Empty the Bench

- There is no player in football I will be watching more closely than Rashard Mendenhall this week, and I’m sure I’m not alone. I mean, I was paying attention, and I had never seen him perform well at the NFL level. I don’t watch much college football, but I knew there was a reason the Steelers drafted the young man in the first round a summer ago, they’re pretty good at talent evaluation, I just didn’t know what it was. Then came Sunday Night Football and the man was a fucking beast. Mendenhall ran extremely hard, followed his blocks and made decisive cuts, and then got the yards on the field with power and authority. And that’s all the Steelers, and fantasy owners, want from the kid. He’s not Chris Johnson or Adrian Peterson, we know that, but if he can just grind out the yards given he’ll be extremely valuable. I firmly believe Willie Parker is done.

Attitude and preparation are certainly questions though, which is why I’m so curious to see if Mendenhall can step on the throats of the woebegone Detroit Lions defense. 85 yards and a TD won’t cut it this week. I need to see more. If I don’t, I’m selling high.

Rashard Mendenhall photo credit: Icon SMI

- The Cowboys backfield has the potential to be a high-profit unit in fantasy, but it’s a confusing mess right now. Felix Jones can’t stay on the field, Marion Barber doesn’t look right and his bruising style will always lend itself to further injury. It’s not hard to imagine Tashard Choice, the least heralded and lowest drafted of the three but the guy who has looked solid whenever called upon, emerging as the most valuable commodity there. I wouldn’t mind owning him in any league.

- As long as a healthy Carson Palmer was under center and Cedric Benson was toting the rock I never thought I would say this, but the Bengals are a better running team than a passing team right now. The offensive line hasn’t been giving Carson Palmer much time in the pocket and he’s looked skittish and unsure. Palmer can still make the throws when called upon, but the improved defense and rushing attack has meant that’s happened less than at any point in Palmer’s career. I still believe in his talent, and he has weapons outside, but as it stands Palmer is strictly a mid-tier fantasy starter going forward.

- Brett Favre was the story of the week, and with good reason. That was an electric game for the Vikings from start to finish and No. 4 performed better than anybody could have predicted. He looked sharp, under control and more in-sync with his wideouts. I have a minor bone to pick though. Brett still has the zip on every pass that travels less than 20 or 25 yards, and he can fit it in with the best of them. Outside that range, though, he struggles. It was a concern I expressed last week in this space, and Monday didn’t change my mind: he doesn’t throw a true deep ball. Favre throws rainbows, overcompensates with his delivery and keeps it either too tight on the sideline or out of bounds because he doesn’t trust it.

It’s something the Vikings can work with, but it’s a limitation that defenses can take advantage of, too. And it’s a shame, because few teams have two playmakers like Bernard Berrian and Percy Harvin that can get deep in a hurry. Another takeaway, and something we’ve been talking about a lot here, is what an attractive target Sidney Rice is. Injury ruined his 2008 season, but he looks fluid again. Rice isn’t a burner, but he’s sure-handed, big and makes plays in the air. Favre looks totally comfortable throwing to him now. That makes eight Vikings (including DEF) worth owning in fantasy. As a Viqueens fan, that’s fun.

10 more nuggets of essential football wisdom, after the jump …

- Mario Manningham has been impressive, but Hakeem Nicks sure looked good on that 54-yard touchdown strike. Steve Smith’s place in the pecking order is secure, he’s the go-to guy, but it’s not hard to imagine the split end position getting a little more murky as the season progresses. It’s something to consider.

- Fred Taylor’s injury is just perfect, isn’t it? The fantasy gods don’t want you to own, let alone start, a Patriots back. As Brian pointed out in the RB rankings, to fly in the face of their decree is a fool’s errand. Stay away.

- I’m completely nonplussed about the Michael Crabtree signing. It got a big shrug of the shoulders from me before moving on to more relevant news. Rookie wide receivers have a hard enough time making an impact in this league. The ones who miss training camp usually start slow, and a guy who didn’t sign until October 8th can’t be expected to make much of an impact until December. On top of that, Shaun Hill isn’t exactly the kind of quarterback who could take advantage of his playmaking ability and this offense is strictly a run-first unit. Frankly, I have better uses of a roster spot right now. In all likelihood you do too.

- Correll Buckhalter was playing at a high level, and I would never wish injury on anybody, but I’m stoked about the opportunity it affords Knowshon Moreno. It sounds like Josh McDaniel’s & Co. trust the rookie and he’s poised for a breakout performance against McDaniel’s mentor. The Pats rush defense is thoroughly mediocre and those old guys are susceptible to the big play. I’d start Moreno in every league. We’re going to learn a lot about him as an NFL player. It should be fun.

- Josh Johnson does nothing for me. I hope we get to see some of their other young QB, Josh Freeman, before long. I had a little crush on the big Kansas State product during NFL Draft season. Is there a more depressing team than the Bucs to watch right now? Ok, the Redskins and Rams. But that’s about it.

- I’m feeling pretty good about my breakout tight end picks. The wide receiver picks? Not so much. They can’t all be zingers …

- I’m not willing to say Mark Sanchez was a better pick than Matthew Stafford yet. Sanchez has looked better thus far, but he was a more NFL-ready product coming out, he’s in a far better situation and he’s being asked to do less. Stafford is missing a lot of throws, and accuracy was a concern in college, but he still throws the ball like a legit NFL quarterback. He doesn’t look overmatched to me, just more of a work in progress that’s almost always playing from behind and pressing as a result.

- I’ve been beating this into the ground, I know, but what exactly does Clinton Portis bring to the table at this stage in his career? I don’t see much of anything.

- Glen Coffee was a bit of a letdown last week, for me at least. I like the way he runs though, and I think he makes it up to fantasy owners this week versus Atlanta. I’m predicting 110 total yards and 2 TDs.

- Congratulations to those of you who started the San Fran Defense. Phew, Mike Singletary can coach.