The Hive – 2007 season – week 1

Welcome back to The Hive everyone! It’s been a hectic offseason and preseason, and I for one cannot wait to get to the games.

We will be doing things a little differently in The Hive this season. Players will now be ranked as follows:

            Giddyup! – sure-fire starter

            SINS! – solid if not spectacular

            Hellno! – do I need to explain this one?

Hope you guys like the new format! Let’s get to the action!   

Saints @ Colts Thursday 5:30 PST

Indy

Giddyup! – Bob Sanders, Freddy Keiaho

SINS! – Marlin Jackson, Gary Brackett, Antoine Bethea, Robert Mathis

Hellno! – Dwight Freeney

New Orleans

Giddyup! – Roman Harper

SINS! – Will Smith, Charles Grant, Jason David

Hellno! – Saints LB’s

Game notes: On the Indy side start Bob Sanders while you can, as he usually hurts himself at some point during the 1^st half of the season. Keiaho should be stud for his owners this season. I’m not loving the DEs on either side vs. two solid offensive lines who tend to keep their QBs upright. I think at least one of the Saints LBs will have a solid game, but its hard for me to predict how that situation is going to shake out. If I had to start one it would likely be Fujita. Roman Harper should be the star of the Saints IDP crew if he can stay healthy.

Broncos @ Bills Sunday 10am PST

Denver

Giddyup! – Champ Bailey, D.J. Williams

SINS! – Dre Bly, Ian Gold

Hellno! – Simeon Rice

Buffalo

Giddyup! – Aaron Schobel, Paul Posluzny, Terrance McGee

SINS! – Chris Kelsay, Angelo Crowell, Whitner/Simpson

Hellno! – Keith Ellison (out 3-5 weeks minimum), Coy Wire

Game notes: D.J. Williams is the one of the most hyped IDP’s of the 2007 offseason. Hopefully he delivers. Hard to dislike Champ vs. Lee Evans. Even if Champ gets burnt it will likely lead to IDP points. Don’t mess with Simeon Rice until he shows you something. He will be a situational guy at best for a little while. On the Buffalo side I am a huge fan of Aaron Schobel as well as Chris Kelsay this season. Kelsay could be a F/A gem in your IDP league and Schobel is as good as Aaron Kampman at a far cheaper price. For those that don’t know, projected IDP darling Keith Ellison is hurt, and if Coy Wire is on your team, you are either related to him, or a member of Thunderdome, the World’s 1^st 30 man IDP only Dynasty league. Neither? Then please cut him now.

Steelers @ Browns Sunday 10am PST

Pittsburgh

Giddyup! – Troy Polamalu, James Farrior

SINS! – Ike Taylor

Hellno! – Ryan Clark/Anthony Smith

Cleveland

Giddyup! – Sean Jones

SINS! – D’Qwell Jackson, Andra Davis

Hellno! – Leigh Bodden

Game notes: The Steelers should dominate, so I like Jones, Jackson and Davis to rack up some nice garbage time work. Anthony Smith will take Ryan Clark’s spot very soon. And I think this is finally the year that Polamalu lives up to the hype in IDP. Time will tell. Charlie Frye, meet your daddy, Ike Taylor. You may call him Papa Ike. At press time Leigh Bodden is in jail, so I cannot recommend starting him. However, he should be able to cover Rae Carruth as Michael Vick tries to hit him on the post pattern in the yard.

Eagles @ Packers Sunday 10am PST

Philly

Giddyup! – Brian Dawkins, Trent Cole

SINS! – Omar Gaither, Takeo Spikes, Sean Considine, Jevon Kearse

Hellno! – none

Green Bay

Giddyup! – Hawk, Barnett, Kampman

SINS! – Atari Bigby(!!), Cullen Jenkins, Charles Woodson

Hellno! – KGB

Game notes: I don’t really have a problem with people starting any Eagles defenders this week. Favre could throw 50+ times this week, so even Lito and Sheldon are startable, depending on your format. I love Dawkins this week, and I think Cole gets to Favre a couple of times. Sneaky pick: Broderick Bunkley, who looked dominant in the preseason. On the Green Bay side, it’s the usual suspects, except one unknown name (for most of you). Who is Atari Bigby you ask? Why only the sweetest IDP pickup around right now, that’s who pal! Why like Atari? Let’s review:

1 – his name is freakin’ Atari man! This makes me want to adopt a Nepalese boy and name him Nintendo.

2 – he looks like Predator. Those of you who follow The Hive know I am fond of starting guys who look like Predator. From Steven Jackson to Mike Peterson and now Atari Bigby. The torch is passed. Fact: NFL players who look like Predator have the strength of 7.38 regular, non-Predator looking players. Write that down.

3 – The Packers D will be on the field A LOT this season, and if any of you watched them in the preseason you probably already know who Atari is. He lays serious wood, and he very well could be a Chris Hope-like breakout player this season.

Chiefs @ Texans Sunday 10am PST

KC

Giddyup! – Bernard “Bonecrusher” Pollard

SINS! – Donnie Edwards, Tamba Hali, Jarrad Page

Hellno! – Jared Allen (suspension)

Houston

Giddyup! -Demeco Ryans

SINS! – Mario Williams, Dunta Robinson, Morlon Greenwood

Hellno! – Amobi Okoye

Game notes: Bernard Pollard is one of my favorite sleepers this season. I think he will be a Pro Bowl talent in the next year or two. Donnie Edwards has gone later in a lot of drafts this season, and he should. He has lost a step and he will be playing SAM instead of MLB. But those who got him as a LB3 or preferably a LB4 in redraft leagues may have a nice spot starter gem. He wont be a top 10 LB anymore, but if you got him on the cheap kudos to you. If nothing else, the 2 starts vs LaDainian alone are worth having him at the end of your bench. I think Mario Williams will blow up this season. Not to the point that Texans fans will be pissed any less about the whole Reggie Bush/Vince Young thing, but it will ease the pain a bit. Amobi Okoye is not likely to produce much in my opinion, yet he seems to be drafted in every IDP draft I do. Odd. Also keep your eye on how much P.T. newly acquired S Michael Boulware gets for the Texans. He could be HUGE this season if he gets the playing time. He can't cover but his tackle numbers will be through the roof.

Titans @ Jaguars Sunday 10am PST

Tennessee

Giddyup! – Keith Bulluck, Chris Hope

SINS! – Vanden Bosch, Nick Harper, Ryan Fowler

Hellno! – Albert Haynesworth

Jacksonville

Giddyup! – Mike Peterson

SINS! – Rashean Mathis, Daryl Smith, Gerald Sensabaugh

Hellno! – Stroud/Henderson (unless it’s a DT required league)

Game notes: Bulluck will be the top LB this season in my estimation. Hope should have another stellar season as well. Fowler could have a huge introduction to the IDP world vs a team that runs. And runs. And runs. Then they run a bit. Back to the Predator thing, Peterson is back and unexpectedly placed back in his MLB spot. Maybe its Daryl Smith who will get the axe when Justin Durant is ready and not Peterson in a cost cutting move as many expected when Durant was drafted. Very interesting. I’m not as excited about Mathis as I normally am week to week, but VY needs to show me he can get the ball to his WR’s consistently before I start a CB against him. Sensabaugh is going to have an excellent year this season in my opinion. Keep an eye on him.

Falcons @ Vikings Sunday 10am PST

Atlanta

Giddyup! – Keith Brooking

SINS! – Demorrio Williams, John Abraham, Lawyer Milloy, Deangelo Hall

Hellno! – Jimmy Williams

Minny

Giddyup! – Antoine Winfield , Chad Greenway

SINS! – Darren Sharper, E.J. Henderson, Ray Edwards

Hellno! – Cedric Griffin

Game notes: This could be the worst game of the day, but some decent IDP numbers should still emerge from this one. Normally Demorrio and Abraham will be ranked a little higher, but use caution with Demorrio this week as he is coming off an injury, and Abraham faces what might be the best OL in football, so temper your expectations for him as well. On the Minny side, Winfield is always a good start, and look for Chad Greenway to have a big impact as well. Ray Edwards is a solid young DE to keep your eye on this season.

Patriots @ Jets Sunday 10am PST

New England

Giddyup! – Adalius Thomas

SINS! – Asante Samuel, Ty Warren

Hellno! – Rodney Harrison (suspension), Brandon Merriweather

NY

Giddyup! – Kerry Rhodes

SINS! – Jonathan Vilma, Eric Barton, Erik Coleman

Hellno! – Jets DL’s

Game notes: Harrison got caught pulling a Merriman, so his cheating arse is out for a month. I like Merriweather to become a factor this season, but I am usually very hesitant to start rookie IDP’s from the jump. Adalius should be a statistical machine this year. Asante should be solid, but be aware this is his 1^st real action of the year due to his holdout. For the Jets, Kerry Rhodes is going to be their best IDP player most of the time. But don’t sleep on Jonathan Vilma. He is going undrafted in a lot of leagues due to his poor 2006 campaign. I definitely see improvement for him in year 2 in this scheme. Will he be a top 5 guy in the 3-4? Doubtful, but I also doubt he will be the IDP black hole he was last season either.

Panthers @ Rams Sunday 10am PST

Carolina

Giddyup! – Julius Peppers

SINS! – Jon Beason, Thomas Davis, Richard Marshall

Hellno! – Marquand Manuel, Chris Harris

St. Louis

Giddyup! – Will Witherspoon

SINS! – O.J. Atogwe, Leonard Little, James Hall

Hellno! – Pino Tinoisamoa

Game notes: This game doesn’t offer a lot from an IDP perspective outside of the big names. I think Witherspoon should be the IDP star of this game. The Panthers secondary is a mess right now. I wouldn’t really want to be starting anyone in this game outside of Witherspoon, Peppers and the Rams DE’s. Atogwe is a nice sleeper candidate this season though.

Dolphins @ Redskins Sunday 10am PST

Miami

Giddyup! – Zach Thomas, Jason Taylor

SINS! – Channing Crowder, Vonnie Holliday. Renaldo Hill

Hellno! – Joey Porter

Washington

Giddyup! – London Fletcher

SINS! – LaRon Landry, Sean Taylor, Rocky McIntosh, Andre Carter, Carlos Rogers

Hellno! – Springs/Smoot

Game notes: The old guys will be at it again for Miami . I see Thomas in the top 3 LB’s this year and I rank Taylor as the #1 DL this season. They should start off well this year. Avoid Joey Porter like the plague. Those are words to live by. On the Skins side of things I am loving LaRon Landry this season. He is definitely an exception to my rookie IDP rule, and he could be the highest scoring rookie IDP this year. Andre Carter gets a crappy OL to start his season, so he could be one to watch. I want to see how the playing time shakes out with Springs and Smoot before I recommend either of them for IDP purposes. Especially vs what I see as a pathetic passing attack. McIntosh is one of my favorite young LB’s, he is set to explode this season.

Lions @ Raiders Sunday 1:15pm PST

Detroit

Giddyup! – Ernie Sims

SINS! – Cory Redding, Shawn Rogers, DeWayne White

Hellno! – Lions DB’s

Oakland

Giddyup! – Derrick Burgess

SINS! – Kirk Morrison, Thomas Howard, Asomugha, Schweigart

Hellno! – Michael Huff

Game notes: I know, I know, many of you are shocked at where I put Morrison this week. I see him as a top 5 LB, so you likely can't sit him, but against the sad little running “attack” of the Lions I see this as a 5-6 tackle week instead of a 8-12 tackle week. Solid, if not spectacular. Asomugha and Schweigart should be busy vs Kitna and the gang. I am not as high on Michael Huff for IDP purposes as a lot of sites are this year. If he doesn’t come up with a good game vs the Lions passing attack he could be worthless all season long. On the Lions side, Ernie Sims is your only real IDP stud to mention here, but until the Raiders OL gives you a reason not to do so you should be trotting the opposing DL’s out against them whenever possible. I don’t see the Raiders throwing enough to make the Lions DB’s relevant, but watch how rookie S Gerald Alexander performs in this one. He could be a real player.

Bears @ Chargers Sunday 1:15pm PST  

Chicago

Giddyup! – Brian Urlacher, Lance Briggs

SINS! – Charles Tillman, Adam Archuleta

Hellno! – Bears DL’s

San Diego

Giddyup! – Matt Wilhelm

SINS! – Stephen Cooper, Shawne “The Cheater” Merriman, Luis Castillo

Hellno! – Chargers CB’s   

Game notes: Briggs and Urlacher should pile up the tackles vs LaDainian, and Archuleta should be in for a solid game as well. I don’t like the Bears DL’s vs a studly SD OL, but if pressed I would start Anderson . On the Dolts side of things I prefer Matt Wilhelm and Stephen Cooper to The Cheater this season if you prefer consistency. Ol’ Roid Boy will score 20 points one week and 3 the next, much like Joey Porter did in his prime. Not my cup of tea. Wilhem and Cooper should be busy knocking Ced Benson to the ground on Sunday.

Buccaneers @ Seahawks Sunday 1:15 PST

Tampa Bay

Giddyup! – Ronde Barber, Barrett Ruud

SINS! – Derrick Brooks, Jermaine Phillips, Tanard Jackson

Hellno! – Gaines Adams

Seattle

Giddyup! – Lofa Tatupu

SINS! – Patrick Kerney, Julian Peterson, Leroy Hill, Deon Grant, Darryl Tapp

Hellno! – Bryce Fisher, Marcus Trufant

Game notes: Ronde should be a stud again, and he will be busy vs Hasselbeck and the boys. Rookie Tanard Jackson is one to watch at FS, and he is going against an explosive pass attack. He should definitely be owned in dynasty IDP leagues. Don’t expect much from Gaines Adams at 1^st, he has been unimpressive this preseason. On the Seattle side of the coin I think Pat Kerney and Darryl Tapp should have an impact vs the suspect edges of the Tampa pass protection. I think Tapp renders Bryce Fisher pretty much useless this season. Lofa should be big vs Cadillac.   

Giants vs Cowboys Sunday 5:30pm PST

NY

Giddyup! – Gibril Wilson, Antonio Pierce

SINS! – Osi Umenyiora, James Butler, Kawicka Mitchell

Hellno! – Michael Strahan

Dallas

Giddyup! – Demarcus Ware, Anthony Henry, Roy Williams

SINS! – Bradie James, Ken Hamlin

Hellno! – Terrance Newman (foot injury)

Game notes: outside of Colts/Saints I’d say this is the game I am looking forward to the most. 2 teams that hate each other, gotta like that. For the Giants don’t bother with Strahan for a couple of weeks until you see him putting up numbers. Gibril Wilson and Antonio Pierce should be the IDP stars vs Dallas . The Cowboys OL has looked solid, so don’t expect a monster game from Osi. As far as Dallas is concerned I see them shutting the run down and I think Eli will have to air it out. The Dallas DBs should all make fine starts. I think in 2007 Bradie James will fulfill the promise I saw for him last season, so watch him if he is on your wire.

Ravens vs Bengals Monday night (?) 4pm PST

Baltimore

Giddyup! – Bart Scott, Ray Ray, Terrell Suggs

SINS! – Dawan Landry, Ed Reed

Hellno! – Ravens CB’s

Cincy

Giddyup! – Ahmad Brooks

SINS! – Madieu Williams, Justin Smith, Robert Geathers, Jonathan Joseph

Hellno! – Deltha Oneal

Game notes: MNF starts while I am still at work?? What?? Aside from that this should be a great game. Thank God for TiVo. The Ravens will be a great D yet again, and most of the big names will give you IDP goodness this week. I love Dawan Landry this season, I think he will definitely outshine Ed Reed most weeks. Bart “Hot Sauce” Scott will outperform Ray Lewis this year. Write that down. On the Cincy side I think Ahmad Brooks will have a huge tackle game vs McGahee, and I really like Smith and Geathers this season. Deltha Oneal’s days of IDP relevance are likely over.

Cardinals @ 49’ers Monday night 7:15pm PST

Arizona

Giddyup! – Adrian Wilson, Karlos Dansby

SINS! – Gerald Hayes

Hellno! – Cardinals CB’s (until the playing time shakes out)

San Fran

Giddyup! – Patrick Willis, Michael Lewis, Nate Clements

SINS! – Derek Smith, Walt Harris

Hellno! – Manny Lawson

Game notes: Adrian Wilson is your daddy! If you face him this week, I am truly sorry. He kills the Niners, and I am fired up to see him battle Vernon Davis downfield. Karlos Dansby should be in your lineup if healthy, so start him while you can. Once the playing time between Rolle, Hood, and Green shakes out they will likely be useable in IDP (especially in CB required leagues) but I wouldn’t mess with them quite yet. On the Niners side there isn’t much to get terribly excited about IDP wise, but Pat Willis should be solid and I would think the Niners DBs would be awful busy vs Fitz and Boldin. A lot of people are expecting a 2^nd year surge from Manny Lawson, but I just don’t see it. He looked overmatched and frail in the preseason games I watched.

Well that about wraps it up for this week. I hope you all enjoy week one and I will see you back here next week! Thanks!