Going into the first week of the season, it is difficult to assess what players actually have good matchups. There is too much parity in the league from year to year to rely on statistics from last year, and the preseason can be very misleading as well. Add in the fact that most players are hesitant to bench the guys they took early in the draft the first week of the season, and you realize why average fantasy players examine their week one lineup like they should. Don’t be average.
In It to Win It
Julius Jones – Jones faced a bad St. Louis defense early in the year last year. He came out of that matchup 140 yards and one touchdown richer. Even with Edge James there, Jones should still get the bulk of the carries early in this season, and against a sub-par St. Louis team, Jones has the chance to go for over 100 yards again. Get him in your lineup.
Vincent Jackson – In his last game against Oakland, Jackson went for almost 150 yards and hauled in one touchdown, and that was with a fully healthy Nnamdi Asomugha in the Raiders secondary. With the Raiders pro-bowl cornerback hurting, expect San Diego to try and exploit the Raiders secondary deep. Jackson should get close to 120 yards and a touchdown.
Chris Henry – Henry has looked fantastic in the preseason, but admittedly most of his damage has come against backup defenses. Lucky for you, Denver defense is full of backups. It is hard to look at least season statistics to see how bad Denver’s defense was because of all of the player movement following the “successful” hiring of Josh McDaniel’s, but the six passing touchdowns they have given up in the preseason this year does not lie. Cincinnati will exploit that shoddy secondary, and I expect Henry to get a touchdown in this game.
Ride the Pine
Jay Cutler – Cutler, already known for his gun-slinging ways, is walking straight into Tombstone this week. Not only will Cutler feel the pressure to perform in his first start with the Bears, he is also facing a ball-hawking defense that picked off eight balls in the preseason and loves to get pressure on the quarterback. I think this could be a disastrous week for Cutler. He may get two touchdowns, but I think he could throw four picks. I would not want him in my lineup.
Wes Welker – This has more to do with the uncertainty about Welker’s injury than it does about Buffalo’s pass defense, but it is important to note how decent Buffalo was against the pass last year and this preseason. Still, I mostly dislike Welker because of how New England handles injuries. We still, four weeks after the fact, have no idea what is wrong with Welker and have no idea if he will play. It would not surprise me if Bill Belichick had Welker on his active roster and simply did not use him during the game. I would be very wary of Welker this week.
Jamal Lewis – I really do not need to tell you much more than that Pat and Kevin Williams will be allowed to play this week. Jamal Lewis is normally not a good start, but he is pretty much unstartable with the Williams brothers in the lineup. He could actually rush for negative yards this week.
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
Thursday, September 3, 2009
I HATE unders, but.....
Everyone who listened to "What's Your Fantasy" last season knows that I HATE unders, but every once in awhile one comes along that you have to take. Last year's National Title game between Florida and Oklahoma was a perfect example. Neither of those teams had played a meaningful game in over 6 weeks, yet the point total was over 70, and they didn't come close. Tonight Boise State is hosting the Oregon Ducks and the total is currently listed at 64, and I think that is too high.
Boise State has the impression of playing in alot of high scoring games, and that is because of past year's teams. Boise State had 5 games in 2007 that went over 64 points, but only had 2 games go over 64 last season, including their 37-32 win over Oregon last season. My argument here is much the same as it was for the National Title game this past January. These teams haven't played meaningful football in a long time. There is no college pre-season, and most of the times college teams schedule an easy game for a home opener as a warm up game. I think these teams come out just a little bit rusty, and take a few drives to get in the groove, which could lead to a lower final score. I think people are remembering back to last year's game, but that was in Week 3 after having a couple of games to get their offenses up to speed, and they only scored 69. Those are my reasons for betting the under tonight, take it or leave it.
Boise State has the impression of playing in alot of high scoring games, and that is because of past year's teams. Boise State had 5 games in 2007 that went over 64 points, but only had 2 games go over 64 last season, including their 37-32 win over Oregon last season. My argument here is much the same as it was for the National Title game this past January. These teams haven't played meaningful football in a long time. There is no college pre-season, and most of the times college teams schedule an easy game for a home opener as a warm up game. I think these teams come out just a little bit rusty, and take a few drives to get in the groove, which could lead to a lower final score. I think people are remembering back to last year's game, but that was in Week 3 after having a couple of games to get their offenses up to speed, and they only scored 69. Those are my reasons for betting the under tonight, take it or leave it.
Why I like Oregon Tonight
Oregon will, expectedly, walk on to the smurf turf in Boise, Idaho tonight as an underdog.
For one thing, Boise State has won 50 regular season games in a row, including a 37-32 shootout win against the Ducks in Eugene last year. More impressively, Boise is 54-2 at home since 1999.
As you look at those stats, it seems almost a given that Boise has this game in hand. Why, then, do I love the Ducks in the game? It is a very simple answer.
Oregon should have won last year and have a better team than they did last season. I do not think Boise, after losing Ian Johnson, can make that claim.
As you look at last season's contest, you cannot forget that Oregon was up by six before starting quarterback Jeremiah Masoli was knocked of the game.
It is not surprising that, after Masoli was injured, Boise went on a 37-7 scoring run.
We have to think that, if Masoli stays in the game, Oregon would have been able to weather the Kellen Moore storm and come out of that game last season with a win.
Another reason I love Oregon is because they come into this year's clash against Boise with a lot of confidence after finishing the season in a very strong way with impressive wins over Oregon State and Oklahoma State, a team many people see as a dark horse in the National Championship race this season.
The thing I always want to see from a young team is improvement, and they certainly did that last season. Another off season should make this explosive team even better.
With Masoli healthy and Blount back for his senior season, I expect this to be the game that Oregon asserts their claim as a national power, and I expect they will do it in an impressive fashion.
I would take Oregon +135 and would certainly take them +3.
For one thing, Boise State has won 50 regular season games in a row, including a 37-32 shootout win against the Ducks in Eugene last year. More impressively, Boise is 54-2 at home since 1999.
As you look at those stats, it seems almost a given that Boise has this game in hand. Why, then, do I love the Ducks in the game? It is a very simple answer.
Oregon should have won last year and have a better team than they did last season. I do not think Boise, after losing Ian Johnson, can make that claim.
As you look at last season's contest, you cannot forget that Oregon was up by six before starting quarterback Jeremiah Masoli was knocked of the game.
It is not surprising that, after Masoli was injured, Boise went on a 37-7 scoring run.
We have to think that, if Masoli stays in the game, Oregon would have been able to weather the Kellen Moore storm and come out of that game last season with a win.
Another reason I love Oregon is because they come into this year's clash against Boise with a lot of confidence after finishing the season in a very strong way with impressive wins over Oregon State and Oklahoma State, a team many people see as a dark horse in the National Championship race this season.
The thing I always want to see from a young team is improvement, and they certainly did that last season. Another off season should make this explosive team even better.
With Masoli healthy and Blount back for his senior season, I expect this to be the game that Oregon asserts their claim as a national power, and I expect they will do it in an impressive fashion.
I would take Oregon +135 and would certainly take them +3.
Saturday, August 22, 2009
What To Do With The QB's This Year?
When making a decision on what to do at QB this season, there are several different ways to go. If you want Tom Brady or Drew Brees, it’s going to cost you a very high pick. I have seen Brady as a top five pick in some drafts and Brees usually isn’t too far behind him. Manning usually comes off the board next, then Tony Romo, Donovan McNabb, Aaron Rodgers, Philip Rivers, and Kurt Warner start to come off the board after that. After that group of guys, it becomes a “Take your Pick” of Matt Ryan, Matt Schaub, Carson Palmer, and Jay Cutler.
If you decide to wait on a signal caller this year, you can guarantee yourself a little more success at other positions like running back, wide receiver and tight end. By waiting you might not get a guy that is a consensus pick to be an every week starter, but with a little looking at the schedule for bye weeks, and favorable matchups, you can put a guy on the field with a great matchup every week. This article will help you know who to target no matter what route you decide to take, as we look at which QB’s to pair together to give yourself favorable matchups every week.
TAKING A QUARTERBACK EARLY:
If you do take Tom Brady, Drew Brees or Peyton Manning, you probably are going to start them every week and only need a replacement for their bye week. Here is a list of some late round quarterbacks to target if you take this approach. Some of these matchups might not look as great later in the season with injuries and other factors playing in, but right now when you are getting ready to draft, they look pretty favorable.
Tom Brady: Brady has his bye week in Week Eight, and that is probably the only week that you will be putting him on your bench. There are a couple of guys that you can target really late in drafts to pick up with good matchups for Brady’s bye week. One is Marc Bulger, and he had can be had really late, and in some cases could be a waiver wire pickup. Bulger is playing at Detroit in Week eight, so obviously he should be able to put up some fantasy points. The second guy I would consider is Joe Flacco. Flacco is playing at home vs. the Denver Broncos. The Denver Broncos couldn’t stop anyone last season, and I would expect some of that to continue this season, and Flacco could put up very serviceable numbers this week.
Drew Brees: Brees has a very early bye week in Week Five, and there are two guys here that can be had late. The first is Ben Roethlisberger who is playing a road game vs. Detroit in Week Five, and the other is Trent Edwards who will be at home vs. Cleveland. Both Roethlisberger and Edwards have 12 or more quarterbacks coming off the board before them, so if you spend that high pick on Brees, you can definitely wait to target one of these guys to fill in that one week.
Peyton Manning: Manning gets his bye in Week Six, and there are 3 guys who you can get at various stages in the draft that warrant consideration for you to pick up for that bye week. Matt Hasselbeck is playing at home vs. the Arizona Cardinals who gave up more passing touchdowns than any other NFL team last season with 36. If you don’t want to spend that high of a pick on your backup, then you can look at David Garrard who will be at home vs. the St. Louis Rams in Week 6. The last guy you can target is Peyton’s little brother Eli, who will be playing at New Orleans in Week Six. All of those guys have great matchups that you can plug in for Manning that one week.
USING AN EARLY TO MID ROUND PICK ON A QB:
If you decide to wait the first two or three rounds before you take a QB, you will probably end up with Aaron Rodgers, Philip Rivers, Kurt Warner, Tony Romo, or Donovan McNabb. Here are some guys to consider for their bye weeks, if you land one of them.
Aaron Rodgers & Philip Rivers: Aaron Rodgers & Philip Rivers both have their bye weeks in Week 5, and there are three guys to consider grabbing for that week. Ben Roethlisberger, who we already talked about is on the road in Detroit and should be able to produce. Trent Edwards is home vs. Cleveland and should have a decent game, while Joe Flacco is someone else you can get really late with a favorable home game vs. the Cincinnati Bengals.
Donovan McNabb & Kurt Warner: McNabb and Warner both have bye weeks in Week 4, and here are a few guys to consider picking up to give you a nice matchup for their bye weeks. Roethlisberger will be home vs. the San Diego Chargers who gave up nearly 250 passing yards per game last season and gave up 25 passing TDs. Shaun Hill could have a big game this week when he plays at home vs. division rivals, the St. Louis Rams. Finally you could consider Brett Favre who will be playing on Monday Night Football in Minnesota vs. his former team the Green Bay Packers. You have to think that Favre will be looking to really stick it to his former team and could have a really big game.
Tony Romo: Romo gets his bye week in week six and there are about three guys I would look to target to replace him that week. David Garrard can be had late and he will be at home vs. St. Louis. You can also get Eli Manning very late, and he will be on the road vs. New Orleans. Matt Hasselbeck will be at home to play the Arizona Cardinals, whom we talked about earlier.
USING A MIDDLE TO LATE ROUND PICK ON A QB:
This is usually my strategy in taking a QB, but if you are one of the last teams to draft your starting QB, then you need to be one of the first to draft your backup. Here is a list of guys that usually come off the board next, and who you might be able to pair them up with to have favorable matchups every week.
Matt Ryan: Ryan will have his bye week in week four, and there are three guys I would consider taking to pair with Ryan; Shaun Hill, Brett Favre, and Ben Roethlisberger. The thing to consider here when getting your QB to pair with Ryan is that the Falcons do have a much tougher schedule this season, and he has some tough matchups which you might want to consider when looking for a QB to pair with Ryan. In Week 4, it’s Hill at home vs. St. Louis, Favre on Monday Night in Minnesota vs. Green Bay, and Roethlisberger at home vs. San Diego. In some of Ryan’s tougher matchups this year where you might consider benching him, here are the same guys matchups. Week 9 vs. Washington – Hill at home vs. Tennessee, Favre on bye, Roethlisberger at Denver. Week 11 at the New York Giants – Hill at Green Bay, Favre at home vs. Seattle, and Roethlisberger at Kansas City. Week 12 vs. Tampa Bay who Ryan did not throw a single TD against last season , but did throw 4 interceptions – Hill at home vs. Jacksonville, Favre at Carolina, and Roethlisberger at home vs. Green Bay. This should help you make a better decision on who to pair with Ryan to give you good matchups every week. My vote would be for Favre. He has a great matchup in Week four vs. Green Bay, and when Ryan has to play the Giants and Eagles, Favre gets the Seahawks and Cardinals.
Matt Schaub: Schaub is a guy I really like and is starting to rise up a lot of draft boards. Due to his injury history I would consider getting a backup in the next few rounds after I drafted Schaub, and here are some of the guys I would consider; David Garrard, Kerry Collins, and Brett Favre. Schaub’s bye week comes in Week ten, and here are the other’s matchups that week: Garrard at the New York Jets, Kerry Collins at home vs. Buffalo, and Favre at home vs. Detroit. There are really only two games that can be considered bad matchups based on last season’s defensive passing stats and those are Schaub’s two games vs. Tennessee. Tennessee only allowed 12 passing touchdowns with 20 interceptions last season, and Schaub had only one touchdown and 3 picks, averaging 230 yards in his two games vs. the Titans last year. He plays the Titans in Week two and again in Week eleven. Here are the matchups for the guys I would target to pair with Schaub. Week 2 – Garrard at home vs. Arizona, Kerry Collins at home vs. Houston, and Brett Favre at Detroit. Week 11 – Garrard at home vs. Buffalo, Kerry Collins at Houston, and Favre at home vs. Seattle. I would suggest that you target Brett Favre as the guy to pair with Matt Schaub. In Schaub’s bye week and two games vs. Tennessee, Favre has two games vs. Detroit and one vs. the Seahawks. If you draft Schaub, I would look to wait a few more rounds, grab Brett Favre and be set at the QB position.
Jay Cutler: Jay Cutler’s bye week is in Week 5, and there are two guys that I would look to pair up with Cutler; Matt Hasselbeck or Joe Flacco. In week 5 Hasselbeck is home vs. Jacksonville while Flacco is home vs. Cincinnati. There are a couple of games that I would consider benching Cutler and those are week two vs. Pittsburgh and Week 15 at Baltimore. In Week 2 Hasselbeck is at San Francisco while Flacco goes to San Diego. In Week 15 Hasselbeck is home vs. Tampa Bay, while Flacco is home vs. Chicago. Flacco might not be on anyone’s radar, but is a good guy to consider to pair with Cutler based on his matchups when Cutler has bad ones. Flacco did nearly top 3,000 yards as a rookie, and could have a decent season, and you can get him very late if you decide to pass on Hasselbeck.
Carson Palmer: Palmer has his bye week in week 8, and also has a few bad matchups throughout the year with two games vs. Pittsburgh and two games vs. Baltimore. There are two quality options that you should consider when drafting Palmer; Matt Hasselbeck and Trent Edwards. Starting with Palmer’s bye week, Hasselbeck is at Dallas, while Edwards is at home vs. Houston. For the two games vs. Pittsburgh, Hasselbeck gets a home game vs. Chicago and a road game at Arizona. Edwards gets a home game vs. New Orleans and a road game at Tennessee. For the two games vs. Baltimore, Hasselbeck gets both games at home, one vs. Jacksonville, the other vs. Detroit. Meanwhile Edwards gets Cleveland at home for one, but has his bye week in the other. If you want to back up Palmer with Hasselbeck you will probably have to do it soon after you take Palmer, while if you decide to back him up with Edwards, you can probably wait just a little bit longer.
There are obviously a lot of different ways that you can go when deciding to take a QB this season, and hopefully this will help you to make up your mind, and give you a clear strategy when you get to your draft. Do you feel comfortable going into the season with a combination of Matt Schaub and Brett Favre, knowing you can load up in the first five rounds on running backs and wide receivers? Or are you going to jump on Brees or Brady in the first couple of rounds and wait to get your other skill positions? The choice is yours, but at least now you have a plan.
If you decide to wait on a signal caller this year, you can guarantee yourself a little more success at other positions like running back, wide receiver and tight end. By waiting you might not get a guy that is a consensus pick to be an every week starter, but with a little looking at the schedule for bye weeks, and favorable matchups, you can put a guy on the field with a great matchup every week. This article will help you know who to target no matter what route you decide to take, as we look at which QB’s to pair together to give yourself favorable matchups every week.
TAKING A QUARTERBACK EARLY:
If you do take Tom Brady, Drew Brees or Peyton Manning, you probably are going to start them every week and only need a replacement for their bye week. Here is a list of some late round quarterbacks to target if you take this approach. Some of these matchups might not look as great later in the season with injuries and other factors playing in, but right now when you are getting ready to draft, they look pretty favorable.
Tom Brady: Brady has his bye week in Week Eight, and that is probably the only week that you will be putting him on your bench. There are a couple of guys that you can target really late in drafts to pick up with good matchups for Brady’s bye week. One is Marc Bulger, and he had can be had really late, and in some cases could be a waiver wire pickup. Bulger is playing at Detroit in Week eight, so obviously he should be able to put up some fantasy points. The second guy I would consider is Joe Flacco. Flacco is playing at home vs. the Denver Broncos. The Denver Broncos couldn’t stop anyone last season, and I would expect some of that to continue this season, and Flacco could put up very serviceable numbers this week.
Drew Brees: Brees has a very early bye week in Week Five, and there are two guys here that can be had late. The first is Ben Roethlisberger who is playing a road game vs. Detroit in Week Five, and the other is Trent Edwards who will be at home vs. Cleveland. Both Roethlisberger and Edwards have 12 or more quarterbacks coming off the board before them, so if you spend that high pick on Brees, you can definitely wait to target one of these guys to fill in that one week.
Peyton Manning: Manning gets his bye in Week Six, and there are 3 guys who you can get at various stages in the draft that warrant consideration for you to pick up for that bye week. Matt Hasselbeck is playing at home vs. the Arizona Cardinals who gave up more passing touchdowns than any other NFL team last season with 36. If you don’t want to spend that high of a pick on your backup, then you can look at David Garrard who will be at home vs. the St. Louis Rams in Week 6. The last guy you can target is Peyton’s little brother Eli, who will be playing at New Orleans in Week Six. All of those guys have great matchups that you can plug in for Manning that one week.
USING AN EARLY TO MID ROUND PICK ON A QB:
If you decide to wait the first two or three rounds before you take a QB, you will probably end up with Aaron Rodgers, Philip Rivers, Kurt Warner, Tony Romo, or Donovan McNabb. Here are some guys to consider for their bye weeks, if you land one of them.
Aaron Rodgers & Philip Rivers: Aaron Rodgers & Philip Rivers both have their bye weeks in Week 5, and there are three guys to consider grabbing for that week. Ben Roethlisberger, who we already talked about is on the road in Detroit and should be able to produce. Trent Edwards is home vs. Cleveland and should have a decent game, while Joe Flacco is someone else you can get really late with a favorable home game vs. the Cincinnati Bengals.
Donovan McNabb & Kurt Warner: McNabb and Warner both have bye weeks in Week 4, and here are a few guys to consider picking up to give you a nice matchup for their bye weeks. Roethlisberger will be home vs. the San Diego Chargers who gave up nearly 250 passing yards per game last season and gave up 25 passing TDs. Shaun Hill could have a big game this week when he plays at home vs. division rivals, the St. Louis Rams. Finally you could consider Brett Favre who will be playing on Monday Night Football in Minnesota vs. his former team the Green Bay Packers. You have to think that Favre will be looking to really stick it to his former team and could have a really big game.
Tony Romo: Romo gets his bye week in week six and there are about three guys I would look to target to replace him that week. David Garrard can be had late and he will be at home vs. St. Louis. You can also get Eli Manning very late, and he will be on the road vs. New Orleans. Matt Hasselbeck will be at home to play the Arizona Cardinals, whom we talked about earlier.
USING A MIDDLE TO LATE ROUND PICK ON A QB:
This is usually my strategy in taking a QB, but if you are one of the last teams to draft your starting QB, then you need to be one of the first to draft your backup. Here is a list of guys that usually come off the board next, and who you might be able to pair them up with to have favorable matchups every week.
Matt Ryan: Ryan will have his bye week in week four, and there are three guys I would consider taking to pair with Ryan; Shaun Hill, Brett Favre, and Ben Roethlisberger. The thing to consider here when getting your QB to pair with Ryan is that the Falcons do have a much tougher schedule this season, and he has some tough matchups which you might want to consider when looking for a QB to pair with Ryan. In Week 4, it’s Hill at home vs. St. Louis, Favre on Monday Night in Minnesota vs. Green Bay, and Roethlisberger at home vs. San Diego. In some of Ryan’s tougher matchups this year where you might consider benching him, here are the same guys matchups. Week 9 vs. Washington – Hill at home vs. Tennessee, Favre on bye, Roethlisberger at Denver. Week 11 at the New York Giants – Hill at Green Bay, Favre at home vs. Seattle, and Roethlisberger at Kansas City. Week 12 vs. Tampa Bay who Ryan did not throw a single TD against last season , but did throw 4 interceptions – Hill at home vs. Jacksonville, Favre at Carolina, and Roethlisberger at home vs. Green Bay. This should help you make a better decision on who to pair with Ryan to give you good matchups every week. My vote would be for Favre. He has a great matchup in Week four vs. Green Bay, and when Ryan has to play the Giants and Eagles, Favre gets the Seahawks and Cardinals.
Matt Schaub: Schaub is a guy I really like and is starting to rise up a lot of draft boards. Due to his injury history I would consider getting a backup in the next few rounds after I drafted Schaub, and here are some of the guys I would consider; David Garrard, Kerry Collins, and Brett Favre. Schaub’s bye week comes in Week ten, and here are the other’s matchups that week: Garrard at the New York Jets, Kerry Collins at home vs. Buffalo, and Favre at home vs. Detroit. There are really only two games that can be considered bad matchups based on last season’s defensive passing stats and those are Schaub’s two games vs. Tennessee. Tennessee only allowed 12 passing touchdowns with 20 interceptions last season, and Schaub had only one touchdown and 3 picks, averaging 230 yards in his two games vs. the Titans last year. He plays the Titans in Week two and again in Week eleven. Here are the matchups for the guys I would target to pair with Schaub. Week 2 – Garrard at home vs. Arizona, Kerry Collins at home vs. Houston, and Brett Favre at Detroit. Week 11 – Garrard at home vs. Buffalo, Kerry Collins at Houston, and Favre at home vs. Seattle. I would suggest that you target Brett Favre as the guy to pair with Matt Schaub. In Schaub’s bye week and two games vs. Tennessee, Favre has two games vs. Detroit and one vs. the Seahawks. If you draft Schaub, I would look to wait a few more rounds, grab Brett Favre and be set at the QB position.
Jay Cutler: Jay Cutler’s bye week is in Week 5, and there are two guys that I would look to pair up with Cutler; Matt Hasselbeck or Joe Flacco. In week 5 Hasselbeck is home vs. Jacksonville while Flacco is home vs. Cincinnati. There are a couple of games that I would consider benching Cutler and those are week two vs. Pittsburgh and Week 15 at Baltimore. In Week 2 Hasselbeck is at San Francisco while Flacco goes to San Diego. In Week 15 Hasselbeck is home vs. Tampa Bay, while Flacco is home vs. Chicago. Flacco might not be on anyone’s radar, but is a good guy to consider to pair with Cutler based on his matchups when Cutler has bad ones. Flacco did nearly top 3,000 yards as a rookie, and could have a decent season, and you can get him very late if you decide to pass on Hasselbeck.
Carson Palmer: Palmer has his bye week in week 8, and also has a few bad matchups throughout the year with two games vs. Pittsburgh and two games vs. Baltimore. There are two quality options that you should consider when drafting Palmer; Matt Hasselbeck and Trent Edwards. Starting with Palmer’s bye week, Hasselbeck is at Dallas, while Edwards is at home vs. Houston. For the two games vs. Pittsburgh, Hasselbeck gets a home game vs. Chicago and a road game at Arizona. Edwards gets a home game vs. New Orleans and a road game at Tennessee. For the two games vs. Baltimore, Hasselbeck gets both games at home, one vs. Jacksonville, the other vs. Detroit. Meanwhile Edwards gets Cleveland at home for one, but has his bye week in the other. If you want to back up Palmer with Hasselbeck you will probably have to do it soon after you take Palmer, while if you decide to back him up with Edwards, you can probably wait just a little bit longer.
There are obviously a lot of different ways that you can go when deciding to take a QB this season, and hopefully this will help you to make up your mind, and give you a clear strategy when you get to your draft. Do you feel comfortable going into the season with a combination of Matt Schaub and Brett Favre, knowing you can load up in the first five rounds on running backs and wide receivers? Or are you going to jump on Brees or Brady in the first couple of rounds and wait to get your other skill positions? The choice is yours, but at least now you have a plan.
Saturday, August 8, 2009
Why I'll be Harvin, Percy on my Fantasy Team!
When I am drafting in rookie only drafts, there is one player that I am trying to target in every one. Percy Harvin, of the Minnesota Vikings. There are mainly two reasons I am trying to do this. First, Harvin is a playmaker. Sage Rosenfels recently said of Harvin, he's just a football player who goes out there and makes plays. Harvin has great speed and plays all of his home games indoors, in climate controlled situations, including two vs. the Lions. Second, they plan to get the ball in Harvin's hands on offense. I know Adrian Peterson is there, and so you have to wonder exactly how many looks will Harvin get. The thing for me is this, Harvin is listed as a WR in all fantasy formats, and he should get rushing attempts in every game. There are reports coming out every day from Vikings camp, about Harvin getting handoffs, Harvin running reverses, Harvin making plays! I think that Harvin is definately getting overlooked, and people are taking Crabtree, Maclin, and in some cases Darrius Heyward-Bey & Hakeem Nicks before looking at Harvin. I think you can get Harvin later in drafts, and I would target him in every rookie only draft I am in. Just the fact that he is a threat every time he touches the ball, and that the coaches are finding ways to get him the ball, means he will probably be boom or bust, but the weeks he goes boom, they could be big booms!
Saturday, August 1, 2009
Flacco to Harper? Flacco to Williams? Flacco to Heap?
Everytime I check the "Rapid Reports" over at CBS.Sportsline.com, I see the same headlines from Ravens camp, "Joe Flacco just threw a beautiful pass to Justin Harper for a 35 yard TD catch", or "Joe Flacco just hit a wide open Demetrius Williams for a 50 yard TD catch", or "Flacco just threw a 95 yard TD pass to Justin Harper", or "Joe Flacco just turned a bootleg into a 25 yard TD run". This is very interesting to see how well Flacco is playing, and apparantly how comfortable with all of his receivers. Obviously I am not there to see exactly how these plays are unfolding, but it seems from reports that Flacco is getting it done in a big way, vs. the 1st team defense so far in training camp. Flacco didn't set the fantasy world on fire in 2008, but he came very close to 3,000 yards passing, had 14 passing TDs, 2 rushing TDs, and a 43 yard reception. It is not crazy to think that he could add about 30 yards passing per game, which would move his yardage totals very close to 3,500 and if he could add 5 TD's would move him close to 20. My point is that Flacco can be had very late in drafts, and if he continues to work well with the WR's that are in camp, the return of Derrick Mason (yes, it's official, he is coming back) can only help this 2nd year player continue to improve.
I admit that I was not a huge fan of Flacco, but I am a HUGE fan of value, and I think that while some might take chances on guys like Chad Pennington and Jason Campbell, if Flacco continues to look like this during live preseason games, he will definately start to move up my QB rankings. I know it's pre-season, but I when every single time I log on to check camp reports I constantly see Flacco making plays, maybe it's time to pay attention.
I admit that I was not a huge fan of Flacco, but I am a HUGE fan of value, and I think that while some might take chances on guys like Chad Pennington and Jason Campbell, if Flacco continues to look like this during live preseason games, he will definately start to move up my QB rankings. I know it's pre-season, but I when every single time I log on to check camp reports I constantly see Flacco making plays, maybe it's time to pay attention.
Friday, July 31, 2009
Must Read Reports!
Just wanted to turn everyone on to a very cool feature I found to help you keep up with all the goings on of NFL training camps. Over at www.cbs.sportsline.com you can find their new "Rapid Reports" at the top of the page. They are "Twitter" style posts from writers at all 32 NFL training camps. They are updated continually throughout the day, and some are a little useless, but for the most part they contain quotes from players & coaches, as well as information about what formations teams are using, and what kind of plays the players are making. They are a very good read, and I highly recommend that everyone take a look at them.
Fantasy Football Roundtable!
Once upon a time, a group of people with a passion for football, a knack for fantasy sports and a major addiction to social networking came together and decided ‘If we’re going to waste so much time talking football, we might as well put this in a format people can actually follow!’
And so the happy band gathered together from across the Twitterverse to provide you, gentle reader, with the most pressing answers to the biggest questions in Fantasy - and a hopefully enjoyable way to kill some time.
In each article we will discuss a different topic – sometimes a few of them – and hopefully give you the edge you need as you execute your Fantasy season.
This edition’s panel includes the following fine football minds:
Matt Schauf (@mschauf63) started writing about football for the expansive audience of metropolitan Oneonta, N.Y., back in 2002. After a couple of years of catering to his three readers there, he got picked up by ProFantasySports.com to be an IDP specialist. Soon after, Matt became the lead football writer for PFS and SportsBuff.com. You can now find his work there or at RapidDraft.com, where he also provides the strategy for the “Hollywood” character in the industry’s first single-player fantasy football game. His IDP writing can also be found at SportingNews.com and in preview magazines for Sporting News, Rotoworld and Football Diehards. In addition, Matt runs the industry news site FantasySportsBusiness.com, which was named best new site of 2008 by the Fantasy Sports Trade Association.
Ginny Loveless (@GBGinny) is a staff writer at Football Diehards and is part of the weekly fantasy football recap crew. She has been a staff & guest writer at numerous other fantasy football websites, including FOXSports.com, over the past five years and her article, "The Magic Touch", which premiered in last year's issue of Fantasy Football Draft Book, was a finalist for the Fantasy Sports Writers Associations Best Fantasy Football Article in Print. This beer-drinking, brat-eating, cheesehead will give you her best tip at being successful in fantasy football: numbers don't lie. Stick with the facts and you'll do alright. However . . . a little luck never hurts.
Jared Ferree (@WYFShow ) hosts the "What's Your Fantasy" radio show/podcast on Blogtalkradio's Fantasy Sports Channel with Raymond Summerlin. He is also a frequent contributor to www.lindyssports.com with both fantasy player rankings and general fantasy football articles.
Jim Day (@Fantasytaz) is a retired Biotech Engineer who has been playing Fantasy Football since 1992. Seriously addicted, Jim plays in about 30 Fantasy leagues a year, with most of these being large roster IDP Dynasty leagues. He has been writing for FF sites since 2000 when he started with Xpertsports.com. Jim started Fantasy Football Whiz in 2007 just as a place to have some fun and conversation with fellow league mates and any other fantasy fanatic that wanted to talk FF. It’s a small site, but is growing every year. Besides The Whiz, he also owns and acts as head engineer for Ultimate Recording, a 96 track, fully digital recording studio (im’s other love).
Parag Gheewala (@vote4parag) is an average guy with a day job who loves fantasy football and is also the mastermind behind Mockumentary, which started as his Twitter commentary on the first Twitter Fantasy Football Mock Draft. It quickly lead to Top 10 Fantasy Football Tweeter status. Parag loves the interactive and instant nature of Twitter, but the blog allows him to provide more in-depth comments when needed. Follow him on Twitter and via Mockumentary.
Andrew Garda (@ThunderingBlurb ) has been writing about football for the last eight years, covering everything from Fantasy to College to the NFL. He’s written for such sites as Draftguys.com and BleacherReport.com, but for the last year and a half has also had his own site at ThunderingBlurb.com. He’s also been podcasting since before they had a name for it and despite that making him feel quite old, continues his own weekly show The Thundering Blurb Football Show every Wednesday (10pm EST) on BlogTalkRadio.com.
Joshua Torrey (@jmtorrey) is an Electrical/Computer Engineer working out of Austin, TX. A die hard Steelers fan & fan of not just football but football strategy, Joshua enjoys breaking down game tape and team schemes to predict long term fantasy success. He is also a contributor to FantasyDC.com. He has 5 tattoos, showered yesterday and is eating meatloaf for lunch.
Today’s question resonates pretty hard as teams begin Training Camps.
There are a bunch of players who could have fantasy value stuck, but are currently stuck in limbo as we watch and wait for August Training Camp Battles to be decided.
Of the following, which will have the most impact on owner’s seasons and bear watching most closely?
a) Shaun Hill vs Alex Smith
b) Jamarcus Russell vs Jeff Garcia
c) Tim Hightower vs Chris ‘Beanie’ Wells
d) Michael Crabtree vs Josh Morgan
e) Mark Sanchez vs Kellen Clemens
If the one that is most critical isn’t here – what is it?
Matt Schauf – RapidDraft.com
Among these five, the highest-impact is easily Hightower vs. Wells. The three QB battles don't occur on teams with high-profile fantasy receivers (Jerricho Cotchery being the most important there) and don't include players that anyone should be looking at for serious starter value in 2009. Hightower, on the other hand, went for 10 touchdowns last year before showing that he apparently wasn't ready for a starting gig. Did the Cardinals really spend a first-round pick on insurance behind him for year two? I don't believe so. I think Wells should get drafted first, even if he doesn't open the season as the starter. In many leagues, both will be selected before any other player on this list.I don't think Morgan-Crabtree is really a battle, as both should be talented enough to win starting gigs in San Fran if healthy. Morgan should be the No. 1 for 2009 by virtue of his experience and Crabtree's shortened prep time thanks to the foot surgery.More significant than the other battles listed here, I think, are those in the Denver, Indy and Baltimore backfields. Each situation will yield multiple value players, but the workload breakdown remains unclear in each case. For the record, I'm drafting Knowshon Moreno first among players in these backfields.
Parag Gheewala - Mockumentary
I agree. The hardest part about making projections is not determining the winner of "battles", but rather reading the minds of each coaching staff to determine playing time allocation. I'm most interested in: 1. Addai v. Brown.2. Rice v. McClain v. McGahee3. Hixon v. Smith v. Nicks.4. McCoy5. Graham v. Ward.
Ginny Loveless – FootballDiehards.com
The most critical training camp battle out of everything listed here would be Hightower vs. Wells in my opinion, simply because that backfield has the potential to have the most impact on your fantasy roster. I opine the exact sentiments as Schauf here: “The three QB battles don't occur on teams with high-profile fantasy receivers (Jerricho Cotchery being the most important there) and don't include players that anyone should be looking at for serious starter value in 2009. Hightower, on the other hand, went for 10 touchdowns last year before showing that he apparently wasn't ready for a starting gig. Did the Cardinals really spend a first-round pick on insurance behind him for year two? I don't believe so. I think Wells should get drafted first, even if he doesn't open the season as the starter. In many leagues, both will be selected before any other player on this list.” Couldn’t have said it any better. :thumbsup:After that battle, what I am most interested in is what’s going on in Tampa Bay between Earnest Graham and Derrick Ward. Tampa will be forced to rely on its running game this season and between Graham and Ward, someone has got to step up. Graham was injured last season, had ankle surgery and says that he is now 100%. But, to me, he is still an injury concern ---- back off Bloom (Sigmund of Footballguys.com), I know you don’t agree here ;-) ---- I’m not saying he is fragile, or injury prone….just that he is an injury concern to me. The year in which players return from a season where they had a serious injury are always injury concerns for me– I prefer simply to err on the side of caution. Anywho… Graham desperately needed someone to share time with – Warrick Dunn and Cadillac Williams contributed what they could last year but both players are virtually done. After his three 100-yard games in September last year he (Graham) was slooooow. Ward is an excellent player to pick up the slack much like he did in NY. From all the reports I have come across, the two will be splitting carries. I can see Ward easily reaching 1000 yards (like in NY) and catching passes whilst Graham gets more of the goal-line touches and TDs.
Jim Day - FantasyFootballWhiz.com
I can't agree that Hightower-Wells is the biggest battle. It isn't a battle at all. Wells takes the job and the only thing that stops him is injury. To me one of the biggest camp battles is in Indianapolis for the #2 WR position. Most are assuming that 3rd-year WR Anthony Gonzalez will win that spot, but there has been a lot of talk out of OTAs that 2nd-year WR Pierre Garcon was outstanding and might battle Gonzalez for the spot. This is the battle that I will keep an eye on in training camp because whoever wins this race will be a very viable WR2-3.
Matt Schauf – RapidDraft.com
I like Garcon, but that's not a battle. Gonzalez is the No. 2 wideout in Indy. The battle in Colts camp is Brown-Addai for carries. Interesting potential battles at linebacker, too, for IDP folks. Keiaho could well be out of the lineup with Clint Session looking like a sleeper and even Philip Wheeler intriguing for deep leagues.
Jared Ferree – What’s Your Fantasy Podcast
I agree with the Wells - Hightower having the most affect on fantasy owners rosters, but agree with Taz, that I don't think it is much of a battle at all. I feel that Wells is the superior back and should get the starting gig and that the Cardinals didn't use a first round back as insurance for a guy who averaged less than three yards per carry - I am looking directly at you Hightower. I think Hill - Smith is interesting just because of how affective Hill was down the stretch of last season. Smith could put up really nice numbers on a week to week basis and be a very solid backup with upside. Personally, I could care less what happens in the Tampa Bay backfield because I think that team doesn't produce a solid fantasy option at any position this season - maybe TE, just because 600 yards and 5 TDs is good for a TE and that could be possible for Winslow. For some reason I just see all the carries in Tampa Bay getting split over a lot of different guys, limiting all of their potential. I kinda feel the same way about the situation in Baltimore - let someone else worry every week about whether McGahee (editor’s note – McGahee is already on the PUP as of 7/28/09) will get the most carries this week or will it be McClain, or will it be Rice, or will it be someone else. I don't want that headache every week.
Andrew Garda – ThunderingBlurb.com
I like two battles here - Shaun Hill/Alex Smith is an intriguing one with Frank Gore, Josh Morgan, Michael Crabtree and several other offensive weapons hindered or helped by the outcome. You got the sense early that the staff likes Hill who, as Jared mentioned, finished solid in 2008. But the overall franchise loves Smith and continues to back him strongly. Smith also looked a tad better towards the end of OTAs. This battle will be decided prior to the third preseason game and could make a difference for the fantasy value of several players. Of course, that's not even counting which of the two will actually start and be viable for your team.The Addai/Brown battle is also intriguing. Addai just can't stay healthy and we know Brown will be getting some of his carries even if Addai manages to stay healthy. The question becomes - how many carries will Brown get to start? My gut feeling is Brown will have the majority by mid-season, but a strong camp by him could start him off with a big enough chunk to obliterate most of Addai's already sinking value.
Josh Torrey – FantasyDC.com
I'm not sure that Crabtree & Morgan are really going directly at each other. But that’s beside the point; I don't think Crabtree contributes much this year either way. So this is not the biggest battle.I agree with other sentiments that Chris Wells should walk away with the Cardinals RB job easily. The Whiz is now back to HIS playbook and making the calls. He loved the Bus more than Parker (in Pittsburgh) and I think he'll fall in love with Chris Wells. Similarly, I'm not sure that the Shaun Hill battle is truly a battle either. Hill should also run away with this one as the PR for Alex Smith is in the dirt now. The 49ers are looking to make their move to Santa Clara and Smith is not the face they want going in. It’s better to struggle while looking like your searching for the answer (new coach, new QB) than struggling will refusing to admit past mistakes (drafting Alex Smith).Therefore the winner of this question is Mark Sanchez vs Kellen Clemens! I'm leaning towards Sanchez here. The guy has so much experience at this point against NFL caliber D (at USC) & then a brutal camp against NY (Rex Ryan's scheme). I think the guy could be more battle tested than the average Rookie QB. One COULD make the completely illogical argument that a great practice defense made Big Ben & Flacco the early successes that they are today. I won't. But I'm throwing it out there for people to laugh or get uptight about.
So there you have it, the opinions of some of the finest minds the Twitterverse has to offer. We’ll have another installment later this week and be on the lookout for many more all season long. Make sure you never miss another Twitter Roundtable by following @ FFroundtable on Twitter.
If you want to hear more of what all these people have to say, definitely check out the websites they work for – each has an incredible amount of very tight information.
Every opinion is another tool to give you an edge over the rest of your league.
Thanks to all those who contributed today – and those who are working hard for more great discussion coming your way soon!
And so the happy band gathered together from across the Twitterverse to provide you, gentle reader, with the most pressing answers to the biggest questions in Fantasy - and a hopefully enjoyable way to kill some time.
In each article we will discuss a different topic – sometimes a few of them – and hopefully give you the edge you need as you execute your Fantasy season.
This edition’s panel includes the following fine football minds:
Matt Schauf (@mschauf63) started writing about football for the expansive audience of metropolitan Oneonta, N.Y., back in 2002. After a couple of years of catering to his three readers there, he got picked up by ProFantasySports.com to be an IDP specialist. Soon after, Matt became the lead football writer for PFS and SportsBuff.com. You can now find his work there or at RapidDraft.com, where he also provides the strategy for the “Hollywood” character in the industry’s first single-player fantasy football game. His IDP writing can also be found at SportingNews.com and in preview magazines for Sporting News, Rotoworld and Football Diehards. In addition, Matt runs the industry news site FantasySportsBusiness.com, which was named best new site of 2008 by the Fantasy Sports Trade Association.
Ginny Loveless (@GBGinny) is a staff writer at Football Diehards and is part of the weekly fantasy football recap crew. She has been a staff & guest writer at numerous other fantasy football websites, including FOXSports.com, over the past five years and her article, "The Magic Touch", which premiered in last year's issue of Fantasy Football Draft Book, was a finalist for the Fantasy Sports Writers Associations Best Fantasy Football Article in Print. This beer-drinking, brat-eating, cheesehead will give you her best tip at being successful in fantasy football: numbers don't lie. Stick with the facts and you'll do alright. However . . . a little luck never hurts.
Jared Ferree (@WYFShow ) hosts the "What's Your Fantasy" radio show/podcast on Blogtalkradio's Fantasy Sports Channel with Raymond Summerlin. He is also a frequent contributor to www.lindyssports.com with both fantasy player rankings and general fantasy football articles.
Jim Day (@Fantasytaz) is a retired Biotech Engineer who has been playing Fantasy Football since 1992. Seriously addicted, Jim plays in about 30 Fantasy leagues a year, with most of these being large roster IDP Dynasty leagues. He has been writing for FF sites since 2000 when he started with Xpertsports.com. Jim started Fantasy Football Whiz in 2007 just as a place to have some fun and conversation with fellow league mates and any other fantasy fanatic that wanted to talk FF. It’s a small site, but is growing every year. Besides The Whiz, he also owns and acts as head engineer for Ultimate Recording, a 96 track, fully digital recording studio (im’s other love).
Parag Gheewala (@vote4parag) is an average guy with a day job who loves fantasy football and is also the mastermind behind Mockumentary, which started as his Twitter commentary on the first Twitter Fantasy Football Mock Draft. It quickly lead to Top 10 Fantasy Football Tweeter status. Parag loves the interactive and instant nature of Twitter, but the blog allows him to provide more in-depth comments when needed. Follow him on Twitter and via Mockumentary.
Andrew Garda (@ThunderingBlurb ) has been writing about football for the last eight years, covering everything from Fantasy to College to the NFL. He’s written for such sites as Draftguys.com and BleacherReport.com, but for the last year and a half has also had his own site at ThunderingBlurb.com. He’s also been podcasting since before they had a name for it and despite that making him feel quite old, continues his own weekly show The Thundering Blurb Football Show every Wednesday (10pm EST) on BlogTalkRadio.com.
Joshua Torrey (@jmtorrey) is an Electrical/Computer Engineer working out of Austin, TX. A die hard Steelers fan & fan of not just football but football strategy, Joshua enjoys breaking down game tape and team schemes to predict long term fantasy success. He is also a contributor to FantasyDC.com. He has 5 tattoos, showered yesterday and is eating meatloaf for lunch.
Today’s question resonates pretty hard as teams begin Training Camps.
There are a bunch of players who could have fantasy value stuck, but are currently stuck in limbo as we watch and wait for August Training Camp Battles to be decided.
Of the following, which will have the most impact on owner’s seasons and bear watching most closely?
a) Shaun Hill vs Alex Smith
b) Jamarcus Russell vs Jeff Garcia
c) Tim Hightower vs Chris ‘Beanie’ Wells
d) Michael Crabtree vs Josh Morgan
e) Mark Sanchez vs Kellen Clemens
If the one that is most critical isn’t here – what is it?
Matt Schauf – RapidDraft.com
Among these five, the highest-impact is easily Hightower vs. Wells. The three QB battles don't occur on teams with high-profile fantasy receivers (Jerricho Cotchery being the most important there) and don't include players that anyone should be looking at for serious starter value in 2009. Hightower, on the other hand, went for 10 touchdowns last year before showing that he apparently wasn't ready for a starting gig. Did the Cardinals really spend a first-round pick on insurance behind him for year two? I don't believe so. I think Wells should get drafted first, even if he doesn't open the season as the starter. In many leagues, both will be selected before any other player on this list.I don't think Morgan-Crabtree is really a battle, as both should be talented enough to win starting gigs in San Fran if healthy. Morgan should be the No. 1 for 2009 by virtue of his experience and Crabtree's shortened prep time thanks to the foot surgery.More significant than the other battles listed here, I think, are those in the Denver, Indy and Baltimore backfields. Each situation will yield multiple value players, but the workload breakdown remains unclear in each case. For the record, I'm drafting Knowshon Moreno first among players in these backfields.
Parag Gheewala - Mockumentary
I agree. The hardest part about making projections is not determining the winner of "battles", but rather reading the minds of each coaching staff to determine playing time allocation. I'm most interested in: 1. Addai v. Brown.2. Rice v. McClain v. McGahee3. Hixon v. Smith v. Nicks.4. McCoy5. Graham v. Ward.
Ginny Loveless – FootballDiehards.com
The most critical training camp battle out of everything listed here would be Hightower vs. Wells in my opinion, simply because that backfield has the potential to have the most impact on your fantasy roster. I opine the exact sentiments as Schauf here: “The three QB battles don't occur on teams with high-profile fantasy receivers (Jerricho Cotchery being the most important there) and don't include players that anyone should be looking at for serious starter value in 2009. Hightower, on the other hand, went for 10 touchdowns last year before showing that he apparently wasn't ready for a starting gig. Did the Cardinals really spend a first-round pick on insurance behind him for year two? I don't believe so. I think Wells should get drafted first, even if he doesn't open the season as the starter. In many leagues, both will be selected before any other player on this list.” Couldn’t have said it any better. :thumbsup:After that battle, what I am most interested in is what’s going on in Tampa Bay between Earnest Graham and Derrick Ward. Tampa will be forced to rely on its running game this season and between Graham and Ward, someone has got to step up. Graham was injured last season, had ankle surgery and says that he is now 100%. But, to me, he is still an injury concern ---- back off Bloom (Sigmund of Footballguys.com), I know you don’t agree here ;-) ---- I’m not saying he is fragile, or injury prone….just that he is an injury concern to me. The year in which players return from a season where they had a serious injury are always injury concerns for me– I prefer simply to err on the side of caution. Anywho… Graham desperately needed someone to share time with – Warrick Dunn and Cadillac Williams contributed what they could last year but both players are virtually done. After his three 100-yard games in September last year he (Graham) was slooooow. Ward is an excellent player to pick up the slack much like he did in NY. From all the reports I have come across, the two will be splitting carries. I can see Ward easily reaching 1000 yards (like in NY) and catching passes whilst Graham gets more of the goal-line touches and TDs.
Jim Day - FantasyFootballWhiz.com
I can't agree that Hightower-Wells is the biggest battle. It isn't a battle at all. Wells takes the job and the only thing that stops him is injury. To me one of the biggest camp battles is in Indianapolis for the #2 WR position. Most are assuming that 3rd-year WR Anthony Gonzalez will win that spot, but there has been a lot of talk out of OTAs that 2nd-year WR Pierre Garcon was outstanding and might battle Gonzalez for the spot. This is the battle that I will keep an eye on in training camp because whoever wins this race will be a very viable WR2-3.
Matt Schauf – RapidDraft.com
I like Garcon, but that's not a battle. Gonzalez is the No. 2 wideout in Indy. The battle in Colts camp is Brown-Addai for carries. Interesting potential battles at linebacker, too, for IDP folks. Keiaho could well be out of the lineup with Clint Session looking like a sleeper and even Philip Wheeler intriguing for deep leagues.
Jared Ferree – What’s Your Fantasy Podcast
I agree with the Wells - Hightower having the most affect on fantasy owners rosters, but agree with Taz, that I don't think it is much of a battle at all. I feel that Wells is the superior back and should get the starting gig and that the Cardinals didn't use a first round back as insurance for a guy who averaged less than three yards per carry - I am looking directly at you Hightower. I think Hill - Smith is interesting just because of how affective Hill was down the stretch of last season. Smith could put up really nice numbers on a week to week basis and be a very solid backup with upside. Personally, I could care less what happens in the Tampa Bay backfield because I think that team doesn't produce a solid fantasy option at any position this season - maybe TE, just because 600 yards and 5 TDs is good for a TE and that could be possible for Winslow. For some reason I just see all the carries in Tampa Bay getting split over a lot of different guys, limiting all of their potential. I kinda feel the same way about the situation in Baltimore - let someone else worry every week about whether McGahee (editor’s note – McGahee is already on the PUP as of 7/28/09) will get the most carries this week or will it be McClain, or will it be Rice, or will it be someone else. I don't want that headache every week.
Andrew Garda – ThunderingBlurb.com
I like two battles here - Shaun Hill/Alex Smith is an intriguing one with Frank Gore, Josh Morgan, Michael Crabtree and several other offensive weapons hindered or helped by the outcome. You got the sense early that the staff likes Hill who, as Jared mentioned, finished solid in 2008. But the overall franchise loves Smith and continues to back him strongly. Smith also looked a tad better towards the end of OTAs. This battle will be decided prior to the third preseason game and could make a difference for the fantasy value of several players. Of course, that's not even counting which of the two will actually start and be viable for your team.The Addai/Brown battle is also intriguing. Addai just can't stay healthy and we know Brown will be getting some of his carries even if Addai manages to stay healthy. The question becomes - how many carries will Brown get to start? My gut feeling is Brown will have the majority by mid-season, but a strong camp by him could start him off with a big enough chunk to obliterate most of Addai's already sinking value.
Josh Torrey – FantasyDC.com
I'm not sure that Crabtree & Morgan are really going directly at each other. But that’s beside the point; I don't think Crabtree contributes much this year either way. So this is not the biggest battle.I agree with other sentiments that Chris Wells should walk away with the Cardinals RB job easily. The Whiz is now back to HIS playbook and making the calls. He loved the Bus more than Parker (in Pittsburgh) and I think he'll fall in love with Chris Wells. Similarly, I'm not sure that the Shaun Hill battle is truly a battle either. Hill should also run away with this one as the PR for Alex Smith is in the dirt now. The 49ers are looking to make their move to Santa Clara and Smith is not the face they want going in. It’s better to struggle while looking like your searching for the answer (new coach, new QB) than struggling will refusing to admit past mistakes (drafting Alex Smith).Therefore the winner of this question is Mark Sanchez vs Kellen Clemens! I'm leaning towards Sanchez here. The guy has so much experience at this point against NFL caliber D (at USC) & then a brutal camp against NY (Rex Ryan's scheme). I think the guy could be more battle tested than the average Rookie QB. One COULD make the completely illogical argument that a great practice defense made Big Ben & Flacco the early successes that they are today. I won't. But I'm throwing it out there for people to laugh or get uptight about.
So there you have it, the opinions of some of the finest minds the Twitterverse has to offer. We’ll have another installment later this week and be on the lookout for many more all season long. Make sure you never miss another Twitter Roundtable by following @ FFroundtable on Twitter.
If you want to hear more of what all these people have to say, definitely check out the websites they work for – each has an incredible amount of very tight information.
Every opinion is another tool to give you an edge over the rest of your league.
Thanks to all those who contributed today – and those who are working hard for more great discussion coming your way soon!
Fantasy Football Roundtable!
Much thanks to alot of great people who made this article happen. For those of you who dont' know Andrew Garda (follow at @thunderingblurb on twitter) put this little project together, and invited me to participate. We should be coming out with these articles fairly regularly, and if you listen to our show, you will probably recognize Andrew, GBGinny, FantasyTaz, as well as myself. Hope you guys enjoy the articles and remember to check back often, as we should have a lot more of them up and posted next week. - Jared Ferree
Welcome to What's Your Fantasy!
Welcome to the official What's Your Fantasy Blog! This blog will be the visual portion of the What's Your Fantasy Radio Show on www.blogtalkradio.com/whatsyourfantasy, hosted by Jared Ferree & Raymond Summerlin. We will have articles up on here, Start/Sits, Waiver Wire Wonders, and links to other places you can find our articles as they appear online. We hope that you bookmark this page, and check back frequently for all your fantasy football needs.
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