Engel’s Angles: Week 11 observations

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Reliable and underrated: Very few seem to mention it, but Joseph Addai(notes) has re-emerged as a very dependable fantasy player. Addai is displaying good vision and the ability to break tackles and fight for extra yardage. In case you haven’t noticed, Addai has five total TDs in his past three games, and six rushing TDs in his past seven. Addai is a comfortable RB2 as you make your drive to the fantasy playoffs. Even if Donald Brown(notes) takes a few touches here and there, Addai remains the finisher on a team that puts together a ton of scoring drives. He’s at least a solid every-week option until Indianapolis possibly starts resting some guys late in the schedule.

Short-lived success?: It looks like the glorious run of Miles Austin(notes) may be over, at least temporarily. Austin was held to 47 yards on four catches in a near-snoozer over Washington. The Cowboys desperately need to get their most explosive playmaker heavily involved again. Look for them to come up with new wrinkles and ways to get Austin the ball in the weeks ahead. I’d buy low on the Dallas WR if your trading deadline has not yet passed.

To file away: What may have been the most exciting game on Sunday involved two of the league’s worst teams. The donnybrook between the Lions and Browns should pump a lot of confidence into dynasty league owners of each quarterback, and also give keeper leaguers a lot to think about. Brady Quinn’s(notes) four-TD effort was a signal that if the team eventually surrounds him with some serious playmakers, he can emerge as a quality NFL and fantasy starter. Matthew Stafford’s(notes) valiant five-TD day could long be looked at as the beginning of a significant maturation process. He could at least develop into a more reliable fantasy player by next year.

Just when you were giving up on him: Greg Jennings(notes) came through with a 126-yard outing that included a 64-yard TD reception. The 49ers didn’t get heavy pressure on Aaron Rodgers(notes), who finally had time to make some plays. I see Sunday’s game as an exception rather than the rule. Going forward, Rodgers is still in for some bumpy outings where he won’t have enough time to locate Jennings, who is no longer an every-week fantasy starter.

Catering to the Diva: Terrell Owens(notes) delivered an unforeseen nine-catch, 197-yard outing that included a 98-yard TD; he was suddenly re-energized by Buffalo’s QB change. Ryan Fitzpatrick(notes) knows who his best playmaker is, and isn’t afraid to target him often. Jacksonville’s secondary was ripe for the picking, but Owens’ spectacular Sunday will lead to even more defensive attention in the next few games. Owens can’t be relied on to build off the momentum, and neither he nor Lee Evans(notes) will be dependable the rest of the season. Both players are going to be boom-or-bust options in any given week. Owens certainly isn’t finished, but opponents will now center even more of their defensive game plans around him, so don’t lock him in as anything more than a WR3 in larger leagues.

Still stunning: Who is this Chris Chambers(notes) guy, and what has he done with the real one? Chambers, all of a sudden, is consistently delivering strong fantasy numbers, his latest stunner a 119-yard performance in a shocking win over Pittsburgh. Where is the silence that usually follows his strong outings? Maybe his release in San Diego has finally woken him up. Maybe this will be a hot stretch that will long be remembered as his last hurrah. We’ll still have to wait to find out for sure, but keep starting him regularly as a WR3 in the meantime.

Up and down: T.J. Houshmandzadeh(notes) followed up a stellar outing against Arizona with a 36-yard day in a blowout loss at Minnesota. The Seahawks are simply not built to play catch-up, as Matt Hasselbeck(notes) and Houshmandzadeh are not much of a downfield threat. They work better together on high-percentage plays, and within the flow of sustained drives. In matchups where Seattle is clearly inferior, Houshmandzadeh will be a big risk and may only post mediocre numbers. Fortunately, there are a few friendlier matchups on the schedule ahead.

New life: Eli Manning(notes) is looking healthy again. His mechanics were smooth and produced 384 yards and three TD passes with just one interception against Atlanta. You can start him with confidence again in larger leagues. Manning’s encouraging outing also boosts the outlooks of his WRs for the fantasy playoff drive. Steve Smith caught a 51-yarder and can still be counted on as a WR2, while Mario Manningham(notes) (six catches for 126 yards) and Hakeem Nicks(notes) (65 receiving yards) will be good WR3s, even though their numbers may fluctuate at times. Still, keep in mind that even the best fantasy WRs don’t post outstanding numbers every week.

More Meachem: Robert Meachem(notes), as predicted in this space a few weeks ago, is becoming a regular playmaker for the Saints. Sure, he only caught two short passes on Sunday, but both of them went for scores. Look, not every prediction a fantasy analyst makes is right, but the Saints have long been grooming Meachem for such a role, and more nice yardage totals are ahead as an added bonus. Besides, the fun of fantasy is being able to pat yourself on the back once in awhile.

Take what you can get: Many fantasy owners are waiting for Beanie Wells(notes) to become Arizona’s clear No. 1 RB. Wells appears to be worthy of a prime role to some after another mostly strong performance, 74 yards and a TD against the Rams. Yet Tim Hightower(notes) rushed for 110 yards and isn’t going away. What we have here is a solid time share until further notice, so appreciate what you get from Wells now, and stop hoping for him to become a featured RB. Even if he actually starts at some point, he will still cede a lot of carries to Hightower, and the Cardinals are not going to mess with success. The “Wells era” is not about to begin any time soon.

TD machine: Laurence Maroney(notes) rushed for two TDs against the Jets and now has six TD runs in his past five games. Maroney is running with more confidence, especially between the tackles and on inside runs. His yardage numbers have not been stellar, and he is also prone to fumbling. Yet Maroney is showing clear signs of improving, and should be reliable as a flex player in the weeks ahead, at least for scores. To balance out my Meachem braggadocio, I will openly admit I swore Maroney off as a quality fantasy player earlier this season.

Scott Engel is Managing Director at www.rotoexperts.com. E-mail him at scotte@rotoexperts.com and find out how you can hire Scott as you personal fantasy advisor for your playoff and championship drive.