Sorting Through The Fluff

Pre-season, in my opinion is the most frustrating four weeks of the year. Still, some folks love pre-season. I’ll admit it, when the Hall of Fame game finally rolls around, I do find myself randomly giggling with joy. Can you blame me? This game is the first glimpse of real football in months. But other than that, pre-season is nothing more than an injury filled boring lump of games. First of all, anyone who already has a guaranteed job is doing everything they can to avoid an injury. So when we see our top fantasy players struggling in pre-season, it’s simply because there not giving it all they got. Really, why would they? Is it really worth a season ending injury? Unfortunately, pre-season can also be terribly misleading for all of us fantasy geeks. With only a week and half left before the start of the season, I’m sure you want all of the relevant fantasy analysis you can get. So, here is my best effort to sort through all of the pre-season fluff in an attempt to provide you with quality fantasy analysis. You won’t find any useless ranting about guys who still haven’t solidified a spot on their team.

We May Finally See The Real Calvin Johnson

Many people never truly had the chance to watch Calvin Johnson play in college. For the most part, everything they know of Johnson comes from the constant highlights of his brilliant plays. Whether it was a sick one handed grab over the middle, making an opposing defensive back look like he was in high school, or his blazing speed as he out ran an entire defense, everyone knew Calvin Johnson was a freakishly amazing athlete. Yet, Johnson was also one of the best route runners we’ve seen come out of college in years, something that went unnoticed to most. Johnson is an all around phenomenal player and this looks like it will be his year. Last year was a tough year for Johnson as fought a lower back injury for most of the season. This limited his playing time and his production. Entering a new season with full health, we expect Johnson to regain his old form and establish himself among the elite at his position. Through three pre-season games, Johnson has 9 receptions for 170 yards and a touchdown. To help his cause, the Lions have clearly stated they will establish a running game, something that has been missing from their offense for some time. Because of this, Johnson should see more play-action looks, giving him more room to work some of his magic. If you’re looking to pick up receivers early, Johnson will be available as an early second option, but may perform as a number one.

DeSean Jackson In For A Solid Year!

The injuries to Kevin Curtis and Reggie Brown make this one an easy call, but regardless of his spot on the depth chart, Jackson has proven that he can compete at the pro level. Jackson has 16 receptions for 189 yards through his first three games. To top it off, Jackson returned a punt 76 yards for a score against New England. This guy is game breaker and can take it the distance from anywhere on the field. With Curtis out indefinitely and Brown nursing a tender hamstring, Jackson will be in the starting line-up on opening day. Don’t pass on Jackson in your draft.

Frank Gore Is A Perfect Fit For A Mike Martz’s Offense

With only three pre-season games to analyze, this one seems a little difficult to believe. For some reason, however, Frank Gore has been incorrectly labeled as a power back and many thought this would hold him back in offense that required a versatile back. After watching Gore in camp and specifically on the field, it’s pretty obvious Gore will be just fine. Martz is fully aware of his shaky quarterback situation and in their last pre-season game, he made it clear that they plan to use Gore to the full. Their first three offensive plays went to Gore and he made the most of it rushing for 43 yards. In those plays, he showed great vision and was quickly cutting up field for extra yardage. When they eventually decided to sit Gore, looking back to their first two offensive drives, 10 out of their 18 offensive plays went through Gore. With 10 total touches (8 carries, 2 receptions), Gore totaled 70 yards. Even though Martz has been known to abandon the run, we can easily see him reverting back to the days when he had Marshall Faulk in his backfield. Yes, he still did pass quite often, but always made sure Faulk frequently touched the ball in some way. We expect the same philosophy this year with Gore.

Watch Out For Hightower!

The rookie running back from Richmond has made strong case for more carries thus far. He has a touchdown in all 3 pre-season games and there are rumors that he will be the permanent goal-line back in 08’. He has already locked in the second spot on the depth chart and if Egderrin James was to be injured, the load would fall on Hightower’s shoulders. View him as a fifth option with tremendous upside.