Linked: L.J. Smith goes down (again)
If this ends up as as bad as it sounds, L.J. Smith may not be draftable in fantasy leagues this year.
* Lamont Jordan and Dominic Rhodes are neck and neck for the Oakland starting job. Rhodes will miss the first four games of the season, but we're almost certainly looking at a committee after that.
* If I've learned one thing in the last month, it's that Keary Colbert will never die. Two Carolina newspapers report today that he's passing Drew Carter. Sure, it's Dwayne Jarrett's job eventually. But Colbert's re-emergence makes the whole trio worth avoiding.
* I usually dismiss strength-of-schedule as boderline irrelevent, but FootballOutsiders has created a highly useful article about it.
* Jason Wood asks a good question: Why is Steve Smith the consensus #1 WR? (I think the top-six are virtually interchangeable and Smith's rise is largely due to our desire for consensus.)
Comments
Thanks for the link love Gregg!
Posted by: Jason Wood | August 9, 2007 03:48 PM
I like Smith alot but not the concences #1 as you don't know which Jake will show up this year and if smith can avoid any other injuries.
I drafted Colbert 3 years ago or so a sleeper.
How long does a guy get to be a sleeper until he's in a coma?
Posted by: Anonymous | August 9, 2007 04:01 PM
I'm a fellow FBG working with Jason. To answer Wood's question, Smith has been the #2 WR in terms of PPG the past two seasons and has scored more total fantasy points than any other WR over the the 05 and 06 seasons. His targets have gone through the roof in that time and the Panthers still have no one else that seems primed to change the target distribution in Carolina. I have Smith #1 in my WR rankings because of that, not beacuse it's a trendy thing to do or because we in the fantasy realm need a consensus #1 WR.
Posted by: David Yudkin | August 9, 2007 04:18 PM
The only problem I can see with having Smith as a concensus #1 is the ability of his quarterbacks to put him in a position to succeed consistantly. Out of all of those targets you mention David, ( with which I agree),how many were over/under thrown because of poor pass protection and qb inaccuracy. Not a Delhomme fan for fantasy purposes until they can find a way to keep D's off balance with a consistant running game. As for Smith he is in a group of elite wideout's, but lack of a solid running game and lack of pass protection will kepp him from sepaating himself from the rest of the elite's.
Posted by: Brendan | August 9, 2007 05:49 PM
No problem Jason - Good stuff on that blog. I have Smith #3, but you raise fair points. The Panthers also say Smith will be more of a focal point this year, but ...
That's almost impossible to accomplish. At best, he'll maintain those targets. If Davidson is really in the Patriot mold, they will spread it around a bit more.
As a happy Smith dynasty owner, though, I hope the consensus is right.
Posted by: Gregg | August 9, 2007 06:17 PM
for me, with steve smith... i have to peg him as the #1 guy. for no other reason than he continues to get it done with NOTHING around him! mediocre qb, no running game, and no 2nd receiver... and he still amazes.
Posted by: dibble | August 10, 2007 02:52 PM
i'm with dibble on this one.
even when the team stinks and he gets doubled constantly, he puts up numbers as good or better than most receivers.
eventually, the offense around him will start clicking.
sometime.
maybe.
but even if it doesn't, he's still going to be among the elite in points.
Posted by: The Dox | August 10, 2007 05:38 PM