Stick or Deal: Randy, Braylon and Andre

If we've learned anything from this early fantasy season, it's that there is no longer the "sure" thing. Well, at least a handful of guys most of us were relying on to be our "studs" have flirted with being "duds." As always though, it's still much too early to sell the farm completely. However, each week is a critical juncture in which you must consider bettering your team for the long haul. And by all means necessary... you must.

Dumping marginal guys is one thing, but trying to trade your dead weight star is another. So, along the lines of the weekly "sink or swim" bit I'm changing gears slightly to focus on a few star receivers that just ain't delivering at the present time. Um, I'll go ahead and leave Chad Ocho Cino and Torry Holt out of this discussion, because chances are you couldn't trade either of them if you tried.

Moving right along, let's turn our attention to the likes of Randy Moss, Andre Johnson and Braylon Edwards. All three were probably snagged no later than the third round of most drafts and dubbed for many to be the star wideout that leads their squad. That's why they play the games, because through three weeks not a mention of these guys can be whispered amongst the fantasy elite. And so now, it's time to decide if you should move these guys or hold tight and pray for better days ahead.

Randy Moss: Why everyone is so flustered and panicked about Randy Moss is beyond me. It's not like he's ever quit on a mediocre QB. (Um, that sound you hear is sarcasm or Andrew Walter chuckling). It's OK to be a little worried about the production or lack thereof from "Mr. Straight Cash Homie", thus far. And it's hard to imagine any good times around the bend.

This is where you become crippled with the toughest of decisions. Are you really ready to throw in the towel on possibly your No. 1 pick? Is there anyone you can possibly get back of significant value that might ease the pain? What if Moss somehow begins to click with Matt Cassel and turns it on? Well, I can certainly answer the last question for you... it's probably not gonna happen.

There is still a fair share of buzz around the name Moss in the fantasy world, but it just happens to be buzz about Santana Moss. It's painful to consider dealing Randy Moss for anything less than another absolute stud. The problem you'll face in your attempts to rid yourself of Moss is the skepticism he's created from his past experiences. As mentioned above, he loves to turn the motivation switch on and off. And since Brady left him, the switch is closing in on autopilot.

Since Tom Brady's been gone, Moss has gone for 22 and 25 yards in back-to-back weeks. I shouldn't have to dive deeper into the statistics to make my point. If you own Moss take what you can get. It's tough parting ways, but it's for the better. Last season was last season. Moss will be lucky to close in on double digit TDs this year and from a No. 1 Fantasy WR standpoint, that's just not good enough.

Braylon Edwards: Interesting call on the board. Obviously there is a timing issue between Edwards and Derek Anderson. However, there's certainly no excuse for Edwards forgetting how to catch the freakin' football. The Browns' season has gotten off to a disastrous start and Edwards has been dubbed as one of the main culprits. The highly touted offensive line hasn't allowed for Anderson to stand in the pocket and deliver the deep ball to Edwards. To say their chemistry has faded is an understatement.

Somebody always has to take the fall and it looks as though that fall guy may very well become Anderson. Hence, we may be ushering in the Brady Quinn era. Right now, Edwards is an ideal buy low candidate. It can't get much worse and he's got the Bengals on tap, which could be the cure he needs. Unlike Moss, there's a still some blue skies on the horizon for Braylon.

The Browns opened the season with three really difficult defensive matchups. As the schedule softens, Edwards is either gonna rediscover the connection he had with Anderson or develop an new rapport with Quinn. If you simply have no tolerance or patience for the guy you projected to be your No. 1 WR, then go ahead and move him along. However, don't expect a ton of great offers to pop up in your inbox. The call here is to stick with Edwards, because he's fully capable of turning his season around and you never know what lies ahead with his QB situation.

Andre Johnson: The body of work for Johnson thus far would still register as incomplete. He looked like the surefire bet at WR in Week 1, but was a complete dud this past weekend. He dropped several would-be TDs and simply couldn't bail his QB out. His downfall certainly had nothing do with not getting his fair share of looks.

However, you've still gotta be slightly concerned about 'Dre. Why? Well, for one his QB looks like a disaster and believe me Sage Rosenfels hardly sounds like disaster relief, more like bad incense. Again though, we've seen 'Dre flourish under similar circumstances. In fact, he's done it his entire career playing for a lousy team with many a crummy QB tossing him the pigskin.

So, should we take this past Sunday's performance at face value or call it an aberration? Hmm. The train of thought here would be to hold tight onto 'Dre. You have to take into consideration the body of work he put in down the stretch last season from Weeks 13 through 16. Yes, I know it's never wise to judge the current season on last season, but considering those weeks just happen to be fantasy playoff weeks... well?

The point is Johnson will certainly be playing mop-up duty for a bad team all season long. His value is as close to bottoming out as it can be after last weekend. What are you really going to get in terms of replacement value? I say stick to your guns here and at least judge from a better sampling before rushing to trade Andre Johnson.