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Bucs QB
Trent Dilfer
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Part of the fun of playing fantasy football is making a call. Pro personnel directors
do it all the time. In the late rounds of the NFL draft, when they’re digging through
what’s left of their draft boards, it’s inevitable that these personnel heads
will have to make a call on a player.
The same holds true in the fantasy world. There comes a time during every draft when
the game of "Let’s Make A Call" begins. And Pro Football Weekly is
here to help.
What follows is a listing of players to make a call on and some not to make a call on.
Or, as they are commonly referred to, sleepers and busts. Players in each category are
listed alphabetically.
Potential sleepers
RB Tim Biakabutuka / Panthers
Biakabutuka finished last season strong and has the early edge on Fred Lane for
Carolina’s starting RB job. Biakabutuka rushed for more yardage in the final four
games of 1998 (377 yards) than he did in either of the ’96 (229) and ’97 seasons
(299). He also scored four touchdowns, twice as many as he scored in his previous two
seasons. With a solid training camp, Biakabutuka may finally live up to his status as a
No. 1 draft pick.
WR Rae Carruth / Panthers
With Raghib Ismail gone, Carruth becomes Carolina’s speed receiver and gets bumped
into the starting lineup. Though he missed all but two games last season with a foot
injury, Carruth played well as a rookie two years ago, when he finished second on the team
in receiving. This year his responsibilities will increase. His production should, as
well.
TE Greg Clark / 49ers
Irv Smith’s departure means more playing time for Clark. Smith caught five TD
passes last season, so Clark should get some good scoring chances (for a tight end).
Though he is known for his blocking, Clark has good hands, and he will see the ball thrown
his way. After all, the Niners traded up in the ’97 draft to grab him.
WR Kevin Dyson / Titans
The Titans plan on getting Dyson more involved in the offense. Last season the rookie
fell victim to Steve McNair’s inability to get the ball downfield, as well as the
coaching staff throwing too much at him too soon. This year Tennessee wants McNair to take
more chances and hopes Dyson will come on with a year of experience under his belt. Dyson
has great ability, and it would be a crime if he wasn’t utilized.
RB Curtis Enis / Bears
Enis is expected to be fully recovered from a knee injury that shelved him for the
final seven games of last season. The shame of it was that he had made his first pro start
in the same game he went down. With offensive coordinator Gary Crowton installing a
wide-open offensive attack, Enis could benefit from the space created by spread
formations. As of presstime, his rehab was ahead of schedule, and the Bears still consider
him the centerpiece of their offense.
QB Rich Gannon / Raiders
With the Raiders’ group of receivers, Gannon could become the next retread
quarterback to flourish. He is coming off arguably his two finest years as Elvis
Grbac’s backup in Kansas City. In Oakland, Gannon will have much more pass-catching
talent to work with, though he’ll lose something on the offensive line. However,
Gannon can still throw on the run, so he may not be as vulnerable to the pass rush as Jeff
George and Co. were last year.
WR Ike Hilliard / Giants
Chris Calloway’s departure means that Hilliard must play a bigger role in the
Giant offense. After missing all but two games his rookie year with a neck injury,
Hilliard finished second on the team in receiving last season, though he caught only two
TD passes. If the Giants can stabilize their QB situation, the stars would be aligned for
a big year from Hilliard.
QB Ryan Leaf / Chargers
Jim Harbaugh’s track record doesn’t bode well for him completing the entire
season, so there’s a very good chance Leaf will see playing time before all is said
and done. A new coaching regime should give Leaf a fresh start after what turned into a
tumultuous rookie year. New head coach Mike Riley will try to make things easier for Leaf
by using simpler terminology and more diverse sets. Once he gets on the field, Leaf could
make people forget ’98.
TE Alonzo Mayes / Bears
Mayes caught only 21 passes last year, but he started all 16 games and is firmly
entrenched as the Bears’ No. 1 tight end. In the team’s new offense, Mayes
should be targeted more often. He was a fine receiver in college who became his
team’s go-to guy, so he’s not out of his league. He just needs to take advantage
of his opportunities.
RB Duce Staley / Eagles
Charlie Garner is gone, so there’s no one to threaten Staley’s status as the
Eagles’ top running back. Staley is a multidimensional back who can produce in both
the running and passing game. He doesn’t dazzle you with ability, but he gets the job
done. Staley finished last season strong, rushing for at least 97 yards in three of the
last four games. With the Eagle offensive line improving, Staley could end up being a real
steal.
Potential busts
QB Chris Chandler / Falcons
The oft-injured Chandler has had a nice run the last two seasons, capped off by a trip
to Super Bowl XXXIII. But the Falcons aren’t going to sneak up on anyone this year.
Plus, they lost a major chunk of their passing game with the release of Tony Martin, who
caught 66 passes for 1,181 yards and six touchdowns last year. His replacement, Chris
Calloway, has never come close to a 1,000-yard season, though he caught eight TD passes in
1997. Still, Calloway isn’t the big-play threat that Martin was, so look for
Chandler’s stats to possibly slip some.
PK Steve Christie / Bills
Though Christie set a career high with 140 points last season, he didn’t do it
with awe-inspiring accuracy. His 80.5 field-goal percentage was just a smidgen above the
league average (79.6 percent) and ranked 15th overall. He also missed several key kicks
last season and has been far more inconsistent than in the past. Is Christie’s
reliability waning?
QB Trent Dilfer / Buccaneers
As evidenced by their offseason moves, Dilfer is hanging by a thread with the
Buccaneers. The team traded for Eric Zeier to back up Dilfer and drafted Shaun King to
compete for its quarterback-of-the-future role. Dilfer’s problem is that he is overly
dependent on the running game. If it struggles, so does he. While the Buc receivers have
let Dilfer down at times, he’s made his share of mistakes, as well. If Dilfer
succumbs to the pressures of being under the gun, he will suffer fantasy-wise.
TE Kyle Brady / Jaguars
Last season was the best of Brady’s four-year career. Part of the reason it took
so long was because the Jets spent a lot of time figuring out the best way to use him.
Brady proved to be effective in a formation that had him line up off the line of
scrimmage. In Jacksonville, Brady will return to being a predominately in-line tight end.
He’s not walking into the best situation, either. Mark Brunell has a nice comfort
level with his wide receivers, and the Jaguars have never really taken advantage of their
tight ends. They also have an outstanding running game that could take away scoring
opportunities in the red zone.
RB Marshall Faulk / Rams
The Ram running game hasn’t developed under head coach Dick Vermeil. Will Faulk
fall victim? He’s had some durability questions in the past, and, as of presstime, a
contract holdout appeared to be a possibility. There will undoubtedly be an adjustment
period for Faulk, who finally had his best all-around season for the Colts last year.
Should he show up late to training camp, Faulk could fall behind in his learning of the
offense.
RB Garrison Hearst / 49ers
The injury bug continues to follow Hearst wherever he goes. In 1997, a broken left
clavicle ended his season prematurely. Last year a broken leg ended his playoff run. This
year … well … we’ll have to wait and see. We know Hearst isn’t going
to run behind a very good offensive line. Last season’s was short on star power, and,
now that Kevin Gogan is gone, the Niners should be less effective run blocking. Also,
Hearst has never been a big TD guy. Last season’s total of nine was a career high. As
far as Hearst’s history of injury, that is a pretty big concern in itself. While
it’s impossible to predict injuries, we can tell you which players are injury
concerns. And Hearst is near the top of the list.
WR Terance Mathis / Falcons
With Tony Martin lined up opposite him, Mathis had a huge season, catching 64 passes
for 1,136 yards and 11 touchdowns. But Martin has been replaced by Chris Calloway, a
possession receiver who is not the play maker Martin is. That alone could reduce
Mathis’ productivity. The last time he recorded 11 scores, Mathis followed it up with
a nine-TD season. But that was during the Falcons’ old run-and-shoot days.
WR Carl Pickens / Bengals
As of presstime, Pickens was still the Bengals’ property. But that could change
before opening day. Pickens has made no bones about his desire to leave Cincinnati, and
the Bengals may try to oblige him. Wherever he goes, expect an adjustment period. Pickens
won’t only have to learn a new playbook, he’ll have to learn a new quarterback,
and that may take time.
TE O.J. Santiago / Falcons
When the Falcons traded a No. 1 pick in 2000 to move up and draft Mississippi State TE
Reginald Kelly, flags went up all around Santiago. Despite an impressive five-TD season
last year, he still has a ways to go. Santiago drops more passes then he should. Kelly
isn’t the receiver Santiago is, but he is a solid blocker who will see action in
two-TE sets. Still, Kelly’s drafting is bad news to fantasy drafters, who hate
competitive situations for their players.
RB Ricky Watters / Seahawks
There comes a point in a player’s career when he reaches a ceiling in
productivity. Watters is coming awfully close to that ceiling. This will be Watters’
ninth NFL season, and the wear and tear may start to show. When NFL running backs hit the
wall, their productivity can decline quickly. How well Watters adapts to that remains to
be seen. So does the role of Ahman Green, who could take some carries away. It will also
be interesting to see how Holmgren deals with Watters’ … shall we say …
confident attitude.
You can enjoy more features from Pro Football Weekly's Fantasy Football Guide '99 when you
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