Ask the Fantasy Doctor
By Michael Lev, Senior editor
Editor’s note: Because of time restrictions, the Fantasy Doctor, a very busy
man, is unable to answer ALL of your questions. He appreciates your interest and will try
to get to as many of them as he can. Again, thank you for e-mailing the Fantasy Doctor.
Rminni: I need help with my wide receivers. What do you think about
E.G. Green, Germane Crowell and Albert Connell?
Fantasy Doctor: All three did well in Week One and appear to be
receivers on the rise. In the short term, I like Crowell the best of the bunch. He seems
to have a good rapport with Lions QB Charlie Batch, and with Herman Moore out about four
weeks with a sprained knee, Crowell basically becomes the go-to guy. (Teammate Johnnie
Morton did not catch a pass in Week One.) I was high on Green coming into the season, and
he didn’t disappoint in Week One with 124 yards on five receptions. With Peyton
Manning as his quarterback, Green may put up the best season-long numbers of the three
receivers under discussion. Connell is the No. 2 guy in Washington behind Michael
Westbrook. The Redskins have improved their QB situation with Brad Johnson, but his
ability to stay healthy for 16 games is a concern. Hence, so is Connell’s ability to
be a productive fantasy player for 16 games.
Suthrnmtrs: What has happened to Gary Brown? I haven’t seen
anything that resembles an injury report on the guy. Is he out? If so, for how long?
Fantasy Doctor: You’ve come to the right man. Injury reports are
my specialty. Brown suffered a sprained knee in the Giants’ final exhibition game,
which, strangely, was played during the day on a Friday (which probably explains why you
never heard about the injury). The injury is expected to sideline Brown for 3-4 games. The
Giants desperately need him back since he’s a better between-the-tackles runner than
replacement Sean Bennett. At the end of the game at Tampa Bay this past week, the Giants
had to resort to FB Charles Way as their primary ballcarrier. If he’s able to come
back at 100 percent, I look for Brown to do big things over the final dozen or so games.
Qcountry: I, like many around the world, have lost Vinny Testaverde as
my starting QB for the rest of the season. My backup is Rich Gannon, but I can trade for
Dan Marino or Charlie Batch in exchange for a wide receiver, where I have some depth.
I’m wondering: Will Marino and/or Batch put up significantly higher fantasy numbers
than Gannon this season to make the trade worthwhile?
Fantasy Doctor: I’m a big-time advocate of making trades at the
beginning of the season to improve your club, especially if you have depth at one position
and lack it at another. If you have a trouble spot, the best way to address it is with
quality. Since you can’t always do that without crippling your club, it sometimes
makes sense to take the next-best approach: quantity. With Marino or Batch (who I rate
about equally), you give yourself another solid option at QB. Either is capable of
reaching the 20-TD plateau this season. So is Gannon, but why not give yourself a chance
to play the matchups each week?
Rmcnicho: It looks like a good week to play a Chargers receiver. Do
you think Mikhael Ricks or Jeff Graham will be as productive over the first half of the
season as either Kevin Dyson or Germane Crowell? Any inside speculation would be
appreciated.
Fantasy Doctor: I like Ricks better than Graham, but I like Dyson and
Crowell (with Herman Moore being hurt) better than Ricks. Everyone criticizes Tennessee
for drafting Dyson instead of Randy Moss, but the Oilers/Titans didn’t take the
former simply because the latter had off-the-field concerns. Dyson is a big-time talent
with size, speed and athletic ability who is just starting to figure out how the NFL game
works. I like his upside a lot. At 6-foot-5, Ricks has the potential to be a big-time
red-zone threat. I don’t expect him to catch as many passes or gain as many yards as
Graham might, but Ricks should score more touchdowns. I’d play either Graham or Ricks
this week vs. the Bengals, whose secondary is very young and has lost starting CB Charles
Fisher for the season to a knee injury.
JJ51830: I have three good wide receivers in Jimmy Smith, Marvin
Harrison and Jerry Rice. I play in a league with a big emphasis on scoring TDs. Of these
three, which one should I start on a regular basis?
Fantasy Doctor: Harrison is clearly the best of the three, with Smith
and Rice about even. Harrison is the No. 1 option in a Peyton Manning-led offense.
That’s a very good thing in fantasy terms. Harrison was on his way to a career high
in TDs last year before suffering a season-ending shoulder injury in Week 13. If he stays
healthy, I fully expect Harrison to reach double digits in TDs for the first time in his
career. Smith is little more valuable in yardage leagues, but he did score a career-high
eight TDs last season. He’s also the No. 1 deep threat in Jacksonville’s
offense. Rice didn’t do much in Week One (what 49ers offensive player did?), but he
is the NFL’s all-time leading TD scorer, managed nine in an "off" year in
’98 and reportedly was looking like his old self in training camp.
Editor’s note: If you have a question for the Fantasy Doctor, you can send your
e-mail to fantasydoctor@pfwa.com. He will
answer several questions from our on-line readers in this space each Wednesday. We reserve
the right to edit your question and print your e-mail address. |
