James Morris hails from Rio Rancho, NM and has been playing fantasy sports for just over 15 years. Not only does he write the Bengals fantasy section, but he also does the Jacksonville Jaguars fantasy section. Crossing over, Morris writes the fantasy sections for the Boston Celtics, Indiana Pacers and Minnesota Timberwolves in the NBA. Just send him an email and he will reply back the same day with your answer.
Week 1 of the NFL season gives us some insight into what a player's fantasy value is, both good and bad. Too many owners drop or trade good players because of a poor performance, and too many owners add and trade for players based on a single game. The thing to remember is that sleepers don't always wake up from their sleep and one good game does not a stud make. Until they do something, you have to play them as if they are just depth on your team.
Rex Grossman: Grossman lit up the Giants for 305 yards and two scores, and this week he gets a Cardinals defense that allowed Cam Newton to set an NFL record for most passing yards in a rookie's first game. If Newton can do it, I see no reason why Grossman can't finish the day with low-end QB1 numbers.
Ryan Fitzpatrick: The Oakland Raiders lost a key member of their secondary this offseason and they gave up 304 yards in the air to Kyle Orton last week. I don't envision Fitzpatrick as a QB1, but he should wind up with solid QB2 stats and is a real possibility if you own Matt Cassel or Donovan McNabb.
Cedric Benson: Benson gets a juicy game this week against the Swiss cheese Broncos defense. Champ Bailey is sure to cover A.J. Green all day, which means Andy Dalton is going to have some trouble moving the ball in the air. That means the Bengals should lean on Benson in this one and I think he can come up as a solid RB in fantasy leagues.
Peyton Hillis: Hillis is someone I avoided in drafts because teams are sure to plan for him now, and there is a Madden curse looming over him. Add to that the Browns have three new O-linemen this year and there is a reason why he only managed 57 yards on the ground and 30 via the pass last week. But, this week he gets the Colts defense and one has to wonder if Indy might just be in the running for Andrew Luck when the dust settles on the season.
Stevie Johnson: It is sometimes a good idea to pair up your QB with his top WR, and that is exactly what I would do with Fitzpatrick and Johnson this week. As I laid out before, the Raiders defense isn't what it was last year and the Bills offense is going to pass more than before with Spiller not being the home run hitter they thought he would be.
Brandon Marshall: This is one pick I am not excited about, but the numbers line up and project him doing well. Last week Marshall managed to haul in seven passes for 139 yards, but failed to score. The Texans gave up 106 yards and a score to Reggie Wayne last week, and we all know the Colts offense isn't one that is going to scare anyone. Look for a similar day from Marshall if the Dolphins stick to the same game plan they had last week.
Fred Davis: Chris Cooley is dealing with knee pains that have severely limited his effectiveness on the field, and that means the Redskins will look to Davis to provide a TE presence. Davis has shown flashes of fantasy worth in the past, and I think he can sneak into some low-end TE1 numbers this weekend against the Cardinals.
Detroit Lions Defense: The Lions were one of my sleeper defenses entering the fantasy draft, and this week they get to tee off against a Chiefs offense that I think is stalled. I am looking for the Lions to rush Cassel all day long and finish with a top five fantasy defense ranking this weekend.
Cam Newton: If you think Cam I Am is going to do what he did last week, you are crazy. There is no way the Packers let Newton look like a Pro Bowl QB again this week. Newton had a career day and the Cardinals were partly to blame. I look for Newton to have low-end QB2 numbers and he isn't even someone I would play in leagues that start two QBs.
Donovan McNabb: I warned people to stay away from McNabb in drafts, but not a lot listened. The Vikings receivers can't get open downfield and the Chargers showed a blueprint on how to keep him on the run and the ball out of the air. He has a better matchup with the Bucs this week, but I wouldn't own him, let alone start him in any format.
Ryan Mathews: I am going to make this short and sweet. The only way Mathews has fantasy value is if Tolbert gets hurt. It's not because Tolbert is a breakout candidate or Mathews has lost his starting gig, rather they are just splitting carries, which means neither one has true fantasy value at the moment.
Cadillac Williams: As I mentioned earlier, the Caddy is running on two flat tires and bionic knees. The Rams might try and get him the touches to take the heat off of Sam Bradford, but I wouldn't let Williams near my flex spot anymore. I'd bet you have better options on your bench or on the waiver wire.
Dwayne Bowe: The Chiefs offense really broke out last season as Cassel threw for 3,116 yards and 27 TDs, with just seven INTs. To some that says they are an offense to target; to me it means the Week 1 debacle of 217 total yards of offense is a sign of regression, not progression. Until the Chiefs show something in the passing game, consider Bowe benched in fantasy leagues.
Mike Sims-Walker: With Danny Amendola out, MSW has a prime chance to step up and show teams what they missed out on. The St. Louis Dispatch is touting MSW as the next great hope for the Rams passing attack as they think he can "certainly can handle the slot." No disrespect, but anytime a newspaper gives high praise to a guy that has been a dud, I tend to go in the opposite direction with my fantasy ranking.
Tony Gonzalez: It's not that I think Ryan is going to be completely shut down this week, but Gonzalez averaged 14.4 YPC in Week 1 and that is an unrealistic number for a 35-year-old TE that has seen his reception and receiving yards go down for four straight seasons. He is a solid TE2 this week as the Eagles will be bust with White and Julio Jones, but I would put my money on someone else if you can.
Chicago Bears Defense: And the Bears glory is short-lived as they get pounded by the high-powered Saints offense in this one. I don't care how much love Bears fan has for their team or what they did last week; fantasy football is all about here and now. I wouldn't touch the Bears defense with a 10-foot pole this week!
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