Keeper Korner

September 4, 2008 3:33pm CDT

Welcome to the first Keeper Korner article of the 2008 fantasy football season. More and more fantasy owners are participating in keeper and dynasty leagues each year, and we’re catering to their needs. The problem is that those needs vary sharply from league to league. Some owners are allowed to keep only one or two players each season, while other people can carry over a full roster.

Thus, this article’s focus will vary from week to week, sometimes talking about higher level players and sometimes digging deep. Every Keeper Korner article, though, will have the aim of improving fantasy squads. This week, I’m covering five younger talents who look like intriguing buy-low candidates or waiver wire additions.

RB Kevin Smith, Lions: This rookie out of Central Florida walked into a starting job, and he was coasting to solid fantasy value. His stock was especially high in keeper formats, until this past week. The Lions signed former Pro Bowl rusher (and fantasy rock) Rudi Johnson on Monday, and his presence has cast a shadow over Smith’s fantasy stock. However, smart fantasy owners noticed that Johnson signed only a one-year deal. Smith is the starter in Week 1 and the better long-term investment. Johnson will likely muddy the scene between now and January, but Smith’s keeper value is still mostly in tact. If the Smith owner in your league is short-sighted or really needed the rookie to star this year, he or she may be willing to give him up cheaply.

RB Ryan Torain, Broncos: The more I look at the Broncos roster, the more I like Torain’s future. Mike Shanahan loves playing musical chairs at the running back position, and he is successful at his craft. In Shanahan’s 13 seasons as the Broncos head honcho, the club has produced 11 top-10 rushing units. They will open 2008 with Selvin Young starting, Andre Hall rotating in, and fullback/halfback Michael Pittman possibly helping out on occasion. Meanwhile, Torain will continue to rehab his injured elbow and work towards his return. Shanahan was excited about this rookie prior to the injury, and come the middle of the season (probably after the Week 8 bye), Torain will bring fresh legs and a between-the-tackles style to the mix. He could be ready to punish tired defenses down the stretch and step into a starting role in 2009, if not sooner. If your keeper league doesn’t have extensive bench spots, it will be tough to keep Torain. If you have the roster room available, though, this rookie could be worth the wait

WR Devin Hester, Bears: For better or worse, the Bears will open the season with Hester and Brandon Lloyd as their starting receivers. They plan to rotate in three or four other wide receiver targets for Kyle Orton to underthrow to, but I’m not really focused on Week 1. Or even the first half of this season. Hester continues to be a work-in-progress as a receiver, but he has proven to be an extremely gifted football player and the Bears certainly paid him like a guy who will do much, much more than return kicks. The club has said they believe Hester can be a No. 1 receiver. Given his obvious talent, I believe it’s worth my time and roster spot to see if he can develop into a top-20 or top-25 fantasy wideout between now and the start of 2009. This season is bound to be ugly for the Bears offense, but Hester’s keeper value may still skyrocket in the coming months if he looks comfortable as a pass-catcher.

WR Josh Morgan, 49ers: This preseason star took a shot to the ego this week. The 49ers have apparently decided to start Bryant Johnson over Morgan in Week 1, even though the veteran battled hamstring issues throughout much of August. Fantasy owners who thought they got a late-round steal with Morgan may now be wondering if they are stuck with a dud. I’ll gladly take that “dud” off their hands, thank you very much. Johnson is working under a one-year contract, Isaac Bruce is 87 years old, and Arnaz Battle is… well, Arnaz Battle. The path from Morgan’s spot on the depth chart to the top of the pecking order shouldn’t be a tough climb if this rookie is as gifted as he showed through three preseason games. In keeper leagues, I’m more than willing to put Morgan on the end of my bench and wait for him to grow into a large role.

TE Zach Miller, Raiders: I spent the preseason thinking Tony Scheffler was the young tight end I most wanted to target as a backup for my keeper league team. He’s still high on my list, but I’m beginning to think I should have been using a late-late-round selection on Miller. Unlike Chad Johnson, Miller hasn’t undergone an official name change, but he might as well stitch “JaMarcus Russell’s Favorite Target” on his back. Those words accompany Miller in seemingly every season preview article. Miller is such a good blocker that it may cut into his reception total, but have you seen his competition for catches? Javon Walker, Ronald Curry, and (gulp) Ashley Lelie?!? If I were Russell, Miller and Darren McFadden would be my favorite targets, too. I’m not thinking 2008 will be a huge breakout year for Miller, but I believe he’ll show signs of turning into a top-10 tight end and be ready for a leap in 2009.