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Jets'
Keyshawn Johnson |
RON POLLACK / Editor-in-chief
Curtis Enis will get better and better as a fantasy threat as the
season goes on. If he hadn’t held out so long, he would have been a No. 1 fantasy
running back. Missing so much time will slow him down a little early in the season as he
learns the playbook, but he should be a big-time scorer the second half of the campaign.
By midseason, if not sooner, I look for Enis to be grabbing most of the carries, while
Edgar Bennett and Bam Morris are grabbing some bench. I see Enis as the workhorse, Bennett
as the third-down back and Morris as the invisible man.
KEITH SCHLEIDEN / Managing editor
After their Week One showing, a 38-0 loss to the Seahawks, fantasy
players will think long and hard about playing any Eagles — and rightfully so.
However, you may want to consider second-year RB Duce Staley. He was the lone bright spot
in Week One, despite not getting into the endzone. He averaged 4.8 yards per carry and
missed a 100-yard game by just five yards vs. Seattle. Now, with Charlie Garner reportedly
on the trading block, Staley could be poised to be "the man" in Philadelphia.
Even if Garner stays, the fact that he’s being shopped around tells me the Eagles
have big plans for Staley.
MICHAEL LEV / Senior editor
This might sound strange, but my pick is Jet WR Keyshawn Johnson. In
leagues of 10-12 teams, Johnson already may be a No. 1 fantasy receiver. What I’m
saying is, by the end of this season, he will be viewed as one of the top three or four
receivers in all of football, both real and fantasy. This is Johnson’s year. It
usually takes receivers a little time to learn their craft, and Johnson is in his third
season. He is in much better shape than he was when he first broke into the league, and he
appears to have vastly improved his footwork and run-after-the-catch ability. For all his
brash talk (and trash talk), Johnson is a hard worker who has earned the respect of
hard-to-please head coach Bill Parcells.
JEFF AGREST / Associate editor
Patriot RB Robert Edwards may have to share carries with Sedrick Shaw
early on, but this little experiment will not last long. Edwards showed some flair on
opening day, breaking through the line for some nice runs and scoring from one yard out.
There’s no question he has excellent ability, and he should thrive in New
England’s I-formation, the same scheme Emmitt Smith benefited from in Dallas.
Granted, Shaw’s presence is a bit disconcerting, but he didn’t have the
collegiate success that Edwards had. And, while the Patriots have always spoken glowingly
about Shaw, they haven’t exactly backed up their talk. Sure, Shaw started in Week
One, but Edwards ended up winning the battle for carries 13-7. The prediction here is that
Edwards will start the rest of the season, and he will finish each game with at least
twice as many carries as Shaw. Hence, many more scoring chances.
PAT FITZMAURICE / Associate editor
Look for Chief TE Tony Gonzalez to become a more valuable fantasy
player as the season goes on. The athletic Gonzalez has vast potential, but he is very
much a work in progress. The second-year tight end has already shown flashes of greatness,
but it may take him awhile to become a consistent contributor to the Kansas City offense.
He should start to put up bigger numbers once he learns more about running patterns and
finding the seams in the defense. It should also be noted that Gonzalez caught 12 passes
in the first half of the ’97 regular season, 21 passes in the second half.
ROBERT NEELY / Associate editor
I look for Charger WR Bryan Still to make a name for himself this
season. True, he looked like a bust his first two seasons in the league, and most fantasy
owners were fleeing the Charger WR scene before the season. But Still finally seems to get
it. He’s San Diego’s No. 1 receiver now that Tony Martin is gone. To this point,
Still seems up to the challenge. After showing signs of life late last season, Still has
taken the next step in his development. And, he has gained the confidence of rookie QB
Ryan Leaf. Still had a huge game in Week One, catching six passes for 128 yards and his
first career touchdown. He’s ready to become a quality NFL wideout and a possible No.
3 fantasy receiver in larger leagues. |
