Though Patrick Crayton has been a relatively dependable No. 2 wideout for Dallas, Williams is a huge upgrade --- when he tries. In Dallas, I think he'll try. Temper your expectations seeing as Brad Johnson takes over for Tony Romo for the forseeable future, but late in the season, Williams could be a top-15 wideout.
Calvin Johnson's stock should go up slightly as well, as he'll be targeted more. Yes, he'll be doubled more, too, but really, he's talented enough to make it through the defense.
Terrell Owens won't be impacted much, but he'll still complain.
Here are the ups and downs:
UP: Romo (slightly), Williams (big), Calvin Johnson (slightly)
DOWN: Owens (slightly), Crayton (big)
Doesn't bode well for me.
]]>Here we go folk, I'll be updating throughout the night.
Enjoy, Joe.
O'Sullivan has thrown for three touchdowns today despite a relatively patchwork receiving corps. He has thrown two interceptions, and he will continue to, but those are somewhat meaningless related to his touchdowns.
Tony Romo was the second quarterback picked in most drafts, yet O'Sullivan is more valuable.
]]>Today, it's been Roddy White.
White has eight grabs for 132 yards and a touchdown halfway through the third quarter. Next year, White and others such as Dwayne Bowe, Calvin Johnson and Jerricho Cotchery will move up a tier in rankings.
The New York Giants passing game is looking absolutely fantastic, and it appears Eli Manning has officially ascended to top-8 status.
My QB rankings of Sunday morning at 10:39.
1) Tom Brady Tony Romo
2) Drew Brees
3) Jay Cutler
4) Philip Rivers
5) Peyton Manning
6) Donovan McNabb
7) Kurt Warner
8) Eli Manning
9) Jake Delhomme
10) Ben Roethlisberger
Here's some news today:
READ: Brett Favre has six touchdown passes on the day as New York leads Arizona, 56-35. Favre has found Laveraneous Coles three times and Jerricho Cotchery twice for TDs.
REACT: This is Favre's first six-TD game, but it proves one thing. The Jets will continue to pass 60-65% of the time. He should be moving up your board, as should Cotchery and Coles. All the talk about Favre and Coles being at odds is essentially squashed.
READ: Larry Johnson ran all over my Broncos' defense. My, as in I actually do own the team. Johnson has 198 yards and two touchdowns.
REACT: Denver's defense is one of the worst in the league, but give Johnson some credit .Many lost favor with Johnson after an injury-plagued 2007, but he appears to be healthy and effective. I don't know if I'd trade for him, but he is someone to watch.
READ: Drew Brees again has thrown for more than 300 yards, finishing with 363 and three touches against San Francisco. Seven passes for 103 yards and two scores went to Lance Moore.
REACT: Lance Who? Lance Your Next Free-Agent Pickup, that's who. Moore had four more grabs than any other Saints wideout, and Brees continually looked his way. Forget David Patten or Robert Meachem - go for Moore.
A is for Anquan:
The Cardinals' receiver had six receptions for 140 yards and three touchdowns, re-establishing him as one of the league's top fantasy targets. With Kurt Warner at quarterback, he will continue to be targeted, but expect some down weeks alongside another star in Larry Fitzgerald. As it stands, he's my No. 6 wideout behind Reggie Wayne, Andre Johnson, Brandon Marshall, Terrell Owens and Randy Moss.
C is for Chris Johnson:
Johnson is the best rookie running back in the game, besides...
D is for Darren McFadden:
Run DMC was so incredible on Sunday, my entire opinion of him changed. Granted, the Chiefs are atrocious. Like, really, really bad. But the best unit of the team is without the defensive line. Well, not on Sunday. McFadden and Co. combined for 300 (300!!!) yards on the ground, with the Razorback gaining 164 and a touchdown. Don't expect a rehash of Adrian Peterson, but McFadden could put together a few more WOW! games.
E is for John Elway:
Or more appropriately, the next John Elway. First, two important facts: I am a huge, huge Denver Broncos fan, and I know the Chargers' pass defense is an absolute joke. But Cutler looked like a young Elway against San Diego, releasing the ball with perfect timing, moving in the pocket to avoid the pass rush and, most importantly, looking off covered targets.
F is for Flukes and Fo' Real:
Here are three flukes: Jacksonville offense (will eventually explode), Aaron Rodgers (won't throw three TDs more than three times), Ahmad Bradshaw (only two-touchdown game)
Here are the Fo' Reals: Wes Welker (a true possession receiver, not just a Brady creation), Isaac Bruce (about 1.2 mile left in those wheels), Jonathan Stewart (I interviewed a shirtless Stewart after the Panthers/Chargers game in Week One. He is massive. He'll beat the hell out of opposing outside linebackers all year).
G is for Golden Graham:
Tampa Bay's easy Earnest needed a 68-yard touchdown run to have an effective fantasy performance, but he is a true No. 2 back.
H is for Houshmanzadeh and Holt:
Two guys, one young, one old, both drafted in the early 30s and both on awful teams. But Holt had 7 for 76 and a touch, and Housmanzadeh had 3 for 26. Cincinnati is looking truly pathetic, and it might be time to start worrying.
I is for Ick, or Indianapolis; or really, both:
The Minnesota defense is like Guiness (umm, very stout. Ouch, that was bad). But the Colts looked downright poor for most of the game. Maybe it's the loss of Jeff Saturday, or maybe Peyton Manning's absence in the preseason really mattered, but something is out of sync. Joseph Addai is slipping by the day. Keep an eye on it - a couple BIG weeks in a row, and I'd try to dump the guys.
J is for Jumping on/off the Bandwagon:
Run and leap onto the Broncos, Redskins and Cardinals bandwagons.
Sprint off the Browns' and Bears'.
K is for Karate Kid:
It's on AMC as I'm writing this. Daniel LaRusso really was a douchebag. I think I would've been on Zabka's side.
L is for luck:
Thaaaaank you, Ed Hochuli.
M is for Mo' Money:
Biggie Smalls was wrong' Mo Mo' Money, Less Problems. Marshawn Lynch is a top-six back at this point, and will continue to be as long as Trent Edwards is behind center. The Bills will never rely on Edwards, and will all but give Lynch the owner's box.
N is for Never Again:
...Will I draft a quarterback before Round 8. Cutler, Round 9. Schaub, Round 11. Rivers, Round 12. Fine by me.
O is for Offensive Explosion:
It's about time we as fantasy "experts" started judging fantasy football players based on offensive systems, and not on "potential." Look, Terrell Owens has Tony Romo. Brian Westbrook has Donovan McNabb. WHO cares if Roddy White looks great sometimes. He has a rookie quarterback. Doesn't matter how talented he is, he has a ROOKIE quarterback. Sorry for the CAPS.
P is for Patience:
Here are the five guys to wait out: Maurice Jones-Drew, Brandon Jacobs, Houshmanzadeh, Santonio Holmes, Edgerrin James.
Q is for Questionable:
The worst damn health designation in the NFL.
R is for Ryan Grant:
See Q.
S is for Santana:
Moss gave up his "Evil Ways" and was very "Smooth" against the Saints. Santana became a viable fantasy scorer again as Jason Campbell proved to be impressive, both "Revelations." Umm, he also likes the song "Black Magic Woman."
T is for Tony:
Scheffler, that is. He'll still have to battle Brandon Marshall and Eddie Royal for catches and Andre Hall/Selvin Young/Michael Pittman for red-zone targets. But he is very talented, and he and Cutler have a true bond, a la Romo and Jason Witten.
U is for Ugly:
The one way to describe the offensive lines of both the St. Louis Rams and Kansas City Chiefs. It will be interesting to see if Steven Jackson and Larry Johnson can do anything this season, in spite of their respective teams.
V is for Victories:
Certain wins for various NFL teams will have lasting fantasy repercussions. New England's 19-10 victory over a much-improved Jets team means they won't have to rely much on the offense, downgrading each of their star players (Moss, Maroney, Welker).
W is for Westbrooke:
Forget LT and forget AP; if healthy, Westbrook is the top fantasy back.
X is for X-Factor:
Now do you believe in Reggie Bush? The ultimate backfield receiving threat, Bush is an absolute No. 1 in PPR leagues. Not even a question at this point.
Y is for Yancey Thigpen:
Yes, a random name, from way back in 1995. Thigpen was a complete unknown, a football non-entity for his first three seasons, 1991-1994. Then in '94, Thigpen had 546 yards. The next season, he blew up for 1,307 yards. This season's Yancey?
Patrick Crayton.
Z is for Zilch:
As in, people who will read this two-hour long breakdown. If you did, leave a comment. I need the love, folks.
Here are my Golden Rules for fantasy football.
This should be your Bible, Koran and Torah rolled into one. A one-stop shop for the do's and don'ts of fantasy football. Pay attention, and remember: These may be fake teams, but it's real life.
Here are seven rules to live by, in honor of the greatest quarterback of all-time: John Elway.
Rule No. 1: Never draft a quarterback earlier than the fourth round.
Tom Brady's 2007 season was a fluke, an aberration. His 2008 season was a lot more realistic - thousands drafted him early, only for disappointment to slap them across the face. Granted, going out on the second series of the year was a surprise, but not much of one.
Rather than draft a QB early, wait a few rounds for a Brees/McNabb/Roethlisberger, or if you're a gambler, wait even longer for Cutler/Schaub/Rivers.
Rule No. 2: Pay attention to league settings; they can be the difference this season.
With the amount of top-tier receivers out there, a second-round pick might not be wasted on a wideout with points-per-receptions settings. In quarterback-plus leagues, with six points per passing touchdown, a third-rounder on Brees isn't the worst thing in the world.
Rule No. 3: Still, it's always best to go RB, WR, RB, RB in drafts.
In-demand running backs are at a premium now, and the wideout position is deeper than ever before. With the fourth pick in the draft, be satisfied with Joseph Addai, Andre Johnson, Brandon Jacobs/Jamal Lewis and Michael Turner. That's a winning team.
Rule No. 4: Never draft a kicker earlier than the last round.
Just. Trust. Me.
Rule No. 5: A good system supersedes talent any day of the week - especially Sundays.
Michael Turner may not be the most physically gifted running back in the NFL, but Atlanta's running game has long been impressive. Selvin Young was a nobody - now he could be a top-15 back with the Broncos. Drew Brees has one of the weaker arms for an NFL quarterback, but the Saints throw all over the place.
Go with them and run to the bank.
Rule No. 6: A tight end is a terrible thing to waste.
There are almost too many good tight ends in fantasy football these days, and it's easy to put them on the backburner and go for a third running back or a fourth wideout.
Don't, or else you'll get saddled with Randy McMichael?
Rule No. 7: Pay attention to other owners' stupidity, and make them pay.
In one league, another owner dropped Brandon Marshall. Seriously, he dropped his third-round pick, for no apparent reason. Try to maintain a high waiver-wire spot so you can jump all over that.
That's it for now, folks - but the Golden Rules will grow...
]]>