THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2006 SPORTS 3B Evan Hengel's FANTASY FOOTBALL THURSDAY The Kansas City Chiefs have a quarterback controversy with fantasy implications There's a heated debate about who should be the Kansas City Chiefs starting quarterback for the rest of the season: Damon Huard or Trent Green. It's gotten to the point where, because it's been election season, I've been half expecting to see commercials on TV where Huard questions Green's voting record on Medicare then says "I'm Damon Huard, and I approved this message, because Kansas City needs a leader you can depend on." Earlier in the season Edwards said that Green would come back to be his starting quarterback when he was healthy. But earlier this week he wasn't sure, saying that he didn't have to make that decision yet. Being the geek that I am, I've been asking myself who the better fantasy football quarterback is. And, when you think about it, a good fantasy football quarterback is one who throws touchdowns, limits turnovers and moves the ball down the field. Those are all qualities that you would look for in a real quarterback as well. So, perhaps analyzing the quarterback controversy from a fantasy perspective will help coach Herm Edwards make the right decision Nov. 19 when Green is healthy and ready against the Oakland Raiders. Using a scoring system of 30 yards per point, four points for a touchdown and minus two points for a turnover. Huard has averaged 11.8 fantasy points per game this year. Astonishingly, during Green's tenure in Kansas City, he has averaged exactly 11.8 fantasy points per game as well, with a high of 14.1 per game in 2004. Well, there goes that idea. Perhaps the numbers above could be put into context. Green was protected by Willie Roaf, a pro-bowl-caliber offensive linemen. He handed the ball off to Priest Holmes, and later to Without Roaf, Huard has been "protected" by a patchwork offensive line featuring the likes of Jordan Black, Kevin Sampson, Chris Bober and Kyle Turley. He's being giving the ball to Larry Johnson, who's been held to 68 yards or fewer in almost half of his starts, and he has an offensive coordinator — Mike Solari — who would rather repeat- Perhaps analyzing the quarterback controversy from a fantasy perspective will help coach Herm Edwards make the right decision when Green is healthy. arry Johnson. He also threw close to 40 touchdown passes to tight end Tony Gonzalez, who was the best in the league. And, perhaps most importantly of all, he had offensive guru Al Saunders in the booth calling his plays. Saunders loves to implement new gimmicks for Trent to throw the ball down field, allowing him to pile up yardage. Huard, on the other hand, hasn't had Roaf, whose absence has created a question about who will protect the quarterback's blind side. edly pound the ball between the tackles than take a chance throwing the ball downfield. Given these circumstances, it's practically a miracle that Huard has equaled Green's stats so far. Looking beyond the fantasy football perspective, Huard is 5-2, a .714 winning percentage, in his career as Kansas City's starter, while Green is 44-38, a .537 winning percentage. Huard has proven to be a fiery leader and an excellent game manager. Additionally, Trent Green suffered a severe concussion. Similar concussions have affected quarterbacks like Troy Aikman, Steve Young and Chris Chandler in a negative way, altering the paths of their careers. Starting Green would leave Edwards with nothing to gain and everything to lose. If Green plays well, he'll probably only match Huard's stats. If Green plays poorly, Eduwards will be ripped apart by fans for switching quarterbacks and ruining the chemistry of a Chiefs team that seems to be peaking. Taking the previous factors into consideration make it obvious that Huard is the Chiefs quarterback with the most fantasy value. That being said, Green's goldenboy status in Kansas City combined with Huard's looming free agency at the end of the year will complicate the situation for Edwards. Edwards could be pressured to show loyalty and appreciation to Green for all he done in Kansas City. But Edwards wasn't brought in to be a nice guy. He was brought in to win football games, and Huard gives him the best chance to do that. The coach's only saving grace could be that with Johnson plowing through defenses and Gonzalez turning back the hands of time to find his 2004 form, it might not matter which quarterback he starts. Hengel is an Overland Park senior in finance. Edited by Travis Robinett. Kansas City Chiefs' Damon Huard has performed well in place of injured-starting-quarterback Trent Green. When comparing fantasy numbers, Green and Huard are exactly the same, averaging 11.8 fantasy points per game as Kansas City's starter. ASSOCIATED PRESS 》 PROFESSIONAL ATHLETES NFL quarterback conveys 2006 election toss-ups BY FRED LIEF ASSOCIATED PRESS Former NFL quarterback Heath Shuler had a theory about his win in a U.S. House race. "They talk about these sports analogies that I use, but let me tell you what." Shuler said in his victory speech. "It is about teamwork." Shuler beat a Republican incumbent for a congressional spot in North Carolina, track great Jim Ryun lost his race and Super Bowl star Lynn Swann fell short Tuesday in elections involving ex-athletes. Shuler's race had been considered a josup, and was one of the closely watched campaigns in the effort by Democrats to regain control of the House of Representatives. Ryun, a Kansas Republican and once the world-record holder in the mile, lost in his bid for a sixth term in the House. "I am really, really grateful for all that you have done," Ryan said in conceding. "There are so many rich stories and rich memories. I cherish those." Swann, the Hall of Fame receiver whose football career was one long string of successes, was beaten in his bid to become *Pennsylvania's governor. Kentucky Sen. Jim Bunning, the Hall of Fame pitcher, does not go before voters until 2010. Tom Osborne, the former Nebraska congressman and longtime Cornhuskers football coach, lost in a gubernatorial primary. NO CREDIT HISTORY? NO PROBLEM. STUDENT INTEREST RATES AS LOW AS 13.92% APR* NO ANNUAL FEE PHOTO ON CARD - ISSUED INSTANTLY EASY TO QUALIFY The Kansan advertising staff is hiring for the spring semester. Be a part of a place where each day brings new challenges and the result of your hard work is something to be proud of. 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