Fantasy Football Today - fantasy football rankings, cheatsheets, and information
A Fantasy Football Community!




Create An Account  |  Advertise  |  Contact      






Jeff Collins | Archive | Email |
Staff Writer

What To Expect - AFC East
8/21/03

Buffalo

QB - Drew Bledsoe proved he still had something in the tank last season. He revitalized the entire Buffalo offense, tossing for 24 scores and 4,300 yards. He raced out of the gate, tossing 14 touchdowns in the first six games, filling his fantasy owners with a sense of pride. But he slowed considerably after that, averaging only one touchdown per game in the final 10 games of the year. That filled his fantasy owners with the taste of disappointment, which is strangely reminiscent of Chili Cheese Fritos. Which Bledsoe will we see this year? His trade was brought forth due a perceived decline in his skills. He looked like an average player in the second half of the season. And I think that is what you will see this year. With an improvement on the defensive side of the ball this off season, talk has the Bills being more ball control oriented this year. That is not good news for his fantasy numbers. He also isn't getting any younger and still possesses all the mobility of a marble coffee table. Prediction: He is on the downside, just like the joker in your league who picks him entirely too high.

RB - Where Bledsoe will suffer this year, Travis Henry will flourish. Henry broke out last year and scored 14 touchdowns. His success is crucial for the Bills. If he runs well, the team will do well. If he runs well, his trade value skyrockets if they choose to move him down the line to make room for Willis McGahee. Everyone benefits from a big year from Henry, so they will enable him more than one of Winona Ryder's "doctors".

Prediction: Henry will be a top five running back and I will be contacted by someone's team of "lawyers."

WR/TE - There has been so much talk about the loss of Peerless Price, you kind of forget the big year Eric Moulds had. He finally put together that complete season, with 100 catches, almost 1,300 yards and 10 touchdowns. That was the kind of season they envisioned when they locked him up to that fat contract a few years ago. I think he will be fine this year. Big things are expected from Josh Reed and that is where the problems might lie. I think he will be adequate, but with the reduction from Bledsoe and the increase of Henry, I think he will get squeezed this year. Dave Moore will replace Jay Riemersma at tight end. So it's out with the old, in with the faceless schmo who has yet to make a name for himself.

Predictions: Moulds stays around the same, Reed will be middle of the pack at best and less should be expected from Moore.

K/D - Of all the kickers in the NFL, Rian Lindell is the only who spells Rian that way. Buffalo will move the ball, and he has the potential to be in the top 12. I'm sure he will be around in the late stages of your draft, like hotel security was at mine last year. Takeo Spikes will help give some character to a defense John Fox has been longing to rebuild. Aaron Schobel had 8.5 sacks and Nate Clements finished with 6 INT's to go along with Spikes, who should be the best of the bunch.

Prediction: Changes have been made to improve the team unit, but they aren't ready to dominate yet.

Miami

QB - Needless to say, since the departure of Mr. Marino, the Dolphins have become a run first team. Jay Fiedler's statistics bear that out. It isn't like they're stifling a great passer in the system, but history has shown he is an average passer who increases his name recognition by running. Why does Jack Kemp's name come to mind here? Fiedler will throw in the neighborhood of 200 yards a game and a touchdown a game. He will run for a few scores as well, but to expect more than that would be foolish.

Prediction: What you see is what you get with Fiedler. His appearance on the highlight reels will consist of him handing off to Ricky Williams.

RB - Ricky finally showed what he was capable of and has made people speculate that he might be the top pick in this years draft. He is one of the handful of players who could justify that spot. He averaged over 110 rushing yards a game last year and finished with over 2,200 total yards and 18 touchdowns. I haven't smiled at numbers like that since the opening box office figures for "Gigli," were announced. I don't see Ricky slowing down and the Fins are going to run like they stole something.

Prediction: Ricky wins another rushing title and does a repeat performance of last year.

WR/TE - Most people knew Miami was going to run last year, but Chris Chambers was still such a sexy pick. Tall, fast and coming off a year where he whet the appetites of owners around the league. However his 52 catch, three touchdown performance last season had all the sex appeal of watching a vasectomy. James McKnight will start at the other spot, but it is hard to see him doing much. I'm not sure this is the right system for a receiver to produce good numbers in. I say that and will proceed to say what a good year tight end Randy McMichael could have. He was good for almost 500 yards and had four touchdowns last year and will probably lead the team in receiving touchdowns, again.

Prediction: Four receiving touchdowns led the team, so make a mental note of that.

K/D - Olindo Mare could be one of the top kickers again this year. The team won't gamble and their conservative ways will be good for the running and kicking game. He will be a top 10 kicker, maybe closer to the top five if things fall right between the uprights. Defensively, the team will be produce solid numbers. Jason Taylor led the league in sacks last year and could do the same this year. Sam Madison, Patrick Surtain and Brock Marion all finished with more than three interceptions. Junior Seau was brought in, but if you think he is going to do anything, you are slower than his old legs.

New England

QB - If you predicted that Tom Brady would lead the NFL in touchdowns passes last year, you would have won a commemorative Steve Grogan padded neck collar. Coach Bill Belichick wanted to break someone's neck last year, as the team was only able to move the ball through the air. Offensively, the team was as balanced as a diet of powdered donuts and RC. However, that was good news from a fantasy perspective. But the Pats will go back to the drawing board again this year and try to get the run going, so Brady's stock will slip. But there is no guarantee the team will be able to run, but don't get your hopes up.

Prediction: Brady will tumble back to the middle of the pack.

RB - Here is where the problem lies. Antowain Smith couldn't even reach the meaningless and overrated 1,000-yard mark last season. His rushing touchdowns fell from 12 in their Super Bowl year to six last season. The offense is screaming at the top of its lungs for someone to step up. No wait, that was coach Belichick. Kevin Faulk is a third down back who they want to try and lighten Smith's load. They ought to try and lighten some of that lead from Smith's rear end.

Prediction: Another exercise in futility, but at least Smith will get some exercise.

WR/TE - Where did the stats go? Brady threw for 28 touchdowns, but where did they go? Troy Brown finished with 97 catches last year. The bad thing was only three of those catches were for touchdowns. He also saw his receiving yards drop by 300. David Patten and Deion Branch will start alongside Brown but they scores only five and two touchdowns, respectively, last year. If the passing numbers decrease this year, they will be seen on the side of milk cartons instead of the Monday sports page. Christian Fauria was the major culprit as the tight end scored seven times from close range. He looks as if he will be the only who continue to find the end zone.

Prediction: Fewer visits to the end zone, but a special visit from Jake and the Fat Man hopefully unravels the mystery.

K/D - Adam Vinatieri is solid and dependable. He wont lead the league in scoring, but he is a top 10 type of scorer who will finish closer to the ten than five. He is accurate and if the Pats can't put the ball in the end zone, he will benefit. The signing of Rosie Colvin makes him the marquee name on the defense. He finished with 10 sacks last year and will put up better numbers in Belichick's 3-4 scheme. Expectations are high for Richard Seymour who will move outside. Cornerback Ty Law is a playmaker to look out for as well.

Prediction: Vinatieri will be a top ten kicker and the team unit and Colvin will be top ten producers as well. Actually, the squad will produce more top tens than England Dan and John Ford Coley.

N.Y. Jets

QB - The arrival of Chad Pennington has the Jet faithful thinking they might be seeing the ascension of as future star. Chad Pennington took over from Vinny Testaverde and proceeded to take the Jets to the playoffs. He was a star stat-wise as well. He tossed 22 scores in 12 games. I say tossed because he is known for having a weak arm. But where that isn't going to hurt him statistically, the loss of Laveranues Coles might. Pennington is poised to make a name in the league and don't think the NY media doesn't know that. The comparisons to Joe Montana made you think if they got whipped up in any more of a frenzy, someone would have to stick a wallet in the guy from Newsday's mouth.

Prediction: His numbers will stay about the same over the course of an entire season, with a slight increase.

RB - Is it just me, or has Curtis Martin been playing since the Ford administration? All those years of hard running might be catching up with the former fantasy star. I'm afraid he is on the downward slide of his career, as Lamont Jordan will continue to be implemented in the offensive scheme. A pair of ankle injuries also slowed him. Let's not tamp on his grave just yet, he still could have a year with 1,100 yards and 8 scores, but his days as a workhorse are over. Jordan might cut into his numbers, but he won't scrape enough stats together to warrant a pick.

Prediction: The Jets might have some problems moving the ball this year on the ground, and if you can't run in New York, you need a big gun or a fast wheelchair.

WR/TE - With Laveranues leaving for Washington, Wayne Chrebet, Santana Moss and Curtis Conway are now responsible for making it happen. The problem is, if I want to see marginal talent from a threesome, I'll watch the female leads on "Friends."

Chrebet will score for you, but yardage is out of the question. Moss is explosive, but is size is a hindrance. Conway looks to fill Coles spot and if he can pick up yardage, especially after the catch, he will be the difference maker. It is hard to see him coming up big, but I would bet on an increase on his 800-yard five score season last year. Anthony Becht will give you some scoring around the goal line, scoring five touchdowns each of the past two seasons.

Prediction: The team is going to live and die by what these players do, so don't abandon hope, but to paraphrase Frank Drebin, "I wouldn't wait until the last moment to fill out those organ donor cards."

K/D - Doug Brien lost his job in Minnesota last season to Gary Anderson. That's the equivalent of getting slapped around by Hume Cronyn. Brien is no lock to keep his job, so steer clear of him on draft day, like you would steer clear of Hume Cronyn. John Abraham is the money man on the defensive side of the ball. He racked up 10 sacks last year and the arrival of top pick Dewayne Robertson inside will hope make room for another big year for Abraham. The team unit is solid in preventing points, but aren't the biggest group of playmakers.

Prediction: Average from the defensive side of the ball with the exception of Abraham and people using Google to figure out who the hell Hume Cronyn was.