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Cowboy WR
Michael Irvin |
The headline accompanying last year’s review of receivers read,
"WR wasteland/Busts abound among highly ranked wideouts." The Fantasy Doctor
prefers coming up with fresh material, but the grades speak for themselves in Part Three
of his re-examination of the final PFW draft
board (Sept. 6). All grades are based on players’ 14-game totals (excluding
Monday-night game).
1. Antonio Freeman, Packers — The Doc has no qualms with
Freeman, one of the few top-ranked receivers who has lived up to his preseason hype. Grade:
A.
2. Cris Carter, Vikings — Carter is ever-so-slightly behind
his 13-TD pace of ’97, only because he missed most of Week 14 with a calf injury. Grade:
B-plus.
3. Herman Moore, Lions — Moore got off to a strong start (nine
catches, 100 yards, one TD in Week One) with Scott Mitchell at quarterback, then became
the forgotten man in the Lion offense with rookie Charlie Batch under center. Batch
finally started to remember Moore in Week 13, but, for most fantasy owners, that was too
little, too late. Grade: D.
4. Joey Galloway, Seahawks — Galloway struggled some between
Week Three and Week 11 (one TD, two 100’s), but it’s hard to argue with his
overall production. Bump his grade up a notch if you count return touchdowns. Grade:
A-minus.
5. Tim Brown, Raiders — He has four TD’s and one 100 in
the last three weeks. A strong finish will help you in the BCS ratings, but not in the
Doc’s class. Grade: C-plus.
6. Michael Irvin, Cowboys — Irvin’s moniker, "the
Play Maker," is as much a misnomer as the Fantasy Doctor’s, at least when it
comes to WR projections. Grade: D-minus.
7. Jerry Rice, 49ers — Rice’s overall grade is a lot
higher than his mark in the category "Getting Along with Others." Grade:
B-minus.
8. Isaac Bruce, Rams — Not even the Fantasy Doctor can figure
out what’s wrong with Bruce’s chronically pulled hamstring. Grade:
D-minus.
9. Rod Smith, Broncos — He leads Denver in catches and yards
but ranks a distant third in the all-important TD department. Grade: C.
10. Carl Pickens, Bengals — Pickens has had two phenomenal
weeks, two solid weeks and a bunch of zeroes. Grade: C.
11. Terry Glenn, Patriots — Glenn is great when he plays,
which, unfortunately, is only about half the time. Grade: C-minus.
12. Keyshawn Johnson, Jets — There will be no swearing in the
Doc’s class, Mr. Johnson. Please rephrase as, "Just give me the darn ball."
Grade: A.
13. Curtis Conway, Bears — Conway has more drops than TD
catches. A lot more. Grade: D-minus.
14. Yancey Thigpen, Oilers — Thigpen lends further credence to
the every-other-year theory. Grade: D-minus.
15. Jimmy Smith, Jaguars — Smith deserves extra credit for
persevering through QB injuries. Grade: A-minus.
OTHERS
31. Terrell Owens, 49ers — In fantasy terms, anyway, he is
better than Rice. Grade: A-plus.
36. Randy Moss, Vikings — Rare is the freshman who aces the
Doc’s class. Rare is Randy Moss’ ability. His most amazing feat: nine TD catches
of 40-plus yards. A play maker and a draft maker. If he weren’t a traditionalist, the
Doc would tack a few more pluses on the end of Moss’ report card. Grade:
A-plus.
37. Ed McCaffrey, Broncos — When will cornerbacks figure out
that this slow-white-guy routine is a con game? Grade: A.
39. Jermaine Lewis, Ravens — As with Galloway, bump
Lewis’ grade up if you include return touchdowns. Grade: B-plus.
44. Terance Mathis, Falcons — Tony Martin’s presence has
helped Mathis more than it has hurt him. Grade: A-plus.
47. J.J. Stokes, 49ers — So much for Stokes being the third
wheel. Grade: B-plus.
61. Eric Moulds, Bills — Was the Kelly-to-Reed combo ever as
prolific as Flutie-to-Moulds? Grade: A.
71. Wayne Chrebet, Jets — He has more 100-yard games (five)
and a higher average per catch (14.8 yards) than his running mate, Keyshawn. Grade:
A-minus.
NR. Raghib Ismail, Panthers — Rae Carruth went down in Week
One, and "the Rocket" took off. Next thing you know, he’ll win the Cy Young
award and demand a trade. Grade: B-plus. |
