| Before the season, I ripped Oakland TE Rickey Dudley’s
fantasy prospects at every opportunity. Head coach Jon Gruden doesn’t like him, I
said. The Raiders’ offense isn’t designed to go to the tight end, I said. Dudley
is too inconsistent, I said. I was right — until three games ago, when Dudley
suddenly became Oakland’s top red-zone threat. Five touchdowns later, Dudley has
become the top fantasy tight end and the kind of performer who can put a fantasy team over
the hump.
Dudley went to WR Tim Brown during Oakland’s bye week, which immediately preceded
this three-game stretch, and asked him what he needed to do to become a better player.
Brown’s response (paraphrased because I wasn’t invited to the meeting):
"Hey now, you’re an all-star, get your game on, go play."
(I apologize for the gratuitous pop-culture reference. Couldn’t help myself.)
Translation: Rickey, you have all the skills in the world, but you have to concentrate
and work harder (that’s the get-your-game-on part) if you want to make the most of
them.
Dudley must have done that, because all of a sudden he’s unstoppable in the red
zone. QB Rich Gannon has shown a willingness to spread the ball around and throw to
whoever is open, and Dudley’s size and speed helps him get open more often.
Will this streak continue? It’s hard to see Dudley scoring 1.7 TDs per game the
rest of the season, but gaining the confidence of his quarterback as well as confidence in
himself can’t hurt, especially for a guy who has struggled throughout his career with
the dropsies.
Let’s put it this way: The reservations I had about Dudley before the season are
gone now. If you have him, start him every week.
How fantasy leagues can handle Kordell
Not that anyone asked, but I wanted to give one perspective on Kordell Stewart’s
position switch. In the league of which I’m a founding member, we have a policy to
determine what position a player should be able to play. Three-quarters of the other
league owners vote on whether Stewart would be eligible at quarterback or wide receiver or
both this week. This vote can be taken every week, if circumstances remain fluid. (The
rule was originally made to make heads or tails of Eric Metcalf when he lined up both at
running back and wide receiver.)
I don’t want to impose our system on anyone else, but it’s wise to have a
plan for such contingencies to avoid dissension, confusion and fistfights.
As for this week, my vote says that Stewart can be a quarterback or wideout and that
any points he scores can be applied at either position. (My vote also says anybody who
starts Stewart needs his head examined.)
One last note on this subject: This is one situation that shows why I don’t like
rosters that are locked into a certain number of players at each position (two
quarterbacks, four running backs, etc.). I prefer a system that sets a limit of, say, 16
spots but gives flexibility on how to fill them. Flexible rosters aren’t thrown into
chaos by player moves such as this one. |
