Ah, Draft Day. It’s one of the most exciting days of the
year. And if you’re like me, you:
- look like Doogie Howser (or, to put it in football terms, Cade McNown)
- love the strategy and the machinations that go on during the draft.
But before you can draft, you have to be up on all the latest fantasy football news and
rumors. So here’s a quick look at some of the players who are the subject of
late-breaking news, along with a quick assessment of the fantasy fallout.
QB Brian Griese, Broncos — Obviously, Griese now becomes a top-20
quarterback with upside as he assumes the Broncos’ starting job. The question of
whether he will keep the job remains open. My hunch is that we’ll see Bubby Brister
in relief several times over the season. But Griese will still probably put up at least 15
TD passes, making him an adequate backup in larger leagues. And if he’s as ready as
Mike Shanahan says he is, Griese could become a later-round steal.
Fallout: Bubby Brister significantly down but still draftable in very large
leagues, Terrell Davis unchanged, Rod Smith slightly down, Ed McCaffrey slighty down,
Shannon Sharpe slightly down, Jason Elam slightly down.
QB Kurt Warner, Rams — With Trent Green now gone for the season, Warner
becomes the man on the spot in St. Louis. The former Iowa Barnstormers and Amsterdam
Admirals signalcaller has almost no regular-season NFL experience, but the Rams like him.
Plus, he’s the only quarterback in town who knows the Rams’ system (rookie Joe
Germaine and recent import Paul Justin are still getting their feet underneath them, so to
speak). My guess is Warner will be the starter for the first few games of the season, but
if he fails, Justin could get a look.
Fallout: Isaac Bruce down, Torry Holt down, Marshall Faulk slightly down, Jeff
Wilkins down, Paul Justin onto the draft board but only as a last-resort-type pick.
RB Greg Hill, Lions — The post-Barry Sanders era began in earnest when
Detroit dealt a couple of draft picks to land Hill, a speedy and shifty back who has shown
flashes of being able to produce in the NFL but hasn’t put it together for more than
a game or two. Hill is very effective on turf, so he should at least put up a decent
yardage total for the Lions. My bet is he’ll amass at least 700 yards on the season.
The question of whether he can perform on the goal line is still wide open. Hill probably
fits in as a No. 3 or No. 4 back in most leagues, at least until he proves himself.
Fallout: Charlie Batch slightly up, Herman Moore unchanged, Johnnie Morton
unchanged, Germane Crowell unchanged, Jason Hanson slightly up, Ron Rivers significantly
down but still draftable in very large leagues, Sedrick Irvin down but still draftable in
very large leagues.
RB Terry Allen, Patriots — Allen is a good back who has more of a medical
history than the casts of "ER" and "Chicago Hope" put together. Still,
he gives the Patriots a safety net in case rookie Kevin Faulk falters, and he also
provides a proven short-yardage and goal-line presence. Faulk is still above Allen on the
draft board, but the gap isn’t that large. Allen fits in as a No. 4 back in all but
the largest leagues.
Fallout: Drew Bledsoe unchanged, Kevin Faulk down, Chris Floyd off the draft
board, Terry Glenn unchanged, Tony Simmons unchanged, Shawn Jefferson unchanged, Ben
Coates very slightly down, Adam Vinatieri slightly up. |
