NFL

Lost all? The good news is, all is not lost

By GREG AUMAN
Published October 4, 2005

I'm in two fantasy football leagues this season, and while one team is a blissful 3-1, the other is a horrible 0-4 after quite possibly the worst fantasy month ever.

It's been an embarrassingly bad squad, one that had exactly one player score a touchdown in Week 3, that being Vikings quarterback Daunte Culpepper , whom I had wisely benched. I offer up this confessional only to give hope to the masses: If that team is only three games out of the playoffs with 11 weeks to go, every fantasy team in America is still in the hunt.

There's still potential in my winless team, with a promising start from Bucs rookie Cadillac Williams and better days ahead for Detroit's Kevin Jones . Colts receiver Marvin Harrison is starting to act like his old self, and while Tennessee's Drew Bennett and Baltimore's Derrick Mason have one touchdown between them, they're getting good yards. See how easy it is to spin fantasy optimism when it's only Week 5.

COCOON, NFL-STYLE: If there's one line from my August fantasy preview column that looks bad now - and, believe me, there are a couple - it's this one: "As a general rule, aging veterans aren't going to help you."

Chargers receiver Keenan McCardell , 35, leads the NFL with five touchdown catches. Jacksonville's Jimmy Smith , 36, is next with four. Oakland's Kerry Collins , 32, and Dallas' Drew Bledsoe , 33, are among the league's top six quarterbacks in touchdowns and passing yards. Heck, 33-year-old Gus Frerotte has more touchdown passes (five) than Tom Brady , Michael Vick or Culpepper.

Want old running backs? New England's Corey Dillon is 30, but only two players have rushed for more touchdowns than his five. Carolina's Stephen Davis , 31, is the fourth-best scoring back in the league.

GIANT NUMBERS: More reason to like Giants receiver Plaxico Burress , who had 10 catches for 204 yards and two scores Sunday: He's caught at least five passes in all four games this season, looking more and more like Eli Manning 's favorite target. Last year, Burress had five-plus catches just twice, with one 100-yard game. Burress had more catches, yards and scores Sunday than Amani Toomer has in four games this season.

STILL WAITING: Just to rub salt in their owners' wounds, it's a good time of year to ponder who is the best fantasy player still without any touchdowns. My top five? Clinton Portis , Curtis Martin , Tony Gonzalez , Drew Bennett and Andre Johnson . Ahman Green didn't have any going into Monday, either.

The Texans' Johnson, who has 10 catches for 76 yards in three games, might be the most frustrating start of the season. Don't give up on him: Last year he had 11 catches and one score in his first three games, then exploded for 18 catches for 285 yards and three scores in the next two weeks.

If anyone benefits from Houston changing offensive coordinators, it'll be running back Domanick Davis, who got 19 carries for 81 yards Sunday and should be back in 20-carry duty every week.

STILL PERFECT: Arizona kicker Neil Rackers is likely long gone in your league, after hitting six field goals in Mexico City on Sunday. Everybody should have caught on earlier, as he went 4-for-4 in each of the two previous weeks as well. He's 16-for-16 on field goals, while the next closest kicker has nine. That puts him on pace for 64, and the league record is 39, set by Olindo Mare (1999) and Jeff Wilkins (2003).

START THESE GUYS: Indy's Reggie Wayne got his first touchdown, and he's good for another, maybe two, against an awful 49ers secondary that made Josh McCown look superb Sunday. ... Miami's Ronnie Brown should fare well against a Buffalo defense yielding 172.2 yards per game on the ground.

--Times staff writer Greg Auman writes a weekly fantasy football column. Have a lineup question or a comment? E-mail him at auman@sptimes

[Last modified October 4, 2005, 02:15:30]