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Fantasy Football Tip Sheet - Sep. 26

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By Luke Easterling/The Tampa Tribune

Published: September 26, 2008

Welcome back to fantasy relevance, Ronnie Brown. We missed you. And 400 yards passing from Brian Griese? That can't be right. Will they finally grant Reggie Bush wide receiver eligibility next year? How many games with more receiving yards than rushing yards will it take?

As always, the only thing in fantasy football that is certain is uncertainty. Here are some tips to keep you one step ahead of your competition heading into Week 4.

BUY OR SELL

BUY: Underachieving top WRs - Randy Moss and Braylon Edwards have disappointed so far this season, largely because of the play of their quarterbacks. Now would be the perfect time to catch an owner in panic mode and pay basement price for a top wide receiver with the potential to turn the season around at any moment. Others to keep in mind are Marques Colston (injury), Steve Smith (suspension), and Chad Johnson.

SELL: Julius Jones, RB, Seahawks - Thanks to the emergency room that has become Seattle's wide receiving corps, Jones has seen tons of carries and more fantasy points than most would have thought at this point in the season. With the Seahawks welcoming back Bobby Engram and possibly Deion Branch after the team's bye this week, Jones should see a drop in production as the play-calling becomes more balanced.

BUY: Ryan Grant, RB, Packers - This one is for non-points-per-reception leagues. Grant has started slow this year, thanks in part to the Packers' propensity to throw more often, though ineffectiveness has definitely played a role. As the season wears on, the Packers will have to rely more on the running game, especially toward the end of the season when it gets colder. That will be during the fantasy stretch run and playoffs, so if you can weasel Grant away from a trigger-happy owner, don't be afraid to pull the trigger yourself.

SELL: Kurt Warner, QB, Cardinals - Warner is the ultimate tempter of fantasy quarterbacks. With two of the best receivers in the league at his disposal, Warner has been racking up points on a weekly basis. However, many owners have been burned by his cold streaks that can last more than a couple of weeks, as well as injuries to an aging frame that seem to happen at the most inopportune times.

WAIVER-WIRE WONDERS

Robert Meachem/Lance Moore, WR, Saints - With Colston already out with an injury, the Saints' passing attack was dealt another blow last week as TE Jeremy Shockey suffered a sports hernia. That means the pass-happy Saints will have to look elsewhere for contributions from the receiving corps. Moore is slated to start this week and is a better play in PPR leagues, while Meachem has more big-play ability, making him slightly more valuable in standard leagues.

Brady Quinn, QB, Browns - With Derek Anderson's poor performances mounting, the Browns will have a quick hook from here on out. Quinn has already spent practice time working with the first team, and he would have plenty of explosive weapons at his disposal should he get the chance to start. He is a must-grab in deeper leagues, and if you can stash him on your bench in smaller leagues, it couldn't hurt.

WEEK 3 GAME BALLS

Ronnie Brown, RB, Dolphins - I briefly considered giving him every game ball this week, perhaps even adding a fifth … one for every TD he scored against the Patriots last week. This isn't too different from the outbursts we saw from Brown early last season, which should encourage owners who took a chance on Brown in the draft.

Reggie Bush, RB, Saints - It's a shame it came in a losing effort, but 148 yards and a pair of scores (one catch, one run) definitely powered plenty of fantasy owners to victory last week. Bush's value in PPR leagues was especially pleasant, as he hauled in 11 passes. Bush continues to be the focal point of the Saints offense, and his presence as a receiver will be relied on heavily following the injuries to Shockey and Colston.

T.J. Houshmandzadeh, WR, Bengals - After a disappointing start to the season, he hauled in 12 passes for 146 yards and a score in an overtime loss to the Giants. With Johnson's shoulder injury still an obvious issue and QB Carson Palmer seeming to come slowly out of his early-season funk, things are pointing toward more reception-heavy games from T.J.

Brian Griese, QB, Bucs - Three interceptions is never good, but 407 passing yards on 38 completions definitely helped fantasy owners forget about Greise's early-game miscues. Griese rallied the Bucs to a victory against the Bears last week, throwing a franchise-record 67 passes and connecting on two crucial touchdowns late in the game. All that considered, don't even think about expecting this kind of performance on a consistent basis.

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