Don't Wanna Miss a Thing

June 24, 2007 1:09pm CDT

Aside from the occasional arrest and a rookie or three signing their contract, there's going to be virtually no NFL news for the next three or four weeks. And yet you're bound to see movement on our cheat sheets and tweak your own rankings as well.

Why? It's not as if there's something occurring on the field to inspire such a move. And few if any training camp battles will be decided before training camp actually begins.

This is a dangerous stretch for fantasy folks, one that lends itself to over-analysis and second-guessing. After all, there's at least a dollop of that in the movement you're seeing in our rankings.

Am I still sure Marshawn Lynch is going to fill Willis McGahee's shoes (and then some) behind Buffalo's revamped line? Did the Houston Chronicle's glowing account of Ahman Green's performance in shorts convince me he's still got something left in the tank? Has Ted's well-reasoned argument in support of Brandon Jacobs turned me around 360 degrees?

Yes. No. And maybe.

If you've been plotting for your fantasy draft since Mel Kiper Jr. hung up his hair following the conclusion of the 2007 NFL draft, the best thing you can do right now is put down your cheat sheet and walk away. Seriously. Put it in a drawer and let it sit for the next two weeks or so. Stare at that thing too long and pretty soon little goblins are going to appear between the lines, telling you to move Cadillac Williams up and Willie Parker down.

NFL players are taking a break right now, and you should too. Let that cheat sheet simmer for a little bit, and in a couple weeks approach it with a clean slate and a fresh viewpoint. You don't have to cancel your newspaper subscription or put a block on the NFL Network or anything, but there is virtually nothing that will happen over the next three weeks that you should knee-jerk react to.

Trust me, that cheat sheet will still be there when you get back, and by the time you return you'll be raring to mark that thing up. But you'll also have digested the fluff pieces and non-information, picking out what few morsels actually do need to be reacted to, then adjusting your rankings accordingly. No itchy trigger finger forcing you to elevate Green because he dazzled a reporter in Houston, no pangs of remorse for taking an opposite view, and so on.

Of course, right about the time you pack up the family truckster and head off to Wally World, the you-know-what will hit the fan. No matter; you'll still have a month or so to react to the news when you get back.

But if you can't leave without knowing what's going to happen while you're riding the Whipper Snapper, here's a look at some guys who might need adjusting when you return from burying Aunt Edna.

Laurence Maroney or Joseph Addai I still think Corey Dillon is going to land someplace, and the Patriots and Colts seem like the two most logical destinations. Not that the Pats have ever been forthcoming with injury information, but Maroney's shoulder issues seem to be lingering longer than they should. I know right now I'm extremely uncomfortable with the thought of making him my No. 1 fantasy back, even though I should be giddy at him taking the lion's share of the dozen touchdowns Dillon scored last year.

You'd think whomever will sign Dillon will want him to open camp with them, and if the Patriots are as concerned about Maroney's shoulder as I am Corey will probably be their first call. Of course, the Colts would like nothing better than to steal a key Pat component for the second straight offseason (Adam Vinatieri last year), and at present there's not a single NFL carry of experience backing Addai on the depth chart.

If Tony Dungy is truly set on using the two-pronged backfield again this year—and why not, since it worked like a charm last year—he's going to want something with a little more pizzazz than DeDe Dorsey or Kenton Keith. Dillon makes perfect sense, offering an inside-running counter to Addai's speed and pass-catching; the tweak to the Pats would just be an added bonus.

While I don't have a crystal ball, or even a Magic 8-Ball, to help me with this one, logic suggests Dillon wouldn't mind one more shot at a ring, and both New England and Indy give him that shot—as well as a few ego-soothing touchdowns to go with his carries.

Tatum Bell Last year I was way behind the curve on injured running backs, winding up with Domanick (Davis) Williams and/or Curtis Martin on several of my mock draft teams. This year, it's the opposite: I'm convinced Kevin Jones won't be ready by Kickoff Weekend—and maybe all season long—and I've been happily scooping up Bell because of it.

Unfortunately, by the time you draft I'm afraid it will be more widely believed that Jones won't be contributing much if anything this season. And it's entirely possible the Lions will come to that conclusion before training camp, which is bound to benefit Bell's fantasy status. For while we don't know much about Bell as a receiver, we do know that Jones was doing a serviceable Marshall Faulk impression in Mike Martz's offense last year before his injury. If Bell walks into that role, even if T.J. Duckett swipes some goal line looks Bell's value will soar because of the potential yardage numbers he'd post. And while you don't need to set up some sort of injury announcement alert on your cell phone, I strongly suggest that when you do return to civilization you make getting a medical update on Jones one of your top priorities.

Byron Leftwich Leftwich is a borderline fantasy player this season anyway, but over the next three weeks he could also find himself garnering lame duck status. He's in the last year of his contract, and if the Dolphins are forced to kick Daunte Culpepper to the curb you know Jags assistant Mike Tice will be right there to pick him up.

But even if C-Pep doesn't get his release, Leftwich could find himself in a bind if his top four receivers don't get healthy. Lord Byron was without his regulars for much—and in some cases all—of minicamp, throwing instead to the likes of Charles Sharon. I'll need to see some clean bills of health on Matt Jones, Reggie Williams, and the rest of the Jacksonville pass-catchers before Lefty becomes even a blip on my fantasy radar.