Projo Fantasy Sports Blog

By David Ferris

If you read every single news item from the NFL during the preseason, you'd never have time to eat, sleep, and shower. Here's a condensed version for you, all the info fantasy owners need to know on the cusp of the regular season.

The Jaguars finally cut the cord on QB Byron Leftwich, releasing him and anointing David Garrard the starter. Neither of these guys has shown much as a passer, but Garrard offers a little more fantasy value based given his running ability. In leagues that require two starters at the position, Garrard is worth considering as your second or third option on the depth chart. As for the Jacksonville wideouts, select them at your own risk - they weren't good plays with Leftwich, and things probably won't get any better with Garrard.

Raiders head coach Lane Kiffin says he's going to keep the identity of his starting QB a secret, but all the context clues point to Daunte Culpepper getting the job to open the season. This doesn't really make Culpepper a hot fantasy prospect, but it does upgrade the skill players in Oakland's offense - otherwise, this unit would be struggling along with Josh McCown. WR Ronald Curry should be able to build on his excellent finish to 2006, and RB LaMont Jordan figures to get off to a good start in the first month as the Raiders play a very favorable schedule (including Detroit and Cleveland the first two weeks).

It's still a messy backfield-by-committee in Carolina, where DeShaun Foster stays at the top of the depth chart ahead of DeAngelo Williams. No one seems to dispute that Williams is the more talented player here (and a much better receiver), but Foster has some points in his favor: he's a better fit for the zone-blocking scheme, and by default a better blocker (Williams really struggles in blitz pickup). Add it all up and there's not much to get excited about; Williams has been too costly in drafts this month to be any sort of value, and while Foster doesn't cost a lot in most leagues, he might not play enough to be worth starting on a consistent basis. It's also possible that someone else (perhaps journeyman Nick Goings) could get the goal-line work for the Panthers.

Mike Shanahan is known for pulling surprises in his backfield, and this year that surprise is named Selvin Young, an undrafted rookie who out of nowhere ascended to the No. 2 spot on the depth chart. Young still needs help to have any real fantasy value - Shanahan is committed to Travis Henry as the main guy here - but given the success of Denver's running game over the years, Young should be drafted in most medium and deep leagues.

While Houston's Jacoby Jones was probably the most exciting rookie receiver in August (scoring four touchdowns, two on punt returns), Green Bay's James Jones is another first-year player you should know. He'll open the year as the Packers No. 3 receiver, and some draft observers felt he had the best hands of anyone in April's pool (and yes, that includes Calvin Johnson).

Torry Holt's recovery from knee surgery has gone very slowly, and while the Rams don't expect him to miss any games, the club is resigned to the fact that this may an issue all season. As a result, Holt really can't be viewed as a first-tier receiving option in fantasy leagues, and he's someone I've avoided during the draft season. This isn't to suggest that Holt won't be productive, but there's far more risk here than normal.

Willis McGahee didn't get much blocking in his Buffalo days, and things don't look much different in Baltimore. OT Jon Ogden is at the end of his career and no longer a dominant path-clearer, and McGahee has looked sluggish for most of August. Temper expectations here.

Everyone forget this now, but Drew Brees played very poorly last summer as he slowly adjusted to Sean Payton's offense. This summer it's been exactly the opposite, as Brees has been letter-perfect (107.5 rating, 80 percent completions) and the Saints clearly have the most dynamic offense in the NFC. Reggie Bush also looks primed for a big year; he struggled adjusting to the pro game at the start of 2006, but he looked like a totally different runner in the second half.

Bears TE Desmond Clark looked undraftable a few weeks back, but he gets a respite now that rookie TE Greg Olsen is hurt. Say what you want about Chicago QB Rex Grossman, but he's always had a nice rapport with his tight ends, especially Clark.

Don't be surprised if Rudi Johnson gets a modest spike in his reception total. He's worked hard on that area over the last few months, and the Bengals say they can notice the improvement. This isn't going to turn Johnson into Reggie Bush overnight, but an extra 10-15 receptions could come out of this.

Charlie Frye will open the year as Cleveland's starting QB, then hand off to someone else - probably Brady Quinn - around Halloween. WR Braylon Edwards probably gets a kick forward with this news; he'd had decent rapport with Frye in the past, and ultimately Quinn will be an upgrade at the position.

Quick Hits: There's a solid possibility that Edgerrin James will lose some goal-line work to Marcel Shipp in Arizona . . . Willie Parker's full-time status in Pittsburgh doesn't look to be in jeopardy; Kevin Barlow and Verron Haynes didn't even make the club, and Najeh Davenport is an injury-prone backup . . . Maybe Randy McMichael will get a lot of work when the bell rings, but the St. Louis tight end didn't catch a pass in the preseason . . . If TE Bo Scaife doesn't lead Tennessee in receptions, I'll be very surprised. Scaife and Vince Young have always had a nice rapport, going back to their days together at Texas, and checkdowns will be very prominent in the Titans passing game this year . . . Terry Glenn is coming back slowly from his knee scope and might not be ready for the opening week. The Cowboys won't be hurt too much by this, as Patrick Crayton is a reliable No. 3 receiver . . . Reggie Brown might be Philadelphia's No. 1 receiver on paper, but he's not much better than Kevin Curtis, and Donovan McNabb is comfortable spreading the ball around in Andy Reid's offense. Brown also struggled with drops in the preseason . . . While Kevin Jones (foot) made it off the PUP list in Detroit, it doesn't mean he'll be ready to play anytime soon. Tatum Bell will get his shot to start, and do something in the opening few weeks . . . Eli Manning's fantasy stock has fallen considerably over the last year, but say this for him, he was sharp in August (107.1 rating, three touchdowns, no interceptions) . . . Seahawks WR Nate Burleson had a surprisingly decent camp, and while that still doesn't make him draft worthy in most leagues, it does chip away at D.J. Hackett's fantasy value . . . CFL veteran Kenton Keith won the Indianapolis lottery and will open the year as Joseph Addai's backup. More than anything, this underscores how important it is to the Colts that Addai doesn't get hurt . . . Forget about rookie QB JaMarcus Russell. Even if he were to sign tomorrow, he's not anywhere near ready to take a snap in the NFL. This winds up being a lost season for him, similar to what happened to Philip Rivers when he signed late with the Chargers back in 2004.

---