The premise is simple: I'll tell you what players you can confidently start the season with, and what players should cause your stomach to wobble if you have to start them.
Oakland Raiders
2006 stats at NFL.com and pro-football-reference.com
I've been saving the Raider fantasy preview for a day when I'm lacking motivation. That's because there are no Raider players you can start week one (and I'm not even sure there are Raiders you should have on your roster).
I thought I could make a spirited argument for the Oakland defense, but after looking at the numbers, it's just an average fantasy defense (and besides, I've felt for fantasy defense what Football Outsiders finds for defense in general: "Offense is more consistent from year to year than defense, and offensive performance is easier to project than defensive performance").
Can't you find at least 30 WRs you'd rather start than any Oakland WR? Can't you find at least 30 RBs you'd rather start than any Oakland RB? Wouldn't you be as willing to start any other starting QB in the league as you are to start an Oakland QB (and I like Josh McCown)? Is there any TE you'd want to start?
Oakland will probably be better than people suspect this year; by the end of the year, there might be some Raiders that make their way into your fantasy lineup. But right now you don't know that, and don't know which ones, and there's no way you should start a Raider on your fantasy team week one without spewing your breakfast all over your shirt.
LaMont Jordan will have a BIG year. Mark my words.
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