No Scrubs for these Thugs

Ahman Green may be a wild card in the ultra competitive AFC West

PORTLAND, ME – After an injury-riddled 2005, Bobby Sansone and the Market Thugs are hoping to avoid hospital visits in 2006. Injuries and an 0-4 start all but ended the Thugs post-season hopes by Ocotber 1st last year, but an impressive 6-3 finish gave Sansone hopes for a rejuvenation in 2006. Sansone was even more impressed with the 509 points the Thugs scored despite seeing limited action from Marc Bulger, Ahman Green and Anquan Boldin. If the Thugs stay healthy, an above .500 season and 550+ is certainly in the realm.

Critical Question Facing Owner Bobby Sansone

Can Marc Bulger play an entire season? The numbers are impressive. Bulger scored 16 or more points in four of the first six game last year before playing sparingly due to injuries the rest of the season. The poor-man's Kurt Warner will have to stay healthy if the Thugs have any hope of competing in the AFC West this year. With Billy Volek the only other QB on the roster, and few QBs available in the draft, look for Sansone to grab Frerotte in the late rounds as insurance.

Player to Watch

Joey Galloway, WR - Can the ageless Galloway, now playing for his third team in two years, come up with one more stellar season? Sansone bet "yes" and deemed him worthy of a second round pick. Galloway will likely start at UT and fill in when possible for Boldin and Evans. If Galloway can manage to put up numbers like last year, don't be surprised if Sansone goes Run n' Shoot for the first time in the Thugs up-and-down 11-year history.

Projected Starting Lineup

Bulger, James, Rhodes, Boldin, Evans, Miller, Akers, Galloway

Outlook

The Thugs have more unanswered questions and variables than any other team in the league. It is difficult to get an accurate read on them. How long will Dom Rhodes start? Will Edgerrin James put up big fantasy numbers in Arizona? Is Heath Miller due for a sophomore slump? Will the Thugs be able to grab a coveted RB with the 7th pick? Is Bulger going to stay healthy and is he the long-term solution at QB? Are Anquan Boldin and Lee Evans as good as they appear? Can Ahman Green come up with one more stellar fantasy season? These are too many questions for one team in the AFC West, the most superior fantasy football division God ever created. Look for the Thugs to come out of the gates quickly but struggle in division play.

Prediction

5-8; 555 points; 4th AFC West