Value Check on 'Troublemaker' Star Wideouts

They don't exactly look like the type of guys you want on your fantasy football team this year, right? Well, it's time you look past the wild eyes and hold steady, even after both Brandon Marshall and Steve Smith have tempted you to give them a big bump down your cheat sheets.

Smith has already been cast out for his first two games after a fight with teammate Ken Lucas. Now it's been announced that a three-game ban is the verdict for Marshall, but he could get his suspension trimmed to two games if he agrees to undergo counseling. Marshall, who's been arrested three times in his brief NFL career (but not convicted on any charges), has been allowed to practice with the team, and he's wasting no time in showcasing his skill at training camp.

And nevermind that he's missed most of the team's offseason workouts after he somehow put his arm through a television set (McDonald's was spared another lawsuit there ... damn lying greasy wrappers).

With all the negative press floating around, it's important not to lose track of the amazing run No. 15 went on at the end of last season --- 37 catches and 411 yards over his final four games -- and how zoned in Jay Cutler was on his breakout receiver. A couple of games away isn't going to change how absurdly talented Marshall is, or who Cutler's favorite target has become. If you're in a league with veteran fantasy owners, some may choose to stray from drafting Marshall strictly out of the "no troublemaker" principle.

What kind of principle is that? The same one that told you to stay away from Terrell Owens and Randy Moss. That doesn't always work out, does it? Bump Marshall down your list because of the missed games, but don't let a checkered offseason keep you from calling his name on draft day when the time is right.

And while I'm not as high on Smith's prospects for the season, I think the same caveat applies in his situation. He knows how ugly that fight was, and he knows he has to atone for screwing up. From the looks of it, he's already trying to do so:

"I will not put myself into a position where I have to defend myself, to state my side of the story. There's no side," Smith said. "There's only one side, a lack of judgment on my part.

"I have no excuse. All I have is the opportunity to gain the respect of my fans, to gain the respect of my family, gain the respect of my co-workers and gain the respect of the organization."

If anything, the emotional Smith now has a chip on his shoulder to go out and prove himself. And assuming Jake Delhomme rebounds to solid form in his return from elbow surgery, he'll also have a quarterback that knows how to take full advantage of his game-breaking ability. While he was maddeningly inconsistent at times last season, keep in mind how poor the QB situation was.

Marshall and Smith both have raised pressing questions about the content of their characters. But often it's exactly these types of question marks that transform fantasy studs into draft-day bargains.