Thus far in this 2010 NFL season, there have been surprises. The Chicago Bears and Kansas City Chiefs are undefeated; meanwhile, the San Francisco 49ers – picked by many to win the NFC West – are winless. The San Diego Chargers are also struggling. There have also been surprises in the fantasy football world.
Michael Vick: Eagles starting quarterback Kevin Kolb suffered a concussion in the second quarter of the first game; since then, Vick has been behind center and is doing an excellent job this season.
Vick has already thrown 89 passes (nearly 30 per game) while averaging 250 yards passing per game and 56.7 yards rushing per game. He currently has six touchdowns and no interceptions while sporting a 110.2 passer rating. Vick still has poor pocket presence, as he takes too many sacks (11 already). Nevertheless, Vick is a much-improved passer because he no longer takes off at top speed to get away from defenders. He has learned how to sidestep the rush and keep his eyes looking downfield for open receivers while on the run. While Vick will never be mistaken for Steve Young, he is at least doing the things which made Young a successful quarterback.
Vick verdict: gold
C.J. Spiller: I originally questioned the fantasy value of Spiller, due to the Buffalo Bills’ depth at the running back position (Fred Jackson and Marshawn Lynch). However, Spiller began to convince me he might have fantasy value after his fantastic preseason.
Unfortunately, Spiller has struggled and is back where he started, behind Lynch and Jackson on the depth chart. He is dazzling as the Bills’ punt returner; however, nobody is clamoring for punt returners in their fantasy leagues. If Spiller has any fantasy value at all this season, it will come later.
Spiller verdict: fools’ gold
Sam Bradford: Bradford set NFL records for most completions (32) and attempts (55) in an NFL debut. After three games, the Rams are 1-2 as Bradford completed nearly 60% of his passes. Dan Marino and Matt Ryan had what I would consider to be the greatest rookie seasons by NFL quarterbacks; their rookie seasons were 25 years apart. Bradford is showing the potential of having such a season.
Despite his 68.1 passer rating, Bradford was solid in his first three games. His passer rating is a bit misleading, as it was greatly affected by the three interceptions he threw in his NFL debut. At the moment, he only has four touchdown passes, but that number shall climb as he hits some big games.
Bradford verdict: TBD, but looks promising
Michael Crabtree: during the preseason, I projected Crabtree as one of several receivers to reach 100 receptions this year. Crabtree is an incredibly athletic and talented wideout; unfortunately, he has yet to demonstrate it. His performance was lacking to the point that head coach Mike Singletary singled Crabtree out in a post-game press conference.
The 49ers are quickly becoming a laughingstock. Quarterback Alex Smith still holds onto the ball far too long and his supposed star wideout (Crabtree) is a fantasy failure at this point. Through three games, the 49ers are 0-3 and Crabtree is averaging only two receptions and 27 receiving yards per game.
Keep an eye on Crabtree. Perhaps Singletary’s calling out Crabtree will motivate him and he will play better and display his full athletic prowess. But in grading Crabtree at this time, he has failed miserably up to this point.
Crabtree verdict: fools’ gold
Christopher Wenrich is a Fantasy Sports contributor for GothamGridiron.com and BaseballDigest.com. He can be reached at philliesmuse@yahoo.com
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