Following Twitter pages of ESPN analyst Adam Schefter before the NFL Lockout was worse than following Sami and Ronnie’s on-again off-again relationship on the Jersey Shore. Since the NFL Lockout ended, news regarding player movement has been the most exciting two weeks of off-season activity in sports history. (other than the infamous Lebron James Decision) So let us take a further look and break down some familiar faces in new places by examining how these players will ultimately be impacted from a fantasy perspective. In honor of Shark Week, it seemed only appropriate to decide whether or not these players on new teams will sink or swim.
Quarter Backs
Sink: Donovan McNabb- Minnesota Vikings
Mcnabb will certainly be productive and improve the Vikings’ record from last season, but that does not necessarily translate to fantasy points. Mcnabb’s biggest difficulty while on the Redskins was the lack of talent surrounding him. He does have the luxury of handing the ball to Adrian Peterson, but the Vikings depth at the receiver position is not much better than it was in the nation’s capital. Percy Harvin is a younger and more explosive version of Santana Moss yet he has history of missing games due to migraines. Harvin is Minnesota’s only legitimate threat down field. Other options include Bernard Berrian, Greg Camarillo, and Michael Jenkins; not exactly the Three Musketeers. If they were able to resign Sidney Rice then I would be much more optimistic about Mcnabb’s fantasy value. With a weak offensive line protecting him, Mcnabb projects as nothing more than a backup quarterback on your roster. With enough depth at the position, there are other quarterbacks to swim with.
Swim: Kevin Kolb- Arizona Cardinals
For someone who has only started 7 career NFL Games, this guy is drawing a lot of buzz. There is reason though to be optimistic about his potential besides the fact he signed a 5 year, $63 million extension. He has a unique NFL record consisting of the most throwing yards in his first two professional games (391 and 327 yards respectively). More importantly Andy Reid, who is an offensive guru, had enough confidence in Kolb to trade Donovan Mcnabb within their own division last year. If it wasn’t for Michael Vick being an Eagle, the most dynamic quarterback in the entire league, Kolb would still be in Philadelphia. Throwing to Larry Fitzgerald on a regular basis, playing against the weak NFC West competition, and having a highly questionable running attack lead by rookie Ryan Williams and Beanie (Beaten Up) Wells, all bodes well (no pun intended) in Kolb’s favor. With plenty of throwing attempts this season, look for Kolb to be a low end QB1 or an excellent QB2 in standard scoring leagues.
Running Backs
Sink: Tim Hightower- Washington Redskins
Flip-flopping, irrational decision making, lack of confidence; these are all characteristics you can use to describe Congress or for our purposes Mike Shanahan. Putting faith in both seems quite troublesome. Coach Shanahan benched a potential hall of famer for REX GROSSMAN. I know he has two Super Bowl rings as a head coach, but after that move he can no longer be considered trustworthy for fantasy owners. In Tim Hightower’s case he is returning back home after playing his collegiate ball at Richmond. He may be the projected week 1 starter on the depth chart but they have plenty of other options. Ryan Torain in his first season as starter totaled 742 yards in only 10 games. While hurt now, Torain is only expected to miss 1-2 weeks of preseason action which means he should be healthy for the start of the season. They also drafted Roy Helu in the fourth round and could even give Keiland Williams a couple carries per game. Hightower has a propensity for fumbling the football. (8 total fumbles in the last two seasons) At some point this will lead to him being placed in Coach Shanahan’s doghouse. Hightower is really more of a 3rd down power back then starting tail back. If forced to choose one running back in this crowded attack Ryan Torain would be my answer but honestly avoiding all Redskins on offense is the safest play. Remember their starting quarterback is either Rex Grossman or John Beck not exactly the Great White Shark that will intimidate opposing defenses.
Swim: Willis McGahee- Denver Broncos
If you believe that Knowshon Moreno is an every down superstar running back then you can stop reading this. For those who have stayed with me it means you also realize that Moreno has never lived up to the hype of being the first fantasy football running back selected in the 2009 Draft ahead of guys like LeSean McCoy, Shonn Greene, and undrafted Arian Foster which still boggles the mind. Moreno is a solid contributor but McGahee went to the perfect team to showcase his skills. New head coach John Fox will certainly implement the running game on a more consistent basis than pass happy Josh McDaniels. Coach Fox mostly used a two back system in Carolina with DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart. McGahee has a realistic chance of averaging 10-12 carries per game which could result in roughly 200 attempts for an entire season. He should be able to post numbers close to 700 yards and 8 TDs. These are not necessarily amazing statistics but they would certainly help him outperform his preseason composite ranking of 54th according to Fantazzle. Also remember that Moreno is injury prone missing three games last season. Teebow may steal some goal line carries but ultimately McGahee will be the featured player in the red zone making him a strong RB4 option that many fans are overlooking.
Wide Receivers
Sink: Braylon Edwards- San Francisco 49ners
As a diehard Jets fan, Braylon Edwards was mislabeled throughout his tenure. He did not have a case of the drops like his critics proclaimed (only one last season) and his run blocking ability was an underrated strength. Unfortunately for Edwards, his fantasy potential is limited even though his talent is not. The untalented player named Alex Smith who remains under center is the reason for this. How many times is this guy going to receive a second chance? Entering his 7th year as a professional, the 49ners should have pulled the plug on this experiment and found a new signal caller to go along with their new head coach. Instead, they have a mediocre quarterback who is often injured. In 11 games last season, he averaged close to 215 yards per contest. The rationale behind examining this fact is that San Francisco already has plenty of weapons to throw to. On a week to week basis, Edwards will not be a reliable option. Vernon Davis is the clear number one receiving threat and should garner around 100 yards per contest. Also remember that playmaker Michael Crabtree is entering that magical third season when receivers generally blossom. Now add other targets such as Josh Morgan, Ted Ginn Jr, and Frank Gore out of the backfield. Suddenly it becomes a fair question to wonder where Braylon Edwards is going to find reception yardage on a consistent basis. Sure he will snatch his fair share of TDs except there are way too many fish to feed with a quarterback who frankly hasn’t proven he is able to do much more than simply tread water.
Swim: Roy Williams- Chicago Bears
If Jerry Jones read this he would go insane especially after trading away a first and third round pick for the underachieving receiver. Although the truth remains that Roy Williams has a serious chance to resurrect his career in the windy city. He gets to reconnect with offensive coordinator Mike Martz who we all know loves throwing the ball. When they were in Detroit together for two years Williams was highly productive. In 2006 he had 82 receptions, 1310 yards, and 7 TDs. In 2007 he produced 64 receptions, 838 yards, and 5 TDs in spite of missing four games. Even though Williams is a veteran, he is still only 29 years old with plenty of fuel left in the tank. He should easily surpass Johnny Knox as the number one receiver playing with a chip on his shoulder for the Bears. Behind an offense led by Jay Cutler, look for Williams to make a big splash and someone you are going to want to eat up on draft day.
No comments:
Post a Comment