10 BURNING QUESTIONS FF OWNERS WANT TO KNOW

As mini-camp rolls on, the NFL Draft Bible takes a peek at 10 burning questions fantasy owners need to know while drafting their team:

Is there any question not to take LT first?
If you have the first pick, you’re taking LT. No ifs or buts. How great was LT last year? In ESPN leagues, LT ended the season with 410 fantasy points. Larry Johnson, who finished with the second most fantasy points, ended the season with 317 points.
Tomlinson just turned 28 this June, and is entering his prime. Fantasy owners should have little doubt about Tomlinson’s capabilities. LT has elevated his game to the likes of Walter Payton and Barry Sanders, and fantasy owners should cash in on his greatness.

Should I take a chance on Michael Vick?
It’s sad to see how much Vick has plummeted in a year. Last year, Vick was a top 15 fantasy player, and showed uncanny potential for being able to throw for 2,500 yards and rush for 1,000. This season, Vick will be lucky to strap on the pads and step on the field. With Vick’s legal issues occurring during the season, fantasy owners should stay clear of Vick at all costs. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has shown he will sit players who have problems with the law, and after further investigation, it looks like Vick will be on the bench for most of the season. Fantasy owner could take a chance on him on the later rounds, but they shouldn’t expect anything close to the numbers he put up last year.

Should I be worried about Vince Young and the Madden jinx?
For the record, I am not a superstitious or spiritual person. However, one can not notice the trend of players getting hurt after being on the cover of Madden. Eventually someone will beat the jinx, but for now, fantasy owners should stay away from Vince Young. He gave the Titans a late playoff push and went 8-5 as a starter, but Young threw more interceptions, 13, than touchdowns, 12, and had a QB rating of 66.7. That is no where close to being a top fantasy quarterback. I wouldn’t take Young before the likes of Tony Romo, Phillip Rivers, Jay Cutler, and Brett Favre. Instead, Fantasy owners might want to look at him as a backup, but he might be better suited as a third quarterback and a late draft pick.

When should I draft Calvin Johnson?
Calvin Johnson has absurd talent and freakish abilities. He’s like Chad Johnson and Terrell Owens in one body. But the transition from college to the pros is very difficult for wide receivers.

There is no question Calvin Johnson will eventually be an elite wide receiver, but for now, he’s still a rookie learning a new league. He will be a very good option as a mid round draft choice, and a solid third wide receiver for many teams. What benefits Johnson is that he has Roy Williams, another emerging star, on the other side of him. What hurts Johnson is that Mike Furrey is coming off his best season, and is going into mini-camp as the Lions second receiver.


What player, who moved during the off-season, will have the most productive season?
Two guys that jump out at me are Willis McGahee and Randy Moss. In McGahee’s case, the move to Baltimore makes McGahee a solid first rounder. He has disappointed fantasy owners –including myself-- for the last couple of seasons, but going to the Ravens gives fantasy owners hope. As many fans know, the Ravens are a run first offense, and McGahee will get at least 20 carries a game. McGahee was having trouble finding the end zone in Buffalo, but with Steve McNair and that consistent offensive line, McGahee should have his best season as a pro.

On the other side, Moss comes to New England after the Patriots revamped their wide receiver corp. Moss comes from the worst team in the NFL to, arguably, the best. He had no one throwing him the ball for the last two years, but now will have Tom Brady. Critics are still questioning if Moss can co-exist with the Patriots offensive game plan, but to me, Moss is thrilled to be out of the silver and black. Critics questioned his abilities and attitude out of college and he proved them wrong. Look for Moss to prove he is a top 10 wide receiver, and put up a ton of TDs and over 1,000 yards receiving.

Is it worth taking Manning with a top 10 pick?
Peyton has proven that he is a clear cut top 10 pick. Many people might say that running backs should only go in the first round, but Peyton is too good to pass up. He puts up 4,000 passing yards, 30 TDs, and a low interception rate. And, he is one heck of an actor. Well, I guess he doesn’t get fantasy points for acting, but Peyton is still a better fantasy option than many running backs.

What running back will have a Frank Gore type season?
Last year, Ronnie Brown was supposed to have the season Frank Gore had. So, it is very hard to predict who can put up monster numbers out of no where. Many experts did not see Frank Gore rushing for more than 1,600 yards, but if I had to choose, Travis Henry and Cedric Benson are due for bust out seasons.

Henry signed with the Broncos during the off-season and his type of running style should continue the Broncos streak of having a 1,000 yard rusher.

Benson has the running back job all to himself, and he will be determined to prove the Bears did not make a mistake in moving Thomas Jones. Jones was coming off a 1,200 yard season, but Benson could duplicate those numbers with the great Bears offensive line in front of him.

How will Reggie Bush do in his second year?
Reggie Bush did something running backs and rookies do not usually do; he got better as the season continued. Bush showed his unique skills, and in the second half of the season, Bush had 4.8 YPC, nearly 100 total yards per game, and 6 TDs. He may be the best receiving running back in the league already, and is running skills are sure to improve. Bush may not be a first round pick, or your first running back, but he will definitely be gone after the second round is over.

Should Larry Johnson’s hold out worry me?
Larry Johnson was last year’s popular 1st pick. This year, Johnson is sitting out, in hopes to receive a new contract. Johnson will eventually get on the field, and should not miss a step. Second year head coach Herm Edwards has shown he is not afraid to hand the ball off, as Johnson took 416 carries last year, tops in the league. Those carries will eventually catch up to Johnson, but for now, fantasy owners should expect similar numbers from the last two years.

What’s the better pick; Frank Gore or Shaun Alexander?
Two weeks ago, it was Frank Gore for sure. Gore is younger, has more step in his game, and is on a team that is on the rise. However, that all changed when Gore broke his hand and is expected to miss the 49ers first three pre-season games. The broken hand only adds on to the fumble worries. He led the league last year with nine 100 yard games, but questions will now linger every time he touches the ball.

Alexander is coming off his worst season since 2000, due to a broken foot --and maybe the Madden jinx. In reality, the broken foot was bound to happen as Alexander received over 1,000 carries from 2003-2005.

Because of the question marks around Gore and Alexander, Joseph Addai might be the better option. Addai split time with Dominick Rhodes last year, but still rushed for over 1,000 yards and scored 7 TDs. The Colts offense only helps Addai, and could elevate him into the top 5 ahead of Gore and Alexander.