All eyes on Anderson on Saturday night
Adam Rank | Tags: Ahmad Bradshaw, Arian Foster, Bernard Berrian, Brian Westbrook, C.J. Spiller, Carson Palmer, Darrius Heyward-Bey, Daunte Culpepper, Dave Dameshek, Derek Anderson, frank gore, Greg Camarillo, Jason Campbell, Jeff Garcia, Jeff George, Matt Forte, Matt Leinart, Matt Moore, Maurice Jones-Drew, Michael Crabtree, Mike Williams, Montario Hardesty, Zach Miller
The Cardinals will give QB Derek Anderson a chance to prove that he should be the team’s signal caller as they travel to Chicago to take on the Bears.
NFL Network’s Michael Lombardi believes that the Cardinals are likely to cut Matt Leinart, especially with his outburst after a preseason demotion. And if Anderson cannot prove that he deserves a shot, the Cardinals could be looking at other options on the street. Not sure if that means Jeff Garcia or Daunte Culpepper. Heck, what is Jeff George doing these days? But you have to imagine that the Cardinals will be looking for anybody they could bring in, and then get into that fourth preseason game.
That is a mess.
Bears RB Matt Forte started rehabilitating his fantasy image with a nice run last week. Can he continue the momentum against the Cardinals? That is something else to keep an eye on this week.
Here are some of the other matchups to check out in the final week of potentially meaningful preseason games.
- Browns at Lions: Browns RB Montario Hardesty was limited in practice this week, and is questionable for the game. But fantasy enthusiasts are getting antsy to see him. Bucky Brooks recently said that the Lions offense is on the verge of a breakout. The more of the Lions offense I see — especially the offensive line — the more I like it.
- Bengals at Bills: Already burned out on the Bengals at this point. Let them start the season already. QB Carson Palmer did stretch the field a little bit last week, so let’s see more of that. RB C.J. Spiller was sick against the Colts’ defense last week. You kind of want Spiller to tone it down, otherwise he will dart up draft boards.
- Jaguars at Buccaneers: Jaguars RB Maurice Jones-Drew is out for the preseason. Thankfully. Just picked up Buccaneers WR Mike Williams for the upcoming season. Hope that he can become a valuable member of the team.
- Giants at Raven: One of the sleepers, breakouts or dudes who will be better than you think is Ahmad Bradshaw. The more I see him, the more I believe that he will be the starter. My NFL.com Fantasy Live teammate Dave Dameshek says that Joe Flacco is his sleeper.
- Cowboys at Texans: Just once, it would be cool if a Cowboys running back would take control of the position. Still waiting. The big thing for Texans RB Arian Foster — hang on to the ball.
- Seahawks at Vikings: One of the pleasant surprises is WR Mike Williams and his comeback with the Seahawks. That is either a nice story or a tale of just how bad Seattle’s receivers are. Is WR Javon Walker really a lock to start opposite Bernard Berrian? Or will it be Greg Camarillo?
- Titans at Panthers: Do you judge QB Matt Moore on his stellar play at the end of 2009, or his struggles in the 2010 preseason? How about a good game here to make the answer moot.
- 49ers at Raiders: WR Michael Crabtree is expected to play along with RBs Frank Gore and Brian Westbrook. Raiders QB Jason Campbell locks in on TE Zach Miller in the red zone. How about a little Darrius Heyward-Bey this week?
– Adam Rank


