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Sunday's Best Big games come to those who wait
By James Quintong, CNNSI.com It's funny how the fantasy landscape can change over the course of the day. Watching most of the early games, there were very few huge outings from a fantasy perspective that would've caught many people's attention. The high scores from the early games came from outstanding defensive stands, especially the Jets and Eagles. Then the late games start up and all of sudden, there's a flood of huge individual performances that probably turned the tide in many fantasy games. And probably more importantly, many of these games came from those not necessarily considered No. 1 players on any fantasy teams. So there could be some surprises when you look over the final stats -- or cursing yourself for having so many points sitting on the bench. One thing that also screams out is that this week was full of big scorers in the passing game. There were plenty of solid performances from the running game, but the eye-popping numbers all came from quarterbacks and receivers. Maybe everyone is trying to get out of their system before all of the bad weather hits.
Top 10 Studs1. Marty Booker, WR, Bears (7 catches, 165 yards, 3 TDs): He became the default No. 1 receiver when Marcus Robinson went down with injuries, and he did respectable numbers over recent weeks thanks to Chicago's short passing game. But he definitely showed the Bears can throw it downfield, scoring on three beautiful long passes against a good Bucs defense. Booker still isn't a No. 1 fantasy receiver, but he's solidifying his role as a good No. 2 or 3. Can you dig that, sucka? 2. Jerry Rice, WR, Raiders (8 catches, 131 yards, 3 TDs): You knew he had to have a couple more games like this still left in the tank. You just had to live through the very average outings before he had one of those vintage games. Kudos to those who could wait that long.
3. Charlie Batch, QB, Lions (36-62, 436 yards, 3 TDs, 3 INTs): He's starting to become one of those quarterbacks who's much better from a fantasy perspective than a real perspective. With no running game to speak of thanks to James Stewart's injury, all Batch could do was fire away. Luckily, he can do well against a mediocre Cardinals defense. What's moderately impressive is that he's piling up the numbers on dump-offs to tight ends and running backs since there aren't many targets in the receiving corps thanks to injuries there. Too bad it wasn't enough for a win, but it might be enough to keep Vince, I mean Mike, McMahon off the field. 4. Kurt Warner, QB, Rams (30-42, 401 yards, 3 TDs, 2 INTs, 1 lost fumble): He kept the Patriots in the game with a few too many mistakes, but Warner seems to have been healed from his injured thumb. A number of people benched or considered benching Warner because of his injuries, but you also know at any point, he can rip off a game like this because of all his "wonderful toys," to quote Jack Nicholson in Batman. 5. Jake Plummer, QB, Cardinals (21-33, 334 yards, 4 TDs, 1 INT): Every so often, the Snake will show why he's been held in much higher esteem than he really should be. This was one of those games as he rallied Arizona to 24 points in the fourth for the win over the hapless Lions. Somehow, I wasn't surprised that this game would be such a shootout given both defenses, although Detroit showed a bit more offense than anyone would've expected. 6. Rich Gannon, QB, Raiders (25-38, 311 yards, 4 TDs, 1 INT; 2 carries, 15 yards): Mike Nazarek pointed out in his Fantasy Mastermind Moment last week that Gannon was due for a big game, and here it was. Gannon was winning games without huge numbers in past weeks, so it was a matter of time before he'd have to win it by piling up the stats, thanks in part to Rice. Nice call by the Mastermind. 7. Aaron Brooks, QB, Saints (19-22, 242 yards, 2 TDs; 4 carries, 26 yards, 1 TD): Maybe nearly getting beheaded by Damien Robinson has helped Brooks find his game again. He put up the numbers you might expect against a weak Colts defense. Nice to see him finding his groove again. 8. Jeff Garcia, QB, 49ers (34-54, 305 yards, 3 TDs, 2 INTs, 1 2-point pass): His legend just keeps on growing as he led San Francisco to a wild comeback in the final minute to set up overtime, and then he piled up enough yards in overtime to help set up the game-winning field goal. (Although Garrison Hearst's run did that as well.) 9. Kordell Stewart, QB, Steelers (21-33, 266 yards, 1 TD; 5 carries, 50 yards, 1 TD): With the Bus stuck in neutral for most of the game, Stewart had to take up the slack on offense, and he showed flashes of why he used to be a first-round fantasy pick. He helped lead the way for players like Donovan McNabb and Daunte Culpepper to be such big-time fantasy producers. It's very refreshing to see the Pittsburgh passing game starting to round into decent shape. 10. Ricky Williams, RB, Saints (28 carries, 120 yards, 1 TD; 4 catches, 48 yards): He just keeps on rumbling and piling up the yards. The scores are starting to come around, which is a great sign for his future fantasy value. Just missing the cut: Chris Chandler, QB, Falcons (29-50, 352 yards, 2 TDs, 2 INTs); David Boston, WR, Cardinals (5 catches, 80 yards, 2 TDs); Jim Miller, QB, Bears (14-25, 228 yards, 3 TDs, 1 INT); Peerless Price, WR, Bills (10 catches, 138 yards, 1 TD); Alex Van Pelt, QB, Bills (28-42, 316 yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT).
Top 5 Duds1. Bubba Franks, TE, Packers (0 catches, 0 yards): Brett Favre was off his game against the Falcons, and not getting the dependable Franks into the stat sheet was probably a reason for that. 2. Doug Flutie, QB, Chargers (12-27, 98 yards, 1 INT): Two consecutive bad weeks for Flutie. Wonder if there will be talk of bringing in promising rookie Drew Brees? 3. Jay Fiedler, QB, Dolphins (24-36, 188 yards, 3 INTs): In recent weeks, Fiedler has bailed out Miami while Lamar Smith struggled. This time, Fiedler couldn't overcome the slumping rushing game. Of course, it could have something to do with going up against the Jets. 4. Stacey Mack, RB, Jaguars (8 carries, 6 yards; 1 catch, 19 yards): You think Jacksonville is waiting for Fred Taylor to come back? The Jags have had such an inconsistent running game all year long. And the running game needed to step up after Mark Brunell went down with a quad injury. 5. Travis Henry, RB, Bills (13 carries, 29 yards; 2 catches, 12 yards): The talent is definitely there, but he just can't seem to do much behind that offensive line. The Buffalo passing game woke up a bit, but partly because the Bills couldn't do a whole lot with the running game. Henry deserves better and he should be doing as well as his former Volunteer teammate Peerless Price.
Top 5 Surprises1. J.J. Stokes, WR, 49ers (8 catches, 72 yards, 2 TDs): Terrell Owens has piled up most of the stats in the passing game because of a lack of consistency with guys like Stokes and Tai Streets. But every so often, Stokes can put up the big numbers like he did against the Panthers. 2. Boo Williams, TE, Saints (3 catches, 12 yards, 2 TDs): Cam Cleeland is one of the most productive fantasy tight ends when he's healthy, but he usually isn't. Williams might be a nice bye week pickup or a fill-in for Cleeland, especially in TD-only leagues. 3. Benjamin Gay, RB, Browns (18 carries, 56 yards, 1 TD; 1 catch, 7 yards): Bob Harris, who writes the Back Page column, has been touting him as a surprise player come the second half of the year. With James Jackson out of the lineup, Gay had respectable numbers, especially with the touchdown. With so many injuries to running backs, you could do worse. Plus, you'll have one of the best-named players in the league. 4. Bob Christian, RB, Falcons (4 carries, 40 yards; 5 catches, 62 yards, 1 TD): You really don't want Christian as a regular part of your fantasy team, but every so often he proves that if you get really stuck at the running back position, he can come through with respectable numbers and an occasional score. 5. Marcus Pollard, TE, Colts (3 catches, 126 yards, 1 TD): He had an amazing 86-yard TD catch to open the scoring and provide the bulk of his fantasy numbers for the day. Pollard has outdistanced himself from Ken Dilger as Peyton Manning's top TD target, plus he's emerged as a quality No. 2 receiver behind Marvin Harrison, thanks to injuries to Jerome Pathon and Terrence Wilkins, and the fact that rookie Reggie Wayne hasn't impressed yet. James Quintong is Fantasy Sports producer at CNNSI.com.
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