performances are earning him more action and more of a role in the offense. By week ten, Leon Washington could be the featured back in New York.

The Broncos gave the ball to Mike Bell (10/25) more Sunday, but Tatum Bell (24/115, TD; 3/11) continued to dominate the stats page. He has the hearts of fantasy owners.

[Hache Man]

Week 7 Game Recaps

Falcons 41, Steelers 38 (OT)
Game Recap by: Scott Morrow

The Big Story

Falcons quarterback Michael Vick (18-30, 232 yards, 4 TDs, 2 INTs) bemoaned his utilization in the passing game of late, and Atlanta responded by incorporating a number of "Vick-friendly" passes – curls, skinny posts and other deep routes – for Week 7. It worked. The game's most electric QB was aided by costly Pittsburgh mistakes, but made the Steelers pay with a career high in touchdown passes; tight end Alge Crumpler (6-117-3) was the main beneficiary.

Steelers quarterbacks Ben Roethlisberger (16-22, 238 yards, 3 TDs, fumble lost) and Charlie Batch (8-13, 195 yards, 2 TDs) made this one a barnburner as each defense was shredded. Batch entered the game after Roethlisberger suffered a head injury; more will be known about his situation as the week progresses.

Beyond the Box Score

Pittsburgh set a bad tone right from the start. After forcing the Falcons to punt after three downs on their opening drive, receiver/punt returner Santonio Holmes (5-91-0) coughed up the ball on a careless return; Crumpler caught a 22-yard touchdown on the very next play.

The Falcons caught Pittsburgh off guard with an onside kick immediately following the directly aforementioned touchdown. Running back Jerious Norwood recovered at the team's 49-yard line, and a Michael Jenkins scoring reception gave Atlanta two touchdowns within the span of a few minutes.

Batch was more successful at vertically moving the ball than in his Week 1 appearance. Steelers WR Hines Ward (8-171-3) had a massive outing, and his second touchdown, a 70-yard reception during which he split a pair of Falcons downfield and lost his shoe, was one of three completions of 25 yards or more for Batch.

Pittsburgh running back Willie Parker (20-47-0) was shut down by an Atlanta front seven that was without linemen John Abraham and Rod Coleman. Backups Najeh Davenport (1 carry, -1 yards) and Verron Haynes (1-11-0) were barely employed.

Going Forward

It sure seems that Roethlisberger, who was knocked unconscious, was concussed. The injury takes on greater concern post-motorcycle accident. Pittsburgh coach Bill Cowher was hushed after the game about the status of his quarterback, but said that he would provide updates throughout the week. If able to play in Week 8, Roethlisberger would face the surprisingly top-ranked passing defense of the Raiders. But the third-year QB has been successful the past two weeks, so he may be a decent starting option against Oakland.

Vick longs to prove that he air it out with the best of them, but it probably won't take more than a zero-touchdown, two-interception performance for coach Jim Mora, Jr. to pull back the reigns. Still, if Vick gets comfortable and stays effective through the air, he'll remain a solid QB1.

Oh, Hines, where wert thou? The rejuvenated passing attack of the Steelers has given Ward new life. Pittsburgh's top receiver never deserved to be benched, but he should be ready to produce like the WR1/2 many expected him to be.

Texans 27, Jaguars 7
Game Recap by: Evan Silva

The Big Story

There were many "firsts" in Houston Sunday. The Texans got their first taste of a real running game, Wali Lundy scored his first career touchdown, former first-round pick Reggie Williams was held without a catch for the first time since Week 13 of 2005, another former first-round pick Andre Johnson continued his monster early-season run, and Samkon Gado made his first start in a Texans uniform. Let's look at what each of these firsts mean…

Beyond the Box Score

Against a top-notch Jags secondary, Johnson (8-106-1) proved that he is unstoppable. The 6-3/220-pound specimen doesn't have lightning speed, but excels in the red zone and has elite hands. Like a power forward fighting for a board in the low post, Johnson came down with a 35-yard jump-ball TD in the first quarter to put Houston up 7-0. The Texans continue to use him and Eric Moulds (3-16) on curls that opponents are willing to softly cover, therefore giving both wideouts ample opportunities to rack up receptions.

Gado (10-27, 3-15) started but didn't do much on 11 first-half touches. He's not a bad back, and probably is better than Ron Dayne (inactive), but when Lundy (19-93-1, 4-15) took over in the second half, it was a whole new ballgame. The sixth-round rookie ripped off a 30-yard run early in the fourth quarter and punched in his first TD a few plays later. Lundy capped the impressive day with a game-sealing 27-yard burst down to the Jaguars' seven-yard line late in the fourth.

Ernest Wilford (2-26) didn't finish with big numbers but drew a big pass-interference penalty in the end zone that led to a one-yard TD run by Maurice Jones-Drew (8-10-1, 7-58). Wilford was looked to far more frequently than Williams, who was pretty invisible other than on a bad drop midway through the second quarter that would've went for a first down. A costly late-game fumble by Wilford gave Houston good field position and David Carr (25-34-224-2) hit Owen Daniels (2-22-1) from 14 yards out to put the Texans up 24-7, and Wilford quite possibly in Jack Del Rio's doghouse.

Byron Leftwich (14-28-125) was clearly playing hurt. He appeared to re-aggravate his ankle injury early in the first quarter but remained in the game. An improved Texans secondary energized by the return of DeMarcus ***gins kept Leftwich's targets in check, as no Jaguars wideout made a catch in the entire first half.

Going Forward

Make certain Lundy is not on your fantasy league's waiver wire. He likely earned a Week 8 start with his performance Sunday. Lundy is worth using against Tennessee next week.

Jones-Drew is Jacksonville's clear-cut third down back and now is eating into Fred Taylor's (16-84) goal-line carries. While it would be a surprise if the rookie continues to take all the touches near the end zone, he's become a solid flex in PPR leagues.

In Reggie Williams' "breakout" year, expect inconsistency. A second-half slump is possible if Matt Jones (hamstring) can ever get healthy. Selling Williams isn't a bad idea if you can get good value.

Leftwich's ankle is a major concern. A good fantasy starter prior to this game, expect Big Byron to rebound if he can get healthy. Monitor his status going forward.

Cincinnati 17, Carolina 14
Game Recap by: Gregg Rosenthal

The Big Story

On a fourth-and-one from the 35-yard line with less than ten minutes left, Carson Palmer found Chad Johnson for a gorgeous diving 32-yard catch. It could be the turning point for Cincy's season. The Bengals scored two plays later to take the lead, part of a 184-yard second half effort by Palmer. Jake Delhomme throw a costly late pick, but a gutsy effort by the Bengals offense against a quality opponent was the big story.

Beyond The Box Score

Torry Holt is in the argument, but Steve Smith (8-126-0) is the best receiver in the NFL. Most of his second half catches were well covered, Smith just out-fought defenders for the ball. He jumped over Landon Johnson back on one. Jake Delhomme (20/34-238-2-1) feeds Smith the ball with no regard to the defense. Ironically, it was a forced Delhomme pass to Keyshawn Johnson that was intercepted by the Bengals to secure the victory. Johnson didn't appear to come back for the ball in the end zone.

Palmer (23-39-240-2-0) was not afraid to go deep. Either the wind or inaccuracy caused many near-misses on long passes to Chad Johnson (6-73-0) and T.J. Houshmandzadeh (7-61-1). The Bengals offensive line was leaky early in the game as the team went on four straight three and outs to open the contest. After that, there were occasional breakdowns, but the line held up well.

Rudi Johnson (26-101-1) was back to breaking tackles on runs up the middle. Chris Perry (2-4-0, 3-26-0) was a factor, but not a big one. Rudi had two carries inside the five, but couldn't score.

Maybe the diving catching will kick start 85's season. I was disappointed to see Johnson shy away from contact on a near-catch that he stepped out of bounds on. When Palmer needs a first down (or a touchdown), he's still looking for Housh. T.J. has four scores in four starts.

Ahmad Brooks (5 tackles, sack) has been impressive in the middle for the Bengals. He started over veteran Brian Simmons, who was active.

The Panthers showed no faith in DeShaun Foster (14-59-0). He had only four second half carries and only 14 in the game despite Carolina holding the lead most of the day. It was shocking because Cincy hasn't stopped anyone on the ground all season. Foster has done worse with DeAngelo Williams out of the lineup.

Going Forward

Chad Johnson owners may be tempted to trade him after another quiet game. Try to take advantage. Johnson and the Bengals don't have a great schedule, but Chad isn't even on pace for 1,000 yards. That will correct itself. Palmer is also a buy-low candidate.

Chris Henry is probably available in many leagues. He's a useful WR5/6-type for your bench. Henry comes off suspension next week.

I know DeAngelo Williams isn't expected back for a few weeks, but I'd pick him up as well. Foster is only averaging 3.8 yards-per-carry. It wouldn't surprise if Williams is carrying the load down the stretch. I'd unload Foster if possible. He's a below-average RB2.

Packers 34, Dolphins 24
Game Recap by: Evan Silva

The Big Story

Joey Harrington (33-62-414-2-3) threw the football an extraordinary number of times, but was erratic and his receivers dropped at least six passes. The Dolphins didn't help themselves by abandoning the run despite jumping out to an early lead. Green Bay scored a rare defensive touchdown in the third quarter when Randy McMichael (7-77) couldn't haul in an errant throw from Harrington and Charles Woodson took the tipped pass to the house. A worn-down Dolphins defense allowed Ahman Green (18-118-1) to break loose for a 70-yard score in the fourth and Miami fell to 1-6 on the season.

Beyond the Box Score

The Dolphins capitalized on a Brett Favre fumble in the first quarter, as Harrington hit Marty Booker (7-110-1) for an eight-yard touchdown on the next play. Miami was yards away from or in the red zone six times Sunday. Brown did not receive one carry inside the 20.

Maybe because Al Harris had Chris Chambers (2-29) blanketed, Harrington targeted Booker, rookie Derek Hagan (5-53-1), and Wes Welker (6-39) more frequently than he did Chambers (2-29). It clearly showed up in the stat book.

Coming off a miserable Week 5, Donald Driver (10-93-1) capitalized with Greg Jennings (1-14) sidelined in the second half. Driver racked up catches on short passes and added a diving 34-yard touchdown midway through the third quarter.

Ahman Green (18-118-1) had amassed just 14 carries for 38 yards before his unlikely 70-yard burst. Green, Vernand Morency (7-12), and Noah Herron (2-5) weren't involved in the passing game. Starting fullback Brandon Miree (2-13) was.

Yeremiah Bell started over Travares Tillman, who was previously Miami's first-team strong safety. Tillman was used in the nickel and dime packages.

Going Forward

Jennings appeared to emerge as Favre's favorite target in Week 5, but maybe only because Brett realized Driver was dinged-up and Jennings was open. After Sunday's performance, it's clear Driver isn't worth giving up on. He's every-week fantasy start and an even safer one if Jennings misses more time. Favre's only other wideouts are Ruvell Martin (2-25) and Chris Francies (1-12).

Don't think Green or Booker's big days are preludes to big second halves. Both aging veterans should be owned in fantasy leagues but only can be used in the right matchups. Though Booker can stretch the field, Welker will likely be a more consistent pass catcher.

We expected a breakout year from the 2005 No. 2 overall pick, but the way Miami uses Ronnie Brown is not good for his fantasy owners. It's probably not the best time to trade him for value, considering the Dolphins have a bye, then Chicago next on the slate.

Tampa Bay 23, Eagles 21
Game Recap by: Aaron Gleeman

The Big Story

Despite being out-gained 506-to-196 in total yardage, the Bucs remained in the game thanks to Ronde Barber jumping the route on two Donovan McNabb passes and taking them both back for touchdowns. Philadelphia took the lead when Brian Westbrook sliced through the defense for a 52-yard touchdown with 33 seconds to play, but Tampa Bay won it when Matt Bryant converted an improbable, near-record 62-yard field goal as time expired.

Beyond the Box Score

McNabb's two completions to Barber played a huge part in the Eagles losing, but he actually played very well aside from those mistakes. He completed 22 of his other 33 passes for 302 yards and three touchdowns, and also ran more than usual. McNabb is at the point in his career where he typically scrambles in order to pass, but against the Bucs he took off six times for 76 yards. He paid the price in the Tampa Bay heat, reportedly throwing up on the sidelines, which makes his overall numbers even more impressive. In fact, he was huffing and puffing pretty badly immediately before finding Reggie Brown for a fourth-quarter touchdown.

Despite all the concerns about his knee and back-to-back modest performances coming into this week, it was a "vintage Westbrook" afternoon with 13 carries for 101 yards and seven grabs for 113 yards and a touchdown. He was nearly the hero after taking a dump-off from McNabb on third down in the final minute, breaking a tackle that would have forced a fourth down, and then juking through multiple defenders for the go-ahead score. It didn't seem important at the time, but Westbrook scampered into the end zone when he likely could have taken his time and wasted a few more seconds, which became vital when Bryant nailed the game-winner 33 seconds later.

Going Forward

Bruce Gradkowski is now 2-1 as a starter, but he was horrible against the Eagles. The rookie showed no ability to put any kind of touch on deep balls and was also surprisingly inaccurate on short passes, which is supposedly his bread and butter. Joey Galloway was held without a catch as Gradkowski completed a total of seven passes for 70 yards to receivers and tight ends. He faces the Giants next week, which could get ugly if New York's defensive line plays well again.

It looked like another disappointing game from Cadillac Williams when he rushed 10 times for just 20 yards in the first half, but he came alive with 62 yards on 13 carries after halftime. Williams didn't break anything big and failed to score, but ran very hard and with a ton of emotion, often gesturing wildly after decent gains that saw him try to run through defenders. The offensive line failed to open up any big running lanes, but Williams topped 80 rushing yards for the third straight week.


New England 28, Buffalo 6
Game Recap by: Gregg Rosenthal

The Big Story

Corey Dillon scored twice in the first half, and Tom Brady hit a couple long gainers in the second half during an odd blowout. New England only outgained Buffalo 265 yards to 256, but it was a blowout the whole way because J.P. Losman turned the ball over three times and the Bills made nine penalties.

Beyond The Box Score

I have my doubts whether Losman (16/25-193-0-1) will ever beat a Bill Belichick coached defense. Losman has taken strides in his third season, but he's easy to confuse. Losman held on to the ball way too long Sunday, leading to three fumbles. He also telegraphed his share of passes, one picked by Asante Samuel. The Patriots took away Lee Evans, so Losman didn't know where to throw. 56 yards came on a shovel pass to Willis McGahee and many more came in garbage time.

Evans (1-11-0) had only three catches for 36 yards against the Patriots in two games. Asante Samuel, having a huge free agent season, shut him down. Evans hadn't been held under seven catches or 80 yards for a month.

Brady (18-27-195-2-0) is getting in synch with his new receivers. Reche Caldwell (5-22-0) was targeted often early, while Doug Gabriel (3-45-1) and Chad Jackson (1-35-1) made long catches late. Gabriel came back to the ball on a nice score, while Jackson burned Terrence McGee on a great double move. Brady just missed a few other long gainers, as the passing attack remained aggressive throughout. The Pats are 27th in the NFL in passing yards.

Dillon (14-47-2) showed better speed and elusiveness on his two scores than we've seen all season. He's a steadier option than Laurence Maroney (8-29-0) because Dillon plays in the red zone more.

Ben Watson (5-60-0) has been unlucky near the end zone this season. For at least the third time, Brady missed him wide open near the goal line. He was targeted another time in the end zone unsuccessfully. Watson is on pace for over 700 yards, so the scores should come.

Terrence McGee was picked on all day by the Patriots. He lets receivers get deep way too much, and Buffalo's rookie safeties aren't helping.

Willis McGahee (20-59-0, 2-61-0) did well considering the lack of running room he was given. Buffalo's line can't run block against above average defensive lines.

Going Forward

This is a great time to go acquire all the Bills, especially Lee Evans and Willis McGahee. After the team's bye, Buffalo faces Houston, Indianapolis, and Green Bay. Look for a lot of yardage in those games.

Doug Gabriel is a useful receiver with a knack for the red zone. I'm not sure he'll be a consistent fantasy WR3 though. The Patriots, as always, love to spread the ball around. Until New England's last scoring drive, Gabriel had one target all game.

Tom Brady is a good buy-low candidate. The schedule, aside from a date with the Bears, is favorable. His receivers have steadily improved.


Chiefs 30, Chargers 27
Game Recap by Aaron Gleeman

The Big Story

After a LaDainian Tomlinson touchdown pass completed a 17-point San Diego comeback and tied the score at 27-27, Lawrence Tynes atoned for two earlier misses—one on an extra-point and another on a field goal—by booting home a 53-yard kick with six seconds left to give Kansas City its third win of the season.

Beyond the Box Score

Tomlinson managed negative-three yards on his first four carries and was held to 32 total yards in the first half as the Chiefs stacked the line of scrimmage and dared Philip Rivers to beat them in the face of heavy blitzing. Once Rivers got on track after a rough first half, Tomlinson had a little room to work on the ground and in the air, racking up 108 total yards after halftime. He added to another solid all-around fantasy effort by taking a toss near the goal line and finding Brandon Manumaleuna on a little flip for his fifth career touchdown pass.

Tomlinson's counterpart, Larry Johnson, seemed in for a tough afternoon facing the San Diego defense after managing just 26 yards against Pittsburgh in Week 6. Instead, he broke off a nice first-quarter run that was his first 10-plus yard gain in 41 carries and ended up rushing 28 times for 132 yards and two touchdowns in a performance that looked like the games he consistently put up down the stretch last season. The RotoWorld offices got a few e-mails from antsy LJ owners wondering if they should actually bench him for Week 7, so needless to say that silliness can be put to rest. For all the talk of him being a disappointment, Johnson has 140-plus total yards in all but one game.

Tony Gonzalez came into the game with just 187 yards, but nearly matched the totals with six catches for 138 yards. With San Diego pressuring Damon Huard consistently, he looked to Gonzalez over the middle often, hooking up on a mid-range connection that turned into a 57-yard gain and then finding him two times for 37 yards on the game-winning drive. Gonzalez is no longer the elite tight end option he used to be on a weekly basis, but Sunday's performance was a sign of life.

Going Forward

With the Chiefs going after him hard and stacking the line of scrimmage early, Rivers had a shaky first half that saw him attempt an amazing 31 passes (no, Marty Schottenheimer didn't take the week off). He found success looking for Antonio Gates and Tomlinson on short passes, which eventually opened up some running lanes for Tomlinson and kept Kansas City from bringing the house on pass. Rivers was 8-of-12 for 104 yards in the second half, which seemed unthinkable based on his jittery, turnover-filled first half. Interestingly, the Chargers have shown a willingness to pass often in non-blowouts, which should keep Rivers' fantasy stock fairly high.

Michael Turner was barely involved in the offense for the second straight week, meaning his days of seeing a big workload in tandem with Tomlinson appear to be over after a brief early-season fling. He's still one of football's best handcuffs, but that's where it ends right now.

With Shaun Phillips out 4-6 weeks after suffering a calf injury and Shawne Merriman reportedly about to be suspended for steroid use, the Chargers' once-fearsome defense is suddenly a lot less intimidating. That's bad news for San Diego, but good news for their upcoming opponents in St. Louis, Cleveland, and Cincinnati.

Jets 31, Lions 24
Game Recap by: Evan Silva

Minus both their starting defensive tackles, Detroit could not stop the Jets' running game. 5-8 rookie Leon Washington (20-29-129-2, 1-8) and 49ers castoff Kevan Barlow (12-49-1) ran all over the slow-starting Lions, and Washington owned the backfield in the second half. A suddenly focused Jets secondary restricted Roy Williams (2-29-1) and Jerricho Cotchery (7-79, 1-10) came alive as an astonishingly solid New York Jets team continued their winning ways and improved to 4-3.

Beyond the Box Score

Cotchery did nearly all of his work in the first half before New York pounded the rock on Detroit late. Jerricho out-produced Laveranues Coles (4-29, 1-15), who was nearly invisible early on.

In a game that featured "No. 2" receivers, Mike Furrey (9-109-1) outshone Williams, who almost caught a second leaping TD early in the third quarter but Jon Kitna slightly overthrew him and he couldn't hang on. But Williams was pretty much a non-factor and the Jets let Furrey beat them, which he couldn't do despite a solid fantasy day.

Washington and Barlow appeared to be rotating series early on, before it became apparent they couldn't keep little Leon off the field. The exciting rookie scatback took over as the game wore on and Chad Pennington (16-22-189-1-1) only had to throw three passes in the second half, while Barlow only touched it three times.

Going Forward

Brian Calhoun (3-10, 1-18) is a fine handcuff for Kevin Jones in deep leagues and might take on a bigger role later in the year with Shawn Bryson (knee) out for the season.

Washington's touchdowns were both in the red zone but expect Barlow to continue to see the bulk of goal-line carries. Still, Washington is the better fantasy play going forward because he seems more than likely to receive the bulk of the touches. Week 8 at Cleveland is an excellent opportunity to use him as a bye-week RB2 or flex.

Don't think Furrey and Cotchery are going to become the primary targets for their respective clubs. Coles and Williams are far better natural talents. Furrey and Cotchery are good matchup options in a a game like this.

In Mike Martz's offense, Jon Kitna (22-36-269-3-2, 3-17) is an every-week fantasy play.

Kevin Jones (15-86, 6-57-1) is hard to keep out of lineups in leagues that award points-per-receptions.

[Hache Man]

Late Game Recaps

Indianapolis 36, Washington 21
Game Recap by: Gregg Rosenthal

The Big Story

The Colts played their most complete game of the season, dominating through the air, on the ground, while slowing down Washington's rushing game. Peyton Manning threw for 342 yards and four touchdowns, while Joseph Addai appeared to take hold of the Colts' running back job with a tough performance.

Beyond The Box Score

Santana Moss (3-20-0) left the game late with a hamstring injury. A few plays after making an outstanding one-handed grab on the sideline, Moss pulled up on a route away from the ball. His leg was taped and he didn't return. Moss has only topped 70 receiving yards once this season.

Washington's passing attack is backwards. They have three deep threats, a vertical playbook, and a quarterback who can only throw short. Mark Brunell's stats (27/37-226-2-0) are laughably misleading. Most of his yardage came on two counterproductive fourth quarter drives of 15 plays and 16 plays. The two drives took up more than 11 minutes when the team was trailing by three scores! In a nod to desperate fantasy leaguers, Joe Gibbs took a timeout with less than 30 seconds left to set up Washington's only second-half points.

Joseph Addai (11-85-0, 1-20-0) is coming on strong while Dominic Rhodes (13-26-0) is fading. Addai showed surprising toughness breaking tackles all day. Rhodes got the goal-line work early, but Addai opened the second-half when the game was close. Peyton Manning throwing four times from the one-yard line won't help either runner score.

Manning had his neck wrenched and helmet ripped off on an ugly play early. He had to call a timeout, but didn't miss a play and appeared to have his neck/shoulder rubbed down on the sideline.

The running game is key to setting up Manning. With some early points, Washington wasn't content to back their safeties up and let the Colts run at will. Manning hit three plays over 38 yards, one each to Reggie Wayne, Marvin Harrison, and Dallas Clark. Wayne (7-122-1) dropped a possible touchdown late. Harrison (7-73-2) caught a score on the next play.

Clinton Portis (12-43-0, 4-21-0) took a helmet straight to the nuts. There's no better way to say it. I was amazed he came back in the game after missing only a few plays. In the second half, Portis was in and out of the lineup. The Redskins called the injury a lower leg bruise. I suspect the groin was still bothering him after watching him get stretched out on the sideline. Portis sat out the team's final series, but the injuries didn't appear serious. Washington has a bye this week.

Going Forward

Mark Brunell should be through as a starter for the Redskins. Washington has a bye week coming up, so it's a logical time to change to second-year pro Jason Campbell. Coach Joe Gibbs said Sunday he wasn't going to make a change yet. It's not a bad time to sell high on Santana Moss. Campbell is worth a look in 2-QB leagues.

Joseph Addai has earned the right to more carries moving forward. He's averaging 5.1 yards-per-carry, while Dominic Rhodes is at 3.2. Addai is playing with more confidence and looks like an intriguing RB2/flex play down the stretch.

Vikings 31, Seahawks 13
Game Recap by Aaron Gleeman

The Big Story

In a game that was tied at halftime, Minnesota out-scored Seattle 21-3 in the second half to end the Seahawks' 12-game home winning streak. The outcome was overshadowed by Seattle losing Matt Hasselbeck to a sprained knee in the third quarter, although Chester Taylor's 95-yard touchdown run moments later changed the momentum for good.

Beyond the Box Score

The day started well for Hasselbeck, who audibled out of a play at the line of scrimmage and then found Darrell Jackson wide open for a 72-yard touchdown in the first quarter. Hasselbeck then struggled before going down with a sprained knee in the third quarter after E.J. Henderson rolled into his leg. He didn't appear to be in much pain on the sidelines, but was replaced immediately is reportedly expected to miss at least "a couple weeks" pending Monday's MRI results.

It was looking like another big-workload, modest per-carry effort from Taylor until he broke free in the third quarter, out-sprinting Michael Boulware for the final 30 yards or so on the way to the longest run in Vikings history. The big play—which came after Taylor appeared to be stopped for no gain—gave him 169 yards on 26 carries and he tacked on four catches for 19 yards. Taylor now leads the NFL with 590 rushing yards and is on pace for over 420 touches.

Nate Burleson was held without a catch against his former team, while Steve Hutchinson played well despite receiving constant booing in his first trip back to Seattle.

Going Forward

Losing Hasselbeck is another huge blow to an offense that is already without the reigning league MVP, particularly given how shaky Seneca Wallace looked in relief. Wallace's lone completion in his first four attempts was to a Minnesota defender and he ended up 14-of-25 for 134 yards and two picks. The two assets Wallace has going for him are his scrambling ability and top-notch receivers, which could make him a passable QB2 against low-level defenses. However, Jackson and Deion Branch figure to see their numbers suffer.

Troy Williamson went airborne trying to haul down a long pass in the first quarter, but came up empty and then came crashing down on his head thanks in part to a big hit from Ken Hamlin. He reportedly was unconscious for 10 seconds and left the game, but early indications are that he plans to play in Week 8. Williamson has been a disappointment after a big start, but he remains the Vikings' best deep threat. If he's out, Marcus Robinson gets a value boost coming off a four-catch, 77-yard effort.


Broncos 17, Browns 7
Game Recap by: Evan Silva

Even with Gerard Warren (toe) going down early in the game, the Browns were unable to move the football against their former teammates, the "Browncos." Michael Myers and Kenard Lang both tallied sacks of Charlie Frye (19-33-149-1-1) and rookie Elvis Dumervil (three sacks) turned in a breakout game. Reuben Droughns (12-33, 4-27) could go nowhere. His counterpart Tatum Bell (24-115-1, 3-11) could not be slowed. Despite another shaky outing from Jake Plummer (20-41-209-1-2, 3-10), Denver fought through the turbulent winds at Cleveland Browns Stadium and improved to 5-1.

Beyond the Box Score

Jay Cutler never came in, but may have had Cleveland been able to muster anything offensively. Plummer continues to disappoint, though he slightly adjusted to the conditions in the second half and found rookie Brandon Marshall (3-22-1) from nine yards out in the third quarter to put Denver out in front by 17. Still, it was not an impressive effort from an inefficient Jake the Snake.

Joe Jurevicius (4-40-1) took over as the Browns' starting wideout opposite Braylon Edwards and caught a touchdown pass in fourth-quarter garbage time. Jurevicius also had an uncharacteristic drop when cutting over the middle during Cleveland's next offensive possession. But he was more involved than Edwards (2-6), who didn't have a chance against Champ Bailey and has been unproductive since a hot early-season run.

Frye threw a duck to Edwards on the first play in the fourth quarter. It looked like a punt. Champ Bailey easily gathered the ball in before returning it for 30 yards.

Now that he's Denver's clear-cut starter, Tatum Bell looks like a different back altogether. He's not hitting home runs, but he's staying in the game to block, improving his receiving skills, and picking up tough yards. Mike Bell (10-25) was ineffective in spot action Sunday. Cedric Cobbs was inactive.

Rod Smith (6-69) had his best game all year, but Javon Walker (9-107) continues to be Plummer's go-to target. Walker took advantage of a Cleveland secondary that had virtually no chance against him after Gary Baxter (knee) was knocked out early on.

Cleveland is getting no explosiveness from its running game. Rookie Jerome Harrison was deactivated for the first time this season and Droughns was purely ineffective. The Browns couldn't maintain anything on offense until it was far too late.

Going Forward

We're not sure why Harrison isn't getting a chance. By far Cleveland's most exciting preseason player, the rookie had just ten real-game rushes before being scratched from the game day roster Sunday. Look for Harrison to get a chance in the second half of the season. At 1-5, the Browns don't have much to lose and Droughns isn't getting it done.

At 6-5, Jurevicius is a big red-zone target Frye will look to on third downs and near the goal. He had a great matchup against 5-8 Darrent Williams in this game and should continue to see teams' No. 2 corners in coverage as Edwards draws the most attention.

Brandon Marshall appeared to take over as Denver's third receiver and should be on dynasty league rosters. He is the eventual replacement for Rod Smith, 36.

Tatum Bell is well on his way to having the breakout second half we expect from him. If you can deal for him, do it. Other than a trip to Pittsburgh in Week 10, Tatum has a favorable schedule coming up. San Diego, who Denver faces twice down the stretch, is an easier matchup following the losses of both their starting outside linebackers.

Raiders 22, Cardinals 9
Game Recap by Aaron Gleeman

The Big Story

In what could very well end up being Dennis Green's final game as coach of the Cardinals, Arizona somehow managed to make Oakland look good on the way to a 22-9 loss that was never in doubt. The Raiders jumped out to an early 14-0 lead behind Andrew Walter and Randy Moss, and then clamped down defensively to hold on for the win despite Walter leaving with a hamstring injury.

Beyond the Box Score

Lost in the Raiders' first win is that LaMont Jordan didn't see the field despite being active, which surely made his fantasy owners furious. He was shown stretching and running on the sidelines several times throughout the game, but Justin Fargas and Zack Crockett split carries in his absence. Crockett got four carries early, but eventually gave way to Fargas, who rushed 23 times for 66 yards. Fargas was a solid handcuff before Sunday and is now a must-grab in every league.

In their first week with a new offensive coordinator, the Cardinals' offense looked worse than ever. Edgerrin James struggled to gain positive yardage, which has been the case all year, but this time he also failed to get a huge workload. That combination led to 13 carries for 34 yards after a 36-carry effort in Week 6 and will surely also lead to plenty of James complaints during Arizona's bye week.

Perhaps he was just trying to stay loose, but it's worth noting that Kurt Warner was seen throwing on the sidelines in the second quarter. That fact wouldn't seem worthwhile except for Matt Leinart's horrible performance, which included 19 incompletions in 32 attempts and two interceptions. Oakland did a good job getting in Leinart's face, crushing him with back-to-back big hits in the third quarter, and he looked surprisingly rattled while making several poor decisions. In other words, he played like a rookie.

Going Forward

Randy Moss had a rare huge game, with seven catches for 129 yards and a touchdown, but also dropped three other balls, including what would have been his second score. Despite the drops, it's encouraging to see Moss finally starting to thrive in Oakland, although being without Walter could quickly end the optimism. The good news (seriously) is that Walter isn't expected to miss additional time, which means Moss won't have to try keeping his roll going with Marques Tuiasosopo.

Leinart's struggles kept Anquan Boldin without a first-half catch, but he bounced back with four grabs for 59 yards after halftime and ended up being targeted a total of 13 times. That means Boldin remains a good bet for huge numbers regardless of how disappointing his Week 7 totals were. Similarly, Bryant Johnson turned in another encouraging effort with three catches for 87 yards, cementing his status as a solid week-to-week play until Larry Fitzgerald returns from his hamstring injury.