Fantasy Football Tonight 8/31

BRONCOS/JETS TALKING MARSHALL

Just got an email from a well known Jets reporter who tells me that the Jets are in discussions right now involving WR Brandon Marshall. It is no secret that the Jets are salivating over acquiring Marshall and have no problems with his latest outbursts. The current offer is only a 3rd round draft pick, which I doubt would be enough to get a deal done. However, my source is hearing that the Broncos are now interested in a Jets WR in return though he is not clear which receiver it would be. I am thinking that David Clowney would be a nice fit in Denver in that system but it may wind up being Chansi Stuckey they seek. If the Jets offer up a 2nd round pick and the WR the Broncos seek, I feel very strongly that this deal gets done. Stay tuned...


DEEP SLEEPERS TAKE A HIT

A couple of my deep sleeper picks have taken hits to their value latel. Cardinals WR Early Doucet broke a rib in Friday's preseason game against the Packers and will miss at least the first 2 regular season games. Considering that this is Doucet's second injury of the camp and happened just as he was starting an upward swing in his development, his fantasy value now plummets once again. Doucet may one day see the field for the Cardinals, and when that day comes he will produce. But until that time, he only deserves back of the mind consideration when looking for roster moves each week.

My deepest sleeper of all this summer has been Patriots WR Brandon Tate. Tate was a superstar at North Carolina before tearing up his knee pretty bad and missing nearly all of his senior season. He was a steal in the draft for a team that makes championships out of hitting on late round draft picks. But for now, Tate will begin the season on the PUP list, meaning he will miss at least the first 8 weeks of the regular season. He will practice with the team at that point and may deserve big time consideration in free agency at that time. Check my Hot 8 for that around week 6.


CULPEPPER STUMBLES

Before he injured his toe on some sort of strange household accident, Daunte Culpepper was on his way to winning the starting QB job for the Lions. But he wasn't very far in front of the impressive rookie Matthew Stafford. Thus, this injury that is being labeled "turf toe" may wind up being the tiebreaker that gives Stafford the start of season nod. The team will put Culpepper through a battery of tests to determine what exactly he can and can't do with this toe and whether or not he can play to the level he had been at previously.


JAMAL LEWIS ON THIN ICE

Be careful of drafting Jamal Lewis no matter how late it is in your draft or how bad your RB situation might be. There is a good chance according to several reports that Lewis will be cut from the 53 man roster very soon leaving James Davis as the starting RB on day one. Lewis then would find it very hard to even get a job and thus his career may be finished at that time.



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Fantasy Football Tonight 8/30

A LOOK BACK AT SUPERDRAFT

Now that I am back in the safe warm comforts of my home office, I reflect on my wild and crazy weekend spent in Las Vegas while attending the star studded Fantasy Football Superdraft event.

For starters, I must say it was an honor to be asked by Eric Simon, the founder of Superdraft to be a part of this wonderful event. I got to meet a lot of great people, talk with leaders in the fantasy sports industry, attend a few celebrity hosted VIP parties, promote Fantasy Football Search and visit a city that I have grown to love in Las Vegas.

This was the first year of Superdraft but in talking with the founders and all of the powers that be it will most likely not be the last. Being a first year event that had promotions spanning the entire city of Las Vegas, there were bound to be some hiccups and miscalculations along the way which there were. The biggest problem was when the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino lost their Wi-Fi capabilities in the middle of the Saturday draft spectacular. Although this had nothing to do with Superdraft or its organizers, this was a big problem that nearly derailed our expert league and our Fantasy Football Tonight Podcast for that day. But, everybody there stuck it out and a near disaster was cleaned up in about a half an hour.

Here are some of the other highlights of my weekend at Superdraft:

Much was made of me and Matthew Berry being together again after a couple years running of my so called hostility towards him at other fantasy events across the country. I think we started to peel back the onion a bit on Berry this weekend. Maybe both of us were over-served to a degree but for the first time in several meetings with him I felt that he was unusually candid and almost honest during the talks. He referred to how his role at ESPN has him talking up certain company mandated players instead of dishing out thoughts on some lesser known entities of which fantasy players crave. Berry suggested that he is kept to a brief script that doesn't allow much for in depth analysis of fantasy players and their roles much like you find right here at Fantasy Football Search. My good friend Ted Schuster and I discussed our talks with Berry after we left the Hard Rock on Friday and we both agreed that we've started developing empathy for Matthew Berry. The guys obviously knows something about fantasy sports and he has a long history of success before arriving at the corporate giant ESPN. The problem with Berry is really just an extension of a problem with ESPN. They are a corporation that shares revenues with Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck. They have become a little out of touch with the common sports fan, especially those outside of the east coast of the United States.


It was a blast doing our Fantasy Football Tonight podcasts LIVE poolside on Thursday and then right from the floor of the Superdraft on Saturday. It was my first experience hosting a LIVE on location broadcast and despite some issues with the volume level of our hosts and a few guests, they both went off without a hitch. If you missed the shows live, go ahead and listen on demand whenever you get a chance or download the shows to your iPod or MP3 player. In fact, for all those who go back and listen to the broadcasts or download them, I will send you a free Fantasy Football Search T-shirt as a thank you.


I am a longtime Howard Stern fan, and for me it was a pleasure to meet his producer Gary Dell'abate over the weekend. Gary is as down to earth and nice a guy as there is despite his enormous wealth and popularity. Gary rocked his Jets T-shirts and jerseys all weekend and would have been hard to distinguish from the rest of the crowd if not for somebody giving him a microphone every now and then.


Speaking of Gary and microphones, shouting "Ba-Ba-Booey!" into my microphone during the commissioners corner was one of the highlights of the trip for me. It got a good reaction from Stern fans but wasn't that much of a distraction from the show. At least I hope not!


The turnout for Friday's commissioners corner was pretty disappointing but then again it was an earlier event and that just doesn't fly in Vegas. But, the after party by the pool before, during and after the George Clinton concert was rockin'. Fantasy football might be a game for nerds, but I must say us nerd sure know how to party.


There are so many more highlights of this brief 3 days trip that I could go on and on forever about. I will be covering some more highlights of the trip on the Tuesday edition of Fantasy Football Tonight. For now, I just want to get settled back at the homestead and start pounding out all the fantasy football information that you guys have come to depend on to bring you championships. Draft Kit members will learn of all the inside information and scoops that I picked up during the weekend. I will be going through and posting the main stories right here over the next several days. As always, if you guys have a question or want to hear more about the Superdraft just throw me an email and it will be done.



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Fantasy Football Tonight 8/27

SUPERDRAFT UPDATE

Registration took a little longer than normal today but we did receive our VIP wristbands and are excited to go to all of the wild events that are happening this weekend. This event has already paid off as we've been able to break the news of Roy Williams broken collarbone and the Detroit Lions all but naming Daunte Culpepper their starting QB. Stay tuned to our Training Camp Blog, which is a part of our Fantasy Football Draft Kit as I will be updating you guys upon hearing rumors or breaking news stories straight from the top sources in the industry. Remember to listen to our special Superdraft show on Saturday as we broadcast our Blog Talk League Draft LIVE.


Brandon Marshall Sent Home

The Broncos have sent Brandon Marshall home and appear likely to suspend him for conduct detremental to the team. Marshall was obnoxious during the entire practice session on Wednesday and that didn't sit well with the Broncos hierarchy.


BYE BYE COLT BRENNAN

Chase Daniel is going to beat out Colt Brennan for the #3 QB position for the Redskins. Washington management is bothered by Brennan's arrogance and his play hasn't been much better.


INJURIES

Shonn Greene is out for the rest of the preseason with arib injury suffered during the Jets Monday night game against the Ravens. Greene took a big hit under his pads and has some badly bruised ribs. I still like his potenial for this season but the injury demands monitoring.

Pierre Thomas is nursing a sprained MCL in his knee and will miss the rest of the preseason. This is a big blow as Thomas could possibly miss the first week of the regular season. Mike Bell has suddenly become a hot commodity because of this. I don't like Bell that much for fantasy purposes as his natural habitat is in a zone blocking scheme. I wouldn't bother with Bell and would still try to draft Pierre Thomas somewhere in the middle rounds and hopefully get a good value on him.


I'M LOVIN'

Miles Austin. Somebody on the Cowboys has got to step up and I believe that Patrick Crayton and Sam Hurd are best left in their natural positions. Austin is a big play threat who can stretch the field and make a play on the ball in the red zone. Roy Williams status is up in the air as tests come back on his injured shoulder. Williams could miss up to 8 weeks with the injury and if so, I believe Austin becomes the guy to own in Dallas.


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Fantasy Football Tonight 8/26

GOING TO SUPERDRAFT

In just a few short hours I will be boarding a plane and heading off to wonderful Las Vegas where it will be 105 degrees tomorrow. Four days and three nights of non-stop eating, drinking, gambling and fantasy football talk. It is a difficult job but gosh darn it...somebody's got to do it, right? Anyways, I wanted to keep the loyal readers of this blog updated on what our plans are once we land in Vegas and what's in store for the next few days.

On Thursday night, I along with Ted Schuster (aka Hawkeye) will be hosting a special edition of Fantasy Football Tonight LIVE from the welcome center of the Superdraft. What is the Superdraft you say? Imagine your league's draft. Now add in free food, drinks and expert analysts like yours truly and Matthew Berry. Then imagine tons of celebrities like Shannon Elizabeth, Molly Sims, Gary Dell'Abate (Baba-Booey!), Stacy Keibler and performances from Flo-Rida and George Clinton. Then instead of your stinky basement, your drafting in beautifully decorated suites at 5 star resorts. Finally, place all of this smack dab in the middle of sin city and THAT my friends is Superdraft. Just listen to Gary Dell'Abate tell Adam Carolla about it in his latest podcast.

Ted and I will host the show from Superdraft before Todd Farino and RC Rizza take over for us for their Thursday staple edition of Fantasy Football Tonight. On Friday, we will be taking part in the commissioner's corner event hosted by ESPN's Matthew Berry. We'll be handing out T-shirts as well as plenty of draft advice and sleeper picks all afternoon long. Finally on Saturday, we will be broadcasting LIVE once again from Superdraft inside our own draft room where we will be doing a LIVE DRAFT for our Blog Talk Radio Listener's League. In addition to the shows, I'll be blogging from Superdraft each and every day with special breaking news alerts available to our Draft Kit Subscribers. If you are in the Las Vegas area, stop by and visit us. You'll get free T-shirts, Cheat-Sheets and maybe some VIP drinks on us! Look forward to seeing and hearing from you guys this weekend!!


DEPTH CHART MOVEMENT

David Clowney has officially moved ahead of Chansi Stuckey on the Jets depth chart. Clowney had been taking first team reps for over a week and has developed great chemistry with QB Mark Sanchez. Clowney is a decent sleeper selection because he can get down field and when healthy always seems to be making plays.


TRADE WINDS

There is a lot of trade rumors circulating lately which is highly unusual for the NFL. Here is what I've heard:

The Jets and the Ravens have been scouting offensive players for the Eagles presumably at the wide receiver position. Among the candidates there are Reggie Brown, Kevin Curtis and Hank Baskett. Each of these players could be lured away for nothing more than a mid-late round pick.

The Jets remain highly interested in Broncos WR Brandon Marshall. They will be making a phone call to Denver before they do anything else WR related.

Tampa Bay has publicly acknowledged that they have 3 QB's on the block right now in Byron Leftwich, Luke McCown and Josh Johnson. The team would like to get rid of either Leftwich or McCown which ever one gets the best bang for the buck. It is doubtful that Tampa would get much if anything in return for anybody other than possibly Leftwich, who may get them a late round pick.


I'M LOVIN'...

Las Vegas. Yeah that's right one last plug for the greatest place on earth. The weather is always warm, the drinks are always cold and the action literally never stops. Not to mention while there, you just may run into my man...The True Guru himself...Todd Farino!! In a couple of years, they will be putting that on the welcome signs over there.


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Fantasy Football Search 8/25

LISTEN TO FANTASY FOOTBALL TONIGHT

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Tonight -- 10 PM EST (9 PM CST)

Busy week for the Fantasy Football Tonight crew. It all starts tonight with Ryan and Jeff hosting Tuesdays hottest podcast, then the guys fly to Las Vegas for the ultimate fantasy football celebration in Superdraft!! We'll have LIVE shows on Thursday and Saturday from the floor of Superdraft. But tonight, we'll be going over the latest injuries, training camp news, giving out our super sleepers, debating bubble players on To Draft Or Not To Draft, asking some white dudes questions and of course taking your phone calls all night long.
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WHISPERS

The Seattle Seahawks have made contact with the agent for free agent OT Levi Jones earlier today. My source in Seattle claims that negotiations are in the preliminary stages and that the team has made in known that they are interested in Levi Jones only if the final opinion on Walter Jones causes them to be placed on the PUP list or injured reserve. This is a very good move in my opinion as the Seahawks need to do something with that line or else risk the health of Matt Hasselbeck and throw away another season.


MOVIN' ON UP

Rookie RB James Davis, who was profiled last week on Fantasy Football Tonight, has been running with the first team offense the past two days. Jamal Lewis is taking second team reps while Jerome Harrison has been regulated to stationary bike duty because of a nagging hamstring. Davis is a great sleeper RB and his value is growing day by day at this point. Draft him if you can!!


I'M LOVIN'...

Kevin Mawae. That's right, the center for the Tennessee Titans. Mawae is one of the best run blockers in the business and is desperately needed on the Titans line right now. The team took Mawae off of the PUP list today and he will begin practicing again with the team and is on target to start in week 1. This is an absolute must for the Titans, who are ultra thin on the offensive line, to be successful on offense this year.



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Fantasy Football Tonight 8/24

BREAKING NEWS

The Seattle Seahawks have released RB T.J. Duckett. Earlier today they signed Edgerrin James and thus Duckett became expendable. This means that James has a slightly better shot at some quality playing time. This is actually better for Julius Jones and Justin Forsett as Duckett will no longer be around to vulture TD's away from them.


INJURY UPDATES

Carson Palmer is still showing effects from a mild high ankle sprain he suffered in the Bengals first preseason game. The coaching staff swears that if it were the regular season that Palmer would be good to go but I doubt that very much. Right now, at this moment his status for week #1 is questionable. Palmer has only been able to do light passing on the side and some stationary bike work. He is not even jogging at this point, not that the Bengals want us to know that but it is a fact. Don't expect him to play before the regular season begins and even that may be a stretch.

It has been leaked that Saints RB Pierre Thomas has a sprained MCL in his knee. Apparently the grade of the sprain is technically a "0" but these types of sprains have a nasty habit of becoming worse if not rested properly. The team says that his knee injury is very minor and not causing him much discomfort but mind you those are not his own words. I like Thomas a lot this year but he will need to be 100% especially with Reggie Bush's knees always flaring up as well.

Nate Washington left Titans practice early after falling to the ground with severe hamstring pain during a 1 on 1 drill this afternoon. Washington got up under his own power but needed help from the training staff to get back to the locker rooms. We'll know more about Washington's injury tomorrow when an MRI test is revealed.


DEPTH CHART SHAKEUP

The Dolphins are lining up rookie WR Brian "turn on your" Hartline as their starting flanker now in place of both Greg Camarillo and Davone Bess. I am not a fan of Camarillo at all but I think that Bess is a playmaker who is best suited for Ted Ginn's spot at split end. Hartline has stepped up his game ever since head coach Tony Sparano called him out two weeks ago. The Dolphins are all about getting players motivated and it appears to have worked with Hartline. He is the only Dolphins WR with some size that can possibly make an impact in the red zone this season.


FANTASY FOOTBALL TONIGHT

For those of you who don't know or have been living under a rock for the past year, I am one of the hosts of the Fantasy Football Tonight Podcast. Ryan Hallam and myself host the Tuesday edition of the four nights a week franchise and we are looking for your feedback on what you think of the show? Tune in tomorrow night at 10 PM EST (9 PM CST) and listen to the show LIVE right here: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/fantasy-football-tonight. Come and see why we are Blog Talk Radio's #1 sports show and one of the fastest growing downloads on iTunes. Give us a call at 347-215-9913 and play our new game "Know Your Hosts" and win a FREE Fantasy Football Search T-shirt!! Tomorrow night we'll be talking all about our upcoming trip to Las Vegas to be a part of the Superdraft event. We'll be broadcasting LIVE from Superdraft on Thursday night and a special show on Saturday afternoon as we conduct a live draft of the Blog Talk Radio Listener's League. Please tune in and let us know what you think of the show!!


I'M LOVIN'...

Ray Rice. This guy to me is the steal of each and every draft. Rice is going around the 5th round in every draft and that is a flat out steal. I strongly believe that Rice will be a top 10 fantasy RB this season. He is running behind one of if not the best offensive lines in the NFL, he's fast, he's got amazing balance and he's had a whole year to learn his craft without the pressure of being a feature RB on him. This year is when he makes a giant leap forward and becomes a really dominating player in this Cam Cameron led offense. I have Ray Rice as my 10th rated RB overall this year and if I may say so, I rarely miss on players that I am this excited about. Take my word for it and grab Ray Rice in all your drafts this season. You won't regret it!



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Fantasy Football Tonight 8/23

FREE T-SHIRTS!!!

The next 5 people that sign up for a Fantasy Football Search Season Ticket (Draft Kit & Season Pass) will receive a free Fantasy Football Search T-shirt mailed directly to their home. We've got sizes ranging from Youth M-Adult XXL and we've even got ladies sizes because as you know by now we are all about the ladies!!

Our Draft Kit contains all you will ever need to know to prepare for your leagues draft including printable deep cheat sheets, rookie reports, training camp blog, sleepers, busts, breakouts, coaching systems breakdown and offensive line reports. The Season Pass will offer everything you'll ever need to manage your roster after you've drafted including weather reports, weekly waiver pickups, in-game fantasy blog for every NFL game, active/in-active reports, pass target reports, depth charts, start 'em & sit 'em, goal line touches report, weekly game previews and much, much more.

You get everything Fantasy Football Search has to offer for just one small fee of $10. You can't even get an outdated fantasy football magazine for that price anymore!! Plus, now you'll receive a FREE T-SHIRT too!! Just remember to sign up right now and then email me your confirmation along with your shirt size and where to send it to.


KICKER NEWS

I know that kickers are the red headed step child of fantasy rosters but only fools can deny their importance to winning in fantasy football. After all, how many of us have lost tough games over the years due to a missed chip shot field goal, blocked extra point or a team going for it on fourth down? Kickers have their place and having a good one always comes in handy. That is why I am giving you all a heads up on the status of kickers as it stands right now. Not good. There are several unsettled jobs out there still in Baltimore, Tampa Bay and Kansas City. Also there are a rash of injured kickers as we near the start of the regular season. Shayne Graham, Jason Hanson, Adam Vinatieri, Lawrence Tynes and Sebastian Janikowski have all been banged up this summer. When you factor in Garrett Hartley's suspension, Phil Dawson's angry contract negotiations and Mason Crosby's astonishing inaccuracy this summer there are far fewer stable kicker situations than usual. Then there are quality kickers waiting in the wings like Matt Stover, Martin Gramatica and Connor Barth making is extra tempting for teams to go ahead and boot a kicker who is struggling. I would advise not waiting for the scraps as far as kickers go this season. Take one a couple rounds before the last one because you do not want to be the one who gets stuck with a Ryan Succop or erratic Matt Prater.


I'M LOVIN'...

Jabar Gaffney. Talk about under the radar, here you go. Gaffney is having an excellent camp for the Broncos. He was hand picked by head coach Josh McDaniels to come over from the Patriots and compete for a job. Gaffney has done more than just compete, he has dominated. While everybody points to Eddie Royal as the Wes Welker of the new Broncos offense, that role is actually Jabar Gaffney's. It doesn't even matter if Brandon Marshall is in or out of the lineup as Gaffney will still play in the slot and be a constant underneath guy in the middle of the field. With all of the fallout over the new coaching regime in Denver, Gaffney may indeed be the first of Josh McDaniel's "guys" who make it to his precious inner circle much like his mentor Bill Bellichick. Draft him, you won't regret it.



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Fantasy Football Tonight 8/22

BACKUP QB'S



It's time to take a spin around the world of backup QB's. So much research and time is taken when deciding on which starting QB to draft to lead your fantasy team, but rarely do we consider who the backups are and what they may be capable of. As I always say, the system ultimately defines how big of a fantasy impact players at all offensive positions will have in a season and there is no more direct correlation than the QB. Anybody remember where Tom Brady was drafted before Josh McDaniels and his spread-like pass heavy offense was implemented? Brady was a solid backup fantasy QB and now he is one of if not the top QB on most boards. Remember also that Brady was a backup QB too at one point. So was Jake Delhomme, Matt Schaub, Kurt Warner, Trent Edwards, Tony Romo, Aaron Rodgers, David Garrard, Matt Cassel, Matt Hasselbeck, Jason Campbell, Kerry Collins, Marc Bulger and Shaun Hill. Now these guys are all starters and some of them are very high fantasy picks on a regular basis. So please do not ignore the backups going into your drafts this year. There are some real quality players who are ultimately better than some starters around the league. If you are not going to take either Peyton Manning or Drew Brees in the first two rounds, then it would be a good idea to sit back and take one of the under the radar QB's who play in a system suitable to their talents, with big play WR's lining up with them and who have a backup that could step in tomorrow and run the offense just as well if not better. This way you can avoid drafting 3-4 QB's hoping one of them hit. All you really need are 2 capable QB's on your roster providing their backups are quality. If you have a ton or roster space then spend your last pick or so on the backup in order to save yourself a roster move later. Here are the best backup QB's in terms of fantasy potential for this year:


1) Kyle Boller -- Rams -- This was a great get for the Rams. Boller is a good QB who was always on the outside looking in while in Baltimore mostly because one Ray Lewis didn't like him. This quickly caught on with the coaching staff and next thing you know, Joe Flacco is drafted. Boller has a big arm, has a fluent throwing motion, is mobile in the pocket and has can hit any moving target on the football field. The move to St. Louis will allow him to rebuild some of the confidence that was lost in Baltimore. He was bred to be an NFL QB after all and with Marc Bulger's injury prone existence being the only roadblock, I believe Boller will eventually lead the Rams.

2) Matt Leinart -- Cardinals -- Matt Leinart will start more games for the Cardinals this year than Kurt Warner. Warner's tender ligament in his right thumb is always a problem that flares up constantly during the season and I just don't see him making it through another season without getting injured. Warner waits too long in the pocket and winds up taking some massive hits as well. He cannot scramble and has awful lapses in judgement which lead to interceptions and injuries. Leinart had a epiphany this offseason. He realized that his golden NFL career that he thought was a given could be over with before he knew it. He spent the offseason getting focused on the things that were important to him. He spent a ton of time learning MMA with Jay Glazer among others and got impressively stronger both mentally and physically in the process. Anybody who has seen Leinart in training camp this year knows the young man now has the eye of the tiger. He is confident and his strong preseason has shown that he indeed has the skills to be a quality NFL starter. With Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin in Arizona whoever is the starting QB is automatically a top 10 if not top 5 fantasy QB. Whatever you do this year, do not forget about Matt Leinart.

3) Sage Rosenfels -- Vikings -- This guy just cannot get a break. The only worry for me is if Brad Childress and Darrell Bevell destroy both his confidence and his mechanics. See, Rosenfels has always had a good arm and showed flashes while in Miami but it wasn't until hooking up with Gary Kubiak in Houston that he began to take off. Kubiak and his staff cleaned up a few mechanical flaws in Rosenfels throwing motion most importantly in his feet. The corrections gave Rosenfels more range on his deep ball and most importantly improved his accuracy. He is a big guy who stands 6'4" and has no problems seeing downfield over the line. Many will remember the breakdown he had in trying to finish off the Colts last season in Houston when he turned the ball over on 3 consecutive possessions to let a comfortable lead sink into a tragic loss. Well forget about that because it means nothing. Even after that game there were coaches, players and fans in Houston that believed Rosenfels should be the Texans starter ahead of Matt Schaub. Coaches around the league recognize him as maybe the most ready backup QB in the NFL. The Vikings gave up a 4th round pick and signed him to a $9 million deal with the idea he would be their franchise QB going forward. Of course, the whole Brett Favre saga ensued and again, Rosenfels is left to be the good soldier and be the backup. Well, I bet he gets plenty of time this year as Favre is coming off of biceps surgery and has a partially torn rotator cuff.

4) Daunte Culpepper -- Lions -- There is a strong possibility that Culpepper wins the Lions starting QB job at least to open the season. But Matthew Stafford was drafted for a reason and he is going to be the guy there eventually. I think Culpepper will surprise people this season especially if he wins the job right out of the gate. He is now a full 2+ years removed from major knee reconstruction (Hear that Tom Brady fans?) and has lost nearly 30 lbs this offseason. His arm strength is back finally and he appears very determined to get as close to the level he was back in the Minnesota days. Whoever is playing QB for the Lions this year is automatically a fantasy sleeper. This offense, heck this team is going to be greatly improved across the board. Jim Schwartz and Scott Linehan have implemented a quality system on both sides of the ball and improved both the talent level and work ethic there in Detroit. Culpepper to Megatron (Calvin Johnson) will remind us of the Culpepper to Moss days only with blue jerseys instead of purple.

5) Jeff Garcia -- Raiders -- This is almost completely by default. On my personal fantasy board I have Garcia rated ahead of JaMarcus Russell. Russell has all of the talent in the world but it just a giant dope who has not work ethic and cares little about his own development as a QB or the future of the silver and black. The Raiders have a good offensive line. They will be able to run the ball at will this season against most defenses and that should allow for a QB to make some plays downfield to Calvin Johnson Jr. (Chaz Schilens) and the crazy fast Darrius Heyward-Bey. I have no confidence in Russell mostly because few of his teammates do either. If Garcia gets in there, he has shown that he can do more with 1/8 of the talent JaMarcus Russell has. Garcia will move the ball and throw some TD's and run for a couple more. The fact that he is basically the starter in Oakland already gives him the final spot on this list.


I feel like I am just getting started here as there are several more backups that I am excited about. What do you guys think? Who are the backups that you have your eyes on or think may win a job outright this summer? Send me an email or post your comments below and let's have some discussion about who the next wave of fantasy QB's might be.



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Fantasy Football Tonight 8/21

SUPERDRAFT

The biggest fantasy football event of the year is coming to Las Vegas on August 27th-30th and of course yours truly and my fellow partners here at Fantasy Football Search will be there. We have signed a deal to bring your out latest, most comprehensive Cheat-Sheets as well as answer your question during the Commissioners Corner and broadcast not 1 but 2 Fantasy Football Tonight podcasts from smack dab in the center of the city wide event.

We will be playing games, handing out prizes and most of all hanging out with you guys all weekend long. Stop bye our broadcast station and say "Hi" or better yet, buy us a beer or tell us how much we suck! Superdraft is the biggest collective fantasy football event and we are proud to have been asked to be a part of it this year. If you will be in the area or want to get away and be spontaneous, email me and I will hook you up with tickets to Superdraft. These are $75 at the door and entitle you to a vast array of VIP events including celebrity appearances by Shannon Elizabeth, Gary Dell'abate (Ba-Ba Booey!), Molly Sims, Flo-Rida, our own Todd Farino and many more. Superdraft tickets entitle you to free and discount drinks, hotel stays, meals, souvenirs and anything else you could ask for. So treat yourself next weekend and come out and hang with me and the gang from Fantasy Football Search and watch us confuse the heck out of ESPN's Matthew Berry and the other celebrity "experts". See you there!!


TOO MUCH FUMBLING

I know that many of you out there are taking a liking to Kansas City RB Jamaal Charles and with good reason. He is quick, agile and can break a long run at any given moment. The problem with Charles and the one thing that will stop him from being a breakout fantasy player is his fumbling. He has has issues with putting the ball on the ground back in college and it has followed him right up into the NFL. He was so bad last year that Herm Edwards had to go all "The Program" on him and make him walk around with a football 24/7. It didn't work. Charles continues to cough up the ball and exercise terrible habits while running and until that gets better he is not at all worthy of being taken in any fantasy drafts. Coaches will not stick with a player who fumbles with any kind of frequency, no matter how good that player is it just will not happen. Stay far away from Charles even if you wind up taking Larry Johnson somewhere along the line. He is not even worth the handcuff, trust me.


I'M LOVIN'...

Laurent Robinson. Another solid performance tonight for the Rams as he grabbed 5-65 to lead the team once again. Robinson is a big time talent who never got a chance in Atlanta before he was traded this offseason. He is the best WR on the Rams roster and has by far the most fantasy upside of anybody except Steven Jackson on the team. He height and leaping ability makes him a quality red-zone threat and his downfield speed will stretch the defenses quite a bit. He is a very worthy of a late round pick as he will be one of the hottest free agent WR's in most leagues in the beginning of the season.


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Fantasy Football Tonight 8/20

BETTER RECOGNIZE

Bengals WR Chris Henry is a superstar. Yeah, I know that he gets arrested like every 12 seconds or something like that but he's turned his life around and has actually (gulp!) matured over the past year. He has a girlfriend that has made him see the light so to speak. His potential on the field is off the charts as he is super fast, tall and can catch anything thrown in his zip code. This is going to be a huge year for Chris Henry so make sure you are on board before this train leaves the station.


SCOUTING REPORT: MARK SANCHEZ

I've been hearing a lot about Mark Sanchez this summer and the frequency in which he has been getting passes tipped at the line in practice and scrimmages. This happened from time to time in college as well so I was curious as to why? After all, he is listed at 6'2" and takes a deep enough drop for this to not be a problem and yet is still seems to be.

So I've spent the last couple of days looking over videos of Sanchez at USC and in Jets camp. A couple of things stick out to me. First, he is not 6'2" tall. They are squeezing at least an inch or possibly two in on us with that reading but that is fine. The main problem that I see is an extremely wide base from which he throws. His legs are spread apart pretty far when he throws, almost like he just got off of a horse or something. It is possible that this wide base gives him more velocity on his throws. But it also shrinks him down quite a bit because his arm slot is now barely to the should height of most defensive linemen. He also had a tendency of dropping down to a 3/4 arm slot in college, but seems to have corrected that since joining the Jets. His mechanics are good for a young QB, but I can't help but feel that this wide base from which he throws causes all of the tipped passes we've been seeing and hearing about this year?

He also does the college QB thing when he gets ready to go deep where he dips his throwing shoulder down and brings the ball up from around his hip to heave it downfield. This isn't going to work in the NFL as the players are just too fast and the lower you hold the ball as a QB, the more time you are giving the pass rushers to swat that ball out of your hands. Peyton Manning had the same issue when he came out of Tennessee but is now a model of how the throw the football. Sanchez can be taught to hold the ball higher but can he be the same type of passer without such wide throwing stance? That remains to be seen. But in the short term, get used to a bunch of tipped passes at the line Jets fans.


ANOTHER JOB CLAIMED

Second year TE Gary Barnidge has seized the Panthers starting TE job as the result of a very impressive camp. Barnidge is a total sleeper candidate as he is fast and a great receiving TE, that gives Jake Delhomme another downfield target.


I'M LOVIN'...

Mike Goodson. I said when Carolina made Goodson their fourth round draft pick this season that this guy is a first round type of talent and could be exceptional in Carolina's zone blocking system. He has been even better than advertised this summer and he has the coaching staff in Carolina giddy about what he could do for them this season. Sure, DeAngelo Williams is the clear cut starter, but with Jonathen Stewart missing so much time with an nagging achilles injury, Goodson has been able to see extended time for the Panthers. At this point, it is very possible if not likely that Stewart be placed on the PUP list to start the season or possibly used as a #3 RB while Williams and Goodson see the bulk of the playing time. Goodson has got such great hands that many scouts and teams were looking at him strictly as a receiver. This kid is the real deal and if he can put his past injury problems away and stay on the field he has a chance to be a real special player.


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Fantasy Football Tonight 8/19

JETS LOOKING FOR A WR

I had a very nice conversation today with a Jets insider who gave me a heads up as to the teams latest plan. They have every intention of bringing in an impact WR before the start of the regular season. It seems that their original plans were to make a run at Plaxico Burress until he fell into a landmine of legal trouble a few weeks back.

The Jets have now targeted Denver WR Brandon Marshall and have made preliminary inquiries to the Broncos front office about his availability. There have been several meetings between Jets GM Mike Tannenbaum, head coach Rex Ryan and offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer over the past week or so in which a number of different WR options were laid out. Marshall is by far and away their #1 priority.

If the Broncos refuse to move Marshall, the Jets will look into other potential trades with targets of Deion Branch and Santana Moss atop that list. If no trade partners can be found, they will pursue one of a few free agent WR's including Marvin Harrison and Koren Robinson who is playing in the UFL's Florida team at the moment.

What does all of this mean? Well, it means that help is on the way for the Jets, which can be a good thing for both Mark Sanchez and Jerricho Cotchery. But it also means that David Clowney, who is coming on strong in the bid to be the WR2, shouldn't be considered too high of a priority at this point.


GOIN' GREEN?

The Rams brought in Ahman Green for a workout earlier this week. He had a pretty lengthy workout but left the city without an offer from the team. This shows that they are not happy with their backup RB position at all. Kenneth Darby had ran well in camp, but was miserable in the first preseason game. Antonio Pittman was horrible in practice but did OK in the game. It is no surprise that the team wants to get a look at what is out there in free agency because it can't be much worse than what is currently on the roster.


NEAL DOWN

The Raiders surprisingly released fullback Lorenzo Neal today, just months after signing him away from the Ravens. It was thought that Neal was going to lead the way for Darren McFadden and company but that is no longer going to happen. Bad break for all of those who already drafted Justin Fargas and Darren McFadden while playing the "Lorenzo Neal made LaDanian Tomlinson" card. Neal will catch on somewhere else most likely and very soon. A return to San Diego might not be that far fetched at this point either.


I'M LOVIN'...

Kyle Boller. He never got a legitimate shot in Baltimore after Ray Lewis decided he didn't like his attitude somewhere around midseason of his rookie year. Brian Billick promptly put him in the dog house and Boller was hardly heard from again. He is tall, strong, has good pocket presence, got decent mobility, great arm strength and a flawless throwing motion. He has all the tools to succeed but he needs a chance. With Marc Bulger down, Boller will get that chance. I am betting that he plays well enough to plant the seed in Rams coaches head that if and when Marc Bulger struggles, Boller can come in and do the job for them.



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Fantasy Football Tonight 8/18

SO WHAT!

Brett Favre is back. He is going to be the Minnesota Vikings starting QB this year. He instantly makes them a touch better and a better favorite to win the Super Bowl. I say, so what? Favre is not a quality fantasy QB any longer especially in leagues that take away points for turnovers. He is 39 years old and coming off of surgery to his biceps and has a partially torn rotator cuff. Favre never was a very smart QB, rather he just relied on a rocket arm and a gunslinger's mentality. Unfortunately, that will not work for him anymore. I could envision him missing serious amounts of time this season with further injuries to his arm. It is just too big of a risk for so little of an actual reward. Somebody will take Favre in the third or fourth round this year. Please, do not be that person!


TUESDAY SHOW RECAP

In case you missed the Tuesday edition of Fantasy Football Tonight here is what you missed:

• We discussed which QB situation is the worst in the NFL with the result being obviously Tampa Bay.
• A couple of white dudes said to invest in a Roth IRA in order to avoid further tax consequences at the time of retirement.
• Ryan and I went over the injuries to Chaz Schilens, Carson Palmer, Marc Bulger, Andre Brown and Jonathen Stewart.
• We played a little "Know You're Hosts" and had 2 lucky winners guess the correct host and won a Fantasy Football Search T-shirt.
• We dug deep into our sleeper cellar and pulled out a few names. James Davis (RB - Cleveland), Devin Thomas (WR - Washington), LeSean McCoy (RB - Philly) and Vernon Davis (TE - San Francisco).
• Finally, we told you to draft Dwayne Bowe, Reggie Bush (in PPR leagues!) and to not draft Michael Vick, Chad Ochocinco or Justin Fargas.

WHISPERS

The Seahawks and the Eagles have reached out to free agent RB Warrick Dunn to see if he were willing to come to camp and compete for a backup role. The Eagles opportunity has since faded but the Seahawks remain interested due to the fact that Dunn knows the system so well.

The Dolphins have had discussions about bringing in a veteran RB also and the names that floated around there were Edgerrin James and Rudi Johnson. I doubt either would happen, but it is a becoming well known that the team doesn't like Ricky Williams showing up to camp slow and out of shape.

I'M LOVIN'...

Shonn Greene. The Jets rookie RB is a powerful inside runner who will benefit quite a bit from running behind a great offensive line. Greene will see a lot of time as the Jets short yardage ball carrier which will include goal line carries too. If either Thomas Jones or Leon Washington were to go down, Greene's value would skyrocket but I believe him to be useful even if all three RB's are healthy. Washington is a change of pace RB and one who will have packages set up for him especially but not a short yardage ball carrier. This is a guy to target very late in your drafts. Greene has big upside but will have to navigate his way through the Jets crowded backfield in order to carve out a special role for himself.

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Fantasy Football Tonight 8/17

CHEMISTRY

Eli Manning seems to have taken a liking to rookie WR Ramses Barden. Manning and Barden have been hooking up more and more in the last week or two in practices with the QB going to him in clutch situations, much like he did with Plaxico Burress. Barden is a massive guy who stands 6'6" tall and has long arms and good leaping ability to boot. He is an automatic red zone target for sure but Manning has been working overtime with Barden on some shorter over the middle type routes after practice. This is for sure a WR to watch out for in the later rounds of your draft.


CLUBHOUSE LEADERS

Here is a quick list of who is leading some of the important depth chart battles right now:

Brady Quinn over Derek Anderson
Mark Sanchez over Kellen Clemens
Byron Leftwich over Luke McCown and Josh Freeman
Sage Rosenfels over Tarvaris Jackson
Shaun Hill over Alex Smith
Correll Buckhalter over Knowshon Moreno and LaMont Jordan
David Clowney over Chansi Stuckey
Davone Bess over Ted Ginn Jr.
Robert Meacham over Lance Moore and Devery Henderson



DRAFT KIT UPDATE

I would like to take a moment here and thank all of you who have already signed up for our 2009 Season Ticket & Draft Kit. For those of you who haven't signed up yet, what are you waiting for? You're already missing out on our insider Training Camp Blog that is updated around the clock with every useful nugget of fantasy information from all 32 NFL teams training camps. Not to mention our expert printable cheat sheets, coaching & systems breakdowns, offensive line breakdowns, strength of schedules, free agent report, rookie breakdowns, sleepers, busts, breakouts, player projections and so much more!!

The Season Ticket provides you with everything you need to manage your team all season long. Weather reports, pass target reports, fantasy depth charts, active/inactive report, The Hot 8 weekly waiver column, goal line touches report, weekly lineup rankings, in-game blogs for every single NFL game played this season, email & text alerts, featured articles and so much more!!

You get all of this for just one easy payment of $10. What is more is that if you sign up by September 1st, 2009 you will keep that price forever. Meaning, for as long as you have the same email address, you will be able to sign up for our Draft Kit and Season Pass for the same low price of $10! This price will go up next season for sure, so please get yourself in as soon as you can.

The next 5 people who sign up for a Fantasy Football Search Season Pass will also receive a FREE Fantasy Football Search T-shirt with their membership. Please be sure to email me with your confirmation number upon ordering.


I'M LOVIN'...

Ahmad Brawshaw. With Andre Brown out of the picture it is a clear two RB system for the Giants. Bradshaw has a real chance to have a big fantasy impact this season. With Brandon Jacobs injury frequency and the way the Giants use their RB's, I can see Bradshaw racking up close to double digit TD's this season.



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Fantasy Football Tonight 8/16

STOCK RISING

Bernard Scott has given everything the Bengals have asked of him and a lot more. Scott is not only running with great vision and power, but has shown amazing balance and natural reactions too. His blocking has even been better than advertised according to those in the know in Cincinnati. Scott's pass catching ability is going to be a useful asset to this offense and will put him on the field at the expense of Cedric Benson more than people think.

For my buddy, the True Guru himself, Todd Farino I have to admit that Sam Hurd is making an actual run at the Cowboys WR3 spot. Although I believe it is more of Miles Austin taking a step backwards this summer, Hurd has performed well enough to have Jason Garrett single him out and start creating more plays to get the ball into his hands. Hurd is a guy who can have a big impact in fantasy this year if he can land ahead of Austin in the WR rotation.

With all of the hype surrounding Jets rookie QB Mark Sanchez, it should be noted that his favorite WR up to this point in camp has been David Clowney. Clowney is a burner who can stretch the field as evidenced by his 48 yard grab as soon as Sanchez entered the game. It is very important to note when a starting QB has a favorite WR and in this case there is some real good fantasy appeal with the Sanchez/Clowney combination.


STOCK FALLING

David Garrard has had a very poor showing so far. From the daily reports I get from Jaguars camp, it is all about how inaccurate Garrard has been so far. It seems that his throwing mechanics are all out of whack and he has yet to feel comfortable with newly acquired WR Torry Holt. It's simply amazing that the Jags haven't gone out and picked up another QB just to have a legitimate competition or somebody to push Garrard a bit.

Justin Gage is slowly going from WR1 to possible special teams player. Gage is struggling and is at this point behind both Kenny Britt and Nate Washington for the limited passing targets the Titans will have each week. I was a big fan of Gage last season, but it is becoming clear his time as a fantasy relevant WR is coming to an end.


I'M LOVIN'...

Daunte Culpepper. He has slimmed down dramatically and is finally 100% recovered from that horrible knee blowout he suffered a few years back. No, he doesn't have the speed or footwork he once did in Minnesota, but his arm has never looked better. He's also becoming more of a team leader this summer, helping out his teammates and spending extra time in breaking down film and talking with the coaching staff. He's finally grown up! I have assumed all along that this was Matthew Stafford's team from day #1, but I am not so sure anymore. I think Culpepper can win the job and do a fine job leading this team while Stafford learns from the sidelines.



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Fantasy Football Tonight 8/15

SIGNED

John Carney has inked a 1 year deal with the Saints. He is 45 years old but had a heck of a season with the Giants last year. The signing came after the news that current Saints placekicker Garrett Hartley is facing a 4 game suspension by the NFL, which we are to assume is a result of a failed test for anabolic steroids. It is the only possible explanation but all but destroys any fantasy value Hartley had. I wouldn't be surprised to see Hartley cut in favor of Carney being the permanent kicker once again in New Orleans.


STILL HURTING

The Jonathen Stewart achilles injury is now becoming a major concern to both the Panthers and fantasy owners. Stewart has been shut down by the team and missed six practices so far after experiencing more tenderness with the nagging injury. The team is hoping this extended break will help Stewart heal a bit and be good for him in the long run. But, with DeAngelo Williams elevating himself to superstar like status with his training camp performances and rookie Mike Goodson running quite well, Stewart may find himself on the outside looking in very shortly. Williams value is at an all time high right now, while Stewart is a guy who is only worth a late round flier on at this point.


PERFECT

Matt Schaub was 7-7 for 70 yards against the Chiefs in the Texans preseason opener tonight. Schaub led an immaculate 94 yard drive right down the field against the Chiefs first string defense on the second possession of the game. Schaub looked every bit of a franchise QB tonight as he made play after play with both his arm and his feet, reminding everybody that he can run a bit too. This is going to be a big season for Matt Schaub. I believe that if he stays healthy, the numbers will prove him to be a top 5 fantasy QB in 2009.


IMPRESSIVE

Kenny Britt saw his first action in the NFL tonight and flashed the skills that made him the Titans first round pick. He caught 5-89 yards including a 37 yard TD from Vince Young. We will have to check on his status tomorrow though as he was pulled from the game early. Sources say he was visibly limping around the locker room and was unavailable after the game because he was being attended to by the training staff. This could be an aggravation of his lingering hamstring injury so we'll have to just wait and see.


I'M LOVIN'...

LaDanian Tomlinson -- LT never plays in preseason games but has forced his coaches hands this time around demanding that he suit up. LT is on a mission this year as he wants to prove to the world that he is still the same impact RB that he's been since he stepped off campus at TCU. It seems like people, the media and especially fantasy players have already written him off as over the hill or something. While he may not produce another 20+ TD season, LT is still a very dynamic RB and a true fantasy superstar. Don't underestimate him come draft day as you will regret it later on.


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Fantasy Football Tonight 8/14

FANTASY COACHING SYSTEM RANKINGS III

21) Buffalo Bills -- Despite having the most vanilla head coach in the NFL in Dick Jauron, the Bills and Turk Schonert are implementing a vast no-huddle scheme and some spread offensive elements. Believe it or not this is a big sleeper system to watch out for in 2009.

22) Miami Dolphins -- The team the made the Wildcat famous isn't as hip as you might think. Tony Sparano is an old school run the ball type guy and balances those beliefs with the curiosity of offensive coordinator Dan Henning.

23) Jacksonville Jaguars -- I had more hope for this system when passing guru Dirk Koetter was hired but his style along with a lack of talented WR's has not panned out. There is hope for the likes of David Garrard, Torry Holt and of course Maurice Jones-Drew but time is running out.

24) Detroit Lions -- Scott Linehan is a much better offensive coordinator than head coach at this point in his career. He is a great fit here but will have to build an offensive line in order to achieve the big success that the skill position talent possesses.

25) Chicago Bears -- The last of the sleepers, Jay Cutler doesn't automatically mean fantasy success from this offense. Lovie Smith and Ron Turner strongly believe in running the football and Turner's playbook is as predictable as any in the NFL.

26) Tampa Bay -- New offensive coordinator Jeff Jagodzinski is hit or miss. I like him bringing in a zone blocking style, but his traditional west coast style may be too plain considering the lack of talent on the field.

27) San Francisco 49ers -- We are now to the smash mouth style offenses and of these I rate the 49ers the best. Why? Because they are the only team that has been conditioned for it all offseason and training camp long. If you want to run the ball, you have to be in peak physical condition at all positions on the offense first and foremost.

28) St. Louis Rams -- The days of the greatest show on turf are long gone. The Rams will run, run, run and toss some screens and call it a day.

29) New York Jets -- Brian Schottenheimer is the most over-rated coordinator in the league. He does nothing special or innovative and gets a pass. The Jets will run and run successfully because of the offensive line and nothing more.

30) Cleveland Browns -- Eric Mangini and Brian Daboll do not give me confidence in the Browns offense. Daboll is an ex-Patriots WR coach. I seriously doubt he was the brains behind the operation over there and think this was a bad hire on Mangini's part.

31) Oakland Raiders -- I'm giving the Raiders the benefit of the doubt because at least there is only one guy running the show over there, Tom Cable. Cable is not qualified to be the head coach OR offensive coordinator of an NFL team, but is a good offensive line coach. The fact that Paul Hackett will have a little influence keeps them a tick ahead of the Redskins.

32) Washington Redskins -- This ranking will be much higher when Mike Shanahan takes over next season. Jim Zorn and Sherman Smith are in over their head here and it is going to end badly. Last season there was a near mutiny as Clinton Portis led a rebellion of veterans against what was an obvious miscalculation of this offense. It's only going to get worse in 2009.

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Fantasy Football Tonight 8/13

FANTASY COACHING SYSTEM RANKINGS PART II

11) New York Giants -- A simple philosophy but multi dimensional approach. Run the football.

12) New England Patriots -- Josh McDaniels has left, but Bellichick will continue the spread offense hybrid that produces a ton of passing yards, receptions and TD's.

13) Cincinnati Bengals -- Tricky system. Bratkowski loves to throw the ball but just didn't have the weapons to do so last year.

14) Green Bay Packers -- West coast offense that features more runs than normal.

15) Pittsburgh Steelers -- Everybody thinks run with the Steelers but Bruce Arians loves to throw the ball and will continue to do so in this ultra balanced attack.

16) Tennessee Titans -- Not a great source of fantasy points in years past but will be this year. Mike Heimerdinger is a whiz in developing an offense.

17) Carolina Panthers -- The switch to a zone blocking system before last year was a good one.

18) Kansas City Chiefs -- They are implementing a spread offense hybrid.

19) Minnesota Vikings -- This begins a bit if a drop in the value of the systems. Childress has yet to be able to match the functionality of the Eagles system.

20) Seattle Seahawks -- Jim Mora Jr. won't run the exact same system as Holmgren and won't have Alex Gibbs to mentor the offensive line. But the zone blocking scheme is great for big plays.

TOMORROW: #21-32

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Fantasy Football Tonight 8/12

COACHING SYSTEM RANKINGS

On the Fantasy Football Tonight Podcast last night I talked about how important it is to forget about last year's stats because they are obsolete. With 47 coaching changes this offseason (head coaches, offensive & defensive coordinators) there are so many new systems in place that it may be confusing if you haven't kept on top of these changes. For example, Denver RB's are no longer automatic fantasy producers. The Chiefs and the Bills will be throwing the ball 50+ times a game this season. Surprised? You should be. In the Fantasy Football Search Draft Kit, I documented each and every NFL teams coaching staff including brief BIOS, what system they run and which players fit and which do not. So, I thought that I would give you guys a sample of what coaching systems are the best for fantasy production and which are not. Here is a ranking of what systems you want to have your player in this year:

1) Arizona Cardinals -- Focus on offensive line and in developing plays to isolate the defense.

2) New Orleans Saints -- Sean Payton is one of best offensive minds in the game.

3) Houston Texans -- Hiring Alex Gibbs was genius. Fantasy success across the board in 2009.

4) Dallas Cowboys -- Jason Garrett is posterboy for next wave in NFL offense.

5) Philadelphia Eagles -- Andy Reid runs the best west coast system in the NFL.

6) San Diego Chargers -- Norv Turner belongs in fantasy hall of fame for RB productivity.

7) Baltimore Ravens -- Cam Cameron and Al Saunders? Best coached offense in the game.

8) Indianapolis Colts -- Peyton Manning runs the offense especially with Tom Moore

consulting.

9) Denver Broncos -- Josh McDaniels was architect of Pats recent offensive outbursts.

10) Atlanta Falcons -- Mike Mularkey has the best playbook in the NFL.

TOMORROW: #11-20

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Fantasy Football Tonight 8/11

FFT PODCAST REVIEW

Tonight was the season premiere of the Fantasy Football Tonight Podcast and it was by far the fastest 90 minutes of radio ever. It was my co-host Ryan Hallam's birthday today and so we got a little review of how his day went complete with a nice promotion of Red Lobster. Anybody else have a taste for shrimp scampi? We gave away Fantasy Football Search T-shirts to callers who played our brand new "Know Your Hosts" game. Then we gave updates on the injuries to Steve Smith, Calvin Johnson, Antonio Bryan, Terrell Owens and Willie Parker. Eventually, we went through some of the depth charts that have been coming out lately and brought up what stood out such as Dwayne Bowe as a backup and Earnest Graham being the RB1 in Tampa Bay. Oh, and if you haven't heard it yet you have to hear the special birthday songs I played for Ryan's special day. It made warm and fuzzy feel dirty and possibly a bit gay. Click HERE to listen to the show on demand. If you have an ipod please subscribe to the feed as it doesn't cost anything and you'll get all 4 nights of Fantasy Football Tonight directly to your ipod every time you plug it in.


MASON ALREADY BANGED UP

Recently unretired Ravens WR Derrick Mason suffered a dislocated middle finger on his right hand while going low to catch a Joe Flacco pass earlier today. While it looked pretty freaky to say the least, Mason was in fine spirits later in the day as he talked with some local reporters and did a stint on Moving The Chains on Sirius NFL Radio. During the interview, Mason mentioned how he was grooming Justin Harper to be his eventual replacement in Baltimore when he really does retire. Anyways, Mason probably will not play in the Ravens preseason opener against Washington on Thursday but should be fine by the following week.


THE MAKINGS OF A STUD TE

The more I hear about Titans rookie TE Jared Cook, the better he gets in my minds eye. I have yet to see the Titans practice myself, but my people at Titans camp simply cannot say enough about the kid and are thinking he is the real deal. Head coach Jeff Fisher and QB Kerry Collins have come out publicly already praising Cook's ability. Offensive coordinator Mike Heimerdinger is using Cook as an H-back as well as lining him up wide at times in this offense and the kid responds like a champ making plays wherever he is on the field. Even his blocking skills have been better than advertised so far. This is a sure fire sleeper at the TE position and a guy that could let you hold off on spending a higher pick on Antonio Gates, Jason Witten or Greg Olsen while still getting great fantasy production.


NO DALLAS IN INDY?

Very strange situation in Indianapolis as TE Dallas Clark has gone missing from camp for 3 days now. At first, the local media were told that Clark was being held out of practice as a "precaution" but were never given a specific reason. Another day went by with no Clark and now a third and people are beginning to wonder. The coaching staff has not given an expected return of Clark but continue to downplay it as a non-story, which it may be. I just find it weird when teams play down injuries or situations so much that they make a bigger story out of something than it has to be. Clark does not make a habit of missing practices even when injured so there just might be something here. We'll keep you posted...


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