Not too early to look ahead

There’s bad, and then there’s what the Seahawks ran into on Sunday.

The St. Louis Rams are putrid. And they’re not alone. The Miami Dolphins, Atlanta Falcons and the New York Jets are not far behind. Throw in the Cincinnati Bengals and their atrocious defense and there are at least five teams that are having a major impact on fantasy leagues.

That impact? When you have a player going against one of the aforementioned five, you have to play them.

And that means it’s officially time to start looking ahead to the playoffs. In most leagues, the playoffs are still six weeks away, but that doesn’t mean you can’t sneak a peek at the schedule and make a move or two to lock down a player with a couple of favorable matchups.

Keep in mind, this really is only for teams in good shape for the playoffs. Don’t mortgage the present for a future that may not exist.

That said, try and get this player on your team as soon as possible: Bengals QB Carson Palmer.

So far Palmer has had a good, not great, season (1,717 yards/13 TDs/9 int.), but a lot of that has had to do with a tough schedule, which included Baltimore, Seattle and New England.

Now check out his opponents in Weeks 14-16: vs. St. Louis, at San Francisco and vs. Cleveland. That’s two bad teams (Rams, 49ers) and a poor pass defense in the Browns, who give up 263.5 yards per game, including 401 yards to Palmer back in Week 2.

Throw in the fact Chris Henry has been cleared to return by Week 10 and Palmer should put up some big numbers in the fantasy playoffs.

Where else should I look for some help in the playoffs?

Answer: Besides Palmer’s targets, expect the Browns to be solid contributors in the playoffs. Jamal Lewis faces three straight poor run defenses in the Jets, Bills and Bengals. Add Braylon Edwards to that, but hold off on Derek Anderson unless you can get him for cheap. Look for the Buccaneers’ defense to put up some good numbers with games against the Texans, who lead the NFL in giveaways, Falcons and 49ers. Other running backs to look at include Marshawn Lynch, Adrian Peterson and whoever’s running the ball for the Bengals. Which gets us to our next question …

What’s up with Rudi Johnson?

Answer: Johnson has missed most of the past three games with a strained hamstring and sat out practice Wednesday. Add in the fact Kenny Watson ran for a career-high 130 yards and three touchdowns on Sunday and Johnson owners have to be a little worried. But I don’t think the emergence of Watson will really hamper Johnson down the stretch. If you can afford to sit on Johnson a little longer, he should repay you with a solid playoffs (see above).

Who can I pick up to replace Ronnie Brown?

Answer: The Dolphins running back was having a surprisingly great season with 991 total yards and five TDs. But he left many owners high and dry after tearing his anterior cruciate ligament this past Sunday. Look first at Jesse Chatman, Brown’s backup who was named the starter on Tuesday. The Eastern Washington alum had 73 yards on seven carries and a touchdown in Sunday’s game and should step in and give owners 75 percent of Brown’s production. As for this week, Packers RB DeShawn Wynn should have a nice game against the Broncos and the worst rush defense in the NFL and Titans RB Chris Henry, who had 57 yards and a touchdown on 11 carries on Sunday, could get 15 carries against the Raiders’ poor rush defense.

How will traveling to London affect the Dolphins and Giants?

Answer: Strictly in the name of promoting the game to a worldwide audience, Miami and the N.Y. Giants will play in London this Sunday. What this means for the players is a nine-hour flight, hours of promotion interviews and an unfamiliar (and supposedly small) locker room. My guess is it’s going to be a sloppy game with a lot of points, so play your Giants and Dolphins, including the N.Y. defense, which should see plenty of sacks and turnovers.

Why did the Jags cut Byron Leftwich?

Answer: It sounded like a good idea when David Garrard was healthy, but now … Garrard is reportedly going to be out four weeks with an ankle injury and Jacksonville must turn its offense over to the inexperienced Quinn Gray. Never mind the fact that the Jaguars’ season is now on life support, but in terms of fantasy they’ve become a waste land. Even Maurice Jones-Drew becomes unplayable for the next four weeks. As for Leftwich, he’s hurt too, most likely laid up until Week 12 after having ankle surgery on Wednesday.

Didn’t get your question answered? Send all queries to aswaney@heraldnet.com.

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