Fantasy Football

FANTASY FOOTBALL MIDSEASON REPORT:

With nine weeks of the 2006 NFL season already gone by, it’s officially safe to call Carson Palmer a fantasy bust and acknowledge that Randy Moss won’t turn things around in the second half of the season. I’ll admit it: I took Palmer with my first pick and Randy Moss with my third, and now I cringe every time I see Javon Walker catch a touchdown or Marc Bulger throw one. There still is a lot of football left to be played, but let’s take a look at what has transpired so far this season and what to expect for the stretch run.

STORYLINES OF THE FIRST HALF:

Bengals Offense:

Granted, picking Carson Palmer and his surgically repaired knee this preseason was a gamble, but did anyone think his injury would cripple the whole Bengals’ offense like it has?

Chad Johnson has fewer yards than guys with names like Donald and Furrey (Donald Driver and Mike Furrey), and Rudi Johnson is losing out to good ol’ boys like Chester and Frank (Chester Taylor and Frank Gore). Palmer was doing a decent job until last week’s meltdown against the Ravens, and there’s no relief in sight. The Bengals face a vicious San Diego defense this week and still have to contend with the NFL’s hardest schedule (tied with the Giants) in the second half of the season. At this point, it’s hard to think of a bigger fantasy bust than the trio of Carson Palmer, Chad Johnson, and Rudi Johnson.

The Madden Curse Lives:

How many more seasons of devastating injuries and underwhelming disappointments will it take for EA Sports to stop putting stars on the cover of Madden? Daunte Culpepper, Donovan McNabb, and now Shaun Alexander have become prey to the dreaded curse, leaving anyone who drafted the Seahawks’ running back handicapped for the year. Alexander has not played since Week 3 and is still ruled out for Week 10 action with no definite timetable for his return. Anyone with the first pick in next year’s draft had better give serious consideration to picking LaDainian Tomlinson if he lands the video game’s cover gig for 2007.

Detroit Lions Break Out:

The Lions are a dismal 2-6, but pose two of the game’s biggest surprises this year. Perennial underperformers Kevin Jones and Roy Williams are finally contributing this year, making anyone who drafted them look like a genius. Jones is fifth among running backs in leagues that award points for receptions, and is now turning into the player the Lions were expecting when they drafted him in the first round in 2004. The same can be said for Williams, who is second in the league in yards with 712 and has established himself as the Lions’ top threat through the air.

MIDSEASON AWARDS:

The Steve Smith Award (Comeback Player): Javon Walker, Denver Broncos:

Walker has had some monster games so far, including last week’s 200-plus yard, three-TD performance in Pittsburgh. It was unclear what to expect from Walker after he missed the entire 2005 season with a knee injury, but the receiver is clearly paying dividends to any owner who took a chance on drafting him in the early rounds this year.

The Mike Anderson Award (Late-drafted rookie): Marques Colston, New Orleans Saints:

Reggie who? The best rookie out of New Orleans wears number 12, and has replaced soon-to-be senior citizen Joe Horn as the Saints’ primary receiving threat. Marques Colston, a leading candidate for Rookie of the Year in a group that includes Laurence Maroney, Reggie Bush and Deangelo Williams, could be the latest drafted offensive player (seventh round) to ever win the award.

The Troy Aikman Tribute Award (Quarterback): Donovan McNabb, Philadelphia Eagles:

If it was only about winning, you’d have to go with Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, or even Drew Brees, but McNabb is clearly having the best statistical season of any quarterback this year. With 2,512 all-purpose yards and 16 touchdowns, McNabb is having the kind of offensive explosion that Manning and Culpepper had in 2004.

The Jerry Rice Award (Receiver): Andre Johnson, Houston Texans:

A candidate for Comeback Player of the Year after a lackluster 2005 campaign, Johnson is leading the NFL in receptions and yards while playing for the abysmal Houston Texans, a feat comparable to climbing Mount Everest blind or winning American Idol with the talent of Ruben Studdard.

The Barry Sanders Award (Running Back): Ladainian Tomlinson, San Diego Chargers:

Over the first nine weeks, LT has nudged Larry Johnson out of the top running back spot in the NFL while making the workload for his rookie quarterback Phillip Rivers tremendously easier.

The Ryan Leaf Award (Biggest Bust): Daunte Culpepper, Miami Dolphins:

It’s tempting to give this to Randy Moss, but anyone thinking one of the most unmotivated players in the league would produce for a Raiders team that will be lucky to win four games this year is out of their mind. Culpepper has become the symbol of the Dolphins’ futility this year, fading out of the QB picture because of injury after loudly doing nothing in his first few weeks in Miami.

SECOND HALF STORIES:

T.O. and Romo, together at last:

Owners who have had patience with Terrell Owens and his unspectacular start are finally reaping the dividends of their determination. Owens has had four straight huge games, three with his new favorite gunslinger, Tony Romo. He’s totaled 22 receptions since Romo has started, with 282 yards and two touchdowns and a two-point conversion, greatly helping his young quarterback assimilate to the NFL. Romo should be a great second-half contributor too, as he has totaled 554 yards and four touchdowns in the two games he has started this year.

Bears Exposed:

Is Chicago for real? They’ve beat an injury-ravaged Seahawks team and a questionable Vikings team, and no other contenders so far. Rex Grossman has looked awful in two of his past three games, coming against Arizona and Miami, and a meltdown by him would negate surprising first half performances by receiver Bernard Berrian and tight end Desmond Clark. With games against the Giants, Patriots and Rams coming up, the legitimacy of this Bears team as a Super Bowl contender will be revealed.

Vick and the Falcons Making a Stand:

Michael Vick has shown signs that he could finally become the quarterback the Falcons need him to be to become a legitimate Super Bowl contender. Vick threw four touchdowns against a still potent Steelers defense and three in a huge game against the desperate Bengals in Week Eight, at least temporarily silencing critics who claim he isn’t a good enough passer to become a top-tier quarterback. The Falcons, now at 5-3, had a similar promising start last year, only to fade in the second half and miss the playoffs with an 8-8 record. The second half of the season will be telling for Vick and his future in the NFL.