Sizzle:
Ronnie Brown: Whispers floating around the league seemed to indicate that Brown had fallen out of favor in Miami. Ricky Williams started in his place on opening day, and it appeared Brown’s role would be diminished. Against the Patriots on Sunday, Brown returned to the fantasy football radar with a vengeance by burning the Patriots for five touchdowns (four rushing, one passing). Brown is still a matchup guy but he took one step closer to catapulting towards fantasy relevance again.
Reggie Bush: The former USC Trojan tailback often flashes more glorified wide receiver than dual purpose back. During Sunday’s shootout, Bush amassed 73 yards rushing and 75 receiving along with a pair of touchdowns. He is already halfway to his ’07 season total of six. The injury to Marques Colston and the disappearance of Deuce McAllister are two big reasons Bush’s numbers are on the rise this season.
Marshawn Lynch: A lightweight schedule and improved team have helped Lynch step into the fantasy spotlight in the beginning of the season. He ran for two more scores Sunday against Oakland. Lynch owns four touchdowns on the year and has scored in each game so far. While he doesn’t have a 100-yard rushing effort yet, that could all change next week when the Bills visit the Rams.
Julius Jones: Granted, it’s the Rams, but Jones is the biggest offensive weapon in the Seattle arsenal these days. He scampered for 140 yards and a score versus St. Louis on Sunday. Jones is still somewhat bitter about Dallas letting him walk and is playing with a chip on his shoulder. Sunday’s performance marked the second straight game for Jones with over 100 yards on the ground. He is also averaging an impressive 5.1 yards per carry. Jones is amongst one of the better number-two options at running back.
Frank Gore: Gore put together his first 100 yard rushing effort of the season against Detroit on Sunday. He carried 27 times for 130 yards and a touchdown against a lackluster Lions defense. Many observers felt offensive coordinator Mike Martz would have a negative impact on Gore but that has not occurred yet. Gore averages 4.8 yards per carry for the season and has scored in each game. After a rather tepid 2007 season, Gore is back on track as one of fantasy football’s top backs.
Fizzle:
Ryan Grant: As we approach the quarter poll of the fantasy season, one of the biggest disappointments thus far is the play of Grant. Entering the season, the presence of Aaron Rodgers was considered by some to be a potential detriment; however, Rodgers has played well, but Grant continues to struggle. His first carry against Dallas resulted in a fumble and he finished with just 54 yards and does not have a touchdown. Grant is quickly entering bust of the year territory.
Randy Moss: Six catches and 47 yards for Moss in the past two games combined. As Matt Cassel continues to evolve as New England’s quarterback he has to somehow do a better job of getting the ball to Moss. The bombs-away stuff from last season can’t happen with Cassel at the controls, but Moss has to get more than just a few cursory looks during the game.
St. Louis Rams: Putrid. Embarrassing. Shameful. Woeful. If you haven’t benched every Rams starter yet, please do. Even Steven Jackson's fantasy value suffers a massive hit with this team. Good backs can’t get an opportunity to put up consistent numbers when their team trails by at least two scores most of the time. Defensively, the Rams have proven to be a sieve, allowing 116 points through the first three games.
Matt Schaub: Another poor outing for Schaub, who threw three interceptions against the Titans. Drops by star receiver Andre Johnson did not help matters either. Schaub’s two games have featured one touchdown pass and five interceptions to go along with a passer rating of 50.3.
Jon Kitna: He cannot shoulder all of the blame for Detroit’s poor start, but his performance has been less than scintillating. Kitna’s offensive line failed him again during the season’s first three games. The opposition has sacked Kitna 12 times already and intercepted him five times. The song remains the same in Detroit.