Dynasty Shopping Mall - Week 5

Posted 10/3 by Jeff Tefertiller, Exclusive to Footballguys.com

Just like any other shopping mall, this will have different products at different levels of quality and price. We will shop around at different stores like Bloomingdales, Macy's, Sears, even the Dollar Store and look for products to buy. The focus will be on value. Many times the expensive products are worth the price. Some times they are not. We will examine opportunities to buy at a reasonable price compared to value. The products we are purchasing are fantasy players for our dynasty team.

This week we will examine players that are injured that might present good opportunities to buy at a reasonable price. Some will be worth the price and some will not. But, the good news is that only because of the injury, the price is reasonable. The one thing to consider is that you will have to carry the injured player for a long time without seeing any rewards. So, part of the price paid for an injured player is the cost in obtaining the player and part is the use of a roster spot for an indefinite time. With the cost of the roster spot in mind for the current owners of these injured players, this can be a great selling point. But, with dynasty leagues, it is always advisable to have some upside guys on your bench for next season.

This past offseason, I pursued Kevin Jones as a player to buy low in my PPR league. He was a top ten player when healthy so I made the Jones owner an offer he could not refuse. Since it is dynasty, and Jones only 24 years old at the time, I thought it was a great gamble. I paid Marques Colston. Many in the league thought I got the worst end of the deal. Maybe they are right. But, young stud running backs are difficult to come by. At this time, I like how the deal turned out. This is the perspective we will use for this week's installment of the Dynasty Shopping Mall. At this time of year, only a few weeks into the season, fantasy owners are understandably more worried about making the playoffs in 2007 rather than stashing players with upside that will help in 2008. This even further helps the opportunity to buy low. There are big name players that are injured that pose an opportunity to buy low, but everyone will be trying to buy guys like Steven Jackson, Andre Johnson, or even Brandon Jacobs. Instead, we will look for players to buy on the cheap that could be produce a high level in the future.

Kenny Irons

Kenny Irons was a productive back at Auburn. He was drafted by the Bengals to be the heir apparent to workhorse, Rudi Johnson. Irons was drafted in the 2nd round with the 49th overall pick. He showed promise in the preseason and could be the feature back when Rudi retires or moves on from the Bengals. Irons is currently recovering from a torn left ACL. He has already had his knee surgery and should be ready to go by the 2008 offseason. Irons did experience some swelling in the knee after the surgery so it is something to monitor.

Outlook: There is little competition on the Bengals. Only oft-injured Chris Perry, versatile Kenny Watson and Quincy Wilson are the ball carriers behind Rudi Johnson. Rudi has been consistent and durable. But, Irons possess explosion in the open field and likes to run between the tackles
Store: Clearance rack at Macy's
Price: 2008 2nd round draft pick or 2008 3rd and a prospect
Recommendation: Buy if you have what should be a late 2008 2nd round pick. Irons is a better prospect that you should find with that pick. By no means is Irons a "can't miss" prospect, but it is nice to take a chance on him at a reduced price. Rudi has had a lot of carries over the last few years. Irons is the perfect buy low situations.

Drew Stanton

The rookie from Michigan State is a great athlete and was hand picked to be Jon Kitna's successor. The local product was drafted in the 2nd round of the NFL Draft with the 43rd overall pick. Stanton sports a strong arm. He has battled injuries throughout his college career. To illustrate his athletic ability, he first injured his knee covering kicks as a Spartan. Yes, the future star quarterback was covering kicks. Stanton injured his right knee. The odd part of Stanton's situation is that the Lions did not consider the injury "serious" but placed him on IR anyway. The Lions were reported as saying Stanton was not ready to contribute in 2007 so they are letting him take it slow in his rookie season.

Outlook: The short season so far has given fantasy owners some indication of why Stanton was drafted. Kitna is taking a beating each and every game. The two quarterbacks behind Kitna have not distinguished themselves much at all. Orlovsky has been injured. O'Sullivan came in for part of the week two game but was very shaky in his decision making ability. The Lions have great offensive personnel with Roy Williams, Calvin Johnson, Kevin Jones and others. The Lions' starting passer will have every opportunity to put up huge fantasy numbers. The starting passer will have arguably one of the top duos of young receivers in the NFL.
Store: 2008 3rd round draft pick or a prospect
Price: Clearance rack at Sak's
Recommendation: Buy. The starting quarterback in a Mike Martz offense is an every-week starter with the possibility of being a top fantasy passer. Stanton has the ability to be a special quarterback in the offense under the tutelage of Mike Martz.

Terry Glenn

The veteran receiver is having major problems with his knee. He supposed to have season-ending microfracture surgery but opted to have his knee scoped with the hope that he could play in 2007. But, the reality is that Glenn will have a difficult road back to good health.

Outlook: When healthy, Glenn is a starting receiver for the Dallas Cowboys and a valuable WR3/4 for fantasy. His health is a major concern.
Store: Macy's
Price: 2008 2nd round draft pick
Recommendation: Let someone else trade for Glenn with the hope of buying him low. The chances of Glenn rebounding into fantasy viability are slim. The veteran is getting up there in age and the Cowboys will have to address the receiver position in the 2008 NFL Draft and maybe in free agency as well. Patrick Crayton will be a free agent and the cupboard will be bare in Dallas at the wideout position.

Eddie Kennison

Eddie Kennison has produced decent fantasy numbers in Kansas City. But, the Chief offense is now in shambles with inconsistent quarterback play, turnover on the offensive line, and a very conservative offense. Last year, the former LSU Tiger had five games with at least five catches. Tony Gonzalez is effectively the WR1 in Kansas City. The quarterback battle between Damon Huard and Brodie Croyle should continue with fantasy owners as the big loser.

Outlook: Kennison partially tore his hamstring in the season opener. He should be back by midseason. But, rookie Dwayne Bowe is playing well in his stead limiting Kennison's fantasy impact upon his return. Bowe is a huge upgrade over Samie Parker as the receiver playing across from Kennison. Now, there is one more good option for passing targets.
Store: Dollar Store
Price: Waiver Wire in many leagues
Recommendation: If your team is riddled with injuries, Kennison could be a decent spot starter for a week or two to cover bye weeks. I would not want to rely on him with the state of the Chief offense. He will offer more potential in PPR leagues.

Mike Walker

Walker played great in preseason, even with the knee injury. The rookie from Central Florida has his knee reconstructed before his senior season. He was still dealing with the injury with the Jaguars during camp and preseason. Walker was drafted in the third round so the Jaguars had to like what they saw in him even though he was not fully healthy.

Outlook: Even after tearing his ACL as a junior, Walker rebounded to catch 90 passes, average 13.1 YPC, and score seven times as a senior. With the knee still bothering him, the 6'2", 209-pounder ran a blazing 4.35 forty at the NFL Combine. He was easily the Jags' most impressive rookie in the offseason. The starting receivers in Jacksonville for 2007 are not impressive at all. Only newcomer, Dennis Northcutt, is performing well.
Store: Dollar Store
Price: Waiver Wire in many leagues
Recommendation: Buy. Walker is a great receiver to stash on your roster even though you will not see rewards for a year. With the knee problems Walker has experienced, this year off is a great opportunity to get healthy and be productive in the future. If he is not on the waiver now, he could be real soon as some owners will give up on him too soon.

Each year, there are many players who get injured and left for "dead" by their fantasy owners. The recommendation would be to pick up Mike Walker if on the waiver wire. Then, if another roster spot is available, buy low on either Irons or Stanton depending on the price and your team's needs. There will be more opportunities with injured players and hopefully we will revisit this topic later in the season.