Fantasy Nfc South

Hear that? It's the pitter-patter of fantasy football season approaching. Fantasy FanHouse is here to get you ready by previewing every team from a fantasy perspective.

Meet the ...
The Shootouts (it sounds nicer than the "Aints"). Not that New Orleans can't be good -- they can. And they're a nice unit for fantasy football teams, because, in theory, they have a ton of offense. But theorizing is fine until you end up burning through three top 50 picks, which is what Drew Brees, Marques Colston and Reggie Bush will cost you.

The Breakout
Perhaps I'm being old fashioned, but Deuce McAllister seems to me like the best possible "breakout" option on this team. Sure, he's gone through more ACL's than Alonzo Mourning has kidneys, but the Saints can't function without a strong between the tackles runner. Oh, and he "don't cost nuthin'!" Which, to me, is the ideal scenario for finding a breakout -- cheap, easy and late.

The Bust
I thought that people had stopped sweating Bush, but judging from his ADP (30), I guess not. Seriously, he's going 30th. (30!!!) It just goes to show how much potential, upside, etc can drive someone's fantasy value. Anywho, I wouldn't draft Reginald with your pick, personally. What justifies taking him? The 3.7 YPC last year or the 3.6 the year before? Granted, the 80+ catches per year are nice, and he's a nice RB2 in PPR leagues but let someone else fall prey.

Hear that? It's the pitter-patter of fantasy football season approaching. Fantasy FanHouse is here to get you ready by previewing every team from a fantasy perspective.

Meet the ...
Super Bowl Champions. Look, people can claim they're not homers all day long, but the fact of the matter is, I read/watch/write re: the Panthers a lot. (Well, as often as I can anyway.) And maybe I'm a little biased, but they're going to win the NFC South this year and they're going to do it by scoring a ton of points. Of course, if Jake Delhomme goes down again, I may look stupid. But it wouldn't be the first time.

The Breakout
The bad news? Jonathan Stewart is already getting a lot of preseason love (check him dead center of the sixth round in an average 12 teamer). The good news? The love is warranted. Stewart was thought to be a top choice of plenty of teams in the draft, but a turf toe injury let him hang around for the Cats. Note that the Carolina team doctor performed his surgery

Yeah. You totally want this guy on your fantasy football team. Ice-man.

Hear that? It's the pitter-patter of fantasy football season approaching. Fantasy FanHouse is here to get you ready by previewing every team from a fantasy perspective.

Meet the ...
Wal-Mart shoppers. And I don't mean that like the Falcons are cheap or reside in the upper echelon of America. I just mean to point out that they're horrible consumers. Both the contracts to Michael Turner and Matt Ryan were a touch absurd, but at least as a result they'll be more entertaining to watch this year. And maybe help your fantasy team. Maybe.

The Breakout
There's really no other option -- it's Turner. Now, the true sleeper (look how I highlight key phrases!) would be Jerious Norwood, because people are casting him aside, talent be damned. But Turner is getting relatively little love for the quality of work he's shown while backing up LaDanian Tomlinson. He's probably going to go third round or later, which is reasonable considering the Falcons stink and he's untested as a starter. But I would probably reach up to the middle/late second round to grab him; I've done the same thing with other untested guys on crummy teams (LaMont Jordan, Chester Taylor) over the years, and it's worked out well.

Fantasy FanHouse will be chiming in throughout the NFL draft with fantasy analysis of each fantasy relevant pick.

This was not what a lot of people thought would happen. I think Ryan Clady was the pick if the Broncos hadn't grabbed him, but Fox and Hurney probably didn't like Otah enough to pull the trigger there. This is also a deep draft for offensive linemen, so that taking Rashard Mendenhall or Jonathan Stewart here wouldn't be out of the question. Unlike, say, taking a quarterback, as many of the draft "experts" seemed to think the Cats might do.

From a fantasy perspective, Stewart is going to be huge sleeper material. Most owners are going to assume -- barring a training camp/pre-season that sees Stewart win the starting job -- that DeAngelo Williams will be the go to guy in Charlotte and a beasty RB2 for fantasy leagues. I don't think it's that simple.

In fact, I think Stewart may end up being the most valuable back out of the two. Stewart is a big, bruising runner who dropped because of issues with turf toe. And if you recall the Panthers teams of a few years ago, with Stephen Davis, you will remember that John Fox absolutely loves to pound the rock. DeShaun Foster and Williams did not allow him to do that. Stewart will.

Fantasy FanHouse will be chiming in throughout the NFL draft with fantasy analysis of each fantasy relevant pick.

I'm of the opinion that Matt Ryan is not a franchise quarterback, no matter how much Mel Kiper will justify his 19 interceptions by saying he was "coming from behind." Ryan will, however, be given the reigns in Atlanta next season. He might not start right away -- the Falcons still have Joey Harrington and Chris Redman -- but he'll be taking snaps by week six.

That doesn't necessarily mean that he will be fantasy relevant this year. Well, actually, he'll be relevant, but he will not be worth much for single season leagues. At the very best in a one year league he will be a QB2 option, and that's only for the owner who prefers to take a stud QB early and then wait a long time for a backup. Still, even if you're that type of owner, Ryan is a lower end option at best.

For dynasty/keeper purposes, Ryan certainly has a lot more appeal. He would not be my first draft choice for a keeper league though -- I'd rather spend that on Darren McFadden or Rashard Mendenhall -- but deeper leagues are obviously going to want to jump on Ryan. But I'm not entirely sold, personally. On the other hand, there are a lot of owners who will want to get all up on the Matty Ice hype. If that's the case, I would recommend using him as trade bait. If you get stuck in the keeper draft position of having to draft him though, you could certainly be worse at quarterback.

After two full days of practice, we still don't know the exact statuses for the players that are injured, but we do know who has and who hasn't been practicing. Here's the breakdown from the NFC, for fantasy purposes, of players that might be affected by injury this weekend:

Arizona Cardinals

• Anquan Boldin (hip) - Boldin hasn't practiced either Wednesday or Thursday. The first day was kind of funny in that "ha-ha" kind of way but missing Thursday is pretty disconcerting. He's probably going to be listed as Questionable and you're probably going to have to plan on starting him against the Steelers unless he absolutely gets ruled out.

The Charlotte Observer is reporting this morning that David Carr, most recently made famous for rocking out white gloves during the third and fourth quarters last week, will most likely start at quarterback for the Carolina Panthers this weekend against Tampa Bay. Carr's time in Houston was auspicious to say the least, but he looked good last week against the Falcons in his three of four for 56 yards performance. Which is like saying that Chuck Liddell soundly beat my grandmother in the UFC ring. Still, Carr is being handed the keys to a reasonably potent offense--DeShaun Foster has started to get his zone-blocking-run on and Steve Smith is virtually incomparable in terms of studly wide receivers.

But the big question still remains--does David Carr make a viable fantasy start this week and going forward? It's a tough call, but I say yes. As a Panthers fan I may have even made the call that Carr would be playing by week three--although my prediction was based more on Jake Delhomme failing to perform than getting injured. Such is karma. But Carr has legitimate talent; he was, after all, taken with the first pick the Texans ever made in an NFL draft, and he was a flat out baller at Fresno.

Would I start him this week on my fantasy teams? Only if I was totally backed into a corner by my quarterback situation, as I expect the Panthers to try and establish a ground game against the Bucs. But Carr is a very nice add for most fantasy teams as a backup or bye week quarterback--he gets the keys to this Panther offense and if Delhomme is out for more than just this week, Carr will get to lob passes to Smith against the Saints and Cardinals leading up to the P-Cats' bye week. Don't go dropping anyone essential to your team, but this is the definition of working the wire for fantasy owners if Carr pans out at all.

Let me set the scene for you: It's late in the fourth quarter, and the Ravens have just scored to cut Carolina's lead to 16-14 on Kyle Boller's second touchdown pass of the game to Mark Clayton. Instead of attempting an onside kick, Ravens head coach Brian Billick has decided that the Ravens will kick deep in the hopes that his defense can force Carolina into a quick four and out.

After the ensuing kickoff is returned to the Carolina 28, the stadium is absolutely rocking in anticipation of a big play that will either pin the Panthers deep in their own end, or result in a turnover that will put the Ravens in position to attempt a game-winning field goal. And after living with a defense that's been dominating for its entire existence in Baltimore, that's the sort of result Ravens fans have come to hope for, and at times, even expect.

From my seats in the North end zone, I've got a clear shot of the play developing in front of me. But after Jake Delhomme avoids the Ravens rush, it's all too clear that super speedster Steve Smith has put plenty of space between him and cornerback Samari Rolle on a post pattern. A moment later, the ball is in Smith's hands, and he's headed for the pylon in the hopes he can reach it for a touchdown to put the game away.

And in that instant, I'm doing all the basic algebra I need to determine that if Smith scores, it'll mean nine points for me in my fantasy league.

Please tell me I'm not the only one.

The love is pouring in for Saints' new receiver Marques Colston. After making four catches for 49 yards -- three of which were third down conversions, the other a touchdown -- in his NFL debut, people are starting to catch on to what I've been saying in this very space for weeks. Marques Colston is going to be good.

So good, in fact, that the Saints felt comfortable dealing away Donte Stallworth to elevate him on the depth chart. Although Colston didn't have 141 yards like Stallworth did in his Eagles debut, he proved a reliable target and moved the chains on third downs. I mentioned, in the keys to the game, that getting the ball across the yellow line was his main responsibility, not going for the big play. And he did it. And yes, I do like patting myself on the back.

The AP calls Colston "the steal of the draft."

The Sporting News nicknames him "The Hawkman," stating that, "To stay in the DC Comics universe, Colston is Hawkman -- a tall dude who few people know much about and who goes up high to foil opponents. For Colston, that means he's able to spread his wings and outreach cornerbacks in the red zone, and he got the ball there in Week 1 (12-yard TD) because Drew Brees is already so comfortable with him."

Fox Sports calls him a "hidden gem," advising fantasy owners that, "Reggie Bush and Drew Brees got all the buzz in New Orleans, but a seventh-round pick needs to be on the radar for fantasy owners after this weekend. Marques Colston out of Hofstra caught four balls for 49 yards and a touchdown. All four of his receptions went for first downs, so it appears that Brees has found a clutch performer."

The best part? In most leagues, Colston (for whatever reason) is listed as a tight end. Consider this an insider tip -- I like to avoid Saints on my fantasy team, like separating church and state. But while I'm enjoying a productive offense led by the fourth-from-last pick in the NFL Draft, a rare Saints gamble that appears to have paid in spades, I'll share the wealth for those willing to gamble as well.

CAROLINA PANTHERS: The top fantasy question on this team is DeShaun Foster. Can Foster stay healthy and be the starting featured back that could be fantasy gold??? The Panthers really want to run the football and Foster can do that for them....but he's an injury risk. In real life, the Panthers have that covered with DeAngelo Williams - but not all fantasy owners have that luxury. Foster is a great guy to have on your roster...but unreliable as an every week back.

Everything else is kosher. QB Jake Delhomme should have a monster season. WR Steve Smith won't have the same statistical season on 2005....but he'll still be one of the top guys in fantasy football. And don't sleep on Keyshawn Johnson. Johnson is a big possession receiver...and Delhomme loves those kind of guys [see: Mushin Muhammad]. They looked really good together in the preseason.

Oh, and their defense is one of the best in fantasy football.

TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS: Tampa is full of fantasy "he mights". Chris Simms: he might build on his postseason run and become the QB that people felt he'd be once he came to Texas. Carnell Williams: he might rush for 1,500 yds and 10 TDs if he can stay healthy. Alex Smith: he might step into the starter status of NFL tight ends if he and Simms can get on the same page.

The only sure thing is this defense, which is routinely one of the best fantasy defenses and special teams.

ATLANTA FALCONS: Michael Vick is a weird fantasy QB. In my league last year [which weighs more for rushing and receiving TDs] Vick wasn't a bust. But in most leagues, he's not a great fantasy option. Still, with coach Jim Mora needing to click with Vick or be shown the door.....Vick's talents could be finally realized. Oh, and if you want any of the guys he is passing to....limit it to TE Algae Crumpler. Everything else is a waste [even newly acquired Ashly Lelie].

TJ Duckett is gone....so Warrick Dunn should have a super season, eh??? Not so fast. The Falcons dealt Duckett because Jerious Norwood is the next big thing in the Atlanta backfield. Norwood has taken Duckett's job....and will be gunning for Dunn's. Dunn is still a good option at RB, just don't fall to deeply in love with him.

NEW ORLEANS SAINTS: This team is on the rise...but most of the fantasy options are a year away. Drew Brees brings in a legit QB, but one with limited weapons and in an offense that is still going to be a work in progress. Still, Brees is worth a look as a fantasy backup.

In the backfield, Reggie Bush is climbing fantasy draft boards. Don't get too enamored with him. He has the potential to be great....but potential is meaningless in fantasy football, unless you are in a keeper league. Bush will show flashes of greatness, but it isn't a given that he'll be a starter soon in N'Awlins. Deuce McAllister is still there, albeit not in as good fantasy shape as he was heading into 2005. Most likely the two will platoon....which hurts owners.

Finally, Joe Horn should have a #3 receiver type fantasy season. I feel he's a spot starter worth going after.