Fantasy studs and duds: Week 1

By Hugo Guzman  |   Tuesday, September 11, 2007  |  Comments( 0 )

Fantasy Football
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As usual, Week 1 of the NFL regular season provided plenty of surprises. And in terms of fantasy football, the unexpected performances were in high abundance.

Several rookies made their presence felt in a big way and a blast from the past made a triumphant fantasy comeback in the Meadowlands. Others who were supposedly sure bets to succeed turned out to be monumental flops.

Without further ado, then, let's take a look at some of the most notable "studs" and "duds" from the first week of the 2007 campaign.

Studs:

1. Randy Moss: Many fantasy managers passed over Moss during their draft, citing concerns about his ability to mesh with a team-oriented franchise like New England. Big mistake. Moss torched the Jets (and skeptical owners) to the tune of 183 receiving yards and a touchdown.

2. Who says rookie running backs can't be legitimate starters? Both Adrian Peterson (Vikings) and Marshawn Lynch (Buffalo) excelled in their first outings. Peterson exploded for 103 rushing yards and a 60-yard reception for a touchdown. Lynch churned out 90 rushing yards and a touchdown of his own. Fellow RealFootball365.com columnist Connor Byrne was smart enough to start Lynch from the get-go. I foolishly let Peterson languish on the bench, wasting his 20-plus-point effort.

3. Plaxico Burress didn't get as much pub as his counterpart in New England, but he actually outperformed the aforementioned Moss in terms of fantasy impact. The Giants wideout racked up 144 yards and three touchdowns in a losing effort.

4. When Tony Romo was sitting on the turf, holding his helmet in despair after botching the extra-point hold that would have sent the Cowboys into the divisional round of the playoffs last January, many felt that the disaster would linger well into '07 and possibly beyond. Not exactly. Romo came out firing in Week 1, throwing for 345 yards and four touchdowns to go along with just one interception. In the process, he dispelled any lingering doubts about his ability to overcome adversity or be a legitimate starting quarterback.

Duds:

1. Steven Jackson was the second overall pick in many fantasy football drafts, but he played like an undrafted free agent in Week 1. The Ram workhorse ran for just 58 yards and coughed the ball up twice. Hopefully, this will be his one mulligan for the season. Better to get it out of the way early, right?

2. Drew Brees was a fantasy darling of sorts -- as far as quarterbacks go, anyway -- but his Week 1 performance has likely rattled quite a few owners. The Saints signalcaller lost a fumble, threw two interceptions, and mustered just 192 passing yards. As is the case with Jackson's performance, I expect this to be the exception and not the rule.

3. Some folks felt that Lee Evans was a legitimate No. 1 receiver. He certainly did not play like it Sunday. Granted, he was going up against one of the top cornerback duos in the league, but two receptions for just 5 yards won't cut it. Here's a bit of advice: If possible, keep Evans on the bench early on. He's been known to heat up in the second half of the season, though, so make sure to hold onto him even if he continues to struggle.

4. Todd Heap is a perfect example of why you should never draft tight ends early (unless they go by the name of Antonio Gates). Heap is considered a top-flight tight end, one notch below Gates, yet he grabbed four catches for a meager 29 yards.

On Friday, we'll go over some potential fantasy finds to keep an eye on. There are a handful of reserves and waiver-wire players who could pay huge dividends in Week 2.

Get original fantasy football coverage at RealFootball365.com
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About Hugo Guzman

Co-founder of RealFootball365.com. Born in Argentina, of Dominican descent, living in Hoboken, but from Miami through and ...
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