With all games having been played this week, and Week 14 starting on Thursday, it’s time to get going on our weekly routine of looking at targets from the previous week’s NFL action.

- Terrell Owens, Buffalo Bills: Owens got nine targets last Thursday night in the Bills’ loss to the Jets, but due to the Darrelle Revis Factor (go ahead and steal that name for your band), Owens caught only three passes for 31 yards. He is one of many receivers, both elite and ordinary, who have been otherwise shut down by Revis. But the amount of looks Owens gets tells you that quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick is hell-bent on throwing the ball his way no matter what.

- Roddy White, Atlanta Falcons: With Matt Ryan, Michael Turner and Michael Jenkins each out last week against the Eagles, the Atlanta offense was focused on two players – White and tight end Tony Gonzalez. And while Gonzalez got a healthy 13 targets, White got even more opportunities, and saw 20 passes thrown his way by Chris Redman. White ended up with nine catches for 104 yards and one score, and with Ryan, Turner and Jenkins all questionable for this week, we may see White get a similar number of looks.

- Chad Ochocinco, Cincinnati Bengals: The Detroit Lions have the worst pass defense in the NFL, and as such, Carson Palmer made a point of exploiting that match-up last week and threw 14 passes to Ochocinco, resulting in nine catches for 137 yards and one touchdown. No other player wearing a Bengals uniform got more than four, and Ochocinco is now sixth in the AFC, and 11th in the NFL, with 104 targets.

- Kenny Britt, Tennessee Titans: While Britt’s nine targets and three receptions last week against the Colts were second on the team to Nate Washington’s 10 targets and four catches, Britt compiled 46 yards and caught a touchdown, while Washington accumulated 44 yards and was shut out of the end zone. And while the catches and yards don’t make any difference, the touchdown does. That’s because Britt has now traversed into the end zone in three consecutive games, while Washington has not scored in that time.

- Wes Welker, New England Patriots: Welker was targeted 13 times by Tom Brady last week as the Patriots lost to the Dolphins, and he caught 10 passes for 167 yards. Welker had more than double the amount of targets as any other New England player, including Randy Moss, who got just five looks from Brady. As an extension of the running game, Welker catches shorter passes, which enables him to catch almost everything thrown his way. With 95 receptions on 22 targets, Welker has caught an excellent 78 percent of the passes thrown to him. Comparatively, Moss has caught only 59 percent of the passes thrown to him, as he goes out on deeper routes.

Other Week 13 target numbers of interest: Andre Johnson, 17; Sidney Rice, 16; Davone Bess, 14; Steve Smith (NYG), 13; Michael Crabtree, Miles Austin, Bobby Wade, 12; Antonio Bryant, Calvin Johnson, 11; Roy Williams, Robert Meachem, Pierre Garcon, Nate Washington, Todd Heap, 10; Santonio Holmes, 9; Josh Morgan, Donnie Avery, 8; Percy Harvin, Devin Thomas, 7; Louis Murphy, 6; Vincent Jackson, 4; Steve Breaston, 2.

It’s the middle of the NFL season, and you can count on one undeniable truth at this point in the season: injuries and bye weeks are playing havoc with fantasy owners’ lineups. To help you try and fill the void, here’s a look at some players that very well could be available in your league.

- Shonn Greene, RB, New York Jets: With Leon Washington out with a broken leg, the backup duties at running back for the Jets falls squarely on the shoulders of Greene, a rookie who was the first pick of the third round in last April’s draft. He steps into an excellent situation in New York; while he’ll play behind Thomas Jones, he’ll still get plenty of opportunities. The Jets lead the NFL in rushing yards, and also lead the league in rushing attempts, with 30 more runs than the team who is second in that category, the Giants.

- Bryant Johnson, WR, Detroit Lions: Picking up Johnson is a smart move, but more on a one-week basis as an emergency fill-in. His teammate, Calvin Johnson, is suffering from a knee injury, and may not be able to play this week against the Rams. Even if Calvin Johnson does play, his effectiveness may be limited. That opens up the way for Bryant Johnson in an excellent match-up against St. Louis. The Rams are 25th in the NFL in pass defense, and have allowed more touchdown throws than all but five other teams.

- LeSean McCoy, RB, Philadelphia Eagles: There’s probably less of a chance that McCoy is still available in your league than the other players here, but if he is there, snatch him up. Brian Westbrook never seems to be healthy anyway, but last week against Washington he suffered a concussion after being accidentally kneed in the head. In his one previous start, McCoy handled the rock 20 times and accumulated 84 yards while scoring a touchdown. His value doesn’t lie in his running ability alone, though. He’s caught 13 passes this season, with at least one catch in all but one contest.

- Fred Davis, TE, Washington Redskins: Yes,  his team has a bye this week, but if you can afford the roster spot, grab Davis anyway. Starting tight end Chris Cooley was lost with a broken right ankle, and reports vary on when he may come back, or if he will be back at all. In his absence during Monday night’s game between the ‘Skins and Eagles, Davis,  a second-round pick in 2008 out of USC, filled in with eight catches for 78 yards and a touchdown, and maybe more importantly, he was targeted a team-high 10 times by Jason Campbell.

Overview

The Detroit Lions (1-2) are hot off their first win since December, 2007, and are traveling to Chicago in hopes of getting their first division win since October 28, 2007. Coincidentally, that win was against the Bears.

Chicago (2-1) is hot off two consecutive wins and is enjoying the presence of star quarterback Jay Cutler. The Bears have outscored their opponents by just nine points the past two weeks and both games were won after fourth quarter go-ahead drives led by Jay Cutler. This week they hope to spoil the Lions’ good spirits while getting their first division win of the season.

When Detroit has the ball …

… watch to see how often the Bears blitz and bring pressure to Matthew Stafford. The rookie quarterback has five interceptions this season, and last week was the first he didn’t throw a pick. It was also his second consecutive game with a touchdown pass; he has two this season.

It certainly seems as if he is progressing at a rapid pace. Since his week one shock against the Saints, Stafford has completed nearly 60 percent of his passes for nearly 400 yards and 2 touchdowns/interceptions. When he’s under pressure, however, Stafford rushes his throws and makes poor decisions. If the Bears can pressure him and get some hits in (sacks or not), he’ll struggle to maintain composure.

No doubt Detroit will try to establish a running game to keep Chicago’s defense honest. The Lions are ranked 7th in running attempts this season, and over the past two weeks Kevin Smith’s numbers have been most impressive: 40 carries for 184 yards and one touchdown. Chicago’s defense ranks 13th in yards and 15th in yards per carry. It won’t be easy for Detroit to run the football, but the absence of Bears star linebacker Brian Urlacher is certainly an advantage for the Lions.

When Chicago has the ball …

… Jay Cutler needs to continue making smart decisions. After a rocky start week one, Cutler’s decision-making has improved tenfold. He’s checking down to receivers running shorter routes, and the Bears passing game is much more methodical. Cutler has completed over 70 percent of his passes each of the past two weeks, and he’s thrown five touchdowns to just one interception.

His favorite targets have varied on a week-to-week basis, but the three emerging stars at wide receiver are Devin Hester (as expected), Earl Bennett (Cutler’s college teammate), and Johnnie Knox. The last of those names has surprised defenses with his sure hands and blazing speed, and over the past two weeks he’s caught two touchdown passes. Meanwhile, Bennett and Hester both lead the team with 13 receptions this season, while Hester is the only one with a touchdown (he has two).

Perhaps the biggest surprise this season is the absence of Chicago’s running game. Matt Forte has carried 59 times for just 150 yards this season. His 2.5 yards per carry average is startling, and one wonders when he’ll turn it around. This week is a prime opportunity, as the Lions have allowed 4.5 yards per carry this season.

Advantage

Chicago has a significant advantage, especially at home. It will be interesting to see how Detroit follows up its first win in more than a season, but traveling to Chicago will be difficult with Jay Cutler’s confidence flying high.

Fantasy Football Booms and Busts

Boom: Jay Cutler — Cutler has passed for 483 yards and five touchdowns in his past two starts. His rapport with the wide receivers is growing, and Detroit’s secondary remains very suspect. The Lions are ranked 30th in passing yards allowed and 32nd in passing touchdowns allowed this season. Expect Cutler to shred them.

Bust: Matthew Stafford — Stafford’s season is turning around, but this game will be as difficult as any he plays this season. He’s traveling to Chicago where the Bears rank 5th in passing touchdowns allowed and 7th in net passing yards per attempt (yards per attempt adjusted for sacks). Stafford is poised for a rough outing.

The Overview

Washington (1-1) travels to Detroit where the Lions (0-2) are hoping to earn their first win since December 23, 2007. Detroit has already been outscored by 32 points this season, and though its offense has scored three touchdowns this season, the defense has allowed nine.

The Redskins haven’t fared much better. They got their first win of the season at home against the struggling Rams, 9-7, last week. Before that was a loss to division rival New York, 23-17, a game in which the Giants controlled the ball for more than 36 minutes. One wonders whether the defense can salvage Washington’s season, or if it’s going to be another disappointing year for fans of the ‘Skins if Jason Campbell and Co. don’t put more points on the scoreboard.

When Washington has the ball …

The offense has struggled this season to score points. Jason Campbell has passed for 453 yards in two weeks, setting a pace to shatter last year’s career high mark of 3,245 yards. Unfortunately, he’s also on a pace to pass for fewer touchdowns than any other single season, too. In other words, this season is beginning to play out like most recent seasons for Washington: they can move the ball, but they can’t punch it in the endzone.

But it’s not just Campbell. Clinton Portis is off to one of the slowest starts in his career with Washington. His 35 attempts for 141 yards is second only to 2006 when he missed the second game of the season; and his zero touchdowns are matched only by a few seasons, all of which he rushed for more yards.

Overall this offense ranks as a mediocre-below average group thus far. Putting up just 9 points against the Rams, arguably the Lions only competition for “worst in the NFL”, just emphasizes the point.

The key to Washington’s game will come down to field position and the offense scoring touchdowns to conclude drives. They’re punting unit hasn’t been good this season, netting just over 36 yards per boot. Furthermore, all four of the team’s field goals have been under 30 yards; that means they’ve moved the ball down field but didn’t convert on third downs in opponents’ territory. That will be crucial for them all season.

When Detroit has the ball …

After a rough start this season, Detroit has now lost 25 of its last 26 games. Matthew Stafford is playing as you might expect a rookie in Detroit to play; he’s thrown five interceptions to just one touchdown in two games, setting a bad tone for this season.

Kevin Smith and Calvin Johnson have been Stafford’s only consistent targets. Smith leads the team with nine receptions this season, while Johnson is averaging 17.6 yards per reception on his 8 catches to lead the team in all other categories: yards (141) and touchdowns (1).

Johnson has been the team’s one playmaker, while Smith, who already has 47 touches this season, is only averaging 2.6 yards per carry and has 165 total yards from scrimmage. His saving grace has been receptions; without them, below average wouldn’t begin to describe his totals as a running back.

Washington’s defense has been very strong this season, forcing turnovers and keeping scores low. Detroit has scored 20 points per game, though one touchdown was scored by its defense. Don’t expect the Lions to be particularly effective on offense this week; do expect Stafford to build on his interception total.

The advantage goes to …

Washington. Though they haven’t put up a lot of points this season, their defense has been tremendous. Detroit’s quarterback situation and struggles running the football will play into Washington’s hands as the ‘Skins make a run at putting up 20 points for the first time this season.

Booms, Busts, and Sleepers …

Boom: Jason Campbell — Campbell is off to a great start in a lot of ways (mostly in terms of yards), but this is a prime week to shred a defense. Detroit has already allowed eight passing touchdowns this season, and Campbell’s odds have never looked so good.

Bust: Kevin Jones — Washington’s defense still hasn’t allowed a rushing score, but it has forced two fumbles. Jones, who is already off to a very slow start running the football, probably won’t find his first solid game this week.

Sleeper: Clinton Portis — He’s off to a slow start, but it’s a matter of time before he gets enough touches to light a defense up. He’s averaging four yards per carry and, if the Redskins run it enough, he’ll break the century mark against a defense that allowed Mike Bell to do it week one.

Carolina (0-2) at Atlanta (2-0): Atlanta, 28-20

Matt Ryan again showcased his skills as a passer, throwing for 220 yards and 3 touchdowns in a close win over Carolina. Tony Gonzalez remains the lynch pin in this offense and he caught 7 passes for 71 yards and 1 touchdown. His presence has made the offense much more versatile and effective through the air.

Perhaps least surprising was the renewed interest in running the ball this week. Ryan attempted just 27 passes this week, while Michael Turner handled 28 carries and Jason Snelling and Jerious Norwood tacked on 7 more. Turner effectively rushed for 105 yards and 1 touchdown to lead the offense, but Snelling took his 6 carries 37 yards, too.

The big stat to take away from this one for Atlanta: Ryan completed much more of his passes to his wide receivers this week. Though Gonzo led the team with 7 receptions, Roddy White caught 6 and Marty Booker and Michael Jenkins combined for 5 more. In all, 12 of Ryan’s 21 completions were to wide receivers versus last week when over half his completions were to Gonzo and the running backs.

Meanwhile, the Panthers slipped to 0-2 in spite of a near comeback. Jake Delhomme was significantly better this week and he finished with 308 passing yards, 1 touchdowns and 1 interception. His favorite target was, not surprisingly, Steve Smith who caught 8 passes for 131 yards in a big performance. The rest of the completions were spread between 7 other players, none of whom had more than 5 receptions. Tight end Dante Rosario caught 3 for 31 yards and 1 touchdown.

But though Carolina was very focused on passing the football, the running game was very effective: in all, the team ran the ball 25 times for 144 yards. DeAngelo Williams led the way with 16 carries for 79 yards and 1 touchdown, while Jonathan Stewart chipped in with 9 carries for 65 yards. Overall, the offense showed much more promise than last week and in a turnover-free game, this will be a tough team to beat.

Minnesota (2-0) at Detroit (0-2): Minnesota, 27-13

The Vikings struggled early on against Detroit and the Lions had a legitimate shot to win the game — and the lead — going into halftime. Unfortunately, Brett Favre’s efficient passing — he was 23-of-27 — and Adrian Peterson’s rushing put the Vikings on top and put the game out of reach. This was the second week in a row that Favre didn’t put up a great yards per attempt average — he only passed for 155 yards — but he’s not making mistakes. This is not the Favre we’re accustomed to seeing and many of his completions are underneath, especially — and this is surprising — to Adrian Peterson, who caught 4 passes for 8 yards.

The emerging star in Minnesota’s offense is Percy Harvin. He accumulated 58 yards and scored 1 touchdown last week, and this week he improved put up similar numbers: 55 yards and 1 touchdown. His speed makes him very dangerous, and his versatility (he has 4 carries for 36 yards this year) will keep defensive coordinators up at night all season.

As for the Lions, Calvin Johnson remains a huge part of the offense. Without him the team would struggle even more than it has to this point. He caught 5 passes for 51 yards and 1 touchdown in this game, fighting for yards and using his physicality to gain a big advantage.

Unfortunately, Matthew Stafford remains an erratic rookie. He only passes for 152 yards, despite 30 attempts, while throwing 2 interceptions to 1 touchdown. Most tellingly, Calvin Johnson was one of just two receivers in this offense to get a catch; the other, Dennis Northcutt, caught just one pass. In other words, about 67 percent of Stafford’s completions are checkdowns. He needs to find his wide receivers if he wants to improve his overall passing numbers.

Cincinnati (1-1) at Green Bay (1-1): Cincinnati, 31-24

In an upset at Lambeau the Bengals managed to contain the Packers offense enough to come out ahead with a win, though Green Bay did have a slim opportunity to win down the stretch. Cincinnati is this close to 2-0 at this stage in the season, and much of the credit must go to the defense. It’s better than most might give credit, and it’s something to keep in mind for the rest of the season.

On offense the passing game was effective, but Carson Palmer’s two interceptions could have cost the Bengals the game. Both were throws he must have wanted back immediately after making them, and in neither case was he under immense pressure. He’s a somewhat erratic quarterback at this point and he probably won’t totally hit his stride for another few weeks. After he does, watch out: Cincinnati has a lot of firepower on offense.

The big key for Cincinnati in this one was Cedric Benson. The underappreciated running back carried 29 times for 141 yards and even though he didn’t find the endzone, he was the key to the Bengals burning down the clock and moving down the field. Palmer passed for just 185 yards, and though he threw all three of Cincinnati’s offensive touchdowns, without Benson’s success the offense would have been lost.

Green Bay wasn’t so lucky. Ryan Grant took his 14 carries just 46 yards, struggling to make an breaks in Cincinnati’s defense. His longest carry moved eight yards and it seemed more often than not he was held at the line of scrimmage or just past.

This issue led to a lot of passes for Green Bay. Aaron Rodgers was under constant pressure for the second week in a row, and in a crucial loss left tackle Chad Clifton injured his ankle. He might not be ready next week, and that will put the team at a significant disadvantage against pass rushers. Unless the team can find an answer to blitzes and powerful defensive ends, Green Bay is going to struggle all season.

Arizona (1-1) at Jacksonville (0-2): Arizona, 31-17

The Cardinals bounced back in a big way this week. Jacksonville could hardly prevent Kurt Warner from throwing an incompletion, and the 39-year old quarterback  completed a record 92.3 percent of his pass attempts. The Jaguars couldn’t pressure him and the defensive backfield was torn to pieces. When the dust settled, the ultra-efficient Warner had 243 passing yards and 2 touchdowns.

In no surprise, Anquan Boldin and Larry Fitzgerald were his two favorite targets. Boldin led the team in receptions with 8 for 69 yards, while Fitz contributed with 4 for 34 yards and a touchdown. Interestingly, only Steve Breaston — who took his 5 receptions 83 yards — averaged at least 10 yards per catch and caught at least 4 passes.

Last note on Arizona: Tim Hightower (who also rushed for a touchdown) had twice as many carries as Chris Wells (15 to 7) and they combined to average 5.3 yards per carry. In other words, Jacksonville couldn’t stop anything.

On offense, the Jaguars scored 3 points through the first 41 minutes of the game. David Garrard was forced to pass 43 times, and though he had 282 yards and 2 passing touchdowns, it was a struggle throughout. He turned the ball over twice and fumbled three times; not good.

Mike Sims-Walker was the big shocker in this one: the 24-year old receiver caught 6 passes for 106 yards and 1 touchdown. Mercedes Lewis caught the other touchdown and finished with 3 receptions for 62 yards.

Jacksonville’s typical strength — running the ball — had to be abandoned after the team found itself trailing by 14 after a blocked field goal was taken 83 yards by Arizona in the second quarter. When Jacksonville did run, Maurice Jones-Drew was mostly ineffective, carrying 13 times for 66 yards. Though that number looks good at first glance, when adjusting for a 36 yard carry, his yard per carry average is just a tad over two.

The Jaguars must limit turnovers and focus on the run in future games if they hope to have more success on the field.

The Hype

It’s an NFC North matchup a week removed from Detroit’s blowout defeat and Minnesota’s 14 point-victory. Adrian Peterson made the fantasy players who drafted him one overall very happy when he carried the Vikings’ offense with 180 rushing yards and 3 ground scores. But don’t assume drafting Lions was the worst plan: Kevin Smith picked up 72 yards of offense and scored once while Calvin Johnson did what he could, taking his three receptions for 90 yards.

When You Look at Minnesota …

… you see a Vikings offense with untold potential and a defense with plenty to bring to the table. Brett Favre’s numbers weren’t gaudy, but he completed 67 percent of his passes and didn’t turn the ball over. Oh, and he did throw a touchdown pass to emerging threat Percy Harvin in the third quarter.

But as stated earlier, this was the Adrian Peterson circus: dude blew up against the Browns, rushing for 180 yards on 25 carries (that’s 7.2 per touch) and even catching a pass for 18 yards. That’s nearly 200 yards from scrimmage and three scores — enough to take a huge advantage over anyone in your fantasy league (unless they had Drew Brees, but that’s another article).

As I said before, Percy Harvin is looking pretty good himself. He’s a playmaker who caught 3 passes for 36 yards and a touchdown and added 2 carries for 22 yards. He’s scary fast and when he gets in the open field he’s liable to score at any time.

When You Look at Detroit …

… you see a team in rebuilding mode. Is 0-16 a possibility again? Well, maybe. Matthew Stafford rushed for a touchdown but also threw 3 picks in a bizarro twist. He didn’t complete half his passes (he was 16-of-37) but he did manage to break 200 passing yards. Leagues that penalize for interceptions should steer clear of the rookie.

The biggest problem for Detroit in this game was New Orleans offense. Brees threw 6 touchdowns and was a relentless force, and the Lions had no answer. That kept the ball in Stafford’s hands and prevented the offense from focusing on the run like I’m sure it wished it could.

Having said that, Kevin Smith carried 15 times for 20 yards. That’s pretty inexcusable from any perspective. Still, if he can get some traction it will be a huge boon for the offense. The Lions need to establish an effective running game so Stafford doesn’t need to put the ball in the air. After all, New Orleans wasn’t noted for its pass defense in the past; either they’re great this season or the Lions have a nervous and ill-prepared rookie quarterback. If it’s the latter the Lions are in for some big struggles again in 2009.

After Looking Around …

Detroit’s offense only scored 20 points — two touchdowns and a pair of field goals — and the defense allowed Drew Brees to pass for 358 yards and Mike Bell to rush for 143 yards. That’s outrageous. The Lions must contain Adrian Peterson and force Brett Favre to beat them or they’re in for another embarrassing defeat.

The Vikings must establish the running game and do what New Orleans did last week: stop the run and force Stafford to beat them. He’s uncomfortable under pressure and he tries to force success; asking him to beat the defense could result in some big turnovers.

Most Likely To …

… Go Big: Adrian Peterson — Yeah, again. If Mike Bell can rush for 143 yards Adrian Peterson can break 100 without much trouble. Granted, Detroit will focus to stop the run; but then again, there’s no doubt they gameplanned to stop Drew Brees last week. We all know what happened on gameday.

… Bonus Go Big: Calvin Johnson — I know Stafford struggled last week and I don’t expect a big game from him this week, but Calvin Johnson is a phenomenal wide receiver. Remember, he took 3 passes 90 yards last week. If the Lions need to play catch-up, he’ll be the go-to receiver. And (brief) history has shown he’s successful against the Vikings: only once (in four games) did the Vikings keep him out of the endzone and his yardage is typically respectable: he finished with 84 and 85 yards in their two meetings last year.

… Go Home: Kevin Smith — The Vikings have a notoriously stout run defense and they’ll want Matthew Stafford throwing passes. Kevin Smith is unlikely to have a great game against them; last season he rushed for 126 yards in two games and failed to score a touchdown. Expect nothing different in this meeting.

 This is the second part of a four-part series that details how knowing an offensive scheme can go a long way in predicting player performance.  You can view the first part by clicking here.

Detroit Lions [HC: Schwartz (Titans), OC: Linehan (Rams)]

After leading the hapless Rams to a record of 11-25 over the past 3 seasons, Scott Linehan will return to what brought him the most success-being an offensive coordinator.  He even has the QB who brought him much of that success as OC in Minnesota, Daunte Culpepper.  But this isn’t the Daunte of old, just an old Daunte, and he will likely give way to Matt Stafford at some point during the season.  Neither one will have much fantasy impact this season, but if in a keeper league, you definitely want to keep an eye on Stafford in later rounds.  As everyone knows, the star of the offense is Calvin Johnson.  But as much as I like Megatron, I don’t see his numbers making a dramatic jump over last year’s.  It has nothing to do with talent, but more so with game situations.  The Lions were down in the 4th quarter of every game, so they had to throw the ball to try to catch up.  Detroit is not going to go 0-16 again, so that means more 4th quarter leads and more running the ball to consume time.  I do believe Johnson will increase his 78 receptions because of better QB accuracy but his other numbers (1338 yds. 12 TD) will remain about the same.

The beneficiary of the increased emphasis on the ground game is Kevin Smith, who had the sixth most rushing yards during the last 8 weeks of the season.  As the full-time starter, Smith will inherit the Steven-Jackson role in Linehan’s scheme as a dual-threat back.  I think 1500 total yards is possible and because of the Lions record last year, he will be overlooked in many drafts.  He’s not a top-10 running back, yet, but I do like him as a RB2 and as the talent around him increases, he will become a fantasy star.  The scouting report on rookie TE Brandon Pettigrew is that he’s a great in-line blocker, with good hands, but cannot separate from defenders.  Well if he couldn’t separate in college, then there’s no way he will be able to do it in the NFL.  I view him as a “move-the-chains” tight end who will get his fair share of receptions but won’t accumulate many yards.  His best comparison to an NFL TE would be Jacksonville’s Mercedes Lewis who’s also known more for his blocking than receiving.  If in a PPR league, then he may have value but otherwise he should only be used as a bye-week replacement.

St. Louis Rams [HC: Spagnuolo (Giants), OC: Shurmur (Eagles)]

Little is known about former Eagles QB coach Pat Shurmur.  Under Andy Reid the Eagles ran a version of the west coast offense (WCO), so it was anticipated that Shurmur would implement it into the Rams offense as well.  Now that training camp is underway, it has been confirmed by the Associated Press that the Rams will use the WCO in 2009.  That is great news for QB Mark Bulger as the WCO is designed for the QB to get the ball out quickly with 3 and 5-step drop backs.  I’m sure Bulger is ecstatic about this since he has been sacked 191 times since 2004, just one fewer than Ben Roethlisberger’s league-leading 192.  But Bulger has also played in 7 fewer games than Roethlisberger during that period.  Bulger doesn’t have the receivers he had when he was a Pro Bowler, but you can expect an increase in numbers across the board.  He’s a guy who will be overlooked because of his team’s lack of success but he still has now tools, and now has the scheme, to once again return to fantasy relevancy.

Steven Jackson only played 12 games last year and only had a FB for 7 of those, but he still managed 1000 yards rushing.  As the above graph shows, Jackson has averaged the third most yards from scrimmage per game over the last two seasons.  That shows you the ability that he has and he remains a top-5 pick.  What the WCO means for him is more receiving opportunities which further boost his status.  He has everything you want from a #1 back and if you could guarantee me that he would play a full 16, then I would have no problem taking him at #1.  TE Randy McMichael used to be a fantasy stud with Miami, but has been relegated to more pass protection with the Rams.  If you’re one of those people who drafts your starting tight end after drafting your backup RBs and WRs, then McMichael would be a good pick up.  The only other draft-worthy player on the Rams offense is Donnie Avery.  He’s a far different receiver than Torry Holt and Isaac Bruce as those two would run crisp routes as the QB would lob the ball and then they would just run under it.  Avery is a YAC guy-he could take an 8 yard slant route into an 80 yard touchdown.  With the WCO, Avery should play in the slot more which will increase his chances for a long catch-and-run.  I had high hopes for Avery until his injury.  I would only draft him if your league allows lots of bench players.  Otherwise just pick him up in free agency once you hear that he’s practicing again with the team.

Week 1 of the NFL’s preseason has come, and while every football fan probably watched their team with at least some level of interest, fantasy owners in particular were likely examining what information they could glean out of the contests. To aid in that pursuit, let’s take a look at the games played so far (there are two Monday night games – Jacksonville at Miami and Carolina at NY Giants) and the fantasy consequences of each.

New England 27, Philadelphia 25: One Mr. Bundchen, Tom Brady, was back to his old tricks, going 10-of-15 for 100 yards, one touchdown pass and one interception while staying healthy, which was just fine. It was interesting that Patriots tight end Chris Baker was on the receiving end of both of Brady’s scoring passes. As for Philly, rookie running back LeSean McCoy’s 10 carries for 55 yards made all those that will handcuff him to Brian Westbrook feel good.

Baltimore 23, Washington 0: At least Baltimore’s defense was in mid-season form. Washington did very little, and had just 48 offensive plays all night. In contrast, the Ravens had 54 passing plays, 15 of which came from Joe Flacco, who did a solid job by completing nine of them. On the running back front, Ray Rice (whose fantasy points from last year you can see on the right) carried the ball five times for 22 yards and Willis McGahee toted the rock four times for 26 yards, but Rice’s three catches for 38 yards trumped McGahee’s one catch for seven yards, and is a further indication why Rice is the favorite to be the starting running back.

Pittsburgh 20, Arizona 10: It was ho-hum for Arizona, but worth noting was that Matt Leinart was a bit better than Brian St. Pierre in the battle for that team’s backup job. For the Steelers, Rashard Mendenhall didn’t do himself any favors by running for only 2.7 yards per carry on nine attempts, but wideouts Shaun McDonald and Limas Sweed were productive. Sweed has big-time potential, but he was useless last season, and needs to step up this year. Still, he’s someone fantasy owners may want to keep in the back of their minds.

Oakland 31, Dallas 10: Dallas wideout Sam Hurd made the most noise by far in the team’s wide receiver battle, as he caught five passes for 79 yards, while no other wideout caught more than one pass. Darren McFadden used a 45-yard rumble to amass 63 yards on just four carries, showing the type of explosiveness that makes fantasy owners believe he can have a breakout campaign.

St. Louis 23, NY Jets 20: Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez played just one series, but that was enough for him to complete three of his four throws for 88 yards and be named the starter in the team’s next preseason game. For the Rams, the early battle for the team’s No. 2 running back job is being led by Samkon Gado, who ran for 93 yards, including one 77-yard touchdown gallop.

Minnesota 13, Indianapolis 3: Sage Rosenfels looked pretty good by completing 10 of his 13 passes for the Vikings, while the man he is battling for the starting QB job, Tarvaris Jackson, completed only seven of his 15 throws. Rookie runner Donald Brown started off nicely for the Colts, running the ball five times for and excellent 58 yards, including a 38-yard tote.

New Orleans 17, Cincinnati 7: Cedric Benson did what Cedric Benson always does - ran for under 4.0 yard per carry. His 28 yards on eight carries (3.5 ypc) does little to inspire those that have been burned by the former first-round bust in the past. Speaking of busts - okay, possible busts - Reggie Bush continues to show he makes an outstanding slot receiver for a running back, carrying three times and gaining 15 feet.

San Francisco 17, Denver 16: Disaster, thy name is Kyle Orton. Fantasy owners will need to see more than three interceptions in 16 passes from the new Broncos signal-caller before embracing him on their roster. So too will Denver fans. For the Niners, tight end Vernon Davis proved he could get downfield a bit, with two receptions for 41 yards.

Detroit 27, Atlanta 26: Not much happened to speak of for the Falcons, besides losing to Detroit after being up by nine with under 3:00 to play. Preseason or not, that’s a poor way to start. A much better way to start is by doing what Michael Turner did, running for 63 yards and a score on six carries. Matthew Stafford was a bit up and down for the Lions, connecting on half of his 14 passes, throwing for a score but also tossing a pick.

Buffalo 27, Chicago 20: Not the greatest of beginnings for Jay Cutler. While he wasn’t as terrible as the man he switched teams with, he completed just five of his 10 passes and threw an awful interception, chucking the ball in the air after feeling some pressure. Buffalo quarterback Trent Edwards was very good, however, despite not having Terrell Owens. He completed each of the 10 throws he made.

Green Bay 17, Cleveland 0: Some sizzling quarterback race in Cleveland. Brady Quinn did complete seven of his 11 passes, but for only 68 yards, and he also tossed an interception. Derek Anderson, meanwhile, threw twice and completed one - to the wrong team. All the Green Bay running backs did a nice job, and it was good to see Brandon Jackson - a must-handcuff to Ryan Grant - deliver 41 yards on eight carries.

Tennessee 27, Tampa Bay 20: Little seemed to have been done to uncoil the quarterback situation in Tampa, as Byron Leftwich, Josh Freeman and Luke McCown were each okay. For the Titans, rookie wideout Kenny Britt started off with a bang, with five catches for 89 yards and a touchdown. He’s definitely someone to look out for in the rookie wide receiver class.

Houston 16, Kansas City 10: Someone needs to be the backup and possible handcuff to Steve Slaton, and both Ryan Moats and Chris Brown got off to solid starts. Moats ran the ball 10 times for 52 yards, while Brown carried it six times for 25 yards and a score. On the Chiefs side, not much could be taken away from the start Matt Cassel had, as he completed just two of his five throws.

Seattle 20, San Diego 14: Neither T.J. Duckett nor Julius Jones ran for 4.0 yards per carry in what could be a sign of things to come this season in the Seattle running game. Then again, neither did LaDainian Tomlinson or Darren Sproles in this contest that told very little about either team’s stars.

NFL players get hurt in training camp. It’s as predictable as death, taxes, and celebrity sex tapes. There’s nothing anybody can do about it, so the best way for fantasy owners to deal with the maladies is to gather as much information as possible and decipher what it means. Let’s do just that with some of the latest injury news.

Donnie Avery, WR, St. Louis Rams: The second-year pro has a stress fracture in his left foot, and is said to be out 4-6 weeks. This is a dangerous injury, because it can be difficult to know when a stress fracture is fully healed. Avery could very well miss the opening few weeks of the regular season. As such, bump him down a few notches on your WR cheat sheets. He was also hurt last season in training camp, so the “injury prone” label is quickly coming. You can move the likes of Keenan Burton, Laurent Robinson and Ronald Curry up your rankings if you wish, but their fantasy value will ebb once Avery comes back, and it wouldn’t be high enough to make them draftable in anything but deep leagues anyway.

Beanie Wells, RB, Arizona Cardinals: Wells is not practicing with Arizona, as he recovers from an ankle malady. Injuries were the knock on him coming out of Ohio State, and it took him no time at all to get hurt in training camp, which isn’t a good sign. If Wells continues to miss a significant amount of time, it will help Tim Hightower snatch the starting job at running back. Hightower failed to capitalize on the opportunity last season, as you can see in the graph to the right which shows his rushing yards per game, but he is a good receiver and will get in the end zone a number of times. Still, be careful making him anything more than a RB3.

Calvin Johnson, WR, Detroit Lions: Johnson jammed his right thumb over the weekend, and had a temporary cast on it. X-rays revealed nothing major, but the Lions can ill afford to lose their most talented player, so he’ll have more tests done on it. This simply sounds like the Lions being overly cautious early in camp with their best player, so fantasy owners should continue taking Johnson with confidence.

Ben Utecht, TE, Cincinnati Bengals: Utecht may miss the season after suffering a concussion. He’ll meet with neurologists to discuss his future over the next couple days. While not a prolific player, Utecht could have mustered some fantasy value with the return of Carson Palmer this season to Cincy’s offense. Should Utecht miss the year, the fantasy value of Robert Royal and Chase Coffman goes up, especially in Coffman’s case. He struggles blocking, but is an excellent receiver who can catch anything thrown to him, and if Utecht is gone, Coffman is guaranteed to see more playing time, and should be moved up a number of notches on your TE rankings.

The decision to start a rookie quarterback is always tricky for the head coach. On the one hand, he feels suffocating pressure from the fans and franchise owner who expect their new toy to get playing time right off the bat. To the fans, he’s the answer to years of losing or falling short of the Super Bowl. To the owner, it’s more business than excitement: he’s the guy who cost upwards of $40 million, and every game, or worse, year, he isn’t a starter is viewed as money lost.

Gone are the days when a head coach could sign his rookie quarterback and groom him behind a quality starter. Gone are the days when a rookie had to earn every bit of respect from the fans. Today it’s “what have you done for me lately?” Expectations for both the coach and player are at an all time high, especially after last season’s history-defiant head coaches and rookie quarterbacks.

Mike Smith and Matt Ryan successfully made Atlanta Falcons fans forget about the debacle that landed their last quarterback in prison only two seasons before by making the postseason and shocking fans and media across the country.

Meanwhile, the Baltimore Ravens soared to the AFC Championship game with rookie quarterback Joe Flacco under center and John Harbaugh calling the shots from the sideline. It was a great story, reinvigorating interest in the Baltimore Ravens franchise.

Talk about raising the bar.

Unfortunately for some persons, their success has repercussions for this season. Three more rookie quarterbacks and rookie head coaches have been signed by three teams to lead their respective franchises to winning ways. Losing leads to desperation which leads to making decisions too soon. Sometimes it works and you have a Matt Ryan or Joe Flacco, but other times it’s too much too soon and you wind up with a quarterback like Tim Couch or Ryan Leaf.

Take a look at these three teams and rookie quarterbacks and decide for yourself: when should they start this season, if at all?

Detroit Lions – Rookie: Matthew Stafford – Veteran: Daunte Culpepper

Stafford was the most hyped player in the draft, a physically gifted quarterback with leadership skills. But it wasn’t unanimous praise for Stafford; he had plenty of detractors who said he wasn’t ready for the NFL because he lacked well developed decision making skills and throwing accuracy.

Regardless, the team cannot possibly play worse than it did last season when it finished with 16 regular season losses. The Lions made strides to improve during the offseason, and if the offensive line is improved as it should be, the offense won’t struggle as much as most 0-16 teams do. Stafford has the added benefit of a young running back with loads of potential, Kevin Smith, and one of the best wide receivers in the NFL, Calvin Johnson. Expect Stafford to start at some point this season, perhaps by week one if preseason goes well, and he has the weapons around him to finish with decent numbers.

New York Jets – Rookie: Mark Sanchez – Veteran: Kellen Clemens

Mark Sanchez gained considerable ground on Matt Stafford in the weeks leading up to draft, thanks to outstanding workouts that showcased his pinpoint throwing accuracy. When the Jets traded up to draft Sanchez, fans went wild.

The Jets have a history of drafting disappointments, so here’s to hoping Sanchez won’t be the next notch on that belt. According to reports, he hasn’t practiced better than Clemens this offseason. It’s early, of course, but don’t expect Sanchez to be the week one starter. If Clemens struggles during the regular season, Sanchez might be able to leapfrog him.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Rookie: Josh Freeman – Veteran: Luke McCown/Byron Leftwich

Josh Freeman is the least likely week one starter of the three rookie quarterbacks in this article and the rawest talent of the bunch. Buccaneers GM Mark Dominik has said “the ultimate goal” is to let him “sit back and learn.” It’s probably the wisest decision, especially considering the combined experience of Luke McCown and Byron Leftwich, and there presence makes it very unlikely Freeman will start at any point during the first part of the season. However, if the season is lost during the second half, he could see a lot of snaps.