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Hi Folks,
Footballguy Scott Luebke takes a look at this week's players who are moving up and down in value. IMPORTANT NOTE: Remember that Dallas, and Oakland are on byes this week in addition to Miami, Seattle and San Francisco. Dallas and Oakland were originally scheduled to play but moved their game up. This could affect your team if you had planned on any Cowboys or Raiders filling in for your Miami, Seattle and San Francisco players. Don't get caught shorthanded and make a pickup if you need to. Also remember the Thursday game this week if your league has special rules for turning in rosters. Have a great week. Joe /**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/ Upgrades QBs Moving Up QB - Jeff Garcia - Garcia looked great on Sunday against the Falcons with 332 passing yards, 70 rushing yards and 4 total touchdowns. He continues to prove that the 2000 season is no aberration. As long as Terrell Owens remains healthy, Garcia will continue to produce. Very impressive on Sunday. QB - Steve McNair - After appearing invisible for the season heading into Sunday, McNair shocked and impressed fantasy owners with 230 yards passing, 54 yards rushing and 2 total touchdowns against a solid Tampa Bay defense. Although he was impressive on Sunday, don't rely on McNair as your fantasy team starter on a weekly basis. If McNair could get some big play weapons on offense, he could become a top flight fantasy quarterback. For now, be happy with Sunday's performance. QB - Vinny Testaverde - Testaverde impressed with an efficient performance once again on Sunday. Testaverde has yet to throw an interception this season. With 4 touchdowns in the last 2 games, Vinny is looking good. Keep in mind, Testaverde has yet to surpass the 200 yard barrier, so his value is much higher in basic scoring leagues. RBs Moving Up RB - Ricky Williams - After a slow start to the season, Williams has gained 356 total yards and 2 touchdowns in his last 2 games. Keep in mind, Williams has already had his bye, so he should be a fixture in your lineup for the remainder of the season as long as he stays healthy. RB - Eddie George - George finally delighted fantasy owners with 132 total yards and a touchdown on Sunday. The patient owner will start to see the rewards of having George on the roster for the remainder of the season. With George having Miami, Jacksonville, Baltimore, Tampa Bay and a bye week in the first 5 weeks of the season, his schedule was difficult. The schedule only gets easier for George during the remainder of the season. Look for a strong finish to the season out of George. RB - Priest Holmes - With Tony Richardson out of the lineup, Holmes was given the chance to produce and he has not disappointed. During his last 3 games, Holmes has averaged 158 total yards and scored 5 touchdowns. More importantly, Holmes has apparently claimed the feature back role in the Kansas City offense. Look for Holmes to ride the "production train" for the next few weeks with matchups against Arizona and Indianapolis. RB - Warrick Dunn - Expected to be out 4-6 weeks, Dunn returned to the lineup after a 1 week absence and delighted fantasy owners. Despite having just 16 yards rushing, Dunn added 65 yards receiving and 2 touchdowns. The early return gives Dunn a tremendous upgrade. RB - Shaun Alexander - Will Ricky Watters have the starting job when he returns from injury? Probably not. Alexander finished with 142 rushing yards and 2 touchdowns against Denver. With Watters in the last year of his contract, look for the Seahawks to keep Alexander in the starting lineup for the remainder of the season. A great keeper/dynasty running back. RB - Ron Dayne - After being limited in practice by a neck injury suffered in the Washington game, Dayne hit the field and a delighted fantasy owners. With 88 rushing yards and a touchdown on Sunday, Dayne continues to gain momentum into being named the team's feature back. With Tiki Barber hampered by a hamstring injury, Dayne will be able to post quality numbers against some poor defenses. WRs Moving Up WR - Keyshawn Johnson - Johnson took over the game with 8 catches for 140 yards against Tennessee. However, he has yet to connect with Brad Johnson for a receiving touchdown this season. WR - Kevin Johnson - Johnson was able to beat a bad Cincinnati secondary for a career high 153 yards receiving on Sunday. With the continued development of Tim Couch, Johnson could be a quality fantasy option for the remainder of the season. Keep in mind, Cleveland plays in a tough division where low scoring games will be the norm. WR - Terry Glenn - Once thought to be written off for the entire season, Glenn returned in a big way on Sunday with 110 yards and a touchdown. If the Patriots offensive line can protect the quarterback, Glenn could have a decent remainder of the season. Don't expect these type of numbers every week. Look for Glenn to put up inconsistent numbers the rest of the way. WR - Terrell Owens - 183 receiving yards and 3 touchdowns deserves an upgrade in my book. Basically, keep him in your lineup every week. WR - Germane Crowell - Crowell finished with 125 yards and a touchdown on Sunday. Everything looked good with Charlie Batch at the helm for the passing game. Reality check...this game was against the hapless Vikings secondary. Regardless, 125 yards and a touchdown deserves the upgrade. TEs Moving Up TE - Cam Cleeland - Despite having just 3 catches for 38 yards on Sunday, Cleeland was able to get into the scoring column with the all important 2 touchdowns. With opponents fearful of the Saints wide receiving corps of Horn, Jackson and Crowell, Cleeland is seeing plenty of one on one coverage. Cleeland is most likely on a fantasy roster. If not, go get him. TE - Bubba Franks - 2 reception for 4 yards. Not that impressive, unless you realize that both catches were touchdowns. Franks has scored 5 touchdowns in the first 5 games this season. Look for continued success as Franks is a key to success for the Packers in the red zone. TE - Marcus Pollard - The Colts continue to get Pollard involved in the offense. He has averaged 58 receiving yards in the last 2 games while scoring a touchdown. However, Pollard ran a couple poor routes that led to two interceptions for Manning. /**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/ Downgrades QBs Moving Down QB - Rob "The Running Joke" Johnson - Yep, that's right. With the help of all the sharks out there, we were able to once again downgrade Rob Johnson, even with him being on a bye week. After spending a few hours laughing through numerous Rob Johnson takes, I was unable to come to a decision on the best take. With that said, I will let you, the sharks, decide the best Rob Johnson downgrade take. Cast your vote on the footballguystalk.com message board. Buffalo Fans, we feel your pain out there. I know you guys are some of the best fans in the league, we're just trying to lighten things up. Here are a few takes from some of our readers: Take #1: I just took the SAT, and actually had this question. I think it sums it up best. Samuel L. Jackson is to Mr. Glass as Rob Johnson is to _______. A) Mr. Styrofoam B) Mr. Balsa Wood C) Mr. Tin Foil D) Mrs. Glass I said D. What do you think, did I get it right? Thanks Jonathon Hoff ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---- Take #2: Rob Johnson took his heaviest blow this past week, injuring not only his neck (pinched nerve), but also his "best side". Johnson was quoted as saying "Sure, the neck hurts, but this bruise on my cheek is really going to affect my promo photos. How's a guy supposed to make a living?" While Johnson is day-to-day because of the neck, it appears his profile injury will keep him out of the "pretty business" for 3-4 weeks. Adding insult to injury, his agent apparently will have Flutie sub for Johnson during this hiatus. The agent responded "Hey, when Johnson couldn't cut it on the football field last year, Flutie kicked ass, so I suspect he can replace Rob here, too." We're downgrading the Buffalo QB, and we'd keep Johnson on the bench in fantasy football, and in fantasy modeling. Guy Whitehead ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---- Take #3: Top 5 Reasons to downgrade Rob Johnson: 5. Silly headband brings back painful 80s memories 4. Deceased blues legend Robert Johnson is a more viable fantasy option 3. Janet Reno considers ordering agents to take Doug Flutie by force and return him to his rightful home in Buffalo. Johnson might be sent to Cuba to live with Elian Gonzalez. Castro to protest before United Nations and demand Alex Van Pelt instead. 2. Sneaky agent includes bonus clause for appearing on injury report. 1. Jerry Jones praises Johnson as his "next big find". Regards, MKF Seriously Now, Another QB Moving Down QB - Trent Green - Green continues to disappoint fantasy owners. With the nagging injuries to Derrick Alexander and Marvin Minnis being inexperienced, Green continues to have problems finding his wide receivers. Prior to the season, there was speculation that the loss of Sylvester Morris would hurt Green's production. The speculation was correct. RBs Moving Down RB - Ricky Watters - The emergence of Shaun Alexander downgrades the injured Watters' value further. RB - Marshall Faulk - Faulk suffered a sprained MCL on Sunday. Initial indications speculated that Faulk would miss 4 weeks of action. The next reports had Faulk missing 1-2 games. Now they're saying he could play this week! Regardless, make sure you grab Trung Canidate, if you are a Faulk owner. It'll help you sleep better. RB - Tyrone Wheatley - Despite getting the carry at the goal line and a short score, Wheatley gets the downgrade this week. With just 7 carries for 24 yards and a fumble, it appears the Raiders are leaning towards making Charlie Garner the feature back. More importantly, Wheatley missed a key pass block that led to a hard hit on Rich Gannon. Basically, it appeared that Wheatley shied away from contact on the play and did his best bullfighter imitation. Jon Gruden did not appear very happy. RB - Mike Alstott - 5 carries for 4 yards...OUCH! RB - Michael Bennett - Bennett was able to manage 13 carries on Sunday. However, he finished with just 46 rushing yards and no touchdowns. Plus, Bennett suffered a sprained right ankle that forced him out of the game. Keep him on your bench for the time being. WRs Moving Down WR - Bill Schroeder - Schroeder suffered a sprained ankle in Sunday's game versus Baltimore. The injury does not appear to be serious, but something worth watching. Because of the injury, Schroeder is downgraded this week. WR - Derrick Alexander - Plain and simple, Alexander has done nothing this season and is among the biggest disappointments of the fantasy season. Alexander earns a spot on the "Biggest Disappointment Team". WR - Willie Jackson - Although I am still high on Willie Jackson, he was held to just 25 yards on 2 catches this weekend. Every receiver will have bad outings throughout the course of the year so this might be a little harsh placing him here. But it's a murky situation how the distribution will play out in New Orleans. QB Aaron Brooks needs to get it going. WR - Wayne Chrebet - Chrebet has failed to score on the year and seems to have taken a back seat to Laveranues Coles in the Jets wide receiving crew. There's a chance Chrebet's numbers could increase as team's start focusing their attention on the speedy Coles but for now, we're a little worried about Chrebet. /**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/ Waiver Wire QB - Charlie Batch - During comeback mode against the Vikings, Batch managed to gain 345 yards and pass for 3 touchdowns. Don't get too high on Batch yet. Remember, this performance came against a mediocre Vikings secondary. However, Johnnie Morton and Germane Crowell provide Batch with two quality receivers. Look for more good games out of Batch...against weaker defenses. QB - Tom Brady - With the addition of Terry Glenn in the lineup, Brady torched the San Diego defense throughout the game. Don't expect these kind of numbers on a weekly basis, but there are signs that Brady has the potential to become a good fantasy quarterback, although you have to consider Bledsoe and what happens when he's ready to go. Regardless, Brady is a decent option for fantasy owners in need of a quarterback right now. RB - Trung Canidate - Canidate will probably get at least start as the running back for the powerful Rams offense. Marshall Faulk was expected to miss at least 4 weeks during initial reports. The the next reports have Faulk missing 1-2 weeks of action. Now they're saying he could play this week. He's still not a bad guy to have for insurance. RB - Anthony Thomas - Thomas continues to get a good number of carries. It is becoming more apparent that the Bears are slowly giving the feature back role to Thomas. Look for Thomas' role to become larger and larger as the season progresses. WR - Terry Glenn - Once thought to be written off for the entire season, Glenn returned in a big way on Sunday with 110 yards and a touchdown. If the Patriots offensive line can protect the quarterback, Glenn could have a decent remainder of the season. Don't expect these type of numbers every week, but Glenn could be a welcome addition to a fantasy team in need of a receiver. WR - Donald Hayes - With defenses rolling coverage in the direction of the talented Muhsin Muhammad, Donald Hayes is seeing a lot of one-on-one coverage. With 7 catches and a touchdown on Sunday, it appears that Chris Weinke and Hayes are starting to build a quality QB to WR relationship. WR - Eddie Kennison - Kennison showed signs of quality production this week. With Rod Smith seeing double/triple coverage on the other side of the field, Kennison will be given a great chance to post excellent fantasy numbers. Kennison is an extremely talented receiver and maybe this week's performance was needed to get him "over the hump". Check back next week for The General's All-Disappointment Team. /**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/ Bryant Analytics, Inc. 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