Ask the Experts

ASK THE EXPERTS appears weekly with answers to a new question being posted Thursday morning. How the guest experts responded when we asked them:

Which no-name who's excelled in the preseason will have fantasy value at some point this season?

JEFFREY KAMYS

Wide receiver Stephen Williams of the Cards is someone who may have some fantasy value this year, he has been impressive in camp and the coaching staff likes his ability. In reality most of these guys like Victor Cruz in NY, don't pan out right away, the bottom line in the NFL is that the guys that are getting the big dollars get on the field the most.

Kamys is president of Dr. Stats Fantasy Sports. His company, via the web, offers player news, injury reports, cheat sheets, projections, weekly matchups, statistics, and a customized team tracker. Dr. Stats Fantasy Sports also e-mails preseason newsletters and reports throughout the season. For more info visit www.docstats.com or send email to webmaster@docstats.com.

MIKE NAZAREK

Kareem Huggins, TB, and Victor Cruz, NYG, are both very interesting young talents. Huggins is on the verge of pushing RB Derrick Ward aside to become the Bucs No. 2 RB, while Cruz is pushing to be the Giants No. 4 WR or No. 3 WR if Mario Manningham doesn't stay healthy and stop dropping passes. I like to call these guys Ultra-Deep fantasy sleepers!

Nazarek is the CEO of Fantasy Football Mastermind Inc. His company offers an online rookie draft kit, preseason draft guide, customizable cheat sheets, fantasy auction & regular drafting programs, weekly in-season fantasy newsletters, injury reports and free NFL news (updated daily) at its web site. He has been playing fantasy football since 1988 and is the one and only four-peat champion of the SI.com Experts Fantasy League, a nationally published writer in several fantasy magazines and a former columnist for SI.com. For more info go to www.ffmastermind.com. Nazarek can be reached at miken@ffmastermind.com.

CORY BONINI

Buffalo Bills rookie running back Joique Bell is buried on the depth chart, but injuries to Marshawn Lynch (ankle) and Fred Jackson (hand) have thrust Bell into a preseason timeshare with first-round pick C.J. Spiller. Bell has rushed for 132 yards on just 16 attempts and has scored twice in limited work. If Lynch is traded, Bell could receive playing time early in the season. If he continues to impress, earning season-long playing time isn't out of the question. He presently is a reach in the deepest of leagues, but this Wayne State product could become fantasy-relevant in 2010 with a little luck.

Since 1996, KFFL.com has been combining its award-winning news service with top-notch fantasy analysis. KFFL.com offers industry-leading services, including daily news, draft guides and in-season advice. Now 100 percent free, KFFL.com is your destination for fantasy baseball, football and NASCAR cheat sheets, tips, sleepers and much more. KFFL.com has won more than a dozen expert championships and was listed as "One of the 10 essential sports-related online destinations for fans, athletes and fantasy owners" by Time.com. KFFL.com has provided content to USA Today, Yahoo! Sports, FOXSports.com and many other quality organizations.

IAN ALLAN

It looks like Kareem Huggins has won the backup running back job in Tampa Bay. Derrick Ward is playing so poorly (and has such a larger salary) that I expect the Bucs will release him. So I believe Huggins has value. I don’t think Cadillac Williams will start healthy there for 16 games, so Huggins should start some games.

Allan is the senior writer for Fantasy Football Index. He's been in that role since 1987, generating most of the player rankings and analysis for that publication. His work can be seen in Fantasy Football Index magazine, and also at the company's website, www.fantasyindex.com.

JARED SMOLA

I'm scooping up Kareem Huggins late in all my drafts. He first caught my attention in Tampa’s preseason opener against the Dolphins a couple weeks ago. Huggins popped off 55 yards on 8 carries in that game and was clearly the Bucs’ most explosive RB. He followed up that effort with an 8-carry, 44-yard performance last weekend. And now the word out of Bucs camp is that Higgins has passed Derrick Ward for the #2 spot on the depth chart. All that stands between Huggins and a starting job now is the injury-prone Cadillac Williams. You gotta think he’ll get at least a few starts this season.

Smola is the Senior Editor of DraftSharks.com. DraftSharks has been providing thought-provoking, outside-the-box fantasy football analysis since 1999. The site provides its members with tons of feature articles, daily email updates, in-depth player profiles and projections, its exclusive MVP Draft Board, and much more!

SCOTT SACHS

It's hard to pinpoint just one. Of the No. 3 and 4 guys out there, there are a few who have some promise. LeGarrette "One Punch" Blount is No. 3 on the Titans depth chart, but is one tough runner, albeit a cheap shot artist. Anthony Dixon from the 49ers is a possibility if Westbrook fizzles or gets bonked in the coconut again. Also Mardy Gilyard and Golden Tate might be No. 4s and rookies to boot, but both look promising and will see the field, as will a current no-name (former "name") Teddy Ginn--ranked No. 4 on SF depth chart with value as a returner as well as a wideout. Late round sleeper Davone Bess is dangerous, too--not a bad 5 or 6 WR option on anyone's fantasy roster.

Scott Sachs is “The Coach”, at Perfect Season Fantasy Football, offering live talk and advice from early August through the NFL playoffs. The Coach has 22 years experience in a 24-team league, 19 years in playoffs with multiple Championships, including the league’s only perfect season! The Coach has a knack for Sleeper & Rookie picks, too! Free content and subscriber options on the website: www.perfectseasonffb.com. Email questions or info requests to perfectseasonffbquestions@gmail.com.

DAVID DOREY

I am starting to really like Kareem Huggins in that final pick of the draft sort of way. Huggins has looked very sharp in both practices and preseason games and in Tampa Bay he only has Derrick Ward between him and Carnell Williams. Ward has already proven to be a non-factor and even Williams is mediocre at best. Huggins could end up as one of those big surprises this season.

Dorey is the co-founder and lead NFL analyst for The Huddle and author of Fantasy Football: The Next Level. He has projected and predicted every NFL game and player performance since 1997 and has appeared in numerous magazines, newspapers, radio and television.

KEVIN PAYNE

He's not necessarily a no-name player but I'd look for Jabar Gaffney to have some decent fantasy value at some point. Brandon Marshall and his 154 targets have left town for Miami and someone will pick up those looks. When Marshall was out during Week 17, Gaffney put up a monster performance with 14 catches for 213 yards and two TDs. Rookie Demaryius Thomas was drafted to try and fill Marshall's shoes but has been bothered by a troublesome left foot. Gaffney has the benefit of playing a season with Kyle Orton who isn't shy about targeting him. Last Saturday's preseason game with six catches for 98 yards on limited play was evidence of that.

RotoWire.com is a fantasy sports news site that focuses on MLB, NFL, NBA, NHL, auto racing (mostly NASCAR), golf, college football, college basketball and soccer. The web site features player news, draft kits, mock-draft software, in-season tools, feature stories and statistical data to help fantasy players in each sport. RotoWire hosts a three-hour daily radio show on Sirius-XM, XM 147, Sirius 211 11 AM - 2PM ET, has partnerships with Yahoo! Sports, ESPN, NFL.com and FoxSports, among others. To sign-up for a free-trial to RotoWire.com, go to RotoWire.com/trial..

LOUIS TRANQUILLI

Kareem Huggins in Tampa Bay. Derrick Ward has clearly demonstrated he was a product of the Giants offensive line and didn't deserve the money the Bucs gave him and the oft injured Cadillac Williams is ahead of Kareem. Earnest Graham is back to fullback and just doesn't posses the slippery speed of Kareem.

Tranquilli is the founder and the primary "brains" (if you stretch it) of BFDFANTASYfootball.com. BFD is about delivering the information players want, not fluff, just opinions that matter to fantasy football players. Lou has worked with NFL players and gives a unique perspective because of it.

SAM HENDRICKS

Jonathan Dwyer could be the backup RB in Pittsburgh. And the Steelers should run more with big Ben out for 4-6 games. The former Yellowjacket is a power runner who could easily give Rashard Mendenhall much needed competition. He will be the goal-line vulture with plenty of upside. If you are looking for a deep (no-name) sleeper try either of these WRs: Legedu Naanee (SD) or Brian Hartline (MIA). Both are behind a bigger name WR but should see plenty of action.

Sam Hendricks is the author of Fantasy Football Guidebook, Fantasy Football Tips and Fantasy Football Basics, all available at his website, www.ffguidebook.com, at all major bookstores, and at www.amazon.com. He is a 20-year fantasy football veteran who regularly participates in the World Championship of Fantasy Football (WCOFF), National Fantasy Football Championship (NFFC) and finished 7th and 16th overall (out of 228 competitors) in the 2008 and 2009 Fantasy Football Players Championship (FFPC).

ANDY RICHARDSON

Even though a roster crunch forced me to drop him in my dynasty league, I'm intrigued by Joique Bell in Buffalo. I don't know that he's a special talent, but he looks pretty good, and the chance is there for him to be half of a committee at the start of the season, or later. I'm also using last-round picks on Washington's Keiland Williams, because he looks like the second-best running back on that roster.

Richardson has been a columnist and contributor to the Fantasy Football Index magazine and web site for the past nine years. His responsibilities include team defense and IDP projections and various site features, and he has run the magazine's annual draft and auction leagues since their inception. He previews all the NFL games on Saturdays and writes a wrap-up column on Mondays during the NFL season.

• Comments [0]

Readers' Comments

Add a Comment

Already a registered user? Please sign in to add comments.

To add comments, you must become a registered user of our site. To register, please click here.