Value Picks for the 2003 Fantasy Football Season

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Football is back, baby! The first games that were on TV either came from half-way around the world or Canton, but they signaled the beginning of your favorite time of year. I know it. You know it. Nothing compares to football season.

Unfortunately, this also poses a problem. Soon, you will be drafting your fantasy football team (if you haven’t already), and you really need to know who the contributors are going to be this season. I’m not going to give you a list of sleepers, everyone does that. Instead, here are a couple of players from each position who are going to play well above their draft position. When the player you wanted gets snatched away from you in your draft, look to these guys to power your team to the championship.

1. Edgerrin James, RB, Indianapolis Colts – I honestly think that many people don’t remember that he was THE MAN in 2000 and 2001. No one could touch him. EJ was even better than Ricky Williams. Hard to believe, but true. Now after two years of recovery from knee surgery, he’s going to be a top five back again. And if you see him drop to you in the second round, you’ve got the makings of a fantasy squad with him anchoring your RB corps. He will certainly give you 1600+ rushing, 500+ receiving and 16+ touchdowns this season.

2. Tiki Barber, RB, New York Giants – People also seem to have forgotten that Tiki had his best season last year. He averaged over 120 total yards of offense per game and scored a total of eleven touchdowns. Although his offensive line is in a bit of disarray, the O-Line coach for the Giants has a talent for making something out of nothing. With Ike Hilliard, Jeremy Shockey, Amani Toomer and Kerry Collins (see below), look for big things from this offense. Look for 1300+ rushing, 600+ receiving and 16-19 total touchdowns.

3. Kerry Collins, QB, New York Giants – Kerry Collins also posted a career-best year in 2002. He is a solid QB who has all the skills required to run the explosive Giants offense. Nobody shows him any love (I even got him off the waiver wire in one of my competitive live drafts), but he will again perform at a very high level. Watch for him to give you his 4000 yards, but he will throw for at least 20 touchdowns this year and reduce his interceptions by three or four.

4. Jay Fiedler, QB, Miami Dolphins – With the signing of Brian Griese, Fiedler was thought to be on the outs in Miami. That certainly isn’t so. He has been very sharp in practices and scrimmages, hitting receivers with good velocity and excellent touch. Griese might get a chance to start, but not until next year. Norv Turner’s offensive system isn’t easy to master, and Griese hasn’t been known for his uber-intelligence. Look for him to have a great season on the hot seat in Miami. With Derrius Thompson and Chris Chambers, Fiedler will give you 3200+ yards passing, along with 20+ touchdowns to ten or less interceptions. He’ll also give you 350+ yards on the ground and at least four rushing touchdowns.

5. Jerry Porter, WR, Oakland Raiders – We all saw what he did last year. He is now THE threat on this offense, and will take over for Jerry Rice and Tim Brown in style. Porter has all of the physical tools required to be a great wide receiver. He will perform like a top ten receiver, yet still be available in the later rounds. Watch out for gaudy numbers from him. I predict 1200+ yards receiving and 11+ touchdowns from the Raiders youngster.

6. Todd Pinkston, WR, Philadelphia Eagles – Talk about a guy you could never depend on. Built like an anorexic basketball player, he always ran hot and cold. Donovan McNabb has focused on his timing with Pinkston this offseason, and with the addition of a few pounds to his spindly frame, you can expect a big year from him. Going very late in drafts, he will give you 1100+ yards receiving and 10+ touchdowns.

7. Daniel Graham, TE, New England Patriots – Another player I think people have forgotten about. He dominated at TE for the Buffalos of Colorado, but a few slight injuries and the adjustment to the NFL took some of the polish off of him. Look for a big rebound season. Rookie tight ends are like rookie wide receivers with more blocking schemes. The second season from Graham in the complex New England offense will solidify him as a top five TE. I was able to claim him off the waiver wire in two of my drafts, but I think people are wising up. I would take him in the late rounds. Look for 800 yards and 7+ touchdowns from last year’s first rounder.

8. Jerramy Stevens, TE, Seattle Seahawks – The Seahawks are poised to have THE dominating offense of the NFC West. Think I’m crazy? Watch them light up defenses around the league this year. Stevens (who already served his jail sentence for drunk driving) has all of the physical talent of the tight ends who went ahead of him last year (Shockey, Graham, McMichael) without all of the hype because he plays on the left coast. He’ll provide you with similar numbers to Graham with 700+ yards, but I also believe he’ll get into the endzone a minimum of eight times.

9. Seattle, DEF – WHAT? Seattle as my starting defense? You’ve really lost now. Well, with the addition of Ray Rhodes and a slew of offseason acquisitions, the Seahawks will have a great defensive presence. With the additions of Marcus Trufant, Chike Okeafor, Norman Hand and others, watch for them to be a fantasy scoring machine. Sacks and interceptions and fumbles, oh my!

10. Buffalo, DEF – Buffalo has one of the most explosive offenses in all of football. They can pop you in the mouth with a long pass or run at any time. But their defense has been lacking. The addition of super-linebacker Takeo Spikes will really add another dimension to what they do. Sam Adams was the man who helped take Ray Lewis to the next level, and although he’s older and larger now, he will help do the same for Spikes and the entire defense. The amount of pressure they’ll exert on the line of scrimmage and the speed in the LB corps will spell a win-win for your defensive needs.

Use these picks to fill out your roster on draft day, and you’ll be more than pleasantly surprised at the results. These players are getting drafted lower than they should this year, and you’d better get them before someone else does. The fantasy football season you save may be your own.

 
Trent Vaughn wrote for the Cafe last year, but flaked out by buying a house and stopped in the middle of his divisional breakdowns. Way to go on that Bengals pick! When he’s not watching football or writing, Trent likes to surf, play golf and read down in sunny South Florida.