One man’s misfortune is another man’s opportunity.
That’s true in both life and in fantasy sports. It happens all the time; one player goes down and another is called on to take his place. Sometimes it’s just a temporary thing until the starter recovers from his injury or gets his game back on. Other times, it’s a much longer and permanent move.
In fantasy sports, owners need to keep a keen eye whenever there’s a change because a new star could be about to break out on the scene. For example, Wally Pip-owners in 1925 must have been pissed when that kid named Lou Gehrig took over and then played 2,130 straight games.
While fantasy baseball obviously didn’t exist way back then, there are infinite examples of this occurring over the past decade. For example, Don Majkowski used to be called the “Majik Man” because of his prowess on the gridiron. However, when he went down with a torn rotator cuff in the 10th game of the 1990 season, some brash quarterback named Brett Favre relieved him and has started the past 251 games for the Pack Attack.
This edition of Chutes ‘n’ Ladders will discuss the top players at each position that weren’t drafted in the majority of fantasy leagues, but still emerged as vitally important impact-players this year. We’ll discuss Derek Anderson’s rise to stardom, Earnest Graham’s improbable chance to eclipse 1,000 yards rushing and Wes Welker’s amazing 100-catch season out of nowhere.
Quarterbacks
Derek Anderson, CLE 287-for-507, 3635 yards, 28 TD, 18 INT
David Garrard, JAC 208-for-325, 2509 yards, 18 TD, three INT
Kurt Warner, ARI 259-for-413, 2109 yards, 24 TD, 15 INT
When the Jaguars decided to waive former No. 1 draft selection Byron Leftwich, many Jacksonville fans were left shaking their heads. Could career-backup David Garrard lead this team to the playoffs?
Well, not only did he go 9-3 in his 12 starts and lead the Jags to the playoffs, he helped the team establish new records in scoring, while posting an impressive 18-3 TD-INT ratio. Heading into Week 17, Jacksonville will likely end up being the No. 3 seed in the powerful AFC, but doesn’t have a single Pro Bowler.
Garrard deserves to be that guy.
The Browns made a similar change at the quarterback position and have been rewarded with major dividends from 24-year-old Derek Anderson. After holding a clipboard the majority of his first two seasons, coach Romeo Crennel decided to release former starter Charlie Frye and had over the ranks to D.A. He responded by tossing 28 touchdowns, fifth overall behind four Pro Bowlers.
If Cleveland can knock off the 5-10 Niners, they’ll have their first 10-win season since they re-entered the league in 1999. They will also lock up the sixth seed in the AFC and their first trip to the postseason in six years. After drafting Brady Quinn from Notre Dame, he could very well be the most unlikely player to make this list.
Former two-time MVP Kurt Warner took over the starting quarterback job from injured southpaw Matt Leinart in Week 6 and never looked back. He racked up 3,109 yards through the air and found the end zone 24 times, marking his best stats since winning the MVP in 2001 with the Greatest Show on Turf, the Rams. The 36-year-old also proved he’s still got something left in the tank after six less-than-mediocre campaigns.
Running Backs
Earnest Graham, TB 222 rushes, 898 yards, 10 TD, 49 rec, 324 yards
Ryan Grant, GB 182 rushes, 899 yards, seven TD, 30 rec, 147 yards
Justin Fargas, OAK 222 rushes, 1009 yards, four TD, 23 rec, 188 yards
Kenny Watson, CIN 157 rushes, 694 yards, six TD, 51 rec, 363 yards
Selvin Young, DEN 118 rushes, 642 yards, four TD, 17 rec, 123 yards
Derrick Ward, NYG 125 rushes, 602 yards, three TD, 26 rec, 179 yards, TD
Graham entered the season fourth in the Bucs running back depth chart, but was one of the biggest reasons Tampa Bay is heading back to postseason. After injuries to Mike Alstott, Carnell Williams and Michael Pittman, the fourth-year back took over and was nothing short of dominant. He’s scored 10 touchdowns on the ground and needs 102 yards in the regular season finale to surpass the 1,000-yard mark.
Despite only rushing for 215 yards in his first three seasons, the Florida product has three 100-yard rushing games and has caught an impressive 49 passes out of the backfield. Cadillac’s status for next season remains somewhat uncertain, so Graham could remain a staple of the Bucs powerful running game for years to come.
The Packers also had a barrage of injuries in their backfield before they decided to hand the job over to Ryan Grant. When the season started, he wasn’t even in their plans, but injuries and poor play from Vernand Morency, Brandon Jackson and DeShawn Wynn plunged Grant into the job. He got his first chance in Week 7 when Wynn went down with an injury and rambled for 104 yards against the Broncos on Monday Night Football.
He hasn’t relinquished the job since. In fact, he’s rushed for at least 88 yards in seven of his nine games since and has scored a TD in five straight. With Favre’s rejuvenation in the pass attack and Grant on the ground, Green Bay is a force to be reckoned with this postseason.
The Raiders were also expected to roll with a LaMont Jordan/Dominic Rhodes 1-2 punch this season. But, Justin Fargas evidentially had other plans. An injury to Jordan in Week 4 opened the door for Fargas, who responded with a career-best 179 yards on the ground. He took over the full-time job about a month later, and quietly rushed for a career-high 1,009 yards. His six TDs also eclipsed his career total in his previous four seasons combined (two). With Jordan and Rhodes in the doghouse, it looks like Oakland could part ways with both veterans and elect to go with a Fargas/Michael Bush RB tandem next season.
Rudi Johnson entered this season with three straight seasons with 1,300 yards rushing and 10 TDs. He was a perennial first-round draft pick on Draft Day and was thought-to-be one of the most reliable backs in the game. However, injuries caught up to him this year, holding him to a meager 497 yards rushing on a 2.9 average.
Enter Kenny Watson, who had rushed for 833 yards and two TDs in his first six seasons combined. He had two games with 130 yards rushing this season – including a three-TD performance against the Jets. His numbers were very up-and-down, but should be a major piece to the Bengals offense going forward. Rudi’s days as a primary back could be over, so expect Watson to compete for a share of the role in 2008.
Wide Receivers
Wes Welker, NE 101 rec, 1053 yards, eight TD
Brandon Marshall, DEN 92 rec, 1211 yards, six TD
Greg Jennings, GB 53 rec, 920 yards, 12 TD
Roddy White, ATL 78 rec, 1140 yards, five TD
Kevin Curtis, PHI 70 rec, 1048 yards, six TD
Shaun McDonald, DET 74 rec, 874 yards, five TD
Santonio Holmes, PIT 48 rec, 844 yards, seven TD
Kevin Walter, HOU 65 rec, 800 yards, four TD
Anthony Gonzalez, IND 37 rec, 576 yards, three TD
Last season, the major weakness of the Patriots offense was their wide receiver play. However, they overhauled the position in the offseason, adding Pro Bowler Randy Moss, Donte Stallworth, Kelley Washington and Wes Welker. It was obvious that Moss was going to be the new go-to-guy, but Welker’s role was a bit uncertain.
He was quietly the Dolphins leading receiver last season and has been one of the most sure-handed returners in the game since 2005, but who could have predicted Welker would be second to T.J. Houshmandzadeh (103) in receptions? He’s been one of the biggest reasons the Patriots are on their way to a perfect season. He’s posted career-bests across the board this season and looks like he’s going to be a top wideout option for years to come.
After sitting out the first two games with an injury, many fantasy owners lost faith with WR Greg Jennings and decided to drop him. Boy, was that a mistake. The second-year receiver has scored a dozen touchdowns in just 13 games for Green Bay and has emerged into a must-start every week in the Packers’ potent offense. He needs 80 yards in the finale to reach the 1,000-yard mark.
The Broncos lost probably their best wide receiver in their franchise history this season, as Rod Smith sat out the year with a serious hip injury. He managed eight 1,000-yard seasons in the previous 10 years, so who would step up and take his place? Brandon Marshall, that’s who!
Despite managing just 20 receptions for 309 yards in his rookie campaign, Marshall picked up his game and has been one of the biggest fantasy surprises of the year. He’s on his way to a 100-catch, 1,400-yard season in his sophomore campaign and is, without a doubt, Jay Cutler’s favorite target in Denver’s pass attack. Marshall has posted at least 70 yards receiving 11 times this year and has jumped into the top-10 wide receiver rankings with his breakout campaign.
With numerous superstars like Marvin Harrison, Terry Glenn, Larry Johnson, Thomas Jones, Reggie Bush, Steve Smith, Marc Bulger and Frank Gore, each of the aforementioned players have surprisingly played prominent roles for infinite fantasy owners.
Every team is chalk full of players dying to get a chance. It’s just a matter of time before the next future superstar gets his opportunity.
Put me in coach! I’m ready to play!