Engel’s Angles: Week 7 observations

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Time to package the Packer: Ryan Grant(notes) rushed for 148 yards and a TD in Sunday’s rout of the Browns. The Cleveland run defense looked especially awful without injured LB D’Qwell Jackson(notes). This may end up being Grant’s best performance of 2009. In many games, he will look like a ho-hum, north-south runner. Grant’s value will never be higher than it is right now. Trade him, especially of you have quality depth at the RB position.

Small sample size: Alex Smith and Michael Crabtree(notes) both looked good in a loss at Houston. Smith threw for three touchdowns and one interception after he replaced Shaun Hill(notes). Crabtree caught five passes for 56 yards in his NFL debut. Smith is worth adding, but still has a lot to prove as a regular starter, especially when defenses will start to watch film on him and prepare accordingly. Don’t consider him for lineup usage yet. Crabtree was quick in and out of his cuts, ran pretty good routes and showed off strong hands. He will certainly be useful with bye weeks still on the way, yet there could still be some rookie bumps ahead.

Falling fast: Matt Cassel(notes) has desperately tried to carry a weak Chiefs team on his back. Yet doing so will often mean having to force issues and translate into bad fantasy outings. Cassel threw one TD pass and was intercepted three times in a blowout loss to San Diego. Cassel can only be as good as his supporting cast, he isn’t one of those special passers who can elevate other players around him. If you still need the services of a No. 2 QB, you should look elsewhere. Cassel can drag your fantasy team down in any given week. Some fantasy leaguers may consider Cassel an obvious downer, yet others may still view him as a viable play based on matchups. The Chiefs have become rather easy to defend, so you should strongly consider another option for your No. 2 QB spot.

Not alone: Steven Jackson is not the only playmaker on the St. Louis offense. Donnie Avery(notes) is young, fast and has great separation gears. He caught a 50-yard pass on a flea flicker on Sunday. The Rams are going to devise more ways to get the ball into the hands of Avery, and he is going to be quite useful in larger leagues in the weeks ahead.

Unreliable Patriots: A week after a big game, Laurence Maroney(notes) rushed for only 43 yards and a TD against Tampa Bay. Maroney remains a mediocre runner who lacks full confidence and authority. Some downright disappointing outings lie ahead. Sam Aiken(notes) caught a 54-yard TD pass, and now speculation will begin about whether he now has value as a third WR option for New England. Aiken has never been dependable, so while he is worth a flier as a free agent add, do not consider him for your starting lineup yet.

Menenden-fall?: Maybe the Steelers are expecting too much from Rashard Mendenhall(notes) and may be overworking him. Mendenhall may have cost himself some late game-action with a fumble against the Vikings. Mewelde Moore(notes) may come into view as a more regular option to share time with Mendenhall soon. Willie Parker’s(notes) foot problem may linger for awhile, and while Mendenhall is running with more determination, ball security remains an issue. Pick up Moore if you can, he does have the faith of the coaching staff. Mendenhall remains a good starter, yet his number of touches could be slightly reduced in the near future. This is an educated guess, which often has to be made, because you can never believe what coaches say publicly.

The Bill is back: Lee Evans(notes) remained in view Sunday, catching five passes for 75 yards and a score. Ryan Fitzpatrick(notes) simply does a better job of getting the ball to Evans than Trent Edwards(notes) does. With Fitzpatrick slated to start again next week, Evans remains a viable option. When Fitzpatrick does look to throw into the end zone, or wants top take a shot on a big play, he will not hesitate to go to Evans. The WR is a good starting option against the Texans in Week 8. After that, though, he has a bye, and if Edwards comes back, Evans will be trade bait.

Greene and bright: Shonn Greene(notes) will obviously be the hot pickup of the week after Leon Washington(notes) went on IR. Yet Greene lacks Washington’s versatility and open field explosion. The Jets may have to revamp their offense a bit without Washington. That will mean more inside running, power football, and a conservative, yet high percentage passing attack. Greene and Thomas Jones(notes) will become the true centerpieces of the offense, which can be even more balanced when Jerricho Cotchery(notes) returns. The loss of Washington is unfortunate, yet the Jets may be harder to defend without him, and the outlook for both the ground and air games appears bright. The Jets will be a solid source of fantasy statistics in the weeks ahead.

Unstoppable Bengals: There seems to be no way to effectively defend the Bengals right now. If teams focus on the run, they get burned by an outstanding short passing game. If opponents lay back and try to stop the WRs, Cedric Benson(notes) runs right through them. I would not trade any of my top Bengals right now. The passing game isn’t going to explode every week, yet Carson Palmer(notes) and Chad Ochocinco(notes) appear nearly guaranteed to provide owners with at least solid production regularly. Benson is making defenders miss in addition to using his power. He is a rhythm RB who will continue to roll up fine numbers and score often with a consistent workload.

Running into confusion: What to make of the Dallas RB situation? Marion Barber(notes) is banged up and rushed for only 47 yards on 14 carries. Felix Jones(notes) rushed for 37 yards on eight touches, and Tashard Choice(notes) was barely used. This situation seems like one to avoid right now, but Jones and Choice will have more upside if either one starts getting more work, so monitor the situation. Bench Barber for now.

Scott Engel is the Managing Director at www.rotoexperts.com. He is also one of the featured owners in the Buffalo Wild Wings All-Star League. E-mail Scott at scotte@rotoexperts.com.