Fantasy Football News 12/19/06

[Hache Man]

Championship Week Pickups
With most fantasy owners re-acquainting themselves with family members this week, it's tempting to use Waiver Wired to look ahead to 2007. Coaches often use the final two weeks to look at young players in an extended tryout for a bigger role next season. But with 24 teams mathematically in playoff contention, next year is still a week away for most clubs.

There is eight months to write about next season anyhow and we're hoping you stick with Rotoworld for the most comprehensive off-season coverage on the web. With some wacky leagues still allowing waivers this week with the fantasy playoffs winding down, let's stick with the regular format at least one more time.

Quarterbacks

Tim Rattay, Bucs - Jon Gruden knew the questions were going to come. If Tim Rattay could lead the Bucs to four touchdowns against the Bears, why didn't he make the change sooner? Gruden sees Rattay in practice every day and knows the veteran isn't the future at quarterback in Tampa, but even he had to be surprised how competent the former 49er was against Chicago. He led the Bucs to three fourth quarter scores, including two plays over 40 yards.

Rattay is playing in an offense that has made other retread veterans (Brad Johnson, Brian Griese, Rich Gannon) look great. He faces a sagging Cleveland secondary that made Kyle Boller look like a Pro Bowler Sunday. As emergency options go, Rattay is an excellent one.

Recommendation: Best one-week pickup at quarterback

Tarvaris Jackson, Vikings - I watched the tape on Jackson's fourth quarter duty and he is the inverse of Brad Johnson in every way possible. Raw, but with a canon for an arm, Jackson has a good chance to be Minnesota's starting quarterback in 2007. Brad Childress probably wouldn't have pulled Johnson if he wasn't ready for the move to permanent.

In my ridiculously deep dynasty league, I'm thinking of starting Jackson this week against the Packers over Jon Kitna (vs. Chicago) just for the sheer absurdity of it. While it was garbage time, Jackson put up better stats in one quarter than Kitna did all Sunday against the same Packers.

Recommendation: Worth a look in deep or keeper leagues

Derek Anderson, Browns - The Browns have had some lame quarterback controversies over the years. Holcomb-Couch. Holcomb-Garcia. Kosar-Philcox. The impending Derek Anderson/Charlie Frye battle royale shows how far the franchise has to come.

By any measure possible, Derek Anderson has showed more promise in his three starts than Charlie Frye did the rest of this season. The accuracy needs work and Anderson needs to learn when to throw the ball away, but Anderson moved the ball consistently in Pittsburgh and Baltimore. When he's on, Anderson looks like he has all the tools necessary. Now he faces his first easy matchup of his career as a starter, assuming Frye can't get healthy in time for Week 16. Tampa is among the worst in the league at allowing fantasy points to quarterbacks. Judging by his first few games, 200 yards and a score or two is a low range of expectations.

Recommendation: One-week emergency option

Alex Smith, 49ers - He needed a confidence boost and got it against Seattle last Thursday night. With the Seahawks facing San Diego this week, San Francisco could be playing for a division title in Week 17 if they can beat Arizona this week. The Cardinals have cured slumps by Marc Bulger, Matt Hasselbeck, and Jay Cutler the last three weeks.

Recommendation:Worth a look in 12-team leagues

J.P. Losman, Bills - Can't knock his development over the last month into an efficient, smaller version of Ben Roethlisberger. Losman faces a hungry Titans secondary this week.

Recommendation:Worth a look in 12-team leagues

Running Backs

Ron Dayne, Texans - He was our top pickup last week, but didn't think Dayne would be able to run straight at the Patriots. He's performed well in three straight games and should dominate carries against the Colts' light front seven. With a Week 16 matchup against the Colts, Dayne is a legitimate RB2 option. Because everyone feels safe trusting their season to Dayne, right?

Recommendation:Should be owned in all leagues

Vernand Morency, Packers - The Packers are working off a short week with a Thursday night game. Ahman Green has been underwhelming in recent weeks and had 29 touches against the Lions. Morency scored twice in limited work against Detroit, and his outside speed may be a better option than Green against Minnesota. That said, he's still not a great fantasy play. But perhaps someone to stash if you play through Week 17.

Recommendation: Worth a look in deep leagues

Artose Pinner & Mewelde Moore, Vikings - If Chester Taylor can't start on Thursday night, both Moore and Pinner would be passable emergency flex options against a struggling Packers rush defense. Moore caught five passes for 53 yards and a score against the Jets in Week 15.

Recommendation:Worth a look if Taylor sits out

Mike Bell, Broncos - Just in case he was dropped in your league and you need a flex option. Mike earned more work with his big day against Arizona and faces another fine matchup against the Bengals next week.

Recommendation:Should be owned in all leagues

Wide Receiver

DJ Hackett, Seahawks - Whether he's starting or not, Hackett remains Seattle's most consistent receiver this season other than Darrell Jackson. The Matchup against San Diego isn't a great one if Seattle can't protect Matt Hasselbeck, but Hackett should be good for another solid PPR day.

Recommendation: Should be owned in all leagues

Travis Taylor and Troy Williamson, Vikings - Marcus Robinson apparently has replaced Williamson in the doghouse. With a Thursday night matchup against Detroit, both Taylor and Williamson are worth a look if you are desperately seeking a WR3. Their numbers picked up with Tarvaris Jackson entered the lineup against the Jets.

Recommendation:Worth a look in deep leagues

Mike Williams, Lions - Detroit's leading receiver on Sunday! Maybe they are just showcasing Williams for a possible trade, but it's good to see he has a pulse. He's not an option against Chicago this week, but forward-thinking owners in deep dynasty leagues could stash him.

Recommendation: Worth a look in keeper leagues

Ronald Curry, Raiders - A solid WR3 if Aaron Brooks is in the lineup. Curry is far less exciting if Oakland makes the curious move back to Andrew Walter.

Recommendation: Should be owned in all leagues

Brandon Marshall, Broncos - Instead of writing up waiver picks this week, I almost made lists of players who are auditioning for bigger roles in 2007 over the next two weeks. Marshall is near the top of the list even though Denver is squarely in the playoff race. His physical game makes him a logical replacement for Rod Smith if he builds on his five-catch performance of Week 15.

Recommendation: Worth a look in keeper leagues


Tight End

Tony Scheffler, Broncos - Hello 2007 "sleeper" list. Mike Shanahan did a good job getting Scheffler singled up against linebackers in Arizona. With another decent matchup this week (Cincy), Scheffler is a fine fantasy start for owners without a top-ten option. I'd still take Vernon Davis over him.

Recommendation: Should be owned in all leagues

Marcedes Lewis, Jaguars - Slowly becoming a more consistent option for David Garrard. Lewis led the team with eight targets in Tennessee and almost had a big day if not for a drop and a TD overruled on a nice effort. Garrard also missed Lewis when he had beaten the defense deep. The Patriots don't cover tight ends particularly well, so Lewis is a decent option this week.

Recommendation:Worth a look in deep leagues

Alex Smith, Bucs - Like many Bucs, Smith was revived with the switch to Tim Rattay. He caught five passes on seven targets and heads to Cleveland this week.

Recommendation:Worth a look in deep leagues

[Hache Man]

The Shell Game
In this space last Wednesday I poked a little fun at the horrible job Art Shell has done in his second stint as Raiders head coach. In addition to earning me an odd-yet-thrilling mention in a Bill Simmons column—the highlight of my week, no doubt—my bashing Shell also led to a few e-mailers suggesting that perhaps I'm "being too hard on him" given the difficult job he has in Oakland.

While it's true that the Raiders' roster isn't pretty and has been wrecked by injuries, it's also true that Shell has been an unmitigated disaster trying to turn it into a respectable team. Not only have media members like me ripped him throughout the season, Shell's own players have consistently called him out for not preparing the team properly. In fact, Shell has been ripped publicly by nearly every important skill-position player on the roster.

Andrew Walter ripped the Raiders' play-calling after struggling in relief of Aaron Brooks, which reportedly led to Shell giving Brooks the starting job back. Then Brooks lashed out at the Raiders' mess of an offense Monday, rhetorically asking "what the f--- have I gotten into?" in a long tirade just hours before Shell named him the Week 16 starter. Randy Moss (who is likely done for the year) has essentially criticized Shell every week since training camp, while Jerry Porter apparently earned his spot in the doghouse by doing the same.

And who can forget the memorable moment when LaMont Jordan revealed that the Raiders' game plan against the Broncos in Week 10 literally included three running plays, leading to everyone who every played Tecmo Bowl as a kid cracking the exact same joke. The funny thing is, I'm sure there are a few dozen other examples of players criticizing, ripping or downright mocking Shell this year, but at some point they start to blend together.

There are plenty of bad teams every year in the NFL, but truly horrible teams whose players consistently go out of their way to criticize the head coach publicly over the exact same issue are relatively rare. Not only are the Raiders a 2-12 team, they're a 2-12 team who've become a joke around the league—and even in their own locker room—because their coach has failed miserably in his misguided attempt to give them a chance to win.

While Raiders fans ponder the fact that every other team in the AFC has scored at least 40 percent more points than Oakland this season, here are some other notes from around football …

* For the second straight week Fred Taylor and Maurice Jones-Drew were both banged up and for the second straight week it looks like Drew got the better end of the deal. Despite initially claiming that reports of his needing X-rays following Sunday's game weren't true, Drew did indeed have X-rays on what is being called a "jammed knee." They came back negative and it sounds like the Jaguars expect him to play in Week 16.

It's impossible to say whether Drew will be at 100 percent, but his previous calf injury didn't keep him from looking good lugging the ball 25 times against Tennessee. Meanwhile, Taylor aggravated his Week 15 hamstring injury against the Titans Sunday. Like Drew with the X-rays he told reporters that he "did not pull it," but coach Jack Del Rio seemed unsure about Taylor's status heading into this week's must-win matchup against the Patriots.

As of Tuesday morning Drew looks like the much better Week 16 fantasy play, in part because he's seemingly healthier and in part because he's found the end zone in six straight games and has 326 total yards between the past two weeks. Jacksonville will be able to run on New England, which is why this situation is worth watching closely throughout the week.

* In keeping with his apparent plan to become every bit as standoffish to the media as Bill Belichick, except without all that silliness about winning games to keep fans happy, coach Brad Childress refused to name a starter when asked Monday. However, everyone else on the Vikings has made it clear that they expect Tarvaris Jackson to get the call over Brad Johnson Thursday night against Green Bay.

Speaking anonymously so as to avoid the wrath of Generalissimo Childress, several players revealed to local newspapers that they've been told Jackson will start, and Jackson reportedly took first-team reps in the portion of Monday's practice that was blocked off from the media. Incidentally, someone may want to tell Generic Mustachioed Dictator Childress (GMDC for short) that barring the media from practice doesn't do much if your players are willing to spill the beans to reporters anyway.

Under Childress—supposedly an offensive coach—the Vikings have become a punchless offense with zero imagination, and he's spent a ridiculous amount of time and energy attempting to keep relatively innocuous information from the public. When you're Belichick and you have a bunch of gigantic rings on your fingers, you can get away with being prickly to people with microphones and notebooks. When you're Childress and you have a 6-8 record in a horrible conference, you just look silly.

Two-Minute Drill: Coach Joe Gibbs has said there'll be room in the Redskins' backfield for Clinton Portis and Ladell Betts next season, but the fact is that Betts crippled his long-term fantasy value by re-signing with Washington … Offensive coordinator Greg Olson indicated that Steven Jackson going catchless in Week 15 was due to staying in on pass protection … Larry Johnson ripped into the Chiefs' play-calling Monday, saying "we need to sit down and change something" … Chicago will reportedly keep Tank Johnson on the active roster despite earlier reports suggesting that they might release him … In typical Bill Parcells fashion, the coach said Monday that Marion Barber is successful late in games because Julius Jones has already worn the defense down … As expected, the ever-stubborn Lions won't be benching Jon Kitna despite all kinds of evidence that he's deserving … Coach Jon Gruden confirmed that Tim Rattay, not Bruce Gradkowski, will start in Week 16.

Red Zone: Coach Romeo Crennel indicated Monday that Charlie Frye (wrist) is still the Browns' starter, but Derek Anderson figures to get the Week 16 start because Frye isn't healthy enough to play … Jake Delhomme (thumb) is still "hoping" to play this week, but admitted Monday that "trying to throw would be pretty tough right now" … Coach Jim Mora said Monday that Michael Vick (groin) is likely to play in Week 16, but may miss some practice time … Chester Taylor said Monday that his ribs and wrist are healthy enough for him to suit up Thursday against Green Bay … There are varying reports about the severity of the ankle injury that kept Joseph Addai out for the second half Monday night, but coach Tony Dungy said he doesn't anticipate it being serious … Brandon Jacobs reportedly needed X-rays on the ankle injury he suffered Sunday, which doesn't explain how he came back in for the fourth quarter after sitting out half the game … Ronnie Brown (hand) is expected to practice this week and may return Monday night.

[Hache Man]

Dallas Clark - TE - Colts

Dallas Clark reportedly has a chance to return for Indy's regular season finale, and stands a decent chance of returning for a playoff game.

`We thought it was torn, but it's not," Dungy said. "That's why it's important to keep winning and get the bye, so some of these guys can rest and heal." Dec. 19 - 4:46 p.m. ET

[Hache Man]

Joseph Addai - RB - Colts

Coach Tony Dungy repeated Tuesday that he doesn't believe Joseph Addai's ankle sprain will be a serious problem.

"I heard on the news reports that it was a high ankle sprain, and I thought I made it pretty clear last night that it wasn't,'' Dungy said. ``It's a basketball-type sprain. It's sore, but I think he should be OK." Look for Addai to split carries once again against Houston this week. Dec. 19 - 4:37 p.m. ET