Fantasy Football Tonight 7/30

FANTASY FOOTBALL SEARCH HITS THE ROAD

The first of several trips planned this month begins tomorrow as I catch an early morning flight to the lovely state of Minnesota. Unfortunately, I will not be able to tour all 10,000 lakes during this weekend visit as duty does call. First, a brief fan convention at the Mystic Lake Indian Casino followed by what will be my final trip to the Metrodome, at least for a baseball game as the Twins take on the Angels. I will be present and sitting in the left field home run seats. I'd love for any and all our loyal readers from the Minneapolis area to come out and hang out with me and my crew for a little boy's night out.

If your from western Minnesota or Northern Iowa, come out and hang with us on Saturday as we take in the Vikings second day of training camp in Mankato, MN. It's about a 2 hour drive from Minneapolis but such a quiet and peaceful place to spend a weekend and watch Tarvaris Jackson and Sage Rosenfels begin their battle to be the Vikings starting QB. If you are going to be in the area or have any questions or a situation you'd like me to cover and talk about just email me at thefantasyscout@gmail.com.


U GOTTA WATCH THIS

Bengals WR Chad Ochocinco is at it again. He seems to have developed quite a fascination with technology this offseason as he's hyped up his Myspace page, has threatened to Twitter during games and is now broadcasting live via UCaster during his down time in camp. Check out this bizarre yet strangely hypnotic feed from Ochocinco himself.


SEATTLE RB UPDATE

Seahawks coaches confirmed today that the current plan is to use Julius Jones in a feature role this season while T.J. Duckett will be their short yardage specialist. My sources have indicated that Justin Forsett was the best player on the field at times this summer excelling in the new zone blocking scheme the Seahawks are now running. Jones is still the best RB to own here and he should be considered a big sleeper candidate for this season.



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Fantasy Football Tonight 7/29

ATTENTION:

Those of you who have already purchased the Fantasy Football Search Season Ticket, which includes both the Draft Kit and the Season Pass, be sure to check out my new Training Camp Blog. I am blogging all day long on anything and everything that is happening at training camp this summer. I'll capture every holdout, cut, injury, depth chart change, player performance, coaching meltdown, PUP list move and everything else that goes on in camp right there in our absolutely wonderful Season Ticket.


AN EXAMPLE

The Training Camp Blog will be full of useful information as well as breaking news. Such as this tidbit I just received from my boys out East. The Jets brass have decided to try out some veteran WR's in the next couple of days. They are currently finalizing a list of candidates who they'd like to bring in and see what they can do. The short list includes former Giants WR Amani Toomer and former Jaguars WR Matt Jones. They also remain very interested in Plaxico Burress apparently as they have inquired with their own legal team to determine the likely outcome for Burress and his grand jury testimony. They are expecting to know more about Burress' situation soon and will likely wait on holding an open workout until there is some kind of movement on that front.

ISN'T THAT SPECIAL

San Diego head coach Norv Turner announced that RB Darren Sproles main focus will be on special teams this year. Turner says that while the team will pick its spots to use Sproles on offense this season, he will be most useful as a return specialist. He went on to add that Jacob Hester may see some short yardage opportunities in addition to his lead blocker role and that he is excited about seeing what rookie RB Gartrell Johnson can do. Sproles is too tiny to be considered in a feature back role so please dash any ideas you had about him splitting carries whatsoever with LT this year. Sproles is barely draftable in my opinion so please don't waste your time taking him in your draft unless of course you already have LT and it is late in your draft.


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Fantasy Football Tonight 7/28

SAY WHAT?

OK, so I was the one screaming from the rooftops that Favre to signing in Minnesota was a done deal and now it has been confirmed that he is indeed staying retired. What gives? Let me break it down like this. We are all smart enough to know that Favre and the Vikings had an agreement in place, which I have been told included a 1 year contract that was heavy on team related incentives, right? The answer is yes. So then, what happened to cause Favre to second guess a return to the NFL?

The answer to that question is very simple. His body just wasn't performing nor recovering as it has all these many years. I spoke with multiple people who have been present at his Oak Grove High School work outs who were not completely sold on his arm strength. The reports I got were that he came out of the gate firing missiles and wowing the large gathering who came out to witness him on his comeback journey. But as the practices wore on there was a noticeable drop in his velocity and even a few terribly under thrown deep balls none of which I notice were featured on the ESPN "what is Brett doing today" updates. His arm just isn't ready to take on all the torture that is an NFL training camp and regular season. Thus is why we are hearing he hasn't "officially" ruled out a return at a later point this season. You see, the guy wants to play football. He just knows that at this point his body isn't as convinced. In addition to the shoulder surgery he underwent in June, Favre's knee and both ankles have also reportedly been bothering him. The ole' gray mare just ain't what he used to be.

You may remember that a few weeks back in this very blog, I predicted that Favre would indeed return to the Vikings and that he would eventually be injured and bailed out by Sage Rosenfels. Well, the reasons for my prediction I must now admit were indeed from the reports that I had heard on Favre's workouts in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. I just thought that there was no way that he would get it through his ever graying head that his body was not going to support another return. I was wrong.


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BREAKING NEWS: FAVRE STAYS RETIRED

This is a great surprise to me. The only word I have heard thus far is that everybody in the industry is quite stunned. The universal feeling at this point is that he has been having more trouble with the shoulder that was let on. People I have talked to who watched him throw down in Mississippi the past few weeks say that while he did have zip on his first few passes, he seemed to ease up quite a bit and was floating passes by the end of the workout. Either way, it is officially on with my love for Sage Rosenfels. I felt he would eventually sub for Favre once he got injured this year anyways so he remains a fantasy sleeper on my board.


For more on this story, visit our Headlines blog:

http://www.fantasyfootballsearch.com/headlines/headlines.html

Fantasy Football Tonight 7/27

The final training camp preview. Be sure to purchase a draft kit and get all of my training camp updates, injury updates and inside scoop.

NFC WEST

ARIZONA CARDINALS

I am all over Matt Leinart this year. He has really grown up this offseason and is at a point in his life where he has the eye of the tiger. Lucky for him Kurt Warner is made of glass and will certainly not make it through the entire season again. Warner will get hurt, most likely on his balky right thumb and he'll miss some starts. Leinart looks to me like a guy who is about to seize an opportunity and run like hell with it. This year is the year he begins his reign as the Cardinals starting QB. It may take a few weeks into the regular season but it will happen. Trust me.

SAN FRANCISCO 49'ERS

The best part of 49'ers camp this year is that it will be a throwback. These guys are going to run, run, run and take the long road on each and every drill until the get it right. There will be complaints, players going to the union even but it won't matter. Head coach Mike Singletary is running this show his way and the team is going to be so much better off for it. I expect the 49'ers to simply outwork teams this year in route to a surprisingly good record. Everybody on the roster is going to be needed to contribute and so the fantasy numbers are sure to be spread around a bit. But you can bet that Frank Gore will get a ton of carries and that there won't be much specialization as far as goal line carries, third down backs and stuff like that. I think that rookie RB Glen Coffee will also play a role before all is said and done. If you want to see old school power football, it will be on display this year in San Francisco.

SEATTLE SEAHAWKS

Anybody interested in the Seattle Seahawks must have all eyes fixed on Matt Hasselbeck this summer. He is coming off major back issues and has dropped some weight and in the best shape of his career. But, if that back starts acting up again this could signal the end of the road for Mr. Hasselbeck and it isn't pretty for the Seahawks after that. Seneca Wallace is just not an NFL QB no matter how many random good weeks he put up last year. Mike Teel is a project and needs time to develop so if Hasselbeck does in fact go down, so will the Seattle offense.

ST. LOUIS RAMS

This will be Kyle Boller's team by week 6 of the regular season. Marc Bulger was perfect for the Mike Martz quick strike timing offense but is out of his element trying to run these standard 5-7 step drops all the time. Bulger was a system QB and you have to understand that in order to stay the heck away from him at your draft. I do think that with the improvements made on the offensive line, a healthy Steven Jackson and Kyle Boller under center that the Rams could post some above average fantasy numbers in '09.

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Fantasy Football Tonight 7/26

My training camp preview continues with the...

NFC SOUTH

ATLANTA FALCONS

I'm interested to see if the Falcons can do it again. I like Matt Ryan, Michael Turner and Roddy White and the addition of Tony Gonzalez gives the offense another viable weapon. But I'm not sold on the offensive or defensive lines and the secondary is mediocre at best. The Falcons are going to be facing better teams on this years schedule and will have to improve themselves if they want to get back into the playoffs. All the talk is about how they'll take some stress off of Michael Turner's legs this year but that will come at a cost. Turner will still be a good fantasy RB for sure, but the less carries he receives will impact his overall numbers for sure. Last season they took teams by surprise. This year everybody is going to come ready and with a detailed plan of how they want to stop Turner and confuse Matt Ryan. Here's hoping head coach Mike Smith has some new tricks in mind for the new season.

CAROLINA PANTHERS

The RB situation in Carolina is perhaps the deepest and most talented in the NFL but also quite an unknown for us fantasy fanatics. There's no doubt that DeAngelo Williams will be a first round pick in most leagues this year. But, for those making that selection I beg you to not wait very long in selecting Jonathen Stewart to complete this arrangement. I am talking about 4th round or so guys. Do not even think about waiting on this handcuff because Stewart will be off the board very early himself. If you don't like the idea of taking Stewart that early then please do not make the DeAngelo Williams pick in the first place. The ideal situation is for one of these players to establish themselves in the preseason and that is what we all will be looking for I'm sure. But I don't expect that to happen unless there is an injury to one of these guys.

NEW ORLEANS SAINTS

I got my eyes on Robert Meachem this year. I am worried about the health of Marques Colston going into training camp this year. Meachem is a guy that I've watched closely in his first two years in the league. He was taken by the Saints in the first round of the 2007 draft but has yet to make much of a contribution. He showed some flashes last season, especially on deeper routes. This season I think he will take a giant leap up and could wind up being the best fantasy WR on the Saints. No, this has nothing to do with it being his third year in the league and how dare you ask such a question? That third year WR rule is as ridiculous as those guys in Hangover stealing Mike Tyson's tiger. I know that many of you will go out and draft Lance Moore in the 6th round this year but that will be a mistake. Meachem is the WR on the Saints that you want on your team this year and you will be able to get him anywhere past the 10th round in your draft.

TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS

This is one of the few QB competitions that will be decided strictly in training camp and not by contract status or draft position. Byron Leftwich and Luke McCown will battle it out with the winner claiming the starting job and the loser likely losing his roster spot entirely. Rookie Josh Freeman will be the immediate backup so that means this has all the makings of a good old fashioned shoot out between Leftwich and McCown. From a fantasy perspective I would like to see Leftwich win this one. He is a much better pocket passer than McCown and can push the ball downfield more accurately. If McCown were to win the job, I wouldn't want any part of Antonio Bryant or Michael Clayton this year. I can't wait to see how this one plays out.

TOMORROW: NFC WEST -- THE FINAL PREVIEW

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Fantasy Football Tonight 7/25

My training camp preview continues with the...

NFC EAST

DALLAS COWBOYS

This is the year that WR Roy Williams becomes the fantasy stud that many of us thought he would be years ago. He is now the clear #1 in Dallas and will be counted on to provide the big catches and clutch TD grabs without the distractions of Terrell Owens. I have noticed many fantasy players down on Williams because of his lack of involvement in the offense after being traded for last season. But you have to understand that was a very difficult situation. Williams was learning a new offense, new teammates, competing with Owens, Witten and company for balls and recovering from a shoulder stinger he suffered early in last season. This year he will have a full complement of offseason workouts and an entire training camp to get comfortable and build trust with Tony Romo. Williams has all the tools to be a top end WR, even the diva like attitude at times.

NEW YORK GIANTS

I am looking at two players who are far under the radar right now as the Giants get ready to open up training camp. The first is WR Derek Hagan. Hagan had a sensational camp last year for the Dolphins before getting hurt in the first week of the season and not quite playing the same since. I am a big believer in Hagan's skills and think he has an outside chance to be a driving force in the Giants passing game. We all know that Plaxico Burress is gone and while everybody is expecting Steve Smith or Domenik Hixon to step up into that #1 WR role, Hagan is a guy that I will be watching closely this summer.

The other player I will be watching closely during Giants training camp is rookie RB Andre Brown. His size and speed are an intriguing as anybody drafted last April. Brown is one of those players that plays faster than his combine numbers would indicate and he dishes out punishment with his aggressive inside running style. He is a younger, slightly quicker version of Brandon Jacobs. But what Jacobs doesn't do much of that Brown can is catch the ball out of the backfield. Brown hauled in nearly 70 receptions in his time at N.C. State and also returned kickoffs. This was a great pick by the Giants and fantasy owners everywhere had better be paying attention to the role he takes in the Giants offense this season. Brown should be picked, even as a flier in every fantasy draft of 12 or more teams.

PHILADELPHIA EAGLES

Brian Westbrook is on his last legs ladies and gentlemen. I cannot believe how many fantasy insiders are scared to death of LaDanian Tomlinson but have no issues in drafting Westbrook even after he recently underwent his seventh knee surgery this offseason and had another surgery to clean out his ankle this June as well. His knee injury is a degenerative one that will act up during the season no matter what. It will swell on him if the weather becomes damp so why are people trusting him at all? I'll tell you what, I will not even think about drafting Brian Westbrook in any round this year no matter what my needs may be. I will be drafting LeSean McCoy however, that I can promise you all right now. McCoy is the eventual replacement for Westbrook and will rack up the fantasy points in the weeks when Westbrook's knee isn't good to go.

WASHINGTON REDSKINS

I think the Redskins may be one of the worst teams in the NFL this season. I don't think much of head coach Jim Zorn or his offensive coordinator Sherman Smith. I am sure they are fine people mind you, but these guys are not equipped to handle the jobs they currently hold. The only worthwhile fantasy option here is the running game and even that is risky with Clinton Portis always either injured or unhappy with the offense. I am already on record saying that Jim Zorn will be fired by season's end and the next head coach of the Washington Redskins will be Mike Shanahan. What I want to see out of Redskins camp this year is whether or not Devin Thomas can be the explosive playmaker I think he can be. It will take a lot for him to show up and work each and everyday but the kid is a playmaker and I would love to see what he does with an expanded role in the Redskins offense.

TOMORROW: NFC SOUTH

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Fantasy Football Tonight 7/24

My training camp preview continues with the...

NFC NORTH

CHICAGO BEARS

It is odd for me having lived in Chicago my whole life and followed the Bears so close to now have a real franchise QB to cover. Jay Cutler elevates this offense to an entirely new level. Matt Forte is now a sure fire first round RB while everybody is suggesting random Bears WR's such as Earl Bennett, Rashied Davis and Juaquin Iglesias as sleepers. While I wouldn't doubt that either Bennett or Devin Hester make a big fantasy impact this season, the guy I am watching closely is TE Greg Olsen. I currently have Olsen as the #1 overall fantasy TE on my board. He and Jay Cutler have been like peas and carrots ever since Cutler got traded to the Bears. The two have been spotted hanging out at local bars, restaurants and even an couple of Cubs games. With Olsen's natural ability and a QB who is now his good buddy, the sky is the limit for this kid in 2009.

DETROIT LIONS

I really like what the Lions are doing. The new coaching staff, led by former Titans defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz has done a fine job in weeding out some of the problems both in the locker room and on the field. Schwartz also is making it perfectly clear to the team that they will run a single play over and over and over again until everybody gets it right and are on the same page. The Lions are going to be more talented, disciplined and in better shape come this season and I expect a quick turnaround for the only winless team in NFL history. I like Bryant Johnson's chances lining up opposite Calvin Johnson this year. I think Johnson has finally found himself a home where he can plant his roots without much pressure and focus on making plays while facing plenty of single coverages.

GREEN BAY PACKERS

The Packers are a team that is under the radar at this point for me and not just because Tom Pelissero isn't returning my calls lately. Just kidding Tom, but seriously man..call a brother back! Anyways, outside of answering ridiculous questions about Brett Favre possibly going to Minnesota the cheese munchers have been quiet for most of the offseason. What I will be watching closely during Packers camp this summer is whether Ryan Grant will be running with the authority that he was back in 2007 when he broke out. Last year he held out and showed up finally not in the best of shape and never really seemed to get his legs under him for most of the year. Reports are that Grant is already in excellent shape and is serious about redeeming himself this year and proving himself worthy of the feature RB money he was given last year.

MINNESOTA VIKINGS

Brett Favre is the starting QB of the Vikings, I already know that. The whole world should know that will be the case so please let's stop the childish speculating. My gut is telling me that Favre will sign but this will be the year he finally misses a game and his consecutive game streak comes to an end. I feel that Sage Rosenfels will take over and put up good fantasy QB numbers in Favre's place. I thought making the move for Rosenfels was brilliant by the Vikings as there is no doubt in my mind he was the best backup in the league last year. With the talent the Vikings have at WR, RB and along the offensive line any QB should be a solid fantasy producer. So take Favre if you want to. But just remember that you heard it here first. This is the year he misses a game and Sage Rosenfels will be the one to bail out the Vikings.

TOMORROW: NFC EAST

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Fantasy Football Tonight 7/23

My training camp preview continues with the...

AFC WEST

DENVER BRONCOS

Please stop it with the Knowshon Moreno love everybody. The Broncos are no longer a team built on the running game. New head coach Josh McDaniels runs the closest thing to a spread offense that the NFL has to offer. The Broncos will probably throw 40+ times a game despite not have a QB skilled enough to do so. Also, it has not been McDaniels nature to use a single back in a feature role. There will be multiple RB's rotating in and out of the Broncos offensive sets all season long. Moreno is the most talented and will produce the best fantasy numbers of all these players but that does not mean he should be taken in the early rounds come draft day.

KANSAS CITY CHIEFS

The story of Chiefs camp will no doubt be Matt Cassel. I have no idea why they decided to make him their franchise QB and go ahead and give him a huge guaranteed contract but that is exactly what the Chiefs did. Cassel won't be awful, but his numbers with the Patriots last season were a direct result of the talent around him and the system they were running. The Chiefs just don't have that kind of talent especially on the offensive line. Furthermore, I am not sold on Todd Haley as an NFL head coach either. He is a solid offensive mind but when it comes to personnel decisions and the design and implementation of a system he just doesn't have what it takes.

OAKLAND RAIDERS

Many people are interested in seeing how JaMarcus Russell plays this preseason but not me. I already know he is a bust and thus I will make no room for him on any fantasy roster I draft this season. But, the Raiders are going to have a splendid running game I believe this season and I am primed to get my paws on a Darren McFadden this year. McFadden was slowed by injuries and inexperience last year but running behind an improved offensive line and with Lorenzo Neal leading the way should be enough for a breakout season from McFadden. Justin Fargas is another player worth watching during training camp as many believe he will be able to hold McFadden off from the starting job for awhile. I think that a good idea would be to draft both of these guys and do so before wasting a pick on Jamal Lewis or Tim Hightower. Whoever carries the ball in Oakland this year will be a very good sleeper in '09.

SAN DIEGO CHARGERS

I just cannot get over how fast everybody has forgotten about LaDanian Tomlinson. I see him as low as 12th overall in mock drafts and in other sites rankings. Right now, I take LT with the #2 overall pick if I got it and I will tell you why. Even in a down season, cluttered with nagging injuries, poor offensive line play and early deficits LT managed to put together a nice little run and once again break double digits in TD's. The top picks in your draft do not need to turn out to be your highest scoring players that season. But what they should be are your safest players. The ones you can count on week in and week out to perform in yards, TD's and receptions. LT will do that even at the grandfather like age of 30. Watch him during camp. The Chargers always take it easy on him during training camp and he rarely plays during the preseason. But in the small time he does get, watch to make sure his turf toe has cleared up. You will notice when he is running if the toe has fully healed or not. I love LT this year and if you guys want to spend a first round pick on guys like Ronnie Brown and Larry Johnson go right ahead. I'll take LT and have all the confidence in the world that my team won't fall apart anytime soon.

TOMORROW: NFC NORTH

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Fantasy Football Tonight 7/22

My training camp preview continues with the...

AFC SOUTH

HOUSTON TEXANS

Watch out for the Texans running game this season. They brought in offensive line guru Alex Gibbs to install the same cut blocking scheme that he made popular in Denver during the Mike Shanahan era. Fantasy owners have been aware for years that Denver RB's produce year after year thanks to the teachings of Gibbs and his successors. When Gibbs went to Atlanta a few years back, the Falcons running game exploded and moved from 16th in the league to 1st. The Texans have the right mix of offensive lineman to make the system work and Steve Slaton could explode in a cut back system like this.

INDIANAPOLIS COLTS

The real change in Indianapolis this season will not be the offense as many suspect. After all, Peyton Manning runs the offense anyways so the loss of offensive coordinator Tom Moore will not be that big a deal. But the defense will miss the planning and strategy of Tony Dungy this year that is for sure. But staying on the offensive side of the ball the person that most intrigues me is WR Pierre Garcon. I like his size and hands and he has 2 years of experience of playing with Peyton Manning and company which makes him quite a sleeper candidate this season. I like Garcon's upside more than Anthony Gonzalez quite frankly because his ceiling is much higher in terms of fantasy potential.

JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS

I absolutely love rookie RB Rashad Jennings. He has such a tremendous blend of size and speed as well as pass catching ability out of the backfield. I was talking about Jennings up in the fourth round of the NFL Draft back in April but he didn't get taken until the seventh round by the Jaguars. This was a steal as far as I am concerned and with an improved offensive line I could see Jennings providing critical relief for Maurice Jones-Drew this season. The fact that he attended a small school in Liberty was the only reason why Jennings lasted so long but please do not make this mistake in your fantasy draft this year.

TENNESSEE TITANS

At one point last year I called the Titans offense the best in the NFL. While that didn't quite hold up, handing the reigns to veteran QB Kerry Collins stabilized the offense last year after a very rocky season and a half with Vince Young at the helm. Collins can make all the throws and isn't afraid to push the ball downfield when something opens up. I am interested to see how he and rookie WR Kenny Britt work together in training camp. Britt is a very confident kid who has the skills and swagger to be an elite NFL WR. The Titans have acquired so many weapons now on offense that my bold statement may indeed have been just a year off.

TOMORROW: AFC WEST

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Fantasy Football Tonight 7/21

My training camp preview now continues with the...

AFC EAST

BUFFALO BILLS

This may be the single most interesting camp to watch this year. You got Dick Jauron, probably the most vanilla offensive minded football coach ever giving his offensive coordinator Turk Schonert the go-ahead to install a hurry up system with spread offense tendencies. Adding Terrell Owens is a great move as too many people underestimate just how good of a football player this guy is. Many experts are predicting a big season for the Bills offense and for WR's Lee Evans, Owens and Josh Reed. I just can't buy in yet as Jauron's presence just screams "slow and steady" with plenty of three yard runs. Also, how will Trent Edwards be able to handle calling his own plays as is required at times while executing the hurry up offense. Furthermore, Jauron and staff had better be tougher on these guy in camp and get them into better shape if they are going to be running the hurry up this year. Conditioning is a big part of being able to get up, step to the line and execute right away before the defenders are set. Prepare for a train wreck Buffalo fans.

MIAMI DOLPHINS

The team that brought you the Wildcat Formation last year will once again be a step ahead of the pack this year as they used a second round draft pick for QB Pat White. White will be used specifically in the Dolphins Wildcat set as he is a true dual threat that can either run or pass at any point. Come 2010 teams will be drafting the likes of Tim Teabow and other speedy spread offense QB's in order to run their Wildcat or variation thereof. I can't wait to watch how the Dolphins use White in the preseason and am really interested in his fantasy potential simply as a Wildcat formation QB.

NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS

No surprise here but I am really interested to see Tom Brady back and against live competition. Make no mistake about it my friends, he is going to be rusty and nervous as hell the first few times out there this season. The guy went through some major surgeries and has been rehabbing like heck in order to make it this far this quick. Those of us who scout players for a living will want to see how he plants that leg and the zip he can produce throwing off of it. His mobility will be slashed so he will need to make even quicker decisions and stronger throws in order to live up to his previous form.

NEW YORK JETS

I am a big believer that the offensive line is directly responsible for fantasy success. The Jets have one of if not the best offensive line in the game. This group is going to be leaned on heavily this year as they protect a rookie QB in Mark Sanchez. But what I am concerned with will be who the star RB on the team will be. Thomas Jones had a great year last year but they new regime is said to want more of a power run game. That would indicate rookie Shonn Greene has a chance to be the fantasy rookie of the year if he can claim a short yardage role early on and parlay that into something more. Leon Washington would be crazy to hold out but it appears that he might which gives more time for Greene to impress during camp.


TOMORROW: AFC SOUTH


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Fantasy Football Tonight 7/20

04 DAYS UNTIL TRAINING CAMP

On Friday rookies will report to Cleveland Browns training camp in Berea, OH. thus kicking off NFL training camp '09. For the next few days I will be going team by team and letting you know what fantasy relevant stories are lurking as the teams open camp. Tonight, in honor of Cleveland being the first team to start camp I will be covering the AFC North.

AFC NORTH

BALTIMORE RAVENS

I can't wait to see Ray Rice this summer. I believe Rice is in for a huge season and there is a chance that if he plays as well as he looked in OTA's, the Ravens will be comfortable enough cutting ties with Willis McGahee. Make no mistake you early drafters out there. McGahee is in a fight for his roster spot this summer as Rice, Le'Ron McClain and Cedric Peerman are talented enough to lead the Ravens rushing charge this season. Whoever wins the starting job and gets most of the carries will benefit from one of the best offensive lines in the league. The addition of center Matt Birk provides the experience and leadership this unit was missing despite performing quite well last year.

CINCINNATI BENGALS

Don't write off the Bengals offense just yet. This team is completely different with Carson Palmer under center and finally healthy after a long season and offseason of elbow troubles. While Chad Ochocinco grabs headlines with his wild thoughts and crazy antics, it is Chris Henry who I believe to be the breakout candidate on the Bengals this season. Henry is starting to mature and take responsibility for his actions. In a recent interview with ESPN he says that he regrets his troubled past and knows that when focused he can be one of the best WR's in the game. I happen to agree with that 100% and am looking forward to seeing him taking a big step forward this season.

CLEVELAND BROWNS

It is a good thing the Browns will be the first team into camp this year as no team has had as rough a offseason as the Browns. For starters, Romeo Crennel is out and Eric Mangini is in as head coach. They brought in Rob Ryan to run the defense, traded star TE Kellen Winslow to Tampa Bay, had one of their starting WR's get arrested for DUI Manslaughter, were sued by a former WR for mistreating his knee injury and are dealing with a possible holdout of their star kick returner Josh Cribbs. Despite all of this however, the main story this preseason will be which QB wins the starting job? Derek Anderson and Brady Quinn are both highly skilled signal callers and have shown flashes of greatness in workouts. There are nearly a dozen NFL teams licking their chops over which QB the Browns choose because they know keeping both QB's is a cap stretch the Browns may want to rid themselves of. My money is on Quinn to win the job and Anderson to get dealt to a team that suffers a big injury to their starter this preseason.

PITTSBURGH STEELERS

I don't know why but I am just not that high on the Steelers right now. I am seeing some kinks in their armor so to speak as the offensive line has gotten old, the defense outperformed itself quite a bit last year and I just don't think Willie Parker can stay healthy. What I'd like to see out of Steelers camp this year is Santonio Holmes continue to build on his Super Bowl MVP and take that next step to elite WR. Word around town is Holmes loved the limelight and is seeking more of it this season. There is no doubt he has the speed and downfield ability to make big plays but he is a sloppy route runner and becomes lazy and disinterested easily. Having Hines Ward mentor him has been the best thing that could have happened to Holmes' career. If Holmes can stay focused on every down and not worry so much about how many targets or receptions he is getting, then he can be special. If not, he'll become just another prima donna NFL WR who thinks he's better than he actually is.

TOMORROW: AFC EAST

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Fantasy Football Tonight 7/19

QUICK HITS

-- The Bills offense is going to be very different this year. They are installing a no huddle scheme that they will use approximately 50% of the time this season. Trent Edwards is going to be throwing quite a lot more than he has in the past and that should lead to some very respectful fantasy numbers this season.

-- Raiders WR Darrius Heyward-Bey missed JaMarcus Russell's private passing camp due to a nagging hamstring injury that he had during OTA's back in June. I really don't know if this is a bad thing or not because Russell's camp couldn't have been all that informative since the QB himself lacks some of the basic concepts of the simple offense the Raiders have been running. Still, this is a situation to monitor heading into training camp as Heyward-Bey must have his legs in top shape because speed is his game and without it he isn't much of a threat whatsoever.

-- The Houston Texans offense is going to be one of the top 5 units in the NFL this year mark my words. This will result in an interesting dilemma for offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan come next season when his Dad resumes his coaching career. Will Kyle jump ship to be with Papa in Washington or wherever he goes next? After all, Gary Kubiak gave Kyle a shot long before he was actually qualified to run an offense so it will be quite interesting to see where the young Shanahan's loyalty really lies.

-- Rams WR Donnie Avery is a guy who longs to be a top shelf NFL wideout. He fancies himself as a young Keyshawn Johnson in many respects but doesn't quite have Johnson's natural ability. Avery is relishing the chance to be Marc Bulger's go to WR this season. But he will have to hold off more talented receivers such as Laurent Robinson and Keenan Burton in order to do that.

-- Rich Cimini who covers the New York Jets told me over the weekend that he thinks there is no doubt that Leon Washington will hold out of training camp this year until he gets a bump in his contract. Rich and I differ greatly on whether or not Washington deserves a new deal (I don't think that he does) but either way this is going to create an opportunity for rookie RB Shonn Greene. Greene is the only real power running back on the Jets roster and will get plenty of opportunities this summer especially if Washington holds out and Thomas Jones is rested like they were planning on doing. Greene could become this years version of LenDale White, hawking TD's all season long from both Jones and Washington.

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Fantasy Football Tonight 7/18

A WORD OF WARNING...

To those of you who are thinking about drafting Owen Daniels as your #1 TE this year. The Texans were unhappy with the way Daniels went about his contract situation this offseason. First he demanded that he become the highest paid TE in the NFL, which is just ridiculous. Then he stumbled around wanting to be traded before backing off of that quickly. Then the Texans spend the fourth and fifth round picks in the draft on TE's. Daniels counters by missing all of the mandatory minicamps and organized team activities in June. The Texans then fined him $9,000 for missing minicamp and are preparing to get along without him if he decides to hold out this summer. If he indeed does hold out, which at this point I think is unlikely, then I wouldn't touch him in your draft whatsoever. Even if he shows up and decides to play nice, I would only consider him as a top notch backup TE and nothing more this season.

COACHING NEWS

I have news concerning the recent story brought up by ESPN Radio anchor Colin Cowherd that former Seattle Seahawks head coach Mike Holmgren was just mailing it in last season. Cowherd went off upon hearing news that Holmgren was spending hardly 8 hours a day at the Seahawks headquarters as far back as the middle of the 2008 regular season. Cowherd has a "source" who claims that the Walrus was mailing it in for much of his final season with the team. Well, I have hard through my people that Cowherd's source is none other than fellow ESPN colleague Tim Hasselbeck, the Brother of Seahawks starting QB Matt Hasselbeck. Matt Hasselbeck is absolutely livid about this story being traced back to him via his kid Brother and is defending Holmgren at this time to anyone who will listen. Jeez...looks like boy Hasselbeck is taking some notes from his wife, Elizabeth Hasselbeck in the area or irresponsible journalism. Anything for a story huh Tim?

Mike Shanahan has announced that he wants back into coaching come 2010. Shanahan has nearly $20 million that is left on his contract with the Broncos and he'll continue to get paid for the next three years if he doesn't take a new job. But he has come out and said that he will be fielding offers if and when they come after the 2009 NFL season.

Speaking of coaching candidates come 2010, the list will be long and quite impressive. Any team looking for a head coach at the end of this season will possibly have their choice of Super Bowl winning leaders to choose from. Bill Cowher, Jon Gruden and Mike Shanahan will all be looking for work before next season. Early bets are that Washington punts Jim Zorn at years end and Wade Phillips of the Cowboys decides to "step down" from his post leading the Cowboys. These are two of the most high profile jobs in the NFL, so it will be quite an eventful offseason come January 2010.


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Fantasy Football Tonight 7/17

WHO'S #1?

Interesting development in a recent draft that my partners Todd Farino and Ryan Hallam took part in the other night. Maurice Jones-Drew was the top overall pick besting the seemingly consensus overall choice in Adrian Peterson. MJD is a guy that I like a great deal heading into this season but being the top pick is somewhat of a surprise to me. The more I think about it though, the more I am starting to believe there are going to be several players chosen number one overall in drafts this season. For the past two years it has been a given that LaDanian Tomlinson would be taken by whomever was lucky enough to secure the top pick. This year we are going to see many different routes being taken with that top pick. Right now if I was picking first in a draft I would consider Adrian Peterson, MJD, LT, Michael Turner and even Larry Fitzgerald in that spot. This should be an early wake up call to all of us this season saying take who you think is the best fit for your team at number one and not necessarily who is rated the top pick in all the magazines and websites you visit. This year is wide open so don't succumb to the pressure of the top pick and take who other people think you should. Take the player you are most confident in. Take the safest choice to be a major contributor all season long and don't worry whether or not he will end up scoring the most at the end of the season. It never actually works out that way anyhow.

WAY TOO EARLY

While I am talking about a draft that has already been completed, allow me this space to vent a little bit about leagues that are already holding their drafts. It is fundamentally retarded, for lack of a better term. There is very little you can take out of a draft that takes place 3 weeks before training camp opens for most teams. A fantasy expert recently told me that, "Yeah, but we're experts so we basically know what the players are going do and who will start and all of that." Umm...WRONG! Sorry to burst anybodies bubble here, but anybody who honestly thinks he knows what teams are going to look like by the end of training camp is either flat out lying or a supreme narcissist. I find it hilarious that there are some fantasy experts who actually think they know all they need to know right now without knowing or realizing that most teams haven't even finalized a playbook just yet. So, before the coaches, players and other staff members for the actual teams know what they are going to be doing come the start of the 2009 season, these "experts" are already settled on values for each and every player.

No. That is called a GUESS, you idiots and in fact anybody who thinks like this has just exposed themselves as nothing more than colossal narcissist who somewhere along the line has guessed correctly on a few players and is now an expert. I've heard people in this industry that they are already finished with their final rankings and cheat sheets for the season. When I call them on this they usually say they will do some "tweaking" but that is about it. I am warning everybody within earshot of this blog right here that if you run across these people run far away from any information they may be providing. Guessing is not good and is not my style. Being an expert means that you have solid advice and opinions that are based on evidence, not your gigantic gut. I've seen what happens when these "experts" get high on themselves after winning a league or having a good season. They fall flat on their face the next and eventually go out of business because they get exposed for what they truly are...GUESSPERTS. I do not subscribe to that philosophy. This is why I have been working the phones, emails, text messages and yes..even snail mail to keep in touch with my colleagues across the country. This is to provide you guys with the most reliable and credible football information in the industry. You can trust that in this blog and everywhere on Fantasy Football Search, you will find reasoning for all of our information and suggestions. You may disagree and we may even be wrong sometimes but I guarantee that you will not see any articles or rankings created here that are generated from us guessing about which players to put where. If you want fantasy football information that is stale by mid August when most of us are beginning our drafts then by all means look somewhere else my dear friends. But if you long for information that is current and changing with each and every practice session and based on reliable information they bookmark this site right now.



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Fantasy Football Tonight 7/16

THE FANTASY FOOTBALL RULE TO LIVE BY

I was reading ESPN The Magazine today, why I have no idea but wanted to see what they had put together for their big "Fantasy Football Special" section this month. It took all of about 4 minutes for me to crumple it up and throw it violently across my office, slamming against the wall and falling to the ground. I will eventually get into why ESPN and CBS are horrible places to get your fantasy information in future blog entries. But tonight I wanted to let you guys in on the biggest, most important rule of winning at fantasy football:

Forget last season, it doesn't mean anything anymore.

I can't believe that it is 2009 and I am still reading articles in supposed major magazines, written by former athletes and professional journalists wearing fancy suits that base everything on what the final stats were in the previous season. Does it really matter that Matt Cassel threw for 21 TD's last year? Or that MeWelde Moore scored 6 times last year? No, it doesn't. Why? Because last year is over. You can't get points for anything any player did last year. Fantasy sports are built upon trying to predict what will happen this season. We already know what has happened, now all we want to know is what will happen?

There were 47 coaching changes between last year and this year including head coaches, offensive and defensive coordinators. Systems have changed. Schemes have changed. Players have changed. No matter what anybody tells you, just because DeAngelo Williams ended the season on fire doesn't mean he'll pick up right where he left off. Heck, he may not even be the starter come game 1 of the regular season. The Broncos have gone from a team that can run at will do to the best cut blocking scheme in the league. To a pass happy, spread offense type system that will be run by a career backup QB. Drafting a Denver RB high in any format would be a tragedy this season. The same as expecting Matt Cassel to produce the type of numbers he did while with the Patriots last year. Ridiculous.

If you want to really learn what it takes to be great at fantasy football or any fantasy sport you have to first understand why things happen the way the do. You must consider a player's skill set and how that fits in with his teams system. Then acknowledge what his opportunities will be in the days, weeks and months ahead in terms of playing time, competition and scoring chances. Make your decisions on how you feel things will play out not how they have done so in the past. So much changes from year to year in the NFL that it should take even the most dedicated observer at least a few weeks through training camp to accurately predict any sort of possible outcome for the upcoming season.

Lastly, ex-athletes make the very worst fantasy sports analysts. I am not totally sure on why this is but it has been proven a fact over the past few years. Maybe it is because they see the game from more of a win/loss scenario than from a individual performance aspect. The best experts at anything are the ones who first understand what they are doing and most importantly why they are doing it. You don't get that with any of the ESPN fantasy sports guys at all. All you get there is a bunch of random cliched, worn out, guesses about what you could do to try and win your fantasy league. I don't know about the rest of you guys but this just doesn't cut it for me. I want deep analysis. Fresh approaches to the draft or starting lineups. I would appreciate whoever is giving me advice can actually explain to me why indeed he or she is giving said advice and in a way that makes sense to me. Instead, we get crappy trends that make no sense like third year WR's and RB's hitting the wall at 30.

If you want real good fantasy football advice, sign up for our Draft Kit. I know that sounds like a selfless promotion but I really mean it. Our Draft Kit will not just shout out random stats from last year at you in order to defend our rankings. We teach you what to look for in teams and players. We educate you on how the offensive line blocking scheme effects runningback styles. I guarantee that after reading through our Draft Kit, you will understand fantasy football better. I want the readers of this blog and all of Fantasy Football Search to be able to see past the haze of pomp and circumstance that ESPN and other big named networks try to lure you in with. Demand more from your sports writers and columnists. You deserve it.


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Fantasy Football Tonight 7/15

RAVENS LOOKING FOR WR'S



The Baltimore Ravens have shown an interest in free agent WR's Amani Toomer, Matt Jones and Marvin Harrison. The coaching staff would like all 3 to come in for workouts just before the start of training camp on July 28th. The only problem is that Harrison, through his agent Tom Condon has made it known that the receiver doesn't plan on working out for any team and any offer made to the former All-Pro should come with a guaranteed roster spot. Harrison's camp feels his career is proof enough of what he can do on the field and running sprints in jogging pants is, at this point beneath him. Well, good luck getting a deal anywhere with that attitude Marvin. Until his stance changes it is safe to take Harrison's name off of the Ravens wish list.



A CHANGE IN SAN FRANCISCO



After years of the inmates running the asylum in San Francisco, they are learning how to deal with an old school rough and unsympathetic head coach. Mike Singletary recently admitted to the rumor that he nearly made rookie WR Michael Crabtree cry at an OTA event this summer. Evidently, Crabtree was running sprints before being medically cleared to do so and Singletary just laid into him good in front of dozens of witnesses. This comes after Singletary's now famous pants dropping incident at half time of a game late last season and his yanking TE Vernon Davis off the field during his first game as head coach. Singletary is going to work these guys out like they have never worked before. Some veterans are going to get pissed off and some rookies are going to secretly go to the union or their mommies. But, when all is said and done, this team will be tough, in shape and ready to play each and every Sunday. I am expecting some big things out of this team this season as a direct result of this new found toughness.



READY FOR THE NEXT LEVEL



Seattle Seahawks WR T.J. Houshmandzadeh has been impressing teammates, coaches, front office personnel and leaders of the community ever since he signed a big money free agent deal with the team this offseason. Houshmandzadeh is committed to becoming a franchise type WR minus the drama that usually goes along with that. He and Matt Hasselbeck have been working together this offseason doing everything from running routes to having dinner with the families. Houshmandzadeh is already setting up charity organizations in the Seattle area and becoming an active member of the community.

This is noteworthy because sometimes you can just see it in a player's eyes that he wants to become great. They are determined to take that next step and become a star in this league. Houshmandzadeh got the big contract this offseason and while some players may take that as a sign they have made it, T.J. wants to go out on the field and prove he was worth every penny. Having a solid relationship with Hasselbeck is a great move and if they two can find an onfield chemistry that they have so far possessed off the field then some big fantasy numbers will be sure to follow.


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Fantasy Football Tonight 7/14

HOW CRAZY MUST SHE BE?

Tony Romo broke up with Jessica Simpson this week the day before her 29th birthday. I am sure this will thrill all of the Dallas Cowboys fans who blame Simpson for Romo's lackluster play down the stretch the past two seasons. But come on. Look at her. Why would anybody on earth ever break up with a woman like this? There is nothing else to say other than she must be a world class nutcase and even dumber and more irritating than she was on that Newlyweds show she did with Nick Lachey.

PENTY OF SEATS STILL AVAILABLE

The NFL has a serious problem that is getting worse each and every year. Football has become such an amazing sport to watch on TV, people are no longer going to the games anymore. Seriously. Between ticket prices, travel costs and the weather conditions it just isn't that great to go to a football game anymore. Especially when you can watch the game from the comfort of your own home and see every bit of the action including where the first down marker is and on field microphones.

The problem is that when an NFL game does not sell out, the game is blacked out in that local market. What has been happening in recent years is that local sponsors have been buying up the remaining tickets in order for the game (and their ads) to be televised. The Minnesota Vikings have frequently been relying on local sponsors to buy up tickets. In fact, some of my best sources in Minnesota believe this whole Brett Favre signing is really motivated by trying to sell more tickets.

The Jacksonville Jaguars came out the other day with partial season ticket plans, which is very unusual for an NFL team to do. The whole state of Florida has been hurt by the economic downturn and nowhere is it worse than in the Jacksonville area right now. I have a feeling this is going to finally serve as a wake up call to the NFL brass that something needs to be done about ticket sales. The NFL and its sponsors make so much money because of the sport's popularity and as long as the ratings are through the roof that will not change. So, if tickets sales continue to decline it will cost the sponsors more and more money just to be seen and that is bad for the NFL. They need to either ditch the blackout rules or start making the games more interesting to watch live than it is on the TV. Good luck with all that...

I FEEL LIKE I'VE BEEN TAKING CRAZY PILLS

Matt Cassel is now making more money than Tom Brady? This is one of the worst signings of all time by the Chiefs. Cassel had a solid season filling in for the injured Brady last season, but he still struggled badly at times and that was with Super Bowl type talent all around him. Now, he'll have a much weaker offensive line protecting him, he'll be playing in a different offensive system and won't have the coaching or experience to draw from when times get tough. As far as I am concerned, all Cassel showed me last year is that he can be a serviceable backup QB in this league. I would have traded for Sage Rosenfels before I pick up the phone for Cassel. Way to go Kansas City!!

Fantasy Football Tonight 7/13

THE BIRTHDAY EDITION

Yeah that's right today I am celebrating (hardly!) my 32nd year on the planet by exchanging texts messages and playing phone tag with several of my fellow football allies trying to get more information about the Derrick Mason retirement story and some updates on unsigned draft picks and so on. I appreciate all of you who have hit me up today to wish me a happy birthday. The best part about this job is forming and sustaining a relationship with the readers and I appreciate that very much. Thank you.

NOW FOR REAL NEWS

My sources are saying that Derrick Mason's abrupt retirement announcement has come as a direct result of Steve McNair's murder on the fourth of July. Those close to Mason say that the veteran receiver was crushed upon hearing the news and hasn't been quite right ever since. There is a strong possibility that Mason will rescind his retirement in the weeks ahead as he learns to deal with his grief. But this puts the Ravens in a tough spot. With Mason retired, the team will look to add a veteran WR with Plaxico Burress being at the top of that list I hear. Baltimore tried to make a deal for Anquan Boldin just before the NFL Draft in April but that never got off the ground. Mason departure leaves the Ravens enough cap room to make a deal for Plaxico or another impact WR but if Mason decides to unretire (otherwise known as Favring), a deal may not be possible.

SPEAKING OF DISGRUNTLED WR'S

Brandon Marshall is now saying that he doesn't intend to holdout if he is not traded by the time camp starts. It appears that Marshall's stance has softened of late and he seems resigned to coming back to the Broncos this season after he fully recovers from offseason hip surgery. As good as Marshall is, coming off of that injury and having Kyle Orton throw you the ball definitely hurts your fantasy value. However, the Broncos will be running a more pass heavy offense this season so his overall numbers shouldn't fall that far. Isn't it great when everybody gets along?

MORE WR NEWS

My favorite football writer, John Clayton of ESPN says that Koren Robinson has been working out and keeping in shape in hopes of landing another NFL job this summer. I saw Robinson play last season in Seattle and think he looked surprisingly good. He showed good burst, steady hands and most importantly, he carried himself like a pro and seemed far more mature than he had at any point in his career. Clayton says that Seattle and Green Bay are his best chances of getting a tryout but I would add Washington, Chicago and Oakland to that list as well.


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Fantasy Football Tonight 7/12

SUNDAY'S ARE GOOD AGAIN!

No, football isn't back quite yet but the HBO hit show Entourage is and that is a very good thing. There isn't anything quite like cracking a bottle of wine and watching these four guys from Queens live the high life of nailing every starlet in L.A. and throw money around like it was dust on a rug. Tonight's episode was everything you could ask for. A 30-something Hollywood movie star learning how to drive a car, then screwing a hot blonde in the backseat just moments later. Turtle in a tub with Jamie Lynn-Sigler and plenty of hilarious lines from Drama like, "You should have seen what chicks were willing to do to me to get into the premiere of Young Guns 3D." What did you guys think of tonight's episode?

I HAVEN'T SAID THIS IN AWHILE...

...But Brett Favre is going to be the starting QB for the Minnesota Vikings. Don't bother reading another stupid article by Ed Werder or anybody else saying how Favre and the Vikings staff were doing this or that. I told you all a month ago that this was a done deal and it is. So, please for the sake of sanity, stop paying attention to the Brett Favre stories and acting like there is any chance on earth that he doesn't play football for the Vikings next year.

GIANTS WR'S

A lot is being said about Mario Manningham stepping up and filling the vacated role of Plaxico Burress in 2009. Folks, that is not going to happen. Manningham is a decent player, but he's not a superior WR by any means. In fact, I would rate him as the sixth best WR on the team right now behind Domenik Hixon, Hakeem Nicks, Steve Smith, Ramses Barden and Derek Hagan.

Speaking of Derek Hagan, I really like him to make the Giants squad this season. This guy is as sure handed as they come and uses his body well to shield defenders and make tough catches. If he can establish a connection with Eli Manning during training camp and earn the QB's trust, he very well could become the go to player many think Steve Smith will be this season.

Right now however Domenik Hixon looks like he should be the first Giants WR taken in fantasy drafts. He has a nice blend of height and blazing speed to beat defenders downfield. If he can keep his concentration and focus on catching the football he can have himself quite a season.


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Fantasy Football Tonight 7/11

QUESTIONS, ANYONE?

I will be putting together an all email edition of The Fantasy Football Tonight Blog here in a few days so by all means email your questions to me now at thefantasyscout@gmail.com.

TIGHT ENDS TO WATCH

There are a couple of TE's that I am absolutely loving going into this season. First and foremost is the Bears Greg Olsen. Olsen is entering his third season in the NFL and is on the verge of becoming one of the top fantasy TE's this season. He's been hanging out with new Bears QB Jay Cutler quite often as the two became fast friends this offseason. Olsen has the hands and body control of a WR. He has the ability to go up and pluck the ball out of the air and out wrestle linebackers and defensive backs for the ball. He plays with an aggressive nature and is determined not to be stopped. Now that the Bears have solidified their offensive line, Olsen will not have to stay in to block as much this year. With new buddy Jay Cutler throwing him the ball there is no doubt in my mind that Olsen becomes an elite TE this season.

I don't expect you to believe me yet but the Detroit Lions are going to be much better in 2009. Not only will they win a game but they are going to be fantasy relevent again aside from Calvin Johnson. Brian Pettigrew, the Lions second round pick out of Oklahoma State is a big target who should provide a fine option in the red zone as well as give them another option besides Johnson. New offensive coordinator Scott Linehan is in love with Pettigrew's skill set and can't wait to line him up all over the field and give his young QB another weapon on offense. Look for Pettigrew late in your drafts as a bye week replacement TE if your league allows that kind of roster space.

HEY CHEESEHEADS

In case you care, the Packers are now on Facebook and Twitter. Glad to hear the hillbillies have finally made social networking a priority...

SPEAKING OF THE PACKERS

A friend of mine who writes for the Acme Packing Company Blog, told me that offensive coordinator Joe Philbin informed him that the team plans on running the football much more this season. He says that ultimately they want to run the ball 40-43% of the time as opposed to the 30% they ran it last year. This seems like real good news for anybody who takes a shot on Ryan Grant and/or Brandon Jackson this season. Grant is said to be in great shape right now and will benefit from having a full training camp this season after he missed the entire camp while holding out for a new contract last year.


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Fantasy Football Tonight 7/10

MY TOP 20.......PART II

11) Marion Barber -- RB -- Cowboys -- The threat of Felix Jones is real, but Barber is too good to not be a first round pick. He is strong and fast and can catch the rock out of the backfield. He is a complete back. Jones will get his carries but the majority of the catches and TD's will still be Barber's.

12) Frank Gore -- RB -- 49'ers -- The new system put in place by Mike Singletary and Jimmy Raye is all about the running game. This is throwback football coming to San Francisco and the 'Niners are set to ride the strong legs of Gore for as long as they hold up this season.

13) Peyton Manning -- QB -- Colts -- You guys can have your Drew Brees and Tom Brady, I'll stick with the best QB of this generation. Manning will again throw for 4000+ yards and 30 TD's without a shred of a doubt. The other guys are fine but I will stick with an absolute certainty at this spot.

14) DeAngelo Williams -- RB -- Panthers -- Nobody, and I mean nobody was higher than I was on Williams going into last season. His cut-back running ability with the Panthers offensive line and zone blocking scheme was a perfect fit. But, Jonathen Stewart wasn't drafted to sit and even Mike Goodson is a nice fit in Carolina. If DeAngelo struggles at all this pick could go bust real quick.

15) Steve Slaton -- RB -- Texans -- You want to talk sleepers? Slaton proved himself last season for sure but this year will run behind an offensive line directed by the best ever in Alex Gibbs. Go look up Denver's rushing stats while Gibbs was there and then take a peak at Atlanta's rushing stats while Gibbs mentored there. Amazing, huh?

16) Drew Brees -- QB -- Saints -- He will not repeat his sensational 2008 numbers mind you. But Brees will continue to post great numbers in this system and has plenty of weapons at his disposal.

17) Chris Johnson -- RB -- Titans -- Johnson is crazy fast. He is a great talent who is poised to take another step up the ladder of greatness this season. LenDale White is still around to hawk TD's, but that will happen less this season especially cause it is hard to hawk TD's from 40 yards out.

18) Brian Westbrook -- RB -- Eagles -- Honestly, you couldn't pay me to take Westbrook this season unless I got him in the late second or third round. His knees are ruined. He's had seven surgeries on his knees including both knee and ankle surgery this offseason which will cause him to miss much of training camp. I love the line and what he can do, but I don't make a habit out of drafting guys that are sure to miss multiple games in the first round.

19) Roy Williams -- WR -- Cowboys -- Coming home to Texas will be a great thing for Williams. He already has the perfect blend of size, speed, hands and attitude to be an elite WR. Now he's got the proper scheme and QB to realize that potential.

20) Brandon Jacobs -- RB -- Giants -- I didn't want to include Jacobs in my top 20 but it's just too damn hard not to! He is a workhorse RB who can take a beating and keep on ticking. He will lose some carries to Ahmad Bradshaw, but not as many as he lost to Derrick Ward last year when he rushed for nearly 1100 yards and 15 TD's.

Well those are my top 20. What do you guys think? Post your comments, your own top 20 or changes that you would make to mine below.


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Fantasy Football Tonight 7/9

I got asked a very interesting question today. Well, ok it wasn't that interesting but it did get me thinking about it the rest of the day. The question was, "who are your top 10 overall picks for this years draft?" Now, I don't like to do cheat sheets, rankings and predictions before training camp has even started. It is really quite silly to rank players because teams haven't even settled on their playbooks yet, let alone decided who their third down or short yardage backs will be. I provided some very basic rankings for our draft kit this year and I will continue to update them throughout the summer and preseason for sure. You see, unlike many fantasy experts I like to have reasons for my rankings and predictions. I don't like to guess. Anybody who gives you fantasy football predictions right now is doing nothing more than guessing because so much that influences the season is still very much up in the air. So, without further ado...here is my top 10 overall players as it stands right now. Tomorrow they will be different but here they are complete with some commentary explaining each selection.

1) Adrian Peterson -- RB -- Vikings -- Not very much to dispute. He is entering his prime years now and runs behind a very good offensive line.

2) LaDanian Tomlinson -- RB -- Chargers -- LT is still a very good pick here. Probably the safest choice of all the RB's. LT Marcus McNeil and C Nick Hardwick are now healthy and ready to clear room out for the most forgotten man in fantasy football this year.

3) Larry Fitzgerald -- WR -- Cardinals -- He is poised to be the top WR this season and is capable of doing things very few WR's have ever done before. No Grandpa, it is NOT too early to take a WR!

4) Matt Forte -- RB -- Bears -- He runs, he catches, he score TD's. What else could you want? Oh yeah, and now he has a Pro-Bowl type QB who will keep defenses honest in playing against the run.

5) Steven Jackson -- RB -- Rams -- I just can't stay away from him. Jackson is the perfect RB. All he needs is to stay healthy and have a half way decent offensive line in front of him which I believe they now do in St. Louis.

6) Maurice Jones-Drew -- RB -- Jaguars -- This may be a tad overrated but MJD is no longer a part of a platoon and thus will get a full slate of carries and scoring opportunities.

7) Calvin Johnson -- WR -- Lions -- Mark my words, the Lions are going to win some games this year. They may even finish over .500. Nobody can stop the Megatron. CJ is too big, too fast and too powerful for defensive backs to stop.

8) Andre Johnson -- WR -- Texans -- In the prime of his career now. If he would have stayed healthy last season he would be ranked this high on everybody's preseason guesses, er..I mean rankings.

9) Michael Turner -- RB -- Falcons -- I am skeptical on whether the league will catch up to Turner or not. But either way, he will get a full slate of carries and goal line touches this year and has the nice speed/power blend that I like in my first round RB's.

10) Reggie Wayne -- WR -- Colts -- The last WR worthy of being taken in the first 15 picks. Wayne is about as steady as you can get for a fantasy WR. He is now the lead guy in Indy and has adapted to the role quite well.

Coming tomorrow night #11-20


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