Report by: Justin Cholewa
QB
I think this year the #1 QB is definitely Kurt Warner. He is a shoe in just because of all of the offensive weapons he has. Holt and Bruce are the ones every1 knows but they also have Proehl to make even more WR talent on their squad. Their TE isnt the best but he gets the job done when he needs to. Plus Faulk is always a threat to make catches anywhere on the field, im sure they could line him up as a reciever and he would need to be double teamed. Plus if Kurt can gain a little more control he might not throw as many int's and will most definitely post up some great numbers...
Sleepers: I see Culpepper as a sleeper, mostly because people saw how he got injured last year and might be worried about him getting injured again. But all reports show he is healthy and ready to throw to Moss and Alexander...
Busts: Stay away from Jay, Fiedler that is. He had a great season in 2001, but dont expect him to be the next Dan Marino...
RB
Another Ram tops the list of the fantasy bests. RB Marshall Faulk is a no brainer for this position. He can run anywhere on the field, up the middle, through a gap on the left, up the sideline. The thing that makes him the best is his ability to find the gaps and know HOW to make that big play. As mentioned before he has amazing catching abilities...as good or better then many WR's today. This makes him a dual threat, he needs to be guarded by a DE, DT, LB, and DB all at once because they never know what he may be doing next. Faulk is an integral part of the Ram's offense and is obviously the #1 RB in the game...
Sleepers: Deuce McCallister is one of my top sleepers overall. He is now the starter in New Orleans so he has the oppurtunity to have a breakout year. Rookie William Green is also a sleeper because he has the talent to run but people like to wait and see if a rookie will do good with his new team...
Busts: Fred Taylor. If I were you I would stay away from the injured guys. In a draft I think I would be more comfortable picking Stacey Mack then Taylor. Trust me on this, injured guys are busts...
WR
Here is where there is some controversy. Should I pick Moss who "plays when he feels like it"? Or should I pick Owens who also has his mind on his dreams of pro basketball? Neither of them fit the criteria of "the best" WR not because they arent good but because they are too busy focusing on their own needs rather then the good of the game. In my mind the clear choice s Marvin Harrison. In the 2001 season Harrison showed what he is truly capable of. He had an amazing year considering injuries made him the only offensive threat. Therefore, many times he was double or even triple teamed because he was the only great reciever (outside of TE). Now with the return of James I think his numbers won't slide...in fact, I think they will be through the roof! Now that they have their star RB back Harrison wont get as much cover because defenses will have to cover up James too. I think if Peyton can do what he has always done then Harrison will be better then ever...
Sleepers: Moulds. Straight up, the kid has talent and now with a star QB (Bledsoe) throwing to him he should have a career year...
Busts: Jerome Pathon, we saw what he could do when he played last season. But because of his injury and then being traded it makes me wonder if there is some reason that the Colts didn't want him...
TE
This year, surprisingly, this was a position filled with controversy. TE is a position that lacks great talent with maybe 3 superstars in that position. Well this coming season I saw many TE's who may have great years. But I have to go with the established Tony Gonzalez. TG has been the biggest threat on the chiefs offense for years, and he makes the big plays when the chiefs need them. I mean, the guy pulls a new trick out of his hat each game. Last season he almost had a passing TD. Now, with the emergence of Priest Holmes, some of TG's spotlight has been stolen. But I dont think a good RB or dreams of the NBA could stop him from having another great season. The chiefs just rely on him too much to not let him have a great season...
Sleepers: Todd Heap, last year he didnt see much action with Sharpe holding the TE position but now he is their number one and I wouldnt be surprised to see better numbers from him then Shannon Sharpe had for the Ravens last season...
Busts: Shannon Sharpe, he used to be the best-but thats old news. Literally, he is getting older and he is swithcing teams often now. Just because the Sharpe is on the Broncs, doesn't mean he will play like he used to...
K
Kicker is a position filled with TONS of talent. The NFL has kicking talent up the wazoo! Although their are a few K's who are better then others, I think there is no true winner in this category. The 3 "best" kickers in my opinion are Vanderjagt-who has always been accurate and had the added bonus of a lot of extra points, Wilkins-who gets like 5+ extra points per game plus lots of FG's, and Stover-who has made atleast 1 FG in (I think) 30 something straight games. As I said though, K is one of the positions that has the most abundance in talent...
Sleepers: I see no real sleeper in kicking, each kicker owns up to his talent and I think no kicker is really rated low who will do well...
Busts: I would stay clear of Kris Brown. In fact, the only reason I would draft him is if I planned on trading him. He missed field goal after field goal for the Steelers last season and I doubt switching teams will help. Plus, he switched to an expansion team; enough said...
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