McNabb, Donovan: Value Notes

Buckna 4/6/07: I would put McNabb at the top of tier 2. The only thing holding him back is health, his PPG average was #1 among QB's last year, he's a monster when on the field. Even if I was projecting him to go down somewhere between week 10-13 every year, it'd be worth it to draft him a couple of rounds in an initial draft after Peyton or Palmer for all those points in the first 2/3rds of the season he gives you. That's a huge benefit to getting you in the playoffs.

Sons of the Tundra 4/6/07: I don't think we disagree here. I've seen people knock McNabb for his injury proclivities, but I think most of that criticism misses the point. It's on you to find a reliable back-up for your dynasty team if McNabb is your starter. If he puts up elite production while he's healthy, you have a leg up on all but 2 or 3 teams in the league. If McNabb goes down and you can plug in a Kitna last year, or Delhomme the year before, or Favre the year before that (among others), then you aren't really losing a competitive edge. Better to have an injury prone guy for half the season (and a reliable back-up) than to have a guy who puts up production that is closer to the pack for a whole season.

That said, here's my concern with McNabb: a lot of his value over his career has been tied up in his running ability and athleticism. How will that be affected by his ACL injury? At least for 2007, I don't expect him to be running nearly as much. He's not really a pure passer so much as he's an elite all-around QB, so I wonder how much of a weekly difference maker he will be with reduced mobility in the pocket and minus the major threat of breaking off a long run.