Wrap Up - Week 2

Start’em

Jon Kitna, Lions. My observation that Kitna is aggravating for Fantasy owners was right on the mark. Kitna led the Lions back to take the lead, but at the end of the game, Kitna threw 2 interceptions that resulted in 2 touchdowns for the Packers' defense. Kitna finished with 276 yards passing with 2 touchdowns and 3 interceptions. The numbers were decent, but not worthy of a start this week. Call this a loss.

Eli Manning, Giants. Talk about a guy playing with a huge amount of confidence. Manning had a huge game against the Rams. He completed 20 of 29 passes for 260 yards and 3 touchdowns. Three different receivers caught passes for touchdowns. Manning now is a must start for Fantasy owners.

Edgerrin James, Cardinals. The Edge rushed for 55 yards on 18 carries; and in the process, he became only the 14th player in NFL history to surpass 15,000 yards from scrimmage. He is getting the carries of a starting back, but not the opportunities near the goal line. This is another loss for me. Whether to play James or not is a weekly dilemma for owners.

Julius Jones, Seahawks. Wow, what got into Julius Jones yesterday? He was motivated and ran hard against a physical Niners’ defense. Jones finished with 26 carries for 127 yards and a TD. He also caught 3 passes for 14 yards. Starting Jones every week is a murky proposition. You must keep an eye on the Seattle team and who they are playing.

Donald Driver, Packers. The emergence of QB Aaron Rodgers makes Driver a solid #2 wide receiver. He had 52 combined rushing and receiving yards with a 2 yard touchdown catch. After being the 48th ranked receiver in Week 1, Driver responded with a great Fantasy game.

Sit’em

Derek Anderson, Browns. The wind was a major factor in the Sunday night game, but Anderson would have struggled regardless. He passed for 166 yards with 2 interceptions. The Steelers defense was dominant and Troy Palomalu played like he did during the Super Bowl run. Anderson was probably a high pick for you, but I would think about looking for QB help in a trade or on the waiver wire.

Joseph Addai, Colts. The Colts’ offensive line is in trouble and Addai is feeling the pain. He was bottled up by the Vikings defense and could only garner 33 combined rushing and receiving yards. Fantasy owners received a gift TD from Addai after the Anthony Gonzalez lateral. Peyton Manning’s two failed sneak attempts led to Addai getting a chance to score. Addai was a top 10 pick in most drafts and he has to score in double digits for Fantasy owners.

Lee Evans, Bills. This is a typical game for Evans. He does just enough to make you think about playing him again next week. He finished the game with 77 combined rushing and receiving yards. I think he should do more, but he was effective and the Bills won the game. This is close call—let’s call this one a tie!

Chris Chambers, San Diego. Philip Rivers and Chambers have developed chemistry. Chambers was clearly the go-to guy on Sunday. He finished with 83 combined rushing and receiving yards with 2 touchdowns. In most leagues that is 17 total points. At this stage of the season, Chambers' owners should start him every week.

Totals: 5-3-1 (Overall 11-6-1)

My Picks

Winners: Titans, Buccaneers, Packers, Giants, Cardinals, Raiders, Broncos
Losers: Vikings, Saints, Bills, Seahawks, Jets, Steelers, Cowboys
Push: Panthers
Totals: 7-7-1 (Overall 16-14-1)

Fantasy Games: We went to a Decatur restaurant for lunch, and we watched the early Sunday games. It is kind of crazy to see lots of diverse people with laptops checking Fantasy scores. Another 1-1 week for me. I am now 2-0 in my Atlanta league and 0-2 in my Dallas league. The great part is that in the Atlanta league I have played very tough competition. In my Dallas league, I have a solid team that can score points, but I need to get a win. Both of my squads are struggling mightily at the TE position. After picking up Anthony Fasano and Robert Royal (from the Bills), I had no points from the TE position. Call Lehman Brotgers, that is the definition of a bad investment. Santana Moss was a great surprise this week and probably a certain starter next week.

Eliminator Contest. Whew, this week was a close call. I picked Seattle and then after some soul searching I switched to the Giants. Stayed alive for another week. My wife picked Arizona and she still is alive. 11% of the losers this week took Kansas City to beat Oakland and 10% took Seattle. After two weeks, 55% of the players already have been eliminated from this game.