Kevin Roberts is a graduate of Concordia University in Wisconsin, where
he majored in Communications. He is a Green Bay native and loyal fan to
the Packers. He is also the writer for the NFL Power Rankings of Sportscolumn.com.
Broncos WR Eddie Royal shows no signs of slowing down.
After sustaining a season-ending shoulder
injury, Rashard Mendenhall forfeits any hope of being a breakout rookie
in the wake of Willie Parker’s recent injury. He was getting a good
amount of carries before he went down against Baltimore, but clearly we’ll have
to wait until next season to see if he can make an impact. Matt Ryan
continues to produce erratic results, and could eventually give way to
Baltimore’s Joe Flacco in the Top Ten if he can’t develop some
consistency; however, outside of Derrick Mason and an ailing Todd
Heap, Flacco’s supporting cast doesn’t get the casual fan excited. Jordy
Nelson is officially the third receiver in Green Bay and has registered
four catches in each of his last two games. He could break into the rankings
with a good performance next week.
This hot/cold stuff has got to go. It seems if the Falcons
are facing a weak opponent, Ryan performs well, but shrinks to nothing against
stellar defenses. He obviously relies heavily on the ground game dominating the
game, so it’d be risky to start him against strong rush defenses. He’s facing a
good Green Bay defense next week, but without two starters in their secondary,
Ryan could keep his good game/bad game pattern going.
With Michael Bush performing well, and
a sudden coaching change, McFadden’s status is more uncertain than ever. He
definitely warrants a roster spot in all leagues, but starting him until his
role and injury status is completely clear would not be advised.
He didn’t run circles around the Vikings’
defense, but he did enough to be impressive. Two scores and 60 yards rushing
against arguably the best run defense, leads me to believe Johnson is growing
as a runner. It’s only a matter of time before Johnson starts stealing Lendale
White’s goal-line carries. Oh, wait, he already has.
Forte’s stats against Philadelphia weren’t
great, but what was great was how Kyle Orton opened up the offense. In
most games, if Orton can play that well, it will mean more carries for Forte,
and possibly more scores. Forte’s yards-per-carry aren’t where most would like,
but he’s getting enough touches to be starting on any fantasy team.
Because of Dallas’s obvious goal of getting Terrell
Owens the ball as much as possible against Washington, Jones failed to
touch the ball even one time on offense. The starter, Marion Barber,
only managed eight carries. As long as Owens is being that demanding, Jones’
value drops dramatically. However, he’s still an electrifying kick-returner, and
has tons of potential on offense.
If only Stewart could carry the ball 20 times
in a game. Then we’d know how dominant he could be. But until that happens,
we’ll have to settle for his 10-15 carries a game, and a touchdown each game.
For a guy who doesn’t catch the ball, he’s been very effective with limited
touches. He continues to return kicks as well, so his value in still very high.
Pay close attention to the carries of Stewart and DeAngelo Williams in the next few weeks.
Jackson has yet to catch more than six balls
in a game, but that shouldn’t worry anyone who owns him. His big-play ability
is so enticing, that it can be assumed that Jackson’s 5-6 touches are equal to
most receiver’s eight touches. He continues to be Donovan McNabb’s
number one target, so start him at will. However, pay attention to the status
of Reggie Brown and Kevin Curtis, as their returns could cut into
Jackson’s touches.
True, Brandon Marshall is and will
always be Jay Cutler’s main guy, but Royal sure has made a name for
himself. For the second time in four weeks, the rookie has registered nine
catches and over 100 yards. He is a dependable start in a high-octane
offense.
John Carlson, TE, Seattle Seahawks
Season Stats: 12 rec., 168 yds.,
0 TD
Last Week: Bye Week
Carlson remains in the top ten, simply
because Seattle will be leaning on him heavily as the season wears on. If last
year’s rise to elite status is any indication, the shady play and 0-2 start for
Matt Hasselbeck is merely an aberration. Either way, he has looked
comfortable in going to Carlson, and there’s no reason to think it should stop.
Mayo sticks in the top ten despite having a
bye week, simply because it has yet to be determined if New England’s loss to
Miami was a trend or an aberration. Either way, Mayo has still been extremely
active all over the field, and should continue to be. The Patriots face the
49ers this week, which could result in a lot of tackles for Mayo, and possibly
a pick or forced fumble.
Kevin Roberts is a graduate of Concordia University in Wisconsin, where
he majored in Communications. He is a Green Bay native and loyal fan to
the Packers. He is also the writer for the NFL Power Rankings of 