KFFL's Fantasy Football Insider for Week 1 is here. Each week, KFFL dishes the dirt with our network of insiders with every NFL team. Along the way, juicy tidbits will emerge to help determine your fantasy football team's lineup for the given week. Here are some of the key fantasy football tidbits that came across our desk for the upcoming week....
Quarterbacks
The Carolina Panthers' Jake Delhomme feels confident about becoming comfortable with wideout D.J. Hackett (toe), who hasn't played a snap since becoming a Panther. Delhomme watched film of Hackett and feels that's enough to learn from.
Don't expect the Chicago Bears to let Kyle Orton add many downfield plays to his conservative arsenal, especially since it's Week 1. He seems a bit more confident, though.
As for the Cleveland Browns, the presence of Brady Quinn still hasn't loosened Derek Anderson's (concussion) hold on the job. It would take persistent poor play to take Anderson out.
The Minnesota Vikings might not have much protection of Tarvaris Jackson (knee) in the passing game with the absence of suspended left tackle Bryant McKinnie. The running game is better off since replacement Artis Hicks helps pick up the slack there.
The Philadelphia Eagles' Donovan McNabb has eliminated some of his McFlabb; he has bulked up and is in great shape - just in time for his final chance to prove his worth to Philly. In '08, the Philly pariah must go big or go ... well, go away.
The San Francisco 49ers have essentially given J.T. O'Sullivan the keys to Mike Martz's high-octane offense. O'Sullivan says that chemistry with wideouts in this setup is overrated; he's instructed to throw to an area where the receiver needs to be.
The banged up St. Louis Rams line should be tested by the Eagles' pass rush and the frequent blitzing of defensive coordinator Jim Johnson.
For the Carolina Panthers, DeAngelo Williams will start and see a few more carries than Stewart, something near 16 to Stewart's 13. The split for future contests will likely depend on the matchup.
Ah, the Denver Broncos backfield - a bane for fantasy owners since 1995. Selvin Young should see 18 to 20 touches, but Andre Hall could receive 12 to 15, including the goal line touches. This could be a "hot hand" situation, but Hall suddenly has a new fantasy shine. Both remain good matchups against the Oakland Raiders' shaky run D, though.
Though the Detroit Lions could change things, a 75-25 split in favor of Kevin Smith over Rudi Johnson (hamstring) looks like the Week 1 protocol. Rudi has looked solid and said that he's close to 100 percent. The Lions should lean on the run this week unless they're down by two touchdowns or more late in the game.
Chris Taylor continues to hang on with the Houston Texans, even after he was released, signed to the practice squad and even moved to fullback last year. A season-ending injury derailed the momentum he gained near the end of 2007. He's still in a competition with Steve Slaton (toe) behind Ahman Green and could see some touches in the opener.
Another Taylor, the Minnesota Vikings' Chester Taylor, could see his workload cut even more since Adrian Peterson has excelled in pass blocking, which could mean more third-down work for the stud. Taylor could see as few as seven to 10 touches this week.
The Tennessee Titans carry share should be 60 percent for LenDale White and 40 percent for Chris Johnson, with Johnson possibly cutting into that even more if he wows the coaching staff. Johnson could also be one of Vince Young's favorite targets this year.
Wide Receivers
Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Anquan Boldin's attitude change can be simply explained: he vowed to play hard once the season started.
The Dallas Cowboys likely won't change much of their offensive playbook despite their injury-riddled receiver corps. Tight end Jason Witten will still see time in the slot, while Isaiah Stanback and Felix Jones will be among the many options they could use. These plans won't veer too much from their normal strategy.
Marvin Harrison looks primed to return as the Indianapolis Colts' No. 2 wideout. He'll have to play up to his contract, though, to be a lock for the '09 roster. He should be good for 80 catches this year as the possession alternative to top dog Reggie Wayne, but it could be the end for him in Indy.
The Philadelphia Eagles passing game should take a back seat to the run against the St. Louis Rams, but look for them to still throw a healthy amount to Brian Westbrook and L.J. Smith. They don't want to put pressure on rookie DeSean Jackson, whose speed could help clear space in the middle for Smith.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers wideout Joey Galloway (groin) looks healthy heading into the game against the Saints, whom he has a great history against.
Tight Ends
The Cincinnati Bengals lack a standout No. 3 wideout, so expect Ben Utecht to see more work for at least this week, especially since they threw to him often in the preseason.
Jeremy Shockey (leg) should be out in full force for the New Orleans Saints this week. The Saints purposely didn't reveal much of their plans for him in the preseason.
In the Oakland Raiders passing game, it's Zach Miller ... followed by everyone else. Our source on the possible second banana: "Curry, I guess, maybe. Blah."
Everyone's eyes are on the San Diego Chargers for this position. Antonio Gates (toe) is expected to play, but his level of pain varies by the day. Gates has dealt with it while making every practice. He wants to play as much as possible, but the team could limit him to 50 percent of his normal workload.
