Empty the Bench

So there you go: the first game of the 2009-10 NFL season and the first batch of fantasy stats to chew on. Following what might go down as the most tepid kickoff special in the history of mankind (Tim McGraw and the Black Eyed Peas? Really?), the Steelers and Titans duked it out in an entertaining 13-10 overtime win for the defending Super Bowl champs.

It’d be short-sighted to draw many overarching fantasy conclusions about these two teams after just one game… a game that featured two of the league’s best defenses at that. Still, there were a few interesting takeaways worth noting.

- Steelers WR Santonio Holmes may have been undervalued on draft day this year. On average, the fourth-year wideout and former first-round pick out of Ohio State was taken towards the front of the 6th round (56.7 overall) after guys like Santana Moss, Antonio Bryant, and 33-year-old teammate Hines Ward.

Holmes scored the first fantasy touchdown of the year on a wide-open 34-yard reception in the endzone and finished with 9 catches, 131 yards, and 1 TD–the exact same numbers he posted in last year’s Super Bowl. The Steelers are going to pass more than they’d probably like to this season, and Holmes was consistently getting separation against a solid Titans secondary.

This should be the year Holmes finally exceeds 1,000 yards receiving, and he has a great chance to beat his current career season-high of 8 TDs. Tough to buy low after a game like that, but it might be worth floating a few trade offers for him this week given the generous defenses the Steelers will face in coming weeks.

- Despite dropping a stunning 40 pounds over the summer, LenDale White is still not a great option out of the Tennessee backfield between the 20s. This was probably the Titans’ toughest matchup all season, but you can bet on more efforts like last night (8 carries, 28 yards, 0 TDs) from the not-so-fleet-footed compliment to Chris Johnson; don’t expect him to find the endzone 15 times like he did last year, either. Bring on Javon Ringer!

- With the running game going nowhere, Ben Roethlisberger threw the ball 43 times, the most pass attempts he’s had since November 19, 2006, when he had 44 against the Cleveland Browns. Fluke? Maybe, but I wouldn’t be the least bit shocked if Roethlisberger establishes a new career-high in total pass attempts this year (currently 469). And a lot of that has to do with…

- I know this was a tough Titans rush defense, but it’s hard to have much faith in Willie Parker and Rashard Mendenhall until proven otherwise. We’re extremely bearish on Parker’s chances of holding up and being a notable fantasy contributor this year–the days of “Fast Willie” have become but a fading memory–and we’re all still waiting on Mendenhall to show something, anything.

It was interesting to see the underrated Mewelde Moore basically finish the game with the Steelers in pass-first mode: he’s a guy to keep on your fantasy watch list. If/when Parker and/or Mendenhall go down, Moore would instantly become a strong RB3 or flex play.

- His numbers were solid–7 catches, 78 yards, 1 TD–and he was clearly Kerry Collins’ preferred safety valve. From my view, though, WR Justin Gage still looked like the average receiver we’ve all come to know and loathe. Now in his 7th season out of Missouri, Gage lined up as the Titans’ WR1 with Nate Washington still a bit hobbled and would have finished with at least 9 receptions and 100 yards if not for a few bad drops.

Long term, the Titans are better off with him as their WR3 behind Washington and promising first-round pick Kenny Britt, who has good size and speed and looked decent in his professional debut, considering the opponent and situation (4 receptions, 85 yards).

- Titans backup tight end Alge Crumpler has put on some pounds. You likely already know this, but his days of being a relevant fantasy TE, much less a top option like he was as a member of the Atlanta Falcons, are long gone. Even if Bo Scaife misses any time, stay away from Tubby Alge. He has no place on your fantasy roster.

- Despite the modest fantasy totals (57 yards rushing, 1 catch for 11 yards, 0 TDs), we liked what we saw in near-consensus first-round fantasy pick Chris Johnson. There were several plays that Johnson could have easily gone the distance on–or at least close to it–if it weren’t the Steelers he was up against. It’s on Titans offensive coordinator Mike Heimerdinger to get him more involved in the passing game because one measly catch isn’t going to cut it.

Either way, expect much bigger things from the second-year stud from here on out: like I said, this was the the toughest defense the Titans face all season. We’re counting on Johnson this year here at ETB (between Andrew and I, we own him in 3 of 5 leagues) and still feel very confident in the investment.

Possibly Related Content:

1. Fantasy Football – Week 11 Defense Rankings


2. Fantasy Football – Week 11 QB Rankings


3. Fantasy Football – Week 6 QB Rankings


4. Fantasy Football – Week 4 Defense Rankings


5. Fantasy Football – Week 9 QB Rankings