2007 NFL -- Week 2 Recap -- R.I.P. Fantasy BJ?

What can be said about my abysmal Week 2 picks?

(1) The Saints are better than how they're playing. It would be shocking if they didn't finish with a winning record.

(2) The Bears offense is as bad as they've been playing. It would be shocking if Grossman finishes the season as the starter.

My Week 2 shortcomings raises a larger issue that I've heard from many of you:

When do you cut bait on a high-round draft pick who's underperforming?

The top 3 picks in many drafts were LaDainian Tomlinson, Stephen Jackson, and Larry Johnson. Tomlinson had an awful Week 2, Jackson has been mortal each of the first two weeks, and Johnson . . . In my friend Wade's league, one of the owners actually benched Johnson in Week 2. That's probably been his best decision of the year.

But these 2 fantasy stalwarts are not alone in their futility. Those who own Drew Brees, Reggie Bush, and Marion Jones-Drew are wondering when it's time to cut bait. It's too late to "trade high" with these players. So what's an owner to do?

The answer is to do the following:

(1) Read the hometown newspaper of your underperforming star to find out what they're saying. For example, I read today how stud 2nd-year tight end Vernon Davis--who's been damn near invisible for the first two weeks--is mouthing off that he's open almost every play, and that his team needs to get him the ball. Sounds like something LaMont Jordan told the media two years ago--a few days before he ran for 3 TD's. So read up on the local angle so you can figure out the mindset of your players.

(2) Trust in the law of averages. When Chris Brown ran for 175 yards in Week 1, people rushed to pick him up. Had he been a fantasy stud in any of his past seasons? No. So why did people think someone splitting carries on a mediocre offensive team could keep that up? Sure enough, Brown totaled only 36 yards last week, ruining the weeks of many people who were counting on him to dominate once again. On the opposite end of the spectrum, proven players like Tomlinson and Brees will find their sea legs and finish the season with strong numbers.

(3) Float some of your underperforming stars as trade bait to your fellow owners, offering trades that would have seemed fair when the season started. For example, casually see if the guy who owns fast-starting Carson Palmer is willing to trade him for your Tomlinson or your Jackson. At this stage, the Palmer owner would say "Go to hell." But then ask again in 3 weeks, when Palmer levels out and your superstar has rebounded to top-tier status. It's a little gamesmanship, with the outcome keeping your fellow owners off-balance, wishing that they'd taken advantage of the trade when it was first offered, and hopefully luring them into making hasty trades or drop-adds when their players start to dip.