Well, well. The reality show subplot of the summer has become a full fledged fantasy quandary: What to do with Priest Holmes?

 

It’s been almost two years since Holmes last left an NFL playing field with a neck injury. We all pretty much thought he was done.

 

Then he showed up at training camp, just as HBO’s Hard Knocks documentary series started rolling. We saw him sweat with the trainers, but nothing else. No practice. No pre-season games. Just a TV subplot, at best a long shot, at worst a shameless publicity stunt by an athlete who couldn’t let go.

 

But now here we are, heading into Week 7, and the Chiefs are 3-3, tied for first in the AFC West. Their defense is fast and aggressive, reaping the benefits of one of the best signings of any team this offseason, LB Donnie Edwards. Despite a lengthy hold-out, first-round pick Dwayne Bowe has more receptions (26) and more yards (415) than any other rookie receiver. And after trading away Michael Bennett to the Bucs on Tuesday, their RB depth chart reads: 1. Larry Johnson, 2. Priest Holmes.

 

But while that’s a great story, is Holmes really a legitimate option? Can a guy who left the game two years ago just come back? This is like the Rams bringing back Marshall Faulk or the Jets Curtis Martin. You just can’t do this.

 

Or maybe you can.

 

Unlike Faulk or Martin, Holmes is not a career workhorse. He’s only been the solo lead guy for three full season (2001-03). And though Holmes is a little more than six years Johnson’s elder, he’s only got 700 more pro carries (1734 to 1007). And if you add in college stats, it’s Holmes by barely 500 attempts (1986 to 1467). And Holmes hasn’t taken a hit in two years, whereas Johnson has taken somewhere above 500.

 

None of that really means anything, except to say Holmes shouldn’t be disregarded because he’s “old” and Johnson is “young.”

 

But is Holmes any better? Have two years off rejuvenated him or robbed him of his ability to hit the hole? Is the offensive line all of a sudden going to get better? How’s that neck?

 

Nobody really knows. But this is Priest Holmes we’re talking about. He’s made a career out of making doubters look foolish.

 

Do you want to be one of them?

 

(One other note: The Chiefs play at Detroit in Week 16, the typical weekend for fantasy championship games. There’s a long way between now and December 23, but it’s not unreasonable to think Holmes could play a big part in the Chiefs offense by then. And in this, the season of “What the hell is going on here?,” what would be more appropriate than riding Priest Freaking Holmes to your league title?)

 

As for our Week 7 players, it looks like Chad Pennington will stay the starting QB for the Jets against a Bengals team that just allowed Damon Huard a 112 QB rating. Jerious Norwood had a 67-yard TD run against the Giants and will continue to pick up carries as the Falcons further descend into the Brian Brohm sweepstakes. Bobby Engram went off against the Saints (as predicted), so he’s probably no longer an option. I still like Marcedes Lewis against the Colts and Stephen Gostkowski against the Dolphins, but not so much the Eagles defense against the Bears. They’re just not the same without Brian Dawkins. I’d also still worry about Tom Brady at Miami and Edgerrin James at Washington (with Tim Rattay at QB no less)

 

Cleveland, Green Bay, San Diego and Carolina are off.

 

Week 8

 

Byes: Atlanta, Dallas, Kansas City, Arizona, Seattle, Baltimore

 

Keep an eye on:

 

QB: Marc Bulger, St. Louis (Cleveland): I’ve already used the words “death” and “chum” to describe the 2007 Rams, but Bulger is one of the toughest QBs in the league. This game is going to be a shoot-out, which means Bulger might actually earn his draft position for a week.

 

RB: Cedric Benson, Chicago (Detroit): Benson had some of his best runs of the season against a good Vikings rush defense in Week 6, even if the final stats (18 for 67, no TD) look as mediocre as ever. We’ll know which way the Lions are heading after their game against Tampa this Sunday. If the Earnest Graham / Michael Bennett combo runs through them, Benson is a good pick to break out.

 

WR: Joe Jurevicius, Cleveland (@St. Louis): Like I said with Bulger, this is going to be one of those high-scoring Madden games. With the state of the Rams secondary not getting any better (it’s not a health thing; it’s a talent thing), Jurevicius could be in for one of those 9 catch, 2 TD games he seems to put up every other season.

 

TE: Vernon Davis, San Francisco (New Orleans): I’ve been down on Davis since before the 49ers drafted him, but this presents itself as a possible break-out point. It’s also likely Alex Smith will be back by then, if not this Sunday’s game at the Giants.

 

D: Indianapolis (@Carolina): You’ve got to love Vinny Comeback, but I wouldn’t mind him going up against my defense.

 

K: Phil Dawson, Cleveland (@St. Louis): He’s got Seattle at home in Week 9, so it’s a two-week favorable match-up.

 

Possible bad match-ups:

 

QB: Carson Palmer, Cincinnati (Pittsburgh): With this said, Palmer is my pick for second-half break-out. I’m convinced the Bengals have a run for the playoffs in their future. Their last seven are Arizona, Tennessee, @ Pittsburgh, St. Louis, @ San Francisco, Cleveland, @ Miami. Figure in their Week 6 game against the Jets and Week 9 trip to Buffalo, and nine wins isn’t out of the question.

 

RB: Ahman Green, Houston (@San Diego): The Chargers defense is back.

 

WR: Jerry Porter, Oakland (@Tennessee): The Titans defense is better at home.

 

TE: Chris Cooley, Washington (@New England): I love the Redskins this year, but Jason Campbell on the road against a Bill Belichick defense doesn’t evoke great feelings of confidence.

 

D: Tampa Bay (Jacksonville): Turns out Jack Del Rio was right about the Byron Lefwich / David Garrard decision (this crow tastes like chicken). Garrard is the perfect QB for their style of play, with his underrated rushing ability providing several back breakers for the opposing defense per game.

 

K: Lawrence Tynes, New York Giants (@Miami): Dirt.

 

Week 9

 

Byes: Chicago, St. Louis, Miami, NY Giants

 

Keep an eye on:

 

QB: Matt Schaub, Houston (@Oakland): I’ve actually seen Schaub get dropped in some leagues, and he’s hovering in the low 70s in ESPN leagues. He is going to be a completely different guy once Andre Johnson returns. If somebody else pushed the panic button pre-maturely, reap the rewards of patience and common sense.

 

RB: Priest Holmes, Kansas City (Green Bay): This isn’t actually that great a match-up for the Chiefs run game (the Packers are 12th in run D), but this game might present the Johnson-to-Holmes transition opportunity. (Johnson struggles against a good D, Holmes comes in to give a spark and has a couple big plays, controversy ensues.)

 

WR: Chris Henry, Cincinnati (@Buffalo): It seems odd to say the third WR is going to make the difference for this team, but the Bengals offense just isn’t the same without Henry. Even if he doesn’t break immediately, the schedule listed in the Palmer paragraph will provide plenty of opportunity.

 

TE: Kyle Brady, New England (@Indianapolis): There’s a good chance Ben Watson is still missing for the most highly anticipated regular season game in a long, long time (regardless of whether both teams remain undefeated by then). If there’s one thing you can guarantee about the Pats in a big game, it’s that they will at some point rely on a role player to make a huge play. We saw in the Cowboys game that Kyle Brady can be a very effective target for Tom Brady.

 

K: Mason Crosby, Green Bay (@Kansas City): See Brett Favre comment below. Crosby will hit a lot of waiver wires after his 1-for-3 performance on Sunday, plus the fact the Packers have a bye this week.

 

D: Atlanta (San Francisco): Alex Smith or Trent Dilfer: Does it really matter?

 

Possible bad match-ups:

 

QB: Brett Favre, Green Bay (@Kansas City): For as much grief as Herm Edwards and Carl Peterson have taken for the slow beginning on offense, the Chiefs have the makings of a dominant defense. They are tied for the league lead in sacks with 19 in six games (led by Jarred Allen’s six in just four games). And in keeping with the Drew Bledsoe Theorem (pressure equals picks), they are only three off the league lead with 7 interceptions.

 

RB: Willis McGahee, Baltimore (@Pittsburgh): Not with that offensive line. The bottom is about to fall out on the Ravens.

 

WR: Roy Williams, Detroit (Denver): This is one of those “fantasy following reality” rules: When in doubt, do not challenge Champ Bailey.

 

TE: Todd Heap, Baltimore (@Pittsburgh): With the exception of one big game at the end of 2002, Heap’s averages at Pittsburgh: 4.5 catches for 44 yards with no touchdowns. There’s also the matter of who’s playing QB.

 

K: Nick Folk, Dallas (@ Philadelphia): All rookie kickers have terrible games. It happened to Mason Crosby in Week 6, and it’ll happen to Folk eventually, too. Philly seems like a good bet on the setting.

 

D: New England (@ Indianapolis): Not even the most diehard Pats fan can expect them to stop the Colts dead at the RCA Dome. It’ll help if Richard Seymour is back (no sure thing), but I’d still find another alternative.