What can you say about Larry Johnson? Well, he’s a pretty terrible running back who somehow got his talent lauded throughout the week as a result of making homophobic comments in the media. What’s the worst part about that? It’s the only time he’s been mentioned in the media (with the word talent included). Let’s hope my picks have a better weekend than Larry does…
Quarterbacks:
– Tony Romo – Dallas Cowboys
Do not count this as me jumping on the “Miles Austin is the new Jesus” bandwagon. He may give the ‘Boys an offensive threat, but I think his weeks of dominance are a thing of the past. Look for the Seahawks to pay Miles a lot of attention, giving Tony good looks elsewhere (particularly Witten).
I think Tony drops numbers in Week 8, he looked great in Week 7.
– Kurt Warner – Arizona Cardinals
Warner, and the Cardinals offense as a whole, has been pretty inconsistent in ’09.
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I’m seeing big strides made from Beanie Wells, and with that, comes more opportunities to open up the passing game. With Fitzgerald and Boldin arguably healthy, and Steve Breaston and Jerheme Urban waiting in the wings, I’m digging the Cards against a bad Carolina squad Sunday afternoon.
– David Garrard – Jacksonville Jaguars
I really feel bad for the Titans. They’ve become what I like to call, a “fantasy green-light”, or a team whose defense is so poor you have to start anyone against them.
David Garrard isn’t very sexy, and without Mike Sims-Walker, there isn’t much to like about him in a given week. But he has Mike this week, and he’s starting against the Titans, so plug him in fearlessly!
Running Backs:
– Steven Jackson – St. Louis Rams
There’s a phrase in golf used after your buddy nails a beautiful long putt, but to make an 8. That phrase is “whipped cream on (four-letter expletive starting with s)”.
Steven Jackson is just that. He is the lone bright spot on an otherwise heaping pile of… well, you get the point. Against the Lions, in what some are calling the “Toilet Bowl”, Jackson should shine.
– Joseph Addai – Indianapolis Colts
Wow. This really feels strange. I mean, I make a concerted effort to make picks that are a little outside the box, but Joseph Addai? Am I pushing things too far? Isn’t Donald Brown supposed to be the guy?
Look back, the passing game is on fire, and Addai is actually a substantial part of it! I know, you’re probably rubbing your eyes, but you should throw him in this week against the Niners, even if it feels wrong…
– Marshawn Lynch – Buffalo Bills
So the Bills offense showed a little, miniscule, off-in-the-distance pulse. Expect that pulse to get a lot louder in Week 8 against the Texans.
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I’ve given up on Fred Jackson playing a big role in the offense, so I’ve resigned to endorsing Lynch. As the apparent go-to guy, you need to play Marshawn this weekend, as I see him getting touches in bunches, and making a splash in the passing and ground games…
Wide Receivers:
– Steve Smith – Carolina Panthers
Well, well, well… It’s really been a while since we’ve talked about this Steve Smith! The Cardinals have shown in the past that they can really force a bunch of turnovers when the ball is being thrown around against them, but I don’t see it stopping Smith from putting up numbers. He’s laid dormant for nearly all of ’09, but jumped back into the picture last week. I think we see even more production in Week 8.
– Mike Sims-Walker – Jacksonville Jaguars
There’s a lot of “Sims-Walker bathwater”-flavored Kool-Aid being passed around the fantasy world. I’m guilty of buying into the hype. Against the Titans, who have routinely given up eye-popping weeks to WRs around the league, I think Mike follows that trend.
– Lee Evans – Buffalo Bills
The kid is a really nice WR. I got the logic behind the T.O. signing, namely that his presence would take away the double-coverage Evans had been getting regularly. It hasn’t really turned out that way though. T.O. is Terrible, Officially. Evans hasn’t broken out, but I think he does despite TO’s ineffectiveness in ’09, and I think this is the week he does it.
Tight Ends:
– Tony Gonzalez – Atlanta Falcons
Not too much of a stretch to back arguably the greatest pass-catching tight end in history. He started hot, and has really tapered off significantly, but in Week 8 I see Tony resurfacing at the top of the TE rankings. New Orleans tends to be opposing TE-friendly, so I think we have the makings for a nice day.
– Jeremy Shockey – New Orleans Saints
Yep, I just threw up next to my desk. Just play him. I really don’t want to talk about why.
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– Brent Celek – Philadelphia Eagles
Speaking of TE-friendly matchups, the Giants have, at times, been guilty of just that.
Philadelphia seems to be close, and if all of their pieces start to click together, they’re a real dangerous team. Another thing to consider: with Westbrook nicked, LeSean McCoy is going to be expected to step up.
If he can’t, Andy Reid will have to go pass-happy, which only helps Celek’s value.
Defense / Special Teams:
– San Diego Chargers
See their opponent. If you have any other questions, take up Fantasy Hockey.
– Arizona Cardinals
So it appears that Delhomme’s light has yet to be extinguished. This could be the final snuff.
– Miami Dolphins
If all the Jets do is run, their point total should stay reasonably low. If they decide to ease up on Sanchez’s leash a bit, Miami has the ability to convert turnovers into big plays. I like them quite a bit in Week 8.
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Kickers:
Here are some waiver pick-ups for Week 8. As always, stream your kickers for good matchups: a good week helps, a bad week kills!
– Nick Folk – Dallas Cowboys vs. Seattle Seahawks.
– Neil Rackers – Arizona Cardinals vs. Carolina Panthers.
– Robbie Gould – Chicago Bears vs. Cleveland Browns.
Drink all you want, and still drive! These are the guys who I see blowing (get it? DWI pun…) in Week 8:
– Braylon Edwards – WR, New York Jets
He still knows how to drop a few, but the bigger issue is that the Jets really aren’t letting Marky Mark throw it a ton. The mathematics here don’t add up to a good week.
– Everyone – RBs, Oakland Raiders
You all suck. Justin Fargas, Michael Bush, the other guy. A lot of folks are hyping up Fargas because he runs hard. Isn’t ‘running hard’ what your high school coach used to say when the fat kid tried the mile? As in, “I’ll give him credit, he’s running hard?” Would you pick the fat kid?
– Michael Crabtree – WR, San Francisco 49ers
I think he ends up being great, his talent is undeniable. I just don’t think this is the week. I could be wrong, but I doubt it. Look for Bobby Sanders to lay a lick on him (as a side-bet).
“Big Johnson of the Week”:
– Well, injuries and idiocy helped narrow this one down. Andre and Calvin are both somewhat of a question mark. Larry will fall only slightly short of his usual weekly output, this time being inactive. Josh lost his job, and Ocho is on the bye. I think this one’s safe for Chris.
* Check back on Tuesday for the Fantasy Football Follow-Up to see how my picks panned out and a review of the week’s top fantasy performers. As always, any fantasy-specific questions can be sent to briangrimsley@gmail.com. Best of luck in Week 8!
– Brian Grimsley
The Great American Sports Blog 