Owners Need To Worry About Andre Johnson…
May 20, 2008 at 3:58 pm | Article by Paul Hickey |
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Monitoring injuries is one of the main subjects on the minds of fantasy owners this time of year. Many guys that finished with incomplete report cards last season are under the microscope heading into 2008. Fantasy owners want to know who will be a risk, and who will be a sure-fire reward. In this addition of the Stock Market Report, our latest outlook regarding two guys named Johnson may surprise you.
Rising - Larry Johnson, Chiefs RB -Early this week, there were conflicting reports regarding Johnson’s status. First, Chiefs coach Herm Edwards told the media that the team would “ease” Johnson into practices due to the fact that his foot had still not fully healed. At first, it looked like Johnson would not be a sure thing to return to full strength until the next couple weeks, giving a golden opportunity to rookie Jamaal Charles and second year man Kolby Smith. Then, the very next day, LJ participated in practice at 100 percent health. He came in and did everything that everyone else did, at 100 percent speed, and pain free. The soon to be 29 year old looks like he has one more solid statistical run in him after all. Expect to see his name move up our seasonal rankings as the season gets closer.
Falling - Andre Johnson, Texans WR -We’ve jocked this guy harder than just about any other fantasy outlet for the last two years. Unfortunately, the news about his recent knee scope is not good for his fantasy owners. The timetable for his recovery is awfully close to the start of training camp, but that’s not even the biggest issue here. The problem is that Johnson’s knee trouble is now a nagging, re-occurring thing. His owners need to hope and pray that he doesn’t become the next Javon Walker, or have a season like Marvin Harrison did last year. Johnson will produce when healthy, and if he’s on the field Week 1 then none of this even matters. The point is that now there is some concern when drafting the 6′4″ beast. We’ll keep you updated on his status, and move him down a few notches in our seasonal rankings.
Rising - Brandon Marshall, Broncos WR -As Johnson owners got hit with some bad news this week, Marshall owners breathed a bit of a sigh of relief. After early indications didn’t look great for Marshall being ready to go by training camp, head coach Mike Shanahan said the Broncos expect him to be ready to catch passes by June 22, and participate fully in training camp. We’re still a little concerned, but this is great news, and it looks like he’ll be a legit WR1 in 2008.
Falling - Travis Henry, Broncos RB -Rounding out our injury-related risers and fallers, Broncos 30 year old RB Travis Henry, who we’re told isn’t guaranteed a roster spot this off-season anyway, tweaked his hammy in practice on Friday and will miss at least a few days worth of reps, possibly more. Second year man Selvin Young takes over top billing for now - which doesn’t mean anything, but the early injury is a bad sign, and really hurts Henry’s chances of making an impact in 2008.
Falling - Odell Thurman, Bengals LB -Just a few days after being reinstated following a two year long suspension, Bengals MLB Odell Thurman appeared ready to compete for a starting role at one of fantasy football’s elite positions. Then, he was released by the team. Apparently, Cincy was fed up with his shenanigans, and showed him the door once and for all. We expect somebody to snag him, as he has a ton of talent, and a lot of football left in him.
Rising - Dhani Jones, Bengals LB -Well, when one man falls, usually another rises, and the beneficiary of Thurman’s descent is free agent acquisition Dhani Jones, who will reportedly move over to the MLB spot. If Jones can stay healthy and play MLB all year, he will be fantasy worthy. If he gets shifted around to WLB or SLB, don’t consider him a fantasy option.
Rising - Scott Shanle, Saints WLB -Who? Exactly. The six-year veteran hasn’t started an NFL game, but will reportedly take over the starting WLB spot in New Orleans from the recently retired Dan Morgan. Shanle will play behind a greatly improved defensive line, and next to Jonathan Vilma - our 2008 comeback fantasy player of the year - giving him a solid chance to make a name for himself in deep leagues.
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