Fantasy preview: Washington - Da NFL Blog - Fantasy football advice and NFL musings that would make Coach Ditka proud


Fantasy preview: Washington

The Redskins are a team full of risky picks: their fantasy players can either turn in the best seasons of their career, sputter or get injured (more so than other teams, of course). Jason Campbell might be a fantasy star someday, but will it be in 2008?

QUARTERBACK: In 13 games last year, Campbell threw for 2,700 yards and 12 touchdowns. The TD numbers are low, but he only tossed 11 interceptions and showed some poise. He’s a sleeper to have a breakout fantasy season, but not enough of a sleeper to make him your starting quarterback. Consider him a QB2 with potential.

RUNNING BACKS: When he’s healthy, Clinton Portis is a decent fantasy running back. Though he didn’t garner his first 100-yard game until Week 9 (and he topped the century mark only four times), he still finished the year with 1,262 yards and 11 touchdowns. There are more reliable top-flight running backs out there, but Ports is a solid RB2 and probably won’t drop out of most drafts’ second round. Portis’ injury-free season sent Ladell Betts crashing back to Earth, as the backup rushed for about 800 yards less in 2007 than 2006. He’s good insurance for Portis, but not worth the risk as anything more than an RB5 on his own.

WIDE RECEIVERS: Santana Moss and Antwan Randle El turned in some decent yardage and reception numbers last year, but lacked in touchdowns, mostly because Campbell didn’t throw many, and when he did, they went to tight end Chris Cooley. Theoretically, Moss’ and Randle El’s TD numbers should improve, but not enough to push them into the land of WR2s. But both are solid WR3s, with Moss my first choice among the two.

TIGHT ENDS: It’s official — Cooley is an elite fantasy TE. He was Campbell’s favorite target in 2007, finishing with 66 receptions, 781 yards and eight touchdowns. Expect similar numbers in 2008, and with tight ends so deep, don’t be surprised if you Cooley is the sixth or seventh TE taken — he’s a steal if he drops.

KICKER: Shaun Suisham scored 116 points and made 82.9 percent of his field goals in 2007, qualifying him as a low-end starting fantasy kicker or a solid K2. If Washington’s offense takes off, start him every week.

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