Week 9 saw some highs and some lows, but none higher than Kurt Warner and none lower than Larry Johnson. One could make a case for Johnson being both the high and the low since the Chiefs are 1-7 on the season and he no longer is a part of that; or, the Chiefs are 1-7 and he can’t even be a part of that. Which side of the fence are you on?
Winners
Kurt Warner: Even at 38 years old, Kurt Warner can still fill the box score with enough stats to make fantasy owners ecstatic. This weekend Warner lit up the Bears for 261 yards and 5 TDs. The once proud Bears defense was reduced to shambles by a QB that never seems to age.
Jay Cutler: While everyone was looking at the Chargers/Giants matchup, they should have been looking at this game since Cutler also filled the box score with his 369 yards and 3 TDs. Good things come in pairs sometimes.
Michael Turner: Turner was one of the guys I was avoiding this year because of the curse of the 350+ carry season. He turned me into a believer this week with his 166 yards and 2 TDs. With 151 yards last week and 166 yards this week, could we possibly see him break 200 next week against the Panthers?
Joseph Addai: I called this one, and a good thing too because I needed it. Addai didn’t rack up the yards, but he did get 63 yards rushing and a TD to go along with his 49 yards receiving and another TD. Because he was riding most people’s bench this weekend, I will give him a bump into the winners’ circle.
Mike Sims-Walker: Sure, Larry Fitzgerald has more TDs, but you should have expected him to have a good game. Sims-Walker on the other hand is still not getting the respect he should as he put up 147 yards on six catches and a score. I’ve been telling people all season about him, maybe now they will listen.
Chris Chambers: The recently-released Chambers found a way to catch just three passes, but made the most of them as he amassed 70 yards and 2 TDs on the day. Kansas City is desperate to find yards and touchdowns and Chambers may just be worth a look in leagues if he keeps it up.
Greg Olson: Can you believe that Olson was on the waiver wire in many leagues before Sunday? Well, he isn’t anymore with his 71 yards and 3 TDs. I doubt you’ll see another game like this again since TE is an all-or-nothing position, but those of you who had him in the lineup are glad you did.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers defense: Yes, they gave up 28 points to the Packers. But, they also scored 2 touchdowns on defense and recorded 6 sacks, 3 INTs, and 1 blocked kick. Believe it or not, the Bucs defense finished in the #1 spot for defenses in standard scoring formats.
Losers
Donovan McNabb: McNabb managed to throw for 227 yards, but his 2 INTs to just one TD were enough to cost fantasy owners a win this weekend. We need more from you, Donovan.
Kyle Orton: There he is, the Kyle Orton we all know and love to hate. Orton finished the night with 221 yards passing, 3 INTs and not a single TD. Hopefully you weren’t pinning your team’s hopes on Orton to begin with, but this could be the start of the slide back to reality as the Broncos’ schedule has already gotten a lot tougher.
Brandon Jacobs: How the mighty have fallen in New York. Last season Jacobs was a fantasy savior, this season he is a 2nd-round bust. On Sunday Jacobs managed just 67 yards rushing and no scores as the Giants lost to the Chargers.
LaDainian Tomlinson: LT is a HOF back for sure, top-10 in my books. But when the final whistle blew in New York, he had managed just 22 yards rushing and eight yards receiving. I don’t want to say it, but I think the Chargers wish they had Turner back and LT gone.
Reggie Wayne: I gave him a loser spot because he hauled in eight catches, but totaled just 64 yards and no scores. I know Wayne can’t get 100+ and a TD or two every game, but when Manning has the game he had (318 yards), you’d expect to see his yards in the 100+ range.
DeSean Jackson: Well, when your QB makes the losers list, so will the WR1 99% of the time. Jackson managed a whopping 29 yards receiving this weekend, which means he was worth not even playing since he netted you roughly two points.
Jeremy Shockey: Shockey isn’t someone that I target on draft day anymore, but he has his good days every once in a while. Sunday wasn’t one of them as he finished with an empty 26 yards receiving.
Green Bay Packers defense: We all knew one defense would come up big and one would lose big, but none of us expected it to be the Bucs that won and the Packers that lost. Green Bay gave up 32 points and finished with just one sack and one INT. On paper it looks like the Packers thought they won this game before they played it.