By Jeff Andriesse
Rotowhine.com Editor
August 14, 2008
Here at Rotowhine headquarters we are busy preparing for the football season. As the site’s editor, it is my job to storm around the editorial office in a huff, shirt untucked, challenging my stable of scribes to remove any tiny morsel of a positive thought from their articles. I believe Rotowhine should reflect the actual football season - miserable, infuriating and obscenely negative. Incidentally, we’re the only web site to make that claim, proudly.
While most fantasy sites tell you who to draft, we’re going to tell you who to avoid. Overrated? Due for an injury? In a time share? Aging? Aren’t we all. For our 10 Guys to Avoid, I’m picking 10 fellows who will get drafted higher than they should and will inevitably, beautifully, disappoint their fantasy owners. This is why we do this. We are Rotowhine.
ROTOWHINE’S 10 FANTASY FOOTBALL PLAYERS TO AVOID IN 2008
1. Randy Moss, WR, New England Patriots
What???? I know. He’s the best receiver in the game, but that was one year and teams slowing started taking him out the offense as the year went on. I get the feeling Moss will be the best decoy in the history of football this year. He’ll still be tremendous but won’t be worthy of a first-round pick by the end of the year because teams won’t let him beat them.
2. Brett Favre, QB, New York Jets
I swear this isn’t because I can’t stand hearing his name or seeing his face after this most annoying of offseasons. Favre has landed in the muck of the Meadowlands behind an improving line and a good group of skill players. If his heart is in it, Favre could have a pretty good year. But his propensity for trying to do too much might be the end of him in New York under this new spotlight. I’m envisioning plenty of games where Favre miserably walks off the field after a pick with 43 seconds left followed by 27 columns in the New York papers the next day wondering if he’s washed up.
3. Reggie Bush, RB, New Orleans
Outside of points-per-reception leagues, Reggie Bush shouldn’t go before the fifth round. But he will. Sharing the load is now the norm for Bush, who isn’t an every-down inside back by any stretch. He’ll make some big plays and have some big weeks, but Pierre Thomas and Deuce McAllister will handle a good portion of the carries.
4. Larry Johnson, RB, Kansas City
He’s everyone’s choice to have a terrible year, but I’m still putting him on this list because someone in your league - you know who - considers him a first-round pick. On a crappy offense he’s in trouble as it is. With the miles he’s already logged under head coach/dominatrix Herm Edwards, I’d be surprised if Johnson made it through the season.
5. Matt Hasselbeck, QB, Seattle
Hasselbeck had an outstanding season in 2007 and will be ranked pretty high on most draft boards. Keep in mind, however, that he doesn’t have Deion Branch and Bobby Engram to start the year and D.J. Hackett is now on Carolina. Nate Burleson is the team’s No. 1 receiver and No. 2 is… who? Ben Obanamu? Does Seattle even have a tight end? And with Julius Jones in the backfield, this isn’t a team that can punish on the ground like the Shaun Alexander days. Hasselbeck will struggle in ‘08.
6. Dallas Clark, TE, Indianapolis
Clark performed way better than expected last year, but that was mostly attributable to Marvin Harrison getting hurt. Harrison is back, Anthony Gonzalez is improved and Clark should return to his old ways. Nothing horrible, mind you, but be careful about relying on him as a weekly starter.
7. Calvin Johnson, WR, Detroit
When has a Detroit receiver ever exceeded expectations? That’s not fair to Johnson, so we’ll analyze it differently. The Lions will try a conservative approach this year with Mike Martz out of town. Roy Williams is the No. 1 guy here and in a contract year. I’m not sure Johnson will see enough balls thrown to him to be a No. 2 WR.
8. Michael Turner, RB, Atlanta
I hate to throw Turner in here because it is so exciting that he’s finally a starter, but this is a bad, rebuilding Atlanta team with problems all over the field. On top of that, Jerious Norwood is a good change-of-pace back who will keep Turner off the field on third downs at least.
9. Joey Galloway, WR, Tampa Bay
Few wide receivers have given fantasy owners more bang for the Euro in recent seasons than ageless Joey Galloway. My prediction: he’s going to start being ageful this year.
10. Matt Leinart, QB, Arizona
With Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin starting at wide receiver in Arizona, it is a damn shame that the team’s QB isn’t draftable. Leinart is but a part-timer, stuck in a dreaded QB timeshare with Kurt Warner.
Keep in mind I’m not saying these guys can’t help you, just that you shouldn’t pay a big price to get that help. Since others will take them higher than you will now that you’ve read this, you need only read Rotowhine’s 10 Guys to Target to figure out who to take in their place… wait… oops, that one’s on the cutting room floor. Sorry.
