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Week 1 was a wild week.   Many teams that were expected to win went down to the underdogs.   However, it made for a great week of football.   Overall, many players’ fantasy stats were down week 1 across the board.   This is probably due to offenses still trying to knock the rust off from the off season.   Even with all of this craziness going on week 1, we were able to provide some solid bench start advice.

Nostradamus (a.k.a. psychic)
Start:
Tom Brady –   Brady had a great game.   He distributed the ball to his receivers and managed 2 TDs and over 300 yards passing.   This was a great day in most scoring formats.

Willie Parker – The stars were in alignment for “fast” Willie Parker week 1.   We told you to start Parker and hopefully you did as he was the high scorer overall in many fantasy formats.   Parker went over 200 total yards and tacked on a TD.   While Parker isn’t as heavy as Staley or the Bus, Parker is 5’10”, very solid, and could continue to be a major factor for the Steelers.   Cower has proven that he will abandon his veterans for a fresh face (Amos Zereoue over Bettis, Ben Roethlisberger over Tommy Maddox).   This makes Parker a guy with very interesting upside.

Deion Branch – 7 receptions, 99 yards, and a TD made Branch’s first game since being named the Super Bowl MVP a great one.   Hopefully, you were able to get him in your lineup week 1.

Brian Westbrook – Even though the Eagles couldn’t get past the Falcons on Monday Night, Westbrook had a very good fantasy game once again.   He tallied 111 total yards, a touchdown, and 7 receptions for those teams playing in leagues that award for receptions.

Steve Smith – Steve Smith showed that he was very healthy against the Saints.   Smith had a TD called back on a penalty and still managed a huge game.   Smith had 8 receptions for 138 yards and a 33 yard TD reception.

Rudi Johnson – Rudi didn’t get the start this past weekend for the Bengals because violated some rule.   However, he soon hit the field and made his fantasy mark.   Johnson had 138 total yards and a touchdown.   After one week, it looks like Johnson is going to pick up where last season left off.

Tiki Barber – Barber is a very good running back that is not given his due by many fantasy owners.   We suspect it is because he doesn’t get the rushing yards that other backs do.   Week 1 he only had 62 yards rushing.   However, Barber piles up the points with his receiving ability.   Barber had 60 more yards through the air.   When you add in Barber’s TD, you have another quality fantasy start from Barber.

Jeremy Shockey – Barber’s teammate got hurt before the end of the game.   If Shockey wouldn’t have gotten hurt, perhaps he would have gotten more fantasy points.   Yet, Shockey was able to pull down a few yards and a TD.   For a tight end, that is a good start any week.

Joey Harrington – Harrington let us down by not throwing the ball to the receivers that we thought he would.   Harrington did manage a solid fantasy performance for himself.   His passing yards won’t cause anyone to take notice, but he didn’t turn over the ball and he threw 2 TD passes.   It was a solid game from Harrington.

Washington Redskins Defense – The Redskins proved to be a good start week 1.   They held the Bears to 7 points and tacked on 2 turnovers and 3 sacks.   If your league count’s yards allowed, they did pretty good there too.   If you started the Redskins, you weren’t disappointed.

Bench:
David Carr –   Carr was terrible.   The only thing that even got Carr completely out of the dog house is the fact that he ran for a TD.   Other than that, Carr managed only 70 yards passing, 40 yards rushing, and 4 (COUNT ‘EM, FOUR) turnovers.   Carr was a great bench call week 1.

Tyrone Calico – Calico was a good bench recommendation as well.   Calico had only 2 receptions for 2 yards.   That is a flat out terrible fantasy game.

Kyle Orton – Orton couldn’t find the end zone and he had 2 turnovers.   Combine that with only 141 yards passing and you have a rookie QB that you are glad you didn’t have to start.

Oakland Raiders Defense – The Raiders were lit like a roman candle on Thursday night.   The Raiders had NO turnovers, NO sacks, NO defensive or special teams TDs, and they allowed 30 points and 379 yards.   In many fantasy scoring systems, this is a negative contribution from the Raiders D.   Hopefully, you didn’t start them.

Cedric Benson – Benson was not a fantasy factor week 1.   Hopefully, you left his 10 yards rushing on the bench.

Tatum Bell – Mike Anderson even had to leave the game and Bell still couldn’t manage a good fantasy game.   No TDs for Bell and only 60 total yards.   Yuck!   However, don’t drop Bell yet.   This Denver thing is far from settled.


Farmer's Almanac (a.k.a. not so bad/not so good)
Start:
DeShaun Foster –   Foster managed some yards and a few receptions that helped make him respectable.   We did know that a Carolina back would have a good game and this week it was Stephen Davis.   Davis got the TD and 81 yards rushing.   This situation will need to be watched closely.

Donald Driver – In a point per reception league, Driver might have been an OK start, but in most leagues he managed only a mediocre start.   We expect things to pick up for Driver now that Javon Walker is out for the season.   Sorry about that all you Walker owners.

Bench:
Chris Chambers – If Chambers wouldn’t have turned the ball over, this would have been a completely busted call on our part.   However, Chamber fumbled and that made his fantasy game a marginal one.

Muhsin Muhammad – Muhammad didn’t score, but he did manage 59 yards.   Throw in his receptions and you had a lukewarm start.

Michael Jenkins – Jenkins almost stuck it to us big time, but he was drug down on the 1 yard line.   As such, Jenkins didn’t get a score, but his future could be a bright one if Michael Vick looks to him for more of those moon shot passes.


Weather Forecast (a.k.a. oops better luck next time)
Start:
Chad Pennington – 3 turnovers and no TDs is not a good ratio for your QB.   Pennington had a terrible day.   He apparently isn’t as healthy as we (or the Jets’ Nation) thought he would be.   We would avoid Pennington until he proves he can post a solid game.

Hines Ward – Roethlisberger had a great game with 2 TD passes and 218 yards passing.   Unfortunately for our Ward start recommendation, Ward only got two of those passes for minimal yardage.

Charles Rogers and Roy Williams – We thought that this game would be a shoot out.   Harrington posted solid numbers, but didn’t get the ball to he best two WRs.   Rogers and Williams only had 3 total receptions!!   Harrington is going to need to get the ball to his play makers if the Lions expect to make the playoffs.

Bench:
Santana Moss – Moss didn’t score and he didn’t go over 100 yards, but he did have some nice yardage and no turnovers.   Moss would have been an OK start week 1.