Fantasy Fives: Players Entering 2010 with Momentum
1. Joe Flacco – This preseason the Ravens have made it a point to show the league that the one-demensional Black Birds are a thing of the past. Flacco put up the ball 34 times against the Giants last week, a clear indication that a) the coaches are confident in Flacco winning games with his arm and b) he finally has a full complement of weapons at his disposal in Anquan Boldin, Derek Mason, Mark Clayton and a healthy Todd Heap. Plus, having Ray Rice in the Ravens backfield only makes Flacco more dangerous. In his third season working with offensive coordinator Cam Cameron, Joe Cool has found his comfort zone; a scary thing for the AFC.
2. Arian Foster – Just three weeks ago we were talking about the emergence of rookie Ben Tate as the Texans top back or Steve Slaton bouncing back from a disappointing 2009. Well, we forgot about Arian Foster. After last Saturday’s performance against Dallas (18 carries, 110 yards and 1 TD), Foster left no doubt who the workhorse in Houston will be this season. It’s an amazing swing: many fantasy drafts in mid-August had Foster as the third Texans back off the board. Now you’d be lucky to snag him in the 4th round. All the more reason not to conduct your fantasy draft until late August.
3. Pierre Thomas – In years prior, I don’t know if I’d be too high on Pierre Thomas. But the stars have aligned. For starters, having Drew Brees on your team means that there should never be a play where Thomas will see an eight-man front. Ever. Second, with Mike Bell in Philly, Thomas isn’t sharing carries and doesn’t have anyone lurking over his shoulder to vulcher touchdowns this season. And for those of you who think Reggie Bush is his competition, think again. Heck, I’d be more concerned about Bush if I was a Marques Colston owner. Third, he’s had a very solid preseason and is injury-free. And when healthy, he’s a top-flight RB2.
4. Randy Moss – We’ve mentioned the contract year, but there’s another factor that leads us to believe that, though it may not be quite as historic as 2007, Randy Moss is in for a monster 2010: his quarterback is healthy and has a little incentive to perform as well. Yes, Tom Brady is two years removed from his knee injury and wants a new deal from the Pats. His preseason numbers indicate that he’s pretty serious about that deal: 33 of 42 for 425 yards and 4 TD’s, including a 65-yard touchdown to guess who? Moss. Brady’s brilliance coupled with the return of a healthy Wes Welker to the line-up means that Moss can do what he does best: score touchdowns at an alarming clip.
5. Jermichael Finley – The third-year tight end has been putting up Pro Bowl numbers in August. Aaron Rodgers has already connected with his favorite target 12 times for 163 yards and a pair of TD’s this preseason. Finley entered the league in 2008, the same season that Rodgers took over as the full-time starter in Green Bay, so it’s safe to say that these guys have built a rapport since day 1. The Packers enter 2010 with arguably the most explosive offense in football and from a fantasy perspective, it’s always nice to plug in a tight end and get wide receiver results. Expect that all season with Finley.
