Fantasy Football and NFL News, Rumors and Injury Updates

AFC East Fantasy Outlook

October 11, 2007 @ 14:14:11

By Herija C. Green
Edited by Ryan Dodson

Do Not Bench List - All Positions

Quarterback Tom Brady, New England Patriots: Brady was a little shaky in Week 5 from an accuracy standpoint, completing just 57.9 percent of his passes after making good on over 78 percent in each of his first four starts. However, he still passed for three more touchdowns to make it five consecutive games with at least three scoring passes. Brady faces off against an exploitable Dallas Cowboys secondary in Week 6, and he is a must-start in this battle of unbeaten teams.
Wide Receiver: Randy Moss, New England Patriots: After starting his Patriots career with four straight 100-yard receiving games, Moss took a backseat to tight end Benjamin Watson against the Cleveland Browns last Sunday. Moss tallied just three receptions for 46 yards and also failed to score for the first time all season. He's still back as one of the top receivers in fantasy so keep him active this Sunday.
Wide Receiver: Laveranues Coles, New York Jets: It was a bit of a mixed bag for Coles last week as the veteran receiver matched his season-high with eight receptions and established a new season-best in receiving yards (89), but he failed to reach paydirt for just the second time this season. He faces a suspect Philadelphia Eagles secondary in Week 6 that is allowing 201.7 yards per game to opposing receivers, which is the second-highest total in the NFL. Coles is a good No. 1 or No. 2 receiving option this week.
New England Patriots Defensive/Special Teams: Despite allowing a season-high 17 points last Sunday, New England's defense still managed to force four turnovers (three interceptions, one fumble), record three sacks and score a defensive touchdown. Plus, it should be mentioned that Cleveland scored 14 of those points in the fourth quarter when the outcome appeared to be in little doubt. They draw a dangerous Dallas club next week but as evidenced by their six-turnover performance Monday night, the Cowboys can be sloppy with the ball.

Quarterbacks

Player	Team	Gm	Pass Yds/G	Pass TD/G	INT/G	Rush Yards/G	Rush TD/G
Cleo Lemon	Miami Dolphins	1	151.0	0.00	1.00	0.0	0.00
Chad Pennington	New York Jets	3	214.3	1.33	1.67	2.0	0.33

Lemon - Quarterback Trent Green (concussion) sustained a severe concussion and is out indefinitely. Lemon took over for Green in Week 5, and he is expected to make his second career start this week. Lemon last started in Week 17 of 2006, throwing for 210 yards and a touchdown in a 27-22 loss to the Indianapolis Colts. Lemon has no appreciable fantasy value at this point.

Pennington - After playing a stellar game in Week 1, Pennington has steadily declined over his last four games with fewer touchdowns and more interceptions. The eighth-year pro threw three in last week's 35-24 loss to the New York Giants and completed a season-low 58.3 percent of his passes. Despite his recent inaccuracy and propensity to turn the ball over (five interceptions in the past two weeks), Pennington still rates as a low-end No. 1 or Bye-week replacement against the Eagles this Sunday.

Running Backs

Player	Team	Gm	Util (%)/G	RZ (%) Plays/G	Rush Yds/G	Rush TD/G	Rec/G	Rec Yards/G	Rec TD/G
Ronnie Brown	Miami Dolphins	4	23.75 (42.43)	5.00 (55.33)	98.2	1.00	4.75	61.8	0.25
Laurence Maroney	New England Patriots	2	17.50 (12.76)	3.00 (9.67)	90.0	0.00	0.00	0.0	0.00
Sammy Morris	New England Patriots	4	17.50 (25.53)	5.25 (33.84)	79.0	0.75	1.00	6.0	0.00
Thomas Jones	New York Jets	4	21.00 (32.55)	3.00 (36.57)	62.0	0.00	2.00	13.8	0.00
Leon Washington	New York Jets	4	8.00 (12.40)	0.50 (6.10)	13.8	0.25	2.25	9.2	0.00

Brown - Brown continues to be a beast for the Dolphins, surpassing the 100-yard mark while scoring at least one touchdown for the third consecutive week. The third-year back was actually held in check for the most part in the passing game, but he still finished Week 5 with 153 total yards (which amazingly is below his four-week average of 160). Brown faces a Cleveland defense this week that has allowed more rushing yards per game than any team in the NFL over the past month except the Denver Broncos. He is a quality No. 1 selection and a strong play in Week 6.

Maroney - Maroney (groin) sat out his second consecutive game due to a groin injury, and his status for next week remains unknown. The Patriots have not missed a beat in the running department in his absence so there appears to be no urgency to get Maroney back on the field. Monitor his status leading up to game time to see if he can be slotted into your lineup.

Morris - The veteran ran for over 100 yards for the second straight week starting in place of the injured Maroney, though he failed to reach the end zone for the first time since Week 1. His value is obviously tied to the health of Maroney as once the second-year back returns to action Morris' touches should go down. For now, though, view Morris as a solid No. 2 fantasy back.

Jones - With back-to-back weeks of fewer than 40 yards rushing, Jones' owners have reason to be seriously concerned. The former Chicago Bear has rushed for over 70 yards just once this season and has still not scored a touchdown. The Jets have been a disappointing team this season, and Jones has done nothing to personally distance himself from that assessment. He is no better than a marginal No. 3 fantasy back with a weak play against Philadelphia.

Washington - Washington continues to do a phenomenal job in the return game. The second-year back returned his second kickoff of the season for a touchdown, but unfortunately his offensive contributions continue to be minimal as he accounted for just 12 yards on 10 total touches last week. Until he starts breaking big plays on offense he should remain benched.

Wide Receivers

Player	Team	Gm	Util (%)/G	RZ (%) Plays/G	Rec/G	Rec Yards/G	Rec TD/G
Jerricho Cotchery	New York Jets	4	10.00 (15.50)	0.50 (6.10)	6.00	89.0	0.00
Donte' Stallworth	New England Patriots	4	5.25 (7.66)	0.75 (4.83)	2.75	40.2	0.25
Wes Welker	New England Patriots	4	7.25 (10.58)	0.75 (4.83)	5.25	50.2	0.00
Chris Chambers	Miami Dolphins	4	10.00 (17.87)	1.25 (13.83)	4.75	62.5	0.00
Marty Booker	Miami Dolphins	4	7.75 (13.85)	0.75 (8.30)	3.75	48.0	0.25

Cotchery - The Jets' No. 2 receiver was a non-factor this past Sunday, hauling in just four passes for 31 yards (both of which were seasonal lows). His four-week averages of six receptions and 89 yards remain solid, but his inability to cross the goal line is becoming a concern. He, like Coles, has a great matchup against the Eagles this week and can be started as a low-end No. 1 or quality No. 2 wideout with a strong play.

Stallworth - The former Eagle had easily his best game of the 2007 season in Week 5, pacing all Patriots receivers in receptions (four) and yards (65) while tallying his first touchdown with the club. It appears that Stallworth is slowly rounding into form, and he can be played as a shaky No. 3 fantasy receiver.

Welker - After a fast start to the season, Welker's production has tapered off dramatically with his receiving yardage dropping every week for the past month. Welker owners have to hope he bottomed out with his 19-yard performance last Sunday and Week 6 will begin a renaissance. Considering his marginal statistics of late, Welker should only be played as a decent No. 3 option.

Chambers - How do you keep Chambers out of his house? Apparently you do it by putting an end zone in his front yard as the seventh-year wideout still hasn't managed to translate any of his 25 receptions this season into a touchdown. Also worrisome is that he caught just two balls last week with Lemon leading the offense. He has a great matchup this week against a Browns secondary allowing 190.5 yards and 1.75 touchdowns per game to opposing receivers. He can be played as a No. 2 or No. 3 option with a strong capability in Week 6.

Booker - Booker's modest five receptions and 45 yards both led Miami against the Houston Texans last week, but he has only really had one big game thus far this season. The veteran can be inserted into your lineup as a weak No. 2 or solid No. 3 receiver with a strong play this week.

Tight Ends

Player	Team	Gm	Util (%)/G	RZ (%) Plays/G	Rec/G	Rec Yards/G	Rec TD/G
Chris Baker	New York Jets	4	3.00 (4.65)	1.00 (12.19)	2.00	20.8	0.50
Benjamin Watson	New England Patriots	4	4.75 (6.93)	1.25 (8.06)	3.75	46.2	1.00
David Martin	Miami Dolphins	4	2.75 (4.91)	0.50 (5.53)	2.00	16.0	0.00

Baker - Baker hasn't reached the end zone over the past two weeks, but he did post a season-high 52 receiving yards in Week 5. He makes a weak No. 1 or Bye-week replacement versus the Eagles this Sunday.

Watson - Coming off his first game all season without a touchdown, Watson came back with a vengeance in Week 5. The talented tight end set season highs in receptions (six), yards (107) and touchdowns (two) while pacing the club in all three categories as well. Even more impressive is that the 107 receiving yards were 10 more than his first four games combined. Play Watson this week as a solid No. 1 tight end.

Martin - The offseason acquisition continues to struggle to even get into the box score and has no fantasy value at this time.

Place Kickers

Player	Team	Gm	XPA/G	XP/G	FGA/G	FG/G	Kick Pnts/G
Mike Nugent	New York Jets	4	2.50	2.50	1.75	1.00	5.5
Stephen Gostkowski	New England Patriots	4	4.50	4.50	1.75	1.50	9.0
Jay Feely	Miami Dolphins	4	1.75	1.75	2.25	2.25	8.5

Nugent - Kicking behind an inconsistent Jets offense, Nugent has not scored more than seven points in a game this season. He doesn't figure to get a lot of opportunities against the Eagles, either, and he should be benched as a weak play.

Gostkowski - The Pats afforded their kicker more than one field goal opportunity for the third time in the last four games in Week 5, and he responded by notching his second straight double-digit effort. Gostkowski has missed just one kick all season.

Feely - Feely went off in Week 5, nailing all four of his field goal attempts and finishing the team's 22-19 loss with a season-high 13 points. Feely has done a very good job this year, and he is a No. 1 kicker with a strong play against a Cleveland team allowing 10.0 points per game to opposing kickers over the past month.

Defensive Teams

Team	Gm	Off Pnts Allw/G	INT/G	Sacks/G	FR/G	DEF/ST TD/G
New York Jets	4	23.5	0.75	0.8	0.50	0.7
Miami Dolphins	4	29.8	0.25	1.2	0.50	0.0

Jets - New York hasn't done a whole lot to make fantasy owners happy this season, though their defense/special teams have combined for three touchdowns over the past month. Two of those touchdowns came on kickoff returns by running back Leon Washington. Outside of those scoring plays they haven't done much with just three sacks in the last month and a modest five forced turnovers. They could be used to fill a Bye week against Philadelphia this week.

Dolphins - Miami's defense has been terrible this season in nearly every regard, yielding almost 30 points per game while simultaneously failing to generate a pass rush or force turnovers. They could get some opportunities against the Browns, but they have played so poorly to this point they aren't even worth taking a chance on.