Week 1 Preview

Cleveland Browns @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Two bad teams last year that have done what was needed to go in the right direction. The addition of Delhomme will pose a bit of a problem for TB since he knows their scheme and has played them throughout his career. The flip side is that the Bucs know Delhomme's tendencies too. Aquib Talib is suspended this week, giving Massoquoi a decent match up against Barber or Biggers. Unlike others who have Jerome Harrison slated for a big game, I see the Bucs focused on the run game and making Delhomme try to beat them through the air. Problem is, Delhomme has nobody past Massaqoui to throw to. Cribbs is not a pure receiver, and while he may be effective, the Bucs will key on him and Harrison. Offensively, the Bucs will give Caddy just under twenty touches as they don't want Freeman to stress that thumb fracture out immediately in game 1.



Fantasy starts: BUCS: Cadillac Williams (17 for 90 yds. 1 TD) CLEVELAND: Mohamed Massaquoi 6 for 70yds. TD SLEEPER: Mike Williams, TB



Miami Dolphins at Buffalo Bills: Miami has looked less than dependable in the pre-season even with the addition of Brandon Marshall and Buffalo drafted C.J. Spiller, possibly one of the fastest backs in the NFL. Miami will have no respect for the Bills passing game and do everything they can to contain Spiller. The Bills however will have to worry about the Wildcat gimmick and Brandon Marshall. The Bills defense has always been their strong point, so look for them to contain the rush but leave holes open for Marshall. Henne is the wildcard and the Fins hopes will rely on his execution. If he can pose a threat in the pass then this will be a smooth ride for the Dolphins. The Dolphins contain Spiller who is a rookie in his first start and Buffalo sneaks some points through the air.



Fantasy starts: DOLPHINS: Brandon Marshall (7 for 110 yds. 1 TD) BILLS: Lee Evans (6 for 70 yds. 1 TD) SLEEPER: Ronnie Brown



Cincinnati Bengals at New England Patriots: One of the must see games this weekend, the Bengals have force fed T.O. to make sure they build timing together. New England still has Moss, but Welker is a step slower after surgery. The fact that he is even playing is amazing giving the normal rehab time for his injury. Fred Taylor will get the start while Maroney nurses a groin injury. This will be a game won by the Defense. Antwan Odom is playing while appealing his 4 game ban for testing positive for a controlled substance and the Bengals secondary has looked good in the pre-season. This will be where the game is won and Cinci has advantage. Look for Benson to get some good run against a young Pats secondary.



Fantasy starts: BENGALS: Cedric Benson (15 for 85 1 TD) T.O. ( 5 for 65 1 TD) PATS: Moss ( 8 for 90 yds. 1 TD) SLEEPER: Gronkowski, who seems to have trust with Brady catching 3 TD's in 2 games in the pre-season.



Indianapolis Colts at Houston Texans: These two teams always seem to give each other a run for their money. This should be a high scoring game, and be the Arian Foster's breakout party. Houston could start the season out with a bang in a game I think has upset all over it. On the Colts side, the game depends on Pierre Garcon. Everyone knows Reggie Wayne will get his solid numbers, but the question is with their backfield. Addai always seems to quietly have great games that go unnoticed due to Peyton stealing all the thunder. Houston's defense seems poised for a good season and will make this home game count.



Fantasy starts: COLTS: Manning, Wayne, Addai. (Why even predict crazy numbers) TEXANS: A. Johnson ( 9 for 115 yds 1 TD) A. Foster (15 for 100 yds. 1 TD)



Denver Broncos at Jacksonville Jaguars: Denver game out of the gates blasting last year, and I look for them to do much the same, except through the air. The Denver backfield has been banged up during the off-season and Denver's pass game has been the focus ala "the hoodie", Mcdaniels role model. Jacksonville gave one last shot to Del Rio and Gerrard, so we will see what they are capable of. MJD's rumoured off-season injury troubles and alleged surgery will be answered here.



Fantasy starts: BRONCOS: J. Gaffney ( 8 for 90 yds. 1 TD) Orton ( 250 yds. 2 TD) JAGS: Mike Simms-Walker (6 for 80 yds. 1 TD) MJD ( 18 for 80 yds. 1 TD)



Atlanta Falcons at Pittsburgh Steelers: How the Steelers are actually underdogs by Vegas blows my mind. While Turner is a beast, Matt Ryan has not proven he is top tier talent and is very beatable when under pressure. The Steelers defense is back and healthy, and a home opener favors them big time. The question is Dennis Dixon and the Offensive Line. Dixon will need time to throw, but his feet will bail him out. Mendenhall is overrated in my opinion and will have trouble against the Falcons quick defense. However, the Steelers need only two scores to pull this one out.



Fantasy starts: FALCONS: Turner ( 17 for 70 yds. 1 TD) STEELERS: Defense ( 1 turnover for a score) SLEEPER: Pitt. Isaac Redman, Tomlin has given him short yardage duties so he could turn out to be the Willis McGahee this year.



Oakland Raiders at Tennessee Titans: Oakland brings Campbell to town with a team that is banged up a bit and didn't look to really find it's groove offensively this pre-season. The Titans of course will ride CJ to glory in a game I see being closer than anticipated. Campbell has two weapons in Miller and Murphy, so the decider is the effectiveness of Mcfadden who has been less than stellar since joining the NFL. If the Titans just need to sit back all day it could get out of hand. However, Mcfadden only needs to be effective enough to make the Titans respect the run possibility to make this a close game. Vince Young will surprise in this game, showcasing his new and improved abilities as a pocket passer first, scrambler second.



Fantasy starts: RAIDERS: Zack Miller ( 5 for 60 yds. 1 TD) L. Murphy ( 7 for 80 yds. 1 TD)

TITANS: CJ ( 19 for 120 yds. 2 TD) SLEEPER: Nate Washington



Carolina Panthers at NY Giants: Carolina brings more questions than last year after off-season surgeries for both backs, a broken arm just healed for Steve Smith, and a new number 2 split end in Dwayne Jarrett. The Giants were a shell of themselves defensively last year, but the signing of Keith Bulluck seems to have rejuvinated them. Carolina may have problems running the rock with two rusty backs sharing time. Bradshaw is now the lead back and Manning should not throw as much as he had to last year.



Fantasy starts: PANTHERS: Steve Smith ( 7 for 85 yds. 1 TD) GIANTS: Bradshaw ( 15 for 70 yds. 1 TD) Hakeem Nicks ( 5 for 60 yds. 1 TD) SLEEPER: Brandon Jacobs, whom could post a huge game in limited carries, trying to prove he is still the G-Man to watch.



Detroit Lions at Chicago Bears: All the Mike Martz offense talk has Bears fans expecting a new offense and the addition of Peppers should prove to pay off immediately for the defense. However, Cutler still seems to be Cutler after the pre-season showings and the run game has questions after a bad year for Forte. Detroit has done all it can do to put teams on the defensive by signing Burleson, Scheffler, Van de Bosch and drafting speedy Jhavid Best. Until Cutler can prove he is effective in this new offense which I think will take a few games to get used to, I see the Lions pulling out the upset of the weekend. Teams will sleep on Detroit for a few games until they garner the respect I think they deserve. Other than Peppers and Ulracher, the Bears D has holes and will not be able to stop all the Detroit weapons. One of those playmakers will be open a majority of the time. The Bears will have to focus on Megatron and that opens the field.



Fantasy starts: LIONS: C. Johnson ( 7 for 95 yds. 1 TD) J. Best (16 for 80 yds. 1 TD) BEARS: Forte ( 13 for 60 yds. 3 catch for 25 yds. 1 TD) SLEEPER: Nate Burleson, he's proven with Seattle he can be a hard to stop number two and his length is a great red zone asset.



Arizona Cardinals at St. Louis Rams: What a difference a year makes. No Warner, the expected franchise QB released, and your star RB is questionable at best for the opener. The Rams open with their top draft pick Bradford who for now seems to be the real deal and a healthy Jackson. The problem is who is Bradford going to throw to? Mark Clayton is a dependable addition, but hardly a number one. This game is a toss up. Jackson has proven he will still make you pay even with eight in the box and if the Rams receivers can have a marginal game then this could be upset number two of the weekend.



Fantasy starts: CARDINALS: Fitzgerald ( 7 for 90 yds. 1 TD) Hightower ( 14 for 80 yds. 1 TD)

RAMS: Jackson ( 15 for 80 yds. 4 catch 35 yds. 2 TD) SLEEPER: Laurent Robinson



Green Bay Packers at Philadelphia Eagles: The Eagles still have weapons, but Deshaun Jackson is nursing a neck stinger and Kolb has looked sub par in the pre-season finale. Green Bay has proven itself to be a premier offense with a defense on the rise after settling into a 3-4 scheme. Although This is a home game for the Eagles, they are overwhelmed by the Rogers led pass attack. Both teams move the ball through the air. Deshaun Jackson may come out slow though and will face two man coverage, so look for Celek and Maclin to get the big plays.

Fantasy Starts: PACKERS: Rogers (310 yds. 2 TD) Jennings (8 for 110 yds. 1 TD) Finley ( 5 for 68 1 TD) EAGLES: Maclin (6 for 90 1 TD) Celek ( 5 for 60 1 TD) SLEEPER: Mike Bell, a short yardage specialist, he could vulture a score or two from McCoy

San Francisco 49ers at Seattle Seahawks: Nobody seems to know what's going on in Pete Carroll's head but after cutting T.J. Houshmenzadeh and naming ex-USC product Mike Williams the starter, I don't see this as a good thing. Seattle will be an interesting team to watch this Sunday, and depending on how they look out the gates, this could be a close game. Watch for Branch and reliable John Carlson to come back to use. San Francisco has been under the radar this year, but reports are this team seems to be as cohesive as they have been in quite some time. The Defense looks to be a top five this year and Brian Westbrook could wind up proving to be a great pick up. Other than the obvious two, no real fantasy starts here.

Fantasy Starts: 49ers: Vernon Davis (7 for 85 1 TD) Gore (14 for 80 yds 5 catch for 40 2 TD)
SEATTLE: Deion Branch ( 6 for 80 1 TD) Carlson ( 5 for 60 1 TD) SLEEPER:

Dallas Cowboys at Washington Redskins: If the Cowboys come out remotely like they looked in the pre-season, this will be a long year. Williams looks like he hasn't improved since last year, and Romo seemed to have no real red zone target. They usually get things rolling after a few games, so no real concern here. Given the divisional opponent, this game should be a physical one. Mcnabb will be rusty, and Dez Bryant seeing his first real action will be a bit off as well. I see a really sluggish and bad start for Washington, but the come out second half a different team. Washington's run game is a question mark of age and health, and their WR corp has yet to see someone take the reigns as Mcnabb's primary target.

Fantasy Starts: DALLAS: Romo ( 250 yds 2 TD) Austin ( 7 for 80 1 TD) WASHINGTON: S. Moss ( 7 for 70 yds. 1 TD) Cooley ( 6 for 50 1 TD) SLEEPER: M. Barber, he looks healthier, slimmer, and seems to have his mojo back. Look for Barber to possibly have a statement game.