Ronnie, Deuce, WRs & IDPs Rising…
July 7, 2008 at 3:50 pm | Article by Paul Hickey |
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| Two of fantasy’s former stud running backs suffered absolutely devastating injuries last season, leaving their long term fantasy owners with an extremely tough decision to make. After Ronnie Brown and Deuce McAllister each had their 2007 season snatched away by ACL tears early in the year, many cut ties with them completely, while others decided to patiently wait it out and see what happens in 2008.
Among those that waited patiently were the men that run their actual franchises, Miami’s Bill Parcells and New Orleans’ Mickey Loomis. At this point, the actions of Parcells and Loomis bode well for the fantasy owners that have been patient and kept Brown and McAllister on their squads.
Rising - Ronnie Brown, Dolphins RB - Brown has made an appearance on our Stock Market Report already this off-season, and it wasn’t necessarily in a positive light. Up until recently, his knee injury has been a concern, and the recent jocking of 31 year old Ricky Williams by Parcells and Dolphins head coach Tony Sparano has many skeptical of a split carry situation in Miami. Fear not Brown owners, the 26 year old is nearing full health now, and should easily be at 100 percent by the start of training camp later this month. Many mocks and sites have him falling to rounds four through six. We think he’s an absolute steal in those rounds, and worthy of a round three selection in points per reception formats. As the season draws closer, he’s likely to start going earlier, so if you don’t draft until late, late August, you’ll likely have to invest more in him - hence the definition of a “rising star.”
Rising - Deuce McAllister, Saints RB - According to several sources close to the New Orleans Saints, 29 year old RB Deuce McAllister has looked great in pre-pad workouts this off-season, and many are anxious to see what he can do when the pads are on - starting at the end of this month. The fact that as of this writing no RBs have been added to the Saints roster bodes well for his owners, along with the high praise and votes of confidence he’s received from both Loomis and head coach Sean Payton this off-season. We see McAllister as a phenomenal late-round sleeper in seasonal formats.
Rising - Justin Durant, Jaguars LB - The second year LB from Hampton played a part time role in 13 games last season, racking up only 49 total tackles but showing immense potential. Heading into 2008, new defensive coordinator Gregg Williams is extremely high on this guy. Look for Durant to definitely earn the starting WLB gig next to Mike Peterson, and become a solid IDP force. Owners in leagues with Individual Defensive Players need to officially consider him “on the radar.” He could end up being the Week 1 or Week 2 waiver wire gem of the season.
Rising - Freddie Keiaho, Colts LB - We spoke very highly of Cato June’s replacement last year, but his sophomore 2007 season was peppered with nagging injuries. Head coach Tony Dungy has recently come out and said that the 5′11″ 226 pounder from San Diego State suffered from elbow issues last season that limited his play and effectiveness. I’ll tell you this though, Keiaho is one of the quickest players to the rock we’ve ever seen, and if he can stay healthy in 2008, he should be a tackle machine. Wow, that rhymed.
Rising - Bryant Johnson, 49ers WR - Who is Bryant Johnson? The guy that caught 40 or more passes in each of the past four seasons backing-up two of the games best WRs - Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin. Johnson even recorded more than 700 receiving yards and four TDs in 2006 when Fitzgerald missed extended time due to injury. He’s also a former first rounder, who happens to be a sexy size for an NFL receiver - 6′3″, 213. Oh yeah, and he’s Mike Martz’s number one pass catching target heading into 2008. Forget Isaac Bruce and Arnaz Battle - Johnson has shined in off-season workouts and should have no trouble running Martz’s routes. If you’re looking for the next late round WR to catch 80 passes, you’ve found him. For the record, we love Johnson in 2008, and he should be treated like a solid WR3 with a very high ceiling.
Rising - Vincent Jackson, Chargers WR - The 6′5″ fourth year man from Northern Colorado was expected to be a breakout star last season, but failed to make the grade - until late in the year that is. Jackson turned it on after defenses started paying more and more attention to Chris Chambers on the other side of the field. When Philip Rivers got his timing down with Chambers, a whole new world opened up for Jackson, as defenses then had to account for four weapons instead of two (Antonio Gates and LaDainian Tomlinson). Look for Jackson to be a very solid breakout WR candidate - similar to Johnson (above) - but be more valuable in non-PPR leagues due to his ability to get into the end zone. The bottom line is, he’s a guy that dynasty owners want to start treating as a potential future WR1.
Falling - Najeh Davenport, Free Agent RB - As if the RB market wasn’t crowded enough, with free agents Cedric Benson, Kevin Jones, Shaun Alexander, Ron Dayne and Travis Henry floating around without homes, the Steelers cut ties with Najeh Davenport. The Lions have been rumored to have interest, but the Cardinals have denied interested, and we’re starting to think that the 29 year old is completely worthless in all formats. Unless the Texans decide they like him, we’d lose his phone number.
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