2008 Fantasy Football Player Profile-JeMarcus Russell

QB JeMarcus Russell, Oakland Raiders

2007 Stats: 373 passing yards, 2 total TDs, 4 INTs
Projected 2008 Stats: 2291 passing yards, 15 total TDs, 22 INTs
Projected Fantasy Round: Undrafted
Quarterbacks to be picked ahead of JeMarcus Russell: Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, Tony Romo, etc.

Fantasy Outlook:

Why you may want to draft JeMarcus Russell: Russell will likely go undrafted in most fantasy leagues, which means it would make more sense to draft another signal caller.  Then if you need a quarterback later in the season, Russell would likely be available as a free agent. 

Why you may want to stay away from drafting JeMarcus Russell: This will be Russell’s first season as a starter, and historically quarterbacks struggle in their first year behind center.  Russell will likely throw more interceptions than touchdowns, and the Raiders will be looking to run the ball more often to keep the pressure off of him.

Bottom Line: Russell might be worth a look in keeper leagues or 16-man drafts.  However, he should be viewed as more of a fantasy reserve quarterback until he proves otherwise.