Week 5
10/6/06
If it weren't for the fact that nearly every Dolphins player was
listed here last week, you can be sure they would all be listed
here again. The passing game has been lacking since the start
of the season, and outside of Ronnie Brown, none of the players
are meeting expectations. Following another poor performance last
week against the Texans, there's little reason to expect a quick
turnaround in Miami. If you've stuck with Culpepper as your starter
up to this point, it's time to make sure you find another option
at the QB position. Here's another weekly look at players on the
rise and decline.
Steppin' Up
Marc Bulger, STL: Bulger got
off to a slow start in the opening two weeks of the season, completing
just 54.4% of his attempts for only 402 yards and a touchdown.
In his past two outings however, he's turned things around, completing
64.4% of his passes for 637 yards and 4 touchdowns, and still
keeping his interception total at zero. As the Rams new offensive
system begins to gel under new head coach Scott Linehan, expect
Bulger to continue performing at a high level through most of
the season. He should have his third straight 300-yard day in
Week 5 against the Packers.
Charlie Frye, CLE: Not many
of us were eyeing Charlie Frye during our fantasy draft, but through
4 weeks he has been one of the more productive QBs available.
He's completing 63.2% of his passes and averaging 216.5passing
yards per game. He's also accounted for 8 TDs (5 through the air,
3 on the ground). Braylon Edwards and Kellen Winslow have emerged
as reliable weapons in the passing game, and their presence should
allow Frye to keep up his surprise production. His 7 interceptions
are cause for concern, along with the fact 3 of his touchdowns
have come on the ground (he won't keep that pace up all year),
but he's shown enough to warrant a roster spot if you don't have
something steady at the QB position.
Mark Brunell, WAS: Like Bulger,
Brunell wasn't off to an impressive start the first two weeks
of the season. He threw for less than 200 yards in outings against
the Vikings and Cowboys, and failed to score a touchdown in either
game. He looked better in Week 3, completing 24 of 27 passes and
throwing for 261 yards and 1 TD as Clinton Portis returned to
the starting lineup. But when you consider this performance came
against the lowly Texans, it wasn't much to get excited about.
His Week 4 outing against the Jaguars is a different story, however.
Facing one of the tougher defensive units in the league, Brunell
went on to throw for over 300 yards, with 3 TD passes in a 36-30
overtime victory. With upcoming games against the Giants, Titans
and Colts before a bye in Week 8, Brunell could be a productive
starter over the next few weeks.
Steppin' Down
Andrew Walter, OAK: If you thought
Walter was going to turn things around for Oakland's offense,
or that Randy Moss' presence would give him some sort of fantasy
value, you thought wrong. The 2005 third round pick is completing
less than 40% of his passes and averaging just 4.9 yards per attempt.
Stay away.
Steppin' Up
Kevin Jones, DET: Following
a disappointing 2005 campaign, it was uncertain what type of production
to expect from Kevin Jones in 2006. He had just 26 carries for
79 yards the first two weeks of the season, and with the poor
start, appeared headed for another mediocre year of production.
However, the past two weeks Jones has carried 36 times for 174
yards (4.8YPC) with 3 tds. He also has 21 receptions this season
(catching at least 5 in every game) for another 131 yards. At
this rate, Jones could go on to produce as one of the better #2
RBs in fantasy leagues this year--especially in leagues that reward
points for receptions.
Clinton Portis, WAS: A separated
shoulder Portis suffered in the first game of the preseason had
many fantasy owners reluctant to select him with their first round
pick this year. After seeing limited action in Week 1, and then
sitting out Week 2's game altogether, those that passed on him
may have felt they made the right decision. However, Portis returned
as Washington's starter in Week 3 and immediately showed why he
is one of the elite backs in the NFL. Since his return to the
starting lineup, Portis has rushed for 198 yards on 43 carries
for 3 scores. Needless to say, unless Portis suffers a set back
with his shoulder, he'll continue to perform at a high level the
remainder of the season.
Leon Washington, NYJ: The rookie
fourth round pick in this years draft was already expected to
see an increased role in the Jets backfield over the coming weeks,
but with Cedric Houston expected to miss the next few games with
an injured knee, his number of touches could increase sooner than
expected. It remains to be seen how productive Washington can
be out of the backfield on a routine basis, but he could have
value as a reserve running back late in the season and is worth
adding to your roster if you lack depth at the position.
Vernand Morency, GB: With Ahman
Green unable to go last Monday night, Vernand Morency got the
start in Green Bay's backfield. He carried the ball 26 times for
99 yards and added 19 more on 6 receptions. Green has been hampered
with a bad hamstring the past few weeks and there's no guarantee
he'll be able to return at, or near 100% during the season. If
he misses more game, expect Morency to get 20-25 touches a game
in his absence. Once Green returns, we may still see Morency getting
6-10 carries a game.
Correll Buckhalter & Ryan Moats,
PHI: Along with Ahman Green, Brian Westbrook was a late
scratch from Monday night's game. In his absence, the Eagles used
a combination of Correll Buckhalter and Ryan Moats to move the
ball in the backfield. Buckhalter led the way with 13 touches
for 88 yards, but also fumbled twice from inside the Packers five
yard line. Moats carried 7 times for 22 yards. If Westbrook's
injured knee causes him to miss an extended period of time this
season, both Buckhalter and Moats will continue receiving looks
out of the Eagles backfield. If you need more depth at the RB
position, consider picking one of them up.
Steppin' Down
Brian Westbrook, PHI: Westbrook's
injured knee has been a concern since the first week of the season.
Up until Monday however, it wasn't expected to cost him any playing
time early in the year. When on the field, you can expect Westbrook
to continue performing as a #1 fantasy back. The concern here
is weather or not he'll miss significant amounts of playing time
during the season in order to have his knee taken care of. He's
expected to play this week against the Cowboys, but you may need
to keep your fingers crossed in order for him to make it to the
bye in Week 9 without missing another game.
Steppin' Up
Lee Evans, BUF: After producing
just 4 receptions for 44 yards in the first two games this season,
more than a few people were prepared to declare Evans a bust.
He's rebounded nicely since then with 15 receptions for 197 yards
during the past two weeks and is beginning to perform to expectations.
He still hasn't found the endzone, but the number of looks he
receives on a weekly basis makes him a reliable threat to catch
at least 5 passes in any game. Evans may not have a break out
season, but he should still finish among the top 25 WRs at his
position.
Terry Glenn, DAL: While Terrell
Owens is getting all the attention in Dallas, it's Terry Glenn
who has been making the big plays for the Cowboys. In three games,
he has 15 receptions for 229 yards and 3 TDs. The 11-year vet
is well on his way to his second consecutive thousand-yard season
and could finish with as many as 10 touchdowns this year after
recording 8 a season ago. If you have the depth to acquire Glenn
in a trade, you won't regret the decision to add him to your starting
line-up.
Mike Furrey, DET: Furrey has
taken over as the number two receiver opposite Roy Williams this
year in Detroit. His 22 receptions for 242 yards and 2 touchdowns
through four games are already career highs. It's hard to imagine
he'll continue producing at this rate throughout the season, but
at the moment he's worth a roster spot and is playing as well
as any #3 fantasy receiver around.
Jerricho Cotchery, NYJ: After
earning a starting role with his preseason play, Cotchery is now
delivering on the field when it counts. He has scored a touchdown
in 3 of the Jets 4 games and is averaging 15.8 yards a catch on
18 receptions for 284 yards. With Chad Pennington under center,
and Laveraneus Coles drawing defenders to the opposite side of
the field, expect Cotchery to continue his production.
Steppin' Down
Randy Moss, OAK: No one is safe
in the fantasy wasteland that is the Oakland Raiders, not even
Randy Moss. Three games into the season and Moss has just 7 receptions
for 84 yards and 1 touchdown. While he's bound to have a few big
games sprinkled throughout the year, the Raiders offense has performed
so poorly that it's getting difficult to continue starting him
week after week.
Donte' Stallworth, PHI: Stallworth
started the season with a bang as he caught 11 passes for 222
yards and 2 touchdowns in his first two games as a member of the
Philadelphia Eagles. Since then, he's been hampered with a hamstring
injury that caused him to miss one game and is expected to keep
him out of this week match-up with the Cowboys. Considering Stallworth's
past problems involving his hamstring, the injury is cause for
concern as it could limit his production throughout the year.
Steppin' Up
Jermaine Wiggins, MIN: Wiggins
may not be your best option on a weekly basis, but he's a great
tight end to use in a platoon situation if you were unable to
grab one of the elite players at the position during your draft.
He has 14 receptions for 121 yards this season and should continue
getting plenty of looks throughout the year. He has added value
in point per reception leagues.
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