Schaub, Utecht Rising; Henry, White Falling…

April 4, 2008 at 4:36 pm | Article by Paul Hickey |

With free agency pretty much at a stand still for about the last few weeks, the No-Offseason.com Stock Market Report has slowed down a bit. The good news is that it will definitely pick up steam following the NFL Draft at the end of this month. But for now, we’ll monitor a few more of the players who are experiencing a slight rise or fall in value.

Rising - Matt Schaub, Texans QB -Most people don’t realize this, but Matt Schaub was on pace for a 4,400 yard season last year had he not missed eight games due to injuries. Schaub has participated in Houston’s voluntary offseason conditioning workouts after recovering from shoulder surgery in early January. He’s likely to be completely recovered by training camp, and could be a sleeper fantasy stud if healthy by August. Alex Gibbs and Gary Kubiak’s offense is ready to be the perfect mix of pounding the rock and airing it out. If Andre Johnson can stay healthy for 16 games, there’s no reason why Schaub can’t be a starter in 12 team leagues.

Rising - Ben Utecht, Bengals TE -The 26 year old Utecht signed an offer sheet with the Bengals this offseason that the Colts couldn’t match. Believe me, Bill Polian wanted this kid back, but it just wasn’t in the cards. Cincy hasn’t really featured the tight end as a pass catcher, but that could all change this season, especially with Chris Henry gone. Utecht is familiar with trying to fit into an explosive offense, having quietly hauled in 68 balls over the last two seasons. He’s definitely someone to monitor, especially in deep leagues and dynasty formats.

Falling - Chris Henry, Free Agent WR - By now, you all know what happened here. How can you piss away such a promising career by acting out so many times? This is freaking ridiculous. Henry does not deserve to ever be let back into the league again, and even if he is for some strange reason, nobody - okay, maybe the Raiders - will actually take a shot at letting him on their roster. The kid sadly has absolutely no more value in even the deepest of leagues.

Falling - LenDale White, Titans RB - This is a shame. After such a promising season in 2007, LenDale White is in legal trouble after acting out in public in Denver last month. He has a hearing coming up on May 1, and very well could face a four game suspension from the NFL. His keeper and dynasty owners should also be weary of the fact that it was likely Tennessee’s offense - not necessarily White’s skills - that allowed him to be such a threat in 2007. Another young man named Chris Henry could step in and play a larger role than White this year. Beware.