Worrying About Off-The-Field Issues?
May 24, 2008 at 6:13 am | Article by Paul Hickey |
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Bills second round WR James Hardy’s recent decision to pull a gun on his father during a recent visit home to Indiana has our readers questioning whether or not off-the-field issues seriously affect fantasy performance, how to analyze this situations and draft accordingly.
It’s true that some behavior is absolutely ridiculous and results in players risking suspension, or even losing roster spots, like Chris Henry (formerly of the Bengals) and Pacman Jones. But, does behavior like Travis Henry having several children with several various women around the United States really affect his play on the field?
Will Lofa Tatupu’s drunk driving incident, or Michael Boley’s domestic squabble make them less productive in the stat column? Heck, will his recent break-up with Jessica Simpson actually have some relevance for Tony Romo on the field?
“Character issues” didn’t stop Randy Moss from lighting up the stat sheet when he entered the league, and being a distraction, calling teammates names and pointing fingers has certaintly never slowed down Terrell Owens either.
Yet, so many players are under the microscope these days. We know every single thing these guys do, every move they make, and now fantasy owners are starting to look at this stuff as a real factor. I don’t blame them. Ricky Williams screwed people in 2004 and 2005, and Odell Thurman ticked off millions of IDP owners in 2006.
So, the issue is on the table folks. Should Hardy - a 6′6″, 220 pound specimen, who is the perfect fit for the Bills’ improving offense - a versatile guy who has clear cut WR1 potential in the long term - be knocked down several notches in fantasy rankings because of an argument with his father that involved a firearm? At first glance, maybe. But here’s the problem - what if the story is inaccurate? Look at Cedric Benson’s boating incident. As first reported, Benson was a villian. Then less than 48 hours later, he looked like an upstanding citizen who was a victim of police brutality. Need another example? Marvin Harrison. Is he a risk on the field now because someone was shot and killed near a nightclub he owns.
In other words, if we were to open up the door to analyzing and taking into account off-the-field issues when making fantasy projections, then where would we draw the line?
We have to analyze these things on a case-by-case basis. In Hardy’s case, he’s still innocent until proven guilty in our eyes and won’t be facing discipline from the league office. In other words, as weird as it sounds - there’s no need to dock him spots in your fantasy rankings for pulling a firearm on his father.
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