Fantasy Football Today - fantasy football rankings, cheatsheets, and information
A Fantasy Football Community!




Create An Account  |  Advertise  |  Contact      







Staff Writer
Email Joe

Joe's Articles

Steppin' Up Steppin Down
Week 11
11/17/06

Quarterbacks

Steppin' Up

Ben Roethlisberger, PIT: The bad news for Roethlisberger owners is that he has thrown 14 interceptions in his 8 games played this season. The good news however, is that he is averaging 255 yards an outing, and all 10 of his touchdown passes have come within the last 5 games. Coming off his best performance of the year, in which he completed 17 of 28 passes for 264 yards and 3 touchdowns, Roethlisberger and the Steelers head to Cleveland for a match up against the Browns. While Cleveland has faired pretty well defending the pass (ranked 6th overall), they are atrocious when it comes to stopping the run (ranked 30th overall). Expect Willie Parker to have a good day rushing the ball, which should open things up for Roethlisberger and his receivers, resulting in another 200-plus yard 2-3 touchdown game. The following week he faces a difficult Ravens defense before playing home games against Tampa Bay and Cleveland. Consider benching him against the Ravens, but he should be a solid start at home against the Buccaneers and Browns.

Steppin' Down

Eli Manning, NYG: Not since Week 6 in a game against Washington has Eli Manning thrown for more than 190 yards in a game. In fact, in the 5 games since then, Manning is averaging just 165 yards an outing and completing a lowly 51.7% of his passes. While Eli has thrown at least 1 touchdown in all but 1 game this season, he has also thrown at least 1 interception in all but 2 of them. The third-year QB still has a lot of potential going forward and may be able to capitalize on it again this season. But with his recent struggles and the loss of wide receiver Amani Toomer for the season, it may be best to keep him benched and take a wait and see approach before inserting him back into your starting lineup.

Matt Leinart, ARI: Despite an impressive showing in the first two starts of his career, Leinart has looked more and more like a rookie quarterback in recent weeks. When he took over for Kurt Warner in Week 5, the 10th overall pick in this years draft combined for 485 passing yards and 4 touchdowns in games against the Kansas City Chiefs and Chicago Bears. Since then, his production has dropped off significantly. In the last 3 weeks, Leinart has thrown 7 interceptions and completed just 44.8% of his passes. He's thrown just 1 touchdown and averaged less than 200 yards a game during that same span. While the return of Larry Fitzgerald provides hope for the Cardinals young QB going forward, it's become apparent that you won't be able to rely on him as a starter in fantasy leagues. He's worth a flier in this weeks contest against the Lions, but only if you lack a more reliable option.

Running Backs

Steppin' Up

Willie Parker, PIT: Following the retirement of Jerome Bettis, there were questions surrounding Willie Parker and whether or not he could handle the load of being a full-time back in the Steelers backfield. So far Parker has done a good job keeping his critics quiet. In six of the Steelers' first nine games this season, Parker has carried the ball 20 time or more. With the presence of Bettis last year, that was an accomplishment he achieved only 5 times throughout the entire 2005 season. Not only has Parker proven he can handle a heavy workload, but he has also shown the ability to punch the ball into the end zone. After rushing for 4 touchdowns last season--due to Bettis vulturing 9 scores--Parker has run for 8 touchdowns in his 9 games, adding an additional 2 by way of receptions. Following his 213-yard outing against the Saints last week, Parker is now averaging 4.6 yards per carry. While he may struggle in the two games Pittsburgh has left against the Ravens, he should find ample success this week against the Browns, and again when he faces them on 7th of December. He should also fair well in coming weeks against Tampa Bay and Carolina.

Steppin' Down

Julius Jones, DAL: While Jones has maintained his rank atop the Cowboys depth chart at running back this season, his lack of scoring opportunities cuts into his value dramatically. The issue hasn't been the teams inability to put him in position to score, rather it's the fact that Marion Barber III tends to get all the carries near the goal line. Jones has outnumbered Barber in carries this year by a count of 180 to 73, yet he has less than half as many touchdowns as Barber. Furthermore, Jones has struggled a bit in recent weeks, carrying 72 times for 240 yards (3.3 YPC) in his last 4 games. When Jones is totaling nearly 100 yards a game as he did in the early parts of the season, he makes for a solid #2 RB. When he performs like he has in the past few weeks however, it becomes frustrating to keep him in your starting line-up. The Cowboys contest against the Colts this week may be just what Jones needs to get himself back on track, so if you have him, play him. Don't hesitate to go with other options down the stretch however if he continues to struggle.

Wide Receivers

Steppin' Up

Donte' Stallworth, PHI: Following the Eagles bye in Week 9, Stallworth returned to the Eagles line-up last Sunday at the closest he's been to 100% since the 2nd week of the season. The former New Orleans Saint has been hampered by a hamstring injury throughout much of the year, but when healthy, he has been ultra productive. In the 3 games he has played without his injury being a hindrance, the 5th year vet has 17 receptions for 361 yards (21.2 YPR) and scored a touchdown in each of those outings. Now that the hamstring issue appears to be behind him, expect Stallworth to continue having solid, if not spectacular, outings on a consistent basis.

Steppin' Down

Eric Moulds, HOU: Moulds began the season with his new team by posting 6 receptions for 68 yards and a touchdown in Week 1 against the Eagles. He went on to record 4 receptions in each of the next 4 games for a total of 206 yards, making him a fairly reliable #3 WR in point per reception leagues. In the 4 games since then however, while he has steadily caught 3 passes a game, he has only totaled 89 yards--less than 30 yards per outing. Needless to say, Moulds' lack of production in recent weeks has made him a less attractive option than he appeared to be at the start of the year.

Tight Ends

Steppin' Up

Jerramy Stevens, SEA: Stevens was inactive through the first 6 weeks of the season due to a knee injury he suffered in August that required surgery. When he returned to action in Week 7, he was held without a reception before following it up with a touchdown on 3 catches for 20 yards against the Kansas City Chiefs. He was then held without a reception in Week 9 against the Raiders before catching another touchdown on 3 receptions for 29 yards last Sunday against the Rams. While Stevens yardage hasn't been impressive, his 6'7" frame makes him a legitimate scoring threat inside the red zone. Once Matt Hasselbeck returns to action, you may also see an increase in Stevens' yardage production as he is capable of making plays down the field. If you rotate players at the tight end position and still haven't found a reliable starter on a weekly basis, Stevens may be able to fill that void.

Steppin' Down

L.J. Smith, PHI: Smith began the season with 13 receptions for 167 yards in games against the Houston Texans and New York Giants. In Week 3, he recorded his 1st touchdown, and he remained active in the following 4 games as he caught 12 passes for 187 yards and another touchdown. In the Eagles past 2 games however, their tight end has been less active, posting just 2 receptions for 19 yards. While it's likely Smith will be more involved in the Eagles passing attack than he has been in the past 2 games the rest of the way, it is a bit concerning that he has had 2 or less receptions in 4 of their past 6 games. If you own him, continue starting him, but consider grabbing a tight end off the waiver wire as a second option if there are worthy players available.