LestersLegends.com

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Braylon Edwards could be facing an NFL suspension after getting arrested for a DUI early this morning. Edwards previously had a run-in with the law in the highly publicized incident when he was with the Browns and punched a friend of LeBron James. Edwards has six catches for 54 yards and a TD on the year. He played a good game on Sunday against the Patriots with five catches for 45 yards and a score. Stay tuned to see how Roger Goodell handles the incident. This would be a blow to Mark Sanchez and the Jets, who are already without Santonio Holmes.
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Image courtesy of Icon SMI

Obviously the combo of Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams put on a show tonight, but there were a couple of other surprising performances.

No, I’m not talking about Ted Ginn, Jr. actually holding onto the football.  I’m not talking about the gutsy use of Pat White late in the game.  I’m talking about Chad Henne and Braylon Edwards.

Chad Henne had an outstanding game completing 20 of 26 passes (76.9%) for 241 yards and 2 TDs.  He was decisive.  He showed good poise, a strong arm, and good touch.  If he is available in 2 QB leagues, be sure to put in a claim for him.  He looked that good.

The Jets got an encouraging sign in the debut of Braylon Edwards.  He caught 4 passes for 64 yards and a TD.  He nearly had a second score, getting tackled on the 1.  He also drew a pass interference on a deep ball that set up Thomas Jones’ second TD.  If you have Edwards on your fantasy roster, you can breathe a sigh of relief knowing that he’s on a team with a pulse.

It must be Wide Receiver Day in the NFL as a pair of disgruntled WRs are in the news.  First up is Diva Rookie Michael Crabtree.  San Francisco’s 3-1 start and 35-0 drubbing of St. Louis must have made Crabtree realize that the Niners were doing fine without him, and weren’t going to be the first one to blink.  Now that he has missed so much time, it is unlikely that Crabtree will make much of an impact, especially on a team that relies on the running game and defense.  It is good news to those fantasy owners who took a chance on him, and especially to those in dynasty leagues who intend to have him as part of their long-term plan.

In other news, Braylon Edwards punched his ticket out of Cleveland (pun intended).  He is heading to the Jets for Chansi Stuckey, Jason Trusnik, and a couple of draft picks.  Edwards fantasy value takes a jump as he’ll likely be more motivated escaping the misery of Cleveland.  Stuckey could see a slight bump in value, but the real bump should go to last week’s breakout player Mohamed Massaquoi, who had a great rapport with Derek Anderson last week in a loss to Cincinnati.

As far as the QBs go, Mark Sanchez takes a step forward by adding a big play threat, assuming his drops and attitude don’t get in the way.  I don’t see much change from Derek Anderson as Braylon’s heart wasn’t in it.  He didn’t even catch a pass last week.

Quarterback
Matt Schaub - Schaub opens the season at home against the New York Jets, who look to have much improved defense under Rex Ryan.  The Jets are going to put a lot of pressure on the Texans.  Schaub is dealing with a sprained ankle, and with his injury history, I wouldn’t be surprised if he were knocked out of the game.

Running Backs
Chris Johnson - I know it’s tough to bench your #1 pick, but Johnson will have his work cut out for him facing the defending Super Bowl Champion Pittsburgh Steelers.  The Steelers should be fired up to defend their title at home.  Johnson had a nice game against the Steelers at home last year (16 carries for 69 yards, TD), but playing in Pittsburgh is a different story.

Darren McFadden - Many are expecting Run DMC to make a big step forward in 2009.  While I agree with them, I don’t see it happening this week.  The Chargers’ defense was awful last year.  They want to make a statement to the NFL that they’re back.  The Chargers offense is so high-powered that the Raiders will likely being playing from behind, limiting the opportunities for McFadden to showcase his talents.  Finally, it’s not clear how the Raiders are going to split up their carries.  I’d look elsewhere for my RB2.

Wide Receiver
Dwayne Bowe - Kansas City is a mess.  Facing Baltimore is no way for Todd Haley to get off to a fast start.  Bowe will get plenty of Raven attention, and with either a injured Cassel or a backup QB under Center, I just don’t like Bowe’s prospects.

Braylon Edwards - Braylon is a guy that I expect to bounce back in 2009, but whoever wins the starting gig is going to be under heavy pressure.  If Edwards still has a problem holding on to the football, it could be a long game for the former Wolverine.

Image courtesy of Icon SMI

Braylon Edwards had a terrible case of the dropsies last year.  After dominating the league in 2007 with 80 catches for 1289 yards and 16 TDs, he had just 55 catches for 873 yards and 3 TDs.  Talk about a disappearing act.  2009 isn’t exactly getting off to a great start either.  He has dealt with some minor injuries in training camp.  If the Browns are going to claw their way up to mediocrity, they are going to need Edwards to stay healthy and focused.  Edwards will have to be a bigger factor in their passing game as he had more than four receptions four times, and more than five receptions just once. 

Kellen Winslow, Jr. is gone, and the Browns running game is far from formidable.  You don’t know if Brady Quinn or Derek Anderson will be the QB, or if it even matters.  I would take Braylon Edwards as a WR 3, but there are many of wideouts that I would prefer on my team. Braylon is going in the 6th-8th round in fantasy leagues as around the 20th WR.  I’m predicting 65 catches for 950 yards and 6 TDs.