Ask the Fantasy Doctor

The Doc predicts Bruce will be on the loose
As published in print Aug. 17

Q. I have a pretty good idea of whom I want to draft in the first round, but the sure-fire stars always seem to run out in a hurry. Are there any unheralded superstars who might slip into the second or even third round?

A. Take one Isaac Bruce and call me in the morning. No player in NFL history caught more passes in his first three seasons than Bruce, who broke the record despite catching only 21 passes as a rookie. But Bruce is coming off a modest fourth season in which he caught 56 passes for 815 yards and five touchdowns, largely because he was plagued by a nagging hamstring injury. The Doctor has proclaimed Bruce fit for the ’98 season and predicts big things for the Ram wide receiver. My father voted for Eisenhower, and I’ve taken to wearing his old "I like Ike" button.

Q. The Jaguars took RB Fred Taylor in the first round of this year’s draft, but James Stewart is still around. Who’s going to get all the carries in Jacksonville?

A. The Doctor usually recommends the frisky rookie back over the serviceable veteran in such instances, but a thorough examination of the Jaguar backfield has caused me to alter my standard prescription. Over the last two years Stewart had split carries with Natrone Means, who has since returned to San Diego. Jaguar head coach Tom Coughlin likes to platoon his tailbacks, so it’s quite possible that neither Stewart nor Taylor will emerge as the clear No. 1. Spending a high-round pick on either could be hazardous to your team’s health.

Q. Is there anyone on the Saints who could possibly help my fantasy team?

A. While it’s true that the Saint offense is in critical condition, the arrival of former Seahawk RB Lamar Smith might stabilize the New Orleans running game. Smith, who never really got his chance to be the No. 1 back in Seattle, will probably carry a heavy workload for the Saints. He’s got the talent, and he’s looked very good in training camp. Plus, the Saint offensive line has the potential to knock opponents off the ball. Avoid the Saint quarterbacks, wide receivers and tight ends, because what ails them could be contagious to the rest of your players.

Q. At what point in the draft should I take my first kicker?

A. If you take a kicker before you’ve drafted at least two quarterbacks, three running backs, three wide receivers and a tight end, the doctor will offer you a 30 percent discount on a frontal lobotomy — that way you’ll have an excuse if you make the same mistake in your ’99 draft. Drafting a kicker too early is the fantasy-football equivalent of chug-a-lugging a quart of cough syrup: It may give you a moment of satisfaction, but the result can be fatal. Few kickers put up consistently high point totals year after year, so why play the guessing game with these guys in the early rounds? At some point late in the draft, put your PK cheat sheet in front of you, close your eyes and point. Your chances of picking a winner will be about as good as if you had picked one five rounds earlier. Hey, medicine isn’t always an exact science.

Q. With Cris Carter, Jake Reed and Randy Moss, the Vikings appear to be loaded at wide receiver. Is it possible for all three to be valuable in TD leagues?

A. Having studied both medicine and mathematics at Johns Hopkins University, I was able to devise a complicated formula that allowed me to project the TD output of the Minnesota passing game over a 16-game season. According to the results, Viking QB Brad Johnson will throw 43 TD passes this season. Stupid @!#&$ formula! Logic (I took a class in that, too) tells us there are only so many TD passes to go around in Minnesota, so at least one of these receivers is going to disappoint those of you in TD leagues. Carter’s red-zone prowess leads me to believe that either Reed or Moss — and possibly both — will have a low scoring output. For those of you who like concrete numbers, I’ll predict 11 touchdowns for Carter, six for Reed and five for Moss.

Q. What sort of fantasy impact will the addition of QB Jim Harbaugh have on the Ravens’ skill-position players?

A. The Ravens will use fewer of the three-WR, one-RB sets they favored last year and stick to conventional two-RB sets most of the time. Harbaugh’s numbers can only improve now that he’ll be working behind the solid Raven offensive line rather than the Colts’ porous front five. The change will also do wonders for Harbaugh’s overall health. (I’ve gone over some of his medical charts from his Colt days. Believe me, those weren’t the sort of aches and pains Tylenol can take care of.) The Ravens will put more emphasis on ball control and less on stretching defenses, so bomb-threat WR Michael Jackson may become slightly less valuable, while TE Eric Green and RB Jay Graham figure to catch a lot of short passes.

Q. Can you tell me why Redskin WR Michael Westbrook has failed to live up to his potential? Is there any chance this will be his breakthrough year?

A. Good God, Jim! I’m a doctor, not a miracle worker! Sorry, I’ve been watching too many "Star Trek" reruns. Westbrook’s problems appear to be both physical and mental. Injuries have caused him to miss significant playing time in each of his first three seasons, and he’s missed some recent practices due to a leg infection. Westbrook seems to make a lot of mental errors on the field (not the least of which was punching out a teammate last year). Since reports on Westbrook are sketchy, I am refusing to recommend him to my patients. The last thing I need is to get hit with a malpractice suit.

Click here to return to our main site ProFootballWeekly.com

© 1998-2001 by Pro Football Weekly, a Primedia publication. All rights reserved. Reproduction without permission is prohibited.