Here we go… week 8 of the NFL season and for many teams the drama is in full swing. Larry Johnson decided to go all Twitter Sniper on himself and may have talked himself right out of a job in Kansas City. The Seahawks placed T Walter Jones on injured reserve which means Seattle will be a passing team moving forward. Jake Delhomme can’t get the Panthers coaching staff to say he is the starting QB, which is since their other options are Matt Moore and A.J. Feely.
Fantasy update
Larry Johnson: You shouldn’t have been playing LJ anyway, so his suspension and possible release won’t mean much for fantasy teams. Jamaal Charles is who I have taking over the starting role and he is worth a look if you are thin at RB. Don’t expect Miles Austin at RB, but he will be better than other waiver wire backs.
Chris Cooley and Fred Davis: Cooley was originally supposed to miss the rest of the season, and then he came out and said he hopes to play in four weeks after foot surgery. With the Redskins already out of the playoff hunt, Cooley wanting to return brings a C’mon Son! to my mind. Fred Davis will get all the playing time at TE while he is out, but since he is on a bye you have some time to see how the whole saga plays out.
Brian Westbrook: There is no clear answer at the time of this article as to Westbrook’s status for this weekend. Personally, I don’t see him playing because he wasn’t just injured last weekend, Westbrook was out cold and that worries the doctors and me. Check with me on Friday, but if he is still a game-time decision I would just find another option at RB.
Calvin Johnson: Megatron missed practice again Wednesday and is a game-time decision this weekend. The only thing you can do here is wait, and hope.
Vince Young and Kerry Collins: There has been no official word yet on who will start, but this is a fantasy article and you shouldn’t care either way. Neither QB is worth owning unless you are in a deep league, and even then neither should start.
Byes: Bengals, Chiefs, Patriots, Steelers, Buccaneers, Redskins
Start ‘em
David Garrard: Tennessee is dead last in pass defense and Garrard is due for a good fantasy game after not throwing a TD in the previous two. I would have no problems whatsoever playing Garrard at QB1 this week.
Jay Cutler: It is hard to recommend anyone from the Bears these days, but playing the Cleveland Browns has a way of changing that. The Browns are 24th against the pass and ranked 8th worst in passing TDs allowed. Look for Cutler to go off since the Bears have forgotten about the run.
Kevin Smith: The Lions are a bad team; a really bad team. But St. Louis has a 27th-ranked run defense and the Lions are hurting at QB and WR. I am looking for Smith to walk away from week 8 as the #1 ranked fantasy RB.
Steve Slaton: A risky pick, I know. But the Bills are dead-last against the run and Slaton needs a big game to quiet some of the talk against him. Houston’s passing attack is high-powered, but if this game gets out of control then Slaton should see enough carries to justify this pick.
Miles Austin: I normally hate putting a player in the start ‘em section two weeks in a row, but Austin and the Cowboys go up against the Seahawks this weekend and Romo has found a new target in Austin. I’d play him as a top-end WR1.
T.J. Houshmandzadeh: I hate to make this pick because last time I did I got burned. The Cowboys are 22nd against the pass and the Seahawks just placed Walter Jones on the IR meaning they’re more likely to pass than to run.
Jeremy Shockey: Shockey had a great week 7, but has been less than stellar the rest of the season. This week the Saints match up against the Atlanta Falcons and their 26th-ranked pass defense. Brees needs a good game here and Shockey should post back-to-back great weeks.
San Diego Chargers defense: The Chargers defense has been a disappointment much of this season, but this is the weekend to play them. The Raiders are division rivals and it is always a heated game when Oakland comes to town. Oakland is 2-5 and the Chargers are 3-3, San Diego needs this win to keep up with Denver.
Sit ‘em
Mark Sanchez: Why people still have him on the roster is beyond me. He hasn’t thrown for more than 172 yards since week 1 and he now has 10 INTs to just six TDs. I wouldn’t own him, but if you do, I wouldn’t play him against the Dolphins this weekend.
Alex Smith: Smith has been sighted in San Francisco and the location is behind center. He has jumped ahead of Shaun Hill but isn’t worth playing against the Colts’ 6th ranked passing defense. Maybe this week Gore returns to glorious form, but I wouldn’t hold out hope for Smith.
Knowshon Moreno: Moreno has become a staple in many fantasy starting lineups, but the Ravens defense has a way of making good running backs look like bench depth. Because of that, I would sit Moreno if at all possible.
Brian Westbrook: I already discussed Westbrook’s condition, so I will just simply say that if you have any other options, I would go with them. LeSean McCoy becomes a low-end RB2 play.
Bernard Berrian: I think Favre and Rodgers are going to throw the ball like a kid and his father in the back yard, but Berrian won’t be the lucky recipient. Favre has locked on to Sidney Rice as his new #1 WR. Just makes you wonder if anyone in Minnesota bothered to show Favre a depth chart.
Steve Breaston: Another NFL team has a fantasy section and they picked Breaston as a must-start last week. I told them they were crazy, but they pushed forward. So, even with a matchup against the lowly Carolina Panthers this week, I am going to again say to sit him. If they pick him again, I am going to roll out with a Child, pleeez!
Todd Heap: Heap doesn’t catch a lot of touchdowns, but not many TEs do. He normally gets you 40-50 yards and 4-5 catches, but this week I am going to sit him against the Broncos. Denver is allowing just 182.8 passing yards per game and Joe Flacco has been up and down all season if you look at his games.
New York Giants defense: The Giants play the Eagles this week and that is a rivalry that goes all the way back to the Great Depression (1933) days. The Eagles may be without Westbrook, but McCoy is eager to fill in and Donovan McNabb has some new toys to throw to this year. I look for a fairly high-scoring game and would avoid the Giants defense if you can.
Question of the week
Q: If, or when, the Chiefs let Larry Johnson go do you think the Jaguars will go after him to help MOJO out? (Kyle from Pensacola FL)
A: God, I hope not. Fans see players in one light and sports reporters and writers see them in another. Let me tell you from deep inside, LJ is not a guy that will bring a locker room into harmony. Me, me, me, me… maybe you… nope, me, me, me.
I think he might have just played himself into retirement. He hasn't been the same back for a few years now and was on his way out anyway. Remember, Johnson is not stranger to problems off the field.