I have a confession.
My fantasy football year hasn’t gotten off to the best start. It’s one of the worst, in fact, that I’ve had in a long time. Injuries, bad offenses, missed field goals, even a suspension–all things I’ve avoided for years–finally caught up with me.
I owe my one victory to Eagles wide receiver Terrell Owens, who pulled out the win by the slimmest of margins. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to shower.
The point about the pointless is, in a nutshell, big deal.
Week 1 performances are a mirage. You rarely know what you truly have or don’t have until the second or third week, and even then the tables often turn at midseason. Does anyone really believe top-three running back Shaun Alexander will be held scoreless in most games, or that Jets tight end Chris Baker will catch for 100 yards and a touchdown on a regular basis?
There’s a better chance David Spade will fill in for Daunte Culpepper, all similarities aside.
Don’t panic and trade or bench a player who underachieved. Be confident that the team you drafted will reward you in the long haul, and have enough patience to tweak your roster only when a true gem emerges.
Conversely, for those of you sitting in the winner’s circle, don’t get too cocky. Your time is coming.
Here’s my take for some of the Week 2 matchups.
49ERS AT EAGLES
Like: Eagles RB Brian Westbrook. He’s really Donovan McNabb’s second-best receiver.
Dislike: 49ers WR Brandon Lloyd. He comes back to Earth against this secondary. I also dislike K David Akers, in part for those missed kicks Monday night, but mostly on a personal level.
Iffy about: 49ers RB Kevan Barlow. The Eagles are vulnerable on the ground, but Barlow might not be big enough or fast enough to take advantage.
BROWNS AT PACKERS
Like: Packers RB Ahman Green. Call it my probationary pick. With WR Javon Walker’s season-ending injury and lowly Cleveland coming to town, Green Bay almost has to commit to the run. The recipe is just right for Green. If he fails, he’s yesterday’s trash.
Dislike: With Walker’s absence, Robert Ferguson moves back to the No. 2 spot. He’s had four seasons to get his act together, yet he has come up with 1,180 yards. Total.
Iffy about: Packers WR Donald Driver will get a lot more looks from Brett Favre, but he just doesn’t have the talent to produce against the double teams No. 1 targets often see.
Other likes: Bengals WR Chad Johnson vs. Vikings, Lions D at Bears, QB Drew Brees at Broncos
Other dislikes: Bucs RB Carnell Williams vs. Bills, Texans WR Andre Johnson vs. Steelers, Titans RB Chris Brown vs. Ravens
Iffy about: Patriots WR Deion Branch at Panthers, Redskins RB Clinton Portis at Cowboys, QB Aaron Brooks at Giants
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Just wondering?
– In all this hand-wringing over Daunte Culpepper playing horribly sans Randy Moss, has anyone stopped to think that Moss’ team lost too?
– Is it wrong for me as an owner of Chiefs RB Larry Johnson that I wouldn’t mind seeing Priest Holmes trip over Brian Griese’s dog in his driveway and land on Jeff Gillooly’s metal club?
– Would it be really wrong of me to try to trade Johnson to a rival before news of his arrest Monday for allegedly assaulting his girlfriend gets around?
– If Jerry Angelo came to the conclusion that former first-round tackle Marc Colombo is the Bears’ modern-day Stan Thomas and cut him, does it make sense to replace him with John St. Clair, a lineman who started on easily one of the worst lines in Miami Dolphins history last season–then got benched during the 2005 preseason?
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Edited by Chris Malcolm (ccmalcolm@tribune.com) and alBerto Trevino (atrevino@tribune.com)
