Warrick Dunn has made a career out of defying the odds.

Dunn has been a smallish scat-back said to lack the power to run between the tackles or be more than simply a situational player. However, after eleven seasons and over 10,000 rushing yards, Dunn has proven to be one of the more dynamic, and most respected players in the league. He’s had a long career and was very productive for the Tampa Bay Bucs early in his career, and for the Atlanta Falcons for the past six seasons.

In that time, he’s eclipsed the 1,000 yard mark five times, amassed over 4,000 yards receiving, and scored 62 touchdowns on the ground and through the air. He’s also been a pillar for his community, a charitable trait that dates all the way back to his days at Florida State, where he is still loved even today.

All that being said, Dunn is now 33 years old, and after being cut by the Atlanta Falcons following a down year where he averaged only 3.2 yards on 227 carries, he is returning to his Florida roots once again as a Tampa Bay Buc.

The question is, can Dunn still be effective?

His numbers from last season and his age certainly seem to point to a decline in productivity, and the early thirties is when many running backs start to wear down after years of taking devastating hits. However, one tends to wonder how much of Dunn’s poor 2007 performance had to do with a decline in skills and ability, and how much of it may have been influenced by being on a very bad team riddled with off-season distractions and a head coach (Bobby Petrino) who quit on the team before the season even ended. I believe that the cause for Dunn’s down year was likely a combination of the two.

What you can expect from Warrick Dunn this year is an element of leadership and work ethic that will make the rest of last year’s NFC South winners even more cohesive. The presence of veteran leaders such as Dunn and incumbent offensive starters QB Jeff Garcia and WR Joey Galloway will help the younger players on the team to form a brain trust that combines for over thirty years of NFL experience.

But what the Bucs expect in leadership may just be complemented by a statistically productive 2008 season. Dunn is only a couple years removed from being a high producing back, and has played on a porous team as of late. Additionally, Dunn doesn’t take the same types of hits that more physical style running backs take, so he’s likely a much younger 30-something than someone like Eddie George was at the end of his career.

Dunn also benefits from playing for a veteran-friendly coach in Jon Gruden. Gruden will likely use Dunn’s abilities as a compliment to last year’s young starter Earnest Graham, who is productive but fairly one dimensional. Even if top-ten 2005 draft pick Carnell “Cadillac” Williams returns from injury (which is still up in the air right now), Dunn will likely be used a lot as a change of pace back, and on passing downs.

All of this adds up to a bottom line that Dunn is worth a spot on your fantasy roster in 2008. Not necessarily a prominent spot, but he could be a valuable reserve in smaller to average sized leagues. In larger leagues, he’s best suited as a potential flex starter, or perhaps a third starter in leagues that utilize three starting running backs. I see this as the likely scenario for him, but the ceiling is a little higher. His past production, along with the system he’s going into and the fact that he still has big-play ability makes him an intriguing prospect. He may surprise everyone and wind up with 1,200 all-purpose yards and eight touchdowns or so. At the very least, you can have an “All-Wholesome” fantasy team with this charismatic fan favorite on your roster.

Either way, I’m just glad I get to see him play for at least another year.