But rushed, but be still my beating heart ... NFL is back!
I don’t usually weigh in with the full £2 lumpers until about week 3, but we might as well have a little interest to break up the match time bacon sandwich and walnut cake fest at Orioles’ Towers.
Vikes/Saints
Harvin’s popping Advil like peanuts at a drinks party; Rice, sporting last year’s team-leading 83 receptions for 1,312 yards with eight touchdowns, is also sporting crutches, and Brett is one hit from his foot actually falling off. N’orleans, though, are missing Sharper at FS and that’s going to hurt them as Jenkins, though capable, isn’t as, well, sharp. The Saints were strong against the throw last year with innovative blitzing and coverage downfield and I’m not so sure that even a wise old head like Favre’s can compensate for the Saints exotic packages and be sufficiently protected by his aging OL to pull it off.
On the other side of the Minny ball, there’s man-love for Allen with 14 and a half sacks in an NFL leading team total of 48. Allen will match up on the Saints weak underbelly, LT Jermon Bushrod, and if he struggles as much as anticipated, Brees could find that the trash talking and hits on Favre could come back to haunt the boy. Look for some naughty hits/jumpy zebras. Minnesota has a big problem downfield however, and if Drew has time, the Vikes’ corners and safeties are going to have a torrid time. The Saints are overburdened with talent vertically, and those matchups should prove key. How about Colston on teeny tiny Caulfield in the redzone?
On the Minny O, I like Shiancoe, who features in many of my award winning fantasy teams this year. With Brett’s options trimmed a little, the guy who caught a team-leading 11 touchdowns last season and was third with 56 receptions is going to get plenty of looks, especially as the Saints bring the pressure and Favre has to get the ball away quickly, although temper the full £2 smash with the knowledge that Minnesota are going to look to Shiancoe to block more too. Berrian has got it done before, before both his hamstrings went bang, but he seems fit and could be some value too. Camarillo has seen a lot of looks in the pre-season: Brett likes safe hands. Peterson gashed NO last year and will likely do so again, but taken together, these weapons may not be enough to compensate for their deficiencies downfield on defense.
One more thing - each of the last 10 Super Bowl champions have opened its title defense with a victory.