by Guttpuppy » Tue Jul 01, 2003 6:35 pm
ESPN's Fantasy Focus.
Stephen Davis, who's entering his eighth season, is one of the NFL's underrated runners. His stats slipped last season because of nagging injuries and was a poor fit with Steve Spurrier's spread offense. Davis runs most effectively when he's the featured back and is receiving 20-plus carries. He's also consistent, averaging 4.0 yards the past three seasons. Carolina's starting runners of Lamar Smith, Dee Brown and Nick Goings combined for 361 carries last season. Carolina will also be a run-heavy offense again this year as it looks to a strong defense to keep scores low. An improved offensive line boosted by the addition of No. 1 draft pick Jordan Gross will help Davis, too. Figure that Davis will receive at least 300 carries; he's shown he can handle the workload, carrying 332 and 356 times in 2000 and 2001, respectively. Davis makes a solid pick in the second round because of his steady production and reliability.
-- Roger Rotter, ESPN.com fantasy editor