If you have Clinton Portis on your fantasy football team, you’re probably feeling a little paranoid right now.
Portis, the Redskins, their coach and even league schedule makers all seem to be conspiring against you.
So far Portis has shuffled for a mere 61 yards a game with no TDs. His line isn’t blocking for him. His coach isn’t calling plays for him. And the schedule keeps serving up defensive patsies that make it hard to put him on your fantasy bench.
Even though he’s averaged 1,370 yards and 10 TDs the past two years, he’s been stumped against the lowly Rams and Lions the past two weeks. He’s been stuffed on fourth-and-goal in both games, and last week coach Jim Zorn for some reason gave him just four carries in the first half.
Normally, you’d bench a guy after three weeks of horrid play. Yet, thanks to the schedule, you’re stuck. It’s tough to sit him against the next three currently winless opponents: Tampa Bay (31st against the run), Carolina (29th) or Kansas City (19th).
t and some to avoid in Week 4:
QUARTERBACKS
TAKE A SHOT:
-How could you not start the Vikings’ Brett Favre against former employer Green Bay on Monday night? Especially fresh off a stunning win and his first 300-yard game since 2007.
-Washington’s Jason Campbell also is coming off a 300-yard game, his first in about a year, and makes a fine bye-week replacement. He faces a disoriented Tampa Bay defense that is flopping in every phase.
-In other flopping defense news, the Browns should be generous hosts to Carson Palmer and about any other Bengal you can scrape up for your lineup. Palmer’s been up-and-down this year, but he went for 400 yards last time he visited Cleveland.
-If you’re really desperate for a bye-week QB, Kyle Orton’s worth a try. His wins are only against Ohio teams and the Raiders, but Denver may need to do some passing to keep up with Dallas. (The Cowboys’ defense looked tough last week, but the Panthers are helpful that way.)
BACK AWAY SLOWLY AND NOBODY GETS HURT:
Please, in the name of Charlie Frye, don’t start these guys:
-Baltimore’s Joe Flacco has looked more like Tom Brady than Brady, but this seems to be the week when some order is restored to the universe. Flacco faces a Patriots’ pass defense that hasn’t intercepted a pass but befuddled Matt Ryan last week.
s’ suddenly woeful pass defense. But the Titans can’t be terrible forever, and Garrard has two TDs in his past three games against Tennessee.
-If your league allows time travel to 2007, start Cleveland’s Derek Anderson. Otherwise, avoid the leader of the offense with one TD in the past nine games.
RUNNING BACKS
ALL DAY LONG:
-Take a good look at this week’s big fantasy free agents, San Francisco’s Glen Coffee and Dallas’ Tashard Choice. Coffee’s an automatic start with Frank Gore out injured, and Choice is a great start if one or both other Cowboys are out hurt.
-Overthinker Alert: Many of us suffered from overthinking Pierre Thomas’ return to the Saints and keeping him on the bench for his 2-TD game. This week, don’t overthink the scary Jets defense he faces.
-Many have been burned by Julius Jones’ flops in years past, but he’s somehow scored every week for the Seahawks. Unlike the Cardinals last week, they may actually try to exploit the Colts’ run-stopping woes.
-The Giants say Ahmad Bradshaw will play even though he’s sporting a boot to practice. Seems he could pile up big numbers against the Chiefs even with a boot on. (Maybe even with two.)
RED FLAGS:
-Lots of fantasy owners are excited about Buffalo’s Fred Jackson and the return of Marshawn Lynch. Problem is, there won’t be enough balls to go around, and both face about the only good thing in Miami: the league’s third-ranked run defense.
-Fred Taylor looks like he’ll now be the main back in New England, but don’t get too excited this week if you just picked up the 33-year-old in free agency. Many younger men have been stymied by the Ravens’ No. 1 run defense (51 yards a game).
-Even if you’re desperate this bye week, skip Jets running backs. Thomas Jones averages 37 yards against any defenders not in Houston, and Leon Washington hasn’t surpassed 60 yards or scored.
WIDE RECEIVERS
THROW HIM THE DARN BALL:
-Pittsburgh’s Hines Ward hasn’t caught a TD pass yet and San Antonio Holmes hasn’t scored since grabbing the first TD of the season. But the Chargers-Steelers game seems headed for more of a shootout than their 11-10 struggle last year.
-It’s safe to assume the Jets won’t try the same tricky no-pass strategy Buffalo used against the Saints last week, so start Jerricho Cotchery. He should see plenty of catches while New York tries to keep pace.
-This should be a solid weekend for NFL guys named Pierre, so give Garcon a start in addition to Thomas. He’s filling in fine for the injured Anthony Gonzalez as Peyton Manning’s computer brain runs the Colts’ offense flawlessly.
-Now that you kind of know who the Bears receivers are, give Earl Bennett or Johnny Knox a try against a Lions defense that’s allowed an NFL-worst 10 TD passes.
SHOW HIM THE DARN BENCH:
-Sit Roy Williams and other Dallas receivers. The Broncos haven’t allowed any TD passes – largely because they’ve played teams incapable of TD passes. Dallas’ Tony Romo is currently boycotting the end zone and throws pretty much all passes to Jason Witten.
-Nate Burleson’s 100-yard day sure seemed fluky. The Seahawks still have a questionable QB situation and are following last year’s injury/disaster blueprint.
-In other fluky Week 3 news, it’s hard to imagine Pittsburgh’s Mike Wallace going for another 100-yard game.
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BYES THIS WEEK: Arizona, Atlanta, Carolina, Philadelphia.
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FREE AGENT SHOPPING LIST: RB Tashard Choice (TD, everybody else hurting), RB Glen Coffee (starting while Frank Gore’s hurt), QB Jason Campbell (340 yards, 2 TDs, laughable opponent), WR Nate Burleson (100-yard game), WR Bryant Johnson (73 yards, TD), QB Kyle Boller (2 TDs, may start if Marc Bulger’s out).
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WHAT DO I KNOW?
Big Hits: I expected big things from Aaron Rodgers (3 TDs), Mark Sanchez (3 TDs), Santana Moss (178 yards, TD), Knowshon Moreno (TD) and Steve Smith of the Giants (TD), and failure for Darren Sproles (41 yards) and T.J. Houshmandzadeh (35 yards).
son (TD) and limited play for Pierre Thomas (2 TDs in one half of play).
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