Should I deal for Steve Smith?
The Panthers wide receiver’s value couldn’t be lower. In fact he’s got about one-third of the fantasy points of the other Steve Smith. After catching one pass for four yards against Tampa Bay last Sunday, Smith said he was “no longer an asset” to the Carolina offense, and by the looks of it he’s right. But Smith’s decline has more to do with Panthers QB Jake Delhomme and the fact Carolina doesn’t have a viable No. 2 wideout than with any of his own struggles or injuries. And because of that he’s the perfect kind of wide receiver to get for a song. Smith owners are likely kicking themselves after drafting Smith with their second pick and that anger will likely make them do irrational things. So why deal for him? Here’s why: Five games into the season, Smith has just 259 yards and has yet to find the end zone. If he stays healthy, Smith is too good to keep down for long, and you can bet he’ll finish with 1,200 yards and eight TDs. Average that production over 11 games and you’ve got over 100 yards and nearly a TD per game. As a No. 2 wideout, that’s good production.
Should I pick up Crabtree?
You can pick the 49ers wide receiver up, but don’t expect big numbers for 5-6 weeks. Of course that means he could be an OK flex option during the fantasy playoffs. Wide receivers who hold out for a couple of weeks of training camp usually don’t pick up the offense and start putting up solid numbers until around Week 5. So despite the fact he’s starting on Sunday, Crabtree, who missed all of camp and the first five weeks of practices, is going to struggle over the next few weeks. Even when he’s confident in the offense and the speed of the NFL, Crabtree likely won’t put up huge numbers. San Francisco’s offense isn’t built on throwing and wideouts are averaging a paltry 81.8 receiving yards per game. Expect Crabtree to average around 65 ypg and score three TDs over the final six games of the season.
What are the defensive injuries to watch?
The Steelers, Jets and Bengals defenses — three units that have performed well so far this season — lost big-time players over the weekend. Fantasy owners usually focus on injuries on the offensive side of the ball, but it can be just as big a factor on the defensive side. The loss of Aaron Smith and Kris Jenkins significantly weakens the Steelers and Jets defenses, respectively, and Antwan Odom’s season-ending injury means the Bengals pass rush has a lot less bite.
Will Sherman Lewis turn around the Skins’ offense?
Uh, the guy was calling Bingo numbers a few weeks ago, so … no. Look, Jim Zorn wasn’t ready to be a head coach — or an offensive coordinator it seems — but this mess isn’t just his fault. Jason Campbell doesn’t look like an NFL quarterback; Clinton Portis is on his last legs; and the offensive line is Swiss cheese. Here’s my advice: Try to deal Portis and, besides TE Chris Cooley, show all your Redskins the bench.
Where can I get some help from the byes?
With six teams on bye, fantasy owners will likely need to find a few diamonds in the rough this Sunday to pick up a win. Plug Justin Fargas into your lineup against the aforementioned Jets defense; Larry Johnson should build on last week’s nice game against a meager Chargers’ run defense; Give Earl Bennett a shot against a Cincinnati defense that has struggled with bigger wideouts this season; Play Pierre Garcon and Austin Collie with confidence against a poor St. Louis defense; and New England WR Sam Aiken should get a number of catches with Julian Edelman down.
For a personal look at Aaron Swaney’s fantasy football teams, check out Aaron’s blog “Hot Off The Gridiron” at www.heraldnet.com
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