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.
Boozer: I’m stacked at QB with Peyton Manning, Kurt Warner, Rich
Gannon and Charlie Batch, and I’m one stud WR away from getting over the top.
I’m keeping Manning no matter what and have been getting offers for Warner and Gannon
that include WRs such as Randy Moss, Keith Poole, Eric Moulds, Jake Reed and Carl Pickens.
Should I make a deal?
Fantasy Doctor: Absolutely! In a league where you play only one quarterback, you
don’t need four quality starters. Warner’s trade value is highest right now, so
that’s the guy I would shop. I would insist on getting Moss or Moulds, two guys who
qualify as "stud" receivers who simply have gotten off to slow starts. To make
the trade more attractive, throw in a second-tier receiver who isn’t quite on a par
with Moss and Moulds but isn’t laughably bad either.
EAdams: I have Johnnie Morton, and I was thinking of trading him to pick up an
unsigned player — specifically, Albert Connell or Torry Holt. Should I drop Johnnie
for one of those guys? If so, which one and why?
Fantasy Doctor: Make the move immediately, and gobble up Holt before someone
else does. He may not quite have a Moss-like rookie season, but Holt appears to be the
next-best thing. He’s one of the top two options in St. Louis, whereas Morton is
probably the No. 3 guy at this point if both Herman Moore and Germane Crowell are healthy.
Holt’s work ethic reminds people of Jerry Rice, and the Rams’ offense
doesn’t appear to have fallen off much without Trent Green.
DHarris: Three weeks ago I felt pretty good about my team. A lineup of Brett
Favre, Curtis Martin, Robert Smith, Keyshawn Johnson, Terry Glenn, Herman Moore, Rod
Smith, Frank Sanders, Eric Green, Tyrone Davis, Morten Andersen and the Minnesota defense
looked like the type that could get me to the Super Bowl. Now I’m looking at a team
that’s 0-3. Any ideas about whom to keep and whom to drop?
Fantasy Doctor: Definitely keep Favre and Glenn. As long as both stay healthy
(which is more likely in Favre’s case, but so far so good in Glenn’s), they
should be very productive fantasy players. I would definitely try to move at least one of
your Jets. Through no fault of your own, Jets players have become less valuable in fantasy
football. There’s no sense in staying on that sinking ship. Moore and Davis should be
fine eventually. Moore’s knee injury isn’t considered serious, and he should be
back in a few weeks. Davis is Favre’s No. 1 TE option with Mark Chmura out, and
it’s only a matter of time before the other "T.D." gets untracked. I like
Robert Smith’s long-term value better than Rod Smith’s at this point. Of all the
Denver receivers, Rod Smith, the Broncos’ deep threat, appears to be the most
negatively affected by Denver’s QB woes. Robert Smith showed signs of life in Week
Three, as did the Vikings, who may be on the verge of working out the kinks in their
offense. Sanders is worth keeping, but I wouldn’t play him this week with Deion
Sanders expected to return to the lineup for the Cowboys.
CMSept: I’m 1-2 with my top two players out this week. Time to panic and
make a trade, or should I sit tight? My roster is as follows: Doug Flutie, Jeff Blake, Jim
Harbaugh, Dorsey Levens, Robert Smith, Priest Holmes, Cecil Collins, Antonio Freeman,
Herman Moore, Frank Sanders, Kevin Dyson, Freddie Jones and Rickey Dudley.
Fantasy Doctor: I wouldn’t panic if I were you. One of the first things I
learned in medical school was, "Never panic." You’ll never survive E.R.
duty if you do. Your quarterbacks are solid — definitely good enough to win with if
Levens and Freeman come through as expected. Holmes isn’t worth much at this point,
but Smith and Collins both have the potential to be productive No. 2 backs. I would keep
an especially close eye on Collins, who just might be ready to wrest the No. 1 RB role
away from Karim Abdul-Jabbar. I like your WR depth, especially when Moore comes back.
After this week, when the Cardinals play the Cowboys, feel free to start Sanders,
who’s clearly Arizona’s No. 1 receiver. With solid tight ends in Jones and
Dudley, I’d consider making a move there. You might consider packaging a tight end
and one of your backup quarterbacks to upgrade your depth at running back or receiver.
MarkEGronowski: What’s the problem with Mark Brunell? He just can’t
seem to get it going. I have the chance to trade him for Kurt Warner. Should I do it?
Fantasy Doctor: I’m not normally a fan of one-on-one trades involving guys
who play the same position. I believe a better trade philosophy is recognizing your
strengths and weaknesses at certain positions and finding trade partners whose needs are
compatible with yours. For instance, if you have quality depth at running back but need a
receiver, try to find someone who needs a back and has excess wideouts. Warner is off to a
much better start than Brunell, but I’m not sure that will last. Teams don’t
have a lot of film on Warner yet, so he still must face an adjustment period. Two of
Brunell’s first three games have been played in terrible weather in Jacksonville.
There are brighter days ahead.
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 user name.
|
