Hines Ward at Cleveland

Holmes got the preseason hype and looks, but Ben Roethlisberger turned back to his reliable veteran target in blowing out the Texans. Things don't look good at all for the Cleveland defense this weekend. I expect Willie Parker to run wild once again (Barber and Felix "The Cat" Jones, anyone?), opening huge gaps in coverage for Roethlisberger. Remember, the Browns lost Sean Jones for the next month. He was the player to watch in the secondary. Bruce Arians will capitalize on his absence.

Roy Williams vs. Green Bay

Granted, the Lions were obliterated by the Falcons last weekend, but the passing game was quite intriguing. Jim Colletto continued to run the offense as they'd hoped to, with Kevin Smith running well and Jon Kitna working downfield to Williams and Calvin Johnson. Williams caught a nifty touchdown pass from Kitna, one of his two touchdown strikes in the opener. I expect the Lions to find a modicum of success on the ground, allowing Kitna to work the ball to his sizable receivers. Al Harris and Charles Woodson did a wonderful job in the opener, but these receivers are a decided step up in class

Anquan Boldin vs. Miami

Boldin's clearly established a fabulous rapport with Kurt Warner, as evidenced by his eight-catch, 82-yard performance in the opener against San Francisco. Boldin and the Arizona offense will have their opportunities downfield this weekend against Miami, as we saw Brett Favre take his shots last weekend. Ken Whisenhunt will pound the ball into the middle with Edgerrin James, keeping the linebackers at home to allow Warner to make plays.

Jerricho Cotchery vs. New England

The New England secondary isn't quite as formidable as it was in 2007, so throw out the six-reception, 55-yard average of Cotchery's performances against the Patriots. The fortification of the running game will bring the attention of the linebackers, opening more space in coverage. He may not catch more than four or five balls this week, but I believe he finds the end zone again.

Brandon Marshall vs. San Diego

Welcome back, Mr. Marshall. He returns to the field following his one-game suspension to join an interesting Denver offense. Jay Cutler was on the mark in the opener against Oakland, and it appears Marshall has a new running mate in rookie receiver Eddie Royal. It's not going to be an easy return to the field, as he'll draw blanket coverage from Antonio Cromartie. Marshall averaged 6.5 receptions and 73.5 receiving yards in last year's matchups with San Diego.

Santonio Holmes at Cleveland

Holmes had a quiet opening game. He caught only two passes for 29 yards and fumbled (recovered by Pittsburgh). I don't know that he'll need to rack up receptions this weekend, as Willie Parker should continue to find success against the Cleveland front that was run over by the Cowboys in Week 1. However, I do expect him to get into the scoring column this week against a suspect secondary.

Roddy White at Tampa Bay

White had a quiet performance in the opener, catching just two passes for 54 yards. However, he did connect with Matt Ryan for a huge 46-yard gain. I suspect the Tampa Bay front contains Turner and Norwood somewhat, forcing Ryan to the air more frequently. White was a non-factor in the stat sheets last year against the Buccaneers, totaling five carries for 32 yards in two games. I expect much better returns this weekend, as the Buccaneers will need to exert more effort on the running game than necessary in the broken Bobby Petrino offense.

Santana Moss vs. New Orleans

Moss was quieted in the opener against New York as the Giants defense controlled the game. He scored a touchdown late in the first half as the Redskins shifted field position, finishing with five catches for 37 yards. I expect him to play a much bigger role this weekend against the Saints, whose pass defense is still shaky. You can bank on the fact Jim Zorn won't forget about No. 26, as Jon Gruden forgot Earnest Graham last week, and that'll open opportunities for Campbell downfield.

Wide Receiver Sleeper Candidates

Anthony Gonzalez at Minnesota

We watched Aaron Rodgers complete 18-of-22 pass attempts in the opener, connecting on every route against a Minnesota defense that ranked among the worst against the pass last year. I expect the Colts to come out firing following an embarrassing and disturbing home loss to the Bears. The offensive line will need to match the strong effort turned in by the Packers to keep Jared Allen at bay. I don't know that they'll match Green Bay's success, meaning the ball needs to come out quickly. That bodes well for Gonzalez to pile up quick hits across the middle with both Dallas Clark and Joseph Addai banged up heading into this matchup.

David Patten at Washington

The loss of Marques Colston puts veteran receiver David Patten, a former Redskins receiver, front and center for Drew Brees this week. Don't get me wrong. Reggie Bush and Jeremy Shockey are the top receiving options overall, but Patten leads the wideouts. He recorded a single catch for 39 yards and a touchdown last weekend. However, it would be short-sighted to overlook his 54 catches last season. Devery Henderson will see more looks and Robert Meachem may actually get activated. It's still time to turn to the veteran.

Antwaan Randle El vs. New Orleans

Randle El posted a solid performance in the opener against the Giants in the opener, recording seven receptions for 73 yards. The offensive line should have gotten over its opening night jitters by now, and that'll allow Jim Zorn's offense to actually operate in somewhat of a normal fashion. Of course, the significant downgrade in the opponent's defense should help the cause. I expect to see Jason Campbell work more routes underneath and put the ball into his playmaker's hands. That means more opportunities for Santana Moss and Chris Cooley, but it also affords Campbell the ability to take shots downfield with Randle El against a suspect secondary.

Justin Gage vs. Cincinnati

This is a nod for those of you in deeper leagues. The formula remains the same in Tennessee, with a two-headed running game and a strong defense leading the way. However, I anticipate Kerry Collins will more effectively deploy his downfield options. Gage caught three or more passes in 10 games last season, and I suspect he becomes a larger part of the game plan following a smallish opener (25 receiving yards).

Muhsin Muhammad vs. Chicago

This could go either way, but I'm interested in watching Muhammad face the Bears. We saw a number of players with boulders on their respective shoulders play well in Week 1, and I suspect he could do so here. Of course, the Chicago defense is set to tee off on him following his offseason diatribes.

Wide Receiver Flop Candidates

Bernard Berrian vs. Indianapolis

Berrian produced a meager stat line in his first action with the Vikings, registering three catches for 38 yards on seven looks. I believe there will be better days ahead, but I'm not sure that we see it against the Colts, who are eager to rebound from a horrible showing against the Bears. He continues to be slowed by a toe issue, and I'm not optimistic Tarvaris Jackson finds much success against this speedy unit. As an added measure, you're looking at Bob Sanders closing fast on any deep routes. I don't like his chances.

Lee Evans at Jacksonville

The play-by-play from the Buffalo-Seattle game is encouraging, as Evans was targeted nine times. That's a very nice departure from the three or four long passes we watched thrown in his direction last year. Evans caught four passes for 102 yards, a nice start for the normal "Mr. December." I expect the Jacksonville defense, although it's banged up, will put forth a better effort in front of the home crowd. Perhaps Evans catches a long strike from Trent Edwards, but it's certainly a risk.

Chad Ocho Cinco vs. Tennessee

He had one reception in the season opener to run his streak of consecutive games with a reception to 93. I anticipate he breaks the deadlock with Carl Pickens in that category, but I'm certainly not optimistic the Bengals have much more success offensively this week against a hard-hitting Tennessee defense. The offensive line isn't much more cohesive than the M.A.S.H. unit that was trotted out by the Jaguars in Week 1, and the Titans absolutely terrorized Carson Palmer. Keith Bulluck has gone on record that 85 has a bulls-eye on him. I'm fearful the brash linebacker finds his mark.

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