T rades, holdouts and hamstrings … oh my!
This week was full of action and had fantasy football owners scrambling to figure out just how they could cash in on the week’s events.
Close to home, the Seahawks traded for veteran receiver Jerry Rice.
A little further south, the Chargers lost up-and-coming receiver Reche Caldwell for the season due to an injury and brought in Tampa Bay holdout Keenan McCardell to take his place.
Over in Minnesota, Randy Moss’ hamstring has some fantasy owners limping around with sympathy pains.
And Cleveland and Dallas swapped the thus-far-equally-disappointing Quincy Morgan (to Dallas) and Antonio Bryant (to Cleveland).
Surely all this action has to mean something to fantasy owners looking for a spark, right?
Certainly, but each of these big moves is a little bit like the sun: It illuminates the things around it and brings out the beauty in them, but if you look directly at it you’ll go blind.
Here at home we’ve seen Seahawks receivers Darrell Jackson and Koren Robinson struggle to catch the ball, and now we have the news that Robinson might miss four weeks because of a suspension.
We all know Rice knows how to catch the ball, but wonder about his age and how that affects his fantasy value.
Rice will help spread the offense – something the Seahawks have been struggling to do in recent weeks – and will likely improve the output of those around him. This includes Darrell and Jerramy Stevens, in particular. Rice will get some catches, but probably not enough to justify a fantasy roster spot.
Meanwhile, those who drafted McCardell and were just waiting for the day he’d sign are doing back flips now. But they might land on their heads soon enough.
McCardell has missed too much time, including all of training camp. At his age, 34, and needing to learn a new offense, he shouldn’t make a fantasy impact any time soon.
But if you look around the Chargers’ lineup a little, you’ll find receiver Eric Parker, who’s suddenly the top option with the injury to Caldwell.
Parker is more than capable, which he showed last week with six catches for 76 yards and a touchdown. He’s the best option for quarterback Drew Brees, who is having a surprisingly good season (186 yards per game, nine touchdowns, three interceptions).
With Moss’ injury comes a chance for his supporting cast to shine. The way Vikings quarterback Daunte Culpepper has been doling out touchdowns, it’s a wonder names like Marcus Robinson and Nate Burleson aren’t better known.
These two will get more and more chances, even when Moss is around. But while he’s gone, they should post even better numbers than they have so far.
The Cleveland-Dallas trade meant most for fantasy owners on the Cleveland side of things. Bryant instantly becomes a top option for quarterback Jeff Garcia and compliments Andre’ Davis on the other side.
But, for the time being, look to Dennis Northcutt to make an appearance. If you’re looking for a quick fix, he might be your guy, especially this week. Davis is a little banged up, but says he’ll play. Bryant also could see some action, but there’s only so much of a new offense you can learn in a week.
Northcutt’s been with the Browns for a while and has shown flashes before.
Columnist Victor Balta: 425-339-3455 or vbalta@heraldnet.com.
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