After a seven-month hiatus, the phenomenom of fantasy football is back.\nFor people not rich enough to own an NFL team or not athletic enough to play the game, fantasy football gives the common fan a chance to run an NFL franchise and compete against other owners. Games are scored by an intricate system that assigns points for passing, rushing and receiving yards as well as touchdowns, defense and special teams. Owners choose from a pool of NFL players based upon how well they think a player will perform that year.\nThroughout the season, I will be predicting two fantasy players who will have big games that week and two who will underperform. I will also choose a potential breakout performer for each week. I intend to bypass the obvious advice while trying to dig a little deeper into the world of fantasy football.\nWithout further ado, Week 1:
Two players to start:\nThomas Jones – running back, New York Jets. Playing in his Jet debut at home, look for Jones to have a monstrous game against a New England defense that seems shaky without two Pro Bowl defenders to start the season. \nJavon Walker – wide receiver, Denver Broncos. Without cornerback Nate Clements around anymore, look for Denver quarterback Jay Cutler to chuck it downfield against Buffalo to his favorite target.
Two players to SIT:\nRonnie Brown – running back, Miami Dolphins. Former IU coach Cam Cameron is looking for answers at the running back position in Miami. After a terrible preseason averaging only 3.1 yards per carry, there are just too many questions regarding Brown’s abilities. Look for an underwhelming performance \nat Washington. \nCedric Benson – running back, Chicago Bears. With Benson struggling to earn the respect of his offensive line, which teammate is going to step up and block the likes of the Chargers’ Shawne Merriman?
Under the Radar:\nBernard Berrian – wide receiver, Chicago Bears. If there’s one thing you can count on, it’s that quarterback Rex Grossman is going to throw deep. Look for this speedster to catch a couple bombs.
