Fantasy Football: Week in Review
• Alex Smith (KC) QB – Smith has a head coach that supposedly coveted him before they were on the same team and an offensive coordinator who claims that Smith is the “best QB in the NFL.” If you just laughed out loud, it’s understandable. We all know Pederson is trying to earn the trust and affection of his new QB. Realistically, he should be concerned. The dink and dunk approach to an NFL offense only works when you have a tremendous running game. Enter Jamaal Charles. Smith’s weakness will be Charles’ gain all season long, but that still doesn’t make Smith a starting fantasy QB. Yes, he has Charles, Bowe, and Baldwin as weapons, but how long do you think it’s going to take defenses to figure out Smith won’t throw over 20 yards? Then what? Alex will be given every opportunity to throw, just don’t expect anything further than 7 yards from the line of scrimmage.
• Percy Harvin (SEA) WR – Harvin could have been written in the injury update, but the initial diagnosis after his surgery is for Percy to be back in Week 13. So what does a fantasy owner do? Is his game changing ability worth drafting knowing his situation? Yes. One condition, your league has 2 IR spots. If you choose to draft him with only 1 IR available for the whole season, good luck not sitting on a guy when he pulls a hamstring and you can’t pick up another player because you’re waiting on Harvin. It’s just not smart. If Percy does make it back after the Seahawks week 12 BYE, he will face New Orleans, the 49’ers, our beloved New York Giants, and finishes the season with 2 walk thrus against Arizona and St. Louis. The schedule would look great for any team heading into the fantasy playoffs. I think we all know a great many things have to go right for that to happen. Percy is a very high risk/very high reward player who might only be worth drafting if he falls to you where no one else on the board is a player you want or need. Then you take him.
• Lamar Miller (MIA) RB – When Reggie Bush left for the Detroit Lions, most fantasy players drooled over the idea of having Bush in a pass happy offense. But let’s not forget that someone needs to fill the role Bush leaves behind. Miller had a great camp and all signs pointed to Miller becoming a breakout candidate and fantasy sleeper. Instead the first team job has become a battle between Miller and Daniel Thomas. If this is going to be a running back by committee approach, than Miller will lose virtually all of his value. To be clear, I never anticipated Adrian Peterson type numbers, but I do think Miller has the potential for 900 Yards and 8-12 TDs. That’s pretty good for a mid to late round draft pick. He is probably worth a risk/reward draft pick, but he’s lost his breakout label.
• Jermichael Finley (GB) TE – Finley, at this point in his Packers career Finley would make a better magician than a tight end considering how often he disappear He’s never had more than 61 completions and other than 2011 hasn’t had more than 5 TDs at season’s end. With his head coach praising him, and his offensive coordinator praising him, even Aaron Rodgers is saying he’s figured it out. If that’s true he could explode and be a legit TE1. I may be alone in saying this but I don’t believe he can pull it off. If he can only motivate himself in a contract year like this one, then the real story is the type of person more than the type of player we’re talking about.
As the pre-season progresses more news will come to light. We will be watching and predicting how it will all work out in the fantasy football world. Keep reading, and we’ll keep writing!