T.J.

Duckett

Warrick Dunn’s minor hamstring injury last week will not prevent him from playing in week six. Duckett isn’t worth using in fantasy leagues.

He could miss the rest of the regular season, making Warrick Dunn far more attractive the next two weeks. Duckett should return in time for the playoffs.

He’s been “stuffed” behind the line scrimmage once in 84 tries. That’s the definition of a great short-yardage back. Panthers tailback Brad Hoover is second.

The Falcons said they expected him to be at full strength despite knee surgery two weeks ago. He should split carries with Warrick Dunn.

Don’t look for Duckett to see time as a fullback. The Falcons want both players to fully understand the running back position before worrying too much about teaching them another position. The two are obviously good handcuff picks.

Knapp is coming from Oakland, where he began the season as playcaller. He will keep Seattle’s West Coast offense intact, so Matt Hasselbeck won’t have to learn new terminology. Knapp has also used zone blocking in both Atlanta and Oakland. While upgrades are possible, Julius Jones and T.J. Duckett are expected to form a “1-2" punch in Seattle for now. The scheme has been mostly successful no matter the location, so Jones could benefit.

That Duckett is having trouble holding off a third-round rookie isn’t a great sign, despite some positive reports. He could still be traded before the season.

The Broncos shot down the same deal earlier in the offseason but it makes sense for both sides. Of course, Ron Dayne’s fantasy stock would drop considerably with Duckett in Denver.

We surmised that Duckett was New York’s most likely target at running back before the tried to acquire Lee Suggs. His power game could match nicely with their passing game specialists like Derrick Blaylock and Leon Washington.

Even after the Taylor Jacobs trade, Washington probably wouldn’t mind moving David Patten to acquire more insurance for Clinton Portis’ ailing shoulder. Duckett, however, would likely eat into Portis’ carries, especially near the goal line. Patten would be Atlanta’s third receiver.