The Best Fantasy Player And Fantasy Football Sleeper: Tampa Bay Buccaneers

by faketeams on Aug 29, 2008 9:27 AM EDT in Football

JScott of Buc'em, the SBNation blog covering the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, brings you his fantasy picks from his favorite NFL team.

Buccaneers Best Fantasy Player:

You would think with a Pro Bowl Quarterback and a Receiver who amassed over 1,000 yards last season that our Best Fantasy Player would be one of those two guys… You my friend would be wrong. The Bucs Best Fantasy Player is its DEFENSE. If your league doesn’t draft defenses, well, move on to the next paragraph describing the Sleeper Pick If you’re like the rest of us keep reading:

Last season the Bucs had several new faces on Defense in starter roles: S Tanard Jackson, DE Gaines Adams, and LB Barrett Ruud. The team still ranked #1 in Yards allowed per game. Ranking #2 in Rush defense and #3 in Pass Defense, that entire unit has a year under its belt. Sure we lost CB Brian Kelly to the Lions in the off-season, but Phillip Buchanon stepped in nicely for him last season and Rookie 1st Round Pick Aqib Talib should prove to be a nice pick-up as well. Last season our leading sack getter (Greg White) had 8 sacks, we should vastly improve upon that with a more experienced DE in Gaines Adams (6 sacks) and DT in Jovan Haye (6 sacks). Our depth has also been improved with a healthy S Sabby Piscitelli, newly acquired DE Jimmy Wilkerson, and a battle tested LB in Quincy Black. The only achilles heel of the defense tends to be our Run Defense, but even then its nothing to get overly concerned about.

Lastly if you’re a numbers man, just consider that Pro Bowl QB Jeff Garcia averaged a putrid 10.31 points last season for Fantasy Players, Aaron Rodgers is expected to average 12.5 points this season. Although Joey Galloway was above average last season (8.14 Fantasy points per game), he’s been nursing a sore groin and shoulder this off-season and has yet to play a down in the Pre-Season (and won’t). With that said, I don’t feel comfortable suggesting anyone draft him without a clean bill of health, checkout last seasons Wild Card Playoff Game against the Giants for proof (Galloway was non-existent with a banged up shoulder).

Buccaneers Sleeper Fantasy Player:

This player used to be known as Mr. August, as he turned in stellar Pre-Season performances for three straight years. We now know him as RB Earnest Graham. Last season he averaged (11.98) Fantasy Points per game, that led our team. He didn’t even start the season as our feature back. This season he will be the feature back and I expect him to vastly improve upon last season as the line he’s running behind has another year’s worth of experience (and newly signed Free Agent C Jeff Faine). As the season wore on Graham produced more and more and I think that is a tale tell sign that he is primed for a good statistical and productive Fantasy Football Season.

Good luck with your Fantasy Seasons and if you’re interested in Tampa Bay Buccaneer Football be sure to head over to BucEm.com for more Bucs news and info…

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Comments

Graham

He has been rising up my board as a decent substitute for my favored 2nd rd RB, Maurice Jones Drew. Like Drew, Graham catches balls out of the backfield and doesn’t have much competition for passes from the TB #2 WR.

Is that going to change?

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by faketeams on Aug 29, 2008 2:43 PM EDT reply actions

I'd say Graham's ability

to catch the ball out of the backfield has been almost completely replaced by the acquisition of Warrick Dunn. He wasnt brought in here to carry the load on the ground, so he’s clearly going to be used on third downs and in potential passing opportunities for the Runningback position.

As far as Wide Receivers stealing Graham’s Dunn’s looks I don’t see that happening as we havent had one receiver step up in the Pre-Season. Antonio Bryant had looked good until his knees started to swell (at age 27, sheesh). Dexter Jackson would steal that work load but Gruden doesnt appear to use him in the offense as much as he should…

Hopefully Pre-Season is not indicative of the regular season

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by JScott on Aug 30, 2008 9:48 AM EDT up reply actions

What about Pittman and Dunn?

"It's time to plant some seeds. What that means is, hit them in the mouth. Ya know, plant some seeds. Show 'em what time it is." --Levon Kirkland

by steelerinchicago on Aug 29, 2008 7:16 PM EDT reply actions

Pittman's in Denver

You probably meant Michael Bennett, who’s looked great in the Pre-Season, but like Earnest Graham before him, he probably wont see that many reps when the Regular Season begins…

Dunn will get many opportunities however, as you alluded.

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by JScott on Aug 30, 2008 9:49 AM EDT up reply actions