Eastern Division Fantasy Preview
By Scott Lange
The Eastern Conference of the AFL is loaded with fantasy studs. In this article I will give you a preview of the AFL's Eastern Conference for the upcoming 2008 season, fantasy style!
Dallas Desperados
There are stars at every position on this team, folks. If you are in a fantasy draft, you MUST somwhow get a Desperado on your team, because they will be scoring points in bunches. Two of the players that will be going in the first round are QB Clint Dolezel and WR Will Pettis. Dolezel will be the first QB off the board this year and rightfully so. The 'Rados are stacked with receivers.  Expect another 100+ TD season from the best QB in the AFL. Let's turn to the Dallas WRs now, starting with Will Pettis and Marcus Nash. This is a lethal combo for Dolezel to be throwing to and they should both post some solid numbers. Then there's WR Andrae Thurman, who did a nice job when called on last year, catching 66 passes and finding the end zone for 20 TDs. Josh Bush may have a productive season as the number four receiver on this explosive option. FB Josh White crossed pay dirt 10 times last year, but I don't see him getting that many this year if the WRs can stay healthy.
On the defensive side of the ball you want to shoot for DS Jermaine Jones. Jones racked up 82 tackles last year to go along with seven interceptions. He's an every week starter that will provide some nice numbers from the DS position. And lastly, the 'Rados were able to sign one of the better kickers in the league in Remy Hamilton. Hamilton should be one of the first kickers off the board. Look for the 'Rados to go 13-3 and win this division, as Dolezel has a chance to win the AFL MVP award this year.
Sleeper: Andrae Thurman, WR
Bust: Josh White, RB
New York Dragons
This is a team full of potentially explosive players.  It all depends on the health of QB Aaron Garcia who has not been able to stay healthy the past two seasons. If he can stay healthy, the Dragons will have a dangerous offense. The Dragons lost WR Mike Horacek via free agency but added WRs Damien Groce and Jeremiah Pope. Groce and Pope are solid additions and, along with WRs Kevin Swayne and Chris Anthony, give the Dragons a potent passing attack. Swayne and Groce will benefit the most in the offense, and Pope may develop into a decent WR3 if Garcia can get hot. Idris Price came over from Philly to be the Dragons RB, but with the way the Dragons pass the ball around, I don't see him having much value this year.
Defensively, the Dragons have a STUD in DB Billy Parker. He will provide DS1 numbers throughout the 2008 season. If Garcia stays healthy, it will be fun watching the Dragons and Soul battle it out for second place. I see the Dragons finishing 10-6, and Garcia will make a strong case for Comeback Player of the Year.
Sleeper: Jeremiah Pope, WR
Bust: Idris Price, RB
Philadelphia Soul
The Soul will start this year with much of the same players and some key additions from the off-season. The most notable addition was WR Chris "Spiderman" Jackson.  Jackson comes over from the high-scoring Georgia Force and will be an immediate upgrade to the Soul roster. Along with C-Jax are receivers Chris Horn, Larry Brackins, and Kenny Henderson. This is a solid receiving core for QB Tony Graziani to throw to for the 2008 season. Jackson and Brackins will be the most productive. Another key acquisition was QB Matt D'Orazio, who will back up the oft-injured Graziani and give the Soul experienced depth at QB. The Soul also has a bruising RB in Wes Ours, who has scored 19 TDs on the ground the past two years.
To go along with the improving offense, the Soul has a solid defense that creates havoc. It all starts with DS Eddie Moten, who had another solid campaign in 2007. But the player to watch out for on defense is rookie Chris Royal. Royal was a nightmare for af2 QBs last year, coming up with a league high 14 picks in 2007. He's also a tackling machine, finishing third in af2 with 117. He could be very solid this year, and is a player to be targeted in the middle part of your draft. I see the Soul finishing 9-7 in their division.
Sleeper: Chris Royal, DB
Bust: Kenny Henderson, WR
Columbus Destroyers
The Destroyers will return for the 2008 season as the defending National Conference Champions. QB Matt Nagy has a new set of receivers to throw to this year, with the biggest addition being WR Derek Lee. Lee has some history with Nagy as part of the Georgia Force. Lee had his best year with Nagy under center, and they will reunite for the 2008 season. Along with Lee, the Destroyers landed WR Charles Pauley.  Pauley spent last year with Tony Graziani and the Soul, catching 103 passes and scoring 27 TDs through the air. However, the Destroyers have a decent defense, and like to run the ball and manage the clock. This means that drafting Lee and Pauley could be a risk, as this type of offense could affect their overall numbers. Columbus also has one of the best fullbacks in Harold Wells. Wells scored 13 times on the ground, but he's more valuable fantasy-wise through the air, where he caught another four TDs. Wells should be a Top 5 RB at the end of the year, so target him in the middle rounds of your draft to fill your RB spot.
Defensively, the Destroyers have DBs Nate Coggins and Rober' Freeman, who are average at best. The Destroyers also have one of the better kickers in the league in Mark Lewis. Lewis was second in the league in scoring for kickers. Lewis should be a Top 5 kicker this year and is a good player to target near the end of your draft. Look for Columbus to finish 7-9 and miss out on the playoffs. This division is just too competitive.
Sleeper: Mark Lewis, K
Bust: Charles Pauley, WR
Cleveland Gladiators
This Gladiators team is loaded with experience. QB Raymond Philyaw is entering his 9th year and had an excellent 2007 with the Kansas City Brigade. Philyaw will have veteran WR Cornelius Bonner as his lead receiver. Bonner had a career year in 2007, catching 30 TDs while playing for Grand Rapids and Nashville. Philyaw will also have WRs Sean Scott, Kevin Prentiss, and Otis Amey as his weapons. Philyaw proved me wrong last year by leading the Brigade to the playoffs. However, Philyaw had rookie Phenom Charles Fredrick, Boo Williams, and Jerel Myers. I don't think Philyaw will get the same support from his WR core in 2008 as he did with Kansas City.
The strength of the Gladiator team will be their defense, as they are loaded with DB talent. It all starts with Brandon Hefflin, who was a tackling monster last year with 88 tackles and 34 assists. He should be drafted as a DS1 and started on a weekly basis. Alongside Hefflin is Ryan Bowers, who also played well last year in Orlando. Bowers had 60 tackles and grabbed five interceptions in limited time for the Preds. Kevin Gaines is another DB on the Glad roster who has the potential to be productive. While I do see the Glads being competitive this year, this division is just brutal. Playing Dallas, New York, and Philadelphia twice this year will not be fun. I see the Glads losing some close games this year and finishing 5-11.
Sleeper: Otis Amey, WR
Bust: Kevin Prentiss, WR
Scott Lange is a founding member of Arena Football Online and has been following Arena Football since 2000. Contact Scott at slange@arenafootballonline.com
|
