More quick hits

Still busy as all get out at work. When I get in the groove, it's all good, but as soon as I come up for air, it's hard to get started again. I'm in one of those places now...

1) Byron Leftwich has been released. I am surprised, but maybe that's because I haven't been watching the Jags this preseason. I prefer to use my time on teams that have relevance. Insult intended. However many games they win, the biggest fantasy implication is whether Maurice Jones-Drew is really worth his average draft position. With Fred Taylor being paid millions in guarantees not to retire, my guess is no.

There are a handful of places he could end up and the team most prominent right now is the most logical - Baltimore. Atlanta I think is out of the equation. I doubt they want Harrington looking over his shoulder. And Minnesota is surprisingly committed to Tarvarious Jackson. Here's hoping Leftwich takes a year holding the clipboard to get healthy and has a chance to win a starting job next year. I admire a plan that needs to be carried down the field by his lineman 'cause he's playing on a broken ankle or foot or whatever.

He's not fantasy material this year, probably not even if he gets the starting job somewhere. Neither is Garrard. The WRs in Jax stink.

2) I'm starting to get worried about the NE defense. Suspensions, players on the PUP. They should be okay this year because their offense should force opposing teams into desperation passing - a recipe for turnovers - but the amount of negative news on the defensive side of the ball appears to be mounting.

3) LJ Smith should be good for the Eagles. After being a hot commodity last year, he's dropped like a rock this year. Buy low. Get him as your TE2 or if you waited too long as your TE1. He should get between 600 and 700 yards and between 4-7 TDs. Hey, there was a time when that kind of TE production was highly sought after. It's still decent.

4)Lawrence Tynes is the Giants' starting kicker. You know you were wondering.

5) Randy Moss is going to be fine. He may miss a game or two and I'd sit him in week one if I had another option, just in case he's rusty. But I would have had another option had I drafted Moss.

6) Santonio Holmes is probably going to have a big part in the Steelers' offensive plans this year. He's a mid round WR that I like to consider. I don't recall if he's on any of my teams, but it if not it was a bye-week issue. I like him as a low WR3, high WR4 that just might blossom into a WR2.

7) Feel the Jacoby Jones love. The 3rd round rookie WR has impressed in Houston. There were no Houston games for me to watch on my cable system this year, but I hear good things about QB Matt Schaub. If Schaub succeeds as a starter and if Jones cracks the #2 job, he MIGHT be worth a pickup. Translation - watch him in week one and two.

8) The Oakland QB mess is almost as bad as the Browns. But while Quinn will probably be the starter by the end of the year (good news for Braylon Edwards owners), Jamarcus Russell is just today reported to be close on a contract and news outlets are contradicting each other on whether Culpepper or McCown will be the week 1 starter. Avoid all Browns and Oakland QBs.