| In fantasy football, the true measure of an NFL player can
be found in yardage leagues. A player who scores five touchdowns on 10 catches (see Eagles
TE Jeff Thomason last season) is nice, but he’s not as valuable as a player who
catches 69 passes for 735 yards and three touchdowns (see Eagles TE Chad Lewis last
season). In other words, versatility is integral in determining a player’s worth in
yardage leagues. Tight ends must do more than catch TD passes, running backs must do more
than run for yardage and quarterbacks must do more than throw. Hence, if we were to make a
regardless-of-position list according to the PFW yardage-league scoring system, Marshall
Faulk would rank No. 1.
Last season Faulk finished second overall in points scored behind QB Daunte Culpepper.
Why not rank Culpepper first overall? Because last season he benefited from seven rushing
TDs, which are hard to predict for quarterbacks, and with Faulk an annual threat to break
1,000 yards in both rushing and receiving, he makes the most sense.
Our yardage-league draft board (see the July 24 print edition of Pro Football Weekly)
reflects this type of scoring. You’ll notice players such as Packers WR Bill
Schroeder, who ranked No. 54 on our last basic-scoring draft board but ranks 29th here
— and with good reason. Though he’s scored only nine touchdowns the last two
seasons, Schroeder has totaled 2,050 receiving yards during the same span.
Some other observations:
Quarterbacks
Of the top 10, Rich Gannon benefits the most from our yardage-scoring system, moving
from No. 10 on the basic board to No. 7 on the yardage board. Last season Gannon was
second among quarterbacks with 529 rushing yards (100 behind league-leader Donovan
McNabb), and he threw for 3,430 yards.
But no quarterback has a bigger yardage-league upside than Aaron Brooks, and not just
because we think he’ll end up with the Saints’ starting QB job. Brooks, who
ranks 13th as opposed to 19th on the basic board, was one of two quarterbacks last season
(McNabb being the other) to record a 100-yard rushing game. His athletic ability is
uncanny, and the Saints’ offense appeared even more explosive with him running the
show as opposed to the veteran Blake.
Quarterbacks who take a bit of a dive in yardage leagues include Brad Johnson and Jeff
George. Neither is the swiftest afoot, and in the offenses they’ll be running,
they’re not likely to blow anyone away with their passing numbers.
Running backs
The RB board holds true to form through Jamal Lewis at No. 6. Curtis Martin is pushed
up a notch to No. 7 because of his performance as a pass catcher last season. The same can
be said for Ricky Williams, who moves up two spots to No. 8. Then come the two biggest
movers in the top 10, Warrick Dunn and Corey Dillon.
Dunn finished last season with an incredible run, posting three 100-yard games (which
included a 200-yard game) and 215 receiving yards in the last five games. The performance
earned him sole possession of the Buccaneers’ starting RB job.
Dillon’s low TD totals have made him a better yardage-league player. His 1,593
rushing-receiving yards last season were a career high, though he caught only 18 passes.
Still, with a potentially improving passing game around him, the hope is that Dillon will
stay around 1,600 total yards.
Some of the bigger drops on our yardage-league board are felt by Lamar Smith, James
Stewart, Michael Bennett and Tyrone Wheatley. Other climbers include Ahman Green, Charlie
Garner, Ricky Watters and Tiki Barber.
Wide receivers
Eric Moulds has become quite the enigma. His TD catches have dropped from nine to seven
to five, but he broke the 1,300-yard mark last season for the second time in three years.
Based on those numbers, he would seem to be better in yardage leagues, so we ranked him
accordingly, bumping him up four spots to No. 10. However, newfound stability at
quarterback could bump him up on our basic board.
Torry Holt also moves up in yardage leagues after leading all players last season with
1,635 receiving yards. Other yardage-league climbers include Keenan McCardell, Muhsin
Muhammad and the aforementioned Bill Schroeder.
Because all wide receivers do statistically is catch passes, the WR board doesn’t
have the volatility that the RB board does.
Tight ends
Tony Gonzalez is by far and away the best on the board, but the biggest mover is Kyle
Brady, who jumps from No. 15 to No. 9 after catching 64 passes for 729 yards last season.
Granted, Brady’s two 100-yard games came while Jimmy Smith was not a factor, but the
numbers are impressive nonetheless — and Smith’s health isn’t a 100 percent
certainty.
Placekickers
In the PFW scoring system, the longer the kick, the more points you earn. So if
you’re torn between kickers, it’s best to give the stronger-legged one the edge.
Those with strong legs include Martin Gramatica, Sebastian Janikowski and Jason Hanson.
For more insights into yardage leagues, read the July 24 print edition
of Pro Football Weekly, in which PFW presents its first yardage-league draft board of the
offseason, ranking the players by position. The issue also contains an "Ask the
Experts," in which five PFW editors answer the question: "Who has the most
upside in yardage leagues as opposed to scoring leagues?" |
