WEEK 9 FANTASY FOOTBALL

November 1, 2005 1:00 PM ET

By now you know that the key to a fantasy football championship isn't just a sound draft; you need to constantly monitor your squad, buying low and selling high to keep your juggernaut humming along at maximum efficiency. To assist you in this endeavor, we've identified a few players whose pendulum is swinging with the tangy zip of upside—and a few swinging in entirely the opposite direction.

On the Rise
QB: Trent Green, Chiefs - Green is a notoriously slow starter, and every year fantasy owners tend to forget his trends and drop his stock early in the season. Of course, we can't blame people for moving Trent down the ranks when he managed only four touchdowns and 1,060 yards through five games. However, Green threw for 289 yards in week seven, piled up 347 yards and two scores in week eight, and is now up to six scores and 1,696 yards on the season. Those stats aren't too far behind the 1,781 yards and nine scores that Green owned at this point in 2004, and we all know where he ended up. The Chiefs still face all their rivals (Raiders, Broncos, Chargers) at home and visit weak pass defenses like the Texans and the Giants.

RB: Kevin Jones, Lions - We certainly haven't forgotten that Jones didn't really get going until week 10 of the 2004 season, and we've tried not too panic too much about his slow start this year. Over the past two weeks, Kevin showed signs of breaking out when he rushed for 74 yards against the Browns and managed 66 yards and a score against the Bears. Considering Chicago hadn't given up a rushing touchdown all season, Jones' trip to the end zone was no small feat. The Lions' remaining schedule shapes up very well for Kevin and their running game, and we're looking forward to this sophomore rolling up big numbers in contests against the Vikings (twice), Packers, Saints, Cardinals, and Falcons.

WR: Eric Moulds, Bills - When Kelly Holcomb took over for J.P. Losman in week five, many people thought the immediate reward would be more long bombs to the speedy Lee Evans. However, it's been Moulds and his fantasy owners who have reaped the most benefits. The veteran has caught 27 balls for 283 yards and three touchdowns over the past four games, and it's been over a year since we've seen Moulds supply this type of production. We have to worry about Losman re-taking the reins later in the season, but for the moment, this three-time Pro Bowler has moved back into every-week fantasy starter status.

TE: Tony Gonzalez, Chiefs - It's not coincidence that Green and Gonzalez find themselves in this article together. The pair has been working together for five seasons, and their stats tend to ebb and flow together. Gonzo was one of the biggest fantasy busts through the first five weeks, but, like Green, we've seen better stats over the past two contests. Tony has caught seven balls in two straight games, and he finally found the end zone in week eight. That's the exact same time that the perennial Pro Bowler really started to roll in 2004, and we once again feel safe labeling Gonzo as a top-three fantasy tight end.

K: Rob Bironas, Titans - It doesn't make that a rookie kicker for a rebuilding, injury-riddled squad is doing well, but the fact is that Bironas has earned some fantasy value through the first half of the season. Rob has hit a solid 14-of-17 field goals, and the upcoming schedule forecasts many more attempts and points. The Titans make a none-too-treacherous visit to Cleveland in week nine, are on the bye in week 10, and then play four-of-five in Tennessee. Bironas is averaging over two field goals and better than eight points per home game, and we envision a long string of Chuck Woolery outings (two-and-two) in Rob's future.

 

Falling Fast
QB: Drew Bledsoe, Cowboys - Just when Drew reeled fantasy owners in, we're pulling them back out. Bledsoe charmed Cowboy fans and fantasy teams with his work through six weeks, but life hasn't been so good since the team lost left tackle Flozell Adams and third receiver Patrick Crayton. The veteran quarterback managed only 136 yards and one score in week seven and 220 yards and one touchdown in week eight. With a bye week ahead and remaining tough clashes in Philadelphia, New York, and Washington, Bledsoe's fantasy star is waning.

RB: Domanick Davis, Texans - The Texans have proven that they don't have much on an offense outside of Dom, and they've fed him the rock 28 times in two consecutive games. Those 56 rushes over a two-game stretch are a career-high for Davis, and we wonder if he can continue to operate well under such a heavy workload. We're also worried about a schedule that finds the Texans on the road in four of the next six games. Davis is averaging only 56 rushing yards, 79 total yards, and 3.3 yards-per-carry away from Reliant Stadium, and he has yet to record a rushing touchdown on the road.

WR: Terry Glenn, Cowboys - As with the Green-Gonzo combination above, it's not surprising that Bledsoe and Glenn find themselves together in this article. Terry is the Cowboys' best deep threat, and Bledsoe often posts his best stats when his blazer is burning defenses deep. Glenn was doing just that through five games, when he piled up 518 yards, three scores, and 22.5 yards-per-catch. In the last three contests, though, Terry has slowed down and managed 164 yards, no touchdowns, and only 12.6 yards-per-grab. Glenn has a long history of doing his best work early in the season, and it appears as though he's following that pattern once again.

TE: Randy McMichael, Dolphins - Speaking of players who start strong but diminish as the season continues, we come to this fading 'Fin. McMichael caught a touchdown in each of the Dolphins first four games, but he's gone scoreless in three straight. He also nabbed six and eight passes in weeks one and two but has managed only 12 receptions in five contests since. Sadly, we don't expect his stats to bounce back, either. Over his career, Randy has scored 13 touchdowns and averaged 49 yards in weeks one-through-eight. In weeks nine-through-16, he's caught one touchdown and averaged 25 yards.

K: Adam Vinatieri, Patriots - Clutch, game-winning kicks are all well and good for highlight films and contract negotiations, but fantasy owners want their boys to knock field goals throughout the games as well. Vinatieri is failing in that respect. He's missed one field goal in four of the past five games, and he's notched multiple triples in only two of the Patriots' seven contests. At this point last season, Vinny had hit 14-of-15 field goals, and it's awfully tough to continuing calling him the best fantasy kicker with only nine makes through seven games this year.