We Got More Answers to Your Questions

Q: Better play this week Clinton Portis against the Rams or Darren McFadden against the Chiefs? - Jimmy

A: Portis, for several reasons. The Rams defense is soft and the Redskins desperately need a win to avoid an 0-2 start in a make-or-break season for coach Jim Zorn (As Al Bundy once observed in a maxim that still holds true 15 years later: “If you lose to the Rams, you get thrown out of the league.”) So expect Zorn to do what the Skins do when they can’t afford to mess around: Feed Portis. If that happens, he should post a 100-yard day. The Rams have allowed an average of 160 rushing yards in their last six games against rugged NFC East teams, including 181 to Washington last season and 176 in a 2006 game (The Skins also rolled up 257 rushing yards in a 2005 game at St. Louis. I believe even Rock Cartwright found the end zone that day).

McFadden, meanwhile, gets to play against a defense that yielded 500 yards of offense a week ago. But he is playing on a short week after the Monday night game. Do you really think a Raiders coaching staff that prepared such a simple game plan for their opener (which they had the whole offseason to prepare for) can get the Raiders ready for their next game in six days?

Q: I’ve got Carson Palmer and Matt Schaub as my two quarterbacks, which one should I start this week? - Charles

A: The answer to this question, until Palmer injures every body part, will always be Palmer. While taking in the Panthers’ bloodletting against Philly Sunday at Bank of America Stadium, we observed a strange out-of-town score: Jets 24, Texans 7. “The Texans suck every year,” a friend and Texas native said aloud. “They should just go back to being the Oilers.” Perhaps that would be the antidote to Houston’s anemic Septembers (2-9 dating back to 2006). Schaub is as responsible for these poor starts as anyone. He does not start playing well until the Texans are so far behind in the standings that Houston fans start paying attention to the Rockets (and whatever else they do down there), relieving all the pressure on the Texans. Why would you expect the 2009 season to be any different than the last three?

As for Palmer, I’m going to have to assume that was his brother Jordan playing Sunday against Denver. I expect the real Carson Palmer to start lighting it up anytime now.

Q: Both QBs stunk last week and now they’re playing each other. If I have both Ben Roethlisberger and Jay Cutler, who should I start? - Chris

A: That’s some depth you have at QB. This is a good problem to have. I would go with Roethlisberger. He should start weekly for many fantasy teams. The Steelers cannot run the ball, but their defense is so strong it gets off the field quickly. That affords Roethlisberger ample opportunities to throw. As long as the Steelers are not playing the Titans or Ravens, this Class of 2004 QB is worth a start.

Cutler, on the other hand, is representing the Class of 2006 QBs just fine (Stand up, Vince Young, Matt Leinart, Kellen Clemens, Tarvaris Jackson...you get the idea). After he threw his third pick of the first half against Green Bay Sunday, I wanted to know what was going on. So I texted Erk, a lifelong Bears fan. His response: “That’s not Cutler. Rex Grossman stole Cutler’s jersey.” Yeah, I can’t think of a better answer either. Perhaps it was because QBs often struggle in new offenses, especially with new teams. Until Cutler proves he can play like the second coming of the Jay Cutler of Denver, and not the fourth coming of Cade McNown, keep him on your bench.

Q: When/if will we see Donovan McNabb’s fantasy stock drop because of Michael Vick’s presence on the field? - Joel
A: Ah, the obligatory Michael Vick question. You’ve heard of Linebacker U (Penn State) and Tailback U (USC). Well, the Iggles are fast becoming “Quarterback U” (Sorry, Miami and Maryland of the 1980’s). With McNabb, Vick, Kevin Kolb and now Jeff Garcia, the Iggles actually have four quarterbacks that many fans of the Panthers (last Sunday’s opponent) would choose to start over Jake Delhomme. They have so many QBs that A.J. Feely, who went through training camp with them, had little choise but to give up on his career and sign to be Delhomme’s backup in Carolina.

Wait, where am I going with this? Oh yeah: Vick is not going to mess with McNabb’s fantasy value any more than he already has. Vick will be on the field for some gadget plays, taking away a few throws a game from McNabb. That plan has been established since Vick’s first preseason game. It is not likely to change, no matter what the rumormongers say. That means Vick will not further alter McNabb’s value. Now, as for Jeff Garcia’s impact...