Last weekend, in anticipation of Halloween, four friends invited me to tag along when they went to a costume store. This year, they're dressing up as the members of KISS and thus were in the market for some stage boots and metal spikes. Personally, I'm still debating between wearing a banana suit or going as Ben Roethlisberger - either way, the ladies are gonna love it, right? - but I agreed to be fifth wheel to their Dr. Love-fest and went along for the ride. As they argued about who should get the Gene Simmons wig, I walked through aisles of headless horsemen and Stormtrooper helmets until I accidentally found myself in the adult female section - emphasis on "adult." Clearly, this costume shop also served people getting freaky in a very non-Halloween sense, because anyone wearing one of those skimpy school-girl outfits wants to get more than a candy apple out of it. Bottom line: Everyone has fantasies - mine just happen to be sports-related. So without further ado, let's talk fantasy football!
Despite that obvious plug for my favorite holiday, Halloween, the purpose of this column is to drop some truth bombs about Virginia football players in the NFL and how having a Cavalier or two on your fantasy football roster could be the difference between victory and defeat. In this new era of optimism for U.Va. football, I'm drinking the Kool-Aid as much as Cav-Man, but don't forget the man who made it all possible. Al Groh did several things well - OK, maybe just one thing - during his tenure as U.Va. football coach. He put players in the NFL. With Groh's guidance - or maybe in spite of it - the Cavaliers churned out several first-round NFL Draft picks, including Rams defensive end Chris Long and Jets offensive tackle D'Brickashaw Ferguson, and Virginia currently boasts 21 former players on NFL rosters. While Virginia Tech has convincingly proven that five-star players don't guarantee five-star seasons, the ability to produce NFL talent consistently can do wonders for recruiting. The win column comes first, but during Mike London's inaugural season, I will also be paying close attention to the hype - and health concerns - surrounding Cavalier senior cornerback Ras-I Dowling, the seventh-best NFL prospect according to Scouts Inc.
Virginia might be a factory of pro-football talent in the trenches, but that reality doesn't quite translate to fantasy. After all, you can't exactly line linebacker Clint Sintim up in your RB/WR flex slot every Sunday and expect to win bragging rights in your fantasy league. But for those of you already dwelling in the 0-2 cellar or just looking to give your team a shot in the arm before a big week three matchup, there is a veritable who's-who of ex-Cavaliers making names for themselves in fantasy circles. Here are just three former Wahoos who could work wonders for your fantasy football team this season.
The U.Va. crown jewel of fantasy football is Houston Texans quarterback Matt Schaub, a third-round draft pick in 2004 who still holds numerous Virginia passing records. Last year, Schaub carried the Texans to their first winning record (9-7) in franchise history, and his killer chemistry with All-Pro wide receiver Andre Johnson helped Schaub lead the league in passing yards (4,770) and yards per game (298) while throwing for the fifth-most touchdowns (29). Schaub even ended the year as the sixth most valuable player in ESPN fantasy football - ranking above proven studs like Adrian Peterson and Tom Brady. This year, Schaub's stock has been elevated to elite status, so don't bother looking for him in the free agent pool because he is expected to turn in another Pro Bowl-caliber season. After Schaub rectified his week one stinker by going off for three touchdowns and almost 500 yards in an overtime win at Washington, you probably already missed the last chance to buy low on the last U.Va. quarterback to beat Tech. But if you need an upgrade under center and you can broker a trade, you won't regret making Matt Schaub your guy.
While Schaub has recently seized the NFL spotlight, Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Heath Miller has largely flown under the radar since he was drafted No. 30 overall in the 2005 NFL Draft. Miller followed up his John Mackey Award-winning senior season at U.Va. with a Super Bowl championship as a rookie, his first of two with the Steelers. Although Miller's strong blocking ability has always limited his fantasy potential, he is certainly being underrated as the No. 14 fantasy tight end. Once Ben Roethlisberger returns from suspension in week five, look for Miller's big body to become Big Ben's safety valve in the passing game - a development that should reward Miller's fantasy owners with extra helpings of receptions and yardage.
Last but not least, veteran Kansas City running back Thomas Jones may be the backup on the Chiefs' official depth chart, but the former Cavalier is definitely fantasy relevant this year. The Chiefs started the season with a tailback timeshare, but after a strong week two performance against the Browns, Jones has seemingly snatched the de facto starting job from Jamaal Charles. At 32 years, Jones is old by running back-standards but silenced his doubters by totaling 14 touchdowns and more than 1,400 yards on the ground for the Jets last year, and should still be a productive and reliable fantasy asset on an improving Chiefs team.
I know you have choices when you comb the fantasy free agent pool but implore you above all else: Please don't waste a waiver claim on a Hokie named Michael Vick. Schaub, Miller and Jones are the cream of the Cavalier crop, but even a lesser hometown hero like Cowboys wideout Kevin Ogletree can bring some good karma to your fantasy bench, even if he is buried on the Dallas depth chart. Oh, and last I checked, U.Va. is still undefeated against FCS schools this season. Can Vick's alma mater say that?
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