Picking Vick could mean a big payoff

  • By Victor Balta / Herald writer
  • Thursday, September 2, 2004 9:00pm
  • Sports

Injury comebacks, veterans, sleepers and rookies. They flash through the minds of fantasy football players like the ghosts and goblins that filled your sleepless childhood nights.

Which ones to take? Which ones might slip in the draft? Which one might make me look like an idiot in front of all my friends? Which will make me look like a genius in December?

Here’s a look at some such players to consider:

Injury comebacks

No player holds as much mystery as Michael Vick. The payoff on the Atlanta quarterback is huge, but the risk is almost as high.

Vick suffered a broken leg last season that kept him out of 11 games. This preseason, some hamstring troubles are keeping him off the practice field and out of some preseason action.

Still, until he goes out for good, Vick is worth taking in the second round or later. There’s simply no better athlete taking snaps in the NFL and, especially in terms of rushing yardage, Vick’s numbers are worth the risk.

One guy some people tend to forget about is Detroit receiver Charles Rogers. He made a huge impact early last season before he broke his collarbone in an early October practice.

He still possesses a huge frame and great speed and will do well in head coach Steve Mariucci’s system. If memory serves correctly, Mariucci did OK with a big, strong, fast wide receiver in San Francisco.

A running back who should slip a little in your draft is Michael Bennett of the Minnesota Vikings. He missed much of last season with an ankle injury and he’s missing some time early this season with a knee injury.

Bennett could miss as many as the first three games, according to reports, so you might snag him in a middle-to-late round. If you’ve already got two decent backs, pick him up later for insurance or possible trade bait.

Veterans

The day of the Smith is over.

The great Smiths of the recent past are history and while there are some young ones coming along, make sure you stop and take a breath before uttering the last name on draft day.

Emmitt, Rod, Jimmy and Antowain are all but done. Jimmy and Rod can be middle-round No. 2 receivers at best.

Some Smiths to consider, though, are Carolina WR Steve Smith, Minnesota RB Onterrio Smith, and Philadelphia tight end L.J. Smith.

Other veterans who just don’t have that spark any longer are Cowboys RB Eddie George, Raiders QB Rich Gannon and Bucs WR Joey Galloway.

Sleepers

It’s tough to say when a player goes from being a legitimate sleeper to the sleeper everybody’s talking about. Still, they somehow manage to slip down the draft board.

Bears RB Thomas Jones has burned fantasy owners before, but it looks like he’ll truly get a shot with the Bears this year and his style suits Chicago’s wide-open offense nicely.

Quietly in his third pro season is Browns WR Andre Davis. He’ll get more chances to shine with the departure of Kevin Johnson and the arrival of QB Jeff Garcia, who has the ability to get the ball to his receivers.

Rookies

Without question, Arizona WR Larry Fitzgerald is the top rookie prospect this season. We saw what a rookie can pull off in Arizona last season, when unknown Anquan Boldin put up 1,377 yards and eight touchdowns. Fitzgerald has even more natural ability and is going to be a focal point of the offense.

Detroit RB Kevin Jones has a chance to make a name for himself, and don’t count out Rams backup RB Steven Jackson, who is getting a lot of work this preseason. It wouldn’t shock anyone if Rams star Marshall Faulk doesn’t make it through the season.

Columnist Victor Balta: 425-339-3455 or vbalta@heraldnet.com.

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