Empty the Bench

Everybody can pencil in their studs at running back, quarterback and wide receiver. That’s the easy part, but fantasy championships are won in the plethora of peripheral decisions we make each week. These are the choices we agonize over right up until 5 minutes before kickoff, the ones we’re kicking ourselves about 5 minutes after kickoff, and the ones that (sometimes) make us look like geniuses. We’re talking about the RB2, the WR3, the WR/TE Flex and the WR/RB Flex.

Unless you’re prepared to groom the fringes of your roster–both in the draft and in free agency–and make the right decisions with those players occupying secondary and tertiary roles, your team will crash and burn. These decisions are rarely easy or clear-cut, but fortunately there’s a ton of info out there at your disposal to help you settle on the players you’re most comfortable with. If you’re right, you deserve to win. If you’re wrong, you don’t.

Every week for the 2007 NFL season, in addition to rankings in our Matchups column, ETB will also do our best to rank “fringe” players who are likely causing some consternation. Not sure if you should go with Brandon Marshall or Santonio Holmes? Having nightmares about whether to start Chester Taylor or DeShaun Foster? We’re here to help. Welcome to the first edition of ETB’s Peripheral Starter Ranks.

(Please feel free to imagine that KBBL’s Bill and Marty are reading the following to you)

Week 1 Rankings

Wide Receiver #3s

1. Deion Branch, Seattle Seahawks vs. TB
2. Mark Clayton, Baltimore Ravens @ CIN
3. Devery Henderson, New Orleans Saints @ IND
4. Drew Bennett, St. Louis Rams vs. CAR
5. Jerry Porter, Oakland Raiders vs. DET
6. Mike Furrey, Detroit Lions @ OAK
7. Santonio Holmes, Pittsburgh Steelers @ CLE
8. Donte’ Stallworth, New England Patriots @ NYJ
9. Jerricho Cotchery, NY Jets vs. NE
10. Demetrius Williams, Baltimore Ravens @ CIN

Fortune Cookies: Mark Clayton looks to be fully healed from the sprained ankle, and the Ravens will need to put points on the board against Cincy and their questionable secondary . . . With Torry Holt still hobbled, look for Drew Bennett to step it up and make a splash in his Rams debut with one score and decent yardage . . . Deion Branch won’t get lost in Seattle’s WR shuffle if Hasselbeck does what he should against TB . . . Saints WR Devery Henderson is a deadly deep-ball threat, his QB can find him and the Colts secondary is just hoping not to embarrass itself on opening night . . . The Lions secondary could be one of the league’s worst, so as the main man in the Raiders’ passing game Jerry Porter is a solid play at home this week . . . If Ben Roethlisberger improves on last year’s campaign, a big reason will be the play of Santonio Holmes; 75 yards and a possible score are certainly feasible against the Browns. We like the kid to have a big season . . . Calvin Johnson will mean less catches for the NFC’s reigning receptions leader in ‘07, but Jon Kitna has a special bond with Detroit’s slot receiver Mike Furrey, and special bonds between Rod Marinelli’s “men,” as he calls his players, are hard to break . . . We’d like Jets wideout Jerricho Cotchery a whole helluva lot more if Kellen Clemens was the one throwing him the ball, and this is a tough matchup . . . Demetrius Williams has crazy talent and can score from anywhere. We think he’ll be a weekly WR3 by season’s end, but we’re trying our best not to jump the gun.

Running Back #2s

1. Brandon Jacobs, New York Giants @ DAL
2. Travis Henry, Denver Broncos @ BUF
3. Edgerrin James, Arizona Cardinals @ SF
4. Willis McGahee, Baltimore Ravens @ CIN
5. Julius Jones, Dallas Cowboys vs. NYG
6. Brandon Jackson, Green Bay Pakers vs. PHI
7. Adrian Peterson, Minnesota Vikings vs. ATL
8. Marion Barber III, Dallas Cowboys vs. NYG
9. DeShaun Foster, Carolina Panthers @ STL
10. Maurice Jones-Drew, Jacksonville vs. TEN

Fortune Cookies: We’re putting the over/under on the number of Cowboys defenders Giants RB Brandon Jacobs blows up this week at six . . . Travis Henry will realize very early on that Mike Shanahan has little to no patience with his running backs; produce or share carries with a practice squad back. He needs to shake those nagging preseason injuries in time for his Broncos debut . . . It’ll be nice to get at least somewhat of a handle on Edgerrin James‘ prospects for a rebound season, as well as the 49ers’ improved defense, on opening night in Arizona . . . You only get one chance to make a good first impression, Willis McGahee–there’s no reason he shouldn’t see plenty of carries and do well against Cincinnati . . . How much longer can Julius Jones and Marion Barber III co-exist in the Dallas backfield before one of ‘em wants out? . . . Packers rookie Brandon Jackson is apparently over that mild concussion and will start, making him a mediocre RB2 and strong RB3 at home . . . Chester Taylor is still the starter in Minnesota, but everyone wants to see the explosive rookie Adrian Peterson go off early and often–everyone except Taylor owners . . . Same thing in Carolina: veteran DeShaun Foster gets the starting nod, but second-year slasher DeAngelo Williams is the back with more home run potential than ever . . . Before you go bonkers over Maurice Jones-Drew, remember that incumbent franchise back Fred Taylor inked a big contract extension last summer. We all might want to swat Taylor aside like a fly, but Jacksonville invested in him and Taylor will get his in ‘07, at least until he breaks down.

Wide Receiver/Tight End Flex Plays

1. Devery Henderson, New Orleans Saints @ IND
2. Drew Bennett, St. Louis Rams vs. CAR
3. Heath Miller, Pittsburgh @ CLE
4. Jerry Porter, Oakland Raiders vs. DET
5. Mike Furrey, Detroit Lions @ OAK
6. Santonio Holmes, Pittsburgh Steelers @ CLE
7. Donte’ Stallworth, New England Patriots @ NYJ
8. Randy McMichael, St. Louis vs. Carolina
9. Brandon Marshall, Denver Broncos @ BUF
10. Isaac Bruce, St. Louis Rams vs. CAR

Fortune Cookies: Steelers tight end Heath Miller should benefit from a healthy Roethlisberger and an increased emphasis on the passing game . . . At this point, Jerry Porter is a really intriguing fringe player. He’s saying all the right things and insisting that last year’s production, injury and attitude problems are a thing of the past. Could this be the year he finally tops 1,000 yds receiving? Culpepper (or McNown) will have a major say in that . . . It’ll be interesting to see how Donte’ Stallworth and the revamped Patriots WR corps shakes out; give it a few weeks before making any rash judgements, but there may not be enough balls to go around . . . Former Dolphins TE Randy McMichael is a great target in the Red Zone and one of our favorite “sleepers” at that position this year . . . With Rod Smith on the PUP, the man they call “Baby TO”, second-year WR Brandon Marshall, has an opportunity to really lock down a significant role in the Denver attack . . . 74 catches and 1,110 yds receiving last year for soon-to-be 35-years-old Isaac Bruce, but only 3 TDs and they’ve upgraded around him.

Wide Receiver/Running Back Flex Plays

1. LaMont Jordan, Oakland Raiders vs. DET
2. Deuce McAllister, New Orleans Saints @ IND
3. Brandon Jackson, Green Bay Packers vs. PHI
4. Ladell Betts, Washington vs. MIA
5. Tatum Bell, Detroit Lions @ OAK
6. Jerry Porter, Oakland vs. DET
7. Thomas Jones, New York Jets vs. NE
8. Kevin Curtis, Philadelphia @ GB
9. Ahman Green, Houston vs. KC
10. Vincent Jackson, San Diego Chargers vs. CHI

Fortune Cookies: He was awful last year, but LaMont Jordan seems to have a chip on his shoulder about it and needs to prove himself before Rhodes returns. Don’t forget his ‘05 season (1,025 yds rushing, 70 catches, 563 yds receiving, 11 TDs) . . . He’s not an especially sexy player anymore, but Deuce McAllister got it done last year, is facing a cakewalk D and is still (barely) on the right side of 30 . . . Detroit’s Tatum Bell is the starter, and the ‘Skins Ladell Betts technically is not, but Tico Duckett might get goal line carries and still-gimpy Clinton Portis is still very limited . . . We won’t be comfortable with Thomas Jones as anything more than a flex play until he proves otherwise in this moribund offense . . . New Eagles WR Kevin Curtis finally has his chance to show what he can do in a featured role after four years behind Holt and Bruce in St. Louis. With his deep skills and ability to go over the middle, Curtis is a strong breakout candidate . . . ETB favorite Vincent Jackson would be higher if not facing Chicago. Don’t get down on him if he doesn’t produce this week, the kid is going to put up touchdowns this year.