Week 1 Recap, Part II: Kolb toast?

- So much for Kevin Kolb’s big debut as the official Eagles starting QB (5-for-10, 25 yards, concussion). I’m not ready to declare him a fantasy bust, but hopefully you already recognized the risks with a largely untested QB and have a capable backup ready. If not, it might be time to look Michael Vick’s way.

- Running to the waiver wire to get Jaguars TE Marcedes Lewis? Not so fast. Sure, he had two catches, both for TDs. But this is also the same guy whose career high for TDs in a season is two, and who didn’t catch more than 4 passes in a game last year. Maybe he’s worth a grab, but temper your expectations.

- Sam Bradford sure aired it out in his first pro game (55 attempts). But he connected on just 32 of those (4.6 yards per completion), threw 1 TD and 3 picks, and finished with a 53.1 QB rating. He’s not a fantasy option at this point.

- Good luck making sense of the Seahawks’ backfield rotation. Justin Forsett was the most impressive (7 carries for 43 yards, 6.1 average), but Julius Jones and Leon Washington each had 1 more carry apiece. You’ll want to avoid this situation until it gets a little less murky.

- Remember all the hullabaloo about Redskins TE Fred Davis being a fantasy sleeper this year? Davis wasn't even targeted on Sunday night, but starter Chris Cooley caught 6 passes for 80 yards to lead all Skins receivers. Cooley could be in line for a big year if he stays healthy and the synergy with Donovan McNabb continues.

- OK, maybe LaDainian Tomlinson's got some fantasy life left in him (11 carries, 62 yards). But you have to figure Shonn Greene can't be that miserable again (5 carries, 18 yards, a fumble, a dropped pass and a second-half benching). That wasn't how Gang Green drew it up.

- Legedu Naanee had the nicer stat line Monday among Chargers WRs (5 catches, 110 yards, TD), but it was actually Malcom Floyd (3-48) that was targeted a team-high 12 times to Naanee's eight, including three of San Diego's four shots at the end zone on a 1st-and-goal series to end the game. Read into that what you will.

- Saints RB Pierre Thomas might have tough sledding against the 49ers' D this week, but it was good to see him get the lion's share of the carries (19 of the team's 25 rush attempts) as New Orleans pounded the rock last Thursday against the Vikings. That equaled his season high from last year, which came in Week 4.


Photo by The Associated Press

Start 'Em: Week 13

- QB ALEX SMITH at Seattle: The kid's thrown for 459 yards, 5 TDs and 1 INT in his past two games and faces the Seahawks' 25th-ranked passing D. If I'm fed up with my QB (Jay Cutler, Eli Manning ...) Smith is the guy I'm going to.

- RB KNOWSHON MORENO at Kansas City: Denver's rookie RB has topped 80 yards rushing in each of his past three games, and the Chiefs aren't exactly known as great run-stoppers.

- WR PIERRE GARCON vs. Tennessee: Indy's second-year receiver has scored a TD or topped 100 yards in each of his past three games, and the Titans aren't exactly known as great pass-defenders.

LAST WEEK'S PICKS

- Matt Hasselbeck was a bomb (14-for-25, 102 yards, 0 TDs, 0 INTs) as RB Justin Forsett did all the heavy lifting. My apologies.

- Jason Snelling got only 4 carries for 8 yards as the Falcons decided to go with an ineffective Michael Turner and Jerious Norwood for the majority of the rushing attempts.

- Chris Chambers caught 7 passes for 70 yards and a TD, solidifying his status as the Chiefs' No. 1 receiver.

Week 12 recap

Random thoughts from Week 12 while waking up from a turkey-induced coma ...

- Raise your hand if you got screwed by a quarterback this week. Whether it was a last-minute scratch (Kurt Warner), an early game injury (Matt Ryan) or just plain ineffectiveness, (Eli Manning, Tom Brady) in big games, a bunch of owners saw their Week 12 hopes go down the tubes because of their QB.

- Chris Redman held his own subbing for Ryan (243 yards, 2 TDs) and might not actually a bad play this week against the Eagles with Matty Ice still on the shelf.

- One QB you can't knock: Drew Brees (371 yards, 5 TDs). The guy's making fantasy stars left and right. Even someone named Darnell Dinkins caught a TD pass for the Saints on Monday night. Wasn't he the mayor of New York City?

- Two more TDs from Laurence Maroney, plus a fumble for the third straight game. Don't even dream about sitting him.

- I didn't think I'd be saying it again this year, but Terrell Owens is fantasy relevant. I'm not sure if it was the switch to Ryan Fitzpatrick at QB or interim coach Perry Fewell realizing "Hey, maybe we should throw the ball deep to T.O.," but Owens is once again getting it done (96 yards, TD for the second straight game. The only problem is this Thursday he's matched up against Darrelle Revis and the Jets, who bottled Owens up (3 catches, 13 yards) in their Week 6 meeting.

- I also didn't think Larry Johnson would be relevant again, either (22 carries, 107 yards for Cincinnati). Of course, it did come against the Browns, and Bernard Scott didn't do too bad either (18 carries, 87 yards). Plus, there's a decent chance starter Cedric Benson will be back this week against Detroit, so that may be LJ's last big output, at least for this season.

- Big day for budding star Justin Forsett (22 carries, 130 yards, 2 TDs), but it sounds like the second-year back could return to his reserve role with the Seahawks this week if Julius Jones is healthy. It's still a name to know for 2010 and maybe keep on your bench if you have an extra spot.

- Please just go away, Jake Delhomme (14-for-34, 130 yards, 0 TDs, 4 INTs). I know Revis and the Jets secondary had a lot to do with it, but you're making Steve Smith (1 catch, 5 yards) absolutely worthless. I'm looking forward to seeing what Matt Moore can do if Delhomme (finger) sits against Tampa Bay this Sunday as expected.

- Two Chiefs skill players have become no-doubt fantasy starters, but instead of Johnson and Dwayne Bowe it's Jamaal Charles (147 total yards, TD) and Chris Chambers (7 catches, 70 yards, TD).

- I'm not convinced LaDainian Tomlinson is still what he once was (13 carries, 39 yards), but he did score two more TDs on Sunday. As long as the Chargers keep giving him carries inside the 5-yard line, we're all good.

Hot Pickups: Week 11

FOUR STARS (Out of five)

RB JUSTIN FORSETT, Seahawks: The second-year back had a career day (123 rushing yards, 5 catches for 26 yards, TD) when Julius Jones exited Sunday with what turned out to be a broken rib. Unfortunately he faces a tough D in the Vikings this week, but he's someone to grab and hold onto down the stretch.

RB JASON SNELLING, Falcons: Another backup running back here - sensing a trend? With Michael Turner nursing a high ankle sprain - an injury that usually takes at least a few weeks to heal - Snelling steps into a starting role. Snelling totaled 93 rushing and receiving yards last week and scored a TD with Turner on the sidelines, and now he faces the Giants and Bucs (22 total rushing TDs allowed in 2009) in successive weeks.

RB BERNARD SCOTT, Bengals: Yup, another second-stringer. Cedric Benson hurt his hip against the Steelers, so in stepped Scott. Though his numbers weren't particularly impresive (13 carries for 33 yards, 1 catch for 21 yards), keep in mind he was facing the Steelers, and he did show off his skills on a 96-yard kick return for the game's only TD. Scott would be a great play this week against Oakland if benson can't go.

THREE STARS

WR NATE WASHINGTON, Titans: He's scored two TDs in the past three weeks since Vince Young took over at QB for Tennessee, and it's a decent bet he'll score another one on Monday night against Houston.