IDP News and Notes ~ Week Six

Looking back at the week, and noticing the movers and shakers, IR moves and just flat out shocking or poor performances, I just can’t help but comment.

St Louis vs. Jacksonville
We had a Paris Lenon sighting. He filled in for David Vobora in St Louis and out-pointed Laurinaitis with seven solos. That’s a tough thing to do. Lenon was a pretty decent scorer in Detroit when given a chance, so keep an eye on this situation. He could supplant Vobora for good.
Daryl Smith owners were cussing at the TV Sunday as he collected just 2 solos. Don’t blame him completely though, in that game Jax LBs collected just 7 total solos against St Louis.
Rams rookie CB Bradley Fletcher started his second game in relief of Jonathan Wade, and looks to be taking his job for good. Fletcher collected 7 solos to add to his 4 from week 5. Keep an eye, as the CB role in St Louis can score big.
Jags rookie Derek Cox is just rolling up the stats and points. This week was his third straight with 5 or more solos.
Big hopes for SS Gerald Alexander are taking a hit, as his totals have gone done each of the last three weeks, from 5-0-int, to 4-1, to 4-0.
Late news that Will Witherspoon was traded to the Eagles. Paris Lenon will replace him, and should be a nice fantasy option. This may help James Laurinaitis more than anyone.

Baltimore vs. Minnesota
Jared Allen is a stud, no way around it. 22 solos and 7 ½ sacks in 5 weeks. Yowza.
Ray Lewis, three straight weeks with 7+ solos. Nuff said.
Chad Greenway (SLB) is going toe-to-toe with EJ Henderson for the team lead in fantasy points. In the last three weeks Greenway has closed the gap, outscoring Henderson 46-36.
After a slow start, Viking CB Cedric Griffin is coming on strong. In the last three games he has garnered 18-2.

Detroit vs. Green Bay
With Dewayne White out of the lineup, Cliff Avril has come into his own with 11-2-2.5 in the last three games.
I know it’s been knocked around and discussed to death, but what the heck is going on with AJ Hawk? Two solos in week five, and nada in week six? Not even an assist, a defended pass, or even a QB pressure? Wow, has there EVER been a LB so hyped and so underwhelming in recent history? I think you have to go all the way back to Oklahoma’s Brian Bosworth. Hawk has lost all nickel and dime work, and the way it’s going he’s going to be missing a starting gig. One thing’s for sure, if the Packers can limit a team’s rushing attack and force them to go to the air, Hawk is WORTHLESS. So next week vs. Cleveland looks pretty grim, and you may have to wait until week eight for the Vikings to come to town. But even that is turning into the Favre air show. You have to ask yourself if he’s worth holding onto at all. The answer is no. I actually think Brandon Chillar will outscore Hawk going forward.
And while we are on the Packers, Aaron Kampman picks up his second sack in three weeks, so maybe he’s coming around. Of course, he did play about half the downs as a true DE, so he was happy. The guy to watch is rookie Clay Matthews. He ended up taking the starting gig from Brady Poppinga. Was there ever any doubt? Really? He responded with 2 sacks. He will be up and down this year, and will likely be pretty hard to use from a fantasy standpoint, but I’d rather start him than Kampman, or Hawk.
Maybe Julian Peterson saved his sorry butt this weekend but finally adding something to the Lions defense with 6-4-2.5 and 2 ff’s. Of course, it may have been better if the Lions had actually been in the game. It’s looking more and more like Ernie Sims may find himself looking for a gig, as DeAndre Levy again put up some healthy numbers.

Houston vs. Cincinnati
Mario Williams has two sacks on the year, and his 50 points are less than ½ what Jared Allen has hung up. Williams needs to find a way to get involved, or the Texans need to create some opportunities for Williams. Maybe sitting Antonio Smith and putting in Connor Barwin will make teams focus a little attention off or Super Mario.
Robert Geathers of the Bengals also has more points than Mario Williams. Just sayin’.
Whew, just when you were thinking the unthinkable, Demeco Ryans finally pops up with a nice 8-4. He hit 20 fantasy points for the first time in ‘090. That’s just wrong.
On the other hand, SLB rookie Brian Cushing STILL outscored Ryans. Cushing has hit double-digits scoring every week this year.
Rey Maualuga really, really let me down this week. I looked at the matchups, and thought he was in for a big week, really big. Then he goes out and hangs up a pathetic 1-0. Ouch! Keith Rivers owners were equally hard-hit with his 2-3. On another view, Bengals LBs as a group managed just 8 solos.
Chinedum Ndukwe is making the most of Roy Williams out, and if the Bengals have any sense at all Ndukwe will stay in the lineup. 18-5 in the last three weeks says he should.
With Antwan Odom gone for the year, it’s probably a mix of Jonathan Fanene and rookie Michael Johnson at rotation. At least Fanene has two sacks on the year and offers some upside.

Cleveland vs. Pittsburgh
Eric Barton may not be a D’Qwell Jackson, but he’s pretty consistent. Double-digit scoring every week makes him pretty valuable.
Lawrence Timmons has come back with a vengeance. In his first two starts of the year he has 10-1-3 and 2 ff’s. And I had him on the bench both weeks…
Steelers DBs had just 12 total tackles last week. So Troy Polamalu’s stat line of 2-2 is not so bad.
Late news with D’Qwell Jackson gone for the year. Rookie Kaluka Maiava should get first shot. Don’t stand in the way of the run to the waiver wire!

Kansas City vs. Washington
Andre Carter started the year hot, and has not got back on track with 12-1-4.5 in the last two games.

Carolina vs. Tampa Bay
Peppers owners’ can breathe at least a little sigh of relief, as he now has four sacks in two games after having just one on the year. You have to wonder about him though, his inconsistency has been maddening.
Stylez White got his first NFL start, and was all over the place with 8 solos and a sack, He should be a hot commodity on waivers, although it’s still not certain he will hang onto it. But he has the best chance to replace Gaines Adams.
Thomas Davis still racking up tackles and points in Carolina, while MLB Jon Beason is proving inconsistent.
Barrett Ruud tearing it up as well, with 31-10 and 2 interceptions in the last four games. It helps when you team sucks this bad. In the last two weeks, Ruud has collected 15 of Tampa’s LB 21 solo stops.

New York Giants vs. New Orleans
Will Smith is maddening. He sandwiches his week 3 through 4’s 6-3-2.5 with 1-0’s. Sick.
Chase Blackburn has made the most of his time replacing Michael Boley with 12-7-1.
Jonathan Vilma. Sigh. 1-3 in what should have been a good matchup. He was out-soloed by Scott Shanle, Marvin Mitchell and Troy Evans. Scott Fujita left in the first quarter, and he tied with Vilma. Vilma has five solos just once this season. This improved Saints defense does not agree with Vilma, as teams are passing often and early. I hate to say it, but I don’t see him coming around unless Brees starts struggling and the games stay close.
Roman Harper is all he is advertised, although Darren Sharper is outscoring him. It’s unusual to have both safeties this dominant. Harper has 28 solos, while Sharper has five interceptions. Could have been worse, as Jonathan Vilma’s late hit cost Sharper another pick and TD.

Arizona vs. Seattle
Cardinals LBs managed just eight total tackles this week.
With Lofa Tatupu going to miss most of the year, David Hawthorne should step back into the role where he shined earlier in the year with 15-1. It will be a busy waiver wire this week.
Aaron Curry is beating the odds by easily being the top Seattle LB on the field in both NFL and fantasy terms. He is proving consistent; all that’s needed are big plays.
Despite back-to-back five solo scores, Adrian Wilson is still 4th among Cardinal DBs in scoring.

Philadelphia vs., Oakland
Jeremiah Trotter showed why he was retired for two years. He was lost, over-powered and just looked old and slow on Sunday. When Omar Gaither was hurt and Trotter had to play more, he really got exposed. Look for him to be released soon.
Now that the initial scare of Kirk Morrison losing his starting gig is over, and we are past his pathetic 2-0 in week one, Morrison has 104 points and 46 solos in four weeks. Impressive.
Late news that Will Witherspoon has arrived via trade. Great news for the Eagles, hail the new MLB!

Buffalo vs., NY Jets
Chris Kelsay follows up his 0-0 in week five with a 6-6 in week six. He has three zero or one solo weeks so far, and two with over 6 solos. Mr. Consistency he’s not.
Kris Jenkins may be gone for the year; Mike DeVito should replace him, unless they decide to move Sione Pouha inside. Neither will have much value either way.
Paul Posluszny makes his return and promptly awards all those who stuck with him with a nice 6-3 and an interception.
David Harris has racked up 23-13 in the last three games, putting an end to the question of whether Harris or Bart Scott was the better fantasy bet.
Rookie FS Jarius Byrd has made the most of his time in the Bills lineup by posting 9-4 and 2 interceptions in three weeks.

Tennessee vs. New England
Keith Bulluck is looking like..Keith Bulluck. In the last two weeks he has racked up 19 solos. Now I remember how good Bulluck was when the Titans sucked.
And while on the path of Titan LBs, Steven Tulloch is the first Titan MLB in memory that’s a fantasy must-start.
Patriot LBs are un-startable this year. Adalius Thomas was benched, and only Jared Mayo could possibly return a Pats LB to fantasy worthy status.
In two weeks of relief, rookie CB Jason McCourty has collected 11-4.
FS Brandon McGowan of NE is easily outpacing his SS teammate Brandon Meriweather in the last three weeks scoring 42 points to Meriweather’s 36.
Officially, Patriots CBs had zero tackles. But Patrick Chung lined up at corner quite a bit. When your team allows minus passing yardage, the corners are unlikely to get much action.

Chicago vs. Atlanta
New arrivals Gaines Adams was inactive, but look for him to relegate Mark Anderson and Alex Brown to pass-rushing duties.
Pisa Tinoisamoa finally returns, only to re-injure his shoulder. It may be time to dump him in any remaining leagues.
Other than the odd week five and 2 solos, Mike Peterson has been money this year. Other than week five, he has hit 17 fantasy points every week.
SLB Steven Nicholas got off to a good start to the year, but has 1-1 in the last two games.

Denver vs. San Diego

Broncos DLs had just 4 solos in the game.
2 more sacks for Dumervil, making an eye-popping 10 on the year. He’s a rare 3-4 OLB that can’t be on your bench.