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2004 first-quarter fantasy awards

By Bob Harris, Special to SI.com

With the first four weeks of NFL season in the bag, it's time for the first installment of my quarterly Fantasy Awards, which honor those players who have -- for better or for worse -- distinguished themselves above all others over the four-game stretch in question. For those of you new to these awards, here are the categories:

Fantasy MVP: The player who performed above and beyond the expectations of fantasy owners, an impact player who regularly made the difference between winning and losing.

Fantasy Flop: The player we believe came the furthest from meeting the preseason fantasy expectations. This award is based solely on performance. Players missing significant time due to injury are not considered.

Ambush Award: The player turning in the most surprising fantasy performance based on preseason expectations, or more precisely, the lack of same.

Comeback Player: The player who best overcame past non-productivity and/or ineffectiveness due to injury, a weak supporting cast or other adversities to surpass the lowered preseason expectations resulting from their previous problems.

The Candy Bone Award: The "crown jewel" of these awards! Given to the player who above all others failed to meet preseason expectations due to injury.

One last note here: Winners must play in all four games during the period in question to be eligible, meaning those on teams with bye weeks falling during the specified period (Buffalo, Carolina, Dallas, Detroit, Minnesota, New England, N.Y. Jets, Seattle in this case) are ineligible.

So, with the preliminaries out of the way, here you have 'em -- my 2004 First Quarter Fantasy Award winners:

Fantasy MVP: Donovan McNabb, QB Philadelphia Eagles

Last year, Donovan McNabb started off slowly. This year, he's already putting up MVP-like numbers. AP

No doubt about it, McNabb's sixth NFL season is shaping up to be his best as a pro. Four games in, the former Syracuse standout leads the league in passing yards with 1,168 yards, ranks second in TD passes with nine (he's run in another two) and third in passer rating (110.5).

Of course, McNabb has had some help, most notably Terrell Owens, who already has 26 catches for 364 yards and six touchdowns. The six touchdowns are one more than the Eagles' entire wide receiving corps had all of last season.

Through four games, the Eagles are averaging 387.3 yards per game. That's 73 more than they averaged last season. They are averaging 276.0 passing yards per game, which is 87.2 more than a year ago. Their third-down percentage, 36.3 a year ago, has jumped to 42.6.

The most noticeable change in McNabb's game, however, is the fact his completion percentage has skyrocketed. He heads into the bye week with a 68.1 completion rate after never getting higher than 58.4 in his previous five NFL seasons.

For what it's worth, McNabb has thrown at least one touchdown pass in 13 of his last 14 regular-season games.

Others considered: Owens, Peyton Manning, Priest Holmes, Tiki Barber

Fantasy Flop: Keenan McCardell, WR Tampa Bay Buccaneers

A bit sneaky on my part, eh? Some might even call picking a fellow who has yet to hit the field a bit of a copout. Maybe so. But the fact that McCardell has yet to line up for his first play, pull in his first pass or score his first touchdown for the most part, for not other reason than his desire for a new contract is bothersome.

In other words, players missing extensive time to injuries aren't eligible for this one, but those missing extensive time in order to secure improve their financial standing are.

Not that I have a problem with somebody getting what they're worth. More power to him -- as long as it doesn't cut into the regular season -- and more specifically, his fantasy totals.

McCardell, who wants to be paid like a No. 1 receiver in this league (somewhere in the $4 million range -- or $1.5 million more than he's making under his current deal), is the first offensive skill player to extend a contract holdout into the regular season since former Seahawk (and current Buc) Joey Galloway sat out eight games in 1999.

Perhaps McCardell, who will apparently report to team headquarters Week 10 or 11 if a deal isn't worked out before then, should have asked Galloway how that whole thing worked out for him.

Others considered: Chad Johnson

Ambush Award: Reche Caldwell, WR San Diego Chargers

Caldwell is coming off a three-catch, 110-yard effort against Tennessee that included a spectacular one-handed catch for a 58-yard score that put away the game after the Titans had closed to 24-17 midway through the fourth quarter.

Read that sentence again. We're talking about Caldwell, folks. Reche Caldwell.

Even though tight end Antonio Gates leads the Chargers with 23 receptions, Caldwell has clearly emerged as one of Drew Brees' top options in the San Diego passing attack.

Caldwell has at least three catches in each of the Chargers' four games this season and has scored three touchdowns.

I didn't see it coming. Neither did you.

Others considered: None.

Comeback Player: Brandon Stokley, WR Indianapolis Colts

Stokley, a sixth-year wide receiver, signed with the Colts as a free agent from the Baltimore Ravens before the 2003 season, then spent nine months battling injuries. First a foot, then a hamstring, then a concussion.

Finally, lin ate December, Stokley got healthy.

Since then, few players in the Colts' offense have been more productive.

In four games this season, Stokley has caught 22 passes for 311 yards and three touchdowns. He is seventh in the AFC in receptions and fourth in the AFC in receiving yards.

Others considered: Isaac Bruce

Candy Bone Award: Tyrone Calico, WR, Tennessee Titans

Two things sealed Calico's status here: Michael Bennett was ineligible due to the bye; and "the tease."

And by "the tease," I mean Calico's brief return to action last Sunday.

In case you missed it, Calico originally suffered a pair of knee sprains in the preseason against Dallas and had arthroscopic surgery on his left knee.

He missed the first three games of the regular season but returned for Sunday's game after several weeks of rehab. Then, on a fourth quarter play against the Chargers, the knees buckled after he made a catch. He finished the game with two catches for 13 yards.

"The tease" carried beyond Sunday.

On Monday, Fisher said the Titans received positive results from an MRI and Calico was "OK." Fisher said he expected Calico to practice later in the week and perhaps play on Monday at Green Bay. Tuesday, however, further examination of the MRI revealed a cartilage tear in the knee. A second examination confirmed that diagnosis.

Bottom line?

"He has a medial meniscus tear," Fisher finally admitted. "In all likelihood, that's going to need to be repaired, not removed, which could put him out for an extended period of time."

When asked more specifically, Fisher said it could be as much as eight weeks before Calico could be ready to play again before adding, "Obviously he is very disappointed."

Me too.

Others considered: Deuce McAllister

That's all for now. I'll revisit these awards on a quarterly basis over the remainder of the regular season before announcing my final 2004 Full Season Fantasy Award winners following Week 17.

Bob Harris is Editor and Webmaster of the TFL Report and Senior Editor for Fantasy Sports Publications.