Faceoff - WR Hines Ward, Pittsburgh Steelers

Posted 8/3, exclusive to Footballguys.com

Upside - by Chris Smith

Aside from his marginal 2007 season in which he fought injuries and missed a few games, Ward has been a worthy starting receiver in fantasy football. Even in his injury-plagued 2007 campaign, he still finished the season as the 31st best receiver and that is his worst result since 2000 when he was learning his craft.

Last year, Ward finished with 81 receptions for 1043 yards and 7 touchdowns which was the 15th best result at the receiver position. Little has changed since last year to expect Ward's statistics to plummet this season and there are many reasons to believe he'll still be a fantasy starter in 2009.

Reasons to believe Ward can still be a fantasy starter

1. Great chemistry with QB Ben Roethlisberger: Ward has a great on-field relationship with his quarterback. He caught 81 of 126 passes thrown his way last year (64.3%) and has the confidence of Roethlisberger that he'll catch any ball he can get his hands on.
2. Consistent long-term results: He has had at least 69 receptions in eight straight seasons now and a remarkable 800 receptions on his career. In fact, it is Ward who is the Steelers all-time leader in receptions and receiving yardage, jumping ahead of such memorable players as Lynn Swann and John Stallworth.
3. Clear-cut starter this season: The Steelers have Ward and Santonio Holmes as the clear-cut starters this season. The only other receiver really in the picture is the inexperienced Limas Sweed who likely is at least one more season away from really having an impact for the club.
4. Being 33 is not a concern: For receivers, 33 years old mean experience and not a decline of their production. That usually occurs after the 35-year mark so Ward should have another season or two of top production until his skills begin to wane.

Last Word

Ward has another couple of seasons left in him as a bonafide fantasy starter. He won't be a WR1 for a fantasy team, but he certainly is capable of filling a WR2 role and well for fantasy squads in 2009. He has the trust of QB Roethlisberger and will have another good season this year.

Downside - by Sigmund Bloom

Hines Ward has always been one of those guys you can set your watch by. He's going to catch about five balls a game, his rate of production will put him on pace to get at least 1,000 yards receiving, and his knack for getting open in the end zone will allow him to notch at least six or seven touchdowns. Even after crossing the ominous meridian of 30 years of age, Ward has been putting up solid WR2 numbers even though you've been able to draft him after at least twenty WRs are off the board. All good things must eventually come to an end, and at least a few signs point to Ward dropping from the ranks of perennial WR2s this year.

The most disturbing trend in Ward's career is the increasing frequency of his injuries. He played in every single game for the first seven years of his career. Then he missed one game in 2005 to end his consecutive games streak at 116. Then he missed two games with a knee injury in 2006 and two more games with a knee injury in 2007 (really three because he only had one catch in Week 3 when the injury occurred). Ah! Ward didn't miss a game last year! True, but he suffered a knee injury in the AFC title game that he played through (in intense pain) in the Super Bowl - the same knee that he had surgically repaired in the 2008 offseason. He also had shoulder surgery this offseason. Ward is one of the oldest starting wide receivers in the league, and these surgeries made him effectively older than 33-and-a-half.

Something else that should give those who would draft Ward based on last year's numbers pause is the direct correlation between Ward's big games and Ben Roethlisberger throwing 40+ passes. Ward's five highest yardage games came in the games that Big Ben threw 40+ passes. If the Steelers are just a little more effective running the ball and don't themselves into so many dogfights, Ward won't have that kind of opportunity this year. We also can't discount Santonio Holmes emergence in the Super Bowl and the possibility his role as the #1 wide receiver in that game carries over to 2009.

Ward is the rare fantasy force at WR who has done it without being particularly tall, fast, or quick. His desire and toughness, however, are unmatched. Unfortunately, players like Ward can't afford to have the average physical ability they posses slip to below average. Age and multiple injuries/surgeries dictate that that time is coming soon. Don't take Ward any earlier than his current ADP of WR27 and 72nd overall.