9/7/06
Fantasy football players should treat the opening week of the season
like a fine restaurant, not a fast-food restaurant.
A little patience can reap big rewards.
Experienced fantasy football players know not to panic if a few
of their players struggle in Week One. It’s just one week,
not an entire season.
Inexperienced fantasy football owners panic when their players don’t
meet their preseason expectations in the opening weeks.
Owners who traded Indianapolis wide receiver Reggie Wayne when he
stumbled during the first two weeks last season with 69 yards and
no TDs against the tough defenses of Baltimore and Jacksonville
regretted it after he finished the season strong.
Owners who dropped Dallas wide receiver Terry Glenn when he opened
last season with a 42-yard, no-TD effort were kicking themselves
after he busted out for 157 yards and a TD in Week Two.
The lesson? Don’t make any drastic moves after Week 1 or the
first couple weeks.
Here’s a few players that could start the season cold because
they face a tough schedule: Detroit wide receiver Roy Williams (Seattle
in Week 1, Chicago in Week 2); Jacksonville quarterback Byron Leftwich
(Dallas, Pittsburgh, Indianapolis); Minnesota running back Chester
Taylor (Washington, Carolina, Chicago); New York Giants running
back Tiki Barber (Indianapolis, Philadelphia, Seattle); and Tampa
Bay wide receiver Joey Galloway (Baltimore, Atlanta, Carolina).
If you notice one of the star players listed above or another star
player start slow on another owner’s team, offer a sub-par
player who’s off to a hot start for that slumping star in
a trade. Then, laugh all the way to your league title.
Hot Read
Frank Gore, San Francisco: The
trade of running back Kevan Barlow to the New York Jets shot Gore
up preseason running back rankings. Gore shined with Barlow out
of the picture in the last three weeks last season, gaining 255
yards, including a 108-yard effort in Week 17 against Houston
and a two-touchdown game against St. Louis in Week 16.
Broken Play(er)
Cedric Benson, Chicago: The
second-year pro didn’t play in a preseason game for the
second straight season, this time with a shoulder injury. Thomas
Jones has been named the Bears’ starting running back and
clearly is the favorite of teammates to be the Bears’ go-to
back, so Benson’s touches could be limited early in the
season.
Off The Bench
Laveranues Coles, N.Y. Jets:
The wide receiver faces Tennessee, which gave up the most touchdown
passes (33) last season. Coles should find some lanes to run in
against the Titans’ young secondary.
Safe Bet
Ben Watson, New England: Wide
receiver Deion Branch appears likely to not be in the Patriots’
lineup due to his holdout. With David Givens gone to Tennessee,
Watson is quarterback Tom Brady’s most-familiar target.
Look for the tight end to catch at least five passes with a possible
touchdown.
Extra Point
Keep an eye on Arizona’s run/pass ratio during the first
few weeks of the season. Last season, the Cardinals ranked first
in passing plays and yards and last in rushing plays and yards.
With Edgerrin James signing a free-agent deal from Indianapolis,
Arizona is expected to run the ball much more than the 35 percent
it did last season. If this ratio closes, examine if it affects
the production of Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin.
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