Week 1: Land ho!
Published 11:16 pm Wednesday, September 5, 2007
If the spring and summer, to a fantasy football geek, is like an endless voyage on a dark and stormy sea, then tonight’s NFL opener is that beacon of light from a lighthouse beaming across the bow.
Tonight the NFL finally kicks off after months of conjecture, evaluation, decisions, and, finally, second guessing. And that’s just fantasy owners.
And what do we get for our efforts: tonight’s matchup pitting two of the most exciting and prolific offenses in recent memory. There will be tons of fantasy points on the line: Peyton Manning, Marvin Harrison, Reggie Bush, Drew Brees, Reggie Wayne, Joseph Addai, Marques Colston, Adam Vinatieri. Heck, throw in Deuce McAllister, Olindo Mare, Dallas Clark and Devery Henderson. Plenty of teams will get a jump start on Week 1.
As for the rest of the NFL, here’s the top questions of the week:
Why’d the Seahawks deal for Alvin Pearman?
Answer: Very quietly the Seahawks dealt an undisclosed draft pick to the Jags for the third-year running back last week. Is it because they’re worried Shaun Alexander isn’t completely back from his foot injury? Is Mo Morris on his way out? Apparently not. According to Herald writer Scott M. Johnson, Pearman was brought in to help on special teams only. Pearman, who had one good game last season (13 carries for 71 yards vs. Indy) is unlikely to see any time unless Alexander and Morris get hurt. Avoid him.
Who is this Selvin Young guy I keep hearing about?
Answer: Young, an undrafted rookie out of Texas, is on people’s radar simply because of the team he’s with and the position he plays: Denver running back. After a solid preseason (34 carries for 167 yards), Young passed Mike Bell and Cecil Sapp to become the primary backup to an already injured Travis Henry. Remember, another undrafted rookie, Bell, rushed for 677 yards and eight touchdowns last season in a committee situation. And considering this is Mike Shanahan we’re dealing with here, anything could happen (Whoever said Henry was going to get 350 carries this season, anyway?) Grab Young if he’s available and stash him on your bench.
What is going on in Jacksonville?
Answer: Jaguars head coach Jack Del Rio pulled a fast one a week before the start of the regular season and named David Garrard the starting quarterback over incumbent Byron Leftwich, who was later cut loose. For Maurice Jones-Drew and Fred Taylor owners, this is great news. The Jaguars averaged a whopping 185.6 yards rushing per game in the 10 games Garrard started last season, compared to just 117.5 with Leftwich. Because of his mobility, Garrard is a nice option for a backup quarterback. He could rush for 450 yards and four TDs this season. As for Leftwich, if you have room stash him on your bench. He’s already chatted with the Ravens, but he’ll most likely hold out and wait until the inevitable QB injury (read: Steve McNair) and swoop in to take a starting job. My guess: he’ll be starting somewhere like Baltimore or Detroit by Week 5.
Where can I find some last-minute help?
Answer: So, your draft didn’t go so well, huh? First off, see if Garrard or Young are available if you need help at QB or RB. If Garrard’s gone, check out Josh McCown, who is reportedly going to be the starter in Oakland. He’s not great, but he’s going up against Detroit on Sunday. At wide receiver, Keary Colbert was named the No. 2 in Carolina recently and the fourth-year WR had a strong preseason. Miami’s David Martin could be a nice option at tight end.
How can I get some sneaky points this week?
Answer: Going up against last year’s worst pass defense in Cincy, Ravens wideout Mark Clayton could have a nice game. … As stated above, McAllister is a great play tonight against last year’s worst run defense … With a limited Larry Johnson, Kansas City will have trouble in Houston, so the Texans’ D should have a good day. … San Francisco quarterback Alex Smith will have a big game Monday night against an Arizona defense that allowed more than 230 passing yards per game last season.
Didn’t get your questioned answered? Send questions to aswaney@heraldnet.com
