Thursday, August 7, 2008

THE FAVRE FACTOR: JETS WILL IMPACT FANTASY FOOTBALL

Ever since it became obvious Brett Favre was going to return and play for another team, the fantasy football fan in me knew no matter where he went he was going to turn his new team into a fantasy football upgrade.
Whether he went to Minnesota, Tampa Bay or the Jets, the team he ended up with would be much improved on offense.
And here we are as the man with a cannon for an arm joins a Jets team that has been yearning for a quarterback who can throw the deep ball. Deep threat wide receiver Jerricho Cotchery has got to be giddy with anticipation.
The Jets were an afterthought with many fantasy football junkies this season before Favre came on the scene. But entering this season I actually believed with the upgrade on the offensive line there would be a player or two who could help your team. And now, with the addition of Favre, there is no question that some players will be solid acquisitions in round 3-5 of your draft.

Don't underestimate the Jets.
Their schedule is a lot easier this season and the front office was aggressive in pursuing free agents. And they certainly made an upgrade on the offensive line with the addition of Alan Faneca and Damian Woody. Consider they will team with the likes of Nick Mangold and D'Brickashaw and that bodes well for Favre and the running game.
Most of you likely have running back Thomas Jones very low if at all on your fantasy football wish list. He's going to be 30, scored only one TD last season and averaged a whopping 3.6 yards a carry.
Last year teams didn't respect the Jets' longball threat and most of the time focused on stopping the run.
This year, with Favre in the backfield, the secondary can't be ignored with less pressure on the line. The presence of Favre combined with a stronger offensive line that will block a lot better will make Thomas Jones a very useful fantasy back. Hey, I know Jones isn't a power back and he isn't a LaDanian Tomlinson. But he's the best back the Jets have right now and they will use him and get much better production out of him in 2008.

The natural upgrade with the addition of Favre is certainly with the Jets wide receivers. We already mentioned Cotchery but Laveranues Coles will also benefit. Cotchery had 82 catches for 1,132 yards and two TDs and Coles had 55 catches for 646 yards and six TDs last season. The potential is there for each of them getting 90-100 receptions, 1,200 yards and 10-12 touchdowns each in 2008.
The unique thing about Favre, if we learned anything from him playing in Green Bay, is the guy likes to spread the passes around and make everyone happy. In addition to the top two receiver studs, Brad Smith, Chansi Stuckey and Wallace Wright are other guys who could contribute along with tight ends Dustin Keller, Chris Baker and Bubba Franks.

And then there is Favre.
How motivated is Favre going to be to have another career season? Very.
His goal, albeit a lofty one on paper, is for the Jets to have to cough up that first round pick and lead his new team to the Super Bowl.
If the Jets players can all get on the same page by the first week of September, this could be a very interesting season in the AFC East. And even if they don't, production for each player should still rise substantially to help your fantasy team.
My prediction for Favre: 3,900 yards, 29 touchdown passes, two rushing touchdowns.