Experts Draft: Marvin Falls To Round 6
June 20, 2008 at 7:18 am | Article by Paul Hickey |
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One of the biggest questions on the minds of fantasy owners this off-season should honestly be - "when do I swoop in and take Marvin Harrison?" One of the best WRs in recent memory should be available at an all time low price this off-season, after a 2007 campaign riddled with injuries and a 2008 off-season full of off-the-field drama. Still, the 35 year old is a competitor, and will be back to reclaim his spot in fantasy starting line-ups in 2008.
6.1 - 61st overall - ProFootballWeekly.com - Hines Ward, Pittsburgh WR - We like Ward. He’s a freaking hard-nosed gamer who plays through injuries. But if you’re drafting him in the sixth round as your WR1 or WR2, you’re probably not on your way to a championship. Ward is a solid WR3 in points per reception leagues that require three starters at WR. He’ll be a solid possession man in Bruce Arians’ attack but will lose big plays to Santonio Holmes, Limas Sweed, Heath Miller and even Rashard Mendenhall.
6.2 - 62nd overall - FantasyFootballTrader.com - Kevin Smith, Lions RB - Smith is a great gamble here, due to his high PO. The reward far out weighs the risk, as he’s expected to start as a rookie in Jim Colletto’s run friendly offense. We don’t buy into the critics’ argument that he had 450 carries last season in college. Who cares? He’s only 22 years old for crying out loud. He’s a producer who should be monitored closely, and as the season approaches he could go as early as round four.
6.3 - 63rd overall - Fanball.com - Marvin Harrison, Colts WR - Here it is. Harrison has been the perfect fantasy weapon his entire career other than one blemish - a burst bursa sac last season. The injury kept him from making an impact at all in fantasy football, and has cast some doubt on what his performance level will be for the remainder of his career. We’re believers that he’s a great value here. Look, if he returns to full health, the guy is a fantasy WR1. You can’t get fantasy WR1s in the sixth round of drafts that require three starters at WR. Although, because there’s a slight chance he won’t be healthy, he’s easily the top "X-Factor" in fantasy football this season .
6.4 - 64th overall - USA Today - Kevin Curtis, Eagles WR - Curtis had his best season as a pro in 2007 in Philly, hauling in 77 balls for 1,100 yards and six TDs. The only problem was that 200 of those yards and three of those TDs came in one single game against the lowly Lions. Sorry peeps, but Curtis doesn’t do it for us at all this season, let alone as a sixth round pick.
6.5 - 65th overall - Athlon Sports - Fred Taylor, Jaguars RB - The 32 year old Taylor thinks he can come back and have another solid season, but we say this is the year that Maurice Jones-Drew really starts to cut into his workload and take over as Jacksonville’s featured back. We’re not crazy about this pick.
6.6 - 66th overall - No-Offseason.com - Matt Forte, Bears RB - Forte was a steal here, folks. He will start for Chicago as a rookie, and he has amazing size, speed, and receiving skills out of the backfield. The Bears are confident enough in him not to bring in a veteran running back to replace Cedric Benson. In other words, Forte is their guy. Expect him to easily get 300 touches and become the focal point of the Bears offense. Forte will not be available in the sixth round of drafts taking place in late August. Early drafters can beat the hype, however, and steal a gem.
6.7 - 67th overall - Rotoworld.com - Santana Moss, Redskins WR - With more consistent guys available like Green Bay’s Donald Driver, this pick definitely surprised us, especially since Moss hasn’t been able to stay on the field since 2005. It’s true that new head coach Jim Zorn wants to use three and four WR sets often and sling the rock, which would seem good for Moss, but what Zorn wants , and what QB Jason Campbell will be able to deliver , could be two drastically different things. In other words, don’t count on Moss as an every-week fantasy starter in 2008.
6.8 - 68th overall - FantasyGuru.com - Felix Jones, Cowboys RB - The more we look into the Cowboys’ situation, the more we like Felix Jones in points per reception leagues. He will absolutely find his way onto the field in one of the NFL’s most highly powered offenses. OC Jason Garrett is likely to spread Jones out wide often, and get him 10-12 actual carries to keep Marion Barber fresh. Like T.O. said last year - "get’cha popcorn ready," because Dallas will be putting up some huge point totals in 2008, and Jones could be fantasy worthy as a flex option in deep leagues because of it.
6.9 - 69th overall - CBSSports.com - Rudi Johnson, Bengals RB - As much as we don’t like Rudi at all anymore, the fact that he slipped into the sixth round really surprises us. He reportedly looked sleek and fast in Bengals mini-camp recently, and should enter the season as Cincy’s starter. He’s a liability as an RB2 in points per reception leagues, but could bounce back and contribute in deep non-PPR formats.
6.10 - 70th overall - FantasyPlaymakers.com - Tony Gonzalez, Chiefs TE - The 32 year old Gonzo is a great value here. He’s had a great attitude this off-season and is expected to be a true leader for the Chiefs in 2008, helping young QB Brodie Croyle to develop. The presence of rookie OT Branden Albert should help everyone, including Gonzo, and if WRs Dwayne Bowe and Will Franklin can stretch the field and Larry Johnson can stay healthy, the veteran TE could be in for his best fantasy season yet. At the end of the sixth round, he’s a heck of a value.
6.11 - 71st overall - FFIndepth.com - Dallas Clark, Colts TE - Clark is a versatile player who the Colts really started to feature in 2007. He led all TEs with 11 TD catches, as Peyton Manning trusted him as much as he did any other player on the Colts squad. The injury to Marvin Harrison likely inflated Clark’s numbers, but due to the fact that he’ll be on the field all the time for the Colts, he’ll still be guaranteed to have five or six huge games. He’s a TE1 in leagues with 12 or more owners.
6.12 - 72nd overall - The Huddle - Nate Burleson, Seahawks WR - We like Burleson as much as any other fantasy outlet out there, but this is way too early for him. He had 11 TDs last season, and is primed to be Seattle’s number two pass catcher all year in 2008, but The Huddle could’ve taken one of several other players with more perceived "value" than Burleson, then still snagged him a round or two later. That, my friends is a very important draft strategy.
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