Baltimore Ravens RB Willis McGahee has undergone arthroscopic knee surgery to clean out his left knee.
The key word here is "left". This is the same knee that McGahee destroyed in the Orange Bowl during his junior season with Miami, and it kept him out of the 2003 season after being drafted by Buffalo.
Fantasy Impact: The initial timetable for McGahee's surgery is 2-4 weeks, so odds are he won't be ready for week 1. Given this is the same knee from his disastrous knee injury in college, it's of much greater concern than it normally is. I originally had McGahee as appropriately valued at his early 2nd round ADP, but I'm not recommending him in the 2nd round at all anymore. There's a chance he only misses a game or two, but the downside of this is pretty bad. Ray Rice becomes very attractive for all owners, and truth be told, Rice is a better fit in Cam Cameron's offensive scheme that McGahee. Rice is both a powerful RB along with being proficient at catching the ball.
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Monday, August 11, 2008
Seahawks WR Bobby Engram Fractures Shoulder
Seattle Seahawks WR Bobby Engram fractured his shoulder in the Seahawks preseason week 1 game.
Fantasy Impact: I had originally recommended Engram as a great late round pick who looked destined to produce WR3 numbers at the cost of a WR4. However, with Engram expected to miss 6-8 weeks, which includes at least 3 weeks of the regular season, he's more of WR4/5 type now. Once he returns to the field, he should be productive in Seattle's offense, but who knows how long this will actually keep the aging WR out of action.
Seattle's offense looks like a mess right now. With Maurice Morris and Julius Jones, they don't have a true starting RB. With Engram and Branch out for a while, their WR group is in very rough shape as well. This increases the value of Nate Burleson, who is now the only WR on their active roster who has legit experience as a starter. Seattle likes to go 3 wide, so pay attention to the now heated battle between Courtney Taylor, Ben Obomanu, and Logan Payne for the final 2 spots. One of those guys will likely step up and be rather productive with Engram out, but it's now up to the preseason battle to figure out which. Courtney Taylor appears to be the most talented, but it's mostly a group of relative unknowns.
Keep an eye on Engram's ADP up until your draft. If you can draft him as a WR5 due to concerns about his injury, he's worth stashing on your roster until he comes back healthy, or until you need that roster spot for someone else you find appealing.
Fantasy Impact: I had originally recommended Engram as a great late round pick who looked destined to produce WR3 numbers at the cost of a WR4. However, with Engram expected to miss 6-8 weeks, which includes at least 3 weeks of the regular season, he's more of WR4/5 type now. Once he returns to the field, he should be productive in Seattle's offense, but who knows how long this will actually keep the aging WR out of action.
Seattle's offense looks like a mess right now. With Maurice Morris and Julius Jones, they don't have a true starting RB. With Engram and Branch out for a while, their WR group is in very rough shape as well. This increases the value of Nate Burleson, who is now the only WR on their active roster who has legit experience as a starter. Seattle likes to go 3 wide, so pay attention to the now heated battle between Courtney Taylor, Ben Obomanu, and Logan Payne for the final 2 spots. One of those guys will likely step up and be rather productive with Engram out, but it's now up to the preseason battle to figure out which. Courtney Taylor appears to be the most talented, but it's mostly a group of relative unknowns.
Keep an eye on Engram's ADP up until your draft. If you can draft him as a WR5 due to concerns about his injury, he's worth stashing on your roster until he comes back healthy, or until you need that roster spot for someone else you find appealing.
Sunday, August 10, 2008
Preseason Week 1 Player Notes
QB:
Alex Smith - Smith looked pretty lost in his first preseason game. He has some time to get it together and secure the starting position, but there's a lot of talk about J.T. O'Sullivan possibly starting week 1. O'Sullivan has the upper hand in terms of offensive system knowledge as he's spent time in Martz's system before, so Smith needs some time to catch up there. He's certainly smart enough to learn it, so I wouldn't panic yet. Obviously this would kill the sleeper potential Smith has should Smith not win the job. If you're targeting him as a QB2, keep an eye on his preseason progression.
RB:
DeAngelo Williams - Williams posted a huge first preseason game with 55 yards and 2 TDs. Stewart is still not ready for contact practices, much less game action, but should be soon. The toe is becoming more of a problem for him than I originally thought. Williams will have every opportunity to claim a much larger role in the offense with Stewart out, and a few more impressive preseason performances will secure him just that. I have always viewed Williams' skillset as similar to Brian Westbrook, and if Carolina can tweak their offense to suit his strengths, he could really impress. When Stewart is healthy, he definitely has the talent to carve out a sizeable role, but I'm starting to think Williams is a much better value at this point with a potential even time-share situation evolving here. I will update Stewart's value accordingly as his risk is rising.
Chris Johnson - Johnson posted 6 carries for 77 yards and a TD, including a 66 yard TD run. While Johnson proved that he's every bit the playmaker the Titans have said he is, I expect a LenDale White/Johnson situation similar to the McAllister/Bush situation for the Saints two years ago. White will do the heavy lifting and goal line work, while Johnson will provide a change of pace and a great receiving option. These are two very different types of RBs who provide a perfect compliment to each other. The Titans will run enough to make both plenty involved, and Johnson makes for a fun late round pick.
Julius Jones - Maurice Morris looked way better than Julius Jones in round 1. Morris posted 6 carries for 62 yards while Jones posted 4 carries for 15 yards. I originally thought Julius Jones would re-emerge this season under a new team, but rumor has it that his confidence is still not there. If this trend continues, Maurice Morris will take the primary role. Given Morris is being drafted 8 rounds later than Jones thanks to name value, Jones could go from under rated to over rated rather quickly.
WR:
Robert Meachem - Meachem blew up for 4 catches, 129 yards, and 1 TD. Meachem was a 1st round pick last year, but injuries and his inability to pick up the offense rendered him useless. Meachem's talent hasn't gone anywhere, and the Saints would be crazy not to give him a chance to unseat the mediocre veteran David Patten. Given he'll be on a great passing offense, he's a sleeper well worth keeping an eye on.
Alex Smith - Smith looked pretty lost in his first preseason game. He has some time to get it together and secure the starting position, but there's a lot of talk about J.T. O'Sullivan possibly starting week 1. O'Sullivan has the upper hand in terms of offensive system knowledge as he's spent time in Martz's system before, so Smith needs some time to catch up there. He's certainly smart enough to learn it, so I wouldn't panic yet. Obviously this would kill the sleeper potential Smith has should Smith not win the job. If you're targeting him as a QB2, keep an eye on his preseason progression.
RB:
DeAngelo Williams - Williams posted a huge first preseason game with 55 yards and 2 TDs. Stewart is still not ready for contact practices, much less game action, but should be soon. The toe is becoming more of a problem for him than I originally thought. Williams will have every opportunity to claim a much larger role in the offense with Stewart out, and a few more impressive preseason performances will secure him just that. I have always viewed Williams' skillset as similar to Brian Westbrook, and if Carolina can tweak their offense to suit his strengths, he could really impress. When Stewart is healthy, he definitely has the talent to carve out a sizeable role, but I'm starting to think Williams is a much better value at this point with a potential even time-share situation evolving here. I will update Stewart's value accordingly as his risk is rising.
Chris Johnson - Johnson posted 6 carries for 77 yards and a TD, including a 66 yard TD run. While Johnson proved that he's every bit the playmaker the Titans have said he is, I expect a LenDale White/Johnson situation similar to the McAllister/Bush situation for the Saints two years ago. White will do the heavy lifting and goal line work, while Johnson will provide a change of pace and a great receiving option. These are two very different types of RBs who provide a perfect compliment to each other. The Titans will run enough to make both plenty involved, and Johnson makes for a fun late round pick.
Julius Jones - Maurice Morris looked way better than Julius Jones in round 1. Morris posted 6 carries for 62 yards while Jones posted 4 carries for 15 yards. I originally thought Julius Jones would re-emerge this season under a new team, but rumor has it that his confidence is still not there. If this trend continues, Maurice Morris will take the primary role. Given Morris is being drafted 8 rounds later than Jones thanks to name value, Jones could go from under rated to over rated rather quickly.
WR:
Robert Meachem - Meachem blew up for 4 catches, 129 yards, and 1 TD. Meachem was a 1st round pick last year, but injuries and his inability to pick up the offense rendered him useless. Meachem's talent hasn't gone anywhere, and the Saints would be crazy not to give him a chance to unseat the mediocre veteran David Patten. Given he'll be on a great passing offense, he's a sleeper well worth keeping an eye on.
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