Tip Sheet

Banged-up backs come back with a bang

Edgerrin James' value may be down because of his recovery from a torn ACL last year. AP

By Richard Harris, Special to CNNSI.com

Stock Rising

Edgerrin James, RB, Colts: Quite a few running backs around the league saw their stock go up this week, but none may have been as important as James. When healthy, James ranks right up there with Marshall Faulk in terms of skill and fantasy production. However, he was a big question mark after tearing his anterior cruciate ligament last October.

This week, James practiced with the Colts for the first time in about nine months and appeared to be back to his normal elusive self. It would still be wise to exercise some caution when considering James. It is very rare for a player to be 100 percent his first year back from an ACL injury; in fact, it is not unusual for a player in this situation to injure his other leg because he unconsciously favors the recovering knee.

Jerome Bettis, RB, Pittsburgh: By showing up at camp looking 15 pounds lighter and ready for action, Bettis dispelled any rumors that the groin injury, which forced him to miss six games last year, was still an issue. When he went down last season, Bettis was leading the NFL with 1,072 rushing yards in 11 games, and his per-carry average (4.8) was his best with the Steelers and second only to the 4.9 he recorded in his rookie season with the Rams. Had he stayed healthy, he likely would have finished with more than 1,500 rushing yards. However, he was on a pace to score just six TDs.

Bettis’ lack of scoring potential is what prevents him from being a No.1 fantasy back. He simply doesn’t score a lot of touchdowns because QB Kordell Stewart is such an effective goal-line runner. Since Stewart first became the Steelers’ starting quarterback in 1997, Bettis has recorded 29 rushing TDs while Stewart has 27.

Ricky Williams, RB, Miami: After rushing for a career-high 1,245 yards and also reaching personal bests for receptions (60) and receiving yards (511), Williams is ranked very high on most draft boards, but some skeptics have not forgotten about the injuries that shortened his first two seasons in the NFL. Like Bettis, Williams, who weighed as much as 250 pounds last season, reported to camp roughly 15 pounds lighter. A trimmer Williams is less likely to be injured, which is good news for his fans and the Dolphins, who plan to rely heavily on the fourth-year running back.

Offensive coordinator Norv Turner will use Williams in a manner similar to the way he used Emmitt Smith during the Cowboys’ Super Bowl-winning days. Dating back to 1991 when Turner became the offensive coordinator in Dallas, his attacks have featured a strong inside rushing game. Over that period, the feature backs in Turner’s offenses have averaged 292 rushes and 1,223 yards.

DeShaun Foster, RB, Carolina: On Wednesday, Panthers head coach John Fox said that the running back position remains open for competition between Foster and veteran Lamar Smith.

While the two players may be equal on the depth chart, Foster (6-0, 222) is clearly the player who has the most fantasy value. The second-round pick from UCLA has been dazzling teammates and coaches with his speed and quickness at training camp. Some are saying that he’s the best back in team history, while others are perplexed that a player so talented could fall to the second round. Foster slipped in the draft partially due to his habit of fumbling, but in camp, he’s been holding on to the ball. Meanwhile, the 31-year-old Smith, who has been a backup for most of his career, has the look of a one-year wonder. In Miami, he ran for 1,139 yards in 2000, but dropped to 968 last year, averaging just 3.1 yards per carry.

Kevin Johnson, WR, Cleveland: If you plan to stock up on running backs in the first few rounds of the draft, Johnson is an underrated receiver that you’ll want to consider in the early middle rounds. Quarterback Tim Couch recently praised the fourth-year wideout’s work ethic and knowledge of the game, saying, “He's getting like one of those old veteran receivers that learn how to get open.” Johnson, who has started 48 straight games for the Browns, also has plenty of speed to go along with his guile.

For three years, Johnson has been Couch's favorite receiver, accounting for 24 percent of the team's offense. Last year, he caught a career-high 84 balls for 1,097 yards and nine scores, and this season could be even better because of an improved running game and the development of Couch and second-year receiver Quincy Morgan.

Peter Warrick, WR, Cincinnati: With Michael Westbrook (broken left wrist) expected to miss the rest of the preseason, Warrick has a chance to establish himself as the Bengals’ No. 1 receiver. The fourth overall pick of the 2000 draft, Warrick holds the Bengals' franchise record for most pass receptions in the first two seasons with 121. However, his yardage (1,259) and touchdown (8) numbers have been disappointing.

Warrick has teased Bengals fans and coaches with an occasional spectacular play, but too often, he has dropped catchable balls, lost yardage in an attempt to make a big play, or ran the wrong route, which sometimes resulted in an interception. Warrick and the Bengals coaching staff feel that he has learned from his mistakes and that this will be his breakout season. Last year, he was mostly used as a slot receiver, which limited his ability to make big plays. This season, he will get more chances as an outside receiver, allowing him to make more plays down the field and giving him more room to use his outstanding quickness and acceleration to gain yards after the catch.

Jay Riemersma, TE, Buffalo: With TE Dave Moore, who was acquired this offseason, a threat to cut into his playing time, Riemersma is being passed over in many drafts even though he is coming off of his best season in terms of receptions (53) and yards (590). Between the two, Riemersma clearly has the superior receiving skills, and early on in camp, he has established himself as a Drew Bledsoe favorite. During the Ben Coates era in New England, Bledsoe often looked for his tight end, and Riemersma appears to be forming a similar bond with the former Patriots quarterback.

Donnie Edwards, LB, San Diego: Coach Marty Schottenheimer opened training camp by moving Edwards from strongside to the middle, instantly increasing the linebacker’s fantasy value in leagues that use individual defensive players. Over the last three years while playing with the Chiefs on the outside, Edwards averaged 128 tackles, two sacks, two interceptions, two fumble recoveries, and one touchdown per season. Now, playing in the middle, it is reasonable to expect his tackle numbers to increase, as MLBs usually have at least 20 more than their teammates playing alongside them.

Keep an Eye on

With Terance Mathis and Tony Martin no longer on the roster, Finneran entered training camp as the Falcons’ starting flanker. However, the recently acquired Willie Jackson, who caught 81 passes for 1,046 yards last season with the Saints, is pressing Finneran for the starting job. Neither player is known as a speedster, so the faster Shawn Jefferson is starting at split end, but don’t be surprised if the Falcons decide to move Jackson to that spot and use Jefferson as the No. 3 receiver.

Jerry Porter, WR, Oakland: The talented but underutilized No. 3 receiver is apparently going to be seeing more of the ball this season. Coach Bill Callahan and new offensive coordinator Marc Trestman would like to add more big-play ability to the offense, and Porter, who is significantly faster than Tim Brown and Jerry Rice, will be the primary or secondary read on some plays, instead of always being the third read on all plays.

Najeh Davenport, RB, Green Bay: Most may only know Davenport for his arrest for criminal mischief that gave new meaning to the term “dirty laundry,” but the rookie fullback/tailback is now starting to get noticed for his efforts on the football field. Davenport is one of many candidates for the top backup job behind Ahman Green. Free agents Ki-Jana Carter and Jason Brookins were considered the frontrunners, but they have had disappointing camps thus far. Davenport, meanwhile, a fourth-round pick from Miami, has impressed the coaching staff with his power, speed, and toughness. In addition to his running skills, the 248-pound rookie is a solid blocker and receiver.

Stock Falling

Conjecture aside, we cannot overlook the fact that Griese has never made it through a full NFL season healthy, and that he lacks great arm strength and mobility, and struggles with his accuracy at times.

Griese’s poor performance of last season could be partially attributed to the loss of WR Ed McCaffrey, who missed all but Week 1. The return of McCaffrey, and the offseason additions of TE Shannon Sharpe, WR Rob Moore and rookie WR Ashley Lelie would seemingly give the 27-year-old QB more than enough weapons. However, McCaffrey and Moore are not fully recovered from the injuries that prevented them from playing last season and are practicing just once a day, while Lelie, much like Koren Robinson last year, has been plagued by hamstring problems since March.

And then there is Steve Beuerlein, who is now healthy after missing last season with an elbow injury. Only three years ago, Beuerlein threw for 4,436 yards and 36 touchdowns, and the following season, he passed for 3,730 yards and 19 TDs. Mike Shanahan has not said anything about Griese being in danger of losing his starting job, but then again, he never said anything to that effect before he benched Bubby Brister in favor of Griese.

Kerry Collins, QB, NY Giants: Collins has produced very solid numbers over the last two seasons, averaging 3,687 passing yards and 21 touchdown passes, and given all the weapons that he has at his disposal, including rookie TE Jeremy Shockey, another productive year is expected. However, Collins and the other Giants skill players could have their seasons derailed by a rebuilt offensive line that is currently getting very poor reviews.

Three starters are gone from last season, including Pro Bowl right guard Ron Stone, who signed with San Francisco as a free agent. Tackle Luke Petitgout is moving from the right to the left side, and center Dusty Zeigler, the only holdover playing the same position, is still limping after knee surgery in the offseason. Right guard Jason Whittle is the only newcomer with starting experience (five games), while the other two new starters, left guard Rich Seubert and right tackle Chris Bober, are second-year undrafted free agents.

At a minimum, you might want to avoid Collins in a league that penalizes heavily for turnovers. Last year, he threw 16 picks and fumbled a league-high 23 times, and playing behind this inexperienced offensive line, things could be even uglier for Collins this season.

Donald Hayes, WR, New England: Signed as a free agent in the offseason, Hayes brought some much-needed size to the wideout position for the Patriots, and it was generally accepted that he would be the No. 2 receiver alongside Troy Brown. However, a hamstring injury has limited his practice time, and Hayes remains behind David Patten on the depth chart.

Richard Harris is the Senior Writer and Managing Editor for FantasyFootballExperts.com. His weekly columns have appeared on either ESPN.com or USAToday.com over the past four years, and this season, he will be featured on CNNSI.com.. FantasyFootballExperts.com offers exclusive and in-depth articles, player rankings and cheat sheets for multiple scoring systems, injury updates, weekly matchup analysis, and other essentials for a fantasy football championship.

 

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