Drafting Terrell Owens was like picking up a can of soda that just dropped on the floor. You either put it back in the fridge for someone else to deal with or hold it as far away from your body, open it slowly and hope it doesn't explode.

Houston Astros closer Brad Lidge, by the nature of his occupation, lives on the edge. So it's really no surprise that he selected Owens in the third round (30th overall) in the CBS SportsLine MLB Players league.

"First of all, I'm a big fan of the Cowboys offense this year. I think it's going to be pretty strong," said Lidge, who on Wednesday against the Phillies picked up his 30th save. "When he's on the field, he's going to make a huge difference. He's going to catch touchdowns when he's playing. I kind of put into the equation that he might miss a game or two or even three or four behavioralwise this year. But I'm convinced that he's going to play in at least 12 to 14 games and if he does that, he's as good as Steve Smith or Chad Johnson."

Lidge, 29, caught fantasy fever four years ago. He finished in the middle of the pack of the SportsLine league last year mainly because his team was beset by injuries and first-round pick Jamal Lewis was a bust.

Lidge this year had the second overall pick in the 14-team league. He chose Seattle running back Shaun Alexander in the first round and Cleveland running back Reuben Droughns in the second. His admiration of the Dallas offense had better be on target because he selected Owens ahead of the likes of Marvin Harrison, Anquan Boldin and Randy Moss.

Lidge isn't a casual fantasy football player. As teammate Brad Ausmus once observed to Sports Illustrated: "If Brad had spent as much time studying in school as he does in fantasy football, he would have been a straight-A student."

Despite his teammate's assertion, Lidge is a smart guy. He knows there's a real risk with taking Owens, particularly as his top receiver.

"If T.O. plays in 13 to 14 games," Lidge said, "he's going to put up bigger numbers than anybody else."

QB Trent Green, Kansas CityQB Drew Brees, New OrleansRB Shaun Alexander, SeattleRB Reuben Droughns, ClevelandRB Priest Holmes, Kansas CityRB Ryan Moats, EaglesRB Chris Perry, CincinnatiWR Joey Galloway, Tampa BayWR Terrell Owens, DallasWR Kevin Curtis, St. LouisWR Joe Jurevicius, ClevelandTE Alge Crumpler, AtlantaK Shayne Graham, CincinnatiD/ST Colts

How many receiving yards will Terrell Owens accumulate on Sunday at Jacksonville? Closest wins a Philadelphia Daily News T-shirt. Catches and touchdowns will be used as tiebreakers. If there's still a tie, one winner will be chosen at random. E-mail your guess to fantasyfootballphillynews.com by noon Sunday.One per customer, please.

• New York Jets running back Derrick Blaylock: The Jets haven't committed to a No. 1 guy, but if Blaylock, Kevan Barlow or Cedric Houston have a big game against Tennessee, put them up on the trading block immediately. The Jets have five consecutive difficult games following the Titans (Patriots, at Bills, Colts, at Jags, Dolphins) and their trade values will diminish.• Cowboys wide receiver Terry Glenn: Lost in all the T.O. garbage is that Glenn had a fine training camp and is coming off a seven-touchdown, 1,136-yard season in 2005.• Bears running back Cedric Benson: Thomas Jones is the starter, but if you have room on your bench, sock Benson away. The Bears have one of the easiest schedules, including finishing the season at the Lions and home against the Packers.

• Cowboys kicker Mike Vanderjagt: The Cowboys were forced to keep Shaun Suisham as a second kicker, because Vanderjagt's sore groin contributed to him shanking a couple short field goals in preseason. With the Cowboys having a bye in Week 3, go ahead and dump Vanderjagt after next week for someone healthier with a later bye.• Ravens running back Jamal Lewis: J-Lew hasn't been the same since J-ail. A balky hip and a bad matchup (at Tampa Bay) make him a prime bench candidate.• Falcons wide receiver Ashley Lelie: His numbers are very similar to Todd Pinkston's. If you want a sleeper out of Atlanta, look at Michael Jenkins instead.

Don't expect to hear anything definitive from Mike Shanahan on who Denver's starting running back will be Sunday at St. Louis. Mike Bell was the preseason starter, but Shanahan was his usual cagey self in not ruling out Tatum Bell. The guess here — and it's just a guess — is that Mike Bell will get the majority of work with Tatum Bell getting about 10 carries . . . Play Reggie Bush, even if it means bumping him ahead of your No. 2 back. The matchup at Cleveland is appealing and won't you scream if he gets 120 yards and a couple of scores.(Ed Barkowitz, who drafted Mike Bell and is sweating out the Broncos' running-back situation, has written about fantasy football in the Daily News since 2001.)