Fantasy Football: Position Battles

Written by The Fool on August 17, 2005

Many of you folks will be drafting fantasy football teams throughout this month and on up to the NFL’s opening weekend. The Fool is here to update a few position battles, hopefully helping you figure out how and when – or just as importantly, when not – to draft some of the following players.

TENNESSEE TITANS RUNNING BACK
Candidates: Chris Brown and Travis Henry

Chris Brown is the incumbent and fantasy football players in recent drafts have been treating him with the respect that title typically brings. TiVo drafted him in the first non-keeper round of our recent WLDL draft; Xach took him in the second non-keeper round in the Hambowl draft (45th overall); and, ESPN.com drafters have selected him on average with the 38th pick.

Travis Henry, the guy Brown is competing with? He’s going 41st in ESPN leagues. He also started the first preseason game for the Titans, carrying the ball four times for 12 yards, because Brown is already injured. Henry should be healthy after a virtual year off in Buffalo last season, and once he takes over this job full time – and he will – he should be a star again. Don’t forget, in the 2002 and ’03 seasons, Henry rushed for 2,794 yards and 23 touchdowns.

MINNESOTA VIKINGS NO. 2 RECIEVER
Candidates: Troy Williamson, Travis Taylor, Marcus Robinson

While Nate Burleson has inherited the No. 1 spot vacated by new Raider Randy Moss, three players are trying to lay claim to the second spot. The favorite after the draft, first-round pick Troy Williamson, signed on Aug. 1 and promptly injured his ankle, so odds are he won’t get the spot initially. Robinson, an oft-injured but talented receiver, is currently listed as the starter opposite Burleson, but coaches have stated that Taylor is pushing him. A former top pick out of Florida, Taylor blames his lack of success to the quarterback roulette played in Baltimore, where he was forced to play with this caste of clowns tossing him the football: Chris Redman, Anthony Wright, Elvis Grbac, Trent Dilfer, Jeff Blake and the latest loser, Kyle Boller. We’ll see. The coaches also have faith in him becoming a solid third receiver with the Vikings, a la Brandon Stokely in Indianapolis, so both he and Robinson could be worth long looks in the middle rounds.

DENVER BRONCOS RUNNING BACK
Candidates: Tatum Bell, Mike Anderson, Quentin Griffin, Ron Dayne, Maurice Clarett

It’s always a party in the Denver backfield – tell me no one at your drafts over the last few years has declared themselves fit to run for a thousand yards or more while playing in Shanahan’s system. This year, folks are selecting Tatum Bell early, but Mike Anderson is also getting attention early in fantasy drafts. They are listed 1-2 on Denver’s depth chart, but the expectation is that Anderson – a former top rusher moved to fullback and then back to tailback, after a little down time for steroid use – could end up getting goal line carries, which will only make Bell owners scream at the screen come Sunday. Dayne, the former Heisman winner and Giant disappointment, is listed third on the depth chart (ahead of former starter Griffin), but had the most yards in the preseason opener. And don’t forget about everyone’s favorite troublemaker, Clarett, whose groin injury has kept him off the practice field and out of games. If he doesn’t practice soon he could be out of a job . . . . or he could show up midseason and steal the show.

Bottom line? This one is too close to call, and it may not be a situation you want to trouble your fantasy team with this season. The Fool sez: Stay away!

Drop The Fool an e-mail at thefool@rotogods.com.

-- Written by The Fool on August 17, 2005