Your Fantasy Football Offseason Refresher: AFC West

By: FantasyFootballGoat.com

Other than Oakland the AFC West had a nice selection of fantasy players last year. San Diego’s LT pretty much handed many fantasy owners their league title with his record breaking performance.

Larry Johnson was up and down but was still an elite fantasy back when all was said and done. Denver’s Mike Bell stepped up when Tatum Bell couldn’t do what a million other backs could do in this offense.

Lets see what the teams of the AFC West have done to improve their squads in 2007.

Denver Broncos
OL - Lose RT Gearge Foster.
QB - Add back up Patrick Ramsey.
RB - Trade Tatum Bell and add Travis Henry (TEN).
WR - Add Brandon Stokely (IND). Keep eye on Brandon Marshall.
TE - Add Daniel Graham (NE) to give them best TE threat since Shannon Sharpe.
D - New coordinator Jim Bates. Lost CB Darrant Williams. Released DE Courtney Brown and DT Micheal Bates. Added Dre’ Bly (DET), DT Alvin Mckinley (CLE) and DT “big Daddy” Dan Wilkinson (MIA). Drafted almost all D. Whew!

Kansas City Chiefs
OL - Added LT Damion McIntosh (MIA), Will Sheilds Retired and lose OT Jordan Black.
QB - Brodie Croyle should win the starting job over Damon Huard. Trent Green is in trade purgatory as of this post. Trent Green traded.
RB - PMTS. More touches for the backs in passing game. Priest Holmes shows up for camp, Larry Johnson holding out.
WR - Drafted Dwayne Bowe
TE - PMTS
K - Traded Lawrence Tynes, Drafted Justin Medlock.
D - Lose MLB Kiwika Mitchell, get LB Napolean Harris (MIN) and LB Donnie Edwards. Also upgraded D-line.

Oakland Raiders
OL - New Head Coach Lane Kiffin gets a rebuilt O-line. Add C Jeremy Newberry (SF), G Cooper Carlisle, OT Cornell Green (TB). Lose disappointing RT Langston Walker.
QB - Lose Aaron Brooks and Marquez Tuiasosopo. Draft JaMarcus Russell and trade for Josh McCown. Dante Culpepper signed.
RB - Signed Dominic Rhodes (IND) and FB Justin Griffith (ATL). Drafted Micheal Bush.
WR - Lose Randy Moss. Jerry Porter wants to play again. Drafted Johnnie Lee Higgins. Signed Mike Williams (DET) and Travis Taylor (MIN)
TE - Get Tony Stewart (CIN) and draft Zach Miller.
D - PMTS. Finish 3rd in total D with an offense that couldn’t get them off the field…2007 sleeper?

San Diego Chargers
Coaching - New Head Coach Norv Turner. and new Offensive and Defensive Coordinators.
OL - PMTS
QB - PMTS
RB - PMTS
WR - Drafted Craig Davis. Waived Keenan McCardell. Speaking of whom I want to give it up for him if this is the end of the road. He has been a solid fantasy contributer and great competitor ever since his days with Jimmy Smith in Jacksonville.
TE - PMTS
D - Lose Donnie Edwards.

Fantasy wise I’m not sure there is much Norv Turner and the new staff can mess up with the Charger’s. LT is just a freak. Perhaps a receiver will finally emerge to help Rivers and ease the pressure on Antonio Gates.

For Larry Johnson’s sake you have to like the news that Herm Edwards wants to get the backs more involved in the passing game especially in points per catch leagues. After that everything pretty much hinges on the QB situation.

Denver beefed up the D and made some key moves on offense. Travis Henry looks really good in a Broncos uniform. Shanahan will know how to use Daniel Grahams talents to help out his young quarterback.

Oaklands O-line will go a long way in determining how much value you may be able to scrape up and I’m not sure I’d put a lot of stock in McCown or the rookie. They do have a good set of running backs but who know who will get the touches at this point.

For my money, the best fantasy value in Oakland, and possibly the division, is the defense. Like I said, “Finish 3rd in total D with an offense that couldn’t get them off the field.” That has to be worth something, especially in this talent rich division.

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Corey Koehler is a blogger, podcaster and NFL fantasy football freak. He thanks you for reading his article and invites you to stop by and check out his Fantasy Football Blog at FantasyFootballGoat.com. There you will find more of the valuable NFL and fantasy football information seen here. Also, make sure you don't miss another post by Corey - or his team of fantasy geniuses - by subscribing to his all of his content for the very low price of FREE. You can subscribe to The Fantasy Football Goat by email and have this stuff in your inbox seconds after I post it or you can subscribe in your feed reader or on your home page. Either way you get the info fast and easy. Don't understand this whole subscribing thing? Check out this short video on RSS. See you at the top!

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