Fantasy Update: Keep an eye on Parker

By Hugo Guzman  |   Monday, August 14, 2006  |  Comments( 0 )

Fantasy Football
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Pittsburgh Steelers running back Willie Parker is currently on the outside looking in as far as most fantasy football top 10 lists are concerned. I'm here to tell you that's a mistake.

Parker has already proven his ability to make big plays, as evidenced on his Super Bowl-record 75-yard touchdown run against the Seahawks this past February. More importantly, however, is the fact that Jerome Bettis is no longer in Pittsburgh.

Bettis' retirement should catapult Parker into elite fantasy football status. Why? It's simple. Now that The Bus has left town, Parker will likely assume the red-zone duties, which should translate into a significant increase in his somewhat modest touchdown tally in 2005. The speedy North Carolina Tar Heels product scored only four times on the ground and added one receiving touchdown. Meanwhile, Bettis found the end zone nine times.

If Parker can tack on even half of those extra goal-line touchdowns and improve on an already impressive rushing total (1,202 yards on just 255 carries), he should easily solidify his status as a top 10 running back, if not a top 10 player overall.

--Hugo Guzman can be reached at hguzman@realfootball365.com.

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About Hugo Guzman

Co-founder of RealFootball365.com. Born in Argentina, of Dominican descent, living in Hoboken, but from Miami through and ...
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