The Saints became an offensive juggernaut overnight last season. But the other residents of the NFC South did not share such good fortune.
The Panthers dropped about a touchdown off their weekly average. The Falcons ran aground near midseason, again. And the Buccaneers were just a few Raiders touchdowns from being the worst offense weâve seen in some time.
Whatâs in store for this offensively-challenged lot this season?
ATLANTA FALCONS
Starter: QB Michael Vick, TE Alge Crumpler
Backups: RB Warrick Dunn, RB Jerious Norwood, WR Joe Horn
Comments: Vick, though remarkably inconsistent from a real-world perspective, contributes quite nicely each week to the fantasy community. He was the fifth-best fantasy QB last year, averaging more than 17 a game in leagues that score 4 points per TD pass. And thatâs with a paltry two rushing TDs on the year, something he should improve upon this season. Of course, all this is assuming he avoids suspension following his indictment in a dog-fighting ring. You can wait until rounds 7-8 before drafting him. Jon Kitna, Matt Hasselbeck and Tony Romo are safer options, however. They actually have receiving weapons.
TE: Alge Crumpler gets the nod as the second overall tight end, behind Antonio Gates. We give him a slight edge over the second tier â Tony Gonzalez, Todd Heap, Jeremy Shockey, Chris Cooley, Vernon Davis. Heâs likely to be drafted in close proximity to Vick.
PK: Aaron Elling doesnât have the strongest of legs. But he does kick indoors. The Birds can move the ball, but their end zone is a question â which means field goal opportunities.
DEF: Disappointing unit from last season has undergone some renovations, but not enough for us to recommend them for anything other than a bye-week filler.
CAROLINA PANTHERS
Starters: WR Steve Smith
Backups: QB Jake Delhomme, RB DeAngelo Williams, RB DeShaun Foster
Comments: WR Dwayne Jarrett could be a nice waiver pickup early on if he shows he is going to contribute. If he does, Delhommeâs value rises.
New blocking scheme should help the running game, as will having a healthy O-line (lost two starters in Week 1 last year, which led to terrible third-down efficiency, which led to the defense being on the field a lot, which led to a less productive defensive unit). If the running game sputters again, so will the Panthers. But we think it can be fairly productive, and we like Williams slashing ability in the zone-blocking package better than Fosterâs more upright style. Keep on eye on Eric Shelton to make sure he doesnât vulture goal-line carries, thus undermining Williamsâ and Fosterâs value.
TE: Nothing worth consideration.
PK: John Kasay is reliable and has a decent leg. If the panthers can move the ball, Kasay will be among the top 5 or 10 fantasy kickers.
DEF: If the running game improves, so will the defensive performance. They have one of the gameâs best ends, a pair of solid corners and talent at linebacker (though Dan Morgan makes more trips to the infirmary than the on-call doctor). Could catapult back to one of the top defensive units, or could again fall into the middle of the pack. If you believe the offense comes back to life, then draft the Cats in rounds 13-14 and consider them a steal. Otherwise, use them as a filler.
NEW ORLEANS SAINTS
Starters: QB Drew Brees, RB Reggie Bush, WR Marques Colston
Backups: RB Deuce McAllister, WR Devery Henderson, WR Robert Meachem
Comments: Brees in one of the Second Four â along with Carson Palmer, Tom Brady and Marc Bulger â behind Peyton Manning. We rank him slightly ahead of Bulger, virtually even with Brady and just behind Palmer. Youâll have to use a late third- or early fourth-round pick to nab him. Make sure youâve got a good head start at RB and WR before considering Brees.
Bush may not be worth his early-second-round status, since he loses goal-line carries to McAllister. But his role the passing game eliminates some of that worry.
One of your draft’s best steals may be Henderson. With Joe Horn gone, Henderson should get more playing time. In limited action last season, he performed well â including three 100-yard games and one two-TD effort. Heâs going in rounds 10-12. Draft expecting to use him as a WR4 and hope his upside pans out.
TE: Mark Campbell and Eric Johnson look to get the most time on the field. We like Johnson in that battle, but not enough to recommend using a valuable draft pick. If your desperate near the end, roll the dice. Otherwise, leave these guys undrafted.
PK: Olindo Mare could be another steal. Playing indoors on a team that scores a ton, Mare will get a slew of chances.
DEF: Not an imposing unit. Considering they didnât perform well from a fantasy perspective last year â when opponents were often playing catch-up â we donât expect much from them this season â when we anticipate closer games (Saints arenât sneaking up on anyone this year).
TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS
Starters: None
Backups: QB Jeff Garcia, RB Carnell Williams, WR Joey Galloway
Comments: Williams is the most interesting component here. Though he shouldnât be considered better than an RB3 to start, you often can nab him in the seventh round, sometimes even later. Considering last season he was virtually the only offensive weapon, his production took a nosedive from his rookie season. Now with a QB that could at least make a middle school JV team, Cadillacâs numbers should improve from last year, and we think they can improve significantly. He could turn out to be a nice steal in the middle rounds. But youâre risking more than you should if you draft him with the intention of starting him every week.
Galloway may prove to be worthy of a starting spot in leagues starting three WRs or in very deep leagues. Michael Clayton may be worth a waiver wire pickup if you believe Garcia can turn the Bucs into a productive offense.
TE: A cluster here, with Alex Smith, Anthony Becht and Jerramy Stevens. Hard to say which one will emerge, but chances are a single player will not dominate this position for Tampa. Draft none of them and monitor the situation for a possible waiver pickup later.
PK: Matt Bryant can kick it far, but will the Bucs get close enough often enough to make him worth a roster spot? We anticipate marked improvement on the offensive front, so using a pick on Bryant in the final round, if no other notable kickers are available, isnât a bad idea.
DEF: It wasnât too long ago that Tampa was one of the first defensive units drafted. Last year, only the Redskins performed worse on the fantasy circuit. Still enough talent here to avoid a repeat of last seasonâs fantasy atrocity, but weâre not going as far as to recommend you draft this squad.