Josh Freeman
Josh Freeman was a nice breakout story in 2010, throwing for almost 3,500 yards, 25 touchdowns and only 6 interceptions.The entire offense seemed to stink, Raheem Morris lost complete control of the team, and Freeman's stats suffered because of it.
He did top 3,500 yards, but he only threw 16 touchdowns versus 22 interceptions. Only Buffalo's Ryan Fitzpatrick had more, with 23.
Freeman went from 7th in QB fantasy scoring in 2010 to 16th in 2011.
Tampa was one of the big spenders in free agency, bringing in arguably the best wide receiver and offensive guard in free agency in Vincent Jackson and Carl Nicks. (For you IDP players out there, Tampa also signed CB Eric Wright, another top free agent, from Detroit).
And, of course, Tampa has a new head coach in Greg Schiano, formerly of Rutgers.
So, with a new offense, and a new, and hopefully better, head coach, the question becomes, do we get the Josh Freeman of 2010, or the Josh Freeman of 2011?
If it's 2010, he is a very nice sleeper and great value with a current ADP in Round 11 as the 17th QB off the board.
If it's the Freeman of 2011, then he's not worth owning. Plain and simple.
Preseason will tell much about how much the team has turned around.
LeGarrette Blount
There would be weeks when Blount simply was not used much at all. Take Week 1, for example. Blount received five carries. FIVE. For a whopping 15 yards.
Blount would scored 3 touchdowns his next three games, then got injured it what was a very up-and-down season for Blount.
Now his playing time could be in jeopardy due to another back impressing through pass protection.
Ladies and gentlemen, I introduce to you...
Doug Martin
Not only did Tampa Bay draft Doug Martin, they traded up to get him.What's also a plus for Martin is Schiano sees Martin as Ray Rice 2.0. And in case you forgot, Schiano coached Rice at Rutgers. And we can all agree Rice is pretty good.
Martin has the tools to be an every-down back and will push to become the starting RB for Tampa Bay this season.
Comparing ADPs, Martin is currently the 19th RB off the board, going in Round 5, Blount is RB41, going in Round 11.
I like Martin a lot, but I would not fault you at all if you took a flyer on Blount late, especially if you take Martin high, as I did in a recent experts league I took part in. I took Martin in Round 4, then Blount in Round 9.
Another thing to watch in training camp and preseason.
Vincent Jackson
And I would bet Jackson was most happy because he got what he wanted, and that was to leave San Diego.
remember, Jackson held out most of 2010 because he was unhappy with his contract situation in San Diego.
He is just as frustrating in fantasy, as well. Yes he did finish 10th among WRs, but if you look deeper into the numbers, you'll see why he was so frustrating to own. One week he'll post 100 yards and a touchdown, the next, he'll grab two balls for 20 yards.
And this was with Philip Rivers as his quarterback. No knock against Freeman, but he isn't Philip Rivers.
This is why he is very hard to trust as a WR1. Many teams will draft him as a WR2 or 3.
He is currently WR21, going in Round 5, which seems about where he should go, because again, it comes down to the inconsistency he has from week to week.
Proceed with caution.
Mike Williams
Talk about a real sophomore slump. Just like Blount, Williams came crashing down after a very impressive rookie season.Again, Morris pretty much ruined this team last season, which led to Williams crumbling last year.
I think Williams is primed for a bounce back in 2012. Jackson will draw attention away from Williams and he should return to form and out up respectable numbers once again.
And for where he is going, he is a good value and worth a gamble. Right now, he is the 38th WR off the board, going in Round 9-10. I think Williams can return to WR2/3 status for that price.
Dallas Clark
A former member of the elite TE club, injuries have derailed his last 2 seasons, but he's gotten a reprieve in Tampa.
Winslow finished with 75 catches, 763 yards and two touchdowns last season, good for 15th among TEs.
If he can stay healthy, which has been tough for him of late, Clark can get some catches and could be fairly involved in this offense. Will he be a TE1? Maybe not. But he can be a respectable TE2 or flex option, if your league allows TEs as a flex.
Clark is going undrafted in a lot of leagues, but he is someone to watch as we go through the preseason.
We can only hope Coach Schiano can whip the Bucs back into shape, unlike the mess we saw in 2011. If so, we'll see a good amount of fantasy points scored in Tampa.
Next time, we head into the NFC West, starting with last year's NFC runners-up, the San Francisco 49ers.
Until next time, this is your boy, Bill Wild, signing off.
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