The Scoop

By Dalton Del Don

With what appears to be the best defense in football, imagine how tough this Steelers team is going to be when Ben Roethlisberger returns. They should be considered legitimate Super Bowl contenders…I would say Pittsburgh is in big trouble with Charlie Batch at QB this week, but Dennis Dixon managed just 3.0 YPA in his limited work Sunday, and Mike Wallace led the team with two receptions and 25 receiving yards. Of course, that’s not exactly a sustainable method…It’s safe to say Week 2 will easily go down as Chris Johnson’s worst fantasy performance of 2010.

Ray Rice was a shoelace away from a 70-yard touchdown run last week (instead settling for 30 yards), and after getting underused against the Bengals, expect him to go off at home against the Browns…Baltimore is coming off a loss and could conceivably be 0-2, but its defense has yet to allow a touchdown this season. Joe Flacco will get better…Maybe Carson Palmer should have had Tommy John surgery after all. Seriously, there’s something wrong.

I’ve hammered home just how easily replaceable running backs are, overusing the word “fungible” in the process, but there are exceptions. The difference between Jahvid Best and Kevin Smith is undeniably drastic, as the former looks like a true difference maker in the backfield. Hopefully that sprinter speed also translates away from home and on grass, but what a weapon as a receiver. The fact he’s already locked down goal-line work makes him a fantasy goldmine. He should be considered a top-12 back right now…Seems like the only time Detroit makes a conscious effort to get Calvin Johnson the ball is late in games when playing from behind. Might want to start doing so earlier…LeSean McCoy appears to be Philadelphia’s workhorse, so big numbers should follow. His value isn’t far behind Best’s…It was a favorable matchup and the turf helps his speed, but hard to deny just how impressive Michael Vick was Sunday, showing improved accuracy, especially on his deep ball. And the wheels are officially back. Should be fun to see what he can do in that system and with such dangerous weapons at his disposal. My apologies for recommending Kevin Kolb this summer. Still can’t believe the Philadelphia Daily News used this headline…What a ridiculous backdoor cover for those who had Philly -4.5.

If you’re giving up an 80-yard touchdown run to Tim Hightower, it’s safe to say the back of your defense lacks speed. Still, what an impressive performance by Atlanta. I was so close to using them in my survivor pool, yet wussed out at the last second and burned Green Bay…Who would you rather own in fantasy leagues right now, Larry Fitzgerald or Roddy White?…I still expect a monster season from Michael Turner, but owners who also have Jason Snelling might not necessarily hate a serious Turner injury. Snelling could be Turner plus a bunch of catches. Poor Turner owners were robbed of what was sure to be a huge game last week.

I’m starting to wonder whether this year’s Vikings team is as good as last year’s version. Seriously, can you imagine how upset Brett Favre is that he returned to this mess? What is going on with Percy Harvin? A trade for Vincent Jackson would have helped a team so pot committed, but GM A.J. “The Lord of No Rings” Smith was his usual stubborn self…Brandon Marshall owners catch a huge break with Darrelle Revis (hamstring) sidelined in Week 3…If Ronnie Brown had just a little more speed, he would have had a 99-yard touchdown run Sunday…Adrian Peterson, what a beast. Such an awesome back to watch play.

While Jerome Harrison owners were happy to see him get twice the amount of carries as Peyton Hillis, he lost a fumble and got just 2.1 YPC. Hillis, meanwhile, got 4.4 YPC, and his one-yard touchdown run was highly impressive. Now Harrison is dealing with a thigh injury, which could open the door for an even bigger opportunity for Hillis, although he’ll have a tough time taking advantage of it against Baltimore…Speaking of timeshares, if Todd Haley doesn’t start getting Jamaal Charles more touches, I’ll be actively rooting for his firing…Time to step up and actually make a play Dwayne Bowe. Are you really going to be a fantasy bust back-to-back seasons?

It’s obviously still early, and I’m not surprised by the Bucs’ improvement, but it appears I was dead wrong about the Panthers this season. What an embarrassing home opener coming off a loss. The run blocking has been a major disappointment. Jonathan Stewart simply can’t be used in fantasy leagues right now…Over the first two games of the season, Josh Freeman has recorded a 4:1 TD:INT ratio and posted a 95.0 QB rating. Accuracy issues remain, but that’s quite impressive for a QB coming off a thumb injury who didn’t get much work over the preseason. But the bigger news for fantasy owners is that he’s also gained 77 yards on the ground. With an improved team surrounding him, further development during his second year in the league, and rookie WR Mike Williams looking like a star in the making, Freeman could prove to be a sneaky fantasy option. He won’t be worth using over the next two weeks (facing Pittsburgh and then a bye), but the schedule looks highly favorable after that.

With the worst quarterback and offensive line combo/situation in the NFL, it was perplexing when Buffalo used the ninth pick of the draft to select C.J. Spiller. So it’s positively mind-boggling to watch the team give him just one carry compared to 26 to Marshawn Lynch and Fred Jackson combined. It might also make some sense to throw Lee Evans’ way a couple of times too. This organization needs to clean house, top to bottom…So maybe Brandon Jackson isn’t going to be a fantasy monster. He can still be plenty valuable in that offense with 12-15 carries and 3-5 catches per week, which seems reasonable. But his first opportunity as starter – and the quotes from the coaching staff afterward – were definitely a downer.

I’m not sure there’s a receiver I’d rather own in fantasy leagues than Miles Austin. Although hopefully rumors of him and Kim Kardashian breaking up don’t rock the boat!…Matt Forte has 79 yards rushing over two games, getting 2.9 YPC. He has 188 receiving yards, with all three of his scores coming through the air. While that type of distribution will obviously change eventually, expect more of the same Monday night against the Packers, whose YPC against is totally skewed by facing Michael Vick…I’m finished trying to make sense of the Bears’ WR situation after what happened to Devin Aromashodu last week. I’m cautiously optimistic about Johnny Knox, but after him, it’s a crapshoot…Jay Cutler has accrued a 118.1 QB rating over his last four regular season games. That’s impressive. Who knows if the turnovers will start coming in bunches, but this guy’s upside is off the charts…With Dez Bryant (rib) banged up as well as Jason Witten (concussion) in what looks like a possible shootout in Houston, Roy Williams is a sneaky play in deeper leagues this week. He remains a top option inside the red zone…The offensive line has been a major problem, but what’s up with Felix Jones? Is he Steve Slaton 2.0? Maybe it’s not a great idea to put on 15 pounds during the offseason when your main weapon is speed…I still say the Cowboys make the playoffs.

Knowshon Moreno has averaged just 2.8 YPC this season, but since he’s getting treated as a true feature back who catches passes and dominates goal-line carries, he’s going to be a highly valuable fantasy commodity. He should improve the further removed he is from his preseason hamstring injury…Matt Hasselbeck already has two rushing scores this season. He entered the year without a TD run since 2005. He also has thrown a whopping 13 interceptions over his past five games… Demaryius Thomas somehow caught eight passes for 97 yards and a score during his NFL debut Sunday, which was highly impressive for a rookie wide receiver yet to see real game action. It looks like his foot injury is behind him, and while his targets might be inconsistent week-to-week, Thomas’ talent is apparent, and he’s already the most dangerous weapon on Denver’s offense. With game-breaking speed, an easy schedule and weak competition for looks, Thomas is set up for success, even as a rookie coming off an injury and coming from a gimmicky college system. Burn your FAAB to get him…Kyle Orton has quietly become a more than competent NFL quarterback, completing 67.6% of his passes while getting 8.9 YPA this season. Last year he approached 4,000 passing yards with 21 passing TDs while learning a new system and dealing with an ankle injury, and the loss of Brandon Marshall could be offset by utilizing Eddie Royal correctly and the emergence of Thomas (remember, Orton threw for 431 yards in Week 17 last year when Marshall was inactive). He’s no doubt benefited from an easy schedule so far, but that won’t change much over the rest of the season facing both the AFC and NFC West. Orton has looked extremely impressive on the field – don’t ignore him. He’s a top-15 fantasy QB right now (I prefer him over Brett Favre and Carson Palmer).

I never considered Jason Campbell good, but I thought he was around league average, but it looks like all the past excuses of having a different offensive coordinator every year wasn’t the problem. Sure, it’s a small sample, but Bruce Gradkowski appears to be Oakland’s best option, and the upgrade in Washington with Donovan McNabb over Campbell might be similarly as drastic as any QB over JaMarcus Russell in Oakland…Nnamdi Asomugha shut down Mark Clayton while mostly shadowing him Sunday, ceding zero receptions all game, so why was he not covering him during Clayton’s two catches, both of which went for touchdowns?…Darren McFadden – workhorse who breaks tackles? An injury is probably around the corner, but Michael Bush owners are out of luck otherwise. This is McFadden’s backfield in Oakland right now. He still has a little ways to go to justify being drafted ahead of Chris Johnson, however…Darrius Heyward-Bey – seven catches, 91 yards. Michael Crabtree – three catches, 44 yards. Take that 49ers!

Jacksonville and San Diego combined for nine turnovers Sunday, but what was even sadder was the Chargers not selling out their home opener. Are you kidding me?…I’m not making excuses for Ryan Mathews’ start to his NFL career, but it was a pretty brutal play by the defense that caused his injury, ripping his upper torso back while his feet were caught underneath basically after the play was dead. Hate to hear the “high-ankle” term now being used. Mike Tolbert wouldn’t be a bad replacement though – he lacks the same breakaway speed and overall talent, but he’d get the majority of touches and the goal-line work, something even Mathews was unlikely to receive…Maybe his previous knee injury or recent ankle problem is a contributing factor, and it’s usually best not to overreact to a two-game sample, but Maurice Jones-Drew is killing fantasy owners who spent such a high pick on him. He totaled just 48 yards in a blowout loss Sunday and watched from the sidelines as backup Rashad Jennings played better over most of the second half. Jones-Drew lost a fumble and isn’t getting utilized as a receiver like in the past. This is not a good Jaguars team. I’d easily prefer Ray Rice, Frank Gore or Michael Turner over Jones-Drew. Probably even Arian Foster…Over his last 10 road games, David Garrard has posted a 5:11 TD:INT ratio.

I was high on the Patriots entering the season and bragged a bit after their impressive Week 1 performance, so let me eat some crow after their defense allowed Mark Sanchez to complete 70 percent of his passes with a 3:0 TD:INT ratio and a 124.3 QB rating…What a sick catch by Randy Moss…After Braylon Edwards was flagged for a “taunting” penalty after he scored a second quarter touchdown, he berated the cornerback in a similar manner after catching a two-point conversion in the third quarter. He later was arrested ON CHARGES of (I can’t believe how many potentially libelous headlines have been used in this situation) drunken driving, just days after the Jets introduced a car service for players. Edwards might not have the best hands in the league, but his decision-making is even worse…Maybe New England’s backfield remains a committee throughout the season, but Laurence Maroney was recently traded to Denver, and Kevin Faulk was just lost for the season with a knee injury. Fred Taylor is dealing with a toe injury (he was barely used at all during the second half last week) and is 34 years old. Sammy Morris is 33 years old. BenJarvus Green-Ellis is worth stashing right now.

The Washington/Houston game was one of the better in recent memory. The two teams combined for 871 net passing yards (counting sacks), which was the fourth most in NFL history…With the release of Larry Johnson, Keiland Williams suddenly looks like the top backup in the Redskins’ backfield. He’s yet to receive a carry, but Williams was used extensively in passing situations last week down the stretch, so the team must trust his blocking ability. Clinton Portis scored twice, but he’s averaging an ugly 3.1 YPC on the season and is dealing with a wrist injury. Portis has surpassed 2,200 career carries and has lost all of his burst, so he’s a back in major decline. In an offense that looks invigorated with Mike Shanahan and Donovan McNabb in town, Williams could be a difference maker once he’s given an opportunity…Speaking of Washington’s awful rushing attack, that could lead to big numbers from McNabb, who’s looked sharp so far. Him, Santana Moss and Chris Cooley should all be huge profits in fantasy leagues barring health…Here’s a rule that I’ve never heard complained about that drives me crazy – why does the game clock restart after a false start? Houston (who wasn’t trying to take advantage of this behind in the fourth quarter, but I could easily see a scenario when a team with the lead SHOULD just keep making false starts. They could essentially run 70 (infinite?) seconds off the clock while running just one play) lost a good 20 seconds Sunday because of this absurd rule…If you want good analysis about Gary Kubiak’s decision to punt in overtime, go here.

Ahmad Bradshaw has yet to go off, but with Brandon Jacobs looking as sluggish as ever (last year’s knee excuse know sounds lame) and further putting himself in the Giants’ doghouse by throwing his helmet into the stands Sunday night, Bradshaw’s going to be a major asset moving forward…I’ve been wrong before, but I still consider Pierre Garcon a buy-low target right now…Joseph Addai has always been injury-prone, and if his latest knee problem proves serious, Donald Brown owners just hit the jackpot.

Normally underdog home teams in primetime often are the ones who receive the “lucky breaks,” so considering the 49ers dealt with a minus-four turnover disadvantage (based on two tipped balls (one was an errant Alex Smith throw) and two fumbles (random events)), it’s hard to quantify just how much San Francisco outplayed New Orleans on Monday night…Mike Singletary’s quote from last week was simply brilliant: “Don’t base an entire man’s career on a dad-gum Yahoo commercial.”…Pierre Thomas has gotten just 3.2 YPC so far this year, but more importantly, he’s averaged 24.0 touches per game, so he’s been far more involved in New Orleans’ offense compared to last season. His schedule really eases up moving forward, and the loss of Reggie Bush (leg) should lead to even more touches. Go ahead and safely consider Thomas an RB1…The 49ers aren’t the best 0-2 team in football (that would be the Cowboys), but they still should be viewed as the favorites to win the NFC West.

I’m posting this not because of Bo Burnham (whom I know nothing about, although this song is very clever, and he’s apparently very popular), but because my friend made the music video.