Kickin' it Old School

September 1, 2008 11:01pm CDT

Youth is attractive. We're bombarded with that thought every single day - ranging from TV shows to magazines to common phrases. Who doesn't want to be "young at heart"? This sentiment extends into the fantasy football field, where owners often skip over grizzled veterans in favor of guys with "upside" and "potential" and "fresh legs."

We've all done it in drafts and auctions. We scan the rankings and come to a toss-up. Do you choose the 23-year-old running back starting for the first time or the 29-year-old running back with four 1,000-yard seasons but who might lose some carries? Obviously other factors enter the equation, but the thrill of picking for potential often wins out over settling for another boring campaign from a veteran.

Plus, nobody likes it when a league mate wryly quips something like, "You must be reading off your 2004 cheatsheet."

If your ego can handle such comments, though, I suggest that you not underestimate the NFL's more senior citizens. Here are some players who may not be getting enough love:

QB Jon Kitna, Lions (35): We all know that Brett Favre is the oldest man in the quarterback class, but the now-Jets slinger doesn't lack for love. A year ago, fantasy owners were abuzz about Kitna. He was fresh off his first 4,000-yard season, Mike Martz was still around, and the Lions had added Calvin Johnson to the mix. Kitna disappointed despite reaching 4,000 passing yards again. He tossed only 18 touchdowns versus 20 interceptions.

What's changed? Martz is gone, and the Lions are trying to establish a running game this year. The coaching staff also plans on blocking for Kitna, who was sacked 114 times over the past two years. Johnson is a year older and cruising up draft boards, and Roy Williams is trying to earn a new contract. With more time and two outstanding receivers to throw to, Kitna was nearly perfect this preseason.

Fantasy owners seem to prefer picking younger passers like Philip Rivers or Aaron Rodgers over Kitna despite the facts that (1) the Chargers run a lot and (2) Rodgers has very little experience. I worry about Kitna being replaced late in the year if the Lions are out of playoff contention, but I also think he could be much more efficient in 2008 than he was in 2006 and 2007.

RB Thomas Jones, Jets (30): The former Cardinal, Buc and Bear is fresh off a very disappointing first season with the Jets. He plowed his way to 1,119 rushing yards, but he complimented that total with only two touchdowns, both in December. The Jets added some veteran power in Favre, guard Alan Faneca, tackle Damien Woody, and fullback Tony Richardson, and they're sticking with Jones. Fantasy owners have noticed the upgrades and have moved Thomas up their boards in recent weeks. Hopefully he can honor the recent tradition of New York running backs performing well in their 30s. Tiki Barber and Curtis Martin both defied Father Time for a while.

RB Ricky Williams, Dolphins (31): I don't need to recount Williams's tale in this space. Chances are good that you already know his story. Ricky may be on the other side of 30, but he has registered only 174 NFL carries since 2003. The time off appeared to help, as Williams heads into Week 1 as the Dolphins' starter. Can he continue to hold off Ronnie Brown for that designation? Only time will tell, but Ricky seems determined to finish off his NFL career on a positive note.

We can only hope injuries don't pop up again, as they did in 2006 (arm) and 2007 (pec). And that an offensive line which features two rookies can open enough holes. Fantasy owners are paying roughly a seventh-round pick to find out.

RB Edgerrin James, Cardinals (30): Many people were ready to be done with Edge a year ago at this time. He didn't have a great 2007, but his 1,222 rushing yards and seven scores exceeded most expectations. Edge enters 2008 having carried the ball at least 310 times in five straight years. He has reached at least 1,150 yards and six scores in each of those campaigns, too.

Come draft day, it's a good bet that you and your league mates will look at Edge and opt instead for youngsters like Selvin Young, Matt Forte, and Kevin Smith. We worry that James will break down. We worry that Tim Hightower will steal all his touchdowns. We don't want to be holding Edge when he hits the inevitable wall. Maybe that's wise or maybe you're once again passing on a guy who will turn out to be a perfectly decent No. 2 fantasy back.

RB Fred Taylor, Jaguars (32): If Dylan Thomas were still alive, he might be inspired to write a poem about Taylor. This lifetime Jaguar appeared poised to go gentle into that good night after an injury-plagued 2005, but he has raged, raged against the dying of his career. Taylor has rushed for 1,146 and 1,202 yards, respectively the last two years. He scored only five rushing touchdowns in each of those campaigns, but those are numbers worthy of a No. 3 running back spot or an occasional start in a flex position.

Taylor clearly still has much of his old speed. He averaged 5.0 yards-per-carry and ripped off a 76-yard scoring run in 2006. Last year, Taylor bumped his average up to 5.4 and produced runs of 76, 50, 62 and 80 yards. Fantasy owners don't like the presence of Maurice Jones-Drew and what it says on Taylor's birth certificate, but on the field, he shows no signs of slowing down. Why don't we just listen to Mr. James, who told ESPN.com:

"I think the 30th birthday thing is more of a cliche. I've talked to Curtis Martin, Tiki Barber, and Fred Taylor. The main thing is every year you have to make sure you don't get bigger. The offseasons are more important as you get older. Look what Fred Taylor did last year. You don't worry about 30."


WR Terrell Owens, Cowboys (34): Given that he is often the second or third receiver taken in fantasy football leagues, I shouldn't need to sell anyone on Owens. He is coming off the second-best touchdown season of his career (15) and continues to be the star of one of the league's best offenses. He will turn 35 in December, and it's a good thing nobody seems too worried about his age. No NFL receiver has ever caught 10 touchdowns in the same year that he turned 35. The well-conditioned Owens should break that trend.

WR Marvin Harrison, Colts (35): Arguably no marquee wide receiver (or player for that matter) entered training camp with more questions about his fantasy value than Harrison. The future Hall of Famer with the knee concerns didn't miss any of his scheduled practices, played in three preseason games, and easily regained his starting job. Fantasy owners are enamored with Reggie Wayne, and opposing defenses may end up paying more attention to him this season. That can only work in Marv's favor. I can't imagine that Harrison and Peyton Manning have lost much of their old rhythm, and fantasy owners could end up with a nice reward for this risky pick.

Jerry Rice tore up his left knee in 1997 when he was 35. He caught 82 balls for 1,157 yards and nine touchdowns in 1998, despite the emergence of Owens. Tim Brown caught 91 passes for 1,165 yards and nine scores when he was 35. Cris Carter reeled in 96 balls for 1,274 yards and nine touchdowns when he was 35, despite sharing with Randy Moss. Rod Smith finished with 85 receptions, 1,105 yards, and six scores when he was 35, even though fantasy owners preferred Ashley Lelie. Get the point?

WR Joey Galloway, Bucs (36): Meet the wide receiver version of Fred Taylor. Fantasy owners began dismissing Galloway after he played only 10 games in 2004 due to a groin injury. Since then, the speedster has produced three straight seasons of at least 1,000 yards and six touchdowns. As with Taylor, those numbers aren't outstanding, but there are a lot of years in which fantasy owners look back and wish their No. 2 or 3 wideouts reached those totals.

Galloway earned the nickname "White Tiger" because he was so hard to find this August, but he remains the Bucs' No. 1 target and could end up winning some Week 1 fantasy matchups. The Bucs travel to New Orleans (maybe), and Galloway has treated that NFC South rival to nine touchdowns and 623 yards over their last seven meetings.

WR Derrick Mason, Ravens (34): I'll admit it. I helped drive the thought that Mason's value should go down this year due to the retirement of Steve McNair. The pairing produced a number of fine seasons together in Tennessee and Baltimore, but I figured Herb wouldn't taste so good without Peaches. Plus, Mason's dwindling YPC averages suggests his wheels are wearing down.

This preseason, though, Mason caught the only Ravens touchdown and easily led the club with 139 receiving yards. Matt Willis came in second with 60. At this point, I'm not sure the Ravens have anyone else who can catch, outside of maybe Ray Rice. Mark Clayton continues to look like a bust, and Todd Heap is best friends with the trainer. Do I think Mason will catch another 103 passes? No. But I do think Troy Smith, Joe Flacco, and/or Kyle Boller will throw his way at least 8-10 times per game.

TE Tony Gonzalez, Chiefs (32): Did you know that Jason Witten didn't lead all tight ends in catches last year? Did you know that Kellen Winslow wasn't tops in receiving yards? And, no, Antonio Gates didn't beat either tight end. Gonzalez showed up those youngsters by grabbing 99 passes for 1,172 yards. Sure, he scored only five touchdowns, but how many times has Winslow bettered that total? (Hint: zero)

The Chiefs offense will probably stink (again), and we have no reason to trust Brodie Croyle. But is the situation much different this year than it was in 2007? Fantasy owners prefer Witten, Gates and Winslow, and Dallas Clark is even ahead of Gonzalez on some ADP charts. Yes, that's the same Dallas Clark who has never played in all 16 games and has only once reached 50 catches and 500 yards. I'm not predicting that Gonzalez will end up as the No. 1 tight end in 2008, but he could end up giving fantasy teams more bang for their buck than some of the youngsters.