| Considering most leagues close up shop following
Week 16, I thought I’d take a look back at the season and identify some of the top
surprises and disappointments of the fantasy football season. 
Most surprising running back: Priest Holmes, Kansas City.
I never thought much of Holmes, even after he won me a championship game several years
ago with a huge game against Cincinnati. Prior to this season, that was pretty much all I
expected if I owned Holmes, waiting to see when he squared off with the Bengals because he
always seemed to have a big game.
I wouldn’t have touched him with a 10-foot pole back on Draft Day either. I
wasn’t sold on his talent, and I also wasn’t sold that the Chiefs would make a
serious commitment to the running game. Other backs lurked in the background, and I
wasn’t convinced he wouldn’t be delegated to backup duties.
But I’m a believer in admitting your own errors as Holmes has exceeded probably
everyone’s expectations, maybe even his own.
Most disappointing running back: Fred Taylor, Jacksonville.
I’m getting real tired of Taylor. Foolishly wasting a first-round pick in two
different drafts on the boom-or-bust running back this year, I never really recovered. A
fellow PFW staffer has lectured me on the frivolity of spending a pick on Taylor, who
seems to disappoint much more than he shines. But I never listen.
I’m listening now. I won’t pick Taylor again.
Most surprising wide receiver: Chris Chambers, Miami.
I’ll admit he was on my deep sleeper list, but I only took him in one draft.
I wish I had picked him in all three.
I never expected this sort of production out of Chambers. And all of my whimsical
nature couldn’t make me lean too heavily on him, based on the fact that all I knew
about Chambers was the Dolphins had mentioned on many occasions that they felt they got a
steal with this draft pick out of Wisconsin.
Chambers looks like he might be the man to help bring back pass-happy offenses to
Miami.
Most disappointing wide receiver: Derrick Alexander, Kansas City.
Alexander was a natural choice based on his 2000 season, where he had big yardage, big
touchdowns and several big-play TDs for more bonuses.
Those who made Alexander their No. 1 wide receiver were obviously very disappointed.
Most surprising quarterback: Kordell Stewart, Pittsburgh.
If anyone’s preseason draft list had Stewart in the top 15 of quarterbacks,
I’d be shocked. But I totally understood the rationale; there was no reason to
believe that Stewart would be any more productive in 2001 than in a disastrous 2000
campaign. All I have to say about Stewart after watching his complete reversal of fortune
is that Mike Mularkey is a genius.
Most disappointing quarterback: Daunte Culpepper, Minnesota.
Culpepper earned the top QB slot on many preseason lists, and while I don’t doubt
that maybe one day that will be justified, such a rating hadn’t quite been earned
yet.
His subpar season wasn’t entirely Culpepper’s fault, and obviously an injury
sidelined him for an extended period of time. Yet, when he was playing and healthy, he
certainly didn’t produce as one would expect from a top-flight quarterback. |
