It was supposed to be the kind of season that turned the fundamentals of fantasy football inside out. With a record-breaking 50 touchdown passes in 2007, New England quarterback Tom Brady was a legitimate high first-round pick in this year’s drafts, a guy that could be taken as high as third or fourth overall, ahead of all but a few transcendental running backs, such as San Diego’s LaDainian Tomlinson and Philadelphia’s Brian Westbrook.
And so as the reigning NFL MVP screamed as his left knee buckled under the force of Kansas City safety Bernard Pollard’s hit Sunday afternoon in the Patriots’ season-opener, so too did fantasy football players all over the country cry out in horror. They’re certain to be scouring the waiver wire and frantically looking into trades come Tuesday morning.
Surely Patriots backup Matt Cassel (13-for-18, 152 yards, one TD) will be available, but so too may be New York Jets quarterback Brett Favre (15-for-22, 192 yards, 2 TDs), who drew upon the magic he was known for as a Green Bay Packer when he avoided the pass rush to launch a high-arcing, 22-yard wobbler to Chansi Stuckey for his second end zone strike of the afternoon in New York’s 20-14 victory over Miami.
Rookie QB Matt Ryan defied all Falcons naysayers with a 62-yard touchdown on his first NFL pass, but his 161 yards were far out done by Atlanta running back Michael Turner’s 220 yards and two touchdowns. Even Jerious Norwood had 93 yards and touchdown. Is it fantasy heaven in the Georgia Dome? Probably not, just the Detroit Lions.
Meanwhile, anyone still feeling good about Stephen Jackson (14 rushes, 40 yards)? Me neither.
Speaking of busts, let’s just stick with Cincinnati all the way around. Carson Palmer (10-for-25, 99 yards), Chad Ocho Cinco-Johnson (1 reception for 22 yards), and T.J. Houshmandzadeh (3 receptions, 44 yards) all stunk. Championship for Who’s-your-man-zilly? Don’t think so. How about Philadelphia rookie DeSean Jackson instead?
