Never Too Early: St. Louis Rams Fantasy Football Preview

With Fantasy Football season ready to kick in high gear, Fantasy FanHouse is here to preview each and every team. Listen closely, you're almost guaranteed to win your FREE fantasy football league, only over at Fleaflicker.

Meet The ...
24th ranked offense in the NFL in 2007. Could it be? The "Greatest Show on Turf" has been reduced to rubble. Well, not entirely. Steven Jackson and Marc Bulger both missed four games, Isaac Bruce got old, and Bulger was without all-world protector Orlando Pace for all but one game.

The Breakout
For once, I'm not going to follow directions. There isn't one breakout on this team I'd like to spotlight, but instead several guys that will totally out-perform last year's value. First and foremost is Jackson. He's right with Brian Westbrook and Joseph Addai in the mix for the third overall pick. Next, as Tom Herrera already covered, Bulger is due for a huge bounce-back. Invariably when he does, Torry Holt comes back to his expected level of production. Randy McMichael was rescued last year from the exile that is Miami's offense, and now he'll get to reap the rewards. I guess my short answer is that I'd rather name this category "The Bounce Back" and say "The entire offense." They aren't 24th-in-the-NFL bad. Not even close.

The Bust
I don't even think he qualifies anymore, but sometimes Drew Bennett gets drafted based upon a quarter of a season stretch where he and Billy Volek made sweet music together in Nashville for the Titans. I expect him to lose his role to either rookie -- Donnie Avery, Keenan Burton -- by the halfway point at the latest. Please don't draft him.

The Depth Chart
QB1 - Marc Bulger
QB2 - Trent Green
RB1 - Steven Jackson
RB2 - Antonio Pittman
RB3 - Brian Leonard
WR1 - Torry Holt
WR2 - Drew Bennett
WR3 - Donnie Avery
WR4 - Keenan Burton
TE1 - Randy McMichael
K - Josh Brown

The D/ST
Adding David Macklin to a unit that was 30th in fantasy points last season hardly shakes the Earth. Avoid in all formats.

The Skinny
Hmmm ... only the Lions gave up more points last year. Even if the defense improves -- and it shouldn't drastically -- the offense is going to have some keeping up to do. Get ready to see some serious fantasy action from the trifecta of Holt, Jackson, and Bulger. The first two are elite options as usual and Bulger will be a top ten QB again. After that, you're gonna have to guess correctly, but the rookies both have talent ... Avery has much more. I'd target him as a late steal in really huge leagues (16 teamers with bench space).

Brown is a good kicker, and the Rams will score points. You could do much worse there.

McMichael is a good sleeper at TE, and will thrive with the change of scenery -- things just didn't go as planned for anyone here last year. He's a very talented pass-catcher that always came in under expectations in Miami, mostly due to variables outside his control. Now he's going to the be a Chris Cooley-type tight end in Al Saunders' offense. Take a look in the late rounds without wasting a higher pick on this position and get good value.

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