For those of you just joining us, here are the rules: I pick one player per week at each position so that there's something for anyone in search of an emergency starter
The kicker? I limit my pool of available players to players that are owned in less than 50 percent of CBS Sportsline leagues. That makes it tricky, but that's what you're looking at with your team. Which is why we're here.
QB (34 points, 17 ppg, two hits): I rode David Garrard to a respectable first two weeks, and the Jacksonville signal-caller has since graduated to majority ownership (52 percent), sending me deeper into the matchups in search of a good stealth starter. This week provides a pretty good one: Raiders QB Josh McCown. No, he's nobody's superstar, but he is at home, and he is playing the Cleveland Browns. They've given up 10 receiver touchdowns in two weeks -- worst in the league -- and McCown ( 9 percent ownership) has decent weapons on the corners.
RB (3 points, 1.5 ppg, two misses): Sammy Morris (48 percent ownership), New England. Here's a guy averaging 5 yards a carry and getting about 10 touches a game, and you look across the line at a bewildering Buffalo team and you think, "Well, maybe." Morris won't get you big yards, but he has been the Pats' primary goal-line back so far. I protected Maroney in one of my leagues so this pains me to say it, but Morris has been the better fantasy producer this year. (Stealth Starter history note: If you followed my advice and picked up Packer's rookie DeShawyn Wynn in Week 1, you got rich in Week 2. Wynn scored twice and his ownership number jumped from zero to 71 percent. The news out of Green Bay this week? Wynn is going to get more playing time, and a shot at the starting job.)
WR (12 points, 6 ppg, two draws): If you've watched Devin Hester (15 percent ownership) so far this year, you've seen quite a show. He dominated the Chiefs with multiple long returns, a touchdown and another TD that came back on a penalty. If anything, he looks better than he did in his All-Pro rookie season. On the other hand, he's been a bust as a freshly minted wide receiver. Grossman has only targeted him twice, and one of those passes went off his hands. However, there's reason to be optimistic in Week 3. The Bears keep talking about trying to get the ball to Hester, and this week they face a Cowboy's team that has given up five WR touchdowns in two weeks. Moose Muhammad may be a better sleeper candidate this week, but he's owned in most leagues, so we'll step it down to Hester and feel OK about it. Remember, even if Hester doesn't get many passing yards, he's a threat to score every time he touches the ball, and that includes various return scenarios.
TE (5 points, 2.5 ppg, one draw, one miss): David Martin (14 percent ownership) doesn't exactly strike fear in the hearts of defensive coordinators, but the Jets have allowed a TE touchdown in two consecutive weeks.
PK (14 points, 7 ppg, one hit, one draw): Rob Bironas can split the goal posts from an adjoining area code, but more importantly, I'm picking the Titans in an upset, and if I'm right about that there will be some field goals kicked.
DST (30 points, 15 ppg, one hit, one draw): Here's a great under-the-radar matchup. Kansas City has been slow out of the gate but heads home to Arrowhead for a game against the Vikings, who will either start new-acquisition Kelly Holcomb or injured regular Tarvaris Jackson. Jackson made my buddy Rex Grossman look like Johnny Unitas last week, throwing four interceptions that demonstrated both poor decision-making and poor accuracy. Either Vikings QB should help the Chief's cause, and they get back DE Jared Allen from suspension. He'll immediately increase the pressure on whoever the signal caller turns out to be. The Vikings have gotten good play from rookie RB Adrian Peterson, but the rest of their offense isn't clicking and they've been unable to establish a rhythm. Unless somebody does something special, this is a situation where KC could notch some turnovers and keep the score low.
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