With the Oakland Raiders out of the way, I head to Missouri to check out the AFC's version of the Rams. Ok, maybe that's a bit insulting, but you get the point. Todd Haley is the new head coach of Kansas City and is attempting to whip the Chiefs into shape this offseason. Will that have a great impact on the fantasy numbers KC's players will put up in 2009? Quite possibly, but there are a few ok options no matter who coaches the Chiefs.
Kansas City players mocked up
- Larry Johnson RB - Avg. Selection* 64; 100% drafted
- Dwayne Bowe WR - Avg. Selection 30; 100% drafted
- Matt Cassel QB - Avg. Selection 102; 100% drafted
- Mark Bradley WR - Avg. Selection 139; 20% drafted
*-100th selection = 10th pick round 10 (10 man); 6th pick round 9 (12 man); 3rd pick round 8 (14 man)
After the jump the Sea of Red may get angry with some forecasts I have, particularly for Grandma-ma...
All I'm saying is think about it
Dwayne Bowe
Apparently Bowe is a guy that has been targeted by Todd Haley, and called out to improve upon his work ethic. Bowe celebrates (pardon me, used to celebrate) each catch he made, but it appears that may be a thing of the past. What effect does this have on Bowe's fantasy value? Condsidering that Bowe already has 2,010 yards in 2 seasons (with 11 TDs), I'd say it increases. If Haley can make the Chiefs best receiver work harder, it should result in more fantasy points for your roster. Last season Kansas City adopted a pistol spread type offense and Haley is no stranger to having his unit air it out (see: Kurt Warner, Arizona Cardinals). Taking Bowe as your WR1 is something worth considering, especially if you land him after pick 30. Fantasy Forecast: 1100 total yards, 5 TDs
Matt Cassel
Personally I find it difficult to believe that Cassel will put up 3600 yards, 21 TDs (to just 11 INTs) again in 2009, but I still like the Chiefs acquisition of the QB. Kansas City made the effort to land the USC product, giving up a 2nd round draft choice to bump Tyler Thigpen to number 2 on the depth chart. Thigpen looked pretty good towards the end of 2008, and Cassel certainly appears to be an upgrade. With head coach Haley a master of offense, Cassel should have no problems leading this unit. In New England, Cassel had pretty big shoes to fill (some guy named Brady was hurt) and did quite admirably. Again, I can't see Cassel repeating his 2008 totals in Kansas City, but if you're looking for a good back-up QB, Cassel is your guy. Fantasy Forecast: 3400 pass yards, 19 PaTDs, 10 INTs
Larry Johnson
Larry Johnson is done. Larry Johnson turns 30 in November. Larry Johnson's loaded diapers are slowing down his fantasy numbers. You've probably heard every knock against LJ this offseason that there is, and I'm not going to attempt to convince you otherwise. Johnson isn't completely done, however, and I don't think he's as bad as some think. Do I see Larry Johnson scoring 15 TDs and running for 1600 yards? No, but I don't see him being completely useless either. A pick in the 60s isn't terrible, because Larry Johnson is stil the featured back in Kansas City. Yes, Jamaal Charles stands to share some duties, but Grandma-ma is still the number one guy. An effective passing game should make things easier for LJ in 2009, and perhaps he even improves upon his 2008 numbers. Consider Johnson as a pretty good RB3, ready to be plugged in when your top two guys are off, or cold. Fantasy Forecast: 1000 total yards, 6 total TDs
Deep, Deep, Sleep
Jamaal Charles
Don't sleep on Charles even though Johnson is Kansas City's primary back. I expect Charles to be utilized much more as a receiver in 2009, and as a third down specialist. Does that bode well for his fantasy numbers? Perhaps, but I wouldn't invest in Charles expecting him to carry my fantasy roster. If Larry Johnson is truly done, Jamaal Charles will step in nicely. Regardless, I think Charles is a sneaky option to have on the bench, in case Johnson goes down to injury or is benched in favour of the shifty back that averaged 5.3 ypc and 10.1 ypr in 2008. Fantasy Forecast: 600 total yards, 6 TDs (5 receiving - that's right)
Mark Bradley
I liked Mark Bradley when he came into the league with the Bears, I thought he had pretty good potential. Injuries and the Bears QBs lent a hand in holding Bradley back. In 2008, he went from Chicago to Kansas City and put up half-way respectable numbers in just 10 games. Considering that KC also has the fosselized Amani Toomer and overrated Bobby Engram, I'd say the most competition Bradley has is Terrance Copper. In other words, Bradley is virtually a lock securing KC's WR2 position and I think he makes a nice sleeper in deeper leagues. Well, about as good as Chaz anyway. Fantasy Forecast: 700 total yards, 4 TDs
Special Note: We had a great draft in last night's Yahoo! 16-man league, and it's on a precursor to how much fun we should have in the "Official" Niners Nation league with Flea-Flicker. I look forward to participating and competing with NN, and going home with the prize money (well, giving it directly to a stripper is more like it).
* all fantasy stats are based on 2007-2008 Yahoo! Standard Public league scoring