Andy Richardson
A few weeks ago, I presented an "All-Risky Team" of players who carried an inordinate amount of risk in fantasy drafts. I got enough feedback on it that I'm going to update those teams. I'll keep track of how those players do this year, and come January maybe we'll have a sense of whether drafting players who most agree are risky is worthwhile or not.
Conveniently, stuff happened in the last two weeks that crystallized some players on those teams. Jahvid Best moves firmly from "Moderate Risk" to "Extreme Risk" based on his own coach saying Best's rehab "should be measured in weeks, not days." Andre Johnson got hurt -- yeah, it's a minor injury, but when players who were hurt most of last season suffer minor injuries a week into training camp, it clarifies why they make the list of risky players. And people convinced me that a couple of other guys were slotted with the wrong teams in the original column.
Again, I tried to pick players who would be early-round selections, so no Kevin Kolb, for example. One of the biggest name changes was I swapped out DeSean Jackson for Dez Bryant and moved Mike Wallace onto the Extreme list; if Wallace reports soon, maybe I'll change that name again (nominees welcome). I considered putting in Maurice Jones-Drew, but it seems like a cheat to put in a guy who is still a first-round pick in most leagues and will be if and when he reports (and isn't considered an injury risk).
Here are the teams. We'll see how things turn out.
EXTREME RISK
QB: Michael Vick
RB: Adrian Peterson
RB: Jahvid Best
RB: Roy Helu
WR: Kenny Britt
WR: Andre Johnson
WR: Mike Wallace
TE: Antonio Gates
MODERATE RISK
QB: Peyton Manning
RB: Darren McFadden
RB: Jamaal Charles
RB: Marshawn Lynch
WR: Brandon Marshall
WR: Hakeem Nicks
WR: Dez Bryant
TE: Jermichael Finley
- Comments [5]
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Posted by Moishe Steigmann | Aug. 06 at 08:50 AM
Thanks for the lists! I'm not sure that Peyton really constitutes that much of a risk. I'd take him out and put Schaub in his place. It might also be wise to find a place for Miles Austin on this list -- it's the same logic that you used about A. Johnson in your second paragraph. Finally, what about M. Wallace?
Posted by ANDY RICHARDSON | Aug. 06 at 08:55 AM
Moishe - Thanks for the Wallace suggestion. I like that one so much (don't know how I blanked on him) that I put him on "Extreme" and bounced Bowe. Bowe will show up eventually because he has no choice but to sign the tender and make his one-year rate. Wallace, we feel, could head into Vincent Jackson territory from a couple of years ago. I still like Peyton more than Schaub just because he's being drafted earlier but there's still the neck concern. Considered Austin but will keep him off for now.
Posted by Dave (MOJO) Smith | Aug. 06 at 11:47 AM
Ditto on the Miles Austin suggestion. He had problems last year and again in pre-season this year.
Posted by Tim Miller | Aug. 06 at 05:04 PM
I think I'd feel more comfortable drafting Adrian Peterson than Ryan Mathews.
Posted by Eugene Hitt | Aug. 06 at 06:45 PM
How is Roy Helu an extreme risk? He'll be a middle round pick at best, 3 or 4 RB for anybody besides the die hard skins' fan. Why not Chris Johnson or Matt Forte' both of those guys will be high picks( 1st and 2nd round), If Johnson does a 2011 instead of a 2010 and M.Bush does what they paid him to do, they'll both be torpedoing fantasy seasons everywhere. P.S. Anyone who drafts J.Best as a #2 RB deserves to lose .. ( another middle rounder at best)