Overall Fantasy Impact: Below Average
Offensive Outlook: Tampa Bay might have been a playoff team last year, but for fantasy football purposes, they were nothing to write home about. They were 18th in the league in points and yards.
Things don’t look much better this year. Although the offensive line is coming together nicely, there are very few explosive skill position players on hand.
2008 should be more of the same from the Bucs.
QUARTERBACKS: All of the Brett Favre drama aside, Jeff Garcia does a nice job for what Tampa asks of him. He doesn’t turn it over and he’s efficent. That’s all well and fine, but it doesn’t do you any good as a fantasy owner. With just 13 TD passes in 13 games in ‘07 and 7 games under 200 yards, Garcia, at age 38, has outlived his fantasy relevance. He’s strictly back-up material.
Should Favre join the Bucs, things would get interesting. It’s doubtful that he would put up QB1 numbers in a new offense, but he would be worth a spot on fantasy rosters for spot starting duty with upside.
There are approximately 74 quarterbacks on the Tampa roster vying to be Garcia’s back-up, but none are worthy of a look-see in this pedestrian offense.
RUNNING BACKS: A waiver-wire wonder last year, Earnest Graham will be on everybody’s fantasy lists this season. After being an afterthought for three seasons, he took advantage of the injury to Cadillac Williams to post impressive numbers (898 yards and 10 TDs). He had a stretch of 6 games in a row with a touchdown and added a nice receiving element as well (49 catches). Given Williams’ uncertain status, Graham is a nice pick for a second running back on your roster.
Williams followed up a great rookie season in 2005 with a lackluster ‘06, and the leg injury that felled him last year will likely keep him out for the start, if not most, of the season. With the way that Graham played in his absence, there’s no guarantee Williams will get his job back when he returns. He’s worth nothing more than a late-round flier.
Warrick Dunn finally seemed to hit the wall in Atlanta last year. His return to Tampa Bay is a nice story, but he’s 33 now, so you shouldn’t get carried away by it. Michael Bennett likely loses his roster spot with Dunn around.
WIDE RECEIVERS/TIGHT ENDS: Somehow, some way, Joey Galloway has posted three straight 1,000-yard seasons despite the fact that he’ll be 36 this year and the fact that he plays in a lackluster passing attack. Galloway remains a big-play threat (17.8 yards per catch in ‘07) who can have a big fantasy game with just a handful of receptions. Maybe he’ll start to slow down, but he’s still the best the Bucs have by far, and he’s an excellent No.2 fantasy receiver.
Fellow graybeard Ike Hilliard’s 722 yards were the most he’s had since 2000, but he managed just 1 TD. Michael Clayton’s drop-off from his huge rookie season in 2004 makes it seem like those big numbers back then were a fluke. Maurice Stovall did little with his opportunity last year. Things are so bad that Tampa is taking a chance on Antonio Bryant who was out of the league last year. None of these guys should be drafted.
Alex Smith has been mediocre in his three years at tight end, and he’ll likely be pushed for playing time by former Titan Ben Troupe. Neither will do enough to have a fantasy impact.