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49er QB
Steve Young |
The Fantasy Doctor, Pro Football Weekly’s venerable fantasy
football guru, derived a special sense of satisfaction from the 1998 QB crop. This was the
year of the veteran quarterback, and the Doc, who’s getting up in years himself,
feels a special kinship with those thirtysomething signalcallers. The last part of the
Doc’s re-examination of the final PFW draft
board (Sept. 6) is based on players’ 16-game totals (except for Week 17
Monday-night game).
1. Brett Favre, Packers — He wasn’t the No. 1 scorer
among quarterbacks, but Favre delivered what he was supposed to: 30-plus touchdown passes
for a record fifth year in a row. Grade: A.
2. Kordell Stewart, Steelers — The prized pupil of the Class
of ’97 practically got himself kicked out of school in ’98. Stewart argued with
his professors (Bill Cowher), didn’t get along well with others (crying on sideline)
and didn’t come even remotely close to living up to the standards he set a year ago. Grade:
D-plus.
3. Mark Brunell, Jaguars — Brunell set a new career high with
20 TD passes, but he missed most of the final four weeks with a high-ankle sprain. Grade:
C-plus.
4. Jeff George, Raiders — George got off to a slow start
(three TD passes in first four games), got hurt and never fully recovered. He finished
with four TD passes after throwing 29 last season. Grade: D-minus.
5. Drew Bledsoe, Patriots — Bledsoe’s season was similar
to Brunell’s: 20 TD passes before being knocked out by injury. Grade: B-minus.
6. Steve McNair, Oilers — McNair had a decent year but
didn’t explode as many expected him to. He rushed for four TD’s, but the
downfield passing game never materialized. Grade: B-minus.
7. Brad Johnson, Vikings — Johnson threw four TD passes in
Week One, then got hurt in Week Two. His backup, Randall Cunningham, played so well that
Johnson never regained his starting job. Grade: D.
8. John Elway, Broncos — Elway missed more action than usual
(the Doc feels your pain, John) but was extremely productive when he played. It paid to
have backup Bubby Brister aboard if you drafted Elway. Grade: B.
9. Warren Moon, Seahawks — Well, not every aging quarterback
had a big year in ’98. After a hot start (five TD passes in first two weeks), Moon
tailed off, got hurt and eventually lost his starting job to youngster Jon Kitna. Grade:
D-plus.
10. Steve Young, 49ers — At the age of 37 (his birthday was
Oct. 11), Young had as good a fantasy season as any quarterback has ever had. He came
within one TD pass of topping Bronco RB Terrell Davis for most overall fantasy points and
carried any team that drafted him over the first half of the season. His final numbers are
staggering: 36 TD passes, six TD runs and seven 300-yard games. Grade: A-plus.
11. Elvis Grbac, Chiefs — Elvis left the building in Week One
(injured shoulder) and never really came back. Grade: D-minus.
12. Jake Plummer, Cardinals — Plummer was far from consistent,
but he rallied after a slow start and rushed for four touchdowns. Grade: B.
13. Scott Mitchell, Lions — In many fantasy leagues,
interceptions don’t hurt you — except in the case of Mitchell, who threw one too
many picks and didn’t see the field again after Week Two. Grade: F.
14. Chris Chandler, Falcons — As usual, Chandler missed a
couple of games, but he put up career-best numbers when he played, including 10 TD passes
of 40-plus yards (each earning a two-point bonus in the PFW scoring system). Grade:
A.
15. Trent Dilfer, Buccaneers — Dilfer delivered what was
expected of him, plus a little bit more: nine TD passes of 40-plus yards and a pair of TD
runs. Grade: B-plus.
OTHERS
20. Dan Marino, Dolphins — Marino’s final numbers (23 TD
passes, four 300’s) weren’t bad for a guy playing for a supposed
"run-first" team. Grade: B-plus.
26. Peyton Manning, Colts — Manning was a regular Doogie
Howser, acing the Doc’s class as a freshman. Manning set a new rookie record with 26
TD passes. Grade: A.
30. Vinny Testaverde, Jets — Testaverde became the Jets’
full-time starter in Week Seven. From that point on, he threw 23 TD passes in 11 games. Grade:
A.
34. Doug Flutie, Bills — About the only people the Doc
respects more than wily vets (such as himself) are short people (such as himself). Flutie
fits both categories, and he was awfully productive, too, after becoming the starter in
Week Six. Grade: B-plus.
35. Randall Cunningham, Vikings — Like Testaverde and Flutie,
Cunningham took over for an injured starter and never looked back. Had he played from the
get-go, Cunningham may have given Young a run for his money. Grade: A-plus.
NR. Trent Green, Redskins — Green proved a valuable midseason
pickup, throwing 16 TD passes in his last nine games. Grade: A. |
