8.01 QB Kordell Stewart
By David Dodds of Footballguys.com
In the last half of the 2001 season, QB Kordell
Stewart was a monster.
From weeks 10-16 (Discounting week 17 since he only played
the first half), Kordell put up the following numbers:
7 games played
1,701 passing yards
11 passing TDs
226 rushing yards
3 rushing TDs
That's averaging 275 total yards and 2 TDs per game!
In the eighth round (and the 14th QB selected), this is as
much value as is possible.
Of course, Kordell is a boom/bust player. On any given
week he is likely to either be a top 3 QB or not in the top
20. This is exactly the kind of player I like to draft
in this format since I do not have to choose the weeks he
will be huge.
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8.01 QB Kordell Stewart
By Guest Gordon Robinswood
It is hard to disagree with this pick. QB Kordell Stewart
has matured into a fine - and still very dangerous - NFL QB.
He's only 29 years old and may have some of his best years
ahead of him.
Last year he completed 60% of his passes for over 3100 yards
and 14 TDs. Add in 537 yards rushing and 5 more scores
and you have a good solid season. (In fact: this past season
wasn't far off Kordell's "stunning" '97 season
when he threw for 3020 y and 21 TDs and ran 476 y and 11 TDs?)
I expect that with Bettis aging and the Steeler O line (and
D?) in decline, we may see Cowher and Mularkey cut Stewart
loose, so his numbers may be even better this year.
Kordell is certainly more comfortable now in his 7th season
and has two good young wide receivers in Hines Ward and
Plaxico Burress who are both improving. (I also think
that the Pittsburgh fans are going to love Randal El - who
will be an excellent possession receiver that will make the
big catches AND he will enable the Steelers to try out a
number of trick plays!)
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8.02
WR Qadry Ismail
By Tony Holm of The
Prognosticator
For some odd reason many of the
Internet sites are reporting Reggie Wayne is the #2 guy in
Indianapolis and not Qadry Ismail which I think added just
enough doubt for him to slide to me here. ESPN reports
Ismail as the #2 with the Colts hoping Reggie Wayne can
elevate his game to be a productive #3. That's exactly
the way I reasoned the situation out as it makes all the
sense in the world to have a speed guy like Ismail opposite
Harrison while Wayne continues to develop as the #3.
Qadry Ismail moves from the #1 WR on a bad offense, to the
#2 WR on the best offense in the AFC, with the best QB in
the AFC leading the way. Now THAT is fantasy love.
The Colts, due to their lack of WR depth last year, used the
standard NFL 2 WR set as their base offensive scheme.
This season, with the addition of Qadry Ismail, they're
moving to a 3 WR set as their base offense. This
translates to a lot of opportunity.
Qadry Ismail is the first true explosive speed WR Peyton
Manning has had at #2 and makes an ideal WR in this offense.
When teams double Marvin Harrison, Ismail will have single
coverage streaking down the sideline and this season, the QB
can hit him in stride.
I'd be legitimately surprised if Qadry Ismail doesn't at
least match his 1,030 yards and 7 TDs last season. In
fact, I expect a lot more with some big games to boot.
Qadry Ismail has the opportunity to be one of the most
explosive players in the game and because of it, makes an
ideal FAD player.
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8.02 WR Qadry Ismail
By Guest Gus Elmashni
What another awesome pick by Holm! I believe that he has
drafted the best team so far. Besides for having 3 RBs with tremendous upside
and a Pro Bowl QB and TE, Holm made a great addition to his WR corps.
Ismail may not be a top ten WR but he is definitely worth a few starts. There
are so many wonderful things to say about Ismail being your 3rd WR. He
plays in a great
offense where hardly as much pressure will be placed on him
as there was in
Baltimore. His speed will be a huge asset since he'll be
playing the
majority of his games on turf. He is an experienced WR and
serves as a
great possession WR for Indy. Also Indy plays in a fairly
weak division
with teams having porous pass defenses.
Of course WR Qadry Ismail will probably be the 4th TD option for the
Colts after
James/Rhodes, Harrison, and Pollard. But considering that
Manning is
capable of throwing over 30 TDs there should be about 7-8
TDs coming
Ismail's way.
Ismail should have no trouble surpassing 1,000
yards. Indy
proved last year that they could take advantage of a solid
#2 WR if he was
ready to step up to the plate. Look at Jerome Pathon's
numbers last year.
For only 4 games played (only 3 of those were starts) Pathon
had 330 yards
and 2 TDs. Thus Pathon was on pace to catch for over 1300
yards and close
to 10 TDs. I see similar potential in Ismail. I cannot wait
to see what
awesome pick Holm makes next!
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8.03 WR
Hines Ward
By Duane Cahill of Pitt
Tribune-Review
I typically lay off Steelers players if I can, simply
because I worry that I'm making a homer pick. I'm
convinced here that this is not the case.
Consider 2 players:
Player A caught 66 passes for 1008 yards and 6 TDs.
Player B caught 94 passes for 1003 yards and 4 TDs.
Each player plays for the same coach as he did last year.
Each plays for the same offensive coordinator as he did last
year. Each has the same quarterback throwing to him as
he did last year. Each player will perform in the same
role in his offense as he did last year.
Do Player B's 28 extra catches make up for the fact that he
caught two less touchdowns? If you think so (and I do)
then you select Player B here. WR Hines Ward is Player
B.
Ward will continue to be WR #1A in the Steelers offense.
Even with Plaxico Burress' maturity, Kordell Stewart still
looks to Ward when he's in trouble. Ward is the guy
who has Stewart's confidence because Ward catches most every
catchable ball that is thrown his way.
Hines Ward is certainly a top-30 fantasy receiver (not bad
when the NFL has 32 teams). Adding him to the stable
as my WR4 makes me feel very comfortable at the wideout
position.
Oh, and who is "Player A"? None other than
Burress, who was selected three rounds ago. Ward is a
great value here.
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8.03 WR Hines Ward
By Guest
With this pick, Duane acquired both dependability and consistency.
WR Hines Ward is a durable player, who, with the emergence
of running mate Plaxico Burress may be targeted a bit less
than last year (94 receptions) but should be producing good
yardage each game and maybe even pick up an extra score or
two for the same reason (4 TDs in '01).
Ward is a great addition to this WR stable that already
consists of Rod Gardner, Terry Glenn, and Joe Horn. In
many cases, one might be considering a possible second QB or
#1 tight end here; but Hines Ward being available at 8.03
could be very savvy by drafts' end.
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8.04
RB Ron Dayne
By Greg Kellogg of Komments
Since being drafted 11th overall in 2000, RB Ron Dayne has struggled to live up to
expectations. He has never averaged 4.0 YPC nor has he
topped 10 TDs.
Part of the reason for this is because he shares the ball
with Tiki Barber, a much more explosive back who also
catches the ball well.
Last season, Dayne improved on two critical areas of his
game - his YPC average increased by nearly a half a yard
(3.4 to 3.8) and he increased his TDs from five to seven.
Of all the backs left, Dayne is the only one sure to see the
ball a significant number of times this season.
As an ineffective rookie, Giant's Coach Jim Fassel force fed
him the rock 228 times. Last year he got it 180 times.
If Barber comes back healthy it will only help Dayne in that
more drives will be sustained and there will be more red
zone opportunities.
And we all know Fassel will go to Dayne inside the 10 - in
fact, during the 2000 season Dayne got the ball 25 times
inside the 10 to Barber's 12. I am looking for TDs
here, not yardage so Dayne fits the bill perfectly.
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8.04 RB Ron Dayne
By Guest Victor Smith
Extolling the virtues of Ron Dayne is akin to praising the
Orchestra on
the Titanic. Praising his improvement is akin to
saying that, at least,
Mussolini made the trains run on time. If a running back who
is being
drafted solely to score touchdowns he needs to be on a team
that will score. The Giants won't. In addition, he needs to be a
designated scorer. Dayne
isn't. Barber had 4 touchdowns and 12 goal line opportunities. Dayne had
less than twice as many touchdowns (7) on over twice the
number of
opportunities. An insignificant difference. Dayne's
"improvement" was an
additional 2 scores.
The Giants play in the NFC East, a division that has always
been noted for
"down your throat" running games. The
defenses in the east may prove to be
the most improved in the NFL, with surprising Dallas
strengthening it's
already strong defense, the again strong Eagles (despite
Trotter leaving),
and Washington has upgraded the defense around Arrington
(including the
arrival of Trotter) while the offense gets in gear.
It's going to be tough
to run in the East without the threat of a passing game.
The Giants passing
offense, to put it mildly, will struggle. None of
which causes one to
believe the Giants' offense will be productive. The
Giants are going to
have difficulty just getting TO the 10 yard line, much less
scoring from
there.
There is an object lesson in Kellogg's draft; if you are
going to take a strategy with risk, don't flinch. Kellogg
has taken huge risks in his first three picks, in taking
Owens, Moss and Gonzalez, leaving him outside the top RBs
and QBs. The point at this stage of the draft is to
take players with upside. Dayne has no upside, unless
Barber is injured. There was at least one other RBs with similar credentials and a higher upsides available.
Wheatley would have been a viable alternative here.
Although Wheatley sank to 5 TDs and 276 yards on only 88
carries in 2001, he had over 900 yards in the previous two
years and 8 TDs in 1999 and 9 in 200. Numbers Dayne has
never reached. With the style of play in the AFC West,
and Gruden gone from
Oakland, it wouldn't be a stretch to see Wheatley approach
those numbers again, and Garner is always an injury risk.
Dayne is a "safe" pick, in the midst of a risky
draft strategy.
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8.05 QB Tom Brady
By Carlos Panizo of STATS,
Inc.
and Chris Rito of FF
Mastermind
Let's face it, QB Tom Brady isn't a sexy pick here
but whenever we are looking for a back up QB we want to know
that we're getting one that we can count on to be starting
on my starter's bye week as well as any other given week of
the season when I might need him due to injury.
We definitely want a QB that isn't likely to be ousted out
of a starting job at some point during the season. While
there are no guarantees on that with anyone short of Favre,
you kind of have to like Brady's chances! It should also be
noted that this is right around the time we like to look for
back up QBs. Very few teams have a backup at this point and
I don't want to be on the tail end of a QB run later on.
We would say you could do a lot worse with your 8th round
pick than getting a Super Bowl winning QB that should net
you around 3000 yards passing and 20 TDs.
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8.05 QB Tom Brady
By Guest Andrew Brecher
Drafting the Super Bowl MVP in round 8. Can anyone go
wrong with that?
Well, yes and no. Tom Brady is a fine QB and quite
worthy of being the 15th QB selected. But with a
starter in Peyton Manning, as durable and consistent as any
QB in the league, Rito/Panizo could have afforded to wait
another round for a second QB. Or, considering the FAD
"best ball" scoring, a QB like Plummer or Dilfer
with a higher potential but higher risk might have been a
better option strategically.
That said, Tom Brady should be an excellent backup QB in any
redraft league. In his first year as starter, he
demonstrated the kind of intangibles that some QBs never
grasp -- poise, quick decision-making, comfort in the
system. Some people say that Brady will do worse now
that defenses have "figured out" how to deal with
him, but I disagree completely. It is Brady who will
get better as he learns more about pro defensive schemes.
For a bright young QB like Brady, the sky's the limit.
Brady played a very conservative passing game last year, but
with the addition of WR Hayes and Brady's ascent up the
learning curve, don't be surprised to see Offensive
Coordinate Charlie Weis and Coach
Belichick take the training wheels off. Brady's
experience level and supporting cast aren't good enough to
propel him into the top ten among QBs, but considering the
success he had in his very first year, Brady should have a
fine season.
8.05 QB Tom Brady
By Guest Louie Genard of Dr.
Football
I like QB Tom Brady at this spot. How often can you draft a
winning Super Bowl QB in the 8th round? He is not # 1 QB
material, but he may fill in nicely with some big numbers as
he did in 2001 vs. the Saints & Falcons.
We discovered that Manning can have some off weeks. If the
Fantasy gods are smiling on Panizo & Rito, Brady may
have his big weeks when Manning lays an egg. The safe pick
would have been a WR, but the 8th Rd. is a good time to
gamble on those sleeper picks. There are still a lot of WRs
on the board to complement Harrison & Conway. I do like
this pick.
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8.06 WR Derrick Alexander
By John Hansen of The
Guru Report
I really, really wanted Qadry
Ismail here but it was not to be. I've played things
relatively safe in this draft so it's time to take a chance
on someone.
All indications are WR Derrick Alexander is headed to the
Vikings, although it may only be a 50/50 chance in actuality
as of today. He's a big risk at this second, but if he
doesn't go the Vikings, he'll some *somewhere* so he's got
some value regardless.
Of course, I'm betting and hoping he goes to the Vikings
because if he does he'll step in as the #2 WR and should
flourish alongside Randy Moss and with Daunte Culpepper
throwing him the ball. It's hard to expect
week-in-week-out production from him, but if he's starting
for Minnesota, he'll have a few huge games and could very
well surprise with 1000+ yards and 7-8 TDs.
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8.06 WR Derrick Alexander
By MB Martin
I think WR Derrick Alexander was a pretty solid pick up at
this point in the draft. In the 4 of the past 5 seasons, he's
gained 1,000+ yards. Yet, he hasn't
found the end zone that much. Alexander is a pretty consistent WR who runs good routes
and has a knack for getting open. Keep in mind that he
has put up some decent stats even though he's had very
average to horrible QBs throwing the ball to him. If
he winds up with a team that has a solid QB and a really
good # 1 WR, Alexander could become a very lethal # 2 WR and
add some more TDs to his annual 1,000 yds.
He'll have a few big games this year and score some points
for Hansen's team. Overall, a good pick up for this
team.
8.06 WR Derrick Alexander
By Mike Murray of Komments.com
This may prove to be the steal of the draft. When Derrick
Alexander signed with Minnesota, his value jumped
considerably.
This pick was made before Alexander signed, so it was a bit
risky at the time. However, the risk paid off in a big way.
I could easily see Alexander hitting 1,000 yards and 8-10
TDs. A very nice value pick so late in the draft!
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8.07 Tyrone
Wheatley
By Jerome Hickerson of TalkFootball.com
Ok, so
it's the 8th round and I'm looking for a #4 RB. There
aren't any safe bets, so I look for a guy who has shown
some evidence (the 2000 season) of being able to produce.
I also look for a guy who may have had some sort of a
change (in this case, a coaching change) that might cause
an improvement in production.
Baring
injury, Wheatley's numbers will only go up. Wheatley
ranked #43 last season by our scoring rules. With the
coaching change, I'm betting that his numbers increase,
making him a good value for an 8th round #4 RB selection.
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8.07 RB Tyrone Wheatley
By Guest Rod Brehm of
Trade Rumors Fantasy Sports
Looking at RB Tyrone Wheatley's rushing stats from last year
(88 carries, 276 yards), some may wonder why he'd even be
drafted. But, a closer look shows that he did manage
to score 6 TDs, and is just 1 year removed from a 1,000 yard
season (1,046 yards in 2000).
The departure of Jon Gruden brings a change in offensive
philosophy. New head coach Bill Callahan is determined
to re-establish the running game in Oakland, and Wheatley's
numbers should see a direct benefit from that. Expect
the Raiders to use Charlie Garner outside the tackles and in
the short passing game, while Tyrone will pound inside and
see the bulk of goal line carries. As always, a word
of caution for potential owners, Tyrone has been known to
get bit by the injury bug ever since his days at Michigan,
so draft with caution.
Another 1,000 yard season may be out of reach, but 600+
yards and 8-10 TDs isn't out of the question.
8.07 RB Tyrone Wheatley
By Andrew Hecox
Pre-season pledges must be taken with a grain of salt, but
if new Raiders coach Bill Calhahan follows through on his
words, this might have been the draft's best value so far.
The 'Men In Black' have promised to rely more heavily on
Tyrone Wheatley than previous coach Jon Gruden did.
With Charlie Garner around you know that Wheatley won't get
an overwhelming number of carries nor catch many passes but
he will get a lot of touchdowns. Even in last season's
disastrous campaign (where he only rushed for 276 yards) he
pounded in five scores.
Before last season's injury problems, Wheatley had averaged
990 yards and 9 touchdowns as a Raider. Look for him
to approach those numbers and maybe even add a few more TDs.
Although his total yardage (rushing yards + receiving yards)
probably won't break 1200, I expect at least 12 total
scores.
In the eighth round of an expert's draft, you just can't ask
for much more.
8.07 RB Tyrone Wheatley
By Guest Becky Ardiff of Chicks
On Football
I believe this is a reasonable time for RB Tyrone Wheatley
to be selected. If he gets close to his 2000 numbers of 1046
rushing yards and ten total touchdowns he will be a steal.
Although I do not see him matching those numbers, he should
easily increase his stats from last season.
Last season it was not just Wheatley that failed. The entire
running game flopped. Coach Callahan is emphasizing more of
a power running game, which means more carries for Wheatley.
He has also fortified the offensive line by adding Tom
Ackermann and Brad Badger to the mix.
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8.08 QB
Jake Plummer
By Chris Dolfi of FanEx
After waiting so long to take my first QB, and
grabbing one with little NFL experience, I wanted to make
sure I grabbed one of the better remaining QBs on the board
for as my #2 QB. And although several names were on my
list, I settled on Jake "The Snake" for a few
reasons.
Jake Plummer plays on a team that has frequently had to rely
on his arm to get them back in games, giving Jake plenty of
opportunities. He's also coupled with one of the NFL's
prime-time receivers, David Boston, which should mean good
yardage and TD chances (as it did last year). I think
Plummer is likely to repeat a 3000+ yard season again in
2002, with many of the same cast surrounding him.
Plummer is also coming off his first season in which he
actually threw for more TDs than interceptions, and while
that doesn't matter too much in this scoring system, it does
show me that Plummer is maturing into a veteran NFL QB who
is well aware of what is going on around him.
But the biggest reason I felt Plummer would be a tremendous
fit for my team at this point in the draft is his
consistency. I won't lie to you and say that Plummer
is a guy I'd want starting for me every week. However,
he only failed to score at least one TD in three of his
games last season, and with a relatively-untested Michael
Vick as my other QB, I wanted that guaranteed TD per week as
insurance.
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8.08 QB Jake Plummer
By Guest Lee Hauenstein
[Edited by
webmaster due to roster info error.]
Selecting QB Jake Plummer to me is there is just too much of
a down side. First of all Plummer is playing for a new offensive
coordinator, and secondly the new offense that is
being installed is a run-oriented offense. Also, add to the
mix that the Cards play a very improved Rams defense twice,
a good Seahawks defense twice, plus Charles Woodson and the
Raiders, and a road game just after Christmas at Denver. I
feel this is too risky a pick with a QB available that will
be more consistent (Brunell and others).
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8.09 QB Jay Fielder
By David Dodds of Footballguys.com
As this pick approached I looked
hard at the QBs that were still on the board. Plummer,
Fiedler, Couch and Dilfer to be specific. Plummer
ended up getting picked in the slot before me, but I had
already settled on... QB Jay Fiedler.
Jay had a great 2001 season passing for 3,292 yards and 20
TDs. He also ran for another 322 carries and an
additional 5 TDs.
The FanEx FAD draft loves players like Jay Fiedler, because
the owner does not have to figure out when he might have a
big game. Just like my pick earlier in this round
(Kordell Stewart), I get a QB that likely would be very hard
to predict each week, but I don't need to.
For giggles I looked at what a combined Kordell Stewart +
Jay Fiedler would have looked like last year (assumed FanEx
rules that gave me the better performance each week)
The result was spectacular:
3,644 passing yards
24 passing TDs
451 rushing yards
9 rushing TDs
And.. the fact that I was able to get both of these
players in the eighth round allowed me to add great players
at RB and WR early.
Fiedler, just like Kordell earlier, may not be the flashiest
of picks. But together they should provide great punch
for minimal value.
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8.09 QB Jay Fielder
By Guest Terry Martin
QB Jay Fielder as the selection surprised me. Sure, I knew
who he was and am familiar that he's be a likely QB2 for
someone. But.. but.. but.. he does not seem to be much of a
fantasy passer. I think matching his 3000/20 production will
be difficult for the Dolphin. I like the idea of securing a
reasonable QB2. It seems a now-or-never chance to get a
Testaverde-Couch-
Fielder type player, but perhaps a TE1 or WR would have been
better use of the pick.
8.09 QB Jay Fielder
By Guest Tom Walls
With this pick, Team Dodds complete the Running Quarterback
Exacta with 'Crazy Legs' Fiedler. I am not a big Fiedler
fan, and would not want him as my starting quarterback. That
said, this is a very good pick here.
Looking at Mr. Dodds'
own website, Footballguys.
com, you will see that Fiedler was
the #9 fantasy scoring QB last year, using their scoring
system. (You will also see that Culpepper was #17-boy, that
was a surprise). I don't feel that
Fiedler will get as many rushing TDs with Ricky Williams in
town, but his passing TDs may see a small up-tick.
Jay Fiedler has an emerging WR as a threat in Chambers, and
CryBaby Jed Weaver (after being cut by the Eagles, Weaver
cried about how complicated the
Eagles offense was) as a serviceable TE. I don't really like
the other WR options on the Dolphins, McKnight is a hit or
miss guy, I feel; although he has good TV Detective name
("You've poked your nose in my business one too many
times, McKnight!"). Gadsden is good around the goal
line, though: but still, this is a very average crew below
Chambers.
With Kordell as this team's other QB, getting a more
'stable' QB here is a very good move. Team Dolfi did much
the same thing with the Plummer pick. I would have chosen
Couch here instead, but maybe Dodds felt that Fiedler was
more of a sure thing. With the best player automatically
starting each week, I have a feeling that Fiedler will be
this team's starter many more weeks than Kordell. This pick
addresses this teams most pressing need at this point. If
the other QB had been anyone except Kordell Stewart, it
might have
been best for Dodds to get one of the few 2nd tiers
TEs still left on the board, but that wasn't the case.
Getting a QB with this pick was the right way to go, and
Fiedler was probably the most logical choice. Good pick.
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8.10
QB Kerry Collins
By William Del Pilar | Ryan
Bonini of KFFL
Can you get a more boring pick? No; but then again, we're
not necessarily trying to excite anyone except ourselves at
the end of the season (okay, that sounds strange but control
your thoughts). Collins' returns to the KFFL squad, and is
once again viewed as a backup this year as he was last year
(behind QB Jeff Garcia).
Many may not realize that Collins was right outside the top
10 rated QBs in the FanEx FAD in 2001 and was in the top 8
in 2000. What we like about Collins is that he's in a
contract year and because of the 2000 season we feel he
still has upside despite inconsistent play in 2001. The
knocks and what may have caused him to drop in the draft:
2001 saw a drop from 23 TDs in 2000 to 19 in 2001. His
yardage increased from 3,610 in 2000 to 3,770 in 2001
(minimal). His attempts went from 529 in 2000 to 568 in 2001
but his yards per attempt remained paltry and worsened; 6.82
in 2000 to 6.63 in 2001. In essence, he did not show any
improvement and in fact began to lose the confidence of the
staff and even some players. Why did we take him? As
originally stated, he's in a contract year, has no one to
challenge him for the starting job and has a solid
surrounding cast.
To top it off and make matters worse for himself, he had the
audacity to ask for a $100 million contract. The team
obviously laughed this one off and in essence told his agent
not to bother submitting a contract and they would evaluate
him after this upcoming season. So, he's playing for a new
contract. While there remains a chance he could get a new
deal before the season begins, it looks unlikely due to the
Giants' cap problems.
Collins' WR corp. should also be stronger as Ike Hilliard is
still struggling with his toe at times but is also in a
contract year and the team has added rookie TE Jeremy
Shockey to help with the mid-range passing game. We're
doubtful he'll make a huge impact but the presence of
another pass-receiver, especially at the TE position, can
only help Collins. Furthermore, Collins has another safety
valve in RB Tiki Barber, who often is involved in the
passing game. That's the supporting cast upside.
Why did we take him? Our squad is rounding out nicely and we
had two players pegged this round; TE Byron Chamberlain and
QB Kerry Collins. We did not expect Chamberlain to go before
our next pick (four picks from the 8:10 pick) but weren't
sure about Collins Our current starter, Rich Gannon, is
36-years old and entering his 14th season in the league.
Since we can't make any moves once the draft is over, we
felt securing the pick just in case, was key towards a
fantasy championship run. Unlike other situations, we don't
hope to have one big week from Collins and another from
Gannon. We expect Gannon to put up the better points week-in
and week-out. However, Collins has the potential to make
sure the points continue if he goes down with minimal loss
in value and the upside he has to show itself with better
numbers from last year. We're not looking for miracles with
this pick, merely someone to not drop the ball. Some other
QBs that were on the list but were never truly considered:
-- Mark Brunell: Minimal upside. What you've seen the
last few years is what you're going to get. We also felt
with the loss of Keenan McCardell and a questionable
offensive line, Brunell has a good chance of not seeing the
field for a full 16 games.
-- Tim Couch, Cleveland Browns: Actually, we
considered Couch strongly, but we liked Collins and
Hilliard's contract years and the fact the Giants offense is
arguably better than the Browns.
-- Vinny Testaverde, NY Jets: We've never cared for
Testaverde's inconsistency and high interception count and
never considered him. Also, if the team does not compete
this year -- defensive losses has hurt this team -- you
could see Chad Pennington.
-- Jim Miller, Chicago Bears: Like Brunell, he's
simply not a great fantasy QB and is susceptible to injury
as well. There's always the chance if he gets hurt and
backup Chris Chandler performs well, Miller could remain on
the bench.
Why didn't we take another position? We felt we could hold
off on the WR position at least one more round but we'll
evaluate who is available with our next pick as we have done
the last few rounds. Overall, we're not thrilled about the
pick because no one truly excited us and we did try to trade
down with no luck. However, after we began to break it down,
we felt fortunate to still see Collins on the board and knew
he would not last past the 9th round. Though many may
question it, we like his upside and look for a bit more
consistency from him this year.
[Drafter Note:
Hindsight is 20/20 as Chamberlain immediately went after we
took Collins. However, we're not too disappointed. We merely
wanted insurance at the QB position and got it.]
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8.10 QB Kerry Collins
By Guest Dan Jiacopello
An above average QB, should be right around the top 10-13
area. Not a bad pick, but no upside at all. I
really don't get the Giants. They have some receivers that are really talented but they just don't use them
correcting, don't spread the ball around or let them go on
free agency. I don't know what direction this Giants
team is going,. A lot of people see them having a horrible
year. I think they will compete for a playoff spot and
that Collins should be good for 20 td's.
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8.11 TE Byron Chamberlain
By TC Cannon of Fantasy
Asylum
The new Viking coach Mike Tice's offensive philosophy is a
mystery to me. Many 'think' he will be putting all his eggs
in the basket of quarterback Daunte Culpepper. The pressure on
Culpepper will be both mental and physical. Defenses
-- looking to neutralize the Vikings' superb intermediate
and deep passing routes -- are certain to blitz him
relentlessly.
And.. a pressured passers best friend is a positive tight
end. In fact, Byron Chamberlain may be a bit more that a
common TE for the Vikes. The Minnesota press has publicized
a plan to make up for Cris Carter's lost receptions by using
tight end Chamberlain as an occasional slot receiver.
Chamberlain may have the opportunity to make 60+ catches, as
he is a strong target in a strong passing offense.
Within FanEx, a TE starter is required. Chamberlain is
highly ranked on my draft sheet. After this claim, I feel good about
this roster's core group.
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8.11 TB Byron Chamberlain
By Guest Victor Smith
Another nice TC pick, IMHO.... TE Byron Chamberlain was the
Vikes # 1 priority in free agency, and they almost lost him
(to DET), but were relieved to sign him. Teammate
Kleinsasser MAY take some catches from him this year.
It looks like the Vikings are seriously considering going to
a two TE set, which will mean a lot of two WR sets, and with
both Kleinsasser and Chamberlain on the field.
I wouldn't be surprised to see defenses load up on Chamberlain
early in the season, and get burned by the less respected Kleinsasser
(remember he has wideout speed, and hands... the kid just
LOVES to crunch people with his blocking) before they start
to leave Chamberlain in single coverage. And then, he
may well explode. I do like the pick. But then, sometimes
I'm a homer, too.
8.11 TB Byron Chamberlain
By Guest David Grey of
David Grey's Fantasy Football Report
There are not many top TEs out there and I would not expect
any top ones to slip to the next round and since O'Leary
still needs a TE. TC made a smart move and grabbed his
TE now. I also believe that he grabbed the best TE
available. Chamberlain put up solid numbers last year and
the loss of Cris Carter may mean more involvement in the
offense for Byron (Or more attention from the defense). He
has potential to put up top TE numbers. The only potential
downside, is that he already has Vikings RB Michael Bennett
in the mix and will be relying on two Vikings every week, so
their offense better click.
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8.12 TE Frank Wycheck
By Shannon O'Leary of FanEx
When it comes to tight ends, TE Frank Wycheck is never the
best, but he is probably the most consistent. Each year he
is towards the tops in catches and yardage for tight ends.
Where he is lacking is his touchdown production. That tends
to vary from 4-8.
Last year, Wycheck had his catches and yards but only had 4
scores. He was banged up for 2-3 games and could have added
a couple more. Bottom line is Wycheck is a solid Fantasy
tight end with the upside potential.
I am satisfied to add snag Wycheck as my tight end at this
point in the draft.
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8.12 TE Frank Wycheck
By Guest Paul Baitinger of Ask
The Commish
This was likely a pretty simple decision for Shannon
O'Leary. When looking at the location of where he's
drafting, a tight end was a must here. Sure he could
have tried to find a WR3, but there is little difference in
the rest of the receiving talent. Besides, if he waits
another round for a Tight End, there will be slim pickings
to choose from.
What O'Leary gets here is solid production. Wycheck
continues to be one of Steve McNair's prime targets and is a
very consistent TE. Despite nagging injuries and
attracting a lot of defensive attention early in the season,
Wycheck caught 60 passes for 672 yards and 4 TDs last year.
In fact, since 1997 Wycheck has caught between 60-70 passes
every year with 636-768 yards. The biggest knock on
Wycheck is that his TD numbers aren't that great (during the
same 5 year span he caught 4 TDs 3 years and only 2 TDs two
years). Because the Titans offense is more balanced,
he should catch more than 2 TDs. Look for Wycheck to
haul in at least another 4 TDs (I'd bet on 5-6) with more of
the same reception and yardage totals again this year.
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