Tip Sheet: Rams offense clicking again

By Richard Harris, Special to SI.com

Stock Rising

Kurt Warner, QB, Rams: A number of recent developments have boosted Warner's stock. With Mike Vick and Chad Pennington going down with injuries, the quarterback field is looking a little thin, and passers such as Warner who were being taken in the early mid-rounds are drawing more attention. Fantasy owners also have to be encouraged by Warner's play; in the last two preseason games, he has completed 20 of 22 passes for 180 yards and one touchdown without an interception. At the same time, questions surrounding the quarterback's supporting cast have been answered, as Pro Bowl LT Orlando Pace has reported to camp and RB Marshall Faulk was stellar in his preseason debut last week, gaining more than 100 total yards and scoring two touchdowns.

Patrick Ramsey, QB, Redskins: The injuries to Vick and Pennington really will be felt when it comes time to draft a backup quarterback. This is especially true for larger leagues because there are only 15 or 16 solid prospects at the position. With that being the case, some fantasy owners will be looking for sleeper QBs in the later rounds, and Ramsey should be one of the better second-tier passers.

Steve Spurrier changed quarterbacks five times last season, but as the Redskins head into the 2003 season, he says that he is committed to Ramsey. The second-year pro has the tools to be a very good QB; though he lacks great mobility, he can make all the throws, and he is very intelligent and hard working. Last year, Ramsey saw significant action in seven games (five starts), and he averaged 220 passing yards and 1.3 TDs per outing. Those averages would equate to roughly 3,500 yards and 20 TDs for a full season. Ramsey obviously will suffer some growing pains as a first-year starter, but he is in a good place to succeed. The Redskins have upgraded both their offensive line and receiving corps, and Spurrier loves to throw the football.

Onterrio Smith, RB, Vikings: More by default than anything else, Smith is starting to slide up many draft boards. Michael Bennett (toe) was placed on the PUP list this week, meaning that he cannot play until Week 7 at the earliest. Doug Chapman, who was the leading candidate to start for Bennett, is expected to miss at least one regular-season game due to a high right ankle sprain. Larry Ned, who had figured prominently in the mix, hurt his chances with two costly fumbles in the preseason and has also missed some time due to a concussion. Veteran Moe Williams, the team's third-down back, will be the starter for the season opener against the Packers. Smith will also see action in the opener, and with a good showing, the fourth-round pick will likely take over as the primary ball carrier. In three preseason games, Smith rushed 22 times for 73 yards and three touchdowns. The latter stat is encouraging for the fans who fear that he will be pulled for Williams near the goal line.

Troy Hambrick, RB, Cowboys: With Michael Wiley, who was limited by a rotator cuff injury, being released earlier this week, Hambrick's stock is rising despite a lackluster preseason and some less-than-encouraging comments by his coach.

While the Cowboys were attempting to sort out their quarterback situation, Hambrick was limited to 15 carries for 36 yards in the first three preseason games. Bill Parcells may have also limited his work because he is the only viable ball carrier on the team.

Parcells has said that fullback Richie Anderson, Aveion Cason, and Adrian Murrell will be in the mix at running back, and if you buy that, I have some real estate that I would like to sell you. Yes, Anderson and Cason will be involved in the passing game, but they are not going to get many carries. The 32-year-old Murrell, who last played for Washington in 2000, when he had just 20 carries, appears to be the best option to be the feature back if something would happen to Hambrick, but it is highly unlikely that he will be used as anything more than an emergency backup.

Robert Ferguson, WR, Green Bay: Ferguson missed almost half of the Packers' training camp with a tailbone injury, but due to a lackluster showing from Javon Walker, he has wrapped up the No. 2 receiver spot in Green Bay. Physically strong and not afraid to go over the middle, Ferguson is a much better fit for the Packers' offense than Terry Glenn, who started opposite Donald Driver last year. Glenn finished the season with 56 receptions for 817 yards and two touchdowns. The fact that Ferguson had more scores (3) working as a backup is a good indication that he will produce better numbers than Glenn did in 2002.

Keep an Eye on

Andre Johnson, WR, Texans: Johnson, the third overall pick in this year's draft, has the skills to eventually be one of the top receivers in the league. He is solidly built (6-2, 230), has blinding speed (4.3), and an outstanding vertical jump (41.5 inches). Rarely do wide receivers post big numbers in their rookie season, and playing for the offensively-challenged Texans, Johnson faces even longer odds. Even so, he is a player to keep an eye on. Last week, in their most extensive action of the preseason, David Carr and Johnson hooked up five times for 81 yards and a touchdown. Johnson finished the game as the team's leading receiver, which is something that he may do often this year.

Bryan Gilmore, WR, Cardinals: With the preseason coming to a close, it appears that Gilmore and Larry Foster will open the season as Arizona's starting wide receivers, with rookie Anquan Boldin serving as the No. 3. Foster, who entered the league as an undrafted free agent in 2000 and was acquired from the Lions this spring for a seventh-round draft pick, surprisingly outplayed top pick Bryant Johnson and Jason McAddley, who finished last season as a starter. Gilmore, on the other hand, was expected to be a starter. The third-year pro missed most of last season with a broken leg, but he is the fastest player on the team and has decent hands. His blazing speed, combined with QB Jeff Blake's ability to throw the deep ball, should lead to a number of big plays, and the Cards will need all the big plays that they can get if their defense is as bad as it looks on paper.

Aaron Elling, K, Vikings: When shopping for sleepers at kicker, you look for one who plays for a team with the potential to score a lot of points, and if that team plays its home games in a dome, that's an added bonus. A kicker in Minnesota would meet that criteria, and after this week's cuts, Elling is the only kicker left on the Vikings' roster. Elling, who was in the Seahawks' camp last summer, has never kicked in a regular-season game, and he has attempted just one field goal this preseason, making a 48-yarder in the Vikings' second game. Given his inexperience, it is no surprise that the team has not ruled out adding another kicker after the final cuts this Sunday.

Matthew Hatchette, WR, Jaguars: The hottest receiver in Jacksonville's camp is Hatchette. In the last two preseason games (against Tampa Bay and Miami), he has caught six passes for 100 yards. Hatchette is attempting to secure a starting spot alongside J.J. Stokes during Jimmy Smith's upcoming four-game suspension. Hatchette's chances have been enhanced because Donald Hayes has been slowed by injuries and Kevin Lockett has been released.

A 1997 seventh-round draft choice, Hatchette spent his first four seasons with the Vikings before leaving as an unrestricted free agent in 2001. After failed stints with the Jets and the Raiders, he revived his career this spring in NFL Europe, leading the league in all receiving categories with 61 catches for 790 yards and seven touchdowns.

Stock Falling

Jerramy Stevens, TE, Seahawks: Many folks are expecting big things from Stevens this year, and based on his potential and Seattle's favorable schedule, that could very well happen. As a backup last year, the 6-foot-7, 265-pound Stevens showed promise, playing in 12 games and catching 26 passes for 252 yards and three scores. However, he has missed most of this preseason with an ankle injury, and more importantly, he cannot seem to stay out of trouble. After numerous off-the-field problems in college, Stevens was sentenced to seven days of jail time this past spring, two for a reckless-driving incident that took place on April 3, and five for a violation of his probation, which was imposed two years ago from a hit-and-run conviction. Stevens also faces a possible suspension from the league for this latest incident.

Jerome Bettis, RB, Steelers: Pittsburgh's decision to go with Amos Zereoue as the starting tailback makes a lot of sense for a number of reasons. The Steelers are no longer a smash-mouth team, and even if they wanted to be, it is questionable if they have the offensive line to play that style of football. Zereoue is a better fit for the current offensive system, as he offers more big-play ability and is a better receiver. He has also been more durable than the older Bettis, who has not been able to finish the last two seasons due to injury. Bettis may still have significant fantasy value this season, depending on how the Steelers decide to use him. For example, he is a proven goal-line runner, and he could be the back of choice inside the 10-yard line.

Brian Westbrook, RB, Eagles: With Duce Staley ending his holdout, Westbrook and fellow RB Correll Buckhalter saw their stock drop. Buckhalter still has significant value, as he will likely carry at least half of the Eagles' rushing load. Staley will have even more value because he'll likely be the primary back on third downs. Westbrook, meanwhile, is left to pick up the scraps.

Richard Harris is senior writer and managing editor for FantasyFootballExperts.com, which provides the essentials for a fantasy football championship, including exclusive articles, customized player rankings, and weekly matchup analysis.