This blog post probably won't be popular. But if you remove the 2008 blinders, it's clear that Vernon Davis' situation has improved dramatically since 2008. There are plenty of reasons to believe he'll be a big factor in San Francisco's new offense and an excellent late-round fantasy value.

1. Davis has already proven that he can be valuable in fantasy. There is a perception that Davis has done nothing in the league, that he's a complete bust. This is false. Despite playing in a rotation with Eric Johnson and missing two games in 2007, Davis caught 52 passes for 509 yards and four touchdowns to finish as the fantasy TE14 overall. This, mind you, was in a historically poor offense coordinated by Norv Turner-replacement Jim Hostler. Hostler was removed in favor of Mike Martz following the season.

Continue reading "Undervalued: Vernon Davis" »

Posted by Evan Silva at 01:52 PM | Permalink | Comments (38)

Stewart hasn't practiced once this offseason because of an ankle injury, missing a total of seven practices by my count. The injury isn't believed to be serious, but Stewart won't make up ground on DeAngelo Williams if he doesn't practice for a second straight summer. (Pre-draft toe surgery kept him out until camp last year, which helped solidify Williams' spot atop the depth chart.)

Stewart is arguably one of the five most talented backs alive; there just aren't many humans with the size, speed, and natural running instincts that Stewart possesses. But Stewart must get tougher if he wants to be one of the five best backs in the league. I'm not talking about his ability to break tackles, which is elite. He needs to show that he can withstand minor injuries.

Stewart ran with aggression as a rookie, but he often left the field during games, only to return later. He spoke about his injuries in the media to a degree I suspect John Fox was uncomfortable with.

Learning how to practice and play through pain is a typical part of the learning process for young backs, but Fox figures to continue favoring Williams until Stewart proves he can stay on the field consistently. No matter how talented Stewart is.

Posted by Gregg Rosenthal at 05:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (13)

Gregg Rosenthal and I made two preseason bets last year. The one I lost was total fantasy points between Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams. Though I remained a true Ronnie Brown believer before he exploded in the first seven games of 2007, I strictly adhere to the "Running Back Two Year Major Injury Rule."

When Brown, Philip Rivers, and Carlos Rogers were all enjoying early-season success last fall, Gregg and I also discussed how much ACL surgery has evolved in just the past 5-10 years. No longer a death sentence for football players, it appears to be a mere hiccup.

Continue reading "Ronnie Brown: Undervalued?" »

Posted by Chris Wesseling at 12:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (50)