Chick Fantasies

Rising Fantasy Studs

We chicks have never put a ton of stock in the preseason. We have seen too many summer heroes come and go to get too excited over August performances. After all, the top two rushers this preseason are both Bengals and neither one of them is named Corey Dillon. And the leading passer is Sage Rosenfels with 476 passing yards, but he will likely be a third stringer. But just the same, there are a few fellows whose stock has been rising in recent weeks after some dynamite preseason outings.
There is certainly a nice advantage to having a last minute fantasy draft. You can avoid drafting the preseason casualties such as “Rocket” Ismail and Dominic Rhodes. You also have a better idea of who will be starting and who will be riding the pine. But the best part is spotting those rising studs who demonstrate they are ready to score with the big boys.

Danny Wuerffel, QB, Redskins: Well, it sure is a good thing we chicks did not do any drafting in July. We would have bet our Gucci bags that Shane Matthews would be the gun who rose to the top. But after three weeks of the preseason, Danny appears to be the man heading the frisky unit. The ‘Skins certainly will not continue to put up over 400 passing yards per game. However, Spurrier’s “Fun ‘n’ Gun” attack is certain to provide the starting gunslinger with some beefy stats.

Deion Branch, WR, Patriots: The World Champs sure are pleased with what they have seen out of their second-round draft choice. Branch has added quite bit of spunk to the offense with his explosive speed and big play ability. Branch flourished in his debut against the Giants with eight receptions for 129 yards. Branch cannot expect the same results during the regular season, as Troy Brown will be back in the lineup. Furthermore, rookie receivers rarely blossom in their first season. But the Patriots would be crazy to let such a potent weapon waste away on their bench. A late round fantasy pick may still be a bit of a stretch, but this is a young man worth keeping your eye on.

D’Wayne Bates, WR, Vikings: When Derrick Alexander came aboard it appeared Bates’ opportunities would be limited. But Alexander has continued where he left off last season with lingering injuries, while Bates has been on fire throughout mini-camps and the preseason. Alexander has put up big numbers in the past, but Bates is currently the starter and is proving he deserves to keep the job. If Bates continues to perform at a high level, he will reap the coveted benefits of lining up across from the league’s most dangerous receiver. While defenses pick on Moss, Bates will have a field day going one on one with the weaker cover boys.

DeShaun Foster, RB, Panthers: We have never been big fans of Lamar Smith who only ran for a lame 3.1 yards per carry last season. Foster’s preseason performances have convinced us that Panther fans will not be forced to suffer with Smith as their starter. Foster should be the leading man in Carolina and his debut could come as early as opening weekend. DeShaun is a home run hitter and as long as his battle with fumblitis is over, he may be the pick of the rookie running backs.

Olandis Gary, RB, Broncos: Terrell Davis’ injury is sad news for all football fans. But the Broncos are deep at running back and can handle the crisis better than probably any other team in the league. All eyes are now on Clinton Portis and deservedly so. He has great speed and is a big play back. However, many fantasy owners will likely be a bit too quick to jump on young Portis. Olandis Gary is on top of the depth chart and he has proven in the past he can carry the load. Most likely both runners will get their share of touches. While other owners are grabbing Portis too early, there may be an opportunity to sit back and get the less popular Gary with a late round pick.

Eddie George, RB, Titans: Eddie’s 2001 performance left a sour taste in many fantasy owners’ mouths. But the more we see of heady Eddie, the higher he creeps up our draft ladder. Until last year, George had never rushed for less than 1294 yards and from what we have seen “Hot Legs” George is ready for another smoking season.

Jeremy Shockey, TE, Giants: We knew the Giants had found themselves their future tight end in the draft. But Shockey has proven the future is today. Jeremy has been catching everything in sight this summer and it appears he is ready to jump in and make an immediate impact. Shockey is a big red zone target and could finish the season as a top-five fantasy tight end.