Power Rankings, Vol. 3

Nice skull cap. Will someone remind me again why his nickname is Kid?

All you need to know about 2008’s early-season chaos is that the top three point-producers through two weeks in fantasy football are Jay Cutler, Philip Rivers, and Aaron Rodgers. The winds of change are blowing harder than Ciske at a Jeff Garcia photo shoot.



Don't worry Ciske, this is definitely a front.

1. Plack Beople (2-0; Last Week: 3) – It doesn’t seem right to have this 3-to-1 leapfrog, but you can’t deny who is setting the pace early in ‘08. Led by the three-headed monster of Cutler, Westbrook, and Marshall, Argall has an incredible 53 point advantage over Q-Fest’s second best after a fortnight. Jonathan Stewart and Reggie Bush still scare me, but they offer huge scoring potential.

2. Team Lawniczak (2-0; 2) – When does a preseason #1 win their first two games (both against top 5 teams), and end at #2? Earnest Graham’s timeshare, Steven Jackson’s lack of surrounding talent, Michael Turner’s Matt Ryan problem, the banged-up shoulder of Big Ben, and Julius Jones being Julius Jones all give me reasons for pause.

3. Denver's Helicopter Men (1-1; 1) – Tough MNF loss was made worse by LJ’s waterworks, but the triumphant return of Steve Smith and huge steal Frank Gore’s start keeps Murndawg in the top 3.


I NEED MORE THAN 12 CARRIES!!!

4. Clayton Bigsby (1-1; 7) – Wisely started Eli over Carson and reaped the rewards in Week 2, but with many QBs putting up big numbers, it will be tough to compete each week if one doesn’t emerge as a consistent producer. This team looks strong going forward if LenWhale or Edge can be on the good side of their respective timeshares.

5. Flight of the Khannchords (1-1; 8) – MB3 and Calvin are coming into their own, and Warner showed flashes of what made him the league’s top TD passer in the second half of the ’07 season. If Grant’s sore hammy isn’t right and MJD’s O-line woes in Jax are legit, though, this team could go south in a hurry.

6. Team ciske (1-1; 4) – Even though he put up a respectable total in getting run over by Argall, I’m docking Ciske an extra spot for once again starting D.J. Hackett. When will you learn!? On the plus side, Peyton showed signs of shaking off the rust in that second half, Lynch and T. Jones are getting all the carries (including goal-line), and Plaxico is finally relatively healthy.

7. Cromartie McFly (1-1; 6) – The goal here has to be to hover within a game of the playoff hunt until Colston returns, and/or hope one of the starters ahead of the rookie RBs gets hurt. IV still put up 86 last week- Scheff is poised for a breakout season, and the Bears D/ST looks as strong as ever.

8. Tivo Tebow (1-1; 10) – Wow, what happened here? Written off for dead after one week, G Baby rode Boldin, Chambers, and Chris Cooley’s exposed schlong to the first big upset of the season in knocking off Luebbers. Still, with Maroney not having the starting job (less carries, yards, and TDs than Morris the past two years in games when they are completely healthy), and Jamal Lewis looking the way we all expected him to when he slipped to the fourth round, G is going to have an RB dilemma all season.

9. Teenage Mutant Ninja Tauschers (0-2; 9) – A pair of unfortunate matchups and starting/benching decisions prevent an average first few weeks from translating into any W’s. Romo still is likely to be the highest point scorer in the league, and DMC was as good as advertised in dismantling the Chiefs. Forte seems like the real deal. The main question has to be, what can MLP expect out of Randy Moss with Matt Cassel at the helm? Early returns (2 catches, 22 yards vs. the Jets) weren’t promising, but a Week 3 date with Miami will go a long way in getting a better idea.

10. Team Parkhill (0-2; 5) – One note about the two 0-2 teams – I really don’t think either of them are this bad. But until things turn around, it’s tough to give them the benefit of the doubt. Awful first two weeks, with a combined one touchdown from his first five picks (LT, McGahee, Housh, Holt, Welker). Still, incredible depth at WR and RB, and A-Rod’s promising play, keeps Park’s season very much alive.

Chase Daniel Tasty Pick of the Week: #9 TMNT over #2 Team Lawniczak