1. NFL Fantasy Football Training Camp Preview: AFC West

   Read our complete 2007 NFL Fantasy Football Training Camp Coverage!
   NFC	AFC
   North	North
   East	East
   West	West
   South	South

   Denver Broncos

   QB’s: Jay Cutler assumes the mantle of starting QB for the Broncos in 2007. Cutler showed a lot of promise as a rookie the second half of 2006 when he took over for departed Jake Plummer. Cutler takes chances and can whip the ball around downfield so there is a chance for more big plays from him than the team had in Plummer. But he also makes mistakes by forcing things when he shouldn’t. Cutler has a high upside and could be a fantasy football sleeper at the position. You’ll feel better about him as your #2 fantasy QB, but in a platoon, he likely starts more often than you’d expect from only a second year QB. Backing him up is Patrick Ramsey. Ramsey is a good fit for the Broncos offense and could do well if Cutler struggles at all. Preston Parsons has been around the block as a 3rd string QB and will be one again in 2007.

   RB’s: Travis Henry steps in as the latest RB who will benefit from the vaunted Denver OL. Henry had a good season in Tennessee last year without much else from the offense and now will get lots of help. Many are projecting a huge year for Henry, but I think he is more like a top tier fantasy #2 than a true #1 RB. Henry isn’t explosive as a runner, he’s just tough. Last year’s undrafted rookie Mike Bell returns as the top backup and will get some carries, but not enough to warrant being more than a good handcuff to Henry. Andre Hall and Selvin Young will compete for the #3 RB spot. At FB, Kyle Johnson can be an above average producer but that doesn’t translate into anything worth having on your bench. Cecil Sapp keeps getting mentioned as a possible filler at RB instead of just being a FB, but it won’t happen. Paul Smith is a lot like Kyle Johnson.

   WR’s: Javon Walker surprised everyone by being as effective as he was despite coming off a torn ACL from the prior season. Walker is a big, fast WR and a big play threat. He’s a borderline #1/2 fantasy WR with elite talent. He just needs to show he can stay healthy and can develop a rapport with Cutler to stake a claim to being one of the elite for fantasy football rankings. The starting job opposite him will likely belong to second year WR Brandon Marshall. Marshall has big play ability as well and is an even bigger WR than Walker. If he continues to grow with Cutler, he’s a legitimate fantasy football sleeper in 2007 at the WR position and should be drafted as a fantasy #4. Rod Smith is also in the mix, but he really slowed down last season and then had surgery in the off-season. It’s not a stretch at all to think his career will be done after 2007. Smith may compete for the starting job, but he’s more likely to compete for the #3 and may not even make it there. Brandon Stokley was signed and is a proven slot WR. David Kircus appeared to have locked down a roster spot, but some off-season conduct issues put that in doubt. There’s also Quincy Morgan, Domenik Hixon, David Terrell, and Brian Clark vying for roster spots. Considering it’s been a long time since the Broncos put up 3 guys worth owning in fantasy football at the WR position, the chances are slim that any besides Walker and Marshall deserve roster spots.

   TE’s: Dan Graham was brought over from New England to be both a solid blocking E and a potential contributor offensively. Graham, while not among the top fantasy starters at the position, should make a borderline #1/2 at least early in the year. Graham has very underrated hands and will get a chance to show them off early in the season as second year pro Tony Scheffler may not be really ready to come back from a broken foot injury suffered in May. Scheffler has big play ability but needs to fully recover to resume a place in the offense. Once he does though, don’t be surprised if is a solid fantasy starter. There’s also Stephen Alexander at the position. Chad Mustard, Nate Jackson, and Teyo Johnson are all long shots to make the final roster and have no fantasy value.

   K: Jason Elam has scored fewer than 155 points only twice in his 14 NFL seasons, and has never scored fewer than 103. While Elam isn’t young, his leg benefits from the altitude in Denver and his accuracy is solid. Elam is a safe choice every year as a starting fantasy kicker.
   
   Kansas City Chiefs

   QB’s: With the departure of Trent Green, the Chiefs look to start the Brodie Croyle era in Kansas City. The big question though is whether the second year QB is ready. Veteran Damon Huard’s performance last season convinced the team he could serve as a mentor and top backup to Croyle. And there’s even a chance that Huard will beat out Croyle in training camp to earn the starting gig. The Chiefs really want Croyle to have the job and it’s a cinch he’ll play a lot of the season unless he totally flops. But in terms of fantasy football projections, neither Chiefs QB can be considered as anything more than maybe a bye week filler. You wouldn’t want to start either for more than a game or two. Casey Printers is the number 3 unless the team gets someone better.

   RB’s: Larry Johnson is an elite NFL and fantasy football RB, but he isn’t paid like one and that is going to cause him to hold out of training camp. Just how long he holds out is up to how long it takes to get a deal done. There’s been rumors of the team being willing to trade Johnson, but another team would have to part with both a lot to get him, plus fork out the money LJ wants to play. This situation needs to be closely monitored as LJ is an elite RB. Behind him are Michael Bennett, Derrick Ross, drafted rookie Kolby Smith and undrafted rookie Marcus O’Keith. Oh yeah, there’s also former all world fantasy stud RB Priest Holmes still on the roster, but he’s still looking for a doctor who will clear him to play football despite his injured neck. Here’s a piece of prime fantasy football advice: not going to happen. Of the others, Bennett has great speed, but has had durability issues and may not be able to handle more than 15 touches per game for any stretch of games. Kolby Smith is intriguing, but he too isn’t likely to be able to handle a large load. He is neither as fast as Bennett nor nearly as powerful a runner as LJ. Ross rarely touched the ball lasts season, and O’Keith isn’t likely to stick if the LJ situation eventually gets resolved. Considering how a prolonged holdout could affect LJ’s conditioning, grabbing Bennett or Smith (or both) is a wise move in the late rounds as a 5th or 6th RB.

   WR’s: The problems at QB in 2006 led to Eddie Kennison having his 1st sub-1,000 yards season in the last 3 years. Kennison isn’t a stud by any stretch of the imagination in either the NFL or in fantasy football, but he’s the Chiefs #1 WR and usually is undervalued in fantasy leagues. Kennison is a borderline fantasy #3/4 and usually gets drafted as a 5th WR. The shakeup at QB in 2007 doesn’t bode well for his value as going up. The addition of 1st round draft pick Dwayne Bowe gives the Chiefs a legitimate #2 WR. He may not start right away, but he should be the second most productive WR in KC in 2007 due to his size and talents. For fantasy though, he probably can’t be thought of as much more than a 5th WR at best. Sammie Parker should move into the slot where he’s much better suited. He’s been a disappointment dropping too many passes as a starter the last 2 seasons. There will be a 3 man battle for the last 2 WR roster spots between Rod Gardner, Jeff Webb, and Chris Hannon. Webb gets rave reviews from the coaching staff and is entering his second season in the league. Hannon is also in his second season but spent most of 2006 on the practice squad. Gardner has been a bust in the league and blew a great opportunity last season to resurrect his career in WR-starved KC. Webb is the one to keep your eyes on in case of injuries at the position above him as he has size and athleticism.

   TE’s: Tony Gonzalez is one of the best in the league and annually places in the top 3 in the tight end fantasy football rankings each season. Jason Dunn and Kris Wilson are both good pass catchers as well, but because Gonzalez shows no signs of slowing down, their opportunities are limited. Wilson lines up at H-Back often as the team likes having his hands on the field as often as they can. But it doesn’t translate into any worthwhile fantasy stats and probably won’t again in 2007. The team also drafted small school phenom Michael Allan. Allan seems destined for a season on the practice squad.

   K: Trading Lawrence Tynes to the Giants means that drafted rookie Justin Medlock is being counted on to be the man in 2007. Only a bad preseason could prevent Medlock from being the Chiefs kicker in 2007. Medlock is like a lot of rookie kickers: unreliable and hard to predict. It’s almost never smart to start a rookie kicker in fantasy leagues and with the amount of other decent kickers out there, you ought to be able to avoid them. At best, Medlock is a serviceable backup kicker in leagues that cruelly require you to carry more than one.

   
   Oakland Raiders

   QB’s: The war for who will lead the Raiders in future seasons has already been won by rookie JaMarcus Russell, but the battle for who will start the 2007 season is far from decided. Veteran Andrew Walter will be given another chance to compete for it. Josh McCown was acquired from the Lions and likely has the best chance to start the regular season. And then there’s Russell. The Raiders know that Russell isn’t quite ready for the NFL, but whether they’ll be patient with him is another story. It’s pretty much a foregone conclusion that no matter who starts the season, it will be Russell who finishes it as the starting QB. There are few QB situations that are messier in terms of providing any fantasy football help in 2007.

   RB’s: Despite all the criticism, Lamont Jordan really is the best RB on the roster and the most likely to be the starter at the beginning of the season. He benefits from free agent signee Dominic Rhodes being suspended the first 4 games of the season as that gives Jordan time to establish himself as deserving of most of the carries. Rhodes will wait for 4 games and that could cost him as Justin Fargas will get an opportunity to be Jordan’s backup early on, and then there’s rookie Michael Bush. Bush is a big RB but may not be ready as he is returning from a broken leg injury. There’s also ReShard Lee (a glorified goal line specialist) and Adimchinobe Echemandu (whose game isn’t nearly as interesting as his name), but neither figure to be in the mix for any type of real fantasy value. Jordan would be considered a solid #3 RB with the upside to be a #2. And there are even some who are treating him like a #4. If you can get him as your 4th RB, that’s a bargain. Rhodes wasn’t likely to be a real fantasy force anyway so the suspension just makes his value no better than a #5 fantasy RB. Bush would fall into the same category. Fargas is free agent material. FB Justin Griffith was signed away from the Falcons and while he is probably the best fantasy producing FB in the league, he doesn’t warrant more than token interest and only if the other RB’s really flop.

   WR’s: Jerry Porter goes from doghouse to penthouse with the new coaching staff in place. Porter is expected to return to the starting lineup and while that is good news for him, it remains to be seen whether any of the QB’s in Oakland can make any of the WR’s more than benchwarmers in fantasy football leagues. Both Porter and other projected starter Ronald Curry can be considered as borderline #4/5 fantasy WR’s with upside to outperform those slots if the QB position puts up better than expected numbers. The Raiders have enough WR’s on their training camp roster to start a second team at the position. Fighting for the remaining roster spots are free agent signee Travis Taylor, Doug (“I’m a Raider; I’m a Patriot; I’m a Raider again”) Gabriel, Johnnie Morant, Alvis Whitted, Mike Williams, Carlos Francis, Will Buchanon, and rookies Johnnie Lee Higgins and Jonathan Holland. It’s a serious crap shoot guessing which WR’s from this group will step up. Taylor has experience and probably will stick as either the #3 or #4 WR. Gabriel just feels like a long shot to stick despite good abilities. Morant has talent but has probably worn out his chances. Whitted has experience but offers little else in terms of talent. Williams is hoping a reuniting with Lane Kiffin (who was on the USC staff when Williams was there) leads to a better chance to succeed, but it’s dubious. Francis has never been able to stay healthy and is probably gone. Buchanon’s a long shot at best. Higgins has speed and playmaking and probably sticks. Holland might be practice squad material.

   TE’s: On top of boasting one of the largest WR corps in any training camp in 2007, the raiders are taking a lot of TE’s too. Rookie Zach Miller should be the starter and while he has a chance to be a solid fantasy contributor based on skills, he’ll need a QB to emerge. Consider Miller as a backup TE in 2007 fantasy leagues. Tony Stewart was signed away from Cincinnati and should be the primary backup. He’s a good blocker but has decent hands as well. Battling it out for the 3 job are former OL-man turned blocking TE Fred Wakefield, former starter Courtney Anderson, Randal Williams, and converted WR’s James Adkisson and James Madsen. The drafting of Miller has put an end to any chance for any of these guys to have any fantasy value as Raiders in 2007.

   K: Sebastian Janikowski had a bad 2005 and even worse 2006. If he doesn’t get his accuracy turned around in 2007, there will be no 2008 in Oakland for him. Between barely being a 70% kicker on FGA’s the last 2 seasons and the lack of D’s the raiders offense is projected to score, and you’ll find other much better options for a starting fantasy kicker in 2007.

   
   San Diego Chargers

   QB’s: Phillip Rivers was pretty good in 2006 as a starter and should continue to get better as he gets more talent to throw the ball to. Rivers isn’t a consistent fantasy performer, but he can be a serviceable one with the upside to be a fantasy football sleeper as a starter in 2007. Billy Volek provides a veteran presence behind him and the team also has Charlie Whitehurst in the fold.

   RB’s: LaDainian Tomlinson re-wrote the TD records for RB’s in 2006. He is a machine in terms of consistent elite level fantasy production and should be the first pick in almost every draft in 2007. Backing him up is Michael Turner. A lot of teams are high on Turner and he will land somewhere next off-season as a starter. But he makes an excellent insurance policy to LT and even on his own may be worth owning as a 5th or 6th RB. Diminutive Darren Sproles is hoping to stay healthy and get on the field for some offensive plays, but probably won’t contribute much. There are a slew of non-descript free agent RB’s who are also trying to make the team as a number 3, but chances are slim for them. At FB, Lorenzo Neal gets some chances each year to carry the ball some but that hardly makes him valuable for fantasy purposes. Backup FB Andrew Pinnock is also likely to be the 3rd RB. There’s also converted rookie WR Legedu Naanee. Naanee could play FB, TE, WR, or H-Back. But one thing is pretty sure, when you can play any of these positions; it means you don’t really have a true position. And that means you can’t be relied on for fantasy football.

   WR’s: About the only sure thing is Vincent Jackson is likely to be the #1 WR. He doesn’t have a lot of experience, but he has a lot of size and upside. Rookie Craig Davis will likely battle veteran Eric Parker for the #2 WR spot. Davis has a lot of skills and could be a real sleeper if he wins that job. Parker is a steady veteran but has little flash for fantasy upside. Malcolm Floyd is pretty much assured of being the 4th WR and the #5 spot comes down to Kassim Osgood and Greg Camarillo. Overall, Jackson makes for a good fantasy #3/4 WR with upside; Davis a #4/5 with upside; Parker a #5 at best, and the rest are free agent material.

   TE’s: Antonio Gates is the best TE for fantasy purposes in the NFL. He has been the last 3 seasons and there’s no reason to think he won’t be again in 2007. Brandon Manumaleuna is a solid blocking TE and catches an occasional pass. The team drafted Scott Chandler and while he’s no Gates, he has great size to steal a red zone catch or two.

   K: Nate Kaeding went from being a good fantasy kicker to a great one in 2006 because of the offensive production generated by LT and Rivers. There’s no reason to think he’ll not have another 120+ point season in 2007 and that makes Kaeding a solid starting fantasy kicker.
   

   See Russ's other 2007 NFL Fantasy Football Training Camp articles:

2. 2007 NFL Fantasy Football Training Camp Preview: AFC East
3. 2007 NFL Fantasy Football Training Camp Preview: AFC North
4. 2007 NFL Fantasy Football Training Camp Preview: AFC South
5. 2007 NFL Fantasy Football Training Camp Preview: NFC East
6. 2007 NFL Fantasy Football Training Camp Preview: NFC North
7. 2007 NFL Fantasy Football Training Camp Preview: NFC South
8. 2007 NFL Fantasy Football Training Camp Preview: NFC West

Russ Bliss is FantasyFootballStarters.com's exclusive fantasy football expert, a member of the Fantasy Sports Writers Association, and for 11 years has been the radio host of "The Red Zone, Talking Fantasy Football and the NFL," in Phoenix, Arizona.

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