Welcome to Week 9 of the football season. It seems like this year has been full of players sitting for non-injury reasons. Larry Johnson may not suit up again for the remainder of the season, while the Giants’ top receiver, Plaxico Burress, has missed a game for skipping a team meeting and last week was benched for the first quarter after missing a therapy session. Now it looks like Deuce McAllister is going to eventually be suspended for using a banned substance. These occurrences serve to be a good reminder that handcuffing players and stashing backups will remain important through the last few weeks.
Pickups and plays of the week:
Donnie Avery (WR) – The rookie receiver has been a fantastic option the last three weeks and should continue his dominance this week against the Cardinals. Last week he recorded 163 yards and a TD. He’s most likely off the shelf by now, but if you have him, don’t hesitate to play him the rest of the way.
Ted Ginn Jr. (WR) – After grabbing 175 yards last week, it’s hard not to give Ginn a roster spot. Sunday’s game against Denver gives him a perfect opportunity to repeat his fantasy usefulness and solidify himself as a serious threat in the Miami passing game. Ginn’s counterpart, Chad Pennington, is also worth a look as a bye-week filler.
Marc Bulger (QB) – He rewarded owners that started him last week by throwing for 304 yards and a TD. This week he faces the soft Arizona defense (Remember Brett Favre’s six-TD performance?), which should give him a good opportunity to match or exceed last week’s numbers.
Running backs to stash:
BenJarvus Ellis-Green (RB) – The New England running back carousel continues with Sammy Morris out for at least this week, Lamont Jordan still hurt and Laurence Maroney done for the year. Kevin Faulk is the current starter but Ellis-Green is the goal-line back and found pay dirt last week. If he continues to succeed, he could work himself into a more involved role right in time for the fantasy playoffs.
Ryan Torain (RB) – With the injuries and inconsistencies that have plagued the Denver running game this season, the rookie running back Torain has a good chance to make an impact toward the end of the season. Torain has not been active this year due to an elbow injury, so this week will be his first crack at some playing time.
Injuries and solutions:
Jason Witten (TE) – Although it looks like a game-time decision, Witten has a broken rib and is likely to sit out Sunday’s game against the Giants. If he is unable to play, rookie Martellus Bennett should get the start. Even if he does end up playing, Tony Romo will still be sitting, minimizing Witten’s value.
Have any roster problems that were not addressed? Since I can’t look at specific roster needs, I’d be happy to give any advice on your potential pick-ups, trades and sit-start decisions. Good luck this week. Here are the byes: San Diego, New Orleans, San Francisco and Carolina.
Mat Adams is a mathematics junior and a Mustang Daily sports columnist. He can be reached at madams03@calpoly.edu.