WEEK 7 BULLS AND BEARS

Domination: The Unofficial Theme for Week 7.

If you are a fan of one-sided offensive blowouts, you must have loved Week 7.  Of Week 7’s 13 games, 6 were decided by 28 points or more.  Though there were a few compelling games (Saints-Dolphins, 49ers-Texans), many of the games were decided close to halftime.

So what does this mean from a Fantasy perspective?  A lot of players greatly improved their Fantasy stock, while others greatly depreciated in value, and some players who lost their starting job.

WEEK 7 BULLS

Carson Palmer, QB Cincinnati Bengals:

The Bengals ran the ball down the Bears throats on Sunday, which set up Carson Palmer for a huge day.  Palmer only needed to pass 24 times to compile 5 TDs because Cedric Benson was running wild.  The former Heisman Trophy winner is capable of putting up huge numbers any game.  Coming off of a knee injury, Palmer was drafted late in most drafts, but is able to fill the QB1 position.  Palmer is should be targeted if you are having difficulties with you current QB situation.

Recommendation: BUY; widely drafted as a QB2, but capable of filling QB1 role.

Tony Romo, QB Dallas Cowboys:

Romo must have missed the NFC East QB Plague in Week 6 that I discussed in last week’s article.  After a slow start, Romo finished 21/29 Passing for 311 YARDs, 3 TDs and 0 INTs.  Romo seems to thrive in non-pressure situations for the Cowboys, and should continue to do so until the pressure increases.

Recommendation: SELL; expect a drop in performance against the NFC East, especially if a playoff birth is on the horizon.

Cedric Benson, RB Cincinnati Bengals:

Motivated by revenge, Cedric Benson torched his former team for 189 YARDS on 37 CARRIES with 1 TD.  Benson has been a frequent visitor of the BULLS column this season as he remains one of the league’s biggest surprises.  On Sunday Benson was running like a man with something to prove.  He looked legitimately pissed off at the Bears as he led the NFL in rushing in Week 7.

Recommendation: BUY; Benson is legit, but poor reputation may cause some owners to devalue him.

Shonn Greene, RB New York Jets:

The loss of Leon Washington for the season really opened up an opportunity for the rookie out of Iowa.  The run heavy Jets should continue to pound the football, with Greene seeing an increase in his role.  Greene was able to gain 144 YARDs and 2 TDs on 19 carries in a route of the Oakland Raiders.

Recommendation: BUY; his increased work-load creates huge opportunity for Fantasy owners.

Chad Ochocinco, WR Cincinnati Bengals:

Rounding out a trio of Bengals, the receiver formerly known as Chad Johnson led the Bengals in receiving against the Bears.  Number 85 finished the game with 10 RECs for 118YARDs and 2 TDs.  Following a disappointing campaign in 2008, Ochocinco has played very well for the Bengals this season.  Chad only needs 14 more reception to surpass his 2008 total.

Recommendation: HOLD; market value is finally corrected after last season’s flop.

Miles Austin, WR Dallas Cowboys:

Looks like Tony Romo has found his new favorite target!  Austin made the most of his first official “start” of the season, catching 6 passes for 171 YARDs and 2 TDs.  After two consecutive strong performances, I believe that Austin is a must start in 3-WR formats and is a match-up play in every league.

Recommendation: BUY/SELL; if he is available you MUST pick him up, but he might be over valued by some owners in your league.

Vernon Davis, TE San Fransisco 49ers:

As former Number 1 Pick Alex Smith relieved Shaun Hill against the Texans, Smith targeted Davis for 3 TDs in the second half.  If Alex Smith continues to start for the 49ers, you can expect Davis to benefit.

Recommendation: BUY; this is Vernon Davis’ break-out season.

WEEK 7 BEARS

Matt Cassel, QB Kansas City Chiefs:

Cassel threw INTs on two consecutive pass attempts Sunday against the Chargers.  Cassel finished the day 10/25 for 97 YARDs with 1 TDs and 3 INTs, and the Chargers HAD been struggling on defense.  The offense is struggling and, unfortunately, their QB is not their biggest problem.

Recommendation: SELL; you cannot feel confident starting Cassel any week.

Jamarcus Russell, QB Oakland Raiders:

After Sunday’s disastrous performance, Russell went from barely ownable in 12-Team leagues, to drop-worthy in just about every format.  Russell went 6/11 with 3 Turnovers against the Jets.  ESPN.com wrote a great article this past week criticizing Russell’s work ethic and commitment to success.  I doubt Russell will ever become a productive QB in the NFL.

Recommendation: SELL, SELL, SELL, SELL, HE SHOULD NOT BE ON ANYONE’S ROSTER!

Pierre Thomas, RB New Orleans Saints:

Appears that the Saints are going to be doing more of a straight time-share between Thomas and Mike Bell.  The Saints offense is so high-powered that it may mean bad things for fantasy owners as there is only so much ball to go around.  Thomas is very talented but it will be difficult to expect him to put up huge points on a consistent basis.

Recommendation: SELL; his perception may be skewed by some owners who expect him to be a featured RB.

Ahmad Bradshaw, RB New York Giants:

Received only 12 carries against the Cardinals compared to Brandon Jacobs’ 13.  Going forward I anticipate the the Giants will start giving the carries to Jacobs more often.  Jacobs is more of a bruiser, and as the weather changes Jacobs can really wear down a defense.

Recommendation: SELL; expect a diminishing role moving forward.

Steve Smith, WR New York Giants:

Only 4 RECs for 69 YARDs on Sunday, Eli has too many weapons to target on just one receiver.  The opportunity to sell high on Smith has officially elapsed, but trade value is still there.  I would try to trade him ASAP before more performances like this bring down his value even further.

Recommendation: SELL; early season break out unsustainable going forward the rest of the season.

Roy Williams, WR Dallas Cowboys:

Roy Williams had 1 REC for 19 YARDs against the Falcons.  Half of Tony Romo’s incompletions on Sunday were caused by Roy Williams drops.  Williams has been a huge disappointment during his tenure with the Cowboys.  Consider the fact that the Cowboys owe Williams $9M this season, and are only paying Miles Austin $1.5M.  Who would you rather have on your franchise?

Recommendation: SELL; his performance has been disappointing, no signs of change to come.

Tony Gonzalez, TE Atlanta Falcons:

The Cowboy’s Defense appeared to have game planned to shutdown Gonzalez this week, and it was effective.  Gonzalez caught only 4 passes for 37 YARDs in the loss to the Cowboys.  Gonzalez has played well this season, but has not exploded the way may owners expected him to in the Falcons Offense.

Recommendation: BUY; only BEAR worth buying this week, still one of the league’s elite TEs.

Thanks for checking out the Week 7 Recap! Do you agree or disagree, let me know what you think! Who are your Week 7 Bulls and Bears? Please comment below.