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At Wager On Football's Fantasy Football expert stops by
every week to give you the lowdown on Fantasy Football.
Fantasy insight is invaluable when it comes to gaining knowledge
about the one thing that consumes so many of us die hard
football fans for six months every year. So Listen Up!!
Week 6 - Drive This!! & Other Tidbits
By:
David Bachman Fantasy Football Editor
10/20/04
We'd like to officially welcome the Drivers back to the
mainstream.
In the fantasy football arena, the similarly surnamed Packer
receiver has also bounced back nicely after some time away
from the spotlight.
Back in 2002, Donald Driver seemed ticketed for stardom
following a bust-out campaign in his fourth NFL season.
He caught 70 passes for 1,064 yards and nine touchdowns,
inking a five-year, $19-million contract extension and earning
a trip to Hawaii in the process.
Big things were expected from Brett Favre's top target
the following season—but, much like Minnie's decision
to eschew nude scenes since 1998's The Governess, Driver
disappointed greatly.
Belying his top-10 ranking entering the season, Driver's
digits slipped to 52 catches, 621 yards, and a meager two
touchdowns. Robert Ferguson caught twice as many touchdowns,
Javon Walker topped his yardage total and lapped him with
nine scores, and Driver quickly plummeted to the bottom
of the Packer pass-catching hierarchy.
It's entirely possible Driver went undrafted in your league
coming into the season, as Walker was the sexy pick among
Green Bay receivers. Bubba Franks was the red-zone target,
Ahman Green had the ground game under control, and Ferguson
and Driver were question marks at best.
The Donald didn't exactly burst from the gate, though his
scintillating three-catch, 39-yard performance in week one
led Packer receivers. His next two games (five for 49, six
for 64 with a touch) weren't bad, but they paled in comparison
to Walker's 18 catches, 300 yards, and three scores.
Another relatively quiet week (four catches, 31 yards)
likely relegated Driver to the end of the bench, if not
into the free agent pool outright. And most of the viewing
public had turned off the Monday night loss to Tennessee
before Driver finished collecting his 10 catches and 150
yards—and, once again, his numbers were overshadowed
by Walker's 159 yards and a touchdown.
Last week, with Walker nicked up and Ferguson sidelined
due to knee and ankle issues, Driver reasserted himself
among Favre's targets. His nine-catch, 110-yard, two-touchdown
performance accounted for the plurality of Green Bay's receiving
numbers, and just like that he's a hot fantasy commodity
again.
But this won't be a case of chasing last week's numbers.
According to the fine folks at Stats, Inc., who crunch more
numbers than a mob accountant at tax time, Walker is targeted
more than any other pass-catcher except for the Redskins'
Laveranues Coles and the Texans' Andre Johnson. An average
of 10 Favre aerials are being directed Driver's way, more
than any other Packer. So last week wasn't merely Driver
taking advantage of injuries to pad his stats.
Moreover, we know that only five players have more catches
in the red zone than Driver's five.
We've all played enough fantasy football to know that even
the best teams are bound to have at least one highly drafted
player who hasn't lived up to preseason expectations.
These are players who were selected with the idea that
they'd be must-play starters every week but have instead
given their owners a season-long headache.
The biggest problem with these underachievers is that oh-so
dreaded notion of potential. They've produced big numbers
before, so it's only a matter of time before they have a
monster game, we tell ourselves. So we roll them out every
week only to get another dud performance and leave us lamenting
not playing that benchwarmer who caught seven passes for
100 yards and a touchdown.
We've all been there, and, after six weeks, here's a group
of projected big-time players who are currently making their
owners sick with regret:
• Top-tier quarterback: Steve McNair. Last season's
co-MVP has accounted for five TDs in five games while averaging
just 181 passing yards and missing a start. Blame it on
RB Chris Brown's success if you must, but McNair should
be much better than this. Dishonorable mention: Michael
Vick, Chad Pennington and Matt Hasselbeck, who have not
found the end zone enough, are all being out-produced by
Drew Brees.
• Top-tier running back: Kevan Barlow. It's likely
that someone's second-round pick, including one of mine,
was used to select this bust. He has just three touchdowns
and one 100-yard game while also having rushed for less
than 50 yards in three outings. Dishonorable mention: Clinton
Portis and Ahman Green have combined to score as many TDs
(six) as Warrick Dunn.
• Second-tier running back: Rudi Johnson. Another
guy who's hurting one of my teams, Johnson has two TDs and
one 100-yard game in five starts (he did have 98 in one
game). Even though he has never been considered much of
a pass-catcher, his two receptions for 4 yards are an embarrassment.
Dishonorable mention: Travis Henry, who has yet to score,
and Quentin Griffin, who after a big first game has lost
his starting job to Reuben Droughns.
• Top-tier wide receiver: Santana Moss. Very difficult
to bench because of his big-play ability, but in four games
(he missed last week with a hamstring injury) he has yet
to score while averaging about 58 yards. One would have
been better off drafting Steve Smith, putting him on IR
after the first week and using Donald Driver, Brandon Stokley,
Reggie Wayne or André Davis. Dishonorable mention:
Chad Johnson has been talking, but he hasn't done much walking.
He has one TD and is gaining about 67 yards a game.
• Second-tier wide receiver: Jerry Porter. With Tim
Brown gone and Jerry Rice fading, this was to be Porter's
season to shine. But, boy, has he fallen flat, averaging
about 45 yards without finding the end zone. Ronald Curry,
a former college quarterback and point guard, has been the
Raiders' best receiving option. Dishonorable mention: Peerless
Price and Chris Chambers have combined for two TDs, both
to Chambers, who is averaging a whopping 36 yards to Price's
45.
• Third-tier wide receiver: Justin McCareins. A popular
"sleeper" pick, McCareins is the third member
of the Jets' passing to be mentioned. His numbers are about
equal to Chambers' but without the two scores. Dishonorable
mention: David Terrell has just 151 yards since going for
126 in the opener.
• Tight end: Boo Williams. A strong second half in
2003 made Williams a popular draft-day choice, but his 116
yards and one TD have been a major disappointment. Dishonorable
mention: Wasn't the Titans' Erron Kinney supposed to be
the next Frank Wycheck?
As I finish up watching the sixth week of NFL action, I
have more questions than answers. For instance, exactly
when did they quit teaching tackling in high school and
college. This generation flooding NFL currently apparently
for the most part never learned that crucial aspect of the
game. Half of these guys couldn't wrap up a decent fajita,
let alone a 220 pound back.
I have another question. Why do people continue to call
Jerome Bettis "The Bus"? His nickname now should
be something like "Trash Truck" instead, because
he's just hanging around to pick up Duce Staley's scraps.
Big showdown coming between the Patriots and Jets this
week. Santana Moss is listed as probable to play, but doubtful
to catch more than his usual one pass.
Remember when you drafted this year, and some moron took
Culpepper in the first round and you laughed at him. And
then you laughed again when the draft was over and you realized
his starting running back was going to be Tiki Barber. And
now he's 6-0 and laughing at you with your Marvin Harrison
Santana Moss receiving corps. Yep, that's funny stuff alright.
On the Fox pre game show this week the gang was outside
on location and I swear to you, finally after all these
years I actually saw Jimmy Johnson's hair move.
Here is something I noticed during the Dallas / Pittsburgh
game. I consider myself a pretty fair lip reader, and it
did not take much expertise to notice one of the trainers
or coaches from the Cowboys give it to Keyshawn Johnson.
Johnson had just caught the ball in the end zone for a TD,
and gave the ball to a boy in a wheelchair. Afterward on
the sideline I saw one of the Cowboys staff call Key two
words that began with the letters "m" and "f".
Then Key got a "whatever" look on his face and
turned around. I swear I saw this. I don't understand of
all times why someone would call Key an "m" 'f'
at that moment of rare selflessness, but apparently Key
just brings out the best in people wherever he goes. Keyshawn,
giving that TD ball to a disabled boy was a class act, I
don't care if you are an "m" "f" or
not.
MISERY INDEX
10) BROWNS: Ok, here come the nasty e-mails. There's no
way the Browns deserve to be in the misery index after winning
to go 3-3 on the season. But check their upcoming schedule.
Nasty. Four turnovers per game against any of their upcoming
opponents will not result in the happy ending they experienced
against the Bungles.
9) SEAHAWKS: When I saw the stats from this game crawl
across the bottom of my TV screen, and noticed that Koren
Robinson had 9 receptions, I said to myself, "Holy
Crap! They must've thrown him the ball 40 times!"
8) COWBOYS: Not only did the Cowboys self destruct again,
the faithful let the Steelers fans take over the stadium.
Disgraceful. The eyes of Texas were apparently at home upon
the TV instead of at the stadium. How long before Parcells
decides that if the players and the fans aren't really interested
in what he's selling maybe he should do something more enjoyable,
like maybe shoveling horse stalls or telemarketing.
7) SAINTS: Getting torched by Daunte Culpepper certainly
is not unique this season. The Saints are just this weeks
victim. Unfortunately the Saints get torched every week,
and it's looking more and more like maybe Aaron Brooks has
a cheap prosthetic in place of an actual brain.
6) BUNGLES: Even Chad Johnson's entertaining Pepto Bismol
routine failed to jumpstart this surprisingly sleepy team.
Note to Bungles: Do not wait any longer. Try and salvage
the season the season by putting Kitna back under center.
Carson Palmer needs to be put back in the oven for awhile,
he's not ready. And I'm not saying all this just because
Chad Johnson is killing my fantasy team. Aw, what the hell.
That's exactly why I'm saying all this. Coach Lewis, don't
make me beg you. Because I will.
5) RAIDERS: Jerry Rice and Al Davis worked out an agreement
and avoided becoming the NFL's own version of Grumpy Old
Men. Rice got the ball rolling by starting his own trade
rumors which was strangely effective. Now Rice will take
his show on the road and be probably be shoved into another
mentoring role with another set of clueless receivers. But
it's nice that Al Davis had enough respect for Rice to allow
him the opportunity to escape the Black Hole and the misery
that will reside there this season. Anybody else but Rice
would have got smacked in the nose with a rolled up newspaper
and told to play dead.
4) CHIEFS: You can't accuse the Chiefs of not being generous.
This week they took pity on a poor soul named Fred Taylor,
and let him remember, if only for a few hours what it was
like to be a productive NFL back. The defense only gave
up 22, which for this sad group is about as good as it gets,
and the offense did not take advantage of this rare opportunity
to win a game by only scoring 23.
3) BUCCANEERS: Martin Gramatica es muy el stinko.
2) 49ers: Right about now Dennis Erickson is talking to
Dave Wannstedt about opening a restaurant when they both
get fired this January.
1) TITANS: Did the team stay up late doing crack Saturday
night? Major identity crisis from week to week here. The
team like so many in the league is capable of stunning victories
followed by chunk blowers the following week. McNair's clock
may be running out. He is not an old man, but his body is
about 68. Titans fans are now feeling the pain McNair feels
every Monday morning.
In a class by themselves) DOLPHINS: Wow, that was close.
Just a 3 point loss. The perfect season is intact. I know
some of you corrected me last week about winless seasons.
But in my mind, there is a world of difference in an expansion
team in 1976 (cast-offs, rejects, and washed up veterans)
and a well established team in the NFL today. Should the
Dolphins pull this off, it will be the most monumental record
of distinction in Misery Index history or future. The Dolphins
have maybe 2 or 3 legitimate chances to screw this thing
up, the toughest test will be a home game against Arizona
three weeks from now. Smooth sailing until then though.
Brandon Lloyd is back: Lloyd is healthy again, as is QB
Tim Rattay, and the two clearly have a good on-field relationship.
Lloyd has scored in two consecutive games, and has regained
the faith of some fantasy owners who had clearly written
him off after a slow start. Lloyd has the ability to make
the key catch with his good hands and body control, and
as demonstrated on his 33-yard scoring catch on Sunday,
he can also make the occasional big play. Lloyd did have
one miscommunication with Rattay in which he appeared to
let a ball sail over his head instead of catching it. But
the two should continue to work through any issues. He's
a quality No. 3 fantasy receiver right now.
You must take Willis McGahee very seriously: McGahee was
Buffalo's featured back because Travis Henry had a foot
injury, yet after his performance against Miami, it's clear
McGahee is the more appealing of the two RBs right now.
Even though he was denied near the goal line more than once,
McGahee still battled hard and was tough to bring down.
Those 111 yards came against the winless Dolphins, yet Miami's
defense is still sturdy, and passing the 100-yard mark against
them is an accomplishment of note. McGahee added more balance
to the Buffalo offense, and fantasy leaguers should expect
to see more of him in the near future, because he challenges
defenses more than a healthy Henry did earlier in the year.
Sammy Morris is the flavor of the week: Many owners will
rush to add Morris after he totaled 119 yards from scrimmage
at Buffalo. Beware of doing anything more than simply adding
him as a reserve. Morris, who might have been motivated
to play well against his former team this week, could be
a risky start in the weeks ahead. He has much to prove,
and Miami still could use other backs in a committee approach.
The Dolphins will also play from behind a lot, and the running
game won't be a regular factor in the offense.
Clinton Portis has started a positive surge: Portis had
been quite a disappointment for most of his fantasy owners
before he busted loose with a 171-yard outing in a win over
Chicago. With Green Bay, Deroit and Cincinnati ahead on
the schedule, Portis could have been enjoying the beginning
of a resurgence on Sunday. Portis has a bye in Week 7, though,
and his schedule gets tougher beginning in Week 11. So there
will be more bad to come with the good in the weeks ahead.
Cincinnati's offense should have everyone worried: This
team should put Jon Kitna back in the lineup for a shot
of adrenaline. Sure, the defense doesn't help any, but at
least Kitna has shown the ability to fire up the troops
and put up good numbers when the defense isn't cooperating.
The numbers of Chad Johnson are suffering, and Rudi Johnson
is becoming less useful as defenses are focusing on stopping
the run while making young Carson Palmer try to beat them
in the air, which doesn't happen enough. Unless Kitna gets
a chance soon, Chad and Rudi will continue to see their
totals fluctuate. It's not all Palmer's fault (Chad dropped
four passes) but a change of leadership is needed after
not being able to play well against a very vulnerable Cleveland
defense.
Confusion will continue to reign in Cleveland's backfield:
William Green rushed for more than 100 yards against the
Bengals, and Lee Suggs led the team with 100 receiving yards,
including a 59-yard TD reception. Suggs did have a good
game as expected, yet he was limited to 19 rushing yards
on 13 carries. And Green excelled just when many fantasy
leaguers were ready to dismiss him altogether. It's already
a well-known fact you can't trust Green, and he did face
a very soft run defense. And Suggs still has yet to explode
as a rusher. Don't depend on either of these two as starters
until one clearly emerges over the other. And don't be surprised
if that doesn't happen, either, and both continue to see
their numbers rise and fall during the rest of the year.
Tampa Bay holdout Keenan McCardell got what he wanted Tuesday
when the Buccaneers traded him to the San Diego Chargers
for two picks in next year's NFL draft.
The 34-year-old wide receiver stayed away from training
camp and vowed to sit out the entire season if the Bucs
did not give him a substantial raise over the $2.5 million
he was scheduled to earn under a contract that also would
have paid him $2.75 million in 2005.
The deal with the Chargers, who gave up third- and sixth-round
draft picks in 2005, came just over a week after McCardell
flew to Tampa from his home in Houston to meet with coach
Jon Gruden in an unsuccessful bid to end the stalemate.
The trade came two days after San Diego's leading wide
receiver, Reche Caldwell, hurt his right knee in a 21-20
loss at Atlanta. Coach Marty Schottenheimer declined to
provide an update on the severity of Caldwell's injury on
Monday, other than to say it was unlikely he'll play at
Carolina on Sunday.
Caldwell is San Diego's leading receiver, with 18 catches
for 310 yards - an average of 17.2 yards - and three scores.
Tight end Antonio Gates leads the team with 37 catches for
422 yards and three scores.
Rueben Droughns past two rushing performances have diminished
Quentin Griffin (4 carries for 16 yards) to a back-up role.
The fact that Tatum Bell is still having problems picking
up some of the intricacies of the pass protection schemes
will slow what most say is inevitable, his status as the
Broncos number one running back. Droughns should experience
continued success against the Bengals on Sunday. Cincinnati
enters the week ranked last in the league in run defense.
Here are some recent questions I've received, along
with my responses
Would you trade McNair for Vick to start? Is M.
Faulk and Chad Johnson for Harrison and Suggs a fair trade?
Or is Javon Walker and Suggs for Chad Johnson and Portis
better? Thanks. Mike, Cleveland
I'd start McNair this week for sure, and overall I'd probably
take him over Vick at this point. I like the Harrison/Suggs
side better - Faulk is going to wear down, and Harrison
should pick it up. I'd take Johnson and Portis over Walker
and Suggs. In other words, get Portis, not Faulk, and give
Walker, not Harrison.
I am in a 10 team keeper league. I am looking at
picking up either Ronald Curry or Drew Bennett this week.
I would like your opinions out of the rb's and wr's I have,
if I should drop someone to pick one or both up. I think
Bennett could have a solid season. RB's are Edge, Travis
Henry, Chris Brown,Artose Pinner, Amos Zereoue, & Mewelde
Moore. WR's are Owens,Javon Walker, Lelie, Mccareins,Colbert,
and Marcus Robinson. We start one qb,k,dst,1rb,2wr,and two
flex which can be rb's,te,or wr. Thanks greatly for your
advice. Dwayne, Kansas City
Dwayne,
You have a pretty solid core to begin with. I wouldn't drop
any of your running backs. I would consider dumping McCareins
for Bennett, however. I'm a pretty big fan of Bennett's
potential for the rest of the season. One of my favorite
stats for receivers is "targets," or times a quarterback
has thrown to a certain player. It's a pretty good indicator
of how much a receiver is part of a team's gameplan and
how much his quarterback looks in his direction. Anyhow,
Bennett is fifth in the NFL in targets, having been thrown
to 48 times this season. I don't look for that to change
- the Titans don't have a healthy tight end, and Tyrone
Calico is out for most of the season, if not all of it.
What are your thoughts on plaxico burress? do u
think him and big ben have something going on? i am considering
trading him for emmit smith. the other owner wants me to
throw in donald driver. but i think i can get it straight
up. what are your thoughts on this? Jonny O. San
Francisco
Sorry, I can't recommend acquiring Emmitt Smith -- I suspect
the other owner is trying to "sell high" after
Smith had a couple of moderately productive games. I'm not
a big believer in Burress -- or any other Steeler receiver
not named Hines Ward... but there's certainly potential
there. Too much potential to give up for a fading superstar
like Smith.
GOOD LUCK IN WEEK 7 EVERYONE. Dave B.
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