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September 1, 2009

Jones, Jackson among potential fantasy busts

By Jim Rueda

Before we get into the busts of 2009, here are some quick tips for draft day.

1. Trust your preparation. You did your research/homework and you have a cheat sheet you have complete faith in. Don’t stray from the sheet.

2. Stick to your game plan but be flexible. If a quality player falls to you in the third, fourth or fifth round who is too good to pass up, grab him and adjust accordingly.

3. Don’t worry about bye weeks until the last few rounds of the draft. If you create a good enough team, and it turns out most of them are off in Week 5, you can afford to take the loss that week and still make the playoffs. Just make sure your back-up QB doesn’t have the same bye week as your starter.

4. Keep track of your opponent’s rosters, particularly if you are situated near the beginning or end of a round. It can help immensely in deciding which position to draft going into and coming out of the turn.

5. Don’t draft a kicker until the final round, there will be plenty of good ones left.

OK, here are your 2009 Fantasy Football Busts:

Thomas Jones, running back, N.Y. Jets: The veteran runner is coming off a season in which he compiled more than 1,500 all-purpose yards and scored 15 touchdowns. He’ll be hard-pressed to repeat, however, as Brett Favre is no longer there to make defenses respect the pass and both Leon Washington and rookie Shonn Greene are pushing hard for playing time. He’ll be an OK No. 2 fantasy back but won’t be a No. 1.

Derrick Ward, RB, Tampa Bay: Ward was paid a lot of money to sign with the Bucs in the offseason but the team around him isn’t very good. Starting quarterback Byron Leftwich leaves a lot to be desired, there are virtually no wide receivers on the team and the offensive line is so-so. Earnest Graham and a rejuvenated Cadillac Williams will also take carries away from Ward. He should be considered a No. 3 running back at best.

Jerricho Cottchery, WR, N.Y. Jets: Yes, Laveranues Coles has moved on to Cincinnati but rookie quarterback Mark Sanchez has been named the starter and that means Cottchery’s numbers will go down. Cottchery himself stumbled in the final 12 games last year, catching just two touchdown passes and failing to compile at least 60 yards in seven contests.

Cedric Benson, RB, Cincinnati: He’s the full-fledged starter on a team that loves to throw the ball and that usually spells success for a running back. Unfortunately, the Bengals’ offensive line is still porous and Benson simply isn’t that good. The team will play from behind a lot and he won’t be in the game in many third-down situations. He’s OK as a No. 3 running back but not a No. 2.

Steven Jackson, RB, St. Louis: Nobody questions his talent, but Jackson usually finds a way to get injured. He also plays on a football team that just isn’t very good. He’s still going in the first round of most drafts but that’s way too early.

His O-line is terrible, the passing game is in trouble with both Donnie Avery and Marc Bulger nursing injuries, and a bad defense means the Rams will be playing catch-up most of the time. Go with a safer pick in Round 1.



Jim Rueda is the Free Press sports editor. To contact him, call 344-6381 or e-mail him at jrueda@mankatofreepress.com.

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