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August 24, 2010

Cutler, Fitzgerald among potential fantasy busts

By Jim Rueda Free Press Sports Editor

MANKATO — D-Day (Draft Day) is fast approaching for many fantasy football owners. Last week we looked at five undervalued or sleeper players for the upcoming season. This week, we’ll take a look at five overvalued or bust candidates.

Jay Cutler (QB) Chicago: Cutler is coming off a year in which he passed for 3,666 yards and 27 touchdowns. He also threw a league-high 26 interceptions.

A lot of fantasy owners are assuming his stock will rise dramatically because he now has Mike Martz as his offensive coordinator. Don’t believe it.

Martz may be the most overrated coach in the NFL. What have his offenses ever done when a guy named Kurt Warner wasn’t lining up behind center? Not much. Cutler is ranked by many as the eighth-best quarterback in fantasy but that’s a little high. I see him more as the 10th or 11th best.

Anquan Boldin (WR) Baltimore: There’s no denying Boldin’s talent and he seems to have landed in a pretty good situation with up-and-coming quarterback Joe Flacco. But he’s still getting drafted as a low-end No. 1 fantasy quarterback and that’s too high.

The Ravens are a conservative, running team first, passing team second. Flacco may be improving but he’s not going to blossom into the new Kurt Warner this year. If you can get Boldin as a low-end No. 2 or high-end No. 3 receiver, that’s good value. If you take a chance on him sooner, you could get burned.

Brent Celek (TE) Philadelphia: Celek was the fourth-highest scoring tight end in fantasy in 2010 but don’t expect a repeat performance. Donovan McNabb has moved on and replacement Kevin Kolb is unproven.

Celek is being drafted as the fourth or fifth-best tight end in a lot of leagues but that’s too early given the uncertainty of the Eagles’ offense. Unless Kolb starts lighting it up the final two games of the preseason, Celek should be about the seventh or eighth tight end drafted.

Larry Fitzgerald (WR) Arizona: This guy has major bust written all over him. He plays with one of the worst starting quarterbacks in the league (take your pick, Matt Leinart or Derek Anderson) and no longer has Boldin to take heat off him on the other side.

Despite his predicament, Fitzgerald is almost always one of the top three fantasy receivers off the board on draft day. Fitzgerald is a beast and that counts for something. Unfortunately, that something is a low-end No. 2 receiver at the absolute best.

Steven Jackson (RB) St. Louis: S-Jax is about the only offensive weapon the Rams have and this is the year the dearth of talent around him brings him back to earth. With rookie Sam Bradford or journeyman A.J. Feeley lining up behind center, opposing teams won’t have to fear the pass. On his sheer talent alone you can take a chance on Jackson as a No. 2 fantasy back, but he’s a bust as a No. 1.



For more fantasy information, check out my blog — JR’s Fantasy World — at www.mankatofreepress.com

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