Players to Watch
New York Jets versus St. Louis Rams- For both teams, the running game represents the focal point of each teams offense. The Jets possess a nice trio of running backs- in Thomas Jones, Leon Washington and Shonn Greene- who all have fantasy potential coming into this season. Last season, Thomas Jones was the bell cow, for the team, in posting the best season of his inconsistent career. However, going into this season his fantasy prospects are up in the air as he has been disgruntled in not receiving a contract extension and has subsequently been subject to some trade rumors. With that said, look to see how Shonn Greene performs early and if he can be a viable brushing back ( at 6'0 233) to compliment the speed of Leon Washington. If he looks good, he may ultimately force Thomas Jones out of the rotation and into another uniform. Leon Washington is the name worth watching as he probably represents the best potential fantasy performer of the bunch- but for the purposes of this game and getting a better understanding of the Jets runningback situation, it is most worth watching Greene. In terms of QB battles, it is important to watch both Clemens and Sanchez, to see who looks better; but at the end of the day, neither factor in much as fantasy options for next season. The QB situation does matter, however, in terms of how Jerricho Cotchery will perform this season as he finally looks to have a break out season and become a solid number 2 for any fantasy team- getting out from behind Laveranues Coles' shadow was a big step mentally. Dustin Keller should be a top 10 fantasy TE, this year, and expect either QB to rely on him early and often during the season. Finally, look for who will emerge as the number 2 receiver- the battle consists of David Clowney, Chansi Stuckey, and Brad Smith. For the Rams, the success of their offense hinges on the performance of Steven Jackson- although, you likely will not see much of him in this game. Most importantly, you want to watch Marc Bulger closely in order to make an initial determination about whether he will be an effective QB this season. He may be a fantasy option this season, if healthy, but more importantly you want to see that he can be effective so that opponents have to respect the run- and don't just load up in the box to stop the run. Also look to see how the offensive line is performing- in their first year without stalwart Orlando Pace- because their success has a direct effect on Jackson's success. Unfortunately, Donnie Avery is out 4-6 weeks with an injury; so there is no receivers who are worth noting.
No comments:
Post a Comment