| OK, friends. Here we go again. Last season,
not too long after Kurt Warner went down for the count with a broken pinky finger, I asked
the readers of this column to help me decide whether or not I should trade the potent Rams
quarterback in my Pro Football Weekly inter-office fantasy league.
At the time, I was getting all kinds of interesting trade offers for Warner, and I was
very perplexed, especially since I still harbored hopes of being a genuine playoff
contender.
This season, with the PFW league’s 2001 fantasy draft fast approaching, I am once
again asking for your help.
Here’s my dilemma.
Yesterday I was informed that I would have the fourth overall pick in the 10-team draft
— a much more palatable situation than last year, when I was forced to pick ninth
every other round.
Sources within PFW’s friendly confines have informed me that fellow editors Keith
Schleiden, "Handy Andy" Hanacek and Nolan Nawrocki (the newest kid on the PFW
block) are planning on selecting Edgerrin James, Marshall Faulk and Peyton Manning,
respectively, with the draft’s first three picks.
Who am I going to take with No. 4 overall? That’s a great question at the moment,
one that once again I hope you can help me answer.
Here are my top options as far as I can tell.
Jaguars RB Fred Taylor — If Taylor ever stays healthy for an entire season,
he could be an absolute fantasy terror. But on the Jags, a team that has been bitten in
the butt by one of the orneriest injury bugs in some time, staying healthy could be a
tougher task than it already is for a guy with such a checkered medical history.
Warner — We all know what you get in Warner, the deadly accurate engineer
of the Rams’ high-flying offense. But what about his health? Is he completely
over that concussion suffered late last season? He says he is, but …
Steady Titans RB Eddie George — Now here’s a guy who is as durable and
reliable as my ’94 Honda Civic, even though the verdict is still out on his injured
toe that he rested much of the preseason. But is he hamstrung from a fantasy standpoint by
the rest of the Titans’ offense?
Vikings WR Randy Moss — Following the death of OT Korey Stringer, I really
wondered if the Vikings would be able to overcome his huge loss. The more I’ve
watched them this preseason, however, the more I’m starting to think that the team is
actually motivated to new heights by Stringer’s untimely passing. This especially
appears to be the case with Moss, who has looked as awesome as usual this preseason (but
no more so, I should add, than the 49ers’ Terrell Owens, who would have probably been
my first pick this season had I been saddled with the ninth overall pick again).
Vikings QB Daunte Culpepper — See Moss above.
So what do you think, dear readers? Are you willing to give a crusty old football
writer another helping hand? If so, please e-mail me at darkush@primediasi.com with your suggestions. I
promise to faithfully sift through all of them and then make my decision based on those
suggestions deemed worthy (I’m sure a few of you will take the opportunity to just
yank my chain with sarcastic gibberish, and it will be up to me to decide whether or not
your intentions are honorable).
In any event, I anxiously await your responses. Thank you in advance. And go Cubs!
"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 has returned with your pigskin prescriptions, so send your fantasy
questions to the Doc's attention at fantasydoctor@pfwa.com |
