Fantasy Football: The All-Disappointment Team
So with that in mind, let’s check out the season-to-date All Fantasy Disappointment Team and in the interest of fairness anyone missed time due to injury is omitted. We’ll use the standard format of one quarterback, two running backs, three receivers, one tight end, one kicker and a defense.
QB: Daunte Culpepper, Miami Dolphins
Culpepper looks bad. Really bad. He’s missing open receivers, side arming the ball into the ground and making poor decisions. Plus he’s not running. Owners who predicted a return to his pre-2005 form in Miami have been sorely disappointed.
RUNNER-UP: Marc Bulger, St. Louis Rams
RBs: Carnell Williams, Tampa Bay Buccaneers AND LaMont Jordan, Oakland Raiders
Williams was awful in his first two games before showing some signs of life in Week 3. However, questions linger about a back injury and the loss of Chris Simms could lead to teams stacking the line even more in the second-half of the season.
With a yards-per-carry average of less than two, Jordan has been an unmitigated disaster for anyone with the misfortune of having him on his or her team. Fantasy owners can only hope that the insertion of QB Andrew Walter into the lineup and some less intimidating defenses on the horizon will snap Jordan and the entire Raiders offense out of its funk.
RUNNER-UP: Shaun Alexander, Seattle Seahawks
WRs: Randy Moss, Oakland Raiders AND Lee Evans, Buffalo Bills AND Joey Galloway, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Like Jordan, Moss has been a victim of Oakland’s horrendous offensive start, some of which can be attributed to facing stifling defenses in San Diego and Baltimore. Nonetheless, Moss’ size and big-play ability have been complete non-factors and if Walter cannot jump-start the Raider attack it could be a long season for Moss owners.
Considering everyone who spent an early-round selection on Evans knew that his fortunes were tied to those of J.P. Losman, this was already a “buyer beware” selection. Still, few were prepared for back-to-back two-reception outings in Weeks 1 and 2. Evans owners are hoping last Sunday’s eight catch, 107-yard performance are an omen of things to come, but now might be a good time to sell reasonably high on Evans.
Following a monster 2005 season, Galloway was high on a lot of draft boards and in Week 2 he showed why as he hauled in nine balls for 162 yards. That’s the good news. The bad news is he has one catch for eight yards COMBINED in his other two games and now rookie sixth-round pick Bruce Gradkowski will be throwing the passes.
RUNNER-UP: Nate Burleson, Seattle Seahawks
TE: Chris Cooley, Washington Redskins
This one isn’t even close; Cooley has been a disaster this season after racking up 71 catches for 774 yards and 7 TDs in 2005. Through three games he has a grand total of 38 receiving yards on seven receptions and looks like an afterthought in the Redskins offense. Personally, I think it’s his hair.
RUNNER-UP: Randy McMichael, Miami Dolphins
PK: Neil Rackers, Arizona Cardinals
No one could realistically expect Rackers to match the 40 field goals he made last season, but most had to anticipate a better start than this. Rackers has already missed as many field goals this year in five attempts as he did last season in 42. He was almost certainly the first or second kicker off the board and he has done nothing to justify that selection this season.
RUNNER-UP: Jay Feely, New York Giants
DEF: Carolina Panthers
The Panthers were viewed nearly on par with the Bears heading into the season, but things haven’t worked out for Carolina from either an on-field or fantasy production standpoint thus far. The Panthers have forced just one turnover in each of their first three games and just one sack in Weeks 1 and 3. Their five sacks of Brad Johnson in Week 2 give owners hope, but this is not the start fantasy owners were hoping for.
RUNNER-UP: Tampa Bay Buccaneers
