Yeah, yeah, I know, this is supposed to be a baseball blog.
But the NFL is here and must not be ignored.
So, switch gears, for a moment, let's look at the pickups for Week 2 and hopefully, you're not digging out of an 0-1 hole like someone I know. Ahem.
WAIVER WIRE PICKUPS (5 star scale)
Eddie Royal, WR, Broncos (4 stars):
Myth buster time. Rookie wideouts have little to no fantasy value. (Buzz!). Not true. Well, not always.
Sure, wideouts have a much harder time adjusting to the NFL, but let's not forget Anquan Boldin, who racked up 1377 yards and 8 TDs in 2003, making him a top 10 WR surprise, despite going undrafted in virtually every league.
So, is Royal this year's Boldin? Well, it's doubtful. But he could be this year's Dwayne Bowe, the K.C. rookie who racked up 995 yards and 5 TDs last year.
Royal hauled in all 11 laser passes thrown his way from QB Jay Cutler on Monday night for 146 yards, including a 29-yard score.
And there's a lot to like about the second round pick from Virginia Tech. His size (5-10) and quickness makes him almost unguardable off the line, ensuring him probably a half dozen quick looks each game. The only question marks are a) what will his output be with Brandon Marshall back in the fold this week and b) what will happen when a real NFL team (not the Raiders) plays defense.
My guess is Royal will be an upper-eschelon No. 3 WR going forward, netting 70-80 yards a week, but not finding the end zone more than 5 more times this year.
He's probably gone, but worth a look anyway.
Matt Cassel, QB, Patriots (3 stars)
Let's be honest here. What can we really expect from a career backup, who hasn't started a game since high school?
With Randy Moss and Wes Welker as your wide recievers, well, you could do a lot worse.
Cassel backed up Carson Palmer and Matt Leinart at USC, then held the clipboard for three seasons before the shocking Tom Brady injury Sunday.
If you've been living in a cave, here's a dramatic version of how it happened, set to music:
There's no word who he handed off the clipboard to, but you may be seeing the Patriots handing off to Laurence Maroney and Sammy Morris (more on him later).
But there's a reason New England sent Phil Simms and Tim Rattay back to the airport on Monday after initially inviting them to a tryout. Cassel knows the complex Patriots system and has a cannon for an arm.
Barring a meltdown, look for the Pats to stick with Cassel this year and if they do, the playoff weeks of 14, 15 and 16 feature Seattle, Oakland and Arizona. The question is, will you still be alive.
Sammy Morris, RB, Patriots (2.5 stars)
Really? Sammy Morris? Considering how New England has buried Laurence Maroney in its Red Zone Doghouse, you could do a lot worse as a No. 2 back in deeper leagues or a spot play in shallow ones.
Morris and Maroney split 20 carries last week with Morris running for 53 yards and Maroney 51. But Morris got the golden carry from five yards out.
How will this play out as the season goes along? Hard to say, but for now, stash Morris and cross your fingers.
David Patten, WR, Saints (2 stars)
News of Marques Colston's thumb injury (out 4-6 weeks) opens the door for someone in New Orleans, the question is who? My bet is Patten is the primary beneficiary, but there are a host of WR in the Big Easy that could benefit.
Patten caught 54 balls for 792 yards and three scores last year so, there is track record of chemistry with Brees.
Devery Henderson, WR, Saints (1.5 stars)
The other beneficiary of Colston's injury could be New Orleans' long ball threat, Henderson. Just two years ago, Henderson came out of nowhere with regular 2-catch, 100-yard games, but if you rode him to a Super Bowl title in your league, you may never forget.
Wildly inconsistent, Henderson has the raw tools to be a legit deep threat in the way Terrell Owens and Braylon Edwards is, but don't confuse him with those two elite wideouts. As they say, you can put lipstick on a pig....ahhh, forget it.
If you have two spots, grab Henderson and Patten and see what happens.
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