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NFC East Fantasy Outlook

September 6, 2007 @ 16:00:00

By Ben Rubin
Edited by Herija C. Green

Do Not Bench List - All Positions

Running Back Brian Westbrook, Philadelphia Eagles: Last year, Westbrook averaged 81.1 rushing yards, 46.6 receiving yards and 0.7 total touchdowns per game. Though he faces an above-average defense in Green Bay, he should still get his carries and should definitely start in your lineup.
Wide Receiver Terrell Owens, Dallas Cowboys: In 2006, Owens averaged 5.3 receptions for 73.8 yards and 0.8 touchdowns a game. Owens always calls for the ball, and chances are he'll get it often against the Giants. Owens is someone who must start if he's on your team.

Quarterbacks

Player	Team	Gm	Pass Yds/G	Pass TD/G	INT/G	Rush Yards/G	Rush TD/G
Tony Romo	Dallas Cowboys	16	181.4	1.2	0.8	6.4	0.0
Eli Manning	New York Giants	16	202.8	1.5	1.1	1.3	0.0
Donovan McNabb	Philadelphia Eagles	10	264.7	1.8	0.6	21.2	0.3
Jason Campbell	Washington Redskins	9	144.1	1.1	0.7	11.9	0.0

Romo - Romo earned the respect of scouts and fans alike last year, leading the Cowboys to the playoffs after the benching of quarterback Drew Bledsoe at halftime of Week 6. He has a favorable matchup against the Giants, and should be starting for your team with a strong play.

Manning - The pressure has always been on Manning to put up numbers similar to his brother. Unfortunately, the numbers between them haven't been close at all. Manning is now entering his fourth year, however, and his numbers should be improved from last season. Against the Cowboys, he's a decent No. 1 option.

McNabb - Recovering from his torn right ACL last November, it didn't originally look like McNabb would be able to play in Week 1. McNabb played well in training camp however and he's expected to be the starter Sunday. Due to the injury though, McNabb may be forced to stay in the pocket and not scramble around as much early in the season. Consider him a strong No. 1 option, but keep in mind just how good he can be when healthy.

Campbell - Coming into his first full season as the starting quarterback, a lot of questions surround Campbell. Week 1 is the first test for Campbell, who will immediately face pressure from Miami Dolphins defensive end Jason Taylor, last season's Defensive Player of the Year. How he will handle the pressure and the Redskins offense is up in the air, making Campbell a good choice for your bench in Week 1.

Running Backs

Player	Team	Gm	Util (%)/G	RZ (%) Plays/G	Rush Yds/G	Rush TD/G	Rec/G	Rec Yards/G	Rec TD/G
Julius Jones	Dallas Cowboys	16	17.0 (27.5)	3.1 (27.8)	67.8	0.3	0.6	8.9	0.0
Marion Barber III	Dallas Cowboys	16	9.7 (16.3)	3.4 (28.9)	40.9	0.9	1.4	12.2	0.1
Brandon Jacobs	New York Giants	15	7.3 (10.6)	2.1 (24.4)	28.2	0.6	0.7	9.9	0.0
Correll Buckhalter	Philadelphia Eagles	16	6.9 (11.4)	1.0 (13.0)	21.6	0.1	1.5	16.0	0.1
Clinton Portis	Washington Redskins	8	19.2 (15.2)	3.9 (26.6)	65.4	0.9	2.1	21.2	0.0
Ladell Betts	Washington Redskins	16	17.7 (30.8)	1.7 (27.4)	72.1	0.3	3.3	27.8	0.1

Jones - Jones had a fairly good season in 2006 as the Cowboys feature back, but unfortunately, he doesn't get as many carries in the red zone and his touchdown numbers suffer accordingly. Against the Giants, consider Jones a decent No. 3 running back this week.

Barber - In 2006, Barber was used mainly as the red zone and short yardage running back, and that should remain the same in 2007. He should get a good deal of the Cowboys rushing touchdowns, so consider Barber a solid No. 3 option as well.

Jacobs - Taking over for a player like retired running back Tiki Barber is no easy task, but Jacobs will attempt to do so. Jacobs is more of a power back, and was used primarily in the red zone and on short yardage situations last year. This year, he'll get more opportunities and that should mean more production as well. He should be a weak No. 2 or strong No. 3 running back in Week 1.

Buckhalter - Buckhalter is the backup for the Eagles, so don't expect much out of him unless Westbrook goes down early. Keep him on the bench in Week 1.

Portis - After only playing eight games in 2006, Portis is looking to put up big numbers this season. A solid No. 3 option, Portis is a weak play against the Dolphins this week.

Betts - Betts will likely be used as a change-of-pace running back after Portis this year. He could get a good deal of red zone carries, but unless Portis gets injured again he won't get as many opportunities as last year. Consider him a decent No. 3 running back with a weak play against the Dolphins in Week 1.

Wide Receivers

Player	Team	Gm	Util (%)/G	RZ (%) Plays/G	Rec/G	Rec Yards/G	Rec TD/G
Terry Glenn	Dallas Cowboys	16	6.8 (11.5)	0.9 (9.3)	4.4	65.4	0.4
Patrick Crayton	Dallas Cowboys	16	3.1 (5.1)	0.5 (4.6)	2.3	32.2	0.3
Plaxico Burress	New York Giants	15	8.3 (12.1)	1.1 (12.6)	4.2	65.9	0.7
Reggie Brown	Philadelphia Eagles	16	6.3 (10.3)	1.0 (13.0)	2.9	51.0	0.5
Kevin Curtis	Philadelphia Eagles	16	3.8 (5.6)	0.9 (8.7)	2.5	29.9	0.3
Santana Moss	Washington Redskins	14	7.1 (10.8)	0.4 (6.0)	3.9	56.4	0.4
Antwaan Randle El	Washington Redskins	16	5.1 (8.8)	0.4 (5.1)	2.0	21.9	0.2

Glenn - Playing opposite Owens, Glenn (knee) sometimes tends to get less attention. He is currently an unknown for this Sunday with a knee injury, so monitor his status before making a decision on playing him. If he's a go he should perform well enough to be in your lineup this week as a decent No. 1 or strong No. 2 option for your team.

Crayton - Crayton gets a fair amount of receptions for a slot receiver, but that shouldn't be enough to vault him into your starting lineup this week as anything other than a flex option. However, if Glenn can't play, Crayton's value jumps considerably for Week 1.

Burress - Besides tight end Jeremy Shockey, Buress is Manning's main target on offense. Tall enough to make a catch over most cornerbacks, Buress is more than capable of making some big plays on offense. He's a good No. 2 option at receiver for Week 1.

Brown - Brown has recently emerged as a quality receiver in the NFL. Entering his third season, his numbers should only continue to improve. Look for him to be McNabb's main target among wide receivers. He's a fair No. 2 option against the Packers to start the season.

Curtis - A new acquisition for the Eagles, Curtis is set to start at receiver opposite Brown. As their No. 2 receiver though, in all likelihood he won't produce nearly as much as other No. 2s in the league. It would probably be best to wait and see what kind of numbers Curtis will put up in Week 1 before adding him to your starting lineup. Keep him on the bench against the Packers.

Moss - With a first year starter leading the way for the Redskins, it remains to be seen how well the offense will run. Campbell will probably look for Moss often, and that should be reason enough to trust him on your team. Moss should certainly start for your team this week as a weak No. 1 or strong No. 2 receiver.

Randle El - Randle El has the rare quality of being able to perform the trick play. At any point during the game, he could go in and pass for a touchdown, run for a touchdown, or catch a touchdown. He'd be catching the touchdowns from Campbell though, and much like Moss, no one's too positive what to expect in terms of production. Randle El should remain on your bench this week against Miami.

Tight Ends

Player	Team	Gm	Util (%)/G	RZ (%) Plays/G	Rec/G	Rec Yards/G	Rec TD/G
Jason Witten	Dallas Cowboys	16	5.6 (9.3)	0.7 (5.7)	4.0	47.1	0.1
Jeremy Shockey	New York Giants	15	7.7 (11.2)	1.1 (12.6)	4.4	41.5	0.5
L.J. Smith	Philadelphia Eagles	16	5.0 (8.2)	1.1 (13.8)	3.1	38.2	0.3
Chris Cooley	Washington Redskins	16	5.6 (9.5)	0.5 (7.7)	3.6	45.9	0.4

Witten - Witten is a good tight end, but he doesn't get much action in the red zone and because of that, his fantasy production has gone down. Consider him a weak No. 1 tight end on your team versus the Giants.

Shockey - Shockey has had success with Manning and that should continue into this season. One of the top tight ends in fantasy football, Shockey is a solid No. 1 tight end and should start for your team.

Smith - Along with Brown, Smith (groin) is the other one of McNabb's favorite targets. However he is nursing a sore groin and is not a sure thing for this Sunday. If he plays, consider him a low-end No. 1 or strong No. 2 tight end.

Cooley - A helpful target to have as a young quarterback is a pass-catching tight end, and that's what Cooley is. Look for him to be one of Campbell's main targets when he gets into trouble. He's a solid No. 1 tight end and a strong play against Miami.

Place Kickers

Player	Team	Gm	XPA/G	XP/G	FGA/G	FG/G	Kick Pnts/G
Nick Folk	Dallas Cowboys	--	--	--	--	--	--
Lawrence Tynes	New York Giants	16	2.3	2.2	1.9	1.5	6.7
David Akers	Philadelphia Eagles	16	2.9	2.9	1.4	1.1	6.3
Shaun Suisham	Washington Redskins	8	1.8	1.8	1.4	1.1	5.1

Folk - A sixth-round pick out of the University of Arizona, Folk is set to make his NFL debut Sunday against the Giants. As a rookie kicker with no NFL track record he should be on your bench in Week 1.

Tynes - Tynes replaces Jay Feely (Miami Dolphins) as the Giants kicker and he should receive plenty of action. He makes a weak No. 1 kicker and ideally should be benched in Week 1.

Akers - Consistently one of the best kickers in the league, Akers should keep that going right through 2007. Always a good play, Akers is a strong No. 1 kicker for your team to open the season.

Suisham - After only playing half the season last year, Suisham has won the Washington kicking job for 2007. He draws a tough matchup out of the gate and is at best a desperation choice with a weak play, but keep him benched if possible.

Defensive Teams

Team	Gm	Off Pnts Allw/G	INT/G	Sacks/G	FR/G	DEF/ST TD/G
Dallas Cowboys	16	20.5	1.1	2.1	0.8	0.3
New York Giants	16	21.9	1.1	2.0	0.7	0.1
Philadelphia Eagles	16	17.9	1.2	2.5	0.6	0.3
Washington Redskins	16	22.6	0.4	1.2	0.4	0.1

Cowboys - The Cowboys face a Giants offense that threw 1.1 interceptions per game last year and fumbled 0.6 times per game. They have a new starting running back and chances are they could start off a little slow. The Cowboys are a good No. 1 defensive option and should be started in Week 1.

Giants - The Giants start off the season immediately playing a division rival. The game could dictate the direction of both team's seasons. The Cowboys boast a dangerous offense, so it would be wise to leave the Giants defense on your bench this week.

Eagles - The Packers should not be a team to be intimidated by if you're the Eagles defense. Besides quarterback Brett Favre, there's little to be worried about on the Packer offense. Still, they allow few sacks and generally do a good job of protecting the pigskin unless they fall far behind. View the Eagles defense as a weak No. 1 unit with a weak play and bench them if you can.

Redskins - Still probably regretting the Portis for cornerback Champ Bailey (Denver Broncos) trade of a couple years ago, the Redskins defense hasn't been the same since. Though Miami's offense isn't anything close to scary, you should keep the Redskins on your bench.