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Updated:2006-07-24 13:20:32
Avoid These Fantasy Quarterback Busts
You Don't Want a Dead Battery in Your Great Engine
By JOHN TUVEY
Fanball.com
Capping off your fantasy football roster with an unproductive quarterback is like running down the battery on your car. You may have a great engine, and there's plenty of fuel in the tank, but it all means nothing if you can't get the dang thing started.
Quarterback Busts
Trent Green , Chiefs
For the past few seasons Green has been a consistent fantasy contributor, flying mostly under the radar of more prominent colleagues yet still racking up a steady diet of 4,000-yard campaigns and 20-touchdown efforts. However, Trent's numbers tailed off a bit last season and at 36 he's hardly a spring chicken. Moreover, the Chiefs still don't have a go-to receiver, unless you're a big Eddie Kennison fan. And the kicker came when new coach Herm Edwards rode into town and proclaimed that the already run-friendly Chiefs would ratchet up the ground game even more. That's a Molotov cocktail of disaster for anyone banking on a fourth straight 4,000-yard season from Green or a return to the neighborhood of Trent's career-best 27 touchdowns in 2004.
Daunte Culpepper , Dolphins
Daunte's been a fantasy superhero in the past, but this season he's sporting the Riddler's costume. The biggest question mark: can he really be all the way back from obliterating his knee less than a year after the injury? Only slightly smaller is the concern that, even if he is back, his struggles in the handful of games where he was healthy are a sign of things to come. And then, of course, there are the nagging questions like how he'll adjust to a new offense and can Chris Chambers be his Randy Moss and will he still run like he did in Minnesota and how will his famously small hands grip the ball in the South Beach humidity? Who knew they made a Riddler costume in 3XL?
Jake Plummer , Broncos
Only once in Plummer's career has he thrown for more than 4,000 yards, and only once in his career has he topped 20 touchdowns in a single season. The Broncos proved just how much faith they have in Jake the Snake last season when they ran an offense that was predicated on rushing the football and not giving Plummer the opportunity to hurt them; they reinforced that stance by trading up to get Jay Cutler in April's draft. Plummer isn't in jeopardy of getting yanked, but notice has been served that he's not in Denver 's long-range plans. With Gary Kubiak, the Broncos' offensive coordinator for the past 11 years, now in Houston , it will be curious to see just what Mike Shanahan asks Plummer to give the team this year. Feel reasonably comfortable it will be something less than what you want from your starting fantasy quarterback.
Drew Brees , Saints
Just as we had come to accept Brees as a legitimate fantasy contributor, the Chargers kicked him to the curb in favor of Philip Rivers . Brees cushioned his fall with a whole lot of dollar bills courtesy of the Saints, but questions remain about his surgically repaired throwing shoulder. There's also plenty of concern about the Saints, from an offensive line that lost Pro Bowler LeCharles Bentley to a backfield that must try to incorporate both Reggie Bush and Deuce McAllister to a receiving corps that has to hope Joe Horn isn't on the downslope of his career after last season's struggles. Moreover, Zach Hilton isn't Antonio Gates , who accounted for a large portion of Brees' production in San Diego . While Drew has already shown us enough moxie that we wouldn't bet against him, we also certainly wouldn't trust him with the keys to our fantasy squad.
David Carr , Texans
Surprised to see Carr here? It's probably the last time you'll do so, because slowly but surely things are starting to look up in Houston. The aforementioned Kubiak raved about Carr after seeing him in offseason workouts, and the Texans finally armed him with another downfield target by acquiring Eric Moulds from the Bills . That's all fine and good, but Carr will still spend too much time running for his life behind an offensive line that is hoping two third-round draft picks and a beat-up veteran center can stop the bleeding. Carr has already—and famously—been sacked 208 times in his four pro seasons; rolling him out and plugging in a couple untested widebodies can only do so much, and quite frankly we're not convinced it's enough to allow Carr to reach his potential this season.
Avoid These Fantasy Quarterback Busts
You Don't Want a Dead Battery in Your Great Engine
By JOHN TUVEY
Fanball.com
Capping off your fantasy football roster with an unproductive quarterback is like running down the battery on your car. You may have a great engine, and there's plenty of fuel in the tank, but it all means nothing if you can't get the dang thing started.
Quarterback Busts
Trent Green , Chiefs
For the past few seasons Green has been a consistent fantasy contributor, flying mostly under the radar of more prominent colleagues yet still racking up a steady diet of 4,000-yard campaigns and 20-touchdown efforts. However, Trent's numbers tailed off a bit last season and at 36 he's hardly a spring chicken. Moreover, the Chiefs still don't have a go-to receiver, unless you're a big Eddie Kennison fan. And the kicker came when new coach Herm Edwards rode into town and proclaimed that the already run-friendly Chiefs would ratchet up the ground game even more. That's a Molotov cocktail of disaster for anyone banking on a fourth straight 4,000-yard season from Green or a return to the neighborhood of Trent's career-best 27 touchdowns in 2004.
Daunte Culpepper , Dolphins
Daunte's been a fantasy superhero in the past, but this season he's sporting the Riddler's costume. The biggest question mark: can he really be all the way back from obliterating his knee less than a year after the injury? Only slightly smaller is the concern that, even if he is back, his struggles in the handful of games where he was healthy are a sign of things to come. And then, of course, there are the nagging questions like how he'll adjust to a new offense and can Chris Chambers be his Randy Moss and will he still run like he did in Minnesota and how will his famously small hands grip the ball in the South Beach humidity? Who knew they made a Riddler costume in 3XL?
Jake Plummer , Broncos
Only once in Plummer's career has he thrown for more than 4,000 yards, and only once in his career has he topped 20 touchdowns in a single season. The Broncos proved just how much faith they have in Jake the Snake last season when they ran an offense that was predicated on rushing the football and not giving Plummer the opportunity to hurt them; they reinforced that stance by trading up to get Jay Cutler in April's draft. Plummer isn't in jeopardy of getting yanked, but notice has been served that he's not in Denver 's long-range plans. With Gary Kubiak, the Broncos' offensive coordinator for the past 11 years, now in Houston , it will be curious to see just what Mike Shanahan asks Plummer to give the team this year. Feel reasonably comfortable it will be something less than what you want from your starting fantasy quarterback.
Drew Brees , Saints
Just as we had come to accept Brees as a legitimate fantasy contributor, the Chargers kicked him to the curb in favor of Philip Rivers . Brees cushioned his fall with a whole lot of dollar bills courtesy of the Saints, but questions remain about his surgically repaired throwing shoulder. There's also plenty of concern about the Saints, from an offensive line that lost Pro Bowler LeCharles Bentley to a backfield that must try to incorporate both Reggie Bush and Deuce McAllister to a receiving corps that has to hope Joe Horn isn't on the downslope of his career after last season's struggles. Moreover, Zach Hilton isn't Antonio Gates , who accounted for a large portion of Brees' production in San Diego . While Drew has already shown us enough moxie that we wouldn't bet against him, we also certainly wouldn't trust him with the keys to our fantasy squad.
David Carr , Texans
Surprised to see Carr here? It's probably the last time you'll do so, because slowly but surely things are starting to look up in Houston. The aforementioned Kubiak raved about Carr after seeing him in offseason workouts, and the Texans finally armed him with another downfield target by acquiring Eric Moulds from the Bills . That's all fine and good, but Carr will still spend too much time running for his life behind an offensive line that is hoping two third-round draft picks and a beat-up veteran center can stop the bleeding. Carr has already—and famously—been sacked 208 times in his four pro seasons; rolling him out and plugging in a couple untested widebodies can only do so much, and quite frankly we're not convinced it's enough to allow Carr to reach his potential this season.
