Fantasy Flings: AFC East

From now until the regular season begins, Fantasy Flings is where you'll find interesting story lines about your favorite teams from training camp. If there is a position battle, a nagging injury, a comeback story or a youngster rocketing up the depth chart, we'll let you know the fantasy implications.

Buffalo Bills
Wide receiver Terrell Owens returned to practice on Monday, but it was only in a limited fashion. He spent time doing station drills but when the team went 11-on-11, Owens took off his shoulder pads and sat out. He's still listed as day-to-day with a sprained toe. Getting extra time with the first team is veteran Josh Reed. Reed caught 56 balls last season and scored once but is forming a stronger relationship with quarterback Trent Edwards during training camp. CBS Sports reporter Mark Ludwiczak says that Reed has stepped up in Owens' absence. "I've had a chance these last couple of practices to work with him and I just love the way he carries himself, the way he plays the position," Edwards said. It's not terribly likely that Owens will miss regular-season time from this nagging injury, but he is missing out valuable bond-forming time with his new quarterback Edwards. The extra time it's taking Owens to get back to full strength could also foreshadow durability issues to come later in the season.

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Miami Dolphins
At this point in time the Dolphins have a kicker controversy (Yes, I almost laughed while typing it). Dan Carpenter and Connor Barth both saw action in Monday night's muddy, rain-soaked, preseason game. Carpenter made a 48-yard field goal in the first quarter, but later missed an extra point -- conditions were blamed. He also handled every kickoff but one. Barth connected from 27 yards in the second quarter. The only thing that you need to know about a kicker competition is the fact that you can avoid both on draft day. There aren't too many worse offenses than selecting a kicker in a early draft to find out he was cut during training camp.

New England Patriots
Newly-acquired wide receiver Greg Lewis has been the toast of training camp since his arrival. He's been dazzling fans and coaches with his acrobatic catches and great speed. He's even gained the admiration of quarterback Tom Brady, who is impressed with how quickly Lewis has picked up the offense that isn't easy to learn. Not only is Lewis

making great catches but he's being thrown to a lot downfield. He could be that third receiver / deep-threat guy that the Patriots have been missing for some time. Lewis had 19 catches last season with a touchdown, but could play a greater role in this Patriots offense, especially if he beats out Joey Galloway for the third wide receiver spot like FanHouse's own Matt Snyder mentioned last week. Galloway, in response, is working harder in camp after a poor preseason game performance. He's even attending both sessions when the team practices twice a day.

New York Jets
After impressing in his NFL preseason debut, Mark Sanchez has been anything but great. In three consecutive practices following the Jets' first game, Sanchez has performed in a sub-par fashion. On the other hand, Kellen Clemens has done well in practice. The quarterback competition, which most people feel Sanchez leads, is still up in the air. Sanchez will be given the start in next Monday's game against Baltimore as Rex Ryan confirmed he'll stick with the schedule he and the coaching staff prepared for Sanchez and Clemens.