TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

FANTASY FOOTBALL TIP SHEET WAIVER-WIRE WONDERS

ADVERTISEMENT

By LUKE EASTERLING, The Tampa Tribune

Published: October 26, 2007

First, a moment of silence for the loss of fantasy football's top scorer, Ronnie Brown, who will miss the rest of the season with a knee injury ...

OK, time to move on. Last week belonged to Bengals RB Kenny Watson, who carried the ball 31 times for 130 yards and three scores in Rudi Johnson's stead. If you own Watson, you're either rejoicing because of a big win, or weeping because he sat on your bench the whole time.

A few projected top fantasy backs who had disappointed to this point turned in solid performances for the second week in a row, namely Larry Johnson (112 yards, TD) and Brandon Jacobs (107 yards, TD). Some underachievers, however, continued to keep their owners banging their heads against the wall, most notably Shaun Alexander.

We're just past the halfway point of the fantasy season, and the playoff picture is starting to take shape. Here are some tips for this week as you start your playoff push.

MATCHUPS AND LINEUPS

Here are a few backfield situations you'll want to monitor this week if the players involved are on your roster or on the waiver wire:

Indianapolis Colts: We didn't see this coming at the start of the year, but it looks like some carry sharing is in store in Indy. In last week's win over the Jaguars, Joseph Addai and backup Kenton Keith shared the load, with Addai getting 16 carries to Keith's 15. Coach Tony Dungy has hinted during the week that things may continue this way, so don't be surprised to see Addai's touches go down, while Keith gets more action.

Atlanta Falcons: Veteran Warrick Dunn has seen the bulk of the carries so far this season, but it may be time for a change. Dunn has 48 more carries than backup Jerious Norwood, but has only 20 more rushing yards than Norwood. Dunn is averaging 3.1 yards per carry; Norwood is averaging 5.8. Also, Dunn's longest run of the year was for a mere 18 yards, while Norwood has busted a handful of runs of more than 20 yards, including a 67-yard TD against the Giants two weeks ago. It may be time for a youth movement in Atlanta.

Denver Broncos: This one is more for later in the season. While Travis Henry will be starting at least two more games, his status beyond that is still up in the air. Henry is in the middle of a court battle with the NFL regarding a possible positive drug test, which would earn Henry a one-year suspension. There is still a chance that things could go Henry's way and allow him to play the rest of the season, but that is the smaller of the two possibilities. Selvin Young likely would take over the starting role, so expect his value to skyrocket if Henry's legal issues go south.

INJURY REPORT

Some big names are slated to return from injury this week. Steven Jackson is likely to start for the first time since suffering a partially torn groin muscle. Rudi Johnson is also likely to return, but he will have a tough act to follow after Kenny Watson's performance last week.

At QB, David Garrard will be out for a month with a high ankle sprain, which he suffered during Monday night's loss to the Colts. The Jags will start Quinn Gray against the Bucs. In Carolina, David Carr is expected to start, barring any setbacks leading up to this week's game. The Texans are still unsure whether Matt Schaub will be able to start this week, so look for Sage Rosenfels to possibly start against the Chargers.

Michael Pittman is likely out at least another couple of weeks; look for the Bucs to use Earnest Graham and newcomer Michael Bennett in the backfield. Derrick Ward missed practice for the Giants on Wednesday, so his status for this week's game is up in the air.

It has become customary to see Plaxico Burress on the injury report, but expect him to start this week despite his sprained ankle. Laveranues Coles was limited in practice this week, as was Torry Holt, but expect both to start.

Dolphins RB Jesse Chatman: This one is a no-brainer. Chatman will step into the starting role in Miami, and while his talent isn't near that of Brown, he'll at least put up solid numbers if given the same amount of touches. He is likely already gone in all of the deeper leagues, but there's still a chance he's available in leagues with 10 or fewer teams.

Bucs WR Ike Hilliard: Hillard isn't flashy, so he flies under the radar most of the time. He has consistently put up solid numbers and is on pace for a 1,000-yard season. He's likely still available in most 10-team leagues, so snatch him up if you need a reliable receiver.

Titans RB Chris Henry: Henry had yet to touch the ball heading into last week, but he made up for lost time, carrying the ball 11 times for 57 yards and a score. LenDale White has played well enough to hang on to the starting role, but if Henry keeps putting up these kinds of numbers, he could leapfrog Chris Brown on the depth chart and start seeing more touches on a consistent basis. Henry should be an option in deeper leagues if you are thin at running back because of injury or bye weeks.

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT