From LJ to Benson, keep an eye on Soldier Field this week

What a crazy opening week in the NFL, huh?

Thanks to everything from Tony Romo's 5-TD game to Randy Moss' apparent reemergence, plenty of fantasy football teams posted monster point totals.

But then there's the other side of the coin, one that isn't getting as much ink this week: the disappointing showing of many leagues' second and third draft picks -- Kansas City's Larry Johnson and St. Louis' Steven Jackson.

Jackson lost 2 fumbles and managed just 58 rushing yards, and now offensive tackle Orlando Pace is out for the season. While I don't think this bodes well for Jackson owners, I still believe he'll have a tremendous season.

It's Johnson who worries me. Unlike Jackson's Rams, whose offense has plenty of weapons, Johnson's Chiefs have as much energy as a 20-watt light bulb.

Quarterback Damon Huard, aging tight end Tony Gonzalez and a middling (at best) receiving corps that includes Chicago Rush standout Bobby Sippio isn't striking any fear into the hearts of opponents.

Johnson vowed after Sunday's 20-3 embarrassing loss to Houston things will get better.

"I'm not going to let what happened today happen next week," said Johnson, referring to the Chiefs' game against the Bears on Sunday at Soldier Field. "I'm going to get back to my old ways."

Uh, huh. Against the Bears? The same team that held LaDainian Tomlinson to 25 rushing yards last week?

Good luck with that.

While I don't think Johnson will necessarily be a bust this season, his fantasy owners better have a solid team built around him.

The Chiefs' schedule is daunting. After this week, they play Minnesota at home, travel to San Diego, then host Jacksonville. All of those teams sport top-notch run defenses and will shut down a one-dimensional attack like Kansas City's.

It wouldn't shock me at all if Johnson averages 65 rushing yards with just 2-3 TDs after the first five weeks.

More to watch: Soldier Field is going to be a great place to get a feel for where two other fantasy football entities are at early in the season.

One is Cedric Benson. How will he rebound after being called "soft" by Chargers linebacker Shaun Phillips? I'm guessing he'll come out like a man possessed.

The other is the Bears' defense. Here's a unit that lost its heart and soul in Mike Brown last week, as well as defensive lineman Dusty Dvoracek.

Against the Chiefs, we should see another strong outing by Brian Urlacher and Co.

But what worries me is Brown's absence long term. Before he was lost last season, the Bears racked up 19 sacks in their first six games and held four of those opponents to 10 points or less.

After the sixth game, the Bears managed just 17 more sacks through Week 16, held just two foes to under 10 points and allowed 30 or more twice.

That's a big deal in leagues that give bonus points for low-scoring games, or take them away if the other team scores 30-plus.

The Bears' defense is supposed to be better all-around this year, and certainly with a healthy Tommie Harris, it should be.

But Brown's injury will still hurt -- and if another major player is lost -- you can count on the Bears not producing as many fantasy points as you'd hoped for in '07.

Be careful: Shaun Alexander was reportedly wearing a cast or brace on his left hand at practice Wednesday.

My teams: The Cowboys propelled both of my squads to league-high totals. In the unit league, Tony Romo (34 points), Terrell Owens (16), Antonio Gates (13) and the Vikings' defense (20) led the way to a 108-52 victory. And that was with Plaxico Burress (3 TDs) on the bench! In the regular league, Owens (22), Jason Witten (20) and Joseph Addai (22) spearheaded a 129-88 victory.

Good bets

• Bears RB Cedric Benson vs. Kansas City. The Bears want to wash out the sour taste in their mouths from the opener, and Benson has plenty to prove after being called "soft" by Chargers linebacker Shaun Phillips. I'm expecting at least 80 yards and a touchdown.

• Bucs WR Joey Galloway vs. New Orleans. Since arriving in Tampa, Galloway has 7 TD receptions in five games against the Saints.

• Seahawks QB Matt Hasselbeck vs. Arizona. Seattle usually has a field day against the Cardinals.

• Vikings RB Adrian Peterson vs. Detroit. Even if Chester Taylor returns, which seems unlikely, Peterson is a great play this week.

• Eagles QB Donovan McNabb and WR Reggie Brown vs. Washington. Dolphins WR Chris Chambers managed 6 catches for 92 yards last week against the Redskins. Watch for McNabb to target Brown after both got off to abysmal starts in Green Bay.

• Packers RB Brandon Jackson vs. New York Giants. OK, my Week 1 sleeper (Chester Taylor) got injured, so let's hope I'm not starting a trend here. Jackson may not be a great play most weeks, but the Cowboys' two top backs amassed a quiet 131 rushing yards Sunday as Tony Romo was shredding a weak Giants defense.

Bad bets

• Chiefs RB Larry Johnson vs. the Bears. After LaDainian Tomlinson ran for 25 yards against Brian Urlacher and Co., what is Johnson going to accomplish coming into Soldier Field after managing just 43 yards against Houston? Anything over 70 yards with a score seems optimistic. Still, most of you wouldn't dream of sitting him.

• Giants WR Plaxico Burress vs. Green Bay. Even if Eli Manning somehow plays, the Giants won't be throwing the ball all over the place on the Packers. And if backup Jared Lorenzen is in there, I'd expect about 4 catches for 45 yards from Burress.

• Falcons RBs Warrick Dunn and Jerious Norwood vs. Jacksonville. Just because the Titans shredded the Jags doesn't mean Atlanta will. Resist the urge to start Dunn or Norwood.

• Saints RB Deuce McAllister vs. Tampa Bay. I'd take a wait-and-see approach with McAllister for now.

• Titans RB Chris Brown vs. Indianapolis. So, you're itching to get the newly acquired Brown into your lineup after his 175-yard day? If your other options are weak, feel free. But I'm saying the Colts keep Brown in check.

• Cardinals QB Matt Leinart vs. Seattle. The Seahawks' defense is a nasty bunch, and Arizona looked awful against San Francisco.

• Lions RB Tatum Bell vs. Minnesota. Congratulations to Bell owners who had the foresight to plug him in there against Oakland. Now park him on the bench for a week.