Leave it to the fantasy gods to throw us a wicked curve ball
on opening night.
On a field riddled with prolific receivers, who could have
foreseen the emergence of Kevin “Freaking” Ogletree? I’m guessing I’m not the only frustrated
fantasy player to give the unheralded wideout that nickname, or worse, as we
watched him reel in a career-best (by a long shot) eight receptions for 114
yards and 2 TDs.
Why would anyone think the fourth-year receiver could
perform at such a high level? The
Cowboys certainly didn’t, since they only reluctantly – and certainly not
permanently – designated Ogletree their No. 3 wideout heading into Week 1.
In hindsight, perhaps we shouldn’t be completely
surprised. Tony Romo has a habit of
turning over-looked wideouts into overnight sensations.
Miles Austin labored in obscurity for three years before
exploding on the scene against the Chiefs in Week 5 of the 2009 season. Laurent Robinson was a virtual bust after his
first four seasons in Atlanta and St. Louis.
Picked up by Dallas after the 2011 season had begun, he developed an
uncanny rapport with Romo and finished the year with 11 touchdowns and a soaring
free agent market value that eventually landed him in Jacksonville.
That’s why I won’t be writing off Ogletree’s performance
against the banged-up Giants secondary as an aberration. It may, in fact, prove to be his one shining
moment; but history proves he could be another diamond in the rough that helps
lead fantasy teams to postseason success.
THE WALKING WOUNDED
My Twitter followers have been pelting me for days
with questions about Marshawn Lynch’s Week 1status. The good news is that he’s not expected to be
suspended for his off-field transgressions.
The bad news is that back spasms have kept him out of practice all week,
and could sideline him Sunday. That would open the door to Robert Turbin in a
tasty matchup in Arizona. The rookie is
clearly worth picking up, if he’s still available. But don’t write off Beast Mode just yet. He’s a warrior, and it wouldn’t be a surprise
to see him popping Skittles on the sideline after breaking another long run in
the desert.
Those banking on Adrian Peterson’s triumphant return from
his knee injury would be better off letting him spend Week 1 on their
bench. As extraordinary an athlete as he
is, there’s a strong chance that Peterson will only see limited action on
Sunday, if he plays at all. In fact,
three to four weeks of spotty play is more likely, with Toby Gerhart getting
the bulk of the carries. Gerhart has a decent
matchup at home against the Jaguars.
Plan to give Trent Richardson the week off as well, as he’s
not yet fully recovered from his training camp knee injury. I wouldn’t waste a roster spot on Montario
Hardesty, given the Browns’ tough matchup with the Eagles.
Well, you can’t say you weren’t warned before you spent a
draft pick on Ryan Mathews. He’s almost
certain to miss the opener, and possibly longer, due to his preseason clavicle
injury. This is par for the course for
Mathews, a great talent that simply can’t say on the field. Ronnie Brown still has some gas left in his
tank, but he’s expected to share the load with Curtis Brinkley and/or Jackie
Battle. Against the Raiders, none of the
above are likely to help your fantasy team much.
The Pittsburgh backfield will certainly be an interesting
one to watch early in the season. Out of
the blue, Rashard Mendenhall (knee) is back at practice and participating
“fully.” While his return to action in
Week 1 would be a shocker, it now appears he will be suiting up much sooner
than anticipated. A string of injuries
to presumptive starter Isaac Redman (ankle, knee) casts his availability for
Sunday’s contest in doubt. Meanwhile,
Jonathan Dwyer has been the most impressive back in camp. If Dwyer gets the start in Denver, he could
stake his claim a heavy workload, even when Mendenhall returns.
Steve Smith appears
to be fully recovered from his foot infection and should be in the Panthers’,
and your, starting lineup against Tampa Bay.
On a side note, I spoke to Redskins head coach Mike Shanahan the other day,
and he share his backfield plans for Week 1, and the entire season, with
me. And if you believe that, I’d like to
speak with you about investing in my new hair-growth, weight-loss,
testosterone-boosting ointment.
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