Week 13
12/1/06
Steppin' Up
Jay Cutler, DEN: Jake Plummer's
demotion places this year's eleventh overall pick in the draft,
Jay Cutler, in the spotlight in Denver. While Cutler hasn't taken
a snap yet this season, Broncos coach Mike Shanahan has determined
the rookie will give his team the best chance of advancing into
the playoffs over the remaining 5 games on the schedule. Cutler
had a strong outing in the preseason, completing 64.5% of his
passes, while throwing 4 touchdowns to 1 interception on 62 attempts--good
enough for a 108.3 QB rating. It's rare that a rookie QB steps
in and achieves a high level of success right away in the NFL(although
Matt Leinart and Vince Young have had their bright spots this
season), but the remaining games on the Broncos schedule make
Cutler an attractive option. This Sunday he faces a Seattle defense
that is ranked 21st in yards per game against the pass. The following
week he'll have a difficult match-up against the Chargers before
facing Arizona (ranked 26th against the pass) and Cincinnati (ranked
32nd against the pass). It's a gamble picking up Cutler and using
him as a starter right away, but he could prove useful in weeks
15 and 16 when he faces some of the worst secondaries in the league.
Steppin' Down
Jake Delhomme, CAR: Delhomme
had a good five-week run once All-Pro wide receiver Steve Smith
returned to action during the third week of the season, but lately
there has been a drop off in his production. In Carolina's last
4 games, the 8th-year vet is averaging just 187 yards per contest,
and thrown more interceptions than touchdowns (5 INTs, 4 TDs).
In his 11 games played this season, Delhomme has failed to reach
the 200-yard mark in 7 of them. He has also had 3 games in which
he has failed to throw a touchdown pass, and 4 games in which
he has thrown only one. With the combination of games in which
Delhomme has failed to deliver by either completing passes in
the end zone, or by totaling upwards of 225 yards through the
air, his rank among fantasy quarterbacks has dropped in comparison
to where he has been in recent years.
Steppin' Up
Jamal Lewis, BAL: Jamal Lewis
hasn't been tearing it up on the field lately, but he has scored
5 touchdowns in his last 4 games after scoring just once in the
previous seven. He has also carried the ball 20 times or more
in 3 of the Ravens last 5 outings--something that happened only
once through the first 6 weeks of the season. Ever since Brian
Billick stripped Jim Fassel of his playing calling duties, and
began calling them himself, Lewis has once again become a useful
running back in fantasy leagues. He may be hit-or-miss in some
games depending on whether or not he finds the end zone, but he's
more reliable as a #2 RB now then he had been through the first
half of the season.
This analysis does not take
Thursday night's Ravens vs. Bengals game into account. Jamal Lewis
finished with 17 carries for 61 yards during the contest.
Steppin' Down
Warrick Dunn, ATL: Dunn began
the season rushing for more than 130 yards in 3 of Atlanta's first
5 games. In the Falcons 6 games since then however, the former
Tampa Bay Buccaneer has gone over 70 yards just once, and averaged
a lowly 3.2 yards per carry on 112 attempts. This Sunday, he'll
face a Redskins defense that is ranked 20th in yards per game
against the run, but is a unit that has allowed just 3 rushing
touchdowns this season. The following week he faces his former
franchise, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, before going against two
of the tougher defensive units in the league--the Dallas Cowboys
and the Carolina Panthers. Dunn may perform as a serviceable #2
RB in his next two games, but if you're relying on him in Week's
15 and 16 to win you the Championship, you may want to consider
other options.
Steppin' Up
Marty Booker, MIA: While Chris
Chambers continues to be mired in a disappointing season with
the Dolphins, Marty Booker has lately become an attractive option.
After averaging just 2.6 receptions and 39.6 yards a game with
no touchdowns through the first five weeks of the season, the
8th-year vet has seen an increase in his production. In the five
games Booker has played since then, he has scored 4 touchdowns
and averaged 13.6 yards a catch on 25 receptions. His yearly totals
of 38 receptions, 537 yards, and 4 scores have him on pace to
produce his most productive season since 2003 while he was a member
of the Chicago Bears. Booker can't be considered a recommended
starter on a weekly basis, but he is worth owning and makes for
a better than average fall-back guy as a #3 WR if you are lacking
at the position.
Steppin' Down
Torry Holt, STL: The recent
lack of production from St. Louis quarterback Marc Bulger, has
also had an adverse effect on his top wide out, Torry Holt. Holt
began the season scoring 7 touchdowns in the teams first six games.
He also had three 100-yard outings during that span. Since then
however, the long-time Ram has produced more than 70 yards just
once, and has gone without a touchdown in the teams last five
games. The good news for Holt owners is that he is still receiving
plenty of looks--averaging just over 5 receptions a game during
his recent drought--and is due for a big performance this Sunday
against the Cardinals. Unfortunately, he'll face the 2nd ranked
defense in defending the pass when he goes against the Chicago
Bears on a Monday night in Week 14. The following week, he faces
the Oakland Raiders, who just happen to be the top ranked secondary
in the league statistically speaking. In Week 16, he should be
due for another strong outing when he goes against the Redskins,
but in most fantasy leagues you'll need to make it to the Championship
game in order to cash in on that potentially strong outing. It's
foolish to bench a player of Holt's caliber, but realize he may
not produce the big numbers we've become accustomed to seeing
from him if Bulger's recent woes continue.
Steppin' Up
Ben Watson, NE: When Ben Watson
failed to score a touchdown or rack up meaningful yards on a routine
basis during the first few games of the season, there were more
than a few of his owners wondering if they made the right selection
of a starter on draft day. For those that were patient and kept
the 3rd-year pro on their roster, he has been rewarding them with
his play as of late. After being held scoreless through the Patriots
first six games this season, Watson has scored 1 touchdown in
three of the Patriots last five outings--including a 6 catch,
89-yard performance against a tough Chicago Bears unit last week.
During that five game span, Watson has averaged just under 5 receptions
a game, and posted 328 of his 611 yards to date this season. With
the way the 6'3", 253 pounder has been playing lately, make
sure to start him when the Patriots host the Detroit Lions this
weekend.
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