Sometimes everyone thinks a player is a Sleeper; they get over-hyped to the point where you can’t draft them because people are reaching to acquire him. In one of my competitive 12 team leagues last season a leaguemate picked James Davis in the 8th round. Being the mature person that I am I made fun of him for making that pick.
He felt like he was a genius and declared that he’d been doing that in all his drafts. I don’t think he felt like such a genius at the end of the year.
With the retirement of Kurt Warner it’s hard to tell where people are going to value Matt Leinart for Fantasy in 2010. In all likelihood Anquan Boldin is going to be traded. Ken Whisenhunt has been trying to transition the offense toward a more run-oriented scheme. We saw glimpses of Matt Leinart running the show this season and it wasn’t pretty. There is reason for optimism, however.
Stepping into an offense in the middle of the season or during a game is a nearly impossible task. It’s a huge advantage knowing that you’re going to be “the guy” and having all summer to work on things. One would assume that since Matt Leinart blew his first opportunity he would not take this one for granted. Coming out of USC Leinart was a celebrity. He had the opportunity to not take being an NFL Quarterback seriously and did so. A lot of people would’ve done the same thing, they just don’t want to admit it.
Each quarterback throws a slightly different ball. Receivers need time to adjust, particularly to a left-handed quarterback. Leinart’s receivers should have ample opportunity to do so.
There are positive aspects to the Cardinals becoming more run-oriented. Defenses won’t simply be able to key in on the passing game. In fact if they run the ball effectively defenses will stack the box, setting them up for play action. A running offense should lead to Leinart throwing fewer interceptions (see Brett Favre 2009).
Even if Boldin leaves, Leinart will still have plenty of targets to throw to including Larry Fitzgerald. The Cardinals offensive line is fairly solid and the team might even bolster it during the offseason. Personnel-wise Leinart will have favorable talent surrounding him barring injuries.
For all the above mentioned reasons Matt Leinart could deliver solid value for us in 2010. There’s still a possibility that the Cardinals could secure a veteran QB in the off season. I might even prefer that for Fantasy because it’ll drive Leinart’s value down significantly and it could make him a late round steal.
