Fantasy Football '09

[Doug5984]

So I started a discussion like this last year, but it was pretty late into the fantasy football drafting season- so I figured I'd get this one started early to get peoples thoughts through training camp. No one knows their teams better than the fans that follow them every day...

I'll start with the saints...
QB Drew Brees- Fantasy wise, gotta be top 3 on most peoples draft boards.

RB Reggie Bush- He will be a toss up again, like last year- he started the year great, and then injuries slowed him down. If he stays healthy he could be worthy of a late 1st round pick for RB.

RB Pierre Thomas- Breakout player. He is going to have a HUGE year in his year replacing Duece. Every time he has gotten a chance he has preformed. I'm not sure where he will fall on the draft boards, but keep an eye on him.

WR is really a log jam for the Saints, they have quite a few weapons and will spread the ball around like always. It's going to be hard to find the consistent player with Drew Brees, he can make any of our guys look like pro-bowlers on certain games. That said- Colston & Moore will be the best of the bunch.

WR Marques Colston - Will hopefully bounce back from a down year, an injury got him also... Might be able to get good value on him if people are scared away by his down performance last year.

WR Lance Moore - Will probably do just as good as last season. Only question is will he get as many looks with a healthy Colston.

TE Jeremy Shockey- he better improve on last year or he wont be around much longer.
------------

I will be making the trip to training camp a few times, keeping track on the saints message board, if someone sticks out as someone who could be a fantasy sleeper I'll update this thread.

[Mustang]

QB - Aaron Rodgers : As a first year starter, the biggest knock on Rodgers is that he had no 4th quarter comebacks. 4th quarter comebacks don't account for squat in fantasy football and I see no reason that he can't meet last years stats. Doubtful he will have too many 5 TD, 400 yd passing performances, but you could trot him out every week and expect a 275-2-1 performance.

RB - Ryan Grants : Slowed down by a holdout and then injuries, I'd expect to show improvement on the field from a consistency standpoint, but in the end, he is probably just a #2 RB or a steady, but unspectacular #1 if he starts getting some TDs. I'd probably think 1250 with 8 TDs this year. I'd watch the OL line though in spring training. Rather shaky right now so, if that situation doesn't sort itself out, I'd pass on him as a #1 option.

WR - Greg Jennings : You hear the talk about him being a notch below Fitzgerald and the other stud WRs, the stats tend to agree although, he had some clunker games (32,37,38, 22, 64). Just the nature of the Packers having alot of WRs so, I'd still tend to put him a notch below the elite WRs just given what the Packers do passing wise.

WR - Donald Driver - DD is getting older yet, still putting up stats respectible enough to be a viable WR on your team. I wouldn't throw him down as a #1 by any stretch (that is Jennings), but if you put him in the #2 slot depending on the matchup or #3.. you could do worse. He will still probably get his 1,000 yards, but this might be the last season for that.

WR - The Rest : Martin they like, but he is just a body. Nelson is more of a possession type receiver and Jones is coming back from an injury that plagued him last year. I think any of those guys has the potential to have huge games, but I think it will be hit or miss and guys you would draft to be #5 or #4 WRs at best and just see what happens. As is, Nelson or Jones probably would be in the 40-50 catch range with 500-600 yards.

TE - Nothing to inspire you other than J. Finley. The coaches love him up in GB. I could see him having some impact, but I wouldn't draft him to be a #1 right now, but if he wins the starting job, I'd take him as a #2 TE at this time. Might be 1 year too soon from a fantasy standpoint. Donald Lee is a #2 at best and at the end of the season, probably looking at a 350/5 line.

[stevew]

Steelers-
It's really hard to find anyone on the team with any kind of serious fantasy value.

I'd probably take Mendhenhall in the 5-6th round, although I have no idea how much PT he'll get. Parker is Parker. He might be a bit better than average this year, as it's a contract year.

Everyone says Santonio will break out, but I won't believe it till it happens. I think Ward will post similar numbers to last year, he gets a lot of red zone looks.

The defense should be very good w/ sacks and turnovers.

Reed is a solid kicker and doesn't miss much.


Honestly there's not many on the team worth playing in a regular week to week thing.

[PackerFanatic]

Originally Posted by Mustang

QB - Aaron Rodgers : As a first year starter, the biggest knock on Rodgers is that he had no 4th quarter comebacks. 4th quarter comebacks don't account for squat in fantasy football and I see no reason that he can't meet last years stats. Doubtful he will have too many 5 TD, 400 yd passing performances, but you could trot him out every week and expect a 275-2-1 performance.

RB - Ryan Grants : Slowed down by a holdout and then injuries, I'd expect to show improvement on the field from a consistency standpoint, but in the end, he is probably just a #2 RB or a steady, but unspectacular #1 if he starts getting some TDs. I'd probably think 1250 with 8 TDs this year. I'd watch the OL line though in spring training. Rather shaky right now so, if that situation doesn't sort itself out, I'd pass on him as a #1 option.

WR - Greg Jennings : You hear the talk about him being a notch below Fitzgerald and the other stud WRs, the stats tend to agree although, he had some clunker games (32,37,38, 22, 64). Just the nature of the Packers having alot of WRs so, I'd still tend to put him a notch below the elite WRs just given what the Packers do passing wise.

WR - Donald Driver - DD is getting older yet, still putting up stats respectible enough to be a viable WR on your team. I wouldn't throw him down as a #1 by any stretch (that is Jennings), but if you put him in the #2 slot depending on the matchup or #3.. you could do worse. He will still probably get his 1,000 yards, but this might be the last season for that.

WR - The Rest : Martin they like, but he is just a body. Nelson is more of a possession type receiver and Jones is coming back from an injury that plagued him last year. I think any of those guys has the potential to have huge games, but I think it will be hit or miss and guys you would draft to be #5 or #4 WRs at best and just see what happens. As is, Nelson or Jones probably would be in the 40-50 catch range with 500-600 yards.

TE - Nothing to inspire you other than J. Finley. The coaches love him up in GB. I could see him having some impact, but I wouldn't draft him to be a #1 right now, but if he wins the starting job, I'd take him as a #2 TE at this time. Might be 1 year too soon from a fantasy standpoint. Donald Lee is a #2 at best and at the end of the season, probably looking at a 350/5 line.

I think Brandon Jackson could be a decent sleeper here too. Despite the "lock" that Grant seems to have on that starting position, Jackson has played well when given the option, and there are plenty of guys (Wynn and Lumpkin) that can play as well, and if Grant stumbles, Jackson and the boys are going to be ready to pick up the scraps. I could see 500/4 for Jackson, potentially more if he is bumped up. Somebody to potentially look at to sit on your bench to start the year as he bides his time.

[DataKing]

Bears

QB - Jay Cutler: No doubt one of the biggest question marks going into this fantasy football season. How he does stat-wise this year will depend largely on how he jels with his new receivers (especially Hester) and if the o-line can keep him clean (dependent largely on Orlando Pace staying healthy). Will he put up better numbers than we're used to seeing from Bears quarterbacks? Without question. Will he put up 4500 yards and 25 TDs? Not a chance in hell...he has a defense now, so he doesn't need to chuck the ball 600 times.

RB - Matt Forte: I'm actually expecting Matt to benefit from the Cutler acquisition more than anybody else. Defenses are going to have to respect Jay's arm, which is going to open things up for Forte and the running game. Expect similar production this year (1200 yards rushing, 500 yards receiving, 12 total TDs) with fewer touches necessary to reach those numbers (379 total touches last year). My league is a keeper league, and Forte will be one of my keepers this season.

WR - Devin Hester: Though no one in the Bears front office has admitted it, I think the team has been following the Steve Smith mold with Hester's development. If that holds true, Hester's numbers could really explode this season. That is dependent, of course, on he and Jay getting on the same page rapidly. Pay very close attention to the Cutler/Hester connection in the pre-season.

WR - The Rest: Going into training camp, it's wide open as to who is going to line up opposite Hester. Rumor has it that Earl Bennett (a former teammate of Jay's at Vandy) has impressed in OTAs. But fantasy-wise, I doubt anyone will spend a pick on a Bears receiver not wearing #23.

TE - Greg Olsen: Olsen could be a good semi-sleeper pick. Cutler seemed fond of throwing to the tight ends in Denver, and Olsen has good receiver skills. He had 500 yards and 5 TDs last year, and I'm expecting him to exceed those numbers.

Overall, I think Bears players should be looked at as high-risk, high-reward possibilities this fantasy season. With the exception of Forte (who was Mr. consistent last year even when teams knew they would be running the ball), it all hinges on how Cutler does.

[Epi_862]

Originally Posted by PackerFanatic

I think Brandon Jackson could be a decent sleeper here too. Despite the "lock" that Grant seems to have on that starting position, Jackson has played well when given the option, and there are plenty of guys (Wynn and Lumpkin) that can play as well, and if Grant stumbles, Jackson and the boys are going to be ready to pick up the scraps. I could see 500/4 for Jackson, potentially more if he is bumped up. Somebody to potentially look at to sit on your bench to start the year as he bides his time.

Have to disagree with you there. Jackson is a potentially great 3rd down back, but not much else. At least not yet. He is not consistent between the tackles, and his 1st down running is still a question mark. A Green Bay version of reggie bush with less talent.

Then again, even as a rabid packer fan, i'd have to say he has a decent chance to bump Grant down the DC. Grant was really, really unspectacular last season, and he was really the only dysfunctional part of an otherwise great packer offense. And i really cant say it was the line or the injuries. Im more likely to say that it was the offense in 08 that gave Grant those great numbers. A Shaun Alexander situation, for lack of a better comparison.

But the one thing about Packers in any fantasy draft is Aaron Rodgers. The man is a great QB, on year one nevertheless. Watch the film. He will be a hall of famer when all is said and done. Hands down. He did wonders with an atrocious running game last season, and the only thing that kept him from a bigger spotlight was the fact that he wasnt technically a rookie.

Oh, by the way, if your in the same fantasy league as me: Im only kidding. The Packers SUCK, except for Grant, who will run 10000 miles this season. Thanks.

[Mustang]

Originally Posted by Epi_862

He will be a hall of famer when all is said and done. Hands down.

Jas, you are not allowed to have multiple ids.

[Epi_862]

Originally Posted by Mustang

Jas, you are not allowed to have multiple ids.

Dunno who Jas is, but if he shares my disturbingly biased views about GB, he's propably a good man.

Also, i guess this question goes well with this thread:

Im setting up a fantasy league with my teammates, what do you recommend? We did the nfl.com thing last year, but i'd like more out of the experience. And i definetly would like to choose linemen and defenders as well.

[Julio Riddols]

Cinci -

Carson Palmer - is supposedly back to 100% and "learned a lot" from film when he was injured last season. I would expect him to return to top ten fantasy form and be a solid start most weeks. With the defense as improved as it was last season even with one of the worst offenses in the league, I can't see a reason why he will not have his best year since 05. My prediction: Palmer flirts with 4000 yards and 30 tds while keeping his picks lower than 15.

Chad Ochocinco - Much has been made of his antics, but when Marvin Lewis says Chad came to camp in better shape than he has been (and he doesn;t give compliments like that to Chad often) then it sounds like we have a hungry WR on our hands. I expect him to surprise a lot of people with a return to his old form after shaking off the rust in the preseason and maybe an early game or two. I say somewhere in the vicinity of 1200 yards and 10 tds.

Chris Henry- Can be a TD machine and has clearly cleaned up his image recently. Word is he is a bookworm and has been studying and practicing at a level not previously seen from him. He was a TD machine in his early career and should account for about 500 yards and another 5 to 7 TD this season.

Laveranues Coles - Coles comes with a known history of being a solid performer and should be just as much of a threat as T.J. was before he left for Seattle this offseason. I tend to think Coles compliments Johnson a bit better than Housh and should wind up with his typical year once he hits his stride with the offense. I'd predict about 800-900 yards and 4-5 tds.

Cedric Benson - The way Benson hit holes last season and still made hay late in the year with 8-9 men in the box, he should be a likely candidate to break out as well. With the addition of a run blocker like Andre Smith and the return of the passing game, I expect Benson to turn some heads and hit about 1200 yards at 4.0-4.3 a clip with probably 8-10 tds.

TE Chase Coffman/Ben Utecht - Utecht was a complete waste last season after signing a pretty big deal to come over from Indy. I just don;t see him being the 40 catch-5-6 TD type, and Coffman should be biting his playing time away before the season ends. I like coffman as a receiver, he was killer there in college, but I think it takes him a year or two before he really starts to do anything.

To sum it up, I think almost all the Bengals can be had as bargains in most leagues after the year they had last year, but with the way the defense played (ranked 12th for gods sake. the BENGALS ranked 12th!) and the return of Palmer and a hungry Ochicinco that seems to be trying to quiet some critics (including hiimself), I can't see the Bengals being even remotely as bad as they were last season.

For the defense, if they stay healthy, Cinci is actually a top ten D IMO. Zimmer has finally brought an aggressive scheme that works to a place known for its sissy style of "sit back and let em beat you" defense. I will be trying to pick most of these guys in the leagues I am in, because I think they'll all be able to be had a round or two later than usual.

[CleBrownsfan]

Browns:

Ummmm - everyone sucks and I there is not one player who I would have on my fatnasy team!

[Mustang]

Originally Posted by Epi_862

Dunno who Jas is, but if he shares my disturbingly biased views about GB, he's propably a good man.

He does although his biased views vary wildly from down to down during the game.

[PackerFanatic]

Originally Posted by Epi_862

Im setting up a fantasy league with my teammates, what do you recommend? We did the nfl.com thing last year, but i'd like more out of the experience. And i definetly would like to choose linemen and defenders as well.

My league moved from Yahoo (which is solid) to ESPN, which I liked a little bit better. My recommendation would be one of those two.

[Samdari]

Originally Posted by Epi_862

Im setting up a fantasy league with my teammates, what do you recommend? We did the nfl.com thing last year, but i'd like more out of the experience. And i definetly would like to choose linemen and defenders as well.

http://dynasty.efsports.com/efs/efsfa_index.jsp

Its expensive, but the best in depth fantasy football around.

[LastWhiteSoxFanStanding]

One of the things that killed me last year was not knowing which RBs were carrying the load and which ones were in a 60/40 type situation. Or as Baltimore was 33/33/33. Can anybody come up with a list or link me to a site which lays out what situation each rb is in? Thanks!

[rowech]

Bengals --

I think there's risk with every single pick you could make in a fantasy league.

Palmer -- still a top 10 QB in my opinion. He's supposedly healthy but the O-Line in front of him as some real concerns in my opinion. Assuming he makes it through the season and the line is at least average, I think he's good for 3000 yards and 25 TDs.

Benson -- I think he's going to have a good season. He was looking really good at the end of last season...had some explosiveness through the line. Not super fast once he gets to the second level so not a lot of big runs but I don't think 1000 yards and 8-10 TDs is out of the question.

Johnson/Coles/Henry -- You take a risk with everyone of these guys. I think this is Chad Johnson's make or break year. If he doesn't do something this year, he will be out of the league within two seasons. Coles I think will be consistent but not a massive amount of production. I think Henry could be very good. He seems to have things going in the right direction so if he can get some catches he could have a nice season.

TE/Backup RB -- Just move along to another team

Defense -- I might be nuts but I really think they're a top 10 defense in terms of yards/points. I don't think they're going to get a lot of sacks but I do think you're going to see them cause a lot of turnovers. They played much better than you might think last year as they just gave up a lot of plays on third down. I really expect with Rivers back and Magelula (spelling) playing in the linebackers you'll see some improvement all around. If they get any kind of pass rush, they'll be one of the league's top defenses. And yes...I totally believe this.

[Doug5984]

I was thinking Benson could be a nice sleeper pick, a solid backup RB- could turn out to be good.

Saints updates...
Reggie & Pierre still splitting time, I really have a good feeling about Pierre Thomas though, and Bush will get a lot of points from receiving.

WRs- Colston is looking great in camp, Moore is still rehabing but will be fine.
Meachem has looked great, and could take some catches away from Devery, but I would be cautious drafting anyone besides Colston & Moore- they will have huge games, and games where they don't get a look.

Shockey- who knows, I hope he can make it happen this year.

[Doug5984]

After last nights game I'd have to say things look good for Shockey, Meachem looked great as well, although I have a hard with Saints receivers simply because of the way Brees spreads the ball around.
That being said, I would def move those 2 up on my list a little. Move Lance Moore down a hair, and drop Devery some as well.

[Doug5984]

Dola-
Want to get others opinions on my QB rankings I did on a flight the other day...

1. Drew Brees - NO
2. Tom Brady - NE
3. Peyton Manning - IND
4. Aaron Rogers - GB
5. Phillip Rivers - SD
6. Tony Romo - DAL
7. Donovan McNabb - PHI
8. Matt Cassell - KC
9. Matt Schaub - HOU
10. Carson Palmer - CIN
11. Kurt Warner - ARI (I know this is low for him, and might move him back up, his past tells me he will get injured though)
12. Jay Cutler - CHI
13. Ben Rothlesburger - PIT
14. Matt Ryan - ATL
15. Kyle Orton - CHI (Might drop him some after last nights performance)
16. Eli Manning - NYG (I think he needs to be higher)
17. Trent Edwards - BUF (He is a sleeper pick for me, I think I'm going to move him up a good bit- I really think adding TO will help the offense put up stats)
18. Matt Hasselbeck - SEA
19. Jason Campbell - WAS
20. Kerry Colilns - TEN
21. Joe Flacco - BAL
22. Jake Delhomme - CAR
23. Marc Bulger - STL
24. Shaun Hill - SF
25. David Garrard - JAC
26. Sage Rosenfels - MIN (If he wins the job)
27. Chad Pennington - MIA
28. Brady Quinn - CLE
29. JaMarcus Russell - OAK
30. Mark Sanchez - NYJ
31. Mathew Stafford - DET
32. Whoever ends up starting in T-Bay

[DanGarion]

Looking for some input.

I have 4 possibly great RBs and only 3 spots to keep for them (keeper league)

Clinton Portis
Chris Johnson
Ronnie Brown
Kevin Smith

I'm contemplating letting Portis go since he has the most question marks with 2000 plus carries and the most carries in the last 2 years. Johnson is a no brainer. Brown played awesome after his ACL repair. Smith is a wildcard with hopefully an improving Lions team. So what do you guys think?

My other keepers at Drew Brees and Roddy White (don't really have much more in the WR that I'm confident enough to keep compared to my three RBs (D. Jackson, B. Edwards, M. Clayton, and M. Jenkins). I can pick up at least 1 good WR in my first round (10th pick).

[rowech]

Originally Posted by DanGarion

Looking for some input.

I have 4 possibly great RBs and only 3 spots to keep for them (keeper league)

Clinton Portis
Chris Johnson
Ronnie Brown
Kevin Smith

I'm contemplating letting Portis go since he has the most question marks with 2000 plus carries and the most carries in the last 2 years. Johnson is a no brainer. Brown played awesome after his ACL repair. Smith is a wildcard with hopefully an improving Lions team. So what do you guys think?

My other keepers at Drew Brees and Roddy White (don't really have much more in the WR that I'm confident enough to keep compared to my three RBs (D. Jackson, B. Edwards, M. Clayton, and M. Jenkins). I can pick up at least 1 good WR in my first round (10th pick).

I'd keep Chris Johnson and Kevin Smith. Tough call for your last spot. I think I'd probably go with Ronnie Brown...less miles.

[DanGarion]

Originally Posted by rowech

I'd keep Chris Johnson and Kevin Smith. Tough call for your last spot. I think I'd probably go with Ronnie Brown...less miles.

Exactly, I was just about ready to toss Smith or Brown till I rethought my keeping of Portis, I'd much rather keep the fresh legs then a guy that has been WAY overused.

[Racer]

Update: For anyone who looks for sleepers in the later rounds, Oakland WR Chaz Schilens broke his foot today and is expected to be out 6-8 weeks now.

[Doug5984]

Originally Posted by Racer

Update: For anyone who looks for sleepers in the later rounds, Oakland WR Chaz Schilens broke his foot today and is expected to be out 6-8 weeks now.

Who are the WRs in Oakland? Fantasy wise- any worth anything, meaning do they split the catches evenly so no one worth it?

[Racer]

Originally Posted by Doug5984

Who are the WRs in Oakland? Fantasy wise- any worth anything, meaning do they split the catches evenly so no one worth it?

I'm not a Raiders fan, but I haven't seen any other Raider WR hyped up around the web (like Chaz seemed to be recently).

[Ronnie Dobbs2]

Am I crazy for considering Tomlinson at 2 in a PPR league?

[DataKing]

Originally Posted by Ronnie Dobbs2

Am I crazy for considering Tomlinson at 2 in a PPR league?

Westbrook over Tomlinson in a PPR I'd think.

[Doug5984]

So does anyone have fantasy players entered into an excel sheet, I can't seem to find anything on the internet and think I'm going to just have to do it myself tonight. Once I do I will post on google docs so others can download and make changes.

What I'm thinking is Column A = Ranking (1 - xx), B = Name, C = Team, D = Bye, E = + or - (rising or falling)... F = Any notes I want to add

[DanGarion]

Originally Posted by Doug5984

So does anyone have fantasy players entered into an excel sheet, I can't seem to find anything on the internet and think I'm going to just have to do it myself tonight. Once I do I will post on google docs so others can download and make changes.

What I'm thinking is Column A = Ranking (1 - xx), B = Name, C = Team, D = Bye, E = + or - (rising or falling)... F = Any notes I want to add

Can't find anything off a first look but this site helped me a bunch in my baseball league...
Fantasy Football Forums - Fantasy Football Cafe 2009

[Danny]

Originally Posted by Doug5984

Who are the WRs in Oakland? Fantasy wise- any worth anything, meaning do they split the catches evenly so no one worth it?

J Lee Higgins, Heyward-Bey, J Walker and L Murphy. The only Oakland WR I would have went after was Schilens, but I think TE Miller is a solid choice and if I had to pick one of the WR it would be Higgins since he should be guaranteed the slot role.

[Doug5984]

Originally Posted by DanGarion

Can't find anything off a first look but this site helped me a bunch in my baseball league...
Fantasy Football Forums - Fantasy Football Cafe 2009

I actually stumbled across that just now.
I found a website that lets you export the top 250 players. I'll do that once I get home. Once I get that though I can use different formulas and such to break it out by position, change them up, do all the stuff I want to do.

[MikeVic]

Originally Posted by Doug5984

I actually stumbled across that just now.
I found a website that lets you export the top 250 players. I'll do that once I get home. Once I get that though I can use different formulas and such to break it out by position, change them up, do all the stuff I want to do.

If you have a list of the top players by position, could you post that as a Google Doc or something? I could use something like that for a league I'm helping run right now.

[Doug5984]

yeah, I've done QBs, RBs, WRs & TEs grouped together (thats how my league is run- you can sort them out)... haven't formatted or done the Kickers, or Ds, yet but I'll post it.

[Doug5984]

Welcome to Google Docs

I have also not changed the overall yet, that is something I pulled off the web with a few different rankings you can sort by.

the QB, RB & WR ones are done by me, so there might be a few in there that make you raise an eyebrow, but those are just my thoughts.

Feel free to download, edit, share it, do whatever you want. And I'd love to hear others thoughts on my rankings.

[Mustang]

Originally Posted by Mustang

TE - Nothing to inspire you other than J. Finley. The coaches love him up in GB. I could see him having some impact, but I wouldn't draft him to be a #1 right now, but if he wins the starting job, I'd take him as a #2 TE at this time. Might be 1 year too soon from a fantasy standpoint. Donald Lee is a #2 at best and at the end of the season, probably looking at a 350/5 line.

Based on early returns of preseason, I'd be moving J. Finley up your TE charts. I wouldn't take him as a #1 TE (unless you were in a 12-14 team league), but I'd definitely take him as a #2 before some guys that are starting TEs and definitely take him in keeper leagues.

[RainMaker]

Originally Posted by DataKing

Bears

QB - Jay Cutler: No doubt one of the biggest question marks going into this fantasy football season. How he does stat-wise this year will depend largely on how he jels with his new receivers (especially Hester) and if the o-line can keep him clean (dependent largely on Orlando Pace staying healthy). Will he put up better numbers than we're used to seeing from Bears quarterbacks? Without question. Will he put up 4500 yards and 25 TDs? Not a chance in hell...he has a defense now, so he doesn't need to chuck the ball 600 times.

4500 yards seems a stretch to me. Especially since they have a solid running game and won't be playing from behind a ton. I think 4,000 is a good goal with around 25 TD passes.

Originally Posted by DataKing

RB - Matt Forte: I'm actually expecting Matt to benefit from the Cutler acquisition more than anybody else. Defenses are going to have to respect Jay's arm, which is going to open things up for Forte and the running game. Expect similar production this year (1200 yards rushing, 500 yards receiving, 12 total TDs) with fewer touches necessary to reach those numbers (379 total touches last year). My league is a keeper league, and Forte will be one of my keepers this season.

I think he's going to have a big year this year. I'm expecting around 1800 yards of total offense. Kevin Jones looks like shit as the backup and Forte is just such a smooth runner. Reminds me a lot of Robert Smith from Minnesota back in the day.

Originally Posted by DataKing

WR - Devin Hester: Though no one in the Bears front office has admitted it, I think the team has been following the Steve Smith mold with Hester's development. If that holds true, Hester's numbers could really explode this season. That is dependent, of course, on he and Jay getting on the same page rapidly. Pay very close attention to the Cutler/Hester connection in the pre-season.

I disagree heavily with this one. Hester sucks as a WR. He is just too stupid to learn the routes. He also doesn't have that ball hawking instinct that Steve Smith has.

Tonight was a great example of why Hester sucks. First, on a 3rd and long in Giant territory he runs the wrong route but was open. Later in the game he completely misjudges a deep ball by Cutler that would have been a 91 yard TD reception. He also didn't do much last week to breakup an interception. I think Cutler loses confidence early in this guy. He's a 50-60 catch guy who will get you maybe 5 TDs this year. I'd be surprised if he put up 800 yards, he's just too stupid.

His role should be as a slot receiver. Similar to the role that Wes Welker has in New England or how Atlanta used Eric Metcalf back in the day. You have him on the field for 15-20 plays a game and that's it. Let him focus on returning kicks. Somehow though the Bears have this idea he can be a receiver. He doesn't have that natural instinct and is too stupid to learn an offense.

Originally Posted by DataKing

WR - The Rest: Going into training camp, it's wide open as to who is going to line up opposite Hester. Rumor has it that Earl Bennett (a former teammate of Jay's at Vandy) has impressed in OTAs. But fantasy-wise, I doubt anyone will spend a pick on a Bears receiver not wearing #23.

Bennett has been real impressive. Reports are that Jay likes him a lot and they looked in sync in the preseason game. I think he could be a 70 catch, 1000 yard, 8 TD guy this year. Probably good enough to be a 3rd WR on your fantasy team with the potential upside of being a 2nd.

Originally Posted by DataKing

TE - Greg Olsen: Olsen could be a good semi-sleeper pick. Cutler seemed fond of throwing to the tight ends in Denver, and Olsen has good receiver skills. He had 500 yards and 5 TDs last year, and I'm expecting him to exceed those numbers.

He is finally a starter so I think his numbers will dramatically go up. The talk at training camp was that him and Cutler were really tearing it up. The preseason game tonight showed that the Bears love splitting him up and creating mismatches with him. I think he's going to be a top 3 fantasy TE this year if he stays healthy. The passing game is almost built around him.

[Mustang]

I get the feeling Rainmaker thinks Hester is stupid.

[RainMaker]

He is Forrest Gump.

[CleBrownsfan]

any good fantasy football podcast worth listening to?

[Doug5984]

What is going on at RB in Arizona, I see Tim Hightower falling down the draft boards, while Chris Wells goes up, last I heard Wells was hurt, and Hightower wasn't bad last year- am I missing something?

Same for New England- what is going on at RB over there, I picked up Fred Taylor late- but its such a crap shoot I might cut him after week 1 and pick up someone else who sees consistent carries.

[dervack]

I thought I saw someone post recently of a fantasy site that allows you to play multiple games per week. A quick search and I couldn't fine it. Am I hallucinating?

[JAG]

Cowboys

QB: Romo seemed to acknowledge a lot of the criticism leveled towards him last season and is looking to cut down on the turnovers this season by doing more checking down and going for safer passes. From a fantasy perspective, I would expect less yards and TDs than previous seasons (and fewer INTs), and there are some good defenses he has to play in the NFC East, but will still be productive enough to make him a top 5-10 #1 QB. Kitna has looked pretty dismal as a backup this preseason.

RB: Marion Barber III and Felix Jones should be productive in the offense. Wade Phillips is on record saying he wants to run more than previous seasons and Romo is likely to throw more passes to them than in the past as well. If Felix Jones stays healthy, he will probably do better than his projections as he seems to be good for at least one big play a game. If either of these guys gets injured, 3rd RB Tashard Choice will probably be a productive pickup. Keep an eye on the health of the OL. They get back a starting G who was out most of last season, but the depth is shaky. If there's an injury or two, the production could go down considerably.

WR: Roy Williams is the clear #1 WR on the team. He was terrible last season, but has looked pretty solid in camp and supposedly put in some good work during the offseason to try and shed the 'what a stupid trade' talk. I would guess he'll have the 2nd most productive season of his career because he has a better QB throwing to him than he had in Detroit and because there's not a lot else for Dallas at the WR position. Miles Austin had been the talk as a breakout player coming into camp, but he hasn't shown it and Patrick Crayton fairly easily won the #2 WR position. Sam Hurd (#4 WR) has probably outplayed Austin as well. I wouldn't expect much production from this group other than Roy Williams.

TE: Jason Witten could be considered the top fantasy TE (and possible top real TE too). He's been pretty consistent over the seasons. A sleeper to keep in mind (depending on how deep your league): Martellus Bennett has been playing really well in camp and towards the second half of last season was starting to become a red zone threat. Dallas might opt to use a lot of 2 TE formations this season because of the lack of talent at WR. If Witten gets hurt for an extended period of time, I'd recommend picking him up.

Defense/ST: The short version is, if Ware gets hurt, drop them immediately. He and Jay Ratliff are the only consistent pass rushers on the team. They will probably force more turnovers than last season but the team sack totals will probably come down. Crayton will probably returns punts and he is not a big play threat at all. The KR might be able to get a decent return or two. They spent a lot of time working on ST during camp and drafted a lot of rookies to help out with special teams, but the results have been unimpressive thusfar. For combined defense / ST, somewhere around #10-15 is probably a fair ranking, which puts them as a borderline #1 defense / solid #2 defense.

[Ronnie Dobbs2]

I'm looking for some trade advice (and rather than start a new thread thought we could also use this for advice).

I drafted Clinton Portis with the 23rd pick, and pretty much immediately had buyer's remorse. I picked up Betts as a handcuff but still am a little worried.

I've got a trade offer out there from another team:

Portis/Celek for A.Gates/L.Moore

Is this a terrible trade? It seems Portis is a lot to give up here, but what do you all think? Can anyone talk me off the ledge?

[DataKing]

I'm not necessarily going to talk you off the ledge, but I'd suggest bearing in mind that Washington has a pretty soft schedule when it comes to run defenses. Sure they have to face the Giants twice, but the Eagles' and Cowboys' run defenses don't scare me. Their other opponents up to/including week 14? Rams, Lions, Bucs, Panthers, Chiefs, Falcons, Broncos, Saints, and Raiders. There's a lot of teams that can be run on in that list.

[Samdari]

Originally Posted by dervack

I thought I saw someone post recently of a fantasy site that allows you to play multiple games per week. A quick search and I couldn't fine it. Am I hallucinating?

CBS sportsline's commissioner product allows the commish to setup any schedule he wants, including multiple games. I thought that many of the paid products did this?

[Doug5984]

Originally Posted by Ronnie Dobbs2

I'm looking for some trade advice (and rather than start a new thread thought we could also use this for advice).

I drafted Clinton Portis with the 23rd pick, and pretty much immediately had buyer's remorse. I picked up Betts as a handcuff but still am a little worried.

I've got a trade offer out there from another team:

Portis/Celek for A.Gates/L.Moore

Is this a terrible trade? It seems Portis is a lot to give up here, but what do you all think? Can anyone talk me off the ledge?

I would be very weary of Lance Moore this year, Drew Brees spreads the ball around so much- the reason he did so well last year was Colston was hurt. I'd expect his fantasy value to take a good hit this year.

[Ronnie Dobbs2]

I agree fully about Moore, he would have been a depth pickup.

I've decided that's not the deal for me, though I am open to dealing Portis in general. I have a sinking feeling this is the year his wheels fall off.

[Samdari]

Originally Posted by Ronnie Dobbs2

I drafted Clinton Portis with the 23rd pick, and pretty much immediately had buyer's remorse.

Dear God, why?

He's a stud, and he's a stud every year. He's in the top 10 RBs every year. Getting him at 23 is a steal. He's going to outscore 5 or 6 RBs who went ahead of him.

[Ronnie Dobbs2]

The miles on him, mainly. Although he is younger than I would have guessed (only 28 - seems like he's been in the NFL forever).

[Samdari]

Yeah, he's had a lot of carries. And TDs are not exactly studly with the skins.

Still, trading him for a #3/4 WR and a TE is probably a little bit of an overreaction to what might happen.

[Mustang]

Since fantasy playoffs are starting now, a look back at my comments.

Originally Posted by Mustang

QB - Aaron Rodgers : As a first year starter, the biggest knock on Rodgers is that he had no 4th quarter comebacks. 4th quarter comebacks don't account for squat in fantasy football and I see no reason that he can't meet last years stats. Doubtful he will have too many 5 TD, 400 yd passing performances, but you could trot him out every week and expect a 275-2-1 performance.

Pretty much accurate. The running aspect adds to your fantasy totals.

Originally Posted by Mustang

RB - Ryan Grants : Slowed down by a holdout and then injuries, I'd expect to show improvement on the field from a consistency standpoint, but in the end, he is probably just a #2 RB or a steady, but unspectacular #1 if he starts getting some TDs. I'd probably think 1250 with 8 TDs this year. I'd watch the OL line though in spring training. Rather shaky right now so, if that situation doesn't sort itself out, I'd pass on him as a #1 option.

Pretty much accurate again. Grant is on that 1250/8 pace. Guess I didn't know how right I was about that OL line being shaky.

Originally Posted by Mustang

WR - Greg Jennings : You hear the talk about him being a notch below Fitzgerald and the other stud WRs, the stats tend to agree although, he had some clunker games (32,37,38, 22, 64). Just the nature of the Packers having alot of WRs so, I'd still tend to put him a notch below the elite WRs just given what the Packers do passing wise.

WR - Donald Driver - DD is getting older yet, still putting up stats respectible enough to be a viable WR on your team. I wouldn't throw him down as a #1 by any stretch (that is Jennings), but if you put him in the #2 slot depending on the matchup or #3.. you could do worse. He will still probably get his 1,000 yards, but this might be the last season for that.

WR - The Rest : Martin they like, but he is just a body. Nelson is more of a possession type receiver and Jones is coming back from an injury that plagued him last year. I think any of those guys has the potential to have huge games, but I think it will be hit or miss and guys you would draft to be #5 or #4 WRs at best and just see what happens. As is, Nelson or Jones probably would be in the 40-50 catch range with 500-600 yards.

Driver has been a viable #2 or 3 WR in most leagues. He is on pace for his 1,000 yards. I was off on Jennings. He is not performing like a #1 WR at all. Hopefully you didn't spend too high of a pick on him.

I knew one of the WRs would be the #3 guy, but I should have said 35-40 and 400-500 yards. Nelson missed around 4 weeks in the season. Regardless, probably should have avoided both unless it was a very deep league.

Originally Posted by Mustang

TE - Nothing to inspire you other than J. Finley. The coaches love him up in GB. I could see him having some impact, but I wouldn't draft him to be a #1 right now, but if he wins the starting job, I'd take him as a #2 TE at this time. Might be 1 year too soon from a fantasy standpoint. Donald Lee is a #2 at best and at the end of the season, probably looking at a 350/5 line.

Hopefully you grabbed Finley especially in keeper leagues. Easy top 10 TE pick next year. Was right on Lee yardage wise although, expected a few more TDs in the red zone.