Fantasy Football 2011: Can Michael Vick Replicate His 2010 Campaign?

After finishing his prison sentence for dog fighting and being away from the game for nearly two years, no one really expected much from Michael Vick the rest of his career, nonetheless his second season back in the NFL.

After taking over the reins as the Philadelphia Eagles' quarterback near the beginning of last season, Vick took advantage of the opportunity for a second chance.

Although he missed or didn’t play in four games last season, Vick had career-highs in touchdown passes (21), along with completion percentage (62.6), passing yards (3,018) and QB rating (100.2).

Will he repeat his performance that made him a candidate as one of the top fantasy football players last season?

First off, lets go with why Vick could repeat and exceed his stats from last year.

Experience

Lets face it, Vick has never been a great decision-maker up until last season. He finally adopted the “pass first, then run” mindset that he had never been able to grasp in his career. With nearly a whole season starting in Andy Reid’s offensive system under his belt, it can only get easier for Vick this year.

Players Around Him

With the addition of big-name defensive starters, it will take pressure off Vick to put points on the board every drive. The additions of Ronnie Brown and Steve Smith don’t seem that big, but both could end up being playmakers in this offense.

The main thing is that a young Eagles wide receiver corps gained valuable experience last year. Look for Riley Cooper to really step it up and make a name for himself this season.

Now, lets look at why Vick could fall flat on his face and drop right back to mediocrity.

Age

As with any player who relies on his feet, the older he gets, the slower he gets.

At 31, Vick will still rely on his feet to make plays when his arm can’t. When those feet are no longer the threat they once were, he might follow the same path as Donovan McNabb, who has struggled since he became less of the the threat he once was for scrambling in the pocket.

One-Hit Wonder

We see this every year in fantasy football. Someone bursts onto the scene and has a huge year and everyone jumps on his bandwagon.

Every once in a while, a player will come close to meeting expectations the following year. But more often, opposing defenses figure out the weaknesses and exploit them, and the player struggles.

The Final Verdict

Taking into account everything I’ve pointed out, I think Vick will have a pretty decent year. However, I would absolutely not take him in the first round. Taking him in the first round is a very high risk, and I don’t see any more reward out of it than if you were to take the safe road with Tom Brady or Aaron Rodgers.

Vick needs to prove to me that last year wasn’t a fluke and that he can continue to play smart football consistently before I make him the leader of my fantasy football team. If Vick is there in the second round, I’d take the chance.

Otherwise if you are lookings for a QB in the first round, take the safe bet with Brady or Rodgers.

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