High Side by Chris Smith
Stephen Davis is a workhorse who thrives on 20+ carries per game. For three straight seasons with the Redskins from 1999 to 2001, Davis ran the ball 326 times per campaign for an average of 1386 rushing yards and he scored 33 touchdowns. He is a big running back at 230 pounds who has enough quickness to make defenders miss and the strength to run over a would-be tackler in the hole. Even last season with all the turmoil surrounding the Redskins and despite missing four football games, Davis did total 962 yards of total offense and scored 8 touchdowns. The Redskins would have been a much stronger football team in 2002 if they focused on getting the ball into his hands with more consistency.

The Carolina Panthers quickly scooped him up during free agency and will rely on him to power their conservative offensive attack. Last year, the Panthers used three below-average running backs (Lamar Smith, Dee Brown and Nick Goings) that carried the ball 361 times for a total of 1285 rushing yards and scored 11 touchdowns. They also caught 55 passes on the year for a total of 344 receiving yards and a score. That means, that trio of backs put up a solid 234.5 fantasy points which would have been in the top ten if only one of them carried the entire load. There isn't much question that Davis is a better all-around running back than what the Panthers utilized a season ago and he should have little problem out-producing them if he stays healthy. Another plus for Davis in 2003 is that the offensive line of the Panthers is pretty solid. They are a solid group of run-blockers led by Kevin Donnalley and rookie tackle Jordan Gross and they should be able to open up the holes for Davis this season with some consistency.

• Thrives with lots of carries.
• Consistent YPC average throughout his career.
• Much better player than the three backs used last year that put up a combined 234.5 fantasy points.
• All around solid back with good quickness and power.
• Will be out to prove the Redskins made a mistake by letting him leave

Final Thoughts
If the trio used at running back a year ago for the Panthers can put up solid numbers, there is little doubt that Davis can have an outstanding season. He will be the cornerstone of the offensive attack and could easily end up with 350+ carries by seasons end.

Low Side by Rob Zarzycki
Unless you were frozen in '99 and thawed out today you likely agree Stephen Davis is not a top 10 RB. Is he top 20? On the surface, yes. Davis ranked 4th in '99, 12th in 2000, 10th in '01, and 25th last year in fantasy points. Don't fall victim to these stats. It's a trap. Here are three reasons why Davis won't even make the top 25!

Reason #3: No Receiving Game -- Running backs do not stay valuable for long in fantasy land without a receiving game. You certainly won't find this icing on Stephen Davis' cake. After seven seasons his career high in receptions and yardage is only 33 and 313. Ignore any speculation that he will turn "Charlie Garner" on us in '03.

Reason #2: Bad Offense -- His major asset in Washington was punching it in the end zone. For those of you who woke up today, Davis now plays for the Panthers! They ran the fourth fewest plays in the red zone last year, their starting QB is unidentified (Delhomme, Peete, Weinke), and their top receiver is called Muhsin "Muhammy." Did I mention they play Tampa Bay twice? Carolina's offense will struggle and so will Stephen Davis.

And the #1 Reason: Wear And Tear -- Davis is turning 30 in less than a year. Not that there's anything wrong with that (I'm turning 30 in less than a year too!). However, this will mark his eighth season. Let me rephrase. This will mark his eighth season as a bruising tailback. You can already see its toll. His fantasy points have significantly decreased the last four years. 254 points in '99, 229 in '00, 192 in '01, and all the way down to 144 last year. Continuing on last year, Davis missed four games. Even scarier, he left other games due to nagging injuries (knee sprain, strained back) and his fantasy owners hanging. His tank is just about on E.