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Jon Williams gives his fantasy take on the 2008 Kansas City Chiefs.
OVERVIEW
Kansas City head coach Herman Edwards claims that the Chiefs' collapse last season fits squarely on his shoulders. Edwards has committed the team to a youth movement and has made a ton of changes, few of which are good for fantasy purposes. Chan Gailey enters as the new offensive coordinator. Gailey quickly declared that the team offense would revolve around running back Larry Johnson. Most of the rapidly declining offensive line is gone, and their best defensive starter from last year is now a Viking. If Herm Edwards takes the entire weight of the blame this year, he will go home crushed into a messy pulp. |
PROJECTED DEPTH CHART Players listed in order of fantasy relevance. Recommended round to draft in standard 10 to 12-team leagues with 16 rounds is in parentheses. Quarterback: Brodie Croyle, Damon Huard Running Back: Larry Johnson (2), Kolby Smith, Jamaal Charles Wide Receiver: Dwayne Bowe (6), Devard Darling, Jeff Webb Tight End: Tony Gonzalez (6) Kicker: Nick Novak, Connor Barth NOTABLE PLAYER MOVES Additions: WR Devard Darling Subtractions: DE Jared Allen, WR Eddie Kennison, WR Samie Parker, TE Kris Wilson
 | One of the most intimidating home fields in the NFL. Photo Credit: Greenstrat |
2008 ROOKIES TO WATCH Round One: DT Glenn Dorsey, OG Branden Albert
Round Two: RB Jamaal Charles TOP POSITION BATTLE
Back-up Running back: Kolby Smith vs. Jamaal Charles
Second Wide Receiver: Devard Darling and Jeff Webb 2008 SCHEDULE Top fantasy matchups in bold Sept. 7: at New England Patriots
Sept. 14: Oakland Raiders
Sept. 21: at Atlanta Falcons
Sept. 28: Denver Broncos
Oct. 5: at Carolina Panthers
Oct. 12: BYE
Oct. 19: Tennessee Titans
Oct 26: at New York Jets
Nov. 2: Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Nov. 9: at San Diego Chargers
Nov. 16: New Orleans Saints
Nov. 23: Buffalo Bills
Nov. 30: at Oakland Raiders FANTASY PLAYOFF MATCHUPS Dec. 7: at Denver Broncos
Dec. 14: San Diego Chargers
Dec. 21: Miami Dolphins
Dec 28: at Cincinnati Bengals 2008 FANTASY POSITIONAL OUTLOOKS  | | Brodie Croyle had better strap up that helmet before going to battle behind a declining offensive line. Photo Credit: Conman33 |
Quarterbacks
While Damon Huard is the better quarterback, Herm Edwards is committed to going with youth. Brodie Croyle is getting every opportunity to be the Chiefs starting quarterback this season. Last season, Croyle averaged just 136.3 yards per game, which is not acceptable for an NFL team and certainly is not fit for a fantasy team. Croyle’s inexperience (in a brand new system), the bad offensive line play (he will be running for his life), and the lack of depth in the receiving core (no one to catch the ball), will all contribute to his failure as a quarterback this season, resulting in his lack of fantasy value. It is very easy to imagine Huard taking over as quarterback by mid-season. Damon is not much better than Croyle, but he has the experience and toughness to take his beating like a man. Tyler Thigpen is third on the depth chart. Thigpen may be the future at the position for the Chiefs. He has the arm and the persona that NFL teams love to see. Unfortunately, none of these quarterbacks will do much for the Chiefs, and they are not worth drafting in fantasy leagues. Running Backs
It is hardly worth bragging about, but when Larry Johnson broke his foot in game eight, the team was 4-3. Johnson did not play in another game, and the Chiefs did not win any of them. Johnson's less-than-ideal 3.5 YPC makes it appear that the 28-year old is in decline, but in fact, it is the decline of the offensive line that is damaging Johnson’s numbers. Chan Gailey’s new offense will again put most of the focus on the running game. Thanks to the lack of a true passing threat, LJ should once again find most of the opposition’s defense keyed on him. Johnson’s foot appears healed, but expect the Chiefs to baby their injury-prone star throughout the pre-season. Johnson is still a very good running back; he just is not on a very good team. Draft him in the second round (hopefully as your RB2), and he should still prove more than worth it. Kolby Smith could see a lot of action if Johnson suffers another injury-plagued season. As a replacement for Johnson, Smith is adequate at best. Don’t waste a draft pick by handcuffing Smith to Johnson. If everyone stays healthy, rookie Jamaal Charles will probably see more work on special teams than on actual game plays. If called into action, Charles can provide breakaway speed, but he proved to be more elusive than tough, and was a poor receiver at the University of Texas. Wide Receivers
Dwayne Bowe is a warrior at wide receiver. He battles his way through the secondary for yards after the catch. He leaps and catches balls in traffic, even some that would be too risky for other receivers, and he is willing to risk certain death (by linebacker) to make a catch. On a better team, he might have won the Rookie of the Year award in 2007. Then again, on a better team, with a deeper group of receivers, he may not have gotten such an early opportunity. Bowe will see plenty of double teams this season, but he seems to prefer it that way. Devard Darling has very little track record to suggest he deserves to start opposite Dwayne Bowe at receiver, but that is exactly the scenario which Herm Edwards desires. Darling caught just 18 passes in 16 games for the Baltimore Ravens last season. Darling will still have to fight for it, but his competition is the even less fantasy worthy Jeff Webb. Both Darling and Webb have the ideal size and speed for a wide receiver. Unfortunately, Webb just does not have the hands. Of the 57 balls thrown his way in '07, he caught just 28 passes. Aside from Bowe, drafting Kansas City wide receivers would be very risky. Tight Ends
Tony Gonzalez is an annual threat to collect 100 catches. Last season, he set the NFL career record for tight end receptions. He does not score touchdowns like he once could, but he still contributes enough to stay near the top of the tight end rankings. With Croyle at the helm, Gonzalez may be more of a target in the red zone than he has been in recent seasons. Croyle targets Gonzalez more often than Huard does, which may be the one real benefit of seeing Croyle as the starting quarterback. Rookie Brad Cottam is not a threat to take targets away from Gonzalez. He is a massive man (6’8”, 270 lbs); one who should be a very capable blocker. As you no doubt know by now, the Chiefs can use every bit of blocking they can muster together. Cottam’s blocking may be able to provide the extra second or two that the quarterback will need to throw the ball downfield. That might boost Croyle’s fantasy value by some infinitesimally small amount, but Cottam still won't be worth drafting. Kickers
The Chiefs are giving two kickers -- Connor Barth and Nick Novak, neither of whom was active last season -- the opportunity to win the place-kicker’s role. Your ideal fantasy kicker will play on a team with a strong offense and defense. The Chiefs have neither. Defense/Special Teams
Defensive end Jared Allen is going to be tough to replace. The Chiefs are rebuilding their defense (the entire team actually) around younger players. They drafted defensive tackle Glenn Dorsey as a future anchor of their defense, and he will need to get right to work. Second year defensive end Tamba Hali had eight sacks in 2007 and should be in double digits this season. Turk McBride had just one start last season, but is the favorite to step into a starting role this season. Alfonso Boone and rookie Brian Johnston will do battle with McBride for the honor of being an inadequate replacement for Jared Allen. Stay far away from this defense. Offensive Line
The Chiefs offensive line was extremely bad in 2007, ranking 31st in total yards, 31st in points scored, 28th in 3rd down conversion, 1st in sacks allowed, 32nd in rushing yards, and 30th in rushing touchdowns. The declining veterans are out, in favor of new starters at every position: rookie left tackle Branden Albert, veteran left guard Brian Waters, Rudy Niswanger starting for the first time at center, veteran right tackle Adrian Jones (who has not started since 2005 with the New York Jets), and solid veteran Damion McIntosh. Chan Gailey’s offense will shift to a zone-blocking scheme, which should make things easier on the inexperienced starters. This line could not possibly be worse than last season, so they will improve, but building a quality offensive line can take years. Do you have any questions, comments, or insults to toss Jon’s way? Email him at
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