Sunday's Best

Familiar faces lead way in wild, wacky Week 1

Kansas City Chiefs running back Priest Holmes scored on this 8-yard run in the fourth. AP

By James Quintong, CNNSI.com

We’ve been waiting months for “real” football action (Thursday’s game notwithstanding) and did we get it in a big way in Week 1. After months of talking, speculating and drafting, it was finally time to see everything put to good use. The wild, wacky finishes that make the NFL great were back in full force, as were all those huge individual performances that can make or break your matchups this week.

So without further ado, let’s take a look at the top 10 studs, top five duds and top five surprise players of the week, as we’ll do every Monday of the regular season.

Top 10 Studs

1. Priest Holmes, RB, Chiefs (22 carries, 122 yards, 4 TDs; 6 catches, 19 yards): He stunned most people by leading the league in rushing last year, and many people weren’t convinced he could repeat that performance this year. So he’s proving them wrong yet again, thanks to four scores, including three during that wild fourth quarter against the Browns. I guess we shouldn’t lose faith in Priest.

2. Travis Henry, RB, Bills (31 carries, 149 yards, 3 TDs; 6 catches, 29 yards): I thought he might have a good year in front of an improved offensive line, plus the addition of a solid quarterback in Drew Bledsoe opening up running chances. I just didn’t think he’d shine like this, at least not right away. Buffalo might be a team worth watching across the board if all aspects of the offense can click like it did Sunday.

3. Charlie Garner, RB, Raiders (15 carries, 123 yards, 1 TD; 5 catches, 64 yards, 1 TD): He never seems to get much respect in fantasy drafts, and sharing time with Tyrone Wheatley in Oakland means he won’t get as many touches, especially around the goal line. But Garner also has that explosiveness to score from anywhere on the field. His TDs were from 20 and 26 yards. He likely won’t get 20-25 carries per game, but he’ll get that many touches and do plenty with it.

4. Shane Matthews, QB, Redskins (28-40, 327 yards, 3 TDs, 1 INT): So this is what happens when Steve Spurrier controls an NFL team. Few people should’ve been surprised by these numbers as long as one quarterback stayed in the game the whole way through. Granted, Arizona doesn’t scare many teams, but expect more of this from Washington QBs this year.

5. Michael Vick, QB, Falcons (15-23, 209 yards, 1 TD; 9 carries, 70 yards, 1 TD): When taken separately, the numbers are decent but nothing to write home about. Add them all up and it turns into a pretty big fantasy payout. He put the Packers on their heels for much of the day, and he could’ve had two more touchdowns if they weren’t flat-out dropped by the receivers. He’ll be very valuable in leagues that don’t deduct for turnovers, but he’ll also be a feast or famine-type quarterback.

6. Ricky Williams, RB, Dolphins (20 carries, 111 yards, 2 TDs): Williams had a lot to prove in his first game in Miami, and the Dolphins were playing the lowly Lions. Who didn’t see this coming? But even if we all expected it, it was good to see him living up to his first-round expectations.

7. Marty Booker, WR, Bears (8 catches, 198 yards, 1 TD): I seem to have him in almost all of my fantasy teams, and he paid off nicely to open the season. With Anthony Thomas struggling a bit on the ground, the Bears needed to throw the ball a bit more, and Booker is still their main target. In fact, other good options like Marcus Robinson, Dez White and David Terrell were pretty quiet until Terrell’s game-winning catch.

8. Peyton Manning, QB, Colts (19-31, 211 yards, 3 TDs): Nothing spectacular in terms of yards, but Manning still found ways to get the job done and pile up fantasy points. Much like last year, Manning is finding people other than Marvin Harrison early on to score touchdowns. Last year it was Jerome Pathon, this year it’s the more proven Qadry Ismail. I sense a pattern here.

9. Stephen Davis, RB, Redskins (26 carries, 104 yards, 1 TD; 7 catches, 46 yards): So who said Davis would struggle in Spurrier’s offense? If the Washington offense operates correctly, Davis will get a healthy amount of carries to help wear down clock late. Plus, they’ll still need him down by the goal line to score short TDs. He’s getting off to a much better start than last year.

10. Eddie George, RB, Titans (18 carries, 42 yards, 1 TD; 4 catches, 38 yards, 1 TD; 2-point conversion): Early signs are George is healthy and ready to produce in a big way this year. The yards weren’t anything to write home about, but he did score three times, the easy way to rack up the fantasy points. The yards will come;in the meantime, fantasy owners will take the TDs.

Just missing the cut: Qadry Ismail, WR, Colts (6 catches, 84 yards, 2 TDs); Jay Fiedler, QB, Dolphins (18-27, 207 yards, 3 TDs); Brett Favre, QB, Packers (25-36, 284 yards, 2 TDs); David Boston, WR, Cardinals (7 catches, 138 yards, 1 TD); Rod Gardner, WR, Redskins (7 catches, 131 yards, 1 TD)

Top 5 Duds

1. Corey Dillon, RB, Bengals (9 carries, 10 yards; 3 catches, 22 yards): He came into the season as one of the top-rated running backs and was probably taken in the first round in many leagues. He definitely didn’t live up to expectations in Week 1 as his struggles came in tandem with Cincinnati’s woeful effort against the Chargers. When he’s on his game, Dillon can be a fantasy superstar. However, if he and his team don’t get off to a good start, he may not get the ball as much, and it will be a long day for him.

2. Curtis Martin, RB, Jets (4 carries, 6 yards; 5 catches, 35 yards): He falls into this category mainly because of his ankle injury suffered early in the game. LaMont Jordan was passable in relief, but he could be swept up quickly off the waiver wire (if he isn’t already on a team) should Martin’s injury be serious.

3. Johnnie Morton, WR, Chiefs (1 catch, 15 yards): He was considered a sleeper because he was finally going to become a No. 1 receiver on a pass-happy team. He’s still sleeping as Eddie Kennison ended up leading Kansas City in receiving yards, plus Tony Gonzalez is back to getting his share of balls. He’ll come around, but it just might take another week.

4. Darrell Jackson, WR, Seahawks (3 catches, 7 yards): Another highly-rated receiver heading into the season, Jackson proved that his value goes way down with Matt Hasselbeck as his quarterback. Jackson really broke out once Trent Dilfer took over, and he’s probably waiting for his return.

5. Terrell Owens, WR, 49ers (4 catches, 41 yards): Neither Harrison nor Randy Moss had impressive stat days, but both scored touchdowns. Owens had his chances to catch passes but was harassed by the Giants' defense. Don’t worry about it too much this week -- he’ll have one of those sick efforts shortly.

Top 5 Surprises

1. Kelly Holcomb, QB, Browns (27-39, 326 yards, 3 TDs): A last-minute starter in place of Tim Couch, Holcomb made the most of his time of the field by throwing all over the iffy Kansas City defense. Despite this effort, it’s hard to recommend him, especially if Couch comes back soon. However, this does show what Couch could do with this offense.

2. Quincy Morgan, WR, Browns (9 catches, 151 yards, 2 TDs): He was the main benefactor of Holcomb’s big game, but Morgan has been considered to have plenty of upside since being drafted by Cleveland. It’s just taken him a bit of time to show his talent when it counted. If this isn’t a fluke, Morgan could be a great complement to Kevin Johnson, who threw Morgan a TD pass.

3. Robert Edwards, RB, Dolphins (4 carries, 20 yards, 1 TD; 4 catches, 38 yards, 1 TD): Williams wasn’t the only Miami running back to score two touchdowns. Edwards, a couple of years removed from having his leg nearly amputated after a beach football accident, capped an amazing comeback with two second-half scores. Even if it happened during garbage time, Edwards still shows he’ll have a little bit of fantasy value.

4. Donte Stallworth, WR, Saints (4 catches, 63 yards, 1 TD): He got a lot of attention immediately after the draft where he was the first wide receiver taken. However, his stock dropped a bit as fantasy owners remembered that rookie wideouts usually don’t put up big numbers, although Chris Chambers proved the opposite last season. His stock is back up as he’s proved to be the a solid No. 2 guy behind Joe Horn in New Orleans. Along those same lines, fellow rookie Javon Walker (4 catches, 56 yards, 1 TD) is looking to be a solid fantasy performer in Green Bay.

5. Donald Driver, WR, Packers (7 catches, 78 yards): I guess Brett Favre still has plenty of weapons to hit despite an overhaul of the receiver corps in the offseason. We’ve already gone over Walker, and Terry Glenn had a nice long catch but still doesn’t seem healthy. Driver, who seemed to be the No. 2 wideout by default, ended up leading the team in catches and yards in the opener. He seems to have solidified a spot in the regular receiver rotation and will continue to have fantasy value.

James Quintong is Fantasy Sports Producer at CNNSI.com.

 

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