| Terrell Davis ran the ball 392 times in 1998,
rushing for 2,008 yards and 21 touchdowns. He was hands-down the best running back in the
NFL, maybe the best player in the NFL, and league MVP. In ’99, a season shortened
by a knee injury, Davis played only two-and-a-half games.
Last year, still hampered by lingering effects from knee surgery despite a hard-core
training regimen, Davis battled nickel-and-dime injuries before finally calling it a
season in Week 11.
Only four weeks ago it appeared Davis had put the two injury-plagued seasons behind
him. Maybe the knee problems would become an aberration on his All-Pro résumé. The 3.35
yards a carry and two touchdowns Davis averaged over the last two seasons little more than
growing pains.
In minicamp Davis was back to exploding through the holes made by his offensive line.
His signature cutback moves had returned and Davis regained his old form.
But the joy in Mile High would be short-lived when soreness in his knee sent Davis back
for yet another MRI, revealing an arthritic, degenerative condition in what was once a
multimillion-dollar knee.
The two-time league MVP has been to the top. It’s doubtful he’ll ever get
back.
What does this mean for fantasy owners wanting to draft a Denver running back?
Your first option is to avoid the Broncos’ backfield. It seems, despite the fact
that he could sit out numerous preseason dates, coach Mike Shanahan’s loyalty lies
with No. 30.
There is no guarantee that Davis will shake the health troubles that have followed him
for the last two-plus seasons. What you want is a sure thing — Davis is anything but.
Consider taking Davis only after the top 10 No. 1 starters are off the board —
guys who are surefire starters with their respective teams. For example, the obvious
— Marshall Faulk, Edgerrin James, Fred Taylor, Eddie George, Stephen Davis, Lamar
Smith, Curtis Martin, Ricky Williams. … Then it gets sketchy.
What if Davis stays healthy and has a 1,200-yard season? Are you willing to take the
risk?
Would you rather have aging starters like Emmitt Smith, Jerome Bettis or a rookie like
Michael Bennett? Or consider the second option …
With Davis on the shelf, 27-year-old rookie RB Mike Anderson amassed an eye-popping
1,487 yards and 15 touchdowns, including six 100-yard games and a monster 251-yard game at
New Orleans. This coming on the heels of virtual unknown Olandis Gary racking up 1,000
yards as the top Denver runner in ’99.
If, for any reason, the Broncos bypass Davis as their starter, Anderson is thrust into
the top 10 or 12 backs. Take him, take him, take him. If not, the quandary remains.
So let’s simplify your options:
- Davis fights through knee soreness and tries to begin the season as the starter Sept. 10
against St. Louis.
This means fantasy owners considering drafting Davis have to make sure they grab
Anderson as insurance. Anderson is undoubtedly the second-stringer in the Broncos’
backfield and has proven his fantasy worth as a reserve.
- Davis can’t go. Whether he is ineffective in the preseason or his knee forces him
to injured reserve or another surgery.
This means fantasy owners shouldn’t think twice about taking Anderson, who
is coming off minor knee surgery. On the PFW fantasy board, I would place the bulldog
runner sixth, ahead of Lamar Smith, Curtis Martin and James Stewart.
"In Our Opinion" fantasy columns have now resumed for the 2001 season.
Columns will appear daily, Tuesday through Friday, throughout the regular season. The
Fantasy Doctor will return this month with your pigskin prescriptions, so send your
fantasy questions to the Doc's attention at fantasydoctor@pfwa.com |
