July 25, 2007
Over-30 running backs don't lose their mojo gradually. Just ask Curtis Martin, Duce Staley, and Priest Holmes.
We can probably add Warrick Dunn to the list. Halfway through last season, Dunn was a top-15 fantasy running back on pace for 1,300 rushing yards. He stumbled to the finish line with a 3.4 yards-per-carry average in the second half, then was forced to undergo serious shoulder surgery after the year. He watched his prize offensive line change schemes, his quarterback is under indictment, and now a herniated disc in his back will force him to miss the preseason.
Continue reading "The Rapid Decline of Warrick Dunn" »
LJ may have some familiar competition
Training camp has thrown its first curveball. Despite every indication that his career was over, Priest Holmes is expected to show up to Chiefs camp this week. The whole thing is curious, especially after reports this summer that Holmes was out of shape. NFL Network's Adam Shefter says he has medical clearance to play.
So what does this mean for fantasy leaguers?
First of all, this gives the Chiefs a bit of leverage in contract talks with Larry Johnson - but not that much. They certainly don't want to hand the starting job over to Holmes, who is turning 34 years old and hasn't played football in nearly two years.
Herm Edwards has also made it clear that he is favoring a youth movement at all positions, including running back. Kolby Smith and possibly undrafted rookie Marcus O'Keith were expected to have big roles. Will playing Holmes for one more year help Kansas City's future? GM Carl Peterson is loyal enough to invite Holmes to camp, but he's going to have to earn a role. Holmes is not guaranteed to make the team.
Continue reading "Priest Holmes Lives!" »
Mr. Anderson
#17. Browns QB: Derek Anderson vs. Charle Frye vs. Brady Quinn
One could argue that the winner of this battle doesn’t matter because Quinn will get the job at mid-season, canceling out all their value. In fact, I just did. Any chance Quinn has to win the job for Week 1 will probably go out the window following a holdout.
In leagues where teams start two quarterbacks, Anderson could be a sleeper for the first part of the year. I own Braylon Edwards in one league and absolutely am rooting for Anderson because he has a better chance to stretch the field and showed real potential late last season. If you want to know which fantasy magazines weren't paying attention this summer, find the ones that boil this battle down to Quinn and Frye. We've probably written about it too much.
Note: I'm on the news this morning, so will be back in the early afternoon with our final position battle on the blog (the remaining 15 will be for a Friday column). After that, it's camp coverage for the six weeks. Thankfully.
July 24, 2007
We're now posting two-fers of the Top 50 Position battles ...
# 18. Titans number two wideout: Roydell Williams vs. Courtney Roby vs. Justin Gage
We’re going to assume that David Givens misses the start of the season, if not the whole thing. We’re also going to assume Brandon Jones takes one of the starting jobs. Williams is reportedly the slight favorite going into training camp, but he’s been inconsistent to invisible throughout his career. The same can be said for Roby.
Only owners in deep leaguers are going to want to draft the winner of this battle.
Continue reading "Davenport vs. Barlow/Williams vs. Roby" »
Herm is presiding over a youth movement
#21. Chiefs backup running backs – Michael Bennett vs. Kolby Smith vs. Marcus O’Keith vs. Derrick Ross
Tie goes to the young-uns, which means Smith could wind up being Larry Johnson’s backup. Even if Michael Bennett wins the job, he can't handle a full load. It wouldn't shock me if Herm Edwards decided to go really young and put Bennett on the waiver wire, along with Ross, who isn’t likely to make an impact after playing in NFL Europe.
Kolby Smith may prove to be a bust like another old Louisville bruser - Eric Shelton. But he's not going to cost as much in fantasy leagues, if anything, and has the opportunity to be a major force sooner than later. Watch this battle closely and pick up Smith in your dynasty league.
Continue reading "Top 50 Position Battles: Chiefs WR, backup RB" »
The new column is up. I look at the top ten touchdown vultures in the NFL heading into training camp.
I wrote a whole breakdown last night of the Keenan McCardell news from yesterday after The Washington Post said he agreed to terms with Houston, but McCardell denies it. Something tells me he will still end up with the Texans, but we'll hold off on posting anything for now. More position battle goodness and some Atlanta quarterback speculation coming up.
July 23, 2007
#22. Donte' Stallworth vs. Reche Caldwell
Bill Belichick has done crazier things than bench a well-known player who is ultimately on a one-year deal. Caldwell is the underdog by a longshot, but I wanted to include this battle on my Top 50 list just to prove a point. Nothing should be assumed when it comes to roles with the Patriots. They run chameleon-like schemes that form fit to that week's opponent.
That could lead to big weeks for players followed by stretches of inactivity. Stallworth was already an inconsistent player elsewhere, and that is likely to continue in New England. Caldwell has a similar skill set, albeit inferior, but he picked up New England's system quickly. He was New England's top receiver in the second half of last season with 515 yards and three scores. he was a solid player in the second half of last year. Stallworth needs to stay healthy.
#23. Titans receiving tight end: Bo Scaife vs. Ben Troupe
Troupe has a certain post-hype charm, and could see a lot of targets if he can win this job. Scaife is a dependable player who will outperform his draft positing by catching 4-5 passes a week if he wins the gig. Either way, the winner of this job is going to catch more passes than people expect because Tennessee uses their tight ends so much. The wideouts in Tennessee are weak and former Colt Ben Hartsock might take care of They probably won’t get drafted in fantasy leagues, but they will look like attractive waiver pickups.
# 24: Dolphins backup quarterback: Cleo Lemon vs. John Beck
Beck is the favorite, and likely the future starting quarterback in Miami. Since he's already 26 years old, the Dolphins will want to get him some starts late in the season if they are out of contention. That said, Lemon was fairly impressive in his appearances late last season and has played in Cam Cameron’s system. This battle could loom large if Trent Green gets his eggs scrambled again.
Its not quite pitchers and catchers reporting, but the Steelers' veterans reporting Monday should get all you NFL newshounds excited. Most teams don't practice until this weekend, but we'll be knee deep in a mountain of daily updates before long.
I previewed the Steelers last week, with Ben Roethlisberger's healthy offseason the best sign for Pittsburgh's improvement. Ben might actually be underrated at this point. He has the highest yards-per-attempt (minimum 1,000) for any quarterback since Sid Luckman. I think the Steelers have a veteran team that compete for a title right now. Tell me if I'm crazy.
At Rotoworld, the start of camp means we'll have more people working the news, more columns (including camp Daily Doses), more Fantasy Fix shows, and more draft guide updates.
My plan today is to keep on top of the news, work on a column for tomorrow, and keep cranking out the position battles so that we're done by Sunday at the latest.
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