Preseason Stock Watch
Fantasy Preview Home / Sports Channel / Bullz-Eye Home
Throughout the preseason, we'll track some of the biggest fantasy football news items here and how these stories affect our rankings. Feel free to print out our updated printable cheat sheet, or check out our original tiered rankings. We'll have a fully updated cheat sheet reflecting all of the offseason action as the season gets closer. Stay tuned.
As always, for more fantasy football news, visit The Scores Report, the National Sports Blog.
8/21: BARLOW TRADED TO JETS, GORE CLEAR #1 IN SAN FRANCISCO
Assuming he passes his physical with the Jets (and Lee Suggs proved that’s a big assumption), Kevan Barlow should have a shot at becoming the starting running back for the Jets. Barlow has been going in the 10th round, but if he wins the job I expect that his ADP will rise to the 5th or 6th round, though only desperate owners should consider him. The Jets still have Curtis Martin to deal with, but the club has been quiet about his prospects for playing this season. It doesn’t look like his knee is responding well to treatment. For now, we've moved Barlow up to #36 in our RB rankings, just behind other questionable starters like Chris Brown, Ahman Green and Fred Taylor. Frank Gore is the clear #1 in San Francisco, and his ADP should rise from the 5th round to the 4th. The big question about Gore is, can he stay healthy? He’ll be a decent to good #2 as long as he’s on the field, and we've got him slotted behind the more reliable Reuben Droughns at #24.
8/18: WIDE OUT ROUNDUP
Terrell Owens already appears to be wearing out his welcome in Dallas. The stud WR finally appeared in pads, after sitting out several practices due to a sore hamstring. Owens has the talent to be the best WR in the world, but his ego always seems to get in the way. He had one good year in Philly before things blew up, so fantasy owners who draft him this season have to hope it takes that long in Dallas as well. Take Reggie Wayne ahead of T.O. We are…Another WR dealing with a sore hammy is Hines Ward and HC Bill Cowher said that the receiver is “as frustrated as anybody” about the injury…Deion Branch continues to hold out and the two sides are reportedly far apart on agreeing on a value for the WR. This uncertainty is helping Reche Caldwell evolve into a potential sleeper…Matt Jones caught a 50-yard pass last Saturday, and continues to establish himself as the team’s #1 WR now that Jimmy Smith is retired. Ernest Wilford has moved ahead of Reggie Williams and will start alongside Jones for the Jags…Jerramy Stevens is out six weeks due to a torn meniscus in his left knee. The TE was primed to be a sleeper heading into this year after a good second half and playoffs last season…Larry Johnson carried the ball four times for eight yards in the Chiefs’ preseason loss to the Giants. Maybe the loss of his fullback, tackle, head coach and offensive coordinator is going to be a big problem. Another outing like this, and I’m going to take LaDainian Tomlinson first overall…Frank Gore’s stock continues to rise. He carried the ball 10 times for 49 yards and a score and caught five passes for 32 yards. His competition (if you want to call him that), Kevan Barlow, carried once for two yards before leaving the game with an injury. Gore will start for the 49ers as long as he’s healthy, and with his history, that might not be very long.
8/18: BUSH SHINES, CHESTER ON THE RISE AND MIKE BELL GETS HIS SHOT
Reggie Bush’s terrific debut (6 carries for 59 yards) has pushed his stock a bit higher, putting him ahead of Julius Jones, whose value has been hit by comments from his head coach. Bill Parcells called Julius Jones and his backup, Marion Barber III, “interchangeable” and said that Barber would be on the field in third down situations…Bush’s value has been stunted some by Deuce McAllister’s presence, but even if both players are healthy, Bush will be heavily involved in the Saints’ passing game…After coming into camp overweight, Chester Taylor is getting rave reviews, and the coaching staff has said they want to get him 25 touches a game. We’re not sure Taylor can handle that kind of load, but his situation is starting to remind us of LaMont Jordan’s move last summer. He’s a career backup who has always done well when he’s played, but he hasn’t had the opportunity to be a full-time back. Taylor has the benefit of running behind Tony Richardson, who has spent the last few years blocking for Priest Holmes and Larry Johnson in Kansas City, along with an improved offensive line, which features free agent acquisition Steve Hutchinson, maybe the best guard in the league…The Denver RB situation is always dicey, but Mike Bell has been promoted to the first team. He fumbled the other night, but if he holds onto the ball and runs well in the remaining preseason games, his stock will continue to rise. Denver is arguably the best situation for a RB in the entire league, and whoever gets the bulk of carries there will have a very good season.
8/17: K-ROB, INC. FILES FOR BANKRUPTCY; WILLIAMSON TO BENEFIT?
On the heels of what Wall Street would call some “very negative news," Koren Robinson’s stock has never been lower. By being arrested under suspicion of a DWI, it appears that he has violated the NFL substance abuse policy and the speculation is that he could be suspended for the entire season. Robinson was heading into the season as the team’s #1 WR, and if he is unable to play, second year wideout Troy Williamson will have to assume that role. Williamson has been drawing raves at camp, but we’re not sure he’s ready for prime time. Still, when guys like Williamson are thrown into the fire, great things can happen. Cross K-Rob off your draft sheet and move Williamson up a ways. According to Antsports’ ADP, he was going in the 13th round prior to Robinson’s arrest, while K-Rob was going in the 8th. Taking Williamson in the 10th is probably a good bet while the league sorts out the situation.
8/15: JETS TRADE FOR LEE SUGGS
If Suggs can stay healthy, he should be in line for a big role in New York...wait, what's that? Suggs failed his physical and the trade sending him to the Jets for CB Derrick Strait is now off? Apparently, Suggs can't even get healthy, let alone stay healthy. As a result, Suggs is once more someone you can safely ignore on draft day, while Cedric Houston and Derrick Blaylock retain their spots on the fringes of fantasy relevancy.
8/14: PORTIS SEPARATES SHOULDER
One of the biggest debates heading into the season was who deserved to be taken #4 after The Big Three were off the board. Some said Tiki Barber, while others said Clinton Portis or even Peyton Manning. Well, Portis is certainly out of the running now that his status for week one is in doubt after he separated his shoulder in Sunday night's preseason game against the Bengals. So how far exactly does he fall? That's not an easy question to answer. If you're drafting within the next week or two, Portis represents one of the biggest boom-or-bust picks in the first two rounds. He could come back after time off and deliver numbers in line with his 2005 season, or he could be hampered by the injury all season. Those of you drafting closer to the start of the season have a few weeks to figure out where to slot Portis and if he's even worth the risk. We're dropping him from fifth to 12th among the RBs for now but he'll shoot back up if the reports in the next few weeks come back positive. In the meantime, bump 'Skins backup Ledell Betts up a few slots in your rankings with the potential to be a very good second or third RB should Portis miss extended time.