Saturday, September 10, 2005

Fantasy Football - Saturday Roundup: Time to finalize your lineup.

One day left until the majority our fantasy football teams finally take to the field. Here are the top stories as of Saturday evening that may affect your Sunday lineup decisions.

  1. Pittsburgh Steelers running back Willie Parker will get the start Sunday against the Tennessee Titans. Jerome Bettis and Duce Staley most likely will not play at all in the game. Parker has a played well in the final game of 2004 and could be a good fantasy play against the rebuilding Tennessee Titans.
  2. Chicago Bears rookie Cedric Benson will suit up Sunday, but may not see much playing time behind starter Thomas Jones. Benson missed most of the preseason because of a contract holdout, but has claimed that he wants to be the starter as soon as possible. He is quickly trying to learn the Bears playbook.
  3. Jacksonville Jaguars running back Fred Taylor is expected to see around 20 carries on Sunday against the Seattle Seahawks. Taylor did not play much in the preseason but all reports indicate that he is in good shape for the regular season (although history indicates that Taylor is always susceptible to injuries).
  4. 49ers tight end Eric Johnson is doubtful for the season opener against the St. Louis Rams. He is suffering from a partially torn plantar fascia and there is no word yet on when he will return.
  5. Green Bay Packers tight end Bubba Franks is good to go Sunday. He missed practice Wednesday but returned Thursday and Friday.
  6. Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Terrell Owens claims that he spoke with Donovan McNabb and resolved their issues. If chemistry is restored between these two stars, look for them to put up numbers similar to last year.
  7. Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Brandon Stokely practiced with the team this week and will most likely play in the Sunday opener against the Baltimore Ravens. Stokely was a key component to the Colts high powered offense last year and he was the only #3 wide receiver that you could justify starting on your fantasy football team.
  8. Baltimore Ravens running back Jamal Lewis could see limited action on Sunday night against the Colts. Lewis will split the backfield with Chester Taylor and may only see 15-20 carries. Coach Brian Billick stated that this is only temporary and Lewis's workload will increase every week. 15-20 carries may still be enough to put up good fantasy numbers against a Colts team that couldn't stop the run last year.
  9. Tampa Bay Bucs rookie running back Carnell Williams may share some of the workload with last years starter Michael Pittman. It is unclear yet whether or not this will affect Williams' fantasy football numbers.
  10. The Indianapolis Colts are awaiting news on whether or not tight end Dallas Clark will be ready for the season opener against the Ravens. Clark missed practice last week with a concussion and underwent tests on Friday. Backup Ben Hartsock will be the starter if Clark is unable to play.

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