New England Patriots 2009 Fantasy Football Preview

• QB

• Tom Brady: I can’t stop reading how Tom Brady is one of the biggest question marks for the upcoming season; and it drives me crazy. So here are a few hundred words of why I love Brady for this upcoming year. Yes, an ACL injury to a NFL player usually takes a year to fully recover, but that is because most NFL players rely on their legs a heck of a lot more than a QB does. Brady isn’t a RB who used to run a 4.4 and will lose a step and be unable to cut the same way he used to. His arm is fine… Look at Carson Palmer. He had what was supposed to be a “career-ending ACL injury” after the 2005 season in the playoffs (against the Steelers). He only threw for over 4000 yards and 28 touchdowns in the followings year. And yes, he had less rehab time than what Brady will have had prior to the 09 Season. How about Philip Rivers? Who by the way, continues to be extremely underrated since he is a hot head with similar personable skills as ex-charger, current-thief Ryan Leaf. Rivers led the NFL in 2008 with both a 105.5 passer rating & 34 TDs. This came after necessary surgery to his ACL after an injury sustained during the previous season’s playoffs. Donovan McNabb is another one; you get my point. And it’s not like New England’s golden boy is any less talented than Rivers, Palmer, or McNabb. The last time I checked, the season before last Brady had statistically the best fantasy year a QB has ever had. He also plays for the great Bill Belichick and best franchise of this decade. Ever hear of Matt Cassel before last year? Unless you were a USC football groupie back in the days of Palmer and Leinart, I would imagine you did not. This guy sat four years in college, another couple behind Brady, and still led the Patriots to a great year in 2008. Don’t get me wrong I love Cassel (especially since he helped lead my team to a fantasy football championship last year), but give credit where credit is due: the Patriots offensive system. The only negatives I see with Brady is that even my best friend’s second cousin’s mother, who doesn’t know the difference between football and futbol, has heard of Tom Brady. In other words, the media loves Tom Brady and there is always that dunce in your league who thinks the best QB is worth a top five draft spot. Don’t be that guy...but I still love Brady as a guaranteed top 3 Quarterback. I also may be a bit worried about the Patriots losing Offensive Coordinator Josh McDaniels to Denver. But worse comes to worse Belichick will find a way to cheat his team to offensive success. Brady is great early second round pick, maybe even a mid-late first rounder.

• RBs

• Can you believe I am done writing about Brady? Well here is some advice about the Patriot’s backfield, Fred Taylor and all: STAY AWAY. Its not that I don’t think Taylor, Lawrence Maroney, Kevin Faulk, Sammy Morris, or Green-Ellis can’t break out and have some great games. But do you really want to bother drafting a washed up ex-jaguar or an injury prone Maroney who has the durability of a geriatric in the ICU. Here’s another medical reference: use these backs only for locums work. In other words, 1 or 2 week-long assignments only. I have no problem picking up one of these RBs when the other 10 backs on the team go down with injuries.

• WRs

• Randy Moss: I like Moss, but kind of like Brady he gets so much attention that he can become overrated. He has matured but he is still lazy and won’t go after balls if it requires too much effort. At the same time, he is learning how to become much more of a possession receiver than in the past. He also hasn’t really lost a step and can get by nearly every defensive backfield. I like Randy Moss, but he has been consistently drafted as one of the top 3 WRs over the last 5 years, and only put up top 3 numbers in one of those years. Take him if he is available in the mid-late 2 nd round, but no higher.
• Wes Welker: Get him. He has great hands, quickness, and just that intangible willful attitude. Some leagues, such as mine, count receptions as points. If you’re in a league like this, Welker is money. By the way, I love leagues that count receptions as points because it usually reflects the true value of a receiver. You can’t tell me that Bernard Berrian or Lee Evans, with 3 catches, 101 Yards and a TD are twice as more valuable than a gutsy performance by a Wes Welker who grabs 9 balls for 95. All while getting laid out on 5 of those catches, and four of those grabs converted potentially-game changing first downs. In some “standard” leagues Berrian/Evans would accumulate 10 points for yards, plus another 2 for going over the century mark and 6 for the TD, bringing in a total of 18 points. Yet, Welker would have accumulated 9. A league that counts receptions would have seen my boy Welker get 18 points and Evans 20; balancing out the playing field. Regardless, Welker is overlooked because of Moss and plays with arguably the best QB in a great offense. When you need a WR and have Marquis Colston, Dwayne Bowe, and Welker in front of you, take Welker. His TD numbers will be surprisingly high this year as well…
• Joey Galloway – maybe worth a pretty late round pick. He has been a very good NFL player that has consistently (except for last year, which worries me) put up solid numbers. But now he is the number 3 WR and you never want to rely on someone that may only see 2 balls thrown his way all game.

• TEs

• Benjamin Watson and recently acquired Chris Baker & Alex Smith have potential; But I’m looking at New England’s TEs a lot like their RBs. Except Fred Taylor is a top 20 all time NFL rushing leader and the NE TE’s aren’t quite there…

• K

• Steven Gostkowski: sure he is rated number one across the board and I agree. But if you are drafting a kicker before anyone else you have either had a perfect draft, or you suck. And its probably the latter.

• Defense

• The Patriots defense is not what it was towards the beginning of the decade. They have an inexperienced secondary and very-close-to-washed-up middle trying to stretch out another few good years for this franchise. Don’t draft New England D unless they are available very late & will serve as your back up D

Until next time…

By Alexander R. MacNeil
ProFootball-fans.com Fantasy Football Correspondent