Week 3

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After the many surprises of the opening week, nobody thought it would get equally crazy in week 2 … well, it did! Detroit was blown out by Chicago. The supposedly mighty Vikings were trounced by the Bengals. The Browns traveled to Lambeau and beat the Packers at home. The Colts’ vaunted offense only scored ten points against Jacksonville, while the formerly porous Indianapolis defense allowed just one field goal.

With such results, the fantasy world is shaken up after the first two weeks. Without the outstanding performance of Donovan McNabb in week 2, Trent Dilfer and Carson Palmer probably would be the leading quarterbacks in your league.

At the RB poition, rookies Willie Parker and Cadillac Williams lead the pack (depending on your league scoring, of course), followed by Stephen Davis, who many owners had on their do-not-draft list. The top three RBs in most drafts, LaDainian Tomlinson, Shaun Alexander and Priest Holmes, are not even among the top ten in many leagues.

The only position where the list is topped by the names that headed preseason cheat sheets is wide receiver – Terrell Owens and Randy Moss are at the head of the class, and are joined by Chad Johnson, Darrell Jackson, and, a little bit surprisingly, Santana Moss, the lone bright spot in the Washington offense.

Will the surprises continue, or will the top picks get back on track in the coming weeks? Well, we will find out soon enough, but to help you set your lineup this week, here is our weekly Start & Sit column.

START

QB:

Drew Bledsoe, Dal: Bledsoe surprised a lot of us with a nice perfomance in week 1, only to let everyone down last Monday against the stingy Redskins defense. However, the veteran passer’s numbers ought to bounce back this week, as the Cowboys face the weak 49ers secondary. Bledsoe and his receivers should have a lot of room to work with.

Daunte Culpepper, Min: The way Minnesota played in the first two games I guess a lot owners would love to bench Culpepper this week, and wait for him and the Vikes’ offense to explode. The thing is, we expect them to do so this week. After an 0-2 start in which the offense scored just one garbage-time touchdown, there might not be a better opponent for this unit to regroup against than the weak Saints defense, who are on the road for a third consecutive week. Culpepper and the Vikings know that this is their chance, and they should make the most of it.

Others to start:
Brett Favre, GB
Jake Plummer, Den
Carson Palmer, Cin
Aaron Brooks, NO
Matt Hasselbeck, Sea
Brian Griese, TB
Jake Delhomme, Car

No-brainers:
Marc Bulger, StL
Donovan McNabb, Phi
Trent Green, KC
Peyton Manning, Ind
Kerry Collins, Oak

RB:

Cadillac Williams, TB: This guy is for real. Tampa Bay has gotten off to a nice start behind Williams’ running, and the Buccaneers will continue to build their game plan around the talented rookie, who at times has seemed nearly unstoppable. Continue to start him, regardless of his opponent.

Willis McGahee, Buf: After a good performance in week 1 against Houston, McGahee and the Bills had all sorts of trouble moving the ball in Tampa Bay. Still, McGahee should get back to his usual form on home turf, and should post solid stats against the Falcons, whose defense has allowed opponents to run for 4.5 yards per carry so far this season.

Others to start:
Fred Taylor, Jax
Steven Jackson, StL
Warrick Dunn, Atl
Brian Westbrook, Phi
Larry Johnson, KC
Tiki Barber, NYG
Julius Jones, Dal
Rudi Johnson, Cin

No-brainers:
LaDainan Tomlinson, SD
Shaun Alexander, Sea
Deuce McAllister, NO
Priest Holmes, KC
Thomas Jones, Chi
Edgerrin James, Ind

WR:

Samie Parker, KC: Parker is getting more and more involved in the Chiefs offense, and he is starting to look good out there. Denver will stack the line to prevent Holmes and Johnson from running wild, so this should open up lots of room for the passing game. Parker could be able to get open deep more than once.

Muhsin Muhammad, Chi: Muhammad appears to be the only legitimate receiving threat the Bears have. Although Chicago doesn’t rack up impressive passing totals as a team, Muhammad should continue to produce good stats for your fantasy squad, especially this week when the Bears play the Bengals.

Others to start:
Isaac Bruce, StL
Steve Smith, Car
Michael Clayton, TB
Hines Ward, Pit
Jimmy Smith, Jax
Rod Smith, Den
Keyshawn Johnson, Dal
Plaxico Burress, NYG

No-brainers:
Torry Holt, StL
Darrell Jackson, Sea
Terrell Owens, Phi
Randy Moss, Oak
Joe Horn, NO
Chad Johnson, Cin
Marvin Harrisson, Ind
Reggie Wayne, Ind
Larry Fitzgerald, Ari

TE/K/D:

Jerramy Stevens, TE, Sea: Stevens might finally be living up to the expectations people had in him a couple of years ago. With Itula Mili still out, he is on the field more often and should continue to produce for the Seahawks.

Jeff Reed, K, Pit: Reed has been solid so far for the Steelers, and he should have another big outing this week against the Patriots. The Steelers will be able to move the ball, but might not score too many TDs. Reed could see quite a few opportunities on Sunday afternoon.

Dallas Defense: The Cowboys look like a very nice start this week against the lowly 49ers. After starting the season with a surprising win against the Rams, San Francisco came crashing back down to earth last Sunday and only put three points on the board in Philadelphia. Start the Cowboys.

 
BENCH

QB:

Trent Dilfer, Cle: Yes, Dilfer may be among the top fantasy QBs in the league so far, but he has only faced the mediocre Green Bay and Cincinnati defensive units so far. This week, he has to line up against the Colts, who have given up a total of ten points in their first two games and left a very strong impression on defense.

Chad Pennington, NYJ: After a catastrophic start in week 1, Pennington played well last Sunday against the Dolphins, tossing two TDs while leading the Jets to a victory. Still, he might not be a viable fantasy strating option yet, especially against better teams – and that’s exactly what he faces this week. The Jets play the Jaguars, the team that held Peyton Manning and the Colts to just ten points last week, so do not expect much from Pennington.

RB:

Marcel Shipp, Ari: Shipp will apparently retake the starter’s job in Arizona, and although he did not look bad last week, it’s hard to recommend starting him on Sunday. Seattle has not allowed a 100-yard rusher so far, and that was against better running teams than Arizona.

Stephen Davis, Car: Putting Davis on the sit list is a tough call, as he was fantastic last week, scoring three TDs. But the Dolphins are one of the best teams defending the run, and will not give Davis much room. This matchup could turn out to be a low-scoring game, so if you have other options, consider leaving Davis on the bench this week.

WR:

Eric Moulds, Buf: Everbody knew that Moulds is on the decline, but the way the offense in Buffalo has looked so far, he is not even a #3 fantasy wideout any more. As long as the Bills offense does not come alive, sit him.

Troy Brown, NE: Brown had a nice game last week for the Patriots, but people familiar with the New England offense know that quarterback Tom Brady spreads the ball well between his receivers, and you never know who will be the most prominent target. It’s entirely possible that after last Sunday’s 87-yard effort, Brown does not top 50 yards during the next few games. The tough Steelers D won’t make things any easier for the veteran WR, either.

TE/K/D:

Steve Heiden, TE, Cle: Heiden had a monster game last Sunday and was one of the top pick-ups this week, as owners with lower-tier tight ends scoured the wire for upgrades at the position. Well, not only do the Browns face the surprisingly effective Colts defense, but this team will not make the same mistake Green Bay did and give Heiden the room he had last week.

Jeff Scobee, K, Jax: The Jets-Jaguars game could be another low-scoring affair, so both kickers might not get too many chances. Scobee also has not proven to be among the league’s most accurate placekickers, so do not depend on him this week.

New Orleans Defense: This unit might be a tempting one to start as a bye week replacement against a struggling Vikings offense. However, this game might be the turning point for Minnesota, a team that – at least on paper – still has plenty of weapons even without Randy Moss. As much as people across the country are rooting for the Saints, their defense is a risky play this week.

 
Fantasy Football Cafe’s Start & Sit lists are suggestions intended to give fantasy football players an edge in their weekly matchups. Savvy owners will see these lists not as an absolute ranking, but as an indication of possible outcomes of a given week, and use them together with their own opinions and hunches to field the lineup that will give their team the greatest odds of winning. The Start & Sit lists are compiled by Dan Spazierer (not Madame Zelda). For more insights and additional fine-tuning, visit our Who to Start/Bench forum section.