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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Time for owners to maintain focus

Michael Salfino Syndicated columnist

This is a tough time for fantasy football owners still alive in ‘05.

The wife keeps talking about holiday plans and gift ideas that require mental notation (lest she unwrap another potato chip maker or vacuum cleaner). The boss still expects you to earn your paycheck. But you just want to turn the world off and visualize your path to that coveted league championship.

We’re here to help you focus. First, let’s look at the sizzling stars.

Larry Johnson, we love you even if your local paper is blaming you for losses for missing second-quarter blitz pickups after you’ve just scored three TDs. As a starter in ‘05: six games, 1,042 yards from scrimmage, 10 TDs.

Chargers TE Antonio Gates has 51 catches and seven TDs since Week 6. Colts WR Marvin Harrison: 604 yards and seven scores the last six games. Peyton Manning: eight multi-touchdown pass games in a row, with 20 over that span. Texans RB Dominack Davis: 325 yards from scrimmage the past two weeks. Clinton Portis: 631 yards with five TDs since Week 7.

Two guys we recommended at the perfect time: Packers RB Samkon Gado, who has six TDs and 466 rushing yards since our “Buy,” and Bengals RB Rudi Johnson, who was a bust because of two TDs through October. Johnson merely suffered from bad luck. He’s since had 554 rushing yards and eight scores.

Before our Week 15 recommendations, some burnouts.

Santana Moss has no 100-yard games and one TD the last seven weeks. Why? No No. 2 receiver. Other Washington wideouts have totaled a meager 16 catches during that stretch. Chad Johnson has just two TDs and one 100-yard game since T.J. Houshmandzadah returned from injury in Week 7 and scored five times. Giants WR Plaxico Burress has similarly been usurped by TE Jeremy Shockey (four TDs and two 10-catch games the past six weeks). Even Panthers WR Steve Smith has just one TD since Week 9. But keep playing these WRs, as any could go off as easily as 3 for 35 any week.

Buy

Ryan Moats (RB, Eagles): Moats got less than half the carries last week, but averaged over 10 yards a pop with two TDs. Sunday, he faces the league’s most generous fantasy rushing defense in St. Louis.

Darrell Jackson (WR, Seahawks): Mike Holmgren says all systems are go for Jackson Sunday at Tennessee, which is routinely torched.

Marion Barber (RB, Cowboys): Parcells is going Shanahan on us, so this is just a guess. Barber got the bulk of the work with the Cowboys season on the line. The Redskins have struggled at times vs. the run.

Tatum Bell (RB, Broncos): Quietly had the most carries Sunday, though Mike Anderson continues to start. Shanahan is capricious and Ron Dayne is still in the mix, but Bell is Denver’s most explosive player and the matchup vs. Buffalo is very attractive.

Reuben Droughns (RB, Browns): The Raiders are heading for the 2005 exits, having allowed 189 rushing yards to the Curtis Martin-less Jets. Conversely, Droughns and the Browns are playing very hard.

Drew Brees (QB, Chargers): We still remember the 500 yards Indy allowed to the Bengals. Brees has two or more TDs in five of his last seven games.

Sell

Randy Moss (WR, Raiders): Thanks to injuries and new QB Marques Tuiasasopo, Moss is now a bubble No. 3 fantasy receiver.

Cadillac Williams (RB, Bucs): Jon Gruden is overworking him again (31 touches Sunday) as he heads to New England (55 rushing yards the past two games).