Fantasy Review: Week 1

James Morris hails from Rio Rancho, NM and has been playing fantasy sports for well over a decade. Not only does he write the Bengals fantasy section, but he also does the Jacksonville Jaguars and San Diego Chargers fantasy sections, as well as the Indiana Pacers, Minnesota Timberwolves and Utah Jazz fantasy basketball sections in the NBA. Last season James finished with an 82 percent accuracy rating for fantasy predictions and will be here to answer any questions you may have about your specific team. Just send him an email and he will reply back the same day with your answer.

WEEK 1 RECAP

Week 1 was filled with some highs, but mostly lows for fantasy owners that expected much more from their high draft picks. We all knew Drew Brees was top dog under center, but Joe Flacco throwing for 307 yards and 3 TD's wasn't expected. This just goes to show you two things, 1: don't get hyper over week 1 stats and 2: don't get nervous over week 1 stats. It is still a long season; this isn't the BCS and one loss doesn't kill your season.

BENGALS REPORT

Chris Henry saw just two targets (one rec. for 18 yards) on Sunday and might as well be the fourth receiver since Andre Caldwell had six receptions for 54 yards. What does he have to do to get some quality playing time? Cedric Benson looked like a solid flex option with his 76 yards on the ground, four receptions for 32 yards and a TD. The great thing about Benson is that when Carson Palmer has a better game than the 247 yards, no TDs and 2 INTs that he did this week, those stats will look a little better probably.

Chad Ochocinco still looked decent (five rec. for 89 yards) despite not finding the endzone, but what happened to Laveranues Coles (one rec. for 11 yards)? I bet Caldwell is thinking that maybe they should switch game checks this morning. Roy Williams made an impact as he finished with six solo tackles and three assisted tackles, but it was Antwan Odom that stood out as he racked up three solo tackles, one assisted tackle and two sacks on the day. The defense held the Broncos offense in check all game long and the only reason Orton's numbers look like they do is from that miracle catch that won Denver the game.

WEEK 1 WINNERS

Drew Brees: The greatest show on turf is back and on tour! Brees set a new career high with six TDs and threw for 358 yards. We all knew he was the top dog, but don't expect this type of production every week.

Joe Flacco: Hey, if you happened to be one of the two people that started Flacco this weekend, then take the win and run. He won't do this again as the Ravens are a running team and his receivers are suspect.

Adrian Peterson: Another no-brainer as AP finished with 180 yards on the ground and three TDs. The best player on the planet is in Minnesota, and his name isn't Brett Favre.

Thomas Jones: Jones finished the day with 107 rushing yards and two scores. Leon Washington and Shonn Greene who? Child please!

Reggie Wayne: Wayne is Peyton Manning's No. 1 target and should be a top WR week in and week out.

Louis Murphy: I don't care what the fantasy leagues say, this kid had two TDs, not one. I still don't see how that TD got called back. He should have finished with numbers in the 150 yards and 2 TDs range if the refs had eyeballs that worked.

John Carlson: The guy has skills and I know it, but six receptions for 95 yards and two scores is a little much to hope for from Matt Hasselbeck and that offense.

Ben Watson: He has burned me so many times I feel like I need some butter to put on the wounds. But, last night Tom Brady found him six times for 77 yards and two TDs.

Atlanta Falcons Defense: The Falcons are owned in just 12 percent of all Yahoo leagues, but they held the Dolphins to seven points while adding four sacks, three fumble recoveries and an interception. Good enough to be the second best defense right now.

**WEEK 1 LOSERS**

Carson Palmer: I have high hopes for him, but he finished with just 247 passing yards, no TD's and 2 INT's.

Matt Schaub: Maybe Schaub belongs just outside the top 10, but he is still a legit QB1 in fantasy leagues. However, he will have to show more than the 166 passing yards, one INT and no TDs to keep fantasy owners believing.

Steve Slaton: What a waste of a play he was this week with his 17 rushing yards and three receptions for 35 yards and no TDs.

Matt Forte: I believe that Forte is a top 3 RB in the fantasy world and the 25 rushing attempts are what I like to see. Problem is, he tallied just 55 yards and no TDs for his effort.

Steve Smith (CAR): With just three catches for 21 yards and no scores, Smith was a big letdown on a weekend of star letdowns. At least he had a solo tackle for those in IDP leagues.

Andre Johnson: Big surprise here. If Schaub has a terrible day, Johnson is going to have one too. That is why it is so risky to double-team with a QB and WR from the same team. Four catches for 35 yards isn't going to get it done.

Dallas Clark: Four catches for 39 yards and no TDs. What happened to Manning's favorite redzone target?

Greg Olson: If there was a single guy that I thought would really step up his game this season, Olson would be at the top of that list. I mean Cutler even made Tony Scheffler look good. But, when the whistle blew, Olson had just a single catch for eight yards ... not even enough to get the numerical total instead of the written total.

Baltimore Ravens Defense: The Ravens allowed the Chiefs to score 24 points on them. The Kansas City Chiefs scored 24 points on the Ravens? For a top 3 defense, they looked pretty awful.

New Orleans Saints Defense: When you are playing the Detroit Lions with a rookie QB at the helm, and you give up 21 points, something isn't right. A single sack and three INTs helped, but the 21 points killed them in most leagues. The Saints defense isn't that good anyway, but it was the Lions.

Check back Friday for the Week 2 fantasy forecast and don't forget to email James with any questions you have about your specific team.