TURF WARS BATTLE #2

Frank Gore Or Shaun Alexander: Who Is The Better Fantasy Option for 2007?

Each week, Ross Mandel and Jason Koestenblatt face off in our weekly Turf Wars series. In our second preseason installment, our two combatants debate who they would choose if they were faced with scenario of selecting Shaun Alexander or Frank Gore. This week, Ross is up first and is representing Gore. Jason will have last licks and is defending Alexander.

ROUND 1:
(Moderator): So are we ready to rumble?!?!?!?!

JASON: Born Ready!

ROSS: Oh Yeah!

(Moderator): Go!

ROSS: Frank Gore, in his first season as the full-time feature back, averaged 5.4 yards per carry en route to leading the NFC in rushing with 1,695 yards. In addition, he amassed almost 500 yards receiving on 61 receptions--those numbers are what matter in fantasy, especially leagues where receptions count. He's overcome more serious injuries than the minor one he has now. Did I mention he had nine 100-yard rushing games and that he also had the most rushes of 20+ yards in the entire league last season? Well, I'm mentioning it now, player. Plus, Gore is only 24 years of age and the vast majority of running backs peak between 23-26. They also suffer significant drop-offs when they turn 30. Running backs like Jerome Bettis, Curtis Martin, Eddie George, and many others saw their stats fall waaaaay off when they hit 30. Hey, how old is Alexander?

JASON: Let's take a step back. Shaun Alexander was the MVP in 2005, and with good reason. He racked up 1,880 yards and 27 touchdowns, as we already know. He'll be 30 at the end of this month, which means nothing. Out of the ten games he played last year, he was hampered with that foot injury for the majority of them and still had 7 scores on the ground, whereas Gore only had 8, as the feature back like you mentioned and he started all 16 games. Don't forget the six times he put the ball on the ground...losing five of them. Touchdowns matter in ALL fantasy leagues...yards only matter in some of them, playa.

ROUND 2
ROSS: Who cares if he was MVP two years ago? Fantasy football is what have you done for me lately! Alexander's injury--which many say is STILL lingering--was partly to blame for his 3.6 yard per carry average, but he averaged a whopping 2.9 yards per carry BEFORE the injury...but to be fair, he was playing against the stellar rush defenses of Detroit, Arizona, and the Giants. Listen, Alexander had a super fantasy year TWO YEARS ago. Now, things are different--Steve Hutchinson is long gone and that contributed to Alexander's woeful season last year. Also gone is Darrell Jackson, the best wide receiver Seattle had. And where did he go? To Gore's 49ers. This will not only help Gore, it will hurt Alexander--as he now has Deion Branch and (snicker) D. J. Hackett as wide receivers on his offense. Gore has Jackson, Alexander doesn’t, and as the Hawks passing game declines, teams will be focused on the run...and with Walter Jones already gimpy, that's trouble. Conversely, with Jackson and Vernon Davis, opposing defenses will have to focus their attention all over the field--leaving Gore more space to run AND catch. He's a monster.

JASON: Alexander had one set back year. From 2003 to 2005 his yards per carry went up each season, his touchdowns went up each seasons and his total yardage and carries went up each season. Yes, he ruined a lot of fantasy owner’s teams last year, but this is a different time. His foot is fine, and with a receiving crew that can't go a quarter without dropping a pass, they have to run the ball. And when your fullback is Mack Strong, why not lineup behind him and Walter Jones on the left side (gimpy or not he's still a great left tackle)? It's practically a one-way ticket up field. Matt Hasselbeck is an All Pro quarterback who knows his players and knows his team. Alex Smith? C'mon! The kid's hands are too small to even hold a pro-size football. Vernon Davis is and will be good, but Darrell Jackson isn't a top wide receiver and neither is Arnaz Battle, so if you're talking about one dimensional, the 49ers are it.

ROUND 3
ROSS: You may try to downplay Alexander's "set back year" but it's significant when his tire treads are wearing thin. Thirty years old is a significant age for running backs, especially ones whose, as you've said, carries have gone up. The man has been used up. Add that to the fact that he can't catch the ball and you have a guy whose production is all but certainly going to decline, and decline significantly. You say Seattle HAS to run? Sure they do...and opposing defenses will be lining up with eight in the box to stop it! And "All Pro" Hasselbeck had a rating pretty close to Alex Smith's last season, so let's not go calling him Peyton Manning. Smith is on the ascent; Hasselbeck is on the decline--much like Alexander! Oh--and you mentioned Gore's fumbles, but failed to include the fact that Alexander had five himself last year in only a handful of games! Gore is a stud already--5.4 yards a carry and 500 yards receiving? It's sick!

JASON: Of course it's sick when you're the only offensive weapon on the field for sixteen games! What do you expect? Frank Gore had a great season in 2006 and the only way there's debate about who will be better this year is because of the injury to Alexander's foot. Gore's a good back, but he's no Alexander and he definitely doesn't have MVP-caliber playmaking ability, i.e., carrying a team to the Super Bowl. As for his age, if I recall, the recently retired Tiki Barber (who was not as powerful a runner as Alexander) only got better as he got older, including when he passed the 30-year mark. When you've scored 96 touchdowns over a seven-year span, that says something about your ability and what you've meant to fantasy owners. Who are the Seahawks going to go to on 3rd and 2 when they're sniffing paydirt? Alexander. As for the 49ers, I'll be taking Vernon Davis in my draft, because I know he'll be the Red Zone guy after Gore moves them from twenty-yard line to twenty-yard line.

THE BIG QUESTION
(Moderator): Ross- Please tell us why fantasy owners should not be concerned about the broken right hand that will keep Gore out for the entire preseason. Gore has had a reputation for being injury prone prior to last season, red flags for fantasy owners. We also saw how a hand injury can severely affect a player’s performance with Terrell Owens last season. State your case as to why this should not be a reason of concern.

ROSS: Gore has overcome FAR worse injuries in his football career. I'd obviously rather he didn't have this injury, but he will be fully recovered from it in plenty of time for the season opener. In fact, it may be a blessing in disguise--he won't have all the wear and tear on his body that the rigors of training camp force players to go thru and he'll be raring to shred once he does get back. Add to that the silly people who will downgrade his draftability and it may help fantasy players as well! Gore is a gamer. He won't let a hand injury set him back. It's not like he's got a foot problem, which is far worse for a player who makes his living running! He'll be fine. Fine enough for me to draft him third overall, if not second.

(Moderator): Jason- Please tell us why fantasy owners should not be worried about the broken left foot that Shaun Alexander suffered last season, which limited him to ten games and a measly 3.6 rushing average. He also had just two games in which he rushed for over 100 yards. It was revealed after the Chicago playoff loss that Alexander still had a crack in the foot and it is very possible that it will never heal. Playing on artificial turf and entering his ninth season in the pros, it seems the odds are against him. Explain to us why you feel differently.

JASON: When Alexander came back after the injury last year, he put together some good numbers for the time remaining in the season. Prior to missing games, he was badly injured and was hiding it, that's why his averages were junk. As for the crack that may never heal, I'm sure they're working on a shoe that will make him feel like a million bucks come game time. I wouldn't be worried at all as a fantasy owner, in fact, I've got Alexander in my crosshairs come draft day. Also, Mike Holmgren's a great coach, there's no denying that. He knows how to balance the offensive attack, and that's part of the reason both Alexander and Hasselbeck have been good picks on draft day. Alexander is a scoring machine, he's got arguably the best fullback and left tackle in the game in front of him, and has something that Gore does not...EXPERIENCE. He knows how to play against the big boys. Gore had one good season. I'm not saying it's a fluke, but I don't expect close to 1,700 yards out of him in 2007.

CLOSING ARGUMENTS
ROSS: As our moderator stated--Alexander had a 3.6 yard-per carry average last season when he was on the field. Injured or not--you don't get bonus points for "playing hurt". That average puts Alexander down around the Cadillac Williams range. I don't want that on my squad. Gore, with legs still fresh and healthy, is a player on the rise. And while my opponent claims that San Francisco is one-dimensional and that it is a bad thing, he turns around and says Seattle having no wide receivers will lead to Alexander prospering by that same one-dimensional offense! You can't have it both ways. Gore will be waving goodbye to Alexander as he asserts himself as one of the top three backs in all of the NFL. Alexander has had his time, but the life expectancy of NFL running backs is not a long one. Between the loss of his best offensive lineman, the loss of the offense's best wide out and the aging and injury he has sustained, Alexander is running out of the NFL and fantasy life. Give me the 5.4 yards a carry and 61 receptions of my man Frank. Remember on draft day: Gore is more.

JASON: Alexander is a hard runner. He can go inside the tackles or bounce it to the outside if needed. Now he's got Marcus Pollard, a pretty good blocking tight end (ask Edgerrin James) to help out the rest of his battering ram of an offense. He's got the speed to break away from the pack too, regardless of coming off this injury. Seattle's defense only got stronger in the off-season, which means they should be holding down the mediocre NFC West pretty easily. It also means, after the half, it's clock management time. And what better way to kill the clock then to let your feature back continue to wear down the middle of the opposing defense and rack up points for your fantasy team? And as it was mentioned before, Gore was the ONLY offensive weapon on that team last year, of course he's going to get the bulk of the touches. But unfortunately for my opponent, and the man he's defending, 2007 is going to look a lot like 2000. Gore going home, as the lesser man, voted on by a nation of millions.

You’ve Heard Their Arguments, Now Make Your Voices Heard!

Who Is The Better Fantasy Back For 2007
-Vote for Ross & Frank Gore
-Vote For Jason & Shaun Alexander