Fantasy Football Wizard Team By Team Analysis Part 5

The Wizard's Fantasy Football Expert Previews continuing with the team by team look through the NFL teams from a fantasy perspective regarding key fantasy football offensive situations, news, forecasts and expectations. We start with a link to the fantasy football team analysis provided by ESPN, and then do a brief highlight snippet of the most important parts of these articles and add our own Fantasy Football Wizard expert analysis and thoughts on top of each.

Teams T (Tampa) through W (The Redskins) - and this is the end!

With links at the bottom to the rest of the teams alphabetically

Here are some key excerpts from espn.com's 2007 Tampa Bay Bucaneer Fantasy Football Outlook article.

Please note, my thoughts/opinions are added in this bold heading text...

For full article please click here:

...Orange-streaked Chucky dolls are settling in naphthalene, articles hailing the coach's 3 a.m. workdays are yellowing in scrapbooks, and a once-proud defense is going the way of the offense, which is to say: south. The Buccaneers were dreadful last season, scoring just 13.2 points per game (second-worst in football, behind only Oakland), and allowing 22.1. Their 8.9-point scoring gap was also second-worst in the NFL (again, only the Raiders were worse). What seemed ridiculous just a couple of seasons ago -- that the Super-Bowl-winning head coach could find himself in serious job-security trouble -- is now taken as an article of faith....Gruden may be cooked...on the season he called more passes than runs inside the opponent's 10-yard line. Was part of that due to an injured and inefficient offensive line? Maybe. Was part of that due to the continued struggles of Cadillac Williams? Maybe. But would you have thrown so much to the ugliness that is Michael Clayton and Ike Hilliard...A 4-12 season doesn't have many bright spots. At age 34, Joey Galloway played all 16 games, topped 1,000 yards and scored seven times. Alex Smith showed flashes, though his receiving skills have yet to catch up to his Madden video game chops. And Simms proved he's tough, continuing to play after rupturing his spleen. But the disaster was otherwise complete. Let's see if there's any hope, fantasy or otherwise, here in '07..."

What? Huh? Naphthalene? Any way Bucs were bad last year, have too many QBs this year and a defense that has been called too old for too many years...

Key Offensive Skill Player Additions

Jeff Garcia (QB)

Jerramy Stevens (TE)

Key Offensive Player Position Analysis

Quarterbacks

"Garcia was terrific playing for Andy Reid in Philly last season after Donovan McNabb got hurt. He posted a 95.8 QB rating, which was reminiscent of 2000 and 2001, his two great seasons in San Francisco. He threw 10 TDs and just two picks, evinced great toughness and helped lead the Eagles to within a few heartbeats of the NFC title game. And for all that, even with McNabb's health continually in question, Philly let Garcia go. Garcia is 37 this season, and you can say all you want about how much tread he's got left on his tires: 37 is old for the NFL. What's worse, Garcia just doesn't have anything approximating the offensive weapons (or offensive line) he had in the City of Brotherly Love. Sure, Gruden's West Coast attack suits Garcia's short game, but the truth is that Philly succeeded under Garcia last season because of how well he threw deep. Four of his 10 touchdowns went for 20 yards or more, and he sprinkled in several non-scoring pass plays over 50 yards. He'll have Galloway as a deep threat in Tampa, but not much else, and besides, Gruden is promising to go back to the run more. My memories of Garcia in Cleveland and Detroit are still fresh enough. Garcia is a bye-week quarterback in '07, and nothing more...The Bucs got off to a bang-up beginning this winter when they traded for Jake Plummer, who subsequently decided he'd rather practice growing patchy facial hair than play by the Bay. The team now seems convinced that the Snake is retired, at least for this season, so the backup battle is between Simms and Gradkowski. Each of these guys has started, and neither has shown a whole lot of ability: Simms threw one touchdown and seven picks in his three '06 starts, and Gradkowski posted a robust 65.9 rating during his rookie campaign. The guess here is Simms gets the backup nod, but you don't want either player on your fantasy team..."

Garcia is interesting because he led such a potent offense last year, but now he is leading one of the worst offenses from last year, and I think he's not worth drafting at this point and can easilyu name 20 QBs I'd take a chance on before looking here

Running backs

"Williams was a stud at Auburn and looked great during his rookie season, accumulating 1,178 yards rushing and six scores, but there were warning signs even then. Caddy suffered through a four-game midseason stretch in '05 in which he logged games of 13, 20, 29 and 20 yards, sandwiched around a couple of weeks he missed entirely because of injury. In '06, that cautionary tale quickly transmogrified into a torpedo headed for your fantasy ship. Incredibly, Williams carried it 225 times last season and rushed for exactly one touchdown. His 3.5 yards per carry was downright Jamal Lewis-esque, and he ceded third downs to Pittman all too often. Williams has tremendous athletic ability, but he's just got so many factors against him. First there's the offensive line, which was awful last year, and is only marginally better in '07. Luke Petitgout was overrated in New York, but he'll improve the left tackle slot, and getting another year under the prodigious sophomore belts of right tackle Jeremy Trueblood and right guard Davin Joseph helps. But former tackle Anthony Davis has to beat out rookie Arron Sears at left guard, and center John Wade has seen better days. Next, there's the fact that Gruden only gave Williams four goal-line carries last season. And finally, there's Caddy's own troubling injury history. Last season, he missed time with foot problems. Williams should be owned in all leagues, and I view him as a possible sleeper. But the days of counting on him to be your No. 1 running back or even a great No. 2 running back are, for now, a memory..."

The days of counting on him are now only a memory? When was he ever counted on? He is only in his third year here. I think it is too early to right off the Cadillac and think that his injury may have been worse than let on last year and accounted for most of his pathetic season. I also like the upcoming O-line (at lease a little bit). He is the only TBay player I would probably draft and even then obly if he gets ignored to the point of being a value (I think he will be around 25th on my RB ranking list thought so that is pretty far down the charts)

Wide receivers

"At age 36 (he turns 37 in November), Galloway has pretty much shaken the injury-prone label that dogged him in the middle part of his career; he's played 15 or more games in five of the past six seasons. The still lightning-fast receiver wasn't able to match his terrific 2005 last season, catching 21 fewer balls for 230 fewer yards and three fewer scores. He also continued his trend of completely disappearing for a few games each season, which can be real fantasy poison; in '06, he had three games with fewer than 10 yards receiving. Still, he's a terrific deep-play threat, and in Garcia, he does have a quarterback who showed last season he's got the arm and inclination to keep defenses honest. Secondaries will still be crazy enough to let one man cover Galloway on regular occasions, which will mean several long scores. We've all been burned enough over the past couple years by Clayton to assume he won't be much of a threat to Galloway's production, but you should keep an eye on Stovall, who doesn't have Galloway's speed, but has the potential to be a very good possession and red-zone guy. Still, Galloway is a top-20 receiver, should start in most leagues and as such, he's the best fantasy entity on Tampa Bay's roster...Re-re-retread David Boston didn't play in '06 after getting cut by the Bucs during training camp, but now he's back and reportedly has a better shot at a roster spot, agreeing to play special teams if it helps him survive the Turk. Boston's just 28, but considering he hasn't had a good season since 2001, you can safely avoid him. I'm assuming Hilliard doesn't do much to excite you..."

Tight ends

It's interesting, and not exactly a vote of confidence for Alex Smith, that Tampa signed chronic offender Jerramy Stevens this winter. Stevens was arrested for DUI in March, and was also caught in possession of marijuana, causing the Seahawks to cut him. By himself, Stevens shouldn't be much of a fantasy story this season, but it's possible he cuts into Smith's receiving production, which would be a shame. Anthony Becht is also on this roster, but he's mostly a blocker who'll struggle to catch 10 passes this season.

And that includes the fantasy defense, which had been such a reliable option for so long, but which no longer resembles the Super Bowl championship defense of 2003. Ronde Barber is still here (and is still a decent cornerback for individual defensive player leagues), and Derrick Brooks has slowed down a little, but will still get his tackles. But Simeon Rice was dreadful last season and got released this summer, Dewayne White wasn't that much better rushing the passer and left for Detroit, and Shelton Quarles retired. The Bucs picked off only 11 passes last season (ranking 30th in the NFL), generated only 25 sacks (tied for 30th), and scored just three defensive touchdowns. At this point, they're probably not even a bye-week fantasy defense.

Bottom line

Galloway is really the only sure fantasy starter on Tampa Bay's roster, and even he comes along with great risk, in the form of both his age and his offensive teammates. Garcia's heavenly two months in Philly don't persuade me he's ready to party like it's 1999. Cadillac will bounce back and can be an interesting sleeper, but be sure not to take him in the first couple of rounds of your draft. Stovall is worth a later-round gamble, kicker Matt Bryant did make a 62-yarder last season, and tight end Alex Smith has scads of athletic potential. But in what may prove to be Gruden's last roundup in the Pirate Ship, it's hard to imagine this team poking its head above .500, or producing any individual with superstar fantasy numbers.

Christopher Harris is a fantasy baseball, football and racing analyst for ESPN.com. You can e-mail him here.

----------------Fantasy Football Expert Wizard----------------------------------------------

Hi here are some key excerpts from espn.com's 2007 Titans Fantasy Football Outlook article.

Please note, my thoughts/opinions are added in this bold heading text...

For full article please click here:

The Titans stumbled out of the chute in 2006, losing their first five games. Rookie quarterback Vince Young, however, exceeded expectations and led Tennessee to eight wins in its final 11 games. Young established himself as a quality fantasy starter and nearly took the team to the playoffs. The promise and excitement of last year, however, has given way to many question marks as the 2007 season approaches. The loss of Travis Henry, the Pacman Jones suspension and a relaxed approach in free agency have left the Titans looking like one of the AFC's weakest teams.

Key Additions

WR Eric Moulds

WR Justin Gage

RB Chris Henry

Key Losses

RB Travis Henry

WR Drew Bennett

WR Bobby Wade

Probable Lineup

QB: Vince Young

RB1: Chris Brown

RB2: LenDale White

WR1: Brandon Jones

WR2: Eric Moulds

WR3: Roydell Williams

TE: Bo Scaife

Key Backups/Position Battles

Quarterbacks

Kerry Collins and Tim Rattay provide veteran depth behind Young. Collins has become more comfortable in Norm Chow's game plan, but will struggle to move an offense with limited weaponry if he is needed to play. Rattay is gutsy and can overachieve, and will turn out to be a better option than Collins if Vince Young is injured.

Running Backs

Rookie Chris Henry was a workout warrior who raised his stock before the draft. He had a spotty college career, though, and the Titans won't attempt to press him into too much action early if they can get enough out of Chris Brown and LenDale White. Chris Henry is a project who should excite dynasty league owners. He will have a lot of adjustments to make to the pro game early in his career.

Wide Receivers

This position is a mess, and a handful of players will challenge for serious playing time. Eric Moulds and Brandon Jones appear to be the early front-runners for the starting jobs. Ex-Bear Justin Gage can be a threat in the red zone, but his technique still needs work and he doesn't get open consistently. Roydell Williams has some promise as a possession receiver and Courtney Roby has the potential to develop into a downfield threat. Neither player has done enough in his first two seasons to warrant much fantasy attention. Jonathan Orr is a potential sleeper with good athletic ability, and rookies Paul Williams, Chris Davis and Joel Filani are also in the mix. Realistically, none of these guys is draftable in fantasy leagues. Preseason action will go a long way toward determining who is the best among this unimpressive field.

Tight Ends

Ben Troupe has been a big disappointment so far. He has been plagued by injuries, dropped passes and lapses in concentration. While there is no doubt he has the physical tools to be a standout, fantasy owners won't be taking Troupe too seriously on draft day this year. Vince Young clearly prefers throwing to Bo Scaife, and the Troupe hype has disappeared. Maybe someone will take him in the final rounds as a backup.

Key Games/Bye

Week 2 Indianapolis Colts

Week 3 @ New Orleans Saints

Week 4 BYE

Week 11 @ Denver Broncos

Week 12 @ Cincinnati Bengals

Week 14 San Diego Chargers

Week 15 @ Kansas City Chiefs Week 16 New York Jets

Week 17 @ Indianapolis Colts

What to Look for in 2007

Vince Young totaled 19 touchdowns last season as a first-year starter, showing no fear as he tried to carry a shaky offense. The burden will be increased on Young this season as he has lost the support of Travis Henry in the running game and defenses will be better prepared to stop him over a full campaign. Young completed only 51.5 percent of his passes last year and still needs to refine his mechanics and decision-making skills. Young is a great dual threat who works well with Chow and has a good sense of when to take off and run. His myriad of skills will certainly lead to some impressive fantasy performances. He is also going to be dragged down by a lack of supporting playmakers and having to work from behind quite often. Young should be used judiciously, when the matchup is right, but he shouldn't be a regular fantasy starter.

Travis Henry leaves a major hole behind at running back, where LenDale White has an uphill climb to fully win the respect of his teammates and fantasy owners. In his very brief career, he has been dogged by injuries and questions about his weight. White is a powerful inside runner with quick feet and a great feel for short-yardage situations. The Titans can't depend on him, though, and you should expect him to share time with veteran Chris Brown, who ultimately was re-signed out of desperation. Brown's infamous injury issues are well-known, and neither he nor White is capable of carrying a full load. Sharing carries should keep both at less risk for injury, but neither player should be used as anything more than a flex player. An injury to either guy will force Chris Henry into the picture, and he's a big gamble early in his career.

Moulds was recently signed in another desperation move after the Titans sat back and let other options go elsewhere in free agency with little apparent interest. Moulds is well past his prime and was virtually invisible as a Texan. He'll still draw respect from opposing secondaries, though, and will tutor the younger guys well. He'll make some key possession catches, but will have minimal fantasy appeal. The Titans have high hopes for Brandon Jones, who has speed and open-field moves to gain yards after the catch. The Titans are expecting too much from the third-year wideout and fantasy leaguers shouldn't consider him until the final rounds. Ex-Patriot David Givens may not ultimately return from a knee injury until midseason, and he'll be quite rusty when he comes back. The losses of Drew Bennett, who caught only three touchdown passes last year, and Bobby Wade, who caught only 33 passes and scored twice, are overrated, as the receiving unit wasn't good last year and didn't get any better.

Young favors Scaife, who had a pair of five-reception games in 2006 and looks like a good lower-tier fantasy pick at tight end this season. Fullback Ahmard Hall is a tenacious blocker and the offensive line, anchored by tackles Michael Roos and David Stewart, won't be a major area of concern. Young will have time to throw and the running backs will see running room, but the Titans don't have the optimum playmakers to complete the picture. Kicker Rob Bironas can boot some long ones, but with this offense and his erratic accuracy, he'll go undrafted in most fantasy leagues. The defense was awful last year and won't generate fantasy consideration after losing Jones. Linebacker Keith Bulluck remains a solid option in individual defender leagues. Defensive end Kyle Vanden Bosch needs more help and the team doesn't have the personnel needed to be as aggressive as coordinator Jim Schwartz would like.

Bottom Line

Young is unafraid of taking this shoddy-looking squad on his shoulders, and Jeff Fisher remains a master game manager who can help the team overachieve and pull off a few surprise victories. The loss of Henry, however, and the thinnest receiving corps in the AFC will be too much of a burden on Young. He'll be erratic overall, and the Titans will fade out of contention quickly. The young guys on the team, though, will see considerable playing time as the team looks to the future, so look for a fantasy surprise or two to emerge.

Scott Engel covers fantasy sports for ESPN.com. You can contact Scott here.

----------------Fantasy Football Expert Wizard----------------------------------------------

Hi here are some key excerpts from espn.com's Washington Redskins Fantasy Football Outlook article for espn.com.

Please note, my thoughts/opinions are added in this bold heading text...

For full article please click here:

"The Washington Post reports that to celebrate the 21st birthday of his fiancée, Washington tight end Chris Cooley and his father-in-law-to-be "threw back 21 shots of Jim Beam bourbon. Apiece." And that just about sums up the 2006 season for the Washington Potomac Drainage Basin Indigenous Persons (as columnist Gregg Easterbrook rightly refers to them)...Or, to quote another famous scholar, "Fat, drunk and stupid is no way to go through life, son."...A year after delivering a surprise playoff appearance, coach Joe Gibbs mustered no magic, and his oft-injured team finished a woeful 5-11. First-year starting quarterback Jason Campbell, replacing Mark Brunell, wasn't terrible but was inconsistent, and Santana Moss posted just 790 yards receiving, his worst total since he's been a starter. Clinton Portis got hurt a couple of times and played in only eight games, ceding carries to Ladell Betts, who posted his first 1,000-yard rushing season and accounted for 1,599 yards despite starting only nine games. The defense was banged up and dreadful, especially when rushing the passer. Gregg Williams defenses are supposed to be sack-happy, but Washington managed only 19 sacks in '06, worst in the league and a mere 42 behind NFL-leading San Diego. The team also intercepted a league-low six passes, which seems borderline impossible, but there you have it...the problem in the Potomac Drainage Basin now is that nothing much has changed in 2007. The team imported some defensive has-beens, for some reason drafted another big-hitting safety and generally showed fiscal restraint for the first time in recent memory. The offense might open up a bit, which would be good fantasy news and could lead to some useful fantasy entities. But as a whole, the team will struggle again..."

I agree - the team can run the ball, is lacking at QB, and does not have a great defense.

Key Offensvie Skill Player Additions

None - they added two nonfactors Derrick Blaylock (RB) andCorey Bradford (WR)

Key Offensive Position Fantasy Analysis

Quarterbacks

Jason Campbell gives this team hope; he's only 2-5 as a starter, but he threw a touchdown pass every week he started last year, and his quarterback rating was a respectable 76.5. Plus, unlike Mark Brunell, Campbell has the physical tools that theoretically should be able to help him stretch the field. That said, because of a startlingly thin receiving crew, Campbell can't be your No. 1 quarterback. Draft him as a bye-week backup with more upside than most. Brunell was typically awful, leading the team to a 3-6 record last year before mercifully getting benched in favor of Campbell, and now he's pulling down a game check as a well-paid backup. His 2006 highlight was breaking the league record for consecutive completions (22). Yippee. His arm strength gone, Brunell will be the fantasy non-factor in 2007 that he's deserved to be the past couple of years..."

Campbell already got injured in preseason so if you think he is worthy bye week fill in with upside as written on espn, then keep an eye on the injury. I think he offers little value and will draft elsewhere

Running Backs

"This squad will do its fantasy damage on the ground. It begins with a very good pair of bookend tackles: Jon Jansen and Chris Samuels. (Samuels suffered a sprained MCL in camp but is expected to be back for Week 1.) Losing left guard Derrick Dockery, who's a masher, hurts, and I don't see a great fill-in option; either Todd Wade, who flopped for the Texans before needing knee surgery last year, or Mike Pucillo, a career backup center, will replace Dockery. But if it stays healthy, this O-line is really good and will lead Clinton Portis and Ladell Betts to very fantasy-worthy seasons. The problem, of course, is the presence of two good backs in D.C. If he stays healthy, Portis is the more valuable property because he's a touchdown maker and Betts isn't. But Betts is a fantastic receiver who'll play most third downs, have a ton of value in point-per-reception leagues and snatch just enough carries to keep Portis from being a first-round pick. And of course there's the question of Portis' health; he's already missed substantial time in camp because of a bad knee and, as of this writing, was headed to see Dr. James Andrews to get himself checked out. Keep an ear to the ground..."

Somebody in Washington is going to run the ball a ton this season - just not sure which one or, unfortunately maybe it will be both. I like Portis to bounce back and be pretty strong, but Betts will definitely still see action even if that is the case. Don't be foolish enough to think you need to handcuff these too (far too costly to do so, and if they both play you may struggle at RB). I like Portis as a good 2nd RB pick with good strong potential, but injury is a concern so boost his risk factor rating up a few notches and hope for the past but prepare for the worst!

Wide Receivers

"Yuck. This receiving corps was disappointing last year and didn't get any better for '07...Only Santana Moss is draftable among the receivers, and while his speed and sheer talent keep him inside my positional top 20, I'm not wildly enthusiastic about his prospects, if only because he has so little help. Moss battled hamstring injuries in '06 and caught just 54 of his 102 targets, primarily because he wasn't able to get open deep. Assuming he's healthy, that should change in '07, and with Campbell's big arm under center, Moss can regain his reputation as one of the biggest-play receivers in the game. There easily are 15 other receivers I'd rather have. But Moss really is it for Washington. There's no reason to draft Antwaan Randle El; if he's going to be worth that big contract, it'll be because Washington uses him in the prototypical "slash" role, which would make him a better "real-life" player than "fantasy" player. Brandon Lloyd is a head case. James Thrash is slow..."

Yes only Moss will get drafted, and maybe somebody will emerge as a useful waiver foddor move. I dont have Moss in my top 20 (around 24 or 5 for me), and think the QB questions, the strong desire to run the ball and the potent TE option keep him around that level - but I would certainly draft him on my team at that rank.

Tight Ends

"Washington continues to be a very friendly place for tight ends; Chris Cooley has to rank well inside the top 10 at the position league-wide. Because Cooley's such a good receiver, and because Campbell will look to him so frequently...the best fantasy player on this team is Mr. 21 Shots himself, Chris Cooley. I received countless e-mails complaining about my ranking Cooley so high among tight ends over the first five weeks of '06, but when Campbell took over, Cooley took off. In Washington's final 11 games, Cooley caught 42 passes for 585 yards and six touchdowns, putting him squarely in the higher echelon of tight ends during that span. There's no reason he can't continue that kind of production going forward; he should be drafted somewhere between sixth and eighth at his position..."

My DC sources tell me that Campbell and Cooley have a very tight/trusting on field relationship. That combines with the end of the year stats above make him a great choice at TE (although if Campbell's injury is serious I would bump him back down a few spots). He will probably go before or right on spot #6 at TE though so you can not wait too much on him (in fact I have seen him drafted 2nd in mock drafts).

Bottom Line

"Washington might be bad again this year, but there are fantasy players worth drafting. Cooley, Portis, Betts and Moss will be owned in all leagues, and if one of the rushers gets hurt (Portis has an early line on that distinction), the other leaps into the top 10. It'll be another long season in the Potomac Drainage Basin, perhaps Joe Gibbs' last. But the clever fantasy football drafter still can have some fun this year singing along with "Hail To The Indigenous Persons..."

Will be a shame to see Joe Gibbs go - and I hope he goes out on a high note, but I think this team will be at best around 500 this season (which may get them some playoff hope in the NFC! but I doubt it).